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[CALL TO ORDER ]
UM, I'M SUSAN SUMMERS.I'M, UM, IT IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5TH AT 5:04 PM I'M GOING TO CALL THE, UM, MEETING OF THE, UH, URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING.
WITH THAT, OUR FIRST ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
SO THIS IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FOR PETE, SPEAKERS FROM THE PUBLIC THAT, UH, WANT TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM NOT CURRENTLY ON OUR AGENDA.
ARE THERE ANY SPEAKERS EITHER ONLINE OR IN PERSON? ALL RIGHT.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Urban Transportation Commission REGULAR MEETING on October 3, 2023. ]
NONE, WE'LL MOVE TO OUR FIRST ITEM, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF OUR OCTOBER MEETING.UM, WE DID NOT GET TO MEET IN NOVEMBER BECAUSE OF OUR CALENDAR, UH, FOLLOWING THE SAME DAY AS ELECTION DAY.
SO WE HAD A LAST MINUTE MEETING CANCELLATION.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE MINUTES IN THE PACKET AND HAVE HAD TIME TO REVIEW THOSE AS WELL.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION WITH THE MINUTES, REUBEN? YES.
SECOND, YOU MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE, UM, OCTOBER 23RD, 2023 MEETINGS.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY, AYE, LOOKS LIKE THAT'S UNANIMOUS OF THOSE PRESENT.
UM, OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ACTUALLY A DISCUSSION ITEM ABOUT THE MOBILITY BOND FUNDS, BUT THE INDIVIDUAL PRESENTING TO US IS IN A ANOTHER MEETING AND IS, UH, DELAYED, WILL BE DELAYED PROBABLY FOR A COUPLE.
SO WE'RE GONNA SLOT HIM DOWN AS SOON AS I CAN GET HIM IN, BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE UNTIL A COUPLE ITEMS IN.
SO WE'RE GONNA SKIP ITEM TWO AND TAKE THIS DIRECTLY INTO ADAM THREE, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON PROJECT CONNECT, UH, WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP STAFF.
WAIT, SORRY, JUST, UH, POINT OF PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY, I GUESS, DO WE NEED TO TABLE THE ITEM OR POSTPONE IT? WHO CARES? NO, WE USUALLY DON'T DO THAT.
AND I MEAN, IF WE GOT INTO ROBERT'S RULES, MAYBE, BUT IN UTC WE TYPICALLY HAVE NOT SURE THAT'S VOTED ON SUCH THINGS IF OUR PRESENTERS AREN'T HERE, SO.
IF YOU, NATALIE, AND YOU'RE GONNA, YOU JUST GET MY ATTENTION WHEN YOU'RE READY IN BETWEEN WHENEVER HE GETS HERE IN BETWEEN, I CAN, I CAN WORK HIM IN WHENEVER HE'S AVAILABLE.
UM, SO I GUESS THAT WILL BRING UP OUR PROJECT CONNECT PRESENTATION.
THAT'S WHO'S NOT ON THE CALL YET, IS THE PROJECT THAT I DON'T, I DUNNO IF THEY, I THOUGHT THAT, OKAY, SO LET ME, LET ME MAKE SURE I'M FOLLOWING.
SO WE HAVE A MOBILITY BOND ACTION PLAN PRESENTER THAT, AND THE, AND THE PROJECT CONNECT ARE DELAYED.
I WASN'T EXPECTING TO BE DELAYED.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO CALL.
YEAH, I DON'T SEE THEM ON THE I GOT YOU.
YEAH, WE'RE LEARNING THAT ON THE SPOT.
OKAY, SO
[4. Discussion and possible action on a recommendation to Council related to Autonomous Vehicles in Austin]
FOUR, WHICH IS RE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL RELATED TO THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IN AUSTIN.WELL, GOOD EVENING, UH, CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE ETC.
I'M DIVISION MANAGER OF THE SMART MOBILITY OFFICE.
I'M HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUE RACHEL CASTLEY, AND SHE, UM, HAS BEEN MANAGING OUR AV SAFETY WORK GROUP.
SO WE'RE HERE TO GIVE YOU A BRIEFING ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, UM, IN AUSTIN.
THERE'S A FLICKER RIGHT THERE TOO.
WELL, I GUESS I'D LIKE TO JUST KIND OF JUMP RIGHT IN WITH THE BIG THING REGARDING AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, AND THAT IS THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT.
UM, SENATE BILL 2205 WAS PASSED IN 2017, AND THE LANGUAGE IS UP ON THE SCREEN, AND IT'S PRETTY CLEAR CUT.
UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, MUNICIPALITIES DO NOT HAVE THE REGULATORY AUTHORITY TO PERMIT OR REGULATE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IN REALITY IS THAT WE WORK WITH THE COMPANIES KIND OF ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS, UM, REQUESTING INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE OPERATING, UM, REQUESTING THEM TO COME AND INTERACT WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, DIVISIONS, UM,
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BOSTON POLICE, FIRE EMS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND HOW TO INTERACT WITH THESE CARS AS THEY'RE OUT THERE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.UM, WE ASK FOR ANY DATA THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO SHARE, AND IT'S, SO, IT'S A VERY COLLABORATIVE PROCESS THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL SPEAKING IN WITH THE SAME VOICE.
RACHEL HAS LED UP THE, UM, INTERDEPARTMENTAL AV WORKING SAFETY GROUP, AND THAT'S MEMBERS OF FIRE POLICE, EMS, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.
AND SO WE'RE ALL COMMUNICATING, LEARNING THE SAME INFORMATION AND SHARING IT WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO THAT'S THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT.
SO, AVS AREN'T REALLY NEW TO AUSTIN.
THEY'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE ABOUT 2000.
UH, I THINK ARGO CAME IN AROUND 2019, BUT BACK IN 2017, UH, THE DEPARTMENT REALIZED THAT WE WERE, WE REALLY STARTED NEED TO PLAN FOR ALL THIS EMERGING TECHNOLOGY, NOT JUST AVS AND CONNECTED VEHICLES, BUT ALL THE SUITE OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY THAT WE SAW COMING OUR WAY.
SO, BUT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AT THE TIME DRAFTED THE SMART MOBILITY ROADMAP IN 2017.
THE SAME TIME, ROUGHLY THAT SB 2205 WAS PASSED, UM, TIME PASSES FORWARD, ARGO CAME IN AND THEY BEGAN TO OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY, AND THEY ONLY OPERATED IN A TRAINING CAPACITY, WHICH MEANS THEY HAD A SAFETY DRIVER AND THEY DROVE ROUTES AND MAPPED AND STARTED TO WORK WITH THE TECHNOLOGY.
AND THEN THEY HAD DONE THAT FOR A COUPLE YEARS, UM, COMMUNICATING AND WORKING WITH THE CITY.
AND THEN AROUND 2019, UH, 20, THEY ESSENTIALLY FOLDED.
UM, BUT, UH, THEN CAME CREWS AND THEY HAD BEEN OPERATING OVER, EXCEPT FOR JUST RECENTLY THEY'D BEEN OPERATING IN THE CITY.
AND THEY WERE THE FIRST TO ACTUALLY COMMERCIALIZE AND BEGIN TO HAVE KIND OF A SOFT LAUNCH WHERE PEOPLE COULD TAKE RIDES AND PAY FOR 'EM VERY MUCH LIKE A TNC TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY OR AN UBER OR LYFT.
THAT KIND OF BUSINESS MODEL, UM, OBVIOUSLY LATELY IN THE NEWS CREWS HAS CEASED TO OPERATE, BUT WE STILL HAVE FOLKS OPERATING, UH, COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND, UM, RACHEL WILL GO KIND OF MORE INTO DETAIL ABOUT WHO THOSE OPERATORS ARE AND WHERE THEY'RE AT.
SO I'LL JUST TRADE ANOTHER THANKS.
UM, SO JUST TO KIND OF COVER, WE COVERED THE STATE LAW.
THERE ARE SOME FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS CATCHING UP ON THIS.
UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGULATES THE SAFETY OF VEHICLES, AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT REGULATES DRIVERS THROUGH THEIR DMVS.
SO THIS IS KIND OF AN INTERESTING SITUATION WHERE THE VEHICLES ARE DRIVERS.
UM, THERE ARE SOME RULES LIKE THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS, AS WELL AS THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION THAT PROVIDE RULES ABOUT, UM, VEHICLES, UM, EXPECTATIONS ABOUT SAFETY.
AND SO, TO BE CLEAR, THERE IS, THERE ARE AVS OPERATING IN AUSTIN AS RIDESHARE.
THERE ARE, UH, AV FREIGHT ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, THAT CURRENTLY HAVE SAFETY ENGINEERS IN THEM, BUT ARE OPERATING AUTONOMOUSLY.
THE MAIN, UH, PEOPLE WE WORK WITH ARE NITSA, THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ADMINISTRATION.
THEY DO HAVE A VOLUNTARY DATA SHARING PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEY ARE MOVING INTO, UM, KIND OF A STRONGER, UH, REGULATORY PROCESS ON THESE.
AND WE EXPECT RULES ANY DAY NOW TO COME OUT FOR THEIR, UH, AV STEP PROGRAM.
BUT WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH NITSA PRETTY REGULARLY ABOUT EXPECTATIONS THEY HAVE IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN HELP PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION ABOUT HOW AVS OPERATE ON THE GROUND.
THIS IS, UM, WHO'S CURRENTLY OPERATING AUSTIN AS OF 1130 THAT WE KNOW OF UNDER TEXAS STATE LAW.
PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO WORK WITH THE CITY, BUT WE BELIEVE MOST DO.
UM, WE DON'T, NO CRUISE CARS ARE OPERATING, BUT WE HAVE WAYMO HERE, UM, WHICH IS A GOOGLE SUBSIDIARY.
WE HAVE A DMT, WHICH IS VOLKSWAGEN.
ALL OF THESE CURRENTLY INCLUDE TEST DRIVERS.
UM, AND THOSE FLEET NUMBERS, WE DO ANTICIPATE TO GO UP, UH, STARTING IN 2024.
TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AV SAFETY WORKING GROUP.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN'T REGULATE AVS, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION TO BE DONE THAT REALLY HELPS US SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE, BUT ALSO SET EXPECTATIONS, UM, FOR HOW WE WANT, UH, TO WORK WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
WE HAVE A ONE PAGER OF EXPECTATIONS THAT WE SEND TO EVERYONE WHO SHOWS INTEREST IN MOVING AND DOING AV WORK HERE.
THIS ALSO LETS US DO TRAININGS FOR POLICE FIRING EMS AT THE SAME TIME WHERE WE HAVE A VEHICLE AND WE WALK THROUGH IT.
WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW TO REMOVE THE CROWN OR TIARA, WHICH HAS MOST OF THE AV TECHNOLOGY IN IT.
UM, SO IT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF REALLY GOOD TRAININGS, UH, WITH ALL THREE OF THOSE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES, WE USE ONE INCIDENT
[00:10:01]
REPORT, SO WE'RE COLLECTING THE SAME DATA.WE'RE STANDARDIZING THAT DOCUMENTATION.
UM, AND THIS ALSO GIVES AV COMPANIES THE OPTION TO KIND OF HAVE ONE WAY IN TO TALK TO ALL THESE GROUPS AND NOT HAVE TO MAINTAIN FIRE POLICE EMS CONTACTS.
AND WE GET TOGETHER A LOT AND WE REVIEW INCIDENTS AND WE TALK ABOUT THE DATA.
UM, AND IT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT AND WE DO PLAN TO EXPAND IT IN 2024.
UM, SO I PRETTY MUCH SAID MOST OF THIS, AND YOU CAN SEE THIS IS OUR FIRE IN OUR TRAINING.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL.
AND WE'VE HAD TEXAS DPS PRETTY INVOLVED AND UT POLICE, THOSE ARE BOTH ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INTERACTING WITH AVS IN AUSTIN.
UM, SOMETHING THAT WE DO TOGETHER IS, AS WE GATHER THE DATA, WE HAVE MEETINGS AND WE IDENTIFY HOTSPOTS, AREAS WHERE WE HEARD THAT AVS ARE CONTINUOUSLY HAVING ISSUES.
UM, WE TALK TO THE AV COMPANIES AND WE ALSO GO OUT TOGETHER TO THE SITES AND WE WALK AROUND AND WE DETERMINE WHAT'S CAUSING THE ISSUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS THE AV INTERPRETING THE INTERSECTION, STRANGELY, IS IT A JUST A ROGUE TREE IN FRONT OF A STOP SIGN? THERE'S ANY NUMBER OF THINGS.
SO THAT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL, UM, FOR ALL OF US TO BE INVOLVED IN.
AND I THINK REALLY HELPS BUILD UNDERSTANDING ON OUR SIDE, ON THE CITY SIDE OF HOW THE AVS ARE OPERATING, UM, AND HELPS THESE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS ANTICIPATE HOW THEY'RE GONNA ACT.
UM, BUT ALSO WE'VE CREATED EXCLUSION ZONES AROUND SPECIAL EVENTS.
WE USE ACTIVE 9 1 1 TO LET ALL OF OUR AV PARTNERS KNOW IMMEDIATELY ABOUT MAJOR EMERGENCIES SO THEY CAN AVOID THE AREA.
UM, WE DO A LOT OF PROACTIVE WORK LIKE WE DID AROUND HALLOWEEN, KIND OF TALKING ABOUT OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR SAFETY.
SO IT'S BEEN A REALLY GOOD GROUP.
FINALLY, THIS IS OUR DASHBOARD.
YOU CAN FIND IT ON CITY OF AUSTIN SLASH AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ALONG WITH AN FAQ.
UM, THIS IS UPDATED AS OF 1130.
UM, THIS IS WHERE ALL OF THE ISSUES, KIND OF THE INCIDENTS WE'VE GOTTEN ARE LOCATED, HOW THEY CAME IN AND HOW THEY'RE CATEGORIZED.
WE HAVE, UH, PUBLISHED CRITERIA ABOUT IT.
UH, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK SINCE THIS WENT PUBLIC, SO, UM, APPRECIATE ALL OF THAT.
TALKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS DASHBOARD.
UH, SO WE DO PLAN TO EXPAND IT AND ADD FILTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THIS IS HOW WE'RE DETERMINING WHERE THOSE HOTSPOTS ARE AND KIND OF WHAT THE ISSUES WE'RE SEEING ARE.
JUST LIKE AN FYI, THE RESIDENT FEEDBACK IS ONLY FEEDBACK THAT COMES TO US.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND IT'S ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PEOPLE OFTEN TELL US ABOUT IT, LINK US TO IT, BUT UNLESS IT COMES IN AND WE CAN GET A GOOD DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION ON IT, UM, IT, WE DON'T INCLUDE IT HERE BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY WHERE SOMEONE HAS BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO THE CITY.
SO I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS ARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT THIS, BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE CAPACITY TO CHART THAT.
SO THIS IS JUST 3 1 1, UM, CITIZEN ACTION FORMS. PEOPLE WHO'VE EMAILED COUNCIL MEMBERS, PEOPLE WHO'VE EMAILED US DIRECTLY.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THIS.
I, I ACTUALLY, I PROBABLY, I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A HOT ISSUE ACROSS THE CITY.
I HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING IT THAT CLOSELY PRIOR TO THEM LEAVING, HOW MANY VEHICLES DID CRUZ HAVE? DO WE KNOW THAT? ANSWER ABOUT 150.
UM, I FEEL LIKE I'VE SEEN A LOT OF, UH, SORT OF, PEOPLE ARE REALLY UPSET.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF HYSTERIA ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THIS IS GONNA BE A HARD QUESTION FOR YOU TO ANSWER.
HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM ARE THESE CAUSING? AND LIKE, I'M THINKING OF THE, A LOT OF SAFETY ISSUES AND A LOT OF TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, DRUNK DRIVING PEOPLE ON THEIR CELL PHONES CRASHES.
AND ARE THESE, YOU KNOW, CAUSING A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF SERIOUS AND FATAL CRASHES? AND, UM, ARE THEY, YOU KNOW, MAKING, THEY'RE MAKING PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT LIKE, REALLY, HOW, HOW MUCH OF AN ISSUE ARE THESE VEHICLES CAUSING? UM, THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
AND WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, GATHER A PERFECT AMOUNT OF DATA TO COMPARE THEM.
WE FEEL THEY ALL MAKE SAFETY CLAIMS. WE HAVE NO WAY TO VERIFY THEIR SAFETY CLAIMS. BUT, UM, WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM PUBLIC SAFETY, AND SO FIRE AND POLICE WHO ARE AT MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND TALKED ABOUT THIS IS, THERE'S AN UNPREDICTABILITY TO THE WAY THEY ACT AROUND, UM, EMERGENCIES AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY WITH LIGHTS AND SIRENS ON.
[00:15:01]
WHERE THEY SLOW DOWN OR STOP TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, THAT'S IMPORTANT IN EGRESS OR THEY SLOW DOWN.AND THEN REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR PEER CITIES, SAN FRANCISCO AND PHOENIX, AS WELL AS, UM, WE'RE IN THE NTA, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CITY TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS AV GROUP.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATION BACK AND FORTH, BUT I THINK THAT WE CAN'T SAY TO WHAT EXTENT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SAFETY ISSUE HERE.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TO WHAT STUDIES CAN YOU POINT TO THAT THEY'RE SAFER OVER A CERTAIN BMT THAN, THAN THAN A REGULAR DRIVER OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO I THINK THE HOTSPOTS THAT WE'VE NOTICED IS THAT, UH, THEY CAN'T RESPOND TO HAND SIGNALS.
SO IF THE POLICE ARE LIKE, DO THIS, THE CAR DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
AND SO YOU END UP GETTING IN SITUATIONS WHERE POLICE FIRE EMS WHO ARE TRYING TO DO THEIR JOB AND LIVES ARE AT STAKE, AND SUDDENLY THIS NEW VEHICLE IS IN THERE AND THEY DON'T, THEY CAN'T GET IT TO DO WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO.
UM, SO I THINK THAT CREATES A VERY VOLATILE KIND OF SITUATION.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF USING SUBJECTIVE LANGUAGE.
UM, THAT'S, THAT TO ME IS ONE BUCKET OF INCIDENCES THAT KIND OF RISE UP IN THE LEVEL OF SEVERITY, I GUESS.
AND I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT I'VE NOTICED, AGAIN, KIND OF IN JUST READING ALL THESE PIR AND ALL THE INFORMATION, IS THAT THERE'S A VERY CIRCUMSCRIBED AREA THAT THEY OPERATE IN.
AND SO THEY'RE ENDED UP HAVING 150 CARS IN A SMALL AREA.
SO CERTAIN PEOPLE ARE JUST SEEING LIKE A CRUISE CAR GOING DOWN OR A VEHICLE GOING DOWN CONSTANTLY.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S A SAFETY CONCERN, BUT IT'S A CONCERN.
AND THEN THERE'S JUST A VARIETY OF OTHER ISSUES.
BUT, UH, I WOULD SAY THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE ISSUES, DO YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR A FEW YEARS.
HAVE YOU SEEN ANY SORT OF, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THAT, LIKE IF YOU'VE RAISED AN ISSUE WITH WAYMO OR CRUZ AND THEY'RE AWARE OF IT, LIKE YOU SAY YOU HAVE A WORKING PARTNERSHIP, HAVE YOU SEEN ANY SORT OF, UM, MITIGATIVE EFFORTS THAT THEY'VE DONE AND HOW HAVE THOSE, HAVE THEY BEEN EFFECTIVE OR NOT? SURE.
UM, SO THE ISSUE WITH THE INCIDENTS, RIGHT, IS THAT THE MORE PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO TO TALK ABOUT AN INCIDENT OR THE MORE THEY'RE SEE THEM, THE MORE INCIDENTS WE'RE GONNA SEE, EVEN IF THEY ARE GETTING SAFER OR BETTER.
'CAUSE IT'S JUST THE DATA DOESN'T, IT'S NOT GONNA MATCH.
BUT, UM, AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DO FIND IT DURING A HOTSPOT AND WE FOUND A HOTSPOT LEAVING UT FOOTBALL GAMES, RIGHT? SO WE IDENTIFIED THE HOTSPOT, WE WENT WITH OUR AV PARTNERS AND POLICE AND SPECIAL EVENTS TO THE SPOT.
WE WALKED AROUND IT AND WE REALLY DECIDED THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE IT SAFE WAS TO JUST EXCLUDE THE AVS FROM THE TWO TO THREE HOURS AFTER FOOTBALL GAMES GET OUT.
AND THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM THERE ANYMORE.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE AV COMPANIES WHO, AGAIN, UNDER TEXAS STATE LAW DON'T NEED TO WORK WITH US, LIKE WORKING WITH US ON THAT.
'CAUSE WE'RE ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND USUALLY NOW WE CAN WORK PROACTIVELY BEFORE EVENTS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BOTH HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE VEHICLES WILL BE, WHERE THEY CAN AND SHOULD BE.
UH, SPENCER, UM, SO IF WE WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT COMMISSIONER KAPELMAN SAID.
SO, UH, WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION OF LIKE, ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS, I DON'T WANNA SAY GREAT THINGS.
UH, ONE OF THE BYPRODUCTS OF CALIFORNIA'S REQUIREMENTS WAS THAT SAN FRANCISCO WAS ABLE TO TRACK HOW AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES WERE DOING IN COLLISIONS PER VEHICLE MILE TRAVELED COMPARED TO A NORMAL RIDE SHARE.
AND THEY FOUND IT WAS WAY DOWN, RIGHT? AND LIKE THAT'S THE PROMISE OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IS TO REDUCE THE TRAFFIC DEATHS.
UM, AND RIGHT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LIKE, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THOSE COMPANIES DON'T WANNA PROVIDE VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED.
AND RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T PROVIDE YOU WITH EVERY COLLISION THAT HAPPENS.
BUT, UM, ONE THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT AFTER THE MEETING, VISION ZERO IS DOING A REALLY GREAT JOB OF PULLING TOGETHER MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES TO REALLY GET A GOOD PICTURE USING EMS FIRE AND POLICE DATA AND EVENTUALLY HOSPITAL DATA.
HAVE YOU TALKED WITH THEM ABOUT WHETHER THEY CAN SPECIFICALLY PULL AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND THEN WE CAN PERHAPS NOT DO IT PER COLLISION, BUT PER SERIOUS INJURY AND DEATH? BECAUSE THAT IS ALSO PERHAPS ANOTHER ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IS THAT THEORETICALLY WHEN THEY GET INTO COLLISIONS, THEY SHOULD BE LESS LETHAL AND LESS DANGEROUS THAN WHEN A TRADITIONAL VEHICLE GETS INTO A COLLISION.
SO YEAH, WE'VE HAD REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING, UH, SIGNS AND MARKINGS AND VISION ZERO, UM, KIND OF SHARING OUT THIS DATA, TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS DATA MORE USEFUL TO THEM AND MORE USEFUL TO THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING ABOUT, UM, LIKE JUST GENERAL MITIGATION AND SAFETY CONCERNS EVERYWHERE THE VEHICLES ARE READING SIGNS AND THEY'RE READING STRIPING.
SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE PUTTING THIS INFORMATION BACK INTO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, GROUPS AS WELL AS VISION
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ZERO HAS REALLY HELPED US SAY LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, LIKE MAYBE THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH STRIPING OR WITH SIGNS LIKE BEING ABLE TO SEE THEM HERE.SO, UM, YEAH, WE'RE WORKING WITH VISION ZERO AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN KIND OF OVERLAY OUR MAPS SOON, UM, AND GET SOME GOOD IDEAS THEN ABOUT LIKE, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHERE THESE VEHICLES ARE OPERATING.
'CAUSE THERE'S, IT'S NOT JUST LIKE VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED AND SPEED, LIKE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF FACTORS.
UM, AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD.
SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE LIMITED IN REGULATIONS WE CAN PUT ON, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT UNCOMMON, RIGHT? WE'RE ALSO LIMITED IN WHAT WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, RIGHT? AND THERE'S A CARROT AND A STICK APPROACH.
WE CAN'T REALLY DO A STICK, BUT WE CAN DO A CARROT.
HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO INCENTIVES WE COULD PROVIDE TO GET MORE COOPERATION FROM AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE COMPANIES? SURE.
UM, SO WE, SO WE INITIALLY HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND KIND OF WHAT HAPPENED IS AS THE SUMMER AND FALL WENT ON, WE BECAME MUCH MORE OF A REACTIVE MM-HMM.
AND NOW THAT OUR INCIDENTS HAVE DROPPED OFF A LITTLE BIT, WE'RE NOW HAVING MUCH, A LOT MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WORKING REALLY PROACTIVELY WITH THESE GROUPS.
LIKE WHAT DATA THEY CAN PROVIDE US, RIGHT? THEY'RE TAKING A 3D MAP OF EVERY STREET, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE, CAN THEY HELP US WITH POTHOLES? CAN THEY HELP US WITH SIGNS, LIKE WHAT THEY CAN PROVIDE TO US AND WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO THEM? WE DON'T REALLY HAVE AN INCENTIVE TO OFFER THEM BECAUSE WE CAN'T OFFER THEM ANYTHING WE WOULDN'T OFFER TO EVERYONE ELSE.
UM, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY, UM, A LOT THEY CAN OFFER US AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT A LOT OF THEM SEEM TO WANT TO PARTNER AND PROVIDE US WITH DATA.
YEAH, I'LL JUST, I'LL THROW OUT ONE IDEA I'VE HAD, RIGHT? I, IN MY EXPERIENCE, I'VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE COMPANIES AND FOR THE MOST PART, ALL OF THEM WANT TO BE GOOD PUBLIC CITIZENS, EVEN THOUGH THAT THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE TO CORROBORATE WITH THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, PERHAPS REWARDING THOSE COMPANIES, YOU KNOW, HAVING A LIST OF LIKE THOSE THAT ARE IN GOOD STANDING WITH THE CITY THAT, YOU KNOW, DO, UH, TRAINING WITH POLICE AND FIRE BEFOREHAND THAT HAVE POLICIES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT REPORT COLLISIONS TO THE CITY.
OR AT LEAST TO, YOU KNOW, SOME ORGANIZATION WHERE THE CITY CAN SEE IT.
I, I THINK YOU WOULD PROBABLY GET SOME RESPONSIVENESS FROM THAT BECAUSE I, I THINK THE GOOD COMPANIES WANT TO DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES FROM THE BAD COMPANIES AND I THINK THAT'S ONE WAY WE CAN KIND OF ENCOURAGE THEM TOWARDS THAT.
UM, ONE LAST QUESTION, HOPEFULLY IT'S A QUICK ONE.
UM, WE'LL SPOKE AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION ABOUT HAVING A, A 3 1 1 TAG.
HAS THAT PROVIDED ANY OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO GET THAT 3 1 1 TAG? YEAH, SO WE PUT IT IN THE REQUEST FOR 3 1 1 AFTER THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AND IT'S STILL PENDING, BUT, UM, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH IT.
YEAH, MELISSA, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THESE VEHICLES ARE PUT INTO A CERTAIN AREA, UM, DURING CERTAIN TIMES.
HOW DOES THAT IMPACT TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY AROUND SPECIALTY EVENTS, JUST IN GENERAL, IF PEOPLE USING THEM OR NOT USING THEM, BUT THEY'RE ON, LIKE THEY'RE IN SERVICE? UM, YEAH, SO WE DON'T, UH, 'CAUSE WE CAN'T GET ANY DATA FROM THEM.
WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW OFTEN THEY HAVE RIDER IN THEM VERSUS THEY'RE MOVING AROUND GATHERING DATA, UM, OR KIND OF WHAT THEY'RE UP TO.
AND BECAUSE CREWS HAS PULLED OUT, WE HAD THE BEST, UH, KIND OF DETAILS THERE WHERE THEY WERE KIND OF COMING INTO SERVICE AT 8:00 PM UM, AND GOING OFF OF SERVICE AROUND 6:00 AM SO THEY WERE ONLY OPERATING AT NIGHT DOWNTOWN, MOSTLY THROUGH LIKE 45TH STREET TO THE NORTH AND DOWN TO THE RIVER.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NOTICED, AND IT'S IN THE DASHBOARD THAT THEY CAN BLOCK TRAFFIC AROUND SPECIAL EVENTS JUST 'CAUSE AGAIN, YOU HAVE A, IF YOU HAVE A POLICE OFFICER DIRECTING TRAFFIC THAT THEY REALLY STRUGGLE WITH THAT.
UM, AND SO SOMEONE HAS TO KIND OF REMOTE INTO THE VEHICLE, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
THE VEHICLES CANNOT BE TELEOPERATED IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD.
UM, SO THE REMOTE OPERATOR IS JUST MAKING A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE VEHICLE MOVING.
UM, SO IT DOES TAKE SOME TIME, THE POLICE, ESPECIALLY ON SPECIAL EVENTS, KIND OF EXPRESS THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE HAD THAT CONVERSATION NOW SEVERAL TIMES WITH EVERY COMPANY.
LIKE THIS IS A REALLY SENSITIVE PART FOR US, UM, JUST 'CAUSE IT IS BACKING UP EVERYONE IF SOMEONE IS STUCK.
AND IT ALSO LEADS TO BAD LIKE ACCESSIBILITY FOR POLICE, FIRE AND EMS. UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HOPE EVERYONE'S WORKING ON 'CAUSE WE KEEP REPEATING IT AS LIKE A REALLY BIG STICKING POINT FOR US.
SO I DO THINK IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY'RE STOPPING, THEY ARE CREATING ISSUES, UM, WITH TRAFFIC.
DO YOU FIND THAT, THAT THE VEHICLES TEND TO CONGREGATE AT THOSE EXACT MOMENTS? THAT WOULD ALSO BE MY EXPECTATION, RIGHT? THEY'RE ALSO DRAWN LIKE FLIES TO THE EVENTS WHERE THEY CAN'T OPERATE CORRECTLY.
IS THAT THE CASE IN YOUR EXPERIENCE? UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY ARE DRAWN TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NO INSIGHT INTO HOW THE AVS OPERATE OR WHAT THEIR SOFTWARE IS.
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONGREGATION EVENTS OF THE AVS
[00:25:01]
IS, UM, BECAUSE THEY WERE SO SPEED LIMITED, THEY WEREN'T USING LAMAR AND SO THEY WERE USING WEST CAMPUS AS A WAY TO GET AROUND.THEY ALSO DON'T GO THROUGH CAMPUS, SO THEY WERE USING WEST CAMPUS AS A WAY TO KIND OF AVOID THE MAJOR ARTERIALS, LAMAR AND GUADALUPE, UM, AND GO UP TO NORTHERN KIND OF HALF OF THE CENTRAL DISTRICT AND DOWN.
UM, AND WHEN THEY GOT UP TO 40 MILES PER HOUR, THEY STARTED USING LAMAR AND GUADALUPE MORE, AND SO THEY DIDN'T CONGREGATE AS MUCH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? ALL RIGHT.
I THINK THAT DOES IT FOR THAT ITEM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR PRESENTERS.
I, I THINK, I KNOW IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE THE A TP STAFF HERE, BUT I, IT IS LIKELY WE CAN KNOCK OUT THE, UM, RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS QUICKLY, SO I WOULD LIKE TO ACT IN THAT INTEREST
SO, UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE UP, UM, ITEM FIVE
[5. Discussion and possible action on a Right of Way vacation of West 35th abutting 1514 Kerbey Lane]
AND THEN ALSO ITEM SIX, WHICH ARE RIDE OF DAY VACATION ITEMS FOR TODAY WITH, UM, MICHELLE SMITH FROM TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.YOU NEED TO HAVE IT ON FOR THE RECORDING.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I AM WITH THE TRANSFER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT A STREET RIGHT OF WAY VACATION ON WEST 35TH STREET.
IT BASICALLY ABUTS, UH, 1514 KIRBY LANE.
UM, IT IS ITEM FIVE, FILE NUMBER 2 0 2 3 0 3 0 9 8 2 LMM, AND IT IS DISTRICT 10.
UH, THIS IS JUST KIND OF A PICTURE OF WHERE IT IS.
IT'S BASICALLY WHERE WEST 35TH AND WEST 38TH KIND OF SPLIT OFF, UM, JUST TO THE EAST OF KIRBY LANE.
UM, THE, UH, BUDDING OWNER, UH, IS CEDAR BUILDING, LLC.
UH, THIS IS AN UNPAVED UNDEVELOPED RIGHT OF WAY.
UH, BASICALLY MANY YEARS AGO, I CAN'T REMEMBER, IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE IT WAS THE SIXTIES, THE CITY PURCHASED, UM, A PART OF THE LOT SO THAT THEY COULD WIDEN 30 WEST, 35TH STREET.
AND SO WE WIDENED IT BUT DIDN'T ULTIMATELY NEED THE ENTIRE LOT.
UM, SO THIS HAS BEEN JUST LEFT OVER.
UM, AND THE ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNER'S BEEN, UH, MOWING IT AND MAINTAINING IT, KEEPING THE TRASH OUT, ET CETERA.
UM, SO THE VACATION TRACTED IS APPROXIMATELY 3,855 SQUARE FEET.
UH, ALL PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE 300 FEET OF THE VACATION AREA WERE SENT PUBLIC NOTICES THAT'S PER CODE.
UM, AND THAT WAS SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2023.
AND I DID NOT RECEIVE, I RECEIVED ONE PHONE CALL AND THEY JUST BASICALLY WANTED SOME GENERAL INFORMATION.
THEY WEREN'T FOR, NOR AGAINST, UM, ALL THE AFFECTED CITY DEPARTMENTS AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS HAVE REVIEWED IT AND APPROVED IT.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE REQUESTED, UH, THERE'S A, A WATER LINE AT THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY, SO THEY HAVE REQUESTED AN EASEMENT FOR THE WATER LINE.
UM, AND THEN THE PROPERTY OWNER IS ALSO, UH, GONNA DONATE A PART OF AN EASEMENT ON, ON A PROPERTY HE OWNS TO THE BACK.
AND THEN AUSTIN ENERGY NEEDED AN EASEMENT AT THE FRONT TO TAKE CARE OF THE ELECTRIC LINES.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA RETAIN A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT AND THEN A WASTEWATER LINE EASEMENT AS PART OF THE DEED WITHOUT WARRANTY.
UH, WHEN ASKED, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO DEVELOP THE AREA TO BE VACATED? UM, AGAIN, IT'S A SMALL RETAIL, UM, STORE.
NOW THEY SELL, UM, RUGS AND THEY NEED JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE TO SELL LARGER RUGS.
SO EVENTUALLY THEY WILL COME IN AND TRY TO ADD TO THE EXISTING, UM, RETAIL STORE.
THERE IS NO ACTIVE SITE PLAN NOW.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PROCESS ITSELF, WHAT, WHAT WE DO, HOW I LAUNCH IT, ET CETERA.
UM, AND THE PROPERTY OWNER IS HERE IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING HOW HE WISHES TO DEVELOP IT.
LOOKS LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER HAS A QUESTION.
YEAH, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.
THIS MIGHT BE FOR THE APPLICANT.
SO MY ONLY QUE QUESTION SLASH CONCERN IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING A DRIVEWAY THERE, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YOU'VE GOT THE BIKE LANE, YOU'VE GOT A BUSY RIGHT TURN LANE, A CROSSWALK, A BUSWAY.
THE, THE CITY WOULDN'T LET HIM GET A DRIVEWAY CUT OFF AT 35TH.
PERFECT, THEN I HAVE NO PROBLEM.
HE'LL, HE HAS AN EXISTING DRIVEWAY OFF OF KIRBY AND PARKING, AND SO THE WAY THE BUILDING WILL GET
[00:30:01]
SET IF, IF HE DECIDES TO GO FORWARD, WOULD BE ON JUST THE GRASSY WITH NOW THE GRASSY AREA.THERE WILL THEY, THE CITY WOULD NEVER ALLOW.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? ALL RIGHT.
SHALL WE TAKE A VOTE, UH, ON, OR DO WE HAVE A, SHOULD I SAY, SHOULD WE TAKE A MO SOMEONE GIMME A MOTION.
WHY DON'T I DO THAT SINCE I'VE FLUBBED THAT ONE UP.
UM, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS RIGHT OF WAY VACATION FOR ITEM FIVE.
LOOKS LIKE THAT'S UNANIMOUS OF ALL THOSE PRESENT.
AND THEN, UH, ATHENA ONLINE AS WELL.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE ONLINE BESIDE ATHENA OR IS SHE THE ONLY VIRTUAL ATTENDEE? I JUST OKAY.
[6. Discussion and possible action on a Right of Way vacation of Clay Avenue traversing from Burnet Road to Houston Street ]
ITEM SIX, ANOTHER RIGHT OF WAY VACATION FROM MICHELLE SMITH.UH, SO LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE LAST ONE WE JUST DID.
THIS IS A STREET RIGHT AWAY VACATION APPLICATION FOR CLAY AVENUE AS IT TRAVERSES FROM BURNETT ROAD TO HOUSTON STREET.
THE FILE NUMBER IS 2 0 2 3 0 3 3 8 7 7 LM AND IT IS IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
THIS, AGAIN, IS JUST A VISUAL OF HOW CLAY TRAVERSES.
UM, THE ABUTTING O UH, OWNERS ARE G-D-C-N-R-G, BRENTWOOD, LLC, JOHN MADA AND ANDREW COTTON.
AND THEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ODDLY OWNS A TEENY TINY, UH, TRIANGLE THAT, AGAIN, IS JUST KINDA A LEFTOVER, AND WE'RE GONNA CLEAN THAT UP AS, AS WE GO ALONG.
UM, I'VE ALREADY SAID THAT THIS, SO THIS IS JUST AN AERIAL PICTURE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
THAT'S A THUNDERCLOUD, UH, THE MADA AND, UH, MR. COTTON OWNS THE THUNDERCLOUD.
AND THEN GDC OWNS EVERYTHING TO THE RIGHT, TO THE, I'M CHALLENGED HERE.
UH, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? TO THE EAST? YES.
UM, IT IS PAVED AND IT IS DEVELOPED AND IT IS APPROXIMATELY 10,130 SQUARE FEET.
SO WHERE YOU SEE THE STOP SIGN AND THE SIDEWALK IS WHAT THE, THE CITY ACTUALLY OWNS THAT IN FEE RATHER THAN JUST HAVING, UH, PUBLIC RIGHTS TO IT.
UM, I'VE ALREADY SAID THAT IT'S 10,130 SQUARE FEET.
UH, ALL PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 300 FEET WERE SENT PUBLIC NOTICES ON OCTOBER 12TH, 2023.
NO OBJECTIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
UH, AUSTIN PLANNING COMMISSION RECEIVED A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE BRENTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, ALL AFFECTED CITY DEPARTMENTS EXTENT, UM, AND EXTENDED STAKEHOLDERS HAVE REVIEWED AND RECOMMENDED WE ARE GOING TO RETAIN AN EASEMENT UNTIL SUCH TIME THEY CAN MOVE ANY OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE OUT OF THE PAVED AREA, WHICH WOULD, I WOULD BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE DEVELOPER.
HERE IS THE LETTER THAT THE BRENTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SENT TO THE AUSTIN PLANNING COMMISSION.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO DEVELOP THE AREA TO BE VACATED WHEN ASKED THAT QUESTION? IT'S GOING TO BE A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT APARTMENT COMPLEX.
IT DOES HAVE AN ACTIVE SITE PLAN.
AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING THE PROCESS.
AND, UM, THE, UH, THE DEVELOPERS', UM, REPRESENTATIVE IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF.
UH, THEY DO HAVE A, UM, I'D HAVE TO ASK.
THEY, THEY DO HAVE A SMART HOUSING, UM, COMPONENT TO IT AS WELL.
SO IT'S HARD TO TELL ON THE MAP.
DOES CLAY AVENUE CONTINUE NORTH OF IT? DOES HOUSTON STREET THERE? IT DOES.
SPENCER, UM, I, I WILL CLARIFY.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE DEVELOPER IS, BUT I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THANK YOU.
WE'RE EMAILING AND, UH, THANKS FOR PROTECTING ACCESS TO THE PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON.
UM, IN FACT, I THINK HONESTLY, THIS WILL IMPROVE ACCESS.
I USE IT A LOT TO GET TO THE SHOAL CREEK BIKEWAY.
UM, ONLY THING I'LL SAY IS ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO KEEP THAT ACCESS THERE DURING CONSTRUCTION WOULD BE AWESOME.
I KNOW THAT IS DIFFICULT AND PROBABLY YOU WILL HAVE TO BLOCK ACCESS AT SOME POINT, BUT THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING IN THE PLANS.
YEAH, I WOULD SAY I'M, I'M JUST THINKING THAT, I MEAN, I JUST DON'T THINK IT REALLY IS RELEVANT.
I'M THINKING THE SAME, I'M PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH WALKING AROUND THIS AREA, AND SO, UM, GETTING ACROSS THESE STREETS AND STUFF IS FINE, BUT I DON'T REALLY SEE WHAT CLAY AVENUE CONTRIBUTES TO THAT NECESSARILY.
I'M NORMALLY NOT ONE FOR CLOSING STREETS, BUT ANYWAY, I DON'T NEED TO GO ON ABOUT THAT.
I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE
[00:35:01]
THIS RIGHT OF WAY.VACATION, DANIEL IS MY SECOND.
LOOKS LIKE THAT IS UNANIMOUS OF THOSE PRESENT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU LETTING ME ZIP THROUGH THAT REAL QUICK.
I THINK THAT WE ARE NOW GOING TO CALL, UM, UNLESS JAMES SNOW IS HERE.
[3. Presentation and possible action on a recommendation to Council on Project Connect]
UM, ITEM THREE, WHICH IS PRESENTATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL ON PROJECT CONNECT.AND THIS IS FROM OUR AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP STAFF.
THIS IS SORT OF, I THINK JUST A GENERAL UPDATE ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT.
HI, GOOD EVENING COMMISSION CHAIR, SUMMERS COMMISSIONERS, UM, PETER MULLEN FROM THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
UH, AND YES, WE'RE HERE JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON, ON, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHERE WE'RE GOING, AND, UH, SOME RECENT USER EXPERIENCE, OPEN HOUSES THAT WE'RE HAVING.
ACTUALLY WE'RE HAVING ONE TONIGHT.
UM, I'M ALSO JOINED BY ANIQUE BODE FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE.
SO SHE'S AVAILABLE TO EXPLORE AS WELL AS NECESSARY.
UM, AND I'M GONNA ACTUALLY, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT, SHARE MY SCREEN JUST TO, TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE, MY POWERPOINT JUST BECAUSE FROM A TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVE, IF THERE'S SOME ENHANCEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
ARE YOU SEEING MY SCREEN? NO, YOU'RE NOT.
SEE HERE, LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN.
SO, UM, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, RIGHT, LAST TIME WE'VE MET, THERE WE GO.
UM, IN JUNE, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN, ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, BUT IN JUNE, THE, UM, A TP BOARD, CITY OF AUSTIN CAPTAIN BOARD, UH, APPROVED THE, UH, AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, UM, WHICH IS INDICATED HERE IN TERMS OF, UH, PHASE ONE, PHASE ONE BEING THE, THE YELLOW LINE.
UM, THAT AFTER, YOU KNOW, FAIRLY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AS WELL AS TECHNICAL ANALYSIS PROCESS, UM, RESOLVED ON THIS RECOMMENDED PHASE ONE PLAN, UH, WHICH WILL RUN FROM 38TH STREET, UM, ON THE NORTHERN END, UH, DOWN GUADALUPE, UH, THROUGH DOWNTOWN ACROSS THIRD STREET, UM, TO THE EAST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN, ACROSS THE RIVER AT TRINITY STREET.
UH, AND THEN WHEN IT GETS ACROSS THE RIVER ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RIVER, YOU KNOW, SPLITS OFF AND, UH, TO TWO BRANCHES, ONE OF WHICH, UM, HEAD SOUTH, UM, ALONG SOUTH CONGRESS TO
UM, AT THE TIME WE ALSO, UH, IDENTIFIED TWO AREAS FOR PRIORITY EXTENSIONS.
SO THAT THOSE ARE AREAS THAT IF WE CAN FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE.
UM, AND THOSE ARE THE SECTION AT THE NORTHERN END OF THE ALIGNMENT FROM 38TH STREET NORTH TO CRESTVIEW AND ON THE EAST SIDE, UM, FROM YELLOW JACKET OUT TO THE AIRPORT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS PHASE ONE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION, AND IF YOU REMEMBER ONE OF THE, UM, A FEW OTHER DESIGN CHANGES IN ADDITION TO CROSSING THE RIVER ONCE AS OPPOSED TO TWICE.
UM, ALSO ALL THE, YOU KNOW, THE BEST THIS, THIS, THIS PLAN IS ALL AT THE STREET, UM, ON GRADE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE IN THE PROCESS RECOGNIZE THAT THERE, THERE ARE TRADE-OFFS WITH ALL THESE CHOICES, BUT CERTAINLY SOME BENEFITS TO, UM, THE INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY OF THE SYSTEM, UM, AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO INTEGRATE THE LIGHT RAIL INTO THE SURROUNDING URBAN FABRIC AND THE URBAN FABRIC THAT IT RUNS THROUGH.
UM, AND THAT SORT OF INFORMS A LITTLE BIT OF THE PROCESS WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW ABOUT HOW DO WE ACTUALLY DEFINE AND ENHANCE THE USER EXPERIENCE OF THE SYSTEM TO ENHANCE AND INCREASE RIDERSHIP.
UM, SO WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE, A, A FEW SEPARATE BUT RELATED STRANDS, RIGHT? UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, CONSTANTLY ARE CROSS CHECKED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER AND ALSO INFORMED ONE ANOTHER, UM, BUT ALSO ARE INFORMED BY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ALONG THE WAY.
SO ON THE ONE HAND, WE'VE GOT THE DESIGN PROCESS, UM, AND REALLY IN THE, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT TWO YEARS WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON, UM, OUR FEDERAL GRANT PROCESS, UM, AND
[00:40:01]
THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS.SO A LOT OF THAT INFORMS OUR, OUR, OUR SCHEDULE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND OUR ACTIVITIES.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE COUNTING ON SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT FROM THE FDA.
UM, SO ON THE ONE HAND WE'VE GOT THE DESIGN PROCESS.
SO WE ARE, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE HAVE A RESOLVED PHASE ONE ALIGNMENT BACK INTO, UH, LOOKING AT THE, THE DESIGN AND ADVANCING THE CONCEPTUAL ENGINEERING.
UM, UM, AND PART OF THAT IS ALSO THIS, UH, USER EXPERIENCE RESEARCH THAT WE'VE CONDUCTED AND THAT WILL INFORM THE DESIGN OF THE PUBLIC FACING ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND.
UM, THE IDEA IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS LATER THIS SUMMER, WE WILL HAVE A FINAL BASE DESIGN, UM, AND THAT REALLY, UM, UH, I'M SORRY I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF.
THAT'S, THAT WILL TAKE US THROUGH TO, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS INTO 2025.
UM, IN PARALLEL TO THAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, THE NEPA PROCESS.
UM, SO WE ARE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ACTUALLY HAD TO RESTART THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, UM, FOR THIS NEW ALIGNMENT.
UM, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE A TP WILL BE THE SPONSOR OF, UM, THE NEW ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS WORKING WITH THE FDA.
UM, WE ARE EXPECTING TO, UH, TO REALLY LAUNCH THAT PROCESS, UM, EARLY IN 2024 WITH THE NOTICE OF INTENT, UM, AND THEN BRINGING BACK, UH, DRAFT EIS TO THE PUBLIC NEXT FALL.
SO A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR FROM NOW, MAYBE 10 MONTHS FROM NOW.
UM, AND THEN THE FINAL EIS, UH, A YEAR AFTER THAT.
UM, AND THEN AT THIS PARALLEL WITH THAT PROCESS, WE HAVE THE, THE CIG PROCESS, THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROCESS.
UM, SO WE CAN, SIMILARLY WE'LL BE ENTERING PROJECT DEVELOPMENT THIS WINTER AND COMPLETING THAT, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS HENCE.
UM, AND THAT REALLY PREPARES US TO GO INTO FINAL ENGINEERING AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY CONSTRUCTION.
SO THE NEXT TWO YEARS ARE REALLY ABOUT ADVANCING DESIGN, GOING THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS AND PREPARING FOR OUR GRANT FROM THE FTA FROM, SO FROM THE DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE, UM, ARE, WE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS MOMENT TO REALLY ANCHOR OUR PROCESS IN REALLY STRONG FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES AROUND USER EXPERIENCE AND USER NEEDS.
SO WE KIND OF, I HAVEN'T GONE BACK NECESSARILY, BUT I THINK WE'VE TRIED TO REALLY DIG DEEP INTO, UM, SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF, UH, HOW PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE THIS SYSTEM, UM, SO THAT, AND REALLY UNDERSTAND THEM AS THOROUGHLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY CAN INFORM THE DESIGN.
SO BEFORE WE JUST JUMP INTO DESIGN, REALLY GETTING INTO THIS, THESE EXPERIENTIAL ELEMENTS, SO STARTING WITH RESEARCH, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE WE'VE STARTED.
UM, AND LETTING THAT TO INFORM A SET OF PRIORITY USER NEEDS.
UM, AND WE'RE THIS REALLY THE BASIS OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE PUBLIC RIGHT NOW AND REALLY MAKING, VALIDATING THE, OUR, OUR USER NEEDS WITH THE PUBLIC AND GETTING THEIR INPUT, UM, AND THEN TURNING THOSE INTO DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT THEN CAN INFORM THE DESIGN GOING FORWARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, THIS IS, THIS IS A MARATHON.
WE WANT TO DO IT RIGOROUSLY AND THOROUGHLY.
AND SO, UM, STARTING AT THE, AT THE, AT THE FOUNDATION, UM, PART OF THAT RESEARCH INCLUDES, UH, I CALL LOCAL CONTEXT RESEARCH.
SO THESE ARE ASPECTS OF AUSTIN THAT WILL INFORM THE DESIGN PROCESS AS WELL.
UM, WE WANT THIS TO BE A PROGRAM THAT IS SPECIFIC TO AUSTIN.
IT'S NOT LIKE EVERY OTHER PLACE, UM, THAT'S REALLY INFORMED BY ISSUES OF LOCAL ECOLOGY, LOCAL CULTURE.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE LANDSCAPE AND OUR NATURAL SYSTEMS IN AUSTIN ARE CRITICAL TO OUR EXPERIENCE.
ONE, ONE COMMENT WE'VE GOTTEN RECENTLY IS THAT NATURE IS CULTURE HERE.
AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, ENGAGING WITH NATURAL SYSTEMS STRATEGICALLY AND ALSO TO PROMOTE, YOU KNOW, POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM.
UM, SO SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH LOOKS, LOOKS AT BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES.
UM, LOCAL MATERIALS AND ISSUES OF CRAFT IN LOCAL CONSTRUCTION TRADES OF HOW DO WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TRADES AND MATERIALS THAT, THAT WE HAVE STRONG, UM, WE HAVE STRONG HISTORY AND OF CRAFTSMANSHIP IT AND USE THAT TO INFORM SOME OF OUR CHOICES IN THE DESIGN PROCESS.
UH, AND THEN ALSO SOME ANALYSIS ABOUT, UH, WAY FINDING STRATEGIES.
SO THIS IS NOT ABOUT SIGNAGE PER SE, BUT UNDERSTANDING HOW PEOPLE TYPICALLY NAVIGATE THESE SYSTEMS. WHAT ARE THE, THE, UH, ELEMENTS THAT IMPROVE NAVIGATION AND WAYFINDING, AND WE CAN BUILD THEM INTO OUR DESIGN PROCESS AS WELL.
UM, SO WE ARE WORKING WITH A DESIGN TEAM THAT'S REALLY FOCUSED ON, ON THIS IDEA OF HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, NOT HOW WE AS DESIGNERS WANT PEOPLE TO BEHAVE OR HOW WE HOPE PEOPLE WILL BEHAVE, BUT REALLY UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY DO BEHAVE, UM, AND TRYING TO BUILD THE DESIGN AROUND THAT.
[00:45:01]
THIS IS AN IMAGE JUST SHOWING THAT YES, WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN PLAN INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, FOR HOW WE THINK PEOPLE WILL USE IT, BUT FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.PEOPLE OFTEN USE INFRASTRUCTURE IN WAYS THAT WE DON'T PLAN FOR.
SO HOW CAN WE REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE MOVE THROUGH THE CITY, HOW THEY USE THE CURRENT TRANSIT ENVIRONMENT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY INFORM OUR DESIGN DECISIONS ALONG THE WAY SO THAT PEOPLE ARE USING THE SYSTEM AS WE DESIGN IT AND AS WE INTEND FOR THEM TO DESIGN.
AND ALSO SO THAT WE BUILD IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF AGENCY AND FLEXIBILITY FOR THE USER EXPERIENCE, UH, TO EVOLVE OVER TIME.
SO IN ORDER TO GET THERE, UH, WE'VE ENGAGED WITH SOME FAIRLY DETAILED, UH, OBSERVATIONAL ANALYSIS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW PEOPLE MOVE THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
UM, BOTH HOW THEY JUST MOVE IN GENERAL OR HOW THEY ENGAGE WITH TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE, THE POINTS OF FRICTION ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, SOME OF THOSE USER JOURNEYS.
UM, WHERE ARE THERE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK WITHIN THE ALIGNMENT TO MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH EXISTING AND PLANNED, UH, FUTURE URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THIS, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS ON THE RIGHT OF WAY, BUT ALSO WHAT HAPPENS AROUND THE RIGHT OF WAY AS A HUGE INFLUENCE ON, YOU KNOW, THE WALKABILITY OF THESE DISTRICTS, WHICH IS SO CRITICAL TO THE USE OF TRANSIT AND OUR BUILDING, OUR TRANSIT CULTURE.
UM, SO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THOSE PARAMETERS AND INPUTS THAT WILL REALLY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON, ON THE DESIGN AND THE DESIGN PROCESS AND HOW PEOPLE WILL USE THE SYSTEM, WHAT'S ITS BUILT.
UM, WE'VE ALSO, UH, BEEN DOING SOME, I THINK SOME PRETTY INNOVATIVE STUFF WITH TECHNOLOGY, UM, NOT ONLY TO BE ABLE TO OBSERVE HOW PEOPLE, UH, MOVE THROUGH THE SYSTEM, BUT REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW THEY FEEL, UM, AS THEY'RE MOVING THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
AND SO WE DIDN'T EXPERIMENT WITH, UH, A NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS WHO REPRESENTED A DIVERSITY OF, OF USER PROFILES, AND WE SENT THEM ON, UH, TRANSIT JOURNEYS AND PUT THEM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE TRANSIT SYSTEM.
AND THEN WE ALSO TRACKED, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY WERE FEELING AS THEY WERE MOVING THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
SO, UM, THE VIDEO DOWN BELOW IS, IS THE SPECIAL GLASSES THAT ACTUALLY TRACK YOUR, YOUR EYE MOVEMENTS AND TRACK WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT AS YOU MOVE AROUND, UM, AND COMBINE THAT WITH, UH, A BIOMETRIC WATCH THAT, UH, MEASURED VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, BIOMETRIC, UH, INDICATORS LIKE TEMPERATURE AND HEART RATE AND SWEAT.
UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PUT ALL THOSE ELEMENTS TOGETHER AND THEN COMBINE THEM WITH GPS, YOU KNOW, MAP OF HOW ABOUT THEIR MOVEMENTS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE, UM, AS THESE PARTICIPANTS WERE MOVING THROUGH THE SYSTEM AND, AND HOW WE CAN USE THAT TO HELP TO INFORM CERTAIN DESIGN PRINCIPLES.
SO, UM, THE VIDEO YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS A, A VIDEO OF A, OF A WOMAN WHO MOVES AROUND THE CITY IN A, IN A WHEELCHAIR.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A WHOLE SERIES OF LESSONS THAT I THINK WE LEARNED FROM HER JOURNEY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STRESSES THAT SHE EXPERIENCES AS SHE MOVES, UM, AND USES TRANSIT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF WHICH IS LIKE JUST BEING ANXIOUS ALL THE TIME THAT SHE CAN'T BE SEEN PARTICULARLY AT AN INTERSECTION WHERE SHE'S CROSSING A STREET, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING ENOUGH TIME TO GET OUT OF THE TRAIN, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE DOORS CLOSE.
SO, UM, THE WHOLE SERIES OF, I THINK, ACTIONABLE LESSONS THAT WE'VE LEARNED THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, THAT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, WILL INFORM THE DESIGN GOING FORWARD.
AND IT'S REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ACTUALLY TRY TO PUT OURSELVES IN, IN OTHER PEOPLE'S SHOES AS WE, UH, IMAGINE HOW THIS SYSTEM WILL WORK.
UM, WE THEN SORT OF COMPLIMENTED THAT WITH SOME, SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME SITE VISITS AND WORKSHOPS AND ENGAGEMENTS ON THE GO WHERE WE, UM, ENGAGED, UH, SPECIFIC STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT HAVE VERY SPECIFIC PERSPECTIVES ON, UH, MOBILITY AND, AND USING TRANSIT SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS AS WELL.
UM, THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED COMMUNITY, THE DEFINITE PART OF HEARING COMMUNITY SAFE ROUTE ROUTES TO SCHOOL.
UM, AND ALSO WE DID SOME INTERNAL, UH, YOU KNOW, STAFF WORKSHOPS JUST TO TRY TO AGAIN, IDENTIFY WHAT THE THINGS THAT ARE, ARE MOST, UH, IMPORTANT THAT WE NEED TO SOLVE FOR IN TERMS OF THE USER EXPERIENCE OF THE, OF THE SYSTEM.
AND SO OUT OF THAT, UM, WE HAVE DEVELOPED THIS, UH, THIS HIERARCHY OF USER NEEDS, UM, AND THAT WE'RE NOW TAKING OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND ORIGINALLY THIS WAS JUST A KIND OF A, A SET OF, OF USER NEEDS THAT WEREN'T HIERARCHICAL.
AND ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FEEDBACK ELEMENTS WE GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS THAT REALLY THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOUNDATIONAL THAN OTHERS.
UM, CERTAINLY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE TO PROVIDE RELATED TO SAFETY AND SECURITY, UM, PREDICTABILITY, EASE OF ACCESS, UM, YOU KNOW,
[00:50:01]
RELIEF FROM WEATHER, RIGHT? WE HAD THE BENEFIT OF DOING A LOT OF THIS WORK OVER THE SUMMER, SO WE'VE GOT TO EXPERIENCE THE IMPACT OF OUR INCREASING HEAT ON, UM, BEING OUTSIDE AND BEING USING TRANSIT OUTSIDE.UM, AND SO THAT'S CLEARLY GONNA BE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR WHEN WE'RE DESIGNING THE SYSTEM.
UM, MOVING UP THE PYRAMID, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A SERIES OF, OF USER NEEDS ASSOCIATED WITH COMFORT AND THE JOY OF USING THE SYSTEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ACTUALLY PROVIDE RELIEF FROM STREET NOISE? UM, WHERE ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT TO NATURE? BECAUSE THAT CAN REALLY BE AN ENHANCEMENT OF THE, OF THE EXPERIENCE OF USING TRANSIT, ALL OF WHICH IS JUST HOW DO WE MAKE THE TRANSIT EXPERIENCE, UM, MORE DESIRABLE SO THAT MORE PEOPLE USE IT AND THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, USE IT EVERY DAY, RIGHT? OR HAVING A GREAT EXPERIENCE DOING SO.
UM, AND THEN AT THE TOP, I THINK THERE'S SOME MORE ASPIRATIONAL ONES, WHICH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE MORE, UM, I WOULD SAY EPHEMERAL, BUT, BUT THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANT TO KEEP IN MIND, WHICH ARE ISSUES OF, YOU KNOW, CONNECTION.
HOW DO WE DESIGN THE SYSTEM SO THAT IT'S REALLY CONNECTED TO AUSTIN AND, AND BUILDS THAT CONNECTION TO PLACE? UM, HOW DO WE FOSTER CONNECTION TO OTHER PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND SOCIAL, UM, INTERACTIONS.
NOW, THAT'S A TRICKY ONE BECAUSE PEOPLE ALSO LIKE TO WANNA HAVE SOME AGENCY OVER THOSE SOCIAL CONNECTIONS.
SO YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T FORCE IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, CAN, ARE THERE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN, UM, PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE CAN CONNECT WITH OTHERS? AND THEN THROUGH THOSE TWO THINGS, I THINK BUILD A SENSE OF BELONGING, UM, THROUGH THE USE OF THE TRANSIT SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF OF COMMUNITY THAT, THAT USES TRANSIT IS THAT IT DOES BUILD, I THINK, A SENSE OF CIVIC IDENTITY, UM, THROUGH THAT SHARED EXPERIENCE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE BUILD THAT SHARED EXPERIENCE FOR AUSTINITES AND THEN GET INTO THAT VIRTUAL VIRTUOUS FEEDBACK LOOP WHERE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE USING TRANSIT, UM, AND THEN BUILDING THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, NOW TAKING THIS RESEARCH AND THOSE USER NEEDS, UM, OUT TO THE PUBLIC TO, TO SEE IF WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND IF, IF WHAT WE'RE WE, WE THINK WE KNOW IS REALLY RESONATING WITH PEOPLE.
SO WE'VE HAD A SERIES OF OPEN HOUSES TWO WEEK TWO, UM, UH, IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN WE'VE GOT ONCE NIGHT AND THEN ANOTHER ONE TOMORROW NIGHT.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A VIRTUAL OPEN AS NEXT WEEK TO REALLY, UM, ANYWAY, THERE'S A WHOLE SERIES OF INTERACTIVE EXERCISES THAT WE'VE BUILT TO JUST REALLY TEST OUR, OUR, OUR FINDINGS AROUND SOME OF THESE USER NEEDS AND THESE DESIGN PRINCIPLES, UM, AS WELL AS GET SOME FEEDBACK ON SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, ELEMENTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE PLACES IN THESE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE'RE GOING OUT, UM, THAT PEOPLE CHERISH THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IDENTIFY AS, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES THAT WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE AS PART OF THE DESIGN PROCESS.
UM, SO WE HAVE VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE NEXT WEEK, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A DIGITAL SURVEY THAT'S OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE THAT PREFER THAT, UH, MODE OF ENGAGEMENT.
AND, UM, AND, UH, SO ALL OF THAT WILL GET COMBINED INTO, UH, A REPORT THAT WE'LL REPORT OUT EARLY IN, UM, 2024, UH, AND THAT WE'LL USE TO INFORM OUR DESIGN GOING FORWARD.
SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S IT, AND REALLY HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANY OF YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, I GOTTA SAY THE, THE PYRAMID OF CIRCLES, I THINK AT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMISSION WE HAD A CIRCLE OF CIRCLES AND WE KIND OF SAID LIKE,
SO I, I LIKE, I THINK IT'S MORE LEGIBLE TO ME THE, THE PYRAMID OF CIRCLES, SO THANKS.
AM I STILL SHARING? I'M TRYING TO STOP SHARING, BUT I'M HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE DOING THAT.
YOU, WE SEE LIKE YOUR POWER, LIKE YOUR WHOLE POWERPOINT THING RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO MY QUESTIONS AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THE AUSTIN PRESENTATION.
MY QUESTIONS A LOT ARE ABOUT THE TIMELINE, AND I THINK THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I'M GETTING FROM OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT I, YOU KNOW, THAT I WANT TO OBVIOUSLY BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THIS SYSTEM AND PLAN.
AND SO I, SO I THINK I'M, I'M STILL TRYING TO DIG IN.
YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ME ASK SIMILAR QUESTIONS BEFORE IN OTHER SETTINGS, UH, ON THE NEPA THING.
SO WE'RE RESTARTING THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, BUT WE STILL ARE ABLE TO USE WORK THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED PRIOR TO RESTARTING IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT WE HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY, CERTAINLY MUCH OF IT IS BEING USED AND IS VERY, IS RELEVANT FOR THE, THE KIND OF RESTARTED ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.
THAT BEING SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF NEW STUFF THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, A NEW ANALYSIS THAT WE HAVE TO DO
[00:55:01]
TO BE ABLE TO, THAT, THAT, THAT WE HADN'T, UM, CONSIDERED BEFORE, RIGHT? UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, ON STREET THROUGH DOWNTOWN.WE WEREN'T ON STREET ON SOUTH CONGRESS, RIGHT? UM, SO THERE, THERE ARE A SERIES OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT ARE NEW THAT HAVE TO GET THEN INCORPORATED INTO, UM, WITH THAT OLD WORK.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF WHICH I THINK WE, WE'VE LEARNED MORE ABOUT.
AND SO, WHICH WILL EVOLVE, UM, AND ALL THAT HAS TO BE COMBINED INTO A NEW PLAN, A NEW DESIGN, AND A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT, RIGHT? IT'S GOTTA BE ONE THING THAT WE TAKE FORWARD.
SO, UM, THAT'S THE PROCESS WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, BASICALLY.
WHEN WOULD BE LIKE, UNDER THIS TIMELINE, WHEN WOULD WE BE PUTTING SHOVELS INTO THE GROUND? IS THAT HARD TO SAY STILL? NO, I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN RIGHT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, AGAIN, THE, THE FIRST STEP IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS AND WE EXPECT TO, TO BE ABLE TO, TO COMPLETE THAT IN, IN 2025.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, OUR HOPE IS THAT THAT WOULD, AND THAT ALLOWS US TO GO INTO FINAL ENGINEERING.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT CONSTRUCTION PROBABLY IN THE, IN THE 2027 TIMEFRAME.
UM, AGAIN, THERE MAY BE SOME EARLY CONSTRUCTION THAT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF UTILITY RELOCATION THAT WOULD HAPPEN FIRST, WHICH COULD GET ADVANCED.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT HAS TO BE COORDINATED AND WE GET A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE WE KNOW WHAT THE CONSTRUCTION, UM, APPROACH AND SORT OF SEQUENCING LOOKS LIKE.
MY DAUGHTER GRADUATES HIGH SCHOOL IN 2027, SO I'VE, I KIND OF THINK OF PROJECT CONNECT IS MY THIRD CHILD, SO NOW I'M GONNA HAVE TWINS.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, I'M REALLY BEING SILLY NOW.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS? YES, UH, THANKS, CHAIR SUMMERS, UH, TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
ONE, UM, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE PRIORITY EXTENSIONS ARE NOT GOING TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NEPA ANALYSIS.
CAN I ASK, AM I WRONG ON THAT OR IS THAT, WELL, LET ME ASK, AM I WRONG ON THAT? SO THAT'S THE, THE CURRENT THINKING IS THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE INCLUDED BECAUSE AGAIN, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T BRING, UH, SOMETHING FORWARD THAT DOESN'T HAVE A FUNDING PLAN ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN THAT JUST AS SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE FEDERAL PROCESS, IT'S JUST ONE OF THE, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT THE EXPERT ON EPA BY ANY MEANS, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU, YOU HAVE TO THE, WHAT YOU BRING FORWARD THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, YOU REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CLEAR FUNDING STRATEGY TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT, RIGHT? SO, UM, SO THAT'S THE CURRENT, RIGHT? I THINK RIGHT NOW THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE INCLUDED.
HOWEVER, IF, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO SET OURSELVES UP SO THAT IF FOR ANY REASON ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS PROVIDED OR FOUND THAT THAT ALLOWS US TO MOVE THOSE FORWARD, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE, UM, THE, THE WORK ON THOSE SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GET THEM INTO THE PROCESS.
UM, AND THEN ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU.
SO, UM, I'M SURE YOU SAW ONLINE, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE NEWS STORIES ABOUT THIS AND, UM, I DEFINITELY THINK THIS WORK IS IMPORTANT.
I SUPPORT INNOVATION WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGN, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S A BIG REASON WHY YOU GUYS WENT WITH THE CONSORTIUM YOU DID.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING REALLY INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT LOWER THE COST OF PROJECTS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE DOING HIGH TECH CLASSES? JUST BUILD THE DAMN LIGHT RAIL, RIGHT? PARDON MY FRENCH.
BUT SO I, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTEXTUALIZE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING AND WHAT WE'RE GETTING OUT OF IT, LIKE THE COST BENEFIT.
SO ARE YOU GUYS ABLE TO QUANTIFY HOW MUCH THIS PROJECT COSTS? IS IT PART OF A LARGER CONTRACT? AND THEN IS THERE ANYTHING YOU GUYS HAVE FOUND THAT YOU THINK IS GOING TO IMPROVE, UM, THE CIG BID OR PERHAPS, UH, ACCELERATE THE TIMELINE OR LOWER COSTS AND, AND MAY PROVIDE BENEFITS IN THE FUTURE? YEAH, SO WE, UM, THIS IS PART OF A, YOU KNOW, A LARGER DESIGN PROCESS, AND WE THINK THAT THIS IS AN INVESTMENT THAT'S WELL SPENT, RIGHT? UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN ENORMOUS INVESTMENT ON PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS PRO AS AS WE CAN BE IN TERMS OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH PERMANENT IMPACTS FOR THIS COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO IT, RIGHT? AND SO WE THINK THAT THIS RESEARCH, UM, WHICH WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO CONSTRUCTION COSTS IS, IS, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, A WORTHWHILE AND BENEFICIAL INVESTMENT, UM, FOR THE LONG TERM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IN TERMS OF THE, THE CIG PROCESS, THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF OUR APPLICATION, WHICH WILL BE, UH, WHICH WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS, RIGHT? UM, THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BUILD IN SUSTAINABILITY, UH, STRUCTURES
[01:00:01]
AND, AND STRATEGIES, UM, CERTAINLY IMPROVES OUR APPLICATION.UH, THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE CAN CONNECT COMMUNITIES THROUGH MULTIMODAL NETWORKS, IMPROVES OUR APPLICATION, ALL THESE THINGS.
NOW, AGAIN, WE GET A LONG WAY TO GO TO GET THERE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE, UH, WELL RECEIVED, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'VE BEEN VALIDATED WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THESE THINGS ARE GONNA BE WELL RECEIVED BY THE FTA.
SO, SORRY, CAN I JUST ZERO IN? DO YOU HAVE A, A NUMBER OR IS THIS PART OF A LARGER CONTRACT WITH THE EACH? I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC NUMBER FOR THIS WORK.
IT'S REALLY, IT'S PART OF OUR, OUR LARGER DESIGN PROCESS.
DANIEL, UM, JUST A NEPA QUESTION SUPER QUICK.
ARE THE PRIORITY EXTENSIONS, ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO ANY SORT OF LIKE TRUNCATED EIS, UH, PROCESS? LIKE A EA OR A, SO ARE WE HOPING TO GET LIKE ANY SORT OF LIKE, FONZIE ON THOSE TYPE, OR DO WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE EIS PROCESS FOR THOSE SMALLER PROJECTS? SO MY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE EIS PROCESS.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A WAY AROUND THAT.
UM, AGAIN, I, I CAN, WE CAN CLARIFY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN AMEND THE EIS ONCE THOSE, IF THOSE, UH, ELEMENTS COME INTO PLAY.
UM, AND THEN A MORE GENERAL POINT IS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, I'VE TALKED A LOT WITH, UH, THE, THE CHAIR, THE BOARD OF A TP, AND SHE ALWAYS IS SO PROUD OF THIS WORK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THE HUMAN-CENTERED EXPERIENCE FIRST.
BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TIMES IT'S THE FIRST THING TO GET VALUE ENGINEERED OUT, AND THEN YOU END UP WITH, UH, A 700% INCREASE IN UTILITY COSTS BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT GOES.
AND THEN NOW YOU HAVE A CONCRETE PLATFORM.
SO I DO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE STARTING THIS EARLY AND MAKING SURE YOU DO A GOOD JOB, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE PUBLIC SEES.
THEY DON'T SEE INCHES MOVED ON A PIPE, BUT THIS IS HOW THEY EXPERIENCE IT.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS WORK.
UM, YEAH, ARLAN, I, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD TO WHAT, WHAT DANIEL SAID.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GOING TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO I WAS LOOKING UP, BUT YOU'RE ON THE SCREEN, UM,
THE QUESTION THAT I DO HAVE IS YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THAT MAPPING THOSE USER EXPERIENCES AND PATTERNS.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT HOW PEOPLE ARE MOVING NOW, BUT, AND THIS MAY BE PART OF YOUR OPEN HOUSES, AND I'M GOING TO THE ONTOP LIST ONE TOMORROW 'CAUSE THAT'S MY AREA.
BUT, UM, ARE YOU ALSO LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT HOW PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE? LIKE, WHAT ARE THOSE CHALLENGES? WHAT ARE THOSE BARRIERS? SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH THE HERE AND NOW, BUT REALLY, HERE'S WHAT I WANT TO BE DOING.
HERE'S HOW I SEE TRANSIT WITHIN MY LIFE.
OR THIS IS HOW I DON'T SEE TRANSIT IN MY LIFE, BUT MAYBE IF I SAW IT THIS WAY, THEN I WOULD MAKE OTHER, YOU KNOW, LIFESTYLE CHANGES.
AND SO JUST KIND OF WONDERING IF WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THOSE BARRIERS AND THE CHALLENGES.
SO THERE ARE, UM, SOME OF THE EXERCISES AT THE OPEN HOUSE, UM, CENTER ON THAT QUESTION.
UM, RECOGNIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE FOLKS THAT AREN'T REGULAR USERS OF TRANSIT THAT WE CAN GET SOME GOOD INFO AND FEEDBACK FROM.
UM, SO IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, EVERYDAY TRANSIT USERS, OBVIOUSLY SUCH A PRIORITY FOR US.
SO, UM, AND ALSO WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS NEW.
THIS IS, THIS IS NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS IN WHICH TO BRING, UM, THOSE DESIRES AND, YOU KNOW, TO THIS, THIS NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, UH, YES, WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD THAT INTO OUR PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE USE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE KNOW AND THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE AND WHAT WE HAVE LOCALLY THAT'S CLOSEST TO APPROXIMATE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY WE WANNA, WE WANNA ASK QUESTIONS IN THAT OPEN-ENDED WAY TO GET THAT FEEDBACK.
AND THEN, SO I GUESS TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT, THAT INFORMATION WILL BE SHARED WITH OTHER LOCAL PARTNERS.
SO THINKING LIKE CAP METRO, RIGHT? OF JUST, HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE FINDING IN THIS PARTICULARLY GOES RELATION TO THE BUS, RIGHT? SO THAT CONNECTED, THAT INTERCONNECTED MODAL LIKE KIND OF OPERATION INFRASTRUCTURE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THIS, AND I ALWAYS, I, I'M EMBARRASSED WHEN I NEGLECT TO SAY IT, RIGHT? LIGHT RAIL DOES NOT OPERATE IN A VACUUM.
I MEAN, YOU ALL KNOW THIS, RIGHT?
TRANSIT A TRANSIT ECOSYSTEM, YOU'VE GOTTA SEE IT AS PART OF THE NETWORK.
UM, CERTAINLY WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT WAY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OBVIOUSLY GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION IS ANY KIND OF TRANSFER BETWEEN MODES, RIGHT? THAT, THAT'S A FRICTION POINT.
UM, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA NEED PEOPLE, WE'RE NEED TO PROVIDE A, A, A SEAMLESS WAY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A TWO SEAT RIDE, RIGHT? FOR MANY JOURNEYS.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT ENABLE THAT AND MAKE THAT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
[01:05:01]
BROOKS, WAY BACK IN THE LISTEN REACHES OF MY MEMORY ARE SOME INTERESTING DRAWINGS, WHICH SHOW LIGHT RAIL IS STARTING ALL THE WAY UP AT TECH RIDGE AND HEADING WAY DOWN INTO SOUTH AUSTIN.THESE MAY BE HALLUCINATIONS OR YEAH.
BUT, UM, IN PARTICULAR, THINGS GOT AS FAR AS STATION LAYOUTS.
IN FACT, ON THE CAP METRO SITE, YOU STILL CONFINED THE STATION PLACEMENTS, UH, THE LAYOUTS, STATION PLACEMENTS GOING ALL THE WAY UP TO TECH RIDGE AND, UH, SEVERAL FURTHER STATIONS BEYOND NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER IS ALL THAT WORK GONNA BE.
AND, AND WHAT WE WERE TOLD AT THAT TIME IS NO, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA BUILD THAT IN THE INITIAL SEGMENT, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY AND GET ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE FOR THE WHOLE THING.
DID I MISHEAR OR IS THAT NO, I THINK, NO, YOU DIDN'T.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, BUT WE'VE, UM, SINCE THAT TIME, UH, COMMISSIONER BROOKS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD TO, WE'VE TRIED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PRECISE ABOUT THE PROCESS AND HOW WE ACTUALLY FIT WHAT WE ARE PLANNING INTO OUR, OUR FINANCIAL CAPACITY, RIGHT? SO, UM, I THINK NONE OF THAT WORK IS LOST OR WAS WASTEFUL.
IT'S ALL INFORMING, UM, ALL OF OUR WORK NOW AND, AND WORK THAT WE'LL DO INTO THE FUTURE.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY THOSE LONGER EXTENSIONS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WERE ALWAYS BEYOND THE, THE, THE INITIAL, THE FUNDING AUTHORIZED IN THE INITIAL VOTE, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE WILL COME LATER.
WHAT STRIKES ME THOUGH IS THE ABSENCE OF COMMITMENT ON ANYONE'S PART TO DO THEM.
I'VE NEVER HEARD A STA A STATEMENT FROM A TP OR CAP METRO OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT THEY LATER INTEND TO BUILD ALL OF THIS SYSTEM.
IT JUST, WELL, NO, I THINK WE'VE SAID THAT VERY CLEARLY THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE VISION THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN 2020.
AND THIS IS JUST ABOUT HOW DO WE ACTUALLY GET IT DONE AND MOVE IT FORWARD AND IMPLEMENT IT FOR, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MOVING THAT FORWARD.
FORTUNATELY, FOR A LEGAL LAWSUIT SUITS THE ACTUAL PROPOSITION PASSED BY THE VOTERS DOESN'T MENTION EXACTLY WHAT'S GONNA GET BUILT.
NOW, THERE IS A DOCUMENT, A, A, UH, CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS PASSED BY WHOEVER WAS ON CITY COUNCIL IN 2020.
BUT I'M SURE THAT THE ARGUMENT IN COURT WILL BE THAT THAT'S NOT BINDING.
UM, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HEAR SOME STRONGER STATEMENTS FROM ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED THAT IT'S THE EVENTUAL HOPE EVEN TO SERVE ALL THESE AREAS.
I THINK WE'RE, I, I, I DON'T DISAGREE.
UM, AND I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY, YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKE IT, RIGHT? WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO REAFFIRM WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO WITH THIS SYSTEM EXPANSION AND SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND MAYBE WE OFTEN, WE ERR A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH ON IMPLEMENTATION, RIGHT? WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON, ON GETTING THE FIRST PHASE DONE AND GETTING THAT EXECUTED AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL WITHIN OUR, OUR FINANCIAL MEETS.
SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DO A BETTER JOB AT REAFFIRMING SOME OF THOSE PRINCIPLES.
SPENCER, SORRY, JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF COMMISSIONER BROOKS, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE DID OUR UTC RECOMMENDATION ON, YOU KNOW, THE LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING IS OWED TO, YOU KNOW, UH, SOUTH AUSTIN AND NORTH AUSTIN, OTHER THAN JUST A METRO RAPID LINE, WHICH THEY ALREADY HAVE, RIGHT? THERE DO NEED TO BE SOME ENHANCED INVESTMENTS THAT MAKE IT EASIER FOR RAIL TO GET THERE IN THE FUTURE.
AND DEFINITELY YOU GUYS SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THE LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I WONDER IF THERE'S SOMETHING TO ASKING CAP METRO TO START LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITIES OF CENTER RUNNING BUS, RAPID TRANSIT ON THE FUTURE ALIGNMENT, UH, BOTH IN SOUTH AUSTIN AND, UH, IN NORTH AUSTIN, RIGHT? I MEAN, LIKE, THE FEDERAL MATCHES YOU CAN GET FOR BUS RAPID TRANSIT RIGHT NOW ARE INSANE, RIGHT? AT SOME POINTS IT'S FOUR TO ONE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY BE A VERY COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PROVIDE, UH, AN ENHANCED SERVICE TO, TO THE AREAS THAT DESERVE IT, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ENSURING
[01:10:01]
THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON DELIVERING LIGHT RAIL.AND ALSO WE CAN CLEAR SOME ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW BY GOING THROUGH THE NEPA PROCESS FOR BUS RAPID TRANSIT IN THOSE AREAS, MAKING IT RAIL READY IN THE FUTURE.
I THINK FOR ME, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD JUST SAY I THINK THAT THE CHALLENGE I SEE IN THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT RIGHT NOW IS, YOU KNOW, I'VE SPENT REALLY 10 YEARS OF MY LIFE KIND OF WORKING ON THIS ON SOME LEVEL, AND, UM, AS AN ADVOCATE, NOT AS AN EMPLOYEE, NOT AS A STAFFER ON, UH, BUT THIS IS WHY I DO A LOT OF THE TRANSPORTATION I WORK I DO, IS TRYING TO GET THIS PLAN PASSED AND NOW IMPLEMENT IT.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THE MOMENT THAT WE'RE FACED WITH, RIGHT, IS ONE WHERE WE'RE STILL SEEING SORT OF THREATS TO THE PLAN, WHICH ARE SAYING, OH, WELL, WE'RE MAKING THIS THREAT ABOUT THE PLAN BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO THE WHOLE PLAN, AND THERE'S A LOT OF US WHO REALLY WANNA SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF US TODAY, BUT ALSO REALLY SAY, HEY, WE REALLY HAVE THIS BIG HOPE TO DO THE YELLOW, GRAY PARTS, RIGHT? LIKE, WE REALLY WANT TO, AND WE REALLY DON'T WANNA LIKE CLOSE THE BOOK ON THOSE, BUT WE WANNA FIND A WAY TO SAY THAT IN THIS MOMENT THAT ALSO RECOGNIZES THAT, THAT THE PLAN ITSELF IS SORT OF UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE OF THE MOMENT THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I'M FEEL, I'M FEELING THAT ACUTELY PERSONALLY.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, I THINK THAT, LIKE, THOSE OF US WHO DO THIS WORK ARE, ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO SAY, LET'S FIGURE OUT WAYS TO LIKE, NOT MAKE THE YELLOW, GRAY PART WAIT ANOTHER 10 YEARS AND TECH RIDGE WAIT ANOTHER 25 YEARS, RIGHT? LIKE, WE'VE GOT TO KEEP FIGURING OUT OUR FUNDING AND OUR PLANNING AND OUR EFFICIENCIES TO MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.
OR WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANY KIND OF CLIMATE SAFETY RESILIENCY IN THIS CITY AT ALL.
WE'VE GOTTA, WE'VE, I THINK WE'VE GOTTA FIND WAYS TO DO THAT.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S NECESSARILY THE WORK THAT PETER AND THE A TP TEAM NEED TO DO, OR THE WE THAT THOSE OF US NEED TO DO OUT HERE IN THE POLITICAL TRENCHES, BUT, UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE FACED WITH.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A HELPFUL STATEMENT, BUT
UM, I THINK WE FEEL RIGHT NOW THE WAY FOR US TO DO THAT, FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN BUILD RIGHT NOW AND DO IT MM-HMM.
WITHOUT TOO MANY FURTHER DELAYS, BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER PLACE WHERE IT'S EXACTLY, YOU'RE GETTING, SO LET'S, LET'S JUST, LET'S MOVE THIS FORWARD SYSTEMATICALLY, RIGOROUSLY, CONSCIENTIOUSLY, LET'S GET IT DONE.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE A TP TEAM? ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT AND, AND FOR HANDLING OUR QUESTIONS AS WELL.
[2. Discussion on implementation of the City’s Mobility Bond Action Plan]
OUR PRESENTER IS NOW WITH US FOR ITEM TWO, WHICH WE HAVE, UM, SKIPPED OVER.SO WE WILL GO TO THAT, THAT IS THE, UM, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY'S MOBILITY BOND PLAN ACT, MOBILITY BOND ACTION PLAN.
AND THAT IS JAMES SNOW FROM CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF YOU ON THE MOBILITY ACTION PLAN.
I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A LONG MEETING AND A LOT OF EXCITING THINGS, SO I'LL TRY TO BE THREE THINGS.
HOPEFULLY BE BRIEF, MAYBE BRILLIANT, BUT WE'LL BE GONE SOON.
TODAY'S AGENDA, UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT, THEN WE'LL DO, UH, GO OVER THE OVERVIEW THAT WAS GIVEN TO OTN FINANCE IN APRIL, 2023.
WHAT WE FOUND, WHAT WE'VE DONE, WHAT WE WILL DO, AND GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE ACTION PLAN ITSELF.
CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES BUILDS PUBLIC PROJECTS TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR, THE CITY MANAGER DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD, UH, FOCUS ON DELIVERING PROJECTS AND MAKE SURE, 'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK GOING ON, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.
SO WHAT THIS DEPARTMENT'S FOCUSED ON IS A ONE CITY, ONE TEAM, ONE APPROACH, AND DELIVERING THOSE PROJECTS.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE OVER 500 ACTIVE PROJECTS, ABOUT $7 BILLION IN THAT NUMBER.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE US MANAGING THE AIRPORT REDEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS ABOUT FOUR TO $5 BILLION.
THE CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH I WAS IN A DISCUSSION WITH TODAY, WHICH IS ABOUT 1.6 TO $1.8 BILLION.
WE ALSO, UH, HAVE THIS ACTION PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN OF ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS THAT WE ALL HAVE WORKING AT THE SAME TIME.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN SINCE 2009, AND I WAS BEFORE HERE.
[01:15:01]
IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.AND USUALLY, UH, CITY HAS ONE OR TWO GENERATIONAL PROJECTS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME.
THOSE WHO'VE BEEN HERE, WE KNOW THAT WE HAD, UH, HANCOCK'S WATER TREATMENT PLANT UP IN THE NORTH ONCE NORTHWEST.
ONCE WE GOT DOWN TO THAT, WE DID THE WONDERFUL CENTRAL LIBRARY, UH, MY DEPARTMENT HAD AN EFFECT ON.
BUT THOSE WERE KIND OF ONE SUNSETTED.
RIGHT NOW, WE ACTUALLY HAVE FIVE, ONE THAT YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT, WHICH WAS, UH, WAS THE URBAN RAIL INITIATIVE.
BUT WE HAVE FIVE GENERATIONAL PROJECTS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY AFFECTING.
THAT IS NOT COUNTING I 35, WHICH I KNOW THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO A LOT OF PEOPLE AT THIS COMMITTEE.
CAN I GET NEXT SLIDE? IN, UH, APRIL, 2020, THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMISSION WAS BRIEFED THE FOLLOWING SIDE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN OVER THE LAST 10, 15 YEARS TO INVEST ABOUT $1.8 BILLION IN OUR MOBILITY.
AS WE KNOW, IN 20 16, 18, AND 20, REALISTICALLY, THE VOTERS APPROVED ABOUT $1.34 BILLION TO BE INVESTED IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
HOWEVER, AS YOU LOOK AT THAT SLIDE, WHAT YOU SEE IS, WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT OUTTA THE 1.34 BILLION AS OF APRIL, WE HAD ABOUT 800 MILLION THAT HAS NOT BEEN SPENT.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY NOT BY SPENT, 'CAUSE THIS IS NOT ON FINANCE, SO I DON'T TALK ABOUT ENCUMBERS EVERYTHING.
IT'S REALISTICALLY MONEY THAT HAS NOT BEEN SPENT, MEANING THAT IT'S NOT UNDER CONTRACT, IT'S JUST MONEY THAT NEEDS TO BE SPENT.
NOW, LET ME CORRECT THAT IN THE SENSE OF, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT HASN'T BEEN PROGRAMMED TO CERTAIN PROJECTS, BUT RATHER THE THE MONEY HAS NOT BEEN SPENT ON THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
AS YOU CAN LOOK, UM, WE CAN SHOW YOU THAT IN 2016, THERE'S ABOUT 300, SIX 60 MILLION REMAINING ABOUT, UH, 2018, ABOUT 90 MILLION.
AND IN 2020, WHICH IS THE NEWEST ONE, IS ABOUT 409 MILLION.
YEAH, NO, THE CLICKER'S NOT WORKING.
I'D LIKE TO GO THROUGH EACH BOND PROGRAM REAL QUICKLY WITH YOU.
IN 2016, WE HAD SEVEN $20 MILLION BOND.
LET YOU KNOW THAT, THAT AT THAT POINT IN TIME WAS THE LARGEST, IF YOU ACCUMULATED ALL THE MONEY THAT WE'D SPENT ON MOBILITY PROJECTS AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THAT WAS LARGER THAN THE, THE SUM OF ALL THE YEARS PRIOR TO THAT.
UH, WE, UH, ORIGINALLY HAD A BASELINE THAT WE SAID THAT IT WAS GONNA BE AN EIGHT YEAR BOND CYCLE.
SO IN DECE, UH, SEPTEMBER, 2024, THE WORK WAS GONNA BE DONE.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, THE CURRENT PROJECTION IS NOW, IT'S GOING TO BE A 12 YEAR CYCLE WITH THE LAST PROJECT ENDING AND BEING COMPLETED SEPTEMBER 20, 28.
CURRENT LARGEST BALANCES ARE IN TWO MAIN AREAS.
THAT BEING THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM, WHICH HAS ABOUT $269 MILLION.
AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THE REGIONAL MOBILITY, WHICH IS ABOUT, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T BRING MY PRESENTATION WITH ME.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE RED, GREEN, YELLOW, SO WE HAVE A FLAVOR HERE.
YOU CAN EITHER GO RED, GREEN, YELLOW, OR WE USE THE THANK YOU.
WE USE THE GOLD, BRONZE, OR SILVER METHOD, JUST LIKE THE OLYMPICS.
UH, BUT MORE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT I JUST LIKE TO DO IS FOCUS ON THE DIFFERENT LEVELS, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THAT, OH, SORRY.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 492 MILLION IN THE OVERALL, UH, THAT IS, UH, SPENT OR IS ON, ON PLACE TO BE SPENT ON TIME.
WE HAVE 617 MILLION, WHICH IS, UH, IN THE YELLOW, AND THEN 6 98, I BELIEVE.
THIS IS THE OVERALL PROGRAM ITSELF.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE DOING WELL IN CERTAIN AREAS.
IF YOU LOOK AT VISION ZERO, SUBSTANDARD STREETS, SIDEWALKS, WHILE, UH, BIKES AND URBAN TRAILS ARE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND, BUT THE MAIN THINGS THAT YOU SEE IN RED ARE THE ONES, I CALL THEM GEMS OR THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK ON TO GET BETTER AT.
AND THAT'S BEING IN THE QUARTER, MOBILITY, CAPITAL RENEWAL, AND REGIONAL BUILDING.
2018, WE HAD $160 MILLION, UH, THAT THE VOTERS APPROVED UNSPENT BALANCE OF $90 MILLION.
THE BOND CYCLE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE EIGHT YEARS, SO WE'D BE SUPPOSED TO BE FINISHED IN SEPTEMBER, 2026.
BUT THE CURRENT PROJECTION IS NOW 10 YEARS, SEPTEMBER, 2028.
THE LARGEST BALANCES ARE BRIDGE AND STRUCTURES, WHICH IS ACTUALLY ONE BRIDGE, WHICH IS THE REDBUD TRAIL BRIDGE AND THE STREET PROGRAM.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT FOR THE MOST PART, WE, OUR SPENDING IS GOOD.
HOWEVER, IN THOSE TWO PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED, THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND ALSO THE BRIDGE STRUCTURES ARE LOW BEHIND, OR AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, GEMS,
[01:20:01]
AND PEOPLE LOOKED AT ME STRANGE WHEN I SAID, RED IS GEM.BUT I BELIEVE IN CONTINUOUS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT.
SO I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN MOVE, MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
AND I HOPEFULLY SHOW YOU LATER IN THE PRESENTATION HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
2020 IS MOST RECENT BOND, UH, FOUR 60 MILLION WAS APPROVED.
409 MILLION IS STILL LEFT UNSPENT.
BUT I WANNA TAKE A PAUSE HERE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY IN FRONT OF US FROM 16 AND 18.
SO 2020 OBVIOUSLY IS LAGGING A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO SPEND THE MONEY FROM 16 AND 18.
AND 2020 IS THE MOST RECENT MONEY.
THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SIX YEAR BOND CYCLE AND FINISHED IN SEPTEMBER, 2027.
HOWEVER, RIGHT NOW IT'S, UH, CURRENT TRENDING PRIOR TO THE ACTION PLAN IS NINE YEARS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2029.
AGAIN, THESE NUMBERS HERE, YOU CAN LOOK AT, UH, AT THE BOTTOM SHOWING SOME OF THE UNSPENT NUMBERS, BUT AS I SAID, THIS IS EARLY IN THE PROGRAM COMPARED TO THE OTHERS.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE FOCUS ON SPENDING 16 AND 18 FIRST.
AGAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE HOW CERTAIN THINGS AND CATEGORIES WORK, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE MAIN AREA THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IS THE GEM OF THE CAPITAL RENEWAL PROJECTS.
BUT WE FEEL THAT, UH, AND LATER ON, I'LL SHOW YOU IN THE MOBILITY ACTION PLAN, WE THINK THAT'S GONNA COME INTO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
BUT WE ARE AGREEING ON EVERYWHERE ELSE BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS NEWER PROGRAMS CENTER JUST RAMPING UP.
SO WHEN, WHEN THIS DEPARTMENT WAS FORMED IN MARCH 20, 24, AND ONE OF THE GREATEST GEMS I WAS GIVEN WAS COMING TO THE PRESENTATION, UH, TO SEE OT AND FINANCE TALK ABOUT ALL THIS UNSPENT MONEY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THEY SAID, WELL, THAT'S THE REASON WHY YOU FORMED YOUR DEPARTMENT, MR. SNOW.
WHY AREN'T YOU DOING ANYTHING? I SAID, WELL, 30 DAYS IN, WE'LL WORK ON IT, BUT WE'LL SEE HOW WE CAN GET TO IT.
BUT WE'VE HAD AN INCREDIBLE TEAM AND PARTNERSHIP WORKING WITH THE ASSET OWNER, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, MY DEPARTMENT, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, AND LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN MEET THAT CHALLENGE.
BUT FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE FOUND.
I WANT TO BRING UP THREE ITEMS TO YOU.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T WANNA GET LOST IN THIS, THAT THE STAFF WAS WORKING EXTREMELY HARD TO GET THIS DONE.
THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
IN 2016, THE VOTERS APPROVED MORE THAN WE HAD PRIOR YEARS ALL THE WAY UP TO LEADING THAT.
NOW, IN THAT TIMEFRAME, WE ALSO ALMOST DOUBLED DOWN.
SO REALISTICALLY, WE DOUBLED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, OR WE, UH, THE VOTERS GIVE US ENOUGH MONEY TO, TO DOUBLE THE WORK THAT WE'D EVER DONE, EVER IN 20, 30 YEARS.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE STAFF WAS WORKING REALLY HARD, BUT WHAT WE HAD TO DO IS LOOK AT PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, THE ISSUES, UH, WE IDENTIFIED ISSUES AND RISKS.
AND WELL, THE MAIN THING THAT WE FOUND OUT WAS THEY IDENTIFIED ISSUES AND RISKS WERE LEFT UNSOLVED.
UM, WHAT HAPPENED WAS, INSTEAD OF DEALING WITH THE ISSUE, THEY JUST EXTENDED THE TIMELINE.
WE'LL JUST MOVE IT BACK A MONTH, ANOTHER MONTH, ANOTHER MONTH, ANOTHER MONTH.
AND THAT WAS A CONCERN BECAUSE WHY AREN'T WE RESOLVING THE ISSUES? WE EVEN HAD ESCALATION MEETINGS.
BUT THEN WHEN I LOOKED AT THE ESCALATION MEETINGS, IT'S LIKE, YOU HAVE THE SAME TOPIC FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
WHY? WHY ISN'T SOMETHING BEING DONE? THE OTHER THING WAS THE EVER-CHANGING PERFORMANCE BASED SCIENCE AND INCONSISTENT SPENDING PLANS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR DEPARTMENT'S IN CHARGE WITH IS TO HAVE A ONE APPROACH CONSISTENCY TO IT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THE DATA DOESN'T LINE UP, IF WE DON'T MEASURE THE DATA THE SAME WAY, THEN IT'S REALLY HARD TO FIND PROCESS IMPROVEMENT.
IF ONE PERSON LOOKS AT IT ONE WAY AND ANOTHER PERSON LOOKS AT THE WAY, THEN WE, WE CAN'T CONSISTENTLY IDENTIFY ISSUES THAT WE CAN ADDRESS.
I'VE BEEN, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME THINGS WE'VE DONE.
UM, I'M SORRY IF I MAY INTERRUPT REALLY QUICK.
I'M LOOKING AT A, JUST A BULLET, AND I JUST WANT TO YOU SAY THIS THING HERE, OPTIMISTIC CONCEPTS INSTEAD OF DEFINED PROJECTS.
OH, NO, NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER.
SO IT'S A PHRASE THAT I'VE BEEN USED A LOT.
SO, A PROJECT NEEDS TO HAVE THREE THINGS.
NEEDS TO HAVE A DEFINED SCOPE, SCHEDULE, AND BUDGET TO BE REALLY NAMED AS A PROJECT.
WHAT WAS HAPPENING, ESPECIALLY IN 2016 WHEN I WAS HERE, WE ACTUALLY HAD CONCEPTS, GOOD IDEAS, LET'S GO DO THIS.
AND THEY PUT A NUMBER TO IT, WHAT HAPPENS? AND THEN WE START GOING TO SCOPING.
WE FIND OUT IT'S NOT A $5 MILLION PROJECT.
NOW IT'S A $20 MILLION PROJECT.
'CAUSE WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY DIDN'T REALLY DEFINE IT OUT.
THEY, THEY, THERE'S GOOD IDEAS.
BUT THE THING IS, IF WE DON'T REALLY PROOF OUT WHAT THOSE IDEAS ARE GONNA TAKE LABOR TIME AND EVERYTHING, THEN IT'S NOT THAT WE WERE FALSIFYING ANYTHING, BUT WE JUST ALLOWED THE EMOTIONS OF THE CONCEPT.
THIS WOULD BE REALLY GREAT TO DO INSTEAD OF REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT IT WOULD IT TAKE TO DO IT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THIS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING A PROJECT DEVELOPMENT GROUP THAT WE PUT TOGETHER.
AND BEFORE WE EVER BRING PROJECTS AGAIN TO COUNCIL, WE, WHEN WE TELL YOU IT'S GOING TO BE THIS, IT'S GONNA TAKE THIS LONG, IT'S GONNA COST THAT MUCH.
IT WILL BE WHAT WE SAID WE'RE GONNA BUILD AND HOW LONG AND, AND, UH, HOW MUCH.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE LOST THE TRUST OF, OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE SHOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AND GET AND, AND FOCUS ON THAT.
[01:25:01]
YOU POINT OUT THAT BULLET, AND IT REMINDS ME OF ANOTHER BULLET IN HERE THAT I'M TOLD.SOMETIMES I LIKE LITTLE PHRASES.
AND YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, IF I GET TO KNOW YOU, WHICH I WILL PROBABLY IN THIS, UH, MEETING, YOU'LL GET TO KNOW SOME OF MY PHRASES.
ONE OF THEM IS, I LIKE TO CALL A SILOED APPROACH OR TOWERS OF EXCELLENCE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I FOUND IS THAT WE HAD GROUPS THAT WERE DOING REAL WELL, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A COMMUNITY OF EXCELLENCE.
SO WHEN YOU FOCUS, IT'S JUST ONE TOWER, THEN SOMETIMES YOU SHIFT WORK TO OTHER PEOPLE, OR YOU DON'T LOOK AT HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY THINGS OF THIS DEPARTMENT IS ONE TEAM, ONE CITY APPROACH.
BUT NOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE.
WELL, FIRST THING, WE SPENT THE FIRST TWO OR THREE MONTHS ANALYZING THE 16, 18, AND 20 BOND PROJECT PROGRAMS. WE ESTABLISHED A BIWEEKLY PLAN, ACTION PLAN MEETING WITH TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS TO CREATE A CORRIDOR ACTION PLAN.
UH, WE CREATED HIGH LEVEL, UH, OF DRAFT COORDINATE ACTION PLANS.
WE CONDUCTED WEEKLY MEETINGS TO RE-SCOPE THEM.
AND THEN ALSO WE LOOKED AT THE PERFORM, UH, CREATING A NEW PERFORMANCE BASELINE, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT YOU'RE BEING PRESENTED TODAY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE TOLD ME, AND ONE OF THE GOALS IS THIS BASELINE WILL NOT CHANGE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE EVER-GROWING BASELINE.
SO WHAT I PROVIDE YOU TODAY IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA MEASURE OURSELVES TO.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT PERFECTION, BUT PROGRESSION.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT AS A TEAM WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
WHAT WILL WE DO? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS, UH, FIRST OF ALL, IS WE'VE INITIATED A MONTHLY PROJECT HEALTH ASSESSMENT.
AND YOU MIGHT ASK WHAT THAT IS, AS I TOLD YOU BEFORE, WE HAD MEETINGS THAT WE JUST TALKED, WELL, WHAT THIS MEETING IS DOING, TWOFOLDS, FIRST OF ALL, EVERY MONTH WE MEET WITH TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, AND WE SIT IN A ROOM AND IT'S JUST NOT US.
UH, CAPITAL LEADER, RESERVE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM CONTRACTING, FROM REAL ESTATE, FROM PERMITTING, EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
AND WHAT WE DO IS, FIRST OF ALL, WE LOOK AT THE STATUS, WHERE WE'RE AT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE PROJECT MANAGERS COME AND TELL US WHAT ARE THOSE OBSTACLES.
AND IN THAT ROOM, WE DECIDE HOW WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THOSE OBSTACLES.
IF THEY'RE ABOVE MY ABILITY OR, UH, UH, DIRECTOR MENDOZA'S ABILITY TO ADDRESS, THEN WE TAKE THAT AS AN ACTION ITEM.
WE GO OUTSIDE THAT ROOM AND ADDRESS THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE WHAT WE CALL SINGLE ACTION COMMITTEES AFTER THAT, OR ESCALATION COMMITTEES, WHICH ACTUALLY, WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING EITHER WITH PERMITTING OR WE HAVE TO TALK TO AUSTIN WATER WITH UTILITIES AND SUCH, WE HAVE A SECOND MEETING THAT WE HAVE MONTHLY THAT WE WORK WITH 'EM.
AND WE TALK ABOUT THOSE, THOSE MEETINGS, AGAIN, ARE FOCUSED ON RESOLUTIONS.
WE HAD A MEETING WITH WATERSHED, WHICH WE WERE LOOKING AT ONE OF THE CORRIDORS, AND WE LOOKED AT IT, AND THROUGH THE MEETING, WE DIDN'T FIND THE MOST PERFECT SOLUTION, BUT WE FOUND SOMETHING TO, TO UNLOCK AN OBSTACLE THAT HAD BEEN IN OUR WAY FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS, AND NOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND DESIGN AND GET IT DONE.
BUT IT WAS TAKING THE TEAM TOGETHER, TALK ABOUT IT'S ABOUT OUTCOMES AND NOT SOMETIMES METHODS, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE GET THE BEST OUTCOME FOR WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO DO.
THE NEXT ONE, WELL, OBVIOUSLY I'M HERE TONIGHT.
UH, WE REPORT STATUS QUARTERLY TO THE COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE AND BOARDS.
ONE THING ALSO ABOUT THAT PROJECT HEALTH ASSESSMENT, THE REASON WHY WE'RE GONNA GET TOGETHER IS WHAT I'VE BEEN ASKED TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ONE TRUTH.
SO OUTTA THAT MEETING, ALL THE REPORTING REQUESTS THAT YOU HAVE WILL COME OUTTA THAT MEETING.
SO WHENEVER WE COME TO REPORT TO YOU, THE DATA WILL PROVIDE YOU, IS ONLY ONE MONTH OLD, SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TOO, BECAUSE SOMETIMES I'VE BEEN IN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND I'VE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, HELP MANAGE THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMISSION.
THEY SAID THEY CAME IN AND YOU GAVE ONE PRESENTATION, ANOTHER DEPARTMENT GAVE ANOTHER PRESENTATION, AND IT'S GIVEN ME TWO DIFFERENT ANSWERS.
WE HAD TO EXPLAIN TO 'EM THAT THE WAY THE, THE DATA WAS THE SAME, IT WAS WHAT IT WAS PRESENTED WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO WORK AS A GROUP IS ACTUALLY CONSISTENTLY PRESENT THE DATA THE SAME WAY, SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS AND ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS, RATHER THAN TRYING TO READ A BAR GRAPH AND ASK WHY IT'S DIFFERENT IN EACH MEETING.
THE MOBILITY ACTION PLAN, IF I TAKE A MOMENT HERE, UH, AND READ THE WORDS, IF YOU SEE THE ONES IN BOLD, UH, WE WILL FINISH, OR THE PLAN IS RIGHT NOW TO FINISH ALL THE WORK WITH OUTSTANDING $1.3 BILLION WORTH OF WORK.
BY DECEMBER, 2027, WHEN WE WERE GIVEN THIS JOB AND MY TEAM, WE WERE ASKED TO WORK AS A COLLABORATIVE GROUP WITH EVERYBODY AND TAKE WHAT, SPEND AN AVERAGE PROJECT TIME OF SEVEN TO NINE YEARS AND TAKE IT BACK DOWN TO FOUR TO FIVE.
SO AS YOU'LL SEE, IF WE STARTED THIS YEAR, WE'RE GONNA MEET THAT FOUR TO FIVE RATIO.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NOT WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT BACK TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
SO I'LL LET YOU READ THE WORDS BOLDED, BUT REALISTICALLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA MOVE BACK TO IS A SIX YEAR BOND CYCLE, AND THAT'S WHERE THE CITY USED TO BE.
NOW, THIS, UH, SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GOING TO ESTABLISH PERFORMANCE BASELINE SCOPES AND SCHEDULES AND BUDGETS AND MOVE FORWARD.
BUT LIKE I SAID, THE MAIN THING IS BY DECEMBER, 2027, WE PLAN TO HAVE AT LEAST, UH, BY 26, WE PLAN TO HAVE 90% OF THE PROJECTS EITHER COMPLETE OR SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE, AND 95% BY DECEMBER, 2027.
UM, THAT LAST 5% IN ANY BOND PROGRAM SOMETIMES IS THOSE LAST THINGS THAT YOU'RE
[01:30:01]
TRYING TO FINISH OUT.BUT WE THINK IF WE CAN REAP THE GOAL OF 95%, I THINK WE'D HOPEFULLY EARN THE TRUST BACK OF, OF THE VOTERS.
SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? LET'S GO BACK TO THE CHARTS THAT YOU HAD EARLIER.
UH, AND AGAIN, REM UH, THE OTHER THING TOO, UH, WHEN WE FORMED THIS DEPARTMENT, ONE OF THE THINGS I ASKED MY PEOPLE TO DO IS BE CREATIVE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF Y'ALL HAVE KIDS.
MY MOM WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER FOR ABOUT 33 YEARS, AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS GROWING UP THAT SHE USED TO TEACH, UH, READ TO THE FIRST GRADERS WAS HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON.
IF YOU EVER READ THE BOOK, YOU KNOW THAT HAROLD HAD A PURPLE CRAYON.
HE'D DRAW THE WORLD THE WAY YOU SEE.
SO I ASKED MY PEOPLE, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EACH ONE OF MY EXECUTIVES, THE FIRST EXECUTIVE MEETING WE HAD, I GAVE HIM A LARGE PURPLE CRAYON AND SAID, NOW WE NEED TO DRAW THE WAY WE NEED TO BE.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY THE LINE'S IN PURPLE.
THANK YOU FOR ME TO GIVE THE LITTLE EDITORIAL COMMENT, BUT WE'LL GO BACK TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
CURRENT PROJECTION RIGHT NOW IS SEPTEMBER, 2028, WE BELIEVE WITH THE CURRENT ACTION PLAN WORKING WILL BE COMPLETED BY 2026.
IF YOU LOOK THROUGH, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CUT TWO YEARS OFF OF EACH ONE OF THE PROJECTIONS RIGHT NOW AND GET US CLOSER TO BACK WHERE WE WERE.
LIKE I SAID, 16 WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE IN 2024.
RIGHT NOW, THE PROJECTION BEFORE THE ACTION PLAN WAS SEPTEMBER, 2028.
BUT NOW, UH, WE'RE GONNA AGAIN LOOK AT, WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN BRING IT IN 2026, WHICH IS BACK ALMOST TO THE ORIGINAL BASELINE.
THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT, UM, THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WE'RE GONNA ACCELERATE THE STREET, UH, STREET PROGRAMS, TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND BIKES AND STRUCTURES, WORKING WITH TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS.
WHAT WE FEEL IS THAT SOME OF THIS WAS SOME THINGS LAGGING, AND WE LOOKED AT HOW WE CAN SEQUENCE THINGS AND HOW WE CAN GROUP PROJECTS TOGETHER, MAKE THEM HAPPEN.
SO, AGAIN, I I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THIS ROOM WITHOUT YOU THINKING THAT THIS IS NOT CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
THIS IS, AGAIN, THE ONE CITY ONE TEAM APPROACH.
MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS ARE MAKING THIS HAPPEN, AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA ACHIEVE THIS.
LET'S TALK ABOUT 2020, UH, THE MOST RECENT BOND WE BELIEVE WE CAN GET THAT BACK TO INSTEAD OF FINISHING IN 2029, WE CAN FINISH IT IN DECEMBER, 2027.
UH, AGAIN, THE LAR THE LARGEST PLACE WHERE WE'RE FOCUSING ON IS, UM, THE LARGE CIP.
THOSE PROJECTS CONSIST OF, UM, UH, CONGRESS AVENUE BRIDGE, UH, LONGHORN, UH, DAM, OR LIKE WE CALL THE WISHBONE BRIDGE, UH, BARTON SPRINGS BRIDGE.
AND, UH, I'M TRYING TO THINK THE, THE LAST ONE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
BUT WE'VE WORKED, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE TO GET THOSE DONE.
WE THINK WE CAN, UH, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND GET THE MONEY SPENT.
FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF MEETING WITH ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF TO REVIEW THE PLAN, GIVE 'EM MORE DETAILS.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN SEE THIS IS VERY HIGH LEVEL.
UH, DIDN'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THE MANY, MANY PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING.
IF YOU REALIZE THAT THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM ALONE PROBABLY HAS SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THREE TO 400 PROJECTS GOING, I COULD HAVE A VERY LONG LIST.
UH, SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE MEETING SPECIFICALLY WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, GOING THROUGH THEIR DISTRICT, AND ALSO TALK ABOUT, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS TOO, IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WORK WITH ME, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO MENTIONED, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO DO, AND YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT THIS EARLIER, UM, WE'RE NOT JUST TRYING, TRYING TO TALK ABOUT THE PROJECTS IN THEIR DISTRICT, BUT THERE'S CONNECTOR PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DRIVE THROUGH DIFFERENT DISTRICTS TO GET TO WORK, TO GO TO RESTAURANTS AND EVERYTHING.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO ALSO GIVE 'EM THE IDEA OF HOW THOSE CONNECTOR PROJECTS WORK.
UM, BEGINNING IN, UH, SECOND QUARTER THIS YEAR, FINANCIAL YEAR, SORRY, UM, I, I LIVE BY FINANCIALS.
UH, WE, UH, WE'LL START GIVING A QUARTERLY UPDATE AND REPORT.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF REVISING, REVIEWING AND REVISING EACH PROJECT AND PROGRAM SPENDING PLAN.
LIKE I SAID, THAT'S A LOT OF WORK, BUT WE'RE GOING THROUGH IT.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO SAY HOW WE CAN SET THAT UP.
SO YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF THE WORK IN THE 20 FY 25 CAPITAL BUDGET.
WE'LL DRILL DOWN AND GIVE MORE DETAIL, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE SOME OF WHAT I'VE PRESENTED YOU TODAY, ACTUALLY SEEING IN ACTIONS WHERE YOU'LL SEE WHERE THE FIVE YEAR SPENDING PLANS LOOK LIKE THE MONEY HAS CHANGED AS FAR AS WHAT YOU SAW, AS FAR AS THINGS ARE BEING ACCELERATED MOVING FORWARD.
BUT THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE ACTUAL, UH, MOVEMENT OF THE PLAN BESIDES MYSELF BRIEFING YOU AND GIVING YOU UPDATES.
AND LAST THING IS WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON TRAINING AND IMPLEMENTING CONSISTENT SPENDING PLAN AND OTHER PROCESSES.
LIKE I SAID, I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS BRILLIANT, BUT I TOLD YOU I WAS GONNA TRY TO BE BRIEF.
AND DEPENDING ON YOUR QUESTIONS, I'LL BE GONE.
BUT THIS, UH, BESIDES THE ONE QUESTION WE HAD FROM ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, I'M OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE.
UM, SO I REMEMBER, UM, STARTING WITH THE 2016 MOBILITY BOND WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD HEARD THIS LANGUAGE TOSSED AROUND.
AND IT'S BEEN TOSSED AROUND IN A COUPLE BOND PROGRAMS NOW, UM, ABOUT THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS YES, MA'AM.
AND, AND I WAS ON, I THINK, UM, THE COMMITTEE THAT LIKE DID A PRIORITIZATION MATRIX TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT OUR SPEND
[01:35:01]
FOR THE, UM, FOR THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM.AND LIKE, WE KEPT TALKING OVER AND OVER ABOUT THE DEADLINE AND THOSE THINGS.
AND, UM, I WAS JUST, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE WERE TALKING JUST RECENT IN THE LAST ITEM ABOUT LEGAL QUESTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I, I GUESS, UM, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THIS, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF, OF YOUR OFFICE WITH SOMETHING LIKE THE CONTRACT OF THE VOTERS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU? IS THAT JUST LANGUAGE? IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF I DON'T, I DON'T CHAIR CHAIR SUMMERS, I'LL HELP YOU.
UH, THE PHRASE OF CONTRACTOR VOTERS I TAKE VERY SERIOUS.
AND I THINK IT'S A PROMISE TO THE VOTERS YEAH.
UH, THAT TO YOU BRING ABOUT THE CORRIDOR OFFICE IN ITSELF.
I THINK THAT'S AN EXAMPLE THAT, UH, THE ONE, UH, COMMISSIONER ASKED ME ABOUT AS FAR AS A OPTIMISTIC CONCEPT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THE CORRIDORS WERE PICKED, AND I WAS THERE THAT NIGHT WHEN IT HAPPENED, AND IT WAS A LOT OF FUN IN THE BACK ROOM, THEY PICKED EIGHT CORRIDORS.
THERE WAS NO PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORTS, THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING TO SAY, WE'RE GIVING YOU $435 MILLION TO GO DO THIS.
AND THEY GAVE SOME CERTAIN THINGS.
NOW, IN APRIL, 2020, IN 2018, THEY CAME BACK AND GAVE AN ORIGINAL BASELINE, BUT IT TOOK 'EM TWO YEARS, LIKE I SAID.
SO WE LOST TWO YEARS OF TIME JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND SETTING A SCOPE, SCHEDULE, BUDGET.
AND EVEN THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S OPTIMISTIC.
'CAUSE WE SEE, WE KNOW IN 2020, UH, OR LAST YEAR, WE HAD A BIG INSPI, UH, SPIKE OF, UM, INFLATION, UH, DURING COVID WE STARTED TO HAVE, UM, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.
A LOT OF THINGS GOT IN THEIR WAY AS FAR AS TO GET THAT DONE.
BUT THE CONTRACT AND THE VOTERS IS, IT'S, IT'S REALISTICALLY, I'D RATHER SAY IT'S A PROMISE AND A CONTRACT.
'CAUSE CONTRACT'S SO LEGAL TO ME YEAH.
BUT IT'S REALLY A PROMISE TO MOVE FORWARD AND TRY TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO MAKE THIS THE MOST LIVABLE CITY POSSIBLE.
ESPECIALLY THE TRANSIT FOR, UH, TRANSIT IDEAS THAT THIS COMMISSION TALKS ABOUT.
I THINK I, I PERSONALLY, WHILE I OBVIOUSLY WANT PROMISES FOR MY GOVERNMENT TO DELIVER THE WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GETTING FOR OUR TAX DOLLARS, OR I HAVE HAD SOME QUALMS ABOUT THAT LANGUAGE FOR A, SINCE IT EMERGED AROUND 2016 BONDS.
AND SO ANYWAY, I JUST THOUGHT I WONDERED, I JUST WONDERED ABOUT THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR HELPING THAT, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DECIDED BY THE COUNCIL THAT TIME.
UH, THIS DEPARTMENT'S FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTING.
AND THE THING IS, IS WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE IS WHATEVER WE BRING TO THIS COMMISSION, WE BRING TO COUNCIL IS CAPABLE OF BEING IMPLEMENTED ON TIME WITHIN BUDGET AND WHATEVER ADDITIONAL DIRECTION THEY GIVE US, WE TRY TO WORK WITH 'EM TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND IF THEIR PHRASE IS CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
'CAUSE AGAIN, OUR DEPARTMENT AND EVERYBODY IN THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE STAFF, WE JUST WANT TO FULFILL THE PROMISES.
DO, DO OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS? UH, LET'S, EVERYBODY, LET'S GO TO ARLIN THIS TIME.
NOW, UM, SO THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I, THAT I HAVE, YOU HAD MENTIONED THIS, UM, ABOUT MEETING WITH EACH COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER AND STAFF TO REVIEW THOSE PROGRAMS. IS THAT GONNA BE PUBLIC INFORMATION AS WELL? JUST TO KNOW? 'CAUSE I GUESS IN MY HEAD, VISUALLY WHAT I'M THINKING OF THE QUESTION IS, IS WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, YOU KNOW, AND IT, THE COLOR CODED IS ALL GREAT, BUT I, I, I QUESTION HOW MANY PROJECTS ARE WITHIN EACH OF THESE.
AND THEN HOW, SO IT'S THE NUMBER BUT ALSO BROKEN DOWN WITHIN THE DISTRICT, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT JUST, OH, WE HAVE 200 PROGRAMS FOR X, Y, Z, BUT 200, YOU KNOW, 100 OF THOSE ARE IN DISTRICT BLANK AND NOT SO MUCH IN THIS OTHER DISTRICT.
SO JUST LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL, WHAT, WHAT WE, OKAY, I LIKE TO SAY HOPE.
SOMETIMES HOPE'S NOT A METHOD, BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, NOT CALENDAR YEAR, PHYSICAL YEAR, UH, REDO OUR WEBSITE.
SO IT'LL MAKE IT A LOT EASIER FOR YOU TO LOOK AT IT.
THERE'S A, THERE'S, UH, WE SAW A, A SITE THAT WE LIKE, WHICH THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS, WHICH ACTUALLY LETS YOU DRILL DOWN VERY SIMPLE, EASY, WITHIN TWO, THREE CLICKS, YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL SOMETIMES WE HAVE MULTITUDES OF DIFFERENT INFORMATION AND, AND TRYING TO GET THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE IT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND WHAT THEY, WHAT MY EXPECTATION IS, THEY'LL, THE UPDATES WE PROVIDE THEM, THEY'LL GO OUT THROUGH THEIR NEWSLETTERS AND EVERYTHING.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE COORDINATING WITH 'EM.
SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY TELL THEIR DISTRICT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR DISTRICT.
'CAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'LL SAY THEY'RE HIRED FOR.
I, I, I, I, AGAIN, I, I UNDERSTAND, BUT WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS WE, WE, WE WILL PUT THE INFORMATION OUT.
UH, I'M STARTING WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FIRST SO THAT THEY CAN INCLUDE IN THEIR NEWSLETTERS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TOO, IS GET THE INFORMATION OUT.
WE'LL BE COMING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LIKE THIS TO GIVE YOU UPDATES.
UM, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I CAN GET AS DETAILED AS YOU WANT.
UH, THE THING IS, IS AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PIECES.
UH, IF YOU CAN WORK WITH, UH, UH, DEPUTY INTERIM DIRECTOR, UH, DIRECTOR OVER
[01:40:01]
HERE, MR. DALE, AND LET ME KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, WE CAN COME BACK AND, AND PRESENT THE GIS MAPS THAT FOR THESE BONDS ARE ALSO, I MEAN, YOU CAN GO AND DRILL.THEY'RE, IT'S AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF INFORMATION, BUT THEY, THEY WANT IT SIMPLE FOR ME.
THEY DO EXIST, DO THE WORK FOR ME, KNOW
AND I, I, I LOOK AT THIS AND I'M LIKE, MAN, VISION ZERO, WHICH SHOULD GET A LOT OF LOVE.
UM, BUT I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT OUR URBAN TRAILS? RIGHT? LIKE, HOW COME THAT'S NOT GETTING A LITTLE MORE LOVE HIGHER UP? BUT THEN ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, WHERE ARE THOSE, WHERE ARE THOSE PROJECTED PROJECTS GOING IN? WHAT DISTRICTS? AND DO THOSE, YOU KNOW, DISTRICTS NEED 'EM MORE THAN OTHERS.
WHAT IS THAT EQUITY WITHIN THOSE DISTRICTS TOO? OKAY.
SO I GUESS THERE'S TWO POINTS THERE.
UH, FOR FIRST IS WE, WE, UH, WHEN WE COME TO FUTURE PRESENTATIONS, I'LL GIVE YOU MORE DETAIL AS FAR AS THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT UNDERNEATH THIS PROG, UH, UNDERNEATH THIS GROUPING, THERE'S REALLY TWO MAIN THINGS.
THERE'S THE PROJECTS, DEFINED PROJECTS LIKE URBAN TRAILS, UM, UH, STREET ROADWAYS, DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THAT BUCKET, WHICH I CALL PROGRAMMATIC, WHICH IS THE SIDEWALKS, BIKES, EVERYTHING THAT IF WE CAME, LIKE I SAID, THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM ITSELF USED TO BE OVER.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, HARD TO GIVE YOU THAT.
BUT THEY DO HAVE A GREAT WEBSITE IF YOU GO TO IT.
AND THEY HAVE A GREAT GIS MAP WHERE YOU CAN DRILL DOWN, SEE WHAT THEY DID, THE WORK, WHAT'S COMING, AND ALL THAT.
BUT WHAT WE WILL BE COMING BACK IS GIVING YOU THE HEALTH OF THE PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
THERE'S NOT AS MANY PROJECTS AS THERE ARE PROGRAMMATIC SMALL PROGRAMS, UH, PROJECTS.
BUT WE'LL COME BACK AND READ THAT.
BUT AGAIN, TODAY WAS, I WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UH, ALSO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE, WE COULD TALK ALL DAY ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS OR ALL NIGHT, BUT I'LL TAKE DIRECTION AND WORK WITH, UH, MR. DALE OVER HERE.
AND WE'LL BRING THE INFORMATION THAT YOU, YOU ASK, UH, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, COMMISSIONER BROOKS, BUSY LOOKING AT THE SPICEWOOD SPRINGS.
REGIONAL MOBILITY PROJECT WEBSITE.
WHICH HAS THIS IMMENSE GAP WITH THE FIRST PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT IN DECEMBER OF 2018.
THERE'S A HUNDRED PERCENT DESIGN.
NO PUBLIC INPUT ANYTIME IN BETWEEN.
SIR, I CAN'T SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PUBLIC INPUT ON THAT ONE 'CAUSE UH, I WASN'T INVOLVED AT THAT TIME, BUT I CAN LOOK INTO THAT.
I DO KNOW THAT, UH, ON FRIDAY WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING THE INITIAL GROUNDBREAKING, AND THEN I THINK THEY'RE MEETING THE CONTRACTOR.
UM, I DO KNOW IT WAS A COMPLEX PROJECT.
OKAY, SIR, I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A GAP.
I CANNOT ANSWER WHY THERE'S A GAP AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UH, I CAN LOOK INTO IT AND COME BACK AND GIVE YOU AN ANSWER TO THAT.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THIS DEPARTMENT WAS FORMED THIS YEAR WAS TO ADDRESS THOSE GAPS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE 'EM.
BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND Y YOUR, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE GAPS.
THE REASON WHY I SHOOK MY HEAD AT YOUR MENTION OF GIVING THE INFORMATION TO COUNCIL PEOPLE IS ALLISON ALTER IS A VERY BUSY PERSON, AND HER STAFF IS VERY BUSY.
AND PROBABLY ONLY A SMALL PART OF DISTRICT 10 IS VERY INTERESTED IN SPICEWOOD SPRINGS PROJECT.
JUST GIVING IT TO HER STAFF PRIVATELY IS ALMOST A GUARANTEE THAT NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND TO IT, AND I APPRECIATE THAT COMMISSIONER BROOKS.
UM, THE, A BETTER WAY TO DO IT, MAKE THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO PUT IT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS LETTER OR WHATEVER.
AND I'LL, AND MAKE IT PROPRIETARY PRIVATE INFORMATION TO THE COUNCIL PEOPLE.
WE'LL TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
I'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE, MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, WHICH OPEN ALL YOUR MEETINGS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK, BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK.
UNDER THE CONDITIONS, THEY'LL BE TOLD, YOU CAN COME AND SIT IN THE BACK ROW, BUT YOUR MOUTH IS TAPED SHUT.
AND I'LL WORK WITH MY PIO STAFF ON THAT.
AND WE WORK WITH ALSO TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS.
MR. BROOKS, I, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT.
I'M SMILING BECAUSE I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR 14 YEARS, AND I KNOW I CAN GO DOWN TO THE STREET CORNER AND I'LL PROBABLY GET ALL THE PUBLIC INPUT I WANT.
AND EVEN IF I TELL 'EM, BE QUIET, THEY'RE GONNA TELL ME WHAT THEY FEEL.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TALKING, JUST WE'RE TALKING THE OTHER DIRECTION.
WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GET THE FEEDBACK.
WHY DID SPICE WITH SPRINGS ROAD? THAT PROJECT JUST WENT DARK.
I TRIED THROUGH VERY EVENTUALLY.
IT WASN'T THE ONE, I, IT WAS ANOTHER PROJECT THAT I ACTUALLY HAD TO USE THE FACT THAT I'M ON THE COMMISSION TO GET INFORMATION ON IT.
BUT SPICEWOOD SPRINGS IS RIGHT BEHIND.
[01:45:04]
UH, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I CAN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION WHY THERE WAS A KEPT SECRET.UM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE, THE GEM, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, THAT YOU GIVE ME AS FAR AS WE NEED TO WORK ON GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC IN A MORE EFFICIENT AND OPEN MANNER.
AND IT, AND AT VARIOUS LEVELS, SOME PEOPLE WILL WANT ALL, WILL SIT IN THE BACK AND SQUABBLE ABOUT THE TECHNICAL DETAILS.
OTHER PEOPLE WILL SAY, JUST LOOK.
TELL ME WHEN THE, WHEN I SHOULD PLAN ON CONSTRUCTION.
SO I TAKE A DIFFERENT ROAD TO WORK, MR. AND YOU NEED TO SUPPORT EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN MR. BROOKS.
AND I'LL, I'LL FINISH THIS, I'LL FINISH ON THIS POINT AND THEN I'LL ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IN THIS DEPARTMENT, AND LIKE I SAID, I'VE LIVED HERE 14 YEARS, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE DON'T DO WELL AS A CITY, AND I'VE TALKED TO, UM, JESSICA KING, WHO'S OUR CORPORATE PIO ABOUT THIS, IS WE SET UP A GROUP THAT'S JUST ON PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT'S IMPORTANT IS I JUST DON'T, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO RIGHT NOW IS WE HAVE A MEETING AT SIX O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, AND WE, AND THAT'S THE ONLY TIME WE, WE MEET WITH 'EM.
WE, WE'VE HIRED ONE, WE HAVE A SECOND ONE COMING ON BOARD WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE GO OUT.
WE GO TO THE HEBS, WE GO TO DIFFERENT, WE GO TO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS SAYING, I HOPE YOU CAN GET THERE AT SIX O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
AND, UH, THE LAST THING WE DID, WE, UH, THAT GENTLEMAN WHO, GOD BLESS HIM, HE WENT TO THREE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND KNOCKED ON 700 DOORS IN ONE DAY AND KNOCKED ON EACH SINGLE DOOR AND GAVE INFORMATION TO PEOPLE AND TALKED TO 'EM.
I'M SORRY ABOUT SPICEWOOD SPRINGS.
UH, I'LL WORK WITH MR. DALE TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND OUT THE REASON FOR THE GAP.
BUT, UM, WE, WE ARE COMMITTED TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS, BUT I, I KNOW YOU, YOU'VE, YOU'VE GIVEN ME A GEM TO WORK ON AND I APPRECIATE IT.
DID, DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AS WELL? DID I, I, I THOUGHT I SAW YOUR HAND EARLIER.
UM, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
SO,
UM, THERE'S BEEN NEIGHBORHOODS ALONG, ESPECIALLY I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY OF SOUTH LAMAR, THAT PROJECT WHERE THERE'S BEEN SO MANY ATTEMPTS TO GET SOME INFORMATION.
AND IT'S JUST BEEN VERY DIFFICULT.
AND I REALIZED THAT THAT WAS SORT OF THE IDEA BEHIND CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES BECOMING A DEPARTMENT, THAT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCENTRATING THAT WE COULD RESOLVE THIS ISSUE A LITTLE BIT.
BUT ALL WE KNOW IS THAT THERE WAS SOME ISSUES WITH TXDOT RIGHT OF WAY.
THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT ISSUE AT MARY AND SOUTH LAMAR FOR FOREVER.
THERE'S BEEN NO UPDATES AND THE WEBSITE IS NOT UP TO DATE.
AND SO I'M EXCITED TO THAT WE'RE GONNA GET A LITTLE BIT OF A FACE LIST ON THIS WEBSITE.
UM, IT IS CRITICAL AS WE MOVE FORWARD WHEN WE MAKE A ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CARE A LOT ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THESE MAJOR CORRIDORS.
AND SO I HOPE THAT STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IS A PART OF THIS, THESE SCOPE ADJUSTMENTS, BECAUSE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, EVEN AMONG US THAT ARE REALLY PLUGGED IN, DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE SCOPE ADJUSTMENTS ARE.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA GET FROM THESE READJUSTED PROJECTS.
UM, SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE COMMENTS.
UM, WHEN WE UPDATE, ARE WE GOING TO BE GETTING, SO ONE QUESTION IS, ARE WE GOING TO BE GETTING LIKE 30, 60, 90% DESIGN FOR CORRIDORS? OR LIKE, HOW WOULD THAT SORT OF LOOK LIKE? I KNOW THEY'RE HUGE MEGA PROJECTS MADE UP OF A BUNCH OF SMALLER PROJECTS.
HOW WOULD THOSE UPDATES GONNA LOOK? UM, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO KNOW WHO THE PROJECT MANAGERS ARE FOR EACH OF THESE PROJECTS.
I'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THAT INFORMATION ONLINE.
THERE'S LIKEBURNETT@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV THAT NO ONE RESPONDED TO ME FROM MULTIPLE, UM, UH, EMAILS.
YOU'RE A VERY BUSY MAN IN CHARGE OF A VERY LARGE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, UM, GETTING A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE GROUND WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECT MANAGERS WOULD BE GREAT.
AND SO HOW CAN WE MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE TO CONTACT, IN A WAY, TO KNOW THE UPDATES IN A WAY TO BE INVOLVED IN THOSE SCOPE READJUSTMENT AND CONVERSATIONS.
I, I APPRECIATE THE GRACE THAT YOU THINK I'M A BUSY MAN.
BUT, UH, BUT WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT JOB TO DO.
I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION AS FAR AS INFORMATION.
UH, I WILL TELL YOU, AND I'VE, I'VE WORKED WITH SOME OF THE COUNCIL S TELL 'EM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT WAS OPTIMISTIC ON THE CORRIDORS.
SO AFTER FOLLOWING, UH, A TP, I DON'T WANNA SOUND LIKE A REPEAT, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYTHING CAN GET BUILT WITH CERTAIN THINGS.
I'LL TELL YOU, WE WILL COME BACK AND PRESENT TO YOU WHAT IS BEING BUILT AND WHERE, UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE'S, UH, WE USED AN ENGAGEMENT FIRM LIFELINE WHO DID A LOT
[01:50:01]
OF THE ENGAGEMENTS FOR YOU.AND THROUGH THIS WHOLE SCULPING AND LOOK AT IT, WE BROUGHT THEM IN EACH TIME WE SAID, WHAT'S THE, WHAT IS THE TOUCH POINTS? WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT THINGS? WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD? LET'S BRING UP ALL THE DATA FROM ALL THE OPEN HOUSES YOU HAD, OR DISCUSSIONS.
'CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING.
SO ONCE THAT IS DONE, WE'LL COME BACK OUT, TELL YOU WHAT IT IS, UH, TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.
BUT THE ONE THING, UH, LIKE I SAID BEFORE IS WHEN I TALK ABOUT ENGAGEMENT, WE ACTUALLY WENT AND SAID, WELL, WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE LOOKING FOR IN THOSE AREAS? I MEAN, 'CAUSE AGAIN, SOME OF THE TIMES PEOPLE COME IN, MAKE PROMISES, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T FIT.
AND WE WILL PUT ON THE SIDE, WHATEVER WE DON'T DO, WE PUT IN FOR SUBSTANTIAL FOR THE NEXT BOND PROGRAM.
THE IDEA IS WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO BUILD EVERYTHING.
AND, AND IF YOU, AND IF, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE CONTRACT AND VOTERS AND EVERYTHING, BUT WHAT I WALKED IN, WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS ACTUALLY DELIVER SOMETHING AND, AND, AND GET MOMENTUM AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO, BUT I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT WITH THE CHALLENGE HERE AS FAR AS THE EMAILS AND UPDATING THE PLANS AND, AND, AND INFORMATION OUT.
UM, AND JUST I ALSO WANT YOU TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT YOU DO MAKE READJUSTMENTS TO THE SCOPE OF THESE PROJECTS.
THE 2016 WAS, AT THIS POINT, ALMOST SEVEN YEARS AGO.
AND SO THE NEEDS OF THESE STREETS MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND SO MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT HOW IT HAS CHANGED COULD BE GREAT.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M SURE YOU ALREADY KNOW.
UM, I DO WANT TO ASK, UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF, THERE ARE SOME ISSUES ALONG NORTH BURNETT AND NORTH AND SOUTH LAMAR REGARDING TEXDOT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE STATE RIGHTS OF WAY.
AND ARE, ARE WE MOVING TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT THOSE STATE RIGHTS OF WAY AND HAVE THEY, UH, I KNOW SOUTH LAMAR THERE'S THAT BIG DRAMA AROUND THE THREE TO TWO CONVERSION OR SIX TO FOUR CONVERSION BETWEEN, UM, THE RIVER AND BARTON SPRINGS, AND THEN PEOPLE FELT LIKE THAT DERAILED EVERYTHING.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IF, IF THESE ARE STILL PROBLEMS AND WHAT IS BEING DONE THAT HAS ADDRESSED THESE PROBLEMS? THE ONE THING I WON'T DO IS TELL YOU WHAT I DON'T, YOU KNOW, TELL YOU OR MAKE YOU THINK I KNOW SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFICS ON THAT ONE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
SO I DON'T WANT TO LEGION, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING A LOT WITH TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS AND TEXTILE AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES, AND I'M LOOKING AT MR. DALE 'CAUSE HE DEALS WITH THIS A LOT MORE THAN ME, IS THE IDEA THAT THERE ARE, UM, DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS AND SPECS AS FAR AS THE ROAD AND UH, AS FAR AS DRAINAGE, OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE WORK WITH THEM ON AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CITY OF AUSTIN HAS CERTAIN STANDARDS.
IF IT'S THEIR ROAD, THEY'RE GONNA BUILD IT AND DO IT TO THEIR STANDARDS NO MATTER, EVEN THOUGH SOMEONE SAYS IT'S IN THE, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IT'S WHO OWNS AND MAINTAINS THAT RIGHT OF WAY.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE DO WORK WITH THEM TO SAY HOW WE CAN WORK WITH, I'LL TELL YOU, UH, UH, THE TX ENGINEER HAS BEEN VERY AMENABLE TO WORKING WITH US.
I'VE BEEN HERE 14 YEARS, THE MIRACLES, HE AND HIS, UH, I, I WANNA SAY I KNOW THEIR FIRST NAMES.
I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE LAST NAME.
YOU KNOW, TUCKER AND HEATHER HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY, UM, COOPERATIVE WITH US TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
BUT THESE ARE SOME LONGSTANDING ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE, BUT THEY'VE BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE TRYING TO WORK WITH, AGAIN, I WISH I HAD THE UPDATE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT NORTH, NORTH BURNETT, SOUTH LAMAR FOR YOU ON THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT I DON'T AT THIS TIME AT THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I DON'T WANNA MONOPOLIZE EVERYONE'S TIME, BUT I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN ABOUT SEVEN YEARS SINCE THE 2016 BOND HAS PASSED SEVEN YEARS.
WE SPENT LESS THAN HALF THE MONEY.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW A ABOUT 24 MONTH TIMELINE FOR ALL CORRIDOR PROJECTS ARE IN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE.
ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, REALISTIC? YES.
TWO YEARS TO SPEND WHAT WE COULDN'T SPEND IN SEVEN.
SO WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT OBSTACLES.
THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, SILOS OR, YOU KNOW, TOWERS OF EXCELLENCE, OTHER THINGS THAT GOT IN OUR WAY, THINGS THAT DIDN'T GET ESCALATED AND UNDERSTOOD.
UH, AT COUNCIL NEXT WEEK WE'RE BRINGING, UH, AN EXTENSION TO THE ROTATION LIST FOR ENGINEERING SO WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THE WORK SO THAT WE CAN START, UH, START AND FINISH THE ENGINEERING SO WE CAN GO INTO CONSTRUCTION.
UM, WE, UH, ONE OF OUR GOALS IS TO BE IN CONSTRUCTION BY THE END OF, OR STARTING CONSTRUCTION ON ALMOST ALL THE WORK WE HAVE BY 2024 SO WE CAN MOVE THE THINGS FORWARD.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO DECOUPLE CERTAIN THINGS.
UH, THERE'S DIFFERENT CONTRACT METHODS AND DELIVERY METHODS THAT ALLOWS US TO SOME OF THE WORKS.
SO SIDEWALKS IN THE CORRIDORS, WE'RE GONNA USE WHAT THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM USES, WHICH IS AN IDIQ APPROACH, WHICH IS SMALLER PROJECTS TO, WE LOOKED AT, LIKE I SAID, WE BROUGHT OUT THE PURPLE CRAYON AND WE LOOKED AT MULTIPLE WAYS TO GET THROUGH.
AND I, I, AND, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE THE HARD QUESTIONS AND I KNOW THAT YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE THEM FOR ME, BUT THE BEST WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO THE BEST WE CAN DO TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
[01:55:01]
I SAID, TO THE BEST OF IF THINGS ARE NOT GONNA GET DONE, WHAT YOUR EXPECTATION, WE ARE PUTTING THAT IN.'CAUSE THERE WILL BE ANOTHER BOND PROGRAM.
I'M NOT GONNA PROMISE WIN 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT MY JOB.
UM, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE PUTTING THAT IN FOR BETTER WORDS 'CAUSE WE ARE AT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, THE PARKING LOT.
SO WE CAN COME BACK AND LOOK AT THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
ALSO, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT DID DELAY US GOING THROUGH THIS, IF YOU'RE ASKING, I KNOW THIS WASN'T SPICEWOOD SPRINGS ROAD, BUT IN THE CORE, UH, CORE WAS, UH, PROJECT CONNECT, CERTAIN THINGS GOT DEFERRED DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
THE RARE ALIGNMENTS, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS, UH, THE VOTERS GAVE US THIS MONEY TO SPEND.
AND WHAT WE DON'T WANNA DO IS WE WANNA TRY TO FIND DIG ONE'S APPROACHES INSTEAD OF DOING WORK AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER BREAKING UP ALL THAT WORK BECAUSE SOMETHING ELSE IS COMING THROUGH.
SO THAT'S SOME OF THE THOUGHTFULNESS INTENTNESS WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, WITH THE OPTIM OPTIMISTIC CONCEPTS, PEOPLE DIDN'T LOOK AT THE REST OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM.
THEY JUST SAID, JUST GO BUILD THIS.
AND THEN WE GOT INTO IT, FOUND THERE'S DRAINAGE ISSUES, WE FOUND OUT OTHER THINGS WERE GOING ON.
WE FOUND OUT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT VARIABLES THAT WE DIDN'T LOOK AT.
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES TOO, IS WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR OTHER ASSET OWNERS THAT ARE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, BE IT AUSTIN WATER AE WATERSHED TO SAY AGAIN, THE DIG ONCE APPROACH.
'CAUSE THAT WAS THE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE COMP, UH, MAKING IT COMPLEX.
WE, UH, WE WOULD GET TO 60% DESIGN ON CERTAIN THINGS AND THEN AUSTIN WATER OR SO ON.
'CAUSE WE HAD NOT REACHED OUT TO 'EM AND SAID, OH WAIT, LET ME REPLACE THAT WATER LINE.
WELL, THEY'RE AT 0% DESIGN, SO THEY HAVE TO GET CAUGHT UP.
SO THE THING IS, WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, AND I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN HAD THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH SOME REALLY GREAT LEADERS NOW IN THESE DEPARTMENTS.
AND MOST OF 'EM ARE NEW AND WE WORK WITH, HE'S LIKE, WE NEED TO STOP SAYING NO AND SAYING HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH IS WORKING, UH, MY DEPARTMENT'S WORKING WITH AE AUSTIN ENERGY, WHERE THERE ARE THINGS ABOUT LOOKING AT BEARING LINES AND SAYING WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIG ONE'S OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE NOT GONNA DELAY ANY PROJECTS, BUT IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES WE DO IT.
AND THEN GOING FORWARD WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE AGAIN, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS WORKING THE RIGHT OF WAY AND WHY CAN'T WE ALL WORK TOGETHER? AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND AGAIN, I SOUND OPTIMISTIC NOW, MAYBE LATER ON I'LL COME BACK IN A COUPLE YEARS.
YOU CAN TELL ME HOW I WAS OPTIMISTIC, LIKE MY PROJECTS I TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE A PLAN.
UM, IS IT PERFECT? NO, BUT IT'S GONNA BE MOVING FORWARD AND THAT'S WHAT THIS DEPARTMENT'S SUPPOSED TO DO IS MOVE OBSTACLES, TRY TO GET THINGS DONE, AND WE WORK TOGETHER.
AND I I, I HAVE FAITH NOT JUST IN MY DEPARTMENT, BUT IN THE TEAM WE WORK WITH, LIKE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS THAT WE'RE GONNA GET DONE.
UM, LET SPENCER, IT'S YOU CAN GO.
SORRY, I DO HAVE A COUPLE TOO.
UM, SO I, I WANNA SECOND A LOT OF WHAT HE SAID ON THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE.
FIRST, LEMME JUST START BY SAYING, I THINK THE CHANGES YOU'RE MAKING ARE GREAT.
I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN THIS NEW DEPARTMENT AND I ALSO HAVE A LOT OF GRACE FOR STAFF ON HOW DIFFICULT THE TBW MERGER AND THE CREATION OF THIS NEW ENTITY IS AND HOW THAT IS GOING TO CAUSE SOME DELAYS.
UH, BUT THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE SPECIFICALLY, THAT IS, UH, THE GEM OF ALL GEMS, UH, IF YOU WILL, IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH BETTER WE CAN MAKE COMMUNICATION THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'M ON THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND UH, WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR AN UPDATE FROM THEM FOR ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS.
UH, AND THEY JUST KEEP SAYING THEY'RE NOT READY.
I'VE ASKED FOR ONE HERE, SO IF YOU WANNA BLAME SOMEONE, BLAME ME.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DON'T WANNA DO IS COME AND TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT I'M GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE.
UH, I'LL TELL YOU THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE WERE WORKING ON WITH THE QUARTER OFFICE.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW WHEN I COME HERE, YOU'RE, THE ONLY WAY I CAN BUILD TRUST IS DELIVER ON WHAT I SAY.
SO IF IF SOMEONE'S TO BLAME, IT'S ME.
BECAUSE THE THING IS, WHAT I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING IS, UH, OPTIMISTIC IDEAS TO YOU.
AND THEN LATER YOU'RE SAYING, MR. SNOW, YOU CAME AND YOU SAID YOU WERE GONNA DO THIS AND YOU DIDN'T.
UH, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO, WHEN WE COME TO YOU BRIEF, YOU TELL YOU THIS IS WHAT WE ARE DOING.
THIS IS THE BEST WE CAN DO IT AND THIS IS HOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO.
AND THEN, AND THIS IS WHEN WE'RE GONNA DELIVER IT.
AND THEN YOU CAN HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE TO THAT.
BUT I I, I'M PART OF THAT REASON.
UH, 'CAUSE AGAIN, AS WE KNOW, THE CITY GROWS AND THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGE GOING ON.
AND THE ONE THING I DON'T WANNA DO IS KEEP ON COMING BACK AND TELLING YOU, WELL, SOMETHING'S CHANGED, SOMETHING'S CHANGED.
I WANNA BE ABLE TO SAY, THIS IS THE PLAN.
JUST LIKE TONIGHT I SHOWED YOU THIS IS THE PLAN.
AND AS WE GO INTO DETAIL AND START SHARING THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN.
I I I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FRUSTRATION HERE.
UH, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE I GET THAT RIGHT.
AND LIKE RELIABILITY AND, AND TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY ARE, ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT SO IS RESPONSIVENESS, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
AND THAT EMAIL ISSUE IS A BIG ISSUE.
I I HAVE HEARD FROM PLENTY OF PEOPLE, I MYSELF HAVE TRIED EMAILING.
AND IT, IT, I DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE PLAN IS.
I, I'D LIKE TO KNOW ON SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, RIGHT? LIKE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE JUST HINTING TO THE FACT THAT THE QUAD AND 24TH PROJECT HAS BEEN ON HOLD IS BECAUSE OF PROJECT CONNECT.
I I, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME ANYONE SAID THAT.
AND I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THREE YEARS.
[02:00:01]
DID NOT STATE THE THE QUAD BECAUSE OF THE, I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE WAS CHALLENGES LIKE LOOKING AT PROJECT CONNECT, COMING THROUGH CERTAIN THINGS.UM, BUT AGAIN, THE OTHER THING TOO IS FRUSTRATING IS TRYING TO HAVE ONE VOICE.
UH, UH, I I'M CHANNELING THE CITY MANAGER WHEN I SAID THIS IS WHEN I TOOK OVER THIS DEPARTMENT, I LOOKED AT THE MANY WEBSITES WE HAVE YEAH.
AND THE WAY OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND I CANNOT GET THE SAME ANSWER FROM THE WEBSITES.
UM, SOME OF THOSE ACCOUNTS BECAUSE OF THE MERGER AND THINGS THAT WE DID, YES.
THEY GOT DISCONNECTED OR SOMEONE'S NOT LOOKING AT 'EM.
AND, AND I'M GONNA ASK MY PEOPLE ABOUT THAT TOMORROW MORNING.
UM, AM I PROMISING SOMETHING HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY? NO, SURE.
UM, I USED TO JOKE IT STILL WORKS.
IF YOU WANNA CALL THREE OH ONE, YOU CAN CALL ME AND WE'LL, WE'LL WE WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
UM, I CAN GIVE YOU MY EMAIL CONTACT INFORMATION SO WE CAN GET THAT OUT TO YOU.
SO AS WE UNCOIL THIS, UM, AGAIN, UH, I HEAR A LOT ABOUT LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS AND I'LL OWN THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, I'LL TALK TO MY PIO AND WE'LL TALK TO YOUR PIO AND WE'LL WORK TOGETHER TO SEE IF WE CAN GET INFORMATION OUT THERE.
FEEL FREE I GIVE YOU MY CONTACT INFORMATION.
YOU CAN, I I WILL RESPOND WITHIN USUALLY 24 TO 48 HOURS.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THERE'S CHALLENGES.
I APPRECIATE THAT AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOUR YOU'RE ON IT TOO.
UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND DO LAST QUESTIONS SO WE CAN KEEP GOING ON AND I MIGHT EMAIL YOU LATER.
UM, SO I, I'VE NOTICED ONE OF THE BIGGEST BOTTLENECKS WE HAVE, UH, ESPECIALLY ON SOME OF THE PROGRAMMATIC STUFF LIKE BIKEWAYS, IS, YOU KNOW, OUR STREET DESIGN TEAM IS FANTASTIC AFTER TRANS ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION IS FANTASTIC, BUT THEY'RE WAY UNDERSTAFFED.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF THE BOTTLENECK IS THEY JUST CAN'T GET TO ALL THESE PROJECTS BECAUSE OF HOW GOOD THEY ARE AT THEIR JOB AND HOW INVOLVED PEOPLE ARE IN THE PROCESS 'CAUSE OF HOW IMPORTANT THESE PROJECTS ARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, COURTS HAVE RULED PLENTY OF TIMES THAT, UH, CAPITAL BONDS, YOU CAN TAKE SOME OF THAT MONEY TO PAY FOR STAFF THAT ARE IMPLEMENTING THOSE PROGRAMS. WHY AREN'T WE CONSIDERING USING SOME OF THIS MONEY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, HAVING TROUBLE SPENDING IT, UH, TO PAY FOR STAFF TO ACCELERATE THESE PROJECTS? I AM LOOKING AT JIM OVER HERE.
YOU, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ANSWER THAT ONE 'CAUSE I I, I, I CAN ANSWER IT.
BUT THE BIKE PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY UNDER YOU.
WE ARE, UM, WE ARE USING THAT MONEY TO HIRE STAFF, UM, TO WORK ON THE PROJECTS AND DELIVER ON THE DIFFERENT BOND PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
WE'RE ALSO USING CONTRACTORS CONSULTANTS.
THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY, THEY'RE AUGMENTED STAFF.
THEY ARE IN OUR OFFICE WORKING WITH OUR TEAM 40 HOURS A WEEK.
AND SO WE'VE LOOKED AT THOSE DIFFERENT MECHANISMS TO BRING THOSE STAFF ON.
UM, ONE OF THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE HAVING IN, UH, THEY'RE HAVING ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT, ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS GETTING ENGINEERS MM-HMM.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES TOO.
BUT I'LL TAKE A, UM, THEY'VE BEEN, UM, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY AND THEIR AUGMENTATION IN THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE TO FLEX THOSE TO BRING ON ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
AND SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING THAT THEY'RE UNDERSTAFFED OR UNDER-RESOURCED.
AND SO I'LL TAKE THAT BACK AND TAKE A, TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND GET BACK TO YOU AS WELL.
I MEAN THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING I HEAR FROM TBW ON, YOU KNOW, WHY ISN'T THIS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, IN THE WORKS? AND THE ANSWER EVERY TIME IS STAFF CAPACITY.
AND, AND I DON'T, JIM AND I ARE GREAT PARTNERS.
UH, THE BIKE PROGRAM, SIDEWALK PROGRAM IS STILL PROGRAMMATICALLY MANAGED BY THEM.
SO, SO I DIDN'T WANNA SPEAK FOR HIM, BUT I COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU THAT SAME ANSWER.
BUT AGAIN, I LOOKED AT JIM 'CAUSE I DON'T LIKE TO ANSWER FOR HIM, BUT THERE, THERE, THERE ARE RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS.
UH, AS LONG AS, AS LONG AS THE PERSON WHO'S CHARGING COST TO THE PROJECT IS SPECIFICALLY WORKING ON THE PROJECT, EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.
DIRECTLY IS CALLED DIRECT LABOR.
INDIRECT LABOR IS LIKE PEOPLE WHO PAY THE BILLS AND EVERYTHING TO GET THINGS TOGETHER.
THEY CAN CHARGE, THEY, THEY CAN CHARGE THAT PROJECT.
UM, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT AS FAR AS FROM OUR STAFFING CONCERNS.
WE ARE LOOKING AT ALSO, UM, ROTATION LISTS FOR ENGINEERS, FOR AN ENGINEER AUGMENTATION.
'CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE HARDEST TO FILL JOBS RIGHT NOW FOR THE CITY.
UH, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, BUT Y YES, I MEAN THERE, THERE ARE AUGMENTATION CONTRACTS OUT THERE, WE'RE GOING OUT AGAIN SO THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE TOOLS MY DEPARTMENT'S USING IS, IS LOOKING AT WHAT CRITICAL SKILLS DO WE NEED TO POSSIBLY AUGMENT, GET AN AUGMENTATION CONTRACT OUT SO WE CAN FILL THOSE.
I JUST WANNA SAY BEFORE WE PUT DOWN THIS ITEM, I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A, I'M THE LONGEST, I THINK THE LONGEST SERVING MEMBER ON THIS COMMISSION RIGHT NOW.
AND I, YOU KNOW, WHEN RIGHT AFTER 2016 PASSED, WE WERE GETTING REGULAR UPDATES FROM THE, THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE, MAYBE AS MUCH AS TWICE YEAR EVEN I MAYBE MORE.
SO I THINK THAT LIKE THIS COMMISSION IS DEFINITELY EAGER
[02:05:01]
WHEN, WHEN THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT KIND OF REGULAR UPDATE ON THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM.I THINK THAT WE'RE REALLY EAGER TO HEAR THAT.
I DO WANNA, AGAIN, I WANNA REITERATE THIS IDEA THAT NOT ONLY WAS THIS PASSED IN 2016, SOME OF THE EARLY CORRIDOR PLANS WERE A COUPLE YEARS OLD AT THAT TIME.
SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE AT A POINT NOW AND I THINK THE PANDEMIC AND SOME OF THE DAMPENING EFFECTS THAT WE'VE HAD, LIKE IT'S A DI YOU'RE IN A DIFFICULT POSITION BECAUSE THINGS ARE CHANGING ON THE GROUND.
AND WE KNEW, I MEAN, I REMEMBER SAYING IN 2016, 'CAUSE WE WERE PLANNING FOR PROJECT CONNECT RIGHT AFTER THIS BOND HAD PASSED AND THEY SAID, THIS WILL BE NO PROBLEM.
AND I'M LIKE, UH, MAYBE IT'LL BE A PROBLEM.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT ALL THE CHALLENGES YOU'RE DEALING WITH ARE VERY REAL.
AND SO, UM, I THINK AS, AS SOON AS YOU CAN CERTAINLY UPDATES FROM YOU, BUT ALSO UPDATES ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THE QUESTION THAT COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ ASKED, UM, ABOUT THE NITTY GRITTY OF WHAT'S GETTING IMPLEMENTED ON THE GROUND WITH, WITH SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT RELATE TO OUR COMMISSION, I THINK WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND I DID WANNA SAY ONE THING TO, TO YOUR POINT COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ TOO, UM, THAT A LOT OF THE, UM, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO ANALYZE EQUITY IN THE BONDS, YOU KIND OF GO BACK TO THE BONDS, RIGHT? AND SOMETIMES THEY JUST PUT IN A PROJECT, WE'RE GONNA BUILD A BRIDGE IN WEST AUSTIN OR EAST AUSTIN AND YOU CAN KIND OF ANALYZE THAT.
UM, BUT A LOT OF THE PROGRAMMATIC STUFF, IT'S LIKE PER THE, THE PLAN, RIGHT? PER THE SIDEWALK MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS NOW THE WALK BIKE ROLE PLAN.
AND THEN THAT COMES BACK TO, WELL, WHAT WAS THE EQUITY ANALYSIS AND MATRIX PUT IN THAT PLAN? AND I THINK A LOT OF OUR, I THINK WE'RE LUCKY IN THAT A LOT OF OUR PLANS, I CAN SPEAK BEST ABOUT THE WALK BIKE ROLE STUFF AND, AND THEIR PREDECESSOR PLANS.
I FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT THE, THE EQUITY VALUES AND MATRIX THAT ARE IN THOSE PLANS.
BUT THEN YOU KIND OF HAVE TO GO FROM THERE TO LOOK AT EVERY PLAN.
LIKE IF THERE'S A LOCAL STREETS PLAN, LIKE THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMPLICATED.
SO I THINK, UM, TO LOOK AT THE OVERALL PICTURE AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS WE FIND IN BOND TIMES RIGHT, IS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS SOMETIMES JUST ARE TRYING TO SNEAK IN THEIR FAVORITE BRIDGE AND THE LAST DURING THE VOTE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
SO TO HELP OUT THEIR DISTRICT.
SO I THINK IT'S A COMPLEX QUESTION.
DID I HELP? I HOPE I I WAS TRYING TO HELP A LITTLE BIT.
SO ONE OF THE CHARGES OF THIS NEW DEPARTMENT IS TO DEVELOP A NEW WAY THAT WE DEVELOP BONDS.
UM, I CAN SAY, THIS IS A PREVIEW IF YOU'D LIKE TO, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, OKAY, WHAT IT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CHALLENGING.
IT'S, IT'S ABOUT ASSET MANAGEMENT.
SO, UH, ENGINEERS ARE MY FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
BUT, BUT, UH, WHAT WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS, THE FIRST THING IS THAT THEY LOOK AT THE ASSET MANAGEMENT AS THE LIFECYCLE.
THE, THE, THE, THE, THE FAILURE OR, OR THE CONDITION OF THE ASSET.
BUT WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS WE'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING TOGETHER PRIORITIZATION MATRIX SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU MIGHT'VE HEARD FROM THE CORRIDOR OFFICE.
SO THE, THE BOTTOM LAYER FOUNDATION WILL BE THE ASSET CONDITION NO MATTER WHERE IT'S, 'CAUSE WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT 'CAUSE IT'S A WHOLE SYSTEM.
AND WE HAVE 330 SQUARE MILES, AND I THINK THE STREET'S ABOUT 8,000 LANE MILES OF STREETS.
UH, I FORGET, I THINK 4,000 LANE MILES OF SIDEWALKS.
SO WE LOOK AT THE INVENTORY, THAT'S WHERE WE START.
THE NEXT THING WE'LL DO IS WE LOOK AT THE PYRAMID AS WE'RE BUILDING IT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PRIORITIZATION MATRIX RIGHT NOW.
SO IS, UH, LOOKING FOR DIG ONCE OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING SOMEPLACE WITH A PROJECT IS AUSTIN WATER, SAY E YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S GO IN THERE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I, I KNOW ONE OF THE BIGGEST FRUSTRATIONS I HAD WORKING IN PUBLIC WORKS, AND ESPECIALLY AS INTERIM DIRECTOR, SO SAYS, ALL I SEE IS THE CITY SEAL.
I DON'T SEE PUBLIC WORKS OR TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS.
I DON'T SEE THE DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO IF IT KEEPS ON, YOU KNOW, SO I SEE 10 YEARS OF THE CITY SEAL COMING IN, IT COULD BE THREE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
I SAW THAT THE NEXT THING WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IS WE ARE GONNA LOOK AT EQUITY AND WE GOTTA LOOK AT THAT.
'CAUSE AS THAT'S ONE OF THE CHA UH, CHALLENGES, BUT ALSO ONE OF THE TENANTS THAT THE COUNCIL ASKED US TO LOOK AT.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOK AT ANY OTHER SPECIAL, ANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THE COUNCIL WANTS AND THE PRIORITIZATION MATRIX AS FAR AS RESILIENCY, CLIMATE CHANGE, JUST LIKE THAT.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT, AND THEN WHEN WE COME THROUGH THE BOND PROGRAM AS WE DO IT, WE'RE GONNA NOT ONLY GIVE YOU ONES THAT ARE SCOPE, SCHEDULE, BUDGET AND SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA DO, BUT ALSO SHOW YOU A MATRIX OF THIS IS HOW IT WAS SELECTED.
AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE'RE PLANNING, WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS THEN GIVE READY PROJECTS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE VIBRANT DISCUSSIONS.
BUT NO, THESE ARE READY PROJECTS AND SAY THIS IS WHAT WE TOOK IN CONSIDERATION TO GET HERE.
AND THEN IF WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME MINOR JUDGMENT SPINE.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT IT WASN'T JUST AN ENGINEERING ANSWER, IT JUST WASN'T A SOCIAL ANSWER.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE'VE BEEN GIVEN, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVEN ME A LOT OF CHALLENGES.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE'VE GIVEN AND WE'RE HOPING IN, YOU KNOW, THIRD QUARTER OF THIS YEAR TO KIND OF START WORKING ON THAT IN PREPARATION OF, OF POSSIBLE NEXT BOND.
'CAUSE WE THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN SOMETIMES ENGINEERING OR A SPECIFIC, IF SOMEONE SAID DIRECTED, HEY, GO HERE.
AND WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE IS THAT IT'S THE MOST HOLISTIC AND INCLUSIVE LOOK AS A PRIORITIZATION OF THE PROJECTS.
I JUST DIDN'T WANT THAT, THAT TO GET BURIED.
AND, AND I REMEMBER THE NIGHT, YOU MENTIONED
[02:10:01]
THE NIGHT THE 2016, UH, BOND WAS GOING TO COUNSEL THAT YOU WERE THERE IN THE BACK ROOM I WAS WATCHING.AND THEY WERE ARGUING OVER WHOSE, WHOSE CORRIDORS WOULD GET IN AND THINGS.
SO IT DEPENDS ON WHICH NIGHT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
ONE IN JUNE AND THEN ONE IN AUGUST.
SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I JUST DIDN'T WANNA GET THAT, THAT TO GET TOO BURIED, UM, IN THE OTHER DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, UM, ARE THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. SNA? I, I WANNA WITH SAYING THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND, UH, EITHER MYSELF OR SOMEONE WILL BE WORKING WITH MR. DALE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COME IN A MORE FREQUENT MANNER, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WANT MORE DETAILS NEXT TIME.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'LL OWN THAT.
AND, UH, AND, AND ALSO MR. BROOKS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU BROUGHT UP IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T DIE IN COUNCIL OFFICES.
THAT WE GET THE INFORMATION OUT THAT THEY SHOULD BE.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL THOSE COMMENTS TONIGHT.
UM, I SAID I WAS GONNA TRY TO BE BRIEF, BUT I, I'LL WORK ON THAT NEXT TIME.
WE LIKE TO TALK HERE ON THIS COMMISSION.
SO,
WE, WE, WE VALUE YOU BEING HERE, HERE.
ALL THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. SNOW.
ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, WE DO HAVE, UM, WE ARE AT 7:16 PM UM, WE HAVE, UM, UH, THREE MORE ITEMS, UM, AND PLUS OUR BRIEFINGS, FUTURE ITEMS. UM, I DO THINK THAT IF WE MANAGE OUR TIME, THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH THESE PRETTY QUICKLY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO DO OUR ENTIRE AGENDA IF WE POSSIBLY CAN.
SO, UM, THIS WILL TAKE US TO ITEM
[7. Discussion and possible action on recommendation relating to Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board.]
SEVEN, UM, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACT ACTION ON A DRAFT RECOMMENDATION RELATING TO THE CAPITAL AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD.SO THIS, UM, UH, RECOMMENDATION WAS PRECIATE.
UM, AND I'M JUST GOING TO, UM, WELL, WE NEED A MOTION, BUT, UM, I'M GONNA ASK THAT THE FOLKS WHO'VE WORKED ON THIS, UH, MOTION FOR US, UH, KIND OF EX UH, DO SOME WORK HERE TO EXPLAIN IT TO US IN A SECOND.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THE MOTION.
UM, SO I'LL EXPLAIN THE RECOMMENDATION QUICKLY.
I ASSUME EVERYONE, STOP ME IF YOU'RE NOT, BUT EVERYONE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT CAMPO IS BROADLY? UM, AND I WILL NOTE IN OUR BYLAWS AS WELL, IT DOES STATE THAT THE CAMPO AND RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT IT ARE WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
UM, SO A BRIEF OVERVIEW IN 2013, CITY OF AUSTIN, CAP, METRO TXDOT AND THE COUNTIES OF HAYES, TRAVIS AND WILLIAMSON, UH, CREATED THE TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD AS THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR EACH, UH, OR SORRY FOR, UH, CAMPO ITSELF.
UH, IT'S A 22 MEMBER ORGANIZATION.
UH, EACH CI EACH COUNTY GETS ONE VOTE.
EACH CITY OVER 50,000 GETS ONE VOTE CAP.
METRO GETS ONE VOTE, TEX STOCK GETS ONE VOTE, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN GETS FOUR VOTES AND TRAVIS COUNTY GETS THREE VOTES.
UH, NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S REALLY WEIGHTED IN THE FAVOR OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
UH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY GET 45% OF THE VOTES, DESPITE HAVING 56% OF THE POPULATION, AND 60% OF THE ACTIVE DENSITY, WHICH IS POPULATION PLUS JOBS, UH, IN FACT EVEN GETS EVEN WORSE.
UH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE CAMPO TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, UH, WHICH MEETS IN SECRET TO DETERMINE THE AGENDA ITEMS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE FULL POLICY BOARD.
UH, I BELIEVE IT'S 11 MEMBERS, AND THERE IS NO MEMBER FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ONE MEMBER FROM TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, WHAT THAT HAS CREATED IS SOME VERY SERIOUS INEQUITIES IN TERMS OF HOW CAMPO OPERATES.
UH, FARM AND CITY GAVE A GREAT PRESENTATION TO THIS BODY IN DECEMBER OF 2021.
UH, I BELIEVE, UH, AND WHAT IT TALKED ABOUT IS CAMPO CONTINUES TO UNDERESTIMATE AND UNDER FORECAST URBAN POPULATIONS AND OVERESTIMATE AND, UH, UM, SUBURBAN AND RURAL POPULATION GROWTH THAT THEN LEADS TO THEM OVERFUNDING, SUBURBAN AND RURAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND UNDERFUNDING URBAN TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
UH, THIS ALSO LEADS TO, OFTENTIMES THE PROJECTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ARE NOT NECESSARILY ONES THAT GO TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, OUR STRATEGIC MOBILITY GOALS, BUT RATHER ONES, UH, THAT ARE FOR THOSE COMMUTERS WHO COME INTO THE CITY FROM THOSE SUBURBAN AREAS.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO REFORM CAMP, UH, THIS BODY, UH, LED BY COMMISSIONER BROOKS, UH, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, PUT UP A RECOMMENDATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS, UM, UH, BRIEFING BY FARM AND CITY ABOUT BUDGETING.
UH, AND THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF OTHER ATTEMPTS TO REFORM.
UH, BECAUSE THE REALITY IS THE CURRENT VOTING STRUCTURE, UH, BENEFITS THOSE WHO DON'T WANNA SEE THOSE CHANGES.
[02:15:01]
AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, UH, I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH PROP B IN HOUSTON, UH, BUT THEY RECENTLY PASSED AN AMENDMENT INTO THEIR CITY CHARTER, WHICH STATES THAT THE, UH, CITY CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION OR COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT.UH, THAT DOES NOT HAVE PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION, NOT WITHSTANDING STATUTORY MEMBERS THAT WOULD BE CAP METRO AND TECH STOCK.
UM, THE REASON THIS MAY WORK IS BECAUSE FEDERAL LAW STATES THAT AN MPO HAS TO HAVE THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE PRINCIPAL CITY.
SO IF THE PRINCIPAL CITY IS TO LEAVE THAT MPO, THAT COULD PREVENT THAT MPO FROM RECEIVING FEDERAL FUNDING IN THE FUTURE.
UH, WE HAVE A VERY SHORT POLICY WINDOW HERE WHERE FOR THE FIRST TIME, CITIES HAVE A NEGOTIATING POINT, THE LARGE CITIES, I SHOULD SAY, OVER THE SUBURBAN CITIES AND COUNTIES IN ORDER TO GET FAIR CHANGES WITH METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS.
AND I CAN SAY WITH SOME CERTAINTY, UH, THAT IF HOUSTON IS SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THESE CHANGES, UM, I THINK YOU WILL LIKELY SEE A STRONG PUSH TO MAKE SURE THIS IS NOT AN OPTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE ANYMORE IN THE 89TH LEGISLATURE, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO START THIS CONVERSATION NOW.
THIS IS A ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNITY.
UM, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT SAY CITY OF AUSTIN, PLEASE LEAVE CAMPA.
UH, THIS RECOMMENDATION PROVIDES A MENU OF OPTIONS, WHICH, UM, I, I'M GONNA ASSUME EVERYONE'S READ, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON IT.
UH, TO START THE CONVERSATION.
AND THERE'S REALLY TWO GOALS HERE.
UM, I WAS TALKING TO A MEMBER OF THE TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD FROM ANOTHER SUBURBAN PLACE.
UH, AND I, I WAS TALKING WITH THEM ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY THINK IT'S NECESSARY BECAUSE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY SAID A MAJORITY OR A PLURALITY OF THE POPULATION, UH, LIVES IN SUBURBAN AREAS.
UH, WE KNOW FROM THAT FARM AND CITY PRESENTATION THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY TRUE, ACTUALLY.
UM, SO THERE ISN'T A LOT OF CONVERSATION HAPPENING.
AND AS A RESULT, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW BAD THE INEQUITIES ARE.
UH, THE SECOND PURPOSE OF THIS IS FOR US TO UNDERSTAND OUR OPTIONS.
UH, THERE, YOU KNOW, CAMPO IS NOT THE SAME AS THE, UM, HOUSTON GALVESTON COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, WHICH IS THE MPO IN THAT AREA.
UM, SO OUR PLANNING AND OUR OPERATIONS HERE ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
UH, THERE ALSO MAY BE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN SOLVE THIS, RIGHT.
AND REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET SOMETHING WHILE THIS TOPIC IS HOT, RIGHT? MAYBE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO COMPLETELY REFORM THE TPB, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO CHANGE THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
OR MAYBE THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DECIDES TO MEET IN THE OPEN, THAT WOULD BE HUGE.
MAYBE THEY DECIDE TO MAKE A CONCESSION ON HOW THEY DO POPULATION FORECASTING.
AGAIN, I'LL LET THE RECOMMENDATION SPEAK FOR ITSELF JUST FOR TIME.
BUT IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER BROOKS, COMMISSIONER BROOKS AND I WORKED ON THIS TOGETHER.
UM, AND I'LL LET YOU SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT TO, WITH A GREAT DEAL OF HELP FROM SHA CROSSLEY, FROM JAY CROSSLEY, WHO IN ADDITION TO BEING INTERESTED IN CAMPO, ALSO UP UNTIL FIVE YEARS AGO, LIVED IN HOUSTON AND IS VERY FAMILIAR, MAINTAINS HIS CONTEXT THERE AND IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH WHAT ACTUALLY IS GOING ON THERE.
SO JUST WE, WE'VE GATHERED INFORMATION FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES.
SO WE HAVE, UH, THIS DRAFT RECOMMENDATION, UH, WITH, UH, MOTION ON THE TABLE.
UM, THE AUTHORS HAVE SORT OF EXPLAINED IT A BIT.
DO DO COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE AUTHORS OF THE, FOR DISCUSSION ITEMS, AMENDMENTS? UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THIS ON THE AGENDA.
AND I THINK THAT THE ENTIRE THING IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY THE NUMBER OF OPTIONS THAT IT GIVES IN THE BACK.
I, I JUST WANNA SHARE, I THINK BECAUSE OF WHERE I WORK, I'M GONNA ABSTAIN FROM VOTING, BUT I LEARNED A LOT OF FROM THIS INFORMATION, SO THANK YOU.
DO WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM? IF THAT'S THE CASE? YES.
IF WE HAVE TWO RECUSALS, WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, THEN WE, THEN WE DON'T HAVE FIVE PEOPLE TO VOTE ON IT.
DOES THE QUORUM, DOES THAT COUNT CURRENT TOTAL SLOTS OR IS IT JUST BASED ON CURRENT APPOINTEES? QUORUM.
UM, ALWAYS IS GONNA BE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF MEMBERSHIP.
SO YOU STILL HAVE TO HIT QUORUM AS IF YOU HAVE 11 PEOPLE ON THE COMMISSION.
[02:20:01]
A MOTION THAT WE TABLE THIS ITEM UNTIL WE HAVE A MEET AND WELL, I MEAN, UNTIL WE HAVE A MEETING WITH MORE, UH, ATTENDEES AT THE MEETING.BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
I DON'T THINK COMMISSIONERS ORTIZ OR ALVAREZ ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE 'CAUSE OF THE, UH, MONEY STRUCTURE OF CAMPO.
I GUESS WE DON'T REALLY HAVE
WE DON'T, WE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE QUORUM.
SO I'M, I MOVE THAT WE TABLE THE ITEM.
I'LL SECOND AND WE'LL TAKE A VOTE.
WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN COUNT HEADS.
WE'LL, I, YEAH, I GUESS WE'LL OVERSEE WE'RE ANYWAY, WHATEVER.
WE'RE, CAN WE, WE CAN GET IT ON THE AGENDA NEXT MONTH.
CAN WE, CAN WE MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE IF WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM ON THAT MOTION? MAYBE NOT.
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST TAKE THE VOTE AND THEN BY VIRTUE OF US NOT HAVING A QUORUM, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
AND WE'RE, LOOK, WE'RE GONNA SEE THAT WE'RE TAKING A VOTE ON THE, THE MOTION TO PASS IT.
WHICH OF THOSE VOTING? IT'S UNANIMOUS, BUT THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TO BE A QUORUM.
SO I THINK WE WILL TRY, TRY AGAIN AT A FUTURE MEETING.
SOUND LIKE WHERE WE ARE? OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT.
[8. Discussion and possible action on the Commission’s 2024 meeting dates. (Part 1 of 2)]
TO THE DISCUSSION OF THE COMMISSION'S 2024 MEETING DATES.UM, AND I'M OPEN TO DISCUSSION ON THIS.
I SPOKE WITH, UM, STAFF ABOUT THIS.
SO BASICALLY I, AND I WANTED TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE THIS BY WAY OF EXPLANATION.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT EXPLANATION EVERYBODY GOT OR HOW DETAILED.
I HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUSLY BUSY AND WITH MY MOM LIFE, I THINK IN THE LAST MONTH OR TWO.
SO IF I'VE MISSED EMAILS FROM YOU OR SOMETHING, I'M VERY SORRY ABOUT THAT.
BUT LET ME JUST GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT HERE.
SO, OUR NOVEMBER MEETING, WE HAD EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE WAS GOING FORWARD.
THERE WAS A COUNCIL RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED LAST, THAT WAS PASSED AFTER WE HAD PASSED OUR 2023 MEETING CALENDAR, UM, THAT SAID COMMISSION SHOULD NOT MEET ON, UM, UH, ON ELECTION DAY.
WELL, WE HAD ALREADY ESTABLISHED OUR, UM, I WASN'T EVEN AWARE OF THAT COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
UM, WE HAD ESTABLISHED OUR MEETING CALENDAR LONG BEF LIKE BEFORE THAT WAS DECIDED.
AND SO EVERYBODY, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HAVE QUORUM.
WE HAD THE ROOM, EVERYTHING WAS FINE.
AND THEN BASICALLY THE CITY CLERK CAME IN IN THE MORNING AND SAID, NO, YOU CANNOT MEET BECAUSE OF THIS RESOLUTION.
SO LIKE, WE WOULD'VE MET, I DID LIKE IT.
THE CITY CLERK WAS LIKE, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
YOU CAN'T RUN THE MEETING BECAUSE OF THIS COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
SO NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT WE, WE HAD PREVIOUSLY PASSED OUR 2024 MEETING DATES, BUT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE, UM, NOVEMBER MEETING.
UM, AND WE PROPOSED TO MOVE IT BACK ONE WEEK.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE KNOW ENOUGH YET TO KNOW IF THAT'S GONNA CREATE A PROBLEM WITH US GETTING THIS ROOM, BUT I THINK THAT SEEMED LIKE THE MOST REASONABLE SOLUTION TO JUST MOVE IT BACK ONE WEEK.
I'M OPEN TO DISCUSSION THOUGH, IF Y'ALL WERE LIKE, NO, LET'S DO WEDNESDAY.
I'M GONNA MOVE THEN THAT WE AMEND OUR MEETING CALENDAR TO MEET, UM, THE NOVEMBER, 2024 MEETING TO BE NOVEMBER 12TH, 2024.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, THAT IS UNANIMOUS OF THOSE IN ATTENDANCE.
SO WE HAVE AMENDED OUR MEETING.
I WAS JUST LOOKING, I WAS LOOKING UP FOR THE PRIMARIES IN MAY THEY ALSO FALL ON OUR MEETING DATE AND THEY MAY BE PRETTY CONTENTIOUS OR, UM, MAY BE A PRETTY GOOD TURNOUT.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU JUST, IF Y'ALL WANT TO CONSIDER MOVING THAT A WEEK JUST TO AVOID, UM, ANY ISSUES THAT MAY ARISE WITH THAT.
CAN I ASK, DOES, DOES THE COUNCIL RE RESOLUTION COVER PRIMARIES? I HAVE.
OR JUST I HAVE, I I DO NOT KNOW, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S PEOPLE THAT WILL TRY TO VOTE AFTER WORK.
UM, AND THAT MAY BE SOME OF THE FOLKS ON THIS COMMITTEE.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON IF Y'ALL WANT Y'ALL WANNA DO THAT OR NOT.
I, WHAT I DON'T WANT IS TO HAVE TO COUNSEL THE MEETING THE DAY OF BECAUSE THE CLERK WON'T LET US RUN IT.
SO I WOULD ACTUALLY ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.
I THINK WE CAN FIND THAT FOR SURE.
I I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST TO PROBABLY JUST PUSH IT.
UH, WOULDN'T WE ALSO, DO WE HIT THE JUNE RUNOFFS TOO, OR WHENEVER THE RUNOFFS ARE? THE, THE PRI THE PRIMARY RUNOFFS ARE STILL, WHAT WAS IT? THEY'RE STILL IN MAY AT THE END OF MAY.
AND I'M JUST LOOKING UP ONE SITE.
SO I'M HOPING, AND THEN DECEMBER 3RD WOULDN'T BE THE POSSIBLE 20 IS RUNOFF.
[02:25:01]
DECEMBER 3RD WOULDN'T BE THE POSSIBLE RUNOFF FOR THE 20 NOVEMBER ELECTIONS.I'M PRETTY SURE THEY DECIDE WHEN THE, I THINK IT'S, I I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S LIKE A PRE-SELECTED DAY FOR THE DECEMBER RUNOFF.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE, THERE'S THAT INFORMATION THERE RIGHT NOW.
LET US, I THINK HERE'S WHAT WE, I DON'T WANNA BE PREMATURE.
UM, BECAUSE THE, THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IS THIS ROOM, GETTING THIS ROOM.
IF WE MOVE TO A DIFFERENT TUESDAY, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, BUT THAT HAS BEEN OUR CHALLENGE.
AND I KNOW THAT WE WANNA BE IN THIS ROOM IF WE CAN.
I MEAN, I, I THINK WE KNOW FOR SURE ABOUT NOVEMBER.
I THINK WE'RE PRETTY, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD FEELING ABOUT MAY.
UM, WE CAN TAKE A MOTION ON THAT OR WE COULD WAIT.
I'D LIKE TO RESEARCH THE RUNOFF ISSUE A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE MAYBE BEFORE WE JUST MOVE EVERYTHING.
UM, WHAT DO Y'ALL FEEL? DO YOU WANNA TAKE, DOES SOMEBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION ON MAY? DO WE WANNA WAIT AND SEE TILL WE HEAR BACK? I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THEY'RE GONNA TELL US THAT'S ON COLLECTION DAY LONGER.
WAIT, THE MORE THE ODDS ARE THAT SOMEBODY ELSE GRABS THE ROOM.
I WOULD JUST SAY, LET'S JUST MOVE IN.
I'M GONNA MOVE, UH, MOVE THEN MAKE A MOTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE OUR MAY, 2024 MEETING, I GUESS JUST TO MAY 20, MAY 14TH, 2024.
WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ON THAT REAL QUICKLY.
LET'S, UM, LET'S JUST SAY A POSSIBLE, WE'LL GET TO THIS IN A SECOND, BUT WE'LL KIND OF COME BACK ON THE JUNE AND DECEMBER RUNOFF ISSUE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND HOW THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS GONNA INTERPRET THAT, IF THAT IS THE, AND, AND IF THOSE ARE INDEED THE DATES OF THE RUNOFF, PROJECTED DATES OF THE RUNOFF.
I THINK WE NEEDED TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE.
I'LL WORK WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE FOR THAT.
SO I THINK WE'VE PUT TO REST THAT ITEM THAT TAKES US TO THE LAST DISCUSSION
[9. Discussion and possible action on appointment of alternate commissioner to the Joint Sustainability Commission and commissions related to the Urban Transportation Commission.]
AND ACTION ITEM ON OUR THING.WE KEEP KICKING THIS CAN DOWN THE ROAD AND DI DIANE'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW TO TALK TO US.
SO, UM, I, PART OF ME WANTS TO JUST NOT DEAL WITH THIS TODAY.
SO I, THERE'S TWO THINGS WE CAN DO.
ONE IS, WHICH IS JIM DALE HAD PROPOSED WE COULD ASK DIANA IF IT WOULD WORK FOR HER COMMISSION TO JUST APPOINT SOMEBODY MONTH BY MONTH IF SHE CAN'T ATTEND THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION.
I DON'T, I HAVEN'T BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SO BUSY.
I HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO DIANA ABOUT THAT DID, UNLESS ANYONE ELSE HAS.
NO, UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE COULD DO IS JUST TO POINT ME THE SUB.
AND I THINK DIANA ALWAYS GOES, SO I'M NOT REALLY WORRIED ABOUT HAVING TO GO, GO AHEAD.
BUT IF SUSAN, YOU WANNA DO THAT THEN, BECAUSE I THINK THAT DIANA ALWAYS GOES, I, SHE ALWAYS GOES IS WHAT SHE WAS TELLING BELIEVE SHE'S THE VICE CHAIR.
SO, UH, IF, YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST, MAYBE JUST TO POINT US UP.
'CAUSE I THINK THE PROBLEM IS, I THINK HER CHAIR OF THIS COMMISSION IS LIKE, I NEED A NAME.
LIKE, I KIND OF THINK THAT'S WHAT THE SITUATION IS.
SO, UM, FOR THEIR FORUM, I THINK THAT'S THE THING.
IF SHE COULD JUST LIKE, HEY, WHO COULD GO? AND THEN WE KIND OF OF STEP IN.
I JUST, I KNOW I PERSONALLY CANNOT FULLY COMMIT TO HAVING MY NAME.
LIKE THIS IS, I WILL BE FULLY COMMITTED TO THIS.
JUST BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA OVER PROMISE.
I HAVE TO UNDERSTAND MY OWN BOUNDARIES,
AND SO I WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF THAT.
AND SO, UM, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO, IF WITH ADVANCED NOTICE, YOU KNOW, EMAIL GOES OUT, HEY, WHO COULD SHOW UP AND COME AND TAKE NOTES.
AND IF I'M AVAILABLE, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO STEP IN.
I JUST DON'T WANNA FULLY COMMIT, UM, TO HAVE MY NAME ON PAPER.
SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO A MONTH TO MONTH.
'CAUSE I THINK IT STILL HAS TO BE APPROVED BY COUNSEL.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO DOES IT, DOES IT GO I, I'VE, I'VE SEEN IT ON THE WAIVERS LIST BEFORE.
SO THIS IS LIKE A, THIS IS LIKE ONE OF THOSE COMMISSIONS THAT'S APPOINTED BY OTHER COMMISSIONS, WHICH ARE KIND OF, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
BUT EVEN LIKE WHEN I, WHEN I WAS APPOINTED BY THIS BODY TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, THE CITY COUNCIL STILL HAD TO APPROVE THAT.
SO I THINK THE SAME THING APPLIES THERE.
UM, DO WE WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS IN JANUARY?
SO WHY DON'T I JUST MAKE A MOTION THAT I WILL BE THE ALTERNATE COMMISSIONER TO THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION, UH,
I REALLY DON'T THINK I'LL EVER HAVE TO GO.
ATHENA, ARE YOU VOTING? SHE, YES.
THAT'S UNANIMOUS OF THOSE PRESENT.
I REALLY THANK YOU, BY THE WAY.
[02:30:01]
WE WOULDN'T.[BRIEFINGS ]
DO OUR BRIEFINGS.ONE SENTENCE, ONE TO TWO SENTENCE BRIEFINGS.
UM, SO I WILL CALL ON, UH, SPENCER SCHUMACHER DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UH, THE SAME AV PRESENTATIONS WE'VE GOTTEN, SO, OKAY.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE ELSE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE.
UH, WE HAVE PASSED A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT, ABOUT HOW IT SHOULD PRIORITIZE RIGHT AWAY FOR BIKES, PEDESTRIANS, AND TRANSIT USERS BEFORE PRIVATE VEHICLES.
UH, AND WE HAD ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION ABOUT PUTTING A INTERSECTION ON FOUR POINTS DRIVE IN THE SAFE ROUTE TO THE SCHOOL PLAN, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ACCIDENTS WITH CHILDREN THERE.
UM, THERE ARE ELECTIONS AND NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION.
UM, AND THEN I'M NOT THE CHAIR.
AND THEN, UH, VISION ZERO UPDATE.
AND LIVING STREETS, UH, UPDATE ALSO SOME COOL STUFF GOING ON.
AND THE SAME ISSUES THAT HE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE FOUR POINTS DRIVE.
I AM, UM, I DID NOT ATTEND CITY COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE BECAUSE OUR COMMISSION MEETING WAS CANCELED.
I DON'T ATTEND TO, I DON'T, I ONLY, I PRETTY MUCH ATTEND MOBILITY COMMITTEE TO PRESENT ABOUT OUR, UH, THE ACTIONS OF OUR, UM, GROUP.
DID ANYONE HAPPEN TO ATTEND? OR SOMETIMES CHRIS USED TO REPORT IF, IF NO ONE ATTENDED.
DO YOU HAVE A REPORT ON MOBILITY COMMITTEE FOR US, PERHAPS? UM, I DON'T, UH, NO.
NOBODY, WE, WE DID, WE JUST PUSHED THE, THE UPDATE BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A MEETING.
I THINK THEY GOT THE CAP AND STITCH UPDATE.
WITH THOSE, I NEED TO WATCH THAT.
WHICH, IF WE CAN, WELL, I'LL SAVE THAT.
WE PROBABLY SHOULD GET THAT HERE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
I'M THE REP AT LEAST FOR LIKE, A FEW MORE WEEKS OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO THE PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE CAC RECRUITMENT.
THEY NO LONGER TAKE APPOINTEES FROM OTHER BOARDS.
IT'S ALL COMMUNITY APPLICATIONS.
UM, SO THIS, WE'RE MEETING THIS, YOU KNOW, NEXT WEEK THAT BODY WILL MEET.
AND THEN THAT WILL BE OUR LAST MEETING.
THERE'LL BE A NEW COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, IN, UH, IN JANUARY.
I HAVE APPLIED, I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, MAYBE OTHERS HAVE APPLIED.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY SOMEBODY FROM THIS BODY MAY BE APPOINTED, UM, AND CAN REPORT BACK.
BUT I'VE APPLIED UNDER MY OWN, UH, CAPACITIES, UH, TO STAY ON THE CAC.
UM, WE ALSO HEARD FROM THE INTERNAL AUDIT TEAM FOR, UH, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP ABOUT THE CREATION OF THE AUDIT TEAM AND ALSO SORT OF THEIR AUDIT PLAN FOR, UH, THIS COMING YEAR, WHICH WAS INTERESTING.
AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THESE SPENDING AND FUNDING ISSUES WE DUG IN, LIKE GETTING TO CRESTVIEW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
NOT A LOT, BUT LIKE WE SAID, CAN THAT BE PART OF YOUR AUDIT? THEY TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THEY'RE AUDITING, AND THEN WE ALSO HEARD ABOUT THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUNDING AND THE OVERALL SPENDING DASHBOARD UPDATE FROM THERE.
SO THOSE WERE OUR MAJOR UPDATES, UM, ON OUR AGENDA FROM THERE.
AND THEN WE MEET AGAIN NEXT WEEK.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
THAT TAKES US TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO I THINK I HEARD CAP AND STITCH.UM, WE ALSO HAVE, WE HAVE TO COUNT HEADS, BUT THE, UM, CAMPO ITEM.
HOW DO WE KNOW IN ADVANCE WHETHER WE'VE GOT ENOUGH HEADS TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA? WELL, IT'S, UH, SORT OF CONTINGENT ON THE OFFICERS OF THIS BODY TO UNDERSTAND WHO'S GOING TO BE ATTENDING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STAFF.
SO IF WE WANNA PASS THAT, WE, IT'S CLEAR.
I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT ISSUE, BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S CLEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, AND WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES, WHICH ISN'T HELPING US EITHER.
AND DIANE ALMOST ALWAYS COMES, SO HOPEFULLY SHE'LL BE HERE.
AND DOES ANYONE KNOW EDWARD SMITH? HE'S MISSED.
I THINK HE'S OUT OF COMPLIANCE.
HE'S MISSED, HE'S MISSED WITH OUR BYLAWS IN TERMS OF, I FEEL HE'S, YEAH.
SO I HAD REACHED OUT TO HIM TODAY AND HE SAID HE WAS GONNA BE HERE.
LIKE, HOW? BECAUSE I, I TEXTED ALMOST EVERYBODY SURE.
'CAUSE AFTER I KNEW DIANA WASN'T GONNA MAKE IT, I GOT CONCERNED.
YOU KNOW, SO SORRY FOR ALL THE,
[02:35:01]
ALL THE CONTACT TODAY.HOWEVER, UM, I ALMOST MESSAGED HIM DURING THE MEETING TO BE LIKE, ARE YOU OKAY? YOU KNOW, UM, INTERESTING.
I ALSO, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN REALLY DO TO PUSH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, BUT I THINK WE KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPLIED AND YES, I, I KNOW, I'M DEFINITELY AWARE OF PEOPLE WHO'VE APPLIED.
I, I'M, I MAY END UP DOING A CALL.
I MAY END UP HAVING TO DO THAT.
YOU'RE IN A MEETING WHERE THE MAYOR IS ALSO HERE, SO, UM, SO OUR CAMPO ITEM, WE'VE GOT ACCOUNT HEADS ON THAT.
OTHER ITEMS THAT WE WANNA, UM, WE HAVE A LOG FROM THE LAST MEETING, LIKE YEAH.
THE, IS IT IN OUR MINUTES? IT WAS TCM, WHICH I STILL AM INTERESTED IN AT SOME POINT.
I KNOW THAT'S HAPPENING, BUT LIKE, NEXT COVID MONTH.
AND I MEAN, WE WILL GET, THIS DOESN'T NEED TO BE AN AGENDA ITEMS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE SAW THE RECOMMENDATION WE SENT UP ABOUT PARKING MINIMUMS THE CITY COUNCIL TOOK AND INITIATED.
EVENTUALLY THAT'LL BE COMING BACK TO US IN 2024.
SO THE THINGS THAT AREN'T IN THE, THAT THE WERE LAST MONTH'S.
FUTURE AGENDAS ARE, WE DID PROJECT CONNECT, WE DID MOBILITY BOND, ALTHOUGH WE WANT, WE WANT MORE.
UM, AND THE MERGER AND PARKING ENTERPRISE.
I THINK PARKING ENTERPRISE WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CURB MANAGEMENT UPDATE.
WELL, I THINK THERE'S A BUNCH OF COOL PARKING THINGS HAPPENING THAT, UH, THE REASON I ASKED WAS THAT THERE'S, UH, A BUNCH OF NEW PARKING BENEFITS DISTRICTS AND THEN THE CURB MANAGEMENT.
SO THEY'RE, THEY HAVE A LOT COOL STUFF GOING ON THAT WOULD JUST BE EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT.
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT SOME INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, BUT NOT THE OVERALL.
I THINK IT COULD BE A CUTE LITTLE 15 MINUTE THING OF JUST LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON? YOU KNOW? COME ON.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA GO, LIKE, WE ARE REALLY INTO PARKING OVER HERE.
I WAS, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY TO MAKE IT LONGER.
UM, NO, I THINK THAT'S KILL THE AGENDA.
UM, ALL RIGHT, SO I'VE GOT, I'M GONNA READ THOSE BACK.
CAP ANDIT I 35, RETAKING UP OUR CAMPO ITEMS. TCM TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL, THE MERGER OF, UH, TPW AND A TD UPDATE.
UM, THE, AND THEN PARKING, PARKING ENTERPRISE.
IS THAT THE BEST WAY TO SAY WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S THE NAME OF THE DIVISION, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND THAT IS LIKE, WE CAN SEE THEM IN MAY IF WE, I DON'T WANT TO PUT TOO MUCH ON THEM AGENDA, BUT YEAH.
AND THEN I WOULD ADD ALSO THE CALENDAR.
WE'RE GONNA CHECK ON THE RUNOFF.
ISSUE, BELIEVE I SAID MAY, AND I MEANT TO SAY MARCH.
MARCH ARE THE PRIMARIES, RIGHT? MAY WOULD BE THE RUNOFF.
THE PRIMARY RUNOFF IS MARCH 28TH.
DO WE NEED THE MARCH? MARCH? OH, WHAT'S SHOWING? IT'S NOT OUR
[8. Discussion and possible action on the Commission’s 2024 meeting dates. (Part 2 of 2)]
MAY ONE.CAN WE GO, CAN WE GO BACK?
SO HOW DO YOU MOTION TO RECONSIDER? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU DO? SECOND, THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER OUR CALENDAR, UM, ITEM.
AND, UH, CAN WE TAKE A QUICK VOTE ON THAT? WE'RE GONNA, SO WOULD WE NEED A MOTION TO AMEND THE ITEM FROM MAY TO MARCH, I THINK? CORRECT.
SO, SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION TO MOVE BACK THE MARCH DATE INSTEAD OF THE MAY DATE.
AND THAT WOULD TAKE, THAT WOULD LEAVE THE MAY MEETING AND MAY 7TH, 2024.
AND IT WOULD TAKE THE MARCH MEETING TO MARCH 12TH.
IS THAT SPRING BREAK THOUGH? OH MY GOD.
NOW USUALLY SPRING BREAK BEFORE MY, LET'S, LET'S DO THIS.
WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE DO THAT PROCEDURALLY, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO ADDEN, I WILL WORK WITH NATALIE TO PROPOSE A DATE FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
WELL, LET'S, THAT'S NOT GONNA IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO GET THIS ROOM RIGHT.
HUH? THAT'S NOT GONNA IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO GET THIS ROOM FOR THE OTHER DATES.
RIGHT? I DON'T, I THINK WE ALREADY SUBMITTED THAT.
UM, I'M WAITING FOR THE INVITES FOR THE ROOM.
UM, BUT I THINK IF, IF WE JUST NEED TO MOVE THINGS LATER, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
I WOULD SAY THE ONE THING IS, IS ARE PEOPLE OKAY WITH A MEETING BEING ON A WEDNESDAY INSTEAD OF A TUESDAY IF NECESSARY, JUST TO GET THE ROOM LIKE THAT? THAT WOULD BE MY, LIKE, I WOULDN'T SCHEDULE IT WITHOUT TALKING TO YOU ALL, BUT YEAH.
YOU KNOW, JUST BEFORE I'M LIKE, NO, IT HAS TO BE A TUESDAY.
I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT, WHAT I THINK, I THINK THE CONTEXT
[02:40:01]
MATTERS.LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I WOULD PREFER A TUESDAY, BUT I WOULD PREFER DOING IT ON A WEDNESDAY TO DOING IT ON SPRING BREAK, YOU KNOW, LIKE KIND OF THING.
THAT, YEAH, THAT'S, SO I THINK, UM, YEAH, I PULLED UP THE A ISD CALENDAR AND THE SECOND WEEK OF MARCH IS SPRING BREAK.
ANYONE EVER SECONDED MY MOTION? SO IN THAT CASE, IT'S JUST THE ORIGINAL MOTION THAT'S RECONSIDERING.
SO I WOULD MOVE TO TABLE THAT ORIGINAL MOTION, AND THEN WE CAN JUST PASS, WE ALREADY PASSED THE, UH, UH, UM, CALENDAR BEFORE.
SO THEN THAT WOULD JUST ELIMINATE EVERYTHING.
SO I'M MAKING A MOTION TO TABLE THE, UH, AMENDMENT ON MAY.
WHEN DID YOU GUYS APPROVE THE CALENDAR? BECAUSE WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE LAST MEETING? I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS CALENDAR HAS BEEN APPROVED.
I THINK, I THINK WE APPROVED IT EARLIER IN THE MOVIE MEETING.
WE, WE APPROVED THE ORIGINAL CALENDAR WITHOUT THIS RED OKAY.
AT THE OCTOBER MEETING, I BELIEVE.
BUT I, I THINK WE APPROVED THIS SPECIFIC CALENDAR EARLIER IN THE MEETING, AND THEN WE WENT BACK TO CHANGE MAY.
SO IF WE JUST RECONSIDER AND GET RID OF IT.
WE, THIS CALENDAR WAS ALREADY APPROVED.
SO WE WERE, WE WERE TAKING UP AN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE NOVEMBER DATE.
AND THEN WE REALIZED THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE AND WE, WE PASSED THAT.
AND THEN THERE WAS A SEPARATE THING ABOUT MAY.
SO WE PASSED THAT, BUT NOW WE GO BACK, THEY CAME IT TO MARCH.
SO IF WE JUST TABLE, THEN THIS IS WHAT WE PASSED.
SO THEN I, I STILL OFFER THAT.
WE, WE WANNA PRESERVE THE NOVEMBER PART THOUGH.
I THOUGHT WE ALREADY PASSED THAT.
YOU DID, YOU DID THAT TODAY THOUGH, RIGHT? I'M TABLING THE MOTION ON MAY PART.
SO DID, AND I'M SECONDING, I'M SECONDING THE TABLING OF THE MOTION TO CHANGE.
MAY NOW WE CAN VOTE ON, LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON, WE'LL TABLE THE, THE MAY CHANGE, AND THEN WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHO, WHO DOES THIS? THIS WOULD BE THE TOUGHEST AGENDA ITEM.
ALRIGHT, WE, AT THE END OF THE MEETING, BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, I THINK, ARE THERE ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? LAST CALL.
WITH THAT HEARING NO FURTHER ITEMS AND HEARING NO OBJECTION.
I'M GONNA, UH, UH, ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 7:47 PM I WAS ABOUT TO SAY DISBAND THIS MEETING AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT? I, THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT WORD.