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[CALL TO ORDER]
TODAY IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH, 2024.UH, THIS IS THE MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMISSION IS, UH, TO ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITH, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. SO, LET'S START WITH OUR AGENDA.
FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKER SIGNED UP? WE DO.
UM, MS. JOSEPH SIGNED UP, BUT I DON'T SEE HER PRESENT AND I DO NOT SEE HER ONLINE.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
SHE'S, SHE'S NOT HERE AND SHE'S NOT ONLINE, SO.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 8TH, 2024, UH, MEETING, UH, COMMISSIONERS.PLEASE LOOK OVER THOSE MINUTES, UM, THAT ARE IN YOUR PACKET.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY EDITS TO THOSE, PLEASE SPEAK UP.
SO I THINK WE HAVE THE WORDING OFF IN NUMBER FIVE.
SO THE MOTION AGAINST SUPPORTING THE APPLICATION PASSED, WE ALL APPROVED NOT SUPPORT, OR LIKE A MAJORITY APPROVED.
NOT SUPPORTING WAS MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THE WORDING OF NUMBER FIVE.
CAN, CAN YOU, YEAH, THERE YOU GO.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY NUMBER FIVE.
IT'S MY, LIKE THE MOTION WAS AGAINST SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION AND THAT MOTION PASSED.
IT DID NOT FAIL WAS MY UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 WHO VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, WHICH WAS AGAINST SUPPORTING THE APPLICATION.
AND SO IT WAS THE MOTION AGAINST SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION PASSED ON A 5, 2, 3 VOTE.
AND THE MOTION WAS NOT TO SUPPORT THREE FIVE? NO, IT WAS, IT WAS INSTEAD OF FAILED, IT PASSED ON FIVE MM-HMM.
IT'S JUST THAT THE MOTION PASSED.
SO, ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONERS.
NE TD JACKMAN, THE COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER.
LOOKING AT THAT AND GETTING CLARIFICATION FROM ERICA LEE, WHO IS HERE THIS EVENING WHO OVERSAW WAS EXECUTIVE SPONSOR OF THIS COMMISSION.
SHE SHARED THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A MAJORITY, UM, ON THE COMMISSION WHO VOTED TO EITHER HAVE IT PASSED.
AND BECAUSE IT WAS A FIVE TO THREE VOTE, YOU DO NOT HAVE A MAJORITY.
SO THEN IT ESSENTIALLY FAILED.
AND THEN THE, SO THE VOTE WAS TO VOTE AGAINST THE SUPPORT OR ENDORSEMENT OF THE APPLICATION.
ANY QUESTIONS? IS IT POSSIBLE TO CLARIFY IN THE WORDING THAT A MAJORITY WAS NEEDED? BECAUSE JUST SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE WORDING THAT WHY, WHY SOMETHING THAT WAS 5, 2, 3 FAILED, IS IT POSSIBLE TO CLARIFY THAT, UM, THE MOTION NEEDED AT LEAST SIX VOTES, OR JUST BECAUSE I WAS JUST REALLY CONFUSED AND I IMAGINE MOST FOLKS WOULD BE, THAT'S ALL.
WHAT IF WE PROVIDED THAT IN OUR EMAIL RESPONSES TO THE COMMISSIONERS? I MEAN, WE COULD PUT IT IN THE MEETING NOTES.
I, I THINK IF YES, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, WE, WE WANT THAT AS A PART OF A PART OF NOTES AND CLARIFICATION.
WE'LL, WE'LL ADD THOSE TO THE MEETING NOTES.
STILL MEANS THAT WE DIDN'T VOTE IN FAVOR, BUT WE JUST DIDN'T, IT WAS AS IF WE NEVER VOTED AS THE OUTCOME.
THIS ONE WAS A REALLY COMPLICATED ONE.
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ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONERS? ALRIGHT.SO I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 8TH, 2024 MEETING.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION WITH THE, SORRY, WITH THE CORRECTION.
UH, ON ITEM FIVE, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE, UM, SEPTEMBER 10TH.
UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO BERTA DELGADO MAKES A MOTION.
UH, RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY, AYE, FOR IF YOU APPROVE, UH, THE, IF YOU VOTE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE OCTOBER 8TH MEETING, WE NEED, UH, YOUR CAMERAS ON.
SO THAT'S A UNANIMOUS VOTE TO APPROVE THE, THE MINUTES FROM OUR OCTOBER 8TH MEETING.
UH, SO BEFORE WE GO ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, LET'S, UH, I'M JUST GOING TO WELCOME ALL THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE.
UM, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER, UH, NIKA ARNOLD ONLINE, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER, UM, JOANNE ORTIZ ONLINE, AND WE HAVE COMMISSIONER TISHA ONLINE.
WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER CINDY HASSEL, UM, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER JENNY ACHILLES, UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO, PERTA DELGADO, AND MYSELF, VICE CHAIR ELIAS.
UM, AND LET'S GO ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS, SORRY.
WE HAVE, UH, NUMBER I, ITEM NUMBER
[2. Presentation regarding the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) activities and outcomes (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health).]
TWO, A DISCUSSION ITEM, A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, CSBG ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES, UH, BY MR. ANHILL SOBRANO, UH, THE MANAGER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
AND GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS ONLINE.
I WILL BE PRETTY BRIEF THIS MONTH.
IT'S OUR REGULAR, UH, MONTHLY REPORT.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS THE NOVEMBER 12TH, 2024 PROGRAMMATIC AND FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT.
FOR THOSE COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE FAIRLY NEW, UM, OUR MISSION IS TO, UH, IMPROVE THE LIVES AND HEALTH OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING POVERTY BY PROVIDING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND CONNECTING RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
WE PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS, PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES, CASE MANAGEMENT, EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS, THAT'S ALL IN THE BACKUP.
UH, PAGE ONE HAS, UH, AN EXPLANATION OF THOSE SERVICES.
AND ON THE BOTTOM IT HAS A LITTLE BIT OF THE UPDATED BUDGET THROUGH 9 30 20 24.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE TWO, THERE ARE MORE, UM, OUTCOMES FROM SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON THREE OF THEM TODAY.
OUR TOPS, OUR TRANSITIONS OUTTA POVERTY.
GOAL 43, UH, THAT IS SET BY THE STATE.
WE ARE HOPING TO GET TO 43 BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
THAT COMES FROM OUR, UH, SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A TEAM OF SOCIAL WORKERS AT DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS WHO HELP PEOPLE GET BACK INTO THE WORLD OF WORK.
UH, THEY HELP THEM WITH JOB INTERVIEWS, WITH, UH, TRAINING, REFERRALS, UM, RESUME WRITING.
SOMETIMES THEY CAN HELP WITH RENT ASSISTANCE WHEN THERE'S FUNDING AVAILABLE.
UH, BUS PASSES AND COORDINATION OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES AS WELL, OR AS NEEDED.
UM, OUR FMPI FOUR E HOUSE ALSO TO AVOIDED EVICTION IN 2024.
OUR GOAL OR TARGET WAS 800 THAT WAS SET LAST FALL.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON FUNDING AS WELL.
BUT SO FAR THIS YEAR, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST 1,176 HOUSEHOLD TO AVOID EVICTION.
UM, IF YOU GO DOWN TO FIVE JJ, OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION NUMBERS, UH, A LOT OF FOOD INSECURITY IN AUSTIN.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AND OTHER PARTNERS TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, THROUGH SEPTEMBER, UH, WE HAVE SERVED 77,248 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE SAME TIME.
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A 56,230.SO IT SHOWS THAT THE DEMAND DOES KEEP GOING UP YEARLY.
IT WASN'T JUST A PANDEMIC ISSUE.
AND, UM, A LOT OF THE VOLUNTEER HOURS, WE'D LIKE TO PUT THAT HERE TOO.
WE HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS WHO HELP US AT SOME OF THESE, UM, EVENTS.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO, WE'LL GET INTO ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROGRAMMATIC UPDATES.
AGAIN, FOR THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, WE OFFER BASIC NEEDS, INCLUDING FOOD HELP, EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
WE ARE, OUR CONTRACT WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES HAS ENDED.
MY APOLOGIES THAT IT'S STILL HERE.
UH, WE OFFER SOME UTILITY ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM AT AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, SELF-SUFFICIENT STATE CASE MANAGEMENT.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, BUS PASSES HEALTH SCREENINGS FROM OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING SERVICES, INFORMATION ON REFERRALS AND SOME SEASONAL SERVICES.
SOME OF THOSE THAT ARE COMING UP ARE, UH, THANKSGIVING EVENTS.
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE AND I CAN SEND YOU THAT AS WELL AFTER THIS MEETING.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE THREE, UM, I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON, UH, THREE ITEMS HERE.
THE REST OF YOU CAN READ ON YOUR OWN TIME.
UH, NUMBER THREE, THE HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM.
SO TECHNICALLY WE DO HAVE THIS PROGRAM THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE LAST MAJOR UPDATE I GAVE WAS THAT, UH, WE WERE HANDING THIS PROGRAM OVER TO, UH, THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AND THE OPERATIONS WERE GONNA BE GOING STRAIGHT FROM THEIR LOCATION FOR LOGISTIC REASONS AND FOR THE FACT THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE CONTRACT WITH THE FOOD BANK TO ADD 10 POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE TO EACH BOX.
SO WE DID A LOT OF, UH, KIND OF SURVEYS AND REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY WERE ASKING FOR MORE FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
UH, IT TOOK ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF TO BE ABLE TO PROBLEM SOLVE THAT IN TERMS OF SAFETY AND JUST HOW WE WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT.
AND IN OCTOBER, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, IT'S A HUGE IMPACT.
ALMOST 2200 HOUSEHOLDS AT FOOD BOXES DELIVERED TO THEIR DOORSTEP.
SO, VERY INNOVATIVE PROGRAM THAT I'M STILL VERY EXCITED ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER.
UH, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PLACES IN THE COUNTRY THAT ARE DOING THIS.
IT'S THE COLLABORATION WITH, UH, FOOD BANK AND AMAZON AND, UH, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE AS A BACKUP IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
AND ANOTHER REPORT FROM THE FOOD BANK THAT TALKS A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT THE IMPACT AND MORE OF THE NUMBERS AND DATA AND THE FEEDBACK FROM CLIENTS.
UH, NUMBER FOUR, THE DUFF SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
WE HAD A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY ON OCTOBER 25TH.
IT'S ACTUALLY CALLED THE DUFF SPRINGS PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITY.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
IT HAS A WIC PROGRAM, IMMUNIZATIONS SHOTS FOR TODDS BIG SHOTS.
UM, IT HAS A FULL FLEDGED NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, AND THERE'S GONNA BE A CHILDCARE CENTER AT THE FACILITY AS WELL.
UM, SO WE WILL BE INVITING YOU ALL IN JANUARY WHEN WE HAVE THE OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING.
COMMISSIONER HASA WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE RIBBON CUTTING.
SO THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US.
UH, YEAH, IT LOOKS IT'S GONNA BE REALLY, REALLY NICE.
WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY INTEREST AND, UH, WE'RE SLOWLY STARTING OUR, UM, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING SERVICES AND TRAINING ALL STAFF.
THEY'RE ALL BRAND NEW, SO IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT BEFORE WE GET 'EM UP AND GOING.
AND NUMBER SEVEN, THE, UH, ENABLER SERVICES UNIT, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING PROGRAM.
I THINK ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS ASKED FOR THE, UH, IMMUNIZATION FLU DATA THAT'LL BE COMING IN DECEMBER.
THEY'RE JUST WINDING THAT DOWN.
UM, WE REALLY FOCUS JUST ON OUR CLIENTS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS FOR THAT.
UH, 'CAUSE IMMUNIZATIONS DOES MORE OF A BIGGER FOOTPRINT IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT FOR OUR, OUR, UH, NURSES, THEY FOCUS ON SERVING THE POOREST OF THE POOR AND UNINSURED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
LIKE I SAID, I INVITE YOU TO READ THE REST ON YOUR OWN TIME.
UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN TAKE THEM NOW.
UM, LET'S START, UM, WITH OUR QUESTIONS.
UH, LET'S START ON VIRTUALLY, UH, COMMISSIONER TISHA HAS A QUESTION.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, ALWAYS FOR THESE REPORTS AND THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST LOOK AT THE BULLET POINT NUMBER SIX, THE AUSTIN ENERGY PLUS ONE.
UM, THIS IS SORT OF THINKING PROACTIVELY, I'M LOOKING AT THE DATES.
JANUARY TO AUGUST IS WHEN THERE HAS BEEN THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE WHERE WE HAVE OUR TWO EXTREME WEATHERS THAT TYPICALLY HAPPEN HERE IN TEXAS, THE EXTREME WINTER, AND THEN OF COURSE THE EXTREME SUMMER HEAT.
SO ARE THERE ANY PLANS IN PLACE RIGHT NOW TO PROACTIVELY, PREEMPTIVELY HAVE FUNDING OR, UM, IN
[00:15:01]
PREPARATION FOR NEEDS OR REQUESTS THAT MIGHT COME FROM THE POTENTIALITY OF ANOTHER DEEP FREEZE THAT WE COULD EXPERIENCE HERE IN FEBRUARY OR JANUARY? UH, THAT, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.UM, THIS FUNDING IS VERY LIMITED, AND WE'RE SORT OF AT THE WHIM OF AUSTIN ENERGY, SO I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM.
I, THERE'S GONNA BE AN EXTRA FUNDING, BUT FOR US, IT'S LEVEL FUNDING EVERY YEAR.
WE DO ADVOCATE FOR MORE FUNDING EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE SAY WE'RE SERVING THESE MANY PEOPLE.
WE CAN SERVE THESE MANY MORE, BUT IT'S LIMITED ON THEIR END AS WELL.
WE'RE JUST ONE OF, UH, MANY AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE THIS.
I DON'T KNOW IF AUSTIN ENERGY IS ALLOCATING MORE FUNDS FOR THIS, BUT WE DEFINITELY ADVOCATE EVERY YEAR FOR MORE FUNDING AND USUALLY DON'T GET IT.
'CAUSE THERE'S MANY AGENCIES THAT RECEIVE THIS PLUS ONE FUNDING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND CHURCHES.
THAT'S VERY GOOD TO KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S FUNNELED AND IT'S, IT'S DETERMINED BY THE FUNDING PROVIDED BY AUSTIN ENERGY AND THAT IT DOESN'T COME FROM A DIFFERENT FUNDING POOL.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UM, FROM THOSE ONLINE? OKAY.
UH, LET'S GO TO THE COMMISSIONER'S IN PERSON.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERTA DELGADO.
UM, YEAH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
I WAS TRYING TO PULL UP THE WEBSITE.
UM, YOU HAD SAID THAT IN THE WEBSITE WE HAVE, UM, NOTIFICATION ABOUT THANKSGIVING GIVEAWAYS.
I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN AN ASK IN THE COMMUNITY OF, UH, ANY THANKSGIVING DRIVES, UH, THAT THE, UM, DEPARTMENT'S GONNA BE DOING ANY GIVEAWAY TURKEY DRIVES.
I KNOW YOU SAID YOU WERE GONNA SEND THAT TO US.
UM, SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET ON LINE RIGHT BEFORE I GOT TO YOU TO SEE IF THAT'S POSTED.
UM, AND IF YOU CAN JUST LET US KNOW IF THAT IS SOMETHING YOU ARE DOING FOR THANKSGIVING, GIVING AWAY TURKEYS OR THANKSGIVING DRIVES.
I KNOW FOR THE PARKS RECS ALREADY, SO I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, YES, WE DO HAVE SOME PLANS AND I WILL SEND YOU THE INFORMATION, I BELIEVE IT IS ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT I WILL ALSO SEND YOU THE, UH, QR CODE OR THE WEBSITE INFO AND WHERE THEY ARE.
DIFFERENT CENTERS HAVE DIFFERENT, UH, EVENTS, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY ARE SOME, AND I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU GUYS AFTER THIS MEETING.
SO WE CAN BE ABLE TO GIVE IT TO THE COMMUNITY IN A TIMELY MANNER.
ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, WAS ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS RIGHT NOW, UM, BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT THE WINTER STORM.
UH, ANY, UH, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AS FAR AS, UM, A FUTURE, UM, PRE-PREPARATION PLAN IN CASE, UH, WE HAVE TO EXPERIENCE WHAT WE DID BACK IN 2021? UM, I KNOW THAT IT'S KIND OF TO SOME PEOPLE A LITTLE EARLY, BUT AS WE HAVE SEEN, UH, HOW THE WEATHER HIT IS HERE IN TEXAS, WE'RE GOOD ONE DAY AND THEN THE NEXT DAY WE'RE, YOU KNOW, HAVING, UH, NO, NO WATER AND GAS AND NO LIGHT FOR FOUR DAYS.
SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THE AWESOME PUBLIC DEPARTMENT, AND I FEEL AS A COMMISSION, WE SHOULD BE QUESTIONING THAT.
UM, THAT IF THERE'S SOME TYPE OF PRE-PLANNED WINTER STORM PLAN BEING DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW PRIOR TO, UM, US GETTING SOME COLD WEATHER.
WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TEAM WHO HAS A PLAN.
I KNOW THAT, UM, MARK GUDER CAME TO THIS COMMISSION TOO AND TALKED ABOUT THE RESILIENCY HUBS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SIX MONTHS AGO.
UM, I CAN TRY TO FIND OUT MORE FROM MARK TOO, WHAT THE PLAN IS IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL CITY PLAN AND THEN FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TEAM AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND SEND THAT TO YOU AS WELL.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD.
SO WE CAN START, YOU KNOW, UM, DISSEMINATING THAT INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC, UH, AS CHRISTMAS STARTS COMING IN, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE CLIMATE HAS CHANGED, HOW WHEN WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING COLD WEATHER, BUT I KNOW THAT WE ARE IN THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY AND CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO PROVIDE HELP YOU PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER QUESTION, CONNIE GUERRERO.
UM, IS IT CLOSED? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WAS, UM, SOME RELOCATION HAPPENING DURING THE ELECTION SEASON, UH, WHICH HAPPENED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
THAT WAS ONE OF OUR SITES, AND THEN WE HAD TO RELOCATE TO THE MILLENNIUM BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSED DOWN.
IS THAT REOPENED AGAIN? CONLEY GUERRERO IS NOT UNDER A PH, SO I'M NOT SURE, BUT I BELIEVE THEY'RE OPEN.
[00:20:01]
OF OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS OUT OF CONLEY AND WE DID DO OUR FRESH FOODS OUT OF THERE THIS MONTH.SO THEY ARE OPEN TO SOME CAPACITY.
BECAUSE ROSEWOOD IS STILL CLOSED.
JUST WANTED TO, 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER, AND I DIDN'T KNOW, UM, IF BOTH OF THE FACILITIES WERE CLOSED.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO VOTE THERE.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
UM, IF, UM, YEAH, REMEMBER THAT AN ALWAYS, UH, SENDS US INFORMATION IN OUR EMAIL, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ASK, UM, SO WE CAN DISTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, ANYTHING THAT, THAT YOU EVER HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OR WANT TO DISTRIBUTE TO YOUR COMMUNITY, JUST ASK AND ANKA WILL DELIVER IT TO US.
IF I DON'T SEE YOU AGAIN, HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
[3. Briefing regarding the status of the Housing Investment Review Committee (HIRC) (James May, Officer, Housing and Community Development).]
WE'RE ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.UH, WE HAVE A BRIEFING REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE HERC, THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UH, AND THIS BRIEFING IS BY JAMES MAY, WHO'S AN OFFICER WITH THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, JAMES MAY OFF, UH, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I ASKED, UH, UH, FOR THE COUNT FOR THE COMMISSION TO APPOINT TWO MEMBERS TO THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UH, THIS IS REQUIRED BY ORDINANCE, THE ORDINANCE THAT CREATED THE, UM, THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, OR THAT APPROVED THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND CREATED THE BOND HOUSING BOND REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS RECENTLY RENAMED TO, UH, THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE TO INCLUDE ALL INVESTMENTS, NOT JUST GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
UM, THIS ORDINANCE REQUIRES THE CITY, UH, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO APPOINT TWO MEMBERS, UH, TO THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR CONSIDERING THAT AND FOR, UH, FOR MOVING FORWARD.
UH, I DID WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE PROCESS.
UH, IN THE, THE SUMMER OF THIS YEAR, UH, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UM, CONTRACTED WITH GUIDEHOUSE, UH, CONSULTANCY, UH, TO REVIEW THE RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE OWNERSHIP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, THIS, UH, REVIEW IS LOOKING AT PROGRAM GUIDELINES, UM, TOTAL, UH, LOAN UNDERWRITING PROCESS, UM, AND THE ENTIRE PROGRAM ITSELF TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE INVESTING RESPONSIBLY AND THAT WE'RE, UH, UM, WE'RE GETTING THE RIGHT INFORMATION FROM THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AT THE RIGHT TIME.
UH, WITH THAT SAID, UH, WE NEED TO, UH, TAKE A, A BEAT, UM, THIS FALL, UH, WHILE THE GUIDEHOUSE, UH, COMMIT THE GUIDEHOUSE, UH, CONSULTANCY WAS REVIEWING THE PROGRAM, UM, THE, UH, ACTING CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, DR.
TAMELA ALBANA, UH, REVIEWED THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES IN PREPARATION FOR A CONSULT CONSULTATION WITH GUIDEHOUSE.
UH, IN HER REVIEW, SHE, UH, MADE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS, ONE OF WHICH INCLUDED REFORMULATING THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE TO ACHIEVE DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT INFORMATION.
UM, WE'RE TAKING THIS IN THIS RECOMMENDATION AS WELL AS ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL BE COMING OUT OF GUIDEHOUSE TO, UH, UH, HOPEFULLY THIS MONTH, MAYBE, UH, MAYBE NEXT MONTH, BUT VERY SOON, UH, TO REVISE THE, THE PROGRAM AND REALLY LOOK AT IT FROM SOUP TO NUTS TO ENSURE AGAIN, THAT IT IS A, IT IS A SOLID GROUNDING FOR, UH, DISTRIBUTING NOT ONLY OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, BUT OUR OTHER FUNDING THAT PROVIDES, UH, DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, UH, STAFF WILL PREVENT THE PRESENT, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISIONS, UH, TO THE HERC MEMBERSHIP, TO, UH, THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AFTER THE REPORTS HAVE BEEN RELEASED AND AFTER WE HAVE HAD TIME TO REACT TO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE THE REQUEST TODAY IS, UH, WHILE I KNOW THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN, UH, SERVING ON THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHILE WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS RE REVIEW, UH, WE'D JUST LIKE TO PAUSE AND, UH, SAY THAT WE'LL COME BACK IN THE SPRING ONCE WE'VE GONE DONE OUR HOMEWORK AND, UH, UH, GOTTEN SOME MORE INFORMATION AND REVISE THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, UM, TO, UH, DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED, UH, COMMISSIONERS OR IF THE COMMISSION SHOULD BE APPOINTING INDIVIDUALS FROM THE PUBLIC, OR, UH, IF WE NEED TO GO THROUGH A DIFFERENT, UH, VENUE.
SINCE THIS IS AN ORDINANCE, IT WILL REQUIRE, UH, INTERPRETATION.
AND IF OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE ORDINANCE, UH, DOES NOT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PROGRAM, THEN, THEN WE WILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO COUNCIL.
[00:25:01]
THERE'S A LONG PROCESS AHEAD OF US.UM, BUT THE FIRST THING IS, UH, GETTING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
UM, AND AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST.
UH, AND, UH, WE WILL BE CONTINUING TO UPDATE YOU.
SO, UM, BUT AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
UM, LET'S START ON, LET'S START ON THIS SIDE, UM, ON IN PERSON.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, FOR MR. MAY? GO AHEAD.
SO THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION WAS TO HAVE TWO COMMISSIONERS FROM THE CDC.
THE, THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ORDINANCE THAT CREATED THE, THE HOUSING BOND REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, AND TWO MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED BY THE CD C3 MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
AT THAT TIME, IT WAS A DIFFERENT NAME FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE CHANGE THAT EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, THE, UH, THE ORDINANCE, IT SAID ITSELF DID NOT SAY WHO, UH, THE CDC SHOULD APPOINT, WHETHER IT WAS, UH, INDIVIDUALS FROM THE COMMUNITY OR ACTUAL CDC MEMBERS.
UM, SO THAT WAS AN INTERPRETATION THAT WE MADE, UH, IN 2022, I BELIEVE, WHEN WE REFORMULATED THE, THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONERS HERE IN PERSON, UM, COMMISSIONERS ONLINE, UH, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER TISHA.
SO, A QUESTION ABOUT THE PROPOSED RESHAPING OF, UM, NOMINATING FROM THE PUBLIC.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE ARE GUIDELINES AROUND WHICH TYPE OF PUBLIC CITIZENS WOULD QUALIFY FOR THIS PARTICULAR ROLE.
AND ONE OF THE IMMEDIATE THINGS THAT COME TO MIND IN A CONCERN, UM, IS THAT WE MIGHT BE SELECTING THOSE THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM OR ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY MM-HMM.
SO, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE ARE GUIDELINES OR IF THERE ARE CERTAIN BOUNDARIES OR LIMITATIONS THAT YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING IN THIS NEW DISCUSSION OF WHO COULD BE APPOINTED OR WHO COULD BE CONSIDERED FROM THE PUBLIC AS A PART OF THIS COMMITTEE? YES, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, THE ORDINANCE ITSELF, UH, DEFINES THE ROLE, UH, THAT THE DIRECTOR SHOULD BE APPOINTING.
SO, UH, THE DIRECTOR, UH, IS TO APPOINT MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE THAT, UH, HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE OR BACKGROUND WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, OR HOUSING FINANCE.
UH, THERE'S NO SUCH GUIDANCE FOR CDC MEMBERS.
UH, SO THE CDC THEORETICALLY COULD POINT ANYONE, UH, OFF THE STREET, UH, AND IT WOULD BE VALID, UH, APPOINTMENT.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT IF WE NEED, UH, REPRESENTATION FROM, UH, UH, THE LOW INCOME COMMUNITY, IF WE NEED REPRESENTATION FROM THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, FROM SERVICE PROVIDERS, THEN WE SHOULD SAY THAT.
UM, AND WE ARE, UH, THAT'S WHAT GUIDEHOUSE IS LOOKING AT.
HOW DOES THIS COMMITTEE FUNCTION? HOW DO WE GET THE RIGHT INFORMATION, THE BEST INFORMATION, AND, UH, WHO NEEDS TO BE AT THE TABLE? UH, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT, WE KNOW THAT THE PROGRAM ITSELF, UH, WHILE IT FUNCTIONS AND IT FUNCTIONS WELL, IT CAN BE IMPROVED.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE, UH, THOSE IMPROVEMENTS SO THAT THIS PROGRAM ITSELF CAN GENERATE AS MANY, UH, HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AS POSSIBLE FOR THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UM, JAMES, SO I HAD, YEAH, I HAD A SIMILAR QUESTION ABOUT, UM, I GUESS AFTER THE RECOMMENDATIONS COME IN MM-HMM.
UM, SO WE'RE THINKING THAT IT MAY BE THE SAME WHERE WE APPOINT TWO COMMISSIONERS, OR IT MAY BE THAT WE DECIDE TO APPOINT SOMEBODY FROM OUTSIDE OF THE COMMISSION.
IS THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S HOW IT STANDS TODAY? MM-HMM.
UM, AS WE ARE TAKING THIS PAUSE, UH, I THINK THAT THAT GUIDANCE IS GOING TO, IS GOING TO EVOLVE.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO GUESS WHICH WAY IT'S GOING TO GO.
UH, SO I CAN'T REALLY SAY WHETHER OR NOT YOU'LL BE APPOINTING MEMBERS FROM THE CDC OR MEMBERS FROM THE PUBLIC, OR, OR HOW THAT WILL WORK.
OR EVEN IF WE, IF THE CDC WILL, UH, WILL BE A, A REVIEWING BODY, UH, FOR THESE INVESTMENTS GOING FORWARD.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE COMING BACK AS.
AND EVEN WHEN THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS COME BACK, WE WILL TAKE THEM, IF THEY REQUIRE ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS, IF THEY REQUIRE ANY SORT OF COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT, WE'LL GO DIRECTLY TO THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, UM, TO EDUCATE THEM.
AND NO MATTER WHAT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE,
[00:30:01]
I WILL BE BACK ONCE WE HAVE A FINAL REPORT FROM GUIDEHOUSE, LETTING US KNOW, OR LETTING YOU KNOW HOW THAT PROCESS WENT, WHAT THE IMPACT IS, AND WHAT ROLE THE CDC WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY.SO WE WILL SEE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE ANY DECISIONS ARE MADE.
WE, I WILL BE SURE TO BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU IN THE SPRING AS SOON AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
SO, YEAH, I, UH, BIG QUESTIONS.
UM, SO A PART OF THE RESOLUTION, RIGHT? UM, THE DIRECTIVE OF MAKING SURE TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES.
SO YOU ALL ARE HELD IN COMPLIANCE THAT TWO CDC COMMISSIONERS ARE TO BE APPOINTED TO THIS REVIEW.
SO, WHEN YOU SAY THAT THE HERC IS PUT ON PAUSE, BECAUSE WE'RE NOW WAITING, THIS IS THE FIRST, THE COMMISSION HEARS THAT CONSULTANTS ARE INVOLVED.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME YOU CAME TO OUR COMMISSION, YOU DIDN'T MENTION THAT CONSULTANTS WERE REVIEWING THE ENTIRE, UM, PROCESS OF HOW, OF WHO AND WHOM AND WHO WILL SERVE ON THIS REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT OVERVIEWS, UM, YOU KNOW, FINANCES, RIGHT.
SO ARE THOSE, IS ALL OF THAT'S GONNA BE PUT ON HOLD AS WELL AS YOU ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE ADVICE OF THESE HIRED CONSULTANTS THAT THE CITY HAS NOW HIRED TO REFORMULATE OUR COMMITTEE? BECAUSE I'M, AGAIN, I'M, I JUST, IT, IT'S KIND OF SURPRISING THAT LAST MONTH TO THIS MONTH, NOW WE'RE PUTTING A PAUSE WHO HAVE HAD WHO ON THE CDC HAS BEEN SERVING ON THAT COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT I, I'M NOT SURE THAT I HAVE THAT INFORMATION RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THE REASON THE CHANGE FROM LAST MONTH TO THIS MONTH WAS THE RELEASE OF THE ASSESSMENT FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WHEN THOSE, WHEN, UH, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS CAME TO THE DIRECTOR, UH, THE DIRECTOR DE UH, DETERMINED THAT IT WAS TIME TO, TO PAUSE, UM, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS COMMITTEE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN BE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND, AND THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WERE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE, UH, REPORT.
SO, UM, THERE'S AN AUDIT AND I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
BECAUSE THE CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE HAS PUT A HOLD TO THIS FOR A REASON, AND, AND IT JUST, IT, IT'S, IT MAY, IT MAKES, MAKES ME WONDER, THEY WANT TO INVESTIGATE MORE INTO SEEING IF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING SELECTED FOR THIS, UH, COMMITTEE IS ACTUALLY BEING DIVERSE AND IS ACTUALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING CIVIL RIGHTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER REGULATIONS THAT THEY REQUIRE.
BUT, BUT TRYING, I, I, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT WE ARE NOW BEING MAYBE QUESTIONED TO BE REMOVED TO BE, OR THEY MAY, THEY'RE CHANGING THE PROCESS.
I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE UP TO PAR ON EVERY, UH, CONVERSATION THAT THIS IS BEING.
BECAUSE Y'ALL, THIS IS A BIG COMPONENT.
Y'ALL REVIEW A LOT OF THE FINANCES AND TO TAKE CD, C OFF, UM, AND, AND YOU ALL PUTTING IT AT HOLD.
I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, IS EVERYTHING ON HOLD.
SO UNTIL YOU ALL RESOLVE IT, OR SO TO BE, TO BE CLEAR, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS YOUR, YOUR, YOUR INITIAL STATEMENT.
THE C THE CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE DID NOT PUT A HOLD ON THE, THE PROCESS OR THE PROGRAM.
UH, THAT WAS A, THAT WAS AN INTERNAL DE DECISION FROM IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO TAKE A, TAKE A BREATHER, A BREATHER ON THE REFORMULATION OF THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE.
WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WHERE WE HAD, UH, APPLICATIONS, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE CAME TO THE COMMITTEE, THE CDC, TO, UH, REQUEST, UM, NOMINATIONS.
UH, AND AT THAT POINT, UM, UH, KENDRA GARRETT AND I BELIEVE YOU, UH, CHAIR, UH, THAT WAS THE ALTERNATE.
UM, UH, WE HAD A, WE HAD A SERIES OF APPLICANTS, UH, COME IN AND WE REFORMULATED THAT COMMITTEE, UH, THE CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, ARE WE GETTING THE RIGHT INFORMATION? NOT NECESSARILY IS THE COMPOSITION OF THE HERC CORRECT, BUT ARE WE, ARE WE GETTING THE RIGHT INFORMATION? UM, IN LIGHT OF THAT AUDIT, THE DEPARTMENT PUT A HOLD ON MOVING FORWARD WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE GUIDE HOUSE, UH, REPORT TO COME BACK SO THAT WHEN, UH, WHEN WE HAVE THE INFORMATION, WE CAN TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH AT THIS, UH, PROGRAM.
LOTS OF FUNDS GO THROUGH THIS, AND WE DON'T WANT TO REMOVE ANY STEP IN THE PROCESS OR SUB,
[00:35:01]
UH, UM, UH, WE DON'T WANT TO, WE SUBVERT ANY PROCESSES.UM, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY.
BUT WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO HAVE THESE FUNDS BEING ALLOCATED AND BUSINESS BEING CONDUCTED IF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE NOT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE NOT SUPPOSED, THAT ARE ON THERE, THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ON THERE, NOT ABLE TO SERVE, BECAUSE THERE'S A HOLD ON, UH, MEMBERS TO SERVE ON THE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT TIMEFRAME WE'RE LOOKING AT.
I, I, I HAVE QUESTIONS TO THE TIMEFRAME.
I HAVE QUESTIONS ON, UH, UM, YOU ALL CONTINUING TO DO BUSINESS, UH, WITHOUT APPROPRIATE, UM, EVEN IF I DON'T SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE, UH, CDC HAS TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS GENERATED FROM THE BEGINNING AND HOW FOR IT TO BE CHANGED IN THE YEAR 2025.
IT RED FLAGS ME, UM, AS A COMMISSIONER, UH, IF WE'RE NOT INVOLVED IN THAT NEW REVIEW PROCESS, THAT THE HIRED CONSULTANTS, UM, DECIDE THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE US ON THERE.
UM, I JUST, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AND I JUST FEEL LIKE WE VOCALLY NEED TO BE, UH, ADVOCATING FOR CDC TO BE ON THE HERC AND HOW IT'S IMPORTANT.
AND SO MAYBE YOU ALL CAN ALSO SEND THE NEW COMMISSIONERS AND COMMISSIONERS THAT DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE HERC, HOW IMPORTANT THE HERC IS TO AUSTIN AND TO AUSTIN FUNDING WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO THE ROLE OF THE HERC, THE ROLE OF THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE BY ORDINANCE IS TO REVIEW STAFF'S WORK.
IT'S, UH, IT, IT IS A NON, UH, DECISION MAKING BODY.
IT IS A, A NON, UH, FUNDING BODY.
IT IS TO REVIEW STAFF'S WORK TO ENSURE THAT STAFF FOLLOWED THEIR RULES, UM, AND, UH, UM, IS MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAM.
THAT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO REALLY IMPROVE THE PROGRAM OVERALL.
BECAUSE IN THAT STAGE OF, IN THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE, BECAUSE THE CHARGE IS SO LIMITED TO ONLY REVIEWING STAFF'S WORK, UM, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EXPAND THAT, UM, POSSIBLY THROUGH ORDINANCE, BUT IN CONSULTATION WITH EXPERTS AND OFFICIALS, UH, TO REALLY GET GOOD INFORMATION.
AND HOW WE GET THAT INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN WE CALL IN, UH, MEMBERS OF THE CDC TO BE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE, UH, I KNOW THAT OUR PROCESS HAS BEEN CUMBERSOME.
AND, UH, CHAIR, I KNOW THAT WHEN WE SEND YOU OUR, OUR PACKETS, IT'S ABOUT THAT THICK THREE INCH BINDERS OF, UH, OF INFORMATION.
NO ONE CAN BE EXPECTED TO READ A THREE INCH BINDER OF INFORMATION ABOUT 17 DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS WITHIN THREE DAYS.
SO WHAT INFORMATION DO WE PROVIDE TO THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE? HOW DO WE PROVIDE IT TO THEM? HOW DO WE CONSOLIDATE THIS INFORMATION? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT INFORMATION DO WE WANT TO GET BACK FROM THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE? THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ASK AND QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING TO GET ANSWERS FROM WITH OUR CONSULTANTS AT GUIDEHOUSE, AND BY BEING MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT OUR PROCESS.
AND, UM, I GUESS THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT I DON'T KNOW IF WE GOT AN ANSWER TO MM-HMM.
UM, WE'VE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS AND OUR STAFF IS CONTINUING TO WORK THROUGH THOSE.
UH, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'VE MADE ANY DETERMINATION ABOUT AS TO, UH, WHEN A HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE WOULD BE MET, WOULD, UH, WOULD HAPPEN.
UM, WE ARE REACTING, UH, AS, UH, IN REAL TIME VICE CHAIR REAL QUICK.
AND MR. MAY, I JUST WANT YOU AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING TO UNDERSTAND THAT NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING HAS HAD ITS, UH, BUMPS IN THE ROADS AND THERE HAS BEEN, UH, ISSUES IN THE PAST THAT WE HAVE HAD TO ASK FOR AUDITS, AND WE HAVE HAD TO REVIEW, UH, OUR STAFF'S WORK.
AND AS A BODY AND A COMMISSION, OUR JOB HERE IS TO OVERSEE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING AND THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO FOR OUR CITY AND FOR OUR LOW INCOME AND POOR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THE, THE COMMITTEE'S IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING YOUR JOBS.
AND SO I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW, THAT'S WHY I'M VERY ADAMANT IN MAKING SURE CDC IS INVOLVED, UH, IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE IT IS OUR JOB TO HOLD THIS DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABLE.
THE CONSTITUENTS HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE, AND WE HAVE SEEN ISSUES, UH, WHEN THE, WHEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING AND THE PUBLIC CITIZENS, TAXPAYERS ARE NOT BEING, UH, SERVED.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M VERY ADAMANT OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE INVOLVED IN EVERY STEP OF THIS PROCESS,
[00:40:01]
JUST LIKE THE CONSULTANTS ARE.MR. MAY, IF I COULD, IF I COULD JUST SAY ONE THING THAT, UH, YES, I COMPLETELY AGREE.
THE CDC IS AN IMPORTANT BODY AND IT NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED.
THE QUESTION THAT WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH RIGHT NOW IS HOW DO WE ENGAGE? BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING YOU INFORMATION THAT IS ACTIONABLE, THAT IS USEFUL, AND THAT YOUR, NOT ONLY DO YOU WANT, BUT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE GOOD ADVICE.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT IT'S AN ADVISORY BODY.
SO HOW WE PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION, IN WHAT MANNER, IN WHAT TIMELINE, HOW MUCH INFORMATION YOU GET, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, A THREE RANGE BINDER, UH, EVERY THREE MONTHS IS NOT GONNA GET READ.
SO WE NEED TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THAT, AND WE NEED TO, UH, COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
THE CDC NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
UM, WE JUST ASK FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAM IS MANAGED CORRECTLY.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, CDC INVOLVEMENT IN THIS.
UM, IF COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU, UH, HAVE THE TIME, I WOULD, UH, SUGGEST THAT YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT THE HERC DOES.
UM, AND, AND IF YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED.
AND ALSO IF YOU WANT TO, UM, SINCE WE'RE TAKING RECOMMENDATIONS, IF YOU WANNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OF HOW THE HERC COULD BETTER, COULD WORK BETTER, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER SUGGESTION THAT, THAT WE CAN HAVE.
IF I COULD OFFER CHAIR, UM, SOMETIME IN THE SPRING, ONCE AGAIN, ONCE WE GET THE GUIDELINES BACK.
UM, IT'S JUST GETTING ON THE SCHEDULE.
SO WE'RE CLOSING OUT THAT ITEM.
[4. Briefing regarding the Equity Overlay (Planning Department Staff]
IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR.WE HAVE A BRIEFING REGARDING THE EQUITY OVERLAY, AND THIS IS THE PRESENTATION FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF.
UM, I DON'T HAVE YOUR NAME CAN, YEAH.
HI, ALAN PONY WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M HERE TO PROVIDE A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE EQUITY OVERLY STUDY.
SO, UH, EARLIER, UH, IN MAY AT THE ADOPTION PROCESS FOR HOME PHASE TWO ORDINANCE, UH, COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY AND MERITS OF AN EQUITY OVERLAY OR AN ANTI DISPLACEMENT OVERLAY, UH, TO STUDY THE IMPACTS OF SUCH AN OVERLAY ON AFFORDABILITY, DISPLACEMENT PROPERTY VALUES, UM, SHOULD WE MODIFY HOME PHASE TWO STANDARDS BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND LOWEST INCOME CENSUS TRACKS.
UH, THE FOCUS WAS TO MITIGATE, UH, SPECULATION THE DISPLACEMENT IN AREAS MOST AFFECTED BY GENTRIFICATION.
UH, THEY ASKED US TO EXPLORE BOTH SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH AN OVERLAY.
UH, AND THEY ASKED US TO STUDY BASED ON LATEST DATA AND TRENDS REGARDING GEOGRAPHIC AREAS EXPERIENCING AND, UH, VULNERABLE TO DISPLACEMENT.
UM, SO FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY STUDY, LEADERSHIP FROM, UH, THE EQUITY OFFICE, HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT COLLABORATED TO IDENTIFY A CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT A STUDY ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY MERITS AND RISK OF AN EQUITY OVERLAY.
UH, BEFORE THAT, UH, THE EQUITY OVERLAY STAFF WORK GROUP WAS CREATED.
SO STAFF CREATED AN INTER DEPARTMENTAL STAFF WORK GROUP CONSISTING OF MEMBERS OF THE EQUITY OFFICE, PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE WORK GROUP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HANDLING THE DELIVERABLES OF THE EQUITY OVERLAY STUDY REQUESTED BY COUNCIL
UH, LEADERSHIP FROM THOSE THREE OFFICES COLLABORATED TO IDENTIFY A CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT A STUDY.
UH, THE STUDY WILL INCLUDE MULTIPLE PHASES STARTING OFF BY COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, UH, MOVING OVER TOWARDS POLICY, PROGRAM, STUDY AND ANALYSIS.
UH, THE THIRD PHASE WE WILL LOOK INTO THE RISK OF DISPLACEMENT IN THE CITY.
AND FINALLY, REPORTING AND PRESENTATION OF THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
[00:45:22]
I KNOW EVERYONE HAS IT IN THE BACKUP.WELL, WE HAVE TECHNICAL ISSUES.
UH, SO STAFF HAS SELECTED, UH, A PD URBAN PLANNING MANAGEMENT.
THEY ARE A MINORITY OWNED CONSULTING FIRM FROM ATLANTA, ESTABLISHED IN 1990.
THEY HAVE OVER 40 YEARS OF NATIONAL EXPERTISE IN NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, AFFORDABILITY POLICIES, AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THEY HAVE A LOT OF DISPLACEMENT, RISK MITIGATION EXPERTISE.
THEY VALUE THEIR VALUES ARE BASED ON COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE VALUES WRITTEN SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT OF EACH NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE HAVE A LINK TO THEIR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION, UM, AND ADDITIONALLY, OKAY.
UH, WE LISTED HERE A COUPLE OF THEIR NOTABLE PROJECTS, UH, BOTH BASED IN ATLANTA.
THEY CREATED A BELTLINE COMMUNITY STABILIZATION PROGRAM, WHICH PROMOTED COMMUNITY STABILITY AND, UH, ATTEMPTED TO MITIGATE DISPLACEMENT RISK.
THEY DEVELOPED STRATEGIES TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAX BURDEN IN THE AREA AND HAD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE POLICIES FOR HOMEOWNER POPULATIONS MOST AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT.
AS PART OF THAT, THEY HAD A ANTI DISPLACEMENT TASK RELEASE FUND, WHICH WAS A PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, UH, THAT INVOLVED EXTENSIVE OUTREACH WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
THEY DEVELOPED THIS POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY, AND THEY DESIGNED THIS ANTI DISPLACEMENT TAX RELIEF FUND POLICY, UH, FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT MET THE DISPLACEMENT RISK, UH, KIND OF CATEGORIES AND WERE AVAILABLE TO USE THIS TAX RELIEF FUND TO HELP THEM.
SO, UH, ADDITIONALLY, UH, STAFF IS FROM HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENTS ARE COLLABORATING WITH RESEARCH PROFESSORS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA TO STUDY THE IMPACTS OF LAND DEVELOPMENT POLICY CHANGES WITHIN THIS CITY.
THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY IS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF LAND USE POLICY CHANGES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
SO LOOKING AT PAST LAND USE POLICIES AND WHAT, UH, THOSE EFFECTS HAVE HAD, AS WELL AS COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF LAND USE CHANGES AND NOT SEEING TO THOSE IN PEER CITIES.
SO HOW OTHER PEER CITIES HAVE HAD SIMILAR EFFECTS.
UH, AND FINALLY DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK FOR THE EVALUATION OF FUTURE CHANGES.
UM, SO THEY WERE TRYING TO DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK TO EVALUATE HOW HOME OR HOME PHASE TWO MIGHT AFFECT THE CITY AS WELL.
THE NEXT STEPS, UH, FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY STUDY WITH A PD URBAN, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED, IS COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT FOR PHASE ONE.
UH, WHICH WILL BEGIN, BEGIN THIS MONTH GOING THROUGH FEBRUARY AND ONGOING THROUGH THE END OF THE STUDY.
UH, PHASE TWO WILL BE THE POLICY AND PROGRAM STUDY AND ANALYSIS, WHICH WILL BEGIN AT THE START OF NEXT YEAR, GO THROUGH THE SPRING.
FINALLY, UH, PHASE THREE AND PHASE FOUR WILL BE THE RISK OF DIS DISPLACEMENT ANALYSIS, WHICH WILL BE IN NEXT SPRING THROUGH THE SUMMER.
AND FINALLY, FINAL REPORTING AND PRESENTATION, UH, IN SUMMER OF 2025.
THE UT STUDY, UH, IS BEGINNING, IT BEGAN THIS YEAR.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT DATA AND LOOKING AT OUR POLICIES CURRENTLY.
UH, BUT IN EARLY SPRING THEY WILL HAVE A BRIEF DELIVERABLE IN AUSTIN POLICY LITERATURE.
THEN IN THE SUMMER, THEY WILL BE USING, UH, ANALYSIS OF THIS POLICY AND SEE HOW THAT HAS AFFECTED.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE FRAMEWORK TO FUTURE ANALYZE AMENDMENTS SUCH AS HOME WILL COME IN THE FALL OF NEXT YEAR.
UM, AGAIN, HERE'S MY CONTACT INFORMATION AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ALAN? COMMISSIONER TISHA? OH, ALWAYS, ALWAYS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALAN, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMMEDIATE ONES THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED IN THE COLLABORATION WITH UT AND OU I SEE ON HERE, WHICH IS INTERESTING.
UM, CAN YOU DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TERMS OF LAND DEVELOPMENT POLICY CHANGES, UM, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UH, SO THAT WAY INDIVIDUALS LIKE MYSELF AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ANALYZE? YES.
UH, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, FOR THE, UH, OKLAHOMA, IT'S BASED THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF UT.
UH, THE PROFESSOR FROM UT COLLABORATES WITH A PROFESSOR FROM OKLAHOMA AS WELL.
BUT REALLY THE PROGRAM IS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH UT.
[00:50:01]
AS FAR AS THE, UH, POLICIES THAT THEY'RE REVIEWING, THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY LOOKING AT PAST LAND, UH, DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS PASSED, AND STAFF FROM THE PLANNING AND HOUSING DEPARTMENTS.AND, AND THE WORK GROUP REALLY PROVIDED SUMMARY INFORMATION FOR A NUMBER OF THEM, UH, THAT WE ALL THEN REVIEWED.
AND WE RANKED, UH, BASICALLY ON HIGHEST PRIORITY THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR THE RESEARCH RESEARCHERS TO ANALYZE.
AND THOSE WERE BASED ON KIND OF SIMILARLY TO THE HOME AMENDMENTS, SO HOW THEY MIGHT HAVE AFFECTED SINGLE FAMILY ZONING IN THE PAST, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, HOW THEY MIGHT BE SIMILAR TO AN EQUITY OVERLAY PROPOSAL.
SO LIKE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENTS, UH, IMPACT WITHIN DISPLACEMENT RISK AREAS.
SO WHICH OF THESE PAST POLICIES ARE EITHER GEOGRAPHICALLY MORE FOCUSED IN, UM, YOU KNOW, DISPLACEMENT RISK AREAS? UM, AND THEN ALSO AVAILABILITY OF DATA ON PROGRAM RESULTS.
SO WE WANTED PROGRAMS THAT ARE OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE ENOUGH DATA FOR THE STAFF TO ACTUALLY, OR FOR THE RESEARCHERS TO ACTUALLY ANALYZE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE IMPACTS HAVE BEEN.
UM, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I THINK OF WHENEVER WE'RE LOOKING AT LAND USE, AND THIS IS, AND IT MIGHT NOT EVEN RELATE TO WHAT THIS, UM, RESEARCH MIGHT DISCOVER WHAT YOU ALL MIGHT BE SURVEYING, BUT I THINK OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ON, UM, THE UT CAMPUS THAT THE SOCIAL SCHOOL, THAT, EXCUSE ME, SOCIAL SERVICES, UM, SCHOOL THERE THAT NOW HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED FOR THE USE OF A FOOTBALL FACILITY.
UM, AND THAT'S A LAND USE SITUATION.
AND THEN I ALSO THINK OF AN EAST AUSTIN WHERE THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HOLDS A LOT OF LAND IN EAST AUSTIN AND, UM, WAITING FOR THE RIGHT TIME TO HAVE IT REZONED FOR BENEFITS AND BENEFICIAL USE.
SO I'M WONDERING, AND THAT'S WHERE THE, THE Y OF THE QUESTION IS COMING FROM, FROM, FROM PREVIOUSLY BEFORE IN TERMS OF LAND USE.
AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT IT AND LOOKING AT IMPACT IN TERMS OF LAND BEING HELD BY LARGE INSTITUTIONS AND LARGE DEVELOPERS, UM, AND WONDERING THE IMPACT OF HELD LAND VERSUS LAND THAT IS ALREADY ZONED OR CODED FOR USE AND LAND THAT IS MIXED USE OR MIXED CODING.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF MY IMMEDIATE CONCERNS WHENEVER I THINK OF WHENEVER GROUPS ARE COMING IN TO ANALYZE IS LAND THAT IS ALSO BEING HELD FOR FUTURE USE.
UH, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS ALREADY GOING TO BE INCORPORATED OR THAT YOU MIGHT BE AWARE OF, UM, AS A PART OF THIS PARTICULAR STUDY? YEAH.
UM, I AM NOT AWARE OF THAT BEING PART OF THIS STUDY.
I MEAN, AS I TRIED TO MENTION, THEY ARE LOOKING MORE AT PAST CODE AMENDMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS PASSED AND WHAT THOSE IMPACTS HAVE HAD ON DISPLACEMENT IN CERTAIN AREAS.
UH, SO AGAIN, FOR EXAMPLE, USING HOME AS AN EXAMPLE OF IF WE PASS HOME, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT IN THE FUTURE, WHAT MIGHT OCCUR IN AREAS REZONED FOR SINGLE FAMILY ZONING.
MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING TO, YOU KNOW, IN FUTURE CONVERSATION,
UM, SO ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE LOOKING AT THIS, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS A TEAM THAT IS BEING BROUGHT FROM OUTSIDE, UM, COMING IN FROM ATLANTA.
AND ONE OF THE LARGE COMPONENTS IS COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
AND THE LAST MEETING, UM, WHERE WE HAD SOMEONE FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND FORGIVE ME IF THAT IS ACCURATE, IF IT'S NOT FROM A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, BUT ESSENTIALLY I WAS INQUIRING ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THEY HAD MENTIONED THERE WAS, UM, HUNDREDS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY HAD A LIST OR THAT THEY CONNECT WITH.
SO I'M WONDERING HOW THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PART IS, UM, I GUESS GOING TO BE CONSIDERED OR IMPLEMENTED.
IS THIS MORE OF AN ANALYZING IN THIS PHASE ONE OR IS THIS AN ACTION PLAN THAT IS BEING DEVELOPED IN PHASE ONE? AND THEN THE LAST PART IS OUTREACH ACTUALLY OCCURRING.
SO THERE'S THREE PARTS TO THAT.
SO THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, WONDERING WHAT YOU ALL HAVE, UM, IS THIS, FOR THE ANALYZING PART, IS IT JUST TO REVIEW AND LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT EXIST FOR OUTREACH? UM, AND THEN THE OTHER PART IS SORT OF ANALYZING OR CREATING AN ACTION PLAN.
AND THEN THE LAST PART IS, IS THERE GOING TO BE OUTREACH IMPLEMENTED AS A PART OF PHASE ONE? YEAH, SO IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE, UH, SECOND TWO.
SO CREATING AN ACTION PLAN AND ACTUALLY DOING THE OUTREACH.
UH, SO AS I BELIEVE IT MIGHT'VE BEEN THE HOUSING STAFF AT THE LAST MEETING THEY MENTIONED THEY HAVE A, A LARGE LIST OF, UM, COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, STAKEHOLDERS THAT THEY ENGAGE WITH.
UM, AND FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, WE ALSO HAVE NEWSLETTERS THAT WE USE TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO THIS WILL, THOSE LISTS WILL DEFINITELY BE USED AS PART OF THE ACTION PLAN TO CREATE SURVEY AND INFORMATION,
[00:55:01]
UH, MEETINGS TO ENGAGE WITH THEM.ADDITIONALLY, STAFF HAS, FROM THE THREE OFFICES BETWEEN EQUITY OFFICE, HOUSING OFFICE, UM, HAVE CREATED A SHORT LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT, UM, WERE, YOU KNOW, VERY VOCAL AND PARTICIPATED DURING THE HOME, UM, AMENDMENTS, UH, DURING THE MAY, YOU KNOW, PROCESS.
AND WE HAVE SHARED THOSE WITH, UM, THE CONSULTANT.
AND THEY ARE DOING KIND OF SMALL GROUP INTERVIEWS WITH THEM.
UH, WE JUST SENT OUT KIND OF THE FIRST COMMUNICATION TODAY TO THOSE GROUPS.
AND IT'S NOT LIMITED TO THOSE GROUPS.
WE'RE GONNA BE DOING MORE OUTREACH, UM, WHERE THEY WILL START TO DO VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS AS WELL AS IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS LATER IN THE YEAR.
SO THEY WILL BE TRAVELING HERE AND MEETING WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND ALSO TRYING TO CONDUCT VIRTUAL MEETINGS SO THAT THERE'S MULTIPLE LEVELS OF ACCESS, UH, FOR DIFFERENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE INFORMED ABOUT.
SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WERE REQUESTING EARLIER, IF YOU ALL CAN SHARE WITH, WITH, UM, WITH THE COMMISSION.
SO WHEN WE RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION, WE CAN THEN SHARE THAT WITH OTHER GROUPS THAT WE, UM, INTERACT WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIALITY TO SHARE THEIR INSIGHT.
THAT WOULD BE WONDERFULLY HELPFUL.
UM, AND ALSO TO NOT JUST RELY ON, UH, SPEAK UP AUSTIN, WHICH HAS FIREWALLS AND OUTDATED DATE EVENTS ON THEIR WEBSITE.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE UTILIZING, UH, US AS VEHICLES AND CHANNELS TO COMMUNICATE TO, TO COMMUNITIES.
YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO, TO OUTREACH.
SO IF THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED, THAT'D BE GREAT.
YES, WE CAN DEFINITELY SHARE THAT WITH Y'ALL AS WELL AS, UM, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE CONSULTANT AS WELL COME TO A MEETING IN THE FUTURE, UM, AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHEN THEY'RE TRAVELING HERE TO MEET WITH Y'ALL AS YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? ONLINE? COMMISSIONER IN PERSON? UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, YEAH, SO IT'S KIND OF, UM, NOT SURPRISING, BUT I, I DON'T SEE WHY WE'RE HIRING A CONSULTANT, UH, IN ATLANTA.
I MEAN, JUST THE WHOLE OUTREACH OF VIRTUAL IN ALL OF THAT IS, IS REALLY CONCERNING TOO.
UM, SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHY OUR CITY CONTINUES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF LOCAL CONSULTANTS THAT WE CAN BE USING, AND THEN INSTEAD WE GO TO ATLANTA OR OTHER CITIES AND STATES AND COUNTRIES.
AND IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST SEEMS LIKE OUR MONEY'S JUST, YOU KNOW, TRIPLING, UH, BECAUSE OF TRAVELING COSTS AND ALL OF THAT.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE, LIKE OUR COMMISSIONER BROUGHT UP WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMPONENT THAT'S ALWAYS BEING USED IN THE CITY AND IN THESE REPORTS THAT WE REVIEW THAT YOU ARE CONDUCTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THOSE ARE ACCURATE ENOUGH.
UH, VIRTUAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS NOT ACCURATE ENOUGH.
SO RECOMMENDATION, UM, FROM MYSELF AS A COMMISSIONER ESPECIALLY, UM, WE ARE AFFECTED 'CAUSE WE ARE THE O2 EAST AUSTIN, THAT AREA.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS IN FULL FORCE OF NOT JUST VIRTUAL, UM, AND NOT JUST THE GROUPS THAT YOU ARE SELECTING.
I HEAR YOU SAYING, UH, SEVERAL GROUPS.
SO, UH, WE DO WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHO YOU, WHO YOU ALL ARE CONNECTING WITH.
NOVEMBER, IF WE CAN GET, UH, A SCHEDULE SENT TO US ON YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
YOU SAID YOU'RE STARTING IN NOVEMBER.
UH, WE ARE, UM, SECOND WEEK IN NOVEMBER.
WHERE WOULD YOU BE DOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT? UM, I THINK THE COMMUNITY DESERVES TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME, NOT THE DAY BEFORE, NOT THE SAME DAY, YOU KNOW, UH, INFORMATION TO, TO DETERMINED.
I GET THAT A LOT FROM OUR DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION WAS IN, UH, INTERDEPARTMENT STAFF WORKING GROUP.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, REALLY INVOLVING THE PUBLIC, RIGHT? CREATING A CITIZENS WORKING GROUP OR COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP.
WE'RE ACTUALLY USING OUR OWN STAFF TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP.
WHO ARE THOSE MEMBERS IN THE WORKING GROUP? I DIDN'T SEE THAT IN HERE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ON THE TAX RELIEF FUND BECAUSE, UH, WE ARE ALL BEING TAXED OUT, UH, IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT, UH, OUT OF AUSTIN.
AND SO WHAT RELIEF FUNDING, UH, HAVE WE CREATED OR WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING? 'CAUSE I DON'T SEE THAT IN HERE AS WELL.
[01:00:01]
HELLO.UM, COMMISSIONERS, NEFERTITI JACKMAN, COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER.
UM, I DID WANT TO JUST, UH, SHARE IN RESPONSE TO, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, DELGADO, A COUPLE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
UH, ONE OF THE REASONS, UH, THE EQUITY OFFICE, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AS THE LEAD AND THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UM, WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CONSULTANTS.
AND THIS CONSULTING FIRM ROSE TO THE TOP BECAUSE OF THE SPECIFIC WORK THAT THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY DONE IN ATLANTA THAT SPECIFICALLY DRESSED, UM, THE TAX RELIEF AS, UH, YOU HAVE OUTLINED.
UM, AND OTHER DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION STRATEGIES.
THERE ARE TONS OF PLANNING FIRMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, BUT WE WERE REALLY LOOKING, UM, FOR A FIRM, UH, THAT HAD CULTURAL SENSITIVITIES AND EXPERIENCE WITH SPECIFIC DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION STRATEGIES.
AND THEY ROSE TO THE TOP, UH, BASED UPON THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE PREVIOUSLY.
UM, AND THE WORKING GROUP, UH, THE CITY STAFF, WHAT WE'RE TASKED WITH IS MOVING THINGS ALONG.
WE ARE NOT THE ONLY WORKING GROUP AND THE, UH, CDC IS LISTED AS ONE OF THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AND THE INITIAL, AND ALAN SAID THIS, AND SO ALAN, I APOLOGIZE IF I'M OVERSTEPPING, BUT THE INITIAL MEETINGS, UM, THE CDC IS INCLUDED AS A STAKEHOLDER GROUP AND THE, UM, FIRM WILL WELCOME DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU MIGHT IDENTIFY THAT THEY SHOULD ENGAGE WITH IN THE FUTURE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND IN, IN TERMS OF THE TAX RELIEF FUND, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE OUTLINED IN THE FUTURE BASED UPON THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION.
UM, OVER HERE, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER ES THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, AND THE WORK Y'ALL HAVE DONE ON THIS.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF MINOR QUESTIONS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE ROBUST QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY COME IN.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE, IF, CAN YOU JUST ITERATE OF ALL OF THE DELIVERABLES YOU, YOU SHARED, WILL WE, HOW MANY OF THEM WILL WE IN THE PUBLIC BE RECEIVING ALONG THE WAY? IS ONE QUESTION THAT I HAD A COUPLE OTHERS, BUT YEAH.
SO, UM, FOR THE EQUITY OVERLY STUDY, IT WOULD BE THE KIND OF THE FINAL REPORTING AND PRESENTATION, WHICH WILL BE INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT CAME OUT OF THE ENGAGEMENT, ANY ANALYSIS THEY DID, AND ANY OBVIOUSLY KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS OR REPORTING THEY HAVE.
UH, AS FAR AS THE UT UH, STUDY, THEY WILL SAME HAVE A ANALYSIS THAT THEY'LL BE PROVIDING ON THE PAST, UH, POLICIES OR LAND USE AMENDMENTS THAT THEY WILL HAVE REVIEWED AND PROVIDED, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THEIR FINDINGS ON WHAT THOSE ACTUALLY DID.
UH, AS WELL AS THE FRAMEWORK, LIKE I SAID, FOR ANALYZING FUTURE AMENDMENTS SUCH AS HOME.
SO BOTH OF THEM WILL BE PUBLIC.
UM, AND THEN I JUST, I WANTED TO, TO JUST PUT ANOTHER UNDERSCORE ON THE COMMUNITY, UM, ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION.
I, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE WORK THAT, UM, THAT STAFF HAS HAS DONE ON ENGAGEMENT I APPRECIATE IT.
I KNOW IT'S, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF CHALLENGES TO GETTING TO, TO REACHING FOLKS AND TO GETTING THEIR FEEDBACK.
BUT I, I DO WANNA SAY, UM, WHEN WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY, I HAVE STRUGGLED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORD WHAT I'M GIVEN INTO SOMETHING I WOULD UNDERSTAND IF I SAW ON SOMEBODY'S FACEBOOK PAGE.
SO I JUST REALLY HAVING DIGESTIBLE, CLEAR, EASY TO SHARE WITH FOLKS.
UM, AND, AND TO THE POINT OF NOT NEEDING TO FOLLOW A LOT OF LINKS TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE, I JUST, IT'S JUST, IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE.
IT'S THE KIND OF THING I SIT DOWN AND I SIT THERE WITH IT FOR LIKE AN HOUR TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, SO IF I WERE RECEIVING THIS AND I HAD NO IDEA OF THE CONTEXT OR BACKGROUND, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE TO ASSUME EVERYBODY IS WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.
A LOT OF FOLKS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT AS SOMETHING I KNOW I'VE STRUGGLED WITH IN THE PAST.
UM, AND THEN MY ONLY MY OTHER QUESTION IS, I KNOW WE HAVE AN ITEM ON THIS REGARDING THE TIMING.
UM, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, HYPOTHETICALLY, IF, IF COUNCIL WERE TO, UM, WERE TO DELAY SOME, I, I'M JUST CONCERNED 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY WERE, THAT THE PAUSE, I BELIEVE ON, UM, IMPLEMENTING THE, LIKE WAITING ON THIS STUDY TO HAPPEN
[01:05:01]
IS ENDING IN NOVEMBER.AND I KNOW WE'RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT IN A MINUTE, BUT I JUST WONDERED IF YOU COULD TALK MORE TO THE TIMELINE AND HOW THIS SUMMER 2025 INFORMATION, UM, WILL THEN BE U USABLE BY, BY COUNCIL AND IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, ESPECIALLY IF, IF THE PAUSE HAS ENDED ALREADY.
SO, UM, I GUESS IT WILL REALLY DEPEND ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OR, OR, YOU KNOW, POLICIES THAT, UH, THE CONSULTANT, UH, PROVIDES.
BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY HAD A TAX RELIEF TYPE OF PROGRAM THAT THEY RECOMMENDED OR, UH, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO CREATE FOR US, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED THEORETICALLY AT ANY TIME.
UH, SIMILARLY, IF THEY RECOMMENDED AN OVERLAY OF SOME SORT, UH, AN OVERLAY COULD BE, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENTED IF COUNCIL WANTED TO.
SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SAY WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT A RECOMMENDATION MIGHT BE.
OBVIOUSLY THEY CAN'T TURN BACK THE CLOCK AND STOP SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED, BUT THEY DEFINITELY CAN PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW PROGRAMS OR, YOU KNOW, UM, MECHANISMS TO HELP THE AREAS.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, UM, SO THIS INFORMATION'S GONNA BE SHARED WITH CITY COUNCIL UP HERE PRETTY SOON, LIKE THE UPDATE ON THE OVERLAY, UM, OR ON THE STUDY, NOT DIRECTLY IN A STAFF PRESENTATION, NO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
I KNOW AND, AND A LOT WHAT WE'RE, UM, SERVING, AND THANK YOU, ALAN, FOR ALL OF ANSWERING ALL THESE SO DILIGENTLY.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE EQUITY, I, I, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY, UM, MITIGATING HUMAN INEQUITIES, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THIS ALSO IS INCLUSIVE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
I DIDN'T SEE THAT EXPLICITLY STATED.
SO WONDERING IF THERE IS CONSIDERATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY AS WELL.
UM, THAT IS NOT REALLY PART OF THE SCOPE OF THIS STUDY.
UM, IT WASN'T REALLY PART OF THE SCOPE FROM THE COUNCIL DIRECTION WE RECEIVED, AND THAT IS WHY WE DIDN'T INCLUDE IT IN THE SCOPE.
UM, SO LAST TIME THAT, UM, THAT WE MET, UM, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, UH, MANDY DE MAYO TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NO CONTRACT YET WITH, UH, OH, ALAN, SORRY,
UH, CAN YOU TELL US WHEN THIS CONTRACT WAS, UH, SIGNED? UH, YI DUNNO THE EXACT DATE, BUT IT WAS THE END, THE END OF OCTOBER, ESSENTIALLY ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF WORK OR WHAT, WHAT ARE THE, UH, I THINK IT SAYS RIGHT HERE, DELIVERABLES THAT WE'RE, UM, THAT WE'RE GOING TO, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE FOR CITY COUNCIL.
WHAT DO THOSE LOOK LIKE? YEAH, SO I, I KINDA MENTIONED IT ON THE, THE, THE FOURTH SLIDE.
BUT, UH, THEY'LL HAVE REPORTING AND PRESENTATION BASED ON THEIR ANALYSIS, UM, OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO IT WILL OBVIOUSLY DEPEND A LITTLE BIT ON STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK.
FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, COMMUNITY POWERED AT X'S PROPOSAL THAT THEY HAD DURING HOME.
UM, AND THEY WILL BE LOOKING AT VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MIGHT OCCUR ON HOW TO CREATE AN OVER EQUITY OVERLAY OR OTHER PROGRAMS THAT COULD HELP MITIGATE DISPLACEMENT.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT THE DELIVERABLE WILL BE, BUT THEY'LL HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, PROCESS TO IMPLEMENT TO HELP.
UM, AND I WANTED TO ADD TO, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES'S QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE TIMELINE HERE.
UM, SO IN MAY, THAT'S WHEN WE GOT THE DI DIRECTION FOR COUNCIL MM-HMM,
UH, SO THE CONCERN IS THAT IF, IF WE'RE TAKING THIS TIME, LIKE THE TIMELINE SAYS ALL THE WAY TO SUMMER OF 2025, UM, WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WOULD THEY THAT HAVE IF, IF THE, THE HOME INITIATIVE IS IMPLEMENTED? RIGHT.
UM, DO YOU SEE ANY, CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING? LIKE WHAT, WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WOULD THAT HAVE A REPORT FROM A PD? UM, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THE QUESTION IS.
[01:10:01]
ON THE, UM, I GUESS, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE IT, LIKE I THINK YOUR WORDING WAS, UH, IT'S HARD TO REVERSE SOMETHING.RIGHT? SO, UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE DO YOU FEEL LIKE, UM, UH, GIVEN THIS TIMELINE A DELAY, UH, EXTENDING THE DELAY IN IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, UH, RECOMMENDABLE? UM, I MEAN, I THINK IF COUNSEL DESIRES TO POSTPONE IT FOR SIX MORE MONTHS MM-HMM.
SO, UM, SO OVERALL, WHAT I'M HEARING FROM, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UM, IS THAT, UM, I GUESS OUR CONCERN IS WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PART AS WELL, RIGHT? UM, UH, WITH WHETHER IT BE WITH A PD BEING AN OUTSIDE FIRM, AND ALSO THE FACT THAT UT HAS ALSO COME IN, UM, WE KIND OF SEE IT AS, YOU KNOW, THE SAME PLAYERS THAT ARE DOING THE SAME KIND OF STUDIES THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT, UM, LEAD US TO VERY SIMILAR RESULTS.
UM, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UM, WHEN DOES THE COMMUNITY COME IN IN THIS PROCESS? UM, AND HOW, UM, HOW MUCH IMPACT DO THEY HAVE IN THIS, IN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS? I MEAN, I, I, LIKE I MENTIONED THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT MULTIPLE LEVELS, UH, IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL AND, AND ANOTHER, UM, THEY'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT PROPOSALS FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
I, I, I MENTIONED COMMUNITY POWERED ATX MM-HMM.
AND THEY HAD A VERY SUCCINCT PROPOSAL OF HOW THEY THOUGHT A HOME COULD BE AMENDED.
AND SO THEY WILL BE REVIEWING, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, FEEDBACK MM-HMM.
AND, AND OUTSIDE OF THESE GROUPS, IS THERE ALSO, UM, UH, A CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR JUST INDIVIDUALS TO GIVE, UH, INPUT AS WELL? YES.
UH, AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE THE WHOLE WORK PLAN, PER SE, FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT'S GONNA BE OCCURRING.
BUT YES, THERE'LL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
ERIC KALIK WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THE, THE CDC WOULD LIKE TO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE POSTED FOR ACTION TONIGHT, BUT IF YOU WANT TO COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS OF GROUPS OR PEOPLE WHO, WHO YOU WOULD RECOMMEND THAT, UH, THE CONSULTANTS INTERVIEW, LIKE PLEASE LET US KNOW.
UM, AND WE'D BE VERY OPEN TO THAT.
WHAT WE WILL BE ASKING ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THUS FAR, UM, IF THEY KNOW OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT THE CONSULTANTS SHOULD TALK TO.
SO CERTAINLY THE IDEA IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM, UH, FOLKS WHO, WHO COULD BE IMPACTED BY, UM, BY CHANGES.
AND, AND THE GROUPS THAT YOU HAVE SO FAR, UM, WHO ARE THEY AND WHO, UH, IDENTIFIED WHO HAS IDENTIFIED THEM? UM, SO, SO STAFF FROM THE THREE DEPARTMENTS, MM-HMM.
UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY TRYING TO, TO REACH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, WHO, WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHTS AND, AND SUGGESTIONS OF WAYS TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND AS FAR AS, AND THOSE, THOSE GROUPS ARE PROVIDED TO A PD TO THEY, THEY WILL CONTACT THOSE GROUPS? CORRECT.
UM, AND AS FAR AS THE CONTRACT WITH A PD, IS THAT PUBLIC OR, UH, YEAH.
I, I, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO LIKE THE ACTUAL CONTRACT.
UH, I DON'T SEE WHY IT WOULDN'T BE.
WHERE, WHERE COULD WE FIND THAT? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT GETS POSTED, BUT IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION.
IT MIGHT HAVE TO BE A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT GETS POSTED ANYWHERE.
AND AS FAR AS THE CDC, COULD WE REQUEST IT AS A COMMISSION? I BELIEVE SO.
DO WE HAVE ANOTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, LIKE, AS FAR AS THE RECOMMENDATION GOES, UM, IF IT HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT OF YET, I'D LOVE FOR THIS GROUP TO COME HERE TO THE CDC MONTHLY,
[01:15:01]
AT LEAST THROUGH FEBRUARY, UH, TO REPORT ON THEIR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.I WAS JUST GONNA, UM, SAY THAT THANK Y'ALL FOR PRESENTING.
I WAS, UM, HOPING TO GET AN ANSWER.
WHEN WILL THEY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT LIST OF POTENTIAL, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WILL BE DOING A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? YEAH, WE, WE CAN SHARE THE LIST, UM, AFTER THIS MEETING.
AND AS FAR AS TIMING, UH, WE ARE STILL WORKING ON CONSULTANTS ON THEIR AVAILABILITY, UH, TO COME TO THE CDC, BUT WE DO HAVE IT AS LISTED AS ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, MEETINGS TO ATTEND IS WITH Y'ALL, SO.
I DON'T IF IT'LL BE DECEMBER OR JANUARY, BUT GO AHEAD.
MAY I ALSO ASK, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THAT Y'ALL SPOKE WITH COMMUNITY POWERED A TX OR ENGAGED WITH THEM? UM, WE HAVEN'T ENGAGED WITH THEM, BUT THAT IS, WE WERE WORKING ON GETTING THE CONSULTANT ONBOARDED
UM, AND SO LIKE I SAID, WE ARE DOING KIND OF INTRODUCTORY EMAILS TO THE DIFFERENT, UH, STAKEHOLDERS AND THEN OUR GOAL IS FOR A PD TO, YOU KNOW, DO THE INTERVIEWS AND MEETINGS.
SO, UM, SO YEAH, SO BASED ON THIS TIMELINE, AGAIN, UM, IT SEEMS, UM, IT SEEMS CONCERNING IN THAT, UH, LAST, LAST MEETING WE HAD COMMUNITY POWERED A TX PERCENT AND YEAH, UM, UM, THEY HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS THE CONCERN IS THAT USUALLY COMMUNITIES LEFT OFF INTO THE LATER PART OF THIS, AND THEY'RE NOT, UM, CONSIDERED AT THE BEGINNING WHEN, UH, THINGS ARE BEING DEVELOPED.
UM, AND ANOTHER THING ABOUT THE TIMELINE IS THAT WE HAD SIX MONTHS, UH, TO, TO GET ALL OF THIS DONE.
AND THE STUDY HASN'T EVEN STARTED YET.
UM, AND, UH, FROM WHAT I REMEMBER FROM THE PRESENTATION LAST, UH, LAST, UH, MEETING, UH, COMMUNITY POWERED A TX PRESENTED THAT, UH, BOTH OF THE, THE DELAY IN IMPLEMENTATION AND THIS, UH, FEASIBILITY STUDY WENT HAND IN HAND IN ORDER TO HAVE A BIGGER IMPACT, RIGHT.
IN THAT, UM, YOU DIDN'T IMPLEMENT IT UNTIL WE KNEW, UM, WHAT INEQUITY OVERLAY WOULD LOOK LIKE OR IF IT WAS FEASIBLE.
AND NOW IT SEEMS THAT WE TOOK THESE SIX MONTHS AND FROM WHAT I SEE HERE, UM, WE HAD, UM, WE HAD THE STAFF WORKING GROUP.
I GUESS THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT HAPPENED IN THESE LAST SIX MONTHS IS THE STAFF WORKING GROUP MEETING.
BUT THERE WAS NO CONSULTANT AND THERE WAS NO WORK DONE ON THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.
AND THEN NOW WE'RE AT THIS POINT WHERE, UM, THE HOME PHASE TWO IS GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
UM, THE DELAY I BELIEVE IS ON THE 16TH OF THE DELAY IN IMPLEMENTATION ENDS ON THE 16TH OF NOVEMBER, I BELIEVE.
AND THEN, SO AGAIN, MY QUESTION IS, OR MY CONCERN IS THAT HOW MUCH IMPACT OR IF THERE'S GONNA BE ANY IMPACT, UM, BASED ON, ON WHAT, EVEN IF THIS GROUP COMES UP WITH SOME GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, IS IT GONNA BE FOR OR NOT? THE UNFORTUNATELY THE CITY'S CONTRACTING PROCESS IS, IS TAKES MUCH LONGER THAN WE WISH IT DID.
WE, AS SOON AS COUNCIL PROVIDED THIS DIRECTION, WE STARTED AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL CONSULTANTS, UM, AND STARTED WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM UNDER CONTRACT.
UM, WE, WE DID UNFORTUNATELY, UM, LOSE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, UM, DUE TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, UM, WHERE THERE'S A, THERE'S A TIME PERIOD IN WHICH THEY DON'T DO NEW CONTRACTS BECAUSE THEY'RE SWITCHING OVER TO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE, UM, UNFORTUNATELY DID MISS A LITTLE BIT OF TIME THERE.
UM, BUT WE ACTED AS, AS QUICKLY AS IS GENERALLY POSSIBLE WITH CITY SYSTEMS. AND WE, WE ALSO WISH THEY WERE QUICKER.
[01:20:01]
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER ARNOLD? YES.UM, I WANTED TO KNOW, HAVE Y'ALL RECEIVED ANY ITEMS, UM, FROM COMMUNITY POWERED A TX SINCE YOUR INITIAL, UH, ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM AT COUNCIL REGARDING THE, UM, HOME INITIATIVE? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
UM, WE RECEIVED THEIR KIND OF PROPOSAL DURING, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL MEETINGS BACK IN MAY, BUT, UM, AT LEAST TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, I DON'T THINK WE'VE RECEIVED ANYTHING SINCE.
SO TO MY UNDERSTANDING, I KNOW, UH, MAN, MANNY, THAT MANDY THAT WAS HERE STATE, WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION IN OUR LAST MEETING AND I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE DEPARTMENT WAS GOING TO REACH OUT WITH COMMUNITY IN POWER AND THEY WERE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER AS EVEN AS EVEN HAVING A DISCUSSION.
DID THAT NOT HAPPEN? UM, YEAH, 'CAUSE YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU, Y'ALL HADN'T HEARD FROM THEM.
AND SO COMMISSIONER ARNOLD JUST ASKED, SO FROM LAST MONTH TO THIS MONTH, WHAT HAS BEEN DONE? UH, WE FINISHED THE PURCHASING PROCESSING, WE'RE ABLE TO FINALIZE THE CONTRACT WITH A CONSULTANT.
UH, WE
WELL, BESIDES THAT, I MEAN, THE DIRECTIVE THAT THIS COMMISSION HAD ASKED MM-HMM.
AND THAT, THAT IS WHAT WE'VE STARTED TODAY, FRANKLY.
UM, WHEN WE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THEM, WE WANTED TO DO IT WITH A CONSULTANT SO THAT WE COULD HAVE IT AS ONE GROUP ALTOGETHER AND NOT, UM, KIND OF HAVE A, YOU KNOW, BILATERAL PARTNERSHIP.
UH, WE THINK OUR CONSULTANT IS, IS REALLY QUALIFIED AND REALLY GOOD, AND I THINK THEY'RE GONNA DO A GREAT JOB.
AND SO WE WANT THEM TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE ENGAGEMENT.
UM, I KNOW A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS MAYBE DON'T AGREE WITH A LOT OF STAFF'S, UM, PROPOSALS.
AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, PUT AT THE FOREFRONT, YOU KNOW, THESE EXPERTS THAT HAVE WORKED ON THESE COMMUNITIES BEFORE.
'CAUSE I JUST WANT TO JUST ELABORATE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
'CAUSE THESE, AGAIN, THESE ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY ATTENDING COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, DOING THE WORK.
AND SO, UM, THEY ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, AND AS THEY CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK, WE, OUR EXPECTATIONS AS A COMMISSION, ME AS A COMMISSIONER FOR EAST AUSTIN, SERVING IN AN AREA THAT HAS BEEN TOTALLY GENTRIFIED AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED, WE WANT YOU ALL TO NOT JUST DO SURVEYS AND WORK WITH OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS.
WE WANT, YOU, WANT YOU ALL THE DEPARTMENT, YOUR DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE LOCAL, THAT ARE HERE DOING THE WORK.
AND SO I JUST WANNA JUST STRESS THAT TO YOU ALL, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS AND HOW OUR BODY IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GAP BETWEEN CONSTITUENTS, ESPECIALLY THE LOW INCOME, THE UN UNDERSERVED, THE PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND THE PEOPLE OF POOR AND THE WORKING CLASS AND THE ELDERS.
THOSE ARE OUR DEMOGRAPHIC PEOPLE.
AND SO I WANT YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT WE HAVE THIS GAP THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIX AND BRIDGE.
AND SO I WANT YOU ALL TO WORK WITH US, UM, AS WE MADE IT VERY CLEAR TO THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THIS DEPARTMENT.
SO I JUST WANNA LEAVE WITH THAT AND, AND WE DON'T WANNA HEAR THE COMPLAINTS.
WE WANNA HEAR THE GREAT, UM, WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING, NOT JUST AS STAFF, BUT WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR TAX TAXPAYERS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD, AND JUST REALLY JUST HIGHLIGHT HOW IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS, ESPECIALLY IN AUSTIN, THAT GAP, IT'S, IT'S EITHER LIFE OR DEATH WHEN IT COMES TO LOW INCOME, UNDERSERVED, MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY EAST ALL SCHOOL.
UM, I, I'M A DIRECTLY IMPACTED AND IT'S VERY HARD WHEN IT'S, IT'S JUST HARD WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO COME DEVELOP THE COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED AND THEIR VOICE ISN'T HEARD.
LIKE BERTHA SAID, IT'S USUALLY SURVEYS OR
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SMALL TESTIMONIALS OR BY PEOPLE WITH DOUBLE STANDARDS.WE NEED PEOPLE, REAL PEOPLE ON Y'ALL COMMITTEES, WHATEVER IT TAKES, BECAUSE Y'ALL ARE GONNA BE CHANGING PEOPLE LIVES, UH, IMPACTING THEM, DISPLACING THEM.
AND WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW HOW ARE Y'ALL GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAP ALL THESE HIGH RISK AREAS, THESE PEOPLE, LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THE NEXT TIME Y'ALL COME HERE, WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FIRSTHAND.
THANK, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER ARNOLD.
YEAH, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT COMES UP ALL THE TIME IS HOW, WHAT DOES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LOOK LIKE? WHO ARE YOU ENGAGING WITH? UM, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES.
AND THEN I THINK WE'RE, WE'LL BE DONE AFTER THAT.
I JUST, I, I WENT BACK THROUGH MY NOTES FROM THE LAST MEETING, JUST, UM, I APPRECIATED ALL OF THE, THE CALLBACKS TO THAT.
AND SO I, I DID JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT, UM, THE INTERIM DIRECTOR MANDY, DID SAY THAT, UM, SINCE, SINCE COUNSEL WAS LOOKING FOR A REPORT BACK, BECAUSE THE END, THE DELAY IS ENDING THAT, UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SHE, THAT THE STAFF WAS GONNA PREPARE A MEMO TO SHARE WITH COUNCIL, AND SHE DID INDICATE THAT ALL OF THE PASSION AND QUESTIONS, ALL OF THIS THAT HAS COME UP NOW IN TWO SEPARATE MEETINGS WOULD BE INDICATED IN THAT MEMO.
AND I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT ALL OF THIS THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY AND, AND FROM THE COMMISSION IS BEING SHARED WITH COUNCIL.
ALL OF OUR CONCERNS, UH, COUNCIL WILL BE RECEIVING A MEMO SOON.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE REMINDER ABOUT THAT.
SO IF I MAY, UM, YEAH, I JUST WANNA REITERATE WHAT ERICA LEAK HAS SHARED, UM, AND FOR CLARIFICATION, SO THAT WE, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST CLARIFY THAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, MANDY, INTERIM DIRECTOR MANDY DEO WAS SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS LEADING, THEY ARE THE LEAD ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
SO, UM, AND WE DO COLLABORATE, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WITH TWO DIFFERENT LEADERS.
AND SO I DON'T WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITY FOR, RIGHT.
SO, LAUREN, THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING WAS NOT HERE LAST MONTH.
AND I DON'T WANNA MAKE THIS, UM, CONFUSING, BUT JUST WANNA CLARIFY.
WE HAVE, AND ALAN AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ARE HERE TONIGHT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
SO, UH, WE'RE CLOSING OUT THIS ITEM.
[5. Discussion and possible action to approve the Community Development Commission 2025 Meeting Schedule (Edward Blake, Program Manager Housing Department)]
OUR NEXT ITEM IS A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM, UM, FROM, SORRY, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION 2025 MEETING SCHEDULE.AND ED, UM, ED BLAKE, OUR PROGRAM MANAGER OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, AND OUR LIAISON IS GOING TO, UH, TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, THIS IS THE, UM, BASICALLY FOR US TO RESERVE THIS ROOM FOR NEXT, UH, OUR NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, JANUARY TO DECEMBER OF NEXT YEAR.
UM, I FILLED IT OUT AND SENT IT TO STAFF TO KIND OF SECOND CHECK MY WORK, MAKE SURE I GOT THE DAYS, BUT OF COURSE YOU GUYS KNOW WE'RE, UM, WHAT THE SECOND TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, UM, FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER.
SO I FILLED IT OUT, UM, STAFF, UM, SECOND MY WORK.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE IT, UH, IN YOUR PACKET FOR YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
WE DO NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON IT THOUGH, TO APPROVE IT.
AND DOES EVERY DATE WORK TO MEET IN THIS ROOM? YES.
YEAH, I KNOW SOMETIMES WE'VE HAD TO MEET IN OTHER LOCATIONS.
YEAH, LAST YEAR, WELL, THIS YEAR WE HAD THAT HICCUP WITH THE, THEY WERE DOING, UM, DOING SOMETHING IN THIS ROOM WHEN WE GOT MOVED TO, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, INTO HOUSING.
SO, BUT NO, NEXT YEAR IT'S ALL IN, IN HERE.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR? A QUESTION ABOUT NOVEMBER 11TH, UM, AND OBSERVING VETERANS DAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S STILL A CONCERN, UM, BUT WONDERING IF THE OFFICES WILL BE OPEN OR IF IT WILL BE OBSERVED ON THE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH.
SEEING IS ONE OF THE DATES, 2025 IS NOVEMBER 11TH, WHICH IS TYPICALLY VETERANS DAY AND TYPICALLY A FEDERALLY OBSERVED DAY.
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IF THAT IS STILL THE CASE PLANNING AHEAD OR NO.ED, DID YOU ENCOUNTER ANYTHING WITH THAT? WE, I THINK WE, I'M A VETERAN, SO MM-HMM.
I, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THAT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER.
UM, WE CAN CHECK AND, AND IF WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT DATE, UM, WE CAN MOVE IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
UH, SO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS TO APPROVE OUR CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR, UH, TO MEET, UH, THESE ARE THE MEETINGS, MEETING, UH, DATES AND MEETING TIMES AND LOCATIONS.
UH, DOES SOMEBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS CALENDAR FOR 2025? ME, I MOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA MAKES A MOTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND.
UM, RAISE YOUR HAND, OR, UM, ALL CAMERAS ARE ON.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU APPROVE OF THE CALENDAR.
UH, MEETING CALENDAR FOR 2025.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT CLOSES THAT ITEM.
[6. Discussion and possible action on a recommendation to Council to adopt the Equity Based Preservation Plan (Chair Thompson)]
IS A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE EQUITY-BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.UM, AND THE CHAIR WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S IN OUR PACKET.
ED, DO WE HAVE THAT IN OUR PACKET? THE PRESERVATION RECOMMENDATION IS, IT SHOULD BE, LET, LET ME DOUBLE CHECK.
SO I SEE THE EQUITY OVERLAY RECOMMENDATION, BUT I DON'T SEE IT.
UM, EQUITY OVERLAY RECOMMENDATION.
THE, IS THAT? NO, UH, ITEM ITEM SIX.
UM, EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN PRESERVATION.
AND SO THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT, UM, THE CHAIR THOMPSON YES.
SO IT IS BASICALLY UP TO THIS BODY, THE COMMISSIONERS, TO PUT FORWARD A, UM, RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE.
SO YOU WOULD, UH, PROVIDE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE EQUITY BASED HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN.
IF, LET ME LOOK BACK TO SEE THE ITEM.
AND SO YOU WERE, GUYS, YOU ARE GOING TO VOTE ON THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN AS PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED BY KARA BERTRAN IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SO IT'S JUST A MOTION, IT, THERE'S NO INFORMATION, NO BACKUP INFORMATION ON THAT.
UM, SO, SO BASED ON THE PRESENTATION, UH, IN THE LAST MEETING, YOU DO HAVE A SPEAKER.
SIX AND SEVEN ON SIX AND SEVEN.
SHOULD I DO THAT FIRST BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE? YES.
SO LET'S TAKE, LET'S TAKE A, A PAUSE.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER ON ITEM SIX AND ITEM SEVEN.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, MS. ANOVIA JOSEPH.
SO BEFORE WE TAKE ANY ACTION, LET'S, UH, HEAR FROM OUR SPEAKER.
THANK, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR MEMBERS.
MY COMMENTS, MR. CHAIR, ARE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE EQUITY, UH, PLAN THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE COMMENTS SPECIFICALLY TO REMIND YOU THAT ON JULY 18TH, 2024, THAT'S WHEN COUNSEL ACTUALLY APPROVED THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
AND THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN WAS ALSO IN THAT SAME DOCUMENT IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS.
AND SPECIFICALLY HAD MENTIONED THAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WOULD ACTUALLY COME BEFORE THIS BODY AND SEEK RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE COUNSEL TOOK FINAL ACTION.
AND SO I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE HESITATION AND BELIEVE IN THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY'VE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO UNILATERAL DECISIONS, PUT THOSE BEFORE COUNSEL AND DISREGARD THIS BODY.
I WOULD JUST REMIND YOU AS WELL THAT ON OCTOBER 17TH, 20 OCTOBER 17TH, 2019, THAT IS WHEN COUNSEL REZONED THE 1,308 UNITS ON RIVERSIDE.
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AND THEN ON OCTOBER 23RD, 20, UH, 19, THE SAME YEAR, THAT'S WHEN HEATHER WAY THE UT LAW PROFESSOR ACTUALLY WROTE IN UT NEWS THAT IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY, THAT COUNCIL DIDN'T LISTEN TO THEM AS IT RELATED TO THE UPROOTED REPORT.AND EACH TIME STAFF COMES BEFORE YOU.
AND RESPECTFULLY, I APPRECIATE NEFERTITI JACKMAN, BUT THE STAFF ALWAYS CITES THE UPROOTED STUDY.
BUT THE AUTHOR CO-AUTHORS OF THAT STUDY STATED THAT THE CITY DIDN'T LISTEN.
SO I AM HARD PRESSED TO BELIEVE THAT THE SAME THING WILL HAPPEN WITH THIS STUDY.
ONCE AGAIN, THEY DIDN'T LISTEN.
IF YOU GO TO THE, A HOST, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ONLINE, UM, SEARCH TOOL, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, IF YOU LOOK AT AFFORDABILITY, AND IT DOES POPULATE AND SHOW YOU WHERE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS ARE IN THE CITY.
SO I'VE ASKED FOR A MAP OVERLAY FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW.
WE DON'T NEED A CONSULTANT TO DO THAT.
THE CONSULTANT JUST NEEDS TO PROVIDE IT.
WE DON'T NEED COMMUNITY INPUT TO TELL THEM TO DO THAT WORK.
SPECIFICALLY, WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME IS ON THE OVERLAY.
SO YOU HAVE AN EXISTING TOOL THAT'S ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM, BUT THE STAFF HAS BEEN RELUCTANT TO DO THAT.
BUT IF YOU GO BACK TO THE 2023 ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 9TH, THE PRO HOUSING GRANT APPLICATION ACTUALLY TELLS YOU FROM MANDY DE MAYO, THE INTERIM HOUSING DIRECTOR, THAT LESS THAN 10 AFFORDABLE HOMES WERE BUILT IN WEST AUSTIN.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE PRESERVING.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR THEM TO CALL IT EQUITABLE.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANNA CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION.
LASTLY, AS YOU THINK ABOUT COLONY PARK, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, ORTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, YOU WILL SEE THAT ABOUT 300 OF THOSE UNITS WILL BE 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME AFFORDABLE FOR WHO.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
NOT SURE IF THAT
YEAH, WE'RE ON I ITEM NUMBER SIX.
I BELIEVE YOU, YOU'RE ON SIX
UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EQUITY BASE PRESERVATION PLAN.
I JUST DUNNO WHAT WE'RE PRESERVING, MR. CHAIR, WHEN MOST OF THE HOUSING HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
UH, SO WE ARE VOTING ON THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN, UM, OR I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION, UH, BASED ON WHAT, UM, KARA PRESENTED TO US, UH, TWO MEETINGS AGO.
IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
UH, SO SHE PRESENTED, UH, THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN, AND WE'RE TAKING A VOTE.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, OR DO WE WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO, TO VOTE? UH, VOTE ON THIS, UH, CHAIR.
IS THERE A REASON WHY THEY'RE NOT HERE? UM, MS. JACKMAN, SHE, YES.
UM, I MEAN, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN THIS ITEM WOULD COME UP FOR A VOTE.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA COME UP.
UM, AS VICE CHAIR HAS STATED, OR CHAIR HAS STATED, UM, THIS WAS GOING TO BE VOTED ON, UM, IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.
WELL, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE VOTED ON IN SEPTEMBER WHEN SHE BROUGHT IT FORTH AND MADE A PRESENTATION.
SO, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE DOWN QUESTIONS IF YOU LIKE, AND WE CAN SHARE THEM WITH KARA BERTRAN IF THERE ARE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
WELL, I THINK THAT, I THINK MY CONCERN IS JUST THAT I KNOW OUR CHAIR WAS SUPPOSED TO, UM, WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO GIVE SOME DISCUSSION ON IT AND THEN SHE WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY, AND THEN THEY'RE NOT HERE.
AND SO SHE WAS GOING TO PRESENT THE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION? YES.
OH, THE CHAIR WAS, SO SHE WAS GONNA PRESENT THE RECOMMENDATION.
READ, JUST READ IT AND READ IT FOR THE RECORD.
BUT DO WE HAVE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS? WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THE TEXT ON THIS ONE? NO.
I JUST WAS TRYING TO GET A CLARIFICATION TO FIGURE OUT, UH, DID, DID THEY NEED IT BY A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME OR IS THAT WITH THE URGENCY IS, OR THERE IS NO URGENCY AT THIS TIME? I DON'T BELIEVE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, UH, THANK YOU ERICA LEAK FOR CLARIFICATION.
SO THEN WE STILL HAVE TIME, JOAN IN I IS GOING TO COUNCIL NEXT WEEK.
SO THEN YOUR RECOMMENDATION COULD BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION.
DO WE HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS? I THOUGHT WE WERE MISSED A DEADLINE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO THERE ARE NOT GONNA BE ANY CHANGES,
[01:40:01]
BUT THE A MOTION, I BELIEVE WHAT CHAIR THOMPSON WANTED TO PRESENT, I BELIEVE, UH, THIS BODY, UM, WAS SUPPORTIVE OF THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.AND FROM MY CONVERSATIONS IN THE AGENDA SETTING MEETINGS IS THAT, UH, CHAIR THOMPSON WANTED TO PROVIDE HER SUPPORT OF THE EQUITY BASED PRES, UH, PRESERVATION PLAN.
SO IT WAS JUST A MOTION ON THAT IF YOU WANTED TO DO, YOU KNOW, DO THAT.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU FEEL THAT WE SHOULD TAKE A VOTE, IF THAT, THAT WE SHOULD APPROVE IT.
I'M TAKING A MOTION TO, TO VOTE ON THIS.
UH, COMMISSIONER I, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE, UM, IN, IN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT THE CHAIR HAD IN MIND, THAT WE, UM, THAT WE PUT FORWARD A MOTION TO APPROVE OR TO SUPPORT THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN FOR BACKGROUND.
I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT WE DON'T HAVE JUST A, A REITERATION OF THOSE MATERIALS, UM, IN OUR BACKUP.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE DO HAVE SOME, SOME NEW COMMISSIONERS, BUT THEY HAVE COME TWICE.
AND I THINK THAT THEY HAD REALLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE ENTIRE CDC ON BOTH OCCASIONS.
AND SO, BECAUSE IT'S TIMELY, AND I KNOW WE WANNA, WE SO OFTEN KEEP MISSING DEADLINES.
UM, SO I REALLY, REALLY, UM, AGREE WITH THE CHAIR AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE SUPPORT OF THE CDC.
UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL, I'LL SECOND COMMISSIONER LAGUARDIA SECONDS.
UH, LET'S TAKE A VOTE, UH, TO APPROVE THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.
UM, EVERYBODY, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU APPROVE.
DID YOU GOT IT? YEAH, WE HAVE FIVE THAT ARE FIVE MM-HMM.
SO, FIVE COMMISSIONERS, VOTE TO APPROVE.
UH, LET'S, UH, GO TO OUR NEXT ITEM.
OUR FINAL ITEM FOR TODAY IS A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON A RECOMMENDATION FROM COMMUNITY POWERED A TX TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
SO WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW WHO IS VOTING NO, THAT YOU ARE NOT IN SUPPORT OF IT OR ABSTAINING SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, UH, YES.
SO LET'S, LET'S GO BACK TO THE VOTE.
UM, ED, DID YOU GET THE FIVE THAT THAT VOTE? YES.
I JUST NEED TO, TO KNOW THE THREE THAT EITHER ABSTAIN.
ARE YOU ABSTAINING OR YOU'RE VOTING? NO.
COMMISSIONER DELGADO IS VOTING AGAINST IT.
DO YOU WANNA TAKE THAT VOTE FOR THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED? THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED? UH, RAISE YOUR HAND.
[7. Discussion and possible action on recommendations from Community Powered ATX to City Council on the Equity Overlay (Celine Rendon, Community Powered ATX)]
ON TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COMMUNITY POWERED A TX, UM, AND THE CDC WORKING GROUP TO CITY COUNCIL ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
UH, WE HAVE A MEMBER OF COMMUNITY POWERED A TX, UH, THAT WILL READ THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, CELINE, UH, REON, WILL YOU COME UP AND, OKAY.
LET'S TAKE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST.
I KNOW THIS IS A NEW ROLE TONIGHT, BUT YES, WE'LL TAKE COMMENT.
LET'S TAKE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT ON, UH, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE CELINE
I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH, I'M GOING TO JUST REFER TO THE EQUITY OVERLAY RECOMMENDATION ON THE LAST PAGE OF YOUR PACKET NUMBER 27.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE INFORMATION THAT SPECIFIES THE EASTERN CRESCENT AND TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THESE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
I JUST WANNA CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT ON JUNE 16TH, 2022, THERE WAS A PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATION THAT WAS, UH, SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE ST.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT ON OCTOBER 5TH, 2023, COUNSEL ACTUALLY PUT AS AN OPTION, UH, IF THE CITY CANNOT OR CHOOSES NOT TO EXERCISE OPTIONS, ONE OR TWO, THE PROPERTY REVERTS TO MARKET RATE, NO AFFORDABILITY COMPONENT.
AND SO THERE'S A BAIT AND SWITCH THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU STOP PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT COUNCIL DOES.
THEY DIDN'T GO BACK AND CHANGE THE PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATION FOR SOCO TWO OR ANY OF THE OTHER PROPERTIES, BUT THE ONE WHERE THE BLACK PEOPLE WERE GONNA COME BACK TO THE LITTLE BIT OF THE 300 ACRES THAT WAS ONCE OWNED BY BLACK PEOPLE IN THE ORPHANAGE, THE NEGRO
[01:45:01]
ORPHANAGE IN THAT AREA.NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A CABRINI GREEN.
IT'S THE SAME TYPE OF BAIT AND SWITCH WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A RIGHT TO RETURN, BUT THEN IT CHANGES HANDS AND IT BECOMES IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE ARE ALL THESE CRITERIA AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO MEET IN ORDER TO LIVE THERE.
AND SO, I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THERE IS SOMETHING, UH, THE WORD HERE IN THE DOCUMENT SAYS, PRECARITY.
THERE'S SOMETHING PRECARIOUS GOING ON HERE TONIGHT WITH THIS EQUITY OVERLAY.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE DECISIONS THAT COUNCIL HAS MADE AND HOW THEY HAVE IGNORED THIS COMMISSION, AND THEY HAVE FOOLED THE PUBLIC.
AND SO WHY WOULD YOU SUPPORT THE EQUITY OVERLAY AS IT IS TODAY? THAT JUST MAKES NO SENSE TO ME.
AND TO THE PREVIOUS ITEM IS GERMANE.
THE PUBLIC DOESN'T KNOW WHAT YOU VOTED ON.
SO FOR YOU TO SAY THAT IT'S TIMELY AND YOU NEED TO GET IT BEFORE COUNCIL, NO, I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT AS IT RELATES TO THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN, WHICH PASSED JULY 18TH, 2024, YOU CAN REQUEST SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD ASK THIS COMMISSION TO DO IS TO SUBMIT TO THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE TO THAT PLAN, BECAUSE IT DID NOT INCLUDE THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS COMMISSION AS IT SPECIFIED IN THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN.
SO EITHER WE'RE PASSING THESE PLANS JUST TO GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS, OR YOU'RE GONNA HOLD THE CITY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE TIME, ENERGY, AND EFFORT THAT ALL OF US SPEND SITTING IN THIS ROOM TRYING TO GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE STAFF CONTINUES TO MAKE UNILATERAL DECISIONS.
THERE'S A ITEM THAT I COULD BRING BEFORE YOU AND TELL YOU THAT OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, EVERY ITEM THEY HAVE BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL HAS PASSED.
AND SO THESE ARE UNILATERAL DECISIONS.
EARLIER YOU HEARD ABOUT THE ESG, THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT, ALL OF THIS IS TIED TOGETHER IN THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THIS COMMISSION NEEDS TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE BY PUTTING FORTH A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THAT PLAN.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, LET'S START ON ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.
UM, CELINE
UM, WE'LL PRESENT THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, JUST WANNA SAY APPRECIATION FOR THE COMMISSION FOR MOVING THINGS FORWARD.
I THINK THIS HAS REALLY HELPED US FOR TRANSPARENCY AND HAVING THINGS ON RECORD ON THIS WHOLE PROCESS AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND FOR COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS ON, UM, DISPLACEMENT AND GENTRIFICATION.
SO I'M GONNA BE READING THE EQUITY OVERLAY RECOMMENDATION.
UM, WHEREAS THE, WHEREAS THE COMMUNITY HAS DEMONSTRATED STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY WITH 34 ORGANIZATIONS AND 12 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, 146 COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ADVOCATES THAT HAVE SIGNED ON IN SUPPORT SHOWING UP OR WRITING INTO COUNCIL IN FAVOR OF THE INITIATIVE ON MAY 16TH.
WHEREAS ON MAY 16TH, 2024, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PASSED COUNCIL MEMBER JOSE VELASQUEZ AMENDMENT DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO LOOK INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF ADDING AN EQUITY OVERLAY TO PROTECT VULNERABLE NEIGHBORHOODS FROM DISPLACEMENT AND GENTRIFICATION.
WHEREAS AT THE SAME MAY 16TH, 2024 MEETING, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PASSED, COUNCIL MEMBER VANESSA FUENTES AMENDMENT CALLING FOR A SIX MONTH DELAY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HOME INITIATIVE PHASE TWO AND AREAS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING OR PRONE TO DISPLACEMENT.
WHEREAS THE AFFORDABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT RELEASED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HOUSING DEPARTMENT STAFF STATES THAT MARKET DRIVEN SOLUTIONS COULD CAUSE THE SAME DYNAMICS THAT PLAY OUT TODAY, AND PARTIES WITH MORE RESOURCES MAY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE NEW REGULATORY LANDSCAPE, WHILE THOSE WITH THE FEWEST RESOURCES EXPERIENCE AN INCREASE IN PRECARITY.
WHEREAS PER COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AMENDMENT, WHICH PROVIDES A SIX MONTH DELAY FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL EXPECTS A REPORT ON THEIR DIRECTIVE BY NOVEMBER 16TH, 2024.
WHEREAS ON OCTOBER 8TH AT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MEETING, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, MANDY DE MAYO INFORMED THE COMMISSION COMMUNITY POWERED A TX AND THE AUDIENCE THAT THE RESEARCH HAS NOT STARTED AND STAFF HAVE NOT YET CONTRACTED, UH, WITH A CONSULTANT TO WORK ON THIS DIRECTIVE.
WHEREAS AT THE SAME OCTOBER 8TH CDC MEETING COMMUNITY POWERED A TX EXPRESSED CONCERNS REGARDING
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THE INSUFFICIENT TIMELINE AND RESOURCES ALLOCATED FOR THIS STUDY.THE CURRENT TIMELINE OF THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE COUNCIL VOTE AS INADEQUATE FOR CONDUCTING A THOROUGH AND EFFECTIVE STUDY, AND A LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND PROGRESS UPDATES REGARDING THE STUDY, AND THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION URGES THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO EXTEND THE FEASIBILITY RESEARCH PERIOD FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY AND DELAY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HOME INITIATIVE PHASE TWO BY AN ADDITIONAL SIX MONTHS, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVE, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ADVISES THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO CITY STAFF TO SUPPORT THE STUDY AND TO ENSURE A COMPREHENSIVE AND FOREIGN EVALUATION.
THIS EVALUATIONS SHOULD INCLUDE HOSTING HOUSING FORUMS WITH FRONTLINE SERVICE PROVIDERS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT AND AREAS MOST AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT AS IDENTIFIED IN THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
FURTHERMORE, IT SHOULD PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ZONING CHANGES, PROTECTIONS, TOOLS, AND TARGETED INVESTMENTS TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THESE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
SO THANK YOU, UM, FOR THIS EFFORT WORKING WITH THE COMMISSION.
AND YES, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR, OUR WORKING GROUP, UM, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, COMMISSIONER TISHA, UM, COMMISSIONER DELGADO AND MYSELF WORKING ON THIS MM-HMM.
UM, AND YEAH, THIS RECOMMENDATION, UM, HAS A LOT
UH, AND THE BIGGEST THING IS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THIS, UH, DIRECTIVE FROM, FROM THE CITY COUNCIL ACTUALLY HAS AN IMPACT, ACTUALLY DOES SOMETHING.
UM, AND AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, IT WAS, UM, IT WAS THE, THE DIRECTIVE TO, UH, HAVE THE EQUITY OVERLAY FEASIBILITY STUDY, BUT ALSO THE, UM, THE DELAY IN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE, UH, HOME PHASE TWO.
AND YES, WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT TODAY AND IN THE LAST MEETING, UM, HOW THE COMMUNITY REALLY EXPECTS, UH, THIS TO BE DONE IN A WAY THAT THAT IS VERY IMPACTFUL, THAT, UH, WHERE THE COMMUNITY'S ACTUALLY, UM, UH, TAKING ACTION, TAKING BEING VERY INVOLVED.
UH, SO I THINK THIS, UH, RECOMMENDATION REALLY, UH, DOES THAT, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE? COMMISSIONER DELGADO? I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I I JUST ALSO WANNA JUST, UH, PIGGYBACK WHAT, WHAT YOU JUST STATED, UH, COMMISSIONER LEE, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT, UM, GROUPS LIKE YOURSELF, MS. REON, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY ARE VERY PROACTIVE AND, AND ARE ACTUALLY OUT THERE DOING THE WORK.
AND AS AUSTIN, UM, CONTINUES TO GROW, AND AS WE SEE, UH, OUR ENTIRE CITY CONTINUES TO CHANGE, UM, WE, WE MUST, COMMISSIONS LIKE OURS MUST SUPPORT OUR CONSTITUENTS AND OUR PEOPLE, UH, THAT ARE WORKING VERY, VERY HARD OUT THERE.
SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM, UH, FOR ALL THE WORK.
AND, UM, I WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE, UH, THE DEPART FOR, FOR, FOR YOU ALL IN THE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, I THINK AS CITY COMMISSIONERS, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, AS APPOINTING OFFICIALS, THAT IS OUR JOB, UH, TO DO, IS TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, UH, LIKE OUR PREVIOUS SPEAKER JUST STATED.
UM, AND SHE COMES EVERY, EVERY MEETING, UH, TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE.
AND SO WE MUST HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE.
AND IF AS THE CITY GROWS, UH, WE ALSO MUST BE CON, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE ASPECTS OF EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO, UH, MAKING POLICY THAT'S GONNA HURT OUR PEOPLE.
AND SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND, AND I'M TOTALLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS RECOMMENDATION.
AND I WOULD LIKE, UH, TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER DELGADO.
DOES SOMEBODY WANNA SECOND, OR ANYBODY FROM THE WORKING GROUP HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UM, WELL, I MEAN, JUST AS PART OF THE WORKING GROUP, UH, WE DEVELOPED THIS, UM, BEFORE FINDING OUT THIS PRESENTATION ON, ON THE STUDY.
SO, I MEAN, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS WITHIN OURSELVES, AMONGST OURSELVES AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT'S HERE, THAT WE DIDN'T MISS ANY INFORMATION THAT THE TIMELINES ARE KIND OF LIKE ADEQUATE AND ALIGNED AND STUFF.
I MEAN, THE, THE PRESENTATION, UM, WAS, WAS VERY REVEALING ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU MENTIONED WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, YEAH, WE'RE ALL VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT IT'S NOT OUR OWN DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE CONDUCTING, LIKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
LIKE THEY'VE ACTUALLY OUTSOURCED IT TOO FROM ATLANTA, YOU KNOW? UM, UM, I MEAN, I HAVE FAITH, UH,
[01:55:01]
OR I'D GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
IT, IT, IT'S TAKEN SIX MONTHS JUST TO, AND I GET, I GET IT, IT'S VERY BUREAUCRATIC, LIKE THE, THE PURCHASING THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR THE CONSULTANT.
BUT, UM, I MEAN, YEAH, I MEAN, UM, UH, YEAH, I, I SAW THIS, I WORKED ON THIS.
UH, AS FAR AS LIKE MANDATING, I, I WOULD, I MEAN, TO INCLUDE THIS, TO MANDATE THE, THE CONSULTANT TO COME HERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS LIKE THEIR TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT, LIKE FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, THIS THING, THIS THING'S VERY URGENT AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I MEAN, IF THEY CAN COME AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH TO REPORT ON HOW THEY'RE COM, HOW THEY'RE DOING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHO'S REPO, WHO'S RESPONDED, I MEAN, I MEAN, THAT'S THE LEAST.
UM, AND SO THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO I THINK THE, AS FAR AS THE CONSULTANTS, WE CAN ADD THAT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, UH, REQUEST FOR THEM TO COME AND PRESENT TO US.
UM, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, UM, I JUST HAD A, I HAVE A QUE I THANK YOU ALL.
UM, WORKING GROUP AND THANK YOU.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THIS.
MY, MY QUESTION IS ACTUALLY, UM, ASSUMING THAT THE CDC WERE TO PAST THIS, I FEEL LIKE I'M STILL LEARNING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, UM, WAYS THAT THE COMMISSION NEEDS TO ENGAGE.
ARE WE DONE, RIGHT? DO WE SUPPORT A RESOLUTION? AND THEN THAT'S THAT WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE RESOLUTION? UM, WHAT, SO WHAT, WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THE, OF THE RESOLUTION AND, AND IS THERE ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION THAT WOULD BE NEEDED IF WE WERE TO, TO PASS IT? WHICH I DO SUPPORT, BUT
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
AND THEN YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO TO MAKE IT MORE YEAH.
AND JUST SORT OF WHAT THE WEIGHT OF THAT IS.
AND IS THAT IN AND OF ITSELF WEIGHTY? OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE NEEDED TO, TO REALLY UNDERSCORE NO, NO.
ONCE, ONCE YOU MAKE THE, THE, THE BODY MAKES THE RECOMMENDATION, IT IS SENT TO ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND, AND THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION THAT, OKAY.
I
UM, CAN I RESPOND TO THAT AS AN CONVERSATION DISCUSSION? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S HELPFUL BECAUSE WHAT IT DOES IS IT ALERTS TO THE COUNCIL WHAT WAS DISCUSSED AND WHAT IS GOING ON HERE.
EVEN THOUGH WE DID BRING OUR CONCERNS TO STAFF WHEN THEY PRESENTED, THIS IS ANOTHER, ANOTHER, UM, WAY TO GET THE ATTENTION TO LET THEM KNOW THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND SO WE AS A COMMISSION SHOULD STAY ON TOP OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS ALWAYS.
MAYBE WE CAN WORK BETTER AT THAT TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP MAYBE ON A CALENDAR WHEN WE DO MAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, HOW FAR IT GOES OR WHAT EVEN HAPPENS TO 'EM.
'CAUSE I THINK AS SOON AS IT LEAVES HERE, CITY HALL'S A WHOLE NOTHER DIFFERENT BALLGAME.
SO YEAH, I DEFINITELY, I, I DO, UM, ASK THAT QUESTION TOO, BUT I, I DO THINK WE HAVE TO BRING IT BACK TO US AS A COMMISSION AND TO OUR STAFF, LIKE, ED, WHEN WE'RE GIVING OUT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS OR THEY'RE PASSING, WHAT HAPPENS, UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T HEAR FROM 'EM UNTIL THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO OF WHAT HAPPENED, AND THEN WE DON'T STAY IN THE SAME LOOP.
THAT IS A KIND OF A QUESTION I HAVE TOO.
BUT I DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
I HATE TO BE THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS.
YOUR MOTION CANNOT BE TAKEN UP BECAUSE YOU LOST QUORUM.
UH, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, NIKIA ARNOLD IS NO LONGER ON THE CALL, SO, OKAY.
UM, JUST WANT TO, THERE SHE IS.
I WAS LIKE, WE, WE MIGHT HAVE TO END THE MEETING.
I, WE NEED THANK YOU, MR. WE HAVE A MOTION.
YOU, YOU GUYS BETTER HURRY UP.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, FROM COMMISSIONER DELGADO TO, UH, VOTE TO APPROVE THIS RECOMMENDATION ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.
COMMISSIONER TISHA, UH, SECONDS IT.
UH, THIS IS A VOTE TO APPROVE THE EQUITY OVERLAY RECOMMENDATION, UH, WRITTEN BY OUR CDC WORKING GROUP IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY POWERED A TX.
UM, RAISE YOUR HAND, UH, MAKE SURE YOUR CAMERA'S ON.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU APPROVE OF THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UH, COMMUNITY POWERED, A TX, UH, THANK YOU WORKING GROUP.
AND WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
[02:00:03]
AND OUR[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
NEXT ITEM IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO, UM, THESE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, MS. JACKMAN, CAN I REMEMBER WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THESE AGENDA ITEMS ARE PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONERS, UH, OR AT LEAST, UH, APPROVED BY COMMISSIONERS.WE JUST WANT TO RECORD THE SPONSOR OF EACH AGENDA ITEM, EVERY AGENDA ITEM THAT WE PUT FORWARD, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE IDENTIFY THE SPONSOR, UH, WHICH COMMISSIONER SPONSORS IT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE COMING FROM YOU GUYS AND SUPPORTIVE OF BY THE COMMISSIONER.
SO COMMISSIONER DELGADO, YOU GAVE ME TWO ON THE STICKIES.
DO YOU WANT THOSE? OH, NO, NO, NO, NO.
THOSE ARE JUST QUESTIONS I HAVE FROM PAST AGENDAS.
YEAH, THOSE ARE NOT FUTURE AGENDAS.
CAN I RESPOND? ONE OF 'EM WAS, UM, A QUESTION WAS, UH, WE HAD A, A PRESENTATION AT THE CDC ON 11TH.
THEY CAME TO US, IF I COULD GET THAT CONTACT INFORMATION.
I WAS TRYING TO GO BACK TO FIND OUT, 'CAUSE I KNOW THEY GAVE US A PRESENTATION AND I, I WANTED TO DO A FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
SO NOT WITH THEM COMING OVER HERE, I JUST WANTED THEIR CONTACT TO SEE IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE DOING ANY FOOD, UH, TURKEY DISTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IT WAS JUST A, A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
THE OTHER THING I ASKED YOU WAS, WHAT WAS THE OTHER ONE? IT WAS A TURKEY DRIVE FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
OH, A PH WAS SUPPOSED TO SEND US A FLYERS, UH, OR WAS SUPPOSED TO SEND US A NOTIFICATION ON THEY ON HERE, ALREADY LEFT ON HERE, ON HERE, LEFT ABOUT THE THANKSGIVING DRIVES.
I WANTED ALL OF US TO HAVE THAT SO WE CAN TOMORROW LET OUR PEOPLE KNOW.
'CAUSE THANKSGIVING IS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS, AND I WON'T, WE WON'T SEE Y'ALL AGAIN UNTIL NEXT MONTH.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THAT.
UM, AND IF YOU COULD SEND IT TO MY, TO MY PHONE.
THAT WAS I, I'LL EMAIL IT TO EVERYONE.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER NAISHA ONLINE.
IT'S JUST A, A QUICK POINT OF CLARIFICATION IN REGARDS TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, WHENEVER WE ARE DESIRING A PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM, IS IT ON OUR RESPONSIBILITY, OUR ACCOUNTABILITY TO SOLICIT ORGANIZATIONS OR DEPARTMENTS TO COME IN? UM, OR CAN WE SIMPLY MAKE THAT REQUEST AND THEN THAT INFORMATION IS DISSEMINATED TO THAT DEPARTMENT THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE? SO, AS AN EXAMPLE, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOMEONE, UM, COME IN FROM, I BELIEVE IT'S, UM, THE WATERSHED TO COME IN AND TALK ABOUT WATER FORWARD 2024, WHICH IS THE 100 YEAR PLAN, BECAUSE THEY'RE CURRENTLY IN THEIR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PHASE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT'S DISCUSSING, UM, WATER EQUITY, UM, WATER EQUALITY, AND OF COURSE STORM WATER WATERSHED, ALL THOSE ITEMS RELATED TO SERVING MEMBERS OF THE POOR HERE IN AUSTIN, THAT'S INCLUSIVE OF THEIR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO MY QUESTION IS THE PROCESS OF IF WE WANT TO SOLICIT A DEPARTMENT, IF IT IS THE ONUS ON US TO OUTREACH TO SOMEONE TO BRING THEM IN, OR IF WE JUST PROVIDE A REQUEST OR, UH, A PERSONAL INTEREST.
AND THEN FROM THERE, IT CAN BE SENT TO US, UH, IN THE COMMISSION.
THE PROCESS IS IF WE, UM, BEGIN TO PUT FORWARD THOSE AGENDA ITEMS EITHER ON THE NINTH OF THE MEETINGS OR YOU CAN ALWAYS SEND THOSE AT A LATER DATE VIA EMAIL AND LET US KNOW, I WILL SAY THERE IS AN AGENDA SETTING MEETING, WHICH YOUR VICE CHAIR AND CHAIR ATTEND.
AND DURING THAT TIME, WE CAN'T ALWAYS PUT EVERYTHING ON THE AGENDA, BUT THERE IS A PRIORITIZATION BASED ON WHAT'S TIMELY, WHAT THINGS HAVE DEADLINES.
AND THEN CITY STAFF ED WILL REACH OUT TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT, UM, THERE'S A REQUEST FOR THEM TO ATTEND AND PRESENT AT A FUTURE MEETING.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANYTHING FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? UH, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, I MEAN, YEAH, I'M, I'M CER I'M VERY, I'M CERTAINLY VERY INTERESTED IN FOLLOWING UP ON THIS.
IF NOT THEM, THE HOUSING OR, OR THE, THE, THE
[02:05:01]
PLANNING OR WHICHEVER DEPARTMENT.SO I WANT YOU TO BE VERY SPECIFIC AND TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT.
BECAUSE THOSE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS.
I WILL SAY WHAT WE CAN DO, I KNOW THE CONSULTANTS ARE LOOKING AT DATES FOR WHEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO AUSTIN, UM, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO ALIGN THAT WITH THE DAYS THAT THEY CAN ALSO DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO THE CDC MEETINGS ARE ON THE SECOND TUESDAYS.
I THINK THEY WERE LOOKING TO COME SOMETIME IN AROUND DECEMBER 5TH, SO IT MIGHT BE A JANUARY DATE, BUT I WILL LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT DECEMBER, BUT THAT WOULD BE DECEMBER.
WHAT, DECEMBER? WELL, I MEAN, I WAS, I WAS HOPING TO INVITE THEM HERE AFTER THEY HAD CONDUCTED THEIR OUTREACH, SOME ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THOUGH, I MEAN, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, IF THEY CAN COME HERE EVERY MONTH, THAT'D BE AMAZING.
BUT AGAIN, LIKE BEING REALISTIC, LIKE YOU SAID, WE HAVE TO MAKE A MEETING WITH THEM.
BUT I MEAN, AT LEAST WE ALREADY KNOW OUR DATES FOR FEBRUARY AND MM-HMM.
SO IF I MIGHT CLARIFY, WOULD YOU PREFER AN UPDATE ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY EACH MONTH? AND MAYBE WE'LL START WITH PLANNING EACH MONTH AND IF THERE ARE OTHERS, EITHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS OR THE CONSULTANTS.
BUT WE CAN HAVE PLANNING COMING EACH MONTH UP UNTIL YOU GUYS FEEL YOU HAVE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, TO THE END OF THE TIMELINE.
SO, WE'LL, SO AGAIN, AGAIN, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH PLANNING IS GONNA BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS OR HOW MUCH INFORMATION THEY'RE GONNA HAVE.
HONESTLY, FRANKLY, PLANNING IS THE LEAD.
THERE IS NO OTHER CITY DEPARTMENT THAT WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS OTHER THAN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN THERE'S, BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC THAT YOU WANT, YOU HAVE TO TELL ME AND THEN I CAN DIRECT IT TO THE RIGHT.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN HOME PLANNING IS THE LEAD FOR CREATING AND WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANT TO CREATE THE EQUITY OVERLAY, WHICH I THINK IS OF UTMOST PRIORITY FOR THIS COMMISSION, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY.
IF WE CAN HAVE, UM, PLANNING COME AND REPORT ANY UPDATES ON THIS EQUITY OVERLAY STUDY OKAY.
UH, MAYBE BEGINNING IN JANUARY.
OH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, I, I DO, UH, BEFORE WE FINISH, I, I DO RECALL THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAD CAME BEFORE US A WHILE BACK REGARDING SOME, UH, UNDERGOING PROJECTS THAT THEY WERE DOING, ROSEWOOD, UM, HOUSING.
AND ALSO, UH, DISCUSSIONS ARE BEING DISCUSSED ABOUT SANTA RITA COURTS.
THOSE ARE BOTH HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS WITH, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
IF WE COULD GET, UM, A, YOU KNOW, A UPDATED PRESENTATION IN, NOT FOR DECEMBER, BUT FOR JANUARY COMING, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT, WHAT MIKE GERBER THEM ARE AT RIGHT NOW ON THOSE TWO.
IF I CAN REQUEST THOSE FOR DISTRICT THREE.
UM, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, JUST CLARIFICATION QUESTION TO SEE IF IT AFFECTS, WHEN IT AFFECTS THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IT LOOKS LIKE.
IT'S NOT TILL MARCH, BUT I'M, I'M TRYING TO NOTICE THINGS WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE HEARINGS AND SO THAT WE KNOW WHETHER TO ASK FOR THINGS TO COME AHEAD OF TIME.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF TIMES THINGS COME AND WE HAVE ONE SHOT AT REALLY ENGAGING.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, THIS MARCH PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, ARE THERE CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THAT? AND WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHEN DO THEY NEED TO START? SO WHAT I CAN DO IS, UH, REQUEST THAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT STAFF LEADING THOSE EFFORTS, PERHAPS, DO YOU WANT AN UPDATE IN, I DON'T KNOW IF DECEMBER WOULD BE SO TOO SOON, BUT DECEMBER WOULD PROBABLY ALLOW A TIME FOR THEM TO PRESENT A TIMELINE IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN PREPARATION.
DOES THAT, WOULD THAT BE DECEMBER? SURE.
I LIKE WHATEVER IT NEEDS TO BE.
I WOULD JUST LOVE TO KNOW, BUT JUST IN THE TIME IN TIME IN TIME.
SO YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE MARCH? YES.
UM, AND ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THOSE THINGS IN RED ON OUR SCHEDULE.
[02:10:01]
THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE GOOD EXAMPLE, UH, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, WE SHOULD, UH, KEEP UP WITH THOSE, UH, UH, BECAUSE WE OFTEN MISS DEADLINES ANDUH, WE DON'T, WE HAVE A SHORT TIME SPAN TO GET, GET THINGS DONE.
UM, LIKE, UM, COMMISSIONER DELGADO, I'M ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, WE CAN'T JUST SWEEP THAT UNDER THE RUG.
UH, IT'S, YEAH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I'M VERY INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THAT AS THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN.
THE ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, WAS ASKING FOR TWO CDC MEMBERS TO BE INVOLVED.
AND NOW ACCORDING TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS THING, THEY KIND OF WANNA LIKE, LIKE MAYBE GET US OFF.
AND VERSUS BEING REACTIVE, I THINK WE SHOULD BE PROACTIVE.
LIKE, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT OUR MISSION IS TO ADVOCATE FOR LIKE, THE POOR PEOPLE AND THAT THE MONEY ON THOSE TWO, UM, AND THAT PROGRAM IS BEING SPENT FAIRLY OR EQUITABLY OR, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS LIKE THE CONSTITUENTS THAT I'M REPRESENTING.
THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE.
AND IS THAT, UH, A PRESENTATION FROM JAMIE MAY, LIKE THE ONE HE, WELL, THAT HE OFFERED, OR HE SAID HE DID SAY HE DID OFFER, THEY WERE GONNA COME BACK IN THE SPRING, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT IF THAT MEANS FOR NO, HE ALSO OFFERED, UH, LIKE AN EXPLANATION ON THE HERC.
UM, SO, UM, IF, AND AGAIN, I WOULD NEED CLARIFICATION.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS HE SHARED IS THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS TO REVIEW, UM, THAT PROCESS.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEIR WHOLE, UM, REDEVELOPMENT PROCESSES.
AND SO THEY'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT IT FROM AN EQUITY LENS, OR THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM AN EQUITY LENS TO PROVIDE THE DEPARTMENT WITH GUIDANCE.
SO I THINK NEXT MONTH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE SAYING NEXT MONTH.
AND SO WHAT HE SHARED IS THAT HE WOULD COME BACK ONCE THAT REPORT IS FINISHED.
SO ARE YOU REQUESTING SOMETHING IN ADDITION TO THAT PRIOR TO, UH, THE COMPLETION OF THAT REPORT? I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEAR ON WHAT THE ASK IS.
UM, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY UM, I, I WOULD LIKE WE GET SOME HELP, PLEASE.
I WOULD LIKE THEM TO COME BACK AND REPORT.
UH, BECAUSE I WAS JUST, THE WHOLE TIME WHILE HE WAS SITTING HERE, I WAS READING ALL THE CITY GUIDELINES AND I MEAN, WE SHOULD ALREADY HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ON THERE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE NOT EVEN INCOME COMPLIANT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO STAY, I MEAN, MAYBE NOT NEXT, NEXT MONTH 'CAUSE HE JUST CAME AND IT'S A CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY, YOU KNOW.
UM, BUT FOR SURE IN JANUARY, BY NOW TILL NEXT MONTH, TILL JANUARY, THEY SHOULD HAVE ALREADY HAD IDENTIFIED SOME THINGS ALREADY BY JANUARY.
THEY SHOULD HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED SOMEONE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? WELL, HE STATED THAT THEY HAD HIRED A CONSULTANT FROM LAST MONTH TO THIS MONTH.
SO IF WE HAVE A PAID CONSULTANT FOR PAYROLL FOR OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, WHATEVER, THE PAID CONSULTANT HAS ALREADY CREATED SOME FI FINDINGS OR WHATEVER DISCUSSION WITH EQUITY OFFICE THAT THEY HAVE DISCUSSED, WE SHOULD BE A PART OF THAT DISCUSSION.
SO IF THEY HAVE TO COME BACK IN JANUARY TO GIVE US AN UPDATE, OR WE NEED TO HAVE THE EQUITY OFFICE COME IN JANUARY TO GIVE US AN UPDATE, UH, JUST SAYING, OH, WE'LL SEE Y'ALL IN THE SPRING AND LET BUSINESS CONTINUE TO KEEP GOING.
I, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT PART.
SO YEAH, IF WE COULD GET SOME CLARIFICATION AND UPDATE OF, UH, OF THAT DEPARTMENT TO COME GIVE US AN UPDATE.
SO I'M GOING TO BE CLEAR, AND I WILL SAY THIS, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HAVE TO WORK WITH YOUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT FOR JANUARY.
SO, UM, THEN THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PARE IT DOWN BECAUSE IF NOT, WE'LL BE IN TILL 10 30 AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST.
BUT THAT'S USUALLY SOONER THAN THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION
SO, UH, JAMIE JAMES MAY AN UPDATE BEFORE SPRING ON THE HERC, UM, ON THE HERC, UM, REORGANIZATION.
AND I, I DO WANNA ELABORATE THAT NEXT, UH, AROUND FEBRUARY, MARCH, WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON PE ON COMMISSIONERS THAT THEIR TERM IS ENDING.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DELAY AS WELL AS YOU DOING THE WHOLE RECRUITING, GETTING.
SO WE NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT JANUARY AND FEBRUARY'S AGENDA, UH, WITH OUR CHAIR AND OUR VICE CHAIR NEXT MONTH, OR FROM NOW TO NEXT MONTH TO KIND OF GET THINGS PUSHED.
[02:15:01]
I KNOW THOSE WERE MY TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.I'M, I'M GONNA, UM, I WON'T PROBABLY BE ON THE COMMISSION NEXT YEAR 'CAUSE I'M, I'M TERMED OUT.
SO LONGORIA AND SOMEBODY ELSE, IF WE MAKE IT TO THE HER, UH, IF WE MAKE IT TO THAT COMMITTEE, YOU WOULD BE ON THERE.
UH, ANY OTHER, UH, ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDA, JUST TO THAT POINT? UM, YES, AN UPDATE ON FILLING OUR VACANCIES.
WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING WE COULD DO JUST A REAL FAST, JUST, UH, FOR THE NEXT, OR EVEN AN EMAIL, JUST NEXT MEETING? IT WOULD BE REALLY LOVELY TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE JUST TO UHHUH TO COMMISSIONER DELGADO'S POINT, IF WE'RE ABOUT TO NEED TO FILL MORE VACANCIES.
IT WOULD BE VERY LOVELY TO FILL THESE FIRST MM-HMM.
AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO THAT ARE NOT FILLED THAT WE THREE.
SO IF WE COULD HAVE, COULD HAVE, IF WE COULD HAVE AN UPDATE FROM HIL ON THE, THE ROSEWOOD, UH, VACANCY AND THEN THE TWO APPOINTMENTS, THE PUBLIC AND THE PRIVATE UHHUH
UH, WE WILL, IN THE MEANTIME, REACH OUT TO THE COUNCIL APPOINTED SEATS TO GET UPDATES.
UM, CAN YOU TELL US WHO THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE? DO WE HAVE THAT? I, I DON'T.
YEAH, I CAN, I CAN EMAIL EVERYONE.
SO FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UM, I HATE TO, I, I GUESS IF WE JUST KEEP, WE KEEP ADDING AND THEN, UM, WE'LL HAVE TO PARE IT DOWN.
UM, SOMEBODY MENTIONED THE COLD WEATHER.
DO WE NEED A COLD WEATHER, UM, UM, PRESENTATION, UM, LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY PREPAREDNESS FOR COLD WEATHER.
I THINK IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE, UM, ESPECIALLY GOING INTO THE WINTER, JUST LIKE, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER TISHA MENTIONED EARLIER, WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR WEATHER'S GONNA BE LIKE HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A, A BRIEFING.
SO, AND THAT IS THAT, WOULD THAT BE, UH, COMMISSIONER ELIAS, COMMISSIONER ORTIZ? OR IS GONNA ORTIZ ORTIZ.
UM, SO, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS? UM, I HAVE, I ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER ONE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD AGAIN, DURING OUR AGENDA MEETING, WE, WE'LL HAVE TO PAIR THESE DOWN AND, UH, FIGURE OUT WHICH ONES, UH, WE NEED IN, IN A TIMELY MANNER.
UM, THERE'S A REPORT FROM THE EQUITY OFFICE ON BLACK, UH, DISPOSITION.
AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AND, UM, HOW THEY'RE DOING IN THE CITY.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMEBODY FROM THE EQUITY OFFICE TO, UH, COME AND REPORT ON THAT.
UM, LET'S ADD THAT TO THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND SEE WHERE WE CAN FIT IT IN, IN THE, UH, NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO, UH, AT EXACTLY 9:00 PM UH, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.