[00:00:04]
[Austin News Conference on Changes to 6th Street]
AND WELCOME, UH, TO ICONIC AND HISTORIC AUSTIN SIXTH STREET.UH, FOR US TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE MANAGE AUSTIN SIXTH STREET AND MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE THIS, UH, A SPEC, A SPECIAL PART OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I'M MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND, UH, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET THIS SORT OF INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC WITHOUT ALL OF THE MEDIA BEING HERE.
AND SO I'M VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE THAT YOU'RE HERE.
I ALSO WANT TO, UH, TAKE A MOMENT JUST OFF THE TOP AND THANK, UH, SEAN QUIEL, WHO IS HERE.
THERE HE IS IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
HE IS THE CHEF AND THE OWNER OF THIS BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANT, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HIM, UH, BEING GOOD ENOUGH TO HOST US HERE.
WE DECIDED THAT SINCE WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT SIXTH STREET AND WHAT'S POSSIBLE ON SIXTH STREET, WE SHOULD DO IT RIGHT HERE IN THIS BEAUTIFULLY RENOVATED BUILDING THAT'S IN THE HEART OF SIXTH STREET.
FOR YEARS, I HAVE BEEN, UH, VERY INTERESTED IN HOW WE GO ABOUT MAKING SURE OUR DOWNTOWN IS A SPECIAL PLACE.
IN FACT, I USED TO REFER TO DOWNTOWN AS THE LIVING ROOM OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND AUSTIN SIXTH STREET IS A PARTICULAR, AND PARTICULARLY THIS STRETCH OF SIXTH STREET, WHERE WE'RE STANDING HERE NOW, HOLDS GREAT MEANING NOT ONLY FOR AUSTINITES, BUT FOR PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD.
IF YOU CONTINUE WITH THE IDEA THAT DOWNTOWN IS THE LIVING ROOM OF THE ENTIRE, UH, COMMUNITY, THIS IS THAT CORNER OF THE LIVING ROOM WHERE EVERYONE GATHERS AND WE LISTEN TO PEOPLE WE SING TOGETHER, WHERE IT IS A SPECIAL PART OF OUR LIVING ROOM.
WE, MANY OF US KNOW THIS AS THE BIRTHPLACE OF MANY LEGENDARY MUSICAL CAREERS, AND AT TIMES, IT'S BEEN THE CULTURAL HEARTBEAT OF OUR CITY.
UH, I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER, UH, THE FIRST TIME I EVER HEARD NANCY GRIFFITH, WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW, UH, WENT ON TO HAVE A, AN INTERNATIONAL CAREER, AND THE FIRST TIME I HEARD HER WAS AT A LITTLE BAR, I THINK IT WAS CALLED SNA LEASES.
IT WASN'T MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, UM, BUT HERE ON SIXTH STREET.
SO IT IS LAUNCHED A LOT OF CAREERS.
WELL, THE TRUTH IS THAT OUR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN'S LIVING ROOM, UH, FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF RENOVATION.
AND THIS IS ONE ELEMENT OF THAT, JUST A, LIKE ANY ROOM, JUST LIKE ANY STREET, ANY DISTRICT OR ANY NEIGHBORHOOD WITHOUT CAREFUL ATTENTION AND INVESTMENT WILL BEGIN TO LOSE ITS LU, EVEN AT ONE THAT IS AS FAMOUS AND STORY AS THIS ONE.
WHAT YOU SEE OUTSIDE TODAY AND THE CHANGES YOU'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST MONTH OF HOW WE APPROACH SAFETY HERE ARE PART OF A LARGER EFFORT TO REENERGIZE, RENEW, AND REALLY RENOVATE SIXTH STREET.
WE WANT TO CREATE A DISTRICT THAT THAT'S NOT JUST CONNECTED, BUT INTEGRATED WITH THE REST OF OUR DOWNTOWN, AND THAT IS NOT HOW SIXTH STREET FEELS TODAY.
WE WANT TO BURNISH SIXTH STREET'S REPUTATION AS A LIVELY ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT WHERE MUSIC LEGENDS ARE BORN.
BUT WE ALSO WANT A DISTRICT THAT ISN'T A GHOST TOWN.
MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, SIXTH STREET SHOULD BE A PLACE THAT IS VIBRANT AT ALL HOURS, THAT HAS AMPLE WALKING SPACE AND RESTAURANTS, BARS, AND RETAIL THAT APPEAL TO A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE.
MOST OF ALL, MOST OF ALL SIXTH STREET MUST BE SAFE, SAFE FOR PEDESTRIANS, SAFE FOR REVELERS, SAFE FOR EVERYONE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THESE CHANGES, TO MOVE PEDESTRIANS OUT OF THE STREETS AND ONTO EXPANDED SAFER SIDEWALKS.
AUSTIN POLICE CHIEF LISA DAVIS IS GOING TO TALK THROUGH THE DETAILS OF CURRENT CHANGES AND HOW WE'LL BE MONITORING SUCCESS.
WE'VE BEEN ENGAGING AND COLLABORATING WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, AND THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE.
OUR PLANS ARE GONNA BE INFLUENCED BY HOW THE CHANGES ARE GOING AND WHETHER THEY YIELD THE BENEFITS THAT WE BELIEVE THEY WILL.
WE ALSO HAVE ANNA MARTIN FROM THE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLICS WORKS DEPARTMENT, WHO WILL SHOW US GRAPHICS AND PICTURES OF TRAFFIC CHANGES AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE USING.
AND IMPORTANTLY, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HEAR FROM THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, UH, CHERYL SCULLY, WHO REPRESENTS THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, WILL SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVES AS WELL.
SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO INVITE OUR, UH, CHIEF OF POLICE, CHIEF DAVIS TO THE PODIUM.
[00:05:01]
YOU, MAYOR.UM, I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE THIS MORNING TO DISCUSS THIS IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT INITIATIVE, UM, TO MAKE SIXTH STREET FOOTPRINT, UM, NOT ONLY SAFER, BUT MORE VIBRANT, MORE WALKABLE, UM, FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR VISITORS.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT SIXTH STREET IS A PLACE THAT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM HAS MEMORIES OF SIXTH STREET AND WHAT THAT IS, AND ME IN PARTICULAR, I WAS HERE ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO FOR A CONFERENCE, AND THAT'S WHEN I FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS CITY, WAS STAYING AT THE DRISCOLL HOTEL AND WALKING DOWN TO SIXTH STREET AND JUST WHAT A VIBE IT IS.
UM, AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA LOSE, BUT IT HAS CHANGED, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
BUT I'VE ALSO SPENT A SIGNIFICANT TIME OF LOOKING AND STUDYING AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT SIXTH STREET LOOKS LIKE BEYOND THAT ENTERTAINMENT PIECE.
UM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF THAT.
AND SO A KEY PART OF THIS INITIATIVE WAS TO DEVELOP A PLAN THAT WOULD INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, DECREASE THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS BEING INJURED, AND THE NEED TO RESPOND TO RESISTANCE, AND THEN MAKING THE EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE IN VISITING THOSE WHO LIVE HERE, WHO COME DOWN TO SIXTH STREET MORE ENJOYABLE.
AND AS WE STARTED PUTTING THIS PLAN TOGETHER AND TALKING TO THESE BUSINESS OWNERS, IT BECAME CLEAR AS A POLICE AGENCY WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO MAKE IT SAFER.
AND SO HOW DO WE IMPACT PUBLIC SAFETY? WHAT'S THIS LOOK LIKE? SO WE SPOKE TO BUSINESS OWNERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE AREA TO DISCUSS, UM, THE PLAN AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK.
WE ALSO WORK CLOSELY WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM HERE, TO IDENTIFY WHAT WE NEEDED TO DEVELOP A PLAN THAT WOULD BE SAFE FOR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIANS.
AND THEN WE DID A SOFT LAUNCH AT THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER BY OPENING THOSE PARTS OF SIX STREETS ON SATURDAY, OR I'M SORRY, ON SUNDAYS AND THURSDAYS WITH NO INCIDENT.
SO THIS BRINGS US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
SO SIXTH STREET, OPENING SIXTH STREET TO THAT VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS, AND SATURDAYS AS WELL AS SUNDAY.
SO AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE WILL ASSESS HOW THINGS ARE GOING AND THEN TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED.
I'M GONNA SEE HOW THESE GAPS ARE AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IF WE SEE ANY OF THOSE GAPS.
SO IF YOU PLAN ON VISITING SIXTH STREET THIS WEEKEND, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WE'VE CREATED A WIDER SIDEWALK AND WE'VE ADDED RUBBER CURBS AND FENCING.
IF YOU'RE DRIVING, MAKE SURE THAT YOU MAINTAIN A SLOWER SPEED AND BE AWARE OF PEDESTRIANS.
ALSO, BE AWARE OF NEW SIGNAGE IN THE AREA AS RELATING TO PARKING AND STREET CLOSURES.
I WILL BE OUT HERE THIS WEEKEND AS WELL AS I THINK SOME OF MY FRIENDS FROM EMS AND OTHERS TO SEE HOW THIS PLAN'S OPERATING.
AND AGAIN, LOOK FOR ANY GAPS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
UH, MY NAME IS ANNA MARTIN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, OUTSIDE ON SIXTH STREET HERE IN FRONT OF PARKSIDE CITY, STAFF HAVE INSTALLED RUBBER CURVES AND WHITE FLEX POSTS BETWEEN BRAZOS AND RED RIVER STREET TO SEPARATE THE WIDENED SIDEWALKS FROM THE VEHICULAR LANES AND PREVENT TRAFFIC FROM CROSSING INTO THE PEDESTRIAN AREAS.
THIS WEEK, CITY TEAMS WILL ALSO INSTALL SOME FENCING RIGHT BEHIND THOSE RUBBER CURBS.
THIS FENCING IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT PEDESTRIANS, UM, ON THE SIDEWALK FROM ENTERING THE STREET AND, UM, ON THE SIDEWALK MAIN STREET AND IN AREAS BETWEEN INTERSECTIONS.
THE CHANGES WE'VE MADE TO THE STREET SPACE ALLOW OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS FLEXIBILITY TO ENSURE EVERYONE'S SAFETY ON WEEKEND NIGHTS IN THIS AREA.
IMPORTANTLY, THE CHANGES ALSO ALLOW US TO CONNECT THIS AREA OF SIXTH STREET INTO THE NETWORK OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
PEOPLE ARE MOVING AROUND DOWNTOWN DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY DID 10 OR 20 YEARS AGO.
IF YOU COME DOWNTOWN NOW, AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY, YOU'LL SEE PEOPLE GETTING AROUND BY WALKING, BIKING, RIDING, SCOOTERS, DRIVING, OR ON THE BUS.
WE ARE DESIGNING STREETS DOWNTOWN THAT GET ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WHERE THEY NEED TO GO SAFELY.
THE WIDENED SIDEWALKS AND ADDED PEDESTRIAN SPACE YOU SEE HERE ON SIXTH STREET HELP US ACHIEVE THAT MOBILITY GOAL TO MAKE THIS A STREET THAT FUNCTIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST ON WEEKEND NIGHTS, BUT 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND 365 DAYS A YEAR.
UH, MY NAME'S CHERYL SCULLY, AND I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AS A BOARD MEMBER AND CHAIRWOMAN OF THE PUBLIC SPACE EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UH, WE SPEND A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME WORKING ON HOW WE MAKE DOWNTOWN SAFER AND CLEANER FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND FOR THE VISITORS, THE THOUSANDS OF VISITORS THAT COME TO AUSTIN, UM, EACH YEAR.
SO, UH, WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THESE CHANGES.
I DO WANNA COMPLIMENT THE MAYOR, MAYOR WATSON, OUR CHIEF DAVIS AND THE TRANSPORTATION STAFF WHO HAVE PUT TOGETHER A PLAN, UH, THAT WILL BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ADJUST AS WE EXPERIENCE AND OPEN UP SIXTH STREET AGAIN.
UM, SEVERAL OF THE INVESTORS IN SIXTH STREET ARE HERE TODAY.
[00:10:01]
A TREMENDOUS JOB, SUCH AS SEAN HERE IN PARKSIDE, UH, RENOVATING BUILDINGS, AND THERE'S MORE TO COME, UH, BUT WE HAVE WORK TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT DOWNTOWN IS CLEAN AND SAFE, NOT JUST OUTSIDE OF SIXTH STREET, BUT HERE ON SIXTH STREET AS WELL.SO, UM, OUR COMMITTEE FOCUSING ON SAFETY SUPPORTS WHAT THE CHIEF HAS RECOMMENDED.
UH, WE KNOW THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER A TASK FORCE TO INTER DIS INTERDEPARTMENTAL, UH, TO STUDY THE ISSUES AND MAKE SURE THAT FROM ALL ASPECTS, NOT JUST FROM POLICING, BUT FROM ALL SAFETY ASPECTS, TRANSPORTATION, AS WELL AS CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, AND LEGALLY WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SIXTH STREET EVEN BETTER.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT NEEDS SOME WORK.
AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE WITH THAT.
SO, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, WE'RE HERE TO SAY WE SUPPORT WHAT THE CITY IS DOING.
WE WISH THEM WELL, AND WE'RE GLAD TO BE A PARTNER WITH THE CITY ON THIS PROJECT.
WITH THAT, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO, UH, WE'VE GOT OTHERS TO THAT CAN FIELD QUESTIONS, OF COURSE, INCLUDING OUR CHIEF OF EMS AND, AND, UM, OTHERS, UH, THAT CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, FEEL FREE TO ASK US ABOUT WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
MAYOR, HOW DOES IT, HOW DOES IT MAKE IT SAFER FOR PEOPLE TO MIX PEOPLE WITH TRAFFIC ON SIXTH STREET, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT HAPPENED? WELL, I'M GONNA LET THE CHIEF, UM, TAKE ON SOME OF THE, THE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AND WHAT WE SAW IN THE WORK.
UH, UH, WHAT I'LL SAY IS THAT, THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I, I THINK IS OUR VERY FIRST, FIRST TIME WE EVER, UH, TALKED AFTER SHE HAD BEEN HIRED, WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH REGARD TO THIS, AND SHE TALKED IN TERMS AT THAT TIME ABOUT WANTING TO, TO WORK WITH CONSULTANTS AND EXPERTS IN THE AREA.
AND SO I'LL LET HER, UH, ADDRESS THAT.
YEAH, I, I GUESS I WOULD ASK THE QUESTION BACK TO YOU.
IN WHAT WORLD IS IT SAFE FOR PEDESTRIAN? IF YOU'VE SEEN WHAT WE USE TO BLOCK OFF TRAFFIC THAT IS NOT SAFE.
AND SO THESE OFFICERS THAT DO THIS EVERY WEEKEND, IF YOU TALK TO THEM, WHAT THEY SAY IS THEY PUT THESE BARRICADES UP AND THEY GET TO WORK ON WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, AND THEY PRAY NOTHING HAPPENS.
SO THE RESOURCES ARE NOT THERE TO, TO, TO PUT THOSE TRUE BARRICADES IN PLACE.
SO THOSE, IF YOU'RE THINKING OF, UM, JUST OUTSIDE, NOW, OUTSIDE SIXTH STREET TO BLOCK OFF FOR OUR PARKING HERE, THAT'S WHAT THEY USE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO GET HEAVIER, THE EQUIPMENT AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT HERE TO DO THAT.
SO IT IS SAFER TO HAVE PEDESTRIANS ON THE SIDEWALK, A SIDEWALK THAT IS WIDER AND A SIDEWALK THAT IS MANAGED.
IS THIS HAPPENING BECAUSE OF ENLI OPENING NEW ORLEANS, OR WAS THIS ALREADY LIKE IN THE WORK? OH, THIS WAS A PLAN.
THIS, THIS WAS A PLAN AGAIN, AND WHEN I'M LOOKING AT, THIS IS A, YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT THIS GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 0.05% OF THE LAND MASS IN THIS CITY, AND IT CONCENTRATES ON 25% OF OUR USES OF FORCE HERE AND OUR OFFICER INJURIES.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING HERE.
SO YOU PUT THAT SAFETY ON THE TOP OF IT IS JUST NOT A SAFE PRACTICE.
AND SO THE CHAOS THAT ENSUES WHEN WE'RE LOCKING DOWN THESE STREETS LIKE THIS AND INVITING, UM, MORE CHAOS INTO THIS, THIS PLACE, IT IS NOT TENABLE.
CAN I ADD ONE THING REAL QUICK? YES.
UM, AND, AND SPECIFICALLY YOUR QUESTION, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS IN THE WORKS, AND WE WERE LOOKING AT HOW WE WANTED TO GO ABOUT ADDRESSING THIS.
AS I SAID IN MY OPENING COMMENTS, UM, DOWN THIS PART OF DOWNTOWN, WE, WE NEEDED TO BE DOING SOMETHING ON THIS.
ANYTIME THAT YOU LOOK AT AN AREA LIKE THIS, A A STREET THAT ATTRACTS A LOT OF PEOPLE THE WAY THAT SIXTH STREET DOES, WHAT HAPPENED IN NEW ORLEANS, EVEN WITHOUT IT HAP HAD IT NOT HAPPENED EVEN BEFORE IT HAPPENED.
THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE TOP OF MIND JUST AS YOU AS, AS YOU GO ABOUT DOING THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT FORTUNATELY FOR, FOR AUSTIN, WE WERE ALREADY DOING THIS.
FRANKLY, I THINK WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN ANNOUNCED HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS EVENT EVEN BEFORE NEW ORLEANS.
BUT WE WERE WAITING ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE WERE GOING TO PUT INTO PLACE AND TO HAVE THAT READY TO GO BEFORE WE WERE DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
SHE, SHE HAD A, SHE HAD A QUESTION THAT WE, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THERE WERE DUMP TRUCKS, BLOCKING THE ENDS OF THE STREETS.
ARE THOSE STILL THERE? WHAT WAS THE REASONING FOR PUTTING THEM THERE AND THEN TAKING, SO THAT WAS, THAT FIRST WEEK WAS A RESPONSE TO, UM, NEW ORLEANS, AND THAT WAS JUST ME ENSURING THAT THIS WAS A LONE WOLF ATTACK UNTIL THE FBI CAME OUT AND, AND SUBSTANTIATED THAT, RIGHT? I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE WERE, THIS IS AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT THAT'S KNOWN WORLDWIDE, AND WE DO GET A LOT OF VISITORS HERE.
SO JUST TO ENSURE, UM, THE SAFETY THAT SECOND WEEK WAS ABOUT, WE DID NOT HAVE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, WERE NOT DELIVERED IN TIME.
WE HAD WEATHER, WE WEREN'T SURE IF WE WERE GETTING ICY CONDITIONS.
SO THAT WAS PART OF THAT FOR THAT SECOND WEEK.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE REVITALIZATION AND SAFETY OF SIXTH
[00:15:01]
STREET AS A WHOLE, WE HEARD A LOT OF THESE SIMILAR PROMISES BACK WHEN THE SAFER SIXTH STREET RESOLUTION PASSED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS AND WHAT IS GONNA MAKE THIS STICK? UH, I WANT TO SAY THAT WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, AND SO I'LL SAY IT, THAT WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE, I THINK DONE BETTER OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS RECOGNIZE WHEN BASIC NEEDS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ADDRESSED.
THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, I'VE WANTED TO SEE US TAKE ACTION ON.
AS I INDICATED, I THINK IT WAS THE VERY FIRST CONVERSATION I HAD WITH THE CHIEF AND I HAD, HAD, HAD ALREADY HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH, UH, THE NEW CITY MANAGER ABOUT WHAT WE NEEDED TO BE DOING WITH REGARD TO SIXTH STREET, RENOVATING SIXTH STREET, AND ADDRESSING IT DIFFERENTLY.
YOU SEE US ALREADY TAKING ACTION.
WE MAY BE ANNOUNCING SOMETHING TODAY, BUT WE'RE READY TO TAKE ACTION AND HAVE ALREADY TAKEN ACTION.
BUT I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT SOMETHING.
WE ARE ALSO GOING TO MONITOR WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ACHIEVING THE GOALS WE WANT IT TO ACHIEVE.
YOU HAVE A VERY FORCEFUL, DEDICATED CHIEF THAT IS, IS LOOKING TO MAKE SURE IT DOES THAT, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, AND WE'RE DEALING WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN A, IN A VERY SPECIFIC AREA, AS SHE HAS POINTED OUT.
SO NOT EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE PERFECT.
AND THERE WILL BE THINGS THAT YOU'LL SEE, THERE'LL BE THINGS THAT I SEE OTHERS WILL SEE, AND WE'LL SAY, WELL, THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE WOULD'VE WANTED.
WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN MAKE CHANGES IN THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
YOU ALSO SEE THAT SHE'S VERY FOCUSED ON HOW SHE APPROACHES THINGS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE THE ANSWER THAT SHE JUST GAVE TO THE PAST QUESTION, THERE WILL ALSO BE THINGS HAPPEN OUT IN THE WORLD THAT WILL INFLUENCE THINGS WE DO FOR THAT WEEKEND OR MAYBE A COUPLE OF WEEKENDS SO THAT WE CAN MONITOR HOW THINGS GO.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING STATIC, BUT WE ARE ACTING AND WE ARE PREPARED TO TO, TO DO IT RIGHT NOW.
IF I CAN FOLLOW UP, I WAS, UH, CAN I JUST CLARIFY? YEAH, SURE.
I'M ALSO TALKING ABOUT JUST THE REVITALIZATION OF SIXTH STREET IN GENERAL AND HOW THAT SURE.
WELL, PART OF, PART OF THE PROBLEM ON REVITAL, YOU'VE GOT, WE'RE STANDING, I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY THIS, YOU'RE STANDING IN A PLACE OR, OR, OR IN A PLACE NOT REALLY STANDING, BUT, UM, BUT, UM, BUT, BUT I LIKE YOUR STYLE.
UH, THE, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE IN A PLACE WHERE THERE'S BEEN A SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT OF MONEY MADE BY A PRIVATE ENTITY.
AND THERE ARE OTHERS THAT I BELIEVE WILL FOLLOW IN DUE COURSE IN THAT REGARD, BUT TO SOME DEGREE, THE CITY HAS TO STEP UP AND DO ITS PART.
AND, UM, SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS IN, IN ESSENCE, AND THAT'S WHY YOU HEAR, UH, UH, CHERYL FROM THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, TALK ABOUT THE WAY SHE TALKS ABOUT IT.
WE, WE NEED TO ACT AT THE CITY.
WE ARE NOW ACTING AT THE CITY.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND ACT AT THE CITY.
AND I THINK WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS, UM, MORE OF THIS KIND OF EXCELLENT INVESTMENT INTO SIXTH STREET.
AND, AND, AND, AND THIS HAS BEEN POINTED OUT BY THE CHIEF.
AND, AND WE'RE NOT DONE TALKING TO THE BUSINESSES AND OTHERS THAT WANNA MAKE THAT KIND OF INVESTMENT ABOUT WHAT IS IT YOU NEED, AND ARE WE ABLE TO, TO PROVIDE THAT? YES, SIR.
UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE REFERENCING, UH, DO ORLEANS, BUT, YOU KNOW, BOSTON HAD ITS OWN INCIDENT.
IT DID NOT GO DOWN SIXTH STREET.
I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIXTH STREET TODAY, BUT ARE, ARE, WOULD THIS BE EXPANDED, PARTICULARLY DURING TIME OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE GUY WENT DOWN NINTH STREET AND DOWN RED RIVER? UH, UNDERSTAND YOU NEED TO, THIS IS, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, IT'S NOT STATIC.
SO THIS, YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE AND MOVE IT TO OTHER AREAS, UH, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA? WELL, THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST THAT WILL LOOK JUST, JUST LIKE IT HAS IN YEARS PAST, THAT WE HAVE TO CLOSE DOWN THESE THINGS FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A NORMAL WEEKEND, UM, AND A THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY HERE ON SIXTH STREET.
SO WHEN WE HAVE THOSE LARGER EVENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE YEAR AFTER YEAR, THAT WILL CONTINUE.
AND, AND YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BE IN, AND I'M NEVER GOING TO PROMISE THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT EVERYBODY IN A POSITION WHERE NOTHING IS, NOTHING BAD'S EVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE JUST DON'T LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE YOU CAN SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND WHILE IT WILL ALWAYS GET THE NEWS WHEN IT HAPPENS, AND I'LL BE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AM I ABLE TO STOP ALL BAD THINGS FROM HAPPENING? THAT'S NOT, THAT'S JUST NOT REALISTIC.
WHAT WE WILL DO THOUGH, IS EXACTLY AS YOU'VE SEEN THE CHIEF OUTLINE AND LAY OUT, IS WE ARE GOING TO TAKE ACTIONS TO MAKE THINGS BETTER AND MAKE THINGS SAFER.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR IT.
WHY DON'T WE DO ONE MORE QUESTION? YES, SIR.
MAYBE ALL THE CHIEFS, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STREETSCAPE, THE ROADWAYS, UM, JUST IN TERMS OF LIKE STAFFING
[00:20:01]
THE PRESENCE DOWN HERE, THE RESOURCES DOWN HERE, IS THAT CHANGING MUCH OR IS THAT STILL GONNA LOOK AT SAME? SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RESOURCES THAT WE'VE SPENT DOWN HERE, THIS, WE'RE TALKING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR THAT WE SPEND ON THIS SMALL LITTLE FOOTPRINT.AND SO WHEN WE MAKE THESE CHANGES AND WE MAKE IT SAFER BY PUTTING PEOPLE BACK ON THE SIDEWALKS AND WE'RE MANAGING THAT, UM, WE ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO MOVE RESOURCES DOWNTOWN.
AND, AND THE MAYOR, HE, HE'S CORRECT.
UM, HE HAD A VERY CANDID CONVERSATION WITH ME IN MY INTERVIEW PROCESS ABOUT DOWNTOWN AND HOW DOWNTOWN GOES, YOUR WHOLE CITY GOES.
AND I UNDERSTAND AND I RECOGNIZE THAT.
SO THE RESOURCES THAT WE USE HERE IN THE SMALL GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, WE HAVE GOT TO GET CONTROL OF.
AND THOSE RESOURCES ARE RESOURCES THAT WE CAN USE IN OTHER PARTS OF THIS CITY.
WANT YOU CHIEF FROM AN EMS PERSPECTIVE, WE DO CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR RESOURCES HERE DOWNTOWN.
AS SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER, IN THIS PAST BUDGET YEAR, UH, WE WERE, UH, GIVEN SOME FUNDING TO INCREASE OUR OVERALL PRESENCE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, WHICH INCLUDES A COMBINATION OF THE USE OF, UH, MOTORCYCLE MEDICS, AS WELL AS, UM, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT CAN REALLY FOCUS IN ON WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE ON SIXTH STREET.
WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT WEARING TIMES WHEN THE BARS ARE OPEN DURING ENTERTAINMENT, THAT THERE IS AN UPTICK IN THE NUMBER OF MEDICAL EMERGENCIES HERE IN THIS AREA.
AND IN AN EFFORT TO TRY TO KEEP THAT FROM STRIPPING THOSE RESOURCES FROM ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY, WE'VE ADDED ADDITIONAL VEHICLES, TRUCKS, PARAMEDICS THAT ARE GONNA BE, THAT ARE STATIONED DOWNTOWN, STARTING AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS, THIS MONTH, THAT ARE FOCUSED SOLELY ON THAT SO THAT THOSE OTHER AMBULANCES AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY CAN FOCUS ON THE REMAINDER OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING VERY HARD TO EXPAND OUR PRESENCE WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH PARAMEDICS.
UM, IN THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE MORE THAN DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF MENTAL HEALTH PARAMEDICS, INCLUDING ADDING ONE TO EMS STATION SIX, WHICH IS FIRE STATION NUMBER ONE, AS WELL AS EMS STATION 17, WHICH IS OVER BY THE DEEP EDDIE POOL.
SO THAT WE REALLY CAN HAVE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HOW IT IS THAT WE, THAT WE RESPOND TO THE VARIOUS MEDICAL EMERGENCIES HERE IN, IN DOWNTOWN.
UH, STEVEN TRUSDALE, FIRE MARSHAL.
SO FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S PERSPECTIVE, ONE THING THAT WE CAN DO IS MODIFY OUR RESPONSE FOR THESE LARGE EVENTS.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE THE LARGE FIRE TRUCKS, WE ALSO HAVE SMALLER SQUAD OR PICKUP STYLE VEHICLES AND EVEN ATVS THAT WE CAN USE TO RESPOND TO THIS AREA BECAUSE OF THE CONGESTION.
AND ALSO FROM OUR, UH, PERSPECTIVE AS FAR AS SAFETY, CODE ENFORCEMENT IS IMPORTANT.
SO WE DO HAVE OUR SPECIAL EVENTS GROUP, AND WE DO NIGHT INSPECTIONS DOWN HERE TO MAINTAIN THE OVERALL SAFETY WITHIN THE BUILDINGS AS WELL AS ON THE STREET.
YEAH, YOU GOT MY SIX, THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, WELL, THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I'M, I, I WILL TELL YOU, THIS IS A, AN EXCITING AND IMPORTANT MOMENT, UH, FOR AUSTIN AND FOR OUR DOWNTOWN.
UH, TAKING THIS KIND OF DIRECT ACTION WITH THIS SORT OF LEADERSHIP, UH, IS GOING TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
AND AS WE INDICATE WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR IT AND, AND, AND CONTINUE TO REPORT BACK.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
SEAN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR CITY.
UH, WE, WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE IT.