* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:08]
          FEBRUARY 21ST, 2024. 
          MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION. 
          IT IS 5:32 PM AND WE ARE IN SESSION. 
          UM, I WILL CALL THE ROLE 'CAUSE I BELIEVE CHRISTINE HAS STEPPED OUT OF THE ROOM FOR THE MOMENT. 
          UH, I AM HERE. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER ORTEGA. 
          PRESENT, UH, COMMISSIONER FEL PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER ISHMAEL PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER CARDONA BYLER. 
          PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER MAJOR IS ABSENT. 
          COMMISSIONER LEVINE IS NOT PRESENT. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER LEVINSON PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER IS ON HER WAY. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY? COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY? ARE YOU ONLINE? NO. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER HOLMES, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER, ARE YOU ONLINE? PRESENT? YES. 
          NO. 
          WAS THAT I'M YOU? I'M PRESENT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I'M HAVING, HAVING A HARD TIME SEEING THE MONITOR. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER MOCK PRESENT. 
          HAPPY NEW YEAR. 
          HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, TOO. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN PRESENT. 
          COMMISSIONER LAROCHE. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON. 
          I THINK I SAW YOU JUST JOIN PRESENT. 
          WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          WE HAVE A QUORUM. 
          UH, THE, UH, NEXT ITEM, UH, IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. 
          YOU WOULDN'T HAPPEN TO KNOW IF WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. 
          WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          NEXT ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF 
          [1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission January 17, 2024 meeting.]
THE MINUTES. 
          HAS EVERYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? ARE THERE ANY CHANGES, CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE? ANYBODY ON ONLINE? SEEING NONE. 
          DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS POSTED? SO MOVED. 
          I HAVE A MOTION. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. 
          THE MOTION CARRIES. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I DID WANT TO, UH, MAKE NOTE TO THE COMMISSION THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER WEAVER HAS STEPPED DOWN, UH, FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION. 
          SHE WILL BE MISSED. 
          SHE WAS A GREAT VOICE TO HAVE HERE, UM, BUT SHE HAS OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO PURSUE AND WE WISH HER WELL. 
          UM, THE NEXT ITEM 
          [2. Approve a recommendation to Council to prioritize community engagement with  regards to the Convention Center expansion.]
IS TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL TO PRIORITIZE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH REGARDS TO THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION. 
          YOU SHOULD SEE THAT IN YOUR PACKET. 
          UH, IT WAS POSTED ONLINE AS WELL. 
          UH, WE DISCUSSED IT LAST AT THE LAST MEETING. 
          UM, I, I BELIEVE YOU'RE BRINGING THE MOTION FORWARD. 
          I'M BRINGING THE MOTION FORWARD. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO SINCE IT WAS DISCUSSED LAST MEETING, GO AHEAD AND I'LL, ARE YOU GONNA MAKE A MOVE TO MOTION TO APPROVE? I, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO APPROVE THIS AND, UH, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          EXCUSE ME, I, I'M SORRY. 
          SORRY, I'M SORRY. 
          YEAH, IF YOU COULD JUST REPEAT EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID. 
          I WILL, I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THIS, UH, TO MAKE THIS MOTION SO THAT THE, UH, COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE TO US OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND I HAVE A MOTION. 
          AND A SECOND. 
          I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION. 
          COMMISSIONERS. 
          WE HAD A VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION AT OUR LAST MEETING. 
          THIS WAS BROUGHT TO US BY THE MUSIC COMMISSION. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER PATTERSON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING? YEAH, I'M, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UH, BRINGING THIS FORWARD. 
          UM, WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS STATED, INCREDIBLY SIGNIFICANT TO HAVE, UH, A COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD OR OTHER TYPE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT'S, UM, WELL-DEFINED FOR THIS VERY LARGE CAPITAL PROJECT THAT CAN HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON TOURISM AS WELL AS OUR MUSIC AND ARTS ECOSYSTEM. 
          SO, YEAH, I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UH, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONERS TO SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? SEEING NONE, CALL QUESTION. 
          CALL THE QUESTION. 
          UM, ALL IN, IN FAVOR? ALL IN, SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ANY OPPOSED? ARE THERE ANY 
          [00:05:01]
OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. 
          THE MOTION CARRIES. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS 
          [3. Approve a recommendation on the renewal of the Sixth Street Public Improvement  District. Presentation by Donald E Jackson of the Economic Development Department.]
IS TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE RENEWAL OF THE SIXTH STREET PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. 
          WE HAVE DONALD JACKSON OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HERE TO PRESENT ON THIS MATTER. 
          MR. JACKSON, WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. 
          UH, I WAS COMING HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT ON THE REAUTHORIZATION, THE FIVE YEAR REAUTHORIZATION FOR THE E SIXTH STREET PIT. 
          UM, I BELIEVE WE'LL PROBABLY WANT TO, UM, I DON'T BELIEVE, UH, ANYONE FROM THE PIT WAS ABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT, SO I THINK WE MIGHT BE JUST LOOKING FOR A POSTPONEMENT ON THAT ITEM. 
          OKAY. 
          DO I NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON A POSTPONEMENT OTHER THAN TO POSTPONE IT? UH, YOU CAN MOVE TO POSTPONE IF, OKAY. 
          THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, IF EVERYBODY IS ALL RIGHT. 
          UH, DOES SOMEBODY HAVE A MOTION TO POSTPONE? I MOVE TO POSTPONE THE SECOND. 
          I HAVE A MOTION. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND? I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. 
          IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          OPPOSED? HEARING NONE. 
          MOTION CARRIES. 
          WE WILL POSTPONE AND YOU'LL BE BACK FOR MARCH. 
          UH, YEAH. 
          LET'S, LET'S, YES. 
          OKAY. 
          MARCH. 
          THANKS VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UH, NOW WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. UH, THE FIRST ITEM 
          [4. Presentation by Commander Jeff Olson of the Austin Police Department on Downtown  Command public safety trends.]
IS PRESENT IN THE PRESENTATION BY, UH, COMMANDER JEFF OLSON OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT ON DOWNTOWN COMMAND PUBLIC SAFETY TRENDS. 
          WELCOME. 
          WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING YOU. 
          I APPRECIATE YOU ALL HAVING ME THIS EVENING. 
          UM, SO WHAT I HAD IS, UH, AND HE'S ACTUALLY HERE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ONE OF OUR, OUR CRIME ANALYSTS, UH, MR. ED ANDERSON, HE PREPARED THIS FOR ME. 
          SO IF YOU DO HAVE ANY MORE DETAILED FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS, HE CAN DEFINITELY HELP OUT WITH THAT. 
          THIS IS JUST KIND OF A, I'D ASK FOR JUST A SNAPSHOT TO GIVE YOU GUYS OF, UH, CRIME IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COVERING MAINLY THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, JUST TO KINDA LOOK AT COMPARISONS AND SEE WHERE WE'RE AT. 
          AND ONE OF THE BIG CHANGES, UM, WE HAVE HERE IS COMPARING IT TO NUMBER OF DAILY INCIDENTS. 
          SO WE JUST KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF HOW MANY TIMES PER DAY DO THESE TYPE INCIDENTS HAPPEN. 
          AND A VERY IMPORTANT COMPARISON WE DO LOOK AT IS PRE PANDEMIC. 
          UM, SO GOING BACK TO 2019, WHAT WAS IT LIKE THEN? AND COMPARING IT TO WHERE WE'RE AT NOW PROVIDES US, I THINK, A, A GOOD IDEA TO SEE TRULY WHERE WE'RE AT SINCE, UM, 20 20, 20 21, AND EVEN PARTS OF 2022. 
          UM, ESPECIALLY FOR DOWNTOWN, AS YOU'LL SEE, UH, THE NUMBERS ARE GONNA BE VERY SKEWED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF GOING ON DOWN HERE, WHEREAS NOW WE'RE KIND OF BACK INTO IN THE BUSINESS AS USUAL. 
          UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          DO I DO THAT? AH, THERE WE GO. 
          THERE WE GO. 
          OVERALL CRIME TRENDS FOR DTAC. 
          UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, OVERALL CRIME INCIDENTS IN DTAC DROPPED DRAMATICALLY BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND APRIL, 2020. 
          OF COURSE, THAT WAS THE TIME OF COVID LOCKDOWNS. 
          TWO DISTINCT PATTERNS ARE EVIDENT IN THE CRIME TREND DATA CORRESPONDING TO PRE AND POST PANDEMIC PERIODS. 
          WHILE OVERALL CRIME INCIDENTS IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN HAVE INCREASED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THEY DO REMAIN BELOW PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS, MONTH TO MONTH FLUCTUATIONS AND CRIME INCIDENTS ARE NORMAL AND TO BE EXPECTED, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NOTABLE SPIKES EVERY MARCH, AS YOU SEE ON HERE, UH, OF CORRESPONDING WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND THE BIG SPRING FESTIVALS, WHICH OF COURSE BRING, UM, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF EXTRA PEOPLE TO OUR CITY. 
          UM, ABOUT 15 CRIME INCIDENTS OCCURRED ON ANY GIVEN DAY IN THE DOWNTOWN SECTOR DURING 2023. 
          AND THEN YOU CAN SEE A FURTHER BREAKDOWN BELOW THAT, COMPARING IT TO OTHER YEARS. 
          SO IN 2019, THAT WAS 19.6 CRIME INCIDENTS PER DAY. 
          AND LAST YEAR WE WERE AT 15.4, SLIGHTLY ABOVE 2022. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, STATISTICALLY, UM, KIND OF WITHIN THE MARGINS. 
          SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE ARE BELOW WHAT WE SAW, UH, POST PANDEMIC OR PRE PANDEMIC, SORRY. 
          NEXT SLIDE HAS SOME COMPARISONS OF CRIME TREND TYPES. 
          UM, SIMILAR PATTERN HOLDS, REGARDLESS OF CRIME TYPE INCIDENTS IN 2023, COMPARABLE TO, OR SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN 2022, BUT AGAIN, STILL BELOW PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS. 
          THE DAILY RATE OF CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS IN 2023 WAS 3.8 PER DAY, SIMILAR TO 2022, WHICH WAS 3.9 PER DAY. 
          CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS INCREASED, UH, SLIGHTLY, UH, FROM 2022 TO 2023, BUT THAT WAS AGAIN FROM 6.7 TO 7.0. 
          SO STATISTICALLY PRETTY SIMILAR. 
          AND SIMILAR PATTERNS ARE SEEN, UH, ON PERSONS CRIMES AS WELL. 
          [00:10:01]
SIMPLE ASSAULT AND THEFT REMAIN THE MOST COMMON CRIMES IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN. 
          AND PIT POCK PICKPOCKETING HAS BEEN INCREASING IN RECENT YEARS AND IS NOW THE THIRD MOST COMMON CRIME IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE WE'LL SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH KINDA SHOWS THERE ARE TWO CRIMES, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN TRENDING UPWARD. 
          UH, PICKPOCKETING AND AUTO THEFT. 
          THE MONTHLY RATE OF PICKPOCKETING HAS INCREASED OVER THE PAST YEAR TO RATES HIGHER THAN EVEN PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS. 
          THE 52 PICKPOCKETING INCIDENTS IN MARCH OF 2022 WAS HIGHER THAN ANY OBSERVED IN THE PREVIOUS 38 MONTHS. 
          AND AGAIN, THAT WAS, UH, DURING FESTIVAL SEASON, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE FEWER PICK POCKING INCIDENTS IN MARCH OF 23 LAST YEAR. 
          HIGHER MONTHLY INCIDENTS OCCURRED THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE YEAR. 
          SO OVERALL IT DID STILL TREND UP. 
          AUTO THEFT HAS BEEN INCREASING STEADILY. 
          UM, THAT'S A PROBLEM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND NATIONWIDE. 
          HONESTLY, RIGHT NOW, OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE RISE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WHILE, WHILE SIGNIFICANT HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT SMALLER COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY, AND THE MONTHLY RATE FOR 2023 WAS ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN 2022. 
          UM, SO AGAIN, YOU SEE 2019, UH, 6.1 AUTO THEFT PER MONTH, AND WE TICKED UP AND CAME SLIGHTLY BACK DOWN LAST YEAR TO 13.6. 
          AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE, THE QUICK LITTLE SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. 
          AGAIN, UM, OVERALL GIVEN, UH, GIVEN STAFFING ISSUES THAT WE HAVE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE PROUD TO SAY THAT FOR THE MOST PART WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP CRIME RELATIVELY IN CHECK. 
          UM, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN, ESPECIALLY FOR THE, UH, THE QUALITY LIFE TYPE STUFF. 
          WE HAVE OUR DOWNTOWN, UH, INITIATIVE SHIFT, WHICH IS ACTIVE, UH, AS MANY DAYS AS POSSIBLE. 
          THESE ARE EXTRA OFFICERS WORKING OVER TIME TRYING TO FOCUS ON, UH, HOTSPOT AREAS. 
          UH, THE CONGRESS CORRIDOR, EAST SIXTH STREET, RAINY WAREHOUSE DISTRICT. 
          WHAT WE DO IS WE USE THIS CRIME DATA, AND AS WE SEE AREAS THAT NEED A LITTLE MORE, UH, ATTENTION, WE DIRECT THOSE SHIFTS TO SPEND THEIR TIME THERE, WHETHER IT'S ADDRESSING, UH, PROPERTY CRIMES, PERSONS CRIMES, UM, WE HAVE ONE OF OUR METRO ATTACK UNITS THAT FREQUENTLY WORKS, UM, THIS INITIATIVE. 
          AND PRETTY MUCH ON A WEEKLY BASIS, THEY GO DOWN TO SIXTH STREET AND THEY'RE ABLE TO, UM, SEIZE GUNS, UM, SEIZE NARCOTICS AND MAKE SOME REALLY GOOD FELONY ARRESTS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT, HEY, WE WANT YOU TO HAVE A GOOD TIME DOWN THERE, BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO BE BRINGING WEAPONS, UH, INTO THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          QUESTIONS, A QUESTION THAT I, I JUST NOTICED IN THIS DATA WHEN I WAS LOOKING OVER IT EARLIER TODAY, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON HERE ABOUT THE MURDER RATE. 
          NOW, I WAS WONDERING IF THAT WAS BECAUSE IT WASN'T COMPILED YET FOR LAST YEAR, OR DID YOU JUST NOT DO THAT? IT, THE MURDER RATE, AT LEAST FOR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, WAS NOT, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM 2022 TO 2023. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE BEEN TAKING UPWARDS IN RECENT YEARS. 
          UM, BUT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IN TERMS OF VIOLENT CRIME, COMPARING IT YEAR TO YEAR TO KIND OF SEE WHERE WE'RE AT. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? I'VE GOT A QUESTION. 
          UM, IS GRAFFITI CALCULATED IN VANDALISM OR PROPERTY CRIME? IT WOULD BE A PROPERTY CRIME, YES. 
          DO YOU FREQUENTLY GET REPORTS? WE DO GET THE REPORTS FOR THAT. 
          NOW. 
          IT, IT ISN'T AS, UH, BIG A THING IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN. 
          WE DO SEE SOME, UM, NOW OBVIOUSLY THAT'S MORE A CRIME WE SEE IN OTHER PARTS OF AUSTIN JUST BECAUSE THE SIZE OF, UH, THOSE SECTORS. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , UH, WHEN WE DO GET THOSE, UH, IF WE GET REPORTS TO THEM, THE BIGGEST THING WE TELL PEOPLE IS PLEASE CONTINUE TO REPORT THOSE. 
          I KNOW UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE THEY, THEY FEEL THEY DON'T, IT DOESN'T PAY TO REPORT THE CRIME, BUT WE STILL DO NEED THAT DATA. 
          AND IF WE FIND AREAS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY BEING, YOU KNOW, TARGETED A LOT MORE THAN OTHERS, THEN WE, AGAIN, WE CAN DIRECT RESOURCES TO TRY AND ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. 
          NOW, TYPICALLY IT'S SENDING OUT CREWS TO HELP, UH, CLEAN UP THE GRAFFITI, UM, OBTAIN ANY EVIDENCE IF WE CAN GIVE CAMERAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          'CAUSE IT'S PRETTY RARE WE ACTUALLY CATCH THEM IN THE ACT. 
          BUT IF WE DO, UM, OFFICERS WILL MAKE THAT ARREST. 
          IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S WHEN IT'S HARD TO KIND OF SURE. 
          MAKE, UH, WELL, TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, AND THIS FALLS A LITTLE BIT INTO THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST DEAL, BUT, UH, LAST MARCH THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION PASSED A RESOLUTION TO CREATE A GRAFFITI TASK FORCE AT THE CITY AND FUND IT. 
          AND IT'S BEEN STALLED AT COUNCIL FOR THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR. 
          I THINK WE, WE MIGHT SEE SOME ACTION BECAUSE IT, IT'S GETTING WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE. 
          UH, BUT, UM, IN SOME OF THE MEETINGS, UH, AT LAST YEAR, I WAS TOLD THAT, UM, I GUESS IT WAS WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, THERE WERE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT CAME IN TOWN AND WENT AROUND TAGGING THAT AT THE TIME OF THE FESTIVAL. 
          AND I KNOW THEY CLIMB UP ON TOP OF BUILDINGS AND SPRAY FACADES AND DO ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. 
          DAA HAS DONE A REMARKABLE JOB IN, IN DEALING WITH THAT. 
          BUT, UM, I, I WOULD, UM, ENCOURAGE Y'ALL, AND YOU HAVE SO MUCH ELSE TO DO, BUT YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE 
          [00:15:01]
CLIMBING ON TOP OF BUILDINGS, THEY'RE PUTTING THEMSELVES AND OTHERS IN HARM'S WAY. 
          NOT TO MENTION COSTING PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE PUBLIC PROPERTY OWNERS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. 
          SO JUST SOMETHING TO BEAR IN MIND IS THEY'LL, THEY'LL PROBABLY COME BACK. 
          THEY HAD SUCH A GRAND TIME DOING IT LAST TIME. 
          UH, SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, ALRIGHT. 
          UM, NOW WE, WE'VE GOT, 
          [5. Presentations by Commander Jeff Olson of the Austin Police Department (APD),  William Manno of the Austin Center for Events, Brian Block of the Development  Services Department, and Division Chief Stephen Truesdell of the Austin Fire  Department (AFD) on South by Southwest Festival 2024 preparedness. (Part 1 of 2)]
UH, COMMANDER OLSON, UH, AND, UH, WILLIAM MANO WITH THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS. 
          BRIAN BLOCK. 
          IS BRIAN OUT? I DIDN'T THINK I SAW. 
          UH, BRIAN'S NOT HERE TONIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, AND, UH, UH, CHIEF STEVEN TRUSDALE OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT TO TALK ABOUT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. 
          AS WE SEGUE, I WILL, UH, I'LL GO THROUGH, WE, WE'VE GOT, UH, JUST A FEW SLIDES HERE. 
          I CAN GO THROUGH FIRST AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT WAY WE CAN. 
          UM, SO THIS IS OUR, AT LEAST THE APDS PORTION OF THIS PRESENTATION. 
          UM, THIS IS OUR, UH, KIND OF OVERVIEW AND AND BRIEFING REGARDING THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE AND SPRING FESTIVALS AND SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE'RE, UH, DOING AND WE'VE ALREADY DONE TO PREPARE, UH, FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TO BEGIN. 
          UH, SO BY SOUTHWEST OVERVIEW, UH, AS Y'ALL MAY KNOW, IT BEGINS ON MARCH 8TH AND IT RUNS THROUGH MARCH 16TH, 2024. 
          AND LAST YEAR'S CONFERENCE SAW AN ESTIMATED 345,000 PEOPLE, UM, ATTEND THE FESTIVAL. 
          THE CONFERENCE AND THE EDUCATION AROUND 60 VENUES ARE AUTHORIZED TO BE SO BY SOUTHWEST ACTIVATIONS. 
          AND, UH, WE ASSUME JUST LIKE OTHER YEARS, WE WILL SEE A NUMBER OF UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVATIONS POP UP AS WELL, UH, STAFFING WHAT WE HAVE DONE. 
          AND, UH, I'M PROUD TO SAY, UH, AS FAR AS THE DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND IS CONCERNED AND THE EXTRA STAFFING WE ARE CURRENTLY, UH, WE HAVE COMPLETE COVERAGE AND A FULL SIGNUP FOR OUR EXTRA STAFFING, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS. 
          I KNOW IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY, THEY'RE VERY CLOSE TO HAVING, UM, ALL OF THEIRS COVERED AS WELL. 
          UM, OUR DAY SHIFTS WILL BE STAFFED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT PLUS FOR THE DURATION OF SOUTH BY THAT KIND OF FLUCTUATES, DEPENDING ON THE DAY, WHETHER THEY'RE ADDING TWO OR FOUR OFFICERS, UH, EVENING AND NIGHT SHIFTS. 
          AGAIN, WE WILL ALSO BE STAFFED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT PLUS DURING THE DURATION INSIDE SIXTH STREET, UH, WE HAVE THE CLOSURE THERE, WHICH IS THE HARD CLOSURE, UH, DESIGNATED PATROL AREA FROM SIXTH STREET, UH, IN THE RED RIVER ENCLOSURE. 
          AND THEN OUTSIDE OF SIXTH STREET, WE HAVE DESIGNATED CALL TAKERS TO HANDLE, UH, THOSE CALLS THAT COME IN OUTSIDE OF THERE. 
          ADDITIONAL PATROLS ARE ALSO SCHEDULED FOR OTHER, UH, AREAS OF ACTIVATION, SUCH AS CONGRESS, THE WAREHOUSE, DISTRICT, WEST SIXTH STREET AND RAINING. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A SHIFT TO DOWNTOWN CALL TAKERS. 
          AND THESE ARE OVERTIME OFFICERS HIRED TO SUPPORT CALL TAKING DUTIES. 
          AGAIN, THIS IS OUTSIDE OF THE CLOSURE, SO THEY'LL BE THE ONES THAT'LL BE, UH, ON BIKES AND IN CARS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. 
          STANDARD POLICE OPERATIONS WILL BE GOING ON DURING THIS TIME. 
          UM, IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER THINGS WE HAVE, UH, BELOW, UH, WE'LL HAVE OUR STREET CLOSURES, BARRICADE OFFICERS. 
          THIS WILL BE, UM, A PD OFFICERS, A PD RESERVE OFFICERS, AND THEN OTHER CENTRAL TEXAS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO HELP FILL THESE GAPS THAT WE HAVE. 
          WE HIRE TOWING ENFORCEMENT SHIFTS. 
          WE HIRE ADDITIONAL CALL TAKING SHIFTS. 
          THE PACE TEAM WILL BE OUT THERE. 
          THIS IS THE CODE ENFORCEMENT ARM, UH, THAT WILL BE HANDLING COMPLAINTS AND DOING COMPLIANCE CHECKS. 
          AND THEN TRAFFIC CONGESTION SHIFT AGAIN, THESE ARE, UH, ONES THAT HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO MOVE TO AREAS WHEN WE SEE PROBLEMS, UH, ARISE TO HELP TRAFFIC FLOW. 
          AND THEN WE HIRE TWO OFFICERS PER DAY TO CONDUCT SOUND ENFORCEMENT CHECKS FOR US. 
          THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT. 
          IN ADDITION TO THE OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND OFFICERS FROM ALL OVER THE DEPARTMENT WILL ASSIST DURING THE SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          THIS WILL INVOLVE AMONG OTHER UNITS. 
          OUR COUNTER ASSAULT STRIKE TEAM, OUR MOUNTED PATROL UNIT, OUR EOD OR BOMB SQUAD. 
          THE SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM WILL BE DOWN THERE FOR CROWD CONTROL. 
          ORGANIZED CRIME DIVISION WILL BE, UH, DEVOTING ASSETS TO HELP DO, UH, UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS AS WELL AS, UH, VIOLENT CRIME INITIATIVES. 
          AND THEN OUR METRO TACTICAL UNITS WILL BE ASSISTING WITH THOSE OPERATIONS AS WELL. 
          THIS KIND OF A SNAPSHOT OF, UH, HOW SUCCESSFUL WE WERE LAST YEAR IN 2023. 
          UM, THE SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON VIOLENT CRIME INITIATIVE WAS A JOINT EFFORT EFFORT BETWEEN APDS VIOLENT CRIMES UNIT, THE ORGANIZED CRIME DIVISION, TACTICAL INTEL METRO ATTACK, AND DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND, AND THE SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM. 
          THIS INITIATIVE RAN BETWEEN MARCH 8TH AND MARCH 18TH, 2023. 
          [00:20:02]
AND IT YIELDED 131 ARRESTS, 61 SEIZED FIREARMS, UH, SEIZED NARCOTICS, UH, 3.5 KILOGRAMS OF COCAINE, 26 KILOGRAMS OF METHAMPHETAMINE, 41 GRAMS OF FENTANYL, HEROIN, AND 90 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA. 
          AND THEN JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THE LAST WEEKEND OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WHEN SRT, THE SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM WAS ALSO DOWNTOWN, THEY HAD 77 ARRESTS SEIZED, 26 FIREARMS, AND A NUMBER OF NARCOTICS AS WELL, WHICH ARE LISTED. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS, UH, VIOLENT CRIME INITIATIVE WILL BE, UH, GOING ON AGAIN THIS YEAR. 
          THE BIGGEST THING THAT HELPS US IS WE DO HAVE A UNIFIED COMMAND. 
          UM, THIS INVOLVES, UH, AMONG OTHER AGENCIES, OBVIOUSLY REPRESENTATIVES FROM SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ARE IN THIS COMMAND POST, UH, AUSTIN POLICE, AUSTIN FIRE AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY A MS, UH, THE HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT, TRANSPORTATION CODE ENFORCEMENT WILL HAVE A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS WELL AS A PD. 
          AND THEN OF COURSE, THEY'RE SUPPORTED BY ASSETS FROM THE REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER WHO PROVIDE, UH, AS MUCH UPTODATE INFORMATION AS THEY CAN REGARDING, UH, ANY THREATS THAT MIGHT BE MADE TO THE EVENT. 
          AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, UH, WE WILL BE UTILIZING THE PUBLIC SAFETY AREA IN THE 600 BLOCK OF DUCHESS. 
          UM, THIS IS PROVED VERY EFFECTIVE. 
          IT GIVES US, UH, A WHOLE BLOCK THAT WE CAN DEDICATE TO HAVING OUR, OUR ARREST PROCESSING VAN, AS WELL AS TRANSPORT VANS. 
          AND IT PROVIDES TWO LANES FOR EMS AND A FD TO HAVE ASSETS ON SITE. 
          SO IF WE DO HAVE, UH, ANY SORT OF INCIDENT, THE OFFICERS THAT ARE INSIDE THE CLOSURE, WHETHER ON FOOT OR USING UH, POLARIS VEHICLES, CAN QUICKLY GET ANY POTENTIAL VICTIMS TO MEDICAL PERSONNEL. 
          UM, THEN HAS A STRAIGHT SHOT, UH, TO BRACKENRIDGE HOSPITAL IF NEEDED. 
          ONCE AGAIN, WE WILL BE UTILIZING THE MERIDIAN HEAVY BARRICADES, UH, THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE. 
          UM, WE HAVE, UH, ONCE AGAIN SECURED A CONTRACT TO RENT THOSE. 
          AND THESE ARE USED TO PREDICT PEDESTRIANS INSIDE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY CLOSURE FROM VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. 
          AND THEN JUST BRIEFLY JUST REMINDERS OF WHEN TO CALL NINE, WHEN TO USE NINE ONE ONE VERSUS 3 1 1. 
          UM, 9 1 1 SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED IF THERE'S AN IMMINENT THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY. 
          IF THERE'S AN INJURY THAT REQUIRES IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION, IF THERE'S AN INJURY STEMMING FROM AN ASSAULT, REGARDLESS OF THE TIMEFRAME, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SUSPECT'S INVOLVED IN THE CRIME IS CURRENTLY STILL ON SCENE OR WITHIN SIGHT, IF YOU ARE UNSURE WHETHER TO CALL THE NINE ONE ONE OR THREE ONE ONE, YOU SHOULD CALL 9 1 1 AND LET A TRAINED OPERATOR ROUTE THE CALL APPROPRIATELY. 
          AND THEN TO FINISH UP THE THING, WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO TELL PEOPLE IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. 
          UM, AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE, UH, A VERY ROBUST PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENCE DOWN THERE. 
          AND IF PEOPLE HAVE A CONCERN, IF THEY HAVE A NEED, IF SOMETHING JUST DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, WE ENCOURAGE THEM, FLAG AN OFFICER DOWN, CALL THREE ONE ONE, CALL NINE ONE ONE. 
          JUST LET US KNOW AND THEN WE CAN DETERMINE IF IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON. 
          BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION, THEN WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT. 
          UM, SO PLEASE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO UTILIZE, UH, THESE RESOURCES FOR THEIR OWN PUBLIC SAFETY AND FOR EVERYBODY. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          MY NAME'S BRIAN PATERSON WITH AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          SPECIAL EVENTS. 
          I'M OBVIOUSLY NOT STEVEN TRUSDALE. 
          I'M A LAST MINUTE FILL IN. 
          I DO NOT HAVE A PRESENTATION. 
          UM, AND I CAN'T COMPETE WITH WHAT THAT ONE IS ANYWAY, THEY, THEY DO IT TO ME EVERY TIME. 
          UM, SO MY LITTLE GIST THAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT FOR EVERY ACE APPLICATION WILL COME THROUGH THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S GONNA DO THE SITE INSPECTIONS AND THE PLANS AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE FIRE SAFETY CODES AND LIFE SAFETY CODES, CITY ORDINANCES ARE FOLLOWED. 
          WE GO AROUND AT NIGHT WITH OUR OWN NIGHT INSPECTION TEAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT LIKE OVERCROWDING AND ALL THE EXITS AREN'T BLOCKED AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE PACE TEAMS WITH, WITH, UH, THE JOINT AGENCIES. 
          WE WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN RTFS. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE YOUR . 
          UM, BUT SAME THING WITH WITH A PD AND EMS, UH, DRONE TEAMS. WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE DRONE TEAMS. AND AS FAR AS OPERATIONS CITYWIDE, IT'LL BE NORMAL STAFFING FOR ALL OF OUR FIRE STATIONS, BUT THEY ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT PROBABLY UPSTAFFING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. 
          BUT I DON'T HAVE CONFIRMATION OF THAT AT THE MOMENT. 
          BUT BESIDES THAT, I'M JUST REALLY HERE FOR QUESTIONS. 
          SEE IF I KNOW ANY OF IT. 
          , THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HELLO, GOOD EVENING. 
          BILL MANO SPECIAL EVENTS PROGRAM MANAGER OF OFFICER CENTER FOR EVENTS. 
          AGAIN, I ALSO, I DO NOT HAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE THAT YOU MAY HAVE, BUT A COUPLE OF TIDBITS OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. 
          WE'RE TRACKING AT ABOUT 128 APPLICATIONS FOR JUST THE SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON. 
          A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR, BUT IT'S WELL BELOW PRE COVID NUMBERS. 
          UM, 
          [00:25:01]
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO THOSE APPLICATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ACTIVITY THEY WANT TO DO FOR THE PROPERTY THEY WANT TO DO IT ON IS APPROPRIATE FOR ZONING AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND, AND ISSUES. 
          A LOT OF REVIEWS GO INTO THAT. 
          UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT COMMANDER OLSON WAS SAYING ABOUT THE COMMAND CENTER THAT WILL BE STAFFED MARCH 8TH THROUGH THE 16TH, UM, PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY LONG. 
          UM, IT'S A PRETTY NEAT LITTLE SETUP THAT'S A TEMPORARY SETUP, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF MONITORS THAT ARE BROUGHT IN AND THEY'RE HOOKED UP TO ALL THE DIFFERENT TRAFFIC CAMERAS. 
          AND THAT REALLY ALLOWS US TO IDENTIFY SITUATIONS AS THEY START TO BECOME A PROBLEM. 
          AND IT, FOR MANY YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THAT AND GO AND ADDRESS THE ISSUE BEFORE IT COMES TOO BAD. 
          SO, AND THEN, UH, WE ALSO DO REPORTS WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WHAT WE CALL RED, YELLOW, GREEN. 
          SO EVERY DAY THEY GIVE US A REPORT ON, UH, VENUES THAT MIGHT HAVE A REALLY POPULAR ARTIST OR MAYBE SOME ISSUES WITH THAT, OR, UM, JUST A VENUE THAT COULD GET OVERCROWDED REALLY QUICK. 
          SO THERE'S AGAIN, A LOT OF WORK DAILY THAT GOES INTO THAT AND EVEN LEADING UP TO IT, UM, TO LOOK AT ALL THOSE DIFFERENT ASPECTS. 
          BUT AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BE HAPPY TO ANSWER. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMISSION FOR QUESTIONS. 
          COMMISSIONER KOFA, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING TO US AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO, TO COME TO OUR COMMISSION. 
          WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME A WHOLE LOT. 
          MY QUESTION, UM, IS PROBABLY MORE APPROPRIATE FOR A PD. 
          ARE THERE ANY NEW TRENDS AND THREATS THAT YOU'RE TRACKING FOR THIS UPCOMING FESTIVAL SEASON THAT YOU HAVEN'T TRACK OR YOU HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF? JUST IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS FROM DOWNTOWN, THE ONLY TRENDS THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON THIS, UH, FROM OUR REALTIME CRIME CENTER, UH, THERE, UH, SO WE CAN LOOK FOR SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE, UM, OFTENTIMES THAT PEOPLE OPERATING THE CAMERAS UP IN THE REALTIME CRIME CENTER, WE'LL NOTICE, UH, IMPRINTS IN PEOPLE'S WAISTLINES OR ACTUALLY SEE FIREARMS. THEY'LL CALL THAT OUT TO OUR ATTENTION. 
          UM, WE ALSO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR BAR, UH, OWNERS AND MANAGERS. 
          UH, SO, UH, THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY CONDUCT FRISK, UH, FOR, UM, THIS BUSY TIME OF YEAR TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE AREN'T ENTERING WITH FIREARMS. AND THEY BRING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION QUITE A BIT DOWNTOWN. 
          THAT'S WHERE A NUMBER OF OUR FIREARMS ARE SEIZED ALL THE TIME. 
          BUT, UM, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO SEIZE AS MANY ILLEGAL FIREARMS AS OUR FOCUS AGAIN THIS YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE PAST INCIDENTS WE SAW, UH, BEFORE, UM, WITH, UH, SHOOTINGS IN LARGE CROWDS OF PEOPLE. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING THAT WE LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN AND HAVING TO DO. 
          UM, WHAT COMMANDER OLSON WAS TALKING ABOUT IN PREPARING, UM, A MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT WHERE WE HAVE TO TRANSPORT A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL. 
          ANYBODY ELSE? UH, THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING. 
          SO, UM, ONE CONFUSION POINT I RAN INTO LAST YEAR. 
          UM, AND I KNOW, SO ON THE HEAVY BARRICADES, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ONES THIS YEAR THAN LAST TIME, I BELIEVE. 
          MAYBE I'M WRONG ON THAT, BUT ANYWAYS, UH, WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST RIGHT, WE HAVE OUR NORMAL BICYCLE MICRO MOBILITY TRAFFIC THAT'S GOING AROUND DOWNTOWN, BUT WE ALSO SEE THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF SCOOTER USAGE FAR AND AWAY. 
          UM, I RUN INTO SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER THOSE AREAS THAT ARE BLOCKED BY THOSE BARRICADES ARE ACCESSIBLE TO SCOOTER'S, MICRO MOBILITY AND BICYCLES, OR IF THEY ARE NOT. 
          THOSE AREAS, UH, THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITHIN OUR, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY CLOSURE, UM, ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR SCOOTERS. 
          UH, WE HAVE PUT SIGNS UP IN THE PAST, BUT, UM, IN PAST YEARS, UM, I ONLY HAVEN'T GOT CONFIRMATION THIS YEAR, UM, OUR MICRO MOBILITY TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HAS SUPPOSED TO BEEN ASKING IF WE CAN GET THE GEOFENCE PUT AROUND THAT AREA TO PREVENT SCOOTERS FROM COMING INTO THE AREA. 
          UM, BUT YEAR AFTER YEAR WE CONSTANTLY SEE SCOOTERS COMING DOWN INTO THE PUBLIC SAFETY AREA. 
          UM, WHEN IT COMES TO RIDE SHARES AND SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES, UM, WE'VE COMMUNICATED WITH THEM, UM, WHAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY CLOSURES ARE. 
          SO THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO KNOW WHERE THOSE ARE AND REROUTE, UH, THEIR GPS OTHER WAYS AROUND THERE 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T DRIVE THROUGH THERE. 
          AND, UH, THESE ARE THE SAME TYPE OF BARRICADES WE USED LAST YEAR, UM, IN REFERENCE TO THAT FIRST POINT YOU HAD. 
          AND, UM, SO WHAT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I I RIDE MY BICYCLE HOME FROM DOWNTOWN EVERY DAY, RIGHT? CAN I GO THROUGH THAT AS A BICYCLIST OR AM I NOT SUPPOSED TO ENTER THAT AREA? UH, TECHNICALLY YOU CAN ENTER THE AREA, BUT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WALK YOUR BIKE, UH, WHEN YOU'RE IN TRAFFIC SAFETY CLOSURE. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THEN I'LL, I'LL DEFINITELY TURN TO, YOU 
          [00:30:01]
KNOW, ACE ON THIS ONE. 
          I, I THINK IF YOU COULD HELP THEM OUT WITH, OH, HELLO. 
          UM, I THINK IF YOU COULD HELP THEM OUT WITH, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE THERE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          'CAUSE YOU HAVE A, A LOT OF FOLKS FROM OUT TOWN AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A LOT TO PUT ON THE POLICE OFFICERS THERE TO, YOU KNOW, DIRECT EACH PERSON WHO'S APPROACHING. 
          UM, I DID HAVE, UM, ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, MOSTLY ABOUT HOW YOU GUYS ARE WORKING WITH, UH, TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY OFFICERS. 
          UM, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, AN ACUTE PROBLEM WE HAVE DOWNTOWN IS, YOU KNOW, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT MANY LOADING SPACES, SO FOLKS WILL USE THE BIKE LANES OR SIDEWALKS AND A DA PATHWAYS AS LOADING SPACES, AND THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. 
          I DO NOT EXPECT THE POLICE TO BE MAKING THAT, YOU KNOW, A MAIN PRIORITY DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. 
          BUT ARE YOU COMMUNICATING WITH TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY OFFICERS THAT THEY MAYBE NEED TO FOCUS MORE ON THAT RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, PARKING METERS DURING THIS TIME? I'M GONNA KEEP DOING THAT. 
          UM, YEAH, SO THERE'S WEEKLY MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, ABOUT WHERE LOADING ZONES ARE TAKING PLACE AND EVERY WEEK WE'RE GIVING FEEDBACK ON THE BEST PLACES TO PUT THOSE LOADING AREAS SO THAT WAY THEY WON'T BE A PROBLEM HOPEFULLY. 
          UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IF WE DO HAVE PROBLEMS, WE DO CALL TRANSPORTATION, UM, AND THEY RESPOND PRETTY QUICKLY. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW, UH, I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT THEIR NORMAL OPERATIONS ARE IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY CHECKING METERS DURING THIS BUSY TIME. 
          BUT I KNOW THAT WHEN WE DO CALL THEM FOR SOMETHING, THEY'RE THERE. 
          UM, ALL THE, UH, DESIGNATED, UH, LOADING, UNLOADING, NO PARKING AREAS, THEY'RE SIGNED, THEY'RE, UM, CLEARLY MARKED BEFORE THE WHOLE EVENT TAKES PLACE. 
          SO I KNOW THEY'RE DOING THEIR SHARE. 
          UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE DIRECT COMMUNICATION PER SE. 
          BUT I DO KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT WHEN WE HAVE PROBLEMS, UH, IN THE PAST WITH SOME OF THOSE ISSUES AND TRANSPORTATION THAT WE CALL THEM AND THEY TAKE CARE OF IT. 
          COMMISSIONER SMO, UM, EARLIER YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DO NOT BRING GUNS DOWN TO, UM, THE SIXTH STREET AREA DURING THESE FESTIVALS. 
          BUT IS THERE ACTUALLY A WAY TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM BRINGING A FIREARM? I MEAN, I MAY NOT BE UNDERSTANDING ALL OF THE RULES THAT HAVE PASSED IN THE LAST 20 YEARS IN TEXAS, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE, UM, IT'S VERY EASY TO ACQUIRE AND CARRY A FIREARM NOW. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT THEY AREN'T ALLOWED TO CARRY FIREARMS INTO AN ESTABLISHMENT THAT SELLS ALCOHOL, BUT WHAT ABOUT JUST WALKING DOWN THE STREET? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ALSO, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED A CAMERA THAT CAN, CAN FOCUS ON OR DETECT OR POSSIBLY SEE AN OUTLINE OF SOMEONE CARRYING A GUN, BUT THEN WHAT HAPPENS? RIGHT. 
          SO IT IS LEGAL TO CARRY A FIREARM, UH, IN A PUBLIC PLACE. 
          UM, HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME RESTRICTIONS TO IT. 
          SO, UH, ONE OF THOSE RESTRICTIONS IS THAT IT HAS TO BE HOLSTERED. 
          UM, IF ONE OF OUR CAMERA OPERATORS SEE THAT IT'S JUST TUCKED IN SOMEONE'S WAISTBAND, THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE CARRYING IT LIKE THAT. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE AN ILLEGAL CARRYING OF THAT FIREARM. 
          UM, IN INSTANCES WHERE WE'RE NOT SURE WE'LL FOLLOW THE PERSON AROUND. 
          UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S ILLEGAL TO ENTER BARS. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH OUR ONLY TYPE OF BUSINESS ON SIXTH STREET. 
          SO, UM, I DUNNO WHERE ELSE YOU'RE GONNA GO DOWN THERE, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING DOWN THERE, YOU CAN'T GO IN ANY BUILDING. 
          UM, PRETTY MUCH EVERY ONE OF THOSE PLACES IS A PROHIBITED AREA FOR THAT FIREARM. 
          SO, UM, I THINK THAT ALSO OUR VISIBLE PRESENCE OF POLICE OFFICERS COMMANDER COVERED, UM, JUST HOW MUCH ARE GONNA BE DOWN. 
          THERE CAN BE HUNDREDS OF OFFICERS ON SIXTH STREET AND PEOPLE THAT ENTER THE SIXTH STREET AREA WILL SEE THESE OFFICERS. 
          THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT ENFORCING LAWS, KEEPING THE PUBLIC SAFE, AND JUST HAVING THAT, UH, VISIBLE DETERRENCE SHOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, UH, TRYING TO GET INTO BAD, UH, BEHAVIOR, UH, CRIMES NOT TO COME DOWN TO SIXTH STREET BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY'LL BE ARRESTED. 
          UM, OUR TOLERANCE FOR CRIMINAL ACTS DOWN THERE IS, UH, PRETTY, UH, PRETTY LOW. 
          UM, SO ANY TYPE OF CRIMINAL INCIDENT THAT'S SEEN BY THE SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM, DOWNTOWN OFFICERS, THEY HAVE ORDERS TO MAKE ARRESTS GO WRITE CITATIONS SO THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN SEE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TAKING ENFORCEMENT ACTION AND THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE, UM, TOLERATING ANY KIND OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, ESPECIALLY WITH FIREARMS. THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FOR THAT. 
          UM, I THINK Y'ALL PRESENTED TO US A COUPLE MONTHS AGO ABOUT THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE AND YOUR PROGRAMS IN TRAINING AND EQUIPPING BAR STAFF, UM, ON HOW TO HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS. 
          I JUST WANTED TO ASK, HOW HAS THAT BEEN GOING? IS THERE FEEDBACK? IS THAT A PROGRAM THAT NEEDS MORE SUPPORT? IS THERE DATA BEING COLLECTED ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT PROGRAM? UH, THERE'S NO DATA BEING COLLECTED, BUT SINCE WE HAD THAT LAST MEETING AND WE TOLD YOU ABOUT SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS, THE STOP THE BLEED TRAINING MM-HMM. 
          , UH, THE ACTIVE SHOOTER FOR CIVILIAN, UH, TRAINING. 
          WE'VE, UH, HAD A COUPLE MORE OF THOSE, UH, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING. 
          UM, BARTENDERS, UH, BAR MANAGERS, BAR STAFF ALL ATTEND THOSE REGULARLY 
          [00:35:01]
AND WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND THOSE TO OTHER BUSINESSES THAT ALSO WANT SIMILAR TRAINING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, LARGE BUILDINGS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA ACTUALLY ASK FOR IT QUITE FREQUENTLY. 
          UM, WITH OUR STAFFING, IT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE TO TRY TO PUT THESE TRAININGS ON AND PULL PEOPLE AWAY FROM PATROL TO DO 'EM. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S KIND OF OUR ONLY DOWNFALL ON THIS, IS HAVING THE PERSONNEL AVAILABLE TO ACTUALLY TEACH THESE COURSES AT THE CURRENT TIME. 
          AND THERE'S SOME SORT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO COORDINATING WITH FIRE AND EMS AS WELL. 
          SURE. 
          SO I'LL SAY ANECDOTALLY, UM, I ASKED SOME BAR STAFF AT A PLACE I USED TO FREQUENT BEFORE I WAS PREGNANT, AND THEY SAID THEY HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND THAT THEY REALLY APPRECIATED IT. 
          SO YEAH. 
          WANTED TO SHARE THAT. 
          AND I HAVE ONE, ONE MORE QUESTION, COMMISSIONER. 
          UM, IT'S PROB IT MAY NOT BE A QUESTION THAT YOU CAN ANSWER HERE, BUT DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH THESE EVENTS ADD TO YOUR BUDGETS EVERY YEAR? AND DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST CONTRIBUTES TO DEFERRING THOSE COSTS? I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS WITH ME, ALTHOUGH I WAS LOOKING AT 'EM EARLIER. 
          BUT, UM, TO INCLUDE ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, THE AMOUNT OF FEES WAIVED, UM, AND THIS INCLUDES POLICE OVERTIME, THE BUDGET THAT THEY WERE, UM, THE MONIES THAT WERE INCREASED INTO THEIR BUDGET, IT'S, UM, JUST, IT'S OVER A MILLION, PROBABLY A MILLION AND A HALF. 
          MOST OF THAT'S POLICE OVERTIME, BUT FOR NINE, 10 DAYS, 24 HOURS A DAY, IT ADDS UP. 
          UM, BUT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS, THE COST, IT, IT'S HARD TO GET A TOTAL 'CAUSE WITH 128 SPECIAL EVENT APPLICATIONS, UH, EACH DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE FEES FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          SO IT'D BE HARD TO GO THROUGH THOSE. 
          THE ONLY ONES WE TRACK, UH, ARE THE CITY CO-SPONSORED EVENTS, WHICH WE TRACK THE SOUTH BY WAIVERS. 
          NOT EVERY EVENT HAPPENING DURING SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON WILL HAVE FEE WAIVERS. 
          MOST WILL NOT  SO AND SO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, THE, THE ENTITY, THE ORGANIZATION, THE GROUP. 
          MM-HMM. 
           DOESN'T ACTUALLY PAY THE CITY OR DEFER ANY OF THE COST OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. 
          IT'S ALL . 
          THEY HAVE MADE A PAYMENT IN YEARS PAST, AND I, I HATE TO SAY AN AMOUNT, BUT I THINK IF IT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 75,000 AND THEN THE BUDGET OFFICE WOULD SPLIT IT UP BETWEEN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. 
          UM, BUT AGAIN, PLEASE DON'T QUOTE ME 'CAUSE THAT, UH, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT NUMBER FOR THIS YEAR. 
          UH, AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS FOR LAST YEAR, BUT THEY HAVE, UM, GIVEN BACK SOME. 
          UM, THAT'S FINE. 
          I, I APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWER. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          OTHER COMMISSIONERS, ANY ANYBODY ON LINE THAT I'M MISSING? I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          UM, HAS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST GIVEN ANY GUIDANCE ON WHAT ATTENDANCE IS LOOKING LIKE THIS YEAR COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS? AND IF SO, WILL THAT AFFECT, UM, ANY OF THE PATROLS OR, OR HOW BOTH A-P-D-A-F-D AND EM AS ARE PREPARING? WE DON'T HAVE ANY ANTICIPATED OR PROJECTED NUMBERS, BUT EVERY YEAR HAS SEEN AN INCREASE. 
          SO, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT COMMANDER OLSON MENTIONED, UH, EARLIER, I WOULD FULLY EXPECT THAT TO GO UP AT MAYBE FIVE, 10%. 
          SO WE'RE EDGING EVERY CLOSER TO ABOUT 400,000 PEOPLE. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND I, I THINK THAT THE TRUE THING THAT WE SEE EVERY YEAR IS THE NUMBER OF ACTIVATIONS. 
          COMMANDER OLSON COVERED IT. 
          THE NUMBER OF ACTIVATIONS OFFICIALLY WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS 60, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN LAST YEAR. 
          SO BASED ON THAT, WE CAN ANTICIPATE A SLIGHT INCREASE. 
          UM, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT FOOTPRINTS ON CONGRESS AVENUE WITH SOME DIFFERENT FILM FESTIVAL STUFF GOING ON TOO. 
          SO I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THAT WOULD DRAW IN, UH, A FEW MORE PEOPLE AS WELL. 
          SO I WOULD, I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT NUMBER GOING UP. 
          WHEN YOU SAY ACTIVATION, I'M SORRY, WHEN YOU SAY ACTIVATION, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I'M SORRY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND. 
          SO WHEN, SO BY SOUTHWEST BRINGS IN, UH, THEIR OFFICIAL, UH, SHOWS, UH, THAT COULD BE, UH, MUSIC PERFORMANCES. 
          THEY COULD BE A, UH, YOU KNOW, A MOVIE SCREENING LIKE ON CONGRESS AVENUE. 
          EACH ONE OF THOSE, UH, EVENTS IS CONSIDERED AN ACTIVATION. 
          SO THERE'LL BE SEVERAL SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST SPONSORED ACTIVATIONS AROUND, UH, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN. 
          MOST OF 'EM WILL BE ON RED RIVER. 
          UM, THERE ARE ACTUALLY NONE ON SIXTH STREET. 
          AND COMMANDER OLSON ALSO TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER. 
          THERE'S ALSO UNOFFICIAL SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, EVENTS THAT COME 
          [00:40:01]
IN. 
          AND, UH, THESE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, MUSIC, UH, GROUPS THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST DOESN'T RECOGNIZE, BUT THEY'LL RENT OUT A BAR AND THEY'LL DO THEIR OWN THING ON THEIR OWN AS WELL. 
          SO WE, WE SEE THAT ALL UP AND DOWN SIXTH STREET AS WELL. 
          SO ARE THE 128 APPLICATIONS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, WOULD THOSE BE FOR THE UNOFFICIAL ACTS AS OPPOSED TO THE OFFICIAL ONES? THE 120 APPLICATIONS ARE FOR BOTH, UH, SOUTH BY OFFICIAL CLIENTS, OFFICIAL EVENTS AND NON-SOUTH BY EVENTS. 
          BUT THOSE 128 ARE FOR, UM, PRIMARILY FOR LOCATIONS THAT REQUIRE A TEMPORARY PERMIT THAT IT'S NOT PART OF THEIR PERMANENT USE. 
          THERE ARE HUNDREDS MORE OF VENUES AROUND TOWN THAT IT'S PART OF THEIR PERMANENT USE TO HAVE OCCUPANCY OR ASSEMBLY. 
          SO THEY WILL BE A LOT OF ACTIVITIES THERE, THERE AS WELL. 
          YEAH. 
          I WANTED TO ASK, UM, HOW, OR IF YOU KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THE UNOFFICIAL EVENTS AT ALL, JUST IN TERMS OF HEAT MAPPING, FOOT TRAFFIC AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WHERE OR FOR SAFETY RESPONSES. 
          WE DON'T HAVE A TRACKING SYSTEM FOR THOSE, BUT I DO HAVE AN EMPLOYEE THAT, UM, WHEN THERE'S TIME WE'LL GO THROUGH THE INTERNET AND LOOK FOR EVENTS AND WE COMPARE THAT TO, TO WHAT VENUES WOULD REQUIRE TEMPORARY PERMIT AND WHICH ONES HAVE APPLIED FOR ONES. 
          AND THEN WE TURN THAT INFORMATION OVER TO THE PACE TEAM. 
          UM, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO SOME LOCATIONS, APPLICATIONS THAT, UH, WOULD BE REJECTED BECAUSE IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THAT LOCATION. 
          AND THEN WE'LL GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO THE PACE TEAM AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. 
          I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY. 
          THE AMOUNT OF LOGISTICS THAT GOES INTO GETTING READY FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS FRANKLY OVERWHELMING, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO AND, UH, UH, IT, IT REALLY IS STAGGERING. 
          IT'S A SHAME THAT WE HAVE TO GO TO THESE LINKS TO PREPARE FOR FESTIVALS, BUT THANK GOODNESS THAT YOU ALL ARE OUT THERE DOING THE JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING TO MAKE IT AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY. 
          I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS AND IT GOES BACK TO, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER'S, UH, REMARK ABOUT, UM, SCOOTERS, WHICH HAVE BEEN BEFORE OUR COMMISSION MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          UH, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UM, GEOFENCING IN DENSER PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENTS, THIS BEING ONE OF THEM. 
          UH, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO, TO GET SIXTH STREET AND SOME OF THESE OTHER AREAS GEOFENCED, IT DOESN'T PREVENT PEOPLE FROM USING SCOOTERS TO INGRESS OR EGRESS DOWNTOWN, UH, EVEN TO GET AROUND. 
          BUT IN SOME OF THE DENSER, MORE ACTIVE AREAS, IT'S, IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO HAVE THESE PEOPLE ON SCOOTERS. 
          AND SO IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE IN MORE ACTIVE GEOFENCING DOWNTOWN TO PROTECT PEDESTRIANS. 
          UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT CAME UP, AND THIS GOES TO COMMISSIONER KOVAL, UH, QUESTION ABOUT EMERGING ISSUES ARE DRONES AND EMERGING ISSUE. 
          OBVIOUSLY DRONES HAVE BECOME VERY TOPICAL IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. 
          UH, AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE THAT Y'ALL HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH DOWNTOWN, IF THERE ARE ANY SAFETY ISSUES. 
          I KNOW IT'S AN ISSUE AROUND, UH, DKR FOR UT FOOTBALL GAMES, UH, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT ALSO, UH, FED INTO THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE DOWNTOWN. 
          ALL RIGHT, SO, SO I'LL HAVE TO ADMIT, I, I TEXTED MY DRONE GUY BEFORE THIS MEETING STARTED AND SEE WHAT THEY HAD PLANNED FOR, UH, SOUTH BY, WHICH I HADN'T HEARD A RESPONSE YET BACK FROM, BUT I KNOW JUST LIKE AT THE FOOTBALL GAMES, THEY HAVE THIS TRACKING DEVICE THAT THEY TRACK AND THEY CAN ZONE IN ON THE DRONES SO MUCH SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY FIND THE PILOT AND THEN WE'LL SEND POLICE OFFICERS TO, WE DID A LOT DURING ACL WE FIND THEY, THEY FLY DRONES IN THAT AREN'T ALLOWED AND THEN THEY TRACK IT, THEY ACTUALLY GO FIND THE PILOT, TELL 'EM TO REMOVE IT AND OR GIVE 'EM A CITATION OR WHATEVER THE, THE A PD DOES. 
          BUT OUR DRONE TEAMS HAVE A VERY GOOD RESPONSE TIME AND THEY HAVE A VERY GOOD SYSTEM. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF THE TRACKING SYSTEM THAT THEY USE, BUT IT WORKS VERY WELL. 
          SO MUCH SO THAT I, THAT WITHIN A FEW MINUTES THEY HAVE A DRONE OVER THE PERSON THAT'S ACTUALLY FLYING A DRONE TO THEN LEAD A PD IN TO GO HANDLE THAT SITUATION. 
          COUNTER DRONE  DRONE COUNTER DRONE . 
          WELL, I, I JUST, IT'S A VERY TOPICAL IT ISSUE. 
          OBVIOUSLY IT'S AN EMERGING, SADLY AN EMERGING THREAT. 
          UH, SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING TO ADDRESS, ADDRESS THAT IN YEARS PAST THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REALLY 
          [00:45:01]
SPECTACULAR DRONE SHOWS WITH MULTIPLE DRONES. 
          UH, WE HAVE NOT SEEN A SINGLE APPLICATION FOR THAT FOR THIS YEAR AND IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY REQUIRE SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT, BUT IT MIGHT REQUIRE A TEMPORARY USE PERMIT. 
          IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PRESENT AT ANY ONE TIME. 
          OUT OF CURIOSITY, BECAUSE OF THE DRONE SHOWS THAT THEY'VE HAD FOR THE FOOTBALL GAMES HAVE BEEN FRANKLY SPECTACULAR. 
          UM, DO THEY HAVE TO PULL ANY PERMITS FOR THOSE OR IT ALL DEPENDS. 
          THERE IS, THERE IS ONE THAT WAS DONE FROM THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND IT WAS ON THEIR FOOTBALL FIELD. 
          WELL THAT'S AN ASSEMBLY AREA. 
          THEY DIDN'T HAVE MORE THAN 49 PEOPLE PRESENT, SO A PERMIT WAS NOT REQUIRED. 
          BUT THEY DID SUBMIT AN APPLICATION JUST SO WE COULD SHARE THE INFORMATION, UH, WHICH IS REALLY NICE TO HAVE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS A BUNCH OF CALLS TO 3 1 1 OR 9 1 1, LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          UM, BUT DEPENDING ON THE CHANGE OF USE FOR THAT PROPERTY, THAT FACTORS INTO WHETHER OR NOT A PERMIT'S REQUIRED AT ALL. 
          NOW THEY STILL HAVE TO DO A NOTIFICATION WITH, WITH A PD FOR THE DRONE USE AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. CHUMA. 
          YEAH, I JUST WANNA ADD SOMETHING ON THE MICRO MOBILITY CONVERSATION. 
          UM, 'CAUSE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS SIMPLY A CAPACITY ISSUE, RIGHT? WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE PEOPLE USING MICRO MOBILITY AND FRANKLY BIKING AROUND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST THAN WE DO GENERALLY. 
          AND WE HAVE TWO PROTECTED BIKE LANES DOWNTOWN, RIGHT? THERE'S THE THIRD STREET BIKE LANE, WHICH RIGHT NOW IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. 
          UH, AND WE HAVE THE CONGRESS BIKE LANE THAT ON A GOOD DAY WE'LL HAVE THREE CARS ILLEGALLY PARKING ON IT AT ANY TIME. 
          I MEAN, I TOOK IT DOWN AND SAW FOUR, I TOOK IT DOWN HERE TODAY. 
          UM, BUT DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IT IS JUST FLOODED WITH VEHICLES ILLEGALLY PARKING THE BIKE LANE, YOU CAN'T USE IT. 
          WHICH, YOU KNOW, ALTERNATIVELY MEANS A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN USING SKEWERS FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE USING 'EM ON THE ROAD. 
          SO THEY'RE USING THE SIDEWALK AND GOING AT VERY HIGH SPEEDS AND THAT'S WHAT CREATES THESE SAFETY ISSUES. 
          I KNOW WE HAD A CONVERSATION ON THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WITH ACE A WHILE AGO, AND I DEFINITELY DON'T WANNA SPEAK ON AFTER THE COMMISSION, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAID IS ACE NEEDS TO TAKE A STEP FORWARD AND START THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE ADDRESS THIS CAPACITY DURING THE SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON. 
          I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT ON YOUR PLATE AND IT DIDN'T GET DONE THIS TIME. 
          UH, BUT WE DO NEED TO THINK IF WE HAVE ALL THESE EXTRA PEOPLE SCOOTING WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH OUR ROADS, WE NEED TO HAVE SAFE PLACES FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SCOOTER THAT ISN'T ON THE SIDEWALK AND DURING THIS FESTIVAL SEASON, THERE WON'T BE RIGHT. 
          SO I THINK WE'LL SEE A LOT MORE INJURIES THAN HOPEFULLY COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. 
          ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? I DO. 
          I HAVE A QUESTION, PLEASE. 
          YES, COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN. 
          UM, NOTE , IT'LL BE QUICK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, ONE QUICK QUESTION. 
          GOING BACK TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING, I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES TO POTENTIALLY DO RECORDINGS AND SOMEWHERE, A WEBSITE TO HOST ONLINE VIDEOS. 
          YOU KNOW, IF STAFFING IS AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF GETTING PEOPLE TO PHYSICAL LOCATIONS FOR TRAINING, YOU KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN LOOKED INTO WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE MORE REQUESTS FOR TRAININGS AND THERE ARE DAYS OR CAPACITY WHERE IT CAN JUST BE VIEWED ONLINE AND OF COURSE THERE'S NO INTERACTIVE PORTION OF THE TRAINING. 
          I THINK THAT'S, UH, DEFINITELY WORTH LOOKING INTO. 
          UH, WHAT WE DO FIND THOUGH IS THAT WE DO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH, UH, WHERE OUR LOCATIONS FOR THE TRAINING TAKE PLACE. 
          WE MIGHT DO IT AT A BAR, WE MIGHT DO IT AT A HOTEL CONFERENCE ROOM. 
          WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, THE TECHNOLOGY LOOKS LIKE FOR THOSE AREAS OR FOR WOULD ACCOMMODATE IT. 
          UM, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE DEMAND FOR IT, BUT I THINK GOING FORWARD IF THERE IS INCREASED DEMAND, THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ASK, UH, SOMEBODY WITH OUR POLICE TECHNOLOGY UNIT TO HELP US, UH, GET ROLLING SO THAT WAY WE COULD, UH, POST IT FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO VIEW. 
          YEAH, THAT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, IN A CONFERENCE ROOM, HAVE SOMEONE KIND OF CHAT THROUGH SOME OF THE BASICS, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE RESPONSE. 
          COMMISSIONER LEVINE. 
          YEAH, NOT A QUESTION. 
          JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS, UH, TO THE POLICE AND EMS AND FIRE FOR ALL YOUR WORK THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO AND WISH YOU LUCK AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL KEEPING US SAFE OUT THERE DURING THIS CRAZY, CRAZY TIME. 
          ALRIGHT FOLKS, THANK YOU. 
          IT'S GONNA BE A BUSY COUPLE OF WEEKS FOR YOU. 
          WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHTY. 
          UM, NEXT STEP. 
          [6. Presentation on the status of Austin Light Rail by Peter Mullan, EVP Architecture and  Urban Design, Lindsay Wood, EVP - Engineering and Construction, and Courtney  Chavez, SVP - Equity and Community Partnership.]
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE STATUS OF THE AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL BY PETER MULLEN AND LINDSEY WOOD. 
          UH, COURTNEY CHAVEZ. 
          THE FLOOR IS YOURS. 
          ALL RIGHT, 
          [00:50:01]
GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. 
          WE ARE EXCITED TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE AT WITH ADVANCING AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL AND, AND QUICK INTRODUCTIONS. 
          I'M LINDSAY WOOD, UM, GIANNIS, UH, GIANNIS BANKS COMMUNITY, UH, ENGAGEMENT MANAGER FOR AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND PETER MULLIN, ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN FOR AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP. 
          SO SINCE THIS LAST JUNE WHEN WE ADOPTED THE LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, THAT REALLY GAVE US CLARITY ON WHAT AND WHERE WE ARE BUILDING THE FIRST PHASE OF LIGHT RAIL IN AUSTIN. 
          WE HAVE BEEN STEADILY ADVANCING THE PROJECT. 
          WANNA HIGHLIGHT A FEW KEY EFFORTS HERE. 
          UH, ONE BEING THE DESIGN. 
          SO CONTINUING TO DEFINE WHAT THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT REQUIREMENTS ARE AND WHAT THE ASSOCIATED FOOTPRINT IS. 
          AND THAT EFFORT HELPS TO SUPPORT THESE OTHER TWO WORK STREAMS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE REQUIRED FEDERAL PROCESSES THAT ARE NEEDED BECAUSE WE ARE PURSUING FEDERAL DOLLARS TO HELP FUND ROUGHLY HALF OF THE COST TO BUILD THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM. 
          THE FIRST FEDERAL PROCESS SHOWN HERE IN THE MIDDLE, IN GREEN, UH, NEPA, THAT STANDS FOR NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT. 
          THAT IS THE EFFORT OF STUDYING THE BENEFITS AND IMPACTS OF THE PROJECT AS COMPARED TO IF, UH, DOING NOTHING AT ALL AND NOT BUILDING THE PROJECT. 
          WE ARE, WE'VE JUST KICKED THAT OFF AND ARE OUT IN COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, UH, REALLY GETTING INPUT INTO WHAT WE WILL BE STUDYING FOR THE PROJECT. 
          AND WE'LL BE BACK OUT LATER THIS YEAR, PUBLISHING WHAT IS CALLED A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND FEEDBACK. 
          AND THE LAST PROCESS THERE IS, UH, THE VARIOUS STEPS THAT WE NEED TO GO THROUGH TO PURSUE THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS. 
          SO I MENTIONED WE ARE OUT IN COMMUNITY. 
          WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH A SERIES OF PUBLIC OPEN HOUSES, FIVE THAT ARE IN PERSON AS WELL AS ONE THAT IS VIRTUAL, WHICH WE ARE HOSTING TOMORROW NIGHT ACTUALLY. 
          AND IN ADDITION TO THESE, WHICH ARE ALL AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, WE HAVE A, UH, AN OPEN, UM, ONGOING VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE WHERE ALL OF THE MATERIALS THAT WE ARE PRESENTING ARE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE. 
          SO I MENTIONED LAST JUNE ADOPTING THE FIRST PHASE OF AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL THAT IS A NEARLY 10 MILE LONG SYSTEM FROM 38TH AND GUADALUPE DOWN TO SOUTH CONGRESS AND ULT WHARF AND EAST TO YELLOW JACKET, WHICH IS NEAR BEN WHITE ALONG EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE. 
          IT IS A MOSTLY STREET RUNNING LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, MEANING THAT IT IS ELECTRICALLY POWERED WITH THE TRAINS GENERALLY RUNNING IN THE CENTER OF THE STREET IN THEIR OWN DEDICATED SPACE. 
          AND ALSO HAS A PROPOSED OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY, UM, TOWARD THE, THE EAST END OF THE SYSTEM. 
          BEYOND THE YELLOW JACKET STATION, WE HAVE ALSO IDENTIFIED PRIORITY EXTENSIONS BEYOND THAT FIRST PHASE THAT EXTEND NORTH TO CRESTVIEW AND THE RED LINE CONNECTION AS WELL AS EAST FROM BEN WHITE CONTINUING OUT TO CONNECT WITH THE AIRPORT. 
          THOSE PRIORITY EXTENSIONS ARE NOT PART OF THE NEPA OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY THAT I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY. 
          THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT WILL BE FOCUSING ON THE FUNDED PORTION OF THE FIRST PHASE PROJECT, UH, BUT COULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE STUDY IF ADDITIONAL FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE TO ACCELERATE THOSE EXTENSIONS. 
          SO AS PART OF ADVANCING THE WORK, UM, NOT ONLY FROM A A TECHNICAL DESIGN STANDPOINT OF, OF DRILLING FURTHER INTO OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES AND DEFINING THE NEEDS OF THE PROJECT, WE ALSO ARE ARE LISTENING TO COMMUNITY THROUGH ALL OF THE PRIOR PLANNING DONE TO DATE. 
          AND BOTH OF THOSE EFFORTS COMBINED HAVE LED US TO STUDY A SERIES OF DESIGN OPTIONS IN ADDITION TO THAT BASE DESIGN THAT I I JUST DESCRIBED. 
          AND THOSE OPTIONS CONSIST OF STATION OPPORTUNITIES THAT COULD BE, UH, CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF STATIONS AND HOW CLOSELY THEY ARE SPACED AS WELL AS WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED ALONG THE SYSTEM AND MULTIMODAL INTEGRATION OR HOW DO TRAINS AND BUSES AND BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS AND CARS ALL INTERACT TOGETHER WITHIN THE STREETSCAPE. 
          ALONG THE ALIGNMENT. 
          UH, ALSO LOOKING AT HOW WE TREAT THE ENDS OF LINE AND BRINGING PEOPLE TO 
          [00:55:01]
THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM THAT MAY NOT LIVE OR, OR WORK DIRECTLY ALONG THE ALIGNMENT WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR END OF LINE FACILITIES SUCH AS PARK AND RIDES. 
          AND PETER'S GONNA WALK THROUGH THOSE DESIGN OPTIONS THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING. 
          AND I WANT TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ARE MAKING NO RECOMMENDATIONS AT THIS TIME, ONLY NOTING WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE STUDYING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, SO WE'RE GONNA START AT THE NORTH AND GO THROUGH THE ALIGNMENT IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL. 
          UM, AND I'LL, I'LL GO QUICKLY THROUGH A LOT OF IT, BUT THEN TRY TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME ON THE DOWNTOWN SECTION. 
          UM, SO STARTING FROM THE NORTH, THE, THE NORTHERN TERMINUS OF PHASE ONE WILL BE AT 38TH STREET. 
          UM, THE ALIGNMENT COMES DOWN, YOU KNOW, GUADALUPE, UM, INTO THE AREA OF THE UNIVERSITY. 
          UM, THERE'LL BE A STATION, UH, THE 29TH STREET STATION, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY BETWEEN 27TH STREET AND 29TH STREET, UM, AND THEN CONTINUES DOWN AND THERE'S ANOTHER STATION, UH, ADJACENT TO THE WEST MALL AT UT. 
          UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, WE WILL BE STUDYING AS PART OF THIS PROCESS IS, UH, IN A, OF BASICALLY A, A CONFIGURATION OF GUADALUPE, UM, BETWEEN 29TH AND BASICALLY 22ND, UM, THAT ELIMINATES ALL SINGLE OCCUPANCY PASSENGER VEHICLES. 
          SO IT WOULD BE REALLY JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, LIGHT RAIL BUSES, SPIKES, PETS, UM, GIVEN THE, THE HIGH VOLUME OF PEDESTRIANS IN THIS AREA AS WELL AS, UM, THE EX THE HIGH RIDERSHIP ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSIT AND ACCESS TO THE UNIVERSITY. 
          UM, SO WE DID A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THAT IN THE PAST, AND SO WE'LL BE STUDYING THAT FURTHER IN TERMS OF ALL OF THE, THE BENEFITS AND IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. 
          UM, SO MOVING TO THE SOUTH THROUGH DOWNTOWN, WE HA ARE, UM, WE'LL BE STUDYING, UH, THREE TO THE, WE'RE THREE TO FOUR, UH, STATION LOCATIONS, UM, UH, WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UM, 15TH STREET, CONGRESS AVENUE, CESAR CHAVEZ, AS WELL AS, UM, AN OPTION FOR A STATION LOCATED NEXT TO WOOLDRIDGE SQUARE. 
          UM, THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT CAME OUT OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, LAST SPRING, UM, FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED ABOUT THE DESIRE TO HAVE, UM, STATIONS THAT WERE MAYBE SPACED A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TOGETHER. 
          SO WE ARE, WE HAVE ADDED THIS AS AN OPTION AND WE'LL BE STUDYING, UM, HOW TO DO THAT AND WHAT, UM, THE, THE PROS AND CONS OF THAT WILL BE, UM, FOR ALL ASPECTS OF, OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM. 
          UM, THE, THE CONGRESS AVENUE STATION WILL BE LO IS WILL BE LOCATED, UM, ON THIRD STREET, UH, BETWEEN CONGRESS AND COLORADO. 
          UM, IT'S A BIT OF A LONGER BLOCK WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN BLOCK SYSTEM, SO, UM, GOOD LOCATION FOR A STATION THERE AND ACTUALLY APPROXIMATE TO CONGRESS AVENUE. 
          UM, AND THEN WE WILL BE STUDYING TWO OPTIONS FOR THE CAESAR CHAVEZ STATION. 
          UM, THESE ARE BOTH LOCATED OBVIOUSLY IN PROXIMITY TO THE REIMAGINED CONVENTION CENTER. 
          UM, ONE OPTION FOR THE STATION WILL HAVE THE STATION LOCATED ON TRINITY STREET IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, SIMILAR TO WHERE MOST OF OUR STATIONS ARE LOCATED. 
          UM, WE ARE ALSO EXPLORING AN OPTION WHERE A STATION COULD BE LOCATED, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, A NEW DEVELOPMENT ON THE BLOCK BETWEEN, UH, SECOND AND THIRD BETWEEN TRINITY AND SAN JACINTO. 
          SO THE IDEA OF A JOINT DEVELOPMENT THERE THAT WOULD INCORPORATE THE STATION INTO THE GROUND FLOOR. 
          UM, THE STATION IN THAT CASE WOULD BE LOCATED KIND OF ON THE 45. 
          UM, SO, YOU KNOW, HELPING TO MAKE THAT TURN, UM, ON THE 90 DEGREE TURN FROM TRINITY TO THE THIRD STREET. 
          SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME COMPLEXITY TO ALL THAT. 
          SO WE'RE STUDYING ALL THE, ALL THE, THE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AS PART OF THIS PROCESS. 
          UM, OTHER THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT DOWNTOWN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT LA VACA BEING, UM, CONVERTED TO TWO-WAY TRAFFIC, UM, GIVEN THE, THE IMPACTS THAT, UH, THE LIGHT RAIL WILL HAVE ON GUADALUPE. 
          AND SO HELPING TO, UM, AUGMENT AND INCREASE THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC THROUGH DOWNTOWN, UM, IN THAT WAY. 
          UM, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY COORDINATING WITH THE CITY AND, AND THE TRANSPORTATION OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UM, ON ALL TRAFFIC ISSUES AS WE ANALYZE, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT WILL WORK DOWNTOWN IN PARTICULAR. 
          AND WITH THE, THE CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAT IS UNDER CONSIDERATION RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, SO THE, THE LIGHT RAIL COMES DOWN, GUADALUPE TURNS ON THIRD AND THEN WILL TURN ON TRINITY. 
          UM, AND THEN HOOD OVER THE RIVER AND LADY BIRD LAKE, UH, ON A NEW BRIDGE. 
          UM, ALONG THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE BOTH, UH, LIGHT RAIL AND, UH, PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS WHEN WE GET SOUTH OF THE RIVER. 
          UH, THE ALIGNMENT SPLITS, SO THERE'S A LEG THAT GOES SOUTH, UM, DOWN SOUTH CONGRESS, UH, TO UL TORF STREET, THAT WILL BE THE, THE SOUTHERN TERMINUS AS PART OF PHASE ONE. 
          UM, AND UH, AND THEN EAST THERE'S A LEG OBVIOUSLY THAT GOES DOWN EAST RIVERSIDE 
          [01:00:01]
AND WE'LL CONTINUE EAST PAST 35. 
          UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF OPTIONS IN THIS SECTION OF THE ALIGNMENT. 
          ONE IS LOOKING AT THE TRA SITE STATION AND, AND, UH, WHAT THE ALIGNMENT LOOKS LIKE WITH AND WITHOUT THE STATION AND THAT LOCATION. 
          UM, SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          UH, SO, UH, WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE HAVING ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT THE, THE BENEFITS AND, UM, OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT OPTION. 
          WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, TWO OPTIONS FOR THE WATERFRONT STATION AND THE ALIGNMENT BASICALLY JUST ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RIVER. 
          UM, AND LOOKING AT TWO VERTICAL OPTIONS FOR THE ALIGNMENT. 
          SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT, THIS IS KIND OF A UNIQUE CONDITION, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT MORE ABOUT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT LATER TONIGHT. 
          BUT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BASICALLY ON, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RIVER, WHICH IS TO THE RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN AND THE SOUTH CONGRESS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN. 
          YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE HILLS AND, UM, AND SO THERE ARE TWO WAYS FOR THE TRAIN TO BASICALLY NAVIGATE BETWEEN THOSE HILLS. 
          ONE IS TO COME DOWN, YOU KNOW, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE LAKE, UM, AND HAVE A STATION AT GRADE. 
          UM, AND THE OTHER IS TO ACTUALLY CONTINUE, KEEP THE ALIGNMENT UP, UP HIGH AND HAVE THE STATION BASICALLY ELEVATED, ALMOST LIKE AN EXTENSION OF THE BRIDGE OVER THE LAKE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS IT MOVES TO THE SOUTH. 
          SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME COMPLEXITY THERE IN TERMS OF TOPOGRAPHY AND HOW THE ALIGNMENT WORKS WITH THAT, AS WELL AS ACCESS AND INTERACTION WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT. 
          SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT IN, IN SOME DETAIL AND DOCUMENTING THAT AS PART OF THIS PROCESS. 
          UM, SO MOVING TO THE EAST PAST I 35 ON RIVERSIDE, UM, THE ALIGNMENT CONTINUES DOWN RIVERSIDE, UM, ALL THE WAY TO YELLOW JACKET, WHICH IS BASICALLY AT, AT, UH, HIGH 71. 
          UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR STATION LOCATIONS IN THIS AREA. 
          UM, ONE THING WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IS, YOU KNOW, UH, TWO OPTIONS FOR THE STATIONS JUST EAST OF PLEASANT VALLEY. 
          SO ONE WHICH HAS A STATION AT PHARAOH AND A STATION AT MONTOPOLIS. 
          UM, THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO COMBINE THOSE STATIONS INTO A SINGLE STATION LOCATED AT GROVE. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY PROS AND CONS TO BOTH OPTIONS AND WE'LL BE STUDYING ALL THE, ALL OF THOSE ASSOCIATED ISSUES. 
          UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, ON THIS SECTION OF THE ALIGNMENT IS, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT WAY TO PROVIDE, UH, PEDESTRIAN CYCLING FACILITIES IN ADJACENT IN ADDITION TO THE LIGHT RAIL. 
          UM, AND SO LOOKING AT TWO DIFFERENT CROSS SECTIONS FOR THIS SECTION OF THE ALIGNMENT, UM, THE ONE AT THE TOP, WHICH IS I THINK MORE OF A TYPICAL CROSS SECTION THAT WE LOOK AT WHERE WE'VE GOT THE LIGHT RAIL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, UH, VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LIGHT RAIL, AND THEN PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLING FACILITIES ON THE OUTSIDE, UM, ADJACENT TO THE SIDEWALK. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY IN STREET TREES WHERE WE CAN FIT THEM, UM, IN THIS LOCATION. 
          AND PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE, UH, CONFIGURATION OF THE RIGHT OF WAY, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN, A VERSION OF THIS WHERE WE ACTUALLY COMBINE THE BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES INTO THE CENTER OF THE ROADWAY TO CREATE, UM, KIND OF A, A SORT OF A CONSISTENT CONTINUOUS KIND OF TRAIL CONDITION INTO THE CENTER ADJACENT TO THE LIGHT RAIL AND FEEDING THE LIGHT RAIL STATIONS. 
          UM, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD HAVE SIDEWALKS ON, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET IN ANY CASE, BUT, UM, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CONFIGURATION AND SOME, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, PROS AND CONS TO BOTH OPTIONS AND WON'T BE STUDYING ALL THOSE AS PART OF THIS PROCESS AND PRESENTING THEM BACK TO THE PUBLIC, UM, IN THE FALL. 
          UM, AND HERE ARE SOME PRECEDENTS OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT ARE INFORMING, UM, THOSE OPTIONS AND THE, AND THE SORT OF THE CENTER OPTION IN PARTICULAR WHERE YOU'VE GOT THESE MULTIMODAL, UH, FACILITIES, LINEAR FACILITIES IN, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LIGHT RAIL, UM, AND WHERE IT'S WORKED WELL. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, TREES AND SHADE ARE, ARE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE OPTIONS BECAUSE, UM, WE ALL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF EXPERIENCING LAST SUMMER. 
          UM, AND KNOW THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED, WE NEED SHADE FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THIS LIGHT RAIL FACILITY. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          SO I MENTIONED THAT WE WOULD BE OUT LATER THIS YEAR PUBLISHING A DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT. 
          THE, THE FOCUS OF THAT WORK IS STUDYING NOT ONLY THE DESIGN OPTIONS JUST DESCRIBED, BUT THE ENTIRE LIMITS OF THE PROJECT IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR BOTH NATURAL AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENTS. 
          AND WE'LL BE PUBLISHING THAT DRAFT EIS FOR FEEDBACK ON NOT ONLY THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, CONTEXT AND, AND EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT, BUT ALSO THE DESIGN ITSELF. 
          SO WE WILL, UH, CONTINUE THIS WHAT IS CALLED THE, THE SCOPING PROCESS THAT WE ARE IN CURRENTLY, THAT IS GATHERING INPUT, UH, THROUGH THIS SERIES OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS TO INFORM OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY. 
          WE'LL BE COMPLETING THAT THIS SPRING AND 
          [01:05:01]
THEN, UH, TOWARD THE, THE FALL OF THIS YEAR PUBLISHING THE DRAFT EIS AND THEN EXPECT THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT NEXT YEAR IN 2025. 
          AND THAT IS ALL WE HAVE AND ARE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS. 
          COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER, I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO REALLY THINK ABOUT PLACEMAKING AT THE STATIONS, ESPECIALLY THE DOWNTOWN ONES, LANDSCAPING OUR USER EXPERIENCE. 
          AND I'M SURE YOU ARE, BUT I HAD TO SAY IT. 
          THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING IT. 
          COULDN'T AGREE MORE OTHER COMMISSIONERS. 
          REAL QUICK, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS FOR COMING OUT AND THANKS FOR, UM, SAVING DIRTIES. 
          WE REALLY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT. 
          IT IS, IT IS MUCH APPRECIATED. 
          UH, ANYBODY ONLINE? NO. 
          UM, GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS. 
          I, I SAY THIS EVERY TIME, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT HAS TO BE SAID. 
          YOU GUYS ARE THE HARDEST WORKING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. 
          WE KEPT YOU LATE AT NIGHT AT THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT. 
          YOU'VE GOT THE ONLINE THING TOMORROW, AND I SEE YOU EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, SO KUDOS. 
          'CAUSE YOU ALL DESERVE IT. 
          I HOPE YOU CAN TAKE A DAY OFF IN MARCH. 
          . 
          UM, I, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. 
          I'VE ALREADY HIT YOU WITH A BUNCH HERE AND THERE, BUT, UM, SO THE FIRST ONE, UM, I KNOW RENDERINGS ARE NOT PLANS, UH, BUT THE RENDERING, LIKE ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THIS IS A CONGRESS AVENUE STATION ON THIRD STREET WHERE THERE IS NO CAR TRAFFIC. 
          ARE YOU PLANNING ON NOT HAVING MOTOR VEHICLES ON THIRD STREET? IS THAT STILL A PLANNING ONLY IN THE BLOCK OF THE STATION ITSELF? SO BECAUSE WHERE WE HAVE THE STATIONS, THE, THE PLATFORMS CREATE A WIDER FOOTPRINT OF THE PROJECT, UH, NEED TO FIND A LITTLE MORE SPACE FOR THOSE AREAS. 
          SO IN THAT PARTICULAR BLOCK WOULD HAVE A, A PEDESTRIAN AND TRANSIT PLAZA, BUT ALONG THIRD STREET, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE EAST OF CONGRESS AND WEST OF COLORADO HAVING VEHICULAR MOVEMENTS IN THOSE OTHER BLOCKS ALONG THE STREET. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THAT, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. 
          UM, YOU ALSO MENTIONED, UM, WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW THIS BEFORE, UM, WE'RE CONSIDERING LAVACCA TWO-WAY. 
          UM, IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN, WOULD GUADALUPE ALSO BE CONVERTED TO TWO-WAY OR, YEAH. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          THAT IS CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, YEAH, , THERE YOU GO. 
          . 
          UM, OTHER QUESTION I HAD, AND THIS WILL FEED INTO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, IS, UM, THIS ISN'T SO MUCH OF A PROBLEM IF YOU GUYS CHOOSE THE ELEVATED ONE, BUT IF, IF WE GO TOWARDS A, UM, ON STREET ALIGNMENT FOR THE WATERFRONT STATION, I, I'M CURIOUS HOW IT WILL INTERACT WITH THE EXTENSION OF BARTON SPRINGS ROAD, UM, RIGHT. 
          'CAUSE THE A SMP HAS THAT AS, UH, A FOUR-LANE ROAD WITH, UH, WITH A SEPARATED MEDIAN AND, UM, TWO BICYCLE LANES ON THE SIDE. 
          UM, AND THEN I, I WOULD ALSO IMAGINE IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO TURN ONTO RIVERSIDE AND ALSO POSSIBLY FOR CARS TO TURN LEFT ON RIVERSIDE. 
          SO HAVE YOU GUYS CONSIDERED WHAT THAT INTERACTION WOULD LOOK LIKE? SO THOSE ARE ALL GREAT QUESTIONS AND ARE INCLUDED IN, IN OUR ANALYSIS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE RESULTS OF THAT ANALYSIS. 
          SURE. 
          WE ARE, UM, GATHERING INPUT JUST AS, AS QUESTIONS, UM, THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STUDY ALL THE NECESSARY FACTORS AND WE'LL BE INCORPORATING THOSE INTO THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH OPTIONS. 
          UM, IF YOU'RE GOING WITH THE ELEVATED OPTION, CAN I ASSUME THAT YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HANDICAPPED ACCESS AND THE AMOUNT OF ELEVATORS AND SUCH THAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO GET PEOPLE UP AND DOWN? ABSOLUTELY. 
          UH, SO VERTICAL CIRCULATION TO, UM, TRANSITION FROM THE GROUND LEVEL TO THE, THE STATION PLATFORM LEVEL IS ALSO PART OF THE CONSIDERATION. 
          AND THEN LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS, UH, RIGHT, WE HAVE SO MANY CAPITAL INVESTMENTS GOING ON IN DOWNTOWN, RIGHT? YOU MENTIONED THE CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WHICH IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO ADAPT BASED OFF OF WHAT PROJECT CONNECT DOES. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, THE SEA HOME IMPROVEMENTS WILL CHANGE, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT BASED OFF OF, UH, WHAT HAPPENS ON THIRD STREET. 
          YOU KNOW, SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT WILL CHANGE. 
          THE CONVENTION CENTER MAY HAVE TO CHANGE HOW THE EXPANSION WORKS DEPENDING ON WHAT'S CHOSEN AT CESAR CHAVEZ. 
          SO ONE THING I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. 
          I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE WORKING TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T, BUT I, I HOPE THINGS AREN'T IN A HOLDING PATTERN WAITING FOR PROJECT CONNECT TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS. 
          SO DO YOU GUYS HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN ADVANCED CONTACT TEAM THAT'S WORKING WITH THEM? CAN YOU WALK THROUGH HOW YOU TALK WITH THEM? YEAH, A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          SO, UM, ONE OF THE, AS YOU POINT OUT, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. 
          THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING SIMULTANEOUSLY AND BEING DEVELOPED CONCURRENTLY WITH PROJECT CONNECT AND AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT ADDS SOME COMPLEXITY TO THE PROCESS, BUT I THINK WE ALL SEE IT AS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY AS WELL BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT WE CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT COLLECTIVELY EVERYBODY IS DOING, RIGHT. 
          AND BE AS COORDINATED AS WE COULD IMAGINE EVER BEING. 
          [01:10:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER TEAM NOW, UM, CERTAINLY WITH THE CITY AND THEIR, THE CORE TRANSPORTATION TEAM, THE I 35 TEAM AT TXDOT, ET CETERA. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DO IT AND IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA MAKE ALL THESE PROJECTS BETTER. 
          AWESOME. 
          WELL, THANK YOU GUYS. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY. 
          . 
          ANYBODY ELSE? I HAVE A GOOD QUESTION, COMMISSIONER. 
          UM, HOW DOES ACCESS TO THE LIGHT RAIL WORK? SO THE, FOR MOST OF THE ALIGNMENT, IT WOULD BE RUNNING AT THE STREET LEVEL, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, UH, SIMILAR TO WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE A MEDIAN TODAY, AND WOULD ACCESS THE STATIONS BY THE CROSSWALKS AT THE NEAREST INTERSECTION ON EITHER SIDE OF THE STATION. 
          SO WOULD HAVE A, A SIGNALED SAFE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING TO GET TO THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. 
          I MEAN, IF IT'S A SUBWAY, I UNDERSTAND, LIKE IN NEW YORK, WHEN I'M INTO THE SUBWAY, UM, USE A CAR TO GET THROUGH SO EVERYBODY THEORETICALLY HAS TO PAY. 
          YEAH, SO I WOULD SAY, SO FAIR CONTROL, THE FAIR CONTROL SYSTEM AND STRATEGY HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. 
          UM, AND CERTAINLY WE'LL BE WORKING WITH CAB METRO ON HOW THAT GETS IMPLEMENTED. 
          UM, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S, THAT'S AN EVOLVING THING TECHNOLOGICALLY, GLOBALLY ANYWAY, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THE LATEST AND GREATEST TECHNOLOGY TO MANAGE THAT. 
          UM, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT ONE OF THE REAL BENEFITS OF LIGHT RAIL AND IS THAT IT, IT'S REALLY CLOSE TO THE GROUND, RIGHT? IT'S DIFFERENT, I THINK FROM THE RED LINE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH IS A MUCH BIGGER VEHICLE, A TALLER VEHICLE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PLATFORM WILL HAVE, WILL HAVE LEVEL BOARDING FROM THE PLATFORM INTO THE TRAIN. 
          UM, BUT EVEN THAT PLATFORM IS ONLY BASICALLY EIGHT INCHES ABOVE A TYPICAL SIDEWALK LEVEL, RIGHT? SO REALLY ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES ABOUT BEING AT GREAT IS THAT WE CAN REALLY HAVE SEAMLESS AND EASY ACCESS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES TO GET TO THE TRAIN. 
          AND, AND, UM, I THINK CONSISTENT WITH WHAT COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER WAS ASKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HUGE DRIVER IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO DESIGN, UM, THE STATIONS, IS TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THIS ACCESS AS FRICTIONLESS AND EASY AS POSSIBLE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          ANYBODY ELSE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          WE APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE THIS EVENING. 
          ALRIGHT, UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE A 
          [7. Presentation on the South Central Waterfront Combining District with a Density Bonus  Program by April Geruso of the City of Austin Planning Department.]
PRESENTATION ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT COMBINING DISTRICT WITH A DENSITY BONUS. 
          WE HAVE APRIL JSO OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN PLANNING DEPARTMENT, OR NOT , WE HAVE A SUBSTITUTE , A VERY WORTHY SUBSTITUTE. 
          UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. 
          MY, UH, VIDEO IS NOT WORKING, SO I'LL, I'LL WORK ON THAT. 
          UM, WHILE I INTRODUCE MYSELF AND, UH, GET STARTED ON THE PRESENTATION. 
          MY NAME IS ERICA LEAK. 
          I AM WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PLANNING DEPARTMENT. 
          I'M THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER. 
          UM, AND LET ME TRY, LEMME TRY ONE MORE VIDEO OPTION. 
          AHA. 
          THERE WE GO. 
          VIDEO, VIDEO SUCCESS. 
          UM, SO WE WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT COMBINING DISTRICT AND DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. 
          UM, THE NAME OF THE REGULATIONS, UH, HAVE, HAVE CHANGED A LITTLE BIT AS WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW BEST TO IMPLEMENT THEM. 
          UM, BUT THE, THE GENERAL CONCEPT IS REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT, UM, THE VISION OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AREA. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, SO THIS EVENING I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT, UM, WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE COMBINING DISTRICT REGULATIONS, UM, WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, AND THEN WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND ON WHAT TIMELINE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, UH, CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED A VISION FRAMEWORK 
          [01:15:01]
PLAN, UM, WHAT WE CALL THE VISION PLAN NOW FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT IN 2016. 
          AND THIS IS REALLY WHAT GUIDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGULATIONS THAT I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT. 
          UM, AND IN GENERAL, IT WAS TO CREATE A VIBRANT, UM, PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY NEW SPACE IN THE CITY. 
          AND SO THE REGULATIONS ARE DESIGNED, UM, TO, TO TRY AND, UM, CARRY FORWARD THAT VISION INTO WHAT IS BUILT MOVING FORWARD. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UM, MORE RECENT DIRECTION WE HAVE RECEIVED RELATING TO WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS, UH, CALLED A REGULATING PLAN, UM, BUT HAS NOW CHANGED INTO THE, THE COMBINING DISTRICT AND DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IS THAT WE WOULD CREATE THESE REGULATIONS TO HELP IMPLEMENT THE VISION, UM, THAT THE REGULATIONS BE UPDATED AT LEAST EVERY FIVE YEARS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY MAKE SENSE, UH, WITH THE CONTEXT OF THE ECONOMICS AND, AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN, IN THE DEVELOPMENT REALM. 
          ALSO, THAT INCREASED DEVELOPMENT SQUARE FOOTAGE OR, UM, INCREASED HEIGHT WOULD ONLY BE AVAILABLE THROUGH, UM, A DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. 
          AND, UM, THAT THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM PROVIDES SUFFICIENT ENTITLEMENTS SO THAT IT MEETS MARKET DEMAND. 
          UM, AND PART OF THIS IS RELATED TO THE CHANGE IN WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT, UM, FROM 2016 TO TODAY. 
          UH, ADDITIONALLY, THE REGULATIONS ARE INTENDED TO CREATE ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS AND PROTECTIONS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO, AS I MENTIONED, RELATING TO THE VISION PLAN, IT WAS REALLY INTENDED TO CREATE A NEW SPACE WHERE THOUSANDS MORE AUSTINITES CAN LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY. 
          SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING TO MEET THAT VISION. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO IN TERMS OF HOW THESE REGULATIONS ARE IMPLEMENTED, IT WILL ACTUALLY BE A, A COUPLE OF STEP PROCESS. 
          SO WE'LL INITIALLY BRING, BE BRINGING FORWARD THE SET OF REGULATIONS, UM, THAT WE'RE GOING TO ASK COUNSEL TO ADOPT, JUST AS, AS A SET OF REGULATIONS, THAT COMBINATION OF THE COMBINING DISTRICT AND THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. 
          AND THEN AFTER COUNCIL ADOPTS THOSE REGULATIONS, THEN THE CITY WILL INITIATE REZONINGS OF THE PROPERTIES IN THE DISTRICT IN PROBABLY THE SUMMER OF 2024. 
          AND THAT TWO STEP PROCESS, UH, IS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CLEAR WHAT THE REGULATIONS ARE BEFORE WE START THE REZONING PROCESS FOR THE PROPERTIES. 
          AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED, THE INTENTION IS TO REVIEW THE REGULATIONS AT LEAST EVERY FIVE YEARS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO BE UP TO DATE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          IN TERMS OF THE COMBINING DISTRICT DISTRICT COMPONENTS, UM, THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY PROCEDURES ABOUT HOW YOU USE THEM, BUT THEN ALSO, UH, REQUIREMENTS ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF USES ARE PERMITTED, WHAT'S CONDITIONAL, UM, DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, DESIGN STANDARDS TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT IT IS A PEOPLE FRIENDLY PLACE AND DEFINITIONS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND THEN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IS WHERE WE START, UM, INTRODUCING MORE ENHANCED COMMUNITY BENEFITS. 
          AND SO SOME OF THE REQUIRED OR GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM ARE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND IMPROVED STREETS SCAPE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. 
          AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THERE WILL BE OTHER ONSITE COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND IN LIEU FEES AND DEDICATIONS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THE DISTRICT BOUNDARY IS, IS BASICALLY JUST ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF LADY BIRD LAKE. 
          SO THE DOWNTOWN IS, IS SORT OF CUT OFF ON THE, UH, TOP OF THIS SLIDE. 
          AND THIS SLIDE IS SHOWING THE LIGHT RAIL ALIGNMENT THAT, UM, THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE, IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION. 
          SO, UM, SO THE, THE LIGHT RAIL LINE WILL BE COMING THROUGH THIS 
          [01:20:01]
DISTRICT, AND BECAUSE OF THE LIGHT RAIL MOVING THROUGH THIS DISTRICT, WE'VE ACTUALLY ADDED A FEW ADDITIONAL PARCELS TO THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE DISTRICT, UM, TO BE ABLE TO BETTER A BETTER ALIGN AND INCORPORATE THE LIGHT RAIL LINE INTO THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THERE IS A STREET NETWORK THAT IS PRESCRIBED AS PART OF THE REGULATIONS. 
          UM, SOME OF THEM ARE SMALLER SCALE STREETS, UM, WHICH ARE THE LEVEL ONE STREETS IN BLUE, AND THEN THERE ARE, UM, HIGHER LEVEL STREETS. 
          UH, LEVEL THREE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, IN TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY, THERE ARE FIVE PROPOSED SUBDISTRICTS IN THE, IN THE AREA. 
          SO THE HIGHEST INTENSITY SUBDISTRICT IS CLOSEST TO LADY BIRD LAKE AND IT ALLOWS UP TO 24 TO ONE, UH, MAXIMUM FLOOR AREA RATIO. 
          AND THEN THE LOWEST INTENSITY SUBDISTRICTS ARE TO THE SOUTH, UM, WITH THREE TO ONE PROPOSED FLOOR AREA RATIO. 
          AND THEN, UM, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENTS TO EXCEED THOSE FAR NUMBERS WITH ADDITIONAL COUNCIL APPROVAL. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          THERE ARE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE ENFORCED, UM, AS PART OF THE REGULATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROTECTING OUR, UH, OUR WATERWAYS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          IN TERMS OF LAND USES, UM, THE PERMITTED LAND USES ARE REALLY INTENDED TO SUPPORT THIS PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED, VIBRANT AREA. 
          UM, AND, AND SO THERE ARE A FEW USES THAT WOULD NO LONGER BE ALLOWED BY, RIGHT? UM, THAT WOULD BE VERY AUTO ORIENTED TYPES OF USES. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THIS IS JUST A, UH, A RENDERING OF WHAT THE AREA COULD LOOK LIKE POTENTIALLY. 
          SO YOU SEE THE EXISTING DOWNTOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE. 
          AND THEN THE, THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AREA ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          IN TERMS OF PARKS AND OPEN SPACE, THERE IS SORT OF A BASELINE REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE OPEN SPACE. 
          AND THEN THERE ARE, UH, PART OF THE BONUS IS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE OPEN SPACE AND OR FUNDING FOR VARIOUS AMENITIES FOR PARK SPACE TO TRY AND CREATE REALLY WONDERFUL, VIBRANT OPEN SPACES. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          THERE ARE ALSO, UM, DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR BOTH INTERNAL WALKWAYS AS WELL AS THE STREETS IN THE AREA. 
          AND SO, UM, THOSE INCLUDE WIDER SIDEWALKS, STREET TREES, ET CETERA, UM, WITH THE IDEA OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CREATING, UM, SHADED SPACES THAT WILL BE COMFORTABLE FOR FOR PEOPLE TO, TO WALK IN THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO ANOTHER CONCEPT THAT WE'RE INTRODUCING AS PART OF THESE REGULATIONS IS THIS CONCEPT OF DENSITY DISTRIBUTION AREAS OR DDAS. 
          THE CONCEPT OF THE DISTRI DENSITY DISTRIBUTION AREAS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT VERY LARGE SITES ARE BROKEN INTO SMALLER AREAS SO THAT IT'S EASIER FOR PEDESTRIANS TO MOVE THROUGHOUT THE AREA. 
          UM, AND SO THAT THE CONCEPT IS TO, IS TO BREAK DOWN THE SPACE SO THAT EACH DENSITY DISTRIBUTION AREA, UM, WOULD BE NO LARGER THAN 90,000 SQUARE FOOT, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF A DOWNTOWN BLOCK. 
          SO BASICALLY WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A, A SOMEWHAT OF A BLOCK SYSTEM IN THE AREA SINCE IT DOESN'T HAVE MUCH IN THE WAY OF, UM, OF BEING BROKEN DOWN AT PRESENT. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          IN TERMS OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM ITSELF, UM, I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED BASICALLY THE, THE GATEKEEPER 
          [01:25:01]
REQUIREMENTS THAT BEING THAT ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, THE STREETS SCAPE AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT STANDARDS, AND THEN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT WHERE, UM, 5% OF THE ONSITE OF THE HOUSING MUST BE AFFORDABLE. 
          UM, NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THOSE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS, THEN AN ADDITIONAL 70% OF, UM, THE ADDITIONAL FAR WOULD BE ACHIEVED THROUGH FEES IN LIEU AND OR ONSITE DEDICATION. 
          UM, AND THOSE FEES WOULD BE USED TO HELP SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE DISTRICT. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND THEN 30% OF THE ADDITIONAL AREA, UM, WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM OTHER ONSITE COMMUNITY BENEFITS. 
          AND SO WE HAVE A MENU OF OTHER POTENTIAL ONSITE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC ARE IMPORTANT FOR THIS AREA AND WERE INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL VISION PLAN FOR THE AREA. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND THESE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO THIS IS A, UM, A GRAPHIC THAT, THAT HOPEFULLY HELPS TO BETTER EXPLAIN THE WHOLE BONUS PROGRAM STRUCTURE WITH THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THAT ALL DEVELOPMENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE. 
          AND THEN ON THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WE HAVE THE IN LIE FEES OR ONSITE DEDICATIONS AND THE ADDITIONAL ONSITE COMMUNITY BENEFITS. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          WE ALSO HAVE A DENSITY BONUS CALCULATOR THAT IS, UM, ACCESSIBLE ON THE WEBSITE AND IT HELPS BASICALLY CALCULATE WHAT, UH, COMMUNITY BENEFITS WILL BE NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED FAR FOR A SITE. 
          AND SO THIS IS INTENDED TO HELP, UM, THE PUBLIC BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS WOULD BE, BUT ALSO, UM, HELPS DEVELOPERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS REQUIREMENTS WOULD BE. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE, UM, WE JUST KICKED OFF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD YESTERDAY. 
          UM, AND IT WILL LAST THROUGH MARCH 20TH DURING THAT TIME WHERE WE'LL HAVE THREE, UM, THREE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, ONE IN PERSON AND TWO VIRTUAL. 
          WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING, UM, LOTS OF DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, IN INCLUDING TWO THIS EVENING. 
          UM, AND FOLLOWING THAT ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, THEN WE'LL BE UPDATING THE, THE DRAFT REGULATIONS TO BRING FOR PLANNING COMMISSION AND, AND CITY COUNCIL REVIEW IN APRIL AND MAY. 
          NEXT SLIDE. 
          AND WE WOULD LOVE TO, UM, TO TO HEAR FROM YOU, TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC. 
          SO WE HAVE A SPEAK UP AUSTIN WEBSITE THAT CONTAINS LINKS TO THE DOCUMENT ITSELF, UM, LINKS TO, UH, THE DRAFT IN THE FEES BONUS SCHEDULE AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES WHEN PEOPLE CAN, UM, HEAR MORE ABOUT THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, AN EMAIL AND PHONE NUMBER AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          COMMISSIONER SCH, I HAVE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING AND EXPLAINING THIS. 
          UM, SO ON SLIDE 12, EXCUSE ME, IT SHOWED THE VARIOUS FA ARE THOSE FAR BY, RIGHT? SO NOT BY RIGHT. 
          UM, THOSE ARE THE FA THAT COULD BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. 
          SO, UM, SO PEOPLE COULD USE EITHER THAT ONLINE CALCULATOR I TALKED ABOUT, OR I, THAT'S PROBABLY THE EASIEST WAY TO DETERMINE WHAT AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO, TO BASICALLY GET TO THAT FAR. 
          SO EVERYONE WHO IS ABLE TO ACHIEVE THESE FAR WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE, THE GATEKEEPER WOULD HAVE TO FULFILL THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS, UM, AS WELL AS IN THE FEES AND ADDITIONAL ONSITE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UM, IN PROPORTION 
          [01:30:01]
TO, UH, THE ADDITIONAL FAR THEY ARE REQUESTING. 
          SO WHAT IS THE BASE FAR FOR THE DISTRICT THEN? SO WHEN PEOPLE, UM, FULFILL THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS, THEN WELL, THE, THE ACTUAL BASE FAR IS WHATEVER FAR THEY HAVE PER THEIR BASE ZONING. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, BUT THEN THEY WOULD REACH THREE TO ONE FAR IF THEY FULFILL THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS. 
          AND THEN FOR ANYTHING ABOVE THREE TO ONE, THEN THEY WOULD BE EARNING THOSE THROUGH THE, THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND HAS THERE BEEN ECONOMIC MODELING DONE ON THIS? YES. 
          UM, WE ACTUALLY HIRED TWO DIFFERENT, UM, ECONOMIC CONSULTING FIRMS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON, UM, ON OUR PROPOSALS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND IS THAT GOING TO BE UPDATED ON THAT FIVE YEAR TIMELINE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT TO REVISIT? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAD WAS, HAVE ANY OF STAKEHOLDER GROUPS LIKE A I A OR RICA OR ULI DONE ANY WORKSHOPS TO SORT OF TEST THESE SCENARIOS AND SEE HOW THEY ACTUALLY PLAY OUT? NOT AT THIS POINT. 
          UM, IT'S THIS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PERIOD IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR THAT TYPE OF, UM, WORK TO TAKE PLACE, BUT IT HAS NOT YET AT THIS POINT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          SURE. 
          COMMISSIONER LEVISON, UM, I'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO LATELY, UH, ISSUES WITH FAR AND SUCH, AND I'M LOOKING AT WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE NOW, AND IT LOOKS REALLY COMPLEX. 
          SO I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST MY LATEST HOBBY HORSE FOR SIMPLIFYING THESE THINGS, WHICH I THINK WOULD HELP EVERYBODY INVOLVED. 
          YOU'RE, I GET, I GET THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I GET THE PUBLIC SPACE BENEFIT REQUIREMENTS, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          BUT THAT OTHER 70% THAT YOU'RE WANTING TO GET MORE FAR FOR, WHY WOULDN'T IT MAKE MORE SENSE FOR THE CITY TO BASICALLY SAY, OKAY, STARTING WITH YOUR BASELINE THAT YOU'RE ALLOWED NOW, WE'LL LET YOU GO ALL THE WAY UP TO 24 1 AND WE, WE WILL DEDICATE PART OF THE STREAM OF EXTRA INCOME FROM THAT EXTRA INTO THE DISTRICT. 
          AND IN SORT OF LIKE A, A TIFF LIKE THING, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE DEVELOPER HAS TO DO, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY DOES. 
          THEY TAKE THAT MONEY AND THEY PROVIDE THE PUBLIC BENEFITS AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS MUCH COMPLEX COMPLEXITY. 
          I'M JUST WONDERING IF THE CITY HAS NOT CONSIDERED SOMETHING THAT LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE JUST A LOT SIMPLER. 
          UM, THE C THE CITY HAS CONSIDERED AN OPTION ALONG THOSE LINES. 
          UM, COUNSEL HAS, UH, DIRECTED STAFF TO LOOK INTO A TS DISTRICT, UM, AND THAT IS AN ONGOING CONVERSATION. 
          UH, FOR CLARIFICATION, IS THAT WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING LITIGATED OVER? THAT IS CORRECT. 
          THE TOURS, YES. 
          AND IT, WHAT HAPPENS IF, UH, THE COURT RULES AGAINST THE CITY ON THE TOUR TOURS? I THINK IT INVOLVES 300 MILLION IN FUNDS. 
          UM, I DON'T HAVE SPECIFICS ON THAT. 
          UM, WE'D, WE'D PROBABLY NEED TO, TO HAVE SOMEWHERE, BUT IT COULD CONCEIVABLY SIGNIFICANTLY ALTER WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS, ET CETERA. 
          WELL, NOT NECESSARILY, UM, BECAUSE A, A TOURS IS JUST ONE POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCE FOR SOME OF THE, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS IN THIS AREA. 
          SO, UM, OTHER POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES COULD BE THINGS ALONG THE, THE, THE LINES OF BONDS. 
          UM, THERE COULD BE A, A PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. 
          I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE OTHER POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES. 
          AND ACTUALLY, UM, THERE WAS A, A, A COUPLE OF GREAT PRESENTATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT FUNDING OPTIONS FOR THE AREA. 
          UM, BUT THE, THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO, TO CAPTURE SOME OF THE, THE INCREASED VALUE, UM, THAT GO, GO ALONG WITH THE ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS, UM, AND, AND CAPTURE THEM TO, TO BENEFIT THE DISTRICT. 
          OKAY. 
          [01:35:01]
THANK YOU. 
          UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE COME GO AHEAD. 
          COMMISSIONER SHIVAN. 
          OH, SORRY. 
          OH, YOU GO AHEAD. 
          UM, COMMISSIONER FEL MY UNDERSTANDING, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS THAT THIS PLAN, AS IT'S NOT FULLY IN PLACE YET, DOESN'T INCLUDE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE STATESMAN BUILDING. 
          UM, SO AS IT IS PROPOSED RIGHT NOW, UM, THE STATESMAN PROPERTY COULD CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROPOSED, UM, COMBINING DISTRICT AND AND DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. 
          COMMISSIONER CHUMA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO I HAVE, UH, TWO QUESTIONS AND I'M SURE IT WILL COME TO A SHOCK. 
          IS EVERYONE ON THE COMMISSION THAT THEY'RE ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT? UM, SO, UH, ONE THING IS RIGHT, UH, PART OF THIS PLAN CALLS FOR EXTENDING BARTON SPRINGS AND KIND OF LIKE AN L-SHAPED, UM, DOWN, AND THAT WILL GO RIGHT UP AGAINST THE, THE LIGHT RAIL ALIGNMENT. 
          I WAS TRYING TO FIND, YOU KNOW, WHERE THIS ORIGINATED AS BEST I COULD. 
          IT ORIGINATED IN THE 2016 VISION PLAN, WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY BEFORE WE KNEW THERE WAS GONNA BE A LIGHT RAIL STATION THERE FOR SURE. 
          ALTHOUGH OBVIOUSLY I'M SURE SOME PEOPLE ENVISIONED IT, UM, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE CONSIDERING, UH, UH, UH, HAVING, YOU KNOW, STREET ALIGNED, UH, SEGMENTS THERE. 
          I I I QUESTION WHETHER HAVING FOUR GENERAL TRAVEL LANES ON, IN A LEVEL THREE STREET, THERE MAY A OR AN APPROPRIATE LAND USE RIGHT NEXT TO A, A VERY HEAVILY USED STATION. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW, THE LINE IS GONNA HAVE TO GO STRAIGHT AS WELL AS, UM, TAKE A LEFT TURN. 
          SO WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO RESTRICT LEFT TURNS OUT OF THERE. 
          AT THE VERY LEAST, IT WILL BE A VERY LONG LIGHT. 
          SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS HAVE, HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT WAS IN THE A SP, BUT IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION ABOUT PERHAPS MOVING WHERE WE BRING OUT BARTON SPRINGS ROAD OR PERHAPS NOT CONNECTING IT BACK TO RIVERSIDE AND MAYBE MOVING THAT TO A LEVEL ONE STREET OR EVEN PEDESTRIAN THAT SEGMENT WHERE THE LIGHT RAIL STATION WILL BE? UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND IT IS RELATED TO, UM, THE DIAGRAM PETER SHOWED IN THE LAST PRESENTATION RIGHT, ABOUT THE KIND OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THIS AREA. 
          MM-HMM. 
          . 
          AND SO CERTAINLY WE'RE WORKING WITH, UM, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP TO THINK ABOUT HOW THESE, HOW THE LIGHT RAIL AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT INTERACT. 
          SO I THINK, UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE CONVERSATION TO COME ON THAT FRONT, BUT WE'RE ABSOLUTELY THINKING ABOUT THOSE ISSUES. 
          AND THEN, UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAD. 
          UM, SO WHEN I GO DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, THE SUBDISTRICTS, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THE, UM, FAR KIND OF TAPERS OFF AS WE GET SOUTH OF, OF, OF RIVERSIDE. 
          UM, BUT IN PARTICULAR THE, THOSE THREE PARCELS THAT ARE ZONED SUBDISTRICT FOUR, UM, RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE THE LIGHT RAIL STATION IS. 
          I, I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY JUSTIFICATION FOR THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT IT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE TRYING TO ACCELERATE THIS IS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE BENEFICIAL IN PROJECT CONNECT'S, UM, FEDERAL GRANT PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN DEMONSTRATE, UM, PLACES WHERE WE CAN INCREASE DENSITY AND PROVIDE, UM, TRANS ACCESSIBLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 
          THE THREE PARCELS THAT WILL BE CLOSEST TO THE LIGHT RAIL STATION, I WOULD THINK THAT'S BE BE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THE MOST DENSITY AND THE MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING WE CAN HAVE. 
          IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WENT INTO THAT CONSIDERATION? THE SUBDISTRICTS WERE, WERE GENERALLY, UM, DEFINED BASED ON THEIR PROXIMITY TO, TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE SOUTH. 
          UM, AND SO THAT WAS THE, THE GENERAL CONCEPT BETWEEN THE, THE A FOR THE DIFFERENT SUBDISTRICTS. 
          UM, I THINK THAT IS THE TYPE HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THEIR, THEIR FEEDBACK ALONG THESE LINES IS, IS PART OF THIS PROCESS TO SEE WHETHER IT'S APPROPRIATE AS, AS PROPOSED OR IF SOMETHING ELSE, UM, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. 
          UM, BUT WE, WE DID JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT WOULD MEET THE FTA CRITERIA FOR BEING TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE AS, UM, AS PROPOSED. 
          SURE. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY ALL OF IT WOULD BE WORKABLE OR WALKABLE TO THE STATION. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S DEFINITELY A GOOD THING. 
          BUT, UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION ON THAT, UH, JUST AS A FOLLOW UP, I, I WOULD ASSUME WE'RE WAIVING COMPATIBILITY FOR ANYTHING IN THE SUBDISTRICT, RIGHT? THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT COMPATIBILITY FOR OTHER, UM, 
          [01:40:01]
YOU KNOW, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT MAY BE IN THE AREA. 
          MM-HMM. 
          ? YES, THAT IS CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? NOPE. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PRESENTING THIS UPDATE TONIGHT. 
          OH, I'M SORRY. 
          DID I MISS SOMEBODY? YEAH, UH, I HAVE, I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, PIECE OF THE 10 STEEP BONUS PROGRAM. 
          IT, UH, LOOKING AT YOUR PRESENTATION, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED ON SITE OR COULD IT ALL BE FEE AND LIE? SO THE PROPOSAL IS THAT, UM, 5% OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UP TO THREE TO ONE FAR WOULD BE REQUIRED ONSITE IF IT'S A RENTAL HOUSING. 
          UM, AND THE REASON FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION IS THAT IT IS VERY CHALLENGING FOR THE CITY TO MAINTAIN THE AFFORDABILITY OF OWNERSHIP UNITS OVER TIME IN CONDO BUILDINGS BECAUSE OF, UM, CONDO FEES AND HOA FEES THAT THE CITY CAN'T REALLY, UM, CONTROL. 
          AND SO WE WOULD BE ALLOWING A FEE IN LIEU FOR OWNERSHIP UNITS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN, SO THAT'S 5% OF THE HOUSING. 
          AND THEN WITH THE, THE FEE IN LIE, HOW FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WOULD THAT BE BASED ON HOW THE, THE TOTAL HOUSING? OR IS THAT BASED ON THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE DEVELOPMENT? UM, IT, IT WOULD ACTUALLY, LEMME SEE IF I CAN FIND THE RIGHT SLIDE. 
          UM, IT'S, SO IT'LL BE, IT WOULD BE PROPORTIONAL TO THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT IS RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIAL AND ACTUALLY DIFFERENT PROPOSED FEES FOR RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIAL SPACE, UM, BASED ON THE, THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS THAT, THAT WE HAD, UM, ECONOMIC CONSULTANTS WORKING ON. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UH, AND I HAD AN ANOTHER QUESTION. 
          I KNOW WHEN THE, WHEN THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE WAS BEING DISCUSSED, THERE WAS SOME, I THINK, DISCUSSION ABOUT WHO PAID FOR WHAT IN TERMS OF THE, THE STREETS, THE, THE NEW ROADWAYS THAT WOULD GO THROUGH THESE PROPERTIES IS UNDER THIS. 
          DOES THAT TAKE, IS THAT UNDER THIS DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, ARE THE ROADWAYS BEING PAID FOR BY, BY THE DEVELOPERS AT ALL PART OF THE CONSIDERATION? OR IS THAT COMPLETELY CITY RESPONSIBILITY? NO, IT'LL BE A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. 
          UM, THERE, THE, THE CITY CAN REQUIRE UP TO A CERTAIN, UH, SORT OF PROPORTION. 
          BASICALLY THE CITY CAN REQUIRE DEVELOPERS TO PROVIDE SOME LEVEL OF TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS THAT ARE, UM, ARE COMMENSURATE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY THAT THEY ARE, THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING. 
          UM, IT'S UNLIKELY THAT, THAT, THAT HOW MUCH THE CITY CAN CHARGE, UM, WOULD PAY FOR ALL OF THE STREETS, UM, THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY'RE BEING PROPOSED SO THAT THERE, THERE WOULD BE A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN MY LAST, UM, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. 
          UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EXPLAINING ALL OF THIS. 
          IT'S REALLY COMPLEX STUFF. 
          UM, AND SO, AND THANKS FOR SENDING YOUR PRESENTATION AHEAD OF TIME. 
          I'M, UM, PLEASED TO SEE THAT LIVE MUSIC VENUES ARE, UM, CONSIDERED PART OR BEING CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE, THE 30% OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. 
          WHAT, AS AN, UM, AND I'M REPRESENTING MUSIC COMMISSION HERE, SO WHAT THE COMMISSION WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY, IS FOR THOSE TYPES OF SPACES, UM, WE'D LIKE TO SEE OPTIONS FOR BELOW MARKET RENT OR SOME TYPE OF SUBSIDY PROGRAM WITH THE DEVELOPERS. 
          AND THE, THE REASONING FOR THAT IS, WELL, FIRST OF ALL IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, 
          [01:45:01]
THE PROFIT MARGINS ARE VERY SLOW ON VENUES. 
          WE WANT MUSICIANS TO BE ABLE TO BE PAID AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          AND WE WE'RE FINDING THAT A LOT OF OUR VENUES ARE NEEDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO FEEL LIKE MUSIC VENUES ARE A GREAT BENEFIT TO A DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND SO REALLY IT'S, IT'S LIKE A, IT'S LIKE AN INVESTMENT BY THE DEVELOPER TO HELP SUBSIDIZE THAT RENT. 
          SO THAT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED IN THESE DISCUSSIONS, UM, I KNOW THAT THAT'S, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S TRICKY TO TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY AND, AND, AND ALL THE TOOLS FOR THAT, BUT AFFORDABILITY FOR CREATIVE SPACES IS A, IS A SIGNIFICANT TOPIC AS MUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 
          SO THANKS AGAIN, UH, FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK ON THIS. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, SO I KNOW WE HAVE DISCUSSED THAT QUESTION, THE, THE QUESTION OF HAVING AFFORDABLE SPACE AND, UM, I'M CHECKING TO SEE IF CHAD WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE ANSWERING, 'CAUSE I KNOW HE HAS BEEN IN MORE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAN I HAVE. 
          UM, SO, AND, AND CHRISTINE MIGHT ALSO CHIME IN ON THAT ONE 'CAUSE I THINK THEY'VE BEEN HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS TOGETHER. 
          ALWAYS HAVE MY EDD HAT ON AS WELL AS YOUR LIAISON TO THE COMMISSION. 
          UM, THE QUESTION REGARDING ROADWAYS, PUTTING THE TURS ASIDE, GIVEN THAT IS A, IN A, IN A FUZZY BOX, PUT IT, PUT THAT AWAY OVER HERE. 
          UM, THE, THE A SMP, THERE'S REGULATIONS ALREADY FOR DEVELOPMENT THAT REQUIRES DEVELOPMENT TO PAY FOR ITS OWN ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR ROADWAYS. 
          AND THERE'S ALSO FEES FOR LIKE THE STREET IMPROVEMENT FEE OR THE, UH, UM, TRANSPORTATION USER FEE, WHICH HELPS IMPROVE ROADS AROUND IT. 
          THAT SAID, THERE IS A PROVISION IN THE DRAFT, UH, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WHERE THERE IS A PORTION OF FEE IN LIEU REVENUE THAT CAN COME TO THE, TO THE CITY, A THIRD AND A THIRD AND A THIRD. 
          AND I THINK IT'S SEC IT'S PAGE 38 AND 39. 
          WE KNOW THIS WELL IN THE DRAFT, UH, BONUS PROGRAM IN THE DOCUMENT WHERE A THIRD OF THE FEE AND LIE REVENUE THAT COMES IN, UH, CAN GO TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE CITY CAN DO, UH, ENHANCED PARTICIPATION TO UPSIDE NEW ROADS, SHOULD THAT BE NEEDED. 
          UM, SO THAT IS A TOOL. 
          THE CITY HAS OTHER TOOLS SUCH AS IF THERE'S NEEDED TO BE A BOND OR, UM, OTHER INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALLOWED BY LAW. 
          SO OUTSIDE OF THIS DENSITY PROGRAM, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT MECHANISMS TO PAY FOR ENHANCED PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS AN AREA WIDE BENEFIT. 
          AND I THINK ONE OF THE, THE REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THIS, UH, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, IT BECOMES ANOTHER TOOL. 
          IT'S A REGULATORY TOOL, BUT ANOTHER TOOL IN, IN THE TOOL CHEST TO MAKE THE VISION A REALITY. 
          IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THE BE ALL AND THE END ALL, BUT IT'S A REAL FOUNDATIONAL STEP. 
          AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, AFFORDABLE MUSIC AND CREATIVE SPACE AND, UM, AND THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IF CHAD OR CHRISTINE WANT TO CHIME IN ON THAT ONE. 
          , CHAD SHERRARD HERE. 
          UM, GOOD EVENING. 
          UH, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO VARIOUS AFFORDABILITY CONSIDERATIONS, UM, AND WE'LL LOOK FURTHER INTO LIVE MUSIC AS WELL. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. 
          I THINK AFFORDABLE CREATIVE SPACE IS ONE OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS IS DEFINITELY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AS AN ENHANCED COMMUNITY BENEFIT. 
          UM, AND ALSO I WANNA GIVE A SHAMELESS PLUG, UH, FOR MAYBE UPCOMING, UH, PROGRAMS. THE CITY WILL DO THAT'S MORE INCENTIVE-BASED FOR LIKE DISTRICT FOR DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS, UM, INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. SO HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE OTHER TOOLS THAT ARE COMING UP 
          [01:50:01]
AS WELL THAT ARE NOT JUST PARTICULAR TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT THAT CAN BE USED AREA WIDE, BUT IT'S IN ADDITION TO LAYERED ON WITH THIS, UH, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AS WELL. 
          AGAIN, NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THE BE ALL AND END ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NOPE. 
          OKAY. 
          WE APPRECIATE IT. 
          CHRISTINE, YOU CAN NEED TO STAY RIGHT THERE. 
          PLEASE MA'AM. 
          , THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING. 
          WE APPRECIATE VERY COMPLICATED PRESENTATION. 
          UH, WE KNOW A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO THIS AS WELL. 
          UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR WORK. 
          UM, THE NEXT ITEM 
          [8. Discussion on a special called meeting in June 2024.]
ON THE AGENDA IS A DISCUSSION ON SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, UH, FOR JUNE OF 24 WHEN I PRESUME THIS ROOM WILL BE, THIS ROOM IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE, SO YAY. 
          AND HOPEFULLY THEY CAN GET THESE MICROPHONES WORKING. 
          YAY. 
          THAT'S NOT CAUSING DISTURBANCE. 
          UM, SO IT'S ALSO JUNETEENTH FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE ON THAT WEDNESDAY. 
          SO THERE'S THE OP, SO CHRISTY ATELLA. 
          HELLO. 
          WERE THERE. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          WE'RE NOT. 
          OKAY. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. 
          YES. 
          UM, SO IT'S JUNETEENTH AND SO THIS, WE HAVE ALREADY LOOKED INTO THE AVAILABILITY OF THE BOARD AND COMMISSION ROOM FOR, FOR THAT WEEK AND THE WEEK AFTER, AND IT'S NOT AVAILABLE, BUT, BUT, BUT, AND, BUT WE CAN LOOK INTO, THIS IS GONNA BE NOT IDEAL, BUT THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT THAT'S NORTH, IT'S NOT DOWNTOWN. 
          UM, THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION THAT WE CAN LOOK AT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY NOT ABLE TO LAND IN, UH, THIS WEEK. 
          AND CHRISTIE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE, BUT WE COULD CONTINUE TO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE'S AVAILABILITY, BUT FOR, FOR THIS WITH, WITH HAVING THIS ROOM DOWN BOARDS AND COMMISSION ROOM IS REALLY TIGHT IN GETTING IN ON THAT CALENDAR. 
          SO WHAT CHRISTINE SAID IS RIGHT, UH, BESIDES THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, THERE'S ALSO THE MUELLER AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, AND THEN POTENTIALLY THE LEARNING AND RESOURCE CENTER SOUTH NEAR BEN WHITE. 
          SO IF YOU WANT TO DISCUSS AMONGST YOURSELVES ABOUT A DATE THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY WORK JUNE 19TH, ALL CITY OFFICES ARE CLOSED AND THAT WOULDN'T WORK AT ALL. 
          BUT YOU CAN SELECT ANOTHER DATE AND WE CAN SEE WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH AS FAR AS, UH, ADEQUATE SPACE. 
          I THINK WE HAD HAD AN, UH, AN OFFLINE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING WEEK. 
          YEAH, WE LOOKED, WE'RE HAPPY TO LOOK, BUT IT, BUT WE LOOKED AT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS ROOM IN CITY HALL FOR THAT FOLLOWING WEEK. 
          OKAY. 
          I WILL SAY. 
          SO IF YOU'RE HAPPY TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE, THAT WOULD BE FINE. 
          WELL, THE, THE, WE'D STILL HAVE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON HERE. 
          UH, JUST TO CHIME IN, YOU DO ALSO HAVE THE OPTION TO CANCEL AND HAVE A HEAVY MEETING THE FOLLOWING MONTH. 
          YEAH, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED AND Y'ALL ALL KNOW THAT I HATE TO NOT HAVE MEETINGS. 
          YEAH, THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER IS A REALLY NICE FACILITY. 
          OH YEAH. 
          I, I'VE, I'VE BEEN TO THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING OUT THERE, SO IT, IT'S, IT'S NICE. 
          UM, BUT, UM, WE HAD ANOTHER, HMM. 
          A VIRTUAL MEETING. 
          NO, WELL, I HAVE TO AT LEAST BE IN PERSON, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE IT THE WEEK AFTER AT THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER OR AUSTIN ENERGY, SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE. 
          IT'S JUST BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS FOR THE WEEK AFTER. 
          IT'S NOT AVAILABLE. 
          THEY CAN PUT ME ALL IN A ROOM. 
          THEY CAN PUT ME IN A ROOM WITH A CAMERA AND Y'ALL CAN ALL DO VIRTUAL, RIGHT? I'M KIDDING. 
          I'M KIDDING. 
          NO, I, I MEAN, YES, THE CHAIR DOES HAVE TO BE AVAILABLE. 
          IT DOES ALSO HAVE TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN CASE THEY WANNA COME IN TO SPEAK A LITTLE CLOSET BACK IN THE BAG. 
          I DON'T THINK A CLOSET WILL DO CHAIR HAIR. 
          I AM A LARGE MAN, SO MAYBE NOT. 
          I THINK IT'S OKAY IF WE LOOK AT THE NEXT WEEK AND AT THE OTHER TWO VENUES WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND THEN GIVE US SOME AVAILABLE DATES. 
          SO YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE FINE. 
          ARE THERE SOME DATES, UH, DURING THE WEEK THAT ARE BETTER FOR Y'ALL? LIKE A WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY EVENINGS? IS THAT TYPICALLY BETTER FOR YOU ALL? YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT A ROOM FULL OF COMMISSIONERS WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT SCHEDULES. 
          , LET'S JUST, WE'LL, WE WILL, WE'LL COORDINATE. 
          LET'S JUST SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT AVAILABLE AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          UM, THE CLERK'S OFFICES COME DOWN WITH ANOTHER MANDATE ON OUR AGENDAS, 
          [01:55:01]
AND SO YOU WON'T SEE, UM, UPDATES FROM OUR, UH, PARTNER COMMISSIONS. 
          AND SO THAT IS A CHANGE THAT IS EFFECTIVE NOW, UH, AND GOING FORWARD UNTIL WE GET SOME OTHER DIRECTION. 
          UM, AND, UM, I THINK THAT IF THERE ARE PARTICULAR ITEMS THAT COMMISSIONERS, REPRESENTATIVES FROM OTHER COMMISSIONS WANNA BRING FORWARD THAT THEY CAN, WE CAN BRING THAT UP IN, UH, FUTURE ITEMS. CORRECT. 
          AND IT'S JUST HAVING STANDING COMMISSION, UH, ITEMS IS NOT, UH, IT'S NOT PER, PER TO. 
          SO WE DID SEND AN EMAIL OUT ASKING, UH, COMMISSIONERS TO SEE IF WHAT, IF THEY HAD UPDATES, BUT I THINK LET'S, WE COULD DO A RESET THIS MONTH AND JUST IF COMMISSIONERS OF THE CONTRIBUTING BOARDS HAVE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE FOR NEXT ITEM THAT'S RELATED TO DOWNTOWN, JUST EMAIL AND WE WILL PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA OR HAPPY TO DO IT NOW AT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. HAPPY TO DO THAT. 
          UH, SO I, WHOOPS. 
          SO, SO, CORRECT. 
          WHY DON'T WE JUST HAVE THIS AS A, AS A RESET MEETING, IT'S BEEN, UH, PRETTY LONG, BUT NOW UNDER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, JUST THINK KARMICALLY ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE ON THE AGENDA OR WHAT WAS ON THE AGENDA, AND WE CAN PUT THAT FOR NEXT MONTH. 
          AND IN TERMS OF ITEM 
          [9. Update and discussion regarding action related to the Downtown Commission taken at  the last Music Commission meeting.]
NINE, UPDATE AND DISCUSSION REGARDING ACTION RELATED TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TAKEN AT THE LAST MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING, WOULD THAT, IS THAT REFERENCING THE RESOLUTION? WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED COMMISSIONER, UH, PATTERSON, I, I BELIEVE THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE MISTYPED OR MISINTERPRETED. 
          UM, WE WERE THINKING THAT, UH, THERE WAS A UPDATE, BUT I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THE LANGUAGE A LITTLE WONKY. 
          YEAH, I, UM, I DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE THAT'S SPECIFIC TO, UH, AN ACTION TAKEN AT THE LAST MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING. 
          AND, UM, SO THIS CAN KEEP TILL NEXT, NEXT TIME. 
          I THINK WE WILL HAVE BY, BY OUR NEXT MUSIC COMMISSION MEETING, UM, THERE'LL BE SOMETHING WE'VE, WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT IS GERMANE TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION. 
          SO WE CAN, WE CAN SKIP OVER ME FOR THIS WEEK, THIS MONTH, ACTUALLY. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER, IT'S OKAY THAT IF IT'S, IF IT ISN'T FROM THE LAST MEETING, WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO HAVE, UH, OKAY. 
          HAPPY. 
          ALRIGHT, WELL, YEAH, SO I'LL, I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT THE, UM, THE, THE JOINT ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSION LAND USE WORKING GROUP, UH, HAS BEEN TALKING, UH, WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE TOURISM WORKING GROUP ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS. 
          AND SO, AND THIS IS, UM, AN AREA OF CONCERN BECAUSE DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF UNREGISTERED SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN AUSTIN, THERE'S, UM, A LARGE AMOUNT OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES THAT ARE NOT BEING COLLECTED. 
          AND THOSE, UM, SOME PORTION OF THOSE TAXES GO TO BENEFIT, UH, CULTURAL ARTS GRANTS, UH, PRESERVATION AND ALSO THE LIVE MUSIC FUND. 
          SO THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF MONEY, UM, POSSIBLY LIKE AN ESTIMATED 3 MILLION A YEAR THAT'S BEING LEFT ON THE TABLE. 
          UH, THE TOURISM COMMISSION IS ALSO LOOKING AT THIS FROM THE ANGLE OF JUST REGULATION GENERALLY, HOW TO POSSIBLY EASE, UM, SOME OF THE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, BRING MORE, UM, MORE OF THE SHORT-TERM RENTALS INTO THE FULL FOLD. 
          UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME LOOKING AT BETTER ENFORCEMENT. 
          SO THIS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING, IT'S SOMETHING OF, UM, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT? LIKE THE REGULATION AND LICENSING RIGHT NOW IN AUSTIN IS NOT WORKING AS WELL AS IT SHOULD. 
          AND SO FOR ARTISAN MUSIC MUSICIANS, THEY'RE KIND OF GETTING SQUEEZED ON BOTH SIDES BECAUSE WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF UNLICENSED, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND IT BEING SOMEWHAT EASY TO MAINTAIN THOSE BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ENFORCEMENT OR, OR THE ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT LACKING, UM, THERE'S A LOTS OF HOUSING THERE. 
          BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, WHEN THOSE, UM, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES AREN'T COLLECTED, THEN THE, THE GRANT PROGRAMS ARE MISSING OUT. 
          SO, UH, THE LAND USE WORKING GROUP IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TOURISM WORKING GROUP ON THAT'S SPECIFIC TO SHORT TERM RENTALS, WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO, 
          [02:00:01]
UM, KIND OF BASICALLY FIX THIS SO THAT BOTH OF THOSE PROBLEMS ARE ADDRESSED. 
          UM, AND ONE ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT, UM, RECOMMENDATION THAT'S COMING FROM THE LAND USE WORKING GROUP IS THE POSSIBLE CREATION IN, IN WORKING WITH THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UM, COMPANIES LIKE AIRBNB AND VRBO, THE CREATION OF AN OPT IN CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY FEE. 
          UH, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE OPERATORS COULD ADD INTO THEIR PLATFORMS SO THAT WHEN SOMEBODY RENTS, UM, AN STR IN AUSTIN, THEY HAVE THIS OPTION TO, TO DONATE, YOU KNOW, SOME SMALL AMOUNT TO THAT CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY FEE. 
          AND THAT, UM, THE HOPE IS, YOU KNOW, THE POSSIBLE CREATION OF A ENTITY OUTSIDE OF THE CITY THAT MIGHT MANAGE THOSE FUNDS. 
          AND, UM, THEY WOULDN'T BE AS ENCUMBERED AS, UH, HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX FUNDED GRANTS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF REGULATION ABOUT LIKE, WHAT THOSE FUNDS CAN BE SPENT FOR. 
          THEY HAVE TO CLEARLY, UM, SHOW THAT THEY'RE DRIVING TOURISM. 
          SO THIS WOULD BE A LITTLE, THIS ADDITIONAL SOURCE OF FUNDING COULD BE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE. 
          SO ALL OF THAT IS IN ITS, UM, KIND OF STILL EARLY STAGES, BUT, UH, BOTH THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND IN THE ARTS COMMISSION WILL BE BRINGING RECOMMENDATIONS FORTH. 
          AND THEN, UM, WHEN WE HAVE THAT, THAT LANGUAGE DEVELOPED, I'LL BRING THIS BACK TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, UH, AND WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT ON IT AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF A TEASER ON THAT. 
          UH, I'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION, UM, IN UPCOMING MEETINGS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, FUTURE ITEMS, 
          [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT TO SEE ADDED COME GOING FORWARD? I KNOW WE ARE DEVELOP CONSTANTLY DEVELOPING LISTS OF ITEMS. ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE MISS HEARING FROM, FROM THE REST OF OUR, OUR, UH, UH, LIAISONS FROM THE VARIOUS COMMISSIONS, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY Y'ALL WILL HAVE SOMETHING FOR US. 
          SO WE HAVE YOU ON THE AGENDA PURPOSEFULLY NEXT MEETING, UH, WITH THAT, UH, IT IS 7:35 PM OH, EXCUSE CHAIR. 
          DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? EXCUSE CHAIR. 
          I, I'M SORRY, CHAIR. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          I'M SORRY, CHAIR. 
          CAN I MAKE A FEW, FEW SHORT ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR APOLOGIES, PLEASE. 
          I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          WE'LL GET YOU OUT REAL QUICK. 
          UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, JUST A REMINDER FOR THE COMMISSIONERS, AND I THINK THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS REMINDED TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD. 
          I KNOW THAT IS, UH, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE, BUT PLEASE DO SO. 
          AND I THINK STARTING IN, IN MARCH, WE ARE REALLY GOING TO BE COMMUNICATING THROUGH THE BOARD AND COMMISSION EMAILS. 
          SO JUST A REMINDER TO MAKE SURE YOUR PASSWORD'S RESET AND MAKE SURE YOU, Y'ALL, UH, LOG INTO THAT, UM, AS THAT'S OUR ONLY FORM OF COMMUNICATION OTHER THAN PHONE, OTHER THAN PHONE. 
          UM, LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS JUST A REMINDER THAT, UM, BEFORE THE COMMISSION BEGINS, JUST TO FILL OUT THE NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST FORM WE HAVE PHYSICALLY HERE, IF YOU'RE PHYSICALLY HERE, OR SEND ME AN EMAIL OR COPY THE FORM AND SEND IT TO ME BEFORE THE, THE BEGINNING OF THE COMMISSION MEETING SO THAT WE CAN HAVE YOU, UH, PRESENT. 
          AND THIS IS JUST FOR VOTING COMMISSIONERS. 
          AND WITH THAT, I ALSO, ONE LAST THING IN MARCH REALLY, UH, IMPORTANT IS THAT BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, IF THIS COMMISSION IS GOING TO MAKE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, THAT, THAT THOSE ARE DUE. 
          SO WE HAVE A, A WONDERFUL LINEUP FOR MARCH AND THAT'LL BE PART OF IT. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COMMANDER OLSON DID, WAS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO ADD? COMMANDER OLSON WILL COME BACK AT A, AT A COMMAND PERFORMANCE IN, IN MARCH AFTER SOUTH BY ABOUT, UH, TRAFFIC MITIGATION. 
          AND THIS DEALS A LOT WITH THE EXPERIENCE WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. 
          SO IF THE COMMANDER DOESN'T, DOESN'T MIND COMING BACK, WE CAN ALSO, UM, OR IF THEY WANT A QUICK UPDATE TONIGHT, IT'S AN AGENDA ITEM. 
          IT IS. 
          UM, CAN WE REOPEN, 
          [5. Presentations by Commander Jeff Olson of the Austin Police Department (APD), William Manno of the Austin Center for Events, Brian Block of the Development Services Department, and Division Chief Stephen Truesdell of the Austin Fire Department (AFD) on South by Southwest Festival 2024 preparedness. (Part 2 of 2)]
UH, ITEM FIVE? 
          [02:05:01]
LET'S SEE, IT'S BACK UP TONIGHT. 
          WE HAVE ACTUALLY, IT'S GERMANE. 
          IT IS GERMANE TO ITEM FIVE. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IF, IS THAT OKAY? YEAH, WITH THE CONSENT OF THE COMMISSION. 
          LET, I THINK THAT, LET'S DO IT BE FINE. 
          LET'S THIS ONE UP FIRST. 
          YEAH, WE'LL BRING IT UP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          KINDA AN UPDATE AND SOME INFORMATION ON ONE OF THE ACTION ITEMS THAT WE TOOK LAST YEAR. 
          UM, SO THIS IS DIRECTLY REGARDING, UH, THOSE MERIDIAN BARRICADES. 
          UM, SO QUICKLY I'LL JUST GO THROUGH, THIS WAS AN UPDATED PROPOSAL. 
          IT'S SIMILAR TO THE ONE, UH, THAT WE LOOKED AT LAST YEAR, BUT JUST TO QUICKLY KIND OF REFRESH, UM, WHAT THESE ARE. 
          SO AGAIN, THESE ARE THE MERIDIAN BARRICADES THAT WE RENT, UH, FOR EVERY SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AT SIGNIFICANT COST. 
          HOWEVER, WE DO NOT OWN THEM. 
          SO WHAT WE HAD PRESENTED TO Y'ALL LAST YEAR, AND ON JUNE 21ST, UH, THIS COMMISSION TOOK ACTION TO REQUEST THAT COUNSEL LOOK AT PURCHASING THESE BARRIERS AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS. 
          UM, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WAS FORWARDED TO COUNSEL, HOWEVER, IT DIDN'T, UH, GET ANY FURTHER TRACTION AFTER THAT. 
          UM, AND I KNOW THERE'S, UH, HOPEFULLY SOME DESIRE TO MAYBE PUT THAT FORWARD AGAIN THROUGH COUNSEL. 
          BUT I ALSO WANTED TO UPDATE YOU. 
          WE ARE GOING THROUGH TWO OTHER, UH, PLANS WHERE WE'RE GONNA TRY AND POTENTIALLY OBTAIN THESE BARRICADES, UM, THROUGH OTHER FUNDING. 
          UM, ONE OF THOSE IS THEY HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED INTO OUR 2025, UH, BUDGET ON OUR UNMET NEEDS REQUESTS. 
          UM, SO THE BUDGET, UH, COMMITTEE FOR THE DEPARTMENT GOES THROUGH THESE REQUESTS AND THEY DECIDE KIND OF, UH, WHICH ONES ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO COVER EACH YEAR. 
          SO IT'S IN THAT REQUEST. 
          AND THEN MAINLY THROUGH, UH, SOME REALLY GOOD WORK THAT LIEUTENANT OLA DID, WE MANAGED TO SNEAK IN TO GET A GRANT REQUEST IN TIME FOR THE STATE HOMELAND SECURITY PROGRAM. 
          UM, SO THAT REQUEST IS CURRENTLY PROCESSING AND WE HOPE TO HAVE AN ANSWER, UH, MAYBE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS IF IT MIGHT, UH, MEET CAP COGS REQUIREMENTS TO BE COVERED THROUGH A GRANT. 
          SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO OBTAIN THESE THROUGH A A, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROCESSES SO WE HAVE KIND OF BACKUP PLANS IN CASE ONE FALLS THROUGH. 
          BUT JUST QUICKLY, UM, AGAIN, THESE ARE THE MERIDIAN BARRICADES. 
          IT KINDA SHOWS YOU WHERE THE DEPLOYMENT LOCATIONS WILL BE DURING SOUTH BY AGAIN, IT'S A HARD CLOSURE, UH, FOR SIXTH STREET WITH, UH, SIXTH STREET ITSELF BEING BLOCKED OFF AT, UH, BRAZOS. 
          AND THEN ON THE OTHER END AT RED RIVER. 
          AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS WE PUT UP BARRICADES ALONG THE ALLEYWAYS OF SAN JACINTO TRINITY AND CHES. 
          AND NEXT SLIDE. 
          THIS KIND OF SHOWS YOU WHAT IT WOULD, WOULD LOOK LIKE AT SIXTH AND BRAZOS. 
          AGAIN, IT'S THE HARD BARRICADE. 
          AND THEN AT THE EAST AND WEST END, IT'S SECURED THROUGH ONE OF THESE, UH, WIRE MESH CABLE GATES THAT ATTACHES TO THE BARRIERS. 
          SO AGAIN, IT PROVIDES A HARD CLOSURE FOR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. 
          AND THEN ALONG EACH OF THE ALLEYWAYS, NORTH AND SOUTH THAT I MENTIONED, YOU'LL SEE UH, THE PLACEMENT OF THESE JUST STANDARD BARRICADES WHICH GO ALONG AND AGAIN, KEEP VEHICULAR TRAFFIC OUT, BUT STILL ENABLE, UM, PEDESTRIAN CAR AND, UH, BIKE FLOW AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          UH, AGAIN, JUST KIND OF EXAMPLES SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND IN FACT WHAT IT DOES LOOK LIKE DURING SOUTH BY. 
          AND THEN AT THE END IT JUST KINDA SHOWS YOU, UM, WHAT THE NUMBER OF BARRIERS WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW MANY THAT WOULD BE. 
          AND AGAIN, THE, THE QUOTE WE HAVE, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OLD NOW. 
          WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO OBTAIN FROM THE COMPANY, JUST SO WE HAVE IT IN CASE WE NEED IT, IS A COMPLETELY UPTODATE QUOTE I'M ASSUMING DUE TO INFLATION AND RANDOM COSTS, IT'S PROBABLY TICKED UP A LITTLE BIT. 
          I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE TOO MUCH MORE THAN THAT HALF A MILLION DOLLAR, UM, QUOTE. 
          BUT ONCE WE DO HAVE THAT NEW QUOTE, I'LL MAKE SURE TO GET IT TO YOU GUYS THAT WAY IN CASE YOU DO WANT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION. 
          UH, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT. 
          AND LIKE I'VE SAID BEFORE, UH, THE BIG THING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THESE IS SO THAT WE CAN, AGAIN, LONG TERM, UH, IT'S A COST SAVINGS. 
          UM, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE, SO WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO NEED THESE BARRICADES EACH YEAR. 
          IF WE PURCHASE THEM, WE COULD HAVE THEM, UH, FOR THAT EVENT. 
          BUT FOR ME, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S THE OTHER USES THAT WE COULD GET OUT OF THESE BARRICADES. 
          AND WHAT I DO WANT TO BRING UP TO YOUR ATTENTION IS ACTUALLY AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEKEND THAT I CAN SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO BECAUSE I WAS ON SCENE WHEN IT HAPPENED. 
          UM, YOU COULD BRING THAT NEXT POWERPOINT UP. 
          THAT ONE. 
          THIS ONE? YEAH. 
          SO THIS WAS A PD INCIDENT NUMBER 2 4 0 4 9 0 4 2 3. 
          AND THIS OCCURRED, UH, THIS PAST SUNDAY, UH, FEBRUARY 18TH. 
          AND THIS WAS THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH CONGRESS IN RF. 
          [02:10:01]
SO I WAS ACTUALLY WORKING A BARRICADE ASSIGNMENT FOR THE AUSTIN MARATHON ALONG WITH ANOTHER OFFICER. 
          UM, THIS IS A TWO OFFICER LOCATION, UH, DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT'S TWO MAJOR ROADWAYS. 
          SO THE WAY IT WORKED FOR THE MARATHON IS WE HAD IT CLOSED DOWN, UH, EAST AND WEST ON UL TORF. 
          SO THAT SOUTHBOUND, UH, THE RUNNERS HAD THE USE OF SOUTH CONGRESS. 
          SO THE RACE STARTED AT, UH, JUST AFTER AROUND 7:00 AM SO BECAUSE THIS IS ON MILE MARKER TWO BY ABOUT 8:00 AM THE RUNNERS HAD ALREADY, UH, MADE IT PAST. 
          SO AT THAT POINT, SPECIAL EVENTS OFFICERS ARRIVED ON SCENE TO KIND OF HELP COORDINATE US TO OPEN UP THE TRAFFIC FLOW. 
          SO THE PLAN IS TO OPEN UP EAST AND WESTBOUND UL TORF AND TO REOPEN SOUTH CONGRESS TO BE ABLE TO GO SOUTHBOUND NORTHBOUND. 
          CONGRESS WAS STILL GOING TO BE CLOSED OFF, UH, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:23 AM THE SUSPECT VEHICLE WAS HEARD APPROACHING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. 
          UH, MOST OF US ESTIMATED IT WAS PROBABLY 50 TO 60 MILES AN HOUR. 
          IT SIDESWIPED THIS VEHICLE YOU SEE HERE, WHICH HAD TWO OFFICERS INSIDE OF IT. 
          IT DESTROYED AND PLOWED THROUGH THE BARRICADE THAT WAS ON CONGRESS. 
          THIS WAS ACTUALLY A LUCKY THING BECAUSE THE SUSPECT VEHICLE STRUCK THE POLICE VEHICLE. 
          IT CAUSED ITS TRAJECTORY TO VEER OFF TO THE WEST. 
          IT THEN STRUCK THE CURB ON THE WEST CURB LINE OVERCORRECTED SWERVED BACK NORTH AND CRASHED HEAD ON INTO A POLE. 
          UM, AT THAT POINT, THE SUBJECT THEN ATTEMPTED TO FLEE ON FOOT. 
          HE WAS LOCATED NEARBY AND HE WAS ARRESTED BY OFFICERS IN THE NEARBY APARTMENT COMPLEX. 
          AND AGAIN, THIS IS 8:23 AM ON A SUNDAY MORNING. 
          A PBT TEST FOUND THAT THE SUSPECT HAD A APPROXIMATE VAC OF 0.208, WELL OVER TWO TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT, AND HAS SEVERAL OPEN CONTAINERS OF ALCOHOL IN THE VEHICLE AS WELL. 
          UH, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          SO THAT'S LOOKING NORTHBOUND ON CONGRESS. 
          UM, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE, BUT OFF IN THE DISTANCE, UH, THERE'S A, A POLL UP THERE AT THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH CONGRESS AND POST AND THE NEXT SLIDE, THAT'S THE VEHICLE AFTER IT SLAMMED INTO THAT POLE, THE SUBJECT WAS CHARGED WITH DWI, CLASS B, AS WELL AS TWO FELONY COUNTS OF FAILURE TO STOP AND RENDER AID AS BOTH OFFICERS SUFFERED MINOR INJURY. 
          AND THE REASON THIS LOCATION WAS BEING KEPT PARTIALLY CLOSED IS BECAUSE IT WAS A BUFFER ZONE BETWEEN THE 5K, WHICH WAS STILL GOING ON ONE BLOCK NORTH OF THERE. 
          SO HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS AND SPECTATORS WERE STILL ON SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE AND LIKELY WOULD'VE BEEN THE PATH OF THIS VEHICLE HAD IT NOT BEEN KNOCKED OFF COURSE AND CRASHED. 
          SO BASICALLY, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, BY RANDOM LUCK, WE DID NOT HAVE A MASS CASUALTY EVENT LAST SUNDAY. 
          AND THAT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO WHY THESE BARRICADES ARE SO IMPORTANT. 
          UM, I CAN'T PROMISE YOU THAT THEY WOULD'VE BEEN PLACED AT THAT INTERSECTION, BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF PLACE WHERE THEY WOULD'VE MADE SENSE TO BE, UM, TWO MAJOR ROADS, PARTIALLY OPEN, PARTIALLY CLOSED, AND THAT WOULD ENABLE THAT TO HAPPEN. 
          SO AGAIN, PURCHASING THESE BARRIERS WILL ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY FOR USING THEM IN OTHER MAJOR EVENTS SUCH AS THE AUSTIN MARATHON, THE HALF MARATHON, ACL PECAN STREET, AND OTHER VISITS. 
          SO ON THIS MAP HERE, UH, THAT BOTTOM.YOU SEE AT UL TORF AND SOUTH CONGRESS, UH, THAT IS WHERE THE VEHICLE CRASHED THROUGH THE, THE BARRICADES, WHICH AGAIN, THE BARRICADES WE CURRENTLY USE ARE PLASTIC AND METAL. 
          UM, THEY'RE NOT STOPPING ANYTHING. 
          UM, THAT RED.YOU SEE AT POST ROAD IN SOUTH CONGRESS IS WHERE HE HIT, UH, THE POLE. 
          AND HAD HE CONTINUED NORTHBOUND ON CONGRESS AVENUE, THAT LINE ACROSS AT LIVE OAK IS WHERE THE 5K WAS STILL GOING ON. 
          SO AGAIN, I WANTED TO UN UNFORTUNATELY BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A, A VERY REAL WORLD EXAMPLE OF, OF HOW IMPORTANT THESE BARRICADES CAN BE, ESPECIALLY, UH, FOR SECURING PUBLIC SAFETY AND PEDESTRIANS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          YOU, YOU HAD OUR EARNEST HEARTFELT SUPPORT FOR THESE, UH, FOR A MINOR INVESTMENT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. 
          UH, AND I WOULD SUSPECT THAT IF THE, THE, THE, UH, CONTRACT CAME BACK A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, YOU WOULD PROBABLY STILL GET MM-HMM  OUR SUPPORT FOR IT. 
          UH, AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. 
          WE FELT THAT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THEN. 
          AND I THINK THIS UNDERSCORES HOW IMPORTANT IT IS HAVING THESE SORTS OF THINGS. 
          YEAH, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR SUPPORT ON THESE IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, IT WOULD BE, UM, GREAT TO HAVE THAT AGAIN. 
          BUT, BUT WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WHAT YOU DO ISN'T GUARANTEED TO HAPPEN AT COUNCIL. 
          SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE, UH, EXPLORING OTHER AVENUES THAT HOPEFULLY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WE CAN BRING SOME GOOD NEWS TO YOU. 
          WE WOULD'VE GOTTEN GRAFFITI FIXED. 
          NOW, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL DO THAT. 
          BUT TO DO MAKE IT, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING TO GET THE UPDATED BID BACK, BUT PLEASE GET IT TO US BEFORE THEY START THEIR BUDGET DELIBERATIONS. 
          YES. 
          I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          [02:15:01]
DOES THE HALF A MILLION GONNA GET YOU ENOUGH OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU COULD DEPLOY THEM AT THE MARATHON AND SO ON? OR SHOULD YOU GO TWO OR THREE TIMES WITH THE NUMBER OF FUNDING SOURCES THAT YOU HAVE? SO BASICALLY THAT HALF MILLION COVERS, UM, THE NUMBER THAT WE CURRENTLY USE THAT, THAT IS ABLE TO LOCK DOWN SOUTH BY, UM, FOR SOMETHING LIKE THE AUSTIN MARATHON, IT IS SUCH A LARGE, UH, MOVING EVENT. 
          I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE ABOUT KEY LOCATIONS. 
          THEY WOULD CHOOSE TO USE THESE. 
          UM, AND SIMILAR TO THE, TO THE HALF MARATHON AND POTENTIALLY, UM, CAPITAL, CAPITAL 10,000, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO FOR THOSE EVENTS THAT ARE SO SPREAD OUT, THE USE COULD BE MORE ABOUT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE START LINE AND FINISH LINE AND STUFF LIKE THAT. 
          BUT IT DEFINITELY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, TO SECURE EVERY MAJOR ROAD, BUT IT WOULD GIVE US AN OPTION. 
          SO, YES, SIR. 
          UM, IF YOU GUYS COULD STICK AROUND FOR JUST ONE SECOND. 
          I, THIS TIME I'D LOVE TO BRING TO THE, UH, URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND WE'RE DOING OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, I BELIEVE MARCH 5TH. 
          UM, SO WE HAVE A QUICK TURNAROUND, SO I'D LOVE TO GIVE YOU MY CONTACT INFORMATION SO WE CAN GET AN ACCURATE NUMBER IN. 
          AWESOME. 
          YEAH. 
          'CAUSE IDEALLY IF, IF WE ARE ABLE TO SECURE THESE, UH, A KEY PARTNER TO THAT, UH, WOULD PROBABLY BE THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT. 
          'CAUSE THEY WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IN, UM, ENABLING US TO MOVE THEM IN PLACEMENT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE OFFICERS, UH, ASSIGNED TO DO THAT. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR STAYING. 
          NO PROBLEM. 
          TO PROVIDE US WITH THAT UPDATE CHAIR HARRIS, UH, CHAIR HARRIS, I, I MIGHT, UH, RECOMMEND THAT IF THE COMMISSION WANTED TO, TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO MAYBE GET A VOLUNTEER FROM THE COMMISSION TO DRAFT A RESOLUTION SO WE COULD POST THAT AS BACK. 
          I THINK THE, THE KEY IS WHEN THEY'RE GONNA GET THE UPDATED BID BACK. 
          SO WHEN WHEN YOU GET THAT INFORMATION BACK OUT YEAH. 
          LIKE I DID THE LAST TIME. 
          WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, SO WHEN, WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE, THE SOONER THE BETTER. 
          AND WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, IT IS 7:49 PM DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I HAVE A MOTION. 
          I HAVE A SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? WE STAND ADJOURNED. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT. 
          AS ALWAYS, I.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.