[00:00:09]
UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
[Proclamation – Code Month – To be presented by Council Member José “Chito”]
WE ARE GOING TO, UH, HONOR OUR CODE, UH, COMPLIANCE OFFICERS AND OUR, UH, CODE, UH, DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THE SERVICE THAT THEY PROVIDE.UH, OUR CITY, UH, WE, UH, WORK WITH CODE ALL THE TIME AND THEY ARE ALWAYS SO, UH, RESPONSIVE.
UH, THERE'S SO MANY HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS THAT FOLKS HAVE, AND THE OFFICERS ARE ALWAYS THERE CHECKING THINGS OUT, UH, TRYING TO REMEDY, UH, THE SITUATIONS.
AND, UH, LIKE I SAID, WE LEAN ON THEM A LOT.
UH, BUT THE OTHER THING THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE ABOUT CODE IS THAT THEY DON'T JUST KIND OF GO IN HEAVY AND JUST TAKE IT RIGHT AWAY.
THEY COMMUNICATE, THEY EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHAT'S GOING ON.
THEY TRY TO GET, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE BEFORE WE START, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY CI CITING PEOPLE AND GETTING 'EM INTO COURT.
UH, AND THAT'S, UH, I THINK THAT APPROACH IS, UH, SO HELPFUL AND SO IMPORTANT AND OFTENTIMES GETS LONG-TERM COOPERATION IN THE WAY THAT, UH, OTHER METHODS I MIGHT NOT.
SO, UH, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM.
THE COUNCIL REALLY APPRECIATES THEM AND THE CITIZENS OF, OF AUSTIN REALLY APPRECIATE THEM.
UH, AND I JUST WANT TO GO AHEAD AND, AND READ THE PROCLAMATION AND SAY, UH, THANK YOU TO OUR, OUR, OUR CODE OFFICERS, BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, CODE COMPLIANCE TEAM PROVIDES FOR THE SAFETY, HEALTH, AND WELFARE OF RESIDENTS LIVING IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN THROUGH EDUCATION, COLLABORATION, AND ENFORCEMENT OF BUILDING ZONING, HOUSING, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, AND OTHER CODE CODES AND ORDINANCES.
AND WHEREAS CODE INSPECTORS AND STAFF ARE DEDICATED, WELL-TRAINED AND HIGHLY RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS COMMITTED TO PROMOTING THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S SAFETY STRATEGIC OUTCOME OF BEING SAFE IN OUR HOME WORK AND IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS AND PROVIDES FAIR AND EQUITABLE ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATING MORE THAN 29,165 CITYWIDE CODE CASES PER YEAR AND PERFORMING OVER 70 3058 INSPECTIONS.
AND WHEREAS WITH AN INTENTIONAL FOCUS ON PREVENTION, THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, CODE COMPLIANCE TEAM AIMS TO PROACTIVELY EDUCATE THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY ABOUT CITY CODES AND ORDINANCES AND ORGANIZE AND ATTEND COMMUNITY EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND NOW, THEREFORE, I VELA COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT FOUR ON BEHALF OF KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER, 2023 AS CODE MONTH IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
SO THANK Y'ALL VERY, VERY MUCH.
UH, AGAIN, YOUR WORK IS, UH, IS GREATLY, UH, APPRECIATED.
UH, AND Y'ALL CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, IN OUR CITY, MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, UH, A CLEAN, YOU KNOW, GOOD LOOKING SAFE CITY TO, UH, BE IN.
AND, UH, APPRECIATE Y'ALL AND, UH, I KNOW WE WORK WITH Y'ALL A LOT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH Y'ALL IN THE FUTURE TOO.
AND, UH, LET'S GET A, A PICTURE THERE IN FRONT OF THE, IN FRONT OF THE FLAG WITH A PROCLAMATION AND EVERYTHING AROUND THERE.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING DOWN TO SEA HALL.
I'M SURE WE'LL SEE YOU OUT THERE AGAIN.
A LOT OF LITTLE FOLLOW UP AND STUFF, HUH? WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT.
[00:06:43]
YEAH.EVEN IF WE LEAVE RIGHT UP, UM, SHOULD WE DO WHAT? YEAH, THERE'S LIKE, WE MADE THE GREATER, LIKE THE EXCITEMENT LEVEL OF THE AESTHETICS.
SHE'S JUST, DO WE WANT TO TRY AND GET PATRICIA, DO WE WANNA TRY AND GET ANYBODY UP FRONT? LIKE YEAH, IF THEY COULD SIT NEXT TO HER.
I'M GONNA BE SPEAKING SO WE DON'T ENCOURAGE.
SO EXCITED EVERY, THEY'RE ALL WELL BEHAVED, WHICH IS GREAT.
[Proclamation – Divine Canines]
EVERYONE.I'M THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT SIX IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THIS MORNING WE'RE COMING TOGETHER TO RECOGNIZE A PARTNERSHIP THAT SERVES THOSE WHO SERVE US.
I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO'S HERE TODAY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT THERAPY DOGS WITH US TODAY WITH A GROUP CALLED DIVINE CANINES.
THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS TRULY REMARKABLE, AND WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE THAT TODAY.
THE DEDICATED TEAM OF THERAPY DOGS AND THEIR HANDLERS PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT'S,
[00:10:01]
FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.THESE FOUR-LEGGED HEROES WHO ARE HERE TODAY PROVIDE COMFORT, STRESS RELIEF, AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO OUR AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL DURING DIFFICULT AND OFTEN EMOTIONALLY TAXING TIMES DIVINE CANINES WORK NOT ONLY HELPS TO IMPROVE THE MENTAL WELLBEING OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT FIREFIGHTERS, BUT FOSTERS A STRONG BOND BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND ITS LOCAL HEROES.
THIS COLLABORATION DEMONSTRATES THE POWERFUL IMPACT THAT THE HUMAN ANIMAL BOND CAN HAVE IN TIMES OF CRISIS AND UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DIVINE CANINES MISSION IN ENHANCING THE OVERALL WELLBEING OF THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
DIVINE CANINES COLLABORATION WITH AFD EXEMPLIFIES THE POWER OF HUMAN ANIMAL BOND AND PROMOTING THE WELLBEING OF OUR BRAVE FIREFIGHTERS.
THEIR GREAT WORK DESERVES OUR UTMOST APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION TODAY, AND IS WHY WE WILL BE PRESENTING THEM WITH A PROCLAMATION, WHICH I WILL READ NOW, BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS COMMITTED TO RECOGNIZING THE INVALUABLE SERVICES AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR LOCAL HEROES AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
AND WHEREAS THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT IS A VITAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, WORKING TIRELESSLY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF OUR RESIDENTS AND ALL WHO VISIT.
AND WHEREAS FIREFIGHTERS WORK LONG AND DIFFICULT HOURS EXPERIENCING SITUATIONS THAT ARE OFTEN TRAUMATIC AND LIFE CHANGING.
AND WHEREAS DIVINE CANINES IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO ENHANCING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH VARIOUS CHALLENGES BY PROVIDING THERAPY DOGS SERVICES, AND WHEREAS THOSE WHO WORK AT DIVINE CANINES AS VOLUNTEERS, OUR LOVERS, AND THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT WHEN A LIFE GETS HARD, EVERYONE DESERVES THE LOVE, COMFORT, AND MOTIVATION OF A DOG.
AND WHEREAS THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN AFD AND DIVINE CANINES REPRESENTS A POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP THAT STRENGTHENS OUR COMMUNITY BY PROMOTING SAFETY, WELLBEING, AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT.
WHEREAS NOVEMBER 2ND TODAY HOLDS SIGNIFICANT SIGNIFICANCE AS A DAY TO CELEBRATE THIS PARTNERSHIP AND RECOGNIZE THE EXCEPTIONAL WORK OF BOTH AFD AND DIVINE CANINES.
AND NOW, THEREFORE, I AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MACKENZIE KELLY, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER CHETO VELA, WHO IS RIGHT OVER HERE,
AND, UM, THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE THAT EXCEPTIONAL WORK BETWEEN AFD AND DIVINE CANINES AND DO HEREBY PROCLAIM NOVEMBER 2ND AS DIVINE CANINES SAY IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
HERE IS, THIS IS THE PROCLAMATION, AND NOW I'M GONNA HAND OVER THE MICROPHONE TO EMMA, WHO IS THE LEAD VOLUNTEER WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FROM DIVINE CANINES TO SAY A COUPLE WORDS AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A GROUP PHOTO.
IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO BE RECOGNIZED HERE TODAY.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE FIREFIGHTERS AND TO AFD.
THEY HAVE BEEN SO WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH.
THEY ARE TRULY AMAZINGLY APPRECIATE THE SACRIFICES THAT THEY MAKE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE OTHER DIVINE CANINES AND THEIR HANDLERS.
WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.
IT TRULY IS AN HONOR TO GET TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS, UM, ALL THE TIME.
SO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH, AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE RECOGNIZED.
SO I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO SINCE THERE'S SUCH A LARGE GROUP, IS GO BACK OUTSIDE TO TAKE THE PHOTO SO WE'RE NOT ALL CROWDED IN HERE.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE, FOR BEING HERE.
WE'LL SEE YOU OUT THERE FOR THE PHOTO.