[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
THE 14TH IN THE NEW YEAR OF 2025.
AT THIS TIME, I CALL OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONER MEETING, COMMISSION MEETING, UH, TO ORDER, UM, THE PURPOSE OF OUR MEETING.
UM, AND OUR BOARD IS TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION, IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS, CALLING IT TO ORDER.
I DO WANT TO WELCOME ALL OF THE, UM, COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE PRESENT AND WELCOME EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US INTO THE NEW YEAR.
UM, COMMISSIONER WOODS IS ONLINE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WOODS FOR BEING HERE.
COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
VICE CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND COMMISSIONER TOLIVER IS PRESENT AS WELL.
UM, COMMISSIONER ORTIZ, UH, DID SEND HER REGARDS.
SHE IS UNDER THE WEATHER AND SO WE WISH HER A SPEEDY RECOVERY.
UM, WE ALSO DID RECEIVE MESSAGE FROM COMMISSIONER PORTER THAT HE WILL BE ENDING HIS, UM, HIS, HIS VOLUNTEERING WITH US, UM, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL (Part 1 of 2 )]
WE NOW MOVE INTO OUR GENERAL, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND WE DO, OH, WHERE'S MY LIST? UM, I'M SURE I DO SEE MS. JOSEPH, SO I'M CERTAIN, AND I DID SEE AN EMAIL FROM HER, SO I KNOW THAT SHE'S SPEAKING ON A COUPLE OF ITEMS. UM, AND AS SOON AS THAT IS TAKEN IS, UM, LINED UP.WE WILL HAVE HER SPEAK AND ANYONE ELSE THAT IS THERE, UH, TO SPEAK.
AND SPEAKING OF, SPEAKING OF, ALRIGHT, SO THANK SO MUCH.
ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE OUR PAPERWORK HERE AND I'M READY TO PROCEED.
WE DO HAVE MS. ZIA C JOSEPH THAT IS HERE, UH, REPRESENTING HERSELF.
SHE IS HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
AND, UM, MS. JOSEPH, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU AND YOUR TIME BEGINS NOW.
MADAM CHAIR, DO YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK ONLY ON ITEM FIVE OR JUST PUBLIC COMMENT ITEMS? NOT ON THE AGENDA.
UH, UH, WHATEVER ITEM YOU HAVE THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, THAT IS, UM, THAT YOU WANNA SPEAK ABOUT YOUR ITEM.
WE CAN DEAL YOUR PUBLIC FIVE WHEN WE GET TO THAT.
BUT IF YOU WERE WANTING TO SPEAK IN GENERAL, THE NOW IS THE TIME, CERTAINLY.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS, I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH.
MY COMMENTS, AS THEY ALWAYS ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN.
I JUST WANTED TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THE LACK OF SAFETY NORTH OF US, 180 3.
IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW DANGEROUS THE ROADWAY IS IN THIS AREA.
THIS IS ACTUALLY BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S METROPOLITAN PARK.
IT'S WALNUT CREEK METROPOLITAN PARK.
ACROSS THE STREET IS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HERITAGE WOODS PROPERTY.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE 18 BELRON DEALS.
[00:05:01]
FROM SAN FRANCISCO, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE PROPERTIES WITH ONLY ONE VOUCHER HOLDER.ACCORDING TO AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST THAT I RECEIVED, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT IN 2009, I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, CAPITAL METRO, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, ALL STUDIED NORTH LAMAR FOR 20 MONTHS.
MID-BLOCK STOPS IS WHERE FATALITIES OCCUR.
AND I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT AT THE BOTTOM ON 46TH STREET, THERE ARE TWO PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACONS.
WHETHER YOU ENTER OR EXIT THE GARAGE ON 46TH STREET ON THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT, OR NORTH OR SOUTH, YOU HAVE A SAFE WAY TO CROSS.
IF YOU WERE TO LOOK FURTHER NORTH, THERE'S ALSO A PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON AT THE TRIANGLE WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY ENTERING THE AREA THERE.
SO I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS ACTUALLY NO FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR THIS AREA.
THE ONLY THING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS DONE IS IMPROVE THE SIDEWALK AT PARMER LANE.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND AS WELL THAT JANUARY 30TH, 2020 16, WHICH IS ON THE NEXT SLIDE, RIGHT AT NOT YOUR ORDINARY SCHOOLS, YOU CAN SEE THAT'S WHERE THE GENTLEMAN NAMED DONALD NORTON WAS KILLED.
HE WAS HIT IN HIS WHEELCHAIR AND DIED OF HIS INJURIES, BUT HIS SERVICE DOG LIVED.
YOU'LL SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN, THAT'S THE PARMER LANE STATION, AND AGAIN, THE ROADWAY IS VERY WIDE.
APPROXIMATELY 39,000 VEHICLES TRAVEL ON NORTH LAMAR DAILY.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT CAPITAL METRO ACTUALLY DID ANALYSIS OF BREAKER AND NORTH LAMAR IN THAT AREA FOR ME IN 2023, AND THEY SAID THAT APPROXIMATELY 400 PEOPLE ACTUALLY BOARD THE BUS.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE CITY HAS $22.9 MILLION FOR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL IN THE FAR RIGHT HAND CORNER.
THAT IS ON THE WAY TO NOT YOUR ORDINARY SCHOOLS, WHICH IF YOU COULD SEE IT WOULD BE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD.
THERE'S NO WAY FOR A PERSON EVEN PEDESTRIANS TO WALK TO THAT SCHOOL SAFELY ON A MUDDY DAY.
THERE'S NO WAY FOR A WHEELCHAIR TO GET AROUND THE SIGN.
I'M ASKING THIS COMMISSION TO ACTUALLY PUT FORTH RESOLUTION ASKING THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO INVEST IN THIS CORRIDOR.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE RAIL RIDERS ARE AT SABINE, THEY HAVE INVESTED $1.4 MILLION FOR A SAFE CROSSING FURTHER NORTH.
DAVID JOHN MADANO WAS KILLED IN 2019 AND THEY DID NOT PUT A PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON FOR OVER A YEAR.
SO IF YOUR COMMISSION WILL LOOK AT THAT ISSUE, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GO AHEAD AND ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MS. JOSEPH.
WE, UM, APPRECIATE AND VALUE YOUR COMMENTS.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
WE DO HAVE, OH, DO WE HAVE, I DON'T HAVE ANY.
DID THE INDIVIDUAL ONLINE SHOW UP? AND, AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER BERTHA DELGADO HAS ALSO JOINED US, UH, REMOTELY AS WELL.
UH, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO COMMISSIONER, UH, DELGADO.
DO WE HAVE THE SPEAKER FROM CHAIR? OUR SPANISH SPEAKER DID NOT SHOW UP.
UM, SO WE HAVE TO MOVE ON, SO, OKAY.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Part 1 of 2)]
APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES, UM, COMMISSIONERS, WE DO HAVE APPROVAL FOR TWO MONTHS.WE HAVE THE NOVEMBER 12TH MINUTES THAT NEED TO BE APPROVED AS, BECAUSE THERE WAS A CORRECTION THAT STAFF DID CATCH BEFORE.
UM, WE REVIEWED IT AS WELL AS OUR DECEMBER 10TH MEETING.
UH, MINUTES NEED TO BE APPROVED.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL (Part 2 of 2)]
DID SIGN UP TO SPEAK.SHE SIGNED THIS STREET WHERE I'M HERE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? THERE? THERE.
THERE'S A KIND OF AN ECHO, BUT I AM HERE.
I'M LISA RODRIGUEZ, AND I RECENTLY RETIRED FROM THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME CHAIR? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU.
UM, AND YEAH, I RETIRED AND I'VE BEEN AWAY A MONTH.
THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A, A LAUGH.
UM, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS, COMMENTS I WANTED TO MAKE.
SO I AM SO APPRECIATIVE OF A LEVEL OF ACTIVISM THAT HAS BEEN PART AND PARCEL VERY IMPORTANT ON THIS BOARD.
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KIND OF ACTIVISM AROUND THE, UM, ACTIVITIES OF OUR DEPARTMENT.UM, ONE THING THAT, UM, IS IMPORTANT TO ME THOUGH IS TO POINT OUT THAT CALLING FOR, UH, THE RESIGNATION OF DIRECTOR MANDY IS I THINK A STEP TOO FAR.
UM, DIRECTOR MANDY IS A PERSON OF THE HIGHEST INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM, AND SOMEONE WHO I THINK IS SERVING THIS DEPARTMENT VERY, VERY WELL.
UM, I REALIZE THOUGH, THERE'S ANGER AND FRUSTRATION AROUND, UM, PERHAPS NOT AS DEEP OF LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY OR VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, TARGETS THAT WE ALL EXPECT TO MEET, BUT I THINK ARE DIFFICULT TO MEET BECAUSE OF THE STATE THAT WE LIVE IN.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY KEEP THAT EXPECTATION IN MIND.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE STATE DOES NOT ALLOW US TO REGULATE ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT DEALS.
THE STATE DOESN'T ALLOW US, UH, TO MANDATE LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HEAR.
I HEAR FRUSTRATION IN THE NINE YEARS THAT I'VE WORKED WITH THE CDC.
I'VE HEARD FRUSTRATION OVER THAT.
AND I FEEL LIKE THE ANGER IS MAYBE MISPLACED IF IT'S BEING DIRECTED AT, AT OUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, ON THE PLUS SIDE, I THINK THE DEPARTMENT, A COUPLE OF THINGS BEAR POINTING OUT THAT HAVE BEEN GREAT SUCCESSES IN MY MIND.
UM, THE, A HOST TOOL I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, WE DON'T REALLY TALK ABOUT IT VERY MUCH, BUT A HOSTS IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING ONLINE SEARCH TOOL.
AND I RECENTLY DID A SEARCH AS IF I WERE A SINGLE MOM EARNING $31,000 A YEAR WITH TWO CHILDREN MINORS.
UM, I FOUND 37 DEVELOPMENTS WITH UNITS WITH NO WAITING LIST THAT WERE AFFORDABLE AT 30%.
THOSE ARE UNITS THAT WE SUBSIDIZED OR, OR PROVIDED TAX, UH, SUBSIDIES FOR.
UH, I FOUND 26 MORE THAT, UM, THAT DID HAVE A WAITING LIST.
BUT YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DID HAVE AFFORDABLE UNITS.
SO THAT WAS JUST A QUICK, UH, TEST SEARCH THAT I DID.
I FEEL LIKE THAT TOOL IS NOT WELL KNOWN AND WE NEED TO PUBLICIZE IT.
WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION.
AND TO BE TRUTHFUL, I'M, I AM, UM, DELIGHTED THAT YOU DISCOVERED, UH, THAT, UM, BUT AGAIN, IN THE INTEREST OF OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, OUR, UH, COMMENTS, THERE ARE NO, UM, THERE'S NO BACK AND FORTH, BUT THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION.
THAT IS VALUABLE INFORMATION TO KNOW.
UM, MR. JOSEPH? I MEAN, MR. JOSEPH.
I'M SORRY, MR. BLAKE, DO I HAVE ANY OTHER, UM, SPEAKERS? N NO, THAT'S IT.
HEARING THAT I HAVE NO OTHER SPEAKERS, I WILL PROCEED ON.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Part 2 of 2)]
THE MINUTES.COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE NOVEMBER, UM, MINUTES TO APPROVE AS WELL AS DECEMBER MINUTES.
WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE A LOOK? UM, COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU CAN LOOK IT OVER IN THE NEXT MINUTE OR SO.
I KNOW THAT I'M MOVING YOU QUICKLY AND CHAIR REALLY QUICK.
WE HAVE TO VOTE ON EACH ONE SEPARATELY, SO, OKAY.
CHAIR, I, I, I MOTION TO APPROVE THE NOVEMBER 12TH, 2024 MINUTES.
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UH, HERE HIM, MAKE A MOTION.VICE CHAIR ALIAS HAS IN FACT, SECONDED THE NOVEMBER 12TH MINUTES.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THOSE OF YOU ALL WHO ARE REMOTE, IF YOU COULD, THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER DELGADO, SHOWING YOUR FACE.
COMMISSIONER TISHA, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE APPROVAL FOR THE NOVEMBER MEETINGS MINUTES.
DIRECTING YOUR ATTENTION SPECIFICALLY TO THE DECEMBER ONES.
I MOTION TO APPROVE THE DECEMBER 10TH, 2024 MINUTES.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE BY COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER DELGADO SECONDS.
AND COMMISSIONER DEL BUR DELGADO HAS SECONDED THAT COMMISSIONERS, WE ARE READY TO TAKE A VOTE ON THE DECEMBER MINUTES.
UM, THOSE WHO IN FAVOR INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE UNANIMOUS.
I, I JUST NEED TO KNOW WE HAVE, UM, EIGHT, CATCH MY MATH, UM, AND THEN ONE ABSTAINING.
WE HAVE FIVE, UM, DISCUSSION ITEMS. WE'LL MOVE RIGHT INTO THOSE.
[2. Presentation regarding the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) activities and outcomes (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health).]
UM, MR. ZAMBRANOI'M HERE TO, UH, REPORT MONTHLY ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, UH, FOR THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
I'D LIKE TO START WITH OUR MISSION.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT IMPROVES THE LIVES AND HEALTH OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING POVERTY BY PROVIDING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND CONNECTING RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
WE DO THAT THROUGH A VARIETY OF SERVICES, BASIC NEEDS, PREVENTIVE HEALTH THROUGH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH, NURSING CASE MANAGEMENT, HELPING FOLKS GET BACK INTO THE WORLD OF WORK, AND, UH, OFFERING EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS SO THAT THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL ONCE THEY GAIN EMPLOYMENT.
AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE ONE, UM, IS THE SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET 2024 CONTRACT.
UH, WE'VE EXPENDED ALMOST 70% OF OUR BUDGET.
WE HAVE AN EXTENSION THROUGH MARCH OF 2025 TO FINISH DOING THAT.
IT REALLY HELPS A LOT WITH OUR PERSONNEL COSTS AND HELPING FOLKS, UM, OUR STAFF HELPING OUR COMMUNITY.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE TWO, UH, THE, I JUST GOT BACK FROM, UH, SOME TIME AWAY FROM THE OFFICE.
AND I CAUGHT A TYPO ON, UH, THE TOPS.
OUR GOAL WAS, WAS 43 FOR CALENDAR YEAR 24.
I THINK WE WERE ON 18 A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND I WAS TELLING YOU GUYS, WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT TRANSITIONED OUTTA POVERTY.
UH, WE GOT 2 43 KIND OF WEIRD.
WE GOT RIGHT TO THE GOAL NUMBER, SO WE WERE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THE 47 WAS A TYPO THAT WAS, UH, PUT IN THERE BY THE PERSON WHO WAS COVERING FOR ME.
UM, ONE INDIVIDUAL WAS CAUGHT TWICE IN THE SYSTEM.
WE ENTERED IT TWICE, SO APOLOGIES FOR THAT.
BUT WE MET OUR GOAL FOR OUR TOP.
UM, IF YOU GO DOWN, I'LL FOCUS ON A COUPLE OF OTHER, UH, SERVICES.
OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION, ALMOST 90,000
[00:20:01]
UNDUPLICATED PEOPLE SERVED LAST YEAR.UH, WE DO SERVE A LOT OF DUPLICATES TOO.
SO THE NUMBER IS OVER 170 SOMETHING THOUSAND IF WE INCLUDE EVERYONE.
SO GREAT WORK FOR OUR STAFF THERE.
UH, THE BAD NEWS IS THAT THERE CONTINUES TO BE HIGH FOOD INSECURITY IN THE TRAVIS COUNTY AREA, AND WE'RE, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN WITH THE, UH, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FOOD BANK AND OTHER RESOURCES.
WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, SERVE OVER 1200 PEOPLE WITH, UH, RENT PAYMENTS, UH, THIS PAST YEAR.
UM, ANOTHER ONE I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON IS THE, UH, NUMBER OF, UH, VOLUNTEER HOURS, ALMOST 2,500.
WE DE, YOU KNOW, DEPEND ON THAT AS WELL, UH, TO HELP US HELP PEOPLE.
BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO STARTS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
I KIND OF WENT OVER THAT ALREADY, BUT FOR THE NEW FOLKS, I INVITE YOU TO KIND OF READ IT AGAIN ON YOUR OWN TIME IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, UH, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO.
UH, THE SOUTH AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, UH, WILL HOPEFULLY BE REOPENING IN FEBRUARY.
SO THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS THERE.
UM, THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THE ROSA SARAZA NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, UH, RENOVATIONS.
I'LL COME DOWN TO NUMBER FOUR.
THE DUFF SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER IS OPEN.
UH, WE DID OUR FOOD FIRST FOOD PANTRY, UH, DISTRIBUTION TODAY.
SO THAT'S SORT OF A BIG MILESTONE.
UM, STAFF ARE BEING TRAINED TO PROVIDE ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE DO AT THE OTHER CENTERS.
SO, AGAIN, IT'S LOOKING GREAT.
IF YOU GUYS EVER WANT TO GO VISIT, UH, TAKE A LOOK.
WIC IS THERE, WE'RE THERE IMMUNIZATIONS SHOTS FOR TODDS BIG SHOTS.
UM, AND THERE WILL BE A CHILDCARE CENTER AS WELL.
I'M NOT PRIVY TO THAT SIDE OF THE BUSINESS, BUT IT'S COMING.
UM, NUMBER SEVEN, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING SERVICES ARE GOING STRONG.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN DOING SOME, UH, EVENTS OUTSIDE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, THE CONSULATE OF MEXICO, GUS GARCIA REC CENTER, UH, COLEEN GUERRERO SENIOR CENTER, AND THE BAPTIST COMMUNITY CENTER MISSION, UH, NEAR, UH, THE EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
NUMBER NINE KIND OF GOES WITH THE, UH, TRANSITION SIDE OF POVERTY.
UH, WE'RE STARTING OVER AGAIN.
OUR GOAL FOR THIS YEAR FROM THE STATE IS 43 AGAIN.
SO WE'RE ENROLLING MORE FOLKS INTO THAT PROGRAM AND HELPING THEM, UM, REENTER THE WORLD OF WORK.
ITEM NUMBER 10 WILL ACTUALLY, I'LL ACTUALLY ADDRESS THAT ITEM ON IN ITEM NUMBER SIX HERE.
I THINK IT'S A WHOLE SEPARATE ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
UM, BUT FOR NOW, I'LL JUST SAY WE ARE PREPARING TO HAVE THOSE ELECTIONS TO FILL THE EIGHT, UM, LOW INCOME SEATS.
UM, AND I HOPE THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN, UH, RUN AGAIN, WILL DO SO.
UH, AND IF YOU CAN'T OR DO NOT WANT TO, THAT'S FINE TOO.
JUST GET THE WORD OUT IN YOUR, UH, GEOGRAPHIC AREAS TO THE FOLKS THAT YOU KNOW THERE, WHETHER THEY'RE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, OR JUST INDIVIDUALS WHO MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT.
WE'D LOVE TO BE FULLY, FULLY, UH, STAFFED MM-HMM
SO, BUT I'LL SPEAK MORE ON THAT ON ITEM SIX LATER TONIGHT.
WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN MOVING FORWARD.
[3. Presentation and discussion from Homeless Strategy Office on Cold Weather Preparation Plan 2024 (David Gray, Homeless Strategy Officer, Homeless Strategy Office).]
UM, WE DO HAVE DAVID GRAY, WHO'S HERE, THAT'S REPRESENTING OUR, UM, HE'S OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER WITH THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.WELCOME, HAPPY NEW YEAR, MR. GRAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
I SERVE AS THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
HERE TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT TODAY ABOUT OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS.
UH, I REALLY JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE MADE AROUND COLD WEATHER SHELTERING FOR THIS YEAR.
UH, AND I'LL START BY SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ENHANCEMENTS WERE ROOTED IN FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY AT THE END OF LAST YEAR'S, UH, WINTER SEASON.
AND WHILE WE RECEIVED A LOT OF GOOD ACCOLADES FOR THE WORK THAT WE DID LAST WINTER, UH, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW AND TO DO BETTER.
AND SO, BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, WE MADE SOME REAL KEY CHANGES TO OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS THIS YEAR.
UH, THE FIRST IS THAT WE CHANGE THE THRESHOLDS THAT DEFINE WHEN WE ACTIVATE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS.
SO, COLD WEATHER SHELTERS ARE OVERNIGHT SAFE, WARM PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO SLEEP.
UH, FOLKS CAN COME INTO ONE TEXAS CENTER BEGINNING AT 6:00 PM TO GET REGISTERED FOR A SHELTER BED, AN OVERNIGHT SHELTER BED.
UH, THEY HAVE UNTIL AT LEAST 8:00 PM TO FINISH THAT REGISTRATION.
AND THEN FROM ONE TEXAS CENTER, CAT METRO PROVIDES FREE TRANSPORTATION TO
[00:25:01]
THE SHELTER LOCATION FOR OVERNIGHT COLD WEATHER SHELTERS.WE USE RECREATION CENTERS FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO HOUSE PEOPLE FOR THE NIGHT.
UH, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITHIN THE PARK SYSTEM, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE THE SAME REC CENTERS, BUT SOMETIMES THEY CHANGE.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY WE DON'T ADVERTISE THE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS FOR ANY PARTICULAR ACT ACTIVATION.
INSTEAD, WE ACTUALLY WOULD'VE COME TO ONE TEXAS CENTER, OR WE INVITE OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO BRING PEOPLE TO ONE TEXAS CENTER BETWEEN SIX AND 8:00 PM FOR THAT EMBARKATION.
AND OF COURSE, INDIVIDUALS THEMSELVES CAN COME TO ONE TEXAS CENTER VIA THE PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM.
CAP METRO WILL NOT CHARGE A FARE FOR ANYBODY WHO'S TRYING TO COME TO ONE TEXAS CENTER FOR COLD WEATHER SHELTER.
SO LAST YEAR, WE WOULD ACTIVATE COLD WEATHER SHELTER WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WAS 32 DEGREES OR 35 DEGREES WITH RAIN, OR 32 DEGREES OR 35 DEGREES WITH A WINDCHILL OF 32 DEGREES.
NOT EVEN I CAN GET IT STRAIGHT
THAT'S EXTREMELY CONFUSING AND DIFFICULT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO REMEMBER.
AND SO, INSTEAD OF HAVING A MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM, THE VERY FIRST CHANGE THAT WE MADE WAS, WE SAID, IF THE TEMPERATURE IS FORECASTED TO BE 35 DEGREES OR BELOW, WE WILL ACTIVATE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS THIS SEASON, WE'VE PROBABLY ACTIVATED MAYBE EIGHT OR NINE, UH, NIGHTS.
ABOUT SIX OF THOSE NIGHTS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED USING LAST YEAR'S CRITERIA.
OKAY? SO WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THAT WE'RE ACTIVATING MORE FREQUENTLY, GIVING MORE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME INSIDE INSTEAD OF HAVING TO SEEP OUTSIDE, START A FIRE IN THEIR ENCAMPMENT TO TRY TO STAY WARM.
WE ALL SEE HOW THAT TURNS OUT.
AND SO WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO COME INSIDE.
WE'RE ALSO NOTIFYING PEOPLE OF COLD WEATHER SHELTERS EARLIER.
NOW, ALL OF YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU LIVE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, LIKE, LIKE ME.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, OUR WEATHER FLUCTUATES AND OUR WEATHER FORECAST OFTENTIMES CHANGE.
UH, I HAVE A, A LOT OF LOVE AND APPRECIATION FOR LOCAL, UH, NEWS.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO FORECAST THE WEATHER.
AND I ALSO KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THE WEATHER SHIFTS AND THEY GET IT WRONG.
AND SO LAST YEAR, IN THE YEARS PRIOR, WE WOULD NOT ANNOUNCE WHEN WE WERE GONNA ACTIVATE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS UNTIL THE DAY OF ACTIVATION.
THE GOAL WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNEW THAT THE FORECAST WAS ACCURATE AND THAT WE WERE ONLY ACTIVATING WHEN WE HIT THRESHOLD.
NOW, WE WILL ANNOUNCE COLD WEATHER SHELTER ACTIVATIONS UP TO A DAY EARLIER.
SO IF I KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE'RE GONNA ACTIVATE TOMORROW NIGHT, WE WOULD'VE MADE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT THIS MORNING.
THAT GIVES OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS MORE TIME TO LEARN THAT COLD WEATHER SHELTERS WILL BE AVAILABLE.
THEY HAVE NOW 48 HOURS NOTICE INSTEAD OF LESS THAN 12.
IT GIVES OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS MORE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD ON THE CITY SIDE, TOO.
IT GIVES OUR STAFF MORE OF A HEADS UP TO PREPARE FOR COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS.
WE HAVE A THIRD, UH, PARTY OPERATOR, THE AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAGUE.
THEY RUN OUR FIRST THREE SITES FOR THE CITY.
AND SO THE 24 HOUR EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENT ALSO GIVES THE URBAN LEAGUE MORE TIME TO GET THEIR STAFFING READY TO GET MEALS READY FOR US TO GET THE CENTERS READY.
AND WHEN WE HAVE EXTREME COLD WEATHER SNAPS, LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR, IT ALLOWS US TO WORK WITH A BROADER SET OF PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES TO BEAR, TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE, UH, HAVE WHAT THEY NEED FOR THEIR ENTIRE DURATION IN SHELTER.
WE ALSO UTILIZED A TEXT ALERT SYSTEM THAT WE CREATED LAST YEAR.
UH, IT'S A SYSTEM THAT SENDS OUT EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS VIA TEXT MESSAGE.
THOSE NOTIFICATIONS GO OUT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
WE HAVE CLOSE TO 5,000 PEOPLE REGISTERED FOR THOSE TEXT ALERTS WITH ABOUT A 70%, UM, SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY RATE.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO GET THOSE TEXT NOTIFICATIONS OUT EARLIER HAVE ALLOWED US TO EMPOWER MORE PEOPLE WITH KNOWLEDGE AND GIVE MORE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME INSIDE.
THE THIRD CHANGE THAT WE MADE IS WE'VE ENHANCED THE QUALITY OF OUR MEAL SERVICE AT COLD WEATHER SHELTERS.
SO, PREVIOUSLY WE WOULD DO A LOT OF PIZZA, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY EASY TO COOK FOR UP TO 300 PEOPLE.
UH, BUT NOW THAT WE'RE MAKING EARLIER ACTIVATIONS AND EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENTS, WE'RE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR FOOD VENDORS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OFFERING A WIDER VARIETY OF FOOD OPTIONS, THAT THE FOOD IS HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS, AND THAT THERE ARE ALSO DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERENT DIETARY PREFERENCES.
SO WE ARE ABLE TO CATER TO FOLKS WHO HAVE A GLUTEN ALLERGY, MAYBE FOLKS WHO ARE VEGETARIAN OR PESCATARIAN.
I'M FROM NEW ORLEANS, SO I EAT EVERYTHING.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE WORDS MEAN, BUT WE CAN CATER TO ALL OF THESE FOLKS.
UH, ANYBODY WITH ANY TYPE OF, OF FOOD PREFERENCE.
THE FORT CHANGE THAT WE MADE, UH, AND IT'S NOT SO MUCH A CHANGE, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EMPHASIZING MORE THIS YEAR, IS WE HAVE SPECIALIZED SERVICES FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AS WELL AS UNACCOMPANIED MINORS WHO ARE SEEKING WARM PLACES TO STAY FOR THE NIGHT.
AND SO, INSTEAD OF SENDING FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AND UNACCOMPANIED MINORS TO THE RECREATION CENTERS FOR OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS, WE LINE UP HOTEL ROOMS EVERY NIGHT TO PROVIDE
[00:30:01]
FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AND UNACCOMPANIED MINORS.SO IF THEY COME TO ONE TEXAS CENTER TO REGISTER, WE WILL ESCORT THEM TO A LOCAL AREA HOTEL WHERE WE PAY FOR THE ROOM FOR THE DURATION OF THAT ACTIVATION.
SO LAST WEEK, WE HAD SOME FAMILIES WHO WERE IN HOTELS FOR SEVERAL DAYS INSTEAD OF HAVING TO SLEEP IN THEIR CARS OR SLEEP OUTSIDE WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR CHILD.
THE FIFTH AND FINAL CHANGE THAT WE MADE THIS YEAR IS, UH, PROVIDING SHUTTLE SERVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO GET TO ONE TEXAS CENTER BY 8:00 PM.
SO IN YEARS PRIOR, IF YOU MISS THE WINDOW, THAT SIX TO 8:00 PM REGISTRATION WINDOWS, UH, ONE OF TWO THINGS HAPPENED.
EITHER YOU WERE TOLD THAT YOU COULD NOT GET IN BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WAY FOR US TO GET YOU TO THE SHELTER.
OR I WOULD GET A CALL FROM BUILDING SECURITY, OR SOMEBODY ON MY TEAM WOULD GET A CALL AND WE WOULD HOP IN OUR PERSONAL VEHICLES AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO PICK PEOPLE UP AND BRING 'EM TO ONE TEXAS CENTER.
NOW, AS MUCH AS MY STAFF AND I LOVED DOING THAT, WE ALSO SAW THAT THAT WAS A HUGE GAP FOR OUR SYSTEM.
WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO JUST, FOR WHATEVER THE REASON, COULD NOT MAKE IT BY 8:00 PM FOR SOME, IT WAS DUE TO WORK.
FOR SOME, IT WAS A MOBILITY CHALLENGE.
FOR OTHERS, THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY COULD TOUGH IT OUT FOR THE NIGHT ONLY TO REALIZE AT 10:00 PM THAT OUTSIDE REALLY WASN'T THE PLACE FOR THEM TO BE.
SO NOW WE'VE ARRANGED IN OUR CONTRACT WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE TO HAVE A SHUTTLE SERVICE.
IT'S A AFTER HOUR SHUTTLE SERVICE.
SO BETWEEN 8:00 PM AND TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, ANYBODY WHO COMES TO ONE TEXAS CENTER CAN GET A FREE SHUTTLE RIDE FROM ONE TEXAS CENTER OVER TO THE SHELTER FOR THE NIGHT.
UH, ALL CLIENTS WHO COME TO COLD WEATHER SHELTERS RECEIVE A SNACK AT THE REGISTRATION, AS WELL AS DINNER THAT NIGHT AND BREAKFAST THE FOLLOWING MORNING.
UH, AND ON MORNINGS WHEN WE HAVE TO DEMOBILIZE, BUT IT'S STILL VERY COLD OUTSIDE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY TO HAVE OUR DOWNTOWN LIBRARIES OPEN EARLIER SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE A WARM PLACE TO STAY UNTIL THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE HEAT UP.
AND USUALLY WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE WARM COFFEE AND TEA AS WELL.
SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR COLD WEATHER SHELTER.
UH, LAST WEEK'S CODE SNAP, WE SUCCESSFULLY PROVIDED OVER 1500 BED NIGHTS OF SERVICE TO PEOPLE SERVING RIGHT AROUND 4,000 MEALS.
UH, ALSO WITHIN THE MIDDLE OF THAT CODE SNAP, WE HAD A 24 HOUR ACTIVATION.
SO THAT THURSDAY WHEN IT WAS FORECASTED TO RAIN OR POSSIBLY SNOW AND SLEET, UH, ANYBODY WHO CAME INTO SHELTER ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAS ALLOWED TO STAY INTO SHELTER THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.
UH, AND SO I WANT TO THANK MY CITY PARTNERS FOR THAT.
AND CHAIR, ONE THING THAT I, THAT I NEGLECTED TO MENTION IS WITH OUR EARLIER ACTIVATIONS, I HAD NOTICED THAT HISTORICALLY WE HADN'T DONE THAT BECAUSE THE WEATHER CHANGES.
SO IT ALWAYS LEADS TO THE QUESTION OF, WELL, WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU MAKE A CALL ON A MONDAY AND THEN TUESDAY THE WEATHER CHANGES AND IT GETS WARMER? OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY IS WHEN WE MAKE A CALL TO ACTIVATE.
WE ACTUALLY HAD A CASE THIS YEAR WHERE WE MADE A CALL TO ACTIVATE THE FOLLOWING DAY.
THE WEATHER ACTUALLY WENT UP TO 37 DEGREES.
BUT BECAUSE WE MADE THE CALL TO ACTIVATE, WE WILL NEVER RENEG IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WILL NEVER RESCIND AN ACTIVATION.
SO WHEN WE SAY THAT WE'RE ACTIVATING WHERE ALL SYSTEMS GO, DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT HAPPENS WITH MOTHER NATURE AFTER THAT POINT.
SO, MADAM CHAIR, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THESE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE TO OUR PROGRAM.
AND, UH, I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS FROM YOU AND THE COMMITTEE AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. GRAY.
I KNOW MY, UM, COMMISSIONERS ARE, ARE CHOMPING AT THE BIT ALREADY.
WHO SPONSORED THIS ONE? WHO WAS THE ONE THAT SPONSORED? WHO? UH, OH.
UM, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? NO.
ANYONE HAVE ANY, UM, THING TO SAY? YES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, SO I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU SAID ABOUT 300 PEOPLE PER EVENING.
SO THE AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAGUE IS CONTRACTED TO SUPPORT THE FIRST 300 PEOPLE THAT COME INTO COLD WEATHER SHELTER.
AND ACTUALLY WITH LAST WEEK'S CODE STAMP, WE INCREASED THAT NUMBER TO THE FIRST 375 PEOPLE.
AFTER WE HIT THAT THRESHOLD, WE CAN OPEN ADDITIONAL SHELTERS AND THOSE SHELTERS WILL BE STAFFED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN WITH FOOD PROVIDED THROUGH A CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK.
UH, UM, BY ANY CHANCE, DO YOU HAVE LIKE AN ESTIMATED NUMBER OF HOW MANY PEOPLE, UM, UH, HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT YOU PROVIDED SERVICE FOR MAYBE LAST WEEK? LIKE UP TO HOW MANY? SURE.
SO LET ME START BY SAYING THAT ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO COME IN WILL COME IN.
WE DO NOT HAVE A CAP ON THE SERVICES THAT WE WILL PROVIDE.
TYPICALLY ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT, WE, ON AVERAGE, YOU MIGHT AVERAGE BETWEEN A HUNDRED AND 150 PEOPLE.
WE HAD A ACTIVATION LAST NIGHT, AND I THINK OUR FINAL COUNT FOR THAT ACTIVATION WAS 137.
BUT LAST WEEK'S CODE SNAP, THE HIGHEST NUMBER THAT I RECALL SEEING WAS 425.
I THINK OUR RECORD WAS 500 AND THAT WAS BACK WHEN WE HAD WINTER STORM
[00:35:01]
MARA, UH, A FEW SEASONS AGO.BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE NO CAP ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WE WILL SUPPORT.
ANYBODY WHO'S SEEKING A SAFE, WARM PLACE TO BE ON A COAT NIGHT WILL BE ACCOMMODATED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WHERE'S THIS FUNDING? WHERE'S THIS FUNDING COMING FROM? SURE.
THE FUNDING WAS APPROPRIATED BY CITY COUNCIL TO THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
SO WE PICK UP THE BULK OF THE COST.
NOW, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT CONTRIBUTE STAFF TIME, AS DOES THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND I HAD MENTIONED WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE URBAN LEAGUE ONLY PROVIDES SUPPORT UP TO A CERTAIN THRESHOLD.
SO THEN BEYOND THAT, OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, KICK IN WITH SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
AND, AND I SHOULD ALSO NOTE JUST FOR THE, BECAUSE YOU, YOU ASKED THE FIRST QUESTION.
WHILE THE OVERNIGHT COLD WEATHER SHELTERS PRIMARILY SERVE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THEY ARE OPEN TO ANYBODY WHO NEEDS A WARM SPACE TO SLEEP.
SO IF YOUR POWER GOES OUT ONE NIGHT, OR IF YOU'RE A SENIOR CITIZEN, OR IF YOU'RE A FAMILY AND YOU'RE WORRIED THAT YOU CAN'T PAY THAT AWESOME ENERGY BILL BECAUSE YOU'RE RUNNING UP YOUR YOUR HEAT, YOU CAN COME TO ONE TEXAS CENTER AND WE WILL ACCOMMODATE YOU.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS RESOURCE.
WELL, GREG, I'M GONNA SAY I'M SO HAPPY.
THANK YOU FOR COMING, UH, THIS EVENING AND SPEAKING AND LETTING EVERYONE KNOW HOW THIS PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED.
UM, IT'S BEEN A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL THING TO SEE THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED THIS YEAR AND, AND HOW, UM, STREAMLINED AND SYNERGISTIC YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER WITH, UM, DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND, AND DEPARTMENTS.
SO IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL TO SEE.
THIS IS JUST STRICTLY A SING, SINGING THE, THE PRAISES OF THE HSO, UM, AND GREAT TO SEE HOW THINGS WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND EXPAND.
AND I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT.
UM, THESE SERVICES ARE ALSO AFFORDED TO RESIDENTS, UM, THAT MAY BE IN SITUATIONS, CHALLENGING SITUATIONS WHERE THEY CAN BE ACCOMMODATED AS WELL FOR THIS PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS REALLY JUST A SHOUT OUT, A APPLAUD FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
THANK YOU AGAIN HSO FOR CONTINUING THIS HUMANISTIC WORK.
YOU'RE ALSO WELCOME TO CALL THE CITY MANAGER TC BRIGHT.
I, I'M GIMME A PAY RAISE PLAYING
A LOT OF FOLKS WHO DON'T GO RECOGNIZED.
AND SO, UH, I, I WILL PASS ALONG THAT PRAISE TO THE, THE BODY OF PEOPLE THAT PULL OFF COLD WEATHER SHELTERS EVERY NIGHT.
BUT, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH MM-HMM
UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER AND TISHA.
UH, NOT OFTEN DO INDIVIDUALS COME HERE AND, UM, WE ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE INCREDIBLY PLEASED.
UM, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LEADING THIS, UM, PROGRAM? SURE.
SO I WAS APPOINTED AS HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER IN DECEMBER, 2023.
SO IT'S BEEN JUST OVER A YEAR.
UH, THE CHANGES THAT ARE, UH, THAT I HEAR YOU SPEAK ABOUT ARE, UH, WELL, WELL, I DON'T WANNA SAY WELL DESERVED, BUT WELL DEFINITELY NEEDED.
AND, UH, THEY, THEY ARE COMMON SENSE CHANGES.
AND, UM, THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING IS, IS THAT WE BE COMPASSIONATE AND, UH, PUT OUR CITY DO DOLLARS, UH, TO, TO GOOD USE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DOING IT, SO THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL OF YOUR GROUP AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT IS INVOLVED.
UM, AT LEAST WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THE NEXT YEAR.
ANNUALLY, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT, BECAUSE I ANTICIPATE THAT LIKE ANY GREAT ORGANIZATION, YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THOSE LITTLE AREAS TO IMPROVE.
AND SO YOU MAY BE ABLE TO TELL US WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT YEAR.
SO, UM, IF WE COULD GET YOU TO, UM, MAKE IT BE AN ANNUAL JANUARY, UM, KIND OF, SORT OF LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COME BACK.
WE HAVE A LOT OF INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON MM-HMM
SOME NEW THINGS THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON.
AND, AND WE TOTALLY WELCOME THE, THE FEEDBACK AND, AND THE INPUT FROM THIS GROUP, NOT JUST THE FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT ALSO INPUT ON THE FRONT END.
PLEASE ADD US TO YOUR JANUARY, 2026 CALENDAR, PLEASE.
UM, LIAISON, WOULD YOU MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE IS COMMUNICATING WITH HSO, UM, UM, BY DECEMBER AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT IT IS ALREADY ON THE CALENDAR SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WE'RE EXPECTING IT? UM, AND THEN IF YOU NEED TO REACH OUT TO US BEFORE THEN, UM, YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO COMMUNICATE AND WE'LL, YOU ALWAYS HAVE A SEAT.
[00:40:01]
I LOVE GOOD NEWS, GUYS.[4. Presentation and update on the Housing Department's Legacy Program (Letitia Brown, Division Manager, Housing Department).]
HAVE, UM, MISS LETICIA BROWN.NOW THE DIVISION MANAGER OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
LETICIA BROWN, DIVISION MANAGER FOR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING.
WE'RE NO LONGER NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING.
SO I'M COMING, UH, THIS EVENING TO SPEAK ON THE LEGACY PROJECT.
THE LEG LEGACY PROJECT WAS AN EFFORT TO ALIGN THE CITY'S AFFORDABILITY PERIOD TO WITH HUD'S AFFORDABILITY, PERIOD.
SO IT WAS MAINLY FOR THE HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED OVER YEARS, AND ALSO THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
SO THE PURPOSE OF THE HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM, WHICH I WILL REFER TO AS HRLP, IS TO ASSIST LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOMEOWNERS WITH HOME REPAIRS FOR PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN THE FULL PURPOSE CORPORATE CITY LIMITS OF AUSTIN.
THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, THIS PARTICULAR ONE, ADDRESSES STANDARD CONDITIONS THAT EXIST ON THE HOMEOWNER'S PROPERTY.
THE PROGRAM PROVIDES REHABILITATION LOANS TO BRING THE PROPERTY UP TO CODE, UH, PROVIDES STANDARD REPAIRS, FOUNDATIONS, ROOF, UH, PLUMBING, HVAC SYSTEMS, ELECTRICAL WORK AND MAJOR INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR WORK.
THIS PROGRAM, UM, IS A LIEN AGAINST THE PROPERTY.
THEN WE HAVE THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH WE ALSO PROVIDE A LIEN.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE DPA IS TO INCREASE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES TO QUALIFY LOW TO MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS BY PROVIDING THE NECESSARY FINANCIAL GAP IN DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COSTS WHEN PEOPLE PURCHASE HOMES.
SO WE HAVE THOSE TWO PROGRAMS THEY HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO, THEY HAVE HAD OTHER NAMES IN THE PAST, BUT THE MAIN FOCUS IS THAT IT WAS FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
AND THE OTHER, UH, LOAN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS THE HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM.
AND JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND, JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE, THERE WE GO.
THAT OUR GRAPHICS ARE KEEPING.
SO JUST SOME OF THE BACKGROUND, UM, OF THE PROGRAM, UH, STRUCTURES HUD, WHICH IS HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND I WOULD, WE REFER TO THEM AS HUD.
THE REQUIRED FOR AFFORDABILITY PERIOD, UH, WAS TO SUPPORT THE FEDERAL FUNDS.
IF HOME, IF HOMES IS, IF HOMES WERE SOLD BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD OF THE LIEN, THE CITY REQUIRED REPAYMENT OF THE LOAN HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
AND DPA PROGRAMS ARE STRUCTURED AS LOANS, SOME WHICH REQUIRE REPAYMENT AT THE END OF THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD.
I THINK I SAID THAT TWICE FOR ALL LOANS FOR THE PROGRAMS, REGARDLESS OF THE FUND FUNDING SOURCE, THE TERMS IN THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD EXCEEDED THE MINIMUM PROVIDED, UM, MINIMUM PERIOD SET BY HUD.
THE LOANS IN THIS PORTFOLIO, THEY WERE FROM $1,500 TO 129,000, UH, DOLLARS.
AND THAT'S FOR RECONSTRUCTION.
SO SHARED EQUITY IS A IMPOSED REQUIREMENT, NOT BY HUD, BUT BY THE CITY.
SO BASICALLY, HUD HAD ITS GUIDELINES.
THE CITY WAS MORE STRINGENT THAN WHAT HUD REQUIRES.
AND ON THIS AFFORDABILITY PERIOD, UH, LISTED HERE, UH, TODAY, THIS IS WHAT HUD SAID, THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD WOULD BE.
SO WE DECIDED TO GO BACK AND MODIFY ALL OF THE LIENS THAT WE HAD ON PROPERTIES THAT EXCEEDED HUD'S AFFORDABILITY, PERIOD.
SO THE MAIN, THE LONGEST AFFORDABILITY PERIOD SET BY HUD WAS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, WHICH GOES UP TO 20 YEARS.
SO THE 15 YEAR WAS A FIVE YEAR LIEN.
15,000 TO 40,000 WAS A 10 YEAR LIEN, MORE THAN 40,000 A 15 YEAR LIEN.
AND THEN FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, IT WAS, UH, 20 YEARS.
[00:45:01]
FOR $1,500, 30 YEARS FOR, UM, NEW CONSTRUCTION WHEN HUD ONLY REQUIRED 20.SO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, ABOUT THE SHARED EQUITY.
THIS WAS THE BIG THING THAT PEOPLE WERE SO UNCOMFORTABLE WITH.
AND BASICALLY ON THE SHARED EQUITY, THE CITY GAVE YOU AN AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND BASED ON, SO THE CITY GAVE YOU AMOUNT OF MONEY, AND WHENEVER YOU GOT READY TO PAY OFF THAT LOAN, OR YOU NO LONGER LIVED IN THE PROPERTY, THE CITY NOT ONLY WANTED THE MONEY THAT YOU GAVE, THAT YOU WERE GIVEN ON A PRORATED AMOUNT.
THE CITY WANTED A PORTION OF THE EQUITY AS WELL.
AND THE EXAMPLE THAT WE'RE USING HERE WAS A $250,000 APPRAISED VALUE WHERE THE PROPERTY APPRECIATED, UM, FROM 170, FROM 147,500.
SO THE EQUITY TO BE SHARED IN THIS CASE WAS 102,500.
THE HOMEOWNER GOT 75%, THE CITY GETS 25% ON TOP OF WHATEVER WE GAVE YOU.
WHATEVER WE GAVE THE HOMEOWNER, IT'S FORGIVEN ON A PRORATED AMOUNT.
SO DO REMEMBER THAT THIS EXAMPLE SHOWS THE FULL AMOUNT THAT WE PROVIDED.
BUT FOR EVERY YEAR THAT THE HOUSE IS LIVED IN, WE FORGIVE, UH, FORGIVE, UM, FORGIVE THE LOAN AT A PRORATED AMOUNT.
PLUS WE GET A PORTION OF THE EQUITY THAT WAS THE CASE IN HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM AND IN DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
THE NEXT SLIDE GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW MOST OF THESE PROPERTIES WERE UNDER A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN VALUE.
THEY APPRECIATED AS HIGH AS CLOSE TO A MILLION.
SO THE SQUIGGLY LINE SHOWS YOU HOW THE PROPERTIES WERE APPRECIATING.
SO WHEN WE SET UP THE SHARED EQUITY PROGRAM, THE PURPOSE WASN'T FOR US TO HAVE A WINDFALL OF CASH WHEN SOMEBODY PAID OFF, OR IF THEY MOVED, WE WERE JUST TRYING TO AVOID THE PROPERTY FROM BEING FLIPPED AND FOR THEM TO REMAIN AFFORDABLE FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE WAS THAT WE INVESTED THE MONEY, TIME, THE INDUSTRY, IT CAUSED AN APPRECIATE, UH, AN APPRECI APPRECIATION IN THE PROPERTY AND IT PEOPLE, WHENEVER THEY WOULD CALL US TO PAY OFF THEIR LOAN, AND IT WAS TIME FOR THEM TO GIVE A PORTION OF THE EQUITY.
THEY DIDN'T LIKE THAT PART OF THE PROGRAM.
AND WE CAME TO THIS, UH, BOARD AND COMMISSIONS AND WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THIS PROGRAM AND THE SHARED EQUITY.
AND THAT WAS THE PART THAT THE BOARD WAS NOT, UH, PLEASED WITH.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE GOT A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
BUT TONIGHT, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU.
BUT BEFORE I TELL YOU WHAT WE'VE DONE NEXT, I DO WANNA SHARE ON THIS SLIDE YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
SO YOU WILL SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IMPACTED WITH THIS PROGRAM IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
IT GOES FROM, UH, ONE TO 10 DISTRICTS.
SO THE REASON FOR THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE CALLING THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT LEGACY PROJECT, WHICH WE'RE NOW HOUSING, WAS THE CITY APPLIED RULES THAT WERE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN HUD REQUIRED LOANS.
LIENS APPEAR TO BE PREDATORY IN NATURE.
RULES APPLIED BY THE CITY HAD UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
AND BASICALLY THAT'S THAT WINDFALL CASH, BECAUSE NONE OF US KNEW THAT PRICES AND VALUES WOULD GO UP AS MUCH AS THEY DID.
SO BASICALLY, UM, THE LIENS THAT WERE RELEASED, WE HAD ABOUT 799
[00:50:01]
LIENS THAT WERE RELEASED AS A PART OF THIS EFFORT.AND OVER CLOSE TO, UH, $9 MILLION THAT WAS, UH, FORGIVEN.
SO ONCE WE ADJUSTED OUR LIENS TO MATCH HUD LIENS, SOME OF THOSE PROMPTED AN IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
SO WE RELEASED, UH, THE LIENS ON 799 OTHER LOANS.
WE MODIFIED THE LIEN THAT SHORTEN THE PERIOD IN SOME CASES.
AND WE WILL RE, WE WILL, UH, RELEASE THOSE AS THEY COME.
AND WE WILL ALSO RESUBORDINATE IN THE EVENT THAT THEY WANT TO REFINANCE THEIR HOUSE AND THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO GET CASH BACK.
SO THE NEXT STEPS, NEXT STEPS.
WE VETTED OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WITH HUD CORPORATE FINANCE LAW DEPARTMENT.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE US RELEASING 799 LIENS DID NOT TRIGGER, UH, SOME KIND OF TAX, UM, SOME KIND OF TAX IMPLICATION.
IT'S BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR SINCE WE CAME IN HERE AND TALKED ABOUT THIS PROJECT, BUT IT'S TAKEN US THIS MUCH TIME TO ACTUALLY GET TO IT AND GET IT DONE.
SO LOANS THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED IN THE PAST WILL NOT BE REFUNDED.
SO FOR ALL THE LOANS PRIOR TO US MAKING THIS DECISION, THOSE PEOPLE THAT PAID OFF THEIR LOANS, THEY PAID THOSE LOANS OFF ACCORDING TO THE LIEN DOCUMENTS THAT WERE IN PLACE.
AND WE'RE NOT GONNA GO BACK FURTHER THEN WHAT WE'VE ALREADY GONE AND WE'RE NOT GONNA REPAY, UM, PEOPLE THAT ALREADY PAID OFF THEIR LOANS.
SO APPROXIMATELY 1000 LIENS HAVE BEEN MODIFIED.
APPROXIMATELY 800 RELEASE OF LIENS ARE BEING PROCESSED AND RELEASE OF LIENS SHOULD BE RECORDED AT TRA AT TRAVIS COUNTY IN JANUARY OF 2025.
QUESTIONS? I'M OPEN FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR THAT MANAGER, BROWN.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE TODAY IS A DAY OF GOOD NEWS.
UM, WE HOPE I WILL YIELD TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS BEFORE I ASK MY ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS.
I DO SEE COMMISSIONER BERT DELGADO.
UM, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, MA'AM.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION, LETICIA.
IT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD TO HEAR.
UM, SO YEAH, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAM AND, AND I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, UM, AND CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS AS WELL AS I HAVE, UH, SOME CLARIFICATION.
YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHANGE WAS MADE, CAN YOU TELL THE COMMISSION WHEN THE CHANGE WAS MADE? BECAUSE I KNOW YOU SAY THAT 2025, IT TAKES IN EFFECT, BUT WHEN DID Y'ALL MAKE THIS CHANGE? WHY WAS THIS CHANGE MADE? AND ON THE LIST OF, OF THE HOUSES IN MY DISTRICT, WHICH IS 7 8 7 0 2, DISTRICT THREE, THE THE 1707 HASKELL HOUSE ON THERE, CAN YOU ALSO LET THE COMMISSION KNOW, KIND OF BREAK IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT? UM, 'CAUSE IT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION TO PROCESS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS PROGRAM AND HAVEN'T HAD THIS, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE IN, UM, DEALING WITH FAMILIES THAT HAVE THIS LIEN ON THEIR PROPERTY REALLY UNDERSTAND, UH, WHY THIS CHANGE WAS MADE.
CAN YOU KIND OF GIVE US A LITTLE, UH, CLARIFICATION AND UPDATE ON THAT AS, AS WELL AS THE DATE, PLEASE? LET'S SEE.
IN, WE MADE THE DECISION IN 2023, AS I STATED, WE HAD TO VET IT THROUGH A NUMBER OF AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THE ACTION THAT WE TAKE DOESN'T CREATE FURTHER PROBLEMS. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE FORGIVE A GRANT, THAT COULD HAVE SOME TAX IMPLICATIONS.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T FORGIVE A GRANT, CONSIDERED SOME TYPE OF CASH FLOW, AND PEOPLE GET PENALIZED ON THEIR INCOME TAXES.
SO WE MADE THE DECISION IN 2023.
AND THE REASON WE MADE THE DECISION TO ALIGN OUR AFFORDABILITY PERIOD WITH HUBS IS BECAUSE WE WERE
[00:55:01]
WORKING ON A CAMPAIGN.WE WERE, UM, EDUCATING PEOPLE ON HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS ON, UM, DEALING WITH INVESTORS AND NOT FEEDING AND, AND NOT, UH, ENTERTAINING THE INVESTORS THAT WERE TRYING TO BUY THEIR HOMES.
AND AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES, PEOPLE CONTINUED TO COMPLAIN WHENEVER THEY WOULD COME TO WHEN THEY, WHENEVER THEY WOULD TRY TO BORROW MONEY AGAINST THEIR HOME OR WHENEVER THEY WOULD TRY TO, UH, SELL THEIR HOME.
AND NOT ONLY DID WE WANT A PRORATED AMOUNT FROM THE LIEN, WE ALSO WANTED A PORTION OF THE EQUITY.
AND PEOPLE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE, UH, WE DESERVED A PART OF THEIR EQUITY AND THAT THAT'S THE GREATEST WEALTH THAT THEY HAVE.
SO IN DOING, IN, IN LOOKING AT THAT AND NOT BEING WANTED, NOT, UH, WANTING TO BE SEEN AS WE'RE TAKING SOMETHING FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE HOUSE IS NORMALLY WHAT PEOPLE USE TO BORROW MONEY FOR THEIR KIDS FOR COLLEGE, UH, DO REVERSE MORTGAGES TO TAKE HER THEIR HEALTH NEEDS.
WE DID NOT WANNA BE A PART OF THAT, UM, CLASS OF PEOPLE.
WE WANTED TO BE, WE WANTED TO BE FAIR, AND WE DO WANT MONEY BACK IN ORDER TO HELP OTHER FAMILIES, BUT WE DID NOT WANT TO FEEL LIKE, UH, WE WERE PREYING ON OUR ELDERLY SENIORS UNDERSERVED, UH, PEOPLE.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THOSE WERE THE COMPLAINTS THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND THE FACT THAT PEOPLE FELT THAT YOU ALL WERE, UH, A PART OF TRYING TO MAKE A PROFIT OFF OF THEIR HARDWORKING PROPERTY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND PEOPLE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE SHARED EQUITY.
RIGHT? AND PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW THAT EAST AUSTIN HOMES, ESPECIALLY IN MY DISTRICT, AND I AM SPEAKING IN MY DISTRICT, UM, THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE GRAPHIC, LIKE I JUST SAW, YOU'LL SEE WHERE THE 1707 HASKELL PROPERTY IS, WHERE IT'S SPIKED UP TO ALMOST 900,000.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A SHARED EQUITY ON A $900,000 PROPERTY, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TAKING A, A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THAT, IT DOES RING A RED FLAG.
UH, DID, IS THIS PROGRAM HELPING KEEPING, YOU KNOW, GENERATIONAL WEALTH AND, AND GENERATIONAL FAMILIES IN HOMES? OR IS THIS PROGRAM, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING A LIEN ON A PROPERTY AND, AND THESE PEOPLE DON'T THINK THEY'RE EVER GONNA PAY OFF THEIR LOAN THAT THEY GOT, UH, FOR THIS REBUILD? SO, UH, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD.
UM, HOW MUCH DID, UH, DID WE GIVE THE PROGRAM ON THIS LAST BUDGET? OR DO WE HAVE THAT? OR FOR THE 20 24, 20 25 BUDGET, HOW MUCH MONEY? 'CAUSE I KNOW WE USED TO GIVE A LARGE SUM OF MONEY TO THE, THIS PROGRAM, AND THEN I KNOW THAT, I REMEMBER WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WE BROUGHT UP THE LAST TIME WHEN YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, UH, HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY ACCESSING THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM? NATIVES, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT LIVED, THAT HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN THEIR WHOLE LIVES AND, AND WOULD NEED THAT ASSISTANCE AND HOW THAT WAS BEING GENERATED TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT WAS TWO MORE QUESTIONS AND THEN, AND THEN WE'RE GOOD TO GO.
AND THEN THE 1705 HIGH SCHOOL, UH, PROPERTIES THAT YOU JUST LISTED, ARE ALL OF THOSE LIENS ALREADY RELEASED ALREADY OR YOU'RE SAYING THEY'RE IN PROCESS OF RELEASING? THEY'RE, I THINK THEY'VE ALREADY RECEIVED MODIFICATIONS.
IT WASN'T TIME TO RELEASE BECAUSE WE'RE DOING 20 YEARS ON THOSE.
SO THEY SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A LOAN MODIFICATION FORM INSTEAD OF A RELEASE OF LIEN.
SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, HOW MUCH MONEY DID WE, UM, I'M THINKING YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE BUDGET FOR THE HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM AND THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UM, FOR THE HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM, IT'S THE ABOUT 1,000,002 PLUS WE HAVE SOME PROGRAM INCOME THAT I DON'T HAVE IN FRONT OF ME.
AND THEN FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, I DON'T ADMINISTER THAT PROGRAM ANYMORE.
BUT DOES SOMEBODY KNOW HOW MUCH IN DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE? THANK YOU.
MANDY DE MAYO, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY, THIS IS VERY TIMELY BECAUSE THE NEXT PRESENTATION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CAPER, WHICH IS OUR ANNUAL LOOK BACK, UM, AT THE WORK WE DID, INCLUDING HRLP, THE HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM, AND THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE IS THROUGH THE HOME PROGRAM.
THAT'S HOW WE GET OUR FUNDING.
UM, AND WE TYPICALLY SERVE, I THINK OUR GOAL IS
[01:00:01]
25 DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PER YEAR.AND THIS PAST YEAR WE DID 29 MM-HMM
UM, AND THOSE TYPICALLY, THEY GO UP TO $40,000 PER, UH, DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
SO WHAT WAS THE BUDGET FOR THAT? UH, THE BUDGET, I THOUGHT YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME DO MATH.
THE BUDGET WOULD BE IF YOU, IF YOU KNOW IT, 29 TIMES, 40,000.
NO, THAT'S WHAT DO WE'LL DO AROUND IT.
BUT THAT'S TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA.
UM, AND OUR HOME, OUR OVERALL HOME BUDGET IS THREE, ABOUT A LITTLE OVER 3 MILLION.
UM, AND THAT FUNDS BOTH, UM, DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND ALSO SOME OF OUR SMALLER NONPROFITS DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND DID, AND ANOTHER COMMENT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE NO LONGER, UM, HAS SHARED EQUITY.
SO THAT PROGRAM IS JUST, UM, UP TO 10, 10 YEARS.
AND IT'S FORGIVEN AT A PRORATED AMOUNT IF YOU SELL, OR IF YOU LEASE IT, I WANNA REFINANCE IT AND GET CASH BACK.
BUT THAT PROGRAM NO LONGER REQUIRES SHARED EQUITY AT ALL.
WE ONLY DO SHARED EQUITY ON PROPERTIES THAT WE DE DEMOLISH AND REBUILD.
THAT ANSWERED MY, MY QUESTION.
'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT I DID THE CALCULATION.
GO AHEAD AND, UH, THANK YOU, LETICIA.
I'M, UM, I JUST WANT US TO, I WANT THE, AS I LEAVE THE COMMISSION NEXT MONTH, I WANT OUR COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE SURE TO MONITOR, UH, THE HRLP PROGRAM, UH, BECAUSE I JUST AGAIN, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, EAST AUSTIN RESIDENTS ARE TAPPING INTO IT IF THEY NEED A NEW REBUILT, BUT THEY'RE ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY AND NOT GETTING THEIR HOUSE TAKEN AWAY OR ANYTHING HAPPENING TO THEIR HOMES, UM, IT WORRIES ME, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF HOUSES THAT ARE OVER 50 YEARS OLD AND THEY NEED A NEW FOUNDATION.
THEY NEED A WHOLE NEW MAKEOVER.
SO I DO APPRECIATE THE PROGRAM.
IT HAS HELPED SOME OF MY, UH, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I JUST DIDN'T LIKE HOW, UM, YOU ALL WANTED A REALLY HIGH SHARED EQUITY.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ACCESS THIS PROGRAM, UH, UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BLACK AND WHITE, UM, YOU KNOW, FINE PRINT BEFORE THEY GET INTO A LOAN THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GET, GET OUT OF OR, OR THERE'S A LIEN PUT ON THEIR PROPERTY.
HOW MANY, UH, APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY, UM, LOANS, UH, IF, YOU KNOW, MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY? YOU KNOW, THEY HAD ALREADY GONE.
HOW MANY LOANS HAVE WE PROCESSED PRIOR TO THIS ADJUSTMENT? UM, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA? I DO NOT.
UM, BASICALLY THE PROGRAMS HAVE EXISTED, UH, SINCE THE LATE NINETIES.
AND WE, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I'VE ACTUALLY ASKED AND, AND CAN'T GET IT.
THE ONLY THING I KNOW IS WHAT WE'RE GOING DO MOVING FORWARD, GOING TO DO MOVING FORWARD.
I, I, I UNDERSTAND, AND IT PROBABLY WAS NOT AS DRASTIC OF A INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUE AND APPRAISALS, UM, FOR IT.
IT PROBABLY WAS PRETTY STAGNANT FOR A WHILE BEFORE IT JUST TOOK OFF.
BUT, UH, I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING.
UM, DOES THE MODIFICATIONS REQUIRE THAT THE HOMEOWNERS TAKE ACTION? UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT THEY RECEIVED, MAY HAVE RECEIVED PAPERWORK, SO IF, IF SOMEBODY RECEIVES PAPERWORK BUT THEY MISPLACE IT OR THROW IT AWAY, NOT REALIZING ANYTHING, DOES IT REQUIRE THEM TO EXECUTE IT? NO.
SINCE THE ACTION WAS POSITIVE MM-HMM
IT WASN'T REQUIRED THAT IT, THE SIGNATURE OF THE HOMEOWNER WASN'T REQUIRED.
SO BASICALLY WE MAILED THEM A COPY OF THE MODIFICATION, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THE LOANS ARE MODIFIED, WE'LL UPDATE IT IN THE SYSTEM.
UPLOAD A COPY OF THE MODIFICATION.
AND THE LAST ONE I HAVE IS, UM, UM, UM, MS. DE MAIL MENTIONED KIND OF, SORT OF IN PASSING THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN LIKE A SLIGHT BUDGET CUT THIS LAST GO ROUND.
IF, UM, IF THERE ARE BUDGET CUTS, UM, DO, WHAT DO WE, DO WE ANTICIPATE, CAN WE ANTICIPATE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? WHAT, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WILL THAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN REAL? SO, UM, WE ARE THE RECIPIENT OF FOUR FEDERAL GRANTS.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
ESG AND HOPWA HOUSING OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WITH AIDS.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL FORMULA GRANTS.
[01:05:01]
HUD ACTUALLY, WE DON'T APPLY FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER.HUD, UH, DEVELOPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AN ALGORITHM THAT DETERMINES BASED ON NEED.
SO WE GET ASSIGNED A CERTAIN NUMBER MM-HMM
AND IT'S USUALLY IN THE SPRING AND WE COME TO YOU ALL, UM, WITH THE ACTION PLAN MM-HMM
WHAT WE THINK THE NUMBERS ARE GONNA BE.
AND THEN TYPICALLY WE FIND OUT THE FINAL NUMBERS, UM, LATER, SOMETIMES JUNE, JULY TIMEFRAME.
UM, THIS YEAR OUR CDBG NUMBERS WENT UP A LITTLE BIT, WHICH WAS GREAT.
IT WAS A LITTLE OVER $7 MILLION AND OUR HOME AMOUNT WENT DOWN, I THINK BY ABOUT $400,000.
UM, AND WE DIVIDED IT EVENLY THAT REDUCTION AMONGST, UM, THE PROGRAMS INCLUDING DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
HAVING SAID THAT, WE HAVE SUFFICIENT, AND WE'LL GO OVER THE NUMBERS WILL BE IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE ENOUGH PROGRAM INCOME, AS LETICIA HAS MENTIONED, FROM SOME OF THESE REPAYMENTS.
IF WE HAVE A LOAN REPAID OR IN SOME CASES SHARED EQUITY, UM, THAT WE PUT THAT BACK INTO THE PROGRAM SO WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE OTHER INCOME TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE STILL SERVING THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE OR MORE.
AS I MENTIONED, 25 WAS OUR GOAL LAST YEAR AND HAS BEEN THE GOAL.
AND LAST YEAR WE ACTUALLY SERVE 29 PEOPLE.
UM, AND SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND SO WHEN I JUST DO THE MATH ON IT, UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE RUNNING ABOUT 40 GRAND EACH.
IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? SO THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
YOU CAN GO UP TO 15,000 MM-HMM
OR YOU CAN DO A 40,000 OPTION.
THEY HAVE HAVE DIFFERENT AFFORDABILITY PERIODS.
AND, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT WE SPENT ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, SO WHAT WILL AND I UNDERSTAND, AND I THINK IT'S GREAT, AGAIN, THIS IS GOOD NEWS,
LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT I AM SAYING THIS IS GOOD NEWS.
UM, SO THEN WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT, MY NEXT QUESTION, MY, MY LAST, I DO BELIEVE MY LAST IS THAT CAN WE ANTICIPATE, SO WE'RE USING THE EQUITY THAT WE DID FROM THOSE WHO REPAID AND MISSED OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE PAYING IT FORWARD WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, AND PUTTING IT BACK IN TO THE PROGRAM.
SINCE WE ARE NOT GONNA BE GETTING THAT PREDATORY TYPE OF EQUITY THAT WE WERE GETTING AT SOME POINT, THAT'S GONNA BE GONE.
SO, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER SPECIFICALLY.
I JUST WANNA RING A BELL TO SAY, SURELY SOMEONE IN THE CITY, IF WE ARE USING THAT MONEY NOW TO SUPPLEMENT BACK INTO THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS GREAT, I LOVE THAT, BUT AT SOME POINT THERE'S GONNA BE NO MORE SUPPLEMENTAL BECAUSE WE HAVE STOPPED THE PEDI PREDATORY TYPE OF EQUITY, YOU KNOW, UH, 25%.
AT SOME POINT, WE NEED TO BE PLANNING AHEAD OF TIME WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR THOSE THAT NEED ASSISTANCE.
I'M JUST SAYING IT CAN'T BE THAT HARD.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BE LOOKING AHEAD AND BE FIGURING OUT, AT WHAT POINT DOES THAT MONEY RUN OUT? IT MAY BE FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
IT MAY BE 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
IT MAY BE 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
ALL I'M SAYING IS I'M RINGING THE BELL CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK, CLANK.
SOMEBODY KEEP AN EYE ON THAT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT LATER ON TO BE LIKE, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE MADE THOSE CHANGES, WHICH ARE GREAT CHANGES, AND NOW WE'RE RUNNING OUTTA MONEY AND WE DON'T HAVE, BUT WE CAN START EASING, MAYBE DEVELOP, UM, OTHER, UH, UH, UH, RESOURCES OR OTHER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOTTA BE SOMEBODY ELSE.
THE DEVELOPERS CAN PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEAS.
I DO, BUT THAT'S NOT MY ROLE ANYWAY.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL SOURCES OKAY.
OF FUNDS, INCLUDING LOCAL FUNDS, OKAY.
TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND OUR PROGRAMS. THIS IS WONDERFUL.
UM, SO YES, WE ARE THINKING THE EXACT SAME THING BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TOO.
ON ONE HAND, ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES IN FUTURE YEARS.
AND OF COURSE, WE CAN ALWAYS HOPE FOR INCREASED FEDERAL FUNDS, BUT I WOULDN'T HOLD MY BREATH FOR THAT ONE.
UM, AND SO THEN WE LOOK AT SOME OF OUR LOCAL SOURCES AND THEN HOW WE BETTER LEVERAGE OUR FEDERAL FUNDS WITH OTHER SOURCES TO SERVE MORE, MORE FOLKS.
YEAH, WE DON'T, WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOME BEFORE WE LOOK OUTSIDE FOR HELP.
[01:10:01]
VERY MUCH.AND THANK YOU MS. DE MAYO FOR YOUR, UH, CLARIFICATIONS AND SUPPORT ON THAT.
GUYS, WE ARE ROCKING AND ROLLING TODAY.
[5. Presentation and discussion on the City of Austin’s Housing Department’s Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) (Rocio Pena-Martinez, Grants Program Manager, Housing Department).]
KEEP IT HOT.AND OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, IT IS GONNA BE COMING FROM, IS IT ROCIO? ROCIO PENA MARTINEZ.
UH, SHE'S OUR GRANT MANAGER WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
I LOOK LIKE I HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND SO I'LL LET EVERYBODY INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
I'M A FINANCIAL MANAGER AT THE HOUSING DEPART.
OH, DID I MISS SOMETHING? EXCUSE ME.
BEFORE YOU ALL TAKE PLACE, I AM SO SORRY.
'CAUSE I HAD IT HERE AND I LET IT GET, I GOT SO EXCITED WITH THE GOOD NEWS.
UM, CAN I GET, UM, ONE OF YOU ALL MS. THE MAIL? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THAT'S MY THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES.
UM, MS. JOSEPH, WE HAVE YOU MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT FOR OUR ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
AND BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT, WE ARE GONNA GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS YOUR CONCERN SO THAT WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION, UM, WHEN THE PRESENTATION IS COMPLETED.
AND I APOLOGIZE, I REMEMBER WHAT I WROTE.
WE RECOGNIZE THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UH, MS. C JOSEPH, WHO IS HERE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE CAPER PRESENTATION THAT IS GONNA BE FORTHCOMING.
I'M ENOVIA JOSEPH, I REALLY DIDN'T MIND GOING AFTER THE STAFF PRESENTATION, BUT SINCE YOU CALLED ME UP, I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD PULL UP THE SLIDE PRESENTATION FROM LAST MONTH'S MEETING.
AND SPECIFICALLY AND RESPECTFULLY, I APPRECIATED THE COMMENT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THE OTHER SPEAKER.
UH, BUT MY REASONING AS IT RELATES TO, UH, REQUESTING THAT MANDY DE MAYO RESIGN IS BECAUSE 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME IS ACTUALLY USED AS A PROXY FOR RACE DISCRIMINATION.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT THE ACTUAL CONSOLIDATED PLAN WAS 431 PAGES.
AND THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THAT DOCUMENT THAT ACTUALLY TALKS ABOUT AUSTIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND IS THOSE PROPERTIES, I CONTINUE TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL JUST PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR THIS CRESTVIEW STATION.
THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT I MENTIONED DURING MY PRESENTATION WHERE IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 300 UNITS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ONLY ABOUT 60 OF THOSE UNITS WILL ACTUALLY BE FOR PEOPLE WHO EARN 50% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
SO SEEING IS BELIEVING 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME AT $70,000.
AND IF THIS COMMISSION IS FOCUSED ON THE POOR, THEN THEY'RE NOT THE ONES THAT ARE LIVING THERE.
THAT'S ALL I REALLY HAVE ON THE SLIDE.
I WOULD JUST SPEAK MORE BROADLY TO SAY THAT SPECIFICALLY THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT SUBPOPULATION, IF YOU JUST INSERT VETERANS, YOU WILL SEE THAT VETERANS ARE STATED AS A SUBPOPULATION.
I WOULD ASK THIS COMMISSION TO ASK AND HOW, UH, ZAMBRANO TO INCLUDE THE VASH VOUCHERS WHEN HE DOES HIS UPDATES TO YOU SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE PROGRESS AND SEE WHERE THESE PROPERTIES ARE, WHERE THE VETERANS ARE.
SPECIFICALLY, I JUST WOULD SAY SPECIFICALLY FROM MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ON DECEMBER 8TH, 2022, AWARDED $6 MILLION TO THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION FOR THE VOUCHERS FOR THAT PROGRAM.
AND I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THROUGH MY OWN EXPERIENCE THAT WHEN I WENT ON OCTOBER 17TH, 2024 AND NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024, BEFORE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ONE, THEY ASKED ME IF I WENT TO THE VA, BUT THEN TWO, THEY RETALIATED AND BLOCKED MY EMAILS, SO I COULDN'T GET OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS.
SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS AN OBLIGATION, AND I KNOW IN THE PAST, NEFERTITI JACKMAN IN PARTICULAR HAS TOLD YOU THAT HAKA AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN ARE DIFFERENT.
AND THAT PART IS TRUE HOW THEY RELY ON EACH OTHER.
AND I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT ON NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024, THEY RELIED ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
THESE UPDATES THAT YOU ARE GETTING, THEY RELY ON THAT.
AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT'S ASKED BY HUD
[01:15:01]
IS WHETHER THERE ARE ANY CIVIL RIGHTS CONSIDERATIONS OR CONCERNS.AND THEY SAID NO, JUST AS I SPOKE ABOUT TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, OUR NATIONAL ORIGIN.
SO WHEN THE STAFF IS GIVING YOU THESE UPDATES, I JUST WANT YOU TO KEEP IN MIND THAT VETERANS ARE A PRIORITY ON PAPER, BUT YOU DON'T SEE THAT.
IN LASTLY, I'LL JUST ASK YOU TO PUT FORTH A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO ACTUALLY USE THE FUNDING FROM PUBLIC SERVICES FOR, BECAUSE THAT WAS A UNILATERAL DECISION BY MAN.
ALL RIGHT, CHAIR, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
ONE QUICK QUESTION FOR MS. JOSEPH.
UM, WHERE THAT MOU DOCUMENT, WHERE DID YOU LOCATE THAT? OR HOW, HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT KIND OF INFORMATION? CAN YOU ASK A SPECIFIC QUESTION? COMMISSIONER, THE MOU DOCUMENT THAT WAS JUST ON THE SCREEN WHERE YOU WERE SHOWING THE DIFFERENT, UM, BREAKDOWNS OF PERCENTAGES.
I'M CURIOUS WHERE THAT DOCUMENT CAME FROM.
HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO SOURCE THAT? CERTAINLY.
SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAD IT IN BACKUP, IT'S AUSTIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION.
SO IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS, IT LISTED THE PROPERTY WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY PROPOSED, AND THEN I THINK IT WENT OUT FOR BID AGAIN OR SOMETHING.
AND MANDY CAN CLARIFY THAT, BUT THAT IS WHERE I GOT THE INFORMATION THROUGH THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
UM, UH, MS. JOSEPH, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION YOU TALK ABOUT, IS IT TITLE SIX IS THE CIVIL RIGHTS, IS THAT THE, WHAT YOU'RE CALLING IT TITLE SIX OR TITLE IX? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? IT'S TITLE SIX, MA'AM.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE FUNDING COMES FROM.
SO THE, THE FEDERAL FUNDING ASSISTANCE THAT THE CITY RECEIVES MM-HMM.
THAT THE CITY RECEIVES MM-HMM
WHEN I TESTIFY AND SUBMIT COMMENTS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MM-HMM
I OFTEN SAY SUSPEND THE FEDERAL FUNDING MM-HMM
BECAUSE THEY'RE ABLE TO PUT ON PAPER, WORDSMITH THE DOCUMENTS INCLUDE EQUITY AD NAUSEUM.
BUT IN REALITY, AS YOU ARE AWARE, FOR CONTEXT, IT'S AFRICAN AMERICAN ARE OVER SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE HOMELESS THAN OUR WHITE COUNTERPARTS.
AND WE DON'T EARN THE, THE 70% ARE THE, UH, AREA MEDIAN INCOME ARE 80%, $70,000 BASED ON THE CITY'S DATA.
UM, WHICH WAS $42,000 IN 2020 THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
BUT IT'S TITLE SIX, TITLE IX IS DEALING WITH SPORTS AND OKAY.
THANK, BUT THEY SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, CONFUSE THE TWO, SO IT MAKES IT HARDER FOR YOU TO FIND THAT INFORMATION ON THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WHEN I ASK THE QUESTION TO OTHERS.
SO, HAIR OUTTA YOUR, I APPRECIATE YOU GETTING THE HAIR OUT OF MY EYE.
UM, FOR THAT, UM, WE ARE GOING TO RESUME BACK.
UM, WE HAVE ROCIO, UH, PENA MARTINEZ AND HER, UM, TEAM.
AND SO WE WILL LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
I KNOW, SIR, YOU HAD JUST STARTED TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, SO WOULD YOU REINTRODUCE YOURSELF CHASE CLEMENS? I'M A FINANCIAL MANAGER AT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND GOOD TO SEE SOME OF YOU AGAIN.
UH, I, I'VE MET SOME OF YOU RECENTLY IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHILE WORKING ON THE, UM, EQUITY BASED HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN.
I WAS A RESIDENT COMMUNITY MEMBER.
AND NICE TO SEE COMMISSIONER TISHA AS WELL.
UM, WHO I RECOGNIZE FROM HER WORK AROUND, AROUND THE CITY AND HER ACTIVISM.
UM, I AM THE BRAND NEW, UH, GRANTS PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE, I I, I DON I DON KNOW THE PROTOCOL AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE TO ALL RIGHT.
UH, I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR, MANDY DEO, UM, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
AND I THINK WE'RE JUST GONNA GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND THERE'LL BE IT.
SOME OF IT WILL LOOK FAMILIAR BECAUSE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM, BOTH PROGRAMS OF WHICH ARE FEDERALLY FUNDED AND THEY FEED INTO THE CAPER REALLY QUICK.
I MADE TWO COPIES AND PASSING THEM AROUND.
WE DID, WE DIDN'T WANNA MAKE 10 11 COPIES.
AND OUR COMMISSIONERS ONLINE HAVE ACCESS TO AN ELECTRONIC VERSION.
AND COMMISSIONERS, I, I WOULD, UM, NOT RECOMMEND THAT YOU TRY AND GO THROUGH THE 150 PAGE REPORT MM-HMM.
UM, INTERACTING WITH IT DIGITALLY IS PROBABLY BEST 'CAUSE YOU CAN CONTROL SEARCH FOR THE TOPIC.
UH, BUT REALLY THE PRESENTATION YOU'RE ABOUT TO RECEIVE IS THE, THE MEET SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU WOULD FIND IN THAT REPORT.
WE'RE GONNA REVIEW THE FEDERAL REPORTING PROCESS, UM, RELATED TO OUR HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
[01:20:01]
INTO THE REVIEW FOR FISCAL YEAR 22, 23 CAPER RESULTS.UM, AND THEN WE WILL DO A, A BRIEF TOUCH ON THE FISCAL YEAR 25, 26 ACTION PLAN PROCESS.
AND THEN OPEN IT UP TO YOU GUYS FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
UM, I WANTED TO KIND OF PAINT A PICTURE BRIEFLY 'CAUSE THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TALKING TO YOU GUYS, SO BEAR WITH ME.
UM, ON THE FAR LEFT, YOU SEE THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
SO I, FORGIVE ME IF I'M TELLING YOU GUYS THINGS YOU, THINGS YOU ALREADY KNOW.
UM, THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN IS ESSENTIALLY THE CITY'S FIVE-YEAR APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL FUNDING TO HOUSING URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
THAT APPLICATION WENT INTO, UM, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AROUND SEPTEMBER.
IT KIND OF COINCIDES WITH THE, THE CITY'S BUDGET PROCESS.
IT GOES TO THE, TO HUD AROUND SEPTEMBER, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR.
IT WAS APPROVED, UM, WITHIN I THINK 45 DAYS OF THAT THIS LAST YEAR.
BUT THE FIVE YEAR PLAN IS ESSENTIALLY THE, THE, THAT'S THE BIG TASK.
WE GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, WE GET EVERYBODY'S INPUT, WE PACKAGE A GIANT DEAL TOGETHER, AND IT'S OUR APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR FIVE YEARS, UM, FOR ALL OF OUR HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
ONCE YOU TAKE THAT FIVE YEAR APPLICATION, THEY KIND OF ALLOCATE, IT DOESN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU'RE GONNA RECEIVE EVERY SINGLE YEAR, BUT IT TELLS YOU ALL OF YOUR INVESTMENT PLAN CATEGORIES.
IT KIND OF LAYS THE, THE FOUNDATION AND THE BARRIERS ON WHERE YOU CAN WORK IN ANY GIVEN YEAR.
THEN YOU BREAK THAT DOWN INTO THE FIVE INDIVIDUAL YEARS THAT ROLL INTO THAT ACT.
EACH ONE OF THOSE IS CALLED AN ACTION PLAN.
IT ESSENTIALLY IS OUR BUDGET TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT SAYS, THIS IS WHAT WE PLAN TO DO WITH THIS SPECIFIC YEAR.
AT ANY POINT IN TIME THAT IS BOUND TO, THEN THIS PLAYS INTO WHAT WAS BROUGHT UP A A SECOND AGO.
WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT AMOUNT IS GOING TO BE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR.
WE, AS I'M A FINANCIAL MANAGER, SO I TRY TO TAKE ESTIMATES OF WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND PRORATE FORWARD, AND THEN COMPARE THAT TO MAYBE THINGS THAT WE'VE READ OR WHAT AND COMMUNICATIONS WE'VE RECEIVED FROM HUD OR OTHER INFORMATION THAT'S OUT THERE TO, TO TAKE THE BEST GUESS THAT WE CAN.
BUT THE ACTION PLAN IS GONNA BE A, UM, BASED ON THAT PRELIMINARY NUMBER, WE'RE GONNA KIND OF SLOT IT INTO THE CATEGORIES THAT WERE PREDETERMINED WITHIN OUR FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
AND THEN WE WILL ADJUST BASED ON THE TRUE ALLOCATIONS THAT ARE GIVEN TO US.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE CITY'S BUDGETING PROCESS AS WE GO INTO APRIL AND MAY, THAT'S REALLY WHEN WE'RE WORKING ON OUR ACTION PLAN.
THAT'S WHEN WE'RE WORKING ON THE CITY'S BUDGET.
SO THEY KIND OF GO IN TANDEM WITH EACH OTHER.
WE BASE IT, UM, THE AMOUNTS THAT ARE GONNA GO INTO THAT ACTION PLAN ON THOSE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENTS.
AND THEN, AS MANDY POINTED OUT EARLIER, SOMEWHERE AROUND MAY OR JUNE, HOPEFULLY BY JUNE, WE WILL GET THE TRUE ALLOCATION THAT COMES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND THEN WE WILL PRORATE ALL OF THE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR PERCENTAGE BY PERCENTAGE ON OUR, OUR PRELIMINARY ADJUST.
I MEAN, OUR PRELIMINARY, PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES ADJUST THOSE NUMBERS UP OR DOWN BASED ON WHAT THE TRUE NUMBERS ARE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND THAT'S HOW WE MOVE INTO EACH ACTION PLAN YEAR.
THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER SLIDE A COUPLE MINUTES FROM NOW THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT WILL BREAK OUT KIND OF THE TIMING OF THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN VERSUS THE ACTION PLAN VERSUS WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHICH IS THE BLACK CIRCLE ON THE RIGHT, THE, WHAT WE CALL THE CAPER.
IT STANDS FOR CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT.
YOU LOOK AT THAT SIMILARS, UM, AS YOU WOULD SIMILAR TO LIKE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OR AN AUDIT.
SO YOU HAVE YOUR BUDGET ON THE FRONT END, THAT'S OVER FIVE YEARS.
YOU HAVE YOUR ONE YEAR BUDGET, WHICH IS EACH SLOTTED YEAR OF THAT CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
AND THEN YOU GET TO, AT THE END OF THE, OF THE ACTION PLAN YEAR, YOU REPORT BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND TO YOU GUYS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF HOW WE SPENT THOSE DOLLARS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY, IS TO COMMUNICATE THE RESULTS OF THE, WHAT WE CALL THE CAPER, UM, AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO, AGAIN, I'LL LOOK AT THIS SLIDE IN A COUPLE MINUTES.
IT'LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE BETTER ON WHERE WE ARE IN THAT FIVE YEAR PROCESS.
BUT JUST TODAY'S INFORMATION IS TO RO REPORT BACK ON THE RESULTS OF LAST YEAR'S ACTION PLAN, WHICH WAS THE FIFTH YEAR OF OUR LAST CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I KNOW THAT WAS LONG-WINDED.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE HERE ALL NIGHT, SO MM-HMM
MAKE SURE IT'S AN OVERVIEW, BUT KEEP GOING.
I, I JUST WANT, WHEN I SAY GRANULAR, IT'S AS GRANULAR.
I HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE.
IT HAS THE YELLOW, GREEN, AND BLUE ON THE TOP.
SO ON THE LEFT SIDE IS ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.
THE, THE PARTS IN BOLD ARE OUR KIND OF INVESTMENT PLAN CATEGORIES.
SO SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE, HOMELESSNESS, ASSISTANCE
[01:25:01]
TO THE NEXT INDENTION, AND IS THE SPECIFIC SERVICES OR PROGRAMS THAT WE ADMINISTER UNDERNEATH THOSE SECTIONS.THE NEXT COLUMN IS WHETHER OR NOT IT'S FUNDED WITH ANY OF OUR FOUR, UM, SPECIFIC GRANTS.
SO MANDY MENTIONED THESE EARLIER.
WE HAVE THE, THE HOME GRANT, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, CDBG.
WE HAVE HOPWA AND WE HAVE ESG, THE TWO COLUMNS IN GREEN.
THIS IS WHAT WE LAID OUT IN OUR ANNUAL ACTION PLAN.
SO OUR BUDGET, WHEN WE WENT TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE WENT TO HOUSING URBAN URBAN DEVELOPMENT, WE SAID THIS IS THE, THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE SLOTTED FOR THIS SPECIFIC AREA.
THE ESTIMATED SERVICES IS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVE, OR THE NUMBER OF UNITS CREATED, WHATEVER THE SERVICE METRIC IS.
THE FOLLOWING TWO COLUMNS ARE THE ACTUALS.
THAT'S WHAT WE JUST REPORTED IN OUR CONSOLIDATED REPORT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO IF YOU COMPARE THE TWO, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE, THE GREEN SIDE SAYS, THIS IS WHAT WE BUDGETED.
BLUE SIDE IS GONNA SAY, THIS IS OUR ACTUAL RESULTS.
NOW THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN GET GRANULAR IF YOU'D LIKE TO OR NOT.
WE CAN, WE CAN WALK THROUGH THE SPECIFIC HIGH LEVEL, UM, PROGRAMS OR INVESTMENT PLAN CATEGORIES, OR I CAN LET YOU GUYS DIGEST THAT FOR A MINUTE.
UM, AND IF WE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT IT, IF WE, SO IF I, IF I LOOK AT THE TOTAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE AND IT GIVES ME MY, UM, SUB, I GUESS SUBTOTALS OR, OR WHATEVER TOTALS FOR THAT SUBCATEGORY MM-HMM
I CAN, UM, SEE THAT, FOR INSTANCE, THE FUNDING WAS THE 3,480,745, WE SERVICED 970, UH, INDIVIDUALS OR UNITS.
AND THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURE WAS 2 MILLION, CORRECT.
SO ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS, I THINK, CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH THAT AND LOOK AT THAT.
AND IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION AS TO WHAT OR WHY THAT OCCURRED, WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU, UM, AT THE END OF YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND I SEE YOU HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE, THE HOMELESS ASSISTANCE, RENTER'S ASSISTANCE.
DO YOU WANT ME TO WALK YOU THROUGH JUST THE MAIN, UM, SURE.
I THINK THERE'S ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN.
SO WE START WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE MM-HMM
UM, THE FIRST THREE CATEGORIES ARE, UM, ARE PUBLIC SERVICE, UM, PROGRAMS. THOSE ARE CAPPED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WE CAN, WE CANNOT ALLOCATE MORE THAN 15% OF OUR FUNDING TO, UM, TO PUBLIC SERVICES.
SO THOSE, THOSE PERCENTAGES OR THOSE AMOUNTS ARE, THEY'RE KIND OF PREDETERMINED AS FAR AS HOW MUCH WE CAN ACTUALLY ALLOCATE TO THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, ANOTHER SUBHEADING UNDERNEATH SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE IS, UM, OUR HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS.
THAT'S OUR HOP WEB GRANT, WHICH IS ADMINISTERED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
THE NEXT MAIN, UM, INVESTMENT PLAN CATEGORY IS HOMELESS ASSISTANCE.
THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UM, PUBLIC FACILITIES, AND THE ESG EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT, ALSO ADMINISTERED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
NEXT INVESTMENT PLAN CATEGORY IS RENTERS ASSISTANCE.
THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE ARCHITECTURAL BURIAL REMOVAL PROGRAM FOR RENTERS.
THERE'S ALSO A, ANOTHER CATEGORY FOR THAT UNDER HOMEOWNER'S ASSISTANCE.
SO WE HAVE ONE FOR RENTERS, ONE FOR HOMEOWNERS.
UM, ALSO IS TENANTS RIGHTS ASSISTANCE UNDER RENTER'S ASSISTANCE.
HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE INCLUDES DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, WHICH YOU KIND OF, UM, THAT'S WHERE YOU GUYS WERE DIGGING IN, UM, A MOMENT AGO.
HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE COMES NEXT.
THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE, AGAIN, ARCHITECTURAL BURIAL REMOVAL FOR HOMEOWNERS, UM, MINOR HOME REPAIR.
AND THE HOMEOWNER REHABILITATION LOAN PROGRAM, WHICH YOU GUYS DISCUSSED EARLIER.
HRP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE INCLUDES OUR RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE OWNERSHIP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND THEN REALLY THE LAST ONE IS OTHER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.
THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE OUR CHOTO OPERATING EXPENSE GRANTS.
CHOTO STANDS FOR COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEN THE FAMILY BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAM, WHICH IS ADMINISTERED BY, UM, EDD, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN LAST IS DEBT SERVICE ON THE LOAN ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, UM, FAMILY BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAM.
AND THEN LASTLY IS ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
ONE THING I DO WANNA MAKE SURE WE ARE SUPER CLEAR ON IS THIS ONLY APPLIES TO A SUBSET OF OUR CITY FUNDING.
THIS IS ONLY OUR FEDERAL FUNDS.
SO WHEN YOU, OF COURSE, DAVID GRAY WAS HERE EARLIER, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT HOMELESSNESS ASSISTANCE SERVING 665 PEOPLE
[01:30:01]
WITH $1.7 MILLION, THAT'S A SMALL SLICE BECAUSE AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES NOT FUND THINGS, WE AS A LOCALITY HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THOSE FUNDS.I LOOK AT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.
UM, THAT IS A REALLY SMALL SLICE OF THE FUNDS THAT WE PUT IN, THE CAPITAL FUNDS THAT WE PUT IN.
UM, LIKE THIS YEAR WE HAVE $75 MILLION IN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO, UM, PROVIDE, UH, FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
SO THIS IS A SMALL SLICE, BUT IT IS WHAT IS REQUIRED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS HOW WE CAPTURE WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THE FEDERAL DOLLARS.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION, UH, A LITTLE BIT OUT OF TURN, UM, THIS LEGAL, THE TENANT'S RIGHTS ASSISTANCE, DOES THAT INCLUDE LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS BEING EVICTED? SO, TENANT'S RIGHTS ASSISTANCE IS A CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH, UM, IT WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS AUSTIN TENANTS COUNSEL.
IT HAS SINCE BEEN CONSOLIDATED WITH TEXAS RIO GRANDE LEGAL AID.
BUT IT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR A CONTRACT THAT IS RELATED TO TENANT LANDLORD MEDIATION.
WE DO PROVIDE, AGAIN, NOT WITH FEDERAL FUNDS, BUT WE DO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR, UM, EVICTION PREVENTION AND LEGAL SERVICES, WHICH NEVER TD JACKMAN OVERSEAS.
BUT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR LANDLORD TENANT, UM, MEDIATION.
I DEFINITELY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? UM, AT THIS POINT I, I, I, I KIND, WE CAN WAIT UNTIL THE END.
NO, WE, WE'LL BE GETTING BACK TO IT.
AND TYPICALLY I WAIT FOR YOU ALL, BUT I, I DID WANT TO ASK THAT QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE EVICTION, UM, LEGAL ASSISTANCE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT RIGHT.
SO, OKEY DOE SOMETHING I TEE ON MR. CHASE AND COMMISSIONER TISHA, I, YOU WILL BE FIRST IN LINE.
THIS LAST SLIDE IS REALLY JUST TRYING TO TEE UP THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE WE ARE TIMING WISE, BECAUSE IT GETS A LITTLE BIT, UM, DISORGANIZED SOMETIMES WHENEVER YOU COMPARE WHERE WE ARE ON THE PLANNING PROCESS VERSUS WHERE WE ARE ON THE REPORTING PROCESS.
'CAUSE THOSE ARE REALLY TWO DIFFERENT TIMELINES.
SO THE TWO YELLOW ARROWS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE, GUESS, FORGIVE ME, I'M A FINANCE GUY.
I'M NOT REALLY GREAT WITH DOESN'T MAKING THINGS VISUAL.
UM, THE TOP ARROW IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LAST CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
SO THAT WAS THE LAST FIVE YEAR PLAN.
IF YOU GO TO THE VERY FIRST BOX IN THAT WE, BACK IN 2019, WE CAME UP WITH OUR FIVE YEAR PLAN.
WE WENT OUT, WE LAID THE F THE FRAMEWORK AND THE PARAMETERS FOR WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO FOR FIVE YEARS.
YOU SPLIT UP THOSE FIVE INDIVIDUAL YEARS.
WE JUST COMPLETED THE VERY LAST ARROW, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE REPORTING ON CURRENTLY AS THE RESULTS OF THE LAST YEAR OF THE LAST FIVE YEAR COMP PLAN.
THE BOTTOM ARROW, ARROW IS REALLY WHERE WE ARE FROM A FORWARD LOOKING PERSPECTIVE.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR, SO IN OCTOBER OF 2024, WE BEGAN THE FIRST YEAR OF OUR NEXT CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
SO THIS LAST YEAR, OVER THE LAST REALLY 12 MONTHS, WE WENT OUT, WE SPOKE WITH THE COMMUNITY, WE HAD LOTS OF ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.
WE DISCUSSED WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO PLAN WISE GOING FORWARD.
WE ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING UNDER THAT FIRST YEAR OF THE 24, UH, YEAH, THE 24 TO 29 CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
SO, AND I THINK I WROTE THAT WRONG, BUT YES, WE'RE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF, OF THAT, OF THAT CONSOLIDATED PLAN, OPERATING, YOU KNOW, PUTTING DOLLARS OUT ON THE STREET.
WE'RE OPERATING CURRENTLY, WE ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN.
AND WE'LL BE COMING TO YOU GUYS IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 25, 26 ACTION PLAN.
SO WHILE WE'RE ALREADY IN JANUARY, WE'RE ONLY SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL MONTHS INTO THE FIRST YEAR OF OUR CON PLAN, WE ALREADY NEED TO BE COM THINKING ABOUT AND PLANNING FOR WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NEXT YEAR.
SO AS WE BEGIN THAT PROCESS, WE'LL BE COMMUNICATING WITH YOU GUYS.
WE'LL BE COMING OUT AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT ARE, WHAT IS OUR PLAN FOR OCTOBER 1ST OF NINE, 10 MONTHS FROM NOW.
BUT THAT PLAN PROCESS WILL REALLY BEGIN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, IT, IT COINCIDES WITH THE CITY'S BUDGET PROCESS.
SO BEGINNING IN, CALL IT, YOU KNOW, APRIL, WE, WE WILL START, UM, ALIGNING EVERYTHING AND PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR FOR, UM, AN APPROVAL DATE.
SOMETIME AROUND, HELP ME OUT, MANDY, IT'S JULY, I BELIEVE, AUGUST, AUGUST, WHERE WE WILL ADOPT THE, THE ACTION PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR TO BEGIN ON
[01:35:01]
OCTOBER 1ST.SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING, MOVING PARTS.
YOU THINK OF IT AS ARROWS, BUT IT'S, IT'S CONSTANT.
IT IS PLANNING, SPENDING, REPORTING, PLANNING, SPENDING, REPORTING.
UM, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL HUD REQUIREMENTS.
THE CHAIR AND I WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT GETTING A VERY CLEAR CALENDAR, WHICH WOULD DEMONSTRATE THE CADENCE OF WHEN, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST HUD FUNDING, IT'S ALSO FOR ON HELD THE CSBG FUNDING THAT COMES THROUGH THE STATE.
HE ALSO HAS REQUIREMENTS, UH, REPORTING AND, UM, PLANNING REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO HOW CAN WE DEVELOP A VERY CLEAR CALENDAR SO WE KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WHEN, IN TERMS OF OUR INTERACTION WITH THIS COMMISSION? AND WE WILL GET THAT DONE.
AND WHEN, UM, CAN YOU, UM, PERHAPS COMMIT TO THAT? I KNOW YOU IN GOOD FAITH, WE HAD DISCUSSION, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS TO HEAR, UM, WHEN, WHEN COULD WE ANTICIPATE SUCH A TABLE THAT WOULD GIVE US AN OUTLINE AS TO WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FOR NEXT MONTH'S MEETING? FOR NEXT MONTH'S MEETING? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND WHAT I WANT TO DO, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE RO CIO WITH US MM-HMM
UM, AND ON HOW WE NEED TO SHORE UP WHAT I, UH, HAD SENT TO MM-HMM
A COUPLE OF YOU WAS REALLY, IT WAS FROM AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE MM-HMM.
THEY ALIGN WITH THE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN, WHICH IS REQUIRED HUD.
SO WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF OUR INTERNAL HOMEWORK, AND THEN WE WILL BRING THAT BACK.
AND, UM, YOU DID RECEIVE THE MESSAGE FROM ME THAT HAD SOME SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW THE TABLE COULD BE, UH, YES.
AND, UM, BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW IF THE, IF WE HAVE, IF YOU NEED CLARIFICATION ON ANY OF THOSE.
BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS A DOCUMENT THAT, UH, AND IT'S A DOCUMENT, UM, UM, MR. BLAKE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS SEE EVERY MONTH.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE A DOCUMENT THAT IS DRAFTED AND EXISTS, BUT NO ONE SEES IT REGULARLY.
IT NEEDS TO BE PART OF OUR, UM, PACKET IN SOME WAY.
UH, WHETHER IT'S JUST AN ADD-ON OR IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SIGN UP, IT'S THERE, UH, WHATEVER.
BUT I, I DO FEEL THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE, UM, A VISIBLE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUOUSLY VISIBLE TO US.
WE'LL PUT A DOCUMENT TOGETHER.
BUT JUST FROM A HIGH LEVEL CONVERSATION PIECE, THE WAY I TALK ABOUT IT WITH MY TEAM WHEN WE'RE WORKING IS WE PLAN IN THE SPRING, WE EXECUTE FOR THE BEGINNING OF FALL.
AND THEN WE REPORT IN THE WINTER TIME.
SO IT'S, WE WE'RE REALLY PLANNING ALONG BUDGET SEASON.
WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH YOU GUYS STARTING IN APRIL THROUGH SUBMISSION IN JULY OR AUGUST.
WE START THE OCTOBER 1ST FISCAL YEAR.
THAT'S WHERE WE START THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN WE REPORT ON THE PRIOR YEARS INFORMATION WE HAVE TO REPORT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
SO WE'RE REPORTING IT IN WINTERTIME.
AND THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW AS AN OVERVIEW.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE, I KNOW CHRISTMAS COMES IN DECEMBER AND THAT'S GOOD, YOU KNOW, BUT WE'LL PUT IT INTO SOMETHING FOR YOU.
YOU KIND OF KNOW THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE TO, YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT AND SAY, OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT DAY IS CHRISTMAS ON? OH MY GOODNESS.
YOU KNOW, IT BECOMES, YOU KNOW, REALLY DIFFERENT AT THAT POINT.
UM, ARE YOU ALL FINISHED? YEAH.
I DID TELL COMMISSIONER, UM, TISHA THAT SHE WOULD BE FIRST IN LINE.
SO COMMISSIONER TISHA, UH, YOU GO ON.
AND I DO WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I AM GONNA BE ASKING ABOUT REPORTING, HOW IT IS THAT WE'RE REPORTING, PARTICULARLY THOSE TITLE SIX ITEMS. SO COMMISSIONER TISHA, THE FLOOR IS YOURS, MA'AM.
AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE, UM, PRESENTATION.
ROSA, RIZZI, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN.
SO THANK YOU TO SEE A FAMILIAR FACE.
UM, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, UH, IT'S MULTI-LAYERED, SO THERE'S MANY THINGS I'M GONNA BE GOING BACK AND FORTH.
AND ANOTHER CHAIR MENTIONED, SHE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT REPORTING, BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, SO IT'S A LITTLE INTERWOVEN.
UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT BUDGETING AHEAD, BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS, AND ESPECIALLY AS WHAT THE CHAIR HAD MENTIONED, UM, THERE'S A PROJECTED AMOUNT AND THEN THERE'S THE ACTUAL RESULTS THAT HAPPENED.
NOW, I'M NOT FAMILIAR HOW THINGS MIGHT WORK WITH FEDERAL GRANTS, BUT IN PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH SMALLER GRANTS AND LOCAL AND NONPROFIT RELATED GRANTS, IS BEING ABLE TO NOT ONLY MEET, UM, BUT POTENTIALLY SOMETIMES EXCEED, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE PLANNED AND BUDGETED.
SO I'M WONDERING HOW THAT AFFECTS YOUR FUTURE FUNDING.
[01:40:01]
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'RE WILLING TO SPEAK TO? IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A PROJECTION THAT THERE'S A PROJECTION OF FUNDING THAT IS GIVEN BASED OFF A PROJECTED NUMBER, AND THEN THAT PART, PARTICULAR NUMBER IS NOT MET, DOES THAT HAVE ANY IMPLICATIONS OR RISK ANY REALLOCATION IN THE FUTURE? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.I WOULD, THERE'S A KIND OF A MULTI-PART ANSWER, BUT I'M GONNA EXPLAIN SOMETHING FIRST THAT I THINK WILL HELP ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION.
SO, WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE WAY THAT OUR DOLLARS ARE ALLOCATED TO US, WE HAVE WHAT IS CALLED A SPENDING RATIO FOR, AND IT'S CALLED SPENDING RATIO FOR ONE OF OUR GRANTS.
AND IT'S CALLED THE TIMELINESS RATIO FOR ONE OF OUR OTHERS.
BUT WHAT THAT MEANS IS A CERTAIN PORTION OF THE DOLLARS THAT ARE ALLOCATED TO US IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, THERE'S A FORMULA THAT HUD USES TO EVALUATE OUR PERFORMANCE ON HOW WELL WE'RE SPENDING DOWN THOSE DOLLARS.
UM, THAT'S RUN EVERY, UM, QUARTER, EVERY QUARTER.
AND THEN WE ARE KIND OF A LINE IN THE SAND IS DRAWN EVERY JULY.
WE'VE EXCEEDED THAT, UM, SPENDING RATIO EVERY YEAR.
SO IF WE WERE GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE OR BEING QUOTE UNQUOTE JUDGED FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO HIT A CERTAIN METRIC, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST INDICATOR OF WHETHER OR NOT HUD HAD AN ISSUE WITH OUR, OUR SPINNING RATIOS.
ANOTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND ON SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS, OR REALLY A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS, IS THE TIMING OF FUNDS.
SO WHENEVER WE SAY FISCAL YEAR 23, 24 ACTION PLAN, AN EASY EXAMPLE WOULD BE RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE IS GONNA BE, WE'RE GOING AND BUILDING A LARGE ASSET.
SO WHILE WE SAY IN OUR ACTION PLAN THAT WE ARE GOING TO BUILD TWO UNITS WITH CDBG FOR $1.5 MILLION, THAT MEANS THAT'S WHAT WE PLAN FOR IN THAT SPECIFIC YEAR.
BUT WE CAN'T COUNT THOSE UNITS UNTIL THEY'RE ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED.
SO THE HOUSING CYCLE HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AND WHAT WE PLAN FOR.
AND WHEN THE EXPENDITURES TRULY HAPPEN AND WE COUNT THEM, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT THING.
WHENEVER YOU GO BACK TO THE FRONT AND YOU SEE, I'M SORRY, THE TOP, AND YOU SEE SOMETHING RELATED TO PUBLIC SERVICES THAT'S A LITTLE EASIER TO DIGEST, AND YOU EXPECT THOSE TO BE A LITTLE MORE ONE-TO-ONE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE HAPPENING OVER A CALENDAR YEAR OR MAYBE AN 18 MONTH PERIOD WHERE WE PROJECT THAT WE'RE GONNA SERVE 180 FOLKS WITH $485,000, AND WE GOT REALLY CLOSE TO THAT ON THE EXPENDING, MAYBE THE COSTS WERE A LITTLE HIGHER, SO THEY CAME IN WITH 137 SERVICES.
BUT WHENEVER IT'S SERVICE RELATED, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE ONE-TO-ONE SCENARIO.
BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING ASSET RELATED OR LONG TERM IN NATURE, THERE'S GONNA BE A STRONG, UM, DIS CORRELATION BETWEEN, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT WORD.
THERE'S GONNA BE A DIS CORRELATION IF THERE'S AN, THERE'S A DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHENEVER WE PROGRAM THE DOLLARS OR WE WE'RE PUTTING THEM INTO OUR PLAN AND WHEN THEY REALLY COME TO FRUITION.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
AND DO YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP TO THAT? I DO.
THAT'S WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL EXPLANATION.
AND, AND, AND BEING ABLE TO BREAK IT DOWN BETWEEN SERVICE RELATED AND ASSETS RELATED.
GREAT WAY TO, TO PRESENT THAT.
UM, SO THE FOLLOW UP IS YOU STARTED TO TALK ABOUT TIMELINES AND DURATION.
SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE AVERAGE DURATION, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE MAKING PROJECTIONS, NOW WE'RE OFFERING THAT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF FUNDING.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF AVERAGE DURATION, MEDIAN DURATION, TIMES BETWEEN SERVICE AND ASSET? SO AS WE ARE LOOKING AT THESE PARTICULAR DOCUMENTS, WE CAN SAY, OH, THAT LOOKS LIKE A SERVICE.
MOST LIKELY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WON'T YIELD FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS.
THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD QUE, GO AHEAD.
YOU SOUND LIKE YOU WANT AN ANSWER.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING TALKING ABOUT, JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING HERE IS A SERVICE EXCEPT FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AND EVEN OUR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
WE ARE PROVIDING A SERVICE, WE ARE PROVIDING, WE'RE CONNECTING ONE-ON-ONE WITH A HUMAN, AND WE'RE PROVIDING THEM DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE OR OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS. WHILE THAT IS CONSTRUCTION, UM, THEY'RE SHORTER IN DURATION BECAUSE WE'RE NOT BUILDING A HUGE MULTI-FAMILY APARTMENT COMPLEX.
WE'RE, WE'RE REPAIRING SOMEBODY'S HOME TYPICALLY FOR SOMEWHERE LESS THAN $20,000 PER HOME.
UM, SO I WOULD, UNLESS CHASE IS GONNA CORRECT ME, I WOULD SAY REALLY THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE IS THE ONLY ASSET WHICH HAS A LONGER LIFESPAN.
I WAS ALSO GOING TO POINT OUT, UM, GOING BACK TO ANOTHER TOOL THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USES TO EVALUATE US.
THEY, WE HAVE A REPORTING SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE TO REPORT EVERY SINGLE PROJECT AND ALL FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH EACH PROJECT.
THEY USE THAT SYSTEM AND THEY FLAG ACTIVITIES IF NECESSARY FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
ONE OF THEM COULD BE THAT A PROJECT HAS NOT HAD DOLLARS DRAWN OVER IT ON, DRAWN ON THAT PROJECT FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
SO IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING HOW
[01:45:01]
IS A PROJECT TAKING TOO LONG? OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE? I, WE KIND OF BUILD OUR TIMELINE BASED ON WHAT THEIR EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR A TIMELINE.AND IF THERE'S A CERTAIN PERIOD THAT GOES BY WITHOUT US HAVING ANY DRAWS ON A SPECIFIC PROJECT, IT'LL GET FLAGGED.
WE, WE WORK WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO FIGURE OUT WHATEVER THE CONCERN IS OR THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT.
THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL, UM, FLAGGED THAT CAN COME OUR WAY IF A PROJECT IS CREATED WITHIN THEIR SYSTEM.
AND THEN IT TAKES TOO LONG, EVEN IF WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO DRAW ON THAT PROJECT OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, THIS IS WHERE THOSE LONGER RANGE, UM, MULTIFAMILY TYPE PROJECTS COME INTO PLAY, IS ANYTHING OVER FOUR YEARS WE'LL BE FLAGGED.
AND IF, IF WE DON'T COMPLETE A PROJECT IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME, THEN WE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE TO REPAY THE PROJECT MM-HMM
OR REPAY THE FUNDS FOR THAT PROJECT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO I'M JUST LAYING OUT, THERE'S SOME SCENARIOS THAT THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS IN PLACE FOR HOW THEY'RE EVALUATING OUR EFFECTIVENESS ON BEING ABLE TO SPEND DOLLARS ON ANY GIVEN PROGRAM OR FOR ANY GIVEN PROJECT.
AND I SHOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT AT, AS PART OF THE CAPER AND THAT REALLY LONG DOCUMENT THAT ROCIO MENTIONED, THE FULL CAPER, WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN THE VARIANCE ON EACH OF THESE LINE ITEMS, NARRATIVELY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, CHILDCARE SERVICES, WHY DID YOU SAY YOU WERE GONNA DO SERVE 180 PEOPLE AND YOU ONLY SERVED 137? UM, SIMILARLY, IF WE GO OVER AND WE HAVE OFTEN EXCEEDED, I MENTIONED DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, YOU SAID YOU WERE GONNA SERVE 25 HOUSEHOLDS AND YOU SERVED 29.
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? UM, SO WE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FROM A NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE AS WELL, BUT I THINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, OUR FUNDERS ARE UNDERSTANDING THAT VARIANCES HAPPEN.
UH, WE HAD A WHOLE LOT OF VARIANCES DURING COVID, UH, PRIMARILY AROUND OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS BECAUSE IT WAS, UH, CHALLENGING FOR A VARIETY, WHETHER IT WAS SUPPLY CHAIN OR LABOR OR, UM, YOU NAME IT.
THANK YOU, CHASE AND MANDY FOR, FOR THAT.
AND, AND, AND HAVE ANY CONTINUATION TO DESCRIBE THE ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, PROCESS OR PROCEDURES THAT OCCUR FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE THAT WAS MY ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP QUESTION, BUT NO LONGER NEEDED BECAUSE YOU ANSWERED IT SO WELL.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTIONS I HAVE IN REGARDS TO SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL LINE ITEMS, UH, IT WAS, UM, ALREADY BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE TENANT'S RIGHTS ASSISTANCE AND LOOKING AT, UH, LANDLORD MEDIATION.
THAT, THAT DOES NOT LINK OR IS NOT RELATED TO EVICTION.
BUT IN TERMS OF MEDIATION, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, I'M JUST WONDERING SCENARIOS BECAUSE I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S REPAYMENT OF SECURITY DEPOSIT OR MAYBE CONTESTING, UM, DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE BY LANDLORDS, UM, OR UPKEEP OR MAINTENANCE BY LANDLORDS OR ALL OF THOSE ITEMS, UH, INCLUDED WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TENANT'S RIGHTS ASSISTANCE AND SORT OF HOW DOES THAT FUNDING EXIST FOR THE CITIZENS? YES.
UM, MY NAME IS NEFERTITI JACKMAN, THE COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER.
UH, AS, UM, MANDY SHARED, THE ORGANIZATION THAT HOLDS THAT CONTRACT IS AUSTIN TENANTS COUNCIL.
UH, IT WAS AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION, BUT RECENTLY IT WAS, UH, MERGED OR OBSERVED BY TEXAS RIO GRANDE LEGAL AID.
SO NOW IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ORGANIZATION.
AND THE GOOD THING IS, AS A RESULT OF THAT, THERE ARE ATTORNEYS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM, UH, TO ANSWER YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, IT ANSWERS OR THEY ADDRESS A WIDE VARIETY OF TENANT LANDLORD DISPUTES AND MEDIATION CONCERNS.
SO IT COULD BE EVERYTHING THAT YOU ADDRESS.
THE MAJOR ONE THAT WE WOULD OFTEN SEE IN THE BEGINNING HAD TO DO WITH REPAIRS.
UH, THAT WAS USUALLY, UM, BUT NOT ALL THE TIME, BUT PRIMARILY, UH, REPAIRS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
AND THERE WAS A PROCESS TO MEDIATE, UH, THE REPAIRS.
UM, THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S REALLY GOOD TO KNOW BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK, UH, WOULD BE BENEFICIAL AND HELPFUL TO THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION THAT, THAT THERE'S FUNDING THAT EXISTS AND THERE ARE THESE PROGRAMS THAT EXIST FOR RENTERS, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TIMES, TO BE QUITE HONEST, WE HEAR A LOT OF THINGS OF HOMEOWNERS, HOMEOWNERS, HOMEOWNERS, AND, UM, I THINK SOMETIMES THERE IS GAPS OF OPPORTUNITY AND GAPS OF INFORMATION, RIGHT.
UM, SO I THINK OF, ESPECIALLY EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, AND WE TALK A LOT OF OUR PROGRAMS THAT ARE FOR HOMEOWNER, UM, REPAIR PROGRAMS, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, A LARGE PORTION OF RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN AUSTIN ARE RENTERS, INCLUDING MYSELF.
UM, SO I THINK GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT IS CRUCIAL AND VITAL.
CAN I, UH, PROVIDE A POINT OF CLARIFICATION? I, I'M
[01:50:01]
SORRY.UH, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR FY 24 25.
THIS IS OUR FIRST YEAR THAT, UM, THAT PROGRAM WILL NO LONGER BE FUNDED WITH, UH, CDBG DOLLARS WITH HUD DOLLARS.
WE ARE NOW USING LOCAL DOLLARS TO FUND THAT PROGRAM.
SO, UH, BUT THAT DOES NOT CHANGE THE AVAILABILITY OF THE DOLLARS.
WE HAVE JUST CHANGED THE SOURCE.
UH, SO IT JUST SORT OF CHANGES OUR REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
SO IF YOU DON'T SEE IT ON THE CAPER IN THE FUTURE, IT DOESN'T MEAN THE PROGRAM DOESN'T EXIST.
IT WILL STILL EXIST, BUT WE'RE USING LOCAL DOLLARS.
SO I JUST WANT TO BRING THAT OUT.
THAT'S GREAT TO KNOW BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT UM, HMM.
DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS IF WE'RE LOOKING AT LOCAL FUNDING AND HOW THINGS GET MOVED AROUND AND, AND, UM, REPRIORITIZED.
SO THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS THE GENERAL OBLIGATION.
I HEARD THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, AND OF COURSE, WHEN I HEAR THE WORD OBLIGATION, UM, IT TRANSLATES TO MUST OR, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A, A, A REGIMENTED DEMAND.
SO I'M WONDERING HOW ARE WE GOING ABOUT NEEDING CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS? YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT PLANNING, SPENDING, REPORTING, WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, AS I ALREADY DESCRIBED BEFORE, SO THANK YOU, MANDY, IF YOU WANTED TO COME BACK FOR THAT
OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS ARE VOTER APPROVED DEBT.
UM, WE AS A DEPARTMENT RECEIVED, UH, A VARIETY.
WE'RE IN OUR FOURTH, UH, UH, ELECTION, UM, WHERE WE WERE, UM, UH, APPROVED BY VOTERS TO SPEND MONEY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE FIRST ONE WAS IN 2006, THAT WAS FOUR 55 MILLION 2013, 65 MILLION 2018, 250 MILLION.
AND WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH 2022 BONDS, WHICH ARE, UM, $350 MILLION.
WE'RE ON A FOUR YEAR SPEND PLAN FOR THOSE.
AND ALL OF THE BONDS GO TO FOUR BASIC CATEGORIES.
ONE IS RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, SO CREATING RENTAL HOUSING OWNERSHIP, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, SO CREATING OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, THE THIRD IS, UM, LAND ACQUISITION FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THE FOURTH IS HOME REPAIR.
SO OUR GO REPAIR PROGRAM, UH, WHICH PROVIDES UP TO $20,000 IN HOME REPAIRS FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOMEOWNERS.
AND WITH OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, ALL OF OUR INVESTMENT FOR ANYTHING OWNERSHIP RELATED, UM, IS RESTRICTED TO PEOPLE AT OR BELOW 80% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
AND FOR RENTAL HOUSING, IT'S AT OR BELOW 50% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
SO THOSE ARE THE, THE KIND OF RESTRICTIONS.
UM, AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY SPECI, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
IF, IF YOU COULD JUST REPEAT THOSE, UM, THE, THE LIMITATIONS IN TERMS OF THE, THE PERCENTAGES.
RENTAL HOUSING IS 50% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME AND OWNERSHIP HOUSING IS 80% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
UM, THE 80% IS PRETTY TYPICAL WITH OUR FEDERAL FUNDING.
UM, FOR, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING RENTER IS TYPICALLY 60%.
WE WENT A LITTLE BIT LOWER, UM, WITH THE 50%, BUT THAT'S THE MAXIMUM FOR OUR RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SUBSIDY.
WE FUND WITH OUR GO BONDS, UH, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF 30% UNITS.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE UTILIZED A LOT OF OUR GO BONDS FOR HOUSING, FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND SO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WHERE, UM, THOSE ARE FOLKS OBVIOUSLY WITH LESS THAN 30%, UM, MEDIA AND FAMILY INCOME, WE HAVE ABOUT A THOUSAND OF THOSE UNITS IN THE PIPELINE OF THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS IN THE PIPELINE.
AND ACTUALLY, I THINK NEXT WEEK, DAVID GRAY AND I ARE DOING A PRESENTATION TO THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE TALKING ABOUT, UM, UH, FUNDING NEEDS, UM, FOR, UH, HOMELESSNESS RESPON HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
AND I DID SEE IN THE NEWS ABOUT, UM, ABOUT THE, THE, THE THOUSAND UNITS AND AND PROJECTION IN TERMS OF EVEN HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO MAKE PER UNIT.
I'M WONDERING HOW WE'RE GONNA FIND THE FUNDING
AND I WILL SAY THIS FISCAL YEAR, THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR, WE GOT, UH, WE OPENED, UM, MORE THAN 400 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
SO THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT, AS CHASE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THEY TAKE TIME.
IT'S, SO THIS, THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT WE STARTED PLANNING AND FUNDING THREE YEARS AGO, AND NOW THEY'RE COMING ONLINE AND LEASING UP.
[01:55:01]
WONDERFUL.AND I JUST WANT TO LEAVE WITH THESE PARTICULAR NUMBERS THAT'S IN, UH, AND IT WAS A GREAT TO END IN TERMS OF THOSE MFI PERCENTAGES.
UM, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT IT AND, AND INDIVIDUAL HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE PARTICULAR PERCENTAGES, HOW WE CAN ADVOCATE AS WELL AS AMPLIFY FOR THOSE THAT RESIDE HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO THE AVERAGE SALARY OF SAN, OF A SANITATION WORKER IS 35,000.
THE AVERAGE SALARY OF AN ENTRY LEVEL TEACHER HERE IN AUSTIN IS BETWEEN 48 AND 53,000.
THE AVERAGE SALARY OF AN ENTRY FIREFIGHTER IS AROUND 55,000.
THE AVERAGE SALARY OF A WATER UTILITY WORKER IS 40,000.
THE AVERAGE SALARY OF AN ENTRY FIREFIGHTER IS 55,000.
AND WE TALK A LOT ON THE, ON THIS PROGRAM, UH, NOT PARDON, EXCUSE ME, THIS COMMISSION ABOUT DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED TO THE COMMUNITY MM-HMM
AND FOR SOCIAL WORKERS, THE AVERAGE RANGE FOR SOCIAL WORKERS AND SOCIAL SERVICE EMPLOYEES STARTS AT 38,000 AND TYPICALLY GOES UP TO 66,000.
THE BOTTOM IS THAT MENTAL HEALTH.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT INTEGRAL CARE UP TO HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WHEN WE ARE CONSIDERING THE TYPES OF FUNDING THAT WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT A HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE OF WHO ARE THE TYPES OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED AND AFFECTED WHEN WE HAVE THOSE MFI RANGES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I REALLY ENJOYED HEARING WHAT'S COMING NEXT.
UM, SO THOSE WERE, THOSE WERE REALLY GREAT.
COMMISSIONER TISHA, THANK YOU.
UM, AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND I APPRECIATE THE, THE ADDITIONAL GRAPH AND LAYING OUT OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS HELPFUL.
UM, MINE ARE GONNA BE, UM, SLIGHTLY MORE, I THINK PROCESS QUESTIONS IN SOME WAYS.
UM, AND I WILL ADMIT UPFRONT, I DID NOT DIGEST THE 140 PAGES AHEAD OF TIME, THIS TIME I DID LAST YEAR.
UM, AND PART OF WHY I DIDN'T IS IT WAS, IT'S A REALLY SHORT TURNAROUND.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO THOROUGHLY DIGEST 140 PAGES, UM, ON THIS SHORT OF A TURNAROUND.
AND I HAD FLOATED BEFORE, UM, UNDER CHRIS, AND SO I'M GONNA RE FLOAT IT NOW.
UM, IT'D BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL IF WE COULD ALSO GET JUST A REALLY QUICK HEADS UP ON LIKE, WHAT IS THE HUN WHAT ARE WE, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US IN TERMS OF THE 140 PAGE DOCUMENT? BECAUSE I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I READ IT, MY FIRST MEETING, I STAYED UP LATE, LIKE LATE READING THE WHOLE THING, CAREFULLY, QUESTIONS LINE ITEM, ALL THE THINGS, ONLY TO FIND OUT IT WAS BACKUP.
IT WAS A GREAT, IT WAS GREAT BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
UM, BUT LIKE, I WAS LIKE, COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO WITH IT NEXT TIME? RIGHT.
SO JUST, JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THAT, THAT ON OUR END, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A HEADS UP OF WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CDC IN THIS PARTICULAR DOCUMENT AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT.
BECAUSE I ALSO KNOW TIMING, SO JUST, JUST A REMINDER THAT THAT'S HELPFUL.
AND I KNOW AT THIS POINT IN MY COMMISSION I SHOULD HAVE, LIKE, I KNEW THAT THIS WAS A REPORT BACK AND I NEEDED TO READ IT.
I THINK THAT IS A GREAT, THE CHAIR, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THAT TABLE, ONE OF THE COLUMNS.
LIKE, COULD BE WHAT IS THE ASK IN THIS CASE, IT REALLY IS A REPORT OUT.
WE'RE WE SUBMITTED THIS, IT'S DATA, IT'S NOT, IT'S NO OPINIONS, NO NOTHING.
AND SO IT REALLY, I THINK THE ASK WOULD BE FOR YOU ALL TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD PROBABLY HIGHLIGHT THE FEW PAGES THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND LOOK AT THE VARIANCES AND MAYBE THIS IS WHERE WE'RE STRUGGLING AND COULD USE YOUR INSIGHTS.
I WILL SAY FOR ME IT WAS, IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT AN EXPECTATION THAT EVERYONE READ THE FULL REPORT.
UM, WE DID WANNA PROVIDE IT AHEAD OF TIME IN CASE YOU HAD THE TIME AND WANTED TO READ THE FULL REPORT.
YOU CAN DO THAT AND LET US KNOW.
UM, BUT AS MANDY STATED, THE REPORT HAS ALREADY BEEN TURNED INTO HUD.
WE WANNA KEEP YOU IN THE LOOP OF WHAT THE SAME INFORMATION THAT WE ARE PROVIDING HUD.
AND IT'S REALLY THE UPCOMING ACTION PLAN WHERE WE WILL BE SOLICITING YOUR, YOUR INPUT MORE DIRECTLY.
AND WE WILL GIVE YOU HEADS UP ON THAT.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THE CONFUSION.
IF THERE WAS A, THE EXPECTATION THAT YOU HAD TO READ 150 PAGES,
AND ALSO I WILL SAY THAT, UM, IF IT WOULD'VE BEEN POSSIBLE TO GET THE SUMMARY, LIKE ALSO THAT WOULD'VE HELPED BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF QUESTIONS COME UP READING IT.
AND I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN A LOT OF THEM ARE ANSWERED.
AND THE DOCUMENT, UM, WOULD, SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN HELPED TO BE LIKE, OH, LIKE WHY IS THERE 5.5 MILLION IN PUBLIC FACILITIES
[02:00:01]
THAT WASN'T ON THE, IN, ON THE EXPECTED, UM, ON, IT'S NOT ON THE ACTION PLAN, BUT IT IS IN THE RESULTS.WHY IS THAT AND WHY IS THERE THE VARIANCE? AND IT, A LOT OF THAT Y'ALL PROBABLY ANSWER AND JUST, I KNOW THAT CHAIR HAS BEEN TRYING TO KEEP US ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE AND SO WE COULD HAVE ANSWERED SOME OF THAT OURSELVES.
UM, SO JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
UM, AND THAT IS MY NEXT QUESTION IS, I THINK I FOUND IN THERE, BUT I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE, WE SEEM TO BE UNDER IN EXPENDITURES FOR ALMOST EVERY CATEGORY EXCEPT HOMELESS ASSISTANCE.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE ALMOST ALL IN THE C-D-B-J-G PUBLIC FACILITIES LINE ITEM THAT I'M GUESSING IS SOMETHING FULLY EXPLAINED IN THE NARRATIVE.
AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, 'CAUSE THAT'S, UM, A BIG DIFFERENCE.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S SOUTH BRIDGE.
I, AND I, I WAS, I THINK I FINALLY FOUND IT.
I JUST WANTED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT I DID FIND, I, I THINK IT MAY HAVE BEEN, WAS IT THE SALVATION? I'M SORRY, IT WAS SALVATION ARMY SOUTH BRIDGE SHELTER.
I DID, I DID FINALLY FIND THAT.
I FOUND MY AUNT THERE, BUT LIKE, THAT'S ONE THAT LIKE STOOD OUT AS A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE.
SO WE UTILIZED, ONE THING I I DO WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ALL KNOW IS THAT WHEN WE DO NOT SPEND FUNDS, YOU'RE, WHEN THERE'S LEFTOVER FUNDS, WE DO NOT LET THEM GO TO WASTE.
WE DON'T GIVE THEM BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
CHASE MENTIONED LIKE THE TIMELINESS RATIO.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS WATCHING US 'CAUSE THEY DON'T WANT US SITTING ON THE FUNDS.
SO WE DO GET IN POSITIONS WHERE IT'S LIKE WE HAVE GOT TO COME UP WITH A PROJECT WHERE WE CAN IN FACT USE OUR CDBG.
AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT WE HAD, UH, LEFTOVER, LEFTOVER UNUSED, UM, CDBG FUNDS, UM, THAT WERE READY TO BE PROGRAMMED.
AND THE CITY WAS IN THE, UM, PROCESS OF PURCHASING THE FORMER SALVATION ARMY SHELTER, WHICH IS NOW CALLED THE EIGHTH STREET SHELTER.
UM, AND IT IS, UH, LOCATED ON EIGHTH, UM, AND RED RIVER.
UH, AND IT IS FULLY OPERATIONAL NOW, BUT IT, WE USE SOME OF THE CDBG FUNDS FOR THE, TOWARD THE ACQUISITION OF THE FORMER SALVATION ARMY SHELTER.
I HAVE JUST ONE MORE THING TO SAY OUT LOUD BECAUSE IT RELATES TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM AS WELL.
JUST A HEADS UP TO THE NEW COLLEAGUES, WE DON'T ALWAYS MAKE QUORUM.
AND SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU'RE GONNA ABSOLUTELY A HUNDRED PERCENT NEED TO HAVE FROM US, WE JUST NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT IN THE TIMING AND THE CALENDAR ESPECIALLY.
'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE A LOT OF VACANCIES THAT ARE NOT FILLED, WHICH WILL MAKE IT VERY HARD FOR US TO MAKE QUORUM.
SO I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT FOR Y'ALL.
THAT IS NOT OUR LIFE'S MISSION.
WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM ABOUT THAT.
BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THAT TO YOU THAT IF YOUR ENTIRE PLAN, IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN THERE THAT IS ON US, YOU MAY WANNA PLAN TWO MONTHS IN ADVANCE.
AND WE WILL TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER OUR TIMELINE BACK TO YOU GUYS.
AND WE WILL HIGHLIGHT THE KEY DEADLINE OR THE KEY, THE KEY DATES THAT WILL REQUIRE, UM, ACTION BY BY YOU GUYS.
I'M GONNA PIGGYBACK, UH, COMMISSIONER, CAN, WILL YOU FINISH, YOU PUT YOUR MASK ON SO I CAN TAKE THAT AS YOU WERE FINISHED.
UH, I'LL PIGGYBACK, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT I HAD ASKED.
UM, GOING FORWARD, IF THE TABLE CAN BE EXPANDED TO NOT ONLY TELL US WHAT YOUR DEADLINE IS AND THEN WHEN YOU WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE ON OUR AGENDA SO THAT WE COULD ACCOMMODATE THOSE TIMES WHERE IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS THE HARD DEADLINE, IT MIGHT NEED TO BE ON TWO MONTHS BEFORE IN THE EVENT OF WE MIGHT BE SHORT.
UM, YOU KNOW, TWO, TWO SNUG FOR FORM.
UH, THERE ARE ALSO REQUIREMENTS IMPOSED BY HUD THAT MEAN WE MAY BE LIMITED IN WHERE WE CAN MOVE OUR MEETINGS WITH YOU.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE REQUIRED TO MEET WITH YOU AND COUNSEL IN A CERTAIN ORDER.
SO THERE WE HEARD, UM, WE WILL INCLUDE THAT, THAT COLUMN FOR SURE.
AND I WILL TRY AND ALSO MAKE NOTE OF ONES THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE MOVED DUE TO MOSTLY COUNSEL.
THAT'S THAT, THAT KIND OF, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THAT NOTES SECTION, THE COLUMN THAT I SAID, I'M LOOKING FOR NOTES.
THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO PUT IN THE NOTES COLUMN.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT IS SOMETHING NUANCED LIKE THAT, THAT DOES NEED TO BE CONVEYED.
IT'LL HELP US HELP, IT'LL BE HELP US HELP YOU HELP THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE.
AND SO THAT WE ALL ARE ON THE SAME TEAM MOVING FORWARD.
COMMISSIONER CAN I ADD ONE MORE COMMENT TO, IN RESPONSE TO WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES MENTIONED A SECOND AGO.
YOU HAD POINTED, OR YOU HAD ASKED OR MENTIONED THAT WHAT, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF PRESENTING THE, THE CONSOLIDATED, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, THE, THE CAPER TO YOU GUYS AT THIS POINT IN TIME
[02:05:01]
AND AS KIND OF LIKE, JUST TO WHAT MANDY POINTED OUT EARLIER ABOUT THE, THE CYCLE MM-HMMTHE CIRCLE OF, YOU KNOW, PLANNING, DOING, AND REPORTING BACK.
I WOULD KIND OF, JUST TO PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW, IS I WOULD USE THE CAPER NOW AS A PLANNING TOOL AS WE GO INTO THE ACTION PLAN, SO THAT WHENEVER WE COME TO YOU GUYS DURING THE ACTION PLAN PROCESS, THAT IT'S NOT NEW INFORMATION OR WE'RE NOT BRINGING YOU A, SOMETHING THAT'S CONSIDERED A CLEAN SLATE OR A, A BRAND NEW DOCUMENT.
I WOULD, I WOULD USE THE, THE CAPER, EVEN THOUGH IT'S 140 PAGES AND MAYBE IT'S HARD TO DIGEST.
I WOULD USE THAT AS A STARTING POINT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO NEXT, GO ROUND.
SO MAYBE YOU DON'T READ ALL 140 PAGES, BUT IF YOU THINK OF AN, UM, A SPECIFIC PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON, I WOULD REFER BACK TO THE CAPER TO SEE RESULTS FROM PRIOR YEARS OR TO GIVE INFORMATION TO HELP, UM, GUIDE YOUR DECISION GOING FORWARD.
MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE A, A, UM, COMMITTEE THAT, UM, CONTINUOUSLY MONITORS FOR THAT, THAT MIGHT BE, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO MOVING FORWARD.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS FOR THE CAPER? COME ON.
COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED.
UM, WELL, UH, I GUESS JUST SOME HIGH LEVEL OBSERVATIONS AND, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A GREAT PLANNING TOOL FOR ACTION PLAN.
UM, I MEAN, SOME OF THE BIGGEST GAPS OR AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT THAT I SEE FOR OUR COMMISSION AND FOR THE CITY IS, UM, MAYBE CONNECTING BETTER TO, UH, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH AIDS.
IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THOSE, UM, ARE UNDER LEVERAGED, YOU KNOW, BASED OFF OF THE ESTIMATED SERVICE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ABOUT HALF OR, YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE COULD, WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB ABOUT THAT.
UM, I SEE ALSO IN MINOR HOME REPAIR, UM, YEAH, ABOUT HALF OF THE ESTIMATED SERVICES WERE PROVIDED.
AGAIN, PERHAPS WE NEED TO, UH, MAKE MORE OF OUR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AWARE THAT, UH, THESE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE, THE MINOR HOME REPAIR FUNDS.
THERE WAS OTHER ONE, UM, AH, THE FAMILY BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAM, IT SEEMS LIKE.
WELL, A A LOT OF SERVICE WAS PROVIDED, BUT ANYWAY, I GUESS, UM, UM, UH, ONE THING THAT I LEARNED TODAY WAS THAT, UM, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, THE, THE RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND THE OWNERSHIP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
UM, IT WAS, UM, I, I BELIEVE ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES, MR. JAMES MAY MM-HMM
THAT SPOKE TO US ABOUT THE REORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE.
CAN YOU GIVE US ANY UPDATE ON THAT? LIKE, I MEAN, I BELIEVE THAT CDC MEMBERS WERE ALWAYS ASKED TO BE PART OF THAT COMMITTEE, AND THERE'S GONNA BE A REORGANIZATION AND WE REALLY WANNA BE A PART OF THAT.
I DON'T KNOW, UH, IF IT IS NECESSARILY A REORGANIZATION.
UH, WE HIRED, UH, A CONSULTING COMPANY, GUIDEHOUSE, UH, WHICH IS A NATIONAL CONSULTING FIRM TO DO A, UM, UH, AN ANALYSIS OF OUR RENTAL HOUSING AND OWNERSHIP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AND TO HELP US WITH UNDERWRITING AND PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND SOME REVISIONS.
THEY WERE ALSO LOOKING AT PROCESSES.
AND SO AS PART OF THAT, IN TERMS OF PROCESSES, THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE HERC, THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT INCLUDED THREE CDC APPOINTEES.
IT WASN'T NECESSARILY MEMBERS, BUT PEOPLE APPOINTED BY THE CDC AS WELL AS TWO OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ALL OF WHOM WHO HAVE EXPERTISE, UM, IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR, OR, OR LIVED EXPERIENCE.
UM, THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR FIRST DRAFT OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE SOME CHANGES TO PROCESSES.
UM, AND THAT SHOULD BE FINALIZED, I'M GONNA SAY IN FEBRUARY.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA WORK ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THIS SPRING.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE SOLID, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS YET.
I DO KNOW THEY INTERVIEWED A COUPLE OF THE, THEY INTERVIEWED 43 STAKEHOLDERS AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
THEY DID INTERVIEW A COUPLE OF THE HERC MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT THEIR ROLE AND THEIR EXPERIENCE WAS.
UM, I DON'T, I WASN'T PRIVY TO THE INTERVIEWS.
I DON'T KNOW THE RESULTS OF IT.
UM, AND THEY ALSO LOOKED AT PEER CITIES AND WERE VERY INTERESTED IN HOW PEER CITIES PROVIDED THAT KIND OF COMMUNITY INPUT, UM, AT THE SAME TIME LOOKING STRATEGICALLY AT INVESTMENTS.
SO WE SHOULD FIND OUT SOMETHING THIS SPRING FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO YOU ALL.
AND I GUESS ONE LAST THING, UM, ONE, UM,
[02:10:02]
I KNOW IN THESE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, UM, WE PUT FORWARD THE, THE RESOLUTION OR THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE, THE FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY.I KNOW THAT MAY BE A DIFFERENT TOPIC OF DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER MEETING, BUT, UM, I FIGURED THAT THEY MIGHT, THIS MIGHT, THAT MAY AFFECT THIS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND, UM, YEAH, AND I GUESS, UM, I GUESS THERE WAS ALSO, I SAW A LITTLE BIT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH ON THE PRESENTATION, UM, IN THE BACK.
UM, DID YOU GUYS WANNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? YES.
UH, I THINK THAT WAS ANOTHER, ANOTHER SLIGHT AGENDA MISTAKE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THOSE DOCUMENTS ARE.
SO THIS IS, UM, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA IS REFERRING TO THESE PAGES.
UM, THIS IS A PACKET REPAIRED BY OUR COMMS TEAM THAT GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH WE DID AS PART OF THE, THE FISCAL YEAR 2324 ACTION PLAN.
UM, SO THIS, I THINK, YEAH, IT INCLUDES COPIES OF THE TYPE OF COMMUNICATIONS THAT WENT OUT TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AS WELL AS DIRECT COMMENTS WE RECEIVED FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
JUST TO GIVE AN IDEA, I SUPPOSE, OF HOW THE COMMUNITY IS ENGAGING WITH THE ACTION PLAN PRIOR TO THE CAPER.
I'M GONNA PIGGYBACK RIGHT NOW ON THAT, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF MINE.
WHILE WE'RE THERE, SO THE COMMENTS THAT I'M SEEING AT THE BACK, DO THESE GO TO HUD OR ARE THEY SUMMARIZED TO HUD? OR DO THEY GO AS VERBATIM? THEY GO VERBATIM.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS, I HAVE OTHER STUFF, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE I GIVE THE TEAM ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT.
UM, KIND OF REAL, HOW, WHAT IS THE, LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A LOSS ON, UM, ON PAGE 36, THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, THE TOTAL, UM, DEALING WITH THE OWNERSHIP HOUSING, IS THAT $74,000 NEGATIVE? THAT IS, IS THAT RELATED TO THE EQUITY STUFF THAT WE DEALT WITH? WHAT IS THE $74,000? TO BE HONEST, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE THIS SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
IF WE, IF WE HAVE A PROJECT THAT WE COMMIT DOLLARS TO MM-HMM
THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY COME TO FRUITION, OR IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF REGULATORY HURDLE THAT HAPPENS ALONG THE WAY, AND THOSE DOLLARS BECOME, OR THAT PROJECT DOES NOT BECOME FEASIBLE, AND WE'VE ALREADY INCURRED THOSE COSTS, WE HAVE TO RE, WE HAVE TO REPAY THOSE DOLLARS WITH, WITH LOCAL DOLLARS, AND THEY NO LONGER BECOME AVAILABLE.
SO THEY BASICALLY SHOW UP AS A, AS A NEGATIVE EXPENSE.
UNDER THE GRANT, THEY'RE REALLY BEING REIMBURSED BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND THEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE WITHIN OUR ACCOUNTING SYSTEM TO, TO DESIGNATE TOWARD ANOTHER PROJECT.
BUT FOR REPORTING IN ONE SPECIFIC YEAR, YOU CAN'T JUST MAKE THOSE DOLLARS AVAILABLE.
AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO SHOW THEM AS NEGATIVE.
AND, AND, UM, AND IT IS THE ONLY NEGATIVE THAT YOU ALL HAVE ON HERE.
AND AGAIN, I CANNOT STRESS TO YOU ALL GOOD JOB.
BUT I WOULD SAY IN ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, MR. CHASE, AS THE MONEY MAN,
I, I'M, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A COMMENT.
IT'S BECAUSE HE'S THE MONEY MAN.
LOOK, THE, IF I LOOK THROUGH 40 PAGES, I FIND IT, IF YOU KNOW PROGRAM MANAGER, LET ME KNOW.
I'M ALSO NOT, UH, THE PROGRAM MAN, UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS SAYING, DON'T, DON'T LET HIM YEAH.
WE CAN GET THAT ANSWER TO YOU CERTAINLY.
BUT I THINK THAT IS THE MOST LIKELY CASE.
AND THAT, AND THAT, THAT, THAT SEEMED REASONABLE.
BUT I, I, LIKE I SAID, I WOULD EX I WOULD EXPECT IF YOU'RE COMING BEFORE THAT, YOU MAY HAVE JUST THAT ONE.
IT'S ONLY ONE YOU MAY KNOW WHY.
SO QUESTION, I PROMISE YOU NEXT TIME I WILL KNOW.
UH, CAN FUNDING COME ACROSS THE FIVE YEARS? SO IF FUNDING IS, UM, EX NOT EXPENDED, BUT, UM, UM, UM, NOT ALLOCATED, BUT, UH, BUT BASICALLY, FOR A LACK OF A BETTER WORD, I'LL USE ALLOCATED FOR IN ONE FIVE YEAR.
CAN IT ROLL OVER TO THE, NOT ROLL OVER, BUT BE USED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEAR OF THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, IT CAN.
BUT WE STILL MUST WORK WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE FIVE YEAR.
SO IF WE WERE TO CARRY DOLLARS FORWARD, LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE, IN THE ORIGINAL FIVE YEARS, IF WE HAD A PROGRAM THAT NO LONGER HAS EXISTED IN
[02:15:01]
THIS FIVE YEARS MM-HMMWE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THIS PROGRAM TO MATCH, TO ALLOW FOR THOSE DOLLARS TO COME, COME ACROSS.
BUT TYPICALLY THE PROGRAMS ARE GONNA CARRY FORWARD.
IN 99 OUT OF A HUNDRED TIMES, THEY'RE GONNA CARRY FORWARD ANYWAY, KEEP MM-HMM
BUT IN THE INSTANCE THAT THEY, IT DID NOT EXIST, WE WOULD HAVE TO STILL OKAY.
MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THE PLAN TO ALLOW FOR IT.
I WAS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO END EVERYTHING IN YEAR AT THE END OF YEAR FIVE, BUT THAT IT DOES KEEP ROLLING INTO THE NEXT, UH, FIVE YEAR CYCLE.
UM, THE REPORT, OH, UM, PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT COMMISSIONER KEELEY SAID, WHEN THAT REPORT GOES TO HUD IN DECEMBER, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME FOR IT TO COME TO CDC.
IF Y'ALL ARE SENDING IT OUT, UM, CAN WE ADD THAT TO YOUR, UH, CALENDAR? BECAUSE IF IT'S, IF IT'S A DONE DEAL IN TERMS OF THE REPORT, THEN IT'LL BE A GOOD TIME FOR IT TO BE AVAILABLE TO US AS WELL.
COMMISSIONERS, THIS REPORT IS NORMALLY FINALIZED OVER THE WINTER HOLIDAY.
UM, AND IT IS TURNED INTO HUD THE FEW DAYS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO BE MEETING WITH YOU OVER CHRISTMAS.
WE, YES, CERTAINLY WE CAN MAKE IT AVAILABLE DIGITALLY.
IT'S ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE PRETTY IMMEDIATELY.
NOT FOR US TO GO LOOK FOR IF Y'ALL COULD BE, IF YOU COULD.
I AM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE IS GETTING PAID.
MAYBE THE CHAIR POSITION IS THE VOLUNTEER POSITION,
AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, I, I, I, AS MUCH AS I WOULD WANT TO BE UP ON IT, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF Y'ALL WOULD PUSH IT OUT AND THEN IT WILL BEAM ME.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, SHE WILL READ IT OVER THE NEW YEAR'S EVE.
SHE WILL BE THE ONE, SHE WILL KNOW WHAT IT SAYS.
SO IF YOU COULD HELP US OUT WITH THAT, AGAIN, WE JUST, WE, WE WANT TO BE THERE TO WORK TOGETHER.
IF YOU COULD HELP US, HELP YOU HELP AND SERVE THE, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, UM, MS. JACKMAN MENTIONED MOVING TO LOCAL, MENTIONED THAT WE MAY HAVE SOME MONEY THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE FEDERALLY FUNDED, WE MAY NOT SEE THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING COVERED BY LOCAL FUNDS.
DO WE SEE THAT AS A POSITIVE, OR DO WE SEE THAT AS A NEGATIVE? WELL, WE'D ALWAYS LIKE TO HAVE SUFFICIENT FEDERAL FUNDS, UH, TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE DON'T.
SO THE POSITIVE IS WE ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY LOCAL FUNDS.
IN THE CASE, UM, MS. JACKMAN MENTIONED IT'S, UM, HOUSING TRUST FUND DOLLARS, AND WE'RE ABLE TO PIECE TOGETHER LOCAL FUNDS TO COVER THAT PROGRAM.
UM, I THINK IT'S A POSITIVE THAT WE DO HAVE LOCAL FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, UM, BUT IT WON'T SHOW UP IN THIS TYPE OF REPORTING.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY AS A DEPARTMENT, WE'RE WORKING ON OL, WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES, AND AS SUCH, WE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC REPORTING, UM, MECHANISMS. AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS DO ONE CONSOLIDATED REPORT ABOUT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS MM-HMM
SO YOU ALL WOULDN'T HAVE TO THINK, OH, THAT'S CDBG FUNDED.
BUT JUST THAT IT'S DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
IT MAY HAVE SOME HOME DOLLARS, IT MAY HAVE SOME LOCAL DOLLARS.
IT'S TENANT LANDLORD MEDIATION THAT, YOU KNOW, IS LOCALLY FUNDED.
SO I THINK FROM A PUBLIC FACING PERSPECTIVE, IT CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SHOW UP IN HERE, BUT IT STILL EXISTS.
THAT PROGRAM IS STILL THRIVING AND NEEDED, AND WE ARE ADDING MORE PROGRAMS AS WE SPEAK, BUT THEY JUST DON'T HAPPEN TO BE FEDERALLY FUNDED.
AND I SEE, UM, MS. JACKMAN, UM, APPROACHING THE DICE.
AND SO AS SHE GETS READY TO, UH, EXPAND UPON AND CLARIFY WHAT YOU JUST SAID, I GUESS MY CONCERN, NOT A CONCERN, I JUST, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA RING THE BELL, IS TO SAY, IF WE'RE GOING TO GO TO LOCAL FUNDINGS, WHICH IS GREAT THAT WE HAVE THEM, MY CONCERN IS, DO WE THEN START GETTING INTO THE POLITICS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN? OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO, TO SOME DEGREE.
I'M, I'M, I'M NOT NAIVE, 62 YEARS OLD, I'M NOT NAIVE, BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THE FEDERAL FUNDS DO KIND OF, SORT OF HAVE SOME GUARDRAILS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT BY USING LOCAL FUNDS, THAT WE DON'T GET INTO THE HANKY PINK.
I JUST, UH, THIS IS, UH, COMMISSIONERS,
[02:20:01]
UH, NFER, TD, JACKMAN, COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER.EVERYTHING THAT MANDY SAID IS CORRECT.
I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT.
I THINK ALL, ALL OF OUR DOLLARS, WHETHER THEY'RE LOCAL, STATE, OR FEDERAL, THEY ALL HAVE GUARDRAILS.
ALL OF OUR DOLLARS HAVE GUARDRAILS AND A LEVEL OF, OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
UH, BUT IN ADDITION, ONE OF THE REASONS WE DECIDED TO MOVE, UM, THE FUNDING FROM AUSTIN TENANTS COUNCIL, I COULDN'T REMEMBER WHICH CONTRACT MM-HMM
UM, TO LOCAL DOLLARS IS TO ALLOW, WE HEARD THROUGH THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, SOME OF THE PRIORITIES, UH, THAT WERE BROUGHT UP IN THIS COMMISSION.
AND THROUGH THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, THIS ALLOW, THIS WILL ALLOW US TO USE SOME OF OUR FEDERAL DOLLARS, THE HUD DOLLARS, THE CDBG DOLLARS FOR SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF TALK ABOUT IT, OR NO, I JUST, LARGER FINE INVESTMENTS INVESTMENTS INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THAT WAS A PRIORITY THAT WE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE GROUPS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, AND WE WERE LIKE, OKAY, HOW CAN WE ACCOMPLISH THAT? WELL, WE CAN MOVE THIS CONTRACT, USE LOCAL DOLLARS SO WE CAN HAVE A LARGER IMPACT.
SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT WAS ALL I WANTED TO ADD.
AND I, I, I, I, I FELT THAT IN SPIRIT THAT THAT WAS WHAT IT WAS WAS HAPPENING.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE JUST BE ON, JUST PUT IT OUT ON THE TABLE JUST TO SAY, NOW IT'S MOVED FROM THE FEDS AND IT'S MOVED TO LOCAL.
YOU KNOW, IS THAT GOOD, BAD, OR UGLY? YOU KNOW, BUT IF IT'S GOOD, WE'RE GOOD.
CAN I, CAN I ADD ONE MORE PIECE OF CONTEXT TO THAT? TENANTS RIGHTS ASSISTANCE IS, UNDER FEDERAL REGULATIONS IS CONSIDERED A PUBLIC SERVICE, WHICH IS ALSO BOUND BY THE 15% CAP I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
TO BE ALSO INCLUDE CHILDCARE SERVICES, SENIOR SERVICES, AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, ALL OF THOSE COMBINED CAP AT 15% OF OUR FEDERAL FUNDING.
SO THE MORE PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO FUND WITH PUBLIC SERVICE DOLLARS, THE LESS BANG FOR BUCK YOU'RE GONNA GET FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS. SURE.
SO THAT JUST ANOTHER PIECE TO, TO CONSIDER, UM, WAS THE, THE CAP ON THE AMOUNT WE COULD SPEND ON ANY GIVEN PROGRAM UNDER THAT CATEGORY.
WELL, I APPLAUD YOU ALL FOR, UM, YOU BEING FISCALLY WISE TO REALIZE WHERE YOU NEED TO MOVE THE SHELL AND DO WHATEVER.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
WE ARE READY TO MOVE ON TO THE, UH, LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
I WANNA THANK, UM, UM, NEW MANAGER, ROCIO, UM, UM, PENA MARTINEZ, MR. CHASE, THE MONEY MAN, AND, UM, MS. UM, MANDY, UH, DTO.
THANK YOU ALL THREE, AND MS. JACKMAN, UH, FOR ALL FOUR OF YOU ALL FOR, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THIS WAS HELPFUL, AND I DO THINK WE MADE SOME HEADWAY.
[6. Updates on filling vacant CDC Board positions (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health).]
ITEM COMMISSIONERS.UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, ON HILL'S GONNA COME AND TALK ABOUT SOME CDB, UM, UH, I MEAN OUR, OUR CDC BOARD POSITIONS AND THE VACANCIES.
I WILL TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE, UM, WITH SOME OF YOU ALL.
UM, A FEW ALREADY ARE AWARE OF THIS, BUT IT CAME TO MY, UH, AND I, I, I'M WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT MY COMMISSION EXPIRES, UH, NEXT MONTH.
AND WITH THAT, UH, SO DOES MY CHAIRSHIP.
SO THIS IS MY SECOND TO LAST MEETING.
I WILL CHAIR THE, UH, LAST MEETING IN FEBRUARY AND, UH, BID YOU ALL, UM, UM, SO LONG AT THAT TIME.
UH, AND IT HAS BEEN IN FACT, A TRUE HONOR, A TRUE HONOR, A TRUE HONOR TO SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THIS, UM, THESE VOLUNTEERS, THIS COMMISSION.
UM, AND I'M HOPING, I'M REALLY HOPING THAT, UH, CDC CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE, AN EFFECTIVE COMMISSION SO THAT WE ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN LINE WITH OUR PURPOSE, WHICH IS TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITH THE EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. IF WE COULD DO THAT, I WILL BE EVER SO, UM, PROUD AND PLEASED TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS BODY WITH THAT, UM, PLEASE LET US KNOW ABOUT THE VACANCIES AND WE'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE.
I'LL BE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE AND CLEAR.
UH, THIS, UM, PART OF MY PRESENTATION IS ON THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ELECTIONS
[02:25:01]
FOR THE EIGHT, UH, DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED MEMBERS WHO REPRESENT THE LOW INCOME AREAS OF AUSTIN.UM, IF YOU ARE, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO RUN AGAIN, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO.
UH, I EMAILED EACH ONE OF YOU SEPARATELY, UH, TO LET YOU KNOW IF YOU COULD OR COULD NOT.
SOME OF YOU HAVE REACHED A MAXIMUM, UH, LIMIT, TERM LIMITS AND CANNOT RUN AGAIN.
IF YOU CANNOT, UM, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR, UM, CONSTITUENTS, PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, WHOEVER'S INTERESTED AND WOULD BE A GOOD FIT.
UM, PEOPLE HAVE, UH, THROUGH JANUARY 22ND TO SUBMIT AN INTEREST FORM.
UH, I'VE BEEN GONE, UH, TWO WEEKS.
SO WHILE I WAS GONE, THAT WAS A NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, UM, GUIDED US TO DO.
I HAD TOLD YOU SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I SAID, YOU SHOULD GO TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AND, AND REAPPLY.
THAT'S STILL OKAY FOR THIS TIME AROUND.
SO I WILL GET THOSE NAMES, UH, AS WELL.
UH, SO IF YOU'VE ALREADY DONE IT THROUGH THAT CHANNEL, FINE.
IF YOU HAVE NOT, UH, IF YOU DON'T, ONE OF THOSE EIGHT SEATS, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE.
UH, I THINK JESSICA ALSO SENT OUT EMAILS TO, TO THE ONES THAT, TO ALL EIGHT OF YOU WHO ARE ON THE, UH, LOW INCOME SEATS.
THE ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, JANUARY 27TH FROM 10:00 AM TO 7:00 PM AT SPECI SPECIFIC LOCATIONS THAT ARE ON THOSE FLYERS THAT ARE ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND I'VE ALSO BEEN SENT OUT THROUGH, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS.
UH, I THINK MOST ALL EIGHT OF YOU HAVE IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE OTHER SEVEN DO.
'CAUSE YOU MIGHT KNOW PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS TOO.
SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, I CAN SEND OUT AN EMAIL AGAIN TOMORROW, OR YOU CAN GO, YOU CAN GOOGLE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
UM, I CAN READ IT TO YOU, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/SERVICES/SO IT'S MUCH EASIER JUST TO GOOGLE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS AND GO TO OUR WEBSITE.
ALL THE INFORMATION IS THERE, THE HYPERLINKS THERE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, GET INFORMATION AND TO GET THE ACTUAL, UH, UH, FLYERS TOO THAT HAVE THE MAPS AND THE ELIGIBILITY.
UH, JUST A REMINDER, THE ELECTIONS, UH, TO BE A CANDIDATE, YOU MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OF OLDER.
YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN THE AREA SHOWN ON THE MAP, ON THE FLYERS.
THOSE ARE THE CENSUS TRACKS THAT ARE, UM, THAT DEFINE ELIGIBILITY.
AND YOU MUST SUBMIT AN INTEREST FORM.
UH, THE HYPERLINK IS ON THE FLYERS AS WELL.
UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED, WHO WANT TO, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN, IN, UH, RUNNING.
UH, YOU CAN ALSO LET FOLKS KNOW, UH, THE NEW PROCESS, UH, WILL REQUIRE THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED TO GET THE WORD OUT ON THEIR OWN.
THEY CAN TALK TO THEIR NEIGHBORS, THEIR FRIENDS, GO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT THEY USUALLY ATTEND.
UM, THERE WILL NO LONGER BE THOSE MEETINGS THAT WE USED TO HAVE IN THE PAST WHERE YOU WOULD COME IN PERSON AND KIND OF GIVE A THREE MINUTE TALK AS TO WHY YOU WANTED TO DO IT.
UH, IT'S A WHOLE NEW PROCESS NOW.
SO PLEASE LET YOURSELVES, UH, PLEASE LET PEOPLE KNOW, UM, AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY CAN GO OUT ON, UM, JANUARY 27TH TO THAT SPECIFIC LOCATION TO VOTE.
AND THOSE LOCATIONS WILL BE WITHIN THOSE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS AS WELL.
MOST OF 'EM WILL BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
A COUPLE ARE, ARE NOT OUR REC CENTERS.
UM, AND I THINK GIS IS ONE FROM THE ROSEWOOD AREA.
UH, THE FLYERS ARE VERY SPECIFIC.
THEY HAVE BEEN SHARED, UH, THROUGH THE LISTSERV, THROUGH THE A PH CHANNELS, UH, TO THE EIGHT PEOPLE HERE OR NOT HERE, WHO ARE IN THOSE SEATS.
I'M NOT IN CHARGE OF THE OTHER SEVEN SEATS.
I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SEVEN ONES THAT ARE APPOINTED BY COUNSEL.
UM, I THINK, UH, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WILL TALK ABOUT THOSE NEXT MONTH AND GIVE YOU SOME DETAILS ON FILLING THOSE POSITIONS TOO.
I MEAN, YOU'VE BEEN HERE, UH, I THINK THREE TERMS, I THINK 10 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE 2016.
UM, SO I'M, LOOK, I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS CAN HELP US FILL ALL EIGHT, UH, SEATS BECAUSE WE DO NEED, LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER KELLY SAID MORE FOLKS IN THE SEATS SO THAT WE CAN MEET CORN MORE EASILY.
AND IF NOT, WE'LL WE'LL TRY AGAIN.
IF THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SEATS THAT JUST DON'T GET FILLED, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH INTEREST, UH, WE WILL REGROUP AND HAVE AN ELECTION AGAIN VERY SOON SO WE CAN GET THOSE OTHER SEATS FILLED.
ANY ON HOW, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, VICE CHAIR.
[02:30:01]
QUESTION IS ABOUT THE PROCESS, THE CHANGES IN THE PROCESS, UM, THAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE ASKED ME.BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, WE WERE USED TO THE, THE ONE MEETING AND, YOU KNOW, SEEING THE CANDIDATES, UM, BEING ABLE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE OR NOMINATE YOURSELF ON SITE AT THAT TIME, NO DEADLINE, NO FORM.
UM, DID YOU SAY THOSE CHANGES WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE CITY CLERK? IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? UH, THOSE CHANGES WERE RECOMMENDED BY OUR GRANTOR T-D-H-C-A.
AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME FILLING THIS SEAT, ESPECIALLY THE ROSA OSA BLACKLAND SEAT.
LIKE I MENTIONED A FEW MEETINGS AGO, I WAS EXPLAINING THAT BEFORE MY TIME.
THEY HAD, UH, CREATED THIS OTHER PROCESS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE THEY HAD RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATIONS AS SORT OF THE MIDDLEMEN WHO WOULD BE IN CHARGE OF PROVIDING THE SPACE.
AND WITH OUR HELP RUN THOSE ELECTIONS OR MORE SELECTION MEETINGS MM-HMM
UH, THAT AS I MENTIONED A FEW MONTHS AGO, THOSE, SOME OF THOSE, UM, RESPONSIVE ORGANIZATIONS WERE INACTIVE.
SO WHEN I WOULD GO BACK, I WOULD NEED TO FIND A NEW ORGANIZATION.
AND THAT WOULD REQUIRE LIKE A LOT OF, I MEAN, THERE WEREN'T MANY IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, SO YOU'D HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL, THEY'D HAVE TO AMEND THE, UM, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? THE, UM, THE RESOLUTION.
I MEAN, THERE'S, IT'S A LOT OF STEPS.
I, WHEN I TALKED TO LEGAL LAST TIME, THEY SAID IT TAKES ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS TO DO THAT.
SO INSTEAD OF HAVING THIS MIDDLE MAN, IN A WAY, WE CHANGED IT ON DECEMBER, COUNCIL APPROVED IT IN NOVEMBER.
THE AUSTIN FINANCE COMMITTEE APPROVED THE CHANGES IN DECEMBER, COUNCIL APPROVED THE CHANGES.
SO NOW IT'S MORE LIKE A REAL MINI ELECTION.
IT'S ON THE PEOPLE INTERESTED TO GO OUT INTO THEIR CONS TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS INSTEAD OF COMING ON A SHORT.
I GUESS, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS IT IN THE CHANGE TO THE BYLAWS? IS IT SPECIFIC LIKE THE, THE ELECTION BEING FROM 10 TO 7:00 PM OH NO, THE DEADLINE, BECAUSE THAT COULD CHANGE.
I MEAN, SAN ANTONIO DOES 10 TO 2:00 PM THEY ONLY DO FOUR HOUR WINDOWS.
UM, SO IT, THAT CAN CHANGE THAT.
BECAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE IT REALLY, I GUESS MY, MY QUESTION COMES FROM IF SINCE WE'RE DOING THIS, IT'S NEW TO, UH, A NEW THING, UH, IF SOMETHING DIDN'T WORK OUT, WE CAN REDO SOMETHING FOR NEXT ELECTION OR, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU SOME INPUT ON, ON THAT.
OH, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN ALWAYS GIMME INPUT.
UM, IF WE NEED TO LIKE EXTEND IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE EIGHT TO 8:00 PM MM-HMM
LIKE I SAID, I WAS VERY SURPRISED WHEN I TALKED TO SAN ANTONIO AS A FOR CONSULTING.
THERE'RE LIKE, OH, WE DO 10 TO TWO ON A WEDNESDAY.
AND I'M LIKE, WOW, THAT'S ONLY FOUR HOURS.
SO I WAS TRYING TO BE A LITTLE MORE ACCOMMODATING AND JUST HAVE A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
SO LET YOUR FOLKS KNOW PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE KNOCKING ON DOORS OR TALKING TO BOARDS COME THAT DAY, THEY NEED TO BRING ID SO THEY CAN PROVE THAT THEY LIVE IN THAT AREA.
WE WILL ACTUALLY, UH, LOOK THEM UP IN THE, UM, UM, I CAN'T THINK RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S A JURISDICTION MAP.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE ID, WE WILL DO AN AFFIDAVIT.
SO WE CAN HAVE THEM JUST GIVE US LIKE A UTILITY BILL AND LET US KNOW THAT THEY DO LIVE IN THE AREA, UH, THROUGH DIFFERENT MEANS.
SO SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT HAVE ID.
SO WE'LL DO AN AFFIDAVIT FOR THEM.
ANY, UH, CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S, UH, ACCEPTED? UH, UM, EITHER, UH, WHATEVER ID THEY HAVE OR UTILITY BILL ARE THE TWO MOST COMMON THINGS.
IF THEY HAVE NEITHER, THEY'LL DO AN AFFIDAVIT AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITHIN 48 HOURS TO GET PROOF.
SO ANYTHING WITH THEIR NAME AND THEIR ADDRESS? YES.
DO YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER BERTHA DELGADO, YOU HAVE SOMETHING REGARDING, UM, THE VACANCIES? I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, UM, ANHE, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, YEAH, I, I JUST WANNA KIND OF, KIND OF SHARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT, UM, THAT OUR VICE CHAIR HAD.
I THINK WITH ME IT WAS MORE LIKE WE WEREN'T EXPLAINED THAT EVERY SEAT, THAT COMMUNITY SEAT APPOINTED SEAT, I UNDERSTAND THE TERM, UH, DEADLINE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHO'S TERMED UP.
BUT SOME PEOPLE, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, NIKA ARNOLD'S, UM, SEAT AND OTHER PEOPLE'S C WAS ALREADY GONNA BE REELECTED.
AND I ALL WAS DOING IT ON THE SAME DAY.
I DON'T REMEMBER US DOING, UM, ELECTIONS ALL ON THE SAME DAY, UH, THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ZIP CODES.
SO I WANTED TO SEE DID, WAS THAT CHANGE BECAUSE YOU'RE ARE TRYING IT OUT TO SEE IF IT'S GONNA WORK WELL THAT WAY? UM, THAT WAS ONE THING.
ANOTHER THING WAS, IS THAT I HOPE THAT LIKE MOVING FORWARD, SINCE I AM LEAVING THE COMMISSION NEXT MONTH, THAT MAYBE BECAUSE THAT FLYER'S KIND OF OUT, YOU KNOW, DATED A LITTLE BIT.
THE ONE THAT Y'ALL HAVE SENT OUT, IT'S NOT REALLY, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY FRIENDLY.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FLYER AND IT HAS A MAP ON THERE, IT LOOKS A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, LIKE TOO MUCH.
[02:35:01]
AND THEN THE MAP, IT DOESN'T REALLY GIVE THE CORRECT, LIKE, I FELT LIKE BOUNDARIES IN A WAY THAT WE UNDERSTAND IT.I HAD TO CALL IN TO YOUR STAFF WHILE YOU WERE OUT AND GET, GIVE HER AN ADDRESS FOR HER TO CHECK BECAUSE THEY WERE IN THE, IN THE BOUNDARIES OF LIONS ROAD.
SO I COULDN'T, 'CAUSE WE'RE IN THE OH TWO AND THE LION BOUNDARIES LIONS ROAD FROM SA FOR
SO THOSE STREETS THAT ARE CROSSING LIKE BRASS STREET, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PRADO STREET, UH, GARWOOD, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THEM, YOU KNOW, I, IT JUST, SHE, SHE'S LIKE, WE HAD TO INDIVIDUALLY CHECK EVERYBODY'S ADDRESS.
AND I WAS LIKE, WELL THEN MAYBE WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT MAYBE A DIFFERENT MARKETING FLYER IN THE FUTURE AND MAYBE EXPLAIN THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO VERIFY THAT YOU'RE IN THE BOUNDARY.
'CAUSE IF I CAN SEND PEOPLE TO THE ROSEWOOD SEAT WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S GONNA BE RUNNING THERE, THEN I NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE IN THAT BOUNDARY.
SO, I DON'T KNOW, IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM REALLY TOO, HOW CAN I SAY, UM, EASY ACCESS TO GET.
UM, THOSE WERE THE ONLY TWO CONCERNS I HAD THAT I DIDN'T KNOW EVERYBODY WAS GONNA BE RUNNING AN ELECTION ON THE SAME DAY.
THOSE ARE, UH, GOOD CONCERNS OR GOOD COMMENTS.
UM, FOR NIKA ARNOLD, SHE WAS FEELING A SEAT THAT WAS ALREADY, THAT HAD BEEN VACATED MOST OF THE WAY THROUGH.
SO SHE WAS ONLY ABLE TO SERVE FOR THOSE FEW MONTHS BEFORE SHE HAD TO RUN AGAIN.
SO THAT'S THE REASON THAT'S HAPPENING AND THAT'S HOW THE CITY CLERK KIND OF REARRANGED IT TO MAKE THE TERMS SO THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE ELECTIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THAT THEY WOULD ALL BE SORT OF COME UP AT THE SAME TIME AND MAKE THE PROCESS CLEANER, UH, IN TERMS OF THE MAP.
UM, SO CITY CLERK'S OFFICE MADE THAT DECISION BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE WANTED TO KNOW, KIND OF WHO WAS MAKING DECISION TO ALIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROCESS WOULD FLOW MORE, UH, EFFICIENTLY.
UM, THE MAPS, UH, IT'S A HARD ONE.
I THINK SOMETIMES WE GET STUCK ON OUTLIERS.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME OF THOSE ADDRESSES THAT ARE HAPPEN TO BE RIGHT ON LYON STREET ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE THERE, YOU KNOW, FOR YOU GUYS TO CALL US OR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED.
THERE'S THE, ON THE FLYER, IT HAS MY NAME AND IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS THEY CAN COME THE DAY OF.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE WILL VET THEM AT THAT TIME TOO.
WE WORKED ON THESE MAPS WITH THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER.
THEY'RE VERY EXPERIENCED PEOPLE, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE FLYERS.
UH, THE, ALL THE BOUNDARIES ARE VERY, UH, DEFINED IN WORDS.
SO I, I I, I SEE LIKE FOR, UH, THE NORTH AUSTIN SEAT, THE NORTH BOUNDARY, IT GIVES RU RUTLAND DRIVE BREAKER LANE, RUNDBERG LANE, SOUTH BOUNDARY AT BLUESTEIN EAST ST.
I I I DON'T WANNA DUMB IT DOWN IT'S IMAGE.
ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE THAT? I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, THAT THE MARKETING PIECE OF THE FLYER.
'CAUSE WE'VE HAD THE SAME FLYER FOR 10 YEARS.
UH, THIS FLYER IS NEW ACTUALLY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS FLYER CLOSELY, IT WAS UPDATED.
IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE, I DIDN'T HAVE A NEW FLYER.
AND THIS WAS ALL DONE BY THE SAID, THE DEMOGRAPHER, WHO ARE THE PROFESSIONALS.
THE OLD ONE WAS DONE, I THINK, BY MY PREDECESSOR AND WE KIND OF TWEAKED IT HERE AND THERE, BUT IT WAS DONE INTERNALLY.
WE WENT TO THE DEMOGRAPHER THIS TIME AROUND TO MAKE SURE WE HAD A QUALITY PRODUCT.
THAT'S, IT LEADS INTO TO A QUESTION I HAVE.
SPEAKING OF THE FIRE ON HOW MM-HMM
WHERE IS THE FIRE? I JUST DID A QUICK SEARCH.
I WENT, IT'S UM, I WENT TO THE AUSTIN CITY WEBSITE, BUT I DON'T SEE A FLYER.
GO TO THE, UH, GOOGLE THE NEIGHBORHOODS, AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
IT'LL COME UP AS ONE OF THE TOP GOOGLE RESULTS.
YOU CLICK ON THAT, WHICH IS, UM, AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/SERVICES/GET-HELP-NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
IT CAME UP WITHIN SECONDS FOR ME.
AND IT'S RIGHT THERE WITH ALL OUR OTHER SERVICES.
AND IT HAS A, THE SPIEL ON LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN RUNNING, UM, AND THEN IT'S GOT HYPERLINKS TO EACH ONE OF THE FLYERS FOR EACH AREA.
IT ALSO HAS THE HYPERLINK TO THE APPLICATION OR THE INTEREST FORM.
AND INFORMATION ABOUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, UH, CAN CONTACT ME.
I WILL SAY THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEALTH, IF SOMEBODY HAPPENS TO BE GOING TO THE CITY GOVERNMENT SITE ON PUBLIC HEALTH, IT HAS THE LINK IN TERMS OF, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING AND THESE ARE THE TIMES AND LOCATIONS, BUT THERE ISN'T A FLYER FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE, OR AT LEAST A LINK THAT REDIRECTS TO YOUR, THE WEBSITE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF.
THAT CAN BE A REALLY QUICK BACKEND FIX.
AND IF WE CAN GET STAFF TO SEND US A FLYER, THE NEW FLYER, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I CAN NOW, I GOT, I GOT A, YEAH, I GOT A FLYER.
YEAH, I THINK THEY, SO COMMISSIONERS,
[02:40:01]
WE DO ALL OF US CHECK OUR, UM, YOUR BC EMAIL.'CAUSE THEY DID SEND THEM OUT AND I DID SEE THAT.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY EVEN SAID THAT IT'S GOING TO EVERYBODY.
I THINK, I THINK WE SENT THEM TWICE 'CAUSE I SENT THEM BEFORE I WENT ON VACATION.
AND THEN, AND THAT WAS MORE JUST INFORMAL TO YOU ALL.
AND THEN I THINK JESSICA OR JILL, THEY DID DID IT MORE FORMALLY.
BECAUSE I FORWARD FORWARDED JILL.
I FORWARDED IT TO SOME NEIGHBOR.
UM, SO I HAVE A COUPLE, COUPLE QUESTIONS AND I DO WANNA SAY, ANIL, I'M, I'M VERY SORRY.
UM, YOU HAD TO STAY AN EXTRA HOUR AND A HALF
UM, MY, MY INTENT WAS NOT, IF I HAD REALIZED THAT WE WERE ONLY GONNA BE HEARING AN UPDATE ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, WE WOULD'VE BEEN TOTALLY FINE HAVING THIS AS PART OF YOUR REPORT.
IT WAS A SEPARATE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, I HAD HAD DEFINITELY WANTED ALL OF THE POSITIONS TO
UM, SO JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
AND I DO APPRECIATE, I FEEL LIKE YOU, YOU KEEP US POSTED ON THIS AND I KNOW WE'VE GOTTEN THOSE FLYERS, SO THANK YOU.
UM, I JUST, BECAUSE I AM JUST SO WORRIED
AND SO I, I JUST WANTED TO, TO HELP IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE TO FILL THE, THE EIGHT THAT WE HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF THE PROCESS ON.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSCORE IT'S, I THINK THAT WE HAVE, SO WE HAVE TWO, THREE, WE HAVE TWO COMMISSIONERS TERMING OUT, WE ALREADY KNOW.
AND THEN ONE WHO'S ALREADY TOLD US SHE'S STEPPING ON.
SO WE KNOW WE HAVE THREE PLACES WHERE FOLKS WILL HAVE TO BE RECRUITED AT LEAST.
COURT? NO, NO, JUST IN THESE EIGHT, BECAUSE THESE ARE THE ONLY THAT WE, THAT WE CAN GET A HANDLE ON HOW THEY'RE ADDRESSED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CALL THAT OUT.
AND ALSO, UM, IS THERE ANY WAY, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT SAID AT TIME, RIGHT? BY THE TIME, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVEN'T HAD ANYONE APPLY THAT'S 'CAUSE IT'S THE DEADLINE.
SO THEN WHAT DO WE DO? BUT I JUST, I WONDER, IS THERE LIKE A MIDWAY, YOU KNOW, IN A COUPLE OF DAYS IF THERE'S A REGION WITH NOBODY APPLYING AN SOS CAN GO OUT? OR LIKE, HOW CAN WE HELP MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY INTERESTED IN ALL OF THESE? UH, I WOULD SAY ONE WAY WOULD BE FOR YOU ALL TO HELP US, RIGHT.
UM, JESSICA WAS OUT SICK TODAY, SO I WASN'T ABLE TO TOUCH BASE WITH HER EXCEPT FOR A FEW MINUTES THIS MORNING.
AND I THINK WE HAVE, I THINK EVERY AREA HAS AT LEAST ONE APPLICANT.
SO JUST, I CAN'T SPEAK FORMALLY 'CAUSE I SAID SHE WAS OUT, SHE JUST KIND OF GOT ON THE PHONE REAL QUICK SINCE I'VE BEEN GONE TWO WEEKS AND GAVE ME THIS QUICK HEADS UP.
AND THE ONE AREA THAT DIDN'T HAVE SOMEONE I FOUND OUT TONIGHT THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAD APPLIED OKAY.
THROUGH THE CITY CLERK AND NOT THE INTEREST FORM.
SO THEN I THINK EVERY AREA PROBABLY HAS AT LEAST ONE.
WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP GETTING THE WORD OUT IF THEY DO GO THROUGH AND THEY, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR FOLKS OUT.
YEAH, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S AWESOME.
IF IT TURNS OUT THERE IS ONE WITH NOTHING, IF YOU CAN JUST SEND OUT AN SOSS, WE'LL, OH, SURE.
I'LL DEFINITELY DO THAT THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGH BLAKE.
I, I DIDN'T EVEN THINK TO ASK WHAT, WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS APPLICANTS, SO THAT'S EXCELLENT NEWS.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU ON ANGEL.
WE'RE WRAPPING UP, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
TO ASK FOR, UM, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. AND THEN, UM, COMMISSIONER DELGADO, I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE YOU ON, ON ONE ITEM, UM, THERE IN THE SECOND.UM, I DO, I'M LOOKING AT THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FROM OUR NOVEMBER MEETING, OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FROM OUR DECEMBER MEETING.
AND, UM, OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEM LIST IS GETTING LONG AND NOT REALLY BEING FULLY ADDRESSED.
SO, UM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M JUST MAKING AN OBSERVATION ON THAT.
UM, WE, I'M, I'M GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE CHAIR.
UM, SO FOR FEBRUARY WE DID SPEAK TO, UM, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
I REQUESTED AN UPDATE FOR ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
WE DID CONFIRM WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THAT THEY CAN COME IN FEBRUARY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S FROM THE NOVEMBER, UM, BILL.
WE ALSO HAVE FROM COMMISSIONER DELGADO AND ACHILLES, UM, A UPDATE ON SANTA RITA COURTS AND, UH, THE ROSEWOOD, UM, FROM THE HALDEN AUTHORITY.
AND THEY DID CONFIRM FOR FEBRUARY AS WELL.
AND FOR COMMISSIONER HOOD MM-HMM
ASKED FOR AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, WATERFORD FROM WATERSHED AND WE DID CONFIRM THEM FROM FEBRUARY AS WELL.
AND COMMISSIONER HOOD IS FROM, UM, UH, IS
[02:45:01]
FROM THE DECEMBER MEETING, CORRECT? FROM THE WATER FORWARD? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.WE DID RECEIVE AN EMAIL FROM, UH, MR. LARRY FRANKLIN WHO WANTS TO PRESENT, UM, TO THE CDC AND HE'S THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF, UH, BLACK LIVES VEGGIES.
AND HE WANTS TO COME SPEAK ON, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS AND AFFORDABLE, UM, HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
BUT WE NEED A COMMISSIONER OF COURSE, TO SPONSOR SPONSOR THAT.
SO THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FOR FEBRUARY.
'CAUSE FEBRUARY ALREADY STARTS.
FEBRUARY'S KIND FILLING UPSTARTING S MM-HMM
SO, UM, KEEP THAT OUT THERE, UM, AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, UM, ADD FOR NEXT MONTH SO THAT THAT'S ADDED TO OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. OKAY.
COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? UH, MS. JACKMAN, I SEE YOU, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU IN JUST A SECOND.
SO I THINK IT WAS LAST MONTH, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UH, DID A DENSITY BONUS ANALYSIS, UH, ON THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. UM, AND THEY, THEY, UM, YEAH, I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO COME AND, UH, TELL US, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY FOUND ON THAT.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO THAT'S THE DENSITY BONUS THAT YOU WANT.
I DON'T RECALL I LAST MONTH THE ON THE DENSITY BONUS, THE PLANNING, I READ A NEW STORY, BUT YOU AND I WERE HERE.
DO WE REMEMBER? NO, NO, THEY DIDN'T PRESENT.
THEY CONDUCTED AN AN, AN ANALYSIS.
AND THEY PRESENTED IT AT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
I, OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, I THINK AT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMISSION HOUSING.
UH, LAUREN MIDDLETON PRATT RELEASED THE STUDY OF THE DENSITY BONUS ANALYSIS.
THEY HAD A, IT WAS A SIX MONTH STUDY THAT WAS CONDUCTED.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE FEBRUARY 6TH, I BELIEVE.
FEBRUARY 6TH HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE.
SO IF WE COULD ADD THAT, DO YOU COME HERE TOO? OKAY.
SO, UM, MR. BLAKE, YOU, YOU GOT THAT? MM-HMM
UM, MS. JACKMAN, YOU SAID, STEPPED TO THE NOTES.
NEFERTITI JACKMAN, COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER.
UM, THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S WEATHER PREPARATION PLAN.
TODAY WE HAD, UM, DAVID GRAY MM-HMM
WHO PRESENTED ON THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE AND THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO ADDRESS THOSE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
I WANTED TO BE CLEAR, I DON'T RECALL.
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN COMMISSIONER HOOD OR ANOTHER COMMISSIONER, AND I APOLOGIZE.
HA CAN YOU CLARIFY? BECAUSE I DID.
IT WAS SPEAK WITH THE, IT, IT WAS HOMELAND, HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND THEY ARE ALSO PREPARED TO PRESENT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE I HAVE EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR.
WE WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE IT THROUGH MR. GRAY.
SO I THINK THAT'S QUITE ALL RIGHT.
QUITE FINE AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT.
YEAH, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD JUST LIKE, FOR, FOR THE RECORD, FOR CLARIFICATION, IT'S COMMISSIONER TISHA.
I USE MY FIRST NAME AND NOT MY LAST.
I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE AND I THINK, UM, AND I FULLY SUPPORT THE UPDATE ON THE STANDARD RITA COURTS, BUT THAT'S NOT, THAT'S, I AM NOT THE EXPERT.
THAT'S COMMISSIONER DELGADO'S REQUEST.
MY REQUEST THAT KEEPS GETTING LUMPED INTO THAT IS FOR AN UPDATE ON THE VACANCIES FOR THE SEED FOR OUR COMMISSION,
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT STILL REALLY, REALLY INTERESTED IN THE OTHER SEVEN POSITIONS, UM, THAT ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE VACANT AS TIME GOES BY AND NOT MORE AND MORE FILLED.
UM, SO I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO RAISE THAT AS AN IMMEDIATE URGENT CONCERN.
AND SO WOULD LOVE TO, AND I, UM, I'M HAPPY TO RESEND THE EMAIL, BUT I, IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO GET TRANSPARENCY EVEN WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS ON WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE.
AND I KNOW THAT MANY OF US HAVE TO SHEPHERD IT THROUGH.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US AND THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND FROM, AND IF THAT MEANS THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE COMES, LIKE WHATEVER, BUT JUST REALLY UNDERSTANDING EACH POSITION THAT'S NOT THE ELECTED EIGHT.
LIKE WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FILL THAT SO THAT WE CAN HELP FILL IT? ARE YOU ASKING, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT ARE YOU ASKING FOR SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO BE HERE? I'M ASKING FOR WHOEVER I DON'T KNOW IS BEST TO ANSWER.
THEY'LL, BUT I WILL REACH OUT TO THEM.
I DID SHARE IN AN EMAIL, EITHER SOMEONE FROM HOUSING THE CLERK'S OFFICE, I WOULD PREFER THE CLERK'S OFFICE AS WELL, BUT I DON'T EITHER WAY KNOW THAT THAT IS NORMALLY WHAT THEY WILL DO.
[02:50:01]
BUT THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAS PROVIDED, UH, THE STEPS FOR US.AND SO WE WILL SHARE THAT IN A PRESENTATION.
AND I'LL ALSO SAY, I MEAN, AN EMAIL IS ALSO LOVELY, BUT I JUST, I JUST REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION AT OR PRIOR TO THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, YOU GOT THAT MR. BLACK? YES, MA'AM.
UH, WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONERS, WE, UH, I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, COMMISSIONER DELGADO FOR, UM, UH, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT AND WE WILL STAND ADJOURN, UH, IMMEDIATELY AFTER, UH, THAT, OH, WELL, HOLD ON, COMMISSIONER, LET ME SAY THIS.
UH, COMMISSIONER TOLIVER IS, UH, HIS TERM IS, UM, ENDING.
I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE THE SERVICE THAT HE HAS PROVIDED OVER THESE MANY MAY.
I GOTTA SEE A MAN, BY THE WAY.
BUT WE'RE RECOGNIZING YOU LET YOU KNOW.
WE APPRECIATE YOU AND COMMISSIONER BERTHA DELGADO.
I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU AND THE SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE, UM, DONE IN TERMS OF VOLUNTEERING FOR THE CDC.
UM, WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR, UH, INVOLVEMENT AND THE PASSION THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO, UM, THE COMMISSION.
AND I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE, I MENTIONED IT EARLIER THAT, UH, MR. COMMISSIONER PORTER, UH, IS, UM, RESIGNING, BUT I DID WANNA ESPECIALLY RECOGNIZE THOSE THAT HAVE SERVED SO WILLINGLY, UH, AND GIVEN OF THEIR TIME YEAR AFTER YEAR, AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR COMMISSIONER DELGADO AND I WILL DISMISS AFTER YOU.
AND YEAH, I HAVE ONE MORE MEETING NEXT MONTH.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, RETIRING NEXT MONTH.
I TELL EVERYBODY, SO YOU WILL SEE ME IN PERSON.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY I WASN'T BEEN ABLE TO BE THERE TODAY, BUT I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE, AND, AND I APOLOGIZE, I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS IN THE BEGINNING.
UM, LAST MONTH WE HAD A HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSIONER, UH, MR. JUAN RAYMOND RUBIO THAT ATTENDED OUR COMMISSION IN DECEMBER.
UM, WELL, HE CAME FOR A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT HE WENT TO CITY COUNCIL WITH THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UM, AND PRESERVING, UH, ONE OF THE HISTORICAL LANDMARKS, UM, IN, UH, IN THE BLACK DISTRICT THERE IN DISTRICT ONE.
UM, SHORTLY AFTER THAT HE PASSED.
AND SO I WANNA JUST REMEMBER HIM, UH, JUST WANTED TO DO A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I WANTED TO REMEMBER HIM FOR NOT JUST HIS ACTIVISM WORK, BUT THE WORK THAT HE SERVED AS A COLLEAGUE, RIGHT.
UH, IN, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IN THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
UH, THE WORK HE DID IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, HE WAS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND HE'S, HE PRESERVED A LOT OF WORK OUT THERE.
UM, HE WAS A PART OF PRESERVATION AUSTIN.
AND SO I JUST WANNA DO A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND, UH, RECOGNIZE, UH, COMMISSIONER RUBIO AND ALL THE WORK HE DID, UH, FOR OUR PEOPLE HERE IN AUSTIN.
COMMISSIONER BERTHA DELGADO WITH BRINGING THAT, UM, VERY SENSITIVE, UH, INFORMATION TO US.
UM, WITH THAT COMMISSION, THE TIME NOW IS 9 33.
THIS HAS BEEN A PRODUCTIVE MEETING AND I THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
COMMISSIONER TISHA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
COMMISSIONER BERTHA DELGADO, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
COMMISSIONER WOODS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, UM, UM, LONGORIA COMMISSIONER HASSO, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND VICE CHAIR COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU AND ALL OF THE STAFF AND ALL OF THOSE THAT HAVE COME AND TO PARTICIPATE AND BE HERE FOR US.