[00:00:05]
YOU ARE WATCHING A MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WITH MAYOR KIRK WATSON, MAYOR PRO TIMM LESLIE POOLE, COUNCIL MEMBERS NATASHA HARPER MADISON, VANESSA FUENTES, JOSE VELAZQUEZ, CHEETO VELA, RYAN ALTER, MACKENZIE, KELLY, PAIGE ELLIS, ZOE CADRE, ALISON ALTER, INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY DEBORAH THOMAS, CITY CLERK MYRNA RIOS, AND CITY MANAGER TC BROAD, WEST SECOND
[Call to Order]
STREET.UM, FOR THIS MEETING, UM, MEMBERS, THE ORDER THAT WE WILL GO IN TODAY IS IN JUST A SECOND.
I'LL READ CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS INTO THE RECORD, AND THEN, UH, WE WILL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 33, UH, WHICH IS AN ITEM THAT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN PULLED FOR US TO DISCUSS.
WE WILL THEN GO TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, FIRST HEARING FROM CONSENT SPEAKERS.
AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER ITEM THAT HAS BEEN PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER 16, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, THE CONSENT SPEAKERS, WE WILL HAVE, UH, A MOTION AND A SECOND AND THEN DISCUSSION, UH, BRIEF COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE DIS THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND WE WILL VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
WE WILL THEN GO TO, UH, THE ITEMS THAT WAS PULLED AT THAT POINT, IT WILL BE ITEM 16, UNLESS SOMEBODY PULLS ADDITIONAL ITEMS. WE'LL GO TO THE NON-CONSENT ITEMS. WE HAVE THREE CATEGORIES OF NON-CONSENT ITEMS, ITEMS FROM COUNCIL COMMITTEES, IMMINENT DOMAIN ITEMS, AND PUBLIC HEARINGS.
UH, AT NOON, WE WILL, UH, HAVE OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE WILL RECESS AT THE END OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR LIVE MUSIC.
AND, AND MY GUESS IS THAT WE WILL RECONVENE, UH, AT LIKE ONE 10, AND THEN OF COURSE, AT TWO O'CLOCK, WE WILL HAVE OUR TIME, CERTAIN OF ZONING ITEMS. WITH THAT, I WILL READ CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS INTO THE RECORD.
ITEM NUMBER 31 IS POSTPONED TO DECEMBER 12TH, 2024.
UH, WE WOULD ADD COUNCIL MEMBER AN ALTAR TO THAT ITEM AS A SPONSOR.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ZOE CADRE, UH, ALSO WISHES TO BE PUT THERE.
UM, IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE, LET, LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION ON ITEM NUMBER 33.
UH, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, WE WILL ADD ALL MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AS SPONSORS TO ITEM NUMBER 33.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, UH, THAT WILL BE DONE ON ITEM NUMBER 34.
UH, PLEASE ADD COUNCIL MEMBER JOSE CHETO VELA TO THAT AS A SPONSOR.
ON ITEM NUMBER 36, RAY ANN ALONG HAS REMOVED HERSELF FROM CONSIDERATION.
IT SHOULD READ RAY ANN ALONG, HAS REMOVED HERSELF FROM CONSIDERATION.
UH, WHEN WE BRING UP ITEM NUMBER 36, THAT IS ONE OF THE, UH, NON-CONSENT ITEMS BECAUSE IT'S AN ITEM FROM A COUNCIL COMMITTEE AS CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE THAT THAT COMES FROM.
I'LL BE THE ONE MAKING THE MOTION, AND I'LL ASSURE THAT, UH, RAY AND ALONG WILL NOT BE PART OF THAT MOTION.
ON ITEMS 40 42 AND 43, IT SHOULD READ WHEN PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE TAKEN UP.
THESE ITEMS WILL BE POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024.
AGAIN, ITEMS 40, 42 AND 43 WILL BE POSTPONED UNTIL NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024 MEMBERS, UH, THOSE ARE THE CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE READ INTO THE RECORD.
[33. Approve a resolution naming the staff bullpen and first-floor kitchen of Austin City Hall in honor of and tribute to Kay and Joe Guedea.]
TO ITEM NUMBER 33, UH, MEMBERS.ITEM NUMBER 33, AS YOU KNOW, IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR US.
AND, AND OF COURSE, ALL OF THE COUNCIL JUST AGREED TO BE CO-SPONSOR.
SO IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE IT HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF PASSING, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE SITTING ON PINS AND NEEDLES.
UM, BUT ITEM NUMBER 33, IF I MIGHT, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST MENTION A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT'S ABOUT.
UH, THAT IS A MOTION THAT WE WILL TAKE UP TO NAME THE STAFF BULLPEN, WHICH IS BEHIND COUNCIL CHAMBERS HERE TO NAME THAT, THE KAY GIA STAFF BULLPEN, AND TO NAME THE CITY HALL
[00:05:01]
FIRST FLOOR KITCHEN, UH, WHICH IS ALSO BACK BEHIND US HERE AS THE JOE GIA KITCHEN FOR THE PUBLIC.UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY THINKS THE THEATER GOES ON HERE, UH, IN THIS ROOM, AND I GUESS IT DOES.
BUT, BUT IN ORDER, LIKE A THEATER, IN ORDER FOR EVERYTHING TO WORK THE WAY WE WANT IT TO WORK, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY THAT GOES ON BEHIND HERE.
UH, IT'S LIKE A BACKSTAGE, UH, IN, IN AN ACTUAL THEATER.
AND KAY GIA, UH, WHO SHE IS KIND OF THE, THE PERSON THAT IS THE, THE STAGE MANAGER, IF YOU WILL, SHE MAKES SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS DONE THE RIGHT WAY.
SHE, UH, HAS BEEN, UH, MAKING SURE THAT, THAT EVERYBODY'S FED, EVERYBODY'S TAKEN CARE OF FOR A LONG TIME.
IN FACT, SHE CAME IN 1998 TO AUSTIN CITY GOVERNMENT.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT THAT WAS WHEN I FIRST GOT TO MEET HER, BECAUSE, UH, I WAS SERVING AS MAYOR BACK THEN.
AND I QUICKLY FIGURED OUT THAT KAY, UH, MS. KAY, AS SHE IS REFERRED TO BY SO MANY PEOPLE, WAS ONE OF THE NEATEST PEOPLE I EVER HAD THE CHANCE OF KNOWING.
UH, AS I HAVE SAID, UH, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, SHE'S THE GLUE THAT HOLD, HOLDS THINGS TOGETHER.
SHE'S THE TIE THAT BINDS CITY HALL.
SHE'S THE PERSON THAT CAN GET ANYTHING DONE, WHETHER IT'S BIG, SMALL, OR MUNDANE.
UH, SHE'S A ROCK WHO EVERYONE CAN COUNT ON.
BUT MORE THAN ALL THAT, SHE IS SOMEONE WHO SPREADS LOVE.
UH, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO DESCRIBE HER.
UH, SHE IS, SHE IS SOMEONE THAT SPREADS LOVE AND WE ALL FEEL LOVED BY HER.
SHE LOVES HER JOB, THAT'S FOR CERTAIN.
BUT SHE LOVES HER JOB BECAUSE SHE LOVES ALL OF US.
AND SO, UH, THIS RESOLUTION WILL BE ONE THAT ALLOWS US TO TELL HER THAT WE LOVE HER AS WELL, AND THAT WE WANT PEOPLE IN PERPETUITY AT AUSTIN CITY HALL TO KNOW, UH, OF HER LOVE.
SO, WITH THAT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE SPEAKERS ON THE ITEM MAYOR PRO TEM MOVES.
IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE THAT WE ADOPT ITEM NUMBER 33, AND I WILL NOW TURN TO THE CITY CLERK TO CALL ON PEOPLE THAT, UH, WANT TO SPEAK HERE.
AND OF COURSE, A SPECIAL GOOD MORNING TO OUR GUESTS OF HONOR TODAY.
UM, I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY BEFORE, UH, UH, THIS DIOCESE THAT I, UH, WAS BREAKING THE TABOO ON COUNCIL STAFFER, SPEAKING OF ONE TIME, BUT IT TURNS OUT I WAS A LIAR.
AND, UH, WE'RE HERE ON A SECOND OCCASION.
UM, WHEN I FIRST STARTED WORKING HERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UH, UH, MY BOSS, UH, SOBI, UH, MADE SURE THAT THE VERY FIRST PEOPLE THAT I MET ON MY FIRST DAY OF WORK WERE MS. KAY AND MR. JOE.
UH, SHE TOLD ME HOW IMPORTANT THEY WERE TO THE OPERATIONS OF THE CITY, HOW MUCH THEY WERE THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE CITY COUNCIL, AND ALL OF US WHO WORK HERE AT THE CITY, STAFF, COUNCIL AIDS, EVERYBODY INCLUDED.
AND IT DIDN'T TAKE VERY LONG FOR ME TO REALIZE THAT THIS WAS SOMEBODY THAT, UH, CLEARLY, UH, TRULY CARED FOR, UH, EVERYONE HERE.
UH, I COULD FEEL HER IMMEDIATE WARMTH AS SOON AS I MET HER.
YOU KNOW, SHE WAS QUICK WITH A HUG.
UM, YOU KNOW, SHE LEARNED THAT I HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE RECENTLY, UH, AT THAT POINT EXPECTING A BABY.
UH, AND OF COURSE, AND SHE WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING, GOING ON.
SINCE WE'VE HAD THE BABY, SHE NEVER STOPS ASKING ABOUT HIM.
UH, AND IT'S JUST BEEN A DELIGHT.
AND, UH, HAVING NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEE HER AND MR. JOE RECENTLY AS MUCH HAS BEEN PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING PARTS OF
UH, AND THAT'S REALLY NO EXAGGERATION.
UM, NOT ONLY WAS MS. CAGE SO INCREDIBLY WARM AND GENUINE AND CARING, YOU KNOW, SHE ALWAYS SEEMED, WITH ALL OF THE PEOPLE HERE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT IS THAT PERSON LIKE? WHAT IS THAT PERSON NOT LIKE? WHAT DOES THAT PERSON NEED WHEN THEY'RE NOT FEELING GREAT? UH, AND OF COURSE, MR. JOE, UH, WHO WOULD PROBABLY BE THE MORE, UH, SILENT, UH, OF THE PARTNERS, ALSO MANAGED TO HAVE THE INCREDIBLE ABILITY TO EXUDE, UTTER AUTHORITY BY SIMPLY SITTING QUIETLY IN THE KITCHEN.
THERE WAS NEVER A TIME THAT I WALKED IN THERE AND I DIDN'T THINK, OKAY, WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW MR. JOE'S RULES AND MAKE SURE THAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE MET
[00:10:01]
YOU DON'T NORMALLY EVER THINK ABOUT MUCH, UH, WHEN YOU GO WORK FOR ANYBODY.UH, IT'S TRULY BEEN ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, ONE OF THE CORE PARTS OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE AS AN EMPLOYEE, OF LIVING HERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WHATEVER THE FUTURE HOLDS, UH, UH, FOR BOTH OF THEM, UH, I CAN'T WISH THEM ANYTHING ELSE BUT THE ABSOLUTE, ABSOLUTE BEST.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TESTIFYING HERE, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UH, MY NAME IS SODA GOMEZ CHO, AND I'VE HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING DISTRICT FOUR OVER THE LAST FIVE PLUS YEARS.
UM, AND, UH, AS EY MENTIONED, UH, WHEN I WAS FIRST ONBOARDED HERE, UM, THE ONBOARDING CHECKLIST WAS, MEET, MEET MS. KAY AND MR. JOE.
AND I CONTINUE THAT TRADITION OF, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR INTERNS AND ANYBODY WHO STARTS, UH, IN OUR OFFICE, NO MATTER HOW SHORT OR LONG THEY'RE HERE TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OF MEETING, UH, MS. KAY AND MR. JOE.
AND, UH, WHEN I MET MS. KAY, IT WAS, UH, LOVE OF FIRST SIGHT.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT SHE HAS, UM, OFFERED, UH, SOME, SOME OF THE MOST GENUINE LOVING KINDNESS THAT I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE.
I'M SORRY, BUT YOU'RE ALL, I I, I MISSED NOT SEEING YOU HERE.
AND I GO ON FACEBOOK TO CHECK IF YOU'RE POSTING
AND SO I SEE YOUR POST AND I'M LIKE, ALL RIGHT.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT LOVING AND KINDNESS, YOU OFFER IT TO EVERY PERSON THAT STEPS, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE DIET, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE OR, OR WHAT THEY DO.
AND IT HAS BEEN HARD TO NOT HAVE YOU HERE, BECAUSE EVERY OTHER THURSDAY MORNING, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING A BIG CAR FOR YOU, AND I GOT IT TODAY.
UM, AND MR. JOE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE WATCHING, BUT I'M NOT FORGETTING YOU.
I GOTTA ADMIT I WAS SCARED OF YOU
UH, BUT, BUT I THINK I'VE GROWN ON YOU.
UH, UH, I THINK, I THINK WE GET ALONG WELL.
UH, I, LIKE, I AGREE WITH WHAT RAM SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST, UH, POWERFUL PEOPLE, UH, IN THIS BUILDING.
UH, I THINK WE'VE BECOME GOOD FRIENDS, EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT.
UH, IT'S NO WONDER MISS KAY HAS KEPT YOU AROUND ALL THIS TIME.
UM, SO, UH, I'M, I'M SO HAPPY THAT WE'RE HERE THIS MORNING.
I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH MOMENT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT THIS HAS BROUGHT SO MUCH JOY.
WHEN COLLEEN CONFIRMED THAT YOU WERE GONNA BE HERE, I WAS SO EXCITED.
I TOLD MY HUSBAND, I'M LIKE, LET'S GET FLOWERS.
UH, I'M SO GLAD THAT WE'RE TAKING THE TIME THIS MORNING TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND HONOR YOU AND MR. JOE.
WE ARE TRULY LUCKY TO HAVE YOU.
THAT'S ALL SPEAKERS, MAYOR, GREAT MEMBERS, UH, THOSE ARE THE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
UM, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
I WILL NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR DISCUSSION.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
GOD, HOW DO I GO AFTER? UH, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW, AFTER RAMEY.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I TALKED UP FRONT
SO I WAS HOPING SOMEONE ELSE HAD, HAD DONE IT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL MAKE IT PRETTY SHORT AND SWEET.
I, I WALKED DOWN TODAY, UH, MY WIFE WOULD PROBABLY BE UPSET TO KNOW THAT THE FIRST THING I HAD THIS MORNING WAS A DR.
UH, BUT, UH, AS I WENT TO GET THAT DR.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, STRESS AND ANXIETY FOR A LOT OF FOLKS NOWADAYS.
BUT THAT WHICH, WHICH I'VE BEEN CARRYING TO A DEGREE, BUT THAT ALL WENT AWAY WHEN I SAW MISS KAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WISH THERE WAS MORE PEOPLE LIKE MISS KAY IN THIS WORLD, UH, IN, IN THIS CITY, IN THIS COUNTRY, UH, JUST BECAUSE I THINK WE'D BE, WE'D BE IN A MUCH, MUCH BETTER PLACE.
SO I, I'M, I'M GLAD SHE'S HERE.
I, I'M SO THANKFUL, UH, FOR HER.
UH, AND, AND, AND JUST MY LITTLE, UM, STORY ABOUT, UH, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MISS KAY'S, UH, BETTER HALF OR OTHER HALF, UM, I'M STILL TERRIFIED TO TRY TO GET A, A COKE OR, OR, OR A BAG OF COOKIES ANYTIME THE, THE ROOM WAS EMPTY.
I'M LIKE, I'M GONNA GET AS MUCH STUFF AS I CAN
UH, AND ANYTIME I SAW JOE, I'D BE LIKE, WELL, I'LL COME BACK LATER,
UH, SO, UH, I APPRECIATE YOU BOTH.
COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MATTIS.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
AND, UH, I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY WE MET, ALMOST GRABBED ME BY THE HAND TO SHOW ME WHERE EVERYTHING WAS AT.
UM, AND, AND IT HAS BEEN SUCH A BLESSING TO SERVE ALONGSIDE YOU.
I CAN SAY THAT YESTERDAY, UH, THE ENERGY IN THIS BUILDING WASN'T SO GREAT.
AND TODAY, KNOWING THAT YOU WERE HERE, PEOPLE'S
[00:15:01]
SPIRITS ARE SO MUCH BETTER.UM, I REMEMBER A QUOTE BY, BY DR. KING, AND HE SAID, HE TALKS ABOUT A NIGHT DEVOID OF STARS.
AND YOU ARE THE LIGHT THAT THE WORLD NEEDS MORE OF.
AND THAT LOVE THAT YOU SHINE ON PEOPLE, AND THE GRACE THAT YOU BRING, AND THE HAPPINESS AND JOY AND HEART, WE NEED SO MUCH MORE OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND I WAS SO, I WAS SO EXCITED TO KNOW YOU WERE BACK IN THE BUILDING, BECAUSE I NEEDED ONE OF THOSE.
AND I LOVE YOU, YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, FOLLOWED BY HARPER, MADISON ELLIS, AND THEN ALLISON ALTER.
MS. KAY, THANK YOU, MAYOR, MS. KAY.
UM, WE CERTAINLY HAVE ALL MISSED YOUR WARMTH AND FRIENDSHIP HERE AT CITY HALL.
I'M SO PROUD TO HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW YOU.
YOU MADE MY EXPERIENCE HERE AS A BRAND NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, SO WONDERFUL.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE DONE THAT FOR SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, YOU DO GIVE THE BEST HUGS.
AND I'M JUST SO PROUD TO BE HERE TODAY FOR THIS.
ONLY MS. KAY COULD VIOLATE THE RULES THIS WAY,
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE NO ONE ELSE DOES THAT.
I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT THE HUG TRAIN, LORD, THANK YOU.
I'M GONNA LET SOME MORE PEOPLE TALK.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
SEE, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE VIOLATE THE RULES.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON
SO, UH, SO EVERYBODY OBSERVING, UH, THE HUG TRAIN ACTION WE JUST EXPERIENCED, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, FOR AS MUCH POLITICAL THEATER THAT HAPPENS IN THIS BUILDING, THAT'S NOT A SHOW.
UM, AND THIS MORNING, I NEARLY LEAPT OUTTA MY NOT SO SENSIBLE SHOES WHEN I SAW HER FACE, BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT WHEN YOU GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE MISS KAY.
IT'S A BIG HUG AND AN I LOVE YOU.
AND WHEN THINGS AREN'T GOING SO GREAT, IT'S A BIG HUG.
I LOVE YOU, AND I'M PRAYING FOR YOU.
AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE AROUND SOMEBODY WITH THAT BEING THEIR CHARACTER.
UM, I CAN'T, UH, DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID SO FAR.
UM, AND I AM VERY, VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO START MY DAY OFF BY SEEING THAT FACE AND GETTING THAT HUG, AND HAVING HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OVER THE ALMOST SIX YEARS NOW, UM, IN THE BUILDING, BEING ABLE TO, TO BE AROUND THAT WONDERFUL, JOYFUL ANGEL.
UM, SO I LOVE YOU MS. KAY, AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS FALL BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, PILING ON ALL THE LOVE WE POSSIBLY CAN THIS MORNING, I THINK IS A GOOD WAY TO START THE DAY.
AND WE, WE LOVE SEEING YOU, AND I JUST, I KNOW WHEN A CHEETOS TEAM HAS PUT TOGETHER SOME OF YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AND WE ACTUALLY GET CAKE SOMETIMES ON COUNCIL MEETING DAYS, UM, WE CRY IN THAT ROOM TOO, AND IT'S LIKE, WE CAN'T EVEN SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WITHOUT EVERYONE JUST GETTING A HUG AND FEELING THAT, THAT WARMTH.
AND SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LEADING WITH JOY AND REMINDING US, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THE STUFF WE DO IN THIS BUILDING IS VERY DIFFICULT, UM, THAT WE CAN LEAD WITH LOVE AND WE WILL FOLLOW YOUR EXAMPLE.
WELL SAID, CAST MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
I CAN'T REALLY SEE YOU, BUT
UM, EVERYONE'S SHARED A LOT OF THE WAY THAT WE FEEL.
UM, SO WELCOME BACK AND JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU.
[00:20:01]
YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE.AND, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING JOE WHEN I, WHEN I GO BACK THERE AS WELL.
I'M GONNA LET KAY HAVE THE LAST WORD ON THAT.
UM, MEMBERS, THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED, THAT WE NAMED THE STAFF BULLPEN, UH, AFTER KAY GIA.
AND WE NAMED THE FIRST FLOOR KITCHEN IN THE AUSTIN CITY HALL IN HONOR OF JOE GIA.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RISE IN HONOR OF THESE TWO PEOPLE.
I LOVE YOU EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
I ACTUALLY WAS BLESSED TO BECOME A CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEE IN 1975, AUGUST OF 1975.
I'VE TRIED SO HARD TO FIND WORDS.
THEY WERE ADEQUATE TO EXPRESS MY LOVE AND GRATITUDE TO YOU FOR CHOOSING TO NAME OUR KITCHEN IN STEP BOOK AND FOR JOY ME.
WORDS DO NOT EXIST IN ANY LANGUAGE THAT ARE CAPABLE OF EXPRESSING THAT LOVE AND GRATITUDE.
WE ARE SO HUMBLED BY THIS PRICELESS HONOR.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR STAFF AS YOU WORK TIRELESSLY TO MAKE OUR AUSTIN A BETTER AUSTIN FOR EVERYBODY.
WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL AND BLESSED TO SHARE THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU.
WE MAY NOT REMEMBER NAMES, BUT MAY WE ALWAYS REMEMBER THE LOVE, LOVE FOR WHAT WE DO, LOVE FOR THOSE WE DO IT WITH.
AND LOVE FOR THOSE, WE DO IT FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT CITY.
AND FOREVER, ALWAYS AND FOREVER.
MEMBERS, UM, ON THIS SPECIAL OCCASION, UM, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, I THINK WE OUGHT TO GO DOWN FRONT AND HAVE OUR PICTURES MADE WITH MS. KAY.
UM, THAT'S AN UNUSUAL THING, BUT SHE'S AN UNUSUAL PERSON.
AND THIS IS, UH, THIS IS AN UNUSUAL OCCASION.
SO IF WE, LET'S DO THAT, PLEASE.
I WAS LOOKING, SEE WHAT'S DOWN BELOW MORE SQUEEZE.
[00:25:02]
THAT MAY BE THE BEST START WE'VE HAD OF ANY COUNCIL MEETING SO FAR.SO THAT'S JUST WONDERFUL MEMBERS.
[Consent Agenda]
TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.UM, AND ITEM NUMBER 16, OTHER THAN ITEM NUMBER 33 WAS, WAS PULLED, ITEM NUMBER 16 HAS BEEN PULLED.
SO WE WILL NOW GO TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, UNLESS THERE'S ANOTHER ITEM ANYBODY WANTS PULLED.
WITH THAT, I WILL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK AND ASK THAT WE BEGIN, UH, WITH THE SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
JOSEPH HAS SIGNED UP FOR A FEW ITEMS, BUT SHE HAS NOT YET CALLED IN.
SO I WILL GO TO THE FIRST ITEM, NUMBER FIVE, ALEXANDER STRINGER, FOLLOWED BY BILL BUNCH.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ITEMS FIVE AND 27, BECAUSE WE NEED TO EXPAND BLACK VOICES.
THE VOICES OF OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS NEEDS TO BE HEARD, ESPECIALLY AFTER AMERICA CHOSE TO ELECT A WHITE SUPREMACIST, AN EDUCATED RAPIST OVER THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE IN UNITED STATES HISTORY.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT NOW, MORE THAN EVER, TO BE AN ALLY TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
I'M IN A NON-TRADITIONAL RELATIONSHIP, AND THE LOVER THAT MY WIFE TOOK IS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WITH PUERTO RICAN ANCESTRY.
AND I SEE FIRSTHAND THE STRUGGLE THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR GO THROUGH ON A DAILY BASIS.
THANKS TO MY WIFE'S BOYFRIEND, ARMANDO, OUR COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON A LEGACY OF WHITE SUPREMACY.
AND WE NEED TO FOSTER A CULTURE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION HERE IN AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ELECTED A LITERAL NANCY TO BE PRESIDENT.
AND MY, MY WIFE, SHE'S PUT ME ON A SEX STRIKE BECAUSE SHE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO SEEK REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE.
AND BEFORE THE ELECTION, I HAD MY VERY OWN CHAIR RIGHT BY THE BEDROOM.
AND NOW I HAVE TO WATCH MY WIFE AND ARMANDO MAKE LOVE FROM THE CLOSET.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF SCIENCE, FOR THE LOVE OF HEALTHCARE PASS ITEM 27, BECAUSE ABORTION IS HEALTHCARE AND I'M AN ALLY TO WOMEN.
YOU'RE REALLY GONNA CLAP AT THAT.
I THOUGHT THAT WHAT I SAID WAS INSPIRING AND TOUCHING, AND I WANNA SAVE DEMOCRACY.
UH, BILL BUNCH, SPEAKING BOTH FOR MYSELF AND SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE AGAINST ITEM 24, WHERE YOU'RE PROPOSING TO ERECT BARRIERS AND DELAYS AND OBFUSCATION TO THE POWERS RESERVED TO THE PEOPLE BY THE CHARTER FOR INITIATIVE REFERENDUM AND RECALL, UM, YOUR PROPOSAL VIOLATES THE CITY CHARTER ITSELF AND IS THEREFORE COMPLETELY ILLEGAL UNDER STATE LAW.
THE CHARTER SAYS THAT THIS POWER IS RESERVED TO THE PEOPLE FOR DIRECT LEGISLATION RESERVED TO THE PEOPLE FOR RECALL.
THE CHARTER FURTHER SAYS SPECIFICALLY THAT IT'S SUBJECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES OF STATE LAW AND THE CHARTER, NO REFERENCE TO, TO ORDINANCES.
UM, AND, UH, YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY TRYING TO AMEND THE CHARTER BY ORDINANCE.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
UM, THE NOTICE THAT, SO IT VIOLATES STATE LAW AND THE CHARTER, IT VIOLATES THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
THE NOTICE YOU'RE ACTING UNDER TODAY SAYS NOTHING ABOUT THE WORDS RECALL AND INITIATIVE ARE NOT IN THAT NOTICE.
YOU HAVE TO GO RESEARCH THE SECTION THAT STARTED IN THE CHARTER.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO RESEARCH UNDER A NOTICE.
YOU'RE VIOLATING LAW IF YOU GO FORWARD.
ALSO, THERE'S A VIOLATION IN HERE WHERE YOU'RE REQUIRING THIS, UH, INITIAL NOTICE TO BE NOTARIZED.
STATE LAW'S VERY CLEAR THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO SWORN AFFIDAVITS BY NOTARY ANYMORE.
UM, SO I CALL ON ALL OF YOU, BUT ESPECIALLY, UH, ATTORNEY RYAN ALTER HARVARD ATTORNEY RYAN ALTER,
[00:30:01]
ATTORNEY VELA ATTORNEY WATSON, TO FOLLOW THE LAW, FOLLOW ALL OF THESE LAWS, FOLLOW THE CHARTER STOP TRYING TO SHUT DOWN TRANSPARENCY AND DIRECT DEMOCRACY IN VIOLATION OF THE CHARTER, IN VIOLATION OF OUR STATE OPEN MEETINGS LAWS.IF YOU DO THIS, YOU WILL BE SUED AND YOU WILL LOSE AGAIN, AND YOU WILL PILE ON THE SHAME OF THIS COUNSEL OF YOU AS LAWYERS CONSISTENTLY, REPEATEDLY VIOLATING STATE GOVERNMENT LAWS AND OUR CHARTER THAT RESERVES THESE POWERS AND HOW YOU EXERCISE THOSE POWERS TO THE PEOPLE NOT TO YOU.
SO CONFIRM, CONFORM TO YOUR OATH OF OFFICE.
CONFIRM TO THE CHARTER AND PULL THIS DOWN.
UH, BOBBY LAVINSKY, ATTORNEY WITH SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UM, LET ME START BY SAYING, UH, THANK YOU MS. KAY, AND THANK YOU, JOE.
UM, YOU DO LEAVE WITH LOVE AND YOU ARE MISS.
UM, I, I, I MISSED TIME THAT WE GOT TO SPEND TOGETHER WHILE I WAS THERE AS WELL.
UM, DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS GOING ON.
UM, BACK TO BUSINESS, UM, AS BILL MENTIONED, SOS IS A, IS OPPOSED TO ITEM 24.
UM, AND I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD SHARE THAT GOD WAS OPPOSED TO IT AS WELL.
UM, ITEM 24 IS, AS BILL MENTIONED, IS AN ORDINANCE THAT PERTAINS TO RESIDENT INITIATIVE, BALLOT PROPOSITIONS, UM, THE POWER OF INITIATIVE, THE POWER OF REFERENDUM, AND THE POWER OF RECALL.
ALL OF THESE ARE RESERVED POWERS BY THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN.
UM, THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT ADDING BARRIERS TO BALLOT ACCESS GENERALLY.
UM, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE CONFLICTS THAT BILL WAS, WAS MENTIONING.
ONE OF THEM THAT IS KIND OF OBVIOUS, AND I I THINK THAT IT'S A, IT'S A CLEAR CONFLICT BETWEEN THE ORDINANCE AND THE CHARTER.
UM, IT REQUIRES YOU TO GET YOUR SIGNATURES BEFORE, UM, THE ORDINANCE GOES INTO EFFECT.
FOR MOST ORDINANCES, THAT IS A 10 DAY PERIOD.
IF YOU WERE TO HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE NOTICE PERIOD UNDER THIS ORDINANCE, UH, FOR THE NOTICE OF INTENT, UM, THE CLERK HAS 10 DAYS TO RESPOND.
YOUR ENTIRE PERIOD TO COLLECT SIGNATURES IS THEREFORE ERODED DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.
THAT'S A CLEAR CONFLICT BETWEEN THE ORDINANCE AND WOULD OVERRIDE THE INTENT OF THE CHARTER, WHICH IS TO ALLOW FOR THE RESIDENTS TO HAVE A PERIOD WHERE THEY COULD, UM, PETITION TO OVERTURN ORDINANCE THAT WAS ADOPTED BEFORE IT BECAME INTO, UH, INTO EFFECT.
UM, AND THEN JUST MORE BROADLY, UM, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE, UH, MORE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT PETITIONS ARISE WHEN THERE ARE SOURCES OF CONFLICT WITH POWER.
UM, AND NOVEMBER 5TH IS A REMINDER THAT THERE WILL BE TIMES, UH, WHEN THOSE IN POWER MAY NOT ALWAYS SERVE THE COLLECTIVE GOOD.
THAT'S NOT A STATEMENT ON THE CURRENT COUNCIL.
IT'S A STATEMENT JUST GENERALLY.
UM, WE DON'T ALWAYS CONTROL THE POLITICAL WINS.
UM, AND WE NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT MAINTAINING BALANCES AND CHECKS OF POWER.
UM, THAT'S PART OF THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE HAVE.
DIRECT DEMOCRACY IS A CHECK ON THE, UM, REPRESENTATIVE FORM OF DEMOCRACY.
ALEXANDER STRINGER, ITEM 27 RESOURCES.
IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, JUST FEEL FREE TO COME FORWARD.
HAS YOUR NAME BEEN CALLED, SIR? YES, SIR.
THEN FEEL, FEEL FREE TO COME FORWARD.
JUST IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION.
I CAME BEFORE YOU TWO MONTHS AGO AND I SHARED OUR DILEMMA OF IT'S AN 11 POSITION COMMISSION.
WE WERE DOWN TO SEVEN, WE'RE NOW DOWN TO SIX.
WE'VE CANCELED TWO MEETINGS 'CAUSE WE COULDN'T FORM EVEN SIX.
QUORUM IS DIFFICULT, RIGHT? TO BUILD CONSENSUS.
SO THE FEAR NOW IS IF WE LOSE ANOTHER COMMISSIONER, WE'RE NOT DOING THE CITY'S BIDDING BUSINESS AND TAKING CARE OF OUR, OUR CITIZEN.
IT'S ALSO VERY DIFFICULT FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT AND ALL THE STAFF AROUND BUILDING AND STANDARDS LEGAL TO PREP UP STAFF UP FOR THOSE MEETINGS.
AND THAT'S OUR FEAR GOING FORWARD, THAT, UH, SINCE WE'VE NOT SEEN ANY OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONERS, IF WE LOSE SOMEBODY ELSE OR SOMEBODY'S SICK, WE HAVE MORE MEETINGS POSTPONED AND CANCELED THIS YEAR.
NOW WE ARE SCHEDULING ANOTHER ONE.
WE'VE GOT A SPECIAL CALL MEETING TONIGHT.
WE'RE ABLE TO GET ENOUGH FOLKS TOGETHER.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE TWO MEETINGS THIS MONTH.
WE CAN GET CAUGHT UP, BUT WE'RE GETTING A BACKLOG.
AND THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE
[00:35:01]
THOSE POSITIONS THAT ARE OPEN, I PLEAD WITH YOU TO PLEASE, UH, TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GET THOSE POSITIONS FILLED SO WE CAN, UH, ESPECIALLY AS VOLUNTEERS.LIKE I KNOW THAT SOME HAVE CALLED IN WHEN THEY'VE NOT FELT WELL, JUST SO THAT WE CAN HAVE QUORUM AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD, WHICH I APPRECIATE.
BUT IT, IT'S KIND OF JAMMING US UP GUYS, SO IF YOU COULD HELP US OUT, WE SURE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK IF THE CLERK CAN SEND AROUND ANOTHER ROUND OF EMAILS TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE OPENINGS ON THAT BOARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER MADISON, AS AN EXTENSION OF THAT REQUEST, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO, FOR US TO GET AN EMAIL REMINDER FOR ALL OPEN POSITIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH MINE, BUT I, I, I THINK A, A REMINDER EMAIL WILL BE HELPFUL.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE CONSENT SPEAKERS.
UM, MEMBERS ON ITEM NUMBER 24, UH, IN SPEAKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY ATTORNEY IS THAT WE, UH, WITHDRAW THIS ITEM AND BRING IT BACK AT ANOTHER POINT IN TIME SO THAT, THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CAN LOOK AT TO A QUESTION THAT'S BEEN RAISED.
UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD DO.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S IS AWARE OF THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
YEAH, I WOULD JUST ASK WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IF WE COULD GET AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
YEAH, WELL THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, ITEM NUMBER 24 WILL WITH BE WITHDRAWN AND BROUGHT BACK AT A LATER DATE.
AND THE POSTING WILL, UH, INCLUDE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION POSTING SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THAT UP, UM, IN A, IN A CLOSED SESSION AND GET ADVICE FROM LEGAL COUNSEL.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, BRINGING THAT ITEM UP.
SO THE MOTION I WILL ACCEPT FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL NOT INCLUDE ITEM NUMBER 24.
UH, AND ITEM NUMBER 16 HAS BEEN PULLED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? THAT BEING THE CASE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
IT'S MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
UM, DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
GOT, I KEEP GETTING THE FIRST PERSON TO SPEAK.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA SPEAK REALLY QUICKLY ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT ON THE RED RIVER, UH, MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION.
UH, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ITEM COMING THROUGH, UH, A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN WITH LIVE MUSIC AND CULTURAL SPACES IS VITAL FOR A THRIVING AUSTIN.
I'M REALLY HAPPY WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE FUNDING STREAM FOR THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO FIND WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR ARTS AND CULTURE OF COMMUNITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
I EXPECTED COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE TO SPEAK LONGER, OTHERWISE, I WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN BITE.
COUNCILOR MEMBER, UH, FUENTES.
THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR BARBARA MADISON.
AND JUST WANTED TO ECHO COUNCILOR MARK CADRE'S SUPPORT FOR THE FUNDING FOR THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
I'M VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT MOVE FORWARD AND WANNA ENSURE THAT THE CITY'S DOING WHAT WE CAN TO SUPPORT OUR LIVE MUSIC VENUES.
CERTAINLY, IT'S A HUGE PART OF OUR CITY'S FABRIC AND THEY NEED MORE SUPPORT.
SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
UH, COLLEAGUES WANNA ALSO SHARE MY GRATITUDE FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF ESTABLISHING A COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUND.
UH, THIS DISTRICT SERVICE FUND, I BELIEVE IS A GREAT WAY FOR OUR OFFICES TO SHOW TANGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE SERVE.
I ALSO SEE IT AS A GREAT WAY FOR US TO BUILD ON THE TEN ONE SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY AS WE APPROACH THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF HAVING DISTRICT REPRESENTATION ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
BY ESTABLISHING THIS FUND AND TAKING THE NEXT STEP IN SETTING OUT TO DETAIL WHAT THAT FUND LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
I SEE IT AS AN, AN, UH, AN IMPORTANT AND A POWERFUL WAY TO EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GET INVOLVED, TO HAVE A SAY IN HOW WE BRING ABOUT CHANGE IN, IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ELECTED US TO REPRESENT THEM.
AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE THAT WORK MOVE FORWARD.
AND, UM, JUST ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
UM, I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS MY, MY EXCITEMENT FOR SOME OF THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL AGREEMENTS ON OUR AGENDA AS IT PERTAINS TO OUR LOCAL CHAMBERS AND CUTTING OUR, UH, INCLUDING OUR L-G-B-T-Q CHAMBER, THE BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE ASIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UM, GREATER AUSTIN ASIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THE HISPANIC CHAMBERS.
I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP US TO COLLABORATE IN A WAY THAT IS, UM, DIVERSE, COLLABORATIVE, UM, AND WITHIN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES.
UH, REGARDING ITEM NUMBER 23, I'M PLEASED
[00:40:01]
TO SEE AUSTIN FIRE, UH, WORKING TOWARDS AND WITH, UM, AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO PROVIDE DUAL ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUSTIN FIRE EMPLOYEES.THIS AGREEMENT ASSIST A FD WITH DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A TRAINING PROGRAM THAT, UH, PROVIDES FIRE CADETS WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION, WHICH IS AMAZING.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, EMPLOYMENT WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT IS HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER.
THERE WAS ONE YEAR WHERE WE HAD A RECRUITMENT CLASS OF OVER 5,000 TO FILL 200 POSITIONS.
PEOPLE WERE FLYING IN FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO FILL THESE ROLES.
AND SO, UM, HAVING THEM HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TOWARDS HIGHER EDUCATION, IN MY MIND'S EYE, IS A, IS AN ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, LASTLY, UH, ITEM NUMBER 30, REGARDING FEDERAL GRANT MONEY FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, GOING TOWARDS A DA ACCESSIBILITY FOR OUR URBAN TRAILS AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.
I, UM, I HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO APPROVE OUR MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAKING IT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE TO USE.
AND WHEN I SAY EVERYONE, I MEAN EVERYONE IN THE SENSE THAT I THINK SOME FOLKS THINK THAT SOME PARTS OF THE CITY, SOME ASSETS WE HAVE AS A CITY AREN'T FOR THEM.
UM, WE HAVE TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO LET FOLKS KNOW THAT THE WHOLE CITY IS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
UM, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME FOLKS WHO ARE EVEN HESITANT TO WALK INTO THIS BUILDING.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE A PLACE HERE AND DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE ANYTHING TO CONTRIBUTE.
UM, BUT I WOULD COUNTER THAT ARGUMENT.
UM, FERVENTLY, UH, EVERYBODY BELONGS IN THIS BUILDING.
THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S BUILDING.
UM, THIS CITY IS THE PEOPLE'S CITY, AND I WANNA SEE EVERYBODY ACCESS EVERY SINGLE PART OF IT.
UM, AND TO YOUR POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE INITIATIVE THAT YOU'RE BRINGING FORWARD.
IF I MAY, RESPECTFULLY THE ONLY OPPOSITION I WOULD EXPRESS, AND NOT EVEN OPPOSITION SO MUCH AS CONCERN.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE THE BUNNY'S GONNA COME FROM.
UM, AND SO I, ALONG THOSE LINES, I, I THINK MOVING FORWARD, SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS TO MY COLLEAGUES IS, I, I WOULD, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE MANAGER MOVING FORWARD TO GO THROUGH AND PROBABLY BY WAY OF AN IFC TO GO THROUGH IFCS AND RESOLUTIONS THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING THERE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS.
AND LET'S CLEAR THOSE OUT BEFORE WE BRING ANY MORE MONEY ASK.
UM, I THINK IT'S DIFFICULT FOR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE OUR REQUEST WHEN THERE'S ALREADY A BACKLOG.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND, AND NOT BRING ANY IFCS THAT ARE ASKING FOR MONEY UNTIL WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE I FEEL LIKE WE'VE ALREADY RESOLVED THE ITEMS THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS.
UM, I, I THINK, UH, A LOT OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE LANGUISHING, UM, WERE IMPORTANT AT THE TIME AND REMAIN IMPORTANT.
AND WHEN WE BRING ITEMS THAT ARE TAPPING INTO OUR HOUR ALREADY LIMITED AND FINITE RESOURCES, UM, THEN SOME THINGS GET OVERLOOKED.
AND I, I'D LIKE VERY MUCH FOR US TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE STARTING ON GOOD FOOTING AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEW YEAR FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SO, UM, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING YOU GUYS CAN LOOK FORWARD TO FOR ME.
COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, DISCUSS, OR, OR THANK COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES FOR THE, THE ITEM THAT COUNCILOR HARPER MA WAS TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO A DISTRICT SERVICE FUND.
I, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT AND HAS COME TO OUR OFFICE.
YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF US HAVE NOT HEARD SOMEONE SAY, WE REALLY NEED A SPEED BUMP HERE, A SIDEWALK HERE, AND WE CALL TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THIS IS NO ASPERSION ON THEM, BUT IT'S NUMBER 500 IN LINE, RIGHT? AND, AND WE HAVE THAT SYSTEM IN PLACE.
BUT THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE, UM, THERE ARE O THERE ARE PRIORITIZATION THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
UH, WHETHER I, WE'RE GONNA HEAR LATER TODAY, A, A ZONING CASE IN DISTRICT FIVE THAT IS GONNA HAVE, UH, AN IMPACT ON A PARTICULAR STREET.
AND IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS PUT A MIRROR OR A FLASHING SIGN UP, UH, THAT IS LOW COST, BUT WILL HELP THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING THE AREA CAN BRING FORWARD AND BE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE, THERE IS, UH, THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE CONSIDERATIONS MADE FOR WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GET THIS INFRASTRUCTURE PUT IN PLACE FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO, UH, IN, IN OUR OPINION, AS, AS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT A LONG TIME.
AND TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, THE COMMENT ABOUT THE FUNDING ELEMENT.
WE DO HAVE FUNDS FOR SIDEWALKS AND SIGNALS AND SPEED BUMPS AND ALL THESE THINGS.
IT IS ALWAYS THEN A QUESTION OF PRIORITIZATION.
AND THAT'S TO SOME DEGREE A POLICY DISCUSSION.
SO I THINK AS THIS ITEM MOVES FORWARD, WE NEED TO TAKE SOME OF THE FUNDING THAT IS ALLOCATED FOR THE MASTER LIST AND RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE PRIORITIES OUTSIDE
[00:45:01]
OF THAT SYSTEMATIC FRAMEWORK THAT SHOULD BE ADVANCED BECAUSE OF OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT A, AN AREA NEEDS.AND SO, UH, A CM GOOD, I THINK AS, AS YOU WORK ON THIS, THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO UTILIZE FUNDING AND JUST HAVE THE PRIORITIZATION FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY'S REPRESENTATIVE, UH, FOR THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
SO I, I JUST WANNA COMMEND IT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING, UH, IT COME BACK IN MARCH.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ALISON ULTRA FULL BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ.
I WANNA ALSO SPEAK TO ITEMS THREE THROUGH SIX, WHICH AUTHORIZED NEW CONTRACTS WITH EACH OF THE FOUR CHAMBERS THAT MAKE UP OUR DIVERSITY AND ETHNIC CHAMBER ALLIANCE.
A FEW YEARS AGO, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE LEADERS OF THE L-G-B-T-Q, BLACK, HISPANIC, AND ASIAN CHAMBERS TO REIMAGINE HOW THE CITY SUPPORTED THEIR WORK TO HELP ADVANCE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL.
TODAY WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH CONTRACTS THAT SUPPORT THIS NEW APPROACH, WHICH INCENTIVIZES COLLABORATION ACROSS THE CHAMBERS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FORTHCOMING REGIONAL ECONOMIC EQUITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING ON THIS ADVISORY BOARD, UM, AND WE ARE ABOUT TO RELEASE THE PLAN IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, OR AT LEAST IN THE NEXT MONTH.
UM, WE ALREADY HAVE SECURED SOME FUNDING FOR PORTIONS OF THAT PLAN, AND THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY BOTH FOR THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UM, TO CONTRIBUTE WITH THAT MOVING FORWARD.
AND THERE ARE FOLKS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WHO ARE LOOKING TO THIS COLLABORATION AS A NEW MODEL.
UM, SO I WANT TO COMPLIMENT EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED ON WHAT HAS, UM, SHAPED UP TO BE A VERY, UM, IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, IT'S GONNA WORK IN TANDEM ALSO, YOU KNOW, WITH MANY OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT THE CITY IS MAKING, UM, INTO OUR COMMUNITY WITH MOBILITY, ET CETERA, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO THOSE PROCUREMENTS, MAKING SURE FOLKS HAVE ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT WORK.
I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN MEETING, UM, WITH COUNCIL OFFICES TO SHARE THAT WORK.
AND, AND I HOPE FOLKS WILL, UM, ENGAGE WITH THAT AS IT MOVES FORWARD AND LEAN IN TO HELP, UM, WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION.
I ALSO WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO COMMENT ON ITEM 17, WHICH IS A CONTRACT AMENDMENT TO CONTINUE PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR THE COLLECTIVE SEX CRIMES RESPONSE MODEL, KNOWN AS C-S-C-R-M.
AND IT ONLY TOOK ME, I THINK, TWO YEARS TO GET THE ACRONYM RIGHT.
BUT, UM, I, FIRST I WANT TO THANK HANNAH SANKO, UM, FOR HER TIRELESS WORK ON THIS IMPORTANT EFFORT.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, HANNAH HAS BEEN LEADING THIS PROJECT BRINGING REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT SKILLS, EXPERTISE, AND KNOWLEDGE.
UM, TO BEAR ON THIS, HANNAH ALSO IS ONE OF THE, UM, PLAINTIFFS IN THE LAWSUIT, UM, WHICH LED TO MUCH OF THE WORK, UM, THAT WE ARE TRYING TO, UM, ADDRESS HERE WITH THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHERE THIS PROJECT IS HEADING.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, THE C-S-C-R-M IS COMPRISED OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM, NOT JUST FROM A PD, BUT INCLUSIVE OF PARTNER AGENCIES, SURVIVORS, AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IS STRIVING TO IMPROVE POLICY TRAINING, DATA METRICS, AND OUTREACH EFFORTS ASSOCIATED WITH SEX CRIMES CASES REPORTED TO A PD.
I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE, AND I WANNA CONGRATULATE HANNAH, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE, UM, THIS CONTRACT MOVE FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ? UH, YES, SIR, MR. MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO BE ADDED AS A, A CO-SPONSOR ON 34 AND THANK COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, WE SHOWN AS A CO-SPONSOR OF ITEM NUMBER 34.
UH, THERE'S NO OBJECTION MEMBERS.
ALRIGHT, THOSE ARE ALL, UH, THE COMMENTS, UH, IN DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
LET ME ASK, IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING FROM VOTING ON AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM VOTING ON A SPECIFIC ITEM ON THE AGENDA? ON ITEM, UH, WITH NO VOTES? COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY WILL BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ITEMS 15, 24, 27, 29, 44, AND 45.
AND THANK YOU FOR WITHDRAWING.
24 24 WAS WITHDRAWN, CORRECT? YEAH, I'M SORRY.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION.
ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY SHOWING BEING SHOWN VOTING NO ON THE ITEMS THAT I READ INTO THE RECORD MEMBERS.
THAT WILL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 16, WHICH WAS PULLED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU FOR COMMENTS AND A MOTION.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, THIS IS AN ITEM, UH, IT'S A CONTRACT FOR THE CITY'S, UH, WEBSITE.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR ISSUE WITH IT,
[00:50:01]
BUT WE HAVE IN THE PAST TRIED TO, UH, REVAMP THE WEBSITE AND BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL.SO I WAS HOPING BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT, WE COULD JUST GET A PRESENTATION, UH, NOT TODAY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO POSTPONE IT TO THE, UH, NEXT MEETING AND HOPEFULLY GET A PRESENTATION AT THE, UH, NEXT WORK SESSION.
UH, THE MOTION MADE BY COUNCILLOR VELA IS TO WITHDRAW ITEM NUMBER 16 AND POSTPONE IT UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING SO THAT THERE CAN BE A PRESENTATION MADE IN ADVANCE.
IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
MADISON, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? I WAS ATTEMPTING TO, UH, SECOND THE ITEM.
BUT IT, IT LOOKED BUT BASED TO ME, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS PRETTY WELL SECONDED BY THE COUNCIL.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO, SO THANK YOU.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THAT.
UM, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, BELA, BECAUSE I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW FREQUENTLY THE COMPLAINT THAT I RECEIVE FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS IS THAT OUR WEBSITE IS NOT USER FRIENDLY.
UM, THE PROBLEM IS, UH, WHOEVER IT IS THAT'S COMPILING THE DATA AND COLLATERAL IS DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT FROM THE WEBSITE IN TERMS OF THE INFORMATION, THE CONTENT IS THERE, BUT ACCESSIBILITY IS, IS A CHALLENGE FOR, TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND I'LL BE HONEST, I, I HAVE PERSONALLY HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH ACCESSING INFORMATION THAT I'M LOOKING FOR ON OUR OWN WEBSITE.
AND SO I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SLOW DOWN AND REALLY HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION FOR WHAT THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK DURING THE COURSE OF THAT, UM, WAIT, WHAT I COULD DO AND MAYBE WHAT WE COULD ALL DO IS ELICIT COMMENTARY FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS BY WAY OF OUR SOCIALS, A COLLECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU EXPERIENCE WITH ACCESSING THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S WEBSITE? 'CAUSE THE CONTENT IS THERE.
IT'S THERE AND, AND I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, IT'S A FANTASTIC RESOURCE.
THE INFORMATION IS THERE, BUT YOU REALLY GOTTA DIG TO FIND IT IN A WAY THAT I DON'T THINK IS, UM, COMPREHENSIVE AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER VELA FOR BRINGING THAT POINT.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ELLIS FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ.
I'M GLAD WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
UM, I KNOW THE LAST TIME THE WEBSITE WAS REVAMPED, UM, IT SEEMS TO BE MORE, UM, COSMETIC.
IT WAS KIND OF, HEY, LET'S CHANGE IT.
BUT ALL THE, ALL THE LINKS AND WHERE THEY DIRECTED TO WERE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY HAD BEEN IN THE PAST.
UM, AND I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, THE WEBSITE WORKS GREAT IF YOU KNOW HOW THE CITY IS ORGANIZED, IF YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT PROGRAMS ARE UNDER WHAT DEPARTMENTS AND WHAT THE KEYWORDS ARE THAT YOU NEED FOR THAT PROGRAM.
BUT IF YOU'RE SOMEONE JUST COMING IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN INFORMATION, WHEN YOU GOOGLE IT, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS SHOW UP EXACTLY THE WAY THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO.
SO I, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHAT IS THE, THE SCOPE OF THIS REVAMP AND, UM, WHAT WE CAN DO.
I LOVE THE IDEA OF SOLICITING FEEDBACK FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT HOW THEY WANT THE WEBSITE TO BE ABLE TO WORK.
UM, AND I THINK EACH COUNCIL OFFICE PROBABLY ALREADY HAS A LIST OF THINGS THAT, THAT THEY KNOW COULD MAYBE, UM, WORK A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN VELAZQUEZ? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO THE CONCERNS OF, UH, MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT ONE AND THANK, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR PULLING THAT ITEM.
IT, ONE OF THE THINGS TO GOD ALREADY TWO YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL WAS FIX THE WEBSITE.
TON OF AMAZING INFORMATION ON THERE.
JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE.
IT DOESN'T SEEM, SEEM EQUITABLE OR ACCESSIBLE, AND I'M REALLY GLAD WE'RE TAKING A LITTLE MORE TIME TO LOOK AT THIS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION.
ITEM NUMBER 16 IS POSTPONED UNTIL THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
AND IN ANTICIPATION OF US ALSO BEING ABLE TO GET A BRIEFING, UH, SPECIFICALLY ON THE ITEM, UH, AND THAT THAT MOTION PASSES MEMBERS, I MADE A MISTAKE, UH, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND, UH, READ THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY WAS VOTING NO ON ITEMS 44 AND 45.
SHE WAS JUST LETTING ME KNOW THAT SHE WAS GOING TO ABOUT WHAT HER VOTES ARE ANTICIPATED ON THOSE, THOSE ARE NOT, WERE NOT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
YEAH, 44 IS A PUBLIC HEARING AT 45 AS A ZONING ITEM.
SO I APOLOGIZE TO HER FOR, FOR DOING THAT.
NOW LET'S GO TO NON-CONSENT ITEMS.
[35. Approve the proposed Audit and Finance Committee draft audit plan for calendar year 2025.]
THE FIRST ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 35, WHICH IS AN ITEM THAT COMES FROM A COUNCIL COMMITTEE, THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.UH, AND I WILL RECOGNIZE THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER FOR A MOTION.
I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE, UH, AUDIT PLAN, UH, MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER HAS MOVED APPROVAL OF THE AUDIT, DRAFT AUDIT PLAN ON ITEM 35.
IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON IS OUR, I'LL TURN TO THE CLERK TO SEE IF THERE ARE PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER YOU RECOGNIZE FOR DISCUSSION? THANK YOU.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO CALL MY COLLEAGUE'S ATTENTION TO THE Q AND A, UM, FOR THIS ITEM.
SO ONE OF THE ITEMS WE WERE DISCUSSING AS A POTENTIAL, UM, AUDIT ITEM WAS OUR CAPACITY TO SECURE GRANTS.
UM, AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS MOVING FORWARD, UM, WITH A NUMBER OF STEPS TO IMPROVE OUR GRANT CAPACITY.
[00:55:01]
AND THERE'S SOME INFORMATION, UM, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UM, IN THE Q AND A BACKUP.SO I JUST WANNA CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT.
UM, THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT ON THE AUDIT PLAN BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED TO DO AN AUDIT OF IT.
I THINK WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S CHALLENGES AND THAT WE'RE TAKING THE STEPS TO MOVE THAT FORWARD.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO, UM, THANK THE AUDITOR STAFF FOR THEIR GREAT WORK.
UM, THERE WILL BE SEVERAL ITEMS THAT ARE COMING BACK, UM, IN THE NEW FU NEAR FUTURE THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I WANNA INVITE MY COLLEAGUES TO OUR AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON TUESDAY.
I'LL PUT A POST ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.
WE WILL BE HAVING SOME EXECUTIVE SESSIONS AS PART OF THAT, UM, RELATED TO CYBERSECURITY.
UM, AND I WOULD INVITE YOU ALL TO JOIN US PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE SECTIONS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION, ITEM NUMBER 35 IS ADOPTED.
[36. Approve an ordinance amending Ordinance No. 20211209-067 to appoint Brian Guerra as an Associate Judge and Rae-Ann Allong, Susana Meringola, and Randy Ortega as Substitute Judges to the City of Austin Municipal Court for the term beginning January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2025.]
NUMBER 36.ANOTHER ITEM FROM A COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
IT COMES FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, UH, BECAUSE THERE WAS A, UH, CHANGE THAT I READ INTO THE CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS ON ITEM NUMBER 36.
I WANT TO MAKE THE MOTION, UH, SPECIFICALLY SO THAT WE HAVE THE, THE NAMES MEMBERS.
THIS IS THE APPOINTMENT OF MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES AND THE MOTION WOULD BE TO APPOINT BRIAN GARRA AS AN ASSOCIATE JUDGE AND SUSANNA MAROLA AND RANDY ORTEGA AS SUBSTITUTE JUDGES TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT FOR THE TERM BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST, 2022 AND ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? MOTION IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
IS THERE ANY DIS IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? NO, MA'AM.
THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM WITH THAT BEING THE CASE WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 36 AS THE MOTION WAS MADE IS ADOPTED.
MEMBERS THAT WILL TAKE US TO ITEMS
[Items 37 - 39]
NUMBER 37 38 AND 39.LET ME ASK, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS? NO, MA'AM.
UH, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON ITEMS 37 38 AND 39, BUT WITH RESPECT TO ITEMS 37, 38 AND 39, THOSE ARE NON-CONSENT CONDEMNATION ITEMS. SO THE MOTION WILL BE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN AUTHORIZES THE USE OF THE POWER OF IMMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY SET FORTH AND DESCRIBED IN THE AGENDA FOR THIS CURRENT MEETING FOR THE PUBLIC USES THAT ARE DESCRIBED THEREIN.
IS THERE A MOTION TO, TO ADOPT ITEMS 37, 38 AND 39 CONSISTENT WITH THE MOTION THAT I JUST INDICATED, I WOULD ACCEPT MOTIONS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEMS 37 38 AND 39? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
ITEMS 37, 38 AND 39 ARE ADOPTED.
THAT WILL TAKE US TO PUBLIC HEARINGS MEMBERS.
[Items 40,42, & 43]
40 42 AND 43 ARE POSTPONED UNTIL NOVEMBER 21ST.SO WE WILL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 41.
[41. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance to amend Ordinance No 20240829-154 to update the local incentives the City may provide under the Texas Enterprise Zone Program, Texas Government Code Chapter 2303.]
WITHOUT OBJECTION, A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE OPENED ON ITEM NUMBER 41.ITEM NUMBER 41 IS OPEN FOR A PUBLIC HEARING AND I WILL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK.
THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 41 MEMBERS.
THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 41.
SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 41.
I'LL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION WITH REGARD TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE ORDINANCE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER 41? MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
[44. Conduct a public hearing and consider a request by Wheatsville Food Co-op, located at 4001 S. Lamar Blvd. Unit E, for a waiver of the distance requirement of City Code Section 4-9-4(A) which requires a minimum 300-foot separation distance between a business selling alcoholic beverages and a school.]
ITEM NUMBER 44.WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 44.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN AND I WILL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK.
THANK YOU, MAYOR BILL BICKFORD.
TANYA CARNEY, ROBERT VILLARIO.
MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK REGARDING WHEAT SOIL'S ON-PREMISE WAIVER REQUEST.
UH, I FIRST BEGAN WORKING AT THE CO-OP IN 1999 DURING YOUR FIRST IN AS MAYOR, UH, AND TODAY I SERVE AS ITS GENERAL MANAGER.
MY HOPE TODAY IS TO CONVINCE YOU THAT OUR REQUEST SUBSTANTIVELY DIFFERS FROM OTHERS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE YOU, AND THAT WE PRESENT NO THREAT TO THE STUDENTS AT ANN RICHARDS.
I BELIEVE THIS IS TRUE FOR A FEW REASONS.
FIRST, IF GRANTED, THIS PERMIT WOULD SIMPLY BE AN EXPANSION OF WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING.
COUNCIL SAW FIT TO UNANIMOUSLY GRANT WHEATSVILLE A WAIVER IN 2013 FOR OFF-PREMISE CONSUMPTION.
AND WE'VE OPERATED UNDER THAT PERMIT FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS WITHOUT EVER HAVING AN ISSUE RELATED TO THE SALE OF ALCOHOL GRANTING.
THIS ADDITIONAL WAIVER WOULD NOT CHANGE HOW ALCOHOL IS PURCHASED