Feb 29, 2024 City Council Meetings

WE DON'T ALL HAVE THE SAME ABILITIES OR CAPABILITIES, UH, TO FIND A JOB, TO ALLOW US TO FIND A PLACE WHERE TO LIVE.

WE DO HAVE ONE SPANISH SPEAKER ON THE LINE, SO I'D ASK FOR THE INTERPRETER TO COME DOWN TO THE PODIUM.

YES, PLEASE.

I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT SEEK ARE SEEKING INTERPRETATION, SO IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD AND HELP US WITH THAT.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

MY NAME IS JOSE MORENO.

MY TESTIMONY IS TO SUPPORT OF, IT'S AN ALLIANCE OF TENANTS WITHOUT HOUSE.

UH, I COME FROM THE APARTMENTS OF HOLLOW, UM, AND, UH, WE WERE DISPLACED, MY NEIGHBORS AND ME, AND WE WERE STRUGGLING TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHERE TO LIVE.

UM, IT'S BEEN AROUND A YEAR SINCE WE LEFT THAT PLACE.

WE WEREN'T ALL THAT LUCKY.

SOME OF US, UH, WE FOUND A PLACE TO LIVE AND, UH, OTHER PEOPLE, THEY DIDN'T FIND WHERE TO GO.

AND, UH, OTHER OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE STILL LIKE HOMELESS AND THEY DON'T HAVE A PLACE WHERE TO LIVE.

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AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT AS, AS, UH, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT AS A HUMAN BEINGS, WE ALL DESERVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE GOOD.

AND, UH, WE KNOW THAT THE PLACE THAT WE WERE DISPLACED FOR, UH, IT'S GONNA BUILD, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

AND FIRST WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE GONNA BUILD VERY EXPENSIVE APARTMENTS, BUT NOW WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING THERE.

AND WHAT WE WANT TO ASK IS, UH, FOR YOU TO GIVE PRIORITY TO PEOPLE WHO WAS LIVING THERE BEFORE, UH, WITHOUT ASKING FOR IDENTIFICATION SINCE WE ALREADY HAD A LEASE THERE.

AND I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT THE D BEING ID LAW.

YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.

I'M SORRY, MAYOR.

THANK, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.

THIS IS REGARDING THE OLD HOMESTEAD I, THE APARTMENT THAT THE GENTLEMAN OH, THAT'S CORRECT.

THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, IF, IF I MAY, MAY, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, SAY THAT THE, THE DEVELOPER DID PROMISE THAT THE TENANTS WOULD HAVE A RIGHT OF RETURN.

I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE DOING THE, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROJECT, WHICH IS NOT ASSURED, BUT WE HOPE THAT IT, IT DOES GET BUILT, AND THEY HAVE ALSO AGREED TO GIVE THE FORMER TENANTS AT THE OLD HOMESTEAD A PRIORITY IN LEASING THOSE APARTMENTS.

SO WE, WE WILL, AND I WILL MAKE SURE TO, UH, TO, TO PUSH THEM TO KEEP THOSE PROMISES.

SAY THAT.

LET'S HAVE HIS OFFICE GET IN TOUCH WITH THE SPEAKER.

UM, THANK YOU.

LET'S, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT, PLEASE.

THAT'S THE ONLY SPANISH SPEAKER WE HAVE ON THE LINE RIGHT NOW.

IF YOU DON'T MIND WAITING JUST A MINUTE IN CASE THEY JOIN.

BUT I WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT REMOTE SPEAKER, MARK TOUSI SPEAKING ON ITEM 59.

MARK, CAN YOU HEAR US? CAN YOU PLEASE UNMUTE, PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.

ENOVIA JOSEPH SPEAKING, ITEM 16 AND 63.

DISTRICTS 5, 6, 8, AND 10.

COUNSEL, I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH.

MY COMMENTS AS IT RELATES TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ITEM IS THAT I OPPOSE, UH, REPLACING ROSIE TRULOVE WITH MANDY DE MAYO.

SPECIFICALLY, I JUST WANNA CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT SHE DID MENTION IN THE 2023 PRO HOUSING $10 MILLION HUD APPLICATION, THE SCARCITY OF UNITS THAT ARE IN WEST AUSTIN, SPECIFICALLY FEWER THAN 10 AFFORDABLE HOMES WERE BUILT IN

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HOWEVER, SHE HAS NOT BROUGHT BEFORE YOU ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE SUBSTANTIAL IN THE WAY OF HOME OWNERSHIP IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN, NOR HAS SHE BROUGHT BEFORE YOU THE 20 YEAR OUTDATED SMART POLICY, WHICH IS ALSO STATED IN THAT APPLICATION.

AND SO, RESPECTFULLY, I'VE NOT SEEN HER DO ANYTHING TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS AND OPPOSED HER NOMINATION AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO ITEM 63.

THAT'S THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ITEM, WHICH SUGGESTS PUTTING A DATE ON THE CALENDAR MAY 30TH, 2024 FOR A PUBLIC HEARING.

I WOULD ASK YOU TO WITHDRAW THIS ITEM INDEFINITELY AND CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT ON MAY 7TH, 20, UH, 2019, COUNSEL ACTUALLY DECIDED TO POSTPONE INDEFINITELY THE SMALL AREA PLANNING FROM NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER TO TECH RIDGE PARK AND RIDE.

AND AS YOU MAY RECALL, MAYOR, DECEMBER 17TH, 2018, YOU TESTIFIED FOR PROJECT CONNECT, THE LONG RANGE VISION PLAN AT CAPITAL METRO EXCLUDED NORTH LAMAR, BECAUSE THAT AREA AT NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER IS OWNED BY TDOT.

AND SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL THAT IN YOUR 2023, UM, WALK BIKE ROLL POLICY, IT ACTUALLY SPECIFIES ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AUSTIN'S DISCRIMINATORY HISTORY AND PRACTICES.

AND THAT ACTUALLY MENTIONS NORTH LAMAR.

I HAVE ASKED A CHEETO VILLA TO CLOSE THE MID-BLOCK STOP AT CHINATOWN, AND IT'S STILL OPEN.

THANK YOU, MS. JOSEPH, IF THERE NEEDS TO BE AN A DA COMPLIANT SIDEWALK.

THANK YOU, MS. JOSEPH.

YOUR TIME'S EXPIRED.

CATALINA CRUZ ON ITEM 100.

HELLO, THIS ITEM.

AND MS. CRUZ, THIS ITEM HAS BEEN POSTPONED, SO YOUR TESTIMONY SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT.

UNDERSTOOD.

PLEASE PROCEED.

AM I ABLE TO BEGIN? YES.

NOW NOW'S THE TIME.

HELLO, MY NAME IS CATALINA CRUZ.

I'M A WORKER AT YOUTUBE MUSIC AND A MEMBER OF THE ALPHABET WORKERS UNION.

UM, TODAY I'M CURRENTLY SURROUNDED BY MY COWORKERS.

UM, WE ARE COMPRISED OF MUSICIANS, ARTISTS, AND MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKERS WORKING OUR BEST TO EARN SUSTAINABLE WAGE AS WE PUSH THROUGH OUR PASSIONS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

DESPITE THE DELAY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR RESOLUTION BEING VOTED ON, JUST AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO COGNIZANT IN GOOGLE MEETING US AT THE BARGAINING TABLE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND WE WANNA SAY HELLO VERY QUICKLY.

MARK TUSI ON ITEM 59.

MY NAME IS MARK TUCCI, UH, OWNER OF THE AUSTIN SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB, AUSTIN, SSC KIDS, YOUTH SPORTS LEAGUES AND SPORTS FOR ALL.

UH, REASON FOR, UH, MY COMMENTS IS JUST TO SHOW SOME SUPPORT FOR THE, UH, FINDING AND, UH, SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PROVIDE MORE ATHLETIC, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, UH, FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR ADULTS AND OUR COMMUNITY.

SOMETHING THAT THIS CITY HAS BECOME, UH, FAR TOO DEFICIENT IN COMPARED TO OTHER METROPOLITAN AREAS, NOT JUST IN TEXAS, BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY.

AND THE, UH, HOPE TO FIND MORE PLACES THAT OUR KIDS AND ADULTS CAN PLAY, UH, WOULD BE, UH, MUCH NEEDED FOR THE POPULATION GROWTH AND SOMETHING THAT AS RECREATION IS, UH, BECOMING SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT IN OUR LIVES AND FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH, UH, KNOWING THAT HAVING THOSE PROPER SPACES WOULD REALLY, UM, AID THE BETTERMENT OF THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY.

YEAH, I, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALSO, MAYOR, UH, NUMBER ONE, UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S A HECK OF DAY TO DAY, BUT HEY, NUMBER THREE, AS HAVING TO DO WITH, UH, KEN SING 10 APARTMENTS FOR INSTALLATION OF A SOLAR ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

THAT WAS ALL THE REMOTE SPEAKERS WE HAVE AT THIS TIME.

SO I'LL GO TO IN PERSON, UH, GUS PENA SPEAKING ON ITEM TWO AND THREE, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM BUNCH, AND THEN PAUL ROBBINS BOTH ON ITEM 23.

IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE PODIUM AS MR. PENA APPROACHES, UM, I WANNA THANK HIM FOR ALL OF HIS YEARS OF ADVOCACY IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

MR. PENA, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU WERE HERE WHEN I CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND, AND POINTED OUT THAT IT'S BEEN SINCE 1996 THAT WE'VE HAD A MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ON A LEAP DAY, BUT WE DID A LITTLE BIT OF LOOKING AND YOU HOLD THE DISTINCTION TODAY OF BEING THE ONLY SPEAKER WE HAD THAT SPOKE IN 1996 AND TODAY.

SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR YEARS OF INVOLVEMENT.

[00:20:01]

THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

I THINK THAT'S, UH, APPROPRIATE.

UH, I'M, I'M NOT TOO SURE IF I DROVE OR WENT UP ABOVE, BUT, UH, CAN, CAN I SPEAK ON NUMBER FOUR REAL QUICKLY? YES.

APPROVE, UH, ISSUANCE OF AN INCENTIVE TO THE TEXAS SOLAR ENERGY ASSOCIATION FOR ITS PATHWAY PILOT PROGRAM.

AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND, UH, UH, FOR, UH, THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

UH, IT'S A GOOD GO TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE, BUT I REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE RENOVATING THIS, THEY TORE IT DOWN AND EVERYTHING.

AND SO I'M PROUD OF WHAT, UH, THE PENA FAMILY HAS, UH, BROUGHT TO THE COMMUNITY.

WE'RE A BIG, WE'RE A BIG, YOU THINK, UH, THE OTHER, UH, PEOPLE ARE A BIGGER, UH, UH, MOMS, DADS AND, AND UHUH.

WE RANK RIGHT UP THERE.

AND, UH, NATASHA, I'M GONNA SAY, NATASHA, I LOVE YOU BECAUSE I REMEMBER YOU WORKING ON YOUR CAMPAIGN AND, UH, ALSO A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE.

BUT, UH, MCKENZIE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALSO FOR SAYING HELLO.

IT MEANS A LOT TO ME.

YOU KNOW, UH, I'M STILL, UM, HURTING FROM THE, UH, HELICOPTER CRASH THAT OCCURRED IN, UH, IN VIETNAM IN 1968, AND THEN THE TED OFFENSIVE IN 1969.

AND THEN WE WERE IN LAOS IN CAMBODIA WHEN RICHARD NICKON SAID, WE'RE NOT IN LAOS IN CAMBODIA.

AND I WAS LE LEFT AND EVERYBODY WAS EITHER, UH, UH, DRINKING BEER OR SMOKING EY DOOBIE, I .

BUT I DIDN'T DO THAT.

I PROMISE YOU, I PROMISE YOU, YOU, THE LIMITATIONS WILL PROBABLY RUN, YOU'RE PROBABLY SAFE ON THAT.

AND THIS IS FOR MY WIFE CARMEN, WHO HAS PUT UP WITH ME FOR 38 YEARS OF UN MEXICANA AND THE CHICANO FROM EAST FIFTH STREET AREA.

I'M FROM THE EAST FIFTH AREA, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU ALSO, UH, MAYOR, BECAUSE, UH, IT, IT MEANS A LOT TO ME TO, TO NOT JUST TO SAY HELLO, DO THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER, BUT THE HARD WORK THAT Y'ALL DO, THE HARD WORK TO THE PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY DO.

COME OVER HERE TO LISTEN TO FOR Y'ALL TO LISTEN TO THE, THE ACHES AND PAINS.

AND I WANNA THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT, AND I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.

AND, UH, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

THAT'S A THANK YOU, MR. PENA.

HAPPY LEAP DAY, MR. BUNCH.

GOOD MORNING MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.

I'M BILL BUNCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE, UH, HERE TO ASK YOU TO, TO HIT PAUSE ON SPENDING $8.9 MILLION WITH COROLLA ENGINEERING ON THE HANCOCKS WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UH, ALSO KNOWN AS WATER TREATMENT PLANT NUMBER FOUR.

UM, AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, BUT PROBABLY MANY OF YOU DON'T.

UH, THIS COMMUNITY WAS SOLD A BILL OF GOODS ON THIS PLANT, AND IT ENDED UP COSTING US A BILLION DOLLARS FOR A MERE 50 MILLION GALLONS A DAY OF CAPACITY, UH, ADDITION, UM, BACK WHEN IT WAS BUILT.

WHEN YOU THROW IN, YOU KNOW, INTEREST, PAYMENTS AND OPERATIONS AND WHATNOT, YOU'RE NOW BEING ASKED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A 220 TO $250 MILLION, UH, PROJECT THAT SHOULD NEVER BE NEEDED FOR A PLANT THAT'S ONLY 10 YEARS OLD.

THERE'S, IT WAS BUILT WRONG.

APPARENTLY, UH, THEY'RE HIDING THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

THIS 8.9 MILLION IS GOING TO THE VERY COMPANY THAT BUILT IT THE FIRST TIME.

WE NEED A, A, WE NEED TRANSPARENCY AND WE NEED SOME FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY.

WE HAVE A NEW WATER DIRECTOR.

I WOULD HOPE THAT SHE WOULD TAKE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT.

WE WERE TOLD WE NEEDED THIS CAPACITY.

WE'VE NEVER BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR NEEDING THIS CAPACITY.

IT'S BEEN A PHENOMENAL WASTE FROM DAY ONE.

WE WERE TOLD WE NEEDED IT FOR REDUNDANCY AND SECURITY PURPOSES.

WHEN WE ASKED FOR THE RISK MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS, WHAT THE ONLY THING THAT WAS ON THERE WAS WE NEED BACKUP POWER SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE PUMPING CAPACITY.

AND LO AND BEHOLD, 2021, OUR CITY WAS DESTROYED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MAYBE EVEN BILLIONS OF DAMAGES BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DO WHAT THE WATER UTILITIES OWN, UH, RISK ASSESSMENT SAID WE HAD TO DO.

WE BUILT A PLANT WE DIDN'T NEED.

NOW WE'RE GONNA EXPAND IT, UPGRADE IT WITHOUT A FAIR REVIEW.

THANK YOU, MR. BUNCH.

THAT'S IRRESPONSIBLE.

OPPOSING THE SOUTH TEXAS NUCLEAR PROJECT.

PAUL ROBBINS, GO AHEAD.

ITEM 23.

IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD SO THAT YOU'LL BE READY TO TESTIFY, UM, AS SOON AS YOU CAN.

AFTER PAUL, WE HAVE KELLY JOHNSON AND THEN EMILY LEBLANC.

PLEASE COME FORWARD.

COUNSEL.

I STARTED MY ALLEGED CAREER AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST IN 1977,

[00:25:01]

IT EXPERIENCED A NET OVERRUN OF $4.6 BILLION AND WAS AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS BEHIND IN COMPLETION.

UH, I LEARNED REAL QUICK THAT EVEN THOUGH STAFF MAY HAVE GOOD DAY-TO-DAY KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORKING UTILITY, THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS GOOD AT LONG-TERM PLANNING OR EXECUTING IT.

UH, TO GIVE YOU THE NUMBERS, UH, WE HAVE AT OUR HIGHEST PEAK IN HISTORY, USED 228 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.

CURRENTLY, WE HAVE 335 MILLION GALLONS A DAY OF CAPACITY WITH THE EXPANSION OF, UH, HANCOCK'S, UH, WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UH, WHERE I MORE AFFECTIONATELY, UH, VIEW IT AS WATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR, WE WILL HAVE 360 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.

UH, WHAT DO WE NEED THIS FOR? UH, I URGE YOU TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THIS BEFORE YOU MOVE FORWARD.

UH, THERE IS MORE TO THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS IN AUSTIN THAN HOUSING.

UH, I WILL, UM, I HAVE ONE FINAL POINT TO MAKE, WHICH IS THAT TOO OFTEN I SEE THIS COUNCIL BULLIED BY STAFF.

WE'RE YOUR EXPERTS.

WELL, AS I GO BACK TO MY ORIGINAL INITIATION INTO CIVIC INVOLVEMENT IN 1977, THE EXPERTS ARE NOT ALWAYS RIGHT.

THANK YOU, MR. ROBBINS, KELLY JOHNSON.

ITEM 32, FOLLOWED BY EMILY LEBLANC AND THEN SHELLY EDGER.

WELCOME.

UM, AS THE OWNER OF IRE LLC, I AM SIMPLY HERE TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE GRATITUDE TO THE CITY FOR ITS CONSIDERATION OF A LOCAL WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS, PARTICULARLY ONE WHOSE MISSION IS IN HARMONY WITH THE ZERO WASTE INITIATIVE CHAMPIONED BY THE CITY.

RECOGNIZING THE BURGEONING GROWTH OF THE RESALE INDUSTRY PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY 21% ANNUALLY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

THE ENDEAVOR BY THE CITY TO RECYCLE AND REPURPOSE BULK ITEMS INSTEAD OF SUBJECTING THEM TO COMPACT OR TRUCK CRUSHING REPRESENTS A COMMENDABLE APPROACH.

AND I'M JUST HERE TO SAY THANK YOU.

THAT'S ALL.

EMILY LEBLANC, SHELLY EDGER, AND THEN ROBERT CORBIN.

YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED.

PLEASE COME FORWARD.

GOOD MORNING.

EMILY LEBLANC IS NOT HERE, BUT I AM SHELLY EDGAR, AND I AM HERE FOR THE BOTH OF US.

WAS YOUR NAME, I'M SORRY? WAS YOUR NAME CALLED SHELL EDGAR? OKAY, THANK YOU.

I WAS AFTER EMILY.

AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT CONVERSATION AND IDENTIFYING FUNDING SOURCES THAT CAN HELP ENSURE THAT OUR FORENSIC EXAMS ARE FULLY STAFFED AS WELL.

UM, I AM CO-CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, SEXUAL ASSAULT RE RESPONSE AND RESOURCE TEAM, AUSTIN SART.

AND WE ARE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY GROUP OF ADVOCATES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTORS, WHO ALL WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THE SYSTEM RESPONSE FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IS WORKING AS IT SHOULD HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

UM, WE APPLAUD THE RESOURCES OF THE SART, UH, THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN PUTTING TOWARDS RIGHTING THE WRONGS OF THE PAST AND ENSURING THAT SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN AUSTIN ARE BELIEVED AND TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

AS SUCH, WE SUPPORT ITEM NUMBER 38, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER THAT THIS IS ONE OF MANY PIECES IN THE SYSTEM THAT WILL NEED ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS AS, UH, WE ARE MAKING IN FOR THE SYSTEM TO BE SUSTAINED.

SPECIFICALLY, WE WANT TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE NEED TO HELP SUFFICIENTLY FUND FORENSIC EXAMS. DATA FOR, UM, 2023 SHOWS THAT 144 SURVIVORS WERE TURNED AWAY WHILE ANOTHER 56 EXPERIENCED LONG WAIT TIMES FUNDING AND STAFFING OF FORENSIC LAB FOR ANALYSIS DOES US NO GOOD IF WE DON'T HAVE SKILLED AND TRAINED NURSES COLLECTING THE EVIDENCE AT THE, AT THE OUTSET, THE SART IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING OUR PARTNERS AT SAFE AND GETTING BACK TO A MODEL WHERE ALL SURVIVORS CAN BE SERVED WITH MINIMAL WAIT TIMES.

WE'VE SEEN THE PROGRAM AT ELOISE HOUSE, UH, THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM IN IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR SURVIVORS WHEN IT IS STAFFED APPROPRIATELY.

WE ARE PROUD THAT THAT MODEL HAS BEEN REPLICATED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND WE URGE THE CITY TO FUND THE SALARIES NEEDED TO GET BACK TO THOSE BEST PRACTICES, ENSURING THAT NO EVIDENCE IS LOST, AND NOTE THAT NO VICTIMS ARE FORCED TO ENDURE LONG WAIT TIMES IS A CRITICAL STEP IN INCREASING ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR SURVIVORS AND OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.

WE ALSO WANT TO REITERATE THAT THIS IS ONE OF MANY ONGOING INVESTMENTS WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE IN ORDER TO MAKE GOOD ON THE PROMISES THE CITY HAS MADE TO SURVIVORS.

AND THE START IS HERE TO SUPPORT THE CITY IN THOSE EFFORTS.

WE APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBERS ALTER AND VELAZQUEZ FOR HELPING US TO SHED LIGHT ON THIS ISSUE,

[00:30:01]

THANK YOU ROBERT CORBIN FOR ITEM 46, AND THEN FOR ITEM 58, ROY WHALEY AND SCOTT JOHNSON.

IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND TAKE ONE OF THE SEATS UP FRONT, OR IF THERE'S AN EMPTY MICROPHONE, MR. JOHNSON, YOU CAN JUST WALK RIGHT UP TO IT.

PLEASE COME FORWARD.

GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS.

STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE OF ITEM 58.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR AN EXCELLENT RESOLUTION.

THE ISSUE OF CONCRETE AND HOW MUCH CARBON AND OTHER POLLUTANTS THAT'S CREATED BY IT DURING THE PROCESS IS GRAVE.

IN THE LATE TWO THOUSANDS, I WAS PASTORING THE CITY ABOUT CONCRETE AND OTHER BUILDING MATERIALS.

IN THIS MEMO CAME OUT FROM FORMER DIRECTOR OF WHAT ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.

WHILE WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN USE OR CONTRACT FOR SUSTAINABLE CONTRACTING, LOW EMBODIED CARBON CEMENT, WE WANNA LOOK AND SEE AND MAKE SURE ALL THE PROVIDERS, SUCH AS LAUREN CONCRETE, WHICH ONE OF THE LARGEST IS CERTIFIED IN DOING ALL THEY CAN TO USE THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING IT AND DELIVERING IT TO MAKE THAT PROCESS AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

I'M HERE MORE, THOUGH, TO SPEAK ABOUT HOT MIX ASPHALT, ANOTHER PRODUCT THAT THE CITY USES A LOT OF, AND THAT IS NOT PART OF A RECOMMENDATION COMING FROM THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.

AND I WANNA BE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL KNOWS ABOUT IT, THE STAFF DOES KNOW ABOUT IT IN THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, BUT THE PROCESS OF MAKING HOT MIX ASPHALT AND WARM MIX ASPHALT INVOLVES PORTLAND CEMENT, HIGHLY CARBON INTENSIVE.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT IS VERY HIGH IN OZONE FORMING EMISSIONS.

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, PERHAPS IS IT'S VERY HIGH IN PARTICULATE MATTER WHAT ARE CALLED SECOND DOOR SECONDARY AEROSOLS.

SO NOT IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING IT SPECIFICALLY, BUT AS IT'S LAID, AND THEN AS IT VAPORIZES AND COMES UP.

SO FOR THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE USING IT, CITY STAFF OR CONTRACTORS, IT'S A HUGE ISSUE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE NEAR IT, WHICH IS ALL OF US BECAUSE THE ROADWAY SYSTEM IN MANY CITIES OCCUPIES MORE THAN 35 OR 40% OF THE TOTAL AREA.

SO WHEN THAT'S PUT DOWN THE, THE AGGREGATE OR THE BINDER, THE, THE LIQUID, AND THEN THE ROCKS PUT ON IT, THAT'S A DIRTY PROCESS.

THANK YOU, SIR.

HOW DO Y'ALL, MY NAME'S ROY WHALEY, I'M THE CONSERVATION CHAIR FOR THE AUSTIN REGIONAL GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB AND SIERRA CLUB STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS ITEM.

UM, MR. JOHNSON JUST GAVE YOU A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION.

UM, WE DEFINITELY, THIS WILL HELP US MOVE TO A, A MORE CARBON FREE ENVIRONMENT, SO WE HOPE YOU WILL ALL SUPPORT THAT.

AS A SIDE NOTE ON THIS BEING LEAP DATE, I, UH, IT WOULD BE MY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IF I HAD STAYED MARRIED , I MADE IT TO ONE .

AND, UH, THAT MIGHT SURPRISE SOME OF YOU, EITHER THAT IT DIDN'T LAST LONGER OR THAT IT LASTED THAT LONG, , BUT LEAP DAY ALWAYS HAS A, UH, A SPECIAL SPOT IN MY HEART.

UM, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU, UH, THE SPECIAL NOTICE YOU GAVE TO MR. PENA, A LONG TIME ADVOCATE AND, UH, SOME CONSIDERING A HERO HERE IN AUSTIN.

ANYWAY, HAPPY LEAP DAY.

PLEASE VOTE FOR 58, AND I WILL LEAP OUTTA HERE, I GUESS.

THANK YOU, MS. WHALE.

ANTHONY CARDONE SIGNED UP FOR 59, WHICH HAS BEEN PULLED.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SPEAK NOW, ANTHONY.

I'M THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 60.

PLEASE STATE THE NAME AGAIN.

ANTHONY CARDONE.

MR. CARDONE, IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE COME FORWARD OR YOU CAN SPEAK WHEN WE TAKE UP ITEM 59, WHICH HAS BEEN PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.

ALRIGHT.

PLEASE CALL US OTHER NAMES.

NEXT SPEAKER, ITEM 60, NICOLE CDO, FOLLOWED BY ZENOBIA JOSEPH FOR 63.

OH, SHE ALREADY SPOKE, MY APOLOGIES.

AND THEN ITEM 100 ON THE MERITS OF POSTPONEMENT, KATIE MARIE MARNER AND JACK BENEDICT.

IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED NICOLE CLIP, CLIP ALDO.

MY APOLOGIES.

KATIE MARIE MESNER AND JACK BENEDICT.

THANK YOU, PLEASE.

GOOD MORNING.

MY NAME IS NICOLE KLO.

[00:35:01]

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS ITEM AND YOUR COMMITMENT AND SUPPORT TO THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT AS A LOCAL CULTURAL DISTRICT AND STATE.

AND IT STRENGTHENS OUR ROLE AS A DEDICATED PARTNER AND EFFECTIVE STEWARD OF THE LIVE MUSIC AND ARTS COMMUNITY.

RIGHT NOW, RED RIVER STANDS AT THE FOREFRONT OF NUMEROUS TRANSFORMATIONS THAT REALLY COULD IMPACT SIGNIFICANT ASSETS THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO OUR BRAND AND CULTURE, AND IMPORTANTLY, OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.

OUR REQUEST IS THAT THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT RECEIVES FUNDING THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER TWO CULTURAL DISTRICTS, AND WE REALLY STRONGLY ADVOCATE FOR CITYWIDE POLICY, AIMING FOR EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF ALL DISTRICTS, AND A FAIR FUNDING MODEL.

THE EXPEDITED DELIVERY OF THE RESOLUTION ITEMS REGARDING INCENTIVES AND TOOLS ARE PRETTY CRITICAL TO OUR LIVE MUSIC ECONOMY AT THIS TIME.

UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING A PARTNER IN THIS OFFER, THE EX.

UH, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY OF SUPPORTING THIS ITEM AND EMPOWER YOU TO CONTINUE INVESTING THROUGH ACTION.

AND ALSO WANTED TO THANK THE PARTNERS OF THE SOUTHGATE LEWIS HOUSE AS RECOGNIZED IN THE PROCLAMATION TODAY.

THIS IS AN EXACT TYPE OF PROJECT THAT IS POWERFUL THROUGH CULTURAL DISTRICTS.

IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED AND THE MICROPHONE'S FREE, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.

HI, UH, MY NAME'S KATIE MARIE MARNER.

COOL.

PLEASE GO AHEAD.

UM, MY NAME'S KATIE MARIE MARNER.

UM, I WORK FOR YOUTUBE MUSIC IN AUSTIN, AND I'M A FORM AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE ALPHABET WORKERS UNION, CWA LOCAL 9,009.

AS MY COLLEAGUE CATALINA CRUZ MENTIONED EARLIER, OUR OFFICE IS COMPRISED OF ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, AND MUSIC AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

EVEN THOUGH WE WORK FOR TWO FORTUNE 100 COMPANIES, WE ARE PAID JUST $19 AN HOUR AT A JOB THAT REQUIRES A BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND THREE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.

EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM CAN AGREE THAT THAT IS NOT A LIVABLE WAGE IN THIS CITY UNTIL NINE 50 THIS MORNING.

I HAD A SPEECH WRITTEN OUT WHERE I INTENDED TO TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THE PASSAGE OF AGENDA ITEM 100 IS TO OUR UNION.

HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THAT YESTERDAY GOOGLE REACHED OUT TO MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL REQUESTING THAT THE VOTE ON AGENDA ITEM 100 BE DELAYED.

IN FACT, GOOGLE HAS ATTEMPTED TO DELAY BARGAINING WITH US AT EVERY TURN IN THIS CAMPAIGN, GOOGLE AND THEIR TRUMPED UP JONES DAY LAWYERS CAN TRY TO DELAY ALL THEY WANT, BUT WE WILL NOT STOP FIGHTING, AND WE WILL NOT STOP WINNING AS WE HAVE IN EVERY FIGHT WITH THEM.

THUS FAR, THE NLRB HAS RULED ON TWO OCCASIONS THAT THEY ARE JOINT EMPLOYERS OF ME AND MY COWORKERS, AND THAT THEY MUST BARGAIN WITH US.

INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING THE LAW, GOOGLE REFUSED TO BARGAIN WITH US, INSTEAD OPTING TO WASTE MORE OF OUR TIME TO HAVE THIS FIGHT IN THE DC CIRCUIT COURT.

FOR ITS PART, COGNIZANT ALSO HAS VIOLATED LABOR LAW BY REFUSING TO BARGAIN AND BY IMPLEMENTING VARIOUS UNION BUSTING POLICIES IN OUR OFFICE, SUCH AS THE CLEAN ROOM POLICY THAT LEAVES US UNABLE TO BRING OUR PHONES, PERSONAL COMPUTERS, PENS, OR PAPERS INTO THE OFFICE.

UNDER THIS NEW POLICY, OUR UNION IS NOT EVEN ABLE TO CIRCULATE PETITIONS IN THE WORKPLACE.

IF THE VOTE ON AGENDA ITEM 100 WAS DELAYED BECAUSE CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION, I ASK THAT EACH MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL REACHES OUT TO US, THE UNION, NOT GOOGLE EXECUTIVES WHO ARE NOT CONSTITUENTS OF YOURS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US.

WE WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING IN OUR WORKPLACE.

THIS PA THE PASSAGE OF THE YOUTUBE MUSIC RESOLUTION IS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT TO WORKERS AT YOUTUBE MUSIC, BUT TO ALL WORKERS IN AUSTIN FIGHTING FOR A FAIR UNION CONTRACT.

COUNCIL SUPPORT AND WE HAVE ALREADY WON.

THANK YOU, JACK BENEDICT.

CONFESS, I FEEL A LITTLE BIT UNDERDRESSED, BUT I WANTED TO REPRESENT OUR UNION.

UM, WE'RE A SMALL TEAM, BUT WE'RE VERY MIGHTY.

SO, YOU KNOW, I WORK FOR YOUTUBE MUSIC HERE IN AUSTIN.

PART OF THE ALPHABET WORK IS UNION, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COUNCIL AND SPECIFICALLY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE FOR SPONSORING THIS RESOLUTION AND ALL THE OTHER CO-SPONSORS.

IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE WE FIRST WENT ON STRIKE OVER OUR EMPLOYER'S RETURN TO OFFICE POLICY.

NOW, THIS ISN'T BECAUSE WE JUST DIDN'T WANNA GO INTO AN OFFICE, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT WAS A LAYOFF AGAINST A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR TEAM WHO DIDN'T LIVE IN THE AUSTIN AREA.

AGAIN.

IN SEPTEMBER, WE WENT ON STRIKE OVER OUR EMPLOYER'S REFUSAL TO BARGAIN WITH OUR UNION.

TO THIS DAY, THEY REFUSE TO COME TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE, AND GOOGLE STILL REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE US AS THEIR EMPLOYEES, EVEN AFTER COUNTLESS LOSSES IN COURT, WHICH SAY THE CONTRARY.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG FIGHT.

WE'VE HAD MANY VICTORIES, SUCH AS UNANIMOUSLY WINNING OUR UNION ELECTION AND HAVING THE NLRB DECLARE GOOGLE AND COGNIZANT AS JOINT EMPLOYERS.

BUT WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO.

WE ARE DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT THIS, UH, RESOLUTION HAS BEEN DELAYED.

UM, BUT WE CAN WAIT ANOTHER MONTH.

WE'VE BEEN IN THIS FIGHT FOR A LONG TIME, AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, WE HAVE THE

[00:40:01]

SO THE PASSING OF THIS RESOLUTION IS YET ANOTHER VICTORY AND ANOTHER STEP IN PRESSURING OUR EMPLOYERS TO COME TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE AND BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH.

THERE ARE LESS THAN 50 OF US AT YOUTUBE MUSIC, AND WE'RE TAKING ON TWO OF THE LARGEST CORPORATIONS IN THE WORLD.

SO TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ALSO OUR ALLIES IN THE LABOR COMMUNITY GIVE US THE MOTIVATION TO KEEP THIS FIGHT IN.

NOT TO DRIP, BUT THEY JUST LAID US ALL OFF.

OH, YEAH.

THEY, THEY JUST LAID US ALL OFF.

WE JUST, ALL, I GUESS WE JUST ALL GOT OFF.

OUR JOBS ARE ENDED TODAY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.

WOW.

UM, I'M SORRY, YOUR TIME'S EXPIRED, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THIS.

HAVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS, AS I PRE PREVIOUSLY INDICATED WITH ITEM NUMBER 59 BEING THE ONLY ONE THAT'S BEEN PULLED.

THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE CONSENT SPEAKERS.

I'M SORRY I DIDN'T HEAR YOU.

THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE CONSENT SPEAKERS.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MEMBERS.

UM, AS YOU JUST HEARD, THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE CONSENT SPEAKERS.

UM, WE

[Consent Agenda]

IS THERE ANY OTHER ITEM THAT ANY MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, UH, MAYOR, I DON'T NEED TO PULL IT, BUT I DO HAVE, UH, A SMALL AMENDMENT TO ITEM 66, WHICH I'VE DISTRIBUTED ON THE DS.

ITEM 66 IS REFERRED FROM A COUNCIL COMMITTEE.

SO IT'S NOT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

APOLOGIES.

NO PROBLEM.

ANY OTHER ITEMS TO BE PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALRIGHT, THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ.

COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER MOVES APPROVAL.

IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER MEMBERS.

IS THERE ANY ONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING FROM VOTING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT WAS READ? THANK YOU.

UM, THAT BEING THE CASE, ANY OBJECTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT WAS READ, IS ADOPTED, UM, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON OFF THE DAIS.

UH, MEMBERS I'LL NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER TO MAKE BRIEF COMMENTS FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALICE AND ALTER TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.

UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE BRIEF COMMENTS ON ITEM 58.

UH, AT OUR LAST MEETING, UH, WE PASSED THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN TO IDENTIFY NEW RESOURCES, UH, THAT ARE NEEDED TO ADDRESS OUR CLIMATE EMERGENCY.

AND WHILE THOSE INVESTMENTS ARE CERTAINLY NEEDED TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS, SO IS MAKING BETTER CHOICES WITH THE MONEY THAT WE ARE ALREADY SPENDING AS A CITY.

WE BUY GOODS AND SERVICES THAT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT, AND WE OWE IT TO AUSTINITES TO MINIMIZE THIS IMPACT.

BEING MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT OUR PURCHASING CHOICES WAS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AS A REAL WAY TO REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

THIS RESOLUTION TAKES THAT NEXT STEP BY USING OUR PURCHASING POWER TO PRIORITIZE SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS WHEREVER POSSIBLE, AND TO CREATE A MARKET FOR INDUSTRIES IN TRANSITION.

SINCE WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING AT ONCE, THIS RESOLUTION PRIORITIZES TWO AREAS, CONCRETE AND LAWN CARE EQUIPMENT DUE TO THEIR DISPROPORTIONATE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND COMMON USAGE BOTH BY THE CITY AND OTHER CONTRACTORS IN OUR REGION.

IT BUILDS ON THE GREAT WORK DONE BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND CALLING ATTENTION TO THE CLIMATE IMPACTS OF CONCRETE AND RECOGNIZES THAT GAS POWERED LAWN CARE EQUIPMENT POLLUTES OUR AIR AND CAUSES ASTHMA OR OTHER RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES.

SO ON THIS FEBRUARY 29TH, I AM GLAD WE ARE TAKING THIS LEAP TO ENSURING OUR CONTRACTING DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT WITH THE LOWEST ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.

AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK, UH, MY CO-SPONSORS, MAYOR PRO TEM POOL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES ELLIS AND ALISON ALTER.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.

AND MAKING SURE, UM, THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THIS IN AN EQUITABLE WAY AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RIGHT SIZED FOR THE FUTURE TO COME.

COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALICE AND ALTER.

THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION, MAYOR.

I WANTED TO CALL ATTENTION TO ITEM NUMBER 41.

THIS CONTRACT IS FOR THE, THE CREATION OF A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

THEY'RE REFERRING TO AS RAIN TO RIVER.

THE CURRENT WATERSHED PROTECTION STRATEGIC PLAN WAS ORIGINALLY ADOPTED IN 2001 AND HAS GUIDED MOST OF THE PROGRAM'S, LARGE SCALE PROJECTS AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR 20 YEARS.

SO THE 2001 PLAN DOES NOT ADDRESS CURRENT MAJOR CHALLENGES WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND RACIAL INEQUITIES.

AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE STAFF'S FORWARD THINKING INTO MAKING SURE THAT OUR, OUR PROGRAMS AND OUR POLICIES ARE CONTINUALLY BEING RIGHT SIZED FOR IMPACTS TO THE COMMUNITY

[00:45:01]

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS ITEM GETTING MOVING TODAY.

COUNCIL MEMBER MEMBERS, BEFORE I GO TO THE NEXT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TO SPEAK WITH REGARD TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON WAS TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAES.

UH, SHE IS ASKED THAT SHE BE SHOWN VOTING IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT WAS READ, HER VOTE BEING ADDED WILL NOT CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE.

I, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION SHOW COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON BEING SHOWN VOTING IN FAVOR.

IS THERE A SECOND? A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO SHOW HER AS VOTING IN FAVOR.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON BEING SHOWN VOTING IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT WAS READ? NO.

WITHOUT OBJECTION, SHE'LL BE SHOWN.

VOTING IN FAVOR.

COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, YOU'LL BE RECOGNIZED FOR REMARKS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.

AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.

UH, COULD COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MAYOR COULD COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER GO.

AND THEN WE JUST SWITCH THIS UP.

I GO RIGHT AFTER.

SURE.

COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER.

UM, I HOPE YOU'RE READY, .

I, YEAH, I FIGURED.

YOU'RE, UM, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

I WANNA BRIEFLY TO ITEM 38, WHICH EXTENDS OUR CONTRACT WITH OUR EXTERNAL PARTNER WHO HANDLES OUR DNA TESTING.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONTRACT, AND IT HAS MY FULL SUPPORT, BUT I DO WANNA DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO SOME OF THE RELATED NEEDS THAT MAKE OUR DNA TESTING RELEVANT.

THE FORENSIC EXAMS, AS MS. IGER IS THE CO-CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE AND RESOURCE TEAM.

SART MENTIONED DATA FOR 2023, SHOW THAT 144 SURVIVORS WERE TURNED AWAY WHILE ANOTHER 56 EXPERIENCED LONG WAIT TIMES.

WE NEED TO ADEQUATELY FUND THE SALARIES FOR THE NURSING POSITIONS THAT HANDLE THESE EXAMS SO THAT WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE TO PROVIDE HEALING AND JUSTICE FOR SURVIVORS WITHOUT ADEQUATE FUNDING.

THE SALARIES ARE UNCOMPETITIVE AND APPEAR TO RESULT IN STAFFING CHALLENGES, WHICH MEANS PEOPLE LEAVE WITHOUT A FORENSIC EXAM.

THIS IS ONE OF MANY ONGOING INVESTMENTS WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE IN ORDER TO MAKE GOOD ON THE PROMISES THE CITY HAS MADE TO SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS.

I AM AWARE OF A NUMBER OF OTHER RELATED FUNDING NEEDS FOR ONGOING TRAINING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, AND DETECTIVE STAFFING IN THE SAME AREA.

TO THAT END, I AM WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ TO BRING A RESOLUTION IN APRIL, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY FUNDING FOR THESE NEEDS IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

AND I INVITE ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH US ON THIS ISSUE TO LET MY OFFICE OR COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ OFFICES KNOW AND WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE NOT ADOPT OUR NEXT BUDGET, THAT WE ESTABLISH ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR THESE NEEDS, WHICH WE HAVE PROMISED THESE SURVIVORS.

I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ FOR WORKING WITH ME ON THIS, ALONG WITH OUR A PD STAFF, OUR C-S-C-R-M, MS. EGGERS SAFE, AND ALL THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SART FOR THEIR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO THIS WORK.

I ALSO, COLLEAGUES WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ITEM 52, WHICH IS AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO SUPPORT HOME-BASED CHILDCARE PROVIDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THESE SMALL BUSINESSES, WHICH ARE PRIMARILY OWNED AND OPERATED BY WOMEN AND WOMEN OF COLOR, PROVIDE A CRITICAL RESOURCE TO WORKING FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY FOR FAMILIES WHO WORK SHIFT WORK, WHO WORK IN THE EARLY HOURS OR LATE EVENINGS, OR WHO SEE WHO ARE SEEKING CULTURALLY COMPETENT CHILDCARE IN THE LANGUAGES THAT THEY SPEAK AT HOME.

I WANNA EXTEND MY THANKS TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR THE PURSUIT OF THIS GRANT AND THIS OPPORTUNITY, AND THIS WORK IS GOING TO ALIGN VERY NICELY WITH AN EFFORT I AND OTHER COLLEAGUES ON THEAS AND WITH THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN PURSUING.

AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING MORE INFORMATION ON THAT WITH YOU SOON.

LASTLY, AS A REMINDER, WE ARE STILL AWAITING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER AS TO HOW WE CAN PROVIDE TAX LEAVE TO HOME-BASED PROVIDERS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE PROVIDED, UM, THROUGH PROPOSITION TO, UM, IN JANUARY.

THIS WORK IS STILL ON TRACK TO COME BACK TO US IN MAY, AND I, AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU LOOK FORWARD TO PROVIDING FINANCIAL RELIEF TO THESE PROVIDERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.

GREAT.

GUESSED AT RED RIVER, UH, FROM FOURTH TO 15TH STREET IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.

UM, I, I WANNA QUICKLY TALK ABOUT ITEM 100, WHICH WE HAD, UH, PULLED.

AND, UH, I, I DO THANK ALL THE SPEAKERS WHO HAD COME IN PERSON AND THE INDIVIDUAL WHO SPOKEN, WHO SPOKE VIRTUALLY.

I MEAN, I JUST WANNA SAY SHAME ON GOOGLE FOR FIRING WORKERS THAT WORKED REALLY HARD, UH, THAT WERE UNDERPAID, THAT WERE TREATED BADLY, THAT ACTED IN GOOD FAITH.

UH, AND THEN WERE LET GO, UH, THIS MORNING.

UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT.

UM, I, I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT ITEM 60 MORE IN LENGTH THAT WAS ABLE TO PASS, UH, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

UH, I'M HONORED TO BRING THE RESOLUTION CALLING FOR CITY SUPPORT, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.

UH, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU DON'T, WHO DON'T KNOW, UH, RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT IS AN 11 BLOCK STRETCH ON, UH, YOU

[00:50:01]

UH, AND BROADLY FOR A FRAMEWORK THAT RECOMMENDS HOW WE CAN SUPPORT ALL OUR UNIQUE CULTURAL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

AS I MENTIONED AT A PREVIOUS MEETING, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING AROUND THIS ISSUE.

NOT ONLY IS THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT A CRITICAL PART OF AUSTIN'S VIBRANT, UH, CULTURAL MUSIC AND ART SCENE, BUT IT ALSO HAS A SIZABLE ROLE IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

IT IS A CR, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE FIND A WAY TO SUPPORT THEM AND ALL OUR CULTURAL ARTS AND HERITAGE DISTRICTS.

UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE IN PLACES THAT MAKE AUSTIN THE CITY THAT WE, THAT SO MANY OF US CALL HOME.

AND BY MAKING INVEST INVESTMENTS INTO OUR CULTURAL ARTS AND MUSIC COMMUNITY, WE CAN TRULY LIVE UP TO OUR TITLE AS A LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

UH, I WANT TO THANK THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF FOR ALL THEIR WORK ON THIS.

UH, I AGREE I GREATLY APPRECIATE THEIR TIME AND EFFORT.

I ALSO WANNA THANK MY CO-SPONSORS, MAYOR WATSON, MAYOR PROTIME POOL COUNCIL FUENTES AND COUNCILLOR RYAN ALTER FOR THEIR COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT.

UH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS WORK AND CHECKING THROUGHOUT THE P PROCESS UNTIL ADEQUATE FUNDING AND SUPPORT IS, IS, UH, ALLOCATED, UH, TO THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.

UH, AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT, IT'S NOT ONLY THE CULTURAL DISTRICT, UH, AND ITS PHYSICAL BEING, UH, BUT ALSO THE CREATIVES WHO CALL AUSTIN HOME CREATIVES, WHO WOR, WHO WORRY ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING AND WORKING IN AUSTIN.

UH, THIS ITEMS FOR THEM.

COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.

UH, ARE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO ALSO PAY SOME ATTENTION TO AND GIVE SOME HIGHLIGHT TO SOLAR ENERGY COMING TO FRUITION ON MULTIPLE FRONTS.

I APPRECIATE IT.

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, SHOWING ME AS VOTING YES ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

I WANTED TO CATCH THE, UM, GOOGLE FORMER EMPLOYEE, UM, BEFORE SHE LEFT THE BUILDING.

UM, I, I HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS THAT I'M JUST GONNA, UM, BE ECHOING WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY SAID ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE EXCITED TO BE, UM, TO BE SEEING ON THERE.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY, UM, AS WE CLOSE OUT BLACK HISTORY MONTH, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF REALLY COOL OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY.

UH, THIS MORNING THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF THAT.

WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH BLACK EXECUTIVES, UM, ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND I FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DISCOVERED DURING THE COURSE OF US, UH, UH, TALKING THIS MORNING WAS THAT IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.

UM, THERE WERE FOLKS IN THAT ROOM THAT HAVE WORKED FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR 30 YEARS AND NOT ONE BLOOD HISTORY MONTH THAT WE TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEM ALL TOGETHER AND SAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO AUSTIN AT LARGE.

UM, AND FOR BEING REALLY AWESOME EXAMPLES OF BLACK EXCELLENCE HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

SO, I'M GLAD THAT WE GOT IT STARTED.

MY HOPE IS THAT WE CONTINUE IT.

UM, AND SO THAT WAS ONE THING THAT WE GOT TO DO THIS MORNING THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.

WE ALSO GOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE'S A HOUSE.

IT'S AT THE CORNER OF 12TH AND KOMAL.

UM, YOU PROBABLY HAVE PASSED BY IT.

IF YOU'VE EVER GONE EASTBOUND ON 12TH STREET, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

UM, IT'S CALLED THE SOUTH GATE LOUIS HOUSE.

IT'S OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.

AND IT WAS, UH, UH, SWEDISH FOLKS LIVED THERE BACK, YOU KNOW, HENCE THE NAME SWEET HILL BACK WHEN THAT AREA WAS, UH, WAS PRIMARILY SWEDISH FOLKS.

AND THEN IT, IT CHANGED HANDS AS THE COMMUNITY CHANGED HANDS.

AND WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE, UH, 1928 MASTER PLAN THAT REALLY SORT OF SEMI PERMANENTLY ASSIGNED, UH, PEOPLE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN DESCENT HOME ON, ON THE EAST SIDE OF I 35.

UM, AND SO IT STANDS AS A PILLAR IN THE COMMUNITY.

YOU'VE PASSED BY IT.

IT HAS THE BANNERS ON THE OUTSIDE OF, UH, INFLUENTIAL BLACK FOLKS THROUGHOUT HISTORY.

UM, BUT YOU'VE NEVER BEEN INSIDE MORE, UH, MORE THAN LIKELY.

UM, AND SO MY HOPE IS THAT AS WE START TO PAY ATTENTION TO PLACES AND SPACES LIKE THAT HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, MORE PEOPLE GET TO REALLY GET FAMILIAR, UM, WITH YOUR CITY AND, AND GYMS LIKE IT.

UM, SO THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, UH, AS WE HAVE, UH, PLACED SOME SPOTLIGHTS ON DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, IT HAS REALLY BEEN A GREAT REMINDER THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED AND RECOGNIZED.

UM, IT, I, I KIND OF WISH THAT THERE WAS A PRIZE ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING ACKNOWLEDGED THEM.

'CAUSE ALL THE COMMENTS, UH, EVERYBODY'S SO EXCITED, CONGRATULATIONS, THAT WAS MY TEACHER.

OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE THING IS, IT'S, ESPECIALLY DURING A POLITICAL CLIMATE LIKE THE ONE WE'RE IN, IT IS REALLY REFRESHING TO SEE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY JUST APPRECIATE BEING SEEN AND VALIDATED IN THEIR EFFORTS BEING APPRECIATED AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATING THEM AS WELL.

IT WAS, UM, IT WAS A REALLY LOVELY WAY TO CELEBRATE BLACKISH HISTORY MONTHS AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF, UH, OF BLACK FOLKS, UH, TO THIS COUNTRY.

UH, I'D LIKE TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO PART STAFF AND ANY MEMBERS, ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO GOT ORGANIZED FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS AND CELEBRATIONS.

UM, IT'S BEEN AN EXCITING MONTH FOR THE DISTRICT ONE OFFICE AND THE DILIGENCE AND HARD WORK OF OUR CITY STAFF AND, UM, STAKEHOLDERS, UH, ON SOME OF THE ITEMS ON THIS CONSENT AGENDA,

[00:55:01]

I REMEMBER HAVING BEEN APPOINTED TO THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION SEVERAL YEARS BACK, PRECO.

UM, AND ONE OF THE FIRST CONVERSATIONS WE HAD WAS WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO HAVE SOLAR ON INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.

UM, AND THE FACT THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, IS STILL SORT OF LIKE A PRELIMINARY CONVERSATION MEANS THAT JUST LIKE YOU ALL THINK, EVERYTHING GOES REAL SLOW ONCE YOU INTRODUCE A BUREAU BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEM LIKE THIS ONE.

SO SEEING IT COME TO FRUITION ACTUALLY IS, UM, PROGRESS.

AND SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.

AND MY HOPE IS THAT, UM, THIS KIND OF PROGRAMMATIC EFFORT THAT WE APPLY IT TO MORE DEVELOPMENTS.

I MEAN, EVERY TIME I FLY BACK INTO AUSTIN FROM SOMEPLACE, I CAN'T HELP BUT LOOK DOWN AND WONDER WHAT IT WOULD, WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF THOSE ROOFS WERE COVERED IN SOLAR PANELS OR GARDENS.

UM, JUST SOMETHING HAS TO BE NOT RIGHT ABOUT THAT MUCH CEMENT, , UH, JUST SITTING THERE DOING NOTHING.

SO MY HOPE IS THAT THIS IS A PART OF A BROADER CONVERSATION.

AND THEN LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS MY EXCITEMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER 60, UM, THE EQUITABLE FUNDING FOR THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT AND OUR CONTINUED PROGRESS IN THE LIVE MUSIC AND CULTURAL ART SPACES.

COUNCIL MEMBER KADRI, I'D LIKE, I'D LOVE TO, UM, SORT OF ECHO YOUR SUPPORT AND OFFER OUR AS WELL CONTINUED SUPPORT IN THE AREA.

I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE SUPPORT EACH OF OUR CULTURAL AND HERITAGE DISTRICTS, UM, IN AN EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE MATTER, UM, MANNER.

I, I THINK THAT ALSO RE HAS TO REMIND US HISTORICALLY HOW WE, UH, PRIORITIZE INVESTMENTS IN THE CITY.

I HOPE THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACROSS THIS SPACE FEEL WELCOME TO THE TABLE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH PUBLIC SUPPORT AND MOMENTUM BEHIND THE RETURN OF BLUES ON THE GREEN.

I THINK IT'S A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO CONTINUE WITH THAT ENERGY AND SUPPORT OUR ENTIRE LIVE MUSIC AND ARTS ECOSYSTEMS. SO REALLY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT MOMENTUM.

I JUST WANTED TO, UH, UH, ASK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY, UH, IF I COULD BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR TO HIS, UH, ITEM 100.

YEP.

OH.

UM, ITEM A HUNDRED.

A HUNDRED, WHICH HAS BEEN POSTPONED.

SO YES, WITHOUT OBJECTION, COUNCIL MEMBER AVAIL WILL BE SHOWN AS A CO-SPONSOR OF THAT ITEM.

COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.

YEAH.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE ITEM HAS BEEN POSTPONED.

WHILE I'M DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN ABOUT THE POSTPONEMENT, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA ALSO EXPRESS MY SOLIDARITY WITH THE, UH, YOUTUBE WORKERS THAT WERE WITH US THIS MORNING, SHARING THEIR, THEIR THOUGHTS.

AND, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE AS A COUNCIL, AS COMMUNITY LEADERS, THAT WE STAND STRONG WITH WORKERS HERE IN AUSTIN AS THEY FIGHT FOR A LIVABLE WAGE, AS THEY FIGHT FOR A FAIR WORKING CONDITIONS AND STANDARDS.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT AND, UH, AND SHAME ON GOOGLE FOR WHAT THEY DID THIS MORNING AND LAYING OFF THE TEAM.

UH, BUT HERE IN AUSTIN, WE STAND IN SUPPORT OF OUR WORKERS.

OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.

COUNCIL MEMBERS, THOSE ARE ALL THE, UH, MEMBERS THAT HAVE INDICATED THEY WISH TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.

WITHOUT OBJECTION.

WE WILL RECESS THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT 10:58 AM WITHOUT OBJECTION.

WE'RE IN RECESS.

UH, I'LL NOW CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING

[10:30 AM - Austin Housing and Finance Corporation Meeting]

IT'S 10 58 ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH.

WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESENT.

WE ARE MEETING AT CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS IN CITY HALL AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET.

I'LL RECOGNIZE STAFF TO DISCUSS THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR A HFC.

GOOD MORNING, UH, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

MY NAME IS JAMIE MAY.

I AM THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.

I'M HERE TODAY TO, UH, PRESENT YOUR AGENDA FOR THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING.

UH, UNLIKE PREVIOUS MEETINGS, THIS IS GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.

UH, WE HAVE, UH, $50 MILLION OF, UH, AWARDS, UH, TO GO OVER.

AND, UH, THAT EQUATES TO APPROXIMATELY 1000 NEW OR PRESERVED AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, UH, IN THE CITY.

WE WERE ALSO, UH, RECOMMENDING AWARDING, UH, DEVELOPMENTS IN SIX DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS.

THAT'S COUNCIL DISTRICTS 1, 2, 3, AND 7, 8, 9.

UM, I'LL GO OVER THE, UH, NINE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AWARDS.

UH, FIRST, THE FIRST ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA IS TO APPROVE THE MEETINGS FROM JANUARY 18TH.

APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM JANUARY 18TH.

THE SECOND ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA IS, UH, FOR THE FUNDING OF B'S, UH, SORRY, FUNDING OF, UH, BALCONES TERRACE.

UH, THIS IS LOCATED IN DISTRICT SEVEN.

IT IS TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL $1.5 MILLION IN CDBG FUNDS OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS, UH, TO SUPPORT THE 123 UNITS UNDER DEVELOPMENT.

[01:00:01]

CURRENTLY, THAT IS 123 UNITS, UH, DEDICATED TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

50 OF THOSE UNITS HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.

SECOND, YOU HAVE A SQUA, UH, MON CARE POINT AT MONTOPOLIS.

SORRY.

UH, CARE POINT AT MONIS IS LOCATED IN DISTRICT THREE.

WE ARE RECOMMENDING A $6 MILLION AWARD IN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR THIS PROPERTY.

IT IS 150 UNITS OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

50 UNITS OF THAT, UH, DEVELOPMENT HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.

THE LAN NOVELLA, UH, NUEVA, UH, PROPERTY LOCATED IN DISTRICT THREE, UH, IS, UH, ALSO BEING, UH, RECOMMENDED FOR $9.7 MILLION.

UH, THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT, UH, SPONSORED BY GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

IT IS A, UH, 114 UNIT PROPERTY, 20 UNITS BELOW 30%, AND 66 UNITS BELOW 50% MFI.

NEXT WE HAVE THE MARY LEE SQUARE, UH, WHICH IS A PROPERTY LOCATED IN DISTRICT NINE.

UH, THIS IS MULTIPLE DEVELOPMENTS, UH, ON A CIRCLE.

UH, IT'S JUST SOUTH OF THE, UH, ALAMO ON SOUTH LAMAR.

UH, THIS IS A, UH, APPLICATION TO, UH, APPROVE SUBS, UH, SUBSIDY FOR THE APP FOR THE ACQUISITION OF THE PROPERTY BY FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.

UM, OF THE MULTIPLE DEVELOPMENTS ON SITE 88 UNITS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR 30% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.

64 UNITS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR 50% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.

NEXT WE HAVE REAL GARDENS, WHICH IS A CONSTRUCTION, A NEW CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT LOCATED IN DISTRICT ONE.

UH, THIS IS TO FUND 60 UNITS OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UH, SPONSORED BY CAPITAL A HOUSING, UH, AND FAMILY ELDER CARE.

UH, THE UNIT MIX WILL BE 35 UNITS BELOW 30% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, TWO UNITS BELOW 40% MEDIAN INCOME, AND 23 UNITS BELOW 50%.

THIS IS A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

SEABROOK SQUARE TWO IS ALSO A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WITH 60 UNITS ALL DEDICATED TO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.

THIS IS A GROUND LEASE BY THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION TO INTEGRAL CARE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROPERTY.

UH, CURRENTLY, UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING APPROXIMATELY $5.18 MILLION IN DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS, UM, AND $1 MILLION IN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.

UH, THIS WILL BE, AGAIN, 60, UH, UNITS OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, ALL AVAILABLE BELOW 30% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.

NEXT WE HAVE SUNSET RIDGE, WHICH IS LOCATED IN DISTRICT EIGHT.

UH, THIS WAS, UH, APPROVED FOR $8.8 MILLION IN, IN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, UH, SORRY.

WE ARE RECOMMENDING $8.8 MILLION IN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.

UH, FUNDING WILL GO TOWARD, UH, 221 MIN, UH, MULTIFAMILY UNITS.

UH, THAT IS 100 UNITS AFFORDABLE BELOW, UH, 50% MFI 60 UNITS BELOW, UH, SORRY, 76 UNITS BELOW 60% MFI AND 45 UNITS BELOW 80% MFI.

NEXT WE HAVE 5,900 SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY.

THIS IS ALSO A GROUND LEASE FROM THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.

UH, THIS IS IN DISTRICT TWO WHERE WE WILL, UH, CONSTRUCT 74 UNIT MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

UH, THIS IS 19 UNITS, UH, AFFORDABLE BELOW 30% MFI AND THE BALANCE OF 55 UNITS AFFORDABLE BELOW 55%.

UH, MFI, UH, THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH STRUCTURED DEVELOPMENT AND JCM VENTURES.

NEXT WE HAVE G-N-Z-G-S-N-Z SEVEN ACRES WEST.

THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT FROM BY OUR FORENSIC GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

UH, THIS IS THE GUADALUPE SALANA NET ZERO NEIGHBORHOOD.

THEY'RE ADDING SEVEN ADDITIONAL ACRES TO THAT PROPERTY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF NINE, UH, NEW OWNERSHIP UNITS, UH, WITHIN THE 51 OWNERSHIP UNIT PROJECT, UH, 14 OF THE 51 UNITS ARE AFFORDABLE BELOW 60% MFI FOR OWNERSHIP, AND 37 OF THE UNITS ARE AFFORDABLE BELOW 80% MFI FOR OWNERSHIP, THOSE ARE THE, ALL OF THE UNITS, UH, BEING BROUGHT ONLINE.

I'LL NOTE THAT THERE ARE, UH, ALMOST 400 PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS OR UNITS DEDICATED TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

THERE ARE 220, UH, UNITS OF THAT THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.

AND AGAIN, OVER A THOUSAND UNITS BEING SUPPORTED, UH, THROUGH THIS ACTION TODAY, TODAY, BRINGING IN 50, UH, MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF REPORTS OF SUPPORT.

I'LL ALSO NOTE IN THE, IN THIS ROUND, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY $110 MILLION WORTH OF REQUESTS.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE FUNDED EVERYBODY, BUT OUR POCKETS ARE ONLY SO DEEP.

UH, THE FINAL ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA IS AN EXTENSION FOR A CONTRACT WITH CAPITAL IMPACT PARTNERS.

WE RECENTLY HELD A SMALL DEVELOPER TRAINING PROGRAM, UH, THIS EXTENSION FOUR TIMES SO THAT WE CAN PAY OUT, UH, THE BALANCE OF, UH, THEIR DRAW REQUESTS.

AND I OFFER ALL OF THESE ITEMS ON CONSENT QUESTIONS OF, OF STAFF BEFORE WE GO TO SPEAKERS.

UH, DAY THAT WE'RE HAVING, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE VOTE ON THIS IN A MINUTE.

UH, AND I'LL JUST, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT HOW BIG A DEAL WE'RE GETTING READY TO, TO DO SO.

UM, AND I MEAN THAT IN A POSITIVE WAY.

IT'S A BIG POSITIVE,

[01:05:01]

BUT LET'S GO TO THE SPEAKERS AND I'LL, UH, GO TO THE CITY CLERK TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS ON THESE ITEMS. YES, MAYOR, WE HAVE ONE REMOTE SPEAKER.

ZENOBIA JOSEPH.

ITEM 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, AND NINE.

MS. JOSEPH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.

COUNSEL, I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH.

MY COMMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO, UH, THE ITEMS IN GENERAL, UM, THAT THE CLERK MENTIONED.

I WILL JUST POINT OUT THAT ON ITEM THREE, THE CASINO GROUP, THEY, THAT DEVELOPER WAS ACTUALLY DISINGENUOUS WHEN, UH, HE CONSTRUCTED 1934 AS FERAL RUTLANDS.

I WANT YOU TO USE THAT AS YOUR BASE.

THERE'S 171 UNITS THERE, 101 OF THOSE UNITS ARE ACTUALLY 30% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.

NONE OF THE ITEMS ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY HAVE 100 VOUCHER, UH, HOLDERS THAT WILL BE OCCUPYING THE UNITS THAT YOU'RE APPROVING.

I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT CAPITAL METRO UNILATERALLY ELIMINATED TWO 40 RUTLAND JUNE 3RD, 2018 WHEN THEY PASSED CAP REMAP.

I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL THAT WHEN YOU ARE PLACING, UH, UNITS NEAR ROBUST TRANSIT, LIKE REAL GARDENS, THERE'S ACTUALLY ONLY 35 OF THE 60 UNITS THAT ARE 30% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.

AND SO I'VE ASKED MANDY DE MAYO TO GIVE YOU AN OVERLAY SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE DENSITY AND THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME SIMULTANEOUSLY.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN UH, DISTRICT EIGHT SPECIFICALLY, YOU HAVE 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME, 99 YEAR LEASE, UM, THROUGH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND THE UNITS YOU'RE APPROVING TODAY DON'T HAVE 30% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.

I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, THE TRANSPORTATION IS DISCONNECTED NORTH OF US, 180 3 AND IN THE AREAS WHERE YOU HAVE ROBUST TRANSPORTATION, UM, SPECIFICALLY, UH, THE ON TOPLESS AREA, YOU DO HAVE A MIX OF UNITS, UM, IN THAT AREA.

AND I DO APPRECIATE SEEING THAT WITH THAT GROUP, UH, PROPERTY FOR KAREN POINT, BUT THAT IS NOT THE REALITY.

NORTH OF US 180 3, THERE ARE 1,194 UNITS RIGHT AT YEAGER AND TECH RIDGE BOULEVARD, AND THERE ARE NO SHELTERS FOR OUR THANK.

THANK YOU MS. JOSEPH, CHANCE OF DEPENDENT MINORITIES THAT ARE CATCHING THE BUS.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.

THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS.

WE HAVE MEMBERS.

THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.

UH, YOU HAVE HEARD THE CONSENT AGENDA.

IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA IS READ, MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER, I MEAN BOARD MEMBER FUENTES, SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER ELLIS.

UH, LET ME ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING FROM ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN AS RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING? NO.

COUNCIL MEMBER MAY YES.

PLEASE SHOW ME AS VOTING NO ON A HFC.

DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THE ITEMS, I'LL, WE, WE CAN PASS THE CONSENT IF, IF THE CONSENT AGENDA PASSES, I WILL THEN ASK FOR ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT ANYBODY WISHES TO SAY AT THIS POINT WITHOUT OBJECTION? I'M SORRY.

COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, UM, THIS IS NOT ON THIS AGENDA PER SE, BUT I WOULD JUST REALLY LIKE US TO BE MAKING OUR REMARKS BEFORE WE VOTE, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE COULD ADOPT THAT.

DO YOU HAVE REMARKS? I DON'T ON THIS ONE, BUT I JUST FOR GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT FEELS MORE COMFORTABLE TO MAKE THE REMARKS BEFORE WE VOTE.

THAT'S WHY I ASK YOU IF THERE WAS ANY DISCUSSION.

AND HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE HAVE PASSED AND ADOPTED THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, WITH BOARD MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN VOTING NO.

ON ITEM NUMBER TWO, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES THE CHAIR, UH, BOARD MEMBER FUENTES, THE CHAIR WILL RECOGNIZE YOU.

IT, YOU HAD INDICATED THAT YOU WANTED TO BE RECOGNIZED.

COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ.

COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY, DO YOU WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED? UH, ONCE WE GO BACK INTO THE COUNCIL MEETING? OKAY, FAIR ENOUGH.

ANYONE WISHING TO BE RECOGNIZED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION? YES.

UH, MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU.

UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW EXCITED I AM SO MANY OF THESE PROJECTS ARE COMING TO DISTRICT THREE.

UH, AN AREA HIT VERY HARD BY GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT, SO THANK Y'ALL.

UH, 220 OF WHICH ARE INVOLVING THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.

ANYTHING ELSE? AGAIN, LET ME JUST HIGHLIGHT ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UM, AND, AND THANK STAFF FOR THIS, UH, ANY TIME THAT WE ARE VOTING, UH, AS A BOARD ON $50 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS THAT WILL RESULT IN GREATER THAN A THOUSAND UNITS.

UH, FOUR, APPROXIMATELY 400 OF WHICH ARE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING,

[01:10:01]

UH, AND IT INVOLVES SIX DISTRICTS.

UH, THAT IS SOMETHING FOR US TO BE PROUD OF AS, AS A CITY.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO STAFF AND FOR THE, FOR THE HARD WORK ON THAT AND TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

UH, WITH THAT, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION IS ADJOURNED AT 1110.

I'LL NOW CALL BACK TO ORDER AT 11:10 AM THE, UH, REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.

WE HAVE ONE PULLED ITEM THAT WAS PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND THAT IS ITEM NUMBER 59.

THE CHAIR WILL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.

COULD I MAKE MY COMMENT NOW OR SHOULD I WAIT UNTIL THIS? WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT RELATED TO? SO, SO IN LIGHT OF THE EVENTS THAT THAT HAPPENED EARLIER TODAY, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER THE POSTPONEMENT OF ITEM 100.

UM, LEMME COME BACK TO THAT IF YOU

[59. Approve a resolution to establish Austin as a recognized soccer city and directing the City Manager to analyze challenges and needs in soccer field development and soccer programming and to provide recommendations.]

DON'T MIND.

LET'S GET, GET ITEM 59.

UH, I WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES ON ITEM NUMBER 59.

THANKS, MAYOR.

COLLEAGUES, ITEM 59 IS, UH, WHICH I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT BECAUSE IT CAME ABOUT FROM COMMUNITY ADVOCACY FROM MY COMMUNITY.

I HEARD FROM ORLANDO WHO I THINK MIGHT BE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, TODAY.

THERE YOU GO TO SEE ORLANDO.

UM, HE APPROACHED ME AND STARTED TALKING TO ME ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH AVAILABLE PUBLIC PLACES FOR OUR KIDS TO PLAY SOCCER IN ADDITION TO A NUMBER OF OTHER YOUTH ACTIVITIES.

AND, UM, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THIS COMMENT.

I'VE HEARD FROM PARENTS, FROM CHILDREN THEMSELVES, FROM LEAGUES, UM, YOU NAME IT, ABOUT THE LACK OF ACCESS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY.

AND, UH, I WAS ABLE TO CONVENE A ROUND TABLE OF, OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS ASSOCIATED WITH, WITH SOCCER.

AND, UH, AGAIN, THE, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT I HEARD TIME AND TIME AGAIN IS JUST THE LACK OF PUBLIC PLACES, UH, THAT WE HAVE FOR, FOR OUR FAMILIES.

IN FACT, FOR A CITY OF NEARLY A MILLION, WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 10 PUBLICLY AVAILABLE SOCCER FIELDS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.

10 WITH ABOUT FIVE OTHER THAT ARE IN, UH, PARTNERSHIP.

AND SO REALLY THIS IS ABOUT CREATING A PIPELINE.

I ENVISION ONE DAY THAT WE HAVE, UH, ONE OF OUR KIDS GOING THROUGH OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT CAN HAVE THAT PIPELINE AND BECOME AN AUSTIN FC PLAYER ONE DAY.

AND, AND SO I THINK THIS IS A FIRST STEP IN BUILDING AN ECOSYSTEM OF SOCCER WITH MANY STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE AT THE TABLE, WHO I WILL THINK HERE, UM, ONCE WE CONSIDER THE RESOLUTION.

GREAT.

TO GET BACK TO MAINTENANCE LEVELS OF 2014.

COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES MOVES ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER 59.

IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.

UM, MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON HAS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ITEM NUMBER 59.

YOU, IT'S BEEN, UH, PROVIDED TO YOU.

IT'S LABELED IN HM, AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE.

UH, AND YOU HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU.

I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, ON HER PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

I, I SHOULD START BY SAYING THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FEZ FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP HERE.

IT IS EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT, AND I THINK AS WE BECOME A PROPER SOCCER CITY, UM, IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO GO AHEAD AND PREEMPTIVELY GET THAT ECOSYSTEM REALLY, UM, FORTIFIED AND SUPPORTED.

SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.

UM, MY POTENTIAL AMENDMENT, AND I I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU ASSUME IT'S FRIENDLY, UM, IS ESSENTIALLY IN RESPONSE TO, UM, HAVING HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH FACILITIES MANAGERS AND PEOPLE WHOSE, UM, WHOSE, UH, CHILDREN PLAY SOCCER.

UM, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT, UH, SOME OF OUR SOCCER FIELDS ARE, ARE LESS THAN IDEAL, UM, WHICH CAN BE A PROBLEM FOR CAUSING INJURY, UM, AND DISRUPTING THE GAME, FRANKLY.

SO THE ONE THING I WANTED TO BRING IS THIS ITEM THAT SAYS, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED.

THE CITY MANAGERS DIRECTED TO ENSURE THAT ANY FUTURE SOCCER FIELD DEVELOPMENT, UM, IS CONSIDERATE OF AND BALANCED WITH EXISTING NEEDS FOR PARK IMPROVEMENTS.

SO ESSENTIALLY THAT'S ME SAYING I DON'T WANT US TO BRING NEW SOCCER FIELDS IF WE'RE NOT MAINTAINING THE ONES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.

AND SO MY HOPE IS THAT WE HAVE SOME SYSTEM TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY'RE HAPPENING, HAPPENING, UM, UH, ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER.

COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON MOVES ADOPTION OF HARPER MADISON AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE.

IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR DISCUSSION ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT? THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, UH, BRINGING FORWARD HER AMENDMENT AND YOUR COMMENTS.

UM, YOU KNOW, RAISE AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WITH MY OFFICE WITH PAR AND THE BUDGET OFFICE.

UM, SO WE HAVE BEEN INVESTING, UM, IN PARK AMENITIES AND IN PARKS, UM, BUT WE HAVE NOT, UM, KEPT OUR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSES IN LINE WITH OUR CAPITAL INVESTMENTS.

UM, THEY HAVE NOW DONE AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT WE NEED IN TERMS OF STAFFING SIMPLY

[01:15:01]

UM, AND TO JUST GIVE YOU A SENSE OF HOW MUCH MAINTENANCE NEEDS WE HAVE FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, INCLUDING FOR THOSE SOCCER FIELDS.

JUST TO GET BACK TO MAINTENANCE LEVELS THAT WE EXPERIENCED IN 2014, BY THE CALCULATIONS BY OUR OWN STAFF, WE NEED ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL, I THINK IT'S 15 TO 20 FOLKS, JUST TO GET BACK TO 2014 STANDARDS.

IF WE WANNA GET TO THE STANDARDS THAT OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT THINKS WE NEED, AND THAT'S FOR TAKING OUT THE GARBAGE, MOWING LAWNS, ET CETERA.

WE NEED 75 MORE MAINTENANCE FOLKS, WHICH I HOPE WE CAN SET AS A GOAL THROUGH THIS BUDGET AND MOVE FORWARD, UM, ON THAT.

AND I HOPE THAT COLLEAGUES WILL PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.

WE NOW HAVE SOME REAL NUMBERS SAYING HOW FAR BEHIND WE ARE, UM, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS ON IT.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT AND I APPRECIATE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UM, RAISING THIS BROADER ISSUE FOR THE SOCCER ACCESS AS WELL.

UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO AMEND WITHOUT OBJECTION, HARPER MADISON, MOTION TO AMEND NUMBER ONE IS ADOPTED.

THAT WILL TAKE US BACK TO ITEM NUMBER 59 AS AMENDED.

I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES TO CLOSE.

COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND ALL OF THE OTHER CO-SPONSORS FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM.

I KNOW WITH THIS SEASON OPENER THAT JUST HAPPENED ON SATURDAY, PEOPLE ARE VERY MUCH THINKING ABOUT HOW MUCH WE ENJOY WATCHING SOCCER AND HOW MUCH WE WANT THIS TO BE A PART OF OUR CITY.

SO ON THAT NOTE, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE ORIGINAL OBJECTION.

YOU'LL BE SHOWN AS A CO-SPONSOR OF THE ITEM NUMBER 59.

PERFECT.

COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FUENTES, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU TO CLOSE.

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU.

UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA THANK MY CO-SPONSORS ON THIS ITEM.

COUNCILMAN CADRE, VELASQUEZ, HARPER, MADISON, VELA AND ELLIS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS INITIATIVE.

I ALSO WANNA THANK SOPHIA MORALE WITH MY TEAM FOR HER WORK ON THIS RESOLUTION, AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS WHO WERE INVOLVED AND HELP SHAPE THIS RESOLUTION.

WE HAD OVER 15 ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS.

I WANNA THANK FOUR A TX WITH AUSTIN FC, THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION, A , A ISD TRUSTEE ORLANDO MENO WITH AUSTIN UNITED FC, GLORIA LUGA WITH HOUSTON ELEMENTARY PARK ADOPTERS AND THE COMMISSION ON SENIORS IN AGING.

AUSTIN MEN'S SOCCER ASSOCIATION, CAPITAL AREA SOCCER ASSOCIATION, OUR PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN COMMUNITY SOCCER ASSOCIATION, RISE FC SOCCER ASSIST, AND STREET SOCCER, USA AND TRULY COLLEAGUES.

UM, WITH, AS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, EVERYONE WAS INVIGORATED AND PASSIONATE, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS MOVING FORWARD OF WHAT THAT ECOSYSTEM LOOKS LIKE.

IT'S NOT GONNA BE JUST THE CITY.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE EXCELLENT PARTNERS WITH AUSTIN FC, WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, WITH THE COUNTY.

UM, TRULY THIS IS A, A FIRST STEP IN COORDINATING A, A BETTER ECOSYSTEM OF SOCCER ACCESS IN, IN OUR CITY AND BECOMING A SOCCER CITY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.

UM, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION, UH, OF ITEM NUMBER 59 AS AMENDED WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 59 AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED.

COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UH, THAT WILL TAKE US, I'LL, I

[Additional Item]

RECOGNIZE I WILL NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, UH, WITH REGARD TO A MOTION RELATED TO ITEM NUMBER 100.

UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.

YEAH.

IN LIGHT OF THE EVENTS THAT UNFOLDED, UH, TODAY, WERE WERE WORKERS FROM THE ALPHABET UNION.

UH, BRAVELY STOOD UP AND, AND THEY TESTIFIED TODAY, UH, ONLY TO BE FIRED.

AND, UH, I, I HAD THAT VERIFIED AND ALSO VERIFIED BY THAT THEY HAD TO LEAVE CITY HALL TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THEIR BELONGINGS FROM THEIR OFFICE BECAUSE THEIR KEY CARDS AND DEVICES HAD BEEN DEACTIVATED BY THE TIME THEY'D ALREADY LEFT THE BUILDING.

UH, I'D LIKE TO MOTION TO RECONSIDER THE POSTPONEMENT ON ITEM 100 TODAY.

COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MOVES THAT THE VOTE BY WHICH COUNT, UH, THAT ITEM 100 WAS ADOPTED AND, UH, AND POSTPONED UNTIL MARCH 21ST.

BE RECONSIDERED.

IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ.

IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 100 WILL BE RECONSIDERED.

COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, YOU'RE

[100. Approve a resolution regarding Council’s commitment to supporting workers’ rights and calling on Google, LLC to engage in negotiations with the union representing the YouTube Music Content Operations Team.]

RECOGNIZED FOR A MOTION ON ITEM 100.

YEAH.

UH, I MEAN, I THINK HOW EVERYTHING'S PLAYED OUT TODAY AND, AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM, UH, THE GO, UH, ALPHABET WORKERS THEMSELVES.

UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE AS A DAIS STAND UP, UH, FOR WORKERS IN THE CITY, WHETHER IT BE THE FOLKS THAT CAME TODAY OR IN GENERAL.

SO I MOVE, I MOVE, UH, PASSAGE OF, UH, ITEM 100.

COUNCIL MEMBER CODRE MOVES PASSAGE OF ITEM 100 AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED ON THE AGENDA.

IT IS SECOND.

IT IS.

ARE YOU SECONDING IT OR YOU WANT TO TALK? I DIDN'T THINK SO.

UM, IT'S SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER DISCUSSION.

COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY? YEAH.

UM, I'M UNABLE TO ENDORSE THIS PROPOSAL BEFORE US TODAY, JUST AFTER WHAT OCCURRED DURING OUR COMMENTS.

I REACHED OUT TO THE HEAD OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AT AUSTIN'S GOOGLE OFFICE TO GAIN A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT SITUATION.

AND AS OF NOW, THEY'VE NOT CLARIFIED IF THE EMPLOYEES IN QUESTION WERE DISMISSED, ALTHOUGH THAT'S NOT MY PRIMARY CONCERN.

UM, IT IS VERY SAD THAT THAT HAPPENED IF IT DID.

[01:20:01]

FACT, ENTERING TODAY'S MEETING, I HAD ALREADY RESOLVED TO VOTE AGAINST ITEM 100.

MY CONSISTENT STANCE HAS BEEN THAT THE CITY SHOULD REFRAIN FROM INTERVENING IN THE AFFAIRS OF PRIVATE COMPANIES, WHICH IS A PRINCIPLE I UPHOLD TODAY.

THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.

ITEM NUMBER 66, UH, WHICH IS A NON-CONSENT ITEM BECAUSE UNDER OUR RULES, ITEMS THAT ARE REFERRED FROM COUNCIL COMMITTEES ARE NOT PLACED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM? ANY DISCUSSION, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, BUT I WILL SHOW COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AS VOTING NO, BUT IS THERE ANY OTHER OBJECTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 100 IS ADOPTED WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM OFF THE DAAS AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN VOTING? NO THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MEMBERS THAT WILL NOW TAKE US TO

[66. Approve the Public Safety Committee recommendation to direct the City Manager to initiate a selection process to identify candidates for Council appointment of one additional associate judge and up to five additional substitute judges to the Municipal Court for the current judicial term, subject to funding considerations after discussions with the City Manager, and to utilize a recruitment and selection process based on the 2021 judicial selection process including using the citizen panel members from 2021 if available.]

ITEM NUMBER 66 CAME FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, WHICH I CHAIR.

SO LET ME EXPLAIN QUICKLY WHAT THAT IS.

AFTER THE PRESIDING JUDGE OF OUR MUNICIPAL COURT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAME TO US, UH, PRESIDING JUDGE STATMAN CAME AND LAID OUT TO THE COMMITTEE A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD DO GOING FORWARD FOR THE SELECTION OF MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES.

IT WAS A FOUR OH VOTE, UH, TO DIRECT THE, TO FOR THE COUNCIL TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO INITIATE A SELECTION PROCESS TO IDENTIFY CANDIDATES FOR COUNCIL APPOINTMENT AT THE TIME OF ONE ADDITIONAL ASSOCIATE JUDGE.

AND I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VALIN JUST A MINUTE AND UP TO FIVE ADDITIONAL SUBSTITUTE JUDGES TO, TO THE MUNICIPAL COURT AND TO UTILIZE A RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS SIMILAR TO WHAT THAT WAS DONE IN THE 2021 JUDICIAL SELECTION PROCESS.

UM, AT THAT TIME, BECAUSE THIS CAME FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE THAT I CHAIR, I'LL MOVE ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY COUNCIL.

COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.

I WILL NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA FOR A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ITEM NUMBER 66.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.

I'VE, UH, DISTRIBUTED THE AMENDMENT.

UH, IT'S A VERY SIMPLE, SINCE WE PASSED THIS RECOMMENDATION, UH, IN SPEAKING WITH, UH, JUDGE STATMAN, THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL RETIREMENTS AND OR OTHER VACANCIES.

AND SO I'M JUST, UH, THE AMENDMENT WOULD CHANGE IT FROM, UH, ONE ASSOCIATE JUDGE TO UP TO TWO ASSOCIATED ASSOCIATE JUDGES AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE TO, UH, UH, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE STILL HAVE OUR FULL BENCH OF, OF MAGISTRATES.

YES, MEMBER VELA MOVES ADOPTION OF VELA AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE.

IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, UH, MEMBERS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE, ON A PROPOSED AMENDMENT? NUMBER ONE, HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION, PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER 66 IS ADOPTED.

THAT WILL TAKE US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION ON, UH, TO, FOR THE ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER 66 AS AMENDED.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT ITEM WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 66 AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED MEMBERS, WE WILL NOW GO TO

[Items 67 & 68]

ITEMS NUMBER 67 AND 68.

THOSE ARE ITEMS RELATED TO IMMINENT DOMAIN AND THEREFORE ARE NOT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

LET ME TURN TO THE CITY CLERK AND ASK IF THERE IS, UH, ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS 67 AND 68.

NO MAYOR, THERE IS NOT MEMBERS.

WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS NUMBER 67 AND 68, SO THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION WITH RESPECT TO ITEMS 67 AND 68.

AND SINCE THOSE ARE NON-CONSENT CONDEMNATIONS ITEMS, THE MOTION WILL BE TO THE EFFECT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN AUTHORIZES THE USE OF THE POWER OF IMMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE SET FORTH AND DESCRIBED IN AGENDA ITEMS 67 AND 68 ON THE, IN THE CURRENT MEETINGS AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE PUBLIC USES THAT ARE DESCRIBED THEREIN.

THE MAYOR PRO TIM MOVES ADOPTION OF THAT MOTION.

IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEMS NUMBER 67 AND 68 ARE ADOPTED.

AS I LAID OUT IN THE MOTION THAT WAS MADE BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM, AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

WE WILL NOW GO TO OUR ITEMS THAT ARE PUBLIC HEARINGS MEMBERS.

UM, ITEM NUMBER 71 HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO MARCH 7TH.

ITEM NUMBER 70

[Items 70 & 72 - 73]

SO WITH THAT, I WILL NOW, UH, SEEK, AND THERE'S NO OBJECTION TO OPENING

[01:25:01]

THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 72 AND ITEM NUMBER 73.

UH, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPENED WITHOUT OBJECTION ON THOSE TWO ITEMS, AND I WILL RECOGNIZE, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, COULD I ABSTAIN FROM 73, PLEASE? YES.

WHEN I CALL FOR A VOTE AT ALL.

I'LL MAKE SURE YOU'RE SHOWN IS ABSTAINING.

UM, AND THAT WE, IS THAT ALSO THE CASE THAT YOU WISH TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING ON ITEM NUMBER 70? OKAY.

UM, I'LL RECOGNIZE THE CLERK AND ASK IF WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AT THE, IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 72 OR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 73? YES, MAYOR, WE DO THE FIRST REMOTE SPEAKER ON ITEM 72 IS TRAVIS BARBER.

RIGHT.

HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.

UH, TRAVIS BARBER WITH GENERATION HOUSING PARTNERS.

UM, WE ARE THE DEVELOPER FOR THE CAMERON HIGHLINE PROJECT AT 1124 CLAYTON LANE.

UH, WE JUST WANTED TO BE AVAILABLE IN CASE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, REGARDING OUR PROPOSED RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION, UM, WHICH ALLOWS US TO SUBMIT, UM, TO T-D-H-C-A OUR 4% APPLICATION.

SO I'LL, I'LL BE ON STANDBY FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

THANKS.

THANKS, YOU MAYOR.

THAT'S ALL FOR 72.

UM, WITHOUT OB MEMBERS, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 72 WILL BE CLOSED.

ITEM NUMBER 73, WE'VE ALREADY OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING.

I'M SORRY, MAYOR, WHICH ITEM NUMBER 73? YES, WE HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS.

ALRIGHT, THEN LET, BEFORE WE GO TO THE SPEAKERS, LET ME ASK IF THERE IS A MOTION ON I TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER 73, COUNCIL MEMBER AVELA MOVES AND IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, THAT WE APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 72.

IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO DISCUSS ITEM NUMBER 72? COUNCIL MEMBER VELA? UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I COMMENTED, UH, EARLIER WHEN THE GENTLEMAN THAT CALLED, UH, WAS ASKING FOR THE RIGHT OF RETURN.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT AS, AS PART OF THE, THE, THE WORK THAT WE DID ON, UH, THIS ITEM, UH, WHEN THE ZONING WAS APPROVED, UH, UH, OVER A YEAR AGO, WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE BENEFITS FOR THE AT TENANTS THAT WERE BEING DISPLACED.

THERE WERE PROBABLY ABOUT 30 PEOPLE THAT WERE BEING DISPLACED FROM THE OLD HOMESTEAD APARTMENTS THAT WERE AT THIS LOCATION.

UH, THE DEVELOPER AND THE, UH, UH, MR. BARBER WHO WAS JUST, UH, MAKING THE COMMENT HAVE ALL COMMITTED TO ALLOW THE, UH, TENANTS THAT WERE DISPLACED A, A RIGHT OF RETURN TO THOSE APARTMENTS, PARTICULARLY IF IT BECOMES A, UH, LOW INCOME, UH, UH, TAX CREDIT PROJECT.

IT'S NOT CERTAIN THAT IT WILL, UH, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR, UH, TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE WATCHING AND AND, AND WAITING, THERE'S STILL A PROCESS TO GO THROUGH.

THEY'RE GONNA HAVE SOME GAP FINANCING ISSUES THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK THROUGH, I THINK, EVEN IF THEY GET THE TAX CREDITS.

BUT ALL INVOLVED PARTIES HAVE, UH, ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO BRING THE TENANTS BACK.

AND THERE WILL BE, UH, THE, THE AFFORDABILITY WILL RANGE FROM 80% M FFI DOWN TO 30% M FFI.

SO, UH, I FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, UH, GET FOLKS, UH, BACK, UH, INTO THE OLD HOMESTEAD AND INTO, UH, WINDSOR PARK, UH, IF THIS PROJECT GOES THROUGH.

AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE INVOLVED.

NOT THAT HARD, IS IT? UM, WITHOUT, UH, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION.

ITEM NUMBER 72 IS ADOPTED WITH AMERIPRO TIM OFF THE DAAS.

WELL, OKAY.

I'M HERE.

WELL, IT, I I JUST LOOKED DOWN AND SAW AN EMPTY CHAIR.

I KNOW I WAS, OKAY.

VERY GOOD.

UM, I, AND I, I ASSUME YOU'RE NOT VOTING NO.

RIGHT.

UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, ITEM NUMBER 72 IS APPROVED.

NOW WE'LL GO TO THE SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 73.

MAYOR, I DO HAVE SEVERAL SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP FOR MULTIPLE ITEMS. DO YOU WANNA JUST TAKE 73 NOW OR SHOULD I READ THE SPEAKERS? WE'VE OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 73.

WHEN YOU SAY THEY'VE SIGNED UP FOR MULTIPLE ITEMS, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS SINCE THE ONLY ITEM WE HAVE REALLY LEFT FOR HEARING IS 73.

IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE FRONT AND TAKE ONE OF THESE SEATS SO THAT YOU'LL BE READY, UH, TO TESTIFY.

I HAVE SEVERAL THAT HAVE SIGNED UP FOR 70 AND 73, WHICH I UNDERSTAND ARE RELATED.

UH, BUT SOME THAT HAVE SPOKE SIGNED UP FOR 70, 73 AND THEN ALSO 71.

WELL THEN HERE'S WHAT LET'S DO ITEM 70 AND 73, WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM 71 WAS POSTPONED.

UM, SO SINCE WE'VE OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 73, IF THEY SIGNED UP ON 73, AND SINCE 70 IS RELATED, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, AND HEAR FROM THEM ON THOSE ITEMS. YES MA'AM.

FIRST SPEAKER IS THE NOIA.

[01:30:01]

MY COMMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT GRANTS 30 FEET, UH, HEIGHT AND IT, AND THE BASE ZONING, AND THEN IT WILL INCREASE TO A MAXIMUM OF 90 FEET.

I JUST WANNA CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT WE DO NOT GET A RETURN ON INVESTMENT NORTH OF US 180 3 IN THE NORTHEASTERN QUADRANT UN ROUTE 3 92, WHICH IS YEAGER AND TECH RIDGE BOULEVARD.

THERE'S 1,194 MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, AND THERE'S NO SHELTER.

COMPARE THAT TO HYDE PARK.

45TH, 51ST STREET, 30TH STREET, THERE ARE SHELTERS IN THAT AREA, SO MORE DENSITY DOES NOT INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OR MAKE THE ROUTE ANY BETTER.

I WOULD CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION, THE 425 ACRE DEVELOPMENT EAST VILLAGE, WHICH IS ON PALMER LANE WITHIN TWO MILES OF PALMER LANE.

YOU HAVE OVER 2000 UNITS.

NOW, EAST VILLAGE WILL HAVE 2,200 UNITS, 450 HOMES, AND AGAIN, YOU UNILATERALLY ELIMINATED THE METRO RAPID THAT WOULD'VE SERVED SAMSUNG TO APPLE.

AND SO I ADAMANTLY OPPOSE THE DENSITY BONUS BECAUSE IT DOES NOT SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN AND WOULD ASK NATASHA HARPER MADISON TO RECOGNIZE YES, THE HISTORICAL PRIORITIES ARE NOT IN HER DISTRICT, AND TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE PAY TAXES TOO.

AND LASTLY, I WOULD JUST CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT DEVELOPERS PAY A FEE IN LIEU OF BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN DOWNTOWN.

THERE'S A 2020 KVU REPORT, AND THEY ALSO PAID A FEE IN LIEU OF BUILDING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THE DOMAIN.

AND SO THIS IS JUST GIVING ENTITLEMENTS TO DEVELOPERS WITHOUT GIVING US COMMUNITY BENEFITS.

AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO IMPROVE THE ROUTE.

UM, IT IS THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY SERVES THE SOCCER FANS.

YOU INVESTED $60 MILLION THERE AND WE DESERVE SHELTERS TOO.

AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT OUR SENIORS HAVE TESTIFIED BEFORE CAPITOL METRO ON MONDAY, TELLING THEM THAT THIS SYSTEM IS DISCRIMINATORY.

VIOLATES TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, THE 1964 THANK YOU, WHICH PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION BASED ON IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM.

MR. CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE NEXT PERSON.

THANK YOU, MS. JOSEPH.

THAT IS THE ONLY SPEAKER WE HAVE REMOTELY.

SO I'LL MOVE TO IN PERSON ON ITEM 70 AND 73, WE HAVE BRAD MASSENGILL, THEN BILL MCCALLEY AND JOE RIDDLE.

IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE PODIUM AND JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.

HEY Y'ALL, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE.

UM, MY NAME'S BRAD MASSENGILL.

UM, I'M WITH THE BIRD STREETS OF PLEASANT HILL.

IT'S IN DISTRICT THREE OVER IN SOUTH AUSTIN.

THE NEW DENSITY BONUS HERE, LEMME PUT MY OTHER GLASSES.

SORRY, Y'ALL, I ALWAYS NOTICE WHEN I START READING THE NEW DENSITY BONUS ZONING DISTRICTS ARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACTING ISSUE.

IT COULD AFFECT THE LONG-TERM FUTURE OF OUR FAIR CITY IN WAYS AS PROFOUNDLY AS AND POTENTIALLY AS THE LOSS OF ZILKER PARK OR BARTON SPRINGS.

TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PLAN, DEVELOPERS WOULD NEED TO COMMIT TO X AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN EXCHANGE FOR AN EXTRA 30 FEET OF BUILDING HEIGHT UP TO 90 FEET.

AMONGST OTHER CONCESSIONS, WE, US THE CITIZENS AND ESPECIALLY THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS, DON'T REALLY SEEM TO GET MUCH BENEFIT IN EXCHANGE FOR THESE CONCESSIONS.

WE NEED MORE, THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK WITH THIS NEW DB 90 DE DESIGNATION.

WE NEED SOME KIND OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION BEFORE THIS GOES TO A FINAL VOTE.

A PUBLIC HEARING OR A SERIES OF MEETINGS IS IN ORDER TO, TO DISCUSS THIS, THE TIMING OF THE ORIGINAL AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED MEANT THERE WAS PASSED WITH MINIMAL CITIZEN INPUT DUE TO THE PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS.

WE NEED TO INSIST ON PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY AT THIS POINT.

THESE FIVE AND SIX STORY BUILDINGS AMONGST OUR ONE STORY TRADITIONAL HOUSES IS NOT APPROPRIATE.

WE NEED FIRM GROUND RULES AND TRANSPARENT PUBLIC CON, PUBLIC CITIZEN INPUT AND PARTICIPATION OPTIONS.

THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND CLEVERLY TURNED PHRASES IN THE AMENDMENTS LANGUAGE TO PASS, PASS IT AT FACE VALUE, ASKING YOU TO POSTPONE 70 AND 73 UNTIL PUBLIC HEARINGS OF HEARD THIS FIELD OF DREAMS BEING OFFERED UP IS THE, IS OUR HOMES AND THE NATURAL ASSETS OF OUR, OUR CITY, SORRY, THIS TO BUILD THIS.

OH, WELL THERE'S THAT.

I'M, I'M ASKING Y'ALL TO POSTPONE THIS, PLEASE AND, AND LET LET PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT.

BILL MC, JOE RIDDLE, MISAEL RAMOS.

[01:35:02]

WHEN THERE'S AN OPEN MICROPHONE, PLEASE CALL THEIR NAMES AGAIN.

BILL MCCALLEY.

JOE RIDDLE.

MISAEL RAMOS, SLOW PRAXIS.

UH, OKAY.

WILLIAM BUNCH.

FIRST 71 70 AND 73.

MARIO CANTU, 71 70 AND 73, FOLLOWED BY MONICA GUZMAN.

GOOD MORNING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME'S MARIO CANTU.

I'M FROM SOUTH AUSTIN, UH, ON ITEM 73, UH, FOR MANY MONTHS, I'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE, UH, DENSITY BONUS.

I DO NOTICE THAT IT'S BEING LISTED IN, UH, 73, UH, REGARDING MAINLY THE 10% AT 50% MFI AND THE, UH, 60%, UH, GIVING 12% OF THAT.

I WANNA KNOW WHO DICTATES THOSE TWO NUMBERS? WHO GETS TO PICK THE 50% AT 10% AND THE 60% AT 12%? I, I HAVE NOT HAD ANYBODY HERE IN THESE CHAMBERS OR OUTSIDE OF THESE CHAMBERS BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

NOW, I WOULD THINK THAT BECAUSE WE'RE A CONTACT TEAM, WE WOULD, WE SHOULD, AND WE COULD PICK THE BETTER DENSITY BONUS OF THE 50% MFI AT 10% BECAUSE THAT'S MORE AFFORDABILITY.

SO IF IT'S DICTATED BY THE CONTACT TEAM OR BY THE CITIZENS, OR IF IT'S DICTATED BY COUNCIL OR STAFF MEMBERS, WHO IS THE EXACT PERSON THAT DICTATES THAT VERY PARTICULAR NUMBER? BECAUSE IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE TRYING TO, TO MAKE AFFORDABILITY BETTER AND WE'RE PICKING THE BETTER NUMBER FOR THE APPLICANT AND THE DEVELOPER, THEN IT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO.

I MEAN, IT SOUNDS GOOD AND IT LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER, BUT I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I CAN'T FIND ANY, ANY EVIDENCE OR ANYBODY THAT CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

IN FACT, I WAS AT PLANNING COMMISSION A FEW MONTHS AGO AND THEY KIND OF WENT ROUND AND ROUND AS WELL.

SO I, I THINK WE HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM IN, IN MAYBE FIGURING THAT OUT.

SO I WOULD ASK, YOU KNOW, A POSTPONEMENT AND GET SOME INVOLVEMENT WITH SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT KNOW EXACTLY HOW THAT CAN BE HANDLED.

RESIDENT INFORMED DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF ADEN BONUS THAT WE FIND DISPROPORTIONATELY PREVALENT IN NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT WARRANTS A CONVERSATION WITH IMPACTED COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THIS WILL INCREASE DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.

UH, MONICA GUSMAN, AND SHE HAS TIME DONATED BY ROY WHALEY.

ROY WHALEY, ARE YOU HERE? YES, I AM HERE.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

FOUR MINUTES PLEASE.

GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.

I'M MONICA GUZMAN, POLICY DIRECTOR AT GAVA.

GAVA IS OPPOSED TO THE DENSITY BONUS.

DRAFT ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY PROPOSED ITEM 70 AND RELATED ITEM 73, ALSO KNOWN AS DB 90.

DUE TO THE DISPROPORTIONATELY HARMFUL IMPACTS OF THIS KIND OF DEVELOPMENT IN AN EAST, NORTH, AND SOUTH AUSTIN AREAS WITH MIXED AND LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS, THIS DENSITY BONUS WOULD BE APPLIED TO LOW INTENSITY ZONING CATEGORIES THAT WE FIND ALL OVER EAST NORTH, CENTRAL, NORTHEAST SOUTH, AND SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, WHICH IS NOT A COINCIDENCE GIVEN THE HISTORIC DISCRIMINATORY ZONING PATTERNS ON THE EAST SIDE COMMERCIAL SERVICE CS ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, PERMITS USED BY PAWN SHOPS AND LIQUOR STORES, AND WAS HISTORICALLY PLACED IN MANY OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.

THE USE OF A DENSITY BONUS ON THESE AREAS WITHOUT ADEQUATE AFFORDABILITY AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT COMPONENTS REPRESENTS A CONTINUED EXPLOITATION AND HARM TO THE PEOPLE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS WHO ARE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY GENTRIFICATION.

WE RAISE THE FOLLOWING CONCERNS, WHICH ARE FOLLOWED BY A PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE, RAISING HOUSING PRICES AND WORSENING GENTRIFICATION.

THIS DENSITY BONUS GIVES UP TO 90 FEET IN HEIGHT AND FROM 70 TO A HUNDRED PERCENT IMPERVIOUS COVER IN EXCHANGE FOR AS LITTLE AS 10 TO 12% UNITS BEING INCOME RESTRICTED AT 50 TO 80% MEDIA AND FAMILY INCOME.

WHILE THIS REPRESENTS A POTENTIAL 2% INCREASE IN INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS FROM THE ORIGINAL VMU, IT IS STILL WITHOUT BENEFITS TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHOSE MEDIAN INCOME IS BELOW 50% MFI AND WOULD EXPERIENCE DISPLACEMENT PRESSURE FROM THESE EXPENSIVE UNITS.

FURTHERMORE, THIS BENEFIT IS ENTIRELY NEGATED BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY OF THE HOUSING DIRECTOR TO CALC BEDROOMS AS UNITS, THEREBY POTENTIALLY CUTTING THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS IN HALF.

AND A FEE IN LIEU OPTION MEANS THERE IS NO ONSITE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT.

REDUCING COSTS AND INCREASING ENTITLEMENTS FOR DEVELOPERS ONLY INCREASES THEIR PROFITS.

IT DOESN'T LEAD TO AFFORDABILITY.

THE ONLY WAY TO ADDRESS THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS AUSTIN IS EXPERIENCING IS BY REQUIRING ONSITE INCOME, RESTRICTED RENTAL AND OWNERSHIP UNITS AND DISINCENTIVIZING THE DEMOLITION OF EXISTING AFFORDABLE UNITS, ELIMINATION OF A PUBLIC PROCESS TO MITIGATE HARM AND INCREASE COMMUNITY BENEFIT.

THIS PROPOSED DENSITY BONUS IS BEING DIRECTED TO COUNCIL AND STAFF WITHOUT AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT BY COUNCIL FOR

[01:40:01]

WE'RE ALSO CONCERNED WITH A DISREGARD OF NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS AND PLANNING IN THIS POLICY.

AS PROPOSED WHEN A DB 90 ZONING CHANGES FILED, COUNCIL APPROVAL WILL TRIGGER AN AUTOMATIC FUTURE LAND USE MAP UPDATE, ELIMINATING THE PUBLIC PROCESS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT, AND DISRESPECTING THE VOLUNTEER HOURS OF CONTACT TEAMS ACROSS THE CITY WHO BRING CRITICAL INFORMATION AND A COMMUNITY VOICE TO THE PROCESS.

CONTACT TEAMS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT HAVE NEGOTIATED AND GIVEN THEIR ENDORSEMENT TO THOUSANDS OF NEWLY DEVELOPED UNITS IN THEIR AREAS.

IT IS CRITICAL THAT THEY HAVE A SAY IN THIS PROCESS.

UPZONING IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT SHOULD BE DONE WITH CARE TO ENSURE COMMUNITY BENEFIT AND MITIGATE HARM, INCLUDING DISPLACEMENT.

RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS.

REVIEW A MAP OF ELIGIBLE ZONING DISTRICTS PROPOSED AND REQUEST AN ANALYSIS FROM HOUSING AND EQUITY OFFICES OF DISPLACEMENT PRESSURE IN THE AREAS WITH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS UNRE.

THE INCENTIVES OF AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED IN VM U2 TO CONSIDER WHERE EACH CAN BE PLACED BENEFICIALLY.

CONSIDER DEEPER AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS TO INCENTIVIZE SUBSIDIZED DEVELOPMENTS.

ENGAGE CONTACT TEAMS IN THESE AREAS TO ASSESS WHERE ADDITIONAL PLACEMENT OF DENSITY BONUSES COULD BE BENEFICIAL AND WHAT INCENTIVES ARE BEST TO INCLUDE AS WAS DONE IN THE ORIGINAL VMU PROCESS.

THIS INCLUDES A DISCUSSION OF ONSITE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS THE BENEFITS OF FEE.

AND L ALLOW NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HIGH DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES TO OPT OUT OF DB 90 ELIGIBILITY AND EXPLORE OTHER INCENTIVES TO RELAX DEVELOPMENT RULES AND ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT OF DEEPLY AFFORDABLE UNITS.

STRIKE ANY PROVISIONS THAT GIVES AUTHORITY TO COUNT BEDROOMS AS UNITS SO THAT WE GET THE FULL REQUIRED PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE UNITS IN ANY APPROVED DEVELOPMENT.

GAVA URGES YOU TO APPROACH THIS ORDINANCE WITH AN EQUITY LENS AND CARE FOR IMPACTED COMMUNITIES AND TO CONSIDER WHERE OUR ANTI DISPLACEMENT FUNDS AND HOUSING DOLLARS CAN BE SPENT TO MAKE NEW DEVELOPMENT MORE EQUITABLE.

EVERY LAND USE DECISION IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS OUR GUZMAN DISCRIMINATORY PASS WITH MORE BENE.

THANK YOU MS. GUZMAN.

ASHLEY FISHER SPEAKING ON THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT FOR ITEM 71.

YES, SIR.

YOUR, YOUR NAME WAS CALLED MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CONSIDERING THIS ITEM TODAY.

MY NAME IS BILL MCCALLEY.

I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TRANSIT FORWARD.

UH, YOU'VE HEARD MY SPIEL MANY TIMES ABOUT HOW DENSITY IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL.

WITH MORE AFFORDABILITY ATTACHED TO NEW TRANSIT PROGRAMS HERE IN AUSTIN, WE ARE SO PROUD AND HAPPY FOR ALL OF YOU ALL FOR CONSIDERING NOT ONLY THIS ITEM, BUT ITEMS THROUGHOUT THE SPRING IN ORDER TO MAKE A MORE EQUITABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE AUSTIN FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON LIVING HERE.

THIS DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WILL CREATE MORE AFFORDABILITY IN MORE AREAS AROUND OUR WONDERFUL COMMUNITY AND ALLOW MORE FOLKS WHEN THEY'RE BUILT IN TRANSIT CORRIDORS TO ACCESS TRANSIT, THEREFORE, NOT ONLY CREATING MORE AFFORDABILITY IN THEIR HOMES, BUT ALLOWING THEM POSSIBLY TO GET RID OF A CAR WHICH CAN SAVE $10,000 A YEAR TRANSIT FORWARD SUPPORTS IN AUSTIN FOR ALL HOUSING, FOR ALL RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS, A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL SAFETY FOR ALL, AND A SITUATION WHERE WE GET LESS TRAFFIC FOR ALL.

WE URGE YOU TO APPROVE THIS WONDERFUL PROVISION.

WE THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT UP AGAIN AND FOR YOUR TENACITY AND CONTINUING TO FIGHT FOR THESE PROGRAMS. AND THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO APPRECIATE Y'ALL.

IN THOSE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE ARE MAKING 50% ED AND FAMILY INCOME.

ASHLEY FISHER, ARE YOU HERE FOR ITEM 71? OKAY, THEN CARMEN YANAS POLITO FOR 70 73 AND 71.

GOOD MORNING, Y'ALL.

I'M A LITTLE OUTTA BREATH.

I WAS RUSHING OVER HERE.

UM, I THINK THE STATEMENT THAT GAVA PUT FORWARD THAT MORNING, KUMAN JUST READ, SUMMED IT UP, BUT I WANNA UNDERSCORE SOME THINGS.

THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO PAUSE AND NOT PERPETUATE HISTORIC RACIST AND CLASSIST LAND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES THAT HAVE DISPROPORTIONATELY PLACED A BURDEN ON LOWER INCOME AUSTINITES AND FORCED PEOPLE OUT OF TOWN.

THIS IS HISTORY RIGHT NOW.

WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.

THESE ARE ROLLED TOGETHER BECAUSE THIS COUNCIL VIOLATED STATE LAW AND OUR RIGHT TO NOTIFICATION AND PROTEST RIGHTS SO THAT WE COULD PLAY A PART IN OUR LAND USE.

IT'S NOW BEING, BEING BROUGHT BACK.

I'M GLAD IT'S A BONUS.

I'M GLAD IT'S A ZONING CHANGE, BUT YOU'RE CHOOSING TO APPLY IT IN LOW INTENSITY ZONING IN PLACES THAT ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IN YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.

AND WHERE'S JOSE VELASQUEZ IN YOUR DISTRICT? IN YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER VELA AND DISTRICT FIVE IN COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS'S DISTRICT.

THESE COMMERCIAL SERVICE WHERE WE SEE THE PAWN SHOPS AND THE LIQUOR STORES WHERE OUR COMMUNITIES FOUGHT TO HAVE BETTER DEVELOPMENT

[01:45:02]

AND BELOW, THERE IS NO COMMUNITY BENEFIT HERE, NO AFFORDABILITY AND ALL THAT HOUSING FOR ALL.

WE'VE REALLY GOTTA CUT THROUGH THIS RIGHT WING NEOLIBERAL, PRO-FREE MARKET, MERCATUS INSTITUTE, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY, B******T THAT WE ARE ALL GETTING FED.

SOME OF YOU CALL YOURSELF DEMOCRATS.

SOME OF YOU CALL YOURSELF PROGRESSIVES.

COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS PROGRESSIVE ABOUT A FLAT BLANKET ENTITLEMENT THAT'S TRICKLED DOWN.

HOW IS REGULATION FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE AND FOR COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT? NOW, STATUS QUO.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED? Y'ALL, MALCOLM X TOLD US, IF YOU'RE CAREFUL, THE NEWSPAPERS WILL BELIEVE, WILL HAVE YOU BELIEVING THE OPPRESSOR AND BLAMING THE OPPRESSED.

AND THE YBI MOVEMENT HAS NOW CALLED LOW INCOME RENTERS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.

THANK, THANK YOU.

WE FIGHT FOR QUALITY DEVELOP.

THANK YOU MA'AM.

MAYOR, THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE NON-CONSENT.

I'M SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN.

THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE NON-CONSENT SPEAKERS.

UM, MEMBERS, AS YOU JUST HEARD, THAT CONCLUDES, UH, THAT COMPLETES ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK WITHOUT OBJECTION.

WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 73 MEMBERS.

THE ORDER WILL GO IN AS ITEM NUMBER 70 AND THEN GO TO NUMBER 73.

WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 70, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

UH, DOES SOMEONE HAVE A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 70, SIR? YES.

MAYOR PRO TIM MOVES ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER 70.

IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

IS THERE A DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 70? UH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

UM, MAYOR PRO TEM, IT, IT'S ITEM NUMBER 70.

IT'S DRAFT VERSION TWO ANNOTATED, UM, THE, UH, DRAFT VERSION TWO FROM STAFF.

SO THAT'D BE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.

THE MOTION THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.

UH, I WANNA BE, WE WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.

ON ITEM NUMBER 70, IS THERE DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 70? WITHOUT OBJECTION, ITEM NUMBER 70 IS ADOPTED.

THAT WILL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 73 AND MEMBERS.

WE HAVE ONE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO 73.

SO I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION WITH REGARD TO THE ORDINANCE ON ITEM NUMBER 73.

THE MAYOR PRO TIM MOVES ADOPTION IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA AVERSION TWO.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS A STAFF OFFERED ITEM.

THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

UM, IS THERE DISCUSSION WITH REGARD? WELL, I, I'M GONNA WAIT.

I'VE GOT A MOTION TO AMEND.

I INDICATED, SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM NUMBER 73.

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER VELA FOR OUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ITEM NUMBER 73 MEMBERS.

YOU HAVE BEEN PROVIDED A COPY OF THAT, INCLUDING THIS MORNING, A YELLOW COPY.

IT IS LABELED AMENDMENT ONE, PARENTHESES V 1.2.

COUNCIL MEMBER VALO.

COUNCIL MEMBER VALO, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.

UH, MY AMENDMENT IS, UH, RELATIVELY SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.

THERE ARE SCREENING, UH, REQUIREMENTS AS PART OF THE DB 90.

MY AMENDMENT WOULD, UH, JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE SCREENING REQUIREMENTS DO NOT BLOCK ANY, UH, PEDESTRIAN OR BICYCLE ACCESS.

AND ESSENTIALLY THAT, UH, A, A KIND OF A GAP IN THE SCREENING REQUIREMENTS TO FACILITATE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ACCESS BETWEEN PROPERTIES.

UH, IT WOULD BE, UH, PERMITTED UNDER THE CODE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA MOVES ADOPTION OF, UH, VELA AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE.

IT IS SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO.

TIM, IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ITEM NUMBER 73? WITHOUT OBJECTION, AVELA AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE IS ADOPTED MEMBERS.

THAT TAKES US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH IS ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER 73 AS AMENDED.

IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED? COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.

TO DELIVER COMMUNITY BENEFITS BEYOND SIMPLY MORE DENSITY.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME, UM, THIS MORNING TO SPEAK UP AND, AND SPEAK OUT ABOUT, UM, THIS PROPOSAL.

UM, COLLEAGUES, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION TO DISCERN AS A VOTE.

I CO-SPONSORED THE INITIATION OF VM U2 AND I AUTHORED THE INITIATION OF RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL TWO ORDINANCES THAT THIS ZONING DISTRICT IS MODELED AFTER I VOTED IN FAVOR OF BOTH OF THOSE CHANGES AND CO-SPONSORED AND SUPPORTED THE RELAXATION OF AFFORDABILITY OF, OF COMPATIBILITY ON CORRIDORS.

I SUPPORT AND REMAIN COMMITTED TO A CODE THAT INCREASES ENTITLEMENTS IN A WAY THAT IS CALIBRATED

[01:50:01]

THE COURT RULINGS UNDID SOME OF THE WORK WE ACHIEVED TOGETHER, AND I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE RULING IS PART OF WHAT HAS, HAS LED US TO THIS DECISION TODAY, AND THAT THE COURT RULING POSES REAL CONSTRAINTS ON HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, UM, AND LIMITS OUR TOOLS AND APPROACHES.

I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS CONCERNS ABOUT THE MAGNITUDE OF HEIGHT AND DENSITY THAT THIS PROPOSAL COULD INTRODUCE.

I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH OUR PRIOR EFFORTS TO ADOPT VM U2, INCLUDING THE ALLOWANCE FOR UP TO 90 FEET OF HEIGHT, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT OUR COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS WOULD CREATE SOME SAFEGUARDS TO CREATE A COHESIVE, GRADUAL TIERED INCREASE IN HEIGHT AND DEVELOPMENT.

DB 90 AS DRAFTED DOES NOT INCLUDE THOSE SAFEGUARDS.

IT EXEMPTS THE PROJECT FROM COMPATIBILITY AND MERELY INCORPORATES A 25 FOOT BUFFER ZONE.

I THINK THIS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IN SOME, PERHAPS MANY AREAS WHERE WE WANT TO FOCUS OUR GROWTH, BUT THIS COMBINING DISTRICT CAN BE APPLIED FOR ANYWHERE IN THE CITY, POTENTIALLY IN WAYS THAT EXACERBATE SPRAWL OR EXACERBATE GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT, AS WE'VE HEARD FROM SPEAKERS.

AT THE SAME TIME, THIS PROPOSAL NO LONGER INCLUDES THE PRIOR LIMITS WE PLACED ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS.

AND AT THIS POINT WE'VE WALKED AWAY FROM THE EFFORT TO INCORPORATE PROTECTIONS FOR EXISTING MULTI-FAMILY REDEVELOPMENT.

AT LEAST AT THIS TIME.

WHEN WE APPLIED RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL OFF THE CORRIDORS, WE DID NOT GRANT INCREASED HEIGHT BECAUSE THAT WENT, THOSE PROPOSALS WOULD GO FURTHER INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.

I'M VERY GLAD THAT WE ARE CAPTURING AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS AS PART OF THIS COMBINING DISTRICT, BUT I THINK WE COULD HAVE CALIBRATED THIS MORE PRECISELY TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THIS COMBINING DISTRICT WORK FOR DIFFERENT AREAS AND CONTEXT.

THIS PROPOSAL IS NOT GONNA HAVE EQUAL CONSEQUENCES ACROSS THE CITY.

I DO WANNA THANK OUR STAFF COMMISSIONERS, THE PUBLIC AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR HARD WORK ON THIS ITEM, WHICH I THINK MAY HAVE SOME POSITIVE IMPACTS.

BUT ON BALANCE, I THINK THE CONCERNS, PARTICULARLY AS DOCUMENTED IN THE LETTER WE RECEIVED FROM GAVA AND THEIR PARTNERS, MEAN THAT I'M UNABLE TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM TODAY AND I WILL BE VOTING AGAINST 73, BUT FOUR 70, WHICH IS JUST PROCESS AND PROCEDURES.

COUNCIL MEMBER, FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 73.

YES, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.

EARLIER I INDICATED ABSTAINING FROM THIS ITEM, AND I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN THAT BRIEFLY.

JUST YESTERDAY AT MY FIELD OFFICE, I HELD OPEN OFFICE HOURS WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS COULD DROP IN AND SPEAK TO ME ABOUT ITEMS ON THE AGENDA SO I COULD COME IN HERE TODAY AND HAVE A CLEARER OUTLOOK ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS WERE AND HOW THEY WERE FEELING.

AND SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS, LIKE THE ONES THAT WE HEARD TODAY FROM GAVA, CAME FROM PEOPLE IN DISTRICT SIX.

UM, THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND THE NEED FOR MORE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.

SO I WILL BE ABSTAINING FROM THIS ITEM DUE TO THOSE CONCERNS, AND I'M THANKFUL FOR EVERYONE WHO CAME IN TODAY AND YESTERDAY TO MY FIELD OFFICE TO TALK WITH ME ABOUT THIS ITEM.

COUNCIL MEMBER FURTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE I CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBER VELA TO CLOSE? YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.

DO WE HAVE, UM, DIRECTOR PRATT WITH US? I WANNA ASK A QUESTION REGARDING THE AFFORDABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT OR IF THERE'S SOMEONE ON STAFF SHE'S HERE.

I CAN.

WHOEVER IS BEST APPROPRIATE.

'CAUSE I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROGRAM.

, SOMEBODY COME FORWARD.

, EVEN IF IT'S ALL OF YOU, IT'S ALL.

SO MANDY DE MAYO, INTERIM DIRECTOR, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, AND YES, OUR DEPARTMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AFFORDABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT.

IS THE QUESTION ABOUT THE AFFORDABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT OR THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS IN THE PROGRAM? BOTH, IF YOU CAN JUST GO OVER THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS AND THEN ON THE IMPACT STATEMENT, IF YOU CAN JUST PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF HOW THIS WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE, UH, IMPACT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR CITY.

I'LL TAKE ON THE REQUIREMENTS ONE.

SO UNDER THIS PROGRAM, IF THE DEVELOPER IS GOING TO DO RENTAL UNITS, THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS THAT THE DEVELOPER CAN CHOOSE FROM.

AND IT IS EITHER THE 10% AT 50% MFI OR IF THEY WANT TO HAVE A, THE MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME AT 60%, THEN THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE 12% OF THE UNITS THAT IS FOR RENTAL, FOR OWNERSHIP, THEY HAVE, UM, A REQUIREMENT, WELL, THERE'S AN OPTION AGAIN THERE, ONE BEING ONSITE OR A FEE IN LIEU.

FOR THE ONSITE, IT WOULD BE 12% OF THE UNITS AT 80% MFI AND THEN THERE WOULD BE A FEE IN LIE.

AND IF THEY DID NOT WANT TO PROVIDE, UM,

[01:55:01]

THE UNITS ON SITE.

AND I APPRECIATE STAFF JOINING US.

THIS IS, SINCE WE ARE HAVING A PUBLIC CONVERSATION ON THIS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YES, WE ARE INFORMING AND EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY.

WE ARE VERY LIMITED AS A COUNCIL IN HOW WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE ACTUAL AFFORDABLE UNITS IN THIS CITY.

I WISH WE COULD DO INCLUSIONARY ZONING, UM, BUT WITH A LIMITED TOOLKIT AVAILABLE, THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN GUARANTEE AFFORDABLE OPTIONS FOR WORKING FAMILIES, UH, ALL ACROSS OUR CITY.

PLEASE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER AND THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE, SO DON'T DO IT.

THANK YOU, MS. POINT.

UH, DIRECTOR DEMAYO, IF YOU CAN JUST, UH, SHARE WITH US A, A SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS INCLUDED IN THE AFFORDABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT.

SURE.

THE A IS, UH, LOOKED AT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FACTORS AND DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON HOUSING COSTS, UM, VIA LAND USE AND ZONING.

IT WOULD HAVE A NEUTRAL IMPACT ON DEVELOPMENT COSTS AND IT WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON SUBSIDIZED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

UM, SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE SUBSIDIZED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

EXACTLY.

UM, WHAT TRISH LINK JUST WENT OVER IN TERMS OF THE REQUIREMENTS AROUND, UM, UH, VARIOUS INCOME LEVELS IN THE DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL AS THE REQUIREMENT, UM, THAT, UH, DEVELOPERS ACCEPT, UH, A VARIETY SOURCE OF INCOME PROTECTION.

SO THEY CANNOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST RENTERS BASED ON THEIR SOURCE OF INCOME, SUCH AS UTILIZATION OF HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND COLLEAGUES, YOU AS SHARED, UH, HERE BY OUR DEPARTMENTAL STAFF.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT WAY FOR US AS COMMUNITY LEADERS TO ENSURE THAT OUR FAMILIES HAVE AFFORDABLE OPTIONS.

AND SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM TODAY.

COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.

COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, I RECOGNIZE YOU TO CLOSE.

UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.

I'M EXCITED TO PASS THIS ITEM.

AND I JUST WANTED BRIEFLY COMMENT TOO ON THE, ON THE KIND OF THE MACRO ENVIRONMENT.

UM, AUSTIN IN 2023 BUILT MORE APARTMENTS THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WE ARE SEEING RENTS DROPPING IN AUSTIN BECAUSE OF THAT.

THAT'S NOT A COINCIDENCE.

WE NEED MORE HOUSING OF ALL TYPES.

WE NEED BETTER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SO PEOPLE CAN GET AROUND WITHOUT A VEHICLE.

WE NEED MORE MARKET RATE UNITS, WE NEED MORE SUBSIDIZED UNITS, WE NEED MORE PERMANENTLY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

AND THIS COUNCIL HAS COMMITTED TO THAT.

THIS COUNCIL IS MAKING THAT HAPPEN, AND WE ARE SEEING THE RESULTS.

OUR RESIDENTS, OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE PAYING LESS RENT.

WE'RE SEEING, UH, DEALS BEING OFFERED AT DIFFERENT APARTMENTS BECAUSE THE, THE VACANCY IN THE MARKET RATE UNITS IS DROPPING.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND THE COUNTRY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, BOSTON, WHO ARE NOT BUILDING HOUSING, WHO ARE MAKING IT AS DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE TO BUILD HOUSING, YOU'RE SEEING SKYROCKETING RENTS.

YOU'RE SEEING PEOPLE CONTINUING TO BE HORRIBLY DISPLACED OUT OF THOSE CITIES.

THE STRATEGY IS CLEAR, THE RESULTS ARE CLEAR.

WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD MORE HOUSING.

UH, I'M VERY PROUD OF THIS COUNCIL FOR, FOR DOING THAT AND, UH, I FULLY INTEND TO CONTINUE DOING THAT.

OUR TIME, CERTAIN OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MEMBERS, YOU HAVE A MOTION IN FRONT OF YOU AND THAT IS THE ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER 73 AS AMENDED.

I HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON BEING SHOWN VOTING NO AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN AS ABSTAINING.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO BE SHOWN, UH, VOTING EITHER ABSTAINING RECUSING THEMSELVES OR VOTING NO? WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 73 WITH THAT ITEM NUMBER 73 IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER BEING SHOWN VOTING NO AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BEING SHOWN ABSTAINING MEMBERS.

WHERE THAT TAKES US IS TO, IT'S 1159.

THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE LEFT OR OUR TIME CERTAINS AND ONE OF 'EM IS AT NOON.

SO, UH, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL RECESS UNTIL NOON.

UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, NOT MUCH OTHER THAN YOU.

WE CAN SIT HERE AND STARE AT EACH OTHER.

UM, SO WE, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL RECESSED UNTIL NOON, AT WHICH POINT WE WILL TAKE UP OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

THANK Y'ALL.

I'LL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.

IT IS AFTER A BRIEF RECESS.

IT IS.

IF I CAN GET YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

IT IS NOON.

THE CITY COUNCIL IS BACK IN SESSION NOON ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH.

MEMBERS, THAT TAKES US TO

[12:00 PM - Public Communication: General]

I WILL REMIND

[02:00:01]

EVERYONE OF THE RULES OF DECORUM DURING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

I HOPE THAT EVERY, EVERYBODY REMEMBERS THOSE.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK TO ASK THAT YOU HELP US, UH, THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

THE FIRST SPEAKER WE HAVE IS DIANA CHER, FOLLOWED BY AMMAN ODAY AND CHRIS HARRIS.

PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT.

WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, UH, CHOOSE A SEAT UP FRONT.

THAT WAY YOU'LL BE READY, UH, AND, AND CAN APPROACH THE MICROPHONE.

GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M DIANA PRETOR.

WE CAN ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON AT THE MICROPHONE AT A TIME, PLEASE.

MAY I START AGAIN? YEAH, HANG ON.

WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE A SEAT? PLEASE HAVE A SEAT.

PLEASE GO AHEAD.

HELLO, I'M DIANA PRETOR.

I'M ADDRESSING THE BATHHOUSE REHAB PROJECT, SPENDING $14 MILLION OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUNDS TO DESTROY THE HISTORIC AND CLEVER DESIGN OF THE 1946 WOMEN'S BATHHOUSE.

THE PROPOSED REHAB WILL MAKE IT DANGEROUS FOR WOMEN.

I BEGIN WITH A PHOTO OF BARTON SPRINGS POOL AND THIS PHOTO OF THE EXISTING WOMEN'S BATHHOUSE SHOWER COURTYARD.

THE NEXT PHOTO SHOWS EVIDENCE OF DRUG USE FOUND DAILY IN THE BATHHOUSE.

LAST, THIS NARROW CORRIDOR OF THE PROPOSED SHOWERS IN THE REDESIGNED WOMEN'S BATHHOUSE.

PLEASE LOOK AT THIS PICTURE WHILE YOU CONSIDER THAT INTRUDERS SOMETIMES HIDE IN THE WOMEN'S BATHHOUSE AND SPEND THE NIGHT THEY F THE CURTAINS AND DEFECATE IN THE SHOWER IN THE DAYTIME.

I'VE SEVERAL TIMES BEEN IN THE BATHHOUSE WITH A PERSON EXPERIENCING MENTAL ILLNESS.

THE BATHHOUSE WHERE WOMEN ARE NAKED AND DRESSING CAN BE A DANGEROUS PLACE, ESPECIALLY BEFORE DAWN AND AFTER DARK.

YOU WERE LOOKING AT THE EXACT FOOTPRINT OF THE PROPOSED BANK OF SHOWERS OF THE REMODELED WOMEN'S BATHHOUSE.

LAST WEEKEND I INTERVIEWED 135 PEOPLE ON SOUTH CONGRESS AND SHOWED THEM MY PRESENTATION ABOUT THE BATHHOUSE REHAB.

WOMEN WERE SCARED BY THIS PICTURE.

IT LOOKS LIKE A PRISON.

THEY TOLD ME LIKE A DARK BACK ALLEY.

IT LOOKS UNSAFE.

WHY IS THIS UNSAFE FOR WOMEN? THERE ARE NO SIGHT LINES ACROSS THE COURTYARD TO KNOW WHO'S APPROACHING NO VISIBILITY INTO THE OTHER SHOWERS TO KNOW IF THEY ARE QUIETLY OCCUPIED.

NO WAY TO HEAR INTRUDERS SOUND IS BLOCKED IF YOU CRY OUT FOR HELP.

THE PUBLIC RECOGNIZED THAT THE SHOWER DESIGN ENDANGERS WOMEN'S SAFETY.

I HAVE PREPARED A REPORT FOR YOU.

THE ORANGE COVER EXPLAINS WHY THE DESIGN IS SO POOR FOR WOMEN.

PART HAS KEPT THE PLANS FROZEN AND NOT VETTED BY THE PUBLIC SINCE 2019 BECAUSE THE DESIGN WAS BASED ON PERVIOUS COVER, NOT USER EXPERIENCE.

THE GREEN COVER INSIDE EXPLAINS THE CHANGE ORDERS THAT WOMEN SWIMMERS ARE DEMANDING.

LAST WEEK I SHOOK THE HAND OF LUCY BAES JOHNSON AT THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY.

I PLACED A PRINTED COPY OF MY CONCERNS INTO HER HAND.

I WAS CONFIDENT THAT SHE WOULD WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE INCESSANT ATTEMPTS THE WOMEN'S SWIMMERS HAVE MADE TO ASK THIS COUNCIL AND THE PARKS BOARD FOR A CITIZEN REVIEW COMMITTEE.

IT EXPLAINS HOW HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUNDS ARE BEING USED TO DESTROY RATHER THAN PRESERVE THE 1946 DESIGN.

PLEASE INVITE ME TO YOUR NEXT COUNCIL WORK SESSION.

YOU ARE TASKED WITH OVERSIGHT.

THE SPA GLASS CONTRACT PROJECT MANAGER SAYS THAT CHANGE ORDERS MUST BE DELIVERED TO HIM BY END OF APRIL OR EARLY MAY.

WE BELIEVE THAT THE WOMEN'S CHANGE ORDERS WILL NOT DELAY THE PROJECT.

IF YOU ACT QUICKLY.

WE GUESS THAT WE COULD HELP SAVE OVER $2 MILLION IN COST, BUT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN.

THE WOMEN'S BATHHOUSE WILL BECOME A ZONE OF FEAR AND NOT FREEDOM FOR THE NEXT 75 YEARS.

IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO ACT NOW, I'M HERE AS YOUR ALLY TO SET THE DESIGN RIGHT.

PLEASE, LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO GET THIS DONE IN TIME TO MEET THE SPA GLASS CONTRACTOR'S DEADLINE.

YOU KNOW HOW HARD WE'VE TRIED TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU.

WE ASK FOR CITIZEN REVIEW COMMITTEE AT YOUR OCTOBER 5TH MEETING AND AT THE PARKS BOARD MEETING SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.

AMMAN ODAY IS REMOTE.

BEHIND EVERYTHING THEY OWNED, SEEKING REFUGE IN A MAKESHIFT TENT, MOVING FROM BETHLEHEM TO JERICHO OWN LAND UNTIL HONORABLE OFFERED THEM A MEAGER SHELTER.

UM, THIS IS AMMAN ODAY.

TODAY I COME BEFORE YOU AND NOT JUST AS A CONS, A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT EIGHT, BUT ALSO AS A BEARER OF A STORY ETCHED IN PAIN, RESILIENCE, AND A RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF JUSTICE.

I AM A PEDIATRICIAN, A PALESTINIAN AMERICAN, A MOTHER, AND AN ADVOCATE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, BUT BEYOND THESE TITLES, MY IDENTITY IS INTERTWINED WITH A HISTORY SHARED BY PALESTINIANS AROUND THE WORLD.

THE YEAR WAS 1947 WHEN MY GRANDFATHER POUR POURED HIS HEART AND SOUL INTO BUILDING OUR FAMILY HOME.

IN , A VILLAGE IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF JERUSALEM 1948, CAME ABOUT, BROKE THE FORTH THE , A CATASTROPHIC EVENT THAT SHATTERED OUR LIVES.

MY FATHER STILL REMEMBERS THE HORROR AS NEIGHBORING VILLAGES WERE MERCILESSLY MASSACRED BY ISRAELI TERRORISTS FORCED TO FLEE.

MY FAMILY LEFT

[02:05:01]

THE YEAR WAS 1967.

MARKED YET ANOTHER CHAPTER OF ANGUISH WITH THEA AS ISRAELI ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF THE WEST BANK FORCED OUR FAMILY AGAIN TO FLEE THIS TIME TO REFUGEE CAMPS IN JORDAN.

MY STORY ECHOES THROUGHOUT THE PALESTINIAN DIASPORA, EACH OF US CARRYING THE WEIGHT OF A DISPLACEMENT AND THE AGONY OF LOST HOMELANDS.

AS A PEDIATRICIAN, I SPECIALIZE IN NEWBORN CARE.

I REFUSE AND I ADVOCATE FOR MY PATIENTS.

THIS I AM WORKING TODAY.

I ADVOCATE FOR PATIENTS ALL THE TIME, BUT I REFUSE TO STAND STILL AND REMAIN SILENT.

AS INNOCENT LIVES ARE TREATED AS EXPENDABLE CASUALTIES OF WAR.

I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN HAVE FALLEN VICTIM U TO US FUNDED WEAPONS.

THIS IS NOT JUST A CONFLICT, IT IS A WAR ON CHILDREN BEGINNING, EVEN BEFORE THEIR FIRST BREATH IS DRAWN.

A DELIBERATE WITHHOLDING OF FOOD AND GAZA IS NOTHING SHORT OF A WAR CRIME, A CRUEL TACTIC AIMED AT BREAKING THE SPIRIT OF AN ENTIRE GENERATION.

DR.

GAAN, HE'S A SURGEON FROM THE UK WHO SERVED IN GAZA.

HE UNDERSCORES HOW THE SYSTEMATIC DESTRUCTION OF HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE IS A CORNER TO STONE OF ISRAELI MILITARY STRATEGY.

WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS BRUTALITY TO BECOME THE NEW NORMAL.

WE MUST ACT NOW TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS THE LAST WAR WHERE HOSPITALS ARE TARGETED AND CIVILIANS BEAR THE BRUNT OF VIOLENCE.

THE RECENT SACRIFICE OF AARON BUSHNELL SHOULD NOT SHOULD AWAKEN US TO THE URGENCY OF OUR CAUSE.

WE CANNOT IGNORE THE CRIES OF JUSTICE AND HUMANITY ANY LONGER.

MY FRIEND FROM THE YAGI FAMILY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO CONSOLE HER, SHE JUST LOST 40 OF HER FAMILY A FEW DAYS AGO.

TO THOSE WHO QUESTIONED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AUSTIN'S VOICE IN CALLING FOR A CEASE FIRE, I SAY THIS, WE REFUSE TO BE COMPLICIT.

WE REFUSE TO BE COMPLICIT IN THE SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENT LIVES.

WE DEMAND THAT AUSTIN JOIN A CHORUS OF OVER 70 CITIES DEMANDING AN IMMEDIATE CEASE FIRE.

IF YOU SILENT CHRIS HARRIS, THEN RYAN SAUNDERS AND MICHAEL KATZ, PLEASE PROCEED.

MR. HARRIS.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

ON OCTOBER 8TH, ONE DAY AFTER THE ATTACK ON ISRAELIS, MAYOR WATSON RELEASED A STATEMENT CONDEMNING THE ACT, RECOGNIZING THE HUMANITY OF THE VICTIMS AND PLEDGING TO FIGHT HATE.

THE DAY AFTER THAT, ON OCTOBER 9TH, HE ATTENDED A WE STAND WITH ISRAEL EVENT HERE IN AUSTIN.

I'M HERE SPEAKING TODAY, NOT TO CONDEMN MAYOR WATSON'S ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO OCTOBER 7TH, BUT TO DEMAND THE SAME OF YOU ALL IN RESPONSE TO GENOCIDE, MAYOR WATSON'S STATEMENTS AND ATTENDANCE THAT THE WE STAND WITH ISRAEL COMMUNITY SOLIDARITY GATHERING, VALIDATED LOCAL ORGANIZING IN SUPPORT OF GLOBAL EFFORTS, REFLECTING A PERSPECTIVE THAT UNDERSTANDS NOT ONLY THE SMALLNESS OF OUR WORLD AND THAT FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY AS LARGE AS AUSTIN, WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CLAIM TIES TO MAJOR TRAGEDIES AROUND THE WORLD, BUT ALSO THE CONNECTION OF ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU'RE FROM AND THE IMPERATIVE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST MASS VIOLENCE NO MATTER WHERE IT OCCURS.

THAT SAME SENSE OF COMMUNITY SOLIDARITY IN SUPPORT OF LASTING INTERNATIONAL PEACE CALLED ME HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.

GIVEN MAYOR WATSON'S WORDS AND ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO OCTOBER 7TH, I MUST ASSUME HIS REFUSAL TO ACT IN RESPONSE TO GENOCIDE STEMS FROM HIS FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THE HUMANITY IN PALESTINIANS AND HIS SUPPORT FOR ISRAELI APARTHEID IN OCCUPATION.

BUT I KNOW MANY OF THE REST OF YOU, I UNDERSTAND YOU HOLD EQUAL RESPECT FOR THE HUMANITY OF PALESTINIANS.

I UNDERSTAND YOU TO BE OUTRAGED AS I AM BY ISRAELI ACTIONS IN GAZA, AND I UNDERSTAND YOU TO SUPPORT A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE, BUT YOUR ACTIONS DON'T SHOW THE SAME COMMITMENT TO THIS CAUSE AS MAYOR WATSON SHOWED TO HIS, AND YOUR INACTION UNDOUBTEDLY HURTS OUR CAUSE, HURTS YOUR STANDING WITH A SIZABLE PORTION OF YOUR CONSTITUENCY.

YOUR INACTION PROLONGS THE DECISIVE DIVISIVENESS YOU CLAIM TO LOATH YOUR IN ACTION.

BETRAYS THE POWER YOU HAVE TO ADD TO THE GROWING CALL IN THIS COUNTRY.

FOR A CEASEFIRE TO ADD AUSTIN TO THE LIST OF AMERICAN CITIES THAT OPPOSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S ONGOING SUPPORT FOR GENOCIDE, THIS ACTION IS IMPORTANT.

THE OCTOBER 7TH ATTACKS WERE IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR WATSON FOR HIM TO DO ALL THAT HE DID.

THE ENSUING FIVE MONTHS OF BOMBING, STARVATION AND DISPLACEMENT MERIT AT MINIMUM.

CALLING FOR IT TO END

[02:10:01]

IF NEVER AGAIN MEANS ANYTHING.

IT MUST MEAN IT EVERYWHERE.

IT MUST MEAN IT HERE.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME, PLEASE? MICHAEL.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS MICHAEL KATZ.

I'M A JEWISH RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE, IMPLORING YOU TO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO HELP STOP A GENOCIDE CONDUCTED ON MY BEHALF.

IN 19 48, 70 5% OF MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS WERE EXPELLED FROM THE AREA THAT BECAME ISRAEL TO GET A JEWISH VOTING MAJORITY, ISRAEL WAS CREATED THROUGH ETHNIC CLEANSING AND MAINTAINS ITS EXISTENCE BY BLOCKING PEOPLE FROM RETURNING AND VOTING.

MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE IN GAZA.

GAZA IS NOT A NEIGHBORING STATE.

AS MANY HAVE TRIED TO IMPLY SAYING, WHAT IF MEXICO ATTACKED US? THE TWO STATE SOLUTION NEVER HAPPENED.

ONLY ONE STATE IS THERE.

GAZA IS THEIR CONCENTRATION CAMP.

THE CURRENT FAR RIGHT, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT HAS NOW TURNED IT INTO A DEATH CAMP.

EVEN PRESIDENT BIDEN, ONE OF ISRAEL'S BIGGEST SUPPORTERS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WAS IN HIS WORDS, INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING.

ISRAEL IS NOT TARGETING HAMAS.

THEIR DELIBERATELY MAKING GAZA UNLIVABLE.

THIS IS A TEXTBOOK CASE OF GENOCIDE DISEASE AND STARVATION ARE NOW SETTING IN AND IT'S NO ACCIDENT.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING HERE.

IF THE PEOPLE OF GAZA WERE JEWISH, THEY'D BE ALLOWED TO RETURN AND VOTE, BUT THEY'RE MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN, SO THEY'RE BEING KILLED IN A CONCENTRATION CAMP.

THAT'S THE REALITY.

AND OUR GOVERNMENT IS PROVIDING THE WEAPONS.

WE CANNOT REMAIN SILENT ABOUT THIS AND LET'S KEEP IT REAL.

IF 30,000 JEWS WERE KILLED, THIS RESOLUTION WOULD PASS IN A SECOND.

POLITICIANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY CONDEMN THE ATTACK ON OCTOBER 7TH, BUT ISRAEL HAS NOW KILLED NEARLY 30 TIMES AS MANY PALESTINIANS.

WHERE IS THE CONDEMNATION FOR THAT? WE HAVE PEOPLE CONDEMNING ANTI-SEMITES PROTESTING CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL.

BUT THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY HAPPENING.

I KNOW BECAUSE I STARTED THE PROTEST.

BETH ISRAEL ACTIVELY SUPPORTS A GENOCIDAL STATE.

SO RONNIE GELMAN AND I HOSTED OUR OWN SHABBAT ACROSS THE STREET TO LET PEOPLE KNOW ALL JEWS DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS.

IF JEWS HAVING A PEACEFUL SHABBAT ARE CALLED ANTI-SEMITES, JUST IMAGINE WHAT ISRAEL APOLOGISTS SAY ABOUT PALESTINIANS.

OR IF YOU DON'T WANNA IMAGINE, YOU CAN LISTEN TO ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER, HE CALLED GAZA THE CITY OF EVIL AND COMPARED PALESTINIANS TO THE AMALEKITES WHO ANCIENT ISRAELITES WERE COMMANDED TO WIPE OUT.

ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF SAMUEL, IT SAYS, NOW GO ATTACK THE AMALEKITES AND TOTALLY DESTROY ALL THAT BELONGS TO THEM.

DO NOT SPARE THEM PUT TO DEATH.

MEN AND WOMEN, CHILDREN AND INFANTS, CATTLE AND SHEEP, CAMELS AND DONKEYS.

MR. MAYOR, A FEW MONTHS AGO YOU DECIDED TO TAKE A STAND ON FOREIGN POLICY AND DECLARE YOUR FULL SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL.

I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE A STAND ONCE AGAIN AND DECLARE YOUR OPPOSITION TO THIS GENOCIDE BY SUPPORTING THE RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE.

IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS THIS RESOLUTION WILL BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.

IF YOU CAN CONDEMN OCTOBER 7TH, THERE'S NO REASON YOU CAN'T SUPPORT THIS CALL TO STOP THE KILLING OF A MUCH LARGER NUMBER OF CIVILIANS.

IF OPPOSING GENOCIDE DIVIDES PEOPLE, THAT'S NOT A REASON TO REFRAIN FROM DOING IT.

THAT MEANS IT'S NECESSARY TO DO IT.

THIS IS THE TIME FOR LEADERS TO LEAD.

RYAN SAUNDERS.

COURTNEY TOTTO.

NI AM SORRY IF I CAN INTERRUPT YOU.

WILL YOU SET THE TIMER CORRECTLY? IT WASN'T, I HAVE TO RESET IT.

OKAY, SORRY.

YOU READY? GO AHEAD.

ALRIGHT.

UM, MY NAME'S RYAN SAUNDERS.

I'M, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT AN ISSUE IN THE HOLLY NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, THE NEIGHBORING HOUSE OF MINE, UH, IS A LOT, IS SEEKING TO OPEN A FOOD TRUCK PARK THERE.

AND, UM, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY REGULATIONS OR GUIDELINES IN SPEAKING TO CODE ENFORCEMENT AND, UH, CITY OFFICIALS.

AND BECAUSE OF MY HOME AND, UH, THEY'VE SUBMITTED SOME IMAGES TO YOU ALL, I DIDN'T PUT 'EM ON THE SCREEN FOR PRIVACY OF MY ADDRESS, BUT NO OTHER FOOD TRUCK PARK DIRECTLY ATTACHES TO A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, AND THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THE LOCATION OF THE TRASH, THE NUISANCE OF THE SMELLS AND FOOD WASTE AND POTENTIAL FIRE DAMAGES TO MY HOME.

AND FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, THERE'S NO, UM, CITY GUIDELINES OR REGULATION ON WHERE FOOD TRUCKS PARK SHOULD BE LOCATED.

UM, EAST CESAR CHAVEZ IS GOING DOWNHILL AND

[02:15:01]

I FEEL LIKE THESE FOOD TRUCK PARKS WILL FURTHER DEGRADATE THE, UH, VALUE OF HOMES IN THAT AREA.

AND SO I, I ASK FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER, UM, THE UNIQUENESS OF MY SITUATION AND LOOK INTO HOW FOOD TRUCK PARKS ARE REGULATED AS THE FOOD TRUCKS THEMSELVES MAY BE REGULATED.

BUT THE FOOD TRUCK PARK OWNER IS ALSO A BUSINESS OWNER AND THEY'RE PROFITING FROM HAVING THESE FOOD TRUCKS ON THEIR PROPERTY, AND THEY SHOULD BE EQUALLY AS REGULATED AS ANY OTHER BUSINESS.

AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL IN LOOKING AT ZONING CODE AND LAND USE, UM, THERE'S NOTHING ON THE BOOKS FOR THIS.

AND SO IN THE INTEREST OF THE SUBSECTION E OF THE DESIGN STANDARDS WHERE IT STATES TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS, AND OTHER AREAS BY ENCOURAGING PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT THAT IS OF HIGH QUALITY AND IT'S COMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER SCALE AND FUNCTIONING OF ITS SURROUNDING AREA, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THE FOOD TRUCK PARK DOES THAT.

AND I ALSO WOULD ASK, UM, IN REFERENCE TO, UH, JUST STATE THAT I AM PRO DEVELOPMENT.

I'M NOT AGAINST DEVELOPMENT.

I FEEL LIKE THIS HOLDS BACK DEVELOPMENT ON THE STREET.

IT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF AIRBNBS IMPACTING RESIDENTIAL.

IT'S ALLOWING LANDOWNERS TO LEAVE THEIR LAND VACANT AND IN DISREPAIR FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME WITH LIMITED, UM, RESOURCES.

AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT SOMETHING BE DONE IN REGARD TO, UM, INCREASE THE DEVELOPMENT AND UPKEEP ON EAST CHAVEZ.

AND I FEEL LIKE THIS FOOD TRUCK PARK AND ITS IMPINGEMENT OR MY HOME VALUE IS A GOOD PLACE TO START.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR COURTNEY RETO KING.

MR. MAYOR? YES, JUDGE.

I JUST WANNA LET, UH, MR. SAUNDERS KNOW SOMEBODY FROM MY TEAM IS GONNA COME DOWN TO, TO CHAT WITH YOU.

UH, I KNOW EXACTLY THE FOOD TRUCK.

YOU'RE THE FOOD PARK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

UM, SO THEY'LL BE RIGHT DOWN TO CHAT WITH YOU.

ACTIVISTS HERE CALLED THEM PRO-PALESTINIAN RESOLUTIONS.

PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD.

HI, MY NAME IS COURTNEY RETO.

GREAT.

UM, I WANT TO SPEAK TODAY AS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY, SOMEONE WHO HAS FOUGHT TO PROTECT IMMIGRANTS FROM ICE SUPPORT REFUGEES AND THEIR FAMILIES FLEEING WAR AND STOP HATE IN OUR CITY.

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I AM ALSO JEWISH, A ZIONIST, AND I WORK FOR THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE.

FIRST.

FIRST I WANT TO SAY I SEE OUR PALESTINIAN COMMUNITY.

I SEE YOUR PAIN.

I SEE THE GRIEF YOU HOLD FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, FOR YOUR FAMILIES, THE DEVASTATION OVER THE LOSS OF INNOCENT LIVES AND THE DESTRUCTION OF GAZA.

I HEAR YOUR ANGUISH CRIES YOUR FRUSTRATION AND ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SUFFERING.

I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT IN THESE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYONE SPEAK TO MY COMMUNITY'S TRAUMA.

THE 1200 PLUS INNOCENT LIVES BUTCHERED IN ONE DAY IN THE MOST BRUTAL INHUMANE WAYS POSSIBLE, FAMILIES BURNED, ALIVE, BEHEADED, TORTURED, RAPED, 364 YOUNG ADULTS AT A MUSIC FESTIVAL OCCURRING AT THE SAME TIME AS ACL, RAPED AND MASSACRED IN A FEW HOURS, HUNDREDS OF HOSTAGES TAKEN, INCLUDING BABIES AND HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS.

MANY IN THIS VERY COMMUNITY HAVE LOVED ONES IN ISRAELS.

SO HERE WE ARE, TWO COMMUNITIES THAT HELD GENERATIONAL TRAUMA BEFORE THIS CONFLICT EVEN BEGAN TWO COMMUNITIES CRYING OUT IN PAIN.

AND BECAUSE OF THIS, I MUST ASK, HOW DOES AN AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION DEMANDING A CEASEFIRE HEAL ANY OF OUR TRAUMAS, REP DOGGETT AND REP CASSAR HAVE ALREADY CALLED FOR A CEASEFIRE.

OUR TWO SENATORS AND OUR GOVERNOR DO NOT AND WILL NOT CARE ABOUT A RESOLUTION.

BUT AUSTIN'S JEWISH COMMUNITY DOES AND WILL.

THE WAY THESE RESOLUTIONS ARE FRAMED IS DIVISIVE.

MEMBERS OF COMMISSIONS HAVE FELT PRESSURED TO TAKE A STANCE ON AN ISSUE MOST AREN'T WELL VERSED ON, AND THAT IS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF AN AUSTIN CITY COMMISSION.

SOME EVEN SPOKE TO ME OF CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR SAFETY.

SPEAKERS AND SIGNS IN THESE VERY CHAMBERS HAVE INCLUDED ZIONISM AS RACISM AND CALLED UPON COUNCIL MEMBERS TO IGNORE THEIR RICH DONORS.

AND WARNED OF THE WEST SIDE, ZIONIST AND WHITE JEWISH SUPREMACY MEMBERS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY WERE EVEN SPAT ON LAST MEETING.

HOW DO THESE DEEPLY DIVISIVE WORDS AND ACTIONS HELP OUR COMMUNITY? ONE, HANUKKAH KNIGHT.

I FACETIME MY 4-YEAR-OLD WHILE WALKING DOWNTOWN TO DO OUR PRAYERS OVER CANDLES.

SOMEONE WALKED BY ME WEARING A PALESTINIAN FLAG AND I LOWERED MY VOICE TO A WHISPER SO HE WOULDN'T HEAR HEBREW IN AUSTIN.

I DIDN'T FEEL SAFE BEING VISIBLY JEWISH.

I WANT THIS WAR TO END.

I WANT THE HOSTAGES RETURNED, GODSENDS AND ISRAELI SAFE AND HAMAS.

AND EVEN MORE THAN THAT, I WANT OUR ENTIRE AUSTIN COMMUNITY TO FEEL SAFE TO START THE STEPS OF HEALING AND RECONCILIATION.

AND AS WE CAN SEE HERE, THESE RESOLUTIONS DON'T DO THAT.

THEY ONLY SERVE TO FURTHER DIVIDE, TO INFLAME AND TO INSTILL FEAR, AS I TELL MY CHILD, WE ALL EXPERIENCE BIG FEELINGS.

WE ARE ANGRY, WE ARE FRUSTRATED, WE ARE AFRAID, AND WE ARE SO VERY SAD.

AND WHILE ALL FEELINGS ARE VALID, ALL BEHAVIORS ARE NOT.

IT'S TIME FOR ALL OF US TO REMEMBER THAT WE ARE A COMMUNITY AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET THROUGH THIS IS TOGETHER.

[02:20:01]

WE ARE AUSTIN.

WE ARE WEIRD AND STRONG AND TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.

THANK YOU IN A STATE THAT ISN'T ALWAYS INTEREST.

STATE DENYING PALESTINIANS THE RIGHT TO EXIST AS PEOPLE.

LET'S COME TO ORDER, PLEASE.

THE NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE APPROACH.

THAT'S OUT OF ORDER.

PLEASE COME TO ORDER.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WATSON AND AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS CHE.

I WAS BORN, RAISED, AND EDUCATED IN AUSTIN.

I'M ALSO A VERY PROUD PALESTINIAN ARAB AND MUSLIM AMERICAN.

IF YOU DON'T MIND STARTING MY VIDEO, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

I'M HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION.

THIS TIME INSPIRES ME TO MAKE MY VOICE HEARD AS I CAST MY FIRST VOTE IN THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS.

LIKE MOST OF MY GENERATION'S, YOUNG PEOPLE, I WILL VOTE FOR HOPE, PEACE, AND A BETTER LIFE FOR EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF THEIR RACE, RELIGION, ECONOMIC STATUS, GENDER, OR WHO THEY LOVE.

ONE THING IS CERTAIN ABOUT MY FIRST VOTE.

I WILL VOTE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PROVED THEY DESERVE MY TRUST AND MY SUPPORT.

IN CASTING MY VOTE, I ASPIRE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHAPING OF A CITY, A CITY THAT FOSTERS EQUALITY, JUSTICE, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE.

I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF UNITY AND COLLABORATION TO BUILD A SOCIETY WHERE DIVERSITY IS NOT ONLY ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT CELEBRATED.

AND I WILL VOTE FOR THOSE WHO SEEK TO UNITE US AND HAVE THE COURAGE TO RECOGNIZE THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW THESE EVENTS IMPACT US, EVEN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR COWARDLY POLITICIANS WHO PLACE THE INTERESTS OF THEIR DONORS ABOVE ALL OTHERS IN EVERYTHING.

THE LACK OF ACTION TAKEN BY THIS COUNCIL ON THE GENOCIDE IN PALESTINE HAS ENCOURAGED HATE AND DIVIDED OUR COMMUNITY, MAKING AUSTIN A DANGEROUS PLACE FOR PALESTINIAN, ARAB, JEWISH, AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES.

WE FEE FOR, WE FEAR FOR OUR LIVES EVERY TIME WE STEP OUT OF OUR HOMES, LARGELY DUE TO THE DIVISIVE STATEMENTS AND INACTION OF OUR MAYOR.

HOWEVER, IT'S BETTER LATE THAN EVER.

AND YOU STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AUSTIN A BETTER PLACE FOR ADA, PALESTINIAN JEWISH COMMUNITIES AND THE CITIZENS AS A WHOLE.

BY GATHERING THE COURAGE TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE ZA CALL FOR THE END OF THE UNJUSTIFIED KILLING OF PALESTINIANS.

IT IS NO SECRET THAT MORE THAN 29,000 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN MURDERED, MOSTLY MADE POSSIBLE BY THE US MADE AND SUPPLIED WEAPONS TO ISRAEL IN THE SHAMEFUL, UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT OF JOE BIDEN FOR THE GENOCIDE IN PALESTINE.

AS A NEW YOUNG VOTER, IT'S DIFFICULT TO HAVE FAITH IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL PROCESS.

PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR VOTERS AND CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE AND PERMANENT CEASE FIRE.

ONCE AGAIN, I AM PROUD TO BE A PALESTINIAN AMERICAN GROWING UP IN THIS INCLUSIVE AND FRIENDLY CITY.

I ALSO CHERISH BEING A FIRST TIME VOTER AND AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN OUR DEMOCRACY.

I LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING OUR COUNTRY, OUR STATE, AND OUR CITY HEAL FROM THE WOUNDS OF HATE, RACISM, AND DISCRIMINATION CAUSED BY THE SILENT AND COMPLACENT POLITICIANS, INCLUDING SOME ON THIS COUNCIL.

I SINCERELY HOPE YOU'LL DO THE RIGHT THING AND STAND AGAINST GENOCIDE.

THIS, THIS STATE OF AFFAIRS REMINDS ME OF THE WORDS OF A BRILLIANT JEWISH MAN WHO IN THE FACE OF NAZI OPPRESSION SAID, IF I WERE TO REMAIN SILENT, I'D BE GUILTY OF COMPLICITY.

THESE WERE THE WORDS OF ALBERT EINSTEIN.

HOPEFULLY THIS ELECTION CYCLE WILL BRING US SOME NEW FACES, REPRE, REPRESENTING OUR ASPIRATIONS.

LET'S, SO LET'S SHOW SOME COURAGE AND SUPPORT FOR THE INNOCENT PALESTINIAN CHILDREN, MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO THE GENOCIDE, FUNDED AND PROTECT, PROTECTED BY THE SHAMEFUL US.

THANK YOU DEN ALLISON KLEIN.

BEN, IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE APPROACH THE MICROPHONE.

WOULD YOU CALL THE THE, THE LAST TWO NAMES? ALLISON KLEIN.

BEN SOTHEBY.

COUNSEL, PLEASE STATE, STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.

MY NAME IS NAAN AUSTIN IS MY HOME.

I HAVE A CASE OF PTSD.

YOU SEE, I'M A LEBANESE AMERICAN.

IN 1982, ISRAELI TANKS INVADED LEBANON ALL THE WAY TO THE DOORS OF BEIRUT, ITS CAPITAL.

AND THE CITY I ONCE CALLED HOME.

PERHAPS YOU HAVE HEARD OF SABRA SHAILA.

TWO PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMPS IN THE HEART OF BEIRUT.

ADULT MEN FROM THE CAMPS WERE FORCED ONTO SHIPS INTO EXILE, LEAVING BEHIND CHILDREN, ELDERLY AND WOMEN, MANY OF THEM PREGNANT.

THEN UNDER THE ISRAELI ARMS FLOODLIGHTS AND THE GAZE OF ITS WAR.

MINISTER LEBANESE MILITIAS IN ISRAEL PAY CARRIED ON A RELENTLESS SLAUGHTER OF ALL THOSE LEFT BEHIND, MORE THAN 1200 SOULS WERE LEFT DEAD 40 YEARS LATER OF ISRAELI

[02:25:01]

AND HERE IS OCTOBER SEVEN, I WAS AGAIN TRIGGERED.

WHO COULD BLAME ANYONE FOR FEELING THE PAIN OF THOSE KILLED OR TAKEN HOSTAGE ON THAT HORRIBLE DAY? THEN FIVE MONTHS INTO THIS BOMBING, STARVING, KILLING, LOPSIDED WAR AND UNRAVELING HUMAN CATASTROPHE.

HOW CAN ANYONE STAY SILENT? HOW CAN YOU, THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, INCLUDING MY OWN DAUGHTER, HAVE COME HERE EVERY TWO WEEKS, IMPLORING YOU NOT TO TAKE SIDES, BUT TO JOIN THE CALL FOR THE, FOR A STOP TO THE MADNESS AND A RELEASE OF ALL THE HOSTAGES.

THEY ARE ARABS, BLACKS AND BROWNS, MUSLIMS, AND BRAVE JEWS.

THEY REFUSE TO BE BYSTANDERS IN THIS RACIST COLONIAL WAR THAT THEIR LOVED ONES ARE PAYING THE HIGHEST PRICE FOR A WAR FUNDED WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS IN FOREIGN AID AND BOND INVESTMENTS ENABLED WITH US WEAPONS AND A COMPLICIT US POLICY.

BUT THIS WAR DOES NOT STAND ALONE.

THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU SHOULD WANT WITH YOU HERE AT HOME IN THE ONGOING FIGHT FOR AN ANTI-RACIST, INCLUSIVE, AND TRULY PROGRESSIVE CITY.

BUT EXCEPT FOR THREE BRAVE WOMEN AND MEN AMONG YOU, YOU'VE LET THEM DOWN, BUT THE TIME HAS NOT PASSED.

YOU CAN STILL JOIN THEM OR YOU CAN STAY FROZEN IN THE FLOODLIGHTS OF THE WAR MONGERS AND THE GENOCIDE ENABLERS.

I HOPE YOU MAKE THE HONORABLE CHOICE.

THANK YOU, SIR.

WOULD YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED? IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

MEMBERS, UM, JUST FOR SCHEDULING PURPOSES, UM, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, UH, THE WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL BE IN RECESS UNTIL ONE O'CLOCK.

WE WILL HAVE OUR LIVE MUSIC PRESENTATION.

WE WILL COME BACK IN AT ONE O'CLOCK SO THAT WE MAY, UH, GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ANNOUNCE THAT WE WILL BE GOING INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION IN A PUBLIC SESSION.

SO, UM, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, WE WILL GO INTO RECESS.

WE'LL HAVE OUR MUSIC, AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK AT ONE O'CLOCK.

WE'LL BE RECESSED UNTIL ONE O'CLOCK.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

INDULGING ME.

PLEASE GO AHEAD, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

HELLO, MY NAME IS BEN SOTHEBY.

UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I'M A RESIDENT OF D FOUR.

PROUD TO BE ACTIVE IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT HERE IN TEXAS AS A MEMBER OF AFSCME 1624.

UH, PROUD TO BE A A PART OF LOS VERDE.

UH, PROUD TO BE IN AUSTIN.

DSA PROUD TO RIDE THE TRANSIT SYSTEM IN OUR CITY.

8 0 1 300.

SHOUT OUT.

UH, I WANTED, I WANTED TO COME DOWN HERE BECAUSE, UH, FOR MONTHS MONTHS NOW, YOUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE BEEN, UH, SPEAKING TO YOU AND THERE HAVE BEEN APPEALS TO YOUR HEARTS.

UH, BUT, UH, SAY FOR A FEW EXCEPTIONS, UH, SEEMS TO HAVE FALLEN ON DEAF EARS.

UH, TO THOSE EXCEPTIONS, MY WORDS ARE NOT DIRECTED TO YOU.

I PROMISE TO KNOCK DOORS AND TALK TO EVERYONE I KNOW TO GET YOU REELECTED.

TO THE REST OF YOU, THE MAJORITY CITY GOVERNMENT IS THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT IS CLOSEST TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, TO PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IT'S THE ONE THEY MOST REGULARLY INTERFACE WITH.

THEY GO TO A PARK CITY POOL, YOU KNOW, OUR UTILITIES, THE TRASH GETS PICKED UP.

ALL THE STUFF THAT OUR PROUD WORKERS DO IN THE CITY.

IT'S THE GOVERNMENT THAT THEY KNOW.

AND I ASK YOU, DO YOU THINK THAT WHEN THEY SEE THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES CLOSEST TO THEM BE UNWILLING TO LISTEN TO THE MAJORITY OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS, DO YOU THINK THAT GIVES THEM CONFIDENCE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT? DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR UNWILLINGNESS TO ACT ENCOURAGES OR DISCOURAGES FUTURE PARTICIPATION IN DEMOCRACY BY IGNORING VERY REASONABLE CALLS TO TAKE UP AS AN AGENDA ITEM AND PASS THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY YOUR VERY OWN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION NOVEMBER 16TH, 2023.

YOU RUN A VERY DANGEROUS RISK DISILLUSIONING AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF YOUNG AUSTINITES BY SENDING THEM THE MESSAGE THAT DEMOCRACY DOESN'T WORK.

IN FACT, THAT ELECTED LEADERS DON'T LISTEN TO THEIR CONSTITUENCIES.

AND THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE MEANS TO AFFECT CHANGE.

VERY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME WHEN FASCIST FORCES ARE AMASSING IN OUR COUNTRY.

AUSTIN, REALLY, ALL OF TEXAS REALLY NEEDS THESE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG PEOPLE, TO NOT LOSE HOPE.

EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US IS AT A POINT WHERE WE'RE WRITING OUR LEGACIES.

[02:30:01]

WHEN FUTURE GENERATIONS LOOK BACK AND ASK, HOW DID YOU ACT IN THE FACE OF GENOCIDE? DID YOU SPEAK UP? DID YOU USE WHATEVER PLATFORM AT YOUR DISPOSAL TO CALL FOR PEACE? DID YOU USE THE BULLY PULPIT OF YOUR OFFICE TO CALL FOR PEACE? TAKING UP ITEMS AND VOTING FOR THEM, EVEN IF THEY MAY BE CONTROVERSIAL? ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW HOW PEACE AND SAYING, UH, ANTISEMITISM IS BAD AND ANTI IS, YOU KNOW, ANTI ISLAM OR ISLAMOPHOBIA IS BAD.

I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S DIVISIVE, REALLY.

I SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I HOPE TO POINT TO, I I ECHOED THE CALL FROM THE PALESTINIAN GENERAL FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS AND MAYBE THIS TESTIMONY, UH, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THAT'S HOW I WILL RESPOND.

HOW WILL YOU? THANK YOU.

GIVE THANK YOU MEMBERS.

THAT CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC TIME, CERTAIN PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL BE IN RECESS UNTIL ONE O'CLOCK AND WE WILL HAVE OUR MUSIC WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL IS IN RECESS UNTIL ONE O'CLOCK.

IT'S 12:32 PM DUARTE QUICKLY

[Live Music Chris Duarte]

GAINED A NATIONAL REPUTATION AS A YOUNG MAN IMBUED WITH A PLAYING STYLE COMPARABLE AT TIMES TO THE LATE GUITARIST.

AFTER FIELDING INTEREST FROM A NUMBER OF LABELS, DUARTE SIGNED A SILVERSTONE RECORDS AND HIS DEBUT ALBUM, TEXAS SUGAR STRAT MAGIC REPORTEDLY SOLD IN EXCESS OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITS IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND THAT IS NO SMALL FEAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A BLUES ROCK GUITARIST.

THIS COUPLED WITH DUARTE'S STRONG COMMITMENT TO TOURING WAS THE IMPETUS FOR CHRIS'S WINNING THE BEST NEW TALENT IN GUITAR PLAYERS 1995 READER'S POLL.

HE ALSO FINISHED FOURTH IN THE MAGAZINE'S BEST BLUES GUITARIST CATEGORY THAT YEAR BEHIND ERIC CLAPTON, BUDDY GUY AND BB KING.

I'M GONNA HAVE A PROCLAMATION AFTER THEY FINISHED PLAYING.

BUT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CHRIS DUARTE, THE CHRIS DUARTE GROUP,

[02:37:52]

I HAVE A PROCLAMATION GET KNOWN THAT WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS BLESSED WITH MANY CREATIVE MUSICIANS WHOSE TALENT EXTENDS TO VIRTUALLY EVERY, EVERY MUSICAL GENRE.

AND WHEREAS OUR MUSIC SCENE THRIVES 'CAUSE AUSTIN AUDIENCES SUPPORT GOOD MUSIC PRODUCED BY LEGENDS, OUR LOCAL FAVORITES AND NEWCOMERS ALIKE.

AND WHEREAS WE ARE PLEASED TO SHOWCASE AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ARTIST.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD DO HEREBY PROCLAIM LEAP DAY, FEBRUARY 29TH, 2024, AS CHRIS DAY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

TELL US WHERE WE CAN HEAR YOU, UH, TELL US HOW WE CAN FOLLOW YOU ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THINGS LIKE THAT.

WELL, IT'S OUT THERE ON DUARTE ROCKS.

UH, IT'S REAL EASY TO FIND ME.

I KNOW THERE'S A BASKETBALL PLAYER WITH MY NAME TOO, BUT I'M THE ONLY GUITAR PLAYER.

, HE USURPED ME, BUT I'M, I'M BUILDING BACK UP THERE ON THE SEARCH THING.

BUT YEAH, JUST PUSHING IN CHRIS DTE, YOU'LL FIND ME.

IT'S REAL EASY.

I'M ON INSTAGRAM, I'M ON TWITTER, I'M ON ALL THE OTHER STUFF, YOU KNOW, SO YEAH, GO AHEAD AND FIND IT.

AND I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR EVERY, I WANT TO THANK, ESPECIALLY MY DAUGHTER.

THE BEST THING I'VE EVER DONE, THE GREATEST THING I'VE EVER DONE.

IT'S MY DAUGHTER AND MY FAMILY THERE.

I WANNA THANK MY AGENT FOR GETTING THIS TOGETHER AND ALL MY RECORD COMPANIES AND STUFF THERE.

BUT I WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR GIVING ME A PLACE TO PRACTICE MY TALENTS FOR ALL THESE YEARS SINCE, SINCE 1979.

THAT'S WHEN I MOVED HERE.

I'LL CALL THE ORDER OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.

CHRIS DE WAR GROUP, TOM BRECK LINE, AND JESSICA WILL, YEAH,

[02:40:42]

CALL US BACK TO ORDER.

IT'S 1 0 1 ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH.

UH, WE HAVE BEEN IN RECESS, UH, AT THIS

[Executive Session (Part 1 of 2)]

TIME WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE COUNCIL WILL GO INTO A CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP FIVE ITEMS PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0 7 4 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.

THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO ITEMS 74, 75 AND 76.

74 IS TO EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF AND CONSIDER COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FOR THE CITY CLERK.

75 WILL BE TO EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF AND CONSIDER COMPENSATION FOR BEN AND BENEFITS FOR THE CITY AUDITOR.

AND ITEM 76 IS TO EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF AND CONSIDER COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FOR THE MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0 7 1 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO ITEM 77, THE STATE OF TEXAS VERSUS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ETAL CAUSE NUMBER D ONE GN 24 5 86 IN THE 419TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS.

AND ITEM 1 0 2, SAM KERS VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN AL CAUSE NUMBER ONE 20 EV 0 1 1 1 3 RP IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, AUSTIN DIVISION MODESTO RODRIGUEZ VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN AL CAUSE NUMBER 1 21 DASH CV 0 1 8 7 RP IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, AUSTIN DIVISION ELISA SANDERS VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN, ED AL.

CAUSE NUMBER 1 22 CV THREE 14 RP IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, AUSTIN DIVISION, TYREE TALLEY VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN, ED AL.

CAUSE NUMBER 1 21 CV 0 0 2 4 9 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, AUSTIN DI DIVISION AND JAMICA VOLTER JONES VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN, ED AL.

CAUSE NUMBER 1 22 CV 0 0 5 1 1 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS AUSTIN DIVISION.

WHAT WE WILL DO FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE WATCHING IS WE WILL, IF, IF WE ARE COMPLETE IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE'LL END THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND COME BACK OUT.

IF NOT, NOT, WE WILL RECESS THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND BE OUT HERE FOR OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, WHICH IS ZONING AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, AND GO BACK INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO COMPLETE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER THE TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN.

BUT IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION AND WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE ARE NOW GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON ALL OF THE ITEMS ANNOUNCED.

IT'S 1:04 PM ORDER, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.

IT'S TWO O'CLOCK ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH.

UH, WE HAVE RECESSED THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL WHEN WE WILL RETURN, UH, TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER WE COMPLETE OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME.

CERTAIN AND MEMBERS, IT HAS BROUGHT US TO OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, UM,

[2:00 PM - Zoning and Neighborhood Plan Amendments (Public Hearings and Possible Action)]

I SEE MS. HARDEN MAKING HER WAY TO THE PODIUM AND SO SHE WILL BE RECOGNIZED.

JOY HARDEN WITH THE POINTING DEPARTMENT.

YOUR ZONING AGENDA BEGINS WITH ITEM NUMBER 78 C 14 20 22 0 0 9 0.

THIS IS A JOINT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND APPLICANT TO YOUR APRIL 4TH COUNCIL MEETING.

ITEM 79 IS NPA 20 22 0 0 0 5 0.01.

THIS IS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR APRIL 4TH COUNCIL MEETING.

AGAIN, THIS IS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR APRIL 4TH COUNCIL MEETING.

ITEM 81 IS NPA 20 23 0 0 1 8 0.05 AND THIS IS BEING OFFERED AS A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MARCH 21ST COUNCIL MEETING.

AGAIN, NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MARCH 21ST COUNCIL MEETING.

ITEM 83 IS NPA

[02:45:01]

20 23 0 0 2 3 0.01.

THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.

AND I DO HAVE A MOTION SHEET TO READ IN THE RECORD AND IT READS, AMEND THE CAPTION IN PART ONE TO ADD THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY COMBINING DISTRICT, AND I'D ADD A NEW PART TWO TO THE ORDINANCE AS FOLLOWS AND RENUMBER THE REMAINING SECTIONS.

PART TWO, THE PROPERTY WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY COMBINING DISTRICT ESTABLISHED BY THIS ORDINANCE IS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.

THE FOLLOWING USES ARE PROHIBITED USES ON THE PROPERTY, ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL SERVICES, OFFSITE ACCESSORY PARKING SERVICE STATION, CONSUMER CONVENIENCE SERVICES, PETTY CAP STORAGE AND DISPATCH.

AND WITH THAT, I CAN OFFER THIS ITEM FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.

I DO WANNA STATE THAT THIS HAS A VALID PETITION, SO NON VOTES ARE REQUIRED FOR PASSAGE AND I JUST WANNA, UM, ADD SOME BACKGROUND TO THIS CASE.

UM, THE APPLICANT ORIGINALLY OR ASKED FOR THE CS ZONING DISTRICT FOR CONSTRUCTION SALES AND SERVICES USE.

SO WE CAN MOVE THIS FORWARD FOR LR, BUT THE VALID PETITION STILL STANDS, SO STILL WILL REQUIRE NINE VOTES.

UM, SO WITH THAT, IT'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT ALL, ALL THREE, BUT DOES NEED NON VOTES FOR PASSAGE 85 IS C 14 20 23 0 1 3.

THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.

ITEM 80 86.

NEXT 86, YEAH, JUST MAKING SURE.

OKAY, 86 IS NPA 20 23 0 0 2.

3.02.

THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.

SECOND READING ONLY.

THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT, SECOND READING ONLY.

AND THESE TWO ITEMS, BOTH 86 AND 87, WILL BE BROUGHT BACK FOR THIRD READING CONSIDERATION AT YOUR MARCH 21ST COUNCIL MEETING.

ITEM 88 IS C 1 4 20 23 0 1 2 8.

THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.

ITEM 89 C 1 4 20 23 0 1 2 7.

THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.

ITEM 90 IS NPA 20 23 0 0 2, 0 0.01.

THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED AS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MARCH 21ST COUNCIL MEETING.

AGAIN, APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MARCH 21ST COUNCIL MEETING.

ITEM 92 IS NPA 20 23 0 0 2, 0 0.03.

THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.

SECOND READING ONLY.

AGAIN, THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT, SECOND READING ONLY.

AND ITEM 94 IS C 1 4 20 23 0 0 4 6.

AGAIN, THIS ITEM BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT, SECOND READING ONLY.

AND THESE, UM, THREE ITEMS WHICH ARE 92, 93 AND 94 WILL BE PLACED ON YOUR COUNCIL AGENDA OF MARCH 21ST FOR THIRD READING CONSIDERATION.

ITEM 95 IS C 1 4 20 23 0 0 4 8.

THIS IS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MARCH 7TH COUNCIL MEETING.

ITEM 96 IS C 1 4 2 2 3 0 1 23.

THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.

AND ITEM 97 IS C 1 4 20 23 0 0 9 6.

THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED AS A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR MARCH 7TH COUNCIL MEETING.

AND THIS CONCLUDES THE READING OF THE AGENDA.

AND OF COURSE THIS IS AT YOUR DISCRETION.

OF THE, UH, ADDITIONAL, UH, UNITS.

ANY QUESTIONS OF MS. HARDEN? YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.

UH, ACTUALLY THE QUESTION WOULD BE TO TRANSPORTATION WITH REGARD TO OKAY.

A COUPLE OF ITEMS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

AL BARUA, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.

I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, RELATED TO ITEMS 86 AND 87, UM, WHICH ARE SET FOR A SECOND READING ONLY.

UM, THOSE ARE RIGHT ON BERKMAN DRIVE.

BERKMAN DRIVE IS A TWO LANE, UM, RESIDENTIAL, I'M NOT SURE THE TECHNICAL NAME FOR THE STREET, BUT, UH, A RELATIVELY SMALL STREET.

UH, THERE IS A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT COMING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS LARGELY BEEN SUPPORTIVE

[02:50:01]

UH, AND, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY, THERE WAS A VOTE AT THE, AT THE, UH, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION THAT WAS SUPPORTIVE OF THE, THE LY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AT THIS LOCATION.

AGAIN, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, GOOD FOLKS THAT, THAT, THAT WANNA DO THEIR PART, THAT WANNA, UH, UH, A DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOOD BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND, AND IN OTHER WAYS.

AND, UM, BUT THE TRAFFIC ON BERKMAN IS INTENSIFYING, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S A CUT THROUGH BETWEEN, UH, IF YOU'RE COMING WEST ONTO 90 FROM MANNAR OR ELGIN, UH, IT'S A, IT'S AN EASY WAY TO KIND OF AVOID THAT 2 90, 35 FLYOVER AND, AND, AND THE TRAFFIC THAT IS THERE.

AND SO WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNINGS.

VERY DIFFICULT TO, UH, TO GET THROUGH.

UH, AND I I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE STATUS OF ANY POTENTIAL, UH, UPGRADES, UH, ON BERKMAN.

UH, SPECIFICALLY THERE WAS A TRAFFIC LIGHT THAT W UH, IS, IS DESIRED AT, UH, ROCKY IN SUFFOLK AT THE, WHERE ROCKY AND SUFFOLK, UH, UH, ACROSS BERKMAN RIGHT THERE AND THEN POTENTIALLY ON THE OTHER SIDE ON PATENT WHERE PATENT FEEDS INTO BERKMAN RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE, THE GROCERY STORE AND THE OTHER KIND OF COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE THERE.

UH, AND, AND I JUST WANTED TO SEE KIND OF WHAT, WHAT THE STATUS OF THOSE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS ON, ON BERKMAN, UH, UH, ARE, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.

THOSE ARE VERY GOOD QUESTIONS.

AS NEW DEVELOPMENTS COME IN, THAT REALLY INCREASES THE INTENSITY OF ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC, BOTH PEDESTRIAN BICYCLISTS AND MOTORISTS.

AND THAT WILL ALWAYS CREATE SOME PRESSURE ON THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.

UH, HOWEVER WE HAVE ON BARKMAN DRIVE, WE HAVE LIMITED RIGHT OF WAY.

UM, SO WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS TO MANAGE THE TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION.

AND YOU ARE RIGHT.

THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUESTS FROM THE COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT CERTAIN INTERSECTIONS FOR ADDITIONAL SIGNALS AND A PEDESTRIAN, HAVE IT BECOME A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING SIGNAL AS WELL.

SO WE ARE EVALUATING ALL THOSE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, WHETHER THEY'RE WARRANTED AT THOSE LOCATIONS.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME OF THE INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GENERAL VICINITY.

WE MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS AT IFF AND WEST MINISTER INTERSECTION, AND THERE ARE SOME ULTIMATE DESIGN FOR ULTIMATE IMPROVEMENT AT THE INTERSECTION.

LONGER TERM, WE ARE ALSO ACTIVELY WORKING ON 51ST STREET PROJECT BETWEEN BARKMAN DRIVE AND I 35.

AND WE ARE AT THE FINAL DESIGN, BUT WE ARE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH SOME DRAINAGE ISSUES OUT THERE.

BUT OVERALL, WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT ALL THESE PROJECTS PLUS ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS AND, AND MOTORISTS IN THE, IN THE AREA.

AND, AND THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I WAS ABLE TO MEET WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES YESTERDAY, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE 51ST STREET, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, QUITE DELAYED.

BUT, BUT WE'RE PATIENTLY WAITING.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONCERNS THAT I'M HEARING FROM MY CONSTITUENTS IS JUST THE EAST WEST MOBILITY ACROSS BERKMAN IS VERY DIFFICULT.

UH, THERE'S CONSTANT KIND OF FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND THERE'S ONLY ONE STOPLIGHT ON BERKMAN BETWEEN 51ST STREET AND TWO 90.

SO THERE AND THERE HAVE BEEN ISLANDS SET UP WITH THE FLEX POLES TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HELP AND GUIDE AND, AND, AND THOSE ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

BUT A, UH, A STOPLIGHT, ESPECIALLY FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE TURNING LEFT ONTO BERKMAN, THAT'S A VERY, UH, DIFFICULT TURN, UH, TO MAKE, UH, ESPECIALLY AT, AT CERTAIN HOURS OF THE DAY.

UH, THOSE ARE, UH, REALLY WHAT, WHAT FOLKS ARE LOOKING FOR.

AND ALSO RIGHT THERE AT THE CORNER WHERE THE WINDSOR VILLAGE, UH, USED TO BE, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NEW DEVELOPMENT'S GONNA BE CALLED, BUT THERE'S ABOUT 700 UNITS, UH, OF APARTMENTS GOING UP THERE, VERY CLOSE TO THE WINDSOR PARK LIBRARY.

UM, AND A HYBRID BEACON IN THAT AREA.

'CAUSE THERE'S ACTUALLY, ON BOTH SIDES OF BERKMAN, THERE'S GONNA BE, UH, A PRETTY LARGE, UH, COMMERCIAL, UH, DEVELOPMENTS.

AND WE'RE GONNA BE SEEING A LOT OF TRAFFIC.

AND AGAIN, NEIGHBORHOOD IS HAPPY TO, TO TO, TO TAKE THE, THE, THE, THE HOUSING.

IT'S, IT'S A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE, WE WANT IT TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO MORE PEOPLE.

UH, BUT AGAIN, THOSE, UH, TRANSPORTATION CONCERNS, UH, UH, THEY, IT NEEDS TO BE BALANCED.

YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DON'T MIND THE HOUSING.

UH, THEY, THEY WELCOME THE, THE PEOPLE, BUT WE'VE GOT TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF MOBILITY.

AND SO, UH, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO PAUSE AND PASS THIS ON SECOND READING, UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE ON THOSE, UH, TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS AND, UH, AND, AND, AND THEN MOVE FORWARD.

SO YEAH.

THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.

THANKS, COUNCIL.

MEMBER MEMBERS, UM, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

LET ME READ THIS CONSENT AGENDA TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MOTION IS COMPLETE.

ITEM NUMBER 78, UH, WILL BE POSTPONED TILL APRIL 4TH, ITEM 79.

ITEM NUMBER 81 AND RELATED ITEM NUMBER 82 WILL BE POSTPONED UNTIL MARCH 21ST.

ITEM NUMBER 83 WOULD BE CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS

[02:55:01]

NOW I'M GONNA STUTTER OVER 85.

HUH? CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS 86 AND 87.

CONSENT ON SECOND READING ONLY BEING BROUGHT BACK MARCH 21ST, 88, ALL THREE READINGS, 89, ALL THREE READINGS 90 AND 91 POSTPONED TO MARCH 21ST, 92 AND 93 SECOND AND 92 93.

95 WOULD BE POSTPONED TO, UH, MARCH 7TH, 96.

ALL CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.

97 A POSTPONEMENT TO MARCH 7TH.

MEMBERS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA IS READ.

MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.

IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA MEMBERS? IS THERE ANYONE THAT WISHES TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO SHOW BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE CONSENT.

ANYONE WANTS YOU TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO WITHOUT OBJECTION.

THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY.

AND FOR THE RECORD, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY IS ATTENDING AT THIS POINT VIRTUALLY, UH, AND SHE IS PRESENT.

EXCUSE ME, MAYOR.

CLERK? YES, WE DO HAVE SOME SPEAKERS.

OH, I'M SORRY.

WELL THEN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MOVES AND IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MEDICINE THAT WE RECONSIDER THE VOTE BY WHICH WE JUST ADOPTED THIS THING UNANIMOUSLY.

AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY.

UM, SORRY, WE WAS TRYING TO GET BACK INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

LET'S HEAR FROM THE SPEAKER, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION.

THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER IS ADOPTED AND, UH, WE ARE BACK TO THE CONSENT AGENDA ON OUR ZONING ITEMS. PLEASE CALL THE SPEAKERS.

I APOLOGIZE TO ALL OF THEM.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

FIRST SPEAKER IS ARIEL WINCHESTER ON ITEM 96.

HI, I'M CALLING BECAUSE I URGE YOU TO VOTE AGAINST REZONING AND REDEVELOPMENT OF THE EASTON HILLS APARTMENT COMPLEX AT 1900 BURTON DRIVE.

UM, I'VE BEEN A TENANT HERE FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS, AND MANY OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW WHO LIVE HERE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THREE TO 10 YEARS.

UM, IT'S ONE OF THE LAST AFFORDABLE PLACES IN THE CITY, IN MY OPINION.

UM, EVERYONE WHO LIVES HERE REALLY LIKES IT BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE DOORS THAT LEAD OUTSIDE.

IT'S SAFE, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

AND, UM, THE NEW APARTMENTS THAT ARE BEING BUILT IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD ARE MOSTLY EMPTY.

AND I FEEL LIKE EVEN IF THEY ARE ABLE TO BE FILLED, WE WILL FACE THE PROBLEM OF TRAFFIC ON BURTON DRIVE BECAUSE THIS IS A TWO LANE STREET WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE AND THEY'RE OFTEN PEOPLE IN THE STREET, PEOPLE ON BICYCLES AND CHILDREN.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO PUT FORWARD THAT IT SEEMS UNWISE TO ADD MORE HOUSING TO A ZIP CODE THAT'S ALREADY ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED IN AUSTIN.

UM, WE HAVE EMPTY HIGH RISES AND BURTON DRIVE CANNOT PHYSICALLY ACCOMMODATE MORE TRAFFIC.

AT, UM, THE OMNI AND THE REST OF THEM HAVE POOR REVIEWS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN, UM, WITH BOTH THE RESIDENTS AND THE SHOPPERS IN THAT AREA DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS, PARKING A NUMBER OF ISSUES.

MONICA GARCIA, ITEM 96.

HELLO? YES, UH, MY NAME IS MONICA GARCIA AND, UM, I AM, UH, CALLING ABOUT THE ITEM 96 REZONING FROM THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING TO A MIXED USE HIGHRISE, NOT 1900 BURTON.

UM, LIKE THE LAST SPEAKER, UH, I'VE LIVED THERE FOR A WHILE, PROBABLY MY SIXTH YEAR.

I'M NOT GONNA WASTE TIME GOING INTO HOW GREAT ALL OF MY RESIDENTS ARE, ALL OF MY NEIGHBORS, UM, OR HOW GREAT THE PROPERTY MANAGE, UH, MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN, UM, IN KEEPING OUR PLACE BEAUTIFUL.

I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK ON THAT WHOLE BLOCK, THERE MIGHT BE A LOT OF PROPERTIES THAT COULD USE A LOT OF WORK.

EASTON HILLS ISN'T ONE OF THEM.

UM, IT'S WELL MAINTAINED AND INDEPENDENT.

THE MANAGEMENT IS ON PROPERTY AT ALL TIMES AND SECURING THE SAFETY AND, UM, SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN OUR APARTMENT COMPLEX.

AND IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A MODEL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

UM, GREAT MANAGEMENT AND TENANTS HAVE BEEN THERE FOR YEARS.

UM, AND WHILE I NOTICED OTHER APARTMENTS IN THE AREA THAT ARE BRAND NEW WITH THIS MIXED USE FROM A HOUSING MODEL, UH, IT HASN'T REALLY SERVED A PURPOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THEY SIT EMPTY.

THE, THE BUSINESSES HAVE, UH, BELL SOUTH IS PROBABLY A GOOD, UM, EXAMPLE OF THAT.

I'VE SEEN MAYBE TWO BUSINESSES STAY

[03:00:01]

UM, I WOULD URGE THE CITY TO PLEASE, UH, KEEP EASTON HILLS OUT OF THAT.

I UNDERSTAND THAT DEVELOPMENT IS A BIG PART OF AUSTIN GROWTH AND, UM, WOULD BE NAIVE.

THANK, THANK YOU TO SAY THAT.

UM, THE FINAL SPEAKER IS MARIO CANTU ON ITEM 90 91, 92, 93, AND 94.

GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS, MARIO CANTU WITH THE SOUTH CONGRESS CONTACT TEAM.

UH, 42 0 1 SOUTH CONGRESS.

UM, IT'S A PROPERTY THAT WANTS TO BE ZONED UP TO 90 FEET.

UM, INITIALLY WE UNDERSTOOD THERE WAS GONNA BE 400 UNITS ON THIS PROPERTY, AND THEN, UH, IT TOOK A BIG CHANGE WHEN, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW WHAT OUR STANDARDS ARE FOR AFFORDABILITY WITHIN THE CON SOUTH CONGRESS CORRIDOR.

UH, WE, WE DON'T WANNA GIVE A BLANK CHECK OF, OF ZONING ON THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY.

THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT IF WE'RE GONNA GIVE A ZONING CHANGE AND IT'S ALREADY HAS THE ZONING THAT THE APPLICANT IS WANTING, THAT WE JUST DON'T GIVE A ZONING CHANGE FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GONNA EITHER PROJECT OR NOT DO IN THE FUTURE.

UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET SOME AFFORDABILITY OUT OF THIS AREA, OUT OF THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY, AND WE JUST WANNA TREAT EVERYBODY ELSE THE SAME.

OTHER APPLICANTS HAVE COME TO US.

WE, WE, WE'VE SET THE BAR WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS, OTHER APPLICANTS, AND WE WOULD JUST WANNA HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND BEING ABLE TO DO THE SAME THING WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABILITY WITHIN OUR AREA.

THANK YOU MAYOR.

THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE ON THE ZONING ITEMS. UH, I'LL NOW, NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PREVIOUSLY READ.

UH, IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, I'LL ASK AGAIN, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANY OBJECTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED WITH COUNCIL AND THERE SHE IS.