* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] YOU ARE WATCHING A MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WITH MAYOR KIRK WATSON, MAYOR PRO TIMM LESLIE POOLE. COUNCIL MEMBERS NATASHA HARPER MADISON, VANESSA FUENTES, JOSE VELAZQUEZ, CHEETO VELA, RYAN ALTER, MACKENZIE, KELLY, PAIGE ELLIS, ZOE CADRE, ALISON ALTER, INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY DEBORAH THOMAS, CITY CLERK MYRNA RIOS, AND CITY MANAGER TC BROAD. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. UM, THIS IS THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING OF THE YEAR, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROCLAMATIONS AND THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE TO HONOR PEOPLE AND TO, TO RECOGNIZE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THOSE, UH, AND, AND FRANKLY, THERE ARE MORE THAN WHAT WE USUALLY DO BEFORE WE START THE COUNCIL MEETING. SO THOSE ARE NOT COMPLETED YET. WE WILL NOT CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER UNTIL I, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A QUORUM. AND SO I'M GONNA WAIT ON THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO KNOW WHAT THE EXPLANATION IS FOR WHY WE'RE NOT STARTING, UH, PROMPTLY AT 10 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING. SO JUST, UH, BE PATIENT WITH US. IT'S LIKE I SAY THE LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR, AND PEOPLE VERY MUCH DESERVING OF OUR PRAISE, UH, ARE RECEIVING PROCLAMATIONS. UH, SOME THAT I SEE IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM THAT DON'T DESERVE OUR PRAISE THAT, UH, UH, UH, BUT THERE'S, BUT THEY'RE STILL HERE. UH, IN ANY EVENT, WE'RE HAPPY. WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE ALL Y'ALL HERE, AND WE'LL START JUST SHORTLY. HERE'S ANOTHER ONE. [Call to Order] YEP. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FOR A REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING. IT IS DECEMBER 12TH, 2024 AT 10 O TH 10:03 AM WE ARE MEETING IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, LOCATED AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, WHICH IS WHERE OUR CITY HALL IS LOCATED. UH, WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PRESENT, SO, UM, WE'LL GET AFTER IT. THIS IS THE LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR, AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE AND, AND PEOPLE THAT WILL COME HERE DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY. UM, MEMBERS, THE AND, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THE ORDER THAT WILL [Consent Agenda] GO IN TODAY, UH, OVERALL WILL BE THAT I'LL, IN A FEW SECONDS HERE, I'LL READ CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS INTO THE RECORD. WE WILL THEN GO TO OUR CONSENT SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. MEMBERS, THE ITEMS THAT I, UH, KNOW HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE ITEMS 2 38 AND 57, ITEMS 2 38 AND 57. THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION HAS AN AGENDA FOR TODAY, SO AT AS CLOSE TO 10 30, IT'S A 10 30 TIME CERTAIN, SO AS CLOSE TO 10 30 AS WE CAN, DEPENDING UPON, UH, HOW THE CONSENT AGENDA GOES, WE WILL RECESS THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AND I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. WHEN THAT IS COMPLETED, UH, WE'LL ADJOURN THAT MEETING AND COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. AFTER WE'VE COMPLETED CONSENT AND A HFC, WE WILL GO TO THE POOLED ITEMS, THEN WE WILL GO TO, UH, ITEMS 86, 75 AND 87. THOSE ITEMS ARE THE ITEMS RELATED TO THE T TPI. AFTER THAT, WE WILL GO TO ITEMS FROM COUNCIL COMMITTEES 68, 69, 70, 71. WE WILL GO TO OUR IMMINENT DOMAIN ITEM, ITEM 72, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. HOWEVER, THAT MAY RUN AFOUL OF OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, WHICH IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS. WE WILL DO THAT AT AROUND 12 O'CLOCK. WE WILL RECESS AFTER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE ARE ON THE AGENDA TO HAVE LIVE MUSIC THAT WILL OCCUR. UM, AND WE WILL PROBABLY COME BACK ABOUT ONE 10. AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE AT TWO O'CLOCK OUR ZONING TIME, UH, CERTAINS. WE WILL GET TO THAT AS CLOSE TO TWO O'CLOCK AS WE CAN. THAT IS THE ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR THE DAY. I WILL NOW RE YES, COUNCILMAN REALS. I HAD A QUICK, UH, QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION. I THINK, DID YOU SAY 38 OR 39? IS THAT THE FEDERAL AGENDA ITEM 2 38 AND 57 HAD BEEN PULLED AND IS 38 1 THAT I, THAT YOU HAVE ME PULLING? NO, YOU HAD PULLED 39, BUT PUT IT BACK ON, IS WHAT I WAS TOLD. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS MY INTENT. GOOD. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. ITEM. SO I PULLED ITEMS. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFICATION. ITEM 2 38 [00:05:01] AND 57 ARE THE PULLED ITEMS. NOW, UH, CHANGES TO CORRECTIONS FOR THE RECORD. ON ITEM 14, UH, DELETE ONE THIRTY NINE, A HUNDRED THIRTY 9 MILLION IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. 106 MILLION IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY. DELETE THAT AND, AND REPLACE IT WITH $245 MILLION IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. ITEM NUMBER 18 SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN AND REPLACED BY ITEM ONE 30. ITEM 30, NUMBER 30 IS WITHDRAWN. ITEM NUMBER 34 IS WITHDRAWN AND REPLACED BY ITEM NUMBER 1 31. ITEMS 49 AND 50 ARE WITHDRAWN AND WILL BE REPOSTED BY STAFF IN SPRING 2025. ITEM NUMBER 63, REMOVE SPONSORSHIP OF MAYOR PRO TIM LESLIE POOL ITEMS NUMBER 77 AND 83. WHEN THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE TAKEN, TAKEN UP, THESE ITEMS WILL BE POSTPONED TO JANUARY 30TH, 2025. ITEM NUMBER 98 IS WITHDRAWN AND REPLACED BY ITEM NUMBER ONE 40. ITEM NUMBER 99 IS WITHDRAWN AND REPLACED BY ITEM NUMBER 1 41 ON THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO IS WITHDRAWN. ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS POSTPONED TO JANUARY 30TH, 2025. I'M GONNA PAUSE BEFORE I GO TO BOARD COMMISSION'S ACTIONS 'CAUSE I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATING PARTICIPATING IN THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ITEMS. I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN. ITEMS NUMBER 77 AND 83, AND I KNOW WE HAD PEOPLE SIGNED UP AT LEAST ON NUMBER 83 WHEN THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE TAKEN UP, THESE ITEMS WILL BE POSTPONED UNTIL JANUARY 30TH, 2025. SO IF YOU ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THOSE ITEMS, IF YOU'RE HERE TO TO SPEAK AND YOU'RE WAITING TO DO THAT, OR YOU'RE WATCHING, UM, WITH BATED BREATH, YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THOSE TWO ITEMS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE POSTPONED. SO YOU MAY MAKE A DIFFERENT DECISION, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. MEMBERS, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSION ACTIONS, ITEM NUMBER TWO, DECEMBER 2ND, 2020 SHOULD READ AND HAVE AS PART OF IT, DECEMBER 2ND, 2024 REME RECOMMENDED BY THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION ON A 9 1 1 VOTE WITH VICE CHAIR WHITE VOTING AGAINST AND COMMISSIONER REED ABSTAINING. ITEM 3, 19 20 AND 22 SHOULD READ DECEMBER 4TH, 2024, RECOMMENDED BY THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION ON A NINE TO ZERO VOTE WITH COMMISSIONER PENN ABSENT AND ONE VACANCY ITEM 24, AND THIS IS BOARD AND COMMISSION ACTIONS. ITEM NUMBER 24 DECEMBER, SHOULD READ DECEMBER 4TH, 2024, RECOMMENDED BY THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION ON A SEVEN TO ONE TO ONE VOTE. WITH COMMISSIONER MORIARTY VOTING, NO, COMMISSIONER PGI, RECUSING, COMMISSIONER PENN ABSENT, AND ONE VACANCY. AGAIN, THE PULLED ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE ITEMS 2 38 AND 57. WITH THAT, WE WILL NOW GO TO, UH, THE CONSENT SPEAKERS, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, MEMBERS, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, UH, THAT ARE RELATED TO POTENTIAL SETTLEMENTS. THOSE ARE ITEMS 42 AND 1 32. AND SO I WOULD ASK LEGAL COUNSEL TO PLEASE COME FORWARD AND MAKE A PRESENTATION WITH REGARD TO THOSE ITEMS BEFORE WE GO TO THE CONSENT SPEAKERS, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR. UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY JEREMY THOMPSON. I'M HERE TODAY TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU APPROVE, UH, SETTLEMENT PAYMENTS IN TWO PERSONAL INJURY SUITS THAT APPEAR ON YOUR AGENDA AS ITEMS NUMBERS 42 AND 1 32. REGARDING ITEM NUMBER 42, UH, GIBSON VERSUS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU APPROVE A PAYMENT OF $190,000 TO SETTLE. THIS LAWSUIT RELATES TO, UH, AN APRIL, 2023 CAR ACCIDENT INVOLVING A PARKS AND RECREATIONS DEPARTMENT TRUCK WHERE MS. GIBSON SEEKS PAYMENT FOR HER INJURIES. IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS PAYMENT, [00:10:01] PLAINTIFF WILL WILL RELEASE ANY AND ALL CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY FROM THE ACCIDENT, AND WILL ALSO DISMISS HER LAWSUIT FILED IN THE DISTRICT COURT FOR TRAVIS COUNTY. THE LAW DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS THAT YOU APPROVE PAYMENT BASED UPON THESE TERMS REGARDING ITEM NUMBER 1 32. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU APPROVE A PAYMENT OF $110,000 TO SETTLE THE GALLOWAY AT ALL VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN LAWSUIT. THIS SUIT IS RELATED TO AN OCTOBER, 2022 CAR ACCIDENT WHERE PLAINTIFFS, ISAIAH AND CLARISSA GALLOWAY SOUGHT PAYMENT FOR INJURIES THAT THEY SUSTAINED AS PART OF THE ACCIDENT INVOLVING A TRANSPORTATION, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS VEHICLE. IN EXCHANGE FOR THE GLOBAL PAYMENT, THE CITY WILL OBTAIN A FULL AND FINAL AGREEMENT FROM THE PLAINTIFFS, UH, THAT THEY RELEASED THE CITY AND THE EMPLOYEES FROM ANY CLAIMS THAT WERE OR COULD HAVE BEEN ASSERTED IN THIS LAWSUIT. THE LAW DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS THAT YOU APPROVE PAYMENT BASED UPON THESE TERMS. GREAT. THANK YOU MEMBERS. UH, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE LAW DEPARTMENT ON ITEMS NUMBER 42 AND 1 32, WHICH ARE ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA? I DON'T SEE ANY, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, UH, TO YOUR QUESTION, NOW, ITEM NUMBER 74 IS A PUBLIC HEARING. AND SO IF THERE ARE PE AND, AND IT'S, IT IS NOT A POSTPONED PUBLIC HEARING, IT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE WILL TAKE UP AS A PUBLIC HEARING TODAY. SO IF THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE TO, TO SPEAK ON THAT, WE'LL GET AS WHEN WE GET TO THAT, WE WILL, WE'LL, WE'LL CALL THEM UP. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION, MAYOR. SURE THING. ALRIGHT. WITH THAT, WE WILL NOW GO TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND I WILL TURN TO OUR CITY CLERK TO WALK US THROUGH THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE'LL START WITH ITEM THREE, ANTONIA ROMERO, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM BUNCH, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL CARGILL AND SANTIAGO. UH, ONE, IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, UH, THE WAY WE TRY TO DO THIS IS WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED ON AN ITEM THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE SPEAKING ON. IF YOU'LL PLEASE COME DOWN FRONT THAT WAY WE'LL VISUALLY KNOW THAT YOU'RE HERE, AND IF THERE'S AN EMPTY MICROPHONE, P UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE THE MICROPHONE. ARE ANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST CALLED HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER THREE? ALRIGHT, UH, MR. BUNCH IS, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, BUT WAIVES HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK. NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE IS CRAIG NAZER. UH, SIGNED UP ON ITEM 14, FOLLOWED BY KABA WHITE WILLIAM BUNCH ONCE AGAIN, AND VICTOR REED. ITEM NUMBER 14, IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. HELLO, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CRAIG NASER AND I'M CURRENTLY A MEMBER OF THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION. AND I JUST HERE TO SAY, BECAUSE WE NEED IT, SOMETIMES THIS ITEM 14 IS A GREAT ITEM. I HOPE IT PASSES, AND I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THIS WILL DO A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT, BECAUSE THIS ITEM, YOU CAN'T REALLY TELL BY READING IT VERY WELL. BUT THIS WILL ALLOW ELECTRIFICATION OF THE FLEET AND PARTICULARLY GETTING HUGE, UH, $700,000 TRASH, UH, CARRIERS THAT ARE ENTIRELY ELECTRIC. WE NEED A MORE CENTRAL RECHARGING PLACE. SO THIS IS A GREAT ITEM. I ALSO WANT TO JUST MENTION I DID NOT, UH, BECAUSE THE, THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS, I DID NOT READ ONE ITEM 1 33 UNTIL EARLIER TODAY. UH, ITEM 1 33 1, IT IS BASICALLY A REALLY GOOD ITEM. UH, IT HAS ONE THING IN IT THAT I DISAGREE WITH, AND I COULD, WOULD LOVE TO TALK WITH YOU MORE. I DO NOT THINK THE ZERO WASTE YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE ITEM THAT WE'VE CALLED YOU UP ON. RIGHT. BUT YOU, BUT, BUT IF YOU WANNA SAY GOOD JOB, THAT'S OKAY. YEAH. WELL, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S 90% GOOD JOB. BUT, OKAY, YOU NOT TO FIND THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION WITH THE RESOURCE RECOVERY COMMISSION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE HAVE WILLIAM BUNCH ON ITEM 14. HE PASSES ITEM 19 AS WELL, MR. BUNCH. HOW ABOUT 19? HE PASSES ON THAT AS WELL. ALRIGHT, ITEM 23, MR. BUNCH. HOW ABOUT 23? HE'S GONNA PASS ITEM 31. HOW ABOUT 31? HE'S GONNA PASS ON THAT. OKAY. SUSAN SPATARO ON ITEM 33, FOLLOWED BY ALEXANDER STRANGER, ZENOBIA. JOSEPH, IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, IF YOU'RE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, PLEASE COME FORWARD. SUSAN SPATARO, DISTRICT EIGHT. AND I WANNA SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BY, BY THIS NAVIGATION CENTER. AND I KNOW IT IS COMPLEX. THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE ISSUE, BUT PEOPLE THERE, CHILDREN, RESIDENTS, [00:15:01] AND BUSINESSES ARE BEING OVERRUN AND SUBJECT TO DANGEROUS POSITIONS. IT'S BECOME SO SAD THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS HAD TO STEP FORWARD AND REPRESENT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I JUST WANNA READ THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF THAT, UH, PETITION TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE SITUATION THERE. IN SOUTH AUSTIN, A ONCE PEACEFUL NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED BY HOMELESS DRUG ADDICTS, CONVICTED CRIMINALS, AND REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS. THESE PEOPLE DO DRUGS INSIDE OF CHILDREN PUBLICLY FORNICATE NEXT TO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MENACE, RESIDENTS WITH MACHETES, URINATE, AND DEFECATE ON PUBLIC GROUNDS AND GENERALLY TERRORIZE THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. IT WAS NOT ALWAYS THIS WAY. ONE RESIDENT OF ALMOST 50 YEARS SAID HOW SHE USED TO LOVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT NOW IS NO LONGER COMFORTABLE EVEN WALKING IN IT. AND IT IS SO DANGEROUS NOW THAT SHE IS NOT EVEN COMFORTABLE TAKING HER TRASH OUT TO THE CURB. AND, AND WHEN I READ THAT, IT JUST MADE ME SO SAD BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS, THESE PEOPLE, THESE CHILDREN, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND BUSINESSES ARE NOT LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE CLIENTS OF THE NAVIGATION CENTER. AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD ON THIS. I DON'T WANNA SAY THEY'RE NOT, BUT SOMETHING NEW HAS TO HAPPEN, AND IT CAN'T BE AT THE PRICE OF THESE POOR PEOPLE. JOCELYN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS 200 FEET FROM THIS. CHILDREN AT JOCELYN ARE SEEING OPEN AIR DRUG DEALING. THEY'RE WALKING ON NEEDLES, AND THEY ACTUALLY SAW A GROUP HANDING OUT NEEDLES TO DR. THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN. SO I, I KNOW THAT. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER'S WORKING ON THIS, UM, IS NEXT SPEAKERS ALEXANDER STRANGER ON ITEM 33, FOLLOWED BY ZENOBIA JOSEPH. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M HERE SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 33, 37, AND 30 AND 38, BECAUSE WE NEED TO USE OUR VOICES BOTH IN THE STATE AND IN CONGRESS TO HELP THE UNHOUSED REFORM OUR HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY AND DISMANTLE OUR CULTURE OF WHITE SUPREMACY. JORDAN NEELY WAS AN UNHOUSED, MICHAEL JACKSON IMPERSONATOR, WHO WAS BRUTALLY MURDERED BY WHITE NATIONALIST DANIEL PENNEY FOR THE CRIME OF BEING HOMELESS. AND NOW THAT DONALD TRUMP GOT ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND WAS NAMED PERSON OF THE YEAR, IT'S GOING TO BE OPEN SEASON ON THE UNHOUSED AND OPEN SEASON ON AFRICAN AMERICANS. AND WHEN MY WIFE'S BOYFRIEND, ARMANDO, HEARD THE VERDICT, HE DEFECATED ON ME BECAUSE THIS IS SYNONYMOUS WITH WHAT WHITE MA, WITH WHAT WHITE MALES HAVE BEEN DOING TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY FOR CENTURIES. I AM RECENTLY HOMELESS KIRK BECAUSE I LOST ALL OF MY MONEY INVESTING IN THE HAWK TO A COIN, AND MY WIFE, WHO SUFFERS FROM STAGE FIVE TESTICULAR CANCER, IS BEING DENIED COVERAGE FOR HER ENLARGED PROSTATE. AND I HAVE TO TURN TRICKS UNDERNEATH THE CONGRESS BRIDGE SO THAT MY WIFE COULD GET THE ESSENTIAL LIFE-SAVING CARE THAT SHE NEEDS TO SURVIVE IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY. IT'S RAN BY GREEDY BILLIONAIRES WHO PUT PROFITS OVER PEOPLE, AND THE ONLY THING MY WIFE AND I CAN DO IS WRITE LOVE LETTERS TO LUIGI MANGIONE BECAUSE HE IS A HERO, AND WE NEED UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. ALSO, IF YOU COULD PLEASE RECOMMEND FOR JOE BIDEN TO PARDON P DIDDY. IT WOULD REALLY MEAN A LOT TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY BECAUSE P DIDDY WAS A BUSINESS MOGUL WHO HOSTED SEXUALLY INCLUSIVE PARTIES AT YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. AND DONALD TRUMP, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. HE'S WEAPONIZING THE NEXT SET OF SPEAKERS. YOUR YOUR TIME IS UP 1950S. THANK YOU. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM. OTHERWISE, WE'LL PROCEED WITH THE NEXT SET OF SPEAKERS. UH, WE HAVE THE NOVIA JOSEPH ON ALSO ITEM, UH, 39 ALEXANDER STRANGER ON ITEM 39, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM BUNCH. MR. BUNCH, ARE YOU GONNA TALK ON 39? ALL RIGHT, HE'S NOT SPEAKING ON 39. I'M GONNA MOVE OVER TO REMOTE SPEAKERS. THEN. WE HAVE CAIA PRINT ON ITEM 47. [00:20:08] CASIA, ARE YOU THERE? WE WILL TRY AGAIN IN A MOMENT. WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON ON ITEM 47. NOAH ELIAS AND MONICA GUZMAN. ARE ANY OF YOU HERE? I SAY, MR. GUZMAN, IF, IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE COME FORWARD. SHE, MR. GUZMAN IS PASSING. IS THERE ANYONE WHOSE NAME HAS BEEN CALLED THAT IS HERE AND WISHES TO SPEAK? ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER IS CARMEN JONNES, FOLLOWED BY ENOVIA JOSEPH ON ITEM 47. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. I DON'T SEE EITHER ONE OF THEM. NEXT SPEAKER IS WILLIAM BUNCH ON ITEM 51, MR. BUNCH. ARE YOU TALKING ON 51? LOOKS LIKE HE'S PASSING SEVEN. WELL, SHE'S GONE TO 51 NOW AFTER MR. BUNCH. ON ITEM 51 IS SANTIAGO TAWAN. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. THANK YOU, SIR. JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. SANTIAGO. AND STATE YOUR LAST NAME, PLEASE. Z ONE. THANK YOU. ARE YOU GONNA SPEAK? UH, ARE YOU SPEAKING OR ARE YOU JUST I'M HERE. UM, YEAH, UH, I WAS JUST CHECKING WHICH ITEM WE WERE ON. UM, 51. 51, CORRECT. UH, SURE. I THINK, UH, HAVE YOU COVERED, UH, 11? YES. OKAY. I HAD SIGNED UP TO SIGN UP FOR 11. I THINK THE BORROWINGS REALLY RESPONSIBLE. UM, 51, JUST IN GENERAL. UH, FUNDAMENTALLY, I THINK THE PROJECT, UH, THE CUT AND CAP IS CONTINGENT ON REQUIRING A 25 FOOT DIAMETER TUNNEL BENEATH CESAR CHAVEZ TO GO INTO THE COLORADO RIVER. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT DISSOLVED OXYGEN. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ANY FUNDING BEING ALLOCATED TO A DETENTION POND, TO WATERSHED PROTECTION TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN, UM, MEET THE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR TCEQ, INCLUDING, UH, NATIONWIDE PERMIT, UM, OUT, UH, SEVEN, WHICH IS AN OUTFALL, UH, INTO THE COLORADO RIVER, ENSURING THAT US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, UH, IS AWARE OF WHAT I TEXTILE TENDS TO DO. UM, I'M ALSO REALLY CONCERNED THAT THERE HAS BEEN INADEQUATE FUNDING TO LOOK AT THE BRIDGE, UM, RECONSTRUCTION OVER COLORADO RIVER, UM, IN PARTICULAR NATIONWIDE PERMIT, UM, 14, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH, UH, A 10TH OF AN ACRE, UM, DISTURBANCE OF, UH, WETLANDS, UM, THE WATERSHED OR THE HARPER'S BRANCH, UM, WATERSHED IS BEING DISRUPTED. THERE'S NEARLY 300 ACRES OF, UH, RAINFALL THAT'LL HAVE TO BE COLLECTED, NOT INCLUDING THE INTERCEPTION OF THE WALNUT CREEK WATERSHED THAT WILL, UM, IT'S MASSIVE, MASSIVE, UH, MASSIVE PROBLEMS IN TERMS OF, UM, THANK YOU SIR. ANAEROBIC QUALITY, THANK YOU MR. BUNCH. IT IS, UH, BILL BUNCH, DISTRICT FIVE SPEAKING AS A TAXPAYER VOTER. UM, I, UH, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF CAP AND STITCH, YOU KNOW, WE ALL LOVE THAT, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF MONEY COMING OUT OF, UH, TAXPAYER DOLLARS, THE GENERAL REVENUE STREAM, UH, TO DO SOMETHING THAT FOR TEXDOT IS A ROUNDING ERROR ON I 35. Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE DEMANDED THAT T.PAY FOR THIS. UM, WE DON'T, WE'RE ALREADY PUMPING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO DOWNTOWN PARKLAND AND OPEN SPACE TO DO THAT AGAIN HERE. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I THINK WE'RE APPROACHING A BILLION DOLLARS. UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING ANNUAL MAINTENANCE ON THIS IS IN THE MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR FOR, TO GET PEOPLE TO BE ON, YOU KNOW, A BIG CONCRETE SLAB OVER AN INTERSTATE FREEWAY. UH, WHEN YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, MAKES ALMOST NO SENSE. UM, [00:25:01] PART OF THE LAWSUIT, WHICH Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE JOINED THAT'S STILL PENDING, IS LOOKING AT THE AIR POLLUTION AND THE DIRECT HEALTH IMPACTS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NEAR THIS ENORMOUS HIGHWAY PROJECT. AND TO BE THINKING, WE'RE GONNA SPEND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THEN MANY MILLIONS EVERY YEAR TO MAINTAIN SOMETHING THAT NOBODY'S GONNA WANT TO GO TO. AND IF THEY KNEW ABOUT THE HEALTH IMPACTS, UH, THEY SHOULD NOT GO TO. SO THI YOU KNOW, THIS LOOKS GOOD WHEN YOU DON'T REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, IT'S TIME TO STEP BACK. UH, BE HONEST ABOUT THIS. IF YOU WANT TO GO FORWARD, GO FORWARD LATER AFTER YOU DO YOUR OWN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY. BUT BETTER YET, SAVE THE MONEY, UH, AND JOIN THE LAWSUIT AGAINST TXDOT AGAINST THIS HORRIBLE PROJECT. THANK YOU, MR. BUNCH. WE ALSO HAVE YOU REGISTERED ON ITEM 52. UH, YES. THANK YOU. 52 IS YET MORE MONEY FOR CAPTAIN STITCH, UH, $45 MILLION OF CITY FUNDS AND ALSO SEEKING, UH, GRANT FROM THE FEDS TO COVER, UM, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE A 60 MILLION ON TOP OF THAT. UH, AGAIN, UH, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE POSTING THESE AS SEPARATE ITEMS THAT IS REQUIRED BY THE LAW THAT'S APPROPRIATE, UH, AND LETTING PEOPLE SPEAK TO IT. UH, MOST OF THE ISSUES DO OVERLAP WITH MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS. UH, I JUST ADD THAT AGAIN, WE SHOULD BE ASKING, UH, DEMANDING THAT TDOT PAY FOR THIS AND THAT WE ASK THE FEDS FOR GRANTS TO HELP US WITH STUFF THAT WE REALLY NEED AND THAT IT'S A COMMUNITY PRIORITY. UH, THIS IS NOT IT. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS FELICITY MAXWELL ON ITEM 52, FOLLOWED BY SANTIAGO ZA, JUAN. GOOD MORNING, FELICITY MAXWELL, DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENT OR A BOARD MEMBER. UH, WE JUST WANNA SHARE OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN I FUTURES I, OUR FUTURE I 35 TEAM AND THE SUPPORT OF U-S-D-O-T THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS AND EQUITY PROGRAM GRANT FOR THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE CAESAR CHAVEZ TO FOURTH STREET CAP. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS GRANT. WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONAL TIME AFFORDED BY TXDOT TO FULLY CONSIDER HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE EXTENSIVE I 35 CAP AND CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM. UM, AS WE ENGAGE IN THESE DISCUSSIONS REGARDING ADDITIONAL CO CONSTRUCTION IN THE SPRING, WE'D LIKE TO URGE CITY STAFF, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO WORK DILIGENTLY TO BUILD A CABIN STITCH PROGRAM THAT WORKS FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS AND THOSE MOST IMPACTED BY THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS PROCESS AND, AND THE ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WILL BE DONE IN, IN THE SPRING OF 2025. THANK YOU. SANTIAGO ZWAN, ARE YOU GOING TO SPEAK? YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOU NOT INTERRUPTING ME, SIR. UM, IT'S MY TIME TO SPEAK AND, UH, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO READ THE ROOM REAL QUICK IF THAT WAS COOL. YOU GUYS SEE WHO'S HERE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY HIGHWAY MEN HERE TO, UM, JUST CHECKING MY BACK, YOU KNOW, UM, . YEAH, SO, UH, CONTINUE WITH WHERE I WAS TRYING TO SPEAK EARLIER. UM, IN PARTICULAR WITH REGARDS TO THE LACK OF FOCUS ON THE BRIDGE. UM, SO BACK IN THE FIFTIES, UH, CITY COUNCIL PASSED, UM, THE EXPANSION OF EAST AVENUE UNDER AN EMERGENCY PROTOCOL THAT SUSPENDED THE CHARTER RULE AND THE REREADING OF, UM, OF THE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF EAST AVENUE US 81 IN A REGIONAL HIGHWAY, WHICH IS NOW KNOWN AS I 35, UM, PUSHED, PUSHED THROUGH. UM, AT THE TIME THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OCCURRING WITH THE, WITH, UH, AUSTIN SAND GRAVEL COMPANY, DREDGING THE COLORADO RIVER. UM, AND THERE, THERE HAS STILL TO THIS DAY, BENEATH I 35, UH, THERE'S A LACK OF LIGHT PENETRATION. THERE IS, UH, NO WETLAND THERE WHATSOEVER. UM, JUST DISREGARD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. AND, UM, I'M CURIOUS WHY THIS COUNCIL IS NOT ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS, WHY THEY ARE NOT EMPOWERING WATERSHED TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS. WHY, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF WATERSHED HAS STEPPED BACK, WHY THE [00:30:01] DIRECTOR OF PARD HAS STEPPED BACK. UM, I'M, I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS COUNCIL AND IN PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PRESENT, UH, ARE STRONG ARMING THIS POLICY OR THIS PROPOSAL THROUGH, UM, SECTION SIX F OF THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND REQUIRES THAT TXDOT IN THEIR EIS DECLARE A CONVERSION SITE FOR THE PARKLAND THAT IS BEING, UH, CONDEMNED BOTH ON THE WEST SIDE AND ON THE EAST SIDE. THERE'S SUFFICIENT ENOUGH AREA IN THE RIGHT OF WAY AS EXISTING TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF, UH, TWO RO TWO NEW LANES NORTH AND SOUTH BETWEEN THE 54. UH, THANK YOU, SIR. YOUR TIME'S EXPIRED. THANK YOU. MOVING ON TO ITEM 60, WE HAVE MARIA SANCHEZ, FOLLOWED BY CARLOS PINON. SO PRAXIS AND SHANE JOHNSON, ARE ANY OF YOU HERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE, WE HAVE BEIN HATCHER. ON ITEM 64, WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, ITEM 65, MONICA GUZMAN, ITEM 65, MARIO, UH, MARIO CONTU, ITEM 65. WILLIAM BUNCH YOUR NAME. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MOVE FORWARD. MR. BUNCH. ARE YOU SPEAKING ON 65? PLEASE? GO AHEAD. MS. GUZMAN, ARE YOU SPEAKING? MS. GUZMAN IS NOT SPEAKING, PLEASE. YEAH, JUST IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. UH, UH, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS BARON HATCHER SPEAKING ON ITEM 64. UM, I'M HERE TO REQUEST A FEW WAIVER FOR THE UPCOMING FUNDRAISER SHOW FOR THE AUSTIN ROUNDUP. AN EVENT THAT BLENDS THE ARTS WITH ESSENTIAL SUPPORT FOR OUR QUEER RECOVERY COMMUNITY. THE EVENTS MORE THAN A FUNDRAISER, THE ARTS HAVE A UNIQUE ABILITY TO HEAL AND CONNECT, AND THIS SHOW HARNESSES THAT POWER TO SUPPORT THOSE IN RECOVERY. IT'S A BEACON OF HOPE, FOSTERING HEALING AND CONNECTION THROUGH THE POWER OF THE ARTS. BY SUPPORTING THIS EVENT, YOU ARE DIRECTLY AIDING THOSE IN RECOVERY AND THE QUEER RECOVERY COMMUNITY AT A TIME WHEN OUR COMMUNITY FACES UNPRECEDENTED ATTACKS, UM, AND CONTINUED ALARMING NUMBERS OF OVERDOSES. UM, THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THIS REQUEST TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE ME MEANINGFUL IMPACT. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR BEING HERE, MR. BUNCH. ARE YOU SPEAKING ON 65? HOW PASS HE'S PASSING. OKAY. MOVING TO A REMOTE SPEAKER. FOR ITEM 65, WE HAVE ALEXANDRA ANDERSON. HELLO, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YES. HELLO? YEAH. OKAY, GREAT. UM, I HAVE A LIMITED TIME, SO I WANTED TO JUST SPEAK ON A DIFFERENT ITEM. 65, 66, UM, AND 90, WHICH I'M ALL LOOKING FOR COUNSEL TO SUPPORT. UM, 65 IS DEALING WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UM, UH, APPROVING AND WORKING TOWARDS, UM, THE EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND THE FUTURE, UH, PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE COLORADO RIVER. UM, 66 LOOKING FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO, UM, ALSO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS FOR THE CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY TO REFINE THE PROPOSAL FOR THE MOPAC SOUTH. AND THEN I'M SPECIFICALLY CALLING AS WELL, UM, FOR THE DESIGNATION OF 1500 EAST 12TH STREET. SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AT MLK, UM, AS IT TO BE IDENTIFIED AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN HISTORICAL LANDMARK, UM, FOR DECADES, EAST AUSTIN HAS SEEN COUNTLESS DEMOLITIONS AND DISPLACEMENT OF HISTORIC BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES, RACE AND GENERATIONS, THE STORIES AND PEOPLE THAT SHAPED OUR COMMUNITY. 15 EAST 12TH, UH, STREET HAS A LONG LINEAGE OF EAST AUSTIN HISTORIES FROM DAYS WHEN IT WAS DEALING WITH GERMAN, UM, IMMIGRANTS TO RECENTLY FINDING OUT THAT IT WAS A PLACE WHERE, UH, THE FRATERNITY, UH, ALPHA PHI ALPHA HAS MET. I ASK THAT YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT WHAT REMAINS OF EAST AUSTIN'S BLACK HISTORY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKERS ARE FOR ITEM 66. WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, FOLLOWED BY ADAM GREENFIELD AND MIRIAM SCHOFIELD. ARE ANY, ANY OF YOU ALL HERE, YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE STAND UP SO WE'LL KNOW YOU'RE HERE AND COME FORWARD. HAS YOUR NAME BEEN CALLED, MA'AM? YEAH. FEEL FREE TO TAKE THE MICROPHONE ON. OKAY. EITHER WAY. AYE. AYE. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. ADAM GREENFIELD HERE WITH RETHINK 35. UH, I'M HERE TO SPEAK STRONGLY IN SUPPORT OF AGENDA ITEM 66, UH, ABOUT THE PROPOSED [00:35:01] MOPAC SOUTH, UM, EXPANSION. I, OF COURSE DON'T NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS. COUNCIL IS ALREADY WELL VERSED IN WHY A HIGHWAY EXPANSION IS NOT, UH, COMPLIANT WITH OUR CITY GOALS. UH, BUT I'M HERE JUST TO COMPLIMENT THE COUNCIL ON THIS EXCELLENTLY WORDED, UH, RESOLUTION. UH, I THINK, UH, JUST BEING EXPLICIT ABOUT THIS EXPANSION AND HOW OUR GOALS ARE NOT ALIGNED WITH THAT, I THINK IT'S VERY WELL PUT. UM, AND ALSO, UH, STRESSING WORKING WITH C-T-R-M-A, UH, A LOT OF ADVOCATES FOR A LONG TIME HAVE BEEN VERY EXCITED ABOUT WORKING WITH THIS AGENCY. UM, IT'S KIND OF AN UNTAPPED POTENTIAL IN OUR OPINION, AND I THINK THIS COUNCIL, UH, THIS, UH, RESOLUTION SPEAKS BEAUTIFULLY TO THAT. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT DOORS THIS MIGHT OPEN. UM, AND I THINK THIS IS JUST A GREAT, UM, END OF YEAR, UM, NOTE TO END, UH, FOR, FOR MANY OF US, UM, IN THE TRANSPORTATION ADVOCACY FIELD. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS FOR SPONSORING THIS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE COUNCIL FOR SUPPORTING THIS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, MIRIAM SCHOFIELD, ALSO WITH RETHINK 35. UM, FIRST, YES, I WANNA ECHO THE GRATITUDE FOR THIS RESOLUTION. IT'S REALLY, REALLY WELL WORDED, THOUGHTFUL, AND, UM, VERY IMPACTFUL. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. UM, I DON'T THINK, UH, MANY OF YOU NEED CONVINCING THAT HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS IN OUR CITY IS A BAD IDEA. UM, THEY MAKE THE CITY A WORSE PLACE TO LIVE. THEY FLY IN THE FACE OF A DOZEN OR SO CITY GOALS AND PLANS. UM, THEY HARM, THEY SPREAD DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS THAT'S HARMFUL FOR THE CITY, AND THAT'S ECONOMICALLY AND, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY UNSUSTAINABLE. IF THERE'S ONE IDEA THAT I REALLY WANNA UNDERSCORE IS THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE NOT JUST BAD, BUT REALLY BAD AND BAD ENOUGH TO PUT OUR FULL WEIGHT BEHIND. AND THAT'S BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE HIGHWAY EXPANSION THAT WE DO, IT'S LIKE PRESSING A BUTTON THAT SPURS THIS NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP THAT SPIRALS FOREVER. AND BETH OSBORNE, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION FOR AMERICA IN A RECENT INTERVIEW, REALLY CAUTIONS US ALL AGAINST ACCEPTING HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS IN EXCHANGE FOR OTHER GOODIES, INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION RELATED GOODIES, BECAUSE SHE SAYS THE MATH DOESN'T WORK OUT. AND I'LL END WITH JUST ONE REALLY CLEAR EXAMPLE OF THIS. TAKE A LOOK AT THE PATTERNS IN BARCELONA AND MADRID. TWO VERY SIMILAR CITIES INVESTED IN TRANSIT AT A VERY SIMILAR TIME. ONE DIFFERENCE AT THAT TIME. MADRID ALSO BUILT A BUNCH OF HIGHWAYS YEARS LATER. LOOK TODAY AT THE RIDERSHIP LEVELS OF FOR TRANSIT, MADRID DOESN'T HOLD A CANDLE TO BARCELONA, AND THEY NEVER WILL BECAUSE THE IMPACTS OF THESE PROJECTS ARE LONG LASTING AND FAR REACHING. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CLARITY IN THIS RESOLUTION, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, UM, SUPPORT OF THIS COUNCIL FOR A BETTER TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE. OKAY, NEXT SET OF SPEAKERS WE HAVE ELIZABETH BURMELL, ISAAC MARTIN, SHAYNA GOLDSMITH, AND JACKSON GL GLUCK. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED AND THE MICROPHONE'S EMPTY, FEEL FREE TO TAKE IT. IT'S ALL YOURS. JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD IS ALL WE ASK. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH BURMELL. GOOD MORNING, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. UH, I'M A REGISTERED NURSE IN A BUSY ER IN THE AUSTIN AREA. I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE. I'M HERE SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF ITEM 66. DECADES OF RESEARCH ON CITY PLANNING HAVE SHOWN THAT HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS LEAD TO MORE TRAFFIC AND MORE AIR POLLUTION. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTER. A STUDY PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY OF 2020 SHOWED THAT, UH, AIR POLLUTION CAUSED BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 9 MILLION DEATHS WORLDWIDE. EVERY YEAR. SHORT TERM EXPOSURE TO POLLUTION CAN LEAD TO ASTHMA AND COPD EXACERBATIONS SO SEVERE THAT I CANNOT FIX THEM, AND THEY HAVE TO BE HOSPITALIZED. LONG-TERM EXPOSURE INCREASES DEATH FROM ALL CAUSES. THIS IS BECAUSE THE PARTICULATE MATTER RELEASED INTO THE AIR IS SO FINE THAT IT CAN BE ABSORBED INTO THE BLOODSTREAM AND INCREASES INFLAMMATION THROUGHOUT THE BODY. THIS LEADS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AND PREMATURE DEATH FROM STROKE, HEART ATTACK, ASTHMA, COPD, VARIOUS FORMS OF CANCER AND COMPLICATIONS FROM DIABETES. PREGNANT WOMEN ARE AT RISK FOR MISCARRIAGE AND STILLBIRTH. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF WATCHING MY PATIENTS SUFFER AND DIE, AND I AM TIRED OF WATCHING, WOULD-BE PARENTS GRIEVE. [00:40:02] WE CAN ADD YEARS TO OUR LIVES BY INCREASING ACCESS TO WALKING BUSES AND BIKES, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THEM AWAY BY BUILDING A CITY FOR CARS. WHAT YOU CHOOSE TODAY MATTERS FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. THANK YOU. UM, JACKSON GLUCK, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. I'M HERE TO SPEAK FOR, UH, AGAINST, UH, ANY HIGHWAY EXPANSION THAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY AS ONE ON 180 3 FOR REASONS THAT HAVE BEEN STATED BY OTHER, UH, BY OTHER MEMBERS OF, OF AUSTIN. UM, JUST, UH, AS A, AS A USER OF PUBLIC TRANSIT IN AUSTIN, I I REALLY APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO GET AROUND ON, ON, ON THE BUS AND ON ON MY BIKE. AND, UH, EXPANDING HIGHWAYS FOR CAR USERS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT, THAT, UM, THAT, THAT ALIGNS WITH WITH MY PERSONAL GOALS. UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS SHA GOLDSMITH. UM, I'M HERE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS CO-SPONSORS AND ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SUPPORTING ITEM 66. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT EIGHT AND A VOLUNTEER WITH RETHINK 35, AND I LIVE CLOSE ENOUGH TO HEAR MOPAC TRAFFIC FROM MY LIVING ROOM. I'M ALSO A DOCTORAL STUDENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING PROGRAM AT UT AUSTIN, WHERE I RESEARCH URBAN TRANSPORTATION POLICY. I'M HERE TO STATE MY OPPOSITION TO THE CT, TO THE PROJECT THAT C-T-R-M-A HAS PUT FORWARD PLANNING EVALUATION SPECIALISTS DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING PLANS THEMSELVES AND RESULTS. A SOLID PROCESS WOULD ENTAIL ADEQUATE RESEARCH AND OUTREACH TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS. C-T-R-M-A HAS USED OUTDATED STUDIES REFUSE TO STUDY AIR QUALITY IMPACTS AND OVERLOOKED IMPORTANT DOWNSTREAM CONSEQUENCES LIKE THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS AND OTHERS WHO WALK AND BIKE AROUND AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL. A SOLID PLAN WOULD MAKE C TMAS NEXT STEPS CLEAR AND ITS ACTIONS PREDICTABLE. YET THIS PLAN GIVES C-T-R-M-A WIDE LATITUDE REGARDING WHETHER AND HOW TO RESPOND TO THESE OPEN QUESTIONS ACCOUNT FOR UNCERTAINTIES AND MITIGATE ADVERSE IMPACTS. AND FINALLY, SOLID RESULTS WOULD DELIVER OUTCOMES THAT ALIGN WITH OUR VISION FOR A BETTER AUSTIN. BUT THIS PROJECT WILL DEGRADE AIR QUALITY AND WATER QUALITY AND TAKE A HUGE TOLL ON OUR HEALTH, OUR ENJOYMENT OF BARTON CREEK AND OUR POCKETBOOKS. AND IT DOES SO IN THE NAME OF A SPECIOUS CLAIM TO PROVIDE A NEGLIGENT AMOUNT OF TIME, TIME, TRAVEL, TIME SAVINGS WITHOUT ACCOUNTING FOR INDUCED TRAVEL AND CONSTRUCTION RELATED DELAYS. WALLY RECOGNIZED THAT THIS PROJECT MAY DECREASE TRAVEL TIME FOR CAT METRO VEHICLES AND TRANSIT RIDERS. THE COSTS ARE TOO HIGH. TO ECHO WHAT MIRIAM SAID A MOMENT AGO, WE CAN'T MAKE PROGRESS BY TAKING ONE STEP FORWARD AND THREE STEPS BACK. THIS PLAN WILL MAKE LIFE A LOT WORSE FOR ME AND MY NEIGHBORS. THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO PROTECT AUSTINITES FROM THIS DEVASTATING PROJECT. NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE ON ITEM 66 IS MONICA GUZMAN. I, SHE PASSES BOBBY LEVINSKY, WILLIAM BUNCH, FELICITY MAXWELL, AND ZACH FADI. GOOD MORNING, FULL CITY MAXWELL D FIVE RESIDENT AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL PARENT. THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS AND ALL OF THE CO-SPONSORS FOR THIS ITEM REGARDING THE MOPAC SOUTH, UH, PROJECT, PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON ACHIEVING THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR THIS PROJECT. WHILE WE UNDERSTAND THE NEED URGENT NEED TO ADDRESS CONGESTION IN SOUTH AUSTIN, WE HAVE REAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE PLANS AS CURRENTLY OUTLINED BY C-T-M-R-A, SPECIFICALLY THE IMPACT TO AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL SITE AND ACCESS TO AND FROM THE SCHOOL BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THIS PROJECT. WE WOULD PARTICULARLY LIKE TO SEE AN EAST WEST TRAFFIC STUDY AND UNDERSTAND HOW PEC MOPAC SOUTH CONSTRUCTION WILL IMPACT LOCAL ROADWAYS AND TRAFFIC PATTERNS. WE APPRECIATE AUSTIN ISCS ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN PAC SOUTH PROJECT AND LOOK FORWARD TO ONGOING ENGAGEMENT WITH C-T-M-R-A TO MAKE THE BEST VERSION OF THIS PROJECT FOR SOUTH AUSTIN, AND SPECIFICALLY THE AUSTIN HIGH COMMUNITY. ITS STAFF, FAMILIES, AND OF COURSE ITS STUDENTS. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS BOBBY LAVINSKY. I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE. LET ME START BY THANKING COUNCIL MEMBERS ALLISON ALTER, LESLIE POOLE AND MCKENZIE KELLY FOR YEARS OF SERVICE AND HELP ON SO MANY ISSUES OVER THE YEARS. EACH OF YOU WERE FRIENDS TO THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE AT TIMES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU WERE OPEN TO DIALOGUE. THIS RESOLUTION IS THE RESULT OF SUCH DIALOGUE. UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. ITEM 66 IS A RESOLUTION THAT PROVIDES A RESPONSE TO THE RE TO THE PROPOSED MPEC EXPANSION. UM, THE CURRENT PROPOSAL IS A FOUR LANE EXPANSION WITH ADDITIONAL AUXILIARY LANES. WE COUNT UP TO SEVEN AT SOME LOCATIONS. UH, LADY BIRD LAKE WOULD BE 13 LANES. UM, WHILE THE MOPAC, WHILE MOPAC CERTAINLY NEEDS UPGRADES, IT DOESN'T NEED A LANE EXPANSION PROJECT OF THE SCALE, THE PROJECT WILL HAVE AN ENORMOUS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. MORE LANES LEADS TO MORE CARS, MORE EMISSIONS, WORSENING AIR QUALITY IN OUR REGION, AND THE WATER QUALITY CONCERNS ARE EVEN WORSE. UM, AS THIS PROJECT, UH, HIGHWAY EXPANSION TRAVERSES AN EIGHT MILE STRETCH OF THE BARTON [00:45:01] SPRINGS EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE, UM, IT PUTS NEW PIERS AND, UH, PUTS A LOT OF NEW PAVEMENT AND EXCAVATION WITHIN OUR CREEKS. AND IT'S WITHIN A QUARTER MILE UPSTREAM OF BARTON SPRINGS. UH, A LOT OF IS BEING TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT THE POST-CONSTRUCTION TREATMENT. UM, WHILE WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY COULD REACH A HUNDRED PERCENT TSS, THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THE CONCERN. A LOT OF THE POLLUTION HAPPENS DURING THE CONSTRUCTION. A LOT OF THE SEDIMENTATION HAPPENS DURING CONSTRUCTION. THAT'S A HUGE IMPACT TO THE AUSTIN BLIND AND THE BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDERS. SEDIMENTATION WILL, UM, THE, THE DIRT WILL GET INTO, INTO THE BARTON SPRINGS. IT WILL DAMAGE THEIR GILLS. IT'LL CAUSE THEIR SUFFOCATION. IT, IT FILLS IN THE GAPS IN THE ROCKS THAT THEY NEED TO, UM, HIDE FROM PREDATORS AND THEIR SHELTER. SO IT'S A HUGE IMPACT AND THEY'VE NOT EN ENGAGED WITH, UH, FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICES ON, UH, THE ENDANGERED SPECIES, UH, CONSULTATION. NOR, UM, IS THIS A PROJECT THAT IT WILL, WILL LEAD TO, UM, NOT AN, UH, A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FOR THOSE SPECIES. I MEAN, THIS IS INCREDIBLY CLOSE. IT'S, IT'S CLOSER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN, IN THE RECENT HISTORY. UM, I'M AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT. THANK MR COMMENTS, PLEASE. UH, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THANKS, MR. LEVINSKY. I BELIEVE, UH, MR. VICTOR REED IS GONNA SPEAK ON ITEM 21, I THINK IS, CAN I START, MR. CARGILL? I THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENT SPEAKER. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, YOU CAN GO TO THE PODIUM. ANY SPEAKER? UH, HOWDY. COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR. UH, MY NAME IS ZACH FADI. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE AND PRESIDENT OF AURA. UH, I COME TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF ITEM 66. UH, HIGHWAYS ARE PRIMARILY A TOOL FOR URBAN SPRAWL. THEY MAKE OUR CITY AN OBJECTIVELY WORSE PLACE TO LIVE IN ORDER TO FACILITATE SUBSIDIZING PEOPLE TO MOVE OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY AND INTO SUBURBS, PLACES WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND THEIR, UH, TIME SITTING IN TRAFFIC AND MONEY ON GAS. YOU'RE TAKING AWAY, UH, TAXABLE LAND IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. YOU'RE CREATING A BEAR MOBILITY TO LIVE AROUND. IT MAKES PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION HARDER TO IMPLEMENT. UM, IT GOES AGAINST IT, IT MAKES IT HARDER FOR US TO IMPLEMENT OUR, UH, TRANSIT GOALS, OUR CLIMATE GOALS, OUR POPULATION GROWTH GOALS THAT WE'VE OUTLINED IN, UM, SEVERAL DIFFERENT STUDIES. I FORGET THE NAMES OF . UH, THE BEST ARGUMENT FOR HIGHWAY EXPANSION IS THAT WE, UH, IF WE AS A CITY ARE GOING TO REFUSE TO HOUSE OUR POPULATION TO BUILD ENOUGH HOUSING, IF WE ARE GONNA SAY NO TO NEW NEIGHBORS, THEN THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS FACILITATE THEM BEING ABLE TO COME INTO OUR CITY FOR OUR JOBS. BUT I THINK THAT THE CITY AND THIS COUNCIL IS IN PLACE WHERE WE, WE ARE READY TO SAY YES TO MORE NEIGHBORS. WE ARE WILLING TO SAY LIKE, WE CAN HOUSE OUR POPULATIONS HERE IN A SUSTAINABLE, UH, WAY. THAT THE WAY THAT IS MORE SUSTAINABLE FOR THE CITY, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND FOR THE RESIDENTS THEMSELVES AND PROVIDE BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. UM, UH, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. AND MR. GONZALEZ, I THINK I MISSED YOU. I THINK I, UH, GOT CONFUSED ON WHO WAS NEXT. SO I THINK IT WAS THIS VICTOR GONZALEZ WAS NEXT. UH, WE HAVE MR. VICTOR REED ON ITEM 21. THAT'S WHO IT IS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APOLOGIZE. YOU KNOW WHAT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR, UH, BEING THE CITY THAT WE ARE. BUT, UH, IT'S UH, THREE HOUSING PROJECTS. IT'S, UH, SPRINGDALE, IT'S UH, MESA MANOR AND BOOKER T AND IT'S FOR THE CLOSING OF GIVENS PARK. YOU KNOW, GIVENS PARK IS GOING TO CLOSE FOR EIGHT MONTHS OR 10 MONTHS, BUT THE PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN TALKED TO. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO BE TALKED TO. HUH? IT IS WHAT IT IS. YOU KNOW WHAT? I COME WITH YOU. I COME TO YOU, HUH? THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK ON THE PARK BEFORE YOU CLOSE IT. BECAUSE , IT IS WHAT IT IS. YOU KNOW. UH, I HAVE A, A DAMN THING WITH THE PARK CLOSING. THERE WAS A FAMILY THING AND THEY GOING TO CLOSE THE PARK FOR WHAT? WITHOUT THE CONVERSATION OF THE PEOPLE, HUH? IT IS WHAT IT IS. THANK YOU. BILL BUNCH. ITEM 66 BACK ON MOPAC. UM, ALSO WILL SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE. UH, WE DO SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION, BUT, UH, IT'S RATHER DISAPPOINTING. I HAVE TO ADMIT. IT WON'T MEAN ANYTHING UNLESS YOU FOLLOW IT UP WITH MORE, UH, FORCEFUL [00:50:01] ACTION. I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THE SPONSORS DIDN'T LAY IT OUT WHAT IT IS AND EDUCATE THE PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UH, AND SO I'LL TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF MY TIME TO DO THAT. UNFORTUNATELY, UM, WE FOUGHT THIS PROJECT OFF BACK IN 2015 WHEN OUR TOLL ROAD AGENCY THAT'S UNRESPONSIVE TO OUR VOTERS, UH, TRIED TO BUILD, UM, ADDING FOUR LANES OF MOPAC TWO, UH, TOLL LANES FROM CAESAR CHAVEZ DOWN TO SLAUGHTER LANE. UM, NOW IT'S BACK. THEY'RE SAYING IT'S THE SAME THING, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S WORSE. UM, WE'RE NOT NOW TALKING ABOUT ADDING SIX TO EIGHT LANES, FOUR OF THEM TOLL TO EACH WAY, UM, FROM CAESAR CHAVEZ TO, UM, SLAUGHTER LANE DOWN THE CENTER LINE OF THE RECHARGE ZONE. UM, AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY NOW IS 13 LANES TOTAL WOULD BE ON TOP OF AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL ON TOP OF LADY BIRD LAKE, UH, ON TOP OF ZILKER PARK, UH, ON TOP OF THE BARTON CREEK GREEN BELT. UM, THIS IS ENORMOUSLY OFFENSIVE. UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE CAN'T BE OVERSTATED. UH, THE AIR QUALITY ISSUES THAT YOU HEARD ABOUT EARLIER, UH, I MEAN, WE'RE CONVERTING MOPAC INTO AN INTERSTATE 35 ON TOP OF AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL WHERE STUDENTS NEED TO STUDY AND BREATHE AND NOT HAVE, UH, PULMONARY, UH, DISEASES. UM, Y'ALL NEED TO JOIN TRAVIS COUNTY AND DEMANDING THAT C-T-R-M-A END THIS CHARADE, THAT IT'S THE SAME THING FROM BACK THEN AND THEY'RE CONTINUING THE PROCESS FROM 2014 AND THAT THERE BE A FULL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT BASED ON CURRENT DATA. UM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. BUNCH. CURRENT, UH, SCIENCE. THANK YOU, SIR. HELLO, I'M ISAAC. I'M A GRAD STUDENT. WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME, PLEASE? IT'S, UH, ISAAC MARTIN. THANK YOU. I BELIEVE HE, YEAH. YEAH. SO YEAH, I'M LIVING IN DISTRICT NINE. I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF, UH, ITEM 66. AND I JUST WANTED TO FIRST EXTEND MY THANKS TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER SUPPORTING THIS ITEM, AND IN PARTICULAR TO COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS FOR, UH, HER CONTINUED WORK ON INCREASING MOBILITY IN AUSTIN. SO THERE ARE, UH, A MYRIAD OF REASONS TO OPPOSE THE ADDITION OF MORE LANES TO MOPAC. IT WILL POLLUTE OUR AIR, IT'LL EXACERBATE THE HEALTH OF, OF, UH, THOSE LIVING NEAR THE HIGHWAY AND IT WILL WREAK HAVOC ON AN ALREADY FRAGILE ECO ECOSYSTEM, ET CETERA. UH, SO HOWEVER, IN INSTEAD, I WISH TO HIGHLIGHT THE INTRODUCTION THAT THE INTRODUCTION TO MORE LANES TO MOPAC, IN ADDITION TO CAUSING A SLEW OF HARM THROUGH EXTERNALITIES, UH, FUNDAMENTALLY EXACERBATES THE PROBLEM IT PURPORTS TO SOLVE. IT DOES NOT FACILITATE EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION. SO INDUCED DEMAND BY NOW IS A WELL UNDERSTOOD NETWORK PHENOMENON IN WHICH ADDING MORE CAPACITY TO A NETWORK SLOWS THE FLOW RATE. AND INDEED TIMES GET LONGER ONE TO TWO YEARS AFTER ALMOST EVERY HIGHWAY EXPANSION IN THE US FOR WHICH DATA IS AVAILABLE. WE SHOULD EXPECT THAT THIS EXPANSION WILL WORSEN COMMUTE TIMES, UH, AND NOT IMPROVE THEM. NONETHELESS, THE ADDITION OF MORE LANES DOES, UH, DOES INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE ROAD. SO WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THAT. SO THE MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF A SINGLE LANE IS OFTEN CITED TO BE 1800 CARS PER HOUR. MEANING THAT IF I STAND AT WHAT SPOT ON THE HIGHWAY AND COUNT THE CARS AS THEY PASS, I EXPECT THE MAXIMUM NUMBER TO BE 1800. UM, IN PRACTICE, HOWEVER, UH, BECAUSE OF LANE CHANGES, UM, MERGES AND HEAVEN FORBID CRASHES, THIS NUMBER IS UH, FAR, FAR SMALLER IN PRACTICE. SO THIS IS, IT'S MUCH CLOSER TO 600 ADDITIONAL CARS PER HOUR, UH, WHEN A SECOND LANE IS ADDED AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY IT'S FAR LESS THAN THAT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL LANE. SO MOPAC EXPANSION WON'T SHORTEN INDIVIDUAL COMMUTE TIMES AND IT WILL ADD TRIVIALLY MORE CAPACITY TO AN ALREADY CONGESTED ROAD. SO THE FOCUS SHOULD INSTEAD BE TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND TO REFORM ZONING LAWS IN ORDER TO TAKE CARS OFF OF MOPAC. AND THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO REDUCE CONGESTION IN THE LONG RUN. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HOWDY. MY NAME IS JARED. FEEL, UH, THANK YOU CASTLE, UH, AND MAYOR FOR TAKING TIME HERE AND SPEND, YOU KNOW, JUST LISTENING TO US. UH, I'M ALSO GONNA SPEAK ON 66 BECAUSE I THINK IT'S TOTALLY GLO THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY HERE IS LISTENING. UH, AND JUST SPEAKING ON, WE'RE NOT ADDING. UH, SIR, CAN YOU CONFIRM WHAT IS YOUR NAME? JARED FIELD. THANK YOU. YEAH, I'M A RESIDENT HERE OF AUSTIN. BEEN SO FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS. I DO NOT SEE YOU ON THE, DID YOU REGISTER TO SPEAK SIR? I'M OVER HERE. WAS YOUR NAME CALLED? UH, NO, BUT I, I AND THEN I'M SORRY, YOU, YOU'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO SPEAK. WE, WE HAVE A PROCESS, SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK YOU TO LEAVE THE MICROPHONE. . NO SIR. NO SIR. UH, WE HAVE A PROCESS, SO YOU NEED TO LEAVE THE MICROPHONE. I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 66. YOU NEED TO, YOU NEED TO GO ON. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE. WE HAVE ONE REMOTE SPEAKER ON ITEM 66. WE HAVE JOSEPH. [00:55:02] THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNSEL, I'M ZIA JOSEPH AND MAYOR, MAY I ASK A TECHNICAL QUESTION BEFORE I BEGIN? IT'S PART OF YOUR TIME, BUT PLEASE GO AHEAD. NOT A PROBLEM. I WAS REGISTERED FOR SEVERAL ITEMS AND I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT DISENFRANCHISES INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY USE THE LIBRARY PHONE NUMBER, WHO MAY ALSO USE GOODWILL'S PHONE BECAUSE YOU CANNOT RECEIVE PHONE CALLS FROM THOSE NUMBERS. SO IT IS DISINGENUOUS FOR THE PERSON WHO IS ACTUALLY MANNING THE PHONES TO ACTUALLY DISCONNECT THE SPEAKERS. YOU HAVE A WAY TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE CALLER ID. YOU'VE CALLED PEOPLE BACK BEFORE AND SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO BE EQUITABLE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY OUR UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY TO CALL IN REMOTELY. OTHERWISE, YOU'RE DISCONNECTED. I JUST WANNA SAY SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO THIS PROJECT, CONNECT MOPAC SOUTH. IT REFERENCES OPEN HOUSE NUMBER SIX, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY. AND I JUST WANNA REMIND PAGE ELLIS, THAT PROJECT CONNECT IS UNDERGIRDED BY CAPRI MAP. THE JUNE 3RD, 2018 52 ROUTE CHANGES. THE BUS RUNS EMPTY 2.9 BOARDINGS AN HOUR ON CONVICT HILL, AND SHE HAS BEEN SILENT, RESPECTFULLY MAYOR, THAT IS WHAT WHITE PRIVILEGE LOOKS LIKE. 2.9 BOARDINGS AN HOUR IN THE WATERSHED RESTRICTED AREA. WHEN THEY WANTED TO PUT THE HOMELESS ON CONVICT HILL, THERE WAS OPPOSITION. I AM OPPOSED TO THIS PROJECT BECAUSE IT REFERENCES PROJECT CONNECT AND SPECIFICALLY THE SYSTEM IS INEQUITABLE. SO MY COMMENTS, AS THEY ALWAYS ARE, ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN. BLACK PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN ARE STILL WAITING 60 MINUTES FOR THE BUS. AND OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS ARE THOSE WHO ARE FORMALLY UNHOUSED ON ROUTE 2 37 AT COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE. WAIT 60 MINUTES IN WHEELCHAIRS, TWO HOURS WHEN A BUS ROUTE GETS CANCELED. SO THE SYSTEM IS INEQUITABLE. I WOULD ASK PAIGE EL TO STOP, BURY HER HEAD IN THE SAND AND RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO MAKE THE YOUR, YOUR EXPIRED. THANK YOU. WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER THAT WAS CALLED EARLIER, MICHAEL CARGILL ON ITEM EIGHT. YES. ARE YOU HERE? YES. GOOD MORNING COUNSEL. GOOD MORNING COUNSEL. MAYOR MICHAEL CARGILL. THERE WE GO. THERE YOU ARE. UM, OWNER OF CENTRAL TEXAS GUN WORK. I'M TALKING ON ITEM EIGHT AND THE REASON I'M HERE IS BECAUSE, UM, I DON'T THINK YOU GUYS ARE AWARE THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, A PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING WITH SUICIDES IN GUN STORES AND ALSO GUN RANGES. SO I WANT TO GIVE YOU, UH, GUYS A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT WE DO. UM, ALSO IT WOULD BE NICE WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING FIREARMS, IF YOU ACTUALLY CAN INVITE SOMEONE FROM THE GUN COMMUNITY HERE TO DISCUSS IT WITH YOU. UH, SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, UM, AND BY THE WAY, WHEN A PERSON WALKS INTO A GUN STORE AND THEY'RE DEAD SET ON COMMITTING SUICIDE, IT'S ALREADY TOO LATE TO GIVE THEM A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL. UM, UNLESS YOU'RE GONNA PUT TELEPHONE NUMBERS ON THE OVERPASSES OF I 35, UH, SO THEY CAN CONTACT SOMEONE BEFORE THEY JUMP, I THINK THAT'S USELESS. BUT WHAT WE DO DO IN THE GUN STORE IS WE WORK WITH FAMILY MEMBERS. UM, THEY ACTUALLY CONTACT US. WE COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER AS GUN OWNERS, GUN STORE OWNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT PERSON DOES NOT GET A FIREARM. AND WE ALSO CONTACT LAW ENFORCEMENT SO THEY CAN BE ARRESTED AND ALSO GET SOME TYPE OF MENTAL ASSISTANCE. WE ALSO HAVE A PROCEDURE WHERE IF YOU WALK INTO A GUN STORE OR A GUN RANGE, UM, IN THE AUSTIN AREA AND A PERSON WALKS IN BY THEMSELVES, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ACTUALLY SHOOT AT THE GUN RANGE IF YOU ARE JUST ALONE. YOU HAVE TO COME THROUGH THE GUN RANGE WITH SOMEONE ELSE. SO ONE PERSON WALKING IN BY THEMSELF, NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO RENT A GUN AND ACTUALLY SHOOT OR ATTEMPT TO COMMIT SUICIDE. ALSO, WE HAVE A PROCEDURE IN THE GUN STORES WHERE WE HAVE A SYSTEM SET UP SO THAT IF A PERSON WALKS IN AND THEY'RE BUYING A FIREARM AND THEY'RE EXHIBITING SOME TYPE OF BEHAVIOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THERE'S ANY QUESTION ABOUT THAT, WE HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE WE LOG INTO AND CHECK THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THIS INDIVIDUAL. IF WE SEE SOMETHING, WE DETECT SOMETHING, THEN WE NOTIFY ALL THE OTHER GUN STORES AND WE DON'T SELL THAT PERSON A FIREARM. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO DISCUSS ANYTHING THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH FIREARMS, IT REALLY BE NICE IF YOU GUYS COULD CONTACT SOMEONE IN A GUN COMMUNITY SO WE CAN EDUCATE YOU AND TELL YOU WHAT WE DO IN A GUN STORE. AS ALWAYS, MORE GUNS EQUALS LESS CRIME GO OUT THEN BUY YOURSELF A GUN. NEXT SPEAKER IS ON ITEM 57. WE HAVE FELICITY MAXWELL. SHE'S PASSING. OKAY. THEN THE NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE IS A REMOTE SPEAKER ON ITEM ONE 30 ZENOBIA JOSEPH. THANK YOU MAYOR COUNSEL, I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH. MAYOR, I'M TOTALLY [01:00:01] CONFUSED. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHICH ITEMS YOU REALLY WANT ME TO SPEAK ON. SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING OUT OF TURN BECAUSE THEY WERE CALLED PREVIOUSLY. WE, WE, WE HAD ONE PERSON 39, I DON'T HAVE ONE 30 IN FRONT OF ME. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT AS IT RELATES TO THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, SPECIFICALLY THE FEDERAL LAW AND STATE LAW PROHIBIT YOU USING FE, THE GOVERNMENT, THE PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PROPAGANDA. AND I JUST WANNA READ SPECIFICALLY, UM, SOME INFORMATION WHEN YOU LOBBIED FOR HOUSE AGAINST HOUSE BILL 3 8 9 9 THAT WAS RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS BY CERTAIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS. AND YOU HAVE PROJECT CONNECT AGAIN IN THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND SPECIFICALLY YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO USE THOSE FUNDS. ARTICLE 13 TAX MATTERS DISSOLUTION SPECIFIES IN A ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 0 1 C3 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986. AND THIS IS AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP SHALL NOT DIRECT ANY OF ITS ACTIVITIES TO ATTEMPTING TO INFLUENCE LEGISLATION BY PROPAGANDA OR OTHERWISE. SO I'M NOT REAL SURE WHY IT IS THAT YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN'T BE NEUTRAL ON THESE ITEMS WHEN THEY GO BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE. PUBLIC LAW 1 1 16 DASH 9 3 100 16TH CONGRESS SPECIFIES, AND THIS IS THE APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 2020 THAT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO USE ANY FUNDS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY INCLUDING BY PRIVATE CONTRACTOR FOR PUBLICLY PUBLIC PROPAGANDA OR PUBLICITY. AND SO AGAIN, I'M REALLY NOT SURE HOW IT IS THAT YOU THINK IT'S OKAY TO USE OUR PUBLIC DOLLARS TO LOBBY AGAINST THOSE OF US WHO ARE IN OPPOSITION TO THIS INEQUITABLE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM. I WILL TRY TO FIND ONE 30 IF MY TIME DOESN'T ELAPSE, BUT IT IS PRETTY CONFUSING THE WAY YOU ARE RUNNING THIS MEETING TODAY. THAT'S THE APA FUNDING FOR SHELTERS AND I'M IN OPPOSITION TO THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE WAREHOUSING THE NEGROES IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN. YOU SPENT OVER $20 MILLION AT THE ARCH AND $16 MILLION HERE. THANK YOU MS. JOSEPH. I WOULD ASK YOU TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT HOW MUCH THE APA FUNDS ARE REMAINING AND TO ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO DECIDE HOW JOSEPH, HOW TO USE THAT MONEY. MR. JOSEPH, WE ALSO HAVE YOU REGISTERED TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 31, WHICH IS THE ITEM WE ARE ON NEXT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK ON 1 31? SURE. ITEM 1 31 IS THE MARSHALING YARD SPECIFICALLY. AND I JUST WANTED TO STATE MY OPPOSITION TO THAT ITEM BECAUSE IF YOU PUT THE ARCH AS WELL AS THE MONEY THAT'S BEING ALLOCATED HERE AT $6,750,000 OVER $1 MILLION A MONTH FOR CONTEXT, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND IT WAS $4.7 MILLION TO RUN THE METRO RAPID BETWEEN SAMSUNG AND APPLE THREE HEBS. IF PEOPLE COULD GET TO THE JOBS, THEY MAY NOT NEED THE MARSHALING YARD TO BE OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY'D BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK. YOU ARE MAKING THEM DEPENDENT. THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. $20 MILLION FOR THE ARCH TO APPEASE DOWNTOWN WHITE BUSINESS OWNERS IS NOT THE BEST USE OF FUNDING. AND I WOULD JUST POINT YOU TO DAVID GRAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2024 WHEN HE TOLD YOU THAT RAPID REHOUSING WAS NOT A GOOD STRATEGY, BUT YET YOU KEEP THROWING MONEY AT THE MARSHALING YARD, WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SIX MONTH TEMPORARY STATE. PEOPLE CAN'T GET TO WORK, MAYOR, NOT WITH THREE VANS. SO PLEASE DON'T LISTEN TO THIS FALSE NARRATIVE THAT MR. GRAY IS TELLING YOU ABOUT THEM FEEDING THE PEOPLE AND GETTING THEM TO WORK. I DON'T THINK YOU COULD GET TO WORK IF YOU HAD THREE VANS WITH 300 PEOPLE EACH DAY. SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH MONEY IS REMAINING FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, BUT I WOULD ASK YOU TO BE TRANSPARENT AND FOR THE FINANCIAL SERVICES STAFF TO ACTUALLY JUST TELL THE PUBLIC TRANSPARENTLY BECAUSE YOU KEEP FINDING THESE DOLLARS. BUT YET THE PROBLEM REMAINS. AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO PUT SOME OF THE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN WEST AUSTIN TOO BECAUSE THE BUSES RUN FREQUENTLY IN SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST AUSTIN AND YOU'RE NOT AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING, WHICH ALSO PER WHICH ALSO VIOLATES THE FAIR HOUSING ACT OF 1968. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME, BUT THIS IS CONFUSING TRYING TO CALL INTO THESE MEETINGS. THANK YOU. WE HAVE, UH, NEXT SPEAKER IS ON ITEM 1 38, FELICITY MAXWELL. HI, FELICITY MAXWELL, UH, DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENT OR A BOARD MEMBER. WE WANTED TO SHARE OUR FULL SUPPORT FOR THIS ITEM BROUGHT BY FORWARD BY COUNCIL MEMBER VILLA AND APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT FOR THE FELLOW CO CO-SPONSORS. UH, DIGITAL SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING ARE CRITICAL TO IT. ENHANCING THE TRANSIT EXPERIENCE FOR RIDER AND USERS AND SUCH SIGNAGE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY ROLLED OUT IN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. CREATING A NEW PROGRAM TO THOUGHTFULLY EXPAND DIGITAL SIGNAGE IN AUSTIN ALONG TRANSIT CORRIDORS IS A NATURAL NEXT STEP TO IMPROVING HOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND VISITORS INTERACT WITH OUR TRANSIT [01:05:01] AGENCIES LIKE CAP METRO. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS ITEM AND LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING IN THE COMMUNITY PROCESS. THANK YOU MAYOR. THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE CONSENT SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. UM, MEMBERS, AS YOU'VE HEARD THAT, IT CONCLUDES ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. AGAIN, THE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED ARE ITEMS 2 38 AND 57. UM, I WILL, THE, THE PROCESS THAT, UH, I THINK WE OUGHT TO FOLLOW IS TAKE A, UH, GET A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE, UH, DISCUSSION AND ANY, UH, ACTIVITY RELATED TO THAT. BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALRIGHT, IN THAT CASE, UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. THE MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. UH, IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ MEMBERS, I'LL NOW GO TO, UH, WE, WE WILL NOW HAVE DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. AND, UH, IS THERE ANYONE THAT WISHES TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. GOOD, MOR. GOOD MORNING. UM, BEFORE I MAKE MY REMARKS, UM, I DID REQUEST ON THE MESSAGE BOARD TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR FOR ITEM NUMBER 67 RELATED TO RALLY AUSTIN AND THE PDC AN ITEM FROM COUNCIL MEMBER VELA. I DIDN'T HEAR THAT. UM, THAT WE HAVE, IT WAS NOT A PART OF THE CONSENT, UH, PART OF THE CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS THAT I RECEIVED. SO, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER WILL BE SHOWN AS A CO-SPONSOR OF THOSE TWO ITEMS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, UH, $250 TOWARDS THE FEE WAIVER FOR ITEM 64 FOR THE ASTON ROUNDUP. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL TAKE HER MONEY. THANK YOU. UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT AND BIG ITEMS ON THIS AGENDA, SOME OF WHICH WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME, LIKE THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER. THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE. UM, AND I WANNA SPEAK THOUGH BRIEFLY TO TWO ITEMS. UM, I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE ITEM 17 ON THE AGENDA, WHICH INFLUENCED MY, MY COLLEAGUES' RESOLUTION EARLIER THIS YEAR TO ADD THE DIVERSITY AND CHAMBER DIVERSITY AND ETHNIC CHAMBER ALLIANCE, DECA SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY SUMMIT TO THE LIST OF CITY CO-SPONSORED EVENTS. THIS ACTION DEMONSTRATES OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO MAY FACE SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS WHEN IT COMES TO EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY. I WANNA HIGHLIGHT HOW CRUCIAL THE WORK OF DECA IS TO OUR SMALL BUSINESS LANDSCAPE AND HOW DECA PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE ENSURING THIS LANDSCAPE WILL THRIVE AND REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THE COMING MONTH OR SO, COLLEAGUES, UM, DECA WILL RELEASE THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC EQUITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN OR THE REED PLAN, AND I WANNA INVITE EACH OF YOU TO SUPPORT ITS SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION IN THE YEARS TO COME. SECOND, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, NUMBER 65. THIS IS AN ITEM THAT I SPONSOR TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND FUTURE PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE COLORADO RIVER WATERFRONT, ESPECIALLY, UM, BELOW THE LONGHORN DAM. THANK YOU TO MY CO-SPONSORS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, RYAN ALTER FUENTES AND VELASQUEZ EXPANDING PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE COLORADO RIVER THROUGH LAND ACQUISITION, PARKLAND DEDICATION AND TRAILS EASEMENTS IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM OUR PARKS, OUR FUTURE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION LONG RANGE PLAN. THE CITY OF AUSTIN ITSELF OWNS SEVERAL PROPERTIES ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER, AND THIS ITEM ALSO ASKS THE CITY TO PRIORITIZE ANALYSIS OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ON CITY OWNED LAND. THIS IS PART OF A LARGER EFFORT AND OTHER ACTIONS THAT'LL BE COMING TO COUNCIL RELATED TO THE AREAS ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER THAT ARE DOWNSTREAM OF THE LONGHORN DAM. AND I HOPE THAT THIS RESOLUTION HELPS TO CONTINUE THAT WORK. I'LL NOT BE HERE ON THE DIOCESE WHEN STAFF REPORTS BACK ON THIS ITEM NEXT YEAR, BUT I KNOW THAT THIS EFFORT WILL BE LEFT INCAPABLE HANDS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO, UH, UH, BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR TO, UH, ITEM, UH, NUMBER 66. WITHOUT OBJECTION, COUNCIL MEMBER VALA WILL BE SHOWN AS A CO-SPONSOR OF ITEM NUMBER 66. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, EXCUSE ME. AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES. YOU KNOW, AS I SIT UP HERE AT MY LAST COUNCIL MEETING OF MY TERM, UM, I'M REMINDED AGAIN OF SOMETHING I TALKED ABOUT ON TUESDAY, WHICH IS THE SPEED OF GOVERNMENT. AND ONE OF THE ITEMS HERE BEFORE US IS IN ORDINANCE. IT'S ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, RELATED TO, UM, POSTING SIGNAGE FOR SUICIDE AWARENESS AT ARCHERY RANGES AND GUN RANGES. AND THAT ITEM TOOK A YEAR TO COME BACK TO US, AND I WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR THEIR DILIGENT WORK ON THAT ITEM. UM, I KNOW THAT OFTENTIMES, EVEN PROBABLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE IN CHAMBERS, IT MAY FEEL LIKE GOVERNMENT IS REALLY SLOW, BUT IT'S, IT'S SLOW FOR A REASON. AND IT IS A GREAT HONOR TO BE HERE IN MY LAST COUNCIL MEETING TO APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE WITH THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES, TO BUTTON UP SOME OF THE GREAT WORK THAT WE DID OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. AND SO, I FIRMLY BELIEVE [01:10:01] IN OUR RIGHT TO OWN FIREARMS, AS MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS AN EXTRA STEP THAT WE CAN TAKE TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS THAN USING THOSE FIREARMS TO END THEIR LIVES. AND SO I'M, I'M GRATEFUL THAT THAT WILL PASS TODAY, AND I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR SUPPORT ON THAT ITEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. I APPRECIATE IT. UM, SPEAKING TO THE CONSENT AGENDA ON ITEM NUMBER 44, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE TWO NEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS JOINING THE RANKS OF OUR OVER 62 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS GET TO DIRECTLY IMPACT WHAT COUNCIL MEMBERS DO BY WAY OF THEM WEIGHING IN ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. SO THANK YOU AND WELCOME. UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE, CATALINA BERRY AND JODY MO SIKA. UM, THE CDC IS CALLED THE ROSEWOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. THAT'S, UH, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE MILLENNIUM YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX, WHICH MIGHT SOUND MORE FAMILIAR TO FOLKS. ITEM NUMBER 61 IS A PART OF A SUITE OF CONSIDERATIONS, UM, REGARDING SUCCESSION PLANNING AND AN INITIATIVE THAT TEAM D ONE BROUGHT FORWARD EARLIER THIS YEAR. UM, AS SOME OF MY OUTGOING COLLEAGUES CAN MOST ESPECIALLY ATTEST TO. FOUR YEARS GOES BY FAST. AND IF WHAT YOU'RE DOING AS A NEW MEMBER OF COUNCIL IS SPENDING YOUR FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS GETTING ACCLIMATED, FIGURING OUT WHAT IT IS THAT YOU NEED IN A STAFF, THEN OUR CONSTITUENTS LOSE THAT TWO YEARS, FRANKLY, UM, BY WAY OF HAVING AN EFFECTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO'S READY ON DAY ONE. UH, IT IS MY ABSOLUTE OPINION, AND BY WAY OF BEST PRACTICES THAT, UM, A CONCERTED EFFORT AND REAL STRATEGIC SUCCESSION PLANNING PROTOCOL CAN HELP TO GET COUNCIL MEMBERS READY FASTER. UM, IF WE ARE DOING THIS RIGHT, THEN THIS BODY CONSISTS OF A DIVERSE GROUP OF FOLKS, UM, WITH DIVERSE LIVED EXPERIENCES, AND NOT EVERYBODY'S GONNA COME IN, YOU KNOW, HAVING PREPARED TO SERVE ON AN ELECTED BODY DAY ONE. AND WE DON'T WANT THEM TO, FRANKLY, UM, THEY DON'T REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY IF THAT'S THE CASE. THAT SAID, DISCONTINUING EDUCATION AND COLLEGE CREDIT FOR KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED ITEM THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD, UM, IS AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE FOLKS COMING IN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY BY WAY OF THE UNIQUE SET OF SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ACQUIRE HERE IN THE COPPER BUILDING. UM, AND SERVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, IS MET WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE YOUR DEGREE OR, OR RECEIVE ONE FOR THE FIRST TIME. UM, IN THEORY, A COUNCIL MEMBER CAN COME IN, YOU KNOW, ON DAY ONE AND, AND LEAVE THIS ROLE, UH, WITH A DEGREE OF SOME SORT, UM, WHICH I THINK IS BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE ONE OF THE NATION'S HBCU AND HOUSTON TILTON UNIVERSITY, AUSTIN'S OLDEST INSTITUTION FOR EDUCATION IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ALSO ONE OF THE HIGHEST RANKING PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES, AND SO MANY MORE EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS WITHIN AUSTIN CITY LIMITS. IT IS MY HOPE WITH THIS INITIATIVE THAT CITY LEADERS, CITY EMPLOYEES, MEMBERS OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO FURTHER THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, UM, SO THAT WE NOT ONLY RETAIN OUR TALENTED WORKFORCE, BUT ALSO EMPOWER THEM, UH, BY EQUIPPING OUR, OUR STAFF, UM, AND COMMISSIONERS AND LEADERS WITH MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. WE'RE SETTING UP OUR CITY FOR EVEN GREATER SUCCESS, UM, AROUND OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES. SO, THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW SPONSORS AND OUR EDUCATION PARTNERS WHO HAVE WORKED WITH MY OFFICE AND THE CITY MANAGER TO MOVE THIS ITEM FORWARD. AGAIN, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, AND TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND EVERYBODY WHO'S WORKING TOWARDS, UH, REAL COMPREHENSIVE, UM, THOUGHTFUL APPROACHES TO SUCCESSION PLANNING. I THINK IT'S, IT'S CRITICAL IN NATURE. UM, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ON ITEM NUMBER 66, I WANNA EXTEND MY SINCERE APPRECIATION TO THE ADVOCATES FOR COMING OUT TODAY AND TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM. A NUMBER OF THEM PROVIDED REALLY HELPFUL FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS AS WE WORKED WITH OUR CO-SPONSORS TO, TO DRAFT THIS ITEM. UH, THE SOUTH MOPAC PROJECT OVERLAPS MANY AREAS OF DISTRICT EIGHT THAT ARE PART OF THE PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM, THE YBC TRAIL, VIOLET CROWN TRAIL, SOUTH AUSTIN TRAIL NETWORK, AND MANY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROJECTS AND OTHER MULTIMODAL OPTIONS. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE LEVERAGE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. UM, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED BY AUSTIN VOTERS AND ARE USED BY PEOPLE EVERY DAY IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN. THE RMA DOES HAVE SOURCES OF FUNDING AVAILABLE THAT I BELIEVE ARE MORE CREATIVE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY THAN WHAT YOU TYPICALLY SEE FOR HIGHWAY PROJECTS. THEY CARE A LOT ABOUT SHARED USE PATHWAYS AND HAVE BEEN REALLY RECEPTIVE TO TALKING TO ME IN MY OFFICE AND, UM, HEARING OUR FEEDBACK ALONG THE WAY [01:15:01] ON, ON THIS PROJECT. UM, BUT WE DO NEED THEM TO BE MINDFUL OF THE IMPACTS OF INDUCING MORE TRAFFIC AND THESE SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS. UM, THERE, I KNOW A ISD, IT WAS MENTIONED BY ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS THAT THEY HAVE, UM, A VESTED INTEREST IN AS WELL IN TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE SCHOOL TRAFFIC PATTERNS AND SOME OF THE OTHER MOBILITY ISSUES THAT HAPPEN WITH A ISD ARE GONNA BE FULLY ADDRESSED, UM, THROUGH THIS PROJECT. AND SO I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TODAY TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT. I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THIS RESOLUTION APPEARS THAT IT WILL PASS. UM, AND I WANNA THANK MY CO-SPONSORS FOR THEIR INPUT AS WELL. AND THAT'S RYAN ALTER. ALLISON ALTER, ZOE CADRY, JOSE VELASQUEZ, AND NOW CHIEF VELA APPRECIATE YOU, UH, JUMPING IN AS CO-SPONSOR. AND I ALSO WANTED TO ADD SOME OF THE FEE WAIVER DOLLARS. I BELIEVE ITEM NUMBER 64 HAS ONLY $110 LEFT SINCE ALISON ALTER ADDED SOME FUNDS TO THAT FEE WAIVER. SO I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IN THAT REMAINING AMOUNT, AND THEN I'LL JUST MATCH IT FOR ITEM 63. I KNOW THEY HAVE MORE MONEY THEY NEED, UM, THAN WE HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE, BUT THAT $110 SHOULD HOPEFULLY HELP THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE. UM, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT, MAYOR. THANK YOU. GREAT, THANK YOU. AND WITHOUT OBJECTION, UM, THE, THE MONEY WILL BE ADDED FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS ON THOSE TWO ITEMS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER. GREAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON AND ITEM 61. UH, I REMEMBER RIGHT WHEN I GOT ELECTED, UH, WE HAD A DISCUSSION IN ABOUT THIS CONCEPT, UH, THAT YOU BROUGHT UP. UH, SO I, I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON IT, AND I'D LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A, AS A CO-SPONSOR. WITH THAT OBJECTION, COUNCIL MEMBER ERY WILL BE SHOWN AS A CO-SPONSOR OF ITEM NUMBER 61. THAT'LL TAKE US TO COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. SORRY, I WAS JUST GONNA SCREAM ON, I MEAN, 'CAUSE I KNOW THEY CAN HEAR ME EVEN WITHOUT MY MIC ON . UH, UH, ON ITEM 63, I WANTED TO TAKE A QUICK SECOND TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO MY DEAR FRIEND CO UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, UH, FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD AND BRINGING ME ON AS A CO-SPONSOR. ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, UM, SHOUT OUT TO MY OOLG FAMILY ARE INTEGRAL TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THE HA MICAH THAT WE'RE SPONSORING TODAY IS A LONGSTANDING EAST AUSTIN TRADITION, UH, THAT FOSTERS COMMUNITY, SPIRIT, CULTURAL HERITAGE, AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. UH, I KNOW WE SEE FEE WAIVERS LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME ON THIS DAIS EVERY UH, EVERY COUNCIL MEETING. AND I'M THANKFUL THAT THE CITY HAS THAT. WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, REDUCE FINANCIAL BURDENS ON LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. ANY CHANCE WE GET TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THESE IS A BENEFIT TO OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. AND I'M APPRECIATIVE FOR COUNCIL FOR THE THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION ON THESE MEASURES THAT STRENGTHENED COMMUNITY TIES. ON ITEM 65, I WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE AT CITY HALL ON TUESDAY, AS Y'ALL RECALL. UH, THE CEDAR WAS BEATING ME UP A BIT. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, NOT ONLY FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, FORWARD, BUT FOR HER TIRELESS DEDICATION TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND PARTICULARLY OUR OUTDOOR SPACES. UM, I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION THAT SEEKS TO IMPROVE ACCESS FOR MORE AUSTINITES TO ENJOY, CELEBRATE, AND PROTECT OUR LOCAL NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. AND FINALLY, UH, ITEM 67, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE OTHER JOSE ON THE DAAS COUNCIL MEMBER VELA AND HIS TEAM FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD AND GIVING DISTRICT THREE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO COLLABORATE AND SUPPORT IT. I KNOW OUR COLLEAGUES AT RALLY AUSTIN HAVE BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME TO GET GOING ON THIS. UM, AND THEY'RE VALUED PARTNERS AND DO AMAZING, AMAZING WORK. WE ALL KNOW THAT, UH, THAT AFFORDABLE EXHIBITION PERFORMANCE AND WORKSPACE FOR ARTISTS IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND, UH, AND KEEP AND HOLD ONTO. SO I'M THANKFUL THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE ON THIS AND OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR THOSE NEEDS TO BE MET. UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW OUR, UH, TALENTED LOCAL CREATIVES USE IT, UM, TO COME AND, AND ENRICH THE CULTURE HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I JUST ALSO WANTED TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR TO ITEM 67. COUNCIL MEMBER BAYLIS ITEM WITHOUT OBJECTION, COUNCILMAN RYAN ALT ALTER WILL BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR OF ITEM NUMBER 67. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. UH, MEMBERS, THAT APPEARS TO BE ALL OF THE DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. UH, THE MOTION WAS MADE AND SECONDED. LET ME ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WISHES TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING FROM A VOTE ON AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO SHOW RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. I, I WAS WAITING TILL YOU GOT TO KNOW. OH, OKAY. I JUST SAW YOU HIT YOUR LIGHT. SO, UM, UH, IT MAY BE THE LAST MEETING, BUT SHE'S STILL, IT'S FAST HITTING THAT LIGHT. . UH, AND SO, WE'LL, I'LL GO TO THE, TO THE NOSE. I HAD CONSIDERED VOTING NO ON SEVERAL ITEMS ON THIS AGENDA, BUT AS IT'S MY LAST MEETING IN GOOD FAITH AND GOODWILL, I WILL BE VOTING YES ON EVERY ITEM. OH, HO HO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON [01:20:01] AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS THE MOTION WAS MADE AND SECONDED. THAT BEING THE CASE, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED. MEMBERS, UH, I WILL, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL RECESS THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT 11:21 AM UH, SO [10:30 AM - Austin Housing Finance Corporation Meeting] THAT WE CAN TAKE UP THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING. I'LL CALL TO ORDER THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING FOR DECEMBER 12TH, 2024. IT IS 11:21 AM WE ARE MEETING IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF AUSTIN CITY HALL AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, AND WE HAVE ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UH, MEMBERS. WE HAVE 13 ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, AND I'LL LOOK TO THE STAFF, UH, FOR A PRESENTATION. UH, GOOD MORNING, MR. PRESIDENT MADAM VICE PRESIDENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS. MY NAME IS JAMES MAY, I'M THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER. HANG ON ONE SECOND, MR. MAY. IF YOU'RE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, PLEASE HOLD DOWN YOUR CONVERSATIONS, UH, AND TAKE THOSE OUTSIDE IF YOU DON'T MIND. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. FRANKLY, EVEN IF YOU DO MIND, PLEASE TAKE THEM OUTSIDE. , UH, MR. MAY, IT'S ALL YOURS. THANK YOU, SIR. UH, IN YOUR AGENDA TODAY, YOU DO HAVE 13 ITEMS LISTED. HOWEVER, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT ITEM TWO HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN AND ITEM EIGHT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL JANUARY 30TH. WE WILL PROBABLY BRING BOTH OF THOSE FACTS SHORTLY. WE JUST WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO WORK ON 'EM. GREAT. THANK YOU. TO REVIEW YOUR AGENDA TODAY, UH, WE HAVE YOUR, THE MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 26TH, OCTOBER 10TH, AND OCTOBER 24TH MEETINGS OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS. WE ALSO HAVE, UH, THE EXECUTION, THE AUTHORIZATION OF A LOAN FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM AGREEMENT TO OBTAIN $2 MILLION LOAN FROM THE FOR FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OF DALLAS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT KNOWN AS THE R UH, LOCATED AT OR NEAR 34 35 PARKER LANE. THIS ITEM HAS NO FISCAL IMPACT. WE'RE JUST SIMPLY COLLECTING THE MONEY FROM FHLB AND THEN PUSHING IT BACK OUT TO THE RAWS. UH, WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO AUTHORIZE AN NET LOAN AGREEMENT, UH, WITH KAREN POINT MONTOPOLIS FOR AN AMOUNT OF $2 MILLION FOR A TOTAL LOAN AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED $8 MILLION FOR A MULTI-FAMILY RENTAL DEVELOPMENT KNOWN AS CARE POINT MONTOPOLIS LOCATED AT OR NEAR 10 13 MONTOPOLIS DRIVE. WE WOULD LIKE TO AUTHORIZE A LOAN AGREEMENT WITH TEXAS CLAYTON, 2024 LTD, UH, NOT TO EXCEED $7,950,000 FOR A MULTIFAMILY RENTAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, KNOWN AS CAMERON HIGHLINE. LOCATED AT OUR NEAR 1124 CLAYTON LANE. WE'D LIKE TO AUTHORIZE A LOAN AGREEMENT WITH GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UH, FOR A LOAN NOT TO EXCEED 3,000,008 $83,400 FOR AN OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT KNOWN AS JOHNNY LIMON VILLAGE. LOCATED AT 800 GARDNER ROAD. WE'D LIKE TO GRANT IN FEE SIMPLE LOT TWO BLOCK A 900 GARDNER, UH, TO THE, UH, GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UH, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 27 AFFORDABLE UNITS, OWNERSHIP UNITS. AGAIN, ITEM NUMBER EIGHT HAS BEEN POSTPONED. UH, ITEM NUMBER NINE, TO, UH, EXECUTE A LOAN AGREEMENT WITH 8 3 0 1 RIVERSTONE LP IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $720,000 FOR AN OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT KNOWN AS 8 3 0 1 RIVERSTONE LOCATED AT OR NEAR 8 3 0 1 RIVERSTONE DRIVE. WE WOULD LIKE TO AMEND A LOAN AGREEMENT WITH, UH, CAPITAL A AT MENCHACA, UH, TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL $525,000 FOR A LOAN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,908,000 $480 FOR AN OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT KNOWN AS 7 3 3 1 MENCHACA TOWN HOMES LOCATED AT OR NEAR 7 3 3 1 MINKA ROAD. UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXECUTE A LOAN AGREEMENT WITH AUSTIN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1.2 MILLION FOR AN OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT KNOWN AS PROSPECT HEIGHTS LOCATED NEAR 1142 POQUITO STREET. WE'D LIKE TO EXECUTE A LOAN AGREEMENT, UH, WITH TEXAS STATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION, UH, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2 MILLION FOR AN OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT KNOWN AS MOON TOWER FLATS, LOCATED NEAR 1910 EAST MLK BOULEVARD. AND FINALLY, WE'D LIKE TO EXECUTE A LOAN AGREEMENT WITH ASPIRE AT BIG AUSTIN LP, UH, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $8,755,000 FOR A MULTIFAMILY RENTAL DEVELOPMENT TO BE KNOWN AS ASPIRE AT BIG AUSTIN, LOCATED AT OR NEAR 1000 EAST BREAKER LANE. AND I OFFER ALL 11 OF THESE ITEMS ON CONSENT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION MEMBERS. IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF ON THESE 11 ITEMS? ALRIGHT, REMEMBER FOR THE MOTION THAT I'M GETTING YOU TO ASK FOR THAT, ITEM NUMBER TWO HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN AND ITEM NUMBER EIGHT HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO JANUARY 30TH, 2025. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ? COUNSEL, UH, BOARD MEMBER CADRE MAKES THE MOTION SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER HARPER MADISON, UH, DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA IS READ. IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO ABSTAIN FROM ANY OF THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? [01:25:02] ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? MEMBERS WITHOUT FURTHER DISCUSSION, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION MAY, I'M SORRY. WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE A FEW SPEAKERS. OH, WELL THAT, THAT WORKS TOO. LET'S GO TO THOSE . ALRIGHT, SORRY ABOUT THAT. NO, THAT'S FINE. WE HAVE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE CHASE W RIGHT ON ITEM SIX. CHASE WRIGHT. CHASE WRIGHT. CHASE WRIGHT. OKAY. AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE WE ALSO HAVE IKA ARNOLD ON ITEM. LET'S SEE. NO, WE HAVE OPIA JOSEPH. SO GIMME ONE MOMENT. LET ME ALLOW HER TO SPEAK. MS. JOSEPH. THANK YOU MAYOR SLASH SORRY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU MAYOR. DIRECTORS MEMBERS. I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH. MY OPPOSITION IS TO ITEM 13. THAT IS A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PROJECT. YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO FUND THE 8.75 MILLION TODAY. 1000 EAST BREAKER LANE THAT IN DISTRICT ONE, DISAPPOINTED WITH NATASHA HARPER MADISON. THIS IS ACTUALLY CREATING A GHETTO 368 UNITS ON ROUTE 3 92 FOR CONTEXT, JANUARY 9TH, 2017. COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER WAS SWORN IN, AND THIS IS WHEN I TESTIFIED AT CAPITOL METRO, AND SHE DID TOO. I TESTIFIED BECAUSE THEY WERE TRYING TO GET RID OF ROUTE 3 92. THAT ROUTE HAS BEEN SAVED, BUT THE FREQUENCY IS NOT THERE. IT'S ON A 40 MINUTE, 45 MINUTE HEADWAY. AND WHEN THE BUS GETS CANCELED, PEOPLE ARE SITTING THERE WAITING OVER AN HOUR FOR THE BUS TRYING TO GET TO WORK. I WANNA REMIND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER THAT SHE ACTUALLY CHAMPIONED THE EQUITY PLAN, BUT SHE'S SILENT WHEN IT COMES TO RAISING THE LAND. THIS IS DENSE FORESTRY AND ALL THE TREES ARE BEING KNOCKED DOWN. SO YOU'RE CREATING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. AN EQUITY PLAN IS NOT JUST FOR WEST AUSTIN. YOU SHOULD SPEAK OUT WHEN THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON IN EAST AUSTIN TOO. SPECIFICALLY, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE HOSTILE ARCHITECTURE, THE DEFENSIVE DESIGN THAT WE HAVE THERE IN THE EAST SIDE OF 35 REIFYING, THE 1928 CITY PLAN. THERE ARE NO SHELTERS. IF YOU CONTINUE ON ROUTE 3 92, YOU'LL RECOGNIZE RIGHT THERE AT THE INTERSECTION OF THIS DEVELOPMENT, OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AT COLLINWOOD LOST THEIR BUS SERVICE IN 2018. AND THOSE THAT RBJ ENJOYED TWO BUS ROUTES 3 22 AND THEY HAVE A MONDAY BUS 4 93 TOO. I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU CONTINUE ON ROUTE 3 92 INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE ARE THREE SCHOOLS IN THIS AREA AT YEAGER AND TECH RIDGE BOULEVARD, OVER 2000 UNITS AND NO BUS STOP SHELTER. AND REALLY THERE. THANK YOU MS. JOSEPH CHARTER. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO FUND IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS MEMBERS. THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT WERE SIGNED UP ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'VE PREVIOUSLY ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY ABSTENTIONS, RECUSALS OR NO VOTES, AND IF THERE WAS ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION. THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION IS ADOPTED. MEMBERS WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR DECEMBER 12TH, 2024 AT 11:29 AM I'LL NOW CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH WAS IN RECESS SO THAT WE COULD CONDUCT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. WE WILL NOW GO TO THE POOLED ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. UM, MEMBERS, IT'S 1130. WE HAVE A 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. SO, UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WHAT WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST WE DO IS WE TAKE UP ITEMS 38 AND 57 AND THEN TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER TWO SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONCENTRATED, UH, WORK ON THE, UH, THE GENERATION PLAN AND NOT BREAK IT UP, YOU KNOW, BY OVER AN HOUR. SO WITH THAT, I WILL CALL [38. Approve a resolution adopting the City’s State Legislative Agenda for the 89th Texas Legislative Session. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] UP ITEM NUMBER 38. UM, I'M, I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA AND COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA FIRST, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT PULLED THE ITEM. WHAT I'LL DO IS, AS SOON AS THEY'VE MADE COMMENTS ABOUT THE POOLING OF THE ITEM IS THEN SEEK AN AMENDMENT ON THE ITEM. I'M SORRY, SEEK A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEM. AND THEN I ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE AN OFFER OF AN AMENDMENT. SO, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO, UH, DAYLIGHT THIS, UH, AMENDMENT. IT ESSENTIALLY WOULD SUPPORT LEGISLATION [01:30:01] THAT WOULD ADD A RIDER MEMBER TO THE, UH, CAPITOL METRO BOARD. IT'S, UH, DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING, UH, AT CAPITOL METRO. UH, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED A LITTLE MORE PROCESS ON THIS AND, UH, MORE DISCUSSION WITH, UH, CAPITAL METRO, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET FOLKS KNOW THAT, THAT THIS IS, UH, UNDER DISCUSSION AND I DO HOPE TO ADD A, UH, A WRITER MEMBER IN SOME CAPACITY TO THE BOARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT IN PERSON KIND OF STREET EXPERIENCE, UH, ABLE TO ADVISE US AS WE MAKE, UH, POLICY DECISIONS ON THE BOARD. UH, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ON THIS OVER THE NEXT, UH, MONTH OR SO. UH, BUT I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND PULL THE AMENDMENT FOR NOW. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK NOW OR WAIT TILL YOU OFFER YOUR AMENDMENT? UH, I'LL WAIT UNTIL I AFFIRM. OKAY. IN THAT CASE, COUNCIL VELA, UH, CAN I RECOGNIZE YOU WITH YOUR COMMENTS AND HAVING PULLED THE ITEM TO MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 38, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, WILL YOU MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 38. SO MOVED. UH, MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS. UH, WE DO HAVE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM. SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS NOW ASK FOR THE CLERK TO CALL UP THE SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 38. AND THEN WE WILL GO TO ANY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS, ALEXANDER STRANGER AND WILLIAM BUNCH. ARE EITHER OF YOU HERE, MR. BUNCH? ARE YOU GONNA SPEAK MR. BUNCH? ARE YOU COMING FORWARD? OKAY. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR SERVICE. BILL BUNCH, UH, DISTRICT FIVE. UM, I, I MOSTLY SUPPORT YOUR, UH, STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, UM, ESPECIALLY OF COURSE, UM, YOUR, UH, REPEATED STATEMENTS HERE TO DEFEND OUR LOCAL HOME RULE CONTROL, UH, ESPECIALLY IN PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR WATER, UH, OUR WILDLIFE, UH, MANAGING LAND USE, AND TRANSPORTATION. UM, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THOUGH, AND PERHAPS OBJECT TO ONE STATEMENT. THIS IS, UH, AT THE TOP OF YOUR SECTION ON TAX REFORM AND DEBT ISSUANCE. UM, AND IT BASICALLY CALLS FOR PROTECTING YOUR AUTHORITY AS LOCAL OFFICIALS FOR MANAGING REVENUE, REVENUE EXPANSION, AND, UH, EXPENDITURES. UM, Y'ALL HAVE GOTTEN WAY TOO, UH, LIBERAL WITH APPROVING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF DEBT WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL. UM, I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE ARGUMENTS, UH, AND SOME OF THEM ARE GOOD. THAT STATE LAW NOW LETS YOU IGNORE OUR CITY CHARTER. THAT, UH, THAT CITY CHARTER REQUIRES YOU TO PUT DEBT FINANCING OF LARGE PROJECTS ON THE BALLOT FOR VOTERS TO CONSIDER AND APPROVE. UM, AND EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT ARGUE, AND THE STATE LAW LAW MIGHT ALLOW YOU, UH, TO NOT DO THAT, YOU REALLY SHOULD, AS A MATTER OF GOOD PUBLIC POLICY, UM, THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF DEBT YOU'RE PILING UP FOR PROJECTS THAT WE DON'T NEED THAT ARE EVEN HARMFUL OR THAT WE DON'T NEED RIGHT NOW. AND I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT ONE, YOUR $1.1 BILLION APPROVAL FOR EXPANDING THE WALNUT TREAT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE APPROVED ANYTIME SOON AND SHOULD GO TO THE VOTERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BUNCH. MAYOR, ALL SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN CALLED FOR THIS ITEM MEMBERS. THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 38. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM NUMBER 38. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER, CADRE MEMBERS, YOU HAVE A YELLOW SHEET IN FRONT OF YOU, WHICH IS A, UH, PROPOSED MOTION TO AMEND ITEM NUMBER 38. AND I RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE TO DISCUSS, UH, AND MOVE APPROVAL OF HIS AMENDMENT. GREAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, TO, TO PREPARE TO ADOPT OUR CITY'S STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, OUR OFFICE REVIEWED THE BILLS PRE-FILED BY MEMBERS OF OUR LOCAL DELEGATION TO FIND LEGISLATION THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR VALUES THAT WEREN'T ALREADY COVERED BY THE AGENDA. AND I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT MANY OF OUR PRIORITIES ALREADY ALIGNED. UH, BUT WE IDENTIFIED THREE GOOD BILLS THAT FELL OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THE CURRENT AGENDA. UH, AND THOSE WERE SENATE BILL 73 BY SENATOR JUDITH ZINI, HOUSE BILL 4 46 BY REPRESENTATIVE LULU FLORES AND HOUSE BILL 10 99, UH, BY MY STATE REP, UH, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CHERYL COLE. UH, THESE BILLS [01:35:01] PROVIDE GREATER TRANSPARENCY INTO UNFUNDED MANDATES PASSED BY THE STATE AND PROTECTIONS AGAINST EXTREME HEAT FOR WORKERS AND TENANTS RESPECTIVELY. UH, AND THIS AMENDMENT MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN NOW ADVOCATE FOR THESE ISSUES TO, UH, THE STATE CAPITAL. AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK CARRIE AND HER TEAM, UH, RICK AND ALLISON, WHO WERE ON A CALL WITH US VERY LATE LAST NIGHT. UH, SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S, UH, INSIGHT. AND WITH THAT, I MOVE TO MOVE, UH, WHAT I THINK IS A GREAT AMENDMENT. , UH, WELL THAT PROBABLY GETS A DEBATE NOW. UM, NO COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MOVES APPROVAL OF THE MOTION TO AMEND ITEM NUMBER 38 CADRE MOTION TO AMEND. IT'S SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM. IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO AMEND DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO AMEND WITHOUT OBJECTION. UH, CADRE. MOTION TO AMEND ITEM NUMBER 38 IS ADOPTED. THAT WILL TAKE US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER 38 AS AMENDED, UH, BY THE CADRE AMENDMENT. IS THERE DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 38 AS AMENDED WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 38 AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED. UM, THAT WILL TAKE [57. Approve a resolution authorizing the submittal of potential transportation projects as candidates for the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Alternative Set-Aside and Carbon Reduction Program Call for Projects. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] US NOW TO ITEM NUMBER 57. AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS AS THE PERSON WHO PULLED ITEM NUMBER 57 TO DISCUSS ITEM NUMBER 57. AND WE WILL TREAT THAT THE SAME WAY. IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S A MOTION TO AMEND, WE WILL TAKE A MO GET A MAIN MOTION, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO A MOTION TO AMEND. COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THERE'S NO MOTION TO AMEND. I JUST WANTED TO HAVE A BRIEF DIALOGUE WITH SOMEONE FROM TRANSPORTATION. I DUNNO IF THAT'S DIRECTOR MENDOZA OR ANOTHER. I SEE DIRECTOR MENDOZA COMING UP. YEP. HE'S MOVING, BUT HE'S IN CONGESTION. WE HAVE A FULL AUDIENCE TODAY GETTING, HE'S GETTING PAST THE CONGESTION. OH, NOW HE'S FREE. FORGOT MY CLICKER. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. COME ON. I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY DISCUSS THE, UM, THERE IS A REVISED MEMO THAT WE ALL RECEIVED. UM, I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, UH, DOLLARS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO BRING DOWN FROM CAMPO. AND CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE, THE, THE RED LINES THAT ARE PUT ON THIS ONE? THE COUPLE OF PROJECTS THAT WERE ADDED TO THE MEMO, THE JOHNNY MORRIS AND THE OAK HILL MENCHACA ADDITIONS. YES, MA'AM. AND SO, UM, RICHARD MENDOZA, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THIS GRANT, UH, APPLICATION WITH CAMPO. SO THIS IS THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES, UM, TASSA GRANT CALL, AS WELL AS THE NEW PROGRAM CARBON REDUCTION. AND INITIALLY WHEN WE EVALUATED THE SCORING CRITERIA THAT CAMPO PUT FORTH, WE PUT TOGETHER WHAT WE FELT WOULD BE THE STRONGEST HIGHEST SCORING PROJECTS. AND THIS YEAR THEY CHANGED THE CRITERIA SOMEWHAT, AND THEY WERE GIVEN HIGHER PRIORITY TO EITHER DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION. IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN PROJECTS, UH, THEY ARE LOOKING FOR PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN VETTED THROUGH, UM, A VALIDITY PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE CONSTRUCTABLE. UH, IN THE PAST THEY'VE AWARDED, UH, PROJECTS THAT HAVE THEN ENCOUNTERED, UH, ISSUES OUT IN THE FIELD AND HAVE TAKEN A LONG TIME TO IMPLEMENT. SO THEY'RE LOOKING TO MOVE THE DOLLARS A LOT QUICKER. UH, IN CONSTRUCTION, OF COURSE, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SHOVEL READY, UH, PROJECTS. THIS PROGRAM REGIONWIDE, IS ABOUT 68 MILLION. SO THERE'S NOT A GREAT NUMBER OF, UH, FUNDS AVAILABLE ACROSS THE PARTICIPATING AGENCIES. UH, BUT WE FELT THAT A 20 MILLION NUMBER WAS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SIZE OF AUSTIN AND A FAIR CONTRIBUTOR. INITIALLY, UH, WE PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSED LIST OF PROJECTS, UH, UH, AROUND THE SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION FOR THE BUS, RAPID TRANSIT ROUTES THAT HAVE, ARE FURTHER ALONG IN DESIGN AND, UM, UH, I GUESS, UH, SCOPING. AND, UH, THOSE WERE THE, UH, I BELIEVE THE, THE, THE, THE DECKER, UH, BUS RAPID TRANSIT ROUTE, AS WELL AS THE ONE DOWN, UH, PLEASANT VALLEY. UH, THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT ROUTES THAT ARE PLANNED FOR SOUTH MANCHACA OUT TO OAK HILL Y ARE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND IN DEVELOPMENT. UH, HOWEVER, UH, WHEN WE RE-LOOKED AT THAT AND THEN DISCUSSING, UH, WITH MY TECHNICAL STAFF, I FELT THAT WE COULD HAVE THEM IN A GOOD PLACE, UH, TO BE COMPETITIVE. SO THE RED LINES UNDERNEATH THE SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS ARE GOING TO CAPTURE THE MANCHACA AND OAK HILL, UH, PLAN BUS RAPID TRANSIT ROUTES IN TERMS OF THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL. UH, SIMILARLY, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE EITHER BEEN VETTED FOR FEASIBILITY OR READY TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION. THERE'S ALSO ADDITIONAL CRITERIA IN THERE THAT SCORES HIGHER FOR, UH, AREAS WITHIN THE CITY THAT ARE, UH, HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED WITH THE EQUITY COMPONENT. MM-HMM . AND SO FOR THAT, UH, REASON THE PROPOSED SET OF PROJECTS WE HAVE PRIMARILY IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT OF THE CITY, UM, BUT THAT DOES [01:40:01] NOT, WHAT THAT DOES IS IF WE'RE SUCCESSFULLY ABLE TO, UH, SUPPLEMENT FUNDING FOR THOSE AREAS, THAT FREES UP FUNDING FOR THE REST OF THE CITY. AND THE MATCHING FUNDS WILL COME FROM PRIOR, UH, BONDS. UH, IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BARBARA JORDAN SCHOOL, UH, I UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WAS ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAFE ROUTES IMPROVEMENTS BEYOND JUST WHAT WE ORIGINALLY PRESENTED AS SIDEWALKS. UH, WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE PARTNERING WITH AUSTIN WATER ON A WATERLINE REPLACEMENT ON JOHNNY MORRIS, AND WE CAN TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THE ROADWAY AND PUT MUCH NEEDED SIDEWALK INFRASTRUCTURE THERE. UH, THE MISSING PARTS OF THAT WERE A PHB AND CROSSWALK IMPROVEMENT, WHICH WOULD BE PERFECT CANDIDATES FOR THIS TYPE OF FUNDING. AND FOR THAT REASON, I, UH, AMENDED THE MEMO TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE THOSE SCOPE ITEMS AS PART OF THE BARBARA JORDAN SAFE ROSS SCHOOL PROJECT. I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I KNOW IN PARTICULAR WITH THE OAK HILL RAPID LINE, THERE IS HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION CURRENTLY HAPPENING, AND SO OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DIALOGUE AROUND WHEN IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, SOME OF THOSE FINER DETAILS AND SCHEMATICS AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW, UM, OF RAPID LINE AND A HIGHWAY EXPANSION PROJECT CAN, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THEY WORK TOGETHER? HOW DO THEY CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER AT DIFFERENT TIMES? UM, I DO THINK THE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE SETASIDE PROGRAM AND CARBON REDUCTION PROGRAM ARE, UM, THEY'RE EXTREMELY USEFUL. UM, AS WE'VE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS TODAY, IT'S HOW, HOW MANY DOLLARS DOES THE CITY HAVE TO ALLOCATE FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND HOW CAN WE BEST LEVERAGE DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING IN FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL FOR THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS? UM, AND I THINK THE TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATION, AS IT'S BEEN OPERATING FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, HAVE BEEN REALLY CREATIVE WITH THINGS LIKE VISION ZERO AND SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, UM, I KNOW I'VE ALWAYS ADVOCATED TRYING TO PULL THOSE DOLLARS DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN STRETCH, STRETCH OUR TAX DOLLARS FURTHER AND FURTHER EVERY YEAR TO BEST SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO I, I APPRECIATE THESE BEING ADDED IN AND JUST WANTED TO KINDA HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I KNOW, UM, I DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY ASK ABOUT JOHNNY MORRIS, BUT I THINK IT HAD TRIGGERED SOMETHING IN ANOTHER PROJECT THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE. AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE, UM, Y'ALL BEING CREATIVE AND TRYING TO BRING THOSE DOLLARS DOWN FOR US. CERTAINLY. GREAT. THANK, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES. THANK YOU. UM, DIRECTOR MENDOZA, SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, ON THE GRANT APPLICATION SUBMISSION, YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE RAPID LINES THAT ARE GONNA BE INCLUDED, INCLUDING, UH, RAPID LINE 800, OUR PLEASANT VALLEY LINE, WHICH IS A, A BRAND NEW LINE, UH, OR WILL HAVE ENHANCEMENTS THAT OPENS UP NEXT YEAR. ARE THOSE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED IN AND PRIORITIZED? LIKE WILL WE HAVE THOSE FULLY FUNDED WITH THE SIGNAL AND THE, UH, THE CAMERA ENHANCEMENTS? SO THIS FUNDING WILL PROVIDE, UH, SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING TO PROVIDE, WE'RE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A TP OR WITH CAP METRO TO AFFECT THE, UH, TRANSIT PRIORITIZATION WITHIN OUR SIGNAL NETWORK, AND THEN TIE THAT INTO OUR, OUR MOBILITY, UH, MANAGEMENT CENTER. SO WITH THIS FUNDING, THAT'LL HELP MOVE THAT, UH, FURTHER ALONG TO COMPLETION. OKAY. BUT WE'RE ENSURING THAT, THAT THESE RAPID LINES ARE ALREADY IN PROGRESS. YES. THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THE FULL ENHANCEMENTS, PRIORITIZE AND INCLUDED, AND THEN IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL FUNDS AVAILABLE, THEN WE BRING IN THE OAK HILL MACHACA LINE. IS THAT RIGHT? SO I EXPECT THAT RIGHT NOW, THE FUNDING THAT WE'RE GONNA REQUEST IS, UH, IS A PRELIMINARY, UH, ESTIMATE. AND AS WE, OUR TECHNICAL STAFF EVALUATE EACH ONE OF THESE SPECIFIC INTERSECTIONS MM-HMM . WE'LL HAVE AVAILABLE FUNDING BETWEEN THAT AND OUR MATCH TO MEET THESE, ALL THESE CORRIDORS LISTED ON THE APPLICATION. OKAY. SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS CORRECTLY, ALL THREE METRO RAPID LINES WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE GRANT APPLICATION. THAT IS TRUE TO THE MPO. UH, WE'RE NOT CER CLEAR OR CERTAIN TO THE EXTENT THAT THESE DOLLARS WILL BE UTILIZED TO FUND. AND MY, MY PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THIS IS THE PLEASANT VALLEY LINE CONNECTING OUR EAST SIDE COMMUNITIES THAT IT'S NOT, WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'LL BE FULLY COVERED. WE EXPECT THAT IT WILL COUNCIL MEMBER WITH THIS GRANT FUNDING, AND WE ALSO HAVE PRIOR BOND FUNDING FOR INTERSECTION, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH CAP METRO ON. OKAY. BUT THERE, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE, UH, THE ENGINEERING AND COST ESTIMATES. EACH INTERSECTION IS UNIQUE AND IT'S NEAT. SO OUR, UH, ARTERIAL MANAGEMENT DESIGN ENGINEERS WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH, CLOSELY WITH CAT METRO AS WE SCOPE THESE OUT AND GET THESE ITEMS OUT TO BID. MM-HMM . AND, UH, WE'RE, WE, WE'RE FAIRLY CONFIDENT IN THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THIS GRANT, UH, ASK [01:45:01] SO THAT WE CAN AFFECT THE NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS FOR ALL THREE CORRIDORS. MM-HMM . YEAH, I MEAN, SINCE THIS LINE, THE PLEASANT VALLEY LINE IS SLATED TO OPEN NEXT YEAR, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF, OF THOSE SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS ALONG THE ROUTE. I IMAGINE THAT'S FURTHER ALONG AND TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, ESTIMATING A GRANT APPLICATION TO INCLUDE OTHER, UH, RAPID LINES THAT ARE UPCOMING AND IN THE MIX AND PART OF OUR COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS. I WOULD JUST WANNA ENSURE THAT AS WE, UM, SUBMIT THESE APPLICATIONS THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING THE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE IN THE NEAR TERM. YES. YES. AND YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE IN THE UPDATED MEMO THAT I ADJUSTED THE GRANT APPLICATION AMOUNT AND, AND I INCREASED THAT, EXPECTING THAT, UH, INCORPORATING THE OAK HILL AND MENCHACA MIGHT BRING ADDITIONAL COSTS TO THE PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE, UM, THE EXISTING ONES IN PLEASANT VALLEY AND OUT TO, UM, UH, NORTHEAST AUSTIN ARE PRESERVED. GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK, THANK YOU, SIR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS MOVES APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 57. IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE. UM, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 57? THERE'S NOT MAYOR. THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 57. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 57 THEN? WITHOUT OBJECTION, ITEM NUMBER 57 IS APPROVED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAIS MEMBERS WITH YOUR, UH, INDULGENCE. I'M GOING TO GO TO A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS, UH, THAT WE CAN TAKE UP HOPEFULLY IN, IN A, A RAPID FASHION, AND THEN GET TO OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN. WHAT I WOULD [72. Approve a resolution authorizing the filing of eminent domain proceedings and payment to acquire the property interests needed for the Loop 360 Overlook Project for the public use of providing public parking, and acquiring a sidewalk, trail, and recreational easement for the Parks and Recreation Department’s trail expansion, requiring the acquisition of approximately 1.110 acres (48,347 square feet) of fee simple property and approximately 0.3648 acres (15,889 square feet) of sidewalk, trail, and recreational easement, being out of and a portion of the James Jett Survey No. 1, Abstract No. 437, Travis County, Texas, being a portion of Lot 3, Hidden Valley Phase “A”, a subdivision of record in Book 84, Pages 117D-118A, Plat Records, Travis County, Texas, currently appraised at $167,186 subject to an increase in value based on updated appraisal(s) or a Special Commissioner’s award. The owner of the needed property is 360 Overlook, LLC. The property is located at 5379 West Courtyard Drive, Austin, Texas 78730. The general route of the project is along the west side of North Capital of Texas Highway between Lake Austin and Courtyard Drive. Funding: Funding is available in the Capital Budgets of the Transportation and Public Works Department and the Parks and Recreation Department.] LIKE TO DO IS GO TO ITEM NUMBER 72. ITEM NUMBER 72 IS AN IMMINENT DOMAIN ITEM. AND I LET, LET ME FIRST ASK, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 72? THERE IS NOT MAYOR. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE A MOTION? COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR A MOTION. I MOVE APPROVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER MOVES APPROVAL. IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER AVELA, OR DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER? YEAH, JUST REAL QUICKLY. ALRIGHT. UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THIS ITEM IS ON OUR AGENDA. UM, FOR MY LAST MEETING. UM, THIS IS AN EMINENT DOMAIN, UM, CASE THAT IS NEAR THE PENNY BACKER BRIDGE AND THE OVERLOOK, UM, THERE IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT ACQUISITION FOR SAFETY IN DISTRICT 10. UM, THE PENNY BACKER BRIDGE SERVES AS AN ICONIC SYMBOL OF CENTRAL TEXAS. THE SCENIC OVERLOOK AT THE BRIDGE IS VERY POPULAR. YOU'VE ALL BEEN THERE, BUT PARKING AND ACCESS TO THIS AREA PRESENTS SOME SAFETY CONCERNS. WITH THE RENOVATIONS OF 360, IT'S EVEN GOING TO BE MORE OF A PROBLEM. AND SO THIS ACQUISITION IS ALLOWING US TO PROVIDE SAFE ACCESS TO THE PENNY BACKER BRIDGE OVERLOOK, AND IT WILL ALSO ALLOW TDOT TO BUILD A LARGE AND SAFE PARKING ZONE. IT WILL SECURE AN EASEMENT FOR SIDEWALK TRAIL AND RECREATIONAL USE THAT WILL EXPAND THE OVERLOOKED AREA, UM, GIVEN SOME PRIOR, UM, WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE AREA. AND SO I'M VERY EXCITED THAT, UM, THIS PROCESS WILL BE MOVING FORWARD. UM, AND I HOPE THAT EVERYTHING GOES SMOOTHLY SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN CONTINUE TO ENJOY THAT FAVORITE SPOT THAT EVERYONE HAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MEMBERS, WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELA MOVED AND SECONDED THE MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 72, UH, THE MOTION THEY MADE WAS, SINCE THIS IS A NON-CONSENT CONDEMNATION ITEM, IS THEY MADE A MOTION TO THE EFFECT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN AUTHORIZES THE USE OF THE POWER OF IMMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY SET FORTH IN THE DES THE MATTER DESCRIBED IN THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING, FOR THE PUBLIC USE THAT WAS DESCRIBED THEREIN. I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY HEARD THAT, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR RECORD REFLECTS THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER. I WILL LOOK TO YOU AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU WANNA CHANGE ABOUT YOUR MOTION. HOW ABOUT YOU? COUNCIL MEMBER VELA? ALRIGHT, THAT IS THE MOTION AND I'VE READ IT INTO THE RECORD. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 72 IS ADOPTED. PURSUANT TO THE MOTION THAT I JUST READ INTO THE RECORD MEMBERS, I'M GOING TO GO TO ITEM NUMBER [68. Approve a resolution initiating rezoning for the development known as Whisper Valley planned unit development, comprised of 2,066 acres, more or less, and generally located east of FM 973 and approximately 782 feet north of the intersection of FM 969 and Taylor Lane to amend conditions of zoning, including exemption from or waiver of fees, alternative funding methods, modifications of City regulations, and acquisition of property.] 68, AND I'LL RECOGNIZE THE CHAIR OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE TO MAKE A MOTION. UH, WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 68, THIS IS, WE'RE TAKING UP A COUPLE OF THE ITEMS FROM COUNCIL COMMITTEES, AND I'LL TAKE THANK MR. MAYOR. I JUST HAD TO GET ORIENT OUT. NO, I GET IT. I, I, I'M, I'M, I'M MOVING AROUND AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, SO NO PROBLEM. UH, FOR THE, SO THE PEOPLE CAN BE PREPARED. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. I'LL BE COMING TO ITEM 69. NEXT, ITEM NUMBER 68. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I MOVE THAT WE INITIATE REZONING FOR, UH, WHISPER VALLEY. UM, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, IT'S, UH, IT'S IN DISTRICT ONE. IT'S SORT OF THE, ON THE FURTHEST SIDE OF [01:50:01] DISTRICT ONE, UM, MOVING EAST UP TOWARDS MAINOR ROAD COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON MOVES APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 68. IT IS SECOND BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? NO, MA'AM. UM, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 68? WITHOUT OBJECTION, ITEM NUMBER 68 IS ADOPTED. [69. Approve a resolution re-appointing Dr. Kelly Crook to the City of Austin Employees Retirement System board of trustees, place 3.] ITEM NUMBER 60, THE CHAIR CALLS UP ITEM NUMBER 69 AND RECOGNIZES THE CHAIR OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER FOR A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 69, I, UH, MOVE APPROVAL OF ITEM 69, WHICH REAPPOINTS DR. KELLY CROOK TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM, BOARD OF TRUSTEES PLACE THREE MEMBERS. YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? IS SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 69? NO, MA'AM. THERE BEING NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM 69. I'LL ASK IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 69? THERE BEING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 69 IS APPROVED MEMBERS. I'M GOING TO GO [78. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance authorizing the exchange of extraterritorial jurisdiction (“ETJ”) with the City of Manor, releasing approximately 13.8 acres from the City of Austin’s ETJ to the City of Manor’s ETJ and approximately 6.6 acres will be released from the City of Manor’s ETJ to the City of Austin’s ETJ. CETJ-2023-0001. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] TO ITEM NUMBER 78, WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING. UH, AND I'LL, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 78. I'LL ASK THE CLERK, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 78? THERE IS NOT MEMBERS, THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 78. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 78. IT'S MADE BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM. IS THERE A SECOND ON ITEM NUMBER 78 WITH REGARD MADE? UH, THE SECOND IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 78? WITHOUT OBJECTION, ITEM NUMBER 78 IS ADOPTED. WE WILL NOW GO TO ITEM NUMBER [79. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance granting additional floor-to-area ratio entitlements to the 400 West 14th Street project at 400, 400 1/2, 408, and 412 West 14th Street and 1403 San Antonio Street in accordance with the Downtown Density Bonus Program under City Code Section 25-2-586(B)(6). Funding: This item will have no fiscal impact.] 70, ITEM NUMBER 79. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 79. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN. UH, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 79? NO MA'AM. THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 79. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. IS THERE A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 79? WITH REGARD TO APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE? THE MAYOR PRO TEM MOVES APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE ON ITEM NUMBER 79. IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 79 IS ADOPTED [139. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance to authorize the negotiation and execution of a Land Development Standards Agreement with Hays Consolidated Independent School District to establish the applicable City land development regulations to its school buildings; and waiving certain development fees related to City review and cost for the rezoning case for property locally known as the west side of South Turnersville, approximately 1,435 linear feet south of its intersection with Turnersville road and North Turnersville Road (Rinard Creek and Plum Creek Watersheds). Funding: This item is projected to result in unrealized revenue in the amount of $20,212 in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Planning Department General Fund Operating Budget, $340 in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Fire Department General Fund Operating Budget, $296 in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Parks and Recreation Department General Fund Operating Budget, $3,950 in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Transportation and Public Works Department Transportation Fund Operating Budget, $966 in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Planning Department Planning Technology Fund Operating Budget, and $2,223 in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Development Services Department Development Services Fund Operating Budget.] MEMBERS. WE WILL NOW GO TO ITEM NUMBER 1 39. UH, THAT'S A PUBLIC HEARING WITHOUT OBJECTION. WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 1 39. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. UH, MADAM CLERK, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING? NO, MA'AM. THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THAT PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 1 39. SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE ORDINANCE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER MOVES APPROVAL. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO NI ITEM NUMBER 1 39? UH, WITHOUT, UH, OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 1 39 IS APPROVED. I'M GONNA GO BACK TO ITEM NUMBER [76. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance approving the landowner’s request for inclusion of approximately seven acres located on both Menchaca Road and Old Manchaca Road and owned by MRBP, Ltd. in the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. CETJ-2024-0002. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] 76. UH, ITEM NUMBER 76 IS A PUBLIC HEARING WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 76. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN, AND I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK, UH, FOR ANYONE THAT HAS SIGNED UP ON ITEM NUMBER 76. WE DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER, SUSAN HARRIS. MS. HARRIS, IF YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD. WELCOME. THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNSEL. I'M SUSAN HARRIS. I'M THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS CASE. THIS PROPERTY WAS INCLUDED IN A 96 ACRE AREA IN A PETITION BY OTHERS, UH, CALLING, ASKING THE CITY TO CALL AN ELECTION FOR THE REMOVAL OF THAT 96 ACRES FROM THE ETJ. OUR PROPERTY WAS INCLUDED WITHOUT NOTICE TO US WITHOUT OUR CONSENT AND ENTIRELY AGAINST OUR WISHES. AND AFTER A STEEP LEARNING CURVE AND MUCH, UH, STRATEGIZING, WE DECIDED THAT UNDER SENATE BILL 2038, UH, WHICH IS THE BILL THAT'S HARMING US IN THIS CASE, WE WOULD USE THAT TO PROTECT OURSELVES. AND WE PETITIONED THE CITY TO RELEASE OUR PROPERTY VOLUNTARILY FROM THE E TJ. SO THAT FOLLOWING THE ELECTION, WHICH YOU APPROVED BECAUSE YOU HAD NO CHOICE, UM, THAT WE WOULD ASK THE CITY TO REJOIN US INTO THE ETJ. THAT'S THE MOTION THAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY. AND I, UM, WITH YOUR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION TO REJOIN THIS PROPERTY TO THE ETJ, WE WILL BE RESTORED TO THE STATUS THAT WE HAD PRIOR TO THE ELECTION, UH, WHICH WAS CALLED BY FOLKS WHO HAVE NO INTEREST, FINANCIAL OR OTHERWISE IN OUR PROPERTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MEMBERS. UM, THOSE [01:55:01] ARE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AT THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 76. SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 76. THAT PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. THE MAYOR PRO TIM MOVES APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 76 AS REQUESTED BY THE ONE SPEAKER. IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, UM, DISCUSSION? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES. YES. I JUST WANNA THANK THE RESIDENT FOR, UM, COMING TO US TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT ABOUT THIS ITEM AND JUST WANNA UNDERSCORE THE, THE IMPACTS OF THAT LEGISLATION AND WHAT IT'S HAD ON COMMUNITIES ACROSS OUR STATE. AND THIS IS, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT YOU HAD TO UNDERTAKE SUCH A PROCESS, UH, TO GET RE ANNEXED INTO THE CITY'S ETJ AND THAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH THIS. AND SO I JUST WANNA APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR TIME AND, UH, YOUR INTEREST AND JUST REALLY PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON THIS HARMFUL LEGISLATION. YES. THANK YOU. UM, FURTHER DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 76 IS APPROVED. UM, MEMBERS, I'M GOING [74. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 (Land Development) to require the installation of safety barriers at the pedestrian entrances of medical facilities with nearby vehicular traffic; and waiving the requirement in City Code Section 25-1-502 (Amendment Review) for Planning Commission review of Land Development Code amendments. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] TO TAKE US BACK TO ITEM NUMBER 74. THIS IS ALSO A PUBLIC HEARING. UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 74. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN, AND I WILL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK, UH, FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER, SHARON BLYTHE. I'M SHARON BLYTHE. I'M A, I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX. UM, THIS IS REGARDING, UM, PROTECTING PEOPLE THAT ARE VISITING EMERGENCY ROOMS AND HOSPITALS IN TEXAS FROM PEOPLE, UM, MISTAKENLY HITTING THE ACCELERATOR AND NOT THE BRAKE AND CRASHING THROUGH EMERGENCY ROOMS AND HURTING AND KILLING PEOPLE, UH, UH, WITH, UM, JUST AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS TO PROTECT, UH, THE RESIDENTS AS WELL AS THE EMPLOYEES OF THE HOSPITAL. AND, UH, THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS NOT TO PASS BECAUSE IT'S A PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC, UH, FOR, UH, PEOPLE JUST, UH, SICK PEOPLE THAT GO INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM THAT MAY HIT THE ACCELERATOR INSTEAD OF, INSTEAD OF THE, UH, BREAK. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION IN PASSING THE SERGEANT ITEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SORRY. UH, THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS, MAYOR MEMBERS. THERE ARE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 74. UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 74. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE, UH, CA IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COUNCILOR MEMBER KELLY. ACTUALLY, I, I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE FOR A MOTION. UM, AND THEN RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY. AND IF ANYBODY ELSE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW THAT YOU WISH TO SPEAK. COUNCIL MEMBER CORY. GREAT. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, AND I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY IN HER OFFICE FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS ITEM. UM, BUT BECAUSE, UH, THE ITEM HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND I KNOW THEY WANTED TO WEIGH IN AFTER, AFTER TALKING TO SOME FOLKS, UH, AND THERE WERE STILL SOME QUESTIONS REMAINING ABOUT HOW IT APPLIES TO DIFFERENT FACILITIES. UM, I, I, I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THE BEST POSSIBLE POLICY WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, WITH THE INTENT AND, AND THE HARD WORK THAT WAS PUT IN IS, IS IS FULLY REALIZED. SO I'M, I'M PUSHING TO POSTPONE THIS, THIS ITEM, THE MOTION IS MADE TO POSTPONE THE ITEM. DO YOU HAVE A DATE? UH, LET'S SAY JANUARY 30TH? YEAH. THE MOTION IS TO POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER 74 UNTIL JANUARY 30TH. IT'S SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM DISCUSSION COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY? YEAH. UM, YOU KNOW, THE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST COMES AS A SURPRISE TO ME. UM, THIS ITEM PASSED UNANIMOUSLY OUT OF A RESULT OF THE WORK THAT MYSELF AND MY CO-SPONSORS DID, UM, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO FOLLOWING THAT HORRIFIC CRASH AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. AND, UM, I JUST, I, I FULLY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAD QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AND WANTED TO FULLY, UM, SETTLE THIS OUT. BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THAT IS THAT THE, THE, THE ITEM ITSELF WAS NARROW IN SCOPE SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THIS CONCERN. I FELT AT THE TIME, AND AS MY CO-SPONSORS DID, UM, THAT IF WE HAD BROADEN THE SCOPE OF THIS POLICY BEFORE WE BROUGHT IT TO COUNCIL TO PASS, BEFORE AN ORDINANCE WAS BROUGHT BACK, THAT IT WOULD BE LESS LIKELY TO PASS BECAUSE IT WOULD IMPACT, UM, IT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND THEY MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO BEAR THE COST OF INSTALLING THESE CRASH TESTED SAFETY BALLARDS. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE ACTION THAT WE TAKE TODAY, UM, IN IF WE WERE TO PASS THIS ITEM, WOULD HELP FUTURE HOSPITAL BUILDS AND ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY. I ALSO FEEL DEEPLY [02:00:01] THAT, UM, WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS ITEM. AND IF IT WERE UP TO THE WILL OF THE NEXT COUNCIL, THEN THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO EXPLORE OPTIONS TO EXPAND THIS IF THEY THOUGHT IT WAS NECESSARY. BUT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US TODAY AN ORDINANCE BASED ON A POLICY THAT THIS ENTIRE CURRENT DAES PASSED, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT COME TO FRUITION TO TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THE MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 74. AND FOR CLARITY PURPOSES, THE MOTION IS TO POSTPONE THE ITEM, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION UNTIL JANUARY 30TH, 2025. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. YES, I HAD A QUESTION FOR COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE ABOUT THE SCOPE OF WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE, IF IT'S BROADENING IT TO APPLY TO MORE PLACES OR IF IT'S A CONCERN ABOUT HOW IT IS DRAFTED. UM, I, I GUESS BOTH. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GET A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT MONTH PLUS WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO IS IT, I MEAN, BECAUSE THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THIS IS SUCH A GOOD IDEA, WE WANNA EXPAND IT TO MORE PLACES, OR WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THAT. I THINK IT'S THE APPLICATION OF THE PLACES THAT IT WOULD, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE BROUGHT INTO AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S NOT ANY, UM, UH, UNINTENDED, YOU KNOW, OR EFFECTS. OKAY. UM, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THE POSTPONEMENT IN THIS CASE BECAUSE I THINK THIS WAS NARROWLY WRITTEN TO, TO APPLY. UM, AND THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES IF YOU APPLY THIS MORE BROADLY, UM, THAT ARE GONNA REQUIRE A LOT MORE, UM, ENGAGEMENT AND WORK THAN WAS INTENDED. AND, AND THIS IS A, A NEED THAT WE HAVE FOR THE MANY FACILITIES THAT ARE BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I'LL LET YOU. I, I JUST AGAIN, WANNA REITERATE I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH THE PLANNING COMMISSION. I THINK THAT THEY BRING UP VERY SALIENT POINTS, BUT AGAIN, UM, IF, IF THEIR INTENTION IS TO BROADEN THIS, THAT IS A SEPARATE DISCUSSION THAT IS NOT GERMANE, IN MY OPINION, TO THE ACTION THAT THIS BODY TOOK IN ENSURING THAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD COME BACK. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THIS BODY IF IN THE FUTURE THEY FEEL THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR A BROADENING OF THE SCOPE OF THE ORDINANCE THAT'S BEFORE US TODAY. THAT IS, UH, A VALIANT EFFORT. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT WHILE I'M WATCHING FROM HOME ON MY COUCH EATING POPCORN. BUT, UH, RIGHT NOW, TODAY, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO AFFECT, UH, A VERY SERIOUS CHANGE TO OUR HOSPITALS AND EMERGENCY ROOMS WHERE THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE MEDICAL CRISES. AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE TRAVESTY FOR US NOT TO VOTE TODAY IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM AND TO POSTPONE IT AND KICK IT DOWN THE ROAD FURTHER WHERE IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS OR SO WHEN THIS IS BROUGHT BACK UP, UM, BECAUSE OF A LACK OF EFFORT, WE COULD EXPERIENCE ANOTHER HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TODAY TO VOTE IN AGAINST THE POSTPONEMENT AND IN FAVOR OF, UH, PASSING THIS BEFORE US TODAY. AND I WANT TO ALSO APPRECIATE THE WORK OF OUR GREAT PROFESSIONAL CITY STAFF THAT WENT OUT AND DID A LOT OF, UM, OUTREACH TO THE HOSPITALS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS POTENTIALLY IN THE FUTURE. I WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR THEIR INPUT, AND I WANT TO THANK THE BERNARD FAMILY FOR THEIR COURAGE TO SPEAK UP AND TO TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS WHY IN PART, I BROUGHT THIS FORWARD TO PREVENT FURTHER TRAGEDY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE RIGHT NOW, YOU TO CLOSE ON THE MOTION? YEAH. UM, JUST KIND OF WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, THANK UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY ON, ON THE ITEM. UH, BUT I, I, I THINK FOR ME AND, AND SOME FOLKS I'VE TALKED TO, I, I THINK IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WHAT IT NECESSARILY MEANS FOR RENOVATIONS AND REBUILDS. UM, WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CURRENT STRUCTURES, BUT NOT, UH, RENOVATIONS FOR REBUILDS. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK NOT HAVING HAD THE CHANCE TO TALK TO HOSPITAL SYSTEMS AND STANDALONE SERVICE SYSTEMS ABOUT HOW IT WOULD IMPACT THEIR FEASIBILITY OF ENTRANCE DURING EMERGENCIES ARE, ARE MY CONCERNS. UM, AND THANK YOU. I'VE RECOGNIZED HIM TO CLOSE, UM, WITH THAT, OH, I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WANTED TO SPEAK. I'M SORRY. I JUST, UM, APPRECIATE THE DIALOGUE AND I THINK THAT THERE COULD BE SOME BENEFIT IN MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS TODAY. UM, UNDERSTANDING THE PLANNING COMMISSION MAY HAVE SOME REALLY, REALLY GREAT INPUT ABOUT DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS AND OTHER SORTS OF CRITERIA THAT ARE GONNA BE IMPORTANT TO THIS CONVERSATION. UM, BUT I THINK THAT WITH THIS ONE BEING SO NARROWLY TAILORED, I, I THINK THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD TODAY, BUT ALSO LET THE PLANNING COMMISSION FIGURE OUT IF THERE NEEDS TO BE OTHER [02:05:01] APPLICATIONS AND EXPANSIONS OF, OF THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM ALONG THE WAY. WITH THAT, THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO POSTPONE TO JANUARY 30TH, 2025. RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, RAISE YOUR HAND. THEY'RE BEING SEVEN OPPOSED, UH, IN THE REMAINDER. VOTING IN FAVOR, UH, THEN THE MOTION TO POSTPONE FAILS THOSE VOTING NO. FOR THE RECORD ARE KELLY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. KELLY ALISON ALTER, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS HARPER, MADISON VELA, RYAN ALTER, AND THE MAYOR. DID I GET THAT CORRECT? ALRIGHT, SO THE MOTION FAILS. I'LL RECOGNIZE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY FOR, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL MOTION ON ITEM 74, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO PASS. ITEM 74, MOTION HAS BEEN MADE TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER 74. IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 74? I'M GONNA SAY IT WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 74 IS ADOPTED, BUT IF SOMEONE WISHES TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 74 IS ADOPTED MEMBERS THAT WILL [12:00 PM - Public Communication: General] TAKE US NOW TO OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FOR THOSE, UH, IN THE PUBLIC THAT ARE WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON AND TRYING TO COORDINATE YOUR TIME. AND FOR THE COUNCIL, THE, THE WAY I SEE THIS GOING IS IT'S, IT'S ABOUT, IT'S 1208. UH, THIS USUALLY TAKES ABOUT 30 MINUTES OF THIS TIME CERTAIN, SO I I I WOULD SAY 1240 IS WHAT TIME WE SHOULD FINISH THIS. AT THAT POINT WE WILL RECESS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, UH, LIVE MUSIC. UH, I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD COME BACK AT AROUND, WE WOULD RECESS UNTIL AROUND ONE 15. WE WILL COME BACK AT ONE 15. AT WHICH POINT, UH, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE GENERATION PLAN. SO FOR THOSE THAT ARE TRYING TO COORDINATE YOUR TIME, THAT'S WHAT WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST WE GO FORWARD. UM, WITH THAT, WE WILL NOW GO TO OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO BE SPEAKERS ON THE 12 O'CLOCK TIME, CERTAIN YOU KNOW, WHAT ORDER YOUR NAME IS LISTED. SO I WOULD PLEASE ASK THAT YOU COME AHEAD AND GET WHERE YOU'RE IN A POSITION TO GIVE YOUR, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT. HOWEVER, THE CITY CLERK WILL CALL YOUR NAME OUT, UH, IN ORDER AND ASK YOU TO COME FORWARD AND YOU WILL HAVE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE PUBLIC, PUBLIC COMMENT. UH, RABBI, YOU'RE FIRST, SO IF YOU WANNA MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM, I'LL THEN TURN TO THE CITY CLERK AND ASK HER TO START CALLING NAMES. IF YOU'RE IN THE CHAMBERS, IF YOU'RE IN THE CHAMBERS AND YOU'RE NOT STANDING WHERE THE RABBI IS STANDING, HE SHOULDN'T BE TALKING. SO RABBI, IT'S YOUR TURN TO TALK. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, I'M HERE THIS AFTERNOON TO THANK YOU, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO WILL BE SHORTLY LEAVING THIS COUNCIL FOR YOUR STEADFAST REFUSAL TO CONSIDER A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION. DESPITE MONTHS OF TREMENDOUS PRESSURE AND SOMETIMES EVEN PROFANE INVECTIVE, THE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY AND LOUDLY ACCUSED OF BEING COMPLICIT AND GENOCIDE AND TO BEING INDIFFERENT TO THE SUFFERING OF INNOCENT PALESTINIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN BECAUSE OF YOUR REFUSAL TO TAKE UP SUCH A RESOLUTION. THE TRUTH IS THAT I AM VERY CERTAIN ALL OF YOU, AS WELL AS THE OTHER FOLKS THAT I KNOW OF IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, SHARE THE DESIRE FOR THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES AND ARE PAINED BY THE SUFFERING AND DESTRUCTION IN ISRAEL IN GAZA AND LEBANON OVER THESE PAST 14 MONTHS. OUR COMMUNITY'S CONCERN ABOUT A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THOSE WHO HAVE PRESSED FOR SUCH A RESOLUTION IN THIS CHAMBER EXTENDS BEYOND A MERE DESIRE FOR CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES. RATHER, THIS HAS BEEN A SUSTAINED EFFORT TO CAST BLAME ON ISRAEL AS THE SOLE PERPETRATOR OF VIOLENCE AND TO UTILIZE SUCH A RESOLUTION AS A STEPPING STONE TO ENLISTING AUSTIN AMONG THOSE CITIES WHO REJECT LEGITIMACY OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL AS A JEWISH STATE, AND TO MAKE AUSTIN A PLACE THAT IS HOSTILE TO ZIONIST AND ZIONISM. AS I'VE LISTENED OVER THESE PAST FEW MONTHS, WHAT IS MOST STRIKING AND PUZZLING TO ME IS THAT [02:10:01] RARELY, IF EVER, IS THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF THE CURRENT CONFLICT ADDRESS HAMAS' MURDER OF OVER 1200 ISRAELIS ON OCTOBER 7TH, THE CAPTURE OF MILITARY AND CIVILIAN HOSTAGES, INCLUDING AMERICANS. LIKEWISE, FEW WORDS OF CRITICISM HAVE BEEN UTTERED OVER HAMAS', CYNICAL AND COWARDLY STRATEGY OF PLACING MILITARY INSTALLATIONS BELOW MOSQUES SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS, OR THAT HAMAS, AS WELL AS THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, HAVE BEEN RESISTING EFFORTS FOR A CEASEFIRE AS A SUPPORTER OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL. MY PRIMARY CONCERN LIES WITH THE SAFE RETURN OF THE REMAINING HOSTAGES AND THE SECURITY OF THE STATE. NONETHELESS, I AM PAINED BY THE SUFFERING OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AND HAVE DEEP CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THIS WAR HAS BEEN CONDUCTED AND THE HEAVY TOLL IS TAKEN ON BOTH PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF THIS WAR. I WOULD HAVE HOPED THAT INSTEAD OF EXPRESSIONS OF ANGER, BLAME, AND INVECTIVE, WE MIGHT HAVE COME TO A COMMONPLACE OF RECOGNITION OF MUTUAL PAIN AND ANXIETY TO MOURN THAN TO HOPE. THE BOOK OF GENESIS TELLS US THAT WHEN OUR COMMON ANCESTOR ABRAHAM DIED, THAT BOTH OF HIS SONS, ISHMAEL AND ISAAC CAME TOGETHER AS BROTHERS TO BURY AND MOURN THEIR FATHER. THE SAME OCCURRED BETWEEN JACOB AND ESAU WHEN ISAAC DIED. MY HOPE IS THAT WE MIGHT FOLLOW THEIR EXAMPLE, THANK YOU, AND WORK TOWARDS A JUSTICE OF PURE FUTURE. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY RABBI. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS SHARON VAIN. HELLO, I'M SHARON VAIN AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU FROM ASSORTED ADVOCACY EFFORTS, BUT TODAY I'M HERE TO SPEAK SOLELY FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY. IT'S A FAMILY THAT INCLUDES HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS, A FAMILY THAT HAS WORKED IN MULTIPLE PROGRESSIVE SPACES FOR LASTING PEACE IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, AND A FAMILY THAT IS EAGER FOR A DEAL TO BRING ALL HOSTAGES HOME, PARTICULARLY OUR FAMILY MEMBER ODED LEITZ 84. YOU HAVE SEEN DEEP ANGER, PAIN AND FEAR HERE FUELED BY A PROPOSED CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION. IT IS CLEAR, AND I APPRECIATE IT, THAT REGARDLESS OF YOUR PERSONAL STANCES, THE CURRENT COUNCIL WILL NOT BRING FORTH A RESOLUTION. I SPEAK NOW TO THE NEXT ITERATION OF COUNCIL WITH ITS NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS. I HOPE THAT 2025 WILL NO LONGER SEE DISCUSSION IN THIS CHAMBER AROUND A RESOLUTION, PARTICULARLY SINCE GOOD FAITH EFFORTS TO REACH A COMPROMISE HAVE FAILED. AT THE SAME TIME, WE MUST RECOGNIZE THIS RESOLUTION'S RIPPLE EFFECTS THE LOUDEST, MOST, MOST UNCOMPROMISING VOICES SUPPORTING A RESOLUTION OR ALSO ADVOCATING ACROSS THE CITY FOR AN UNCOMPROMISING LITMUS TEST FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION. WE SEE THE PUSH FOR AUSTIN TO STOP ANY INVESTMENT IN ISRAEL. WE SEE THE PUSH FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TO DROP SPONSORS. WE SEE THE PUSH FOR AUSTIN PRIDE TO USE BDS CRITERIA TO SCREEN SPONSORS, WHICH EFFECTIVELY PROHIBITS AREA SYNAGOGUES FROM CONTINUING THEIR LONGTIME SPONSORSHIPS. WE SEE THE PUSH FOR ISRAELI BUS OR FOR AUSTIN BUSINESSES TO PULL ISRAELI PRODUCTS AND DISPLAY POSTERS THAT DE-LEGITIMIZE ISRAEL. WE SEE THE PUSH TO DROP OUR LOCAL A DL OFFICE FROM THE CITY'S ANTI HATE CAMPAIGN AND REMOVE THE NO PLACE FOR HATE PROGRAM FROM CITY SCHOOLS. WE SEE THE GRAFFITI TARGETING UT'S JEWISH STUDENT CENTER AUSTINITES, WHO MERELY BELIEVE IN AUSTIN IN ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO EXIST, CANNOT BE ERASED AND EXCLUDED FROM CIVIC LIFE. AND THERE IS DEEP REPAIR WORK TO BE DONE THAT I HOPE REMAINS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS ARI HOFFMAN, AND I BELIEVE ARI HOFFMAN, I BELIEVE ACTUALLY MAYOR, THAT SPEAKER NOTIFIED US THIS MORNING. THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE SPEAKING TODAY. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER IS A REMOTE SPEAKER, MICHAEL BAR BARTLE ME. ONE MOMENT. THAT IS MY NAME. THAT IS THE CORRECT PRONUNCIATION. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. I WANNA SPEAK ABOUT THE SOUTH ZONE DEVELOPMENT ON DIPMAR ROAD NEAR MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I WENT OUT AND, UH, GOT SIGNATURES FROM 55 RESIDENTS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING TO THE ISSUES HERE, UH, MANY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THIS ABANDONED DEVELOPMENT. AND SINCE CONSTRUCTION HALTED WELL OVER A YEAR AGO, IT'S BECOME A SITE OF VANDALISM [02:15:01] AND WIDESPREAD ILLEGAL DUMPING, CREATING UNSAFE CONDITIONS FOR NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE'S EVIDENCE OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS BEING DUMPED THERE AS WELL AS SPENT AND LIVE BULLET CASINGS ON THE SITE. MULTIPLE STORIES HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AND REPORTED ON ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT, AND THE DISREPAIR HAS FALLEN UNDER OVER THE PAST SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS. MANY OF US HAVE CONTACTED CODE COMPLIANCE 3 1 1 AUSTIN PD SEEKING A RESOLUTION, BUT WE'VE BEEN TOLD THE SITE CAN ONLY MEDIATE THE SITE. THE CITY CAN ONLY MEDIATE A FINE TO THE DEVELOPER, AND WHILE WE'VE BEEN TOLD THERE'S A SALE IN THE WORK, WE HAVE TO DO MORE BECAUSE THAT SALE COULD TAKE MONTHS BEFORE THIS SITE IS ACTUALLY SECURED. WE'VE BEEN TOLD THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ADD CAMERAS TO AFFORD, AVOID FURTHER DUMPING AND VANDALISM AND PREVENT THE POSSIBILITY OF SQUATTERS IN THE, IN THE ABANDONED HOMES. BUT EVEN STILL, THE CAMERAS HAVE SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFFLINE OR THEY'VE BEEN DESTROYED OR THEY'VE BEEN VANDALIZED THEMSELVES BY THIS CONTINUING TO DUMP AND VANDALIZE. WE'VE DONE A FEW CLEANINGS HERE AND THERE, BUT IT HASN'T STOPPED THE PROBLEM THAT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN AND THOSE SPENT A LIVE BULLET CASINGS I MENTIONED WERE FOUND AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK. SO WHILE THESE FINES HAVEN'T SEEMED TO CHANGE ANYTHING, THE CAMERAS HAVEN'T SEEMED TO CHANGE ANYTHING. AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO REVISIT THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY AND ASK WHY DO WE KEEP DOING THE SAME THING AND EXPECT A DIFFERENT RESULT? AT MINIMUM, WE WOULD REQUEST A REGULAR PATROL OF THIS DEVELOPMENT TO PREVENT THIS FURTHER DUMPING REGULARLY SCHEDULED TREAT CLEANUP, LOCKING THE ACTUAL SITE TO KEEP, TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM DUMPING ON THE SITE CAMERAS WITH MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENTS DONE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND A FAST TRACK OF THE UPDATED SITE PLAN THAT WOULD ALLOW THE DEVELOPER WHO DID GO INTO BANKRUPTCY TO ALLOW THAT SALE AND DEMOLITION OF THE CURRENT PROJECT. SO NEW DEVELOPMENT CAN TAKE PLACE. THIS DEVELOPMENT IS ONE MILE FROM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IT IS LESS THAN ONE MILE FROM A LOCAL CITY PARK, AND THE CONTINUED DUMPING ON THIS SITE IS A DANGER TO RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA, AND WE NEED TO DO MORE TO SECURE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS RICHARD VICTOR, FOLLOWED BY JOSEPH REYNA AND PAUL ROBBINS. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. JOSEPH RENA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WATSON AND COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JOSEPH RENA. I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY AS AN ADVOCATE AS A STUDENT AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS FACED THE SHARP EDGE OF DISPLACEMENT. BUT I'M HERE ALSO AS A BELIEVER IN THE RESILIENCE OF THIS CITY AND THE CREATIVITY OF ITS PEOPLE, AND IN THE POWER OF BOLD IDEAS TO TURN CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES. TODAY I SHARE WITH YOU TWO INITIATIVES, ZEN BOX AND POPUP PLAZA. THESE ARE NOT JUST PROJECTS, THEY ARE BLUEPRINTS FOR A CITY THAT LIFTS UP ITS PEOPLE AND UNLOCKS THE POTENTIAL OF EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, EVERY CORNER, AND EVERY FORGOTTEN PLACE. ZEN BOX IS A FOUNDATION FOR HOPE. IMAGINE LOSING EVERYTHING, NOT JUST YOUR HOME, BUT THE STABILITY AND SAFETY IT PROVIDES FOR TOO MANY AUSTINITES. THIS ISN'T JUST HYPOTHETICAL, IT'S THEIR REALITY. ZEN BOX IS A JAPANESE CAPSULE HOTEL DESIGNED BY A WORLD RENOWNED ARCHITECTURAL FIRM, AND THIS IS A CHANCE TO REWRITE THAT STORY FOR $300 A MONTH, THAT'S $10 A DAY. IF YOU CAN IMAGINE A ONE HOUR OF WORK. ZEN BOX OFFERS MORE THAN JUST A ROOF OVER SOMEONE'S HEAD. IT'S A LIFELINE FOR VETERANS REBUILDING THEIR LIVES, SURVIVORS OF ABUSE, SEEKING SAFETY, STUDENTS PURSUING DREAMS THAT THEY THOUGHT WERE OUT OF REACH. IT'S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN TAKE THEIR FIRST STEPS BACK TOWARDS STABILITY AND DIGNITY. THIS IS ABOUT MORE THAN SHELTER. IT BRINGS SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH CARE, JOB TRAINING, ADDICTION, RECOVERY DIRECTLY TO ITS RESIDENTS. IT'S INSPIRED BY FINLAND'S HOUSING FIRST MODEL, A PROVEN SYSTEM THAT REDUCES HOMELESSNESS AND RESTORES DIGNITY. ZEN BOX IS A PROMISE THAT NO ONE IN AUSTIN SHOULD BE LEFT BEHIND, BUT WITH YOUR PARTNERSHIP, WE CAN HOUSE HUNDREDS IN THIS PILOT PHASE, SETTING THE FOUNDATION FOR A SCALABLE, SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION THAT TRANSFORMS LIVES AND STRENGTHENS OUR CITY POPUP PLAZA. IMAGINE THE CORNERS OF AUSTIN THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT DIDN'T OPEN THE JOBS THAT WERE NEVER CREATED IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT STAYED STAGNANT, ALL BECAUSE OF OUTDATED PERMITTING SYSTEMS AND UNNECESSARY DELAYS. POPUP PLAZAS OUR ANSWER, AND AT ITS CORE TO DIGITAL PERMITT SYSTEM THAT CLEARS THE RED TAPE, ENABLING SMALL BUSINESSES AND DEVELOPERS TO THRIVE. BUT AT ITS CORE, IT'S MORE THAN JUST EFFICIENCY. PAPA PLAZA TRANSFORMS UNDERUTILIZED SPACES INTO VIBRANT HUBS OF CULTURE AND COMMERCE. PLACES WHERE NEIGHBORHOODS COME ALIVE, WHERE LOCAL BUSINESSES FLOURISH, AND WHERE FORGOTTEN CORNERS BECOME THE BEATING HEART OF OUR CITY. IT'S ABOUT UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF AUSTIN, NOT JUST FOR A SELECT FEW, BUT FOR EVERYONE. AUSTIN STANDS AT A CROSSROADS EVERY DAY. WE WAIT, ANOTHER FAMILY LOSES THEIR HOME, ANOTHER BUSINESS GIVES UP ON THE CITY. ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY SLIPS THROUGH OUR FINGERS, BUT WE HAVE THE TOOLS TO CHANGE THAT. THE TECHNOLOGY'S HERE NOW TO CREATE A CITY WHERE NO ONE'S JUST LEFT BEHIND. WHERE INNOVATION MEETS COMPASSION AND WHERE PROGRESS IS A SHARED JOURNEY. ZEN BOX [02:20:01] AND PAPA PLAZA ARE NOT JUST SHARED SOLUTIONS. THEY'RE THE NEXT STEPS TOWARDS THE CITY THAT LIVES UP TO ITS PROMISE. WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS A PIT TO ENSURE LONG-TERM AFFORDABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR ZEN BOX TO PILOT POPUP PLAZA'S, PERMIT PILOT, A TARGETED EMPLOYMENT ZONE, AND A PRO HOUSING GRANT. I'LL SEND EMAILS AND FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ALL. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT. MR. ROBBINS. THE SPEAKER IS MR. PAUL ROBBINS, FOLLOWED BY STEPHANIE SERRANO. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL. UH, MOST OF THIS WILL BE ABOUT THE AUSTIN ENERGY GENERATION PLAN. I AM THE VICE CHAIR OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION. AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE PASSED A 13 POINT RESOLUTION. UH, MANY OF THESE POINTS, UH, ARE ABOUT, UH, ARE ABOUT INDIVIDUAL TECHNOLOGIES AND PROGRAMS RATHER THAN ABOUT LOCAL, UH, HIGH LEVEL GOALS. UH, I AM ASKING COUNSEL TO TAKE THESE UP AT THEIR NEXT MEETING, EARL, UH, AT, AT ONE OF THEIR NEXT MEETINGS EARLIER THIS EARLY IN THE NEXT YEAR. UM, THESE INCLUDE AMENDMENTS TO THE ENERGY CODE PILOT PROGRAMS FOR VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS, A STUDY OF WAYS TO LOWER THE COST OF ROOFTOP SOLAR AND CREATION OR EXPANSION OF CONSERVATION BASED ELECTRIC RATES. I WILL GIVE ONE EXAMPLE. AUSTIN CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 10 MEGAWATTS OF STORAGE BATTERIES IN HOMES, AND THE UTILITY COULD TIE THESE TOGETHER AS A VIRTUAL POWER PLANT TO LOWER PEAK DEMAND. SOUNDS SIMPLE, BUT THERE IS NO PROGRAM TO DO THIS, UH, AND THERE'S NO PLAN TO IMPLEMENT SUCH A PROGRAM. AND IF COUNCIL WERE TO COME BACK AND SAY, THIS PROGRAM NEEDS TO BE SET, SET UP BY X DATE, IT WOULD HELP YOUR LOW CARBON GOALS. UH, LOW CARBON GOALS NEED PROGRAMS TO ACHIEVE THEM. UH, SO AGAIN, PLEASE BRING THIS UP EARLIER NEXT YEAR. FINALLY, ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SUBJECT, A NON-SEQUITUR. I'M ASKING AUSTIN ENERGY TO ABANDON THE X TWITTER PLATFORM. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR A CITY DEPARTMENT TO ASSOCIATE ITSELF WITH AN ANTISOCIAL, UH, MEDIA OUTLET THAT SEEMS TO CHAMPION HATE SPEECH. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. THANK YOU, MR. ROBS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE SERRANO. I'M A MOTHER OF TWO. I'M A FIREFIGHTER. I'M AN INSTRUCTOR FOR THE, UH, FOR THE FIRE ACADEMY. AM BA AM BASTROP. AND I WAS FORMALLY A CITY OF AUSTIN LIFEGUARD ON APRIL UH, TWO, UH, 2023, I REPORTED TO, UH, TO A CITY OF AUSTIN SUPERVISOR, WHO I RECENTLY FOUND OUT WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR BEING SEXUALLY INAPPROPRIATE WITH, UM, A FEMALE LIFEGUARD THAT I WANTED TO MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST A SENIOR GUARD FOR INAPPROPRIATE SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHILD, UH, WITH A LIFEGUARD, UM, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AND THAT I ALSO CONTACTED THE POLICE. I WAS TOLD BY THE SUPERVISOR NOT TO WORRY AND TO PICK UP AS MANY SHIFTS AS I NEEDED. A FEW HOURS AFTER I WAS TOLD BY THIS, UH, BY THE SAME SUPERVISOR THAT I WAS BEING REMOVED FROM THE SCHEDULE AND I WAS BEING INVESTIGATED WHILE THE PERSON I MADE A COMPLAINT ABOUT STAYED ON, STAYED ON, AND IS STILL CURRENTLY WORKING. UM, ABOUT A MONTH LATE, UH, UH, ABOUT A MONTH LATER, I WAS CALLED BY THE SUPERVISOR ADVISOR THAT, UM, I WOULD NO LONGER BE WORKING. I WAS TOLD I WAS ISOLATED FROM MY FRIENDS AND MY COWORKERS AND TOLD THAT, AND TOLD THAT I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO ANYBODY FOR ALMOST A MONTH. AND THEY HAD ALREADY MADE THE DECISION THAT SAME DAY. UM, ACCORDING TO EMAILS THAT I HAD HAD RECENTLY ONLY SEEN TOO MANY YOUNG WOMEN HAVE REPORTED SEXUAL ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SUPERVISORS AND GUARDS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME. YET THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE PUNISHED ARE THE WOMEN AND WOMEN GUARDS [02:25:01] THAT BRING UP THESE ALLEGATIONS. WE NEED TO DO BETTER. WE NEED TO PROTECT, PROTECT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE 15 YEAR OLDS THAT ARE THERE, THERE THAT ARE AROUND THESE PEOPLE. WE NEED TO STOP REWARDING THESE PEOPLE, UH, PEOPLE WHO GET REPORTED ON. WE NEED BETTER POLICY POLICIES, UM, IF WE'RE WILLING TO HAVE UNDERAGED, UH, YOUNG ADULTS TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. FURTHERMORE, WE NEED TO STOP THE RETALIATION AGAINST THOSE WHO MAKE FORMAL COMPLAINTS AGAINST OTHERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS JOE WISEMAN, FOLLOWED BY SCOTT COBB. HELLO, MY NAME IS JOE WISEMAN. I'M A FORMER LIFEGUARD FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON. I'M ALSO A FORMER FIREFIGHTER. I'M A 38-YEAR-OLD FEMALE. I HAVE COME HERE TO HELP BRING ATTENTION TO ISSUES WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AQUATICS DIVISION. THERE ARE PATTERNS OF MISOGYNY. THERE ARE A LOT OF YOUNG FEMALE GUARDS WHO ARE BEING EXPLOITED WHO DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT AND ADVOCACY THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK UP FOR THEMSELVES TO HAVE A SAFE AND HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT. UH, I'M HOPING TO BRING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF EVERYONE HERE ON THE CITY COUNCIL, INCLUDING THE CITY MANAGER. WE HAVE TRIED GOING UP THE ENTIRE CHAIN OF COMMAND THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AQUATICS DIVISION. THERE IS A PATTERN OF REPORTS GETTING, INSTEAD OF BEING HANDLED BY UPPER MANAGEMENT, THEY REALLY JUST GET BUMPED DOWN TO THE LOWER MANAGEMENT THAT ARE ACTUALLY PART OF THE PROBLEM. UM, HR DOESN'T REALLY SEEM TO HAVE ANY INTEREST IN PROTECTING THE GUARDS, REALLY JUST PROTECTING THE CITY FROM ANY LEGAL LIABILITY, I IMAGINE, AND THIS IS VERY DISHEARTENING, UM, AS A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN, I HATE SEEING MY FELLOW COWORKERS AND FEMALE EMPLOYEES BE ABLE TO BE EXPLOITED NOT BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY WHEN WE HAVE THINGS SUCH AS PREDATORS AT OUR POOLS, WHEN WE HAVE PREDATORS WITHIN THE WORKFORCE. UM, AND THERE IS A STRONG PATTERN OF FEMALE EMPLOYEES BEING REMOVED FROM THE SCHEDULE AND THEN REPRIMANDED ON. I MEAN, EVEN THINGS, UH, SUCH AS I HAD A COWORKER WHO HAD BEEN THREATENED TO BE WRITTEN UP MULTIPLE TIMES SO THAT SHE WOULD LOSE HER JOB IF SHE CONTINUED TO SPEAK UP ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT SHE WAS EXPERIENCING WITH A MANAGER DIRECTLY ABOVE HER. WE HAVE, WE ARE ALL TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES AS LIFEGUARDS. WE HAVE VERY LIMITED RESOURCES FOR WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP PROTECT OURSELVES AND TO, AND, AND, AND THAT'S COMING FROM ME AS A 38-YEAR-OLD WHO'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LITTLE WHILE. A LOT OF THESE KIDS ARE VERY YOUNG. THEY'RE VERY YOUNG. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPEAK UP FOR THEMSELVES. THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE TO SPEAK UP FOR THEMSELVES. THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT. AND THEY'RE BEING TOLD IN OUR TRAININGS THAT WE CAN DO THINGS SUCH AS GO TO ANYONE WITHIN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT CHAIN OF COMMAND IS VERY CORRUPT AND THERE ARE VERY INADEQUATE RESOURCES THERE TO HELP SUPPORT A LOT OF THE YOUNG GUARDS. I DON'T WANNA EXCLUDE MALES WHO MAY HAVE ISSUES, BUT IN PARTICULAR I SEE A LOT OF EXPLOITATION OF THE YOUNG FEMALE GUARDS, AND THERE'S A VERY PREDATORY SYSTEM GOING ON WITHIN THIS DIVISION THAT NEEDS TO BE SERIOUSLY ADDRESSED BY SOME ADULTS WHO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THAT IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO HAVE THAT IN ANYWHERE IN OUR CITY WORKFORCE, BUT ESPECIALLY IT'S SUCH A VULNERABLE DEMOGRAPHIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. MR. COBB, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME FORWARD, BUT I WON'T RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER. THANK YOU. AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, AND I MAY BE SAYING THE SAME THING, BUT, UM, I WOULD ASK THE CITY MANAGER IF YOU COULD PLEASE HAVE YOUR STAFF. I KNOW THAT A CM HAYDEN HOWARD, WHO'S OVER PARKS IS IN THE AUDIENCE, UM, TO SPEAK TO THE THREE FOLKS, INCLUDING MR. COBB, WHO HAS COME, OR SOMEBODY OR MS. MEANS. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT MR. COBBS HAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION SEVERAL TIMES, AND I HAD HOPED THAT IN THE PREVIOUS RESPONSES THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE GETTING, UM, TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS AND ADDRESS IT. AND I JUST WOULD ASK THAT YOU, YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOUR STAFF ARE TAKING THESE ACCUSATIONS SERIOUSLY IN THAT WE CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE OUR LIFEGUARDS AS A FORMER FEMALE LIFEGUARD, FORMER LIFEGUARD, I'M STILL FEMALE. UM, I WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSCORE THAT IT IS A POTENTIALLY PRECARIOUS POSITION FOR THESE YOUNG WOMEN AND, UM, WE NEED TO DO BETTER. REIS. I, I AGREE WITH ALL OF THOSE POINTS AND I KNOW I'VE, I'VE SPOKEN WITH LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND SO MAYBE [02:30:01] WE CAN GET SOMETHING ONLINE WHERE WE CAN REALLY CREATE SOME SORT OF SAFETY ACTION PLAN. UM, I'VE ALSO BEEN INFORMED THAT THERE ARE MAY BE SOME, UM, INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR BY GUESTS AT THE POOL AS WELL, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR, OUR LIFEGUARDS AND, AND OTHER STAFF. THANK YOU BOTH. MR. COBB. HELLO, MY NAME IS SCOTT COBB. I'VE WORKED AS A LIFEGUARD SINCE 2011. I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THINGS. I'VE SEEN A LOT OF ISSUES NOT ADDRESSED. UM, WE MET WITH DANIEL PUCCIO, THE PART HR, I GUESS DIRECTOR IN JANUARY TOLD ME ABOUT FOUR DIFFERENT CASES. FOUR MEN AROUND OVER 30, 35 INVOLVED WITH INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR. THOSE FOUR MEN ARE STILL WORKING. UM, SOME OF THE CASES WERE NEVER INVESTIGATED. STEPHANIE WENT TO HER SUPERVISOR. WE FOUND OUT THROUGH A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST. SHE WAS, THAT SUPERVISOR HAD HER FIRE THAT VERY SAME DAY. I SEEN THE EMAILS THAT HE SENT TO HIS SUPERVISOR. TURNS OUT TWO LIFEGUARDS WERE MENTIONED IN A COMPLAINT ABOUT THAT SUPERVISOR THAT HE WAS REQUESTING SEXUAL FAVORS FROM THOSE TWO LIFEGUARDS. HE WAS NEVER INVESTIGATED. I SEEN THE INVESTIGATION. THEY CLAIM WE COULDN'T FIND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THE DATABASE OF FORMER OR EMPLOYEES OR FORMER EMPLOYEES, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW IMMEDIATELY WHO IT WAS, THEY DID NOT INTERVIEW ANYBODY. ZERO. THAT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. IT IS A PROBLEM WITH HOW POWERED HR AND HOW MAIN HRD HANDLES INVESTIGATIONS. THEY DO NOT INTERVIEW ANYBODY. SOMEONE CAME TO ME AND SAID, TOLD ME ABOUT A CASE SOMEONE, UH, SUPERVISOR OR SOME LEVEL HAD, UH, SEX ON THE DESK AT DEEP EDDIE WASN'T INVESTIGATED. THEY PARENT HR SAID, WE DON'T INVESTIGATE STORIES, INNUENDO REPORTS, EVEN THOUGH THEY GAVE THEM THE NAMES OF WHO, WHO THEY COULD INTERVIEW IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHETHER THAT WAS TRUE OR NOT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TRUE OR NOT. I DO KNOW IF YOU DON'T INVESTIGATE, PEOPLE ARE IN DANGER. I REALLY FEEL AFRAID FOR THE 15, 16 YEAR OLDS COME COMING IN THE SUMMER. WE'RE TIRED OF WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE. PUBLIC EMPLOYEES CANNOT GO ON STRIKE. THERE'S NO LAW THAT SAYS WE CANNOT GO TO THE MEDIA. WE CANNOT GO TO THE PARENTS. WE CANNOT GO TO THE PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, THE 15, THE PARENTS WITH 15, 16, 17 YEAR OLDS AND SAY, BE AFRAID. DO NOT WORK. HERE YOU ARE. CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER. WE WILL DO THAT AND WE WILL AFFECT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO APPLY TO BE LIFEGUARDS, WHETHER IT'S ENOUGH TO CLOSE DOWN SOME POOLS. THANK YOU. WE WILL SEE. WE APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE, MAYOR. THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS, UH, MEMBERS, THOSE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION SO THAT PEOPLE WILL KNOW THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. WE ARE GETTING READY TO RECESS FOR LIVE MUSIC AND I HOPE PEOPLE WILL STAY. UH, FOR OUR LIVE MUSIC. WE WILL RECESS UNTIL ONE 15 IS WHAT I SAID EARLIER. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND USE ONE 15 AS THE TIME THAT WE WILL COME BACK. AT THAT TIME, WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 64, WHICH IS TO RECONSIDER ITEM NUMBER 64 BECAUSE THERE WAS A MISTAKE IN THE, THE NAMES OF THE SPONSORS ON THAT ITEM. SO ALL WE NEED TO DO IS RECONSIDER THAT. ALLOW ME TO READ INTO THE RECORD THE ACTUAL NAMES OF THE SPONSORS, AND THEN SO THAT OUGHT TO PASS. UH, WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO PASS THAT PRETTY QUICKLY. AND THEN WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE AUSTIN ENERGY GENERATION PLAN. AND AFTER THAT, WE WILL GO TO THE TPI ITEMS, WHICH ARE ITEMS 86, 75 AND 87. AND FOR THOSE WONDERING WHY I WOULD DO IT IN THAT ORDER, I DO KNOW THE, I DO KNOW THAT 75 COMES BEFORE 86, BUT 86 HAS TO BE TAKEN UP, TAKEN UP PRIOR TO 75. THEN WE WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON 75, AND THEN WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 87. MY PLAN WOULD BE THEN TO GO TO THE NON-CONSENT ITEMS TO MORE ITEMS FROM AUDIT AND FINANCE, THE REMAINING PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND THEN WE WOULD GO TO THE ZONING ITEMS WITHOUT OBJECTION. THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IS IN RECESS [02:35:01] UNTIL 1:15 PM IT IS 12:36 PM [Live Music] I'M EXCITED TODAY. WE HAVE A GREAT, UH, GREAT BAND TO PLAY FOR US. I'M JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER NATASHA HARPER MADISON, SO THAT I CAN INTRODUCE URBAN HEAT, UH, AUSTIN. OF COURSE, EVERYBODY KNOWS AUSTIN IS KNOWN AS THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. AND I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT URBAN HEAT IS ONE OF OUR GREATEST EXPORTS. THE BAND FORMED ONLY FIVE YEARS AGO AS WHEN, WHEN IT WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF SINGER AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST. JONATHAN HORSEMAN HAS QUICKLY BECOME ONE OF KNOWN FOR THEIR VERY FIERY LIVE SHOWS AND INFECTIOUS DARK WAVE ANTHEMS THAT HARKEN BACK TO THE EIGHTIES WITH A MODERN SENSIBILITY POWERED BY THE MAGNETIC HORSEMAN'S, MELODIC BARITONE VOCALS AND THE PUMMELING RHYTHM SECTION OF KEVIN KNOCKIN AND PAXIL FOLEY. URBAN HEAT HAD WON OVER OVER FANS SHOW BY SHOW, BY SHOW APPEARANCES AT MAJOR CALIFORNIA FESTIVALS LIKE CRUEL WORLD AND DARKER WAVES SAW URBAN HEAT PLAY TO THEIR BIGGEST AUDIENCES YET AND THEIR SET POINTED OUT AS ONE OF THE BEST OF THE DAY. RIGHT HERE AT HOME. URBAN HEAT HAS LONG BEEN THE TALK OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND GRACED THE STAGE OF THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL. NOW WITH THE TOWER, WE SEE THE BAND AT THEIR ABSOLUTE PEAK. SONGS LIKE THE ARENA READY SEVEN SAFE PLACES, AND THE INTRICATELY STEADY TAKE IT TO YOUR GRAVE, SHOW THE BAND'S SONIC VERSATILITY. THE LATTER, WHICH BEST EXEMPLIFIES THE MAJORITY OF THE RECORD, IS ABOUT FEELINGS OF UNWORTHINESS AND FEARS OF SELF SABOTAGE, INTROSPECTIVE DOTS, HORSEMAN'S LYRICS, DRIVING HOME ITS POWER AND RELATABILITY WITH A HEADLINING SHOW AT LOS ANGELES'S, FAMED EL RAY THEATER, A NORTH AMERICAN TOUR, A FALL EUROPEAN TOUR WITH MOHE DOMA THAT'S ALREADY UNDER THEIR BELT. URBAN HEAT IS READY TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN THEM ALREADY, WHAT WHAT ANYONE IS THAT HAS SEEN THEM ALREADY REALLY KNOWS THEY'RE A BAND THAT IS GOING TO DOMINATE THE AIRWAVES FOR YEARS TO COME TOGETHER WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I INTRODUCED TO YOU URBAN HEAT, BUT SAVE, TRANSFORM TO AN IDEA, SACRIFICE YOUR MASTERS, BUT NOT THE THRILL. TRANSFORM TO AN IDEA, JUST AN IDEA, AN IDEA. YOU CANNOT KILL AN YOU CANNOT KILL SOMEONE TO, [02:40:12] TO GIVE YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN URBAN HEAT. WOO. WHAT I WANT TO DO NOW IS ASK, ASK ALL THREE OF YOU TO COME UP HERE, BE WITH US FOR A SECOND. WHY DON'T YOU STEP UP HERE? YOUR MICROPHONE'S TOO HIGH FOR ME. I GOT ONE SET UP HERE. , Y'ALL COME UP HERE. WHY DON'T YOU HOLD THAT? AND, AND I'M, WE'RE AGAIN, I'M JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON. I WANT TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION, BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS IS BLESSED WITH MANY CREATIVE MUSICIANS WHOSE TALENT EXTENDS TO VIRTUALLY EVERY MUSICAL GENRE. AND WHEREAS OUR MUSIC SCENE THRIVES BECAUSE AUSTIN AUDIENCES SUPPORT GOOD MUSIC THAT'S PRODUCED BY LEGENDS, OUR LOCAL FAVORITES AND NEWCOMERS ALIKE, AND WE ARE PLEASED TO SHOWCASE AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ARTISTS. NOW, THEREFORE, I, KIRK WATSON, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL AS MAYOR OF THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, AUSTIN, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 12TH, 2024 AS URBAN HEAT DAY IN AUSTIN. WOO, APPRECIATE YOU ALL, THANK VERY MUCH. TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE CAN FOLLOW YOU, UH, ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HOW WE CAN HEAR YOU, WHERE WE MIGHT GO TO SEE YOU. YEAH, YEAH. UM, HI, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAN OVER. WE ARE, UH, IT'S URBAN HEAT BAND WOULD BE ALL THE SOCIALS, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, ALL THOSE THINGS. IT'S AT URBAN HEAT BAND. UH, IF YOU WANT TO CASH APP US, THAT'S DOLLAR SIGN, URBAN HEAT BAND. UH, WE'RE PLAYING TONIGHT AT EUM. AND, UH, AND THEN, UH, YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH US NEXT YEAR BECAUSE WE, UH, NEED TO SLEEP URBAN HEAT. THANK Y'ALL. THAT WAS GREAT. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE IN RECESS UNTIL ONE 15. THANKS EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. TAKE SOME PICTURES. LET'S TAKE GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. IT'S 1:15 PM ON DECEMBER 12TH, 2024, AND I WILL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. AS I INDICATED, WHEN WE RECESSED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, THE FIRST ITEM WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP, UH, [64. Approve an ordinance waiving or reimbursing certain fees related to Austin Roundup's Annual Fundraiser to be held at the Dougherty Arts Center on April 4-5, 2025.] IS ITEM NUMBER 64. AND THE REASON WE'RE TAKING THAT UP IS WE HAVE PASSED ITEM NUMBER 64 UNANIMOUSLY, BUT THERE WAS A MISTAKE IN THE LIST OF THE SPONSORS OF THAT ITEM. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO RECONSIDER 64. THEN I WILL READ INTO THE RECORD THE CORRECT NAMES SO THAT WE THEN CAN PASS IT, UH, CORRECTLY. AND COUNCIL MEMBER VALA MOVES THAT WE RECONSIDER THE VOTE [02:45:01] BY WHICH ITEM NUMBER 64 WAS ADOPTED. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE MOTION IS ADOPTED AND WE WILL NOW CALL BACK UP. ITEM NUMBER 64 MEMBERS. I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 64 WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL BEING LISTED AS SPONSORS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CADRE VELASQUEZ FUENTES, RYAN ALTER, AND HARPER MADISON. IS THERE A MOTION, MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER? IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 64 IS READOPTED. THAT WILL NOW TAKE US [2. Approve adoption of Austin Energy’s Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035, which provides a flexible management framework to meet changing conditions, and strategies for energy needs, generation supply, demand response, energy efficiency, and equity. Funding: Approving the 2035 Plan does not have immediate fiscal impact. The future financial impact will be determined as specific projects are presented to City Council to implement the plan over the next few years.] TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, UH, MEMBERS. ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE AUSTIN ENERGY GENERATION PLAN. AND WHAT I'M GONNA DO, THE, THE, THE PROPOSAL I HAVE IS THAT I WILL CALL UP STAFF, UH, FOR ANY BRIEF COMMENTS THEY WANNA MAKE. IF COUNCIL MEMBERS SINCE OUR WORK SESSION HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO ASK OR TALK ABOUT, THEY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. AND THEN WE WILL GO TO SPEAKERS, UH, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SPEAKERS. AS I INDICATED ON TUESDAY, WHAT I THOUGHT WE WOULD DO IS I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, A, A BROAD, A MOTION TO ADOPT THE ITEM, AND THEN WE WILL GO TO POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS ON THE ITEM. UM, AND, AND WE'LL WORRY ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GET THERE. BUT YOU NOW HAVE THE MICROPHONE. UM, TALK TO US. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M LISA MARTIN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF AUSTIN ENERGY. THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING AUSTIN ENERGY'S RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN TO 2035. THE 2035 PLAN PROVIDES A FLEXIBLE PATH TO A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE, A PATH THAT REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY'S CORE VALUES OF RELIABILITY, AFFORDABILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND ENERGY EQUITY. WE KNOW IT REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEM IN OUR MOST ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FOR ANY RESOURCE GENERATION PLAN, THE PLAN YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU INCLUDES ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT PASSED BY THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION, WHICH RECOMMENDED ADOPTION OF THE PLAN BY A VOTE OF NINE TO ONE WITH ONE OF ABSTENTION. THE 2035 PLAN BUILDS A BRIDGE TO OUR CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE. IT RECOMMITS US TO AN INDUSTRY LEADING GOAL OF 100% CARBON FREE BY 2035. IT PRIORITIZES CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS AND PROMOTES RELIABILITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND IN AND SUSTAINABILITY. IT PROTECTS OUR MOST VULNERABLE, IT'S RESILIENT TO EXTREME WEATHER, IT'S FLEXIBLE, IT'S INNOVATIVE, AND IT'S BUILT TO ADAPT TO CHANGING CONDITIONS. DURING TUESDAY'S WORK SESSION, WE HAD A ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS PROPOSED RESOURCE GENERATION PLAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CAREFUL AND THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION AND LEADERSHIP. SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN AVAILABLE TO WORK WITH EACH OF YOUR OFFICES. AS YOU FINALIZE YOUR AMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN, AS YOU CONSIDER ADOPTION, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE PLAN PROVIDES THE FLEXIBILITY THAT AUSTIN ENERGY NEEDS TO MEET OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES. IT REFLECTS OUR COMMUNITY'S VALUES AND PRIORITIES, AND IT KEEPS AUSTIN A LEADER ON THE PATH TO A CARBON FREE FUTURE. THANK YOU. AND WE'LL BE AROUND FOR QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY THANK YOU MEMBERS. BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO ASK AT THIS POINT? OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'LL, UH, TURN TO THE CITY CLERK TO HELP US NAVIGATE THE SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER TWO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. FIRST SPEAKER IS JIMENA SIFUENTES CHAVEZ, IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, HELLO? OH, THERE WE GO. SORRY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. NO, I, I APOLOGIZE. YEAH, SO I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, UM, ITEM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THROUGH, UM, THE PRO THE NONPROFIT, UM, COMMUNITY POWERED A TX AT THIS ITEM HAS BEEN SUGGESTED TO NOT BE, UM, PASSED AS A LOCAL CLIMATE ACTIVIST. EILEEN MC GUINEAS COUNTERS AT AUSTIN CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO INVEST IN PUT LOOTING AND FOSSIL FUELS. AND AGAIN, I REST MY TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS RAFAEL SCHWARTZ. RAFAEL, CAN YOU HEAR US? GOOD AFTERNOON. HI. YEAH, I CAN HEAR YOU. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. MY NAME'S RAEL SCHWARTZ. I'M AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER. I LIVE IN SOUTH AUSTIN. I DO SERVE ON THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, UH, ONLY SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I WOULD'VE VOICED, UH, STRONG SUPPORT FOR COUNCIL MEMBER RIOT ALTER'S AMENDMENTS. UM, AMENDMENT TWO ASKED FOR BATTERY STORAGE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THERE'S NO REASON TO WAIT OR STUDY DOING THIS. IT'S YEARS [02:50:01] DELAYED ALREADY AND WE'RE WAY BEHIND THE REST OF TEXAS AMENDMENT THREE. ASK FOR COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL FROM COUNCIL FOR AFTER FEASIBILITY STAGE OF PEAKER DEVELOPMENT. I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THIS, BUT IT'S WORTH REPEATING THAT OZONE NON ATTAINMENT COSTS, HEALTH IMPACT COSTS. REAL METHANE LEAKAGE COSTS HAVE NOT BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THIS AT LEAST ALLOWS FUTURE COUNCIL TO HAVE REAL DISCUSSION IN THE FUTURE IF THEY CHOOSE TO. AMENDMENT FOUR FOCUSES ON AUSTIN ENERGY REPORTING TO COUNCIL ON A REGULAR BASIS ON THE DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT STUFF, LOCAL SOLAR BATTERY STORAGE, AND ON FAYETTE. I THINK THIS COUNCIL REPORTING REQUIREMENT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF MEETING THE GOALS. WE ARE YEARS BEHIND WHERE WE COULD AND SHOULD BE ON DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT AND SOLAR. A LOT OF PROGRAMS HAVE FAILED TO LAUNCH OR TO SCALE. THE DEMAND SIDE PROGRAMS ARE PROVEN APPROACHES THAT ARE HAPPENING ALL THROUGHOUT TEXAS. THINGS NEED, THESE THINGS NEED TO START MOVING FORWARD, UH, QUICKLY IF WE'RE GONNA CATCH UP TO THE REST OF THE STATE AND FOR THE REAL, UH, CARBON FREE GOALS TO HAPPEN. AND I THINK THAT COUNCIL'S, YOU KNOW, ONGOING ENGAGEMENT IS REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO SET THINGS UP FOR SUCCESS. AND FINALLY, PLEASE DON'T THROW AWAY THE CARBON FREE GOAL. UH, FOR THE LESSER AS A PERCENTAGE OF LOAD LANGUAGE. IT DOES ALLOW THE UTILITY TO PLAN FOR FOSSIL FUEL OPERATIONS FOREVER. UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY IN ALL OF THIS. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE REMOTE SPEAKERS AT, AT THIS TIME WE'LL MOVE OVER TO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. FIRST SPEAKERS PAUL ROBBINS, FOLLOWED BY TODD DAVEY AND KEVIN FINCHER. COUNSEL, THE MOST POLARIZING ITEM IN THE GENERATION PLAN IS WHETHER AUSTIN ENERGY SHOULD BUY NATURAL GAS TURBINES. MANY CLEAN ENERGY ADVOCATES VIEW THIS AS A FAILURE TO HONOR AUSTIN'S ZERO CARBON COMMITMENT. THE UTILITY WORRIES ABOUT ADEQUATE DISPATCHABLE GENERATION AND THE LACK OF, UH, REACTIVE POWER, UH, IN AUSTIN'S SERVICE TERRITORY. THIS SECOND CONCERN, THE LACK OF REACTIVE POWER IS RAISING OUR BILLS. RIGHT NOW. AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, DOES NOT HAVE ADEQUATE TRANSMISSION CAPACITY TO IMPORT ENOUGH LOW COST POWER FROM OUT OF OUR SERVICE TERRITORY. PLANS TO FIX THIS MIGHT NOT BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED UNTIL ABOUT 2032. I SUGGEST AN INTERIM SOLUTION. AUSTIN ENERGY SHOULD LEASE RATHER THAN OWN COMBUSTION TURBINES, UH, THAT IT WANTS UNTIL THE PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION CONSTRAINTS ARE FIXED. THIS AVOIDS LONG-TERM INVESTMENT IN A POSSIBLE STRANDED INVESTMENT USING FOSSIL FUEL. UH, AUSTIN SHOULD ALSO START IMPLEMENTING ITS BATTERY, UH, GOAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO DEAL WITH THE REACTOR, THE REACTIVE POWER PROBLEM. UH, WE HAVE AN IMMEDIATE PROBLEM, AND THIS WOULD LOWER BILLS. THIS IDEA, THESE IDEAS WOULD LOWER BILLS WITHOUT A LONG TERM COMMITMENT TO MORE FOSSIL FUEL GENERATION. THANK YOU. THANKS, MR. S. NEXT SPEAKER. NEXT SPEAKER IS TODD DAVEY OR KEVIN FINCHER. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL. MY NAME IS TODD DAVEY. I AM HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF CCARE, THE COALITION FOR CLEAN, AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE ENERGY. WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN REPRESENTING THE ENERGY INTEREST OF COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES, INCLUDING MANUFACTURERS, HOUSING PROVIDERS, TECH COMPANIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND THE HOSPITALS SINCE 2005. UM, WE ARE HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PIPELINE AS IT WAS PROPOSED BY AUSTIN ENERGY. UM, THE DRAFT RESOURCE PLAN PRIORITIZES TRANSMISSION INVESTMENTS, UM, A GENERATION MIX THAT PROMOTES THE CORE VALUES OF AFFORDABILITY, RELIABILITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY. BOTH AUSTIN ENERGY SURVEY AND STAKEHOLDER GROUP SHOWED THAT THOSE ARE THE COMMUNITY'S TOP THREE PRIORITIES. I FEEL LIKE THE PLAN IS AND THE PROCESS USED, STRIKES THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE INTEREST HERE AND FOCUSES ON WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE BUSINESSES, UM, THAT OPERATE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT THIS WILL HELP ADDRESS IS SOME OF THE RECENT VOLATILITY WE'VE SEEN WITH THE [02:55:01] PSA AS THE ERCOT MARKET IS CHANGING. AND I APPLAUD AUSTIN ENERGY FOR INTERACTING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO BALANCE HOW THEY CAN STRIKE AFFORDABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND RELIABILITY FOR A BALANCE. UM, THAT IS WHAT'S NEEDED FOR, FOR THE CITY, UH, THE ELECTRICITY TO OPERATE, THE UTILITY TO OPERATE EFFECTIVELY HERE IN THE YEARS TO COME. UM, WE SUPPORT THIS PLAN AND WE ASK YOU TO APPROVE IT. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, KEVIN FINCHER WITH THE AUSTIN REGIONAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION. UM, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR A ROBUST DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THIS ENERGY PLAN AS A STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPANT REPRESENTING MANUFACTURING, UM, OVER 2000 MANUFACTURERS AS WELL AS 72,000 MANUFACTURING EMPLOYEES. UM, UH, WE APPRECIATE AUSTIN ENERGY BRINGING US TO THE TABLE AND BEING PART OF THAT STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSION. UM, WE ARE ALSO A MEMBER OF CCARE, SO I WON'T REPEAT WHAT THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER TODD DAVY DID. WE, UH, AGREE WITH THOSE COMMENTS AND WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO PLEASE SUPPORT THIS, UH, PLAN AS PROVIDED. AND WE ARE IN FAVOR OF THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT SPEAKER IS BETTY DUNKERLEY, FOLLOWED BY ZACH ROSENBAUM AND HAYDEN BAGOT. YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR ME TO HOBBLE DOWN WITH ARTICLE COUNCIL MEMBER DUNKLEY. WE'LL WAIT ON YOU ALL DAY. I MADE IT. I'M JUST NOT VERY USED TO USING THESE CANES. I'M BETTY DUNKERLEY AND I'M HERE, UH, TO TELL YOU THAT I ATTENDED THESE WORK SESSIONS PROVIDED BY OGY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN. UH, THERE, THERE WAS A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE, THEY PAID ATTENTION, THEY COMMUNICATED, THEY PARTICIPATED, AND WE THOROUGHLY SUPPORT THE PLAN THAT CAME TO YOU. WE FOCUSED ON THREE THINGS, AS YOU KNOW, RELIABILITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. AND THEY'RE ALL INCLUDED IN THIS PLAN. BUT WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT THE GENERATION ITSELF, BOTH WITH THE AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF AS WELL AS OUTSIDE EXPERTS, IT WAS VERY OBVIOUS THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM COMING IN THE FUTURE. NUMBER ONE, IT APPEARS THAT WE'LL BE LOSING SOME OF OUR CURRENT GENERATION IN THAT TIMEFRAME, AS WELL AS INCREASING THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL, UM, GENERATION JUST FOR THE GROWING POPULATION, ET CETERA. SO THAT WAS A REAL CONCERN AND IT, IT, UM, PROBABLY CAUSED US TO RAISE THE RELIABILITY TO THE TOP OF THE LIST. UH, IT WAS JUST OBVIOUS LOOKING AT IT NOW, THE PLAN ITSELF CONTAINS AND INCREASES ALL THE THINGS WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING. NOW, EVERYTHING FROM ROOF, SOLAR TO WIND TO WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT'S NOT DECREASING AT ALL. IT'S STILL THERE, IT'S STILL EMPHASIZED, BUT WHAT WAS OBVIOUS IS THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN SOME THINGS WHERE AUSTIN ENERGY CAN START LOOKING AT NEW SOURCES OF ENERGY JUST TO HAVE IN CASE WE NEED IT. BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, SITTING WHERE YOU'RE SITTING, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR A BIG AREA FOR ALL THE POWER THAT'S GENERATED HERE. AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE THERE AND I'M NOT , SO THANK YOU. THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU. YOU'RE, I I, I, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SAYING, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SAYING THIS TO BETTY DUNKLEY, BUT YOUR TIME IS UP . SO THANK, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU APPROVE THE PLAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, UM, BETTY DUNKERLEY IS A FORMER FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN ME MAKE A BAD VOTE ON THE BUDGET, YOU CAN BLAME HER, UH, BECAUSE I LEARNED EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT THAT FROM HER. AND SHE ALSO SERVED, UH, MULTIPLE TERMS ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. SO WE APPRECIATE HER CONTINUED SERVICE. OKAY, GOOD MORNING. AND YOU GET THE FOLLOWER. I KNOW THAT'S A TOUGH, TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW. UM, BUT SO MY GOOD MORNING. MY NAME'S ZACH ROSENBAUM. UH, I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF, UH, UH, ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AT SAMSUNG AUSTIN SEMICONDUCTOR, AND TODAY I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF CCARE. TODAY, CCARE IS ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN, UM, 2 20 35 AS PROPOSED BY AUSTIN ENERGY. WE BELIEVE THE EXPANSION OF [03:00:01] MORE TRANSMISSION INTO AUSTIN WILL HELP LOWER COSTS AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE AFFORDABLE RENEWABLE RESOURCES LOCATED IN OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. THE DRAFT PLAN PRIORITIZES THESE CRITICAL TRANSMISSION INVESTMENTS AND A DIVERSE GENERATION MIX TO EN ENHANCE THE RESILIENCE OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND CONTAIN POWER SUPPLY COSTS. IN PARTICULAR, THE PLAN AUTHORIZES INVESTMENTS IN UTILITY SCALE BATTERIES AND PEAKER UNITS TO ADDRESS THESE ENERGY NEEDS, AND IT ALSO AVOIDS THE PREMATURE RETIREMENT OF EXISTING GENERATION RESOURCES. THIS PLAN AUTHORIZES A MIX OF DISPATCHABLE POWER TO IMPROVE ELECTRICAL SERVICE RELIABILITY BY MAINTAINING VOLTAGE SUPPORT AND BLACKSTAR CAPABILITY, WHICH IS CRITICAL FOR THE SAFETY AND PROSPERITY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN AUSTIN. THE PLAN ALSO HELPS AUSTIN ENERGY MANAGE AGAINST HIGH WHOLESALE ELECTRICAL PRICES. AUSTIN ENERGY HAS RETIRED MORE THAN HALF OF ITS LOCAL GENERATION SINCE 2020, LEADING TO NEARLY 300 MILLION IN CONGESTION COSTS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. THIS PLAN CALLS FOR RELIABLE GENERATION RESOURCES TO OFFSET THIS PRICE RISK. AND, UH, IN THE AUSTIN AREA, THE PLAN IS ALSO SUSTAINABLE BY RECOMMITTING TO THE 2035 CARBON FREE GOAL, REPLACING LESS EFFICIENT GAS GENERATORS OPERATING ONLY WHEN RENEWABLE RESOURCES ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY AVAILABLE OR MEET DEMAND, AND EFFECTIVELY PREPARING US FOR AN EXIT FROM THE PA FA FAYETTE POWER PLANT. THIS PLAN WILL FURTHER REDUCE AUSTIN ENERGY'S OVERALL CARBON EMISSIONS. IT ALSO MAKES IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS IN RENEWABLE RESOURCES, ENERGY STORAGE, DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAMS, AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES, AND EX CALLS FOR THE EXPLORATION OF GEOTHERMAL AND OTHER LOW CARBON TECHNOLOGIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND I URGE YOU TO APPROVE THE GENERATION PLAN AS PUT FORWARD BY AUSTIN ENERGY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES. JUST, JUST PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. YES SIR. MAYOR AND COUNSEL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME IS HAYDEN BAGOT. I'M HERE REPRESENTING CCARE AND I ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS. TODAY I'M ASKING YOU TO APPROVE THE RESOURCE GENERATION PLAN AS PROPOSED BY AUSTIN ENERGY AND WITH YOUR UPDATED AMENDMENTS. HOWEVER, I ASK THAT YOU REJECT ANY NEW AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD OBSTRUCT THE PROCUREMENT AND USE OF LOW CAPACITY FACTOR PEAKER UNITS, WHICH ARE COMPLIMENTARY TO UTILITY SCALE BATTERIES AND INTEGRAL TO IMPROVING ELECTRIC SERVICE RELIABILITY AND HEDGING AGAINST WHOLESALE MARKET PRICES ON THE SCREEN ARE MATERIALS TO PUT CURRENT RISKS IN PERSPECTIVE. NOW YOU'VE ALL SEEN THIS FIRST SLIDE FROM AUSTIN ENERGY DOCUMENTING $285 MILLION IN CONGESTION COSTS THESE PAST TWO YEARS, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE LED TO THESE COSTS SHOWN ANOTHER WAY, THIS IS A TIMELINE OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT INCREASES. AUSTIN ENERGY WAS FORCED TO CLOSE 725 MEGAWATTS OF NATURAL GAS GENERATION IN 2021 AND 2022 DUE TO REQUIREMENTS IN THE CURRENT PLAN. THIS WAS HALF OF OUR LOCAL GENERATION PROFILE AND CONTRIBUTED TO A 60% INCREASE IN POWER SUPPLY COSTS, WHICH MAKE UP 25 TO 60% OF A CUSTOMER'S BILL IN COUNCIL MEMOS, THE AUSTIN ENERGY GENERAL MANAGER REPEATEDLY ATTRIBUTED THESE PSA INCREASES TO TRANSMISSION CONGESTION AND A LACK OF POWER GENERATION WITHIN THE AUSTIN ENERGY LOAD ZONE. PEAKER UNITS, OTHER FIRM GENERATION SOURCES AND TRANSMISSION INVESTMENTS WILL REDUCE THESE EXTREME PRICE RISKS FOR CUSTOMERS. THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS AUSTIN ENERGY'S MONTHLY POWER SUPPLY COST BALANCE SHEET OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. AS YOU CAN SEE, IN JULY, 2022, AUSTIN ENERGY UNDERCOVERED $43 MILLION. LATER IN AUGUST, 2023, IT LOST 47 MILLION DURING MORE PROLONGED SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS. WITHOUT ENOUGH GENERATION AUSTIN ENERGY COULD BE FORCED TO PAY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO THE GRID OPERATOR POTENTIALLY EXCEEDING THE UTILITIES RESERVES AND PUTTING THE CITY IN A FINANCIAL BIND, ADDITIONAL PEAKER UNITS WILL EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THIS GENERATION DEFICIT AND MITIGATE LIQUIDITY RISK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU. IS HAYDEN HERE? HAYDEN BAG? OH, THAT WAS HAYDEN BAG. THANK YOU. A NEXT SET OF SPEAKERS IS TREY SALINAS, MATT CREEL, STACY SCHMIDT, AND JENNY GRAYSON. PLEASE COME FORWARD IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED. CALL. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS REY SALINAS. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF CCARE. UH, ALSO SERVE AS THE VICE CHAIR FOR THE AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE CHAMBER SHORTLY ON OUR SUPPORT FOR THIS PLAN. I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CCARE FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS NOW. YOUR LARGE CUSTOMERS, UM, BEEN INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE RATE CASES, GEN PLAN UPDATES AND SO FORTH OVER THOSE MORE THAN 20 YEARS. THIS PLAN DOES EXACTLY WHAT YOUR COMMUNITY ASKED. IT MEETS RELIABILITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. JUST AS WHAT YOU HEARD FROM HAYDEN BAGOT JUST NOW. THE NEED FOR MORE DISPATCHABLE POWER IN OUR LOAD ZONE IS REAL. IT IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO FACE AND THIS PLAN HELPS YOU DO THAT. LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT, UH, IN WORKING WITH THE UTILITY [03:05:01] AND WITH CCARE FOR THE LAST 20 PLUS YEARS, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF TALK AND A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT EXITING THE FAYETTE COAL POWER PLANT. THAT'S A LOT OF GENERATION IN MY OPINION. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE WILL BE TAKING REAL STEPS TO RESPONSIBLY EXIT COAL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME'S MATT CREEL. I'M WITH OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN. UM, I WANNA SAY THANKS TO THE COUNCIL, TO AUSTIN ENERGY AND TO ALL THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY'VE PUT INTO, UH, THE DISCUSSIONS AND FORMULATING THIS PLAN. WE SUPPORT THE PLAN BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS MEANINGFUL PROGRESS FOR RELIABILITY, FOR AFFORDABILITY, AND, UH, STILL KEEPS SUSTAINABILITY GOALS, UH, IN REACH. SO THANK YOU. AND I ASK YOU TO SUPPORT THE AUSTIN ENERGY, EXCUSE ME, AUSTIN ENERGY PLAN AS PROPOSED. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS STACY SCHMIDT, AND I AM A RESIDENT AND CUSTOMER OF AUSTIN ENERGY, AND I ALSO REPRESENT OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN. SO I AM ASKING YOU TODAY TO APPROVE THE RESOURCE GENERATION PLAN AS PROPOSED BY AUSTIN ENERGY. THIS RESOURCE GENERATION PLAN PROVIDES A WELL-BALANCED GENERATION TOOLKIT AND TRANSMISSION INVESTMENTS TO HELP PREVENT OUTAGES AND KEEP OUR BILLS LOW AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS IS A PLAN THAT'S GOOD FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND AS WE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORLD CONTINUE TO GO AND TALK ABOUT, ABOUT AUSTIN AND WHAT A GREAT CITY IT IS TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY INFRASTRUCTURE CONTINUES TO COME UP IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS. INFRASTRUCTURE AND INVESTING IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AND A RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE WAY IS CRITICAL FOR US AS OUR REGION CONTINUES TO GROW. THIS PLAN ALSO OFFSETS CONGESTION COSTS BY RESTORING THE LOCAL GENERATION. AUSTIN ENERGY HAS LOST HALF OF ITS LOCAL ELECTRIC OUTPUTS SINCE 2020, WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO A 60% INCREASE IN POWER SUPPLY COSTS. THIS PLAN ALLOWS FOR THE RIGHT GENERATION MIX TO AVOID ONGOING PRICE SEPARATION AND SERIOUS FINANCIAL RISK TO AUSTIN ENERGY. THIS PLAN'S FLEX FLEXIBILITY WILL HELP AUSTIN ENERGY MEET ITS GOALS. IT WILL HELP AUSTIN CONTINUE TO GROW IN A BALANCED MANNER FOR THIS COMMUNITY GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THIS PLAN. NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTOPHER PAGE, WALLED BY ALEXIA LA CLERK NOAH ELIAS. BRAD MASSING AND VALERIE MENARD. ARE EITHER OF YOU HERE, IF ANY, IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE LET US KNOW AND START MOVING TOWARD THE FRONT. DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THEY'RE HERE. CARLOS PONE. SCOTT JOHNSON. RAMSEY BIZ. DALE BULA. GO AHEAD MR. JOHNSON. GO AHEAD AND JUST GO FORWARD. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF. I SUPPORT THE RYAN ALTER AMENDMENT. I'M SORRY, YOU NEED TO STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, SIR SCOTT JOHNSON. I SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT FOR RYAN ALTER AND THE CO-SPONSORS. I'M HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT ARE IN THE PLAN, THAT THERE'S AN ATTEMPT OR DESIRE TO INCREASE, SUCH AS DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT. AS WE OFTEN CALL ENERGY EFFICIENCY. WE KNOW THAT WE NEED THAT AND WE HAVE DONE EXTREMELY WELL OVER TIME. IN FACT, SINCE THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS THROUGH THE MID TO LATE 2010S, I WAS WORKING AS A CONTRACT CONSULTANT ORIGINALLY FOR CHRIS STRAND AND THEN FOR A BROADER GROUP OF, UH, HVAC COMPANIES SUCH AS FOX AND MCCULLOUGH AND, AND OTHERS. AND WE DID SOME GOOD IN THAT ERA. WE HAD REGULAR GAINS OF SIGNIFICANT MEGAWATTS. HOWEVER, AS A COMMUNITY, AS A CITY, WE FAIL OR WE DON'T DO AS WELL AS WE COULD WITH REGARD TO BRINGING THESE PROGRAMS AND CONVINCING PEOPLE OF COLOR AND PEOPLE OF LESSER MEANS TO GET INVOLVED. SOMETIMES THEY CAN'T. BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT I HOPE THE COUNCIL THROUGH THE AUSTIN ENERGY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WILL BE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO GET BETTER AT THAT. IF YOU NEED TO BRING SOMEONE ON, THEN THAT'S HELPFUL. WE DON'T DO ENOUGH IN THAT SPACE TO BROADEN THE DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS TO REACH PEOPLE TO OFFER THEM AN EQUITABLE WAY TO PAY FOR THEIR BILL. ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY IS THIS ONE HERE THAT'S ON THE OVERHEAD NOW. AND THIS [03:10:01] IS ONE SLIDE ONE, PLEASE. BACK TO SLIDE ONE. THIS IS WHAT'S COMMONLY CALLED THE POINT OF SALE ORDINANCE, OR, UH, IT'S FORMERLY THE ENERGY CONSERVATION AUDIT AND DISCLOSURE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAME ABOUT IN 2008 UNDER THE WHIRLWIND ADMINISTRATION, AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT IT'S NOT BEING AS WELL USED AS WE'D LIKE. YOU SHOULD BE ASKING ABOUT THIS IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE AND ALL WE ASK IS THAT YOU STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. HELLO CITY COUNCIL. I'M RAMSEY BIS. I'M A MEMBER OF AUSTIN DSA PUBLIC POWER CAMPAIGN WHERE WE'RE FIGHTING FOR A UNION BUILT GREEN FUTURE FOR AUSTIN. I WANNA START MY REMARKS BY THANKING AUSTIN ENERGY FOR THEIR HARD EFFORT WORKING ON THIS PLAN. IT'S, IT'S QUITE COMPREHENSIVE AND QUITE LARGE. UH, THERE'S A LOT IN IT THAT I LIKE. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND REMOVING THE GIGAWATT SCALE GAS PLANT AND COMMITTING TO INVESTMENTS IN SOLAR AND STORAGE AND TRANSITION LINE AND TRANSMISSION LINES. I WOULDN'T BE UP HERE THOUGH IF I DIDN'T HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY ABOUT IT THAT I THINK SHOULD BE CHANGED. UM, I THINK THAT, UH, THE PEAKER, UH, PEAKER PLANTS IN THE PLAN, UH, IF WE'RE REALLY GOING DOWN THAT PATH, THEN WE NEED TO HAVE SERIOUS COMMITMENTS TO ENSURING THAT, UH, THEY'RE NEEDED FOR RELIABILITY REASONS. UM, I'M NOT SURE IF, IF THAT'S SELF-EVIDENT. I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WAS IN THE PLAN OR, OR THINGS LIKE THAT. UH, AND I ALSO THINK THAT THE PLAN LACKS, UH, COMMITMENTS TO SPECIFIC STORAGE TARGETS. UH, I THINK THAT, UH, IF WE'RE ABLE TO COMMIT TO SPECIFIC STORAGE TARGETS, THEN THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO, UH, RESOLVING OUR NEED FOR RELIABILITY THAT WE'RE AUSTIN ENERGY IS PROPOSING PEAKERS REPLACE. THAT'S WHY I'M IN FAVOR OF, UH, MANY OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED ALREADY. SPECIFICALLY MR. VELASQUEZ'S AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO, UH, MR. MR. ALTER'S AMENDMENTS TWO AND THREE, AND MR. CADRE'S AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO. UH, IF I HAD MORE TIME, I WOULD SAY A LOT MORE ABOUT, ABOUT ALL THE OTHER AMENDMENTS, BUT, UH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WATSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CARLOS PENON AND I'M A RESIDENT IN DISTRICT FIVE, BUT WORK PRIMARILY IN DISTRICT THREE AS A PROGRAM COORDINATOR AND ORGANIZER OF ED. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITY'S FUTURE WITH REGARDS TO THE AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE PLAN. A PLAN THAT WILL DETERMINE IF THE CITY CAN REDUCE POLLUTION AND MEET ITS CLIMATE GOALS. WHEN WE DISCUSS THE IMPLICATION OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR PRIORITIES SHOULD BE OUR HEALTH INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE OUR LIVELIHOODS AND OUR LONGEVITY NOT PROFIT. I JOIN OTHERS IN ASKING ALL OF YOU TO SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S AMENDMENTS, WHICH WOULD MAKE CERTAIN THAT AUSTIN ENERGY MOVE FORWARD ON A STRONG UTILITY SCALE BATTERY GOAL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND REQUIRE APPROVAL FROM COUNCIL BEFORE AUSTIN ENERGY ADVANCES BEYOND THE FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS STAGE. OH, THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, UH, ACCORDINGLY, THE COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT. BEFORE PLANNING GETS TOO FAR ALONG, I ALSO ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER VAL ASCAS AMENDMENT TO REQUIRE AUSTIN ENERGY TO ISSUE AN ALL SOURCE RFP BEFORE BRINGING FORWARD ANY GAS PEAKER PLANT PROPOSAL. THIS WOULD ALLOW CLEAN ENERGY SOURCES TO COMPETE. WE DON'T NEED MORE EMISSIONS AND WE CANNOT ADD ANOTHER POLLUTING PLANT IN EAST AUSTIN. THE COMMUNITIES HERE HAVE SEEN ENOUGH OF THOSE OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS. WE'D RATHER HAVE COMMITMENTS TO LOCAL BATTERIES AND EXPANDING RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAMS. WE'D RATHER HAVE YO LOWER UTILITY BILLS, THE RATES OF WHICH WILL ONLY BE WORSENED BY EXTREME HEAT IN THE SUMMERS THAT ESCALATES WITH CLIMATE CHANGE OVER TIME. WE'D RATHER HAVE CLEANER AIR YEAR TO YEAR. THERE ARE MORE DAYS WE MUST CONSIDER IF IT'S TOO HOT OR IF THE AIR QUALITY IS SO BAD THAT WE CAN'T BE OUTSIDE TO WORK. SPEND TIME WITH LOVED ONES LIVE. AND WHO FEELS THIS THE MOST, THE WORKING CLASS, THE ELDERLY KIDS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TO RESPOND TO THE CHANGES IN OUR ENVIRONMENT BY REACHING FOR A QUOTE UNQUOTE SOLUTION THAT WE'LL INCREASE POLLUTION ACROSS THE CITY, THE CITY OUR CHILDREN WILL INHERIT. ITS CONFOUNDING AND I'M ONLY ECHOING THE POINTS THAT MANY HAVE BROUGHT TO YOU IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO TODAY. AUSTIN ENERGY WOULD DO WELL TO LISTEN TO ITS BASE, AND WE NEED MECHANISMS IN THE PLAN THAT ENSURE THEY'RE COMMITTED TO OUR FUTURE. THUS, I'M ASKING ALL OF YOU TO SUPPORT A FULL TRANSITION TO CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE PORT RESOURCE PLAN. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL. I'M DALE BULA. I FULLY SUPPORT FIRST OF ALL, THE ORION ULTRA AMENDMENTS TWO AND THREE IN TEXAS TODAY. MOST LARGE CITIES ARE DESIGNATED BY THE EPA IS NON-ATTAINMENT AREAS FOR POLLUTION, MEANING THEY DON'T MEET OUR CLEAN AIR STANDARDS. AUSTIN IS NOT ONE OF THEM YET. THE CLEAN AIR ACT REQUIRES STATES TO PLACE MONITORS IN CITIES TO MONITOR THE COMPLIANCE WITH THE, WITH AIR POLLUTION STANDARDS. AND AUSTIN HAS ABOUT A DOZEN OF THEM. [03:15:01] HOWEVER, TWO OF THEM NOW FAIL TO MEET THE POLLUTION STANDARD, MEANING WE ARE NOW OUT OF COMPLIANCE AND NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CLEAN AIR ACT. THE EPA STILL HAS TO MAKE THAT DESIGNATION OFFICIALLY. IT COULD DO THAT AT ANY TIME. AUSTIN NEEDS TO CONTROL THIS POLLUTION PROBLEM BEFORE E P'S NEXT ASSESSMENT. ONE OF THE BEST STRATEGIES STRAIGHTFORWARD IS STOP BURNING FOSSIL FUEL. IF THE EPA DESIGNATES AUSTIN AS NON-ATTAINMENT, TEXAS WILL HAVE TO DEVISE A PLAN TO REDUCE POLLUTION. IT WILL INCLUDE POLLUTION ABATEMENT, WHICH WILL IMPACT UTILITIES, BUSINESSES, INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS MAJOR DELAYS IN TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE GROWTH AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT. CONSIDERING TO MOVE TO OUR REGION, THE COST TO OUR REGION IS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT $1 BILLION A YEAR FOR THE NEXT THREE DECADES. IF OUR EFFORTS ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL, WE WILL STILL REAP BENEFITS OF REDUCED HEALTH COSTS. THE AMOUNT OF POLLUTION IN OUR AIR NOW IS DANGEROUS. ACCORDING TO RECENT STUDIES, TEXAS EXPERIENCES OVER 8,000 DEATHS PER YEAR JUST FROM PARTICULATE MATTER ALONE. THERE WERE MORE OF MORE THAN 16,000 EMERGENCY VISITS TO OUR ERS. ACCORDING TO THE DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL IN AUSTIN METRO AREA ALONE IN THE LAST YEAR, MOSTLY FROM THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES. SINCE WE KNOW AUSTIN MUST REDUCE POLLUTION, IT WOULD BE MUCH CHEAPER AND HEALTHIER TO AVOID BUILDING ANY NEW FOSSIL FUEL POWER PLANTS AND BY INVESTING IN BATTERIES AND OTHER CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND THEN WE CAN ALL BREATHE EASIER. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER'S, CRAIG NASER, FOLLOWED BY KABA WHITE, CAMILLE COOK, AND JORGE VIRO. HELLO, MY NAME'S CRAIG NAZER. UM, LONE STAR CHAPTER SIERRA CLUB. UH, FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY IS CHEAPER THAN RENEWABLES AT THE MOMENT. IT STILL IS. GAS UNITS WILL BE CHEAPER THAN, UH, RENEWABLES. THAT'S BY DESIGN. THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN AUSTIN DO NOT MAKE MONEY OFF THEIR ELECTRICITY. THEY USE IT LIKE THEY USE WATER OR THE SEWAGE SYSTEM OR THE GARBAGE SYSTEM. IT'S REQUIRED. SO I THINK THE ARGUMENTS OF THE PEOPLE ARE NOT, WE DO WANT AFFORDABLE ENERGY, BUT WE DON'T WANT AN ENERGY THAT'S GOING TO MAKE IT MORE EXPENSIVE US FOR US TO LIVE IN THE FUTURE AND EVEN MAYBE UNLIVABLE CONDITIONS. WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO AUSTIN, I WAS A GRADUATE STUDENT AT UT AND TO KEEP MY COST DOWN, I LIVED IN A HOUSE FOR SIX YEARS WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING. IT WAS DESIGNED FOR AIR CONDITIONING, BUT IT HAD NO AIR CONDITIONING AND IT WAS CHEAP, BUT IT'S GONNA BE WORSE IN THE FUTURE. AND PEOPLE WITHOUT MUCH MONEY, UH, ELECTRICITY'S GONNA BECOME LIKE WATER. YOU NEED WATER OR YOU DIE. ELECTRICITY'S GONNA BECOME AT CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR, YOU'RE GONNA NEED ELECTRICITY OR YOU'RE GONNA DIE. AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE MONEY LIKE WE DO NOW FROM OUR ELECTRIC COMPANY AND PUT IT INTO THE GENERAL FUND. WE DON'T DO THAT MUCH WITH OUR WATER SYSTEM NOW BECAUSE WE KNOW PEOPLE NEED THE WATER AND WE WANNA KEEP IT AFFORDABLE. SO THERE A LOT OF IMPORTANT ISSUES GOING FORWARD HERE, AND ONE OF THEM HAS TO DO WITH HOW WE MAKE MONEY OFF ELECTRICITY, HOW WE GENERATE ELECTRICITY. I JUST HEARD A REPORT DRIVING DOWN HERE. VERY INTERESTING TALKING ABOUT THE FENTANYL PROBLEM. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MADE FENTANYL SO DANGEROUS TO AMERICAS 'CAUSE IT'S CHEAP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. KABA WHITE HAS TIME DONATED FROM SUSAN LIPMAN. IS MS. LIPMAN HERE? OKAY, SO KABA, WE'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS KABA WHITE AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF PUBLIC CITIZENS TEXAS OFFICE AND OUR LOCAL SUPPORTERS. WE SHARE THE DESIRE TO HAVE A FINANCIALLY SOUND UTILITY THAT PROVIDES, PROVIDES RELIABLE SERVICE TO OUR ITS CUSTOMERS. AND OUR READ OF THE BODY OF EVIDENCE AVAILABLE IS THAT TRANSITIONING TO CLEAN ENERGY IS POSSIBLE TO DO WHILE MAINTAINING AFFORDABILITY. AND THEN IT'LL BE MORE, UH, WHILE MAINTAINING RELIABILITY AND THEN IT'LL BE MORE AFFORDABLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN EXTERNALITIES LIKE HEALTH COSTS AND FROM AIR POLLUTION AND WATER POLLUTION AND AVOIDED CLIMATE DISASTERS ARE CONSIDERED. WE REMAIN DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSED REVERSAL OF THE EXISTING POLICY PROHIBITING THE EXPANSION OF FOSSIL FUEL GENERATION AT AUSTIN ENERGY. WE REITERATE OUR CALL FOR YOU TO REMOVE THE SECTIONS [03:20:01] OF THIS PLAN THAT OPEN THE DOOR TO ADDING MORE GAS PEAKERS AND EXTENDING THE LIVES OF THE AE EXISTING GAS PLANTS. BUT SINCE WE SEE THAT YOU ARE POISED TO OPEN THAT DOOR, WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE ESTABLISH SOME PROTECTION FOR OUR HEALTH NOW, NOT LATER ON TUESDAY. COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, ASK AE IF THEY HAD MODELED THE IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED NEW GAS PEAKERS ON OZONE NON-ATTAINMENT. AE STAFF DIDN'T ACTUALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION, BUT THE ANSWER IS NO. THEY PROVIDED PROJECTED EMISSIONS BUT NOT ANALYSIS OF HOW THOSE EMISSIONS WOULD IMPACT NON-ATTAINMENT. YOU'VE HEARD FROM MANY AUSTINITES THAT LOCAL AIR POLLUTION IS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN. IT'S A CONCERN FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT WILL HOST THESE NEW PEAKERS AND ARE CURRENTLY HOSTING AE GAS PLANTS AND IT'S CONCERN FOR THE AE COMM OR THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY AT LARGE. WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK AND THE AMENDMENTS THAT SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE WRITTEN TO IMPROVE THIS PLAN. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE IN SUPPORT OF ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WERE SHARED IN ADVANCE AS WELL AS MAKING A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL CHANGES. FIRST, BEFORE YOU ADOPT THIS PLAN, PLEASE INCLUDE A CAP ON AUSTIN ENERGY'S NOX EMISSIONS WITHIN THE AUSTIN ENERGY METRO AREA, THAT IT'S REFLECTIVE OF THE EMISSIONS FROM THE PAST ONE TO THREE YEARS AND SETS AN EXPECTATION THAT EMISSIONS WILL DECLINE. AUSTIN ENERGY CLAIMED THAT THIS WILL BE THE EFFECT OF ADDING NEW PEAKERS, SO HOLDING THEM TO THAT CLAIM IS REASONABLE AND NECESSARY TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH. AE STAFF ALSO SAID ON TUESDAY THAT THEY WEREN'T LEGALLY BOUND TO ANYTHING THEY SAID IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS FROM THE DAIS. SO WE NEED TO HAVE THIS COMMITMENT IN WRITING AS PART OF THE PLAN. WHILE NOBODY HAS POSTED THIS AMENDMENT, I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU DO HAVE THAT LANGUAGE, PLEASE ADOPT IT. PLEASE ALSO AMEND THE CARBON FREE GOAL TO CLARIFY THAT APPLIES TO AE GENERATION AS STAFF HAS SAID THAT IT DOES. THE EXISTING LANGUAGE IS NOT CLEAR IN THE PLAN TWO AMENDMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS RYAN ALTER AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ ARE ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THE AE REALLY TRIES TO MEET NEEDS WITH CLEAN ENERGY BEFORE ANY NEW FOSSIL FUEL GENERATION IS CONSIDERED REQUIRING AE TO IMPLEMENT A HUNDRED TO 150 MEGAWATTS OF BATTERY STORAGE AND ISSUE AN ALL SOURCE RFP TO SEE IF THE UTILITIES NEEDS CAN BE MET WITH CLEAN ENERGY ARE REASONABLE REQUIREMENTS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE BATTERY PROJECTS BEING DEPLOYED IN ERCOT, INCLUDING AT CPS ENERGY, A HUNDRED TO 150 MEGAWATTS IS A GOOD BUT NOT OVERLY AMBITIOUS FIRST INVESTMENT. THAT WILL CERTAINLY NEED TO BE FOLLOWED WITH MORE INVESTMENTS IF IN BATTERY CAPACITY. IF AUSTIN ENERGY IS SERIOUS ABOUT MEETING THE CARBON FREE BY 2035 GOAL WITH OVER SEVEN GIGAWATTS OF BATTERY STORAGE DEPLOYED IN ERCOT ALREADY, AUSTIN ENERGY ISN'T IN ANY DANGER OF BEING AN EARLY ADOPTER, BUT THEY DO NEED TO GET IN THE GAME AND BATTERIES CAN BE DEPLOYED QUICKER THAN PEAKERS. SO WE NEED TO GET, WE CAN GET THE AFFORDABILITY AND RELIABILITY BENEFITS QUICKER. FINALLY, PLEASE SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S AMENDMENT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT AUSTIN ENERGY NEEDS TO REPORT BACK TO COUNCIL AND GET FEEDBACK ON, ON THE FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR WATSER. MAYOR WATSON, AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CAMILLE COOK AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS TO A'S PROPOSED UPDATE THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD BY Y'ALL. THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN HAVE SAID OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT WE WANT TO REDUCE OUR CARBON EMISSIONS AND GO GREEN. WE WANT, WE WANT TO CONTINUE ON THE PATH OF THE EXISTING GENERATION PLAN. IT IS ATTAINABLE GOALS, GUARDRAILS TO KEEP US ON TRACK AND WIDE COMMUNITY SUPPORT. IN THIS UPDATE, AE IS TAKING OUT PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT HAS MADE THE RESOURCE PLAN GREAT. IT NO LONGER PROMISES TO REDUCE OUR CARBON EMITTING RESOURCES. IT NO LONGER PROMISES TO HAVE TOTALLY CARBON FREE GENERATION BY 2035. IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ANY SOLAR GOALS BETWEEN NOW AND 2030. EVEN THOUGH SOLAR GENERATION HAS BEEN GROWING INCREDIBLY FAST IN ERCOT, THIS UPDATE CAN BE MADE BETTER WITH GUARANTEES OF ACCOUNTABILITY FROM AE. WE NEED GUARDRAILS THAT GUARANTEE THAT EVERY OPTION AVAILABLE TO US IS THOROUGHLY EXPLORED BEFORE THE BEFORE BUILDING NEW GAS PEAKERS THAT WILL POLLUTE OUR CITY'S AIR AND WILL BE DIFFICULT TO WEAN OFF OF. WE NEED GUARDRAILS LIKE RFPS FOR UTILITY SCALE BATTERIES SO WE CAN BUILD OUT OUR STORAGE CAPACITY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE PEAKERS WILL BE ALL BUT INEVITABLE IF WE DO NOT INVEST IN BATTERIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE NEED NO EMISSIONS LIMITS THAT CONTINUALLY GO DOWN EVERY YEAR, AND WE NEED EXPLICIT LANGUAGE THAT SAYS THAT CARBON FREE GOALS APPLY TO AE OWNED AND CONTROL GENERATION AS WELL AS TO MEETING LOAD. THANKFULLY THROUGH AMENDMENTS, ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE DIOCESE PUT FORWARD. WE ARE GETTING MORE OF THESE ACCOUNTABILITY GUARANTEES AND GUARDRAILS THAT WILL ENSURE WE CAN GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO CLEANLY. I WOULD ALSO SUPPORT ANY MORE AMENDMENTS GUARANTEEING LOWER NOX EMISSIONS YEAR OVER YEAR AND GREATER BUILD OUT OF GREEN TECHNOLOGY WITHIN AUSTIN AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. [03:25:01] WITH THAT, I WANNA END BY SAYING I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE POWER FROM A PUBLIC UTILITY, EVEN THOUGH AE HAS TRIED TO TAKE OUT DIFFERENT FORMS OF ACCOUNTABILITY IN THIS RESEARCH GENERATION PLAN. I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S WORK COUNSEL IN ADDING LANGUAGE THROUGH AMENDMENTS THAT HELP ENSURE OUR UTILITY WORKS FOR US, OUR GRID AND OUR UTILITY ARE FACING TOUGH TIMES AHEAD, BUT WE CAN GET PAST THESE TOUGH TIMES AND WE CAN GET THERE CLEANLY. PLEASE MAKE SURE THERE THAT THERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY IN OUR UTILITY. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE HEARD. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS TAYLOR HIGGINS, FOLLOWED BY AL BRADEN AND MARION SANCHEZ. WHEN YOUR NAME'S CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. NEXT SPEAKER IS SEAN ATKINS. STEPHANIE CHAVEZ NOEL SEAN VOIGHT, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. HI, UH, MY NAME'S SEAN ATKINS. I'M IN DISTRICT THREE. UH, YEAH, I'M SPEAKING TODAY AS PART OF THE SUNRISE MOVEMENT, A LOCAL ORG DEDICATED TO CLIMATE JUSTICE AND A JUST TRANSITION AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUEL. IN MY DAY JOB. I'M ALSO A CLIMATE POLICY ANALYST FOR A SMALL PROGRESSIVE THINK TANK CALLED NEW CONSENSUS, WHERE I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT ENERGY POLICY PRETTY EXTENSIVELY OVER THE YEARS. UM, I KNOW THAT PLAING, THIS PLAN DOES NOT LOCK IN, SO TO SPEAK, NEW NATURAL GAS PEAKER PLANTS HERE ON TUESDAY. THE MAYOR MADE GREAT POINT ABOUT THAT. UM, BUT WHAT I DO WANNA SAY IS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO A PASS ALL THE AMENDMENTS PROPOSED, UH, BY VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL THAT HELP BLOCK IN STRONGER UTILITY SCALE BATTERY, UH, DEPLOYMENTS IN PARTICULAR, AND ALSO TRY TO PUT MORE GUARDRAILS, UH, ON OUR LOCAL DISTRIBUTION OR OUR LOCAL EMISSIONS. EXCUSE ME. UM, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY, TO CONNECT THIS TO SORT OF SOME OTHER TOPICS WE'VE ADDRESSED. THE ULTIMATE END GAME TO THIS IS AUSTIN ENERGY IS GOING TO PROPOSE A NATURAL GAS PLAN. WE WOULD NOT BE FIGHTING SO HARD, THEY WOULD NOT BE FIGHTING SO HARD TO KEEP IT IN THE LANGUAGE IF IT WAS NOT THE ULTIMATE ENDGAME TO PROPOSE IT. RIGHT? AND I WANNA SAY THAT THIS IS BECAUSE UTILITIES ARE SO TEMPERAMENTALLY CONSERVATIVE. THEY ARE MARRIED TO THE SAME TOOLBOX THEY'VE BEEN USING FOR 40 YEARS. THIS IS A VERY HUMAN IMPULSE. NOBODY LIKES WHEN YOU GET A TEXT FROM YOUR BOSS SAYING, WE'RE GONNA TRY SOMETHING NEW. IT'S LIKE THE WORST MESSAGE YOU CAN RECEIVE. BUT ULTIMATELY WE NEED TO EMBRACE NEW STRATEGIES. WE HAVE SEEN EVEN IN AUSTIN ENERGY'S OWN MODELING THAT MANY OF THE CLEAN PATHWAYS ARE MORE RELIABLE AND MORE FINANCIALLY SECURE FOR AVERAGE ENERGY CONSUMERS. WE NEED TO EMBRACE THESE. IT IS MUCH LIKE WHEN TDOT PROPOSES EXPANDING. I 35, SOMETHING I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST IT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TRAINED FOR GENERATIONS TO FIGHT ANY TRAFFIC WITHIN A HIGHWAY EXPANSION. AND UTILITIES ARE STAFFED BY VERY WELL-MEANING PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED WITH ONE TOOL TO FIGHT EVERY PROBLEM THAT THEY ADDRESS, AND THAT IS BUILDING NEW FOSSIL FUEL GENERATION. WE HAVE TO NOT LET OURSELVES SLEEPWALK INTO DISASTER BECAUSE IT IS EASY, BECAUSE IT IS A STATUS QUO. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR AMBITION. I HOPE YOU CONTINUE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WATSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M AL BRADEN, A DISTRICT SEVEN VOTER AND AUSTIN ENERGY SHAREHOLDER. TWO YEARS AGO YOU CALLED FOR AN UPDATED GEN PLAN. IT'S BEEN A LONG AND WINDING PATH. I WORKED ON THE EUC WORKING GROUP A YEAR AGO. WE WOULD'VE ALL BENEFITED FROM MORE COLLABORATION WITH ALL PARTICIPANTS EARLY ON, BUT TUESDAY, AS YOU WORKED ON THESE AMENDMENTS WITH STAFF AND WITH THE PUBLIC, I WAS ENCOURAGED HOW YOU ALL STEPPED UP TO MAKE THIS PLAN BETTER. EACH OF YOUR AMENDMENTS STRENGTHENS THE PLAN, A COMMITMENT TO ZERO CARBON BY 2035, REAL BATTERY AND SOLAR GOALS, LOCAL AND COMMUNITY SOLAR DEMAND RESPONSE EFFICIENCY, EV INTEGRATION, ELECTRIFICATION, AND TIGHT LIMITS ON PEAKERS. AUSTIN ENERGY HAS INNOVATIVE PLANS IN ALL OF THESE AREAS, BUT THEY MUST REACH SCALE TO HELP OUR GOALS. I SIGNED UP FOR L LOMA COMMUNITY SOLAR IN 2018 HOPING THIS FANTASTIC PROGRAM WOULD BE REPLICATED ALL OVER TOWN. IT NOW SERVES HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES. IT NEEDS TO SERVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. THE NEW STANDARD SOLAR OFFER IS INNOVATIVE, YET ITS BENCHMARK IS 20 MEGAWATTS. IT NEEDS TO BE 200 MEGAWATTS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE GREAT, BUT THEY NEED TO SCALE UP TEXAS SIZE. SAME WITH BATTERIES. WE HAVE ONLY THREE MEGAWATT HOURS OF THE 10 MEGAWATT HOUR, 10,000 MEGAWATT HOURS OF BATTERIES IN OUR COT, WHOSE GROWING BATTERY FLEET MAKES THE GRID MORE STABLE TO MINIMIZE PRICE SPIKES AND THE CONGESTION THAT WE ALL FEAR. ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS CAN HELP US AVOID SHOPPING AT THE RENO PEAKER STORE. OUR BIGGEST POLLUTER FAYETTE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN TEXAS. 2029 IS TOO LATE. LET'S REIMAGINE IT AS BATTERIES PLUS SOLAR TO REPLACE COAL GEOTHERMAL. TWO, GET AMBITIOUS RFPS. WE HAVE 10 SQUARE MILES TO WORK WITH AND TRANSMISSION LINES ALREADY IN PLACE. MAKE IT A TASK [03:30:01] FORCE. MAKE IT A PRIORITY. PLEASE VOTE FOR ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES AMENDMENTS TO MAKE THIS GEN PLAN A TRUE REFLECTION OF AUSTIN'S ENERGY NEEDS. WE NEED SOLAR AND BATTERIES NOW. LET'S GET TO WORK. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING OR GOOD AFTERNOON, . MY NAME IS STEPHANIE CHAVEZ NOEL AND I AM A COMMUNITY ARTIST, AN EDUCATOR, A MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN, AND A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT EIGHT. I'M HERE TO URGE MAYOR WATSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SUPPORT RYAN ALTER'S SECOND AND THIRD AMENDMENTS AND DIRECT AUSTIN ENERGY TO PRIORITIZE U UTILITY SCALE BATTERY STORAGE. CLEAN AIR ISN'T A PRIVILEGE. IT'S A RIGHT, IT'S A RIGHT THAT OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES NATURAL GAS. PEAKER PLANTS ARE SOME OF THE DIRTIEST LEAST EFFICIENT AND MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY SOURCES. THEY DISPROPORTIONATELY HARM NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR THEM, CAUSING ASTHMA, HEART ATTACKS, AND MISSED SCHOOL AND WORKDAYS. BUT THEIR POLLUTION DOESN'T STOP THERE. IT TRAVELS ACROSS THE CITY FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES AFFECTING ALL OF US, OUR AIR, OUR LAND, OUR WATER. THIS COST IS UNAFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE. SUPPORTING THE AMENDMENT TO LIMIT CARBON AND NOX EMISSIONS IS ESSENTIAL. THE ELECTRICITY SECTOR IS ONE OF THE LARGEST SOURCES OF UNHEALTHY AIR IN THE UNITED STATES. AND AUSTIN ENERGY MUST HELP BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO MEET THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN GOAL OF A HUNDRED PERCENT CARBON FREE ENERGY BY 2035. UM, I BROUGHT A PICTURE OF A PHO, A PHOTO OF LAST WEEK'S FALL SHOWCASE AT LEE LEWIS CAMPBELL ELEMENTARY MEDIA AND PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTE, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE HISTORIC ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS NEIGHBORHOOD IN DISTRICT ONE. THIS, UH, GIANT SUN PUPPET PICTURED, UH, IS THE, THE, UM, IT, THE IMAGE SYMBOLIZES THE POWER AND, AND BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL OF CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE. AND THIS VISION WAS CREATED BY HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. YOU CAN SEE JOY, EXCITEMENT, UH, AWE AND IMMENSE, UM, AT THE IMMENSE BRILLIANCE OF THE SUN. THESE YOUNG SCHOLARS STUDY AND PLAY LESS THAN EIGHT MILES FROM THE DECKER POWER STATION. THEY DESERVE TO BE PROTECTED AND, AND, AND GROW UP TO CONTINUE THEIR LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SET OF SPEAKERS IS MARIE MIGLIN KIA FARANG. LAURA ANN MARTINEZ. MONICA GUZMAN, ROSARIO LOPEZ, ENA CARMEN ES. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. PLEASE COME AHEAD. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ROSARIO LOPEZ. ENA. I'M IN DISTRICT THREE AND I'M SPEAKING AS A PART OF THE SUNRISE MOVEMENT. A LOCAL ORGS DEDICATED TO CLIMATE JUSTICE AND ADJUST TRANSITION AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENERGY CHOICES MADE IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE PLAN, WHICH WILL DETERMINE WHETHER AUSTIN WILL MEET ITS CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS. TODAY I AM ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT RYAN OUT'S AMENDMENTS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, NUMBER TWO AND THREE. THESE AMENDMENTS WOULD ENSURE THAT AE MOVES FORWARD ON A STRONG UTILITY SCALE BATTERY GOAL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AND WOULD NEED FURTHER APPROVAL FROM COUNCIL BEFORE MOVING PAST THE FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS STAGE. THIS WOULD MORE STRONGLY PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES FROM HARMFUL EMISSIONS. IT IS CRITICAL TO FACE OUT FOSSIL FUELS IN AUSTIN TO ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS. A GAS PLAN IS NOT A SOLUTION. I DO NOT WANT MY FUTURE KIDS AND GRANDKIDS TO GROW UP IN A POLLUTED WORLD THAT IS ON FIRE. WE ARE ALREADY SEEING THE DIRE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE FROM EXTREME WEATHER, RISING OCEANS. WE MUST TAKE ACTION NOW. PLEASE SUPPORT A FULL TRANSITION TO CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE UPDATED AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE PLAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR WATSON, MAYOR PRO POOL AND ESTEEM COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR, AN AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMER. MY NAME IS LAURA ANN MARTINEZ. WE NEED YOU TO OPPOSE THE NEW GAS PEAKER PLANTS, WHICH THIS AUSTIN ENERGY IS ATTEMPTING TO BUILD. WE NEED YOU TO VOTE SO THAT THE AUSTIN ENERGY FIRST IMPLEMENTS THE UTILITY SCALE BATTERIES, EXPANDING LOCAL SOLAR AND EXPANDING PROGRAMS TO SAVE ENERGY. HOW CAN WE MEET THE CARBON FREE GOALS WHEN BUILDING MORE NEW GAS GAS PEAKER PLANTS? WE NEED FOR THE CLEAN ENERGY BATTERIES AND, AND ENERGY CONSERVATION PLAN PASS TO PASS AND VOTE AGAINST THE NEW GAS PEAKER PLANTS VOTE AGAINST ITEM NUMBER TWO. [03:35:03] THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M MONICA GUZMAN, POLICY DIRECTOR AT GAVA. GO AUSTIN VAMOS AUSTIN GAVA STANDS WITH THE TEXAS SIERRA CLUB LONE STAR CHAPTER IN OPPOSITION TO ITEM TWO. IT'S IMPORTANT TO PHASE OUT FOSSIL FUELS AND ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS AIR POLLUTION AND SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS. CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSING MORE EXTREME WEATHER, FLOODING, HEAT WAVE HEAT WAVES, SNOW AND ICE STORMS PREVENTING MANY FROM DOING ACTIVITIES THEY ENJOY. IT ALSO EITHER PREVENTS THOSE WHO WORK OUTDOORS FROM WORKING OR WORSE, PUTTING THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY AT RISK WHEN WORKING IN TOXIC ENVIRONMENTS AND OR DANGEROUS CLIMATE STRESSOR EVENTS. AUSTIN ENERGY PLANS TO RUN CURRENT AND FUTURE GAS PEAKERS ON THE HOTTEST DAYS OF THE YEAR. THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANOTHER POLLUTING POWER PLANT IN EAST AUSTIN. IN ADDITION, HIGH NUMBERS OF OZONE AND BAD AIR QUALITY DAYS ARE NEGATIVELY AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF YOUNG CHILDREN, SENIORS, AND THE INFIRM, ESPECIALLY IN AUSTIN'S EASTERN CRESCENT. WE URGE YOU TO INCLUDE PROVISIONS ENSURING THAT AUSTIN ENERGY LISTENS TO THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES. WE URGE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER'S AMENDMENTS SPECIFICALLY. AMENDMENT TWO WOULD MAKE SURE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY MOVES FORWARD ON A UTILITY SCALE BATTERY STORAGE EARLY NEXT YEAR. AND AMENDMENT THREE WOULD REQUIRE FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL BEFORE AUSTIN ENERGY COULD MOVE PAST THE FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS STAGE FOR GAS PEAKERS. THIS WOULD PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN BEFORE THE PLANNING GETS TOO FAR DOWN THE LINE. WE ALSO ASK YOU TO SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER OF VE ALASKA'S AMENDMENT TO REQUIRE AUSTIN ENERGY TO ISSUE AN ALL SOURCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS BEFORE BRINGING FORWARD ANY GUEST PEAKER PROPOSALS. THIS ALSO GIVES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CLEAN ENERGY SOURCES TO COMPETE. WE URGE YOU TO SUPPORT A FULL TRANSITION TO CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE UPDATED AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE PLAN. YOUR COMMITMENT TO RENEWABLE ENERGY WILL ENSURE AUSTIN RESIDENTS AND VISITORS HAVE CLEANER AIR, A MORE LIVABLE AUSTIN AND A BETTER FUTURE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS CELINE REON, FOLLOWED BY ANNIE FARROW, AUDREY STEINER. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE FRONT SO YOU'RE READY TO SPEAK AND GRAB A MIC. HI, MY NAME IS CELINE REON. I LIVE IN DISTRICT EIGHT. UM, I'M A CLIMATE RESILIENCE SPECIALIST THAT DOES COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECT PLANNING WITH FRONTLINE COMMUNITY GROUPS ACROSS HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, THE US AND THE US TERRITORIES. UM, I WAS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY. I HELPED ORGANIZE THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN BACK IN 2020 THAT I WAS MENTIONED. WHAT OUTLINED AN EQUITY BASED PROCESS TO REACH OUR CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS FOR AUSTIN. UM, ENERGY CHOICES MADE IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE PLAN WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY CAN ACTUALLY MEET OUR CLIMATE GOALS AND REDUCE POLLUTION. PLEASE SUPPORT ALTERS AMENDMENTS. NUMBER TWO, MAKING SURE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY MOVES FORWARD WITH A UTILITY SCALE BATTERY STORAGE EARLY NEXT YEAR. NUMBER THREE, THAT WOULD REQUIRE, UH, FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL BEFORE AUSTIN ENERGY COULD MOVE PAST THE FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS STAGE FOR GAS PEAKS, UM, WHICH WOULD GIVE THE COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN BEFORE THE PLANNING GETS TOO FAR. UM, AS OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED, LET'S HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO CAP THE LOCAL AIR POLLUTION FROM AUSTIN ENERGY AT THE LEVEL THEY EMITTED IN THE PAST ONE TO THREE YEARS, AND LET'S REQUIRE THEM TO DECREASE THAT FROM THAT AMOUNT. UM, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR AIR QUALITY AND IT'S ALREADY IN A REALLY UNHEALTHY RANGE. LET'S SUPPORT VELASQUEZ'S AMENDMENT TO REQUIRE AUSTIN ENERGY TO ISSUE AN ALL SOURCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS BEFORE BRINGING FORWARD ANY GAS SPEAKER PROPOSAL. UM, AND LET'S HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO CLARIFY THE LANGUAGE AND THE PLAN TO STATE THAT THE CARBON FREE GOALS APPLY TO AUSTIN ENERGY'S OWNED IN CONTROLLED GENERATION AS WELL AS THE MEETING LOAD. UM, LET'S PUT PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT. WE KNOW THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS AFFECTING MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS AUSTIN. THE LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES THAT ARE LEFT ABANDONED DURING WINTER FREEZES THE COMMUNITIES THAT DO NOT LIVE IN APPROPRIATELY INSULATED AND OUTDATED HOMES. THE COMMUNITIES HAVING TO WORK OUTSIDE AND SWELTERING HOT CONDITIONS IN EXTREME COLD. THE COMMUNITIES MADE UP OF ELDERS AND YOUTH THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO POOR AIR QUALITY AND THE POLLUTION AND THAT REQUIRE EXTRA CARE. DURING OUR EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, WE KNOW THAT OUR ENVIRONMENT IS NO LONGER THE SAME. THE GREEN BELT IS NOT WHAT IT WAS LIKE 10 YEARS AGO. OUR OTHER RIVERS AND STREAMS DO NOT FLOW AS FRESH WITH WATER. OUR ENERGY BILLS ARE ALREADY GOING UP AND IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS, THE ENVIRONMENT AND PEOPLE ARE STILL BEING PRIORITIZED. LAST, WE NEED GUARD RAILS IN THE PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY LISTENS TO THE PEOPLE. AND WE NEED COMMITMENTS TO BUILDING OUT LOCAL BATTERIES AND SOLAR BECAUSE [03:40:01] WE NEED TO WALK THE TALK AND MAKE AUSTIN AN ACTUAL CLIMATE RESILIENT GREEN CITY. PLEASE SUPPORT A FULL TRANSITION TO GREEN RENEWAL ENERGY IN THE UPDATED AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE PLAN. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. NEXT SPEAKER IS SHANE JOHNSON WITH TIME DONATED FROM, SO PRAXIS IS SOLE HERE. OKAY. IS SHANE HERE? OKAY. AFTER SHANE WILL BE UZI MCCOY AND JEREMY MARTIN. IT'S, I GET FOUR MINUTES. RIGHT. UH, SHANE JOHNSON, HE AND PRONOUNS DISTRICT SEVEN RESIDENT, UH, ORGANIZER WITH THE TEXAS SIERRA CLUB. UM, FIRST I'LL JUST, UM, REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT, UM, THERE'S BEEN A BROAD COMMUNITY COALITION ORGANIZING, UH, WORKING WITH SOME OFFICES AND, UM, MAKING SURE TO TRY TO BRING THIS PLAN IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY'S VALUES AND NEEDS. UH, IT IS NOT THOUSANDS OF AUSTINITES HAVE SIGNED PETITIONS. SENT, UH, LETTER, UH, ACTIONS TO COUNCIL SPOKEN IN SUPPORT OF REAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS, UH, INCLUDING OVER 1300 PETITION SIGNATURES, UM, TO GET OUT OF COAL, UH, INCREASE LOCAL SOLAR, UM, PRIORITIZE UTILITY SCALE BATTERIES AND EXPAND PROGRAMS TO SAVE MONEY, SAVE ENERGY, EXCUSE ME, WHICH WOULD SAVE MONEY AND KEEP US SAFE IN OUR HOMES IN TIGHT GRID CONDITIONS. THIS PLAN DOES NOT DO THAT, UH, WITH CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS. UM, SO THE BROADER COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF LARGE CORPORATIONS AND THEIR LOBBY OR UH, UH, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS PLAN AND IS NOT PROUD OF IT, LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY HAS, HAS CLAIMED, UM, TO, UH, MAKE THIS PLAN LESS BAD. UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU PUT LIPSTICK ON A PIG, IT'S STILL A PIG. UH, WE DO SUPPORT ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS FOR COUNCIL TODAY. UM, AND, UH, I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MOST OF 'EM HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THE BLESSING OF THE MAYOR AND AUSTIN ENERGY, AND SO THEY SHOULD PASS COMFORTABLY. I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I WOULD ARGUE OUR COUPLE STRONGEST AMENDMENTS. UH, NUMBER, UH, RYAN ALTERED NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER THREE. UM, AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE'S, UH, AMENDMENT TO IMPLEMENT, UH, GOOD BATTERY GOALS IN THE NEAR TERM AND THE, AND THE LONG TERM, UH, ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. SO PLEASE SUPPORT THOSE. UM, IN ADDITION, LIKE EVA S LEE AND OTHERS HAVE SAID, UH, PLEASE SUPPORT AN AMENDMENT THAT HAS NOT, UH, SO FAR BEEN SUPPORTED TO CAP LOCAL NOX EMISSIONS NOX IT MEANS NITROUS OXIDES FOR THOSE WATCHING OR IN THE AUDIENCE, WHICH LEADS TO OZONE POLLUTION, WHICH, UH, CAUSES HEALTH PROBLEMS. UM, SO PLEASE, UH, AMEND THE PLAN TO PUT A CAP ON NOX EMISSIONS NO HIGHER THAN POLLUTION HAS BEEN IN THE LAST ONE TO THREE YEARS, AND THAT DECREASES EACH YEAR, YEAR OVER YEAR. UH, NONE OF THE AMENDMENTS TRULY CAP OUR EMISSIONS, UH, IN A, IN THE WAY WE NEED TO. I ALSO EMPHASIZE THAT, UH, THIS PLAN, UH, AS WRITTEN, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN AMENDMENT SO FAR, IT DOES ROLL BACK OUR CARBON FREE BY 2035 GOAL. I HAVE TO, I THINK, RESPOND TO A COUPLE OF THE, UH, LOBBYISTS WHO SPOKE EARLIER. UM, JI THEMSELVES SAID, NEW PETERSON'S NOT ALLOW US TO GET OUT OF FAYETTE. AND SO I WANT TO CLEAR UP THAT MISINFORMATION, UH, AS WELL AS SAY THAT, UM, THIS NEW LANGUAGE ABOUT BEING CARBON FREE, OUR LOAD IS CARBON FREE, MEANING THEY JUST PURCHASED ENOUGH RENEWABLE ENERGY TO MEET THE CITY'S DEMANDS. UH, AND THEN EVERYTHING AFTER THAT DOESN'T COUNT IN TERMS OF OUR CARBON EMISSIONS. THAT'S WHAT THE, THE NEW PLAN SAYS. IT ROLLS BACK OUR PREVIOUS CARBON FREE GOAL. AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THE COMMUNITY CANNOT SUPPORT. UM, I'M BASICALLY OUTTA TIME NOW, SO, UH, UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG CAMPAIGN AND, AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT WE IMPLEMENT STRONG GUARDRAILS AS NEEDED, UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT CURRENTLY STRONG ENOUGH GUARDRAILS ON THIS. UH, AND WE KNOW AUSTIN ENERGY'S GOING TO RUN THESE PLANTS MORE ON THE HOTTEST DAYS, THE TIGHTEST GOOD CONDITIONS, WHICH ARE ALREADY OZONE ACTION DAYS GENERALLY, WHICH MEANS, UH, MORE, YOU KNOW, WOULD RUN NEW PEAKERS ON TOP OF THEIR OLD PEAKERS, WHICH MEANS INCREASED AIR POLLUTION FOR THE KIDS AT DECKER. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WATSON. [03:45:01] MAYOR PRO TIM POOL, HONORABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JEREMY MARTIN. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND WE REPRESENT BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES AND INDUSTRIES FROM HOME-BASED BUSINESSES TO LOCAL ICONS TO OUR MAJOR EMPLOYERS. WE WANNA ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A PLAN THAT TREATS THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUSTOMERS FAIRLY, AND WE NEED A PLAN THAT ENSURES RESILIENCY AND RELIABILITY TO KEEP THESE BUSINESSES OPEN DURING ANY TYPE OF WEATHER EVENT. I WANNA COMMEND AUSTIN ENERGY FOR DEVELOPING A PLAN THAT STRIKES A BALANCE FOR MEETING OUR OBLIGATIONS AS PART OF THE STATEWIDE GRID, AS WELL AS ADVANCES OUR NEEDS FOR LONG-TERM RELIABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND SUPPORT. TAKE CARE. NEXT SPEAKERS. RICHARD HALPIN, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM BUNCH AND SALVADOR ESPINOZA. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. HELLO, GOOD MORNING. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, CITY STAFF AND FELLOW RESIDENTS. MY NAME IS RICHARD HALPIN AND I AM A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS ALLIANCE OF RETIRED AMERICANS AUSTIN PROJECT. TODAY YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON A NEW GAS POWER PLANTS FOR, FOR OUR AUSTIN ENERGY. ONE POTENTIAL LOCATION. UH, THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT SLIDE. IT'S THE NEXT SLIDE. EXCUSE ME. UM, PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THERE'S A POWERPOINT ON THERE. THIS IS NOT MY PRESENTATION. THERE'S A POWERPOINT ON THERE UNDER THE NAME OF RICHARD ALPEN. MAY I'D ASK THAT I GET THAT TIME BACK. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. NEXT SLIDE. PLEASE, PLEASE. I APPRECIATE YOUR ADVICE, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. WE WERE ALREADY WORKING THAT HOUSE. HE'S, IT MAYOR'S. GOT IT. OKAY. THANKS AM MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. SO LOOK, THIS IS PLEASE, PLEASE, THEY'VE RESET YOUR CLOCK, SO GO AHEAD. THANK YOU, SIR. SO, UM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS DECKER POWER PLANT DOWN THERE ON THE RIGHT AND UP ABOVE IT. THOSE OTHER TWO ARROWS ARE SCHOOLS. THAT'S THE DECKER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE DECKER MIDDLE SCHOOL. THE WASTE FROM THE DECKER POWER PLANT, IF THEY PUT THE GAS PLANTS THERE, WILL GO TO THOSE SCHOOLS, WILL GO TO, THOSE CHILDREN WILL GO TO THOSE STAFF AND THEIR PARENTS. WE CAN'T DO THIS. I MEAN, WE CAN'T DO THIS UNDER ANY MORAL, UH, ANY MORAL STANDING. SO, UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AIR POLLUTION IS THE MAIN POLLUTANT FROM NATURAL GAS PLANTS. THAT'S WHAT THESE, THESE, UH, THESE PLANTS WILL PUT OUT. THESE SUBSTANCES CAN LEAD TO A NUMBER OF HEALTH ISSUES, INCLUDING HEART ATTACKS, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, PREMATURE DEATH. YOU'VE HEARD THIS FROM A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TODAY. THIS IS JUST NOT ME SAYING THIS TO YOU. NEXT, UH, SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS WHAT KILLS PEOPLE IS CIGARETTE SMOKE. WHILE YOU CAN SEE FROM THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE INHALE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS WHAT OUR GAS PLANTS WILL DO. THE WASTE FROM GAS PLANTS WILL KILL PEOPLE. THEY'LL KILL CHILDREN, THEY'LL KILL PARENTS, AND WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE TO PUT 'EM IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOODS. WE'VE DONE TOO MUCH TO ALREADY. THIS IS, THIS IS NOT RIGHT. WE MUST STOP THIS. UM, I ASK YOU, UM, TO VOTE. IF YOU VOTE TODAY, UM, TO VOTE, UH, FOR THE PLAN AND THE MEANINGFUL AMENDMENTS WITHOUT THE GAS PLAN APPROVAL. LEAVE THE GAS PLANTS OUT. LEAVE THEM FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL. WHY SETTLE THE NEXT COUNCIL WITH A DECISION THAT WILL AFFECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND YOU WITH POTENTIAL LITIGATION. THEY HAVE BEEN ELECTED THE NEXT COUNCIL TO MAKE THE NEXT SET OF DECISIONS WITH YOU REMAINING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR, YOU CAN TAKE A STAND TO KEEP AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS A HEALTHY STATE. WE HAVE A SACRED KINSHIP WITH OUR EARTH, WITH OUR PLANET, WITH OUR HOME. LET'S DO ALL WE CAN TO PROTECT OUR HOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR READY TO THE PODIUM. NEXT SET OF SPEAKERS IS WA THE MILK TORIN. BECKY HELPIN. BEN SOBE AND RYAN P*****K. SIR HA, HAS YOUR NAME BEEN CALLED? YES, IT HAS. YEAH. FEEL FREE TO STEP UP AND USE THE MICROPHONE. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SALVADO ESPINOZA. I'M AN ORGANIZER AND RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE, AND I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT AUSTIN SHOULD CONTINUE TO LEAD TEXAS TOWARDS A CLEANER FUTURE. AND BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT WE CAN DO THIS WITHOUT NEW GAS PEAKER PLANTS IN SUPPORT OF THE PLAN WITHOUT, UH, AND IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENTS. BUT WITHOUT NEW GAS PEAKER PLANTS, WE'VE ALREADY MADE SO MUCH PROGRESS. WE'VE MOVED AWAY FROM THE GIGAWATT SCALE GAS PLANT, INITIALLY PROPOSED GREAT WORK ON TUESDAY, AND WE'VE COMMITTED TO EXPANDING SOLAR, EXPLORING GEOTHERMAL. THESE ARE VICTORIES [03:50:01] THAT ARE WORTH CELEBRATING. WHAT WHAT CONCERNS ME IS WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM AUSTIN ENERGY, AND I THINK IT'S IN LINE WITH, UH, WHAT THE GENTLEMAN SAID EARLIER. THESE ARE OLD TRADITIONAL SOLUTIONS THAT ARE JUST, UM, REFLEXIVE TO WHAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE, BUT WE'RE NOT AT A POINT WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE IN THIS VEIN. THE FACT IS WE HAVEN'T HEARD SOLID COMMITMENTS FROM THEM ABOUT LIMITING OPERATION. AND CRUCIALLY, IT IS WORTH NOTING. IT IS AIR COTT, NOT AUSTIN ENERGY, OF WHICH I'M A CUSTOMER WHO IS GOING TO HAVE THE FINAL SAY ON WHEN THESE PLANTS RUN OR CAN BE CLOSED. WE'VE SEEN THIS IN SAN ANTONIO WHERE THEIR UTILITY WANTED TO SHUT DOWN OLD GAS PLANTS, BUT AIR CO FORCED THEM TO STAY OPEN. AND THE FACT IS, ONCE WE BUILD A PLANT LIKE THIS, WE RISK DECADES OF CARBON EMISSION DAMAGE TO HEALTH, EVEN AS THEY BECOME MORE DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN OVER TIME. PEAKERS MAY SUPPORT THE CITY DURING PEAK DEMAND, BUT FACT OF THE MATTER IS, SO WOULD A SMART MIX OF LOCAL SOLAR BATTERIES EFFICIENCY UPGRADE ALL OF THE MEASURES THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TO ALREADY, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN 2021, WE MADE A BOLD COMMITMENT AS A COMMUNITY TO ACHIEVE NET ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2040. UM, MANY OF YOU ALL HELPED WITH THIS, AND ULTIMATELY TODAY IT IS YOU ALL WHO HAVE THE POWER TO KEEP US ON THAT PATH. I HOPE YOU DO. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, JUST APPROACH THE MICROPHONE AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF. AND PLEASE BEGIN. HELLO, COUNSEL. MY NAME IS GUAM TORE. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO AND ORGANIZER WITH TEXAS CAMPAIGN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. I'M HERE TO URGE CITY COUNCIL TO PASS A PLAN FOR OUR POWER GENERATION THAT EXPANDS OUR PUBLICLY OWNED RENEWABLE ENERGY VIA AUSTIN ENERGY, INCLUDING UTILITY SCALE BATTERIES, AND DOESN'T ADD ADDITIONAL GAS, UH, PCARD GENERATORS THAT USE FRAT GAS. THAT WOULD BE THE PLAN PRESENTED BY AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT ONLY WITH THE AMENDMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, INCLUDING COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERS AMENDMENT, UH, THAT WOULD PLACE ACCOUNTABILITY ON AUSTIN ENERGY TO MOVE FORWARD ON IMPORTANT UTILITY SCALE BATTERY STORAGE AND WOULD GIVE MORE CAUTION BEFORE EXPANDING FOSSIL FUELS IN THE FORM OF THE GAS SPEAKERS. THIS ALSO INCLUDES COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ'S AMENDMENT. LAST YEAR, Y'ALL PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT ENDORSED A GLOBAL FOSSIL FUEL NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY. WE JOINED THE RANKS OF CITIES LIKE PARIS, TORONTO, PHILADELPHIA, AND CALIFORNIA AS A STATE DID THE SAME AFTER US AS IT'S A CITY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE PRACTICE THE COMMITMENTS ON THAT TREATY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. IT'S A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL OF US. MY COWORKERS THAT LIVE AND ORGANIZE IN FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING BRAZORIA COUNTY AND NOES COUNTY CONTRIBUTED TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S POSITIVE NEW LNG EXPORT PROJECTS, ONE TO LIKELY END WITH THE NEW REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS WHY WE NEED Y'ALL TO PASS A POWER GENERATION PLAN THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY NEW FOSSIL FUEL USAGE. BY DOING SO, WE CAN STOP ENABLING THE DEMAND FOR FOSSIL FUELS AND CONTINUING BEING A CITY THAT LEADS IN TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS PROBABLY IN OUR LIFETIME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ALL SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN CALLED, SO IF YOUR NAME WAS ALREADY CALLED, CALLED, PLEASE MAKE GREATER TO THE PODIUM. MS. HALPER, UH, THE SLIDE REAPPEARS, UH, BECKY HALPIN. I WOULD, I'M SUPPORTING ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS. IT WAS SO WONDERFUL FOR ALL, ALL FOR ALL OF YOU TO DO ALL THE HARD WORK YOU DID TO BRING FORWARD THESE GREAT AMENDMENTS TO THIS PLAN. I'D SPECIALLY LIKE TO CALL OUT THE AMENDMENTS THAT BRING FORWARD UTILITY SCALE SOLAR UTILITY SCALE BATTERIES. NOW, TEXAS IS THE FASTEST GROWING ENERGY STORAGE MARKET IN THE UNITED STATES. STATEWIDE. WE HAVE NEARLY 11,000 MEGAWATT HOURS OF ENERGY STORAGE CAPACITY, AND THIS CHART SHOWS ALL OF THE INTER, ALL THE ENTITIES THAT OWN BATTERY STORAGE IN TEXAS. AND THERE'S AN ENTITY. AND THEN IT SHOWS HOW MUCH STORAGE THEY OWN BY HOW LONG THE BAR IS ON THAT GRAPH. AND YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE ALL THE ENTITIES IN TEXAS THAT OWN BATTERY STORAGE. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS AT THE BOTTOM. WELL, NOT THE VERY BOTTOM. NEXT TO THE VERY BOTTOM OF THIS CHART, WE FOR OUT OF 11,000 MEGAWATT HOURS, AUSTIN ENERGY OWNS THREE MEGAWATT HOURS CURRENTLY. SO YES, PLEASE SPECIFICALLY DIRECT AUSTIN ENERGY TO BRING MORE STORAGE ON BOARD. IMMEDIATELY WE ARE STANDING AT THE STARTING LINE, BREATHING IN THE DUST OF ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE BUILDING ALL OF THIS STORAGE CAPACITY. BATTERIES ARE DISPATCHABLE TOOLS THAT WILL NOT PERPETUATE AUSTIN ENERGY'S EAST AUSTIN SACRIFICE ZONE LIKE GAS PLANTS WILL. I WOULD LIKE TO PUT ALL OF MY JELLY BEANS ON UTILITY SCALE BATTERY STORAGE NOW. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME'S BEN SOTHEBY, UH, PUBLIC SERVANT [03:55:01] ON A VACATION DAY. JUST TO THROW THAT OUT THERE. NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY EMPLOYER OR ANY COMMISSION I SERVE ON OR ANY NONPROFIT BOARD THAT I SERVE ON. UH, I WANNA START BY THANKING THE WORKERS WHO HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY ON THIS. UH, ALL THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT THIS, ALL THE PUBLIC INPUT THAT HAS COME TOGETHER ON THIS. WE ARE IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE THAN WE WERE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO ON THIS. UH, I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR, FOR YOUR HARD TIRELESS WORK ON THIS. UM, TODAY I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF, OF THE PLAN AS, UH, AS AMENDED. UH, THANK PARTICULARLY THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ. CADRE ANDAR. I'M GONNA FOCUS ON, UM, RYAN ALTER'S, UH, AMENDMENTS POSTED TO THE MESSAGE BOARD, PARTICULARLY NUMBER FIVE. UH, I THINK HAVING THE FOCUS ON MAKING A JUST TRANSITION, SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T LEAVE WORKERS BEHIND. SOMETHING THAT HELPS, UH, GUARANTEE THAT THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PROVIDED POWER OR TAKEN CARE OF. AND ALSO THAT, UH, ESPECIALLY FACING THE CLIMATE THAT WE'RE HEADING INTO, THAT WE TRY AND MAXIMIZE WITHIN WHAT'S ALLOWABLE WITH THE LAW, USING UNION LABOR, ORGANIZED LABOR TO BUILD AND GENERATE OUR, OUR ELECTRICITY. UH, I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, THE GOOD AMENDMENT THAT TALKS ABOUT HAVING GOOD CHECKS BEFORE WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ANY KIND OF PEAKER PLANTS. REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW IS, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE AGREE ON. I SAY GO BIG ON THE THINGS THAT WE'RE AGREEING ON, WHICH IS CLEAN GENERATION, CLEAN STORAGE. UH, PARTICULARLY LOOK AT INNOVATIVE THINGS THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO. YOU KNOW, GO BIG ON ON GEOTHERMAL GENERATION, GEOTHERMAL STORAGE, GO BIG ON BATTERIES, GO BIG ON TRANSMISSION LINES. AND, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE'VE COMMITTED THOSE AND, AND LOOKING AT THAT, WE CAN ALLOW A LITTLE MORE TIME TO SEE WHAT THE ACTUAL GOOD DEEP ANALYSIS ON THESE PEAKERS ARE. DELAY THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE. IT'S NOT, UH, MAKING THAT DECISION RIGHT NOW. YES, WE'RE GONNA DO IT. NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT. IT'S ALLOWING TIME TO STUDY IT DEEPER BEFORE WE MAKE A SERIOUS COMMITMENT. SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR MENTIONING THAT. AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANNA LEAVE YOU WITH LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF LABOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. UH, RYAN P*****K, INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS. UM, I INDICATED ON, UH, MY SIGN IN SHEET THAT I WAS OPPOSED TO THIS, BUT I HADN'T HAD MY COFFEE YET, UM, FOR IT, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH THE AMENDMENTS. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS. UM, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, THAT RECENTLY A 1200 MEGAWATT NATURAL GAS FACILITY WAS ANNOUNCED FOR LEE COUNTY, UH, BY SANDAL LAKE ENERGY. UM, SO I'D LIKE TO, FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE THAT IN MIND 'CAUSE THAT'S JUST OVER THERE. BUT ALSO, UH, SUPPORTING AND EMPHASIZING INCREASING TRANSMISSION CAPACITY. UH, ALSO VERY MUCH APPROVE OF INCREASING BATTERY, OF COURSE, AS AN ELECTRICIAN, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER METHODS THAT EMERGING TECHNOLOGY THAT IS, IT IS RIGHT THERE, Y'ALL. AND UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE IT'S, IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF WHERE WE'RE AT. BUT, BUT I DO ENCOURAGE, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY TO CONTINUE TO BE THE LEADERS AND INNOVATORS THAT THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN. AND, AND AS SOON AS THIS IS ALL READY, UM, TO REALLY TAKE THAT STEP AND HELP US GET THIS STUFF OUT THERE. AND, AND SCALABLE. I'M TALKING AGAIN ABOUT GEOTHERMAL AND, AND, YOU KNOW, USING EVS AS, AS BATTERY SOURCES AND ALL THAT IN, IN TIMES WHERE WE'RE IN A BLACKOUT SITUATION. SO, UH, AGAIN, WE SUPPORT ALL THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYONE'S HARD WORK, EVERYBODY THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS. I THINK IT'S BEEN A GREAT PROCESS. THANKS, JOE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, MEMBERS, YOU'VE HEARD THAT IT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE SPEAKERS AS I INDICATED THAT WE WOULD, UH, TRY TO DO WHEN WE GOT TO THIS POINT IS I WOULD SEEK A MOTION AND THE MOTION WOULD BE TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED PLAN. UH, AND THEN WE WILL GO THROUGH AND TAKE, UH, POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS AND TAKE THOSE UP AND DISCUSS THEM, UH, ONE BY ONE. UH, I'LL RECOGNIZE, UH, AND, AND, AND AS I RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TEM FOR A MOTION, I THINK, UH, IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THE AMERIPRO, TIM, FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT SHE'S PUT IN AS BEING THE CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. UH, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A, UH, UH, UH, I STARTED TO SAY IT BEING A LABOR LOVE, BUT I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE THAT . UM, UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S BEEN, YOU CAN TELL SHE FINDS JOY IN DOING THIS KIND OF WORK, AND IT'S BEEN MEANINGFUL TO ALL OF US TO LEARN FROM HER AS PART OF THAT PROCESS. [04:00:01] SO, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU FOR A MOTION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. AND I MAKE THAT MOTION. AND, AND, AND I ALSO NEED TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT IT, THE JOY THAT THIS BRINGING, IF THAT'S THE JOY THAT WELL, MAY, MAY, MAYBE LATER YOU'LL FEEL THE JOY. I LIKE, I LIKE THAT OPTIMISM AND YES, I MAKE THAT MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I APPRECIATE IT. CAN I, CAN I JUST TAKE A MOMENT AND COULD WE PLEASE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO MAYOR PRO TEMPLE FOR THAT WORK? AND THEN I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. THE MOTION HAS BEEN SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY MEMBERS. WHAT I THOUGHT WE WOULD DO IS, UM, GO IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, UM, SOMEWHAT LIKE WE DID JUST THE OTHER ON TUESDAY WHEN WE STARTED GOING THROUGH. I THINK I GOT THAT ORDER RIGHT. BUT, UM, I'LL, I'LL START WITH MY AMENDMENT, THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER BAT CLEANUP. IF, IF THAT, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION TO THAT, UH, WITH YEAH, SURE. UH, WATSON CADRE VELAZQUEZ, ALLISON ALTER, AND THEN BATTING CLEANUP WILL BE COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER. WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, MEMBERS AND, AND I THINK EVERYBODY HAS BEEN PROVIDED A, UH, ALL OF THESE, MY PROPOSED AMENDMENT, I LAID IT OUT TUESDAY AND SINCE THAT TIME I POSTED A VERSION TWO THAT RESPONDS TO THE DESIRE TO SET A CAP AND WAS PART OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD ON TUESDAY TO SET A CAP ON EMISSIONS FOR NOT JUST PORTFOLIO WIDE, BUT FOR AE LOCAL GENERATION RESOURCES. UH, VERSION TWO ADDS AN UPPER LIMIT. IT ADDS CAPS ON THE PORTFOLIO WIDE, AS WELL AS AN UPPER LIMIT ON THE LOCAL GENERATION PORTFOLIO. UH, I'M GOING TO OFFER THAT AS AN AMENDMENT. BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I, I WANNA BRING UP STAFF REAL QUICKLY BECAUSE THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT I, I DO WANT US TO ADDRESS AND WE DISCUSS IT ON TUESDAY. WE'VE HEARD SOME COMMENT ABOUT IT, AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS SINCE, WELL, ACTUALLY BEFORE TUESDAY, BUT CERTAINLY SINCE TUESDAY WITH SOME IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT SETTING A FURTHER LIMIT ON NOX EMISSIONS. AND WE'VE HEARD THAT TODAY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AND I THINK I DO UNDERSTAND IT, THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE REG NO EMISSIONS ARE REGULATED ALREADY. BUT I WANT YOU TO TELL US HOW THAT REGULATION WORKS, HOW THAT ACTUALLY WORKS. AND I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO DISCUSS HOW YOU SEE THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT, UH, WITH THE CAP THAT I'VE OFFERED, UH, HOW YOU SEE THAT WORKING TO GET US TO WHAT I THINK WE WOULD ALL LIKE, WHICH IS TO, TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT WE'RE WITHIN THE GUARDRAILS AND THAT WE'RE STAYING UNDER CAPS, INCLUDING HOW WE DEAL WITH KNOX. YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M STUART RILEY, AUSTIN ENERGY, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER OF BUSINESS SERVICES. UM, SO YOU, YOU ARE CORRECT. WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, PERMITS THAT ARE LEGALLY ENFORCEABLE THAT SET NOX EMISSIONS LIMITS. UM, WE ARE, WE HAVE TO STAY WITHIN THOSE LIMITS FOR EACH OF OUR RESOURCES. UM, THIS, YOUR, YOUR AMENDMENT ALSO PROVIDES A CO2 ONE CO2 STANDARD. UM, THERE IS NOT A SIMILAR CO2 STANDARD, UM, THAT'S A COROLLARY TO THE NOC STANDARD. BUT WHAT THIS DOES IS, BECAUSE CO2 AND ALL OF OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FOR ALL OF OUR RESOURCES ARE DIRECTLY CORRELATED, UM, AS YOUR AMENDMENT POINTS OUT, 99% OF THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, UM, FROM OUR RESOURCES ARE CO2. UM, BUT ANYTHING BEYOND THAT IS GOING TO BE UNDER THE CURRENT PORTFOLIO DIRECTLY CORRELATED WITH THAT CO2. SO BY CREATING THIS, THIS CARBON INTENSITY STANDARD BY IMPLICATION, YOU ARE ALREADY CREATING A NOX INTENSITY STANDARD OR ANY OF THE OTHER EMISSIONS, THE, THE A STANDARD FOR THOSE. AND THEN GOING FORWARD, UM, WE ALSO, THE, THE LAST SENTENCE SAYS THAT IF OUR GENERATION MAKES CHANGES TO WHERE THE, THAT CORRELATION DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE, UM, IF THERE IS SOME OTHER KIND OF RESOURCE THAT EMITS NOX BUT NOT CO2 AND IS NOT DIRECTLY CORRELATED IN THAT WAY, THAT WE WOULD COME BACK AND CREATE A NEW NOX INTENSITY STANDARD. I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, JUST IN TERMS OF NOX IN GENERAL, I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER'S AMENDMENT THAT, UH, UM, ESTABLISHES THAT RISK OF NON-ATTAINMENT AND MAKES THAT EXPLICIT THAT THAT IS A RISK THAT WE RECOGNIZE AS PART OF WHAT WE DO WHEN WE'RE ASSESSING NEW RESOURCES GOING FORWARD FOR OUR PORTFOLIO. AND THAT IS AN EXPLICIT RISK THAT IS NOW ACKNOWLEDGED IN THIS PLAN. CORRECT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MEMBERS, I WOULD MOVE ADOPTION OF WATSON AMENDMENT ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. IT'S SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO. TIM, ANY DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THAT ITEM WITHOUT OBJECTION? OKAY, PLEASE. UM, [04:05:01] SO THIS IS, UM, A QUESTION THAT'S KIND OF FOR ALL THE AMENDMENTS, BUT SURE. YOU'RE STARTING WITH YOURS. UM, SO THIS, THERE'S A QUESTION FOR A AUSTIN ENERGY. UM, SO THIS WHOLE THING IS A PLAN TO GUIDE HOW WE MAKE CHOICES AS WE INVEST IN GENERATION TO MEET THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE SET AS A COMMUNITY WITH RESPECT TO AFFORDABILITY, RELIABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND EQUITY. UM, IT'S A PLAN. THE WORLD CHANGES. THINGS DON'T GO AS PLANNED. IF AS YOU ARE OPTIMIZING TO GET THE RIGHT GENERATION MIX, AND THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF THE PLAN THAT PROVES PROBLEMATIC, WHAT WILL BE THE PROCESS TO COME TO COUNCIL? AND HOW TIMELY WILL THAT BE? SHOULD WE NEED TO ADJUST THE CHOICES THAT WE'RE MAKING? YES. WE, WE ANTICIPATE GIVING REGULAR UPDATES AT AUSTIN ENERGY UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETINGS. AND, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER, I BELIEVE IT'S BRIAN ALTER AMENDMENT FOUR, THAT THAT ESTABLISHES US REPORTING BACK TO COUNCIL ON A SEMI-ANNUAL BASIS ON THE PROGRESS FOR ACHIEVING OUR GOALS, UM, OUR STACK EMISSIONS OF CARBON, UH, CARBON EMITTING RESOURCES AND THE PROGRESS TOWARDS ENDING THE USE OF COAL AND SOME OTHER THINGS. AND, AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE, THE TIME DURING THAT STANDARD REPORTING PROCESS WHERE IF WE WERE BUMPING UP AGAINST SOME CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING NEW ENERGY RESOURCES, IF WE WEREN'T GETTING THE, UM, ALL RESOURCE RFP RESULTS, SOLAR BAT STORAGE, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, IF WE WERE RUNNING INTO CHALLENGES THERE, UM, CERTAINLY WE'D KEEP, WE HAVE THOSE REGULAR CHECK-INS. UM, THANK YOU. AND I WOULD, I WOULD JUST SORT OF LIKE, I WON'T BE HERE TO BE DOING THE OVERSIGHT MYSELF, BUT I REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE AUSTIN ENERGY IF THERE'S A PROBLEM TO SURFACE IT, UM, WHEN THERE NEEDS TO BE ACTION. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL, WE DISCOVERED SOME OLD RULE ABOUT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, WHICH CREATED ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS. AND IT WAS LIKE, WELL, COUNCIL SAID THIS, AND NOBODY CAME BACK AND SAID WE NEEDED TO UPDATE THAT. UM, AND THEN WE, YOU KNOW, PROCEEDED TO UPDATE IT. AND, YOU KNOW, HAD WE NOT UPDATED THE, THE DAMAGE FOR TREES AND THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD DURING THE WINTER STORMS, ET CETERA, WOULD'VE BEEN EVEN WORSE. UM, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE APPROACH THIS PROCESS AND THIS UNDERSTANDING WITH THIS PLAN, THAT WE'RE IN AN UNPREDICTABLE WORLD, AND THAT THERE'S A DIALOGUE AND A PARTNERSHIP, AND THAT WE'VE ADDED A LOT OF, UM, ELEMENTS TO THIS PLAN, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT TO US AS A COUNCIL AND IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY AS WE'VE HEARD THEM, BUT WE HAVEN'T TESTED THEM IN THE REAL WORLD. AND THEY MAY INTERACT IN INTERESTING WAYS, OR THERE MAY BE SOME MAJOR OPPORTUNITY THAT COMES UP, UM, THAT IS INNOVATIVE. BUT SOME, SOME LITTLE PIECE OF THIS FALLS A FALLS, UH, AGAINST WHAT WE'VE LAID OUT. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING AS WE'RE ADOPTING THIS PLAN, THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PARTNERSHIP AND IT'S A LIVING DOCUMENT THAT WE ARE, THAT WE ARE SETTING INTO MOTION. GOOD POINT. YOU AGREE? I I COMPLETELY AGREE. AND OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR HOPE WITH THIS PLAN WAS TO LAY OUT SOMETHING THAT ALIGNS WHERE THAT, THAT MEETS THIS COUNCIL'S VALUES, BUT ALSO HAS ENOUGH FLEXIBILITY TO WHERE WE CAN MEET CHALLENGES AND MAYBE WAYS THAT WE DIDN'T EXPECT, AND ALSO I THINK GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND FLAG THOSE CHALLENGES AT, AT AN EARLIER DATE. AND I, YOUR POINT'S VERY WELL TAKEN. I APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH. AND MY HOPE IS THAT THERE'S THINGS IN HERE, EVEN THINGS THAT CAME FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT'LL BE LIKE THE REACH PROCESS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN CLOSING FAYETTE YET, BUT WE REDUCE THE EMISSIONS TREMENDOUSLY THROUGH THAT PROCESS. AND THERE ARE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE THOSE LITTLE GEMS IN HERE THAT HAVE THAT POTENTIAL, BUT UNTIL WE ACTUALLY TAKE ACTION, WE WON'T KNOW WHAT, HOW THEY WILL BLOSSOM. SO I, I JUST REALLY WANTED TO, TO COMMUNICATE THAT BEFORE WE TALKED ABOUT TOO MANY OF THESE AMENDMENTS, BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY HAS AGREED TO ALL OF THEM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE HESITATIONS OR CHALLENGES WHEN YOU PUT 'EM ALL TOGETHER, UM, THAT ARE IMPORTANT. YES. THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT'S, IT, UH, WE, WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE AND, AND WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO, TO MEET THIS, THE COUNCIL'S AND, AND COMMUNITY'S GOALS THAT ARE LAID OUT IN THIS PLAN. BUT THANK YOU. YES, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN WALTER. THERE BEING NO OBJECTION TO WATSON AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO WITHOUT OBJECTION. IT IS ADOPTED. THAT WILL TAKE US TO CADRE AMENDMENT [04:10:01] NUMBER ONE, AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE TO LAY OUT HIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT. GREAT. AND I JUST WANNA CONFIRM I SHOULD LAY OUT BOTH OF MY AMENDMENTS AT THIS TIME. IS THAT RIGHT? WELL, I'D PREFER TO TAKE 'EM UP AS SEPARATE ITEMS. SO IF YOU'LL LAY OUT CADRE ONE AND THEN CADRE TWO BACK TO CO TWO. GOT IT. GREAT. OKAY. UM, WELL WANT, THANK ONCE AGAIN EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TODAY TO SPEAK, UH, ALL THE, ALL THE ADVOCATES, AND ALSO WANNA THANK AUSTIN ENERGY ON ALL THEIR GREAT AND HARD WORK. UH, AND THEY WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES, ALL OF US WHO ARE BRINGING FORWARD AMENDMENTS AND ALSO THOSE NOT BRINGING FORWARD AMENDMENTS. UM, BUT, BUT VERY APPRECIATED OF. YEAH. EVERYONE, EVERYONE GETS A THANKS . UM, BUT I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, THE MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, THE COUNCIL MEMBER JOSE VELASQUEZ, UH, ON HIS AMENDMENTS. BUT, UH, I'LL LAY OUT MY FIRST AMENDMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY TWO AMENDMENTS HAS A WHOLE, UH, INCREASED GOALS FOR BOTH LOCAL SOLAR AND BATTERY STORAGE BY 2027. AND IT'S BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOW PROGRESS THE COMMUNITY IN THE SHORT TERM WHILE WE ARE WORKING TOWARD OUR OVERACHIEVING, SORRY, OVERARCHING GOALS IN THE LONG TERM. SO, SO GALLERY AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE SETS A GOAL OF REACHING 205 MEGAWATTS OF LOCAL SOLAR ENERGY BY THE END OF 2027, AND KEEPS THE PROPOSED OVERALL GOAL OF 405 MEGAWATTS BY 20 TH 2035. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MOVES APPROVAL OF CADRE AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ IS THEIR DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT WITHOUT OBJECTION, CADRE AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE FOR HIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. GREAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THE SECOND AMENDMENT, UH, COMMITS AUSTIN ENERGY TO INSTALLING 125 MEGAWATTS OF BATTERY STORAGE BY THE END OF 2027, AS WELL AS REACHING TOWARD INSTALLING 300 MEGAWATTS OF STORAGE BY THE END OF 2030. AND THERE WAS A VERSION TWO OF THIS AMENDMENT, UH, WHICH REMOVES UP TO 300 AND SETS THE STUDY AT 300 AND CREATES A REPORTING BACK PERIOD. AND MEMBERS, I'M, I'M GLAD COUNCIL MEMBER EY POINTED THAT OUT. THE, THE ITEM THAT YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IS VERSION TWO OF CADRE AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO. COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MOVES A, UH, APPROVAL OF CADRE AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO, WHICH AGAIN IS VERSION TWO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. IT'S LIKE THAT COMMERCIALS NOT THE FOURS, IT'S THE TWOS. UM, YEAH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MOVES APPROVAL. IT IS SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM. UH, IS THERE DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO CADRE AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO? WITHOUT OBJECTION, CADRE AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED MEMBERS THAT WILL TAKE US TO COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ ON HIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE. UH, MR. MAYOR, I'M NOT SURE WHEN WE CAN ADOPT THIS, BUT I WOULD LIKE US TO BE ABLE TO ADOPT THE WAY THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RIE ADDRESSED ME AS THE VELASQUEZ. SO WE, WE ACTUALLY, WE CAN WORK THAT OUT LATER. THIS, LET, LET'S GET THAT POSTED SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THERE'S PLENTY PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, ALL, ALL JOKES ASIDE, UH, THE, MY FIRST AMENDMENT, THIS AMENDMENT LOOKS TO INCREASE WASTE FOR RENTERS TO PARTICIPATE IN CLEAN ENERGY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ MOVES APPROVAL OF VELASQUEZ AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON. YES, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, CAN I JUST SAY AS A RENTER, I APPRECIATE THAT I SECOND FOR APPRECIATION AS A RENTER. I THINK YOU GOT TWO VOTES. UM, I'M EXCITED. WE'RE STACKING 'EM UP NOW. . THAT'S RIGHT. UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO VELAZQUEZ, UH, AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE WITHOUT OBJECTION, VELASQUEZ AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED. THAT WILL TAKE US TO VELASQUEZ PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO. UM, THIS, UH, THIS AMENDMENT DIRECTS AUSTIN ENERGY TO PUT OUT AN RFP FOR ANY AND ALL RESOURCES THAT COULD MEET OUR ENERGY NEEDS BEFORE INVESTING IN, UH, NEW GAS PEAKERS, THERE IS A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ TO APPROVE VELAZQUEZ AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO. IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER. IS THERE DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO VELAZQUEZ NUMBER TWO? COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON. UH, THANK YOU. BRIEF DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION. I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT. AND JUST HAD SOME CURIOSITY AROUND MEASURES OF ACCOUNTABILITY. LIKE HOW DO WE MAKE THE DETERMINATION THAT 'CAUSE THE WAY IT'S WORDED SAYS THAT WE INVEST IN EVERY OTHER PRIOR TO. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOME CLEAR PROTOCOL ON HOW THEY DO THE REPORTING. AND HOW WE HOLD, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS ACCOUNTABLE WITH YOUR, I WASN'T CERTAIN ABOUT THAT. FAIR ENOUGH. WITH YOUR PERMISSION, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHY DON'T WE BRING UP AUSTIN ENERGY TO ASK THEM HOW THEY THINK THEY, HOW THEY READ THIS, AND HOW THEY THINK THEY NEED TO REPORT BACK [04:15:01] TO US SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE, UH, THE GOAL. YOU ALMOST GOT ME. YOU GOT TWO OUTTA THREE. YOU SAID HOW AND HOW, BUT MINE IS A HOW, HOW AND WHO. OKAY, FAIR ENOUGH. MM-HMM . HOW DO YOU SEE IT? HOW WOULD YOU DO IT? WHO DOES IT? WHO'S THE PERSON THAT'S RESPONSIBLE OR WHAT, UM, ROLE IS RESPONSIBLE. ALL RIGHT. LISA MARTIN AUSTIN, ENERGY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. I'LL START ANSWERING THE QUESTION AND IF I DON'T CAPTURE ALL THREE OF 'EM, YOU, YOU CATCH ME IN THERE. OKAY. SO, UM, WHEN WE DO A SOLICITATION TO SERVE OUR ENERGY NEEDS THIS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CA CAST THE NET AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE TO SEE WHAT OPTIONS ARE OUT THERE. AND SO COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ'S AMENDMENT JUST SETS THE EXPECTATION THAT IF WE'RE EVER LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S RELATED TO NATURAL GAS PEAKER UNIT, THAT WE CAST THE NET FOR ALL RESOURCES THAT COULD POSSIBLY ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS. AND HE, HE HAS SOME ITEMS IN THERE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT STORAGE, FUEL CELLS, GEOTHERMAL AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES. SO HE IS REALLY JUST KIND OF CLARIFYING SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DO GENERALLY, RIGHT? THIS PAST YEAR WE DID AN A CARBON FREE ALL RESOURCE, UH, SOLICITATION. THIS IS THE SAME CONCEPT. UM, AND SO THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION IS HOW WOULD WE COME BACK TO REPORT TO YOU ON THAT? SO, UM, AFTER WE DO A SOLICITATION, OUR ENERGY MARKET OFFICE REVIEWS ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE US, AND, UM, WE REVIEW THAT AS PART OF THE RISK OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WITHIN AUSTIN ENERGY AND ULTIMATELY BRING PROPOSALS BACK TO COUNCIL TO SAY, WE RECOMMEND ADOPTING, YOU KNOW, AND SIGNING THIS POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT. UM, ONE OF COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER'S AMENDMENTS, AND I DON'T WANNA STEAL HIS THUNDER, BUT, UH, SPEAKS TO THE EXPECTATION OF HOW YOU WOULD DEMONSTRATE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD AND WHAT THE OPPORT, WHAT THE, THE ALTERNATIVES WERE. AND SO HOW WE BRING THAT TO YOU FOR, FOR A DECISION. OKAY. OKAY. AND THEN WHO, WHAT'S THE QUESTION ABOUT WHO THE, I MEAN, WHO'S OUR POINT OF CONTACT? WHAT PERSON WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION? LIKE, JUST TRYING TO, SO I, I GET THAT BY WAY OF PROCEDURE. IT GOES LIKE THIS BY WAY OF REPORTING IT GOES LIKE THAT. BUT IF WE HAD QUESTIONS OR WANTED TO FOLLOW UP, WHO'S THE WHO? I OFTEN FIND THAT THAT'S PART OF THE DIFFICULT PART. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. SO, SO THESE SOLICITATIONS ARE, ARE RUN BY AUSTIN ENERGY. SO, SO, UH, GENERAL MANAGER KHAN, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE ANSWER UNDER ME. AND THEN, RIGHT, I'M UNDER HIM. AND THEN, UM, MICHAEL ANGER, WHO'S SPOKEN MANY TIMES HERE AS WELL, IT'S HIS, ULTIMATELY HIS ORGANIZATION THAT DOES THESE SOLICITATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. FURTHER, FURTHER, YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING? COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ? UH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT, UH, WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY HERE ON THE DA, YOU DON'T GET YOUR, YOUR THUNDER STOLEN, SO CONGRATS . UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION. VELASQUEZ AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WILL NOW TAKE US TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER'S PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE, PROPOSED AMENDMENT ITEM NUMBER ONE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. THANK YOU. SO I MOVE APPROVAL OF MY AMENDMENT ONE, WHICH CLARIFIES LANGUAGE ABOUT THE CARBON FREE GOAL. UM, THE ORIGINAL STATEMENTS IN THE SUMMARY ARE FOR CONTINUED PROGRESS TO AN INDUSTRY LEADING GOAL. UM, AND MY AMENDMENT MAKES IT VERY CLEAR THAT THIS DIOCESE IS COMMITTING TO AN INDUSTRY LEADING GOAL OF A HUNDRED PERCENT BY ADDING CONTINUED PROGRESS AND CLEAR COMMITMENT TO AN INDUSTRY LEADING GOAL OF A HUNDRED PERCENT CARBON FREE ENERGY BY 2035. UM, PROGRESS IS NOT ENOUGH IN MY VIEW. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. IS THERE A SECOND TO ALLISON ALTER PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE. IS THERE DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION. ALISON ALTER PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER. I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU ON YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT. NUMBER TWO. THANK YOU. UM, I MOVE APPROVAL OF MY AMENDMENT TWO RELATED TO LOCAL AIR QUALITY AND NON-ATTAINMENT. UH, THIS AMENDMENT COMES IN FOUR PARTS, AND I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL FOUR PARTS, BUT THE, THE MAIN IDEA IS TO ADD, UM, THE FACT THAT TRAVIS COUNTY'S AT RISK OF EXCEEDING LOCAL AIR QUALITY STANDARDS SET BY THE US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SPECIFICALLY FOR OZONE EXCEEDING THE STANDARD MAY PUT THE COUNTY IN NON-ATTAINMENT. UM, PART B UM, ADDS RELEVANT LANGUAGE SUPPORTING THAT, UM, IN THE ENERGY LANDSCAPE SECTION ABOUT KIND OF WHAT THAT MEANS. UM, PART C IS IN THE GENERATION RETIREMENTS SECTION, UM, AND PART D IS IN THE PROTECT LOCAL AIR QUALITY, UM, WHICH KIND OF UNDERSCORES THAT. ULTIMATELY WHERE WE WANNA GET TO IS THAT IF GENERATION, UM, LOADS NEED TO RISE, WE WANT THEM TO BE RISING BECAUSE WE ARE ELECTRIFYING THINGS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE POLLUTING SO THAT WE HAVE A NET EMISSION REDUCTION. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON TER MOVES APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT NUMBER, HER AMENDMENT [04:20:01] NUMBER TWO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THERE, IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ. IS THERE DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO AL ALISON ALTER AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO? WITHOUT OBJECTION, ALISON ALTER AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS APPROVED. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED ON YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT. NUMBER THREE. THANK YOU. AND, UM, THE OTHER ONES WERE THE SAME FROM THE FIRST AND SECOND VERSION, BUT I DO WANNA, UH, POINT OUT I'M WORKING FROM A VERSION TWO. THANK YOU FOR AMENDMENT THREE, UM, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT I HAD BEFORE, JUST ADDS A COUPLE WORDS. UM, SO AMENDMENT THREE, UM, SHOULD BE RELATED TO SOLAR AND BATTERY STORAGE ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY. AND IT LINE ADDS A LINE IN THE PRIORITIZED CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS TO SAY THE CITY OF AUSTIN COMMITS TO EXPLORING HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE SIGHTING OF SOLAR GENERATION AND BATTERY STORAGE ON CITY OWNED LAND AND PROPERTIES WHERE IT MAKES ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC SENSE. THAT'S WHAT THIS AMENDMENT ADDS TO. VERSION TWO, DRAFTED THE PLAN. I WILL NOTE THAT THE VERSION TWO, UM, PUT BACK AT MY REQUEST A LINE THAT WAS IN THE PRIOR, UM, PLAN THAT SAID, CONTINUING FROM THE PREVIOUS RESOURCE GENERATION PLAN, AUSTIN ENERGY WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE THE LEAD WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO MAXIMIZE DSM AND LOAD SHIFTING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN CITY OF AUSTIN OPERAT OPERATIONS. COUNCILMAN AL MOVES THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVE HER PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE, VERSION TWO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. IT IS SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO. TIM, IS THERE DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THIS ITEM? DO YOU WISH TO SAY SOMETHING? I DO. I JUST, UM, WANTED TO UNDERSCORE WITH THE CITY MANAGER THAT, UM, THE SUCCESS OF THIS AMENDMENT DEPENDS ON THE CITY MANAGER PRIORITIZING DOING THIS AT OUR CITY FACILITIES AS WELL. IT'S AUSTIN ENERGY ITSELF IS NOT WALKING INTO THE FACILITIES AND INSTALLING THESE THINGS. THEY'RE THERE TO HELP AND SUPPORT AND HELP LEAD IN THAT PROCESS IN APPROPRIATE WAY. UM, BUT THIS IS IN SOME SENSE, DIRECTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE BUILDING OFF OF WORK, UM, THAT MY COLLEAGUE RYAN ALTER, UM, INITIATED WITH RESPECT TO, UM, THE DEMAND RESPONSE, BUT ALSO ADDING THE LOCAL SOLAR AND THE BATTERY STORAGE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT, UM, FOR OUR BUILDINGS AS WELL. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WITHOUT OBJECTION. ALLISON ALTER AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE, VERSION TWO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED ON YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR. THANK YOU. AMENDMENT FOUR IS RELATED TO THE GUARDRAILS UNDER THE, UM, OPPORTUNITY OR THE SECTION THAT ALLOWS AUSTIN ENERGY TO EXPLORE PEAKERS. UM, AND JUST ADD SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE THAT SUGGESTS THAT THE LANGUAGE IN THIS SECTION ALREADY ARE GUARDRAILS, UM, AND THAT, UM, THEY WILL DEVELOP NEW AND UPDATED GUARDRAILS AS GENERATION COMES ONLINE. MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER TO ADOPT HER AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON. IS THERE DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION. ALLISON ALTER AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED. THAT WILL TAKE US NOW. AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER ON HIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. UH, I MOVE ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE, WHICH LOOKS AT, UH, THE TIME WHEN WE CAN TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO OUR EMISSIONS. I THINK WE ALL SHARE THE GOAL OF REDUCING EMISSIONS WITHIN AUSTIN. UH, BUT AS COUNCILMAN ALLISON ALTAR MENTIONED, AND, AND WE'VE HEARD NUMEROUS TIMES FROM THE UTILITY AND OTHERS, OUR LOAD MIGHT GROW BECAUSE WE ARE ELECTRIFYING VEHICLES OR ARE THE, THE STOVES IN OUR HOME OR THE FURNACES IN OUR HOME. AND SO WE WANT TO REDUCE EMISSIONS ON A NET BASIS. AND SO WHEN THAT, UH, THOSE DATA ARE AVAILABLE, UH, THE UTILITY, UM, WILL, WILL PROPOSE GOALS THAT TAKE THAT HOLISTIC APPROACH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER MOVES APPROVAL OF RYAN ALTER AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS AMENDMENT AND, AND RYAN AND I HAVE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS OVER THIS AS I HAVE WITH THE UTILITY. AND I REALLY JUST WANNA UNDERSCORE THAT THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO HEAD. THERE ARE THINGS IN THE PLAN THAT SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, SAY FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY, WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE FROM MEGAWATTS REDUCED TO, UM, GREENHOUSE GASES. UM, BUT WE, AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE DO THAT, UM, WE REALLY DO NEED TO STRIVE TO BE ABLE TO FIND A WAY THAT WE CAN, UM, QUANTIFY [04:25:01] SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE ACHIEVING FOR OUR NET EMISSIONS AND THE ROLE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY PLAYS IN THAT. UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE SCENARIOS WHERE IF WE ELECTRIFY OUR TRANSPORTATION ENOUGH, IF WE ELECTRIFY OUR BUILDINGS ENOUGH THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO ADD, UM, CARBON EMITTING, UM, UNITS IN OUR SYSTEM OR LOTS OF OTHER GENERATION, WHATEVER THOSE CHOICES ARE, THE TIME. UM, BUT WE WOULD GET A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN EMISSIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND WE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS IF THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES. UM, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD PREFER FOR THAT TO BE RENEWABLE ENERGY THAT WE WERE USING, UM, AS TECHNOLOGY MOVES FORWARD. SO I JUST THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR US TO BE CLEAR. THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE AUSTIN ENERGY WANTS TO GET TO, BUT AS USUAL, WE'RE BEING INNOVATIVE AND WE'RE KIND OF MAKING IT UP AS WE GO ALONG, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE LEADING ON THIS. THANK YOU. FURTHER DISCUSSION. THE MOTION IS BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY TO APPROVE RYAN ALTER AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO WITHOUT OBJECTION. IT IS ADOPTED COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED ON YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. THIS AMENDMENT, I FEEL, GOES KIND OF HAND IN GLOVE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE'S AMENDMENT, WHICH SET THE GOAL, UH, AROUND BATTERIES. THIS IS KIND OF ABOUT THAT PROCESS OF HOW WE GET THERE IN AUSTIN ENERGY FOR THEM TO GO DO THE RFP THAT I BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING TO DO AND COME BACK AND REPORT TO THE E-U-C-A-E-U-O-C. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I GOT THAT ORDER RIGHT. CLOSE ENOUGH. , WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. UH, AND THEN TO CONTINUE THAT PROCESS, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER MOVES APPROVAL OF HIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. IS THERE DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO RYAN ALTER AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO? WITHOUT OBJECTION, RYAN. ALTER AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED. COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, I RECOGNIZE YOU ON YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THIS AMENDMENT HAS TAKEN A WINDING PATH, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN IT TO A GOOD SPOT, AND THAT IS FOR AFTER WE HAVE, UH, HAD THE FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS, JUST LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT, MAYOR, THEY, UH, HAVE THE UTILITY COME AND TALK TO US AND, AND WE CAN PROVIDE WHATEVER FEEDBACK AND I KNOW THEY'RE GONNA WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. AND THEN, UH, ALLOW FOR THAT PROCESS TO CONTINUE. WITH THAT FEEDBACK, UH, INCORPORATED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER MOVES APPROVAL OF HIS, UH, LONG AND WINDING NUMBER, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION, RYAN ALTER AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED. COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER YOU ARE RECOGNIZED ON YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THIS, AS LISA ALLUDED TO A LITTLE BIT AGO, UH, WILL JUST BUILD SOME REPORTING REQUIREMENTS TO THE COUNCIL AND I MOVE ADOPTION COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER MOVES APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER OF, OF HIS, HIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ IS THEIR DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO PROPOSED RYAN ALTER PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR WITHOUT OBJECTION, RYAN ALTER PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED. MAYOR, BEFORE WE GO ON, JIM, AND IF I, I'M TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT PASSING. I DO JUST WANNA UNDERSCORE, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THAT INFORMATION, BUT ALSO FOR THE OVERSIGHT BODY TO REALLY BE INTERROGATING THAT INFORMATION AND BEING A PARTNER FROM THE GET GO WITH AUSTIN ENERGY IN, IN IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN. FAIR ENOUGH AND GOOD COMMENT. UH, COUNCILMAN RYAN ALTER, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT. NUMBER FIVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THIS IS THE AMENDMENT THAT WAS ALLUDED TO BY ONE OF THE SPEAKERS, THE JUST SHOWING OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR WORKERS. AND I MOVE ADOPTION COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER MOVES ADOPTION OF HIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER FIVE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO, UH, RYAN ALTER PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER FIVE WITHOUT OBJECTION, RYAN ALTER PROPOSED AMENDMENT NUMBER FIVE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS ADOPTED MEMBERS. THOSE ARE ALL OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS THAT I AM AWARE OF. UH, IT'S A HEALTHY AND ROBUST, UH, AND WELL DONE GROUP OF AMENDMENTS. BUT LET ME ASK, ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO ITEM NUMBER TWO? HEARING NONE, THIS WILL TAKE US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION. THE MAIN MOTION IS THE APPROVAL. I'M SORRY. OH, NO, NOT [04:30:01] YET. NOT YET. OKAY. YEAH, I WAS QUEING MYSELF UP. ALL RIGHT. FAIR, FAIR ENOUGH. UM, WHERE WAS I? UM, YEAH, WE WE'RE GONNA GO BACK. WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION. THE MAIN MOTION IS TO ADOPT ITEM NUMBER TWO, THE AUSTIN ENERGY GENERATION PLAN AS AMENDED AS AMENDED BY THE NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS, UH, DISCUSSION ON THAT ITEM. COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU FIRST, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY. UH, MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO LET, UH, COUNCILMAN ALTER GO BEFORE ME. SHE WAS TRYING TO PRESS HER BUTTON AND I JUST JUMPED TO IT TOO QUICK, AND I KNOW WELL. OKAY. FAIR ENOUGH. UM, WE'LL VOTE ON THAT. UH, NO COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER IS FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY. THEN COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER VELOZ. THANK YOU. THE JOSE. THAT, THAT'S WHY TOLD ME THAT WAS, THAT'S HOW WE BARTERED ON THAT. YEAH, THAT'S BARTER, BARTERING ON THE ADAAS. YEAH. UM, SO WHEN I INITIATED THIS UPDATE TO OUR GENERATION PLAN IN 2022, I'M NOT SURE THAT I FULLY REALIZED WHAT WAS AT STAKE, THE ENORMITY OF THE TASK AND THE IMPORTANCE OF RECALIBRATING OUR APPROACH TO GENERATION. THE RISKS THAT WE FACE ARE GREAT. WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS ACCELERATING, THE ENERGY MARKET CONTINUES TO CHANGE, OUR DEMAND IS RISING, AND OUR REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT IS LESS THAN IDEAL. AS WE STRIVE FOR RELIABILITY, AFFORDABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND EQUITY, THE TRADE-OFFS ARE REAL. WE CONFRONT COMPLICATED INTERDEPENDENCIES AND IMPLEMENTATION DIFFICULTIES WITH EVERY DECISION. ALL OF THIS MEANS IN MY VIEW THAT OUR UTILITY NEEDS FLEXIBILITY AND A CONTINUED CULTURE OF INNOVATION TO NAVIGATE THESE SHOALS. IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE PLAN BEFORE US PROVIDES THIS FLEXIBILITY WHILE CLEARLY COMMUNICATING OUR VALUES AND EXPECTATIONS WITHOUT ABOUT PRIORITIES AND KEY STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING THEM AS WELL AS OUR VALUES. AUSTIN ENERGY HAS BEEN A LEADER FOR A LONG TIME, AND I THINK IN THIS DISCUSSION WE SOMETIMES LOSE SIGHT OF THIS. THIS PLAN IS A CHALLENGE TO THEM TO CONTINUE TO BE A LEADER. THE WORK TO ACHIEVE A HUNDRED PERCENT CARBON FREE AS A PERCENTAGE OF OUR LOAD BY 2035 BEGINS AGAIN TODAY. AS IS OFTEN THE CASE IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE, WE WILL NOT BE JUDGED BY THE PLAN, BUT IN HOW IT IS EXECUTED, THE CHOICES MADE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS WILL BE CRITICAL. I AM MINDFUL THAT THE NEXT STEPS FALL TO AUSTIN ENERGY AND THE NEXT DURATION OF OUR AUSTIN ENERGY UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE BOTH WILL HAVE TO WORK TO, WILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO MEET THE GOALS LAID OUT IN THE PLAN. I HOPE THAT THE SPIRIT OF EXCHANGE AND CLARITY OF TRADE-OFFS CONTINUE TO BE FRONT AND CENTER, AND THAT THE UTILITY AND THE COUNCIL UNDERSTAND THE TASKS BEFORE THEM. I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO GETTING US TO THIS POINT TODAY. I, I MUST ADMIT THOUGH, IT'S BEEN A LONG TWO YEARS AND THE PLAN IS NOT PERFECT THESE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WE THOUGH HAVE MADE SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT STRIDES AND WE'VE COLLABORATED IN NEW WAYS BETWEEN STAFF AND COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY. I DO THINK THAT WE DO OUR BEST WORK WHEN WE CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEMS WE ARE TRYING TO SOLVE AND BRING IN ALL THE VALUABLE AND PERTINENT PERSPECTIVES LIKE WE HAVE DONE ON THIS PLAN. I KNOW THAT IT CAN BE, FEEL EXHAUSTING TO BE THOROUGH, ESPECIALLY SOME WHEN THAT WORK HAS TO BE DONE IN SUCH A SHORT TIME. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT WORK THAT WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ADVOCATES WHO HAVE PUT SO MUCH OF THEIR TIME INTO HELPING US ARRIVE AT A PLAN THAT WHILE STILL NOT PERFECT, HAS GOTTEN US TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS ON IMPROVING THE RELIABILITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. FOR AUSTIN ENERGY AND OUR CITY. I ALSO WANNA THANK MY COD COLLEAGUES, COUNCIL MEMBERS, RYAN AL ALTER, CADRE, FUENTES, VELASQUEZ, VELA, AND WATSON FOR SOME REALLY THOUGHTFUL AMENDMENTS. I ALSO WANNA THANK THE EUC COMMISSION AND ESPECIALLY MY APPOINTEE AND THE COMMISSION'S CHAIR, DAVE TUTTLE, WHO'S BEEN A GREAT RESOURCE TO ME AND MY OFFICE FOR MANY YEARS. I WANT TO THANK MELISSA MARKMAN, ASHLEY FISHER, AND ASHLEY RICHARDSON ON MY STAFF WHO WORKED ON THIS PLAN AT VARIOUS STAGES FROM INITIATION FORWARD, UM, AND, AND SUPPORTED ALL OF THE WORK THAT WENT INTO UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMS AND WHERE WE WERE GOING. I ALSO WANNA THANK THE AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF WHO STEPPED UP TO EDUCATE AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL. AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO LISA MARTIN, WHO [04:35:01] HANDLED ALL OUR CHALLENGES AND ALL OUR QUESTIONS WITH POISE AND YOUR, AND YOUR WHOLE TEAM. THE NEXT STEPS ARE IN YOUR HANDS AND MICHAEL'S, I GUESS. UM, SO I'M REALLY PLEASED THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THIS PRODUCTIVE AND INFORMATIVE DISCUSSIONS. UM, AND I'M PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO BE VOTING ON THIS TODAY. UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THE SMART PEOPLE AT AUSTIN ENERGY INCORPORATE THE AMENDMENTS. WE'VE PASSED AMENDMENTS, I KNOW IMPROVE THE PLAN WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED WITH, AND I REALLY DO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE GROWTH IN DEMAND RESPONSE AND BATTERY AND SOLAR ADVANCEMENTS THAT WILL HELP GET US TO THE CLOSURE OF FAYETTE, WHICH STILL REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GOALS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ. THANK YOU. AND I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE FOR HIS GOOD. LOOKING OUT FOR ME AS I PRESSED THE BUTTON. HE THOUGHT IT MEANT THAT I NEEDED TO INTERRUPT YOU, WHICH I WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO DO. SO , UH, I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, LAST NIGHT I WAS IN A COMMISSION MEETING AND I GOT WORD THAT SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE WORKING VERY HARD TO GET AMENDMENTS PUT TOGETHER AND TO BRING THEM TODAY. AND I LOOKED AT THE CLOCK, IT'S 3:00 PM IT'S NOT MIDNIGHT. AND THAT WORK THAT YOU ALL DID AS COLLEAGUES TO GET US TO A PLACE TODAY WHERE WE COULD PASS THIS AT A REGULAR HOUR, IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK, CARE AND DEDICATION THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE REMAIN A WONDERFUL CITY AND THAT WE GET THE WORK DONE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND I WANT TO THANK AUSTIN ENERGY'S HARD WORK ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PRESENTING THIS TO US FOR MY MANY COLLEAGUES, AGAIN, FOR OFFERING THEIR WONDERFUL AMENDMENTS TO COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE, I WANNA SAY ONE MORE TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DID LEADING US ON THAT AUSTIN ENERGY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. UM, I WAS PROUD TO BE VICE CHAIR WITH YOU LAST YEAR AND TO LEARN SO MUCH FROM YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, UM, JUST SOMETHING THAT I KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT. I JUST KNEW I WANTED THE LIGHTS ON. AND, UM, NOW I KNOW ALL THE INTRICACIES THAT GO INTO THAT, AND IT GIVES ME SO MUCH MORE OF AN APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK THAT OUR ELECTRIC PROVIDER DOES FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN EVERY DAY, DAY IN AND DAY OUT. UM, IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE TO ANY OF YOU THAT I WANT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, AND I KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THAT AS WELL. I'M PROUD THAT THE CITY IS THE CLEANEST, MOST CLIMATE CONSCIOUS CITY IN TEXAS. WE SHOULD ALL TAKE PRIDE IN THAT. UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THE STEPS THAT WE'VE TAKEN TODAY AND THAT WE WILL TAKE IN THE FUTURE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN. AND COLLEAGUES, I'LL JUST CLOSE WITH THIS AS I'M SURE YOU ALL PROBABLY WANT TO KNOW. I'M NOT VOTING AGAINST THIS , SO THANK YOU. OH, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY. UM, NO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON. THANK YOU. THIS AUSTIN ENERGY GENERATION PLAN IS NOT ONLY ABOUT GENERATING ELECTRICITY, IT'S ABOUT THE LEGACY THAT WE LEAVE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. I'M REALLY PROUD THAT WE AS A COUNCIL THROUGH THIS PLAN, REMAIN COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE WHILE WE BALANCE THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE ENERGY. THIS PLAN REFLECTS AUSTIN ENERGY'S LEADERSHIP TOWARDS A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE WITH GREATER INVESTMENTS IN CONSERVATION, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, RENEWABLE ENERGY, LIKE WIND AND SOLAR, AND IN BATTERY STORAGE. AND I BELIEVE THAT WITH THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'VE ADOPTED TODAY, OUR LEADERSHIP IN PURSUING A CARBON FREE FUTURE IS REFLECTED IN THIS PLAN. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR COUNCIL TO STAY INVOLVED IN THE IMPORTANT DECISIONS GOING FORWARD AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY'S VALUES, LIKE MAINTAINING CLEAN AIR AND WATER FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE, BUT ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT TWO, WHERE WE KNOW SANDHILL IS LOCATED, CONTINUE TO BE REPRESENTED IN THOSE DECISIONS. I WANNA THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION AND, AND THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION FOR ALL OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAKING THIS PLAN STRONGER THAN WHERE WE STARTED. AND FOR CONTINUING TO CHALLENGE US, CHALLENGE US TO PUSH THE LIMITS ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LEADER ON CLEAN ENERGY. I ALSO WANNA THANK THE VOLUNTEERS OF THE COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS, ESPECIALLY COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT TWO, NORMA CORTEZ, FOR THE MANY DAYS THAT THEY PUT TOWARDS ENSURING THAT THIS PLAN INCLUDES THE VOICES FROM OUR COMMUNITY. AND AS OUR, AS OUR CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, THIS PLAN SETS US ON A COURSE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT GROWTH WHILE PROTECTING RATE PLAYERS AND RATE PAYERS AND OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR WORK ON PURSUING A SECURE AND CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE IS NOT OVER TODAY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR UTILITY EXPERTS ON MAKING SURE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY REMAINS A POINT OF PRIDE FOR ALL AUSTINITES. I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS PLAN TODAY AS AMENDED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, AND COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER. UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY HEARTFELT APPRECIATION TO AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF AND TO MY COLLEAGUES ON THE DAAS AND TO THEIR STAFF FOR ALL THEIR WORK THAT HAS GONE IN, UH, TO MAKING AND GETTING THIS PLAN TO A BETTER [04:40:01] PLACE. HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY OUR EUC COMMISSIONERS, FOR THEIR THOUGHTFUL AND INTENTIONAL INPUT AND EXPERTISE AS WE'VE NAVIGATED THIS WORK. UM, I KNOW THIS GUYS MAY NOT KNOW THIS, BUT I, I GREW UP IN EAST AUSTIN. I PROBABLY HAVE NEVER MENTIONED THAT BEFORE. UM, BUT I SPENT MY ENTIRE CHILDHOOD JUST THREE BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE HOLLY STREET POWER PLANT. I WAS ALMOST 30 YEARS OLD BY THE TIME IT WAS CLOSED. AND I'VE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS OF FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY GENERATION ON LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND THE IMPACTS OF ENERGY GENERATION ON PUBLIC HEALTH HAS GOT TO BE CENTRAL TO ANY CONVERSATION WE HAVE ON ENERGY NOW AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. AND I'M HERE FOR IT. AND I WILL BE VOTING FOR THIS AS AMENDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, AND THEN I'LL CALL ON THE MAYOR PRO TIM TO CLOSE. THANK YOU, UH, SO MUCH, MR. MAYOR. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I, I GUESS I MOSTLY, UM, WANNA SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT THIS PLAN HAS PROGRESSED. I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT, AND I THINK IT'S PROGRESSED TO ONE THAT INCORPORATES THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY'S FEEDBACK IN LARGE PART, WHICH, UH, I THINK I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I HAD A MENTOR TELL ME ONE TIME WHEN, UM, WHEN, UH, EXCUSE ME, COMPROMISE GOES WELL. EVERYBODY FEELS LIKE THEY LOST A LITTLE SOMETHING. UM, AND I, I HOPE THAT MOST PEOPLE FEEL LIKE WE GAINED SOMETHING. AND THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. UM, I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED BY COMMUNITY ADVOCATES. UM, I HAVE MY OWN CONCERNS AS A PERSON WHO, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIES AS A MOM. UH, I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT MY KID'S FUTURE. UM, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AS WE CONSIDER IMPLICATIONS AROUND CLIMATE REALITY AND CLIMATE JUSTICE. UM, I DO HOWEVER, UM, HAVE SOME, I GUESS MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY PERSONAL FOR ME, BUT, UM, PERSONAL FOR THE DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT CONSIDERATIONS THAT, UH, WERE CONSIDERED AND RECOGNIZED THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY MEANS A LOT TO DISTRICT ONE. SO OUR NORTHEAST PLANNING DISTRICT, YOU'VE HEARD ME, UM, MUCH LIKE YOU NEVER HEARD COUNCIL MEMBER OF VELASQUEZ SAY HE'S FROM THE EAST SIDE. UH, YOU MAY HAVE NEVER HEARD ME SAY THAT. DISTRICT ONE EAST OF 180 3 IS GONNA BE THE FASTEST GROWING PART OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, AND WILL, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE MOST IMPACT DEVELOPMENTALLY. AND SO RECOGNIZING THAT OUR UTILITY GENERATION, THE ABILITY TO MEET THE NEED, THE ABILITY TO ALSO CONTINUE TO BE INNOVATIVE, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH GENERATING ENERGY, UM, AND A WAY THAT'S FORWARD FACING AND EVERGREEN, SO TO SPEAK, UH, IS IMPORTANT. SO MAKING FIRM COMMITMENTS. HENCE MY QUESTIONS EARLIER ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, MAKING FIRM COMMITMENTS AROUND COMMUNITY BENEFITS, MAKING, UM, FUNDING FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, PARKS AND HEALTH INITIATIVES, CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AND TANGIBLE IMPLEMENTATION FOR RESIDENTS. PRIORITY IS, UH, IS CERTAINLY A CONCERN FOR MYSELF AND THE FOLKS THAT I'M REPRESENTING. UM, AS I SIT ON THE DAYS, UH, SIMILAR TO THE DISCUSSIONS WE HAD LAST WEEK AT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE. UM, AND FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T FOLLOW, WE TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UM, GENERATING ENERGY ON ROOFS. WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, SOLAR AND WE TALKED ABOUT GREEN ROOFS. AND JUST FRANKLY JUST OPENING UP CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW THAT UP WITH, UH, ONE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AND I, RYAN ALTER, AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO. AND THAT'S ALTERNATIVE BUILDING MATERIALS. JUST REALLY TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY AT EVERY TURN TO USE EVERYBODY, EVERY COMMISSION, EVERY COMMITTEE AND THIS BODY TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS LOOKS LIKE, UM, IS A PRIORITY FOR ALL OF US. SO I DO BELIEVE THAT WITH TARGETED INVESTMENTS AND PROTECTIONS IN PLACE, THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SET A PRECEDENT FOR HOW AUSTIN LEADS ON CLIMATE ACTION ON SUSTAINABILITY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS CONVERSATION AND CONTINUING TO WORK TOGETHER, UM, TO PUT US ALL IN THE BEST POSITION POSSIBLE FOR THE FUTURE, AND FRANKLY, TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON OUR CLIMATE GOALS. UM, SO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES AND STAFF AND COMMUNITY, UM, EVERYBODY WHO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE TIME, FRANKLY, TO WEIGH IN ON SUCH IMPORTANT MATTERS OF CONSIDERATION. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE, UM, THE ROBUST NATURE OF THE DISCUSSION AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUATION OF IT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WANNA, FIRST AND FOREMOST THANK THE ADVOCATES OF THE COMMUNITY FOR COMING OUT. I KNOW THE, THE FINAL TEXT IS NOT EXACTLY, UH, WHAT THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE MIGHT HAVE HAVE WISHED, UH, BUT ALSO THANK AE STAFF, AND I KNOW THE SAME IS TRUE OF THEM. AND HERE UP ON THE DA, APPRECIATE [04:45:01] ALL THE WORK THAT HAS CLEARLY GONE INTO THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, SAFE TO SAY THAT THERE, THERE IS NO PERSON IN THIS ROOM WHO, IF GIVEN THE, THE POWER WOULDN'T CHANGE A LITTLE SOMETHING HERE OR THERE IN THE PLAN. THAT'S, THAT'S POLICY MAKING. UM, EVERY MORNING, I, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO MAKE MY KIDS LUNCH BEFORE THEY GO TO SCHOOL. AND THEY HAVE THESE METAL LUNCHBOX WITH A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT MAGNETS THAT CAN PUT ON 'EM AND, AND MAKE 'EM A LOT OF FUN. THEY'RE, THEY'RE ROCKETS. THERE ARE UNICORNS, DINOSAURS, MORE UNICORNS, UH, . BUT THERE WE HAVE ALSO THIS LITTLE SET OF ENVIRONMENTAL MAGNETS. AND FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, BOTH OF MY KIDS' FAVORITE MAGNET SAYS, BE KIND TO OUR PLANET. AND IF ANYBODY WHO HAS KIDS KNOW IF TWO OF THEM HAVE THE SAME FAVORITE, THERE'S NO PROBLEM AT ALL WITH THAT. UH, NEVER ANY DISAGREEMENT. BUT THAT IS THE LENS THROUGH WHICH I LOOK AT THIS PLAN, YOU KNOW, A GENERATION PLAN FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. WE ALL RECOGNIZE CLIMATE CHANGE IS HAPPENING. IT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE OF ACTIONS WE TOOK, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE OUR OWN ACTIONS TO GET OUT OF IT. AND IT'S NOT JUST NOT KIND TO OUR PLANET, IT'S NOT KIND TO OUR WALLET. UH, AND OUR HEALTH, WE HEARD ABOUT THE RESPIRATORY IS ASTHMA, HEAT RELATED ILLNESS, ET CETERA. COUNCILMAN RAL AND ALTER TALKED ABOUT THE, THE INSURANCE PROBLEM WE'RE HAVING. WE CAN'T INSURE OUR HOMES, OR I KNOW EVERYBODY HERE, MYSELF INCLUDED, IS PAYING MORE BECAUSE OF THE NATURAL DISASTERS. WE'RE ALL PAYING FOR, UH, FOOD COSTS, FARMING, THAT IT AFFECTS EVERYTHING. AND THERE ARE TOOLS WITHIN THE PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT, RIGHT? WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX. THERE ARE SOME GREAT TOOLS, DEMAND RESPONSE, SOLAR ENERGY, EFFICIENCY, BATTERIES, GEOTHERMAL. WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO USE 'EM ALL. AND THERE ARE OTHER TOOLS, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WHEN THE TIME COMES ABOUT THOSE TOOLS BEING USED OR NOT. AND THAT'S A DECISION WE WILL MAKE AS A BODY, AS A COMMUNITY WHEN THAT TIME COMES. BUT TODAY, I AM GONNA SUPPORT THIS PLAN AND I'M GONNA PUSH FOR THOSE TOOLS, AND I'M ALWAYS GOING TO DO IT THROUGH THE LENS OF BEING KIND TO OUR PLANET. OUR KIDS ARE DEPENDING ON IT, AND I KNOW WE CAN DO IT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM TO CLOSE ON THE MOTION. THANKS MAYOR. I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY ON THIS DAIS FOR ALL OF YOUR, UM, STRONG EFFORTS. AND I WANNA THANK AND APPRECIATE ALL OUR EMPLOYEES AT AUSTIN ENERGY, AND SPECIFICALLY OUR GENERAL MANAGER, BOB KHAN AND HIS STAR TEAM LINEUP. LISA MARTIN, STUART RILEY, MICHAEL ENG, AMY EVERHART, ALL THE FOLKS, INCLUDING THE ONES THAT WE DON'T, MAYBE I DON'T HAVE THEIR NAMES. ALSO LINDA RIFE AND HER TEAM AT RIF LINE. THANKS TO MEMBERS OF THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION AND THE OTHER CITY COMMISSIONS WHO WEIGHED IN, AND THE MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO DEVOTED SIGNIFICANT TIME TO THE WORK CRAFTING THIS PLAN UPDATE. IN PARTICULAR, I WANNA RECOGNIZE RANDY CHAPMAN, UM, WHO HAS SERVED DISTRICT SEVEN AS EUC COMMISSIONER FOR MANY YEARS, AND MAYBE HE COULD BE TALKED INTO CONTINUING TO SERVE. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE IF I COULD GET SOMEONE TO REAPPOINT HIM. SO THAT'S RANDY CHAPMAN AND ALL MY THANKS RANDY TO YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS OVER THE YEARS, AND MOST ESPECIALLY ON THIS PLAN. SO COLLEAGUES AND COMMUNITY, WE ARE IN A GOOD PLACE BECAUSE WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER AND I'M REAL PROUD THAT THE VOTE THAT IS HAPPENING ON THIS IS HAPPENING TODAY. MY LAST COUNCIL MEETING, MY LAST IS THE CHAIR OF THE O WELL, I GUESS WE HAD THE LAST OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, BUT WHEN I LEAVE OFFICE, SOMEONE NEW WILL BE TAKING THAT MANTLE AND I'M HAPPY TO BE PASSING THIS ALONG TO THE COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE THIS IS GOOD, STRONG WORK AND LAYS REALLY GOOD A NEW FOUNDATION TO MOVE FORWARD TO. AND I HOPE THAT THE VOTE THAT WE RECORD ON THIS TODAY WILL BE AS STRONG AND, AND UNANIMOUS [04:50:01] ONE THAT REFLECTS ALL OF THE GOOD EFFORTS IN COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION OF EVERYBODY WHO CAME TO THE TABLE AND HELPED. THANK YOU. THANKS MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN THE ROLE YOU'VE PLAYED. UH, MEMBERS THE VOTE WILL BE ON THE ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER TWO AS AMENDED. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OH, LOOK AT HER . UM, OKAY. UM, IF, FOR THOSE THAT CAN'T READ IT, IT SAYS IT'S AN AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, HAT. SO SANTA, IT'S, IT'S HER HANUKKAH HAT , NO. THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER TWO, AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED. CONGRATULATIONS EVERYBODY. GOOD WORK MEMBERS. WHAT I WILL SUGGEST WE DO IS WE GO, AS I SAID, WE WOULD DO TO ITEM NUMBER 86, ITEM NUMBER 75, AND ITEM NUMBER 87, THOSE ARE THE TID ITEMS. AFTER THAT, WE WILL GO TO THE OTHER NON-CONSENT ITEMS AND THE PUBLIC HEARINGS BEFORE WE GET TO THE ZONING ITEMS. I DON'T ANTICIPATE FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL THAT, THAT ARE SIGHING OUT THERE AND, AND THINKING YOU'VE BEEN DONE BADLY. UH, I DID ASK YOU TO GET IT OFF THE, UH, OFF THE DOCKET TODAY, BUT YOU DIDN'T DO THAT. SO, UM, UH, DON'T, DON'T SIGH TOO LOUDLY SO I CAN HEAR IT. BUT THAT BEING SAID, UM, I THINK IT'S GOING TO MOVE PRETTY RAPIDLY, INCLUDING ON THE TPI ITEM BECAUSE WHILE WE HAVE A FEW PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, THEY KNOW THAT THEY DON'T REALLY NEED TO SPEAK FOR A LONG TIME IN ORDER TO MAKE THEIR POINT. THAT [86. Approve a resolution to authorize the establishment of an Austin Tourism Public Improvement District, composed of hotels with one hundred or more rooms, and make findings related to the advisability of the improvement and creation of the district as authorized by Local Government Code Chapter 372 to enhance services and undertake improvements, including activities related to marketing, business recruitment, and promotion for the district. Funding: For Fiscal Year 2024-25, the ATPID is projected to allocate $4.2 million in revenue the City would be eligible to receive under the ATPID Service Plan. Actual revenue is dependent on the eligible activities that will occur under the service plan. Revenue is expected to increase in future years. Related to Items #75 and #87.] BEING SAID, I'M GONNA CALL UP ITEM NUMBER 86 MEMBERS FOR PURPOSES OF, UH, YOU UNDER, UH, OF, UH, WHY WE'RE DOING 86 BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON 75 IS 86 MUST COME BEFORE 75. UH, AND THEN 87 WILL COME UP AFTER 75. SO LET'S GO TO ITEM NUMBER 86 AND I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO SEE IF WE HAVE PEOPLE, I KNOW WE HAVE PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND YOU CAN CALL THEIR NAMES. THANK YOU MAYOR. FIRST SPEAKER IS WILLIAM BUNCH. OKAY, ONE, ONE SECOND, PLEASE. AGAIN, TAKE YOUR CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE OUR WORK. THANK Y'ALL AND THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK UP TO NOW. ALRIGHT, MR. BUNCH, ARE YOU HERE, MR. BUNCH? BILL BUNCH. HE'S NOT HERE. ALL RIGHT. ROB GILLET, JOE BLAQUE AND JOANNA MCCREARY. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD, TAKE A SEAT ON THE FRONT ROW OR TAKE THE MICROPHONE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM. COUNCIL MEMBERS, MR. CITY MANAGER. I'M ROB GILLETTE. I'M THE CURRENT CHAIRMAN OF THE VISIT AUSTIN BOARD. I'M ALSO THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE ARBORETUM DISTRICT. UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE AUSTIN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, AND I WOULD TELL YOU THE PASSING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AUSTIN TID. IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO OUR INDUSTRY AND TO OUR COMMUNITY. FOR AUSTIN. WE FIND OURSELVES IN A UNIQUE, UH, AND REALLY AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME. UH, WE HAVE A MUCH NEEDED REDEVELOPMENT EXPANSION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND IT'S GONNA CLOSE, UH, THAT CLOSURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER. WE ESTIMATE THAT THERE WILL BE A LOSS OF 400,000 HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS ANNUALLY. SO QUITE SIMPLY, THE TID WILL BE OUR LIFELINE. THE TI WILL ALLOW US TO SECURE AT LEAST 250,000 REPLACEMENT ROOM NIGHTS ANNUALLY THROUGH TARGETED INCENTIVE FUNDING. AND WE ESTIMATE THE TID WILL GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL 125,000 ROOM NIGHTS THROUGH EXPANDED MARKETING EFFORTS. UH, VISIT AUSTIN. WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE TOURISM OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS STAY UP DURING THE CLOSURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER. AND EVERY DOLLAR, UH, IN TOURISM MARKETING GENERATES MULTIPLE DOLLARS IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. AND I WOULD TELL YOU, THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT DOWNTOWN HOTELS. UM, MY HOTEL, IF, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, THE ARBORETUM, IT'S NOT DOWNTOWN. I'VE BEEN A GENERAL MANAGER IN, IN, UH, AUSTIN FOR OVER TWO DECADES. THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT HOTELS EITHER. IT'S ABOUT SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. IT'S LOCAL RESTAURANTS, IT'S MUSIC VENUES, IT'S MUSICIANS, IT'S ARTS, [04:55:01] IT'S CULTURAL, UH, CENTERS ACROSS THIS AMAZING PLACE THAT WE ALL GET TO DO LIFE IN, IN AUSTIN. UH, THANK YOU, SIR, BUT I'M, I'M SORRY, YOUR TIME'S EXPIRED. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'VE CALLED ALL THE SPEAKERS. SO IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MAKE FREE PODIUM IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 86. OKAY. MEMBERS. THAT CONCLUDES, UH, ALL THE PEOPLE, UH, THAT ARE GOING TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 86 TODAY. SO THE CHAIR WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 86, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA MOVES APPROVAL. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES. IS THERE DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 86 IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKENZIE KELLY AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAAS MEMBERS. THAT WILL TAKE US [75. Conduct a public hearing related to the proposed assessment for the Austin Tourism Public Improvement District. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact. Related to Items #86 and #87.] TO ITEM NUMBER 75, WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 75. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN AND I WILL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS, WILLIAM BUNCH AND ROB, UH, GILLETTE. MR. BUNCH, ARE YOU HERE, MR. BUNCH? WILLIAM BUNCH. HE'S NOT HERE. MR. GILLETTE, YOU WISH TO SPEAK. ALL RIGHT. HE, UH, MEMBERS THAT'S, UH, WHO JUST SPOKE TO US ON THE OTHER ITEM AND HE IS PASSING, UH, THERE BEING NO OTHER PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON, I, UH, AT THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 75, UH, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. UH, MEMBERS, I WANNA MAKE CLEAR FOR THE RECORD THAT WE CONDUCTED A PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 75 AND BY THE ACTION OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE ARE PASSING ON ANY OBJECTION RAISED TO THE PROPOSED ASSESSMENT THAT WAS SET FORTH, UH, AND WILL BE SET FORTH IN THE ORDINANCE. WHEN WE GET TO THE ITEM ON, UH, UM, I ITEM NUMBER 87, THAT WILL BE PART OF OUR MOTION. BUT BEFORE WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, I WANT TO ASK THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, IF THERE ARE ANY ME, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL THAT HAVE HEARD ANY OBJECTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE CREATION, UM, OF, OF THIS ITEM THAT THEY WISH TO TAKE UP AT THIS POINT IN TIME. THAT BEING THE CASE, WE HAVE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING. WE'LL NOW GO TO ITEM NUMBER [87. Approve an ordinance approving the service plan for the Austin Tourism Public Improvement District, composed of hotels with one hundred or more rooms, levying a special assessment on the properties in the district and establishing the method of assessment to enhance services and undertake improvements, including activities related to marketing, business recruitment, and promotion for the district. Funding: For Fiscal Year 2024-25, the ATPID is projected to allocate $4.2 million in revenue the City would be eligible to receive under the ATPID Service Plan. Actual revenue is dependent on the eligible activities that will occur under the service plan. Revenue is expected to increase in future years. Related to Items #75 and #86.] 87 AND I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK TO ASK IF THERE ARE ANY PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 87. THANK YOU MAYOR. FIRST SPEAKER IS WILLIAM BUNCH, FOLLOWED BY ROB GILLETTE AND JOE LES AND JOANNA MCCREARY. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME TO THE, THE FRONT OF THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME TO THE COUN, THE FRONT AND SPEAK. ALRIGHT, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY COMING FORWARD. UH, SO MEMBERS, THIS IS ITEM NUMBER 87. AND WITH REGARD TO THIS, UH, THE CHAIR WILL ACCEPT A MOTION AND THE MOTION WILL BE TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 87 AFTER HAVING CONDUCTED THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND THE ACTION WOULD ALSO BE PASSING ON ANY OBJECTION RAISED TO THE PRO PROPOSED ASSESSMENT THAT IS SET FORTH IN THE ORDINANCE. THAT MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES, PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES. THANK YOU. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M THRILLED TO HAVE THIS TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT MOVE FORWARD ALONG WITH THE SERVICE PLAN. I WAS, AS WAS HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA GO THROUGH A CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT AND WE'LL HAVE A CLOSURE OF OUR CONVENTION CENTER. AND AS A RESULT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THE TID UP AND STANDING AND PROVIDING THE NECESSARY INCENTIVES AND FUNDING TO ENSURE THE VITALITY OF OUR TOURISM IN INDUSTRY AND OF OUR HOTELS. AND AS PART OF THIS AGREEMENT, WE ALSO HAVE A, A NEW REVENUE SOURCE AND A DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE, UM, THROUGH THE PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED RESOLUTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER, WHICH ESTABLISHES THE HOPE FUND, WHICH WILL HELP US ENSURE THAT WE HAVE MUCH NEEDED REVENUE TO SUPPORT HOMELESSNESS, PARTICULARLY AROUND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES. AND SO I'M THRILLED TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD AND JUST WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL FOR THE SUPPORT. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE WITHOUT [05:00:01] OBJECTION, WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 87 IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAAS. WE WILL NOW [70. Approve the Community Development Commission bylaws amendments.] GO TO ITEM NUMBER 70 AND THE, AND ITEM NUMBER 71. FOLLOWING THAT, I'LL RECOGNIZE THE CHAIR OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER FOR A MOTION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 70. UM, MAYOR, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE COME TO AUDIT AND FINANCE WITH A CONCERN ABOUT THIS. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE SPEAKERS BEFORE WE MAKE A MOTION, I'D LIKE TO HEAR THE SPEAKERS FIRST HEAR THE SPEAKERS, UM, BECAUSE THERE WERE NO ISSUES RAISED. THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH. UM, I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK FOR ITEM 70. WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, NOAH ELIAS, MONICA GUZMAN, AND CARMEN YIANNIS. ALRIGHT IS RIGHT. IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHOSE NAME WAS JUST CALLED ON ITEM NUMBER 70 THAT WISHES TO SPEAK? ALL RIGHT, DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT. COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER. I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU AGAIN FOR A MOTION. THANK YOU. I MOVE APPROVAL OF ITEM 70 THAT APPROVES THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION BYLAW AMENDMENTS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER MOVES APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 70. IT IS SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 70 IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAS CHAIR RECOGNIZES [71. Approve an ordinance amending City Code Section 2-1-128 (Community Development Commission) to remove provisions that state Council shall designate and may change the list of organizations to nominate the democratically selected members and to clarify the removal process of members] THE CHAIR OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, UH, CHAIRWOMAN ALLISON ALTER FOR A MOTION ON ITEM 71. UM, ASSUMING THAT THE SPEAKERS ARE NOT HERE AGAINST US, I WILL MOVE ITEM 71, WHICH IS A COROLLARY ITEM THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE. THAT'S AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY CODE TO REMOVE PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION UPDATES WE'RE MAKING. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTAR MOVES APPROVAL OF ITEM 71. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, CITY CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE NAMES OF ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? YES, MAYOR. FIRST SPEAKER IS JENNY GRAYSON, FOLLOWED BY NOAH ELIAS. MONICA GUZMAN AND CARMEN GIANNIS. MS. GUZMAN, SHE PASSES. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM THAT WISHES TO BE HEARD ON ITEM NUMBER 71? ANY DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 71? HEARING NONE. ITEM OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 71 IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAAS MEMBERS. UH, [77. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 (Land Development) to create exceptions for providing an erosion hazard zone analysis and increasing the distance for erosion hazard zones along the Colorado River below Longhorn Dam. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] WE'VE TAKEN UP I FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS. ITEM 74 AND 76, ITEM NUMBER 77 HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO, UH, JANUARY 30TH, 20, UH, 2025. LET ME ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK THAT MIGHT BE HERE. YES. YES. MAYOR, WE HAVE BILL BUNCH ON ITEM 77 MR. BUNCH. BILL BUNCH. WILLIAM BUNCH. I DON'T THINK HE'S GONNA TALK. UM, IS THAT THE ONLY PERSON? YES, MA'AM. ALRIGHT. UH, MEMBERS ITEM 77 HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO JANUARY 30TH. WE'VE TAKEN UP 78 79. UH, ITEM NUMBER 80 [80. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance approving the landowner’s request for inclusion of approximately 8.5 acres located at 2116 Lynnbrook Road and owned by Southwest Christian Church in the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. CETJ-2024-0003. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] IS A PUBLIC HEARING WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 80. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN AND I WILL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK FOR ITEM NUMBER 80. WE HAVE CHRIS BRADFORD REGISTERED TO SPEAK WITH TIME DONATED FROM PAUL DIAZ. IS PAUL HERE? YES. OKAY, THEN MR. BRADFORD WILL RECEIVE FOUR MINUTES. YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES, SIR. CHRIS BRADFORD JACKSON WALKER HERE FOR, UH, SOUTHWEST CHRISTIAN CHURCH. THIS IS, UH, PARALLEL TO ONE YOU HEARD, UH, BEFORE LUNCH. UH, THE CHURCH IS PART OF THE AREA, UH, IN THE MANCHAC AREA, UH, IN WHICH A PETITION TO EXCLUDE THE PROPERTIES FROM THE CITY'S EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, UH, WAS FILED. THEY LEARNED ABOUT IT RIGHT BEFORE, UH, THIS COUNCIL AGAIN, WITHOUT ANY DISCRETION AND, YOU KNOW, APPROVE THE ELECTION. UH, AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE A RIGHT TO VOTE IN THE ELECTION OR ANYTHING, SO THEY WANTED TO GET BACK INTO THE CITY'S ETJ. UH, AND UH, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE PASTOR PAUL DIAZ IS HERE TODAY AND SUPPORT OF THANK YOU PASTOR. UM, AND JUST FOR CLARITY PURPOSES, WHEN YOU SAID THIS COUNCIL WITHOUT ANY DISCRETION APPROVED THE ELECTION, YOU DIDN'T MEAN WE DIDN'T USE ANY DISCRETION AND YOU MEANT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY DISCRETION. THE STATUTE DIDN'T GIVE THE COUNSEL ANY DISCRETION THAT THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH, I JUST WANT, I JUST WANT THOSE THAT MAY BE LISTENING. I YEAH, WE GET ACCUSED OF THAT FROM TIME TO TIME. , THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CASES WHERE IT'S JUST NOT TRUE. RIGHT. SO, UH, ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IN THE PUBLIC HEARING? NO, MA'AM. THERE'S, THERE ARE NOT OTHER ALL RIGHT MEMBERS. THAT, THAT, IT CONCLUDES ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 80 FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 80. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED AND THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS REQUESTED. [05:05:01] IT IS MADE BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER? THANK YOU. I JUST WANNA, UM, SAY SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES SAID, YEAH. EARLIER. AND TO THANK, UM, THE, THE FOLKS WHO CAME TO SPEAK ON THIS AND, UM, WE DID NOT HAVE DISCRETION. AND I WOULD ASK THAT, UM, THE CITY MANAGER BE SURE THAT OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFFICE IS VERY MUCH AWARE OF THESE CASES AND THE CHALLENGES. I I DO REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE ADOPTING THIS ASKING KIND OF SOME QUESTIONS BEFOREHAND ABOUT, WELL, WHAT IF PROPERTY OWNERS DIDN'T WANNA DO IT AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT, WHAT HAPPENED? UM, AND WE'VE HAD SOME OTHER CASES WHERE IT HAS, THEY'VE SEEMED ODD WHERE WE'VE HAD TO VOTE FOR IT. UM, AND, AND IT'S A LOT FOR THEM TO HAVE TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO COME IN HERE AND, AND CHANGED THIS PROCESS AROUND, UM, AND THAT A LOT OF HEADACHE FOR THEM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 80 IS APPROVED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER BEING TEMPORARILY OFF THE DIETS. ITEM NUMBER 81 IS A PUBLIC. AND THANK YOU PASTOR. THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. UM, ITEM [81. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance approving the landowner’s request for inclusion of approximately 7.5 acres located at 2210 Lynnbrook Road owned by Shelby Ranch Investments, LP in the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. CETJ-2024-0004. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] NUMBER 81 IS A PUBLIC HEARING WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 81. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN AND I WILL LOOK TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE. THANK YOU MAYOR, WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER. VICTOR YOUNG IS MR. YOUNG HERE HE IS, OR AT LEAST SOMEBODY THAT SURE IS MOVING FAST UNDER THAT NAME. UH, HI, I'M VICTOR YOUNG. UH, WE'RE IN THE EXACT SAME BOAT AS THE PREVIOUS TWO LANDOWNERS WHO SPOKE ON THIS AND WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S SUPPORT IN, UH, ADMITTING US BACK INTO THE ETJ. SO I'LL KEEP IT SHORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, MA'AM. THERE'S NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 81. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED AND THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT AND APPROVE. ITEM NUMBER 81, MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE ITEM WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 81 IS APPROVED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAIS. THAT WILL [82. Conduct a public hearing in accordance with Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 26 and consider a resolution authorizing a change in use of dedicated parkland, known as Onion Creek Greenbelt, Onion Creek Metro Park, Salt Springs Neighborhood Park, and Marble Creek Greenbelt, for Austin Water to temporarily use approximately 45,215 square feet of parkland and permanently use approximately 133,020 square feet of parkland in order to construct, operate, maintain, and repair a 3,400 linear foot wastewater interceptor line. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 82. ITEM NUMBER 82 IS ALSO A PUBLIC HEARING WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 82. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN AND I WILL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK. WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER, BRAD MASSING. MR. MASSING, ARE YOU HERE? BRIAN? OKAY. I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM TODAY. UH, MR. MASSING. ALL RIGHT, IN THAT CASE, UM, THERE BEING NOBODY ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 82. WITHOUT OBJECTION. WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON 82. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED AND THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE. ITEM NUMBER 82. IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 82 IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER TEMPORARILY OFF THE DIES. ITEM NUMBER [83. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 (Land Development) related to development regulations applicable to residential re-subdivisions and to multi-family residential site development of five to sixteen units.] 83 IS TO BE POSTPONED TO JANUARY 30TH, 2025. BUT LET ME ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. YES. YES, MAYOR, WE DO HAVE SPEAKERS. UH, WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON. HANG ON ONE SECOND. UM, I DID, I'M GONNA NEED TO OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT. UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION. WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 83. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN FOR THOSE THAT ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. AND, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF YOU SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 21. I I MEAN, I'M SORRY, ITEM NUMBER 83. THAT WAS A FREUDIAN SLIP. THERE ARE 21 OF YOU SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 83 I IF YOU, THIS IS BEING POSTPONED, SO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT BEFORE YOU, UH, YOU, UH, GIVE YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO PLEASE CALL THE SPEAKERS SPEAKING ON THE MERIT TO THE POSTPONEMENT. WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, BRAD MESSING, MARYANNE SANCHEZ. LAURA ANN MARTINEZ. MONICA GUZMAN. SUSAN, HANG ON. LET'S PAUSE RIGHT THERE. IS ANYBODY WHOSE NAME HAS BEEN CALLED ON ITEM NUMBER 83 WISHING TO BE HEARD? ALRIGHT, I SEE, I SEE ONLY MS. GUZMAN AND SHE'S INDICATING NO. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO BE HEARD SO FAR? OKAY, PLEASE CON, CONTINUE. SUSAN RO BOBBY LAVINSKY. MARIO K MR. LAVINSKY IS INDICATING HE'S WAIVING HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK. MARIO KTU. SHARON BLY, YOU WISH TO SPEAK MR. CONTU WAIV. HE'S WAIVING HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. SHARON BLYTHE, CARMEN JANNIS, SOLE PRAXIS SHANE JOHNSON, UZI MCCOY AND WILLIAM BUNCH. [05:10:02] IS THERE ANYONE WHOSE NAME WAS CALLED THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 83? THANK YOU ALL AND FOR USE OF YOUR DISCRETION, UH, THOSE BEING ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 83. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 83. HOWEVER, WE WILL REOPEN IT ON JANUARY 30TH, 2025 AND WE WILL HAVE A, A PUBLIC HEARING AT THAT TIME. UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION IT, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS, IS NOW CLOSED. THAT WILL TAKE US TO [Items 84 & 85] ITEMS 84 AND 85, AND BEFORE WE GO TO ITEM 84 AND 85 AND ASK FOR ANY SPEAKERS. UM, AND BEFORE WE OPEN ANY PUBLIC HEARING, I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER AVELA. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR SOME TIME. UH, THE, THE GOAL OF THE ITEM IS TO REALLY KIND OF REPLACE THE EXISTING PDA WITH, UH, A, A DIFFERENT SYSTEM AND IN ONE CASE, A DB TWO 40. WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE WHERE WE WANT TO BE. UH, IMPORTANTLY THERE IS A, UM, A STUDY AND ANALYSIS OF THE DENSITY BONUS, UH, UH, POLICY, UH, COMING OUT, UH, HOPEFULLY IN JANUARY OR SO. SO I WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD MOVE TO CONTINUE THESE ITEMS. UM, HONESTLY, I'M, I DON'T WANNA REALLY, I DON'T THINK JANUARY 30TH IS APPROPRIATE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE READY BY THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, AND I WOULD, UH, BE HAPPY TO TAKE SOME GUIDANCE, BUT I WOULD KIND OF PULL 'EM DOWN UNTIL THEY'RE READY TO COME BACK UP. I GUESS CONTINUE THEM INDEFINITELY. THE, THAT'S THE, THE MOTION THAT I'LL, I'LL I HEAR YOU SAYING IS TO POSTPONE ITEMS 84 AND 85 INDEFINITELY. UM, UH, WELL, HERE'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO. I, IIII GOT Y'ALL ON THE, ON, ON THE MOTION A SECOND BEFORE I, I DO THAT. UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S NOBODY THAT, THAT THERE'S REALLY GONNA HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THAT. OKAY? MOST THE MOTION WILL BE ON ITEMS 84 AND 85 TO POSTPONE THEM INDEFINITELY. MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN POSTED. WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE ON THAT, I WILL, WITHOUT OBJECTION, UH, OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON BOTH ITEM 84 AND 85 FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT BE HERE TO SPEAK ON 84 AND 85. AND THERE ARE A COUPLE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UH, KEEP IN MIND THAT THE MOTION IS TO POSTPONE THESE INDEFINITELY SO THAT WE CAN GET THINGS RIGHT. BUT LET ME TURN TO THE CLERK AND ASK IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CALL NAMES. YES, MAYOR. FOR ITEM 84 WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, BRAD MASSING, MONICA GUZMAN, AND CARMEN GIANNIS. IS ANYONE HERE WHOSE NAME WAS JUST CALLED? OH, I SEE. SOMEBODY. YOU WERE ON SUCH A ROLL. YEAH, BUT I HAD TO TRICK YOU. UHHUH , UH, WON'T BE THE, WON'T BE THE LAST TIME, I'M SURE. SO, UM, YOU'RE SPEAKING TO THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT. ABSOLUTELY. I JUST WANNA SAY, 'CAUSE I HAD A LENGTHY STATEMENT READY TO GO, UH, GAVA, YOU KNOW, AND, AND ME A D FOUR RESIDENT AND YOUR CONSTITUENT THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER VELA FOR MOTIONING FOR AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT. CONSIDERING WHAT THAT COULD HAVE MEANT. THANK YOU. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, BECAUSE NOBODY'S GONNA BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT TO COUNCIL MEMBER VELA. I KNOW . UH, I'M MONICA GUZMAN. POLICY DIRECTOR OF GAVA. GO AUSTIN, BA AUSTIN, DISTRICT FOUR RESIDENT AND NATIVE AUSTINITE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. GUZMAN. UM, OKAY. ANYONE ELSE THAT WANTS TO TALK NICE ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER VELA? , UH, ON THIS MOTION TO POSTPONE DON'T ALL LINE UP AT ONCE. YEAH, YEAH. . ALL RIGHT, MEMBERS. UH, LET'S GO, LET'S GO TO ITEM NUMBER 85. I OPEN BOTH HEARINGS AND I'LL CLOSE 'EM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. FOR ITEM 85, WE HAVE ENOVIA JOSEPH, JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, BRAD, MISS MASONVILLE, INGAL, RYAN NIL, MONICA GUZMAN, BOBBY LAVINSKY, AND CARMEN JANNIS. ALRIGHT. THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE I SEE IN THE ROOM ARE, UM, BOBBY, BOB LEVINSKY, AND HE'S INDICATING HE'S NOT GOING TO SPEAK. MS. GUZMAN, I THINK PROBABLY HAS HAD ENOUGH. UM, AND SO SHE'S NOT, SHE'S NOT SPEAKING. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHOSE NAME WAS CALLED THAT WISHES TO BE HEARD ON ITEM NUMBER 85? THE MO AND THE MOTION IS TO POSTPONE IT INDEFINITELY. OH, I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T SEE HIM. DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK? NO. OKAY. UH, MS. JOSEPH, I DIDN'T SEE YOU EITHER, AND I APOLOGIZE. DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 85? [05:15:02] AND YOU'LL BE SPEAKING ON THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT? I TAKE THAT AS A YES. THAT'S A YES, MAYOR, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN IN OUR DEAL DEALING WITH YOU TODAY. BUT AT ANY RATE, , I'M OPIA JOSEPH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. COUNSEL, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE POSTPONEMENT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT SO THAT THOSE OF US WHO DO PAY ATTENTION CAN REVIEW THE BACKUP MATERIALS MORE THOROUGHLY. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE THAT NAME HAS, WHOSE NAME HAS BEEN CALLED MS. GUZMAN, YOU'VE CHANGED YOUR MIND. NO, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, MY STATEMENTS WERE FOR BOTH 84 AND 84 AND 85. OKAY. FOR THE RECORD, MS. GUZMAN, WHEN SHE TE SHE GAVE HER TESTIMONY ON ITEM NUMBER 84 WITH REGARD TO THE POSTPONEMENT. SHE WAS ALSO SPEAKING WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 85. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. THAT BEING SAID, THERE'S NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEMS 84 OR 85. UH, SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON 84 AND 85. ALTHOUGH WHEN WE, WHEN THEY COME BACK, THEY WILL COME BACK AND WE WILL HOLD ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING ON THOSE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED TO CLOSE ON THE MOTION TO POSTPONE INDEFINITELY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO THANK STAFF ON, ON THIS AND THEY HAVE DONE A LOT OF REALLY GOOD WORK ON IT. UH, AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING WITH, UH, THE PDAS MOVING THROUGH IS A PDA A WILL MOVE THROUGH WITH THIS KIND OF A WEB OF, UH, RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF A, A MESSY, UH, AND DIFFICULT WAY TO DO THINGS. WE'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE. THAT DOESN'T QUITE GET THERE, BUT WE'RE GONNA KEEP WORKING ON IT. UH, BUT I DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT STAFF DID, UH, REAL GOOD WORK ON IT, UH, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO CONTINUE TO, TO TWEAK THESE UNTIL WE GET 'EM RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, WISH YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM. YEAH, I WANTED TO JUST SPEAK OKAY. THE ITEM FOR A SECOND. GOOD. THEN YOU'RE RECOGNIZED, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES. THANK YOU. UM, I WON'T BE HERE TO, TO VOTE ON THIS, AND I THINK IT DOES NEED MORE WORK, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, THE UNDERLYING IMPETUS THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH OUR PDA, UM, PROCESS AND ALLOWING FOLKS TO USE PDA FOR RESIDENTIAL, I THINK IS TRUE AND SOMETHING WE NEED TO QUICKLY ADDRESS. UM, NOT SURE THAT WE HAVE FULLY CALIBRATED SOME OF THE PLANNING ISSUES FOR PLACING RESIDENTIAL, UM, NEAR TO INDUSTRIAL. UM, THERE IS ANOTHER OPTION, WHICH IS TO REQUIRE THEM TO DO PODS. MOST OF THESE ARE, UM, YOU COULD DO THE PDA ONE AND THEN YOU COULD REQUIRE PUDS, WHICH ALLOW YOU TO HAVE THE SUPERIORITY, UM, AND THE EXTENSIVE PROCESS. UM, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE PERHAPS A BETTER SOLUTION IF YOU'RE STILL WORKING ON THESE PIECES. UM, BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU DO INTRODUCE RESIDENTIAL, AND IT'S FINE ON THAT PIECE, THEY'RE LIKELY NEXT TO ANOTHER INDUSTRIAL PLACE THAT MAY NOT, MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DEVELOPED, AND THEY CAN STILL DEVELOP IN THE FUTURE NEAR THAT RES THAT, UM, NEW RESIDENTIAL. AND, AND I THINK THAT'S A, IT'S A PROBLEM AND IT'S A PLANNING ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO ANTICIPATE BEFORE WE MAKE CHANGES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES. YES, I MEAN, I, I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT MY CONCERNS WITH ITEM 86. LEMME MAKE SURE 85, EXCUSE ME. UM, IN PUTTING HOUSING IN AREAS THAT ARE ZONED FOR HIGH INTENSITY INDUSTRIAL USE, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAP, YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF THE INDUSTRIAL USE ZONING SITES ARE PRIMARILY LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE, AND WE KNOW THAT IS BY DESIGN. UH, SO CERTAINLY I WOULD WANT TO BE CAREFUL IN HOW WE CRAFT THIS POLICY MO MOVING FORWARD. AND I WANT US TO HAVE THOSE CONSIDERATIONS IN MIND, PARTICULARLY WITH THE HEALTH IMPACTS. UM, THERE IS SOME BACKUP MATERIAL ON ITEM 85 INCLUDED. UM, I JUST WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO IT. UH, DR. LIZ MUELLER HAS SOME, HAS A GREAT LETTER IN THERE THAT HAS A MAP THAT SHOWS WHERE THIS WOULD HAVE THE MOST IMPACT BY GOING FORWARD WITH THIS POLICY. SO I WANNA APPRECIATE COUNCILOR REVELLA YOUR ATTENTION, UM, TO DETAIL ON THIS. AND THEN ALSO WANTED HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS YOU ASKED IN THE Q AND A THAT COUNCIL RIVERA ASKED IN THE Q AND A. UH, STAFF RESPONDED THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON AN INDUSTRIAL STUDY, WHICH STAFF SHOULD BE REPORTING BACK THE FINDINGS FROM THAT INDUSTRIAL STUDY IN FEBRUARY. SO I THINK THAT INFORMATION WILL HELP US INFORM THE POLICY MOVING FORWARD. BUT JUST WANNA BE MINDFUL OF WE HAVE A NEED FOR INDUSTRIAL ZONING AND INDUSTRIAL SITES, UM, BUT WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL IN HOW WE PLAN OUT OUR CITY, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS THAT ARE QUICKLY AND RAPIDLY GROWING. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA. I JUST, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS AND IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE IN DISTRICT FOUR, THE PDA SITES ARE LARGELY SHOPPING CENTERS AND, YOU KNOW, A [05:20:01] HOTEL. UH, AND SO IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONTEXT FROM ONE DISTRICT TO THE NEXT, UH, WHICH IS AGAIN, I THINK SPEAKS TO WHY WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE ON A ONE SIZE FITS ALL, UH, REPLACEMENT FOR, UH, PDAS. AND, UH, I MEAN, AGAIN, JUST THINKING OUT LOUD A BIT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I I, IT DOES HAVE THAT I I REALLY WANT TO SEE IS, UH, AN AFFORDABILITY COMPONENT. UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, PDAS ARE MOVING THROUGH WITHOUT ANY, UH, AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS. AND, AND THAT'S A CONCERN. SO AGAIN, WE, WE'VE GOTTA KEEP WORKING AT IT. UH, AND, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE MORE INDUSTRIAL CONTEXT, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UH, AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO KEEP, UH, KEEP, UH, KEEP WORKING ON THIS WITH, UH, WITH STAFF AND, AND, AND CONSTITUENTS AND EVERYONE. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU MEMBERS. COUNCILMAN ALLISON ALTER. SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, YOU CAN PUT A MORATORIUM ON ALLOWING PDAS TO ADD RESIDENTIAL UNTIL YOU FIX THIS, AND WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST ON OTHER THINGS. AND THAT WOULD TEMPORARILY SOLVE THE PROBLEM, UM, OF THE RESIDENTIAL BEING ADDED WITHOUT THE AFFORDABILITY AND WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION INDUSTRIAL. AND, AND IF I MAY, I, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT SOME OF THE PDA LOCATIONS ARE EXTREMELY APPROPRIATE FOR RESIDENTIAL, AND THAT'S WHERE, AND IF IF HOUSING COSTS WEREN'T WHAT THEY WERE, WHAT THEY ARE, I WOULD BE MUCH MORE WILLING TO KIND OF HIT PAUSE. BUT JUST GIVEN THE CURRENT SITUATION, UH, I, I DO THINK WE STILL NEED TO ADD TO OUR HOUSING SUPPLY, BUT I, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE SUGGESTION. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON. OKAY WITH THAT, THE MOTION IS ON ITEMS 84 AND 85 TO POSTPONE INDEFINITELY WITHOUT OBJECTION. THE MOTION IS ADOPTED IN ITEMS 84 AND 85 ARE POSTPONED INDEFINITELY. OKAY. MEMBERS THAT WILL TAKE US [2:00 PM - Zoning and Neighborhood Plan Amendments (Public Hearings and Possible Action)] TO OUR ZONING ITEMS AND I WILL RECOGNIZE MS. HARDEN, WE'VE BEEN ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THIS MOMENT ALL DAY, ALL DAY. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR COUNSEL, I AM JOY HARDIN WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. YOUR ZONING AGENDA BEGINS WITH ITEM NUMBER 88 NPA 20 23 0 0 1 3 0.01. THIS ITEM'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT, SECOND AND THIRD READINGS. THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM 89 C 1 4 20 23 0 0 2 1. AGAIN, THIS IS ALSO OFFERED FOR CONSENT, SECOND AND THIRD READINGS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOTION. AND THE MOTION SHEET READS AS FOLLOWS, AMEND PART TWO OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE TO INCLUDE RESTAURANT GENERAL AND RESTAURANT LIMITED AS CONDITIONAL USES OF THE PROPERTY AND REMOVE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE FROM THE LIST OF PROHIBITED USES OF THE PROPERTY. AND WITH THAT, AGAIN, THIS IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT. SECOND OR THIRD READ, ITEM 90 IS C FOUR H 20 24 0 1 36. THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR DISCUSSION. ITEM 91 IS C ONE FOUR H 20 24 0 1 54. THIS ITEM'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM 92 IS C ONE FOUR H 20 24 0 0 98. THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT, SECOND AND THIRD READINGS. ITEM 93 IS C 4 20 24 39. THIS ITEMS OFFERED OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM 94 IS C 4 20 22 R CT. THIS ITEM IS RELATED TO ITEMS 95 AND UM, ITEM 96. AND THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT. THE RELATED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN IS ITEM NUMBER 95 IN PA 20 24 0 0 1 8 0.03. THIS ITEM'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM 96 C 1 4 20 24 0 1 1 0. AND AGAIN, THIS ITEM'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM 97 IS C 1 4 20 24 0 1 3 4. THIS ITEM'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM NUMBER 98 IS NPA 20 24 0 0 2 4 0.02. THIS ITEM'S BEEN WITHDRAWN AND REPLACED BY ITEM NUMBER ONE 40 ON YOUR ADDENDUM. ITEM 99 IS C 1 4 20 24 0 1 2 5. THIS ALSO IS WITHDRAWN AND REPLACED BY ITEM NUMBER 1 41 ON YOUR ADDENDUM. AND ITEM NUMBER 100 IS C 1 4 20 24 0 1 26. AND THIS ITEM IS RELATED TO BOTH, UM, ONE 40 AND 1 41 AND IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM 1 0 1 IS C 1 4 20 24 0 1 3 8. THIS ITEM'S BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. I AM NUMBER 1 0 2 IS NPA 20 24 0 0 1 8 0.04. THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED AS A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR JANUARY 30TH COUNCIL MEETING. THE RELATED RE ITEM NUMBER 1 0 3 C 1 4 20 24 0 1 1 6. AGAIN, THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED AS A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR JANUARY 30TH COUNCIL MEETING. UM, ITEM 1 0 4 IS NPA 20 23 0 0 1 7 [05:25:02] 0.01. THIS SIGN IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT FIRST RATING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, AND THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM 1 0 5 C 1 4 20 23 0 0 8 0. AND AGAIN, THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON FIRST READING. AND I'LL JUST NOTE, UM, I KNOW Y'ALL HAD A FULL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE PDA'S STAFF DID NOT RECOMMEND THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE PUD WAS THE BETTER ZONING CLASSIFICATION. UM, BUT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD TODAY ON FIRST READING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION ITEM. UM, 1 0 6 IS NM PA 2 24 0 0 1 2 0.02. UM, OH, AND I JUST WANNA NOTE FOR 1 0 4 AND 1 0 5, I THINK I SAID THIS, BUT THAT WAS FOR FIRST READING ONLY. YES. OKAY, ITEM 1 0 6 IS NM PA 22 4 0 0 1 2 0.0 2.02. THERE'S A REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY TO YOUR JANUARY 30TH COUNCIL MEETING. AND THIS ITEM IS RELATED TO ITEM ONE 10. ITEM 1 0 7 IS C 1 4 20 24 0 2. THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM 1 0 8 IS C 1 4 7 2 2 4 RCA. UM, THERE IS, THERE'S A APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT OF THIS ITEM TO YOUR JANUARY 30TH COUNSEL MEETING ITEM 1 0 9 C 4 20 24 0 1 3 3. THE SIGN IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM ONE 10 IS C 4 20 24 0 0 7 7. THIS SIGN IS BEING OFFERED AS A POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY COUNCIL MEMBER CODRE TO YOUR JANUARY 30TH COUNCIL MEETING. AND AGAIN, THIS IS RELATED TO 1 0 6 AS I JUST MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY. ITEM ONE 11 NP 20 23 0 0 2 9 0.02. THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE RE ALL THREE READINGS. THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM ONE 12 C 1 4 20 24 0 1 3 2. THE CITY INITIATED CASES OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM ONE 13 NPA 20 24 0 0 1 5 0.04. THIS IS A CITY INITIATED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT AND IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. THE RELATED REZONING IS ONE 14 C 1 4 20 24 0 1 2 7. AGAIN, THIS IS A CITY INITIATED ITEM AND IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM ONE 15 IS C 1 4 20 24 0 1 3 5. THIS SIGN IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM ONE 16 IS C 1 4 20 24 0 1 5 0. THIS SIGN IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM ONE 17 IS NPA 20 24 0 0 1 5 0.02. THIS SIGN IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM ONE 18 C 4 20 24 0 0 4. AND THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOTION. AND THAT MOTION READS AMEND PART TWO OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE AS FOLLOWS, AT A NEW SUBSECTION A AS FOLLOWS AND REORDERED THE REMAINING SUBSECTIONS. ACCORDINGLY, A A 10 FOOT WIDE BUILDING SETBACK SHALL BE PROVIDED AND MAINTAINED ALONG THE WEST AND NORTH BOUNDARIES OF THE PROPERTY WHERE THE BOUNDARY IS CONTIGUOUS TO RESIDENTIAL USES. AND NUMBER TWO, MAKE FINANCIAL, MAKE ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL SERVICES A PROHIBITED USE RATHER THAN A CONDITIONAL USE. AND, UM, WITH THAT, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. AND I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT THERE IS A VALID PETITION. SO THIS ITEM WILL REQUIRE NINE VOTES. HOWEVER, THE MOTION SHEET THAT WAS JUST READ INTO THE RECORD WAS A COMPROMISE WITH THE APPLICANT AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATIVES. BUT WE STILL WANNA REQUIRE THE NINE VOTES SINCE WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO STATE THE NUMBER AGAIN. NINE VOTES. NO, I GET, I GET THAT. OH, , IT'S DISTRICT ONE. IT'S UH, 1 18 9. THIS IS ITEM 1 18 9 VOTES NO NUMBER ONE 18. UM, UH, UH, ITEM ONE 19 IS C 1 4 8 2 0 0 6 0.02 A THREE. THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED AS A STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO YOUR JANUARY 3RD COUNCIL MEETING. ITEM ONE 20 IS C 1 4 8 5 1 4 9 0.702. THIS IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT. UM, ITEM 1 21, IT'S NPA 20 22 0 2, 0 0.1. THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT. THIRD READING, THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM 1 22 C 1 4 20 22 0 0 6 2. AGAIN, THIS IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT. THIRD, READING WITH THE FOLLOWING MOTION SHEET. AND THAT READS, AMEND PART FOUR B OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE TO INCLUDE OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT AS AN ADDITIONAL PROHIBITED USE. AND WITH THAT, AGAIN, THIS IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT. THIRD READING ITEM 1 23 C ONE C 8, 14, 20 23 0 0 5 7. THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT FIRST READING, AND I WILL READ, UM, THE FOLLOWING MOTION SHEET FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY. AND THAT READS [05:30:01] AND HANG ON ONE SECOND. OH, JUST BEFORE YOU DO THAT, IS IS, I, I JUST WANT TO, FOR CLARITY IN THE RECORD, UHHUH FOR CLARITY ON THE COUNCIL, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN THAT PART OF THE REASON WE'RE DOING IT THIS WAY IS SO THAT IT CAN STAY ON CONSENT, NOT BE PULLED OFF, BECAUSE IF IT WERE PULLED OFF, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE WOULD OFFER THIS AMENDMENT. BUT IN ORDER TO KEEP IT ON CONSENT, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AS PART OF THE RECORD AND HAVE MS. HARDEN READ IT. AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, YOU AGREE WITH THAT, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU, UHHUH. THANK YOU. UM, AND THAT MOTION READS, AMEND THE DRAFT ORDINANCE TO REMOVE PART 13 IN ITS ENTIRETY, AND TO RENU RENUMBER THE REMAINING SECTIONS ACCORDINGLY. AND WITH THAT, UM, THIS ITEM 1 23 IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT, FIRST READING ONLY. AND HOW MANY VOTES DOES THAT NEED? SORRY, GO AHEAD. ITEM 1 24 NPA 20 24 0 0 2, 6 0.01. THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT. SECOND OR THOROUGH READINGS, ITEM 1 25 C 1 4, 20 24, 0 0 0 0 0 0 8. THIS IS THE RELATED REZONING AND IS, AND AGAIN, IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT. SECOND AND THIRD READINGS, ITEM 1 26 IS C 1 4 20 24 0 0 9 5. THERE'S A POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY TO YOUR JANUARY 30TH COUNCIL MEETING. ITEM 1 27 IS C 1 4 20 24, BUT YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION DIFFERENT. UM, 1 27 IS C 4 20 24 0 0 0 7. THIS ITEM'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT. SECOND AND THIRD READINGS WITH THE FOLLOWING MOTION SHEET. AND THAT MOTION SHEET READS AMEND PART FOR THE DRAFT ORDINANCES AS FOLLOWS, ONE. AMEND SUBSECTION D ONE TO READ D ONE. THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING OR STRUCTURE ON THE PROPERTY SHALL NOT EXCEED 120 FEET FOR A BUILDING WITH SQUARE FOOTAGE CONTAINING AT LEAST 70% RESIDENTIAL USES. OTHERWISE, THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT IS 90 FEET. NUMBER TWO, CREATE A NEW SUBSECTION. D FIVE TO READ. MAXIMUM PREVIOUS COVER IS 95%. AND WITH THAT, THIS CAN BE OFFERED FOR CONSENT. SECOND AND THIRD READINGS, ITEM 1 28 C 1, 4, 20 23, 0 1, 3, 4. THIS ITEMS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT. SECOND AND THIRD READINGS. ITEM 1 29 IS C 1 4 20 23, 0 1, 1 0. THIS SILENCE BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT. SECOND AND THIRD READINGS. AND MOVING ON TO YOUR ADDENDUM, ITEM ONE 40 IS MPA 20 24 0 0 2, 4 0.02. THIS ITEM'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS, AND THE RELATED REZONING IS 1 41 IS ITEM 1 41 C 1 4, 20 24 0 1, 2 5. AND THIS IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. AND THAT CONCLUDES THE READING OF THE AGENDA. AND OF COURSE, AS ALWAYS AT Y'ALL QUESTION. THANK YOU, MS. HARDEN. UM, NO, COULD SHE REPEAT SOMETHING? I, I THINK I, I LOST YOU. OF COURSE. NO, I'M KIDDING. I'M KIDDING. . SO LET ME, UM, LET ME ASK IF ANYBODY HAS ANY LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS, UM, UH, OF MS. HARDEN AT THIS POINT. YES. COUNCILMAN WALTER. AND I KNOW THIS FOR MS. HARDEN OR FOR MS. LINK FOR ANY VOTE THAT REQUIRES NINE. IF ANY OF US ARE NOT HERE FOR THAT VOTE, DOES THAT CHANGE IT OR IS IT ALWAYS NINE? NINE? IT'S NINE NINE. OKAY. JUST WANNA DOUBLE CHECK. YEAH. UM, MS NINE? MM-HMM. GOOD. THANK YOU. UM, FOLKS, YOU, YOU'VE HEARD HER READ THROUGH THIS. UM, I'M GONNA READ THROUGH THE WAY WE, WE TYPICALLY DO THIS AS A CONSENT AGENDA IN A MOMENT, BUT I'M GONNA ASK FIRST IF THERE ARE ANY ITEMS THAT ANYONE KNOWS THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO PULL OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA. MAYOR PROAM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING YOU'RE GOING TO PULL 1 0 2 AND 1 0 3 AND I ALSO HAVE, AND, AND IT COULD, YES. I'LL HAVE TO PULL THOSE OFF. AND THEN I HAVE DIRECTION ON ITEM ONE 20. OKAY. WHAT WE'LL DO, IF, IF THAT STAYS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU AND I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ HAS A QUESTION ON ONE ITEM AS WELL. WE WILL DO THAT WHEN WE HAVE DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. OKAY? ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? WE'RE GONNA PULL 1 0 2 AND 1 0 3 FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALRIGHT, LET ME READ, UH, I WILL ACCEPT AS A MOTION, UH, THE FOLLOWING CONSENT AGENDA, 88 AND 89, SECOND AND THIRD READINGS. ITEM 90 IS NOT GONNA BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. 91, ALL THREE READINGS 92, SECOND AND THIRD, 93, ALL THREE READINGS, 94, 95, 96, AND 97 ON ALL THREE READINGS. ONE HUNDRED AND ONE OH ONE, ALL THREE READINGS, 1 0 4 AND 1 0 5. FIRST READING ONLY 1 0 6, POSTPONEMENT TO ONE TO UH, JANUARY 30TH, 1 0 7, ALL THREE READINGS 1 0 8. POSTPONEMENT TO JANUARY 30TH, 1 0 9, ALL THREE READINGS, ONE 10 POSTPONEMENT TO JANUARY 30TH, 1 11, 1 12, 1 13, 1 14, 1 15, 1 16, 1 17, [05:35:06] AND ONE 18. ALL THREE READINGS. ONE 18 ALSO, UH, HAS THE VALID PETITION. 1 21 1 19 POSTPONEMENT TO JANUARY 30TH, ONE 20 OF FIR FROM DIRECTION. IT'S ON CONSENT 1 21. THIRD READING 1 22 ON THIRD READING WITH THE MOTION SHEET THAT WAS READ BY MS. HARDEN THAT IS RELATED TO THE MOTION. AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE IF IT WERE PULLED. 1 23 FOR, I'M SORRY, THAT'S 1 23. THERE'S A MOTION SHEET THAT MS. HARDEN READ ON 1 22. THAT STILL APPLIES, BUT THE ONE THAT INVOLVES COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE IS 1 23. AND THAT'S FIRST READING ONLY 1 24 AND 1 25. SECOND AND THIRD READINGS 1 26, A POSTPONEMENT TO JANUARY 30TH, 1 27, SECOND AND THIRD READING, 1 28, SECOND AND THIRD READING, 1 29, SECOND AND THIRD READING ONE 40 AND 1 41, ALL THREE READING. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT WAS JUST READ. IT'S MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO SPEAKERS UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING RIGHT NOW. COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER. UM, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, SO THE ONLY DISCUSSION ITEMS ARE 90 AND THE 1 0 2 1 0 3. YES, THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. AND MAYOR? YES, I DO HAVE DIRECTION JUST REMINDING YOU ON YES. ITEM ONE 20. WELL, WHEN WE GET TO THE DISCUSS, WHEN AFTER WE HEAR THE SPEAKERS AND WE GET TO DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ. 'CAUSE I KNOW BOTH OF YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANNA SAY ON SOME ITEM, BUT IF I FOR SOME REASON DON'T DO THAT, CRY OUT. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WILL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK AND ASK IF THEY WILL START WALKING THROUGH SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT WAS READ. THANK YOU MAYOR. FIRST, UH, SPEAKERS ARE FOR ITEM 88. WE HAVE JODY ZAEL, HARRY KALU, AND BILLY WEAVER. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL. UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY I'M IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 88 AND 89 WITH THE ADDENDUM THAT, UM, MS. HARDIN READ ON TO THE AGENDA. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MAYOR WATSON AND COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE AND THEIR STAFF AND JONATHAN AND MAUREEN IN PLANNING AND JOY IN PLANNING, AND THE APPLICANT'S LAWYER AND ELLE MEAD FOR HELPING US GET TO THIS POINT. I'M SORRY THAT IT TOOK TWO YEARS, BUT WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THIS BEING PASSED ON CONSENT FOR SECOND AND THIRD READING. THANK YOU. I'M JODY ZEEL FROM THE BOULDER CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. I'M THE ZONING CHAIR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I AM HARRY KALU. I LIVE NEXT DOOR TO THE HERB BAR THAT'S IN QUESTION. HERB BAR, AS IT IS, IS A NICE PLACE. UH, I WOULD HATE TO SEE IT BECOME SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO HAVE NEXT DOOR TO YOUR HOUSE. MOSTLY I'M HERE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN THIS MATTER AND APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, SIR. BILLY WEAVER, I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE, AND, UH, WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THIS, UM, ADDING THE CONDITIONAL USE IN THE RESTAURANT. UM, WE THINK THAT THE RESTAURANT USE IS INAPPROPRIATE AND WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING REAL CLOSE AT THAT SITE PLAN, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKERS ARE FOR ITEM 89. WE HAVE AGAIN, JODY ZAEL, HARRY KALU, AND BILLY WEAVER. ALRIGHT, DO ANY OF YOU WISH TO SPEAK AGAIN? ALRIGHT, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH, APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKERS ARE FOR ITEM 95. WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, BRAD MASSING, AND MONICA GUZMAN. YOU'VE HEARD YOUR NAME CALLED. PLEASE COME FORWARD IF YOU WISH TO TESTIFY. MR. PAGER, ARE YOU GOING TO TALK? YES. OKAY. PLEASE COME FORWARD, UM, TESTIFYING ON THIS CASE AS WELL AS ANY OTHER DB NINETIES. UM, I'LL TRY TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT I TAKE. UM, AS WE'VE SEEN THROUGH MOST OF THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED SO FAR, THIS POLICY IS [05:40:01] TERRIBLY CALIBRATED. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S CASES, POTENTIALLY EVEN SOME THAT YOU'LL SEE TODAY THAT HAVE HAD SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF, UH, AFFORDABLE UNITS, DEEPER LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY. AND WE KNOW THAT THIS POLICY HAS BEEN A BLANKET GIVEAWAY. WE SHOULD HAVE MORATORIUM ON THIS POLICY. WE SHOULD HAVE AN EQUITY OVERLAY THAT HAS PASSED BEFORE WE CONTINUE TO USE THE SLEDGEHAMMER AND WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT THE RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE HOLIDAYS. AS WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THE TIME THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO SPEND WITH OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, WE SHOULD THINK AND CARE ABOUT OUR RESIDENTS THAT CANNOT DO THAT, OR THAT WE'LL BE LOSING THEIR HOMES OR THEIR PLACE IN AUSTIN. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKERS ARE FOR ITEM 96. WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, BRAD MASSING, AND MONICA GUZMAN. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED AND YOU WISH TO TESTIFY, PLEASE COME FORWARD. MS. GUZMAN, ARE YOU GONNA TESTIFY? I GOOD. PLEASE COME FORWARD. MR. PAGE. ARE, ARE YOU, YOU, YOU FINISHED ON NINE FIVE? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. UH, SORRY I DIDN'T HEAR MY TALKING POINTS. OKAY. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, MARION COUNSEL. I'M MONICA GOSMAN, POLICY DIRECTOR AT GAVA. GO AUSTIN, VAMOS AUSTIN ON ITEMS 9 5 9 6 1 0 1, 1 0 9, 1 10, 1 26, AND ONE 19 THE DB CASES, SPECIFICALLY THOSE NUMBERS WE STAND WITH THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AUSTIN'S EASTERN CRESCENT VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, DEEPLY ROOTED IN COMMUNITY AND THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL AND COLLECTIVE OPPOSITION TO ALL DB 90 CASES. AND IN SUPPORT OF THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL DB MORATORIUM, WE URGE YOU TO POSTPONE ALL OF THEM, EVEN IF THERE WAS NO POSTPONEMENT REQUEST. INSTEAD OF DESTROYING AUSTIN'S EASTERN CRESCENT NEIGHBORHOODS, WE URGE YOU TO WORK WITH THEM ON EQUITABLE GROWTH AND NEIGHBORHOOD STABILITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKERS ARE FOR ITEM 1 0 1. WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, BRAD MASSENGILL, AND MONICA GUZMAN. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. I DON'T SEE ANYONE. LET'S GO TO THE NEXT, NEXT SPEAKER IS FOR ITEM 1 0 6, WE HAVE JIM WALKER. MR. MR. WALKER IS, UH, WAIVING HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 1 0 6. ON ITEM 1 0 9, WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, AND MONICA GUZMAN. I DON'T SEE ANYONE COMING FORWARD. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK. ON ITEM ONE 10, WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, AND MONICA GUZMAN. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. I DON'T SEE ANYONE COMING FORWARD ON ITEM ONE 17, WE HAVE BRAD MASSING. MR. MASSING, I'VE NOT SEEN HIM TODAY. I DON'T SEE HIM COMING FORWARD. HE'S ALSO REGISTERED FOR ONE 18. MR. MASSING. OKAY, ITEM 1 21. WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, BRAD MASSING, MARIO CANTU, JEAN ADAMS, MONICA GUZMAN, AND CARMEN YANES. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED AND YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME FORWARD. MR. CANTU, ARE YOU COMING FORWARD? NO. ON ITEM ONE 20. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. SOMEBODY IS THOUGH. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M GENE ADAMS WITH SOUTH CONGRESS COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACT TEAM. I'D LIKE TO TAKE JUST A FEW MINUTES TO VISIT ABOUT WHAT HAS BROUGHT US TO THIS POINT TODAY WITH, UH, ITEM, UH, WITH THE THIRD READING FOR ITEM 1 21 AND 1 22. UM, THE SOUTH CONGRESS COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CONTACT TEAM HAS BEEN IN DISCUSSION WITH THE APPLICANT ON THIS SINCE APRIL EIGHT MONTHS. UM, WE'VE, UH, BEEN ASKED WHO WE WERE, WHAT WAS OUR INTEREST IN THIS CAUSE. IT WAS STATED THAT THE CONTACT TEAM WOULD NOT BE A PARTY TO THIS REQUEST FOR ZONING CHANGE AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT. SINCE THAT TIME, THE APPLICANT HAS SHARED THEIR AGREEMENT OR RESTRICTIVE COVENANT WITH CAPITAL A HOUSING. AN ORGANIZATION RECOGNIZED THE CITY OF AUSTIN HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND ADMINISTRATOR OF DEVELOPER OF, UH, OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UH, THEY CONSOLIDATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FROM VARIOUS DEVELOPERS THAT COMBINED WITH OTHER FUNDING NEEDS BUILDS POCKETS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UH, AFTER MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF DISCUSSION, THE APPLICANT AGREED TO THE NORMALLY ACCEPTED 40 YEAR TIMELINE FOR [05:45:01] RENTAL IN 99 YEAR FOR OWNERSHIP UNIT UNITS. THEY ALSO HAVE AN AGREEMENT IN THE AGREEMENT AN OUT CLAUSE STATING IF RESIDENTIAL HOUSING DOES NOT BEGIN WITHIN A NUMBER OF YEARS, THE AGREEMENT BECOMES NULL AND VOID AND THE APPLICANT REFUSED TO REMOVE THIS CLAUSE. UM, THEY ALSO STATE THE CAPITAL A IN THE CAPITAL, A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT THAT THE DECLARANT AND CAPITAL A HOUSING ARE THE ONLY PARTIES WHO CAN AMEND OR ENFORCE THEIR RESTRICTIVE COVENANT. EACH TIME THE DECLARANT HAS DECLARED OR HAS AGREED TO ADOPT ANY REVISION OR INPUT FROM THE CONTACT TEAM, THEY HAVE WAITED NO LESS THAN 52 HOURS BEFORE THE NEXT SCHEDULED ZONING MEETING TO PRESENT A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT TO THE CONTACT TEAM. I'M SORRY, YOUR HONOR, THAT'S ME FOR NOW. CAN I SPEAK WITH NUMBER 1 22 OR COME BACK? IS HE, HAS HE SIGNED UP ON 1 21 AND 1 22? YOU ARE SIGNED UP ON 1 22 THEN PLEASE GO AHEAD. NO NEED TO HAVE YOU GO SIT DOWN AND GET BACK UP. UM, ADDITIONALLY, EACH TIME WE RECEIVED A NEW RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, IT'S CONTAINED ERRORS AND MISREPRESENTATIONS, UH, THAT WERE NOT ACCEPTABLE TO THE CONTACT TEAM. PRIOR TO TODAY'S MEETING, THE DECLARANT DID PROVIDE AN UPDATED RC TO THE CONTACT TEAM ON DECEMBER 6TH. AND AGAIN, THE NEW RC CONTAINED THE SAME TYPOS MISREPRESENTATIONS AS THE NOVEMBER 20TH COPY DID. AFTER EXAMINATION, UH, WE REQUESTED CHANGES BACK TO THE CON TO THE, UH, APPLICANT AND THEY COMPLAINED THAT, UH, THEY WERE MINOR ERRORS AND DID NOT AFFECT THE DOCUMENT. I CAN TELL YOU THE SMALL ERRORS WERE THE STATED NAME OF THE CONTACT TEAM. THEY'VE ASKED US TO SIGN A LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENT WITH NAME ERRORS. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT WHENEVER YOU GO DOWN AND GET A DRIVER'S LICENSE, CREDIT CARD, LEASE AGREEMENT, HOUSE PURCHASE, PASSPORT, ET CETERA, USING AN IN, IN INCOMPLETE OR INCORRECT NAME IS FRAUD. THE APPLICANT, UH, HAS COMPLAINED THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT THEY HAVE CORRECTED OUR NAME IN THE DOCUMENT AND THAT WAS NOT DONE. UM, THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUING PRACTICE OF THIS DECLARANT. WE'VE SHARED EXAMPLES. WE'VE SHARED, UH, BACK AND FORTH, UH, RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS WITH THEM WITH OUR ACTIONS. UH, IT'S JUST BEEN A MATTER OF DELAY, DECEIT DISRESPECT FOR THE CONTACT TEAM. UM, THESE ACTIONS MUST MAKE ONE QUESTIONS THE APPLICANT'S STRENGTH AND RESOLVE TO IMPLEMENT AFFORDABILITY AGREEMENT WITH HOUSING, UH, WHICH CURRENTLY SHOWS NO, UH, NO HOUSING, NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AVAILABILITY. UH, THEIR WEBSITE SHOWS THAT, UH, THE LAST UPDATE WAS ON JUNE 15TH, 23. WE'RE NOT ANTI-GROWTH. WE APPRECIATE IT. WE'VE GOT FIVE THANK YOU SPEAKER, THANK RESTRICTED EVIDENCE PLACE. THANK YOU. YOUR, I'M SORRY, RICHARD TIME'S EXPIRED. NEXT SPEAKERS, UH, FOR MR. KTU IS IS HERE AND HE, YOU CALLED HIS NAME. YES. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL NAME'S MARIO CANTU. I'M CHAIR WITH THE SOUTH CONGRESS CONTACT TEAM. I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CHITO VELA SUMMED IT UP EARLIER. HE SAID, YOU KNOW, PDAS CAN GET QUITE MESSY. WELL, I GOT NEWS FOR YOU. THEY JUST DON'T GET MESSY. THEY CAN GET VERY STINKY. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT WE GOTTA MAKE SURE, AND EACH COUNCIL MEMBER HERE HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THESE PDAS GO UP, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE AFFORDABILITY THAT'S GONNA COME OUT OF THAT. AND YOU JUST HEARD JEAN TALK ABOUT IT. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALWAYS WORK WITH EVERYBODY THAT WE CAN, ALL THE APPLICANTS THAT WE HAVE THAT COME TO US, WE WORK WITH THEM. THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE LIKE, SOME THINGS THEY DON'T LIKE AND THE OPPOSITE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WORK THINGS OUT. UM, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT WANNA BE SPECIAL, I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR AT ALL FOR SOMEBODY TO BE SPECIAL AND KIND OF KIND OF GET WHAT THEY WANT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE HERE IS WE'RE GONNA SEE THE OUTCOME OF THIS WHOLE ENTIRE THING. AND IF IT DOESN'T REST DOWN AND IT DOESN'T SIT THE WAY THAT THEY'RE EXPLAINING THAT IT'S GONNA HAPPEN, I GOT NEWS FOR THEM, EVERYBODY'S GONNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE AND HOW IT DIDN'T TAKE PLACE. SO WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABILITY WITH THESE PDAS, THE HEIGHT, UH, THE AMOUNT OF, UH, LAND THAT'S GONNA BE INVOLVED, THAT, UH, AFFORDABILITY IS IMPLEMENTED VERY WELL INTO THIS. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT, UM, FOR THE PDAS TO TAKE A LOOK AT PROHIBITED USES, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS [05:50:01] THAT ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE PDAI, I CALL IT THE FREE FOR ALL ZONING. IT, IT'S, IT'S A OPEN ZONING. AND, UM, YOU, YOU, THERE'S PROHIBITED USES I THINK THAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS SHOULD ALSO LOOK AT WHEN THEY'RE DOING THAT. SO I, I ASK ALL, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HERE, UM, TO TAKE A REALLY BIG LOOK AT PDAS WHEN THEY COME DOWN THE PIPE AND MAKE SURE THAT A LOT OF THINGS ARE ATTACHED TO THOSE. THANK YOU MR. KENTU. WOULD YOU, YOU ARE ALSO REGISTERED TO SPEAK ON 1 22. OKAY, ON ITEM 1 22, WE ALSO HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, BRAD MASSING, MONICA GUZMAN, AND CARMEN GIANNIS. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHOSE NAME HAS BEEN CALLED THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON 1 21 AND 1 22? OKAY, ITEM 1 23. WE HAVE BRAD MASSING, WILLIAM BUNCH, AND RICHARD SU, MR. MASSENGILL, MR. BUNCH, AND RICHARD SU OR ANY ONE OF Y'ALL WANTING TO TESTIFY? ALL RIGHT, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY. ITEM 1 26. UH, SPEAKING ON THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT, WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, BRAD MASSENGILL, PHILLIP WILEY, AND MONICA GUZMAN. ANYONE WISHING TO TESTIFY ON THIS ITEM? ITEM 1 27. WE HAVE PHILLIP WILEY. ITEM 1 28, WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, ALEXIA LA CLERK, ANTONIO ROMERO, NOAH ELIAS, BRAD MASSING, VALERIE MENARD, CARLOS PINON, MARIA SANCHEZ AND ANN CHARLOTTE PATTERSON. ARE ANY OF YOU ALL HERE? PEOPLE ARE MOVING TOWARD THE MICROPHONE. SORRY, . THANKS . ALL RIGHT. UH, SORRY ABOUT THAT. ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON. YOU GOT EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION. SO SAY YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MAYOR. I AM NOA ELIAS, HOUSING JUSTICE DIRECTOR WITH POED AND EDUCATOR IN AUSTIN, ISD. I'M FROM MONTOPOLIS DISTRICT DISTRICT THREE. UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 28, THE DB 90 CASE FOR THE ARROW RIVERSIDE APARTMENTS. UH, I'M HERE TO SAY THAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE NEGOTIATED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DEVELOPER AND SO WE ARE NO LONGER CALLING FOR A POSTPONEMENT OF THIS CASE. UH, I WANT TO THANK . I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ, UH, FOR WORKING SO HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT BOTH SIDES CAME TOGETHER, UH, REACHED AN AGREEMENT AND, UH, CAME TO A BETTER OUTCOME. THANK YOU, SIR. UM, HOWEVER, WE DO NEED, UH, WE'VE LEARNED THAT WE DO NEED ADEQUATE RELOCATION SERVICES, UH, HERE IN AUSTIN SO THAT RENTERS CAN FIND AFFORDABLE, AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO GO. UM, AND THEY NEED TO INCLUDE A RIGHT TO RETURNS, UH, TO HOUSING THAT IS ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE TO THEM. ONE ARROW RESIDENT, UM, DANIELLA HAS TOLD ME, NEGOTIATING THE RIGHT FOR US TENANTS TO RETURN TO WHAT'S TAKEN FROM US SHOULDN'T BE IN A NEGOTIATION. IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY SET ASIDE. SO SHE SAYS, MY HOME, MY CAREER, MY FRIENDS AND MY LIFE ARE HERE IN AUSTIN, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE PUSHED OUT BECAUSE I CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THE PLACE THAT I LIVE IN NOW. SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF STORIES WE SAW AS WE WERE WORKING WITH, UH, TENANTS, UH, AT THIS, THESE APARTMENTS. SO I SAY WE NEED AN EQUITY OVERLAY SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO NEGOTIATE THE RIGHT TO STAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES. SO NOW FOR THE RECORD, I'M GOING TO READ THE AGREEMENT, UM, THAT WE, UH, THAT THE RESIDENTS AGREED TO. UH, IT SAYS THE PROPERTY MANAGER WILL NOT TERMINATE LEASES BEFORE THE END OF THE LEASE TERM, INCLUDING MONTH TO MONTH TENANTS, UH, TENDENCIES. UNLESS FOR A JUST COST. ONCE THE NEW PROJECT IS COMPLETED, TENANTS WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO RETURN. YEAH. GET SOME, GET SOMEBODY ELSE TO READ. WE MAY HAVE TIME. WELL, WELL, THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE DO THAT. YEAH, ALL HANG, HANG ON. WELL, SHE CAN READ. SHE WELL, THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE DO THAT. HAVE HER READ IT IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT HER TIME AND SHE DURING HER TIME. THANK. ALRIGHT. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. WE THE NEW PROJECT. OKAY. HELLO, MY NAME IS ALEX RE. I AM A ORGANIZER WITH ED AND COMMUNITY PART A TX, AND I WILL CONTINUE READING THE AGREEMENT FROM NOI. UM, SO THE OWNER MUST PROVIDE TENANTS WITH AT LEAST 48 HOURS NOTICE BEFORE ENTERING THEIR UNITS, EXCEPT IN CASES FOR EMERGENCY, TENANTS WILL RECEIVE A MINIMUM OF 180 DAYS NOTICE BEFORE ANY DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING PROPERTY BEGINS [05:55:01] UPON RECEIVING DEMOLITION. NOTICE TENANTS MAY BREAK THEIR LEASE WITHOUT PENALTY. A MINIMUM OF 90 DAY MOVE OUT NOTICE WILL BE GIVEN TO THE REMAINING TENANTS BEFORE THE PLANNED DEMOLITION DATE. UPON MOVING OUT, TENANTS WHO REMAIN AFTER RECEIVING A MOVE OUT NOTICE WILL RECEIVE A FULL REFUND OF THEIR SECURITY AND PET DEPOSITS. ONSITE SERVICES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST TENANT IN FINDING NEW HOUSING OR OTHER QUALIFYING PROGRAMS. AFTER THE MOVE OUT, NOTICE IS ISSUED A $3,000. MOVING ALLOWANCES WILL BE PROVIDED TO TENANTS WHO REMAIN AFTER RECEIVING A MOVE OUT NOTICE THE LAST THREE MONTHS OF RENT WILL BE WAIVED FOR TENANTS WHO REMAIN AFTER RECEIVING A MOVE OUT NOTICE, THE DEVELOPER AGREES TO FOLLOW CODE SECTION FOUR DASH 18, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY WILL REPLACE ALL 210 UNITS THAT WILL BE DEMOLISHED WITH 210 UNITS AFFORDABLE AT 50 TO 6% MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME. THE BREAKDOWN OF UNITS WILL BE ONE BEDROOM AND TWO BEDROOM, WHICH WILL MATCH THE CURRENT MAKEUP. THE DEVELOPER AGREES TO WORK WITH THE DISTRICT THREE OFFICE TO HELP THOSE RESIDENTS THAT WISH TO RETURN, BUT ARE NOT ABLE TO AFFORD THE NEW HIGHER RENT. AND NO RESIDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO SHOW PROOF OF GOVERNMENT IDS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE ABOVE BENEFITS. WE ARE REALLY GLAD THAT THIS AGREEMENT CAME TO BE, AND WE WILL BE CONTINUING WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THESE ARE FOLLOWED. AND WE ARE THANKFUL TO COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, BUT I THINK AS NOE STATES AS WELL, WE SHOULDN'T BE CONTINUOUSLY FIGHTING TO MAINTAIN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT EXISTS. AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT IS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND DRIVEN BY THE COMMUNITY IS BUILT, AND THAT WE HAVE AN EQUITY OVERLAY TO PREVENT CONTINUOUS DISPLACEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKERS ARE PEDRO HERANDEZ JR. CELINE RANDON. LAURA ANN MARTINEZ, MONICA GUZMAN, BOBBY LEVINSKY, SOL PRAXIS, SHANE JOHNSON AND UZI MCCOY. ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME IS VE ROSA, OR SO PRAXIS. I'M ALSO IN COUNCIL MEMBER OF VELASQUEZ'S DISTRICT DISTRICT THREE. UM, AGAIN, AS NOAH SAID, DUE TO THE RESIDENTS NEGOTIATING AGREEMENT WITH THE DEVELOPER, WE'RE NO LONGER CALLING FOR POSTPONEMENT. HOWEVER, THE PROTECTIONS IN PLACE ARE STILL NOT ENOUGH. UH, THE RESIDENTS ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO SEEK AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH IS EXTREMELY SCARCE, AS WE ALL KNOW THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT THREE. UM, AND IF THEY CANNOT FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THEIR AREA, EVEN WITH THE HELP OF RELOCATION SPECIALISTS, THEY WILL BE DISPLACED. SO COUNSEL NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT THE RELOCATION SERVICES THAT THE DEVELOPER AGREED TO PROVIDE ARE ACTUALLY ADEQUATE TO FINDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND THAT THERE ARE UNITS FOR, UH, THE SPECIALISTS TO ACTUALLY REFER AND SUPPORT, UH, TENANTS TO APPLY TO. THIS IS PUTTING A STRAIN ON OUR LIMITED AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK, WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE THIS AGREEMENT IN PLACE, UM, THIS IS NOT THE WAY DEVELOPMENT SHOULD HAPPEN. RESIDENTS HAVE SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DEVELOPER. UM, SO THE TENANTS ASSOCIATION LIAISONS DECIDED THAT THEY, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO TAKE OFF WORK TO BE HERE, UM, COULD ACTUALLY WORK WORKING. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT EVEN HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY NEED TO TAKE OFF FROM WORK IN ORDER TO SPEAK ABOUT PLANS TO DEMOLISH THEIR HOUSING. COMMUNITY DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE MEETINGS WITH RESIDENTS LONG BEFORE THESE KIND OF DEALS ARE PROPOSED TO DETERMINE HOW TO PRESERVE AND PRODUCE HOUSING THAT TRULY MEETS OUR AFFORDABILITY NEEDS. UM, MANY OF THE RESIDENTS HAVE CHILDREN THAT GO TO LINDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY AND TEACHERS WERE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. UM, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACTIONS THAT WE MAKE AS A CITY. WHEN YOU DEMOLISH AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR FAMILIES, YOU ARE SETTING THE STAGE FOR A ISD SCHOOLS TO ALSO BE DEMOLISHED. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH BROOK ELEMENTARY AFTER THE AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS ON LAKE SHORE WERE DEMOLISHED. THIS IS WHAT PROFIT DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT CAUSES, EVEN IF WE MINIMIZE THE HARMS, COUNSEL SHOULD ALSO AMEND TO REQUIRE THAT IF THE DEVELOPMENT DEAL FALLS THROUGH THE RESALE OF THE PROPERTY TO A NEW DEVELOPER, SHOULD REQUIRE THAT THE AGREEMENT WITH THE TENANTS ASSOCIATION REMAIN IN PLACE, AND THAT, IF NOT, IT SHOULD REVERT TO THE BASE ZONING. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. HAVE MORE TO SAY, BUT YOU, YOU, THERE'S A, WE HAVE FOLKS, WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR THAT CHRIS PAGE. UM, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT, UH, NUMBER ONE, THE REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT OF COMMUNITY ADVOCACY HERE. HOW MUCH MORE WE'VE ACTUALLY GOTTEN. AND THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT ACTUALLY COMES FROM RECEPTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THOUGHTFUL, ENGAGED RESIDENTS, AND A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED. WE CAN DO THIS ACROSS THE BOARD. IF YOU LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC, IF YOU CALIBRATE THINGS APPROPRIATELY, WE CAN MAKE AUSTIN A PLACE THAT'S NOT JUST A PLACE WITH MORE HOUSING, BUT A PLACE WITH MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SUSTAINABLE HOUSING WITH HOUSING THAT IS IN SYNC WITH THE SPIRIT OF OUR [06:00:01] CITY. UM, AS SOL WAS SAYING, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE THINGS ARE BINDING AGREEMENTS THAT ARE DURABLE, THAT THEY RUN WITH THE LAND, OR THAT THEY ARE TRANSFERRABLE. UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOT LEGAL, LEGAL LOOPHOLES ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND FRANKLY, THAT'S ONE OF THE GREAT PROBLEMS OF DEREGULATION IN GENERAL, IS THAT WHEN YOU CUT DOWN THE RULES, THOSE WHO ARE PRE EQUIPPED TO GAIN DUE AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT EQUIPPED IN THAT WAY CONTINUE TO NEED. SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO DO, I GUESS, WHAT YOU'VE DONE ON THIS CASE. LISTEN TO THOUGHTFUL PEOPLE AND FRANKLY, MAKE IT EASIER. AS SO WAS SAYING, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO COME DOWN HERE, WHO DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF TAKING OFF WORK, WHO HAVE KIDS AND FAMILIES AND LIVES AND OBLIGATIONS THAT PREVENT THEM FROM TELLING YOU THE THINGS THAT FRANKLY, YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW. THANK YOU BOBBY LAVINSKY, SAVER SPRINGS ALLIANCE. BUT PICTURE ME AS A BRILLIANT YOUNG WOMAN NAMED SOL. I'M GONNA CONTINUE HER COMMENTS. WE HAVE SEEN IN PREVIOUS, UH, REZONING PLANS TENANTS WHO WERE OFFERED FOR THE FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL AT A AFFORDABLE UNITS. UH, THEY WERE DISPLACED. AND THEN WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT FELL THROUGH, THE PROPERTY REMAINS CLOSED DOWN AND FOR VACANT FOR YEARS. SO WE'RE DEMOLISHING EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND NOT BUILDING MORE OF ANY KIND OF HOUSING WITH NO LEGAL REQUIREMENTS THAT WOULD, THAT THE NEW BUYERS FULFILL THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS EXCHANGE FOR ADDITIONAL DENSITY. WE NEED AN EQUITY OVERLAY SO THAT WE FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY NEEDS. RIGHT NOW, THIS, UH, AGREEMENT IS ONLY MINIMIZING, IS MINIMIZING HARM FOR LUXURY DEVELOPMENT, NOT ACT, OR OF LUXURY DEVELOPMENT, NOT ACTUALLY A BENEFICIAL DEVELOPMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS A STEP TOWARD BETTER DEVELOPMENT AND WE THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN VELASQUEZ FOR PUSHING FORWARD A BETTER OUTCOME. BUT THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT WHAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS OUR COMMUNITY'S HOUSING NEEDS. WE DEMAND AN EQUITY OVERLAY PROCESS SO THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTED RESIDENTS ARE CENTERED IN COMMUNITY DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT TO PROACTIVELY PRESERVE AND PRO PRODUCE TRULY AFFORDABLE UNITS, RATHER THAN MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS OF HARMFUL DEVELOPMENTS IN ABREAST WAY. THIS CASE HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR THIS SO THAT WE ARE PROACTIVELY PLANNING TO ADDRESS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS THROUGH TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, NOT LUXURY PROJECTS THAT THREATEN OUR COMMUNITIES IN THE FUTURE. HOUSING TRUST FUNDS SHOULD BE USED TO ADD ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND MORE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE UNITS. ON A SIDE NOTE, THIS ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THAT DEVELOPERS CAN FEASIBLY INCLUDE A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE UNITS. NOW IT'S CLOSE TO 20% OF THE UNITS AT 50 TO 50 TO 60% MFI. SO DB 90 HAS UNDERESTIMATED HOW MUCH AFFORDABLE UNITS DEVELOPERS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE. I'LL JUST ADD TO MY OWN POINT, THIS IS WHY WE AVOIDED APPLYING DENSITY BONUSES ON EXISTING, ON EXISTING AFFORDABLE MARKET RATE UNITS. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNSEL. I'M MONICA GOSMAN, POLICY DIRECTOR AT GAVA. GO AUSTIN, VMO AUSTIN. SINCE THE ARROW RIVERSIDE TENANTS NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DEVELOPER, WE ARE NO LONGER CALLING FOR POSTPONEMENT. HOWEVER, THESE PROTECTIONS IN THE AGREEMENT ARE STILL NOT ENOUGH. THE RESIDENTS STILL HAVE TO SEEK HOUSING AFFORDABLE FOR THEM, WHICH IS EXTREMELY SCARCE AND WILL BE DISPLACED IF THEY CANNOT FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE AREA. WE URGE COUNSEL TO ENSURE THE TENANT RELOCATION SERVICES PROVIDED TO TENANTS, UH, TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARE SUFFICIENT AND THAT THERE ARE TRULY AFFORDABLE UNITS FOR THEM TO GO TO. THIS IS PUTTING A STRAIN ON OUR LIMITED AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK. WE NEED AN EQUITY OVERLAY SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY NEEDS. RIGHT NOW, DISAGREEMENT IS ONLY MINIMIZING THE HARM OF THE LUXURY DEVELOPMENT, NOT ACTUALLY A BENEFICIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND THIS IS A STEP, ONLY A STEP TOWARD BETTER DEVELOPMENT. AND WE THANK COUNCIL MEMBER OF VELASQUEZ FOR PUSHING TO GET A BETTER OUTCOME, AND WE NEED ONE THAT'S EVEN BETTER. IN ORDER TO ADDRESS OUR COMMUNITY'S HOUSING NEEDS, WE URGE COUNSEL TO BEGIN THE EQUITY OVERLAY PROCESS. WE AND MANY OTHERS TESTIFIED ABOUT DURING THE HOME INITIATIVE PUBLIC HEARINGS, SO THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTED RESIDENTS ARE CENTERED IN COMMUNITY DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT TO PROACTIVELY PRESERVE, PROTECT, PROTECT, AND PRODUCE TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, RATHER THAN MINIMIZING THE IMPACTS OF HARMFUL DEVELOPMENTS IN A RUSHED MANNER. THIS CASE HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR THIS. SO WE ARE PROACTIVELY PLANNING TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS THROUGH TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT INSTEAD OF LUXURY PROJECTS THAT THREATEN OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. HELLO, CELINE REON, DISTRICT EIGHT AND I'M A COMMUNITY POWERED A TX ORGANIZER. UM, JUST FOR FURTHER CONTEXT, THOSE [06:05:01] 210 UNITS THAT WERE WERE CURRENT ARE CURRENTLY LISTED AT 874 TO $1,169 FOR SINGLE AND DOUBLE BEDROOMS, AND, UM, PRIMARILY FOR LOW INCOME SPANISH SPEAKERS AND LATINA FAMILIES THAT LIVE THERE. THEY'RE ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS IN AUSTIN. AND WE KNEW THAT BY DEMOLISHING THEM, QUITE SIMPLY WOULD JUST DISPLACE THOSE FAMILIES AND EVEN WITH THE RIGHT TO RETURN AND AFFORDABLE PRICES FOR THEM TO RETURN TO. REALISTICALLY, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AS FAMILIES OFTEN HAVE SETTLED ELSEWHERE AND ARE DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR NETWORKS OF SUPPORT. UM, THANK YOU VELAZQUEZ FOR HELPING WITH THIS NEGOTIATION OF THIS, UH, AGREEMENT. UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT THIS MEETING LAST YEAR IN DECEMBER WHERE HOME WAS APPROVED, UM, IT IS AT THIS CITY COUNCIL MEETING RIGHT NOW THAT THESE APARTMENTS WILL GET, UM, ABOLISHED. AND WE KNOW WITH THE DB 90 CASES THAT IT IS NOT BEING ALL ACROSS AUSTIN. WE SEE A LOT OF THIS CONCENTRATED, IF NOT MOST, IF ALL OF IT IS CONCENTRATED IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT. AS WE SAID, UM, AND COMMUNITIES VOICED THEIR CONCERN THAT THE DENSITY BONUS NI DID NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH, UM, REAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WILL ONLY EMBOLDEN DEVELOPERS TO DESTROY EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE CANNOT KEEP EXPECTING FOLKS TO KEEP SHOWING UP FIGHTING ON THE DEFENSE TO MAINTAIN THE MINIMAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT EXISTS. WE REALLY NEED TO CREATE SYSTEMIC CHANGE. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO IF WE PASS AN EQUITY OVERLAY. UM, AND THANKFULLY FOR THE CDC, UM, THERE HAS NE BEEN NO TRANSPARENT PROCESS ON THE COMMUNITY. UH, THE COMMUNITY BASED EQUITY OVERLAY THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR, UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY BEEN NO, NO TRACTION CREATED SINCE, SINCE THAT AMENDMENT WAS PASSED BY, UM, VELASQUEZ AND PUSHED BY FUENTES. SO THANK YOU FOR ITEM 29. 1 29. WE HAVE JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, BRAD MASSENGILL, MONICA GUZMAN, CARMEN GIANNIS, JIM WALKER, AND GERARD KENNY. IF YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM. IS THERE ANYONE WHOSE NAME HAS BEEN CALLED THAT WISHES TO TESTIFY ON THIS ITEM? GOOD AFTERNOON. JIM WALKER, THE CHERRYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN DISTRICT NINE. UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS WITH THE APPLICANT AND, UH, AND YOUR HONOR, FOR OVER A YEAR AND WE CAN CONDITIONALLY SUPPORT, UH, THIS, WE HAVE GRID AGREEMENTS IN PLACE. UM, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO CONDITIONALLY SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER ZOE'S OFFICE FOR, FOR HELPING, UH, PUSH ALL THAT. I WANT TO THANK BASTA AS WELL FOR THEIR COLLABORATION AND WORKING WITH THE ALMA APARTMENTS THAT WERE ON THIS SITE. UH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM AND THOSE TENANTS. UM, WE'RE STILL BOTH CAUTIOUS AND HOPEFUL ABOUT WHAT THIS FUTURE DB 90 CASE IS GONNA LOOK LIKE AND HOW IT'S GONNA INTERACT, BUT WE FEEL LIKE THESE COVENANTS AND THIS AGREEMENT GIVE US A REALLY STRONG PLACE TO, UH, HAVE FUTURE CONVERSATIONS GO FROM. SO THANK YOU ALL. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT. THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, GERARD KENNY HERE. I WAS THE FOUNDING CHAIR OF THE SHERWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION 40 YEARS AGO. AND WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS PROJECT THAT'S BEFORE YOU RIGHT NOW, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS SIMILAR TO ANOTHER PROJECT SMALLER THAT I WAS VERY INVOLVED IN. I CHAIRED THE VISION COMMITTEE FOR THE MILLER DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WAS REALLY THE RESULT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND MILLER AND THEIR VISION. SIMILARLY HERE, WE, I REALIZED THAT THIS PROJECT COULD BE THE FIRST COMPONENT OF A PLAN THAT WOULD INCLUDE FIESTA, THE NORTH CAPS OF I 35 AND HANCOCK SHOPPING CENTER. AND WE HAVE A AREA PLAN AND A VISION FOR THAT. AND THEY'RE HOPING THAT THIS PROJECT WILL BE KIND OF A MODEL FOR WHAT CAN THEN HAPPEN ON THE REST OF THAT AREA. THAT'S ASSUMING THAT THE NORTH CAPS ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS GET APPROVED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THOSE ARE ALL THE ZONING CONSENT SPEAKERS MEMBERS. THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ON ZONING. UH, LET ME ASK IF THERE'S ANY OTHER ITEM THAT NEEDS TO BE PULLED THAT ANY MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT WAS READ. ALL RIGHT, UH, [06:10:01] THAT BEING THE CASE, WE'LL GO TO DISCUSSION AND THEN I'M, AFTER THAT I'LL ASK FOR ABSTENTIONS REFUSALS AND NO VOTES, AND I'LL RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, TO SPEAK ON, UH, ITEM ONE 20. THANKS, MAYOR. UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PFLUGERVILLE ISD BOARD IS TAKING UP APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF AN AMENDMENT AND RC ON JANUARY 16, WE DON'T HAVE IT YET. AND, AND I, I'M SEEING SOME NODS FROM, UH, THE, UM, FOLKS WORKING ON THIS. SO I WILL, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, MOVE APPROVAL OF ONE 20 ON CONSENT WITH DIRECTION THAT THE CITY MANAGER EXECUTE THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT AMENDMENT AFTER THE PFLUGERVILLE ISD HAS EXECUTED THE AMENDMENT. SO THAT'S AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE. AND WE HAVE, UM, IF THERE'S ANY OBJECTION FROM MR. SU OR HIS TEAM, AND HE'S GIVEN US TWO THUMBS UP. OKAY. WHAT I, UM, WE ARE HAVING A, A MOTION AND THAT THAT ADDS DIRECTION TO THAT MOTION. IT, IT DOES, IT DOES ADD DIRECTION TO MOTION. SO I, YES. UM, WHAT I'M GONNA DO, I, OKAY, YOU WANNA PULL IT? I THOUGHT I COULD JUST OFFER THE DIRECTION SO I DON'T HAVE A MOTION, UH, WRITTEN. DO IT. WE'LL DO A SECOND. OKAY. WE'LL DO A SECOND. DID I GET A MOTION? I, UM, MEMBERS, UH, I, I, AS YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIKE TO DO IT THIS WAY, BUT, BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY I WANT TO GET THINGS MOVING ON THIS, UM, INSTEAD OF, BECAUSE WE HAVE A MOTION, INSTEAD OF PULLING THAT OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA, UM, I'M GONNA ASK THAT THE MAYOR PRO TIM STATE AGAIN, WHAT IT IS THAT, THE DIRECTION THAT SHE'S GIVING, AND I'LL RECOGNIZE THAT AS A MOTION TO AMEND THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT APPLIES TO ITEM ONE 20. AS YOU KNOW, WE TRY NOT TO DO, TRY TO HAVE SOMETHING IN WRITING, BUT THAT'S WHY I WANT YOU TO REPEAT IT AGAIN, IF YOU WILL. AND THAT WAY MAYBE WE CAN JUST MOVE THE ITEM. AND THE, UM, AMENDING LANGUAGE IS TO ADD DIRECTION TO THE CITY MANAGER THAT THE CITY MANAGER EXECUTE THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT AMENDMENT. AFTER THE PFLUGERVILLE IS ISD EXECUTES THE AMENDMENT, WHICH SHOULD HAPPEN IN JANUARY AT THEIR MEETING. ALRIGHT, UH, THEY JUST WEREN'T ABLE TO GET TO IT BEFORE THIS MEETING. YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION TO AMEND THE CONSENT AGENDA. ITEM ONE 20. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA. THE DISCUSSION WILL BE ON THE MOTION TO AMEND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION? THE MOTION TO AMEND THE CONSENT AGENDA AS TO ITEM ONE 20 IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KELLY, UH, TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAIS. I'LL NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ FOR COMMENTS. UH, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. DO WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE, UH, WILLOW CREEK DEVELOPMENT? HELLO, I'M LEAH BOJO HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT. THANK YOU, MS. BOJO. I WAS GONNA ASK YOU JUST A FEW QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD. YES, SIR. UM, THE PACKAGE THAT YOU NEGOTIATED FOR RESIDENTS INCLUDES, UH, THE, THE ITEMS OUTLIED AND RIGHT TO RETURN BENEFITS HELP WITH TERMINATION OF LEASES WITHOUT PENALTY, FULL REFUND OF SECURITY AND PED DEPOSITS ONSITE SERVICES, UH, THAT WILL ASSIST TENANTS WITH FINDING NEW HOUSING AND OTHER QUALIFYING PROGRAMS AFTER THEY MOVE OUT. UH, AND NOTICES ISSUED RELOCATION STIPENDS OF $3,000 AND AMONG OTHER THINGS. AND JUST TODAY, IN ADDITION TO THE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE, YOU HAVE WORKED OUT WITH THE RENTERS AND THE COMMUNITY REPLACEMENT OF 210 AFFORDABLE UNITS, WHICH IS AN UNPRECEDENTED ALMOST 20%, WITH, WITH UNITS THAT RANGE IN AFFORDABILITY OF 50 TO 60%. MFI FOR 40 YEARS, THE BREAKDOWN OF UNITS, UH, ONE AND TWO BEDROOM WILL MATCH THE CURRENT MAKEUP. AND YOU, UH, YOU AND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE WILL WORK WITH DER THE COMMUNITY AND MY OFFICE, UH, UH, TO HELP ASSIST AS MANY RESIDENTS AS POSSIBLE, COME BACK TO THOSE NEW APARTMENTS. AND SHOULD THE PROPERTY BE SOLD, THE OWNER, THE WE WILL WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEW OWNER WILL ADHERE TO THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT MADE WITH THESE RESIDENTS. YES, SIR. IS THAT ACCURATE? YES. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. YES. IF I CAN MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ON THIS OR ARE WE GONNA WAIT TILL AFTER WE'RE, UH, WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO SECOND, SO NOW'S A GOOD TIME TO TALK. ALL RIGHTY. I, I, THIS IS, UH, THIS WAS A FUN ONE, UM, TO SAY THE LEAST. I WANT TO THANK ED AND MY DEAR FRIEND, NOIA ELIA, FOR THEIR ADVOCACY ON THIS PROJECT. INPUT BY THE COMMUNITY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO ME, [06:15:01] AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS BY DISTRICT THREE RESIDENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR OUR LOW INCOME NEIGHBORS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE BEING CONSIDERED AND PROVIDED FOR. EQUALLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, LEAH BOJO AND HER CLIENT FOR WORKING WITH US AND THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THIS PROJECT THE BEST IT COULD POSSIBLY BE. WHILE NOT EVERY CASE, NOT EVERY ZONING CASE IS THE SAME. I BELIEVE THIS SETS A STRONG TONE, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT THREE FOR WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WHEN WE FIGHT TO ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY THE COMMUNITY IS HEARD, BUT THAT AFFORDAB AFFORDABILITY AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT IS FRONT OF MIND. I BELIEVE AS A DAIS WE CAN INTENTIONALLY BE PRO-HOUSING AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT, AND THAT REMAINS MY FOCUS AND COMMITMENT TO OUR CITY. THANK YOU. OH, ALSO, ALSO, MR. MAYOR, THERE WERE, THERE WERE A TON OF, UH, OF THANK YOUS THAT I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED DURING ANY ZONING EVER. UH, SO I JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY COUNSELS UP FOR THE RECORD, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER GET THOSE AGAIN. UM, IT'S A STRANGE DAY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS TODAY. YEAH. AND, AND, AND, AND CAUSES SOME OF US TO THINK ABOUT VOTING. NO, BUT THAT'S OKAY. . UM, NO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. GOOD. GOOD WORK ON THAT. UM, OKAY. SO COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ FOR HIS STRONG LEADERSHIP ON THE WILLOW CREEK ZONING CASE. UM, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE BACKUP AND SAW THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIAL OF US LOSING EXISTING AFFORDABLE UNITS AS A PART OF THIS REDEVELOPMENT, I WAS VERY CONCERNED. AND SO TO HEAR HOW YOU, YOU WORKED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY, HOW WE NOW HAVE A MUCH BETTER OUTCOME, HOW WE NOW HAVE A ZONING CASE THAT REALLY SETS A PRECEDENT, RIGHT? HOW YOU CAN PRESERVE EXISTING AFFORDABLE UNITS AS PART OF THESE LARGE REDEVELOPMENTS IS JUST AN INCREDIBLE AND A TESTAMENT TO YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND SO I JUST WANNA APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR INVOLVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY AND JUST, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR SERVICE. GOOD COMMENTS. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, UH, I ALSO WANT TO GIVE THE JOSE VELASQUEZ , UH, PROPS, UH, ON THIS, UH, IT'S A MASSIVE WIN FOR HOUSING IN THE AREA. WE'RE TALKING 1100 UNITS WITH COMMERCIAL, UH, BASE ON THE BOTTOM. UH, THAT IS GONNA DRAMATICALLY, UH, IMPROVE THE AREA IN TERMS OF COMMERCIAL ACCESSIBILITY THERE. THIS IS A BIG AREA OF LOTS OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND A LITTLE MORE COMMERCIAL SPRINKLED IN THERE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE. IT'S GONNA BE A HUGE PLUS. UH, PRESERVING ALL OF THE AFFORDABILITY IS A BIG WIN. AND THERE'S ONE THING I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT, THAT WE DON'T DISCUSS UP HERE, BUT, AND I HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME 50-YEAR-OLD, YOU KNOW, 200, 300 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEXES. UH, THE REASON THAT THEY'RE NATURALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS 'CAUSE THEY'RE IN VERY BAD CONDITION. AND SO I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE QUALITY OF THE APARTMENTS THAT PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN WHEN WE MAKE THESE KINDS OF DEALS TO, YOU KNOW, REPLACE THE EXISTING UNITS WITH AFFORDABLE UNITS AND ADD A BUNCH OF UNITS THERE, THERE IS A NET BENEFIT THERE. THERE'S A REALLY BIG NET BENEFIT I'VE BEEN IN AND AROUND A LOT OF THESE APARTMENTS FROM WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE TO TODAY. UH, MY CLIENTS LIVE IN, IN, IN THOSE APARTMENTS AND THEY'RE IN HORRIBLE SHAPE. UH, AND SO JUST AGAIN, THE, THE DAILY BENEFIT OF LIVING IN A NEWER, NICER APARTMENT WITH ALL THE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BELLS AND WHISTLES THAT, THAT WE REQUIRE. AND AGAIN, JUST TO THROW SOMETHING ELSE IN THE WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL COME ALONG WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF WHAT THE FIVE ACRE, SIX ACRE TRACK. AGAIN, THERE'S JUST SO MANY BENEFITS THAT COME TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE TAKE AN OLD SUBSTANDARD COMPLEX LIKE THIS AND GIVE IT A MASSIVE UPGRADE. UH, AND WHEN WE CAN DO IT AND PRESERVE EVERY AFFORDABLE UNIT, UH, HELP EVERY PERSON IN THERE, AGAIN, IT'S A HUGE WIN. AGAIN, PROPS TO, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. I'M GONNA WORK, UH, BACKWARDS ON SOME ITEMS, BUT, UH, ITEM 1 29. JUST WANNA THANK THE, WANNA THANK ALL PARTIES, INCLUDING THE AGENT AND THE, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION REALLY AND THANKFUL FOR JIM AND, AND GERARD FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE. UH, ON THAT ITEM 1 27 ALSO, ONCE AGAIN, I WANNA THANK THE AGENT. UH, THIS WAS A FUN ONE, UH, BUT REALLY WANT TO THANK THE OANA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UH, SPECIFICALLY DONNA AND SHEILA, UH, FOR, FOR MAKING SURE THAT I GOT THROUGH THE FINISH LINE. AND THEN ITEM 1 23, UH, I WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR THEIR HARD WORK ON, ON NAVIGATING THAT THE 200 EAST RIVERSIDE PUD, UH, PHASE ONE OF THE PROJECT CONNECT RUNS ALONG THIS DEVELOPMENT WITH A PROPOSED STATION THAT'S VERY NEARBY. UM, AND, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, AND I, I KNOW, AND, AND THIS DOES NOT, WHAT YOU'RE GETTING READY TO DO WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MOTION SHEET. CORRECT? OKAY. YES. SO THIS, THIS IS DIRECTION THAT'S COMING FROM, FROM DS, WHICH I, WHICH I APOLOGIZE FOR, BUT I, BUT I MOTION TO AMEND [06:20:01] ITEM 23 TO INCLUDE PROJECT CONNECT INFRASTRUCTURE AS AN ELEMENT OF SUPERIORITY AND COMMUNITY BENEFIT, UH, FOR THE NEXT RATING. ALRIGHT. FOR THE NEXT WHAT? LIKE FOR THE, SO, SO TO BRING IT BACK. ALRIGHT, SO, UM, BECAUSE IT'S ONLY ON FIRST READING. YEAH. UM, WELL THERE'S NO NEED TO AMEND THAT. WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE IT, EXCUSE ME, EVERYBODY'S HEARD THAT, SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WHEN IT COMES BACK, IT NEEDS TO HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL DIRECTION THAT, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS JUST DISCUSSED. GREAT. AND THAT, THAT, THAT WAY WE'LL COVER IT. YES, SIR. GOOD. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. UM, OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ANYONE WISHING I WAS GONNA SAY, I, I RAISED MY VIRTUAL AND MY, MY YOU DID LITERALLY, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO JOIN IN THE PARADE OF FOLKS, UH, CONGRATULATING MY, UH, COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ. AND THEN I HADN'T INTENDED TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT, UH, THANK YOU MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VALLA FOR BRINGING YOUR POINT UP. MY FAMILY OF NINE ALL GOT CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN ONE OF THOSE APARTMENT COMPLEXES WHEN I WAS GROWING UP. AND A HOST OF OTHER THINGS HAD HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY, BUT WE HAD A PLACE TO STAY. AND SO I JUST, MY HOPE IS THAT MOVING FORWARD, WE DON'T HAVE TO COMPROMISE THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF, YOU KNOW, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT RESIDE IN THE GREAT CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, IN EXCHANGE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT POINT UP 'CAUSE THAT, THAT'S REAL IMPACT. SO WHEN YOU WERE MAKING THE POINT EARLIER, YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, WHEN YOU WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH ABOUT THE DISCUSSIONS AROUND INDUSTRIAL HOUSING, THERE STILL ARE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE SO DESPERATE FOR HOUSING AT ALL THAT THEY'LL TAKE IT WHEREVER YOU PUT IT NEXT TO A SMOGGY, YOU KNOW, POLLUTED HIGHWAY OR IN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA. AND THAT'S THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER ALSO. SO RECOGNIZING THAT ALL THOSE THINGS GET TO BE TRUE AT THE SAME TIME, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, PAYING ATTENTION TO THE LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY THAT COMES WITH SOME OF THESE DECISIONS AROUND THE PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SOMETIMES THE TRADE OFF IS THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF THE VERY PEOPLE THAT YOU SEEK TO ADVOCATE FOR. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP AND, AND THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, MY, UM, COLLEAGUES ON THE DAY IS FOR, FOR FIGHTING THE HARD FIGHTS. I APPRECIATE IT. IT'S GOOD TO BE UP HERE, UM, WITH YOU GUYS. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. ALRIGHT, ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANYONE WISHING TO ABSTAIN FROM A VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA IS READ ANYONE WISHING TO RECUSE THEMSELVES FROM VOTING ON ONE OF THE, THE ITEMS ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ANY OF THE ITEMS? I, UM, THE MAYOR WISHES TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ITEM NUMBER 1 27. IS THERE ANY OTHER, ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING? NO. ALRIGHT, UH, THEN WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ AND A AND AS AMENDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM ON ITEM NUMBER ONE 20 IS ADOPTED WITH THE MAYOR VOTING NO ON ITEM 1 27. OKAY, THAT WILL NOW TAKE US. THANKS EVERYBODY. UM, THAT WILL NOW TAKE US BACK. THAT'S WHAT WE WE'RE GOING TO GO [Items 102 & 103] WE'LL DO IS WE'LL CALL UP ITEMS ONE OH TWO AND ONE OH THREE MEMBERS. YOU'LL RECALL THAT STAFF RECOMMENDED IT BE A CONSENT ITEM WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD REQUESTING POSTPONEMENT TO JANUARY 30TH. AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM HAS PULLED THE ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND, AND MS. HARDEN'S HERE TOO, BUT MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU LAY OUT WHAT IT IS THAT, THE REASON YOU PULLED THE ITEM. THAT'S GREAT. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS. HARDEN AND THEN, UM, WE'LL MAKE A MOTION. UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT A NEIGHBOR HAD REQUESTED A POSTPONEMENT HE'S UNABLE TO ATTEND TODAY AND MY STAFF HAS BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH HIM, CORRESPONDED WITH HIM. SO I JUST WANTED TO PLEASE CON CONFIRM MS. HARDIN IF YOU COULD DO THAT, THAT BOTH ITEMS 1 0 2 AND 1 0 3 ALREADY TO PROCEED ON ALL THREE READINGS. YOU ARE CORRECT. YES, THEY ARE READY TO PROCEED AND BOTH STAFF AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMEND THE ZONING CHANGE. THAT IS CORRECT. UH, MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE APPROVAL ON CONSENT FOR ALL THREE READINGS FOR ITEMS 1 0 2 AND THREE MAYOR PER TIM MOVES THAT ITEMS 1 0 2 AND 1 0 3 BE APPROVED ON ALL THREE READINGS. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS? UM, I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK AND SEE IF THERE ARE PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON 1 0 2 AND 1 0 3. THANK YOU MAYOR. FOR ITEM 1 0 2, WE HAVE AMANDA BROWN AND SHE IS THE AGENT WITH THE, UH, OKAY. ON THIS ACCOUNT, I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS THAT'S, AND FOR ITEM 1 0 3, WE HAVE [06:25:01] JENNY GRAYSON, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, AND ZENOBIA JOSEPH, THE THREE PEOPLE WHOSE NAME WAS JUST CALLED ON ITEM 1 0 3. ARE YOU WISHING TO TESTIFY? I SEE MS. JOSEPH, ARE YOU WISHING TO, TO SPEAK? ALL RIGHT. PLEASE COME FORWARD. THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL, I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH. MY COMMENTS ARE JUST IN GENERAL MAYOR AS IT RELATES TO THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE, SPECIFICALLY IN DISTRICT SEVEN AT CRESTVIEW STATION, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE THERE TODAY STILL DON'T WANT TRANSPORTATION IN THE AREA. AND SO I DO THINK IT IS DISINGENUOUS WHEN WE USE EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT TO MAKE THESE DEALS. AND SO THAT IS MY OPPOSITION. I DO WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL, AND I DO BELIEVE IT'S GERMANE THAT AT 69 0 9 RYAN DRIVE, WHICH IS NOT THE CASE BEFORE YOU, BUT IT IS IN THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AREA, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT 300 OF THOSE UNITS, THREE FOURTHS OF THEM ARE FOR PEOPLE WHO EARN 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME AND ABOVE. AND SO IF YOU WANT THE CITY TO BELIEVE IN THE EQUITY THAT YOU CONTINUE TO SPEAK OF, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE SPECIFICALLY THAT ALONG THE METRO RAIL LINES, THOSE UNITS ARE NOT AFFORDABLE TO PEOPLE WHO MAKE LESS THAN $70,000. SO THAT IS MY OPPOSITION. I WILL JUST CONTEXTUALIZE IT AND TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY ON OR ABOUT MARCH 13TH, 2020 WHEN, UH, COUNCIL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE HYDE PARK AREA. THEY PUT A $3.8 MILLION ONE ACRE DETENTION POND INSTEAD. AND SO THIS HAS BEEN A PATTERN, AND I RECOGNIZE YOU'RE TRYING TO GET 50% FOR THE $5 BILLION LIGHT RAIL, BUT PLEASE STOP PLAYING THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT GAME AND RECOGNIZE THAT BLACK PEOPLE ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN STUDY, EARN APPROXIMATELY $42,000. NOT 70,000 HISPANICS EARN ABOUT $50,000 FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, 2020 MINORITY CHAMBER STUDY. AND SO I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT VIOLATES TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MEMBERS. THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS ON ITEMS 1 0 2 AND 1 0 3. YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION AND THE SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEMS 1 0 2 AND 1 0 3 ARE APPROVED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY OFF THE DAAS. THAT [90. C14H-2024-0136 - Eisenbeiser’s East End Saloon and 1500 Club and Barber Shop - Conduct a public hearing and approve an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 by rezoning property locally known as 1500 East 12th Street (Boggy Creek Watershed) from general commercial services-mixed use-neighborhood conservation-neighborhood plan (CS-MU-NCCD-NP) combining district zoning to general commercial services-mixed use-historic landmark-neighborhood conservation-neighborhood plan (CS-MU-H-NCCD-NP) combining district zoning. Staff Recommendation, Historic Landmark Commission Recommendation, and Planning Commission Recommendation: To grant to general commercial services-mixed use-historic landmark-neighborhood conservation-neighborhood plan (CS-MU-H-NCCD-NP) combining district zoning. Owner: SODOSOPA SALMON LP/Eureka Holdings. Owner’s Agent: Sandlin Services (Nick Sandlin). Applicant: Historic Landmark Commission (owner-opposed). City Staff: Kalan Contreras, Planning Department, 512-974-2727.] WILL NOW TAKE US BACK TO ITEM NUMBER 90 MEMBERS. WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM STAFF WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 90. THEN WE WILL HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT, UH, WHO WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO MAKE A PRESENTATION. WE WILL HEAR FROM SOMEONE IN OPPOSITION REPRESENTING THE OPPOSITION THAT WE'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES, AND THEN WE WILL HEAR FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE IN FAVOR, PEOPLE OPPOSED, AND THEN THERE WILL BE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REBUTTAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND AS THE CITY IS THE APPLICANT, UH, AND STAFF FOR THIS CASE, UM, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE THE CASE AND THEN I'LL RUN THROUGH THE SLIDES. UM, THEY'RE JUST, ALL RIGHT. WELL, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO DO, JUST OUTTA FAIRNESS, UH, UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES IS MAKE A BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE CASE. CAN YOU DO IT ALL IN FIVE MINUTES? I THINK I CAN. LET'S DO, LET'S JUST, WE'LL GIVE IT OUT. LET'S OUT OF FAIRNESS, DO YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR ADVOCACY IN, IN THE FIVE MINUTES THAT YOU TYPICALLY ALLOTTED. THANK YOU. ION COUNSEL CALL CONTRERAS PLANNING DEPARTMENT ITEM 90 C 14 H 20 24 0 1 3 6 AT 15, I'M SORRY. PLEASE SET THE TIME FOR FIVE MINUTES AND LET IT RUN. UH, C 14 H 20 24 0 1 3 6 AT 1500 EAST 12TH STREET. ITEM 90 IS AN OWNER OPPOSED HISTORIC ZONING CASE INITIATED BY THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION AFTER THEIR REVIEW OF A DEMOLITION APPLICATION. THE BUILDING AT THIS LOT MEETS THE HISTORIC ZONING CRITERIA FOR ARCHITECTURE, COMMUNITY VALUE AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS, AND WAS RECOMMENDED FOR HISTORIC ZONING BY THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY, WHICH RESULTED FROM COUNCIL RESOLUTION 20 14 0 6 2 6 9 8. THE SURVEY ALSO IDENTIFIES THE PROPERTY AS ELIGIBLE FOR INDIVIDUAL DESIGNATION ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. THE HLC VOTED TO DESIGNATE THE PROPERTY AS [06:30:01] A LOCAL LANDMARK PER SURVEY RECOMMENDATIONS AND STAFF AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHOSE VOTE IN FAVOR WAS UNANIMOUS, RECOMMEND THAT THE BUILDING'S FOOTPRINT BE ZONED HISTORIC 1500 EAST 12TH IS A RARE EXAMPLE OF A TWO STORY FRAME VERNACULAR COMMERCIAL BUILDING, WHICH WAS A ONCE COMMON TYPOLOGY NOW DISAPPEARING IN AUSTIN. THOUGH THE BUILDING HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, SIGNIFICANT INTEGRITY MAY BE RESTORED AND EXISTING INTEGRITY RETAINED BY BASIC REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE. THE BUILDING IS ASSOCIATED WITH GERMAN AMERICAN ENTREPRENEUR, ERNEST EISEN, AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN, BUFORD JOHNSON, AND BRIEFLY THE ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY. THE EARLIEST DOCUMENT, GERMAN AMERICAN POLITICIAN AND GROCER. CHRISTIAN WILHELM OWNED THE PROPERTY AS FAR BACK AS 1889. IN 1910, HE SOLD HIS STORE TO DRY GOODS MERCHANTS, ERNEST AND LOUISA EISEN, WHO OPENED THE EAST END SALOON IN EISEN ADVISOR'S CAFE. THOUGH THE SALOON WAS CLOSED DURING PROHIBITION, IT REOPENED IN THE 1930S AS A POPULAR SPOT FOR GERMAN FOOD, MUSIC, AND BEER WITH A RESIDENT ACCORDION BAND. AFTER EISEN ADVISOR'S DEATH, LOUISA SOLD THE PROPERTY TO BEAUFORT JOHNSON, WHO WAS NOTED BY LITERARY LUMINARY JAY MASON BREWER. AS ONE OF AUSTIN'S MOST SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMEN, JOHNSON CONVERTED THE BUILDING INTO THE 1500 BEAUTY AND BARBERSHOP AND 1500 CLUB, WHICH WAS A MUSIC VENUE. ALPHA PHI ALPHA, THE OLDEST FRATERNITY TO ALLOW BLACK MEMBERS ALSO TOOK UP RESIDENCE IN THE BUILDING FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS. IN THE FIFTIES, DESPITE ITS PROMINENCE AS A COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR, EAST 12TH STREET FELL INTO A DECLINE SHORTLY BEFORE THE END OF THE HISTORIC PERIOD DUE TO SYSTEMIC DISINVESTMENT IN EAST AUSTIN BY BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INTERESTS. THOUGH IT IS IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE BUILDING'S COMPLEX HISTORY, INCLUDING ITS TUMULTUOUS OCCUPATION IN THE LATER 20TH CENTURY, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE DEFINES THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE AS 50 YEARS IN PRIOR. THUS, EVENTS OCCURRING AFTER 1974 ARE NOT EVALUATED PER LDC 25 2 3 52 WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A PROPERTY'S HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE. FINALLY, THE EAST AUSTIN SURVEY IDENTIFIES THE PROPERTY AS A UNIQUE LOCATION THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CITY. IT FORMS PART OF THE HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT INTERSECTION OF 12TH AND KAMAL OPPOSITE THE SOUTH GATE LEWIS HOUSE. AND ADJACENT TO THE IQ HURDLE, HOUSE 12TH STREET WAS A BACKBONE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMERCE DURING THE SEGREGATION ERA AND BEYOND, AND THE BUILDING ALSO REPRESENTS EARLY GERMAN AMERICANS COMMUNITY PRESENCE AND THEIR IMPACT IN EAST AUSTIN. SO NOW I HAVE A FEW SLIDES THAT I'LL RUN THROUGH, UM, JUST TO, UH, HELP WITH ANY QUESTIONS. UM, SO ON THIS FIRST ITEM THAT YOU'LL HAVE UP ON THE SCREEN, UM, THIS IS THE AREA THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE STAFF ARE RECOMMENDING FOR HISTORIC ZONING. AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IT IS ONLY FOR THE FOOTPRINT OF THE HISTORIC BUILDING. THIS ALLOWS THE REAR OF THE LOT TO BE DEVELOPED, UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO FOLLOW THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS FOR THE REST OF THAT PROPERTY. LET'S SEE. THIS WORKS. THERE WE GO. UM, SO AS I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF TEXT, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE SAYS THAT BUILDINGS HAVE TO MEET A HIGH BAR TO ACTUALLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR HISTORIC ZONING. SO IF THEY'VE GOTTA BE 50 YEARS OLD, THEY HAVE TO MEET AT BASELINE INTEGRITY STANDARDS AND THEY HAVE TO MEET AT LEAST TWO OF FIVE CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS BUILDING MEETS AGE INTEGRITY AND THREE OF FIVE SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA. EAST AUSTIN SURVEY, UM, IS A RESOURCE THAT ORIGINATED FROM A COUNCIL REQUEST BACK IN 2014, AND THE CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS THAT WE, UH, HIRED AS A CITY TO SURVEY THE AREA, EVALUATED THIS BUILDING AGAINST OUR CODE AND FOUND THAT IT MEETS THE BAR FOR BOTH LOCAL HISTORIC ZONING AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LISTING ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. THOUGH THIS BUILDING ISN'T A HIGH STYLE ARCHITECT BUILT STRUCTURE, IT'S STILL IMPORTANT AS A RARE EXAMPLE OF A VERNACULAR BUILDING PURPOSE BUILT FOR A SMALL FAMILY BUSINESS. OUR CODE RECOGNIZES THAT VERNACULAR STRUCTURES AND AUSTINITES OF MODEST MEANS, MEANS ARE SIGNIFICANT TO OUR CITY'S HISTORY. AND FINALLY, THE LAST SLIDE, UM, REAL QUICK, THIS IS A SNIPPET SHOWING THE SECTION OF OUR CODE THAT REQUIRES THAT HISTORIC LANDMARKS BE MAINTAINED BY THEIR OWNERS. THAT CONCLUDES THE STAFF SLASH APPLICANT PRESENTATION. UM, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE. I BELIEVE MIKE MARTINEZ IS GOING TO BE SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION, AND SO HE WILL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. THAT'S GREAT. MR. MARTINEZ, GOOD TO SEE YOU. WELCOME. YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES. I HAVE SOME FOR YOU GUYS. CAN CAN I GIVE IT TO THE CLERK AND HAVE THEM HAND IT OUT? YEAH. UH, I THINK THE CLERK WILL TAKE THAT. AND MAYOR PRO TEM. YES. IS IT FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER DAY AT CITY HALL TODAY? . YOU KNOW, IF IT ISN'T, WE OUGHT TO JUST MAKE THAT AS A, AS A DESIGNATION. GET A P PROG DONE UP TODAY. YEAH. HERE COMES THE PG. WELL, THANK YOU ALL. UH, I'M MIKE MARTINEZ AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE PROPERTY OWNER. AND, UH, I WANNA START OUT BY SAYING THANK YOU TO MAYOR POTM POOL AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON, FOR YOUR SACRIFICE AND SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS. UH, [06:35:01] I'VE NEVER PRESENTED ON A ZONING CASE, UM, SO IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE. UH, AT YOUR LAST MEETING DOING THIS. I'M REPRESENTING THE PROPERTY OWNER OF 1500 EAST 12TH STREET, UH, WHO IS STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THIS BEING LISTED, UH, BEING REZONED AT WITH A HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION. UM, THE, THE PROPERTY IS IN EXTREMELY POOR CONDITION. THERE ARE, WE DON'T BELIEVE IT MEETS, UH, THE HIGH BAR THAT, UH, YOUR POLICY REQUIRES IT TO MEET. UM, WE HAVE TWO STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY REPORTS THAT, UH, BOTH SAY THIS PROPERTY SHOULD BE DEMOLISHED, UH, BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF DEGRADATION WITHIN THE PROPERTY, UH, AND ITS IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION. IF YOU'LL, AND IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE PRESENTATION I GAVE YOU AND, AND CITY MANAGER, I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AS WELL. UM, THIS CASE IS COMPELLING TO ME FOR, FOR A FEW REASONS, AND IT'S WHY I'M HERE. UM, I SPENT MY ENTIRE CAREER IN THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT ON EAST 12TH STREET, DRIVING PAST THIS BUILDING EVERY TIME I WENT TO WORK. I LIVE IN EAST AUSTIN. I'M CURRENT RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE. UM, I'VE BEEN IN EAST AUSTIN FOR THE LAST, UH, 30 YEARS. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS, UH, CITY MANAGER AS A, AS A FORMER FIREFIGHTER, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD LET CHIEF BAKER KNOW THE CONDITION OF THE INTERIOR OF THIS. BECAUSE IF A FIREFIGHTER HAS TO GO INTO THIS BUILDING, UM, TO AFFECT A RESCUE, IT IS GOING TO BE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. UH, THIS, THE FIRST PHOTO SHOWS THE FLOOR THAT IS COMPLETELY ROTTED THROUGH THE SECOND PHOTO IS THE CEILING JOIST BEAMS THAT ARE ALSO COMPLETELY ROTTED THROUGH. UM, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE INTERIOR WALLS THAT ARE, UH, BUCKLED OUT AND IN EXTREMELY POOR CONDITION. AND BY THE WAY, I TOOK THESE PICTURES THIS MORNING, UH, BECAUSE SOMEONE BROKE INTO THE BUILDING THIS MORNING. SO THAT VERY LAST PICTURE IS A PHOTO OF THE BUILDING FROM THE BACK, LOOKING AT THE BUILDING FROM THE BACK. AND IF YOU LOOK UP ON THE SECOND FLOOR, YOU'LL SEE THE, UH, PLYWOOD THAT HAS BEEN RIPPED OFF THE WINDOW, AND THAT'S HOW THEY BROKE IN. UH, NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WOULD BE A HORRIBLE SITUATION IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN IN THIS BUILDING, UH, AND IT WERE TO CATCH ON FIRE OR THE PEOPLE WERE TO, TO START RESIDING IN IT. UM, BECAUSE OF ITS CURRENT CONDITION, THE, THE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE IN 2016 BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, DID TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THIS PROPERTY. AND AS I READ THE SURVEY AND AS ANY RESIDENT WOULD READ THE SURVEY AND ESPECIALLY THE PROPERTY OWNER, UM, THE SURVEY LIST, THIS PROPERTY AS HAVING NO ARCHITECTURAL STYLE. NOW, I WAS TOLD OTHERWISE BY SOME FOLKS THAT ARE IN FAVOR OF HISTORIC ZONING. UM, BUT, BUT THE WAY I READ IT AND THE WAY THE PROPERTY OWNER READS IT, YOUR SURVEY LISTS THIS PROPERTY AS HAVING NO ARCHITECTURAL STYLE. YOUR SURVEY ALSO SAYS THAT THIS IS ELIGIBLE FOR HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION. IT DOES NOT RECOMMEND IT AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTED. AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT BECAUSE WORDS MATTER AND MEANINGS MATTER. AND SO WHEN SOMETHING IS ELIGIBLE, IF IT'S 50 YEARS OLD, YOU KNOW IT'S ELIGIBLE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW IT BECAUSE OF ITS AGE. UH, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S RECOMMENDED TO BE ZONED HISTORIC. AND SO I THINK THOSE TWO POINTS ARE REALLY CRITICAL AS IT RELATES TO THE SURVEY THAT KEEPS BEING, UH, BROUGHT UP IN REFERENCE TO THIS ZONING, UH, THIS HISTORIC ZONING CASE. THE, THE STRUCTURE IS UNSAFE, THE SAFETY CONDITIONS AROUND IT, UH, IT SITS, UH, IN THE ONE PHOTO. UM, ON IN THE SLIDE DECK, YOU CAN SEE IT SITS ABOUT THREE TO FOUR FEET FROM THE CURBS EDGE ON THE EASTERN SIDE, UH, OF THE BUILDING. SO THERE'S NO ROOM FOR SIDEWALKS. UM, THE SIGHT LINES ARE EXTREMELY POOR. SO IT'S, IT DOES CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD FROM A TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE. IT CREATES A PROBLEM FROM, UH, AN AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT PERSPECTIVE. YOU CAN'T CREATE, UH, YOU KNOW, A PATHWAY WIDE ENOUGH TO BE COMPLIANT WITH A DA. UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, THE DAVIS THOMAS NEIGHBOR DAVIS THOMPSON NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UH, PULLED THEIR MEMBERS AND A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS ARE OPPOSED TO HISTORIC ZONING AS WELL. WAS THAT FIVE MINUTES? THAT WAS QUICK. WE ASK THAT YOU, UH, TAKE ALL OF THESE FACTORS INTO CONSIDERATION. UM, AND THE LAST ONE IS THAT THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN LOST [06:40:01] OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS. SO WE ASK YOU TO NOT SO HISTORIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION AND THEY WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES A PIECE. THANK YOU MAYOR. FIRST SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS A REMOTE SPEAKER, TRACY WHITT, UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING 1500 EAST 12TH STREET'S HISTORIC VALUE TO AUSTIN, THE EAST 12TH STREET URBAN RENEWAL CORRIDOR, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT, AND ALL THE INTERSECTING PLANS AND PEOPLE OF CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN. THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN HISTORIC SURVEY CALLS OUT THIS VERNACULAR COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE AS ELIGIBLE FOR INDIVIDUAL LOCAL LANDMARK STATUS FOR HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS AND COMMUNITY VALUE. THAT'S ENOUGH. 1500 IS SITUATED AT A PROMINENT INTERSECTION WITHIN THE URBAN RENEWAL AREA ACROSS KAMAL FROM THE IQ HURDLE HOUSE AND ACROSS EAST 12TH FROM THE SOUTH GATE LOUIS HOUSE. THE HISTORY OF ITS TENURE ALSO CAPTURES A SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL INTERSECTION, A TRANSITION FROM IMMIGRANT TO AFRICAN AMERICAN TENURE, WHICH IS THE STORY OF MOST OF THIS AREA. EACH OF THESE GROUPS USED THE SITE AS A GATHERING PLACE THAT PROVIDED DAILY SERVICES TO LOCAL RESIDENTS AND THE LARGER CITY. IT WAS A PLACE FOR COMMUNITY AND IT'S LASTED MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS, DESPITE FAIRLY RIGOROUS DISREGARD SINCE 2016, THE 50 YEAR TENURE AS A GERMAN GROCERY, FIRST BY CHRISTIAN WILHELM, AND THEN NEARLY 40 YEARS BY THE EISEN FAMILY OFFERED GROCERIES, BEER, AND A CAFE THAT BECAME SO BELOVED ACROSS THE STATE THAT IT WAS MENTIONED IN A MIH, TEXAS HERALD OBITUARY FOR ERNEST EISEN. WITH EISEN ADVISOR'S DEATH, IT PASSED TO BEAUFORD JOHNSON, WHO ESTABLISHED A BEAUTY PARLOR AND BEAUTY AND BARBERSHOP AND THE 1500 CLUB BEFORE IT WAS OCCUPIED BRIEFLY BY ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY HOUSE. THE UPDATED URBAN RENEWAL PLAN EXPRESSES A PREFERENCE FOR PRESERVING IN PLACE HISTORIC STRUCTURES ON EAST 11TH AND 12TH STREETS. IN THE CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN HAS PRIORITIZED HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOR DECADES, PRESERVATION STAFF AND UNANIMOUS VOTES. AT HLC AND PLANNING COMMISSION TELL YOU, THIS SITE MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION PRESERVATION AUSTIN, PRESERVATION TEXAS, AND TRAVIS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION ALSO TELL YOU IT DOES 1600 SIGNATURES ON THE PUBLIC PETITION IN VARIOUS LETTERS FROM INDIVIDUALS IN GROUPS ACTIVE IN THE CENTRAL EAST AND BROADER EAST AUSTIN AREA. EVIDENCE ITS IMPORTANCE. YOU HAVE LETTERS FROM BETHANY CEMETERY ASSOCIATION, AUSTIN REVITALIZATION AUTHORITY, DONNA CARTER BLACKSHEAR, PROSPECT HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND YOUR BACKUP. IT'S WORTHY AND RESTORATION AS POSSIBLE. IF 1500 IS DEMOLISHED, THERE'S NO PLAN FOR NEW BRICK AND MORTAR SPACE, NO PLAN OF ANY KIND. THE SITE PLAN EUREKA FILED IN 2022 WAS ONE OF FIVE FILED TO PRESERVE EUREKA'S ENTITLEMENTS ALONG THE STREET WHEN THEY WERE WORRIED THE NCCD AMENDMENT PROCESS WOULD RESULT IN REDUCTIONS IN THE END, THEY FACE NO SUCH, SUCH DANGER. AND NOW ALL FIVE ARE EXPIRED. AND A REP TOLD THE URB LAST YEAR THAT EUREKA IS WAITING ON INTEREST RATES AND IH 35 CAP AND STITCH, WHICH COULD TAKE A DECADE. ANOTHER EUREKA REP TOLD THE DISTRICT ONE COUNCIL MEMBER AND OTHERS AT A MEETING YESTERDAY, THERE ARE NO PLANS FOR THE PROPERTY. HISTORIC ZONING IS THE FIRST STEP IN RESTORATION TOWARDS ADAPTIVE REUSE. IT'S A STOP GAP TO DEMOLITION PRESERVATION. AUSTIN HAS IDENTIFIED MULTIPLE FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP EUREKA IF FINANCIAL CHALLENGE AND NOT CONTEMPT. IS THERE BARRIER TO HONORING THIS BUILDING ITS HISTORY AND ALL THE COMMUNITIES AND CITIES' PLANS FOR THE STREET. THANK YOU AND PLEASE VOTE FOR HISTORIC ZONING. NEXT SPEAKER, SUSAN ORINGER. SUSAN, ARE YOU THERE? HI, MAYOR WATSON AND CITY COUNCIL. I'M A RESIDENT OF D ONE IN DAVIS THOMPSON. I LIVE ON 13TH STREET DIRECTLY BEHIND 1500 EAST 12TH. I LIVE IN A HOME FROM 1895 THAT I PAINSTAKINGLY AND LOVINGLY RESTORED. UM, AFTER BEING TOLD MY HOUSE HAD NO ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OR HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE, UM, AND I BROUGHT IT BACK AND KEPT IT WITHIN THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I DON'T SUPPORT LETTING A BUILDING THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED TO BE TORN DOWN. THE OWNERS HAVE OWNED MANY LOTS ON EAST 12TH THAT OFTEN FALL INTO NEGLECT AND HAVE NO PLANS TO BUILD ON AND ANYTIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE LAST THING WE NEED IS ANOTHER EMPTY LOT WITH TEMPORARY USES AND FENCING AROUND IT AND LEFT TO JUST BE NEGLECTED. PLEASE RESTORE AND BRING BACK SOMETHING MEANING MEANINGFUL BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD SUCH AS ANOTHER GROCER PHARMACY. THANK YOU. WE'LL SWITCH TO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS WHO ARE IN FAVOR. MIRIAM CONNOR, FOLLOWED BY JUAN RAYMOND RUBIO. GOOD EVENING. UH, AT FIRST I WANNA ASK [06:45:01] IF WE CAN HAVE THIS HEARD ON FIRST READING BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE A FULL DAIS. UM, MY NAME IS MIRIAM CONNOR. I GREW UP AT JEAN'S PO BOYS. THAT WAS MY FAMILY'S RESTAURANT, AND I WAS THE FIRST PROGRAM MANAGER AND A CURATOR AT SIX SQUARE. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AS PRESIDENT ELECT OF PRESERVATION AUSTIN AND AS A VOICE WITH 1600 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE SIGNED OUR PETITION TO SAVE 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AND HAS SPOKEN UP FOR US TO PROTECT AUSTIN'S CULTURE AND HERITAGE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. 1500 EAST 12TH STREET HAS STOOD UP FOR OVER A CENTURY ANCHORING EAST AUSTIN'S TRANSFORMATION FROM A GERMAN IMMIGRANT ENCLAVE TO A THRIVING CENTER FOR BLACK BUSINESS AND CULTURE. THIS AREA LIES AT THE HEART OF BLACK AUSTIN. YET DEVELOPERS LIKE EUREKA HOLDINGS CONTINUE THIS AWFUL PATTERN OF DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT. HISTORIC PROPERTIES ARE LEFT TO DETERIORATE. THEIR CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE IS IGNORED UNTIL DEMOLITION BECOMES THE ONLY OPTION. THIS DE DELIBERATE NEGLECT NOT ONLY ERASES IRREPLACEABLE LANDMARKS AND DISPLACES COMMUNITIES, BUT IT ALSO OFTEN LEADS, LEAVES BEHIND NOTHING MORE THAN A VACANT LOT, A GRAVE WHERE HISTORY AND CULTURE ONCE THRIVED. WE NEED YOUR LEADERSHIP TO PREVENT THIS. THIS DEMOLITION AND FUTURE DEMOLITIONS BY EUREKA WOULD DIRECTLY, DIRECTLY PERPETUATE THE SEGREGATIONIST AIMS OF THE 1928 MASTER PLAN, WHICH EXPLICITLY ZONED EAST AUSTIN AS THE NEGRO DISTRICT, WHICH I KNOW Y'ALL KNOW AND SYSTEMICALLY DISPLACED BLACK RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES, WHICH IS STILL HAPPENING. THIS PLAN WHOSE EFFECTS WE STILL GRAPPLE WITH TODAY AS WE WITNESS THE CONTINUOUS CYCLE OF CULTURAL LANDMARKS BECOMING VACANT LOTS, ERASING THE LIVING HISTORY BENEATH OUR FEET. THIS IS NOT ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD POLITICS. THIS IS NOT ABOUT OPPOSING PROGRESS. IT'S ABOUT HONORING THE MERIT OF A BUILDING AND ITS CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. IT'S ABOUT ENSURING DEVELOPMENT RESPECTS AND INCORPORATES THE STORIES OF CO AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALL COMMUNITIES PRESERVATION. AUSTIN IS READY TO COLLABORATE THE EUREKA HOLDINGS TO FIND A PLAN THAT HONORS HERITAGE WHILE EMBRACING GROWTH. AND IF THERE IS A PLAN, BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT. WE ARE ASKING FOR ACTUAL LEADERSHIP INSTEAD OF THE TRUST ME GOVERNANCE APPROACH. TRULY REPRESENT THE WILL OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS, THE 1600 CONSTITUENTS THAT SIGNED OUR PETITION. SHOW US THAT YOU ACTUALLY REPRESENT YOUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR MR. RUBIO. YOU HAVE TIME DONATED FROM CHRISTOPHER PAGE AND CARLOS IGN. ARE THEY BOTH HERE? OKAY. AND YOU HAVE NINE MINUTES. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JUAN RAYMOND RUBIO. I AM A VICE PRESIDENT OF PRESERVATION AUSTIN. I'M A PRESERVATION CONSULTANT AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION. TODAY I AM COMING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF IN A PERSONAL CAPACITY. NEXT SLIDE. UM, I'M, I'M SO GLAD THAT THE FIRST SPEAKER SPOKE ABOUT ALL THESE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS. YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE VOICES AND SUPPORTERS THAT YOU HEARD? THAT'S NOT IT. SINCE 1999, THESE PEOPLE, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SAYING, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. 1999, LOOK AT ALL THOSE PLANS. WE HAVE BEEN PLANNING FOR THIS. WE WANT PRESERVATION. NEXT SLIDE. THESE ARE TWO SCREENSHOTS SHOWING WHAT THAT CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN SAYS. YOU ALL APPROVED IT. NUMBER ONE, PRESERVE, RESTORE, AND RECOGNIZE HISTORIC RESOURCES. NEXT SLIDE. WHY, WHY DO WE WANT TO DO THIS? EVERYONE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY. YOU PROBABLY READ IT SO I DON'T NEED TO GO INTO THAT DETAIL. BUT WE'RE GONNA SEE THOSE EXAMPLES OF BLACK AND BROWN BUSINESSES THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE LEGACY OF THIS CITY. YOU ALL? NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. WHY? NOW I WANNA REFUTE SOME OF THE MISINFORMATION THAT I JUST HEARD. ELIGIBILITY IS A TERM USED IN THE PRESERVATION FIELD. NOT TO SAY THAT ANYTHING OVER 50 YEARS OLD IS HISTORIC. THAT'S WRONG. 50 YEARS IS JUST PART OF THAT CRITERIA. ALL RIGHT? NOT ABILITY. EVERY BUILDING THAT'S 50 YEARS OLD QUALIFIES. THESE BUILDINGS UP HERE ARE IMPORTANT FOR CERTAIN REASONS. YOU'VE GOT A BARBERSHOP WITH A CERTAIN CHARACTERISTIC AND STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE. YOU'VE GOT THIS BOTTOM RIGHT BUILDING, WHICH LOOKS LIKE, WOW, IT COULD BE ANY OLD HOUSE. NO, THAT BUILDING WAS LISTED IN THE GREEN BOOK. THERE'S HISTORY HERE THAT EUREKA OWNS AND IS LETTING NEGLECT HAPPEN. NEXT SLIDE. LOOK AT THESE BUILDINGS. ALL OWNED BY EUREKA. YOU ALL SAY WHY? I SEE BLIGHT. I SEE PROBLEMS. YES. I WONDER WHY? BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN STOLEN FROM BLACK AND BROWN BUSINESSES. WE PUSHED THEM TO THE EAST SIDE. WE'RE TAKING BACK THEIR LAND AND WE'RE SITTING ON IT, AND THEN WE PROMISE SOMETHING BETTER AFTER 10 YEARS. WHO'S BEING FOOLED HERE IN NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS EXTINCTION. LET'S CALL IT WHAT IT IS. WE HAVE A SURVEY SINCE 2016. GREAT. I'M SO GLAD YOU ALL SPENT THAT MONEY ON THIS SURVEY, BUT LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE LOST 130 HISTORIC PROPERTIES THAT [06:50:01] WOULDN'T HAPPEN ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN, I GUARANTEE YOU. NEXT SLIDE. LOOK AT ALL THESE ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES JUST SOUTH OF THAT CEMETERY. ALL THESE GREEN BOXES ARE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE HISTORY WE CAN SAVE. THAT'S ECONOMIC TOURISM RIGHT THERE. THAT'S MONEY COMING BACK INTO THE CITY. THAT IS TAX ABATEMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. THAT'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING RIGHT THERE. I KNOW IT. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. BUT THIS PARTICULAR AREA IS ENDANGERED. WE'VE ALREADY LOST RAINY STREET. WE'RE GONNA LOSE A LOT MORE. NEXT SLIDE. HOW? OKAY, LOOK AT THAT TOP PICTURE. IT WAS PERFECTLY FINE BEFORE EUREKA PURCHASED IT AND SAT IN NEGLECT. AGAIN, THE MISINFORMATION THAT I'M HEARING IS THAT IT'S BEEN TOO ALTERED OR TOO LOSS OF INTEGRITY. THOSE ARE WRONG INFORMATION. WHO LEFT THE WINDOWS OPEN? WHO WASN'T SECURING THEIR PROPERTY? THIS IS COMMON SENSE. I DEAL WITH THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY ALL ACROSS THE STATE. I PRESERVE STRUCTURES WORSE THAN THIS. I PRESERVE STRUCTURES. THAT'S ROOF CAVED IN WITH TWO OR THREE WALLS LEFT. SO THIS IS WRONG. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. PRESERVATION MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE. ASK THE CITY MANAGER, HOW MUCH MONEY DOES THAT BRING IN? DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO, ECONOMIC TOURISM, HERITAGE TOURISM. IT MAKES MONEY. NEXT SLIDE. WE DID A A BRIEF PRI PRIOR PRELIMINARY COST ANALYSIS. ALL RIGHT? I WORK WITH NONPROFITS THAT DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY AND WE PRESERVE THEIR STRUCTURES OVER A 10 YEAR TIME SPAN. SO TO HEAR A DEVELOPER SAY, OR A REAL ESTATE HOLDING COMPANY SAY WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY THAT'S PLAYING WRONG, JUST A, A BASIC ANALYSIS SHOWS YOU THE COMPARATIVE COST OF AN ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECT AND NEW CONSTRUCTION. OF COURSE IT'S GONNA VARY. WELL, YOU HAVE TO DO HAZARDOUS ABATEMENT MATERIALS AND ALL THAT ANYWAY, REGARDLESS OF IF YOU'RE DEMOLISHING IT OR NOT. SO THAT'S NOT AN ARGUMENT. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT. PRESERVATION INCENTIVES. THIS STATE HAS ONE OF THE BEST STATE TAX CREDITS IN THE COUNTRY. OUR STATE LEGISLATURE, REPUBLICANS SAID THIS IS WHAT WE WANNA DO SO THAT WE CAN SAVE PROPERTIES. GREAT. THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THAT. LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. POINT OR 45% TAX CREDIT. SO EASY FOR THEM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NONPROFITS. DO IT WITH THE MEASLY PENNIES THAT THEY HAVE, RIGHT? OKAY. LET'S ASSUME WE HAVE A $2 MILLION PROJECT TO DO THIS, RIGHT? WE GET ABOUT 45% TAX CREDIT BACK JUST UNDER A MILLION DOLLARS. THEY MAY NEED TO COME UP WITH $1.2 MILLION TO GET THIS BUILDING UP AND RUNNING. IT'S NOT A COMPLICATED BUILDING, RIGHT? NEXT SLIDE. WE HAVE GRANTS. WE HAVE SOURCES OF FUNDING. AGAIN, ALL OUT THERE. THE CITY ITSELF WILL PUT IN A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS FOR A HERITAGE GRANT. THAT MEANS ALL I NEED IS A MILLION DOLLARS LEFT TO GET THIS DONE, RIGHT? WELL, WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUNDS. WE'VE GOT TAX ABATEMENTS. RILEY AUSTIN'S GOT A LOT OF MONEY. PUBLIC HOUSING, PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDS FOR FOOD ACCESS CENTER. I THINK ALMOST $400,000 IS SITTING IN PUBLIC FOOD OR PUBLIC HEALTH FOR FOOD ACCESS. THIS IS A BODEGA. THIS COULD BE AN ACTUAL FOOD SOURCE FOR THE STREET, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? SO TO ACTUALLY PUT THAT MONEY TO USE, WE GOT NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS IF WE ACTUALLY INVOLVE HOUSING NEXT DOOR, HOUSING TAX CREDITS, NATIONAL TRUST GRANTS A $150,000 PRIVATE DONATIONS. ST. DAVID'S GAVE $500,000 TO TAYLOR FOR THE DICKIE HOUSE, A HISTORIC BLACK HOME. SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT WE CAN'T COME UP WITH A MILLION DOLLARS WHEN I SEE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS HERE IN POTENTIAL FUNDING, THAT MEANS THIS MIGHT JUST BE A MAX $500,000 PROJECT THAT EUREKA HAS TO PUT. SO THEN ECONOMICS DON'T MAKE SENSE. NEXT SLIDE. EVERYONE SAYS, OKAY, WELL THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE. WE CAN'T DO IT. WE CAN'T DO IT. WE CAN'T DO IT. RIGHT. AGAIN, A LACK OF CREATIVITY, A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY, AND A LACK OF GOOD STEWARDSHIP. I AM I, THERE'S A REASON WHY SO MANY ARCHITECTS THAT YOU'VE SEEN ON YOUR BACKUP THAT ARE SUPPORTING THIS AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS BECAUSE THEY KNOW BETTER, THEY'RE THE EXPERTS. YOU ASK THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO MAKE THIS. YOU HIRE THE CONSULTANTS TO MAKE THE DECISIONS. YOU HIRE SOME OF THE BRIGHTEST STAFF THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS. AND THEN WE SAY, WELL, YOU ALL DON'T KNOW. YOU ALL DON'T KNOW. BUT EUREKA KNOWS. I'VE LOOKED AT THE STRUCTURAL REPORTS. THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE OF STUFF OF SUBSTANCE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. NO. NO MATTER WHAT GOES THERE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO RELOCATE THE PROPERTY LINES ANYWAYS. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BURY THOSE UTILITIES. YOU'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY HAVE TO MODIFY THE SIDEWALK. MAKE IT SAFER. YES, THAT'S ALL UNDERSTANDABLE. WE COULD DO THAT. WE MAKE NO LITTLE PLANS, COUNSEL, WE CAN DO THIS. WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN. NEXT SLIDE. THERE'S A REASON WHY IT'S ONLY HAVE, THEY ONLY HAVE ONE ARCHITECT ON THE OPPOSITION. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS IN, IS IN SPLIT, RIGHT? THEY HAD 18 VOTES IN THE, IN YOUR BACKUP, TEN FOUR DEMOLITION, EIGHT AGAINST DEMOLITION. 18 PEOPLE CAN'T BE REPRESENTATIVE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. SO I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY DECISION THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD STILL HAS CONCERNS ABOUT THIS, RIGHT? BUT ARE THOSE CONCERNS AGAINST ZONING OR ARE THEY AGAINST NEGLECT OF A EMPTY LOT, RIGHT? NAVI NAVIGATING, OH, I'LL SKIP THAT NUMBER ONE, RIGHT? OH, SORRY, GO BACK. THESE POINTS, RIGHT? WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT COST. WE'VE ALREADY EXPLAINED THAT, RIGHT? THE FUTURE PROJECT IS GONNA BE EASILY $20 MILLION. SO YOU'RE TELLING ME WE DON'T HAVE 500 THOU $500,000 TO PUT PART OF THIS BUILDING. WE'VE DONE IT. WE'RE SEEING IT ON BLOCK 16, BLOCK 18. THAT'S THE KIND OF DEVELOPMENT WE WANT. THAT'S THE KIND OF CREATIVITY WE WANNA SEE. OH, BUT IT'S OKAY TO DO IT ON THE WEST SIDE TO DO IT OVER THERE WHERE SWEDISH BAKERY IS, RIGHT? IT'S OKAY TO DO IT FOR NOW'S GROCERY, BUT WHY ISN'T THAT OKAY FOR THE EAST SIDE? [06:55:01] WHY ISN'T IT OKAY FOR THE EAST SIDE TO HAVE THESE PROJECTS THAT DEMAND DEVELOPERS INCLUDE THOSE BUILDINGS AND ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO KEEP OUR HERITAGE ALIVE? AGAIN, IT MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE. NUMBER TWO, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, NOT AN ARGUMENT. NUMBER THREE, LACK OF INTEGRITY. YOU'VE SEEN THOSE PHOTOS. INTEGRITY MEANS SO MUCH IS GONE THAT WE CAN'T FIX IT. THAT IS WRONG. THE STOREFRONTS NEED TO BE RECONSTRUCTED. YES, BUT AGAIN, WE BROUGHT THINGS BACK A HUNDRED TIMES WORSE THAN THIS. BELIEVE ME, I WORKED ON COURTHOUSES ACROSS THE STATE AND THE STATE GIVES THEM $6 MILLION TO FIX THAT. THEY CAN DO IT. NUMBER FOUR, AGAIN, THE STRUCTURE WAS NOT THOROUGHLY INSPECTED. THERE'S NOTES IN THERE IN A LETTER THAT I PROVIDED SAYING THAT EVEN THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER THEMSELVES SAID, WE, WE REALLY DIDN'T DO A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF THIS, RIGHT? SO EUREKA DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE ABILITY OR THE DESIRE TO HIRE SOMEONE THAT'S ACTUALLY QUALIFIED TO GO INTO THESE BUILDINGS AND ACTUALLY TELL THEM. OF COURSE YOU'RE GONNA HIRE SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE STRUCTURALLY OR AS AN ARCHITECT. AGAIN, WE DO THIS. THAT'S WHY WE'RE FRUSTRATED. IT'S NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY VOICES, RIGHT? WE HAVE STATEWIDE SUPPORT TELLING YOU ALL THAT WE'RE LOSING THIS. THIS IS WHY THEY LAUGH AT US. THIS IS WHY THEY SAY WE'RE GONNA SAN ANTONIO FOR THEIR HERITAGE. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN IN OTHER SMALL TOWNS THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE LAWS FOR THIS. SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE LAWS. NEXT IDEA THERE IS THAT IT'S TOO DETERIORATED. WE ALREADY SAID THAT. THAT'S NEGLECT. AND THE LAST ITEM, I UNDERSTAND PROPERTY RIGHTS, RIGHT? I UNDERSTAND, BUT WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE PROPERTY ISSUES WHEN WE INFRINGE THAT ON AN OWNER, HERITAGE TREES, WE PROTECT TREES MORE THAN WE PROTECT THE BUILDING. I REALLY WISH THAT WE HAD MORE OF THAT SUPPORT TOGETHER TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS SUSTAINABLE. HEY, THIS PROTECTS THE ENVIRONMENT, RIGHT? REZONING, SETBACKS, RIGHT? EVEN AIRPORT EXPANSION. WE TOOK LAND, RIGHT? OKAY. HISTORIC ZONING ENSURES THAT PROPERTIES ARE PROPERLY MAINTAINED. NEXT SLIDE. WHAT'S THE LEGACY? PLEASE CONSIDER THIS. PLEASE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY. LISTEN TO THE, THE STATEWIDE SUPPORT WE HAVE. IT MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE. THANK YOU COUNSEL. NEXT, NEXT SPEAKER IS MEGAN KING, FOLLOWED BY TRAVIS HOLLER WITH TIME DONATED FROM CELINE RENDON. IS CELINE HERE? OKAY. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. I AM MEGAN KING, POLICY AND OUTREACH PLANNER FOR PRESERVATION AUSTIN. AND I'M HERE TO EXPRESS OUR EMPHATIC SUPPORT FOR DESIGNATING 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AS A CITY OF AUSTIN LANDMARK. AND WE DO REQUEST THAT THIS ITEM BE HEARD ON FIRST READING ONLY. AS WE DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A FULL DAIS. WE'RE JOINED BY OUR PARTNERS IN OVER 1600 SIGNATORIES ON OUR ONLINE PETITION, ALL OF WHOM RECOGNIZE THE BUILDING'S POTENTIAL TO SHAPE A VIBRANT FUTURE FOR EAST AUSTIN THAT HONORS THE LEGACY OF ITS BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN SURVEY RECOMMENDS THIS PROPERTY FOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL DESIGNATION, AND IT HAS BEEN UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED BY BOTH THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH THEY NEVER DO THAT, UH, FOR ITS HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL AND COMMUNITY VALUE. YESTERDAY DURING A MEETING WITH EUREKA, THEIR REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THIS CASE SHOULD ONLY BE EVALUATED ON THE BUILDING'S HISTORIC MERIT, NOT POTENTIAL FUT FUTURE USE. IF THAT IS THE CASE, THIS BUILDING IS UNDENIABLY HISTORIC. THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS EXPRESSED FRUSTRATIONS WITH THIS BLIGHTED CORNER CITING CONCERNS ABOUT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE. THESE ISSUES ARE URGENT. THE DETERIORATION OF THIS PROPERTY AND MUCH OF 12TH STREET FALLS SQUARELY ON EUREKA'S SHOULDERS, WHOSE NEGLECT OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS HAS MADE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD MUCH LESS LIVABLE. IF DESIGNATED THE PROPERTY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO HIGHER MAINTENANCE STANDARDS PER THE CODE, ESPECIALLY IF THE OWNER SEEKS TAX EXEMPTIVE LIKE THE ONE THAT WA THE ONES THAT JUAN RAYMOND OUTLINED, PRESERVATION AUSTIN WOULD BE GLAD TO ASSIST. EUREKA IN ACCESSING THESE RESOURCES. THIS CORNER OFFERS TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL FOR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT BALANCE PRESERVATION, DENSITY AND WALKABILITY REVISING A NEGLECTED AREA OF EAST AUSTIN. THIS COUNCIL HAS WORKED TO MAKE CITY THE CITY MORE LIVABLE, PROMOTING DENSITY, REMOVING PARKING REQUIREMENTS, REDUCING BUILDING SETBACKS, AND IMPROVING BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS SITE EMBODIES MANY OF THESE VALUES WITH ITS RARE URBAN COMMERCIAL DESIGN, INCREDIBLE HISTORY AND CONSIDERABLE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL. 1500 EAST 12TH STREET REPRESENTS A WATERSHED MOMENT FOR THE CITY. FOR DECADES, EAST AUSTIN HAS FACED DEMOLITION AND SPECULATIVE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS DISPLACED BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. WE NEED VISIONARY LEADERSHIP FROM THIS COUNCIL TO PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF THESE COMMUNITIES AND CHART A NEW FUTURE FOR EAST AUSTIN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. TRAVIS HOLLER GETS SIX MINUTES WITH DONATED TIME FROM CELINE RENDON. THANK YOU. UM, AND I HAD A PRESENTATION THAT I EMAILED IN, UH, TRAVIS HOLLER, AND I HAD EMAILED IN A PRESENTATION [07:00:40] LOOKING FOR THAT. JENNY GRAYSON SUE GAL, MARIANNE SANCHEZ, ANN CHARLOTTE PATTERSON, NOAH ELIAS. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD IF YOU PLAN ON SAYING SOMETHING. HELLO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M ANNE CHARLOTTE PATTERSON. I'M VICE CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMISSION. UH, HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS A TREMENDOUS DRIVER OF TOURISM AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MUSIC THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND THE COMMISSION BECAUSE, UH, HOTEL OCCUPANCY DOLLARS SUPPORT OUR LIVE MUSIC FUND. THEY ALSO BRING VISITORS TO OUR CITY. THEY'RE COMING OUT AND SEEING MORE SHOWS. SO I SEE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR THE DEVELOPER TO REHAB THIS PROPERTY. UM, VISITORS COME HERE FOR AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES. THEY COME HERE FOR A VIBE. IF WE'RE LOSING OUR HISTORIC PROPERTIES, I THINK THAT THAT WILL IMPACT OUR TOURISM NEGATIVELY. SO I THINK IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, OBVIOUSLY FROM, UH, THE IMPORTANCE TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OR BLACK HISTORY, THAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, BUT I SEE A POSSIBILITY FOR A WIN-WIN HERE. WE CAN MAKE A GOOD ECONOMIC DECISION AS WELL AS A GOOD PRESERVATION, UM, DECISION. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UM, THE DEVELOPER TO RETHINK THEIR DECISION. UH, THEIR PLACE, THEIR POSITION ON THIS. UM, THEIR REPRESENTATIVE HERE SEES BLIGHT. I SEE OPPORTUNITY AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD SUPPORT HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION FOR THIS PROPERTY AND OTHER PROPERTIES ALONG THE CORRIDOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AT THE PODIUM. ALL RIGHT. HELLO, MAYOR COUNCIL, I'M NO ELIAS, UH, DISTRICT THREE. I AM HERE AS THE VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION. UM, ON TUESDAY WHEN WE MET, UM, WE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO SUPPORT, UH, THIS ITEM. THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUPPORTS THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION'S ORDINANCE TO DESIGNATE 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AS A CITY OF AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARK. THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN PART OF MANY CHANGES IN EAST AUSTIN AND TO SERVES TO BE PRESERVED AND DESIGNATED AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AND EVERYBODY HAS GIVEN YOU SO MANY, UH, REASONS WHY, UM, HOW THIS WOULD BENEFIT OUR CITY. SO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS PROUD TO SAY THAT WE SUPPORT THIS AND WE URGE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SUE GAUL. I'M FORTUNATE TO BE A RESIDENT ON EAST 10TH STREET IN DISTRICT ONE FOR 28 YEARS NOW, 1500 EAST 12TH STREET IS JUST HALF A MILE FROM MY HOUSE. I DRIVE BY IT AND WALK MY DOGS BY IT ALL THE TIME. IT IS HEARTBREAKING TO WITNESS THIS BUILDING BEING PURPOSELY NEGLECTED SO IT CAN BE TORN DOWN. THAT APPEARS TO BE EUREKA HOLDINGS BUSINESS MODEL. PLEASE APPROVE ITEM 90, SUPPORT THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION TO PRESERVE AN IMPORTANT PART OF EAST AUSTIN'S HISTORY. PLEASE DON'T REWARD THIS DALLAS DEVELOPER'S BAD BEHAVIOR. THANK YOU. HAS YOUR NAME BEEN CALLED? IT HAS NOT, BUT I DID REGISTER. OKAY. I HAVE A CONFIRMATION OF THAT. ALRIGHT, WELL LET'S SEE IF THEY CALL YOUR NAME. IF IT'S MS. KALE, PLEASE. YES, YOUR NAME IS FINE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. MY NAME IS MARY KALE. I'M ON THE BOARD OF PRESERVATION AUSTIN, AND I CHAIR ITS ADVOCACY COMMITTEE. I'M AN ORAL HISTORIAN WITH EXPERIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND COMMUNITY HISTORY. I'M HERE TODAY TO URGE YOU TO MAKE THIS A HISTORIC LANDMARK. UM, MY JOB LITERALLY IS TO CAPTURE STORIES OF PEOPLE. THAT'S [07:05:01] WHAT I DO ALL THE TIME. AND THIS BUILDING PROVIDES A WINDOW INTO SOME OF THE FASCINATING STORIES IN EAST AUSTIN. ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO TOUCH ON IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ORIGINALLY OWNED BY TWO GERMAN FAMILIES. I'M FASCINATED BY AN ASPECT OF THAT THEY OWN THIS PROPERTY DURING BOTH WORLD WARS. I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW THEY NAVIGATED ANTI GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THAT PERIOD. ANOTHER FASCINATING, REALLY INTERESTING ASPECT OF THE HISTORY OF THIS SITE THAT I HAVE NOT YET HEARD DISCUSSED IN DETAIL, IS THAT IT WAS THE SITE OF MANY BEAUTY ESTABLISHMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE OWNED BY AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN. HISTORICALLY, THIS WAS A FANTASTIC WAY FOR BLACK WOMEN TO, UM, PUSH BACK AGAINST MAINSTREAM BEAUTY STANDARDS AND TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC SUCCESS, UH, WHILE DOING SO. SO IT IS JUST AN, A REALLY FASCINATING ASPECT OF THE HISTORY HERE. UM, THERE'S ALSO AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UH, EFFECT AROUND THIS PROPERTY. AS YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE LANDFILLS ARE IN EAST AUSTIN. DEMOLITION DEBRIS GOES STRAIGHT TO EAST AUSTIN. I'VE SAID THAT MANY TIMES BEFORE IN FRONT OF COUNCIL. UM, AND WHEN YOU TEAR DOWN A BUILDING, IT CREATES HAZARDOUS DUST THAT OFTENTIMES IS NOT PROPERLY MITIGATED. UM, AND THEN THAT WILL GO INTO YOUR RIVER WAYS. UM, OTHER THINGS I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UM, IS THAT, UM, OH, SO ONE OF THE ADJACENT LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS IS CURRENTLY PURSUING NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS. AND SO WHAT I WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT THE EAST 12TH STREET CORRIDOR AND THIS BUILDING, IF LANDMARKED AS HISTORIC, WOULD BE PART OF A MUCH LARGER HISTORIC FABRIC. THIS ISN'T ISOLATED. THIS WOULD BE ONE OF MANY THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO AN OVERALL PROSPEROUS, THRIVING AREA. SO I REALLY WANT Y'ALL TO, TO REMEMBER THAT IT'S NOT JUST THIS ONE CORNER, IT'S PART OF THE WHOLE. UM, I WOULD JUST, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU, UM, UH, TO DESIGNATE THIS WITH HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION. CONSIDER MAKING THE ENTIRE AREA A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT OR DOING THOSE THINGS TO HELP PRESERVE THIS AREA AND MAKE IT PROSPEROUS AND THRIVING AND BRINGING THAT TOURISM INTO AUSTIN. UM, AS A ORAL HISTORIAN, I WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF CAPTURING THOSE STORIES AGAIN, I LOVE DOING THAT. I LOVE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SAY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. TRAVIS HOLLER WITH TIME DONATED FROM CELINE, SO HE'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES. AWESOME, THANK YOU. AND I GUESS WE'LL TRY THIS AGAIN. UM, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. COUNCIL, EXCUSE ME. MY NAME IS TRAVIS HOLLER AND I'M A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT THREE AND A BOARD MEMBER OF FOR PRESERVATION AUSTIN, AND I ALSO WORK FOR A LOCAL COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER AND INVESTOR. I'M HERE TO REQUEST A VOTE ON THE FIRST READING ONLY AND TO VOICE MY STRONG SUPPORT IN ESTABLISHING 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AS A CITY OF AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARK. AS MENTIONED BY PREVIOUS SPEAKERS, THIS PROPERTY HAS ALREADY BEEN RECOGNIZED BY CITY STAFF AS MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION. DUE TO ITS ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE, HISTORIC ASSOCI AND COMMUNITY VALUE, IT HAS ALSO SET A PRECEDENT BY RECEIVING FOR THE FIRST TIME WE'VE CONFIRMED UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FROM BOTH THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION. NOW COUNCIL CAN CONTINUE THAT PRECEDENT BY SAVING THIS BUILDING FROM DEMOLITION AND DESIGNATING IT AS A LANDMARK. UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. DESPITE ITS HISTORIC VALUE. OH, ONE MORE SLIDE. MR. MAYOR. CAN WE ENCOURAGE THE SPEAKER TO FIND, THERE'S A LITTLE MUFFLE PIECE THAT WILL STOP THAT AND SOUND AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT YOUR MOUTH RIGHT ON IT. SORRY. IT KEEPS DROOPING . WELL, BUT BUT WE CAN STILL HEAR YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. UM, DESPITE ITS HISTORIC VALUE, UM, THIS LANDMARK HAS FACED NEGLECT UNDER THE OWNERSHIP BY EUREKA HOLDINGS AS MENTIONED BY PREVIOUS SPEAKERS. THIS PROPERTY, OH, SORRY, I'M SKIPPING AROUND A LITTLE BIT. UM, UH, LEADING IT, UH, VULNERABLE TO FURTHER DETERIORATION. NEXT SLIDE. WHILE IT'S FRUSTRATING, WHAT'S FRUSTRATING IS THAT PRIOR TO EUREKA'S ACQUISITION OF THIS BUILDING, IT WAS A WELL-MAINTAINED AND ACTIVELY LEASED COMMERCIAL RETAIL SPACE ON THE 12TH STREET CORRIDOR. IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, ITS DETERIORATION WAS INTENT WAS DONE INTENTIONALLY DESPITE ITS ABILITY TO REMAIN AN ACTIVE COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR THE BROADER COMMUNITY. THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE DEVELOPER SPOKE EARLIER AND MADE MANY COMMENTS ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING. NEXT SLIDE. WHAT HE FAILED TO MENTION WAS THAT THE BUILDING WAS A FUNCTIONING COMMERCIAL SPACE WHEN WE RE ACQUIRED THE BUILDING. AND THE RECENT IS RECENT ISSUES INCLUDING THIS MORNING'S BREAK IN ARE MOST LIKELY THE RESULT OF THEIR INTENTIONAL NEGLECT. [07:10:01] AND FOR THAT MATTER, THE ILLEGAL DEMOLITION AND DERELICTION OF THE PROPERTY AND ONLY THE PAST FEW WEEKS ALONE, WHICH HAS BEEN WELL-DOCUMENTED AND REPORTED FOR CODE VIOLATIONS. NEXT SLIDE. THESE IMAGES SHOW THIS WAS TAKEN A WEEK AGO OF SOME OF THE INITIAL DEMOLITION THAT'S BEEN DONE DESPITE THE VOTES THAT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE AT HLC AND PLANNING COMMISSION. UM, SPEAKING OF CODE VIOLATIONS, THERE ARE NUMEROUS EXISTING MECHANISMS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S CODE THAT COULD AND SHOULD BE ENFORCED TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE TO THIS ICONIC BUILDING VISIT PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE MINIMUM MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR HISTORIC STRUCTURES, PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL DEMOLITION, WHICH IS SEEN IN THESE PHOTOS TAKEN LAST WEEK AND IS ALREADY UNDERWAY AND EMERGENCY STABILIZATION MEASURES, UH, TO PROVIDE A CLEAR PATH FOR THE CITY TO HOLD EUREKA HOLDINGS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS STEWARDSHIP OF THIS BUILDING. PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF THESE REGULATIONS CAN PRESERVE THE BUILDING'S STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY WHILE ADVANCING EFFORTS TO DESIGNATED AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK. NEXT SLIDE. JUST A JUXTAPOSITION OF THE TWO PHOTOS. THE ONE ON THE RIGHT WAS 2015 PRIOR TO THE ACQUISITION. NEXT SLIDE. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE LEGAL NAME OF THE SPECIFIC PROPERTY. SOTO SOPA SALMON LP. FOR THOSE UNAWARE THE NAME SOTO SOPA DIRECTLY REFERENCES AN EPISODE OF THE CARTOON COMEDY SOUTH PARK, IN WHICH AN EPISODE THE CITY PART OF TOWN, THE CITY IS PRONOUNCED DIFFERENTLY. IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, DIRECTLY MOCKS THE IMPACT OF GENTRIFICATION AND REDEVELOPMENT. THE PHOTOS UP THERE ARE SCREENSHOTS OF, UH, THAT EPISODE. AND YOU CAN SEE SOTO SOPA IS CLEARLY DEPICTED IN THOSE SCREENSHOTS. EUREKA HOLDINGS IS DIRECTLY MOCKING THE RESIDENTS OF EAST 12TH AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A WHOLE. WITH THIS VILE REFERENCE. VOTING TO DESIGNATE 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK WOULD NOT ONLY PROTECT A VITAL COMMUNITY ASSET, BUT ALSO HONOR THE STORIES AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF THOSE WHO HAVE CALLED ESAU AND HOME. AND IT WILL ENSURE THAT OUR CITY'S VIBRANT HISTORY IS PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND YOUR TIME ON THIS AGENDA. ITEM NEXT SPEAKER IS INIA JOSEPH BEN SAF. MISA LE BRAMOS WITH TIME DONATED FROM. SO PRAXIS IS SO HERE. OKAY, GO AHEAD MR. SAF. MS. JOSEPH, ARE YOU GOING TO I OKAY. ALRIGHT, WELL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND THEN NO, NO, PLEASE GO AHEAD. THAT'S WHAT WE WANT YOU TO DO, BUT I I I'M JUST TRYING TO ENCOURAGE HER TO COME AHEAD. THERE WE GO. COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR WATSON. I'M BEN HEIM. UH, I'M AN ARCHITECT IN PRIVATE PRACTICE. I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE AND I ALSO HAPPEN TO BE THE CHAIR OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION. AND WHEN THIS CAME BEFORE US, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO REVIEWS. UH, IT WAS PRESENTED IN BOTH CASE, BOTH EVENINGS. UH, WE WERE, UH, PRESENTED WITH MATERIAL ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING AND WHY IT WAS NOT, UH, RESTORABLE. UH, YOU HAVE APPOINTED TO OUR COMMISSION SOME VERY SEASONED AND VERY EXPERT, UH, ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS AND PROFESSIONALS IN THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FIELD. SO YES, WHEN YOU'RE GIVING US INFORMATION AND YOU'RE SHOWING US, UH, TECHNICALLY WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO TEAR SOMETHING DOWN, UH, IF, IF YOU CAN PROVE THAT TO US VERY OFTEN WE'LL ACCEPT THE DEMOLITION AND SAY, YES, IT IS BEYOND REPAIR. THAT'S ROUGHLY HALF THE TIME WHAT WE GET. THIS WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE WEAKEST CASES THAT WE SAW. WE HAD VERY LITTLE TO GO ON OTHER THAN, HEY, THERE ARE CODES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN CURRENT BUILDING STANDARDS THAT DON'T APPLY TO THIS OLD BUILDING. AND OF COURSE, THERE'S A WHOLE SECTION OF OUR CODE THAT DEALS WITH OLD BUILDINGS. SO IF YOU WANNA GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE CASE, UH, ONE OR TWO OF OUR MEMBERS GAVE SOME OF THEIR EXPERTS A BIT OF A BROW BEATING FOR PRESENTING AND MAKING CONCLUSIONS BASED ON MATERIALS THAT WERE NOT ACCURATE. WHAT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO THOUGH, FOR YOU ALL, IT WAS A UNANIMOUS VOTE FOR US, AND YOUR CHOICE TONIGHT IS WHAT ARE WE PASSING ON ABOUT EAST AUSTIN TO FUTURE GENERATIONS? BECAUSE THIS IS A RARE EXAMPLE OF NOT ONLY THE 12TH STREET THAT WAS PROSPEROUS DURING THE DAYS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY WHEN WE HAD, UH, RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF, OF, UH, UH, UH, SEGREGATION, UH, OFFICIAL SANCTIONS AGAINST THAT VIBRANT COMMUNITY. BUT IN SPITE OF THAT EAST 12TH STREET PROSPERED, AND PRIOR TO THAT, YOU HAD THE IMMIGRANT GERMAN COMMUNITY THAT PUT SO MUCH OF THIS TOGETHER. IF THIS VOTE PASSES, THIS HISTORIC BUILDING EMPHATICALLY CAN BE RESTORED. AND IF IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THIS OWNER THAT WILL DO IT, ANOTHER ONE CAN. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, THAT THERE CAN'T BE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS ON THIS PROPERTY. AS YOU HAVE HEARD, WE HAVE OTHER PROPERTIES WHERE WE'VE TAKEN HISTORIC FACADES OR [07:15:01] HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT WERE SMALLER OR MORE MODEST AND ALLOWED FOR ADDITIONS OR DENSIFICATION. SO THAT IS A POSSIBILITY, A WIN-WIN POSSIBILITY, EVEN WITH A HISTORIC ZONING. THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE TO THIS CAME TO US, BY THE WAY, BECAUSE THE OWNER SAYS THEY WANT TO TEAR THIS BUILDING DOWN, AND THAT IS THE REASON WE INITIATED THE HISTORIC ZONING. SO IF YOU APPROVE THE REQUEST TO DEMOLISH THIS BUILDING WILL PROBABLY LAST ANOTHER TWO OR THREE WEEKS. THE BULLDOZER WILL BE THERE AND THERE'LL BE NO TRACE OF THIS HISTORY LEFT. SO WE HOPE AND URGE YOU. THANK YOU MR. ETH. I I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION AS CHAIR OF THE, OF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION. UM, AND I'LL ASK THIS OF CITY STAFF AS WELL, BUT WHAT IS THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM? LET ME LET, LET'S SAY YOU'VE GOT SOMEBODY THAT'S PURPOSEFULLY TRYING TO LET A BUILDING AS, AS HAS BEEN SUGGESTED MORE THAN SUGGESTED HERE TONIGHT, UM, THAT THERE'S AN EFFORT TO LET THIS DETERIORATE SO THAT IT CAN'T BE USED SO THAT SOMETHING ELSE CAN HAPPEN. AND LET'S SAY THAT EVERYBODY WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT TO BE AN HISTORICAL LANDMARK. WHAT'S THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM TO KEEP SOMEBODY FROM JUST LETTING IT FALL INTO THE GROUND? YEAH, UH, IT IS, IT IS A VERY HIGH BAR, BUT WE HAVE THE TERM WE REFER TO AS, UH, DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT. AND OUR COMMISSION ALONG WITH STAFF, CAN MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. HOWEVER, WE DON'T HAVE THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM. WE DOVETAIL, EXCUSE ME, OUR WORK WITH THE BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION AND THEN CODE ENFORCEMENT AND I, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE PARTICULARS BECAUSE NO, THAT ANSWERED THE QUESTION, BUT THAT, THAT'S GENERALLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN. THERE'S A MECHANISM THAT FEELS THAT IF, IF THERE'S A DETERMINATION THAT THIS IS BEING DONE PURPOSEFULLY AS HAS BEEN SUGGESTED, YOU CAN ENFORCE IT SO THAT YOU CAN PRESERVE THE HISTORICAL NATURE. MAYOR, THAT'S CORRECT. AND I JUST WANT BY REFERENCE THIS SAME OWNER, THE, THE, THE HURDLE HOUSE NEXT DOOR. UH, THEY OWN THAT AND THEY WERE THREATENED WITH THE DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT. UH, AND THEY CAME TO THE TABLE AND ACTUALLY HAVE WORKED WITH THE STAFF AND WITH THE COMMISSION IN PREVIOUS YEARS. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S A, IT'S A DISAPPOINTMENT FOR US THAT THIS REQUEST WOULD'VE COME THE WAY IT HAS AND THAT THE RESPONSE CAME BACK THE WAY IT HAS. WE THINK THAT THERE'S A CREATIVE SOLUTION AND WE URGE YOU TO HELP US FIND IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. JOSEPH. THANK YOU MAYOR COUNSEL, I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH. WHILE I CERTAINLY DO SUPPORT THE HISTORIC ZONING FOR THIS BUILDING, I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO POSTPONE THIS VOTE. SPECIFICALLY MY WRITTEN TESTIMONY FROM THE OCTOBER 8TH, 2024 PLANNING COMMISSION IS NOT IN BACKUP. THAT'S VIEWPOINT DISCRIMINATION. THE PERSON WHO SPOKE BEFORE ME WAS NALA SANKOFA. HER INFORMATION IS IN BACKUP AND MINE IS NOT. BUT IF YOU SHOULD MOVE FORWARD, I DO WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT ON MARCH 4TH, 2021, YOU ACTUALLY APOLOGIZED TO BLACK PEOPLE FOR INTENTIONAL DISCRIMINATION. AND I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE REAL THE BLACK EMBASSY THAT WAS PROMISED BY THE CITY MANAGER BACK THEN. I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL, MY INFORMATION IS ON THE SCREEN SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THAT I WAS AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION. NEXT SLIDE. I'LL USE THE REMAINDER OF MY TIME TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE ENFORCE THE RULES AS THEY ARE POSTED. SO THIS IS A MESSAGE TO THE SECURITY STAFF. I WANNA THANK MR. RUBIO WHO WAS IN THE BACK. I WANT YOU TO SEE THE STAFF TALKING TO US AS WE WERE PREPARING TO TALK TO YOU, ASKING US TO COMPLY WITH RULES THERE, MS. JOSEPH THAT AREN'T THERE. MS. JOSEPH, YOU, YOU ARE, I'M GONNA RULE YOU OUT OF ORDER. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SPECIFIC ITEM. IT IS MAYOR BECAUSE THE GENTLEMAN NO MA'AM. I'M RULING YOU OUT. MA'AM. THE GENTLEMAN WHO JUST SPOKE IS ON THE, ON THE SCREEN, MR. RUBIO AND I HAVE UNDERNEATH HIM, HE'S THE PRESERVATION CONSULTANT. IT IS GERMANE BECAUSE ON DECEMBER 6TH, 2024 IN THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE, HE SPOKE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR CASE, PRESERVING AUSTIN'S VANISHING SOUL. HE MENTIONED 130 HISTORIC ELIGIBLE BUILDINGS HAD BEEN DEMOLISHED AND THAT SINCE 2018 YOU HAVE ACTUALLY APPROVED LESS THAN EIGHT HISTORIC ITEMS, UH, LESS THAN EIGHT PROPERTIES. IT IS GERMANE. MAYOR, I WANT YOU TO RESPECTFULLY UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE THE MEMBERS ON THE LEFT SIDE WHO VOTED AGAINST THE SINGING SUN HOUSE. AND THAT IS SIMPLY MY REQUEST TO THEM TO THINK DIFFERENTLY. I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THIS MORNING, NATASHA HARPER MADISON GAVE YOU A HISTORY LESSON ABOUT HOUSTON TILTON UNIVERSITY. AND SO I WOULD ASK HER THIS TIME NOT TO VOTE AGAINST PRESERVING THE SPIRIT OF EAST AUSTIN. AND SO IT IS GERMANE AND I WOULD ASK MACKENZIE KELLY IN HER LAST ACT ON COUNCIL TO DO SOMETHING FOR BLACK PEOPLE. AND I'M NOT GOING OFF [07:20:01] ON THE TRANSPORTATION TANGENT, MAYOR, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S HOW I MET MACKENZIE KELLY SPEAKING ABOUT SAMSUNG TO APPLE. AND LASTLY, I WOULD ASK PAIGE ELLIS, WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE WAITING 60 MINUTES FOR THE BUS, 10 TIMES LONGER THAN WHITE PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY VOTE AND DO SOMETHING FOR BLACK PEOPLE AS OPPOSED TO WHITE PRIVILEGE. AND SO IT'S GERMANE MAYOR, AND MY COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS IN THE CONTEXT OF TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN. PLEASE DO MORE THAN SIMPLY SIT THERE AND TALK ABOUT EQUITY AD NAUSEUM. I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HAD NOTHING IN BACKUP ON NOVEMBER 12TH WHEN THEY HAD TO VOTE ON THE PER E EQUITY PRESERVATION PLAN. IF THANK YOU JOSEPH. QUESTION AT THIS TIME. HELLO? HEY, ALL MY NAME IS MESSIAH RAMOS. I AM THE PRESIDENT. SORRY, MR. RAMOS, YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES BECAUSE SOLE PRAXIS DONATED. AWESOME. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS MESSIAH RAMOS. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. I FORGOT TO SAY THE HISTORIC ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. AND I'M ACTUALLY UP HERE TO READ OFF A STATEMENT FROM BRENDA MALIK WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. UM, SO LET ME JUMP INTO IT. SO DEAR COUNSEL, I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF AGENDA ITEM 90. MY NAME IS BRENDA MALIK. I HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN SINCE 1958. I WENT TO AUSTIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND A MIGHTY YELLOW JACKET AND FORMER LONGHORN. I RAISED TWO SONS HERE AND AM A PROUD, GREAT-GRANDMOTHER OF FOUR. I STARTED MY CAREER HERE AND WAS THE A TO THE HONORABLE JIMMY SNELL. SO I HAVE AN INKLING OF ALL THE PRESSURES YOU FACE ON THE DAIS. WHILE IN THAT OFFICE, I WORKED TIRELESSLY UPGRADE TO UPGRADE CITY SERVICES TO A NEGLECTED 11TH AND 12TH STREET CORRIDOR, INCLUDING STREET LIGHTING, PAVED STREETS, AND EVEN SIDEWALKS. I HAVE BEEN IN THE BACK ROOMS AND LISTENED TO CONCERNS FROM NEIGHBORHOOD CONSTITUENCIES. MORE RECENTLY, I LED AN EFFORT TO DESIGNATE THE ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS NEIGHBORHOOD AS THE ONLY ORIGINALLY BLACK AUSTIN HISTORIC DISTRICT. MORE RECENTLY, I LED AN EFFORT TO DESIGNATE THE ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS NEIGHBORHOOD AS THE ONLY ORIGINALLY BLACK AUSTIN HISTORIC DISTRICT. I CONTINUE TO SERVE ON THE AUSTIN PRESERVATION GROUP AND HELP TO DEVELOP THE AUSTIN HISTORIC PLAN THAT YOU SO GRACIOUSLY ADOPTED. FORTUNATELY, YOUR PREDECESSORS HAD THE VISION TO ESTABLISH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, TO TAKE SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF COUNCIL AND GUIDE YOU TO DECISIONS THAT IMPACT THE DAILY LIVES OF OUR CITIZENS. I MENTIONED THIS BECAUSE EACH ONE OF YOU APPOINTED MEMBERS TO THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BOTH WHOM HAVE RECOMMENDED THE REZONING OF 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AND THE PRESERVATION OF OF THE BUILDING. NOW LET'S BE CLEAR, WE'VE SEEN THE STRATEGY BEFORE FROM THE PROPERTY OWNER TO SCOOP UP A PROPERTY, EVEN THOSE IT'S DESIGNATED HISTORIC AND JUST SIT ON THEM UNTIL THEY CAN CLAIM THAT THE BUILDING IS UNSAFE AND NEEDS TO BE DEMOLISHED. THAT'S WHAT WE CALL DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT. I'M ASKING THIS COUNCIL TO STAND UP WITH YOUR APPOINTED COMMISSIONERS, STAND UP WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS AND TAKE A STAND AGAINST THIS PREDATORY LAND GRABBER INTENT ON TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE, YOUR EAST AUSTIN BLACK AND BROWN RESIDENTS THAT ARE FIGHTING TO NOT BE ERASED FROM THE CITY'S HISTORY. THANK YOU. NOW THAT WAS BRENDA. THIS IS ME . SO I JUST WANT TO FIRST COMMENT ON THE, UH, THE DETERIORATION OF THE ACTUAL BUILDING. IT'S DECAYED BECAUSE EUREKA HASN'T DONE ANYTHING WITH IT. EUREKA DOESN'T CARE ABOUT PEOPLE, IT DOESN'T CARE ABOUT EAST AUSTIN. IT ONLY CARES ABOUT PROFITS. IF IT ACTUALLY DID CARE ABOUT EAST AUSTIN AND ACTUALLY CARED ABOUT PRESERVING THE HISTORY, IT WOULD'VE REHABBED THIS BUILDING A LONG TIME AGO. WE'VE SEEN THEM DO THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN. THEY OWN 36 PROPERTIES ON 12TH STREET ALONE, AND THEY JUST LET THEM DETERIORATE. THE HURDLE HOUSE WAS IN THE SAME SITUATION UNTIL THE HLC THEN ACTUALLY WAS MOVING TOWARDS A DEMOLITION, UH, NEGLECT PERMIT. THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY THEY ACTED AND ACTUALLY REHABBED IT. AND SO I COME UP HERE TO REALLY JUST [07:25:01] PUT INTO FOCUS THAT WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY HERE TO REALLY BRIDGE THE GAP AND ACTUALLY PRESERVE THIS HISTORY AND BRING IT INTO THE FUTURE. BUT WE NEED THAT OPPORTUNITY BY Y'ALL VOTING IN FAVOR OF COMMUNITY. SO PLEASE TAKE A STANCE AGAINST PREDATORY SPECULATION AND COME WITH THE COMMUNITY AND LET'S ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING GREAT HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS DAN NINDO, FOLLOWED BY MONICA GUZMAN AND, UH, ANNA MICHELLE BAK. IS ANYONE HERE? SHANE JOHNSON. I SEE, UH, MS. GUZMAN. UH, MS. GUZMAN HAS TIME DONATED FROM BOBBY LEVINSKY. IS BOBBY HERE? HE'S STILL HERE. OKAY, SO YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES. THAT'S OKAY. I DON'T EVEN THINK I'LL NEED MY FULL THREE. UM, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL. I'M MONICA GOSMAN, POLICY DIRECTOR OF GAVA GO AUSTIN. VAMOS AUSTIN GAVA SUPPORTS ITEM 90 PRESERVATION OF THE 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AND ASK YOU VOTE YES TO DESIGNATE 1500 EAST 12TH STREET. AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARK. FOR DECADES, EAST AUSTIN HAS SEEN COUNTLESS DEMOLITIONS AND DISPLACEMENT OF ITS HISTORIC BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES ERASING GENERATIONS OF STORIES AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE SHAPED OUR CITY. 1500 EAST 12TH STREET TRACES A LONG LINEAGE OF EAST AUSTIN HISTORY. AS YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM PREVIOUS SPEAKERS FROM HIS DAYS AND ENCLAVE FOR GERMAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS TO ITS MID-CENTURY HISTORY IS A SITE OF BLACK BUSINESSES AND CULTURAL LIFE. DALLAS BASED OWNER EUREKA HOLDINGS HAS SHOWN NO INDICATION THAT THEY INTEND TO HONOR THE HISTORY OF THIS SITE AND THIS DEMOLITION WOULD BE A HUGE LOSS. VARSITY'S HISTORY. I ASK THAT YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT WHAT REMAINS OF EAST AUSTIN'S BLACK HISTORY. AS A D FOUR RESIDENT AND NATIVE AUSTINITE, I HAVE DONE COMMUNITY WORK AS WELL AS MY, MY DAY JOB IN OTHER HISTORIC PARTS OF THE CITY, THE ST. JOHN'S NEIGHBORHOOD. I'VE BEEN IN MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM WANTING TO PRESERVE THEIR HISTORY. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY LOST THOSE OPPORTUNITIES DUE TO CHANGES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE OVER THE YEARS. SO DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN WITH THIS ONE. APPROVE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ALSO IN THE FINAL STATEMENT. IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO KNOW THERE ARE FOLKS OPPOSING SUCH AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU. HELLO, COUNSEL. MY NAME IS ANNA MICHEL BABIAK AND I'M A D ONE RESIDENT LIVING OFF 12TH STREET. I'M ASKING YOU TO VOTE YES TO DESIGNATE 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AS A CITY OF AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARK. I MOVED TO AUSTIN JUST FOUR YEARS AGO FROM WASHINGTON DC AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST. WHAT DREW ME HERE AND HAS KEPT ME HERE IS THAT THE CITY HAS A VIBRANT CULTURE. IT OFFERS FROM MUSIC TO CULINARY ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE. AND I CHOSE TO LIVE ON THE EAST SIDE BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING AREAS THAT MAINTAINS A DISTINCT LEVEL OF DIVERSITY AND AUTHENTICITY WITH ESTABLISHMENTS AND PARKS THAT HAVE BEEN CORNERSTONES OF THE ORIGINAL COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES. MANY VETERAN AUSTINITES HAVE EDUCATED ME ABOUT THE PAINFUL ERA OF REDLINING AND SEGREGATION VIS-A-VIS EAST AVENUE. AND I'VE SEEN ITS EFFECTS DISTINCTLY AS INFRASTRUCTURE IS STILL SERIOUSLY NEGLECTED COMPARED TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. THIS YEAR, JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER THANKSGIVING, MY NEIGHBOR'S HOME WAS DEMOLISHED. A NEARLY 100-YEAR-OLD, UM, STONE-FACED HOME. THIS CAME AS A SHOCK AS THE LATINO RENTERS HAD TO MAKE IT JUST, UH, DAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING. AND THEN THE BULLDOZERS CAME AND TORE DOWN EVERYTHING FROM TREES TO MAILBOXES AND THE VERY FOUNDATION OF THE HOME. UM, THIS HOME I LEARNED FROM MY NEIGHBOR, A LIFELONG EAST AUSTIN RESIDENT WAS ORIGINALLY OWNED BY AN 80-YEAR-OLD BLACK LADY NAMED MS. CHRISTINE, WHO USED TO GROW COLLARD GREENS AND WATERMELON, WHICH SHE SOLD AND SHARED WITH NEIGHBORS FOR DECADES. AND SHE WAS IN FACT, A GOOD FRIEND OF MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY WHO FREQUENTED OUR STREET ON REGULAR VISITS. THE HISTORY AND VERY FABRIC OF THESE COMMUNITIES ARE BEING DESTROYED WITH ACCELERATED GENTRIFICATION THAT IS A VIOLENCE. UPON HEARING ABOUT THE THREAT OF DEMOLITION OF SEVERAL HISTORIC BUILDINGS ON THE 12TH STREET, INCLUDING THE HISTORIC PALLADIUM, I SAT DOWN WITH MY BLACK NEIGHBORS LIFETIME RESIDENTS OF THE EAST SIDE WHO HAVE MULTI-GENERATIONAL NETWORKS IN THE AREA. AND I ASKED THEM TO TEACH ME ABOUT 12TH STREET AND WHAT WAS HERE BEFORE SO I COULD UNDERSTAND ONE WOMAN IN HER EIGHTIES. MS. RAY, WHO I SPOKE TO THIS MORNING ON THE PHONE, IS A GRADUATE OF HOUSTON TILSON. UM, AND SHE NAMED FROM MEMORY BLOCK BY BLOCK THE FORMER OWNERS AND BUSINESSES OF EVERY INCH OF 12TH STREET FROM BLACK OWNED OPTOMETRY OFFICES TO CHURCHES TO LEGENDARY BARBECUE JOINTS, TO FUNERAL HALLS, TO CHARITY ORGANIZATIONS, TO [07:30:01] LIBRARIES, MOST OF WHICH ARE NO LONGER THERE. MS. RAY TOLD ME ABOUT PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO WERE TEACHERS, MUSICIANS, PASTORS, ORGANIZERS WHO LED THE COMMUNITY AND HELD IT TOGETHER DURING SEGREGATION WHEN BLACK FOLK WERE NOT ALLOWED IN ESTABLISHMENTS DOWNTOWN. THE EAST SIDE HAS A RICH HISTORY OF RESILIENCE AND INGENUITY THAT HAS TO BE PRESERVED, RESTORED, AND TAUGHT ABOUT. MS. RAY TOLD ME I'M PART OF A GROUP OF 20 OR MORE FRIENDS WHO ARE STILL IN UNREST BECAUSE OF ALL THE TEARING DOWN AND DISPLACEMENT OF THE EAST SIDE AND CLARKSVILLE, SHE NOW RESIDES IN MANOR. SHE SAID THE OVERALL FEELING IS THAT EAST AUSTIN PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY AFRICAN AMERICANS, FEEL PUSHED OUT. LASTLY, SHE SAID IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW WHOSE SHOULDERS YOU STAND ON. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. MAYOR, I'M CALL ON SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION TO THE ITEM. WE HAVE MARY CASPER, FREDDY DIXON, AND DANNY THOMPSON. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED AND YOU WISH TO SPEAK, PLEASE COME FORWARD, ELLIOT. WELL, THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE PROCESS WORKS, SO YOU'LL YOU'LL NEED TO COME AND SPEAK. HAVE YOU ALREADY DONATED YOUR TIME? DONATED MY TIME. OKAY. IS THAT TRUE? I I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING. YOU, YOU NEED TO COME OVER AND, AND, AND, AND FOLLOW THE PROCESS. PLEASE. WE'LL GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF. YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES. OKAY. HELLO COUNSEL. GOOD EVENING. UM, MY NAME IS ELLIOT DO AND MY INTEREST IS IN THIS CASE IS THAT I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM 1500 EAST 12TH STREET. I'VE LIVED ALL OVER AUSTIN AND SPECIFICALLY AT THIS ADDRESS FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS. ALSO, I OWN AND RUN A LOCAL COMPUTER REPAIR SHOP. AND EACH DAY I SEE THE VALUE. I'M SORRY, I JUST NEED TO INTERRUPT. ELLIOT, I DON'T HAVE YOU REGISTERED TO SPEAK. SHE'S NOT, WE, SO WHAT SHE'S WANTING TO DO IS DONATE SO THAT HE SPEAKS ON HER BEHALF. BUT THAT, I'M SORRY IF YOU'VE NOT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T DO THAT. WE HAVE, WE, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW SOME FORM OF PROCESS AND IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, YOU CAN'T GIVE, GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. SHE MAY BECAUSE SHE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. SHE CAN'T JUST TRANSFER THAT TO YOU. OKAY. UM, SO, SO YOU CAN'T SPEAK. OKAY, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. BUT SHE CAN, YES, PLEASE. THIS IS ON BEHALF OF ELLIOT DEW. UM, HIS INTEREST HERE IS THAT HE LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM 1500 EAST 12TH STREET, AND HE WANTS YOU TO SEE THIS PICTURE TOO. UM, HE ALSO OWNS A LOCAL COMPUTER REPAIR SHOP, AND EACH DAY HE SEES THE VALUE OF MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON LOGIC, NOT EMOTION. AS SUCH, HE URGES YOU NOT TO FORCE A HISTORICAL DESIGNATION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS. HISTORIC, TRULY HISTORIC STRUCTURES ARE BUILT WITH ADDITIONAL ARCHITECTURAL MERIT FROM THE ONSET. THIS WAS NOT BUILT WITH ANY KIND OF STANDOUT VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE, NOR WAS IT BUILT TO ENDURE. THE REALITY IS LOCAL EAST AUSTIN RESIDENTS KNOW THE HISTORY BEYOND WHAT STAFF SHARED, WHICH ENDED AT 1970. SO THESE ARE ELLIOT'S WORDS. I DON'T MEAN TO BE CRUDE HERE, BUT MOST OF US KNOW THIS LOCATION AS A W***E HOUSE IN KRATON. SADLY, IT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MANY NON HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURES IN URBAN AREAS THAT EXIST WELL BEYOND THEIR INTENDED LIFESPAN. THE SITUATION SPURRED HIM TO DO HIS OWN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH. IN DOING SO, HE NOTICED POLICIES OF CITIES LIKE NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA AND OTHER CITIES. YOU HAVE TO ARRIVE WITH IRREFUTABLE FACTS AND SHOW A TRULY HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT, UH, CASE, A DESIGNATION, SOMETHING TO ASPIRE TO AND QUALIFY FOR AND WORK HARD TO PROVE. HERE IT'S THE OPPOSITE. IT APPEARS LIKE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS COMMISSION ARE TWOFOLD. THE STRUCTURE IS 50 YEARS OLD, AND A DEVELOPER IS IMMEDIATELY GUILTY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T LIKE THEM AND FORCED TO PROVE THEIR INNOCENCE. THE PROCESS HERE DEVOLVES QUICKLY INTO NON MERITUS ARGUMENTS VERSUS TRUE DISCUSSION OF RELEVANT HISTORICAL MERIT. PULLING IT IN SIGNIFICANT STRAWS, AS THE CASE IS HERE, IS A WASTE OF CITY RESOURCES. RESOURCES THAT COULD BE PUT TO FAR BETTER USE. JUST LIKE THIS SITE, SAFETY CONCERNS HAVE BEEN DRASTICALLY UNDER CONTEMPLATED AND AS EVIDENCED THE FACT THAT DURING THIS PROCESS, HIS DOG ACTUALLY DIED AT THIS CORNER. DUE TO IMPOSSIBLE LIGHT SIGHT LINES IMPROVEMENTS HERE WILL MAKE IT A MORE APPEALING ENVIRONMENT WHERE RESIDENTS WANT TO BE. THIS IS A LOCATION HE'S SAYING HE WANTS TRANSFORMED INTO STRUCTURALLY AND ELECTRICALLY SAFE PLACE THAT BRINGS NEEDED SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY. AND IT COULD BE MUCH SAFER, MORE USEFUL, MORE WALKABLE AND VALUABLE THAN WHAT IT HAS BEEN FOR THE ENTIRETY OF MANY OF OUR LIFESPANS. IN CONCLUSION, PLEASE DON'T ADD TO THE PROBLEM OF FURTHER DELAYS, BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE AND IRRELEVANT DRAMA. PLEASE LET THE PRIVATE SECTOR BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. I WAS ELLIOT DE. THANK YOU MAYOR. ALL SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN CALLED FOR THIS ITEM. ALRIGHT. IF MR. MAYOR, SOME OF THE SPEAKERS WHO WERE CALLED IAN, [07:35:01] I SEE I WAS WALKING DOWN WHEN Y'ALL STARTED THE, THE OPPOSITION YOU CALLED MY NAME FOR IN FAVOR. WERE YOU SHANE? YES. YEAH, GO AHEAD. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I KNOW Y'ALL KNOW WHO I AM. SHANE JOHNSON, HE AND PRONOUNS, UH, D SEVEN RESIDENT. I'M HERE IN SOLIDARITY WITH D ONE AND BLACK COMMUNITY MEMBERS ASKING TO DESIGNATE 1500 EAST 12TH STREET, UH, AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK. UH, I WANT TO REEMPHASIZE THE UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FROM ALL THREE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THE, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, UH, LIKE THEY SAID, IS UNPRECEDENTED. AND I STRONGLY URGE YOU ALL TO FOLLOW THEIR LEAD, WHICH I KNOW YOU HAVE. UH, YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S A STRONG PRECEDENT THAT THIS, THIS COUNCIL DOES FOLLOW THOSE VOTES. UM, SO PLEASE SUPPORT THIS HISTORIC DESIGNATION AS WELL TO HELP, UH, PROTECT NOT ONLY THE HISTORY OF THIS SPECIFIC SITE THAT SO MANY SPEAKERS ELOQUENTLY OUTLINED EARLIER, UM, BUT ALSO TO PREVENT, UM, THE FIRST PROVERBIAL DOMINO FROM FOLLOWING. EUREKA OWNS 36 OTHER PROPERTIES ON THE EAST 12TH STREET CORRIDOR AND UM, BUT, UH, EXCUSE ME, EUREKA OWNS 36 OTHER PROPERTIES ON THE EAST 12TH STREET CORRIDOR. SO WE DO NOT WANT TO SET A PRECEDENT THAT BIG FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPERS CAN GET AWAY WITH DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT AND CONTINUE TO SNAP UP OTHER PROP, UH, OTHER PROPERTIES AND CONTINUE THIS CYCLE OF THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, PIECE, UH, OR ASPECT OF GENTRIFICATION. UM, SO PLEASE COUNSEL, UH, WE NEED TO ENSURE THIS PROPERTY AND, UH, THIS PROPERTY IS DESIGNATED AS HISTORIC. AND THEN MOVE TO ENSURE THE CODE DEPARTMENT HAS THE MEANS TO ENFORCE PRESERVATION AND REHABILITATION OF THIS PROPERTY. UH, AND TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW, THIS PATTERN OF DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT DOES NOT CONTINUE. THANK YOU. SO BEFORE, LEMME LEMME TELL YOU BEFORE WE CLOSE THE, THE HEARING ON THIS, THE WAY THIS WILL OPERATE AND THE WAY I SAID IT AT THE BEGINNING. SO WE WERE GONNA HEAR FROM THOSE IN FAVOR, THEN THOSE OPPOSED, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REBUTTAL. AND THEN WE WOULD CLOSE THE HEARING AND WE WILL TAKE A MOTION AND WE'LL VOTE. IF YOUR, YOUR NAME HAS BEEN CALLED AND YOU WANT TO BE HEARD, WE NEED YOU TO COME FORWARD. REVEREND DIXON, ARE YOU GOING TO SPEAK? UH, WHY, WHY DON'T YOU START MAKING YOUR WAY DOWN HERE? THAT WAY WE'LL BE ABLE MAYBE. SURE. WE HEAR FROM YOU. THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE. HELLO, MY NAME IS DANNY THOMPSON. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN EAST AUSTIN AND I'M NOW 67 YEARS OLD, A LOCAL MUSICIAN, MAINTENANCE WORKER, AND A CHAMPION OF THE UNHOUSED AND PROUD EAST AUSTIN RESIDENT. THERE WERE THINGS THAT I HEARD LAST MEETING THAT CONTRADICT MY FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE OF AND HISTORY. I'LL START WITH THE BOTTOM LINE. THIS HAS NEVER BEEN A GOOD MEMORY PLACE IN EAST DAWSON. AS I CAN REMEMBER WITH MY OWN EYES. THE STAFF HISTORY YOU SEE ENDS IN AT 1970, WHICH WAS A LONG TIME AGO. SINCE THEN, THIS HAS BEEN THE HALFWAY HOUSE, A TERRIBLE LOCATION BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE SURROUNDING TEMPTATION BEEN BASICALLY SERVED AS A SPOT FOR ALL KINDS OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. AGAIN, NOT A GOOD MEMORY. I KNOW THAT SOME HAVE, UH, HAVE BEEN TOLD, UH, ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS CORNER, BUT I PLAYED, I STARTED PLAYING MUSIC IN, IN EAST AUSTIN AT THE AGE OF 13, AND I'M STILL PLAYING NOW FOR PEOPLE TO SAY THAT EUREKA DOESN'T SUPPORT MUSIC IN EAST AUSTIN. I'VE BEEN PLAYING AT MY RESIDENCE IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE FOR SEVEN YEARS NOW AND THEY'VE SUPPORTED ME THE WHOLE TIME. MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION AS A MAINTENANCE WORKER, I'VE WORKED ON THE BUILDING BEFORE AND I KNOW THE DANGERS. I MEAN, EVENTUALLY SOMEONE'S GOING TO GET HURT. UH, HOPEFULLY YOU WILL, UH, GIVE EUREKA A CHANCE TO SHOW YOU WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING INSTEAD OF, I'M GUESSING AND FORMING AN OPINION FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE, WHO HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, WHO HAVEN'T SEEN IT WITH THEIR EYES. THEY'RE JUST TAKING SOMEONE ELSE'S WORD. I'M ONE OF THE FEW LAST MOHICANS TRYING TO KEEP IT THERE AND I'LL CONTINUE TO PLAY JAZZ IN [07:40:01] EAST DAWSON AS LONG AS I LIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBER, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS FREDDIE DIXON. I'M A RESIDENT OF TRAVIS COUNTY. I HAVE LIVED IN THE EAST CRESCENT AREA FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS. I HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THAT AREA. NUMBER ONE. SOME OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW AND SOME OF YOU DO. MOST OF MY LIFE HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO IMPROVING EAST AUSTIN. I HAVE CREATED, SHARED IN FOUNDING MANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, AND I DON'T NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT, PARTICULARLY THE LATEST BEING SIX SQUARE, THE URBAN LEAGUE, ET CETERA. THE REST YOU CAN FIND OUT FOR YOURSELVES. LET ME SAY THIS, THE MESSAGE THAT I HAVE TO SAY IS CONTEXTUALIZED, AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONTEXTUALIZE IT IN THIS WAY. THERE IS A MAJOR ISSUE THAT IS BEFORE US. IT WAS EXACERBATED BY CODE X, WHICH HAS MADE LAW HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY. BUT LET ME CONTINUE TO EXPRESS WHAT I MEAN BY THE EXACERBATION. THE ISSUE BEFORE US IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S DISTRUST OF EUREKA. THE SECOND PHASE OF THIS CONTEXTUAL IS THE DISTRUST, THE SUSPICIONS OF THE EAST AUSTIN COMMUNITY AND THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY AT LARGE. THIRDLY IS EUREKA HOLDING COMPANY, WHICH HAS THE RIGHT TO BUY AND SELL PROPERTY, BUT BEFORE THE FLOODGATES WERE OPEN WITH CODE. NEXT. I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 1,977, AND MUCH OF EAST AUSTIN WAS STILL SEGREGATED, STILL DOMINATED BY PERSONS IN WEST AUSTIN WHO OWNED PROPERTY IN EAST AUSTIN IN THE YEAR OF 1,980. TO GIVE YOU EXAMPLE, THE BOTTOM FELL OUT HERE IN AUSTIN BECAUSE OF THE OIL INDUSTRY AND MANY PERSONS DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME OWNED PROPERTIES IN EAST AUSTIN. WHAT MANY OF THE PERSONS WHO OWNED PROPERTIES IN EAST AUSTIN DID WAS THEY GOT WITH THE TAXING AUTHORITY OF EAST OF, OF AUSTIN AND ASKED THAT THEIR PROPERTIES BE LOWERED IN ORDER FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN THEIR PROPERTIES IN WEST AUSTIN AND THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA. SO HERE WE HAVE CODE X ALL OF A SUDDEN SAYING THAT YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR PROPERTY. AS I MENTIONED, I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR OVER, I OPPOSE THIS, UH, ZONING FOR THE REASONS THAT I DO THINK THAT THE VOL THE HOUSING IS NOT DESERVED. THANK YOU, PASTOR. WE APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND APPRECIATE WHAT ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR AUSTIN. UNDER OUR RULES, THE APPLICANT IS ENTITLED TO A REBUTTAL OF THREE MINUTES. LET ME ASK IF THE APPLICANT OR THE REPRESENTATIVE OF IN THIS CASE, THE CITY WISHES TO MAKE A REBUTTAL. NO, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, THE REBUTTAL HAS BEEN WAIVED. UM, WITH THAT OBJECTION, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM AND, UH, THE CHAIR WILL NOW ENTERTAIN DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THE ITEM OR A MOTION. IF SOMEONE HAS A MOTION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR . I WAS, I WAS DOING LIKE YOU, I WAS GONNA HOLLER REGARDLESS OF THE MICROPHONE. . THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE, UM, DO WHAT I THINK IS MOST APPROPRIATE IN THIS CASE AND RESPECT THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED, UM, BY THE HISTORIC ZONING AND DENY THE HISTORIC ZONING. UM, AND I'LL SPEAK FURTHER TO THAT. WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF, UH, MEMBERS, THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MEDICINE TO DENY THE APPLICATION FOR HISTORICAL [07:45:01] ZONING. IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND? UH, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS. UH, SO THE MOTION IS TO DENY THE APPLICATION FOR HISTORIC ZONING. UH, IT'S BEEN SECONDED, UH, DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION AND, AND COUNCILMAN HARPER MEDICINE, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I GENERALLY START BY THANKING ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SHOWED UP AND MADE THEIR OPINIONS KNOWN. UM, I WILL SAY I WISH THE PERIOD THAT WE HAD TO HAVE THESE SORTS OF CONVERSATIONS HAD BEEN AS LONG AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS. UM, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE ADVOCATES SHOWING UP WHEN THEY DID AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, FRANKLY. UH, SO PART OF MY JOB AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT ONE AND MY RESIDENCY OF THE AFFECTED NEIGHBORHOOD ASIDE, I'VE, I'VE MADE A VERY SPECIFIC AND CONCERTED EFFORT TO NOT CONSIDER THAT AS A PART OF MY DECISION MAKING PROCESS. BUT I WILL SPEAK AS A BLACK PERSON, AS A WOMAN, AS A POLICY MAKER IN CENTRAL TEXAS, IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SIT HERE, AND MOST ESPECIALLY HERE, NON-BLACK PEOPLE TALK ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE'S BEST INTEREST. UM, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, I, I CAN'T SPEAK CANDIDLY TO MY EXPERIENCE, UM, PERSONALLY, UM, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVE IT AFFECT MY POLICY MAKING DECISIONS. SO I WILL JUST SAY FROM A POLICYMAKER'S PERSPECTIVE, UM, I GENERALLY SPEAKING, NEVER VOTE AGAINST A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER'S WISHES FOR THEIR PROPERTY. UM, SO THAT WOULD BE MY NUMBER ONE, UM, DISTINCTION IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE. BUT THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, I APPRECIATE HAVING PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED, UM, TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, AMONGST THEMSELVES, HAVE DISCUSSIONS TO DETERMINE WHAT'S BEST FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND IN THIS CASE, YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S IN THE BACKUP AND, UM, IT'S ALL PUBLIC RECORD. YOU'RE ALSO VERY WELCOME TO, UH, TO DO PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS FOR ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S GONE BACK AND FORTH ABOUT 1500 EAST 12TH STREET. 'CAUSE NOT ALL OF IT IS IN THE BACKUP, BUT, UH, I'VE HEARD FROM VERY MANY RESIDENTS OF THE MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED COMMUNITY THAT, UM, THE VOTE IS TO NOT DESIGNATE THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY HISTORIC. UM, AND SO I WON'T GO INTO WHAT THEIR REASONING IS. I'LL LET YOU MAKE THAT DISCOVERY FOR YOURSELF. UM, I WILL SAY THIS, AS A POLICY MAKER WHO REPRESENTS THIS DISTRICT AND BEYOND, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR, DISTRICT ONE IS OVER 46 SQUARE MILES AND REPRESENTS OVER 90,000 PEOPLE. UM, I OFTEN REPRESENT, OR I OFTEN REFER TO EAST 11TH AND 12TH AS THE EPICENTER OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT. UM, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT PRIOR TO MY TAKING OFFICE, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WAS APPROACH FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER HOUSTON AND SAY, I HAVE CONCERNS THAT ALL OF THESE SIGNS THAT I SEE LOOK THE SAME. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT ONE SINGULAR DEVELOPER OWNS ALL OF THESE PARCELS? AND I WILL JUST SAY THAT MY CONCERNS WERE NOT MET WITH WHAT I BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN VERY IMMEDIATE, UM, CONCERN AND RESPONSE. BUT TO HER CREDIT, I WILL SAY THIS, I REALIZED THEN, AND A PART OF WHY I WANTED TO BECOME A POLICYMAKER, THERE WAS NO PROTOCOL IN PLACE TO PROTECT EAST AUSTIN. THERE WAS NO PROTOCOL IN PLACE TO PREVENT A SINGULAR PROPERTY OWNER FROM GOING FROM AT THE TIME, WHICH WAS ONLY ABOUT 30 PARCELS TO HUNDREDS, NO PROTOCOL IN PLACE. UM, I'LL ALSO ADD, YOU KNOW, TO SOME OF THE SPEAKERS THIS EVENING, AS A PERSON WHO GREW UP IN THIS COMMUNITY, I, NOT THAT I FIND IT DISINGENUOUS, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE CARE AND CONCERN CERTAINLY WASN'T THERE WHEN THE BULLETS WERE WHIZZED BY AND GANG VIOLENCE WAS HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY, AND CRACK COCAINE TOOK OVER MY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO I APPRECIATE FOLKS SHOWING UP NOW WITH CARE AND CONCERN ABOUT EAST AUSTIN, BUT I SURE WISH IT HAD HAPPENED SOONER. UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE FACING TODAY IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF WHAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED ALREADY, BENIGN NEGLECT AND DISINVESTMENT IN A COMMUNITY, AND FOLKS WHO SHOWED UP TOO LATE. AND SO ALL THAT TO SAY, WHILE WE ARE CONSIDERING WHAT THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITIES LOOK LIKE, WHEN I BROUGHT FORWARD THE 7 8 7 0 2 ITEM, MUCH OF IT IS ABOUT PRESERVATION. I OFTEN HEAR FROM FOLKS WHO STAND IN OPPOSITION TO POLICY DECISIONS I MAKE, BUT NEVER HEAR SUPPORT FROM THOSE SAME INDIVIDUALS. THE 7 8 7 0 2 INITIATIVE IS ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD TONIGHT WITH CONSIDERATIONS AROUND THE PRESERVATION OF 7 8 7 0 2. AND I HAVEN'T [07:50:01] HEARD FROM A SINGLE SOLITARY PERSON WHO SPOKE TONIGHT IN FAVOR OF PRESERVATION OF THIS PARTICULAR STRUCTURE. I'LL ALSO SAY SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT SPOKE TONIGHT, I'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH REGARDING THE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET, THE SOUTHGATE LEWIS HOUSE THAT I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR SINCE BEFORE MY TIME ON COUNCIL. AND EVEN WITH THEIR ADVOCACY, NOTHING HAPPENED UNTIL LAST YEAR. NONSTOP CONSTANT DOGGED FIGHTING. THE THE BUILDING IS PRIVATELY OWNED. IT WAS GIFTED TO THE COMMUNITY. IT WAS GIFTED TO THE WH PASAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND STILL FELL IN DISREPAIR. IT STILL DIDN'T HAVE INSURANCE. IT STILL WAS STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND. IT STILL DIDN'T HAVE THE NECESSARY, UM, LEADERSHIP IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TAXES WERE PAID UNTIL LAST YEAR. ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE TRUE. THE SOUTHGATE LEWIS HOUSE COULD HAVE BURNED DOWN TO THE GROUND, AND THERE WOULD'VE BEEN NOTHING THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY COULD HAVE DONE ABOUT IT BECAUSE NOBODY WAS THERE TO ADVOCATE FOR IT. THERE WAS A SINGULAR INDIVIDUAL, AN 80 SOMETHING YEAR OLD MAN UNTIL LAST YEAR, WHO WAS THE SOLE STEWARD FOR THE SPACE. EVEN WITH THE SUPPORT OF PRESERVATION AUSTIN, EVEN WITH THE ALLEGED SUPPORT OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, IT TOOK FIGHTING UNTIL WE GOT PEOPLE TO JOIN AND REFORM THE BOARD FOR THE WH PASANT HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO GET IT BACK IN COMPLIANCE, TO GET IT INSURED, TO GET IT BACK IN, IN STRUCTURAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. AND I SAY ALL THOSE THINGS TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF COMMUNITIES AND PRESERVATION EFFORTS THAT WERE NOT CHERRY PICKING, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S BROADLY APPLIED AND UNILATERALLY APPLIED. THE 7 8 7 0 2 PLAN THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD, IT'S NOT DONE YET. YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO JUMP ON BOARD. AND LET'S WORK COLLECTIVELY TO WORK TOWARDS PUTTING INTO PLACE IN CODIFYING PRESERVATION EFFORTS AND METHODS AND PROTOCOL THAT IS BY LAW. AND SO TO MR OR TO REVEREND DIXON'S POINT ABOUT PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS BEING ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THE PROPERTY THAT THEY PURCHASED, THAT IS CAPITALISM. AND I CAN'T FIGHT THAT AND NEITHER CAN YOU. BUT WHAT WE CAN DO AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF THE HISTORY OF A PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED IN THE SAME STATE WHERE THEY WERE IN CHATTEL SLAVERY, IS MAKE IT A LAW. AND IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO DO, PLEASE JOIN TEAM D ONE AND LET'S FIGHT TOGETHER TO PUT INTO PLACE RULES AND LAWS THAT CONSIDER PRESERVATION MOVING FORWARD AND PROTOCOL THAT MAKES IT. SO, ALSO, I'D LIKE TO SAY, I KNOW THAT NOBODY HERE IS GONNA HAVE AN EASY DECISION THIS EVENING, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE US DO IS BALANCE OUR ABILITY TO THOUGHTFULLY PRESERVE HISTORY AND CULTURE AND WELCOME NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND POTENTIAL ALONG WITH THIS INITIATIVE AND EQUITY-BASED PRESERVATION PLANNING, WHICH I WAS HAPPILY A PART OF AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF. UH, WE CAN SHAPE THIS COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT'S COMPREHENSIVE, THAT'S COMPASSIONATE, THAT'S THOUGHTFUL AND PRAGMATIC. ONE THAT ENCAPSULATES THE DIVERSE WISHES OF ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, INCLUDING COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT JUST GOT HERE SEVEN YEARS AGO. AND DANNY THOMPSON, WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR 67 YEARS. THESE DECISIONS WON'T BE EASY FOR MY COLLEAGUES. IT CERTAINLY ISN'T EASY FOR ME, IT NEVER IS. EVERYTHING I DO AS A BLACK WOMAN IN CENTRAL TEXAS COMES WITH SOME DEGREE OF COMPLICATION. AND ANYBODY WHO'S INABILITY TO SEE THAT IS JUST NOT LOOKING, AND THAT'S OKAY. I'LL, I'LL MOVE ON. I'LL LIVE, I'LL SURVIVE. THE DECISIONS ARE NEVER EASY. THIS DECISION WILL NOT BE EASY FOR MY COLLEAGUES. BUT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO RESPECT THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE DECISIONS WE MAKE HERE TONIGHT REGARDING THIS SPACE AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, DAVIS THOMPSON IS ONE OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS COMMUNITIES GROW AND CHANGE, WE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS MOVING IN AND A LOT OF FOLKS MOVING OUT, SOME BY CHOICE, OTHERS NOT. AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, IS PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO RAISE THEIR FAMILIES. I'M LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM AT SOME FOLKS WHO HAVE NEW AND BUDDING FAMILIES. YOU HAVE REAL SPECIFIC DESIRES FOR YOUR COMMUNITY AND FOR YOUR HOUSE AND FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. SO DO THEY. AND WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE FOR THE FUTURE FOR THEIR CHILDREN IS RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT ALSO. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO PUT IN THEIR TIME AND EFFORT AND TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FROM THE HEART TO SPEAK GENUINELY AND WITHOUT JUDGMENT AND TAKE ALL POINTS OF VIEW INTO CONSIDERATION. I DO APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. [07:55:01] UM, WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE. I'M WELL AWARE THAT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT LISTENING AND IT CERTAINLY MEANS WE'RE NOT FIGHTING HARD. UM, AND AGAIN, YOU, YOU'LL DO WHAT YOU WILL WITH THAT INFORMATION. UM, AND WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ME IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS. UM, SO YOUR PARTICIPATION IS ALWAYS WELCOME AND YOUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ARE ALWAYS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE BIGGER PICTURE WHEN WE CAST OUR VOTES. UM, AND SO THANK YOU MR. MAYOR FOR THE TIME AND THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE SORT OF AN EXTENDED RENDITION OF MY PERSPECTIVE OF THE MATTER. OF COURSE, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION, WHICH IS TO DENY THE APPLICATION FOR HISTORICAL ZONING, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER. UM, SO FIRST I WANNA CLARIFY IF WE SUPPORT THIS HISTORIC ZONING. WE'RE VOTING NO ON THIS MOTION. YES. THIS, THIS IS TO DENY THE APPLICATION. SO IF, IF A COUNCIL MEMBER SUPPORTS THE HISTORICAL REZONING, YOU WOULD VOTE NO ON THIS MOTION. THANK YOU. UM, THIS IS MY LAST VOTE ON THE DAIS. UM, OR UNLESS THERE'S MORE VOTES AFTER. THERE ARE MORE MOTIONS AFTER THIS. YEAH, THERE, THERE MAY BE. UM, THE LAST ITEM THAT I'LL BE VOTING ON, LET ME SAY THAT. UM, AND I WILL BE PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS HISTORIC DESIGNATION. THANK YOU . UM, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION THAT IS BEFORE THE COUNCIL AT THE, RIGHT NOW THAT BEING THE CASE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO DENY THE APPLICATION FOR HISTORICAL ZONING. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION. RAISE YOUR HAND THERE BEING TWO YESES AND NINE NOS. THE MOTION FAILS FOR THE RECORD. THE YESES ARE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, HARPER, MADISON, AND ELLIS. ARE THERE ANY OTHER MOTIONS AT THIS TIME? MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, MOVE APPROVAL OF THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION ON ALL THREE READINGS. THE MAYOR PRO TIM MOVES APPROVAL OF THE APPLICATION FOR HISTORICAL REZONING. IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THIS MOTION. HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, RAISE YOUR HAND THERE BEING NINE YESES AND TWO NOS, THOSE BEING COUNCIL MEMBERS, HARPER, MADISON, AND ELLIS. THE MOTION PASSES AND IT, THE NINE VOTES. UH, PASS IT ON ALL THREE READINGS. UM, THANK Y'ALL. UM, UH, AS WE COME TO THE END OF THIS AGENDA, UH, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT ON TUESDAY AND, AND, UM, BUT IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO SAY, UH, AS COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER JUST SUGGESTED, UH, THREE PEOPLE ARE, UH, UH, ENDING THEIR CAREERS ON THIS DAIS FOR NOW. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW I SAID FOR NOW I'VE, I'VE SEEN SOME PEOPLE COME BACK . UM, UH, BUT, BUT FOR NOW WE SAY GOODBYE TO THE MAYOR PRO TIM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER MCKENZIE KELLY. UM, AND WE SAID IT, AND I DON'T WANNA REPEAT EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID ON TUESDAY, BUT I THINK IT'S ONLY FITTING AND PROPER THAT WE SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOU AND WE APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU PUT YOURSELVES ON THE LINE. YOU PUT YOURSELVES ON THE LINE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE KIND OF PUBLIC SERVICE THAT IS NECESSARY FOR A CITY LIKE AUSTIN, TEXAS TO NOT ONLY GET BY, BUT TO THRIVE AS A GREAT AMERICAN CITY. AND SO THANK YOU, ALL THREE OF YOU. AND WITH THAT, THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THIS SCHEDULED MEETING OF ON DECEMBER 12TH, 2024 WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 6:30 PM. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.