[00:00:02]
I'M ON A CALL TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
IT'S NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 29TH, 2023.
WE ARE MEETING IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT AUSTIN CITY HALL, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, AND WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PRESENT.
UH, I'LL NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY IS, UH, JOINING US VIRTUALLY, UH, MEMBERS.
THE ORDER WILL GO IN, WILL BE SOME, UH, PRE-SELECTED ITEMS, AND THEN WE'LL NOT PRESELECTED ITEMS. WE'LL GO TO BRIEFINGS FIRST.
WE'LL FIRST GO TO, UM, A BRIEFING ON THE SITE PLAN PROCESS ASSESSMENT.
THE, WE WILL THEN GO TO THE AUSTIN AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
THEN WE'LL HAVE A NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED, BUT I THINK FOR WILL BE BRIEF DISCUSSION, BUT JUST IN ANTICIPATION OF OUR COUNCIL MEETING, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE GET QUESTIONS, UH, ANSWERED OR PREPARE FOR QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED ON THURSDAY.
WE ARE POSTED FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY, UM, RELATED TO HOUSE BILL 2127, BUT MEMBERS, THERE'S A HEARING ON THAT TOMORROW AT THE COURTHOUSE.
AND SO, UH, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, WHAT I'LL DO IS ACTUALLY, WE'RE ALSO POSTED FOR THIS ON THURSDAY AT THE COUNCIL MEETING, AND SO THAT WE'LL HAVE THE INFORMATION RELATED TO THE HEARING.
WE'LL JUST DO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, ON THURSDAY, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION TO THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, NO OBJECTION ON THAT ISSUE, BUT I DID WANNA PULL ANOTHER ITEM FOR DISCUSSION OKAY.
THAT IS THE CONTRACT FOR, UH, MEETING SERVICES.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE? YES, SIR.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT YOU HAD SEEN ON, ON YOUR END ITEM 78 BEING PULLED BY OUR OFFICE.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING YOU WANTED TO PULL 78 YES, SIR.
SO THAT YOU COULD, UM, MAYBE WITHDRAW IT.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I HAVE MY NOTES RIGHT.
UH, YEAH, WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT.
[B1. Briefing on Development Site Plan Process Assessment]
WE, UH, HAVE SOME FOLKS HERE TODAY THAT ARE GOING TO PROVIDE US A BRIEFING ON, UH, A REVIEW THAT HAS BEEN DONE, A DEEP DIVE, UH, IF YOU WILL, A PERFORMANCE, UH, REVIEW, AUDIT, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, OF OUR SITE PLAN PROCESS.AND I'LL, UM, RECOGNIZE THEM, LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
YOU WANT TO, YOU WANT TO SET US OFF? OKAY.
UH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR VERONICA SENIO, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
JUST WANTED TO KICK US OFF BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO OUR CONSULTANTS AND SAY A FEW WORD ABOUT A FEW WORDS ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT REPORT THAT YOU'RE GONNA CONSIDER TODAY.
IMPROVING AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESS TO HOUSING IS A CRITICAL PRIORITY FOR THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR OUR ORGANIZATION AND FOR THE GREATER AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE AFFORDABILITY PICTURE, AND QUITE FRANKLY, MANY ARE NOT WITHIN THE CITY'S CONTROL.
HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE SIGNIFICANT FACTOR OVER WHICH WE DO HAVE CONTROL.
THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS, SITE PLAN REVIEW IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES ADMINISTERED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WITH LAYERS OF REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE OVERSEEN BY 11 CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
IT'S ALSO A PROCESS THAT CAN AND DOES IMPACT THE TIMELINES AND COSTS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT DESIGNED TO ADDRESS OUR HOUSING CHALLENGES IN AUSTIN.
WITH THAT AS A BACKDROP, WE ASKED MCKENZIE AND COMPANY AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CONSULTING FIRM WITH EXPERIENCE IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR TO CONDUCT AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF OUR REVIEW PROCESS.
THIS TYPE OF DETAILED ANALYSIS THAT INCLUDES AN ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT PERFORMANCE PROCESS MAPPING, OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPACT, AND A HIGH LEVEL ROADMAP FOR IMPLEMENTATION ARE ALL A DEPARTURE FROM PAST REVIEWS.
MCKENZIE AND COMPANY FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT PROCESS, ITS IMPACT ON BOTH OUR CUSTOMERS AND STAFF, AND HOW IT MIGHT BE IMPROVED.
IT WAS DONE WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF MORE THAN 150 CITY STAFF LED BY THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, BUT INCLUDING ALL OTHER DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS TO RE THE REVIEW HAS BEEN SHARED WITH OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, WHO ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL POSITION US TO MAKE MEANINGFUL SHORT AND LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS.
FURTHER, IT'LL HELP US STREAMLINE HOW OUR DEPARTMENTS WORK TOGETHER, WILL HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE FULL RANGE OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES AND WILL ACCELERATE PROBLEM SOLVING AND INNOVATION MOVING FORWARD.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR JOSE ROIG, WHO'S HERE WITH US TODAY, HAS BEEN ASKED TO TAKE ON A LEADERSHIP ROLE THAT SPANS THE ENTIRETY OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
HE HAS THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE SUPPORT OF DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP TO GET US WHERE WE NEED TO BE TODAY.
WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM MCKENZIE AND COMPANY TO SHARE IT WITH YOU AND OVERVIEW OF THEIR FINDINGS.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR RIG IS ALSO HERE TODAY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AND TALK ABOUT THE STEPS THAT WE'RE TAKING.
AND LASTLY, BEFORE I TURN THIS OVER TO DREW ERDMAN WITH MCKENZIE
[00:05:01]
AND COMPANY, I DID WANT TO NOTE THAT BASED ON THIS WORK, WE ARE RECOMMENDING A CONSULTING CONTRACT THAT WILL SU, THAT WILL SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION AND R C A REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE IS POSTED AS ITEM NUMBER 23 ON YOUR AGENDA THURSDAY.AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO DREW.
I'LL INTRODUCE HIM IN A MOMENT.
UH, BUT MY NAME'S PAUL COULTER.
I'M A SENIOR PARTNER AT MCKINSEY, AND I'M THE MANAGING PARTNER FOR OUR AUSTIN OFFICE.
UH, I'VE BEEN SERVING, UH, CLIENTS WITH MCKINSEY FOR 23 YEARS.
UH, I'LL INTRODUCE DREW IN A MOMENT, BUT I COULDN'T PASS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE OUR FIRM, OUR OFFICE, AND MYSELF INSTEAD.
UM, UH, I'LL JUST START WITH, UH, A BIT OF CELEBRATION.
UH, WE'VE NOW BEEN IN OUR NEW AUSTIN OFFICE FOR 14 MONTHS.
WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF COLLEAGUES THAT ARE QUITE COMMITTED TO, UH, GREATER AUSTIN AND TEXAS AS CONTEXT.
AUSTIN IS THE THIRD MCKINSEY OFFICE IN TEXAS.
UH, THERE'S NO OTHER STATE IN THE COUNTRY WITH THREE MCKINSEY OFFICES.
IN FACT, OF OUR SEVEN 170 OFFICES GLOBALLY, THERE'S ONLY FOUR OTHER COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE US WITH THREE MCKINSEY OFFICES.
SO, AS A FIRM, WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO THE STATE, AND AS AN OFFICE, WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO THE CITY.
UH, WE, WE LAUNCHED OUR OFFICE AND CONDUCTED A SERIES OF 138 INTERVIEWS WITH SOME OF YOU INCLUDED, UH, AND WROTE A REPORT THAT, UH, I WANTED TO JUST MENTION.
UH, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE'S, UH, HAD ACCESS TO IT, BUT WE'D LOVE ANY FEEDBACK AND ANY THOUGHTS ON, UH, THE CHALLENGES AND, AND THE ASPECTS TO CELEBRATE ABOUT OUR GREAT CITY.
UH, AND THEN ON A PERSONAL NOTE, UH, I'VE, UH, I'M NOT A NATIVE TEXAN.
I'VE LIVED HERE 16 YEARS, 13 IN AUSTIN, THREE, UH, ELSEWHERE IN, IN TEXAS.
WHEN I WAS IN THE MILITARY, UH, WE WERE SHARING, UH, BEFORE THE SESSION, UH, I, I, UH, HAVE, UH, UH, THREE CHILDREN.
SO I'VE MADE MORE AUSTINITES AND WE'RE
UH, AND IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY ON THIS TOPIC.
UM, SO I WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND SET A BIT OF THAT CONTEXT, BUT NOW I'LL INTRODUCE DREW TO SHARE THE FINDINGS OF OUR WORK.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO THIS WORK SESSION TODAY.
I'M A PARTNER IN MCKINSEY AND COMPANY.
LOUIS OFFICE, AND I SPEND A HUNDRED PERCENT OF MY TIME FOCUSED ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, HAVE PAST PUBLIC SECTOR EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS PRIVATE SECTOR EXPERIENCE.
IT'S BEEN A PARTICULAR PRIVILEGE TO BE PART OF THIS EFFORT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE CLICHE OF PICTURES WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.
WELL, THIS MIGHT BE WORTH 2000.
IT IS THE SCENE SETTER FOR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED, YOUR COMMUNITY HAS EXPERIENCED, BUT ALSO, QUITE FRANKLY, THE GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS OF HOW TO ADAPT TO THIS RATE OF CHANGE.
YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE NUMBERS, BUT IT IS WORTH STATING AGAIN, THAT AT THE START OF THE CENTURY, AUSTIN WAS THE 17TH LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS YEAR, IT'S THE 10TH LARGEST.
THERE'S ONLY BEEN A HANDFUL OF OTHER CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS KIND OF RAPID GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THERE ARE NEED FOR CHANGE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT WHEN YOU THINK OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND HOW IT'S MANAGED.
UH, WE WERE ASKED TO CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT.
WHAT WE DID FOCUSED ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SITE PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
YOU SEE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS UP ON THE SCREEN.
IT IS, YOU KNOW, PROCESS MAPPING.
IT IS GOING THROUGH LABORIOUSLY, QUITE FRANKLY, WITH THE STAFF OVER 150 FROM ACROSS 11 DEPARTMENTS, MAPPING OUT WHAT ARE THE EXACT STEPS INVOLVED IN A REVIEW PROCESS, GOING THROUGH THE IT PLATFORMS, BUT ALSO ENGAGING.
AND THIS IS SIGNIFICANT EQUALLY, THE CUSTOMERS, THE APPLICANTS, AS WELL AS THE STAFF IN THE PROCESS.
AND YOU SEE THAT THERE, WHERE OVER 20 DIFFERENT CUSTOMER ORGANIZATIONS OR APPLICANT ORGANIZATIONS WERE INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE WORKSHOPS AS WELL AS 178.
PARTICIPATING IN A SURVEY WILL SHOW SOME OF THOSE RESULTS MOMENTARILY.
BUT ALONG THE WAY, ALSO, SURVEYS OF CITY STAFF, WORKING SESSIONS WITH CITY STAFF AND INTERVIEWS AS WELL TO CO-DEVELOP THESE PERSPECTIVES.
SO, JUST A FEW HEADLINE MESSAGES TO START WITH, THE SATISFACTION WITH THE CURRENT PROCESS IS LOW.
OVER 80% OF APPLICATIONS HAVE THREE PLUS CYCLES THROUGH THE PROCESS.
OVER 30% HAVE FIVE TIMES GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF REWORK ALSO, AND THIS IS BASED ON THE SURVEY, ABOUT 80% REPORT TAKING MORE THAN A YEAR, AND ABOUT 28% REPORTED TAKING MORE THAN 18 MONTHS TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK COMPARISON TO SOME OTHER BENCHMARKS.
[00:10:01]
IS FOR HIGH SATISFACTION.IT'S ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, THAT WOULD BE A NINE OR A 10.
UH, IF YOU COMPARE IT TO SUCH THINGS AS THIS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR A CABLE TELEVISION IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, OR EVEN STATE GOVERNMENTS, THAT'S NOT JUST TEXAS, THAT'S ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
THE CURRENT STATE OF AUSTIN SITE PLAN REVIEW IS AGAIN, LAGS COMPARABLE BENCHMARKS.
NOW, THE CITY STAFF HAVE TO ADMINISTER AN INHERENTLY COMPLICATED AND EVOLVING CODE AND WANNA STRESS THAT THIS IS VERY, VERY HARD TECHNICAL WORK REGARDLESS OF WHAT JURISDICTION YOU'RE IN.
IN COMPARISON, IT IS JUST A VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE.
AND THEN AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THOSE PICTURES WHERE WE STARTED, WHERE THE EVOLVING NATURE OF THE COMMUNITY, YOU SEE THE SCALE OF THE REGULATIONS INVOLVED ABOUT 1800 DIFFERENT REGULATIONS.
THEN THAT GETS TRANSLATED INTO TECHNICAL MANUALS AND TECHNICAL CODES FOR THESE SPECIALTIES TO TRANSLATE INTO, INTO ACTION.
AND OF COURSE, THERE, IT'S AN EVOLVING CODE, WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE BASED UPON THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT.
NOW, WE'LL NOT GO THROUGH THIS IN DEPTH, BUT THIS LAYS OUT THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE REVIEW PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, IT IS INHERENTLY COMPLEX, BUT IT INVOLVES FOUR BASIC STEPS.
THERE'S THE SUBMISSION WHERE AN APPLICANT PREPARES A PLAN AND THEN SUBMITS IT THROUGH THE FORMAL PROCESS.
THEN THERE'S B THE COMPLETENESS CHECK, WHERE THE CITY STAFF WILL GO THROUGH AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS COMPLIANT JUST FROM A COMPLETENESS STANDPOINT OR THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
THEN THERE'S PART C, WHICH IS THE, THE MAIN MEAT OF THE PROCESS, THE FORMAL REVIEW, WHERE UP TO 200 PEOPLE OR MORE MAY BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, GOING THROUGH A SERIES OF TECHNICAL REVIEWS.
THIS IS THE MEAT OF THE PROCESS.
AND THEN THE BACKEND IS ACTUALLY THE PERMIT ISSUANCE.
OKAY? AND YOU SEE THERE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN TAKE NOT IN EVERY CASE, DEPENDS ON THE COMPLEXITY, CLOSE TO 1500 STEPS.
IT IS SIGNIFICANT HANDS-ON TECHNICAL EXPERTISE THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF HOW MUCH TIME IS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS THERE, ABOUT THE 20 EQUIVALENT OF 20 FTES FOR WORK, UH, FOR A WEEK.
JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT ALSO, THIS IS NOT JUST D S D OR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW THAT, BUT IT IS WORTH EMPHASIZING 11 DEPARTMENTS OVER 200 PEOPLE COULD TOUCH A SITE PLAN REVIEW IN PROCESS, DEPENDING ON ITS COMPLEXITY.
ALSO, EVEN WITHIN THOSE DEPARTMENTS, THERE'S A SERIES OF VERY TECHNICAL SPECIALTIES IN SOME DEPARTMENTS HAVE MULTIPLE TECHNICAL REVIEWS BY DIFFERENT TECHNICAL EXPERTS AS YOU GO THROUGH.
AND THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE OF THE DIVERSITY, SCALE AND SCOPE OF THAT INTERACTION.
WANNA NOTE THAT MAKES IT INHERENTLY COMPLICATED TO EXECUTE EFFICIENTLY AND COMING BACK TO EXECUTING EFFICIENTLY.
ONE OF THE CORE FINDINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE IS THAT ACROSS THOSE 11 DEPARTMENTS AND ALL THOSE PUBLIC SERVANTS TRYING TO DO EXCELLENT WORK FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE, OF THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY, THERE IS A LACK OF ALIGNMENT ON BASICALLY WHO THEY ARE SERVING AND WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PROCESS.
AND THIS IS JUST A WORD CLOUD.
THIS IS BASED UPON A WORKSHOP WITH CITY STAFF.
WORD CLOUD IS JUST HIGHLIGHTING WHEN WE ASK THEM, WHO IS YOUR, WHO DO YOU SEE AS YOUR PRIMARY CUSTOMER? THIS IS BASED ON THE FREQUENCY OF WORDS.
THE COLOR DOESN'T MATTER, BUT IT'S THE SIZE OF THE WORD.
WHAT MATTERS MOST IS THAT THERE'S VARIATIONS ACROSS THOSE 11 DEPARTMENTS.
AND IT IS HARD TO HAVE AN EFFICIENT PROCESS WITH MULTIPLE HANDOFFS IF YOU'RE NOT ALIGNED ULTIMATELY UPON WHAT IS THE PURPOSE AND WHO IS THE PRIMARY CUSTOMER OF THE PROCESS.
SO A FEW OTHER POINTS WE JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.
WE SURVEYED THE CITY'S STAFF AS WELL, JUST BASED ON NOT THE SITE PLAN PROCESS EXACTLY, BUT MORE GENERALLY THE SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES FOR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE OR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, HOW YOU IMPROVE PROCESSES AS YOU WOULD IN YOUR WORK.
THESE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SURVEY.
IT'S ON A SCALE OF ONE TO FOUR, FOUR BEING BEST, ONE BEING LOWEST.
THESE ARE SOME SELECT HIGHLIGHTS.
BUT WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT TO NOTE IS THAT ON SUCH THINGS AS, IF YOU LOOK ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE WHERE IT SAYS PRINCIPLES AND BEHAVIORS, THE IDEA THAT LEADERS HAVE VISITS TO WORK AREAS AND PROVIDE SUPPORT, THAT SCORES RELATIVELY WELL.
BUT IF YOU LOOK DOWN BELOW, UNDER OPERATING PROCEDURES AND, AND TECHNOLOGY WHERE IT'S QUESTIONS SUCH AS ARE STAFF TRAINED AND ROUTINE ROUTINELY APPLY ROOT CAUSE PROBLEM SOLVING? THAT'S JUST TECHNICAL FOR DO THEY KNOW HOW TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE A PROCESS WHEN IT CHANGES, WHICH IS INHERENT IN THE WORK THEY DO.
YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THAT SCORES RELATIVELY LOW.
AND SO WHAT THIS JUST MERELY HIGHLIGHTS IS THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD AND IMPROVE THE SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES OF THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PROCESS.
NOW, ANOTHER POINT TO BE HIGHLIGHTED,
[00:15:01]
WE HEARD THIS MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE INTERVIEWS, BUT ALSO JUST THE DATA WE HAVE HERE, THE ATTRITION RATE FOR D S D STAFF.THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE INTERNAL TRANSFERS WITHIN DEPARTMENTS.
SO I WANNA NOTE THAT IT'S ACTUALLY A HIGHER PERCENTAGE, ABOUT FIVE OR 6% HIGHER, UH, WITH INTERNAL D DEPARTMENT TRANSITIONS.
BUT THE BROADER THEME, WHICH IS TRANSITIONS IN STAFF, HAVE AFFECTED THE PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY OF THE PROCESS.
AND YOU SEE THAT IT TAKES, UM, AND THIS IS BASED UPON THE INTERVIEWS THAT NUMBER ONE TO ONE AND A HALF YEARS, IT COULD BE LONGER DEPENDING ON THE TECHNICAL SPECIALTY.
THIS IS HARD TECHNICAL WORK TO DO.
IT TAKES TIME TO BUILD THOSE SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES TO BE FULLY FUNCTIONAL AS AN EFFICIENT REVIEWER.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING WHERE IT TAKES A YEAR, A YEAR AND A HALF, AND SOME SPECIALTIES MAYBE OVER THAT, MAYBE TWO YEARS, AND YET THE AVERAGE TENURE IS LESS THAN THAT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE CAN BE A LOT OF DISCONTINUITY.
WE HEARD THIS BOTH FROM STAFF AS WELL AS CUSTOMERS.
NOW THERE'S MULTIPLE IT PLATFORMS. AND OBVIOUSLY THIS RANGES FROM THE VERY, VERY TACTICAL AND EVERY DAY TO THE AMANDA SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE CORE INTERNAL PROCESS MANAGEMENT TOOL.
IT'S AMANDA'S REPLACEMENT WAS ALREADY ON THE AGENDA FOR TAKING PLACE, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS PASSED ITS LIFE EXPECTANCY, SO TO SPEAK.
AND WHAT THE ANTIQUATED, UH, AMANDA SYSTEM, WHAT THAT'S NECESSITATED IS QUITE FRANKLY A SERIES OF MANUAL WORKAROUNDS WITHIN DIFFERENT TEAMS. BUT IT ALSO PREVENTS FOR BOTH CITY STAFF AS WELL AS CUSTOMERS, THE TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS, WHICH IMPEDES EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT, EFFECTIVE MEASUREMENT, AND EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE.
BUT THAT WAS ALREADY ON THE AGENDA FOR REPLACEMENT.
NOW, WE WILL NOT GO THROUGH THIS CHART IN DETAIL, BUT I DO WANNA EXPLAIN IT.
BUT WHAT MATTERS HERE IS WHAT WE ATTEMPTED TO CAPTURE, AND I WANNA STRESS THIS IS FROM THE QUANTITATIVE SURVEYS AS WELL AS THE INTERVIEWS, AS WELL AS WORKSHOPS.
THE IDEA OF A CUSTOMER SERVICE JOURNEY THROUGH THE ENTIRE END-TO-END PROCESS.
AND THIS IS A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION, IT'S A QUALITATIVE CAPTURING IT, BUT JUST LET ME EXPLAIN HOW TO READ THE CHART.
IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE TOP WITH THOSE CHEVRONS, THAT'S THE ACTUAL BREAKDOWN OF THE MAJOR PARTS OF THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS THAT WE INTRODUCED EARLIER.
BUT IT'S A LITTLE MORE FINE-GRAINED.
AND YOU SEE THE APPLICATION COMPLETENESS, FORMAL REVIEW, AND THEN PERMIT ISSUANCE.
AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS FOR BOTH THE CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF, THAT'S THE LOWER ROW AND THE APPLICANT, WE TRY AND CAPTURE IN A QUALITATIVE WAY THEIR EXPERIENCE OF WHAT THEY'RE FEELING GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND THE TAKEAWAY FROM THIS GRAPHIC, UH, IS THAT BOTH SIDES ARE FRUSTRATED.
BOTH SIDES ARE FRUSTRATED IN THIS PROCESS.
WANNA NOTE ALSO, JUST, UH, WE DID SHARE THIS GRAPHIC WITH BOTH, UH, APPLICANTS AS WELL AS CITY STAFF IN WORKSHOPS, SAYINGS, AND THEY AGREED WITH IT.
THEY THOUGHT THIS WAS A FAIR REPRESENTATION OF BOTH OF THEIR EXPERIENCES.
NOW, JUST AS A SUMMARY TO STEP BACK FROM THAT FINE GRAIN, WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS JUST THE SUMMARY OF THE CHALLENGES YOU SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THE APPLICANTS.
AND OFTENTIMES THEY'RE JUST MIRRORED ON THE CITY STAFF SIDE.
THEY'RE CAUGHT IN THIS PROCESS THAT NEEDS TO BE ADAPTED.
AND IT CAN GO FROM UNCLEAR REQUIREMENTS AND AN OPAQUE PROCESS.
AND YOU LOOK AT IT THROUGH THE APPLICANT'S LENS SOMETIMES, WHO'S IN CHARGE? WHO DO I CONTACT? THAT'S UNCLEAR.
THAT THEME OF LOSS OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE WITH STAFF TURNOVER A CRITICAL PAIN POINT.
THIS DELAY IN COMMENTS, THE COMMENTS COME IN BATCHES AT THE END OF THE PROCESS.
AND OFTENTIMES APPLICANTS SAY, IF WE HAD ONLY KNOWN THIS SIX MONTHS AGO, WE COULD HAVE ALREADY ADDRESSED THAT.
AND SO THE QUESTION OF HOW TO PROVIDE DRAFT COMMENTS EARLIER IN THE PROCESS TO ALLOW IT TO BE MORE ADAPTIVE, QUITE FRANKLY, INCONSISTENT PROCESS AND GUIDANCE, IT MAY DEPEND UPON, AGAIN, COMING BACK TO THAT STAFF TURNOVER.
THERE'S INCONSISTENCY IN HOW THINGS MAY BE INTERPRETED.
THIS EXACT SAME PLAN MAY BE VIEWED DIFFERENTLY BY SOMEONE.
UM, AND ALSO AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, THE WET SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS EXTENDS THE PERMIT ISSUANCE.
AND YOU CAN SEE ALSO ON THE CITY, UH, SIDE THAT THERE'S COMPARABLE CONCERNS OR COMPARABLE FRUSTRATIONS.
I WON'T GO THROUGH THEM ALL, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT CONVEYS SOME OF THE MUTUALITY OF THE CHALLENGES.
AND EVERY MONTH OF DELAY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS, EVERY MONTH OF UNNECESSARY DELAY.
THESE ARE COMPLICATED PROCESSES THAT DO TAKE TIME, BUT FOR EVERY MONTH OF DELAY, THESE ARE SOME SCENARIOS I WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT THEY'RE SCENARIOS, BUT REPRESENTATIVE BASED UPON KIND OF AVERAGES OF THE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT.
IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, THE, A REDEVELOPMENT
[00:20:01]
FROM A, FOR A SINGLE FAMILY, UH, REDEVELOPMENT AROUND $10,000 A MONTH OF EXTRA CARRYING COSTS.AND YOU SEE THAT FOR GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT.
IMAGINE REDEVELOPING, UH, A PARKING LOT INTO A, UH, PROPERTY OR A MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENT RESIDENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT.
YOU CAN SEE THE SCALE AND SCOPE, BUT AGAIN, TIME IS MONEY.
EVERY MONTH OF DELAY INCREASES THE, THE CARRYING COSTS ON A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
SO LOOKING FORWARD, IF YOU, UH, APPROACH THIS, IT'S NOT ONE SINGLE PROCESS.
WANT TO COME BACK TO THAT AGAIN? 11 DEPARTMENTS WITH THEIR OWN SUB-PROCESSES INVOLVED.
IT'S LIKE IT'S GEARS OF A MACHINE.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT THOSE MESH TOGETHER? IT REQUIRES A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH ACROSS STRATEGY, PEOPLE, PROCESSES, AND STRUCTURE.
THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FROM, YOU KNOW, SILOED AT THE TOP, SILOED 11 DEPARTMENTS TO THAT COMMON APPROACH.
WHO DO WE SERVE? GOES THROUGH THE PEOPLE MODEL AS WELL, THE PROCESSES.
HOW TO MOVE FROM HIGHLY COMPLEX, OFTEN MANUAL WITH MANUAL WORKAROUNDS, INCONSISTENT.
AND THIS IS FOR BOTH CITY STAFF AND FOR APPLICANTS.
THEN BEING DESIGNED FOR, FOR BOTH OF THEM.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE STRUCTURE AS WELL TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE AND INTEGRATED.
OUTLINE A LOT OF WORDS ON THIS PAGE.
BUT BASICALLY, ONE TAKEAWAY FROM THIS IS THAT YOU CANNOT DO THIS ALL OVERNIGHT.
BUT THE FLIP SIDE IS, IS THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO IN THE NEAR TERM, MEDIUM TERM AND LONG TERM.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO WAY TO DO A RAPID IT TRANSFORMATION OVERNIGHT, OKAY? AND NO ONE IS SUGGESTING IT TAKES TIME, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT HOPEFULLY THIS CONVEYS THE IDEA OF WHAT WILL NEED TO BE DONE IN DIFFERENT HORIZONS.
BUT THERE ARE A SERIES OF QUICK WINS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND WANT TO STRESS IN THE PROCESS.
A SERIES OF OVER 30 POSSIBLE INITIATIVES DEVELOPED, IDENTIFIED, AND CO-DEVELOPED WITH CITY STAFF OF THE CITY STAFF ALSO OBVIOUSLY KNOWS THEY HAVE MANY GOOD IDEAS ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BEGIN MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO MANY OF THOSE ARE ALREADY IN MOTION AS THE DIRECTOR OF D S D WILL OUTLINE IN A SECOND.
BUT WHAT THIS HINGES UPON IS RAPID ACTION TO BUILD MOMENTUM, BUT ALSO, QUITE FRANKLY, GETTING THE CROSS DEPARTMENT GOVERNANCE, RIGHT? THIS IS HARD STUFF ACROSS 11 DEPARTMENTS.
BUT GETTING ON THE SAME PAGE, HAVING THE SAME PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, HAVING THE SAME CUSTOMER, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO BUILD THE SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES TO ADAPT IS GONNA BE THE SECRET FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING THAT IS TACTICALLY DONE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO COME BACK LATER.
IT'S BUILDING, IT'S BUILDING THE CAPABILITIES TO FISH RATHER THAN GIVING SOMEONE FISH.
UH, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE DIRECTOR AT D S D TO, UH, JOSE, TO WALK THROUGH THE PROGRESS SINCE WE COMPLETED OUR ASSESSMENT.
THANK YOU MCKINSEY FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS ALSO ROY, DIRECTOR FOR D S D, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY AND PRESENT THIS TO YOU AND, AND REALLY DISCUSS THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE SO FAR AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE IN THE FUTURE, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
UH, I STEP INTO THIS ROLE IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
UH, AND SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE BEEN DIRECTING OUR ATTENTION TO IMPROVING TURNAROUND TIMES IN SITE PLAN REVIEW IS A MAIN PRIORITY, AND REALLY THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE WITH THE CUSTOMERS AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UM, WE SET OUR SITES, FIRST OF ALL IN LAUNCHING OUR PUBLIC PROJECT TEAMS AND IMPROVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OUTCOMES WHEN IT HAS TO DO WITH DEVELOPMENT, PROMOTING A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN ALL DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENTS AND WORKING TO ALIGN OUR WORK WITH THE MINDSET OF ONE CITY ONE TEAM, AND RECONNECTING WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DO.
SO WE BEGAN THIS WORK IN LATE MARCH, AND, UH, MCKINSEY ACTUALLY FINISHED THE WORK IN, IN IN JUNE, AND WE'VE BEEN MAKING SOME PROGRESS, UH, NOT ONLY IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE QUICK WINS, UH, THAT THEY RECOMMENDED, BUT ALSO SOME OTHER ONES THAT WE IDENTIFY AS, UH, AS IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO AS A DEPARTMENT.
SO FROM THE TOP, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY MEYER'S OFFICE, UH, WILL BE TAKING THE LEAD IN COORDINATING ALL THE REVIEW PROCESS AND EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO, DO RELATED WITH, UH, WITH, UH, IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE DO THIS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, UH, 11, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IN THIS PROCESS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE SITE PLAN.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED ALREADY A CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL, UH, LEADERSHIP MEETING.
AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT TEAM ENSURE THAT CHANGE IS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION, UH, THROUGHOUT THE TEAM.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS THAT WE HAVE
[00:25:01]
IS FIRST OF ALL, DEFINE AND CREATE THIS, UH, CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL KPIS.SO WE ARE MEASURING THE RIGHT THING, ALSO ESTABLISHING THE ORGANIZATION WIDE STANDARDS FOR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
SO EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND DEFINE THE IT REQUIREMENTS, UH, FOR THE ENTERPRISE TOOLS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
IN TERMS OF THE EXTERNAL, EXTERNAL EXPERIENCE ON THE, ON THE RIGHT SIDE THERE, UH, WE FULLY EXECUTED THE CO-LOCATION ALREADY.
SO ALL THE PANEL DEPARTMENTS HAVE, UM, DAILY IN-PERSON PRESENCE IN THE BUILDING.
WE PLAN TO EXTEND THE, UH, THE STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT WE ALREADY HAVE TO INCLUDE MORE STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE WORKED WITH US IN THIS INITIATIVE AND OTHERS THAT HAVE REPRESENTED, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE ALSO HAPPY TO REPORT THAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT, WE ARE EXPANDING OUR PARALEGAL, UH, CAPACITY.
THERE'LL BE TRAINING, UH, STAFF ON THAT, AND WE'LL BE LOOKING TO HIRE ADDITIONAL, UH, PARALEGAL IN EARLY 2024 ON THE, ON THE PRE-SUBMISSION REVIEW AND EMPOWER CASE MANAGER ROLE.
WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY PILOTING THOSE, UH, IN THE SMART, UM, PERMANENT HOUSING, PERMANENT SUPPORTED HOUSING SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS.
AND WE ARE WORKING TO EXPAND THAT TO, UH, TO THE FULLEST SPECTRUM OF THE SITE PLAN AND ACTIVELY RECRUITING RIGHT NOW FOR TEMPORARY STAFF TO SUPPORT THAT MODEL.
SO WE CAN KEEP THE STAFF THAT IS DOING REVIEW, DOING REVIEWS, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THEIR PRIORITIES.
WE HAD NOT MADE GREAT PROGRESS ON, ON, ON THE, UM, ON THE, ON THE SUBMITTAL GUIDELINES.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS ON HOW WE CAN DO THAT AND HAVE THAT READY FOR THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND WHILE WE LOVE THE IDEA OF THE PIECE OF TRACKER OR THE PERMIT TRACKER, UH, IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
UH, EVEN, EVEN, YOU KNOW, DOMINOES HAVE A WAY TO KNOW WHERE YOUR P IS AT THE TIME.
SO WE WANT THAT TRANSPARENCY, THAT OPENNESS, THAT COMMUNICATION.
UH, WE WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED SOME RESOURCES AND WE GONNA NEED THE SUPPORT FROM C T M TO MAKE THAT A PRIORITY SO THAT THAT'S HAPPENING.
UH, ADDITIONAL WINS THAT WE HAVE IN THE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE REALIGNED THE D S D SIDE PLAN, REVIEW STAFF AND, AND PRIORITIES, UH, TO SUPPORT THE CITY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, WHICH ARE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, PUBLIC PROJECTS AND, AND PRIORITY PROJECTS.
WE HAVE REFINED SEVERAL SITE PLAN RELATED BUSINESS PROCESS TO STREAMLINE THE, THE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE.
WE LAUNCHED THE PUBLIC PROJECT TEAMS TO THE, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO SUPPORT THE C I P PROJECTS, AND NOT ONLY STREAMLINE THE REVIEW OF THIS PROJECT, BUT ALSO RESULT IN ADDITIONAL REVIEW CAPACITY FOR THE SITE PLAN TEAM.
BY REMOVING THOSE FROM FROM THE MAIN TEAM, UH, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A ROBUST SET OF, UH, BUSINESS PROCESS ANALYTICS TO UNDERSTAND CHALLENGES IN REAL TIME.
AND WE ARE PROMOTING A DEPARTMENT CULTURE WITH A BIAS TOWARDS ACTION THAT PRIORITIZES SUBSTANCE OVER PROCESS.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IF WE DO THAT, WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF THAT? SO WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS A SMART HOUSING REVIEWS ARE NEARLY A HUNDRED PERCENT ON TIME, UH, PARAMOUNT AND SUPPORTED HOUSING IS 100% ON TIME.
SO I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE RECOGNIZED A 50% REDUCTION IN DAYS NEEDED FOR INITIAL AND UPDATE REVIEWS.
IT WENT FROM 100 DAYS TO, YOU KNOW, APPROXIMATELY 43.
UH, WE HAVE ELIMINATED D S D PORTION OF THE SITE PLAN REVIEW BACKLOG, UH, EXCEPT FOR ONE DISCIPLINE.
AND WE HAD GRANT A FULL ONE YEAR EXTENSION TO THE SITE PLAN APPROVAL.
AND, AND THIS IS ONE THING THAT I'M REALLY BIG ON, COMMUNICATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CREATION OF THAT ROUND TABLE WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, IN THE CITY, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR IMPROVEMENTS, UH, BEYOND THE SITE PLAN PROCESS.
I MEAN, THE FACT THAT WE, WE CHOSE A SITE PLAN AS A MOST COMPLEX PROCESS THAT WE DO IN THE DEPARTMENT WITH THE IDEA THAT IF WE FIX SOME THINGS IN THERE, WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY HAVE THESE ENHANCEMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE ARE WORKING TO COMPLETE A COMPREHENSIVE OVERHAUL OF THE D S D WEBSITE TO IMPROVE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND, AND EASE OF NAVIGATION ON THAT WEBSITE.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN LOGIC WASTE, UH, LOGIC BASED WEB TOOLS TO SUPPORT THE CUSTOMERS THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WE RECENTLY LAUNCHED, UH, UH, A WIZARD CALLED DO I NEED A PERMIT, WHICH IS, I'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF, UH, GREAT FEEDBACK ON THAT FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, HOW EASY IT IS TO ACTUALLY NAVIGATE THAT PROCESS.
WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT A RECENT PILOT THAT WE LAUNCH WITH A COMPANY CALLED
UH, USING THAT COMPANY, WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, TESTING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
UH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT ONE.
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THAT GOING.
AND WE'RE GONNA IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND THE COMPLIANCE OF BUILDING PLANTS AND METALS WITH THAT, WITH THAT COMPANY.
LAST, BUT NOT CERTAIN, BUT NOT LEAST, UH, WE TOOK, WE, WE LOOK
[00:30:01]
FOR EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND ON OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ACROSS ALL THE GROUPS THAT WE HAVE WORKING WITH D S D.WE WELCOME ALL THE FEEDBACK, PARTICIPATION ACROSS ALL THE SEGMENT.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVERY DAY I HAVE, I AM BLESSED AND I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ALONGSIDE A GROUP OF DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO THE CITY AND THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I ASSURE YOU THAT WE ARE ALL INVESTED IN WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY, UH, EXPERIENCE THROUGH D SS D.
WITH THAT SAID, WE OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
THANKS ALL THREE OF YOU FOR THE REPORT.
UM, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
COUNCILMAN FUENTES, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR ROY FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I WAS VERY HAPPY TO HEAR OF ALL THE, UH, NEW INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN SUCH A SHORT TIME UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS INFORMATION IS, IS, IS IMPORTANT AND CERTAINLY WE'VE HEARD IN OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH OUR PERMITTING PROCESS OR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PROCESS.
AND, AND CERTAINLY WHAT THAT ENTAILS.
AND FOR ME, THE WAY I LOOK AT THIS ISSUE IS UNDERSTANDING THE UNIQUE REALITIES THAT OUR FAMILIES ARE FACING IN THIS CITY.
YOU KNOW, I, I HEAR FROM FAMILIES ALMOST EVERY WEEK ABOUT BEING PRICED OUT AND HAVING TO MOVE ELSEWHERE BECAUSE OF HIGH COSTS.
THEIR RENTS ARE GOING UP OR THEY CAN'T AFFORD, UH, TO BUY THEIR FIRST HOME.
AND THAT IS AN ISSUE AS WE STRIVE TO MAKE AUSTIN AFFORDABLE COMMUNITY FOR EVERYONE, AND TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING FAMILIES IN THEIR HOMES, WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THIS PART OF THE PROCESS WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING HOMES AFFORDABLE, HOMES BUILT IS QUICKER AND IT'S DONE EFFICIENTLY AND IT'S DONE IN A TRANSPARENT MANNER.
SO THIS INFORMATION REALLY IS HELPFUL IN GIVING US THE, THE FRAMEWORK TO HOW TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS, UH, AS A CITY AND AS A POLICYMAKER.
A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD FOR YOU ALL, I GUESS, DIRECTOR ROY, I'LL START WITH YOU.
ONE OF THE, UM, COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE AS PART OF THE MCKINSEY PRESENTATION WAS THE LACK OF ALIGNMENT ON WHO THE CITY WAS SERVING AS A CUST UH, WHO THE CITY WAS SERVING.
AND SO I KIND OF WANTED TO GET FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, WHAT IS THE CITY'S TAKE ON ON THAT SERVICE MODEL? THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES FOR THAT QUESTION.
I, AND I, I WAS ACTUALLY THERE AS PART, AS PART OF THE FORUM THAT ACTUALLY WHEN THAT WAS, UH, DISCLOSED.
UH, I THINK THAT'S A CHALLENGE.
NOW, WHO DO WE SERVE? DO WE SERVE THE COMMUNITY ONLY AND, AND ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE? DO WE SERVE THE DEVELOPERS? SO IT'S THIS, IT IS, IS THIS DIVISION, YOU KNOW, WHO DO WE SERVE? I THINK AS A CITY, WE NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE A BETTER VISION ON THAT.
IN MY VIEW, PERSONALLY, I'M HERE TO SERVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SO EVERYBODY'S MY CUSTOMER, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET THAT ACROSS THE BOARD WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS WE ARE HERE TO SERVE.
EVERYBODY THAT COMES THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT, WE CAN DO IT BETTER.
THE FACT THAT WE ARE JUST THE, THE ONE, ONE-STOP SHOP, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN PROVIDE A BETTER SERVICE.
I WANT PEOPLE TO COME TO THE DEPARTMENT AND SAY, I GOT A GREAT SERVICE IN D S D REGARDLESS THAT THEY CANNOT GO TO ANOTHER CITY TO GET A PERMIT.
SO WE, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO THERE.
I THINK THERE'S, UH, THERE'S A LACK OF, UH, UH, PRIORITIES OR UNDERSTANDING ON WHO IS REALLY THE CUSTOMER.
BUT I THINK WE'RE GETTING THERE.
WE HAVE ALREADY GETTING THE DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER.
WE ARE MEETING, WE ARE PROMOTING THAT CULTURE THAT EVERYBODY'S OUR CUSTOMER AND WE ARE HERE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING GOOD PROGRESS ON THAT ONE.
SO, AND AS PART OF THAT CULTURE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER COMMENTS, OBSERVATIONS THAT WERE SHARED WITH THE, UM, REPORT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY FOR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO PIVOT DEPENDING ON THE PROBLEM PRESENTED, UM, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO, TO COME FROM A PLACE OF IMPROVEMENT AND ITERATION WITH OUR PROCESSES.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT ISSUE THAT'S RAISED? YEAH.
AND, AND THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE CHALLENGE COMES FROM NOT HAVING ALL THE TOOLS THAT WE NEED, YOU KNOW, IN THE TOOLBOX.
I MEAN, ESPECIALLY WITH TECHNOLOGY, IT, IT IS REALLY CUMBERSOME.
IT'S ALL ABOUT PROCESS, PROCESS, PROCESS.
I, I CAME ON BOARD AND I, AND I ASKED, WHY CAN'T WE DO THIS OR THAT? AND, AND EVERYBODY POINTS OUT TO THE SYSTEM, WE CANNOT DO THIS BECAUSE THE AMANDA SYSTEM CANNOT DO IT.
SO I THINK WE ARE, WE ARE MISSING A LOT BASED ON THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE.
SO I THINK THAT AS WE GET BETTER TOOLS, AS WE GET BETTER TECHNOLOGY, PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE AND, AND LOOK AT THEIR WORK, LOOK AT REALLY WHAT AM I DOING HERE AND, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZE THE WORK BASED ON, ON, ON WHAT THEY HAVE IN THE TABLE.
I THINK IT'S PART OF THAT'S, UH, CREATING THOSE CLEAR PROCESSES, RIGHT? MAKING SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAS THE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERED THE I S O STANDARD? I KNOW THAT THERE'S A CERTIFICATION THAT DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS CAN GO THROUGH TO HAVE A STANDARDIZED PROCESS.
IS THAT IN THE FUTURE? WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THAT.
UH, WE, WE HAVE THE ISO UH, RATINGS ALREADY FOR THIS YEAR.
WE ARE LOOKING ALSO INTO ACCREDITATIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT, SO WE HAVE TO DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO ACTUALLY GET BETTER.
WE HAVE MEETINGS WITH THE, UH, WITH THE, UH, PEOPLE THAT DO THE ISO UH, RATING.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, GET SOME IMPROVEMENTS SO WE CAN GET A BETTER RATING COMING UP
[00:35:01]
AND, UH, ALSO GET SOME MORE ACCREDITATION IN THE DEPARTMENT BASED ON THE, UH, UH, BEST PRACTICES AND STANDARDS, UH, ACROSS THE NATION.SO WE CURRENTLY DO HAVE, YES, IO WE PARTICIPATE IN THE IO PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, AND I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES, IS AROUND THE GOALS, THE KPIS THAT WERE WERE MENTIONED.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO, UM, THAT PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE KPIS, HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH THAT? UM, WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT YOU PLAN TO TAKE ON? SO THE PLAN ON THAT ONE, RIGHT NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE SOME KPIS, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTUALLY MEASURING THE RIGHT THING.
SO WE MEASURING THE THINGS THAT COULD BE MEASURED AND ACTUALLY PROVIDE RESULTS.
SO WITH THE CREATION OF THE INTER INTERDEPARTMENTAL, UH, CROSS TEAM, WE ARE, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THOSE KPIS.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, TIMELINESS, UH, QUALITY OF THE WORK THAT WE DO SO WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THE RIGHT STUFF.
AND FOR THAT, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE NEED THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY, UH, ENHANCEMENTS TO ACTUALLY GET THE INFORMATION AND THE DATA TO ACTUALLY GET THE KPIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE, UH, UH, ON THAT.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF STORIES ON THAT ONE.
WELL, AND I THINK TOO, HAVING, UM, THE GOALS SPECIFIC TO THE TYPE OF PERMIT MM-HMM.
UM, SO I THINK HAVING THOSE, UM, THOSE NUANCES INCLUDED, YES, TOTALLY AGREE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LACKING RIGHT NOW, KIND OF THE, THE TOOLS TO DIVIDE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, IS IT A SINGLE FAMILY HOME? IS IT A MULTI-FAMILY? UH, WE HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW TO ACTUALLY GET THAT DATA CORRECTLY TO GET THOSE KPIS IN PLACE.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
I WOULD PICK UP KIND OF RIGHT WHERE COUNCILOR FUENTES LEFT.
WELL, FIRST I WANNA SAY, UH, I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
UH, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHERE THIS IS GOING.
I THINK, UH, THE WORK THAT MCKENZIE HAS DONE IS REALLY LAID A, A GOOD PATH.
AND SO, UH, I APPRECIATE THE MANAGER AND THE MAYOR'S WORK ON THIS.
I KNOW IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UM, ONE OF THE, THE CONSTANT THEMES THAT YOU HEAR WITH PEOPLE, AND IT'S NOT JUST RELATED TO THE SITE PLAN PROCESS, BUT IT EXTENDS TO OTHER THINGS.
UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOMETHING FROM EITHER AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN WATER, A TAP A TRANSFORMER, IS THE ABILITY TO JUST HAVE A REALISTIC EXPECTATION, RIGHT? HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE ME TO GET X? AND THEY MIGHT NOT LIKE THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, BUT KNOWING THE ANSWER AND ALLOWING THE APPLICANT TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND THEN HAVE THAT ANSWER ACTUALLY BE REALISTIC AND NOT A, A MOVING TARGET, UH, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO, UH, AS WE THINK OF THINGS LIKE THE PIZZA TRACKER AND OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, REALLY BEING ABLE TO ALLOW FOR REALISTIC, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF, WE THINK YOUR, YOU KNOW, EITHER APPLICATION OR THIS WILL BE DONE AT THIS DATE, AND THAT BE A, A REAL TIMELINE.
I, I THINK WE'LL GO A LONG WAY, UH, FOR PEOPLE.
AND AS WE DO THAT, AS WE KIND OF IMPROVE OUR TECHNOLOGY AROUND THIS, UM, I KNOW WE WANNA PUT THE RIGHT PROCESS IN PLACE SO THAT WE'RE NOT LAYERING GOOD TECHNOLOGY OVER BAD PROCESS.
UH, I AM JUST A LITTLE WARY THOUGH OF I KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES US TO DO CERTAIN TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS.
AND SO I'M, I'M WORRIED IF WE WAIT UNTIL WE FINALLY GET THE PROCESS RIGHT, AND THEN WE START DOING THE TECHNOLOGY, THERE WON'T BE THAT, THAT INTEGRATION THAT WE NEED.
AND SO KIND OF BUILDING IT WHILE WE FLY, YES.
UH, ELEMENT, UH, I THINK Y'ALL ARE ARE PLANNING TO IT, BUT I JUST WANNA KIND OF EMPHASIZE THAT IMPORTANCE.
I, I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP THE, THAT QUICK THING, AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IN, IN REVIEWING THE, THE SLIDES, AND AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND, AND, UH, I'M VERY GLAD THAT WE'RE TACKLING THIS HEAD ON.
UH, THE, THE CITY IS ALSO A, AN APPLICANT, JUST LIKE THAT IS CORRECT.
ANY OTHER, SO WHAT ARE OUR INTERNAL, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO CITY STAFFERS THINK ABOUT THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS? BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING TO GO THROUGH IT JUST LIKE THE, OUR PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, COLLEAGUES ARE, UM, I GUESS YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THEY ACTUALLY WERE ACTUALLY PART OF THE SURVEY THAT YOU SAW THE, UH, WITH THE, UH, SMILEY FACES ON THE, UH, HAPPY FACES,
SO THERE IS A, THERE WERE MORE FROWN FACES.
YEAH,
YOU CAN SEE THIS FRUSTRATING ON MOST SIDES.
AND, UH, IT, IT, IT IS A COMPLEX PROJECT, AND I THINK THAT IT GOES BACK TO THE COMMUNICATION, THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN EVERYBODY THAT IS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AND HAVING A, HAVING A WAY TO, WHEN WE ACTUALLY FIND THAT CONFLICT, A WAY TO ESCALATE THAT QUICKLY
[00:40:01]
SO WE CAN RESOLVE IT.RIGHT NOW, IT'S BEEN LIKE KIND OF LOST, YOU KNOW, AND IT TAKES TIME AND, AND PEOPLE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WANNA ESCALATE THINGS IN THERE.
SO PROVIDING D S D AS A, AS A, AS A, AS A LEADER FOR THIS PROCESS, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MEET WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
OKAY, WE HAVE A CONFLICT HERE, WE'RE GONNA MOVE IT.
BUT YES, IT'S A, IT IS, IT IS, IT IS A FRUSTRATION FOR BOTH SIDES.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE, LIKE THE CITY'S HAPPY WITH THE PROCESS AND THE CUSTOMERS, AND I MEAN, IT IS A FRUSTRATION BOTH SIDES.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE THE, UH, WE LAUNCHED THE PUBLIC PROJECT TEAMS, WHICH ACTUALLY DEALS WITH THE C I P WORKING VERY CLOSE WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, WITH, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.
SO WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR THE CITY TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THAT, AND WE ACTUALLY PATTERNING THAT SO WE CAN, ANYTHING THAT WE DO THERE, WE CAN USE IT AS AN EXAMPLE.
WHAT CAN WE DO ON THE SITE PLAN AS A WHOLE AND ACTUALLY MAYBE EXPEDITE THE PROCESS AND, AND MAKE IT BETTER.
AND ON THAT, UH, I, I WAS AT, UH, THE, THE MES MEADOW, UH, UH, FLOOD DIVERSION, UH, CHANNEL THAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN THERE IN NORTH AUSTIN, WHERE THERE WAS THE, THE FLOODING, UH, TOOK PLACE, UH, RECENTLY.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD, UH, BEEN ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THE CAPITAL DELIVERY, UH, SERVICES.
UH, AND IS IS THE THINKING BEHIND THE, THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS INTO CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES TO EXPEDITE THESE KINDS OF, UH, OF PROJECTS AND PROCESSES.
YES, I'VE BEEN IN, I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, DIRECTOR SNOW, UH, ON THAT REGARD.
WE ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT ARE THE REDUNDANCIES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, TRANSFER SOME OF THOSE TO HIS TEAM SO THEY CAN DO ALL THE VERTICAL, I MEAN, ALL THE, UH, HORIZONTAL, UH, PROJECTS AND ACTUALLY EXPEDITE THE SITE PLAN, UH, PERMITTING PROCESS IN, IN THAT REGARD.
YEAH, I MEAN, THERE, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF SENSE IN THAT, WHERE FOR MAJOR PROJECTS LIKE THAT, THEY'RE GONNA REQUIRE EXTENSIVE PERMITTING, JUST PUT 'EM ALL IN THE SAME DEPARTMENT AND HAVE THAT'S KIND OF EXPERTISE.
UH, SO, UH, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND THE LAST, UH, QUESTION THIS HAS COME UP, UH, ACTUALLY WITH REGARD TO THE MAYOR PRO TEMSA ITEM ON THE, UH, ON THE, UH, THE SITE PLAN LIGHT OR REMOVING THE SITE PLANS FOR THE FOUR UNITS, APPARENTLY THERE ARE STILL CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO, UH, COMMERCIAL VERSUS RESIDENTIAL CODE, AND WHICH APPLIES WHEREBY, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTIAL CODE IS GENERALLY SPEAKING A MUCH, YOU KNOW, SIMPLER, AN EASIER CODE.
THERE ARE MORE CONTRACTORS AVAILABLE THAT KNOW HOW TO WORK, UH, THE RESIDENTIAL CODE AND, AND ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE STANDARDS FOR THE RESIDENTIAL CODE.
WHEREAS THE COMMERCIAL CODE STRICTER, UH, LIMITED NUMBER OF, UH, OF CONTRACTORS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS, FAMILIAR WITH THE CODE MM-HMM.
AND THE LINE, UH, UH, APPARENTLY, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG THOUGH, IS TWO UNITS OR LESS, YOU USE RESIDENTIAL CODE.
BUT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE ELIMINATED SIDELINE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FOUR UNITS, THERE'S STILL THIS COMMERCIAL BUILDING REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE STRICT, UH, MAKE THOSE PROJECTS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.
UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS QUITE CONTEMPLATED IN THE, IN THE SITE PLAN, UH, UH, UH, UH, ITEM, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS THE FIRST I'VE, I'VE REALLY, I'M LEARNING ABOUT THIS PROCESS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, VERY COMPLEX, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT OR, OR, UH, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND ALSO, I'LL JUST SAY LIKE MEMPHIS, I BELIEVE JUST, UH, MOVED TO, UM, I THINK SIX UNITS OR LESS WAS RESIDENTIAL CODE, UH, AND I WANNA SAY NORTH CAROLINA AS WELL, MOVED TO BASICALLY SAYING THAT A FOUR UNIT PROJECT DOESN'T NEED TO GO TO THE COMMERCIAL, UH, LEVEL OF, OF, OF CODE.
WITH THE IDEA BEING THAT WE WANT TO FACILITATE THESE PROJECTS AND, AND MOVE THEM FORWARD.
JUST ANY, ANY THOUGHTS ON THOSE CHANGES? YEAH.
UH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT ACTUALLY PART OF THIS PROJECT, I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH, UH, H B A ON THAT, ON THAT ISSUE, AND I HEARD FROM SOME OF THE, UH, STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT THAT CONCERN.
I, I'M A CODE GIGAHERTZ, SO I, I, I'M SORRY IF I GO TOO TECHNICAL.
UH, BUT, UH, YES, I MEAN, THE, THE, THERE'S A WAY TO ACTUALLY BUILD, UH, UP TO FOUR UNITS UNDER THE I R C UNDER THE RESIDENTIAL CODE.
AND SO WE, WE CAN, WE CAN BUILD THOSE AS A TOWN HOMES AND ACTUALLY USE THE I R C.
I DON'T CONSIDER THE I B C TO BE MORE COMPLEX THAN THE I R C.
THEY HAVE THE SAME REQUIREMENTS.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN YOU GO TO THE I B C, YOU HAVE MORE REVIEWS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THOSE CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW AND TALKING TO STAFF, SEE HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY, UH, MAKE THAT, MAKE THAT A BETTER EXPERIENCE, UH, WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH THE SITE PLAN LIGHT UP TO FOUR UNITS.
AND, UH, WE ARE, WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS ON THAT ONE, ESPECIALLY WITH ADOPTION ON THE NEW NEW COAST THAT WE'RE GONNA GO NEXT YEAR.
I WANNA START WITH A QUESTION ABOUT SLIDE 16.
IT TALKS ABOUT THE PEOPLE PART OF THIS HOLISTIC APPROACH.
AND IN THIS SLIDE WHEN IT SAYS 21ST CENTURY MODEL WITH COMPELLING EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION AND SKILL BUILDING, IS THAT GEARED TOWARD EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, UM, YOU KNOW, PROMOTING FROM WITHIN? IS THAT WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM? UH,
[00:45:01]
A LITTLE BIT OF ALL OF THE ABOVE.UM, WHICH IS, SO DOES STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE RESEARCH OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES, WHY THEY LEAVE.
SO ON THE RETENTION SIDE, ACTUALLY, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOPS THE LIST OF THE LACK OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
THE FLIP SIDE IS ALSO ON RECRUITMENT AS WELL AS WHAT IS THE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR ME TO JOIN AN ORGANIZATION? AND THERE'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF A POTENTIAL SHIFT, NOT ADVOCACY, BUT JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, WHICH IS THAT MANY PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS STILL OPERATE ON THE KIND OF CRADLE TO END OF
SO IT'S HOW TO ADAPT TO BE MORE NIMBLE AND ATTRACT PEOPLE FOR MAYBE PERIODS OF TIME IN THEIR CAREER, YOU KNOW, AS START A CAREER, MID-CAREER AS OPPOSED TO HAVING A, A, A KIND OF CAREER, UH, YOU KNOW, END-TO-END PERSPECTIVE TOWARDS YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION.
I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE OF RETIREMENT AGE NOW MAY HAVE STAYED IN ONE PROFESSION THEIR ENTIRE LIVES WITH ONE COMPANY, UH, BUT WE JUST DON'T SEE THAT THESE DAYS.
IT'S SOMETHING YOU JUST DON'T SEE THAT THESE ARE GOING TO BE MOVING AROUND.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS PREVIOUSLY ABOUT HOW TO ATTRACT FORMER EMPLOYEES BACK AND TRYING TO MAKE THAT INCENTIVE MORE FEASIBLE FOR PEOPLE.
THINGS LIKE, UM, COMING BACK IN AND FOLKS WOULD LOSE ALL OF THEIR VACATION PAY AND THEY'D COME BACK AND THEY'D START BACK AT SQUARE ONE.
UM, AND WE KNOW THERE'S FOLKS OUT THERE THAT HAVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN WORKING, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY AND, AND FOR THESE DEPARTMENTS IN PARTICULAR.
UM, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, AND IT IS ABOUT SLIDE 15 WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT SINGLE FAMILY REDEVELOPMENT, GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT, AND MULTIFAMILY REDEVELOPMENT.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A REALLY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND THAT STRUCK ME, YOU KNOW, ARE ARE WE INCENTIVIZING YOU UTILIZING THE MOST CENTRALLY BASED LAND WHERE A LOT OF FOLKS ALREADY WORK AND TRYING TO SHORTEN COMMUTES? OR ARE WE, UM, SOMEHOW INCENTIVIZING, YOU KNOW, BUILDING IN THE GREENFIELD, WHICH IS FARTHER AWAY AND SOMETIMES CAN CREATE CONGESTION AND OTHER SORTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NEW DEVELOPMENT VERSUS REDEVELOPMENT AND WHICH ONE'S MORE ENTICING? ABSOLUTELY.
WHAT I CAN SPEAK TO IS THE, THE FACTS OF THE CASE.
I CANNOT SPEAK TO THE INCENTIVES OR THE POLICY PERSPECTIVE, SO MAYBE I'LL, UH, TURN OVER TO THE DIRECTOR ON THAT.
BUT THE, THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE ON SLIDE 15, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, 30 PERC, 38% OF THE APPLICATIONS IN 2022 WERE FOR GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT.
WE DID LOOK FOR, UM, FROM 2020 THROUGH 2023 AS WELL TO SEE IF THAT NUMBER WAS CONSISTENT.
IT IS BASICALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE HISTORIC NORM.
CANNOT SPEAK TO THE INCENTIVES OR ENCOURAGEMENT ON THAT NUMBER.
JUST ADMINISTRATIVELY, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THE DIRECTOR HAS COMMENTS ON IT, BUT JUST FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE STANDPOINT, THOSE WERE THE PERCENTAGES.
YEAH, I, YEAH, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT ONE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THAT DATA, BUT I, I, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE ACTUALLY DOING MORE LIKE INCENTIVES ON, ON THE GREENFIELD.
UH, I MEAN, IT'S ALL MANDATED BY THE, BY THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
UM, SO I WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DETAILS ON, ON, ON THE AMOUNT OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT IS GOING ON IN THERE AND SEE HOW, HOW IS THAT, THAT WE ARE, YOU SEE THAT AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT THERE.
AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION ON THAT SAME SLIDE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SINGLE FAMILY VERSUS MULTIFAMILY, WAS THERE AN ASSESSMENT OF THINGS THAT ARE BETWEEN DUPLEX AND LET'S SAY 20 UNITS? LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE SITE PLAN, LIGHT PROCESS THAT STAFF IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON.
WAS, WAS THAT PART OF YOUR ANALYSIS IS HOW HARD IS IT TO GET THROUGH FOR MISSING MIDDLE STYLES OF HOUSING? UH, WE DID NOT DO THAT ANALYSIS, SO HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE DETAILS ON THE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.
THAT SCENARIO IS BASED ON A DUPLEX WE COULD GET INTO, BUT WE DIDN'T, WE ONLY DID THESE THREE BASIC SCENARIOS.
JUST AS A REMINDER, THAT ORDINANCE PASSED AFTER THEY ACTUALLY FINISH THEIR WORK.
SO WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.
SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE OF THAT INFORMATION ONCE WE GET PEOPLE USED IN THE SYSTEM AND SEE HOW, HOW WE SEE THIS TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH IT.
I KNOW THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING CONCURRENTLY WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO BUILD THE MORE FLEXIBLE STYLES OF HOUSING THAT THAT FIT MORE SEAMLESSLY INTO, INTO WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, UM, SO I'LL BE CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THAT CONVERSATION PLAYS OUT MOVING FORWARD.
I HOPE THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT RIGHT AND TO GET IT DONE VERY SMOOTHLY FROM THE BEGINNING.
UM, SO I THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY IN WITH THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, EXCITED, UH, TO SEE THIS WORK MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I DO WANNA JUST OFFER A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE THIS IS
[00:50:01]
NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION.IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT OUR STAFF HAVE SAID THAT WE NEED TO HAVE BETTER COORDINATION AND THAT THEY WANTED A STUDY AND THEY WANTED THESE OTHER THINGS, AND FOR VARIOUS REASONS THAT HASN'T HAPPENED.
UM, SO FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DO HOPE THAT THIS TIME THE UPPER MANAGEMENT WILL LEAD IN, UM, AND HELP TO MAKE THIS WORK, UM, SO THAT WE CAN SHORTEN THE TIMES AND FACILITATE, UM, THE PROCESS.
BUT THAT REALLY DOES REQUIRE NOT JUST MR. ROY'S LEADERSHIP, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE, UM, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE LEANING IN.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA KIND OF UNDERSCORE THAT IF THIS TIME IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT, IT IS NOT JUST ON THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UM, DIRECTOR, UM, I WANNA GO BACK TO THE QUESTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES RAISED ABOUT THE PRIMARY CUSTOMER, UM, AND THE DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S INHERENT IN A GOVERNMENT, UM, POSITION.
AND, AND SO WHAT I REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND IS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CODES ARE NECESSARY FOR LIFE AND SAFETY AND TO PROPAGATE VALUES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT PRESENTATION OF, OKAY, WHO'S OUR PRIMARY CUSTOMER? UM, AND THEN WE'RE SAYING, WELL, EVERYONE'S OUR CUSTOMER.
I'M NOT SURE THAT AN, THAT, THAT SOLVES THE PROBLEM THAT'S BEING RAISED MM-HMM.
SO, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW WE PRIORITIZE THE LIFE AND SAFETY ISSUES AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT ARE PART OF THIS PROCESS AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S COSTS THAT WE'RE IMPOSING ON THE APPLICANTS WITH THE TIME.
LIKE HOW DO YOU GET THAT RIGHT BALANCE AND, AND WHERE DOES THAT, UM, LIFE AND SAFETY, QUALITY OF LIFE PERSPECTIVE GET BROUGHT IN? AND HOW IS THAT VALUED IN THIS PROCESS THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING? THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT? WE HAVE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT PRIORITY AND THEIR, THEIR MAIN JOB IS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT OR UTILITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THEY HAVE A PIECE ON THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
SO FINDING THAT BALANCE, YOU KNOW, FINDING THAT, HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO DO DEVELOPMENT IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY WHILE WE ACTUALLY ACHIEVE ALL THE OUTCOMES? SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S, IT'S ALL ABOUT OUTCOMES, IS HOW WE CAN GET, WE CAN GET A BETTER PROCESS IN PLACE THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE ALL THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WHETHER IT'S ENVIRONMENT, WHETHER IT IS WATER QUALITY, WHETHER IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, LOCATIONAL UTILITIES AND SO ON, AND RESOLVE THOSE CONFLICTS ALONG THE WAY.
I THINK THAT THE, THE MAIN KEY HERE IS ACTUALLY NOT BEING STUCK IN A PROCESS, BUT ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE, AT THE SYSTEM AND LOOK AT THE CUSTOMERS AND, AND, AND PROVIDE THAT EXPERIENCE.
UH, AND FINDING THAT BALANCE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH THE, UH, INTERDEPARTMENTAL, UH, MEETING THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH THE, WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, I WANNA WANNA SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS YOU TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE WILD AND URBAN INTERFACE MM-HMM.
WE ARE ONE OF THE ONLY, UM, CITIES IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS DONE THAT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE WAY THAT THAT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED IS REALLY, UM, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO ADDRESS THE REAL PROBLEM THAT THE LIFE SAFETY, UM, ISSUES POSE, UM, WHILE STILL ADDRESSING SOME OF THE COST ISSUES AND BEING CREATIVE, UNDERSTANDING THAT DIFFERENT SITES ARE DIFFERENT, UM, AND HOW YOU DO THAT.
AND SO THERE MAY BE SOME LESSONS TO LEARN EVEN FROM OUR OWN PROCESSES THERE, BECAUSE I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL GROWING IN THAT PROCESS, BUT I THINK WE HAVE DONE SOME OF THE THINGS, UM, RIGHT IN THAT REGARD.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO RAISE WAS THE IT PLATFORMS. SO WE'RE NOT VERY GOOD AT IMPLEMENTING NEW IT PLATFORMS. I'M IN MY SEVENTH YEAR ON COUNCIL, AND I THINK FOR SIX AND A HALF YEARS I'VE BEEN ASKING WHERE OUR HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS.
AND IT MAY BE ON THIS WEEK'S AGENDA, I STILL DON'T KNOW FROM MY Q AND A THE WAY IT WAS POSED.
UM, AND THAT'S LIKE BASIC THINGS LIKE TIME SHEETS AND YOU KNOW, LIKE, SO HOW IS THIS TIME GOING TO BE DIFFERENT, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE IT PLATFORMS. I'M CHAIR OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE, WE HAVE A TON OF AUDITS THAT HAVE TOLD STAFF WE'VE BEEN PROMISED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE FIXING.
AMANDA, WHAT IS GOING TO MAKE THIS TIME DIFFERENT? WHAT IS GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENT IS THAT WE HAVE THE FULL SUPPORT FROM C T M RIGHT NOW, AMANDA SYSTEM IS DONE, WE'RE DONE WITH IT.
UH, SO THEY ALREADY WENT THROUGH THAT, UH, A TASK TO, UH, TO LOOKING AT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NEW SYSTEM.
WITH THE WORK WITH MCKENSEY, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED TO IT.
SO NOW WE HAVE THE FULL SUPPORT TO ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEW SYSTEM.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GONNA, OH, LET'S THINK ABOUT IT.
WE'RE DONE WITH AMANDA, AND THE CUSTOMERS KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN TELLING THEM THAT, AND THEY
[00:55:01]
ARE EXPECTING, UH, THAT TO HAPPEN.SO WE HAVE A LOT OF EXPECTATION ON THE, ON THE, IN THE PLATE RIGHT NOW.
AND I, UH, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS THAT THE EXPERIENCE THAT THE CUSTOMER HAS WITH THE PORTAL AND, AND GETTING INFORMATION FROM THAT SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE DIRECTOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT, IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO, TO GET DATA ON, ON, UH, PROCESSES AND, AND WHERE WE ARE IN THE, IN THE SYSTEM.
I MEAN, SO AT, AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE THE SUPPORT FROM C T M CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH AN UPGRADE.
AND HOW ARE WE SET IN TERMS OF FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT? UH, HE SETS THE PROCESSES.
DO WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION HOUSING GONNA BE FUNDED? NO.
WE'LL, WE'LL GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
I, I, I THINK THAT, I THINK THE FUNDING IS BEING ALLOCATED, UH, FOR THAT, BUT, SO I BELIEVE IF IT IS NOT ALLOCATED ALREADY, THE PLAN IS TO ALLOCATE IT.
BUT THE, THIS IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR US.
IT'S TOP PRIORITY FOR CITY MANAGEMENT.
AND SO IT WILL, IT WILL HAPPEN.
I BELIEVE IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS AN NOMINE NEED FOR, FOR CTM.
SO I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY THE FUNDING IS ACTUALLY ASSIGNED TO, UH, TO THE REPLACEMENT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
I, I HAVE TO LOOK BACK FOR THE PARTICULAR ITEM THAT'S, UM, FOR THIS WEEK.
UM, ASSUMING THERE'S A FUNDING SOURCE FOR THAT, OR IT WOULDN'T BE ON THE AGENDA, BUT THE WHOLE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN THEY GO THROUGH IT, THEY'RE GONNA BE COSTS, THERE'S DEMANDED COSTS AND ALL OF THAT.
SO IF YOU CAN GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT YOU'RE PROJECTING IN TERMS OF COST OR WHAT'S ALREADY BUDGETED MM-HMM.
UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
NOT A QUESTION SO MUCH AS A STATEMENT.
I LITERALLY HAVE A STAFFER RIGHT NOW WHOSE COMPUTER IS COMPLETELY KAPUT, AND I'VE HAD SOME KAPUTS.
I JUST THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING, I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S LINE OF QUESTIONING FROM A LARGER PERSPECTIVE, BUT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, WHEN OUR STAFFERS AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS COMPUTERS GO KAPUT, UM, IT'S PROBLEMATIC.
SO JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT TO THE CONVERSATION.
WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT ALL, ALL EMPLOYEES HAVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO DO THE, THE RIGHT WORK, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO, TIM, I'VE GOT ONE LAST QUESTION.
I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, IF THERE'S A FOCUS ON IDENTIFYING CONFLICTS BETWEEN CODE AND CRITERIA MANUALS OR OTHER SORTS OF COUNCIL DIRECTION.
IS THAT PART OF THE WORK? UH, UH, A SHORT ANSWER THERE IS YES.
UH, WE DID GO THROUGH THE KIND OF, UM, VERY, UH, INTENSIVE EFFORT WITH CITY STAFF TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF OVERLAP IN INTERPRETATION ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
THERE'S, UH, 45, 47, SORRY, SECTIONS THAT INVOLVE, UM, MORE THAN TWO SPECIALTIES.
SO THAT MEAN, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THERE ARE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS, IT JUST MEANS THAT DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES ARE LOOKING AT THE SAME CODE AND OVER, UH, 90 METRIC THEMES THAT INVOLVE, UH, TWO OR MORE SPECIALTIES.
THERE ARE SOME THAT INVOLVE UP TO NINE DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES LOOKING AT A SPECIFIC ISSUE.
AND IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS OR HEIGHT, YOU KNOW, A VARIETY OF THINGS.
UH, THAT REDUNDANCY IS NOT NECESSARILY LEADING TO, NOT NECESSARILY LEADING DE TENSION OR DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION TO BE CLEAR.
UH, BUT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH IT AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, WHAT IT THEN REQUIRES AND HAS STARTED, UH, IS THE ABILITY THEN FOR THOSE STAKEHOLDER OR THE INTERNAL TEAMS TO COME TOGETHER AND ACTUALLY HAVE THE DISCUSSION OF, WAIT A SECOND, HOW ARE YOU USING THAT? HOW ARE WE USING IT? ARE WE IN FACT INTENTION MM-HMM.
SO THAT, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS IDENTIFIED, WENT THROUGH AT A RE RELATIVELY GRANULAR LEVEL TO IDENTIFY THOSE.
AND IN SOME CASES, THE CITY STAFF HAS ALREADY BEGAN TO HAVE THE DIALOGUE OF, YOU KNOW, DE CONFLICTING, SO TO SPEAK, TO MAKE OR SYNCHRONIZATION ON HOW THEY INTERPRET.
BUT THERE IS QUITE A, AS I JUST IDENTIFIED, THERE ARE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES ARE LOOKING AT THE SAME CODE OR SAME THEME, UH, SOMETIMES FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
AND THAT NEEDS TO BE DECONFLICTED.
AND I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT FROM A COUPLE DIFFERENT ANGLES.
UM, AND SOME OF WHICH IS, DO WE HAVE CONFLICTING CODE WHERE THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT LINES OF CODE THAT DON'T ADD UP TO THE SAME RESULT, AND THEN OTHERS THAT ARE JUST WHO'S LOOKING AT THE SAME SENTENCE MM-HMM.
AND OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GONNA GET DIFFERENCES ACROSS DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE EVERYONE'S GOT A, YOU KNOW, AN EXPERTISE FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.
UM, BUT I KNOW THIS DIOCESE AND PREVIOUS DIOCESE HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE READY TO HELP IRON OUT WHERE THOSE CONFLICTS ARE.
IF, IF IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF YOU NEED COUNSEL TO COME IN AND
[01:00:01]
INTERPRET WHAT DO WE WANT THAT TO LOOK LIKE? OR DO WE NEED TO CHANGE THE LANGUAGE OF THE CODE FOR SPECIFIC REASONS THAT WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT.UM, AND SO I JUST, I KNOW WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS OVER THE YEARS ABOUT ARE THERE PARTS OF THE CODE THAT JUST DON'T MAKE SENSE? ARE THERE PARTS THAT ARE DUPLICATIVE OR REDUNDANT? AND, AND THAT LEADS INTO THE LARGER CONVERSATION OF DO WE NEED, YOU KNOW, A, A MORE INTENSIVE CLEANUP, UM, AND DO WE NEED TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE STREAMLINED, OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THE CODE THAT IS EXISTING AND JUST TRY TO IRON OUT SOME OF THE PROBLEMS. THANK YOU.
PROAM, YOUR, UM, YOUR QUESTION REMINDED ME OF WHAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION
YOU KNOW, WE JUST HEARD FROM MCKINSEY REGARDING THE REPORT THAT THEY, UH, THAT THEY DID, AND WE TALKED ABOUT RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES.
UH, DIRECTOR ROY, YOU TALKED ABOUT WHAT'S ALREADY UNDERWAY WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
SO WHAT DOES THIS CONTRACT, THE ITEM UP FOR APPROVAL ON THURSDAY WITH MCKINSEY REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION? LIKE, WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR THAT EFFORT? AND IF SOMEONE CAN TALK THROUGH WHAT WE CAN EXPECT, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE FIRST CASE OF THE CONTRACT? I THINK IT'S BEST FOR YOU.
AND, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T WAIT FOR THE QUICK WINS.
WE ALREADY ESTABLISHING THOSE, UH, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO AS A DEPARTMENT, WE'RE GONNA START THAT WORK.
SO THE, THE WORK WITH MCKENZIE, UH, THAT IS COMING UP, IS GONNA BE VERY IN DEPTH, UH, QUICK LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, ALL, UH, THE, THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF IMPLEMENTATION.
SO WE CAN GET THE DEPARTMENT IN THE, ON, ON THE STAGE, AND WE CAN ACTUALLY START THE PROCESS OF, UH, PUTTING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NEW IT IT SOFTWARE THAT WE NEED.
UH, LOOKING AT, UH, HOW WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION AND IMPLEMENTING THESE TOOLS THAT WE NEED IN PLACE, UH, TO ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK IT'S A SLIDE.
YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THE NUMBER, THE SLIDE 17.
SLIDE 17 IS THE ONE THAT DESCRIBES, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT IS GONNA FLOW.
AND WE HAVE ADJUSTED THE TIMELINES ACCORDINGLY.
UH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK WITH MCKINSEY.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA ACTUALLY PUT ALL THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE ON THESE.
UH, OF COURSE WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT WE NEED, UH, TO ACTUALLY MEET THAT, THAT DEMAND AND THE WORK.
UM, WELL, LET ME REFRAME MY QUESTION.
LIKE WHAT, AT THE END OF THIS CONTRACT WITH MCKINSEY MM-HMM.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END, AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT, WE EXPECT TO SEE, UH, TANGIBLE RESULTS ON THE, ON THE PROCESS.
WE EXPECT TO HAVE, UH, THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE NEED FOR THE NEW, UH, SYSTEM THAT WE NEED IN THE, IN THE, IN THE DEPARTMENT, AND REALLY, UH, ESTABLISHING THE, THE GUIDELINES AND THE KPIS THAT WE NEED ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS TO ACTUALLY MAKE THIS PROCESS A, A BETTER PROCESS.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, DELIVERABLES IN THERE AND ON, ON, ON THAT.
SO, UH, FOR THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE WHOLE CONTRACT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK, THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO IMPLEMENT YEP.
AND, AND 17 LAYS OUT SOME OF THE GENERALITIES THINGS LIKE, UH, ESTABLISHING PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CRITERIA, THINGS LIKE PUTTING A NEW PROCESS IN FOR MAPPING AND, AND WHAT THE OPERATING PROCEDURE FUNCTIONING WOULD, WOULD END UP LOOKING BY LOOKING LIKE.
AND, AND I COULD GO ON AND ON.
BUT THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE DELIVERABLES THAT ARE IN THE CONTRACT, IT IS A, IT IS, OKAY, YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO US A REALLY ROBUST ANALYSIS OF WHAT OUR PROBLEMS ARE IN THE SITE PLANNING PROCESS.
NOW WE'RE HIRING YOU TO IMPLEMENT WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO FIX ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
OKAY? AND IT'S GONNA TAKE, AS THEY POINT OUT IN 17, YOU WILL HAVE SOME THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN FAIRLY QUICKLY, THEN YOU WILL HAVE, UH, THROUGH 2024, YOU'LL HAVE A LOT OF CHANGE IN 2024 BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT FULL YEAR, BUT THAT'S NOT EVEN FINISHED.
THEN IT'LL BE SOMETIME, UH, WHEN YOU GET TO 25 THAT IT WILL ALL COME FULLY TO SCALE AT THAT POINT.
AND I WANNA ADD TO THAT, THAT THE FACT THAT WE PICK UP THE, UH, THE MAJOR PAIN POINT, WHICH IS A SIDE PLAN PROCESS, MANY OF THE IMPROVEMENTS AND, AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE IS ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT, AT IMPROVING EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH PERMITTING ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT AND REVIEW.
SO, AND IF I COULD ADD TO THAT, THE CONTRACT WILL ENABLE STAFF.
WE'RE, WE'RE LITERALLY BUILDING THE PLANE WHILE WE FLY IT.
WE'RE MAKING THESE CHANGES AS WE GO.
THE DIRECTOR HAS BEEN GREAT AT IMPLEMENTING THINGS AS HE'S BECOME AWARE OF THEM AND THE QUICK WINS THAT HE'S BEEN ABLE TO.
UM, BUT STAFF IS CONTINUING WITH THEIR DAILY WORK IMPLEMENTING CHANGE AND IMPLEMENTING MORE LONG-TERM CHANGE.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP THAT EFFICIENCY AND PRIORITIZATION MOVING FORWARD.
SO, SO THE UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MCKENZIE WOULD BE ASSISTING CITY STAFF TO IMPLEMENT ALL 30 INITIATIVES OUTLINED IN THIS REPORT? CORRECT.
UM, I DO JUST WANT, FOR EMPHASIS SAKE, I WANNA ALSO, UM, GIVE SOME COMMENTS AROUND THE IT SYSTEM AND
[01:05:01]
ENSURING THAT THE UPDATES ARE MADE TIMELY.I THINK WE'VE ALL HAD SEVERAL PROJECTS WHERE WE WERE PROMISED THAT THE UPDATES WOULD HAPPEN, AND THEN THAT HASN'T ACTUALLY PANNED OUT THAT WAY.
AND ON THIS CHART ON 17, IT HAS IT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BEGIN NEXT MARCH.
AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN EXPEDITE THAT EFFORT, JUST KNOWING THE CRITICAL PIECE THAT WE HAVE AND HOW AMANDA HAS BEEN OUTLINED AS A SOURCE OF ISSUE, UM, I, I ALSO WANTED TO GIVE MY ATTENTION TO THAT AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, CAST MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR THE RECOGNITION.
I, UM, UH, MY QUESTION IS FOR STAFF AND POSSIBLY THE CONSULTANTS AS WELL.
UH, I'M INTERESTED IN HOW THESE PROPOSED CHANGES WILL BENEFIT NOT JUST BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS OF NEW HOUSING OR DEVELOPMENTS, BUT ALSO EXISTING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND THIS IS WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME.
I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT.
UM, SEVERAL SMALL BUSINESSES IN MY DISTRICT.
MOST RECENTLY, THE NATIONALLY RENOWNED RESTAURANT, NSTA AT 12TH AND CEDAR.
YOU'RE SMILING LIKE YOU'RE FAMILIAR, I'M FAMILIAR WITH IT.
I HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES IN THE TORNADO OF CONFLICTING PERMITTING AND PROCESSES.
THESE CONFLICTS CAN CAUSE SMALL BUSINESSES.
THESE CONFLICTS CAN CALL BUSINESSES OR CAUSE SMALL BUSINESSES WHO DON'T EVEN OWN THE PROPERTY.
UM, TO LAY OFF THEIR STAFF AND LOSE INVENTORY AND REDUCE BUSINESS OPERATIONS TO GET THEIR WORK DONE TO THE PROPERTY AND THE TENANTS.
HOW WILL THESE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED BENEFIT SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE KAR? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
AND I, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE, UH, WITH THE SITUATION THERE.
AND I COULD TELL YOU THAT YES, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
WHEN YOU HAVE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN CHARGE OF DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU'RE GONNA FIND THIS CONFLICTS.
UH, WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, MCKINSEY TO COME IN AND IMPLEMENT IMPROVEMENTS TO ACTUALLY BETTER THAT EXPERIENCE.
UH, AND I COULD TELL YOU THAT AS A FACT ON THAT ONE.
UH, OUR STAFF HAS BEEN ABLE TO COORDINATE WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND BRING THEM THE TABLE TO ACTUALLY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE, WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS.
I THINK AS WE CONTINUE THIS PROCESS AND WORKING TOGETHER AS DEPARTMENTS, WE CAN IDENTIFY THOSE CONFLICTS AND WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A WAY TO BRING THEM TOGETHER TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AND FIND A RESOLUTION RIGHT AWAY.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO INFORM YOU THAT WE HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY.
THERE WAS D S D STAFFING THERE, THERE WAS FIRE DEPARTMENT THERE,
SO EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE SOLUTION, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IN MANY CASES WE DON'T SEE THAT, UH, IMPROVING COMMUNICATION TRANSPARENCY.
AND I THINK THAT WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT JUST THIS, IT IS GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE A, AN OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN THE DEPARTMENT ON, ON ALL THOSE ITEMS. SO, BUT WE HERE FOR THE SMALL DEVELOPER WITH THE BIG DEVELOPER FOR THE MOM AND POP SHOP, AND WE, UH, WE WANNA PROVIDE THE SERVICES, YOU KNOW, THE BEST WE CAN.
SO WE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD TO ACTUALLY GET THAT COORDINATION, UH, BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, COMPLETE MY THOUGHT.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE.
UM, BUT WHILE I APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE, AND I REALLY TRULY APPRECIATE THE LEVEL OF THE LEVEL OF YOU ALL APPRECIATING YEAH.
THAT WE HAVE A GYM IN OUR CITY.
A NATIONALLY RENOWNED RESTAURANT AND CHEF WHO ARE UNDER FIRE BY WAY OF OUR PERMITTING PROCESS.
AE I MEAN, THEY'RE LIKE FOUR DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE COMING DOWN ON THEM RIGHT NOW.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THAT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WHILE I APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE, UM, I TRULY HOPE THAT A PART OF THE SCOPE OF THE WORK THAT MCKENZIE DOES WILL INCLUDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY TO WORK WITH LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS.
IT'S CRITICAL TO WORK WITH LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS IN A PREVENTATIVE EDUCATIONAL MANNER.
SO AS TO PREVENT THIS KIND, PUNITIVE AND DETRIMENTAL OUTCOME, IT HAS REAL CONSEQUENCES.
SO, IMA SAID, NYSA IS A BUSINESS, AND I'M SPEAKING TO THEM
[01:10:01]
SPECIFICALLY 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS SPECIFICALLY CARRIES A GREAT DEAL OF PUBLICITY AND NOTORIETY.WE SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY LESSONS THAT WE CAN LEARN HERE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT LOCAL BUSINESSES HAVE FALLEN PREY, FRANKLY, TO OUR CONVOLUTED SYSTEM.
AND THEY ARE RIGHT TO BE MAD AT US.
SO HOW WILL THESE CHANGES HELP THEM? AND HOW HAVE EXISTING SMALL BUSINESSES BEEN ENGAGED IN THE REMEDIATION PROCESS? YOU TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC TO THAT CASE OR GENERALLY? I MEAN, GENERALLY SPEAKING, I MEAN, BEYOND THE PANDEMIC, I MEAN, WE WATCHED SO MANY SMALL BUSINESSES FAIL.
BUT BEYOND THE PANDEMIC, I JUST THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE DON'T OFFER ENOUGH SUPPORTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WE RELY ON REQUIRE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW HAVE THEY BEEN ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS? LIKE WHAT ARE WE ASKING THEM IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY NEED? THAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK WE HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB, UH, ENGAGING WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY PART OF THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE IN THE DEPARTMENT HAVE MANY, MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNICATION.
THEY CAN COME AND ASK QUESTIONS.
THEY CAN COME IN IN THERE WITH THE PROJECT BEFOREHAND AND HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH US AND LOOK AT ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CODES.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AT THE LIFE SAFETY, UH, ASPECTS OF THE CODE, UH, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT IN MIND TOO.
BUT WE ARE, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, OPEN FOR THE COMMUNICATION AND, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THEY START THE PROCESS.
I MEAN, THEY CAN COME IN AND THEY CAN HAVE A COMMUNICATION.
SO WE HAVE ENGAGED AND, UH, WE HAVE A GREAT, UH, GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT, THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD, NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, ENGAGEMENT.
AND, UH, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE, I THINK MAYBE THAT WAS THE QUESTION I WAS ASKING, LIKE, HOW ARE WE ENGAGING WITH THEM? LIKE, LIKE ARE WE OFFERING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO, ON THE FRONT END PREVENTATIVELY, I THINK WE NEED TO MAYBE TARGET MORE SMALL BUSINESSES AND WE CAN ACTUALLY EXPAND THAT, THAT COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION PROCESS ON THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA.
LET JUST TRY TO ELABORATE, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE ENGAGED WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
SO THAT'S, WE, WE'VE DONE THAT.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JOSE HAS DONE, UH, UNDER VERONICA'S LEADERSHIP, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, VICE SAMUEL'S LEADERSHIP, IS WE'VE BROUGHT ALL THE PIECES OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS INTO ONE BUILDING.
SO WHEN WE, WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN TO WANT TO KNOW, I WANT TO GO DO A, A HOME IMPROVEMENT, OR I WANNA DO A COMMERCIAL IMPROVEMENT, WE'VE GOT, ALL THE PLAYERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THAT BUILDING SO THAT THEY CAN WORK WITH THOSE, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES, MIDDLE-SIZED BUSINESSES, LARGE BUSINESSES.
THE OTHER THING THAT WAS MENTIONED BY THE CONSULTANT DURING THE PRESENTATION, WHICH IS KEY, IS THE NUMBER OF TOUCHES SOMEONE HAS TO GO THROUGH IN OUR PROCESS IS SO EXTENSIVE MM-HMM.
AND WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS WE END UP SHORT CIRCUITING A PROCESS WHICH ENDS UP TAKING LONGER TO FIX IT.
WE'RE INTENDING TO TRY TO BE AS CUSTOMER FRIENDLY AS WE CAN AND, AND ALSO HAVE A FIDELITY TO THE CODE, WHETHER IT'S THE BUILDING CODE, THE ELECTRICAL CODE, AS WELL AS THE, UH, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE INTENT HERE, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO CONNECT WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS AS WE LEARN MORE FROM THEM IN TERMS OF THEIR FRUSTRATIONS, TERMS OF THINGS WE OUGHT TO BE BUILDING INTO OUR PROCESS IMPROVEMENT SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS.
I THINK THE ONE THING I WOULD ADD THERE IS, UM, WE HAVE OPTIONS.
THERE ARE UNIONIZED BLOCK WALKERS WHO CAN HANG DOOR HANGERS MM-HMM.
I THINK SOMETIMES WHILE WE HAVE THESE RESOURCES, WHICH I APPRECIATE FOLKS DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO THEM, AND THAT'S A PART OF THE PROBLEM.
SO, WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I'M NOT SURE, MY QUESTION IS FOR PROCUREMENT OR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TOOK A LOOK AT THE R C A AGAIN FOR ITEM 23, AND I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
SO IT SAYS IT'S FOR A TERM OF SIX MONTHS, AND, UM, THIS CONVERSATION DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THIS IS A SIX MONTH PROJECT.
SO CAN YOU SHARE WHY THIS IS A SIX MONTH TERM AND IT'S A SIX MONTH TERM TO NOT EXCEED 2.5? ARE WE EXPECTING THAT YOU'RE COMING BACK IN SIX MONTHS AND ASKING FOR MORE MONEY? OR IS THIS, HOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT THAT TERM? LET ME, LET ME ASK VERONICA TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
SINCE IT'S AN ITEM THAT SHE WAS THE SPONSOR OF THE,
[01:15:01]
UH, TERM FOR SIX MONTHS, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT'LL TAKE THE SIX MONTHS TO REALLY GET THE IMPLEMENTATION HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING.AS I SAID, WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED, SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE, WE'RE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE A, A SWIFT AND EFFICIENT RESPONSE.
THAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND THE SIX MONTH TERM.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE INTENTION IS TO COME BACK WITH AN AMENDMENT, BUT I'M LOOKING TO OUR DIRECTOR TO CONFIRM THAT.
SO IT IS FOR THE SIX MONTH TERM.
SO MCKINSEY'S ENGAGEMENT IS THE SIX MONTHS PERIOD, NOT TO EXCEED 2.5 MILLION.
AND YOU'RE NOT ANTICIPATING COMING BACK AND ASKING FOR MORE AFTER THAT 2.5? I HOPE NOT.
I MEAN, BUT IT, IT IS, RIGHT NOW IT'S FOR SIX MONTHS NOT TO EXCEED 2.5 MILLION.
UM, AND THEN, UM, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, WE HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT MANY PRO BONO, UM, ENGAGEMENTS OF A FIRM OF THE CALIBER OF MCKINSEY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT, UM, AS SHARED AUDIT AND FINANCE, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SWITCH THIS OVER TO A CONTRACT BECAUSE WE ARE USING A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, UM, UNDER OMNIA PARTNER PARTNERS, WHICH I HAVE NOT HEARD OF AS A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BEFORE.
BUT IS THAT THE, UM, PROCUREMENT PROCESS THAT WE ARE USING RATHER THAN COMPETITIVELY BIDDING? THIS IS BECAUSE IT, THIS PARTICULAR FIRM IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MAYOR JAMES SCARBOROUGH FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, CENTRAL PROCUREMENT.
WE WOULD ACTUALLY SEE THIS AS A, A SEPARATE CONTRACT.
THE PRO BONO AGREEMENT, UM, WAS DEVELOPED, UM, OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA.
UM, WHEN, WHEN THIS REQUIREMENT CAME TO US, WE LOOKED AT IT FIRST AS A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE EXEMPT BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE THAT THE CONTRACTOR DEVELOPED WHILE THEY ENGAGED US.
BUT THEN WE WERE, UM, UM, ALERTED TO THE AVAILABILITY OF COOPERATIVE CONTRACTS, UH, THAT COULD COVER, UM, PARTS OF THESE SERVICES.
WE REVIEWED THOSE CONTRACTS, DETERMINED THE BEST FIT.
SO OMNIA PARTNERS IS JUST A NATIONAL, UM, PURCHASING COOPERATIVE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US UNDER TEXAS STATE PROCUREMENT STATUTES.
YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF IT PREVIOUSLY.
IT WAS KNOWN AS US COMMUNITIES.
IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
WE'VE USED THEM ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS.
AND THEN, UM, I WOULD ASK THE CITY MANAGER, SO IT SAYS THERE'S FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF 416,000 IN THIS FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET.
UM, BUT THERE'S, AND IT SAYS FUNDING FOR THE REMAINING CONTRACT TERM IS CONTINGENT UPON AVAILABLE FUNDING.
SO PRESUMABLY WE HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE THE OTHER 2 MILLION IS COMING FROM.
IF YOU CAN PROVIDE THAT CLARIFICATION EITHER NOW OR BEFORE THURSDAY, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
IN FACT, IT, AS YOU WILL NOTICE FROM A LOT OF OUR CONTRACTS THAT COME TO COUNCIL, THAT YOU'LL HAVE THAT PHRASE IN THERE.
IT'LL, WE'VE GOT THE FUNDING FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR AND THEN TO MOVE BEYOND THIS FISCAL YEAR WILL BE A CONTINGENT ON FUNDING, BUT WE'LL IDENTIFY THE FUNDING.
WE'LL, BUT WE ALSO, WE ALSO USUALLY AT THIS POINT, ONCE WE'VE PASSED THE BUDGET, WE WOULD KNOW WHETHER WE HAVE THE MONEY IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO, UM, WE'LL GET WE'LL, I UNDERSTAND THE R C A MAY HAVE BEEN DRAFTED BEFORE THEN, BUT THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE THE CLARIFICATION BEFORE WE VOTE.
ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MCKENZIE AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE DIRECTOR.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DETAILED, UH, APPROACH TO THIS.
UM, I'VE BEEN LOOKING SINCE I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, FOR SOMEBODY THAT WOULD OPENLY ADMIT THEY'RE A CODE GEEK, AND THEN WONDER WHAT, WHAT THAT, WHY WOULD YOU EVER WANNA BE A CODE GEEK? BUT I GUESS BEING THE DIRECTOR OF THAT DEPARTMENT, WE WANT US A CODE CODE GEEK THERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO ADMIT THAT AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
UM, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THURSDAY AND IF THERE ARE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, OF COURSE COUNSEL WILL TRY TO SUBMIT THOSE TO YOU IN ADVANCE OF THURSDAY.
BUT THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR THIS, UH, MEMBERS.
[B2. Austin Tourism Public Improvement District]
ITEM, WHICH IS A BRIEFING ON THE AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.AS SOON AS YOU'RE READY, TAKE IT AWAY.
UH, SO GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I AM AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE, UH, AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
AND I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE, UM, PROPOSED AUSTIN TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, OR ATT PIT, AS YOU'LL HEAR ME CALL IT THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I AM JOINED BY MY DIRECTOR TRICIA TETRO, UM, AS WELL AS TOM NOONAN, PRESIDENT AND C E O OF VISIT AUSTIN.
AND WE'RE HERE TODAY BECAUSE ON AUGUST 31ST, WE ARE ASKING FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE, UH, SERVICE PLAN AND PETITION LANGUAGE THAT WILL GO FORWARD, UM, AND, AND IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD THE CREATION OF THE TID.
SO WE JUST WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT A TEPID IS, AUSTIN'S EXPERIENCE,
[01:20:01]
UM, AND THEN SOME OF THE FINANCIALS INCLUDED IN THERE.UH, SO WHAT IS A TIDD? UM, TPIS ARE A SPECIAL SORT OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, UM, THAT ARE CREATED AT THE REQUEST OF HOTELS.
UM, THEY ARE DESIGNED TO GENERATE FUNDING, UH, FOR THE DISTRICT, UH, FOR SALES AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES TO DESIGN TO GENERATE, UH, HOTEL ACTIVITY WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, AUSTIN'S SPECIFIC PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WILL ACTUALLY ALSO ALLOW FOR THE CITY TO, UH, GENERATE FUNDING FOR CRITICAL CITY PRIORITIES THROUGH THE SUCCESS OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, THE TPI WILL ACTUALLY ALLOW THE CONVENTION CENTER TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH OUR PEER CITIES SUCH AS DALLAS AND SAN ANTONIO, WHO ALREADY HAVE T PIDS IN PLACE.
UM, IT'S GOING TO ALSO PROVIDE CRITICAL FUNDING FOR THE, FOR TOURISM IN THE CITY IN THE YEARS THAT, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER HAS CLOSED FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION.
AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, IT'S GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX GROWTH, WHICH WILL BENEFIT OUR CULTURAL ARTS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND LIVE MUSIC FUNDS.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, THE UM, SERVICE OR THE TPI IS COMPRISED SOLELY OF HOTELS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND WITHIN THAT IT'S ONLY HOTELS THAT HAVE MORE THAN A HUNDRED ROOMS, UM, IN THE CITY.
SO OVER 60% OF THE HOTELS HAVE TO AGREE TO THE, UH, TO THE SERVICE PLAN AND REQUEST THIS.
UM, AND IT INCLUDES AN ASSESSMENT ON GROSS TAXABLE ROOM NIGHTS IN THE CITY ON THOSE ELIGIBLE HOTELS.
THE AUSTIN TPI ID SERVICE PLAN INCLUDES A 2% ASSESSMENT ON THAT GROSS TAXABLE ROOM NIGHT.
UM, THE COUNCIL WILL ANNUALLY APPROVE THE BUDGET AND THE UPDATED SERVICE PLAN AND ASSESSMENT AS, UM, AND THEN IT IS OVERSEEN BY THE TPI MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, UH, WHICH IS CREATED AS A TRI-PARTY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE TID MANAGEMENT CORPORATION AND VISIT AUSTIN.
THIS SPECIFIC TPI IS, UH, CURRENTLY PROPOSED TO BE IN EFFECT FOR 10 YEARS.
UH, COUNCIL MAY RENEW OR DISSOLVE THE TPI D AFTER THAT.
AS I MENTIONED, IT MUST BE APPROVED BY OVER 60% OF THE HOTEL OWNERSHIP GROUPS IN THE CITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, THE, THE AUSTIN T PID SERVICE PLAN INCLUDES A PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PROGRAM OF WORK.
THE PRIMARY PROGRAM OF WORK IS IN EFFECT WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER IS FULLY OPERATIONAL, AND THEN THE SECONDARY PROGRAM OF WORK IS IN EFFECT WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER IS CLOSED FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT.
UH, SO THE SERVICE PLAN INCLUDES BUDGET ALLOCATIONS, UH, FOR THE REVENUES THAT ARE RECEIVED THROUGH THE T I D.
UH, WHAT'S SHOWN ON THE SCREEN HERE ARE THE BUDGET ALLOCATIONS THAT ARE IN EFFECT DURING THE PRIMARY PROGRAM OF WORK.
UM, THE FIRST CATEGORY, THE CONVENTION CENTER GROUP BUSINESS INCENTIVES, WHICH IS WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT, UM, MORE ABOUT IN LATER SLIDES, UM, IS THE PORTION THAT IS ALLOCATED TO THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR, UH, GROUP BUSINESS INCENTIVES AND IS THE SOURCE OF FUNDING THAT WILL ULTIMATELY FLOW TO THE CITY, UM, AS UNRESTRICTED REVENUE.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, IT IS, UH, 20% OF THE TOTAL REVENUE OF THE T P I D.
WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO AN ADDITIONAL 20%, UM, FROM THE SALES AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES CATEGORY BELOW IF WE EXPEND THE FIRST 20% IN A GIVEN YEAR.
SO I DO WANNA PAUSE AND JUST EXPLAIN KIND OF HOW THE CONVENTION CENTER'S BUSINESS MODEL FITS INTO THIS.
UM, SO WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER IS EVALUATING A PIECE OF BUSINESS THAT WANTS TO BOOK AT THE CENTER, OR IF WE ARE LOOKING TO COMPETE TO BRING A CONVENTION INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THE REVENUE THAT THAT, UM, CONVENTION WILL BRING, NOT JUST WHAT BENEFITS THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, SO THIS INCLUDES HOTEL TAX, SALES TAX, ET CETERA.
IF THEY CROSS A CERTAIN CERTAIN THRESHOLD, UH, WE GIVE INCENTIVES TO THOSE EVENTS, UM, OR BUY DOWNS.
THAT'S ESSENTIALLY JUST REVENUE THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER IS FOREGOING.
UM, IN RECOGNITION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT OF THIS EVENT ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE ARE MADE WHOLE THROUGH OUR, UH, ALLOCATION OF HOTEL TAX.
UM, AND THAT IS OUR BUSINESS MODEL AND THE BUSINESS MODEL THAT OCCURS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT INCENTIVE PROGRAM IS WHAT IS ELIGIBLE UNDER, UNDER THIS 20%, UM, AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL 20% AS WELL.
SO THEN THE NEXT CATEGORY IS THE SALES AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES.
UM, THIS IS 60% OF TOTAL REVENUE, HOWEVER, 20%, UM, SO WHICH WOULD REDUCE THAT DOWN TO 40 IS ELIGIBLE, UM, TO BE INCLUDED IN THE CONVENTION CENTERS GROUP BUSINESS CATEGORY.
THEN YOU HAVE THE HOTEL BUSINESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM, WHICH FUNCTIONS VERY SIMILARLY TO THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER'S GROUP BUSINESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
HOWEVER, IT'S ONLY FOR EVENTS THAT OCCUR AT AREA HOTELS.
AND THEN FINALLY, YOU HAVE 10% OF THE TOTAL REVENUE GOES TO RESEARCH AND ADMINISTRATION.
UM, AND THIS IS JUST TO MEASURE THE EFFICACY OF THE PROGRAMS BEING UNDERTAKEN WITH THE TPI DOLLARS.
I DO WANNA PAUSE HERE AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS SERVICE PLAN IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, IN 2020.
UM, THAT AT THAT TIME, THE POST, THERE WAS A POSTPONEMENT AT THE REQUEST OF THE STAKEHOLDERS IN ORDER JUST TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DISCUSSION.
AS WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID, WE'VE WORKED REALLY DILIGENTLY WITH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THOSE INTERVENING
[01:25:01]
YEARS TO BRING FORTH THIS SERVICE PLAN.UM, AND IT JUST REALLY REFLECTS THE REALITIES OF THE INDUSTRY, THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, AND THE HOTELS AS A WHOLE.
SO IN THE OLD SERVICE PLAN, THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS ENVISIONED TO REMAIN OPEN DURING THE RECONSTRUCTION.
UM, THAT IS NO LONGER THE CASE.
AND ALSO COVID HAD A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON THE HOTEL INDUSTRY.
AND SO THAT IS WHY WE'VE ENDED UP IN THIS, WITH THESE CATEGORIES THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.
SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER INCENTIVES.
UM, SO AS I MENTIONED, THE PRIMARY PROGRAM OF WORK THERE AT THE TOP IS WHAT IS IN EFFECT WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER IS FULLY OPERATIONAL.
UM, SO THAT'LL BE THE TIME PERIOD FROM NOW UNTIL ABOUT 2020, MID 25, UH, WHEN WE CLOSE THE FACILITY.
AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK IN EFFECT IN, IN 20, LATE 28 OR 20 EARLY 29 WHEN WE REOPEN.
UM, SO THE SECONDARY PROGRAM OF WORK WAS CREATED, UH, IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE CONVENTION CENTER TO STILL GIVE INCENTIVES DURING THE CLOSURE PERIOD.
UM, BUT IT DOES ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE, THAT LEVEL OF INCENTIVE, UH, WILL BE FAR LESS THAN WHAT IT WOULD BE WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER IS OPERATIONAL.
SO THEREFORE, UNDER THE SECONDARY PROGRAM OF WORK, UM, THAT OUR 20% ALLOCATION IS REDUCED TO 10% OF THE TOTAL TPI REVENUES.
AND THEN THAT, THAT DIFFERENTIAL, THAT 10% DIFFERENTIAL, UM, IS IN PUT INTO A FLOATING CATEGORY CALLED THE VARIABLE ROOM NIGHT GENERATION SHARE.
UM, AND THAT ALLOWS THIS FLEXIBILITY AND IT CAN GO TOWARD ANY SALES AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING FURTHER BUY DOWNS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, AND SO YOU'LL SEE HERE THE CONVENTION CENTER IS ELIGIBLE FOR THIS CATEGORY, AND WE WOULD BE WORKING VERY HARD, UM, TO GET THAT SECOND 10%.
IT DOES ALSO CREATE A REOPENING FUND.
AND SO OF THE ALLOCATION THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER RECEIVES UNDER THE SECONDARY PROGRAM OF WORK, 50% OF ANY UNSPENT OR UNIN OR FUNDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ENCUMBERED, ARE EARMARKED INTO A SPECIAL REOPENING FUND.
UM, THAT IS AVAILABLE WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER REVERTS TO THE PRIMARY PROGRAM OF WORK AND WOULD BE USED, UH, TO BUY DOWN AND, AND TO DO MORE SALES AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES, UM, WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER IS REOPENED.
SO THEN THE NEXT QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THE CITY GET THE MONEY? UM, AND SO WE'VE CREATED THIS GRAPHIC THAT SHOWS HOW IT FLOWS FROM THE, HOW WE GET FROM TPI TO UNRESTRICTED REVENUE, UM, TO THE, UM, INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THE FIRST STEP IS THE HOTELS PAY THEIR 2% SELF-ASSESSMENT.
THEY REMIT THIS EITHER QUARTERLY OR MONTHLY, MONTHLY, UM, JUST AS THEY DO THEIR HOTEL TAX.
AND THEN EACH YEAR, THE CONVENTION CENTER DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, WHICH AGAIN, IS APPROVED BY THE TPI D BOARD AND THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, THEY WILL, THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL REVIEW THE UPCOMING EVENTS AND SUBMIT OUR ESTIMATES FOR WHAT INCENTIVES AND WHAT EVENTS WE THINK WOULD BE ELIGIBLE UNDER THE T I D.
THE MANAGEMENT CORPORATION REVIEWS AND APPROVES THESE, UH, THESE INCENTIVES.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, THAT BUDGET IS APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
THEN THE NEXT STEP IS THAT THE EVENTS WITH THE APPROVED INCENTIVES OCCURS.
UM, AND THIS IS WHERE I WANNA TAKE ANOTHER PAUSE TO KIND OF EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT OF THE NUANCES, UM, WITH HOW THE MONEY IS FLOWING TO THE CITY.
SO THE CONVENTION CENTER BOOKS, BUSINESS YEARS IN ADVANCE, UM, AND SO WE WILL BE USING DOLLARS THAT WE ARE ALLOCATED IN A, IN A YEAR, UH, BOTH FOR CURRENT YEAR BUSINESS AND THEN ALSO FOR FUTURE YEAR BUSINESS.
THE FUNDS HAVE TO REMAIN ENCUMBERED AND RESTRICTED UP UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE LEGAL LIMITATIONS OF THE FUNDING IS SATISFIED.
IN THIS CASE, IT MEANS THAT THE EVENT WITH THE APPROVED INCENTIVES ACTUALLY OCCURS.
UM, SO IN WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE IN THE SERVICE PLAN FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER'S ALLOCATION MAY NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT WHAT THE TRANSFER IS, UM, OVER TO THE CITY AS UNRESTRICTED REVENUE.
AND THIS IS AGAIN, BECAUSE WE WILL BE USING OUR CURRENT YEAR DOLLARS, BOTH FOR FUTURE BUSINESS AND EXISTING BUSINESS.
SO ONCE THE EVENT OCCURS, STATE STATUTES ARE SATISFIED, THE FUNDS BECOME UNRESTRICTED, THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL SUBMIT ALL NECESSARY PAPERWORK TO SHOW THAT THE EVENT OCCURRED AND WHAT THE FINAL INCENTIVES WERE.
THE MANAGEMENT CORPORATION THEN WILL TRANSFER THOSE, UH, APPROVED INCENTIVES OVER, UM, TO OUR CREATIVELY NAMED AT PID FUND IN THE CITY.
IT'LL BE A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
UM, AND THEN FROM THERE DUR, WE WILL COLLECT FUNDS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND THEN DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, YOU'LL SEE THAT TRANSFERRED TO THE GENERAL FUND AND CAN BE ALLOCATED TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES AT THAT TIME.
SO THE MONEY SLIDE, UM, SO YOU CAN SEE HERE KIND OF WHAT, UH, THE OVERALL INCENTIVES.
THIS IS WHAT'S IN THE PUB, IN THE DRAFT SERVICE PLAN.
UM, AND I, ON THE PINK HEADER THERE IS THE 20%, UH, FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I DO WANNA STRESS THAT THESE REVENUE PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON A SEVEN POINT HALF PERCENT GROWTH.
UM, THIS IS JUST TO ENSURE THAT THE TPI IS CAPTURING THE FULL AMOUNT OF REVENUE AVAILABLE TO IT.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THESE NUMBERS WILL COME IN, UM, SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THAT.
[01:30:01]
CAN SEE THE 20% ALLOCATION FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER IN THAT, IN THAT PINK COLUMN.AND THEN THE LIGHT GRAY HEADERS, UM, AND 24, 20, 24, 25, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 20 28, 29, UH, SHOWS THE YEARS WHERE THE SECONDARY PROGRAM OF WORK WOULD BE IN EFFECT.
AND SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE HALVED, UM, BASED ON THE ALLOCATION.
SO IF WE ARE ELIGIBLE AND GET THE FULL 20% ALL THROUGHOUT THE FULL 10 YEAR PLAN, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $78 MILLION THAT WOULD FLOW TO THE CITY, UM, FOR, UM, AS UNRESTRICTED REVENUE.
UM, IT COULD BE AS HIGH AS 120 IF WE ARE ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT ADDITIONAL 40% DURING THE PRIMARY PROGRAM OF WORK.
UM, BUT IT MAY BE AS LOW AS 60 IF THE BUSINESS JUST ISN'T THERE DURING THOSE YEARS OF CLOSURE.
UM, OR, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO TAP INTO THAT ADDITIONAL 40%, UH, SO AS I MENTIONED, THE TID WILL BE OVERSEEN BY THE TPI MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, UM, THAT IS CREATED AS AN, AS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY, THE TPI MANAGEMENT CORPORATION AND VISIT AUSTIN.
UM, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WILL REVIEW ANNUALLY AND APPROVE THE BUDGET PLAN OR THE BUDGET AND ASSESSMENT PLAN EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S PROPOSED BY THE TPI BOARD.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS COMPOSED OF 11 HOTEL MEMBERS.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE THREE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS.
UH, VISIT AUSTIN'S PRESIDENT AND C E O, THE AUSTIN HOTEL LODGING AND ASSOCIATIONS PRESIDENT AND C C E O AND THEN THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
AND CAN YOU ADVANCE ONE SLIDE? IT'S NOT WORKING.
UH, SO AS I MENTIONED AT THE TOP, UM, ON AUGUST 31ST, WE ARE ASKING FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE DRAFT SERVICE PLAN AND PETITION LANGUAGE.
THIS WILL ALLOW THE HOTEL LODGING ASSOCIATION AND VISIT AUSTIN TO GO TO THE HOTELIERS TO COLLECT THEIR SIGNATURES.
UM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS STEP WAS NOT REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
HOWEVER, IT'S BEEN FOUND IN THE CREATION OF OTHER TPIS THAT THIS COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THIS GIVES THE HOTELIER CERTAINTY THAT NOTHING WILL CHANGE IN THE SERVICE PLAN.
IF THE, IF WE, IF THE, THE PETITION COLLECTION OF SIGNATURES BEGINS AND THE SERVICE PLAN CHANGES, WE HAVE TO START THE PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN.
IT IS ABOUT A TWO MONTH PROCESS TO GET THE SIGNATURES FOR ALL OF THE HOTELS.
UM, AND SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'D BE BACK IN OCTOBER IF COUNCIL APPROVES ON AUGUST 31ST.
AT THAT TIME, WE WOULD BE DOING A, UH, TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS, ONE TO CREATE THE DISTRICT AND ONE ON THE ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, THAT WOULD BE THE DAY THAT COUNCIL WOULD TAKE THE ACTION TO CREATE THE DISTRICT.
ALL OF THESE THREE THINGS CAN HAPPEN ON THE SAME DAY, AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT IN ABOUT OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.
AFTER THAT, UH, THE DISTRICT WILL BEGIN THE ASSESSMENT AND THE REMITTING OF FEES WILL OCCUR.
AND THEN WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING AS STAFF IS THAT DURING THE 2025 BUDGET PROCESSES, WHEN COUNCIL WOULD ALLOCATE THE DOLLARS.
UM, THIS JUST ALLOWS FOR US TO SEE KIND OF HOW THE FUNDS ARE FLOWING, GET OUR FEET UNDER US, UM, AND JUST SEE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE THE FUNDS WILL KIND OF COME IN DURING THE YEAR AS EVENTS OCCUR.
AND WITH THAT, WE CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBERS QUESTIONS? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES? YES, SIR.
UH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH THE STAFF CAPACITY WHEN IT COMES TO 20% WORKING ON THE 20% OF INCENTIVES FOR THAT YEAR? UM, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN THAT IN MORE DETAIL.
SO EVERY YEAR WE KIND OF KNOW WHAT WE HAVE.
AS I SAID, WE BOOK YEARS IN ADVANCE, AND SO WE KNOW SORT OF WHAT OUR BASELINE LEVEL OF INCENTIVES FOR OUR EVENTS ARE.
SO THE PROCESS TO COME UP WITH OUR ESTIMATE EACH YEAR, UM, IS PRETTY SIMPLE.
AND THEN ON THE BACKEND, OUR SALES TEAM IS WORKING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FOOD AND BEVERAGE CREDITS THAT HAPPEN DURING THE EVENT THAT CAN CHANGE.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE DOCUMENTATION THAT KIND OF FLOWS THROUGHOUT.
UM, THE OTHER PIECE IS WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR INCENTIVE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO SEE HOW WE CAN REWORK IT TO MAXIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE CAN GET TO FLOW THROUGH THE CITY.
UM, THERE ARE SOME PIECES WITHIN THERE THAT WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT.
UM, AND WE THINK THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO INCREASE WHAT OUR CURRENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE.
IT WON'T AFFECT OUR CUSTOMERS AT ALL.
UM, BUT IT WILL JUST ALLOW US TO, TO GAIN A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA DOLLARS COMING OUT OF THE T I D YOU SAID IT'S EASY FOR STAFF TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF HOW MUCH INCENTIVE FUNDING FOR THAT YEAR, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND SO, AND THAT IS THE YEAR, I GUESS THE PART THAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH HERE IS IF WE, YOU DON'T COUNT IT UNTIL THE EVENT ACTUALLY TAKES PLACE.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE INFORMATION, IS YOUR FUNDING THIS YEAR BASED ON EVENTS THAT WERE BOOKED TWO TO THREE YEARS AGO? YES, THEY WERE FOR, I MEAN, FIVE YEARS AGO IN SOME CASES.
UM, SO IT'S EVENTS THAT WERE BOOKED A LONG TIME AGO AS WELL AS WE DO ALSO BOOK WITHIN A 12 TO 18 MONTH WINDOW.
SO YOU WOULD ALREADY HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH AND INCENTIVES YOU CAN USE FOR THE NEXT THREE TO FOUR YEARS
[01:35:01]
COME GOING OUT.SO IN 20 24, 25, 26, BASED ON PREVIOUS BOOKINGS IN A NORMAL, IN NORMAL COURSE OF BUSINESS, I WOULD SAY YES.
UM, BECAUSE WE ARE ANTICIPATING CLOSING THE CONVENTION CENTER IN 2025, THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH WHAT EVENTS WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP ON THE BOOKS, AND THEN LOOKING AT HOW, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN EVALUATE A CAMPUS-WIDE APPROACH.
UM, SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE UNCERTAINTY DURING THE YEARS OF CLOSURE, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ARE OPEN AND OPERATIONAL.
AND SO FROM NOW UNTIL THAT POINT, UH, I WOULD SAY YOUR STATEMENT'S ACCURATE AND COLLEAGUES, THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING ABOUT STAFF CAPACITY ON INCREASING INCENTIVES, AND, AND I THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING YOUR PRESENTATION AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE CHANGE IN THE AGREEMENT TERMS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY PRESENTED BACK IN 2019 TO THE COMMUNITY IN PROPOSED TO COUNCIL IN 2020, UM, THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.
AND WE WENT FROM 40% DOWN TO 20%.
SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, CAN WE INCREASE THAT THRESHOLD TO 25%, 30%? UH, AND PART OF THAT, UH, THAT UNDERSTANDING COMES WITH WHAT IS OUR STAFF ABLE TO DO? SO IF WE WANTED TO GO TO 25% IN INCENTIVES PER YEAR, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR STAFF? SO WE HAVE ACCESS UP TO THE FULL 40% UNDER THE SERVICE PLAN.
UM, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GET THROUGH OUR FIRST 20% BASED ON OUR CURRENT INCENTIVE LEVELS.
I THINK GETTING TO 25% WOULD BE A DIFFICULT AMOUNT, ESPECIALLY LEADING UP TO, UM, THE, THE CLOSURE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY BEGUN TO LOSE SOME BUSINESS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, SOME YEAR OVER YEAR BUSINESS IN ANTICIPATION OF THE CLOSURE, THEY NEEDED TO GO AND FIND LONGER TERM CONTRACTS AT OTHER CONVENTION CENTERS.
SO WHAT I THINK THAT THE FLEXIBILITY THAT'S BUILT INTO THE SERVICE PLAN AT THIS POINT TO GIVE US THE 20%, AND THEN ALSO THAT ADDITIONAL 20% REALLY SETS US UP FOR SUCCESS.
UM, BECAUSE WE NEVER WANT TO OVER PROMISE AND UNDER DELIVER.
SO YOU SAY WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE 40%, BUT GOING MORE THAN 20% IS CONTINGENT IF YOU SPEND THE FULL 20% IN THAT YEAR.
AND WE CAN'T GET THE INCENTIVE UNTIL THE EVENT IS HELD.
SO THERE IS AN, A VARIABLE HERE.
UM, SO THE, THE ENCUMBERING OF THE FUNDS, SO DURING, WE'LL BEGIN SELLING THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER IN 2026, AND SO WE'LL BE ENCUMBERING FUNDS AND THOSE WOULD COUNT TOWARD THAT 20%.
SO IT IS POSSIBLE, UM, THROUGH, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE JUST WHAT IS ACTUALLY OUT THE DOOR, THE EVENT OCCURS, IT CAN BE ALSO THOSE ENCUMBERED FUNDS THAT WOULD COUNT TOWARD THAT 20%.
AND YOU KNOW, PART OF MY CONCERNS RIGHT NOW WITH THE SERVICE PLAN, AND, AND FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE CREATION OF THE TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO JOIN OTHER CITIES IN HAVING, UM, THIS TYPE OF FEE ASSESSED TO, TO VISITORS SO THAT WE CAN FUND OUR TOURISM ACTIVITY AS WELL AS OTHER SERVICES, WHICH FOR ME INCLUDES ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, WHAT I STRUGGLE WITH WAS THAT THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE AGREEMENT FROM WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN 2019 AND 2020.
UH, IT TOOK A LOT OF HARD WORK TO GET TO THAT AGREEMENT.
A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WERE INVOLVED AND WE'RE HERE AS A COUNCIL WITH THE CONSIDERATION OF PUTTING FORTH A 10 YEAR AGREEMENT BINDING A COUNCIL, THE NEXT COUNCIL, THE NEXT COUNCIL AFTER THAT, TO THE TERMS THAT WE WOULD BE APPROVING AT THIS TIME.
AND FOR ME, THAT GIVES ME A LOT OF CONCERNS.
SINCE THERE'S BEEN SUCH CHANGES.
WE'VE HAD CHANGES IN THE ECONOMY, WE'VE HAD CHANGES IN THE MARKET, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CHANGE WITH OUR CONVENTION CENTER BEING FULLY CLOSED.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY, UH, COMING OUT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
UH, SO COLLEAGUES, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO CONSIDER, UH, MAKING AN AMENDMENT TO THIS SERVICE PLAN, UH, TO CONSIDER IT AT A FOUR YEAR AGREEMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT WILL GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE WITH US HAVING THE CONVENTION CENTER CLOSED.
WE'LL HAVE A YEAR WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER OPEN OR TWO, AND THEN THE CLOSURE, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK.
AND THAT COUNCIL FOUR YEARS FROM NOW CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE TERMS, UH, AND, AND MAKE THAT ASSESSMENT OF WHETHER OR NOT, UM, IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO WHAT I AM LOOKING AT.
THE LENS THAT I'M LOOKING AT THIS THROUGH IS MAXIMIZING BENEFITS TO THE CITY.
SO WE'D LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER THAT AS AN AMENDMENT FOR FOR THURSDAY THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.
UH, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS AROUND, UM, AN ECONOMIC STUDY.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, THE TOURISM COMMISSION, WHICH IS THE COMMISSION OF ADVISORS THAT WE HAVE ON BOARD TO PROVIDE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND HAVING THE TOURISM COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION ON THE CREATION OF A TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT IS IMPORTANT.
YET THE TOURISM COMMISSION WAS DIVIDED.
THEY DID NOT, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REACH CONSENSUS ON WHETHER OR NOT TO RECOMMEND THIS 10 YEAR SERVICE PLAN TO THE CITY.
AND SO FOR ME, THAT ALSO GIVES ME A LOT OF PAUSE AND WHY I THINK US CONSIDERING THIS AGREEMENT AT A FOUR YEAR
[01:40:01]
LEVEL AS WELL AS, UH, DIRECTING AND INSTITUTING AN ECONOMIC STUDY SO THAT WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, WHAT THE NEXT FEW YEARS LOOK LIKE.UH, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE CONVENTION CENTER FULLY CLOSED.
UH, SO I ALSO WANT US TO CONSIDER THAT AS A POTENTIAL AMENDMENT THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION, UH, SO THAT WE CAN FOUR YEARS FROM NOW HAVE THAT STUDY DONE.
WE CAN ENGAGE THE CITY'S ECONOMISTS AS WELL, UM, IN THIS CONVERSATION AND, UM, AND BE BETTER GUIDED.
ANY COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE ON THE ECONOMIC STUDY? SO, I, I, THE LAWYERS HERE, BUT, UH, I DO THINK THAT STATE LAW, UM, REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF A FIVE YEAR, UM, CYCLE FOR THE T ID.
UM, I WOULD ALSO SAY YOU MENTIONED THE UNCERTAINTY PIECE OF IT, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE HOTELS ARE LOOKING FOR WITH THAT LONGER TIMEFRAME.
IT ALLOWS THEM TO GET THROUGH THE CLOSURE AND INTO THE REOPENING PERIOD.
BECAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE US SOME TIME TO RAMP BACK UP AND STABILIZE, UM, AS A CONVENTION CENTER.
AND SO IF WE END THE TPI KIND OF MIDWAY THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND THEN THAT DOESN'T REALLY GIVE THEM THAT CERTAINTY BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS TPIT IN PLACE SO THAT THEY HAVE THAT FUNDING AVAILABLE AND THAT THEY'RE SET UP FOR SUCCESS SO THAT THE IMPACT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER CLOSURE TO THE HOTELS IS MINIMIZED.
CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT YEARS THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL BE CLOSED? WE WILL BE CLOSING IN, UH, SPRING OF 25 AFTER SOUTH BY, AND THEN REOPENING, UM, BY JANUARY OF 2029.
SO THAT'D BE YEARS TWO THROUGH OF THE 10 YEAR AGREEMENT.
SO IF WE DO, UH, THE 10 YEAR AGREEMENT WOULD GET US TO 2033, WHICH IS ABOUT WHEN WE'D HIT STABILIZATION.
SO IT'S GONNA CLOSE FROM 25 TO 29.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
UM, SO WE HAD A PRESENTATION AT AUDIT AND FINANCE, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED WAS ABOUT, UM, THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENSES AND WHETHER WE COULD WORK THOSE INTO THE T PED, WHICH WOULD PROVIDE A, UM, MORE REGULAR, UM, PAYMENT THAT WE COULD COUNT ON.
SO WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DIRECTLY PAY FOR THAT OUT OF THE TPI DOLLARS.
THEY'RE RESTRICTED NOW, UM, AFTER THE 2019 LAW TO A SALES MARKETING AND BUSINESS PROMOTION DIRECTLY RELATED TO HOTELS.
WE ARE, UH, AS WE MENTIONED, WE'RE LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT OUR INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
UM, THE DIFFERENCE IS WE CAN ONLY DISCOUNT THE, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDS THAT ARE COMING FROM THE TPI THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER'S ALLOCATION ARE FLOWING TO THE GENERAL FUND AND NOT STAYING WITHIN THE CONVENTION CENTER'S, UM, COFFERS.
AND SO FOR US, DISCOUNTING A FACILITY IS DIFFERENT THAN, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS US PAYING FOR THE, THE TPI DOLLARS, PAYING FOR MARKETING THAT COULD GO, YOU KNOW, COULD HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE POLICE COSTS FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
SO DOES SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST PAY US ANYTHING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST DOES PAY THE CONVENTION CENTER A PORTION OF THE FACILITY RENTAL.
UM, I STILL THINK THERE OUGHT TO BE A WAY TO ADDRESS THAT EXPENSE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING THE CHANGE IN LAW RELATIVE TO WHERE WE WERE, UM, IN 2019.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THE T P D WITH RESPECT TO, UM, THE HEALTH OF OUR HOTELIERS, UM, DURING THIS PROCESS.
UM, BUT, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF, LOT OF SHIFTS HERE THAT MAKE ME UNCOMFORTABLE.
UM, I WOULD WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO SEE WHETHER THERE'S A SOLUTION HERE WITH RESPECT TO THAT FUNDING, WHICH WOULD BE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS THAT THE CITY IS CURRENTLY SUBSIDIZING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
UM, WE ALL VALUE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND WE WANT THEM THERE, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS T P, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS REALLY A VALUABLE, UM, PART OF WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO THE HOTELIERS.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD, UM, JUST THROW THAT OUT TO MR. NUNAN AND VISIT AUSTIN IF THERE'S A CREATIVE WAY TO DO THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD REALLY ADD, UM, TO THIS PROCESS.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
UH, AND REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S, UH, WORK AND TALKING TO OUR STAFF AND ALL THE PRESENTATIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED.
AND JUST SO I'M CLEAR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ESS, UM, PROPOSAL OF A FOUR YEAR PLAN THAT LEGALLY CAN'T HAPPEN, BUT A FIVE YEAR PLAN WOULD BE SOMETHING MORE ATTAINABLE.
MY UNDERSTANDING OF STATE LAW IS THAT IT HAS TO BE AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.
YEAH, AND I THINK IF, IF THAT WAS THE CASE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS AT, BUT I THINK I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF A FIVE YEAR PLAN IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S, IF I, IF I MIGHT INTERRUPT.
[01:45:01]
WE DON'T GET TO JUST MAKE THAT DECISION.IF WE, IF WE WANT A TEE PIT, IF WE BELIEVE THAT A TEE PIT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THERE'S REASONS TO BELIEVE A TEE PIT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IT'S A TOOL THAT ALLOWS NOT JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE TOURISM MINISTRY, BUT THE CITY IS ABLE TO GAIN FUNDS THROUGH THE USE OF THAT.
AND OF COURSE, THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
WE'RE IN A, IN A VERY UNIQUE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES IN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING A TPI AND THEN CLOSING A CONVENTION CENTER.
THAT'S NOT TYPICALLY THE WAY A TPI GETS CREATED.
AND PART OF THE PROBLEM IS FOR, AND FIVE YEARS WOULD BASICALLY CREATE A TPI FOR A PERIOD OF TIME THAT WERE JUST CLOSED.
SO THE PARTIES THAT HAVE TO ACTUALLY APPROVE THIS, THE ONES THAT HAVE TO ACTUALLY TAX THEMSELVES, IF YOU WILL, SO THAT THE CITY CAN UTILIZE THIS TOOL, MY GUESS IS BASED ON CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH THEM, WE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A TPI AND, AND, UM, SO WHAT I, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UH, WHAT THE GOAL IS AND WHAT THE DISCUSSION IS.
IT'S JUST THAT WE'RE KIND OF, UH, IN A UNIQUE, WE'RE KEEPING IT WEIRD, IF YOU WILL.
AND, UH, SO WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
MAYOR, AS A CLARIFYING QUESTION, THEN, IS THE THOUGHT HERE THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO RUBBER STAMP THIS SERVICE PLAN PROPOSAL? NO.
'CAUSE IF WE'RE NOT, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SET DIRECTION AND HOW THE PETITION IS CIRCULATED AND SET OUR PRIORITIES AS A COUNCIL AND HOW WE ENVISION THE T P I D, WHICH WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS THE AGREED UPON TERMS, JUST CHANGING THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT'S WITHIN THE 10 YEAR SERVICE TO WHAT IS LEGALLY ALLOWED.
FIVE, I'D BE OPEN TO, YOU KNOW, SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, WHATEVER, OPEN TO FEEDBACK FROM MY COLLEAGUES HERE.
BUT WE HAVE TO SET THE DIRECTION AS POLICY MAKERS AND HOW WE ENVISION THIS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT HAPPENING IN OUR CITY.
THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT'S TRUE.
AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT, THAT, UM, YOU DON'T DO THAT.
ALL I'M SUGGESTING IS THAT AS WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO RECOMMEND, WE DO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION WE FIND OURSELVES IN AND WHETHER WE WOULD HAVE A TEE PIT AT ALL.
AND, AND I JUST THINK THAT'S PART OF THE DISCUSSION PROCESS THAT WE, WE, WE WILL NEED TO HAVE.
UH, IT'S NOT JUST A QUESTION OF THE LAW, IT'S, IT'S A QUESTION OF HOW DO YOU GET TO THE ABILITY TO UTILIZE THE TOOL.
I, I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS, UH, FROM BOTH COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND YOURSELF.
AND, AND, UH, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS FOR Y'ALL.
UH, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE MORE JUST, YOU KNOW, CLARIFYING FOR FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE WATCHING JUST TO GET BACKGROUND.
SO, LIKE I SAID, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANYONE WATCHING, UH, WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW THE EXTENSIVE HISTORY OF THE T P I D, CAN YOU BRIEFLY GO OVER THE PATHWAY FROM INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL TO WHERE WHAT WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED WITH TODAY? SO BASICALLY, HOW DID WE GET HERE? IS, IS MY, IS MY QUESTION.
AND SO SOME OF THIS WAS BEFORE BOTH OF OUR TIMES, UM, AT THE, UH, IN, CERTAINLY IN YOUR ROLE IN ME AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, SO I BELIEVE THE TIDD CONVERSATION STARTED BACK IN 2017.
UM, AND AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE, WE WERE STILL EXPLORING THE EXPANSION AND ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WERE HAPPENING.
UM, STATE LAW AT THAT TIME ALLOWED FOR SOME MORE PERMISSIBLE USES OF T I D FUNDS.
AND SO CONVERSATIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS AT THAT TIME WERE CENTERED AROUND A 1% T I D WHERE THE CITY WOULD GET 40% OF THAT 1%.
UM, 20% WOULD BE A DIRECT PAYMENT TO THE, UM, CITY FOR USE FOR, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY IS, UM, INITIATIVES.
AND THEN THE OTHER 20% WOULD COME THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER AS A BUYDOWN INCENTIVE PROGRAM 2019.
UM, IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME OF THE HOTELS AROUND THE STATE, UM, WERE TAKING A LOOK AT KIND OF WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH T PIDS AND, AND DESIRE TO HAVE THE LAW CHANGE TO REFLECT WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE CURRENT T PIDS IN PLACE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SAW THAT STATE LAW CHANGE.
I THINK IT WAS HOUSE BILL 1136.
UM, AND AT THAT TIME IT RESTRICTED IT TO, UM, JUST THE SALES AND MARKETING AND PROMOTION, UM, OF, UH, DIRECTLY RELATED TO HOTELS WITHIN THE TPI.
AND SO FROM THERE, UM, CITY STAFF HAD TO PIVOT, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU ENDED UP WITH THE SERVICE PLAN THAT YOU SAW IN 2020.
UH, WHICH AGAIN, WAS STILL THE ONE, IT WAS 40% AT 1%.
UM, AND IT WAS ALL FOR CONVENTION CENTER BUY DOWNS.
IT WAS STILL BIFURCATED, 20% WAS FOR EXISTING BUSINESS.
AND THEN THE ADDIC, THE SECOND 20% WAS ONLY, ONLY FOR NEW BUSINESS, UM, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER TO ACHIEVE.
UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THIS SERVICE PLAN IS NOW HAVE, UM, THE FULL 20 UP TO 40% IS OF THE 2%, UM, IS
[01:50:01]
ELIGIBLE FOR OUR NEW END EXISTING BUSINESS.AND SO THE CHANGE FROM 1% TO 2%, UM, CAME FROM THE HOTELIERS WHEN THEY REC, WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS ENVISIONED TO BE CLOSED, UM, RATHER THAN REMAINING OPEN.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE BIG CHANGE WAS, WAS YOU HAD COVID AND THEN THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION CHANGE.
AND SO THE HOTELIERS AT THAT POINT DESIRED TO HAVE A 2% TPI SO THEY COULD MAXIMIZE THE FUNDING THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE DURING THE YEARS THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS CLOSED.
YOU, YOU ANSWERED A LOT OF MY, THE REST OF MY QUESTION.
AND JUST TO CONFIRM, JUST FOR BACKGROUND FOR MYSELF, HB 1136 WAS WHAT SESSION? UH, 2019.
UH, DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT BILL THOUGH,
UH, AND WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF TOUCHED ON THIS AND I THINK, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAD ALSO TOUCHED ON THIS.
LAWS CHANGED, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE CERTAIN BENEFITS ARE, MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME, BUT WHAT WERE THE INITIAL PERCENTAGES? AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW, IF YOU COULD MAYBE CIRCLE BACK AROUND.
SO THE INITIAL PERCENTAGES, AS I UNDERSTAND IT WAS, UH, THE, UH, 40% OF 1%.
PRIOR TO 2019, THAT FIRST 20% WAS A DIRECT PAYMENT TO THE CITY.
POST 2019, THAT 20% WAS THROUGH CONVENTION CENTER BUY DOWNS OF NEW AND EXISTING BUSINESS.
THE SECOND 20% WAS ALWAYS JUST THE NEW BUSINESS PORTION OF IT.
UM, SO THE 2020 SERVICE PLAN DID ALLOW FOR UP TO 2%, IT WOULD REQUIRE A THREE QUARTERS VOTE OF THE T PIDD BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND WAS NOT ENVISIONED TO OCCUR UNTIL AFTER THE, UM, CONVENTION CENTERS OUTSTANDING.
2% FOR THE 2001 EXPANSION WAS PAID OFF.
UM, SO IT MOST LIKELY WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE FIRST ITERATION OF THE T ID AT THAT TIME.
AND YOU NEED THE NUMBERS ALREADY,
UH, AND MY LAST QUESTION, UH, WHEN DID THE ITERATION OF THIS CURRENT DRAFT PLAN BEGIN? UH, SO IT WOULD'VE, UH, I MEAN, I JUMPED INTO IT MARCH OF 2020 WHEN I FIRST JOINED THE CONVENTION CENTER.
THERE'D ALREADY BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS, UM, BUT THEN WE GOT INTO IT IN EARNEST AND, AND THAT RESULTED IN THE 2020 SERVICE PLAN THAT YOU SAW MM-HMM.
UM, AND THAT WAS POSTPONED IN NOVEMBER OF 2020.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR AN ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS, AND ONCE AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES ON THEIR COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON, ALSO AL THEN COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE STATUTE THAT LIMITS THE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR INCENTIVES THAT ARE PROVIDED FOR, UM, PROJECTS TO COME TO AUSTIN? I'M GONNA STOP PRETENDING TO BE A LAWYER AND LET THE REAL LAWYERS COME IN.
HOW AUSTIN LAW DEPARTMENT? SO IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF THE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE CITY, THAT DEPENDS REALLY ON THE ELIGIBLE USES.
ARE THEY ELIGIBLE USE OF THE T I AND ARE THEY UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SERVICE PLAN THAT THE TID HAS ADOPTED? SO THERE ISN'T NECESSARILY A STRICT NUMBER ON PERCENTAGE THAT IT CAN OR CANNOT DO.
IT JUST HAS TO BE AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE OF THE T I AND UNDER THE SERVICE PLAN.
SO IF THE COUNTY WAS PROVIDING INCENTIVES OF THE EXPO CENTER, IS THERE A MECHANISM WHERE THE MONEY COULD FLOW TO COVER THOSE INCENTIVES? UH, TO THE EXTENT, AGAIN, TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY FALL IT, THAT THEY FALL INTO THE ELIGIBLE USES OF THE T I D.
AND AGAIN, A COUNTY ALSO CAN CREATE T IDS AS WELL UNDER THE STATUTE, OR SORRY, THEY CAN CREATE, NOT, THEY CAN CREATE PIS UNDER THE STATUTE, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT WHAT IS THE EXPENSE, THE ADVERTISING EXPENSE THAT'S HAPPENING THAT MEETS THE STATUTORY DEFINITION, WHETHER WHERE THAT MONEY GOES THERE.
REMIND ME WHAT THE ELIGIBLE EXPENSES ARE.
UH, I WILL READ THE EXACT WORDS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY.
SO THIS IS, UM, 3 72 0.0035, UM, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT SUBSECTION E.
SO IT'S A DISTRICT CREATED AFTER SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2019, MAY UNDERTAKE A PROJECT UNDER THE SECTION ONLY FOR ADVERTISING PROMOTION OR BUSINESS RECRUITMENT AS AUTHORIZED BY SECTION 3 72 0 0 3 B 13 DIRECTLY RELATED TO HOTELS.
AND THERE ARE OTHER, I WOULD POINT OUT, AS YOU LOOK AT THE STATUTE, UH, THE RECENT LEGISLATURE STARTING, UH, SEPTEMBER ONE, IT'LL LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY CLEANED IT UP AS PART OF THE, UM, OMNIBUS BRACKET BILL, UH, HB 4 5, 5 9.
SO AS YOU LOOK AT IT NOW, IT'LL LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN A COUPLE DAYS.
BUT IF WE CAN PROVIDE INCENTIVES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, UH, CONVENTION EXHIBITION HALL THAT IS LESS EXPENSIVE, THAT COUNTS AS ADVERTISING FOR A HOTEL, COULDN'T THE EXPO CENTER BE DOING THE SAME THING, SAY FOR THE RODEO? UH, I, I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE A WAY TO KEEP THE MONEY AT LEAST IN GOVERNMENT AND BE
[01:55:01]
USED FOR SOMETHING WE COULD POTENTIALLY AGREE ON.YEAH, I THINK I, WITH THE COUNTY, I THINK I'D WANNA LOOK AT THAT QUESTION AND COME BACK TO YOU ON IT.
SO MY, MY, MY, IF YOU, IF YOU COULD TAKE A LOOK, I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S A WAY TO LEGALLY APPROACH THIS THAT RECOGNIZES THE, UM, CONSEQUENCES FOR OUR HOTELS OF BOOKINGS AT THE EXPO.
CENTER COUNTY HAS A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER, HAS OTHER VENUES WE JUST SAW LIKE THE B M X TRACK.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE OFFERING THINGS FOR THEM TO COME INTO THE CITY THROUGH THAT.
UM, PARD ALSO HAS A NUMBER OF EVENTS, INCLUDING A C L THAT WE ARE EFFECTIVELY HELPING, YOU KNOW, TO BE HERE IF THERE IS A WAY, UM, TO BE CONSIDERING THOSE AS ELIGIBLE TO GET US TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SECURE THE 40% FOR INVESTMENTS INTO THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S FULLY UNDER THE CITY'S CONTROL OR THE COUNTY'S CONTROL.
I MEAN, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS BESIDES THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT HELP WITH HOTELIERS.
COUNCILMAN RYAN AL, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE AND COUNCILOR POOLE.
I'D SAID I'D COME TO YOU EARLIER AND I SCREWED UP, SO, AND IF SHE WANTS TO GO, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO WAIT.
I I JUST FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, KIND OF SOMETHING LIKE COLLEGE QUESTIONS MADE ME THINK ABOUT SOMETHING, UH, AS IT RELATES TO VENUES THAT ATTRACT BUSINESS.
IF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS GIVES INCENTIVES TO THE MOODY CENTER, IN THEORY, THAT'S A, A GOVERNMENT ENTITY THAT COULD ENGAGE IN THE SAME PRACTICE AS THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK WE'D HAVE TO KIND OF FOLD THAT INTO WHAT ELSE IS BEING LOOKED AT, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT IT WOULD NEED TO BE A CONTRACT PROBABLY WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY IT'S NOT ELIGIBLE, BUT I THINK IT WOULD.
AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF BASED ON THE CONTROLS, RIGHT? SO WE CAN'T DICTATE WHAT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IS GOING TO SPEND THEIR MONEY ON.
WE CAN'T DICTATE WHAT THE COUNTY'S GONNA SPEND THEIR MONEY ON.
AND SO THERE YOU KIND OF LOSE THAT LEVEL OF CONTROL ONCE YOU START ADDING THAT, THAT COMPLEXITY.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY I THINK IF THERE'S AN AVENUE AND, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS ALREADY AS PART OF OUR, UH, CLOSURE PLAN AND THE CAMPUS-WIDE APPROACH THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING TO KEEP AS MUCH BUSINESS AS POSSIBLE, UM, AND AS MUCH CON AS MANY CONVENTIONS AS POSSIBLE DURING THE YEARS OF CLOSURE.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT PARD FACILITIES, WE'RE LOOKING AT PALMER EVENT CENTER, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT MOODY, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO I THINK IF WE CAN, IF THERE'S A WAY TO MAKE IT THAT IT'S A CONTRACT THAT FLOWS THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER, I THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY AN AVENUE THAT THAT IS CERTAINLY WORTH EXPLORING.
AND ONE WE'VE KIND OF ALREADY BEEN THINKING ABOUT.
AND YOU MENTIONED IN TALKING ABOUT THE TIMING, IF WE, IF EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TO CURRENT PLAN, IT WOULD GO, THE COLLECTIONS WOULD START IN LET'S SAY DECEMBER.
HOW ARE THOSE COLLECTED? ARE THEY MONTHLY? ARE THEY, WHAT WOULD THE FLOW LOOK LIKE? IT DEPENDS ON THE HOTEL.
UM, SO THEY CAN EITHER REMIT QUARTERLY OR MONTHLY, UM, TO THE TPI ID.
NOW, THE PORTION THAT WOULD FLOW FROM THE T ID BACK TO THE CITY FOR THE INCENTIVES FOR THE EVENTS THAT ACTUALLY OCCUR, WILL, I WOULD IMAGINE WOULD BE ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
WE TALKED WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE, UM, WHAT THEY TOLD US THAT THEY DID.
AND SO, BUT AGAIN, IT JUST IS DEPENDENT ON THE EVENT.
SO THE SECOND THE EVENT HAPPENS AND WE'VE BUTTONED IT ALL UP AND GOT OUR, GOT OUR PAPERWORK IN ORDER, WE'LL BE GOING TO THE TPI, UM, TO GET THOSE IMPROVED INCENTIVES TRANSFERRED OVER.
AND IF, IF WE STARTED COLLECTING IN DECEMBER, WOULD THANK YOU.
A PREVIOUSLY, A A PREVIOUS, LET'S SAY WE HAVE A BUYDOWN FOR JANUARY OF 24, WOULD THAT AUTOMATICALLY BECOME ELIGIBLE UNDER THE SERVICE PLAN OR, YEAH, AS LONG AS THE T ID IS ACTIVE AND IN PLACE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT SPEAKS TO KIND OF DELAYING, RIGHT? SO WE'RE FOREGOING COLLECTIONS AND WE'RE ALSO FOREGOING ELIGIBLE EVENTS THAT THAT WOULD BE EL YOU KNOW, COULD BE REIMBURSED THROUGH THE TPI AND FLOW TO THE CITY.
AND ON YOUR SUGGESTION THAT WE ALLOCATE FOR 25, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 25 OR ACTUALLY THE BUDGET PROCESS IN 2025, THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT WILL START IN 24 FOR THE FY 25 BUDGET PROCESS? YES.
LOOKING KIND OF MORE HOLISTICALLY AT, AT THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE TPI, THE PURPOSE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AS IT'S STATED IN, IN THE DOCUMENTS, IS TO ATTRACT MORE TOURISM, MORE HOTEL STAYS TO THE CITY.
IS THAT, IS THERE ANY OTHER PURPOSE ASIDE FROM THAT? OR IS THAT PRETTY MUCH WHAT IT'S FOR? YEAH,
[02:00:02]
AND YOU, WE TALK ABOUT BEING IN A, A UNIQUE SPOT BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO CLOSE A CONVENTION CENTER AND HOW PEOPLE WOULD NORMALLY DO IT OPPOSITE.I CAN ALMOST THINK THAT THIS IS A, A VERY VALUABLE TIME FOR THE HOTELS TO HAVE A T ID COME ONLINE BECAUSE NOW A BIG DRAW FOR THEM IS GOING OFFLINE FOR A WHILE.
AND SO WE POTENTIALLY ARE AUTHORIZING NEW REVENUE TO HELP BUILD THEM BACK UP TO HELP ATTRACT MORE, MORE TOURISM TO OFFSET SOME OF THAT CONVENTION CENTER.
SO IT, IT ALMOST SEEMS TO BE AN APPROPRIATE TIMING.
BUT THEN IN HOW THE, THE PLAN IS STRUCTURED, IT DOES FEEL VERY, I MEAN, IT'S BIFURCATED, RIGHT? YOU'VE GOT YOUR FIRST HALF, WHICH IS WHEN WE'RE CLOSED IN THE SECOND HALF WHEN WE'RE NOT.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, JUST SPEAKS A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES IS TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF TEMPORALLY LOOKING.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO HAVE A VERY NATURAL BREAK IN THIS, UM, IN TERMS OF THE REOPENING FUND DURING THE FI, THE CLOSER PERIOD MM-HMM.
AND SO, AND AGAIN, WE WILL BE ENCUMBERING FUNDS AS WELL, AND SO THOSE DOLLARS DON'T COUNT.
SO WE MIGHT ACTUALLY SPEND 8% AND THEN WE ENCUMBER THE ADDITIONAL TWO, AND SO THEN NO MONEY WOULD GO TO THE REOPENING FUND BECAUSE WE'VE SPENT OUR ALLOCATION.
SO THE, AND THE ENCUMBERED COUNTS TOWARDS THE YEAR IS ENCUMBERED NOT THE YEAR SPENT? CORRECT.
UM, IF, AND THIS MIGHT BE AN E IN QUESTION
AND YES, THAT IS ONE OF, YOU KNOW, OUR CONCERNS WITH A SHORTER TIMEFRAME AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, ENDING THE TPI RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CLOSURE WHEN WE'VE BUILT UP ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SPENT WHEN WE REOPEN AND WHAT HAPPENS, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, THE FUNDS EITHER GO BACK TO THE HOTELS, UM, OR IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY CAN ALSO BE SPENT DOWN, BUT IAN MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, BUT THAT IS ONE OF OUR CONCERNS WITH THAT AS WELL.
I MEAN, OUR INCENTIVE PROGRAM IS GOING TO CONTINUE REGARDLESS, YOU KNOW, WE, THE TPI IS NOT AFFECTING OUR ABILITY TO DO OUR BUSINESS AS USUAL.
UM, IT MIGHT HELP AUGMENT IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, THAT IS A CONCERN WITH, YOU KNOW, BUILDING UP THIS FUND AND THEN CLOSE, ENDING THE TPI POTENTIALLY.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE DOLLARS, UM, THAT WE CAN'T, THEY, THEY CAN'T JUST FLOW TO THE CITY AS GENERAL FUND.
UM, WELL, I, MY COUNCIL MEMBER FUND SAYS I, I SUPPORT THE TPI.
I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT TOOL, ESPECIALLY AS WE ENTER THIS CLOSURE PERIOD.
IT WILL HELP US CONTINUE TO HAVE THE BUSINESS HERE IN AUSTIN, THE, THE TOURISM, UH, WHICH SUPPORTS MANY OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
UH, AND SO IT IN, IN SOME FASHION IS COMING RIGHT AT THE RIGHT TIME.
I, UH, LIKE THE COUNCIL MEMBER WANT, WANT THE BEST DEAL POSSIBLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AND I THINK YOU HAVE REALLY WORKED WITHIN THE, THE SANDBOX
AND, AND IT'S A TOUGH BALANCE.
I DON'T WANNA CUT OFF OUR NOSE SPITE OUR FACE, BUT I ALSO WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AT THIS MOMENT, BECAUSE THIS MOMENT, ONCE IT PASSES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO GOING BACK.
UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR WORDS AND, AND HELP THINKING ABOUT THIS.
HERE WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, UH, MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND THE STAFF AND THE LEADERSHIP, UM, OVERSEEING ALL OF THIS, KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE REALLY STRONG WORK THAT HAS BEEN
[02:05:01]
BROUGHT TO BEAR OVER THE LAST TWO TO THREE YEARS TO GET US TO THIS PARTICULAR POINT.GETTING HERE HAS BEEN A, A HECK OF A JOURNEY, AND TO HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THE FUTURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER LOOKS LIKE, AND TO HAVE IT CRYSTALLIZING AS WE DO HERE NOW WITH THIS VOTE IN FRONT OF US, I THINK IS A REALLY IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I'VE SCRUTINIZED THIS DEAL IN ITS MANY PERMUTATIONS PRETTY CLOSELY OVER THE YEARS AND, AND HAVE ARGUED WITH STAFF ABOUT DETAILS ON IT.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US HERE IS, IS A GOOD OUTCOME, MAYOR, AND I WOULD ARGUE FOR THE LONGER TERM, FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
UH, ONE IS IT GIVES US SOME RUNWAY THAT I THINK WE WILL NEED, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THIS WILL ACTUALLY TAKE.
UH, WE'VE GOT ESTIMATES AND WE'VE GOT ASPIRATIONS, BUT WE WON'T KNOW.
AND I THINK THAT ACTUALLY WORKS, UH, TO ARGUE FOR THE 10 YEAR TERM.
I WOULDN'T WANT TO SHORTCHANGE THAT AND THEN REALIZE THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE IT AND HAVE TO GO BACK TO SQUARE ONE AND ASK FOR EVERYBODY TO SIGN UP AGAIN.
I, I, I WOULDN'T WANNA DO THAT TO ALL THE HOTELIERS AND THE CITY STAFF TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS A SECOND TIME.
SO I, I SUPPORT THE LONGER TERM THAT HAS BEEN, UM, RECOMMENDED HERE BY THE STAFF.
UH, I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THE ROLE THAT THE TOURISM COMMISSION HAS PLAYED IN THE PAST.
AND, AND THERE WAS A DIVIDED OPINION ABOUT WHAT THE FATE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER SHOULD BE.
AND I THINK THAT WE STILL SEE SOME ECHOES OF THAT DISPUTE THAT WAS AT THE TOURISM COMMISSION, BUT THIS DAIS DID MAKE THE DECISION A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO ON HOW WE WERE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND STAFF HAS SINCE THAT POINT, BEEN BUILDING ON THAT CLEAR VOTE AND APPROVAL OF THE DAIS IN, AND THAT THE ITEM THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE WITH THE T I D GROWS DIRECTLY FROM THAT GROUND.
SO I CAN, I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM, UH, ON THURSDAY.
AND, UH, WANTED TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO THANK THE STAFF FOR, UH, THE EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT THAT HAS IN FACT RESHAPED THE VISION AND, UH, DISCUSSED IT WITH US AND EL AND DESCRIBED IT TO US IN WAYS THAT ARE COMPREHENSIBLE, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE CHANGES AT THE LEGISLATURE, THINGS THAT WE KNEW WERE COMING OUR WAY AND THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW, UH, BUT STILL ROLLING WITH THOSE PUNCHES.
AND, UM, I THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR THAT, FOR THAT WORK.
IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I'VE GOT A COUPLE THAT I WANT, LIKE, TO GET A COUPLE THINGS ON THE RECORD BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THINGS OUT IN THE, THE UNIVERSE THERE.
FIRST, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO DESCRIBE HOW THE DECISIONS GET MADE ON THE REIMBURSEMENT, UH, AND, AND, AND WHO MAKES THE DECISION TO OFFER AN A SO-CALLED INCENTIVE OR A BUYDOWN? SURE.
TRICIA TETRA, DIRECTOR OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, SO VISIT AUSTIN IS OUR MAR MAIN MARKETING ARM AND DOES A MAJORITY OF THE WORK GOING OUT TO GET THE BUSINESS, UH, THE TOURISMS IN BUSINESS TO BRING INTO AUSTIN.
UH, SO WHEN THE LEADS COME THROUGH, VISIT AUSTIN, UH, WE MEET TOGETHER, WE IDENTIFY WHAT THE TYPE OF BUSINESS IS, HOW BIG THE GROUP IS, AND WE ANALYZE THAT.
AS KATIE SAID EARLIER, WE ANALYZE THE TOTAL ROOM NIGHTS THAT THEY'LL BE BRINGING IN WHAT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS TO THE HOTEL COMMUNITY, WHAT THE SALES IMPACT SALES TAX IMPACT IS TO THE OVERALL CITY.
AND THEN LASTLY, WHAT WOULD THE CONVENTION CENTER REVENUE BE? UM, WE LOOK AT THE CONVENTION CENTER REVENUE KIND OF LAST, BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, OUR BUSINESS MODEL IS STRUCTURED IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE ARE HERE TO MAXIMIZE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
AND SO WE WILL RECEIVE THAT ON THE BACK END OF THINGS.
UM, ONCE WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE, THE TOTAL OF VALUE OF THAT, OF THAT PIECE OF BUSINESS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO BRING INTO THE CITY, THEN WE, UH, COLLECTIVELY WORK TOGETHER WITH VISIT AUSTIN AND THE HOTEL COMMUNITY AS WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT BLOCKS OF HOTEL ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE CITY FOR THIS TOTAL PACKAGE.
AND THEN WE COME TO AN AGREEMENT, UM, ON WHAT THE OVERALL RATES THE HOTELS WILL BE, THE, THE, THE GROUPS, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT CAN BE BOOKED AT EACH HOTEL AND WHAT THAT CONVENTION CENTER DISCOUNT IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
SO THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL THEN PUT TOGETHER A CONTRACT AND THAT CONTRACT WILL SHOW WHAT THE OVERALL FACILITY RENTAL IS FOR THE ACTUAL CONVENTION CENTER AND ANY OF THOSE ANCILLARY SERVICES THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER OFFERS, FOOD AND BEVERAGE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
FROM THERE, WE TAKE THAT AND WE ANALYZE AND WE GIVE DISCOUNTS BASED ON WHAT THOSE BOOKING AND ROOM NIGHT CREDITS ARE, WHAT SOME OF THE FOOD AND BEVERAGES IT'S GOING TO BE SPENT.
UM, AND THEN WE COME UP WITH WHAT AN ACTUAL FACILITY RENTAL COST
[02:10:01]
IS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE WOULD HAVE CHARGED AND WHAT THAT, UM, WHAT THOSE DISCOUNTS ARE IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE TPI.UM, SO WE WILL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VISIT AUSTIN AS WE'RE EVALUATING PIECES OF BUSINESS TO IDENTIFY WHETHER OR NOT THAT PIECE OF BUSINESS WILL, UM, MEET THE THRESHOLDS OF BRINGING ACTUAL ROOM NIGHTS TO THE CITY, WHETHER THAT'S EXISTING BUSINESS OR NEW BUSINESS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THOSE DISCOUNTS WILL THROW FLOW THROUGH FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER'S CONTRACT, BUT THAT'S THE, THE ULTIMATE DECISION.
WHEN YOU KEEP SAYING WE, THE ULTIMATE DECISION, THE BUSINESS DECISION THAT GETS MADE ABOUT WHAT'S THE INCENTIVE GOING TO BE FACTORING ON ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU BROUGHT IN, THAT'S ULTIMATELY A DECISION TO BE MADE BY THE CONVENTION CENTER? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND SO WHILE IT MAY BE MADE IN CONCERT WITH VISIT AUSTIN, CORRECT, IT'S NOT VISIT AUSTIN THAT'S MAKING THAT DECISION.
IT'S, AND, AND IF VISIT AUSTIN WERE TO GO OUT AND MARKET AND WORK TO GET A PIECE OF BUSINESS AND EVEN SAY, UH, INCENTIVES WILL BE AVAILABLE, MAY BE AVAILABLE, HOWEVER THEY, THEY SELL THAT ULTIMATELY THAT DECISION HAS TO COME DOWN TO A BUSINESS DECISION MADE BY THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER AS A, AS A PROFESSIONAL DETERMINATION.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 20% OF THE CONVENTION CENTER'S ALLOCATION OR, OR BETWEEN THAT 20 AND 40% OF THE CONVENTION CENTER'S ALLOCATION.
WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS SITUATIONS WHERE THOSE WHO MIGHT BE LOOKING TO CREATE A T P D ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHO MAKES THE ULTIMATE DECISION ABOUT WHERE THE MONEY, UH, WHERE, WHERE THE INCENTIVES WILL GET SPENT, HOW MUCH WILL GET SPENT, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
THAT COMES DOWN TO THE CONVENTION CENTER'S PROFESSIONAL STAFF, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, WHERE ARE WE? IS IT AN R F P OR AN R F Q ON THE CONVENTION CENTER RIGHT NOW? IT'S ACTUALLY BOTH.
UM, WE HAVE
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, I THINK FOUR SOLICITATIONS, UH, TWO HAVE CLOSED.
SO WE HAD AN R F Q FOR DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SERVICES THAT HAS CLOSED, UM, AND EVALUATIONS HAVE BEEN DONE.
R F P FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT FORM THAT CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK METHODOLOGY THAT HAS ALSO CLOSED EVALUATIONS ARE UNDERWAY.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL BE BACK TO COUNSEL IN THE FALL, UM, FOR APPROVAL OF THOSE TWO CONTRACTS.
SO THE, THE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF, UM, A DECISION WERE MADE THAT WE WANTED TO REOPEN THAT, WHAT WOULD IT DO TIME-WISE AND OTHERWISE TO THE, THE PROCESS? I'M NOT SUGGESTING IT, I'M JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK OUT IN THE WORLD.
I WAS LIKE, YOU PROBABLY SAW THE EXPRESSION ON OUR FACES
I WORRIED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CAUSING A HEALTH PROBLEM.
SO, UH, I WANTED CLARIFY THAT IT'S LIKE I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK
UM, SO CERTAINLY FROM A TIMING PERSPECTIVE, UM, WE WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOSE ANOTHER YEAR ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND THE, THE LOSS OF THE FIRST YEAR DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE HILTON COST US, UM, JUST SOUTH OF A HUNDRED OF $200 MILLION TO THE PROJECT, UM, JUST 'CAUSE OF INFLATION.
UM, BECAUSE WE ARE CONSTRAINED BY THE SOUTH BY COMPONENT OF ALL OF THIS, IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF SOUTH BY, OR THE EFFECT OF THE CLOSURE ON SOUTH BY IT IS OUR LARGEST EVENT, ONE OF OUR LARGEST ECONOMIC GENERATORS.
UM, AND SO OUR TIME CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE IS WE HAVE TO CLOSE AFTER A SOUTH BY AND OPEN AFTER A SOUTH BY.
SO THIS MOVE WOULD ABSOLUTELY, IF WE WERE TO REOPEN, IT WOULD ABSOLUTELY, FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE MAKE US LOSE YET ANOTHER YEAR.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LEGAL RECOURSE IS OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED.
UM, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR, AT OUR CONTRACTING FOLKS OR YEAH.
AND GET THAT ANSWER, BUT I'M NOT EVEN THAT, I JUST TALK ABOUT TIME.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY DETRIMENTAL TO THE PROJECT IF, IF I COULD ADD TO THAT IN THAT YEAR, WE DON'T HAVE ANY BUSINESS, SO WE HAVE BEEN RELEASING, UM, CONVENTIONS IN ANTICIPATION OF, OF THIS PROCESS.
WHEN DID THE R F Q, WHEN DID THAT CLOSE OUT? AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU CAN GET THAT TO ME LATER, BUT I JUST GO, PART OF THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS IS 'CAUSE I WANT PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TO HEAR THESE THINGS.
I BE IT CLOSED, UM, END OF JULY.
SO BOTH OF THEM CLOSED END OF JULY, BOTH OF THEM, YOU, YOU BELIEVE AT THE END OF JULY? YEP.
COUNCIL MEMBER, POOLE, ONE LAST THING THAT OCCURS TO ME THAT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR US TO GET A REFRESH ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SOUTH BY AND THE REVENUES, UH, THAT FLOW FROM THAT, AND TO GIVE SOME FRAME FOR WHY THERE ARE CERTAIN FEES THAT MAY BE WAIVED BY THE CITY.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THAT, THAT TAKE US UP TO THE CURRENT DAY.
MAYOR, DO YOU THINK THAT'D BE SOMETHING YES.
WE COULD MAYBE GET A BRIEFING ON? ABSOLUTELY.
[02:15:01]
ALL VERY MUCH.AND, UM, COUNSEL, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION ON BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
ITEM NUMBER 35, WHICH WAS PULLED, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.ITEM 35 IS A, A SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH OUR AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
AND SO I WANTED TO, UM, ASK STAFF SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING THE FUNDS THAT ARE BEING ALLOCATED TO H F C.
AND SO I'LL START WITH IF YOU CAN, UH, THANK YOU MS. DE MAYO FOR JOINING US.
IF YOU CAN START US OFF BY JUST GIVING US AN OVERVIEW OF THE TYPE OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED AS PART OF THIS FUNDING ALLOCATION.
MANDY DEMAYO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE A H F C SERVICE AGREEMENT ENCOMPASSES IT'S THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN A H F C AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ENCOMPASSES ALL OF OUR HOUSING, UH, RELATED PROGRAMS. SO ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA AS WELL AS ON THE H F C AGENDA IS A SERVICE AGREEMENT REPRESENTING ABOUT $112 MILLION THAT INCORPORATES BOTH CAPITAL AND OPERATING.
SO THOSE WERE BACKUP, UM, TO THE AGENDA EXHIBIT A AND EXHIBIT B, 75 MILLION IN CAPITAL.
AND THEN THE REMAINDER ABOUT 37 MILLION IN OPERATING.
THE HOUSING PROGRAMS THAT RUN THROUGH A H F C ARE OUR ENTIRE SUITE OF HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS. SO THAT INCLUDES FROM OUR SMALLEST, WHICH IS OUR MINOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, UM, ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES, IT'S A, A LOAN TO ELIGIBLE HOMEOWNERS UP TO 70, UH, $5,000.
UM, AND THAT'S SECURED WITH A LOAN AGREEMENT AND A LIEN.
UM, THE REST ARE GRANT PROGRAMS. THE FUNDING FOR ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS INCLUDE BOTH FEDERAL DOLLARS, SO OUR HOME AND C D B G DOLLARS, AS WELL AS LOCAL DOLLARS, INCLUDING OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDE REALLY OUR LARGEST PROGRAMS, WHICH IS ARE OUR RHODA AND ODA PROGRAMS, RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, OWNERSHIP, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, AND THOSE PROVIDE, UH, GAP FINANCING FOR DEVELOPERS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO, UH, BOTH NON-PROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPERS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE REASON WHY I PULLED THIS ITEM IS I WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW, UM, OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS ARE CONNECTED.
WE KNOW THROUGH H F C, WE HAVE OUR, OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, WHICH IS USED FOR MINOR HOME REPAIR, UM, ISSUES.
AND A LOT OF OUR SENIOR RESIDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY STAY IN THEIR HOMES AND TO ENSURE THAT HOMES ARE SAFE AND THAT THEY'RE COMPLIANT WITH CODE, UH, SEPARATELY.
AUSTIN ENERGY HA ALSO HAS A, UM, WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.
AND SO I'M WONDERING HOW ARE, AND THAT WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON CONSERVATION BECOMING MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT.
AND SO I'M LOOKING AT THIS THROUGH THE LENS OF HOW ARE WE CREATING A MORE RESILIENT AUSTIN, A MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITY, AND THROUGH THESE, BOTH THROUGH THESE TWO HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, ARE THEY WORKING TOGETHER? UM, YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, THEY ARE WORKING HAND IN HAND.
IN FACT, WE, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTERS, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY'S WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.
WE ARE ALL PART OF THE HOME REPAIR COALITION GROUP, AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, THE NONPROFITS WHO ADMINISTER ALL OF THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, BOTH IN, UM, UH, FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION AS WELL AS IN THE COUNTY THAT TRAVIS COUNTY ALSO HAS HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS. WE HAVE A REFERRAL, UM, PROCESS, UH, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE ARE NOT ABLE TO SERVE IF SOMEBODY'S IN THE EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OR E T J, WE REFER TO ENTITIES THAT HAVE FUNDING THAT CAN SERVE, UM, THOSE FOLKS.
UM, BUT WE WORK HAND IN HAND BOTH WITH AUSTIN WATER, I'M SORRY, AUSTIN ENERGY AS WELL AS AUSTIN WATER.
WE ADMINISTER THE FUNDING FOR THE P L A PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE PRIVATE LATERAL PROGRAM.
UM, SO THAT PROGRAM WE, UH, UH, CHANNEL THROUGH OUR NONPROFIT, UH, PARTNERS TO, UM, PROVIDE REPAIRS ON THE HOMEOWNER, ELIGIBLE HOMEOWNERS, SO LOW INCOME HOMEOWNER ON THE HOMEOWNER SIDE OF THE PROPERTY, UM, TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE CONNECTION TO THE, UH, WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEM.
SO AUSTIN WATER, AUSTIN ENERGY STRONG PARTNERS REFERRAL.
UM, AND WE TEND TO LEVERAGE OUR FUNDS, UM, ALONG WITH EACH OTHER.
SO THE BEST SOURCE OF CONTACT IF WE HAVE A CONSTITUENT WHO REACHES OUT IS TO CONNECT THEM WITH WHOM AT H F C, UM, OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
SO YOU CAN CALL OUR MAIN NUMBER.
UM, 9 7 4 3100, OR YOU CAN GO ONLINE.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, WE HAVE A, A COMPREHENSIVE, UM, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM CALLED AUSTIN IS MY HOME.
[02:20:01]
UM, THERE ARE ONLINE YOU CAN GET INFORMATION ON, UM, HOME REPAIRS AS WELL AS PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR ELIGIBLE HOMEOWNERS, AS WELL AS HOW TO AVOID PREDATORY LENDING, VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TOOLS.AND, UH, YOU CAN SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ONLINE.
AND THAT LEADS ME INTO SEGUE INTO PROPERTY TAX, PROPERTY TAXES.
UH, BUT BEFORE I MOVE TO THAT, UM, THE, SO I GUESS IS IT POSSIBLE WHAT I'VE SEEN OTHER CITIES DO AS THEY SEEK TO BECOME MORE RESILIENT IS ALLOWING FUNDING, UH, GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR HOMEOWNERS TO, UH, CREATE COOL ROOFS, SO TO UPDATE THE ROOFS WITH THE TECHNOLOGY NEEDED, UM, TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND SO IS THERE, ARE WE LOOKING INTO THAT? DO WE CURRENTLY COVER COOL ROOF ROOFING STRUCTURES? SO I NEED TO GO BACK AND CHECK AND WE CAN RESPOND IN WRITING, BUT, UH, RIGHT NOW ROOFING IS AN ELIGIBLE, UH, REPAIR EXPENSE.
I CAN'T SPEAK DIRECTLY TO COOL ROOFING.
UM, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CERTAINLY OVERALL CREATING MORE RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE, UM, HOMES FOR OUR LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY IS A PRIORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
AND COLLEAGUES, I THINK THAT WOULD REALLY, IF WE'RE ABLE TO ADD THIS AND DO SOME EDUCATION AROUND IT, IT WOULD BUILD OFF THE SHADE STRUCTURES AND THE OTHER WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE COOL PAVEMENT PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT ONE? OKAY.
SO THE, THE GUIDELINES ON THE HOME ASSISTANCE FUNDING, UH, DO YOU KNOW THEM OFF THE TOP OF, UH, YOUR HEAD? I'M SO SORRY IF YOU'VE ALREADY COVERED IT.
THE GUIDELINES ON THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS? YES.
UM, SO WE HAVE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, HAVE DIFFERENT GUIDELINES BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT FUNDING LEVELS.
SO WE START AT OUR, OUR LOWEST FUNDING LEVEL IS THE MINOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, WHICH STARTING OCTOBER 1ST, WE DID A SOLICITATION.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THREE DIFFERENT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO ADMINISTER THAT PROGRAM.
IT WILL GO UP TO $7,500 PER HOME REPAIR.
AND THEN WE GO TO OUR GO REPAIR PROGRAM, WHICH IS OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH SEVEN NONPROFITS THAT GOES UP TO $20,000.
AND THEN WE GO ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM, WHICH GOES UP TO $75,000.
OUR GUIDELINES ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, I WILL SAY WE HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS MORE EFFECTIVE FOR THE COMMUNITY, ESSENTIALLY THE, THE ELIGIBLE HOMEOWNERS WILL INQUIRE AND, AND, AND TALK TO US ABOUT, UH, WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
AND THEN WE DETERMINE, HELP THEM DETERMINE WHICH IS THE APPROPRIATE PROGRAM.
BECAUSE WE ADMINISTER, AS I MENTIONED, THE P L A PROGRAM, WHICH IS SPECIFIC TO AUSTIN WATER AND THE PRIVATE LATERAL WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.
THERE ARE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. WE WANT FOLKS TO COME TO US, WE MAKE SURE THEY'RE INCOME ELIGIBLE, AND WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PROGRAM TO SERVE THEIR NEEDS.
IT CAME TO MIND BECAUSE OF THE, THE MES MEADOW FLOODING SITUATION.
I KNOW WE, WE HAD, UH, TOLD A, A NUMBER OF THE NEIGHBORS ABOUT THE, THE PROGRAM WHERE THEY COULD GET THE GRANTS.
IN PARTICULAR THE GRANTS, UH, I'M HOPING SOME OF THEM APPLIED.
OBVIOUSLY THE INCOME ELIGIBILITY, I DON'T, I THINK SOME OF THEM ARE NOT GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE MM-HMM.
SO OUR INCOME ELIGIBILITY, JUST SO FOLKS KNOW, IS 80% OR BELOW MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
IT'S ADJUSTED FOR HOUSEHOLD SIZE.
UM, AND THAT IS, UM, PRIMARILY BECAUSE MOST OF OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS ARE FEDERALLY FUNDED.
AND THOSE ARE THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, HAVE YOU COMPLETED YOUR QUESTIONS? I, I JUST HAD ONE MORE.
UM, ONE MORE ITEM AND, AND COLLEAGUES.
UH, THE REASON WHY I PULLED THIS, 'CAUSE I WANTED TO TEE UP A MOTION THAT I'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD ON THIS ITEM TO PROVIDE DIRECTION IS, UM, WHAT I'VE SEEN OTHER CITIES DO, UM, AROUND PROPERTY TAXES, IS HOST A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS AIMED AT EDUCATING RESIDENTS ON HOW TO PROTEST THEIR PROPERTY TAX.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A HELPFUL WAY FOR THE CITY TO ENGAGE, UH, TO SHARE INFORMATION THAT WE KNOW IS ALREADY AVAILABLE AND PEOPLE WITH MEANS ARE MORE, UM, ARE MORE ABLE TO FIND THAT INFORMATION.
SO REALLY BRINGING THE CITY OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED IT THE MOST TO PROVIDE, UH, THIS TYPE OF EDUCATION.
SO I'LL BE PROVIDING SOME DIRECTION TO ASK THAT THE CITY HOST THESE WORKSHOPS MOVING FORWARD.
COUNCILMEMBER AND I, I SHOULD NOTE THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF, UH, COMMUNITY-BASED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ALWAYS BRING WITH US THE AUSTIN IS MY HOME INFORMATION.
WE HAVE ALSO, UM, WORKED WITH, UH, TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT ON THEIR WORKSHOP.
SO WE KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON THOSE, UH, TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, UM, ABOUT OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS. GREAT.
COUNCILMAN PUENTES, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER.
ON THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE LINE, I SEE THAT'S JUST SHY OF A MILLION AND A HALF.
WHAT IS OUR CURRENT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE? WHAT, WHAT'S THE CURRENT PROGRAM LOOK LIKE? SO OUR CURRENT PROGRAM IS FUNDED FEDERALLY FUNDED WITH HOME DOLLARS.
UM, AND YOU ARE CORRECT, IT IS 1.5 MILLION, I THINK THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WE HAVEN'T, UH, VARIED THAT MUCH OVER THE, OVER RECENT
[02:25:01]
YEARS.WE PROVIDE EITHER $14,999, UM, OR $40,000 THROUGH A SHARED EQUITY MECHANISM.
SO THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PATHS THAT HOMEOWNERS CAN TAKE.
I WILL SAY BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT MARKET, AS YOU ALL KNOW, OUR, UM, HOME SALES PRICES ARE SOMEWHERE AROUND $600,000.
IT IS EFFECTIVELY SHUT OUT LOW AND MODERATE INCOME FOLKS, UM, FROM FIRST TIME HOME BUYER OPTIONS.
SO WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IS REALLY LAYERING OUR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE ONTO OUR EXISTING SUBSIDY OR INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. AND BY THAT WHAT I MEAN IS IF WE HAVE A NON-PROFIT, UM, I'LL USE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND THEY'RE BUILDING A SUBDIVISION WITH LOWER PRICE BECAUSE WE PROVIDED SOME SORT OF SUBSIDY, LOWER PRICED, UM, HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, WE'LL WORK WITH THEM TO LAYER ON DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE ONTO THAT BECAUSE THOSE HOMES ARE WITHIN REACH OF FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS.
SO THAT'S OUR OWNERSHIP, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE LAYERED WITH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
AND THEN THROUGH OUR INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF DEVELOPER INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, UM, LIKE A V M U, UM, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND, UM, THEY'RE REQUIRED BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED ENTITLEMENTS, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, UM, AFFORDABLE UNITS.
AND WE'LL LAYER DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE ON TOP OF THAT BECAUSE THE HOMES ARE ALREADY REDUCED IN PRICE THAT ARE WITHIN REACH, UM, OF HOMEOWNER, FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
AND THOSE ARE, UH, BECAUSE A H F C ADMINISTERS THAT AND THE LAND IS SEPARATED FROM THE IMPROVEMENTS, THOSE HOMES ARE ALL BEING SOLD IN THE $200,000 RANGE TO FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS.
UM, AND WE WILL ALSO LAYER, UM, UH, DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE ONTO THAT.
SO IN TERMS OF THE, UM, THE SHARED EQUITY MM-HMM.
AND, UH, EACH YEAR A CERTAIN AMOUNT IS FORGIVEN.
UM, BUT THEN WE WOULD SHARE IN THE INCREASE IN EQUITY, UM, A H F C AND THE HOME BUYER, UM, OVER TIME NOW.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD GET REPAID AND THEN WE TAKE THOSE PROCEEDS AND THAT'S PROGRAM INCOME AND WE PUT IT BACK INTO THE PROGRAM.
UM, IF YOU STAY IN THE HOME FOR LONGER THAN A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD, TYPICALLY IT'S 15 YEARS, THEN THERE IS NO SHARED EQUITY, UM, COMPONENT AND YOU'VE SATISFIED, UM, YOU'VE SATISFIED THE REQUIREMENTS.
DO WE HAVE A LOT OF APPLICANTS TO THIS PROGRAM? SO UNFORTUNATELY, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE YOU LOOK AT THE $1.5 MILLION FOR IN RECENT YEARS, UM, WE HAVE SERVED HISTORICALLY BETWEEN 25 AND 30 HOUSEHOLDS, UM, THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
PART OF THE REASONING WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT SO MUCH LIMITED BY RESOURCES AS WE ARE BY, UM, HOUSING STOCK THAT IS AFFORDABLE TO FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS.
REALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT HOMES THAT WOULD BE IN THE $200,000 RANGE, BROADLY DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE HOME AND THE LOCATION.
UM, AND THOSE ARE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO COME BY.
WE RECOGNIZE INCLUDING EXPLORING INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
$40,000 MAY NOT BE ENOUGH, BUT HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN SECURING THE CITY'S INTERESTS, UM, IN THAT INVESTMENT, WE'RE EXPLORING ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS PERSONALLY AND AS A DEPARTMENT, WE'D LIKE TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN NUMBER OF FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS WHO ARE LOW AND MODERATE INCOME, BUT WE WANNA SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS.
WELL, AND, AND YOU KNOW, YOU HIT RIGHT WHERE I WAS GOING.
I I THINK THAT IT'S BOTH IN TERMS OF THE DOLLAR NUMBER, BUT I MEAN, WE CAN ALL GUESS $40,000 FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE IS NOT GONNA GET A LOT OF PEOPLE INTO HOMES, UH, TO BUY A HOME.
AND WE KNOW THE NEED IS MUCH GREATER THAN 20 OR 30 FAMILIES OR INDIVIDUALS.
UH, AND SO HOW WE CAN UTILIZE, AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE $15 MILLION FOR ODA, WHAT ABILITIES THERE WE HAVE AND, AND YOU TOUCHED ON THAT, SO I'M, I'M GLAD Y'ALL ARE, UH, TRYING TO LAYER THAT ON.
BUT IT, IT'S A, A, THE NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS
[02:30:01]
ABOUT WITH INDIVIDUALS OF I WHO ARE RENTERS WHO SAY, YOU KNOW, I COULD AFFORD MY MONTHLY PAYMENT IN A HOME.I JUST CAN'T SAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, INNOVATIVE WAYS WHERE MAYBE WE DO TAKE AN ACTUAL PERCENTAGE OF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE WERE 5% OWNERS OF THE HOME AND WHEN THEY RESOLD THE HOME, WE GOT THAT 5% BACK AND HAVE IT REVOLVE, UH, WAYS THAT WE CAN GET LARGER DOLLAR AMOUNTS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR DOWN PAYMENT.
BUT THAT IS DONE IN A WAY THAT IT'S NOT JUST DOLLARS OUT THE DOOR, IT, IT CAN APPRECIATE AND RECYCLE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO THINK HOW WE MIGHT DO THAT.
SO WE ARE CERTAINLY, UH, SUPPORTIVE OF THAT AND TRYING TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO INCREASE LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOMEOWNERS IN AUSTIN.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER FU THANK YOU FOR PULLING THAT, THAT WAS A GOOD DISCUSSION AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE DETAILED ANSWERS.
UM, WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 82.
I PULLED THAT ITEM, UH, MEMBERS, THE REASON I PULLED THAT ITEM IS 'CAUSE I WANTED CLARIFICATION SINCE WE JUST WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND I WANNA JUST MAKE SURE I'M COMPLETELY CLEAR.
AS I UNDERSTOOD THE BUDGET PROCESS WHERE WE DISCUSSED A PROPOSED AMENDMENT ON THIS ITEM, IT WAS THAT, UH, THERE WAS DIRECTION FOR THE FIRE CHIEF TO COME BACK WITH AN ANALYSIS ON WHAT IS NEEDED IN TERMS OF ZERO, ONE OR TWO AERIAL TRUCKS.
AND THAT THE ANALYSIS FROM THE CHI FIRE CHIEF WOULD ALSO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON ANY NEW STAFFING REQUEST FOR ONE OR MORE AERIAL TRUCKS.
AND YOU'LL REMEMBER THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, AN AERIAL TRUCK BEING TAKEN OUTTA SERVICE, BUT BEING READY IN CASE YOU NEEDED IT FOR SERVICE, WHAT THAT MIGHT MEAN FOR STAFFING.
UM, AND THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW CO BONDS WOULD PAY FOR THAT.
UH, AND THEN A DECISION WOULD BE MADE ABOUT STAFFING AT ANY, AT A POINT AFTER THE ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED BY THE FIRE CHIEF.
I'M JUST UNCLEAR ON WHAT IT IS WE'RE NOW DOING ON AN ITEM THAT FELT VERY SIMILAR.
AND I'LL, I'LL START BY ASKING COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AS THE, THE SPONSOR OF THE ITEM, IF, IF SHE WANTS TO DISCUSS THAT.
AND THEN CHIEF, I'LL COME TO YOU IF, IF I'VE SAID ANYTHING WRONG OR IF YOU UNDERSTAND ME TO HAVE SAID ANYTHING WRONG.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, CAN YOU HELP US ON THAT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO THIS ITEM, UM, IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON STAFFING AVAILABLE.
I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU COULD COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS SIMILAR, BUT THIS SPECIFICALLY JUST FOCUSES ON THAT STAFFING COMPONENT TO ENSURE THAT THE DIRECTION IS CLEAR TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THAT WE HAVE ALL OUR DUCKS IN A ROW WHEN WE'RE MAKING THE DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD RELATED TO THE AERIAL FIRETRUCK AND THE STAFFING THERE.
YEAH, BUT YOU, THE, THE, BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND, AND I, AND I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T MEAN TO DISPUTE IT, BUT THE, THE, THE RESOLUTION DIRECTS IT TO BE FOR THEIR FUNDING ALLOCATION TO BE PRIORITIZED.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE DIRECTION FROM THE FIRE CHIEF ON WHAT THE NEEDS WERE BEFORE WE WOULD, PRIOR WE WOULD NOT BE DIRECTING PRIORITIZATION OF FUNDING.
THE MANAGER WOULD THEN BRING IT BACK TO US.
AM I READING THAT WRONG? UM, I MEAN THAT DEFINITELY SOUNDS FAMILIAR.
UM, COULD WE HEAR FROM THE FIRE CHIEF SURE.
WHAT HE BELIEVES THIS RESOLUTION DOES? OBVIOUSLY I DON'T WANNA BE IN CONFLICT WITH ANYTHING WE'VE ALREADY PASSED OR SOMETHING SIMILAR.
UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY SEE THIS BEFORE I, I GIVE FURTHER COMMENT.
CHIEF TALK TO US, UH, UH, JOEL BAKER, FIRE CHIEF CITY OF AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BEGIN WITH.
UH, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCILMAN MC KENNEDY, UH, FOR GIVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE STAFFING FOR THE AREA APPARAT THAT WE NEED.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THE RESOLUTION 2020 WE RECEIVED OR APPROVED TO RECEIVE ONE NEW AREA WITH STAFFING.
WELL, WE RECEIVED THE AREA TRUCK, WE HAVE THAT TRUCK.
WE DID NOT RECEIVE THE FUNDING OR THE ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL, 16 PERSONNEL TO STAFF THAT AREA TRUCK.
SO WE HAVE A TRUCKING SERVICE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE PERSONNEL, WELL ACTUALLY WE DON'T HAVE THE TRUCKING SERVICE.
WHAT WE DID, WE TOOK THAT NEW AREA TRUCK, UH, WE PAID THE SHELL GAME.
WE, WE, WE PUT THE NEW AREA TRUCK IN SERVICE AND WE TOOK THE OLDEST AREA TRUCK THAT WE HAD IN OUR FLEET AND PUT IT BACK IN THE RESERVE.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'LL HAVE A BRAND NEW TRUCK, WE'LL HAVE STAFF.
HOWEVER, IF WE HAD FUNDING TODAY AND APPROVE OF ADDITIONAL 16 PERSONNEL, WE CAN STAFF A TRUCK UP.
[02:35:01]
A TRUCK ON THE SOUTHEAST AREA OF TOWN AS WELL AS NORTHWEST.SO I, I GUESS MY QUESTION, AND MAYBE IT'S, IT'S FOR THE, WHEN WE WAIT TILL THURSDAY AND DO IT WITH THE MANAGER SHERIFF, THAT'S WHY WE WENT THROUGH A BUDGET PROCESS.
AND IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT AS PART OF WHAT WE WERE DOING IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT AN AERIAL TRUCK WAS THAT IF WE WENT AHEAD AND PURCHASED ANOTHER AERIAL TRUCK, WHERE WOULD THE FUNDING COME? FOR THE STAFFING? AND THAT'S WHY THE AMENDMENT DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD WAS THAT THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING COME BACK FROM YOU AT, I GUESS NOW, AT A LATER TIME.
BUT YOU'RE TELLING ME APPARENTLY YOU'VE DONE THE ANALYSIS.
UM, I MEAN THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF LAYING OUT THE AMENDMENTS ON A SPECIAL DAY.
UM, SO MAYBE I'M THE ONLY ONE CONFUSED, BUT I SEE SOME HEADS NODDING THAT INDICATES I'M WELL, MR. MR. MAYOR, I SEE ONE HEAD NODDING THAT YEAH, YOU ARE THE ONE CONFUSED, BUT THE REST OF IT, I SAW SOME OTHER HEADS THAT LOOKED LIKE THERE WERE MORE IN LINE, MR. MAYOR IN THIS LAST BUDGET PROCESS THAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH, WE WAS, WE RECEIVED THE, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDING FOR THE, FOR THE TRUCK, IT TAKE ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO 24 MONTHS TO BUILD THE TRUCK.
SO BY YEAR 25TH, YEAR 2025, MY ASSUMPTION, I HOPE THIS IS A CORRECT ASSUMPTION, THAT WE WILL RECEIVE THE FUNDING TO STAFF THE TRUCK.
SO, BUT PRIOR TO THIS PAST BUDGET CYCLE, WE JUST WENT THROUGH IN 2023, FISCAL YEAR 20 FISCAL YEAR OF 2020 BUDGET CYCLE, UH, WE RECEIVED THE FUNDING FOR THE AREA TRUCK.
WE REQUESTED THE FUNDING FOR THE PERSONNEL FOR THAT TRUCK.
WITH THAT FUNDING WAS REMOVED OUT OF THE BUDGET TO STAFF THE TRUCK.
SO OVER BETWEEN, OVER THE NEXT, UM, TWO BUDGET CYCLES, I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE TWO NEW AREA TRUCK.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S THE, WELL LEMME REPHRASE THAT.
OVER THE NEXT TWO BUDGET CYCLE FOR 2020, WE RECEIVED A BRAND NEW AREA TRUCK.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REQUESTED FUNDING.
THE FUNDING WAS GIVEN TO US AND TAKEN HIM BACK.
WHAT, WHEN FISCAL YEAR OF 2020.
THIS, THIS PAST BUDGET CYCLE, WE REQUESTED AN AERIAL TRUCK.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, COME FISCAL OF 2025, WE WILL RECEIVE THE FUNDING TO STAFF THE TRUCK.
IT TAKE ABOUT, AGAIN, 18 MONTHS TO 24 MONTHS TO BUILD A TRUCK.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TOLD DURING THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE.
SO THERE WASN'T A NEED TO PRIORITIZE FUNDING FOR STAFF RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF WHERE WE WERE HEADED.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AND ALTER, THAT'S NOT, WELL, I'M SORRY.
SO AS I UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE DID IN THE BUDGET IS WE FUNDED ONE TRUCK AND WE PROVIDED DIRECTION TO EXPLORE WHETHER A SECOND TRUCK WAS THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD.
UM, WAIT, A FIRST TRUCK WAS CHARACTERIZED, UH, BY SOME AS A RESERVE FLEET ITEM, BUT THERE WAS A DESIRE TO GET MOVING ON THE SECOND TRUCK IF THAT WAS APPROPRIATE WHEN YOU'RE ORDERING IT.
IF THERE WERE ECONOMIES OF SCALE, IF THERE WERE 18 MONTHS, I BELIEVE THAT WHAT THIS ITEM DOES IS PRIORITIZE IN THE NEXT BUDGET.
UM, THE NOTION OF FIGURING OUT THE STAFFING NEEDS FOR THE AERIAL TRUCKS, WHICH WOULD ARRIVE SOMETIME IN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE.
SO IT IS, UM, PRIORITIZING THAT PROCESS, UM, DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR TO GET US TO THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE SET UP SO THAT WE COULD STAFF UP THE AERIAL TRUCK AT THE TIME THAT IT ARRIVED.
UM, IT IS DUPLICATIVE, I BELIEVE, OF, UM, DIRECTION WE HAVE ALREADY GIVEN.
UM, BUT THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
AND THEN IN THE END, WE WANNA HAVE AN, WE HAVE, WE WANT AN EXPANSION OF THE NUMBER OF THE TRUCKS RATHER THAN TAKING ONE OUT OF SERVICE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
DOES SOUND LIKE A DUPLICATION? THAT'S CORRECT, MA'AM.
UM, SO WE LOOK, WE'RE LOOKING AT TWO AREA TRUCK.
KEEP IN MIND, THE CITY OF AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT ADDED AN ADDITIONAL TRUCK TO OUR FLEET SINCE 1995.
ADDED AN ADDITIONAL TRUCK TO THE FLEET.
WE HAVE RECEIVED REPLACEMENT TRUCK, BUT WE TAKE ONE, WE GET A NEW TRUCK AND WE TAKE ONE OUTTA SERVICE.
SO SINCE 1995, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVE HAD 13 AREA TRUCKS.
[02:40:01]
HAD APPROXIMATELY 75 HIGH RISE BUILDING.TODAY WE HAVE 230 PLUS HIGH RISE BUILDING.
1995 WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 31 5 STATION.
TODAY WE HAVE 52 FIRE STATION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WILDLAND FOOTPRINT LOOKED LIKE IN 1995, BUT I KNOW TODAY WE ARE RECOGNIZED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS THE FIFTH CITY WITH POTENTIAL FIRE LOSS AT CHIEF.
I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK IT'S LOST ON ANYBODY SITTING UP HERE, WHICH IS THE SAME GROUP THAT WAS SITTING UP HERE DURING A LENGTHY BUDGET PROCESS ON WHAT THE NEED, WHAT THE CHANGES ARE SINCE 1995, WHAT THE NEEDS ARE WITH REGARD TO WILDFIRE.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE'RE WE, WE'RE BRINGING THIS UP AGAIN AND WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO BRING IT UP AGAIN OR IF WE ALREADY HAVE GIVEN THE DIRECTION THAT'S NECESSARY.
SO I I, I WE'RE ALL WITH YOU ON WHAT, HOW THE PLACE HAS GROWN AND WHAT, WHAT THE NEEDS ARE.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR FROM THIS CONVERSATION THAT THIS, SOME OF THIS RESOLUTION DOES SEEM DUPLICATIVE OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE MADE IN THE BUDGET.
THAT CLEARLY WAS NOT MY INTENTION.
I ACTUALLY WANTED TO BRING THIS FORWARD IN THE BUDGET DISCUSSION.
BUT ANYWAY, ALL THAT ASIDE, I WILL WORK TODAY AND TOMORROW WITH MY SUB QUORUM SO THAT WE CAN, UH, ADJUST THIS OR, OR MAKE SOME SORT OF DIFFERENCE WITH IT SO THAT IT DOESN'T SEEM DUPLICATIVE, BUT STILL SUPPORTS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE FOR STAFFING FOR THESE UNITS.
I I THINK EVERYBODY'S FOR THAT.
UH, I JUST THINK THERE'S A LACK OF CLARITY ON WHERE WE ARE.
UNLESS SOMEBODY ELSE HAS SOMETHING.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND CHIEF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE GONNA RECEIVE THE ADDITIONAL STAFFING AND FUNDING FOR THE TRUCK PUT IN, SIR.
YEAH, WE, WE JUST DECIDED THAT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M, I'M CLEAR ON THAT.
JUST LET, YEAH, I WANNA BE CLEAR.
UM, IN FACT, THEY MAY BE WAITING FOR YOU OUTSIDE.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND ALL YOU DO.
THANK YOU CHIEF, THANK YOU MEMBERS.
I PULLED ITEM NUMBER 86, BUT MY QUESTION HAS BEEN ANSWERED WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 86.
CAN I MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT ONE REAL QUICK? SURE, PLEASE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST, UH, EVERYONE'S AWARE.
ITEM 86, IT'S A, UH, INVOLVES RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL.
I, ON THURSDAY WILL BE MAKING A MOTION.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE A STACKED AGENDA AT, UH, HOUSING AND PLANNING, BUT TO, TO SEND IT THERE SO WE CAN HAVE A, A CONVERSATION, HOPEFULLY BRIEFLY, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A, A FULL MEETING.
BUT JUST TO HAVE, UH, THAT COMMITTEE DISCUSSION FIRST AND THEN HOPEFULLY BRING IT BACK ON THE 14TH AND WE CAN, UH, ENGAGE.
AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER VELA HAS, UH, SOME THOUGHTS ON IT AS WELL, SO IT'LL GIVE US A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DO THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED ON, UM, THE ITEM NUMBER 78.
UM, SO I'M GONNA TRY TO MAKE THE AGENDA FOR THURSDAY A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER, UH, WITH WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO.
UH, BUT YOU MIGHT NOT REALIZE IT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF DIVERSE, UH, ACTIVITIES ALONG THE CURB SPACE IN OUR CITY.
UH, CURB SPACES WHERE WE HAVE OUR BIKE LANES, WHERE WE PUT OUR TRASH, UH, CONTAINERS FOR COLLECTION WHERE BUSES AND TAXIS PICK UP AND DROP OFF PASSENGERS WHERE DELIVERY TRUCKS LOAD AND UNLOAD.
UH, AND WHERE WE PLAN AND WHERE WE PLANT SHADE TREES, UH, AND WHERE PEOPLE PARK CARS AND SCOOTERS.
UH, AND WITH OUR MOVE TO ELIMINATE PARKING MANDATES, UH, CITYWIDE, UH, WE'RE POTENTIALLY ADDING MORE COMPLEXITY TO THE QUESTION OF CURB MANAGEMENT.
UH, OUR AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN CALLS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE CURB MANAGEMENT PLAN.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THIS ITEM, UH, FORWARD.
UH, BUT AFTER TALKING WITH CITY STAFF, UH, I UNDERSTAND TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, UH, IS JUST AS EAGER AS I AM, UH, TO SEE THIS PLAN COME, UH, TO LIFE.
UH, AND THEY TELL ME THEY'RE ALREADY GEARING UP FOR ALL THIS, UH, SO THAT THIS RESOLUTION, UH, ISN'T NECESSARY.
UH, SO IN THE INTEREST OF NOT MICROMANAGING, UH, FROM THE DAIS, UH, I'D LIKE TO WITHDRAW THE ITEM FROM OUR AGENDA AND GIVE MY FULL TRUST, UH, TO STAFF, UH, ON THE GOOD WORK.
UH, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE, UH, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD AS AN OFFICE WITH STAFF.
I'M WORKING REALLY HARD ON THIS ITEM.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU CALEB, FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS.
UH, AND, AND I REALLY DO WANT TO THANK MY CO-SPONSORS.
UH, AND, AND YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE, UH, THE CRITICAL WORK THAT WILL BE DONE ON THIS, BUT I AM, AM PULLING THE ITEM.
UH, MAYOR PRO TIM, JUST VERY QUICKLY, I APPRECIATE, UH, BEING A CO-SPONSOR OF THIS AND YOU AND YOUR TEAM'S WORK ON IT.
I WOULD ASK ALSO THAT STAFF, UM, CONNECT WITH US IN THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND THINGS LIKE PARKING IN THE BIKE LANES AND OTHER SORTS OF CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT, UM, THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS CONVERSATION WAS PROGRESSING AND, UM, THAT WE DON'T GET LEFT OUT OF THE CONVERSATION OF ALL THE NEEDS OF OUR CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS. CATHERINE MCC.
YEAH, AND JUST TO TOUCH ON, UH, WHAT
[02:45:01]
THE, WHAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM SAID.I THINK WE DISCUSSED THIS IN THE LAST MOBILITY MEETING, BUT WHETHER IT BE PARKING IN THE BIKE LANES, WHETHER LEAVING TRASH CANS OUT, ALL THIS CREATES POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK.
UH, WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF EMAILS, ESPECIALLY WHEN FESTIVALS LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HAPPEN IN DOWNTOWN ABOUT, UH, BICYCLISTS DEALING WITH CARS OR, OR OTHER, I DON'T KNOW, HINDRANCES IN THE WAY.
SO I THINK THAT'S VERY MUCH NEEDED.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, IF I MAY, UM, JUST ADD TO THAT CONVERSATION, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I BROUGHT UP RECENTLY IS PEOPLE PASSING IN THE BIKE LANES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT OUR GENERAL PUBLIC RECOGNIZES THAT THE BIKE LANE IS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO PASS OTHER CARS.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING UP.
BUT THEN FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH WHERE I LIVE, I'M SO CLOSE TO THE UT STADIUM ON GAME DAYS, THE BIKE LANES ARE COMPLETELY FULL OF CARS.
THERE IS NO BIKE LANE, IT'S NOTHING BUT CARS AND, YOU KNOW, TRAILER PARTIES.
AND SO I JUST THINK FROM A GENERAL PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR US TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF THE BIKE LANES AND HOW WE CAN FIGURE OUT, UM, SOME OF THOSE ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS.
DON'T, DON'T PASS IN THE BIKE LANE.
DON'T PARK IN THE BIKE LANE TO GO TO THE GAME.
YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THAT FOLKS WANT TO GO AND, AND REVEL IN THEIR UT
SO I THINK THAT'S JUST LIKE ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, I WONDER IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN ADD TO OUR ALREADY PACKED LIST OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT IS HOW WE CAN TEACH PEOPLE WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE BIKE LANE IS AND HOW WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF PEOPLE NOT, YOU KNOW, INHIBITING PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO USE THEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT BIKES AND IT'S ALSO ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT MOBILITY ISSUES, FOLKS IN WHEELCHAIRS.
WE KNOW OUR SIDEWALK NETWORK IS IMPERFECT AS, AS MUCH AS WE KNOW FOLKS ARE WORKING ON THIS WITH THE CITY EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY WANNA TAKE UP THOSE ISSUES HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH THE, UM, URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AS WELL ABOUT SOME OF THE IDEAS ABOUT, FOR INSTANCE, UM, YOU CAN PARK IN A BIKE LANE UNLESS IT IS SIGNED, BUT YOU CAN'T PARK IN THE BIKE LANE.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO FLIP THAT SO THAT YOU'RE, IT'S ONLY ALLOWED IN PLACES WHERE CITY STAFF HAS DEEMED ITS IMPERATIVE AND NECESSARY FOR ACCESSIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT, UM, THERE'S DEFINITELY A GREAT CONVERSATION AROUND BIKE LANES, MAKING SURE THEY'RE FREE OF DEBRIS AND OTHER SORTS OF HINDRANCES BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S ROAD USERS OUT THERE AND IF THEY JUST GET SHOVED INTO THE ROAD WITH THE CARS, THAT IS PRIORITIZING ONE ROAD USER OVER ANOTHER.
AND I KNOW THAT GENERALLY OUR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS WANTS ALL USERS OF THAT PUBLIC SPACE TO, TO HAVE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF ACCESSIBILITY.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU ON ITEM NUMBER 19.
ITEM 19 IS A CONTRACT WITH HYATT AND MANAGER.
I WANTED TO PULL THIS ITEM, UM, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AND WE CAN TALK OFFLINE ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT TO SURFACE IT FOR THE DIOCESE HERE, AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER ALLISON ALTER ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT IT IN THE Q AND A, UM, WAS WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD CONSIDER EXECUTING A CONTRACT FOR RENTAL SERVICES WITH, UM, OUR OWN HOTEL OR WE, THE CITY OWNS TWO HOTELS, THE HILTON DOWNTOWN AND THE HILTON AT THE AIRPORT.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER IS GONNA BE CLOSED FOR A NUMBER OF YEAR.
SHOULD WE BE ENCOURAGING THE CITY TO BE UTILIZING MEETING SPACES AT OUR OWN HOTEL, UH, DURING THAT CLOSURE VERSUS CONTRACTING OUT WITH A DIFFERENT HOTEL.
AND SO I WANTED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, UM, THAT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE OFFLINE, BUT WANTED TO SURFACE IT FOR, FOR THE DICE.
THAT'S ALL OF COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
I WAS GONNA SEE IF I COULD, UH, ITEM 88, COUNCILLOR FUENTES, ITEM OF THE RUTH.
UM, YEAH, IF I MAY JUST A QUICK OR NOT ABOUT THE ROOFS.
UM, SHE TALKED ABOUT ROOFS, COOL ROOFS, WHICH HAD MANY, UH, I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP.
I, I AM LOOKING AT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT NOT ONLY THAT WE HAVE EVERYONE HAS AIR CONDITIONING, UH, BUT AS WE ARE, IF, IF WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING REQUIREMENTS INTO THE CODE ABOUT HAVING AIR CONDITIONING, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE EFFICIENCY OF THAT AIR CONDITIONING AND HOPEFULLY RAMPING THAT UP OVER TIME.
BECAUSE I WAS LISTENING TO N P R THIS MORNING, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HALF OF OUR LOAD,
[02:50:01]
OVER HALF OF OUR LOAD STATEWIDE IS RESIDENTIAL AND WITHIN THE RESIDENTIAL COM COMPONENT, THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS YOUR AIR CONDITIONER.SO MOST OF OUR STATE LOAD, THE BIGGEST CHUNK IS AIR CONDITIONING.
AND IF WE CAN INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF OUR AIR CONDITIONERS, WE CAN NOT ONLY REDUCE PEOPLE'S ELECTRICITY BILL BUT HAVE A LOWER CLIMATE IMPACT.
SO, UH, WOULD LIKE TO, TO EXPLORE METHODS, HOW WE CAN HELP IMPROVE THAT EFFICIENCY THROUGH THIS REQUIREMENT.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD ANECDOTALLY I JUST HAD TO HAVE MY AIR CONDITIONER REPLACED.
SO I SAT IN A HOUSE THAT WAS 92 DEGREES AND THE WAY MY LUPUS IS SET UP, IF YOU OVERHEAT YOU'RE SICK FOR DAYS AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE NOT JUST THE AC BUT THE DUCT SYSTEM.
AND I OVERHEARD MY LANDLORD SAY TO THE PEOPLE REPLACING THIS AC THAT IT WAS OVER 20 YEARS OLD.
AND SO IN ADDITION TO HAVING EXTRAORDINARY UTILITY BILLS, WE HAD AN AC THAT I SET IT AT 74 AND IT WAS STILL 81 DEGREES IN MY HOUSE.
AND I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER THING TO THINK ABOUT, ESPECIALLY AS WE THINK ABOUT IT FROM AN EQUITY PERSPECTIVE.
MY HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1956 IF MY AC HAS BEEN THERE
AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ADDRESS AS WELL.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTARY 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I CONSIDER GREAT.
THANK YOU'ALL, UM, MEMBERS, AS I INDICATED, WE WILL WAIT UNTIL THURSDAY TO TAKE UP THE, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM.
IT IS ALSO POSTED ON OUR THURSDAY AGENDA BECAUSE OF THE HEARING THAT WILL BE CONDUCTED TOMORROW AND THAT WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE GREATER INFORMATION WHEN WE ARE, UH, DISCUSSING THAT IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THERE BEING NO OTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THIS REGULAR SCHEDULED WORK COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 11:52 AM.