[CALL TO ORDER ]
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UH, AND WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 17TH MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
IT IS NOW FIVE THIRTY TWO, AND I'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM IN BUSINESS IS TO CALL THE ROLE.
CHRISTINE, CAN YOU HANDLE THAT FOR US, PLEASE? HELLO? YES.
AND COMMISSIONER PATTERSON BEHALF.
UH, DID WE HAVE ANY EXCUSED ABSENCES? NO.
AND COMMISSIONER LEVINE, UM, RESPONDED THAT HE WOULD OR WOULDN'T BE HERE OR HE DID NOT ACCEPT? OKAY.
I, I WILL SAY COMMISSIONER TTAG IS NO LONGER ON THE COMMISSION.
AND SO WE HOPE TO HAVE HIS REPLACEMENT SOON.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE HAD A BIT OF A CHALLENGE WITH OUR LIAISONS, UM, EXCEPT FOR URBAN TRANSPORTATION.
UH, BUT, UH, UH, WE WILL NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SOME OF THEM.
UH, WITH THAT, UH, DO WE HAVE, UH, ANY FOLKS HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? DO WE NEED TO PROVE EVIDENCE? WE WILL.
WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION THIS EVENING.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission November 20, 2023 meeting.]
IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED? SO MOVED.
[2. Discussion and possible action for the Commission to draft a recommendation to Council to prioritize community engagement with regards to the Convention Center expansion. ]
NOW WE'VE GOT, UH, UH, THE FIRST DISCUSSION AND THE ONLY DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM, UH, IS, UM, NOT THE ONLY ONE, BUT, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION.AND I WAS HOPING THAT COMMISSIONER PATTERSON WAS GOING TO BE HERE THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS THE MOTION THAT WAS MADE AT THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
CAN WE BRING THE MOTION THAT THEY APPROVED UP? SO, UH, UH, CHAIR PATTERSON HAS, UH, ADVISED THAT THIS HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND, UM, IS LOOKING FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UH, FOR THEIR, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY'RE TAKING TO COUNCIL.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAD HAD A CHANCE TO READ IT BRIEFLY BEFORE THE MEETING OR NOT.
I BELIEVE IT WAS IN OUR BACKUP.
IT WAS IF COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, UH, OR CHAIR PATTERSON DOES JOIN, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
THIS IS AN NOT THIS, WELL, OBVIOUSLY THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION HAS
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COME TO, UH, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BEFORE MOST OF Y'ALL WERE ON THE COMMISSION.AND, UM, IF, WELL, I THINK PERHAPS ALL BUT COMMISSIONER LEVINE, UM, AT ANY RATE, UM, IS I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM IF ANYBODY HAS ANY THOUGHTS.
WELL, THERE, THIS SEEMS TO BE MOSTLY TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, RIGHT? AND CREATING AN ADVISORY BOARD AND CREATING AN ADVISORY BOARD.
AND I WOULD WANT AT LEAST ONE OF US TO BE ON THE ADVISORY BOARD, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
SINCE WE ARE THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO HAVE REPRESENTATION.
I IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION HAS ANY OBJECTIONS TO IN THE, IN THE BODY OF THE, THE RECOMMENDATION? NOT REALLY SURE.
I THINK MY QUESTION WOULD JUST BE, LET'S, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE SURE WE GOT MICS.
HOW ARE WE DOING NOW? UM, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, I WOULD JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT PROCEEDED THIS, LIKE WHAT WAS THE DEMAND? UM, THAT FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION OR JUST FROM GENERAL OR JUST IN TERMS OF THE DEMAND FOR, FOR THE NEW CONVICTION CONVICT CENTER EXPANSION.
I PERSONALLY THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT QUESTIONABLE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF ISSUES WITH, UH, AUSTIN LOSING SOME CONVENTIONS BECAUSE THEY, THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS SIMPLY TOO SMALL TO HOLD THEM ALL.
AND EVEN WITH THE ADJACENT SPACE IN HOTELS THAT SOMETIMES CAN GET AWKWARD AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY WORK FOR ALL CONVENTIONS, SO THEY NEED MORE SPACE.
UM, I KNOW ONE THING I RECOMMENDED, BECAUSE I WAS ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR THIS WITH DANA AS WHEN I WAS PRESIDENT OF DANA, ONE THING I RECOMMENDED IS THAT THEY PUT IN LIKE A PODCAST SLASH RADIO TYPE STATION IN THE NEW THING SO THAT THEY, BECAUSE EVERYBODY, PODCASTS ARE A BIG DEAL.
AND WHEN THEY WERE TRYING TO RIG ONE UP FOR, SO BY SOUTHWEST, THEY HAD TO KIND OF JURY RIG IT.
AND I WAS LIKE, IT WOULD BE A LOT BETTER IF YOU HAD A REAL STUDIO.
SO HOPEFULLY THEY'LL CONSIDER THAT IN THEIR BUILDING.
BUT, UH, THEY SEEM TO THINK THEY NEED IT AND THEY SEEM TO NOT BE WILLING TO BE ARGUED OUT OF IT.
SO WE MAY AS WELL MAKE THE BEST OF IT.
YEAH, I THINK THEY'RE, THE POSITION IS THAT IT'S BEEN ADOPTED BY COUNCIL AND THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN THE GO TO MOVE FORWARD.
WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S NEEDED OR NOT, WHETHER THAT'S RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THIS TO SOME EXTENT IS JUST TO CHASE THE BIG CONVENTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMPETING WITH DALLAS AND ORLANDO AND EVEN SAN ANTONIO, CHICAGO, SAN ANTONIO FOR THE, THE REALLY BIG ONES.
AND, UM, I GUESS STAFF FEELS LIKE WE HAVE TO COMPETE FOR 'EM.
I MEAN, THE RATIONALE MAKES SENSE HERE TO ME.
SO MAYBE THEY SHOULD PUT A FOOTBALL STADIUM IN IT AND WE COULD COMPETE FOR A TEAM.
UM, I WOULD ADD THE CONVERSATION.
IT'S ON, UM, IT WAS KIND OF ABOUT UPDATING THE PROGRAMMING TO BE MORE CURRENT AND COMPETITIVE.
UM, AND ALSO WITH SMALLER BREAKOUT SPACES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES.
SORRY, IS THAT, IS YOUR MICROPHONE? NO, IT'S NOT.
WE'RE WE'RE HAVING A 2024 LEARNING CURVE WITH THE NEW BOARD
UH, SO DE DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, TRYING TO GIVE IT A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE, UH, ON OUR CONVERSATIONS.
UPDATING THE PROGRAMMING TO BE MORE, UM, ADAPTABLE FOR SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE, UM, KIND OF BREAKOUT SPACES, UM, INDOOR OUTDOOR, UH, TO TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UH, OUR STREETSCAPE.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, JUST KIND OF CREATING A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND DISTINCT IDENTITY, UM, YEAH.
AMONG CONVENTION CENTERS SO THAT, UH, WE ARE COMPETING AT, AT THAT NATIONAL SCALE, UM, FOR SOUTH BY, I THINK THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE FRANCHISING.
THERE'S GONNA BE FIVE SOUTH BYS, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR THAT STARTS.
UM, SO IF WE'RE NOT THE ONLY SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR DOWNTOWN AND, AND OUR ABILITY TO HAVE, UM, KIND OF THESE TECH CONFERENCES.
SO I THINK THERE IS KIND OF A NEED TO ADAPT TO THE BUILDING, UM, IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE USABLE.
UM, JUST ONE THING, I I I, I DON'T THINK IT PROBABLY MAKES SENSE TO HAVE THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AS ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE, BUT SINCE YOU ALL WILL BE, UH, WORKING ON IT, IF YOU COULD KEEP ONE THING IN MIND, WHICH THAT IS, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER HAS THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT MULTIMODAL CONNECTIONS TO DOWNTOWN THE LANCE ARMSTRONG
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BIKEWAY AND DOWNTOWN STATION.UH, AND THERE DEFINITELY HAS BEEN A CONCERN ABOUT TO WHAT EXTENT, UH, THOSE WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE CONSTRUCTION.
SO AS ONE OF YOU ALL HOPEFULLY SERVES ON THAT, UH, JOINT COMMISSION, UH, IF YOU COULD KEEP THAT IN MIND FOR US, IT'D BE GREAT.
HAVE THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE STATION BEING CLOSED DURING CONSTRUCTION? I KNOW ACCESS WILL BE LIMITED BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF CONSTRUCTION, BUT, UM, I, NO, I HAVE ASKED THAT QUESTION BEFORE, AND I THINK IT IS, UH, TOO EARLY IN THE PLANNING STAGES TO KNOW THAT.
UM, I THINK THE GOAL IS THAT THEY THINK THEY CAN BE ABLE TO KEEP, AT LEAST WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD, THEY THINK THEY CAN BE ABLE TO KEEP DOWNTOWN STATION OPEN.
UH, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME IMPACTS TO THE LANCE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY, UH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS PROBABLY THE NICEST BIKE FACILITY WE HAVE IN THE CITY.
SO IT IS, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT CAN BE MINIMIZED, IT, IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, THOUGHTS? UM, SO COMMISSIONER HARRIS? YES, MA'AM.
UM, ARE WE JUST TAKING ACTION TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION? OR ARE WE PAUSING TO MAKE OUR OWN RECOMMENDATION? THE MUSIC COMMISSION HAS ASKED FOR OUR SUPPORT OKAY.
AND I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'VE CIRCULATED IT TO SOME OTHER COMMISSIONS AS WELL.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE TABLE.
SEPARATE FROM SUPPORTING THIS, I THINK IT COULD BE PRUDENT TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP THREE REVISIT, UH, MAYBE US MAKING A RECOMMENDATION AS WELL.
UM, SINCE WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT THIS IN A YEAR OR SO, AND, AND NOW THAT THE PROJECT'S MOVING FORWARD, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET OUR RECOMMENDATION OVER TO THE, THE NOW SELECTED, UH, DESIGN TEAM.
WELL, AND SO THAT'S A DIFFERENT ITEM, RIGHT? AND I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY WORTHY, SINCE THIS IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THINGS TO HAPPEN DOWNTOWN, WITH A BUILDING OF A NEW CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH BY THE WAY, IS GONNA AFFECT EVERY BUSINESS DOWNTOWN.
EVERY, YOU BET, EVERY PART OF THE HOSPITALITY IN INDUSTRY THAT RELIES ON THOSE CON CONVENTIONS.
I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON PLANS IN THE INTERIM ABOUT HOW TO, HOW TO HANDLE THOSE, UH, CONVENTIONS THAT WERE BOOKED.
UM, BUT IT'S, THAT AFFECTS HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
UM, SO THAT'S A GREAT IDEA TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, GOING FORWARD.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF THE MOTION OR THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION THAT'S REALLY ABOUT PUBLIC INPUT AND HAVING AN ADVISORY REPORT REPORT, I WOULD COURT THE RECOMMENDATION AS LONG AS WE CAN ALSO ADD TO THEM THAT THEY WOULD LIKE, THAT WE WOULD LIKE A VOICE ON THEIR COMMISSION.
SO I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AS THE DOWNTIME COMMISSION APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE, UM, MUSIC COMMISSION.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AS THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UM, APPROVE AND SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION WITH THE CAVEAT THAT THEY, UH, ADD TO THE WORKING GROUP, A MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION ADD TO THE ADVISORY BOARD.
SO THE, THE, THE ACTION BEFORE IS THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION SUPPORTS, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION WITH THE PRE PROVISO THAT THEY ADD, UH, A MEMBER TO THE ADVISORY BOARD FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
OH, THERE'S CHARLOTTE ANN, UM, CHAIR, WOULD YOU AND I, I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE CALL FOR THE VOTE AND I DIDN'T SEE UP ON THE SCREEN BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE YOU DOWN ON THE SCREEN.
SO, UM, YEAH, WE CAN CERTAINLY, I, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY, CHAIR HARRIS, YOU AND I CAN THINK ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS IF WE'RE ADDING SPECIFICS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH COMMISSIONS ARE RECOMMENDED.
AND I, I THINK THE IDEA OF, UM, YOUR COMMISSION HAVING A WORKING GROUP ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO THE MEMBERS OF THIS COULD BE AND YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT GROUP, THAT ADVISORY BOARD WOULD PUT FORTH.
UM, BUT OVERALL, YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING THIS RECOMMENDATION.
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OKAY.AND FOLKS ONLINE, I, I APOLOGIZE.
UH, OUR MONITORS ARE NOT WORKING, SO YOU'RE OFF IN THE DISTANT DISTANCE FROM ME.
UH, SO IF YOU DO WANT TO, UH, OPINE OR PARTICIPATE, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO NOT JUST RAISE YOUR HAND, BUT TO, TO CALL ME OUT AND, AND GET MY ATTENTION SO YOU'RE NOT MISSED.
UH, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT GREATLY.
SO THAT BEING SAID, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT I DID MISS ONLINE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE DISCUSSION? OKAY.
SO THERE WAS A MOTION AND A SECOND.
UH, AND SO CALLING THE, THE QUESTION ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
OPPOSED? HEARING AND SEEING NONE.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS AND, UH, CHAIR, WE'LL WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS A PRESENTATION
[3. A presentation on the Palm District Plan to be given by Stevie Greathouse of the Planning Department. ]
ON THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN.UH, WE HAVE STEVIE GREATHOUSE, WHO'S JOINED US FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, STEVIE COMB.
WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE THIS PRESENTATION BEFORE IT WENT TO COUNCIL, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, YOU DID.
SO THAT'S HOW LONG THIS PROCESS, WELL, THIS IS THE VERSION THAT WENT TO COUNCIL.
I'M A DIVISION MANAGER IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND WAS SERVED AS THE PROJECT MANAGER ON THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN.
UM, I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO PROVIDE A BRIEFING ON THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL.
UM, IN SEPTEMBER OF, UH, 2023.
WE ACTUALLY DID, MY COLLEAGUE, MARK WALTERS, WAS BEFORE THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UM, TO PRESENT ON THE DRAFT PLAN BEFORE IT WENT TO PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, WHICH BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WAS ACTUALLY AT THE END OF 2022.
SO THAT, THAT IS WHY YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER THE BRIEFING ANY LONGER.
UM, SO DURING THIS EVENING'S, UH, PRESENTATION, I'M REALLY JUST GONNA PROVIDE SORT OF A BRIEF, UM, BACKGROUND ON THE PLAN, UM, AND PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 21ST.
AND THEN I'M HERE TO ANSWER, UM, ANY QUESTIONS? NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO THE STUDY AREA FOR THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN EXTENDS ROUGHLY FROM 15TH STREET TO LADY BIRD, BIRD LAKE, AND ROUGHLY ALONG TRINITY STREET TO I 35.
UM, AND THE PURPOSE OF THE PALM DISTRICT PLANNING INITIATIVE, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY INITIATED BY COUNCIL IN BACK IN 2019, WAS TO DEVELOP A SHARED VISION FOR THIS VERY COMPLEX, CULTURALLY RICH AND RAPIDLY TRANSFORMING PART OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
UM, WHICH INCLUDES THE CONVENTION CENTER SITE THAT Y'ALL WERE JUST DISCUSSING.
THIS AREA OF DOWNTOWN, UM, IS REALLY SORT OF THE CENTRAL CORE GROUND ZERO FOR A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT GENERATIONAL PUBLIC INVESTMENTS ANTICIPATED OVER THE YEARS AHEAD, UM, INCLUDING CONVENTION CENTER RECONSTRUCTION, UM, UH, EXPANSION OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER PROJECT CONNECT TRANSIT INVESTMENTS I 35 RECONSTRUCTION.
YOU ALL ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THESE THINGS AS MEMBERS OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, BUT A LOT OF STUFF IS HAPPENING HAPPENING IN THE EASTERN PORTION OF DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND THE IMPETUS FOR THE PLANNING PROCESS REALLY CAME OUT OF A DESIRE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TRANSFORMATIVE ENERGY AND INVESTMENTS COMING TO THIS PORTION OF DOWNTOWN, UM, WHILE ENSURING THAT THE DISTRICT, UM, ENSURES THAT THE CULTURAL AND HISTORIC IDENTITY OF THE DISTRICT IS AMPLIFIED RATHER THAN OBLITERATED BY THE CHANGES AHEAD.
UM, AND THAT WAS REALLY SORT OF THE, THE CHARGE THAT WAS LAID OUT AND THE RESOLUTION FOR THE PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, THE RESOLUTION THAT INITIATED THIS WORK, UM, WAS APPROVED BY UNDER A FORMER COUNSEL, UM, BACK IN 2019.
UM, IT ALSO DIRECTED, UM, WORK ON SEVERAL ADDITIONAL RELATED ITEMS THAT MOVED FORWARD INDEPENDENTLY, BUT THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN REALLY BROUGHT TOGETHER STAFF FROM ACROSS THE CITY WORKING ON EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE ALL SORT OF BUILDING TOWARDS A COHERENT HOLE IN THE DISTRICT.
THE PLANNING PROCESS THAT WAS INITIATED IN 2019, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS COMMUNITY BY DESIGN PROGRAM.
WE APPLIED IN LATE 2019 TO BE CONSIDERED FOR AN A I, A REGIONAL URBAN DESIGN ASSISTANCE TEAM VISIT.
UM, WE WERE ACTUALLY SELECTED THAT TEAM CAME TO AUSTIN IN 2019 TO DO A RECONNAISSANCE VISIT, UM, IN, OR IN FEBRUARY OF 2020.
THEY WERE ALL READY TO COME BACK IN APRIL OF 2020, BUT PLANS CHANGED A BIT, UM, OVER SPRING OF 2020 AS WE HEADED INTO THE PANDEMIC.
UM, AT THAT POINT, WE CONTINUED KIND OF THE PRE-PLANNING ACTIVITIES, UM, BY THE END OF 2020, UM, WE PUT OUT AN EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT.
WE ALSO, UM, WORKED TO LAUNCH THE PROJECT WEBSITE.
THAT WAS THEN, UM, LAUNCHED REALLY IN EARLY 2021, HELD COMMUNITY VISIONING FORUMS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER OF 2021 IN A VIRTUAL UH, SETTING.
AND THEN THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS TEAM ACTUALLY VISITED AUSTIN IN A VIRTUAL SETTING, UM, IN JULY OF 2021,
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AND HELD A WELL-ATTENDED SERIES OF VIRTUAL EVENTS, UM, PROVIDED A REPORT BACK TO THE CITY AND OUR STAKEHOLDER PARTNERS.UM, AT THE END OF THAT SERIES OF EVENTS IN JULY OF 2021, WE ALSO, UM, HIRED MARTHA RA, WHO, UM, WORKED TO DO TARGETED ENGAGEMENT AND FOCUS GROUPS, UM, WITH EAST AUSTIN FOLKS.
AND WHAT, UM, MARTHA AFFECTIONATELY REFERS TO AS THE DIASPORA OF FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN PUSHED OUT OF THE DISTRICT AND THEN PUSHED FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY FROM THE DISTRICT IN EAST AUSTIN.
UM, SHE PROVIDED A REPORT BACK TO US THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
AND THEN WE PUT, UM, PUBLISHED A LISTENING REPORT THAT REALLY SUMMARIZED ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT THE A I A GATHERED THAT WE'D GATHERED, THE, THE VISIONING FORUMS AND A SURVEY, UM, AS WELL AS MARTO RA'S FOCUSED ENGAGEMENT WORK.
UM, BASED ON THAT, UH, BASED ON THAT LISTENING REPORT, PUT TOGETHER A DRAFT OF A VISION FRAMEWORK THAT WAS SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC IN EARLY 2022, THEN PARTNERED WITH THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE, WHO HOSTED A SERIES OF IN-PERSON, WHICH WAS VERY EXCITING.
WE GOT TO RETURN TO SOME IN-PERSON CONVERSATIONS IN-PERSON SCENARIO PLANNING WORKSHOPS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS, UM, AND PROPERTY OWNERS AND OTHERS IN THIS PORTION OF DOWNTOWN THAT WERE HOSTED IN THE CONVENTION CENTER IN, UH, AUGUST OF 2022.
UM, WE THEN PREPARED A SCENARIO PLANNING SURVEY BASED ON THE WORK THAT CAME OUT OF THOSE WORKSHOPS THAT WAS ACTUALLY FAIRLY WELL RESPONDED SURVEY, UM, USING THE INPUT FROM THAT SURVEY PUT TOGETHER THE PREFERRED SCENARIO, WHICH WAS THEN SHARED IN A DRAFT PLAN THAT WAS SHARED OUT TO THE PUBLIC IN 2022.
UM, TOOK FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AND PACKAGED IT UP FOR PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, REVIEW.
AND I BELIEVE SOME POINT IN WHAT EITHER THE PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT OR THE, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEW DRAFT IN 2022 ACTUALLY CAME BEFORE THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
AND I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK BACK THROUGH MY NOTES, BUT I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN THERE WAS AN ACTUAL RECOMMENDATION AND AN ACTION.
WE THEN PRESENTED TO PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE HAD A WORK VERY, UM, LOVELY WORK SESSION WITH CITY COUNCIL, UM, ON COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO SORT OF LAST WEEK ON THE DAIS.
UM, AND THEN PLANNING COMMISSION BECAUSE OF WORKLOAD ISSUES, UM, HAD TO POSTPONE THEIR DELIBERATIONS, UM, INTO 2023.
AND THEN WE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT THAT PLANNING COMMISSION DID IN EARLY 2023.
UM, THAT TOOK A WHILE FOR VARIOUS REASONS, UM, BUT WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER A PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, UM, IN MID LATE 2023, THEN MOVED ON TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 21ST MEETING.
SO THE PLAN, UM, THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL INCLUDES A VISION AND DESIRED OUTCOMES FOR THE DISTRICT AND IDENTIFY AS A PREFERRED SCENARIO FOR DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT.
THE OVERARCHING VISION FOR THE DISTRICT IS THAT IT BECOME A VIBRANT, HISTORIC HUB OF DOWNTOWN WHERE THE PAST IS HONORED, CULTURE IS CELEBRATED, AND THE FUTURE IS SHAPED.
THE FIRST ELEMENT OF THAT VISION LOOKS AT ENSURING THAT THE, THE GROWTH THAT HAPPENS IN THE DISTRICT IS INCLUSIVE GROWTH THAT WILL PROVIDE A PROSPEROUS FUTURE FOR A LONG TIME AND RECENT RESIDENTS AND ESTABLISHED AND NEW BUSINESSES.
THE SECOND ELEMENT OF THE VISION CONTAINED IN THE PLAN INCLUDES ENSURING THAT THE DISTRICT BECOMES A CULTURAL DESTINATION THAT CELEBRATES ITS MULTICULTURAL HERITAGE.
THE THIRD ELEMENT OF THE VISION CALLS FOR STRENGTHENING THE PHYSICAL, CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL CONNECTIONS WITHIN DOWNTOWN AND BETWEEN EAST AUSTIN AND DOWNTOWN.
THE FOURTH ELEMENT CALLS FOR PRESERVING AND ENHANCING AND ENHANCING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT BY RESTORING EXISTING NATURAL AND OPEN SPACES AND PURSUING HIGH STANDARDS OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT WITH A FOCUS ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE PREFERRED SCENARIO THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN IS AN ASPIRATIONAL VISION FOR WHAT THE DISTRICT COULD LIKE LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE TO SUPPORT THAT VISION FRAMEWORK.
THE PREFERRED SCENARIO IS NOT A REGULATORY MAP, UM, AND THE PREFERRED SCENARIO BUILDS ON THE LIVE, WORK AND PLAY SCENARIOS THAT WERE DEVELOPED DURING THE SCENARIO PLANNING WORKSHOPS IN 2022.
AND RESPONSE TO SURVEY RESPONSES, WHICH INDICATED A DESIRE FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND A RANGE OF INCOMES AND AN EMPHASIS PARTICULARLY ON CULTURAL SPACE AND PROGRAMMING.
THE PREFERRED SCENARIO ENVISIONS THE PALM DISTRICT AS A THRIVING 24 HOUR A DAY COMMUNITY AND PRIORITIZES MIXED USE BUILDINGS WITH GROUND FLOOR SPACES FOR RETAIL, ENTERTAINMENT, RECREATION, AND SERVICES IN PARTICULAR WITH SPACE FOR CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND CULTURAL USES WHILE SUPPORTING THE EXISTING LIVE MUSIC AND CULTURAL SPACES IN THE DISTRICT.
THE IMPLEMENTATION SECTION OF THE PLAN PRESENTS SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO MOVE TOWARDS THE PREFERRED SCENARIO AND, AND SUPPORT THE VISION AND DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THE PLAN.
MANY OF THE ACTIONS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE PLAN ARE BUILDING ON INVESTMENTS AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY IN THE DISTRICT AND FOR WHICH FUNDING HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN IDENTIFIED, INCLUDING AS Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS EVENING RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND THE PRIMARY ROLE OF THE PLAN IS REALLY TO HELP GUIDE AND COORDINATE THOSE FUTURE
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INVESTMENTS AND PROGRAMS SO THAT THIS ACTIVITY CAN BE LEVERAGED FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT AND CREATE A WORLD CLASS DISTRICT OF DOWNTOWN.THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN IS TRULY A POLICY LEVEL GUIDE FOR THE AREA.
THE PLAN WILL PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO MULTIPLE MAJOR ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY IN THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING GENERATIONAL INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE PARKLAND, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, INCLUDING I 35 RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT CONNECT CONVENTION CENTER, RECONSTRUCTION, WATERLOO GREENWAY, THE VISIONING OF THE PALM SCHOOL SITE BEING UNDERTAKEN BY TRAVIS COUNTY, THE FUTURE OF THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT AND MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.
THE, UM, MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER EXPANSION, THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN BEING LED BY TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, UM, AS WELL AS POTENTIAL FUTURE REGULATORY CHANGES, THE A PD HEADQUARTERS SITE AND THE HEALTH SOUTH SITE TO NAME JUST SOME OF THE MAJOR INITIATIVES BEING, UM, INFLUENCED, GUIDED BY THE PLAN.
AS I MENTIONED, UM, COUNSEL TOOK ACTION ON SEPTEMBER 21ST TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE THAT AMENDED THE IMAGINE AUSTIN PLAN BY ADOPTING THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN UNDER A RELATED AGENDA ITEM.
COUNSEL ALSO APPROVED A COMPANION RESOLUTION RELATED TO PLAN IMPLEMENTATION.
THE COMPANION RESOLUTION INITIATED AMENDMENTS TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN.
SO THE NOTION IS THAT WE WOULD COME BACK TO, UM, FORMALLY AMEND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN TO MAKE IT CONSISTENT WITH THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN TO REFER TO IT.
AND THAT BODY OF WORK WOULD OBVIOUSLY COME BACK THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, IT ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED WORK UNDERWAY AND ANTICIPATED, UM, SUPPORTING THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT AND IMPROVING THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
THE RESOLUTION CALLED FOR NEXT STEPS TO IDENTIFY AN IMPLEMENTATION GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE FOR THE DISTRICT AND PROVIDED DIRECTION RELATED TO POTENTIALLY RENAMING THE DISTRICT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND ALSO DIRECTED STAFF TO REPORT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL BY MARCH 31ST, UM, ON SORT OF WHAT HAD BEEN UNDERTAKEN AS PART OF THE, THE IMPLEMENTATION STEPS FOLLOWING THE COUNCIL ACTION.
UM, INITIATION OF POTENTIAL CODE AMENDMENTS RELATED TO SETBACKS ALONG WALLER CREEK THAT WERE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL AND DISCUSSED WERE ULTIMATELY DEFERRED, UM, AND NOT ULTIMATELY INCLUDED IN THE COMPANION RESOLUTION.
UM, THAT WAS PASSED BY COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER.
SO IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS, UM, NOW THAT THE PLAN HAS BEEN ADOPTED, WE WILL BE CONTINUING TO WORK TO EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION GOVERNANCE IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, WE WILL BE WORKING, UM, TO INITIATE AMENDMENTS TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN.
UM, THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE PLANNING DEPARTMENT LED, THAT WE WILL DEFINITELY BE BACK BEFORE THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UM, TO INITIATE AND MOVE FORWARD ON ANY OF THOSE AMENDMENTS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WE'RE GONNA BE CONTINUING, AND BY, WE, I ACTUALLY, MY PARTNERS WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON ECONOMIC INCENTIVES AND OTHER IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES.
UM, IN PARTICULAR, MEMBERS OF THAT TEAM, UM, ARE WORKING TO CREATE SOME REGULATORY SUPPORT FOR THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO ALL OF THE OTHER ICONIC VENUE FUND AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS WORKING ON, SUPPORTING, PARTICULARLY THE RED RIVER DISTRICT WITHIN PALM, UM, AS WELL AS WORK TO FURTHER THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL, UM, HERITAGE COURT ORDER.
THE RESOLUTION, UM, AS I MENTIONED, DIRECTS THAT WE PROVIDE A STATUS REPORT BACK TO COUNCIL BY MARCH OF 2024.
SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL BE, UM, PROVIDING, AT VERY LEAST A MINIMUM A, A MEMO IF NOT A BRIEFING, UM, KIND OF OUTLINING EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED ACROSS THE CITY RELATED TO PALM DISTRICT IMPLEMENTATION SINCE ADOPTION.
UM, AND WITH THAT, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS FOR MS. GREATHOUSE? YES, SIR.
YOUR, UM, ONE COMMENT, ONE QUESTION.
SO, UH, ONE, AND I'LL BE REALLY BROAD HERE.
UM, JUST IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS, I THINK IT MIGHT BE WISE TO GO THROUGH AND REMOVE ANY REFERENCES TO A PROPOSED PROJECT CONNECT LINE AND INSTEAD SAY PLANNED OR FUTURE.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS, UM, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE TRANSPORTATION ELEMENTS.
UM, ONE, THERE'S A STREETCAR MENTIONED IN THERE.
I KNOW THAT WASN'T PUT IN THE FINAL PLAN.
IF YOU COULD TOUCH ON LIKE, WHAT THAT WAS, WHAT PEOPLE WERE ENVISIONING, COULD THAT BE PART OF A FUTURE RECOMMENDATION? AND THEN TWO, UM, HOW DOES YOUR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WATERLOO GREENWAY LOOK LIKE WITH JUST, YOU KNOW, THEIR STATUS AS A NON-PROFIT AND, YOU KNOW, NOT EXACTLY PART OF A CITY ORBIT? SURE.
SO THE STREET CARD, UM, IDEA CAME UP DURING THE SCENARIO PLANNING WORKSHOP AND I THINK FOUND ITS WAY INTO THE, POTENTIALLY THE PLACE SCENARIO.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH OF THE, THE THREE SCENARIOS THAT IT WAS IN.
AND IT WAS OUT FOR, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERATION, UM, AND WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PREFERRED SCENARIO THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNSEL ON THE PLAN.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A VISION NECESSARILY THAT IT WAS A RAIL BASED STREETCAR.
I THINK IT WAS THE, THE WHOEVER KIND OF THE SUGGESTION THAT CAME OUTTA THE SCENARIO WAS PROBABLY MORE OF A RETURN TO THE DILLO KIND OF VISION AND NOT NECESSARILY, YOU'LL FIND A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THAT ON THIS.
[00:30:01]
YEAH.'CAUSE THAT'S A PRETTY MAJOR THING TO SHOW UP JUST ON A SCENARIO PLAYING THAT I, I SEE A SMILE ONLINE THAT WAS REALLY MORE OF A
UM, IN TERMS OF THE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WATERLOO, UH, GREENWAY, SO THE WATERLOO GREENWAY ACTUALLY HAS CITY STAFF THAT ARE PARTNERS WITH THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION THAT, THAT PARTNERS THE CITY AND WATERLOO GREENWAY, UM, THROUGH THE WALLER CREEK.
IT'S STILL CALLED THE WALLER CREEK LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
AND THERE ARE CITY STAFF WITHIN BOTH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS PARKS AND RECREATION WORKING ON VARIOUS ASPECTS, UM, OF THAT PLANNING PROCESS.
AND THOSE CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN SORT OF INTEGRALLY, UM, INTEGRATED WITH THE PALM DISTRICT PLANNING WORK AT THE STAFF LEVEL AND THE, THE STAFF TEAM THAT REGULARLY MET.
UM, AND THEN IN OUR, OUR PARTNERSHIPS, UM, WATER, THE GREENWAY WAS NOT SORT OF A FORMAL PARTNER OF THE SCENARIO PLANNING WORKSHOP, BUT, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY VERY ENGAGED, UM, IN IT AND SORT OF ENGAGED AS, AS ONE OF OUR MAJOR STAKEHOLDER PARTNERS.
THE COUNTY ALSO HAS BEEN, UM, IN TERMS OF PARTNERS, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS WHERE WE WERE PASSING MONEY BACK AND FORTH OR ANYTHING, BUT JUST LOTS OF, UM, KIND OF CLOSE COORDINATION AROUND SOME OF THE ASPECTS OF ENGAGEMENT AND MANY OF THE ASPECTS OF THE PLAN, UM, THAT WERE PARTICULARLY, WE HAD THAT CLOSE COORDINATION RELATIONSHIP REALLY WITH DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE, WATERLOO, GREENWAY, TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, CAPITAL METRO, UM, AND OTHERS WHO I'M, THEY'RE ON A LIST SOMEWHERE, BUT NOT IN MY BRAIN AT THIS MOMENT.
ONE THING I WANTED TO ASK WAS WHETHER, UM, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY HAVE ACTUALLY COME TO ANY DEAL REGARDING THE PALM SCHOOL.
SO, INTERESTINGLY ON THAT FRONT, THE, THE PALM PART OF WHAT THE RESOLUTION DIRECTED AT THE, THE TIME THAT IT WAS PASSED WAS FOR THE CITY TO LOOK AT NEGOTIATING TO ACTUALLY PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY.
UM, THERE WAS SOME NEGOTIATION AROUND PURCHASING THAT I THINK WAS IN THE, THE MEDIA WE DID NOT BUY IT.
JUST, THAT'S THE SHORT ANSWER.
UM, BUT THE COUNTY HAS ACTUALLY, THROUGH SORT OF WORKING WITH US ON THE PALM DISTRICT PLANNING PROCESS AND HEARING FROM SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AS PART OF THAT, UM, THEY HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN THE STEP OF REALLY TAKING A STEP BACK AND DOING AN ENGAGEMENT PROCESS OF THEIR OWN, UM, THAT THEY HAVE SET UP, UM, AN ADVISORY GROUP.
THEY'VE BEEN OUT DOING, UM, STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND GATHERING FEEDBACK.
I'VE BEEN DOING A COUPLE OF, UM, AND ARE GONNA BE PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, FUTURE POTENTIAL SCENARIOS FOR THE, THE PALM SCHOOL SITE, UM, THAT IN PART WILL RESPOND TO THE FINDINGS OF THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY'RE, THEY HAD FINALIZED ANYTHING YET.
I'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE OF THOSE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, SO YEAH.
AND I HAVE NOT, THERE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECOMMENDATION YET.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY ARE IN, IN THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY DOING THAT CONCEPTUAL SITE PLANNING FOR THE SITE.
THIS IS JUST MAYBE EDUCATING ME.
UM, EARLIER YOU USED THE PHRASE, UM, I THINK IMPLEMENTATION GOVERNANCE, AND I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THAT MEANS OR HOW THAT WORKS.
SO WOULD YOU MIND? YEAH, WE DON'T EITHER.
THAT'S, IT'S, WE, WE STILL NEED TO FIGURE IT OUT.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WHAT I WOULD CALL GOVERNANCE ENTITIES IN THE DISTRICT.
THE WALLER CREEK AL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION IS ONE.
THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT IS ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE OBVIOUSLY HAS SOME THINGS THEY DO FOR THE DISTRICT THAT ONE MIGHT CALL GOVERNANCE.
UM, AND THE IDEA OF THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE REALLY CAME OUT OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT KIND OF A WAY TO CONVENE ALL OF THE MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE A STAKE IN THE FUTURE OF THIS PART OF DOWNTOWN INTO SOME SORT OF FORMAL BODY.
UM, AND WE AREN'T, WE HAVE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE THERE.
WE HAD SOME SUGGESTIONS, UM, AND SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS COMING OUTTA THE PLAN WERE REALLY TO KIND OF CONVENE THE CONVERSATION TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU MIGHT CONVENE THAT FORMAL BODY.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT SUPER FAR ALONG IN THAT CONVERSATION.
WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IF YOU DO HAVE ONE, THAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ON IT.
I THINK THE QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY GUIDE THIS IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH I'M SURE IS WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, BUT YOU CAN HAVE THESE LOVELY DIAGRAMS, BUT IF NO ONE CAN DO ZONING OR INVEST IN THE APPROPRIATE WAY IS GONNA COME TO NOTHING.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE, THAT'S THE, THAT'S DEFINITELY THE PURPOSE OF A GOVERNANCE BODY.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE IN THIS DISTRICT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY RICH INTERESTS WITH DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF GOVERNANCE ALREADY HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT, LIKE HOW YOU CREATE SOMETHING THAT ISN'T JUST EITHER REDUNDANT OR, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T, NOBODY'S GONNA BE ABLE TO BE SORT OF THE, THE CZARINA OF THE PALM DISTRICT AND WAVE A MAGIC WAND AND MAKE ALL THE FOLKS WORKING IN THIS DISTRICT GET ALONG WELL AND, AND IMPLEMENT THE PLAN.
UM, AND THE PLAN WAS REALLY PUT TOGETHER WITH THAT SORT OF, THAT DIVERSITY OF VIEWPOINTS IN MIND.
UM, AND WE WORKED VERY HARD ON MAKING SURE THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS THAT WERE CALLED OUT IN THE PLAN HAD SPONSORS THAT LINED UP THAT WERE MOVING THEM FORWARD.
[00:35:01]
IN THE PLAN, AT LEAST AT THE TIME THAT COUNCIL ADOPTED THAT LANGUAGE, THAT TEXT WAS SOMETHING THAT A STAKE, UH, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS THAT ALREADY COMMITTED TO MOVING FORWARD.BECAUSE THERE ARE OVERLAPPING JURISDICTIONS AND OVERLAPPING RESPONSIBILITIES, IT'S GONNA BE OBVIOUSLY VERY COMPLICATED TO GET SOMETHING THAT WORKS, UM, HAVE WITHIN THE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT GOVERNING ENTITIES, UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY POSITIVE MOVEMENT TOWARDS, I DON'T WANT TO USE THE TERM GIVING UP AUTHORITY OR GIVING UP RESPONSIBILITY, BUT HAS THERE BEEN GIVE AND TAKE BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE ENTITIES THAT MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A, A BODY CAN WORK? I THINK THERE HAS BEEN CONVERSATION.
I MEAN, I, I APPROACH IT A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMALLY EVEN THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN ARE JUST NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNERS TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER.
AND I THINK WE ACTUALLY MANAGED TO ACCOMPLISH THAT THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS.
SO WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF THE, THE VOICES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE AT THE, IN THE CONVERSATION FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER RECONSTRUCTION AND WHETHER THAT, HOW THAT RELATES TO THE TRANSIT STATION AND THE, AND I DO THINK THAT THIS PLANNING PROCESS DID MANAGE TO PULL THE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN CONVENTION CENTER STAFF AND AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP PROJECT CONNECT STAFF, LIKE CLOSER TOGETHER, MANAGED TO PULL SOME OF THOSE DIALOGUES BETWEEN WATERLOO AND THE COUNTY, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY PALM PARK AND PALM SCHOOL ARE NEXT TO EACH OTHER, AND THE DESIGN OF THOSE TWO PROJECTS IS GONNA NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.
UM, SO I THINK IN THAT SENSE IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION TO GET THOSE STAKEHOLDERS ALL TO THE TABLE, TALKING ABOUT A SINGLE PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT, UM, TO REALLY KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS ON VERY ADJACENT SPACES.
UM, AND I ALSO THINK THE CONVERSATION AROUND, UM, KIND OF CULTURAL SPACE PROGRAMMING, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT AS WATERLOO GREENWAY AND OTHERS KIND OF WORK ON THEIR FUTURE PLANS IN THE DISTRICT, THEY'RE PULLING SOME OF THOSE CULTURAL VOICES IN AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW WE PROGRAM THAT SPACE AND HOW WE PARTNER WITH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S THE, THE, THE MAC IN SOME CASES, UM, TO GET MORE OF THE CULTURAL PROGRAMMING, UM, IN THERE.
I THINK ALL OF THOSE WERE VERY PROMISING CONVERSATIONS THAT I'M OPTIMISTIC WILL CONTINUE.
AND KIND OF THAT, THAT SORT OF NETWORKING ACROSS INTEREST GROUPS WILL CONTINUE AS THE DISTRICT BUILDS OUT.
I THINK ONE OF OUR, OUR FRUSTRATIONS WHEN THIS FIRST BECAME, CAME BEFORE THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION YEARS AGO, WAS THAT SO MUCH OF WHAT, AND YOU'RE SEEING THIS IN THE DIALOGUE, SO MUCH OF WHAT THIS MAY HAVE HELPED IN TERMS OF PLANNING, IN TERMS OF STREAMLINING, IN TERMS OF COORDINATION, EVERYTHING WAS ALREADY UNDERWAY.
AND SO THIS IS PUTTING A BANDAID ON A WOUND, AS IT WERE.
UH, BECAUSE EVERYTHING, WHETHER IT'S PALM SCHOOL CONVENTION CENTER, THE MAC EXPANSION, ALL OF THAT STUFF WAS ALREADY UNDERWAY.
AND SO CAT WAS OUT OF THE BAG OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER ANALOGY YOU WANT TO USE, THAT THIS IS JUST KIND OF PAPERING OVER IT.
AND IT, IT IS NOW THAT MUCH MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE, AND THIS, IT, IT HAPPENED WHEN IT HAPPENED, BUT THAT IT WASN'T DONE.
PLANNING IS SUPPOSED TO BE BEFORE THINGS TAKE PLACE AND NOT AFTER THINGS TAKE PLACE.
THAT'S WHAT THEY KEEP TELLING ME.
BUT IN THE, IN A CITY THAT IT'S GROWING AS FAST AS AUSTIN IS, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE ANYWHERE IN TOWN.
NO, I KNOW THIS IS NOT UNIQUE.
BUT, UH, SO IT MAKES IT THAT MUCH MORE COMPLICATED AND IT'S JUST, UH, MY HAT'S OFF TO YOU FOR, FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THE PROJECT AND ALL YOUR WORK WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS AND, AND I KNOW IT'S A VERY, VERY COMPLEX ISSUE.
IT'S JUST, IT'S A SHAME THAT, THAT THIS, UH, PALM DISTRICT, UH, PLAN WASN'T IN PLACE BEFORE A LOT OF, BEFORE WE HAD 80 BUILDINGS ON RAINY STREET, YOU KNOW, SO YEAH.
THERE WAS A HAND UP ON SCREEN.
OH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, GO AHEAD.
WHO'S, OH, I HAVE TWO HANDS UP.
UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, FIRST CHAIR PATTERSON.
AND, UH, I'M NOW VICE CHAIR OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION.
JUST, I'VE STEPPED BACK A LITTLE BIT FROM CHAIR DUTIES SO THAT I CAN FOCUS MORE SPECIFICALLY ON LAND USE.
UM, SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GREAT PRESENTATION.
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THE CULTURAL DISTRICT OVERLAYS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED BY, UM, EDD.
UH, WE'VE HAD DON JACKSON COME AND GIVE SOME PRESENTATIONS TO ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY FOR DEVELOPER INCENTIVE INCENTIVES
[00:40:01]
FOR WORK LIVE SPACE, AND, UM, AFFORDABLE CREATIVE SPACE THAT COULD, UM, ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE, THE PLANNING FOR THE PALM DISTRICT.AND SO HAS THAT BEEN, HAS, HAS THERE BEEN VERY MUCH TALK ABOUT HOW THAT COULD BE PART OF THE, THE PALM DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY? YEAH, I MEAN, THEY, DONALD JACKSON AND OTHER MEMBERS OF EDD STAFF WERE SUPER INVOLVED IN THE DRAFTING OF THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN, AND WERE INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH COUNCIL DURING ADOPTION AND THEN ARE CONTINUING TO COORDINATE WITH PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE REGULATIONS.
SO DEFINITELY, AND THERE, AND ACTUALLY THE, THE PLAN AS THE POLICY GUIDANCE THAT THE PLAN PROVIDES, SPECIFICALLY REFERENCES THAT BODY OF WORK AND CALLS FOR IT TO BE DONE.
I DUNNO IF THAT FULLY ANSWERS COMMISSIONER MA.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS A VERY RICH DISTRICT.
I HOPE WE ARE NOT TOO LATE TO, UM, UH, PUT IN SOME DESIGN ON US IN PUBLIC PLACES, UH, IN YOUR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL HELP TO ENRICH THE CHARACTER OF THAT DISTRICT.
SO JUST WANTED TO PUT IT IN FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE IT SO SPECIFICALLY, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS ART IN PUBLIC PLACES OR PROVIDED AROUND YEAH.
THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, CREATIVE ARTS, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THAT DISTRICT FOR SURE.
AND THAT WAS PART OF THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS WORK WITH US, GAVE SOME PRETTY, UM, FANTASTIC AND SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND KIND OF HOW TO, TO DO CREATIVE PLACEMAKING ACTIVITIES THROUGH PUBLIC ART.
UM, AND, AND SEVERAL OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOUND THEIR WAY INTO THE, THE PLAN AND ARE IN THERE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT COMMISSIONER MOTE DID NOT MENTION YOUR DILLO COMMENT,
WELL, I'LL PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THAT WILL BE A DILLO RUN WRONG, THE PALM DISTRICT.
THAT IS, THAT IS A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
I WILL, I WILL PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK TO OUR TRANSIT PARTNERS,
AND I JUST WANNA SAY TO YOU, MISS, MISS GREATHOUSE, UH, THANK YOU FOR HERDING CATS ON THIS PROJECT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT.
[4. A presentation on the Seaholm District Multimodal Connectivity Projects to be given by Laura Dierenfield of the Transportation and Public Works Department. ]
OF BUSINESS IS A PRESENTATION OF THE C HOME DISTRICT MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY PROJECT.WE HAVE LAURA DEERFIELD, UH, WITH HI LAURA.
UM, THANK YOU FOR INVITING US TONIGHT, UH, TO OFFER AN UPDATE OR A BRIEFING REALLY ON THE, UM, MULTIMODAL PROJECTS IN THE SEA HOME DISTRICT.
I THINK WE DO HAVE A SLIDE PRESENTATION.
SO, UM, WE'LL MAYBE MOVE TO THE SECOND, UH, SLIDE AND OFFER YOU ALL JUST A BRIEF, UM, TOUR OF THE TOPICS WE'LL GO OVER TONIGHT.
UM, SO THIS, UH, THE SET OF PROJECTS THAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING HERE TONIGHT ARE, UM, FUNDED BY, UM, THE, UM, RECOVERED, UH, FUNDS THROUGH THE TAX INCREMENT FINANCE NUMBER 18, ORTS NUMBER 18.
UM, THAT WAS CLOSED ACTUALLY AT THE END OF THIS PAST YEAR.
UM, SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, THAT BRIEF HISTORY, UM, JUST AS IT RELATES TO WHY WE HAVE FUNDING NOW FOR, UM, PROJECTS.
AND, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BUOY UNDERPASS, UH, FOR WHICH THESE PROJECTS PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE, UH, WHAT THOSE PROJECTS ARE, AND THEN WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT NEXT.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE, THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO, UH, AGAIN, APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO BRIEF YOU ALL ON ON THESE PROJECTS.
UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, JUST BY WAY OF OF BRIEF BACKGROUND, UM, AND THIS IS ALL IN AN ORDINANCE, UH, THAT COUNSEL PASSED ON DECEMBER 12TH, UM, LINKED IN THE PRESENTATION, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF IT.
BUT, UM, BACK IN, UH, 2008, UH, THERE WAS AN ORDINANCE THAT ESTABLISHED THIS, UH, TIFF NUMBER 18.
AND IT WAS, UH, THE PROJECT PLAN THAT GOES WITH THE FINANCING PLAN WAS ADOPTED, UM, SHORTLY THEREAFTER IN 2009.
[00:45:01]
THE TIFF ITSELF WAS, UH, THE PROJECT PLAN AND THE AREA, UM, WAS AMENDED IN 2012, AND THIS WAS TO INCLUDE THE, THE, SO-CALLED BUOY UNDERPASS.THE IDEA WAS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE UP RAIL LINE, UM, TO BUOY STREET, HENCE THE BUOY UNDERPASS, BUT ALSO, UH, TOWARDS DOWNTOWN, UH, TO THIRD STREET.
UM, SO THAT'S SORT OF HOW WE GOT THE IDEA OF A BUOY UNDERPASS AND A COLLECTION OF PROJECTS THAT WOULD SERVE THE MULTIMODAL NEEDS AND CONNECTIVITY OF THE SEA HOME DISTRICT AS PART OF A SET OF PROJECTS THAT WERE FUNDED, UM, THROUGH THIS TIF 18.
UM, SO, UH, DESPITE JUST DOGGED AND, AND TERRIFIC EFFORTS FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, DEPARTMENT, THE ABILITY TO SEE THIS, WE UNDERPASS, UH, CEASED IN THE SUMMER OF 2021 WHEN IT WAS JUST CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NOT REALLY A THERE, THERE WITH, UH, UNION PACIFIC.
AND SO, UM, THAT LED COUNCIL TO DIRECT, UM, THE CITY MANAGER TO COME UP WITH SOME ALTERNATIVES.
IF THIS WASN'T FEASIBLE, THEN WHAT COULD WE DO? UM, AND THAT, UH, IN ADDITION TO A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS, UH, LISTED HERE, UH, WAS THE DIRECTION GIVEN IN, UH, LATE 2021.
UM, FROM THERE, UM, WE CONVENED STAKEHOLDERS, BOTH, UM, REPRESENTATIVES OF PROPERTY OWNERS AND TENANTS AND THE COMMUNITY, UM, WANTING, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AROUND THIS TIME, THE SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY HAD DEVELOPED THIS VERY ROBUST PLAN CALLED THE CYPRESS AND STROLL PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY.
AND IT HAD A NUMBER OF IDEAS PUT FORTH FOR THE C HOME AREA THAT WOULD SORT OF, UM, HELP TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY THAT ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, THIS DISTRICT HAS BEEN REMARKABLY SUCCESSFUL FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE, GOING FROM, UM, IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW ALREADY THE IDEA OF TAX INCREMENT FINANCE OR, UH, TURS IS THE CITY INVESTS MONEY.
UM, AND, BUT FOR THAT INVESTMENT, IT WOULD'VE REMAINED A BLIGHTED, KIND OF UNDERUTILIZED AREA.
AND THEN SEE, HOME IS NOW ONE OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, VERY WELL-DEVELOPED AREAS OF THE CITY.
THERE ARE SOME MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY ELEMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE HINDSIGHT OF BEST PRACTICE AND THE CONNECTIVITY THAT NOW EXISTS, UH, ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY, WE COULD DO A BIT BETTER THERE.
AND I THINK THAT WAS RECOGNIZED, UM, THE BUOY UNDERPASS WOULD HAVE ADDRESSED SOME OF THAT.
AND THESE ALTERNATIVE PROJECTS THAT COUNCIL ASKED US TO LOOK AT, UH, WERE MEANT TO TRY TO HELP ADDRESS THE, THOSE SHORTCOMINGS.
UM, WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THROUGH THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, AS WELL AS IN A REVIEW OF ALL OF THE, UH, MODAL PLANS, UM, THE URBAN TRAILS PLANS, SIDEWALK BIKEWAYS, AND VARIOUS OTHER PLANS, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S A MYRIAD OF, OF OPTIONS, I THINK OVER, PROBABLY OVER 20 OR 25 DIFFERENT IDEAS THAT WERE CIRCULATED, UM, IN THE AREA.
BUT REALLY WHEN IT BOILED DOWN TO IT, APPRECIATING AGAIN, THE WORK OF THE CYBER AND CONTROL PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY, AS WELL AS WHERE WE COULD REALLY GET THE MOST, UM, COULD BANG FOR OUR BUCK, THESE WERE PROJECTS THAT EMERGED, UM, THROUGH CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH, UM, WITH THOSE STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL AS, UH, LOOKING AT WHAT WE COULD DO, SHOULD WE, UM, AND AT THE STRONG RECOMMENDATION OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, UH, CLOSED THE, THE TIFF AS IT ESSENTIALLY HAD REALIZED, UH, THE ECONOMIC, UM, DEVELOPMENT THAT THAT WAS MEANT THROUGH, MEANT, UH, UH, TO HAPPEN WITH THE TIFF AS WELL AS GENERALLY THE OTHER PROJECTS EXCEPT FOR THE BOOY UNDERPASS.
SO I'LL GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE.
UM, THESE WOULD REPRESENT SORT OF A BASKET OF PROJECTS THAT OFFER SOME ALTERNATIVE CONNECTIONS FOR YOU TO BE WALKING OR BIKING, ROLLING THROUGH THE AREA, UM, THAT JUST HELP TO MAKE IT MORE COMFORTABLE AND CONNECTED.
UM, THAT, AGAIN, WHAT THE BOOY UNDERPASS WAS MEANT TO DO.
UM, SO THE FIRST, INSTEAD OF PROJECTS, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THERE'S SOME DESCRIPTIONS ON, UH, THE SIDE OF THE SLIDE HERE THAT YOU CAN, THIS IS ALL IN THE MEMO THAT THAT WAS, UH, WENT TO COUNCIL, UM, CONCURRENT WITH SOME OF THE COUNCIL DIRECTION IN DECEMBER LAST MONTH.
UM, NUMBER ONE, UH, THAT YOU SEE THERE IS SORT OF THAT DOTTED RED LINES.
IF YOU'VE EVER, UM, TRAVELED NORTH, SOUTH OR EAST WEST THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL, IT, IT REALLY IS A, A BUNCH OF LIKE HAIRPIN TURNS.
THERE'S SOME FISHEYE MIRRORS, AND SOMETIMES IT CAN BE A BIT, UM, UH, UNCERTAIN, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH PEAK TIMES TO GET AROUND THOSE, THOSE BLIND CORNERS.
AND GIVEN HOW, UM, INCREDIBLE THE TRAIL HAS LIKE DEVELOPED, UH, ESPECIALLY JUST AROUND THE CORNER, UM, THAT THAT SEGMENT, UM, THAT HEADS KIND OF EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH, UH, AND THEN ALSO JUST GENERALLY IN THE AREA, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY COULD DO BETTER TO, TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION MORE COMFORTABLE, UH, MORE VISIBLE, MORE PREDICTABLE.
[00:50:01]
THERE WOULD BE TO EXPLORE GRADE SEPARATION.SO VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU EXPERIENCE NOW AT SECOND STREET WITH THE BUTTERFLY BRIDGE, WHERE THAT GRADE SEPARATION IS, UM, JUST ALLOWS FOR, UM, MUCH BETTER CONNECTIVITY NORTH, SOUTH, AND EAST WEST.
AND YOUR ABILITY TO GET FROM THE TRAIL UP TO THE LIBRARY AREA ON SECOND STREET IS INTUITIVE.
IT FLOWS, IT WORKS REALLY WELL.
SO THOSE ARE, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO TRY TO EMULATE, UH, AT THIRD STREET AS WELL, JUST TO BRING THAT QUALITY UP, UH, ALONG THE TRAIL HERE.
THIS IS A VERY POPULAR, UM, VERY BUSY PART OF THE TRAIL, UM, AND REALLY DESERVES TO HAVE, UM, UH, GREAT SEPARATION, UM, TO RECOGNIZE THAT TRAFFIC.
UM, COMPLIMENTARY TO THAT IS NUMBER TWO, WHICH WOULD BE, UM, LOOKING AT, THERE IS A OLD TRESTLE BRIDGE, UM, AND THERE'S ALSO A COMPLIMENTARY BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE JUST TO THE NORTH OF IT, THOSE TWO.
UM, THE BIKE AND PED BRIDGE PROVIDES A CRITICAL ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WALKING TO BIKING, UH, ACROSS THE SHOAL CREEK.
AND THE TRUSSEL BRIDGE OFFERS A REALLY INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY AS EXPRESSED IN THE CYPRESS AND SHOUL PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY TO IMAGINE A PLAZA AND A, UM, A PLACE TO GATHER AND APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF THE CITY HERE.
SO THE IDEA WOULD BE TO STUDY THAT, UNDERSTAND WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO PERHAPS REPURPOSE THAT BRIDGE, UH, LOOK, THE TRESTLE BRIDGE.
THAT IS HOW, UH, DOES THE CURRENT BIKE PED BRIDGE SORT OF HANDLE TRAFFIC IN VARIOUS TIMES OF THE DAY, DAYS OF THE WEEK.
AND JUST LOOK AT THAT CONNECTION ACROSS THE CREEK, UM, WITH NEW EYES, NEW FOCUS, UM, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO REALLY MAKE THAT STAND OUT AS A, JUST A REMARKABLE PART OF OUR CITY AS WE DO WITH PLACES LIKE THE PFLUGER BRIDGE, UH, THE WALLER, UH, CREEK AND ALL OF THAT AREA HAS, UM, BECOME, UM, SUCH A DESTINATION.
AND THESE ARE, THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO REALLY BRING THE BEST OUT OF THE CITY HERE AT, UH, SHOAL CREEK AND THIRD.
SO THOSE ARE TWO VERY COMPLIMENTARY PROJECTS.
WHEN YOU REALLY GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY, IT'S, IT IS, UM, SOME VERY DIFFICULT ENGINEERING
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHAT, UH, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE WOULD ADVANCE, UM, THOSE PROJECTS.
THE OTHER PROJECTS HERE, YOU CAN SEE NUMBER THREE, UH, JUST TO THE WEST, IS LOOKING AT THE INTERSECTION OF THIRD STREET AND WEST, WHERE THE TRAIL, UH, AND, AND, UH, WEST AND THIRD ALL KIND OF CONVERGE AND RIGHT THERE, UM, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN A CAR BIKE WALKING SCOOTING, IT'S, IT CAN BE VERY CONFUSING.
YOU SORT OF DON'T KNOW WHO'S ON POINT, WHO'S NEXT.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE STOP CONDITIONS, BUT IT'S STILL NOT IDEAL.
OKAY? SO THE IDEA WOULD BE TO TRY TO MAKE BETTER SENSE OF THAT, UM, INTERSECTION SO THAT EVERYONE CAN GET THROUGH TO, THROUGH, UH, WITHIN THAT AREA MUCH MORE INTUITIVELY, COMFORTABLY, UM, FLUIDLY.
AND THEN, UM, DOWN ON THE SOUTH CURB OF, OF CESAR CHAVEZ STREET, WE, UM, IT'S ONE OF THE PARTS OF THE CITY WHERE WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE AN A DA ACCESSIBLE ROUTE.
IT, IT REALLY DOES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
UH, SO THIS WOULD LOOK TO MAKE THAT A DA ACCESSIBLE THAT OFFERS A, AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF OPTIONS IN TERMS OF ALTERNATIVES TO BIKING, BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO ALL OF THE STREETS OFF OF SCISSOR CHAVEZ.
AND, UH, HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE BOTH, UM, BASIC A DA SIDEWALK, UH, CONNECTIVITY, AS WELL AS TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS AS IT, AS IT INTERFACES WITH THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
APPRECIATING THAT, UM, HAVING A NATURAL SURFACE TRAIL IS IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO HAVE AN A D ACCESSIBLE ROUTE THAT, THAT SUPPORTS THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC PEOPLE ENJOYING RUNNING, WALKING, COMMUTING, AND THE LIKE, ARE ALONG THAT SOUTH CURB.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY AT WEST AND WALTER SEAHOME, WE HAVE, UH, CROSSINGS OF THE, THE CROSSTOWN BIKEWAY, LANCE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY, AND, UH, YOU MIGHT HAVE EXPERIENCED, IF YOU'VE EVER CROSSED AT SANDRA MA RIGHT WAY, OR B REYNOLDS, JUST TO THE WEST, WHAT WE CALL BLANK OUT SIGNS.
SO THESE ARE BIG BLACK SIGNS THAT LOOK BLACK AND PLAIN, NOTHING ON THEM UNLESS THERE'S A INSTRUCTION TO, UM, SOMEONE IN A VEHICLE, A MOTOR VEHICLE TO, UH, STOP FOR PEOPLE WALKING AND BIKING.
SO THE BLANK OUT HELPS TO BRING ATTENTION WHEN YOU NEED IT AT, UM, UH, ON THE SIGN WHEN, WHEN THE, THE ACTION OR THE, UM, UH, CAUTION IS NEEDED.
SO THE IDEA WOULD BE TO, UH, EMULATE THE SAME TREATMENTS, UH, OF THOSE, OF THOSE SIDE STREETS BEING PRETTY HEAVY, UM, RIGHTS LEFTS, UH, THERE, UH, CONSTANTLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY, UH, AT WEST AND WALTER SEAHAM DRIVE.
SO THOSE ARE THE BASKET OF PROJECTS THAT ARE INTENDED TO ALLOW FOR MUCH, UH, MORE COMFORTABLE CONNECTED, UH, FLUID MOVEMENTS, WALKING AND BIKING, RECOGNIZING FROM, I THINK A, A LARGER URBAN MOBILITY PERSPECTIVE.
THE MORE TRIPS, SHORT TRIPS THAT WE CAN HELP CONVERT TO WALKING AND BIKING, ESPECIALLY IN THE DOWNTOWN, THE MORE RESILIENT THE SYSTEM WILL BE FOR THOSE WHO MUST DRIVE TO GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO, WHETHER IT'S
[00:55:01]
WORK OR ELSEWHERE, UM, CONNECTING TO TRANSIT, ALL OF THOSE BENEFITS TO CREATE A MORE BALANCED AND MULTIMODAL SYSTEM.SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT, NEXT SLIDE.
I, I, I DID SKIP OVER, BUT THIS ONE DOES TALK ABOUT THOSE, UH, THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE.
UM, JUST TO CATCH YOU UP WITH WHERE THINGS HAVE LANDED ON THE COUNCIL SIDE OF THINGS.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, THEY, THE COUNCIL, WHICH SERVES AS THE BOARD OF THE TIFF, UH, JURORS, UH, THEY CLOSED, TOOK ACTION TO CLOSE, UH, THE TIFF, UH, AT THE END OF THIS PAST YEAR ON DECEMBER 31ST AS WELL, THERE WAS A COMPLIMENTARY CONCURRENT ORDINANCE THAT ALLOCATED 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO THESE PROJECTS.
SO THAT IS WHAT'S BEING USED TO DEVELOP OUT THESE, UH, THESE FIVE PROJECTS.
UH, CURRENTLY WE ARE GETTING A COST PROPOSAL, UH, FOR THE SCOPING OF A HIGHLY DETAILED COST ESTIMATE AND PRELIMINARY FEASIBILITY AND DESIGN FOR, UM, MA MAINLY THE, UH, NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO PROJECTS, KNOWING THAT THOSE ARE GONNA BE THE MOST COMPLICATED ONES TO SORT OUT.
BUT THERE'S ALSO QUITE A BIT OF MOMENTUM AND INTEREST IN ADDRESSING THE, THE BLANK OUT SIGNS, WHICH ARE FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AS WELL AS THE A DA ACCESSIBILITY ALONG THE SOUTH CURB OF CESAR CHAVEZ, WHICH WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO I THINK IN GENERAL, ALL OF ALL FIVE HAVE, UM, A, A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING, A CLEAR, UH, SCOPE AND HOW TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH THEM IS WHAT WE'RE, UH, DOING NEXT.
WE DO ALSO HAVE A VERY, UH, ENGAGED STAKEHOLDER GROUP THAT WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP INFORMED OF THE PROCESS, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE MAY HANDLE THE T TRUSSEL BRIDGE AND THE BIKE AND PED BRIDGE.
'CAUSE THAT'S A REALLY BIG UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT.
SO WE NEED TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND THAT TOGETHER.
SO WE WOULD LOOK TO RECONVENE THAT STAKEHOLDER GROUP ONCE WE HAD A LITTLE MORE TO SHARE WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY ABOUT, UH, THE T TRUSSEL BRIDGE COMPONENT.
WITH THAT, I WOULD LOVE TO OPEN THIS UP TO COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, UH, OR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CHAIR.
I KNOW COMMISSIONER LEVINSON HAS A NUMBER.
UM, I KNOW THAT THEY'VE ALLOCATED, UM, $5 MILLION FOR EXPANDING THE BRIDGE AND FOR STUDYING THE TRESTLE AREA.
WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT 1 MILLION OF IT BASICALLY IS ADDITION FOR THE HDR TRESTLE STUDY.
WHY ARE WE DOING THAT? UM, I MEAN, THE SPARKS ENGINEERING STUDY THAT WAS DONE, IT SEEMS TO ME WAS ALREADY PRETTY THOROUGH AND PRETTY RECENT.
SO I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY WE NEED TO SPEND ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS ON ANOTHER ENGINEERING STUDY.
THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION AND, UH, YEAH, TO PAUSE AND JUST OFFER THAT, UH, AGAIN, THE CYPRESS AND STROLL PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY WAS EXTREMELY ROBUST.
THE STROLL CREEK CONSERVANCY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB, AND PART OF THAT WORK WAS TO COMMISSION A STUDY OF THE TRESTLE BRIDGE.
SO THEY, AND THEY HAVE BEEN GENEROUS IN SHARING THAT WITH US.
WE'VE REVIEWED THAT OUR BRIDGE ENGINEERS HAVE REVIEWED THAT.
UH, TO BE CLEAR, WE WOULD NOT BE BURNING A MILLION DOLLARS OF MORE STUDIES.
WE WOULD ABSOLUTELY USE THAT STUDY AS WELL AS OUR UNDERSTANDING OUR BRIDGE EXPERTISE, UM, WITHIN THE CITY.
BUT ALSO WE HAVE BEEN, WE HAVE ASKED A FIRM, UH, HDR TO, UH, COME BACK WITH A COST PROPOSAL TO, TO DO A MORE DETAILED, UH, COST ESTIMATE AND FEASIBILITY STUDY.
WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE WITH THAT COST.
WE DO WANNA BE MINDFUL THAT THE GOAL HERE IS TO PRODUCE THESE FIVE PROJECTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO, UH, ACHIEVE THOSE, UH, DESIRED CONNECTIONS.
AND WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT CAREFULLY TO, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GONNA GET TO THAT, UH, OUTCOME USING ANY AND ALL AVAILABLE INFORMATION.
BUT I WILL SAY THERE'S, UH, EVEN IN THAT STUDY THAT WAS COMMISSIONED, IT DOES CALL FOR, UM, QUITE A BIT OF, OF REPLACEMENT OF SOME OF THE KEY PIECES, STRUCTURAL PIECES OF THAT BRIDGE.
RIGHT? SO I THINK THERE IS STILL A VERY OPEN QUESTION OF HOW THAT WOULD EVEN GO.
UM, AND THEN I SHOULDN'T OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY OWNED BY THE CITY.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE WOULD ACTUALLY GO ABOUT THIS.
YEAH, THAT WAS WHO, WHO OWNS THE BRIDGE UP UNION PACIFIC.
AND THAT'S, I WAS GOING TO ASK IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY PROGRESS WITH UNION PACIFIC ON THAT PIECE OF IT, AND THEN ALSO IF THERE, IF WE CAN GET POSSESSION OF IT, IS BOTH THE CITY AND HDR COMMITTED TO THE REHAB, OR IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT IT COULD END UP TORN DOWN? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
SO, UM, THE LATTER PART, WE JUST DON'T KNOW THAT THAT CRYSTAL BALL JUST DOESN'T EXIST AT THIS POINT.
BUT, UM, AND WE HAVE NOT, I HAVE NOT PERSONALLY BEEN IN A PART OF ENGAGING BACK WITH UP, UM, SO, SO NOT AT THIS TIME.
YEAH, I KNOW THEY'RE, IT'S LIKE VERY DIFFICULT WITH THEM.
THEY HAVEN'T OFFERED TO DONATE IT FOR A DOLLAR.
I'LL GIVE, I'LL GIVE THEM THE MONEY NOW.
[01:00:01]
PRESENTATION.HOW, UH, MY QUESTIONS ARE ABOUT THE BUDGET.
UM, AND HOW, HOW IS YOUR GROUP FEELING ABOUT THE BUDGET'S, GOALS, AND ABILITY TO MEET THE BUDGET WITH THE ALLOCATED FUNDS? ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES? THANK YOU.
UM, THE COSTS THESE DAYS ARE KIND OF EYE-POPPING.
UH, THINGS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.
SO, UM, I THINK IT IS IN A FABULOUS OUTCOME TO BE CLEAR THAT THERE IS OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY, UH, TAKE SERIOUSLY THE NEEDS FOR CONNECTING UH, IN THIS DISTRICT OF THE CITY.
SO I THINK WE DO HAVE A VERY HEALTHY AND GENEROUS START.
UM, AS THESE COST ESTIMATES COME IN, UM, WE WOULD USE ANY AND ALL METHODOLOGIES TO ACHIEVE, UH, THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE QUITE FAMILIAR WITH CERTAIN CON CONTRACTUAL METHODS THAT ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, BACKUP CURB SIDEWALK TO BE BUILT IN A FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE, UM, YOU KNOW, BIG CON UH, DESIGN BID BUILD CONTRACTUAL STRUCTURES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, I THINK WE WOULD USE SOME OF THOSE TECHNIQUES WHERE WE CAN, UM, THAT I THINK PARTICULARLY PLAYS INTO TO, UH, PROJECT NUMBER FOUR, THE, THE, THE TRAIL AND THE SIDEWALK PIECE, AS WELL AS THE INTERSECTION WHEN YOU'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, RIPARIAN AREAS AND THE CREEK AND SO FORTH, YOU JUST REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THAT CAREFULLY AND, AND DO THINGS IN A MUCH MORE HEAVY CIVIL WAY.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE, WE WANNA GET REALLY CLEAR ON WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE.
IF, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE THAT WE DON'T QUITE HAVE ENOUGH TO PULL IT ALL OFF, BUT I THINK, UM, BEING THAT THESE ARE A SET OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE VERY COMPLIMENTARY GOALS TO THE OVERALL MOBILITY NEEDS OF THE CITY, ALBEIT VERY DIFFICULT PRIORITIZATION, RIGHT? BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE WORST OF THE WORST, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY AREAS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, ESPECIALLY THE A DA ACCESSIBILITY, WE NEED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT WE CAN TO, TO GET THE WORK DONE AS WE TRY TO ADDRESS ALL OF THE CITY'S NEEDS.
SO, UM, ALL THAT TO SAY, I THINK THERE COULD BE WAYS THAT WE MEND UP SOME OF THOSE GAPS IN THE FUTURE.
SHOULD, SHOULD THERE BE ANY, IF I MAY MAKE A FEW SUGGESTIONS ON POTENTIAL FINANCING SOLUTIONS, UH, RAILS TO TRAILS, HAVE YOU GUYS EXPLORED THAT? YES.
WELL, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE, THE ORGANIZATION AND, UM, THERE IS A VERY ROBUST, LIKE GRANT, UM, PURSUIT GENERALLY WITH THE, UM, THE BILL, THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW, AND THE, UM, INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.
THERE'S, THERE'S A MYRIAD OF, OF, UH, GRANTS THAT SPEAK TO CLIMATE GOALS OR TO CONGESTION GOALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO CERTAINLY WE WOULD NOT LEAVE ANY STONE UNTURNED.
WITH THAT SAID, I THINK THESE BACK, UH, BASKET OF PROJECTS ARE FAIRLY WELL UNDERSTOOD AND SOMETIMES, UH, SEEKING, YOU DIDN'T MENTION FEDERAL, BUT MY BRAIN WENT TO FEDERAL FUNDS.
THOSE CAN BE A BIT OF A MIXED BAG IN TERMS OF DELAY IN COSTS THAT ARE HIDDEN, UH, IN THOSE EFFORTS WHEN MAYBE JUST GETTING MENDING UP THE COSTS ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT WORTH THAT FIGHT, WHEREAS OTHER LARGER UNFUNDED PROJECTS ARE BETTER FIT.
SO, WITH THAT SAID, CERTAINLY WE WOULD BE OPEN TO ANY AND ALL GRANTS AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES IF IT WERE THE RIGHT FIT.
I'M, I'M NOT SURE REAL TRAILS IS A PART OF THE FEDERAL, UM, IIJA OR ARPA, UH, BUT I DO THINK IT'S $250,000 PER PROJECT, WHICH COULD BE A NICE STOP GAP.
UM, AND THEN AS, AS FAR AS CONNECTING, UM, TO THE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR, UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, IAJA AND, UH, ARPA, UM, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT WE DO HAVE THAT RESILIENCE PLAN, UM, THAT FRAMEWORK.
SO KIND OF CONNECTING THESE LITTLE PIECES TO THE BIGGER, BIGGER VISION, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE URBANISM OR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.
AND I, I THINK THERE'S POTENTIAL TO REALLY CONNECT THAT TO BIGGER IDEAS FOR BIGGER GRANTS.
SO IF IT, IF THERE IS A, A STOP GAP, UM, YEAH.
I'LL LOOK INTO THAT A BIT MORE.
I'M ACTUALLY NOT IMMEDIATELY FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
SO THE DOCUMENT IS CALLED ONE AUSTIN.
I WAS WONDERING IF THE CITY HAD CONSIDERED, I KNOW THAT IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT VERY POLITIC TO DO, BUT, UM, SINCE UNION PACIFIC HAS LEFT THIS BRIDGE THERE, THIS TRESTLE BRIDGE THERE, AND IT CAN BE SAID TO BE UNSAFE, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THE CITY COULD TAKE IT OVER AS AN ABANDONED PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE? YEAH, I WOULD, UM, WANNA AVOID SORT OF SPECULATING IN A PUBLIC FORM ABOUT HOW TO BEST APPROACH THAT 'CAUSE IT IS SO SENSITIVE.
BUT I, I THINK WE, UM, WHAT WE DO RECOGNIZE IS THAT THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL PART OF THE CITY, OF THE DOWNTOWN, ESPECIALLY THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE DOWNTOWN.
AND THERE'S JUST TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY HERE TO REALIZE, UM, JUST A COMFORTABLE CONNECTED COMMUNITY
[01:05:01]
AND, UH, TO SERVE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE, WHO VISIT THERE, WHO SHOP THERE.UM, AND SO THAT'S, I THINK OUR FOCUS IS TO REALLY SIT IN A LOT OF GRATITUDE FOR COUNCIL'S VISION TO COMPLETE THESE PROJECTS AND TO DO OUR VERY BEST TO ACCELERATE THE COMPLETION OF THEM AS, AS, YOU KNOW, AS BEST AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
AND I DEFINITELY JUST WANNA, AGAIN, SAY THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DOWNTOWN AND ITS BEST INTEREST.
I THINK WE'D LOVE TO KEEP YOU ALL IN THE LOOP AS THIS DEVELOPS, UH, FURTHER AND, AND WHERE WE ACTUALLY DO LAND WITH THAT PARTICULAR PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
UM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR WORKING ON THIS.
I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, I FELL IN LOVE WITH BIKING ON THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE FIRST TIME I REALIZED, OH, I CAN GET PLACES FASTER BY BIKE, YOU KNOW, AS AN 18-YEAR-OLD JUST MOVING TO THE CITY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY I, I KIND OF AVOID THIS PART BECAUSE IT HAS BECOME SO CONGESTED.
UM, SO THESE ARE ALL SUPER NEEDED.
UM, I DO HAVE SOME WORRIES THOUGH ABOUT THE THIRD STREET, UM, PEDESTRIAN BIKE BRIDGE.
OBVIOUSLY WE, WE TALK A LOT ON THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL ABOUT, UM, SOMETIMES WE NEED TO SEPARATE PEDESTRIAN AND AND BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE.
HAVE YOU LOOKED AT SEPARATING THAT ON AN EXPANDED BRIDGE? YES.
AND IN THE MEMO IT KINDA SPEAKS TO THAT, AND I THINK IT IS SOMETHING TO RECOGNIZE WE ARE A CITY NOW WHERE THERE ARE PLACES IN OUR CITY WHERE IT MAKES WAY MORE SENSE TO SEPARATE.
UM, ONE OF THE SUCCESS STORIES OF LATE HAS BEEN THE, THE UPPER BOGGY CREEK TRAIL WHERE THERE'S NOW A SEPARATE PLACE IF YOU WANNA, YOU KNOW, WALK WITH YOUR CHILD IN A STROLLER AND HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S COMMUTING ON A BIKE, YOU KNOW, NOT WHIZZ PAST YOU AND FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT PASSING MANEUVER.
THERE'S NOW A SEPARATE, UM, YOU KNOW, TINTED BIKEWAY AREA WHERE THAT'S THE SUGGESTION IS THAT'S WHERE THE BIKES GO.
AND THEN THERE'S A WALKING PATH.
SO THERE'S, UM, I KNOW THAT THE, UM, THE, UH, TRAIL FOUNDATION HAS BEEN LOOKING AT, UM, APOLOGIES, I'M NOT RECALLING THEIR NEW NAME OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THERE'S BEEN EFFORTS TO LOOK AT SEPARATING USES ALONG THE, THE BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
AND THEN THIS IS A SIMILAR PLACE, I THINK, TO YOUR POINT, UM, SPENCER, THAT THERE'S, ESPECIALLY DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY, IT CAN BE EXTREMELY CONGESTED AND YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FEAR COMING AROUND THAT CORNER.
SO IF WE CAN JUST REDUCE THAT, THOSE, THAT'S THE FRICTION THAT PEOPLE MAYBE EITHER, UM, YOU KNOW, UNCONSCIOUSLY OR CONSCIOUSLY HAVE IN CHOOSING HOW THEY GET AROUND.
AND IF WE CAN MAKE THE CHOICES AND GETTING AROUND AS EASY AS POSSIBLE THAT HELP US TO, AGAIN, TO BUILD THAT RESILIENT SYSTEM, THEN WE'RE DOING BEST AS A CITY IN, IN OUR FUTURE.
AND SO, ANOTHER ISSUE I OFTEN HAVE ON THE THIRD STREET BRIDGE, AND I'M SURE IT'S IN A HISTORIC STRUCTURE, THERE'S SOME ISSUES WITH THAT, BUT THE, THE WOODEN PLANKS, EVERY TIME I GO ACROSS IT, I'VE GOTTA THEN ADJUST MY LIGHT WHEN I GET OFF.
'CAUSE IT JUST
ARE ARE WE GONNA BE REPLACING THAT OR DOES THAT HAVE TO STAY? YEAH, SO I LOOK A LOT TO SOME INSPIRATION JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
THE BRIDGE THAT WE DID, UH, TO FOURTH STREET IS, UM, IS IT, I I BELIEVE THAT SURFACE IS, UM, IS IS FLUSH ACTUALLY.
SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK THERE'S WAYS, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, UM, FAIRLY ESTABLISHED BRIDGE CONNECTIONS FOR, UH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT DECADES, BUT PERHAPS, AND SO, YOU KNOW, STANDS TO REASON THAT WE COULD LOOK AT DIFFERENT TREATMENT TYPES THAT ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE MORE, UM, AGAIN, COMFORTABLE AND CONNECTED.
AND, UM, YEAH, SO CERTAINLY NOT TAKING THAT OFF THE TABLE.
IN FACT, TO YOUR POINT EARLIER, IT, IT, WE NEED TO SERIOUSLY LOOK AT WIDENING THAT AND, AND INCORPORATING IT WITH PERHAPS A PLAZA CONCEPT THAT WOULD, UH, AGAIN, GIVE THE, THE DUE KIND OF, UM, ATTENTION TO THE, SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PART OF THE CITY AND THE VISTAS THAT THAT OFFERS, BUT ALSO THE CONNECTIVITY THAT IT NEEDS TO SUPPORT.
UM, TWO COMMENTS, WHICH I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO RESPOND TO.
THEN I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
UM, ONE IS, UH, AND THIS IS MORE OF A COMMENT TO COUNCIL IF ANYONE'S LISTENING, BUT WE OFTEN HAVE ISSUES OF GETTING SHY ABOUT ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY OR EMINENT DOMAIN AND ANYTHING ELSE WHEN IT COMES TO BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE ACQUIRE RIGHT OF WAY THROUGH A VARIETY OF MEANS FOR EVERY OTHER FORM OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS IS A KEY CONNECTION POINT FOR OUR BIKE PEDESTRIAN GRID.
SO THAT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY TO DO HERE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF UNION PACIFIC STUFF.
UM, THE OTHER, UM, UH, POINT I WANNA MAKE IS I, I, I FEEL LIKE THE WAY SOME OF THIS HAS BEEN TALKED, AND THIS IS WITH ALL RESPECT TO THE SALT CREEK CONSERVANCY AND THE PEOPLE WHO VIEWED THIS AS A RECREATIONAL ASSET, UH, IT DEFINITELY IS, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE THIRD STREET BRIDGE AND SPECIFICALLY THE THIRD STREET BIKE LANE IS THE ONLY PROTECTED BIKE LANE IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
UH, AND WHEN PROJECT CONNECT COMES, THERE IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH MORE WALKING AND BIKING THERE APPROACHING THE TRESTLE AS A PLAZA RATHER THAN PERHAPS A WAY TO SEPARATE PEDESTRIAN AND BIKES.
I, I, I THINK THAT MAY BE A MISSED OPPORTUNITY DOWN THE LINE.
AND I WILL ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, WELL,
[01:10:01]
I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.I, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE CONSIDERED.
UM, AND A LOT OF THAT'S GONNA DEPEND ON HOW MUCH WE CAN ACTUALLY DO WITH THE TRUSSES.
UH, MAIN REASON I WANTED TO COME SERVE ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION IS BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT PROJECTS ON MULTIMODAL INFRASTRUCTURE HAPPENING ON THE DOWNTOWN.
THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT ONES, RIGHT? SO I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO TOUCH ON, YOU HAD VERY SPECIFIC THINGS FROM COUNCIL ON, ON WHAT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT HOW DO YOU SEE THIS TYING INTO THE CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN TO IMPROVEMENTS COMING WITH PROJECT CONNECT IMPROVEMENTS, COMING TO THE URBAN TRAILS PLAN, THAT KIND OF STUFF? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
SO YES, THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, THE ACT PLAN WOULD LOOK TO UPDATE, UH, THE DAMP, IT'S A LITTLE DAMP
SO, UH, THIS IS, UM, THE, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ACT PLAN AND THESE PROJECTS IS IN, IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED IN LATE 2021, THAT GAVE CLEAR DIRECTION AT, AT, AT A GOOD TIME AS THE ACT PLAN WAS COMING INTO FRUITION TO INCORPORATE THOSE, UH, PROJECTS INTO THE ACT PLAN.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY RECOGNIZED RESOLUTION.
THE RESOLUTION 0 4 7 FROM 2021 IS IN THE ACT PLAN.
AND HOW IT IS EXPRESSED THERE IS THAT THERE'S A RECOGNIZED SET OF MULTIMODAL PROJECTS IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE, THE ACT PLANNING, UH, AREA, AND THAT THOSE PROJECTS SHOULD, UM, CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND BE PURSUED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE LARGER, UH, CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, BEING THAT THESE ARE NOT REALLY, UM, CRITICAL NECESSARILY TO LIKE HOW THE CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN IS UNDERSTOOD.
HOWEVER, THEY'RE GOING TO ADD IMPORTANT MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY TO THE CORE DOWNTOWN CORE.
SO THEY ARE COMPLIMENTARY TO THE LARGER ACT PLAN.
REALLY WHAT DRIVES THAT ACT PLAN IS GONNA BE PROJECT CONNECT AND OF COURSE, THE MAIN ARTERIALS THAT FORM THE DOWNTOWN GRID.
AND SO, AS THAT IS UNDERSTOOD AND, AND THE PROJECT CONNECT, UM, LIGHT RAIL PIECE AND, AND HOW THAT RELATES TO THE, THE, THE LANCE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY AND SO ON, I THINK NOESIS AS WELL IS IMPLICATED THERE.
THE, THE WORK HERE WILL ABSOLUTELY PROVIDE THOSE CONNECTIONS AND BE, WE'LL BE MINDFUL OF HOW THAT EVOLVES AS WELL, TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT REALLY GOOD, UH, VERY WIDE BRIDGE COMING OFF OF FOURTH AND RIO GRANDE, WHERE THERE'S THE CURRENT, UM, THERE'S A BIKE BOULEVARD AND, UH, FOURTH STREET WOULD BE WHERE THE, THE CROSSTOWN BIKEWAY WOULD BE BE, UM, RELOCATED.
AND THEN THE LIGHT RAIL AT THIRD, THERE'S A WAY TO, TO JOG BACK DOWN TO THIRD AS WELL.
SO I THINK ALL OF THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE ULTIMATE KIND OF DEMAND WOULD BE AT THE, AT THE THIRD STREET CROSSING, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
I JUST WANT TO END BY SAYING YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE SO MANY THINGS ON YOUR PLATE.
I AM SIMPLY AMAZED BY HOW YOU CONTINUE TO DELIVER ON TIME, VERY GREAT MULTIMODAL PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND HOPING TO CONTINUE HERE, HERE.
AND LIKEWISE, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE AND, AND AGAIN, TO COUNCIL AND, AND TO THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED FOR WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, I JUST HAVE ONE CLARIFICATION.
WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU CAN GIVE ME A CLARIFICATION.
SO WITH THE TRESTLE THIRD STREET BRIDGE, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE'RE INTENDING TO SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS ON A STUDY OF A BRIDGE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER RIGHT NOW.
THAT WAS, I THINK, JUST SOME, UH, NUMBERS THROWN OUT IN THE, IN THE DISCUSSION.
SO NO, THERE'S NO, UM, SET BUDGET YET.
WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT THERE YET.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A COST PROPOSAL, SO, YEAH.
THEN A FOLLOW UP, WHICH IS WHO IS NEGOTIATING WITH
UH, WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET.
I THINK WE'RE JUST TAKING, UM, THE, THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF, I THINK, WORK TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE TIFF NEEDED TO LAND, WHICH WAS CLOSURE, UH, ON THE 31ST.
AND NOW WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO LOOK AT THESE PROJECTS THAT COUNCIL'S ASKED US TO, AND, UM, AND GO FROM THERE.
THE TRESTLE IS SUCH AN INTEGRAL PIECE TO THIS CONVERSATION.
AND, UH, I'M JUST CURIOUS, THIS HAS BEEN CUT OFF FROM UNION PACIFIC'S LINE, THAT'S MISSOURI PACIFIC BEFORE THAT FOR DECADES, IT IS IN A FLOODPLAIN.
WHAT POSSIBLE REASON WOULD UP HAVE, AND IT'S DILAPIDATED OR DILAPIDATING, UH, WHAT POSSIBLE REASON COULD UP HAVE FOR WANTING TO RETAIN THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY? I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, AND TO BE FAIR, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'VE REALLY LOOKED SERIOUSLY AT THIS PARTICULAR PIECE.
SO I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE EARLY STAGES, DESPITE HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, LONG AND SUCCESSFUL, THE,
[01:15:01]
THE, THE, THE TOURS OR TIFF HAS BEEN, THE FOCUS WAS ACTUALLY DIRECTED IN VERY DIFFERENT PLACE.IT WAS TO GO UNDERNEATH THE RAIL.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE AN, WE'RE JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS ALL VERY DIFFERENTLY, THINKING ABOUT ALTERNATIVES AND THOSE ALTERNATIVES AGAIN WITH, UH, GRATITUDE TO WHAT THE CYPRESS AND STROLL PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY HELPED TO SORT OF BIRTH IN TERMS OF IDEAS.
WE ALSO, YOU NEED TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE, AND I THINK WE'RE, AGAIN, IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION AND ONE WE'LL EXPLORE FOR SURE.
YOU KNOW, IN 1976 WHEN WE CELEBRATED OUR BICENTENNIAL, UH, AND YES, I WAS AROUND THAT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT CELEBRATION, UM, PART OF THE TRAIL PROJECT, AND I SEE MR. SIF SITTING THERE, PART OF THE TRAIL PROJECT AT THE TIME WAS TO BRING, UH, THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL AND CONNECT IT TO LADY BIRD LAKE.
AND, UM, IT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THERE IS A PEDESTRIAN TRAIL UNDERPASS THERE.
THEY WERE WILLING TO COOPERATE WAY BACK IN 1976.
SO I'M JUST, I'M BEFUDDLED THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED, AND IT WAS AN ACT OF TRESTLE IN 1976.
SO YEAH, THAT'S FANTASTIC PERSPECTIVE, REALLY.
UM, AND YEAH, I, I, WE WERE NOT PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY STRUGGLE WITH HOW TO BEST COEXIST WITH
SO I THINK THAT MAYBE IS IN OUR FAVOR.
AND, UM, YEAH, ONE TO, YEAH, JUST TAKE SERIOUSLY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UM, AND WITH THE OPPORTUNITY THAT COUNCIL'S GIVEN US LAST MONTH, SO YEAH.
LOOKING FORWARD TO SOLVING IT, HONESTLY.
ANYBODY, IS THERE ANYBODY ONLINE THAT I MISSED? I SEE A HAND UP COMMISSIONER, MA.
WELL, IT, IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A FANTASTIC PROJECT TO MAKE CONNECTIONS.
UM, AND I'M JUST WONDERING HOW MANY MILES OR YOU KNOW, OF, OF TRAIL ARE YOU GOING TO CREATE, UH, SHOULD ALL THESE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, HAPPENED? DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA? YEAH, THE, THE FIVE PROJECTS, AND MAYBE WE COULD FLIP BACK TO THAT SLIDE THAT SHOWED THEM, THESE ARE, UM, BY AND LARGE DISCREET LIKE NODES THAT CONNECT MILES AND MILES OF, UM, EITHER EXISTING OR EMERGING TRAIL SYSTEMS. SO THE MILEAGE IS, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, ARGUABLY THE WHOLE NETWORK BECOMES UNLOCKED WITH THESE INVESTMENTS.
THEY, THE CONNECTIONS EXIST NOW, THEY'RE JUST NOT AT A COMFORTABLE AND, UH, CONNECTED FLUID, UM, STATUS, MAYBE GIVEN BEST PRACTICE AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR ABILITY TO INVITE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO, TO ENJOY THESE CONNECTIONS.
AND THEN ON THE SOUTH KBO, CESAR CHAVEZ, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THERE IS NO A DA ACCESSIBILITY.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY, THAT LOOKS LIKE TO ME ABOUT MAYBE, UM, LIKE A, I DON'T KNOW, A QUARTER MILE OR SO OF SIDEWALK.
I, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT AGAIN.
HONESTLY, IT'S SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET.
AND THEN AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THOSE DOTS, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT MAKING THOSE NODES MUCH MORE, UM, SAFER, PREDICTABLE, VISIBLE FOR EVERYONE, KNOWING THAT THIS IS A PLACE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ALL MODES, UH, COEXISTING AND CROSSING THESE CONFLICT POINTS.
SO, SO, SO I HOPE YOU WILL SUPPORT HAVING OUR DEALERS RUNNING AROUND DOWNTOWN SO THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH, I LOVE HER SO MANY PRIVATE VEHICLES.
JUST FOR YOU TO CONSIDER DULY NOTED.
THANK, I APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, AND, UH, WITH THAT WE'LL MOVE ON.
[5. Update and discussion regarding action related to the Downtown Commission taken at the December 11, 2023 and January 8, 2024 Arts Commission meetings.]
BUSINESS IS COMMISSIONER MOCK, AN UPDATE ON DISCUSSIONS REGARDING ACTION RELATED DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TAKEN AT YOUR DECEMBER 11TH AND JANUARY 8TH ARTS COMMISSION MEETINGS.WELL, HAPPY NEW YEAR TOMORROW.
UM, WELL, ACTUALLY OUR JANUARY MEETING IS NOT UNTIL THE 22ND BECAUSE OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, 15 IS THE MLK DAY.
UM, SO YEAH, WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, SO OUR SCHEDULE IS REALLY JANUARY 22ND, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT ON OUR DECEMBER MEETING, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING VERY EXCITING, UH, HAPPENING THAT THE, UM,
[01:20:02]
THAT OUR, UH, ECONOMIC DI OKAY, LET ME MAKE SURE I GET IT RIGHT.UM, THE, YEAH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY IS, UM, THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS, UH, GETTING INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN PLAYHOUSE.
SO WE ARE GOING TO CREATE ADDITIONAL, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PERFORMING SPACES FOR OUR CREATIVE, UH, COMMUNITY THAT IS VERY EXCITING.
AND THE SECOND THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS, UM, THERE IS A INITIATIVE CALL WE ALL BELONG TO, UM, TO BASICALLY, UM, UM, PROMOTE, UM, CONNECTION AMONG AUSTINITE AMONG US.
UM, AND SO WE START TO HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT USING THE CREATIVE ARTS IN DIFFERENT DISTRICT, UM, TO HELP NEIGHBORS CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER.
SO WE TRULY BELIEVE THE MORE WE KNOW EACH OTHER, UM, THE MORE, UM, WE'LL BE KINDER TO EACH OTHER.
SO THAT IS REALLY EXCITING, YOU KNOW, UM, DISCUSSION THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY IT WILL HELP MAKE AUSTIN A KINDER CITY.
UM, WE DO NOT HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER LAROCHE IS NOT ONLINE.
UH, SO WE DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
[7. Update and discussion regarding action related to the Downtown Commission taken at the December 4, 2023 and January 8, 2024 Music Commission meetings. ]
UH, IS HERE.AND, UH, IF YOU WOULD BE KIND ENOUGH TO UPDATE US ON ACTIONS RELATED TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION DOWNTOWN FOR DECEMBER 4TH AND JANUARY 8TH MEETINGS.
UM, SO AT OUR LAST MEETING IN JANUARY, UH, WE HAD A PRESENTATION FROM, UH, NICOLE WITH THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
AND, UM, SO AS I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR, I MEAN, WE'VE, THIS WAS HIGHLIGHTED EVEN EARLIER IN THE PALM DISTRICT PLAN.
LIKE THIS IS A, AN AREA WHERE THERE'S, UM, A NUMBER OF MUSIC VENUES CLUSTERED TOGETHER.
UH, RANGE OF MUSIC GENRES ARE REPRESENTED THERE.
AND, UM, A LOT OF THESE ARE IN SMALL, INDEPENDENTLY OWNED BUSINESSES.
UH, IT REALLY DOES REPRESENT, I THINK, LIKE THE PRIMARY LIVE MUSIC HUB IN, IN AUSTIN.
UM, SO AS THEY ARE, AS OUR CITY GROWS, THEY'RE SORT OF AT THIS, UM, THIS CROSSWAYS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE WATER LAKE WATERLAND, GREENWAY, UH, THE I 35 C AND STITCH, LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT GOING AROUND GOING ON IN THAT AREA.
UM, CONSEQUENTLY, LIKE MANY, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES IN AUSTIN, THEY'RE, UM, THE COST OF OPERATING AND RENT, UH, HAS INCREASED.
AND SO THE, THE REQUEST FROM THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, UH, TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION WAS, UH, FINANCIAL SUPPORT SIMILAR TO WHAT, UH, IS RECEIVED BY OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY, SPECIFICALLY.
UM, THE SIX SQUARE, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, HERITAGE DISTRICT RECEIVES, UM, 300,000 ANNUALLY, I BELIEVE.
I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE HOW FAR BACK THAT GOES, BUT, BUT IN RECENT YEARS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THERE'S $120,000 GRANT, UH, FOR THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UH, SO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS WORKING ON, UM, A COMPREHENSIVE DISTRICT POLICY FRAMEWORK, UH, SO THAT THERE'S CONSISTENCY WITH HOW THESE DIFFERENT CULTURAL DISTRICTS RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE CITY.
BUT THE REQUEST FROM, UH, THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT WAS GAP FUNDING, UM, AT THIS TIME.
AND, UM, WE DIDN'T DISCUSS A SPECIFIC AMOUNT, BUT WE DID MOVE, UH, TO SUPPORT, UH, GAP FUNDING, UH, FOR THE DISTRICT AT THIS TIME.
AND SO THAT RECOMMENDATION WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING THAT UP.
AND, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UH, AS WE DID FOR THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER ITEM, UH, THAT THE DOWN TOWN COMMISS MIGHT CONSIDER, UH, INVITING THE RED RIVER CULTURAL
[01:25:01]
DISTRICT TO COME AND PRESENT AND DISCUSS THAT, THAT FUNDING REQUEST WITH, UH, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AS WELL.WOULD THAT BE TIMELY TO HAVE BEFORE OR AFTER SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST? UM, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
I DO, I BELIEVE THAT SINCE, UM, NICOLE HAS ALREADY CREATED THAT PRESENTATION, I THINK THAT SHE COULD COME TO THE FEBRUARY MEETING, WE'LL, WE'LL BRING THAT UP AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
AND YEAH, SO IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT LIKE WHY WE SUPPORTED THAT OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW THAT MONEY MIGHT BE USED, UH, LET ME KNOW.
AND THEN ALSO I CAN, YOU KNOW, ONCE OUR RECOMMENDATION IS, UM, WRITTEN AND SUBMITTED TO COUNSEL, I CAN SHOW THAT, UH, WITH THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION OR I'LL, I'LL SEND IT TO CHRISTINE.
DO I SEE COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN? HI THERE.
WOULD YOU BE, BE KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE US AN UPDATE FROM PARK, FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD? YES.
I DON'T HAVE ANY UPDATES TO SHARE FROM PARKS AND REC.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE,
IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE HAD ANYONE FROM PARKS AND REC, SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE REPRESENTATION HERE.
UM, WE DO NOT HAVE OUR LIAISON FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, UH, SO WE WON'T HAVE AN ITEM ON THERE.
UM, AND I HAVE COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER
[10. Update and discussion regarding action related to the Downtown Commission taken at the last Urban Transportation Commission meeting.]
READY TO GO FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ON THE BOTTOM, URBAN TRANSPORTATION.UM, YEAH, SO, UM, TWO THINGS TO, UH, UH, THAT ARE MAYBE OF INTEREST.
UM, THERE WAS SOMETHING SUPER DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC.
UM, ONE THING WE ARE LOOKING AT THOUGH IS, UM, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN'S REPRESENTATION ON CAMPO, THE CAPITAL AREA METRO PLANNING, METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION.
THEY DOLE OUT ALL THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDS.
UH, RIGHT NOW THE CITY AND TRAVIS COUNTY HAVE, UH, 45% OF THE VOTES, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE 55% OF THE POPULATION.
SO, UH, YOU CAN GUESS HOW THAT GOES.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH TIES INTO, YOU KNOW, HOW I 35 WENT, HOW A LOT OF TRANSPORTATION FUNDING IS DOLED OUT, AND THAT DEFINITELY AFFECTS THE DOWNTOWN REGION.
UH, WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT CONFLICT OF INTEREST AT THE LAST MEETING, SO WE'RE GONNA APPROVE IT THIS MEETING.
UH, BUT IT WAS ON THE LAST MEETING, SO I THOUGHT I'D BRING IT UP.
UH, AND THEN I THOUGHT I WOULD ALSO CIRCLE BACK, UH, I THINK IN NOVEMBER I HAD SPOKEN ABOUT, UH, WE HAD SET UP THESE, UH, UH, BIKE PARKING RECOMMENDATIONS AND IT WAS COMING BACK.
IT WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, MIGHT BE OF INTEREST.
UH, CITY STAFF MOVED THAT AT SPEED.
UH, BUT IT'S, UH, ALREADY GOING TO BE APPROVED BY COUNSEL ON FEBRUARY 1ST.
UM, SO IF IT WOULD BE OF INTEREST SINCE, UM, THE PERSON WHO WAS KIND OF IN CHARGE OF IT AS LEAVING THE CITY ANYWAYS, UM, I CAN PUT TOGETHER LIKE JUST KIND OF A QUICK BRIEF ABOUT WHAT IT WAS, WHAT IT DID, AND EMAIL THAT TO YOU ALL.
AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS JUST FROM OUR ANGLE, IF THAT'S MAYBE OF INTEREST.
YEAH, HE'S GOING ON TO SANTA ROSA.
UH, AND THEN THE LAST IS THE DESIGN COMMISSION AND OR LIAISON IS NOT HERE.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING FROM THE DESIGN COMMISSION THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO SHARE WITH US? UM, I THINK THEY DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING IN DECEMBER.
UH, AND THEN, UH, OUR NEXT ITEM IS
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
TO DISCUSS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, WE DO HAVE THE, THE, UH, UH, POSSIBILITY OF BRINGING THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT FOLKS HERE TO OUR FEBRUARY MEETING.I KNOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY IN ADVANCE OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
UH, AND IN PARTICULAR, UH, IN LIGHT OF SIXTH STREET, RECENT TRAGEDIES ON SIXTH STREET, YET AGAIN.
UH, AND SO I THINK PUBLIC SAFETY SIXTH STREET DOWNTOWN IS ALWAYS OUR PRIORITY.
AND SO, UH, I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO SEE, UH, IN SOME FORM, AND I KNOW THE, WE'VE HAD THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE, BRIAN BLOCK DOWN HERE A NUMBER OF TIMES.
UH, BUT PERHAPS IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE OUR, UH, FIND EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, IF WE CAN GET, UH, SEVERAL OF THEM TO COME DOWN AND DISCUSS, UH, PERHAPS WITH YOUR INPUT, UM, PREPARATIONS FOR IN ADVANCE OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT IT'S NOT JUST SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND IT'S NOT JUST SIXTH STREET.
LIKE BUSINESSES ALL OVER DOWNTOWN ARE REALLY SUFFERING, THEIR STAFF ARE BEING ASSAULTED.
IT'S A MAJOR STRAIN ON KEEPING THE CONNECTED RETAIL EXPERIENCE HAPPENING DOWNTOWN.
WELL, AND AND I THINK THAT WHEN, WHEN,
[01:30:01]
UH, UH, BRIAN HAS BEEN HERE ON THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IS THAT SAFETY DOESN'T BEGIN AN END ON SIXTH STREET.IT EXPANDS THROUGHOUT THE, THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO, UH, OBVIOUSLY A PRIORITY, BUT WE DO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FOLKS COMING IN FOR THAT.
UH, SECONDING THAT, WELL, I GUESS THAT'S THE WRONG WORD I TO USE, BUT I I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING A GENERAL PUBLIC SAFETY UPDATE, UM, AFTER THE MACHETE INCIDENT, UM, YET ANOTHER MACHETE INCIDENT.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY WHICH ONE.
UM, SO IF THERE'S A NEW STRATEGY OR THERE'S NEW RESOURCES OR, OR WHAT, WHAT DO OUR, WHAT, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR A BRIEFING ON THAT.
I THINK IS, IS THE NEXT QUESTION.
AND, AND ONE POINT IS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED.
SO, AND I KNOW THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY ONE OF THE ISSUES.
AND THERE'S A PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS.
SO, UH, AND WE HAVE ISSUES WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND A HOST OF OTHER THINGS THAT ALL TIE IN, AND I THINK OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WOULD BE GREAT RESOURCES FOR THAT MEETING.
I WOULD ACTUALLY LOVE AT SOME POINT TO HAVE AN UPDATE BY THE CITY ON WHAT PLANS IT HAS FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
I WAS GONNA SAY, I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE AT SOME POINT TO HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE CITY ON MENTAL HEALTH CARE, UH, WHAT RESOURCES THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO WHAT RESOURCES, HOW THEY'RE EXPENDING THEM, FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT IT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT A LOT OF THIS REALLY IS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE AS OPPOSED TO JUST A STANDARD CRIMINAL ISSUE.
AND, UM, I GUESS I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT.
SO WOULD THAT BE, UH, PERHAPS WE CAN HAVE STEPHANIE HAYDEN JOIN US.
WOULD THAT BE, WOULD SHE BE THE I'LL REACH OUT TO DAVID STRATEGY OFFICER.
DO WE WANT IT TO BE BROADER THAN JUST WELL, IT WOULD, I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE BROADER, BUT YEAH, ALSO DAVID GRAY WOULD BE IN GREAT IN HERE TOO.
I BELIEVE THERE'S A PILOT MENTAL HEALTH CENTER BEING SET UP AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATUS IS OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S TRAVIS COUNTY THAT'S DOING THAT.
I'M JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
I'M GONNA JUST LET MY COMPUTER.
UM, ONE THING THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION, UM, AND I'LL SAY I, I THINK THE UTC IS GETTING THIS BRIEFING, SO I'M NOT ASKING FOR IT, BUT IF YOU ALL WOULD BE INTERESTED, UM, I KNOW IT'S THE SPECIAL EVENTS DIVISION, WE ASKED THEM TO COME BACK TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PLANS FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TRAFFIC CONTROL.
I'M SURE THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANYBODY ONLINE OUT THERE IN THE GREAT WIDE WORLD? NOPE.
COMMISSIONER HARRIS, I, I MIGHT SUGGEST, UM, TO DOT THE I'S AND CROSS THE T'S THAT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF WE CAN IN FEBRUARY HAVE A COMMISSIONER PERHAPS VOLUNTEER TO HAVE THE WRITTEN RECOMMENDATION IN SUPPORT OF THE MUSIC COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION FOR THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
AND JUST TO HAVE THAT WE HAVE A VOTE, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ACTUAL WRITTEN RECOMMENDATION.
UM, I MEAN, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE, THE COMMISSION IS, UH, KIND OF TASKED TO DO THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE COULD BE A VOLUNTEER.
SO WE, WE ADOPTED THE MUSIC COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION, UM, WITH THE ADDITION, WITH THE ADDITION OF, UM, REQUEST REQUESTING REPRESENTATION, REPRESENTATION FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION ON THAT.
IF YOU, I THINK, I THINK IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN SEND THAT TO ME AND I'LL REVAMP IT AND SEND IT BACK TO YOU.
THAT'D BE, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
IT DOES NEED TO COME FROM THE COMMISSION TO HAVE A WRITTEN DOCUMENT THAT'S ACTUALLY VOTED ON.
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
WELL, WE HAD POSTED FOR BACKUP WAS THE COMMISSION, THE MUSIC COMMISSION'S ACTUAL DOCUMENT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING IN WRITING WITH THAT ITEM.
I'M, I'M, I MAY, I MUST BE MISSING SOMETHING, BUT THAT'S FINE.
YEAH, IT'S, WE'RE DOTTING THE, I'S IN CROSSING THE T'S FOR PUBLIC RECORD AND FOR TRANSPARENCY, SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ACTUAL DOCUMENT POSTED, WE JUST HAD THE MUSIC COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION POSTED, BUT NOTHING FROM
[01:35:01]
THIS COMMISSION.SO THERE WAS NO DRAFTED RECOMMENDATION THAT THE PUBLIC IS ABLE TO SEE.
YEAH, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I APPRECIATE, BUT IT WAS POSTED IN, NEVERMIND.
YEAH, IT WAS JUST THE MUSIC, IT, IT WAS POSTED IN BACKUP.
THE MUSIC COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION WAS POSTED IN BACKUP THE CITY SITE.
IT, IF, IF THEY WERE GONNA DO A, A RECOMMENDATION, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR A COMMISSIONER TO DR TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION DRAFTED.
UH, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S OTHER LANGUAGE THAT'S DONE.
I SEE COMMISSIONER PATTERSON HAS HER HAND UP.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, THIS IS A GREAT PLAN AND WHAT I'LL DO, UH, CHRISTINE, IS I'M GONNA EMAIL YOU THE WORD DOCUMENT FOR THE MUSIC COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, AND THEN, UH, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONER WHO VOLUNTEERED, UH, TO HELP, UH, WRITE A PARALLEL RECOMMENDATION FROM THE, FROM YOUR COMMISSION.
SO I THINK IT'LL BE, YOU KNOW, JUST A QUICK, YOU KNOW, 10 MINUTES WORTH OF WORK.
AND I THINK, UM, THE ONLY THING WE'LL JUST HAVE, YOU'LL HAVE TO CHANGE OUT, LIKE WHO MOTIONED AND MADE THE SECOND AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, ALL THE COMMISSIONER NAMES NEED TO CHANGE, BUT THAT SHOULD SPEED THE PROCESS ALONG FOR CREATING YOUR OWN, UH, RECOMMENDATION DOC.
THANKS ALL FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY IN 2024 ON THE DIOCESE ONLINE.
UH, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK AS ALWAYS, AND YOUR PARTICIPATION.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.
I HATE TO SEE THOSE LITTLE TEARS.