[00:00:01]
CALL THE MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO ORDER.THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS TO CALL ROLL.
OR CHRISTINE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO.
ISHMAEL? NO, HE HAS AN EXCUSED ABSENCE.
UH, COMMISSIONER ORTEGA? PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER LEVINSON? PRESENT.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE, UH, AN APPOINTEE FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT PAPERWORK TO BE FINALIZED, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THAT SPOT FILLED.
FINALLY, UM, THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT.
DO, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO CHAIR, NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission September 20, 2023 meeting.]
THE NEXT ITEM AS WE MOVE RAPIDLY THROUGH OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.DID EVERYBODY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, CHANGES? UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS SUBMITTED? SO MOVED.
[2. A briefing on the city’s autonomous vehicle working group to be given by Rachel Castignoli of the Transportation and Public Works Department.]
BRIEFINGS.CA CASTI IGN OF THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
I'M DIVISION MANAGER OF THE SMART MOBILITY OFFICE.
UM, WE DO PLACEMAKING, EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT.
AND I'M JOINED TODAY BY MY COLLEAGUE, UH, RACHEL CAST.
AND WE'RE HERE TO GIVE YOU A BRIEFING ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, JUST AS KIND OF TO SET THE TABLE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF NEWS LATELY.
I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE AWARE THAT THE CREWS, WHICH WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST OPERATOR IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, HAS CEASED OPERATIONS COMPLETELY.
SO THEY ARE NO LONGER OPERATING ON OUR STREETS.
UH, WE STILL DO HAVE THREE OTHER COMPANIES WE'RE AWARE OF THAT ARE WORKING IN THE STREET, AND WE'RE GONNA GO OVER THAT IN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF CUT TO THE CHASE REGARDING THE CITY'S ABILITY, UM, TO WORK WITH THESE COMPANIES, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE COMPANIES.
AND THAT'S, UM, THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT.
AND THIS IS SET BY STATE BILL 2205, WHICH WAS PASSED IN 2017.
AND IT BASICALLY MAKES, IT MAKES IT SO ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS CANNOT REGULATE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO READ IT, BUT IT'S REALLY VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
WE CAN'T ESTABLISH PERMITS FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, WHICH WOULD GIVE US DATA, WHICH WOULD LET US, UM, LIMIT THE NUMBERS OF THE FLEET, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO DO CERTAIN STANDARDS WITH TRAINING OR ANYTHING ELSE.
WE, WE JUST DO NOT HAVE THE REGULATORY AUTHORITY.
SO OUR ABILITY TO WORK WITH AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES COMPANIES IS REALLY BASED ON, UH, GOODWILL AND THEM VOLUNTEERING INFORMATION TO US AND BEING WILLING TO WORK WITH US.
SO, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES REALLY AREN'T NEW TO THE CITY.
UM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, SSB 2205 WAS PASSED IN 2017.
THAT WAS THE SAME YEAR THAT THE CITY, UH, THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT NOW TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, UM, WROTE, UH, THE SMART MOBILITY ROADMAP.
AND IN THAT ROADMAP, WE LOOKED AT ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR MOBILITY, BUT A LOT OF THE FOCUS WAS ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND WHAT WE WERE GONNA NEED TO DO TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
[00:05:01]
UM, ONE OF THOSE, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THAT WAS TO ESTABLISH ACROSS DEPARTMENTAL GROUP TO HELP WORK WITH AUTONOMOUS COMPANIES TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER, TO ESTABLISH TRAINING AND SUCH.WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN JUST A MINUTE.
UM, FORD ARGO AI BEGAN TESTING IN 2019.
SO BY TESTING, THAT MEANS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A SAFETY DRIVER IN THE CAR AND THEY WOULD BASICALLY BE DRIVING AROUND DOING HIGHLY ACCURATE LOCATION MAPPING FOR THEIR VEHICLES.
BUT, UH, FORD, ARGO NEVER COMMERCIALIZED.
CRUZ BEGAN WORKING IN 2022, AND THEY WERE THE FIRST TO ACTUALLY HAVE A COMMERCIALIZED, UM, VENTURE HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN WHERE THEY WOULD TAKE CUSTOMERS IN CHARGE.
UM, WE ESTABLISHED THE AV WORKING GROUP, UM, IN 2023 TO HELP ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT WE WERE HAVING WITH THESE DIFFERENT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE COMPANIES.
SO, ON THE FEDERAL REGULATION, I'M GONNA HAND THIS OVER TO, UH, RACHEL TO TAKE A, TAKE US THROUGH THIS FIGURE FEDERAL REGULATION AS WELL AS THE, UM, AV WORKING GROUP.
UM, SO TYPICALLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGULATES VEHICLE, VEHICLE SAFETY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU FIND THEM THROUGH NITSA AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE DMV REGULATES DRIVERS WITH AVS.
WE HAVE THIS REALLY INTERESTING AND KIND OF, UM, EXCITING FOR ME, A LAWYER, EXCITING SITUATION OF, UM, MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS AND NO ONE QUITE, UM, HAVING FULL OWNERSHIP OVER THEM.
SO WE'VE GOT FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS, WE'VE GOT NITSA, UM, AND WE DO ANTICIPATE NEW RULES BY NITSA COMING OUT PRETTY SOON.
AND WE, THE CITY WORKS WITH NITSA PRETTY EXTENSIVELY.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE AV FREIGHT IN AUSTIN, AND THAT IS HANDLED BY THE FEDERAL MOTOR MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, UM, A DIFFERENT GROUP.
ALL OF THESE ARE UNDER THE FEDERAL DOT NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS WAS ACCURATE WEDNESDAY.
UM, WE CRUISE HAS, UM, WITHDRAWN NOT JUST FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT FROM THE OTHER CITIES THEY WERE OPERATING IN.
UM, WE STILL TALK TO THEM QUITE A BIT.
WE DO ANTICIPATE THEM COMING BACK.
UM, WAYMO IS, WE BELIEVE RAMPING UP HERE.
ADMT VOLKSWAGEN, UM, IS BASED HERE.
AND THEN AV RIDE, UH, IS A FAIRLY NEW COMPANY ALSO OPERATING HERE.
SO WE, UM, WORK WITH ALL OF THESE GROUPS, UH, PRETTY EXTENSIVELY ON TRAINING ON, UM, COMMUNICATING AND ON MAKING SURE THAT WE COMMUNICATE ALL OF OUR INCIDENTS TO THEM SO THAT THEY CAN PUT INTO PLACE, UH, THE KIND OF FIXES THAT THEY CAN MAKE IN EITHER THEIR SOFTWARE OR THEIR HARDWARE.
UM, THE AV SAFETY WORKING GROUP CAME ABOUT, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE HEARING A LOT FROM FIRE ABOUT SITUATIONS THAT THEY WERE HAVING WITH AVS MAY BE BLOCKING OR STRUGGLING WITH LIGHTS AND SIRENS, UM, WHICH WE ALSO HEARD ABOUT IN SAN FRANCISCO AND PHOENIX, TWO OF THE OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE WIDESPREAD AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
UM, SO EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T REGULATE, WE DECIDED TO KIND OF PROACTIVELY START MEETING AS A GROUP.
AND THIS HELPED US BRING TRAINING TO ALL THREE OF THESE GROUPS, POLICE, FIRE AND EMS AT THE SAME TIME.
AND IT REALLY HELPED US START COLLECTING AND STANDARDIZING DATA, UM, WHICH REALLY, REALLY HELPS.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN A BIT OF FINDING HOTSPOTS AND ADDRESSING THOSE.
AND IT FACILITATES COMMUNICATION BECAUSE NOW THAT AV COMPANIES CAN WORK THROUGH ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE, THEY MEET WITH ALL OF US.
YOU KNOW, WE SIT DOWN, WE WATCH VIDEOS TOGETHER.
UM, SO IT REALLY FACILITATES COMMUNICATION, NOT JUST WITH THE AV COMPANIES, BUT WITH PEER CITIES AS WELL.
UH, SO THIS IS A PHOTO, UM, FROM A TRAINING THAT CREWS DID IN SEPTEMBER.
THEY DID THREE TRAININGS TO MAXIMIZE BECAUSE OF THE WAY PUBLIC SAFETY'S, UM, SHIFTS ARE, THE FIRE SHIFT TURNS OVER AT NOON.
SO THEY DID MORNING AND AFTER TO GET TWO FIRE SHIFTS IN POLICE AND EMS ARE ALSO HERE.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY THANKFUL THAT THEY CAME.
THIS IS AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING SITE DOWN SOUTH.
UM, WE DO HAVE A ONE PAGER OF OUR EXPECTATIONS, KIRK SAID, AND I AGREE THAT WE CANNOT REGULATE THEM, BUT, UH, WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO WORK WITH US.
AND THEN TEXAS DPS, UT POLICE AND TEXAS FACILITIES COMMISSION ARE PRETTY INVOLVED IN THE AV SAFETY GROUP BECAUSE THEY SEE, UM, THEY HAVE ISSUES THEMSELVES, EITHER ON WEST CAMPUS OR AROUND THE CAPITOL.
SO WE DO ALL STAY IN COMMUNICATION AND LIKE I JUST SAID EARLIER, WE GATHER DATA, ALL OF US TEXAS FACILITIES COMMISSION, UT AND WE DETERMINE HOTSPOTS AND ISSUES THAT COME UP FREQUENTLY.
AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO NOT ONLY COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE AV COMPANIES, BUT WE'RE
[00:10:01]
ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER ON REMEDIES.UM, IT IS I THINK CURRENT AS OF HALLOWEEN.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE A VARIETY OF THINGS.
THEY'RE VERY CONCENTRATED DOWNTOWN SINCE THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OUR AVS ARE OPERATING.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME PLACES THAT THE MAP HAS REALLY BROUGHT US TO IS AROUND THE MOODY CENTER AND SPECIAL EVENTS.
THEY STRUGGLE WITH, UM, HUMAN TRAFFIC CONTROL, WHICH IS TO SAY WHEN A POLICE OFFICER IS GIVING DIRECTIONS WITH HIS HANDS OR HER HANDS.
UM, THE OTHER PLACE THAT THEY REALLY STRUGGLED IS OUTSIDE FIRE STATION TWO ON MLK.
UM, IT'S A HIGH LIGHTS AND SIRENS AREA.
UM, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY WEIRD THE WAY SAN ANTONIO NOISES ARE THERE.
SO, UM, WE'VE TAKEN THE AV COMPANIES TO THESE SPOTS.
WE'VE WALKED AROUND, WE'VE TALKED THROUGH THE ISSUES.
WE'VE WATCHED SOME OF THE VIDEOS, UH, RECORDED FROM THE AVS.
UM, AND WE'VE ABLE TO, TO RESOLVE SOME OF THE ISSUES INCLUDING LIKE CREATING EXCLUSION ZONE AROUND EMERGENCIES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF GET SPUN UP IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
CREATING EXCLUSION ZONES AROUND SPECIAL EVENTS SO THEY DON'T, UM, WANDER INTO AREAS WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND A LOT OF PEDESTRIANS, ESPECIALLY UT FOOTBALL GAMES.
BUT ALSO, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH FIRE POLICE AND EMS VEHICLES, UM, IS WORKING OUT AND THAT THEY AREN'T GETTING STUCK OR CAUGHT OR STOPPING.
UM, SO WE'VE WORKED WITH ALL THE AV COMPANIES.
THEY'VE BEEN REALLY OPEN TO FEEDBACK.
UM, AND YEAH, THAT'S IT FOR ALL OF US.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE MAINTAIN THIS AND IT'S NOW ON THE CITY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE.
SO IF YOU GO TO CITY OF AUSTIN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, THIS IS THERE LIVE AND YOU CAN CLICK ON THE DOTS AND SEE MORE INFORMATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE SAYING THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE, CITY EMPLOYEES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATING INCIDENTS BACK TO THE AV GROUPS.
HOW DO CITIZENS REPORT INCIDENTS TO YOU GUYS? SURE.
UM, SO WE ONLY RECORD INCIDENTS THAT ARE REPORTED TO THE CITY, WHICH IS TO SAY IF YOU SEE AN INCIDENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, IT PROBABLY ISN'T IN THE INCIDENT LIST.
IF IT COMES IN THROUGH 3 1 1, IF IT COMES IN THROUGH A COUNCIL MEMBER, IF IT COMES IN THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, AN EMAIL DIRECTLY TO THE AV TASK FORCE OR DIRECTLY TO OUR GROUP SMART MOBILITY, IT WILL BE RECORDED.
BUT WE DON'T LIKE GO ON REDDIT AND LOOK FOR INCIDENTS.
UM, SO I, UH, OPERATED A BUSINESS DOWNTOWN AND THERE WERE MULTIPLE TIMES THAT I AND WALKING MY DOG WERE ALMOST HIT BY UM, CREWS.
'CAUSE THEY WERE TESTING HEAVILY IN THAT NORTHWEST DISTRICT BECAUSE OF THE ROUNDABOUTS.
AND I FELT PRETTY FRUSTRATED THAT I WASN'T ABLE TO CALL IN OR, YOU KNOW, ID, BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A PHONE NUMBER ON THE CAR, THERE WASN'T A WAY TO ID THE CAR.
LIKE THERE WASN'T A LICENSE PLATE.
UM, SO I KNOW WE'VE HAD CREWS COME IN AND TALK TO US AND CREW SAID, OH, THEY DO HAVE THE NAME KIND OF COILY, UH, PLACED, UM, IN A NON-STANDARD IDENTIFICATION SPOT.
UM, IS THERE ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT KIND OF INCREASING THAT TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC DURING THIS RELATIONSHIP BUILDING PHASE OF AV ADOPTION? SURE.
UM, I KNOW THAT, THAT THE AV COMPANIES ARE HAPPY TO, UM, THEY ALL HAVE EMAIL ADDRESSES.
THOSE ARE ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
UNDER FAQ, THERE SHOULD BE INFORMATION ON REACHING OUT TO ALL OF THESE COMPANIES.
UM, IF YOU CALL 3 1 1, IT ENDS UP IN THE INCIDENT REPORT.
THE INCIDENT REPORT IS SENT EVERY WEEK TO TXDOT TO THE AV COM.
IF THE, YOU KNOW, TO THE SPECIFIC AV COMPANY THE INCIDENT IS RELATED TO AND IT'S REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THEM TO, TO FIX THE ISSUES THE CITY CAN'T FIX, UM, THEIR SOFTWARE ISSUE.
SO, UH, YEAH, THEY'RE GETTING IT FROM A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS.
I KNOW THAT TEXT.IS USING THE INFORMATION AS WELL, SO I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CALL 3 1 1.
THAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR US TO DOCUMENT.
SO 3 1 1 IS THE BEST WAY TO DOCUMENT, I GUESS AS A CITIZEN, I FEEL, UM, LIKE THIS IS, I KNOW OUR CALL CENTERS ARE ALREADY STRESSED, UM, FOR, FOR EMERGENCY CALLS, FOR PUBLIC SERVICE CALLS.
[00:15:01]
FEEL LIKE THIS IS NOT A SERVICE THAT THE CITY, I APPRECIATE THE CITY STEPPING UP TO TRANSITION THE COMMUNICATION, BUT I THINK IF THE AV COMPANIES WERE SERIOUS ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PUBLIC AND, UM, THEY WOULD BE MORE INTERESTED IN THAT COMMUNICATION.AND I'M SAD THAT'S BEING PASSED TO THE CITY.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS? YES, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER.
YOUR, UM, SO I'M GONNA SEE YOU AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS AND YOU'VE ALSO BEEN SUPER HELPFUL OVER EMAIL.
SO I'M GONNA KEEP IT BRIEF AND ONLY DO FOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, SO FIRST, UM, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, RIGHT, 'CAUSE THIS IS KIND OF THE, THE WAY MEDIA HAS KIND OF BEEN PORTRAYING THIS IS THAT LIKE ALL OF THESE ARE, ARE INCIDENTS, RIGHT? AND INCIDENCE IS KIND OF A SCARY WORD.
HAVE YOU GUYS GIVEN SOME THOUGHT INTO BIFURCATING THIS MAP INTO SAFETY ISSUES VERSUS, UH, TRAFFIC ISSUES? RIGHT.
BECAUSE I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GREAT WHEN, UH, AN AV IS BLOCKING TRAFFIC, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ALSO LOVE A MAP OF EVERY TIME A, A LYFT OR UBER BLOCKS THE BIKE LANE, RIGHT? IT WOULD BE HUNDREDS OF DOTS DEEP, ESPECIALLY IN DOWNTOWN.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHT TO THAT.
THE ISSUE WITH BLOCKING TRAFFIC, UM, THAT WE'VE KIND OF SEEN IN SAN FRANCISCO, AND I WILL NOTE THAT SAN FRANCISCO AND AUSTIN HAVE VERY DIFFERENT ROADS.
AUSTINS ARE MUCH WIDER, IS THAT BLOCKING TRAFFIC CAN BLOCK AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE.
SO, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS ARE VERY, UM, INSISTENT THAT BLOCKING TRAFFIC COULD, UH, CREATE A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS PERHAPS CREATED SAFETY ISSUES IN OTHER CITIES.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THAT.
BUT I AGREE, THE INCIDENTS CATCH EVERYTHING.
UM, AND SOME OF WHICH ARE VERY SERIOUS.
WE HAVE COLLISIONS IN OUR LIST, UM, AND SOME OF WHICH ARE LIKE MORE OF A NUISANCE THING.
AND, UM, CITIZENS, RESIDENTS, WHOEVER BRINGS THEM IN.
AND IT'S NOT ON US TO KIND OF DECIDE THE SERIOUSNESS OF EACH.
SO, UH, THAT'S TOTALLY FAIR ACTUALLY.
UH, AND I'M ACTUALLY GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP SAN FRANCISCO.
SO, I MEAN, KINDA A STUDENT OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES AND WE WE'RE HONESTLY DOING PRETTY GOOD COMPARED TO EVERYWHERE ELSE, DESPITE HOW LIMITED WE ARE AND WHAT WE CAN DO.
NOW, ONE THING SAN FRANCISCO DID THAT I, I REALLY LIKED IS THEY WERE ABLE TO CREATE A METRIC OF HOW MANY, UH, COLLISIONS THE AVERAGE RIDESHARE GETS INTO PER VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED.
AND THEN MEASURE THAT UP AGAINST WHAT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES WERE DOING.
BECAUSE I, I THINK I SAID THIS LAST TIME, RIGHT? WE'VE HAD 78 PEOPLE DIE IN AUSTIN THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF COLLISIONS WITH VEHICLES.
IF YOU TOLD ME AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES WOULD LOWER AT 77, RIGHT? I'D HIT THAT BUTTON RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTEXTUALIZE FOR RESIDENTS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, RIGHT? IS ARE THESE A LOT OF DOTS OR THESE A LITTLE BIT OF A DOT? SO HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED INTO CREATING A METRIC TO SEE HOW AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ARE DOING IN RELATION TO THE STANDARD WE ALREADY HAVE? I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTING.
WE, UM, BECAUSE OF TEXAS STATE LAW, WE CAN'T GET, WE CAN'T DEMAND ANY DATA FROM THESE, UH, FOLKS THAT WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE 'EM SHARE IT.
SO VEHICLE MI MILES TRAVELED IN AUSTIN WOULD BE A PIECE OF DATA THEY HAVE.
THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN WHAT, ALL RIGHT, SO LET ME JUST ASK THIS.
THIS WAS NOT ONE OF MY FOUR QUESTIONS.
HAVE YOU EVER ASKED AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE FOR DATA AND AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE COMPANY FOR DATA? AND THEY'VE CAME BACK AND SAID, NO, WE HAVE ASKED TO VIEW VIDEO AND THEY HAVE SAID NO.
IT WOULD, DID THEY GIVE YOU A TECHNICAL REASON? LIKE WE CAN'T TECHNICALLY FEASIBLY SHARE THIS WITH YOU? OR WAS IT MORE OF LIKE A PRIVACY, WE'RE NOT SHARING THAT DATA TYPE THING? THEY JUST SAID NO.
UH, AND THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UH, HEARING, UH, THE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW, UH, CREWS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A WAY FOR, UM, EMERGENCY VEHICLES, UH, OR SORRY FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO TAKE OVER VEHICLES.
UM, UH, CRUISES KIND OF SET ASIDE FOR A SECOND.
DO OTHER COMPANIES HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND HAVE FIRST RESPONDERS BEEN TRAINED ON THAT? UH, YES.
THE OTHER ONES DO IS HAVE YOU SEEN IT BE MORE OR LESS RESPONSIVE THAN CRUISES, OR, I GUESS WE DON'T REALLY KNOW 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT FULLY AUTONOMOUS.
WE DON'T REALLY KNOW BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE COMMERCIAL ROLLOUT THAT WE'VE SEEN WITH CRUISE.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN A FEW MONTHS WE'LL HAVE A LOT MORE DATA ON HOW THAT GOES DOWN WITH OTHER COMPANIES.
AND THEN LAST ONE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT OVER EMAIL, RIGHT? BUT I THINK THIS IS VERY ANALOGOUS TO, TO SCOOTERS.
AND ONE THING, ONE GREAT THING WE HAVE BECAUSE OF THE SMART MOBILITY OFFICE, RIGHT, IS WHEN THERE IS A SCOOTER BLOCKING THE RIGHT OF WAY, I CAN JUST DO A 3 1 1 REQUEST AND THAT GETS SENT TO THE COMPANIES RATHER THAN ME HAVING TO CONTACT THE LIME OR BIRD OR WHOEVER ELSE.
UM, HAVE YOU GUYS THOUGHT ABOUT A SIMILAR WAY, UM, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, EVERY COMPANY'S EMAIL AND PHONE NUMBER WHERE WE CAN JUST SNAP A PICTURE OF A WAMU OR CRUISE OR WHOEVER IT IS AND HAVE THAT SENT THROUGH YOU GUYS TO THEM? I THINK THAT'D BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
UM, I CURRENTLY GATHER MANY PHOTOS AND VIDEOS THAT PEOPLE SEND ME OF, UM, THEM, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO PASS IT ON.
WE ARE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN PASSING IT ON, AND
[00:20:01]
WE HAD SO MANY INCIDENTS THAT WE'VE KIND OF NOW DO A ONE WEEK COMPILE.WE SEND IT ON MONDAYS, UM, TO THE COMPANIES.
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH 3 1 1 ON KIND OF, UM, SENDING THAT INFORMATION DIRECTLY ON.
DOES APD ENFORCE, UH, TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS AGAINST THE, LIKE, HOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO, SO YOUR CHART HAD COLLISIONS, UM, COLLISIONS IGNORING APD, AND, AND IF I, IN THEORY, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, I'M ON, I'M ON CITY STREETS AND LIGHTS AND SIRENS GO ON AND I CHOOSE TO IGNORE THEM.
I'M, I'M TECHNICALLY COMMITTING A TRAFFIC VIOLATION NOW, CERTAINLY, UM, THAT, THAT COP OR FIRETRUCK IS GONNA PRIORITIZE WHAT THEY'RE RESPONDING TO AND NOT ME IGNORING THEM WITH THE TRAFFIC VIOLATION.
AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, DOES, DOES THE CITY ACTUALLY ENFORCE, UH, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AGAINST THESE VEHICLES WHEN THEY DO COMMIT INFRACTIONS? IF THEY COMMIT INFRACTIONS? SO UNDER TEXAS LAW, UM, CITING AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE REQUIRES CITING THE OWNER OF IT, WHICH THE OWNER OF, AT LEAST IN THE CASE OF CRUZ, IS IN SAN FRANCISCO.
UM, WE ARE HAVE TO WORK OUT A SPECIAL PROCESS TO DO PROPER SERVICE.
WE ARE WORKING WITH HOUSTON AND DALLAS ON COMING UP WITH, THROUGH WITH TXDOT, COMING UP WITH ONE LEGAL WAY TO DO CITATIONS, UM, FOR SOME TYPES OF TRAFFIC INCIDENTS.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO CAN ABOT COMMITTED CRIME.
UM, SO THAT'S THE KIND OF AN EVEN HARDER THING THAT WE'RE PUTTING ASIDE FOR NOW.
BUT WE DO WANT TO DO CITATIONS THE SAME WAY EVERY CITY IN TEXAS DOES.
TXDOT HAS MADE IT REALLY CLEAR THEY WANT ONE SET OF RULES.
UM, SO OUR LAW DEPARTMENT IS WORKING BOTH WITH APD AND OTHER CITIES ON COMING UP WITH THE BEST PROCESS AND PROCEDURE FOR DOING TRAFFIC CITATIONS.
OTHER QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, WHEN YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE DIFFERENT AV COMPANIES, DO YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THEM ALL TOGETHER AT ONE TIME TO SHARE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE WITH THEM? THEY DO NOT LIKE TO MEET ALTOGETHER AT ONE TIME.
SO IT MAKES MESSAGING, PROVIDING A UNIFORM MESSAGE ACROSS ALL COMPANIES FAIRLY DIFFICULT.
WE HAVE THE ONE PAGER, WE'VE SENT IT TO EVERYONE.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, NOT AV, BUT TELEOPERATION COMPANIES WHO ARE NOT COVERED BY THIS LAW UNDER TECHSTOP, BUT ARE KIND OF AN UNKNOWN NEW EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AS WELL.
UM, THEY'RE PRETTY COMMON, I GUESS THEY'RE NOT COMMON, BUT THEY EXIST IN LAS VEGAS AND THEY PLAN TO EXPAND HERE.
UM, WHO KIND OF REACHES OUT TO US ABOUT OPERATING HERE.
I WOULD THINK THAT THE EXPERIENCE OF CRUISE SINCE IT HAD SO MANY MORE VEHICLES ON THE STREET, AND THAT THEY WERE OPERATING IN A FULLY AUTONOMOUS MANNER, WHICH WAS PROBABLY INFORMATIVE AND IT PROBABLY WOULD'VE HELPED TO HAVE A SESSION WITH ALL THE COMPANIES SAYING, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED WHEN WE WENT FULLY AUTONOMOUS AND THIS, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE SAW AND THESE WERE THE PROBLEMS WE INCURRED.
WHEN I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, AND THIS GOES TO, UH, UH, ONE OF THE COMMENTS FROM LAST MONTH, UM, THAT THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT ON A STREET MAY BE 25 MILES AN HOUR, BUT IF THEY'RE PARKING, IF PARKING IS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET, THE NORMAL HUMAN RESPONSE IS TO SLOW DOWN BELOW THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT.
AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS I THINK THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY IS THE CARS ARE GOING 25 MILES AN HOUR AND AREN'T TAKING THE PRECAUTIONS A HUMAN WOULD HAVE.
IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ALL OF THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE PROVIDERS TO HEAR THAT KIND OF FEEDBACK AS THEY BEGIN THE PROCESS OF ROLLING OUT FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY TIMELINE ON THE OTHER PROVIDERS ABOUT WHEN THEY ANTICIPATE? AND I REALIZE THEIR FLEETS ARE MUCH SMALLER, UH, BUT WHEN THEY ANTICIPATE ROLLING OUT FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ONTO AUSTIN STREETS, UM, WE DO NOT HAVE TIMELINES.
THEY DO NOT LIKE TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION, UM, NOR THE AREA THAT THEY OPERATE IN.
UM, BUT WE DO MEET WITH THEM PRETTY REGULARLY, I THINK AHEAD OF ANOTHER COMMERCIAL OPERATION LIKE CRUISE.
WE WILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, FOREKNOWLEDGE.
I WILL SAY THAT WAYMO IS TESTING HERE, UM, ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE AIRPORT.
SO, UM, WE'RE WORKING, ESPECIALLY NOW AT THE AIRPORT AND GROUND TRANSPORTATION THERE, UH, SINCE WE ANTICIPATE AVS GOING FASTER AND KIND OF MAKING THAT,
[00:25:01]
DOING THAT SERVICE.SO WE ARE EXPANDING, UM, WHO WE KIND OF BRING INTO THESE CONVERSATIONS KNOWING THAT AUTONOMOUS FREIGHT IS, UH, RAPIDLY COMING AND THAT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES WILL BE USING THE HIGHWAYS SOON.
I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE, MY NEXT QUESTIONS WAS ABOUT AUTONOMOUS FREIGHT, BECAUSE THAT IS SOONER ON THE HORIZON THAN WE THINK.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UH, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, JUST EXPERIMENTING IN THE AREA AROUND DOWNTOWN AND THE, THE CORE BECAUSE OF THE STREETS AND THAT THEY WEREN'T SCALED TO SPEED YET, BUT THE, OBVIOUSLY THE FREIGHT IS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THAT IN OTHER PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
SO MAY, MAY I SEE YOU, YOU INDICATED THAT THEY ARE NOT, UM, THEY'RE NOT GREAT ABOUT SHARING DATA.
UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, I MEAN, IT'S PROPRIETARY AND THEY'RE TRYING TO PROTECT, YOU KNOW, THEIR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
UH, BUT WHAT KIND OF DATA DO THEY SHARE WITH YOU AND WHAT KIND OF DATA WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO SHARE? UM, SO IN MANY CASES THEY WILL, WHEN WE'VE IDENTIFIED AN INCIDENT, WE CAN WATCH THE VIDEO WITH THEM.
AND OBVIOUSLY THEY WON'T SEND THE VIDEO TO US, BUT WE'LL CALL, UH, AN ONLINE MEETING, WE'LL WATCH THE VIDEO.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT KIND OF BRINGING IN, ESPECIALLY PUBLIC SAFETY AND SEEING IT.
UM, SO WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE PROBABLY REALLY GOOD THREE D MAPS.
UM, WE HAVEN'T, A, SOME OF THEM HAVE INDICATED THEY WOULD SHARE THAT WITH US.
UM, THEY HAVE NOT SHARED SPEED WITH US.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE THAT TXDOT IS SEEKING THAT INFORMATION FROM THEM.
SO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE INCIDENTS WOULD BE GOOD.
SPEED, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO KNOW.
UM, BEING ABLE TO WATCH VIDEOS IN CASES WHERE, YOU KNOW, AN INCIDENT HAPPENED AND WE REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND IT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, AND THEN I THINK WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF WHERE THEY'RE OPERATING, AND THEY'LL SHARE THAT WITH US IN SOMETIMES ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS, UM, BUT NOT QUITE.
AND THEN THEY DO SHARE, USUALLY THEY'RE SPECS.
WE KEEP THEM IN A CONFIDENTIAL, UM, PART OF OUR SHAREPOINT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THEY'RE NOT SUBJECT TO PIRS OR THEY'RE SUBJECT TO PIRS, BUT THEY'RE AN EXCEPTION.
UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR POLICE AND FIRE TO KNOW HOW TO CUT INTO A VEHICLE TO KNOW, AS THE TOPS OF THEM ARE VERY HEAVY ON HOW TO GET INTO THEM.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING, UM, THAT WE WORK REALLY HARD TO PROTECT SO THAT THEY KEEP SHARING THAT WITH US.
WE VERY MUCH WANT THAT INFORMATION FROM EVERY COMPANY.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE NOT, ELSE YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE? UM, YEAH, I THINK WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW SPEED.
UM, IN MOST CASES, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FEEDBACK COMES, IT WAS GOING SO FAST, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO SEE, WAS IT 25 MILES PER HOUR OR 25? WAS IT FASTER? WAS IT SLOWER? UM, AND I KNOW THAT SAN FRANCISCO DOES, IS ABLE TO GET A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA DMV.
UM, I WOULD ADD JUST, JUST ONE THING.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT, UM, TO YOUR POINT REGARDING TAKING A LOOK AT ALL THE INCIDENCES THAT ARE COLLECTED AND BEING ABLE TO ESSENTIALLY DO AN ANALYSIS BETWEEN THAT AND OTHER TYPES OF DRIVERS.
IF PEOPLE ARE CALLING THE COMPANIES TO REGISTER AN INCIDENT OR A THING, WE DON'T GET THAT DATA.
AND THAT COMES BACK TO REALLY WANTING, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S, WE HAVE 3 1 1 SET UP THAT ANY CALL COMING IN REGARDING AVS GOES DIRECTLY TO US.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE DATA SET WE'RE USING TO ANALYZE, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THE SAFETY ISSUES THAT WE CAN HAVE.
SO IF THEY WOULD BE GIVING US MORE DATA OR DATA THAT WE DON'T HAVE REGARDING THAT, THAT WOULD HELP FLESH OUT THAT DATA SET AND GIVE US A BETTER, UH, ABILITY TO ANALYZE WHERE THE HOTSPOTS ARE AND WHAT THE ISSUES ARE THAT ARE HAPPENING.
I THINK THAT GOES TO COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER'S POINT ABOUT HAVING AN INTEGRATED REPORTING SYSTEM WHERE IT GOES TO 3 1 1 AND THEN CONNECTS TO THE COMPANY.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER, GO AHEAD.
YEAH, JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP ON 3 1 1.
SO THERE'S, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE'S NOT, UH, A TAB ON THE 3 1 1 APP FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
SO IF I, LIKE, I JUST, I HAD AN INCIDENT WITH AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WHERE IT, IT REALLY WANTED TO DRIVE IN THE BIKE LANE WHERE I WAS, UM, IF I SEE THAT HAPPENING, AND I WANNA REPORT IT VIA 3 1 1.
MOST OF THE THINGS WE GET ARE THROUGH THE PHONE THREE ONE ONE, BUT I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH OUR 3 1 1 TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET A TAB ON THE APP.
I'LL ALSO NOTE THAT WE KNOW THERE ARE MORE COLLISIONS THAN THERE ARE IN OUR INCIDENT
[00:30:01]
REPORT, BECAUSE ALL AV COMPANIES DO HAVE TO REPORT ANY COLLISION TO NITSA.SO NITSA REDACTS ALL THE INFORMATION, SO IT'S HARD FOR US TO SEE WHERE AND WHEN THE, THE COLLISION OCCURRED.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT AT LEAST 10 COLLISIONS HAVE OCCURRED IN AUSTIN WITH THE NITSA DATA.
AND THERE ARE FIVE COLLISIONS ON OUR DASHBOARD.
UM, COMMISSIONER LEVINSON, I THINK YOU HAD A QUESTION.
SOMEBODY ONLINE DID, I CAN'T SEE.
WELL, SO COMMISSIONER, I, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THE AV COMPANY COMING INTO TOWN, DOING BUSINESS HERE, BUT WE HAVE NOT SET UP THE, UM, LEGAL ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZEN.
I, I, IS THAT THE FACT, I THINK THAT YOUR QUESTION IS CAN WE CITE THEM AND WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN CITE THEM? UM, YEAH, BUT, UH, EXCUSE ME.
UH, BUT, BUT YOU SAID THAT WE, YOU, THE TECH DOT WANTED TO HAVE ONE WAY TO DO IT.
SO WE RIGHT NOW, AS IT IS, THERE'S NOT ONE WAY TO DO IT BECAUSE THEN WE HAVE TO WORK WITH DALLAS HOUSTON AND THEN TO COME UP WITH THAT ONE WAY.
SO IN THE MEANTIME, WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE A PROCESS FOR CITATIONS, SINCE THERE'S NOT A DRIVER IN THE VEHICLE.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE WE COULD LEGALLY CITE THEM.
I JUST, IT'S THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT WE HAVE, THE PROCESS, THE PROCEDURE.
WE WANT THIS PROCESS TO BE THE SAME FOR EVERY AV COMPANY.
SO WE REALLY HAVE TO ESTABLISH EITHER A REGISTERED AGENT OR, UM, SOME OTHER PROCEDURE.
WELL, IT IS A CONCERN AS A CITIZEN AND I, I NEED TO REPORT THAT BACK TO MY COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS THE SITUATION AND I DON'T KNOW, HOW DID WE GET TO BE IN THIS SITUATION THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SAFETY MEASURE FOR THE CITIZEN BEFORE THIS AV COMPANY COMING INTO TOWN AND DO BUSINESS WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE CITY.
SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY FOR ME TO FIND OUT SO THAT I CAN GO TO MY LEGISLATOR OR GO TO CITY COUNCIL OR GO TO WHOM TO, TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A SAFETY MEASURE BEFORE THE AV COMPANY CAN DO BUSINESS HERE.
MAYBE THIS IS NOT FOREIGN FOR IT, BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED LISTENING TO THAT.
IT GIVES ME SOME MINUTE TO DIGEST WHERE WE ARE AT.
CAN I VERY BRIEFLY FOLLOW UP ON THE CHAIRMAN'S QUESTIONS ABOUT DATA? MM-HMM.
SO YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT THEY WILL, UH, YOU GUYS CAN DO AN ONLINE MEETING AND, AND THEY'LL SHOW VIDEO.
UH, A COUPLE OF SIMPLE QUESTIONS.
SO THE VIDEO IS 360, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THESE VEHICLES HAVE CAMERAS KIND OF SURROUNDING THEM MOSTLY.
YEAH, IT'S USUALLY NINE VIEWS.
AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS, UM, IS DO WE KNOW HOW LONG THESE COMPANIES RETAIN THAT FOOTAGE? AND IT MIGHT DIFFER BETWEEN THE COMPANIES, BUT IT MIGHT DIFFER BETWEEN THE COMPANIES.
UM, THE ONE WE WORK WITH THE MOST RETAINS FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
AND THEN THE, THE, THE BIG QUESTION I'M KIND OF LEADING UP TO, UH, SO I, I, I FULLY UNDERSTAND, UH, THE STATE RESTRICTS WHAT MUNICIPALITIES CAN DO REGARDING THE REGULATION.
UH, BUT I, I DO LIKE TO LOOK FOR AREAS WHERE THERE MIGHT BE SOME COMMON GROUND.
UM, AND I, I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO, SO KIND OF WHAT I'M WONDERING IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL BEEN ON THE INTERNET AND, AND, AND ONCE IN A WHILE, LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL SOLVE A CRIME FROM LIKE A DOORBELL CAMERA.
UM, I IMAGINE THAT THESE VEHICLES WITH NINE, NINE VIEWS, THEY RECORD THINGS THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
HAS THERE BEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UH, WITH THESE BUSINESSES, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ASKING THEM TO LIKE, ALSO TURN OVER OR SHARE THAT VIDEO TO HELP SOLVE CRIMES? BECAUSE I IMAGINE, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, AN EVENT HAPPENS, LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES, IT'S BEING INVESTIGATED.
YOU KNOW, THE COP SAYS, TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED.
AND, YOU KNOW, JOHN DOE, JANE DOE SAYS, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE MADE A RIGHT TURN, AND AFTER THAT MAYHEM BROKE OUT, UH, NOT SAYING MAYHEM IS TIED TO THE CAR, BUT IF THE CAR WAS THERE, THERE MIGHT BE FOOTAGE.
AND THEN I THINK IF THERE WAS A, SOMETHING IN, IN PLACE TO WHERE IT'S LIKE, HEY, LISTEN, THIS FOOTAGE CAN HELP KEEP
[00:35:01]
AUSTIN SAFE.WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO TARGET YOUR COMPANY.
IS, IS THERE AN OPTION WHERE YOU GUYS MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER, UH, LIKE SHARING THIS WITH THE APPROPRIATE ENTITIES TO, TO HELP KEEP AUSTIN SAFE? ALL OF THE AV VEHICLE OR AV COMPANIES THAT WE KNOW OF, UM, HAVE A WAY FOR US TO SUBPOENA VIDEO, UM, FOR THE POLICE DURING AN INVESTIGATION.
SO THEY HAVE LIKE A EMAIL, UM, THAT THEY'VE SHARED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SPEED THOSE SUBPOENAS ALONG.
AND WHEN YOU SAY SUBPOENA, DO YOU MEAN LIKE FROM A COURT OR IS, IS THAT JUST A TERM YOU'RE USING? UM, FROM A, LIKE, I MEAN, YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO, I BELIEVE, TO A JUDGE, LIKE AN ACTUAL SUBPOENA.
ACTUAL, LIKE AN, THERE'S NOTHING A LITTLE MORE INFORMAL.
LIKE, HEY GUYS, SOMETHING HAPPENED ON, SO-AND-SO INTERSECTION.
CAN YOU JUST KIND OF HELP US OUT? THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THAT IN PLACE.
UM, THERE IS NOTHING THAT I KNOW OF LIKE THAT IN PLACE.
HOW MUCH DO Y'ALL INTERACT WITH THE OTHER CITIES? WITH OUR PEER CITIES THAT HAVE HAD AV PROGRAMS UP AND RUNNING? GREAT.
UM, SO WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH SAN FRANCISCO.
LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE HAVE A REALLY DIFFERENT TYPE OF CITY THAN SAN FRANCISCO.
SO A LOT OF THE LESSONS THEY HAVE ARE, ARE GOOD FOR US, BUT NOT AS APPLICABLE TO WIDER STREETS.
WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH PHOENIX FIRE.
UM, THEY HAVE A LOT OF AVS IN PHOENIX AND YOU ALMOST NEVER HEAR PROBLEMS THERE.
SO, UM, THEY HAVE A REALLY ADVANCED SETUP.
THEY, THEIR 9 1 1 SYSTEM, ACTIVE 9 1 1 IS WHAT WE USE TO ALERT AV COMPANIES ABOUT EMERGENCIES.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE KIND OF THE NEXT COMPANY OR NEXT KIND OF CITY FOR THESE TYPES OF THINGS.
BUT WE HAVE TALKED TO HOUSTON, DALLAS, NASHVILLE, CHARLOTTE, UM, ATLANTA, OTHER CITIES WHERE THEY'RE BEGINNING TO GET AVS SO THAT WE CAN SHARE THE INFORMATION WE HAVE, WE HAVE KIND OF PEER-TO-PEER FIRE AND PEER-TO-PEER POLICE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM ABOUT CITATIONS, ABOUT, UM, BLOCKING, ABOUT HOW TO MOVE THE VEHICLES, ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, WE HAVE, WE'VE TALKED TO THEM PRETTY OFTEN.
I'M ON THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CITY TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS, AV WORK GROUP.
UM, SO THOSE ARE PEOPLE FROM ALL THE KIND OF BIG CITIES IN THE US AND CANADA.
UM, AND A LOT OF THESE CITIES ARE IN STATES THAT HAVE STRONG REGULATIONS, THAT HAVE A REALLY DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP WITH AV COMPANIES.
BUT SAN FRANCISCO AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER, I GUESS WE'D SAY LIKE SUNBELT CITIES ARE IN THERE AS WELL.
WE SHARE THAT ONE PAGER THAT I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT, WE SHARED WITH EVERY OTHER CITY.
IS THERE ANY ONE THING THAT SOME OF THE PEER CITIES OR A PEER CITY IS CURRENTLY DOING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE BROUGHT HERE? UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE A DIFFERENT REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT? YEAH.
AND WE HAVE ASKED, UM, BOTH TXDOT AND NSA, WE WOULD LIKE, PUBLIC SAFETY WOULD LIKE AN INDICATOR ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S AN AUTONOMOUS MOTOR OR NOT.
THE, UH, COME TOWARDS THE VEHICLE DIFFERENTLY IF THEY CAN PREDICT WHETHER IT'S GOING TO MOVE OR NOT.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY HAS ASKED KIND OF EVERY TIME.
UM, THEY'VE TALKED TO THE AV COMPANIES AS WELL AS OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH TXDOT AND THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ASSOCIATION.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OTHER CITIES, UM, DO REQUIRE.
SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S POSSIBLE.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S REALLY A DESIRE, WE HEARD THIS FROM SAN FRANCISCO TOO, OF A WAY TO CONTACT THE AV COMPANY WITHOUT TAKING OUT YOUR PHONE DURING AN EMERGENCY.
FIRE DOES NOT WANNA USE PHONES.
UM, SO THAT MANUAL TAKEOVER THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT MOBILITY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I MEAN, THE REASON IT CAME UP THERE IS BECAUSE THE PROCESS FAILED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND WE WENT BACK AND WORKED THROUGH WHY THE PROCESS FAILED, HOW IT WILL NOT FAIL AGAIN.
BUT, UM, THE MANUAL TAKEOVER IS SOMETHING THAT THEY ASKED FOR AND DID RECEIVE FROM THE AV COMPANIES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE, ONE MORE.
SORRY, JUST A FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
SO WHAT IS THEIR OBJECTION EXACTLY TO THE EV INDICATOR LIGHT? IS IT A COST THING OR IS IT YOU'RE THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU.
WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING OUT THIS EVENING.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED UPDATES.
[3. Update and discussion on the Heating and Cooling Center initiative to be given by Cody Scott from the Austin Public Library.]
IS A DISCUSSION ITEM ON HEATING AND COOL COOLING CENTER INITIATIVE.UH, CODY SCOTT WITH THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I AM THE AUSTIN, I'M THE, UH, FACILITIES, UH, DIVISION MANAGER FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING US HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
UM, SO LEMME GET MY SLIDE CAUGHT UP TO THAT ONE SO I CAN KEEP UP.
[00:40:02]
SO, UH, NEXT SLIDE.MY WORK GROUP, UH, CONSISTS OF OUR MAINTENANCE, UH, INVENTORY, CONSTRUCTION, SECURITY BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS AND, AND HEALTH AND SAFETY.
HEALTH AND SAFETY IS A FAIRLY NEW ONE.
UM, WELL, IT'S A REOCCURRING, UH, TO OUR WORK GROUP, UM, WHICH WAS ADDED A COUPLE MONTHS BACK.
AND, UH, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET A GOOD SENSE OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITHIN THAT WORK GROUP.
SO, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS BEEN OPERATING, UH, AS COOLING CENTERS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
BUT OVER THE COURSE OF THIS LAST SUMMER, UH, WE OPERATED FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY FROM, I WOULD SAY EARLY JUNE, RIGHT AROUND, UH, FATHER'S DAY ALL THE WAY THROUGH MID-SEPTEMBER.
UM, DURING THAT TIME, THAT MEANT EIGHT WEEKENDS OF WORKING EXTENDED HOURS AT THREE LOCATIONS AROUND AUSTIN.
OTHER THAN THAT, UM, WE, WE OPERATED UNDER NORMAL BUSINESS OP NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS, UH, AS A COOLING CENTER.
UM, THAT PUT A LOT OF DEMAND ON OUR STAFF, UH, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF NEEDING TO ADJUST OUR SPECIFIC SHIFTS.
UM, TERRAZA WOULD BE ONE, UH, THAT'S CLOSEST TO DOWNTOWN, UH, THAT WOULD'VE, UH, HAD A MAJOR IMPACT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF STAFF AVAILABILITY, VOLUNTEER AVAILABILITY, UH, WE HAD TO HAVE TWO BRANCH ASSOCIATES, UM, AND ONE SECURITY SPECIALIST WITHIN BUILDING GROUNDS, UM, ASSISTANT, UH, AS PART OF THE ROUTINE CREW ON A DAILY BASIS IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN OUR COOLING RE, YOU KNOW, RELIEF FOR THAT LOCATION.
UH, WITH IT BEING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, DURING THE WHOLE COURSE OF THE SUMMER, WE HAD TO ENLIST THE HELP OF, OF ABOUT 45 TO 50 OTHER VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY TO HELP FACILITATE THOSE NEEDS AND GIVE RELIEF TO THE STAFF THAT, THAT ARE AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
UM, DURING THAT TIME, THE COOLING SITTERS, UH, THIS LAST SUMMER, UM, WE, WE MODIFIED OUR POLICIES, OR AS SOME MIGHT SAY, RELAXED OUR POLICIES, UH, IN ORDER TO SUPPORT, UH, COOLING, UM, CENTERS FOR, FOR THOSE THAT NEED IT.
UH, THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UM, UM, OUR C TNAS.
SO OUR CRIMINAL TRESPASS NOTICES, THE A CLASS WHICH ARE MINOR, UH, ALLOWING THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO COME INTO OUR FACILITIES TO GET RELIEF FROM THE HEAT, UM, BUT NOT OUR CT AND BS, WHICH ARE, UM, WHICH ARE MORE SEVERE WITHIN, UH, WITHIN THAT, UH, TRESPASS NOTIFICATION.
UM, WE ALLOWED PEOPLE TO BRING IN PERSONAL BELONGINGS, UH, THAT KIND OF EXCEEDED WHAT IT USED TO BE.
IT USED TO BE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD CARRY IN WHAT YOU COULD PAT ON YOU FOR THE MOST PART.
UH, BUT IN THIS CASE, BECAUSE PEOPLE IN, IN SOME CASES, PEOPLE ARE COMING IN WITH THEIR LIFE ESSENTIALLY, RIGHT? AND SO THEY NEEDED, THEY NEED, WHERE ELSE ARE THEY GONNA PUT IT? THEY CAN'T LEAVE IT OUTSIDE 'CAUSE THEY'LL LOSE IT.
SO WE RELAXED THOSE POLICIES, WHICH MADE IT EXTREMELY CHALLENGING, UM, FOR THE STAFF, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY WERE WE ALLOWING THEM IN, BUT ALSO ALLOWING THE REST OF OUR, OUR CUSTOMERS TO ACCESS THE LIBRARIES, UH, AND USE IT FOR THE NORMAL SERVICES THAT THEY'RE FOR ON A, ON A DAILY BASIS.
UH, WE ALSO LET PETS IN, UH, THAT WERE NOT NECESSARILY SERVICE DOGS.
UM, NOT A WHOLE LOT OF CATS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT COMING INTO THE LIBRARY, BUT MOSTLY DOGS.
THEY DID HAVE TO BE ON A LEASH, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, HAS SOME RIPPLE EFFECTS THAT KIND OF LASTED, UH, HAVE LASTED A LITTLE BIT PAST THAT.
UH, NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT WE WENT FROM COOLING CENTER, UM, THROUGH MID, MID-SEPTEMBER TO IMMEDIATELY INTO LATE OCTOBER, EARLY NOVEMBER HITTING, YOU KNOW, THE COOL SEASON PRETTY FAST.
SO THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, TIME TO RECOVER FROM THAT NEXT SLIDE.
SO WHAT WORKED? UM, I WOULD SAY THAT OUR ABILITY TO DO, UH, COMMUNICATIONS, UH, WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, THROUGH FACEBOOK, UH, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, UH, WAS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL, UH, IN, IN, IN NOTIFYING THE PUBLIC THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT OUR LOCATIONS WERE OPEN FOR COOLING CENTERS.
UH, WE HAD THREE LOCATIONS THAT HAD EXTENDED HOURS ON SAT FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY.
MOST OF OUR, UH, CUSTOMERS THAT COME TO THE LIBRARY GET THEIR INFORMATION THROUGH THE, SO SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. UH, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE WAY THEY GET IT.
UM, AND THEN OUR INTERNAL COMMUNICATION IS GREATLY IMPROVED.
UH, YOU KNOW, WITH C-O-V-I-D, MICROSOFT TEAMS HAS BECOME OBVIOUSLY, UH, AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE CITY, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS, NOT JUST FOR CHATTING AND, AND AND WHATNOT, BUT ALSO FOR US SHARING FILES, DOCUMENTS, AND IN PROCESS.
AND SO THAT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS, UH, UH, UH, CENTER, UH, TEAMS CHANNEL FOR THE LIBRARY THAT HAS OUR DIVISION MANAGERS AND OUR BRANCH STAFF AND OUR CUSTODIAL STAFF AND, AND ALL THE OTHERS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT GOT ADDED THIS YEAR, UM, THAT PRIOR TO THIS YEAR WE WERE HANDLING OURSELVES WAS WATER AND SNACKS.
UH, SO HEON WORKING WITH HEON THIS YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A CON CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF MATERIALS COMING INTO THE, THE LOCATIONS THAT WERE OPERATING,
[00:45:01]
UH, THE THREE PRIMARY LOCATIONS THAT WERE OPERATING COOLING AS COOLING CENTERS, BUT ALSO IN ADDITION, UH, WE WERE OFFERING SOME OF THOSE SUPPLIES TO THE OTHER BRANCHES AND TO DOWNTOWN.UM, BUT THIS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A PRETTY CRITICAL THING.
UM, WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN FROM THE, FROM THE HEAT OR THE COLD, UH, TO TRY TO GET RELIEF, SOMETIMES THEY, THEY HAVEN'T HAD ANYTHING TO EAT IN A WHILE.
UH, THEY HADN'T HAD, THEY HAVEN'T HAD A, YOU KNOW, GOOD SENSE OF HYDRATION AND, AND SOME TIME, AND SOMETIMES THEY JUST NEED A CUP OF COFFEE TO WAKE UP, YOU KNOW, OR A TEA OR, OR SOMETHING TO THAT EXTENT.
UH, ALONG WITH BEYOND THE SNACKS AND STUFF, WHICH I DON'T HAVE ON THE SLIDES, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, GIVING PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH MOVIES, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU'LL HAVE PEOPLE COME IN WITH KIDS.
THOSE KIDS NEED ENTERTAINMENT, UH, BEYOND THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED AT THE LOCATION.
SO, UH, THOSE THINGS REALLY HELPED, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF, UH, THE SUMMER.
UH, AND WE HOPE TO SEE THOSE IMPROVE.
UH, OUR WEEKLY CALLS WITH HE SSO AND CITY OF, CITY OF AUSTIN'S, HE SSO ALONG WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, HE SSO, UH, AND, UH, WEATHER SERVICE, THOSE HAPPENED ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
UM, AS OFTEN AS, AS SOON AS THERE WAS A A, AN EXPECTED EVENT, WE IMMEDIATELY, UM, THEY WOULD IMMEDIATELY PUT A MEETING OUT.
UM, THEY TRIED TO BE AS PROACTIVE AS POSSIBLE WITH THAT.
UM, GIVEN THE CONTINUOUS NATURE OVER THE SUMMER, IT WAS CHALLENGING, UM, ACROSS THE CITY FROM STANDPOINT OF PROVIDING THESE KIND OF RELIEF CENTERS FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS DEFINITELY A CHALLENGE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT.
UH, BUT WE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL AT THAT NEXT SLIDE.
SO, ISSUES, UM, WHAT I WOULD SAY ON ISSUES IS FIRST AND FOREMOST THAT, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY STAFF, WE'RE NOT FIRST RESPONDERS, BUT WE ARE FIRST, WE ARE FRONTLINE RESPONDERS.
SO THE PUBLIC COME TO US, IT'S AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY IS ONE OF THE MOST PUBLIC PLACES YOU CAN GO IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FROM A FACILITIES PERSPECTIVE, NOT OUTDOORS, BUT INSIDE OF A BUILDING.
UM, EVERYBODY IS WELCOME AT THE LIBRARY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ID TO COME IN, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE TO HAVE ONE TO GET A BOOK OR, OR LAPTOP.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ONE, UM, TO COME IN AND USE THE FACILITY AND ENJOY THE SPACES.
UH, SO WE, WE COULD GREATLY BENEFIT OUT OF HAVING, UM, SUPPORT FROM OUTSIDE AGENCIES, UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL WORKERS AND MEDICAL, UM, UM, EMERGENCY AND, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE AREAS THAT WE REALLY COULD, UM, BENEFIT, UM, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF SUPPORTING THE PUBLIC IN THESE KIND OF SPACES.
UM, YOU KNOW, MENTAL, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IS ACTUALLY THE LARGEST ISSUE FACING, FACING THIS.
WHEN WE'RE SUPPORTING THE PUBLIC IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S, IT'S NOT HOMELESSNESS AS SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK.
I MEAN, THAT IS A CONDITION, UM, OF, OF THE SITUATION.
BUT REALITY IS, IS THAT MENTAL HEALTH AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ISSUES, UH, FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, DRUG USE AND, AND, UH, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, BEING, I MEAN, JUST BEING IN THE HEAT ALONE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUOUSLY WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON YOUR BRAIN.
UM, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IF YOU'VE EVER HAD HEAT AND STRESS OR HEAT EXHAUSTION, YOU KNOW HOW TO FIX YOUR BRAIN.
UM, SO HAVING SUPPORT IN THOSE AREAS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO TRY TO IMPROVE.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES AND INTERNALLY TO TRY TO, UH, RESOLVE AND SUPPORT THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, I MEAN, UH, NOT FINALLY, BUT ON THE CUSTOMER NEEDS SIDE OF IT, SUPPORTING ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS DURING THIS TIME.
AND WE HAVE A POLICY THAT MEAN THAT STATES THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY COMES INTO THE LIBRARY HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT IMPEDING UPON THE OTHER PERSON'S USE OF THAT SPACE.
SO WHENEVER WE HAVE, UH, CUSTOMERS COMING IN WHO HAVE ALL OF THEIR BELONGINGS AND THEY'RE TIRED AND THEY NEED A PLACE TO REST AND, AND RELAX AND GET OUTTA THE HEAT THAT IMPACTS THE OTHER PEOPLE TRYING TO USE THAT SPACE.
UH, AND SO IT'S A FINE LINE FOR OUR SECURITY TEAM AND FOR OUR BRANCH SERVICES TEAM, UM, TO, TO SUPPORT THAT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT SOCIAL WORKERS.
THEY'RE NOT POLICE OFFICERS, THEY'RE LIBRARIANS AND SECURITY SPECIALISTS.
UH, THEY'RE THERE TO MAKE SURE THE LIBRARY'S AVAILABLE FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, OVER THIS SUMMER, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HIT, NOT THAT I THINK WE, WE NEARLY HIT, OR WE DID HIT, UH, THE DEFINE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS DEFINED FOR THE HEAT PLAN, RIGHT? IN ORDER TO SUPPORT, UM, THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY BECAME VERY RELIANT ON THESE COOLING CENTERS.
AND IF WE HAD NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THESE FACILITIES OPEN AND HAVE STAFF SUPPORT THIS, UH, IT WOULD'VE SEVERELY IMPACTED THE COMMUNITIES THAN THEY WOULD'VE SUFFERED, ESPECIALLY, UH, TERRAZA.
UH, AND, AND, UH, RUIZ IN PARTICULAR, I DO BELIEVE DOWNTOWN, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, DOWNTOWN, IT'S, IT'S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHAT THOSE, THOSE CUSTOMERS ARE COMING IN THAT, THAT NEED THAT KIND OF RELIEF BECAUSE WE HAVE OVER, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE AUSTIN, UH, CENTRAL LIBRARY HAS ON AVERAGE 8,000 PEOPLE THAT COME IN A DAY.
SO IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO DEFINE WHO'S THERE TO GET RELIEF VERSUS WHO'S THERE FOR A BOOK OR TO USE ONE OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH HESS O UH, RIGHT NOW, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, IS TO TRY TO GET MORE NOTIFICATIONS, UM, TO, TO GET MORE INFORMATION EARLIER.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO HAVE LIMITED STAFF, UM, AT THESE LOCATIONS.
WE DON'T HAVE EXTRA STAFF WAITING TO BE, UM,
[00:50:01]
DEPLOYED.SO IF WE GET THE NOTICES TOO LATE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, WEDNESDAY'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR, UH, IN ORDER FOR US TO PREPARE AND SHIFT OUR STAFFS, IF WE GET INTO AN EMERGENCY SITUATION BEYOND JUST OUR RELIEF CENTER, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHIFT THEIR OVERALL SCHEDULE TO, TO OPERATE WITHIN 12 TO 8:00 PM OR WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING TO, UM, TRY TO SHIFT PEOPLE AROUND AND MISS THEIR WORK SCHEDULE DURING THE WEEK TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY AND NON, UH, NON-EVENT, UM, CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, SOME OF THE WEEKENDS HE HESO WAS NOT ABLE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, SUBMIT THEIR INFORMATION UNTIL FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
AND THAT REALLY HAD AN IMPACT ON US.
THEY'RE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN, UM, TO SUPPORT, UM, THE NEEDS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND, UH, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING ON DILIGENTLY AS CITY, UM, AND DEPARTMENTS TO TRY TO, UH, TO MINIMIZE, UH, AGAIN, SNACKS AND, AND, AND DRINKS ARE ESSENTIAL.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING, WE HAD LOTS OF AVAILABILITY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF GETTING IT TO OUR LOCATIONS.
UM, BUT, BUT THE QUANTITY, THE VOLUME NEEDED TO BE MORE, UM, NOT THAT IT NEEDED TO BE A WHOLE LOT MORE, UH, BUT IT DID, UH, WE COULD HAVE USED MORE FOR SURE.
I KNOW OUR, UH, COMMUNITY, UM, SERVICES COORDINATORS, UH, RAN OUTTA SUPPLIES QUITE OFTEN.
'CAUSE THEY DO A LOT OF STUFF BESIDES JUST HAND OUT FOODS AND SNACKS.
THEY'RE HELPING PEOPLE FIND IDS, UH, TRYING TO FIND SOCIAL SERVICES.
UH, AND A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER THE HOMELESS COME IN, UM, OR, OR SOMEBODY ELSE IN NEED COMES INTO THE LIBRARY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THERE TO TRY TO GET CONNECTED WITH THEIR SOCIAL WORKER OR WITH OTHER SERVICES FOR HOUSING.
AND SO IT DOES ALLOW US TO HAVE THOSE, THOSE, THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND THOSE SNACKS KIND OF HELP PEOPLE COME JUST RELAX AND, AND, AND JUST KIND OF SETTLE INTO THE SPACE AND REALIZE THAT THEY ARE IN A PLACE THAT'S SAFE, UH, AND THAT THEY CAN, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OKAY FOR THEM TO BE THERE.
UH, WHAT IS THE ACRONYM? HESSAM, UH, HESSAM, SO THAT'S HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
SO, OSSO PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS ABOUT 500 STAFF ROUGHLY.
UM, AND OUT OF THAT, WE HAD 8.6% OF OUR STAFF THAT, THAT VOLUNTEERED.
AND THE REASON WHY I BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE WE NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IF WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO OPERATE, UM, AS COOLING CENTERS, HEATING, WARMING CENTERS, AND OR EMERGENCY RELIEF CENTERS, IF WE GET INTO A FREEZE.
UM, AND I KNOW THE CITY DOES HAVE A, UM, A VOLUNTEER PROCESS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY THAT'S UTILIZED, BUT WE NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT WE NEED.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE, UM, EV YOU KNOW, FELLOW EMPLOYEES COME IN TO HELP SUPPORT, UM, AND VOLUNTEER AT THESE CENTERS, BUT THERE'S A LEVEL OF TRAINING THAT IS, IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO PROPERLY SUPPORT THE NEEDS AT, AT THE LIBRARY IN THESE SITUATIONS.
SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE ARE WORKING WITH, LIKE I STATED, UM, UM, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO TRY TO GET THAT KIND OF SUPPORT.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, PREPARATION.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, UM, WE ARE WORKING ON TRYING TO IMPLEMENT OUR, OUR COOP TEAM, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE CON THE CONTINUITY OF OPERATION PLAN FOR THE CITY.
IT'S STILL KIND OF IN A DRAFT MODE, UH, TO SOME DEGREE.
UM, BUT BASICALLY THIS CONSISTS OF HAVING A DEDICATED EXECUTIVE TEAM, DIVISION TEAM, BRANCH TEAM AND, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES TEAM, ALL PART OF A COLLECTIVE THAT HAVE CONVERSATIONS ON A WEEKLY BASIS THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER AND COVERING FOR EACH OTHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE VOLUNTEER SERVICES COVERED, THAT WE HAVE OPERATIONAL SERVICES COVERED, THAT WE HAVE SECURITY SERVICES COVERED, ET CETERA.
UH, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING PRETTY DILIGENTLY ON RIGHT NOW, UH, TO TRY TO ENSURE THAT WE, WE HAVE THE SUPPLIES WE NEED, THAT WE HAVE THE PEOPLE WE NEED, UH, TO MAINTAIN THESE SERVICES AND THESE SUPPORTS.
UM, ON THE, ON THE SUPPLY SIDE OF THINGS, WE HAVE A WAREHOUSE AT THE LIBRARY.
IT'S OVER NEXT TO ZEPEDA BRANCH, UH, IN EAST AUSTIN, UH, THAT WE USE.
IT'S WHERE THE, THE BOOKS COME IN AND OUT PRETTY MUCH, UH, AND THE REST OF THE SUPPLIES.
BUT WE NOW HAVE A DEDICATED SPACE, UM, A CAGE SPACE FOR EMERGENCY SUPPLIES THAT WE ARE HOUSING, WATER, AND OTHER THINGS THAT
AND THEN, OF COURSE, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, WORKING WITH HESSAM TO TRY TO PRE UH, TO PROCURE MORE OF THIS, OF THIS STUFF.
AND I KNOW THE PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE, WE JUST HAVE TO GIVE THEM THE FEEDBACK AND KIND OF SHARE, UH, WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DIDN'T, WHAT WE NEEDED MORE OF.
AND THEN, UH, AND THEN IF WE CAN'T GET IT FROM THERE, THEN LOOKING AT OTHER RESOURCES TO, TO SUPPLY THAT.
BUT I DON'T THINK IT'LL BE A PROBLEM, UM, SUPPORTING THE STAFF AND THE CUSTOMERS.
UM, ONE OF THE BIGGER CHALLENGES INTERNALLY THAT WE FACE IS CLARITY ON OUR POLICIES AND ENFORCEMENTS OF THOSE POLICIES.
UM, CENTRAL LIBRARY'S A GOOD EXAMPLE.
UM, WE HAVE WITH, WITH THAT MANY PEOPLE COMING IN EVERY DAY.
NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS LIBRARY POLICY, YOU KNOW, UM, I WOULD IMAGINE MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM PROBABLY DON'T KNOW MOST OF THE
[00:55:01]
LIBRARY POLICIES.UM, BUT WE HAVE TO ENFORCE THEM FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ALL PA, ALL PATRONS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE LIBRARY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FACILITIES ARE SAFE AND, AND, AND, AND USABLE.
SO BEING MORE CLEAR ABOUT HOW THOSE POLICIES ARE ARE, UM, ARE RELAXED OR ARE MODIFIED DURING THESE EVENTS, IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON STILL.
AND WE TALK ABOUT IT AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL ON A, ON A, ON A MONTHLY BASIS WHENEVER WE MEET TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS.
UM, WE'VE HIRED ADDITIONAL BILLINGS AND GROUND STAFF, UH, AND ADDITIONAL SECURITY STAFF THAT'S NOT ON THERE.
UH, JUST THIS YEAR WE'VE ALREADY, UM, GOT THEM, UH, ON STAFF, WHICH WILL HELP US WITH TAKING CARE OF THESE FACILITIES.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH TO GET TRAVIS COUNTY DEPUTIES, UM, PUT IN PLACE AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS, NOT CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DAY, BUT UH, FOR OUR BUSIEST, MOST ACTIVE PARTS OF THE DAY, UH, ON, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AT THESE LOCATIONS.
AND THAT WILL HELP, UM, RELIEVE SOME OF THE PRESSURE FROM OUR SECURITY GUARDS WHO ARE NOT POLICE, NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, WHEN WE DO HAVE INCIDENTS WHERE, WHERE THE, THE CUSTOMER IS NOT COMPLYING WITH JUST FOLLOWING BASIC, YOU KNOW, REQUESTS FROM OUR STAFF AND BEING ASKED TO LEAVE AND REFUSING TO, OR BECOMING, YOU KNOW, AGITATED OR UPSET.
UH, WE HAVE TO ACT ON THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE BUILDING IS STILL USABLE BY THE REST OF THE REST OF THE PUBLIC.
SO HAVING THOSE DEPUTIES ON STAFF, UH, WILL HELP ASSIST THAT WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT, THAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
I BELIEVE BOSTON'S HAD A PRETTY SUCCESSFUL RATE WITH THAT FROM STANDPOINT.
AND, AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY JUST MAKING SURE THAT IF WE DO HAVE A SITUATION, UM, THAT, UH, THAT OCCURS, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO REACT TO IT QUICKLY, UM, AND BE ABLE TO, UH, TO, TO GET THAT, THAT PERSON INTO A DIFFERENT SPACE THAT'S MORE SUITABLE FOR THEIR CURRENT STATE.
UM, AND LASTLY, AS I CLOSE ON THIS, UM, WE'RE, I MENTIONED IT BEFORE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TO ADJUST OUR STAFF HOURS AND EMERGENCY BASED SITUATIONS, NOT SO MUCH WITH, WITH THESE, UH, WARMING CENTER AND COOLING CENTER NEEDS.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SOME LOCATIONS LIKE RUIZ AND LITTLE WALNUT CREEK WHERE WE ON SAT FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY INSTEAD OF CLOSING AT FIVE WE HAVE EXTENDED TILL EIGHT O'CLOCK.
WELL, THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO EITHER GET ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPORT THAT, OR WE HAVE TO SHIFT OUR STAFF, OUR STAFF SCHEDULES, IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THAT CHANGE, UH, IN THE, UH, IN THE SCHEDULE.
QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? UH, JUST, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UH, YOUR FIRST OR SECOND, MAYBE YOUR THIRD SLIDE, UH, DISCUSS RESTRICTING ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH, UH, I THINK YOU CALLED IT CRIMINAL TRESPASS NOTICE.
HOW IS THAT ENFORCED? LIKE, LIKE HOW DO YOU KNOW IF SOMEBODY, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE SOME FAIRLY CLEAR GUIDELINES.
UM, A BASIC EXAMPLE OF A CRIMINAL TRESPASS NOTICE, UM, WOULD BE, UM, IF SOMEBODY IS, IS SEEN CONSUMING ALCOHOL MM-HMM.
UM, OR ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT OFTEN HAS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY SLEEPING.
NOW I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO'S DOSED OFF READING A BOOK.
I'M MORE SPEAKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO IS, YOU KNOW, SURE.
UM, AND, AND THAT IS, THAT IS AN ISSUE BECAUSE IT, IT CAN IMPEDE THE, THE ACCESS AND THE ABILITY OF, OF SOMEONE ELSE TO USE THAT SPACE.
SO THOSE ARE BASIC EXAMPLES OF THAT.
HOW IT'S ENFORCED IS OUR SECURITY GUARD.
IF SOMEONE'S SLEEPING, UH, WE'LL DO A WELLNESS CHECK.
AND THAT WELLNESS CHECK WILL BE, HEY, HOW ARE YOU DOING? JUST WANTED TO CHECK ON YOU BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IN HEAT, YOU KNOW, HEAT EXHAUSTION, YOU DON'T KNOW WHY THAT PERSON MIGHT, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEIR EYES CLOSED.
IT MIGHT NOT BE THAT THEY'RE SLEEPING.
SO WE WILL DO WELLNESS CHECKS ON PEOPLE, AND THAT'S HOW IT STARTS, AT LEAST ON THE SLEEPING SIDE OF IT'S TO DO THOSE WELLNESS CHECKS.
AND THEN WE'LL PERSIST WITH THAT.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL NOTIFY THEM, HEY, THAT THIS IS NOT A, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T SLEEP IN THE LIBRARY.
UM, AND DURING, DURING COOLING, UM, WHEN WE'RE A COOLING CENTER THIS LAST SUMMER, WE RELAXED THAT AND, AND DIDN'T ASK PEOPLE TO LEAVE.
UH, IN THAT SITUATION, WE, EVEN TO THE EXTENT THAT SOMETIMES WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO RELAX, TO, TO LAY DOWN IN CERTAIN, IN CERTAIN AREAS, TO, TO, TO, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE A REST.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S ALLOWED AT THE LIBRARY FOR A MULTITUDE OF REASONS.
UM, IT, I DUNNO IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
AND JUST, JUST ONE, ONE MORE QUESTION, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO, UM, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THE LIBRARY IS OPEN FOR, FOR COOLING CENTERS OR, OR HEATING CENTERS, UM, IS, IS THERE A POLICY TO, TO MAYBE ENSURE THAT SECURITY MAY, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE ONCE EVERY HOUR JUST, JUST KIND OF WALKS THROUGH THE BATHROOMS? 'CAUSE I DO KNOW THAT, UH, I, I, I, I WAS RAISED IN A MUCH LARGER URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND, AND BATHROOMS AND LIBRARIES AND RESTAURANTS, THINGS CAN HAPPEN.
UH, WHICH IS WHY YES, RESTAURANTS TEND TO PUT PASSCODES IN THEIR BATHROOMS AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S ON THE CITY'S RADAR.
[01:00:01]
UH, CERTAIN POPULATIONS BEGIN TO ENTER, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COOLING OR HEATING CENTERS AND, AND THOSE POPULATIONS JUST HAVE ISSUES.MAYBE NOT EVERY, THE REST OF US DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, SORT OF JUGGLE IN OUR DAILY LIVES.
UM, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE CITY SO MUCH, BUT FROM THE STAND DIRECTLY, LIKE FROM THAT POLICY.
BUT FOR, FOR O PUBLIC LIBRARY, WE, WE RANDOMLY CHECK, I COULDN'T SAY, I COULDN'T STATE RIGHT NOW.
HOW OFTEN THEY CHECK THE BATHROOMS. BUT I KNOW OUR SECURITY TEAM, AND WE HAVE A FAIRLY LARGE SECURITY TEAM.
JUST AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY ALONE, WE HAVE, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S 16 INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK THE BUILDING.
UH, AND THERE'S, THERE'S A SECURITY OFFICER ON EVERY FLOOR, BUT, BUT THERE ARE RANDOM BATHROOM CHECKS.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY ALL WE DO.
RANDOM, WE DO RANDOM BATHROOM CHECKS.
WE ALSO CHECK OUR, OUR EXTERIOR DOORS THAT AREN'T EX, YOU KNOW, ENTRANCES YEP.
UH, AND THAT'S DONE PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY, THROUGHOUT THE EVENING.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER, I THINK YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE AN IMMENSE LOGISTICAL UNDERTAKING AND CONGRATULATE YOU ON UNDERTAKING IT, FIRST OF ALL.
UM, AND YOU'VE PERFORMED AN ASSESSMENT OF WHAT RESOURCES YOU NEED GOING FORWARD.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT DONE WITH IT YET.
HOW DOES THIS TIE INTO THE OVERALL CITY HOMELESSNESS PLAN? 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FUNDING AVAILABLE THROUGH THAT IN SOME FORM OR OTHER, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WOULD APPLY TO YOUR NEED SPECIFICALLY.
WELL, I MEAN, AS A LIBRARY, OUR, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO KEEP OUR DOORS OPEN FOR ALL RIGHT.
I MEAN, I, I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO HOW IT PLAYS INTO THE CITY'S OVERALL POLICY FOR HOMELESSNESS.
I CAN JUST SPEAK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WELCOME ALL INTO THE LIBRARY AS LONG AS YOU, YOU KNOW, WILL ADHERE TO SOME BASIC GUIDELINES, UH, AND BE CIVIL, UH, AND USE THE SPACE, UH, FOR, FOR WHAT IT'S THERE FOR.
UM, THE LIBRARY'S NOT JUST ABOUT BOOKS.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT.
BUT MOST OF OUR BRANCHES AND MOST OF OUR LOCATIONS, UM, ALL OFFER SOME TYPE OF COM COMMUNITY SERVICE ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAVE COMMUNITY SERVICE COORDINATORS WHO WORK DIRECTLY FOR THE LIBRARY AT SEVERAL BRANCHES, THAT THAT IS THEIR JOB.
AND SO WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO SUPPORT, UM, TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY, UM, ANY WAY WE CAN, UH, WITHIN LIMITS.
UM, AND SO WE, WE DO HAVE TO, ALTHOUGH WE ARE TRYING, YOU KNOW, THAT IS ONE OF OUR GOALS RIGHT NOW FOR, FOR NEXT YEAR, IS TO TRY TO GET A SOCIAL WORK, COUPLE SOCIAL WORKERS ON STAFF AT THE LIBRARY, LIKE OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE.
MY POINT WAS THAT I THINK THERE'S A, A FUNDING POOL ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY'S OVERALL HOMELESSNESS PLAN, AND THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ACCESS SOME OF THAT FUNDING PERHAPS UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES.
I'D HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
YEAH, THAT'S PRIMARILY WHAT I WANTED TO COVER.
WELL, I'VE GOT A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THAT.
AND IT, IT DOES HAVE TO DO WITH FUNDING.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE TASKED, AND IT'S A GOOD THING TO HAVE THESE, OBVIOUSLY IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A WHILE, BUT YOU'RE TASKED WITH A LOT MORE THAN YOUR TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARY IS NOT A SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY.
I KNOW YOU, YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HAVING SOCIAL, SOCIAL SERVICES, PEOPLE ON STAFF, THOSE THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND I CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS BE MORE PROACTIVE IN PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO YOU, UH, WHEN THE CENTERS ARE OPEN.
AND SO, UH, THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING OF CONCERN.
ARE YOU, THE LIBRARY HAS TYPICALLY BEEN CHALLENGED WITH FUNDING OVER THE YEARS, AND I'M CONCERNED THAT, UM, SO MUCH IS BEING CALLED UPON Y'ALL.
I MEAN, SO TO THE POINT WHERE YOU'RE ASKING STAFF TO VOLUNTEER HOURS, UM, THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING SUFFICIENT FUNDING FOR THIS DUPLICATIVE SERVICE THAT YOU'RE OFFERING FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IS IT DRAWING ON EXISTING RESOURCES OR HAVE YOU BEEN APPROPRIATED ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE? I DON'T THINK I CAN SPEAK DIRECTLY TO WHETHER OR NOT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
I'M, I WOULD STATE THAT I'M, THAT IT'S, I'M PRETTY CERTAIN THAT THIS IS COMING OUTTA OUR GENERAL FUNDS.
SO, SO YOU'RE NOT N FOR OPERATING THE HEATING AND COOLING CENTERS? THAT'S CORRECT.
YOU'RE NOT BEING APPROPRIATED ADDITIONAL? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
I, I COULD BE WRONG, BUT NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
AND THERE, THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY ADDITIONAL UTILITIES REQUIRED.
THERE ARE ADDITIONAL, THERE'S ADDITIONAL HOURS THAT OUR HOURS OF WORK HOURS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
ADDITIONAL CLEANING IS REQUIRED OF STAFF.
AND IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE FUNDING FOR THAT IN PROVIDING THE SERVICE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL ON A GO FORWARD BASIS IF Y'ALL WERE TO CALCULATE, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY CALCULATED WHAT THOSE COSTS WOULD BE, BE, I WOULD CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO BRING THEM BACK TO US, UH, SO WE CAN SEE WHAT
[01:05:01]
WE CAN DO, WHETHER IT'S FROM THAT POOL OF MONEY FOR HOMELESS SERVICES OR OTHER, OTHER SOURCES, OR FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE.WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE OF THESE DAYS, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK, WHERE WE'RE GONNA NEED THIS TYPE OF SERVICE FOR THE PUBLIC.
UH, SO COME, PLEASE COME BACK TO US WITH THE FUNDING THAT IT, IT TAKES FROM THE LIBRARY TO OPERATE THIS SERVICE.
YOU, TERRY, UM, ALONG THOSE LINES, THIS IS, I GUESS TWO YEARS INTO A PILOT PROGRAM, IS THAT RIGHT? I BELIEVE SO, YEAH.
UM, SO FROM, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE ABLE TO KIND OF ASSESS WHAT THE COSTS ARE FOR OPERATIONS.
UM, AND YOU'VE, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING, UM, THAT YOU'RE ADDING TO THE LIBRARY.
UH, AS FAR AS SPATIAL PLANNING.
UH, HOW WOULD, IF YOU WERE TO START A NEW LIBRARY FROM SCRATCH, HOW WOULD YOU MAYBE START TO THINK ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL SPACE REQUIRED FOR THIS ADDITIONAL PROGRAM? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, UM, FOR OUR, UH, FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED BACK IN FEBRUARY IS THE EXPANSION OF 11 OF OUR BRANCHES AND, AND BUILDING FOUR NEW LIBRARIES.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MY TEAM IS, IS LOOKING AT IS HOW WE MAKE THOSE, THOSE SPACES FLEXIBLE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, UM, ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.
UM, AND AS THEY CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY, WE CAN CHANGE AS WELL.
UH, THAT'S ONE OF MY NAME NUMBER ONE GOALS, IS TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
WE, WE CENTRAL HAS THAT, PEOPLE MAY NOT NOTICE IT, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WITHIN THE BUILDING THAT ALLOW IT TO BE FLEXIBLE SO WE CAN CHANGE THE PROGRAMMING IN THE BUILDING.
UM, IT HASN'T BEEN UTILIZED TO THAT EXTENT JUST YET, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON SOME OF THAT.
UH, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I MET, UM, ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO WITH OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES COORDINATORS WHO HANDLED THE, THE, UH, THE SUPPORT FOR THE UNHOUSED, UM, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, TO SEE WITH, 'CAUSE I MET WITH THEM SPECIFICALLY TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE EXPANSIONS, EVEN THE CURRENT CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS THAT I'M WORKING ON FOR FIVE BRANCHES, UH, ON THE INSIDES, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY? AND SO, YOU KNOW, COMING BACK WITH, YOU KNOW, MEETING SPACE, UH, SMALL, YOU KNOW, MORE PRIVATE SPACES THAT ARE, UH, EASY FOR THEM TO GET IN AND FOR IT TO BE USED, UH, BY NOT JUST OUR STAFF INTERNALLY, BUT FOR, UH, FOR THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT COME INTO OUR LOCATIONS TO HELP THE, THE PUBLIC.
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY ON THE TOP OF OUR LIST OF, OF MAKING SURE THAT WE TRY TO SUPPORT THAT, UM, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, HOW, HOW DOES WHAT THE PILOT PROGRAM OF THIS INTEGRATE WITH THE RESILIENCE HUBS THAT ARE ALSO BEING PLANNED? AND ARE YOU, ARE YOU GUYS A PART OF THAT PLANNING? YES, WE ARE.
I'M ACTUALLY A PART OF THAT COMMITTEE.
UM, AND I GO, I GO TO THOSE ON A, ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
UM, RIGHT NOW THE LIBRARY IS NOT ON THE FRONT END OF THAT RESILIENCY PLAN.
THEY'RE FOCUSING ON THE KEY AREAS THAT THE PUBLIC INDICATED, WHICH WOULD BE THE, THE REC CENTERS, UM, PRIMARILY.
UH, AND SO THERE'S SEVERAL OF THEM THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.
BUT I ATTEND THOSE FOR MULTIPLE REASONS, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE LIBRARIES WILL BE BUILT FOR RESILIENCY AND MODIFIED FOR, FOR RESILIENCY, BUT ALSO BECAUSE AS, AS WE BUILD THEM, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING AND WHAT THE RESILIENCY COMMITTEE ITSELF, WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE AND OBJECTIVES ARE, SO WE CAN IMPLEMENT THAT INTO OUR CENTERS.
SO IT, WE ARE DEFINITELY PART OF THAT, UM, AND, AND ACTIVELY COMMUNICATING EVERY MONTH ON THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR REPORTING, UM, THESE INCIDENTS, WHAT THE PROTOCOL IS.
UM, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LIST OF MAYBE OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR EVEN THIS YEAR, WHAT KIND OF INCIDENTS DO YOU HAVE RESPONDED TO? ARE YOU RESPONDING? YOU KNOW, ARE YOU REACHING OUT TO AUSTIN POLICE IS AFD, ARE THERE OTHER DEPARTMENTS? UH, BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, MAYBE SOMEBODY'S SLEEPING, BUT I'M SURE IN OTHER CASES THEY WERE NOT SLEEPING OR THEY WERE HAVING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT PROTOCOL.
UM, SO OUR TYPICAL PROCESS, UH, LET'S JUST TAKE, UM, WELL, ANY OF THE CTNA, LET'S JUST CALL IT THAT.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE YOUR LOW LEVEL.
LIKE WE'VE ASKED THE, THE CUSTOMER TO COMPLY AND THEY'VE REFUSED OR THEY'VE BECOME LOUD.
WE'LL ASK THEM TO LEAVE, UH, FOR THE DAY.
YOU KNOW, PLEASE LEAVE FOR THE DAY.
YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME BACK TOMORROW.
UM, AND IF THEY REFUSE AT THAT POINT, THEN WE WILL REACH OUT TO APD.
UH, WE HAVE CONTACTS LIKE DOWNTOWN.
WE HAVE SPECIFIC DOWNTOWN CONTACTS THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO.
UH, WE FILL OUT AN INCIDENT REPORT, UH, THIS INCIDENT REPORT, UH, AND WE FILL OUT THE, THE CITY'S CTN, UM, FORMS,
[01:10:01]
AND WE SUBMIT THOSE TO, UH, TO THE OFFICER INTO APD.UM, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL COME OUT AND ASSESS THE SITUATION, AND WE'LL MAKE A DETERMINATION ON WHAT TO DO WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
IF, IF THE INDIVIDUAL, UM, ASSAULTS SOMEBODY, UM, OR, OR DOES SOME TYPE OF CRIMINAL ACT THAT'S WARRANTS A-C-T-N-B, THEN THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL ISSUE A-C-T-M-B, WHICH WILL BAN THEM FROM THE LIBRARY, UH, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE TIME PERIOD MIGHT BE.
UM, AND THAT IS ENFORCED BY THE APD.
SO IF THEY WERE TO COME BACK TO THE LIBRARY, UM, LATER ON, UH, THAT WOULD BE ENFORCED.
WE WOULD CALL APD, AND APD WOULD TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE AT THAT LOCATION.
THAT'S, AND, AND THEN BEYOND THAT, WE ARE COMMUNICATING, WE HAD A MEETING TWO MONTHS AGO, UH, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE OFFICERS FOR THE DOWNTOWN, UH, FOR THE DOWN WHO OVERSEE THE DOWNTOWN OFFICERS AND ALSO WHO OVERSEE THE CTN UH, PROCESS, UH, TO DISCUSS HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO TRY TO, UH, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE, WE HANDLE THESE SITUATION IS, UH, AS, UH, PROACTIVELY AS WE CAN.
AND SO THAT'S A CONTINUED EFFORT FOR ON OUR PART.
THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER CARDONA BYLER, I THINK YOU HAD A QUESTION.
UM, MR. SCOTT, THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
I KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE BECOMING REALLY A DEFACTO HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND YOU ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO DO THAT WORK.
AND, UM, AND YOU ARE AT THE FRONT LINES OF THE HOMELESSNESS CRISIS.
UM, WITH THAT IN MIND, UM, I, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF YOUR, UM, YOUR, YOUR, YOU STATED THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF SOCIAL WORKERS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WHICH I THINK WILL BE VERY HELPFUL.
HOWEVER, UM, HAVE YOU EXPLORED THE POSSIBILITY OF CONNECTING AND LEVERAGE RESOURCE LEVERAGING RESOURCES OF EXISTING TEAMS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM? AND WITH THAT, I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH STREET TEAM THAT IS PROVIDING SERVICES DOWNTOWN, AND WHEN YOU'RE FACING A CRISIS, MAYBE IS A COORDINATED EFFORT WITH INTEGRAL CARE AT THE LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY THAT COULD RESPOND AND PROVIDE SERVICES, UM, TO SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS, BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THIS THING, UM, COMPLETELY ON YOUR OWN, WITHIN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM.
SO WHAT ELSE CAN BE BROUGHT IN PERHAPS BY PROVIDING SPACE FOR OTHER SUPPORTIVE SERVICE AGENCIES TO COME ALONGSIDE YOUR EFFORTS AND SUPPORT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING? UH, JUST LET ME, UH, CLARIFY.
WE, WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'RE DOING IT ALONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO CARRY A, A, A HEFTY LOAD, BUT WE DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE DOING IT ALONE.
WE DO WORK WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND THEY DO A, UH, THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB.
WE, I KNOW THAT IT'LL TAKE TERRAZA AS AN EXAMPLE.
TERRAZA HAS, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICE GROUPS, UH, I THINK THERE ARE THREE OR FOUR, UM, THAT COME ON A WEEKLY BASIS, DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE WEEK TO MEET WITH CUSTOMERS, UH, THAT ARE, THAT ARE NEEDING ASSISTANCE WITH HOMELESSNESS, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, A VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS.
UH, I, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A, YOU KNOW, TARA IS A GOOD EXAMPLE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF, UH, SPACE AND WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO SUPPORT THAT.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, THAT I'M, I'M, WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING IS TAKING THE EXISTING, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES SPACE THAT'S BEING USED AND ENCLOSING IT MORE SO IT CAN HAVE MORE PRIVACY, UH, AND BE USED IN THAT WAY.
OTHER LOCATIONS AND OTHER THINGS.
IDEAS ON THE TABLE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS OFFERING KIND OF POD TYPE SPACE.
UH, THESE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, PODS YOU CAN MOVE AROUND ESSENTIALLY, UH, TO ALLOW, UH, PRIVACY AND, AND, UM, DISCRETION IN SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UH, BECAUSE IT CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT IN A PUBLIC LIBRARY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH SOMEBODY BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A, A COMFORTABLE PLACE FOR THEM TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN OPEN UP.
UH, BUT THERE ARE MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WE COULD ALWAYS USE MORE.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE, OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES GROUP WORKS ON THAT DILIGENTLY, ALONG WITH OUR BRANCH MANAGERS AND OUR ASSISTANT BRANCH MANAGERS.
THEY ARE IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THAT, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN TO SUPPORT, UH, TO SUPPORT WHO COMES IN THE DOOR.
AND I, AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT AS WELL TO CONTINUE EXPLORING WHAT THE CITY IS DOING IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING, UM, HOMELESSNESS AND LOOKING INTO THE FUNDS TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GET SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR, YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER.
UM, SO ONE THING THAT JUST KIND OF POPPED IN MY BRAIN, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STEVE HICKS SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AT UT OR THE ST.
EDWARDS, UH, SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM? IT DOESN'T RING A BELL FOR
[01:15:01]
ME.YOU GUYS HAVE A STAFFING NEED FROM, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY SUMMER AND YOU'VE GOT A BUNCH OF UNDERGRADUATE SOCIAL WORKERS OR SOON TO BE SOCIAL WORKERS WHO WOULD LOVE THE EXPERIENCE.
I THINK THERE MIGHT BE A, A NICE MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE THERE IN TERMS OF, UH, YOU GUYS CAN HELP GET EXPERIENCE FOR FUTURE SOCIAL WORKERS AND ALSO SOLVE SOME OF THE STAFFING NEEDS YOU GUYS HAVE.
I RE I REMEMBER HEARING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, BUT I DON'T RECALL SPECIFICALLY.
IT'S, IT'S THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT I, I KNOW THEY'RE, THEY ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR THAT.
WE USE INTERNS AND STUFF THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE ENTIRE YEAR FOR ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
SO I, I'M SURE THAT IF, IF, I'M SURE THEY'RE PROBABLY LOOKING INTO THAT.
I MAY NOT JUST BE AWARE SPECIFICALLY OF WHO THAT THOSE ARE, BUT I'LL TAKE A LOOK.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL CHECK INTO THAT.
UH, YOU HAD A STATISTIC, I THINK YOU SAID 8.6 OF YOUR 500 EMPLOYEES YES.
VOLUNTEER, UM, HAS APL CONSIDERED REACHING OUT TO, TO CHURCHES OR OTHER RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS.
AND, AND HERE'S WHAT I'M ASKING.
SO, SO MY CHURCH HAS A PROGRAM CALLED MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES, WHICH I PARTICIPATE IN MM-HMM.
UM, THE POINT I'M MAKING IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE MAKE THE FOOD AND WE SORT OF SERVE IT.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I HAVE EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE.
AND ALL I'M SAYING IS LIKE THERE'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, LIKE, WHO HAS EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH THIS POPULATION AND THEY MIGHT BE MORE LIKELY TO VOLUNTEER IF THEY KNOW THE NEED EXISTS.
JUST KIND OF WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHETHER OR NOT ANYBODY'S HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
I THINK IT WILL COME DOWN TO THE SAME THING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH BANDWIDTH.
YOU KNOW, HAVING THE ACTUAL ROOM CAPACITY, UM, WITH THE CURRENT STAFF TO, TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS.
IT CAN BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO, TO, TO CROSS THOSE BRIDGES.
SO, UH, BUT I'LL TAKE THAT BACK AND, AND SHARE THAT WITH THE GROUP.
UH, I, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY.
I KNOW I CAN DO VOLUNTEERS FROM MY CHURCH FOR SURE.
I MEAN, WHEN NEXT SUMMER ROLLS AROUND, BUT I JUST THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO TRY TO LOOK FOR VOLUNTEERS OR PEOPLE THAT ALREADY HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THE POPULATION.
WE WILL HAVE WARMING CENTERS TOO, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL SUMMER TOO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, CODY FOR PRESENTING TO US ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT ITEM.
I'M SURE Y'ALL WILL BE OPEN SOMETIME DURING THE WINTER.
BUT THE WAY, THE WAY THINGS SEEM TO BE GOING, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE SOME, SOME DAYS WHEN WE, WE WILL NEED YOUR SERVICE.
[4. Update and discussion regarding action related to the Downtown Commission taken at the last Arts Commission meeting.]
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS AN UPDATE, UH, FROM COMMISSIONER MOCK IN THE ARTS COMMISSION.UM, OUR COMMISSION, UM, HAS SCHEDULED CHANGE, SO, UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND, BUT I WILL MAKE UP FOR THE REPORT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
[6. Update and discussion regarding action related to the Downtown Commission taken at the last Music Commission meeting.]
IS, UH, AN UPDATE, UH, FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION.NOW, UH, I NEED TO MENTION THAT WE AND I SEE, UM, UH, ANN CHARLOTTE PATTERSON, WHO WILL BE JOINING US FORMALLY I BELIEVE IN JANUARY, COMMISSIONER.
SHE HAS COMPLETED ALL OF HER, UH, I THINK MY PAPERWORK HAS ALL GONE THROUGH.
UH, CHRISTINE WAS JUST INFORMING ME THAT YOU'D CROSSED THE FINISH LINE AND, AND WELCOME ABOARD.
UM, SO YEAH, I DO HAVE AN UPDATE IF, UH, SINCE WE HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THAT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SHARE IF THAT'S, IF THAT WORKS FOR YOU, CHAIR HARRIS.
UH, SO RELEVANT TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION SPECIFICALLY, UH, AT OUR LAST MEETING WE HAD AN UPDATE FROM THE, UH, JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC URBAN CORE LAND USE WORKING GROUP, WHICH, UH, I'M THE FACILITATOR FOR THAT GROUP.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON MULTIPLE ISSUES, INCLUDING ZONING, UM, CHANGES THAT WOULD CREATE CULTURAL DISTRICT OVERLAYS AND, UM, SHORT TERM RENTALS.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE I 35 EXPANSION A BIT AS WELL.
UM, BUT SPECIFICALLY WHAT I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU TONIGHT IS THAT, UH, WE TOOK ACTION IN FORM IN THE FORM OF A RECOMMENDATION FROM MUSIC COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, THAT THEY DIRECT CONVENTION CENTER STAFF, UM, TO CREATE AN ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.
AND I KNOW THAT THE EXPANSION IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, UH, IN THE PAST WITH THIS COMMISSION.
AND SO OUR, OUR THINKING IN THAT IS THAT, UM, WELL, SO FIRST OF ALL, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A, A BIG USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
UH, THE CITY COUNCIL JUST PASSED A 1.2 BILLION, UH, CONTRACT
[01:20:01]
OF APPROVAL.AND THE CONVENT CENTER DIRECTLY IMPACTS HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES, WHICH, UH, PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE CULTURAL ARTS, MUSIC AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANTS.
SO THESE GROUPS ALL HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, BUT ALSO, UH, THE, BECAUSE THE CONVENTION CENTER IS PART OF THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN, AND, UH, THE PALM DISTRICT HAS HISTORIC CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE, UH, TO THE, THE LATINO COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND JUST THE FACT THAT THERE'S A, A POSSIBILITY FOR CREATION OF, UH, PUBLIC SPACES AND PROGRAMMING, WE FEEL LIKE IT'S ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE THAT A COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD BE COMMITTED, CREATED, AND PRECEDENT FOR THAT.
IT WOULD BE THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT INITIATIVE PRIVATE CLINIC, UH, DISPLACED ANTI DISPLACEMENT EFFORTS.
AND ALSO I 35 HAS A COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, WE SET THIS UP TO COUNCIL.
WE WOULD LOVE FOR THIS TO BE SOMETHING THAT DOWNTOWN COMMISSION CONSIDERS AS WELL.
AND, UH, I CAN SHARE, UM, I CAN SHARE THE RECOMMENDATION DOCUMENT WITH YOUR STAFF LIAISON.
IF ANYBODY HAVE HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME ABOUT WHY WE, UH, CHOSE TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION, I'M HAPPY TO.
LET ME JUST SAY THAT I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
IN FACT, WHEN I WAS TALKING WITH THE, UH, CITY, UH, ABOUT THE EXPANSION IN MY CAPACITY AS THE PRESIDENT OF DANA AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BACK WHEN I WAS THE PRESIDENT THERE, I TOLD 'EM THAT ONE THING THAT I THOUGHT THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY NEEDED TO INCLUDE IN THE EXPANSION WAS A REALLY GOOD STATE-OF-THE-ART PODCAST STUDIO, BECAUSE THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT, YOU KNOW, A MUSIC STUDIO, PODCAST STUDIO RECORDING.
BUT THAT KIND OF THING, YOU GUYS WOULD BE THE PERFECT GROUP.
YOU KNOW, A A MUSIC COMMISSION GROUP WOULD BE A PERFECT GROUP TO, UH, ADVISE THEM ON THE KIND OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE GONNA NEED, THE KIND OF EQUIPMENT THAT THEY'RE GONNA NEED.
SO I DEFINITELY THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE YOU AS PART OF THAT.
WE, I MEAN, WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN PROVIDE THAT TYPE OF INPUT AND INSIGHT THAT CAN HELP MAKE THE CONVENTION CENTER A, A TRULY WORLD-CLASS DESTINATION FOR, FOR VISITORS THAT REFLECTS THE CULTURE OF AUSTIN, BUT ALSO HELPS SUPPORT THAT CULTURE, UM, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, MUSIC PROMOTION, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAD NOT, THAT HAS NOT COME UP IN DISCUSSION AT ALL, BUT IT IS AMAZING.
SO I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE BROUGHT ON BOARD, UH, THAT'S IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF PIPELINE OF IDEAS THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE TO CONVENTION CENTER STAFF DURING THIS CRITICAL PLANNING PERIOD THAT'S, THAT'S STARTING TO BEGIN RIGHT NOW.
COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, IF YOU WOULD SHARE THAT WITH CHRISTINE AND AARON, WE WOULD MAKE, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS CIRCULATED TO ALL OF THE COMMISSION AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD.
[9. Update and discussion regarding action related to the Downtown Commission taken at the last Urban Transportation Commission meeting.]
SCHEDULED ITEM IS, UH, THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER.SO WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T MEET LAST NOVEMBER BECAUSE OF ELECTION DAY.
I DID WANT TO GIVE ONE QUICK UPDATE ON THE BIKE PARKING, UH, RECOMMENDATION WE SENT UP.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT WAS A BIG DISCUSSION ON LAST TIME.
UH, CITY COUNCIL DID INITIATE THOSE AMENDMENTS TO CITY CODE ON NOVEMBER 9TH.
UM, THOSE SHOULD BE MY UNDERSTANDING IS GOING AROUND TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.
SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WANTS TO WEIGH IN ON, JUST WANTED TO ALERT YOU THAT, UM, THEY ALSO, IN ADDITION TO UPDATING THE BIKE PARKING MINIMUMS, UM, ALSO ENCOURAGE THE CITY MANAGER TO UPDATE THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL TO TALK ABOUT THE TYPES OF BIKE PARKING, AND THEN ALSO LOOK INTO WAYS THAT WE CAN INCENTIVIZE EXISTING DEVELOPMENTS TO MEET THIS NEW STANDARD OF BIKE PARKING THAT WILL BE HOPEFULLY ROLLING OUT IN 2024.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF OUR SCHEDULED ITEMS. ARE THERE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT COMMISSIONERS HAVE? MAYBE THE BIKE, NEW BIKE PARKING STANDARDS? YEAH, I, I DON'T, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A COUPLE MONTHS AWAY.UM, THE POOR STATE STAFF JUST GOT DONE DOING THE BIG MOTOR VEHICLE PARKING AMENDMENTS.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA GUESS THEY NEED A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BEFORE THEY START RAMPING UP AGAIN.
WELL, WE'LL PUT THAT DOWN FOR SOMETIME IN THE SPRING.
U UNIFIED PARKING, WHAT IS THAT? SO IT'LL BE BIKE PARKING UPDATES TO TITLE 25 OF THE LAND CODE.
DAN HENNESSY, I THINK IS RUNNING LEAD ON THAT.
UH, HE'S THE ONE WHO RAN THE LEAD ON THE MOTOR VEHICLE PARKING MINIMUM.
SO I, I'M SURE THEY WILL ALSO COME BEFORE THE
[01:25:01]
UTC AND THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL.SO I CAN ALSO MAKE SURE IF, IF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION'S INTERESTED THAT I'D FLAG FOR THEM THAT THEY SHOULD COME HERE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
ANY OTHER FUTURE ITEMS THAT FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON AN AGENDA? OKAY.
UM, WELL, WITH THAT, UH, I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE THIS YEAR.
UH, AND FOR THOSE WHO'VE COME ON BOARD THIS YEAR, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRODUCTIVE 2024.
THIS IS OUR LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR, SO I WANNA WISH EVERYBODY THE HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
IT'S 6:58 PM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION STANDS IN ADJOURNMENT.