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I'LL CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FOR A WORK SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
WE ARE MEETING AT CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WHICH ARE LOCATED IN AUSTIN CITY HALL AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN.
UM, WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PRESENT MEMBERS.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO, UM, UNLESS THERE'S SOME OBJECTION, IS WE WILL START WITH ITEMS THAT, UH,
[C. Council Items of Interest]
ARE ITEMS, UH, COUNCIL ITEMS OF INTEREST, WHICH ARE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED FOR DISCUSSION THIS MORNING.UH, THE ORDER I WOULD GO IN AS ITEM 25, ITEM 43, AND THEN ITEM 14.
AND ONCE WE'VE COMPLETED THOSE, THEN WE WILL GO TO BRIEFINGS.
THOSE ARE LABELED ON THE AGENDA AS ITEMS B ONE, WHICH IS AN UPDATE ON SHELTERS AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND ITEM B TWO, WHICH IS THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, WITH THAT, WE WILL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 25.
THAT ITEM WAS PULLED BY, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM POOL, AND SO I'LL RECOGNIZE MAYOR PRO TEM POOL.
AND, UM, I PULLED THIS TO TALK ABOUT MY AMENDMENT AND TO BRING UP, UM, SOME DIRECTION THAT I WANTED TO OFFER REGARDING BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE PROCESS.
AND I SEE THAT OUR, UM, OUR CFO MR. VINO IS HERE WITH US TODAY.
I NOTICED THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER HAS INCORPORATED THE CHANGES THAT I WANTED TO MAKE WITH REGARD TO EXPANDING BONDS BEYOND GENERAL OBLIGATION TO INCLUDE REVENUE BONDS AND INCLUDING GRANTS THAT HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE NEW VERSION.
UM, ALONG WITH OTHER AMENDMENTS FROM THE DIOCESE, I, I THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND AS FOR THE BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE, UM, CITY MANAGER, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO BRING US MORE INFORMATION ON THAT PROCESS.
AS I MENTIONED IN MY MESSAGE BOARD POST THE PROCESS IS SPECIFIC TO GEO BONDS, AND I'D LIKE TO, UM, TALK ABOUT THE, UH, BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE ISSUE.
AND, UM, SO I'VE TALKED WITH ED AND HE'S READY TO CONFIRM THAT HE AND DIRECTOR SNOW ARE WORKING ON A MEMO.
COULD YOU KIND OF LAY THAT OUT FOR US, PLEASE? SURE, YEAH.
UH, JAMES SNOW, OUR CAPITAL DELIVERY OFFICE DIRECTOR, AND I HAVE ALREADY HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PROVIDING INFORMATION TO COUNSEL ABOUT WHAT A TYPICAL BOND, UM, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT CYCLE WOULD LOOK LIKE, INCLUDING TASK FORCE, COMMUNITY INPUT, ET CETERA.
SO THAT'S ALREADY IN THE, IN THE WORKS AND SOMETHING WE WERE PLANNING ON PRESENTING TO COUNSEL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAY HELP US THINK THROUGH THE, UH, THE, THE, THE RESOLUTION BEFORE US.
I MEAN, THAT WON'T BE COMING BEFORE THURSDAY, BUT WE'VE BEEN, WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMARK ABOUT AND FOCUS ON THE BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE, BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE THE INPUT OF THE CITIZENS IN A REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, EFFORT, WHICH IS, UH, CRAFTING BOND PROPOSALS.
SO CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR, I DON'T THINK I NEED TO BRING ANY DIRECTION BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, THE STAFF AT THE CITY MANAGER'S DIRECTION IS ALREADY ON TOP OF THAT.
AND LET ME, BUT I, I MIGHT WANNA FOLLOW UP AND, AND MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GONNA BE IN THE MEMO.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, JUST MY EXPERIENCE OF WHAT WE DO ON BOND ELECTIONS.
USUALLY WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, 16 TO 18 MONTH PROCESS, AT LEAST A YEAR PROCESS ON SOMETHING.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE AUTHOR CONTEMPLATES WITH REGARD TO THIS ITEM, UH, BEING ON A BALLOT SOONER THAN THAT.
BUT I WOULD, I WOULD APPRECIATE IN WHATEVER THE MEMO DOES IS THAT IT ALSO INCLUDE INFORMATION RELATED TO THAT.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO, UH, BRING SOMETHING IN A, IN A VERY RAPID FASHION THAT IS OUT OF SYNC WITH THE WAY WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST, I THINK THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC OUGHT TO, TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
AND THEN, AND, AND THEN MY, MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UH, RELATED TO WHETHER THE MEMO WILL ALSO TALK IN TERMS OF THE ABILITY OF THE CITY TO MANAGE BOND CAPACITY, BECAUSE IT WAS JUST RECENTLY, IN FACT, SINCE THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER CAME ON, THAT THERE WAS A RECOGNITION THAT WE HAD SO MANY BOND ELECTIONS IN SUCH A RAPID FASHION THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THE CIP PROJECTS DONE IN A, IN A WAY THAT WAS ORGANIZED WELL.
AND SO THIS, UH, MR. SNOW'S OFFICE, UH, WAS PART OF THAT.
WILL, THIS MEMO THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WILL IT ALSO, UH, SPEAK TO THE ABILITY TO MANAGE ANY NEW BONDS, UH, AND HOW, HOW WE WOULD APPROPRIATELY
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AS A COUNCIL GO ABOUT MEASURING OUR CAPACITY TO DO THAT? SURE.UM, YEAH, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY INCLUDE THAT.
WE'VE MADE SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS TO THE AUDIT FINANCE COMMITTEE, BOTH MYSELF ON THE, UH, ON THE FINANCE SIDE, THE BOND CAPACITY SIDE, AND, UH, DIRECTOR SNOW'S ALSO MADE PRESENTATIONS TO, UH, THE AUDIT FINANCE COMMITTEE ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF BONDS WE HAVE AND THE PLAN FOR GETTING THOSE SPENT DOWN.
SO WE HAD THAT INFORMATION, HAPPY TO INCLUDE IT IN THE MEMO.
DO YOU EVER, UH, AS PART OF THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THINGS SUCH AS, UM, THE CAPACITY FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY? IN OTHER WORDS, THE, THE, THE, THE WORKFORCE THAT WE WILL NEED IN ORDER TO MEET, UH, WHAT WE'VE TOLD THE PUBLIC WE'RE GOING TO DO FOR BASICALLY A DECADE NOW WHERE WE'RE NOW UP TO, UH, SEVERAL BILLION DOLLARS IN, IN, IN NEED THAT THEY'VE APPROVED? DO YOU LOOK AT THAT AS WELL? UH, WE HAVEN'T TRADITIONALLY, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT RECENTLY WITH ALL THE WORK GOING ON AT THE AIRPORT WITH THE AUTHORIZED BUT UNISSUED BONDS, UH, CAP AND STITCH, UH, THE, THE PROJECT CONNECT, WE HAVE A LOT OF CAPITAL WORK HAPPENING IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WE ABSOLUTELY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE, THE CAPACITY OF THE, OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE TO DELIVER THAT.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT, AND I THINK WE WILL NEED TO CONSIDER IT GOING AHEAD JUST IN THE, HISTORICALLY IT'S NOT BEEN AN ISSUE.
AND MAYOR, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD ADD ALSO THAT, UH, AND I, NOT TO BE CRITICAL OF THE PAST, BUT I'VE ASKED THE STAFF TO BE, TO DEVELOP, ASK THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO DO THE, THE CRITICAL WORK THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE SO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT PROGRAMS ARE GONNA COST, WHAT TYPE OF BONDED DEBTEDNESS WE NEED TO TAKE ON THE CAPACITY OF US TO BE ABLE TO PAY OFF THAT DEBT.
AND AS WELL AS WHAT YOU JUST ASKED, WHICH IS TO ENSURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE CAPACITY IN THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT WORK DONE.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE ABOUT, I MAY BE WRONG WITH THIS NUMBER, BUT IT'S ABOUT $1.7 BILLION OF UNISSUED DEBT.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T, DON'T HAVE THE, THE PHYSICAL CAPACITY AS AN ORGANIZATION TO TAKE ON THAT DEBT AND GET IT DONE IN A, IN A WAY THAT, UH, MEETS THE COMMUNITY INTEREST AS WELL AS THE NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC.
THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WILL INCLUDE IN THIS COMMUNICATION FOR THE COUNCIL TO DEBATE AND DISCUSS.
JUST TWO MORE QUICK THINGS THAT ONE WOULD BE, UH, THAT I WOULD, I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, BUT I'M CERTAINLY INTERESTED IN IS, IS WHAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF HOW WE PRIORITIZE THINGS IN MR. SNOW'S OFFICE AND DEPARTMENT WHEN WE, WHEN THE PUBLIC'S BEEN TOLD YOU'RE GOING TO GET SOMETHING OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, AND THEN IN A VERY RAPID FASHION WE DROP ANOTHER, UH, BOND ELECTION ON THAT.
HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT PRIORITIZING, PARTICULARLY WITH THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, HAS BEEN A PRIORITY OF THE COUNCIL.
WE'VE, THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE GREAT WORK, I THINK IN THE LAST, UH, 13 MONTHS ON, ON MOVING THINGS IN, IN THAT DIRECTION.
BUT HOW, HOW DOES THE PRIORITIZATION OCCUR? AND I DON'T ASK YOU TO ANSWER NOW, BUT THAT'D BE SOMETHING THAT I'D ALSO BE INTERESTED IN.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS WE AIN'T THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN.
UH, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, AIS D'S HAD A BOND ELECTION, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, HOW THAT WOULD PLAY IN THE OVERALL APPROACH THAT WE MIGHT HAVE.
UH, I, I WOULD ASK THAT THAT BE PART OF THAT, THAT DI DIRECTION AND MEMO AS WELL.
MANAGER COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION.
UH, ONE ALSO REQUEST AS WE GO THROUGH THIS MEMO THAT IS GONNA BE COMING OUT, UM, IF YOU COULD INCLUDE OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES AS IT RELATES TO OUR, UM, DEBT TO ASSESSED PROPERTY TAX RATIO, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE STATE CAP OF THAT IS A 10% CAP.
WE HAVE SET A FINANCIAL POLICY OF 2%, BUT THAT WE CURRENTLY FIND OURSELVES UNDER 1%.
SO WE ARE WELL, UH, WITHIN OUR OWN FINANCIAL POLICIES.
AND SO I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL FOR US TO INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
UM, I ALSO KIND OF WANNA LOOK BACK, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS NECESSARILY A QUESTION FOR YOU, UH, OR NOT, BUT AS WE LOOK, UH, AT THE BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK IN, IN 2016 WHEN WE HAD OUR MILL MOBILITY BOND, UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT TASK FORCE BECAUSE WE HAD THE PLANS IN PLACE AND, AND WE WENT FORWARD WITH THE BOND PACKAGE IN 2020 WHEN WE HAD, UH, A SEPARATE MOBILITY BOND.
SAME STORY, NO BOND TASK FORCE.
UH, WE MOVED FORWARD THERE AND IN 2022 WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND.
UH, SO WHAT, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, I DON'T BELIEVE IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE MANY TIMES.
UH, I BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE, I THINK IS INCREDIBLY VALUABLE FOR THE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IN, IN 2026 AS IT RELATES TO A, A COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE.
[00:10:01]
I THINK, UH, WE HAVE SEEN WHEN WE DO INDIVIDUAL, UH, BONDS THAT WE HAVE DONE, UH, HAVE NOT USED THAT PROCESS.IS THAT THAT CORRECT FROM YOUR RECOLLECTION? THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, 2012, WE DID A BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE ALSO IN 2018.
THOSE ARE MULTI PROPOSITION BONDS WITH MOBILITY PROJECTS, PARKS PROJECTS, LIBRARY PROJECTS, PUBLIC SAFETY PROJECTS.
AND SO THERE IS, YOU KNOW, THAT TUG OF WAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH BONDING CAPACITY, HOW MUCH DO WE WANT TO SPEND IN THOSE ADDITIONAL BUCKETS? THAT DYNAMIC KIND OF GOES AWAY WHEN IT'S AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND AND IT, AND, AND, RIGHT.
THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF THAT, THAT TUG OF WAR AND MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT WHICH PRIOR, WHICH THINGS DO WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE.
AND THAT REALLY WAS THE FOCUS OF THE MEMO WAS, YOU KNOW, STAFF'S DISCUSSION ABOUT LOOKING FORWARD TO A 2026 BOND CYCLE.
UM, THAT'S TIMING WISE AND WE'LL GET THIS IN THE MEMO, BUT THAT'S WHAT DIRECTOR SNOW IS SAYING WHEN HE STARTS TO SEE WHEN SOME OF THESE BUCKETS ARE GONNA RUN OUTTA MONEY, UH, 2026 BOND PROGRAM WOULD WORK NICELY IN THAT, FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
AND I KNOW HE'S ENVISIONING, UH, UH, A LONGER AND VERY IN DEPTH PROCESS TO GET US THERE.
AND AS WE LOOK AT THE QUESTION OF, OF ISSUING BONDS AND AND PRIORITIZATION, THERE IS NO REASON WHY A BOND PACKAGE PASSED IN 2022, FOR INSTANCE, CAN'T.
UH, IF WE'RE READY TO SPEND SOME OF THOSE OR, OR WE'RE READY TO DO SOME OF THE PROJECTS WITHIN THAT BOND, WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR ALL THE 2020 BONDS TO BE ISSUED TO THEN DO 2022.
WE CAN ISSUE THEM CONCURRENTLY.
IS THAT CORRECT? WE CAN ISSUE THEM CONCURRENTLY AS THEY'RE READY.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE SAME STORY HERE.
IF, IF WE ARE TALKING IN THE FUTURE AND TODAY WE'RE NOT, UM, DEDICATING OURSELVES, RIGHT, ESPECIALLY ON THURSDAY TO ANY, UH, BOND IN 24, WE'RE ASKING THE QUESTION OF WHAT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR, FOR SUCH A MECHANISM.
BUT THESE ARE GOING TO BE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN ALL LIKELIHOODS DIFFERENT FROM OUR MOBILITY BONDS, FROM OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BONDS, AND SO THEY CAN RUN CONCURRENTLY.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE HAVE TO SAY, WELL, WE CAN ONLY DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING BONDS, WE CAN ONLY DO MOBILITY BONDS.
WE CAN, WE CAN BE, UH, A FULL PURPOSE CITY.
SO, UH, I I THINK THAT IS HELPFUL IN, IN LOOKING AT, I DUNNO IF THAT FACTORS INTO TO THE INFORMATION YOU'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING, BUT JUST, UM, WANT TO, TO MAKE THAT NOTE.
AND I THINK, OH, I THINK THERE'S ONE LAST, AND THIS IS, SORRY, NOT A QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT JUST AS WE TALK ABOUT, UM, PROCESS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ADVISORY TASK FORCE PROCESS IS A VERY VALUABLE TOOL TO SOLICIT PUBLIC INFORMATION.
UH, THAT'S WHY, AND AS WE TALK MORE ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE OF ITEM 25, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE WHERE THE PUBLIC HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN AND HAVE THAT PUBLIC PROCESS.
AND I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT THIS IS, UH, A LENGTHIER TIME PROCESS AND A MORE, UH, INCLUSIVE PUBLIC PROCESS THAN WE SAW, LET'S SAY, FOR THE AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND IN, IN 2022.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, KICKING THAT PROCESS OFF TODAY AND ON THURSDAY.
UH, AND I'M HAPPY TO, TO HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSION.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND MAYOR PRO TEM.
COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE AS COUNCIL, AS A POLICY MAKING BODY HAVE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE SO THAT WE CAN BE MAKING THESE DECISIONS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY.
WE KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD TWO SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND KNOWING THAT THIS BOND PROPOSITION IS, IS INSTRUMENTAL IN US BEING ABLE TO HAVE A MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AS IT COMES TO OUR WATER, OUR ENERGY, AND OUR AIR QUALITY.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST, A FEW DAYS AGO WE WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION AT CAMPO REGARDING US VEERING CLO CLOSE TO BEING IN NON-ATTAINMENT AND OUR AIR QUALITY.
SO HAVING THIS INFORMATION, US BEING ABLE TO MAKE, UH, PLANS AND PUT INTO MOTION POLICIES THAT GET OUR CITY IN A BETTER FOOTING AS WE DEAL WITH THESE LARGE SCALE INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT WILL BE HAPPENING OVER THE NEXT STATE, OVER THE NEXT DECADE IN AUSTIN IS IMPORTANT.
SO I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, CUSTOMER AL ALTER AND, AND I THINK BACK TO THE COUNCIL OF 2020, UM, WHEN THEY PUT FORWARD THAT MOBILITY BOND AND THERE WAS, UH, A LOT OF NAYSAYERS ON THE PROCESS AND HOW THAT WENT THROUGH.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT BOND HELPED COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE ON THE EAST SIDE WHO FINALLY GOT MUCH NEEDED FUNDING TO BRING IMPROVEMENTS TO ROSS ROAD AND PIERCE LANE.
SO I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE ARE GOING TO GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO OUR CITY ADMINISTRATORS ABOUT HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH EITHER A 2024 BOND ELECTION OR PERHAPS A FUTURE ONE.
THANK YOU COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR PRO, TIM, AND MAYOR.
I GUESS I WOULD JUST CLOSE TO ALSO OFFER THE IMPORTANCE, UM, IN THE CONVERSATION OF INCLUDING OUR, UH, GOVERNMENTAL PARTNERS, UM, AND ALLOWING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE TIME NECESSARY
[00:15:01]
TO THINK THROUGH WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE, UH, FOR FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN WAYS THAT CAN, UH, AUGMENT AND ENHANCE THE WORK THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS DOING.WE TALK A LOT ABOUT HOW, UH, WE DON'T WANNA BE, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN.
AND MAYOR, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, THE OTHER ENTITIES ARE ALSO DOING IMPORTANT WORK AND NEED TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION AS WELL SO THAT THE FINANCIAL BURDEN DOESN'T FALL SOLELY ON THE SHOULDERS AND ON THE WALLETS OF THE CITY TAXPAYERS.
SO THE TASK FORCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO BRING ALL OF THOSE VOICES TO THE TABLE AND GIVE US TIME TO, UM, UH, PIECE THROUGH THEM AND THREAD THROUGH THEM AND FIND THE RIGHT BALANCES, WHICH I KNOW WE WILL.
THANKS, MAYOR PRO, TIM, ANY OTHER ON ITEM 25? GREAT, THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, I APOLOGIZE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, VERY WELL.
UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY I THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE CLIMATE AND RESILIENCE RELATED INVESTMENTS.
AND I HAVE LONG, UM, SUPPORTED THESE APPROACHES AS I'M UNDERSTANDING MY COLLEAGUE, RYAN AL ALTER, WHO BROUGHT THIS FORWARD.
UM, THIS IS INITIATING A CONVERSATION SO THAT WE CAN ACCELERATE THE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE VERY MUCH NEEDED.
UM, A BOND IS ONE MECHANISM THAT IS OFFERED AS A WAY FORWARD, BUT THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT WE NEED TO BE MAKING AND LOOKING AT, UM, AND CHANGES THAT WE CAN BE DOING THAT WOULD, UM, ADVANCE THIS IF, IF A BOND DOES NOT PROVE TO BE THE BEST WAY FORWARD, UM, I THINK THAT THIS IS WORTH, DEFINITELY WORTH EXPLORING.
UM, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO DO MORE THAN HAVE THESE PLANS ON A SHELF, AND THERE IS MUCH MORE FOR US TO BE DOING.
I DO ALSO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, UM, ON THE RESOLUTION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RAISE.
UM, FIRST, UM, I APPRECIATE YOU ADOPTING, UM, MY AMENDMENTS INTO YOUR DRAFT.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
UM, I WOULD ASK THAT, UM, WE NOT ADD SUCH AS A COMBINED INVENTORY OF PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS INTO THE MIDDLE OF MY BE IT RESOLVED THAT HAD TO DO WITH INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION.
UM, THIS, UM, BE IT RESOLVED DERIVES FROM PRIOR ATTEMPTS, BOTH IN THE EMERGENCY CLIMATE EMERGENCY RESOLUTION, WHICH I AUTHORED, AND THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN RESOLUTION IMPLEMENTATION RESOLUTION THAT I AUTHORED.
UM, WE REALLY, REALLY NEED TO HAVE INTERDEPARTMENTAL, UM, LEADERSHIP AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL FOCUSED AND SUSTAINED LOOKING AT CLIMATE ISSUES.
UM, WHILE I BELIEVE A COMBINED INVENTORY OF THE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE VALUABLE, UM, I DON'T THINK IT IS THE SAME THING.
I'M GONNA TRY AND PROPOSE SOME OTHER, UM, WORDING TO IT.
UM, MY BEST ATTEMPT AT THIS POINT WOULD BE TO REMOVE THAT CLAUSE IN MY INITIAL, UM, UH, BE IT RESOLVED AND ADD A SENTENCE AT THE END.
SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF THESE ACTIONS SHOULD REFLECT PRIOR DIRECTION ON LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION AND MAY ALSO INCLUDE A COMBINED INVENTORY OF PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, BUT WE WILL PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND POST THAT TO THE MESSAGE BOARD.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT I APPRECIATE, UH, CO COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS ADDING THE LONG RANGE PLAN FOR PARD INTO THIS.
UM, I HAD ASSUMED THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UM, BUT I APPRECIATE IT BEING CALLED OUT.
UM, AND THEN I DID HAVE A QUESTION, I'M NOT TOTALLY SURE I'M FULLY UNDERSTANDING COUNCIL MEMBER VELAS AMENDMENT WITH RESPECT TO PRIORITIZING THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROGRAMS THAT WOULD MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, TAX REDUCTION ACT TAX CREDITS.
UM, IT'S THE SECOND PART OF THAT, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVE THAT I'M NOT TOTALLY SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING WHERE IT SAYS, DEVELOP A MECHANISM FOR REINVESTMENT OF REIMBURSEMENT FROM SUCH CREDITS INTO SIMILARLY CLIMATE FOCUSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND PROGRAMS WHERE APPROPRIATE.
UM, SO COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE, THE SECOND HALF, OBVIOUSLY WE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT PRIORITIZING THINGS THAT CAN BRING DOWN THAT MONEY.
UM, BUT THE SECOND HALF I WAS NOT FULLY CERTAIN WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO GET AT.
UH, MAYOR, UH, THE IDEA WOULD BE, AGAIN, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY WE SPEND A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ON, UH, ON A PROGRAM THAT THE IRA WILL REIMBURSE US, UH, $50 MILLION.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, INSTEAD OF WHEN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DO THIS UNDER THE IRA, THEY GET CASH, THEY GET DIRECT CASH TRANSFERS, NOT TAX CREDITS.
UH, SO THE IDEA WOULD BE, LET'S SAY WE DO A HUNDRED MILLION
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DOLLARS PROJECT, WE GET $50 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, THEN THE, THAT $50 MILLION AGAIN, WHERE APPROPRIATE SHOULD BE REDIRECTED TOWARD SIMILAR KIND OF GOALS.YOU KNOW, THAT THAT BASICALLY LIKE IF, IF WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ON RENEWABLE ENERGY, IF WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ON, ON, ON, UH, A DEMAND RESPONSE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THAT THAT THAT'S KIND OF ADDITIONAL LEVERAGE TO REALLY MAKE, UH, UH, TO GROW THE PROGRAM TO, AND AGAIN, WHERE APPROPRIATE.
WE THREW THAT INTO JUST THE IDEA OF BEING THAT, THAT WE COULD EITHER TAKE THE REIMBURSEMENT AND HOLD IT OR WE COULD GET AN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN WHATEVER PARTICULAR AREA WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO THAT IS MONEY THAT WOULD BE COMING IN THROUGH THE IRA THROUGH THE NEW PROCESSES THAT ALLOW US TO BENEFIT INSTEAD OF TAX CREDITS SINCE WE DON'T PAY TAXES.
MM-HMM,
SO WE WOULD DECIDE WHETHER THAT MONEY SHOULD BE REINVESTED IN OTHER CLIMATE INITIATIVES OR JUST BE PUT THAT THAT'S RIGHT.
AND AGAIN, THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT AGAIN, IF WE SPENT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ON, LIKE I SAID, RENEWABLE ENERGY, UH, AND WE GET $50 MILLION, THAT COULD BE $150 MILLION INVESTMENT AS OPPOSED TO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS INVESTMENT.
UM, WELL, I VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING, UM, WHERE THIS PROCESS, UM, THAT MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, UM, WHERE THIS PROCESS LEADS US.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR INVESTMENT THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.
I THINK THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO BE ASKING OUR NEW CITY MANAGER TO REALLY, UM, ZERO IN ON SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE ISSUES.
UM, AND SO I THINK THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING WAY TO BEGIN THAT PROCESS OF EMPHASIZING THAT, UM, GOAL.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN, UH, GOING ON THIS MORNING AND APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER'S LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, AS WE WERE DEVELOPING THE 2020 MOBILITY BOND, WHICH I SPONSORED, ONE OF THE MAIN CONVERSATIONS WAS THAT WE HAD THESE CITY PLANS THAT HAD AMPLE STAKEHOLDER INPUT THROUGHOUT MANY, MANY YEARS AND JUST KNEW THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO HIT THE DEADLINES THAT WERE SUBSCRIBED IN THOSE.
AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IN THAT WE WERE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT BALANCING, UM, THOSE PRE-APPROVED PLANS WITH ANY NEW PROJECTS THAT MAY COME DOWN THE LINE PROJECT CONNECT BEING ONE OF THEM, AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE TAX REFERENDUM ELECTION MONEY FOR PROJECT CONNECT AND WHERE THINGS WERE VERY, VERY DEFINITELY IN THE CITY'S PURVIEW AND ON CITY RIGHT OF WAY.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT QUESTIONS BEING ADDRESSED TODAY, AND I KNOW THAT IT WILL BE A VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION BETWEEN US ON THE DAIS AND, AND OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AS WE MOVE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
WE'VE ALWAYS GOTTA BALANCE THE PRIORITIES OF HOW DO, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THE BONDS VOTERS HAVE ALREADY APPROVED OR BEING DELIVERED INTO THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE EXPECTED THEM.
SOME OF THEM, INCLUDING 51ST STREET, I THINK HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS SINCE 2012 OR MAYBE EVEN 2006.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT JUST NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING.
WE'RE STILL IN MID-FEBRUARY AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS IS GONNA HOLD FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTA CONTINUALLY BALANCE LOOKING BEHIND US AND DOING BETTER AND LOOKING AHEAD OF US AND TRYING TO BE PREPARED FOR THE WORST OF IT, WHICH WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, THESE WINTER STORMS JUST KEEP GETTING MORE CREATIVE.
THEY KEEP THROWING DIFFERENT, UM, PROBLEMS AT US THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS A COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS CONVERSATION IS ROBUST.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE REALLY DETAILED AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND EVERYONE'S TRYING TO DO THE BEST TO BALANCE THE PRIORITIES OF THE COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT, COUNSEL, WE WILL GO NOW TO ITEM NUMBER 43 AND, UM, I HAVE A, I WAS THE ONE THAT PULLED THAT, SO I GUESS I'LL RECOGNIZE MYSELF, ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES I LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND IT'S NOT RECOGNIZABLE
UM, UH, THAT BEING SAID, DO YOU HAVE SOMEBODY I CAN ASK A FEW QUESTIONS OF, OF THIS? CAN I SEE SOMEBODY? I SEE ROBERT? HI.
ROBERT KING, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.
I I WANNA ASK SOME QUESTIONS JUST WHERE WE, WE FLESH OUT, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS AND KIND OF GENERALITIES FOR A WHILE, BUT I WANT TO, I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND BEFORE WE VOTE TO GO FORWARD ON, ON SOME OF IT.
HOW MANY BEDS ARE WE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT? OUR, UH, OUR PORTION OF THIS, UH, PAYING FOR 25.
[00:25:01]
OUR 2 MILLION ADDED TO OTHERS' MONEY, UH, I I, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UH, WHAT DID WE NOW CONSIDER TO BE THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE? THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER, THERE WOULD BE OUR 2 MILLION AND ANOTHER 2 MILLION, AND THAT WOULD BE FOR 25 BEDS, SO 4 MILLION FOR THE 25 BEDS.SO OUR, OUR FUNDING WOULD GO TO, UH, STANDING UP THE THERAPEUTIC RESPITE PROGRAM AT THE 15TH STREET, RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE.
UM, THE OTHER FUNDERS IN THIS PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDES TRAVIS COUNTY AND CENTRAL HEALTH, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH'S FUNDING IS PRIMARILY, OR, OR SOLELY FOR THE, UM, PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY SERVICES THROUGH INTEGRAL CARE, EXPANDING THE OPERATIONS THERE, WHICH ARE OKAY.
AND TRAVIS COUNTY'S FUNDING WILL BE SPREAD ACROSS BOTH OF THOSE, AND SO IT'S NOT THE FULL $2 MILLION FROM TRAVIS COUNTY BEING ALLOCATED.
SO OUR 2 MILLION PLUS SOME, SOME, BUT YOU'RE NOT SURE.
AND, AND, AND IT'S OKAY IF YOU, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT GETS US 20? I'M TRYING TO DO THE MATH ON HOW WE GET TO 25 BEDS.
SO WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED FROM, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY? IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT, EXCUSE ME, IT'S ABOUT 1.2 MILLION FROM TRAVIS COUNTY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO 3.2 MILLION FOR 25 BEDS? YES, SIR.
UM, IN THE CALCULATION OF THE, UH, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT OR THE AGREEMENT WITH, WITH ALL OF THE OTHERS, ARE WE GETTING ANY CREDIT FOR THE VALUE OF THE LAND? SO THE VALUE OF THE LAND AND THE, UH, WAS NOT FACTORED INTO THE OVERALL COST TO STAND UP THE DIVERSION PILOT THAT WAS VIEWED AS AN ASSET THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS FOR SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED ON SITE.
BUT IF WE AS A CITY WANTED TO UTILIZE THAT LAND FOR ANY VARIETY OF THINGS, UM, THAT WOULD, IT WOULD HAVE A VALUE TO THE CITY.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS, THAT IS TRUE.
UH, THROUGH OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE OFFICE OF REAL ESTATE, THAT VALUE IS PROPOSED ANYWHERE BETWEEN 285,000 TO $350,000 PER YEAR VALUE AT LEAST.
ARE, ARE THERE GONNA BE OTHER ENTITIES OTHER THAN THE ONES THAT I GUESS AUSTIN AND CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO REFER CLIENTS TO, TO THE DIVERSION CENTER? AND, AND I'M, I'M THINKING OF HOSPITALS, I'M THINKING ABOUT OUR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FOLKS, LIKE CAN THEY MAKE RE REFERRALS TO THIS, UH, UH, THE WAY IT'S CONTEMPLATED? THE WAY IT'S CONTEMPLATED? YES.
THERE'LL, THERE'LL BE A NUMBER OF INPUTS INTO THE SYSTEM, PRIMARILY THROUGH CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, PARTNERS AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO REFERRALS TO THIS PROGRAM WOULD COME FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, FROM EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, AS WELL AS, UH, DIVERSIONS FROM THE JAIL AS WELL, FROM CENTRAL BOOKING TO, UH, INDIVIDUAL TO IDENTIFY UP UP TO 25.
UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE MIX OF BEDS WILL BE IN, IN, IN OTHER WORDS, WILL THERE BE, UM, JUST CITY REFERRALS OR HOW, HOW THAT WILL GET, HOW WILL UTILIZE, I MEAN, HOW MANY REFERRALS DO DOES THIS GET, THIS GROUP GET? HOW MANY DOES THAT GET TO GET TO THE 25? SURE.
SO, SO THAT SPECIFIC, UM, HAS NOT BEEN DELINEATED.
THERE WILL BE A, UM, A CRITERIA THAT WILL BE ESTABLISHED WITH ALL THE PARTNERS, BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN, SO THERE, THERE'S NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA SAY RIGHT NOW THERE ARE 15 BEDS FOR THE CITY, 10 BEDS FOR ALL OTHER PARTNERS.
IT'S REALLY MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD QUALIFY FOR THE UP TO 90 DAYS OF A THERAPEUTIC RESPITE PROGRAM OF INTENSIVE INPATIENT, UM, PSYCHIATRIC CARE.
AND WILL THE, THAT LEADS ME TO THE QUESTION OF WILL THERE BE, UH, INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENTS AS PART OF THAT? IT COULD, YES.
THAT, THAT COULD BE AN INPUT, UH, INTO THIS.
SO THERE WILL BE, BUT WE DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T KNOW FROM, FROM THE STANDPOINT THAT WHEN BEDS DO, UH, BECOME AVAILABLE, IF THERE'S SOMEONE WHO IS IN NEED OF THIS TYPE OF SERVICE AND THERE IS, UM, AN INVOLUNTARY, UM, COMMITMENT THROUGH CENTRAL BOOKING THROUGH THE, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS, THEN THAT WOULD BE A REFERRAL.
BUT THERE'S ALSO VOLUNTARY, UH, REFERRALS AS WELL.
[00:30:01]
TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT OR PRIOR TO, UM, SOMEONE BEING CHARGED WITH A CRIME, IT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO HOW THE SOBERING CENTER IS CURRENTLY BEING OPERATED, WHERE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE OFFERED, UM, UH, VOLUNTARY ACCESS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THE NEED, UH, THEIR NEEDS THAT LED THEM TO, UM, THE SITUATION THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY IN.SO, BUT THAT'S, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS WE DON'T KNOW ANY OF THOSE THINGS AS WE, AS WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO THAT, THOUGH, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BEDS WOULD BE ALLOWED FOR THAT.
WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATED NEED FOR, LET'S SAY, INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENTS? SURE.
SO A LOT OF THOSE, UM, THAT INFORMATION CAME FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH REPORT.
AND SO, BUT THAT, BUT THAT REPORT ON THE DIVERSION CENTER IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THIS DIVERSION CENTER IS.
RIGHT? SO THAT, THAT REPORT SHOWED THE OVERALL COMMUNITY NEED OR THE OVERALL NEED OF THE, BUT THE RECOMMENDATION FOR A DIVERSION CENTER IS DIFFERENT.
THE STOKOWSKI REPORT THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO THAT MADE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING A DIVERSION CENTER THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IS BEING PUSHED, PUSHED FORWARD RIGHT NOW.
THERE, THERE WERE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THERE IN THE STOKOWSKI REPORT, ONE OF WHICH WAS TO UTILIZE EXISTING RESOURCES TO STAND UP A, UM, A BUT A DIFFERENT TYPE, TYPE OF DIVERSION CENTER, A DIVERSION CENTER.
IT, IT WAS REFERENCED IN THE REPORT THAT THERE'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
AND SO LOOKING AT WHAT RESOURCES EXIST IN THE COMMUNITY, AND SO ONE OF THE RESOURCES THAT WAS IDENTIFIED PRIMARILY IN THE REPORT WAS A FACILITY THAT IS CO-LOCATED WITH THE CENTRAL BOOKING COMPLEX.
SO THERE'D BE NO WRONG DOOR APPROACH.
UM, I INTERRUPTED YOU, BUT WHAT, WHAT WAS THE REPORT? REMIND ME WHAT THE REPORT SAID IN TERMS OF THE NEED.
SO I DON'T, SO IN, IN THE SAMPLE SIZE, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 2,231 POTENTIAL INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THAT SAMPLE.
SO THIS ADDRESSES ROUGHLY A 10TH.
UH, WHERE DO THE CLIENTS, WHERE, WHERE WILL THEY GO WHEN THEY'RE EXITED FROM THIS FACILITY? SO THAT, THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE FOCUSES FOR THE FUNDING THAT THE CITY, UH, IS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A SUCCESSFUL EXIT STRATEGY FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL.
AND SO SOME INDIVIDUALS MAY BE REUNITED WITH FAMILY MEMBERS, SOME MAY BE, UM, HOUSED PRIOR TO INTO THIS PROGRAM.
SOME INDIVIDUALS MAY BE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR CITY PARTNERS, LIKE THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE, UH, POSSIBLE EXIT AVENUES.
IT MAY BE, UM, UTILIZING SOME OF EXISTING, UH, CITY, UH, SHELTER SPACE.
AND IT ALSO COULD BE, UH, UTILIZING EXISTING RESOURCES THAT EXIST IN THE HOMELESS STRAT, UH, HOMELESS SYSTEM RE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
AND SO IT COULD BE PERMANENT HOUSING OR RAPID HOUSING PROGRAMS. SO A NUMBER OF MY QUESTIONS, WE DON'T KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S ALSO THE ANSWER JUST THERE.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT, I'M NOT, NOT CRITICIZING, IT'S JUST I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE GET TO THESE ANSWERS, UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY.
WHAT, WHAT IS ANTICIPATED IS GOING TO BE, UH, THE ABILITY FOR THE CITY TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS TO GET ANSWERS TO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS SO THAT WE KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE EXITED, UM, SINCE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON THE OTHER END OF THIS.
SO PART OF THIS, UH, PROGRAM IS TO HAVE A COORDINATING OR EXECUTIVE, UH, COMMITTEE THAT CONSISTS, UH, OF ALL OF THE FUNDERS THAT WILL BE AT THE TABLE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, WORK ON THOSE SYSTEMS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ALIGNMENT TO GET INDIVIDUALS INTO THE PROGRAM AND SUCCESSFULLY GET INDIVIDUALS OUT OF THE PROGRAM INTO A LOCATION WHERE THEY CAN MAINTAIN THE PROGRESS THAT WAS MADE IN THAT 90 DAY INTENSIVE, UH, TREATMENT PROGRAM.
WHAT IS THE REALISTIC PROJECTION FOR WHEN A FULL DIVERSION CENTER THAT THIS IS THE PILOT FOR WOULD BE COMPLETED? THAT IS ANOTHER UNANSWERED, UH, UNKNOWN RIGHT NOW, MAYOR.
AND A COUPLE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT IN TERMS OF YOUR,
[00:35:01]
THE QUESTIONS YOU ASKED, UH, ROBERT MENTIONED THAT WE WILL HAVE SOME CLIENTS OR INDIVIDUALS THAT COME FROM THE CENTRAL BOOKING, UH, THAT, UH, AS PART OF THE CONSIDERATION NEGOTIATION, THAT'S PART OF THE JAIL THAT WE JUST DID A, UH, WE JUST NEGOTIATED A CONTRACT WHERE WE INCREASED THE FUNDING OF 2.9 MILLION FOR, UH, FOR THE PRISONERS THAT ARE HELD THERE.SO WE, IN EFFECT, WE'D BE PAYING TWICE.
WE WOULD PAID FOR THE, FOR THAT CONTRACT THAT WE APPROVED, THEN, THEN, UH, THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE, UH, REFERRED TO THIS CENTER, WHICH WE'LL BE PAYING FOR.
AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS I THINK WE'RE GONNA WANNA GET A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF AS WE NEGOTIATE THIS CONTRACT.
IN ADDITION, I THINK WE WANT TO KNOW THE LONG-TERM FUTURE.
AND WHILE THE GOVERNANCE PORTION IS MENTIONED, AS ROBERT JUST MENTIONED THIS COMMITTEE, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME, WE WE'RE GONNA ARGUE FOR IT TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ROBUST, SOMETHING AKIN TO A JOINT VENTURE, SO THAT WE ARE, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE A FUNDER, WE'RE GONNA BE A DECISION MAKER.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE TO SORT THROUGH THOSE THINGS IN TERMS OF WHAT THE, UH, THE DETAIL THAT YOU JUST ASKED IN TERMS OF THE LONG TERM FUTURE, AND THEN HOW THIS IS GONNA FACILIT AND CERTAINLY IF THIS, THIS FACILITY IS OUR FACILITY.
AND THERE HAS BEEN NO CREDIT GIVEN TO US AT ALL ON THIS ONE, AND WE'LL WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I GUESS ONE I JUST WANNA REITERATE, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF US OF THE CITY JOINING THIS PARTNERSHIP AND BRINGING A MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER TO OUR, TO AUSTIN.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR THE HARRIS CENTER AND HARRIS COUNTY TO VIEW HOUSTON'S MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION AND HAVE SEEN THE GREAT IMPACT THAT IT HAS HAD, UH, WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY.
I AM DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR THAT THE BUILDING IN WHICH THIS MENTAL HEALTH PILOT PROGRAM WILL BE OPERATING OUT OF IS NOT CONSIDERED OR NOT PART OF THE VALUE THAT THE CITY IS BRINGING.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE PARTNERS IN THIS JOINT INITIATIVE, BUT OUR ASSETS THAT ARE ACTIVELY BEING UTILIZED FOR THIS PILOT PROGRAM NEED TO BE COUNTED.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT REFLECTED IN THE PARTNERSHIP MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND ALSO THE AMOUNT OF QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANSWER FOR IS ALARMING.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS PUTTING UP TO 2 MILLION FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER WITH VERY LITTLE INFORMATION.
AND I, AGAIN, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF US MOVING FORWARD, BUT WE HAVE TO GET THIS INFORMATION.
WE NEED TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THIS PILOT PROGRAM PROGRAM WILL WORK, UH, AND THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'LL ACHIEVE AS PART OF IT.
I KNOW THERE'S A GREAT NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, BUT WE, WE DESERVE THIS INFORMATION.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE OUR COUNTY PARTNERS TO JOIN US AT EITHER AT A PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE WHERE WE CAN HAVE A, A DEEPER DIVE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER OR AT A FUTURE WORK SESSION.
UM, BUT IF WE ARE, ARE PARTNERS IN THIS, UH, WE, IT'S INCUMBENT THAT WE HAVE THIS INFORMATION.
AND SO I DO WANNA SET THAT EXPECTATION IS THAT, UH, WE, WE DESERVE THIS, UM, INFORMATION MOVING FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS, SINCE TODAY WE'RE AUTHORIZING THE NEGOTIATION, WHAT YOU OR THE MANAGER TIMELINE EXPECT US TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK.
AND I THINK HOPEFULLY WHEN YOU DO, WE WILL HAVE HOPEFULLY MORE ANSWERS, BUT JUST CURIOUS WHAT THE TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE.
WELL, IT'S, IT, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO TELL UNTIL WE SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE AND SORT OUT THROUGH OUR LIST OF ISSUES THAT WE WANT TO BE, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S INCORPORATED IN THE, IN THE AGREEMENT, THE INTERLOCAL AND SATISFACTORY ANSWERS.
AND, UH, AND SO WE'LL HAVE TO JUST SORT THROUGH THAT MAY, IT MAY BE WEEKS, IT COULD BE A COUPLE MONTHS.
I, IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW QUICKLY WE CAN MOVE IT MOVE.
AND, AND I, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS CONTEMPLATED AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME OR NOT, BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE, IF THIS IS AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE ALL WANT IT TO BE, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS A HUGE FISCAL NET BENEFIT ON THE JAIL SIDE OF THINGS, WHICH WE PARTIALLY FUND, BUT IS A LARGE EXPENSE OF THE COUNTY.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO HAVE US THINK ABOUT WHERE THAT CREDIT, AS IT WERE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ABOUT MORE THAN DOLLARS, IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE, BUT WHEN WE DO IT RIGHT, WE CAN SAVE MONEY AND, AND THERE IS A, A FISCAL BENEFIT TO BE HAD.
SO JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE THINK ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE'LL CERTAINLY WANNA INCORPORATE IT.
WELL, THE OTHER THING WE JUST WANNA SAY IS THAT, UH, THE ROBERT, UH, MENTIONED HOW WHAT THIS FUNDING IS FOR, SOME OF IT IS FOR HOUSING.
SOME OF THIS IS FOR HEALTH SERVICES.
THAT'S NOT OUR LANE, THAT'S CENTRAL HEALTH'S LANE.
AND SO WE JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT NUMBER WAS DERIVED, WHERE WE LANDED ON A, A NUMBER WHERE WE'RE PAYING FOR BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
NOW PART OF THAT IS, WILL BE THE DETAIL, AS I'VE SAID, AND I I THINK I WOULD WANT TO CONTINUE TO URGE YOU, IS THAT WE HAVE, UH, OTHER, OTHER PRIORITIES THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FUND AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE HEALTHCARE LANE, AND WE NEED CENTRAL HEALTH TO STEP INTO THAT HEALTHCARE LANE, BECAUSE THAT IS PART AND PARCEL THEIR RESPONSIBILITY WHEN WE APPROVE THE DISTRICT BACK IN 2004.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE ON ITEM NUMBER 43? UH, YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, MR. MAYOR, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS HAS ANY CONNECTION TO, OR COULD IT HAVE ANY
[00:40:01]
CONNECTION TO ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH ASH? WELL, UH, YES, IT COULD.UM, IT CURRENTLY DOES NOT APPEAR TO, AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON I WAS ASKING SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I WAS ASKING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE, THE STAKOWSKI REPORT WAS FIRST MENTIONED.
UM, AND, AND SO, UH, AND FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON'S MAKING REFERENCE TO IS THAT THE AUSTIN STATE HOSPITAL, UH, IS GETTING READY TO, I WANNA SAY REOPEN, BUT IT'S REALLY A NEW OPENING.
IT'S AN OPENING OF A NEW FACILITY.
AND AS PART OF THAT, THERE'S THE STAKOWSKI A REPORT, UH, THAT IS REFERENCED, ORIGINALLY TALKED IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO DO SOME DIVERSION FROM THE HOSPITAL.
AND SO THERE HAS BEEN, THERE HAVE BEEN ONGOING DISCUSSIONS, AND WE'RE CONTINUING WITH THOSE WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO SOME SORT OF WHAT IS BEING REFERRED TO AS THERAPEUTIC HOUSING THAT WOULD BE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE THAT IS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A, UH, A CRITICAL SITUATION, A CRISIS SITUATION, COMPETENCY IS RESTORED, THEY'RE NOT CURED, BUT THE COMPETENCY IS RESTORED, AND THEY DON'T NEED TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR WHAT IS CRITICAL CARE, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO.
SO IF WE COULD HAVE THERAPEUTIC HOUSING THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM A PLACE TO GO SO THEY DON'T END UP ON THE STREET, ANOTHER CRISIS SITUATION, MAYBE EVEN EXACERBATING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH SITUATION.
BUT TO YOUR QUESTION, THE FRONT SIDE IS ALSO A KEY PART OF THAT.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT NEED TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL IF WE HAD THE ABILITY TO DIVERT THEM FROM THAT NEED BY PROVIDING SOME FORM OF, AGAIN, POTENTIALLY THERAPEUTIC HOUSING OR SOMETHING OF THAT SORT, SO THAT THEY COULD BE CARED FOR WHILE WE FIND THEM PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND, AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT THIS, UH, THIS DIVERSION CENTER, THERE SEEMS TO BE A DESIRE TO KEEP IT SEPARATED AND FOCUS MORE PREDOMINANTLY ON DIVERSION FROM THE JAIL SITUATION AS OPPOSED TO DIVERTING FROM THE HOSPITAL.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE RELATED, BUT YET THERE'S SOME DESIRE TO, IT SEEMS TO, TO KEEP THEM SEPARATED.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
I JUST KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER HAVING READ SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID INITIALLY WHEN YOU WERE INITIATING THAT PROCESS AROUND THE BRAIN HEALTH INSTITUTE, YES.
IT JUST REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION ABOUT SOME OF THE PREVENTATIVE METHODS, JUST THINKING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, OUR INDIGENT HEALTHCARE COST AND SUBSEQUENTLY HOW THAT AFFECTS HOMELESSNESS.
UH, YOU SAID, UM, UP TO 90 DAYS INTENSIVE INPATIENT CARE, UM, I, I, UH, HAPPEN TO KNOW THAT THAT COULD BE VERY COSTLY.
UM, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHEN YOU SAID MANAGER GET OUT OF THE HEALTHCARE LANE, IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE MAKING REFERENCE TO? WELL, I MEAN, I, I THINK THERE'S, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME JUST STATE, WE KNOW THERE'S A NEED, RIGHT? THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO DISPUTE ON THAT.
THESE INDIVIDUALS DON'T NEED TO BE WITH THE GENERAL, UH, PRISON POPULATION, RIGHT.
BUT TO THE DEGREE THAT IT, THE ISSUES THAT THEY, UH, UH, THAT THEY EXPERIENCE ARE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES AND OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES, THOSE ARE HEALTH, HEALTHCARE MATTERS.
AND THERE'S AN AGENCY THAT'S IN THAT SHOULD BE IN CHARGE OF THE HEALTHCARE MATTERS.
AND, UH, AND WE WANT TO, WE WANNA WORK WITH THAT BECAUSE I THINK THEY, THEY, THE DEGREE WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE, UH, THOSE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS CAN THEN, WHO ARE EXPERIENCING EITHER HOMELESSNESS OR THESE KINDS OF ISSUES, CAN GET INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AS THE CASE MAY BE APPROPRIATE.
AND THAT'S WHAT, WHERE ROBERT, UH, WILL BE WORKING WITH OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE HOW WE LINE THOSE, THE CITY RESOURCES UP TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE INDIVIDUALS LEAVE THIS, UH, THIS TREATMENT INTO A STABLE HOME ENVIRONMENT.
UH, AND SO I THINK THE PARTNERSHIP IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK, UH, WE HAVE TO DEFINE OUR LANES AND WHAT, WHAT MY PREFERENCE IS.
BUT OF COURSE, THIS IS A POLICY QUESTION, IS THAT ON ISSUES OF HEALTHCARE, WE WOULD ASK, UH, WE WOULD ASK OUR PARTNER AT CENTRAL HEALTH TO ENGAGE IN THIS.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS TO THIS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEIR FISCAL YEAR WORKS.
WE HAVE THE SAME FISCAL YEAR, BUT WE HAVE 2 MILLION THAT WE'VE PUT ASIDE.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS WE WANNA JUST BETTER UNDERSTAND AS WE DO THIS NEGOTIATION AND GET TO THE DETAILS.
UH, COUNCILOR VELA AND THEN COUNCILOR RYAN ALTER, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP AGAIN? OH, THAT WAS BEFORE.
COUNCILOR VELA, JUST A, A QUICK, UH, A QUESTION.
I HEARD IT, I, I JUST DIDN'T QUITE CATCH THE VALUE OF THE REAL ESTATE THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO BE PROVIDING.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE FORMER RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE THERE ON ABOUT WHAT, 15TH, AND IS THAT SANTO, I THINK, UH, WHAT IS THE VALUE, THE
[00:45:01]
MARKET VALUE OF, OF THAT, UH, BUILDING? WE, WE ESTIMATE THE FAIR MARKET RENT ON THAT PROPERTY WOULD BE ABOUT $300,000 A YEAR.I WANNA DO APPRAISER, BY THE WAY.
ANYBODY, ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON ITEM 43? GOOD DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU'ALL AND APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS.
UM, MEMBERS, THE NEXT ITEM IS PULLED IS ITEM 14, BUT, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER HAS ANOTHER QUESTION ON ITEM NUMBER 25.
SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, I'LL GO BACK TO 25 AND RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, AND THEN I'LL GO TO ITEM 14.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, I NOTICED IN YOUR, UM, VERSION TWO, RED REDLINE, UM, YOU INCLUDED THE FOOD PLAN AND WHEREAS, AND THEN GOT RID OF THE ADOPTED, UM, BEFORE PLAN IN ANOTHER SECTION.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, UM, SINCE WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME QUORUM AND I CAN'T TALK WITH YOU, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND YOUR RATIONALE FOR INCORPORATING THE FOOD PLAN, WHICH IS UNDERWAY, UM, IN THAT MANNER AS OPPOSED TO THE WAY THAT I HAD PROPOSED IT.
'CAUSE I THINK THERE ARE SOME OTHER ELEMENTS, UM, THAT MAY NOT BE IN THERE, BUT I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND YOUR RATIONALE SO THEN I CAN, UM, THINK ABOUT WHETHER I WANT TO FURTHER AMEND VERSION TWO.
AND JUST SO I'M CLEAR, YOU ARE REFERRING TO THE CHANGE ON PAGE FOUR, LINE 94.
UM, SO I HAD IN MY AMENDMENT, UM, TO BE FURTHER RESULTS RELATED TO THE FOOD PLAN.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU TRIED TO INCORPORATE THEM BY ADDING, WHEREAS, UM, ABOUT LINE 39 RELATED TO THE FOOD PLAN.
AND THEN YOU ADDED THE FOOD PLAN TO THE LIST, UM, ON PAGE FOUR, LINE 94.
UM, BUT MY ORIGINAL, UM, LANGUAGE WAS MORE EXTENSIVE BECAUSE THE FOOD PLAN HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED YET.
UM, AND SO I WANTED TO CALL OUT, UM, CERTAIN ELEMENTS THAT ARE REALLY, UM, LINED UP WELL FOR THE KIND OF INVESTMENTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT PLAN WILL BE ADOPTED BEFORE WE GET YOUR PLAN BACK.
UM, SO I HAD THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE THINGS, BUT I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND YOUR RATIONALE FOR THE WAY THAT YOU DID IT, UM, SO THAT I CAN BEST RESPOND WITH FURTHER AMENDMENTS IF NEEDED.
SO THAT, THAT CAME AFTER TALKING WITH STAFF ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THEY WERE NOT ASKED TO PROVIDE ANY, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ON PLAN ELEMENTS THAT WEREN'T COMPLETED YET SINCE THE FOOD PLAN IS STILL UNDERWAY.
IF THERE WERE ITEMS IN THERE THAT THEY COULD, UH, LOOK TO AND MAKE AN EVALUATION OF, THEY WOULD DO SO.
BUT IF THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, IF PART OF IT WAS STILL IN DRAFT STATUS, THEN THAT WOULD, WOULD NOT COME INTO PLAY AT THIS STAGE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE, WE SCRATCHED, ADOPTED, UM, BUT IT WAS AT THE REQUEST OF STAFF TO DO IT THIS WAY.
I'M HAPPY TO, TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC ELEMENTS THAT, THAT YOU HAD, UH, BROUGHT FORWARD AS, AS MORE IMPORTANT OR ONES WE WANNA FOCUS ON.
I, I THINK THAT'S, UH, REASONABLE, BUT THAT WAS JUST WHY IT WAS FORMATTED THIS WAY.
IT WAS AFTER MEETING WITH STAFF.
'CAUSE I MET WITH STAFF TO FORMULATE MY, UM,
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND WHY IN THAT, IN THAT LIST YOU NEED TO, TO DELETE ADOPTED TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT THERE WERE SOME, YOU KNOW, VERY SPECIFIC THINGS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO ACQUIRE LANDS, UM, FOR THE FARMLAND PRESERVATION, ET CETERA, WHICH I THINK IS A VERY WELL ESTABLISHED, UM, STRATEGY THAT IS BEING PUT FORWARD.
UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE WE TO GO FORWARD WITH THE BOND YOU WOULD REALLY WANT TO HAVE, UM, INCLUDED IN THAT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, UM, INVESTMENTS THAT ARE PUT FORWARD IN OTHER REPORTS THAT HAVE COME FORWARD, LIKE THE 2022 STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM REPORT AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT AND THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD SYSTEM DASHBOARD.
I'LL HAVE MY STAFF TRY AND WORK, UM, AGAIN, WITH THE STAFF THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH AND MAKE SURE, UM, THAT WE ACCOMPLISH THIS.
BUT I THINK WE MAY NEED TO STILL INCORPORATE IT IN SOME ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL WAYS PRECISELY BECAUSE IT IS NOT AN ADOPTED PLAN, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO IT AND THAT IT DOESN'T GET SHORT STRIPPED, UM, BECAUSE OF THE TIMING.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE, UH, WE WERE TALKING WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE WITH ZACH, SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHO YOU'RE ALSO TALKING TO, BUT THAT WAY YOU ARE FREE TO TALK TO STAFF AND WE ARE FREE TO TALK TO STAFF.
WE JUST CAN'T TALK TO EACH OTHER.
SO
[00:50:01]
FITS BEST.AND IT'S NOT TO PRIORITIZE FOOD ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE, I JUST BECAUSE OF THE STATUS OF THE FOOD PLAN, WHICH, YOU KNOW, SO MANY OF US HERE HAVE BEEN ON THE, ON THE DIET HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO, AND IT PEOPLE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD ON IT AND, UM, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, WE ARE ADDRESSING THOSE NEEDS AND THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T, UM, GET NOT INCLUDED JUST BECAUSE OF THE TIMING ISSUE HERE.
AND I, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRETTY GREAT OPPORTUNITY AT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING, UH, COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT FOOD IN OUR GREATER CONTEXT.
THE, THE AGRI HOOD, WHICH I HAD NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TELLING MY SECRETS TO LEARNING ABOUT THAT.
I AM, I, I, I'M GIVING A LITTLE PREVIEW SNEAK PEEK.
UM, BUT NO, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I JUST, I, I SHOULD ALSO TAKE A NOTE.
I, I MEANT TO THANK MY CO-SPONSORS EARLIER, BUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA AND VELASQUEZ, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL JOINING IN ON THIS CRITICAL NEED AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION.
UM, THAT WILL TAKE US NOW TO ITEM NUMBER 14.
ITEM 14 WAS PULLED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES FOR DISCUSSION TODAY.
SO I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES THANK YOU COLLEAGUES, UM, BEFORE YOU.
UM, AND I BELIEVE WE'LL BE POSTING THESE MOTION SHEETS TO THE MESSAGE BOARD.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, UM, FOR, FOR YOU TO VIEW, 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY'VE BEEN SUBMITTED TO KATIE JUST YET BECAUSE WE WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT LANGUAGE IN CASE WE, THERE ARE ANY TWEAKS FROM THE DAIS, WE WANNA BE SURE TO INCLUDE THAT.
UH, SO WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US WITH ITEM 14 IS UPDATING OUR CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHAT WERE INITIATED LAST FALL, AND IT INCLUDED RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR PLANNING COMMISSION AND OUR JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION.
SO TODAY'S, UH, ITEM IS FOCUSED ON ACTUALLY UPDATING THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
MY MOTIONS, ADD SOME LANGUAGE TO THAT UPDATE TO THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
THEY'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE CITY'S ROLE AS A MAJOR EMPLOYER AND HOW THE CITY CAN MOVING FORWARD, ADOPT POLICIES WITH TELEWORK, UH, THAT MOVE THE NEEDLE ON US MEETING OUR CLIMATE EQUITY GOALS.
UH, SO THE FIRST ONE INCLUDES SOME LANGUAGE THAT, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD, CITY OF AUSTIN TELEWORK AND REMOTE WORK POLICIES CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOAL.
AND THAT WE ENCOURAGE NO LESS THAN 85% OF ELIGIBLE CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES TO PARTICIPATE IN TELEWORK.
AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NOT ALL EMPLOYEES HAVE AN OPTION IN BEING ABLE TO WORK FROM HOME.
AND SO I WANNA THANK OUR, OUR EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, OUR PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION PERSONNEL, UH, WHO DON'T HAVE THAT CHOICE.
AND, UH, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT AND WE WANNA RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT FOR OUR CITY.
SO THIS, UH, THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS ON UPDATING THE CLIMATE EQUITY GOAL TO, UH, ENCOURAGE THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO ALSO ADOPT TELEWORK POLICIES.
THE SECOND ONE IS ASKING FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO REPORT ON A SEMI-ANNUAL BASIS THE IMPACT OF THE TELEWORK POLICY IMPLEMENTATION.
AND, UM, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF THERE'S SOMEONE FROM HR AVAILABLE.
I THOUGHT I SAW REBECCA EARLIER, AND ALSO WE HAVE ZACH HERE AS WELL, WHO CAN HELP ANSWER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS.
SO THE QUESTIONS I HAVE IS, DO WE KNOW THE TOTAL NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF TELEWORK ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES? WHAT WE HAVE IS WE DO HAVE SOME DATA, LET ME PULL THIS UP REAL FIRST.
WE DO HAVE SOME PRELIMINARY NUMBERS THAT WE, WHEN WE WERE INITIALLY LOOKING AT THE POLICY, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAD THAT WOULD, UM, BE ELIGIBLE.
LIKE YOU SAID, WE DO HAVE A SUBSET OF OUR POPULATION THAT JUST THEIR JOB DOES NOT LEND TOWARDS TELEWORKING.
WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS, UM, PROBABLY AROUND 7,500 OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ELIGIBLE TO TELEWORK, AND WE ESTABLISHED OUR POLICY WITH THAT IN MIND.
AND WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATUS OF IMPLEMENTING THE FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENT POLICY AS LAID OUT BY HR BACK IN DECEMBER? IT DID GO INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1ST.
HOWEVER, IT DID HAVE A EXCEPTION PROCESS THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF WORKING THROUGH THE NUMBER OF EXCEPTIONS THAT WERE RECEIVED, THAT WERE RECEIVED BY OUR EMPLOYEES, UM, THAT WENT THROUGH A WORKFORCE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE THAT IS LOOKING AT ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND WITH THE HOPES OF HAVING THE REVIEW DONE BY THE END OF FEBRUARY.
AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE A FULL IMPLEMENTATION.
WE'RE THINKING BY THE END OF MARCH.
AND DO WE HAVE A SENSE CURRENTLY OF HOW MANY EMPLOYEES, SO WE KNOW 7,500 ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TELEWORK? DO WE KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE CURRENTLY IN A, IN A TELEWORK ARRANGEMENT OUT OF? WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT MORE OF THAT DATA.
WHAT WE LOOKED AT WAS OF THOSE 7,500, THEY'RE ALL ELIGIBLE FOR TELEWORK UP TO THE 50% POLICY THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN TITLES THAT WERE, UM, EXEMPTED BASED ON INDUSTRY STANDARD, AND THAT WAS REALLY CENTERED AROUND
[00:55:01]
OUR CALL CENTERS, OUR IT PROFESSIONALS THAT MAY WORK MORE TELEWORK THAN THAT 50% STANDARD.THE EXCEPTION PROCESS IS ALSO LOOKING AT THOSE REQUESTS FROM INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT SUBMITTED THOSE.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE MORE OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, PROBABLY TOWARDS THE MARCH APRIL TIMEFRAME.
I I, I FEEL COMPELLED TO SAY HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
YES, I'M IN THE, I'M IN THE SPIRIT.
YOU, YOU ARE DEFINITELY IN THE SPIRIT.
WE'LL SEE ABOUT ACTING ON THAT.
UM, SHE DOESN'T WATCH WORK SESSION, SO I'M OKAY.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE ON ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM COUNSEL? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER, I HAVE ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS FOR, UH, MR. MILLS ON ITEM 12.
AND I, AND I THINK THIS IS FOR YOU, IT MIGHT BE FOR ED.
I'M JUST CURIOUS AS IF WE APPROVE THIS, UH, CONTRACT FOR THE LEGAL SERVICES, HOPEFULLY WE WILL RETURN TO THE TABLE AND HAVE THE NEGOTIATION IF WE DON'T, DOES THIS MONEY GET SPENT? IS PART OF IT A RETAINER? JUST THAT WILL BE A ANSWER.
SO WE, UH, WE ALWAYS DO AN UP TO AN AMOUNT WHEN WE HAVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
AND THIS IS NO DIFFERENT IF WE DON'T SPEND THE MONEY, IF THEY DON'T DO THE WORK, WE CERTAINLY WILL NOT PAY THEM.
AND, AND SO IF THEY DO COME TO THE TABLE, UM, THEN JUST IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING OF PROCESS, WE, THAT'S GOVERNED BY 1 43, AND THEN THAT'S A WHOLE THAT SETS FORTH THE, THE PROCESS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR NEGOTIATORS, THEIR NEGOTIATORS AND, AND THE PUBLIC PROCESS.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO THE, SO YES.
THE MEET AND CONFER STATUTE ALLOWS TO, TO MODIFY EVERY, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN 1 43.
UM, SINCE WE'VE BEEN OUTTA CONTRACT FOR, UH, OVER A YEAR, UH, THERE ARE PIECES THAT'LL BE KIND OF REOPENED AND REDISCUSSED THROUGH THE DIFFERENT ARTICLES, BUT THAT IS THE, THAT WILL BE THE PROCESS.
I DIDN'T, I I DIDN'T ASK IT PROPERLY, BUT YOU COVERED IT.
I WAS CURIOUS IF BEING OUTTA CONTRACT CHANGES THE PROCESS AT ALL OF WHEN WE MEET AND CONFER IF WE COME FROM A CONTRACT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE ANYTHING.
IT JUST, IT'D BE THE STARTING POINT.
UH, AND TYPICALLY OUT OF A CONTRACT, YOU'D LOOK AT THE LAST CONTRACT AND, AND THAT'LL SHORTEN, HOPEFULLY SHORTEN THE TIMELINE.
COUNCIL MEMBER? UM, YES, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
I JUST WANTED TO FLAG, I KNOW THE AGENDA OFFICE SENT IT OUT.
I HAD SOME CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS AROUND ITEM 34, BUT THEY HAVE DISTRIBUTED SOME BACKUP FROM THE CITY AUDITOR, JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT ON THAT COMMITTEE.
WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS.
BUT THERE IS INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN SENT OUT BY THE AGENDA OFFICE ON THAT ITEM.
WITH THAT, UM, MEMBERS, WE WILL GO TO BRIEFINGS
[B1. Update on shelters and permanent supportive housing.]
AND, UM, THE FIRST BRIEFING WILL BE ITEM B ONE.AND, UH, MR. GRAY, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING YOU'RE GONNA MAKE THAT PRESENTATION.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A BRIEFING ON HOW WE ARE BUILDING OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SYSTEM TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITY AS IT EXISTS TODAY.
I'M THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I'M GONNA BEGIN TODAY'S PRESENTATION, AND THEN I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO MR. JAMIE MAY, WHO IS AN OFFICER WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
BEFORE WE DIVE IN AS A NATIVE NEW ORIAN, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY HAPPY MARDI GRAS.
UH, HOPEFULLY ALL OF I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON IS IN THE MARDI GRAS SPIRIT.
UH, I AM STAYING OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE I CANNOT STAND TO WATCH ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY HAVE ALL THAT GOOD FUN TODAY.
UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME GOOD FUN TODAY HERE IN, IN COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
SO, JUST KIND OF DIVING IN, UH, WE'RE GONNA COVER TWO KEY TOPICS TODAY.
THE FIRST WILL BE AN OVERVIEW OF HOW OUR TEAM IS WORKING TO INCREASE OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JAMIE MAY, WHO WILL TALK ABOUT THE PIPELINE FOR NEW PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE ARE MOVING FULL SPEED AHEAD, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP TOGETHER TO BUILD OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF CHOOSING IF WE WANT TO GO ALL IN ON MORE SHELTER OR ALL IN ON MORE HOUSING.
UH, AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE, THE FACT THAT WE'RE MAKING STRIDES AND CLOSING GAPS IN OUR SYSTEM.
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JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT FOR TODAY, I WANNA START OFF WITH SOME SYSTEM DATA.AND THIS IS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING SYSTEM-WIDE, A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION COMES FROM ECHO.
UH, SO THE OCTOBER, 2023 ESTIMATE OF, UH, PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY SAT RIGHT AROUND 6,600 PEOPLE.
UH, OF THOSE 1,153 WERE IN SHELTER AND 5,500 ARE UNSHELTERED LIVING ON OUR STREETS, LIVING IN OUR PARKS AND WATERWAYS, UH, OR WHEREVER THEY'RE ABLE TO SAFELY ENCAMP.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME DATA POINTING TO HOUSING MOVE-INS FROM OUR SYSTEM.
AND SO FROM OCTOBER, 2022 THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF 2023, WE SAW OVER 1400 MOVE-INS INTO RAPID REHOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH IS ONE TO TWO YEARS OF, UH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE COUPLED WITH SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
UH, AND THEN WE SAW OVER 200 MOVE-INS INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WHICH AS THE NAME IMPLIES, IS TRULY PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
UM, AS OF JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, UH, OUR SYSTEM CAPACITY IS JUST NORTH OF 1000 PERMANENT SHELTER BEDS.
UH, SO THAT 1000 COUNT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 300 TEMPORARY BEDS THAT ARE IN OPERATION AT THE MARSHALING YARD.
UH, WE HAVE OVER 1700 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AND THEN YOU COULD SEE OUR SYSTEM CAPACITY FOR OTHER TYPES OF HOUSING THAT WE HAVE, UH, IN OUR SYSTEM.
BUT OUR FOCUS TODAY IS GONNA BE ON THOSE FIRST TWO, UH, INVESTMENTS.
SO OUR SHELTER SYSTEM CAPACITY, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
UH, WE CURRENTLY STAND AT A TOTAL OF 1,375 SHELTER BEDS ACROSS ALL OF OUR OPERATORS.
UH, THE OPERATORS AT THE TOP WITH THE GRAY HIGHLIGHTS, THOSE ARE CITY OWNED, UH, AND CITY FUNDED FACILITIES.
UH, AND THIS 1300 COUNT INCLUDES THE MARSHING YARD, UH, WHICH IS OUR TEMPORARY SHELTER.
UH, THE, THE SHELTERS MENTIONED IN THE BOTTOM OF THIS LIST ARE SHELTERS THAT ARE NOT CITY OWNED.
UH, HOWEVER, WE DO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF THESE OPERATORS TO ENSURE THAT OUR SYSTEM IS GROWING AND SCALING EFFECTIVELY.
UH, WE STILL HAVE SOME WAYS TO GO THOUGH, RIGHT? UH, WE DO HAVE SOME PERMANENT SHELTER BEDS IN DEVELOPMENT OVER AT CAMP ESPERANZA, WHICH IS THE SITE MANAGED BY THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION.
THEY'RE IN THE MIDST OF THEIR PHASE TWO EXPANSION, WHICH WILL ADD AN ADDITIONAL 115 BEDS TO THEIR SYSTEM, AND THEN DOWN AT THE EIGHTH STREET SHELTER JUST DOWN THE STREET.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH URBAN ALCHEMY TO GET TO OUR 150 BED COUNT.
UH, AND SO WE STILL HAVE 85 MORE BEDS TO GO WHEN THESE TWO PHASES ARE COMPLETE.
THIS WILL ADD AN ADDITIONAL 200 PERMANENT SHELTER BEDS TO OUR SYSTEM.
NOW, YOU MIGHT RECALL, IN JULY OF LAST YEAR, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR GAPS IN OUR SYSTEM AND, AND WHAT OUR ADDITIONAL NEED FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER LOOK LIKE.
UH, TODAY WE STAND AT A NEED OF 615, UH, BEDS THAT WE NEED TO DELIVER BY THE END OF 2025.
I DO WANNA NOTE, AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT, THAT THAT GAP COUNT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE TEMPORARY BEDS THAT WE HAVE AT THE MARSHALLING YARD.
IT ALSO DOES NOT INCLUDE THE PHASE THREE BEDS THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED BY THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION.
LAST WEEK, YOU PROBABLY SAW THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM TXDOT THAT THEY CLOSED ON A LAND PURCHASE ON A, A PIECE OF LAND ADJACENT TO THE CAMP ESPERANZA SITE.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT AN ADDITIONAL 225 SHELTER BEDS COULD BE DELIVERED THERE, BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION AND TXDOT TO FINALIZE THAT ESTIMATE.
HOWEVER, ONCE WE GET THOSE BEDS ONLINE, COUPLED WITH THE MARLINE YARD BEDS, YOU SEE THAT WE'RE MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN CLOSING THE GAP.
I ALSO WANNA NOTE THAT WHEN WE LAST PRESENTED THIS DATA TO YOU IN JULY OF LAST YEAR, OUR GAP WAS 717 BEDS.
SO AGAIN, WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS TO CLOSE THIS GAP, AND I'M, I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT FACT.
I'M ALSO PROUD OF THE FACT THAT TODAY WE ARE PROVIDING MORE SHELTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAN WE HAVE IN HISTORY.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS CHART SHOWS YOU, IS THE NUMBER OF SHELTER CLIENT COUNT.
UH, AND THIS IS DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE TEMPORARILY LOST THE SALVATION ARMY SHELTER, WHICH WE'VE NOW REOPENED AS OUR H STREET SHELTER.
THIS DATA ALSO INCLUDES DATA FOR THE MARSHALLING YARD CAPACITY INCREASE.
WHAT'S NOT COUNTED FOR IN THIS CHART IS THE EIGHT, THE 65 BEDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ONLINE AT EIGHTH STREET.
AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE FOR WHICH THIS DATA WAS PRODUCED.
UH, SO YOU COULD LOOK AT THIS CHART, MAYBE ADD ABOUT 65 MORE BEDS TO THAT.
UH, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SERVING TODAY.
I DO WANNA NOTE THAT WE DO THIS WORK IN ADDITION TO OUR OTHER SHELTER OPERATIONS THAT WE RUN, SUCH AS COLD WEATHER SHELTER.
UH, AGAIN, IN JANUARY, WE SERVED A RECORD NUMBER OF 654 CLIENTS IN ONE NIGHT AT OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER OPERATIONS.
UH, THAT WORK COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE WITHOUT PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR OTHER CITY AGENCIES, OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES LIKE CAT METRO AND OUR COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, UH, AUSTIN MUTUAL AID AND SUNRISE, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US GET PEOPLE OFF THE
[01:05:01]
STREETS DURING THAT COLD WEATHER EVENT AND INTO SHELTER.SO I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEM SUPPORT FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN HELPING US WITH OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER OPERATIONS.
SO, EMERGENCY SHELTER BY THE NUMBERS, RIGHT? JUST TO KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN AND GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THE WEEDS, UH, IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE HAD 3,324 CLIENTS WHO USE SHELTER SERVICES IN OUR SYSTEM, OUR SHELTER BED UTILIZATION RATE IS 90%.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT OUR SHELTERS ARE NEARLY FULL ALL THE TIME.
LAST WEEK WE TALKED ABOUT THE MARSHALING YARD AND HOW THE MARSHALING YARD'S BEEN AT OR NEAR ITS 300 PERSON CAPACITY FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
AND WE'RE SEEING THAT ACROSS OUR SYSTEM, THAT OUR SHELTERS ARE FULL, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE CHARGING AHEAD WITH TRYING TO BRING MORE SHELTER BEDS ONLINE AND INTO OPERATIONS.
THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SPENDING IN SHELTERS SITS AT 126 DAYS.
AND NEARLY HALF OF OUR CLIENTS ARE CLIENTS WHO MEET THE DEFINITION FOR CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
UH, THIS IS IN LARGE PART, INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN HOMELESS FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 12 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS WITH A DISABLING CONDITION, OR THEY'VE HAD MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF HOMELESSNESS WITHIN THE LAST, UH, FOUR YEARS THAT HAVE TOTALED UP TO 12 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS, AND THEY HAVE A DISABLING CONDITION.
NOW, I PRIDE MYSELF ON OUR SYSTEM OUTCOMES.
WHAT I REALLY WANNA KNOW IS NOT JUST ARE PEOPLE COMING IN AND USING THE BEDS, BUT ARE THE BEDS SUCCESSFULLY HELPING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMELESSNESS? AND WHAT THIS CHART SHOWS IS THAT WE ARE MOVING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
CURRENTLY, 60% OF ALL OF OUR EXITS FROM OUR SHELTER SYSTEM SYSTEM-WIDE, ARE POSITIVE, AND I'M PROUD OF THAT FACT.
UM, 37% OF OUR CLIENTS ARE EXITING INTO A RAPID REHOUSING OPPORTUNITY.
3% ARE EXITING INTO A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY, AND I DO EXPECT THAT SLICE OF THE PIE TO GROW SIGNIFICANTLY AS WE BRING MORE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS ONLINE.
JAMIE WILL TALK ABOUT THOSE UNITS IN JUST A SECOND.
UH, AND 20% OF OUR EXITS ARE WHAT WE CALL ADDITIONAL POSITIVE SHELTER EXITS.
UH, THAT COULD BE SOMEBODY EXITING INTO ANOTHER HOUSING OPPORTUNITY, MAYBE REUNITING WITH FAMILY BEING SUCCESSFULLY, SUCCESSFULLY DIVERTED, ET CETERA.
NOW, WHAT THIS ALSO MEANS IS THAT WE STILL HAVE FOLKS WHO AREN'T EXITING SUCCESSFULLY.
AND SO OUR TEAM IS NOW MOVING FORWARD WITH REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE UNSUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES, WHAT'S CAUSING UNSUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES.
ANECDOTALLY, I COULD TELL YOU THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THIS.
UH, SOME OF THIS IS THE INABILITY TO HAVE ADEQUATE CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR FOLKS IN SHELTER.
OUR PARTNERS ARE TRYING TO HIRE CASE MANAGERS, BUT IT IS A WORKFORCE CHALLENGE.
A LOT OF FOLKS WHO DO THIS WORK GET BURNED OUT OR THEY MOVE ON TO OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT PAY BETTER, BUT WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR WORKFORCE AND MAKING SURE WE CAN CONNECT PEOPLE WITH CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT.
WE HAVE SOME FOLKS WHO, UH, JUST DECIDE THAT THE SHELTER OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY'VE BEEN PROVIDED IS NOT THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM, UH, AND THEY MAKE THE CONSCIOUS DECISION TO LEAVE SHELTER AND RETURN BACK TO THE STREET.
AND THEN THERE'S 18% OF OUR EXITS THAT WE DON'T KNOW.
AND AS YOU MIGHT RECALL FROM LAST WEEK'S, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE PRESENTATION, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS POPULATION A LITTLE BIT.
THESE ARE FOLKS WHO LEAVE SHELTER, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO AN EXIT INTERVIEW, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY GO.
I WILL SAY THAT WHEN FOLKS LEAVE SHELTER UNSUCCESSFULLY OR FOR AN UNKNOWN RE UNKNOWN REASON, MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE STILL CONNECTED TO A SERVICE PROVIDER IF THEY HAVE ONE.
SO EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT HOUSED, THEY'RE STILL RECEIVING CASE MANAGEMENT.
IF THEY HAVE A CASE MANAGER, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO SUNRISE TO GET CONNECTED WITH NAVIGATION SERVICES.
THEY'RE STILL ENGAGING WITH MY STREET OUTREACH TEAM.
AND SO AS WE ENGAGE WITH FOLKS AND LEARN ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE, WE DO UPDATE THIS DATA.
UH, THE LAST TWO SLIDES THAT I'LL TOUCH ON BEFORE I KICK IT OVER TO JAMIE IS, UH, WANTING TO PUT INTO CONTEXT OUR SYSTEM PERFORMANCE AS IT COMPARES TO OUR NATIONAL PEERS.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE IS THE DARK BLUE LINE THAT LOOKS AT THE OUTCOMES FOR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, THE LIGHT BLUE LINES THAT LOOK AT OUTCOMES FOR OTHER MAJOR CITIES THAT HAVE A HUD DESIGNATED CONTINUUM OF CARE.
AND THIS IS HUD DATA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT EXITS FOR CLIENTS THAT ARE LEAVING ANY FORM OF SYSTEM INVESTMENT, THAT'S NOT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
SO THIS IS EMERGENCY SHELTERS, SAFE HAVENS, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, AS WELL AS RAPID REHOUSING.
OUR SYSTEM IS PERFORMING BETTER THAN OUR PEER CITIES.
MORE THAN 50% OF OUR CLIENTS ARE HAVING POSITIVE, SUCCESSFUL EXITS, WHILE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES JUST SITS RIGHT AROUND 30%.
UH, AND SO I'M PROUD OF THIS WORK BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT WE'RE DOING THE GOOD WORK AND THAT OUR SYSTEM IS HAVING BETTER OUTCOMES FOR AUSTINITES THAN WHAT NATIONAL AVERAGES THEY WERE TO PRODUCE FOR OTHER PEOPLE IN THE SAME SITUATION.
I WILL BE HONEST, I'M ALSO FRUSTRATED BY THIS BECAUSE MY GOAL IS ALWAYS TO GET TO A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UH, AND SO WE'RE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DOING BETTER THAN OUR NATIONAL AVERAGE INTERNATIONAL PEERS, WE'RE NOT SETTLING FOR THIS FIGURE.
OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO PERFORM BETTER EACH AND EVERY YEAR, AND HAVE OUR TREND LINE CONTINUE TO GO UP AND UP.
WHEN WE LOOK AT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AND, AND THIS IS WHY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE INVESTMENTS ACROSS THE
[01:10:01]
ENTIRE SYSTEM, UH, OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING MEASURES AND EXITS ARE ALSO BETTER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.YOU COULD SEE IN THE DARK BLUE LINE, OUR POSITIVE EXITS FROM PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS 98%.
WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS EVERYBODY WHO GOES INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING HAS A POSITIVE OUTCOME.
THIS INTERVENTION WORKS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE LEANING MORE INTO IT, AND JAMIE WILL TOUCH ON THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
I'M ALSO HAPPY THAT OUR 98% IS BETTER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 96%.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING GREAT OUTCOMES WHEN IT COMES TO THIS MEASURE.
NOW, OUR GOAL FOR THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE IS TO GET OUR SHELTER NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING UP TO THIS MEASURE, BUT OUR OTHER GOAL IS TO SUPPORT OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY AND OTHERS IN THE PRODUCTION OF MORE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS IN OUR SYSTEM.
SO I'LL INVITE MY COLLEAGUE, JAMIE MAY TO TAKE OVER THE PRESENTATION, AND HE'LL TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PERMANENT, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PIPELINE.
I'M THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IN, UH, HAPPY MARDI GRAS.
UH, AS DAVID MENTIONED, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS ONE INTERVENTION IN OUR PORTFOLIO, HOWEVER, IT IS, UH, CLEARLY ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND, UH, ONE OF THE MOST INTENSIVE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO START BY JUST DEFINING THAT A BIT.
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, PERMANENT MEANING THAT IT IS NOT TIME LIMITED.
INDIVIDUALS IN THESE UNITS CAN STAY AS LONG AS THEY, UH, HAVE A LEASE, UH, SUPPORTIVE.
THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT PROVIDE THEM THE EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, AND MENTAL HEALTHCARE THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THIS IS A, UH, THIS IS WHERE THEY LIVE.
THEY, THEY KEEP THEIR STUFF THERE, AND THIS IS WHERE THEY INVITE THEIR FAMILY.
IT IS A HOUSING UNIT JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE'S.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS SLIDE IN 2019, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 50 UNITS COME ONLINE FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
UH, THAT WAS THE TERRACE AT OAK SPRINGS DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S 50 UNITS DEDICATED TO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, UH, FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE INVESTED SLIGHTLY, OR WE HAVE INVESTED IN THESE DEVELOPMENTS, AND OUR INVENTORY HAS GROWN SLIGHTLY, UM, TO WHERE IT IS NOW AT A HUNDRED, ALMOST 200 UNITS.
HOWEVER, IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR, WE DO EXPECT THAT NUMBER TO TRIPLE TO AS MUCH AS 600 UNITS.
IN THE FOLLOWING CALENDAR YEAR, WE EXPECT AN ADDITIONAL 400 UNITS TO COME ONLINE, AND THEN IN THE FOLLOWING CALENDAR YEAR, WE EXPECT ANOTHER 200 PLUS UNITS.
AND WE DO EXPECT THAT 2 20, 26 CALENDAR YEAR TO INCREASE, UH, AS MORE DEVELOPMENTS COME ONLINE AND MORE DEVELOPMENTS COME TO US FOR FINANCING.
NOW, WHAT DO THESE NUMBERS ACTUALLY MEAN? FIRST, IN OUR CURRENT INVENTORY, AS I MENTIONED, TERRACE AT OAK SPRINGS, ELYSIUM GRAND, THESE ARE DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE HAVE ONLINE TODAY THAT ARE CURRENTLY OCCUPIED WITH INDIVIDUALS, UH, WITH PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
YOU CAN SEE THE PSH UNITS COLUMN SHOWS HOW MANY UNITS ARE OCCUPIED BY INDIVIDUALS AND NEEDING THOSE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE UNITS.
THE COC UNITS ARE THOSE UNITS THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.
THOSE INDIVIDUALS COULD EITHER REQUIRE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OR RAPID REHOUSING, UH, DEPENDING ON THE INTERVENTION NEEDED.
HOWEVER, THEY DO ALL RECEIVE THE SERVICES AS REQUIRED.
AND THE THIRD COLUMN THAT I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THE VOUCHERS, THE HAKA VOUCHERS.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY AND PROUD TO BE PARTNERING WITH HAKA ON MULTIPLE PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, HA'S VOUCHERS PROVIDE THE THIRD LEG OF THE STOOL, UH, IF YOU WILL, IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, YOU HAVE THREE LEGS.
THE FIRST IS CAPITAL, WHICH WE PROVIDE EITHER THROUGH OUR, UH, RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OR THROUGH OUR ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENTS PROGRAM.
THE THIRD, THE SECOND LEG IS SERVICES, WHICH IS, UH, MANAGED BY THE HOUSING SERVICES, UH, OFFICE.
AND THEN THE THIRD IS, UH, THE OPERATING SUBSIDY OR VOUCHERS.
UH, IN THE PAST YEARS, WE HAVE, UH, RELIED ON HOCKET TO PROVIDE THOSE VOUCHERS, AND WE'VE KNOWN THAT THAT IS NOT A, UH, UM, A COMPLETE SUBSIDY THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FOR THE ENTIRE POPULATION.
SO WE HAVE CREATED OUR LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM.
UH, THESE ARE AWARDED BY AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION AND FUNDED THROUGH THE HOUSING TRUST FUND.
I'D ALSO JUST POINT OUT THAT THE TWO, UH, FACILITIES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED ARE PARTNERSHIPS FROM THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
UH, THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION IS THE GROUND LESSOR AND A GENERAL PARTNER IN BOTH OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS.
AND THEN WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE FIVE UNITS, UH, TO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE ON BOTH OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS.
NOW, THAT'S NOT A LOT, BUT IN THIS NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE INCREASED OUR INVESTMENT AND INCREASED OUR ACTIVITIES.
UH, THE FALCONS TERRACE, UH, PECAN GARDENS BUNGALOWS AT CENTURY PARK, THOSE ARE OUR HOTEL CONVERSION ACTIVITIES.
WE HAVE PURCHASED HOTELS FROM THE MARKET, AND WE ARE NOW CONVERTING THEM TO HOUSING UNITS.
AGAIN, THESE ARE FULLY LEASED, UH, FOR THE INDIVIDUALS
[01:15:01]
RECEIVING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE CARE.AS YOU CAN SEE, THESE, UH, POPULATIONS ARE EITHER CHRONIC AND VETERANS OR CHRONIC AND 55 AND UP.
UH, SO IT'S A SPECIFIC POPULATION TARGETED.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT THE LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHERS FOR, UH, PECAN GARDENS IS 28.
SO WE'VE PROVIDED 28 VOUCHERS FOR, UH, UH, PECAN GARDENS AND 51 VOUCHERS FOR SPARROW AT RUTLAND.
I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT SPARROW RULAND, UH, RECENTLY HAD ITS GRAND OPENING, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST WEEK.
UH, THIS IS 171 PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS, UH, PROVIDED IN DISTRICT FOUR, AND IT IS A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY.
I I DEFINITELY INVITE ALL OF YOU TO COME OUT AND SEE IT.
UH, FINALLY, I WOULD ALSO, I JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT, UH, COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE, UH, THAT IS A PROPERTY THAT IS IN THE COUNTY, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT ALSO AT COUNTY FACILITIES AS WELL.
HOWEVER, WE DO NOT PROVIDE ANY FINANCING SUPPORT OR VOUCHERS FOR THOSE, UH, FOR THOSE FACILITIES.
IN 2025, WE EXPECT ANOTHER 400 UNITS TO COME ONLINE.
AGAIN, BURLESON VILLAGE IS IN THE COUNTY, UH, KATIE LOSS, REAL GARDENS, KAREN POINT.
THESE ARE ALL FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE INVESTED THROUGH OUR, UH, RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WITH MULTIPLE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, UH, AND WITH OUR LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THROUGH 400 UNITS COMING ON IN 2025, FOLLOWED BY AN ADDITIONAL 245 UNITS IN 2026 SEABROOK SQUARE, UH, RECENTLY HAD THEIR GROUNDBREAKING.
THIS IS, UH, ON THE CORNER OF, UH, MAINOR AND EM FRANKLIN.
THE FIRST PHASE IS 240 UNITS OF, UH, FAMILY, UH, MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS.
UH, THE SECOND PHASE IS 60 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
UH, WE'VE PROVIDED 48 LOCAL VOUCHERS FOR THAT, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SEE THAT COME ONLINE.
THE LAST, UH, ITEM ON THIS LIST IS THE ROS, AND THAT IS 100 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WHERE WE ARE A PARTNER.
IT IS ESSENTIALLY A PHASE TWO TO A PROPERTY THAT WE ACQUIRED FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
IN SUMMATION, WE WOULD LIKE, WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE ALMOST 1000 UNITS COME ONLINE IN OUR PRI IN OUR PIPELINE, UM, AS THEY DEVELOP OUT.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, UH, VERY QUICKLY.
FIRST, HERE IS A PICTURE OF BUNGALOWS AT CENTURY PARK.
THIS IS LOCATED AT MOPAC, JUST NORTH OF DO OF THE DOMAIN.
UH, IT IS 60 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UM, MANAGED WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH INTEGRAL CARE.
THEY ARE, WE HAVE PROVIDED GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AS WELL AS, UH, A RPA DOLLARS, AS WELL AS, UH, 50, UH, PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS FROM HAKA AND A HEALTH SERVICES CONTRACT, UH, FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ASPAR AT RUTLAND.
AGAIN, THIS OPENED UP LAST WEEK, UM, WITH 171 UNITS FULLY OCCUPIED.
UH, IT IS 100% AFFORDABLE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CARITAS OF AUSTIN AND THE CASINO GROUP.
UH, WE ARE EXCITED THAT, UH, THIS IS ONLINE AND, UH, AGAIN, I DO INVITE YOU ALL TO COME OUT AND SEE IT.
PECAN GARDENS IS OUR THIRD HOTEL.
THIS IS FAMILY ELDER CARE, UH, MANAGING IT FOR US.
IT IS 78 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
IT IS 50 PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS FROM HAKA AND 24 LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHERS FROM, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED A PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES CONTRACT FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, AND THIS ONE SHOULD BE COMING ONLINE IN THE NEXT, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS, I'D PROBABLY SAY LATE SUMMER.
AND THEN FINALLY, FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES BROUGHT A HOTEL TO US.
UH, THIS WAS BALCONES TERRACE.
UH, THIS IS 120 UNITS LOCATED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF MOPAC AND 360.
IT IS A $16 MILLION, UH, ACQUISITION FOR USING GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, SECURED 25 PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS AND, UH, 25 VASH VOUCHERS FROM HAKA AND A PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES CONTRACT FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
THIS ONE SHOULD ALSO BE COMING ONLINE LATER THIS YEAR.
SO THE MAJOR TAKEAWAYS, WE ARE SERVING A RECORD NUMBER OF CLIENTS IN OUR HOMELESS SHELTERS.
AUSTIN'S HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM OUTPERFORMS A NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR MAJOR CITIES, AND WE EXPECT A 300% GROWTH IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
THE PSH PIPELINE HAS MORE THAN 1000 UNITS, AND IN THAT NUMBER SHOULD CONTINUE TO GO UP, UH, AS WE APPROVE MORE LOANS AND MORE FINANCING FOR MORE DEVELOPMENTS.
NEXT STEPS, THE HOUSING, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TRANSITIONING SITE OPERATIONS OF THE BRIDGE SHELTERS IN MARCH AND EXPLORING ADDITIONAL SHELTER OPPORTUNITIES TO CLOSE THE GAPS, UH, REQUIRED TO FIND THOSE 600 BEDS.
WE'LL ALSO BE RELEASING A SOLICITATION FOR LANDLORD INCENTIVES LATER IN THE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER OF 2024.
THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, MY TEAM WILL BE CONTINUE SUPPORTING, UH, CONTINUE PROVIDING ONGOING SUPPORT FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY OF CARE DEVELOPMENTS THROUGH OUR RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. WE WILL BE MONITORING LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAMS
[01:20:01]
FOR IMPROVEMENTS, IDENTIFYING WAYS TO IMPROVE THAT PROGRAM AND POSSIBLY GROW IT.AND WE'LL FINALLY BE EXPLORING NEW PARTNERSHIPS FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, SUCH AS THE PARTNERSHIP WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO ENJOY WITH CARITAS ANDINO, FOREST SPARROW.
AND WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
AND THEN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELA PUENTES.
THIS IS, UH, EXCELLENT DATA AND INFORMATION.
I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL PUTTING IT TOGETHER.
UM, MY FIRST QUESTION, I'LL START WITH, UH, MR. MAY, I'M CURIOUS HOW MANY OF THESE PROJECTS, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIMME EXACT NUMBER, BUT JUST GENERALLY ARE RELYING ON ARPA FUNDS.
THAT IS, UH, AN EXACT NUMBER IS GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH.
HOWEVER, I CAN SAY THAT WE HAVE WORKED WITH, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, TO DEPLOY THEIR ARPA FUNDS.
UM, WE HAVE USED AR A RPA DOLLARS, UH, ON OUR HOTEL ACQUISITIONS.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR A RPR DOLLARS HAVE BEEN, UH, DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
SO I THINK DAVID WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER MORE TO ABOUT THAT.
I MEAN, THE, THE REASON I'M ASKING IS I'M CURIOUS IF THE FUTURE PROJECTS ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED, UM, MORE OUTSIDE OF ARPA.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE TO THINK OF THIS SURGE AS FULLY RELIANT ON ARPA THAT WE HAVE KIND OF FIGURED OUT OTHER FUNDING MECHANISMS, OR ARE WE SEEING THIS, THIS MASSIVE SURGE BECAUSE OF THE ARPA DOLLARS? GO AHEAD, COUNCIL MEMBER THAT, THAT'S A FANTASTIC QUESTION.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 12 PROJECTS THAT ARE RECEIVING FUNDING THROUGH OUR SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS.
AND SOME OF THOSE ARE, ARE FUNDED.
WE HAVE INFORMED SOME OF THOSE PROVIDERS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RESTRUCTURE OUR STAFFING SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO DRAW DOWN ON THOSE FUNDINGS FOR AN ADDITIONAL FISCAL YEAR.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ONGOING SUPPORT LOOKS LIKE BEYOND THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
UH, AND WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT INFORMATION TO COUNCIL AS PART OF THE CITY'S FY 25 BUDGET PROPOSAL.
UM, HOW DO, I KNOW A COUPLE YEARS AGO THERE WAS A MODEL THAT WAS DEVELOPED THAT WAS KIND OF A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT WHAT OUR SHELTER NEEDS ARE, WHAT OUR PSH NEEDS ARE, JUST WHAT THE WHOLE, UM, SYSTEM SHOULD LOOK LIKE, OUR, WHERE DOES THIS FIT IN, IF, IF WE ACHIEVE THESE NUMBERS, UH, IS THAT 600 NUMBER FROM THE MODEL OR, OR ARE WE RIGHT SIZED AT THAT APPROACH? SURE.
UM, SO THE BARBARA POPPY REPORT INCLUDED SOME FIGURES THAT SPOKE TO THE GAPS IN OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER SYSTEM.
AND SO THE SLIDE THAT WE PRESENTED THAT DAY TOOK THAT MODEL, BUT WE ALSO TWEAKED THE NUMBERS BECAUSE THAT REPORT WAS CONDUCTED IN THE EARLY 2020S.
AND SO WE, WE KNOW THAT THE NEEDS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THEN.
SO THE NUMBER THAT YOU SAW TODAY IS BASED OFF OF THAT MODEL WITH, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF INFLATION RIGHT.
TO ACCOUNT FOR THE NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY TODAY.
WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT IF WE CAN DELIVER THESE 600 UNITS, THAT WILL CLOSE OUR SHELTER GAP.
UH, SOME PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO RESOLVE THEIR HOMELESSNESS IN SHELTERS, OTHERS WILL NEED TO MOVE ON TO RAPID REHOUSING AND PSH.
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING THESE ADDITIONAL PSH UNITS ONLINE.
AND AS WE LOOK AT THE FINANCING PIECE, AGAIN, ARE ANY OF THESE PSH PROJECTS NOT UTILIZING TAX CREDITS? THANK YOU.
ACTUALLY, SEVERAL OF THEM ARE, UM, TAX CREDITS ARE A LITTLE TRICKY WITH THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO CARRY AS MUCH DEBT, RIGHT.
UM, THEY DO HAVE THE, UH, UH, OPERATING SUBSIDIES REQUIRED AS WELL AS THE SERVICES SUBSIDY.
SEVERAL OF THE, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY COLLABORATIVE OR, UH, SHIP, UH, PROJECTS ARE FOLLOWING A DEBT AND EQUITY MODEL, UM, AND PARTNERING WITH A MARKET DEVELOPER TO PROVIDE SOME OF THAT EQUITY.
I THINK THE LAST THING OF NOTE, AND IF I FEEL LIKE WE, WE KEEP SAYING THE WORD COUNTY AROUND HERE, BUT A BIG PART OF THIS IS BECAUSE THE COUNTY CAME TO THE TABLE WITH THEIR ARPA DOLLARS AND WERE WILLING TO INVEST.
AND SO AS WE LOOK FORWARD, UH, THIS IS NOT A CITY OF AUSTIN ONLY PROBLEM.
AND SO OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE THAT GOOD WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND HAVE THEM CONTINUE, UH, TO INVEST IS THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL IS IF EVERYBODY, UH, IS CONTRIBUTING.
SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE CON CONTRIBUTIONS THEY'VE MADE AND, AND HOPE TO SEE IT CONTINUE.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, YOU ASKED TWO OF MY QUESTIONS ALREADY,
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QUITE CATCH WHETHER OR NOT YOU ALL ADDRESSED, UM, SERVICE COST AND WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE FUNDING FOR THOSE.SO THERE WAS SOME FUNDING FOR PSH SERVICES THAT WAS DIRECTLY APPROPRIATED IN THE CURRENT YEAR'S FISCAL, UH, CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, UH, CITY BUDGET.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE SOME MONEY FROM PRIOR YEARS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE, UH, MAKING AVAILABLE TO NEW UNITS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE.
UH, SO MY TEAM RIGHT NOW IS WORKING ON A SCOPE FOR AN ADDITIONAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS THAT WE LOOK AT LAUNCHING RIGHT AROUND MAYBE LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.
UH, AND THAT WILL BE AN RFP FOR OUR PROVIDERS TO HELP OFFSET THE COST OF ONGOING SERVICE EXPENSES.
AND YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S SUFFICIENT, YOU KNOW, OR IS THERE A GAP? IT'S KIND OF WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH TODAY.
PART OF THE ANALYSIS THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND MY NEW FINANCE UNIT IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GAP REALLY IS AND THEN BRING FORTH, UH, A RECOMMENDATION FOR US TO BRING FORTH A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION.
AND AS A CITY TO BRING FORTH THAT RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, UH, THAT COULD SPEAK TOWARDS WHAT IT MIGHT COST FOR THE CITY TO HELP CLOSE THE GAP.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, UM, RECOMMENDATION.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS, UM, MR. MAY, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT WE PURCHASED PROPERTY FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY DEVELOPED A PROPERTY CALLED CITYVIEW APARTMENTS.
IT IS, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S JUST WEST OF MABEL, DAVIS PARK.
UM, AND, UH, THERE WAS ENOUGH PROPERTY, UH, AS PART OF THAT ACQUISITION TO DEVELOP A PHASE TWO.
UH, THEY WERE, UM, LOOKING TO SELL, WE WERE LOOKING TO BUY.
SO WE HAVE OCCUPIED THAT PROPERTY NOW, UH, AS A SENIOR FACILITY.
AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, SALLY GASKINS.
UH, WE ARE DEVELOPING PHASE TWO, KNOWN AS THE RAWS.
AND JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, IS THERE ANY HUD IMPLICATION INVOLVED WITH THAT PROPERTY? UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THE CITY VIEW, IF THE ORIGINAL CITY VIEW IS LAURA STILL STANDS.
UM, HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT THE ROZ IS, IS PURSUING TAX CREDITS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT A SERVICE CONTRACT WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
I'M CURIOUS WHAT WHAT THAT MEANS.
SO PRIOR TO THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE BECOMING ITS OWN OFFICE, MM-HMM.
SO IT'S PART OF THE THREE LEGGED STOOL THAT JAMIE HAD REFERENCED.
THAT FIRST LEG BEING THE CAPITAL STACK, THE SECOND LEG BEING THE VOUCHERS, AND THE THIRD LEG BEING THE SERVICES FUNDING.
AND THAT'S THE, THE ASSET MIX THAT REALLY MAKES THESE PSH UNITS WORK.
UH, THOSE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTERED SERVICES CONTRACTS ARE NOW TRANSITIONING TO MY OFFICE AS PART OF OUR STANDALONE OFFICE.
AND THEN, UH, UH, UM, I HEARD MENTION OF LANDLORD INCENTIVES, THAT'S ANOTHER PROGRAM, THAT'S ANOTHER REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL THAT OUR OFFICE WILL BE RELEASING LATER THIS YEAR.
THE INTENT BEHIND THE LANDLORD INCENTIVES IS TO GAUGE WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO OWN APARTMENTS OR OTHER BUILDINGS, OTHER UNITS THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UH, UNTIL THESE IN TURN WON BECOME RAPID REHOUSING OR PSH UNITS AT APARTMENT COMPLEXES OR, OR OTHER TYPES OF PROPERTIES.
THE WAY THAT THE LANDLORD INTENSIVES WORKS IS THAT IT OFFSETS THE OPERATING COSTS FOR THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER.
IT DOES THINGS LIKE, UH, PROVIDES FIRST AND LAST MONTH'S RENT SECURITY DEPOSITS, UH, PAYS FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT MIGHT BE CAUSED TO THE UNIT.
UH, AND IT ALSO ENSURES THAT THE CLIENTS WHO ARE PLACED IN THOSE UNITS HAVE A CASE MANAGER THAT IS SHOWING UP AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK ONSITE TO WORK WITH THE CLIENT AND ULTIMATELY HELP THEM TRANSITION OUTTA THE UNIT IF IT'S A RAPID REHOUSING UNIT, OR PROVIDE THE ONGOING SUPPORT IF IT'S A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNIT.
UM, I THINK, OH, UH, AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION IS OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH FAMILY ELDER CARE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS.
UM, IT WAS A, I THINK IT WAS PECAN GARDENS.
THAT FACILITY IS OWNED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND WE HAVE CONTRACTED WITH FAMILY ELDER CARE TO MANAGE IT FOR US.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
UH, ONE OF THE SLIDES MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSITIONING THE BRIDGE SHELTERS, UH, TO, UH, THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.
UH, WHAT IS THE PLAN THERE WITH THE BRIDGE SHELTER? AND AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NORTH, UH, AND, AND, AND SOUTH.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR NORTH BRIDGE AND SOUTH BRIDGE SHELTERS.
YOU MIGHT RECALL LAST MONTH, COUNCIL GAVE STAFF THE ABILITY TO, UH, NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE NEW SERVICE CONTRACTS FOR NORTH BRIDGE AND SOUTH BRIDGE.
NORTH BRIDGE IS CURRENTLY OPERATED BY THE
[01:30:01]
CITY OF AUSTIN.WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT THE OPERATIONS BU UH, BUSINESS.
SO THROUGH THAT SOLICITATION, FAMILY ENDEAVORS WAS SELECTED AS THE OPERATOR FOR NORTH BRIDGE.
UH, URBAN LEAGUE WAS SELECTED AS THE OPERATOR FOR SOUTHBRIDGE.
AND SO WE'RE JUST IN THE PROCESS OF BUTTONING UP THOSE SERVICES CONTRACTS.
AND THEN FOR NORTHBRIDGE TRANSITIONING, THE, THE OPERATIONS FROM, UH, MY TEAM WHO'S THERE EVERY DAY OVER TO ENDEAVOR STAFF.
SO THEY'RE STAYING AS BRIDGE SHELTERS.
IT'S JUST THE OPERATIONS ARE, UH, ARE TRANSITIONING FROM, UH, DIRECTLY CITY OPERATED TO, UH, NOW ENDEAVORS, UH, OPERATED.
AND WHAT, WHAT THIS DOES KIND OF ORGANIZATIONALLY IS IT GET, IT HELPS MY STAFF HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO FIND MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW OUR SHELTER SYSTEM.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME, EVERY, LITERALLY EVERY DAY, INCLUDING HOLIDAYS OPERATING THAT FACILITY.
WE WANT TO SHIFT SO THAT WE COULD FOCUS MORE TIME ON GROWING OUR SYSTEM.
BUT OVER THE LONG TERM, OR LET'S SAY OVER THE MEDIUM TERM THOUGH, THOSE WILL CONTINUE TO BE BRIDGE SHELTERS.
OR STOP OUT OF UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS TO A BRIDGE SHELTER WHERE FOLKS ARE KIND OF STABILIZED AND THEN ULTIMATELY TRANSITIONED HOPEFULLY INTO PERMANENTLY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
WE HAVE NO INTENTION TO CHANGE HOW THAT SH THOSE SHELTERS OPERATE.
SO THOSE SHELTERS WILL BOTH CONTINUE TO SERVE AS BRIDGE SHELTERS.
THEY'RE CONNECTED TO OUR HEEL, WHICH IS OUR HOUSING FOCUS, ENCAMPMENT ASSISTANCE LINK PROGRAM.
THAT'S HOW THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO FUNCTION MOVING FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
UM, VERY INCREDIBLE INFORMATION.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE HOLISTIC, COMPREHENSIVE, UM, OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE'RE AT IN OUR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO, TO ASK YOU IS, YOU KNOW HOW I'M THRILLED TO HEAR THAT WE HAVE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE INCREASE IN OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE THIS YEAR.
I THINK YOU MENTIONED, UH, AN ADDITIONAL 300 COMING ONLINE THIS YEAR, AND THEN, UH, 600% PLUS INCREASE BY 2026.
UM, CAN YOU JUST SHARE WITH US HOW LONG THOSE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS WERE IN THE WORKS AND THE LENGTH OF TIME IT'S TAKEN US TO GET TO THIS POINT? SURE.
UM, SO ASPAR ROAD, RUTLAND IS PROBABLY THE BEST EXAMPLE.
UH, WE STARTED HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT IN JANUARY IN 2019.
I BELIEVE IT WAS JANUARY OF 2020, DECEMBER, 2019.
UM, AT THAT TIME, WE APPLIED FOR, IN THAT YEAR, WE APPLIED FOR A 9% TAX CREDIT, BECAUSE THAT IS THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK.
UM, WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, SO WE TRANSITIONED TO A 4% TAX CREDIT, BUILDING THE CAPITAL STACK.
AND, UH, NOW WE ARE APPROXIMATELY FOUR YEARS LATER, UH, WITH THE GRAND OPENING.
UM, IT DOES TAKE A WHILE NOT ONLY TO BUILD THE CAPITAL STACK, BUT ALSO TO CONSTRUCT THE FACILITY ITSELF.
I MEAN, I, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN HEARING FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS THE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY HAS MADE.
UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR US TO GET THESE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS BUILT, UH, PRODUCED AND AVAILABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THIS CERTAINLY HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING, AND WE ARE JUST NOW SEEING THE PROGRESS, UH, TANGIBLE PROGRESS IN MOTION.
ONE THING I WANNA HIGHLIGHT FOR MY COLLEAGUES WAS PART OF OUR CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING LAST WEEK WAS REGARDING THE OPERATION OF THE MARSHALLING YARD, UH, DIRECTOR GRAY, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT HOW THAT DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO CONTINUE OPERATING THE MARSHING YARD WHEN THAT WILL COME BEFORE COUNCIL? BECAUSE THAT IS A CONVERSATION THAT WE STILL NEED TO HAVE REGARDING A TEMPORARY SHELTER.
SO OUR CURRENT CONTRACT WITH FAMILY ENDEAVORS IS TO OPERATE THE MARSHALING YARD FOR A TERM OF ONE YEAR.
UH, AND THE MARSHALING YARD IS ARPA FUNDED.
UH, AND SO UNDER THE CURRENT PLAN, WE WOULD BEGIN TO MOBILIZE IN THE MARSHALING YARD AROUND MAY.
AND THAT WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST EXITING 300 CLIENTS BACK TO THE STREET, BUT RATHER WE'RE EXITING PEOPLE POSITIVELY INTO HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, AS YOU SAW IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY, WE STILL HAVE A, A PRETTY WIDE GAP IN TERMS OF OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER NEEDS.
AND SO WE DO INTEND TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL AT SOME POINT IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT ONGOING OPERATIONS AT THE MARSHALING YARD COULD LOOK LIKE, AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, COUNCIL IS GONNA GIVE US THE AUTHORITY TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TOWARDS.
AND SO IS, IS IT REASONABLE FOR COUNCIL TO EXPECT A RECOMMENDATION COMING FROM THE CITY MANAGER? Y YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK IS, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK DAVID AND JAMIE FOR REALLY AN OUTSTANDING PRESENTATION.
THE COOPERATION BETWEEN THESE TWO DEPARTMENT OF THIS OFFICE AND THIS DEPARTMENT IS REALLY ASTOUNDING.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF TEAMWORK THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING IN THIS ORGANIZATION TO CONTINUE TO SUCCEED.
I, I THINK WITH RESPECT TO THE MARSHING YARD, BECAUSE OF THAT DEFICIT OF SHELTER BEDS AND BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA HAVE EVENTS THAT IT'LL HAPPEN, OR WHETHER IT'S THIS SUMMER WHEN WE HAVE, UH, INCREDIBLY, UH, HOT WEATHER, OR WE'LL HAVE A, ANOTHER WINTER EVENT NEXT, UH, TOWARD THE
[01:35:01]
END OF THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR, YOU'RE GONNA WANT TO HAVE SHELTER BEDS IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE PLACES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO BE.AND IF WE INCREASE THE GAP THAT IS THAT WE HAVE LESS SHELTER BEDS AS A RESULT OF A DECISION NOT TO CONTINUE THE MARSHALING YARD, THEN I THINK IT'LL PUT US IN JEOPARDY.
I KNOW THAT THIS, UH, WINTER, WE, UH, WE PUT INTO MOTION THE USE OF RECREATION CENTERS, THE COMMUNITY AT, AT LEAST IN ONE COMMUNITY.
THEY SENT US NOTES SAYING THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY, UH, THEY WORRIED ABOUT US DOING THAT, BUT WE HAD TO HAVE EXTENDED USE OF THOSE CENTERS SO THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WOULDN'T BE TURNED OUT IN THAT EXTREME COAL.
SO I THINK WE'LL WANT TO BRING BACK THAT DISCUSSION WITH YOU, THAT DISCUSSION, HOW IT'S GONNA BE FUNDED, HOW WE WOULD TAKE, CARRY IT FORWARD, AND CONTINUE TO WORK ON WHERE WE MIGHT DEVELOP FUTURE SHELTER OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE OWE THE COUNCIL, AND WE INTEND TO DO THAT, UH, LATER THIS YEAR.
AND FINAL QUESTION ON MY END WAS THE RAPID REHOUSING PORTION.
YOU MENTIONED HOW CRITICAL THAT IS IN OUR ECOSYSTEM, AND I THINK ONE OF THE SLIDES SHOWED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF RAPID REHOUSING UNITS, UM, IN OUR SYSTEM CAPACITY.
WOULD YOU MIND ELABORATING A LITTLE BIT ON THAT? WAS THERE A DECREASE? I THINK THAT WAS, OR PERHAPS THAT MIGHT BE MY SLIDE.
YEAH, I, I MIGHT HAVE TO GO BACK AND, AND LOOK AT THE SLIDE DECK AGAIN.
IF YOU CAN PULL THAT BACK UP SO YOU CAN POINT US TO THE SLIDE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD SPECIFIC DATA ON, ON RAPID REHOUSING.
WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT WE CURRENTLY FUND RAPID REHOUSING TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $6.4 MILLION ON THE SERVICES SIDE.
UH, AND PART OF OUR LANDLORD INCENTIVE PROGRAM WILL BE DESIGNED TO BRING MORE RAPID REHOUSING UNITS ONLINE.
UH, BUT LET'S SEE, IT WAS SLIDE THREE.
SLIDE THREE, SORRY, JUMP ALL THE WAY BACK.
SO WHAT THIS SLIDE SHOWS IS AS OF JANUARY, 2024, WE HAD, UH, 1100 RAPID REHOUSING UNITS.
I CAN GO WITH MY TEAM TO LOOK INTO THE, THE HISTORY OF RAPID REHOUSING UNITS AND HOW THAT'S EVOLVED OVER TIME.
UH, BUT I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO RIGHT NOW WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S ACTUALLY DECLINED.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE LANDLORD INCENTIVES THAT Y'ALL ARE WORKING ON, SO PERHAPS THAT'LL HELP WITH OUR CAPACITY.
THANKS, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE ON THIS ITEM.
UH, I, I WILL HIGHLIGHT WHAT I THINK THE QUESTIONS REVEAL, WHICH IS THAT, UM, THIS IS REALLY GOOD WORK AND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, MANAGER, UM, THE, THE SPECIFIC STAFF YOU HAVE WORKING ON THIS, THE TWO OF Y'ALL, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH BECAUSE, UH, WE, WE, WE CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE AND THEN THIS REPORT HIGHLIGHTS THAT DIFFERENCE.
SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU MANAGER.
UH, MEMBERS THAT WILL TAKE US TO ITEM B TWO,
[B2. Austin Convention Center potential development opportunity.]
WHICH RELATES TO THE, UH, AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AND POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.AND, UH, ROLANDO FERNANDEZ, THIS IS A ROUTINE ITEM.
SHOULD TAKE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES,
GOOD MORNING, CITY MANAGER MAYOR.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS TRICIA TETRO.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I'M JOINED THIS MORNING BY A PORTION OF MY EXECUTIVE TEAM AND THE LARGER CITY TEAM WORKING ON THIS OVERALL EXPANSION PROJECT.
BUT, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROLANDO FERNANDEZ, AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR KATIE NIK.
I'M ALSO JOINED BY DEPUTY CFO FOR THE CITY, KIM OLIVAREZ, UM, AS WELL AS OUR PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP CONSULTANTS THAT ARE WORKING WITH US ON THIS PROJECT.
JEN BOSS AND JAY BROWN OF HYATT BROWN.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS A POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY THAT WILL BE MADE POSSIBLE BY THE REDEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
I'M GONNA TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROLANDO FERNANDEZ, WHO'S GONNA LEAD US THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UH, AFTER THAT.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER.
I THINK I HAVE FOUR AND A HALF MINUTES NOW,
SO I'M GONNA TRANSITION INTO THE, UH, SUMMARY SLIDE REALLY QUICKLY AND KIND OF TALK, UH, KIND OF LAY OUT THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY.
AND THEN TOWARDS THE END, REITERATE OUR RECOMMENDATION AND ASK, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE.
AGAIN, I'M ROLANDA FERNANDEZ WITH THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE OVERVIEW OF THIS PROJECT, WHY WE'RE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
WHAT WE WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND FROM THIS PROJECT, UH, WE'RE GONNA PRESENT OUR RECOMMENDATION TO Y'ALL IN TERMS OF HOW WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD AND THEN SUPPORT THAT RECOMMENDATION WITH INFORMATION THAT'S DRIVING THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO THE SCHEDULE, MARKET ANALYSIS AND 40 YEAR FINANCIAL, UH, FISCAL IMPACT, THE COMMUNICATION PLAN THAT SUPPORTED HOW WE GOT TO OUR RECOMMENDATION ALONG WITH THE MARKET ANALYSIS AND THE FISCAL IMPACT.
LAST YEAR, COUNCIL, UH, APPROVED SEVERAL, UH, SIGNIFICANT CONTRACTS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER
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REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, BOTH THE DESIGN FIRM, THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, AND ALSO THE STAFF AUGMENTATION PROJECT TEAM PRIOR TO THAT.NOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, AS WE EMBARK ON THIS SIGNIFICANT PROJECT, IT LAYS THE FOUNDATION TO INCORPORATE A POTENTIAL PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO REIMAGINE THE SIX CITY BLOCKS THAT WE HAVE HERE AND DISCOVER WHERE WE CAN PUT THIS POTENTIAL, UH, P THREE PROJECT ON ON SITE.
NOT ONLY THAT, WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED COUNCIL DIRECTION PREVIOUSLY THROUGH THE FORM OF THE 2019 PALM DISTRICT RESOLUTION THAT SPECIFICALLY NOTED LEVERAGE P THREE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THE COST, THE FUNDING OF THE CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WERE ALSO LOOKING AT POTENTIAL GOALS THROUGH THIS, UH, OPPORTUNITY.
FIRST AND FOREMOST IS TO SUPPORT CONVENTION CENTER ACTIVITIES.
AS YOU EMBARK ON A JOURNEY TO THE CONVENTION CENTER TODAY, YOU WOULD SEE THAT IT'S ACTIVATED THROUGH EVENTS DAYS WHERE IT'S NO, THERE, THERE ARE NO EVENTS GOING ON.
SO, SO WE WANT TO LOOK AT CHANGING THAT SCENARIO AROUND AND MAKING IT A PLACE FOR ALL FOLKS TO COME IN.
UH, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S EVENT IN THE CONVENT CENTER, WE ALSO WANT TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT COUNCIL PRIORITIES ALONG WITH COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.
FINALLY, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THIS PROJECT PROVIDES, UH, REVENUE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, GOING BACK TO THE RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE COST OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER SUPPORT COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY PRIORITIES AS WELL.
OUR RECOMMENDATION AS WE LOOKED AT THE MARKET ANALYSIS, AS WE LOOKED AT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AN RFQ THAT AIMS TO SUPPORT, UH, SECURE, UH, THE ABILITY TO, UH, BRING ONBOARD A DEVELOPER TO SUPPORT EITHER A HOTEL OR MULTIFAMILY AS THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY ON SITE.
AND IN ADDITION TO ACTIVATING THE GROUND FLOOR, UH, USES, AGAIN, THIS IS SUPPORTED BY THE MARKET ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE CONDUCTED.
IT ALSO SUPPORTS THE ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY INTEREST THAT WE'VE HEARD THUS FAR.
IT ACHIEVES OTHER SIGNIFICANT GOALS THAT WE'VE BEEN EMBARKING ON THROUGH THE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND WE CAN ALIGN WITH THIS POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY.
THOSE INCLUDE ACTIVATING THE DISTRICT AREA, PROVIDE SOME GREEN SPACE, AND ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY THE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT THIS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY IS SUSTAINABLE LONG TERM.
WE ALSO WANT TO ACHIEVE THE POTENTIAL TO SUPPORT LOCAL REALTORS, UH, REALTORS, UH, REALTOR RETAILERS, EXCUSE ME, RESTAURANTS, ENTREPRENEURS, SMALL BUSINESSES AND CULTURAL ARTS.
WE BELIEVE THAT HAVING THIS SPECIFIC DIRECTION IN THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS WILL PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERESTED DEVELOPERS TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION.
AS WE EMBARK ON THIS EFFORT, WE ALSO WANT TO CONTINUE LOOKING AT PROVIDING, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING INTO THE CONFIGURATION OF THE MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
OUR GOAL IS, YOU KNOW, AFTER THIS CONVERSATION IS TO FINALIZE THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND, UH, RELEASE THAT, UM, EARLY NEXT MONTH, SO EARLY MARCH.
SO I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATION, YOU KNOW, I FOR, UH, FORESHADOWED SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT IS SUPPORTING THIS RECOMMENDATION.
SO WE WANT TO GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT INFORMATION, SPECIFICALLY THE SCHEDULE, THE MARKET ANALYSIS, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS.
MY NAME IS JENNIFER BOSS, UH, WITH HYATT BROWN, THE CONSULTING FIRM THAT TRICIA MENTIONED.
UH, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THESE, THESE FINDINGS WITH YOU.
UM, I'D LIKE TO TALK A BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT SCHEDULE AND THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE HAVE DEVELOPED, UH, BUILDING ON MUCH OF THE PLANNING THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER ITSELF.
WE BEGAN WITH A MARKET ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE WHAT USES WOULD BE VIABLE AT THE SITE, GIVEN CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS.
OUR NEXT MAJOR STEP HAS BEEN ENGAGEMENT, FIRST WITH COUNCIL, UH, AND THEN WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, WHICH WE'LL TOUCH ON IN A FEW MOMENTS.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO SHARE THAT FEEDBACK AND DISCUSS THIS DIRECTION FOR THE PROJECT THAT ROLANDO HAS DESCRIBED.
UH, AND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE HEARD IS, IS LARGELY INFORMING THE PROCESS FOR THAT DEVELOPER PARTNER SOLICITATION.
WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS THAT WE'RE LEVERAGING A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH.
GIVEN THE INTEGRATED NATURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, THEIR RESPECTIVE ARCHITECTS MUST COLLABORATE EFFECTIVELY AND CLOSELY.
UH, AS SUCH, WE WON'T BE SELECTING A DEVELOPMENT PARTNER BASED ON, UM, A SPECIFIC VALUE OR A FINAL DESIGN, BUT INSTEAD, WE'LL SELECT A HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEAM WITH THE ABILITY TO DELIVER THE PROJECT.
UH, THAT HAS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE AND HAS PROVIDED, UH, AN, AN ATTRACTIVE AND DESIRABLE NOTIONAL CONCEPT
[01:45:01]
AND FINANCIAL STRATEGY.WE WOULD THEN RETURN TO COUNCIL, UH, IN JULY, THE, THE SESSION ON JULY 18TH TO SEEK APPROVAL OF THAT SELECTED DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
OUR GOAL IS FOR THE COMMERCIAL PROJECT TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION, UH, DURING THE CONVENTION CENTER DEVELOPMENT, SO AS NOT TO DISRUPT THE OPERATIONS OF THE CONVENTION CENTER ONCE IT'S COMPLETED.
UH, IT'S CRITICAL TO NOTE THAT WHILE WE HAVE ALREADY LAUNCHED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND WITH YOU ALL, UM, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE ROAD IN TERMS OF OF ENGAGEMENT.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER CRITICAL COMPONENTS ABOUT THIS PROGRESSIVE APPROACH THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THAT PROJECT SCHEDULED DIAGRAM IS THAT AFTER A DEVELOPER IS SELECTED, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD THAT ENGAGEMENT AS THEY FURTHER REFINE THE CONCEPT ALONGSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER DEPARTMENT AND ITS ARCHITECT AND BUILDER FOR THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER ITSELF.
WHAT'S CRITICAL TO, TO NOTE, AND SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO REITERATE HERE, IS THAT THE ALIGNMENT OF THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY, THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY, UH, HAS TO, HAS TO BE CLOSELY WORKED TOGETHER WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT SCHEDULE.
UM, WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE IS ANY SORT OF MISALIGNMENT THAT WOULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE CONVENTION CENTER'S DELIVERY BECAUSE THERE IS TOO MUCH WRITING ON THAT PROJECT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE, THE KEY POINTS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED HERE, THE ALIGNMENT OF THOSE, THOSE DESIGNERS AND BUILDERS, ALLOWS FOR COLLABORATION TO MAINTAIN THAT OVERALL SCHEDULE, BUT ALSO FROM AN EXPERIENTIAL STANDPOINT, CREATING A UNIFIED URBAN DESIGN FOR THE ENTIRE PROPERTY, WHETHER THE GROUND FLOOR IS, UM, UNDERNEATH THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER OR IT'S UNDERNEATH A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN I, AS I MENTIONED ALREADY, AVOIDING DISRUPTION IN THE NEWLY EXPANDED CONVENTION CENTER IS, IS CRITICAL AS WELL.
SO AS WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW WE THEN MOVE FORWARD, I MENTIONED THAT WE COMPLETED A MARKET ANALYSIS, UM, AND THE MARKET ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT HOTEL AND MULTIFAMILY USES ARE THE MOST VIABLE AT THIS SITE GIVEN MARKET CONDITIONS.
HENCE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT ROLANDO SHARED.
UM, JUST AS A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, HOTELS HAVE RECOVERED TO THEIR 2019 DEMAND LEVELS, UM, AND HAVE DEMONSTRATED STABLE ROOM RATES.
UH, MULTIFAMILY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE IS A LOT COMING OUT OF THE GROUND, HAS SHOWN STABLE ABSORPTION OR LEASING OF UNITS.
UH, AND RENT GROWTH HAS NOT CONTINUED TO GROW THE WAY THAT IT HAD IN THE PAST, BUT IT HAS FLATTENED AND IS STILL HIGHLY STABLE AND THUS, UM, A VIABLE USE.
WE DID EXPLORE WORKFORCE HOUSING SETTING ASIDE A PORTION OF UNITS IF THERE WERE TO BE A MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT AS WORKFORCE UNITS, NAMELY THOSE AT 80% OF MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, AND FOUND THAT THAT MAY BE FEASIBLE, BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE LAND VALUE THAT THE PROJECT GENERATES TO BE DEDICATED TO THOSE UNITS, TO, UH, THE, A SUBSIDY ESSENTIALLY FOR HAVING THOSE LOWER RENTAL RATES.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THERE IS A TRADE OFF BETWEEN WHAT CAN THEN HAPPEN AT THE GROUND FLOOR, BECAUSE THAT, THAT LAND VALUE IS CRITICAL TO BE ABLE TO SUBSIDIZE SOME ACTIVITY AT THE GROUND LEVEL WHERE WE'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM COMMUNITY COUNCIL AND, AND JUST ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE, THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE ACTIVATION, IMPORTANT TO HAVE A DYNAMIC AND VIBRANT SPACE, AND SPECIFICALLY ONE THAT HELPS TO SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURS, SMALL BUSINESS, ET CETERA.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT A LOT WITH REGARD TO THE OTHER TWO USES ON THE SLIDE HERE.
OFFICE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, THOSE HAVE BEEN DEEMED TO BE INFEASIBLE.
UH, OFFICE IS IN A CHALLENGING STATE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND AUSTIN IS NO DIFFERENT.
WE'RE SEEING, UM, A LOT OF INVENTORY CHANGING WORK HABITS THAT HAVE NOT YET FLUSHED THEMSELVES OUT.
UH, RENTS THAT ARE COMPRESSING NOT JUST IN AUSTIN, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO BUILDING SPECULATIVE OFFICE HERE IS NOT THE BEST OPTION.
AND THEN THE OTHER USE THAT WE TOOK A A PRETTY CLOSE LOOK AT WAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A, A CRITICAL ISSUE IN AUSTIN, AS IT IS IN IN MANY CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, AFTER NUMEROUS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE HOUSING FINANCE CORP, HOUSING AUTHORITY, HOUSING DEPARTMENT, EDD AND OTHERS, WE FOUND THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT VIABLE AT THIS LOCATION.
UM, IN THE WORLD OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND YOU ALL MAY KNOW THIS, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE LAST CONVERSATION THAT WE JUST HEARD, UH, THE PRIMARY CHALLENGE IS TO FILL A GAP IN DEVELOPMENT COSTS AND OPERATING COSTS.
AND BUILDING HIGH EXPENSIVE, EXCUSE ME, EXPENSIVE, HIGH-RISE HOUSING ONLY CONTRIBUTES TO THAT GAP.
UM, AS AN EXAMPLE, THE COST TO BUILD A SINGLE HIGH-RISE UNIT IS APPROXIMATELY 42% GREATER THAN BUILDING A MID-RISE OR THREE TO FOUR STORY UNIT.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, WHEN YOU HAVE HIGH-RISE UNITS,
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IF THERE IS TO BE ANY PARKING, OFTENTIMES THAT IS STRUCTURED PARKING, WHICH HAS A SIGNIFICANT COST IN AND OF ITSELF.AND WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD WITH THOSE COSTS IS THAT THE SUBSIDIES, AGAIN, THAT YOU ALL WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT IN THE PREVIOUS BRIEFING, ARE NOT GOING TO BE AVAILABLE.
UH, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
AFTER OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, ALL OF THE CITY AGENCIES THAT I MENTIONED, WHAT WE LEARNED IS THAT BOTH FEDERAL LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS, WHICH ARE CRITICAL TO FILL THOSE GAPS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, AS WELL AS CITY SUBSIDIES, SUCH AS FROM THE UM, RENTAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, ARE, ARE NOT, UH, LIKELY GOING TO BE DEPLOYED FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS BECAUSE IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD.
WHEN THOSE AGENCIES, FEDERAL AND LOCAL ALIKE ARE DECIDING WHERE TO ALLOCATE THOSE PRECIOUS DOLLARS, UM, THEY CAN BE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVELY DEPLOYED ON PROJECTS THAT ARE, ARE JUST LESS COSTLY TO BUILD.
AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, IT MAKES AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THE SITE VERY, VERY CHALLENGING TO ACHIEVE.
SO MOVING FORWARD THEN WE TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT THE FISCAL IMPACT WOULD BE FOR THOSE TWO USES THAT WERE DEEMED TO BE MOST FEASIBLE.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE PROJECT CAN GENERATE SIGNIFICANT TAX REVENUE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A HOTEL WITH GROUND FLOOR ACTIVITIES OR UH, APARTMENTS WITH GROUND FLOOR ACTIVITIES IS PURSUED.
UM, THOUGH, AS, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE HOTEL IS ANTICIPATED TO BE MORE LUCRATIVE.
ADDITIONALLY, UH, THE HOTEL WOULD BE MORE COMPLIMENTARY TO THE CONVENTION CENTERS OPERATIONS.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE, UH, IN THE HOTEL TAX LINE ITEM THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE THAT PRESENTLY 30% OF HOTEL TAXES ARE DEDICATED TO, UM, HISTORIC PRESERVATION CULTURE AND ARTS PROGRAMS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND SO AS WE THINK ABOUT THE, THE 315 MILLION THAT IS APPROXIMATED HERE, UH, OVER A 40 YEAR PERIOD, THAT COULD TRANSLATE INTO APPROXIMATELY $95 MILLION THAT WOULD BE DEPLOYED SPECIFICALLY FOR ARTS CULTURE, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, NOT JUST AT THIS SITE, BUT CITYWIDE.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE HAD A ROBUST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY, AND WE'D LIKE TO TOUCH ON THAT BRIEFLY HERE.
UM, WE HAVE HAD INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT LEADING UP TO THE RFQ THAT'S BEEN LED BY OUR PARTNERS AT AISA COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, I MENTIONED THAT WE HAD ENGAGED WITH CITY AGENCIES AS WELL AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, TO UNDERSTAND PREFERENCES AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROJECT.
WE ALSO THEN MET EXTERNALLY WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN OVER 15, ONE-ON-ONE AND GROUP INTERVIEWS.
UM, AND THOSE GROUPS RANGED FROM NEARBY HOTELS, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, A TP, WHICH WILL HAVE, UM, INTEGRATION AT THIS SITE AS WELL, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHERS.
WE ALSO HELD AN OPEN HOUSE AT THE BLACK SHEAR SCHOOL ON JANUARY 17TH AND UM, AT THE SAME TIME HOSTED AN ONLINE SURVEY FOR THREE WEEKS, WHICH CLOSED IN LATE JANUARY, WHICH WAS SHARED WITH AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AND INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THIS, THESE VARIOUS OUTLETS OF COMMUNICATION, FIRST FROM COUNCIL, UM, LARGELY A COMMITMENT TO COMPLY WITH YOUR PREVIOUS DIRECTION RELATED TO WORKER PROTECTION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND SUPPORT FOR WOMEN AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES.
WE ALSO HEARD THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUED INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, WHICH WAS DEFINITELY ALREADY A PART OF THE PLAN.
UM, AND WITH REGARD TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE USES THAT MIGHT BE CONTEMPLATED, WE HEARD A DESIRE TO INCLUDE LOCAL RETAILERS AND RESTAURANTS, AND ALSO FINDING WAYS TO SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESSES AT THE SITE.
THIS WAS THEN MARRIED WITH A DESIRE FOR ACTIVE GROUND FLOOR USES THAT PROMOTE VIBRANCY AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, AND FINALLY WE HEARD AN INTEREST IN FURTHER EXPLORING WORKFORCE HOUSING AND SEEING IF THAT COULD HAPPEN AT THE SITE, WHICH WE'VE CONTINUED TO DO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, UH, FROM THE, THE SURVEY, THE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS AND THE PUBLIC MEETING WAS FAIRLY WELL ALIGNED WITH COUNCIL'S COMMITMENTS, UH, CENTERING AROUND THE SEVEN THEMES THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE.
SO SPANNING FROM ECONOMIC IMPACT AND JOB CREATION TO URBAN ACTIVATION, MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, UH, COMMUNICATION, AND CONTINUED TRANSPARENCY REGARDING THIS PROJECT AS WELL AS SUPPORT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO ROLANDO TO DISCUSS NEXT STEPS.
SO, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO YOU ON OUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WANT TO HEAR YOUR QUESTIONS, YOUR COMMENTS, UH, YOUR INPUT, YOUR FEEDBACK.
UM, AS WE WORK THROUGH THE REST OF THE MONTH, WE'LL BE FINALIZING THE RFQ.
UH, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC
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DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO ISSUE THAT RFQ.WE'LL HAVE THAT ON THE STREET FOR A FEW MONTHS.
UH, WE WANT TO COME BACK TO, TO YOU COUNCIL ON JULY 18TH WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR A DEVELOPER WORK THROUGH THAT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AFTER THAT, COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL OF THAT AGREEMENT AND THEN BE, BEGIN WORKING IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN TERMS OF DESIGN AND ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS, WHAT IS FEASIBLE IN TERMS OF THE, WHAT I CALL THE ANCHOR DEVELOPMENT, THE MAIN DEVELOPMENT, UH, IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE REST OF THE PROJECT, UH, ON SITE.
UM, AS, UH, JEN MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS WILL, THIS WON'T BE THE FIRST, UH, OR THE LAST COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE WITH Y'ALL.
WE ENVISION, AGAIN, THOSE TWO COUNCIL ACTIONS, UH, IN JULY AND A FEW MONTHS AFTER THAT, ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT, UH, AS WE GET MORE INTO DETAILS ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY, UM, WHAT IS ACHIEVABLE, UH, IN TERMS OF THE ANCHOR DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO THE FIRST FLOOR, UH, DEVELOPMENT AS WELL.
UM, LET ME ASK A QUESTION RIGHT OFF THE BAT, WITH REGARD TO THE HOTEL, WHEN YOU'VE DONE YOUR STAKEHOLDERS OR HOWEVER YOU CHARACTERIZE THAT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE VISITING WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE, UH, I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU'VE VISITED WITH THE FOLKS THAT OWN THE HOTELS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, THAT WE'VE JUST HAD, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THE TPI.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF WORK, UH, SOME GOOD WORK FROM, UH, A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DEAL WITH THAT TPI AND ADDRESS THAT TPI AND ALL.
SO WE'VE GOT THEM AS PARTNERS AND A WHOLE LOT THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO, INCLUDING WITH THE IDEA OF CLOSING THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR MULTIPLE YEARS.
WHAT'S THE REACTION OF THE HOTEL OWNERS IN OUR DOWNTOWN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PERHAPS BUILDING COMPETITION WITH THEM? SO I'LL SPEAK, UM, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE FEEDBACK THUS FAR, AND THEN I'LL LET OUR DIRECTOR, YOU KNOW, ALSO SHARE SOME INFORMATION.
THERE'S BEEN ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE OF THIS ENGAGEMENT EFFORT, MAYOR.
THERE'S, UH, BEEN UPDATES, UH, REGARDING THE CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT ALONG WITH THE, UH, THIS, THIS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
UM, SO THERE'S BEEN, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S BEEN WELL RECEIVED.
WE SEE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE INCREASE, INCREASED CAPACITY AS WE BUILD THE CONVENTION CENTER, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE IN SIZE.
WE'RE GONNA ATTRACT A LOT MORE SIGNIFICANT, UH, EVENTS AND, AND IN THE SIZE OF ATTENDEES THAT WILL SUPPORT NOT ONLY THE CURRENT MARKET OF, OF HOTELS, BUT ALSO AN EXPANDED MARKET, NOT ONLY WITH THIS POTENTIAL HOTEL OR OTHER HOTELS THAT MAY, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP, YOU KNOW, OVER THE COMING YEARS AS WE CONSTRUCT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO THAT'S THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED DURING THE, OUR SESSIONS FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED AS PART OF THE REGULAR CONVERSATIONS THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HAS WITH THE WHOLE HOTEL INDUSTRY.
AND I'LL LET TRICIA ADD TO THAT.
UH, DURING THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, WE DID MEET WITH SEVERAL OF THE DIFFERENT HO UH, DIFFERENT HOTELS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, MADE SURE THAT WE HAD A WIDE VARIETY OF BRANDS AND PROPERTIES THAT WE SPOKE TO AND WERE PART OF THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
OVERWHELMINGLY, THERE WAS NO CONCERN THERE, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE CONCERN, AND WE HEARD VERY LITTLE FEEDBACK ABOUT, UH, ANY FEAR OF COMPETITION.
SO I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH ROOM IN THE MARKET FOR ANOTHER HOTEL, UH, WITHIN THIS PROPERTY.
NOW REMIND ME, IF YOU WILL, ON THE CONVENTION, THE, THE WHAT I, I STILL REFER TO AS THE CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL, OF COURSE, THE, THE HILTON.
AND THEN MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION'S GOING TO BE, UH, WHAT ANALYSIS HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE CITY BUILDING ANOTHER HOTEL ON THAT HOTEL? SO I BELIEVE THAT THE CITY THAT THE HILTON PROPERTY WILL TRANSITION IN 20 20 34.
AND WE HAVE NOT DONE ANY SPECIFIC DIRECT, UH, STUDY AS TO HOW A POTENTIAL HOTEL DEVELOPMENT ON THIS PROPERTY WOULD IMPACT THAT.
BUT WE DID SPEAK WITH, UH, HILTON AS A, A STAKEHOLDER AND THE BOARD AS WELL, UM, THROUGH THAT CONVERSATION.
SO THEY WERE, THEY WERE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
THEY WERE, THEY WERE PART OF THE CONVERSATION, YES.
CAN I, UM, MAYOR, MAYBE, PERHAPS ALSO, UM, I'VE NOT DONE A GOOD JOB TO EXPLAIN SORT OF THE AGREEMENT THAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR WITH THIS NEW HOTEL, IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE GO IN.
THIS WOULD NOT BE A HOTEL, LIKE THE HOTEL WHERE THE CITY OWNS IT.
THIS WOULD BE A HOTEL THAT OWNERS WOULD COME IN AND DEVELOP THAT AND WOULD, WE WOULD GROUND LEASE THE SPACE WHERE THEY'RE OPERATING AT.
UM, BACK TO SUPPORT AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, OPERATIONS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER IN TERMS OF PAYING SOME OF THE COSTS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT, SUPPORTING THE FIRST FLOOR, UH, DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS THAT WE LOOK AT, UM, AS PART OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM COUNCIL IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO IT'D BE A DIFFERENT SORT OF AGREEMENT SET UP THAN WHAT WE HAVE WITH THE HILTON.
YEAH, I, I, AND I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION, BUT IT'S STILL
[02:00:02]
THE CITY BEING INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF A, OF COMPETITION, BOTH WITH THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY AND MAYBE WITH OURSELVES.AND THAT'S WHY I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION.
BUT I THINK YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION, AND I HOPE YOU'LL, IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL THOUGHT ABOUT THAT FEEDBACK THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED, YOU'LL SHARE WITH, UH, WITH ME AND THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A, IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CONSIDERATION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, THEN FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY.
SO MY OFFICE HAS PROVIDED SOME FEEDBACK ON ACTIVATING, UH, THE GROUND FLOORS OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND, UM, THE PUBLIC PLAZA TO SMALL VENDOR SPACES FOR, UH, LOCAL ARTISTS AND BUSINESSES.
UM, IDEALLY COOPERATIVELY OR COMMUNITY RUN, UH, REAL SIMILAR TO PIKES PEAK IN SEATTLE.
UM, DOES THIS RFQ ALLOW FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY? IT WILL COUNCIL MEMBER, IT, IT'LL, UM, BE IN THE FORMAT THAT ALLOWS FOR ANY CREATIVE IDEAS THAT COULD BE SUPPORTED, THAT CAN SUPPORT ITSELF, OR IF WE, UH, SEEK TO INVEST, UH, SOME MONIES TO SUPPORT THAT KINDA ACTIVITY, IT WILL, SO IT IS NOT CLOSING THE DOOR ON ANY OPTION THAT CAN BE MADE FEASIBLE ON THAT FOURTH FLOOR, UH, DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY.
YOU SAID ANY OPTION THAT COULD BE MADE FEASIBLE? WELL, JUST, UM, WE'RE IN SINCE AN ASTERISK
AND SO CERTAINLY WE'LL LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC IDEAS THAT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAVE PROVIDED TO US THAT SUPPORT, UM, THIS EXAMPLE OR SUPPORTING, UH, SMALL MINORITY BUSINESS OWNERS ARE, UH, CREATING INCUBATOR SPACE.
AND SO I, WE WILL LOOK AT ALL THAT AND ENSURE THAT THESE THINGS ARE FEASIBLE, NOT FOR, NOT ONLY IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT OBVIOUSLY IN THE LONG TERM AS WELL.
I THINK YOU'RE PICKING UP WHAT I'M DROPPING DOWN WHEN YOU SAID INCUBATOR SPACE SPECIFICALLY, LIKE THAT'S THE, UH, ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT I'M THINKING.
UM, AND JUST TO EXPAND AND MR. MANAGER, JUST TO EXPAND ON WHAT I'M KIND OF GETTING AT HERE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO PAINT FOR MY COLLEAGUES A PICTURE OF WHAT THIS SPACE COULD BECOME, UM, ESPECIALLY IF WE CONSIDER IT NOT SOLELY THE GROUND FLOOR OF OUR CONVENTION CENTER, BUT ALSO AS THE TERMINUS OF OUR GREEN LINE.
UM, I HAVE A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS AROUND, UH, TRANSIT INVESTMENT THAT WILL RECONNECT MANY DISPLACED COMMUNITIES AND NEW RESIDENTS TO OUR URBAN CORE.
I THINK IT'S REALLY EXCITING, UM, TO THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES HERE AND RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE EVERGREEN INVESTMENTS, UM, THAT WE AS A CITY COULD PARTICIPATE IN.
SO IMAGINE IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT OF MAINOR OR FAR NORTHEAST AUSTIN OR CENTRAL AUSTIN, AND YOU RUN A BUSINESS, UM, PERHAPS SELLING FLOWERS OR WIDGETS OR WHATEVER THE THING IS.
AND BECAUSE YOU CAN RIDE THE GREEN LINE INTO DOWNTOWN, UM, NOW THERE'S THESE SMALL AFFORDABLE SPACES, A STALL OR A POP-UP OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT EVERYBODY GETS TO CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT MAKES AUSTIN SPECIAL.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I SEE HERE.
AND SO YOU WAKE UP EARLY, RIDE INTO TOWN, YOU SET UP YOUR BOOTH, YOU INTRODUCE VISITORS AND LOCALS, AND I REALLY WANNA PUT SOME EMPHASIS ON THAT.
I MEAN, WHILE I CAN APPRECIATE THAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO ACCOMMODATE AND MAKE COMFORTABLE OUR VISITORS, YOU KNOW, I HOPE VERY MUCH THAT OUR CONVENTION CENTER IS ALSO, UM, A DESTINATION SPACE FOR LOCALS.
UM, AND SO VISITORS AND LOCALS ALIKE TO EXPERIENCE, UM, WHAT THEY MAY NOT OTHERWISE EXPERIENCE.
AND SO I JUST WANNA PUT SOME EMPHASIS ON MY CONCERN AND, AND INTEREST IN SEEING THAT WE REALLY FULLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY THERE.
THANKS, COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
UH, AND I HATE THAT I HAVE TO GO AFTER COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, BECAUSE I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER.
AND I WAS LOOKING AT MY NOTES AND YOU SAID HALF THE THINGS THAT I, I WAS GONNA SAY, UM, BUT I JUST WANT TO ECHO AND, AND, AND RETWEET AND, AND, AND LIKE ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS CONVENTION CENTER IS A PUBLIC ENTITY, UH, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE TOURISTS AND NOT, IT'S JUST NOT FOR VISITORS, UH, THAT ARE COMING IN FOR A PARTICULAR, UH, CONVENTION.
UH, AUSTIN RESIDENTS DESERVE SPACE, UH, UH, AND, UH, A PUBLIC SPACE TO SHOWCASE, UH, EVERYTHING THAT AUSTIN HAS TO OFFER AND ALL THEIR UNIQUE, UH, TALENTS AND, AND, AND ALL THAT.
SO, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A COUNSELING TO HAVE VISION AND AMBITION FOR SOMETHING FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
AND, AND I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED AT WHAT THIS DEVELOPMENT, UH, CAN, CAN, CAN BECOME.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I THINK, UH, I HAVE, I HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, AND, AND I GUESS A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK AS WELL.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE EXPLORATION OF WORKFORCE HOUSING IS A PRIORITY FOR US AS A AS AS A DISTRICT OFFICE.
OBVIOUSLY THE CONVENTION CENTER IS, IS IN DISTRICT NINE, UH, AND SEEING A 40-YEAR-OLD, 40 YEAR FINANCIAL PRO PROJECTION THAT INCLUDES A PROPOSED MIX OF HOTEL MULTIFAMILY AND YOUR WORKFORCE HOUSING IS, IS REALLY EXCITING.
UM, BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THE OUTCOME OF THAT EXPLORATION, UH, AND THAT, AND THAT FORECAST?
[02:05:01]
SO WE TALKED ABOUT COMING BACK TO COUNCIL FOR, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATION OF THE DEVELOPER AND THEN TAKING A FEW MONTHS TO WORK ON THE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPER AGREEMENT.I THINK ONCE WE GET THERE, ONCE WE GET THE DEVELOPER ON BOARD, WE CAN START LOOKING AT, UH, YOU ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN FRONT OF US.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, CONCURRENTLY THE CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD, UH, INTO CONCEPTUAL, WE'LL KIND OF UNDERSTAND THE LANDMASS OF THAT PROJECT AND TO SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN TERMS OF REAL ESTATE THAT CAN UTILIZE TO SUPPORT THIS, UH, P THREE, UH, PROJECT.
SO I THINK WE'LL HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, WHAT'S FEASIBLE, UM, WHEN WE COME BACK WITH THAT AT THAT MASTER LEVEL AGREEMENT RECOMMENDATION TO, TO COUNSEL, AND THEN CONTINUE ON THAT EFFORT, UM, WITH UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WANT TO COME BACK AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU AND, AND, AND BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU THINGS, UH, WITH THE JUSTIFICATION OF WHY THINGS CAN WORK AND MAYBE CANNOT WORK.
AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT OVER THE NEXT COMING MONTHS AFTER THE JULY ACTION OF, UH, COUNCIL, CONSIDERING OUR RECOMMENDATION, WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH Y'ALL ABOUT THE, THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO US.
YOU WANNA AUGMENT ANY OF THAT, JEN, OR, YEAH, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS, IS GOING BACK TO THAT PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE VIRTUES OF IT IS THAT NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE SET IN STONE AS THE DEVELOPER IS SELECTED.
AND SO WE WANT THEM TO, WE'VE GIVEN THEM PRIORITIES.
WE, WE'VE HEARD YOU ALL THAT WORKFORCE HOUSING IS SOMETHING TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE.
WE'VE HEARD THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE VERY IMPORTANT, LOCAL AUSTINITES, NOT JUST IN TERMS OF BUSINESSES, BUT ALSO THE FOLKS WHO MIGHT COME AND VISIT THIS SPACE ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WILL BE OUTLINED IN THAT SOLICITATION.
AND THEN ONCE THE DEVELOPER IS ON BOARD, SOME OF THOSE MORE SPECIFIC, UH, ELEMENTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT CAN BE REFINED.
AND OF COURSE IT NEEDS TO BE FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE.
'CAUSE THE GOAL IS NOT FOR THE CITY TO SUPPORT THIS COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT, UM, WITH THOSE, THOSE GOALS IN MIND, WE CAN WORK WITH THEM TO TRY TO FIND THE BEST COMBINATION OF, OF USES AND OUTCOMES THAT MEET YOUR GOALS AND THE, THE COMMUNITY'S GOALS.
YEAH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO STAYING CONNECTED AND, AND ALL THE UPDATES THAT ALREADY COME.
UH, AND, AND I JUST KIND OF WANNA WRAP IT UP.
UH, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME AND YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANNA RESPECT THE CURRENT TIMELINE OF THE PROJECT AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY HIGH VALUE PROJECT AND FOR US TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, HARPER MADISON SAID, UH, NOT ONLY FOR, FOR THOSE WHO VISIT AUSTIN, BUT THOSE WHO LIVE IN AUSTIN.
SO I APPRECIATE, UH, THE WORK THAT EVERYONE'S DONE, THE CONVENTION CENTER STAFF, ESPECIALLY KATIE AND TRISH.
UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
I ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF LOOKING AT WHETHER THERE'S A CORRECT BLEND OF HOTEL MULTIFAMILY AND WORKFORCE STYLE HOUSING.
UM, WE'VE TALKED A LOT UP HERE ON THE DAIS ABOUT THE NEED FOR MAKING SURE THAT AS OUR DOWNTOWN EXPANDS AND WE HAVE A LOT OF WORKERS THAT THOSE BUSINESSES RELY ON FOR THEIR DAY-TO-DAY SERVICES, THAT WE ARE CREATING A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIVE CLOSE TO WHERE THEY WORK.
UM, MINIMIZING TRAFFIC AND, AND TRYING TO STOP THE, UM, THE PROCESS WE'RE CURRENTLY SEEING WHERE PEOPLE GET PRICED OUT OF CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN AND THEY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY, SPEND MORE TIME IN THEIR CARS AND IN TRAFFIC AND ALL THE POLLUTION THAT CAN COME WITH THAT.
UM, SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF SEEING WHERE THAT RIGHT LEVEL MIGHT BE FOR THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO ECHO A PLUG FOR THAT FIRST FLOOR ENGAGEMENT.
THE, YOU KNOW, WALKABILITY, MAKING SURE THERE'S SPACE FOR OUR LOCAL ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, UM, FIRST TIME RESTAURATEURS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO NEED A SMALLER FOOTPRINT TO GET THEIR BUSINESS OFF THE GROUND OR TO GET SOME EXPOSURE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
AND I KNOW YEARS AGO THERE WAS A CONCEPT DRAWING THAT HAD GONE AROUND THAT IN INCORPORATED A ROOFTOP GARDEN.
AND IT REMINDED ME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING AND TRYING TO BETTER BLEND IN THE, THE DENSITY OF DOWNTOWN AND THE BUSYNESS OF DOWNTOWN WITH WHAT THE PALM PARK CAN BE AND WHAT WATERLOO GREENWAY CAN BE.
SO I THINK IF THERE'S A WAY TO, TO BLEND IN SOME OF THE BIKE PEDESTRIAN AND THE GREEN SPACE INTO THIS PLANNING AS IT MOVES FORWARD, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT ADVANTAGE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I THINK THE CURRENT BUILDING, DOES IT HAVE LEAD STANDARD RIGHT NOW? DOES IT HAVE SOME LEVEL OF, OUR CONVENTION CENTER CURRENTLY IS, UH, LEAD GOLD.
I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE THAT OR BETTER IF THERE'S A, A HIGHER LEVEL, UM, IN, IN A WAY TO SHOW PEOPLE WHO ARE VISITING OUR COMMUNITY, WHERE OUR VALUES ARE, HOW MUCH WE CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND THAT CONNECTED SPACE WITH THE TRAILS AND AN OPEN PARK SPACE.
AND SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE AT LEAST THAT STANDARD, IF NOT BETTER, AND ALSO LOOK AT THE PORTIONS OF WATER
[02:10:01]
FORWARD THAT WE HAVE YET TO ACHIEVE AND IMPLEMENT INTO OUR CODE.I THINK THIS WOULD BE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF MAKING SURE WE HAVE AS MUCH DUAL PLUMBING WATER REUSE, UM, WATER RECAPTURE AND SOME OF THE OTHER WATER FORWARD PIECES THAT WE SO DESPERATELY NEED.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR, OUR CITY BUILDING, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE HAVE THAT BIG FOOTPRINT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE AND, AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, I HAVE A QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FOR MS. TETRO OR NIK, UH, BUT IT'S RELATED TO THE, THE FINANCING OR, OR THE DOLLARS THAT THIS POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT GENERATES CAN SUPPORT, WHETHER IT'S THAT GROUND FLOOR SPACE OR, OR WHATEVER THAT COMMUNITY BENEFIT IS.
BUT I JUST WANNA, UM, DOUBLE CHECK.
'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED ALSO THE CONVENTION CENTER AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER FINANCING IS FULLY COMPLETE WITHOUT ANY RELIANCE ON THE P THREE.
SO WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO THINK OF ANY OF THIS MONEY BEING NEEDED TO FILL OUT THE CONVENTION CENTER CAPITAL STACK.
RIGHT? IT'S, THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF.
THIS CAN BE WHOLLY DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC PURPOSE.
IS THAT RIGHT? SO THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATIONS BEFORE REGARDING THE FINANCIAL PLAN TO SUPPORT THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER BEING FULLY SUPPORTED THROUGH THE BONDING CAPACITY OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND, AND CASH THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, BUT WE, WE'VE ENVISIONED UTILIZING SOME OF THAT, UH, REVENUE PRODUCED BY THE P THREE TO SUPPORT PAYING OFF THE DEBT, UH, A LITTLE EARLIER OR JUST BEING ABLE TO WORK THROUGH AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, YOU KNOW, UH, INCREASES IN, IN THE MARKETING CONDITIONS REGARDING CONSTRUCTION, UH, WORK IN THAT NATURE.
AND THEN THE SECOND, UH, AREA IS TO LOOKING AT SUPPORTING SOME OF THAT COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIRST FLOOR AS WELL.
AND SO, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE SORT OF A RAINFALL OF HOW WE, WE'D LIKE TO USE THAT INCOME PRODUCED BY THE DEVELOPMENT IS TRYING TO SUPPORT CONVENTION CENTER, UH, PAYING OFF THE DEBT, SUPPORTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES FOR THAT FIRST FLOOR COMMUNITY PRIORITY FOR THAT FIRST FLOOR.
UM, AND THEN THE RESIDUAL INCOME WILL BE A CONVERSATION DOWN THE ROAD IN TERMS OF HOW CAN THAT BE UTILIZED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY.
AND I JUST, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PUBLIC EXPECTATION OF THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, WHETHER IT'S THE TAX OR THE BONDS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED THERE ARE, ARE FULLY GOING TO THAT, AND THAT THE, THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THIS HAVE BEEN THAT IT WOULD FULFILL THAT PUBLIC PURPOSE FIRST AND FOREMOST.
SO I THINK AS WE LOOK AT THE, THE WATERFALL AS IT WERE, TO ME, IT SEEMS MORE APPROPRIATE THAT THAT PUBLIC PURPOSE IS AT THE TOP AND, AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY ARE TO BENEFIT, IT WOULD COME AFTER THE, THE PUBLIC RECEIVES THAT BENEFIT.
I THINK THAT'S ALL OF THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE ON THIS ITEM.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, AND MEMBERS, I THINK THAT CONCLUDES THE AGENDA THAT WE HAVE, EXCUSE ME, CONCLUDES THE AGENDA WE HAVE FOR THIS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
UH, WITH THAT CONCLUSION, WITHOUT OBJECTION, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN, TEXAS IS ADJOURNED FROM THIS REGULARLY SCHEDULED WORK SESSION.
IT'S 11:13 AM THANKS EVERYBODY.