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I'LL CALL TO ORDER THE WORK SESSION OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, 2023, AND IT'S NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
WE ARE MEETING AT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WHICH ARE LOCATED IN AUSTIN CITY HALL AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN.
WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENT MEMBERS.
UH, MY PLAN WOULD BE TODAY, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, WOULD BE TO START WITH THE
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
ITEMS THAT COUNCIL, UH, HAS ASKED FOR THERE TO BE DISCUSSION ON IN ANTICIPATION OF NEXT THURSDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING.AND I'LL JUST GO IN A NUMERICAL ORDER.
SO WE, WE WOULD TAKE UP ITEM 27.
LOOK OVER AT EACH OTHER AND SAY, THAT'S US.
ITEM 27, ITEM 28, ITEM 38, ITEM 40, ITEM 45.
AND ONCE THOSE ARE COMPLETED, WE WOULD GO, UM, TO, UH, BRIEFINGS.
ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING THAT UP IN ITEMS 27 AND 28.
SO JUST EVERYBODY NOTICE THAT THAT'S ON THE AGENDA IN THAT WAY.
BUT SINCE THE ITEM GOT PULLED, WE'LL JUST TAKE IT UP AND, AND, AND DEAL WITH IT.
AND WE WON'T HAVE THE BRIEFING.
WE'LL HAVE THE BRIEFING, BUT WE WON'T HAVE THE BRIEFING.
UM, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE TO ANYBODY.
AND WITH THAT, UH, AND WITH THAT, UH, I WILL CALL UP ITEMS 27 AND 28 AND COUNSEL, I'LL CALL THEM UP, UP TOGETHER.
BUT, UH, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT ONE OF THE ITEMS, YOU CAN DO THAT.
WHAT Y'ALL JUST KIND OF, YOU GUYS ARE ON.
AND DO IT FROM WHEREVER YOU WANT TO DO IT.
I'M TRICIA TETRA, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I THINK THERE'S SOME CONFUSION.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA DO THE PRESENTATION, WHICH IS OPPOSED TO PRESENTATION FOR THE WORK.
THINK WE'RE A LITTLE CONFUSED ON OUR SITE.
WE'RE GONNA START THE PRESENTATION ITEMS 27 TO 28, DEAL WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND WE HAVE AN ITEM SET FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER BRIEFING.
BUT SINCE WE'RE, SINCE THOSE ITEMS WERE PULLED, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO GO IN SOME FORM OF ORDER HERE, WE WILL TAKE THOSE UP.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THE COUNCIL PARTICULARLY CARES HOW YOU DO THE PRESENTATION.
IT JUST WANTS THE PRESENTATION.
CAN I ASK YOU TO DO A FAVOR? WOULD YOU GO OVER AND PULL DOWN THAT MICROPHONE IT WHEN THEY'RE SITTING AT THE TABLE? YEAH.
I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
I'M JOINED BY TRICIA TETRO, THE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, AND JAMES SNOW, THE DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
UM, WE'RE HERE TODAY JUST TO GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT, TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY, UM, TALK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL MODEL, AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE, UH, UH, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK METHODOLOGY, WHICH IS THE, UH, PROCUREMENT METHODOLOGY FOR THIS PROJECT.
SO, THE IDEA OF THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION HAS BEEN CONTEMPLATED, UH, FOR THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE.
UH, BEGINNING IN 2014, UH, WHEN WE KICKED OFF OUR LONG RANGE MASTER PLAN, UM, THEN THE EXPANSION HAS KIND OF WOUND ITS WAY THROUGH THE CITY PROCESSES, RESULTING IN SEVERAL, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SEVERAL STUDIES.
AND TWO, UH, CITY COUNCIL APPOINTED TASK FORCES AND COMMISSIONS.
ULTIMATELY, THIS RESULTED IN THE CITY COUNCIL FIRST FORMALLY APPROVING THE EXPANSION WHEN THEY VOTED TO RAISE THE MUNICIPAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX RATE FROM SEVEN TO 9%.
IN SUPPORT OF THE EXPANSION, I DID WANNA PAUSE AND MENTION, UM, A, A, A PROCESS THAT IS NOT PART OF THIS TIMELINE, AND THAT IS THE IDEA OF A WESTERN EXPANSION.
UH, SO BACK IN 2021, UM, IN NOVEMBER, THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATING AGREEMENTS WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO THE WEST.
UM, IT, THIS IS WHAT WAS SORT OF RECOMMENDED THROUGH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT
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STUDIES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.UNFORTUNATELY, DESPITE THE BEST EFFORTS OF ALL PARTIES, WE WERE UNABLE TO COME TO AGREEABLE TERMS AND MUTUALLY DECIDED TO PART WAYS IN APRIL OF 2021 OR 22.
AT THAT TIME, THE CONVENTION CENTER TOOK A LOOK AT ALL OF THE REMAINING OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO IT FOR THIS REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT, AND LANDED ON REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION WITHIN ITS OWN EXISTING FOOTPRINTS.
THAT LED US TO JUNE OF 2021, UH, WHEN WE RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO PROCEED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK METHODOLOGY FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT SOLELY WITHIN THE EX, THE FOOTPRINT OF THE EXISTING CENTER.
UM, SO THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER'S GOING TO BE A LARGER, MORE EFFICIENT FACILITY, UH, WITHIN A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
OUR GOAL IS TO DELIVER THIS PRO A PROJECT THAT IS AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY FRIENDLY EVENT FACILITY, UM, THAT ENHANCES THE, THE CULTURALLY RICH FABRIC OF THE PALM DISTRICT THAT WAS RECENTLY APPROVED BY THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
THE CHART ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE SHOWS THE CURRENT RENTABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, WHAT WAS CALLED FOR IN OUR MASTER PLAN, AND THEN WHAT OUR PROOF OF CONCEPT, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN JUST A SECOND, SHOWS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE WITHIN THE FOOTPRINT OF THE EXISTING CENTER.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'LL BE NEARLY DOUBLING THE EXIST, THE RENTABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, AND ALL WITHIN A SMALLER FOOTPRINT, UM, THAN CURRENTLY WE TAKE UP ON OUR OWN SITE.
WE HAD TWO, UH, WE HAD OUR, UH, CONSULTANTS, CONVENTIONAL WISDOM AND H V S CONSULTING.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE, THE PROOF OF CONCEPT TO ENSURE THAT IT WOULD STILL BE VIABLE AND WORTHWHILE TO PURSUE.
UM, THE ANSWER WAS A RESOUNDING YES.
UH, WHEN WE STABILIZE, UM, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AFTER REOPENING, WE'LL BE CONTRIBUTING ABOUT $285 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE LOCAL AUSTIN ECONOMY.
SO OUR EXISTING SITE, UM, I I I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND IN THIS AREA.
UM, WE ARE A LARGE BARRIER BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST.
UM, THERE IS NO GROUND LEVEL PUBLIC INTERACTION.
IT'S VERY LOW DENSITY COMPARED TO THE SITES SURROUNDING US.
AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, IT IS SEVERELY INADEQUATE, UH, FOR THE EVENT DEMAND THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW.
SO WITH OUR POTENTIAL FUTURE, UM, WHICH WILL CERTAINLY BE BORNE OUT DURING THE DESIGN PROCESS, UM, WE CAN GET TO THESE TARGET SIZES WITH A VERTICAL APPROACH.
UH, WE WILL BE PUTTING OUR EXHIBIT HALLS AND LOADING DOCKS UNDERGROUND.
THAT WILL HELP TO ALLEVIATE THE TRUCK TRAFFIC ON RED RIVER AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN WILL ALSO ALLOW US TO OPEN UP SECOND AND THIRD STREETS TO MULTIMODAL TRAFFIC, UM, AND BE ABLE TO JUST SORT OF START, UM, GETTING CLOSER TO INTEGRATING BACK THE EAST AND THE WEST SIDE.
SO WE ARE NOT THAT BARRIER ANYMORE.
UM, WE DO ALSO HAVE THE POSSIBILITY FOR A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY ON THE SITE.
AND THEN AND FINALLY, WE ANTICIPATE THAT OUR DESIGN WILL ALLOW US TO, UH, INTEGRATE OUR REDEVELOPMENT WITH ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON SURROUNDING US, INCLUDING PROJECT CONNECT AND THE PALM DISTRICT.
SO PROJECT CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS DO REMAIN FULLY FUNDED THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER'S ALLOCATION OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, THE 2% EXPANSION, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, AND THEN OUR CONVENTION CENTER REVENUES.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN PLANNING FOR THIS PROJECT FOR THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE, AND SO HAVE BEEN KIND OF SAVING OUR MONEY TOWARD THAT EFFORT AS WELL.
UH, WE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR OUTSIDE FINANCIAL ADVISORS, P F M, AS WELL AS THE CITY'S FINANCE TEAM TO DEVELOP ALL OF THESE PROJECTIONS.
AND ALL OF THOSE FOLKS WILL BE CONTINUING TO ASSIST US AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE PROJECT.
AND SO, JUST A REMINDER BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO JAMES.
UM, SO THIS IS HOW WE GOT TO THIS WEEK.
UM, SO ON JUNE 10TH, AS I MENTIONED, WE COUNSEL DID APPROVE THE, UH, CMAR METHODOLOGY AND THEN THEY ALSO PASSED IN TANDEM WITHOUT A RESOLUTION THAT, UM, PROVIDED SOME ADDITIONAL DIRECTION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE R F Q FOR ARCHITECT ENGINEERING.
THIS WAS ALL INCLUDED IN THE R F Q, UM, AND, AND WILL BE CARRIED FORWARD AS WE GO THROUGH OUR DESIGN PROCESS.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JAMES.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
APPRECIATE YOU BRIEFING TODAY ON THIS SUBJECT.
UH, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS COMPLEX PROJECT, WHEN WE LOOKED AT IS WE HAD TO CHANGE WHAT WE NORMALLY DID, THE WAY CITI DELIVERS PROJECTS.
SO WHAT WE LOOKED AT IS USING AN INTEGRATED, UH, PROJECT DELIVERY METHOD.
WITH THAT, THERE'S TWO MAIN THINGS TO THAT.
ONE IS YOU HAVE THE ARC, UH, ARCHITECTURAL FIRM, BUT TWO, YOU USE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK.
WE'RE ASKED QUESTIONS TODAY SPECIFICALLY ABOUT CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK.
WHAT'S THE METHODOLOGY? AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE SLIDE, IT DETAILS OUT, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE OWNER SELECTS CONTRACTS SEPARATELY, BOTH THE AE AND THE CMAR.
WHY DON'T YOU START WITH NOT USING INITIALS AND ACRONYMS.
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THANK YOU, SIR.SO THE, SO YOU HAVE THE ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING CONTRACT, ANY THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CONTRACT, THOSE TWO CONTRACTS ARE DONE, UH, TOGETHER, BUT SEPARATE.
THE NEXT THING IS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK IS SELECTED, PROVIDED, UH, SERVICES IN THE PRELIMINARY PHASE.
THE REASON SO IS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THE BENEFIT OF HAVING THE CONSTRUCTOR THERE TO LOOK AT CONSTRUCTABILITY UPFRONT AND ALSO HELP US CON CONTROL COSTS.
SECOND IS THAT IT ALLOWS TO ALSO DO AN ACCELERATED CONSTRUCTION START.
AND THAT IS A KEY TO THIS PROJECT IS, AS WE'VE SEEN BEFORE, THE BENEFICIAL RISK, UH, BENEFICIAL OF THIS PROJECT, BUT ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE LESS OF AN IMPACT EITHER FOR COST OVERRUNS OR FOR SCHEDULE.
WE LOOKED AT BEST PRACTICES TO UTILIZE, FIRST OF ALL, AS I MENTIONED, THE INTEGRATED CAPITAL DELIVERY TEAM.
UNLIKE OTHER PROJECTS, WHAT WE DO IS WE CREATED AN OWNER CELL.
THIS OWNER CELL CONSISTS OF THE DEPARTMENTS UP THERE, BUT SPECIFICALLY FUNCTIONS THAT ARE KEY.
ONE IS PROJECT DELIVERY, TWO IS PROJECT CONTROLS, THREE IS PROCUREMENT AND FINANCIAL CONTROLS.
WE ALSO WILL BE PUTTING IN PLACE A NEW PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN DEVELOPING, WHICH IS A PROJECT HEALTH ASSESSMENT RESOLUTION AND RISK REVIEW MEETINGS.
THESE WILL HAPPEN ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
WHAT ALLOW US TO DO IS LOOK AT THE HEALTH OF THE PROJECT AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
IF THERE'S ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THAT TIME, WE CAN ESCALATE THOSE ISSUES TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.
AND UNLIKE WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST SOMETIMES IS LET THEM JUST CARRY ON.
THIS WILL, THIS TEAM WILL ALLOW US TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES TOGETHER IN A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH INSTEAD OF JUST ASKING QUESTIONS.
THE OTHER THING THAT'LL ALLOW US TO DO IS THAT WE WILL HAVE EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DURING THIS TIME.
'CAUSE WE KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT.
TWO CONTRACTS THAT ARE ON THE COUNCIL THIS WEEK ARE, ONE IS THE ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING CONTRACT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PERSON THAT WE'VE SELECTED BRINGS A LOT OF, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE TO THE TABLE, FIRST OF ALL, OVER 44 YEARS EXPERIENCE, BUT SPECIFICALLY OVER 24 COMMUNITY, UH, CONVENTION CENTER PROJECTS THAT THEY'VE DONE IN THEIR TIMEFRAME, AS SOME OF THEM ARE LISTED HERE.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT THEY BRING A LARGE SCALE, UH, URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR WHERE THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED AND THE IMPACTS THAT THIS PROJECT CAN HAVE.
THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER RISK IS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN JE DUNN AND TURNER.
JAY DUNN IS SIGNIFICANT 'CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN DOING, UH, PROJECTS WITH US UNDER THIS CURRENT CONTRACT.
SO WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THIS METHODOLOGY WITH THEM.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, ALSO, THEY BRING VAST YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OVER 25 CONVENTION CENTERS THAT THEY'VE BUILT UNDER TURNER'S EXPERIENCE.
AND JE DUNN HAS DONE LARGE EXCAVATION AND UTILITY RELOCATION PROJECTS IN AUSTIN ITSELF, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO OTHER EXPERIENCES TOGETHER.
THEY'VE DONE OVER 24 PROJECTS IN THE AUSTIN IRVING CORE.
AND I WANNA STRESS THAT BECAUSE AUSTIN IS UNIQUE, AS WE ALL KNOW, AND WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND ALSO OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE AROUND THIS SITE.
SO HAVING AN EXPERIENCED PARTNER THAT UNDERSTANDS THIS, AND I'LL BE UPFRONT WITH US, WILL HELP US ADDRESS THE ISSUES AND IDENTIFY 'EM DURING THE DESIGN PROCESS.
HERE'S THE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT SCHEDULE AS IT STANDS.
OBVIOUSLY, ONCE WE GET BOTH, UH, CONTRACTORS IN PLACE, WE'LL BE REVIEWING THE SCHEDULE TO MAKE SURE THE SEQUENCING MAKES SENSE.
AND WE HAVE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE AND, UH, EFFECTIVE, UM, SCHEDULE.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT THE OCTOBER, 2023.
WE'RE PRETTY MUCH ON SCHEDULE AS FAR AS THE PLANNING PHASE, AND WE'RE READY TO LAUNCH IN WITH APPROVAL OF THESE TWO CONTRACTS TO MOVE FORWARD TO DESIGN, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE CONTACT EXPECTATION AND THE SCHEDULE EXPECTATION OF DELIVERING AND REOPENING THE CONVENTION CENTER IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2028.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS WHILE TWO OF THEM WE'RE HIGHLIGHTED TODAY? FIRST OF ALL, THE IDEA THAT WE'RE MEETING WITH YOU SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING CONTRACT AND ALSO THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CONTRACTS.
ONCE WE'RE DONE WITH THAT, WE, WE ALSO HAVE THE SAME TIME.
WHAT WE LOOKED AT IS THE INTEGRATED PROJECT DELIVERY.
WE REALIZED WHAT EXPERTISE WE NEEDED, AND IN THAT WE HAVE CONTRACTED OUT TO GET THAT EXPERTISE SPECIFICALLY ON A PROJECT.
PROJECT CONTROLS, WHICH PROJECT CONTROLS ALLOWS US TO BOTH MANAGE COSTS AND SCHEDULE AND ALLOW US AS US AS THE OWNER TO HAVE BETTER POSITIVE CONTROL OVER THE CONTRACT AND OVER THE PROJECT.
AS YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER ONES THAT ARE COMING THROUGH, THROUGH THE REST OF THIS YEAR.
AND WITH THAT, WE CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER? UM, IT'S ALL YOURS.
UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT DOWNTOWN BUSINESS IS? AND WELL, FIRST LEMME START BY THANKING YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT OVERVIEW.
UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT? UH, WE DEFINITELY KNOW THAT THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES SURROUNDING THE CONVENTION CENTER WILL BE IMPACTED.
THERE ARE SOME RESTAURANTS, UM, AND THEN IT IS MOSTLY HOTELS.
UM, AND SO WE ARE WORK, UH, WE WILL BE WORKING
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DILIGENTLY WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS FIRM THAT WE BRING ON BOARD, UH, AS WELL AS WITH THE, UH, AE AND CONSTRUCTION, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING PLENTY OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH AROUND THOSE BUSINESSES.AND ADDITIONALLY, UM, COMING UP WITH A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, UH, MOVING FORWARD SO THAT WE'RE CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT WITH THOSE BUSINESSES, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT TO EXPECT DURING OUR PROJECT.
UM, AND THEN IN, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THAT OPEN DIALOGUE ABOUT HOW, HOW OUR, OUR PROJECT PROJECT MAY IMPACT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR, UH, OPERATIONS AND HOW CAN WE WORK TOWARDS MITIGATION PLANS, UM, TO CREATE, UH, THE LEAST AMOUNT OF IMPACT POSSIBLE, UM, DURING OUR CONSTRUCTION.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS UP TO NOW THAT HAVE BEEN ENLIGHTENING OR THAT YOU'VE GAINED INSIGHT ABOUT? SURE.
WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE HOTEL COMMUNITY.
UM, SO A MAJOR, I MEAN, A MAJORITY OF WHAT'S DIRECTLY AROUND US ARE HOTELS.
UM, SO WE'VE HAD LOTS OF OPEN COMMUNICATION AND DIALOGUE WITH THE HOTEL COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE PREPARED AND READY FOR THE PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WE ALSO SET OUT NOTIFICATIONS WHEN WE RELEASED THE SOLICITATIONS TO ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UM, TO LET THEM KNOW AND BE AWARE THAT THE PROJECT WAS COMING.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY FEEDBACK FROM, UM, THOSE LETTERS THAT WENT OUT, UM, UH, TO DATE.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT YOU EXPLAINED THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION TO US.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT WAS CALCULATED? SURE.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE REPORT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I'M HAPPY TO SEND IT TO YOUR OFFICE.
AND IT KIND OF WALKS THROUGH THE VERY COMPLEX, UM, CALCULATIONS THAT OUR CONSULTANTS, UM, H B SS CONSULTING DID.
COULD YOU PROVIDE A GENERAL HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF HOW AN ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR A, UM, CONSTRUCTION OF THIS SOURCE WOULD BE CALCULATED? YEP.
JUST SO I, I JUST KNOW PEOPLE ARE GONNA ASK ME HOW DID THEY GET TO THAT NUMBER, AND I JUST, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF I COULD JUST SAY, PRESS PLAY
UM, SO IT REALLY TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT THE EVENTS THAT COME INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO WITH THE DOUBLING OF THE EXPANSION, WE WILL BE ABLE TO HOST LARGER EVENTS.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO LAYER THEM IN WITH EACH OTHER.
AND SO WITH THOSE EVENTS THAT COME IN, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT FOLKS THAT ARE GO VISITING THE RESTAURANTS, THEY'RE GOING TO THE SHOPS, THEY'RE STAYING IN THE HOTELS AND, AND BRINGING ALL OF THAT SORT OF ANCILLARY REVENUE INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE DO KNOW THAT VISITORS THAT COME INTO THE CITY FOR A CONVENTION CENTER OR FOR A CONVENTION CENTER EVENT, TYPICALLY WILL EXTEND THEIR STAY.
UM, AND SO THAT IS ALSO PART OF THE CALCULATION AS WELL.
SO IT JUST TAKES A LOOK AT THE OVERALL SPENDING, UM, THAT THEY'RE BRINGING INTO THE ECONOMY.
SO THAT'S BASED ON HISTORICAL DATA THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE? THAT'S CORRECT.
I FEEL LIKE I CAN EXPLAIN IT NOW.
AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A VERY GOOD CHART WE HAVE IN THAT REPORT THAT I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO GET.
THAT MIGHT HELP AS KIND OF JUST A GENERAL OVERVIEW.
THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, AND I WANNA HIGHLIGHT FOR MY COLLEAGUES THAT I DID ASK A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE Q AND A.
AND SO I JUST WANNA SURFACE THESE QUESTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC.
SINCE WITH THIS PRESENTATION, WE ARE EFFECTIVELY SHARING OUT WITH AUSTINITES THAT OUR CONVENTION CENTER IS GONNA BE CLOSED BETWEEN 2025 AND 2029.
UH, SO FOR THOSE FOUR YEARS, WHAT'S TOP OF MIND FOR ME IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE 300 PLUS CITY WORKERS WHO CURRENTLY ARE EMPLOYED AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE PALMER EVENTS PARKING GARAGE AND, AND ET CETERA.
SO IF YOU COULD TOUCH ON THE PLAN FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
UM, SO WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH OUR HU UH, CORPORATE HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM.
UM, BUT THE PLAN CURRENTLY IS THAT THE 300 EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER WILL NOT LOSE THEIR JOBS.
UM, WE WILL HAVE A CORE TEAM THAT WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER, OUR MARSHALING YARD, OUR THREE PARKING GARAGES.
UM, AND ADDITIONALLY WE'VE GOT OUR SALES TEAM AND EVENTS TEAM WE'RE WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH VISIT AUSTIN TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REBOOK AS MANY OF OUR EVENTS AS POSSIBLE WITHIN THOSE SMALLER HOTELS.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, ONE, UM, AVENUE THAT WE ARE PLANNING TO UTILIZE THAT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL DURING C O D WAS, UM, REALLOCATING OUR STAFF AND OUR TEAM TO OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WHERE THERE ARE STAFFING VACANCIES.
UM, AND SO WHAT THE PLAN IS, IS THAT WE WILL, UH, WORK WITH THOSE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS.
UM, WE WILL ALLOCATE WHICH EMPLOYEES HAVE WHAT SKILL SETS, AND THEN WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO REALLOCATE, UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER EMPLOYEES TO OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, BEING FUNDED BY THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, DURING THE PERIOD OF CLOSURE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE, WE WANT VERY MUCH TO KEEP AS MANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE OF THE TRAINING AND THIS EXPERTISE THAT THEY HAVE WITHIN CONVENTION CENTER OPERATIONS.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GET THOSE EMPLOYEES BACK IN AMPLE TIME TO START, UH, TRAINING THEM APPROPRIATELY ON A NEW FACILITY AND HOW TO RUN A NEW FACILITY.
UM, SO WE PLAN TO ENGAGE THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UM, SPREAD OUR STAFF OUT THROUGH THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL HELP WITH
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THE VACANCIES IN OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.UM, AND THEN CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR OWN, WITHIN OUR OWN OPERATIONS.
A MANAGER, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHICH DEPARTMENTS WOULD HAVE STAFFING VACANCIES THAT WOULD BE PRIORITIZED? I MEAN, WITHOUT KNOWING THE SPECIFICS.
UM, MY GUESS IS THAT DEPENDING, UH, WITH RESPECT TO IF THERE HAPPEN TO BE GROUNDS MAINTENANCE, YOU'VE GOT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, UH, SERVICES IN TERMS OF THE, UH, THE KIND OF, UH, FOOD SERVICES.
THERE COULD BE DEPARTMENTS THAT, UH, COULD ACCEPT, ACCEPT THOSE.
YOU'VE GOT THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT, YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT DO THAT KIND OF THING.
YOU'VE GOT, SO THERE DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT WE CAN, UH, MOVE THEM TO.
AND THAT'S THE INTENT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE LOSES THEIR JOB.
AND, UH, AND THEN THEY'RE BACK, BACK AT THE CONVENTION CENTER ONCE YOU, UH, CUT THE RIBBON AND WE'RE READY TO ROLL.
AND LAST QUESTION HERE IS, UH, IN THE BACKUP, I NOTICED THAT YOU ALL PLAN TO HAVE A DEDICATED PROJECT TEAM TO MANAGE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THAT TIME.
CAN YOU PLEASE TOUCH ON THAT AS WELL? YEAH, SO, UH, WE'RE HOPING IN JANUARY, IF NOT SOONER, THAT WE WILL HAVE A CONTRACT BEFORE YOU FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND IT WILL BE FOR A, UH, COMMUNICATIONS FIRM THAT WILL, UM, ASSIST US WITH THE OVERALL COMMUNICATIONS PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT.
UM, THAT WILL INCLUDE HOW WE ARE GOING TO UPDATE COUNCIL, WHAT THOSE TOUCH POINTS WILL BE, ADDITIONALLY, HOW WE'RE GOING TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ASPECTS OF IT.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, HOW ARE WE GONNA ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNICATION PLANS ARE CLEAR AND CONSISTENT TO NOT ONLY THE STAKEHOLDERS, OUR OWN CUSTOMERS, BUT THE BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE GOING TO IMPACT THE HOTEL COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO WE, WITH THE, UH, DESIGN FIRM, WITH THE CONSTRUCTION FIRM AND WITH THIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN, WE FEEL IT WILL BE A VERY ROBUST, UM, AND THOUGHTFUL, UM, EFFORT.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND SHARE WHAT THAT COMMUNICATIONS PLAN IS, UH, ONCE WE GET ALL OF THE PARTIES ON BOARD AND WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY GET THAT, UH, LOCKED UP.
BUT THAT WOULD BE THE INTENT AND THE GOAL.
AND I JUST ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE CAPITAL SERVICE DELIVERY DEPARTMENT.
I SAW YOU ALL HAD A WONDERFUL A BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO OF THE GOODNIGHT RANCH FIRE STATION BEING CONSTRUCTED, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT WAY IN HOW TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC ON A CITY SERVICE THAT IS UNDERWAY.
THANKS COUNCIL MEMBER PUENTES.
AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO TIE BACK THE WORK THAT, UM, STAFF HAVE BEEN DOING, UM, RELATING TO THE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY HAD ASKED, WHICH WAS IMPACTS ON SURROUNDING BUSINESSES.
AND ONE OF THE BUSINESSES IS THE CITY OWNED, UM, HOTEL AND, UM, AUSTIN CONVENTION ENTERPRISES.
AND JUST REMIND EVERYBODY OF ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR PLUS WITH ACE AND THAT BOARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOND HOLDERS, UH, WHO ARE INVOLVED IN OWNER, UH, IN SUPPORTING THE HOTEL AND THE OPERATIONS THERE WOULD ALSO CONTINUE, UM, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE ARE HAVING SOME INTERRUPTIONS WITH THE OPERATIONS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND WE DID THAT WORK A YEAR PLUS AGO AND, AND THIS YEAR.
SO WE MAY HAVE KIND OF FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT, BUT THAT ALSO, UM, IS AFFECTED AND WE ARE PREPARED FOR THIS EVENTUALITY WITH THE WORK THAT WE DID PREVIOUSLY.
THANKS, COUNCILMAN ALLISON ALTER, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE HAD A PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF THE DETAILS, SO I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, UM, THAT ARE RELATED, BUT NOT NECESSARILY EXACTLY ON ITEMS 27 AND 28.
SO FIRST I WANTED TO ASK IF IN THE BACK, IN THE Q AND A OR IN THE BACKUP, YOU CAN PROVIDE THE FINANCIALS THAT WE'RE ASSUMING FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, KNOW TWO PIECES OF IT.
I WANNA UNDERSTAND IF THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, OTHER EXPENSES BEYOND THESE, OR IF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, COVERING ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS THERE.
AND IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN NOW WHAT THE FINANCES ASSUME ABOUT PHASE THREE, WHICH MIGHT BE A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AND HOW THAT'S FITTING INTO THE FINANCIAL ASSUMPTIONS.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE A MORE DETAILED RESPONSE IN WRITING.
UM, WE ARE, BECAUSE WE ARE STILL IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THESE TWO FIRMS, WE HAVE NOT EVEN SECURED THE APPROVAL.
UM, WE ARE NOT PUBLICIZING EXACTLY WHAT ALL OF THE FINANCIAL PIECES OF THIS ARE THAT JUST SORT OF HELPS KEEP THE CITY IN A BETTER FINANCIAL OR IN A BETTER NEGOTIATING POSITION AS WE MOVE THROUGH THESE, THIS PROCESS WITH THESE CONTRACTS.
UM, CERTAINLY AS WE GET THESE FIRMS ON BOARD AND, AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, IS ABLE TO BE PUBLIC, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE IT.
UM, WITH REGARD TO THE PRI THE POTENTIAL PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, UM, WE DO HAVE A, UH, P THREE ADVISOR ON BOARD THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.
WE DO NOT CONTEMPLATE THAT ANY REVENUE FROM THAT DEVELOPMENT IS, IS NECESSARY FOR, UM, FINANCING OF THIS PROJECT.
SO NONE OF THE REVENUE FROM THE PHASE THREE IS NECESSARY FOR THE FINANCING.
SO GIVEN THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER PRESUMABLY
[00:25:01]
OWNS THE PROPERTY, UM, HOW DOES THAT PLAY INTO CITY FINANCES MOVING FORWARD? WERE WE TO EVENTUALLY LAND ON A P THREE ARRANGEMENT? YEP.SO THE REVENUE WOULD COME BACK TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IT WOULD CERTAINLY GO TO TOWARD, UM, PAYING FOR THE OPERATIONS OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IT COULD ALSO POTENTIALLY GO TOWARD PAYING OFF SOME OF THE DEBT.
UM, SO WE COULD POTENTIALLY PAY IT DOWN EARLIER.
UM, BUT THAT'S KIND OF ALL TO BE WORKED OUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH KIND OF ALL OF OUR NEGOTIATIONS RELATED TO THAT POTENTIAL PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, QUESTIONS THAT, THAT RAISES FOR FINANCES AND SOME LEGAL ISSUES WITH REGARD TO WHAT CAN GO BEYOND THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR GENERAL FUND FINANCING, ET CETERA, AT THIS, AT THIS POINT IN TIME AS WE, AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT.
SO, SO WE'LL NEED TO WORK THROUGH THOSE QUESTIONS AND, AND PERHAPS THOUGHT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE, UM, WITH THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT DOES RAISE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
UM, I GUESS I DO THINK THAT WE IN THE PUBLIC NEED TO UNDERSTAND, UM, SORT OF HOW MANY OTHER BUCKETS OF COSTS BEYOND THESE TWO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE MAGNITUDE.
EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS, CAN YOU SHARE, I MEAN, 'CAUSE WE'RE ALREADY OVER A BILLION DOLLARS WITH WHAT WE'RE AUTHORIZING HERE.
UM, AND THAT'S ASSUMING THAT THE CMAR, UM, CONTRACT IS ACTUALLY FOR BUILDING OUT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO PROVIDE THAT NOW OR YOU WANNA PROVIDE THAT IN WRITING, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED SOME GENERAL BUCKETS OF MAGNITUDE AND, AND, AND WHAT OTHER, WHAT OTHER BIG EXPENSES WE'RE ANTICIPATING BEYOND THIS.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO GET, GET YOU SOME MORE DETAILED INFORMATION IN WRITING.
I THINK THAT WILL PROBABLY ALLOW US TO EXPLAIN IT, UM, RATHER THAN, OKAY.
AND THEN THE ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS, UM, INDICATED, I THINK IT WAS A PROOF OF CONCEPT DOCUMENT OR SOMETHING THAT INDICATED A A MULTI-PHASE APPROACH.
UM, SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY IT'S GONNA TAKE FOUR YEARS OR IT'S ALL GONNA BE CLOSED FOR FOUR YEARS WHEN WE'RE DOING THE PHASING? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, WE TRIED TO PRESERVE THE ABILITY TO DO A PHASED APPROACH.
AND, AND YOU DID SEE THAT IN THE PROOF OF CONCEPT.
ULTIMATELY, AS WE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CLIENTS AND WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE FINANCIALS AND THE IMPACT, UM, YOU KNOW, A PHASED APPROACH WOULD REQUIRE ABOUT A SEVEN YEAR, SEVEN TO EIGHT YEAR CONSTRUCTION WINDOW VERSUS THE, YOU KNOW, THE THREE AND A HALF FOUR THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
UM, FINANCIALLY IT WOULD HAVE COST, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE, UM, JUST BECAUSE YOU WOULD NEED TO BUILD SOME, SOME RETAINING WALLS IN BETWEEN THE TWO, IN BETWEEN THE TWO THINGS AS, UH, THE, AS WE'RE TRYING TO OPERATE THE CONVENTION CENTER ON ONE SIDE AND THEN ALSO BUILD THE EXHIBIT HALLS UNDERGROUND, UM, THE WAY THAT THE PHASING WORKED AS WELL, WE WOULD BE WITHOUT A KITCHEN, WHICH IS PRETTY CRITICAL FOR CONVENTION CENTER OPERATIONS.
AND SO, UM, AND OUR CLIENTS DON'T REALLY WANT TO BRING THEIR ATTENDEES TO A CONSTRUCTION SITE AS THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.
UM, SO WE ULTIMATELY, AS A TEAM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR CONSULTANTS AND KIND OF TALKING WITH THE CITY STAFF, THE EXPERTS, UM, CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT A ONE PHASE APPROACH WAS JUST GOING TO BE THE, THE RIGHT WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS, TO JUST RIP THE BANDAID OFF AND GET IT DONE.
AND, AND FOUR YEARS STILL FEELS LIKE A LONG TIME GIVEN THAT WE CAN EXPEDITE PERMITS AND WE DON'T NEED TO DO ANY ZONING CHANGES AND OTHER THINGS.
CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE IDEA OF WHY WE HAVE A FOUR YEAR TIMEFRAME
I THINK, UM, OUR, OUR ACTUAL KIND OF INTERNAL CONSTRUCTION IS, IS ABOUT 40 MONTHS, BUT WE'VE BUILT A LOT OF CONTINGENCY.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIGGING A 65 FOOT HOLE IN THE GROUND, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S UNDERNEATH THAT.
AND, AND IT'S DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
AND I'M SURE THAT WE'RE GONNA FIND SOME FUN SURPRISES THAT WE DIDN'T REALIZE.
AND SO, UM, JUST WANTING TO REALLY HAVE LEVEL SET EXPECTATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, IF WE CAN DELIVER THIS PROJECT SOONER, WE ABSOLUTELY WILL.
IT WOULD BE OUR GOAL IS, IS TO GET THIS DONE AS, AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE, UM, BUT DO IT CORRECTLY, OBVIOUSLY, NO CUTTING CORNERS, UM, BECAUSE WE WANNA BE BACK IN OPERATION JUST AS QUICKLY AS, AS I THINK THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE US TO BE AS WELL.
AND IN OUR JUNE OF 21 RESOLUTION THAT WAS GOVERNING, UM, THESE NEXT STEPS, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT REQUIRING SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICES.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT, UM, THE CMAR CONTRACT OR THE, OR THE ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING CONTRACTS ARE ASSUMING ABOUT THOSE PRACTICES FOR THE BUILDING? WHAT WE'RE DOING IS BY HAVING THE TWO TOGETHER, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THAT, UH, THE AE FIRM OR THE ARCHITECTURAL FIRM WILL BE FOCUSED ON THAT, WORKING WITH THE CMM R THE CM R WILL LOOK AT HOW TO INTEGRATE THAT IN THERE.
UH, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE GOING.
I MEAN, I CAN GIVE YOU THE LIST.
[00:30:01]
OUR PERSON OVER THAT CAN TALK SPECIFICALLY AS DETAILS AS YOU WANT.YOU CAN STEP UP TO THE MICROPHONE TOO.
UH, SO I'M ACTUALLY A RILEY TRIGGS.
I'M A PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPERVISOR IN THE ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
AND, UM, I'M ALSO THE HEAD OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM IN C D S.
UM, SO FOR THIS PROJECT, UM, ACTUALLY THE THE ARCHITECT ENGINEER, UH, THAT WE HAVE SELECTED HAS A REALLY GOOD TRACK RECORD WITH, UH, SUSTAINABILITY AND BRINGING SUSTAINABILITY IDEAS TO THEIR CONVENTION CENTER PROJECTS.
UM, THE ONES THAT THEY DID, UH, IN NEW YORK, UH, AND SEATTLE, UM, AND VANCOUVER, UH, ALL REACH, UM, LEAD PLATINUM OR ABOVE.
UM, IN FACT, VANCOUVER, I BELIEVE, UH, REACHED DOUBLE PLATINUM, UH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, BEYOND, UM, THE HIGHEST RATING YOU CAN GET FOR, UH, FOR A LEAD BUILDING.
UM, SO THEY'RE GONNA BRING A WHOLE BUNCH OF IDEAS TO US ON THAT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED A SUSTAINABILITY CHAPTER FOR OUR DESIGN CRITERIA MANUAL, UH, WHICH, UH, LINES, YOU KNOW, LINES OUT WHAT WE WANNA SEE FROM THE CITY IN THESE PARTICULAR AREAS.
UM, SO BETWEEN OUR D C M KIND OF GIVING 'EM A GUIDANCE, UH, GUIDING TOOL, UM, AND THE IDEAS THAT THEY'RE BRINGING, UH, SUSTAINABILITY WILL BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF, UM, WHATEVER WE PRODUCE AT THE END.
I'M, I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THAT.
UM, ANOTHER PIECE OF THAT RESOLUTION WAS KIND OF SPACES FOR THE COMMUNITY AND ART, AND THAT WAS ALSO IN THE PROOF OF CONCEPT.
WHAT IS, I, I'M JUST NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW IT CHANGES FROM THAT PROOF OF CONCEPT TO WHAT'S MOVING FORWARD.
I WAS GLAD TO SEE IN THAT THE ART AND THE COMMUNITY SPACES, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, NOTHING HAS CHANGED FROM THE PROOF OF CONCEPT THAT IS STILL VERY MUCH A PRIORITY FOR THIS PROJECT.
AND, UM, IT'S WRITTEN WITHIN THIS DESIGN CRITERIA MANUAL THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON DURING THIS PLANNING PHASE AND PLAN TO, UH, TURN OVER TO THE DESIGN FIRM WHEN WE GET EVERYTHING GOING.
UM, SO WE VERY MUCH, UM, ARE HOLDING SPACE FOR NOT ONLY COMMUNITY SPACE WITHIN THE FACILITY, UH, POSSIBLY SPACE FOR THE ARTS AND OR MUSIC, BUT ADDITIONALLY THAT OUTDOOR GREEN SPACE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE VERY, THOSE ARE THREE VERY STRONG ELEMENTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, INCLUDED AND WE, YOU KNOW, WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO HAVE WITHIN THIS EXISTING OR THIS NEW CONVENTION CENTER.
SO THEY ARE HIGH PRIORITIES FOR US, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE YOU AS WE START THE DESIGN PROCESS.
ADDITIONALLY, I'LL UM, PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT RILEY SAID, THE, UM, TWO, THE, UH, CONVENTION INDUSTRY, ACTUALLY SUSTAINABILITY IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM, AND IT'S A HIGH PRIORITY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT WILL BE A VERY STRONG THEME, UM, AND, UH, AREA OF FOCUS FOR US AS WE START THIS DESIGN PROCESS.
AND THE, UM, ANOTHER PRIORITY IN THAT RESOLUTION WAS OPENING UP SECOND AND THIRD STREET.
UM, ARE THOSE ONLY PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE, OR WILL THERE BE CAR TRAFFIC ON THOSE AS WELL? UH, THAT'S YET TO BE DETERMINED.
I THINK THAT, UM, WE'LL NEED TO DO A TRAFFIC STUDY AND ANALYSIS AND WE'LL NEED TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY AND DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, AND TRANSPORTATION, UM, TO ENVISION, UH, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S MULTIMODAL WITH CARS OR IF IT'S JUST GONNA BE PEDESTRIAN AND BIKEWAYS.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL EXPLORE DURING THE DESIGN PHASE, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, UM, AND, AND, AND YOU ALL IN THE STAKEHOLDERS TO, UH, TO DETERMINE WHAT MIGHT BE THE BEST FIT FOR THOSE TWO STREETS.
BUT THE INTENTION IS TO OPEN THEM AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT WHAT MIGHT BE PERFECT FOR BOTH OF THOSE STREETS.
THANK YOU, AND I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT FINANCIAL INFORMATION BEFORE THURSDAY.
COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN RYAN ALTER.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT FOR EVERYBODY, WE'VE BEEN IN TALKS WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT AFTER WE APPROVE TODAY, THAT, AND, AND THE MANAGER AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION AS WELL, THAT THIS ISN'T THE LAST TIME WE HEAR FROM THEM ON, ON A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH DESIGN JUST SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ADDITIONAL, UH, TOUCH POINTS AND FEEDBACK AS THIS PROCESS GOES THROUGH SO THAT WE'RE WELL INFORMED.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO WORK ON SOME DIRECTION, AND I, I THINK WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE ON SOME LANGUAGE, JUST SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME UPDATES OCCASIONALLY TO, TO KNOW HOW THIS IS PROGRESSING.
WERE YOU WORRIED WE WEREN'T GOING TO KNOW? NO, I WAS WORRIED WE WEREN'T GONNA KNOW.
I JUST KNOW SOMETIMES PROJECTS LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY AS WE GO THROUGH DESIGN, WE CAN GET TO THE DESIGN AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE CAN BE A, OH, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T, THERE, THERE ARE DECISIONS ARE MADE THAT, THAT THERE IMPACTS THAT, UH, FEELS LIKE MAYBE INPUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO, TO GET US THERE.
SO IT'S JUST A, UH, THE MANAGER AND I TALKED ABOUT A GOOD WAY TO, UH, ENSURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, AND I HEAR YOU.
I MEAN, I THINK PART, PART OF THE PROCESS IS THE TIMESCALE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE,
[00:35:01]
I MEAN, YOU CAN DO GIVE US DIRECTION, BUT WE, WE DIDN'T INTEND THAT THE NEXT TIME WE TALK ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE RIBBON CUTTING.WE, I MEAN, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT OUR INTENT.
AND, UH, WE, WE BUILT BIG PROJECTS BEFORE, NOT AS BIG AS THIS ONE, BUT I REMEMBER AT THE, AT AUSTIN BERKSHIRE, AND WE BUILT THAT, WE KEPT THE COUNCIL INFORMED IN TERMS OF WHERE WE WERE HEADED.
WE DIDN'T NEED A RESOLUTION TO TELL US HOW TO DO THAT.
AND, UH, AND WE, AND THEN IF YOU HEAR SOMETHING, 'CAUSE THEY'LL BE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE AS THE, IN THE CATHOLIC TERM, THEY'LL BE DOUBTING THOMASES ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING
AND THEN WE, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN WHAT THOSE ISSUES MIGHT BE SO THAT WE MAY BRING THEM TO QUICK RESOLUTION.
BUT THE POINT HERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TIMEFRAME IS MET SO THAT WE CAN GET ON ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF, UH, HAVING CONVENTIONS HERE IN AUSTIN, BUT ABSOLUTELY.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S, AND WE, SO WE INTEND TO FOLLOW THE MODELS FOR LARGE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
THAT SOUNDS, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL APPRECIATE.
AND JUST BY WAY OF HISTORY, JUST WHEN YOU WANT SPEAK YEAH.
JUST BY WAY OF HISTORY, WHAT'S IN, WHAT'S INTERESTING, AT LEAST FOR ME, UM, I MAY BE THE ONLY ONE INTERESTED IN THIS, BUT, UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL THAT WE'VE SPOKEN OF, THE HILTON THAT'S OWNED BY THE CITY AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, WERE GETTING READY TO TEAR DOWN.
UM, THERE WAS A POINT IN TIME WHEN WE DID BOTH THOSE AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THE REASON WE ENDED ENDED UP HAVING TO DO 'EM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME IS BECAUSE IN 19 97, 98 TIMEFRAME, EVERYONE, UH, EVERYONE WAS SAYING WE NEEDED TO DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
IT WAS, UH, A SMALL CONVENTION CENTER.
AND THE RESPONSE WAS, WELL, LET'S BUILD, LET'S DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND EVERYBODY SAID, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
YOU CAN'T DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER UNLESS YOU HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, AUSTIN DID NOT HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT AUSTIN DOWNTOWN TODAY AND ALL OF THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTELS, IT DID NOT HAVE ONE.
SO IT WAS SAID, LET'S BUILD A CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL.
AND THE RESPONSE WAS, WHOA, WHOA, YOU CAN'T DO THAT UNLESS YOU DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
OKAY, HOW ABOUT WE DO 'EM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME? AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
AND SO IT'S INTERESTING NOW TO SEE WHAT THE PREDICTIONS WERE, AND THEY ALL TURNED OUT TO BE TRUE THAT IT WOULD BRING MORE CONVENTION BUSINESS.
AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, IT, IT, WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD BRING MORE HOTELS AND OF COURSE IT'S DONE THAT INCLUDING MORE CONVENTION CENTER HOTELS, BUT IT WAS A BIG OLD PROJECT AND WE STAYED UP TO DATE.
THE COUNCIL WAS ABLE TO STAY UP TO DATE, UM, AND ON A ROUTINE BASIS.
SO, AND I KNOW THAT STAFF WILL, WILL WANT TO DO THAT WITH THIS COUNCIL MEMBER, VELA MAYOR.
THERE WAS A, THE, THE K U T PODCAST, UH, COVERS THAT, UH, BOND, UH, VOTE AND DISCUSSES, UH OH, IS THAT ALL RIGHT? THE THE DIFFERENT, UH, UH, UH, PACKAGING.
ANYWAY, IT WAS A FASCINATING, UH, DISCUSSION TO LISTEN TO IT, UH, FROM TODAY'S PERSPECTIVE.
YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK, UH, 25 YEARS OR SO, UM, I THINK THE GROWTH MACHINE THAT, THAT, THAT K U T, UH, PODCAST, A MULTI, UH, SERIES.
UH, THAT TALKS ABOUT THE, THE HISTORY OF, OF, UH, THE, A LOT OF, UH, UH, AUSTIN POLITICS, UM, JUST THE CONVENTION CENTER.
THEN SECOND AND THIRD STREET ARE GONNA CONNECT, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER ITSELF WILL BE UNDERNEATH THOSE STREETS.
IN OTHER WORDS, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S GONNA BE A GRID PATTERN ON TOP, UNDERNEATH IS JUST GONNA BE ONE HUGE KIND OF CONVENTION CENTER AREA.
IS THAT, IS THAT, UH, WHAT Y'ALL ARE IMAGINING? THAT IS CORRECT.
OUR EXHIBIT HALLS AND OUR LOADING DOCKS WILL BE COMPLETELY UNDERGROUND AND SECOND AND THIRD STREETS WILL GO ABOVE THOSE.
AND THEN THE VERTICALLY STACKED CONVENTION CENTER, THAT'S HOW WE'RE ABLE TO GET TO A LARGER FACILITY ON A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR P THREE ADVISORS, WE'LL BE COMING TO COUNCIL HERE SHORTLY WITH SOME ONE-ON-ONES, UM, TO START TO DISCUSS WITH YOU WHAT THIS P THREE OPPORTUNITY OR THIS PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY COULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, THE IDEA WOULD BE TO PUT OUT A SOLICITATION, UM, AND TO GET THEIR, TO GET THAT DEVELOPER AS WELL ON BOARD JUST AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BUILD ABOVE US IMPACTS WHAT WE'RE PUTTING IN BELOW.
UM, SO THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT WE'RE WORKING IN TANDEM THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS, UM, TO COORDINATE WHERE THOSE SYNERGIES AND WHAT THOSE EFFORTS ARE.
AND THEN AS SOON AS THE CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT, IT BUILDS THEIR EXHIBIT HALLS AND GETS TO THAT FIRST LEVEL OF, UH, FLAT GROUND THAT THE P THREE OR THE, THE PRIVATE OPPORTUNITY,
[00:40:01]
UM, COULD BEGIN IN TANDEM.SO I ENVISION THERE MAY BE SOME OVERLAP, BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE TO OPEN A CONVENTION CENTER WITH THIS PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AS CLOSE TOGETHER AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE'RE NOT OPENING A CONVENTION CENTER NEXT TO A CONSTRUCTION SITE FOR A PERIOD OF ADDITIONAL TIME.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ENDEAVORING TO DO.
AND SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE THE PRIVATE PROJECTS, UH, ABOVE THE CONVENTION CENTER WOULD OPEN AT ROUGHLY THE SAME KIND OF TIME PERIOD OF 2028? OR, UH, IS, IS, I WOULD EXPECT THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY OPEN SLIGHTLY AFTER, SLIGHTLY AFTER, YEAH.
BE IN, YEAH, I THINK THAT, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'LL BE OPENING AFT UH, A THAT IT, THAT IT'LL BE AFTER.
UH, AND ARE THE, UH, THE, THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, WOULD THOSE, AND AGAIN, I KNOW WE'RE VERY EARLY ON IN THIS, BUT WOULD THOSE BE REVENUE GENERATING FOR THE CITY? YES.
IT WOULD COME TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, AND, BUT IT, WOULD IT BE RESTRICTED THEN TO LIKE THE SAME WAY THAT KIND OF OUR HOT, UH, TAXES? UH, OR WOULD IT BE KIND OF, IN OTHER WORDS, COULD WE TRANSFER IT FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER FUND? UH, SIMILAR TO, I GUESS I THINK ABOUT THE HILTON THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK THAT I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TIMEFRAME IS, BUT UH, UM, I REMEMBER, REMEMBER IT, IT WILL, AT SOME POINT, THE BONDS WILL BE PAID OFF AND THAT REVENUE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE GENERAL USE OF THE CITY.
UH, WHICH AGAIN, I THINK GOES BACK TO THE WISDOM OF BUILDING THAT HOTEL, YOU KNOW, 20, 30 YEARS AGO, UH, THAT IT WILL SOON BE KICKING US, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME, UH, AMOUNT OF, UH, REVENUE PER YEAR.
IS THAT THE GOAL WITH THE, THE, THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS? UM, I PROBABLY WANNA ASK OUR LEGAL TEAM TO WEIGH IN ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE FUNDING.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL WITH THE, WITH THE POTENTIAL PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY CLEARLY REQUESTED BY THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO WE'RE ENDEAVORING TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WORK WITHIN THAT CONSTRAINT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NECESSARILY HAD A, A LOFTY GOAL ABOUT THE REVENUE OR, UM, KIND OF ANYTHING RELATED TO THAT.
AND REGARDLESS, THEY'LL BE PAYING PROPERTY TAXES.
AND C WHY DON'T WE, WE'LL GET DRILLED DOWN ADDITIONAL DETAIL, WE'LL GET BACK TO THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT THANK YOU AND I, UH, APPRECIATE THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, ANYTHING ELSE ON ITEMS 27 28 OR THE, UH, BRIEFING THAT WAS UNDER B ONE? GREAT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANKS FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND WE'LL SEE YOU THURSDAY MEMBERS.
THAT'LL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 38, AND I'LL CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
THIS ITEM ESTABLISHES A MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS FOR OUR CITY AND COUNTY.
SO I'M SUPER EXCITED TO SEE OUR HERE LOCALLY REJOIN THE NATIONAL NETWORK, UH, TO HAVE DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS, MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS, READY TO ASSIST IN TIMES OF DISASTER AND EMERGENCIES.
AND ESPECIALLY AS WE KNOW FROM THIS PANDEMIC, UH, WE KNOW THE NEED OF, TO HAVE THIS DEDICATED RESOURCE.
SO I WANTED TO INVITE STAFF TO COME DOWN TO ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS, UM, AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE PODIUM.
ONE PART OF THE REASON WHY I RAN FOR OFFICE WAS REALLY BECAUSE OF THE HEALTH DISPARITIES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY.
SO FOR AUSTINITES WHO LIVE EAST OF 35, WE KNOW THAT OUR LIFE EXPECTANCY IS AT LEAST 10 YEARS LESS THAN AUSTINITES, WHO LIVE WEST OF 35.
YOUR ZIP CODE REALLY DETERMINES YOUR LIFE OUTCOME IN THIS CITY.
AND SO HAVING THIS AVAILABLE, THIS MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS INITIATED, I BELIEVE, UH, IS ONE WAY TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE EXPERIENCE DISASTERS AND WE'RE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE, OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ARE NOT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED.
UH, SO DIRECTOR STUART, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS? I KNOW IT WAS IN PLACE AT ONE POINT WHERE REESTABLISHING IT NOW, UH, AND GIVE US SOME CONTEXT AS TO WHY WAS THIS NOT IN PLACE AMID THE PANDEMIC? WHY WAS THIS NOT A STRATEGY THAT WE EMPLOYED, OR DID WE TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH? GOOD MORNING, ADRIAN STIR OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, I'LL START OFF AND THEN I WILL PASS IT TO MY COLLEAGUE, UH, CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR JANET ETTE.
UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THE CITY HAS BEEN PART OF THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS, AND THEN AFTER SUBSEQUENT FUNDING CUTS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE AWARD AMOUNTS DID NOT MEET THE CITY'S THRESHOLD.
UM, SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO APPLY.
THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT THE AWARD AMOUNTS HAVE INCREASED TO THE AMOUNT THAT MEET
[00:45:01]
THE CITY'S THRESHOLD.AND SO STAFF SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION AND WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY AWARDED.
UM, MS. ETTE, DID I MISS ANYTHING? I WILL SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AS, UH, DIRECTOR STEWART MENTIONED, UH, WE DID HAVE A ACTUAL DEDICATED PLANNER BACK, I'M GONNA SAY 2003, FOUR TIMEFRAME, UM, AND FOLLOWING HURRICANES, KATRINA, RITA, GUSTAV, AND IKE.
UH, AND WHEN THE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FEDERAL FUNDS REALLY SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASED THAT, UH, THAT TOOK OUT ONE OF OUR PLANNERS THAT WE HAD, THAT MANAGED THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
AND THEN THE AWARDS FROM THE, UH, THE AGENCY FOR, UM, RESPONSE, ASPER GRANT, UM, IT, IT, THOSE FUNDS AND AWARDS DECREASED AS WELL.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS A FIRST TIME WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REAPPLY.
UM, THERE'S ALSO BEEN EMPHASIS FROM LE LESSONS LEARNED AT THE STATE LEVEL, UH, BECAUSE THE FUNDING IS PASSING THROUGH THE STATE AND THEN BEING DISPERSED TO LOCAL ENTITIES.
AND SO, UH, THEY REALLY PUSHED FOR US TO APPLY FOR IT, UM, TO KIND OF ADDRESS SOME OF THE LESSONS LEARNED DURING C O V I D AS FAR AS HAVING, UH, MEDICAL AND CLINICAL STAFF THAT COULD ASSIST IN, UH, ANY TYPE OF, UH, DISASTER RESPONSE, UH, THAT, THAT WE MAY ENCOUNTER.
ONE OF THE SUCCESSES THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE WINTER STORM MARA AFTER ACTION REPORT WAS THE UTILIZATION AND, UM, THE LEVERAGING OF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT WE HAVE HERE AT THE CITY AND IN THE COMMUNITY AS A WAY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROPERLY AND APPROPRIATELY COMMUNICATING WITH OUR PUBLIC, OUR COMMUNITY, AS TO RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AMID THE DISASTER.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WOULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THE MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS? SO ACTUALLY THEY WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT SEPARATE.
THE MEDICALS RESERVE CORPS IS JUST ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGISTRY OF MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS.
THEY COULD BE PUBLIC HEALTH VOLUNTEERS, THEY COULD BE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS THAT WANT TO SUPPORT MEDICAL RESPONSE EFFORTS.
UH, BUT WE WILL BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAM AND INITIATIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LEVERAGING ALL OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
AND, UH, LASTLY, I WOULD JUST ASK TO BE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS KEPT UP TO DATE IN THE LOOP ON ANY RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED TO CONTINUE THIS MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FEDERAL LEVEL FUNDING WAS CUT, UH, BUT I CERTAINLY WOULD WOULDN'T WANT THAT TO BE A REASON WHY WE DON'T HAVE THIS, UH, COORDINATED AND ON DECK SO THAT WHEN WE EXPERIENCE OUR NEXT DISASTER, WE HAVE THIS DEDICATED TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS READY TO GO.
AND I THINK WE'RE PRETTY CREATIVE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AS FAR AS FINDING, UM, FUNDING.
UH, WE DO HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT, WHICH DID SUPPORT THE FUNDING OF AN EMERGENCY PLANS OFFICER TO KIND OF HELP OVERSEE THAT PROCESS.
AND, UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE WILL BE USING THAT AND USING SOME OF OUR OTHER EMERGENCY PLAN PLANNING POSITIONS TO KIND OF SUPPORT THAT AND CARRY IT THROUGH, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS A STATE STATE'S VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT, UH, THAT REGISTRY OF VOLUNTEERS.
UH, IT IS PART OF OUR, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GRANT, A GRANT DELIVERABLE.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THAT EFFORT THROUGH ALL THOSE EFFORTS.
AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES FOR PULLING THIS ITEM.
UM, THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION AND FROM WHAT WE'VE SPOKE ABOUT ALREADY SUGGESTS THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN VOLUNTEER.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT PROCESS SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THEY COULD GET INVOLVED? SO, I MEAN, THEY CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO US AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND OUR PREPAREDNESS, UH, AREA, UM, IF THEY HAVE INTEREST.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK WITH, UH, THE RESILIENCY EFFORTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING RIGHT NOW.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER AVENUE TO REACH OUT TO US.
BUT, UH, I THINK SOME OF THE ORIGINAL FUND, THE INITIAL FUNDING FOR THIS WILL BE TO KIND OF ESTABLISH WHAT THAT PROCESS WILL BE AND HOW TO BEGIN TO RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS AND RECRUIT OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE EFFORT.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY WHO VERY MUCH LIKE TO VOLUNTEER, AND I'M SURE THERE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS EXPERIENCE THE SAME.
IF YOU COULD SEND OUR OFFICES THAT INFORMATION WHEN YOU GET IT, SO WE COULD PUT IT OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
YEAH, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, THAT'LL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 40, TRANSPORTATION TO PUBLIC WORKS.
I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ.
[00:50:01]
YES.I, COLLEAGUES, I PULLED THIS ITEM JUST TO, UM, DAYLIGHT.
UH, A LOT OF FOLKS HAD QUESTIONS AROUND THE INVESTMENT.
UM, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT, OTHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE, AND, UH, AND JUST TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE, THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND SOME OF IT.
AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, DIRECTOR MENDOZA FOR MEETING WITH US YESTERDAY AND, AND GIVING US A BRIEF UPDATE ON IT.
MAYOR, UH, PLEASE INTERIM ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, ROBERT.
GOOD, IF I CAN JUST SET THE STAGE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'VE, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE DEVELOPED, UH, SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO CAP, UH, 35 ACROSS DOWNTOWN.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST ONES YOU'LL LOOK AT.
THIS WOULD BE A 300 FOOT STITCH THAT'S ON YOUR AGENDA FOR THURSDAY.
WE HAVE MET WITH COUNCIL OFFICES AND WE'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS.
AND SO WHAT I WANNA THANK RICHARD MENDOZA, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, HE'S GONNA COME UP HERE IN A MINUTE AND SHOW YOU HE HAS DEVELOPED AN ALTERNATIVE THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT COUNSEL SHOULD CONSIDER.
THE WAY WE THINK THIS WOULD WORK, DEPENDING ON YOUR DIRECTION TODAY, IF THAT'S ALTERNATIVE IS, UH, SEEMS TO BE BETTER TO YOU.
WHAT WE WOULD DO IS PULL THE AGENDA ITEM FOR THURSDAY AND BRING BACK A DIFFERENT, A FFA WITH WITHOUT, WITH THAT ALTERNATIVE.
AND SO, RICHARD'S GONNA LAY OUT THE THREE ALTERNATIVES FOR YOU TODAY, AND THEN WE'LL SEEK DIRECTION FROM YOU IF WE DO.
RIGHT, MR. MENDOZA? THANK YOU, MR. GOODE.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
RICHARD MENDOZA, INTERIM DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
I'VE GOT LIKE FOUR QUICK SLIDES THAT I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH, AND THEN I'LL TAKE ANY WHATEVER QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
SO ON THIS FIRST SLIDE, WHAT WE HAVE DEPICTED ARE, UH, THREE BASIC ALTERNATIVES.
AND SO JUST TO RECAP, ITEM 40, YOU KNOW, SEEKS AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO AN ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
PLEASE, PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO TDOT'S BEEN WORKING WITH CITY STAFF AND HAVE IDENTIFIED THE WOODLAND AVENUE CROSSING AS A POTENTIAL, UH, CAP ANDIT LOCATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH COUNCIL COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT THEY RECEIVED EARLIER THIS YEAR TO EXPLORE COVERING AS MUCH OF THE LOWERED I 35 CAPEX PROJECT AS POSSIBLE.
UH, THIS IS THE FIRST, UH, SO THE TEX I 35 CAPITAL PROJECT WILL ELIMINATE THE, UH, EXISTING WOODLAND AVENUE VEHICLE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSING AT 35.
THEY DO RECOGNIZE, HOWEVER, THE NEED TO RESTORE THE BIKE PED CROSSING, AND HAVE PROPOSED AS A BASE PROJECT AT NO COST TO THE CITY OF THIS CONCEPTUAL 75 FOOT WIDE CROSSING.
AS SHOWN ON THE SLIDE, UH, WE HAVE COMMENTED ON THIS PROPOSAL AND WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED COMMUNITY IMPACT THAT WE'VE EXPRESSED CONCERN WITH THIS CONCEPT, PARTICULARLY THE MISALIGNMENT OF THE NETWORK AND THE TUNNEL TUNNELS ARE NOT INHERENTLY, UH, PROVIDE A SAFE FEELING FOR BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN USERS.
AND SO WHAT CITY STAFF IN TXDOT HAVE WORKED TOGETHER ON, AND WHAT'S BEFORE YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ON THURSDAY IS THIS CONCEPT.
IT WAS DEVELOPED BY CITY STAFF IN TDOT.
IT PROVIDES AN ENHANCED CROSSING AND PUBLIC SPACE DECK STRUCTURE AT I 35.
AND IT PROVIDES AN ALIGNED, DIRECTLY ALIGNED BIKE AND PED CROSSING AS WELL AS THAT 300 FOOT URBAN SPACE.
SO THE CITY'S COST SHARE FOR THIS CONCEPT AND ALTERNATIVE IS AROUND $14.2 MILLION, BUT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY SURFACE AMENITIES.
IT ALSO INCLUDES A TUNNEL, WHICH, UH, COMMUNITY AND STAFF HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN WITH.
AND THAT'S PRIMARILY JUST TO PROVIDE A THIRD POINT OF INGRESS AND EGRESS IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY SITUATION ON THAT DECK.
SO THIS IS A MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE AND IT'S A RECENT DEVELOPMENT WITH CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN MYSELF, MY STAFF, AND UH, TDO LEADERSHIP.
THIS MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE IS BASICALLY, IT SHRINKS THE 300 FOOT DECK STRUCTURE TO AROUND 75 FEET.
IT MAINTAINS THE DIRECT ALIGNMENT SOUGHT FOR THE BIKE PED CROSSING, AND THE BIKE PED NETWORK ADJACENT OF THIS WOODLAND CROSSING IS ON THE COMPREHENSIVE BIKE AND PED PLANS.
AND TXDOT WOULD CONSTRUCT THIS CONCEPT, UH, AT THEIR COSTS.
HOWEVER, THE CITY MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR UP TO $2 MILLION OF COST FOR DESIGN.
AND IF THERE'S ANY RESIDUAL MONIES AFTER THAT, THEY COULD BE POTENTIALLY APPLIED TO AMENITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS ON TOP SHADE STRUCTURES, DRINKING FOUNTAINS OF THAT SORT OF THING.
THINK OF IT LIKE, UH, THE, THE, UH, UH, PERNA, UH, PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE CROSSING, INFLATED BIRD LIKE.
[00:55:01]
COACH, IT'D BE QUICK.SO MEMBERS, WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T VOTE ON ANYTHING, BUT WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION SO THAT STAFF GETS A FEEL AS, AS MR. GOODE INDICATED, STAFF GETS A FEEL FOR WHERE THE COUNCIL MIGHT BE FOR DETERMINATIONS ABOUT WHAT WE DO ON THURSDAY.
I THINK WHAT, WHAT HE WAS SUGGESTING AND RECOMMENDING, AND IF I SAY THIS WRONG, DON'T HESITATE TO JUMP UP, BUT IF, IF WHAT'S POSTED FOR THURSDAY IS NOT THE SENSE OF THE, THE, THAT STAFF GETS FROM THE COUNCIL AS WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, THEN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THEY WOULD PULL THE ITEM ON THURSDAY AND BRING US BACK SOMETHING THAT'S MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT THEY HEAR IS THE DISCUSSION OF THIS WORK SESSION.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL GO BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, AND THEN I'LL GO TO THE MAYOR PRO TIP.
AND, AND, UH, JUST TO, JUST TO CLARIFY, THE, THE, UM, INVESTMENT FOR THE 230 EXTRA FEET WOULD BE $15 MILLION OR NOT TO EXCEED $15 MILLION.
THERE'S SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS THAT WOULD BE, UH, OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR IT.
AND THAT, AND THAT STILL REQUIRED, THAT WOULD STILL HAVE THE TUNNEL IN IT THOUGH, CORRECT? YES, IT WOULD.
AND THEN THE MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE THAT, THAT YOU AND I SPOKE ABOUT, UH, IT'S UP TO $2 MILLION, BUT IS IN DIRECT ALIGNMENT WITH, WITH THE, UM, WITH THE ROUTE, WITH THE BIKING ROUTE HEAD ROUTE? IT IS.
IT ALSO IS GRADE SEPARATED, SO THERE'S NO PEDESTRIAN BIKES HAPPEN TO CROSS ACTUAL VEHICLE TRAFFIC SAY ON THE ACCESS ROADS.
MAYOR PRO TIM, THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION, MAYOR.
UM, MY INITIAL CONCERN WITH THIS, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS OFFLINE, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
UM, MY INITIAL CONCERN WAS USING MONEY FROM THE 2020 ACTIVE MOBILITY BOND, UH, MOSTLY BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY A BICYCLE CONNECTION ACROSS THE HIGHWAY HERE UNDERNEATH THE HIGHWAY.
AND SO WE STARTED ASKING, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OTHER POTS OF MONEY AVAILABLE FOR THIS? UM, SIMILARLY TO THE WAY THAT WE HAD JUST APPROVED THE CESAR CHAVEZ TO FOURTH STREET, UM, APPLICATION GRANT FOR FEDERAL MATCH.
UM, SO WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IS THIS THE RIGHT PLACE TO GO TO, TO FIND THE LOCAL MATCH AND THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US.
UM, AND THEN WE STARTED KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THE SCHEMATIC ITSELF AND UNDERSTANDING THE, OUR FUTURE 35 PLANNING PROCESS THAT'S GOING ON.
SO WE STARTED KIND OF PULLING AT THE THREAD AS WELL AND SEEING, DOES IT NEED TO BE 300 FEET? ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS? WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY THAT'S GONNA USE THIS ASKING TO SEE HERE? UM, SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TALK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS OF GOING BACK AND TRYING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THAT RIGHT SCHEMATIC AND WHAT'S THE RIGHT LOCAL MATCH IF WE NEED TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THIS.
SO I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ PULLING THIS AND LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE CONVERSATIONS.
AND THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR PULLING THE ITEM.
AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR MENDOZA FOR BEING HERE.
UM, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH STAFF TIME OR COST HAS BEEN INVESTED IN THIS PROJECT TO DATE? THAT'S PROBABLY A PRETTY BIG QUESTION.
HOW MUCH STAFF TIME OR, UM, COST HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TO DATE? UH, I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER OF THE STAFF, UH, COST.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS WITH THEM MORE INTENSIVELY OVER THIS PAST SUMMER, GIVEN TDOT'S SCHEDULE.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO FINAL DESIGN NOW, AND THIS IS THE INITIAL PHASE.
UH, IF I HAD TO GUESS, PROBABLY ON UPWARDS OF, OF COUPLE HUNDRED HOURS OF STAFF TIME.
AND, AND BY CHANGING THE PROJECT IN ANY WAY, WILL THAT, HOW WILL THAT IMPACT THE, THE PROJECT ITSELF? IT WILL NOT IMPACT THE SCHEDULE.
IT WILL BE REDUCED CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
THERE WILL BE SOME REDESIGN COSTS ASSOCIATED THOUGH.
MR. VELA? THANK YOU, UH, DIRECTOR MENDOZA.
I, UH, APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION, APPRECIATE THE REDESIGN.
I'M HONESTLY, IT LOOKS, UH, I THINK WE GET THE BENEFITS, UH, WHILE, UH, SAVING A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY AND, AND, AND JUST A HANDFUL OF, OF QUESTIONS.
AND THIS IS, WE'RE HAVING SIMILAR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE STITCH AT 51ST STREET WITH, UH, WITH MY CONSTITUENTS IN WINDSOR PARK AND, AND, UH, THE, UH, RIDGETOP, UH, AREAS THERE.
UM, AND ARE THERE OTHER EXAMPLES OF, OF STITCHES THAT, THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE USED? UH, AND AGAIN, I THINK ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, DALLAS AND THE, THE GLAD WARREN, UH, UH, PARKWAY, AND THEN THE, THE, THE SOUTHERN, UH, UH, GATEWAY, THE, UH, PARK THAT THEY'RE A BUILDING.
THOSE ARE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER.
YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, I THINK ABOUT, I THINK THE CLOUD ONE IS ABOUT A QUARTER MILE LONG.
UH, AND I THINK THE, THE ONE THERE BY THE ZOO, UH, IS, IS IN, IS SIMILAR KIND OF IN SCOPE, BUT ARE THERE OTHER EXAMPLES OF KIND OF LIKE STITCHES THAT, THAT, UH, IN OTHER CITIES THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, ACTIVATED, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT KIND OF VISUALIZE SOMETHING TO KIND OF DRAW FROM? LIKE,
[01:00:01]
THE ONE THAT COMES TO MY MIND REAL READILY, AND IT'S REALLY AKIN TO LIKE A LAND BRIDGE.AND THERE'S A FEW EXAMPLES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
THE ONE I'M MOST FAMILIAR WITH IS THE HARBURGER BRIDGE, LAND BRIDGE IN SAN ANTONIO.
OH, IT MIGHT BE 300 FEET MM-HMM.
BUT, UM, AND THAT'S THE ONE CONNECTING, UH, BRECKENRIDGE, UH, PARK RIGHT FROM IT'S HARBERGER PARK.
IT'S THE NORTH SECTION, I BELIEVE.
WHAT, THE SOUTH SECTION IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, IT'S GOT A NATURAL AREA MM-HMM.
IT WAS BUILT TO PROVIDE A SAFE CROSSING FOR WILDLIFE YEAH.
BUT RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, THAT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT COMES TO MIND.
THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE, SPECIFICALLY.
THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE, ACTUALLY.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN VERY POPULAR IN SAN ANTONIO.
THIS IS A, A VERY URBAN SETTING, AND LIKE YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT'S, UH, UH, BUT, UH, BUT, UH, APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, AND JUST A, YOU KNOW, A QUICK COMMENT ON THE, UH, UH, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THIS VERY SAME DISCUSSION IS HAPPENING ON, ON, UH, ON 51ST STREET.
THERE'S A PROPOSED ABOUT A 1.25 ACRE, UH, STITCH THAT IS PROPOSED FOR, UH, THE NORTH SIDE OF 51ST STREET AT A COST OF ABOUT, UH, $11 MILLION OR SO FROM THE, FROM THE TEXTILE, UH, RENDERINGS.
AND, UH, I'VE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO ENGAGE MY CONSTITUENTS ON THAT, UH, WITH REGARD TO, YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING WE WANT, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE A COMMUNITY BENEFIT? WHAT DO FOLKS THINK ABOUT IT? UM, AND I, THERE'S A REAL MIX OF, UM, YOU KNOW, OF, UH, OF OPINIONS, UH, ABOUT THAT.
I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, JUST LOOKING AT KIND OF THE OPPORTUNITY COSTS IN TERMS OF THE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR THESE, OBVIOUSLY THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT, THAT ARE COMING FROM, YOU KNOW, OTHER SOURCES AND, AND THAT OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA BE, UH, DELAYED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, MY SENSE IS WHAT THE FOLKS IN DISTRICT FOUR AND IN THAT AREA REALLY WANT IS HIGH QUALITY INTERCONNECTIVITY BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE IN, UH, WINDSOR PARK TO GET OVER ACROSS THE HIGHWAY TO THE NORTH LOOP AREA, OR TO HYDE PARK, OR, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE AREA.
UH, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE THE NUMBER ONE REQUEST FROM THE, THE FOLKS THAT, THAT, THAT I'M HEARING FROM.
NOT SO MUCH NECESSARILY LIKE A KIND OF A SMALL KIND OF PARK ABOVE THE, OR A PUBLIC SPACE ABOVE THE HIGHWAY, BUT MORE A REALLY HIGH QUALITY, UM, YOU KNOW, CONNECTION.
AND I THINK THE STAFF REDESIGN ON THE, ON THE WOODLAND AVENUE, I, I THINK THAT, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, GETS US THERE.
UH, SO ANYWAY, APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE REDESIGN, UH, APPRECIATE THE, THE POTENTIAL SAVINGS THAT THAT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE FINDING.
AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING KIND OF THE SIMILAR CONCEPT ON THE, ON THE 51ST STREET CROSSING, UH, DOWN THE ROAD.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
AND I APOLOGIZE, I SKIPPED OVER YOU.
IT, IT GAVE ME A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TO GATHER MY THOUGHTS EVEN MORE COMPLETELY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I, UH, AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE TALKING IN SUPPORT OF THE RE UH, THAT THE NARROWING DOWN OF THE, THE CROSSING, UH, AT WOODLAND, IT'S MORE ALIGNED.
WE GET RID OF THE TUNNEL, WHICH CAN BE, UH, KIND OF SCARY.
UM, AND THE COST SAVINGS ARE ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT, IN PARTICULAR, AS WE LOOK AT THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE.
AND COST SAVINGS HERE MAY HELP US BE ABLE TO AFFORD FOR SOMETHING ELSEWHERE.
AND WE MAY FIND SIMILAR KIND OF, UM, UH, CHANGES AND ADJUSTMENTS UP, UH, IN DISTRICT FOUR AT THAT CROSSING.
I AGREE THAT THE DIRECT CROSSING, PARTICULARLY NORTH IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, TO SHORTEN THAT CROSSING.
I, I FOLLOW, THERE'S A VIDEO OUT THERE THAT SHOWS HOW YOU GO FROM EAST TO WEST, UM, AROUND THE AIRPORT, UH, INTERCHANGE.
AND, UH, IT ADDS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL DISTANCE, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE ABOUT 10 MILES BY THE TIME THAT VIDEO IS DONE TO GET FROM EAST TO WEST OR WEST TO EAST.
UH, AND ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO MAKE THAT SIMPLER AND MORE ELEGANT, I WOULD SUPPORT.
AND I REALLY LIKE SAVING THE, THE MONEY FROM OUR REVENUES TO DIRECT THEM ELSEWHERE, UH, FOR OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE OF, UH, REALLY OF HIGH IMPORTANCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF US, UH, PULLING, POSTPONING THIS ON THURSDAY AND COMING BACK WITH A UPDATED PROPOSAL FROM STAFF AT A, AT
[01:05:01]
A FUTURE TIME.UH, THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR THE CONVERSATION ON THIS TOPIC.
UH, CERTAINLY IN MY MEETING WITH DIRECTOR MENDOZA, I LEARNED THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS PRETTY EVENLY SPLIT ON PRIORITIZING THIS AS AN EXTENDED CONNECTION.
UH, AND WHILE I SUPPORT WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HERE ARE SHARING IN THEIR SUPPORT OF HAVING IT NARROWED DOWN TO SAVE COSTS FOR OTHER PROJECTS, WHAT I HOPE DOESN'T GET LOST IS THE NEED TO INVEST IN SOUTH AUSTIN AND AREAS SOUTH OF THE RIVER.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE PUTTING A LOT OF ATTENTION IN OUR DOWNTOWN AREA, RIGHTFULLY SO, BUT WHAT I HATE IS THAT WE LOSE FOCUS.
THAT A LOT OF THE GROWTH THAT IS HAPPENING IS IN AUSTIN, IS HAPPENING SOUTH.
AND I REALLY WOULD WANT US TO BE THOUGHTFUL IN HOW WE THINK ABOUT WHAT OTHER PROJECTS WE DECIDE TO FUND, AND THAT WE'RE EQUITABLE IN THAT DISTRIBUTION OF PROJECTS.
I SUPPORT THE MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE.
I KNOW IT WAS, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SPLIT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WANTING IT.
UM, BUT I, I JUST DON'T WANT US TO LOSE FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WHERE WE ALLOCATE RESOURCES WITH THIS PROJECT.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
WE BOTH HAVE DISTRICTS THAT ARE PRETTY FAR AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF THE, THE CENTER OF THE CITY.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW THESE PROJECTS ARE PRIORITIZED SO THAT WE COULD BRING FURTHER CLARITY TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A POTENTIAL OF UP TO 30 ACRES OF, OF COVERING OF I 35.
THAT PRIORITIZATION IS STILL IN PROCESS.
THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS STILL IN PROCESS, AND CERTAINLY HOW WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR IT,
SO, UM, THAT, THAT WILL BECOME CLEAR AS WE GET THROUGH THE PROCESS OF FUNDING STRATEGIES, UM, REMAINING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UM, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, RECENT INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FROM COUNCIL IN TERMS OF WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN THAT ASSET.
IS IT MORE URBAN SPACE? IS IT CONNECTIVITY? UH, ALL THAT WILL COME TO BEAR AS WE ARRIVE AT THE FINAL, UH, PORTFOLIO OF CAPTAINS DITCH OPPORTUNITIES.
ANYONE ELSE? IT'S COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
AND JUST IN RESPONSE TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE, UH, I, UH, HAVE SPOKEN TO TDO TO TUCK FERGUSON OF VARIOUS TIMES.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THANKFULLY THE, THE NORTHERN SECTION, WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE THE SECOND PHASE OF IT, AND THEY'VE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT.
IN PARTICULAR, THAT AIRPORT CROSSING WHERE THE TRAIN CROSSES ALSO.
AND THERE'S A LOT, IT'S GONNA BE A COMPLEX INTERACTION OF A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE, UH, THEY'VE COMMITTED TO, UH, TO TURNING THAT INTO A, YOU KNOW, A BETTER, A BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING.
I WILL, JUST TO THROW ONE MORE THING THAT I'VE ALSO DISCUSSED WITH, UH, WITH, UH, UH, TDOT IS, UM, A CROSSING THERE AT, UM, ESSENTIALLY WHERE THE MUELLER TRAIL, PHILOMENA STREET, KIND OF DEAD ENDS THERE RIGHT AT THE HIGHWAY, AND THERE'S A TRAIL THAT GOES RIGHT UP TO THE HIGHWAY.
UH, IT WOULD PROVIDE A REALLY GOOD POINT OF EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY IF WE COULD GET SOMETHING THERE, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO A 51ST STREET CROSSING, THEN AN AIRPORT CROSSING, IF WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY A, A PEDESTRIAN AND, AND BICYCLE CROSSING, UH, AT, AT THAT POINT.
UH, I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, A VERY, UH, POSITIVE FOR CONNECTIVITY.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, I MEAN, I, I, I KNOW THAT, AGAIN, THERE'S STILL SOME CHANGES GOING ON, BUT THAT ENTIRE, UH, INTERSECTION THERE OF, OF AIRPORT KIND OF 46 AND I 35 IS GONNA, YOU KNOW, LOOK SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT.
SO I THINK THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO CREATE A, ESPECIALLY FOR THE FOLKS LIVING IN MUELLER, YOU KNOW, UH, WE WANT TO GET THEM OVER ON BIKES AND, AND, AND WALKING OVER TO, YOU KNOW, HYDE PARK AND, AND ALL THE, THE BEAUTIFUL AMENITIES THAT WE HAVE IN, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TOO.
SO, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH TEXDOT AND, UH, AND TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS ON, ON THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE BETTER ALIGNED CROSSING THAT CITY STAFF HAS ORDERED TODAY.
UH, BUT ALL IN ALL, I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE ONE-OFF NATURE.
UH, WE ARE MAKING THESE DECISIONS ABOUT CAPS AND STITCHES FOR THIS HIGHWAY.
UH, THIS, THIS PROCESS IS A SUREFIRE WAY TO ERO AWAY COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND ENSURE WE ONLY GET A 22 LANE HIGHWAY.
UH, I KNOW TDOT IS READY TO GO, UH, WHEN THEY CERTIFIED THEIR PROJECT IN AUGUST.
UH, BUT TWO MONTHS IS NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR US, UH, TO FIND REAL FUNDING FOR THESE CAPS.
UH, I THINK WE NEED A REAL NEGOTIATION PROCESS, UH, BETWEEN THIS DAIS, UH, AND TECH.TO BUILD A REALISTIC TIMELINE, UH, AND AGREEMENT ON COST SHARE.
UH, AND I REALLY WANT TO, I KNOW MY STAFF MYSELF, I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS ON THIS DAAS, UH, WHO HAVE WORKED ON THIS, REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE GET THIS DONE AND GET THIS DONE RIGHT, UH, AND, AND COLLABORATE WHERE WE CAN AND INDUSTRY TO BRING AS MANY PEOPLE IN AS POSSIBLE.
SO, I, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
I APPRECIATE THE, THE PRESENTATION HERE.
UH, BUT THOSE, THOSE WERE JUST SOME OF MY THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS.
ANYONE ELSE ON THIS ITEM? THANK YOU, MR. MENDOZA.
[01:10:01]
UH, I THINK YOU PROBABLY HAVE GUIDANCE, UM, GOING FORWARD.THAT'LL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 45, AND I'LL RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TIM.
I WENT AHEAD AND PROACTIVELY PULLED THIS JUST SO I COULD LAY IT OUT FOR MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, AT OUR LAST MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEETING, WE ADOPTED, UM, THIS RESOLUTION TO SEND TO THE FULL COUNCIL, AND IT LIES MOSTLY IN THE CONVERSATION AROUND AIR QUALITY, UH, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, AND OTHER SORTS OF, UM, EMISSION REDUCTION PLANNING THAT ARE HAPPENING.
SO, CAMPO RECENTLY, UM, KICKED OFF A PROCESS TO DO SOME, DON'T WANNA GET THE NAME WRONG, REGIONAL MOBILE EMISSION REDUCTION PLAN.
AND THIS IS FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON HOW PEOPLE GET AROUND TOWN.
THERE'S ALSO AN AUSTIN M S A CLIMATE PLAN.
SO FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, IT'S NO SECRET THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.
UM, WE ARE SEEING, UH, TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, TOO MANY SERIOUS, SERIOUS INCIDENTS THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S ICE AND SNOW, WHETHER IT COULD BE WILDFIRE RISK, WHETHER IT'S FLOODING THAT WE KNOW HAS IMPACTED OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THE CONVERSATION AROUND OUR COMMUTES AND OUR CLIMATE IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO THIS RESOLUTION BRINGS ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THESE EMISSION REDUCTION PLANS THAT ARE JUST NOW KICKING OFF.
AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THIS PROJECT IS BEING MINDFUL OF THE OUTCOMES OF THOSE TYPES OF STRATEGIES AND THOSE COLLABORATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING REGIONALLY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PULL IT, UM, SINCE IT CAME OUT OF A COMMITTEE AND DAYLIGHT WHERE THE CONVERSATION CAME FROM.
SO I HOPE COUNCIL CAN SUPPORT, UM, AN INITIATIVE THAT IS MEANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROTECTING OUR CLIMATE.
UM, THE E P A IS CURRENTLY LOOKING AT LOWERING ITS NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE CLEAN AND HEALTHIER BREATHING AIR.
UM, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROJECT IS IN LINE WITH THOSE EFFORTS AND APPRECIATE, UM, THE SUPPORT OF THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE THAT, UM, HAS PROPOSED THIS.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE, WE TYPICALLY DO IT, WE'LL TAKE UP A CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, ITEMS FROM COMMITTEES ARE NON-CONSENT ITEMS AUTOMATICALLY.
SO WHAT, UH, I ANTICIPATE WE'LL DO ON THURSDAY, AND I'LL LAY IT OUT IN THE, THE WAY I TYPICALLY DO ON A MESSAGE BOARD, UH, SOMETIME TOMORROW, BUT I'LL ALSO ANNOUNCE IT ON THE DAIS.
BUT TYPICALLY, THE WAY WE WILL, WHAT WE, I ANTICIPATE WE'RE GONNA DO, UNLESS SOMETHING WEIRD HAPPENS BETWEEN NOW AND THEN THAT I'M NOT ANTICIPATING, IS THAT TYPICALLY WE HAVE A, UH, THE, THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION AT 10 30, WE DON'T HAVE ANY ITEMS FROM AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
SO WHAT I ANTICIPATE WILL HAPPEN IS WE WILL TAKE UP THE CONSENT ITEMS, CONSENT SPEAKERS, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO SPEAK ON ITEM 45, THEY CAN SPEAK AT THE TIME, THE CONSENT SPEAKERS, WHICH IS WHAT I ALWAYS TRY TO DO.
BUT THEN WE WILL GO TO THE NON-CONSENT ITEMS IMMEDIATELY AFTER.
AND THAT, SO THAT MEANS IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO SPEAK ON THIS AT THE TIME IT'S BROUGHT UP, IT WOULD BE BROUGHT UP WHEN I TYPICALLY WOULD BE RECOGNIZING, UH, A H F C ITEMS. SO, JUST SO THAT PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS AND WANT TO KNOW WHAT TIME WE MIGHT BRING SOMETHING UP.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ITEM? MAYOR PRO TIM? THANK YOU MEMBERS.
THAT'LL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 76, UH, THAT WAS, UH, ESSENTIALLY PULLED BY THE, UH, COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON, UH, LOOKING AT A FIRM, A, A NATIONAL SEARCH FIRM TO HELP WITH THE NATIONAL SEARCH OF THE CITY MANAGER.
AND IF WITH WITH PERMISSION OF THE COUNCIL, I'LL KIND OF LAY OUT AND, AND THE PERMISSION OF THAT GROUP.
UH, BY THE WAY, THAT GROUP, UM, IS THE MAYOR PRO TIM.
UH, IT IS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELA ALONG WITH ME, AND I'LL JUST KIND OF WALK THROUGH SOME OF WHAT WE'VE DONE.
WE'RE, WE'RE PLEASED, UH, TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL OF, UH, MOSAIC PUBLIC PARTNERS.
IT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA FOR, UH, THURSDAY, BUT LET ME JUST, UH, BEAR WITH ME AND I'LL, I'LL MENTION JUST A FEW THINGS SO THAT, UH, BEFORE WE DO DO THAT, WE WANTED TO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT IT IN ADVANCE.
UM, WE WORKED WITH OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN, IN PROCUREMENT.
UM, I SEE YOLANDA MILLER IS OUT THERE, AND SHE WAS A, A HELP TO US THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
THE R F Q FOR A SEARCH FIRM, AGAIN, A NATIONAL SEARCH FIRM TO HELP US PICK, TO DO A NATIONAL SEARCH FOR A CITY MANAGER, WAS ISSUED ON JULY 17TH.
UH, JUST SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW, THE COMMITTEE, UH, SIGNED OFF ON THE R F Q BEFORE IT WENT OUT.
IT WAS, IT WAS LOOKED AT THAT CLOSED ON AUGUST 14TH.
UH, THE WAY WE DID THIS IS THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS EACH REVIEWED AND EVALUATED INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER, UH, THE RESPONSES THAT
[01:15:01]
WE HAD RECEIVED.AND WE, IN THREE BIG AREAS, OR THREE GENERAL PILLARS, THE COMPANY'S QUALIFICATIONS, THE SEARCH FIRM'S QUALIFICATIONS, INCLUDING THEIR EXPERIENCE AND THEIR CAPACITY, OR ITS EXPERIENCE AND CAPACITY.
SECOND WAS KEY PERSONNEL, WHO IT WAS THAT THEY WERE SAYING WOULD BE THE PEOPLE THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING WITH AND WOULD BE DOING THE SEARCH FOR US, THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THOSE PEOPLE, AND THE, THE EXPERIENCE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
AND THIRD WAS CUSTOMER REFERENCES.
ONCE THAT WAS DONE AND THAT INFORM, AND WE, THAT INFORMATION WAS COMPLETED BY EACH OF US, WE THEN CAME TOGETHER AS A GROUP, AND WE WENT THROUGH THIS AS A GROUP.
UM, AND IN, AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, IN A VIGOROUS, UH, GOOD DISCUSSION AND GOOD FASHION, YOU WOULD BE PLEASED WITH THAT.
THEN IT WAS NARROWED BY THE COMMITTEE TO A, WE SCORED IT DOWN TO FOUR FIRMS. UH, WE THEN WORKED WITH, UM, UH, MS. MILLER, AND WE COORDINATED SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE INTERVIEWS WITH EACH OF THOSE FOUR FIRMS. UH, IT WORKED OUT WELL, UH, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO INTERVIEW THREE OF THOSE FIRMS IN PERSON HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, AND VISIT WITH THEM.
AND, UH, ALL BUT ONE, WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT IN PERSON ONE.
THERE WAS SOME DIFFICULTY, UH, UH, NOT, IT WAS JUST, IT WAS JUST TIMING, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO, WE, WE WERE TRYING TO DO THINGS IN A TIMEFRAME, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO INTERVIEW THAT FIRM, UH, VIRTUALLY.
AND, AND, UH, WE WERE, UH, THAT WORKED OUT FINE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW, IS WE SUBMITTED TO EACH OF THE FOUR QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED THEM TO BUILD INTO THEIR PRESENTATION TO US IN HOPES THAT, THAT WAY EVERYBODY WOULD ANSWER ROUGHLY THE SAME QUESTIONS.
AND, AND I'LL JUST SHARE WITH YOU WHAT IT WAS.
AND, AND ALSO GAVE THEM TIME TO DO OTHER THINGS THEY WANTED TO DO AS PART OF THEIR DOG AND PONY SHOW TO US.
BUT, UM, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE COVERED CERTAIN THINGS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT SPECIFIC EXPERIENCES DO YOU HAVE HELPING SELECT CITY MANAGERS? WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU BRING TO THIS SEARCH? DISCUSS THE SIZE OF THE CITIES.
WHAT DIFFICULTIES DO YOU SEE FOR AUSTIN IN SELECTING THE NEXT MANAGER? UH, AUSTIN IS UNIQUE IN ITS DESIRE FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND TRANSPARENCY.
LAST MANAGER SEARCH WILL IMPACT THIS SEARCH BECAUSE OF THE EFFORTS MADE TO CONCEAL THE IDENTITY OF CANDIDATES.
SHARE YOUR VIEWS, HOW WE CAN BEST ACHIEVE AN OPEN PROCESS AND GET HIGH QUALITY CANDIDATES.
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT OUTLINE FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT OUTLINE FOR RECRUITMENT OF PEOPLE, AND HOW DO YOU ASSURE WE WILL HAVE A DIVERSE POOL OF CANDIDATES? WHAT ARE YOUR FIRM'S GREATEST STRENGTHS, AND WHAT DO YOU SEE AS POTENTIAL WEAKNESSES TO FULFILLING THIS SEARCH? THOSE WERE THE KINDS OF THINGS WE SAID.
WE WANT ALL OF THEM TO BUILD INTO, UH, THEIR PRESENTATION.
AND I WILL TELL YOU IN MY VIEW, YOU CAN ASK OTHER MEMBERS, BUT I THINK I'M SPEAKING FOR EVERYBODY.
TWO OF THEM DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF THAT, AND TWO OF THEM, UM, DIDN'T SO MUCH.
UM, AS WE, UH, OF COURSE INTERVIEWED THEM, WE ALSO ASKED ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
AND AT THE END OF, AT THE END OF THAT PROCESS, TWO FIRMS STOOD OUT.
BOTH OF THEM WERE NATIONAL FIRMS. UH, WE ASKED AND, AND RECEIVED REFERENCES ON THOSE.
WE DID REFERENCE CHECKS ON THE TWO OF THEM.
WE SENT ANOTHER QUESTION TO BOTH OF THEM AND RECEIVED REALLY DETAILED REPLIES FROM THEM, BOTH RELATED TO HOW THEY WOULD, UH, INITIATE THE PROCESS FOR PEOPLE.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION, AND THAT LED US TO RECOMMENDING, UH, MOSAIC PUBLIC PARTNERS.
UH, THE, THE PRINCIPLES OF, OF MOSAIC HAVE SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND, AND DOING SEARCHES FOR DIFFERENT POSITIONS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, THE PRINCIPLES HAVE COMMITTED THAT THEY WILL LEAD THIS SEARCH.
IN OTHER WORDS, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GET THE, THE, THE PEOPLE WE ACTUALLY TALK TO AND THE, THE TOP PEOPLE, AND THEY HAVE COMMITTED THAT THIS WILL BE THEIR PRIMARY EFFORT.
THEY WILL, UH, NOT BE TAKEN ON ANOTHER BIG CITY SEARCH LIKE THIS.
UH, THIS WILL BE THEIR PRIORITY.
THEY'VE ALSO INDICATED THAT THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER GETS TO KNOW THEM.
UH, THEY WILL MEET WITH EACH OF YOU IN, IF THEY'RE SELECTED, THEY WILL MEET WITH EACH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY TO GET YOUR POINT OF VIEW, GET YOUR CHARACTERISTICS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, AND ONE OF THE OTHER INTERESTING, AND ONE OF THE WINNING POINTS, I THINK FOR THIS WAS THEIR, UH, WILLINGNESS
[01:20:01]
TO MAKE ACCESS TO DATA.A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS FOR EACH MEMBER, THEY HAVE A, A SEARCH SOFTWARE PLATFORM THAT PROVIDES A CLIENT PORTAL THAT, UH, DOESN'T APPEAR THAT OTHERS DO THIS, WHICH WILL GIVE US A 360 DEGREE VIEW OF ALL OF THE ELEMENTS.
UM, AND IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WANT TO BE A HIGH PART OF THE, A PARTNERSHIP AND TRANSPARENCY.
THE GROUP THAT'S MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL IS IMPRESSED WITH THEIR COMMITMENT TO, UH, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WAS, UH, IMPORTANT.
AND IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM BECAUSE THEIR VERY INITIAL RESPONSES FOCUSED ON THAT, UH, DEEP COMMITMENT.
WE WERE IMPRESSED WITH THEIR COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY AND IMPRESSED WITH THEIR COMMITMENT TO INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY AND SUCCESS THAT THEY HAD SHOWN IN THE PAST, INCLUDING IN AUSTIN, I MIGHT ADD, WITH, UM, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
UH, THE COST IS IN YOUR BACKUP.
UH, THE CONTRACTOR FEES ARE ESTIMATED TO BE AT $75,000 WORKING WITH PURCHASING.
UH, WE ARE ESTIMATING THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL $75,000 FOR, UH, EXPENSES AND FOR WHEN, UH, WE GET DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE IN TO BE, UH, MET WITH THE POTENTIAL CITY MANAGERS, THE COST OF THAT.
SO THIS WOULD BE FOR A TOTAL EXPENDITURE AUTHORIZATION NOT TO EXCEED $150,000.
AND AGAIN, THAT THAT INCLUDES THE CONTRACTORS RELATED EXPENSES AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH CANDIDATE TRAVEL, UH, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTS THAT WE WOULD HAVE AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS RELATED TO, TO THIS EFFORT.
THE ONE OTHER THING THAT I WILL MENTION, AND THEN I'LL BE QUIET, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL THE DETAILS OF THIS, IS THAT, UM, THE COUNCIL'S POSITION, AND I THINK IN EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN APPROPRIATE IN SUGGESTING THAT, UH, THIS IS A BIG, BIG, BIG DECISION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST DECISIONS THAT WE WILL TAKE ON AS A GROUP AND AS A COUNCIL.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE TAKE THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME, AND WE DON'T LIMIT OURSELVES.
I KNOW THAT IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT GETS MENTIONED IN, IN PRETTY MUCH EVERY STORY ABOUT SEARCHING FOR A MANAGER.
WHEN WILL WE HAVE THE MANAGER? AND PEOPLE WANT THAT IN, IN SOME SORT OF DEFINITIVE, UH, DETERMINATION.
WE'VE GIVEN OURSELVES PLENTY OF TIME TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OTHER ITEMS SUCH AS WHETHER THIS, THIS PROCESS TAKES A WHILE AND WE END UP IN A BUDGET TIME, AND WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO BUDGET.
BUT I WILL TELL THE COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF, OF ALL OF US THAT ARE MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION, THAT, UH, THE KEY MILESTONES THAT THEY HAVE PUT OUT AS POTENTIAL, UH, THAT, THAT THIS FIRM PUTS OUT, AND BY THE WAY, IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER MAJOR FIRMS WE TALKED TO, WOULD BE THAT IT WOULD BE ABOUT 12 TO 17 WEEKS TO GET TO THE POINT OF PERHAPS MAKING AN OFFER.
AND THEN THE WAY THEY LOOK AT IT IS ANOTHER 30 TO 60 DAYS FOR NO, SOMEBODY TO GIVE NOTICE AND TO DO TRANSITION.
SO A TOTAL OF AROUND 16 TO 21 WEEKS IS THE WAY THEY CALCULATE IT.
I WOULD ONLY OVERLAY ON THAT TWO THINGS.
ONE IS WE'VE GOT GOT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, IF WE VOTE ON THURSDAY TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS, THEN WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEM AND GET IT ALL FINALIZED SO THAT THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
AND WE'VE GOT THANKSGIVING, THE, THE HOLIDAYS AND A NEW YEAR.
AND I JUST, IN OTHER WORDS, I I, I REALLY WANNA STRESS, AND THAT'S THE SECOND POINT I WANNA MAKE, THAT WE'RE NOT TYING OURSELVES DOWN, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THESE SORTS OF TIMEFRAMES IN OUR HEAD AND BE ABLE TO, TO MOVE, UH, FORWARD.
AND SO I WANTED TO LAY THAT OUT AS WELL.
AND WITH THAT, I AM HAPPY TO, UH, I, AND I THINK, UH, THE MEMBERS THAT ARE MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION WITH YOU, OR ANY ONE OF US ARE HAPPY TO, UH, ANSWER QUESTIONS, UH, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE ON THIS IS IS ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT, UM, DECISIONS, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
I WANTED TO, UM, MAKE A, A COUPLE SUGGESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, THAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, WE AS A FULL COUNCIL HAVE NOT HAD CONVERSATIONS, UM, DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UM,
[01:25:01]
ON A QUARTERLY BASIS AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.I THINK THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO SHARPEN OUR IDEAS COLLECTIVELY ABOUT WHAT WE WANT IN A NEW CITY MANAGER AS WELL AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK IN WITH OUR CITY MANAGER.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST, UM, THAT WE, UM, BEGIN DOING THAT AND HAVE A FEW OF THOSE EVEN POTENTIALLY, UM, BEFORE THE DECEMBER BREAK SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
WE'VE EACH OBVIOUSLY HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY MANAGER OR AMONGST OURSELVES ABOUT WHAT WE WANT, BUT FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT ON THE COMMITTEE, UM, WE HAVE NOT NECESSARILY HAD A COLLECTIVE OPPORTUNITY TO BE TALKING ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE WANT MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THERE IS AN ABILITY TO DO THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WORKING WITH OUR CURRENT, UM, CITY MANAGER.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A VERY IMPORTANT STEP FOR US TO BE TAKING BOTH FOR THIS SEARCH AND JUST AS GOOD PRACTICE, GOOD PRACTICE AND GOOD HABIT MOVING FORWARD IN TERMS OF THAT ACCOUNTABILITY STRUCTURE AND SYSTEM.
UM, AND THE OTHER OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO ASK IS, UM, PARTICULARLY WITH MOSAIC, IF YOU CAN SHARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE WORKED, UM, CLOSELY WITH THE CITY ON VARIOUS RECRUITMENTS I UNDERSTAND, BUT CAN YOU SHARE, UM, SOME OF THE NAMES OF THE FOLKS THAT THEY HAVE RECRUITED IN THE PAST? SURE.
UM, BE HAPPY TO, LEMME TURN THIS OFF.
UH, SO IN, IN, THEY BROKE IT DOWN INTO TWO, UH, GROUPINGS, AND I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAIL.
AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS FOR A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
UH, THEY GAVE, THEY WERE ASKED TO GIVE US INFORMATION FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, CITIES OF SIMILAR SIZE, UH, THEY HAVE WORKED IN THE CITY OF SAN JOSE FOR A HOUSING DIRECTOR THAT'S CURRENTLY ONGOING.
THEY HAVE, UH, WORKED WITH THE CI, UH, KING COUNTY AND SEATTLE, WHICH IS 2.3 MILLION ON AN OMBUDSMAN, FOLKS OF THAT NATURE.
AND I COULD GO THROUGH A COUPLE OTHERS, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY'RE A NATIONAL FIRM.
SECOND, WITH REGARD TO CITY MANAGEMENT, AND I'LL START WITH JUST THE CITY OF AUSTIN SINCE 2018.
UH, THEY HAVE, THEY WERE INVOLVED IN IN 2018, UH, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, UH, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT.
AND CULTURE IS WHAT THIS INDICATES THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CITY, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR SAFETY FOR MOBILITY.
UH, SO THEY'VE HAD A NUMBER OF, OF INVOLVEMENTS AND, AND WHAT'S NOT ON THIS LIST, IS IT THE, THE CHIEF, RIGHT.
AND, AND, AND THEY, THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THE LAST CHIEF OF POLICE SEARCH, UH, THAT LED IT TO THE HIRING OF CHIEF JONE.
AND I DIDN'T, FOR SOME REASON, I DIDN'T HAVE THAT ON MY LIST HERE.
THEY'VE ALSO BEEN IN TEXAS, BEEN INVOLVED WITH A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER SEARCH IN, UH, BURLESON ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER IN DENTON.
UM, CITY MANAGER OF ADDISON, UH, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, AGAIN, A DIFFERENT CITY, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER OF BURLESON CITY MANAGER IN LEWISVILLE.
SO THEY'VE GOT A NUMBER OF, OF, OF, OF JOB EXPERIENCES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS RELATED TO CITY MANAGEMENT.
UM, REFLECTING BACK ON OUR PRIOR SEARCH, UM, FOR MR. CRONK, I THINK ONE OF THE GAPS WE HAD IS WE AS A COUNCIL DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME, UM, WITH THE CANDIDATES WHEN WE GOT DUE A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME.
SO, UM, AS YOU'RE NEGOTIATING THE FINAL SETUP, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, TO FIGURE OUT MECHANISMS SO THAT WE HAVE MORE TIME.
IT MAY NEED TO BE IN SUBGROUPS SO THAT IT'S EFFICIENT, BUT, BUT WE, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE, UM, THIS PERSON AND DEVOTE THAT TIME.
TO THAT END, I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND POTENTIALLY CONSIDERING CARVING OUT SOME DATES FOR US TO HOLD AS A COUNCIL IN JANUARY, OR EVEN IN, UM, LATE DECEMBER, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THEY'RE POSSIBLE.
UM, IT'LL BE MUCH EASIER NOW THAN IT WILL BE AS WE GET CLOSER, UM, TO DO THAT.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT MANY OF US WOULD RATHER BLOCK OFF A DAY AND CANCEL A MEETING THAN, THAN BE SCRAMBLING AT THE LAST MINUTE TO, TO BE, UM, INVOLVED.
UM, AND THEN CAN YOU ALSO SPEAK TO THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES THAT THEY OUTLINED WITH THE COMMUNITY? UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WE DID THE PRIOR SEARCH, WE HAD COMMUNITY, UM, COMMITTEE THAT WAS ASSISTING AND WAS INVOLVED IN THE INTERVIEWS.
UM, THERE WAS VERY ELABORATE, UM, PROCESS.
UM, WE CAN DEBATE WHETHER THAT WAS GOOD OR BAD, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT THEY EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE ENVISIONING WOULD BE IDEAL WITH RESPECT TO THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
GIVEN WHAT THEY KNOW ABOUT AUSTIN, UH, I WOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION IN, IN THREE WAYS.
[01:30:01]
ONE IS A, A COMPLETE RECOGNITION THAT THEY KNOW WE NEED TO HAVE.AND IT WAS EMPHASIZED TO THEM THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE A VERY ROBUST PROCESS.
THAT LEADS TO THE SECOND THING, WHICH IS THEY WANT TO VISIT WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ABOUT BEF ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE HIRING THEM TO DO IS WE'RE HIRING THEM TO DEVELOP THAT ROBUST PROCESS THEY WANT TO VISIT WITH THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL SO THAT THEY GET A FEEL FOR WHAT, HOW THEY WILL BE JUDGED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ON MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN THE THIRD THING I'LL SAY IS THAT I THINK THEY'LL PROBABLY LOOK TO THE, PARTLY LOOK TO WHAT THEY DID WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FOR, UM, THE CHIEF PROCESS, WHICH, WHEN THE, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HAD IS THAT THAT PROCESS WAS A ROBUST PROCESS THAT HAD GENERALLY VERY GOOD FEEDBACK.
UM, BUT WE CAN ANYBODY CAN SECOND GUESS COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, I WAS THERE FOR THAT PROCESS AND I WOULD LIKE TO DIFFER, BUT, WELL, I'M NOT SURPRISED BY THAT.
SO, UH, BUT, UM, THE, THE, THAT, THAT'S WHY THEY WANT TO VISIT WITH INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS BEFORE THEY, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY ARE A NATIONAL SEARCH FIRM THAT KNOWS HOW TO DO THESE PROCESSES.
THEY KNOW THE CITY THAT THEY'RE BEING INVITED TO, UH, AND BEING HIRED BY IF WE HIRE THEM.
AND, UM, THE, THE COMMITTEE FELT COMFORTABLE THAT THEY WILL, UH, BE DEFERENTIAL TO MAKING SURE WE GET WHAT IT IS THAT WE WANT IN THAT PROCESS.
I JUST WANNA, UH, THANK THE MAYOR AND MY FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, FOR A, A ROBUST PROCESS.
THERE WAS A LOT TO REVIEW, UH, AND, UH, WE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD APPLICANTS AND HAD SOME TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE.
BUT, UH, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH MOSAIC.
UH, THEY'RE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, UH, ABOUT THE, THE CITY AS AN ORGANIZATION, AND THEY DISPLAYED AN UNDERSTANDING OF AUSTIN AS A COMMUNITY AND THAT THIS IS A VERY PROCESS ORIENTED COMMUNITY THAT WANTS TIME TO DIGEST AND VET THAT WAS IMMEDIATELY APPARENT, UH, AS SOON AS THEY SAT DOWN.
AND THAT WAS A, A IMPORTANT FACTOR, UH, IN THE DECISION.
AND ALSO THEY UNDERSTAND THE OPEN RECORDS AND OPEN MEETINGS LAWS YEAH.
IN TEXAS, BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF RECRUITMENTS HERE.
AND SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE, I THINK, PLAYING AROUND AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE PLAYING AROUND WITH ANY KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, TRICK ORATION OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
THIS IS GONNA BE A STRAIGHT UP PROCESS.
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY, UH, WERE VERY UPFRONT ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND SO, UH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT FINALLY GETTING THIS GOING.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A, A, A PERMANENT, UH, YOU KNOW, CITY MANAGER IN THE, THE TIMEFRAME THAT THE MAYOR LAID OUT.
UM, YEAH, THIS WAS A REALLY INTERESTING PROCESS 'CAUSE I HADN'T BEEN THROUGH A MAJOR CITY MANAGER TYPE OF OF SEARCH, UM, PROCUREMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GUIDANCE THROUGH ALL THIS.
THERE WAS A VERY SET PROCESS AND ALL FIVE OF US HAD TO BE TOGETHER IN THE ROOM AT THE SAME TIME HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATIONS.
SO THERE WAS, THERE WAS NO SITUATION WHERE SOMEONE ONLY GOT PART OF THE STORY OR DIDN'T HEAR ONE OF THE INTERVIEWS.
WE ALL SAT THERE TOGETHER IN REAL TIME AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TALKED THROUGH SOME OF THE ASPECTS THAT WE ALL FELT WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS SEARCH.
AND ONE OF THEM WAS ABSOLUTELY TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING, UM, WHAT, WHAT A BIG ROLE THIS IS AND WHAT A GREAT CITY THIS IS, AND HOW MANY PASSIONATE PEOPLE THERE ARE THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OF SERVICE TO.
UM, I ALSO FOUND THEM TO BE VERY STRAIGHT TO THE POINT.
THEY UNDERSTOOD HOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN WORKS.
THEY, UM, OBVIOUSLY UNDERSTAND A LOT ABOUT WHAT OUR CONSTITUENTS EXPECT TO SEE IN SUCH A HIGH PROFILE SEARCH.
AND SO I WISH THEM LUCK AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THIS PROCESS, SHOULD COUNCIL, UM, APPROVE THIS ON THURSDAY.
BUT IT WAS A VERY INTERESTING, UH, GROUP TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH AND SORT THROUGH SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE KNOW THE CITY IS FACING AND HOW WE THINK WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN, UH, WITH A GOOD RECRUITMENT FIRM.
COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE, YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING AS MEMBERS? OKAY.
I'D JUST, UH, WRAP IT UP BY SAYING IT WAS INTERESTING TO HAVE REFLECTED BACK TO US, I THINK, UM, FROM A NATIONAL FIRM'S PERSPECTIVE, OUR CITY.
AND, UH, THE STORY THAT WE TELL AND OUR REPUTATION.
AND, UM, THEY WERE CLEAR ON, UH, CERTAIN ASPECTS OF, OF WHAT OCCURRED A FEW YEARS AGO.
I WAS THERE, UM, AND HELD THE LINE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY AND WE ALL WERE COMPLETELY ALIGNED,
[01:35:01]
UH, THOSE OF US IN THE SUB QUORUM, UH, WITH THAT REGARD, UH, ACTUALLY ON, ON ALL ASPECTS OF IT, INCLUDING THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.SO I'M REALLY PLEASED WITH THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR MOSAIC.
I, I HOPE YOU ALL WILL HAVE, WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THEM INDIVIDUALLY AS WE INTEND TO HAVE HAPPEN AND PROVIDE YOUR THOUGHTS DIRECTLY TO THEM BEFORE THEY, THEY GET TO LAUNCHING THE ACTUAL, UM, INVITATION TO APPLY.
AND I THINK THAT THE, IT, IT'S THE RECOMMENDATIONS WHAT I'LL, WHEN WE, WHEN WE'RE VISITING WITH THEM, UM, AND, AND PUTTING TOGETHER THE FINAL CONTRACT AND ALL OF THAT, UH, THE TIME OF THE TIME THAT THE E THE COUNCIL GETS WITH CANDIDATES I THINK IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.
AND WE'LL MAKE SURE WE BUILD THAT IN.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON I'M, I'M GLAD YOU BRING THAT UP BECAUSE IT HIGHLIGHTS, WHILE THERE'S TIMEFRAME GOALS WE NEED, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE TAKE THE TIME AND, AND, AND GET THINGS THE WAY WE WANT.
UH, SO THAT'S, AND AND THE HOLDING DATES I THINK IS ALSO WHEN WE VISIT WITH THEM AND WE FIGURE OUT MORE SPECIFICITY ABOUT WHERE THEY THINK THEY'LL BE.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S CALENDARS ARE SO, SO CRAZY.
AND, AND, AND WE'LL TRY TO BRING THAT BACK AT AT SOME APPROPRIATE POINT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 76 MEMBERS? UH, THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS, UH, CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
UH, GOOD WORK SESSION LOT DONE.
AND, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL ADJOURN THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AT 10:36 AM ON OCTOBER 17TH.