[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:06]
UM, TODAY IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY THE 11TH, 2025.
THIS IS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MEETING FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.
UM, THE PURPOSE AND, AND FRONT AND BACK.
SO JUST DOES THIS INCLUDE MY ONLINE PEOPLE? I, I, I THINK SO.
HOW DO I KNOW WHO'S ONLINE, WHO'S NOT? THEY'LL BE ON THERE AND I'LL, I'LL KIND OF GIVE YOU UPDATE WHO'S ONLINE, BUT IF YOU DON'T SEE THOSE TWO PEOPLE, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THEM BECAUSE THEY DID SIGN ONLINE.
THE, THIS IS THE FEBRUARY MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THE BOARD IS TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL, UH, IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. OUR AGENDA AS WE CALL TO ORDER, I WILL SAY GOOD EVENING TO THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE PRESENT.
GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER TOVER.
GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER HOSTEL, COMMI.
GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES.
GOOD EVENING, VICE CHAIR, NOAH, ELIAS.
WE HAVE GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER ORTIZ.
COMMISSIONER TISHA AND MYSELF ARE PRESENT.
WE WILL BEGIN, WE WILL FOLLOW THE AGENDA AS, UM, PRINTED AND WE DO HAVE A, UM, LARGE LIST OF COMMUNITY SPEAKERS AND WE WELCOME EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
WE'RE DELIGHTED FOR YOU TO BE HERE.
OUR PURPOSE IS TO BE HERE FOR THE COMMUNITY, PART OF OUR NAME, THE COMMUNITY, SO IT'S ALL ABOUT Y'ALL.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.THE, UM, SPEAKERS THAT WE HAVE HERE WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER.
UH, YOU WILL BE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES, AND WE'RE GONNA REALLY STRONGLY ENFORCE THAT TODAY BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF SPEAKERS.
UM, AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS, UH, REGARDING ANYTHING THAT'S NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA.
I DO HAVE A LIST HERE, UM, FOR GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS.
I DO SEE, UM, MANY THAT HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN ITEM NUMBER FIVE THAT'S ON OUR AGENDA.
AND SO, UM, YOU ALL WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK, UM, AT THAT TIME.
UM, I DO HAVE, ONCE THAT DOESN'T INDICATE, AND WE'LL FIND OUT, UM, COME SEE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, ELIA, IS IT EDWIN, WHETHER OR NOT EDWIN IS A GENERAL COMMUNICATION ITEM FIVE.
AND THE SAME THING FOR LISA? YEAH, ITEM FIVE.
I CAN HOLD THOSE UNTIL WE GET TO ITEM FIVE.
SO WE'LL DO, WE'LL BEGIN WITH OUR GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS, UM, AND THE ORDER IN WHICH I HAVE, THOSE WILL BE ALEXIA
[00:05:01]
AND EVERYONE PLEASE, UH, PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME WHEN YOU COME TO THE, UM, UM, DAIS.THIS IS, UM, THE FIRST 10 SPEAKERS ARE ALLOWED TO SPEAK AS WELL, SO, OKAY.
WELL, WE MIGHT NOT MAKE IT THROUGH EVEN IF THEY'RE INDICATING THEY WANNA BE ON FOR ITEM FIVE, FIRST 10 FOR GENERAL COMMUNICATION.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION.
UM, ALL RIGHT THEN, WE'LL, WE'LL JUST GO IN THE ORDER THAT WE HAVE HERE, ALL 10.
I'LL DO THE FIRST THREE OR SO NOW, AND THEN I'LL, I'LL CALL YOU ALL AS, UH, HAWK SOLO ADRIAN AND MARI GUTIERREZ WILL BE OUR FIRST FOUR.
AND THEN WE'LL, UH, CALL YOU ALL UP IN THE NEXT ORDER.
MY NAME IS ALEXIA CLE AND I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH BODA AND COMMUNITY POWERED A TX.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, AUSTIN IS AS A CROSSROADS.
OVER THE PAST DECADE, OUR CITY HAS BECOME ONE OF THE LEAST AFFORDABLE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, AND ONE OF THE MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED IN EAST AUSTIN.
DECADES OF REDLINING AND SYSTEMIC DISINVESTMENT HAVE LEFT COMMUNITIES VULNERABLE TO RAPID GENTRIFICATION, PUSHING OUT LONGTIME RESIDENTS, WHILE TECH BILLIONAIRES AND DEVELOPERS PROFIT FROM OUR HISTORY OF EXCLUSION.
THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, Y'ALL REPRESENT AUSTIN'S MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, AND THEREFORE, Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN ZONING PROCESSES, ESPECIALLY AS ZONING CHANGES SUCH AS HOME.
THE E TODDS DB 90 CONTINUE TO DRIVE DISPLACEMENT IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
IT IS MORE CRITICAL NOW THAN EVER THAT COMMUNITY ADVOCATES AND ESPECIALLY THOSE DIRECTLY IMPACTED AND HISTORICALLY IMPACTED, HAVE A SAY AND CONTINUE TO ENGAGE AND INFLUENCE CHANGES IN THESE PROTOCOLS TO ENSURE THAT EQUITY IS CENTERED IN ZONING CHANGES AND THAT HEALTHY OUTCOMES FOR WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR RESULT.
WE NEED TO START ADDRESSING ZONING CASES BASED ON THEIR IMPACTS, ON AFFORDABILITY, ON DISPLACEMENT RISK, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
INSTEAD OF BLINDLY JUST FOLLOWING DEVELOPER INTERESTS, WHICH IS TO MAKE PROFIT DEVELOPMENT SHOULD PROVIDE TANGIBLE COMMUNITY BENEFITS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HEALTHCARE, FOOD ACCESS, GREEN SPACES.
AND WITH THE RIGHT POLICIES AND GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP, AUSTIN CAN SET A NATIONAL PRESIDENT FOR EQUITABLE LAND USE.
AND SO I'M HOPING THAT Y'ALL CAN BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN ZONING CHANGES AND HAVE A SAY IN ORDER TO ENSURE A MORE EQUITABLE OUTCOME.
MY NAME IS ADRIAN MACIAS AND I'M FROM ALESS.
I'M ALSO A YOUTH COORDINATOR FOR PORTA.
WITH THE RECENT ZONING CHANGES SUCH AS DB 90 AT HOME, ME AND MY COMMUNITY HAVE NOTICED THAT THE NEW ZONING CHANGES ONLY BENEFIT THE RICH AND LEAVE THE LOW INCOMING WORKERS DISPLACED.
WE ASK YOU TO WORK WITH US IN PRESSURING THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO CREATE AN EQUITY SLASH ANTI-DISPLACEMENT OVERLAY THROUGH A COMMUNITY-BASED PROCESS IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE PROTECTION OF COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS AND RISK OF DISPLACEMENT.
THE IDEA BEHIND THE EQUITY OVERLAY IS TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ALSO PRODUCE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH THE CRAFTING OF THE OVERLAY.
IT SHOULD BE CRAFTED BY THOSE THAT WERE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY DISPLACEMENT, AS WELL AS THE FRONTLINE ORGANIZATIONS WE ARE ASKING FOR EQUITY TO BE CONSIDERED.
SO DISPLACEMENT AND GENTRIFICATION IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT FOR ZONING CHANGES THAT HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS SHOULD BE APPLIED FOR ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS IDENTIFIED AS VULNERABLE.
AND SINCE THIS COMMISSION'S PURPOSE IS TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITIES, WE ARE ASKING YOU, WE ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO BE INVOLVED IN ACCESSING ZONING CHANGES.
MY NAME IS MA AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON THE URGENT ISSUE OF GENTRIFICATION IN EAST AUSTIN.
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS LONG HOME TO BLACK BROWN, AND WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES ARE BEING OVERRUN BY UNCHECKED DEVELOPMENT, DRIVING UP RENTS, DISPLACING FAMILIES, AND ERASING THE CULTURE AND HISTORY THAT MAKES THIS COMMUNITY WHAT IT IS.
[00:10:01]
WAS DISPLACED RECENTLY, WE'VE BEEN SEEING MORE DENSITY BONUS 90, ALLOWING LUXURY DEVELOPERS TO PROFIT.WHILE AFFORDABILITY REMAINS AN AFTERTHOUGHT, THESE POLICIES CLAIM TO HELP, BUT IN REALITY, THEY ARE ACCELERATING GENTRIFICATION AND DO LITTLE TO KEEP OUR MOST VULNERABLE NEIGHBORHOODS HOUSED.
THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE THAT MOST IMPACT BY THE DISPLACEMENT.
I CAN ASK YOU TO BE INVOLVED IN THE ZONING PROCESS, ENSURE THAT DEVELOPMENT SERVES AS A COMMUNITY RATHER THAN DISPLACING IT.
WE NEED REAL AFFORDABILITY, STRONGER TENANT PROTECTIONS, AND A COMMITMENT TO PRESERVE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, NOT JUST MORE HIGH RISES WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT EIGHT AND I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH COMMUNITY POWERED A TX.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY, LIKE RIGHT NOW, TO FIGHT DIFFERENT ZONING CASES TO PREVENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FROM BEING DESTROYED IN ORDER TO MAKE WAY FOR LUXURY DEVELOPMENT AND NOT TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING DENSITY THAT IS ACTUALLY NEEDED.
UM, WE ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE PROCESS TO ENSURE EQUITY IS CONSIDERED IN AWE CASES HAPPENING IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
UM, SINCE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS THE POOR PEOPLE'S COMMISSION, WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS COMMISSION TO BE INVOLVED IN MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING ZONING CASES IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT TO ENSURE EQUITY, UM, IS IN CONS, IN IS INCLUDED IN THAT DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
UM, THERE WE SEE HISTORICALLY AND EVEN TODAY THAT MOST OF THE DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPENING IN THESE AREAS CONSIDERED VULNERABLE.
WE'RE SEEING MORE DENSITY BONUS CASES SUCH AS DB 90.
THE OVERLAY SHOULD BE CRAFTED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY DISPLACEMENT, INCLUDING LOW INCOME HOMEOWNERS, RENTERS, AND UNHOUSED RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS FRONTLINE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITH THESE COMMUNITIES.
THE OVERLAY SHOULD ENCOURAGE TRULY AFFORDABLE DENSITY RATHER THAN INCENTIVIZING MARKET RATE, UNAFFORDABLE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH ONLY ACCELERATES DISPLACEMENT AND DRIVES UP HOUSING COSTS AND INCENTIVIZES THE DEMOLITION OF EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND I HAVE A SLIGHT CORRECTION.
THE NEXT ONE WILL BE SHANE JOHNSON.
AND THAT WILL BE OUR LAST ONE THAT IS PART OF OUR GENERAL, UM, COMMUNICATION.
UH, SHANE JOHNSON, HE, HIM PRONOUNS, UH, WITH D SEVEN, UH, RESIDENT OF D SEVEN A NATIVE AUSTINITE.
UH, AND I'M A MEMBER OF COMMUNITY POWERED A TX.
AND, UH, YEAH, LET ME KNOW IF Y'ALL CAN'T HEAR ME.
UM, BUT, UH, SO I, I WANNA EMPHASIZE I'M HERE IN SOLIDARITY WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED AND ACTIVELY FACED DISPLACEMENT, LIKE SOME OF THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS TALKED ABOUT.
UH, WE NEED TO PROACTIVELY WORK TO CENTER EQUITY AND IMPLEMENT REAL POLICIES THAT PREVENT DISPLACEMENT, THAT CREATE REAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND THAT DON'T, YOU KNOW, JUST OPT TO MAXIMIZE AS MUCH NEW HOUSING AS POSSIBLE, REGARDLESS OF THE REALITY ON THE GROUND, IF THAT'S GONNA BE AFFORDABLE.
UH, ESPECIALLY, I KNOW THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF LIKE PRECEDENT AND THINGS THAT THE CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT LOVES TO TALK ABOUT, HOW ESSENTIALLY YOU CAN'T DOWN ZONE.
AND WHEN PREVENTING UPZONING AND GENTRIFYING OR AT RISK NEIGHBORHOODS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR WE NEED TO DO.
IF YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO REVERSE THAT, THEN YOU HAVE TO PREVENT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, SO I'M ENCOURAGING Y'ALL TO PLEASE, UH, PASS THE EQUITY OVERLAY OR PASS THIS PROCESS TO, TO START, UH, AN EQUITY OVERLAY THAT WOULD BE DEVELOPED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THE FRONT LINES AND MOST DIRECTLY IMPACTED PEOPLE.
BASED ON MY LI BASED ON MY LIST, UH, YEAH.
UH, MS. JOSEPH SIGNED, UM, DIGITALLY TO SPEAK.
SO SHE DID SEND THE EMAIL TO SPEAK, SO, OKAY.
THAT SHE CAN COME ON AND SPEAK.
THAT'S THE OFFICER THAT IS NOT MY GENERAL, I'M KIND OF MONITORING ONLINE AS WELL.
SO, UM, EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO BE FOR ITEM FIVE.
[00:15:01]
CHAIR MEMBERS.MY COMMENTS ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH IS, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN.
I JUST WANT TO ASK THAT YOU GET AN UPDATE FROM THE CITY'S MOBILITY STAFF.
THERE'S A SLIDE THAT I ACTUALLY HAVE FOR YOU THAT SHOWS THE PATHWAY TO THE CAMPO MEETING YESTERDAY.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE CAPITAL AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION APPOINTS THREE MEMBERS TO CAPITAL METRO'S BOARD.
THEIR MEETING YESTERDAY WAS AT TWO O'CLOCK.
THEY ONLY ALLOW ONE MINUTE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT IN ORDER TO GET THERE, YOU HAVE TO CROSS 360.
I WASN'T ABLE TO GET THERE BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S CONSTRUCTION GOING ON.
WHEELCHAIRS, WALKERS, AND CANES, WOMEN WITH CHILDREN AND STROLLER CAN'T GET THERE.
I NEED THIS COMMISSION TO ACTUALLY FILE SOME TYPE OF RESOLUTION AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS DOES NOT MEET A DA REGULATIONS.
I AM REALLY AT A LOSS FOR WORDS, BUT I'M HEALTHY AND I CAN WALK IT.
BUT I WANT YOU TO SEE THE NEXT SLIDE WHERE THE CITY ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGED IT'S DISCRIMINATION WHEN THEY DID THE A STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN UPDATE.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE IN 2023 WHEN THEY DID A TX WALK BIKE ROLL, YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE IT.
BUT WHERE YOU SEE THE LITTLE PICTURE OF ME WALKING ON NORTH LAMAR, I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE CITY IN THEIR OWN DOCUMENTATION, ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES.
AND ONE OF THE PLACES THEY ACKNOWLEDGED WAS NORTH LAMAR.
BUT TODAY, YOU WON'T SEE ANY IMPROVEMENTS THERE BECAUSE BURIED IN THE MAY 7TH, 2024 URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING, YOU'LL SEE ON PAGE 13 OF 13 WHERE THEY HAVE DEFERRED BREAKER TO PALMER LANE.
THAT IS WHERE I HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT DONALD NORTON WAS KILLED JANUARY 30TH, 2016.
HE WAS KILLED IN HIS WHEELCHAIR, IN HIS SERVICE ANIMAL LIVED.
I NEED THIS COMMISSION TO NOT JUST BE COMPLACENT, BUT TO RECOGNIZE THAT PEOPLE ARE DYING ON NORTH AMAR AND THAT THE CITY IS PRIORITIZING AIRPORT BOULEVARD IN HYDE PARK, 45TH STREET, WHERE THE RAIL WILL GO.
IT IS NOT AN EQUITABLE SYSTEM.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHILE THE NEW ADMINISTRATION IS LOOKING AT FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE, FRAUD IS TRYING TO GET SOMETHING OF VALUE THROUGH WILLFUL MISREPRESENTATION.
AND THEY HAVE REPRESENTED THE AREA OF HYDE PARK AS NORTH OF THE CITY.
HYDE PARK WASN'T NORTH OF THE CITY SINCE 1889 WHEN HYDE PARK WAS DEVELOPED EXCLUSIVELY FOR WHITE PEOPLE 1889 AND 1924 BY COLONEL MONROE SHEE.
AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHILE YOU MAY, AND SOME OF YOU MAY ACTUALLY LIKE PROJECT CONNECT, THAT MEANS YOU ARE COMPLICIT IN THE DISCRIMINATION OCCURRING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TODAY.
AND YES, DUST SPRINGS IS IMPROVING, BUT NORTH AUSTIN IS NOT.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THIS TIME, I KNOW YOU CAN'T ASK ME QUESTIONS.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR INFORMATION AND YOUR PASSION.
THIS CONCLUDES, UNLESS THERE'S ANYONE AT ONLINE, AS FAR AS MY GENERAL SPEAKERS, THAT'S WHO I WAS LOOKING FOR EARLIER.
EVERYONE ELSE IS LISTED FOR ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
WE WILL PROCEED THROUGH OUR AGENDA AND, UM, PROGRESS FORWARD.
UM, AND THANK YOU ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SPOKE, UM, YOU ARE HEARD.
UM, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE APPROVAL OF
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MINUTES COMMISSIONERS.WE DO HAVE OUR JANUARY 14TH, UM, MINUTES THAT ARE, UH, IN OUR PACKET.
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THEM AND LET US KNOW OF ANY CORRECTIONS.
I RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER ACHILLES.
I HAVE, I HAVE SEVERAL CORRECTIONS ACTUALLY.
SO I HAVE THEM AND I CAN SEND THEM TO STAFF AS BULLET POINTS.
I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER PORTER HAD ALREADY GIVEN NOTICE, WHICH MEANS HE SHOULDN'T BE LISTED AS ABSENT.
UM, THE OTHER, AND NOR SHOULD HE HAVE BEEN ON TODAY'S AGENDA ROSTER.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THREE COMMISSIONERS LISTED TWICE.
UM, COMMISSIONER TISHA WAS REMOTE COMMISSIONER DELGADO DELGADO WAS IN PERSON, AND COMMISSIONER WOODS WAS REMOTE, BUT THEY'RE ON THERE TWICE.
SO JUST WANTED TO, TO CORRECT THAT.
AND THEN I THINK SMALL NOTE, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK DIRECTOR DEMAYO
[00:20:01]
WAS ALSO HERE UNDERSTAFFED, BUT, UM, JUST A SMALL POINT.MS. UH, COMMISSIONER A KEES, I APPRECIATE YOU, UM, VOICING THOSE, UM, RIGHT OFF THE BACK.
I DO WANNA SAY THAT, UM, IN THE FUTURE, AGENDA ITEMS, UM, AS FAR AS LIKE ELECTION PROCESS FOR PRIVATE SECTOR AND OR PUBLIC SECTOR APPOINTEES, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S LIKE AN ELECTION PROCESS WHEN IT COMES TO A PUBLICLY APPOINTED A PUBLIC SECTOR APPOINTEE.
THAT WILL BE AMENDED AND REMOVED FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR COMMISSIONERS.
OTHER CORRECTIONS TO OUR BASIC AGENDA AND MINUTES? ALL RIGHT.
HEARING NONE OTHER, ARE WE GOOD? OKAY.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES WITH THOSE CORRECTIONS.
WE HAVE COMM, VICE CHAIR ALIAS HAS MADE THE MOTION.
COMMISSIONER TOLIVER HAS SECONDED.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, COMMISSIONERS, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF MAKING THE, UM, APPROVING THE MINUTES WITH THE CORRECTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SO NOTED.
PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
LOOKS LIKE I HAVE EVERYONE ON, ON, ON SCREEN AS WELL.
THAT IS UNANIMOUS WITH THOSE CORRECTIONS.
WE DO HAVE FOUR ITEMS ON OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. WE'LL BEGIN WITH
[2. Presentation regarding the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) activities and outcomes (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health).]
ON HELL ON HELL, UH, WILL COME WITH A PRESENTATION FOR THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, OUR CSBG, OUR ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES.IS THIS THE RIGHT ONE? UH, YES.
I'M SANO OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
HERE TO GIVE MY MONTHLY, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, PROGRAMMATIC AND FINANCIAL REPORT.
I ALWAYS START WITH THE MISSION.
UH, 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 BASIC NEEDS SERVICES, PREVENTIVE HEALTH, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS.
THE BOTTOM OF PAGE, UH, ONE SUMMARIZES THE, UH, EXPENDITURES TO DATE.
THIS IS STILL THE 2024, UH, BUDGET.
WE ADD AN EXTENSION THROUGH MARCH OF 25.
UM, WE'RE ABOUT 78% EXPENDED ON THAT BUDGET.
AND TO REMIND YOU ALL, UH, THOSE FUNDS GO TO PERSONNEL WHO PROVIDES CSPG RELATED SERVICES.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE TWO, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS BEHIND IN TERMS OF THE DATA.
UM, SO THIS ACTUALLY GOES THROUGH DECEMBER OF 24, SO IT KIND OF GIVES YOU A PICTURE OF ALL OF CALENDAR YEAR 24.
OUR TRANSITIONS, UH, GOAL WAS 43 THAT SET BY THE STATE.
UM, AND WE HAD 47 TRANSITIONS OUTTA POVERTY LAST YEAR.
WE'RE HOPING TO DO THE SAME THIS YEAR.
UM, IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE, I'LL FOCUS ON A COUPLE OF OUTCOMES, UH, FOR THE YEAR, UH, HOUSE ALSO TO AVOIDED EVICTION.
WE, UH, HELPED 1,216 INDIVIDUALS, UH, AVOID EVICTION AND STAY HOUSED THROUGH OUR RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, FIVE D INDIVIDUALS WHO IMPROVE SKILLS RELATED TO THE ADULT ROLE OF PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS.
IT'S NOT A HUGE PROGRAM, BUT IT DEFINITELY MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF, UH, YOU SEE HERE, 95 INDIVIDUALS.
UM, WE PROVIDE CAR SEATS FOR NO COST AND, UM, INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO BUCKLE THEM APPROPRIATELY.
I THINK I MENTIONED LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
IT, IT'S A 40 HOUR CERTIFICATION TO LEARN HOW TO BUCKLE A CAR SEAT APPROPRIATELY.
SO ALL OUR STAFF ARE CERTIFIED CAR SEAT TECHNICIANS.
UM, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH THAT GOAL BEING MET.
IF YOU GO DOWN TO SERVICE FIVE, JJ, OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS, AS YOU ALL KNOW AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME KNOW AS WELL, UH, NOT ONLY IS HOUSING EXPENSIVE, FOOD IS EXPENSIVE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF FOOD INSECURITY IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHICH
[00:25:01]
WE TRY TO ADDRESS WITH PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AND SOME FOOD RECOVERY PROGRAMS. UH, WE SERVED, UH, ALMOST 93,000 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS THIS PAST YEAR.UH, IF YOU LOOK BACK TO THE YEAR BEFORE, IT WAS 72,000 SOME ODD NUMBERS.
SO ABOUT 20,000 MORE PEOPLE RECEIVED FOOD DISTRIBUTION SERVICES.
SO AGAIN, IT JUST SPEAKS TO THE, THE CRISIS THERE IS REGARDING FOOD INSECURITY.
IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE BOTTOM, PROGRAMMATIC ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES, NUMBER ONE, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
THE ONLY THING I'LL SAY ABOUT THAT IS THAT, UH, WE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO OPENING UP, UH, THE SOUTH AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, THE BLACKLAND NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, AND THE ROSA OSA NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
AFTER EXTENSIVE RENOVATIONS AND HVAC SERVICES, OTHER THINGS WERE UNCOVERED AS WELL.
SO THERE'S BEEN A FEW DELAYS, UH, DUE TO THEM TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE EVERYTHING SPAN AND NEW AGAIN.
UM, AGAIN, THESE CENTERS HAVE BEEN OPEN SINCE THE SEVENTIES WITHOUT ANY MAJOR RENOVATION, SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT.
SO, MORE GOOD NEWS NEXT MONTH WHEN I GET SOME MORE, UM, SPECIFIC DATES.
AGAIN, THE DOVE SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER FOR COMMISSIONER JASO.
AND THE REST OF YOU, UH, WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO GET THAT CENTER FULLY OPERATIONAL.
WE ARE PROVIDING, UH, SERVICES THERE.
UH, WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK, UH, TO BRING A MOBILE, MOBILE PANTRY DISTRIBUTION TO THAT AREA.
UH, SO HOPEFULLY MORE NEWS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS ABOUT THAT.
CURRENTLY, IT'S, UM, OVER AT ONION CREEK SOCCER COMPLEX.
UH, BUT WE WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE MORE PEOPLE IF WE MOVE IT TO, UM, THE DUST SPRINGS REC CENTER.
UH, NUMBER EIGHT, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
ELECTIONS, UH, ELECTIONS WERE HELD ON MONDAY, JANUARY 27TH, 2025 FOR THE SEATS IN THE EIGHT GEOGRAPHIC AREAS TO REPRESENT LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS.
UH, THE ROSES AT GOZA BLACKLAND OF SPRINGS, NORTH AUSTIN AND MONTOPOLIS SEATS WERE FILLED IN THOSE ELECTIONS.
UH, THE NEW PROCESS THAT WE HAD SET IN PLACE, UH, WENT WITHOUT A HITCH AT THOSE CENTERS.
UH, WE DID NOT GET, UH, ANY CANDIDATES THAT FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH THE ELECTION, UH, FOR ST.
JOHN COLONY PARK IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
WE DID HAVE FOLKS AT THAT LOCATION PROMOTING THE ELECTION FOR, UH, FEBRUARY.
UH, AS OF TONIGHT, UH, FIVE PEOPLE HAVE FILLED OUT INTEREST FORMS FOR THE FEBRUARY 24TH ELECTION FOR THOSE THREE, UH, AREAS.
JOHN, TWO AT COLONY PARK, AND TWO AT SOUTH AUSTIN.
SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THOSE SEATS WILL HAVE SOMEONE IN THE, IN THERE FOR, UM, MARCH OR APRIL ONCE THEY GET BETTERED AND, AND APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
SO THAT IS HOPEFUL AND EXCITING.
CANDIDATES CAN STILL COMPLETE AN INTEREST FORM, UH, BY FEBRUARY 14TH IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR ONE OF THOSE SEATS AGAIN, THAT IS THE, UM, ST.
JOHN'S COLONY PARK IN SOUTH AUSTIN SEATS.
ANOTHER ELECTION WILL BE HELD AS WELL ON FEBRUARY 24TH FOR THE CDC EAST AUSTIN SEAT TO ENSURE THAT CANDIDATES WHO COMPLETED THE REQUIRED CANDIDATE INTEREST FORM BY THE POSTED DEADLINE CAN FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
I'LL BE SPEAKING MORE ABOUT THE ELECTIONS ON ITEM THREE WITH, UH, NEFERTITI JACKMAN.
UM, BUT FOR NOW, UH, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE IN TERMS OF THE ELECTIONS AND THE STATUS.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE GRANT? THE, UM, THE BLOCK GRANT, THE, UH, CSBG, THE PRESENTATION THAT ON HELD.
I'LL START WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER.
WHAT TIME WAS THE VOTING ON FEBRUARY 24? UH, IT'LL BE 10:00 AM TO 7:00 PM AND FOR YOUR AREA COMMISSIONER TOLER? IT'LL BE AT, UH, DE TURNER ROBERTS REC CENTER.
COMMISSIONER REC I, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
UM, UH, MR. SAMANO, THE, THE NUMBER SERVED ON THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION, DOES THAT INCLUDE REPEAT USERS OR THAT'S JUST INDIVIDUALS? THESE ARE UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS.
AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS, SO YOU SAID THAT FOR ST.
JOHN'S COLONY PARK AND SOUTH AUSTIN, THERE WERE NO CANDIDATES THE FIRST TIME, UH, CORRECT.
WE HAD FOLKS FILL, FILL OUT THE INTEREST FORM BY THE DUE DATE, BUT SOME FOLKS DID NOT LIVE IN THE AREA.
[00:30:01]
THE FLYER THOROUGHLY AND SUBMITTED THEIR INTEREST.AND THEN ONCE WE TRIED TO VET THEM, THEY FELL OFF.
SO, UM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, UH, SOUTH AUSTIN BLACKLAND AND ROSEWOOD OSA, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, HVAC RENOVATIONS AND THE AGE OF THOSE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
UM, I KNOW THE EAST AUSTIN ONE AS WELL, THE ONE ON AL IS ALSO, UH, VERY OLD.
ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO RE COMPLETELY RENOVATE OR, OR REDO ANY OF THOSE CENTERS? UH, I, I BELIEVE THE EAST AUSTIN CENTER HAD HAD SOME RENOVATIONS.
THEY'VE BEEN MORE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEY ALSO WERE, IT WAS JUST PAINTED THE OTHER IT A MONTH OR TWO AGO.
BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY MAJOR EXPANSION OR REMODELING OF THAT CENTER IN ANY OF THE OTHER ONES.
THE ONES YOU MENTIONED SOUTH AUSTIN BLACKLINE ROSEWOOD, SOUTH AUSTIN IS BEING RENOVATED RIGHT NOW.
JOHN'S IS IN GRAY SHAPE ON TOP OF, THIS IS ALMOST NEW.
VICE CHAIR COMMISSIONER DELGADO.
UM, YEAH, I JUST WANNA KIND OF ECHO, UM, WHAT OUR VICE CHAIR STATED.
UM, SO MY QUESTION FOR EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, IT HAD BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE I VISITED THE SITE, AND I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE HAD AN ELECTION THERE.
I THINK IT WAS REALLY A LONG TIME AGO.
SO WHEN I DID ATTEND THE SITE DURING THIS VOTING PROCESS, THE BUILDING LOOKED VERY, VERY AGED.
UM, THE LIGHTING WAS VERY, VERY POOR.
'CAUSE IT DOES GET DARK EARLY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS CLOSED.
UM, THERE WAS NOT, UM, A LOT OF LIGHTING.
THE LIGHTS THAT ARE ON THAT BUILDING LOOK PROBABLY ABOUT OVER 20 YEARS OLD.
UM, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT COME ON WHEN THE, WHEN IT GETS DARK.
THE A DA, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH YOU ALL THAT Y'ALL DO ON THE CENTERS, I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE UP TO PAR ON THAT.
I KNOW THAT PEOPLE THAT WERE IN WALKERS AND WHEELCHAIRS, 'CAUSE THE CLINIC IS RIGHT THERE.
AND THEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER'S RIGHT THERE, UM, THEY HAD TROUBLE GETTING OVER THAT THRESH THAT'S RIGHT THERE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU PRESS THE BUTTON, IT'S SUPPOSED TO OPEN AUTOMATICALLY, WHICH IT DOES, BUT THERE'S NO, UM, RAMP AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT KIND OF GETS THEM OVER THE, THE, THE LITTLE THRUSH MM-HMM
SO WE HAD TO HELP PEOPLE GET UP THERE.
AND SO I DID SEE A LOT OF MAINTENANCE, UM, ISSUES.
UH, IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE A WELCOMING NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, UH, FOR MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IT, I'M REALLY UPSET AT MYSELF 'CAUSE I'VE NEVER, I HAVEN'T VISITED IN LIKE OVER FIVE YEARS.
BUT WHEN I DID THIS TIME, I WAS VERY, VERY CONCERNED, VERY DISAPPOINTED.
UM, AND I WANT TO WORK, UH, WITH THE DEPARTMENT OR WHOEVER, UH, TO GET OUR EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, UH, BRAND NEW, JUST LIKE, UH, MONTAO AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS LIKE DEV SPRINGS.
SO, UH, WE ARE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PROJECTS.
UM, AND WE'VE JUST REALLY BEEN UNDERSERVED IN SO MANY WAYS.
SO I REALLY HOPE THAT THAT COULD BE A FUTURE DISCUSSION FOR THIS AGENDA.
COMMISSIONER DELGADO COMMISSIONERS, UM, THAT ARE ON THE DICE REMOTELY? YES.
IS THAT COMMISSIONER ARNOLD? COMMISSIONER ARNOLD? YES.
UM,
AND THEN ALSO THINKING AHEAD IN THE PROSPECT OF NONPROFITS BEING AFFECTED.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS SOME REASSURANCE THAT YOU CAN PRESENT AND PROVIDE, UM, FOR
[00:35:01]
THOSE THAT MIGHT BE TUNING IN, UH, IN REGARDS TO NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS BEING ABLE TO SUSTAIN THROUGH ANY TYPE OF VOLATILE SITUATIONS THAT MIGHT UNPLANNED APPEAR.WELL, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR OTHER NONPROFITS.
UM, I KNOW IT IS A VERY TENSE TIME.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT QUESTION UP.
THERE'S A LOT OF STAFF AND CLIENTS WHO ARE ANXIOUS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
UH, STAFF IN TERMS OF FUNDING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR POSITIONS ARE GRANT FUNDED, AS I MENTIONED, THE CSBG GRANT FUNDS.
UM, AND THEN OUR CLIENTS OBVIOUSLY HAVING TO DEAL WITH IMMIGRATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE POLICIES.
UM, I, I DO HAVE, UM, SOME GOOD NEWS.
WE HAVE NOT HEARD, UH, THAT OUR FUNDING IS, UH, JEOPARDIZED FROM THE STATE THAT PROVIDES THE FUNDING.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, DAVID BRADLEY, WHO'S OUR QUOTE UNQUOTE LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON.
HE'S ACTUALLY THE AUTHOR OF THE CSPG GRANT.
AND HE'S STILL THERE DOING THE GOOD WORK.
THIS GRANT WAS PASSED IN 19, OR SIGNED INTO LAW IN 1974.
SO IT GIVES YOU A PERSPECTIVE THAT HE'S BEEN THERE A LONG, LONG TIME AND HE'S WORKED REALLY HARD TO SECURE FUNDING.
SO RIGHT NOW THAT THAT GROUP, I THINK IT'S CALLED N AF, THEY'RE WRITING UP A REPORT ON ALL 50 STATES SERVICES, UH, TO PRESENT TO GOVERNMENT TO BASICALLY JUSTIFY, PROMOTE, AND SUPPORT THE GOOD WORK THAT ALL THESE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES DO.
THERE'S OVER A THOUSAND COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES IN THE COUNTRY DOING THE SAME WORK WE DO.
MOST OF THEM ARE NONPROFIT AND SOME OF 'EM ARE GOVERNMENTAL, LIKE OURS, SAN ANTONIO AND, UH, FORT WORTH.
SO I CAN SAY THAT I, I HAVE GOTTEN REASSURANCE FROM MR. BRADLEY IN WASHINGTON THROUGH MASS COMMUNICATION WITH ALL CIAS THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE OKAY.
OUR FUNDING IS, I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR THE REASSURANCE.
IT WAS SOMETHING OF CONCERN MM-HMM
UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, HAD BROUGHT UP IN, IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS MM-HMM
UM, SO I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE IS THAT CONSIDERATION AS WELL AS SOME PREEMPTIVE, IF NOT PROACTIVE, UH, CONSIDERATIONS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THE OTHER TWO THAT I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH IS IN REGARDS TO THE BLACK LAND CENTER BECAUSE, UM, I HAVE VISITED IT, UH, DURING THIS TRANSITIONARY PERIOD.
AND IT'S A VERY ACTIVE CENTER AND A VERY ACTIVE COMMUNITY, UM, WHERE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS WILL DRAW INTO THAT SPACE.
AND I WILL COMMENT THAT THE ONLY SIGNAGE THAT EXISTS, UM, IS LACKLUSTER, IF NOT LACK THEREOF IN REGARDS TO WHERE OTHERS CAN GO AND RECEIVE OTHER RESOURCES OR BE, UM, DIVERTED.
SO CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENT TRANSITIONS, THESE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING? AND, UM, I GUESS WHERE AND HOW YOU ALL ARE COMMUNICATING OTHER SPACES? BECAUSE I DO KNOW ONE OF THE OTHER PLACES, UH, THAT THEY'RE BEING REDIRECTED IS TO THE EAST AUSTIN CENTER.
AND I LOVE THAT CENTER AND, AND THE STAFF MEMBERS THERE, THEY'RE WONDERFUL, ESPECIALLY THE HEALTH CREW AND THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR.
SO WHOOP WHOOP TO THAT TEAM OUT THERE.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED YOU TO SPEAK ON THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY OR IN, IN REGARDS TO THESE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, CENTERS, AND HOW YOU'RE COMMUNICATING THAT INFORMATION OUT.
BECAUSE I DO FEEL THAT IS A GAP THAT, UM, HOPEFULLY CAN BE FILLED.
UH, ONE WAY WE'RE COMMUNICATING THAT IS THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.
THE OTHER ONE IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD, GOING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WORD OF MOUTH.
PEOPLE THAT COME TO BLACKLAND NOW, WE STILL HAVE, UH, FOOD DISTRIBUTION THERE.
SO WE'RE STILL CONNECTED AND WE STILL DO A HEALTH HUB.
AT ROSEWOOD, WE DO IT IN THE, UH, CON GUERRERO, UH, SENIOR CENTER.
SO WE HAVEN'T COMPLETELY ABANDONED THOSE AREAS WHILE WE'RE BEING, WELL, THEY'RE BEING RENOVATED.
WE STILL HAVE A PRETTY GOOD FOOTPRINT THERE.
UM, SAME THING WITH SOUTH AUSTIN.
THEY'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND THROUGH, UM, JUST OUR CLIENTS.
I MEAN, WE COULD, WE COULD PROBABLY DO BETTER FOR SURE.
UM, A LOT OF THE RENOVATIONS AT BLACKLAND ARE MORE MAJOR, LIKE THE HVAC, THEY'RE REDOING THE INSIDE AS WELL TO MAKE IT MORE, UM, FRIENDLY FOR CLIENTS AND STAFF.
RIGHT NOW IT'S KIND OF A CUBICLE SETUP WITH A COUPLE OF OFFICES.
THEY ARE GETTING THEIR CENTER PAINTED.
UH, BUT AGAIN, WE I WILL DEFINITELY TAKE THAT BACK IN TERMS OF SIGNAGE.
UM, 'CAUSE I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT'S PRETTY, YOU HAVE TO BE LOOKING FOR IT, RIGHT? IT'S NOT REALLY YES,
[00:40:01]
AND I WAS, I WAS LOOKING TO SAY HI TO SOME OF THE STAFF THAT, THAT I HAD, UM, JOHN AND CREATED SOME RELATIONSHIP WITH AND I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO GET IN CONTACT OR CONNECT WITH THEM.ESPECIALLY FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T, THAT AREN'T ON THE WEBSITE, THAT MAYBE ARE NOT A PART OF A PHONE TREE.
OR CONNECT WITH THE WORD OF MOUTH INDIVIDUALS.
SO JUST HAVING PHYSICALLY THERE JUST SAYING, IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT THESE DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS OR IF YOU NEED THESE SERVICES, PLEASE GO TO THIS OTHER LOCATION.
SO THAT'S ALSO POSTED ON THEIR DOORS AT THE THREE CENTERS AS WELL.
SO PEOPLE DO COME IN, YOU KNOW, IF THEY COME UP AND GO, OH, WHAT HAPPENED HERE? THERE'S NO ONE HERE, RIGHT.
BUT I'LL TALK TO, UH, MS. SHAMEIKA AND, UH, MS. FLUKER AND MS. PRINCE WHO RUN THOSE CENTERS.
I'M WONDERING IF SOMEONE HAD TAKEN THOSE DOWN BY THE TIME I HAD WALKED UP, BUT I DIDN'T.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION OR POINT IS ST.
JOHN, UH, WELL THE VIRGINIA BROWN REC CENTER.
SO THAT AREA, THAT CENTER THAT SERVES THAT PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD AND AREA AREA, THEY ARE HAVING A MAJOR COMMUNITY EVENT ON FRIDAY THE 28TH.
AND I KNOW YOU HAVE IT SLATED FOR THE ELECTIONS ON THE 24TH, OR THE INTEREST FORMS NEED TO BE TURNED IN THE 14TH.
I GUESS I'M TRYING TO GO OVER THE TIMELINE AGAIN AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE WAS AN, IF IT WAS AN OPPORTUNISTIC WAY TO OVERLAP AND HOPEFULLY CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE ENGAGED WITH THEIR, IT'S THEIR BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT.
FYI FOR EVERYONE AT VIRGINIA BROWN CENTER, UM, FROM FOUR TO 6:00 PM ON FRIDAY THE 28TH.
AND, UM, JUST WONDERING IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF OPPORTUNITY TO OVERLAP IN BEING ABLE TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT, UM, A POTENTIAL COMMUNITY COMMISSIONER POSITION.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU CAN GET THE WORD OUT AS WELL, BUT THE ELECTION'S ALREADY BEEN SET.
UH, THE, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA BLASTS HAVE GONE OUT.
SO IT'S GONNA BE ON THE 24TH FROM 10 TO SEVEN AT ST.
AND THERE IS JUST THE ONE INDIVIDUAL RUNNING CORRECT? UH, UH, UP, UP TO TODAY, YES.
BUT PEOPLE HAVE THROUGH FEBRUARY 14TH AT 5:00 PM TO SUBMIT AN INTEREST FORM.
AND THEN THEY HAVE THROUGH FEBRUARY 21ST TO SUBMIT PROOF OF, UH, RESIDENCY AND THAT THEY ARE 18 OR OLDER.
AND THEN, UM, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES, IS IT CAN, IS WILL IT STILL BE AN ELECTION IF THERE ARE NO OPPOSING CANDIDATES OR FOR NOW YES.
AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT IN ITEM THREE.
WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE, I'M SORRY, JUMP.
WE DO HAVE THE, UH, THE LIBERTY TO ADJUST SOME THINGS FROM LESSONS LEARNED.
IT'S NOT PART OF THE BYLAWS, IT'S NOT PART OF ANY CITY CODE.
WE CAN CREATE A PROCESS AND UH, BRING IT BACK TO YOU ALL SO YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND APPROVE IT OR ADD YOUR OWN IDEAS.
SO YEAH, IN THE FUTURE, DEFINITELY THERE ARE SOME, UH, GOVERNMENT CAAS THAT HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO HAVE AN ELECTION.
IF SOMEBODY RUNS UNOP OPPOSED THAT PERSON AUTOMATICALLY, UH, IS OFFERED DE SEAT.
AND IT COULD BE SEEN AS KIND OF SILLY TO HAVE AN ELECTION WITH JUST ONE PERSON.
BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS INVOLVED TOO.
THERE'S WRITING CANDIDATE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP.
SO WE'D HAVE TO SORT OF FIGURE THAT OUT BEFORE WE MAKE ANY FIRM DECISION FOR THE FUTURE.
SO THIS ONE WILL DEFINITELY WILL BE AN ELECTION, EVEN IF IT'S ONE PERSON FOR THE FEBRUARY.
MY, MY, MY, UM, PICTURES MOVED AROUND ON ME AND I APOLOGIZE.
COMMISSIONER ARNOLD, I SAW THAT YOU INDICATED YOU WERE HAD INTEREST TO, TO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I WANTED TO KNOW, UM, I'M SORRY IF I HEAR SOME FEEDBACK.
THAT'S MY 2-YEAR-OLD IN THE BACK.
UM, I BELIEVE YOU STATED THAT Y'ALL CONTRACT WAS EXTENDED TO MARCH, 2025.
SO DOES THAT MEAN Y'ALL FUNDS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE WILL EXHAUST MARCH, 2025? OR HAVE THEY EXHAUSTED ALREADY? DO Y'ALL STILL HAVE UM, FUNDING FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE AT THE MOMENT? UH, THE BUDGET THAT I PRESENT TO YOU ALL IS THE CSPG GRANT.
AND THOSE FUNDS ALL GO TOWARD PERSONNEL.
SO THERE, THOSE FUNDS DO NOT, ARE NOT ALLOCATED FOR RENT ASSISTANCE.
RENT ASSISTANCE FUNDS COME FROM A GENERAL FUND AND WE STILL HAVE SOME, BUT IT'S VERY LIMITED.
SO THIS BUDGET IS FOR PERSONNEL THROUGH MARCH, THEN WE'LL START USING OUR 2025 FUNDING, WHICH IN THIS CLIMATE, IT'S ALSO A GOOD THING 'CAUSE WE HAVE THAT EXTRA THREE MONTHS WORTH OF MONIES THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD TO USE YET BECAUSE WE DIDN'T USE IT ALL IN 24 DUE TO PERSONNEL SAVINGS.
PEOPLE LEAVE, WE DON'T FILL POSITIONS RIGHT AWAY.
SO, UH, YES, THERE WAS STILL SOME RENTAL ASSISTANCE MONEY FROM GENERAL FUND.
[00:45:03]
ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE I MOVE ON TO MY OKAY.UM, UH, THANK YOU ON HEALTH FOR THE INFORMATION THAT YOU DO BRING FORTH AS WE DO APPRECIATE IT.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS REAL QUICK.
BLACKLAND, HOW LONG WILL BLACKLAND BE UNDER, UM, RENOVATIONS THAT YOU ALL ANTICIPATE? THEY'RE CLOSE TO BEING REOPENED? OH, I'LL HAVE MORE NEWS NEXT MONTH.
SO WITHIN THE NEXT, NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SOME OF THE INTERNAL KIND OF, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? INTERIOR DESIGN, LIKE, SO THE HVAC IS GETTING DONE AND SO WE'RE CLOSE.
SO IT IS GETTING CLOSE AND EVERYTHING.
UM, AND, AND THIS IS JUST A QUESTION.
I'M THERE HAS THE INDIVIDUALS, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE STILL THERE.
IT'S JUST A VERY, VERY SCALE BACK SKELETON CREW, CORRECT? UH, NO, WE CAN'T BE THERE 'CAUSE THE CONTRACT ARE THERE.
SO WE GO TO DO FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS OKAY.
THE, JUST TO KEEP A PRESENCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND HOW OFTEN DO WE DO THAT? OF THE WEEK? WE DO THAT, UH, AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH.
SOME OF THE MARKETS ARE TWICE.
AND THEN THE, UM, THE EAST AUSTIN, UM, COMMUNITY CENTER THAT'S ON KAMAL, IF I'M NOT, IF I'M CORRECT THAT ONE.
I UNDERSTOOD YOU TO BE SAYING THAT IT HAS UNDER, IT HAS HAD SOME, UM, SERVICES OR, UM, UH, ATTENTION, BUT THOSE, THAT ATTENTION WOULD'VE BEEN THINGS THAT YOU DON'T REALLY SEE.
IT'S, IT'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE TYPE OF THINGS.
AND SO IT, IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT IT COULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THE, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO DON'T REALIZE THAT SOMETHING IS HAPPENING OR MONIES ARE BEING EXPENDED IN THAT AREA.
IT, I CAN SEE HOW THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMMUNITY MIGHT FEEL LIKE THEIR COMMUNITY CENTER, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, IS NOT BEING, UH, ADDRESSED.
UM, IT, UM, AND THAT TO ME IS A CONCERN BECAUSE SOMETIMES EQUITY IS, IT, IT'S A, UNDER THE PERCEPTION.
IF SOMEONE FEELS LIKE THEY'RE BEING, YOU KNOW, THEN THAT MAY BE THE CASE.
MY POINT, I GUESS MY, MY QUESTION IS WOULD THERE BE A, UM, A WAY FOR THE CITY TO AT LEAST BE ABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THIS COMMUNITY CENTER SO THAT, UM, IT IT'S AT LEAST PUT IT OUT THERE AS SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT YES, YOU KNOW, MY PLUMBING MAY HAVE NEEDED TO GET FIXED AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE AS PRETTY BECAUSE NOBODY REALLY SEES THAT IT'S UNDERGROUND.
OR WE, THEY MAY HAVE STABILIZED THE FOUNDATION.
YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT DON'T, THEY'RE JUST NOT VISIBLE.
BUT IF, IF, IF THE, IF THE COMMUNITY CAN AT LEAST FEEL LIKE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE NOT NEGLECTED, I THINK THAT THAT MAY GO A LONG WAY.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU KNEW ABOUT THE PLUMBING, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS FIXED.
THE RESTROOM, PLUMBING, IT WAS A HUGE PROJECT.
'CAUSE IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT, THAT WAS ONE THAT NOBODY KNEW ABOUT.
UM, BUT YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
TO KEEP PEOPLE AWARE OF WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
AND THAT CENTER IS VERY, UH, BUSY.
UM, FOR COMMISSIONER DELGADO'S.
UM, JUST INFORMATION FOR ALL OF YOU.
I MEAN, IT REALLY, SANDY VALINO IS THE MANAGER THERE,
ONE OF HER STRENGTHS IS REALLY REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
SHE, UH, I SEE A LOT OF ABOVE.
FOLKS ARE LIKE, YEAH, SANDY, UH, ROCKS IT AT EAST AUSTIN.
UH, HER NUMBERS WERE SUPER HIGH.
FOOD PANTRY, FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING SERVICES, UM, AGENCY RETAIL PICKUP DONATIONS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH GOING TO AMAZON AND OTHER AGENCIES, UH, THAT HAVE THINGS THAT WE CAN USE AND GIVE TO OUR CLIENTS.
UH, JUST ONE EXAMPLE, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, SHE WAS ABLE TO GET I THINK A FEW HUNDRED, LIKE, UH, STORM WEATHER RADIOS.
AND, AND PEOPLE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF WANNA HAVE ONE IN CASE THE POWER GOES OUT AND YOU STILL WANNA STAY ON TOP OF, YOU KNOW MM-HMM.
FLOODS OR TORNADOES OR WHATEVER.
THAT WAS HER JUST KIND OF KNOCKING ON DOORS AND, AND GETTING THESE, UH, AND WE WERE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE THEM DURING ONE OF OUR DISTRIBUTIONS.
JUST AN EXTRA THAT MEANS A LOT TO PEOPLE AND IT'S ACTUALLY USEFUL.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, AND YOU AGREE, AND THAT IS PARTICULARLY NOW THAT YOU BRING UP HOW SUCCESSFUL THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS WITH THE LEADERSHIP THAT'S THERE, IT DOES GIVE THE, UH, APPEARANCE THAT THE ONES THAT ARE DOING THE MOST ARE GETTING THE LEAST.
AND THOSE THAT MAY NOT BE DOING ALL THAT GOT A BRAND NEW SPANKING.
YOU KNOW? AND SO SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
[00:50:01]
SOMETIMES PEOPLE SEE THAT AND IT JUST GIVES THEM A DIFFERENT NARRATIVE, YOU KNOW? SO.I'M SORRY I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU BACK THERE.
UH, THERE IS NO, UH, PARK ON CHICON IS 2100 ALAMO.
NO, IT'S, UH, YEAH, I, I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU THE RIGHT ADDRESS.
THAT'S THE OLD NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I GREW UP IN.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER IS ACTUALLY TWO 11.
THAT'S THE ONE I WAS THINKING ABOUT HERE.
UH, BUT ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON.
I MEAN, ALAMO'S, THAT ONE ON AL, IS IT? MM-HMM
[3. Discussion on the voting process for Private Sector Appointees and Public Sector Appointee for the Community Development Commission (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health, and Nefertiti Jackmon, Community Displacement Prevention Officer, Housing Department).]
THREE.UM, I THINK, UH, ON ANGEL, YOU'LL STICK AROUND.
YOU MIGHT AS WELL KEEP YOUR SEAT.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA INVITE, UM, MS. JACKMAN WHO IS COMING UP AND SHE'LL INTRODUCE HERSELF AS WELL.
THIS, UM, WE'RE MOVING ON TO OUR DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PRIVATE SECTOR APPOINTEES AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR APPOINTEES.
DO WE HAVE APPOINTEES FOR PUBLIC OF THE, UH, CDC? YES.
COMMISSIONERS NE FOR TD JACKMAN COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER, UH, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BUT BEFORE WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, THE TWO DIFFERENT PROCESSES, WE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, GO TO COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, OR VICE CHAIR ELIAS VICE DEAR AND I ACTUALLY HAVE THREE.
SO, UH, YEAH, BEFORE WE GO TO THIS ITEM, UM, I WANT TO, I GUESS JUST REMIND YOU THAT WE AS COMMISSIONERS ARE HERE AS VOLUNTEERS.
UH, SOME, SOME OF US GET ELECTED, SOME OF US GET APPOINTED, BUT WE COME EVERY ONCE A MONTH AS VOLUNTEERS AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY.
WE ALL HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS AND, UM, SO WE, WE SHOW UP.
UM, AND SO AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, WE HAVE FOUR COMMISSIONERS THAT WHOSE TERMS ARE UP.
AND SO THEY WILL NOT BE SERVING AFTER, UH, AFTER THIS, UM, AFTER THE, THE END OF THIS MONTH.
SO WE WANNA RECOGNIZE THOSE COMMISSIONERS, UH, BEFORE, UH, WE GO ON INTO THIS ITEM.
AND IF IT'S OKAY, I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME CUPCAKES TO CELEBRATE.
SO I'M GONNA PASS THOSE AROUND.
AND WE HAVE CARDS THAT I'LL GO AHEAD AND COME HAND IT TO YOU REAL QUICK.
BUT PLEASE, THERE'S ALSO A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS FOR ALL FOUR OF YOU, SO PLEASE GET THAT BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
Y'ALL HAVE JUST DONE, I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR AND Y'ALL, I CAN'T IMAGINE
LIKE Y'ALL, THIS IS INCREDIBLE WHAT, WHAT THE FOUR OF YOU HAVE PUT INTO THIS BODY.
AND I JUST WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR MENTORSHIP.
UM, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS AND, AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH TO VICE CHAIR ELIAS FOR MAKING SURE WE DID SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR Y'ALL TODAY.
'CAUSE YOU DESERVE SO MUCH MORE.
BUT WE WANTED TO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, THE FOUR, WHICH IS COMMISSIONER TOLIVER FROM COLLIN PARK, COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER WOODS FROM SOUTH AUSTIN, COMMISSIONER REON FROM EAST AUSTIN, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON FROM ST.
I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE, UH, EVERYONE, UM, EVERYONE, UM, FOR THEIR, UM, SUPPORT FOR ALL OF US.
I THINK I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ALL FOUR OF US.
SOME OF, UH, BETWEEN VER AND COMMISSIONER BERTHA DELGADO.
I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY'VE PROBABLY BEEN ON THE LONGEST STANDING.
AND THEN, UM, YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER WOODS.
AND THEN I, I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE LONG, BUT I HAVE, UH, BEEN HERE AND I'M, I'M VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT I HAVE BEEN PRESENT.
UH, AND, AND, AND I'M, I'M PROUD OF THAT.
SO, UM, I DO RECOGNIZE, UM, BEF UH, I DO WANNA GET STARTED ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.
UM, MR. BLAKE, WOULD YOU, UM, I HAVE TWO ONLINE, THOMAS AND CAROL FOR ITEM THREE, UM, COMMENTS.
[00:55:01]
WITH THEM NOW? ARE THEY AVAILABLE? UH, NEITHER ARE ONLINE RIGHT NOW.AGAIN, THIS IS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, ALL CITIZENS HAVE A OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO SPEAK.
SO THAT WAS THOMAS AND CAROL, UH, FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE.
ALRIGHT, WE ARE READY NOW FOR STAFF.
ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA START IT OFF AND THEN I'LL HAND IT OVER TO NEFERTITI.
SO I JUST WANNA GIVE AN OVERVIEW.
UH, I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER ACHILLES HAD WONDERED, YOU KNOW, HOW THE SEVEN ARE SELECTED AND SHE, UH, GAVE US SOME COMPLIMENTS LAST MONTH ABOUT HOW SHE KIND OF KNEW ABOUT THE EIGHT, UH, DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED.
BUT I STILL WANNA KIND OF GO OVER THOSE AS WELL FOR EVERYONE.
UM, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THE PURPOSE IS? I THINK, UH, IT'S, IT'S READ EVERY TIME WE MEET HERE.
THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ADVISES CITY COUNCIL ABOUT PROGRAMS THAT SERVE LOW INCOME PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
THE FOCUS IS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT.
UH, THESE, UH, BOARDS, UH, CAME OUT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, LBJS WAR ON POVERTY AND THE GREAT SOCIETY CONCEPT, WHICH, UH, SERGEANT SHRIVER WAS THE LEADING ADVOCATE.
SO IT HAS A LONG HISTORY, UM, IS A TRIPARTITE BOARD, WHICH IS A RADICAL CONCEPT.
BACK IN THE SIXTIES, UH, THEY WERE TRYING TO GET LOW INCOME AND POOR PEOPLE WHO HAD NOT BEEN AT THE TABLE, AT THE TABLE TO HELP ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.
UH, SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S EIGHT GEOGRA, YOU KNOW, DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED.
AND SEVEN, UM, SELECTED BY COUNCIL.
UH, SO AGAIN, IT'S MADE UP OF 15 MEMBERS AT THE TRIPARTITE BOARD.
AGAIN, RADICAL CONCEPT, NOT ANYMORE, BUT BACK THEN IT REALLY WAS, UH, IT REALLY RUFFLED A LOT OF FEATHERS IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
UH, A LOT OF, UH, MAYORS, UH, SUED THE GOVERNMENT, UH, FOR, UH, DOING THINGS LIKE THIS, HAVING THESE TYPES OF BOARDS AND MANDATES.
UH, THE DESIGNATED AREAS FOR AUSTIN, AS YOU ALL KNOW, FOR THE EIGHT AREAS ARE, UH, COLONY PARK, DUFF SPRINGS, EAST AUSTIN, MONTOPOLIS, ZA BLACKLAND ST.
JOHN'S, SOUTH AUSTIN, AND, UM, NORTH AUSTIN.
I JUST KINDA GIVE YOU A VERY QUICK HIGH OVERVIEW OF WHY THIS BOARD EXISTS AND WHO THE EIGHT, WHAT THE AREAS ARE.
UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO TD JACKMAN FOR THE OVERVIEW OF THE SEVEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE APPOINTEES.
AND SO, UH, THE SEVEN MEMBERS ARE NOMINATED BY A COUNCIL COMMITTEE OR COUNCIL COMMITTEE AND APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL.
SO, UH, OF THE SEVEN COMMISSION MEMBERS APPOINTED UNDER, AND THIS IS SUBSECTION A TWO FIVE SHALL BE ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICIALS OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES.
AND TWO MUST BE MEMBERS CHOSEN TO REPRESENT MAJOR GROUPS AND INTERESTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SERVED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, LABOR, RELIGIOUS LAW, LAW ENFORCEMENT, OR EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS.
THE TWO COMMITTEES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, NOMINATING THESE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES ARE THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AND THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, UH, COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE NOMINATES THREE PUBLIC SECTOR MEMBERS AND ONE PRIVATE SECTOR MEMBER.
AND THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE NOMINATES TWO PUBLIC SECTOR MEMBERS AND ONE PRIVATE SECTOR.
MANY, UH, ONE PRIVATE SECTOR MEMBER.
UM, THIS, UH, THE COMMITTEES ALSO NOMINATED THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHOSE DISTRICTS ARE INCLUDED WITHIN THE CDC BOUNDARIES.
SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN ALSO SHARE THIS INFORMATION.
IT'S EASIER TO SEE IT IN A CHART OR A GRAPH GRAPH THAN ME JUST READING IT SO YOU'LL UNDERSTAND.
BUT THEY'RE COMING FROM TWO, UH, COUNCIL COMMITTEES, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE.
I DUNNO, YOU DON'T STILL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE, ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YOU CAN CONTINUE.
IN TERMS OF THE EIGHT, UH, DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED, UH, MEMBERS, UM, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, LAST YEAR I PRESENTED A FEW TIMES ON, UH, AMENDING
[01:00:01]
THE BYLAWS TO REMOVE, UH, RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.UH, THAT WAS ORIGINALLY THE PROCESS AND IT BECAME, UM, DIFFICULT TO HOLD ELECTIONS QUICKLY WHEN PEOPLE EITHER DROPPED OFF OR TERMED OUT.
SOMETIMES WE'D HAVE TO WAIT MONTHS AND MONTHS FOR THE ROSEWOOD SEAT.
WE'VE HAD TO WAIT ALMOST A YEAR.
'CAUSE THERE ARE NO RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATIONS THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE PUT FORTH WAY BACK AS TO WHAT THEY HAD TO DO, WHICH I THINK I EXPLAINED TO YOU.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR OWN BYLAWS.
THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER, THEY HAVE TO, UH, TAKE MINUTES, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A WEBSITE, UH, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO THEY'RE VERY SPECIFIC AND A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, VERY OFFICIAL REQUIREMENTS.
AND A LOT OF THE GROUPS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE VERY INFORMAL.
THEY MIGHT HAVE A BARBECUE IN THE SUMMER.
THEY'RE NOT REALLY DOING WHAT THE CITY THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA DO AS RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO BY REMOVING THAT, WE COULD PIVOT AND HAVE ELECTIONS.
AND THERE ARE OTHER CITIES WHO, WHO DO THAT.
UH, WE COULD HOLD AN ELECTION WITHIN A MONTH OF SOMEBODY ELSE STEPPING OFF AS OPPOSED TO THE OLD WAY.
SO THAT COUNCIL, UH, AMEND, YOU KNOW, APPROVE THE AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS IN THE LAST MEETING OF DECEMBER LAST YEAR.
SO IT TOOK, AGAIN, IT'S THE CITY, IT TOOK LIKE ALMOST A WHOLE YEAR WORKING WITH LEGAL TO GET TO THE FINISH LINE.
AND THEN WE QUICKLY HAD TO TURN AROUND AND HOLD ALL THESE ELECTIONS.
'CAUSE AS YOU ALL KNOW, THESE SEATS WERE ALL GONNA BE VACATED, UM, IN FEBRUARY.
SO WE CREATED AN INTERNAL PROCESS, UM, TO HOLD THE ELECTIONS ON JANUARY 27TH FOR THE EIGHTH GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT I JUST MENTIONED EARLIER.
UH, LIKE I MENTIONED IN MY EARLIER REPORT OF, I DON'T WANNA GET IT WRONG, SO I'M JUST GONNA GO BACK.
UH, ROSEWOOD DOVE SPRINGS, NORTH AUSTIN AND MONTOPOLIS SEEDS WERE FILLED THROUGH THAT PROCESS, UH, THAT WAS OUTLINED IN THE FLYERS THAT WENT OUT.
THERE ARE SOME COMMISSIONER SEARS WHO WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, LIKE, UH, VICE CHAIR, I THINK IKA ARNOLD, CINDY JASO, UH, ACTUALLY FOLLOWED THE PROCESS AND WERE REELECTED.
UM, THE OTHER SEATS THAT I MENTIONED, ST.
JOHN COLONY PARK, SOUTH AUSTIN DID NOT HAVE, UH, CANDIDATES.
SO WE'RE REDOING THAT ELECTION AGAIN VERY QUICKLY, FEBRUARY 24TH.
'CAUSE WE CAN DO THAT THE OLD WAY.
WE WOULD'VE HAD TO MEET WITH THE RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATION AGAIN WHENEVER THEY MET NEXT AND JUST SORT OF USED IT WOULD'VE TAKEN A LOT LONGER.
SO THAT'S HOW COMMISSIONERS ARE SELECTED OR ELECTED, SELECTED SLASH ELECTED FOR THIS COMMISSION FROM THOSE EIGHT GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.
I WILL SPEAK TO THE EAST AUSTIN ELECTION.
UH, THAT ALSO WAS HELD ON JANUARY 24TH.
AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY THAT ELECTION TO ME WAS AN OUTLIER.
UH, 'CAUSE EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTH WITH THAT PROCESS IN THE OTHER ELECTIONS.
UH, BUT WITH THAT ELECTION WE HAD, WE HAD ONE CAN, WE HAD TWO CANDIDATES.
UM, WE HAD ONE CANDIDATE WHO SUBMITTED THE FIRST STEP OF THE PROCESS.
WELL, BOTH CANDIDATES SUBMITTED THE FIRST STEP OF THE PROCESS ON TIME, THE INTEREST FORM, WHICH WAS ON THE FLYER.
YOU NEED TO SUBMIT AN INTEREST FORM BY A CERTAIN DATE.
THE SECOND STEP OF THE PROCESS WAS NOT COMPLETED ON TIME, UM, FOR ONE OF THE CANDIDATES.
UM, CITY STAFF TRIED TO GET AHOLD OF THIS CANDIDATE OVER THE WEEKEND.
WE EXTENDED THE DEADLINE THROUGH SUNDAY.
IT WENT INTO SATURDAY, THEN WE EXTENDED IT TO SUNDAY.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS.
WE EXTENDED IT THROUGH SUNDAY AT NOON.
WE NEEDED TO PRINT THE BALLOTS, UH, FOR THE MONDAY MORNING ELECTION.
UM, THE CANDIDATE WAS NOT ON THE BALLOT, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM THEIR AGE AND THEIR RESIDENCY AT THAT POINT.
SO WE DECIDED NOT TO, UM, PUT HER ON THE BALLOT.
SHE DID MEET THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE PUBLICLY POSTED, WHICH WAS THE FIRST STEP, LIKE SUBMITTING AN INTEREST FORM BOTH CANDIDATES DID.
UH, WE DID NOT ANTICIPATE THAT, UH, THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE WHO WOULD WRITE SOMEBODY IN THAT WASN'T PART OF THE PROCESS.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING WE THOUGHT ABOUT.
I'M SURE IT WOULD'VE COME UP ONCE WE REGROUPED AFTER THE ELECTIONS AND SAID, OKAY, LET'S TALK TO THE CDC.
HOW DID THINGS GO? 'CAUSE OTHER GOOD IDEAS CAME OUT OF, UM, THAT EXPERIENCE.
UM, SINCE THEY DID NOT SUBMIT THE, UH, PROOF OF AGENT RESIDENCY, WE WERE LIKE, OKAY, WHAT DO, WHAT DO WE DO? UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE WROTE HER NAME IN.
UM, WE DID NOT ANTICIPATE, AGAIN, THE WRITING BALLOTS.
SO THEY CREATED AN ISSUE THAT WE HAD TO CONSULT WITH WITH THE CITY.
LIKE, WELL, WHAT DO WE DO, UH, WITH THIS SITUATION? BECAUSE THEY DID EXPRESS INTEREST, BUT THEY DIDN'T DO THAT LAST STEP.
[01:05:01]
THE OTHER CANDIDATE DID COMPLETE THAT LAST STEP.UM, SO THAT'S WHY THEREFORE THEY WERE ON THE BATTLE, BATTLE BALLOT ON MONDAY.
UH, SO IN ORDER TO BE FAIR, THE CITY CAME BACK AND SAID, UH, WE SHOULD HOLD ANOTHER ELECTION WITH THE TWO CANDIDATES THAT WERE ORIGINALLY THAT COMPLETED THE FIRST STEP OF THE PROCESS, WHICH WAS SUBMITTING AN INTEREST FORM BY THE DUE DATE, UH, FOR THE JANUARY ELECTION.
UM, UH, CITY STAFF DID NOT FEEL THAT, UH, THE CANDIDATE WANTED TO BE INTENTIONALLY LEFT OFF THE BALLOT.
THAT CANDIDATE DID EMAIL ME ON MONDAY MORNING AROUND 8:52 AM AND SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT SHE TOLD ME, BUT SHE GAVE SOME REASONS AS TO WHY SHE DID NOT DO THAT.
UH, CAN I STILL BE ON THE BALLOT? AND I'M LIKE, WELL, THEY'VE BEEN PRINTED.
THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING SITUATION.
WE, WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO TO MAKE IT FAIR FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, IT WAS THE FIRST ELECTION THAT WE'VE DONE, SO IT'S LIKE LESSONS LEARNED.
BUT THAT IS WHAT THE CITY HAS, UM, ADVISED US TO DO.
UM, I ALSO THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO COME BACK IN MARCH AND BRING YOU THAT INTERNAL PROCESS AS, AS IT IS WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN SEE IT, YOU GUYS CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE HAVE WRITE-INS, UH, OR NOT, YOU COULD SAY NO.
WE REALLY JUST HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE VETTED BEFOREHAND.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT, UM, ANYTHING YOU THINK COULD MAKE IT MORE YOU, YOU KNOW, MORE SMOOTH, RUN, MORE SMOOTHLY THAN IT DID.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO JUST REITERATE THAT EVERY OTHER ELECTION DID GO AS PLANNED.
THERE WAS JUST SOME VERY INTERESTING FACTORS IN THIS ONE.
UM, SO THAT'S SORT OF MY REPORT ON THE ELECTION FOR THE EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBOR CENTER AND HOW WE WANNA MAKE IT FAIR AND HOLD ANOTHER ELECTION WITH THE TWO CANDIDATES.
IT DID CAUSE A LOT OF, UM, PUSHBACK AND I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IN THIS MEETING.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR STAFF TO HEAR IT, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT LISTENING.
UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF ACCUSATIONS, AND I THINK, I WANT TO LOOK AT MY NOTES TO BE SURE I CAPTURE THEM ALL BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IN THE CLIMATE THAT WE'RE LIVING IN, THAT WE TRY TO BE CIVIL AND CORDIAL WHEN NOT ALL THE INFORMATION IS THERE.
WE WERE DOING OUR BEST TO CONSULT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO SEE WHAT CAN WE DO IN THIS VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION.
UH, CITY STAFF WERE ACCUSED OF RACISM TO THEIR FACE.
UH, THE ADMIN THAT HELPS ME WAS CALLED, SHE PICKED UP THE PHONE ON HER DAY OFF AND SHE WAS YELLED AT AND CALLED.
RACIST CITY STAFF WERE ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION VERBALLY, AND THROUGH EMAILS OF RACIAL PROFILING.
WHEN WE WERE JUST ASKING FOR IDS OR AFFIDAVITS, THEY WERE ACCUSED OF BEING SUSS, WHICH I THINK MEANS SUSPECT AND SHADY.
WE WERE ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL ACTIONS, WHICH WE TOOK NO ILLEGAL ACTIONS.
THE CITY FOUND NO, NO EVIDENCE THAT WE VIOLATED ANY VOTING OR ANY KIND OF, UH, CODE OR LAW REGARDING TO VOTING THAT WE INTENTIONALLY REMOVE INTENTIONALLY REMOVING HISPANIC LOCAL ACTIVISTS FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I SEE THAT COMMISSIONER DELGADO IS SMILING.
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT IS HER AREA, THE EAST AUSTIN SEAT OF NEPOTISM AND ON AND ON.
THAT IS REALLY NOT ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE WE WERE DOING OUR BEST TO DO THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AND STAFF WE'RE SO WORRIED AT TIMES THAT THEY CALLED TO SEE, DO WE NEED SECURITY AT EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER? SO, LESSONS LEARNED, WE WILL BRING THIS TO YOU NEXT MONTH.
BUT AGAIN, NOTHING WAS VIOLATED.
ONCE THIS HAPPENED, WE WENT AND CONSULTED WITH THE CITY, AND THE CITY MOVED SLOW.
I THINK WE COULDN'T FIX THIS IN TWO MINUTES, AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE IN ORDER TO MAKE IT FAIR FOR I MIGHT CLARIFY.
UM, HE KEEPS SAYING THE CITY, AND WE ARE ALL THE CITY, SO IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING.
BUT WE DID HAVE TO CHECK IN WITH LEGAL OR WITH LAW, JUST TO BE CLEAR AND, UM, TO GIVE GUIDANCE ON THE PROCESS AND STEPS THAT WERE TAKEN AND TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY ERRORS, IF YOU WILL.
[01:10:01]
THAT THERE WERE NOT, BUT IT WAS ADVISED THAT WE HOLD THE ELECTIONS AGAIN.I SHOULD HAVE SAID LEGAL, BUT IT WAS, YEAH, WHEN I, WHEN I SAID CITY, I MEANT CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND THAT'S IT.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO, UM, I, I DO BELIEVE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UM, HAVE INDICATED EVEN ONLINE THAT THEY'RE DOING, I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UM, THIS TIME GUYS, I NORMALLY, UM, LET YOU ALL LEAD THIS TIME.
I'M GONNA LEAD AND THEN I WILL, UM, COME IN BEHIND THERE.
UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, UM, BEING HERE TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT.
UM, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT NOT ONLY, UM, DO THE, UM, COMMISSIONERS, UM, HAVE QUESTIONS.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THE CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY MM-HMM
AND DEFINITELY THOSE THAT ARE IN THAT, UH, EAST AUSTIN COMMUNITY MAY HAVE QUESTIONS AS WELL.
UM, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT, IT IT, IT CONTINUES TO COME AROUND A COMMUNICATION, UM, ISSUE THAT MAYBE THERE IS ROOM FOR, AS YOU SAID, LESSONS LEARNED, BUT FOR ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATION IN REGARDS TO, UM, THE ELECT WE'RE SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY THE ELECTIONS.
BUT I DO BELIEVE GUYS, THAT IT DOES SEEM IN WHAT I'VE OBSERVED, THAT THERE MIGHT BE JUST MAYBE A LITTLE ROOM FOR ADDED COMMUNICATION IN GENERAL.
UM, AND I SAY THAT THE CANDIDATES, UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS TIME AROUND, THERE'S THE FEBRUARY 14TH FOR THE INTEREST.
AND DID I ALSO HEAR YOU SAY THAT IT'S ALSO GONNA BE, THE DOCUMENTATION DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 21ST? UH, CORRECT.
'CAUSE THAT GIVES PEOPLE SEVEN DAYS.
IN ORDER TO SUBMIT PROOF THAT THEY DO LIVE IN THE AREA AND THEY'RE 18 OR OVER.
SO, AND THE, THE PREVIOUS TIME, THE, THE LAST MONTH, WAS THERE A CLEAR, WAS IT CLEAR THAT THE DATE WAS YOU NEEDED TO BE IN, YOUR INTEREST NEEDED TO BE IN BY JANUARY 22ND AND YOUR DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO BE IN BY FRIDAY? UH, NO.
JANUARY 24TH, THE FIRST STEP WAS CLEAR.
THE FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS WAS ON, WAS ON THE FLYER.
YOU NEED TO SUBMIT AN INTEREST FORM BY JANUARY 22ND, WHICH WAS A WEDNESDAY.
AND AGAIN, JUST THE BACKGROUND, WE WERE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO REALLY SUBMIT THESE FORMS SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE ON THE BALLOT.
SO IT REALLY CUT IT CLOSE AGAIN.
THE LAST MEETING IN DECEMBER, WE GET INTO JANUARY.
SO THIS TIME AROUND, LIKE THE FLYERS THAT ARE NOW FOR ST.
JOHN'S, UH, SOUTH AUSTIN AND UM, COLONY PARK DO HAVE BOTH COMMUNICATIONS.
THEY HAVE THE 14TH FOR THE INTEREST FORM, THE 21ST FOR THE, UM, PROOF FOR THE DOCUMENTATION.
'CAUSE WE CUT IT REALLY CLOSE.
AGAIN, EVERYBODY ELSE COMPLIED EVEN WITH THAT SHORT NOTICE.
SO, BUT IT IS GOOD PRACTICE TO GIVE PEOPLE MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT THESE DOCUMENTS.
IT'S ON THE FLYER, THERE'S NO DID YOU MAKE THIS UP? YOU RIGHT.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S KIND OF THAT WHERE I'M GOING.
THE VERY LAST PART IS WHEN THINGS, WHEN THERE IS A VOID IN COMMUNICATION MM-HMM
IT'S SO EASY FOR INDIVIDUALS TO HAVE THEIR OWN NARRATIVE AND THEY'LL JUST FILL THE VOID.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, WONDER DID YOU, DID WE MAKE IT UP? AND THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AT ALL.
BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO PROVE THAT BECAUSE, AND THEN THAT THEN, UM, I DO BELIEVE GENERATES SOME OF THE CONCERNS WITH IS THIS BEING, UM, UH, IS ONE AREA BEING SLIGHTED AGAIN.
YOU KNOW? AND, AND THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE, BUT AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THE APPEARANCE OF THAT.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I HAVE BEFORE I, UM, MOVE O UM, TWO THINGS.
TELL ME ABOUT THE AFFIDAVIT BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT, IS IT CLEAR WHAT GOVERNMENT ISSUED IDS NEED TO BE? UM, UM, WHICH ONES ARE ACCEPTED AS WELL AS WHICH BILLING, YOU KNOW, WHAT UTILITY BILLS OR WHATEVER IS ACCEPTED.
AND THEN THEREFORE, IF THOSE ARE NOT IN PLACE, IS IT CLEAR THAT AN AFFIDAVIT WILL BE REQUIRED? AND THAT WOULD'VE BEEN NO MATTER IF WE WERE IN EAST AUSTIN OR IN, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN HYDE PARK, WEST AUSTIN.
DRIVER'S LICENSE ID, UTILITY BILL.
AND NOT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO SUBMIT AN AFFIDAVIT.
IT'S ONLY PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP AND, OH, I DON'T HAVE MY ID WITH ME.
[01:15:01]
YOU HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF HOURS TO FIVE DAYS TO SUBMIT PROOF THAT YOU DO LIVE IN THAT AREA.THEY STILL VOTE, THEY GET REGISTERED.
AND THE LAST THING IS THE WRITE-INS FOR THIS NEXT TIME AROUND.
THE ONLY REASON I KIND OF QUESTIONED A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, I'M ALMOST SURE I WAS LIKE A LAST MINUTE.
SOMEBODY JUST PICKED ME OFF THE BILL.
I FELL OFF THE TURNIP TRUCK AND SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY SAID, LOG INTO THIS ZOOM MEETING.
AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ASKING ME, HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT SERVING? LEMME REFRESH YOUR MEMORY ON YOUR ELECTION.
I WAS ON VACATION AT THAT TIME.
SO I WENT BACK TO LOOK MM-HMM
SO I KNEW THIS WAS GONNA COME UP.
UM, THAT WAS A WHOLE DIFFERENT PROCESS.
THAT'S HOW WE, WE MOVED, THAT WAS A NOMINATION SELECTION MEETING.
SO THERE WAS A MEETING AT A RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATION FOR THE ST.
JOHN'S NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHO WAS THE RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATIONS FOR THAT AREA.
SO AT THAT MEETING, I THINK IT WAS AKEEM, I FORGET THE NAME OF THE CHAIR.
THERE WAS SOMEBODY BY THAT DAY IT WAS AKEEM.
SO CHAIR AKEEM WAS RUNNING THAT MEETING.
YOU MUST HAVE ATTENDED THAT MEETING.
UH, IN PERSON OR ONLINE? I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS ONLINE.
AND THAT MEETING, PART OF THAT MEETING WAS THE NOMINATION SELECTION.
AND SOMEHOW WHEN IT CAME UP, SOMEBODY NOMINATED YOU OR YOU NOMINATED YOURSELF BEING PART OF THAT MEETING, AND THEN PEOPLE VOTED AND YOU WERE SELECTED.
SO IT'S, IT'S APPLES AN ORANGE IN NOW.
'CAUSE THAT WAS THE OLD PROCESS.
I, I THINK THAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
AND NOT EVERYBODY HAS BEEN AWARE THAT THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN THE FRUIT.
AND SO THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE ACCUSTOMED TO IT BEING APPLES, AND NOW THAT IT'S ORANGES, THERE IS THIS QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WHAT IT WAS.
AND SO THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW.
SO THERE IS NO WRITE-INS THIS ON THE 24TH.
I MEAN, IF INDIVIDUALS EXACTLY.
I MEAN, FOR IN MARCH, WHEN WE BRING IT FORTH TO YOU, OR MAYBE APRIL, DEPENDING ON WHEN WE HAVE.
BUT FOR THE 24TH, THERE ARE NO WRITES FOR THE 24TH.
THERE IS NO, THERE ARE NO WRITE-INS FOR THE FOURTH, THE THREE ELECTIONS ARE OPEN TO WHOEVER.
SUBMITS A FORM BY THE 14TH, NO WRITE-INS.
AND DO THEY HAVE TO SPEAK AT THE AND GIVE, NO, THIS IS LIKE AN ELECTION.
THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT SPEAKING OR MEETING.
I MEAN, THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GO.
THEY CAN GO TO VOTE FOR THEMSELVES, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO HANG OUT.
I MEAN, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE OLD WAY.
THINK OF IT AS LIKE YOUR MEETING, THERE WAS A MEETING, YOU WERE ELECTED, SELECTED.
AND IT'S UP TO THEN ALL THE CANDIDATES, WHICH I'VE TOLD THEM ALL ON PHONE CALLS AND EMAIL THAT THEY NEED.
IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO GO DOOR TO DOOR NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT THEY'RE INVOLVED IN, IN THE OLD, THE OLD WAY.
PEOPLE WOULD JUST BRING THEIR, THOSE FOLKS TO THE MEETING.
SO NOW IT'S VERY, IT'S DIFFERENT.
IT'S LIKE, JUST THINK OF IT AS AN ELECTION.
SO, AND WHEN YOU SAY ANY ELECTION, SO DO THE CANDIDATES KNOW THE OTHER CANDIDATES THAT THEY'RE, THAT ARE ALSO HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST? YEAH, THEY DON'T.
BUT ONE THING THAT CAME UP FROM ONE STAFF WAS SAYING, HEY, SOME PEOPLE ARE COMING UP WHO DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CDC.
THEY JUST SHOW UP TO THE, TO PART, LIKE BON TOP THIS, RIGHT? THEY SHOW UP TO PICK UP THEIR KIDS FROM SCHOOL AND THEY SEE THIS TABLE GOING, OH, A CDC ELECTION.
WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? AND OUR STAFF IS LIKE, OH, IT'S, THEY EXPLAIN.
AND THEN THEY GO, OH, I DON'T REALLY KNOW THESE CANDIDATES.
SO THE IDEA THAT THAT STAFF HAD, WHICH I THINK WE WANT TO IMPLEMENT ON THE 24TH AS PART OF THE LESSONS LEARNED, IS HAVE, UM, A BLURB AND A PICTURE FROM THE CANDIDATES THERE.
SO THAT IF SOMEBODY DOES RANDOMLY COME UP AND THEY WANNA AT LEAST KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT AND WHO'S RUNNING, WE CAN HAVE A BLURB OF LIKE, NO ALIAS.
AND THIS IS WHY I WANNA BE ON THIS COMMISSION.
'CAUSE THIS IS A VERY SMALL ELECTION, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE COMMERCIALS.
AND VICE CHAIR LEAH IS CAMPAIGNING AND, YOU KNOW, PAYING FOR ADS DURING THE SUPER BOWL.
I MEAN, THIS IS A VERY SMALL THING, BUT WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE THAT MUCH INFORMATION SO THAT THOSE FOLKS WHO DON'T KNOW CAN STILL VOTE.
AND WILL THE CANDIDATES KNOW ABOUT EACH OTHER? THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT EACH OTHER.
THAT WAS JUST KIND OF NOT TYPICAL IN MY MIND.
I'M THINKING USUALLY IF YOU'RE A CANDIDATE FOR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW WHO ELSE IS ALSO A CANDIDATE FOR THAT SAME POSITION.
I MEAN, I, I, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TALK FOR THE FUTURE.
IS THAT EVEN NECESSARY? I MEAN, WOULD IT HAVE HELPED KNOWING EACH AND KNOW THAT, UH, HIS OPPONENT? WOULD HE TRY TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, UNDERMINE HER OR GO DO MORE VOTING OR GO GO DO MORE, UH, CANVASSING? I DON'T KNOW.
IN SOME WAYS IT DOESN'T SEEM TO ME THAT IT'S ADVANTAGEOUS OR NOT.
BUT IN OTHER WAYS I'M OPEN TO SEEING WHAT YOU GUYS THINK.
I, I THINK, THINK IT BE ADVANTAGEOUS.
'CAUSE IF SOMEBODY WERE RUNNING AND, UH, THEY'RE MORE THAN CAPABLE, I'D BE LIKE, OOH, GOOD.
[01:20:01]
IT IS, IT, IT, I FEEL, BUT THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST ME.THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO, CAN I ADD DVH? YES.
IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS THEY DO.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
'CAUSE IN COLONY PARK, I KNOW THEY DO KNOW.
AND THEY ARE, THEY'RE WELL AWARE OF EACH OF THE CANDIDATES WHO IS RUNNING.
SO IT JUST VARIES FROM COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY.
AND WHO IS OKAY IF THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IS VERY INVOLVED AND THEN THERE'S, SO THEY'RE STILL VERY CONNECTED.
SO IT, IT VARIES FROM EACH COMMUNITY.
SOME THINGS WE CAN ANTICIPATE.
YOU KNOW, GUYS, WE REALLY CAN'T ANTICIPATE SOME OF THIS STUFF.
UM, I YIELD TO, UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO 'CAUSE I KNOW, UM, UM, UM, ON HEALTH HAD ASKED YOU.
I MEAN, I, THIS IS A, AN AGENDA ITEM THAT I DID REQUEST, UH, TO BE PUT ON THIS AGENDA.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST TO HEAR STAFFS ACCUSE ME OF, UH, BEING ABUSIVE TO EACH OF YOU OR ANY OF YOUR STAFF MEMBERS IS ABSURD.
UH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE VIDEO OR ANY EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT I AM BEING ABUSIVE, AND I, ALL THE ALLEGATIONS THAT YOU JUST STATED PUBLICLY HERE TODAY, IF YOU DON'T HAVE PROOF, YOU CAN'T SIT HERE AND ACCUSE ME OF DOING THAT.
I DID NOT ACCUSE YOU COMMISSIONER TO, TO MY STAFF.
I DID NOT MENTION NAMES TO MY STAFF.
UH, I FIND THAT, UM, NOT JUST UPSETTING, BUT I THINK THAT I BRING A LOT OF PASSION AND A LOT OF FACTS TO MY POSITION.
AND I HAVE HELD THIS POSITION.
THERE HAS BEEN INDIVIDUALS, UM, AND I'M NOT GONNA CALL THE NAMES FROM NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING, UM, AS WELL FROM THIS FUTURE COMMISSION, PAST COMMISSION THAT HAVE TRIED TO REMOVE ME, UM, BECAUSE OF ME BEING AS VOCAL AND STRONG AND OPINIONATIVE AND ME FIGHTING FOR WHAT I BELIEVE AND WHAT I FEEL IS RIGHT FOR MY DISTRICT AND MY AREA.
SO I HAVE BEEN A TARGET IN THE CITY, OKAY.
FROM BEING, UH, WITH THIS COMMISSION, FROM BEING IN THE FRONT PAGE OF AUSTIN MONITOR BEING CAUGHT A BULLY BY OUR PREVIOUS CHAIR WITH, WITH STAFF.
BUT THE FACT IS, IS THAT YOU ALL SOLICITATED TO THIS COMMISSION TO GO OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY TO GET THESE POSITIONS FILLED.
AND MY COMMISSIONERS HAS HEARD YOU ALL COMING TO THIS COMMISSION BEGGING US TO HELP YOU ALL IN THE COMMUNITY.
NOW, WHEN I DID MY JOB TO DO THAT, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN COMING TO THIS COMMISSION SINCE I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD.
SO ALL THE PREVIOUS COMMISSIONERS ARE VERY AWARE OF THE PAST PROCESS BECAUSE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DECIDED TO CHANGE THE BYLAWS AND THE PROCESS FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE DID NOT GO AGAINST YOU AT COUNCIL AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
INSTEAD YOU STATED THAT THE ONLY THINGS THAT WERE GONNA BE CHANGED, WHICH I DID NOT AGREE AS HOW YOU ALL WOULD BE ABLE TO REMOVE ADVOCATES AND ACTIVISTS AND VOCALISTS AND PEOPLE LIKE ME OFF OF THIS COMMISSION.
THAT WAS CHANGED IN THE BYLAWS LAST MONTH.
I MEAN, I'M SORRY, IN DECEMBER, WE'RE ALREADY IN FEBRUARY.
AND WHAT WAS ALSO CHANGED IS THAT YOU TOOK COMMUNITY AND INVOLVEMENT FOR THESE SEATS THAT THE COMMUNITY COMMISSION BUILT IN 1980S.
YOU TOOK THAT POWER AWAY SO THE CITY CAN TAKE CONTROL OF THE ELECTION.
DID I AGREE WITH IT? NO, I DIDN'T.
DID COMMISSIONER KNOW WE AGREE WITH IT? NO, HE DIDN'T.
BUT WE STAYED SILENT AND WE ALLOWED AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO TAKE OVER THE ELECTION THAT I, AND NOT JUST I, BUT MY CONSTITUENTS, THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY BECAUSE IT'S RAINING AND THEY'RE ELDERLY AND SOME OF THEM ARE NOT GONNA COME OUT AND GET SICK TO COME SPEAK.
SOME OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY ON HOLD AND CAN'T EVEN GET IN TO SPEAK.
BUT THE PROCESS THAT YOU ALL CREATED WAS DISCRIMINATION.
DID I FILE A COMPLAINT TO THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH? YOU ARE SURE, RIGHT? I DID.
DID PEOPLE FEEL DISCRIMINATED IN THE PUBLIC? YOU TWO WERE NOT THERE.
HOW WOULD YOU KNOW? THEY WERE, WERE LETTERS SENT TO YOUR BOSSES? YES, THEY WERE.
WERE COMPLAINTS VERBALLY TOLD ON SOCIAL MEDIA? YES, THEY WERE.
AND AS A COMMISSIONER AND A VOLUNTEER, 'CAUSE YOU ARE PAID STAFF, I'M NOT TO BE DISRESPECTED BY MY COLLEAGUES AND BY OTHERS BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE CAUSED A FIGHT WITH THE FUTURE OPPONENTS.
BECAUSE I WOULD STAND GROUND ON THE WORDS THAT YOU ALL ASKED US TO DO,
[01:25:01]
WHICH WAS SOLICITATE THIS SEAT.BUT WE DID NOT AGREE FOR YOU ALL TO CHANGE THE PROCESS, THE PROCESS THAT YOU HAVE CHANGED.
YOU CANNOT SHOW UP AND SELF NOMINATE FROM THE FLOOR.
YOU TOOK A WRITTEN BALLOT AWAY.
YOU TOOK A REPRESENTATIVE FROM AN HOA OR A CON CONTACT TEAM AWAY.
YOU TOOK AWAY THE BALLOT BEING COUNTED THAT DAY.
AND VICTORY BEING CLAIMED THAT DAY.
NOW PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO WAIT, WAIT A WEEK OR TWO JUST TO GET A RESPONSE IF THEY GOT ELECTED OR NOT.
WHERE DID THAT COME UP FROM? WE DIDN'T AGREE AS A COMMISSION THAT WE WANTED PEOPLE TO WAIT A WEEK AND A HALF TO SEE IF THEY GET ELECTED.
YOU ALSO TOOK AWAY THE CANDIDATE BEING THERE.
PEOPLE WANNA SEE WHO THEY'RE VOTING FOR.
PEOPLE WANNA MEET WHO THEY'RE VOTING FOR.
IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FAIR ELECTION PROCESS, THEN CANDIDATES NEED TO BE OUT THERE WORKING IT.
AND THEY NEED TO BE MEETING AND GREETING THEIR CONSTITUENTS IF THEY WANT THEIR VOTE.
ANOTHER THING YOU TOOK AWAY IS YOU STA YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE ELECTIONS ON THE SAME DAY WHERE PEOPLE WERE ALL CONFUSED BECAUSE OUR COMMISSIONERS WERE CONFUSED.
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO STAGGER THE MEETING AGAIN.
WHERE IS THE NEW PROCESS? WHY DIDN'T YOU BRING THIS TO THE BOARD? DON'T YOU THINK WE HAVE, WE SHOULD KNOW THE NEW PROCESS.
HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS TO OUR PEOPLE AND RUN THIS ELECTION OUT THERE IN THE FIELD IF WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THE NEW PROCESS? DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR MANAGER TOLD ME THERE? OH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME RUNNING AN ELECTION.
YOU PUT US IN THE HALLWAY ON HELL, NOT EVEN IN THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM.
DO YOU KNOW HOW YOU MADE US FEEL? YOU HAD A LINE OF CONSTITUENTS OUT THERE VOTING FOR SONYA MARTINEZ WRITING IN BALLOTS, BOYCOTTING A VOTE, AND YOU WERE NOWHERE TO BE PRESENT.
I CALLED YOU, I CALLED YOU AND NEITHER OF Y'ALL HAVE RETURNED MY CALL.
AND NOW YOU WANNA SIT HERE AND VICTIMIZE YOURSELF AND SAY THAT I'M THE ABUSER.
I WILL NOT TOLERATE THE ABUSE THAT I'M GETTING FOR A FUTURE CANDIDATE THAT'S HERE TODAY AND OTHER, UH, BUREAUCRACY.
BECAUSE YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOUR CANDIDATES WHEN YOU NEEDED THEIR ID.
I CALLED YOUR OFFICE THREE TIMES.
SO IT SEEMS THAT DURING ELECTIONS, YOU'RE ON VACATION WHEN YOU SHOULD BE OUT THERE MOBILIZING, NOT COMING ON FRIDAY AND REQUESTING AN ID OVER THE WEEKEND.
OUR GOVERNMENT HOURS ARE EIGHT TO FIVE, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO ASK FOR IDENTIFICATION FROM OUR CANDIDATES OVER THE WEEKEND.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, I KNOW THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING AND, AND WE, WE DO HAVE TO, UM, UNDERSTAND ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.
WE DO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE THAT, UM, WE SEE THINGS, PEOPLE, PEOPLE IN GENERAL SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND PEOPLE ARE IMPACTED DIFFERENTLY.
AND AS I'VE TOLD COMMISSIONER DELGADO, THAT IN TERMS OF IT BEING DIRECTED SPECIFICALLY AT ANY ONE PERSON IN THE CITY, IT'S, IT'S THE CITY.
JUST AS YOU WERE SAYING EARLIER ON, HELL, YOU KEPT SAYING THE CITY, THE CITY, THE CITY, MS. JACKMAN HAD TO CLARIFY, WELL, WHAT, WHO IS, WHAT IS AND WHO IS THE CITY.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS NO ONE PERSON THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURES OR THE, NOT FAILURES, BUT FOR THE MISSTEPS, THE MISCUES, THE ANYTHING.
UM, BUT I DO FEEL THAT COLLECTIVELY IT IS SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE GOING, WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND THAT NEXT MONTH, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ALREADY, UM, INTEREST IN FORMING, BEING PART OF THE WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE PROCESS SO THAT IT IS MORE TRANSPARENT AND THAT THE COMMISSIONERS CAN BE HELPFUL IN THIS SITUATION.
I THINK I HAD ON, ON, UH, I'LL, I'LL GO HERE.
I'LL GO AROUND THIS WAY AND I'LL GRAB THOSE ON THE, ON THE DAIS.
UM, SO ONE THING THAT I WANT TO CLARIFY IS, I KNOW THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON EAST AUSTIN.
UM, AND I KNOW A**L SAID THE REST OF THE ELECTIONS WENT SMOOTH.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF THE SAME CONCERNS IN THE OTHER ELECTIONS AS WELL.
THEY DIDN'T RESULT IN THE, THE SAME AS THE EAST AUSTIN ELECTION, BUT THERE WERE, WE, UM, I HAD PEOPLE PERSONALLY CALLING ME, ASKING ME ABOUT
[01:30:01]
THE PROCESS.AND LIKE COMMISSIONER DELGADO SAID, WE DID NOT KNOW THE PROCESS EXACTLY, UH, HOW, UH, WHAT THE NEXT STEP WAS GOING TO BE.
UM, WE HAD, UM, A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WERE USED TO THE OLD PROCESS THAT, UH, CHAIR MENTIONED.
AND SO THEY WERE CONFUSED ABOUT WHEN TO VOTE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
I COULD ANSWER SOME OF THEIR QUESTIONS.
I DID CALL AND LEAVE MESSAGES WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, UH, TRYING TO GET SOME ANSWERS.
UM, SO YEAH, SO I WILL SAY THAT EVEN THE OTHER ELECTIONS DID NOT GO SMOOTHLY.
UM, SO ONE THING THAT, UM, THAT I WILL ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT IS, UH, EARLIER WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE MISSION AND ALL OF THAT, WE TALK ABOUT, UH, LOW INCOME AND POOR PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT NORMALLY AT THE TABLE.
THAT'S WHO, WHO WE WANT ON THIS COMMISSION.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS PROCESS, I GUESS THE QUESTION WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES, ARE WE GIVING THOSE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY? ARE WE, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE WE MAKING IT HARDER FOR THEM TO, TO SERVE AND TO VOLUNTEER? OR ARE WE HELPING THEM? AND SO FAR, FROM WHAT I'M SEEING, FROM WHAT I SAW AS A COMMISSIONER, AS A CANDIDATE, AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, I AGREE WITH ANIL THAT WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT ALL OF THIS.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS PROCESS.
WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND LIKE COMMISSIONER DELGADO SAID, WHEN THESE BYLAWS WERE CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS WERE COMING UP, I, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T VERY CLEAR ON WHAT WAS GOING TO CHANGE.
UH, AND SO SOME OF US DIDN'T SPEAK UP KNOWING, NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS COMING.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AS WELL.
UM, SO I PROPOSE THAT WE HAVE AN ELECTIONS WORKING GROUP, UH, MAYBE, UH, ELECTIONS, UH, AND TERMS AND ALL OF THIS, THE WHOLE DISCUSSION, ITEM THREE, YOU KNOW, WORKING GROUP THAT CAN LOOK AT THOSE.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT PERSONALLY I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.
AND I BELIEVE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF THESE CHANGES CAME FROM COMMISSIONERS CAME FROM THE COMMISSION.
UM, UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO DO.
VICE CHAIR, COMMISSIONER KEES.
UM, THANK Y'ALL FOR THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, I HAVE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS I'LL JUST STATE OUT, BUT WOULD LOVE TO REFER TO THE, THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE I THINK THE BYLAWS CALL FOR STAGGERED TERMS. AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE ABOUT TO HAVE THE MAJORITY ALL EXCEPT TWO OF US, UM, POTENTIALLY TURNED OUT.
I MEAN, I KNOW SOME FOLKS WERE REELECTED, BUT WE COULD HAVE HAD A COMPLETE CHANGEOVER.
UM, AND SO I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THAT'S IN.
SO ANYWAY, I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THE BYLAWS AND OUR, THE STAGGERING OF TERMS. 'CAUSE I'M NOT SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO, I DO HAVE SEVERAL MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OTHER SEVEN POSITIONS.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT THERE'S STILL SOME, I HAVE LOTS OF FOLLOW UP DETAILS ON HOW TO HELP SHEPHERD THAT PROCESS.
SO I'D LIKE TO REFER THAT TO THE GROUP.
UM, AND I, I WOULD LOVE TO PROPOSE EITHER AS PART OF THAT PROCESS OR AS A SEPARATE WORK GROUP, AN ONBOARDING WORK GROUP, BECAUSE I THINK THAT AS WE HAVE, 'CAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE A, LIKE, IT'S FELT LIKE WE NEEDED THIS FOR A WHILE ANYWAY, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE A LOT OF NEW FOLKS.
AND SO I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE ORIENTATION ON ONBOARDING.
SO EITHER AS ONE OR AS SEPARATE.
THAT WAS GOOD IDEAS AS WELL THAT YOU OKAY.
COMMISSIONER TOLIVER, UH, TWO CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR AND TWO, OUR STAFF.
I'VE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE 2016.
I HAVE SEEN CHANGES, I HAVE SEEN UP TO DATE, BUT WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, I HAD TO GO INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S LIBRARY TO READ UP ON WHAT THE COMMISSION JOB WAS, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MY POSITION IS FOR NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
I SERVED UNDER LAKESIDE CONY PARK AND LBJ HIGH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH I WAS A COORDINATOR FOR LBJ HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THEREFORE, WHEN LAKESIDE AND CONY PARK APPROACHED ME TO BECOME THEIR VOICE, I ACCEPTED IT BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT I WAS GETTING INTO WHEN I ACCEPTED THIS.
A LOT OF THINGS, WHEN I STARTED OUT, I DID NOT SEE
[01:35:02]
CERTAIN THINGS, BUT NOW I'M AWARE OF WHAT'S AROUND ME AND WHAT'S, UM, MY JOB IS TO SUPPORT THE NEEDY.IT SHOULDN'T BE NO BICKERING AMONGST US.
WE ARE HERE FOR THE LOW INCOME PEOPLE.
AND I FEEL, I'M NOT SAYING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS MY LAST TIME
UM, COMMISSIONER TOVER FOR THAT.
UM, COMMISSIONERS ONLINE REMOTE.
I, OKAY, I'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER ORTIZ, AND THEN I'LL DO, I SEE COMMISSIONER ARNOLD AND, UM, COMMISSIONER ORISHA, IF YOU ARE ALSO INTERESTED, YOU'LL BE THE THIRD, UH, COMMISSIONER ORTIZ.
UM, THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE SERVED FOR SO LONG.
UM, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I DID WHEN I WAS ABLE TO MEET Y'ALL IN PERSON, UM, WAS JUST TO BE PROUD AND HONORED OF THE REPRESENTATION THAT Y'ALL GAVE.
BUT IT HURT MY HEART, JUST IN GENERAL AND IN, I TRY NOT TO CRY.
AND THE, THE PLACE THAT WE ARE IN THE US RIGHT NOW AND WHAT'S GOING ON NATIONWIDE, IT REALLY HURT THAT WE ARE, WE'RE FIGHTING AGAINST EACH OTHER.
WE'RE FIGHTING AGAINST OUR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY.
AND WE'RE FIGHTING AGAINST THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'RE FI EVERYBODY SEEMS TO HAVE WORDS, BUT IT'S THE ACTION THAT THIS GROUP BRINGS.
AND I AM HONORED THAT WE HAVE VOCAL PEOPLE.
UM, I, I AGREE WITH ANGEL THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S HURTFUL WHEN PEOPLE ARE JUST TRYING TO DO THE JOB.
BUT I DO AGREE WITH WHAT EVERYONE HAS SAID, THAT THE CLEARER THE COMMUNICATION, THE LESS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THESE KIND OF INCIDENCES AND TO HELP KIND OF BRING DOWN THAT TEMPERATURE.
THIS IS THE MOST CRITICAL TIME THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
AND WHILE IT MAY SEEM SMALL, 'CAUSE WE'RE ONE OF MANY COMMISSIONS HERE IN THE CITY, WE ARE JUST LIKE, UM, SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE MENTIONED ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF WHO WE REPRESENT.
AND RIGHT NOW, SO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ARE HAVING TO GO THROUGH A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME WITH FEDERAL LAWS THAT WE NEED A STICK TOGETHER.
AND THE MORE COMMUNICATION WE CAN GET OUT, THE CLEARER WE CAN BE AND THE BETTER THAT WE CAN CREATE THIS PROCESS TOGETHER.
UM, I, I TOO WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT.
HOWEVER WE CAN, WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UM, I AGAIN, THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THOSE THAT ARE, ARE ENDING THEIR TERMS THAT, UM, Y'ALL GAVE US SOMETHING TO REALLY LOOK, UH, TOWARDS AND TO, TO INSPIRE US TO BE, UM, BETTER COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AND, UM, AND YOUR LEADERSHIP.
SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT.
UM, AND I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU AND AS WELL AS, AS THE CITY, BOTH LEGAL AND STAFF FOR TRYING.
WE JUST, WE JUST GOTTA DO BETTER TOGETHER.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR Y'ALL SERVICES.
I WISH I COULD HAVE MET Y'ALL IN PERSON.
FORTUNATELY I DO HAVE A, A BABY ON, SHE'S SICK.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT YES, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BRING COMMUNICATION IN THESE SPACES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BRING, UH, COMMUNITY AND HUMANITY IN THESE SPACES AS WELL AND HAVE A COMMUNITY APPROACH AND MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY IS, UM, OUR BEST INTEREST AND NOT THE CITY AND NOT LEGAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO VOTE OR MAKE ANY KIND OF PROPOSAL THAT, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OR WHOMEVER, UM, MAKE CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS, I FEEL LIKE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY ARE HERE WHEN THE CHANGES ARE BEING DONE AND, AND AFFECTED BECAUSE, UM, WE'RE HERE TO SERVE LOW INCOME, DIRECTLY IMPACTED PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE THE ONES THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY ANY CHANGES THAT WE MAKE.
AND THEY, AND I FEEL LIKE EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT HERE, UM, LEAVE A BLUEPRINT BECAUSE IF IT WAS HARD FOR US TO NAVIGATE THE ELECTION, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS MY SECOND TIME KIND OF HAVING THE, UM, THE FEEL FOR, UM, I'M SORRY MM-HMM
IT WAS MY SECOND TIME KIND OF HAVING COM, THE COMMUNITY VOTE,
[01:40:01]
BEING ELECTED BY THE COMMUNITY AND NOT APPOINTED.UM, AND I FEEL LIKE THIS TIME IT WAS, UM, HARDER DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DIDN'T KNOW WHEN I, I WON.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE VOTING FOR ME.
EVEN WHEN I WENT TO THE LOBBY WHERE WE WERE AT IN THE OPEN, AND WHEN I WAS ENGAGING WITH THE INDIVIDUALS, I COULDN'T TELL THEM ANYTHING.
WE PULLED UP A MAP THAT WAS PRINTED OUT ON THE TABLE.
I FEEL LIKE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BIGGER MAP, JUST LIKE I SAID AT CDC OR A PH.
IT SHOULD BE LIKE A HUGE MAP FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND AND TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PEOPLE.
IF THIS IS FOR THE PEOPLE, JUST LIKE IT'S VOTE HERE, VOTE THERE.
I, I WASN'T AWARE OF THE, THE, MY OPPONENT.
AND IT'S NOT TO UNDERMINE ANYONE, IT'S TO KNOW IT'S THE COMMUNITY.
WE SHOULD KNOW WHO WANNA RUN FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE SHOULD BE LIKE, HEY, LIKE, UM, CHAIR SAID, OH, YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT FOR THIS ROLE.
LIKE, YOU'VE GOT THIS SISTER, YOU GOT THIS BROTHER.
IT IS, WE DON'T NEED TO CREATE MORE BARRIERS FOR US.
WE ARE HERE TO BREAK BARRIERS, ESPECIALLY AS ME, UM, DIRECTLY IMPACTED BLACK WOMAN, MOTHER, AND A COMMUNITY LEADER.
SO I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN STOP PLACING A BLAME AND SAYING, WELL, I FELT THIS, OR I FELT THAT.
WE JUST START SAYING COMMUNITY.
JUST LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, AND I'M GONNA SAY THIS ONE LAST THING, INSTEAD OF SAYING, UM, WE DIDN'T AGREE TO WRITE DOWN, UM, NAMES AND PEOPLE THAT YOU SHOULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT WAS A GREAT INITIATIVE YOU HAD.
HOW MANY VOTES PEOPLE COMING IN? HOW CAN WE BUILD OFF THAT? HOW CAN WE IMPLEMENT THIS THAT IN, IN, IN A WAY INSTEAD OF SAYING, HEY, I DIDN'T LIKE THAT.
OR HOW CAN WE SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND YOUR INTENTIONS.
I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ILL INTENTIONS, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU WOULDN'T BE IN A SEAT, Y'ALL, WE WOULD BE IN MM-HMM
AND I'M, I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND PREACH, BUT I JUST REALLY HOPE Y'ALL FELT THAT IN Y'ALL HEARTS.
COMMISSIONER ARNOLD? COMMISSIONER TISHA, DID YOU HAVE YES, YES.
UH, AND WHAT A SORT OF LOOP BACK TO WHAT YOU HAD SAID, CHAIR THOMPSON ABOUT COMMUNICATION, AND EVERYONE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT IT, IT REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING THAT A FORMER BOSS, UH, AT THE TIME WAS A MENTOR AND WOULD SAY ONE'S PERCEPTION IS THE REALITY.
AND SO IF THERE IS A MISPERCEPTION ABOUT MISCOMMUNICATION, IT WILL LEAD TO A, A REALITY OF MISINFORMATION, MISJUDGMENT, AND MISTAKES.
SO I SAY ALL THAT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO STANDARDIZE.
AND I, I LOVE THE WORKING GROUPS AND ABSOLUTELY, UM, BE INTERESTED AND HOPEFULLY, UM, INVITED TO BE A PART OF THE WORKING GROUPS, UH, AS WELL AS THE ONBOARDING THAT COMMISSIONER ACHILLES MENTIONED, UM, AND HOW WE CAN STANDARDIZE THIS PROCESS, UH, SO THAT WAY IT IS CLEAR AMONGST ALL CHANNELS.
SO THAT COMMENTARY BEING SAID, I DO HAVE A CLARIFICATION QUESTION FOR YOU ON AHEAD.
UM, AND I'M WONDERING, AND WHAT I COULD HEAR AND HOW YOU WERE DESCRIBING THIS SITUATION, ESPECIALLY FOR NEW EMPLOYEES AND NEW STAFF, UM, IS THE TYPE OF CONSTRAINTS THAT THIS MIGHT CREATE AMONGST THE TEAM.
SO I KNOW THAT WE, WE ARE OFFERING A LOT OF THESE SOLUTIONS AND THESE IDEAS, UM, BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING REQUESTED AND THAT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, WE'RE REQUESTING THIS INFORMATION FROM HAVE THE CAPACITY AS WELL AS THE AUTHORITY SPACE TO PROVIDE THE KIND OF INFORMATION.
SO I ASK THAT QUESTION IN TERMS OF CLARITY FROM YOU, UM, AND HELL, AND THEN I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FOR YOU, NEFERTITI.
SO I'LL JUST SAY THEM NOW AND Y'ALL BOTH CAN ANSWER, UM, BACK TO BACK.
UM, BUT, UM, NEFERTITI, WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT IT VARIES FROM NEIGHBORHOOD TO TO NEIGHBORHOOD, WHY IS THAT A SITUATION? WHY IS THERE NO STANDARDIZATION? SO AGAIN, THAT CAN BE SOMETHING THE WORKING GROUP CAN WORK ON, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU ALL CAN ANSWER THOSE TWO QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST ONE ON HELL IN REGARDS TO CAPACITY AND AUTHOR DECISION MAKING SPACE FOR YOUR STAFF AND THE NFER, TD, THE QUESTION ABOUT HOW THINGS VARY FROM NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTION ELECTION ACROSS THE CITY AND NOT HAVING STANDARDIZATION EITHER WAY.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND ANSWER, UH, BOTH OF THE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE WORKING GROUPS OF THE, UM, COMM, UM, THE COMMISSION, UH, STAFF.
WE DO NOT AND ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR STAFFING THOSE.
SO YOU WOULD HANDLE ALL OF YOUR SCHEDULING, ALL OF YOUR MEETINGS.
IF HOWEVER YOU NEED OR HAVE A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE RELEVANT INFORMATION, UH, TO HELP YOU IN YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.
UM, REGARDING, DO YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING ON THAT? UH, NO.
UM, AND REGARDING WHAT I WAS SPEAKING TO IN TERMS OF THE VARIATION,
[01:45:01]
UH, IN COMMUNITIES, IT, IT, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STANDARDIZATION OF PROCESSES WITHIN THE CITY.IT HAS TO DO WITH IT, AND IT DOES VARY WITH COMMUNITY COHESION.
SO WE DO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS STAFF TO GET THE WORD OUT AND TO SHARE INFORMATION THAT IS A RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE AND WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER.
BUT THERE IS ALSO THE OBLIGATION AND RESPONSIBILITY YOU REPRESENT COMMUNITIES.
AND SO THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITY GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS, AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY, AND HAIL PRESENTED LAST YEAR, THE REASON FOR THE CHANGES.
SOME ORGANIZATIONS WERE NO LONGER MEETING, RIGHT? SO WE COULDN'T FILL SEATS.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES WHO ARE STILL COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE STILL INTACT.
THEY STILL HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS AND THEY KNOW THOSE LEADERS.
I DON'T IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THAT.
AND AS WE KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY REASONS WHY THAT I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHY THAT IS DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND IT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
YOU MIGHT HAVE A LEADER ONE YEAR, THEY STEP DOWN AND RETIRE, RIGHT? AND SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THIS TRANSITION OR LOSS OF INFORMATION AS, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS ARE LOOKING FOR THEIR NEXT LEADER AND THERE'S A TRANSITION IN LEADERSHIP.
I, I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I'M A I'M GOING TO, UM, PUT THIS BACK AT YOU.
UM, ONE, YOUR FIRST QUESTION THAT YOU ORIGINALLY, UM, POSED TO ON HEALTH AND ASKING ABOUT THE CAPACITY, UM, AND THE AUTHOR, THE AUTHORITY THAT VARIOUS STAFF MEMBERS HAVE REGARDING SUPPORTING, UH, THE ELECTIONS.
DID, DID, WOULD YOU ASK THAT CLEAR? UH, AGAIN, UH, OR LET ME ASK THIS.
DID UH, MS. JACKMAN ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION? THANK YOU FOR ASKING THE FOLLOW UP.
NO,
IT WAS NOT IN REGARDS TO YOU ALL AS CITY STAFF, UM, FROM YOUR POSITION SPECIFICALLY MS. JACKSON AND AN ANGEL.
UM, IT'S IN REGARDS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ON THE GROUND.
SO HEARING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE DOING OUTREACH, OR THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS THERE IN EAST AUSTIN, THAT IT WAS THEIR FIRST TIME THERE.
WHAT I'M INQUIRING ABOUT, SO, SO TO REFRAME THE QUESTION, SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO REFRAME IT, IS IN REGARDS TO GATHERING INFORMATION, GATHERING CONTENT OF THE PROCESSES OF WHAT OCCURS DURING AN ELECTION, PRE AND POST.
UH, WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR AND WHAT I'M HOPING TO RECEIVE, SO WHEREVER THERE'S INFORMATION COMES FROM IS THE FRAMEWORK.
SO LOOKING AT THE PRE-ELECTION COMPONENT, THESE ARE THE STEPS.
THESE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS, THESE ARE EXPECTATIONS.
AND THEN DURING THE ELECTION ITSELF, THESE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE INVOLVED.
THESE ARE THE PROCESSES, THESE ARE THE EXPECTATIONS.
THE POST-ELECTION AND THE SAME THING INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED.
IS THAT KIND OF CONTENT, THAT KIND OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE, WHETHER THAT IS COMING DIRECTLY FROM YOU AND HELL OR NEFERTITI OR, OR DOES THAT INVOLVE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS? AND THIS IS THE CRUX OF THE QUESTION, IS THAT INFORMATION THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO US AS COMMISSION MEMBERS.
SO THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TISHA FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, I RESPONDED BECAUSE I WAS SPECIFICALLY, SHE SAID, WHY WAS IT DIFFERENT FROM ORGANIZATION TO ORGANIZATION? AND I HAD SPECIFICALLY SPOKE ON THE COLONY PARK THAT THEY DID KNOW EACH OTHER.
SO THAT WAS WHERE I WAS GOING FROM.
AND, AND HELL KEEP IN MIND THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PROCESSES THAT WE ARE OVER.
SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR INHALE.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR INHALE, BUT, UH, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE SAID.
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE AND IMPROVE IT.
SO THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME, SO I'LL NO, WELL SAID.
I THINK, I THINK I CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION.
BECAUSE IT REALLY IS JUST ALMOST A YES OR NO.
AND THE LEAN STICK SIGMA MBA IN ME IS JUST TRYING TO GET TO THE ANSWER, THE CLARIFICATION, FOUNDATIONAL ANSWER OF IS THIS INFORMATION THAT CAN BE SOURCED? RIGHT? THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES.
THERE WAS A PRE-ELECTION PROCESS.
STAFF WERE SELECTED, STAFF WERE TRAINED.
THERE WAS A MEETING WITH STAFF ON THE PROCESS.
[01:50:02]
STAFF WERE, UH, ASKED FOR THEIR INPUT.MATERIALS WERE PROVIDED FOR EACH ELECTION.
SO WE DIDN'T JUST THROW STAFF OUT THERE TO WING THIS.
THERE WAS A PROCESS, THERE WAS AN ELECTION PROCESS.
I WAS GOING TO EVERY ELECTION SITE TO KIND OF OVERSEE AND ASK QUESTIONS AND SEE HOW THINGS WERE GOING.
UM, AND THE POST-ELECTION PROCESS HAS ALSO HAPPENED IN TERMS OF LESSONS LEARNED AND WHERE IT'S NOT COMPLETED.
BECAUSE I'M HERE TODAY TO KIND OF EXPLAIN NEXT STEPS.
YOU GUYS CAME UP WITH A WORKING GROUP, SO THE POST-ELECTION PROCESS IS STILL GOING ON.
WHETHER YOU NEED EVIDENCE OF THAT, I LEAVE IT UP TO YOU.
LIKE, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? 'CAUSE YOU'RE SAYING, WAS THERE A PROCESS? I COULD SAY, OKAY, THERE WAS A MEETING ON JANUARY 15TH, THESE 30 STAFF WENT, THIS IS WHAT WE WENT OVER.
THAT SEEMS TO GET IN THE WEEDS.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, AND MY APOLOGIES NOT TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT JUST SO I DON'T, UM, IT'S NOT TO GO INTO THOSE DETAILS.
I THINK THE KEY THING, AND I THINK WHAT HAS LED TO THE FRICTION, UM, THAT EXISTED IN THIS MOST RECENT ELECTION WAS THAT THERE WASN'T A CLEAR FRAMEWORK.
AND THAT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT SH FRANKLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SAME PAGE, WE'RE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE.
SO I THINK BY HAVING THIS WORKING GROUP, BY HAVING, UM, US AS A COMMISSION MORE CLEAR ON THE PROCESSES OF WHAT YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH AN ELECTION, GIVES US, EMPOWERS US TO COMMUNICATE THAT FURTHER TO THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THERE AREN'T GAPS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONFLICT.
THAT WE HAVE A CHANCE TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION.
EVERYONE KNOWS WHERE THEY STAND.
SO IF ANYONE STEPS OUTSIDE OF THOSE PARTICULAR BOUNDARIES, THEN THE INDIVIDUAL KNOWS THAT THEY ARE IN THE WRONG.
BUT BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY GAPS IN DIFFERENT SPACES OF, UM, MISCOMMUNICATION AND MISINFORMATION CREATED AND FOSTERED THIS SPACE OF CONFLICT AND TENSION THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN NOW.
SO THAT'S ALL I'M SEEKING IS NOT THE WEEDS, OF COURSE, AS YOU DESCRIBED, BUT IT REALLY NICE TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE A VERY WELL MANICURED LAWN OF INFORMATION,
UM, A FRAMEWORK THAT YOU'RE USING THAT GOES OVER THE PRE, DURING AND POST.
SO WE CAN BE CLARIFIED OR CLEAR ABOUT THE PROCESSES.
IS THAT A, IS THAT A POSSIBILITY ON HELL? CAN YOU REPEAT THAT PLEASE?
WELL, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO, I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP TIME DOING THIS, BUT WE CAN DISCUSS THIS OFFLINE.
IT'S JUST ESSENTIALLY YOU HAD SAID, YES, IT IS POSSIBLE, BUT DO NOT REQUIRE GOING INTO THE WEEDS, JUST HAVING A FRAMEWORK.
SO, AND IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT EXISTS, GREAT.
AND IF THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT EXISTS, ALLOW US AS THE COMMISSION WORKING GROUP TO HELP SHAPE IT.
I DIDN'T SAY YES, IT IS POSSIBLE.
STAFF WERE TRAINED, STAFF WERE ORIENTED ON THE NEW ELECTION PROCESS.
THEY HAD QUESTIONS, BASICALLY LIKE A TRAINING.
AND THEN THEY WENT IN, THEY WENT OUT INTO THE FIELD ON JANUARY 27TH AND HELD THESE EIGHT ELECTIONS.
OKAY, SO I'M GOING TO, UM, I'M GOING TO MOVE US, UM, TOWARDS CLOSURE ON THIS.
WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT WE WILL HAVE A WORKING GROUP MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK ALMOST ALL COMMISSIONERS WANT TO BE ON THIS WORKING GROUP.
AND I THINK IT'S GREAT FOR US TO BE, I WILL SAY THIS ONE PIECE, UM, UM, NEFERTITI, I DO, UM, MS. JACKMAN, I DO BELIEVE THAT, UH, YOUR SECOND QUESTION ANSWER WAS FINE FOR, UM, COMMISSIONER TISHA'S, UH, QUESTION.
THE ISSUE I STILL THINK IS AT THE ONSET, UH, I MEAN, THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WAS DIRECTED AT HEL WAS BASICALLY IF, IN FACT, IF I HEAR, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT FROM THE STAFF PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED, THEY WERE COMFORTABLE WITH THEIR DECISIONS, WITH THEIR TRAINING, WITH THEIR AUTHORITY, UM, DIS DISPERSION, UH, DISTRIBUTION.
YOU WERE GOOD WITH THE, WITH GOING FORWARD WITH THE ELECTIONS.
AND SO SINCE YOU WERE GOOD GOING FORWARD, THE ONE THING I WILL SAY AS I TAKE MY LEAVE EVENTUALLY, UH, THIS EVENING, IS TO SAY THAT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM HAS, HAS GENERATED MORE DISCUSSION FROM ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
AND IT SEEMS THAT SOMETIMES OUR INTENTIONS
[01:55:03]
OF SAYING SOMETHING OR COMMUNICATING SOMETHING WHEN WE, WHEN WE GET IT BACK, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A MIRROR.WE'RE LIKE, OH, HEY, I, THAT'S NOT THE WAY I WANTED TO LOOK.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY I WANTED IT TO GO OUT.
THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE INTENTION.
BUT I WILL SAY I AM HEARING A LOT OF THE SAME THING FROM DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE CONTACTED.
I WAS TOO, WAS CONTACTED AND I TOO DIDN'T KNOW MUCH.
AND I WAS ABLE TO SAY, WELL, I DON'T KNOW MUCH BECAUSE I'M ON MY WAY OUT.
AND MAYBE I WAS JUST EMBARRASSED THAT I DIDN'T KNOW.
AND, UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT WHEN COMMISSIONER TISHA IS WHAT, WHAT I WAS HEARING HER SAY WAS THAT IT'S, IT DID SEEM THAT THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND WERE UNSURE OF THEMSELVES.
NOW, WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS THE CASE, I GET IT.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT THE RESULTS WERE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE UNSURE OF THEMSELVES.
AND THAT'S JUST, I THINK I COULD SAY AS A FACT.
SO WE'LL MOVE FORWARD AND WITH CLOSURE ON THAT.
DO WE STILL HAVE SHARE, SHARE REALLY QUICK? YES.
I HAVE IT LOGGED AS THE ELECTIONS WORKING GROUP.
IT'S ELECTIONS WORKING COMMISSIONER ACHILLES AS ONE, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE TWO.
I WON'T BE ABLE TO BE PART OF IT 'CAUSE I THINK I'M, I'LL SECOND IT.
WHO WAS THAT? TISHA, COMMISSIONER.
AND I DO BELIEVE THERE'S A EXPERTISE.
THERE IS A PROPOSAL TO HAVE THAT WORKING GROUP ALSO BE AN ONBOARDING GROUP.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS CONTEXT.
I THINK THAT THOSE WORK WELL TOGETHER.
THAT IT, IT BEHOOVES US AS A COMMISSION FOR THAT TO BE THE SAME ENTITY THAT IS SUPPORTING THE ELECTIONS AND THE ONBOARDING.
SO CAN WE MAKE IT BE, UH, ELECTIONS, UM, PROCESS AND IT WILL THEN TURN INTO AN ONBOARDING? IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT WORK? DOES THAT WORK FOR YOU? OKAY.
DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THAT? DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THAT? NO.
YOU'RE TAKING DOWN NAMES, RIGHT? I HAVE EVERYTHING.
WELL, NO, IT'S MORE THAN FOUR, BUT, UH, YEAH, THE, THE CHAIR RECOMMENDED, UH, OR NAMED THE WORKING GROUP IS ELECTIONS WORKING GROUP.
AND THEN I HAVE COMMISSIONER ACHILLES ON ELECTIONS AND ONBOARDING.
COMMISSIONER, ACHILLES, LEASE COMMISSIONER TISHA.
AND COMMISSIONER ORTIZ ALSO VOLUNTEERED TO BE IN THIS WORKING GROUP.
DID YOU, DID YOU AND VICE CHAIR AND THE VICE? YES.
AND I THINK COMMISSIONER ARNOLD IS ALSO, UM, WANTING TO, YES, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ON MEMBER MM-HMM
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE WORKING GROUPS HAVE, I DON'T WANNA SAY HAVE EVER, BUT WE DON'T LOOK TO THE STAFF AT ALL.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER TISHA, THAT WAS NOT WHAT YOU WERE, UM, IMPLYING WAS LOOKING FOR STAFF TO HELP WITH SCHEDULING WORKING GROUPS.
UH, WORKING GROUPS HAVE BEEN WORKING GROUPS, UM, SEPARATE FROM THE STAFF, IS THAT CORRECT? COMMISSIONER TISHA? YOU ARE CORRECT.
THAT WAS NOT WHAT I WAS IMPLYING OR INTENDING.
BUT WE CAN REQUEST INFORMATION FROM STAFF.
WE CAN GET INFORMATION FROM STAFF.
YEAH, WE, BECAUSE WE WOULD NEED INFORMATION.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CAME BACK FULL CIRCLE TO THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, A, UH, FOUR CITIZENS IN A COMMUNITY THAT MAY BE INTERESTED.
WELL, TWO OF THEM DIDN'T ANSWER AT 7 25, SO I'LL GIVE 'EM ANOTHER CHANCE THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
SO, UH, THOMAS, IS THOMAS ON? THOMAS GOING ONCE THOMAS, I'M HERE.
UM, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND YOU MAY BEGIN.
I, I WANNA I WANNA THANK THE, UH, THE COMMISSION FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND, UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK THE OUTGOING COMMISSIONERS FOR THEIR SERVICE.
IT, IT'S A, THESE DAYS IT'S, IT'S A HARD THING TO, UH, GIVE OF YOUR OWN RESOURCES,
[02:00:01]
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST CALLINGS THAT, UH, A PERSON CAN, UH, CAN BE INVOLVED IN.UM, CERTAINLY I, I APPLAUD THE MOVE TO, UH, CREATE THIS, THE WORKING GROUP THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED.
I, I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S DEFINITELY GONNA HELP A LOT, UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE, THERE WERE A LOT OF TEACHABLE MOMENTS, UH, DURING THIS PROCESS, UH, PROCESS BY THE WAY, PERSONALLY.
UH, WHAT IT WAS, ALTHOUGH IT WAS, ALTHOUGH IT'S COUNCIL APPROVED, I NEVER AGREED WITH IT.
UM, I, THAT'S, THIS WAS MY FOURTH CDC ELECTION.
THE PREVIOUS THREE WERE DONE UNDER THE PREVIOUS PROCESS.
AND I WAS MORE THAN HAPPY WITH THE WAY THE ELECTION WAS CONDUCTED.
UH, I WAS QUITE PUT OUT BY, UH, NOT BEING ABLE TO USE MY DRIVER'S LICENSE AS AN ID.
I DIDN'T BRING A UTILITY BILL WITH ME BECAUSE THE ASSUMPTION WAS, UH, THAT THE I, THE, THE ID WOULD BE THE DRIVER'S LICENSE.
I MEAN, ANY ELECTION ANYWHERE IN THE STATE WILL LET YOU USE YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE.
I THINK IT'S REMEDIAL NOT TO BE ABLE TO LET PEOPLE USE THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSES.
UH, ALSO I THINK, UH, JUST MY PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS, UH, ONE OR AT LEAST MAYBE TWO ELECTION MONITORS SHOULD BE STATIONED.
THAT'S A GOOD, UH, AND IF THEY'RE STAGGERED, YOU CAN USE THE SAME PEOPLE OVER AND OVER.
UH, DEFINITELY THE COMMUNICATION ANGLE, UM, IS DEFINITELY WANTING AND THE WORKING GROUP COULD MAKE BIG IMPROVEMENTS THERE.
CAROL, LEMME GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES.
YOU HAVE THE FLOOR NOW YOU HAVE YOUR OWN THREE MINUTES.
I KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY A TOUGH JOB.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR SERVING, UM, AND GIVING OF YOUR TIME.
IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT JOB THESE DAYS.
WE'VE WORKED ON A NUMBER OF THINGS LOCALLY AND WE'VE WORKED, WORKED WITH BERTHA BEFORE AND MANY, AND WE HAVE NOTHING BUT RESPECT FOR HER.
AND, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF WISH THERE WERE MORE NURSES RUNNING AROUND, UH, WORKING
BUT, UH, YEAH, THAT ELECTION WAS, UM, I DON'T KNOW, IT WAS AWKWARD.
WE WENT IN AND WE WERE TOLD WE NEEDED A, A UTILITY BILL AND WE SAW PEOPLE WHO, LOCALS WHO WERE, HAVE LIVED HERE FOREVER, WHO WERE KIND OF INTIMIDATED BY THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS JUST DIFFICULT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCE WITH EAST AUSTIN TO KNOW THAT, UM, THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS ON THE UP AND UP, SO IT OPENS ITSELF TO SUSPICION.
SO I THINK THAT THE PROCESS HAS TO BE ABOVE SUSPICION AND INDEPENDENT ELECTION WATCHERS WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
ANYWAY, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT WHAT, WHAT WE HAD TO SAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH BOTH TO THOMAS AND TO CAROL.
WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOU BEING FROM THE COMMUNITY AND SHARING YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE MS. MARTINEZ, MARINA.
ITEM NUMBER THREE, YOU'RE SPEAKING ON.
I HAVE THREE ON THIS ONE HERE.
I HAVE YOU IN TWO PLACES FOR THREE AND FIVE, BUT YEAH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR CLARITY.
UM, I HAVE, UM, MARIELLA DELGADO FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE ONLINE.
SO, UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE IS COMING TO A CLOSE NOW.
UH, I, MY CHANCE, UM, DO I, HAVE I MISSED IT? I HAD ISAAC ON THE LIST.
IS HE FOR THREE? WHAT IS HE FOUR? HE HE'S FOR THREE.
ISAAC? YES, I DO HAVE SOMETHING FOR ISAAC.
I'M NOT USED TO STANDING UP, SO I'M GONNA SIT DOWN ON THIS.
IS THAT OKAY? BUT IF YOU ARE, WELCOME TO SIT DOWN, BUT IF
[02:05:01]
YOU WOULD SIT AT THE, AT THE DIOCESE, PLEASE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE CAN HEAR YOUR VOICE.UH, CITY HALL STAFF MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
UH, MY NAME IS ISAAC ABBADO AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TONIGHT AND SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE CDC COMMISSION ELECTION THAT TOOK PLACE ON JANUARY 27TH IN EAST AUSTIN FOR DISTRICT THREE.
WHILE I DEEPLY RESPECT THE EFFORTS OF THE STAFF WHO WORKED DIGI DILIGENTLY TO VERIFY MY DOCUMENTS AND SHARE MY ELIGIBILITY, BUT LIKE AS DISCUSSED, I WAS REACHED OUT TO OVER THE WEEKEND WITH A THREE DAY SPAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.
UM, FEELING FRAZZLED AND UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE ON A WEEKEND.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? UH, I REMAIN COMMITTED TO PARTICIPATING IN A FAIR AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS EITHER WAY FOR A DISTRICT THAT I'VE CALLED HOME FOR FIVE YEARS.
FOR CONTEXT, I SERVE ON MULTIPLE NONPROFIT BOARDS.
I TEACH OUT A VOCATIONAL ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL FOR OPPORTUNITY YOUTH AT A SCHOOL THAT PREVIOUSLY SERVED EAST AUSTIN FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS.
BEFORE RELOCATING SOUTH, I MOVED DOWN HERE FOR A NURSING ASSIGNMENT AND I'VE SERVED AS A PATIENT CARE TECHNICIAN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
I'VE ASSISTED IN HOSPITAL SETTINGS SIMILAR TO A ROLE OF AN EMT.
EAST AUSTIN HAS BEEN MY HOME BECAUSE IT MIRRORS THE VERY COMMUNITY I WAS DISPLACED OUT OF IN THE SOUTH BRONX.
THAT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IS WHAT HAS FUELED MY ADVOCACY TO RUN AND STRENGTHENED MY, MY ABILITY TO WANNA RESOLVE AND FIGHT FOR EQUITABLE RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MY CONSTITUENTS.
AS A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER INSTRUCTOR, I WORK CLOSELY WITH MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS AND HELPING THEM NAVIGATE LOCAL RESOURCES AT ADVOCATING FOR THEIR HEALTHCARE NEEDS AND PROVIDING EMOTIONAL SUPPORT.
THAT DEDICATION WORK STEMS FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES GROWING UP, STRUGGLING TO ACCESS THE VERY RESOURCES AND I HELP OTHERS ATTAIN.
I TAKE IMMENSE PRIDE IN BEING ABLE TO NAVIGATE COMPLEX SYSTEMS. AND IF THERE'S ONE THING I LEARNED THAT IS THAT I THRIVE IN CHALLENGING SETTINGS OR SITUATIONS.
BUT ON JANUARY 27TH, I DID ENCOUNTER SIGNIFICANT PROCEDURAL INCONSISTENCIES THAT RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY, WHICH IS WHY I DECIDED TO SPEAK UP TODAY.
WHILE THE INITIAL VERIFICATION PROCESS WAS RIGOROUS, I WAS LATER CONTACTED BY AN ELECTION OFFICIAL BY THE NAME OF ANGEL IN THE MIDDLE OF MY WORKDAY, INFORM ME ABOUT AN, AN ELECTION RECALL.
THERE WAS NO REASONS PROVIDED.
UH, TO MY SURPRISE, I LATER DISCOVERED THAT A NEW CANDIDATE HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE BALLOT DESPITE MY INITIAL UNDERSTANDING THAT I WAS RUNNING UNOPPOSED.
SO WHEN I REACHED OUT FOR CLARIFICATION, I RECEIVED NO FORMAL INFO RESPONSE FOR LIKE ABOUT SIX DAYS.
AND SIMILAR TO, UM, HOW MS. ARNOLD EXPLAINED HERSELF, LIKE IT TOOK A VERY LONG TIME TO FIND OUT THE OUTCOME, UH, LEAVING ME WITH MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THOSE PROCEDURAL CONCERNS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT HERE TO CALL ANYBODY OUT, BUT I WAS SUBJECTED TO ONLINE HARASSMENT, CYBER BULLYING, AND DEROGATORY REMARKS FROM A CURRENT CDC MEMBER, WHICH IS SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW.
SHE MADE REPEATED COMMENTS, DEGRADING AND QUESTIONING MY RUN FOR THE POSITION BECAUSE I'M NOT BORN AND RAISED IN EAST AUSTIN.
SHE ECHOED DIVISIVE RHETORIC, RHETORIC, TELLING ME TO GO BACK HOME, SAVE MY OWN HOOD.
THESE COMMENTS NOT ONLY IN, WERE NOT ONLY INAPPROPRIATE, BUT ALSO CONTRADICTED THE VERY SENSE OF COMMUNITY ADVOCACY, WHICH IS WHY I WANTED TO SPEAK TODAY.
UM, I WANT TO BE CLEAR, I DON'T HOLD ANY PERSONAL RESENTMENT TOWARDS ANYBODY, UM, OR ANYBODY ELSE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS.
BUT HOWEVER, I DO BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS THE INAPPROPRIATE NATURE, UM, THAT UNDERMINE THE INTEGRITY OF THAT PROCESS.
ISAAC, HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME? UH, CABALLEROS GENTLEMAN IN SPANISH? MM-HMM
UM, ITEM NUMBER THREE, UM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UM, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE AUSTIN'S, UM, 100 YEAR WATER FORWARD 2024 PLAN AND THE WATERSHED PROTECTION.
OH, SHE DID SIGN UP FOR ITEM THREE.
I WAS, I WAS ADDING THEM AS WE WERE GOING, SO, OKAY.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S MY MISTAKE.
I'M GONNA PUT HER DOWN HERE TOO.
ALRIGHT, MS. JOSEPH, MICS OFF.
YOU ARE RECOGNIZED FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS, I APPRECIATE EARLIER ON HA MENTIONED TITLE VI.
AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THERE'S MUCH CONSTERNATION TONIGHT, BUT I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PUBLIC IS OFTEN, UH, IN THE DARK AND THE STAFF OFTEN MAKES UNILATERAL DECISIONS.
I WANT THE NEW CANDIDATES TO RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO RECOGNIZE, UH, JUST FOR CONTEXT TO SAY THAT ON JULY 18TH, 2024, YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT MANDY DE MAYO GOT COUNSEL TO ACTUALLY APPROVE THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN, APPROXIMATELY $70 MILLION.
YOU'LL ALSO REMEMBER THAT THIS BODY MADE NO RECOMMENDATION.
THE SAME PROCESS HAPPENED WHERE THE STAFF RAN OUT THE TIMELINE WHEN THE ITEM WENT BEFORE PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
[02:10:01]
FOR THE $18.5 MILLION FOR PRO HOUSINGI, THE GRANT THAT WAS AWARDED.SO SOMETIMES IT DOES FEEL FUTILE TO BE HERE TO WONDER WHY YOU EXIST IF THE STAFF RUNS OUT THE TIMELINE AND THEN THE INPUT IS NOT THERE.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT IT IS DEEPLY DISTURBING THAT THERE IS NO COMMUNITY CENTER NORTH OF US.
180 3, I SEE NICO ARNOLD IS NORTH AUSTIN, BUT NORTH AUSTIN IS NORTHWEST NORTHEAST, AND IT'S UNCLEAR WHO REALLY REPRESENTS THAT AREA BECAUSE I BROUGHT TO YOU ON OR ABOUT 2017 IS WHEN THE CITY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THEY DID NOT.
I WOULD LASTLY JUST CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION TO EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT.
AND FOR ANYONE WHO'S ACTUALLY GOING TO FILL THESE SEATS TO RECOGNIZE, IT SAYS, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE CONTINUUM OF ASSISTANCE.
AND I WILL JUST TELL YOU THAT AUNT ANGEL SOBRANO HAD DANA NIELSEN CONTACT ME ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 23RD, 2024, AND SHE APOLOGIZED AND THERE WAS NO FIRST STEP FROM THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK THAT MOVING FORWARD, YOU ACTUALLY GET THE DEFICIT IN THESE REPORTS.
WHO IS CALLING THOSE LINES AND WHO IS NOT BEING SERVED? BECAUSE EVERY MONTH YOU GET THESE REPORTS THAT SAY THEY'RE DOING WONDERFUL.
CERTAINLY ANYBODY WHO RECEIVES ANY KIND OF SERVICE IS GONNA GIVE A POSITIVE REPORT.
YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION ON THERE, CAPITAL METRO'S BOARD WILL MEET TOMORROW 10 O'CLOCK AND 1230 FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO GIVE INPUT.
BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS IT JUST BUS PASSES.
YOU'RE GIVING THE POOR BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET BETWEEN SAMSUNG AND APPLE.
THEY CAN'T GET TO THE THREE HEBS ON PARLIN, THEY CAN'T GET TO THE TECH JOBS.
SO IF THIS COMMISSION DOESN'T ADVOCATE FOR THE POOR TO GET TO THE JOBS, I WANT YOU TO KNOW IT'S INFREQUENT, UNRELIABLE, DISCONNECTED SERVICE NORTH OF US, 180 3.
AND IT'S BEEN THERE SINCE JUNE 3RD, 2018.
AND NOW WE'RE ON TO THE 2035 PLAN.
AND YOU CAN ALSO MAKE YOUR COMMENTS FOR THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM THROUGH MARCH 11TH, 2025.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
BUT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THE POOR.
I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, IF THAT'S OKAY? MM-HMM
SO, UH, I HAVE A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE OUTREACH BECAUSE I, I LOVE THE HOW VOCAL YOU ARE AND I LOVE THE ADVOCACY.
UM, I'M VERY MUCH THAT WAY AS WELL.
SO,
UM, AND I HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY PRESENT AND FREQUENT AT THOSE OUTREACH EVENTS.
UH, SO I'M A I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ATTENDED ANY OF THOSE OUTREACH EVENTS TO VOCALIZE SOME OF THESE CONCERNS BECAUSE, UM, AND THEY'RE ON THE GROUND.
SO THESE ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, ONLINE AND THEY HAVE FLYERS PLASTERED MANY PLACES ACROSS THE CITY.
THEY'RE ENGAGED WITH COMMUNITY, UM, GROUPS.
SO A MODEL FOR OTHER CITY GROUPS.
FYI HINT, HINT, UH, BUT I, I ASK YOU IN REGARDS TO OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, HAVE YOU ATTENDED THESE SPACES AND THESE FORUMS THAT ARE DEDICATED TIMES TO PROVIDE THESE CONCERNS SO THAT THEY CAN BE ADDRESSED AND BROUGHT UP IN THESE BOARD MEETINGS AND IN THE MEETINGS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS? 'CAUSE A LOT OF THOSE DECISIONS ARE HAPPENING WITH STAFF WITHIN CAP METRO, NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE BOARD, AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE AT THESE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, HAVE YOU BEEN TO THESE EVENTS? 'CAUSE I'LL BE PERSONAL AND SAY, I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU.
I KNOW I WOULD'VE HEARD YOU AND YOU WOULD'VE HEARD ME
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THOSE EVENTS.
UH, I'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH CAPITAL METRO SINCE ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER, 2016.
I GO TO ALL OF THE BOARD MEETINGS PREDOMINANTLY.
THOSE ARE THE ONES I ATTEND IN PERSON.
I WILL JUST TELL YOU THAT IT WAS IN 2016 THAT I DISCOVERED TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964.
AND I ACTUALLY STARTED TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM TO MAKE THE SYSTEM EQUITABLE.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THEY SAY ONE THING, DO ANOTHER, AND THEN DOCUMENT WHAT IS SAID TO FOOL THE FEDS.
SO THE FUNDING CONTINUES TO FLOW TO CAPITAL METRO.
SO I HAVE BEEN TO THE MEETINGS, I DO SUBMIT MY WRITTEN TESTIMONY, I TESTIFY AS I DID BEFORE THIS BODY IN THE CONTEXT OF TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY GET THEIR FEDERAL FUNDING.
THEY HAVE TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE NOT DISCRIMINATING.
BUT ONE THING I WILL TELL YOU IS THAT I EVEN WENT TO THE MONTOPOLIS LIGHT RAIL OPEN HOUSE THAT THEY HAD.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE IN THE DOCUMENT, WHICH BY THE WAY, IT IS IN THE LIBRARY, THE THOUSANDS OF PAGES, THERE ARE 10 BINDERS.
IT HAS TITLE SIX IN THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PART.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE THAT THEY ARE CALLING THE NORTH PART OF THE LINE, HYDE PARK, YOU CAN GIVE INPUT, BUT ON PAPER, IT APPEARS THAT THEY ARE SERVING THE COMMUNITY
[02:15:01]
IN ITS ENTIRETY.I WILL LASTLY JUST TELL YOU THAT ON JUNE 6TH, 2023, WHEN CAPITAL METRO WENT BEFORE THE, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION, GIANNIS BANKS ACTUALLY GAVE THEM THE PRESENTATION.
AND YOU CAN'T FIND THAT INFORMATION ONLINE.
IT WAS THE ONE TIME THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS ACTUALLY RECOGNIZED THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING ANY SERVICE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
AND ONCE GREG SMITH, THE COMMISSIONER, RECOGNIZED THAT OUT LOUD, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE AUDIO STOPS, IT'S SPLICED.
SO EVEN WHEN WE SHOW UP AND WE SAY THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD, THEY HAVE A WAY OF CIRCUMVENTING THE LAW TO CONTINUE TO GET THE FEDERAL FUNDING.
AND SO, I DON'T MEAN TO BE LONG-WINDED ABOUT IT, I'VE BEEN THERE, I'M SORRY YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ME, BUT CAPITAL METRO HAS HEARD ME AND THEY HAVE CONTINUED REPEATEDLY TO CIRCUMVENT THE LAW AS OPPOSED TO DOING RIGHT BY ALL OF US BECAUSE WE ALL PAY TAXES TO THAT SYSTEM.
BUT THANK YOU, AND I THANK YOU AND I, AND BEING THE THOROUGH PERSON I AM, I WILL HAVE TO GO BACK AND REVISIT SOME OF THOSE AGENDA MEETINGS.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR, UM, A A BIT OF THE, THE DATES, BUT THAT'S, WE CAN CONNECT OFFLINE WITH THAT.
UM, BUT THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
BUT PLEASE, HOPEFULLY I'LL SEE THE, UH, THE OTHER OUTREACH MEETINGS.
THERE'S MANY COMING UP IN 2025.
AND ON ITEM FIVE, I'LL ACTUALLY SHOW YOU THE MAP THAT, SO YOU CAN SEE CLEARLY 2016.
IS IT TO MS. JOSEPH? I, I PRESUME IT'S TO MS. JOSEPH? YEAH, ACTUALLY BOTH.
BOTH FOR MS. ARNOLD, FOR COMMISSIONER ARNOLD, AS WELL AS MS. JOSEPH.
JUST AS A REMINDER, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TP AND CAP METRO.
SO, UM, THERE'S ENGAGEMENT HAPPENING WITH CAP METRO ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS AND THERE'S, UM, ENGAGEMENT THAT A TP IS UNDER.
IT'S KIND OF CONFUSING, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER ARNOLD AND, UH, MS. JOSEPH ARE AWARE OF THAT.
AND I THINK THAT WAS COMMISSIONER TISHA THAT WAS, UM, I'M SORRY, WAS SPEARHEADING THAT.
AND MADAM CHAIR, I'LL JUST RESPOND AND THANK COMMISSIONER ORTIZ FOR THE COMMENT.
I AM FULLY AWARE THAT CAPITAL METRO, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP DIFFER.
HOWEVER, THERE'S A AUGUST 7TH, 2020 INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT WHERE THEY ACTUALLY WORK TOGETHER AND COLLUSION.
AND SO I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE FUNDING FROM THE CITY GOES TO AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND FUNDING FROM CAPITAL METRO IS INTERMINGLED THERE AS WELL.
SO WHILE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT OUTREACH EFFORTS, IT'S AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP THAT'S IN THE LIBRARY NOW, THE 10 BINDERS, IT'S CAPITAL METRO'S MEETING TOMORROW.
IT WAS CAMPO YESTERDAY, BUT THE CAPITAL AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, THE REGIONAL BOARD ACTUALLY APPOINTS THREE OF THE MEMBERS TO CAPITAL METRO'S BOARD.
YOU COULDN'T GET TO THE MEETING THERE YESTERDAY.
AND SO WHILE THEY'RE, THEY'RE DIFFERENT.
THEY'RE ONE IN THE SAME AND THEY HAVE THE SAME VISION OF PUSHING THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, NO MATTER HOW DISCRIMINATORY IT IS.
AND SO THAT IS WHY I'M VOCAL HERE, IS BECAUSE IF YOU'RE REALLY HERE FOR THE POOR, THEN YOU HAVE TO PUSH BACK AND RECOGNIZE THAT THEY ARE NOT BENEFITING.
INSTEAD, THEY ARE JUST MANIPULATING THE DATA TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THE PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN ARE BENEFITING, WHEN IN FACT THEY'RE NOT.
THEY ARE WAITING 60 MINUTES FOR THE BUS.
AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON 2 37 AT COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE, THE POOREST OF THE POOR WHO HAVE TO BE DISABLED TO LIVE THERE, WAIT 60 MINUTES AND I'M SORRY, BUT THE PICKUP SERVICE IS NOT GOING TO ELIMINATE 60 MINUTE BUSES.
AND WHEN ONE BUS IS CUT, THEY ARE WAITING TWO HOURS IN THEIR WHEELCHAIRS.
I UNDERSTAND THE OUTREACH IS DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S DISCRIMINATORY.
AND EVEN SARAH ECKHART CAME FROM THE SENATE TO PUSH THE DECKER, PUT THE DECKER PICKUP ZONE.
THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER IN COLLUSION TO PUSH THE RAIL SYSTEM.
IT'S DISCRIMINATORY AND IT VIOLATES TITLE SIX.
I WASN'T SAYING ANYTHING AGAINST YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, MS JUST, I JUST MEANT THAT, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION IN GENERAL OF THE ENGAGEMENT.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER ORTIZ.
UH, AND WE DO RELY ON YOU TO BE ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE, UH, THAT CONTEXT AS WELL, UH, WITH YOUR HISTORY AND KNOWLEDGE.
[4. Presentation on Austin Water’s 100-year Water Forward 2024 plan and the Watershed Protection Department’s Rain to River Plan including community engagement efforts (Marisa Flores Gonzalez, Water Resources Team Supervisor, Austin Water and Erin Wood, Planning Team Manager, Watershed Protection Department).]
2024.YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE HAD A FULL YES.
UM, DIDN'T WANNA CUT YOUR CUT YOU GUYS, BECAUSE YOU HAD BEEN WAITING FOR A WHILE AND WE WANTED TO HEAR.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, GOOD EVENING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, HAVING US HERE TO PRESENT.
UM, THIS WILL BE A JOINT PRESENTATION BETWEEN MYSELF FROM, FROM AUSTIN WATER AND ERIN WOOD, UH, FROM THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND JUMP IN AND WE'LL TRY TO BE EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME BECAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE HAVE, UM, ANOTHER, UH, ITEM EVEN AFTER THIS.
SO, UM, LIKE I MENTIONED, UM, MY NAME IS MARISA FLORES GONZALEZ, AND I'M FROM AUSTIN WATER.
I'M THE SUPERVISOR OF THE WATER
[02:20:01]
RESOURCES TEAM, UM, WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.MY TEAM IS IN CHARGE OF DEVELOPING LONG RANGE PLANS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'LL HAVE ENOUGH WATER, UH, TO MEET OUR COMMUNITY'S NEEDS FOR POTABLE WATER SUPPLY A HUNDRED YEARS INTO THE FUTURE.
UM, CLICKING, OKAY, UM, JUST A LOT OF TEXT ON HERE, BUT WATERFORD IS AUSTIN'S 100 YEAR INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLAN.
BY INTEGRATED, WE MEAN THAT THIS PLAN CONSIDERS ALL SOURCES OF WATER.
TRADITIONAL WATER SUPPLY PLANNING FOCUSES ON SOURCES OF SUPPLY LIKE WATER FROM LAKES OR RIVERS, OR FROM UNDERGROUND AQUIFERS.
IN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING, YOU'LL LOOK AT ALL SOURCES OF SUPPLY THAT COULD INCLUDE, UH, STORM WATER, RAIN WATER, UM, AC CONDENSATE THAT'S GENERATED WITHIN BUILDINGS.
GRAY WATER THAT'S PRODUCED BY BUILDINGS WASTEWATER, AND USING THAT AS A RESOURCE.
THE ORIGINAL WATER FORWARD PLAN WAS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER OF 2018.
UM, SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE COMPLETED AN UPDATE TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, AND THAT UPDATE WAS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY COUNCIL HERE IN NOVEMBER OF 2024.
WE, UM, PLAN TO CONTINUE UPDATING THE WATERFALL PLAN ON A FIVE YEAR CYCLE.
THIS PLAN IS GENERATED TO ADAPT TO POPULATION GROWTH DROUGHT, AS WELL AS IMPACTS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE, WHICH HAS A MUCH LONGER FORMAL NAME, THE AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESEARCH PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE, WHICH IS WHY WE CALL IT THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE.
UM, WE ALSO DO, UM, UH, UH, WORK WITH CONSULTANTS, OUTSIDE EXPERTS IN COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AS WE ARE UPDATING AND IMPLEMENTING THOSE STRATEGIES FROM THE PLAN.
JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, WHERE AUSTIN GETS ITS WATER, AUSTIN GETS ITS WATER SUPPLY FROM THE COLORADO RIVER THAT RUNS THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE HAVE STATE GRANTED WATER RIGHTS TO THE WATER FROM, UH, THE COLORADO RIVER, AND WE ALSO HAVE A CONTRACT FOR BACKUP WATER SUPPLY WITH THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY, WHICH IS THE ENTITY THAT OWNS AND OPERATES THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
THE HIGHLAND LAKES CHAIN INCLUDES LAKES, TRAVIS AND BUCHANAN.
AND THOSE CHA UH, THOSE LAKES ARE THE PRIMARY SOURCES OF, OF WATER SUPPLY.
UM, BACKING UP OUR CITY'S SUPPLY, UM, WE HAVE ACCESS TO UP TO 325,000 ACRE FEET PER YEAR.
AND JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN USED ABOUT 175,000 ACRE FEET, UM, IN A PREVIOUS YEAR.
UM, LAKES BUCHANAN AND TRAVIS, AS I MENTIONED, ARE THE REGION'S WATER SUPPLY RESERVOIRS.
SO THE CITY DOES NOT OWN OR OPERATE THOSE RESERVOIRS.
WE ARE ONE OF MANY USERS OF WATER FROM THOSE RESERVOIRS.
AND THIS GRAPH IS SHOWING THE VOLUME OF WATER THAT'S STORED IN LAKES, BUCHANAN AND TRAVIS OVER THE PERIOD OF RECORDS SINCE THE TIME WHEN THE LAKES WERE FIRST BUILT IN 1942.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A LOT OF FLUCTUATION IN, IN THE, THE VOLUME THAT'S CONTAINED WITHIN THE LAKES.
THE LOW PERIODS ON THE GRAPH INDICATE DROUGHT PERIODS WHEN THERE WASN'T A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WATER FLOWING INTO THOSE LAKES TO BE HELD BACK AND STORED.
UM, PREVIOUSLY THE WORST DROUGHT THAT WE HAD EXPERIENCED WAS DURING THE 1950S.
MORE RECENTLY, WE EXPERIENCED A DROUGHT FROM 2008 TO 2016, WHICH ECLIPSED THAT 1950S DROUGHT AND BECAME WHAT WE CALL THE NEW DROUGHT OF RECORD OR THE NEW WORST DROUGHT.
UM, THAT IS FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL, CLIMATE CHANGE IS HAPPENING, AND WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR FUTURE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON OUR WATER SUPPLIES.
UM, WE ARE ALSO CURRENTLY IN A DROUGHT.
UM, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED, UH, LOWER THAN AVERAGE INFLOWS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, 20 22, 20 23.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO IN 2024 IN THIS, UH, IN THIS FIRST MONTH OF, UH, 2025, UM, WE'VE ALSO EXPERIENCED HOTTER TEMPERATURES AND WE EXPECT THAT THOSE TRENDS MAY CONTINUE.
WATERFORD IS ONE PLAN OF MANY ACROSS THE CITY TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE EQUITY.
UM, WE ARE ONE PIECE OF ENSURING OF LONG-TERM AFFORDABILITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AND ALSO OF ENSURING RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCY IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AS WELL AS GREATER UNCERTAINTY, UM, THAT WE MAY FACE IN THE FUTURE.
I'LL NOTE THAT RAIN TO RIVER IS ANOTHER PIECE OF THAT OVERALL CITYWIDE STRATEGY, AND ERIN WILL BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THE RANGE RIVER PLAN, UM, SHORTLY.
[02:25:01]
SOME OF THE KEY GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WERE DEVELOPED WORKING WITH OUR WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE TO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND UPDATES TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.THEY INCLUDE RESILIENCY, INCLUDING DIVERSE STRATEGIES, AND BY THAT WE MEAN INCLUDING, UM, A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP TO CREATE A MORE RESILIENT WATER RESOURCE PORTFOLIO.
UM, UH, INCORPORATING EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY INTO HOW WE PLAN FOR WATER SUPPLIES IN THE FUTURE, CONTINUING TO PROTECT THE COLORADO RIVER, UM, AS WELL AS INCORPORATING OUR COMMUNITY'S VALUES INTO THE PLANNING PROCESS AND THE PLAN OVERALL.
AND A KEY PART OF THIS PLAN IS PLANNING FOR UNCERTAINTY.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS EXPERIENCED STRONG POPULATION GROWTH IN THE PAST, AND SINCE THERE'S UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT POPULATION GROWTH TRENDS WILL BE IN THE FUTURE, WE'VE INCORPORATED THREE SCENARIOS OF POPULATION GROWTH AND RESULTING WATER DEMANDS.
WE WORKED WITH CLIMATE SCIENTISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS TO DEVELOP UPDATED CLIMATE PROJECTIONS AS WELL AS PROJECTION OF STREAM FLOW.
WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTING HYDROLOGIST, WE LOOKED AT MANY DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OF CLIMATE CHANGE FROM LESS SEVERE CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS TO, UM, THE MOST SEVERE CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS.
ACROSS ALL OF THOSE SCENARIOS, WE DO SEE, TEND TO SEE FLOW IN THE COLORADO RIVER DECREASING AS YOU GET INTO MORE SEVERE CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS.
AND AS YOU GET FURTHER OUT TO THE FUTURE TO DEVELOP THE PLAN, WE PROJECTED, UM, USING POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS OF WHAT OUR FUTURE WATER DEMANDS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL BE.
AND THIS IS FOR POTABLE, UH, WATER SUPPLY.
WE DEVELOPED OUR CLIMATE AND STREAM FLOW PROJECTIONS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SUPPLIES WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO MEET THOSE DEMANDS.
AND THEN WE SAW WHAT FUTURE SUPPLY NEEDS COULD BE, WHERE THERE WERE SHORTAGES OR GAPS OUT INTO THE FUTURE.
THEN WE IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES TO HELP US MEET THOSE GAPS.
AND THE GROUPINGS OF STRATEGIES ARE SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE AS WELL.
THE YELLOW BLOCKS ARE CONSERVATION STRATEGIES OR WAYS WE CAN REDUCE OUR OVERALL WATER DEMAND.
THE PURPLE BLOCK IS NON POTABLE REUSE, SO USING NON POTABLE WATER TO MEET NON POTABLE NEEDS RATHER THAN USING DRINKING WATER FOR THINGS LIKE LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION OR TOILET FLUSHING.
AND THEN THE BLUE, UH, BOXES SHOW POTABLE WATER SUPPLIES, THINGS LIKE STORING OR EXISTING WATER SUPPLIES, DOING, UH, REUSE OF, UM, DIFFERENT SOURCES OF WATER TO, UM, UH, UH, POTABLE DRINKING WATER STANDARDS, UH, POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL WATER SUPPLY CONTRACTS OR OTHER NEW WATER SUPPLIES.
UM, TO INCORPORATE, UH, EQUITY INTO THIS PLANNING PROCESS.
WE WORKED WITH A COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS GROUP WHO WERE FORMED TO HELP DEVELOP, UM, OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP AND TOOL.
UM, THEY WERE MADE UP OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS REFLECTING DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, AND THEY MET FOR ABOUT A YEAR IN 2022.
UM, THEY, WE ALSO HELD A STAFF AND COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR GROUP COMBINED EQUITY GROUNDING SERIES TO DEVELOP A SHARED EQUITY LENS AS WELL AS TO DISCUSS THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF INSTITUTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL RACISM AND HAVE THAT BE A FOUNDATION FOR OUR PLANNING WORK.
THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP AND TOOL I DISCUSSED WAS, UM, MODELED AFTER THE FIRST, UM, EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY FRAMEWORK THAT WAS AND TOOL THAT WAS USED WITHIN THE CLIMATE.
UH, WE USED THAT FRAMEWORK TO EVALUATE THE DISTRIBUTION OF BENEFITS AND BURDENS OF PLAN IMPLEMENTATION OUTCOMES, ESPECIALLY ON MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, WHICH WE DEFINED AS PRIMARILY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE USED THAT TOOL TO HELP DESCRIBE APPROACHES.
UM, OH, WE ALSO USED OUR ROADMAP TO DESCRIBE APPROACHES FOR MORE EQUITABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN, KIND OF LOOKING AT THIS, UM, FROM BOTH A PROCEDURAL JUSTICE AS WELL AS A DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE, UM, UH, UH, KIND OF LENS WITHIN OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY FRAMEWORK.
WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS GROUP, UM, AND BASED ON THEIR INTERVIEWS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE IDENTIFIED FOUR PRIMARY THEMES, UM, AREAS WHERE FOLKS WANTED US TO CONCENTRATE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD, UM, UM, THAT WE WERE INTERROGATING OUR STRATEGIES IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO THOSE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
SO THOSE FOUR THEMES WERE THINGS LIKE MAINTAINING A RELIABLE SUPPLY, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT ANY SUPPLY SHORTAGES WOULD HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, CONTINUING TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH, MAINTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TRANSPARENCY AS WELL AS MAINTAINING AFFORDABILITY.
UM, IN THE WATER FORWARD 2024 PLAN.
WE ALSO INCORPORATED EQUITY, UM, BENEFITS AS AN OBJECTIVE THAT WE USE TO EVALUATE ALL POTENTIAL PORTFOLIOS OF WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
[02:30:01]
IMPACTS AND MAXIMIZING BENEFITS OF PLAN OUTCOMES FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.THERE ARE OTHER OBJECTIVES THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN THAT WE ALSO USED AS, AS KEY, UM, CRITERIA THAT WE HAD ASSOCIATED KEY CRITERIA IN ORDER TO EVALUATE OUR PORTFOLIOS.
AND THEY INCLUDED WATER SUPPLY BENEFITS, ECONOMIC BENEFITS, ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS AND IMPLEMENTATION BENEFITS.
AND BY IMPLEMENTATION BENEFITS WE'RE PRIMARILY TALKING ABOUT, UM, UH, FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTATION AS WELL AS, UM, UH, ANY BENEFITS THAT THE STRATEGIES PROVIDED TO INCREASING THE RESILIENCY OF OUR SYSTEMS WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS. SO, UM, THE OUTCOME FOR THE WATER 4 20 24 UPDATE, UM, WAS A SET OF STRATEGIES THAT SUMMARIZED ON THIS SLIDE.
I WILL GO AHEAD AND, AND NOT BURY THE LEAD AND JUST SAY THAT THIS SET OF STRATEGIES IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS IN THE WATER 4 20 18 PLAN.
UM, THE, UH, UH, STRATEGIES THAT ARE SHOWN ON THE TOP LEFT ARE, UM, CONSERVATION STRATEGIES.
THEY INCLUDE, UM, UTILITY SIDE WATER LOSS CONTROL, WHICH MEANS TIGHTENING UP OUR LEAKY PIPES AND REDUCING WATER LOSSES FROM OUR WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
CUSTOMER SIDE, WATER USE MANAGEMENT, SO USING INCENTIVES, REBATES, SMART METERS, UM, AND, UH, ASSOCIATED CUSTOMER PORTALS AND, UH, STRATEGIES LIKE WATER USE, BUDGETING TO REDUCE WATER USAGE ON THE CUSTOMER SIDE.
AND THEN NATIVE AND EFFICIENT LANDSCAPES.
SO TRANS TRANSFORMING OUR EXISTING LANDSCAPES TO LANDSCAPES THAT ARE MORE DROUGHT TOLERANT AND USELESS WATER OVERALL.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A BIG FOCUS IN THIS PLAN ON, UM, UH, NON-POTABLE REUSE AND, UM, INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF REUSE WATER THAT'S USED ACROSS THE CITY FROM THINGS LIKE ONSITE WATER REUSE.
SO, AS AN EXAMPLE, AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, THE, UH, AUSTIN WATER HAS INSTALLED, UM, A WHAT WE CALL OSCAR AND CLARETS, AN ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM THAT REUSES ALL OF THE BLACK WATER THAT'S GENERATED WITHIN THE BUILDING.
IT ALSO COLLECTS RAINWATER AND AC CONDENSATE AND, UM, THAT NON POTABLE, THOSE NON POTABLE WATER SOURCES ARE TREATED.
AND THEN THEY ARE ABLE TO BE USED FOR OUTDOOR IRRIGATION AS WELL AS TOILET FLUSHING AND URINAL FLUSHING WITHIN THE BUILDING.
UM, THAT'S IS, UH, IS, UM, A GREAT STRATEGY THAT ALLOWS US TO OFFSET A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF POTABLE DEMAND THAT THAT BUILDING WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE OTHER, UH, BRIEF STRATEGIES LIKE, UH, USE OF OUR CENTRALIZED RECLAIMED OR PURPLE PIPE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE ENCOURAGING, UM, FOLKS TO CONNECT TO.
AND THAT WE'VE ALSO CREATED ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, UM, UH, TO REQUIRE THAT BUILDINGS GREATER THAN 250,000 SQUARE FEET WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE OF THAT PURPLE PIPE NOW CONNECT TO THAT CENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEM AND USE THAT FOR SIGNIFICANT INDOOR AND OUTDOOR NON PORTABLE PURPOSES.
WE'VE EXTENDED THOSE REQUIREMENTS TO SAY THAT THOSE LARGE DEVELOPMENTS, IF THEY ARE NOT, UM, ABLE TO CONNECT TO THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEM, THEY HAVE TO INSTALL AN ONSITE REUSE SYSTEM ALSO TO OFFSET, UM, INDOOR AND OUTDOOR NON PORTABLE DEMANDS.
ON THE WATER SUPPLY SIDE, WE'RE MAINLY FOCUSED ON STRETCHING OUR EXISTING SUPPLIES.
SINCE WE HAVE EXISTING COLORADO RIVER AND HIGHLAND LAKE SUPPLIES, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO STORE THAT WATER DURING WHAT TIMES WHEN WE HAVE ACCESS TO IT, SO THAT THEN WE CAN WITHDRAW THAT WATER DURING DROUGHT PERIODS AND BE ABLE TO USE IT FOR POTABLE DRINKING WATER PURPOSES.
WE HAVE A STRATEGY CALLED AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY WITHIN THE PLAN WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE TREATED DRINKING WATER FROM OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, CONVEY THAT TO A WALL FIELD, INJECT IT UNDERGROUND INTO A NATURALLY OCCURRING AQUIFER, AND THEN THAT WATER IS SAFE FROM EVAPORATION.
UM, AND THEN DURING DROUGHT PERIODS, WE'D BE ABLE TO WITHDRAW THAT WATER AND THEN USE IT, UM, FOR POTABLE DRINKING WATER PURPOSES.
WE ALSO HAVE A STRATEGY WITHIN THE PLAN TO USE DECKER LAKE OR LAKE WALTER LONG AS AN OFF CHANNEL RESERVOIR THAT WOULD HAVE A LIMITED OPERATING RANGE OF MAXIMUM FIVE FEET DURING DROUGHT PERIODS ONLY.
THAT STRATEGY WOULD ALLOW US TO USE, UH, OUR EXISTING WATER RIGHTS FROM THE COLORADO RIVER TO, UM, MAINTAIN, TO BETTER MAINTAIN THE LEVELS OF WATER WITHIN THE LAKE.
CURRENTLY, THE, UM, WATER THAT'S DIVERTED TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF LAKE WALTER LONG IS, UM, IS, UH, DIVERTED TO OFFSET, UM, INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES OR INTENDED TO OFFSET INDUSTRIAL USES ASSOCIATED WITH DECKER POWER PLANT.
THIS WOULD, UM, ASSOCIATE THAT WATER WITH MUNICIPAL POTABLE DRINKING WATER PURPOSES.
UM, SO THAT'S A STRATEGY THAT'S INCORPORATED INTO THE PLAN AS WELL.
WE HAVE A STRATEGY CALLED INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE WITHIN THE PLAN.
THAT WOULD BE AN EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY OPTION ONLY TO BE USED, UH, DURING VERY DIRE DROUGHT SITUATIONS WHERE
[02:35:01]
WE WOULD TAKE RECLAIMED WATER, UM, THAN, UH, UH, IS PRODUCED, UM, BY A RECLAIMED SYSTEM.WE WOULD TREAT THAT WATER TO A HIGHER STANDARD AND THEN WE WOULD DISCHARGE THAT WATER UNTIL LADY BIRD LAKE AND PICK, UH, AT THE, THE, UH, BOTTOM END OF LADY BIRD LAKE, PICKING UP THAT WATER UPSTREAM, UM, OF THE DISCHARGE LOCATION CLOSER TO, UM, UH, TOM MILLER DAM SO THAT WE COULD TAKE IT TO ONE OF OUR TREAT WATER TREATMENT PLANS, SO IT COULD BE TREATED TO, UM, POTABLE DRINKING WATER STANDARDS.
AND THEN FURTHER OUT INTO THE FUTURE, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL STRATEGY, UM, CALLED BRACKISH GROUNDWATER DESALINATION, TAKING VERY SALTY GROUNDWATER FROM VERY, UH, DEEP UNDERGROUND IN TREATING THAT AS WELL TO POTABLE DRINKING WATER STANDARDS.
I DID WANNA, UM, THESE NEXT THREE SLIDES, WE DON'T HAVE TO READ THROUGH ALL OF THEM.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORDS ON HERE, BUT, UM, I DID WANT TO MENTION AS A PART OF OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY EVALUATION OF WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, WE IDENTIFIED APPROACHES TO MITIGATE INEQUITABLE IMPACTS, UH, FROM, UM, THAT, THAT MAY ARISE FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF, UH, CONSERVATION REUSE AND SUPPLY STRATEGIES.
AND, UH, SOME OF THOSE ARE LISTED, UM, OVER THE NEXT THREE SLIDES.
THEY INCLUDE, UM, DESIGNING WATER BUDGET PROGRAMS TO WORK FOR LARGER HOUSEHOLDS, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TAILORING ANY LANDSCAPE OR IRRIGATION INCENTIVE PROGRAMS TO ALSO PROVIDE BENEFITS FOR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
AND CONTINUING TO PROVIDE WATER CONSERVATION EDUCATION, TRAINING PROGRAMS, GRANTS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ON THE REUSE SIDE.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY, UM, WITH THE INSTALLATION OF ONSITE REUSE SYSTEMS AS WELL AS WITH CONNECTING SYSTEMS TO THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIM, UH, SYSTEM, UM, TO ENCOURAGE, UH, FOLKS TO, UM, HAVE REUSE SYSTEM OPERATOR CERTIFICATIONS OR TO GAIN THOSE CERTIFICATIONS.
AND SO WE WANT TO WORK WITH PARTNERS TO PROVIDE, UM, PROGRAMS THAT COULD PROVIDE TRAINING FOR BUILDING MANAGEMENT THAT COULD PROVIDE TRAINING FOR OPERATORS AND HELP FOLKS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE POTENTIAL JOB OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, JOBS IN WATER AND WASTEWATER AS WELL AS RECLAIMED WATER GOOD JOBS.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE.
UM, WE ALSO WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT ON A VARIETY OF POLICY CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO RECLAIMED WATER.
BUT ONE OF THOSE WOULD BE USING, UM, UH, CENTRALIZED RECLAIM WATER FOR OUTDOOR IRRIGATION ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WE WANT TO KEEP LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN, UM, MAKE USE OF ONSITE WATER REUSE AT, AT KEY FACILITIES AND BUILDINGS.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, LAUNCHED WHAT WE CALL THE GO PURPLE PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT HELPS TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, UH, TO OFFSET POTENTIAL COSTS OF EITHER CONNECTING TO OUR CENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEM FOR LARGER DEVELOPMENTS OR, UM, UM, OR OF POTENTIALLY DEVELOPMENTS OF SMALLER SIZE AS WELL.
UM, OR, UH, FOR INSTALL INSTALLATION OF ONSITE WATER RE SYSTEMS. UM, ON THE SUPPLY SIDE, UM, WE, UH, SINCE SOME OF THESE STRATEGIES ARE LARGE CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MINIMIZE RATE IMPACTS THROUGH OUR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, WHICH HAVE RECENTLY, UH, SINCE 2022, BUT EXPANDED TO INCLUDE, UH, CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TARGETING BOTH SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AS WELL AS MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEEK LOW COST FUNDING THROUGH SOURCES, UM, LIKE THROUGH STATE FUNDING SOURCES, UH, LIKE THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD SWIFT PROGRAM.
UM, WE ALSO WANT TO PROACTIVELY PLAN TO ADDRESS POTENTIAL CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS ON MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, UM, AND THEN IDENTIFY OTHER OPTIONS TO, UM, UH, MINIMIZE ANY OTHER POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES THAT COULD BE IMPACTED BY IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR STRATEGIES.
AND OVERALL, THIS LAST POINT IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND KEY, BUT CONTINUING TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHERS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION ON WATER SUPPLY STRATEGIES, ON WATER QUALITY AND ON, YOU KNOW, WATER RESOURCES OVERALL.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS OR IF I SHOULD HAND IT OVER TO ERIN, 'CAUSE SOME QUESTIONS MAY BE MORE RELATED TO WHAT, UH, THE RAINER RIVER PLAN AND THEY MAY BE ANSWERED IN ERIN'S PRESENTATION.
LET'S KEEP GOING WITH ERIN, PLEASE.
AND THANK YOU FOR SUCH A THOROUGH DEAL AND YOUR INFORMATION IS GOOD.
UH, MY NAME IS ERIN WOOD, I'M THE PLANNING MANAGER IN WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING US TO SHARE ABOUT RAIN RIVER TONIGHT.
UM, I WILL ALSO TRY TO KEEP THIS BRIEF, 'CAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE ANOTHER ITEM AFTER THIS WITH A COMMUNITY MEMBER SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UH, WE ARE A LITTLE BIT, UH, BEHIND WHERE MARISSA AND AUSTIN WATER ARE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF,
[02:40:01]
UH, DEVELOPING OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION.SO I'M GONNA SPEAK A BIT TONIGHT ABOUT THAT, WHAT IT IS, WHAT THE PROCESS IS, HOW, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SO FAR, UM, AND THEN SOME RESOURCES WHERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE HEARD TO DATE.
UM, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY GIVE ADDITIONAL UPDATES LATER IN THE PROCESS ON, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE HEARD AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
UH, SO THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, WE PROTECT THE LIVES, PROPERTY AND ENVIRONMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY BY REDUCING THE IMPACT OF FLOODING, EROSION, AND WATER POLLUTION.
UM, SO A LOT OF TIMES THERE CAN BE CONFUSION BETWEEN AUSTIN WATER AND WATERSHED PROTECTION, BUT, UH, ONE REASON WE NAMED THE PLAN RAIN RIVER IS REALLY LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHERE RAINFALL AND HOW IT, UH, MOVES THROUGH OUR NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR CREEKS, UM, AND ALSO OUR STORM RAIN SYSTEM, UH, DOWN TO THE LAKES IN THE COLORADO RIVER.
UH, SO RAIN RIVER IS THE NAME WE'VE GIVEN OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
SO THIS IS A NEW PLAN THAT WILL GUIDE THE WORK OF WATERSHED PROTECTION, UH, FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
WE'LL USE THIS PLAN TO SET GOALS FOR THE DEPARTMENT, PRIORITIZE OUR WORK, UM, ALLOCATE RESOURCES, GUIDE OUR DECISION, UH, MAKING PROCESS.
SO OUR GOALS FOR THIS UPDATE ARE WE HAVE A CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, SO IT'S DEFINITELY DUE FOR AN UPDATE.
UM, AND SO WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS, UM, UPDATE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WAS GROUNDED IN COMMUNITY EXPERTISE AND PRIORITIES AND EXPERIENCE, UH, THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE DID A, UH, ROBUST AND INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT MORE HERE IN A FEW SLIDES.
UH, SO THAT WE'RE REFLECTING THE VISION AND THE VALUES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THE NEW PLAN CENTERS EQUITY AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE, UM, AND WE DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S INFORMATIVE AND ACCESSIBLE, UM, TO BOARDS OF COMMISSIONS TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO POLICY MAKERS, TO CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, OUR CURRENT PLAN, IF YOU GO CHECK IT OUT, IS OVER 400 PAGES LONG AND VERY DENSE AND FULL OF MATHEMATICAL FORMULAS.
SO WANTING TO MAKE IT SOMETHING, UH, THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH, UM, MORE EASILY.
SO AS WE WERE BUILDING OUT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY, UH, WE WENT THROUGH AND TALKED ABOUT, UM, HOW WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ALLOCATING ADDITIONAL STAFF TIMING RESOURCES, UM, ON A FOCUSED EFFORT TO REACH, UH, THESE THREE GROUPS, HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED GROUPS.
UH, SO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, UM, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY, UM, IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, KIND OF ANYONE WHO IS STATISTICALLY MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, WE ALSO FOCUSED ON GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED, UH, BY FLOODING, EROSION, WATER POLLUTION, UM, AND THEN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WITH RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AROUND THE ENVIRONMENT, AROUND COMMUNITY HEALTH AND, UH, SAFETY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
SO WE WANTED TO FOCUS OUR TIME AND RESOURCES THERE, BUT STILL HAVE AN APPROACH THAT, YOU KNOW, REACHED A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF DAWSON COMMUNITY.
UH, SO WE SPLIT UP THOSE STRATEGIES.
WE TOOK A, A BROAD COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, STRATEGY.
SO WE HAD A, OUR RANGE RIVER ATX.COM WEBSITE.
UH, WE CREATED A COMMUNITY VISION SURVEY, UH, SO THAT PEOPLE ACROSS AUSTIN COULD SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH NATURAL SPACES, WATERWAYS, DRAINAGE, INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, THINGS THEY LOVED, PROBLEMS, THEY'VE, UM, HAD IDEAS THAT THEY HAVE TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
WE ADVERTISED THAT ON, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA, RADIO YARD, SIGNS AROUND THE CITY, UM, FLYERS IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES.
UH, WE TOOK AN APPROACH OF TRYING TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.
AND SO WE HAD ONE KICKOFF MEETING, BUT THEN WE WERE MOSTLY OUT AT, UM, COMMUNITY EVENTS, UH, THAT, UH, EITHER ORGANIZATIONS INVITED US TO, OR WE, UH, UH, ASKED TO COME AND TABLE.
AND SO WE, UH, WENT OUT TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS, UM, AROUND AUSTIN REALLY TRYING TO LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE SEEING RESPONSES ON THE SURVEY AND WHERE WE WEREN'T.
AND THEN, UH, TRYING TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD OR ATTENDING MORE EVENTS IN AREAS WHERE WE WEREN'T SEEING A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF RESPONSES.
UH, WE ALSO DID A STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HAD A DEMOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTATIVE, UH, SAMPLE OF THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND SO THAT WAS THE BROAD OUTREACH.
UM, AND THEN WE, UH, CREATED A NUMBER OF MORE TAILORED ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES, UH, TO REALLY TRY AND INTERACT WITH THOSE PRIORITY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
UM, AND SO WE WORKED WITH, UH, MEASURE A LOCAL NONPROFIT, UH, WHO CONDUCTED A SERIES OF FOCUS GROUPS FOR US THAT WERE DESIGNED BY AND CENTERED ON HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED COMMUNITIES.
UH, THEIR REPORT IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, OUR STAFF CONDUCTED 11 ADDITIONAL FOCUS GROUPS, UM, WITH A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AUSTIN YOUTH RIVER WATCH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, UH, TO TRY AND, UM, REALLY INTERACT WITH MORE OF THOSE, UH, IMPACTED STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED.
UH, WE HIRED, UH, SIMILAR TO AUSTIN WATER, A COHORT OF COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS.
SHOUT OUT TO CELINE REONE, WHO WAS UP HERE EARLIER TONIGHT.
[02:45:01]
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM HAS, SO A GROUP OF PAID COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS WHO GATHERED STORIES AND PERSPECTIVES, UH, FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES.UM, WE ALSO AWARDED SIX, $5,000 MINI GRANTS TO, UH, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE CITY WHO WERE ABLE TO GO OUT AND USE THEIR NETWORKS AND A A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CREATIVE WAYS TO GATHER ADDITIONAL INPUT, UM, FROM THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY WORK WITH AND SERVE.
UM, ANOTHER SHOUT OUT, UH, SAUDI ALVAR, WHO YOU'VE SEEN IN THAT, UH, PHOTOGRAPH IS OUR LEAD ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SHE'S DONE INCREDIBLE WORK, UH, REACHING OUT TO STAKEHOLDER, STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS ALL OVER THE CITY, MEETING WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND REALLY TRYING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.
SO THIS ISN'T JUST REALLY KIND OF A ONE AND DONE EXTRACTIVE THING, BUT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO BUILD LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS, UM, BETWEEN WATERSHED PROTECTION AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERS.
UM, WE SURVEYED A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL TO GATHER THEIR PERSPECTIVES.
UM, AND THEN, UM, AS FAR AS FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY FLOODING OR OTHER WATERSHED PROBLEMS, WE, UH, DID A NUMBER OF MAILINGS TO, UM, HOMES AND, UH, RESIDENTS THAT WERE LIVING IN FLOOD RISK AREAS.
AND AS I MENTIONED, ATTENDED SOME COMMUNITY EVENTS, UH, TARGETED AROUND THOSE AREAS AS WELL.
UH, SO WHAT'S NEXT? SO THAT'S WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE DONE, UM, KIND OF A TWO YEAR PROCESS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO YOU CAN SEE MEASURES REPORT.
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR REPORT OF THEIR FINDINGS.
WE HAVE A PARTNER ORGANIZATION REPORT.
UM, SO WE'RE, AS WE'RE GETTING THAT, WE'RE PUTTING IT UP ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, BUT WE'VE BROUGHT ON A CONSULTANT TEAM THAT'S DOING A DEEP DIVE INTO THAT DATA AND WORKING COLLABORATIVELY, BOTH WITH STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY TO HELP START DEVELOPING THE CONTENT OF THE PLAN.
UH, WE'VE RECRUITED A COMMUNITY ACTIVATION GROUP COMPRISED OF DIVERSE COMMUNITY LEADERS WITH EXPERTISE, UM, IN THE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITY HEALTH, DISASTER RECOVERY.
UH, THEY'RE MEETING ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO HELP PROVIDE INPUT ON THE VISION AND GOALS AND PRIORITIES OF THE PLAN.
UM, WE'LL BE LAUNCHING OUR SECOND ROUND OF ENGAGEMENT THIS SUMMER TO SHARE BACK WHAT WE LEARNED, SEE IF WE GOT IT RIGHT, UM, AND THEN ASK THE COMMUNITY TO HELP US REALLY EVALUATE STRATEGIES AND SOME OF THOSE TOUGH TRADE-OFFS, UM, AS FAR AS WHERE WE REALLY INVEST OUR TIME AND RESOURCES GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN WE ANTICIPATE THE PLAN BEING COMPLETED IN EARLY 2026.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, I'VE GOT OUR WEBSITE THERE.
UM, MY EMAIL, ERIN WOOD, I ALSO HAVE SADIE'S EMAIL 'CAUSE SHE WANTED ME TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, IF YOU WELL SHOUT OUTS TONIGHT, I'M SORRY,
UM, IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE OR CONNECTING, OR WANTING TO GET MORE INVOLVED WITH THE ENGAGEMENT SIDE, UH, WE DEFINITELY WOULD LOVE TO CONNECT WITH, WITH YOU GUYS MORE AND TALK, UM, KIND OF NEXT STEPS FOR, UH, REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR NEXT PHASE OF ENGAGEMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
DO I HAVE ANYONE THAT HAS QUESTIONS IN PARTICULAR? YEAH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT AND WATER SAVING AND WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS OR, UM, GOALS THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, OR DO YOU SEE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE? UH, I KNOW THAT, WELL, ONE THING THAT YOU MENTIONED WAS, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL, AND ONE THING THAT WE KNOW ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE IS THAT IT DOES AFFECT, UH, YOU KNOW, BLACK BROWN COMMUNITIES MORE, UH, LOW INCOME RESIDENTS MORE SO DO YOU SEE THE, UM, THOSE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE, UH, WATER SAVING, WATER MANAGEMENT, UH, THINGS THAT YOU HAVE? YEAH, SO OUR, UM, CONSERVATION DIVISION HAS DONE SOME WORK ON THAT.
I THINK THAT INITIALLY, UM, WE HAVE SEEN MORE PARTICIPATION FROM HIGHER INCOME HOUSEHOLDS OR HOUSEHOLDS LOCATED IN GEOGRAPHIES OF THE CITY THAT WE WOULD ASSUME WOULD PROBABLY BE HIGHER INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, UM, THAT LED THE, UM, AUSTIN WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION TO INCLUDE IN THE CLI UH, AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN STRATEGIES TO TRY TO, UM, UH, KIND OF FACILITATE EASIER ACCESS TO AUSTIN WATER REBATE APPLICATIONS, UM, TO MAKE IT, UM, MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR FOLKS TO, UM, UH, UNDERSTAND WHAT REBATES WERE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
AS WELL AS TO SUBMIT THE INFORMATION THAT'S REQUIRED TO GET THOSE REBATES.
SO THEY'VE ALREADY DONE SOME WORK ON THE AUSTIN WATER WEBSITE TO TRY TO CONSOLIDATE A LOT OF THE INFORMATION, UM, AND JUST MAKE, FIRST OF ALL, THE WEBSITE EASIER TO NAVIGATE.
UM, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN FOLLOW UP ON IS IF THEY HAVE, FROM THAT INITIAL KIND OF WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE, IF THEY'VE SEEN ANY SIGNIFICANT,
[02:50:01]
UH, CHANGES IN PARTICIPATION.AND ALSO IF THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT THEY CAN ACCESS THAT INFORMATION ASIDE FROM FROM THE WEBSITE.
UM, I GUESS, UH, IT COULD BE FOR BOTH.
UM, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UH, ARE YOU SEEING THE EFFECTS OF LIKE INCREASED DEVELOPMENT ON, ON WATER? UH, IT COULD BE WATER QUALITY WATER, UH, I KNOW EROSION.
I KNOW IN THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA WE HAVE A LOT OF EROSION GOING INTO TO THE COLORADO RIVER, UH, FROM A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S UP HILL.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S WATER TESTING BEING DONE AND IF YOU SEE THE WATER QUALITY CHANGING, UH, IN THOSE AREAS.
AND ALSO, ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO PROTECT THAT PART OF THE COLORADO RIVER, UM, FROM LONGHORN DAM DOWNSTREAM, YOU KNOW, FROM, UM, WATER RUNOFF THAT MAKE, UM, UH, CHANGE THE QUALITY OF WATER AND ALSO EROSION THAT'S, UH, CAUSED ALONG THE, ALONG THE RIVER? SURE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DEFINITELY HEARD A LOT FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, AROUND CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF DEVELOPMENT, UH, THROUGH THE RANGE RIVER PROCESS, YOU KNOW, BOTH ON YEAH.
FLOODING, EROSION, AND WATER QUALITY.
UM, SO OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR SCIENTISTS ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON, UM, FINDING WAYS TO MAKE OUR MONITORING PROCESS MORE ROBUST SO THAT WE REALLY CAN PINPOINT, UM, IMPACTS IN A MORE GRANULAR WAY.
UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE THING WE'RE LOOKING TO DO WITH RAIN RIVER THAT WE DID COMING OUT OF THE ORIGINAL STRATEGIC PLAN WAS LOOKING HOW WE CAN BE MORE PROACTIVE IN OUR, UH, WATERSHED REGULATIONS AND IF THERE'S CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, PROTECTING, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES, UM, AND, UH, WATER QUALITY, UM, AS WELL AS SAFEGUARDING AGAINST FLOODING AND EROSION.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UM, AN ORDINANCE THAT IS GOING THROUGH, I, I'M NOT LEAD ON IT, UM, SO I CAN ONLY KINDA SPEAK HIGH LEVEL, BUT THAT IS LOOKING AT, UM, MAKING ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS FOR EROSION ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER DOWNSTREAM, UM, OF THE LONGHORN DAM, UH, SO THAT THERE'S THAT ADDITIONAL, UH, LEVEL OF PROTECTION.
AND SO THAT'S, UH, INCREASING A BUFFER AREA AROUND THE RIVER.
IS THAT WHAT IT IS? YEAH, FOR OUR ORIGIN HAZARD ZONE.
UM, KIND OF ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE RIVER IS A
AND SO WANTING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT WAY THAT WE LOOK AT THAT SETBACK, UM, OF WHERE WE, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, UM, DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE ARE BEING PLACED SO THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO EVENTUALLY, UM, BE UNDERMINED BY EROSION OF THE RIVER.
AND, UM,
AND THEN WE ASSOCIATE POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT WITH SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL OR MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AND THEN EMPLOYMENT.
WE THINK ABOUT THAT ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, AS WE EXPERIENCE GROWTH, YES, THAT TENDS TO INCREASE OUR WATER DEMANDS.
UM, AS WE HAVE SEEN CHANGES IN THE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN, ESPECIALLY IF, UM, AS FOLKS ARE MOVING INTO MORE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL, THEN WE SEE LOWER, UH, PER CAPITA OR PER PERSON WATER USAGE BECAUSE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL WILL HAVE LESS IRRITABLE AREA OUTSIDE OUTDOORS, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH A HOUSING UNIT AS OPPOSED TO SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.
UM, WE HAVE INCLUDED WITHIN OUR PLAN, YOU KNOW, THREE DIFFERENT PROJECTIONS OF DEMANDS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE HOW DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES WILL GROW WITHIN THE REGION.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT AS DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES OR UM, BUSINESSES COME INTO THE CITY, THEY MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON INCREASING WATER DEMANDS.
JUST TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A SENSE OF LIKE HOW WATER IS USED ACROSS THE CITY, UM, I BELIEVE THAT RESIDENTIAL WITH SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL MAKE UP, UH, DEMANDS MAKE UP ABOUT 60% OF THE CITY'S OVERALL WATER USAGE WITH THE REMAINDER BEING A SMALL AMOUNT OF WHOLESALE CUSTOMER DEMAND, AND THEN, UH, COMMERCIAL DEMAND AND SOME PORTION OF WATER THAT'S USED BY THE CITY OF BOSTON ITSELF.
AND ARE WATER RATES THE SAME FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL? NO.
WE DO HAVE, UM, UH, DIFFERENT RATES FOR, UH, COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
WE HAVE TIERED RATES FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
WE HAVE A DIFFERENT RATE FOR MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, AND THEN
[02:55:01]
WE HAVE DIFFERENT RATES FOR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.I WAS, UM, THE TASK FORCE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, DO THEY STILL MEET? YES, WE JUST HAD A MEETING TODAY.
AND IS IT OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY OR THE PUBLIC? YEAH.
HOW OFTEN DO THEY MEET? THEY, UM, MEET NOW SINCE THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS COMPLETED, THEY'LL MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH DURING THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WE MEET PRETTY, PRETTY FREQUENTLY.
AND DO YOU ADVERTISE WHEN THEY MEET? YES.
UM, SO IF FOLKS ARE INTERESTED IN TUNING INTO THOSE MEETINGS, YOU CAN.
UM, I HONESTLY THINK THE BEST WAY TO FIND IT IS TO GOOGLE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE BECAUSE LIKE I MENTIONED, THE PROPER NAME FOR THE TASK FORCE IS QUITE LONG.
UM, SO IF YOU LOOK FOR THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE OR LOOK FOR WATER FORWARD AND GO TO THE AUSTIN WATER WEBPAGE, WE HAVE A LINK TO THE TASK FORCE'S WEBPAGE AS WELL.
WE, UM, TYPICALLY MEET THE, UH, UM, UH, FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH FROM 12:00 PM TO 2:00 PM EVERY TWO MONTHS.
JUST CURIOUS, I KNOW THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IS WANTING TO GO REALLY BIG ON WATER THIS SESSION, AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF Y'ALL ARE IN CONTACT WITH OTHER CITIES WHO'VE DONE SIMILAR PLANS AND IF Y'ALL ARE BEING ABLE TO HELP INFORM THAT CONVERSATION.
YEAH, SO, UM, THAT, SO WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING IS THAT, UM, UH, GOVERNOR ABBOTT HAS DECLARED WATER ONE OF HIS KEY PRIORITIES FOR THIS SESSION.
UM, IN THE PREVIOUS SESSION THEY DEDICATED, I THINK IT WAS A BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF FUNDING TO WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
AND, UM, THIS SESSION THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING AN EVEN LARGER ONE TIME KIND OF, UM, A FUNDING DESIGNATION FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WITH CONTINUED INVESTMENTS OF A BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR POTENTIALLY.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING QUITE CLOSELY.
WE ARE, UM, IN WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CITIES ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS AND WE DO MAINTAIN CLOSE CONNECTIONS WITH THEM.
UH, WE'RE ALSO A PART OF VARIOUS, UM, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UM, HELP TO ADVOCATE FOR WATER ON AT THE CAPITOL.
COMMISSIONER DELGADO, THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR, I THINK VICE-CHAIR IS THE ONE THAT ASKED YOU ALL TO COME.
I THINK THIS WAS REALLY CONCERNING, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE WATERFRONT AND THE AREAS OF, UM, I COULD JUST SPEAK IN, IN MY AREA, WHICH IS, UM, TOWN LAKE LADY BIRD LAKE.
UM, I DID SEE THAT, UM, WITHIN THE LAST MONTH WE HAD AN INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE.
ONE OF THE GATES, UH, DID NOT CLOSE AND IT CAUSED, UM, THE WATER TO, YOU KNOW, TO GO DOWN.
SO OUR LOWER, UM, OUR LEVELS WENT DOWN.
I WAS, YOU KNOW, GETTING CALLS AND PEOPLE WERE ASKING WHAT'S GOING ON.
IT WAS A BIG, A BIG CONTROVERSY WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE, UM, THAT LONGHORN BRIDGE AND THAT THOSE DAMS ARE SO OLD THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I LIVE IN, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THAT IS SCARED THAT ONE DAY THEY'RE GONNA BREAK.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET FLOODED 'CAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONSIDERED UNDER A FLOOD ZONE.
UM, I THINK MY QUESTION WITH AUSTIN WATER, UH, IS ONE IS I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING IN THE PRESENTATION ABOUT, UM, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, Y'ALL COMING OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND HOPEFULLY I SEE Y'ALL OUT THERE, UM, IS IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE AS RESIDENTS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO TOWN LAKE, UH, LADY BIRD LAKE AND THE DAM.
UM, I I, I LOVE THIS DIAGRAM THAT YOU, YOU ALL CREATED AND BROUGHT TO US.
'CAUSE IT SHOWS HOW THE WATER FLOWS MM-HMM
AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT.
FOR US AND FOR RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT, ESPECIALLY NEWCOMERS.
UM, ALSO THE, ANOTHER THING WAS WATER SAFETY.
I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN BACK AND FORTH WITH PARKS.
UH, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DROWNINGS.
UM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF, UM, PEOPLE NOT SAFE ON THE WATER, NOT ACTIVE PRACTICING AND ACTING LIKE GOOD STEWARDS ON THE WATER.
UH, WE SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE NOT WEARING LIFE JACKETS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS, JUST, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE'S, WHERE'S ALL THAT INFORMATION? AND IF, UM, AUSTIN WATER'S GONNA BE, UH, CREATING ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE, UH, FOR THE SAFETY OF, YOU KNOW, OF RESIDENTS, UM, THAT USE THE WATER.
I CAN TAKE SOME OF THE, UM, QUESTION OR THE QUESTION RELATED TO LONGHORN DAM.
SO, UM, UH, THE WATER FORWARD PLAN IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON THE PROVISION OF WATER SUPPLY.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY AN OVERARCHING INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN FOR, UM, AUSTIN WATER.
HOWEVER, UM, ON, UH, THE TOPIC OF LONGHORN DAM, I AM AWARE ON, WHILE IT'S NOT WITHIN KIND OF MY AREA, I AM AWARE OF A LONGHORN DAM RESILIENCY PROJECT THAT AUSTIN WATER WILL BE UNDERTAKING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS
[03:00:01]
TO THE DAM AS WELL AS TO, UM, IMPLEMENT SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, UM, KIND OF ALONG THE, THE TOP OF THE DAM, UM, WHERE THERE'S PEDESTRIAN ACCESS.I THINK SOME OF THOSE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE, THE DOORS TO SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE KIND OF LIKE OPEN UP RIGHT ONTO THE SIDEWALK.
UM, AND SO THERE, THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE HITTING CYCLISTS OR, YOU KNOW, FOLKS LIKE THAT, UM, FOLKS WHO MAY BE WALKING ON, ON THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT LONGHORN DAM RESILIENCY PROJECT IS KIND OF THE RESULT OF AUSTIN WATER WANTING TO BE PROACTIVE IN, UM, ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE PRESENT ON THE DAM AND THAT, YOU KNOW, CAUSED THAT UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT.
UM, WE HAVE FAIRLY RECENTLY TAKEN OVER, UM, UM, KIND OF OWNERSHIP AND MAINTENANCE OF THE DAM.
ORIGINALLY THE DAM WAS OWNED BY AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, IT WAS OWNED BY AUSTIN ENERGY FOR MANY YEARS, AND WITHIN, I THINK IT WAS THE PAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, AUSTIN WATER, AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, GAVE THAT DAM TO AUSTIN WATER TO THEN OWN AND OPERATE.
SO NOW THAT IT'S WITHIN OUR PURVIEW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO, UM, MAKE THAT, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, GOOD SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE FOR OUR OPERATORS AS WELL AS FOR, UM, FOLKS WHO ARE ACCESSING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DAM FROM, FROM THE TOP, UM, ON THE TOPIC, I, I'M NOT SURE THAT I'M THE CORRECT PERSON TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE, UH, SAFETY ASPECTS RELATED TO RECREATION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO SOME OF THAT.
YEAH, I, I CAN SPEAK TO IT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE'VE DE YOU KNOW, WE'VE DEFINITELY HEARD A LOT THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH RANGE RIVER ABOUT WATER SAFETY CONCERNS.
UM, AND, UH, OUR AMBASSADORS, YOU KNOW, MADE A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND SWIMMING LESSONS OR PROGRAMMING OR EDUCATION AROUND, YOU KNOW, UM, HELPING PEOPLE ENJOY OUR NATURAL SPACES IN A LIKE SAFE, UM, AND WELCOMING WAY.
UM, AND SO WE'VE HAD SOME EARLY MEETINGS WITH, UM, PARKS AND REC AQUATIC STAFF JUST TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT THEY HAVE NOW AND HOW WE CAN HELP CONNECT OUR AMBASSADORS WITH THAT AND PROMOTE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY HAVE FREE SWIM LESSONS AND THAT KIND OF THING AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AS WE START GETTING INTO DEVELOPING STRATEGIES, UH, FOR RANGER RIVER IS WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND PROGRAMMING, UH, WATERSHED COULD POTENTIALLY PARTNER, UH, WITH PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, UM, AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
UM, BLACK WOMEN WHO WAS ONE OF OUR, UH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELPED WITH, UM, OUR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM AND DEFINITELY WAS INTERESTED IN, UH, SUPPORTING SOME OF THAT PROGRAMMING AS WELL.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, Y'ALL RESERVING WATER FOR WALTER LONG.
UH, SO WE'RE WITHIN THE PLAN LOOKING AT USING WALTER E. LONG AS AN OFF CHANNEL RESERVOIR BY THAT WOULD JUST MEAN WE WOULD, UM, TAKE WATER FROM THE COLORADO RIVER FROM THE CURRENT DIVERSION POINT AND UM, PIPE THAT WATER UP TO LAKE WALTER LONG.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE A, A, A PIPE THAT WOULD TAKE WATER OUT AT PRETTY MUCH A SIMILAR RATE SO THAT YOU DON'T SEE GREAT FLUCTUATION IN THE LEVEL OF THE LAKE.
AND THEN THE WATER THAT'S TAKEN OUT WOULD BE TREATED TO POTABLE IF Y'ALL KNOW WHAT'S THE DEPTH OF THE LAKE IS.
I HAVE, UM, ACTUALLY GOT IT ON MY TASK LIST TO LOOK AT BATHOMETRIC SURVEYS OF, IT'S 61 FEET.
I MEAN, IT'S 60 FEET DEEP, IT'S A MANMADE LAKE.
IT USED TO BE POWER, THE GENERATOR FOR ELECTRICITY.
SO Y'ALL GONNA TAKE WATER FROM COLORADO BY PIPE.
PUT THE WATER IN LONG MM-HMM
AND USE IT WHEN Y'ALL NEED IT, WHEN IT'S NEEDED FOR POTABLE DRINKING WATER.
IF WE ARE USING IT THE WAY THAT WE'RE ENVISIONING RIGHT NOW.
AND ALL OF THIS IS VERY CONCEPTUAL BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T EVEN LAUNCHED A STUDY TO LOOK INTO HOW WE WOULD DO THIS BECAUSE THE PLAN WAS JUST PASSED IN NOVEMBER.
BUT THE WAY THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE A WATER TREATMENT PLAN, A SMALLER PLANT THAT WOULD BE, UH, CLOSER TO THE LAKE.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE TAKING WATER OUT ON A MORE CONSTANT RATE.
SO LAST YEAR WE HAD A BIG FIRE AT NINE DECKER LAKE AND 9 6 9 MM-HMM
THAT THEY HAD TO USE THAT WATER.
SO ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT FOREST FIRES AND EVERYTHING WITH THAT WATER? YES.
[03:05:01]
FOR THE ANSWER.ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? SEEING NONE, I WANNA THANK BOTH OF YOU.
I WAS THE ONE THAT BROUGHT THE, BROUGHT THE GROUP HERE AND INQUIRED ABOUT AUSTIN, UM, WATER FORWARD.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT YOU ALL COULD MAKE IT HERE TONIGHT.
UM, HONESTLY, I HAVE A WHOLE LIST OF QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO FOCUS.
SO I WILL, UM, ASK ABOUT TWO TERMS NOT TO CREATE SHIVERS UNDER EACH OF YOUR SKINS, MARISSA OR ERIN.
UM, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY IT DAY ZERO AND I'M SURE YOU ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM.
UM, BUT IN, THAT'S IN REGARDS TO WHEN WE REACH WATER LEVELS SO LOW THAT WE CANNOT UTILIZE AND, AND HAVE WATER FACILITIES TO OUR CURRENT, NOT EVEN, NOT EVEN CURRENT, BUT IN REALLY TRULY CONSERVATIVE, UM, MANNERS.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WAS CONCERNING FOR ME AND WHY I REALLY WANTED TO BRING YOU ALL IN HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, POTENTIALITY AND THE PREVENTION OF WATER SHORTAGES HERE IN THE CITY.
BECAUSE THE FIRST GROUPS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED ARE OUR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES.
AND THE MOST MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS.
AND THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING ABOUT THE EQUITY OVERLAY, BECAUSE IN MY MIND THAT'S WHAT I THINK ABOUT IS THE CONCENTRATION OF IMPACT THAT A WATER SHORTAGE OR DROUGHT WILL HAVE IN THIS CITY.
SO TO THE QUESTIONS, UM, THAT I'M INQUIRING ABOUT IS YOU HAD MENTIONED, AND I GUESS THIS GOES FOR, FOR MARISSA, UM, MOSTLY, SO SORRY.
DO YOU WANNA TALK MORE ABOUT THE WATER PART? SO IN REGARDS TO THE CUSTOMER FACING, BECAUSE, UM, MARISSA, YOU DO DESCRIBE, UM, THE UTILITY SIDE OF WATER LOSS AND TIGHTENING UP LEAKY SYSTEMS. YES.
AND I KNOW THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS AND CONSIDERATIONS THAT I HAVE PRESENTED, AT LEAST FOR THE HOME INITIATIVE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT REDEVELOPMENT AND PUTTING ON MULTIPLE, UM, SPACE, NOT, EXCUSE ME, UNITS ON ONE SINGLE LOT IS I THINK OF EXISTING LOTS OR EXISTING HOMES AND THEIR, THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS AS WEAKENING.
SO HOW ARE YOU IDENTIFYING LEAKY SYSTEMS? IS THERE A CUSTOMER FACING PROCESS OR PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO SAY, HEY, I THINK I MIGHT HAVE A LEAKY SITUATION.
A LOT OF IT'LL HAPPEN IN UNDERGROUND AND DEAL WITH UNDERGROUND WATER.
YEAH, I CAN TELL THAT WE COULD HAVE A LONG CONVERSATION, UM, BUT
SO, UM, ON, IN TERMS OF WATER, UH, LOSS, SO IF FOLKS ARE NOTICING WATER THAT'S LEAKING OR, OR POOLING OR PUDDLING, THE FIRST THING THAT WE ASK IS FOR FOLKS TO CALL 3 1 1.
UM, BECAUSE THEN 3 1 1 CAN ROUTE THAT TO, UM, OUR, OUR FOLKS AT AUSTIN WATER WHO CAN SEND OUT A CREW TO INVESTIGATE.
UM, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES ASSOCIATED WITH A MAIN BREAK.
SO LIKE A MAIN, WE THINK OF IT LIKE A PUBLIC MAINE AS BEING LIKE A MAINE THAT AUSTIN WATER OWNS AND MAINTAINS.
SOMETIMES THOUGH IT COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH LIKE A BROKEN SPRINKLER HEAD, UM, FOR A PRIVATE IRRIGATION SYSTEM.
AND THAT COULD BE A MORE ON THE CUSTOMER SIDE OF THE METER.
AND SO, LIKE THE BIG DISTINCTION FOR US IS WHERE THE METER IS LOCATED.
IF, IF IT'S A PIPE THAT'S ON THE CUSTOMER SIDE OF THE METER, SO CLOSER TO THE HOME OR BUSINESS, WE CONSIDER THAT TO BE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IF IT'S ON THE CITY SIDE OF THE METER.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ATTACHED TO THE MAIN THAT THE CITY, UM, OWNS OR OPERATES, WE CONSIDER THAT TO BE THE CITY SIDE.
THERE CAN BE LEAKS ON EITHER SIDE.
UM, AND SO, UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UTILITY SIDE WATER LOSS CONTROL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE TIGHTENING UP THOSE LEAKY PIPES THAT WE OWN THROUGH, UM, MAIN, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD CONDITION ASSESSMENTS OF OUR WATER DISTRIBUTION INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, DOING THINGS LIKE, UM, UH, LIKE DIGITAL, UH, DIGITAL MONITORING OF DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE UNDERSTAND LIKE THE WATER BALANCE OF HOW MUCH WATER IS GOING IN AND HOW MUCH WATER IS GOING OUT, AND SEEING IF THERE'S ANY DISCREPANCY THERE THAT COULD CAUSE US TO THINK THAT THERE'S A LEAK HAPPENING.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AND, AND FROM OTHER KIND OF INFORMATION LIKE RELATED TO THE AGE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE CUSTOMER SIDE, UH, WE HAVE BEEN REPLACING ALL OF THE METERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WITH DIGITAL WATER METERS.
UM, UH, PREVIOUSLY THEY WERE ALL ANALOG.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE AN ANALOG METER, YOU'RE ONLY ABLE TO GET A METER READ LIKE ONCE A MONTH.
IF YOU HAVE A DIGITAL METER, YOU'RE ABLE TO GET MORE FREQUENT READS.
AND WITH THAT MORE REAL TIME INFORMATION, WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, UH, TO MORE QUICKLY IDENTIFY IF CUSTOMERS HAVE A LEAK ON THEIR PROPERTY, AND IF THEY'RE,
[03:10:01]
UH, SIGNED UP FOR THE MY A TX WATER PORTAL.SO HERE'S A PLUG TO SIGN UP FOR OUR MY A TX WATER PORTAL.
UM, THEN YOU'LL GET A NOTIFICATION ON YOUR PHONE OR VIA EMAIL TO TELL YOU THAT YOU MAY HAVE A WATER LEAK, AND THAT WAY YOU CAN ADDRESS THE WATER LEAK SOONER.
AND THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL YOU GET YOUR BILL AT THE END OF THE MONTH TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE A HUGE, UH, CHARGE ON YOUR WATER BILL.
SO YOU'RE BOTH REDUCING YOUR WATER CONSUMPTION, YOU ARE REDUCING, UM, UH, YOUR BILL AS WELL, SO YOU'RE SAVING MONEY ON AT THE SAME TIME, AND YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO GO THROUGH ANY SORT OF PROCESS TO GET LIKE ADJUSTMENTS ON YOUR BILL.
SO WE, THIS, IT'S A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO TRY TO ADDRESS LEAKS ON BOTH SIDES.
IF YOU SEE WATER POOLING OR PUDDLING, I ALWAYS SAY CALL 3 1 1.
IF YOU SEE A FOUNTAIN OF WATER SHOOTING UP, PLEASE CALL 3 1 1 RIGHT AWAY,
BUT, AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, WE ALSO ASK FOLKS TO SIGN UP FOR OUR, MY A TX WATER PORTAL BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR US TO PROVIDE, UH, CUSTOMERS WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR WATER USE SO YOU CAN BE, UM, MORE IN CHARGE OF YOUR WATER USAGE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO IT'S A WAY FOR US TO SEND OUT INFORMATION TO CUSTOMERS ABOUT PROGRAMS THAT THEY COULD PARTICIPATE IN OR BE ELIGIBLE FOR.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT BECAUSE I WAS, I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE GRANTS THAT YOU MENTIONED AND, AND ALL OF THOSE, BUT YOU JUST ANSWERED IT THAT THERE ARE CHANNELS AND WAYS PEOPLE CAN BE INFORMED, SO THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT.
AND YES, I ECHO WE CAN HAVE A LONGER CONVERSATION.
WE'LL HAVE TO CONNECT OUTSIDE OF THIS BECAUSE I GET JAZZED ABOUT THIS.
UM, SO THERE'S TWO OTHER QUESTIONS THOUGH.
SO, IN REGARDS TO THE CUSTOMER FACING COMMISSIONER, TISHA, CAN I, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, CAN, CAN I GET YOU TO PICK ONE MORE QUESTION? YEAH, I DO.
I, WE, I'VE BEEN REMINDED THAT WE DO NEED TO, UM, EXIT THE BUILDING AT A CERTAIN POINT.
BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S OKAY.
THE CITIZENS THAT ARE HERE RIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'LL PAUSE AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT.
MARISSA, ERIN, I HAVE YOUR INFORMATION.
WE CAN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION OFFLINE.
UM, BECAUSE THERE'S MANY OTHER FACTORS THAT AFFECT THAT.
BUT THANK YOU AGAIN FOR STAYING AS LONG AS YOU HAVE, AND NOT A PROBLEM.
I'M JUST SO HAPPY YOU ALL WERE ABLE TO COME AND, UM, MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
SO I'M REALLY, REALLY GLAD ABOUT IT.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER TISHA, WE DID WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THEY KEPT GETTING BUMPED AND WE WERE HAPPY THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT AND GET IN THIS TIME.
AND IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE MAY HAVE YOU BACK FOR SOME MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT, UH, WE WILL FOLLOW UP, UM, GOING FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
SARAH, REALLY QUICK BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD AT 10:00 PM WE HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE TO MOVE PAST 10:00 PM MM-HMM
I DON'T KNOW IF OUR NEXT PRESENTATION CAN, I'M NOT GONNA, UM, DO I WANT TO HEAR OUR, UM, I WANNA HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS, THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE THEY'VE WAITED PATIENTLY.
AND I WANT TO, UM, I'M, I MAY HAVE, WE'LL, WE CAN MAKE A, WE WILL TAKE A VOTE TO MOVE THE, WELL, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU ONLY WANT, HUH? WE HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE TO EXTEND.
I MAKE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING PAST 10:00 PM WE GOING DO IT NOW.
DO WE DO IT NOW? CAN'T DO IT NOW.
LET ME HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS THAT THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON, ON THIS SIDE FIRST.
YES, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT, BUT JUST, I WAS JUST KIND OF JUST LETTING YOU KNOW MM-HMM
AND WE WE'RE GONNA WRAP, WE'LL WRAP IT UP, BUT I DO WANNA HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS.
[5. Presentation from Planning Department on updates regarding Equity Overlay Plan and consultants (Alan Pani, Planner Principle, and Erika Leak, Officer, Planning Department, and APD-Urban Planning Management).]
OF THE SIGNUP, I STILL HAVE, UM, IS IT HAWK OR EITHER HANK SOLO HAWK? HANK SOLO? NO.I HAVE MARTINEZ, MARIANA MARTINEZ.
VICE CHAIR IS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE GET Y'ALL UP.
UM, IS CELINE
I DON'T, NO, THIS WAS FOR NUMBER FIVE.
I DON'T NEED TO SPEAK BECAUSE I ALREADY SPOKE.
ALL RIGHT, MS. MONICA, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
CARMEN, ARE YOU HERE? ALL RIGHT.
YOU ALL, EACH WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND IT'LL BE RIGHT BEHIND EACH OTHER.
UM, MY NAME IS MARINA MARTINEZ, AND I JUST WANTED TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS FACED DISPLACEMENT AND THE,
[03:15:01]
UM, DAMAGING EFFECTS THAT IT TAKES.IT IMPACTS THEIR EDUCATION, OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, SO AGAIN, I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE LIKE MANY OTHERS IN E EAST AUSTIN, I'VE EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND THE PAIN AND TRAUMA OF DISPLACEMENT.
FORGIVE ME, IT STILL TAKES A TOLL.
UM, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE BEING PUSHED OUT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT LOSING A HOME.
IT'S ABOUT LOSING A NEIGHBORHOOD, A SUPPORT SYSTEM, AND A SHARED HISTORY.
THIS IS NOT JUST A POLICY ISSUE, IT'S A HUMAN ISSUE AFFECTING REAL PEOPLE AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE DEEP TIES TO THIS PLACE.
THIS IS DISRUPTIVE AFFECTING OUR CHILDREN AGAIN, AND IT FEELS AS AN ATTACK ON THEIR FUTURE.
DESPITE POLICIES THAT CLAIM TO HELP MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, WE ARE SEEING THE OPPOSITE HAPPEN.
OUR MAYOR AND CITY'S COUNCIL HAVE BEEN COMPLICIT IN PRIORITIZING DEVELOPERS AND PROFITABLE CONTRACTS OVER THE WELLBEING OF FAMILIES IN EAST AUSTIN AND OTHER VULNERABLE AREAS.
THESE ZONING CHANGES AND DEVELOPMENTS DON'T MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY SIMPLY MAKE MORE MONEY FOR DEVELOPERS AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS.
WE SEE THIS AS AN ACCELERATION, AN ACCELERATED FORM OF GENTRIFICATION THAT PUSHES OUT LONGTIME RESIDENTS WHILE FILLING THE POCKETS OF THOSE WHO HAVE NO INVESTMENT IN THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.
WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IS SIMPLE.
LAND USE AND ZONING CHANGES NEED TO PRIORITIZE COMMUNITY VOICES.
WE DEMAND THAT THE PEOPLE MOST AFFECTED BY THESE DECISIONS, RESIDENTS OF EAST AUSTIN ARE AT THE TABLE, BE AT THE TABLE.
WHEN THESE DISCUSSIONS HAPPEN.
OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE REPRESENTED AND OUR NEEDS MUST BE HEARD.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO CLAIM THAT THESE POLICIES ARE IN PLACE TO HELP.
WE NEED THESE POLICIES TO BE REAL AND TO SERVE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED AND WORK HERE FOR GENERATIONS.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FOR REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE TO DO WHAT'S BEST IN REGARDS TO THE FUTURE OF THESE COMMUNITIES AND NOT TO BE, UM, ASSISTING IN THESE PATHS OF FURTHER GENTRIFICATION.
I'M MONICA GUZMAN, POLICY DIRECTOR OF GAVA GO.
AUSTIN AUTEN, ALSO, UH, DISTRICT FOUR RESIDENT.
I WAS GONNA READ SOME TALKING POINTS THAT SOMEBODY ELSE WROTE, BUT ACTUALLY I DON'T THINK I NEED TO DO THAT.
UM, PERSONALLY AND AS A GAVA REPRESENTATIVE, I HAVE SUPPORTED COMMUNITY POWERED AND ALL THE OTHERS WHO WENT INTO WRITING THIS SOLUTION.
UM, MY LIFE IS OKAY RIGHT NOW, BUT I REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE IN THE SHOES.
LIKE MARINA, I WAS A SINGLE PARENT AT A YOUNG AGE, CONSTANTLY MOVING, LOOKING FOR THE MOVE-IN SPECIALS EVERY YEAR.
'CAUSE IF YOU HAD TO RENEW, IT WAS THE MARKET RATE.
AND BY THE TIME YOU WERE AT THE END OF YOUR 12 MONTH LEASE, IT WAS EVEN HIGHER THAN WHEN IT STARTED.
AND SO, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THAT VERY DISRUPTIVE.
AND I KNOW IT'S DISRUPTIVE TO CHILDREN.
SO HAVING A CHILD ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A PLACE.
SO HE STAYED WITH HIS FRIENDS IN SCHOOLS, LOOKING FOR THOSE KIND OF THINGS TO MINIMIZE DISRUPTION OF HIS LIFE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S MENTIONED IT EARLIER, BUT BACK IN DECEMBER, UH, BY EXTENSION, I WAS SUPPORTING THE RESIDENTS AT THE ARROW RIVERSIDE APARTMENTS.
NOW, WHILE THEY DID GET THE TENANT RELOCATION, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THROUGH COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ'S OFFICE.
AND WITH THE, UH, AGENT REPRESENTING THE DEVELOPER, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE DOING THAT.
WHETHER AS THE TENANTS OR COMMUNITY OR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING THEM, EVERY TIME IT'S A NEW FIGHT, WE START OVER AGAIN.
WE NEED THAT EQUITY OVERLAY IN PLACES, ESPECIALLY AUSTIN'S EASTERN CRESCENT.
SOME PEOPLE, I'M SURE ALL OF Y'ALL KNOW, WE ARE NOT EAST VERSUS WEST ANYMORE.
THE GENTRIFICATION THAT BEGAN A LONG TIME AGO HAS SPREAD.
AND NOW PARTS OF WEST PARTS OF AUSTIN, JUST WEST OF THE INTERSTATE IN THE RUNDBERG AREA AND IN THE SOUTH, UH, JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE FROM DOVE SPRINGS, IT'S THE NORTH AND SOUTH END OF THE CRESCENT.
AND NOW WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION
WE NEED TO PROTECT THE LEAST OF US WHEN WE HELP THEM.
UM, FIRST I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL, UM, FOR THIS LATE NIGHT AND FOR ALL THE WORK YOU ARE ALWAYS PUTTING IN.
UM, THIS IS A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT COMMISSION.
UM, I SERVED ON A LAND USE COMMISSION NEXT DOOR.
UM, IF I COULD ENGAGE PEACEFULLY IN CONFLICT WITH PEOPLE WHO I WON'T EVEN BREAK BREAD WITH, UM, I, I KNOW YOU ALL CAN FIND WAYS TO
[03:20:01]
ENGAGE, UM, AND CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH EACH OTHER, WHICH IS ONE OF THE PRINCIPLES OF, UH, THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE FOR SURVIVAL AND BEYOND.WHEN WE UNDO OPPRESSION, WE UNDO RACISM.
WE COMMIT TO STRUGGLING WITH EACH OTHER.
UM, 'CAUSE WE COULD WALK AWAY AT ANY TIME, BUT THESE PROBLEMS AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, CONFLICT IS INTIMATE.
UH, CONFLICT IS SOMETHING WE DON'T ENGAGE WITH JUST ANYBODY IN.
AND CONFLICT IS ACTUALLY HOW WE BUILD TRUST AND HOW WE BUILD OUR NETWORKS AND RELATIONSHIPS.
WE ARE MEMBERS OF COMMUNITY POWERED A TX.
UM, I'M ALSO FROM HERE AND I'M A GRADUATE OF, OF LBJ HIGH SCHOOL.
SO, UM, AS, AS MONICA MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE ORGANIZE IN NORTH AND SOUTH AUSTIN, BUT WE'RE NETWORKED WITH FOLKS ALL OVER.
SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF INTEREST, OBVIOUSLY IN ST.
JOHN'S AND RUNDBERG AND SOUTH AUSTIN AND DOVE SPRINGS.
BUT WE NETWORK WITH FOLKS IN MONTOPOLIS IN THE EAST SIDE.
AND THIS, UH, OVERLAY REPRESENTS A REALLY SPECIAL, PROACTIVE STEP.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE DEFENSIVE ON THIS STUFF.
WE'RE ALWAYS COMING IN WITH RESOURCES WE SHOULD HAVE HAD 20, 30, 50 YEARS AGO.
UM, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR FIGHTING FOR WORKING DILIGENTLY SO THAT WE CAN ACCESS THOSE RESOURCES.
THIS GIVES A CHECK AND A REVIEW, MUCH LIKE THE AUTOMATIC HISTORIC LANDMARK REVIEW.
AND IT GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS COMMISSION WITH THE LENS THAT YOU ALL BRING, THE UNIQUE LENS THAT YOU BRING TO ACTUALLY SAY, HANG ON A SECOND, CAN WE MITIGATE THE HARM? AND WE DON'T WANNA THROW A MILLION CASES AT YOU 'CAUSE YOU'RE HERE LATE ON A RAINY NIGHT,
AND WE RECOGNIZE THERE ARE OTHER COMMISSIONS WHO CAN SUPPORT THIS, BUT THAT YOU ALL SPECIFICALLY HAVE THE ABILITY, UH, TO CREATE, TO, TO PUT INTO PLACE THIS RUBRIC AND LOOK AT THE PROPERTIES WHERE YOU ALREADY HAVE AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT WE DON'T WANNA LOSE, THAT WE WILL NEVER GET BACK IF THEY'RE REDEVELOPED.
UH, TO LOOK AT WHERE YOU'VE GOT SECTION EIGHT, WHERE YOU'VE GOT MARKET AFFORDABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR A LOT, OKAY, WE'RE ALWAYS FIGHTING THESE THINGS.
WE'RE AGAINST DB 90, WE'RE AGAINST EOG BECAUSE THE PROTECTIONS AREN'T THERE.
BUT WE GOT A FOOT IN THE DOOR WHERE WE CAN AT LEAST REVIEW AND SAY, HANG ON, HOW CAN WE DO THIS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THE WAY THEY DID AT ARROW, THE WAY WE DID AT OLD HOMESTEAD? BE MUCH BETTER IF WE CAN KEEP PEOPLE FROM ACTUALLY GETTING DISPLACED, BUT WE CAN AT LEAST ASSESS THE HARM AND MITIGATE IT AS IT COMES.
THANK YOU, CARMEN, FOR THOSE WORDS.
EDWIN, ARE YOU HERE? EDWIN? LISA? SHE'S NOT HERE.
HOW ABOUT BRAD AND CHRIS? ALL RIGHT.
SO I HAVE EDWIN? NO, LISA, I HAVE BRAD AND CHRIS.
NOT UNLESS I HAVE SOMEBODY ONLINE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS EDWIN JARIUS.
CAMILLE FLORES, UM, THE PRECEDENT OF STUDENT GOVERNMENT AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
I'M HERE IN FAVOR OF THE EQUITY OVER PLAY OVERLAY PLAN SUGGESTED BY COMMUNITY POWERED A TX, WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY MORE THAN 40, UH, PLUS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN AUSTIN.
I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A STORY ON WHY IT'S SO VITAL TO ME.
UH, A FEW SEMESTERS AGO, I SPOKE TO MY ENGLISH PROFESSOR AT, UH, AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
SHE WORKS AT THE RIO GRANDE CAMPUS BEFORE, UH, SHE USED TO WORK AT THE EU CAMPUS, AND SHE'S BEEN WORKING AT A CC FOR AROUND 20 YEARS.
WHEN SHE FIRST WORKED AT THE IVIEW CAMPUS, SHE WAS THERE FOR 15 YEARS, AND SHE NOTICED THE CHANGES IN HOUSING AROUND THAT CAMPUS.
BEFORE SHE TOLD ME THAT THAT CAMPUS USED TO BE RICH WITH A BUNCH OF STUDENTS THAT ACTUALLY SHE LO SHE LOVED, UM, HOW SHE WOULD SEE STUDENTS WALKING FROM THEIR HOUSES TO THE CAMPUS.
IT CREATED A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT NOW, OF COURSE, WITH THE HOUSING AND HOW IT'S CHANGED SO MUCH, THOSE STUDENTS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD DON'T NEED TO GO TO THE EASTVIEW CAMPUS ANYMORE.
AND ACTUALLY, BECAUSE OF THAT, OUR ENROLLMENT DROPPED.
WHY IT'S, SO, WHY IT MAKES ME SO WORRIED IS BECAUSE, OF COURSE, IF YOU LIVE IN DISTRICT, UM, IN THE A CC IN, SORRY, IN THE IN-DISTRICT THING FOR A CC, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PAY A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T, IT'S NOT THAT EXPENSIVE IF YOU LIVE IN DISTRICT, BUT IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE A DISTRICT, YOU HAVE TO END UP PAYING LIKE $4,000.
SO I WORRY THAT IF WE DON'T DO ENOUGH TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS OR WORKING CLASS RESIDENTS, THAT THEY WOULD BE HAVING TO MOVE OUT THE DISTRICT AND WOULD END UP PAYING MORE TO ATTEND THEIR, UH, CAMPUSES.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS COMMISSION SHOULD DO AS MUCH AS IT CAN, SO THAT IT CAN MAKE SURE THAT THESE RESIDENTS WORKING, CLASS RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO STAY IN THE, IN THE DI IN OUR DISTRICT, ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE RESOURCES THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM, UH, ESPECIALLY, UH, THAT IN DISTRICT TUITION THAT I BELIEVE IS ABLE TO FIX SO MANY ECONOMIC CONDITIONS THAT OUR RESIDENTS MAY
[03:25:01]
HAVE.UM, AND YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
UM, AND STUDENT GOVERNMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE HIGHLY WORRIED ABOUT, OR THOSE IN OUR DISTRICT LEAVING OUR DISTRICT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD TUITION.
NEXT, UM, I'M BRAD MASSENGILL, UH, FROM THE BIRD STREETS OF PLEASANT HILL NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, LAST YEAR, UH, THERE WAS NORTH OF 375 ZONING AND, UH, CASES THAT CAME UP AT, AT CITY COUNCIL.
BUT ONE, UM, IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT THAT, THAT WE HAVE SOME SORT OF, UH, SAY SO OF WHERE DEVELOPMENT CAN'T HAPPEN.
IT WAS WHAT GOES BACK TO WHAT MONICA WAS SAYING, THAT THERE THERE'S NO WAY FOR PEOPLE TO PROTECT THEIR, UH, THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS EXCEPT FOR ON A SINGLE CASE BASIS.
YOU KNOW, WITH THIS OVERLAY, THE DEVELOPERS WOULD KNOW WHERE THESE THINGS ARE, AND THEY WOULD BE ETCHED IN STONE SO THAT THESE ACTIVISTS CAN DO THEIR WORK, SUPPORTING COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THEIR STRUGGLES.
INSTEAD OF BEING UP AT ALL THESE MEETINGS AND WASTING SO MUCH ENERGY ON BEING, UH, ADVOCATES FOR INDIVIDUAL NEIGHBORHOODS INSTEAD OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE, WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S MORE OVERARCHING, AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
COMMUNITY POWER AT TX HAS DONE SO MUCH WORK, UM, THIS, THIS ALMOST FELT LIKE A BONE THROWN TO THE COMMUNITY BY CITY COUNCIL.
AND WE NEED TO KNOW EVERY BIT OF MEAT OFF THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
AND TO HAVE ALL THAT WORK GO FOR NOTHING WOULD BE A BIG WASTE.
SO, THANKS Y'ALL FOR, FOR FORWARDING THIS.
UH, IS THAT CHRIS? OKAY, CHRIS, YOU GET TO DO OUR LAST THREE MINUTES.
YOU'RE GONNA BRING US TO 10 O'CLOCK.
UH, SORRY I MISSED IT THE FIRST TIME.
I WAS ACTUALLY IN THE OTHER ROOM TRYING TO DO WHAT THE EQUITY OVERLAY COULD DO FOR A LOT OF EAST OF AUSTIN.
UM, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOMEWOOD HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE, IT'S PART OF THE ROSEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AREA.
I'M SO PROUD OF THE WORK AND ADVOCACY THAT, UM, THE NEIGHBORS AND ELDERS THAT, UH, CREATED THAT PLAN AND MADE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE I'M NOW ABLE TO RAISE MY 3-YEAR-OLD SON.
I'M TELLING YOU BEFORE MY PARENTS, SO DON'T CALL 'EM
UM, I THINK THE, THE EQUITY OVERLAY IS SO CRUCIAL WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GET DOWN INTO THE DIRT OF EAST AUSTIN, THE HISTORY OF IT, HOW ZONING HAS ADVERSELY AFFECTED IT, HOW CONSTANTLY PEOPLE HAVE TO BE ON THE DEFENSE BECAUSE THERE'S THIS PERMANENTLY UNSETTLING, UM, FEELING THAT IS IMPOSED ON JUST ABOUT EVERY RESIDENT BY THE DEVELOPERS THAT WANT TO COME IN AND PREY ON COMMUNITY.
THEY WANNA PREY ON FAMILIES, THEY WANNA PREY ON PEOPLE THAT ARE VULNERABLE.
THEY WANNA PREY ON THE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T EVEN MAKE THE TIME OF DAY TO GO OUT AND FIGHT FOR THEMSELVES.
SO I THINK IT'S CRUCIAL THAT THERE IS A PROCESS AND THAT THERE ARE TRUSTED ADVOCATES LIKE YOURSELVES, COMMUNITY LEADERS, THAT CAN HELP TAKE SOME OF THAT WORK OFF THE SHOULDERS OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY BEARING SO MUCH.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, I REALLY HOPE THAT, UH, THE EFFORTS OF COMMUNITY POWERED A TX AND MANY OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS THAT HAVE HELPED BRING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CITY AND ACTUALLY GET A RESOLUTION PASSED TO CONSIDER IT.
I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL TOGETHER CONTINUE TO PUT OUR SHOULDERS INTO THIS AND, AND TRY TO PUSH IT TO, UH, A POINT OF MATERIALIZATION WHERE IT WORKS.
AND WE HAVE A LEGACY IN THIS CITY THE SAME WAY THAT THE ELDERS THAT HELPED ME UNDERSTAND MY COMMUNITY DID.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, CHRIS.
WE ARE RIGHT UP ON THE, UH, 10 O'CLOCK TIME PERIOD, UM, COM.
UM, COMMISSIONERS AT THIS POINT, I ASSURE YOU WE WON'T BE TOO MUCH LONGER.
UM, BUT WE ARE COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, I THINK YOU HAD A MOTION THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO PUT FORWARD.
UM, YEAH, I, I MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING, UM, YOU KNOW, TO INCLUDE THIS PRESENTATION ON THE AUSTIN EQUITY OVERLAY STUDY.
DO I HAVE A SECOND ON THAT? CAN I, UH, I SECOND.
CAN I GET A CLARIFICATION BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE OR WHAT'S THE QUESTION? CAN I, OR CAN I ASK A QUESTION, UH, FROM THE PRESENTER, CAN THEY DO A 10 MINUTE PRESENTATION?
[03:30:01]
IS THAT POSSIBLE? YES.SO I I I STILL HAVE A SECOND AND I STILL NEED TO VOTE.
WE DO NEED TO VOTE THE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF EXTENDING IT.
AND COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER ISHA NEED TO BE ON CAMERA.
WE DON'T NEED, WE DON'T NEED IT.
OH NO, IT'S COMMISSIONER ARNOLD.
ARNOLD SWITCHING GETS UP ALL NIGHT.
OH, IS THAT, WHY IS THAT WHY WE'RE GETTING THIS OFF? OH,
WELL WE NEED A CAMERA REGARDLESS.
I'M ON, I'M ON CAMERA ON MY SCREEN, BUT ARE YOU ALL NOT SEEING MY FACE? NO, WE'RE NOT.
I'VE BEEN ON SCREEN THE WHOLE TIME.
I THINK, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE INDICATING WE'RE GOOD.
UM, ALRIGHT, WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
AND WE VERY WELL MAY, UM, HAVE TO HAVE THEM COME BACK BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL, UM, ITEM.
UH, AND, AND THIS, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE FOUGHT VERY HARD TO GET US TO THIS POINT.
SO WE DO NOT, I DON'T WANNA RUSH THIS, BUT WE DO NEED TO WRAP IT UP TONIGHT.
ALAN PONTY, UH, PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONLINE, UH, OUR CONSULTANTS WHO ARE HELPING US WITH THIS STUDY.
UH, WELL, A FEW OF THE MEMBERS.
UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE, BUT BEFORE, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU GUYS.
UH, SHE DID COMMISSIONER, I MEAN, UH, COMMISSIONER, SHE DID SIGN UP.
MS. JOSEPH DID SIGN UP FOR FIVE.
UM, I DID GET THE EMAIL, SO IT IS CONFIRMED THAT THAT LIST WAS RUNNING AS I WAS GOING, SO THAT, THAT'S MY FAULT AGAIN.
SO WE NEED, CAN WE PLEASE GIVE HER THREE MINUTES? OKAY.
I WAS JUST WAITING FOR THE SLIDE.
JOSEPH, I JUST WANTED TO CONTEXTUALIZE MY COMMENTS BY REMINDING YOU THAT HOME ONCE STOOD FOR MIDDLE INCOME, ERM EMPOWERMENT, AND THEN IT WAS CHANGED THE M AND E TO MOBILITY EQUITY.
SO I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE FIRST SLIDE THAT A POINT OF REFERENCE IS JULY 6TH, 2021.
UM, FOR THE COMMISSIONERS WHO WANTED A POINT OF REFERENCE, YOU CAN FIND THAT KUT ARTICLE AND IT ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGES HOUSE BILL 3 8 9 3, WHICH WAS THE DOWNTOWN TUNNEL BILL AND I THINK THE REPUBLICAN SENATORS FOR KILLING THAT BILL BECAUSE IF THEY HAD PASSED THE BILL, THEN THEY WOULD'VE BEEN COMPLICIT IN THE DISCRIMINATION OCCURRING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO THEY WERE WISE ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THE FEDERAL FUNDING.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I WENT OVER TO THE LEGISLATURE AND I ACTUALLY GAVE THEM CAPITAL METRO SYSTEM MAP AND I SHOWED THEM THE EVIDENCE.
EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE BUSES GO, I THINK YOU CAN SEE THE NETWORK ON THE LEFT, THAT'S SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL AUSTIN.
IF YOU LOOK TO THE RIGHT, THAT'S NORTHEAST AUSTIN, NORTH OF US, 180 3, IT IS DISCONNECTED SO THAT CAPITAL METRO CAN DOUBLE AND TRIPLE COUNT MINORITIES WHO RIDE THE BUS IN THAT AREA.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT PROJECT CONNECT IS UNDERGIRDED BY THE BUSES.
AND WHEN THE VOTERS APPROVED PROJECT CONNECT ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2020, THEY ACTUALLY WERE VOTING ON CONFLATED LANGUAGE.
SO THEY CONFLATED HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT, WHICH IS YOUR LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, METRO RAPID BUSES WITH THE LOCAL FIXED ROUTES.
AND SO I WANT YOU TO SEE THAT THE CITY'S PLANS, THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN IS THERE.
AND THIS IS FROM 2015 WHEN THEY ACTUALLY PAID $466,000 TO A CONSULTANT TO TELL THEM HOW TO CREATE AN EQUITABLE SYSTEM.
THE LAST SLIDE THAT I HAVE, JUST, UH, I THINK THERE MAY BE ONE OTHER ONE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE POINT OF REFERENCE FOR THE CORRIDORS AND WHERE I ACTUALLY MENTIONED THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
THIS IS HIGHLAND IN THE AREA OF, OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE ON AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL FIND IT IS FINE PRINT, BUT YOU WILL SEE THE FINE PRINT IN RED.
IF YOU GO TO THIS SLIDE IN THAT PRESENTATION, YOU'LL SEE WHERE THEY HAVE DEFERRED PROJECTS, THEY HAVE RE-SCOPE PROJECTS, BUT THIS WAS NOT DISCUSSED.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE NOLA FOR NORTH LAMAR, AND YOU WILL SEE THE PART THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT FROM RUNDBERG TO BREAKER.
IT IS ACTUALLY DEFERRED, WHICH MEANS
[03:35:01]
IT WON'T BE FUNDED.SO THE PICTURE YOU SAW EARLIER WITH THE TRAIL THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE FUNDED SOUTH OF PALMER LANE, WHERE I TOLD YOU MR. UM, THE GENTLEMAN WAS KILLED, UH, IN 2016, JANUARY 30TH, 2016.
AND SO THESE ARE JUST POINTS OF REFERENCES SO THAT YOU KNOW WHERE TO GET THE INFORMATION.
YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU DID THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AND SIGNED UP, SO YES, MA'AM.
UM, GO ON AND YOU CAN DO AN OVERVIEW AND THEN WE PROBABLY ARE GONNA BE INVITING YOU BACK.
UH, SO YEAH, ALAN FOUND PRINCIPLE PLANNER OF PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, AGAIN, I WANTED TO WELCOME, UH, CARTER COLEMAN AND JESSE WILES, MR. WILES, UH, FROM A PD URBAN, AND THEY WILL BE THE ONES ACTUALLY SPEAKING ABOUT THE STUDY AND THE WORK THEY'RE DOING CURRENTLY OR THAT WE ARE ALL DOING CURRENTLY.
UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN SPEAK AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD DO? I MEAN, I REALLY DO FEEL BAD, BUT IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN DO IN THE 10, 15 MINUTES? YES, IT IS A SHORT PRESENTATION.
HOW ARE YOU DOING? GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS CARTER COLEMAN WITH A PD URBAN PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT.
AND WE'RE HERE JUST TO KIND OF FIRST INTRODUCE OURSELVES.
WE HAVE SPOKEN TO A NUMBER OF YOU, UM, SINCE WE STARTED THIS PROJECT, BUT WE WANT TO, TO FORMALLY COME BEFORE THE BOARD AND JUST GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY STUDY THAT WE ARE CONDUCTING ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.
UM, THIS IS REALLY JUST A, A INTRODUCTION OF OUR COMPANY.
WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS OF APPROXIMATELY 45 YEARS BASED IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
UM, WE ARE AN URBAN PLANNING FIRM, AND THAT CONDUCTS SIMILAR, UH, PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS ONE ALL OVER THE SOUTH AND ALL OVER THE NATION.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO DIG INTO THIS WITH YOU ALL.
UM, BUT DISPLACEMENT, RISK MITIGATION IS EXPERTISE OF OURS.
UM, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE SCOPE.
WE WERE AWARE OF THE TIME CONSTRAINTS.
UM, SO WE DIDN'T BREAK DOWN THE ENTIRE SCOPE HERE, BUT, UM, THE CITY OF LAW AUSTIN DID ASK US TO STAY THE FEASIBILITY OF AN EQUITY OVERLAY FOR THE HOME ORDINANCE.
AND WHAT IMPACT THAT MAY HAVE ON AFFORDABILITY, DISPLACEMENT, OR PROPERTY VALUES IN THE CITY, SHOULD THERE BE A GEOGRAPHIC, UM, BOUNDARY SET TO AN OVERLAY.
AND SO REALLY WE'RE BUILDING THIS APPROACH, LOOKING AT THOSE THREE, UH, KEY ISSUES, DISPLACEMENT RISK, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, AND PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION.
WE CAN DO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THESE ARE PHASES OF OUR PROJECT.
PHASE ONE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT IS ONGOING.
THIS IS REALLY JUST OUR MEETINGS WITH THE, UH, CITY, WITH ALLEN AND OTHER CLIENTS AND PARTNERS.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND RESIDENTS.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL BE GIVING THOSE FINDINGS AND GETTING THAT KIND OF A WRITTEN MEMO.
PHASE TWO, WE'RE STUDYING SOME OF THE PREVIOUS PLANS AND STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, I'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF YOU MENTIONED THEM TONIGHT.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT PEER CITY REVIEWS, OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE DONE SIMILAR ORDINANCES, SIMILAR TO HOME WHERE YOU'RE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ON A, UH, A PREVIOUSLY SINGLE FAMILY HOME LOT.
AND LOOKING AT HOW THEY'VE IMPLEMENTED THOSE AND WHAT OTHER, UM, ORDINANCES THAT, THAT BEEN PASSED AND HOW THAT KIND OF IS CONTRIBUTING TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE FEELING HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND THEN THAT WILL, UH, CONCLUDE WITH A SWOT ANALYSIS ON POSSIBLE IMPACTS, FINANCIAL IMPACTS THAT HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS MAY BE FACING DUE TO, UM, HOME AND A POSSIBLE EQUITY OVERLAY.
WE ARE JUST NOW GETTING TO PHASE THREE, WHICH IS THE RISK DISPLACEMENT ANALYSIS.
AND THAT WILL, UH, PRODUCE A NUMBER OF MAPS AND STUDIES TO LOOK AT THE HIGHEST, UM, THE HIGHEST PORTION OF THE POPULATION SUCCESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO DISPLACEMENT DUE TO OTHER FACTORS INCLUDING THE HOME LOAN OVERLAY.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE FINAL REPORT WILL COMPILE ALL THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER AND WE'LL GIVE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, ENHANCING OR, UM, CHANGING THE HOME ORDINANCE IF POSSIBLE.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE FOUND SO FAR, SO, UM, WHAT WE'VE COME ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PART, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, UM, WITH A RANGE OF RESIDENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, A NUMBER OF YOU HERE WE'VE SPOKEN TO, UM, I'VE HEARD SOME FAMILIAR NAMES.
SO, UM, WE'RE GETTING THE INFORMATION, PULLING IT TOGETHER.
BUT SO FAR WE'VE HEARD THE CONCERNS, THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE
[03:40:01]
LACK OF UNDERSTANDING THROUGHOUT THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND THE CO COMPLETION INFORMATION WITH NOT JUST HOME ORDINANCE, BUT OTHER ORDINANCES THAT PAT THAT HAVE ALL ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND HOW THOSE ARE KIND OF RUNNING TOGETHER.UM, IN THE POLICY PROGRAM STUDIES, THERE'S GONNA BE CONFUSION FROM COMMU COMMUNITY MEMBERS BASED ON HOME AND GENERAL PLANNING LANDSCAPE.
UM, WE'VE SEEN HEAR SOME OF THAT TONIGHT, BUT WE'VE ALSO REVIEWED THOSE AS, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WITH SOME OF THE PEER CITIES SUCH AS SEATTLE, UM, SAN JOSE, UM, WASHINGTON, DC AND I WANT TO SAY I HAD IT PULLED UP, BUT THOSE ARE THREE OF 'EM THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CURRENTLY.
AND THEN THE DISPLACEMENT RISK, WHICH WE'RE KIND OF JUST STARTING ON THAT IS LOOKING AT A LOT OF THE GIS DATA, UM, PERMIT DATA FROM HOMES, THAT HOME PHASE ONE THAT HAS ALREADY GONE ON.
AND, UM, LOOKING AT THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER THINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS ACCESS TO, UM, MASS TRANSIT, UM, ANY, UH, DEMOS, ANY NEW BUILDING PERMITS, HOME CELL DATA, AND PUTTING ALL OF THAT GEOGRAPHICAL DATA TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT KIND OF, UM, INFORMS THAT DISPLACEMENT RISK ANALYSIS.
SO WE STARTED THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT BECAUSE HOME IS SO EARLY, SOME OF OUR FINDINGS IS THAT THE LACK OF DATA AROUND IT IS GONNA MAKE IT A LITTLE DIFFICULT.
BUT WE ARE, UM, WE ARE WELL UNDER OUR WAY OF PUTTING THAT TOGETHER AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE LINE.
UM, AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THIS IS JUST OUR OVERALL SCHEDULE.
IT KIND OF SHOWS YOU WHERE WE ARE IN IN EACH OF OUR TASK ORDERS.
UM, UNDER TASK THREE, THE DISPLACEMENT RISK ANALYSIS, WE DID TAKE A WHILE FOR US TO GET SOME OF THE PERMIT DATA AND FROM, UM, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALAN WAS, UH, STEADFAST IN GETTING THAT INFORMATION.
SO NOW WE'RE STARTING TO DIG THAT IN AND PUT IT INTO OUR GIS SYSTEMS IN ADDITION TO OTHER, UM, DATA THAT IS OUT THERE THAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED AND PROVIDED TO US.
AND WE'LL BE PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
SO THAT TIMELINE GOTTA PUSHED A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE ARE WELL UNDER OUR WAY IN GETTING INTO THE DATA ANALYSIS AND STARTING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WITH THAT, MR. WILDES, UNLESS YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING, WE CAN ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY.
UM, NOT REALLY CARTER, UH, MAYBE I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET MY CAMERA ON, BUT OTHER THAN THAT,
UM, WE SEE NODDINGS, THE HEADS NODDING AND THUMBS UP AND STUFF, SO WHILE MR. WELLS WHILES, WHILE YOU GET YOUR CAMERA READY, UM, UH, COMMISSIONERS, LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION SO THAT I'LL BE READY TO RECOGNIZE YOU.
YEAH, I'LL JUST MAKE A COMMENT AND JUST, YEAH.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE MM-HMM
UM, UM, AND INTRODUCING YOURSELVES.
AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU CAN COME ON A REGULAR BASIS, UM, MONTHLY, I HOPE AS, AS A FORM OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BECAUSE I MEAN, I, I GUESS I THINK IT'S OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE THAT THERE'S A LACK OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, UM, AGAIN, I I HOPE THAT YOU TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY HAVING HEARD FROM ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND, UM, UH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS, UH, ABOUT JUST KIND OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CITY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW AGAIN ABOUT, UH, THIS, UM, A PD OR, OR WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED.
I MEAN, I'D RATHER HAVE YOU HERE, TBHI MEAN, TO BE HONEST, LIKE REALLY, UM, I, I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE.
UM, I MEAN, PERHAPS THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT DOESN'T HAVE THAT EXPERTISE TO DO ALL THE ANALYSIS, BUT AGAIN, LIKE THE PRIMARY ISSUE WAS THE LACK OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THIS SIX MONTH DELAY MM-HMM
PLUS THESE PEOPLE HAVE WAITED FOUR HOURS HERE JUST TO LIKE, HEAR ABOUT THIS UPDATE.
AND I, I, I GUESS I, I'M, I'M GIVING YOU THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING, BUT I'M GIVING YOU THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LIKE, UH, I, I WANT, I'D LIKE TO SHARE LIKE OUR EXPECTATIONS THAT THERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE DONE AS FAR AS LIKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR SURE.
COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, WE DO SHARE YOUR, UM, REQUEST AND FRUSTRATION WITH THE PROCESS.
UM, COMMISSIONER TOVER, THANK YOU CHAIR.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY I DID THE, UH, CITY CONTACT A PD TO, UH, DO THE OVERLAY OF PROPERTY.
UM, I, YEAH, I CAN ANSWER THAT
UH, SO WE, UH, REACHED OUT TO A PD DUE TO THEIR EXPERTISE, UM, WITH DISPLACEMENT RISK ANALYSIS AND OVERLAYS.
UM, THEY'VE DONE SIMILAR PROGRAMS IN ATLANTA AND OTHER PLACES.
AND SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE PROBABLY BEST TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO HAD THE EXPERTISE.
[03:45:01]
HAD THE EXPERTISE THAT THEY CAN DO IT BECAUSE WHAT WE GOT GOING ON NOW HERE IN AUSTIN, WE GOT MORE APARTMENTS THAN HOUSING.AND SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE ARE GETTING IN AREAS THAT DON'T NEED TO BE BUILT IN THERE.
I'M AT THE INTERSECTION, I WAS THE INTERSECTION OF, UH, OLA AND ED BLUESTEIN.
I'M NOT NOTHING BUT TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM THIS BIG OLD 465 UNITS, THREE STORIES.
WHEN WE WAS CAME TOGETHER WITH LBJ NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, THE PERSON THAT CAME TO US TOLD US WE GONNA MAKE, UH, THIS LIKE A STRIP MALL.
I, WE AGREED TO HAVE A STRIP MALL, BUT NOW WE SEE WE MADE THE WRONG MISTAKES OF THEM BUILDING APARTMENT COMPLEX THERE.
THAT TAKES UP FROM ED BLUESTEIN TO LAZY CREEK, FROM PURPLE SAGE TO LOYOLA.
HOW MANY ENTRIES AND EXITS ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE ON THAT PROPERTY? HOW MANY CARS CAN PARK ON THAT PROPERTY WITHOUT THE OTHER CARS? PEOPLE HAVE TWO OR THREE CARS, THEY PARKING THEM OUT ON THE STREETS AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS IS WHY I AM ASKING WHY DID THE CITY GO OUTSIDE WHEN THEY ALREADY HAVE EXPERTISE IN THE CITY? UM, AGAIN, WE FOUND THAT AD'S EXPERTISE WAS VERY USEFUL AND THEY HAVE REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE.
SO WE WANTED TO MAXIMIZE THAT AS WELL AS OBVIOUSLY THE EXPERIENCE WE HAVE WITHIN THE CITY AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS MORE IN RESPONSE TO THE HOME AMENDMENT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, COMES TO MIND WHERE VELASQUE ADDED IN REGARDS TO THE STUDY FOR THIS EQUITY OVERLAY.
WHAT TO Y'ALL'S ADVANTAGE, WHAT IS THE OVERLAY? WELL, WELL THAT'S THE STUDY.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY POWERED A TX HAD A RECOMMENDATION FOR HOW AN EQUITY OVERLAY COULD WORK.
AND THAT IS PART OF THE WORK CARTER'S GROUP AND A PD IS DOING, IS STUDYING WHAT THOSE IMPACTS MIGHT BE, HOW THAT MIGHT WORK, WHERE IT COULD WORK, WHAT AREAS WHERE THAT POTENTIALLY BE RECOMMENDED, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER OPTIONS THAT MAY EXIST.
AND I'M THROUGH, DO Y'ALL HAVE OVERLAY IN WEST AUSTIN AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 35? THERE ARE NO, OR RELAYS CURRENTLY.
AND AGAIN, THERE IS CURRENTLY NO PROPOSAL.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, AGAIN, LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AS WHERE THERE IS, THEY'RE DOING ANALYSIS ON WHERE DISPLACEMENT RISK EXISTS AND IF THAT HAPPENS TO BE MOSTLY IN THE EAST SIDE, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE ARE LIKELY TO FIND.
WHERE THE OVER WOULD BE THE EAST, NORTHEAST, SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH.
I, AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION AT THE MOMENT OR ANYTHING.
IT, I THINK IT WILL BE DEPENDENT ON WHAT THE FINDINGS ARE.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TOLIVER.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? CHAIRMAN? YES.
OH, I KNOW YOU CAN'T SEE MY FACE, BUT I SWEAR MY CAMERA IS ON.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS IS AN ISSUE.
REALLY, REALLY
CARTER GREAT TO, I CAN SEE YOU AGAIN MM-HMM
AND UM, ALAN, I, I GUESS THIS MIGHT BE A CONVERSATION BETWEEN, UH, OR BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU ALL, BUT IT'S MORE DIRECTED TO ALAN.
SO I'M INQUIRING ABOUT A, AN ANECDOTAL EXAMPLE DEVELOPER THAT CAN BE USED OR THAT YOU ALL CAN HAVE SPOKEN WITH TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE IMPLEMENTING OR HOW THEY PLAN TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THESE SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
I THINK THAT WOULD REALLY SIT WELL WITH US TO SEE THAT THERE IS SOME COURAGEOUS DEVELOPER THAT IS TRULY TAKING THIS INFORMATION TO HEART AND THAT THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER FOUR FACE ACTIVITY MM-HMM
WHEN THINGS ARE NOT TRULY IMPLEMENTED.
SO I'LL SAY FOR, I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF INDIVIDUALLY, BUT I'M HEARING SOME AGREEMENT THAT IF'S THERE FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, IF YOU ALL CAN IDENTIFY DEVELOPER OR SOME TYPE OF, I, I DON'T KNOW, PLANNING GROUP THAT ACTUALLY IS GOING TO BE BUILDING A NUMBER OF THESE MULTI-UNIT PLACES AND IMPLEMENTING HOW THEY'RE UTILIZING OR BEING INFLUENCED BY THE RESULTS OF THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
UM, SO I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE, THE QUESTION CORRECTLY.
UM, AGAIN, I THINK ONCE WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR AN HOW AN EQUITY OVERLAY COULD WORK OR A PROGRAM OR VARIOUS OPTIONS, UM, WE WILL BE CONSULTING WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND OBVIOUSLY
[03:50:01]
DEVELOPERS AS WELL TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, WORK, OBVIOUSLY COUNCIL WILL ALSO HAVE TO ADOPT ANY OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.AND SO THAT PROCESS WILL CONTINUE.
UM, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING OF WHATEVER THE EQUITY OVERLAY MAY LOOK LIKE.
UH, OBVIOUSLY YOU SHOULD PROBABLY BE VETTED BY A DEVELOPER TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD BE USED AND WOULD WORK.
I IS THAT CORRECT? I DON'T THINK, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE VETTED PART.
YEAH, I DON'T, YEAH, GO AHEAD.
COMMISSIONER T REESE RE WELL, I, I I, I I THINK SHE'S SAYING, UH, CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE OR SOME, UM, DEVELOPER THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE THAT IS, HAS BEEN DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS OR IS OPEN TO DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS? OR IS THIS JUST RING AROUND THE ROSES AND WE'RE JUST PLAYING? I WILL SAY, OH NO, WE DID, WE HAVE DONE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS AND WE HAVE HAD, UM, A CONVERSATION AND A NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR, UH, WHEN WE WERE IN TOWN, UM, ON OUR FIRST SITE VISIT, UM, EAD, A TX AND AUSTIN REVITALIZATION.
UM, THEY BOTH WERE INTERESTED IN HOW HOME COULD WORK AND TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO THAT WAS, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO FORGIVE THEIR NAMES OR THE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT WE MET WITH, BUT IT WAS ECU DAT, A TX AND AUSTIN REV.
VERY FAMILIAR WITH E YEAH, WE'RE, YEAH.
'CAUSE THAT'S OVER THERE IN COLONY LOOP.
SO YEAH, SO COMMISSIONER TISHA, I GUESS THEY'RE GONNA GIVE US OUR OWN BACK AT US AS THE EXAMPLE THAT'S TRYING, RIGHT? YEAH.
'CAUSE THEY'RE OVER THERE IN COLONY PARK AND THEY'RE TRYING THEY ARE, THEY ARE.
BUT I THINK THAT, YEAH, SO WE ASKED FOR ONE EXAMPLE, THEY GAVE US BACK OUR OWN EXAMPLE, SO, OKAY.
UH, THE GENTLEMAN ON THE SCREEN, I CAN'T CALL YOU.
UH, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO IN CONNOLLY PARK? WE AREN'T TRYING TO DO ANYTHING IN CONLEY PARK.
THE QUESTION WAS HAD WE MET ANY DEVELOPERS AND WE MET WITH THOSE TWO ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY JUST HAPPENED TO SHOW COLONY PARK, BUT THEY ALSO TOOK US THROUGH EAST AUSTIN, UM, AND SHOWED US A NUMBER OF SITES THAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE, UH, BENEFICIAL TO THE HOME HOME ORDINANCE.
AND THAT PROBABLY WAS ASKED ATCH.
UH, THE REASON I'M ASKING THE QUESTION IS THAT AL IS GOING TO BE OUR DEVELOPER OF THE 208 ACRES THAT'S ALREADY PLANNED, ALREADY MASTER PLANNED OUT, THE, UH, OTHER PART OF, UH, ACROSS THE STREET FROM, UH, COLONY PARK.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THE DEVELOPER IS GOING TO DO THERE, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ANOTHER STORE ACROSS THE ONE THAT'S ALREADY SITTING RIGHT THERE AT DECKER IN LOYOLA.
UM, YOU HAVEN'T, UH, SPOKE TO ANYONE IN THE LBJ NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, HAVE YOU? IF THEY WERE A PART OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT I WOULDN'T KNOW UNLESS THEY'VE BEEN A PART OF A TX OR ANY OF THE LARGE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE, WE SPOKE TO.
SO YOU HAVE TO BE PART OF A TX, RIGHT? NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE.
THAT'S JUST A LARGE ORGANIZATION THAT WE MET WITH.
WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND I'LL JUST ADD, IF THERE IS, UM, REACHING OUT TO ALAN OR OR ANYONE WITH THE CITY, IF THERE IS SOMEONE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO INTERVIEW FOR OUR STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE SOME, UM, SLOT LEFT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO THE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS HAVE NOT BEEN CLOSED, UM, AT THIS POINT, SO WE'RE STILL TAKING INFORMATION IN.
WE STILL, I THINK WE HAD THREE MORE ADDED, UM, RECENTLY, SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO, UM, REACH OUT.
UH, COMMISSIONER WOODS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UH, THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, HAS THE CITY OR ANY OF THE CONSULTANTS HIRED BY THE CITY, UM, STOPPED TALKING TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CONTACT TEAMS? BECAUSE IN CONVERSATION WITH NEIGHBORHOODS OTHER THAN MY OWN, MANY OF THESE PEOPLE, UH, HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM THE CITY.
UM, AND THOSE OF US WHO ARE AROUND WHEN THE CONTACT TEAMS WERE FORMED ARE KIND OF PUZZLED THAT THERE ARE THESE GROUPS
[03:55:01]
OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOME PRACTICE WITH TALKING TO THE CITY AND KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT, UM, HOW DEVELOPMENT WORKS.AND THEN THEY ALSO ARE RIGHT THERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THEY KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WELL AND THEY KNOW WHAT, UM, THEY KNOW THE DETAILS.
UM, BASICALLY, UH, IS ANYBODY TALKING TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CONTACT TEAMS ANYMORE? OR IS HAS THAT BEEN DISCARDED IN FAVOR OF TALKING TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OF RESIDENTS? THANK YOU.
UM, I GUESS I CAN'T SPEAK GLOBALLY FOR ALL OF THE CITY, BUT YES, WE STILL REACH OUT TO CONTACT TEAMS AND, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND SO WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET OUTREACH WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS IN COMBINATION OF THOSE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I WAS KIND OF LOOKING FOR, FOR AN UPDATE AND SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE.
UM, CAN YOU GIVE US ANYTHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU SEEING A KIND OF PICTURE HERE OR, UH, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT, UM, UM, YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE HOME INITIATIVE AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR SPEAKERS BROUGHT UP OTHER, UM, LIKE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS AND OTHER TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT.
ARE YOU SEEING ANY OF THOSE AND, AND I GUESS OVERALL, YEAH, CAN YOU GIVE US, UM, I GUESS A PICTURE OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING SO FAR AND THEN KIND OF LIKE WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE FINAL PRODUCT BEING OF YOUR, UH, FEASIBILITY STUDY? YEAH.
UM, I DON'T, I WON'T GO INTO THE FINAL PRODUCT BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY GONNA BE HEAVILY ON BASED ON THE DATA.
UM, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, AND WE HAD IT IN THE PRESENTATION RECENTLY WHEN WE HAD OUR, OUR INITIAL FINDINGS.
UM, AGAIN, LIKE YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT, THERE'S BEEN, WHEN WE TALKED TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NOT JUST ORGANIZATIONS BUT INDIVIDUALS, RESIDENTS AS WELL, THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND CONCERN ABOUT NOT JUST THE HOME ORDINANCE, BUT UM, OTHERS SUCH AS DB 90 D PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, SO PART OF OUR PROCESS, WHICH IS A PREVIOUS PLAN STUDIES, WE HAVE GONE BACK TO, I WANNA SAY ALMOST 2012, UM, OR 2000, YEAH, 2012, UH, INITIAL PLANS TO LOOK AT HOW THEY ALL CONNECT.
AND WE'RE RIGHT NOW GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF KIND OF DOING A PREVIOUS PLAN MATRIX THAT SHOWS WHICH ONES ARE INITIALLY FOR CREATING DENSITY, WHICH ONES ARE FOR, UM, EQUITY AND OVERLAY, WHICH ONES ARE FOR AFFORDABILITY.
AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY ALL CONNECT.
BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THEIR CONFUSION OVER DB 90 AND PROJECT CONNECT AND, UM, THE HOME ORDINANCE AND HOW THOSE ALL INTERLINE.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT IS MISSING FROM ONE THAT THE OTHER FEELS, IS IT JUST A MATTER OF, UH, COMMUNICATION AND, AND UH, UH, COMM COMMUNICATION EDUCATION AND SAY, HEY, THESE WORK TOGETHER, OR IF THERE ARE GAPS, WILL THOSE RE WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS COULD BE? AND THAT WILL BE WHAT'S IN THE FINAL REPORT WHEN ONCE WE PUT IT TOGETHER.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET MY CAMERA ON.
SO YOU JUST HAVE TO, YOU JUST HAVE TO TRUST THAT I'M NOT A ROBOT
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WAS ASKING YOU EARLIER, UH, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, WHY COULDN'T THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT DO THIS OR SOMEONE LOCAL? AND MY GUESS IS THAT THEY PROBABLY COULD, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, WE WERE SELECTED SIMPLY BECAUSE THIS IS THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE FOCUSED ON.
AND WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON IT AS CARTER MADE REFERENCE TO IT FOR MOST OF OUR 45 YEAR EXISTENCE.
UH, THE TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THROUGHOUT THIS EVENING THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT DISPLACEMENT ARE THE TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT OUR FIRM HAS WORKED WITH.
AND SO WE DO HAVE A BODY OF WORK THAT SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE CONCERNED THAT THEIR TRANSFORMATION IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITHOUT THEM BEING A PART OF THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DISPLACED.
AND SO, UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I I I DON'T WANT TO MAKE, I DON'T WANNA MAKE LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THIS IS A, UH, THE TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT MAY BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY
[04:00:01]
SOME OF THE HOUSING PRODUCTION AND ZONING AND LAND USE LEGISLATIONS THAT ARE OCCURRING IN AUSTIN OR THE TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE WORK IN.AND WE'VE HAD SOME LEVEL OF SUCCESS AND, AND WE REALIZE THAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS DIFFERENT.
EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS A WHOLE RANGE OF CHALLENGES THAT WE NEED TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION AS WE GO ABOUT OUR WORK.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT OVERSTEPPING MY COLLEAGUE CARTER, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT WE KNOW IS, IS HAPPENING IS THAT HOME AND A NUMBER OF THESE OTHER PIECES OF LEGISLATION, THESE ARE HOUSING PRODUCTION TOOLS.
THEY'RE DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HOMES, UH, IN AUSTIN.
UH, AND IN SOME CASES THE IMPACT THAT THESE PRODUCTION TOOLS WOULD HAVE ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DISADVANTAGED, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE THEY REALLY HAVE BEEN FOUGHT THROUGH AS WELL AS THEY PROBABLY COULD BE.
AND SO PART OF OUR WORK IS TO, IS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BEING ADVERSELY IMPACTED, UH, HAVE A WAY TO, TO, TO, FOR THESE PRODUCTION TOOLS, PRODUCTION, HOUSING, PRODUCTION TOOLS TO BE USED IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T NEGATIVELY IMPACT THEM.
AND THIS IS DOABLE BECAUSE IT'S BEING DONE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
IT'S BEING DONE IN COMMU SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE WORK IN.
SO THAT'S STILL THE TYPE OF EXPERTISE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING TO, TO THE TABLE.
AND I'VE SAT IN ON A NUMBER OF THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND INTERVIEW MEETINGS THAT WE'VE CONDUCTED.
UM, AND WHAT IT APPEARS TO US IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MOST AT RISK DON'T SEE HOW THESE TOOLS ARE ADVANTAGEOUS TO THEM.
THEY DON'T SEE WHAT'S IN, WHAT'S IN THIS FOR ME.
AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO USE THESE HOUSING PRODUCTION TOOLS, BUT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T ADVERSELY AFFECT COMMUNITIES THAT ARE AT RISK IS REALLY, THAT'S WHAT OUR WORK IS ALL ABOUT.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT KINDA HELPS CLARIFY WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DIRECTION THAT WE ARE TRYING TO FALL AND WHAT WE INTEND, INTEND TO DO.
UH, AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING ABLE TO, YOU'RE NOT MISSING A WHOLE LOT BY NOT SEEING ME
BUT, UH, I KINDA WANTED TO GET THAT 2 CENTS WORTH IN BEFORE WE LEFT THIS EVENING.
UM, FOR, FOR THAT, IS IT WELLS OR WILDES? WILDES, MR. WILES? MR. WILES, YOU PROBABLY WILL.
ALRIGHT, YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP AND THEN LONGORIA HAS ONE.
AND YES, THAT'S KIND OF WHEN I ASKED MY QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU SEEING A PICTURE HERE? THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS ASKING.
UM, BECAUSE ALL THOSE, THESE PLANS, THEY DO, THEY'RE INTERTWINED, RIGHT? THEY, THEY'RE THE ONES, UM, THAT WE, WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT ONE, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM WHAT THE COMMUNITY WAS WAS TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY STAFF TO, TO, UH, RECOGNIZE AS WELL, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY SEGREGATED AREAS THAT ARE NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING REDEVELOPED ARE SEEING ALL THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, EAST AUSTIN, THE EASTERN CRESCENT IS SEEING ALL THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO ANYTIME THAT YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE NEW POLICIES, THE HOME INITIATIVE, ANY DENSITY BONUS, IT'S GOING TO HIT THE EASTERN CRESCENT, IT'S GOING TO HIT THOSE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
AND, AND LIKE MR. WILD SAID, WE'RE NOT SEEING THE ADVANTAGES OF THAT AND THAT'S THE REASON FOR, UH, CALLING FOR INEQUITY OVERLAY.
UM, DID YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP LOGO? YEAH, A LITTLE BIT.
AGAIN, UM, UM, CARTER JESSE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, YEAH, AGAIN, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, IF THIS IS WHAT LIKE, KIND OF LIKE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT LOOKS LIKE SO FAR, I'M GONNA, IT'S JUST LIKE NOT GOOD.
I, I, I JUST DUNNO WHAT, HOW ELSE TO SAY IT.
UM, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THEY'VE SPOKEN TO COMMUNITY POWERED A TX HAS A PLAN DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, LIKE, UM, LIKE MR. TOVER, I AGREE THAT THE EXPERTISE IS HERE AND THERE'S THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO LIKE GAIN LIKE GROUND LEVEL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, UH, WELL, I GUESS HOPEFULLY TO END THIS ON A HIGH NOTE, UM, YOU, YOU MENTIONED 45 YEARS OF EXPERTISE IN C IN CITIES LIKE SEATTLE AND WASHINGTON DC AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE, BUT SO WHERE ELSE HAVE THESE TYPE OF THINGS BEEN IMPLEMENTED THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND HAVE, UM, AVOIDED GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT? CAN YOU GIVE US SOME
[04:05:01]
EXAMPLES? YEAH, I'LL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE, AND IT'S REALLY IN OUR OWN BACKYARD, AND THAT'S IN, IN ATLANTA ON THE WEST SIDE.UH, THE, THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS IMPACTED BY A LOT OF GROWTH THAT'S, OR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE GOING ON ALL AROUND THE NEW STADIUMS. UH, A LOT OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, UM, NEAR THE EXPRESSWAY, JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS, IT'S NICELY SITUATED AND THE, UH, LAND AND OPPORTUNITIES WERE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE.
AND THEN DEVELOPMENT STARTED AND WE WERE ASKED TO TAKE A LOOK, UM, UH, TO DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SIMILAR TO WHAT, UH, YOU'RE MAKING REFERENCE TO HERE ABOUT WHAT WAS THE ONE THING THAT IMPACTED HOUSEHOLDS THE MOST.
AND THAT ONE THING WAS NOT BEING ABLE TO STAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN HOMES THAT THEY OWNED, OR IN APARTMENTS THAT THEY WERE RENTING, UH, BECAUSE THE PROPERTY TAXES WOULD BE, EVEN IF THEY OWNED THE PROPERTY OUTRIGHT, THE PROPERTY TAXES INCREASE THE POINT THAT THEY COULD NOT MM-HMM
AND SO WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF, UH, POTENTIAL SCENARIOS, UH, THAT COULD MANAGE PROPERTY TAX INCREASES.
AND LANDED ON THE IDEA THAT IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PAY PROPERTY TAX INCREASES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, MAYBE UP TO 20 YEARS, THEN UM, WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FOR THE HOMEOWNERS, AT LEAST FOR HOMEOWNERS WHOSE INCOMES WERE, I THINK WE SETTLED ON THAT OR BELOW A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE AREA MEDIUM INCOME, THIS WOULD BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND SO, UH, WE DESIGNED, UH, WITHIN OUR OFFICE WHAT'S NOW CALLED THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT, UH, TAX FUND.
UM, AND IT'S, UH, IT WAS A PRETTY DEEP DIVE INTO ANALYTICS ABOUT WHAT WE EXPECT THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASES TO BE OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD.
UH, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT WOULD INCREASE THE PROPERTY TAXES, UH, IN THESE FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WE PRESENTED THAT TO AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE WEST SIDE FUTURE FUND, WHICH IT SERVES AS KIND OF A COMMUNITY QUARTERBACK FOR THESE FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, AND WITH THAT INFORMATION, THEY WENT OUT AND RAISED, UH, MONEY, UH, THROUGH PHILANTHROPY TO PAY PROPERTY TAX INCREASES TO ALL THE HOMEOWNERS WHO LIVED IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, FOR, UH, UP TO A 20 YEAR PERIOD.
WE NOW MANAGE THAT PROGRAM OUT OF OUR OFFICE, UH, AND IT'S BEEN EXTENDED TO, UM, I THINK FOUR OR FIVE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND WHAT WE CALL OUR BELT LINE.
HE'S A NE, IT'S A PRETTY INGENIOUS PEDESTRIAN PATH THAT KINDA RINGS THE, UH, INNER PART OF ATLANTA.
BUT IF YOU LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR THE BELT LINE, YOUR PROPERTY VALUES GO THROUGH THE ROOF.
AND SO THE, UH, EXECUTIVES OF THE BELT LINE ASKED IF WE COULD DEVELOP SOMETHING SIMILAR FOR, UH, WHAT THEY CALLED SUB NEIGHBORHOODS IN CERTAIN AREAS OF BELT LINES WHERE THE HOME OWNERSHIP WAS MOST VULNERABLE.
AND, UH, THAT PROGRAM IS NOW BEING ADMINISTERED AGAIN OUT OF OUR OFFICE FOR THAT LOCATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KINDA ONE NEAR HOME, UH, EXAMPLE THAT, UM, THAT WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO DESIGN AND, AND NOW MANAGE.
IT MAY HAVE APPLICATION FOR SOME PARTS OF AUSTIN.
UH, IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE PART OF AN, UH, AN EQUITY OVERLAY, UH, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, IF THAT KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, OF, UH, OF, UH, A, A PROGRAM THAT IS REALLY JUST A, IT WAS GENERATED FROM SCRATCH, BUT IT WAS GENERATED OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE CONCERN THAT IF WE DIDN'T DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT, UH, AT LEAST THE HOMEOWNERS WHO, WHO LIVED IN THE AREA, UH, THEN THEY WERE GONNA BE DISPLACED BECAUSE OF INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES.
AND WE HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPENING ON THE RENTAL SIDE, BUT IT'S REALLY MORE AROUND FORMATION OF A, WHAT WE CALL A COMMUNITY, UH, QUARTERBACK.
IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME WHERE, UH, AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY SUPPORTING, ACQUIRING AND DEVELOPING, UM, NATURALLY REOCCURRING, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROPERTIES AND ACQUIRING LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT.
UH, SO, UH, AND THIS ORGANIZATION IS JUST DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB ON THE RENTAL SIDE OF, OF INCREASING THE SUPPLY OF, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN, IN, UH, FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE WEST SIDE OF ATLANTA.
[04:10:01]
OKAY.DO YOU, YOU YOU GOT SOMETHING ELSE? NO, THANK, NO, NO.
I WILL SAY, UM, THE INNOVATION, UM, THAT YOU ALL SPEAK ABOUT WITH THE TAX, UM, IS, UM, ENCOURAGING.
UH, I DO NOTICE THAT IT IS JUST THOUGH THEY'RE IN ATLANTA, THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE PULLED THAT OFF.
UM, WELL, IT'S IN OTHER CITIES NOW.
BECAUSE WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING AT MINIMUM LIKE THAT.
AND I WAS, UM, ONE OF THE CURIOSITIES I WAS THINKING ABOUT WITH ATLANTA WAS THAT GENTRIFICATION IS REALLY MORE OF AN ECONOMIC, NOT NECESSARY AN AN ETHNIC DEAL.
BUT MY QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, AGAIN, OUR CONCERN IS THAT PARTICULARLY THE BROWN AND BLACK COMMUNITIES OR ANY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN THE AUSTIN AREA HAVE BEEN DISPLACED, UM, UM, FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE LACKING IN COLOR.
AND SO THAT TENDS TO BE ONE OF OUR, OUR CONCERNS.
UM, BUT YOUR TAX INNOVATION IS ENCOURAGING.
THAT'S LET'S STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I CAN, I CAN ONLY SAY AMEN, BROTHER ON THAT.
UM, WELL, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A TOOL.
UM, WELL, WE NEED MORE THAN ONE, SO I'M GLAD YOU SOUND LIKE YOU GOT MORE.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST ONE TOOL.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF COMPONENTS TO THIS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE EXPLORING AND WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, ALLEN AND OTHER CITY OFFICIALS TO EXPLORE.
UM, BECAUSE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, YOUR POINT IS, IS WELL TAKEN.
UM, CIRCUMSTANCES ARE DIFFERENT AND, AND THEY CALL FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF CIRCUMSTANCES OR DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOLUTIONS.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO HELP.
AND YOU'LL BE SURPRISED AT THE PEOPLE WHO, I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T CARE, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP.
AND SO PART OF THIS WORK IS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOW PEOPLE CAN GET INVOLVED AND HELP.
A LOT OF PHILANTHROPY WANTS TO HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S MONEY OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE TO HELP.
IT'S ALL ABOUT, I THINK IT'S A, A LOT ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER THE RIGHT TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT SAYS, HERE'S THE PROBLEM AND HERE'S HOW YOU CAN, HERE'S HOW YOU, WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO HELP US.
WELL, UH, AGAIN, IT DOES SOUND ENCOURAGING AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT IT'S DONE QUICKLY ENOUGH SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE STILL THERE.
IT WOULD BE SO, UM, IRONIC, UM, REALLY FOR IT TO BE WE GET ALL THIS DONE AND THEN THE PEOPLE THAT IT PROTECTS ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME IN AND DISPLACE THE OTHER GROUP, BECAUSE I CAN SEE THAT REALLY ON THE BRINK OF HAPPENING.
SO YEAH, I MEAN THAT, THAT BEING SAID, UM, JUST TO, JUST TO CHIME IN.
THAT'S, WE'RE SEEING PARK ME STANDING.
I HAVE TO STAND THAT WHAT WE'RE SEEING FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THE, THE URGENCY TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
THERE IS, THERE IS URGENCY, UM, TO GET THINGS DONE, UH, AND SO FORTH.
AND THE CONTACT TEAM IS NOT JUST REACHING OUT TO THE CONTACT TEAM.
THERE USED TO BE WHAT, I THINK THERE USED TO BE SOMEWHAT OF A REQUIREMENT THAT THE CONTACT TEAM SIGN OFF ON STUFF.
I THINK NOW IT IS THE, IT MIGHT BE, OH, WE, WE REACHED OUT WHETHER YOU GOT 'EM OR NOT, OR NOT, AND THAT'S RHETORICAL, DON'T EVEN ANSWER ME.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY.
UM, THE, I DO WANNA THANK THE OVERLAY, UM, INDIVIDUALS FOR COMING IN.
I'M TRYING TO GET MY NAME, YOUR NAME TOGETHER.
UM, WHO AM I LOOKING AT? UH, UH, UH, NO, IT'S, UM, HAVE ALAN AND ERICA.
OH, ERICA, WE NEVER DID SPEAK THAT.
NO WONDER DID WE, DID YOU SPEAK? I DID NOT.
DID YOU NEED, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YOU, ARE YOU SURE? OKAY.
'CAUSE I WAS LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE.
I WAS SICK LOOKING AT ERICA'S NAME, AND I WAS LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GUY? YOU WANT ME TO ASK HER QUESTIONS? NO, DO NOT ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
WE, WE, WE JUST NEED TO ADJOURN.
BUT I WILL, UM, WHEN WE GOT NO, WE GOT, UH, THINGS, BUT I WILL SAY, UH, ALAN, WE WILL HAVE THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE.
WE WILL DEFINITELY PROBABLY HAVE YOU BACK AND, UM, MR. WILES, YOU AND CARTER, UM, IF YOU ALL ARE GONNA BE AROUND, I DEFINITELY FEEL THAT COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, UM, AND COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE CHAIR SHOULD BE REALLY, UM, A, UM, AGGRESSIVE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE
[04:15:01]
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THESE WONDERFUL INNOVATIONS AND HOPEFULLY, UM, THEY WILL COME TO FRUITION FOR US HERE.UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO JUST SAY PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO SPEAK WITH, UM, AND WE'VE ASKED ALL THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERS THAT WE'VE SPOKEN TO UP, UP THUS FAR, IF THEY HAVE ANYONE THEY WANT US TO SPEAK TO, JUST PASS OUR INFORMATION ALONG AND, AND WE'LL REACH OUT TO 'EM AND GET THAT SCHEDULED.
YOU ALL HEAR THAT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UH, GUYS, ANY, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I, UH, OTHER THAN I ACTUALLY THINK THAT THEY, THIS NEEDS TO THISI, I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE REGULARLY.
TH THAT, THAT WAS AN ASK THAT WHEN WE, WHEN COMMISSIONER ARNOLD AND I MET WITH A PD, IF THEY COULD COME REGULARLY.
I, I WISH YOU GUYS WELL WITH THAT, SO.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY, CAP, METRO ISA.
COMMISSIONER TISHA HAS, UH, A CONCERN ABOUT THE CAPITAL METRO C COMMISSIONER, TISHA, YOU WILL.
UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS SPECIFICALLY, OR CAN YOU AT LEAST FORWARD THAT TO MR. BLACK? I WILL, MR. ED, FOR MATTERS, MATTERS OF TIME, I'LL FORWARD IT.
WOULD YOU FORWARD IT TO HIM, BUT BE SPECIFIC IN WHAT IT IS YOU WANT SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE SURE THEY GET YOU WHAT IT IS YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
I'M BLACK, BUT BLAKE, I KNOW
I MEAN, LOOK, I'M ABOUT TO CALL HIM A COMMISSIONER.
I DO BELIEVE WE ARE AT A POINT OF ADJOURNMENT.
IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR AGAIN TO SERVE AS YOUR CHAIR.
IT HAS TRULY BEEN MY HONOR, AND I WISH EVERYONE HERE ALL THE BEST.
THE TIME NOW IS 10 47, OUR LONGEST ONE EVER.