[Call to Order]
[00:00:03]
I'LL CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
WE ARE MEETING IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT THE, AT AUSTIN CITY HALL, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UH, MEMBERS, UH, THE ORDER THAT WE WILL GO, UH, TODAY IS THAT WE WILL HEAR FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, SPEAKERS, BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN PERSON, AND THEN WE WILL GO TO THE CONSENT VOTE, UH, WITH BRIEF COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
WE WILL THEN GO TO THE ITEMS THAT ARE NON-CONSENT ITEMS, UH, THAT, AND, AND THOSE ARE ITEMS THAT YOU'LL RECALL FROM THE AGENDA THAT HAVE COME FROM, UH, COMMITTEES.
UH, THE FIRST ONE WE WILL TAKE UP WILL BE ITEM 45.
UH, WE WILL HEAR FROM SPEAKERS ON THAT ITEM, UH, AT NOON.
WE WILL, UH, HAVE THE TIME, CERTAIN OF BOTH, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND, UH, THE LIVE MUSIC.
AND THEN IF WE STILL NEED TO HEAR FROM SPEAKERS FROM ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, WE WILL GO BACK TO THAT.
WE WILL THEN HAVE, UH, THE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA AND WE WILL HAVE THE, UM, UH, IMMINENT DOMAIN AS A ITEMS, SPECIAL ITEMS AT TWO O'CLOCK.
WE WILL HAVE OUR ZONING MATTERS.
I WILL, UH, BY THE WAY FOR THE RECORD, LET ME, UH, INDICATE THAT WE HAVE A, UH, QUORUM OF THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENT.
UH, WE HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, NATASHA HARPER MADISON, WHO WILL BE OFF THE DAAS TODAY.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, IF I CALL A VOTE AND FORGET TO POINT OUT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON IS OFF THE DAAS, SHE WILL NOT BE ON THE DAAS, AND THE RECORD SHOULD REFLECT THAT SHE WAS NOT PART OF THAT VOTE.
[Consent Agenda (Part 1 of 2)]
UH, MEMBERS I'LL READ CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS INTO THE RECORD FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, 2023.ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 30TH, 2023.
ITEM 32 IS WITHDRAWN AND REPLACED WITH ADDEND.
ITEM NUMBER 78, ITEM NUMBER 40 IS WITHDRAWN.
ITEM NUMBER 57, POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 2ND, 2023.
ITEM NUMBER 58, POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 9TH, 2023.
WE SHOULD REMOVE THE NAME BRADY AND P V P C AND REPLACE THAT WITH ROSS PV.
WE SHOULD ALSO REMOVE THE LAW FIRM NAME OF PHILLIPS ESY MITCHUM PARTNERS AND REPLACE THAT WITH JACQUELINE, J A C L Y N, LOREY BOARDS AND COMMISSION.
ACTION ITEMS 3 4 5 7 18 19 AND 26 OCTOBER 11TH, 2023, RECOMMENDED BY THE WATER WASTEWATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION ON A SEVEN TO ZERO VOTE WITH ONE ABSENCE AND THREE VACANCIES.
ITEM NUMBER 16, OCTOBER 16TH, 2023 RECOMMENDED BY THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION ON A SEVEN TO ONE VOTE WITH COMMISSIONER WHITE VOTING AGAINST COMMISSIONER BOWEN AND CHAPMAN ABSENT AND ONE VACANCY MEMBERS.
THAT WILL TAKE US TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND I WILL LOOK TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO, UH, NAVIGATE US THROUGH THE SPEAKER LIST.
LEMME JUST SAY, BY THE WAY, BEFORE WE BEGIN, UH, WITH THE SPEAKERS, UH, AND, AND BEGIN ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE DAY, PLEASE BE AWARE THAT BEHAVIOR THAT VIOLATES THE RULES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.
UH, YOU MAY NOT SPEAK OUT OF TURN, YOU MAY NOT DEFAME ANOTHER PERSON.
YOU MAY NOT USE OBSCENE LANGUAGE.
USE ABUSIVE LANGUAGE THAT IS LIKELY TO INCITE A BREACH OF THE PEACE, MAKE THREATS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST ANY OTHER PERSON OR OTHERWISE DISRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING, UH, SUCH AS SCREAMING COMMENTS OR MAKING DISPARAGING COMMENTS ABOUT GROUPS OR OTHERS.
ALSO NOTE THAT COMMENTS FROM A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC ON A NUMBERED AGENDA ITEM MUST BE RELEVANT TO THAT ITEM.
AND IF YOU VI VIOLATE THESE RULES, YOUR TIME MAY BE CUT SHORT OR YOU MAY BE REMOVED FROM COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MEETING.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK.
WE'RE GONNA BEGIN WITH IN-PERSON SPEAKERS ON CONSENT.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY REMOTE SPEAKERS ON CONSENT THIS MORNING.
UH, AS I CALL YOU, HANG ON ONE SECOND.
I WAS GOING TO CALL ON ITEM NUMBER 33.
I, I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING YOU THAT WAY AND ABRUPTLY, I WAS GONNA CALL ON NUMBER 33 AFTER WE'D GONE THROUGH THE SPEAKERS,
[00:05:01]
BUT I'M TOLD THE BETTER PRACTICE MIGHT BE FOR US TO HEAR FROM LAW RIGHT NOW.I'M HERE TODAY TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU APPROVE A PAYMENT, UH, AS PART OF A SETTLEMENT OF $200,000 TO SETTLE SHAVONNE BELTRAN VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN LAWSUIT.
UH, THIS LAWSUIT IS RELATED TO A JUNE OF 2021, USE OF FORCE INCIDENT INVOLVING A P D.
UH, AS PART OF HER FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT, MS. BELTRAN SEEKS PAYMENT FOR INJURIES TO HER MINOR CHILD THAT WAS WERE SUSTAINED WHILE A P D EXECUTED AN ARREST AND SEARCH WARRANT AT HER RESIDENCE.
IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS PAYMENT, UH, PLAINTIFF WILL RELEASE ALL CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY AND ANY OFFICERS FOR MANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF THIS INCIDENT, AND WILL ALSO DISMISS HER FEDERAL LAWSUIT THAT IS CURRENTLY IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT.
UH, WITH THOSE TERMS, I RECOMMEND SETTLEMENT, UM, MEMBERS, THAT'S ITEM NUMBER 33.
UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF COUNSEL WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 33 BEFORE WE GO TO THE SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NOW, UH, MADAM CLERK, IF YOU'LL HELP, HELP US OUT.
[Public Comment]
YOU, MAYOR.WE'RE GONNA START WITH IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY REMOTE SPEAKERS FOR, UH, THE CONSENT ITEMS THIS MORNING.
AS I CALL YOUR NAME, IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.
FIRST SPEAKER IS BOBBY LEVINSKY, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM BUNCH.
IF YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM, AND I DON'T SEE EITHER MR. LAVINSKY OR MR. BUNCH.
UH, NEXT SPEAKER IS PATRICK MCADAMS, FOLLOWED BY SHARON BLYTHE.
MY NAME IS PATRICK MCADAMS, AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I SEE A GROWING, OR DARE I SAY, WIDENING PROBLEM WITH HOW OUR NATION THINKS ABOUT ITS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
FOR OUR PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS MEETINGS, WE HAVE HEARD FROM MANY PEOPLE ABOUT THE VARIOUS COSTS AND REASONS TO POSE THE EXPANSION OF THE I 35 HIGHWAY SYSTEM, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER COST THAT WE'RE NOT FULLY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE COST THAT WE'LL BE PAYING IN BLOOD.
WHEN WE DISCUSS HIGHWAYS AND ROADS IN THIS COUNTRY, WHAT WE ARE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS A SYSTEM, A SYSTEM OF AUTOMOBILE DEPENDENCY EVERY ROAD WITHOUT A SIDEWALK, EVERY POORLY PAINTED ON BIKE LANE WITH NO SEPARATION BETWEEN THE RIDERS AND THE CARS.
EVERY MINUTE THAT WE SPEND IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT ADEQUATE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES MARKS THIS ABYSMAL SYSTEM NATIONWIDE.
THE HUMAN TOLL OF THIS DEPENDENCY IS ENORMOUS.
AN ESTIMATE FROM THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, AN ORGANIZATION THAT KEEPS TRACK OF THE VARIOUS CAUSES OF DEATH AND INJURY IN THIS COUNTRY, GIVES US AROUND 46,000 DEATHS IN THE YEAR.
TWO THIRDS OF THESE FATALITIES OCCURRED ON HIGHWAYS, 5.4 MILLION CRASH VICTIMS WERE HOSPITALIZED IN 2021, AND THEIR INJURIES ALONE CAUSED THIS NATION $500 BILLION.
CAR CRASH IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF SPINAL CORD INJURY IN THIS COUNTRY, ACCOUNTING FOR 50% OF ALL SUCH INJURIES, MAKING IT THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF PARALYSIS IN THIS NATION AS WELL.
SO PERVASIVE IS THIS TYPE OF INJURY THAT ONE IN THREE AMERICANS, OVER 100 MILLION PEOPLE ALIVE TODAY WILL BE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN A CAR CRASH IN THEIR LIFETIME.
WHY ARE THE AFOREMENTIONED NUMBERS SO IMPORTANT? BECAUSE, AGAIN, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN THE DEATH RATE PER 100 MILLION MILES TRAVELED BETWEEN DRIVING AND THE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION METHODS THAT WE CAN BUILD.
INSTEAD, WHAT IS THAT DIFFERENCE? IT IS 20 TO ONE.
WHAT THIS HIGHWAY EXPANSION THEREFORE REPRESENTS IS A TAKING AND AN UNJUST CONFISCATION OF BLOOD AND LIFE.
TO CONTINUE THE EXPANSION OF THIS SYSTEM IS TO SAY THAT THIS HUMAN TOLL IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH.
UH, NEXT SPEAKER, SHARON BLYTHE, AND I'M GONNA CALL AGAIN, BOBBY LEVINSKY OR WILLIAM BUNCH.
IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.
I'VE SPOKEN BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL OVER THE LAST 33 YEARS CONCERNING THE CITY CEMETERIES.
TODAY, YOU'RE A VOTE TO, UH, EXTEND A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY, UH, THAT FIR THAT THE CITY FIRST APPROVED IN 1990.
LET THAT SINK IN 33 YEARS WITH THE SAME CONTRACTOR.
IF THE AMOUNT THAT CONTRACT IS NOT $11 MILLION, IT'S MORE LIKE $33 MILLION, A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
WE DID AN ANALYSIS A FEW YEARS AGO AND DETERMINED THAT WITH FACTS THAT THIS CONTRACTOR WAS CHARGED THE CITY DOUBLE WHAT HE CHARGED OTHER CEMETERIES JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THE CITY ACTUALLY BILLS CITIZENS FOR THOSE OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNTS WHEN THEY NEED A PLACE FOR THEIR LOVED ONES.
[00:10:02]
YOU'RE PREYING ON THE ELDERLY FOR THIS CONTRACT, THE VERY LEAST CHARGED BY THE CONTRACTOR IS $2,649.JUST TO DIG THE HOLE AND COVER IT BACK UP.
WHAT TIME? THIS, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE BURIAL SPACE OF $3,050 AT AUSTIN MEMORIAL, PLUS A HUNDRED $610 FOR MAINTENANCE.
THESE AMOUNTS TOTAL $6,309 AT AUSTIN MEMORIAL.
AGAIN, THE ELDERLY ARE PAYING THAT FEE.
ALL THE MONEY GOES TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE CITY.
THEN PARKS AND RECREATION IS GIVEN AN APPROPRIATION BY FINANCE.
PARKS DECIDES HOW MUCH THE CEMETERY OPERATIONS GET TO RUN THE CEMETERIES, WHICH IS NOT ENOUGH.
THIS CONTRACTOR CONTINUES TO CHARGE TOO MUCH FOR BURIAL SERVICES, WHICH GOES UP EVERY CONTRACTOR RENEWAL.
THERE IS NO MANAGEMENT BY THE CITY OVER THIS CONTRACTOR.
IT DOES NOT TAKE MUCH TRAINING TO RUN A BACKHOE.
AND THE CITY BOUGHT THE EQUIPMENT YEARS AGO.
ONLY ONE PERSON IS NEEDED TO DIG THE GRAVE.
THE OTHER PERSON IS NEEDED TO GET THE DIRT.
ASK YOURSELVES, WHY IS THIS SUCH A HARD JOB? IT IS NOT.
WE ASK FOR A DIGNIFIED CITY RUN PROCESS FOR THE CITIZENS GET TO DO, PAID FOR WHAT THEY'RE PAID FOR.
NEXT SPEAKER IS STUART KING WILLIAM BUNCH.
COUNCIL MEMBERS BILL BUNCH IS SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AGAINST, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER, $1.27 BILLION, UH, APPROVAL, WHICH YOU'RE REALLY DOING ON CONSENT.
SERIOUSLY, UH, YOU HAVE NO FINANCIAL ANALYSIS WHATSOEVER TO SUPPORT THIS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND INTERESTS ARE GONNA BE WAY MORE THAN 1.27 BILLION.
AND I'M GUESSING THERE'S NOT A SINGLE PERSON UP THERE WHO CAN TELL ME OR THE COMMUNITY HOW MUCH ANNUAL LOSSES THE CONVENTION CENTER HAS BEEN SUFFERING CONSISTENTLY OVER THE LAST 10, 15 YEARS.
ANYBODY HAVE A SINGLE IDEA OF THAT? YEAH, I DIDN'T THINK SO.
YOU KNOW, HOW THE RULES WORK, MR. BUNCH.
SO IF YOU'LL FINISH YOUR, YOUR COMMENT.
OKAY, MAYOR, IN 1998, YOU BUILT A CONSENSUS OF THIS COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT A BOND AND A VOTE OF THE PUBLIC FOR $110 MILLION TO EXPAND THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT WE PREVIOUSLY HAD, AND THAT GAVE US THE FACILITY THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
NOW, YOU'RE GONNA DO THIS WITHOUT A VOTE OF THE PUBLIC, WITHOUT A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS.
AND WHEN, IF YOU EVEN REMOTELY PEEK AT THE DATA, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE HAVE NOW NEVER MET A SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PROJECTIONS AND THE WHOLE BASE OF INFORMATION THAT, THAT COMMUNITY CONSENSUS THAT YOU BUILT MAYOR WATSON TO SUPPORT THAT BOND PACKAGE, AND NONE OF IT CAME TRUE.
THE CONVENTION INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE IS TANKING.
IT'S OVER POST PANDEMIC CONVENTIONS ARE NEVER GONNA BE WHAT THEY ARE.
THIS IS THE BIGGEST WASTE OF MONEY, WAY MORE THAN WATER TREATMENT.
PLANT NUMBER FOUR, A BOONDOGGLE OF PHENOMENAL PROPORTIONS, AND YOU'RE BASICALLY STEALING THE MONEY FROM LIVE MUSIC AND THE CREATIVE AND CULTURAL TOURISM THAT ACTUALLY DRIVES PEOPLE TO COME TO OUR CITY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS STUART KING, FOLLOWED BY CLAYTON FIDDLER.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M WITH KING TILL'S MORTUARY.
UH, WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS IN THIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1901.
WE'VE BEEN ON 12TH STREET SINCE THE EARLY THIRTIES.
UM, THEY CAME OUT IN, I THINK AROUND 20 14, 20 10, AND MADE BIKE LANES.
THEY SAID THERE WOULD BE NO PARKING ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND THERE WOULD BE PARKING WITH BIKE LANES ON THE NORTH SIDE.
NOW THEY WANT TO TAKE AWAY THE PARKING.
SINCE THEN, YOU'VE HAD MULTI, UM, BUILDINGS THAT COME UP THAT HAVE, UM, BUSINESSES ON THE BOTTOM.
IF THERE IS NO PARKING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 12TH STREET, THAT WILL INTERFERE WITH BUSINESS.
THAT WOULD ALSO AFFECT OUR BUSINESS AS WELL AS THOSE OTHER ONES, UM, THAT HAVE JOINED THE 12TH STREET SINCE THEN.
SO I THINK Y'ALL NEED TO REVISIT THAT THE BIKE LANES DO WORK THEIR BIKE LANE'S ALREADY THERE, BUT TO REMOVE THE PARKING FROM THE NORTH SIDE WOULD DEVASTATE ALL THE BUSINESSES FROM NAVASOTA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO AIRPORT.
[00:15:01]
FROM NAVASOTA 35 ALREADY, SO IT'S HARD TO GET TO 35.WITH, WITH, UM, SINCE THEN THEM NO LONGER TWO LANES.
BUT TO TAKE AWAY THE PARKING ON THE NORTH SIDE WOULD DEVASTATE OUR BUSINESS.
FAMILIES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COME, UM, AND PARK TO VISIT THEIR LOVED ONES, AND THAT'S THE ONLY TIME THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS THAT HAVE LEFT THE EAST OFFICE AND GET A CHANCE TO COME BACK IS EITHER DURING FUNERAL OR FOR CHURCH.
BUT NOT ONLY THAT, IT WOULD ALSO AFFECT ALL THE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT HAVE JUST GOTTEN TO EAST AUSTIN.
UM, THE, THE BUILDING THAT'S ON SAN BERNARD THAT HAS BUSINESS ON THE BOTTOM, THAT PARKING WOULD BE GONE, THAT PARKING WOULD, IT WOULD EXTEND OVER TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH, WHICH, WHICH IS NOT GOOD, BUT THAT WOULD DEFINITELY DEVASTATE AS OUR BUSINESS AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER BUSINESS IF YOU TAKE AWAY THE PARKING ON THE NORTH SIDE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS CLAYTON FIDDLER, FOLLOWED BY ALEXANDER STRINGER.
HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING TODAY? UM, HELLO, I'M CLAYTON FIDDLER.
I HAVE CONCERNS AROUND SOME ONLINE BEHAVIOR OF COUNCILMAN QUANDARY POSTS ABOUT BEING AN ELECTED MUSLIM.
WHILE CONTEXTUALLY AREN'T HORRIBLE, GAIN A WHOLE DIFFERENT MEANING WHEN COMBINED WITH THIS PRIOR POST STATING THAT ANYONE FROM ISRAEL SHOULD REEVA REEVALUATE A LOT OF THINGS OR STATING THAT ISRAEL HAS NO RIGHT TO, EXCUSE ME, SIR, ARE YOU SPEAKING ON A SPECIFIC ITEM? NO, SIR.
THEN I, I APOLOGIZE, BUT ARE ITEM 41, I, I'M SORRY, ITEM 41 IS WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR, SO I COULD SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
WELL, BUT ARE YOU SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO THAT ITEM? UH, NO, SIR.
WELL, THEN, THEN I APOLOGIZE, BUT OUR RULES DON'T ALLOW YOU TO DO, UH, DO THAT.
YOU HAVE TO SPEAK TO A SPECIFIC ITEM AND, AND, AND SO I, AS A PRESIDING OFFICER, I GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE ON, SIR, I NEED TO, I APOLOGIZE, BUT THAT'S WHAT OUR RULES ARE AND, UM, I NEED YOU TO COMPLY WITH OUR RULES.
GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M SPEAKING AGAINST ITEM NUMBER 11 BECAUSE QUITE HONESTLY, THIS MONEY, IT'S NOT BEING USED APPROPRIATELY.
OKAY, GUYS, AND THERE ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WHO NEED THIS MONEY A LOT MORE THAN THE ZAL MEDICAL CORPORATION, AND THAT IS WHY WE NEED TO GIVE $11 MILLION TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUFFERING IN GAZA.
JOE BIDEN THE GREATEST PRESIDENT OF ALL TIME.
HE PLEDGED A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO THE PALESTINIANS.
AND YES, MOST OF THAT MONEY WILL GO TO HAMAS, BUT THAT SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE HAMAS MAYOR, THEY ARE A MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS AND THEY SHARE SO MANY OF THE VALUES THAT ARE HELD ON THIS VERY COUNCIL.
WE HAVE TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST OPPRESSION AND OUR LEGACY OF COLONIALISM.
AND JUST LIKE MY COMRADES IN THE BBL M MOVEMENT, WE NEED TO DISMANTLE THESE OPPRESSIVE SYSTEMS, AND THAT STARTS WITH ABOLISHING ISRAEL AND DESTROYING THE UNITED STATES.
MR. KNOW, MR. YOU FULLY AGREE WITH ME ON THIS, MR. MR. STRINGER, I'M, AGAIN, I'M GOING TO RULE YOU OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE, SIR, THIS, WHILE, WHILE YOU ARE SMART ENOUGH TO ACT LIKE YOU'RE SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER 11, I'M SPEAKING ON THAT MONEY.
THAT MONEY, SIR, SIR, THAT MONEY CAN'T GO.
SIR, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, PLEASE EX EXCUSE YOURSELF FROM THE COUNSEL CHAMBER? NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WRITE.
LOOK, I, I HAVE, HOLD ON A SECOND.
I'M, I'M RULING YOU OUT OF ORDER.
I'M BEING THROWN OUT FOR EXERCISING MY CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED SPEECH TO STEVE ON A SPECIFIC ITEM ABOUT A ISSUE.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE VIOLATED MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT.
PLEASE, EXACTLY WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, YOU GUYS LITERALLY
UM, UH, MAYOR IS THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T LET PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A PLATFORM TO SPEAK.
SO YOU'RE LITERALLY PROVING MY POINT.
EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU.
ANY OTHER SPEAKER, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS MEMBERS.
I THINK THAT'S THE LAST OF THE SPEAKERS MEMBERS.
WE WILL NOW TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA.
WOULD YOU PLEASE ESCORT MR. STRINGER OUT OF THE CHAMBERS? YOU'RE EMBARRA EACH ONE OF YOU GUYS MEMBERS.
THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[Consent Agenda (Part 2 of 2)]
WILL NOW GO TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.I WANNA REMIND EVERYONE, ITEM NUMBER 33 IS THE, UH, SETTLEMENT DOC, UH, SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT THAT WE HEARD FROM COUNSEL.
THE REASON I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IS IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO ASK QUESTIONS OF COUNSEL AT THIS POINT, I WILL ALSO ALLOW FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SECOND, ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT ANY MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE AGENDA? ALL RIGHT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER I, UM, WAITING SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I JUST ASKED FROM, UM, INTERIM CITY MANAGER
[00:20:01]
FOR ITEMS 27 AND 28 THAT I ASKED FOR ON TUESDAY THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN YET.I HAVE A LOT OF EMAILS, UM, RELATED TO ITEM 45.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT I MISSED IT, BUT I 45 IS 45 IS AN ITEM FROM A COMMITTEE, SO IT'S NOT ON THE CONSIDER AGENDA.
MY POINT IS THAT FOR ITEM 27 28, WHICH RELATES TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, I ASKED FOR SOME FINANCIAL INFORMATION.
OKAY? ON 27 28, WE'LL PULL THAT YOU'RE PULLING UP.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO PULL IT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I'M PULLING 27 AND 28 FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
YEAH, THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON I WAS BRINGING 45, IS THAT I CAN'T SEE IF I HAVE THE INFORMATION, WHICH THEY MAY HAVE PROVIDED.
UM, 27 TO 28 ARE BEING PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN AS ABSTAINING FROM VOTING ON AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY? HELLO.
I WOULD LIKE TO VOTE NO ON ITEM 33 AND 78, PLEASE.
ANYONE EL ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT WAS READ.
MEMBERS THE VOTE ON THE, THE, THE MOTION THAT I WILL ENTERTAIN ON THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THEY WILL NOT, THOSE ITEMS WILL NOT BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES MOVES APPROVAL.
IT IS SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ ANY OBJECTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN VOTING NO ON ITEM 33 AND ITEM 78.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON BEING OFF THE DASS THE CHAIR WILL NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WISH TO SPEAK.
WITH REGARD TO ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, IT IS GOING TO BE PROVIDING MUCH NEEDED PEER RECOVERY COUNSELING SERVICES FOR COMMUNITY INTERVENTION, WHICH WILL HELP PREVENT OPIATE, OPIOID, OPIOID OVERDOSES.
AS WE KNOW, THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IS TAKING THE LIVES OF ALL AGES, INCLUDING SOME OF THOSE THAT WE ALL MAY KNOW, UM, AND IT IMPACTS OUR YOUTH ALSO.
THIS ITEM WILL PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT TO THOSE IN NEED AND BE PART OF THE PUZZLE AND SAVING LIVES FROM THOSE BEING TAKEN TOO SOON FROM OPIOID OVERDOSES.
ITEM 39 IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT AS IT WILL APPROVE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING NEGOTIATION EXECUTION WITH TECH STOP FOR THE NON-RADIOACTIVE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ROUTING DESIGNATIONS PROJECT.
AS OUR COMMUNITY GROWS, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY SHOULD BE FIRST AND FOREMOST AND THIS ITEM WILL PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE TRANSPORTATION OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN A WAY THAT DOES THAT PROTECT THE PUBLIC.
UM, I WANNA JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE GREAT WORK THAT OUR E M SS DEPARTMENT AND OUR OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER ARE DOING TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND HEALTHY.
UM, YESTERDAY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A WOMEN'S FOCUS POPUP RESOURCE CLINIC WHERE AMONG MANY THINGS E M S ORGANIZED BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS AND PAP SMEARS, UM, AND BROUGHT TOGETHER MANY, MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS FROM THE CITY AS WELL AS VARIOUS HEALTH PROVIDERS.
IT WAS VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO WERE THERE, UM, RECEIVING, UM, CARE THAT THEY DESPERATELY NEEDED.
AND I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA TODAY, UM, THAT ARE, UM, IMPORTANT FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR E M S DEPARTMENT.
UM, BOTH OF THEM RELATE BACK TO BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT I WORKED ON WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY IN 2022.
UM, ONE OF THESE PROVIDED, UH, FUNDING TO EXPAND LIFESAVING IN THE FIELD, WHOLE BLOOD ADMINISTRATION FOR TRAUMATIC INJURIES.
AND THAT AMENDMENT THAT WE PUT FORWARD IN 22 ALSO FUNDED TRAINING EQUIPMENT TO HELP EXPEDITE MEDIC TRAINING, UM, HIRING AND PROMOTION.
UM, AND WE SEE THAT ITEM ABOUT SIMULATION TRAINING.
UM, TODAY THE WE ARE BLOOD PROGRAM REPRESENTS A FANTASTIC COLLABORATION BETWEEN E M S AND THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AND OUR LOCAL BLOOD BANK, WHICH IS LOCATED IN DISTRICT 10.
BY PROVIDING WHOLE BLOOD IN THE FIELD FOR VICTIMS OF TRAUMA, WE CAN, IN MANY CASES REVERSE THE EFFECTS OF SHOCK AND INCREASED SURVIVAL RATES.
OUR DEPUTY MEDICAL DIRECTOR, DR.
JASON PICKETT, SAID THIS SUMMER, THAT EARLY USE OF WHOLE BLOOD CAN ALSO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD A PATIENT HAS TO RECEIVE BY HALF, WHICH HELPS US CONSERVE THIS IMPORTANT COMMUNITY RESOURCE IN MAY OF THIS YEAR.
E M S AND O C M O REACHED A MILESTONE WHEN THEY ADMINISTERED THE HUNDREDTH UNIT OF WHOLE BLOOD FROM THE WHOLE BLOOD PROGRAM.
[00:25:01]
THIS, UH, PROGRAM MOVE FORWARD.I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR CRITICAL AND LIFE-SAVING WORK, UM, BUT IT'S ALSO JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE REALLY IMPORTANT WORK THAT OUR E M S AND OUR O C M O ARE DOING TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WISHING TO BE RECOGNIZED TO FOR BRIEF COMMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALRIGHT, THAT WILL TAKE US, UH, MEMBERS TO NON-CONSENT ITEMS. THE ORDER THAT I'LL TAKE THESE ITEMS IS 45 44, THEN 27 AND 28, UH, AT NOON WE WILL PAUSE FOR THE TIME CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE SCHEDULED FOR NOON AND, UH, AND WE'LL COME BACK IF WE ARE, UH, NOT THROUGH WITH THESE ITEMS FROM COUNSEL.
WE WILL THEN GO TO THE ITEMS, UH, RELATED TO IMMINENT DOMAIN, PUBLIC HEARINGS AND, AND ON THROUGH WITH ZONING.
[45. Approve a resolution related to the I-35 Capital Express Central Project and transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, including requests to the Texas Department of Transportation, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and other State of Texas staff and elected officials.]
45.I'LL, UH, RECOGNIZE MAYOR PRO, TIM ELLIS.
UH, SHE SPOKE TO US AT THE WORK SESSION, BUT I'LL SEE IF SHE WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING MORE RIGHT NOW.
I DID, YEAH, AND I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY A HANDFUL OF SPEAKERS THAT ARE EXCITED TO, TO MAKE THEIR STATEMENTS, BUT, UM, TUESDAY IS A GOOD REFERENCE FOR HOW I LAID THIS OUT.
UM, I PRIDE MYSELF ON NARROWLY TAILORING SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE DO, SO I KNOW THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS KIND OF ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT EXACTLY CAN WE DO WITH I 35, WHAT OPTIONS ARE STILL ON THE TABLE? AND SO MY RESOLUTION THAT I BROUGHT THROUGH THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY APPROVED AND IS NOW BEING BROUGHT TO THE FULL COUNCIL, IS VERY NARROWLY TAILORED ABOUT OUR EMISSIONS REDUCTION PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE AN AUSTIN M SS A PROGRAM THAT IS CURRENTLY KICKING OFF.
CAMPO HAS JUST APPROVED, UM, MONEY THROUGH A FEDERAL GRANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MOBILE EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS PLAN.
THAT TIMELINE, UM, ON THE LOW END IS ABOUT ONE YEAR.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE TXDOT LOOK AT THE INFORMATION THAT IS GONNA BE COMING OUT OF THOSE EMISSION REDUCTION PLANS SO THAT AS THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH I 35 DESIGN, WE CAN, UM, MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S ANY EXTRA SUGGESTIONS LIKE LOCATION OF STREET TREES, CURB CUTS, UM, OTHER DETAILS LIKE THAT, THAT CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY AND THE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN, UM, ACCESSIBILITY AND FOR FOLKS WITH WHEELCHAIRS IS UP TO THE STANDARD THAT WE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HOPE THAT IT CAN BE.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL LET THE SPEAKERS HAVE A MOMENT TO TALK TO IT AND THERE MAY BE, UM, OTHER DISCUSSIONS IF, IF COUNSEL SO CHOOSES TO, TO WORK ON THAT.
GREAT, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM, I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK, UH, FOR, TO CALL THE ORDER AND HELP US NAVIGATE THROUGH THE SPEAKERS.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH REMOTE SPEAKERS.
FIRST SPEAKER IS SUSAN PANTEL FOR ITEM 45.
WE ARE IN A CLIMATE CRISIS AND WE CAN'T IGNORE THIS HUGE ROAD EXPANSION PROJECT RUNNING THROUGH THE, THE CENTER OF THE CITY.
UH, THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN HAS GOALS FOR REDUCING TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS AND WE ARE FALLING FAR BEHIND IN ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS.
THE GREEN, THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION ESTIMATES IN THE, UH, F E I S DONE BY
THE REASON IS THEY LIST OUT NUMEROUS UNCERTAINTIES DATA THAT'S MISSING IN EVERY ASPECT, AND THEN THEY PROVIDE ONE NUMBER THAT THEY SAY DOWN TO THE SINGLE DIGITS THAT THEY SAY IS THE EMISSION ESTIMATE.
WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY, THEY NEED TO PROVIDE A RANGE OF ESTIMATES AND CONFIDENCE LEVELS FOR THOSE ESTIMATES.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF THIS EXPANSION PROJECT? THE COST IS, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY EXPENSIVE YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, DISPLACING A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES AND SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
TXDOT CLAIMS THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ANY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED FROM THIS PROJECT.
SO WHAT IS THE BENEFIT? THE BENEFIT IS THAT THE CARS ALREADY USING THE ROAD CAN DRIVE FASTER.
I DON'T THINK THAT COMPLIES WITH THE VALUES OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND LOOK AT MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR TRANSPORTING PEOPLE THROUGH THE CITY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS HOLLY HODGE, ITEM 45.
HI, MY NAME IS HOLLY HODGE AND I'M AN AUSTIN NATIVE AND I GREW UP IN DISTRICT 10.
I'M CALLING IN BECAUSE I'M CURRENTLY A MASTER'S OF URBAN PLANNING STUDENT AT HARVARD AND I JUST WANNA SPEAK IN SUPPORT
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OF PROPOSITION 45 AND REALLY URGE, UM, ALLISON ALTER MY PARENTS AND ALL MY FRIENDS REPRESENTATIVE TO VOTE YES FOR THIS PROPOSITION.UM, HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWN FOR DECADES TO BE BAD ENVIRONMENTALLY, ATHLETICALLY, SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY.
AND I JUST REALLY URGED TO MAKE AN INFORMED SMART DECISION ABOUT THIS, UM, AND SUPPORT PROP 45 AND REALLY DIRECT FUNDS TOWARDS CAP METRO'S PROJECTS AND, UM, REALLY FOCUS ON REDUCING VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS ADDIE WALKER, UM, AND I REPRESENT RECONNECT AUSTIN.
UM, I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN FAVOR OF ITEM 45.
AUSTIN HAS BEEN WORKING FOR OVER 10 YEARS TO IMPROVE THE I 35 CORRIDOR.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THIS PROJECT IN LINE WITH REQUESTS FROM THE CITY, COUNTY, AND COMMUNITY, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THOSE CHANGES.
HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE THAT THE PROJECT IN ITS CURRENT STATE IS NOT YET READY TO MOVE TO CONSTRUCTION AND MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE.
SPECIFICALLY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS FOR THIS PROJECT ARE INCOMPLETE AND DO NOT PAINT A CLEAR AND ACCURATE PICTURE OF AUSTIN'S FUTURE LIVING WITH THIS HIGHWAY.
IT IS INAPPROPRIATE TO SPEND ALMOST $5 BILLION AND 10 YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION ON THIS PROJECT WHEN THERE ARE OUTSTANDING CONCERNS FROM THIS COUNCIL AND FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED BY TPO AND WHICH HAVE HUGELY DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH RECONNECT.
AUSTIN HIRED AN AIR QUALITY EXPERT WHO SPENT HIS CAREER WORKING AT NEW YORK STATE D O T TO REVIEW TPOS AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS FOR THIS PROJECT.
HE FOUND, AND I QUOTE, TPO CANNOT STATE WITH ANY SORT OF CONFIDENCE THAT THIS PROJECT WILL NOT HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH AND ADVERSE EFFECT ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POPULATION.
THE TWO CLIMATE PLANS REFERENCED IN THIS RESOLUTION WILL HELP OUR REGION MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TOWARDS REDUCING OUR TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS.
AND THIS PROJECT IN ITS CURRENT STATE WILL NOT, I URGE THE COUNCIL IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE MANNER TO PASS THIS RESOLUTION AND ACT IN FAVOR OF OUR CITY'S FUTURE.
THE MIDST OF A CLIMATE CRISIS IS NOT THE TIME TO SAY WE WILL FIX IT LATER.
WE MUST FIX IT NOW, AND THIS IS HOW WE DO IT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS RESOLUTION.
NEXT SPEAKER IS HAYDEN WALKER.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAYDEN BLACK WALKER, CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF RECONNECT AUSTIN, AND FORMER CHAIR OF WESTERN ADVISORY COUNCIL.
I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SEVEN, AS YOU KNOW, RECONNECT AUSTIN.
A MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE DONATED THOUSANDS OF HOURS OVER THE LAST DECADE WORKING TO MAKE I 35 CAPX BETTER.
SORRY, MY COMPUTER DECIDED TO RESTART.
UM, I, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS.
UH, AS COMMISSIONER IAN STATED RECENTLY, WHEN WE BUILD A PROJECT THAT COSTS $4.5 BILLION IN TAXPAYER MONEY, WE SHOULD BE BUILDING FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN, UM, I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS PROJECT IS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INFORMED BY THE UPCOMING CLIMATE CHANGE STUDIES, UM, SO THAT, UH, WE CAN USE THAT INFORMATION AND MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS AROUND THIS PROJECT.
UM, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING, ELECTED OFFICIALS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TEXT BACK, TEMP INFO.
UM, CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF HAS BEEN ON THIS PROJECT.
I THINK, UH, THE WORK SESSION DISCUSSION EARLIER THIS WEEK ABOUT ITEM 40 WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF, UM, OUR COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER AND WORKING TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH BETTER SOLUTIONS FOR THIS PROJECT.
SO, UM, I HOPE THAT, UM, WE WILL CHOOSE TO VOTE, UM, AND IN FAVOR OF ITEM 45 AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MAKING THIS THE BEST WE CAN.
WE HAVE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT RIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M BOB HENDRICKS, CHAIR OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE AUSTIN SIERRA CLUB, SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF ITEM 45.
I WANT TO ADD THE VOICE OF SEVERAL THOUSAND AUSTIN SIERRA CLUB MEMBERS TO THE MANY OTHER VOICES OPPOSING THE CURRENT PLAN TO EXPAND I 35.
THIS PROJECT WOULD INCREASE TRAFFIC, NOT REDUCE IT.
THIS WILL ADD TO THE SIGNIFICANT AND INCREASING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
ALREADY THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF AUSTIN'S DIRECT CARBON POLLUTION,
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THIS GLOBAL WARMING CONTINUES TO CAUSE MORE AND MORE STREAM WEATHER EVENTS THAT CAUSE SUFFERING OF AUSTIN BANKS, THE US CITIZENS AND PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD SUFFERING THAT WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE, ESPECIALLY TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES.THE PROJECT CONSIDER SHOULD CONSIDER THIS HARM IN THEIR COST OF A PROJECT.
SO PLEASE APPROVE PROPOSITION 45.
NEXT, NEXT SPEAKER IS PAT RES.
THANK YOU MAYOR, MAYOR, PRO TEM AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN SINCE 1985 AND I AM SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF ITEM 45.
UM, FOR SOME MONTHS NOW, I HAVE BEEN VISITING BUSINESSES CLOSE TO MY HOUSE ON I 35 AND I'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE DISLOCATION THAT I 35 WILL CAUSE, UM, EX EXPANDING I 35 WILL CAUSE ON THOSE BUSINESSES AND ON THOSE OF US WHO USE THEM.
I REALIZE THAT THE RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF YOU IS ABOUT THE UNACCEPTABLE ADMISSIONS AND I SUPPORT ASKING TEXT.TO DELAY FUNDING UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF PLANS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS AND TO, UM, MINIMIZE IMPACT ON OUR CLIMATE CHANGE THAT IS, UM, RAPIDLY HAPPENING AND, AND IN A NEGATIVE DIRECTION.
SO PLEASE APPROVE ITEM 30, ITEM 45.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE REMOTE SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 45.
SO WE'LL BEGIN CALLING THE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 45.
AS YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM AND JUST STATE YOUR NAME BEFORE YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
FIRST NAME IS AVERY LINDSAY, FOLLOWED BY CRAIG NASER AND JEFF HOWARD.
AFTER MR. HOWARD, WE HAVE ADAM POWELL.
UH, YESTERDAY I CALLED A FRIEND I HADN'T SEEN IN A WHILE.
SHE TOLD ME LAST WEEK SHE GOT INTO A CAR WRECK ON I 35 IN FORT WORTH.
LAST WEEKEND I DROVE TO SAN ANTONIO TO WATCH THE ECLIPSE ON THE DRIVE BACK.
I COUNTED FIVE CAR WRECKS ON I 35, 1 AFTER ANOTHER AFTER ANOTHER.
IT TOOK ABOUT THREE HOURS TO GET HERE.
THIS EXPERIENCE IS ALARMINGLY COMMON, YET WE CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT.
INSURANCE RESEARCH SHOWS 77% OF AMERICANS HAVE BEEN IN A CAR WRECK AND THE AVERAGE PERSON WILL EXPERIENCE THREE TO FOUR WRECKS IN THEIR LIFETIME.
FURTHER RESEARCH SHOWS MORE LANES AND WIDER LANES INCREASE THE RISK OF CRASHES DRAMATICALLY.
JAPAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 1 23 IS THE DEADLIEST SINGLE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT IN HISTORY.
520 PEOPLE DIED IN A BOEING 7 47 CRASH.
THE RESULTING CRASH SPARKED INTERNATIONAL NEWS, RESULTED IN NUMEROUS INVESTIGATIONS AND LEFT THE PUBLIC WONDERING WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIX THIS? MEANWHILE, IN THE US THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE, 520 DIE EVERY FOUR DAYS FROM AUTO ACCIDENTS.
IF SEVEN 40 SEVENS WERE FALLING OUT OF THE SKY EVERY FOUR DAYS, WOULD YOU FLY? SO WHY DO WE DILUTE OURSELVES WITH AUTOMOBILES? PERHAPS YOU'RE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK OF DEATH OR IRREVERSIBLE INJURIES ON A DAILY COMMUTE, BUT NOT ALL OF US ARE.
THE UNFORTUNATE REALITY HERE IN AMERICA IS MANY OF US HAVE NO VIABLE ALTERNATIVES.
THIS IS THE RESULT OF DECADES OF CAR DEPENDENT CONSTRUCTION AND LEGISLATION AND IT'S LEFT US IN A POSITION TO BE ENSLAVED BY CAR MANUFACTURERS AND OIL COMPANIES.
AN AVERAGE CAR COSTS YOU JUST UNDER $11,000 A YEAR TO OWN DRIVE AND MAINTAIN.
NOT EVERYONE HAS THAT EXTRA MONEY AND NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO SPEND IT.
OF COURSE, MOST IMPORTANTLY, TEXAS IS THE LARGEST EMITTER OF GREENHOUSE GASES IN THE US.
WE EMIT TWICE AS MUCH AS CALIFORNIA.
DESPITE HAVING ONLY HALF THE POPULATION, 30% OF OUR EMISSIONS COME FROM TRANSPORTATION.
IF YOU THINK CLIMATE CHANGE IS A NON-ISSUE, REMEMBER WE RELY ON STABLE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS TO GROW FOOD AND ACQUIRE WATER.
THESE PAST FEW SUMMERS DROUGHT GRIP THE STATE OF TEXAS AND RAVAGED OUR WATER SUPPLIES.
THIS IS ONLY BECOMING MORE AND MORE COMMON AS THE CLIMATE CHANGES.
MY NAME IS CRAIG NASER, CONSERVATION CHAIR OF THE LONE STAR CHAPTER SIERRA CLUB.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MAYOR PRO TIMM ELLIS, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE FOR PROPOSING THIS AND COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES FOR SUPPORTING IT.
THERE ARE MANY GOOD REASONS FOR SLOWING THE TEXT.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE NEGOTIATIONS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES.
I CANNOT ADDRESS ANY OF THOSE, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL.
IT IS HAPPENING NOW AND THE HOUR IS GETTING LATE FOR US TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
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MAY ARGUE THAT THE AMOUNT OF C O TWO INVOLVED IS TOO LITTLE TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.I WANT TO TELL YOU THE STORY OF THE HUMMINGBIRD.
THE FOREST WAS ON FIRE AND THE ANIMALS HAD GATHERED IN THE RIVER BECAUSE IT WAS ALL BIRDING IN FRONT OF THEM AND THERE WAS A HUMMINGBIRD AND IT SAID, I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING.
AND IT GOT A LITTLE BIT OF WATER AND IT SPIN IT ON THE FIRE AND IT GOT A LITTLE BIT OF WATER.
HE HAD TO SPIT IT ON THE FIRE.
THE OTHER ANIMAL SAID, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU'RE JUST A LITTLE HUMMINGBIRD.
YOU THINK YOU CAN DO ANYTHING? THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO CHANGE THIS.
AND THE HUMMINGBIRD SAID, I'M DOING WHAT I CAN.
THAT FACT ALONE CHANGES THE WORLD.
I AM A CURRENT BOARD MEMBER OF AND THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE CHAIR FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
UH, DURING MY 11 YEARS WITH THE ORGANIZATION, I HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN OUR MOBILITY INITIATIVES.
I AM HERE TODAY SPEAKING AGAINST ITEM 45 AT THE D A A.
WE ARE STRIVING TO MAKE DOWNTOWN A MORE WELCOMING AND ACCESSIBLE PLACE FOR EVERYONE IN AUSTIN, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU COME FROM, I IMAGINE YOU SHARE THESE GOALS WITH US.
WE PURSUE THESE GOALS ACROSS ALL OF OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, INCLUDING MOBILITY.
WE HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE BEST AND LEADING ADVOCATES AND PARTNERS FOR PROJECT CONNECT, THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AFFORDABLE PARKING PROGRAMS, AND NUMEROUS OTHER MULTIMODAL AND TRANSIT INITIATIVES.
OUR MANY WORK YEARS OF WORK ON I 35 HAS INCLUDED ADVOCACY FOR FUNDING AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, ORGANIZING AND FUNDING THE U L I INITIATIVE, CONVENING COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTNERING EXTENSIVELY WITH BOTH THE CITY AND TEXT.TO IMPROVE THE PROJECT.
THE EXISTING I 35 IS A BARRIER AND A BLIGHT.
IT IS UNSAFE, UNHEALTHY AND UNACCEPTABLE.
HOWEVER, I 35 IS ALSO A VITAL TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS WILL NEVER ABANDON AS AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY THROUGH CENTRAL TEX AUSTIN.
THE NEW TEXT STOP PROJECT WHILE NOT PERFECT, IS VASTLY SUPERIOR AND I BELIEVE IS THE ONLY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO THE EXISTING FAILED I 35 THAT TXDOT WILL BUILD THE NEW PROJECT, WHICH IS THE RESULT OF EXTENSIVE CITY, STATE, AND COMMUNITY CAB COLLABORATION WORK WILL RECONNECT OUR COMMUNITIES AND PROVIDE ENHANCED BIKE PED AND TRANSIT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE NONE EXIST FOR THE DA, FOR THE D A A AND DOWNTOWN.
THIS IS A MUCH NEEDED LONG SOUGHT TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT AND WE SUPPORT IT.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROJECT MEETS CURRENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS AND HAS RECEIVED A RECORD OF DECISION.
AND WHILE THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL, UH, AIR QUALITY QUESTIONS, WE ARE RESPECTFULLY OPPOSED TO THE DELAY BEING SOUGHT IN THIS ITEM BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SUCH A DELAY COULD POTENTIALLY BE FOR THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
AUSTIN AUSTINITES OVERWHELMINGLY WANT AND DESERVE TO SEE CHANGES TO I 35 NOW.
AND DELAY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE FUNDING PROCESS AND TO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE ON THIS AND OTHER MOBILITY PROJECTS.
AM GONNA CALL THE NEXT S ROUND OF SPEAKERS.
WE HAVE ADAM POWELL, BOBBY LAVINSKY, ANGELINA ALANIS AND GRACE GILKER.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME BEFORE YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ADAM POWELL.
I'M A DISTRICT SEVEN RESIDENT AND I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 45.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SO MANY OF THE COSTS OF I 35 EXPANSION.
AND I WANNA SHED A LIGHT ON SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY TOPICAL RIGHT NOW IS SO MANY BUSINESSES HAVE HAVE RECEIVED THEIR 90 DAY NOTICES TO VACATE THEIR PROPERTIES.
ONE OF THOSE BUSINESSES IS STARS CAFE.
USED TO BE STAR SEED CAFE AND I WENT THERE ON ONE OF THE WORST DAYS OF MY LIFE.
MY FATHER HAD JUST BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH LEWY BODY DEMENTIA AND THAT THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY TAKE HIS LIFE IN MAY OF 2022.
HE HAD TO BE HOSPITALIZED AT A HOSPITAL DOWNTOWN.
AND MY MOM AND I HAD SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
IT MUST'VE BEEN LIKE ONE, 2:00 AM 3:00 AM FOUR, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW LATE IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS THE MOST EMOTIONALLY EXHAUSTING AND HIGHEST WARMTH OF TURMOIL IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
WE GOT A HOT MEAL AT STAR SEED CAFE.
A LOT OF AUSTINITES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO GET A HOT MEAL AT STAR SEED CAFE WHILE THEY HAVE LOVED ONES IN THAT HOSPITAL.
AND THIS IS JUST ONE OF 111 EXAMPLES OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE BEING DESTROYED BY THIS EXPANSION.
SO I'D URGE ALL OF YOU TO PLEASE SUPPORT ITEM 45.
DELAY THIS, EXPLORE THIS WITH MORE RIGOR BECAUSE WE CANNOT TAKE THIS DECISION LIGHTLY.
THE HUMAN COST IS TOO HIGH AND FRANKLY, WE ALL KNOW THAT WIDER WON'T WORK.
BOBBY LAVINSKY WITH SILVER SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE ITEM AND REALLY APPRECIATE MAYOR PRO TIM ELLIS'S EFFORTS ON MOVING FORWARD WITH AN ITEM THAT ACTUALLY EXPLORES OPTIONS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO TAKE SOME
[00:45:01]
ACTION.UM, CITY OF AUSTIN IS THE MAJOR PLAYER IN THE ROOM ON THIS PROJECT, AND WE NEED YOU TO TAKE, UM, TAKE YOUR TIME TO ASSESS ALL OF YOUR OPTIONS TO TRULY EVALUATE HOW THIS PROJECT COULD BE MADE BETTER FOR OUR CITY.
WE CONTINUED TO TRY TO WORK WITH TXDOT ON EVERY PROJECT.
I REMEMBER SITTING IN A ROOM WITH, UM, A FORMER MAYOR, UH, ON THE OAK HILL PARK, UH, PARKWAY PROJECT, AND HE SAID, WE REALLY NEED TXDOT TO WORK WITH US ON SOME RIGHT OF WAY FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
YOU'RE GETTING FROM THAT CONVERSATION, THEY'RE GOING TO BE EXPANDING 35 AND RUINING YOUR PLANS FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
THIS ISN'T DIRECT COUNTER TO THE CITY'S GOALS.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ANGELINA ALANIS, FOLLOWED BY GRACE GILKER AND KATRINA MILLER.
IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD IF YOU WOULD.
HI, MY NAME IS KATRINA MILLER.
I WANNA SECOND WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE AND EXPRESS MY HEARTFELT GRATITUDE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SO RESPONSIVE TO THE, UM, THE NEEDS AND THE DESIRES OF THIS COMMUNITY TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE IMPACTS THAT THIS IS GONNA HAVE.
I ALSO WANNA RESPOND TO SOME COMMENTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY HEARD TODAY TALKING ABOUT PARKING AND THE IMPACTS ON DOWNTOWN.
I BELIEVE THAT WELL,
THESE PROBLEMS WITH LAND USE AROUND PARKING AND THE, THE, UH, FRACTURED URBAN FABRIC THAT IS SO VASTLY CONSUMED WITH PARKING SPACE IS ONLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE.
SO YES, THIS MIGHT FIX CONGESTION FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT AS PEOPLE ARE CONTINUALLY INCENTIVIZED TO MOVE FURTHER OUT OF THE CITY AND DRIVE INTO THE CITY FOR ALL OF THEIR NEEDS, THE CONGESTION IS GONNA GET WORSE AGAIN.
POLLUTION IS GONNA GET WORSE, AND OUR URBAN LAND USE IS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE SUSTAINABILITY DESIRES THAT WE ALL HAVE AND THIS COUNCIL BELIEVES IS WORTHWHILE AND POSSIBLE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO I AGAIN, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS MOTION AND I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF ITEM 45.
NEXT SPEAKER'S, GRETCHEN PIERCE, FOLLOWED BY BRENDAN WITT STRUCK MIRIAM SCHOFIELD.
HI, MY NAME'S GRETCHEN PIERCE.
I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF AGENDA ITEM 45.
I HAVE TWO YOUNG KIDS AND I'M HERE TODAY FOR THEM AND EVERY OTHER CHILD WHOSE HEALTH AND LIFE WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THE I 35 EXPANSION PROJECT.
IT'S VERY CONCERNING TO ME THAT THE CITY WOULD UNDERTAKE A PROJECT THAT IGNORES OUR ENVIRONMENTAL REALITY, UH, INCREASES CARBON EMISSIONS AND DECREASES AIR QUALITY.
OUR CHILDREN WERE ALREADY BORN INTO A WORLD EXPERIENCING SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE THAT ARE ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE.
WE SHOULD BE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP MITIGATE THOSE CONSEQUENCES AND EXPANDING 35 DOES NOT DO THAT.
AUSTIN DOESN'T ALWAYS MAKE IT EASY FOR US, BUT MY KIDS AND I TRY TO WALK AND BIKE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
AND I TELL THEM WE DO IT FOR OUR OWN HEALTH AND FOR THE HEALTH OF THE PLANET, BUT WE ALSO DO IT BECAUSE IT MAKES US FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE PEOPLE AND PLACES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
ANY TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN AUSTIN SHOULD PRIORITIZE THOSE SAME VALUES.
EXPANDING 35, HOWEVER, WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OF THE PLANET.
IT WILL ISOLATE US FURTHER INTO CARS THAT MANY OF US DON'T WANNA BE DRIVING.
IT'LL ALSO FURTHER DIVIDE OUR CITY.
WIDENING A HIGHWAY THAT SOLIDIFIED THE SEGREGATION OF AUSTIN BACK WHEN IT WAS BUILT.
SEGREGATION THAT CONTINUES TO THIS DAY.
THE PROJECT IS A SHORTSIGHTED SOLUTION THAT WILL NOT ACTUALLY SOLVE OUR TRAFFIC PROBLEMS IN THE LONG TERM.
IT'S A MOVE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR ANY CITY, AND IT'S WRONG FOR AUSTIN.
WE SHOULD IMAGINE OTHER POSSIBILITIES THAT DON'T INVOLVE MORE CARS AND MORE POLLUTION.
SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS THUS FAR AND I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO WORK TO STOP THE EXPANSION OF 35 AND KEEP OUR CHILDREN AS SAFE AND HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE.
I'M GONNA CALL SPEAKERS JUST ONE MORE TIME.
GRETCHEN PIERCE, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND MAKE YOUR WAY.
IF SHE CALLS YOUR NAME, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND SIT UP FRONT OUT OF DEFERENCE AND RESPECT FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE FOLLOWING YOU SO THAT, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE WITH SOME MORE EFFICIENCY.
UH, GOOD MORNING MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS BRENDAN WITCH STRUCK.
I AM THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE NORTH CENTRAL I 35 NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION.
UH, OUR GROUP HAS VOTED, UH, TO SUPPORT ITEM 45 AND
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I WISH TO CONVEY THAT TO YOU.UH, THIS MORNING, UH, IN SYNC REPRESENTS 12 MEMBER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS IN THREE COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
UH, APPROXIMATELY, UH, SEVEN ACRES OF NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN, UM, ON BOTH SIDES OF I 35.
UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, THE MAYOR PROM'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE FOCUS OF, OF THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, THIS RESOLUTION REALLY ISN'T ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK OF, OF I 35.
IT'S, IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK OF, OF OUR CLIMATE FUTURE.
UM, AND THAT'S CLEARLY, UH, RESONATING.
UM, I, UH, I'VE BEEN AT THIS LECTERN A NUMBER OF TIMES NOW.
I NEVER STOPPED BEING TERRIFIED, UM, WHEN I'M HERE AND I'M SO PROUD OF, UH, TO SEE SO MANY YOUNG, NEW FACES.
AND, UH, I'M IS IT, IS ANYONE HERE SPEAKING, UM, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN COUNSEL? UM, IT'S SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO CALL THESE PEOPLE MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, AND I'M, I'M SO PROUD OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND I LET MY SCREEN GO TO MODE.
UH, WE GET THIS IS, THIS IS A CHALLENGING PROJECT.
UH, TXDOT IS HERE TODAY AND CREDIT TO THEM FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO, TO COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL PARTNERS.
UM, BUT THEIR OWN REPORT SAYS THIS PROJECT WILL PUMP MORE THAN 50,000 METRIC TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EQUIVALENT INTO OUR AIR EVERY DAY FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
UH, SO WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DOES IT SEND FOR US TO READ THAT AND SAY NOTHING? WE CAN DISAGREE ABOUT HOW BEST TO PROCEED, BUT WE MUST AGREE THAT REDUCING OR MITIGATING THE HARMS OF THIS PROJECT HAS TO BE OUR PRIORITY.
UM, AND COMMIT TO WORKING WITH TXDOT TO REALIZE THAT IT COULD BE MORE CAPPING OVER I 35 THAT COULD BE ASKING FOR DIRECTING OF PROJECT FUNDING TOWARD OTHER MITIGATION OR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD BE PROVIDING RESOURCES AND COORDINATION TO PROJECT CONNECT, UH, AND MODE SHIFT EFFORTS AND SO ON.
UH, LET'S START BY TAKING THAT COMMITMENT TO ACTION.
WE HAVE TWO REMOTE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE CALLED IN, SO I'M JUST, I'M GONNA CALL THEM SO WE CAN GO BACK TO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS HANS MANDEL.
I LIVE IN HANCOCK IN THE HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD WITH MY WIFE AND OUR TWO CHILDREN.
I SERVE ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION'S TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AND REPRESENTED ON THE NORTH CENTRAL I 35 NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION.
THE FURTHER EXPANSION OF I 35 THROUGH THE HEART OF OUR CITY KEEPS GETTING SOLD AS A SOLUTION TO CONGESTION CHAIRMAN BUG OF THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE CALLED CAPEX CENTRAL, THE ABSOLUTE SIGNATURE PROJECT OF THE TEXAS COOLANTS PROGRAM THREE WEEKS AGO, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, I BELIEVE ASKED
WHY IT CAN'T WAIT FOR THE RESULTS OF IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, BY THE WAY, BY THE CITY AND BY CAMPO THAT ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY.
HER ANSWER BASICALLY WAS BECAUSE I 35 WAS AMONG THE TOP 100 MOST CONGESTED HIGHWAYS, ET CETERA.
LET'S BE CLEAR, THE PROJECT IS NOT GOING TO IMPROVE, LET ALONE SOLVE CONGESTION.
TEXTILE DISTRICT ENGINEER TUCKER FERGUSON HIMSELF STATED HERE IN FRONT OF OUR CITY COUNCIL QUOTE, WE'RE NOT GOING, WE'RE NOT PRETENDING TO SAY THAT THE EXPANSION IS BUILDING OUR WAY OUT OF CONGESTION.
INDEED, TEXT'S OWN MODELING SHOWS THAT THE PROJECT IS NOT GOING TO IMPROVE CONGESTION.
CAMPOS MODELING SHOWS THAT AN INDEPENDENT TRAFFIC MODELING EXPERTS HAVE CONFIRMED AND WARNED THAT THE PROJECT IS NOT GOING TO IMPROVE CONGESTION.
WHAT THE PROJECT IS GOING TO DO, OF COURSE, IS MASSIVELY INCREASE TRAFFIC BY INVITING, EXCUSE ME, BY ECONOMICALLY FORCING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ADDITIONAL PEOPLE ONTO THE HIGHWAY UNTIL CONGESTION IS JUST AS BAD AGAIN.
WHAT IF WE OFFER THOSE PEOPLE $5 BILLION WORTH OF ACTUAL ALTERNATIVES TO DRIVING? WE'VE SEEN IT IN THE PAST AND WE'VE SEEN IT ELSEWHERE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS UNDER CONDITIONS THAT EVEN MINIMAL GROWTH DON'T WORK.
A MUCH MORE HONEST SLOGAN FOR THIS PROJECT WOULD BE CONGESTION FOR MORE PEOPLE, OR IN FACT, CONGESTION FOR EVERYONE.
SO IF WE ARE GOING TO BURDEN OUR CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN AND INFECT THE PLANET WITH THIS DOOMED TO FAIL BACKWARD LOOKING PROJECT, THE VERY LEAST WE SHOULD DO IS THOROUGHLY STUDY AND MINIMIZE ITS MASSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
PLEASE VOTE IN FAVOR OF ITEM 45.
UM, I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF ITEM 45.
UM, I AM IN DISTRICT FIVE YEP.
FOR 77 0 4 AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE SPONSOR OF THIS RESOLUTION, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP ELLIS.
SO I VOLUNTEER AT FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST, WHICH IS VERY CLOSE TO 35, UM, RIGHT NORTH OF THE LAKE.
AND, UM, I
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IN THE E I S JUST FOR OUR LITTLE SPLICE ON FESTIVAL BEACH AND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.AND, UM, DEFINITELY DON'T FEEL SECURE BARRELING FULL STEAM AHEAD FROM A STORM WATER PERSPECTIVE, FROM AN AIR POLLUTION PERSPECTIVE, FROM A PARTICULATE MATTER PERSPECTIVE, FROM A DUST PERSPECTIVE, FROM A SOIL PERSPECTIVE, IN TERMS OF FOOD SAFETY.
LIKE WE NEED MORE INFORMATION, WE NEED MORE TIME.
UM, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, SOME CIRCUMSPECTION ON THE PART OF THE COUNCIL.
UM, I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS COSTS US ANYTHING.
LET'S JUST MAKE SURE, CHECK OUR BOXES, YOU KNOW, SO IF
AND I'M PRETTY SURE I AM NOT JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.
SO PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.
I'M GONNA CALL THESE NAMES ONE MORE TIME.
ANGELINA ALANIS, GRETCHEN PIERCE AND MIRIAM SCHOFIELD.
OKAY, I AM GONNA CALL THE NEXT SURROUNDED SPEAKERS.
OR WHOEVER, GO AHEAD AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS, UM, MIRIAM SCHOFIELD.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF ITEM 45, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE.
UM, I REALLY JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
UM, THIS, I I I'M REALLY MOVED, UM, BY WHERE WE ARE TODAY AS A CITY WITH RESPECT TO THIS ISSUE.
UM, I LOVE THE OPENING WORDS OF THIS RESOLUTION, UH, WHICH SAY, WHEREAS OUR GREAT STATE OF TEXAS, THIS GREAT STATE OF TEXAS IS OUR BELOVED HOME.
UM, AND THAT REALLY IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS OUR BELOVED HOME.
YOU KNOW, THIS GREAT CITY OF AUSTIN IS OUR BELOVED HOME.
AND, UM, I'VE HAD NEIGHBORS WHO'VE HAD TO LEAVE THEIR BELOVED HOME, UM, BECAUSE OF THEIR CHILDREN'S ASTHMA, BECAUSE OF THE AIR QUALITY ISSUES, BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. AND THIS PLANET EARTH IS OUR BELOVED HOME.
IT IS, UM, WE'RE IN A CRISIS AS SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID, AND IT JUST MEANS SO MUCH.
IT MAKES ME FEEL REALLY PART OF THE CITY TO KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA DEMAND ADDITIONAL STUDIES.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS.
AND, UM, YEAH, JUST FULL OF GRATITUDE TO, UM, MAYOR PROAM ALLEN, THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN SUPPORT OF THIS, ALL OF MY FELLOW CITIZENS WHO ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR THE CITY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS KELSEY HUGHES, FOLLOWED BY ABBY NESBITT AND EVAN ALTRO.
I'M A RESIDENT OF D NINE NOW, AND I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH RETHINK 35.
I'M HERE IN MAJOR SUPPORT OF ITEM 45.
WE HAVE COUNTLESS EXAMPLES OF HIGHWAY WIDENING ACROSS THIS COUNTRY NOW WITH THE KATY FREEWAY AT 26 LANES.
JUST ONE MORE LANE HAS BECOME A WORLDWIDE JOKE BECAUSE IT'S SO OBVIOUS THAT IT DOES NOT FIX TRAFFIC.
SO WHY WOULD WE SUPPORT ADDING LANES TO AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY THROUGH A DOWNTOWN? WHERE IS THE EXAMPLE OF A HIGHWAY WIDENING PROJECT THAT IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES, LOWERED TRAFFIC FATALITIES, CLEANED UP THE AIR, LOWERED EMISSIONS, AND IMPROVED MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO CANNOT DRIVE? IT DOESN'T EXIST EARLIER THIS YEAR IN THIS ROOM.
GREG ANDERSON SAID IN REGARDS TO HIGHWAY EXPANSION.
AUSTIN CAN BE ONE OF THE LAST CITIES TO GET THIS WRONG, OR ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES TO GET IT RIGHT.
I BELIEVE COUNCIL CAN GET THIS RIGHT AND THE PUBLIC IS HERE TO BACK YOU UP WIDER.
ABBY NESBITT, FOLLOWED BY EVAN TRO AND VENICIA BARLO.
HI, UH, I'M ABBY NESBITT REPRESENTING RETHINK I 35.
I TOOK THE BELOVED 8 0 1 BUS HERE FROM DISTRICT NINE.
SHOUT OUT TO COUNCILMAN QUADRI.
UH, AND I'M SPEAKING IN STRONG FAVOR FOR AGENDA ITEM 45 TODAY.
I'VE GOT A FEW CHICKEN SCRATCH NOTES HERE ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONGESTION AND MOBILITY AND EQUITY CONCERNS.
SO I'LL START WITH ENVIRONMENTAL.
UM, SO THE PROPOSED EXPANSION, UH, IS GONNA RELEASE C O TWO EMISSIONS EQUIVALENT TO A COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS BY THE YEAR OF 2050.
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THIS IS WHILE WE, UH, WANT TO HAVE A GOAL OF NET ZERO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2040.SO I BELIEVE THAT IT'S VERY INAPPROPRIATELY, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY INAPPROPRIATE TO CONTINUE, UH, WITH THIS CURRENT PLAN.
MOVING ON TO CONGESTION AND MOBILITY CONCERNS.
I USED TO LIVE IN HOUSTON FOR A YEAR, ONLY ONE YEAR.
I COULDN'T DO IT AND I DON'T WANT A KATY FREEWAY HERE.
ONLY WORSENS AND TXDOT EVEN ESTIMATES THAT 59%, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A 59% INCREASE IN CARS, UH, DRIVING THROUGH OUR CITY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE AS A WHOLE REDUCED VEHICLE EMISSIONS TRAVEL THROUGH THE CITY.
UH, AND NOW FOR EQUITY, YOU KNOW, UH, AUTOMOBILE DEPENDENT DESIGNS, IT'S GONNA DISPLACE PEOPLE OF, UH, LOWER INCOME PEOPLE OF COLOR, PEOPLE IN BUSINESSES IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CATEGORY.
AND I THINK CONTINUING THE DEVICE OF LEGACY OF I 35 WOULD JUST BE, UH, WRONG FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR, OUR CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN.
UM, THERE ARE PROPOSED PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE, UH, CONSIDERING RETHINK I 35 AND THE RECONNECT AUSTIN PROPOSAL.
UH, BUT I ULTIMATELY JUST WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE FOR, UH, BRINGING THIS AGENDA ITEM FORWARD TODAY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE MOVE FORWARD IN FAVOR OF AGENDA ITEM 45.
NEXT SPEAKER'S EVAN GARE, FOLLOWED BY VENICIA BARLO, JULIO ROJAS AGUILAR.
IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PA PODIUM AND STATE YOUR NAME.
AND THERE ARE SEATS HERE AT THE FRONT THAT YOU CAN TAKE A SEAT.
UM, NEXT SPEAKER'S, LAYLA LEVINSON.
JACK SAWYER, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS JULIE ROJAS AGUILAR.
I AM FROM DISTRICT FIVE, UM, REPRESENTED BY RYAN ALTER.
UM, I'M, SO, UM, I SUPPORT AGENDA ITEM 45 AND URGE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO OPPOSE THE I 35 EXPANSION.
I OPPOSE EXPANDING I 35 BECAUSE IT WILL, SORRY, WELL, MY THING CLOSED, BUT
IT IS BASICALLY JUST A TEMPORARY BANDAID THAT WOULD ALLOW THE WOUND TO FESTER OF, AS A INDUCED DEMAND TAKES US HOLD AND HORRIBLE TRAFFIC WILL RETURN.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ACTUALLY TAKE ACTION AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY THAT OUR CITY CAN BE.
WE CAN MAKE AUSTIN A WORLD-CLASS CITY BY STOPPING THIS, UH, DERANGED MINDSET THAT WE ARE ONE LANE AWAY FROM FIXING, FIXING TRAFFIC, WHICH IS THE EQUIVALENT OF THINKING YOU ARE ONE CREDIT CARD AWAY FROM BEING FINANCIALLY STABLE.
SO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT, UH, SUPPORT.
IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE WAIT AWAY TO THE PODIUM.
I'M GONNA CALL THE NEXT ROUND OF SPEAKERS.
OTHERWISE, AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.
I'M BUILDING A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM CALLED REPRESENT DEV.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE AND I'M SPEAKING FOR AGENDA ITEM 45.
I, LIKE MANY OF THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN FIRMLY OPPOSE THE EXPANSION OF I 35 AND ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE TO BRAINSTORM SOME ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS WITH YOU TODAY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF STUDYING ABROAD AND GROWING IN CITIES THAT WERE OF SIMILAR PROPORTIONS AND POPULATION TO AUSTIN.
AND I'VE LIVED THE SIDE EFFECTS OF ROADWAYS AND THE SAFER, CLEANER, AND MORE AFFORDABLE SOLUTIONS.
AUSTIN NOT ONLY DOESN'T NEED A WIDER I 35, BUT WE DON'T ACTUALLY WANT IT EITHER.
IN FACT, MOST OF US WOULD RATHER THE MONEY BE INVESTED TOWARDS ALTERNATIVES TO DRIVING AS THE FASTEST GROWING CITY IN THE NATION.
WE NEED TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS ARE A SOLUTION OF THE PAST AND THAT WE NEED TO PURSUE MODERN, REALISTIC AND TIMELESS SOLUTIONS.
A RESEARCH PAPER FROM TEXAS A AND M'S TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE IN 2015 REPORTED THAT 86% OF I 35 TRAFFIC VOLUME IS FROM LOCAL TRAFFIC.
CONSIDERING THAT ACT'S OWN SURVEY RESULTS FROM 2022 SAID THAT OF ALL THE AUSTIN RESPONDENTS WHO DRIVE THEMSELVES, ONLY 16% ACTUALLY WANT TO, WITH TDOT'S OWN FIGURE OF OVER 172,000 AVERAGE DAILY DRIVERS ON I 35 ALONE, THAT'S A TON OF AUSTINITES WE COULD RAISE CAPITAL FROM BY PUTTING 'EM ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
IF CITY COUNCIL WERE TO PUT FORTH THE PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOCATIONS QUICKLY REACHABLE VIA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS WILL THANK YOU.
FIRST, WE NEED TO CREATE A BETTER
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TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR OUR RESIDENTS BECAUSE A COUPLE MORE LANES ON I 35 WON'T HELP US.WHY ARE WE TRYING TO BUILD WIDER HIGHWAYS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT SPEAKER IS PAIGE HOFFER, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTIAN MAY AND JENNA EVANS.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AT THE PODIUM.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE.
I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT NEXT TO I 35.
WE LIVE THERE BECAUSE IT'S WHERE WE CAN AFFORD TO LIVE.
MY PARTNER HAS HAD, HAD ASTHMA SINCE SHE WAS A CHILD BEFORE WE MOVED TO AUSTIN.
SHE NEVER NEEDED TO USE AN INHALER.
NOW LIVING NEXT TO THE HIGHWAY, SHE NEEDS TO USE ONE REGULARLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE EVER WATCHED AS THE PERSON THAT YOU LOVE STRUGGLES TO BREATHE AS THEY TRY TO GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT.
UH, NOT FAR FROM US IS SANCHEZ ELEMENTARY.
ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM THE HIGHWAY.
IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE, ATTENDING A SCHOOL CLOSE TO A HIGHWAY GREATLY INCREASES THE RISK OF CHILDHOOD ASTHMA.
THIS IS BACKED UP BY LIKE, UH, NUMEROUS STUDIES.
THE CURRENT PLAN TO EXPAND THE HIGHWAY WOULD INCREASE THOSE KIDS' RISK EVEN FURTHER.
I DON'T WANT THE CHILDREN OF OUR COMMUNITY TO SUFFER 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE COURAGE TO OPPOSE THIS EXPANSION AND FIND A BETTER DEAL FOR AUSTIN.
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL HAVE THAT COURAGE FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE ALREADY HAD THAT COURAGE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I HOPE MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL JOIN YOU.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT 10 AND I'M A JUNIOR AT HEADWATERS HIGH SCHOOL.
WE WALK THROUGH AUSTIN CAPTURING STREET CORNERS DURING PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS, AND TODAY I CAME STRAIGHT FROM SCHOOL, WHICH IS 15 MINUTE WALK AWAY FROM HERE.
AS STUDENTS, WE HAVE A DEEP CONNECTION TO THE CITY.
WE HIKE AT WALLER BEACH PARK, WHICH WILL BE SEIZED BY TXDOT IN ORDER TO EXPAND I 35.
AS WE ROAM THROUGH AUSTIN, WE WANT IT TO BE A HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL CITY.
WE, STUDENTS ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE ENVIRONMENT, GREEN SPACES, AND PEOPLE'S HEALTH WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE I 35 EXPANSION.
THIS EXPANSION WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CARS DRIVING THROUGH THE CITY, INCREASE POLLUTION, AND FURTHER THE HISTORIC DIVIDE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST AUSTIN.
NOBODY IS ATTRACTED TO A CITY WITH A 20 LANE HIGHWAY THAT TEARS ITS HEART APART EXPANDING.
I 35 EXACT IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE NEED TO ENSURE A HEALTHY, LIVABLE AND ENJOYABLE CITY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF STUDENTS.
WE WANT A FORWARD-LOOKING CITY THAT CARESS ABOUT THE PEOPLE'S WELLBEING.
THAT IS WHY WE CALL THE CITY COUNCIL TO PAUSE THE I 35 EXPANSION.
NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, MAX CATON, FOLLOWED BY ROBERT BOWLER, LISA BUTLER.
AND PLEASE, IF YOU COULD JUST STATE YOUR NAME AT THE PODIUM.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MAX KEATON AND I'M A NINTH GRADE STUDENT HERE IN AUSTIN.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ITEM NUMBER 45.
OTHER CITIES HAVE CHOSEN TO REMOVE HIGHWAYS THAT GO THROUGH THEM.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PROJECT ALONE WILL TAKE AN ESTIMATED 10 YEARS.
THAT'S 10 YEARS OF BLOCKED OFF PARTS OF A MASSIVE ROAD AND 10 YEARS OF NOISE FOR EVERYONE WHO LIVES, WORKS OR ATTENDS SCHOOL NEAR IT.
AND ONCE IT IS FINISHED, THE TRAFFIC WILL NOT GET BETTER, WHICH WILL ALSO CREATE NOISE.
SOMETHING ELSE THAT WORRIES ME IS THE CAR POLLUTION CAUSED BY EXTRA TRAFFIC.
NOT ONLY IS IT HORRIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, IT ALSO CREATES A PUBLIC HEALTH RISK.
A CITY THAT DOES NOT TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION IS NOT A CITY THAT I WANT TO LIVE IN IN THE FUTURE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS LIZA BEAGLER AND I'M A JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL HERE IN AUSTIN.
I LIVE IN BOTH DISTRICTS 10 AND FIVE.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 45.
AS MANY OF YOU GUYS KNOW, ALREADY OVER 60 EVICTION NOTICES HAVE ALREADY BEEN GIVEN TO BUSINESSES AND HOMES IN EAST AUSTIN IN PREPARATION FOR EXPANDING 35.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I REALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT.
I AM A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WHO DRIVES MYSELF BASICALLY EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW.
AND TRAFFIC IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE GREATLY INCREASED.
IF I 35 EXPANDS, IT'S GONNA CREATE MORE TRAFFIC, MAKING IT HARDER FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LIKE ME AND OTHER PEOPLE TO NOT ONLY GET HOME BUT GET AROUND THE CITY.
SOMETHING I'D ALSO LIKE TO TOUCH ON IS I TAKE A PHOTOGRAPHY
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CLASS AT MY HIGH SCHOOL WHERE WE'LL GO OUT AROUND THE CITY MORE SPECIFICALLY DOWNTOWN, AND WE'LL FIND LIKE COOL THINGS LIKE NATURE AND OTHER THINGS AND LIKE STREET CORNERS AND STUFF TO TAKE PHOTOS OF.AND THAT WON'T BE THERE IF I 35 EXPANDS, IT'LL BE A HIGHWAY.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE TIME AND THANK YOU TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I'M A DISTRICT FOUR HOMEOWNER AND A 12 YEAR AUSTINITE.
I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF ITEM 45.
I GREW UP IN THE SPERLING NORTH TEXAS METROPLEX IN A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD SANDWICH BETWEEN THREE MULTI-LANE HIGHWAYS.
I, UH, HAD NEIGHBORS TO VISIT BUT OTHERWISE HAD NO INDEPENDENCE.
I COULD NOT GET TO A MALL, WHICH STILL EXISTED THEN TO A PARK, UH, WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN ACROSS THE HIGHWAYS BY MY PARENTS.
TO THIS DAY, I DEAL WITH EXERCISE INDUCED ASTHMA.
SO THIS IS WHAT URBAN HIGHWAYS DO TO CHILDREN.
FAST FORWARD A FEW YEARS WHEN I'M WORKING IN A CLIENT'S OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THEIR DOWNTOWN HAS TO OFFER.
BUT THERE ARE NO PEOPLE, THERE ARE NO INTERESTING THINGS TO SEE.
NOT EVEN A VOLUNTEER FOOD FOREST OR A VAMPIRE THEMED ANTIQUE STORE AS WE ARE SO BLESSED WITH.
IT'S JUST CONCRETE CAR LANES AND PARKING GARAGES.
SO THIS IS WHAT URBAN HIGHWAYS DO TO CITIES.
I KNOW THIS IS NOT A COUNCIL DECISION.
UH, I KNOW THIS IS A TXDOT AND A CAMPO DECISION, BUT THEIR END OF THE STREAK CAMPAIGN SHOWS THAT TXDOT HAS ABDICATED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR SAFETY.
WITHOUT OUTSIDE PRESSURE FROM Y'ALL, FROM MAYBE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FROM US, UH, THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE STREAK THEY HAVE GIVEN UP.
YOU ARE THE ONLY ADULTS IN THE ROOM ON THIS ISSUE, AND I'M REALLY ASKING Y'ALL TO STEP UP FOR THIS.
I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL ALREADY HAVE, SO WE REALLY NEED YOUR UNIFIED VOICE ON THIS.
TURNING THIS AROUND WILL BE AN AMAZING LEGACY FOR AUSTIN, FOR Y'ALL AND FOR OUR FUTURE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS OLIVIA B UH, BUSH OVER PATRICK MCADAMS, ELEANOR STACK.
AND TINA RODRIGUEZ, IF YOU CAN JUST, UH, STATE YOUR NAME AT THE PODIUM.
HI, MY NAME IS OLIVIA AND I'M A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN NINTH GRADE.
I'M CURRENTLY A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT EIGHT.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF GENDER ITEM NUMBER 45.
THERE ARE MULTITUDE OF REASONS AS TO WHY WE DON'T NEED A LARGER HIGHWAY IN OUR CITY.
A MAJOR ONE BEING THAT HIGHWAYS, ESPECIALLY LARGE ONES, TEND TO BE EYESORE.
AUSTIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL CITY, BUT THIS EXPANSION WILL ONLY TAKE THAT AWAY.
WE SHOULD BE PRIORITIZING SOLUTIONS THAT INCREASE MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY.
UH, MY NAME IS, UH, PATTER MCADAMS. I KNOW I SPOKE HERE, UH, EARLIER TODAY AND THIS MORNING.
UM, BUT I GUESS I JUST GOT ONE LAST COMMENT.
UM, I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A CITY DECISION, SO, UH, MR. BUTTIGIEG, UM, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, IF YOU EVER GET THIS, UH, PLEASE COME DOWN AND HELP US AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ELEANOR STECK.
I'M A JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL WHO LIVES IN DISTRICT TWO, AND I'M HERE TODAY SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 45.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I'M SO HAPPY THAT I CAN SPEAK HERE TODAY AND SHARE MY OPINIONS WITH YOU.
UM, AUSTIN, OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES HAS GONE THROUGH SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.
WE HAVE WATCHED OUR SKYLINES GROW TALLER, OUR GREEN SPACES SHRINK, AND THE AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION GROW AT A STAGGERING RATE.
WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE MOVING HERE.
WE NEED MORE HOUSING AND WE NEED MORE LIVING SPACES.
BUT WE KNOW WE DON'T NEED THIS HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION.
WE DON'T NEED THIS HIGHWAY EXPANSION.
WE DON'T NEED MORE ROOM FOR OUR CARS.
THIS HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION IS ACTIVELY EVICTING PEOPLE, DESTROYING OUR TREES, OUR CREEKS, OUR STREAMS, AND AMPLIFYING OUR CITY WITH MORE CONCRETE.
WE NEED BETTER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, MORE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, MORE BIKE LANES, MORE TREES THAT KEEP OUR AIR BREATHABLE.
AND I IMPLORE YOU TO HOLD TDO ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND HOW THEIR ACTIONS IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR CITY.
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SEE, WE'VE CALLED TINA RODRIGUEZ.ELEANOR GONZALEZ, FOLLOWED BY JOAN SALANA, SANDY DOIN WILLIAM BUNCH.
IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, IF YOU CAN PLEASE MAKE GRADE OF THE PODIUM.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, BILL BUNCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UH, I WANNA FIRST THANK, UH, MAYOR PRO TIMM ELLIS AND THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE FOR MOVING THIS FORWARD, AND TO URGE ALL OF YOU TO SUPPORT IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
UM, AS A LONGTIME ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER, UM, I'VE FOUGHT TEXDOT ON MULTIPLE HIGHWAY PROJECTS.
UM, THEY WIN MOST OF THE TIME, BUT NOT ALL OF THE TIME.
UM, THEY WON'T BEND WITHOUT REAL PRESSURE, AND Y'ALL NEED TO STEP UP AND FIGHT THIS TO THE END AND AT LEAST GET SOME LEVERAGE.
UM, YOU ALSO NEED TO ENGAGE WITH SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG, MAYOR PETE AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID OVER AND OVER THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THESE URBAN HIGHWAYS THAT WERE BUILT AND DESTROYED, OUR CENTRAL CITIES, DIVIDED THEM RACIALLY HAD, UH, EXTREME IMPACTS ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UH, THAT THEY NEED TO BE MITIGATING THAT AND REDUCING IT, REMOVING URBAN HIGHWAYS.
AND YET HERE WE ARE EXPANDING, ADDING WAY MORE HARM TO THE ORIGINAL HARM THAT WAS DONE.
YOU NEED TO HELP US HOLD THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR PROMISES ON CLIMATE CHANGE, ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND AIR QUALITY, ON PROTECTING WATER QUALITY IN OUR LAKE AND OUR RIVER.
ACROSS THE BOARD, THIS ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY IS DEFICIENT AND CALLING THE MITIGATION SOMETHING THAT'S WORTH JUMPING ONTO WHEN WE'RE HAVING TO PAY FOR IT, WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY A ROUNDING ERROR FOR TEXDOT ON THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS DOING HARM TO MY, OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT HELPING OUR COMMUNITY.
WE SHOULDN'T BE SPENDING A DIME ON THIS THING.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ALI KAITA, FOLLOWED BY ROY WHALEY.
IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD, UH, WHEN SHE CALLS YOUR NAME.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
I'M THE 20 23 3 CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND I WANT TO EXPRESS OUR OPPOSITION TO THIS RESOLUTION.
OUR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO YOUR OFFICE, THE CAMPO BOARD, THE TEXTUAL TEXTILE LEADERSHIP, AND OTHERS IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.
OUR REGION IS EXPERIENCING RAPID GROWTH AND PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO AUSTIN BECAUSE OF ITS QUALITY OF LIFE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FAMILIES.
TO SUSTAIN THIS SUCCESS, WE NEED TO ADDRESS TRANSPORTATION DEFICIENCIES, RETROFIT AND REBUILD EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THE CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT AIMS TO DO JUST THAT.
OUR IMPORTANT, ONE IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS PROJECT IS INCLUSION OF MANAGED LANES, WHICH WILL SUPPORT RAPID BUS SERVICES ON I 35 AND ENCOURAGE CARPOOLING OR VAN POOLING.
THIS IS CRUCIAL FOR ACHIEVING THE CITY OF AUSTIN GOALS FOR MODE SHIFT.
MOREOVER, WITHOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS OFFERED BY EAST-WEST STITCHES AND PARALLEL PATHWAYS, I 35 WILL REMAIN UNSAFE FOR DRIVERS, PEDESTRIANS, AND CYCLISTS.
FAILING TO EXECUTE THIS PROJECT WOULD MAINTAIN AN UNACCEPTABLE STATUS QUO.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT I 35 WAS BUILT OVER 60 YEARS AGO AND DOES NOT MEET CURRENT SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL STANDARDS.
THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS ALSO OUTDATED.
TEXT.IS PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES BY IMPROVING WATER COLLECTION RUNOFF STANDARDS AND CONDUCTING AIR QUALITY STUDIES MANDATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IF WE DO NOTHING, THE PHYSICAL BARRIERS THAT HAS SEPARATED AUSTIN FOR SIX DECADES WILL PERSIST.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO FACE HAZARDOUS CROSSINGS, LACK OF TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS, AND LIMITED FUTURE RAIL OPTIONS.
CONSIDERING THESE CRITICAL ASPECTS, THE AUSTIN CHAMBER FIRMLY OPPOSES ANY EFFORTS TO DELAY THE CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
NEXT SPEAKERS, ATU DE DE SOA, FOLLOWED BY DANIELLA SILVA.
AND LAST SPEAKER, SANTIAGO, UH, WAN.
[01:20:02]
YEAH.HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS ALTA DEZA.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK MY SUPPORT FOR ITEM 45.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN BE SAID AGAINST HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS.
COMING FROM ATLANTA, I CAN TELL YOU EXPANDED LANES ONLY INCREASE TRAFFIC, UH, AND ONLY MAKE IT HARDER TO GET ON AND OFF THE HIGHWAY THAT CUTS THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
BUT TODAY I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT THE INCREASED POLLUTION WILL DO.
UH, SINCE TRANSPLANTING TO AUSTIN A FEW YEARS AGO, I'VE FOUND MYSELF GETTING MORE AND MORE INTO NATURE, BECOMING AN AMATEUR ECOLOGIST AND CITIZEN SCIENTIST.
THIS GENUINELY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE INCREDIBLE TEXAS WILDLIFE WE HAVE HERE WITH MORE SPECIES THAN YELLOWSTONE AND SECOND IN THE NATION FOR SPECIES DIVERSITY.
AND AS SUCH, I WANTED TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO HOW THE PLANT'S NATURE WILL BE AFFECTED.
I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT POLLUTION IS BAD.
UH, IT MAKES THE AIR MORE DANGEROUS TO BREATHE.
IT CAN SERIOUSLY COMPLICATE EXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS.
FORTUNATELY FOR US, PLANTS DO A GREAT JOB OF FILTERING OUT THESE POLLUTANTS LIKE GASOLINE EXHAUST OR RUBBER PARTICULATES THAT END UP IN THE SOIL FROM WATER.
WHAT I THINK THIS I 35 PLAN DOESN'T CONSIDER IS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? WHAT HAPPENS WITH THESE PLANTS THAT CLEAN THE AIR, WATER, AND SOIL? WELL, JUST LIKE WHEN YOU'RE USE THE AIR VENT GETS DIRTY, UH, IT BECOMES CLOGGED, IT BECOMES BAD.
UNFORTUNATELY, PLANTS CAN ORDER REPLACEMENT FILTERS.
THEY ABSORB, THEY, UH, ACCUMULATE ALL THESE TOXINS.
THESE TOXINS ARE THEN ACCUMULATED IN THESE WILDFLOWERS THAT WE PLANT TO ATTRACT OUR BUTTERFLIES, OUR HUMMINGBIRDS, OUR BATS.
IN ADDITION TO MY CONCERNS FOR NATURE, I CAME TODAY AS A SPEAKER IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 45 FOR THE FOOD, UH, FESTIVAL BEACH.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, FESTIVAL OF BEACH FOOD, FOREST IS A NATURE PATH OF EDIBLE PLANTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO FORAGE.
THIS PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION FOR SOMEONE WITHOUT FOOD SECURITY AND, UH, AS WELL AS AN INCREDIBLE EDUCATION RESOURCE TO HEAR, SMELL, FEEL, AND TASTE NATURE FROM PICKING WILD BERRIES ON OFF THE BRANCH TO TAKING THEM HOME TO MAKE TEA.
UNFORTUNATELY, THESE PLANTS DO NOT KNOW THEY'LL BE CONSUMED BY PEOPLE AND WILL CONTINUE TO FILTER AND STORE POLLUTANTS AS REMARKABLY AS ALL PLANTS DO.
I'M SUPPORTING ITEM 45 TODAY BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT MY LOCAL COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE I DISLIKE TRAFFIC AS MUCH AS ANYONE HERE, BUT WE SHOULD NOT TAKE THAT OUT ON OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE WAYS TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING THE HEALTH OF OUR YOUNG, SICK AND VULNERABLE.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE, AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 45.
EARLIER THIS MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND HER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE HONORING THE LIVES LOST DURING A DEVASTATING FLOOD THAT HAPPENED JUST A DECADE AGO.
DEVASTATING WEATHER CRISES WILL FACTUALLY CONTINUE TO HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY AND WITH INCREASED SEVERITY DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO LEAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANS AS THE LAST PRIORITY.
AND LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
MORE CONCRETE WILL ONLY LEAD TO MORE FLOODING.
MORE AIR POLLUTION WILL WORSEN EXISTING HEALTH DISPARITIES.
MORE CAR DEPENDENCE WILL EXACERBATE SOCIAL ISOLATION AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES.
AUSTINITES RESOUNDINGLY DO NOT WANT A WIDER HIGHWAY.
MOST OF US DON'T WANT A HIGHWAY DOWN THE MIDDLE OF OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY AT ALL.
IF TECH STOCK IS GOING TO FORCE THEIR BACKWARDS POLICY ONTO US, AT THE VERY LEAST, THEY SHOULD BE CROSSING EVERY SINGLE T AND DOTTING EVERY SINGLE I.
WHAT WE CANNOT SUPPORT IS ALLOWING TXDOT TO CIRCUMVENT THE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES THAT ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY.
MR. ALI MENTIONED THAT PEOPLE WANNA MOVE TO AUSTIN BECAUSE OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES.
DOES THE CHAMBER REALLY THINK THAT ADDING CONCRETE AIR AND NOISE POLLUTION AND 10 YEARS OF WORSENED TRAFFIC DUE TO CONSTRUCTION WOULD REALLY MAKE QUALITY OF LIFE BETTER? FOR WHO? I HAVE A LI I'M IN BIG BROTHER'S BIG SISTERS, AND I TOOK MY LITTLE TO THE FESTIVAL, BEACH FOOD FOREST TO SEE THE SOLAR ECLIPSE AND MY LITTLE LIVES IN VERY, VERY FAR SOUTHWEST AUSTIN AND SAID, WOW, I DIDN'T KNOW AUSTIN COULD LOOK LIKE THIS.
I DIDN'T KNOW AUSTIN COULD BE THIS BEAUTIFUL AND THIS GREEN AND HAVE ALL OF THESE AREAS FOR COMMUNITY.
AND THE FESTIVAL, BEACH FOOD FORCE ITSELF WOULD BE AT RISK DUE TO THIS EXPANSION.
SO PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS THINK ABOUT FUTURE AUSTINITES AND VOTE IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR SHARED VISION OF AN AUSTIN FOR ALL, WHICH MEANS NO WIDER AND NO HIGHER.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I AM THE CHAIR THIS YEAR OF AERO, THE AUSTIN AREA RESEARCH ORGANIZATION.
UH, A GROUP OF, UH, BUSINESS AND CIVIC LEADERS ACROSS OUR SIX COUNTY REGION.
UH, LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND, UH, HOW WE GROW REGIONALLY, UH, IN THE NEXT, UH, DECADES.
UH, I'M HERE WITH ALL RESPECT TO, UH, SPEAK AGAINST THIS RESOLUTION.
AND LEMME JUST TELL YOU WHY WE ALL KNOW THAT WE'RE GROWING FAST.
UH, WE'VE DISPROVEN THE URBAN THEORY THAT IF YOU DON'T BUILD IT, THEY WON'T COME.
[01:25:01]
UH, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO, UH, PROVIDE FOR THAT.UM, IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS AFFIRM A SHIFT, A MODE SHIFT FROM SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES INTO CARPOOLS, VAN POOLS, BUSES, TRAINS, AND BIKES THAT INCLUDES RETRO FIELDING OR REBUILDING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THE CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT DOES THAT, YOU KNOW, NEARLY ALL THE INCREASED CAPACITY ON THE PROJECT IS ON THE MANAGED LANES.
ADDITIONAL PEOPLE MOVING THROUGH THE CORRIDOR WILL BE PRO PRODUCING SIGNIFICANTLY LESS POLLUTION BY RIDING IT TOGETHER IN CARS, VANS, AND BUSES.
UH, COMPARED TO DRIVING ALONE, EACH YEAR THIS PROJECT IS DELAYED, OR IF IT NEVER HAPPENS, THE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AND TRIPS THAT WE KNOW ARE COMING WILL TAKE PLACE MORE LIKELY.
AND SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES, THERE WON'T BE RAPID BUS SERVICE ON I 35 WITHOUT MANAGED LANES.
THERE'LL BE LITTLE INCENTIVE TO CARPOOL OR VAN POOL WITHOUT MANAGED LANES.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN GOALS FOR MODE SHIFT WILL BE HARDER FOR US TO ACHIEVE.
I 35 WILL REMAIN A DEADLY CORRIDOR FOR PEDESTRIANS.
A NO-GO ZONE FOR BICYCLISTS WITHOUT THE EAST WEST STITCHES AND PARALLEL SHARED USE PATHWAYS TO PROVIDE SAFE PASSAGE.
WITHOUT THIS PROJECT, WE COULD SEE MORE POLLUTION, NOT LESS.
THE STATUS QUO JUST IS UNACCEPTABLE.
WE CAN'T LET OUR VISION OF THE PERFECT MY AND IN ACTION.
TXDOT REALLY, IN A LOT OF WAYS HAS BEEN AN ACTIVE AND RESPONSIVE PARTNER FOR THIS, UH, PROJECT, UH, WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 45.
UNLESS I CALLED YOUR NAME AND YOU JUST HAVEN'T MADE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.
UM, HEY, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL SERVICE A LOT.
UH, AND I SHOWED UP HERE WITH REGARD TO, UH, SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION, UM, AND, UH, ACHIEVE AND WITH AN ASK TO ACHIEVE BETTER COMMITMENTS FROM TXDOT.
UM, I'M A CORE VOLUNTEER OF FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD, FOREST SPENDING HUNDREDS OF HOURS A YEAR, UM, CULTIVATING STRATEGIES TO DEMONSTRATE CLIENT CLIMATE RESILIENCE ON PUBLIC PARK LAND.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME TRANSPARENCY OF DISCUSSION FROM THIS, UH, DAIS NOT ONLY INTERAGENCY, BUT, UM, I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE C I S I'M GONNA GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT I'VE, I'VE STUDIED, UM, I WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN SAVING THIS TREE.
UH, THERE'S A, A MARKER FROM 1965 AT TOWN LAKE.
UM, IN 1965, THE COUNCIL APPROVED FUNDS FOR BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS.
UM, THE SECTION 1 0 6 HISTORICAL REVIEW PROCESS FAILED TO MENTION, UM, THIS SITE IN THEIR AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECT.
UM, A ROUGH GUESS OF 118 POUNDS PER YEAR, UH, OF CARBON IS SEQUESTERED BY A 10 INCH DIAMETER BY HEIGHT AT BREAST HEIGHT, UM, TREE, A HERITAGE TREE IS GONNA BE ALMOST 20 TIMES THAT NEARLY A TON A YEAR.
UH, THE VOICE MEETING IN THIS PAST AUGUST WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW ANY, UM, RENDERINGS OF THE BRIDGE, UM, DEMOLITION THAT'S GOING TO OCCUR.
THAT'S GOING TO INCLUDE A SIX YEAR TRAIL CLOSURE, UH, AND NO LOOKING LIKE VERY LITTLE COLLABORATION WITH THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WITH REGARDS TO CREATING A CONSTRUCTIVE USE.
UM, THE STORMWATER OUTFALL THAT IS, WAS MOVED IN JUNE FROM A NOT NATURE PRESERVE, JUST DOWN RIVER.
300 ACRES OF FIRST FLUSH EFFECTS, INCLUDING EFFLUENCE OF PATROL AND EVERYTHING ELSE, ARE GONNA FLOOD RIGHT INTO THE COLORADO RIVER, UH, WITH A LACK OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN.
UM, THE SECTION FOUR F UM, FOR FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION HAD A FAILED PUBLIC OUTREACH OBLIGATION.
YEAH, IT DOES GO FAST, DOESN'T IT? THANK YOU.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL SPEAKERS, MAYOR.
MEMBERS, THAT TAKES US BACK TO ITEM NUMBER 45.
I'LL RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, FOR A MOTION, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE APPROVAL OF ITEM 45, AND I ALSO HAVE A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS IF IT'S SECONDED.
OH, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO YOU.
UH, THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 45.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
I'LL RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TIMM.
THIS IS DISCUSSION AND I'LL RECOGNIZE THE MEMBERS ON THE DISCUSSION OF ITEM 45.
WE HAD SENT A PRESENTATION TO C T M AND I THINK THEY WERE JUST PULLING IT UP AS I CONCLUDED MY PREVIOUS REMARKS.
UM, SO WHILE THEY'RE PULLING THAT UP AGAIN, AND IT CAN PLAY WHILE I TALK, I, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL, ALL THE SPEAKERS WHO CAME TO TALK ABOUT THIS ITEM TODAY, NO MATTER WHICH WAY, UH, YOU WERE SHARING YOUR THOUGHT, YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE RESOLUTION.
UM, IT REALLY STRIKES ME TO SEE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO
[01:30:01]
COME HERE.THAT WAS, THAT'S BIG WHEN THE GENTLEMAN ASKED, WHO'S HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND I SAW ABOUT 20 HANDS GO UP, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED.
'CAUSE I KNOW IT TAKES A LOT TO COME UP AND BECAUSE TO THIS MICROPHONE, UM, THIS PRESENTATION THAT MY TEAM PUT TOGETHER IS A COMPILATION MOSTLY OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS OF THE DEVASTATING NATURAL DISASTERS THAT WE'VE SEEN HERE LOCALLY.
AND WE'RE SEEING EVERYTHING FROM FLOODS, WILDFIRES, WE'RE SEEING FREEZES, STORMS, PANDEMICS, UM, ALL SORTS OF SITUATIONS THAT ARE DEEPLY AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS CRAIG NASER PUT IT, I HAVE MAD RESPECT FOR THAT LITTLE HUMMINGBIRD WHO'S TRYING TO DO THEIR PART TO PUT OUT THE WILDFIRE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNOW THAT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH TDOT IS VERY MUCH A RELATIONSHIP ABOUT WHAT POWER THE STATE HAS AND STATE ORGANIZATIONS AND WHAT POWER CITIES HAVE AND OUR TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, AND TEXDOT HAS MADE, MADE AMENDS WITH SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
THEY'VE MOVED THE, THE ACCESS ROAD LANES SO THAT THEY FUNCTION MORE LIKE A BOULEVARD THAT WAS REQUESTED.
THEY'VE WORKED ON DEDICATED TRANSIT LANES.
THEY'RE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, OUR LIGHT RAIL CONNECTIVITY AND SOME OF THE OTHER ON AND OFF RAMPS THAT CAP METRO IS UTILIZING FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
SO THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT TEXDOT IS NOT MEETING US PART WAY, BUT WE ALL HAVE TO DO OUR PART TOGETHER TO GET EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE THIS GENERATIONAL PROJECT AS GOOD AS IT POSSIBLY CAN BE.
YOU KNOW, WE REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE.
WE'VE GOTTA THINK ABOUT THESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO HAVE GROWN UP IN A WORLD WHERE THIS IS THE NEWS EVERY DAY WHERE BRIDGES ARE BEING FLOODED OUT, WHERE THINGS ARE CATCHING ON FIRE.
UM, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN PUTTING OUT ALL SORTS OF BRUSH FIRES CONSTANTLY.
AND SO WE REALLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS HOLISTICALLY.
AND I HAVE MADE SURE THAT THIS RESOLUTION IS POINTED, IT'S TARGETED, AND IT HAS REALISTIC ASKS THAT I THINK THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH HERE.
UM, I WANTED TO OFFER BRIEF COMMENTS REGARDING MY DECISION TO VOTE AGAINST ITEM 45 TODAY.
ALTHOUGH THIS ITEM WAS FIRST PRESENTED TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, I'M A MEMBER OF THAT COMMITTEE, AND I HAVE BEEN FOR THE LENGTH OF MY TERM TO DATE.
I REGRETTABLY HAD TO LEAVE THE MEETING DURING THE DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM, BUT IF I HAD BEEN PRESENT AT THE TIME, I WOULD'VE EXPRESSED OPPOSITION TO THE ITEM.
MY CONCERN IS THAT ANY POTENTIAL DELAY IN THE PROJECT MIGHT RESULT IN ALLOCATED FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT NOT REMAINING IN AUSTIN.
FURTHERMORE, IF THIS COUNCIL ASSUMES THAT TEXDOT OR CAMPO WOULD BE INCLINED TO SUPPORT FUTURE ESSENTIAL PROJECTS IN OUR CITY WHILE WE ATTEMPT TO DELAY OR OBSTRUCT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, I BELIEVE WE'RE MAKING A GRAVE ERROR.
I'VE SUBMITTED BACKUP FOR THE ITEM THAT REFLECTS OPPOSITION TO IT WITH THE BACKING OF VARIOUS BUSINESS GROUPS ACROSS AUSTIN.
I HAVE IN MY HAND HERE A LETTER FROM TXDOT DATED AUGUST 21ST, 2023, THAT STATES A FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT WAS COMPLETED FOR THE PROJECT.
IN THE LETTER, IT SAYS IT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE, THE COMMUNITY CAN REVIEW THAT AT MY CAP THREE FIVE EX.COM TEXT.GOV OR AT THE TECH DISTRICT FIELD OFFICE.
ON THOSE SAME WEBSITES, THERE'S A CARBON MONOXIDE TRAFFIC AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS, 276 PAGES WORTH THAT WAS DONE IN REGARDS TO THE TRAFFIC AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS I 35 CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT.
ON PAGE FIVE OF THAT REPORT, THE ANALYSIS STATES MODELING RESULTS INDICATE THAT LOCAL CONCENTRATIONS OF CO ARE NOT EXPECTED TO EXCEED NATIONAL STANDARDS AT ANY TIME ALONG ANY SEGMENT OF THE PROJECT.
I ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO MAY BE HERE TODAY OR EVEN MY COLLEAGUES TO REVIEW THAT REPORT IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN IT.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WE DON'T NEED TO DUPLICATE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED OR DELAY THE PROJECT ANY LONGER.
COLLEAGUES, I'D LIKE TO CLOSE WITH THIS.
MANY OF YOU KNOW, I WAS BORN IN AUSTIN AT A HOSPITAL RIGHT NEXT TO I 35.
MY MOM REMINDED ME THIS MORNING WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS ITEM THAT AFTER I WAS BORN AND WHILE WE WERE WAITING TO BE DISCHARGED, SHE'D ROCKED ME TO SLEEP WHILE WATCHING TRAFFIC ON 35.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE CITY FOR A WONDERFUL 37 YEARS, AND THROUGHOUT THAT TIME, I'VE WITNESSED THE PRESSING NEED FOR IMPROVEMENTS ON I 35.
I'VE SPOKEN TO COUNTLESS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ALSO WANT TO SEE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, ONE THING REMAINS CLEAR.
THE IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED TO 35 HAVE BEEN A LONGSTANDING ISSUE, AND I URGE MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS TO CONSIDER THEIR VOTE ON THIS MATTER THOUGHTFULLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING I 35 FOR DECADES NOW.
UH, THIS CONVERSATION STARTED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE UPPER DECKS WERE COMPLETE IN THE 1970S.
UH, TDOT HAS BEEN EARNESTLY PLANNING AND EXPANSION SINCE THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, AND UP UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO, THE VISION WAS AN ELEVATED RIBBON OF CONCRETE THROUGHOUT THE HEART OF AUSTIN.
BUT THANKS TO TECH, BUT THANKS TO TECH STATS WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN TO EXTENDED EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE'RE NOW AT A POINT WHERE THE HIGHWAY WILL BE LOWERED AND ENGINEERED WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO BETTER CONNECT
[01:35:01]
THE EAST SIDE TO THE REST OF THE CITY.AND I DEEPLY APPRECIATE TDOT'S COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS, AND I KNOW WE WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR, UH, WITHOUT THE ADVOCACY AND LEADERSHIP OF A CERTAIN FORMER STATE SENATOR WHO NOW SITS AT THE CENTER OF THE DAIS.
UH, I KNOW A LOT OF OUR, UH, CONSTITUENTS OPPOSE THE PROJECT, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT COUNCIL CAN'T SIMPLY SAY NO.
AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS RESOLUTION DOES.
WE'RE SIMPLY ASKING TECH SIDE TO TAKE ONE FURTHER COLLABORATIVE STEP TOWARDS OUR COMMUNITY'S ADOPTIVE ADOPTED CLIMATE GOALS.
AND WE JUST WENT THROUGH ONE OF THE MOST BRUTAL SUMMERS EVER.
AND THAT WAS AFTER ANOTHER SO-CALLED UNPRECEDENTED WINTER STORM THAT CREATED CHAOS ACROSS AUSTIN.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS HERE AND IT'S CLEAR THINGS WILL ONLY GET WORSE UNLESS WE TAKE URGENT ACTION TO SHIFT THE STATUS QUO.
TRANSPORTATION IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SOURCES OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, AND WE HAVE ADOPTED BLUEPRINTS TO TACKLE THAT.
AND YOU HAVE, AND WE HAVE MORE REGIONAL PLANS IN THE WORKS.
SO WE'RE, SO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY IS ASKING TEXDOT TO CONSIDER THOSE TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH US TO ACHIEVE OUR ASSURE GOALS AND WHETHER THE DEPARTMENT HE'S EVER ASKED TODAY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH TDOT MAYOR WATSON, MY OTHER CO UH, COLLEAGUES ON THIS DIOCESE AND THE COMMUNITY ON OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT, INCLUDING FINDING FUNDING FOR THE CAPS AND STITCHES THAT ARE KEY TO RECONNECTING AUSTIN.
SO I WANT TO THANK, UH, MAYOR PROAM ELLIS FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD, AND THANK YOU TO T DOT FOR CONSIDERING THIS REQUEST FROM COUNCIL FURTHER DISCUSSION.
I A I HAVE A QUESTION, I THINK FOR TXDOT OR FOR OUR STAFF, UM, I WANNA UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IN THE ANALYSIS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, IMPACT STATEMENT, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE CAPS AND THEIR POTENTIAL IMPACT ON GREENHOUSE GASES? SHE GOING, MR. FERGUSON OR SOMEBODY FROM T DOT, CAN YOU JOIN US AT THE PODIUM? SHE, SHE'S GOING TO ANSWER.
SO IF, IF SOMEBODY COULD COME TO THE PODIUM, THAT'D BE GREAT.
AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, IDENTIFY YOURSELF PLEASE.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, HEATHER NUEN, THE T P D DIRECTOR AT TEXAS, AUSTIN DISTRICT, UH, THE E I S THAT WE PERFORM PER CAPEX CENTRAL ACCOMMODATES, UH, THE HIGHWAY.
IF CAPS WERE FUNDED, WE WOULD BE IN UNDERGOING ANOTHER ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, ANALYSIS NEXT YEAR, DEPENDING ON WHICH, UH, CAPS WOULD BE IDENTIFIED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE CAPS WOULD BE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS? I DON'T.
THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE STUDY.
BUT AS AN ENGINEER, THERE'S NO, I MEAN, AS A LAY PERSON, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WOULD HELP, I WOULD THINK.
YOU KNOW, WE, TUCKER AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING A LOT WITH THE, WITH OUR AIR EXPERTS THAT ARE AT OUR DIVISION.
WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS DIVISION THAT, THAT DOES AIR QUALITY STUDIES IN ATTAINMENT AND NON-ATTAINMENT AREAS.
AND SO THEY'RE VERY WELL VERSED IN THESE, BUT I DO NOT KNOW, AND WE'VE NOT ASKED THAT QUESTION, UM, COUNCILMAN ALTER IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CAPS WOULD DO IN THAT AIR STUDY, BUT WE WOULD DO THOSE STUDIES NEXT SUMMER OR NEXT YEAR.
SO WE DID THE ANALYSIS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT WITHOUT, WITHOUT THAT.
EVEN THOUGH THAT'S A KEY POTENTIAL MITIGATION STEP, AND WE HAVEN'T FACTORED THAT ANALYSIS THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, SO COLLEAGUES, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THANK YOU, MS. UM, AS, AS POLICYMAKERS, WE ARE OFTEN ASKED TO HOLD MULTIPLE THINGS IN OUR HEAD AT ONCE.
UM, AND I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME HERE TO SPEAK AND, AND THANK THE STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, ULTIMATELY, AS WE, AS WE, UM, INTERACT IN THIS PROCESS, WE THOUGH, AS POLICYMAKERS HAVE TO HOLD MULTIPLE THINGS IN OUR HEAD AND TRY TO COME UP WITH THE RIGHT WAY FORWARD.
UM, SO ON ONE HAND WE CAN RECOGNIZE AS MAYOR PRO TEM ELLIS DID THAT TXDOT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY IN GOOD FAITH.
THEY HAVE BEEN LISTENING, THEY HAVE BEEN MAKING MODIFICATIONS, AS HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE AND A NUMBER OF PROJECTS AS A MEMBER OF CAMPO AND AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, WE CAN RECOGNIZE AS, UM, MANY OF THE FOLKS FROM THE CHAMBER WHO ARE HERE FROM ARROW THAT I 35 IS NOT IN THE BEST SHAPE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WE CAN RECOGNIZE THAT EXPANDING I 35 IN PARTICULAR WAYS COULD HELP WITH MODE SHIFT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CARE ABOUT.
WE ALSO CAN RECOGNIZE THAT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, IMPACT STATEMENT CAN'T CAPTURE YET.
UM, OTHER BENEFITS FOR EMISSIONS THAT WILL COME FROM FLEET ELECTRIFICATION OR FROM FUTURE VEHICLE
[01:40:01]
EMISSION STANDARDS.THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ART THAT'S GOING ALONG WITH THIS PROCESS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IN 2019, IN A RESOLUTION THAT I AUTHORED, WE DECLARED A CLIMATE EMERGENCY FOR OUR CITY.
UM, AND SINCE 2019, THAT EMERGENCY HAS JUST GOTTEN MORE AND MORE STARK.
UM, WHEN WE FIRST VOTED ON I 35 REALLOCATION, IT WAS 2020 AT THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, OF THE PANDEMIC.
AND WE WOULD PROMISE ALL OF THESE PROCESSES THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD GO THROUGH, UM, PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
AND IN EVERY CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD WITH THE COMMUNITY, WE TALKED ABOUT CAPS AND WE TALKED ABOUT STITCHES.
AND, AND AS WE, AS A COMMUNITY HAVE ANALYZED THIS PROJECT, THOSE HAVE COME PART AND PARCEL AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
WE DON'T HAVE A GREAT PLAN FOR GETTING US THOSE CAPS AND STITCHES.
UM, AND TDOT HAS NOT YET, UM, COME UP WITH, UM, A WAY TO FUND IT, NOR HAVE WE AS THE CITY, UM, IT'S $500 MILLION WITHOUT THE AMENITIES AT THIS POINT, WHICH IS A REAL LOT TO BE ASKING OUR COMMUNITY.
SO TODAY, I AM GOING TO SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO GET RIGHT.
I THINK WE CAN TAKE THE ADDITIONAL TIME AND GET IT RIGHT AND HAVE THE ANALYSIS.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN SECURE SOME FEDERAL FUNDING.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, I HOPE THAT WE CAN REALLY BE LEANING INTO THE CAPS, BOTH AS A CITY AND WITH TXDOT TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE.
I'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF THESE MEETINGS AT CAMPO OVER TIME.
UM, AND THOSE CAPS AND THOSE STITCHES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS THE LITTLE CAVEAT, BUT WHEN YOU TALK TO THE COMMUNITY, THEY'RE EXPECTING THAT.
UM, AND, AND IT'S, AND IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING FOR ME TO HEAR, WE'RE NOT EVEN FACTORING WHAT THAT COULD MEAN FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, IMPACT.
UM, I, I SUPPORT THE MAYOR PRO TEMS RESOLUTION, AND I WILL VOTE FOR IT FOR THE REASON SO MANY SPEAKERS HAVE, UH, MENTIONED.
BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SOME, UH, ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT WHERE I THINK WE ARE ON THE I 35 PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, I'VE ENGAGED, UH, ON THIS PROJECT SINCE REALLY THE FIRST DAY I WAS IN OFFICE.
THE, UH, 35 RUNS RIGHT THROUGH DISTRICT FOUR IN MY CONSTITUENTS ARE POSSIBLY MORE AFFECTED BY THIS PROJECT THAN, THAN ALMOST, UH, ANYONE ELSE IN, IN THE CITY.
I WISH WE COULD MAKE ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO THE PROJECT, BUT ULTIMATELY, I DON'T THINK THAT TXDOT WILL BE DELAYING THIS PROJECT OR SIGNIFICANTLY MODIFYING IT.
AS AN ATTORNEY, I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO BE FRANK AND HONEST WITH MY CLIENTS.
I HAD MANY TOUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH CLIENTS WHO HAD CROSS CONTINENTS TO GET TO THE US AND APPLY FOR ASYLUM.
I'VE HAD TO TELL THEM THAT THEIR CASE WAS WEAK AND THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE DENIED.
THESE WERE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS AND, BUT I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO TELL THEM THE TRUTH.
UH, OF COURSE, I'M STILL GONNA FIGHT FOR THEM AND VIGOROUSLY DEFEND THEM, BUT I OWE THEM THE HONEST TRUTH.
AND I HAVE THAT SAME FEELING RIGHT NOW WITH THE I 35 PROJECT.
THIS PROJECT IS ALMOST CERTAINLY GOING TO HAPPEN.
I DISAGREE WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE OF HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE HEARTS OF CITIES, LARGER AND LARGER HIGHWAYS CARRYING MORE AND MORE CARS AND TRUCKS ARE NOT THE FUTURE HIGH QUALITY MASS TRANSIT AND MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION THAT PROMOTES WALKING AND BIKING IS THE FUTURE.
TODAY'S SPEAKERS HAVE ELOQUENTLY HIGHLIGHTED THE MANY VALID CRITICISMS OF THE PROJECT, BUT STATE LEADERSHIP WANTS THE I 35 PROJECT TO HAPPEN.
THE RECORD OF DECISION HAS BEEN FILED.
THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, UH, IS OUT CONTRACTS FOR THE NORTH AND SOUTH SEGMENTS OF I 35 HAVE BEEN ISSUED CONSTRUCTION ON THE CENTRAL PORTION OF I 35 SOUTH OF LADY BIRD LAKE COULD BEGIN, UH, AS EARLY AS, UH, THIS COMING SPRING.
UH, THE PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD AND I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY LEGAL OR POLITICAL STRATEGY THAT WILL STOP IT.
AND IF THAT IS THE REALITY, WE MUST DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MITIGATE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS.
WE MUST CREATE HIGH QUALITY, MULTIMODAL EAST-WEST CROSSINGS, ADDING CROSSINGS WHEREVER WE CAN, ALONG I 35.
WE MUST CAP AS MUCH OF THE HIGHWAY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, AND WE MUST GET SERIOUS ABOUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THE HIGHWAY CAPS.
AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S, UH, UH, ALLISON AL ALTER'S COMMENTS, UH, IN THAT REGARD.
I KNOW THAT MANY AUSTIN, I SUPPOSE THIS PROJECT FOR VERY GOOD REASONS, UH, AND WILL BE DISAPPOINTED TO, TO HEAR THIS.
[01:45:01]
TO BE HONEST AND FRANK WITH MY CONSTITUENTS AND WITH THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN.WE MUST DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO AVOID THE WORST CASE SCENARIO OF AN UNCAPPED HIGHWAY, A TRENCH THAT WOULD EVEN FURTHER DIVIDE EAST AND WEST AUSTIN WITH ALL THE LOW NOISE, LIGHT, UH, AND AIR POLLUTION THAT COMES WITH IT.
I'LL SAY THIS TUESDAY, I, I THINK WE REALLY, UM, WE, WE TOOK AN IMPORTANT STEP ON THE WOODLAND AVENUE STITCH WHERE WE HAD DISCUSSED VARIOUS OPTIONS.
WE KIND OF WENT THROUGH ALL THE PERMUTATIONS AND I THINK WE SETTLED ON A FINAL OPTION THAT IT WILL BE, WILL SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THE AREA AND AT, IN A VERY COST EFFECTIVE MANNER.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE, WE CAN DO THIS, WE CAN MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD IN A WAY THAT MITIGATES THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS, BUT WE, WE HAVE TO, UH, GET SERIOUS ABOUT THE CAPS AND WE HAVE TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THOSE EASTWEST CONNECTIONS.
AND I, I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT WITH, UH, WITH THIS BODY.
THANK YOU COUNCILOR, UH, FOR THE RECORD.
AND BY THE WAY, I HAVE REQUESTED, UH, THAT, UH, THE MANAGER'S OFFICE AND WORKING WITH TXDOT THAT, UH, AS SOON AS WE CAN, AND HOPEFULLY AT THE NEXT, UH, WORK SESSION THAT WE HAVE SCHEDULED, WE CAN HAVE A WORK SESSION RELATED TO, UH, CAPPING AND, AND, AND FINANCING AND ALL OF THAT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A MORE THOROUGH DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT FOR A LONG TIME.
I REMEMBER THE INITIAL PLANS DATING BACK TO 2014, WHICH EXPANDED THE HIGHWAY LANES AND FRONTAGE ROAD EAST OF I 35, TAKING OUT MANY NEIGHBORHOOD HOMES.
THE PROPOSAL THAT'S MOVING FORWARD IN TODAY NOW INSTEAD LIMITS THE LOSS OF HOMES AND IS A BETTER PROJECT BECAUSE OF THE CONCERTED EFFORTS OF MANY FOLKS.
AND IT'S A BETTER PROJECT THAN IT WAS WHEN THESE DISCUSSIONS FIRST BEGAN WITH TXDOT.
THEY'RE BETTER, THEY'RE NOT PERFECT, BUT DOING NOTHING MEANS THAT WE WON'T REALIZE THE COMMUNITIES EXPRESSED VISION OF RECONNECTING OUR CITY.
THAT GOAL OF RECONNECTION WE ALL HOPE TO ACHIEVE BY LOWERING THE MAIN LANES OF THE INTERSTATE UNDER CAPS WITH MULTIMODAL BRIDGES AND PUBLIC SPACE.
I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS IN THE RESOLUTION FROM MAYOR PRO TEM ELLIS, BUT I CAN'T SUPPORT A DELAY OF THE PROJECT.
I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VELA ABOUT BEING HONEST AND STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH THE, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATUS OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.
WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND MITIGATE FOR THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.
AND THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING.
TXDOT IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY ON A VARIETY OF PROJECTS ELSEWHERE AROUND AUSTIN, INCLUDING LOOP 360 FARM TO MARKET 9 6 9, AND PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH INCLUDES ACCOMMODATING CONSTRUCTION OF AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL ACROSS I 35 AND MULTIPLE TXDOT RIGHTS OF WAY.
OUR WORK TOGETHER, OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH TXDOT ARE IMPORTANT AND NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT NATIONALLY.
AND I SUPPORT OUR CONTINUING TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TECHSTAR.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE, THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 45.
THOSE IN FAVOR, IF YOU'LL SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND, THOSE OPPOSED THE MOTION PASSES ON A VOTE OF SEVEN TO THREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY POOL AND THE MAYOR BEING SHOWN VOTING NO.
AND ONE ABSENCE, UH, ABSENT IS COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND THANK EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT TODAY TO, TO TALK TO US ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT ITEM MEMBERS.
BECAUSE OF THE TIME, WHAT I THINK I'M GOING TO DO IS GO TO ITEM NUMBER 52, TAKE IT UP, AND IF WE HAVE TIME, THEN I'LL GO BACK TO 45 ON ITEM NUMBER 53.
I KNOW WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE HERE TO SPEAK, BUT WE HAVE A 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO, UH, IS, UH, MAKE, BRING THAT UP AT ONE O'CLOCK.
WE WILL BRING UP ITEM NUMBER 53 AT ONE O'CLOCK.
THAT WAY YOU'LL KNOW, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, WHEN WE'LL BRING THAT UP.
[01:50:01]
NUMBER 52.[52. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 related to definitions and regulations applicable to and triggered by daycare, child care, and adult care services.]
UH, I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES ON ITEM NUMBER 52.UH, COLLEAGUES, ITEM 52 IS A CHILDCARE REZONING ITEM THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD AS MY FIRST RESOLUTION IN 2023.
I'M VERY PLEASED AND GRATEFUL TO OUR CITY STAFF FOR THEIR PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE.
WE WERE INITIALLY TOLD IT WAS GONNA TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF TO FINALIZE, UH, THESE CHANGES TO OUR, OUR CODE.
AND SO I'M PLEASED THAT TODAY WITH THIS VOTE, WE WILL BE CODIFYING THESE CHANGES, WHICH WILL ALLOW MORE PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO HAVE, UH, TO BE ZONED FOR DAYCARE SERVICES.
IT'S GONNA INCREASE AVAILABILITY BY THREEFOLD MORE THAN 255%.
UH, SO THIS IS ONE THING THAT WE'RE DOING AS A COUNCIL, UH, TO ADDRESS CHILDCARE, ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY.
UH, WE KNOW CHILDCARE COSTS ARE A, A HUGE, UH, FACTOR FOR MANY HARDWORKING FAMILIES.
AND IN ORDER TO MAKE CHILDCARE MORE AFFORDABLE, WE HAVE TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BUILD CHILDCARE CENTERS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
I WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO SOPHIA MORALES, MY DIRECTOR OF POLICY FOR ALL OF HER HARD WORK ON THIS ISSUE.
YES, I WOULD LIKE TO, BUT ACTUALLY WE NEED TO OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON H HANG ON ONE SECOND.
WE'LL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 52 AND I'LL, I'LL LOOK TO THE CLERK TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
THERE ARE NOT ANY SPEAKERS HERE.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, UH, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION AND HEARING, NO OBJECTION.
WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
I JUST WANTED TO SECOND HER MOTION.
UH, THAT WE HAVE, HAVE A MOTION BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED? ALL RIGHT.
WELL, UH, LOOKS LIKE THIS IS GOING SOMEPLACE.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
UM, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UM, FOR THE RESOLUTION, UM, MR. CO-SPONSOR.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET CHANGED FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME, UM, AND DOING WORK TO MAKE IT, UM, EASIER FOR OUR CHILDCARE CENTERS TO LOCATE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, SO I'M JUST VERY PLEASED THAT WE'RE MOVING THIS FORWARD AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR SHEPHERDING IT THROUGH THIS STAGE OF IT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UH, AND HER STAFF FOR COMING UP WITH THIS.
IT'S A REALLY GREAT ITEM THAT I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT AND I HAVE TO THANK THE, THE CITY MANAGER, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND THE PLANNING STAFF FOR HUSTLING AND GETTING THIS TO COUNCIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UM, CHILDCARE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HEAR ABOUT, UH, UM, THAT FAMILIES STRUGGLE WITH.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA ENABLE IT, MAKE IT AS AS CHEAP AS POSSIBLE.
UH, AND, AND THIS IS A GREAT ITEM THAT, THAT WILL HELP US DO THAT.
UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER PUENTES MEMBERS.
[44. Approve an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 4-8 (Regulation of Lobbyists) relating to communication with a City official and reviews by the City Auditor.]
44.UH, THIS WAS A NON-CONSENT ITEM BEING REFERRED TO THE COUNCIL BY THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER AS CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE PASSAGE OF ITEM 44 AS RECOMMENDED BY THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS AMENDS CITY CODE CHAPTER FOUR EIGHT REGULATION OF LOBBYISTS RELATING TO COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY OFFICIAL AND REVIEWS BY THE CITY AUDITOR.
THE MOTIONS MADE BY COUNCILMAN ALLISON TER, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE.
IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 44? NO, MA'AM.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 44? COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
I JUST WANNA ASK, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT LEGAL AND THE CLERK WILL, UM, PROVIDE UPDATED, UM, DIRECTION FOR COUNSEL ON, UM, THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO THIS AS WELL AS TO THE LOBBYISTS FOLLOWING PASSAGE.
HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
ITEM NUMBER 44 IS ADOPTED WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES OFF THE DAES AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
[Items 46 - 51]
TO ITEMS 46 THROUGH 51.WITH RESPECT TO ITEMS 46 THROUGH 51, UH, BEING NON-CONSENT CONDEMNATION ITEMS, IS THERE A MOTION TO THE EFFECT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN TEXAS AUTHORIZES THE USE OF THE POWER OF IMMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY SET FORTH AND DESCRIBED IN THE AGENDA FOR THE CURRENT MEETING FOR THE PUBLIC USES THAT ARE ALSO DESCRIBED THEREIN? MOTIONS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ? UM, I'LL, WITHOUT OBJECTION.
WELL, LET ME ASK, HAS ANYBODY SIGNED
[01:55:01]
UP TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS? NO, MA'AM.UH, THERE'S BEING NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS. UM, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION, ANY DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEMS 46 THROUGH 51? IS IT WITHOUT OBJECTION.
ITEMS 46 THROUGH 51 ARE ADOPTED.
UH, ITEMS 46 THROUGH 51 ARE ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES OFF THE DAIS AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON ABSENT MEMBERS, I'LL NOW CALL UP ITEMS 27
[Items 27 & 28]
AND 28.YOU'LL RECALL THOSE WERE PULLED, UH, DURING OUR TAKING UP THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. THEY'RE RELATED TO THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND I WILL, UH, ASK IF THERE IS A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS 27 AND 28.
COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE MAKES THE MOTION.
IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCILOR MEMBER CADRE.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF AT THE PURPOSE.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO GET, UH, FLUSHED OUT FOR THE PUBLIC.
UH, Y'ALL HAD RESPONDED TO COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES QUESTION ABOUT WHAT YOUR PLANS WERE IN TERMS OF NOT ONLY REPORTING TO US, BUT JUST SO THE PUBLIC CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THIS PROCESS IS PROGRESSING.
SO I SEE IF YOU COULD BRIEFLY JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHT WHAT YOU PUT IN THE Q AND A FOR EVERYONE'S, UH, TO HEAR.
KATIE'S MESNICK, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
WE ARE, UH, PLANNING FOR A REALLY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY.
THIS IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE LARGEST PROJECTS THAT THE CITY HAS EVER UNDERTAKEN.
UM, WE DO NOT TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY LIGHTLY.
UH, WE ARE, UH, IN THE PROCESS OF SOLICITING FOR A COMMUNICATIONS FIRM.
WE'RE HOPING TO BRING THAT CONTRACT TO COUNCIL IN JANUARY FOR APPROVAL, AND THEY WILL BE ASSISTING US WITH OUR COMMUNICATION PLAN, GETTING A WEBSITE SET UP, AND JUST REALLY FIGURING OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO, UH, COMMUNICATE APPROPRIATELY AND ON AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE, UH, WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
AND AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE DESIGN PHASE, I KNOW THERE ARE VARIOUS ELEMENTS THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT, UH, DESIGN PHASES.
I KNOW WITH PROJECTS OF THESE MAGNITUDES, THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO EITHER VALUE ENGINEER OR, YOU KNOW, TRADE THIS FOR THAT.
SO, UH, JUST WANT TO ASK AS, AS THAT GOES ALONG, IF THERE ARE DECISIONS BEING MADE ABOUT COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UM, THAT, UH, Y'ALL ARE ABLE TO BRING THOSE TO US, YOU KNOW, AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT WE CAN JUST HAVE ANY INPUT, UH, AS A BODY, UH, SINCE THIS IS A, A LARGE SCALE PROJECT.
SO, UH, YES, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COLLABORATE THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY ON ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND THEN SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO PHASE THREE, I, I THINK IT'S KIND OF IN A DIFFERENT PHASE AS IT WERE OF EVERYTHING ELSE IN TERMS OF THE, WHERE IT IS IN THE PROCESS, UH, AND JUST SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATION AS THAT MOVES CLOSER TO BEING, UH, MORE CONCRETELY, YOU KNOW, DESIGNS AND, AND, UM, UH, AS THAT MOVES ALONG, I JUST, UM, I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT JUST FOR, FOR EVERYONE'S, UH, BENEFIT OF OUR DISCUSSIONS.
UH, APPRECIATE YOU ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, THAT THAT WILL ALSO BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO US.
UM, SO WE ARE IN THE FEASIBILITY STAGE OF THAT, OF THAT PORTION OF THE SITE AND, AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
AND JUST AS SOON AS WE HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION, UH, WE WILL BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD AND MAKING THAT PUBLIC.
WELL, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR DEDICATION TO BEING AS OPEN AND AND TRANSPARENT IN THIS PROCESS AS POSSIBLE.
AND, UH, EXCITED TO SEE WHERE, WHERE THIS GOES AND, AND THE DESIGNS Y'ALL BRING.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU MORE ABOUT THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS.
UM, DO WANNA JUST REMIND MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVE THE 4.5% AND THE 2% OF HOT THAT IS GOING INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND WE ARE ACCUMULATING FUNDS OVER TIME INTO OUR CAPITAL RESERVES AND INTO OUR C I P THAT WILL HELP US WHEN WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, UM, WITH THE BONDING PROCESS HERE.
UM, I DO WANNA JUST KIND OF UNDERSCORE, UM, THE DIRECTION THAT WE RAISED A LITTLE BIT IN OUR DISCUSSION ON TUESDAY.
UM, UNDERLYING THE DESIRE FOR THE HIGH, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS AND SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS THAT WE AS A COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, WANT THIS, UM, PROJECT TO BE RECONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANT THERE TO BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME INTO THIS SPACE, WHETHER IT'S FOR ART OR MUSIC OR FOR OTHER MECHANISMS TO THE EXTENT THAT IS LEGAL UNDER THE FUNDING, UM, MECHANISMS. UM, WE
[02:00:01]
OBVIOUSLY WANT THIS TO BE DONE ON TIME AND ON BUDGET AND, AND IN AND IN, UM, CORROBORATION WITH THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE THERE.UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE P THREE PORTION, THE OTHER, THE OTHER SECTION, I WOULD JUST ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO PLEASE ENDEAVOR WITHIN THE LEGAL BOUNDS TO, TO CONSIDER WAYS WHERE THE FUNDING STREAMS OVER TIME AT SOME POINT CAN BE HELPING US, UM, WITH GENERAL FUND.
I THINK THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, MODELS WHERE THAT WOULD WORK.
THERE ARE ALSO MODELS WHERE THAT IS PARTIALLY USED FOR, UM, CITY OFFICES IF, WHICH WOULD ALSO POTENTIALLY HELP WITH A DIFFERENT WAY OF GETTING AT, UM, GENERAL FUNDING.
UM, EVEN AS WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A PRIME SPOT OF REAL ESTATE AND GO AS HIGH AS, AS MAKES SENSE, UM, WITH THAT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, UM, IT'S BEEN UNFORTUNATE WITH THIS PROCESS THAT WE'VE HAD TO HAVE SO MANY DELAYS, UM, THROUGH THAT.
UM, BUT I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN NOW, UM, MOVE FORWARD, UM, AND HOPEFULLY PRODUCE A, A PROJECT THAT WILL BRING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND SERVE UM, MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THOSE WHO VISITED IT.
THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE ITEMS 27 AND 28.
IS THERE FOR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEMS 27 TO 28 ARE ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES OFF THE DAAS AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON ABSENT MEMBERS THAT WILL TAKE US TO OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, UH, WHICH IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UH, WHEN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IS COMPLETE, WE WILL GO TO LIVE MUSIC AND AT ONE O'CLOCK WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 53.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK
[12:00 PM - Public Communication: General]
ON THE ITEM, UH, RELATED TO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.FIRST SPEAKER IS CARLOS LEON, FOLLOWED BY ANNIE FIERO.
SO WE CORDLESS LEON, FIRST AND FOREMOST GNA FOR LETTING ME SPEAK AGAINST ANTICHRIST EVIL IN AUSTIN THAT NEEDS TO BE DEFEATED ASAP.
I USED TO ATTEND A WEEKLY MEN'S BIBLE STUDY AT RUDY'S BARBECUE AT 39TH AND LAMAR THEN AN OLDER WHITE MALE AGENT OF SATAN STARTED HARASSING AND STALKING ME.
THERE IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE COMPLAINT I RIGHTLY FILED WITH RU AGAINST HIM WITH RUDY'S AND A P D DOCUMENTING HIS ABUSIVE ATTACKING BEHAVIOR.
SO RUDY'S WOULD TELL HIM TO STOP IT OR BE BANNED FROM THE EATERY.
HOWEVER, RUDY'S WRONGLY REWARDED HIM AND PUNISHED ME.
THE TARGETED CHRISTIAN STRAIGHT MEN TELLING ME I WAS NO LONGER WELCOME THERE.
THEREFORE, BOYCOTT RUDY'S, ANY CHRISTIAN BIBLE STUDY GROUP, MEANING AT RUDY'S IS SUPPORTING SATAN.
TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE, PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS.
SPREAD THE WORD ON MY WAY TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER EIGHT, THE OLDER BLACK FEMALE CAT METRO OPERATOR DRIVING ROUTE 3 45 REPEATEDLY TOLD ME SHE'D STAB ME BECAUSE I REFUSED TO LET HER BULLY ME OR ABUSE HER OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
I LAWFULLY STOOD MY GROUND AND REPORTED HER ASSAULT BY THREAT CRIME TO CAT METRO IN A P D IN FRONT OF YOU.
NOW OCTOBER 15TH, SHE ILLEGALLY RETALIATED BY NOT BOARDING OR TRANSPORTING ME, INTENTIONALLY PASSING ME UP AT THE BUS STOP.
THEREFORE MAKE CAT METRO AND A P D HOLD HER ACCOUNTABLE FOR HER CRIMES NOW BECAUSE THESE ATTACKS ARE SPREADING IN AUSTIN.
YESTERDAY ON MY WAY TO BIBLE STUDY, ANOTHER BLACK FEMALE DRIVER TRIED BOARDING ONE PASSENGER, BUT ILLEGALLY REFUSED ME SERVICE TO ILLEGALLY DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ME ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
THEN THE BLACK AFRICAN MALE SUPERVISOR CALLED ON SCENE.
THOUGH HE RIGHTLY MADE HER BORN AND TRANSPORT ME, HE WRONGLY TOLD ME I DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO HOLD UP SERVICE TO DEFEND MY CIVIL RIGHTS AND ENSURE EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE FLAW PROTECTED BY THE 14TH AMENDMENT.
BOTTOM LINE, THIS ANTICHRIST EVIL TARGETING ME ALLEGEDLY RESULTS FROM THIS UPSIDE DOWN ASS BACKWARD.
ILLEGITIMATE OBAMA BIDEN, ANTI-REAL SHADOW WORLD MATRIX WE'RE EXPERIENCING THAT SHOULD NOT EXIST BECAUSE NOVEMBER 3RD, 2020 WAS A STOLEN, RIGGED ELECTION WITH MASSIVE ELECTION FRAUD.
IN TRUE REALITY, PRESIDENT TRUMP WON REELECTION IN A LANDSLIDE COUNTING EACH AND EVERY LEGAL LEGITIMATE VOTE ONE TIME ONLY WITH EQUAL WAITING ONLY TRUTH DEFEATS LIES,
[02:05:01]
AND GOD'S WORD IS THE ONE AND ONLY TRUTH.MAY GOD HELP US DEFEAT THIS EVIL AND DESTROY ITS WORKS.
BLESSED AUSTIN, TEXAS AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ANNIE FIERO, FOLLOWED BY GRETCHEN PIERCE.
IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.
NEXT SPEAKER THEN IS BILL WHITEHEAD.
WELL, I SUBMITTED THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR SITTING HERE AND LISTENING TO ME.
UH, I WAS GONNA READ THIS, BUT I FOUND SOMETHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT, SO, UH, WELL, IT'S STILL RELATED.
HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, UH, CAME HERE THROUGH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? RAISE YOUR HAND, PLEASE.
OKAY, SO MY COMPLAINT IS THAT, UH, THIS, THIS CITY COUNCIL AND THIS CITY DOES NOT ASK FOR PERMISSION FROM PEOPLE THAT, THAT YOUR PROJECTS AFFECT.
IF YOU BRING UP THE OTHER PAGE OF THIS WITH THE, THE MAP ON IT, THERE IT IS.
OKAY, SO IF YOU LOOK AT, AT, ON THE, UH, THE PICTURE ON THE TOP RIGHT, THERE'S A TWO ISLANDS RIGHT AT THE END OF MY STREET.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE TIRE TRACKS, YOU CAN'T TURN LEFT ON THAT STREET.
I HAVE A 20 FOOT LONG PICKUP TRUCK, AND I HIT THAT THING.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS.
THEN YOU, YOU CAME ALONG AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE, UH, TWO, THE YELLOW MARK ON THE BOTTOM DOWN BY LEMON DRIVE, UH, THERE'S A, UH, I CALL IT A ROAD DUMP BECAUSE IT'S A SPEED BUMP YOU THAT WAS INSTALLED MAYBE ABOUT FIVE MONTHS AGO, AND I GUESS THAT'S TO, UH, TO SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN.
SOMEONE APPARENTLY AT THE SCHOOL, AN ADMINISTRATOR AT THE SCHOOL COMPLAINED ABOUT PEOPLE SPEEDING.
THAT SCHOOL HAS BEEN THERE FOR 50 YEARS.
WE HAVEN'T HAD SPEED BUMPS IN MY TIME.
I SPENT MY ENTIRE LIFE, EXCEPT FOR MY MILITARY SERVICE IN AUSTIN WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, IF SOMEONE WERE SPEEDING, YOU'D SEND A POLICEMAN OUT THERE TO RUN RADAR AT RANDOM TIMES OF THE DAY TO, TO, UH, PUNISH THE PEOPLE THAT WERE BREAKING THE LAW.
APPARENTLY THE CITY DOESN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
YOU PUT UP ROAD HUMPS, FIVE OF THEM, FIVE ROAD HUMPS WITHIN 0.3 MILES.
MY TRUCK WON'T GO OVER THAT SPEED BUMP AT FASTER THAN FIVE MILES AN HOUR WITHOUT TEARING SOMETHING UP IN MY, MY BAD.
I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO COME AND ASK ME ABOUT HOW THE TRAFFIC IS BECAUSE MY, I'VE LIVED IN MY HOUSE FOR 47 YEARS.
I BOUGHT IT IN 1947, I MEAN 1977.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HASN'T CHANGED.
THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS YOU COME ALONG AND YOU PUT SIDEWALKS ON.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY, SIR.
UH, WE'LL CHECK WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMEONE IN TRANSPORTATION THAT CAN SPEAK WITH YOU.
THIS GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE IS GOING TO, UM, OKAY, NOW Y'ALL ARE CHASING EACH OTHER AROUND THE ROOM.
UH, WOULD YOU QUEUE UP THE SLIDE, PLEASE? GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSEL.
I SERVE AS VICE CHAIR OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION.
[02:10:01]
I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN ENERGY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ISSUES GOING BACK 45 YEARS.TWO DAYS AGO, THE COMMISSION PASSED TWO MOTIONS ADVISING COUNCIL ON CONSERVATION PROGRAMS OPERATED BY TEXAS GAS SERVICE SLIDE FIRST, BASED ON A NATIONAL SURVEY, WE ASK COUNCIL, WHICH CURRENTLY REGULATES THESE PROGRAMS TO REDUCE REBATE LEVELS TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
UH, THIS SLIDE SHOWS THAT THE COMPANIES WATER HEATER REBATES ARE TWICE THE NATIONAL BENCHMARK.
FURNACES AND DRYER REBATES ARE THREE TIMES THE NATIONAL BENCHMARK AND REBATES FOR DRYER CONNECTIONS ARE GRANTED, UH, NOWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY BESIDES, UH, AFFILIATE, UH, COMPANIES WITH TEXAS GAS SLIDE.
UH, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THESE REDUCTIONS WILL SAVE ABOUT $1 MILLION A YEAR TO CENTRAL TEXAS.
FURTHER, WE ADVISE THAT PART OF THIS SAVINGS BE SET ASIDE FOR A PILOT PROGRAM ON LOW INCOME CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE.
AUSTIN MUST REVISE THESE COSTS BY NOVEMBER 30TH TO SAVE RATE PAYERS MONEY IN THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR.
THIS IS VERY EASY TO DO ANNUAL ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS BUDGET OR MADE ROUTINELY.
UH, FOR DECADES PRIOR TO 2018 SLIDE, OUR COMMISSION PASSED A SECOND RESOLUTION REGARDING REGULATION OF THIS COMPANY'S PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE.
DURING THE 2023 SESSION OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, THE CITY INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED A BILL TO GO UNCHALLENGED THAT ALLOWS THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION TO REGULATE GAS CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. ONCE THE RULES ARE SET.
THIS FLIES DIRECTLY IN THE FACE OF OUR FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH THE GAS COMPANY.
UH, WHEN THEY SIGNED IT, IT GAVE AUTHORITY TO COUNSEL.
UH, I QUESTIONED HOW THE GAS UTILITY CAN SIGN A BINDING AGREEMENT AND THEN ACTIVELY LOBBY AGAINST IT.
UH, TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM, WE ASK, UH, COUNSEL TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING.
FIRST, ASK FOR A WAIVER SINCE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR, WE'VE BEEN REGULATING THEM FOR DECADES.
UH, UH, IF A WAIVER IS NOT GRANTED, THEN ASK FOR NEW RULES TO SET STRICT COST EFFECTIVENESS STANDARDS.
UH, THIS IS, UM, ONE OF THE REBATES.
TEXAS GAS SERVICE HAS GIVING $325 TO BUY A GAS CLOSED DRYER WITH A PAYBACK IN MANY CASES OF OVER 200 YEARS.
AND FINALLY, WE ASK THAT IN FUTURE FRANCHISE NEGOTIATIONS, THE CITY BE GIVEN MANAGEMENT OF THESE PROGRAMS. TOO MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN WASTED FOR TOO LONG.
NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROL ANN ROSE KENNEDY, BUT SHE DID INFORM US SHE'S UNABLE TO BE HERE TODAY.
UM, LAST SPEAKER IS LAURA MASSENGALE.
UH, MY NAME IS LAURA MASSENGALE AND I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR FAMILY'S CONCESSION.
AND I HAVE A, UM, OUR COMMERCIAL THAT WE JUST DID.
UM, AND IF YOU WOULD PLAY THAT, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL, WAS A TIME BEFORE CANYONS OF HIGH-RISE CONDOS AND AGGRAVATING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN THINGS WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WELL, AUSTIN, IN 1969, WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE CREATING AN AUSTIN ORIGINAL FOR A LITTLE BIT OF PARADISE MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN, YOU CAN STILL EXPERIENCE OLD AUSTIN AT ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTALS.
ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTALS OFFERS AN EASY, AFFORDABLE WAY TO UNPLUG WHILE FLOATING DOWN OUR BELOVED BARTON CREEK AUSTIN'S ENVIRONMENTAL TREASURE LOCATED DOWNSTREAM FROM BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
VISIT ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTALS.
UM, SO THIS IS, THIS IS MY DAD, HOWARD BARNETT.
HE IS THE VERY FIRST, UM, CONTRACT FOR BOAT RENTALS ON IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
HE HAD AN EXCLUSIVE, UM, CONTRACT AT THAT TIME, AND HE WAS GENEROUS ENOUGH TO SAY, OKAY, EVERYBODY COME DO YOUR THING.
THERE'S ENOUGH SPACE FOR EVERYONE.
UM, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE HAVE FOUR MONTHS LEFT ON OUR CONTRACT AND WE WERE PROMISED, UM, WELL, LET ME READ THIS.
[02:15:02]
THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT THE PARKS DIRECTOR SAID SHE'S NOT RENEWING OUR CONTRACT.THIS THREAT HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A PARKS MEETING AND IS IN A DIRECT RETALIATION FOR ME ASKING THE PARKS BOARD TO SAVE A PARKING LOT AS IT WAS SLATED TO BE REMOVED.
AND THE ZILKER VISION PLAN DESIGNED THE ZILKER VISION PLAN WAS NEELY'S PET PROJECT.
SHE ALSO SAID SHE WAS THINKING OF RIPPING OUT ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS IN THE CREEK, THE HOSTILITY WITH WHICH SHE SAID, THIS MADE ME REALIZE WHAT WE WERE UP AGAINST.
SO I REACHED OUT TO SOME OF YOU TO HELP, BUT MCNEELY RESPONDED WITH AN INSULTING ONE YEAR EXTENSION WITH AN R F P AT THE END.
TEXAS ROWING CENTER JUST GOT A 10 YEAR CONTRACT BEFORE THE VISION PLAN DESIGN STARTED.
THEN WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE, THEY WERE DELAYING OUR R F P BECAUSE OF THE VISION PLAN DESIGN AND WE'RE GIVING IT A TWO YEAR EXTENSION.
WE WERE REALLY STUCK BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE AND TOOK THE DEAL, EVEN THOUGH IT MEANT PURCHASING NEW EQUIPMENT AND MAINTAINING OUR BUSINESS IN GOOD FAITH, THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPLENISH OUR EXPENSES AT THE END OF THE DAY AS WE WERE PROMISED.
I'M HOPING THAT ONE OF YOU CAN HELP US OUT BY GIVING US MORE THAN ONE OR TWO YEARS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER RUN A BUSINESS LIKE THIS, BUT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T MAKE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE WITH A ONE YEAR RUNWAY OR A TWO YEAR RUNWAY.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW IS THE TIME THAT WE NEED TO BE PURCHASING, UM, NEW EQUIPMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WE CAN'T DO THAT.
I'M HOPING THAT SOMEBODY CAN HELP SPEED THIS FORWARD WITH A LONG, LONGER THAN ONE OR TWO YEARS.
I KNOW MY OFFICE HAS BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK WITH YOU.
I'M SURE YOU'VE PROBABLY CONTACTED OTHER OFFICES, AND SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE LOOKING INTO THIS SITUATION TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR VOTING CONCESSION.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE NOOM PUBLIC COMMUNICATION SPEAKERS.
THAT TAKES US TO THE MUSIC PROCLAMATION PORTION OF THE DAY.
UM, SO I WILL RECESS THE MEETING 12:17 PM AND AS THE MAYOR HAD SAID EARLIER, AT ONE O'CLOCK, WE WILL RECONVENE FOR ITEM NUMBER 53
[Live Music Henry Invisible]
BASS GROOVES, SOULFUL KEYBOARDS, DRUM MACHINES, AND POWERFUL PERCUSSION TO CREATE ORIGINAL HIGH ENERGY DANCE MUSIC THAT RESEMBLES A POWERFUL SIX PIECE ENSEMBLE.HENRY INVISIBLE HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE MUSIC SCENE, BOTH LOCALLY AND REGIONALLY, SPREADING JOY AND POSITIVITY TO LISTENERS THROUGH HIS UPLIFTING MUSIC AND LIVELY PERFORMANCES.
HENRY'S RULE, PUT SOME SPARKLE IN YOUR SOUL AND POLISH YOUR SHINE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE AND LOVE YOURSELF.
IT'S A GREAT WAY TO MAKE A POSITIVE CHANGE IN THIS WORLD.
AND IF YOU FEEL SO INCLINED TO CELEBRATE HENRY INVISIBLE DAY, ADORN YOURSELF WITH SOMETHING THAT SHINES AND SPARKLES, GO FOR IT.
HOW WE DOING OUT THERE? ALRIGHT, LET'S GO.
[02:20:02]
I JUST GOTTA KNOW, TELL YOU THE WORLD.I GOT TO BE TELL YOU, MY DREAMS IS
[02:27:16]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA READ THE PROCLAMATION NOW.
BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS SO
AND WHEREAS OUR MUSIC SCENE THRIVES BECAUSE AUSTIN AUDIENCES SUPPORT GOOD MUSIC PRODUCED BY LEGENDS, OUR LOCAL FAVORITES AND NEWCOMERS ALIKE, AND WHEREAS WE ARE PLEASED TO SHOWCASE AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ARTISTS, I THEREFORE PAIGE ELLIS ON BEHALF OF MAYOR KIRK WATSON OF THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 19TH AS HENRY INVISIBLE DAY.
DO YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS OR TELL PEOPLE WHERE THEY CAN FIND YOU? WHEN'S YOUR NEXT SHOW? ANY OF THOSE DETAILS? UH, DEFINITELY YOU CAN FIND ME ANYWHERE AT HENRY INVISIBLE.
UM, SPOTIFY, UH, APPLE, UH, INSTAGRAM IS MY JAM.
I EVEN HAVE A MYSPACE AT, UH, HENRY INVISIBLE
AND, UM, I THOUGHT MY DAY WAS JULY 20TH.
AM I THE ONLY MUSICIAN THAT GETS TWO DAYS FROM BOTH NOW,
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOU GUYS DOING THIS, AND, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR MUSICIANS.
[02:30:03]
BAD NEWS.EVERYBODY I WILL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, IT'S 1:01 PM WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT MEMBERS.
THE FIRST ITEM WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP IS ITEM
[53. Conduct a public hearing and consider an appeal by Milena Boytchef and Peter Simon Eastwood regarding the Planning Commission’s decision to approve a three-year site plan extension for Green Pastures, located at 811 W. Live Oak Street (SP-2015-0543C(XT2)).]
NUMBER 53.UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 53, AND I WILL TURN TO THE, UM, MEMBERS.
WHAT THIS IS, IS A ON A, THIS WILL BE ON A MOTION TO EITHER, UH, GRANT OR DENY AN APPEAL.
SO, UM, WHAT I WILL DO IS ASK THE CITY CLERK IF SHE WILL FIRST CALL ON THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE, UH, APPEAL AND THEN THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE APPEAL.
AND AT THAT POINT, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING IF SHE HEARD ME.
MAYOR, WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE REQUESTING DONATED TIME, SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO START THAT OUT.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW MEMBERS IS, UH, AS I INDICATED IN THE MESSAGE BOARD, POST DONATION OF UP TO A TOTAL OF SIX, SOMEBODY MAY BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK UP TO A TOTAL OF SIX MINUTES THROUGH DONATED TIME, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT ALSO THE, THE DONORS AND, AND THE, UH, NEED TO BE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE SPEAKING.
ALL RIGHT, MAYOR, WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED.
UM, AND THIS GROUP HAS REQUESTED TO SPEAK IN THIS ORDER.
AND SO FIRST IS JEFF RIGGER, FOLLOWED BY JOHN NIK.
NOW THAT WE'RE GONNA START WITH THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE APPEAL, IF WE CAN DO THAT.
THEN YES, THEN I WILL MOVE OVER TO, UM, MATTHEW O'HARE.
AND THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE DONATING TIME TO HIM.
MENA BOCHE, YOU'RE HERE, AND THEN KAN AND UNTIL HE'LL RECEIVE SIX MINUTES.
SO YOU, MR. O'HARE, YOU'LL HAVE UP TO SIX MINUTES.
SO THE OTHER 30 PEOPLE THAT DONATED TIME, THEY HAVE TO LEAD NOW.
WELL, THAT'D BE ONE CHOICE A GOOD IDEA I HAD THERE.
MY NAME IS MATT, SO STILL SET THE CLOCK FOR SIX MINUTES, PLEASE.
I MOVED HERE TO AUSTIN 40 YEARS AGO, AND SINCE THEN I'VE STARTED A WHOLE LOT OF BUSINESSES HERE, INCLUDING VITAL FARMS, WHICH I BEGAN IN 27 ACRES ALONG ONION CREEK THAT I BOUGHT AND TURNED INTO A FARM BACK IN 2007.
I BELIEVE TODAY, VITAL FARMS, WHICH STARTED WITH 20 LITTLE HENS, EMPLOYS 442 PEOPLE, AND OUR PASTURE RAISED EGGS AND BUTTER ARE SOLD IN 25,000 STORES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
UM, LAST TIME I WORKED WITH CITY COUNCIL IN ANY KIND OF DETAIL IS 1985.
I WAS APPOINTED WITH EIGHT OTHER PEOPLE TO THE TOWN LAKE TASK FORCE.
AND IT WAS A PROBLEM WE HAD AT THE TIME IS WE HAD THE HYATT REGENCY, WHICH HAD BUILT RIGHT UP AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE LAKE, AND THEN WE HAD FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, WHICH HAD THIS BEAUTIFUL SETBACK, AND WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS THING THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT COMMUNIZATION OF THE LAKE.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE WERE LOOKING TO HEAD TOWARDS LOOKING LIKE THE CHICAGO RIVER, WHICH YOU HAVE THESE HUGE BUILDINGS ALONG THE SIDE.
WE WORKED OUR ASSES OFF FOR SIX MONTHS, THREE OR FOUR NIGHTS A WEEK.
UM, AND, UH, BY THE END AND ALL, UH, ALL, UH, WORK, A LONG TOWN LAKE HAD BEEN STOPPED, INCLUDING ISSUING THE PERMITS.
BY THE TIME WE WERE DONE, WE HAD WRITTEN A VERY THICK PLAN.
WE HAD MET WITH LADY BIRD JOHNSON.
WE'D MET, WE WROTE THIS PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF TOWN LAKE, WHICH ENVISIONED A HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, WHICH ENVISIONED SETBACK REQUIREMENTS.
AND, AND THAT COFFEE TABLE BOOK TO BECAME LIKE THE, THE BLUEPRINT FOR TOWN LAKE.
UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT, AND YOU KNOW, ABOUT 70 YEARS BEFORE THAT, A GUY NAMED HENRY FAULK AND HIS WIFE MADDIE, UM, WE WE'RE LIVING IN HERE IN, IN AUSTIN, AND THEY DECIDED TO MOVE WAY OUT IN THE COUNTRY TO A PLACE CALLED THEY WE CALL TODAY GREEN PASTURES.
THEY RAISED THEIR SON AT THIS LITTLE FARMSTEAD.
UH, JOHN JOHN HENRY FAULK, WHO'S AN ICON FOR AUSTIN, AND IF YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM, HE HELPED END MCCARTHYISM AND THEY GREW UP THERE IN 1940S.
THEY TURNED THIS, THE FAMILY TURNED THIS INTO A RESTAURANT CALLED GREEN PASTURES.
OVER THE YEARS, THOUSANDS OF COUPLES GOT MARRIED UNDER THE LIVE OAK TREES.
THERE, JAMES BEARD LIVED THERE FOR A WHILE, POLITICIANS, CELEBRITIES, UH, THIS BECAME A GREAT RESTAURANT, BUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS ABOUT IT IS THAT THEY ALLOWED PEOPLE OF COLOR TO LIT TO EAT IN THE SAME RESTAURANTS.
IT WAS ANOTHER 20 YEARS BEFORE THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT DESEGREGATED THE REST OF THE RESTAURANTS IN AUSTIN.
IN 2015, THESE PROPERTIES, ICONIC HISTORIC PROPERTIES PURCHASED BY DEVELOPERS WHO FIRST REMODELED THE RESTAURANT AND REOPENED IT A LITTLE WHILE.
LATER ON MARCH 1ST, 2017, THESE DATES ARE IMPORTANT.
A MONTH THEREAFTER, THEY WERE APPROVED TO BUILD A HOTEL ON THE SITE THAT DID NOT ADHERE TO THE THEN CURRENT COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS.
THEY'RE ABLE TO GET BY THIS NEW, THIS BY USING A LOOPHOLE IN THE RULE THAT HAD HAD SINCE BEEN OVERRULED, HAD BEEN CHANGED, BUT IT WAS BETWEEN THE GAP OF THE TIME THEY APPLIED FOR THE PERMIT, THE TIME THEY GOT THEIR PERMIT.
[02:35:01]
HAD BEEN CHANGED, BUT THEY STILL WERE ABLE TO USE THAT, THAT LOOPHOLE, THAT BY THAT ENABLED PROJECTS ON HISTORICAL LANDMARKS, SITES AND EXCEPTION ENABLING DEVELOPERS TO FOREGO ADHERENCE TO THE CODE.THIS PROVISION HAD BEEN ELIMINATED A YEAR BEFORE.
DESPITE SUBSTANTIAL ALTERATIONS OF THE HOTEL DESIGNS OVER THE YEARS, THE DEVELOPER REMAINS TO THIS DAY NON-COMPLIANT WITH AUSTIN'S COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS.
THE RULE CHANGED LESS THAN A YEAR BEFORE.
NO LONGER CAN YOU BUILD A THREE STORY, 38 FOOT STRUCTURE, 16 FEET AWAY FROM OUR HOMES IN OUR BACKYARDS, WHICH IS WHAT IT'S ENVISIONED HERE.
SO IMAGINE A BUILDING ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF THE SIDES OF THIS RIGHT UP AGAINST YOUR, YOUR HOME, 16 FEET AWAY.
NOW THAT SAME BUILDING MUST BE SET BACK 50 FEET, WHICH IS THIS, THIS TO THE CODE MORE THAN THREE TIMES THE DISTANCE CREATED OF THOSE DEVELOPERS IN 2017.
THE PROPERTY IS NOT LOCATED ANYWHERE NEAR DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS ANOTHER ARGUMENT I HEARD.
IT'S 2.6 MILES FROM DOWNTOWN ORTON AUSTIN, ACCORDING TO GOOGLE MAPS, AND IT'S ALSO NOT NEAR ANY OTHER HOTELS.
THE NEAREST HOTEL SOUTH CONGRESS HOTEL IS OVER A MILE AWAY WHERE IT IS LOCATED.
IT'S MY FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ALL OF AUSTIN BOLDEN CREEK.
BEAUTIFUL, QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD, WALKING NEIGHBORHOOD YOU WALK WITH, WITH YOUR, YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS IN THE AND WITH THE PEACOCKS EVERY EVENING.
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH A HUNDRED ROOM HOTEL BUILT BY DEVELOPERS TO PROFIT DEVELOPERS WITH NO BENEFIT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE BOULDERING CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN HOOD NEIGHBORHOOD DO NOT WANT THIS HOTEL TO BE BUILT.
LAST YEAR, ONE OF US MET AND SPOKE WITH B C N A ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, THERE WAS UNIVERSAL SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT IN THAT ROOM.
THESE DEVELOPERS HAD NOT EVER BROKEN GROUND FOR THIS PROJECT.
WHEN ASKED BY THE CITY TO PROVE THAT THEY HAD DONE WORK IN THIS PROJECT, THEY SUBMITTED INVOICES DIRECTLY RELATED TO THEIR MODEL OF THE HO THE RESTAURANT, WHICH IS NOT PART OF THE PLAN, WHICH HAD BEEN COMPLETED BEFORE.
THE, THE, THE ISSUANCE OF, OF THE, OF THIS PERMIT.
SINCE THE ORIGINAL GRANTING OF THE PERMIT SIX YEARS AGO, THE DEVELOPERS HAVE RECEIVED TWO EXTENSIONS.
THEY MEET NONE OF THE FOUR REQUIREMENTS TO RECEIVE AN EXTENSION AT ALL.
SITE PLAN DOES NOT COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS FOR A NEW APPLICATION FOR A SITE PLAN.
THE APPLICANT HAS NOT SHOWN GOOD FAITH, BUT INSTEAD OF SUBMITTED REPEATED INFORMATION TO THE CITY, THAT IS NOT ACCURATE AND THE STAFF ACCEPTED BASED ON THE APPLICANT'S WORD, DESPITE BEING UNTRUE OR MISLEADING, SIMPLY SUBMITTING A SITE PLAN FOR OR APPLYING FOR AN EXTENSION DOES NOT DEFINE GOOD FAITH.
THE APPLICANT HAS NOT COMPLETED ANY STRUCTURES.
THEY HAVE THE BROKEN GROUND FOR ANY STRUCTURES, NEVER MINE ONE THAT IS SUITABLE FOR PERMANENT OCCUPANCY THAT MAKES THEM ZERO FOR FOUR.
ON THE PREREQUISITES FOR EXTENSION, I WAKE UP MANY MORNINGS EACH WEEK TO THE SOUND OF TRACTOR TRAILERS PARKED IN, OUT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE ON SOUTH FOURTH STREET, WHICH IS THE ENTRANCE ALSO AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE SERVICE ENTRANCE TO GREEN PASTURES, WHICH IS A TINY LITTLE ENTRANCE.
AND SOMETIMES THESE TRACTOR TRAILERS ARE BACKED ONTO, ONTO OLD TORF WAITING TO, FOR THE GATES TO BE OPEN.
THERE ARE DAYS WHEN THESE TRUCKS ARE BACKED UP ALL THE WAY THERE, AND IN THIS TINY RESIDE RESIDENTIAL STREET WITH SIX HOMES CANNOT HANDLE ANY MORE TRUCKS, NEVERMIND WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY.
I FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
THEY INCREASE AND THEY BUILD A HUNDRED ROOM HOTEL THAT AT THIS MASSIVE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC TO THIS TINY STREET.
I ASK EACH OF YOU TODAY TO PLEASE HELP SAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND KEEP THIS MONSTROSITY FROM BEING BUILT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLACE WE CALL HOME.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
NEXT SPEAKER SPEAKING FOUR IS SIMON EASTWOOD.
UM, SO MY NAME'S SIMON EASTERWOOD.
I'M ALSO A NEIGHBOR, UH, IN THE, UH, IN THE GOLDEN CREEK.
UM, MILENA HAS DEDICATED HER TIME TO, UH, TO MATTHEW.
WE'VE BOTH BEEN WORKING AT THIS FOR FIVE MONTHS.
WE'VE COME A A ACROSS NOTHING BUT RESISTANCE FROM, UH, THE CITY.
UM, COULD YOU PUT NUMBER 15 ON PLEASE? UH, GO BACK ONE, BACK, BACK.
UH, MAYBE THIS IS THE WRONG ONE.
OKAY, SO I'M RUNNING OUTTA TIME HERE.
SO THERE HAS NEVER BEEN IN 10 YEARS THAT WE CAN SEE AT THE CITY.
THERE'S NEVER BEEN AN EXTENSION BASED SOLELY ON, UH, ON GOOD FAITH WITHOUT, UH, GROUND BEING BROKEN IN 10 YEARS.
UM, WE FOUND THAT THE, IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS, MULTIPLE, UH, MULTIPLE MISTAKES HAVE BEEN MADE, INCLUDING HERE ON THE TRAFFIC.
UH, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IS THAT THE DIRECTOR LOOK AT AN N T A, WE CAN SEE, UH, ON THIS SLIDE, 99 ROOMS, IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T EVEN MEET THE 103 ROOMS, 80% ON LIVE OAK VERSUS 20% ON SOUTH FOURTH STREET FOR THE TRUCKS.
THAT AGAIN, IS A PARAMETER THAT IS WRONG.
UH, IT'S PROBABLY MORE LIKE 95 TO 5%.
[02:40:01]
SO BASED ON THAT ALONE, UH, THIS APPLICATION SHOULD BE THROWN OUT.NOT TO MENTION THAT, UH, IT IS A DORMANT PROJECT, WHICH UNDER TEXAS LAW, UM, 1704 BILL 1704 WOULD MAKE A DORMANT PROJECT ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A NEW SITE PROCESS, NOT AN EXTENSION.
THERE'S NO GROUND BEING BROKEN.
THERE'S NO PRECEDENT FOR THIS.
PLEASE, UH, EITHER TODAY, UH, NOT ACCEPT THIS APPLICATION OR PUT IT IN REVIEW.
GO, GO AND TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT.
THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THIS, THIS APPLICATION.
THE NEXT SET OF SPEAKERS ARE SPEAKING AGAINST THE ITEM, AND THEY REQUEST TO SPEAK IN THIS ORDER.
JEFF TRIGGER IS FIRST FOLLOWED BY JOHN NIK, THEN ETHAN HOLMES, LAURA SHEER, AND SCOTT WALKER.
UH, MY NAME'S JEFF TRIGG, CHAIR OF THE GREEN PASTURES BOARD AND PRESIDENT OF COURSE HOSPITALITY GROUP.
IN 2015, THE FAMILY THAT HAD OWNED GREEN PASTURES FOR DECADES REALIZED THAT THEIR CURRENT BUSINESS MODEL WAS SIMPLY NOT SUSTAINABLE.
THEY JOINED WITH MORE THAN 60 LOCAL CITIZENS WHO SHARED THE VISION TO ADD OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS TO ENHANCE AND PRESERVE THIS 75 YEAR OLD HOSPITALITY VENUE.
COLLECTIVELY, WE WORRY THAT OTHERWISE THIS AUSTIN ICON I APPRECIATE THESE LOVELY COMMENTS, COULD VERY LIKELY FALL INTO THE HANDS OF DEVELOPERS TO BUILD A PRIVATE MEMBERSHIP CLUB OR EXCLUSIVE RESIDENCES.
KNOWING THAT OUR PLAN TO ADD A HOTEL TO THE PRODUCT MIX WAS REQUISITE FOR THE VENTURE'S LONG-TERM SUCCESS, WE IMMEDIATELY ACTED UPON THAT.
WE PURCHASED AN ADDITIONAL LOT DETERMINED TO BE REQUIRED FOR STORM SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE AND FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS.
WE CONTRACTED WITH AUSTIN ENERGY TO DESIGN THE ENHANCED ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE NEW HOTEL AND PAID FOR ITS INSTALLATION.
WE CONTRACTED WITH TEXAS GAS TO DESIGN THE ENHANCED GAS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE NEW HOTEL AND PAID FOR ITS INSTALLATION.
WE SIGNED A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, AGREEMENT WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT AND HIRED ENGINEERING FIRM TO DESIGN THE OFFSITE STORM INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT BENEFITS THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WORKED WITH AND RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM EVERY RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENT REQUIRED TO RECEIVE A VALID BUILDING PERMIT.
OUR PLAN HAS RECEIVED ACCOLADES FROM BOTH THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION AND THE AUSTIN HERITAGE SOCIETY BASED ON ITS DESIGN AND THE PLACEMENT OF THE HOTEL ON THE PROPERTY.
AND WE DID THIS WHILE PROTECTING THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONES OF 94% OF THE MORE THAN 220 TREES ON SITE.
AND OF COURSE, ALL THE HERITAGE TREES.
THE BOLDEN CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION KNOWS ALL THESE GOOD FAITH EFFORTS TO BE ABSOLUTELY TRUE, WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE NOT HERE TO OPPOSE THE EXTENSION OF OUR SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT, AND SO DOES THE CITY STAFF.
SO DOES A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHO AFTER REVIEWING ALL THE DOCUMENTS, UH, RULED IN OUR FAVOR TOO FOR ITS EXTENSION, I ASK YOU TO UPHOLD THEIR DECISION.
MY NAME IS JOHN NIK AND I'M LACHES ACCOUNTING AND HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER.
I'M AN AUSTIN NATIVE, AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT MENTION THAT MY MOM HAD HER BRIDAL SHOWER AT GREEN PASTURES IN 1992.
WHILE I HOPE THAT IT IS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT WE'VE PUT FORTH A TREMENDOUS GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO DEVELOP THE PROPERTY, I FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE DID SO DURING UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, WHICH IS PRECISELY WHY WE NEEDED MORE TIME TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION.
I WAS A JUNIOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WHEN THE PANDEMIC STRUCK.
THE TECH INTERNSHIP I HAD LINED UP FOR THE SUMMER WAS CANCELED AT A TIME WHEN COMPANIES WERE SCRAPPING THEIR INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS LEFT AND RIGHT.
JEFF WENT OUT ON A LIMB AND CREATED AN INTERNSHIP POSITION FOR ME.
HE DID THIS DESPITE THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY BEING DEVASTATED AND DEVELOPMENT WORKS WITH THE CITY AND PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS HALTED NOW OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS WORKING FULL-TIME FOR THE KCHE, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE FIRSTHAND THAT THIS WAS NOT A ONE-OFF DECISION, BUT RATHER A CONSISTENT PATTERN OF PUTTING EMPLOYEES FIRST.
THE WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC THAT SHUT DOWN GREEN PASTURES WOULD'VE CAUSED THE BUSINESS TO GO BANKRUPT WITHOUT FEDERAL RELIEF PROGRAMS SUCH AS P P P LOANS, EMERGENCY DISASTER LOANS FROM THE S B A AND ERCS.
NATURALLY, BANK BANKS HAD LITTLE INTEREST IN ADDING MORE DISTRESSED ASSETS TO THEIR PORTFOLIOS DURING THIS TIME.
SO NEGOTIATED A HOTEL LOAN WAS IMPOSSIBLE.
WE HAD THREE EMPLOYEES SUCCUMB TO THE VIRUS.
THE COMPANY LOST TWO RESTAURANTS AND ONE HOTEL MANAGEMENT CONTRACT AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.
GREEN PASTURES WAS A SUPER SPREADER LOCATION, AND ITS EVENT BUSINESS WAS DECIMATED DUE TO THE VIRUS'S.
SUBSEQUENT SURGES AND VARIANTS BUSINESS HAS YET TO RECOVER IT TO 2019 LEVELS.
[02:45:01]
DESPITE THE INFLATION AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES THAT HAVE FOLLOWED, WE NOW HAVE COMPLETED AGREEMENTS FOR BOTH THE ONSITE AND OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION WORK.WE HAVE ALSO OBTAINED COLLECTIVE FINANCING FROM FIVE TEXAS COMMUNITY BANKS THAT ARE SIMPLY WAITING ON CONFIRMATION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS AGREED TO EXTEND THE PROJECT SITE DEVELOPMENT ENTITLEMENTS TO BEGIN CLOSING THE LOAN.
WITH YOUR AFFIRMATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S UNANIMOUS APPROVAL, WE EXPECT TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN 60 DAYS.
MR. MAYOR AND DISTINGUISHED COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE CHEF AT MADDIE'S AT GREEN PASTURES.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE AND I EARN MY LIVING IN DISTRICT EIGHT.
I'M HERE TO REQUEST THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVE OUR SITE PLAN EXTENSION FOR THE PROJECT WE REFER TO AS THE GREEN, THE IN AT GREEN PASTURES.
GREEN PASTURES, AS HAS BEEN STATED PREVIOUSLY, IS A LEGENDARY PROPERTY WITH A TRULY AUSTIN PEDIGREE AND HISTORY.
PLACES LIKE MADDIE'S AT GREEN PASTURES UNFORTUNATELY ARE BEING SLOWLY ERADICATED FROM THE AUSTIN LANDSCAPE AS A NATIVE AUSTINITE.
MY PERSONAL HISTORY WITH GREEN PASTURES GOES BACK MORE THAN 38 YEARS.
ON MY 11TH BIRTHDAY, I WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE CHEF FOR THE DAY THERE, AND TWO GENTLEMEN STILL WORK WITH ME TODAY, 38 YEARS LATER THAT I PEELED POTATOES WITH ON MY 11TH BIRTHDAY.
SHOULD THE COUNCIL APPROVE THIS EXTENSION FOR OUR SITE DEVELOPMENT, WE WOULD DOUBLE OUR EMPLOYEE BASE AND THAT WOULD GIVE MORE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE IN AUSTIN.
ONE OTHER THING I DO WANNA POINT OUT IS IN TERMS OF THE THREE STORY STRUCTURE THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED THERE ARE JUST TO THE WEST OF OUR BUILDING, THERE IS A A THREE STORY APARTMENT BUILDING AS WELL, SO IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE LOWER THAN THAT EXISTING SITE, BUT I DIGRESS.
ONE THING I I'VE LEARNED ABOUT ALL THE COUNTLESS REHEARSAL DINNERS AND WEDDINGS AND MEMORIAL SERVICES AND CORPORATE EVENTS THAT WE'VE DONE THERE IS THAT EVERYONE WHO COMES TO MADDIE'S HAS THEIR OWN HISTORY AND THEY'RE EITHER REFLECTING ON THAT OR STARTING A NEW ONE.
IT IS WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT I COME BEFORE YOU TO ASK YOU TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE THIS PROJECT, THIS IS AN EFFORT TO CONTINUE TO PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF GREEN PASTURES.
MARY FAULK COOK, MY DEAR FRIEND KEN COOK, MAY HE REST IN SOUL AND MAY HE REST IN PEACE, AND ALSO THE WORK THAT WE DO EVERY DAY TO ELEVATE THE VALUE OF THIS PROPERTY TO FUTURE AUSTINITES AND CURRENT RESIDENTS.
SO WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE HELP US CONTINUE THIS BY ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE THE END AT GREEN PASTURES PROJECT.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS OF MADDIE'S AT GREEN PASTURES.
WHEN WE CONTACTED THE BOLDING CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ABOUT THE SITE PLAN EXTENSION, THEY TOLD US THAT WE, THEY FELT WE HAD EVERY RIGHT TO BUILD THE HOTEL AND THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED.
WHEN WE EXPRESSED DESIRE TO VISIT WITH OUR NEIGHBORS ABOUT THIS PROJECT, THEY SUGGESTED THAT WE INVITE ALL THE RESIDENTS ON OUR PERIMETER AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LABEL THEMSELVES AS CONCERNED CITIZENS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE TO MEET TO ANY, TO THE MEETING, TO AIR ANY CONCERNS.
19 PEOPLE ATTENDED, 16 OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND THREE OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE CONCERNED CITIZENS LIST.
TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO VISITED WITH US THAT NIGHT CAME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEET, MEETING TO VOICE ANY OBJECTIONS, ALL RECEIVE DIRECT PHONE NUMBERS AND EMAIL ADDRESSES OF OUR KEY STAFF SHOULD THEY EVER WISH TO CONTACT US.
CONCERNS LIKE NOISE AND LIGHT POLLUTION WERE ALLAYED WHEN THE ATTENDEES REALIZED THAT OUR HOTEL GUESTS WOULD BE SLEEPING CLOSER TO OUR BUSINESS ACTIVITIES THAN THE NEIGHBORS DO.
BETWEEN OUR ARCHITECTS, LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS AND OUR OPERATIONAL POLICIES, WE STRIVE TO CREATE A PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE.
THOSE WITH PARKING CONCERNS MAY HAVE BEEN SATIATED.
AFTER THEY LEARNED THAT WE DESIGNED ADDITIONAL PARKING UNDER THE BUILDING BEYOND THE ORIGINALLY APPROVED CITY REQUIREMENTS TO INCREASE OUR PARKING INVENTORY.
ONE ATTENDEE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW, HOW INTOXICATED PEOPLE LEAVING THE VENUE AT NIGHT.
AFTER WE ADD THE HOTEL ROOMS, OUR GUESTS WILL BE ABLE TO SPEND THE NIGHT AND NOT HAVE TO LEAVE AT ALL.
OFFERING THE HOTEL ROOMS MAKES IT SAFER AND QUIETER FOR EVERYONE.
AFTER THAT MEETING, WE SECOND, WE COMMISSIONED A SECOND MORE CURRENT INDEPENDENT TRAFFIC STUDY, WHICH AGAIN SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ONE NEIGHBOR WHO HAPPENS TO BE A REALTOR COMMENTED THAT SHE FEELS LIKE THIS ADDITION MAKES THE NEIGHBORHOOD MORE WALKABLE AND INCREASES PROPERTY VALUES.
IN THE END, WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR HOW MUCH OUR NEIGHBORS TREASURE OUR RESTAURANT.
MATT'S THEY APPRECIATE WHAT GREEN PASTURES BRINGS TO THE COMMUNITY, AND OF COURSE, ADORE OUR PEACOCK ENTRIES WHO MEANDER AND CHARM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I HOPE THEY WILL SOON ENJOY OUR DINING SERVICES.
AT THE END, OUR NEW RESTAURANT WILL OFFER A COFFEE BAR AS WELL AS FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE FOR OUR UPSCALE HOTEL, UPSCALE HOTEL GUESTS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
[02:50:03]
THE LAST SPEAKER WAS SCOTT WALKER.HOW MANY TIME DID JEFF TRIGGER? OKAY.
UM, THAT'S NOT THE WAY THAT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK.
I JUST WANTED TO, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS I'VE GOT WELL, WE, WE, WE DRIVE.
I, WE, WE KNOW WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS.
KNOW MR. WALKER, DO YOU WISH TO SAY ANYTHING, MR. MAYOR? I DO NOT.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS.
UM, MEMBERS, THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE SPEAKERS THAT ARE SIGNED UP ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 53 MEMBERS THAT THIS IS, THIS WAS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN APPEAL REGARDING THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DECISION TO APPROVE A THREE YEAR SITE PLAN EXTENSION.
I'LL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO EITHER GRANT TO APPROVE THE, I'M SORRY, EITHER TO GRANT THE APPEAL OR TO DENY THE APPEAL.
IS THERE A MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER? VELAZQUEZ, WHAT IS YOUR MOTION? HUH? TO GRANT IS YOUR, YOUR MOTION IS TO GRANT THE APPEAL OR TO DENY THE APPEAL.
UM, A MOTION TO, UH, TO GRANT THE APPEAL WOULD BE, UH, ALLOWING THOSE WHO SPOKE FIRST TO PREVAIL AND HAVE THE APPEAL IF YOU VOTE, IF WE HAVE A MOTION AND A VOTE TO DENY THE APPEAL, IT WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THOSE WHO SPOKE SECOND, UM, THAT ARE SEEKING TO BUILD THE FACILITY.
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME AND, AND, AND THE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION DENIED OR ALLOWED FOR THE EXTENSION OF TIME AND THAT'S BEING APPEALED.
UM, THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN VELA TO DENY THE APPEAL DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION.
THE MOTION TO DENY THE APPEAL IS GRANTED.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, DID YOU I'M SORRY.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING SAY I DID NOT.
I WAS GOING TO VOTE TO ALLOW THE EXTENSION.
THE DENIAL OF THE APPEAL ALLOWS FOR THE THREE YEAR EXTENSION'S.
THAT'S WHY I'VE SAID IT ABOUT FOUR TIMES.
SO THAT I'M CONVINCED MYSELF I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT
UM, AND I'M JUST ABOUT CONVINCED MYSELF I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT ON THIS.
SO, UM, BUT, BUT I, I WANNA BE CLEAR IF ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT LET ME READ IT TO YOU AGAIN, THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING AN APPEAL REGARDING THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DECISION TO APPROVE A THREE YEAR SITE PLAN.
IF YOU WANT TO GO WITH WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID, WHICH IS TO APPROVE A THREE YEAR SITE PLAN EXTENSION, THEN WE WOULD DENY THE APPEAL.
THE MOTION WAS MADE TO DENY THE APPEAL, IT WAS SECONDED.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW IT IS A UNANIMOUS VOTE TO DENY THE APPEAL, WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR THE, UH, THREE YEAR, UH, APPROVE THE THREE YEAR SITE PLAN EXTENSION.
NOBODY WANTS TO CHANGE A VOTE? NOPE.
THEN, UH, THE MOTION PASSES WITH, UM, COUNCIL WITH UNANIMOUSLY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, ABSENT.
UH, I WILL NOW WITHOUT OBJECTION, OPEN THE
[54. Conduct a public hearing and consider a resolution related to an application by ECG Blue Ridge LP, or an affiliated entity, for a multi-family development of approximately 321 units to be financed through the private activity bond program and to be known as Blue Ridge located at or near 9825 Wildhorse Ranch Trail, Austin, Texas 78724.]
PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 54.MADAM CLERK MAYOR, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SPEAKERS, UM, THERE BEING NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 54 WITHOUT OBJECTION.
I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 54 AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 54.
IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 54? IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
ITEM NUMBER 54 IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
ABSENT WITHOUT OBJECTION, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING
[55. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 to create a six-month pilot program modifying certain deadlines related to zoning and rezoning applications and neighborhood plan amendment applications.]
ON ITEM NUMBER 55.MADAM CLERK, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SPEAKERS THERE BEING NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 55.
UH, I'LL WITHOUT OBJECTION, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 55 AND THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT.
IS THERE A MOTION, MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER
[02:55:01]
RYAN ALTER, SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM, IS THERE A DISCUSSION WITHOUT HEARING, NO DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION.ITEM NUMBER 55 IS ADOPTED MEMBERS, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON
[56. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 relating to the North Burnet/Gateway Regulating Plan.]
ITEM NUMBER 56.MADAM CLERK, NO SPEAKERS THERE BEING NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 56.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLO I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 56, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE MU'S ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER 56.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER DISCUSSION, HEARING NO DISCUSSION ITEM OBJECTION, WE WILL PROVE ITEM NUMBER 56 WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
ABSENT MEMBERS, YOU'LL RECALL THAT ITEM NUMBER 57 HAS BEEN POSTPONED MEMBERS.
THE ONLY ITEMS THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US NOW ARE SET FOR A TIME CERTAIN OF 2:00 PM UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL BE IN RECESS UNTIL 2:00 PM IT IS 1:27 PM I WILL CALL US BACK TO ORDER.
THIS IS THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND WE ARE, UH, COMING BACK AFTER A BRIEF RECESS.
IT IS 2:00 PM ON OCTOBER 19TH AND WE HAVE, UH, A QUORUM OF THE COUNCIL PRESENT.
[2:00 PM - Zoning and Neighborhood Plan Amendments (Public Hearings and Possible Action)]
WE'LL BE TAKING UP ARE OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN RELATED TO ZONING AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING.AND SO I WILL LOOK TO STAFF TO KICK US OFF.
COUNCIL JOY DEPARTMENT, YOUR ZONING AGENDA BEGINS WITH ITEM 59 C 1 4 20 23 0 0 2 6.
THIS IS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR DECEMBER 14TH COUNCIL MEETING.
THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR NOVEMBER 30TH MEETING.
ITEM 61 IS C 1 4 20 23 0 0 1 3.
AND THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
ITEM 62 IS N P A 20 23 0 0 1, 6 0.0 S EIGHT.
THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM 63 C 4 20 23 0 0 1 8 SH AGAIN, THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
ITEM 64 C FOUR H 20 23 0 0 79 THERE IS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR NOVEMBER 9TH COUNSEL MEETING.
ITEM 65 IS N P A 20 22 0 0 0 5 0.01.
THIS SIGN IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
THE RELATED REZONING IS 66 C 1 4 20 22 0 1 0 7.
AGAIN, THIS SIGN IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
THERE IS AN ORDINANCE, BUT THIS, UM, IS ONLY REQUESTED FOR SECOND READING TO ALLOW FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS TO OCCUR AND STAFF WILL BRING THIS ITEM BACK FOR YOU FOR THIRD AND FINAL READING AT YOUR NOVEMBER 30TH COUNCIL MEETING.
SO 66 IS, UH, CONSENT, SECOND READING ONLY.
ITEM 67 N P A 20 23 0 0 1 8 0.02.
THERE'S A POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE TO YOUR NOVEMBER 2ND COUNCIL MEETING.
THE RELATED REZONING ITEM IS 68 C 4 2 2 3 0 0 1 9.
AGAIN, POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOL TO YOUR NOVEMBER 2ND COUNCIL MEETING.
ITEM 69 IS C 1 4 20 23 0 0 4 1.
THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR NOVEMBER 9TH COUNCIL MEETING.
THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS AND I DO HAVE A MOTION SHEET THAT READ, ADD THE FOLLOWING PROHIBITED USE TO PART TWO B ADULT ORIENTED BUSINESSES.
SO ADULT ORIENTED OR ADULT ORIENTED BUSINESSES WILL BE A PROHIBITED USE ON THIS SITE.
ITEM 71 IS C 14 20 23 0 0 6 1.
THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
ITEM 72 IS C 14 20 23 0 0 8 3.
THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
THIS CASE DOES HAVE A VALID PETITION, SO A MINIMUM OF NINE VOTES WILL BERE REQUIRED FOR ALL THREE READINGS.
ITEM 73, ASSUME 4 20 23 0 0 4 5.
THERE IS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR NOVEMBER 2ND COUNCIL MEETING.
ITEM 74 IS M P A 20 23 0 0 1, 8 0.04.
UH, THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT, SECOND AND THIRD READINGS AND THE RELATED REZONING IS 75.
AGAIN, THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
AND JUST TO NOTE, UM, ITEM 74 AND 75 WE'RE ON YOUR SEPTEMBER 21ST AGENDA, BUT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ORDINANCE AND BACKUP.
SO WE'RE JUST BRINGING THAT BACK.
AND THIS CONCLUDES THE READING OF THE ZONING AGENDA.
BUT OF COURSE THIS IS AT YOUR DISCRETION.
[03:00:01]
MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE STAFF? THANK YOU.UH, MEMBERS WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON ALL ITEMS THAT WERE OFFERED AS PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA WHERE THERE IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND I WILL LOOK TO THE, UH, CLERK'S OFFICE TO TELL US AND HELP US FACILITATE THAT.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY REMOTE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE CALLED IN.
AND SO WE JUST HAVE ONE IN-PERSON.
SPEAKER, UH, STAFFORD WOOD SPEAKING ON ITEM 70.
SORRY, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HERE.
I WAS HOPING TO HEAR SOMEBODY ELSE SPEAK FIRST.
UH, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE AND HONOR OF REPRESENTING, UH, THE BEST NEIGHBORS EVER AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT OR WORK TO GO TO OR ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, WE LIVE HERE, UH, ON WEBER.
UH, WE HAVE LIVED HERE A VERY LONG TIME.
ABY IS MY FOUR YEAR OLD NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, AND DIAMOND IS THE FOURTH GENERATION TO LIVE IN HER HOME.
MR. ADAMS MOVED IN WHEN HE WAS BORN IN 1942.
HE IS THE SECOND GENERATION IN THAT HOME AND MS. TILLO WAS BORN IN THE HOUSE IN 1937.
UM, WE HAVE A PARKING ISSUE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ALREADY.
KITTY COHEN'S IN THE LOST WELL ARE ALREADY ON WEBER.
IT'S A SMALL SHORT LITTLE STREET.
UM, AND FOUR DAYS A WEEK PEOPLE HAVE TO UBER IF THEY WANT TO VISIT MY HOUSE BECAUSE MY HOUSE, WHICH ONLY HAS FOUR HOUSES ALONG THE TWO, THREE BLOCKS, UH, IS FULL OF CARS STARTING, YOU KNOW, 4:00 PM AND ENDING 2:00 AM WE HAVE AN AMBULANCE AND A FIRETRUCK PROBLEM THAT, UM, MR. EDMOND, WHO IS MS. TILL'S SON, WHO'S 74 OCCASIONALLY HAS AN ISSUE.
AND ONE OF THE TIMES THAT THE AMBULANCE CAME, IT HAD TO PARK AT THE END OF THE STREET BECAUSE IT COULDN'T GET UP THE STREET.
THE STREETS IN EAST AUSTIN WERE NOT BUILT FOR COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC.
THEY WEREN'T BUILT FOR THE COMMERCIAL TRUCKS.
MR. ADAMS HAS LOST A FENCE TO COMMERCIAL TRUCKS TRYING TO MAKE THE TURN AND GOING UP ON THE CURB AND TAKING IT OUT.
I'VE LOST OFFENSE TO DRUG DRUNK DRIVERS PULLING OUT KIND OF AT ALL HOURS.
AND ALL THESE'S BEEN WOKEN UP REGULARLY BY THE NOISE ON THE STREET, NOT FROM THE ACTUAL BARS THAT ARE THERE, BUT FROM THE WAY PEOPLE POUR OUT AND THEN CONGREGATE ON THE STREET.
I MET MR. ADAMS THE FIRST TIME WHEN HE WAS ON MY PROPERTY A COUPLE WEEKS AFTER I, UM, I MOVED IN AND, UM, HE, UH, WAS PICKING UP TRASH, WHICH WE DO EVERY DAY.
I'M SORRY, BUT YOUR TIME'S EXPIRED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS REALLY QUICK SURE.
SOMEONE FROM MY STAFF WILL WILL BE COMING DOWN TO GET YOUR CONTACT INFO SO WE CAN DISCUSS THE PARKING SITUATION OVER THERE OFF WOODVILLE.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS MEMBERS.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN FOR ZONING AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENTS.
UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON ALL OF THOSE ITEMS. MEMBERS, THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT HAS BEEN PUT FORWARD AND I WILL ACCEPT A MOTION ON IS ITEM NUMBER 59 POSTPONED TO DECEMBER 14TH.
ITEM NUMBER 60, POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 30TH.
ITEM NUMBER 61, CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
ITEM NUMBER 62 ON ALL THREE READINGS THE RELATED ITEM.
ITEM 63 ON ALL THREE READINGS.
ITEM 64 POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 9TH, ITEM 65, CONSENT ON SECOND READING ONLY.
AND THE RELATED ITEM 66, CONSENT ON SECOND READING ONLY, THAT WILL BE BROUGHT BACK TO US ON NOVEMBER 30TH.
ITEM NUMBER 67 IS POSTPONED, WOULD BE POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 2ND, ITEM 68, WHICH IS RELATED TO ITEM 67, POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 2ND, ITEM 69, POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 9TH.
ITEM NUMBER 70, CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
AND THAT WAS THE ITEM WHERE STAFF READ TO YOU THE SPECIAL MOTION SHEET RELATED TO TO THAT AND PROHIBIT PROHIBIT PROHIBITING.
I TALK FOR A LIVING, UH, PROHIBITING, UH, CERTAIN ADULT USES.
ITEM 71, CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
ITEM NUMBER 72, CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS, BUT WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR NINE VOTES, UH, IF THAT IS TO PASS BECAUSE OF A VALID PETITION.
ITEM 73 POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 2ND.
[03:05:01]
SECOND AND THIRD READINGS.AND THE RELATED ITEM 75, CONSENT ON SECOND AND THIRD READINGS, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT.
WELL, LET ME ASK FIRST, IS THERE ANY ITEM THAT ANY MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ? IS THERE ANYONE THAT WISHES TO BE WISHES TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT WAS READ ON ANY ITEM? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, CAN I PLEASE BE SHOWN AS ABSTAINING ON ITEM 72? COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY WILL BE SHOWN ABSTAINING FROM ITEM 72.
ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT ANY MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO BE SHOWN AS RECUSING THEMSELF FROM VOTING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? NO, I'M JUST NOT YET.
UM, UH, THE, I WANT TO GET ALL THESE OUT FIRST.
UM, ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO.
AND THEN I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION.
MAYOR PRO NAM MAYOR PRO TIM MOVES APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA IS READ.
IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE.
IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? WITHOUT OBJECTION.
THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN AS ABSTAINING ON ITEM NUMBER 72 AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
ABSENT WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 72, UH, THERE ARE STILL NINE VOTES EVEN WITH THE NO VOTE AND THE ABSENCE.
SO ITEM NUMBER 72 IS, UH, ADOPTED ON ALL THREE READINGS AS WELL.
IF THIS IS APPROPRIATE TIME, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TAKE A, A, A MOMENT OF, UH, PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
UH, COLLEAGUES, I I JUST WANT TO RESPOND BRIEFLY TO THE EVENTS WE SAW EARLIER TODAY IN THIS ROOM.
ROOM, UH, ATTACKING MY, MY COLLEAGUE.
UH, SINCE SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001, ISLAMOPHOBIA HAS BEEN TOO COMMON IN THE UNITED STATES.
UH, HATE CRIMES ARE ON THE RISE.
I AM DISGUSTED TO SEE ALSO IN RESIDENTS TARGET ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES WITH THIS KIND OF HATRED AND ABUSE.
IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN A DISTURBING INCREASE IN HATEFUL ACTS FROM ANTI-ASIAN ATTACKS, RISING ANTISEMITISM, ANTI-IMMIGRANT ATTACKS, AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE ATTITUDES LIKE WHAT WE SAW TODAY, WHICH ATTEMPT TO DEHUMANIZE OUR NEIGHBORS, CREATE HATRED, AND CAN LEAD TO HORRIBLE CRIMES.
WE SAW THAT IN EL PASO WHERE A WHITE SUPREMACIST KILLED 23 AND INJURED 22 JUST DAYS AGO IN CHICAGO, A SIX YEAR OLD BOY, UH, WA ALFA WAS STABBED 26 TIMES AND MURDERED IN A HORRIBLE ACT OF HATRED TOWARD PALESTINIANS AND MUSLIMS. ISLAMOPHOBIA IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE, AND I CAN, I CANNOT ALLOW IT TO GO UNOPPOSED.
I JUST WANTED TO GET ON THE RECORD AND SAY THAT THAT'S ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE, AND WE NEED TO BE A TOLERANT AND PEACEFUL AND KIND SOCIETY.
UM, I SHARE MY, I SHARE MY COLLEAGUE SENTIMENTS ON THIS.
UH, ONE THING THAT I DID WANT TO TOUCH ON IS, UM, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY ON THIS DAIS.
UH, PEOPLE MAY BE CURIOUS AS TO WHY WE'RE ALL WEARING PURPLE TODAY.
IT IS GO PURPLE DAY, PURPLE THURSDAY, A NATIONAL DAY'S DAY OF ACTION, RECOGNITION AND REFLECTION AROUND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.
IT'S A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPACTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BOTH AS A COUNCIL AND AS A COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN FUENTES FOR HER LEADERSHIP ON THE PROCLAMATION, RECOGNIZING OCTOBER'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH AND EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR THE HARDWORKING ADVOCATES AND AGENCIES AND OUR POLICE, WHOSE COMMITMENT TO HELPING PEOPLE AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED BY ME OR THIS COUNCIL.
IT HAS NO PLACE IN AUSTIN AND NO PLACE IN CIVILIZED SOCIETY.
I WANT TO, UH, THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR JOINING IN, JOINING WITH ME TO RECOGNIZE THIS MONTH.
UH, IT'S A VERY PERSONAL ISSUE FOR ME AND, UH, THANK YOU.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THIS REGULAR CALL MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'RE ADJOURNED AT 2:13 PM THANK YOU ALL.