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I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 30TH, 2024.
IT IS NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
WE ARE MEETING AT THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WHICH ARE LOCATED IN CITY HALL AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, AND WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PRESENT, AS I INDICATED A FEW MINUTES AGO, AND I'LL ANNOUNCE IT AGAIN, WHAT THE ORDER OF BUSINESS TODAY WILL BE, THAT WE WILL RECESS THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND, AND ALLOW THE MAYOR PRO TIM, WHO IS THE CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO CALL TO ORDER THAT COMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH IS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE DO IT THIS WAY.
AND, UH, SHE WILL CONDUCT THAT MEETING AT WHICH POINT THAT MEETING WILL BE ADJOURNED.
AND I WILL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
WE WILL TAKE UP ONE BRIEFING FROM STAFF.
THERE IS ONE PULLED ITEM, ITEM NUMBER 54, AND THEN WE WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, I WILL RECESS THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
UH, AND, UH, WE WILL BE IN RECESS.
IT IS 9:01 AM MAYOR PRO, TIM MAYOR.
I'LL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION, UM, ON JANUARY 30TH, 2024 AT 9:32 AM.
[B1. Proposed changes related to the Austin Animal Services Office.]
THE ORDER THAT WILL GO IN WILL NOW BE TO HAVE A BRIEFING FROM STAFF, UH, RELATED TO A POTENTIAL ANIMAL ORDINANCE.THEN WE WILL TAKE UP ONE PULLED ITEM, AND THEN WE WILL GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, MR. MANAGER, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU ON THE BRIEFING.
UH, IN JUNE OF 22, THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED THE CITY AUDITOR TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT OF AUSTIN, OF THE AUSTIN ANIMAL SHELTER.
THE PURPOSE WAS TO GATHER INFORMATION, UH, REGARDING THE FLOW OF OPERATIONS, THE QUALITY OF CARE FOR OUR ANIMALS, AND TO DISCUSS THE NO KILL SHELTER.
THE AUDIT WAS COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER OF 23, AND THAT AUDIT WAS PRESENTED TO THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE IN SEPTEMBER, UH, ON SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2023.
TODAY'S PRESENTATION PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AS BASED ON THE AUDITOR'S REPORT, AS WELL AS THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL PROPOSED, UH, CHANGES THAT WILL FURTHER ADDRESS ISSUES IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE AUDIT.
WE APPRECIATE THE CITY'S, UH, ANIMAL.
SH WE APPRECIATE THAT THE CITY'S ANIMAL SHELTER IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, WE TAKE, UH, IT, UH, WE TAKE THIS AS MA VERY SERIOUSLY AS MANAGEMENT, GIVEN THAT WE FURTHER REALIZE THAT MANAGEMENT OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER HAS TO RESPOND TO SITUATIONS THAT CHANGE.
THERE WILL BE FURTHER CHANGES THAT WE MAY WANNA RECOMMEND ON IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE'RE PREPARED TO MAKE THAT PRESENTATION.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, STEPHANIE, UH, AIDEN HOWARD, AND SO SHE CAN MAKE THAT PRESENTATION.
AND THEN DEVIN WILL WALK THROUGH THE, THE BRIEF PRESENTATION.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I AM STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
AS THE CITY MANAGER INDICATED, UM, THE AUDITOR DID CONDUCT AN AUDIT TO COMPLETE ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
WE HIRED DEVIN DESAI AS A CONSULTANT IN JULY OF 2023.
HE IS HERE TO ASSIST US WITH THE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AUDIT.
THERE WERE SIX RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON SOME OF THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, SUCH AS THE STRATEGIC PLAN, ENSURING DATA ACCURACY, IMPROVING STRAINED RELATIONSHIPS, TRAINING THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AND SANITARY PLANS FOR THE SHELTER.
THE AUDIT FOUND THAT UNDER THE CURRENT CONDITIONS, THE SHELTER'S PRIORITIES ARE IN CONFLICT, UM, WITH EACH OTHER.
OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE A POLICY IS ESTABLISHED THAT BALANCE THE CITY'S NO KILL GOAL, THE COMMUNITY'S INTAKE FOR NEEDS AND THE HUMANE CARE FOR OUR ANIMALS.
THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE VALUES, THE COUNCIL'S DEDICATION TO NO KILL STATUS, THE QUALITY OF OUR ANIMALS, AND THE INTAKES OF THE PUBLIC.
I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO DEVIN DESAI.
ALL RIGHT, MAYOR, MAYOR, PRO TEM.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, AS STEPHANIE AND THE MANAGER SAID, I'VE BEEN BROUGHT ON TO KIND OF HELP, UH, IMPLEMENT AND HELP THE DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AUDIT THAT WAS DONE IN, UH, THE FALL OF LAST YEAR.
AND I WILL SAY THAT THE, I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT ON THE, ON YOUR PLATE TODAY, SO I WILL TRY TO BREEZE THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT I AM HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND PLEASE KNOW THAT THE PRESENTATION IS THERE IN, IN BACKUP IF YOU, IF YOU CHOOSE TO LOOK AT IT.
THE MANAGERS JUST JUST TALKED ABOUT A THREE LEGGED STOOL AT AUSTIN ENERGY.
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A THREE LEGGED STOOL AT THE SHELTER.UM, AND THAT IS QUALITY OF CARE, OUR OPEN INTAKE PROCESS, AND THE LIVE OUTCOME MANDATE.
SO I, I REALLY WANNA START WITH THE LIVE OUTCOME MANDATE.
THE LIVE OUTCOME MANDATE IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, INITIATED HERE, HERE FOR OUR CITY, UM, OVER A DECADE AGO.
AND WE STARTED OFF SAYING WE WANT AT LEAST 90% OF THE ANIMALS THAT ENTER OUR SHELTER TO LEAVE ALIVE.
WE HAVE SINCE UPPED THAT TO 95%.
AND I WANNA START THE PRESENTATION BY SAYING IT IS NOT IN STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU WON'T SEE THIS ANYWHERE IN THE PRESENTATION.
WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING CHANGING THAT 95% NUMBER.
UM, SO ALL OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WILL STILL INVOLVE A 95%, UM, MINIMUM LIVE OUTCOME RATIO.
UH, THE OTHER TWO LEGS OF THE STOOL ARE QUALITY OF CARE, WHICH I THINK IS PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY.
IT'S WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT THE ANIMAL HAS THAT THE PET HAS WHILE IT'S AT OUR CENTER? SO WHAT'S ITS PRIMARY ENCLOSURE LOOK LIKE? WHAT'S THE PEOPLE TO PET RATIO? ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND THEN OPEN INTAKE IS REALLY A SHELTER FANCY WORD FOR SAYING WE NEED TO HAVE THE SPACE AND THE ABILITY TO TAKE IN ALL OF THE PETS AND ANIMALS THAT PEOPLE BRING IN.
SO IF YOU BRING IN A STRAY THAT YOU SAY YOU FOUND AND IT'S HURT, UM, YOU WANNA CALL IN TO SAY THERE'S A LOOSE DOG ON YOUR STREET THAT'S BITING PEOPLE, UM, OR YOU OWN A PET AND YOU CAN NO LONGER TAKE CARE OF THE PET, AND YOU SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN'T TAKE HER THIS PET ANYMORE.
CAN Y'ALL TAKE IT IN? SO THAT'S THE OPEN INTAKE PROCESS.
AND AS STEPHANIE SAID, WITH THE AUDIT FOUND, WAS THAT KIND OF THESE THREE PRIORITIES, CONFLICT WITH ONE ANOTHER.
THE MORE ANIMALS YOU TAKE IN AND THE LESS YOU EUTHANIZE, THEORETICALLY, YOU'RE GONNA START RUNNING OUTTA SPACE.
SO NOW MAYBE YOU'RE DOUBLING OR TRIPLING UP ANIMALS IN A KENNEL WHEN THERE SHOULD ONLY BE ONE IN THERE.
SO NOW YOUR PET TO PEOPLE RATIO IS OFF.
SO YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THESE THINGS COMPOUND.
I WANNA ALSO START BY SAYING, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY ONE, LIKE THE AUDIT SAID, THERE'S NOT ANY ONE SINGULAR REASON WHY THE SHELTER IS IN THE CONDITION IT IS IN TODAY.
SO AS A RESULT, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY ONE SOLUTION TO TRY TO GET US OUT OF THE, UH, OUT, OUT OF THE, UH, ISSUES THAT WE FACE TODAY AT THE SHELTER.
REALLY QUICKLY, A BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW IS THAT OUR SHELTER USED TO BE LOCATED, UM, OFF OF CAESAR CHAVEZ AT WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE TOWN LAKE ANIMAL CENTER.
AND THEN IN THE OH SIX BOND ELECTION, OUR VOTERS APPROVED ACTUALLY BUILDING OF THE NEW SHELTER, WHICH IS OVER ON LA VANDER LOOP IN EAST AUSTIN.
BUT JUST AS A RESULT OF BAD TIMING, UM, AFTER THE PLANS FOR THE NEW SHELTER WAS, WERE ALREADY COMPLETED, AND I BELIEVE CONSTRUCTION HAD ALREADY STARTED, WE AS A CITY VOTED TO BECOME NO KILL.
HAD THAT BEEN FLIPPED, HAD WE DECIDED TO BECOME NO KILL, AND THEN WE STARTED DESIGNS FOR THE, FOR THE SHELTER, WE WOULD'VE HAD A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD OUR SHELTER IN A MORE NO KILL FRIENDLY WAY.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE ARE EUTHANIZING, UH, 30%, 25% OF THE ANIMALS, BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO A PLACE WHERE WE WANNA HAVE AT LEAST 90% LIVE OUTCOME RATIO.
THAT MEANS FOR OUR VETERINARIANS, A LOT OF THE ANIMALS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE EUTHANIZED, THEY'RE NOW SAVING.
SO THEORETICALLY, WE SHOULD HAVE BUILT A BIGGER AREA FOR OUR MEDICAL RECOVERY UNIT, AS YOU'LL FIND LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK WHERE WE STRUGGLE THE MOST, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS PROBABLY COMMON OF MANY SHELTERS ACROSS AMERICA, IS WITH OUR MEDIUM TO LARGE SIZED DOGS.
AND SO WE SHOULD HAVE BUILT MORE KENNELS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO, TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE ANIMALS.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE DESIGNED THE FACILITY, IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED WITH ACTUALLY LESS KENNEL SPACE THAN THE OLD FACILITY HAD OVER IN TOWN LAKE.
UH, WE HAVE RETROFITTED THAT INITIALLY WE STARTED OFF 60 LESS KENNELS THAN THE OLD FACILITY, BUT NOW WE HAVE RETROFITTED TO WHERE ONLY WE ARE ONLY 16 LESS F UH, KENNELS THAN WE HAD AT THE OLD FACILITY.
BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE POPULATION OF THE CITY HAS GREATLY INCREASED SINCE THEN.
SO IT'S JUST A MISSED OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAD IN, UH, WHEN WE BUILT THE SHELTER JUST BECAUSE OF TIMING.
SO AS FAR AS SOME OF THE PRIORITIES, UM, GO, UH, I DO WANT TO START WITH THE OPEN INTAKE PROCESS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS CHART HERE, LIKE FOR MOST SHELTERS, I BELIEVE THIS IS THE CASE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TYPES OF ANIMALS YOU'RE GONNA GET IN OUR CATS AND DOGS.
SO THIS CHART REALLY JUST FOCUSES ON, ON CATS AND DOGS.
AND FOR A NINE YEAR PERIOD, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW MANY WE INTAKE TOOK.
AND THEN MY WORD IS OUTTAKE, RIGHT? SO HOW MANY WERE ACTUALLY GIVEN TO, UM, ADOPTERS OR HOW MANY WERE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER FACILITIES TO BE ADOPTED? UH, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, OUR NUMBERS FOR BOTH AREAS WERE HIGHER.
WE WERE TAKING IN A LOT MORE ANIMALS, AND WE WERE GETTING OUT THE DOOR A LOT MORE ANIMALS.
AFTER 2020, ALL OF THESE NUMBERS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY.
BOTH OUR INTAKE NUMBERS DROPPED, AND THE OUTCOMES NUMBERS DROPPED.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT ALL NINE, NINE OF THESE YEARS, YOU'LL SEE THAT FOR SEVEN OF THE NINE YEARS WE'VE ACTUALLY TAKEN IN MORE DOGS
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AND CATS THAN WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT THROUGH ADOPTIONS OR TRANSFERS.ONLY TWO OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS ACTUALLY, WERE WE IN THE GREEN.
AND THIS LAST YEAR, YOU'LL SEE WE WERE ACTUALLY IN THE RED 318.
SO WE TOOK IN 318 MORE DOGS AND CATS THAN WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO GET OUT THROUGH ADOPTIONS OR TRANSFERS REALLY QUICKLY.
ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, STAFF HERE IS QUITE OFTEN IS THAT INTAKE IS CLOSED AT THE, AT THE SHELTER.
WHILE INTAKE IS ENCLOSED, IT IS RESTRICTED FOR THE TYPES OF ANIMALS WHERE WE HAVE NO SPACE, AND THAT IS THE MEDIUM TO LARGE SIZED DOGS.
SO THAT MEANS WE STILL WILL TAKE IN MEDIUM TO LARGE SIZED DOGS IF IT MAY, MEETS SOME EMERGENCY SITUATIONS SUCH AS YOU'VE BEEN EVICTED.
UM, WE HAD A GENTLEMAN WHO'S STARTED A INCARCERATION SENTENCE, AND HE CAN NO LONGER TAKE CARE OF HIS, HIS PET IF YOU FIND A SICK OR INJURED ANIMAL, UM, OR IF THERE'S CASES OF CRUELTY, OBVIOUSLY, AND OBVIOUSLY THE ONES THAT ARE POSING A RISK TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO SOMEBODY CALLS IN TO SAY, THERE'S, THERE'S A STRAY DOG, IT'S FIGHTING PEOPLE.
CAN YOU PLEASE COME GET THIS? OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA, IT'S, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GO AND TAKE THAT.
BUT EVEN UNDER RESTRICTED INTAKE, WE TOOK IN AN AVERAGE OF 30 ANIMALS A DAY IN FY 23, 15 DOGS, 15 CATS.
THE ISSUE IS OUR OUTTAKES AS A, UH, THAT'S MY WORD OUT OUTTAKES.
WE GOT 14 DOGS OUT AND 15 CATS.
SO THAT PLUS ONE IN THE RED ON AN EVERYDAY BASIS IS HOW WE GET TO THEM, MINUS 300 THAT WE WERE FOR THE YEAR.
NOW THERE'S TWO WAYS WE CAN CHANGE KIND OF THE EFFICIENCY OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE SHELTER.
THERE'S OPERATIONAL CHANGES, OBVIOUSLY THE STAFF IS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE, AND THEN THERE'S CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IN THE CODE, WHICH STAFF OBVIOUSLY CANNOT CHANGE.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE YOUR AGENDA ITEM IN FRONT OF YOU FOR THIS, FOR THIS WEEK.
THIS SLIDE JUST DETAILS A LOT OF THE OPERATIONAL CHANGES THAT STAFF HAS ALREADY MADE.
UM, I THINK THEY'RE FAIRLY SELF-EXPLANATORY, BUT I WILL SAY THAT I THINK THE FIRST BULLET POINT IN THERE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE INCREASED BY 50% EACH, THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS AND FOSTERS, UH, FOR, FOR THE SHELTER.
AND I THINK, OBVIOUSLY ON THE FOSTER SIDE, THE MORE ANIMALS THAT ARE BEING FOSTERED, THE MORE SPACE WE HAVE AT THE SHELTER TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO BRING IN THEIR PETS.
AND SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THAT NUM THOSE NUMBERS KEEP CONTINUING TO INCREASE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS THE CODE.
ALL OF THEM ARE BASED ON A GOAL TO EVENTUALLY HAVE A MORE SMOOTHER PROCESS FOR ANIMALS TO COME IN AND OUT OF THE SHELTER.
IN AN IDEAL WORLD, YOU GET 30 ANIMALS IN A DAY, AND THE NEXT DAY YOU GET 30 ANIMALS OUT, AND THEN YOU CAN KEEP KEEP THAT PROCESS GOING.
RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS IT'S, IT'S BECOME HARDER TO GET SOME OF OUR, UH, ANIMALS OUT, ESPECIALLY THE MEDIUM TO LARGE SIZE DOS.
AGAIN, I WANNA REITERATE, WE'RE NOT MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE THE NO KILL PERCENTAGE.
SO OUR FIRST ONE, OUR FIRST RECOMMENDATION REALLY DEALS WITH A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE'VE SEEN INSTANCES IN WHICH A DOG THAT WE KNOW AT THE SHELTER HAS A SIGNIFICANT BITE.
HISTORY HAS THEN GONE ON TO CAUSE SEVERE INJURY TO, TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AFTER IT'S BEEN RELEASED BY US.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF THESE DOGS HAVE STAYED AT THE SHELTER FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHELTER STRESS ISN'T IDEAL FOR, FOR ANY ANIMAL.
UM, AND SOME OF OUR AGGRESSIVE DOGS BECOME MORE AGGRESSIVE, AND SOME OF OUR UNAGGRESSIVE DOGS UNFORTUNATELY, START TO BECOME AGGRESSIVE OVER TIME.
UH, OUR CURRENT ORDINANCES, WHICH WERE AMENDED IN 2019, REQUIRE THAT MOST OF THESE DOGS, THE VERY NARROW CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THEY WON'T, BUT MOST OF THESE DOGS MUST BE MADE AVAILABLE TO SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND TO THE RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS WHO CAN THEN TURN AROUND AND, AND LET MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ADOPT OR FOSTER IT.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY KIND OF WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION FOCUSES IN AROUND, IS THAT PIECE OF THE ORDINANCE.
AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE AUDIT, THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM THE AUDIT REPORT.
UH, WE CURRENTLY EVALUATE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, LABEL OUR BITES UNDER THREE CRITERIA OR UNDER THREE LABELS, MINOR, MODERATE, AND SEVERE.
AND THE AUDITORS POINTED OUT THEY HAD A CONCERN OVER THE NUMBER OF MODERATE AND SEVERE BITE DOGS THAT WERE THEN BEING RELEASED BACK INTO THE PUBLIC.
AND THIS IS OVER A FOUR AND A HALF YEAR SPAN.
YOU CAN SEE 'CAUSE FOR 2023 THAT WERE ONLY TWO QUARTERS COUNTED HERE.
UM, THIS CHART WAS CONCERNING THE STAFF.
THIS IS THE NUMBER OF BITE EVENTS THAT ARE LEADING TO SEVERE BODILY INJURY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAD A HIGH OF 68, I BELIEVE, IN 2017.
AND THEN BY 2020 IT WAS DOWN TO 53.
AND OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WE WENT TO 84 AND THEN 128 WITH A SLIGHT UP UPTICK THIS LAST YEAR TO 131.
SO WHAT'S CONCERNING IS, OBVIOUSLY FROM 2020 TO 2022, WHILE THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS INCREASED OUR POPULATION GROWTH, IT CERTAINLY HAS NOT BEEN TO THIS, TO THIS RATE.
UM, SO WHAT THE STAFF SAID IS, WHAT CAN
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WE DO AS A CITY TO TRY TO REDUCE THE RISK THAT OUR PUBLIC IS FACING? WE CAN'T CONTROL EVERY SITUATION ABOUT ALL OF THE PETS THAT ARE, THAT ARE LIVING IN AUSTIN.IN FACT, THE VAST, VAST MAJORITY OF PETS THAT ARE IN AUSTIN, WE, THE SHELTER HAS NEVER EVEN SEEN.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO AS, AS A SHELTER, IS TRY TO MINIMIZE THE RISK FROM THE ANIMALS THAT WE KNOW OF THAT ARE OUR PROPERTY AT THE SHELTER THAT WE BELIEVE ARE A DANGER TO, TO THE PUBLIC.
SO OUR FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE ADOPT A DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR OUR BITES.
INSTEAD OF USING THE MINOR, MODERATE, AND SEVERE, THERE IS A MORE NATIONALLY ACCEPTED BITE SCALE, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE DUNBAR BITE SCALE, WHICH HAS SIX LEVELS OR LEVEL SIX OR BITES THAT LEAD TO DEATH.
AND OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, IS TO ADOPT THAT SCALE.
ONE OF THE OTHER BENEFITS OF THE, OF ADOPTING THAT SCALE IS THAT WE CAN THEN BETTER COMPARE OURSELVES TO WHAT OTHER SHELTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE DOING.
IT'S HARD FOR US TO COMPARE WHEN THEY SAY THEY HAVE A LEVEL FOUR BITE, AND WE'VE HAD THIS MANY IN THE YEAR FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COMPARE THAT TO HOW MANY OF OUR MODERATES FIT THAT CATEGORY.
SO THIS WILL BE A MORE APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON FOR, UH, FOR THE SHELTER.
I WANNA REITERATE THAT THIS ONLY APPLIES TO DOGS THAT ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THIS WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING, WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING DOES NOT APPLY TO DOGS THAT ARE OWNED BY OUR RESIDENTS.
THERE'S A WHOLE SEPARATE PROCESS FOR THAT.
BUT FOR THE PROCESS, FOR THE DOGS THAT ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS, IS THAT DOGS THAT HAVE A BITE HISTORY OF LEVEL FOUR OR HIGHER ON THE DUNBAR BITE SCALE MAY BE EUTHANIZED.
AND I WANNA STRESS MAY BECAUSE THE STAFF IS GONNA LOOK AT THE TOTALITY OF CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND WHAT CAUSED THIS ANIMAL TO BITE, WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WERE AT PLAY THERE.
DOES IT HAVE A HISTORY OF BITING BEFORE? ALL OF THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AND MAKING THIS DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO EUTHANIZE A DOG.
BUT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THOSE DOGS NOT BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC OR TO THE RESCUE ORGANIZATION IF THE DECISION IS MADE BY STAFF, THAT IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC TO NOT HAVE THIS, UM, DOG BE OUT IN THE PUBLIC AGAIN.
UM, NOW FOR MOST OF US, LIKE ME, I DON'T LIVE IN THE WORLD OF SHELTERING.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE A GOOD GRASP ON WHAT A LEVEL FOUR BITE IS AND A LEVEL THREE BITE.
I DO WANNA WARN YOU THAT SOME OF THESE PICTURES OF DOG BITES ARE PRETTY DIFFICULT TO LOOK AT.
UM, BUT THEY DO HAVE LEVELS FOURS AND LEVEL THREES IN HERE.
THE ONES ON THE LEFT WOULD CONSTITUTE LEVEL FOUR AND ABOVE DOG BITES.
UM, AND THE TWO ON THE RIGHT, THE GENTLEMAN'S LEFT KNEE.
AND THEN THE OTHER PICTURE TOOK A WHILE FOR ME TO GET, UM, ORIENT ORIENTED TO, BUT THAT APPEARS TO BE A CHILD'S LIPS, UH, OVER ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PICTURE, THE LEFT CHEEK.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE SOME HAIR COMING DOWN FROM THE HEAD THAT THOSE TWO BITES ON THE RIGHT WE DON'T THINK WOULD QUALIFY AS A LEVEL FOUR BITE.
SO THE PROCESS THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE FOR THOSE BITES, WHICH IS IF THE STAFF DECIDES THAT WE THINK THIS DOG IS A DANGER, WE WANT, WE THINK THE BEST OUTCOME IS FOR IT, FOR, FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, IS FOR THE EUTHANIZATION OF THAT DOG.
THE DOGS THAT COMMITTED THE BITES ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WOULD STILL GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TODAY, WHICH IS ALLOW RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS TO TAKE THE DOG AND THEN POTENTIALLY FOR THOSE DOGS TO BE, UM, ADOPTED OR FOSTERED OUT AGAIN, WHAT WOULD NOT CHANGE? I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT STAFF IS STILL GONNA BE PROVIDING A DETAILED REPORT ABOUT ALL OF THE EUTHANIZATIONS THAT HAPPEN AT THE CENTER.
UM, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A, WELL, WE THINK THAT THIS DOG NEEDS TO BE EUTHANIZED AND LET'S JUSTS EUTHANIZE IT, AND NO ONE'S GONNA DOCUMENT ANY OF IT.
ALL OF THIS WILL BE SUBJECT TO REVIEW BY THE PUBLIC, AND I THINK THAT'S GOOD.
I THINK WE ALL NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
WE'RE ON THE UP AND UP, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT, UM, WE SAID WE WOULD DO.
AND IF WE'RE MAKING ERRORS, PEOPLE SHOULD AND WILL, I'M SURE, YOU KNOW, TELL US THAT, HEY, WE THINK THAT THIS CLASSIFICATION WAS INCORRECT.
WE THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT.
AND I THINK THAT ONLY MAKES FOR A BETTER OPERATING SYSTEM FOR ALL, FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
THE OTHER THING THAT WOULDN'T CHANGE IS OUR CURRENT PROCESS STAYS IN PLACE, LIKE I SAID, FOR LEVEL THREE BYTES OR BELOW.
UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS AS FAR AS THE ORDINANCES GO.
UH, FIRST AS THE AUDIT POINTS OUT IS THAT, UM, THE LIVE OUTCOME RATIO IS BASED ON QUOTE UNQUOTE ALL ANIMALS.
HOWEVER, UH, WE WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT AND JUST MAKE SURE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LIVE OUTCOME RATIO? THERE'S THREE CATEGORIES OF ANIMALS THAT ENTERED THE CENTER.
THERE'S DOGS AND CATS, THERE'S WILDLIFE, WHICH IS LIKE BATS, COYOTES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN THERE'S WHAT WE CALL EXOTICS, WHICH IS EVERYTHING ELSE.
YOUR HAMSTERS, YOUR TURTLES, YOUR PARAKEETS, ALL OF THAT STUFF.
SO WE THINK THAT THE LIVE OUTCOME RATIO SHOULD BE CLEANED UP IN OUR CODE TO, TO TO BE DEFINED AS DOGS, CATS, AND EXOTICS.
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BUT THOSE THAT WE'RE NOT LEGALLY ALLOWED TO LET PEOPLE ADOPT ANYWAYS, SUCH AS THE BATS AND COYOTES, WE THINK THAT THOSE SHOULD NOT BE COUNTED TOWARDS THE LIVE OUTCOME RATIO.OUR SECOND RECOMMENDATION IS REALLY, UM, ABOUT HOW SOMEBODY FINDS A STRAY ANIMAL IN THE PUBLIC.
AND, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG, UH, DOES THAT ANIMAL HAVE TO BE HELD BY THE CENTER IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE THEN BE ADOPTED OUT? UM, WHAT SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES DO IS THAT THEY LET THE PERSON WHO FINDS THE STRAY DOG, THEY'RE WILLING TO HOLD IT AT THEIR HOUSE.
OUR CODE REQUIRES THAT WE, WE HAVE POSSESSION OF THAT ANIMAL FOR 72 HOURS, AND WE TRY TO FIND ITS OWNER.
AND AFTER THOSE 72 HOURS, WE CAN LET THAT, UM, ANIMAL BE ADOPTED OUT BY SOMEBODY ELSE.
WE WANT THE CLOCK TO START TICKING WHEN IT'S AT THE, AT THE FOSTER'S HOUSE, AS OPPOSED TO IT HAVING TO BE TAKING UP VALUABLE SPACE AT THE CENTER.
UM, SO THAT'S OUR SECOND RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THIS IS MORE OF AN FYI, UH, TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, AS YOU SAW IN THE AUDIT, THERE WERE PICTURES OF DOGS IN CAGES AND CRATES.
WE HAVE BEEN TOLD ROUTINELY, BECAUSE WE ARE THE QUARANTINE FACILITY FOR TRAVIS COUNTY, THE STATE HAS A DUTY TO MA UH, TO AUDIT US.
WE HAVE BEEN TOLD ROUTINELY FROM THE STATE THAT WE ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE STATE LAW AS IT RELATES TO PRIMARY ENCLOSURES BECAUSE OF THE USE OF THOSE CAGES AND CRATES.
AND THERE ARE SOME PRETTY STRICT PENALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH FAILING AN AUDIT.
AND SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL IS AWARE TODAY THE, UH, WE'RE NOT USING ANY CAGES AND CRATES, AND WE HAVEN'T FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS, BUT IT JUST DEPENDS KIND OF HOW MANY EMERGENCY CASES COME IN.
WE'VE HAD, I THINK THE MOST WE'VE HAD IS OVER 150, UH, JUST DEPENDING ON WHAT SEASON IT IS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE A LOGICAL QUESTION THAT COMES UP IS, WELL, IS THIS GOING TO HAMPER OUR INTAKE EVEN MORE? AND THE ANSWER IS YES, UM, IT WILL, BUT WHAT'S OUR, WHAT'S OUR SOLUTION TO THAT? WELL, PART OF OUR SOLUTION IS THE LAST BULLET POINT ON THIS LAST SLIDE, WHICH IS WE DO HAVE THE REAL ESTATE DIVISION LOOKING AT POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS FOR EXPANSION.
I THINK FOR A CITY OUR SIZE, IT'S UH, SHOULD BE PRUDENT THAT WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE SPOT FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO COME AND PICK UP ANIMALS OR DROP OFF ANIMALS.
UM,
IT WOULD, WOULD BE, AS WE SAID BEFORE, WE DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY ONE SINGLE REASON WHY THE SHELTER'S IN THE SITUATION THAT IT'S IN.
AND SO THERE'S NOT ANY ONE SINGLE SOLUTION.
WHAT WE HOPE IS THAT THE ORDINANCE CHANGES WE'RE MAKING, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO MAKE, AND THE OPERATIONAL CHANGES WE'RE CURRENTLY MAKING ALL LEAD TO THE SOLUTION THAT WE ALL WANT OUR ANIMAL CENTER TO BE IN.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO START, AND I WANT TO START WITH, UM, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DUNBAR BITE SCALE.
UM, AS YOU INDICATED, WE CURRENTLY USE A DIFFERENT BITE SCALE AND ONE THAT IS MORE CONDENSED, I GUESS WOULD BE ONE WAY TO DESCRIBE IT THAN THE DUNBAR BITE SCALE.
SO IT'S SAFE, I THINK, PROBABLY TO ASSUME, AND THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM, IT'S JUST SAFE TO ASSUME THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME FOR PEOPLE TO BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH THAT NEW BY SCALE AND BE ABLE TO APPLY IT.
AND SO CONSISTENT WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SAID, UH, EARLIER ABOUT HAVING A REPORT THAT DETAILS THE ACTIONS AND THE RATIONALE BEHIND THOSE ACTIONS AND THAT, THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, MANAGER, I, I, I'LL ASK IT AS A QUESTION OR I'LL JUST KIND OF SAY WHAT I'M THINKING HERE.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE BETTER COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE TO PILOT THIS PROCESS FOR A SIX MONTH PERIOD, SO THAT WHAT COULD HAPPEN IS WE COULD COLLECT THE RELEVANT DATA, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THERE THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE CAN AGREE OR, OR IS RELEVANT TO THE DATA ON THAT, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S TRAINED IN THAT PROCESS SO THAT WE DON'T JUST OVERNIGHT SWITCH TO SOMETHING AND, UM, AND NOT HAVE IT APPLYING THE WAY THAT WE WANT TO HAVE IT APPLYING.
AND FRANKLY, THE WAY THAT IS IN THE, UH, IS THE WAY IT'S APPLIED IN OTHER PLACES, AND WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT.
YEAH, I MEAN, UH, WHAT OUR, UH, IF THE COUNCIL, UH, IF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL WISHES TO WISHES TO ADOPT, AND THEN WE'LL HOLD FOR SIX MONTHS TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION, TRAIN THE STAFF, TRY TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE SO THAT THERE'S NO MYSTERY ABOUT THE, UH, THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD, WE, WE THINK THAT THAT'S PRUDENT AND THAT'S THE, THE WISE COURSE OF ACTION, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A ADEQUATE TIME TO, TO ADAPT TO THIS NEW APPROACH.
OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? MAYOR PROTE.
UM, UH, AND I AGREE, UM, WITH YOU ABOUT THE SIX MONTH TRAINING PERIOD.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UM, REALLY HELPFUL.
UH, GIVE SOME TRAINING TIME AS WE OUR STAFF WORK
[00:25:01]
TO IMPLEMENT AND ADOPT THE DUNBAR BITE SCALE.I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON, UH, FIRST ON THE DUNBAR BITE SCALE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE A SEPARATE RATING FOR, UH, BITE SEVERITY FOR CHILDREN.
IS THAT CORRECT? AND I KNOW ONE OF THE PHOTOS THERE, WHICH WAS A DUNBAR THREE, I THINK WAS A CHILD'S CHEEK.
UM, I THINK IT'S, UH, THE DUNBAR BICYCLE REALLY IS VERY OBJECTIVE.
AND THERE'S A CERTAIN ELEGANCE TO THAT SIMPLICITY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, UM, UH, CHILDREN ARE SMALLER, UH, AND, UM, ELDERLY FOLKS PROBABLY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH THICKNESS IN THEIR, IN THEIR, UM, SKIN OR, UH, THE SUBCUTANEOUS.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD LOOK AT ADDING A CATEGORY FOR BITES TO PEOPLE YOUNGER THAN SAY 18, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND IT MAY BE THAT THIS WOULD JUST NOT BE POSSIBLE OR WOULD INJECT COMPLEXITY, BUT IT DOES CONCERN ME THAT, THAT THAT WAS A CHILD.
AND I DO THINK THAT THAT THAT HAS DIFFERENT CONSEQUENCES AND RAMIFICATIONS.
UM, UH, IT CONCERNS ME THAT PEOPLE WHO TAKE DOGS WITH BITE HISTORIES FROM RESCUES MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE A BITE HISTORY.
UM, I BELIEVE THE CITY SHELTER IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION WHEN ANIMALS ARE ADOPTED OR FOSTERED, BUT IT ISN'T REQUIRED FOR OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.
IS THAT CORRECT? DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT, OR? I BELIEVE SO, YES.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S A MANDATE THAT THEY DISCLOSE THE BITE HISTORIES TO THEIR, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S A MANDATE FOR THE, UH, RESCUES TO, UM, DISCLOSE THE BITE HISTORIES TO THEIR ADOPTERS OR FOSTERS OR PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WHO ADOPT OR FOSTER TO HAVE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, COULD WE LOOK AT MANDATING ALL OF OUR PARTNERS DISCLOSING BITE HISTORIES TO ADOPTERS AND FOSTERS? UH, I WOULD ASK, UH, UH, STEPHANIE AND, UH, DEVIN TO WORK THROUGH THAT, WHETHER ANY CHANGES TO A, A REGULATION AND OR ORDINANCE NEEDS TO BE MADE TO THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S PRUDENT.
AND I THINK IF PEOPLE ARE ADOPT, IF A RESCUE AGENCY ARE ADOPTING ANIMALS THAT, UH, HAVE THIS HISTORY, UH, I THINK THEY HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DISCLOSE TO THE ADOPTERS THAT, UH, OF WHAT THAT HISTORY IS.
AND CERTAINLY WE CAN MAKE THAT, WE CAN BEGIN DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I HAD WAS THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO FOCUS ON DOGS AND CATS WHEN COUNTING FOR, UM, OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO TAKE THE ANIMALS TO HELP US WITH OUR NUMBERS, UH, WE ARE SHIFTING IN THIS DOCUMENT TO DOGS AND CATS, TO, IT WAS DONE IN PART TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS SOME INACCURACY IN, UH, THE COUNTING OF THE NUMBERS BECAUSE ALL ANIMALS, NOT JUST EXOTICS, BUT ALSO WILDLIFE WERE INCLUDED IN THOSE NUMBERS.
AND IN AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO, UM, FOCUS ON THE SPECIFICS, WHICH WERE PART OF THE AGREEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH PETS ALIVE, WE AGREED TO, UM, WORK ON THE ACCURACY OF THE DATA.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR THAT MEETING THE NUMBER OF TAKES THAT WERE AGREED UPON IN THE AGREEMENTS, UH, BETWEEN THE CITY AND ITS PARTNER I WOULD SUPPORT INCLUDING EXOTICS.
AND YOU HAD A LIST THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE WILDLIFE AND UNDERSTAND IT'S A SMALL NUMBER.
UH, BUT THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT, ABOUT, I THINK IT WAS IT THE TURTLES AND, UH, RABBITS, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO I WOULD ASK STAFF TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH AUSTIN PETS ALIVE WITH THAT AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM TO SEE IF WE CAN ACHIEVE SOME ACCOMMODATIONS THERE.
IF THAT WOULD, IF THAT WOULDN'T WORK, WILL DO.
CITY MANAGER, WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
UM, OF THE 56 MAJOR, UH, METRO AREAS IN THE US, HOW MANY OF THEM YOU CURRENTLY USE AT DUNBAR SCALE? UH, THAT'S SOMETHING I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ON.
I, I'M, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I DO KNOW IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S MUCH MORE NATIONALLY ACCEPTED THAN THE SKILL WE USE, WHICH IS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA DIFFER BASED ON WHICH PLACE, HOW WE DEFINE MODERATE, HOW ANOTHER JURISDICTION DEFINES MODERATE IS NOT GONNA BE AS CONSISTENT AS THE DUNBAR BITE SCALE.
UM, IS THERE A DISTRICT SPECIFIC DATA AVAILABLE FOR SEVERE BITES? YEAH, ACTUALLY I DID HAVE A SLIDE ON HERE, BUT WE TOOK IT OUT.
UM, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY SEND IT TO YOU.
UM, WHERE WE SEE, LET ME START BY SAYING THIS IS A CITYWIDE PROBLEM.
EVERY, EVERY DISTRICT SUFFERS FROM SEVERE BITES,
[00:30:01]
BUT WHERE WE SEE THE MOST BITES, WHEREAS THE CONCENTRATED MOST BITES, IT IS IN OUR COUNTY ABOVE 180 3, EAST OF 35, AND SOUTH OF TWO 90 AND SOUTH OF 71.SO IT'S KIND OF THAT LITTLE SLIVER ON THE WEST SIDE OF 35 THAT SEES LESS THAN, UM, THAN THE OTHER, OTHER AREAS.
BUT IT'S KIND OF A INVERSE C UM, AS FAR AS THAT'S WHERE THE, YOU KNOW, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE BITES ARE HAPPENING.
AND, AND TO, TO TOUCH ON SOMETHING THE MAYOR PROTE ASKED, DO WE HAVE DATA AVAILABLE ON HOW MANY DOGS WAS SEVERE BITING HISTORY HAVE BEEN RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC AND BITE AGAIN? WE DO.
SO WE, UM, I WILL SAY SINCE 2019, OKAY, WE'VE HAD 26 DOGS THAT HAD A MODERATE BITE HISTORY WITH US AND THEN WENT ON TO COMMIT AT LEAST ANOTHER MODERATE.
AND THE ONE ASTERISK I'LL GIVE TO THAT IS THAT THE SECOND BITE HAD TO HAVE HAPPENED IN TRAVIS COUNTY, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY WE FIND OUT ABOUT IT.
IF YOU SAW THE NEWS STORY FROM LAST WEEK, UM, UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS, UH, THERE WAS AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED WITH ONE OF OUR DOGS THAT HAD A BITE HISTORY.
IT REALLY SEVERELY DAMAGED THIS, THIS LADY SCALP THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE 26TH, BECAUSE THAT HAPPENED OUTSIDE OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO A LOT OF OUR DOGS, IF THEY GO ON TO BITE AGAIN, BUT IF THEY HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY OR IF THE MEDICAL FACILITY DOESN'T REPORT IT LIKE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO, TO THE COUNT, UM, TO THE QUARANTINE FACILITY, WHICH IS US, THEN WE, WE WILL NEVER KNOW ABOUT THAT.
UM, ONE MORE, MR. ARE THERE SEPARATE FACILITIES AVAILABLE FOR, UH, DOGS WITH BEHA BEHAVIORAL ISSUES? A SEPARATE PLACE THEY CAN GO THAT WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM BEING RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC WITHOUT PROPER ANALYSIS? FIRST, UH, LET ME ASK DON THAT QUESTION.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A FACILITY AT THE, AT THE CENTER FOR THAT, BUT GOOD MORNING COUNSEL, DON BLANC, CHIEF ANIMAL SERVICE OFFICER.
UH, THERE ARE RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEHAVIOR PROGRAMS THAT, UH, WILL TAKE ANIMALS FROM US.
BUT AS FAR AS, UH, UH, MUNICIPAL FACILITY, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY THAT HAVE, UH, PROGRAMS LIKE YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
I TOO WANNA EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH RESCUES TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY AROUND ANIMAL HISTORIES AND RESPONSIBLE ADOPTIONS.
UM, ONE THOUGHT THAT OCCURRED TO ME WAS PERHAPS ON OUR INTER LOCAL AGREEMENTS IN THE FUTURE, WE COULD PUT THAT IN THERE.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOU RECOGNIZING THAT MAYOR PRO TEM.
I DEFINITELY THINK THAT OUR ANIMAL CENTER, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY THEM.
AND I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT AROUND THE SHELTERS OPERATIONS WAS CRUCIAL TO UNDERSTANDING THE NO KILL MANDATE AND HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE WERE TODAY.
SOME OF THAT INFORMATION I DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE IT WAS PRESENTED, SO I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING SATELLITE LOCATIONS, COULD I PLEASE PUT A REQUEST TO POSSIBLY LOOK AT MY DISTRICT FOR ONE OF THOSE? WE ARE THE FURTHEST DISTRICT FROM CITY HALL, AND I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO LOOK.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I COMMEND YOUR DATA DRIVEN APPROACH.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE ANIMAL CENTER AND THEN PRESENTING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO US AT COUNCIL, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL INFORMATION TO GIVE US.
AND I BELIEVE THE, THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR SIX MONTHS WITH THE DATA WOULD HELP US AS WELL.
UM, WHERE ARE WE ON FINDING A SATELLITE LOCATION IS ESPECIALLY AGAIN, TO REITERATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY'S COMMENTS ON THE NORTH SIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE HAVE OUR, OUR CURRENT, UH, FACILITY OUT ON LAVANDER LOOP, UH, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FARTHER, UH, EAST THERE.
UH, THE, UH, A PA HAS THEIR FACILITY THERE ON, UH, TOWN LAKE, YOU KNOW, CENTRALLY LOCATED.
UH, I, I THINK NORTH I IS, UH, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR I THINK THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO A FACILITY, UH, PLACE TO VOLUNTEER, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL CAPACITY, YOU KNOW, STORAGE CAPACITY.
AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT STORAGE CAPACITY IS GONNA BE KIND OF THE WAY THAT WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT, UH, WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? YEAH, THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER BEING A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX, I FULLY AGREE WITH BOTH OF THE LAST COMMENTS.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA KIND OF, UH, TELL YOU IN PUBLIC WHAT SOME OF THE LOCATIONS ARE.
UH, BUT WE DO PLAN ON COMING BACK TO YOU, UM, IN A SHORT TIME PERIOD TO MAYBE MEET ON ONE-ON-ONES, UM, TO KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME OPTIONS AND WHAT THE RATES ASSOCIATED WITH IT ARE.
I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, AS WITH EVERYTHING ELSE ON, ON, ON YOUR, YOUR AGENDA EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW, MONEY IS, IS AN, IS IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR, AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS.
SO WE'LL GIVE YOU SOME OF THOSE OPTIONS AND, AND SEE WHERE THE COUNCIL WILL IS.
[00:35:01]
IN IT.AGAIN, I'M, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE BUDGETED FOR TO PURCHASE.
UH, UH, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING IN THE BUDGET.
I, ANY CLARIFICATION ON THAT OR ANY CERTAINTY ON THAT? NO, I, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE BUDGETED FOR THAT NOW, SO, WE'LL, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL TRY TO GIVE YOU SOME OPTIONS OF WHAT WE SEE, WHAT WE FORECAST, SEEING, MAYBE WHERE WE ANTICIPATE THE REAL ESTATE MARKET BEING, SO THAT AT LEAST IN THE, MAYBE PERHAPS THE UPCOMING BUDGET, YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU THINK THAT'S A PRUDENT USE OF SPACE.
AND, UM, THEN HOW ARE WE DOING ON STAFFING LEVELS AT THE, UH, AT THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, ESPECIALLY AT THAT ENTRY AND MID, UH, LEVEL, UH, RANGE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, VACANCIES AND, AND WHATNOT? HOW, HOW ARE WE DOING THERE? YEAH, SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 23 OPEN VACANCIES, 16 OF WHICH ARE AT THE ENTRY LEVEL, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY THE PLACE WE, UM, NEED THE MOST HELP.
UH, THE OTHER SEVEN BEING, UM, AT LEAST THE SUPERVISOR LEVEL, UH, ALL OF THE 16 ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING FILLED NOW.
SO EITHER WE'RE WAITING FOR THE CLOSING DATE OR WE'VE GOT INTERVIEWS SET UP, OR SOMETIMES WE HAVE AN OFFER WE'RE READY TO MAKE AND WE'RE WAITING FOR HR TO SIGN OFF ON WHAT THE, WHAT THE PAY RATE WILL BE.
SO ALL OF THOSE 16, WE'RE HOPING TO GET FILLED SOON, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT FILLING THOSE POSITIONS IS A CRUCIAL PART OF KIND OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THE, OF THE SHELTER.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LOCATION AND WE'LL, UM, ALSO, UM, ADD MY VOICE FOR NORTH LOCATION.
UM, I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FINANCING OPTIONS FOR THAT.
UH, PRESUMABLY THIS FALLS UNDER PUBLIC SAFETY AND UNDER STATE RULES WE'D BE ABLE TO DO COS UM, ARE THERE, IS THAT THE DIRECTION WE'D BE GOING OR ARE THERE OTHER FUNDING OPTIONS? WE DON'T HAVE A, IF WE DON'T HAVE A BOND THIS YEAR, IT'S MANY YEARS OFF.
COUNCIL RIVER, THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
I KNOW THAT THEY'RE EVALUATING THAT AND WE'LL BE, MAKE SURE THAT WE GET WITH, UH, ED VAN NINO AND THE, THE FINANCIAL SERVICES STAFF TO JUST DETERMINE WHAT THE FINANCING OPTIONS ARE.
BUT YOU MAY BE RIGHT, THIS MAY, UH, FALL UNDER THE, THE RUBRIC OF A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, AND SO COULD BE COS BUT WE'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU WITH THE SP SPECIFICITY AND THANK YOU.
AND DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF HOW BIG OF A SPACE WOULD BE IDEAL FOR, I MEAN, I, I THINK THE QUESTION THAT STAFF IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT NOW IS WHAT DO WE WANT THAT SECOND OR POTENTIALLY MULTIPLE LOCATIONS TO DO? DO WE WANT IT TO BE FULL SERVICE? UM, I THINK THERE'S A BELIEF, IDEALLY WE HAVE ALL OF THE VETS IN ONE PLACE, SO MAYBE THOSE SATELLITE LOCATIONS ARE REALLY JUST FOR INTAKE AND FOR PEOPLE TO ADOPT.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE DO HAVE VETS OUT THERE DEPENDING ON WHAT FACILITIES WE HAVE.
SO, I MEAN, ALL OF THAT IS KIND OF GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, STILL IN THE WORKS, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DO WE WANT THOSE SECOND AND THIRD LOCATIONS TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO.
AND I THINK THERE'S A STRONG ARGUMENT TO BE MADE FOR JUST INTAKE AND OUTTAKE.
UH, MAINLY BECAUSE ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT THE VETS NEED, I THINK IT'S JUST GONNA MAKE IT THAT MORE, MORE COMPLEX TO PUT ALL OF THAT EQUIPMENT IN ALL OF THESE FACILITIES.
BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE INVESTED IN, IN THE BUDGET WAS ADDITIONAL SPAY AND NEUTER CAPACITY.
UM, TO WHAT EXTENT IS THAT DIRECTION ALSO PART OF THE SOLUTIONS HERE? I'M NOT SURE THAT I, I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT I DIDN'T SEE THAT, UM, IMPROVING, IMPROVING THOSE EFFORTS AS, AS PART OF THE OVER LONG TERM, THE LONG TERM, UM, SOLUTION.
WE HAVE, UM, BEGAN TO MOVE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW IT'S NEEDED AND SO WE HAVE JUST KIND OF MOVED THOSE FORWARD.
THE OTHER THING THAT HAS ALSO HAPPENED IS, IS THAT THE COUNTY HAS ALSO, UM, AGREED AND IS SUPPORTING THAT AS WELL.
AND SO THE COUNTY HAS ADDED ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE COUNTY ILA FOR SPAY AND NEUTER.
AND SO WE ARE MOVING THAT FORWARD LOOKING AT, UM, UM, A COUPLE OF VENDORS.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE KIND OF HAVE OUR MAIN VENDOR THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND THEY HAVE STAFFED UP SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SPAY AND NEUTER.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH THE PURCHASING OFFICE, UM, TO SEE IF THERE IS ANOTHER PARTNER THAT CAN STEP IN AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE KIND OF MORE AD HOC BUT SCHEDULED EVENTS WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO DO A LARGER NUMBER OF SPAY AND NEUTER.
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
TO ITEM NUMBER 54.UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT BRIEFING.
UM, AND WHAT WE'LL DO NOW IS WE WILL GO TO PULLED ITEMS AND I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA WHO, UH, ASKS THAT WE HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING TO ITEM NUMBER 54.
[00:40:01]
HIGHLIGHT, UM, I'M GONNA BE BRINGING SOME, UH, AMENDMENTS, UH, AND ACTUALLY WE'LL PASS 'EM OUT HERE IN, IN IN JUST A SECOND.AND I JUST WANTED TO, TO DAYLIGHT, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, UH, AMENDMENTS ON THE ETOD AND JUST HAVE A SHORT, UH, DISCUSSION, UH, ABOUT THEM.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, ABOUT THAT, UH, WOULD BE, UH, JUST CONSIDER INCLUDING ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES IF, UH, FOR ADDING A TRANSIT SUPPORTED FEATURES AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DEVELOPMENTS ALONG THE RAIL LINE, UH, SUCH AS RESTROOMS FOR THE DRIVERS, UH, BUS TRANSFER STATION, BUS CHARGING STATIONS, POTENTIALLY JUST TO HAVE THE, THE, UH, UH, PLANNING DEPARTMENT LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OF MAYBE STRUCTURING SOME KIND OF INCENTIVE PROGRAM ALSO TO, UH, HELP, UH, WITH THE BUILD OUT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE TRANSIT, UH, SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE ALONG THE, THE RAIL LINE.
UM, THE NEXT ONE, UH, WOULD BE EXPLORE IN A FEASIBLE INCLUDE INCENTIVES AND ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS FOR PROVIDING AFFORDABLE GROUND FLOOR, COMMERCIAL AND OR COMMUNITY SPACES.
UM, AND THIS RELATES TO JUST A, A, A CONCERN THAT, UH, THAT, THAT MY CONSTITUENTS BROUGHT TO ME, UH, WITH REGARD TO, UM, THE, TO MAKING SURE ESSENTIALLY THAT, THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH VIBRANT, UH, COMMERCIAL SPACE AND THE, THE, THE POSSIBILITY ALSO THAT THE, THE CONVERSATION THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF ARE ESSENTIALLY BUILDERS, DEVELOPERS SAYING THAT THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO, UH, FILL A LOT OF THE, THE GROUND FLOOR COMMERCIAL SPACE.
UH, AND IF YOU DRIVE AROUND TOWN, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE USING THAT AT THEIR LEASING OFFICE.
THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF SOME MARGINAL, UH, USES FOR IT.
THEY'RE, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT HAVING THE, THE SUCCESS THAT, THAT THEY NEED FOR IT, SO THEY'RE A LITTLE HESITANT TO BUILD IT, OR THEY'RE BUILDING LIKE, AS LITTLE AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
BUT MANY TIMES THE COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATIONS WERE THAT WHEN WE AGREED TO VMU, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA GET, YOU KNOW, COFFEE SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS AND, YOU KNOW, THESE KINDS OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO WHEN THEY'RE NOT SEEING THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE DISAPPOINTED, UH, WITH, UH, THE, THE FINAL PRODUCT, OR AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, IN SOME OF THE, THE CASES THAT I'VE BEEN, UH, UH, INVOLVED IN.
UM, AND SO THIS WOULD JUST, AGAIN, HAVING THEM LOOK AT AND, AND TRY TO ANALYZE WHAT WE CAN DO TO INCENTIVIZE, MAYBE USE THOSE SPACES AS, UH, UH, AS, UH, UH, UH, SUBSIDIZED FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, BUSINESSES THAT WE DESIRE, MAYBE FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS, MAYBE FOR CULTURAL SPACES, MAYBE FOR, YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF, UH, PLACES THAT, THAT, UH, ARE ALSO, UH, BEING AFFECTED BY, UH, AFFORDABILITY.
UM, SO AGAIN, AND, UH, THIS IS JUST DIRECTION TO, TO LOOK AT THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES.
UM, THE THIRD ONE, UH, WOULD BE, UH, APPLYING THE ETOD.
THE LANGUAGE SAYS THAT, UH, IT APPLIES TO COMMERCIALLY ZONED, UH, AND POTENTIALLY A MULTIFAMILY ZONED, UH, PROPERTIES.
UH, AND MY, UH, THE THIRD AMENDMENT WOULD JUST CHANGE THAT TO, UH, NON SINGLE FAMILY ZONED PROPERTIES TO MORE BROADLY ENCOMPASS, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, CIVIC, UH, AND, AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A LONGER, MUCH LONGER LIST THAN JUST COMMERCIAL AND, AND, AND MULTIFAMILY.
UH, AND SO JUST KIND OF DIRECTING STAFF TO THOSE OVERLAYS.
AND THE BONUS PROGRAM SHOULD POTENTIALLY APPLY TO THOSE OTHER, UH, UH, PROPERTIES THAT ARE NOT ZONED MULTIFAMILY AND NON ZONED, UM, UH, UH, COMMERCIAL.
AND THE LAST ONE IS, THIS ONE WOULD BE A AMENDMENT FOUR.
UH, IS WE'RE, WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH THIS HONESTLY, AND I JUST WANTED TO THROW THIS ONE OUT THERE TO, TO, TO GET SOME, SOME FEEDBACK AND, AND REACTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE LANGUAGE CURRENTLY SAYS THAT, UM, THAT, UH, THE ETOD STATION AREAS, UH, AVOID WITH OVERLAY TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE INCREASING DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE ON EXISTING INCOME RESTRICTED AND MARKET RATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES.
UM, I, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE, THE, THE GOAL OF, UH, TRYING TO PRESERVE E EXISTING MARKET RATE, AFFORDABLE, UH, AND EXISTING, UH, SUBSIDIZED HOUSING.
HOWEVER, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE'RE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR, FOR FAILURE IN, IN THE SENSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE ALMOST ASKING STAFF TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE LIGHT RAIL GOES IN, UH, AND, AND I'M THINKING LET'S SAY ON THE 38TH STREET THERE, 38TH IN, IN GUADALUPE, THERE, THERE'S A BUNCH OF KIND OF OLDER, YOU KNOW, SMALLER APARTMENTS THERE THAT, UH, ARE GOING TO BE
[00:45:02]
MORE VALUABLE BECAUSE THEY'RE RIGHT NEXT TO THE RAIL LINE.UH, AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S GONNA BE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO PRESERVE THOSE EXISTING MARKET RATE AFFORDABLE UNITS.
AND I WILL SAY WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGH THE PROJECT CONNECT THE $300 MILLION IN ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUNDING.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS PURCHASED MULTIPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOW END APARTMENTS ALONG THE RAIL LINE, AND THAT'S A VERY GOOD THING.
BUT ABSENT ARE ACTUALLY PURCHASING THE PROPERTIES AND MAKING THEM SUBSIDIZED HOUSING.
I JUST DON'T SEE WHERE WE HAVE THE TOOLS.
EVEN IF WE DON'T, EVEN IF WE SAY, OKAY, THIS OLD APARTMENT COMPLEX, IT'S AFFORDABLE, IT'S NOT GONNA GET ANY OVERLAY, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING WITH IT, THAT WE CANNOT IMPOSE RENT CONTROL.
WE CANNOT REALLY, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TOOLS TO REALLY KIND OF HOLD THOSE RENTS LOW.
AND, UH, MY CONCERN IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT PUTTING THE OVERLAY ON THOSE PROPERTIES, TRYING TO PROTECT THEM, THAT WE'RE GONNA NOT GET ANY NEW HOUSING, NOT GET ANY KIND OF 10% AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THOSE APARTMENTS ARE GOING TO FLIP INTO HIGHER INCOME.
SO, UH, SO, UH, WE'RE, AGAIN, WE'RE STILL PLAYING WITH THE LANGUAGE AND, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF A SUBSTANTIVE EFFECT THE, THE, THE CHANGE IN THE LANGUAGE WE'LL HAVE, BUT WE WERE LOOKING AT INCLUDE REGULATIONS THAT SUPPORT TRANSIT WITHIN ETOD STATION AREAS, UH, AND ENSURE TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT CREATES MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS THAN THE EXISTING INCOME RESTRICTED AND MARKET RATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN THE ERC BOUNDARIES, KIND OF INSTEAD OF TRYING TO KIND OF PRESERVE, UH, THE EXISTING MARKET RATE AFFORDABLE, UH, HOUSING, UH, WHICH AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE WE CAN DO, THE GOAL SHOULD BE MORE TO CREATE, UH, ADDITIONAL SUBSIDIZED HOUSING WITHIN THIS ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN THE ETOD, AGAIN, USING THESE TOOLS THAT THAT STAFF IS, IS, IS WORKING WITH.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO TO TO DAYLIGHT THOSE, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON, UH, ON THURSDAY.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, THE LAST ONE IS, IS A SUBTLE CHANGE, UH, BUT I, I THINK AN IMPORTANT ONE IN THE SENSE THAT WE WANT, WHAT WE CAN DO IS CREATE AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT, UM, CREATES ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WHAT WE CAN'T DO IS REALLY FORCE A PRIVATELY HELD PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, TO JUST HOLD THEIR RENT STEADY.
SO AGAIN, IT'S A SUBTLE, A SUBTLE CHANGE, BUT I, I'M, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO WORK IT OUT.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT INTERNALLY AND I JUST WANTED TO THROW IT OUT THERE FOR DISCUSSION.
COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, AND THEN THE MAYOR PRO TIM.
I JUST WANTED TO FLAG, I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, UH, LAYING THESE OUT FOR US AND WANTED TO FLAG A CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE BEEN THINKING OF, UM, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OAK HILL BRT LINE HAS APPROPRIATE LAND PLANNING AS WELL.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH STAFF AND WE'LL SEE, UM, IF, OR HOW WE COULD INCORPORATE ANY OF THAT IN, INTO THIS ITEM, BUT WE'RE VERY QUICKLY APPROACHING A MOMENT WHERE THOSE PROPERTIES ARE READY TO REDEVELOP A LOT OF THEM, UM, WERE BUILT BEFORE SOS AND SO THERE'S AN INCENTIVE NOW TO HELP WITH, UM, STORMWATER RUNOFF, FLOODPLAIN ISSUES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT, UM, THAT, THAT HOUSING BEING REBUILT AS WE SEE SOME MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS HAPPENING, UM, THROUGH THAT OAK HILL AREA.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG FOR PEOPLE THAT WE'VE BEEN VERY CURIOUS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT BRT LINE WILL IN THE FUTURE QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL GRANT APPLICATIONS.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT EVEN IN A CONDITION THAT THE APPLICATION CAN BE SUBMITTED, UM, ALTHOUGH WE'RE VERY EXCITED, THE OTHER TWO LINES HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THEIR FEDERAL GRANTS ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
UM, WE ARE VERY, VERY HAPPY FOR THOSE GRANTS TO BE RECEIVED FOR THE OTHER METRO RAPID LINES, BUT WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE ONE THROUGH OAK HILL, WE'RE NOT MISSING THE OPPORTUNITIES AND ENDING UP WITH THOSE PROPERTIES REDEVELOPING AND NOT HAVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, NOT HAVING WALKABILITY, AND NOT BEING A PART OF THE LARGER CONVERSATION AS WE KNOW THAT, UM, THOSE REDEVELOPMENTS ARE VERY NECESSARY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT.
WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN GET LANGUAGE INCORPORATED IN THIS OR IF WE NEED TO, TO WORK AT INCENTIVIZING THAT AND PRIORITIZING THAT, UM, WITH, WITH ANOTHER LANGUAGE AND ANOTHER ITEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, THEN, THEN THE MAYOR.
UH, AND I GUESS BEFORE I GET INTO MY COMMENTS, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ VELA FOR MAKING SURE MY HAIR WASN'T MESSY.
UM, I'M EXCITED FOR THE, UH, THE E TODD PACKAGE FOR, FOR DISTRICT NINE.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE USE THIS LAND, UH, THAT WE GET LAND USE RIGHT FOR THIS MAJOR TRANSIT INVESTMENT.
UH, AS, AS WE KNOW, IT'S CRITICAL TO GET IT DONE BY MAY, UH, BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL GRANT APPLICATION.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M EXPLORING A COUPLE OF AMENDMENTS, UH, WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
UH, THE FIRST AMENDMENT, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA EXPLORE IS TO REINSTATE LOOKING, UH, INTO PARKING, COUNTING TOWARD FAR DOWNTOWN AND GIVING
[00:50:01]
A SMALL BUMP, UH, IN, IN THE BEST IN THE BASE FAR.UH, THIS, UH, WAS A KEY FINDING IN THE ULI TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL, UH, LAST FALL THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON AND I WERE ENGAGED IN.
UH, AND STAFF HAS TOLD US THAT THE EXCESSIVE PARKING DOWNTOWN AS ONE OF THE, IT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST WEAKNESSES, UH, ON OUR APPLICATION.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN, UH, ON THIS ITEM TO MAKE SURE, UH, WE'RE SUCCESSFUL.
AND THEN THE SECOND, UM, AMENDMENT WE WILL, UH, LOOK AT AS CONSIDERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXTRA HEIGHT, UH, PERHAPS NEAR, UH, STATION AREAS, UH, DOWNTOWN AND ADJACENT, UH, ARE HIGH FREQUENCY TRANSIT AREAS, AND WE WANT AS MANY PEOPLE TO, TO LIVE THERE.
UH, THERE, THERE, THE MORE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE, UH, NEAR TRANSIT MEANS FEWER EMISSIONS INTO OUR ENVIRONMENT.
IT MEANS MORE AFFORDABLE LIVING, UH, AND IT, AND IT'S BETTER FOR OUR TAX BASE AND TO BETTER UTILIZE OUR LIMITED RESOURCES FOR OUR STREETS PUBLIC SERVICES INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, MYSELF, UH, MY OFFICE WILL EXPLORE, UH, WITH CITY STAFF AND POST ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE, TO THE MESSAGE BOARD AND THE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
COUNCIL MEMBER COUN, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, LEND SUPPORT TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLA'S AMENDMENT THAT TALKS ABOUT THE, UM, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM TO NONS SINGLE FAMILY ZONE PROPERTIES IN AN ATTEMPT TO KIND OF JUMPSTART THEIR ABILITY TO, UM, BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND I, I JUST WANTED FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE POINT TO SECOND STREET, AND IF I, I'M REMEMBERING RIGHT ABOUT THE TIME WHEN, UM, I THINK THE CITY HALL WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED.
THERE WERE EFFORTS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYBE THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER AND THE MAYOR WOULD REMEMBER THIS BETTER THAN I DO, BUT WE, THE CITY COUNCIL PROVIDED SOME INCENTIVE PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMERCIAL, UM, ENTITIES ALONG SECOND STREET COULD, UH, WOULD BE ATTRACTED TO AND SUCCEED IN THIS SPACE.
AND SO WE HAVE SOME HISTORY OF HAVING DONE THAT IN THE PAST AND SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A GOOD APPLICATION, IF I'M REMEMBERING THAT, THAT, UH, POLICY MOVE PROPERLY.
YEAH, THERE, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THINGS, INCLUDING THE CITY BEING IN THE ROLE OF ACTUAL MANAGEMENT OF THE DISTRICT IN PART SO THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE COMPETING AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ONE RETAIL THAT COMPETED WITH ANOTHER JUST BECAUSE THEY, THEY CHOSE TO BE THERE SO THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY BUILT IN SUCH A WAY TO, TO TRY TO ASSURE THAT IT WOULD BE SUSTAINABLE AND, AND, AND WORK.
THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT THAT WENT IN THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, FOLLOWED BY.
YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW UP.
I, I KNOW THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER REVELLA, I THINK, UH, THE STAFF HAD TOLD ME THEY TOUCHED BASE WITH YOU.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF TOUCH BASE WITH EACH OF YOUR OFFICES.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MENTIONED THAT JUST A MINUTE AGO.
AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MORALES.
SO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE TOUCH BASE WITH YOU SO WE GET HELP WITH WHATEVER PREPARATION NEEDS TO GET DONE FOR THURSDAY.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER THEN FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
I WANTED TO ASK IF STAFF CAN PROVIDE US, UM, A RED LINE BETWEEN 54 AND 26.
I UNDERSTAND THAT 54 REPLACED 26 ON THE AGENDA.
UM, MAYBE YOU CAN SPEAK BRIEFLY TO WHAT THE CHANGES WERE AND THEN PROVIDE US A RED LINE TRISH LINK WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
ONE WAS TO THE POSTING LANGUAGE TO INCLUDE THE PRIORITY EXTENSION LANGUAGE.
IT WAS IN THE RESOLUTION BUT HADN'T MADE IT INTO THE POSTING LANGUAGE.
SO WE CHANGED THAT, AND THEN WE TOOK OFF FROM THE DOWNTOWN PARKING SECTION OF THE RESOLUTION, THE FIRST BULLET ABOUT FAR AND CALCULATING FAR DIFFERENTLY, UM, BY INCLUDING THE GARAGE STRUCTURES.
YOU TOOK THAT OFF? WE TOOK THAT OUT, CORRECT.
AND WHAT WAS THE REASON THAT WAS TAKEN OUT? I NEED TO TURN THAT OVER TO STAFF.
AND IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD SEND A RED LIGHT ON THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND MAYBE IF STAFF COULD HELP US UNDERSTAND WHY THAT PIECE WAS TAKEN OUT.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT WAS JUST WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE WAS SAYING HE WANTED IN, IF I UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY.
ANY VOLUNTEERS ON THAT ONE?
ARE YOU, I, I JUST WASN'T SURE IF SOMEONE WAS COMING UP.
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THEY ARE TO PROVIDE THE OKAY.
AND MR. MAYOR, WHILE WE WAIT THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
AND SO I WAS GONNA ASK THE SAME QUESTION, UM, ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE GIVEN THIS TIME LAST WEEK, WE HAD A CONVERSATION AT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING ABOUT ETOD CONSIDERATIONS.
AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS THERE AND NOW IT'S NOT THERE.
MAYOR COUNCIL ANIQUE BODE WITH THE PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE, CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, THE REASON FOR THE CHANGE, UM, IN THE AMENDMENT TO THE RESOLUTION IS OUR HYPER FOCUS ON THE GRANT COMPETITIVENESS.
[00:55:01]
THE IMPLEMENT, THE START OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PACKAGE OF THE ULI TAP RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, WITH THIS MAY PACKAGE OF ETOD, UM, AMENDMENTS.BECAUSE IN TALKING WITH AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP STAFF, UH, ONE OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE IN IS THE RATIO OF EMPLOYEES TO ACTUAL PARKING SPACES DOWNTOWN.
AND WE WANNA SHOW A GOOD FAITH EFFORT IN STARTING TO REVERSE THAT TREND IN, IN A BEST PRACTICE WAY.
AND SO WE TOOK WHAT WE THOUGHT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH IN, UM, BETWEEN NOW AND MAY, UH, WITH ALL, WITH ALL THE OTHER ITEMS ON OUR PLATE OF, OF STARTING TO TAKE A BITE AT THAT APPLE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT PACKAGE, OF, OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE THEN STARTED TO MAKE THE ROUNDS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND HEARD SOME CONCERNS AND LIKE A, UM, A PURE PLANNING PROCESS SHOULD WE TOOK THOSE CONCERNS TO HEART AND TRIED TO DECIPHER, OKAY, WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING TO HIT THE GRANT COMPETITIVENESS? AND THAT IS, UH, THE NUM, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES DOWNTOWN.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT, UM, REMOVING THE FAR, DOING IT WITH THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS LATER, UM, LATER IN THE YEAR, BUT ADDRESSING, UH, RECALIBRATING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF PARKING DOWNTOWN WOULD SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES THAT THE FEDS WOULD LOOK AT.
AND SO THAT WAS OUR WAY OF REALLY, AGAIN, FOCUSING ON WHAT WOULD BE THE BARE MINIMUM FOR THE GRANT, LISTENING TO THE STAKEHOLDERS, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT, UM, AND ADJUSTING THE RESOLUTION.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR MS. HARDIN IF SHE IS WILLING TO TAKE THEM.
HOW ARE YOU? YOU, I WANTED TO ASK QUICKLY ABOUT THE PROCESS OF SOMEONE WHO IS LOOKING TO REZONE.
AND THIS IS AS IT RELATES TO THE VMU PORTION OF THIS RESOLUTION.
SO IF I WAS AN APPLICANT AND I WANTED TO, UM, GET A REZONE, I FILL OUT THE APPLICATION, I SUBMIT IT, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH JUST A QUICK TIMELINE OF WHEN NOTICE GOES OUT, HOW LONG STAFF TAKES TO TURN IN THE REPORT? GENERALLY SPEAKING, JUST, UM, SO JUST A TRADITIONAL STANDARD APPLICATION AND WE'RE NOT, UM, TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE DENSITY BONUS THAT'S COMING FORWARD BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA SET UP A SEPARATE PROCESS AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW.
SO LET'S, UM, WELL MAYBE YOU BEAT ME TO THE PUNCH.
DO WE, CAN YOU JUST SKIP TO THAT, WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE? OKAY.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE A DEDICATED STAFF MEMBER TO WORK ON, UM, ANY APPLICATION THAT FALLS INTO THE REZONING OR THE SITE PLAN.
'CAUSE SOME APPLICATIONS PLEASE NOTE, DID NOT COME THROUGH A REZONING WITH THE V THEY JUST WENT STRAIGHT TO THE SITE PLAN.
AND SO ANYONE THAT HAS A FEES WILL BE WAIVED.
UM, IF COUNSEL APPROVES THAT, THESE WOULD BE WEIGHED AND THEN ADDITIONALLY WE'D HAVE A DEDICATED STAFF MEMBER.
IT WILL STILL TAKE THE 30 DAYS FOR REVIEW COMMENTS.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD DO A JOINT NOTICE.
SO WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ROUGHLY IN A COURSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONS CAN ASK FOR POSTPONEMENT.
STAFF HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
BUT WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW, TWO TO THREE MONTH PROCESS.
UM, BUT I'M, I'M SAYING ABOUT A TWO MONTH PROCESS.
AND IN TERMS OF THE COMMENTS, IS THERE, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M THINKING ABOUT IF WE, BEFORE THE COURT CASE, WE HAD ENVISIONED THESE PROPERTIES HAVING THAT ENTITLEMENT JUST AS A RIGHT.
AND SO WHAT IN THE COMMENT PROCESS DO YOU ANTICIPATE NEEDING TO REVIEW? OKAY, SO EACH REZONING, CORRECT.
SO EACH REZONING APPLICATION GETS REVIEWED BY SITE PLAN.
UM, YOU, YOU'LL SEE IN YOUR STAFF REPORT, SITE PLAN COMMENTS, DSD, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMENTS.
AND IT'S JUST A STANDARD WHEN IT GOES INTO DSD FOR INTAKE.
SO I'M AN APPLICANT, I GO TO DSDI, I PAY MY FEES, I KNOW IT'S FEES ARE GONNA BE WAIVED, BUT I PAY MY FEES.
D-S-D-D-S-D MAKES SURE ALL THE FEES ARE PAID AND THEN TRANSFERS IT OVER IN OUR AMANDA SYSTEM TO OUR ZONING CASE MANAGERS.
AUTOMATICALLY EACH DIVISION OR GROUP OR DEPARTMENT THERE WAS REVIEWS, ZONING, UM, CASES GETS 30 DAYS TO DO YOUR, THEIR COMMENTS.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN
[01:00:01]
LOOK AT IF THESE CASES, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE PROCESS TO SPEED THESE UP, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'VE BEEN APPROVED BY COUNSEL.UM, SO I TAKE YOUR POINT AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT BECAUSE WE ARE JUST WRITING.
WE'RE NOT DOING A FULL REVIEW OF, THESE HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY COUNSEL, WHY ARE WE DOING, I GET IT'S A REZONING.
I GET THAT COUNSEL HAS ITS DISCRETION, I GET ALL THAT.
BUT A LOT OF THE REVIEWS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE.
SO WHY DO YOU NEED THE FULL 30 DAYS? YOU CAN JUST COPY AND PASTE 'CAUSE NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
AND WE CAN LOOK AT ACTUALLY AMENDING THE, THAT DEADLINE OR THAT TIMEFRAME.
YOU'RE EXACTLY CORRECT TO SHORTEN THAT REVIEW.
AND THIS WILL APPLY TO THE V PROPERTIES.
WILL THIS ALSO, UH, APPLY FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
UHHUH, THE WHOLE UNIVERSE OF SITE PLANS, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, VM U2, ALL OF THOSE, IT APPLIES TO THAT WHOLE WHOLE UNIVERSE.
AND WE ARE STILL WORKING OUT OUR PROCESS.
SO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, WE ARE STILL WORKING OUT OUR PROCESS AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
WHY DO YOU NEED THE WHOLE 30 DAYS TO REVIEW WHEN YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THE REVIEW? RIGHT.
AND, AND I THINK IN SOME INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE GONE THROUGH A REZONE, BUT LET'S SAY THEY OWNED, UH, A CS PROPERTY AND WE PASSED RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL AND BOOM, THEY HAD RESIDENTIAL ENTITLEMENTS.
AND THAT'S PART OF OUR UNIVERSE THAT IS GONNA GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND SO WE WILL WORK ON AMENDING, OF COURSE WE HAVE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS FOR NOTIFICATION, RIGHT? THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
WE WILL DO DUAL NOTIFICATIONS FOR PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL IF THERE'S POSTPONEMENTS ALONG THE WAY.
OF COURSE THERE'S NOTHING STAFF CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
BUT WE WILL LOOK AT, FOR THESE PROPERTIES THAT FALL WITHIN THIS UNIVERSE, WE WILL LOOK AT, UM, WAYS THAT WE CAN SHORTEN THE REVIEW BECAUSE THESE PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN REVIEWED.
WELL I APPRECIATE, UH, THAT, I THINK THAT'S GREAT WORK.
COULD YOU JUST CLARIFY WHICH UNIVERSE AGAIN? SO IT'S THE UNIVERSE OF, SO IF I, WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS, UM, ONES, UM, UH, PROPERTIES THAT REZONE TO VM U2.
SO WE'VE HAD PROPERTIES THAT JUST COME IN AND REZONE TO THE MU TWO THAT IS GOING TO BE IN THE UNIVERSE.
THEY'VE BEEN REVIEWED, THEY'VE BEEN VOTED ON BY COUNSEL.
UM, IN THE STAFF REPORTS, WE'LL SAY THAT THIS PROPERTY CAME IN, IT WAS VOTED ON BY COUNSEL, UM, ORDINANCE NUMBER, WHATEVER.
WE'LL HAVE THAT IN THE STAFF REPORT.
SO IT'S THE VMU TWO THEN IT'S SITE PLANS.
AND WE HAVE TWO UNIVERSE THAT I, I'M SPEAKING OFF THE CUFF, BUT I KNOW WE HAVE, OR I'M GONNA JUST USE THIS TERMINOLOGY.
IF YOU HAD A V ON YOUR PROPERTY AND YOU'VE GOT THE V IN, I DON'T KNOW, 2012 OR 2013, YOU COULD HAVE JUST DONE A SITE PLAN FOR VM U2.
THOSE WILL BE IN THIS UNIVERSE BECAUSE VM U2.
THEN WE ALSO HAVE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER OUR ALTERED JUST SPOKE TO.
AND THAT WAS JUST A SITE PLAN THAT, SO IF YOU HAD, I'M JUST GONNA MAKE UP GR ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU COULD HAVE DONE A SITE PLAN FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL FOR MULTI-FAMILY.
THOSE WILL BE IN THIS UNIVERSE BECAUSE RESIDENT, WE NO LONGER HAVE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL.
SO THOSE TWO SITE PLANS AND THEN VM U2 RESOUNDING.
SO THOSE WOULD BE EXPEDITING THE REVIEW FOR PROPERTY PROJECTS THAT KIND OF GOT CAUGHT.
UM, THE TWO DECISION UHHUH PROCESS.
MM-HMM
NOW THOSE PROPERTIES HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH THE REZONING, BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE IN THE LAWSUIT, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT EXPEDITING THOSE AS WELL AND THEY ARE WILL BE IN THE UNIVERSE OF FEES.
BUT, UM, WITH RESPECT TO RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, WHERE THE IDEA WAS WE WANTED TO ENCOURAGE THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL, JUST LIKE WITH VM U2, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH A ZONING CHANGE.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO WHATEVER THE NEW VM U2 CATEGORY IS.
BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO A ZONING CHANGE.
SO IF THAT'S UM, IF THEY WANT TO HAVE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL, YEAH.
SO IS THAT, IF THAT IS ADDING A B TO YOUR ZONING STREAM, UM, MAYBE IT'S JUST THE VMU ONE 'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE THAT IF THAT'S ADDING THE DB 90, IF THAT'S ADDING JUST THE MU I MEAN WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
BUT THERE'S IN THAT UNIVERSE YOU WOULD HAVE TO GET A RESO.
UM, MAYBE IN OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION WE CAN TALK ABOUT OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE THERE FOR THAT.
UM, BECAUSE WHEN WE DID DO RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL, THERE WERE SOME THAT, THAT WAS THE LOW HANGING FRUIT WHERE WE COULD GET A LOT MORE RESIDENTIAL CAPACITY WAS MAKING THAT BY.
AND OBVIOUSLY WITH THE RULES WE CAN'T DO THAT, BUT CORRECT.
BUT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER VA I'LL CALLING YOU TO CLOSE.
AND SO, UM, JUST AS A CONTINUATION OF THE, I THINK THIS, UH, QUESTION IS FOR MS. BODAY.
[01:05:01]
AND SO AS A CONTINUATION OF, OF, UM, THE LINE OF QUESTION IN THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, A ALTER, UM, BROUGHT UP EARLIER AROUND THESE SPECIFIC PARKING, UM, CONSIDERATIONS WITHIN THE, UM, E TODD CONVERSATION, I AM, I MEAN, RECOGNIZING THAT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE SPECIFICALLY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, UM, HAVE BEEN SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED.UM, AND SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT BETWEEN NOW AND THURSDAY, IS THERE SPACE FOR US TO RECONSIDER, UM, THAT BEING, THAT RECOMMENDATION BEING CONSIDERED? AGAIN, IT ESSENTIALLY WHAT I'M SAYING IS COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE AND I, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZE THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE GONNA BE INTENSE AND ROBUST.
AND, UM, WE REALLY TRIED TO KIND OF, UM, CIRCUMVENT OVERWHELMING STAFF BY, YOU KNOW, USING, UTILIZING RATHER ONE OF THE RESOURCES LIKE A ULI AND A TAP, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ADDRESS THIS WHOLE ISSUE.
AND NOW IT'S, IT'S LIKE, UM, I, I GUESS I'M JUST CONFUSED HOW, HOW IT HAPPENED THAT WE WENT FROM A PLACE WHERE I THOUGHT ON FRIDAY WE WERE IN ONE SPOT, BUT BY TUESDAY WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT SPOT.
AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT CAN CHANGE AGAIN BEFORE THURSDAY BECAUSE A PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR SPECIFIC REASONS AS IT APPLIES TO THE
COUNCIL MEMBER, VERONICA BRI, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UH, WE HAVE HEARD THE DISCUSSION ON THAT.
I, UH, POINT THAT YOU ARE BRINGING UP AS WELL AS THE OTHER RECOMMENDED AMENDMENTS AND, UM, CONVERSATION.
WE WILL ADDRESS EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY AND WE WILL BE PREPARED ON THURSDAY TO ADD ANY LANGUAGE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO, INTO THE, TO THE DECISION THAT Y'ALL MAKE.
SO WE WILL BE AT HERE WITH LANGUAGE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER IF THE DAS CHOOSES TO PUT LANGUAGE BACK INTO THE RESOLUTION.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE SO MUCH CONSIDERATION WENT INTO IT CONTEXTUALLY.
YOU KNOW, WE REALLY HAD A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM EVERYBODY WHO WAS APPROPRIATE TO HAVE HAD FEEDBACK FROM INCLUDING DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDERS AS WE WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND DOWNTOWN PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
SO I MEAN, WE DIDN'T COME TO THE CONCLUSION LIGHTLY WHAT THE LANGUAGE SHOULD LOOK LIKE IN ORDER TO GET MAXIMUM YIELD AND, AND THE BEST POSSIBLE RESULTS.
I APPRECIATE THAT FLEXIBILITY.
YES, AND I'M SORRY WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY PASS OUT THE AMENDMENT ON THE PRESERVING VERSUS THE, UH, I'M SO GLAD FOR YOU TO SAY THAT.
I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER NOW ABOUT WHAT I COULDN'T FIND.
WE'LL, WE'LL POST IT ON THE, ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, UH, AND, AND I'LL KIND OF RESTATE WHAT I, WHAT I SAID RIGHT NOW, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
UH, AND I ALSO, UH, I KNOW WE'RE ALWAYS UP HERE TELLING STAFF TO DO THIS, DO THAT.
UH, THEY DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB YES.
ON THE ETOD AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND, AND, AND SAY THAT 'CAUSE UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UH, REALLY GOOD WORK.
THE, THE, THE HALF MILE, UH, AREA THAT THEY, UH, THAT THEY HAVE TO DEFINED OUT, UH, LINES UP PERFECTLY WITH, UM, THE, THE FEDERAL, UH, REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING THE PARTY EXTENSIONS ALSO I THOUGHT WAS A EXTREMELY IMPORTANT STEP.
SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU TO, UM, UH, MS.
BUT AGAIN, JUST REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, Y'ALL'S TIMES AND EFFORT AND I THINK WE HAVE A A, A GOOD ORDINANCE, UH, WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
[E. Executive Session]
TO GO INTO A, A CLOSED SESSION AND I'M GONNA ANNOUNCE THAT, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, UH, I WANT TO LET OUR, THE FOLKS TO DO OUR SOUND SYSTEM AND, UH, I THINK THAT SINCE WE CAME IN IN THE NEW YEAR AND CHANGED THE SOUND SYSTEM, IT'S MORE DIFFICULT FOR US ON THE DAIS TO HEAR.NOW THAT MICROPHONE IS REALLY A GREAT MICROPHONE.
THAT, THAT ONE I CAN ALWAYS HEAR.
BUT WHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE SPEAKING, IT'S SOMETIMES DIFFICULT.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN COUNCIL VELA AND I, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S 'CAUSE HE'S FURTHER AWAY, UH, BUT WHEN COUNCILMAN VELA SPEAKS AND THEN I I AT THE, THIS END OF THE DIOCESE, THEY WERE ALSO RAISING THAT QUESTION OR THAT ISSUE A MINUTE AGO.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT Y'ALL EXPERIMENT A LITTLE BIT WITH THAT.
UH, IT MAY BE THAT ONE OF THE SPEAKERS NEEDS TO BE TURNED IN JUST A SLIGHT WAY TOWARD THE DAIS.
I LEAVE THAT TO Y'ALL, BUT I JUST, I WANTED TO CALL THAT OUT WITH THAT.
THE, UH, MEMBERS WITH THAT OBJECTION, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL GO INTO A CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP TWO ITEMS. IT WAS NOT JUST PUT BACK ON PURSUANT TO 5 5 1 0 71 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO ITEM E ONE DIRTY MARTIN'S, ED AL VERSUS MAYOR KIRK WATSON, ED AL CAUSE NUMBER D ONE GN 2 3 8 1 5 IN THE FOUR 55TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS.
[01:10:01]
AIA ET AL VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN ET AL.CAUSE NUMBER D ONE GN 19 8 6 1 7 IN THE 201ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION IS COMPLETED, I WILL COME OUT AND, UH, ANNOUNCE THE ADJOURNMENT OF THIS WORK SESSION.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IS ADJOURNED FROM THIS JANUARY 30TH COUNCIL WORK SESSION.