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INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY DEBORAH THOMAS, CITY CLERK MYRNA RIOS AND CITY MANAGER TC BROAD KN.
I'LL CALL TO ORDER THE WORK SESSION OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT 9:00 AM IT'S TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, 2025.
WE ARE MEETING IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WHICH ARE LOCATED AT CITY HALL 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PRESENT.
UM, MEMBERS, THE ORDER THAT I THOUGHT WE WOULD GO IN TODAY IS WE WILL FIRST GO TO ITEM B ONE, WHICH IS THE BRIEFING, AND THEN WE WILL TAKE UP THE PRESELECTED AGENDA ITEM, UH, THE ONE THAT'S BEEN PULLED.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL TURN TO THE MANAGER
[B1. Briefing on development regulations applicable to residential re-subdivisions and to multi-family residential site development of five to sixteen units.]
AND WE'LL, UH, LOOK FOR A BRIEFING ON THE, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.UH, LET'S HAVE THE TEAM AS WELL AS THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, VERONICA ZENIO WILL START US OUT.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, VERONICA ZENIO, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO BRIEF YOU ON RESIDENTIAL SITE PLAN DEVELOPMENT UPDATES, ALSO KNOWN AS SITE PLAN L AND INFILL PLAT SITE PLAN L BEGAN ITS JOURNEY AND AS A RESOLUTION IN DECEMBER, 2022, DIRECTING STAFF TO REVIEW REGULATIONS THAT APPLY TO MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
THE INFILL PLAT RESOLUTION WAS APPROVED IN MAY OF 2023 TO REVIEW SUBDIVISION RELATED CHANGES AND PROMOTE A STREAMLINED SUBDIVISION PROCESS FOR INFILL LOTS.
SINCE THEN, STAFF HAS ENGAGED EXTENSIVELY IN COMMUNITY WITH THE COMMUNITY TO ARRIVE AT OUR PROPOSAL.
WE ARE EXCITED TO TAKE THIS TO THE FINISH LINE AND PRESENT TO YOU HERE TODAY.
PRESENTING ON BEHALF OF STAFF WILL BE KEITH MARS, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND JORGE MORALES, OUR DIRECTOR AT WATERSHED PROTECTION.
SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO KEITH.
KEITH, MY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE JORGE MORALES, DIRECTOR OF WATERSHED PROTECTION.
WE'LL RUN THROUGH THE STAFF PRESENTATION FOR THIS WORK SESSION ON THE INFILL ORDINANCE.
YOU'VE HEARD IT BY DIFFERENT NAMES OVER TIME, SITE PLAN, LIGHT, UH, RESIDENTIAL INFILL.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'VE ALL CALLED IT SOMETHING.
THANK YOU, SARAH, UNDER SOME OF THEM, I APPRECIATE YOUR LEAVING OUT.
WELL, WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THESE RESOLUTIONS AND THE SUBSEQUENT ORDINANCES IN FRONT OF YOU OR ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF YOU? THE, THE TIMELINE AND THE ENGAGEMENT, UH, THAT WE'VE HAD WITH, UH, WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND OUR COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
THE, THE COUNCIL DIRECTION SPECIFICS, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, AND THEN COURSE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE STAFF BRIEFING ON OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR STREAMLINED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REGULATIONS THAT ARE FOUR PROJECTS WITHIN EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE SCALED FOR EXISTING LOTS.
A BETTER WAY OF SAYING THAT IS THAT THIS IS RESIDENTIAL INFILL.
THIS IS EXISTING COMMUNITIES, EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS, AND HOW DO WE HAVE CONTEXT INSTEAD OF REDEVELOPMENT IN THESE AREAS? THIS HAS BEEN IN THE HOPPER FOR SOME TIME.
WE HAVE HAD SEVEN COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTS SINCE 2023.
COUNTLESS INFORMAL MEETINGS WITH, WITH COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTS DURING THAT TIME.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION FIRST HEARD THIS IN AUGUST OF 2024, DELIBERATED, UH, THIS ITEM, AND THEN MADE A RECOMMENDATION IN DECEMBER OF 2024.
AND THIS ITEM IS UP FOR YOUR ADOPTION THIS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH.
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SO THE, THESE INFILL, THIS INFILL ORDINANCE ORIGINATES FROM TWO COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS, ONE IN 2022 AND ONE IN 2023.AND WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON TWO TYPES OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO SITE PLAN TODAY GETS TRIGGERED FROM IF YOU'RE BUILDING FIVE UNIT OR YOU'RE BUILDING 500 UNITS, IT IS ALL A SITE PLAN.
GETTING BACK TO THE IDEA OF, OF APPROPRIATE SCALE OF REGULATIONS, THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING FOR FIVE TO 16 UNITS.
YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY SEEN THE SITE PLAN LIGHT PART ONE, WHICH WAS FOR THREE OR FOUR UNITS, AND THOSE ARE NOW GOING STRAIGHT TO RESIDENTIAL REVIEW.
THIS IS FROM FIVE TO 16 UNITS TO DIFFERENTIATE THAT INFILL DEVELOPMENT FROM A LARGER SCALE DEVELOPMENT, PRIMARILY FROM THE REGULATIONS AND ALSO THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES THAT ARE RIGHT SIZED OR SCALED TO THE TYPE OF PROJECT.
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT IS ALSO THE SUBDIVISION PROCESS.
YOU'RE LAYING OUT YOUR LOTS, YOU'RE PUTTING IN YOUR EASEMENTS.
YOU ARE SETTING OUT ENTITLEMENTS FOR THE FUTURE.
THAT IS A SUBDIVISION PROCESS.
AGAIN, CURRENTLY THAT APPROACH IS, IS LARGELY CONSIDERING OR CONTEMPLATING GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS RAW LAND UNDEVELOPED UNPLED.
THIS IS THE APPROACH OR THE RECOMMENDATION TO RIGHT SIZE AND SCALE THOSE REGULATIONS TO RE SUBDIVIDING LAND WITHIN EXISTING RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
SIMPLY PUT, HOW DO YOU TAKE EXISTING LOTS AND SUBDIVIDE THEM INTO MULTIPLE LOTS? AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN IN, IN CONTEMPLATION IN THE WORK SINCE 2023.
DURING THAT TIME, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK HAVE ARRIVED.
WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHICH WE BELIEVE WE HAVE A STAFF PROPOSAL THAT ACCOMPLISHES A NUMBER OF THINGS.
FIRST AND FOREMOST IS THAT BEING SENSITIVE TO RESIDENTIAL INFILL REDEVELOPMENT, ALONG WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE FOR, FOR PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT A CODE PROPOSAL THAT AMENDS THE CITY'S DRAINAGE REGULATIONS THAT ARE SCALED RIGHT SIZED TO THESE TYPE OF PROJECTS THAT MAY ACTUALLY REDUCE THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION BY UP TO 40% FOR THESE, AGAIN, SMALL SCALE RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS.
WE'LL GO INTO THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT THOSE AMENDMENTS ARE.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT BOTH OUR COMMUNITY AND THOSE THAT ARE NAVIGATING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, THEY EXPERIENCE NOT JUST ONE PART OF THE CITY'S LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, BUT THE FULL CODE ALONG WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES OF HOW THOSE CODES ARE IMPLEMENTED.
SO IN THAT SPIRIT CITY STAFF HAVE ALSO COMMITTED TO MAKING CHANGES TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES OF RIGHT SIZING, THE CONNECTION FOR STORM DRAIN CONNECTIONS FROM THESE SMALL SCALE PROJECTS, PARTICIPATION IN THE CITY'S REGIONAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, RIGHT SIZING AND, AND RIGHT PROCESS FOR RIGHT OF WAY DEDICATION ALONG WITH GREATER FLEXIBILITY ON DRAINAGE CALCULATIONS, RIGHT? TIMING THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS AND EXPLORING REALLY CREATIVE IDEAS OF, OF MODULAR DETENTION AND GREATER RELIANCE ON THE, ON A PRIVATE ENGINEER THAT IS STAMPING THE CEILING PLANS.
AGAIN, IN REGARDS TO, TO DRAINAGE, I WON'T NECESSARILY GO THROUGH THIS ONE BY ONE, BUT THE PART OF THE PURPOSE OF THIS SLIDE IS IF YOU VIEW THIS AS A POINT IN TIME OF LEFT TO RIGHT, THIS IS HOW THIS HAS CHANGED FROM WHAT HAS BEEN IN CURRENT CODE FOR A LONG TIME TO THE INITIAL STAFF PROPOSAL, A YEAR AND A HALF OF, AGAIN, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, THOSE THAT ARE DIRECTLY GOING THROUGH DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND THOSE THAT ARE, THAT ARE COMMUNITY THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TO ARRIVE AT THE THE STAFF FINAL RECOMMENDATION, I'LL BREAK THIS DOWN INTO THE SUBDIVISION PROCESS AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE SITE PLAN PROCESS.
AGAIN, SITE PLAN, MEANING IN THIS INSTANCE, FIVE TO 16 UNITS.
SO THE CURRENT AND THE CURRENT PROPOSAL THAT'S BEFORE YOU FROM STAFF IS REALLY DIVIDES THE SUBDIVISION PROCESS INTO SMALLER SCALE SUBDIVISIONS.
THOSE THAT ARE LESS THAN THAT ARE 11,500 SQUARE FEET OR LESS.
AND THE PROPOSAL IS THAT DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS STILL APPLY.
THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS THAT, THAT THOSE PLANS ARE BEING STAMPED AND SIGNED BY PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WHERE THAT, THAT HAVE OBLIGATIONS FOR BOTH LOT TO LOT DRAINAGE
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AND THEN ALSO DRAINAGE OUT INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY.ONCE WE START GETTING TO LARGER INFILL SUBDIVISIONS IS WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ALSO RIGHTSIZE THOSE REGULATIONS THAT IF WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE, THE DRAINAGE OF THAT SITE AND IF THAT SITE IS ABLE TO DRAIN OUT TO THE CITY RIGHT OF WAY FOR THE CITY TO TAKE ON THAT FROM A MORE HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE, THAT IS ONE OF THE PROPOSALS THAT WE'RE MAKING THAT IS IN, THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN TODAY.
TODAY IS ONSITE DETENTION, UH, FOR THAT STORMWATER AND OR PARTICIPATION IN THE CITY'S REGIONAL PROGRAM.
THERE'S ALSO A COMMITMENT TO 90 DAY TURNAROUND.
CURRENT CODE DOES REQUIRE 90 DAY TURNAROUND BY SUBDIVISION.
SUBDIVISION IS LARGELY CONTROLLED BY, BY STATE LAW, WHAT WE CALL THE SHOT CLOCK BILL.
BUT THIS ALSO HELPS US STREAMLINE THE PROCESS SUCH THAT WE'RE MAKING THAT COMMITMENT TO GET TO THOSE TIMELINES.
MOVING ON TO THE SITE PLAN PROCESS, AGAIN, FIVE TO 16 UNITS IS THE KINDA THE BOUNDARIES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON HERE.
THAT, AGAIN, THAT IS RIGHT SIZING THOSE REGULATIONS.
SIMILAR TO TO THE RESIDENTIAL RE SUBDIVISION PROCESS, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE SAME TYPE OF RECOMMENDATION.
THIS IS REALLY ABOUT A DRAINAGE PLAN.
A GRADING PLAN OF CAN YOU DRAIN THOSE PROPERTIES OUT TO PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, AN EXISTING DETENTION FACILITY EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY WITH CURB AND INLET THAT THE, WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THESE SMALLER LOTS AND THEN THE CITY SYSTEMS ARE ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT DRAINAGE.
WE ARE ALSO TAKING THESE PROJECTS THROUGH THE, WHAT'S CALLED A SMALL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WHERE I'M GOING TO A LITTLE BIT OF THE SITE PLAN PROCESS THAT IS FASTER TURNAROUND ON REVIEW TIMELINES.
UH, THERE'S NOT NOTICE FOR THESE SMALL PROJECTS.
AGAIN, MAKING THAT DISTINCTION BETWEEN 10 UNITS AND 500 UNITS, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE INTENSITY OF DEVELOPMENT, BUT THEN ALSO RIGHT SIZING IT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE CONTEXT.
THE FIVE UNIT PROJECT IS MUCH MORE AKIN TO THE THREE AND FOUR UNIT THAN IT IS TO 500 UNIT.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THAT BALANCE AND MOVE IT MORE BACK TOWARDS RIGHT SIZING REGULATIONS AND PROCESS THAT'S MORE COMMISERATE WITH THE ACTUAL SCALE OF DEVELOPMENT.
A, A REALLY EXCITING PART OF THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT OF THESE, OF THIS ORDINANCE, 80% OF HOME ELIGIBLE LOTS.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SF ONE, TWO AND THREE ARE LESS THAN THAT 11,500 SQUARE FEET.
THAT MEANS THAT 80% OF THOSE OF LOTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT MORE STREAMLINED RE SUBDIVISION PROCESS AND FOR FIVE TO 16 UNIT, THE SITE PLAN LIGHT PART OF THIS 90% OF LOTS THAT HAVE ZONING THAT ALLOW THAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
SO WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT SF FIVE SIX AND THEN MF ONE, TWO AND THREE.
LEMME REPHRASE THIS SINGLE FAMILY JUST, UH, MAKE SURE I'M NOT USING ACRONYMS HERE.
SINGLE FAMILY FIVE, SINGLE FAMILY SIX MF STANDS FOR MULTI-FAMILY.
THAT TYPE OF MISSING MIDDLE DEVELOPMENT, 90% OF THE LOTS IN THE CITIES WITH THAT TYPE OF ZONING ARE LESS THAN ONE ACRE.
SO THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MORE STREAMLINED CODE AND ADMINISTRATIVE RULE PROCESS.
YOU COUPLE THAT WITH MAKING THESE ELIGIBLE FOR SMALL PROJECT AS A PROCESS.
THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH PROCESS AND REGULATIONS THAT ARE MORE SCALED TO THAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
SHOULD THIS ORDINANCE BE ADOPTED? HERE ARE SOME OF THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO SEE IS THAT WE DO BELIEVE, AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FROM GOING ON TWO YEARS, THAT THROUGH THIS ITERATIVE PROCESS, WE'RE DELIVERING A STAFF PROPOSAL THAT IS SCALED TO RESIDENTIAL INFILL, THAT THE CODE AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES ARE SCALED TO EXISTING RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
CONTEXT SENSITIVE REDEVELOPMENT.
WE'VE NOT DONE THIS IN ISOLATION.
WE HAVE LOOKED AT OUR PURE TEXAS CITIES, WHAT HAS WORKED WELL, WHAT HAS NOT WORKED WELL, AND THAT THIS PROPOSAL ALIGNS WITH CITIES BOTH FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO WHAT ARE THEIR OWN CONSIDERATIONS WITH, WITH FLOODING, WITH CONTEXT SENSITIVE REDEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS PROPOSAL ALIGNS WITH THOSE PURE CITIES.
THIS ALSO GREATLY EXPANDS OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO EXISTING PROPERTY OWNERS.
HOW DO WE MAKE THE PROCESS BOTH THE PROCESS AND THE REGULATIONS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO OUR EVERYDAY CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY?
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WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT TIME AND CERTAINTY AROUND TIME IS A KEY COMPONENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.FOR BOTH OF THESE, WE ARE COMMITTING TO A 90 DAY TIME TO PERMIT WITH A STREAMLINED PROCESS.
AND JUST AS IMPORTANT IS CONTINUING THE GOOD WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE NOW FOR TWO YEARS OF MAKING THE PROCESS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AUSTINITES.
IT, IT IS AVOIDING THE JARGON.
IT IS AVOID THE, THE ACRONYMS. IT IS FORMS AND PROCESS THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT THERE ARE, THAT WE REDUCE THE BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATING IN THIS, THAT IT COULD BE YOUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR THAT HAS INTEREST IN, IN SUBDIVIDING LAND AND KEEPING THE PROPERTY IN THE FAMILY ALL THE WAY TO SOMEONE THAT IS SIMPLY INTERESTED OR IS A DEVELOPER THAT IS PUTTING HOMES ON THE GROUND.
WE NEED TO MAKE THIS PROCESS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE AND THAT MEANS COMMITMENT, THE TIMELINES AND COMMITMENT TO THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE ON STREAMLINING THE PROCESS.
AND WITH THAT SAID, UH, MY COLLEAGUE AND I ARE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, UH, MEMBERS, THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
UH, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND ASK THE CITY CLERK TO VERIFY THAT THAT'S CORRECT, MAYOR AND MS SPEAKERS AND FOR THAT MATTER THERE, THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON UH, ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
UH, WITH THAT, UH, MEMBERS, ARE THERE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HATE THAT I MISSED A PORTION OF IT.
UM, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER AN EXPRESSION THAT I HADN'T HEARD YET WHEN IT COMES TO, IT WAS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT DRAINAGE AND, UM, ONSITE RETENTION.
YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT RIGHT TIMING, I UNDERSTAND RIGHT SIZING.
CAN YOU GO INTO RIGHT TIMING AS A CONCEPT AND GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE ON WHERE IT'S APPLIED? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, AND HAPPY TO DEFER TO MY, GO AHEAD.
SO ON ON THE, THE PROCESS MATTER, AT THE TIME OF RESUB RE SUBDIVIDING LAND, OFTENTIMES WE'RE, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE BUILDINGS ARE GOING.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE ROOF LINES ARE, WHERE DRAINAGE IS BEING DIRECTED.
UH, SOMETIMES THAT IS MORE, CAN BE MORE APPROPRIATE TO LOOK AT AT A LATER STAGE OF WHEN, SAY AT THE TIME OF BUILDING PERMIT, WHERE THAT'S WHERE BUILDINGS ARE BEING PROPOSED.
GRADING IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT.
SO ONE OF OUR PROPOSALS IS LOOKING AT A GRADING PLAN AND MAKING SURE THAT DRAINAGE IS, IS BEING DIRECTED TO THE STREET.
SO WHEN IT ACTUALLY COMES TIME TO CONSTRUCT THOSE HOMES THAT WE, THAT BOTH FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE ENSURING PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT THEN ALSO FROM A, A CLEAR EXPECTATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT WORLD THAT DRAINAGE IS ACTUALLY GOING OUT TO THE RIGHT OF WAY.
THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, IT WAS ALSO REGARDING DRAINAGE.
UM, IT SAYS, UM, OH, SO YOU SAID WE WOULD DEFER TO THE EXPERTISE OF THE ENGINEERS, IN WHICH CASE THERE WOULD BE NO, UM, REVIEW PROCESS FOR SOME COMPONENT.
AND SO WE DEFER TO THE PRESS PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS, WHICH I APPRECIATE FROM A PROCEDURAL PROCESS, UM, UH, CONSIDERATION.
WHAT I'M THINKING THOUGH IS WHERE ELSE COULD WE APPLY THAT PRACTICE SO THAT WE CAN SORT OF, UM, OVERCOME SOME BARRIERS BY WAY OF TIMING, ARE YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, ARE YOU REFERRING TO OTHER, OTHER PERMITTING PROCESSES? I AM.
YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? SURE.
SO THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE WE DO HAVE BOTH THIRD PARTY WORK, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE DEFERENCE TO THE, THE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER THAT IS STAMPING PLANS.
IT'S THE SAME WAY WITH, UH, WITH STAMPED SURVEYS.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE TAKING A, A GREATER LOOK AT, ESPECIALLY ON THESE LOT TO LOT MM-HMM
WHERE THERE IS, THERE IS PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS, THERE ARE PROFESSIONAL LIABILITIES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PUTTING THAT STAMPING PLANS.
UH, THIS IS A, THIS IS A BIG SHIFT OF CONCEPTUALLY FOR, FOR THE CITY.
WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER AREAS OF WHERE TO EXPAND THIS.
ONE OF THE INITIATIVES FROM THE TRANSFORMING SITE PLAN WAS LOOKING AT WHERE ARE THERE GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT, THAT ESSENTIALLY SELF-CERTIFICATION MM-HMM
WHERE THERE'S THE ACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND, AND UH, UM, WHERE THAT RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL STAMPING PLANS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS ARE THINKING ALONG THOSE LINES.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO GET OUT OF OUR OWN WAY, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
YOU KNOW, I'M NO STRANGER TO SAYING, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE'RE REALLY BLESSED AND FORTUNATE TO HAVE SUCH EXPERTISE IN HOUSE, UM,
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BUT THEN ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH A NEUTRAL THIRD PARTY.AND I JUST WOULD LOVE FOR US TO TAKE EVERY POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO CIRCUMVENT BARRIERS AND EXTENSIONS AND TIME ON PROJECTS, WATCHING PROGRESS, UH, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD EVEN, YOU KNOW, WITH PROJECTS AND JUST LANGUISH, WADING THROUGHOUT THAT PERMITTING PROCESS AND HAVING DIRECT ACCESS TO THESE SMALL INFILL DEVELOPERS 'CAUSE THEY'RE MY NEIGHBORS AND WATCHING THEIR PROJECTS TAKE SO LONG.
ANECDOTALLY, I HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW LONG PROCESS HAS TAKEN, IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, OFFER SOME MITIGATION THERE, I'M INTO IT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A FURTHER CONVERSATION THAT I HOPE WE CAN BRING TO THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AND VET OUT SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE THE NEED FOR COUNCIL TO INTERVENE THROUGHOUT PROCESS.
I DON'T THINK PROCESS SHOULD NECESSARILY, UM, BE DEFERRED TO COUNCIL SO FREQUENTLY.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAD, UM, WAS YOU MADE REFERENCE TO ANOTHER TERM I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH MODULAR RETENTION.
SO THIS, THIS, UH, POLICY, UH, AS WE'RE SHIFTING IT, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF SMALL PONDS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITIES.
UH, THE, THE BUILDERS DON'T, UH, IT, IT ADDS COST TO IT.
IT ADDS, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CITY TO REGULATE, MAINTAIN THOSE AS WELL.
AND SO IT GIVES MORE FLEXIBILITY TO THE HOME BUILDERS THAT ARE BUILDING THIS MISSING MIDDLES TO HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN HOW THEY DESIGN IT.
AND ONCE AGAIN, SHIFTING, UH, AS UH, KEITH JUST TALKED ABOUT, UH, FROM HAVING SOME OF THE REGULATORY AND DRAINAGE UPFRONT WHEN WE'RE JUST DRAWING LINES AND DIVIDING LOTS TO, WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BUILD, IT CREATES MORE FLEXIBILITY, UH, AND AGILITY FOR THO THOSE THAT ARE GONNA DEVELOP THESE SITES.
AND FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, YOU KNOW, YOU KEEP MAKING, YOU GUYS HAVE BOTH MADE REFERENCE TO PUBLIC SAFETY AS A CONSIDERATION WITH DRAINAGE.
I ASSUME IT'S ABOUT, UM, FLOODING MITIGATION, BUT IT JUST OCCURRED TO ME WHEN YOU SAID THE THING ABOUT PONDS, I'M CERTAIN IF THE CITY'S OBLIGATED FOR MAINTENANCE THERE, THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL LIKE DROWNING, UM, LIABILITY, UM, THAT JUST OCCURRED TO ME RIGHT NOW, ODDLY.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WAS, UM, RELEVANT TO, I APPRECIATED YOUR LAST STATEMENT ABOUT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND THESE DISCUSSIONS.
IT IS BEEN KIND OF A HIGHLIGHT ALONG THE WAY AND I STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET BEYOND, YOU KNOW, HAVING RELATIVELY OBSCURE SUBJECT MATTER BE WHAT UNTRAINED COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEED TO WEIGH IN ON AND EFFICACY AND, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY MAKING PROGRESS IN THESE CONVERSATIONS.
SO LIKE TOWARDS THE END YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT STREAMLINING PROCESS.
STREAMLINING PROCESS SENDS UP PEOPLE'S, UM, SPIDEY SENSES AND THEN THEY GO, WELL, YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO PUSH THIS THROUGH, IS WHAT THEY HEARD WHEN YOU SAY STREAMLINING PROCESS.
BUT IT'S LIKE, WE NEED TO REVERSE ENGINEER THE DISCUSSION WHEN WE INCLUDE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO START AT WHY THE PROCESS IS SO COMPLEX AND COMPLICATED AND GET THEM TO PIECE APART THE JUGGERNAUT ON THIS END WITH RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR STREAMLINING.
AND WHAT IT ACTUALLY INDICATES, YOU KNOW, IS THAT WHOLE CONCEPT OF WITHOUT ENOUGH INFORMATION, PEOPLE MAKE UP MONSTERS IN THE DARK.
AND THEN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OUTREACH INCLUSION BECOMES A BARRIER TO TIMELY PROGRESS.
TO YOUR POINT ABOUT TIMELINES.
AND SO I JUST THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING, AS A MUNICIPALITY, WE HAVE TO HAVE A BETTER WAY TO INCLUDE AND INVOLVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THAT INCLUDES SORT OF PEOPLE LEARNING ABOUT THE SUBJECT MATTER ALONG THE WAY, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZING WE DO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRUST IN AND DEFER TO THE PROCESS AND THE PROFESSIONALS.
I DON'T PERSONALLY PLAN TO TAKE THE NEXT 14 YEARS TO BECOME A LAND USE EXPERT, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM THAT WERE SO FORTUNATE WHO ALREADY DID IT AND ARE DOING IT AND ARE DOING CONTINUING EDUCATION AND, YOU KNOW, MONITORING TRENDS AND BEST PRACTICES WITH PEER CITIES.
AND SO I THINK MORE INCLUSION ON THE FRONT END THAT FEELS GENUINE AND WHERE PEOPLE ARE RECOGNIZING LIKE, THIS IS MY LANE.
THIS IS ENOUGH FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO CONTRIBUTE WITH ADVOCACY FOR MY NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, IN A WAY THAT'S INFORMED.
BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE WHEN I'M OVER MY SKIS, YOU KNOW, AND I NEED TO DEFER TO THE PROFESSIONALS.
PEOPLE I THINK ARE MORE INCLINED TO DO THAT WHEN THEY TRUST US AND THE TRUST WE HAVE TO BUILD.
AND SO, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS ARE THINKING ALONG THOSE LINES.
'CAUSE MORE AND MORE IT'S GONNA BECOME SO INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE REALLY A PART OF THAT STAKEHOLDER GROUP.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEIR INCLUSION AND PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPING COMPLETE COMMUNITIES IF WE ARE WORKING IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR IMAGINE AUSTIN AND OTHER GOALS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, FUENTES FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELL AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THOROUGH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER PROCESS THAT Y'ALL UNDERWENT.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT INVOLVEMENT AND, UH,
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THE DELAY IN PROVIDING US AN UPDATED AMENDED STAFF PROPOSAL.UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HEAR MOST FREQUENTLY FROM, UM, SOUTHEAST RESIDENTS IS CONCERNS AROUND LOT TO LOT FLOODING AND THAT LOCALIZED FLOODING AND THE IMPACT THAT ANY CHANGES IN, UM, IN OUR REGULATIONS MIGHT HAVE ON IT.
CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO HOW THIS AMENDED STAFF PROPOSAL WILL MAINTAIN THOSE PROTECTIONS AGAINST LOT BY LOT FLOODING AS WELL AS ANY ADDITIONAL STRAINS ON OUR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE? UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE.
AND, AND TO THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER'S POINT EARLIER, THE CONCERNS WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY THE MOST IS THE FLOODING.
AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CREEK FLOODING, BUT THE LOCALIZED FLOODING THAT OCCURS IN SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT MAYBE THE SYSTEMS ARE INADEQUATE CAN'T HANDLE THE RUNOFF.
UH, AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS, THIS IS THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, RIGHT? SIMPLIFYING THE PROCESS TO EXPEDITE AND AND STREAMLINE IT.
BUT NOTHING'S BEEN CHANGED AS, AS YOU ALL ADOPTED HOME ONE AND HOME TWO, THE IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHICH REALLY DICTATES THE RUNOFF AND THE IMPACTS TO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM WAS NOT MODIFIED, RIGHT? AND SO THE IMPACTS OF ADDING MORE UNITS ON SINGLE FAMILY LOTS OR SUBDIVIDING THESE LOTS TO SMALLER UNITS, UH, IT'S BEING ADDRESSED ALREADY IN THE ENGINEERING AS FAR AS THAT.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE IT WORSE THAN WE MAY ALREADY HAVE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE SOME FLOODING SITUATIONS.
SO THAT IS, UH, INCUMBENT ON THE WATERSHED PROTECTIONS DEPARTMENT.
THAT IS OUR MISSION TO PROTECT PROPERTIES AND LIFE FROM FLOODING.
AND SO WE DO HAVE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT WE EVALUATE OUR SYSTEMS AND WE HAVE DONE A, A GREAT JOB OVER THE MANY YEARS OF COLLECTING DATA TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND OUR ASSETS, OUR STORM SYSTEMS, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS WHERE NEEDED.
SO THESE CHANGES ARE REALLY STREAMLINING THE PROCESS, HELPING TO ACHIEVE THE AFFORDABILITY THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AND ADDING MORE UNITS BUT NOT NECESSARILY EXACERBATING WHAT'S ALREADY THERE.
AND SO THE LOT TO LOT IS A, A SITUATION THAT OCCURS AND UNFORTUNATELY SOMETIMES IT'S BECAUSE SOMEBODY MAKES AN IMPROVEMENT ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY AND SOME PRIVATE MATTER BETWEEN THE TWO.
AND SO THAT'S WHY AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, WE WERE VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT SOME CHECKS AND BALANCES THERE AND HAVING AN ENGINEER, UH, ON THESE LARGER, UH, UNITS BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A, A CERTIFICATION THAT IS NOT GONNA CAUSE THAT IS A REASSURANCE THAT I THINK IT'S GONNA BE INCORPORATED INTO THE PROCESS.
UH, THE LOCALIZED FLOODING, ONCE AGAIN, THOSE WE ARE AWARE OF AND WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING MANY, UH, MODELING AS, AS MANY MANY OF YOU'RE AWARE, UH, THROUGH THE CHANGES IN CLIMATE.
WE'VE, UH, ADDED MORE INTENSITY INTO OUR RAINFALLS IN THE MODELING.
SO WE'RE UPDATING ALL OUR FLOODPLAIN MAPS.
WE'RE ALSO UPDATING THE MAP FOR LOCALIZED FLOODING SO WE CAN BE MORE AWARE.
AND THAT PROJECT'S ALREADY ONGOING.
AND AS MORE INFORMATION COMES OUT, WE, WE WILL BE CONTINUING TO SHARE THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WE, WE HEAR THAT CONCERN LOUD AND CLEAR AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CHECKS AND BALANCES IN THE PROCESS EVEN AS WHATEVER POLICY GETS MOVED FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA HAVE EVALUATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT.
MORALE LESS, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A TOP OF MIND FOR US.
AUSTIN IS KNOWN AS FLASH FLOOD ALLEY, SO MITIGATING FLOOD RISK AND REDUCING, UM, THAT EXPOSURE IS IMPORTANT.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS, CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH WHAT TYPE OF IMPACT THIS WOULD HAVE ON THE RS AND P FUND, THE REGIONAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM? UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO THE REGIONAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM HAS BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
IT'S A WAY THAT WE DO, UH, TO HELP, UH, PROVIDE, UM, RELIEF IN WHERE WE CAN PUT THE LARGER PONDS IN A LOT OF THESE AREAS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON.
THERE IS NOT THE PROPERTY FOR SOME OF THESE, AND THESE ARE SMALLER LOTS.
AND SO COST AND AFFORDABILITY IS A BIG CONCERN AS WELL.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THIS PROCESS, IT'S SIMPLIFIED THE R AND P PROCESS.
SO THE R AND P PROCESS ALREADY REQUIRED THE, THE ENGINEER.
SO WE INCORPORATED THAT INTO THIS PROCESS, BUT WE'RE SIMPLIFYING IT BY NOT AL ALSO HAVING ALL THOSE FEES INCORPORATED.
'CAUSE THE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH RCP CAN ALSO ADD COSTS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SINGLE UNIT OR SMALLER UNITS.
AND SO THE DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO ASSESS THE NEEDS AND ADDRESS IT THROUGH THE DRAINAGE UTILITY FUND OR THROUGH THE BOND WORK THAT WE DO FOR OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
SO JUST I WANNA UNDERSCORE THAT PART BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE COLLECTION OF FEES INTO THIS FUND DOES HAVE AN IMPACT ON HOW WE'RE ABLE TO ACQUIRE LAND AND, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE OUR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO ONE WAY THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ROBUSTLY AND COMPREHENSIVELY IS IN THE NEXT BOND PACKAGE TO ENSURE THAT WE GO OUT FOR A BOND THAT IS SIGNIFICANT SUBSTANTIAL FOR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT.
WOULD THAT BE FAIR TO SAY? THAT'S CORRECT.
'CAUSE THE FEES THAT WE COLLECT FOR THE REGIONAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS BASED ON WATERSHED.
AND SO RELATIVELY SPEAKING, IT'S NOT, UM, SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH.
SO SOME OF THESE ARE LARGE SCALE BOND PROJECTS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND SO WE WILL BE REPRESENTING SOME OF THOSE THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THANKS, MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN.
THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION MAYOR.
UM, VERY EXCITING TO BE HERE TODAY.
I KNOW A TON OF WORK HAS GONE INTO THIS PROPOSAL.
UM, WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT THIS A, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA WAS HOW DO WE BETTER ACTIVATE THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING THAT IS ALLOWED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
[00:30:01]
BACK THEN THE FULL SITE PLAN WAS REQUIRED AT THREE UNITS, IF I'M CORRECT.I SEE, I SEE KEITH MARS NODDING HIS HEAD YES.
UM, AND WE WERE SURPRISED THAT, UM, THESE TRIPLEX UNITS WERE BASICALLY BEING ASKED TO GO TO A FULL SITE PLAN, JUST LIKE A LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
AND SO WE GOT CREATIVE AND SAID, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THESE SMALLER DEVELOPED UNITS MORE IN LINE WITH RESIDENTIAL, WHICH IS WHY THE THREE AND FOUR UNITS IS NOW TREATED THAT WAY.
UM, AND THEN CREATING THIS SITE PLAN LIGHT TO TACKLE THE FIVE TO 16 UNIT CONVERSATION.
UM, AND SO THE, THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED IS GREAT.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK, UM, TO GET US THIS FAR.
AND SO I WANTED TO JUST FLAG A COUPLE OF THE IDEAS THAT I WAS STILL THINKING ABOUT.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE EXACT APPROPRIATE THRESHOLD FOR SOME OF THESE, UM, TRIGGERS, IF YOU WILL, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE SETTING THOSE IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL AND STILL MAINTAIN THE APPROPRIATE PUBLIC SAFETY, AS YOU MENTIONED.
UM, I'VE ALSO BEEN THINKING ABOUT, UM, THIS REGIONAL APPROACH TO DRAINAGE.
I KNOW THIS WAS AN IDEA THAT, UM, HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO BY, UM, A CITY STAFFER THAT IS NO LONGER WITH THE CITY, UM, BUT HAD GREAT EXPERTISE THAT, THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE TO ME.
AND IT WAS THE IDEA THAT NOT EVERY PERSON WHO'S DEVELOPING A, A SMALL LOT NECESSARILY HAS THE MONEY, UM, AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO BE ABLE TO, TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND TO TACKLE IT LOT BY LOT.
AND SO I STILL, UM, MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS, UM, ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER TEAM UP AND HOW NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE MORE IMPACTED CAN HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS TO, UM, TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS THAT IS, YOU KNOW, A BETTER RESOURCE TO PULL MONEY AND GET A BIGGER BANG FOR OUR BUCK, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THESE, THESE PARTS OF TOWN.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DEFINITELY ON MY MIND.
UM, AND I THINK THAT CAN HELP WITH THE LOCALIZED FLOODING CONVERSATION THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I, I KNOW A NUMBER OF OUR DISTRICTS HAVE THESE.
UM, AND I ALSO WANTED TO FLAG THE, UM, THE CONCEPT OF DEFERRING TO AN ENGINEER TO BE ABLE TO STAMP THESE DRAINAGE PLANS, I THINK IS A REALLY CREATIVE MOVE.
UM, THE STATE OF TEXAS DOES LICENSE A LOT OF THESE PROFESSIONAL SKILL SETS, INTERIOR DESIGNERS, LAND SURVEYORS, ENGINEERS, UM, AND THAT IS, I THINK, A GOOD WAY TO LEVERAGE THE, THE SAFETY GUIDELINES THAT THE STATE ALREADY USES AS FAR AS FILING COMPLAINTS OR POTENTIALLY REVOKING LICENSES IF SOMEONE IS NOT UPHOLDING THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS THAT THOSE LICENSING ENTITIES REQUIRE.
UM, GEOSCIENTISTS HAVE TO BE LICENSED AS WELL.
LIKE THERE'S JUST A LOT OF WORK IN, IN THIS, UM, IN THIS FIELD THAT ALREADY HAS VERY HIGH STANDARDS FOR PROFESSIONAL, UM, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING THINGS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THOSE COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE WERE JUST GIVEN A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION ON FRIDAY COMPREHENSIVELY.
A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE BITS AND PIECES OVER THE YEARS, UM, BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS OR FOR US TO HAVE A COUPLE OF THESE MORE DETAILED CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO HAVE THESE THINGS READY BY THURSDAY, BUT JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT, UM, IF I FEEL LIKE WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE AND IT NEEDS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BREATHING ROOM, I'M THE LAST PERSON THAT WANTS AN ANOTHER POSTPONEMENT ON THIS, BUT WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE REALLY GET IT RIGHT BECAUSE Y'ALL HAVE BEEN SO COLLABORATIVE AND THE STAKEHOLDERS HAVE PUT SO MUCH WORK INTO THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT JUST WANTED TO DAYLIGHT KIND OF WHERE I'M AT WITH THE PROCESS AND, AND SAY MY THANKS FOR EVERYONE WORKING SO HARD ON, ON THIS ISSUE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER THEN COUNCIL MEMBER UCH.
UM, I WANTED TO PICK UP ACTUALLY ON A COUPLE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM ASKED ABOUT, UM, STARTING WITH THE RSMP.
SO CAN YOU GIVE US A GENERAL MAGNITUDE RIGHT NOW OF, OF HOW MUCH WE ARE COLLECTING THROUGH THE RSMP? DOESN'T BE EXACT, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE ANY THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION COUNCIL MEMBER, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT I'LL, I'LL ASK MY STAFF TO GET, SO I'LL GET TO THAT NUMBER SHORTLY.
I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KIND REALLY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE ANTICIPATING A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM OR IF WE THINK IT'S GONNA BE, UH, MORE MINOR, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, UH, HOW IT'S CALCULATED.
I COULD ANSWER THAT PART OF THE QUESTION.
WE DID DO ANALYSIS TO SEE WHAT KIND OF IMPACT IT WOULD BE TO REDUCE, UH, OR ELIMINATE THE FEES FOR THIS MISSING MEADOW AND IT WAS INSIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE OVERALL PROGRAM.
WELL THAT'S, BUT I, I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THE ACTUAL NUMBERS FOR THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT IS, THAT IS VERY HELPFUL AND, AND I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF THEN THIS THRESHOLD QUESTION OF WHO GETS TO PARTICIPATE AND WHO DOESN'T.
AND SO RIGHT NOW UNDER THE PROPOSAL, IF YOU'RE 11,500 SQUARE FEET, IF YOU THEN,
[00:35:02]
LET'S SAY UTILIZE THIS PROCESS AND SUBDIVIDED PERFECTLY IN HALF, YOU WOULD HAVE TWO LOTS THAT ARE 57 50, RIGHT? AND SO UNDER HOME, UNDER EACH OF THOSE LOTS, YOU'D BE ABLE TO BUILD UP TO THREE UNITS ON THE LOT.IF, HOWEVER, YOU ARE A LOT THAT IS 11,499, YOU DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE, OR I MEAN, YOU, YOU STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE THIS PROCESS, BUT IF YOU PERFECTLY SUBDIVIDE NOW YOU'RE SUB 57 50 AND NOW ON EACH OF THOSE LOTS, INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO BUILD THREE UNITS, YOU CAN ONLY BUILD ONE.
RIGHT? SO ONE SQUARE FOOT DIFFERENCE ON THE LOT HAS GONE FROM SIX UNITS TO TWO UNITS BECAUSE OF THIS THRESHOLD.
AND THEN LOOKING AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE, IF YOU'RE 11,501, YOU DON'T GET TO UTILIZE THIS PROCESS.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T PUT SOME KIND OF BUFFER IN THERE WHERE WE ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 12,000 OR 12,500 JUST TO GIVE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE THAT GOLDILOCKS 11,500 SQUARE FOOT LOT, THE ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE AND STILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING, BUT MIGHT BE ON THAT WIGGLE ROOM.
IS THAT, I I WAS, I'M CURIOUS IF THAT HAS COME UP OR, OR HOW Y'ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT THAT.
SO YOU'RE, JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, YOU'RE ASKING TO ADD LIKE A PLUS OR MINUS PERCENTAGE IF YOU WAS IN THIS RANGE, YOU'RE STILL WAS IN IT VERSUS THE ON THE LINE AT EXACTLY 11,500 SQUARE FOOT.
I MEAN, I GUESS IN THIS SENSE IT WOULD ONLY BE PLUS BECAUSE IF YOU'RE MINUS, YOU COULD STILL DO IT, BUT IT, YOU JUST DON'T REAP THE BENEFITS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A DIFFERENT POLICY QUESTION THAT WE HAVE TO TACKLE.
BUT, UM, YEAH, IF YOU'RE 12,000 OR 12,500, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE STILL WITHIN THIS BALLPARK, BUT, UH, WE ARE MAKING IT, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGING THE RESULT THROUGH THAT PERFECT MULTIPLIER OF TWO MM-HMM
UH, AND, AND TO THAT END, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID YOU HAVE 80, 80% WOULD BE ABLE TO GO AT 11,500.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY KIND OF STRATIFICATION OF LOT SIZES BY, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OR FIVE HUNDREDS.
BUT DEFINE WHAT MIGHT BE A NATURAL BREAK POINT IF IT IS AT 12,000 OR 12,500, THAT JUST PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT OF THAT WIGGLE ROOM.
UM, WITHIN THE LOTS THAT DO EXIST WITHIN THE CITY, AS YOU STATED, COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU CAN'T SUBDIVIDE THAT 57 50 INTO THREE LOTS, UH, UNDER HOME TWO.
RIGHT? AND SO, UH, I THINK WE GOT TO THIS NUMBER BY BEING, UH, GETTING TO THAT AND DRAWING THE LINE THERE AND NOT GOING TOO FAR.
UH, SO WE JUST DREW THE LINE, BUT THAT'S FOR THE SIMPLIFIED PROCESS.
WE STILL ALLOW UP TO, UH, THROUGH THE ANALYSIS AND THE ENGINEER REVIEW UP TO AN ACRE AND A HALF, WE'VE INCORPORATED THAT INTO THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THE SIMPLIFIED PROCESS THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE, UH, SUBMITTING CERTAIN OF THE DRAINAGE INFORMATION, WE KEPT THAT AT THAT NUMBER JUST FROM A COMFORT.
BUT YES, YOU'RE RIGHT, THE NUMBER CAN MOVE, MOVE UP MORE THAN LIKELY.
UH, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE, WE DREW THE LINE.
AND I'M CURIOUS TOO, AS WE LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE DRAWING LINES, IF THERE IS SOME MIDDLE GROUND WHERE YOU HAVE WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, WHETHER IT'S 11,500 OR YOU KNOW, SOME FUDGE FACTOR WITHIN THERE, UP TO A CERTAIN NUMBER WHERE YOU'RE STILL GETTING THE BENEFIT OF A VERY SIMPLIFIED PROCESS, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT YOU ARE GONNA HAVE AT THAT POINT SOME DRAINAGE IMPACT.
AND SO WE STILL REQUIRE YOU TO PAY INTO THE RSMP, BUT YOU CAN STILL UTILIZE THE 90 DAY SIMPLE PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE IS KIND OF A, I SAW WHAT, YOU KNOW, PLANNING COMMISSION DID SAYING GO ALL THE WAY TO AN ACRE AND A HALF.
BUT GOING BUT KEEPING, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU'RE, YOU'RE EITHER 11,500 OR YOU'RE THESE BIG DEVELOPMENTS RECOGNIZING THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME KIND OF MIDDLE PATH.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF, IF THERE IS A CON CONTRIBUTION TO RP YOU'RE, YOU'RE STILL TAKING CARE OF YOUR DRAINAGE NEEDS, BUT YOU GET IN THE DOOR FOR AN EASIER PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN FOLLOW UP OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS ABOUT BOTH THOSE ISSUES.
I, I, WE WILL DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
WE, WE DO FEEL WE CREATED AN INCREMENTAL THRESHOLD TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THAT.
YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, 90 DAYS IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA SIMPLIFY IT, RIGHT? RIGHT.
BUT ONCE YOU GO PAST 11 500, WE ACTUALLY HAVE OTHER PROCESSES THAT WILL ALLOW THAT AS WELL, UH, LESS COMPLICATED THAN THE CURRENT PROCESS.
UH, BACK TO YOUR QUESTION, EARLIER STAFF DID ANSWER THE OVERALL
[00:40:01]
FUNDING FOR THE RSAP 630,000, AND THAT'S DIVIDED AMONGST ALL THE WATERSHEDS.AS AS, AS I MENTIONED, THAT'S A LOT LESS THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED
NO WONDER WHY WE NEED OTHER YEAH.
UM, ON THE GRADING QUESTION, IF I, I KINDA WANNA LOOK AT PRESENT, PRESENT DAY, NOT, UH, FACTORING THIS IN.
IF I AM A DEVELOPER BUILDING, LET'S SAY I'LL, I'LL GO ALL THE WAY, THREE UNITS ON A A LOT, DO I HAVE TO GRADE TO THE STREET OR CAN I GRADE TO MY NEIGHBORS? SO THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS GETTING IT TO THE STREET OR TO THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT IS WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING TO KEEP IT SIMPLE.
RIGHT? ANYTHING THAT GOES INTO THE LOT REQUIRES MORE ANALYSIS.
AND, AND, AND IN SOME CASES, THE LARGER, UH, SUBDIVISIONS COULD REQUIRE EVEN SOME MITIGATION, FLOOD MITIGATION TOO, TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT FLOODING YOUR NEIGHBORS.
BUT IF I'M NOT TRYING TO SUBDIVIDE MM-HMM
I'M JUST TRYING TO, I OWN A LOT.
I WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HOME.
I WANNA BUILD THREE UNITS ON MY LOT.
SO I'M NOT EVEN GOING THROUGH A SUBDIVISION OR ANY KIND.
I'M GOING STRAIGHT TO BUILDING PERMIT.
AM I ALLOWED TO GRADE TO MY NEIGHBORS OR DO I HAVE TO GRADE TO THE STREET OR A GRADE EASEMENT? MM-HMM
RIGHT? SO, SO CURRENTLY IF YOU JUST GO STRAIGHT TO BUILDING PERMITS, THERE IS NOT A, A DRAINAGE REVIEW.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN DRAINAGE REGULATIONS DON'T APPLY.
SO YOU STILL HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, VAL CAN'T FLOOD THE NEIGHBOR.
THAT THAT'S GOING BACK TO THE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING ELEMENT THAT IS, THAT IS STILL NOT ALLOWED.
THERE'S JUST SIMPLY NOT A REVIEW FOR IT.
SO AN ARCHITECT OR AN ENGINEER WOULD HAVE TO STAMP UP SAYING, I'M NOT FLOODING MY NEIGHBOR.
AND THEN IN THIS REGARD, IF YOU ARE FOREGOING, YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS SIMPLIFIED PROCESS, IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE SAME LEVEL OF REVIEW.
WE'RE NOT, IT'S BASICALLY AS IF WE'RE GONNA BUILDING PERMIT.
WE'RE WE'RE JUST TRUSTING THAT PROFESSIONAL TO DO IT, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN WHEN SOMEBODY DOES DO THEIR GRADING, IS THAT A CHECKED INSPECTION? IS THAT PART OF ANY BUILDING INSPECTION? RIGHT NOW, THIS IS A NOVEL IDEA, MEANING THAT WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF PROCESS IN PLACE.
SO THE, THE DEFERENCE TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER ALONG WITH FOCUSING ON WATER IS HERE, WATER NEEDS TO GO THERE, IT'LL BE THROUGH A GRADING PLAN THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN A DRAINAGE ANALYSIS.
IT'S ABOUT GETTING THE WATER FROM POINT A TO POINT B, RIGHT? SO WE WILL NEED TO CREATE PROCESS THAT, THAT IS LED BY THE POLICY DECISION.
SWITCHING GEARS A LITTLE BIT, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT UTILITIES, WHICH WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT HERE TODAY.
RIGHT NOW, I KNOW WATER WASTEWATER LINES CANNOT CROSS A LOT LINE WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SUBDIVIDING, THAT CAN CREATE A REALLY DIFFICULT SCENARIO BECAUSE THOSE HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN DI UH, DISTANCE APART.
AND NOW IF YOU'RE TRYING TO, THEY CAN'T CROSS EACH OTHER.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE WHOLE THING.
WHERE ARE WE ON HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT UTILITIES BEING ABLE TO CROSS LOT LINES.
SO DURING THE SUBDIVISION PROCESS IS REALLY WHERE THIS COMES IN.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SMALL SCALE SITE PLAN, IT'S STILL GOING TO BE ONE LOT.
YOU'RE JUST DOING MULTIPLE UNITS ON THAT ONE LOT.
FOR THE RE SUBDIVISION PROCESS, WE HAVE WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH OUR UTILITIES FOR THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THIS CONTEXT SENSITIVE INFILL REDEVELOPMENT.
A LOT OF IT'S SETTING UP, SETTING EVERYONE UP FOR SUCCESS AT THE TIME OF SUBDIVISION.
THAT MEANS BEING REALISTIC ABOUT EASEMENT, EASEMENT LOCATIONS.
THAT MEANS LOOKING AT WHERE IS IT LEGAL TO CROSS LOT LINES, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND THOSE THAT IS STILL IN WORKS.
BUT, UH, IT IS AT THE, AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF THE, THE UTILITY, UH, ELEMENTS OF, YOU KNOW, THE ONE CITY OF, OF AUSTIN, OF HOW DO WE ADDRESS THIS KIND OF COMPREHENSIVELY AND THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT URBAN INFILL.
OKAY, I'M WOULD HATE FOR US TO DO ALL THIS HARD WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE.
AND WHEN IT GETS, YOU KNOW, THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD, A DEVELOPER SAYS, WELL, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF I COULD SUBDIVIDE THIS, BUT I STILL HAVE THIS PIPING PROBLEM, AND SO I'M NOT GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE BECAUSE THE CITY HASN'T FIXED THAT PIECE OF IT YET.
ALONG WITH THIS, OUR, OUR PARTNERS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN IN THE WIRE UTILITY, ARE LOOKING AT THE SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST PROCESS OF HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT MAYBE FURTHER UPSTREAM.
SO IT PROVIDES GREATER LEVEL OF CERTAINTY THAT YOU'RE NOT ALL THE WAY INTO A PROJECT AND THEN GET, MAYBE GET A DIFFERENT ANSWER THAN WHAT'S EXPECTED OR A NUMBER THAT IS, THAT DOESN'T PENCIL OUT ANYMORE.
BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT LEVEL OF, OF AT LEAST COMFORT AND DIALOGUE AHEAD OF THE PROCESS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT OUR, THAT OUR PARTNERS ARE WORKING ON.
[00:45:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.I FEAR I'M COMING INTO THIS LITTLE LATE AFTER ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL POURED IN, AS WELL AS A LOT OF PARTNERS AND MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE.
SO, UM, IF NEED BE, JUST LET ME KNOW IF THE ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS REQUIRE, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOME DATA BETWEEN NOW AND THURSDAY, OR TAKING THE CONVERSATION OFFLINE.
BUT REALLY I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU'RE CALCULATING SOME OF THE DERIVED VALUES THAT YOU LISTED IN THE BACKUP, WHERE'D YOU GET 34, YOU KNOW, THE COST SAVINGS OF UP TO 30 TO 40%.
IS THERE SPECIFIC DATA THAT YOU'VE GOT THAT, UM, YOU ALL LOOKED AT THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH ME ON THAT? OH, YES, SIR.
THERE IS, THERE IS SPECIFIC INFORMATION WE CAN SHARE.
I'VE JUST BE CURIOUS TO, TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE QUANTIFIABLE BENEFIT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND PEOPLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, UH, RELATED TO THAT POINT.
AND BUILDING ON WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER SAID, I'M ALSO CURIOUS HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THE, UM, THE VALUES FOR THE SIZES THAT ARE LISTED IN THE REPORT.
THE ACRE, HALF ACRE ONE AND A HALF ACRE, I'M ASSUMING, AGAIN, THAT'S BASED ON AN ANALYSIS YOU ALL RAN, BUT IF YOU CAN SHARE THAT DATA WITH ME, THAT'D BE VALUABLE TOO.
YES, CONSUMER, THAT WAS BASED ON, UH, THE, SOME OF THE POLICIES THAT WERE APPROVED ALREADY, BUT WE'LL PROVIDE THAT IN, IN THE Q AND A RESPONSE.
AND IS THERE ANY WAY TO ALSO SHARE WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE COMPARATIVE DATA WITH THE OTHER CITIES, IF WHAT SIZES THERE MIGHT BE USING AS WELL FOR THE YES, WE ACTUALLY CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
AND THEN THE LAST THING IS, UM, YOU LIST THE 90 DAY APPROVAL PROCESS FOR SITE PLANS, WHICH IS BASED, YOU SAID, I THINK ON A SHOCK CLOCK, A STATE LAW.
IS THAT RIGHT? FOR THE SUB FOR THE SUBDIVISION PROCESS? YES.
FOR SITE PLAN, NO, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF, UH, A PLAN IS DENIED IN THAT PROCESS? DOES THAT 90 DAY PERIOD RESET? WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS THERE? CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH THAT? YES.
SO THE INTENTION WITH THIS IS SETTING, SETTING A TARGET DATE.
THAT DEVELOPMENT REVIEW DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS A TWO PARTY PROCESS.
SO THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE THE, THE, THE CITY STAFF TO HAVE STREAMLINED PROCESS FOCUS ON DELIVERABLES AND OUTCOMES.
THAT ALSO MEANS THAT WHEN THERE ARE AREAS OF NON-COMPLIANCE, THAT THOSE PLANS ARE TURNED AROUND QUICKLY.
THAT ALSO MEANS THAT WE HAVE, FOR HOUSING, FOR EXAMPLE, AS PART OF, AGAIN, TRANSFORMING THE SITE PLAN PROCESS, WE HAVE DEDICATED CASE MANAGEMENT FOR, WE HAVE A, AN ADVOCATE FOR THE PROCESS THAT IS ABLE TO CONNECT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO HELP BEND THE CURVE ON IF THERE'S A CONFLICT BETWEEN THE, A UTILITY MATTER AND, UH, AN EASEMENT LOCATION.
THAT THAT ISSUE IS IDENTIFIED THAT CURES OR ARE ADDRESSED.
AND IT'S RESOLVED WITH WITH SPEED.
UM, BUT IT, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE US CULTURALLY TO THINK OF THIS AS A PARTNERSHIP TO DELIVER GOOD OUTCOMES FOR THE CITY.
SO THAT'S HOW THAT IF, IF ALL THINGS, IF TWO PARTIES ARE WORKING WELL TOGETHER AND WE'RE WORKING WITH SPEED, 90 DAYS IS POSSIBLE.
AND AGAIN, WHAT HAPPENS IF FOR SOME REASON IT'S, DESPITE THAT COLLABORATION DOESN'T WORK, THE, THE, THE PLAN IS NOT APPROVED.
AND THEN CAN THEY JUST RESUBMIT A NEW PLAN AND THEN 90 DAYS RESET? IS THAT HOW IT WORKS? AT LEAST INITIALLY THAT THAT PLAN WOULDN'T EXPIRE? IT IS JUST TRYING TO, TO IDENTIFY AN, AN INTENTION TO THAT.
IF AN INDIVIDUAL THAT, THAT IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS HERE.
THAT IF SOMEONE COMES IN AND SAYS, I HAVE A MISSING METAL SITE PLAN, AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S THE TIMELINE THAT WE'RE ALL AIMING FOR? IS IT NINE DAYS, 90 DAYS, NINE YEARS? WE'RE ABLE TO SAY OUR GOAL IS GETTING PERMIT IN HAND IN 90 DAYS.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE SETTING THAT CLEAR INTENTION IS, IS WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE AIMING FOR.
AND AS PART OF THE WAY YOU'RE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY ENHANCE, UH, HOW THESE ARE EXPEDITED THROUGH THAT PROCESS CONNECTED TO THE 30 TO 40% AS MUCH VALUE.
SO WHEN HOPEFULLY I CAN GET THAT DATA, I'LL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND IT BETTER.
COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN RIVERA.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
UH, UH, FIRST I WANTED TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS FOR, FOR BRINGING THE ITEM.
UH, THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ITEM IF WE REALLY WANT TO CREATE THAT MISSING MIDDLE, THAT SMALL SCALE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, WHICH PEOPLE REALLY WANT.
YOU KNOW, CENTRAL CITY DEVELOPMENTS COST A LITTLE LESS, UH, THAN HONESTLY SOMETIMES SUBSTANTIALLY LESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR EQUIVALENT KIND OF SINGLE FAMILY HOME ON A LARGE SINGLE FAMILY LOT.
UH, SO AGAIN, JUST REALLY APPRECIATE HER, UH, AND HER OFFICE'S WORK ON THIS AND ALSO APPRECIATE, I KNOW HOW MUCH Y'ALL HAVE WORKED ON IT, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, POSSIBILITY OF A, OF A POSTPONEMENT.
I, I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF GET OUR HEADS AROUND IT.
I'VE GOT MY HEAD AROUND THE, THE SMALLER KIND OF RE SUBDIVISION STUFF BETTER THAN THE MF ONE, MF TWO, SF FIVE, SF SIX, I, I'M, I'M STILL LEARNING ON, ON THAT SIDE OF THE PROCESS.
UM, BUT TO START, I WAS, UH, FOR, FOR KIND OF COMPARISON'S SAKE AND FOR, FOR
[00:50:01]
THE PUBLIC'S SAKE, WHAT'S THE CURRENT RULE WITH SUBDIVISION? UH, AND, AND AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF SOLVE THE, WHAT'S THE, THE CURRENT RULE.IF I'M GONNA, LET'S SAY I HAVE THE, THE MAGIC 11,500 SQUARE FOOT LOT, UH, AND I WANTED TO SUBDIVIDED UNDER THE CURRENT RULES, WHAT WOULD THAT INVOLVE? SO CURRENTLY IT MEANS FULL DRAINAGE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS THAT IS IN ADDITION TO THE PRIVATE, THE STAMPING ENGINEER OBLIGATION TO NOT FLOOD YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBOR.
SO THAT MEANS BOTH A RIGOROUS REVIEW, BUT THEN ALSO IT MAY MEAN BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE ON THOSE SMALLER PARCELS TO CONTAIN THAT DRAINAGE.
THAT IS THE CURRENT PROCESS FOR SUBDIVISION.
AND, UH, AGAIN, JUST I KNOW EACH LOT IS DIFFERENT AND THE REVIEWS MAY BE DIFFERENT, BUT I MEAN, HOW, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE KIND OF COST INVOLVED? WHAT, WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT KIND OF THINK ABOUT THAT, OR WHAT ARE THE ESTIMATES ON THAT? SO I THINK THE COSTS RELATED TO THE REGIONAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS BASED ON A FEE STRUCTURE.
SO IT CAN BE UP TO 30,000 OR HIGHER, UH, ON THAT FEE, BUT IF YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE, IT COULD EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE.
AND THEN IT'S LONG TERM MAINTENANCE THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE PONDS THAT ARE BEING BUILT.
AND, AND AS LONG AS WE'RE ON THAT TOPIC, WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF, UH, FOLKS, UH, BOTH IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND HONESTLY MORE IN KIND OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, SIDE OF THINGS IS THAT THE SMALL LOT DETENTION IS, IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO TACKLE.
I MEAN, WHAT DO Y ALL THINK ABOUT THAT AGAIN, LIKE, YOU KNOW, A SMALL KIND OF, UH, UH, DETENTION OR RETENTION POND.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, BUT HOW DO YOU FEEL, WHAT'S THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT SMALL LOT DETENTION KIND OF FLOOD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM? SO THE LARGER PONDS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE COST-WISE WHEN WE BUILD THE LARGER REGIONAL PONDS.
BUT, UH, THESE SMALLER, UH, SYSTEMS REQUIRE MAINTENANCE AND LONG-TERM, UM, VIABILITY IN QUESTION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS DIFFERENT, UH, OWNERS MOVE AND MOVE OUT, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACTS TO MAINTAINING IT, IT'S AFFECTED.
AND SO I, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, DEVELOPERS DON'T LIKE BUILDING 'EM.
WE DON'T LIKE HAVING TO GO OUT THERE AND REGULATE THEM EITHER.
UH, SO IT, IT'S MORE EFFECTIVE TO FIND WAYS TO ELIMINATE THE SMALLER SYSTEMS. AND, UH, ON THAT SAME, AGAIN, HOWEVER YOU SUBDIVIDE THAT 11,500 SQUARE FOOT LOT, YOU ARE CAPPED AT 45% IMPERVIOUS COVER.
RIGHT? WHETHER YOU TURN THAT INTO WHAT, FIVE LOTS I THINK YOU CAN DO, OR, YOU KNOW, 2 50, 7 50 OR WHATEVER THE CASE, YOU'RE LIMITED TO, 45% IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, A SINGLE FAMILY HOME ON THAT SAME 11,500 SQUARE FOOT LOT AGAIN, UNDER CURRENT RULES.
UH, WHAT DRAINAGE REVIEW DO THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH? OUR CURRENT RULES AS SINGLE FAMILY LOT IS THROUGH THE BUILDING PERMIT.
SO IT, YOU'RE ALREADY ENTITLED TO THAT UP TO THE 45% MM-HMM
AND, UH, GOING BACK TO THE IMPERIOUS COVER, IT VARIES BY ZONING, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT IS THE 45 FOR SINGLE FAMILY.
AND, AND SO, AND FROM A FLOODING PERSPECTIVE, WHETHER THERE'S FIVE SMALL LOTS WITH SMALL HOMES OR ONE LARGE LOT WITH, YOU KNOW, A HUGE SLAB, UH, DOES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF ITS EFFECT ON, ON FLOODING? SO ON THE, ON THE SYSTEMS, ONCE AGAIN, WE, WE ASSUME FULLY DEVELOPED FOR THE MODELING THAT WE DO TO IDENTIFY THE FLOODPLAINS FOR THE CREEKS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND SO THE LOCALIZED SYSTEMS ALSO, IT'S BASED ON THE LOCALIZED DRAINAGE.
SO THE IMPERVIOUS COVER DOES DICTATE THE RUNOFF THAT IS USED TO CALCULATE THE IMPACTS.
AND SO IF WE'RE ASSUMING, UH, 45%, I THINK WE'RE AT, AT THE SAME LEVEL, BUT YES, MULTIPLE UNITS VERSUS ONE BIG UNIT, IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
IMPERVIOUS COVERS ASSUME BASED ON WHAT CANNOT INFILTRATE INTO THE GROUND, THE, THE WATER DOESN'T CARE IF IT'S ONE BIG LOT OR A BUNCH OF, UH, YOU KNOW, SMALLER ONE BIG HOME OR A BUNCH OF SMALLER HOMES.
THE IMPERVIOUS COVER IS THE SAME.
AND, AND THAT GOES TO, I THINK, WHAT, WHAT, UH, THE, THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE ARE, WE'RE ALLOWING BY.
IS THERE, AND LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION.
WHAT WOULD BE THE UPPER LIMIT? LIKE, COULD YOU BUILD A, YOU KNOW, JUST MASSIVE, LET'S SAY A A A, YOU KNOW, A SINGLE FAMILY, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A HUGE LOT, IS THERE ANY LIMIT ON THE IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT YOU COULD PUT ON A SINGLE FAMILY LOT AS LONG AS IT'S A, YOU KNOW, ZONE SINGLE FAMILY AND STILL BE IMMUNE TO, UH, ANY KIND OF WATER QUALITY REVIEW? IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION, IF YOU CAN MAXIMIZE IT AT THE 45%, SO WHETHER IT'S A 50,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT OR A, YOU KNOW, 6,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT, YOU GET 45% IMPERVIOUS COVER WITHOUT ANY DRAINAGE REVIEW WHATSOEVER.
IF YOU'RE, UH, A SINGLE FAMILY LOT.
I'M GONNA LOOK BACK TO MY STUFF JUST TO CONFIRM WITH THE THUMBS UP.
UH, AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO THE, THE PROBLEM,
[00:55:01]
UH, UH, THE, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE PROHIBITION ON, ON FLOODING YOUR NEIGHBOR, THERE IS A STATE LAW, IS THERE A STATE LAW THAT, UH, UH, SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THAT AREA? YES, SIR.THAT'S UNDER A STATE STATUTE UHHUH.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S I GUESS A, A A A CAUSE OF ACTION FOR A LANDOWNER WHOSE PROPERTY IS FLOODED BY THE NEIGHBOR.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN SUE BASICALLY TO, TO REMEDIATE THAT IS, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
WE, I DO HAVE LAW DEPARTMENT HERE IF YOU WANT MORE SPECIFICS ON THAT.
ACTUALLY, 'CAUSE THAT, THIS IS KIND OF A, AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
TRISH LINK WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LIN, TO ACTUALLY PULL UP THE STATUTE AND WE CAN DO A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO PUT IN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THAT, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
UH, AND WHEN YOU DO, CAN YOU JUST INCLUDE CODE'S ROLE IN THERE IF, IF THIS IS ALSO ENFORCEABLE BY CODE OR NOT? SURE.
SO WHAT WOULD BE CODE'S RESPONSIBILITY IS GONNA BE CITY CODE, AND THEN THERE'S THE STATE LAW PROVISION ABOUT FLOODING.
I JUST DON'T REMEMBER ALL OF IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, SO I DO WANNA PULL IT UP FIRST.
UH, AND, AND, AND AGAIN, I KNOW WE'RE, AGAIN, WE WANNA PREVENT THAT.
OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO PREVENT ANY KIND OF LOCALIZED, UH, FLOODING, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE IS A, A STATE REMEDY AT LAW AND THAT ULTIMATELY, I MEAN, I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, UH, DUPLICATIVE.
I MEAN, IT'S OKAY TO HAVE A KIND OF A BELT AND SUSPENDERS APPROACH DEPENDING ON THE, ON THE CONTEXT AND THE SITUATION.
BUT, UH, UH, IT IS IMPORTANT TO, UH, TO NOTE THAT, UM, THE, UM, THE, HOW DID WE PICK THAT 11,500 SQUARE FOOT LIMIT ON THAT ONE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST TO GIVE YOU THE MORE SPECIFICS, I THINK I'M GONNA ASK MATT HOLLAND TO COME UP AND EXPLAIN THAT PART OF IT.
AND MATT HOLLANDS WAS THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
UH, MATT HOLLAND, WATERSHED PROTECTION.
SO, UM, WE INITIALLY WE DID SOME BENCHMARKING WITH OTHER, OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND THE STATE, OTHER PURE CITIES AND, UM, ONE OF WHICH WAS SAN ANTONIO.
AND THEY, AND SO WE ACTUALLY, THE INITIAL PROPOSAL WAS FOR A QUARTER ACRE, JUST KIND OF A ROUND NUMBER SMALLISH PROJECT LOOKING SIMILAR TO A LOT OF OTHER, UM, AND SINGLE FAMILY LOT SIZES.
HOW MUCH, HOW MANY SQUARE FEET OF A QUARTER ACRE? I THINK IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING WACKY, LIKE 10,800 SOMETHING, OR, I CAN'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS JUST SOUTH OF 11,000.
UM, AND THEN IN A STAKEHOLDER INTERACTION, ONE, ONE OF OUR, UH, STAKEHOLDERS, UM, OFFERED, UH, TO BASICALLY DOUBLE THE 57, 50 NUMBER TO COME UP WITH THAT THRESHOLD.
IT WAS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WE WERE FIRST RECOMMENDING, BUT IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE.
IT WAS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT, TO SAN ANTONIO'S THRESHOLD OF 10,000.
AND WE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH IT AND THOUGHT THAT WAS ABOUT THE RIGHT NUMBER.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, APPRECIATE THAT.
I, I, I, MY, MY CONCERN WAS THAT I SHARE A COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ALTER'S CONCERN IN THE SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, IT, IT WOULD BE MY SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE DOING ON THIS IS THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING A 12,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT, A 14,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT, DIVIDING IT INTO TWO, AND THEN BUILDING THREE, UH, HOME UNITS ON, UH, EACH LOT AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO BAKE IN A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY DO THAT, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S A PROCESS THAT THEY CAN USE TODAY.
UH, WHEREAS THE, TAKING A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT AND LET'S SAY DIVIDING IT UP, SUBDIVIDING IT UP INTO FIVE, 2000, UH, SQUARE FOOT LOTS WITH, THERE'S STILL UTILITIES.
THERE'S STILL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER WE WANNA GET THERE, WHEREAS SOMEONE CAN DO THAT.
BUT OVER THE, YOU KNOW, SHORT TERM, MEDIUM TERM, IT, IT, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT.
AND, AND SO I DO WANNA PICK A NUMBER THAT ACTUALLY ENABLES, UH, FOLKS TO USE THAT RIGHT NOW TO, AND AGAIN, ALL, I MEAN, ESPECIALLY THINKING ABOUT THE 45% IMPERVIOUS, UH, COVER LIMITS FOR SINGLE FAMILY LOTS, I'M NOT SEEING A MAJOR CONCERN.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE NOT EVEN REVIEWING ANYTHING WHATSOEVER WITH A SINGLE FAMILY LOT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THAT IS, THAT MAKES ME A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE SAYING THAT WE, WHY ARE WE GOING THROUGH THIS INTENSE PROCESS OF REVIEW, UH, FOR ESSENTIALLY THE SAME IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UH, SO THAT, THAT REALLY KIND OF MAKES ME, UH, UH, COMFORTABLE ON THAT.
THE LAST QUESTION I HAD, AND, AND I SAW THIS IN THE BACKUP, AND THIS IS WHERE I'M STILL KIND OF GETTING MY HEAD AROUND THIS, BUT IS THAT
[01:00:01]
YOU WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR, AND THIS IS ON THE SIDE PLAN, LIGHT MORE SIDE OF THINGS, WHICH AGAIN, THAT'S THE PART THAT I'M STILL KIND OF, UH, UH, WRAPPING MY, MY HEAD AROUND.UH, BUT THAT THE LOT HAS TO DRAIN TO THE STREET AND THAT, YOU KNOW, KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SIDE PLAN LIGHT UNLESS A LOT DRAINS TO THE STREET.
HOW MANY LOTS DRAIN TO THE STREET? WHAT PERCENTAGE OF, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, THE SINGLE FAMILY LOTS, UH, WOULD DRAIN TO THE STREET COUNCIL MEMBERS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE THE NUMBER, UH, RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
SO WE, WE WILL GATHER THAT INFORMATION IN, RESPOND TO YOU ON THAT.
UH, AND I MEAN, MY, MY SENSE OF IT WOULD BE SINCE, I MEAN, MOST LOTS ARE SQUARE OR RECTANGULAR, UH, THAT, THAT IT'S GONNA DRAIN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY FOUR WAYS IT CAN DRAIN AND MM-HMM
MY SENSE WOULD BE ONLY 25% OF LOTS DRAINED TO THE STREET.
UH, SO THAT'S ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT LIMITATION THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
'CAUSE IF WE APPROVE SLIDE PLAN LIGHT AND THAT, THAT ONLY APPLIES TO LOTS THAT DRAIN TO THE STREET, THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST A FRACTION OF THE LODGES IN THE CITY THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
UH, SO ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THE, AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT THE, THE, THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH.
THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT POPPED UP THAT I'D LIKE TO, TO, TO TANGLE WITH A BIT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT COUNCIL MEMBER.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT, UH, ANALYSIS.
UH, WE DO ALLOW TO DRAIN TO A DRAINAGE SYSTEM AS WELL.
SOME OLDER SUBDIVISIONS MAY HAVE SYSTEMS IN THE BACKYARDS, AND SO IF IT'S DRAINING TO THE STREET OR TO A DRAINAGE SYSTEM, UH, BUT THE ANALYSIS ALSO ALLOWS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT TO REGRADE IT TO THOSE SPOTS.
IF IT'S NOT ALREADY DOING OUR CONCERN IS THAT BY NOT MEASUR MANAGING THAT, THAT CREATES MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LOT TO LOT FLOODING.
WOULD AN ALLEY BE CONSIDERED A STREET THAT'S THE RIGHT OF WAY? YES.
AS LONG AS YOU'RE, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE A, A HYDE PARK, UH, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, UH, PLACES A NORTH LOOP THAT, THAT HAS, UH, THE ALLEYS, THEY WOULD HAVE MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY IN, IN WHERE THEY MANAGE THAT, THAT THAT WATER FLOW.
AND ON THE RSMP, UM, THAT IT'S A WATERSHED BY WATERSHED DETERMINATION.
UH, BASICALLY THE WATERSHED'S WHAT DRAINED TO THE CREEK.
UH, AND IT'S UNIQUE TO THAT SITUATION.
SO DE DEPENDING WHERE THE DEVELOPMENT IS, IS THE CRITERIA THAT WE'D EVALUATE WAS IN THE WATERSHED IF IT'S ELIGIBLE OR NOT.
BUT ULTIMATELY THERE'S FEES IN LOOP PAID INTO THAT.
IT, IT, SO, UH, AND MY UNDERSTANDING ALSO IS THAT THERE'S SOME, I THINK THERE'S A, UH, A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN URBAN, UH, AND A SUBURBAN WATERSHED IN TERMS OF THE RSMP AND YOUR ABILITY TO, TO DO THE FEE AND LIE AND, AND, AND AND WHATNOT.
I, I BELIEVE THE PROGRAMS HAS DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO.
AGAIN, AS WE, WE THINK ABOUT THIS, I, I, I MEAN IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S IN THE, THE R SM P AND, AND, AND NOT A LOT THAT'S GENERATED.
I'M OPEN TO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SOME KIND OF, I, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE PROBLEM WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN DETERMINING, UH, OR WITH THE, THE, THE, THE SUBDIVISION PROCESS WAS THAT IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE TO EVEN CALCULATE THE NUMBER.
UH, AND THEN YOU GET TO THE NUMBER THAT YOU CALCULATE AND THEN YOU PAY A HUGE AMOUNT.
I MEAN, I, I WOULD BE OPEN TO SOMETHING MUCH SIMPLER, LIKE A FEE AND LIE AGAIN, A VERY, YOU KNOW, BUT SOMETHING TO FUND TO HELP FILL THE, THE, THE RSMP, UH, AGAIN, AS WE TALK ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, SITE PLAN LIGHT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, FEE AND LU SEEMS TO ME TO BE ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE SO THAT WE CAN GET AN ALTERNATE FUNDING SOURCE FOR, UH, FOR FLOOD CONTROL AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, I BELIEVE THE PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE THE STAFF PROPOSALS FOR THIS MISSING MIDDLE, WE WOULD ELIMINATE THAT FEE.
UH, AT THE BELOW 11,500 IS ELIMINATED OR BELOW EVEN WITH A SIDE PLAN LIGHT.
ALL THE WAY TO ALL THE WAY TO ONE ACRE.
COUNCILOR VELA, I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE SUPPORT THERE TO MAINTAIN A FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE RSP, UH, COLLEAGUES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER LANE HAS A QUESTION, BUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, COUNCIL LANE, YOU'LL CLOSE THIS OUT.
ACTUALLY, UH, JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
UM, I FEEL SO FORTUNATE TO BE JOINING THIS COUNCIL AT THIS TIME.
I AM SO GRATEFUL TO THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT JUST FOR THEIR WORK BEFORE I ARRIVED, BUT ALSO FOR ALL OF THE IMPORTANT DISCUSSION THAT HAS OCCURRED HERE.
I'M SO NEW TO THIS COUNCIL, BUT THIS HAS BEEN NEEDED FOR DECADES, THIS TYPE OF WORK AND THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS.
I CANNOT EXPRESS TO YOU HOW GRATEFUL I AM FOR THIS WORK SESSION, FOR HAVING IT BE PULLED ALSO FOR THE AMAZING WELCOME THAT I HAVE GOTTEN FROM SOME OF THE STAFF WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN OUT WITH ME IN D SIX.
I SEE SOME OF YOU HERE RIGHT NOW SPEAKING AND WE'LL BE DOING MORE TO TALK ABOUT HOW THOSE ISSUES RELATE TO THIS DISCUSSION.
UM, I DO WANNA ELEVATE THAT DISTRICT SIX IS ALSO AN AREA IN WHICH THERE IS OLDER DEVELOPMENT IN WHICH
[01:05:01]
THERE ARE AREAS THAT HAVE HAD LONG STANDING FLOODING ISSUES THAT I HONESTLY DON'T SEE A PATH TO RESOLVING WITHOUT REGIONAL CONTROLS OF SOME SORT.AND SO I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS DISCUSSION AND TO BE ABLE TO JOIN ON THE SHOULDERS OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS COME BEFORE ME SO WE CAN GET SOMEWHERE THAT'S MORE EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT RIDE ALONG.
THANK YOU COUNCIL, WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU ON THE DAAS.
ALRIGHT, COLLEAGUES, THAT CONCLUDES THIS BRIEFING.
WE APPRECIATE STAFF FOR THE UPDATE AND, UH, THE THOROUGH CONVERSATION.
[A. Pre-Selected Agenda Items]
TO A COUNCIL ITEM THAT HAS BEEN PULLED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PAIGE ELLIS.THIS ITEM IS RELATES TO AMENDING CITY CODE CHAPTERS 12 THREE, WHICH IS RELATED TO METER AND PAY STATION PARKING.
UH, PROVIDING THE BRIEFING AND RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS WILL BE JIM DALE WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU TO OPEN.
AS JIM DALE MAKES HIS WAY DOWN HERE, UM, AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, WE HAD TO POSTPONE THIS AT THE LAST MINUTE.
UM, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS THAT MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA HAD BROUGHT UP.
AND WE WANTED TO HAVE TIME TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE UNDERSTANDING ALL THE ANGLES AND DETAILS, UM, AS THIS PROPOSAL MOVES FORWARD.
AND SO THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF FOR SITTING DOWN WITH US.
WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO HAVE A SUBSEQUENT MEETING WITH MARY JANE GRUB, OUR, UM, OUR DAC COURT CLERK.
AND SO, UM, SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS HAVE HAPPENED.
THERE'S BEEN A MEMO ALSO FROM A CM ROGERS THAT HAS BEEN CIRCULATED AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL FIND THAT IN THEIR EMAIL AS WELL.
BUT I WILL GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO LEWIS AND JIM FOR A PRESENTATION.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER AND GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM AND, UH, THE REST OF THE COUNCIL.
UM, WE'RE GLAD TO BE HERE TODAY.
I SERVE AS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS AND JUST SOME ORIENTATION.
THIS WILL BE NUMBER ITEM 26 ON THE AGENDA THIS THURSDAY.
UM, BACK ON JANUARY 30TH, WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT THIS TO COUNCIL, IT WAS ITEM NUMBER 72.
SOME DISCUSSION, UM, ENSUED THERE ON THE DIOCESE, WHICH LED TO SOME MEETINGS FOR, UM, THAT WE'VE HAD WITH A COUPLE OF COUNCIL'S OFFICES AND SOME TWEAKING TO, UM, THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE PROPOSING AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT THAT WE WANT TO GO OVER WITH YOU TODAY.
UM, TO MY LEFT, I'LL LET LEWIS INTRODUCE HIMSELF, BUT VERY BLESSED TO BE HERE WITH THIS, UM, GENTLEMAN TO HELP US STEP US THROUGH, UM, THOSE CHANGES.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR PRO, TIM COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY LEWIS LEFT.
I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS.
WE DID SEND OUT THE MEMO YESTERDAY THROUGH THE A CM OFFICE, WHICH LAID OUT SOME OF THE KEY TALKING POINTS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH THE SUB QUORUM IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UH, FIRST ONE IS ABOUT THE MAILING OF CITATIONS.
THIS WAS A URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, AND AS WE LOOKED INTO IT, CONSIDERED, UH, THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS RELATED TO THAT.
WE DID DECIDE TO INCLUDE IT AS WE WERE LOOKING HOLISTICALLY TO UPDATE THIS PARKING CODE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS.
IT REALLY IS A MODERNIZATION OF THE CODE TO REFLECT THE OPERATIONS TODAY AND WHAT WE ANTICIPATE MOVING FORWARD.
SO WE TOOK THAT OPPORTUNITY TO INCLUDE IT.
UH, WE, WE KNOW THAT WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO HAVE IN-PERSON ENFORCEMENT AND DELIVERY OF CITATIONS AS THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF, UH, DELIVERY OF CITATIONS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S ADDITIONAL STEPS AS WE MENTIONED, TO COORDINATE WITH MUNICIPAL COURT AND LAW DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS ON WHAT THAT BUSINESS PROCESS WOULD BE IN THE BACKGROUND TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.
LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES AND HOW THEY'RE DOING IT TODAY, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO, UH, COMMIT TO COMING BACK TO THIS COUNCIL MOBI MOBILITY COMMITTEE IN JULY TO DISCUSS JUST THE CURRENT STATUS OF WHERE WE ARE ANTICIPATING NEXT STEPS AND TIMELINES FROM THAT POINT.
UH, WE ALSO DID, JUST TO NOTE SEPARATELY, UM, UPDATE THE ORDINANCE ITSELF.
THERE IS ONE UPDATE TO THE ORDINANCE WHICH RELATES TO THE TIMELINE, UH, FOR THE ASSUMPTION OF DELIVERY AND RECEIPT OF THAT MAILED CITATION.
IT'D BE 10 DAYS, AND THEN CLARIFYING THAT IT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL 20 DAYS FOR THAT APPEARANCE DATE.
SO, UH, IN LINE WITH WHAT THE DISCUSSIONS WERE WITH THAT SUB QUORUM AND IN LINE WITH WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING TODAY.
UH, THE SECOND PIECE TO THE MEMO WAS ABOUT THE NEW VIOLATIONS IN THE ORDINANCE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S, UH, A TIMEFRAME THAT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE WARNINGS AND EDUCATION FOR THE COMMUNITY AROUND THE NEW VIOLATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED.
SO THERE ARE THREE THAT ARE DEFINED IN THERE, BLOCKING THE SIGNED OR MARKED BIKE LANE, THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING, ACTUALLY HAVING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE THAT DOES CHARGE BEING IN THAT SPOT AND THEN HAVING THE RIGHT OF WAY CLOSURE AREA FOR SPECIAL EVENTS IN PARTICULAR.
THAT WAS A PARKLAND TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION FROM YEARS AGO.
SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO A THREE MONTH TIMEFRAME OF WARNINGS AND EDUCATION AROUND THAT.
THOSE THREE NEW VIOLATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED.
AND THE LAST PIECE IS JUST CLARIFYING AGAIN, THE REST OF THE ORDINANCE WILL FOLLOW THE TYPICAL 10 DAY PERIOD FOR ORDINANCES TO BE EFFECTIVE.
AND OR IF IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO UPDATE SOME SYSTEMS OR SOMETHING ELSE RELATED TO THE CODE CHANGES, UM, IT WOULD BE SHORTLY THEREAFTER THAT 10 DAY PERIOD.
SO, UH, GLAD TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THAT OR OTHERWISE.
THANK YOU COUNCILOR ELLIS, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I KICK IT OVER TO COUNCILOR MARVELLA? UM, JUST, UH, A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
MARY JANE GRABS OUR MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I GOT THAT CLEAR BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT
[01:10:01]
FUNCTIONS AND PURPOSES.UM, BUT APPRECIATE GETTING TO SIT DOWN WITH STAFF.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE THIS MEMO.
I KNOW THIS, UM, THIS RESOLUTION CAME FROM FOLKS THAT CAME TO CITY COUNCIL AND SPOKE TO US ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT PEOPLE PARKING IN BIKE LANES WAS VERY, VERY DANGEROUS TO CYCLISTS.
AND SO I APPRECIATE, UM, STAFF'S ATTENTION TO THIS IN A WAY THAT WILL HELP PROTECT CYCLISTS AND, AND EVERYBODY ON THE ROAD.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SEEN INCIDENCES WHERE PEOPLE ARE PARKED IN BIKE LANES AND THEY'VE SEEN PEOPLE ON SCOOTERS OR BICYCLES HAVE TO VEER INTO THE LANE OF TRAFFIC TO BE ABLE TO GET, UM, WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
AND SO I KNOW THIS IS, UM, A ROBUST AND INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE EDUCATIONAL PERIOD BEING PART OF THIS.
'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT LEGITIMATELY JUST DON'T REALIZE THE DANGER THAT THEY'RE PUTTING OTHER PEOPLE IN.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMING AND ASKING FOR US TO LOOK AT THIS COMPREHENSIVELY.
AND AS WE'VE SAT DOWN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IN HIS OFFICE, HE'S HAD A NUMBER OF REALLY GREAT DETAILED QUESTIONS AS WELL TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN THE RIGHT SPOT.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
UH, I THINK THE SUGGESTIONS ARE, ARE, ARE EXCELLENT AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT ANY CAMERA BASED ENFORCEMENT.
I AM A A FIERCE DEFENDER OF CIVIL LIBERTIES AND VERY SKEPTICAL AND, UH, CONCERNED WITH, UH, KIND OF VIDEO ENFORCEMENT OF ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, CRIMINAL, CIVIL, UH, AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF PAUSING JUST A BIT TO THINK THROUGH THIS AND TO PREPARE AND THAT IT'LL BE COMING BACK TO ANY PROPOSAL WILL BE COMING BACK TO, UH, THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
AND AGAIN, I I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ELLIS'S OFFICE AND, UH, STAFF, UH, WORKING WITH US SO CLOSELY TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND, AND I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD, UH, PRODUCT ULTIMATELY THAT THAT'S COMING OUTTA HERE, THAT'S GONNA ACCOMPLISH THE BIKE LANE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM BECAUSE, UH, THAT, THAT IS ULTIMATELY THE GOAL.
AND, AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER MORALES BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE DAAS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
COLLEAGUES SEEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS AT HAND, IT IS 10:12 AM AND I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING.