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[CALL TO ORDER]
CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE 2026 BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE, FEBRUARY 24TH, 2025.UM, FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO WELCOME NICOLE HERNANDEZ, WHO IS OUR NEW LIAISON, AND TO ASK HER TO CALL THE ROLE PLEASE.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.
CAN YOU PLEASE TURN YOUR CAMERAS ON? GARY MERRITT.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA REITERATE WHAT NICOLE SAID.
I'M TRYING TO KEEP A TALLY OF OUR MEMBERS PRESENT BECAUSE THAT WILL INDICATE WHAT OUR MAJORITY RULE IS.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT ON VIDEO, YOU'RE NOT PRESENT.
SO IF YOU WANT TO BE PRESENT FOR PURPOSES OF COUNTING THE QUORUM AND THE MAJORITY, YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR CAMERA ON JUST FOR THE CHECK-IN.
IF YOU WANNA BE PRESENT IN PARTICIPATING, YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON.
I AM ON MY WAY BY CAR, SO I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE MY CAMERA ON, BUT I'LL JUST TRY TO GET THERE BY THE TIME A VOTE IS HAPPENING.
SO A MAJORITY OF THAT IS NINE.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANNA TAKE A QUICK MOMENT AND THANK FRANCIS, WHO ACTUALLY IS NOT HERE FOR CHAIRING THE LAST MEETING.
I NEEDED TO BE IN HOUSTON WITH MY FATHER'S LAST MINUTE, SO I APPRECIATE, UM, HER SERVICE.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME NEW APPOINTMENTS POTENTIALLY COMING TO THE TASK FORCE, BUT, UM, I APPRECIATE THOSE WHO ARE ATTENDING, EVEN IF THEIR POSITIONS MAY BE TENUOUS.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP? NO.
[1. Approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of the 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force (BEATF) on January 27, 2025.]
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JANUARY, 2025 MEETING AT THE BTF.UM, I'VE NOTICED A COUPLE THINGS AND SHOW THEM TO NICOLE.
A COUPLE OF, I THINK GLITCHES IN THE MINUTES, AND I CAN SPELL THAT OUT IF YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT TO.
ONE OF THEM IS, UH, ITEM THREE.
IT SHOWED THE MEMBER FOUR OF US VOTED AGAINST THE MOTION AND WE'RE SHOWN AS ABSTAINING.
SO, A, A GRAY REYNOLDS AND SULLIVAN VOTED AGAINST, DID NOT STATE WE ALL VOTED AGAINST.
AND THE WORD OF STAINING IS ALWAYS USED IN THE, IN THE NEXT VOTES.
I'M NOT, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S ACCURATE, BUT I KNOW THAT ONE IS NOT.
AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO, THERE'S A, THERE'S A PHRASE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT JUST GOT ACCIDENTALLY LEFT AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO COME OUT, BUT I THINK NICOLE'S GONNA WATCH AND SEE IF THAT'S WHY IT READS THE WAY IT DOES.
SHE DIDN'T PREPARE THESE AFTER THE REYNOLDS SECOND COMMA.
IT SAYS ABSTAINING AND THAT'S NOT THE, SO IN THAT CASE, DO WE WANT TO, UM, AMEND THE MOTION? CAN I MOVE THE, UH, MINUTES CORRECTED AS I'VE DESCRIBED AND NICOLE HAS, EXCEPT THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE GONNA BE CORRECTED IN THAT LAST POINT, RIGHT? WELL, NO, THAT LAST THING I WOULD SAY CROSSING OUT AGUIRE MOTION TO TABLE REYNOLDS SECOND.
THAT'S THE PART THAT'S JUST DANGLING THE
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VERY LAST, LITERALLY THE LAST LINE OF PAGE TWO.WITH THOSE CORRECTIONS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER POINTS WITH RESPECT TO THE MINUTES? OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CORRECTED MINUTES.
ANY OPPOSED TO THAT MOTION? NONE.
[2. Staff briefing and discussion from the Community Engagement Team on the plan for the 2026 Bond program by Communications and Public Information Department.]
TWO ON THE AGENDA, A STAFF BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM ON THE PLAN FOR THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM BY COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION DEPARTMENT.UH, JESSICA KING, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.
I HAVE HERE WITH ME TODAY MARIA SANCHEZ, WHO IS OUR, UM, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER.
UM, SHE WILL BE PRESENTING AN UPDATE LAST WEEK, NO, NOT LAST WEEK.
IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A ROUGH COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH THAT COLD
UM, A MONTH AGO WE WERE HERE AND SHARED WITH YOU AN OUTLINE OF THE ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS IN OUR, OUR GOALS AROUND THAT.
UM, TODAY WE'D LIKE TO PROVIDE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION TIED TO THAT AND AN UPDATE BASED ON THE FEEDBACK WE'VE RECEIVED FROM YOU.
UM, SO I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO MARIO.
FIRST, I WANNA START WITH BEING, FEELING VERY GRACEFUL FOR THE, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP.
WE MET AND WE HEARD FEEDBACK AND WE HEARD THE FEEDBACK AND WE ADJUSTED OUR PLAN AT THAT MOMENT.
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, I WANNA SAY TAKE IT TO FRANCIS CEVA AND NOLITA.
THE THREE OF THEM ATTENDED OUR MEETING AND I LOOK FORWARD WORKING WITH ANNA AS SOON AS SHE'S ABLE TO MEET AS WELL.
I BELIEVE ANNA DIDN'T MAKE THE MEETING.
NO, SHE DIDN'T MAKE THE MEETING.
SO I'M GONNA START, UM, OH GOOD.
SO WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT FOUR ITEMS. ONE IS THE ENGAGEMENT PHASES AND GOAL.
THE NEXT ONE IS OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT IS SCHEDULE NEXT STEPS.
AND THEN I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATION IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY FOR ME.
SO HERE'S OUR PHASES AND GOAL.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE THREE PHASES.
ONCE I LOOK AT OUR SCHEDULE, I NOTICE THAT WE HAVE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT IS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME.
TYPICALLY ON LARGE PROJECTS WE DO OUTREACH FIRST AND THEN WE DO A LITTLE BIT OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
THEN WE ONLY DO ENGAGEMENT, AND THEN WE FINISH WITH ONLY OUTREACH.
BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, BECAUSE THE TIMELINE IS SO QUICK, WE ARE DOING BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WE'RE GONNA CALL THAT PHASE ONE.
AND SO ON PHASE ONE WE HAVE TWO CALLS.
WE'RE GONNA LET THE COMMITTEE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE GONNA LET THE COMMITTEE WHEN WE'RE DOING IT, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA LET THE COMMITTEE DO IT, KNOW WHEN WE ARE DONE DOING IT.
SO, UM, AND THEN ON GOAL TWO, WE'RE GONNA ENGAGE AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS ABOUT THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT, WHICH WILL BE MOSTLY OUR SURVEY.
ON PHASE TWO, WE HAVE DATA ANALYSIS.
AND THAT ONE IS BASICALLY CONSOLIDATING ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE HEARD, UM, INCLUDING INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD AND INCLUDING INFORMATION THAT WE WILL HEARD FROM COMMUNITY AT THIS MEETING.
HOPEFULLY WE WILL ALSO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU HEARD ON YOUR WORKING GROUPS AS WELL.
WE'LL SUMMARIZE IT AND WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE HEARD IN TERMS OF OUR REPORT.
AND THEN ON PHASE THREE, IT'S ALL GOOD.
ON PHASE THREE, WE BASICALLY GONNA CLOSE THE LOOPS, WHICH BASICALLY WE'RE GONNA LET COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE HAVE CONCLUDED OUR ENGAGEMENT AND OUR REACH EFFORT.
WE HAVE HEARD WHAT WE HEARD FROM COMMUNITY AND WE'RE GONNA PUBLISH ALL THE INFORMATION, INCLUDING ALL THE RAW DATA WILL BE PUBLISHED AS WELL.
AND WE WELCOME ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT AND PERHAPS PROVIDE A DIFFERENT LENS WHEN THEY'RE ANALYZING DATA.
SO I HEARD FROM THE WORKING GROUP THAT THE SCHEDULE WAS VERY CRITICAL.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS TO SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME TO TALK ABOUT OUR SCHEDULE OF SERVICES.
AND WHAT WE HAVE ON TI IS BASICALLY WE COMPLETED AN OUTLINE AND PUT MORE INFORMATION TO OUR ENGAGEMENT ROADMAP ON MARCH.
WE'RE DOING WHAT I CALL PREPARATION, WHICH MEANS ALL THE TOOLS INCLUDING FLYERS, UH, THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS, THE ALL THE TOOLS
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NEEDED FOR TABLING, DATABASES OF NEWSLETTERS, EVERYTHING THAT PREPARE US TO DO A COMPREHENSIVE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.AND THEN THAT BRINGS US TO APRIL AND MAY, WHICH ARE GONNA BE VERY BUSY MONTH FOR US.
HOPEFULLY YOU WILL SEE US OUT AND ABOUT BOTH IN PERSON AND DIGITALLY.
SO NEWSLETTERS, UM, WE'LL HAVE PRESS RELEASES, WE'LL BE OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMITTEE LISTENING, STICKY NOTES, UH, SURVEYS, BOTH IN PAPER AND ELECTRONIC AND IPADS, UM, ET CETERA.
SO THOSE TWO MONTHS WE WILL BE OUT AND ABOUT.
AND I WELCOME ALL OF YOU ALSO TO BE OUT AND ABOUT AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD.
WE WILL PROVIDE A TOOL THAT YOU CAN GIVE US THAT FEEDBACK AND WE WILL BE PUTTING PART OF THE, UH, RAW DATA FOR ANALYSIS DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE.
WE'LL TAKE A BREAK AND IN THAT BREAK WE'RE GONNA DO PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS AND SEE HOW WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE HAVE HEARD.
AND WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE HEARD SO FAR.
DURING THE MONTH OF JULY, WE'LL DO PREPARATION FOR A TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
WE ARE SCHEDULED TO DO FOUR AND DURING AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER IS WHEN WE'RE DOING THOSE TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE LAST WEEK OF AUGUST AND FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER FOR THOSE FOUR TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT DATE AND LOCATION, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE ARE PLANNING.
WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID TO OVERLAP OTHER MAJOR EVENTS HAPPENING, INCLUDING BUDGET.
WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO BE VERY CLEAR MINDED SO THEY CAN PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR THE BOND WITHOUT TOO MUCH, YOU KNOW, CONFUSION BETWEEN ONE AND THE OTHER.
I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DOLLAR SIGNS AND IMPROVEMENTS AND BUDGET ITEMS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SEPARATE BOTH CONCEPTS.
SO WE ARE GOING TO KEEP IT, UH, AFTER THAT EVENT.
IF YOU NOTICE THERE'S A GREEN ARROW THROUGHOUT AND THOSE ARE GONNA BE ENGAGEMENT AND A REACH ACTIVITIES PROMOTION.
ALICIA DEAN, WHO YOU HAVE MET, WILL BE LEADING THAT EFFORT AND THAT INCLUDES MEDIA BUYING DESIGN, ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO WHEN WE ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WILL COME TO US AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO TOO MUCH RUBBING SO THEY CAN BE PRESENT AT OUR TABLES AND SO FORTH.
THEN WE HAVE OCTOBER, NOVEMBER WHERE WE WILL SUMMARIZE WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS, JANUARY AND APRIL.
WE WILL DO SUMMARIES AND REPORTS THAT WE WILL SHARE.
UM, ASSUMING THAT YOU WILL HAVE MANY REPORTS AND THE ENGAGEMENT OUTREACH WILL BE ONE OF MANY.
SO YOU CAN MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND APRIL AND JUNE WILL DO WHAT I CALL CLOSING THE LOOPS.
AND WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT WE WILL PUBLISH ALL THE INFORMATION, WE WILL GIVE APPRECIATION TO THE PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATED THROUGH ALL THE TOOLS THAT WE MENTIONED, AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL BE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE GOT DONE.
IF WE HAVE SOME GAPS THAT WE NEED TO CLOSE, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE CLOSE THOSE GAPS.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO NEXT STEP.
AS ALWAYS, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING A MONTH AHEAD AND FOR ALL OF YOU PRESENT, WE CONTINUE TO HEAR WHAT GROUPS YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T MISS.
WE WANNA CONTINUE HEARING WHAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE HAVING EVENTS.
UM, I HEARD SUPERMARKETS AND SO ANYWAY, FIESTA ON MY LIST OF PLACES TO BE.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS OF LOCATION, WE WELCOME THOSE AS WELL.
I'M JUST GONNA ASK IF YOU DON'T MIND PASSING THROUGH OUR STAFF LIAISON SO WE CAN KEEP THINGS ORGANIZED AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROACTIVE IN WHAT WE HEARD.
AND ON OUR END, LIKE I TOLD YOU BEFORE, WE'LL DO PREPARATION OF THE ENGAGEMENT TOOLS, THE RESEARCH TOOL, AND ALL THE STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION TOOLS.
SO IT'S A VERY BUSY MONTH FOR US, BUT I WILL CONSIDER VERY CREATIVE MONTH 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AROUND ALL THE THINGS AND GET THEM READY.
AND THAT'S OUR QUICK PRESENTATION.
WE'RE READY FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK QUESTIONS OF STAFF.
WELL, UH, THE ONLY THING I WAS GONNA ADD IS IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, I THOUGHT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT I'D LIKE THE WHOLE GROUP TO KNOW IS THAT FOR SOME OF US WHO'VE DONE BEEN A PART OF LIKE BOARD STUFF AND OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ONE OF OUR CONCERNS WAS BECAUSE THIS IS CITYWIDE USING THE CITYWIDE CHANNELS, I GAVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW I'VE BEEN A PART OF LIKE A PART BOARD THING AND I FEEL LIKE THEY DIDN'T USE ALL THE CHANNELS TO HELP US WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO WE TALKED IN DETAIL ABOUT, UM, BEING ABLE TO USE AS MANY CHANNELS AS THE CITY HAS.
AND SO I THINK AS THIS BOARD, I THINK ONE OF
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OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IS TO KIND OF HOLD THE CITY TO THAT RIGHT? TO MAKE SURE LIKE THE CHANNELS THAT YOU ALREADY ARE PLUGGED INTO THAT COME FROM THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THE MESSAGE FOR THIS GETS OUT.'CAUSE I MEAN, I THINK, NOT SAYING THAT YOU ALL GONNA DO YOUR JOB, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE ENCOURAGING PARTS OF OUR MEETING WAS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE USING ALL OF THE TOOLS AVAILABLE, UM, ACROSS THE CITY THAT THE CITY HAS, UM, WITH THE 30,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE CONNECTED FROM SOME, WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE ON, THEY'RE ON A, JUST A LISTSERV, A NEWSLETTER LIST AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER THOUGHTS FROM THE MEETING THAT WE HAD THAT WOULD BE USEFUL IN THE DISCUSSION FOR THE WHOLE GROUP.
UM, KABA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD.
I STILL THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE GOING THIS GROUP AS, UH, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THE COMMUNITY EARLIER THAN, THAN WHAT IS SCHEDULED IN TERMS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS.
BUT I GUESS THAT'S, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY DO, WE COULD DECIDE TO, YOU KNOW, TO HOST MEETINGS OURSELVES.
SO WE CAN DISCUSS THAT AT SOME POINT.
I DO ON SLIDE FOUR, SO YOU DIDN'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU TALKED THROUGH THAT, BUT SLIDE FOUR YOU SAID THAT YOU ALL WOULD BE OPEN TO PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR US TO HOST MEETINGS.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT SHE'S, CAN YOU SPEAK MORE TO THAT? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT ABSOLUTELY.
BUT FIRST I THINK MY DIRECTOR SHOULD TALK ABOUT THE JOINT COMMUNICATION.
SO JUST AS A REMINDER, UM, AT THE LAST MEETING WE TALKED ABOUT A JOINT COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, WHICH IS AN ASSEMBLY OF, UM, COMMUNICATIONS STAFF FROM ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION, UM, ALL REPRESENTING THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE BOND.
UM, THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND THROUGH THAT TEAM MEETING AND, AND ALL THE DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE WITH THOSE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE ABLE TO TAP INTO ALL THE DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE, UM, TO SHARE THROUGH THEIR NEWSLETTERS, TO SHARE THROUGH THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA SITES AND ON AND ONWARD.
SO, UM, SO JUST KNOW THAT THAT IS A KEY COMPONENT TO WHAT WE EXPECT TO DO, UM, IN TERMS OF PROMOTION FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT WE PLAN TO DO.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU GUYS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, AND YOU'VE ALREADY UTILIZED IT DURING PUBLIC PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, UM, WHERE WHAT WE COULD DO IS INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF, UM, COMMUNICATION TO SAY, HEY, IF YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK NOW ABOUT BOND INITIATIVES, PLEASE ATTEND AN EXISTING MEETING WITH THE BOND, UM, THE BOND ELECTION TASK FORCE.
SO WE CAN START DOING THAT NOW SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DESIGN A SEPARATE MEETING.
THIS IS A GREAT SPACE WHERE THEY CAN COME RIGHT NOW AND SHARE THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY'RE ALREADY PROVIDING FOR ALL OF YOU.
UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, YES, MARION HAD ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
YEAH, SO WE, WE REALLY TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SUPPORT YOU SO YOU CAN HAVE THE MEETINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF VALUE AND EVERYBODY HERE HAS AN AMAZING NETWORK THROUGH YOUR VOLUNTEER WORK AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY.
SO WE CAME UP WITH THREE IDEAS.
SO THE FIRST IDEA IS NOT ONLY PROMOTING YOUR TASK FORCE ON OUR REGULAR CHANNEL, WHICH IS AUSTIN, UH, TEXAS GO B BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED, BUT ALSO HAVE THE SCHEDULE ON OUR SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE.
THE SECOND TOOL THAT WE THOUGHT WE CAN HELP YOU, IF YOU THINK IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU LIKE, IS TO PROMOTE YOUR WORKING GROUP MEETINGS AS WELL.
THE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS IS ACTUALLY OPEN TO COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
THEY'RE INFORMAL AND YOU CAN HAVE IT JUST ABOUT ANYTIME, ANYWHERE.
I REMEMBER HAVING SOME OF THOSE ON COFFEE SHOPS AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER AVENUE THAT WE CAN PROMOTE AND YOU, WE CAN ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION.
AND LASTLY, WHAT WE THOUGHT WE CAN DO IS TO ACTUALLY CREATE A TOOL WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY GUIDE THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU HEAR, SEND IT BACK TO US IN A WAY THAT WE CAN USE IT AS CLASSIFICATION OF WHAT YOU HEARD AND BE PART OF THE OVERALL, UH, TOOL.
SO I WILL BE HERE ON ALL THE TASK FORCE MEETINGS AND I WILL BE KEEPING TRACK OF WHAT I HEAR FROM COMMUNITY, BUT FOR THE WORKING GROUPS, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN KEEP TRACK AND SEND ME THAT INFORMATION OR ACTUALLY ADDRESS STAFF AND SHE'LL SEND IT TO ME.
AND THAT WAY WE CAN, UH, CERTAINLY HAVE WHAT YOU HEARD ON THOSE MEETINGS, PART OF THE OVERALL, UH, REPORTING MECHANISM.
I THINK I SAW A QUESTION FROM TINA J'S BEEN PATIENT OVER THERE.
UM, MARION TO YOUR SECOND, UH, IDEA ABOUT PROMOTING THE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS.
IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE ON COMMISSIONS THAT WORKING GROUPS, A LARGE PART OF THEIR VALUES IS DERIVED FROM THEIR INFORMALITY.
THE FACT THAT WE CAN SCHEDULE 'EM ANYTIME, MEET ON THE FLY ANY PLACE, HAVE VERY CANDID, OPEN CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT ISSUES THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN IF THERE WAS PUBLIC SCRUTINY SITTING THERE.
UM, SO PERHAPS IF WE GO THAT ROUTE, THOSE UM, OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE MADE OPT IN TO.
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ABSOLUTELY.SO, UH, I, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE GONNA DO A GREAT JOB OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT WILL THE FORMAT OF THE CONTENT LOOK LIKE? WILL THE COMMUNITY BE GIVEN KIND OF HERE'S THE, THE INITIAL STAFF LIST, HERE'S THE CRITERIA, OR IS IT A BLANK SLATE? LIKE HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH KIND OF EDUCATION WILL, WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY DURING THOSE TOWN HALLS AND, AND DIFFERENT COMMUNITY GROUPS? SO DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE'RE GONNA PREPARE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION.
SO IN MY MIND, I STILL DON'T HAVE THE A HUNDRED PERCENT CLARITY OF WHAT IS THAT WE'RE ASKING COMMUNITY.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT AT ONE POINT, ONLY ONE WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE BUCKETS LOOK LIKE MM-HMM
AND THAT WILL BE, I CALL IT BUCKETS ONLY BECAUSE IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR ME TO VISUALIZE IT, BUT I KNOW SOME OF YOU'RE CALLING HEADLINES AND THEIR DIFFERENT INPUT BASICALLY IS THE HEADLINE UNDERNEATH WHERE YOU HAVE THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
AND THEN AT ONE POINT, ANOTHER ONE, WE NEED TO ALSO LISTEN ABOUT WHAT COMMUNITY FEEL WILL BE AN AMOUNT THAT SEEMS TO BE APPROPRIATE.
AND AT ONE POINT ANOTHER ONE WE WILL NEED TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS COMMUNITY WILL FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT.
SO IT'S STILL NOT FIRM ON MY END, BUT THAT'S, SO FAR WHAT I HAVE HEARD ARE THE KEY, UM, QUESTIONS THAT WE WILL ASK AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE FLYERS, WE GOT THE NEWSLETTERS, WE HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA.
ON ALL SORTS OF OTHER DOCUMENTATION.
LIKE WILL THEY BE AT ANY POINT, LIKE BEING ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN MAYBE, MAYBE RANKING THOSE AND THEN POSSIBLY ADDING ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM OUTSIDE OF STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS? YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THAT ALREADY FIGURED OUT, TO BE HONEST.
IT'S STILL VERY FUSS IN MY MIND, BUT I KNOW THAT I HAVE A DEADLINE BY THE 15TH TO COME WITH SOMETHING MORE CONCRETE.
AND I JUST LET RESPOND TO THAT.
I THINK SOME OF THE DESIRE TO TALK ABOUT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COLLECT INPUT IN MARCH, APRIL IS SO THAT THAT'S BEFORE THE LIST WOULD BE OUT.
AND SO SOME OF, I THINK THERE IS SOME DESIRE TO HAVE A BLANK SLATE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO JUST GIVE THEIR INPUT WITHOUT SEEING THE LIST.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE, I I DO WANNA TALK MORE ABOUT THAT OPTION IF WE ARE ABLE TO, AS MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE WANT TO DO THAT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, WHILE WE HAVE THIS TIME BEFORE THE LIST IS OUT, IF WE WANT TO COLLECT INPUT AND FEEDBACK, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO.
I MEAN THAT YOU ALL WOULD HELP US PROVIDE A TOOL THAT WOULD THEN BE ABLE TO COLLECT THAT FEEDBACK IF WE WANNA PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK IT'S A YES AND RIGHT, RIGHT? YES, YES.
BRING THINK OF WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WANNA THINK OF AND HERE'S A STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AT SOME POINT.
AND DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT QUESTION? NO, I LIKE THAT SHE MENTIONED HER TIMELINE TO GET IT DONE
BUT YES, OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO GIVE THIS AMAZING WOMAN THE TIME TO ACTUALLY BUILD EVERYTHING OUT.
SHE HAS A BEAUTIFUL PROCESS THAT LET HER DO HER MAGIC.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO PULL TOGETHER A VERY COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE RESIDENTS.
BECAUSE OUR BIGGEST GOAL IS WHEN THEY COME, WHEN THEY'RE TAKING TIME, THIS IS HOW WE SEE THINGS.
IF YOU'RE TAKING THE TIME TO COME AND SPEND TIME WITH US TO LEARN AND PROVIDE US WITH FEEDBACK, WE WANNA BE CLEAR ON WHAT THE, WHAT THOSE GUIDE RAILS ARE, WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE, AND HOW THAT INFORMATION WILL BE USED.
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE COMING TO A MEETING AND WASTING YOUR TIME.
SO THAT IS WHY THE ENERGY OF GOING THROUGH AND FIGURING OUT WHAT DO THE QUESTIONS LOOK LIKE, HOW DO WE STRUCTURE THEM, HOW DO WE ENGAGE AND HOW WE, HOW DO WE DESIGN THE MEETINGS? IT IT TAKES A WHILE TO DO THAT GIVEN THE THE VARIETY OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REACH.
SO JUST, WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AS WE GO THROUGH THAT.
'CAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT PROCESS FOR US.
IF YOU LIKE, ONE THING TO THINK ABOUT IS THAT ALL THIS OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORT IS TO HELP YOU ALL MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.
AND SO I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA GET MANY OTHER DOCUMENTS.
OURS IS ONE OF THOSE DOCUMENTS THAT YOU WILL REVIEW.
SO, UM, I WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH, UH, THE WORKING GROUP AS WE DRAFT THOSE QUESTIONS BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE TO SUBMIT SOMETHING THAT IS USEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU.
UM, WELL I, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK WHAT Y'ALL HAVE LAID OUT IS FINE, BUT AGAIN, UM, IN TERMS OF US GETTING EARLY INPUT, UM, RESPECTFULLY, I GOTTA PUSH BACK A LITTLE ON THE IDEA THAT THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY HERE BECAUSE IT IS, YOU KNOW, MIDDLE OF THE DAY ON A WEEKDAY.
LIKE, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO THIS COMMISSION WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO ATTEND.
SO I THINK, UM, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
WELCOME TO ANYBODY WHO CAN MAKE IT HERE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING, UM, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF EVENING EVENTS AND OR A VIRTUAL EVENT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THIS GROUP COULD PULL OFF, YOU KNOW, UM, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SUPER ELABORATE, FIND OF LOCATION, GET
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SOMETHING BOOKED, UM, ASK PEOPLE WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN AND, YOU KNOW, RECORD THE INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT AS WE DO GO INTO OUR WORKING GROUPS.I BOTH WOULD WELCOME THE INPUT ON THE WORKING GROUPS, BUT DO AGREE THAT HAVING THE FLEXIBILITY TO MEET WHENEVER WE CAN GET IT TOGETHER, UM, MIGHT BE IMPORTANT.
UM, ONE PROBLEM IS THAT WE HAVE, UM, PROBABLY MOST OF US HERE ARE HOMEOWNERS.
IS THAT THE CASE? ARE THERE ANY RENTERS? I DON'T WANT TO EMBARRASS ANYBODY, BUT THE POINT IS, I, I REMEMBER BEING ON ONE BOARD WHERE THEY HAD TO, WE, THE MEMBERS WERE ALL HOMEOWNERS AND WE HAD TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPOINT A A, A RENTER, BUT RENTER HOMEOWNERS ARE GONNA GET NEWSLETTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S MUCH HARDER TO REACH RENTERS.
SO HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? AND THAT'S ABOUT HALF OF OUR POPULATION.
UM, SO THE CITY, BUT NOT HALF OF OUR GROUP HERE.
SO THE CITY DOES EXTENSIVE OUTREACH THROUGH A VARIETY OF NEEDS AND OUR AUDIENCE IS EVERYBODY, RIGHT? SO JUST HAVING WORKED IN AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS, UM, WHILE OUR PRIMARY AUDIENCE CERTAINLY WAS, UM, HOMEOWNERS BECAUSE OF CURBSIDE COLLECTION SERVICE, I'M ALSO VERY FAMILIAR WITH OTHER MECHANISMS TO REACH, UM, APARTMENT ASSOCIATION, UM, TENANTS, UM, RENTERS ACROSS THE CITY.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS IN VARIOUS APPLICATIONS TOO.
SO LET'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST TWITTER, THERE'S BLUE SKY, THERE'S UH, FACEBOOK, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT AVENUES TO REACH ALL THESE DIFFERENT AUDIENCES.
UM, AND WE DON'T LOOK AT PEOPLE BASED SOLELY ON RENTER OR HOMEOWNER.
WE ARE LOOKING AT AN AUDIENCE THAT IS DIVERSE ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL PUSH ANYTHING, INCLUDING, AGAIN, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PUTTING FLYERS OUT AT CITY FACILITIES, UM, AND REALLY JUST REACHING ANYBODY WHO IS, CAN BE AN AMBASSADOR.
THIS IS THE OTHER THING IS IF YOU ARE A RENTER, IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS OTHER GROUPS OF LARGE RENTERS AS AN AMBASSADOR, WE LOOK TO YOU TO HELP US SHARE THAT MESSAGE.
SO THE MORE THAT YOU CAN GET PEOPLE TO THESE EVENTS THAT CAN SHARE THE PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU HAVE OR THAT YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY AND WHAT THIS COMMUNITY WANTS, WE IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE SHARE THAT INFORMATION AS WE PUSH IT OUT.
UM, WHAT WE CAN COMMIT TO IS THAT WHEN WE START THIS EFFORT, YOU'LL GET A SOCIAL MEDIA KIT.
AND WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS YOU'LL GET HYPERLINKS, VISUALS, UM, ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN SEND OUT VIRTUALLY OR PRINT OUT, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.
AND I ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE SAME THING ABOUT RENTERS, THAT THERE IS A GENERATIONAL ISSUE.
IT'S REACHING YOUNG PEOPLE MM-HMM
AND THAT'S WHAT I PLAN TO DO, IS TALK TO YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT HAVE THEY HEARD ABOUT THIS? AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE TO DO THAT ALSO.
AND I DON'T JUST MEAN YOUNGER THAN ME, MUCH YOUNGER THAN ME.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT,
UM, I JUST HAD A QUESTION OR A REQUEST.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GONNA BE COVERED IN THIS SORT OF FIRST RANGE OF MEETINGS.
I WASN'T IN THE WORK SESSION, BUT, UM, AS YOU GET FEEDBACK ON THE RELATIVE BUCKETS OR CATEGORIES OF PROJECTS THAT PEOPLE PRIORITIZE, I'D BE INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE COMMUNITIES, UM, GIVING THE COMMUNITY SOME KIND OF EXERCISE WHERE THEY CAN WEIGH IN ON THE CRITERIA OR THE RUBRIC THAT WE'RE GONNA UTILIZE TO PRIORITIZE PROJECTS.
MAYBE IT'S IMPACT ON THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS HEALTH AND SAFETY FIRST, OR, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT HAS A MATCHING GRANT OR MATCHING COMPONENT.
IF THE COMMUNITY COULD RESPOND TO THOSE POTENTIAL CRITERIA POINTS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US AS A COMMISSION GOING IN TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE COMMUNITY WEIGHS IN ON WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE ADDRESSING THESE PRIORITY AREAS BASED UPON A CRITERIA THAT IS SOMEWHAT CONSISTENT OR ALIGNED WITH THE COMMUNITY WISHES.
BECAUSE IT MA MAKES NO DIFFERENCE FOR US TO SORT OF PRIORITIZE HEALTH AND SAFETY IF THE LARGER COMMUNITY IS FEELING LIKE WE WANT THE NUMBER OF IMPACT TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S MORE CLOSELY CONSIDERED.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY COMMENT.
UM, I HAVE AN ASKED BOTH OF THE WORK GROUP AND OF THE DEPARTMENT, CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF PLAIN LANGUAGE MAPPING.
SO WE SAY THINGS HERE LIKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE STORM WATER WORK GROUP, AND WHEN I'M TALKING TO PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY, THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? WHAT, HOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR ME? MY LIFE, MY FAMILY, MY DAY? MM-HMM
UM, SO CAN WE JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE TRANSLATE THIS INTO PEOPLE SPEAK? ABSOLUTELY, YES.
UM, A RULE OF THUMB THAT WE REALLY TRY TO WORK WITH IS JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
SO I, I OPERATE AND WORK WITH MY STAFF FREQUENTLY AND MEMBERS OF THIS ORGANIZATION TO SAY, HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN IT TO SOMEONE WHO YOU LOVE? IMAGINE YOUR MOTHER, IMAGINE YOUR FATHER.
AND YOU'RE TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DO OR WHAT THE PROJECT IS IN
[00:30:01]
LANGUAGE THAT YOU WANT THEM TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, STEP BACK AND THINK WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE TRY TO APPROACH THAT.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE OTHER RULES OF THUMBS THAT WE APPLY IS ABOUT AN EIGHTH GRADE READING LEVEL.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR GOAL OFTENTIMES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND ANNA, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES.
WELL, MORE LIKE A COMMENT, IF ANYTHING.
UM, I WANTED TO, ONE WAY TO DO AN OUTREACH AND THAT WOULD CAPTURE MOST EVERYBODY IS GOING THROUGH THE UTILITY MM-HMM
UM, DEALS, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZING OF THIS GROUP, HOW IT WAS CREATED, THE PURPOSE, AND ALSO USE THAT TO TALK ABOUT EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THE GOALS ARE OF THIS GROUP.
BUT I KNOW THAT USING THE UTILITY BILLS, THAT COULD BE ONE WAY TO EDUCATE AND INFORM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS, THIS ENDEAVOR.
UM, I WILL SHARE WITH YOU, UTILITY BILLS ARE PLANNED PROBABLY ABOUT THREE TO FOUR.
THE, THE INSERTS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THREE TO FOUR MONTHS IN ADVANCE.
SO THAT IS A CHALLENGE FOR US AT TIMES, BUT WE WE WILL BE LOOKING INTO THAT.
UM, I, I DO THINK WE, I DON'T, FOR EVA'S POINT ABOUT US HOSTING A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETING, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING IN OUR NEXT SUBCOMMITTEE WE CAN MEET AND DISCUSS ABOUT.
BUT ULTIMATELY WE NEED TO DECIDE IF WE WANT TO DO IT RIGHT BECAUSE I MEAN, WE WOULD BE REPRESENTING THE WHOLE BOARD.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT ON THERE.
WE CAN'T JUST KIND OF LIKE, I WOULD LIKE US TO, LIKE, IF WE WANT TO DO IT, WE KIND OF NEED TO DECIDE AND HAVE A PROPOSAL TO THE GROUP MAYBE FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT'S THE QUESTION.
IF WE ARE CONSIDERING WANTING TO DO IT SO THAT THEY CAN PROPERLY GIVE US THE TOOL, LIKE IF WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT, THEN YOU ALL KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND EVERYTHING'S FINE.
BUT I DON'T WANT US TO KIND OF LIKE, SAY THINGS AND NOT REALLY LIKE DEAL WITH IT.
SO IF WE, IF THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THIS COMMITTEE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DOING A SELF PRO OF SELF THING, BUT THEN WE NEED TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING BECAUSE I THINK WE AS THE BOARD HAVE TO AGREE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S RIGHT.
LIKE WE CAN'T, A COUPLE OF US CAN'T GO ROGUE OFF AND HAVE A MEETING BY OURSELVES,
IS THAT CORRECT? AM I, I MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE YES, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE WILLING AS THE SUBGROUP TO WORK THROUGH THE, MAYBE THE PROGRAM OF THAT, THOSE MEETINGS AND TIMES AND STUFF AND BRING IT BACK TO THE LARGER GROUP.
ALTHOUGH I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO, TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
SO THAT WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS ON IT BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING.
CAN I MAKE ONE COMMENT ON THAT? UM, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO VOICE A VERY STRONG RESERVATION ABOUT THE BLANK SLATE SORT OF FORM OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I THINK THE ABILITY TO CLOSE THE LOOP EFFECTIVELY ON COMMUNICATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND THAT WE NEVER GIVE PEOPLE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE ARE GOING TO BUILD A LIBRARY BECAUSE THEY ASKED FOR IT.
THERE IS
AND I'M PERSONALLY VERY HESITANT TO, IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY WHATSOEVER, GIVE PEOPLE THE IMPRESSION THAT IF THEY JUST SAY,
LIKE I, THAT, THAT ISN'T GOING TO BE THE REASON THAT WE DO SOMETHING.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT WHAT OUR PURPOSE WOULD BE GOING TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THAT SORT OF BLANK SLATE.
UM, AND BEING REALLY CAREFUL THAT WE AREN'T CONVEYING SOMETHING THAT ISN'T TRUE AND THAT WE AREN'T GONNA GET OURSELVES INTO ANOTHER STICKY SITUATION OF OVERPROMISING AND UNDER-DELIVERING WITH A BOND.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
CITY STAFF IS GOING TO SO MUCH EFFORT TO DO THAT.
AND I WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL THAT WE AS A, A TASK FORCE AREN'T UNDERMINING THOSE EFFORTS.
I GUESS I, I FALL A LITTLE IN THE MIDDLE OF LIKE WANTING TO HEAR, UM, HEAR ALL THE IDEAS FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO I DON'T THINK IT NECESSARILY HAS TO BE A TOTALLY BLANK SLATE.
LIKE THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF WORK DONE THAT IS OUR, AND SOME OF IT WAS SHARED WITH US FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN EFFORT LAST YEAR.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE INFORMATION WE SHOULD SHARE OUT, UM, TO GET FEEDBACK ON.
BUT YOU KNOW, OF COURSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE OTHER IDEAS TOO.
UM, I DID JUST WANNA RESPOND TO THE LIKE QUESTION ABOUT LIKE,
[00:35:02]
CAN ANYBODY JUST GO OUT AND GATHER INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY? I MEAN, I THINK THE ANSWER IS YES.THAT SAID, I THINK IT'S MORE, I, I THINK WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING AS A GROUP.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IF ANY OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS WANNA GATHER INFORMATION, I, I DO HOPE THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THAT.
BUT IT WOULD BE NICE FOR US TO PROMOTE SOMETHING OFFICIAL.
SO ONE TOOL THAT WE ARE DESIGNING IS CALLED MEETING IN A BOX.
AND THE MEETING IN A BOX BASICALLY CONTAIN ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ALL THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO CONDUCT A FRAME TYPE OF CONVERSATION.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE AVAILABLE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING ALL OF YOU.
AND SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MEETING WITH 10 PEOPLE, IF IT HAPPENED TO BE A MUCH BIGGER MEETING, WE PROBABLY NEED TO SUPPORT YOU TO FACILITATE.
BECAUSE ONCE THESE THREE TABLES, THEN IT BECOMES A BIT MORE COMPLICATED.
BUT IF YOU'RE HAVING COFFEE WITH 10 PEOPLE FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU WILL HAVE A SETUP THAT YOU JUST NEED TO FOLLOW AND YOU WILL BE BASICALLY HOSTING THE MEETING AND THOSE MEETING IN A BOX WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ANYBODY.
WE DO KEEP VERY CLOSE TABS OF WHO HAVE ONE OUT BECAUSE THEN WE START CALLING, HAVE YOU DONE IT? HAVE YOU DONE IT? HAVE YOU DONE IT? AND SO ONCE WE GET THOSE BACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, WE USE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE.
AND THEY'LL BE ALSO AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY IN CASE YOU WANNA DOWNLOAD IT.
BUT WE'LL HAVE THE PRINT AS WELL.
QUESTION AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AS WELL.
YEAH, WE WILL HAVE IT ON SEVERAL LANGUAGES.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE SEVEN LANGUAGES THAT OUR TIER ONE AND SPANISH OBVIOUSLY IS ONE OF THOSE LANGUAGES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST WANT TO WRAP UP MY, MY POINT.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MEETING IN THE BOX AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
I ONLY BROUGHT THIS UP 'CAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO WRAP IT UP AND MOVE ON.
SO I THINK LIKE, WE'LL MEET AS A SUBCOMMITTEE.
I JUST DIDN'T WANT IT TO LINGER IN THE AIR AND US NOT ADDRESS IT.
AND THEN SOMEONE COME BACK AROUND, YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT YOU DIDN'T HANDLE IT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR.
THAT'S WHY I WANT US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WRAP IT UP.
AND NICOLE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE, UH, NOLITA ON THE, AND FRANCIS.
[3. Staff presentation, discussion and possible action on BEATF recommendation to Council to proceed with a November 2025 Bond election based on General Obligation bond eligible projects from the Environmental Investment Plan presented by the Office of Sustainability in the May 21, 2024, Memo to Mayor and Council.]
ON TO ITEM THREE, THE STAFF PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON BTF RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO PROCEED WITH THE NOVEMBER 20, 25 BOND ELECTION BASED ON GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND ELIGIBLE PROJECTS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN PRESENTED BY THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE MAY 21ST 20 2004 MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL.AND I JUST, I WANTED TO KIND OF JUST SET THE TABLE FOR A MOMENT.
UM, SO WE'VE HAD, I'LL BEIT VERY BRIEF KIND OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A 2025 BOND.
WE'VE NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AS A WHOLE GROUP TO REALLY TALK ABOUT WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA DO.
UM, I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER GOODE'S MEMO, WHICH, UM, YOU KNOW, OUTLINED THE, THEIR POSITION ON A 2025 BOND AND THE, THE NOTES THAT STAFF WOULD NOT RECOMMEND, YOU KNOW, A COMPREHENSIVE 2025 BOND, BUT WOULD CONSIDER AND WORK WITH THIS GROUP TO DEVELOP A LIST OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS, UM, FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN, WHICH I, I, I APOLOGIZE, I WASN'T INVOLVED IN THAT, BUT I ASSUME THAT THERE WAS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, FULLY VETTED THE, THE KINDS OF TASKS AND THINGS THAT THE CITY REALLY WANTS TO DO FOR 2026 WAS DONE IN CONNECTION WITH THOSE.
UM, AND JUST ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHATEVER WE DO WITH 2025 IN TERMS OF THE BUCKET OF MONEY WILL IMPACT OUR ABILITY WITH THE 2026 COMPREHENSIVE BOND.
AND I, I THOUGHT WE MIGHT START, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE STAFF PRESENTATION AND THEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ASK QUESTIONS OF STAFF.
AND THEN HOPEFULLY AFTER THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, DELIBERATE MOTIONS AND HOW WE WANNA PROCEED ON THIS ACTION ITEM.
UH, I'M ZACH BAUER, THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION RESILIENCE.
AND IT'S A NEW NAME, SAME WORK, SAME FOCUS, UM, JUST A NEW SORT OF CLEAR, SIMPLER NAME THERE.
UM, OKAY, SO AT THE LAST MEETING IT WAS, IT WAS CLEAR AND, AND YOU SET THIS UP WELL, THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN, AND IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE THE TASK FORCE WAS FULLY, UM, UP TO SPEED ON WHAT ALL THAT MEANT.
SO, UH, TODAY I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE WALKTHROUGH, UH, 2024 A A LOT OF WORK THAT WAS DONE ON THIS ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN PROJECT.
UM, WHAT WAS COMMUNICATED TO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, THEN TALK ABOUT, UH, A SECOND RESOLUTION
[00:40:01]
THAT CAME ALONG IN JULY OF 2024, UH, CALLED THE COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.UH, AND THEN I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE'VE BEEN GOING WITH THAT WORK OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST, UH, SIX MONTHS.
AND THEN, UM, SORT OF END WITH NEXT STEPS, AND THEN YOU CAN GO FROM THERE.
SO FIRST OFF, UH, THIS WAS ALMOST EXACTLY A YEAR AGO.
UH, FEBRUARY 15TH, UH, 2024, UH, CITY COUNCIL PASSED.
CITY COUNCIL PASSED THIS RESOLUTION.
UH, THIS IS THE SORT OF JUST HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF THE RESOLUTION.
IT WAS MULTIPLE PAGES WITH PARAGRAPHS AND EVERYTHING WRITTEN OUT, BUT THIS IS THE REALLY THE BREAKDOWN OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN THAT RESOLUTION.
SO, COUNCIL WAS REAFFIRMING A COMMITMENT TO NET ZERO BY 2040 AND FOR STAFF TO ACT WITH URGENCY TO ADDRESS THAT.
COUNCIL ASKED STAFF TO ANALYZE INVESTMENTS NEEDED TO, TO FULFILL 13 PLUS CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED PLANS, UH, IN SUIT, INCLUDING THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, AND IDENTIFY PROJECTS THAT COULD BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO BE, TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FUTURE.
UM, UH, AND THEN THERE WERE, THERE WERE SORT OF, IT WAS ALMOST A, A MATRIX OF FOUR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND THEN FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS PROJECTS COULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
SO WE WERE ESSENTIALLY TASKED AT LOOKING AT PROJECTS AND IDENTIFYING PROJECTS ACROSS ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT COULD REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS.
SECOND CATEGORY WAS DECREASED WATER USAGE AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND DETENTION.
THIRD CATEGORY WAS ADVANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CITY OPERATIONS.
AND THE FOURTH CATEGORY WAS IMPROVE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S A VERY WIDE NET OF LOTS OF POTENTIAL.
YOU KNOW, 13 PLANS, THOSE FOUR AREAS, A VERY WIDE NET OF, UM, ANALYSIS OF WHAT PROJECTS COULD BE BROUGHT FORWARD.
UM, THEN WE'RE REJECTED TO, TO DO ALL OF THIS ANALYSIS ESSENTIALLY BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND MAY.
UM, AND THEN BASED ON THE PROJECTS WE BROUGHT FORWARD, TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, HOW POTENTIALLY THOSE PROJECTS WOULD BE FUNDED, RIGHT? SO, UM, SCOPE OUT THE PROJECT AT SOME LEVEL, IDENTIFY WHAT THE COST WOULD BE, AND THEN IDENTIFY WOULD IT BE PAID FOR BY UTILITY RATES AND FEES, GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES, GRANTS, OR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT PARENTHESES, UM, AT THE TIME IT WAS WRITTEN INTO THE RESOLUTION THAT THINGS SHOULD BE CON, SHOULD BE, THINGS IN HERE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IF, UM, CITY COUNCIL WANTED TO BRING FORWARD A BOND PROPOSITION IN 2024.
UM, SO THIS WAS A VERY WIDE NET OF ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE IN A VERY SHORT TIME PERIOD.
UM, AND THE FOCUS WASN'T JUST ON BONDS.
UM, IT WAS, IT WAS MANY DIFFERENT AREAS.
OKAY? SO BETWEEN THEN FEBRUARY, UH, AND MAY, UH, STAFF WENT ON THIS, THIS SORT OF, THIS IS THE, THE SUMMARY OF THE, THE PROJECT THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY DONE.
UH, SO WE WORKED WITH DEPARTMENTS, WE CONVENED TEAMS, WE SOURCED IDEAS FOR PROJECTS.
WE, UH, DID MULTIPLE, UH, LIKE WORKSHOPS AND, AND BROKE DOWN THOSE LISTS OF PROJECTS.
UM, IN PARALLEL THE, UH, THE WORK, THE, THERE'S A CITY COMMISSION CALLED THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UM, WHICH, UH, BU WHITE'S A PART OF, UM, THAT OVERSEES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
THEY WERE MEETING AND DISCUSSING AND HAD, UH, SOME PUBLIC INPUT SESSIONS, UH, AND HAD WORKING GROUPS ESSENTIALLY, UM, IDENTIFYING PROJECTS THAT THEY THOUGHT, UM, COULD BE BROUGHT, BROUGHT FORWARD AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE.
UM, THEN BOTH OF THOSE LIST OF PROJECTS SORT OF CAME TOGETHER IN MAY, UH, AND THEN A MEMO WAS DISTRIBUTED TO CITY COUNCIL ON MAY 20TH, 2024.
AND THEN THE, THE SUMMARY OF THIS WORK WAS PRESENTED AT A CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION ON MAY 28TH, 2024.
SO THAT WAS THE SORT OF TIMELINE.
UM, LOTS OF WORK WAS DONE IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO THE NEXT FOUR SLIDES ARE THE SAME SLIDES THAT WERE PRESENTED AT THAT CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION PRESENTATION, JUST WITH A SLIGHT TWEAK.
UM, AS YOU'LL SEE ON THESE PRESENTATIONS, I HIGHLIGHTED SOME ITEMS, UM, ON THESE SLIDES I HIGHLIGHTED ITEMS IN BLUE, AND THOSE WERE ITEMS THAT WERE, UM, TAGGED AS POTENTIALLY COULD BE FUNDED, UM, BY BONDS, JUST BECAUSE THIS IS THE BOND TASK FORCE, THAT'S WHAT YOU'D BE MOST INTERESTED.
UM, THE OTHER THING TO NOTE ON THESE SLIDES IS THERE'S A GREEN DOT THAT SAYS JSC.
SO THOSE WERE PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WAS OVERLAP BETWEEN THE COMMISSION AND THE PUBLIC INPUT, HAD IDENTIFIED PROJECTS AND STAFF AND IDENTIFIED PROJECTS.
AND WE KIND OF DONE THIS IN PARALLEL THE GREEN PROJECTS.
UH, THE PROJECTS WITH THE GREEN DOTS WERE PROJECTS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED, ESSENTIALLY SIMILARLY BETWEEN THOSE TWO GROUPS.
SO THOSE WERE THE ONES THAT KIND OF HAD LIKE THE MOST SUPPORT BEHIND THEM.
[00:45:01]
SO JUST VERY QUICKLY, I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH THESE FOUR SLIDES.I'M NOT GONNA EXPLAIN ALL THESE PROJECTS IN DETAIL.
UM, I WILL JUST HIGHLIGHT THE, BUT SORT OF BOND, UH, POTENTIALLY BOND FUNDED PROJECTS.
SO FOR CARBON EMISSION PROJECTS, UH, THE COMMON THREAD ON THESE PROJECTS ACROSS ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE PROJECTS THAT REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM THINGS LIKE USING ENERGY, TRANSPORTATION AND WASTE, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT GETS US TO CARBON EMISSION REDUCTIONS.
UH, THE TOTAL SUMMARIZED NEEDS, AND THERE WAS, UM, SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND THAT THERE WAS NO TIMEFRAME ON THESE NEEDS THERE, THERE WAS NO PROJECTS JUST TO BE DONE IN ONE YEAR OR TWO YEARS.
IT WAS PROJECTS OR DEPARTMENTS WERE BRINGING FORWARD THE WHOLE SUMMARY OF NEED OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON THEIR LIST THAT THEY COULD SEE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO TOTAL SUMMARY OF NEEDS OVER 7 BILLION IN POTENTIAL PROJECTS.
UM, 7.3 BILLION OF THAT WERE PROJECTS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE FUNDED, UM, BY BONDS.
THE TWO PROJECTS THAT I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, IN THAT CATEGORY WERE MAJOR CORRIDOR CAPITAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS, AND THEN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
SO THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT WERE BROUGHT FORTH BY TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO ADVANCE, UM, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS, ALL THE THINGS THAT HELP GET PEOPLE OUT OF CARS AND WALKING AND BIKING, UM, AND USING TRANSIT MORE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE REST OF THE PROJECTS LISTED HERE.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT, UM, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY COULD DO, THINGS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY COULD DO.
UM, WIDE WIDE ARRAY OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS THERE.
UH, THE NEXT CATEGORY IS WATER QUALITY, QUANTITY AND LAND.
SO THE COMMON THREAD HERE WAS PROJECTS THAT MAINLY LOOK AT LAND MANAGING LAND FOR PUBLIC BENEFITS, INCREASING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE, ET CETERA.
UH, THE TOTAL SUMMARIZED NEED HERE WAS 3.5 BILLION.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT WAS PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY BOND FUNDED.
AND THOSE TWO, UH, AREAS WERE LAND ACQUISITION OF, OF TO 20,000 ACRES, UM, OF LAND.
THAT'S A GOAL THAT WAS SET IN THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
AND THAT WOULD BE LAND THAT WOULD BE ACQUIRED, UM, AND MANAGED BY AUSTIN WATER, AUSTIN, UM, WATERSHED, PARKS, ET CETERA.
THINK BIG OPEN SPACE LAND THAT'S LIKE NOT DEVELOPED.
UH, THE SECOND THEN PROJECT HIGHLIGHTED THERE IS STORM WATER RESILIENCE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS, UM, THINK WATERSHED.
ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENTS TO PROTECT US AGAINST FLOODS, PROTECT US AGAINST, UH, NATURAL DISASTERS, WHICH ARE GONNA BE INCREASING WITH MORE CLIMATE CHANGE.
UM, THERE'S ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THERE AND WON'T GO THROUGH THEM.
UH, NEXT CATEGORY WAS COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.
UM, WHEN WE SAY RESILIENCE, WE MEAN, UM, UH, PREPARING AND ADAPTING AND THRIVING THROUGH SHOCKS AND STRESSORS, WHICH ARE BEING EXASPERATED INCREASED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO FLOOD DROUGHT, HEAT, EXTREME HEAT, WILDFIRE, WINTER, WINTER, COLD, THOSE THINGS.
UM, SO THE TOTAL SUMMARIZED NEED THERE WAS 243 MILLION.
UM, BONDS WERE LISTED AT AT A HUNDRED MILLION.
AND THE HIGH, THE PROJECT THAT I'LL HIGHLIGHT THERE IS THERE WAS A PROJECT THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD ACROSS MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS WITH THE IDEA THAT WE COULD ENHANCE CITY OWNED FACILITIES THAT ARE COMMUNITY FACING.
SO THINK RECREATION CENTERS, THINK FIRE STATIONS, THINK, THINK THINGS THAT, UM, HEALTH CENTERS, THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY ACCESSES AND INVESTING FURTHER IN THOSE FACILITIES TO MAKE THEM MORE RESILIENT.
SO GIVING THEM BACKUP POWER, MAKING SURE THEY'RE RESISTANT TO FIRE, FLOOD, ET CETERA.
UH, THE LAST CATEGORY, UH, WITH CITY OPERATIONS.
SO CITY OPERATIONS, REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING HERE AT HERE IS, UM, CITY OWNED FACILITIES THAT ARE ALREADY EXISTING LIKE THIS BUILDING, LIKE ONE TEXAS CENTER, LIKE A LIBRARY, LIKE A POOL, A PARK, THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY OUT THERE IN THE WORLD, UM, AND ARE OPERATING.
SO, UM, TOTAL SUMMARIZED NEEDS FOR THIS WAS 90 MILLION.
AND, UM, IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT BASICALLY ZERO OF THIS WOULD LIKELY BE FUNDED, UM, BY GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
THOSE PROJECTS WOULD BE FUNDED BY GENERAL FUND OR UTILITY FUNDS, BASICALLY NON GEO BOND, GEO BOND, UM, TYPES OF PROJECTS.
SO THAT IS THE SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS LISTED OUT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN.
UM, AND IF YOU WANNA SEE, THERE ARE, UH, DETAILED TABLES, UM, IN THE BACKUP OF, YOU KNOW, OF THE MEMO THAT WAS PROVIDED TO CITY COUNCIL THAT DETAILS ALL THE PROJECTS, POTENTIAL COSTS, UM, LOTS MORE INFORMATION THAN JUST THESE ONE-LINERS, UM, THAT THE GROUP CAN ACCESS.
SO THE RESPONSE FROM CITY COUNCIL, UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE DELIVERED TO THIS TO THEM WAS THAT IT WAS A GREAT JOB.
THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSED AND HAPPY WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF PROJECTS.
IT WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WAS DONE IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF PERIOD, SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, BUT THERE WAS DIRECTION AND A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND THE NEED TO FURTHER ANALYZE THESE PROJECTS, PRIORITIZE THESE PROJECTS, UM, AND
[00:50:01]
COME BACK WITH A TIGHTER LIST OF PROJECTS THAT THOUGHT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT BANK FOR THE BUCK, ABOUT WHICH PROJECT WOULD GET US MORE FOR OUR MONEY, WHICH PROJECTS WOULD REDUCE MORE EMISSIONS, WOULD, UM, MAKE US MORE RESILIENT.AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY WERE ALL JUST LISTED OUT AS ESSENTIALLY EQUAL.
UM, SO THERE WAS THE LIST FOR US.
THERE WAS THE ASK FOR US TO, UM, DIVE IN DEEPER AND TRY TO PRIORITIZE THIS LIST JUST BECAUSE THE, THE BILLIONS AND THE VERY LARGE SCOPE OF THIS.
UM, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IN THE SUMMER OF 2024, UH, A 2024 BOND WAS NOT RECOMMENDED OR PURSUED BY CITY COUNCIL, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
UM, AND THEN THERE WAS A RESOLUTION PASSED IN JULY OF 2024 DIRECTING THE NEXT STEPS.
SO CITY COUNCIL ESSENTIALLY TOOK ALL THIS IN, THEN PASSED A NEW ITEM FROM COUNCIL GIVING STAFF DIRECTION ON WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
OKAY, SO THIS IS THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS BROUGHT FORTH IN ON JULY 18TH.
UM, AND I THINK YOU'VE ALL HAVE, HAVE SEEN THIS RESOLUTION.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, PARTLY WHY THE BOND TASK FORCE IS HERE.
UH, THERE WERE TWO THINGS CALLED OUT.
UM, FIRST FOR STAFF TO PUT TOGETHER A COMPREHENSIVE BOND PACKAGE THAT FUNDS AND ADDRESSES CLIMATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ANY OTHER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE PURPOSES OF CONDUCTING AN ELECTION, NOT LATER THAN NOVEMBER, 2026.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND PART WAS A COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM OF WHICH ONE COMPONENT IS A CLIMATE BOND PROPOSITION CONTAINED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE BOND PACKAGE.
UM, SO THAT GAVE US, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE INFORMATION IN THIS RESOLUTION, BUT THAT ESSENTIALLY SET US ON THIS COURSE TO START THINKING ABOUT THAT WORD CLIMATE BOND, THOSE TWO WORDS.
UM, AND THEN START BUILDING OUT, UH, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THIS, UH, CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.
UM, SO, SO STAFF HAS, YOU KNOW, PUT A LOT OF TIME AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND THOSE WORDS AROUND CLIMATE BOND.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, RIGHT? UM, THAT'S NOT A WORD THAT YOU CAN LOOK UP IN THE DICTIONARY.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY CLEAR EXACTLY WHAT CLIMATE BOND WOULD MEAN.
UM, SO THESE TWO BULLETS ARE BASICALLY HOW WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS.
SO, UH, THE FIRST OPTION IS ONE WAY YOU COULD THINK ABOUT A CLIMATE BOND OR ABOUT THOSE TWO WORDS IS A CLIMATE BOND COULD BE PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED BY A BOND THAT MEET ALL THE CRITERIA FOR VOTER APPROVED BONDS, RIGHT? THEY MEET ALL, EVERYTHING FINANCE SAYS FOR THINGS THAT ARE GEO BOND FUNDED.
UM, AND THOSE ARE, THOSE WOULD BE PROJECTS THAT DIRECTLY ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE IN SOME WAY, UH, EITHER REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS OR ADAPTING, BECOMING MORE RESILIENT TO A CHANGING CLIMATE.
SO THAT'S ONE WAY THAT THIS CAN BE PUT FORWARD.
SO AN EXAMPLE THERE WOULD BE, UH, LAND PURCHASES TO PROTECT LAND THAT, UM, THAT PROTECTS WATER QUALITY, ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION, UH, AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION.
SO THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE WOULD OF COURSE NEED TO BE APPROVED BY LEGAL, APPROVED BY BOND COUNSEL, APPROVED ULTIMATELY BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
UM, BUT THAT'S ONE WAY YOU COULD LOOK AT THIS.
THE SECOND WAY YOU COULD LOOK AT THIS IS, UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WITH A BOND, THERE ARE GONNA BE LOTS OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA BE BROUGHT FORWARD FROM LIBRARIES AND PARKS AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT, UM, THAT WOULD HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO ONE WAY, UH, THE SECOND WAY THAT YOU COULD THINK ABOUT A CLIMATE BOND IS INTEGRATION OF THE PRINCIPLES, POLICIES AND APPROACHES TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND ADAPT, INCREASE RESILIENCE TO A CHANGE CHANGING CLIMATE, INTEGRATE ALL OF THAT INTO PROJECTS AND BOND PROPOSALS THAT ARE BROUGHT FORWARD BY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO AN EXAMPLE THERE I THINK WOULD BE, UH, A NEW LIBRARY IS PROPOSED TO BE BUILT, UM, WHICH EVERYBODY LIKES A NEW LIBRARY.
UM, THE NEW LIBRARY WOULD ACHIEVE LEAD PLATINUM CERTIFICATION, WHICH IS ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT OUR CURRENT, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN GREEN BUILDING POLICY IS.
UM, IT ALSO COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE SOLAR BATTERY BACKUP, UM, AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN A TIME OF NEED, RIGHT? SO THAT SITE WOULD, IT'D BE A LIBRARY, BUT IT WOULD ALSO BE REDUCING EMISSIONS AND IT WOULD ALSO, UM, HELP US BECOME MORE RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO, UM, JUST TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT HERE THAT I THINK CLIMATE BOND AND HOW A CLIMATE BOND IS ADDRESSED CAN BE ADDRESSED IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, AS STAFF AND AS AS ACRU FOR OKAY, SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST SIX MONTHS, UH, ME AND MY TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, BUILDING THIS COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.
UH, SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO IT MEANS TWO THINGS.
THE FIRST THING IS A TWO YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
SO WE ARE ESSENTIALLY TAKING THAT LONG LIST OF ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN PLAN PROJECTS, FOCUSING IT DOWN, UM, PRIORITIZING IT AND ZEROING IN ON WHAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
UM, SO THAT'S THAT FOCUS, PRIORITIZE, GET MORE CLEAR ABOUT THE PROJECTS.
[00:55:01]
UM, ON THE SECOND SIDE OF THIS, UM, WHICH IS NOT AS RELATED TO THIS IS, UH, PROGRAMMATIC ADJUSTMENTS.SO WE'RE DOING SOME ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURE WITHIN HOW DEPARTMENTS WORK TOGETHER AND COORDINATE ON CLIMATE PROJECTS, UM, TO TRY TO BUILD MORE BUY-IN AND SUPPORT AND TRY TO GET DEPARTMENTS, UM, UH, OWNING MORE AND IMPLEMENTING MORE OF THESE PROJECTS JUST WITHIN THE BUSINESS AS USUAL AND SORT OF HOW THEY DO THEIR WORK AS DEPARTMENTS.
SO THE FIRST PART OF THIS IS PROJECT IDENTIFICATION.
UM, WE'RE TAKING ALL THE PROJECTS, AS I SAID, FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN.
WE'RE TAKING PROJECTS IDENTIFIED FROM OTHER DEPARTMENT PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN BOUGHT, BROUGHT FORWARD.
UH, WE'RE TAKING THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WERE BROUGHT FORWARD.
UM, ALL OF THAT IS BEING BROUGHT TOGETHER.
AND THEN THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT AVENUES WHERE WE'RE REENGAGING WITH DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REALLY HAVE THE FULL AND, UH, THE BEST LIST OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
UH, A REALLY IMPORTANT PART, UM, OF THIS THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS, UM, IDENTIFIED BY CITY COUNCIL THAT WE ARE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY IS ONCE WE'VE HAD THIS, THIS LIST OF PROJECTS AND NARROWING IT AND MAKING IT MORE FOCUSED, UM, WE ARE USING A TOOL TO ANALYZE ALL THE PROJECTS AND ACTUALLY DO A PRIORITIZATION EXERCISE.
UM, AND, UH, WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS THAT ARE THIS DIVERSE AND COMPLICATED, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS JUST GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS, RIGHT? LIKE NOT ALL PROJECTS DIRECTLY, UH, REDUCE EMISSIONS.
AND SOME PROJECTS HAVE MORE COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND CO-BENEFITS AND SOME HAVE LESS.
UM, SO THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT THE CITY PARTICIPATES IN AND MANY CITIES ACROSS THE, THE COUNTRY AND THE GLOBE PARTICIPATE IN CALLED C 40.
UM, C 40 HAS, UH, HAD AN EXISTING TOOL CALLED ASAP THAT WAS A, BASICALLY A SCORING AND A RANKING TOOL TO BE ABLE TO TAKE PROJECTS, COMPARE THEM AGAINST EACH OTHER, UM, USE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, USE EQUITY AND OTHER CO-BENEFITS, UM, AND THEN LOOK AT FEASIBILITY AND VIABILITY OF PROJECTS AND ACTUALLY GIVE THEM A SCORE AND THEN BE ABLE TO RANK SORT OF WHICH PROJECTS SHOULD BE HIGHER AND PRIORITIZED TO BE DONE FIRST AND WHICH SHOULD BE LOWER ON THE LIST.
UH, SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN THE VERY THICK OF, UM, ANALYZING THESE PROJECTS AND GETTING THIS PRIORITIZATION COMPLETE.
SO, UM, I PUT THIS SLIDE TOGETHER LAST WEEK JUST TO TRY TO HELP SORT OF COMMUNICATE THE CONCEPT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO NARROW THE LIST OF PROJECTS TO BE THE BEST LIST AND THE MOST FOCUSED LIST, UM, THAT ADDRESSES CLIMATE.
SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, ALL THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN PROJECT IDEAS IS THE TOP OF THE FUNNEL HERE.
SO THAT WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN, I THINK HAS GOT US A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUSED ON PROJECTS THAT REALLY NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
UM, WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW, UH, TO FINALIZE THIS COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
UH, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE COMPLETE, UH, AND DELIVERED TO CITY COUNCIL BY THE END OF MARCH, SO WITHIN THE NEXT SIX WEEKS.
UM, AND THEN I FEEL LIKE AT THAT TIME, UM, THAT LIST OF PROJECTS, YOU COULD ESSENTIALLY SCREEN THROUGH THAT LIST WHICH PROJECTS ARE BOND ELIGIBLE.
UM, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT I THINK THE TASK FORCE COULD CONSIDER.
SO I DREW THE GREEN LINE THERE, ESSENTIALLY TO SAY THAT LIKE, I THINK THERE, THAT'S WHERE STAFF'S WORK PROBABLY.
UM, THAT'S WHERE WE BRING THE WORK TO YOU.
AND THEN IT'S UP TO THE, THE TASK FORCE, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS YOU MAKE, AND THEN YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, OF COURSE GO BEYOND THERE TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO, UH, SO NEXT STEPS ON WHERE WE ARE GOING FORWARD FROM HERE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE WAY MORE NEEDS THAN AVAILABLE FUNDING, RIGHT? 7 BILLION.
THAT'S A REALLY LARGE NUMBER, EVEN WHEN I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, OUR NARROW DOWN LIST.
IT, IT'S A, IT'S A, THERE'S A LARGE, THERE'S A VERY LARGE NEED HERE.
UM, WHEN WE FINISH THE COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, WE WILL SHARE THAT.
IT'LL BE SHARED PUBLICLY THROUGH, UM, THROUGH MEMO TO COUNCIL, AND YOU ALL CAN OF COURSE, UH, REVIEW THAT AND YOU'LL SEE A MUCH NARROWER LIST OF, UH, PRIORITIZED PROJECTS.
UM, AND THEN I THINK I'D ALSO OFFER THAT, UM, MY GROUP AND MY TEAM, WE CAN ALSO COME BACK TO A FUTURE MEETING TO SHARE DETAILS ON THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE AND HOW WE'RE WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENTS TO HELP, UM, HELP THEM FOCUS THEIR PROJECT ASKS AND HELP THEM INTEGRATE CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE INTO, UM, ALL THE PROJECT PROPOSALS THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY BROUGHT FORWARD AS PART OF THIS BOND PLANNING PROCESS.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND THERE'S OTHER THANK YOU OTHER FOLKS THAT CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU LIKE.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ARE RELATED.
[01:00:01]
IS TO SORT OF ADDRESS THIS 2025 QUESTION, AND IN THE MEMO THAT WE RECEIVED IN JANUARY, IT SAID THAT STAFF WOULD WORK WITH US TO DEVELOP A LIST OF THE EIP PROJECTS THAT COULD CONCEIVABLY BE CONSIDERED FOR A 2025 BOND BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH SCOPING REQUIREMENT, LIKE LAND ACQUISITION.ARE YOU SAYING THAT THAT LIST IS GONNA BE AVAILABLE TO US IN APRIL? OR WHERE WOULD WE, WHEN WOULD WE GET THE LIST THAT'S MENTIONED IN THE MEMO? WHAT'S THE TIMING OF THAT? UH, SO I THINK YOU COULD EITHER GO OFF OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN, UM, LIST AND THEN NARROW DOWN FROM THERE.
OR, UM, THIS NEXT BODY OF WORK THAT'S RELEASED IN MARCH, WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT LEVEL OF DETAIL AND SPECIFICITY.
UM, AND YOU COULD USE THAT LIST TOO, BUT IT, THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE A LIST THAT WE GET THAT YOU GUYS COULD SAY THIS IS, THIS IS 2025, YOU KNOW, A LIST OF THINGS WE THINK YOU COULD GET THROUGH IN 2025.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S NOT WHAT'S GONNA GET DELIVERED.
I GUESS I'M TRYING TO BE SURE THAT THIS GROUP CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT WHETHER TO PURSUE 2025.
AND WHEN WE MIGHT HAVE A LIST THAT THE MEMO SAID WE'D HAVE.
SO IF YOU COULD, IF THERE'S SOMEONE WHO COULD ANSWER THAT
WELL, I GUESS THE, I THINK ANOTHER THING IS THAT WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY PUTTING THE TIMELINE OF 2025 ON ANY OF THESE PROJECTS.
THEY'RE ALL PROJECTS THAT ARE IN PLANS THAT NEED TO GET COMPLETED.
UM, SO IF THEY WERE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN, OR THEY WERE IN THIS LIST, THIS MORE FOCUSED, UH, COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH, ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS NEED TO GET IMPLEMENTED AT SOME TIME FOR US TO MAKE, TO MAKE PROGRESS.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING, SORRY, TO BE DENSE ABOUT THIS, IS YOU WILL NOT BE GIVING US A LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU THINK YOU COULD SEE US TAKING AS A RECOMMENDATION TO 2025 THAT'S NOT FORTHCOMING.
THAT LIST WE HAVE TO CREATE, WE'LL CREATE THAT LIST.
I THINK IT SAID THAT Y'ALL WOULD WORK WITH US TO DEVELOP A LIST.
AND SO I'M TRYING TO BE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME AND RESOURCES IF WE DECIDE TO DO THAT, HOW THAT LIST GETS CREATED SO THAT WE CAN GO IN, I THINK JULY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
I THINK OUR TWO, OUR TWO WORK PRODUCTS.
IF THIS TASK FORCE TOOK THOSE PRO WORK PRODUCTS AND ASKED QUESTIONS AND WORKED ON THOSE AND STARTED THAT AS A LIST.
THAT'S WHERE YOU WOULD, THAT'S WHERE YOU WOULD GO.
THAT WOULD BE THE STARTING POINT THAT CLARIFIES THAT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? I'M SURE I'LL JUST GO, MAYBE I'LL START AT MY LEFT.
UM, THANKS FOR THIS PRESENTATION, ZACH.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS ON, UH, HOW THEY COULD INCORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE PROJECT, LIKE SOLAR ON A LIBRARY, ET CETERA.
ARE YOU ALSO, UH, UH, DOING AN ESTIMATE OF THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THAT LIBRARY, WHEREAS OF COURSE, EVEN IF YOU HAD SOLAR, THE CONSTRUCTION OPERATION MIGHT BE A NET, YOU KNOW, INCREASE IN EMISSIONS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'LL HAVE THAT DATA IN ORDER TO, AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, BEST TO EVALUATE THE BANG FOR THE BUCK OF OUR INVESTMENTS.
SO AT THIS POINT, I HAVE NOT ESTIMATED THE EMISSIONS ARE DONE LIFECYCLE ANALYSIS FOR ANY PROJECT THAT'S BROUGHT FORWARD.
WE COULD DO THAT IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT YET.
I WOULD, UH, VERY MUCH LIKE THAT INFORMATION IF POSSIBLE.
I HAD ME ASKED AT THE FIRST MEETING, UM, OF THIS TASK FORCE AND, UH, SOMEBODY FROM CDS SAID THAT THAT WAS IN THE WORKS OR WAS BEING PLANNED.
SO I GUESS THAT WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION.
BUT I THINK IF WE'RE CENTERING CLIMATE AS PART OF THIS BOND, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE EMISSIONS IMPACT OF ALL THE PROJECTS WILL BE, NOT JUST THE ONES THAT ARE IN THE CLIMATE BUCKET.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION.
'CAUSE I HAD THAT QUESTION TOO, BUT ARE YOU IDENTIFYING STUFF THAT IS LIKE SHELF READY, LIKE READY TO GO? LIKE IS THAT PART OF YOUR, YOUR SHORTENING OF THE LIST? THAT YES.
SO THESE WILL BE PROJECTS THAT ARE READY TO GO IF WE KNOW VOTERS AUTHORIZED.
YES, NOVEMBER, 2026, WE'RE READY TO GO.
THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT CAN BE COMPLETELY AND DELIVERED IN TWO YEARS.
IS IS HOW I'M READING THIS IN TERMS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE 7.7 BILLION, YOU KNOW, WHITTLED DOWN TO SORT OF IMPLEMENTABLE SORT OF PROJECTS? I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY, LIKE READY TO GO.
BUT I'M THINKING IT'S FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE COULD BE IMP EASILY IMPLEMENTABLE AS OPPOSED TO SORT OF FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS OUT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, ALL PROJECTS TAKE A LONG TIME.
SO I THINK, I THINK WE PROBABLY HAVE TO GO PROJECT BY PROJECT TO MAKE SURE LIKE WHAT THE EXACT TIMELINE IS ON THEM.
BUT YES, THE IDEA IS TO BRING FORWARD PROJECTS THAT ARE READY TO GO, THEY'RE READY TO GO.
THAT WAY IT CAN BE CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S
[01:05:01]
IMPLEMENTATION.UM, THE OTHER PIECE IS, UM, FEEDBACK.
LIKE, SO DID, DID YOU GET ANY FEEDBACK ON, YOU MENTIONED I'M, I'M GONNA KEEP BEING UNRELENTING ON CRITERIA 'CAUSE I I KNOW THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO WEIGH IN ON WHAT WE VALUE.
I THINK THAT'S PART OF, OF WHAT WE CAN ALIGN WITH THE VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE HOW TO PRIORITIZE PROJECTS.
DID THEY WEIGH IN YOUR, YOUR ASAP TOOL ANALYSIS, WHICH HAS SOME CRITERIA THAT YOU'RE UTILIZING TO DISCREET, TO DISCRETELY IDENTIFY PROJECTS THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA ADVANCE.
AND THEN ALSO, DID YOU GET ANY FEEDBACK ON SORT OF THE LAND BANKING APPROACH? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE INCONSISTENT WITH WHAT VOTERS WANT TO SEE, RIGHT? I KNOW VOTERS WANT TO SEE A NEW BUILDING, A NEW SCHOOL, OR NEW IMPROVEMENTS, NOT NECESSARILY LAND BANKING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU GOT ANY FEEDBACK ON THOSE TWO AS IT RELATES TO THE CLIMATE, THE IDENTIFIED LIST OF ALL THE CLIMATE PROJECTS, THE 7.7 BILLION.
NO, WE, WE DIDN'T GET FEEDBACK IN THOSE TWO AREAS.
AND NOT ON THE CRITERIA AND NOT ON THE LAND BANKING APPROACH EITHER? NO.
THE, THE CRITERIA WERE, SOME OF THEM WERE ALREADY IN THIS TOOL.
OTHER ONES WERE, UM, BROUGHT FORWARD BY, UH, LIKE THE PROCESS ARE THAT WE CREATED AN EQUITY TOOL TO, UM, TO ANALYZE PROJECTS FOR THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
SO WE DIDN'T GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
WE SORT OF USED WHAT WE, WHAT WE KNOW WORKED.
SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONSIDER IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS YOU SORT OF VET SOME OF THE, THE LARGER, UM, CRITERIA THAT WE UTILIZED FOR OUR RUBRICS.
CAN I ADD ONTO YOUR CRITERIA, UH, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT TIME,
UH, ARE, WILL PART OF THAT MATRIX MAYBE INCLUDE, UH, THE POTENTIAL FOR ANY FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT MAY BE AT RISK AT THIS POINT ON SOME OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING AS WELL? IF IT HAS A MATERIAL IMPACT ON WHETHER OR NOT THAT PROJECT GOES FORWARD, SHOULD THE FEDERAL FUNDING NOT BE THERE? YEAH, WE CAN CERTAINLY IDENTIFY THAT.
AND THEN, UH, MAYBE JUST A QUICK ONE TOO.
THE, THE ON THE CARBON EMISSIONS ON THE MAJOR CORRIDOR CAPITAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECT OR 3.8 BILLION, ARE THOSE IN ADDITION TO OR COMPLIMENTING THE CURRENT CORRIDOR BOND PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY IN, IN PRODUCTION OR, OR GETTING OUT ON ONTO THE PROVERBIAL ROAD, SO TO SPEAK? YEAH, THEY WERE IN ADDITION.
ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WERE LISTED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN ARE NOT FUNDED.
IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A NEW COST OR IT'S A NEW DELIVERABLE WITHIN THAT ORIGINAL BOND.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I, ONE OF THE PLACES MY MIND WENT WAS TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE WHEN THEY GET SOMETHING THAT MAYBE IS LABELED CLIMATE BOND.
THAT MADE ME A LITTLE NERVOUS.
QUESTIONS OVER HERE, RACHEL? UM, YEAH, ON THAT NOTE, IF WE WENT MORE THE SECOND ROUTE WITH THE PROJECTS HAVING SORT OF A PRIORITY EVALUATION FOR CLIMATE, UM, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD START GETTING, 'CAUSE IT SEEMS, I, I IMAGINE SINCE A LOT OF THESE WERE, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS WILL PROBABLY BE ON THE LIST THAT COMES IN AS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOND FUNDING.
I WOULD THINK IF THERE'S 7.7 BILLION IN TRANSPORTATION, UM, THAT LIKE, WE'LL I, IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD START HAVING SOME FEEDBACK ON HOW YOU, HOW YOU ALL RANK THINGS.
LIKE, I'M NOT SURE IF IT IS, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, LOWEST EMISSIONS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOME UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT PLAYS INTO THE WORK YOU'VE ALREADY DONE, WHICH PROJECTS WE'RE ALREADY ON THAT LIST.
I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL FOR THE WORKING GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE LIST THEY'RE GETTING, WHICH ONES WOULD RISE TO THE TOP IF THEY WANTED TO HAVE A CLIMATE FOCUS.
SO, UM, I THINK STARTING TO KIND OF PUT TOGETHER THAT MATRIX FOR US MM-HMM
AS A EVALUATION TOOL WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
CHAIR, IS THIS, IS THIS COMMITTEE CONSIDERING A 2025 BOND? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING? OR ARE WE, ARE THESE 2026 ASKS ACT? THE AGENDA ITEM WE'RE ON IS WHAT THIS GROUP WANTS TO PURSUE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL IN JUNE JULY.
CAN YOU TURN YOUR MIC ON PLEASE? SO, SORRY.
THIS GROUP, THIS AGENDA ITEM IS TO HAVE THIS TASK FORCE DECIDE WHETHER WE WANNA UNDERTAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO DO SOMETHING IN 2025 NOVEMBER BOND.
I WOULD, I WOULD RELATED TO THE EIP.
BUT MY REQUEST WOULD BE AT LARGE, UM, LIKE EVEN IF WE DON'T DO A 2025 BOND, I'M HOPING TO SEE THAT FOR THE WORKING GROUPS.
AND FOR, HONESTLY, FROM, FROM MY STANDPOINT, FOR A BOND THIS QUICKLY, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE AN URGENT SAFETY NEED FOR, FOR ME TO BE ON BOARD.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS THAT WE GET THROUGH THE QUESTIONS AND THEN WE CAN
[01:10:01]
HAVE THAT.UM, LATER IN THIS MEETING, WE'RE GONNA BE FINALIZING OUR WORKING GROUPS.
THOSE WORKING GROUP BUCKETS WERE, UM, RECOMMENDED TO US BY STAFF BASED ON HISTORIC NON CLIMATE CENTRIC BOND PACKAGES.
UM, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE WORKING GROUPS THAT WE'RE I'M NOT, I'M WONDERING THEN AFTERWARDS, IF YOU MIGHT TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE AND TELL US, OR TELL US NEXT TIME WHETHER THOSE WORKING GROUPS, UM, ADEQUATELY COVER ALL OF THE MAJOR DIRECT CLIMATE PROJECTS YOU HAVE IN MIND.
UM, 'CAUSE I'M ASSUMING THEY'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU, YOU OUTLINED IN SLIDE 11, THERE'S SORT OF THE DIRECT CLIMATE BOND APPROACH AND THEN THERE'S THE CLIMATE FLAVORED BOND APPROACH.
UM, IF WE ARE TO INCLUDE SOME OF THOSE DIRECT PROJECTS IN HERE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOT STYMIED BY THE WAY WE'VE SET OURSELVES UP YEAH.
I CAN WORK WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY ON THAT.
I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON NICOLE'S QUESTION ABOUT, UM, HOW THESE PROJECTS ARE SCOPED AT THIS POINT.
MY UNDERSTANDING FROM OUR PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS IS THAT CAPITAL PROJECTS IS, UM, ACTUALLY WORKING TO PREPARE A MORE DETAIL IN TERMS OF THE DEPARTMENT LIST, UH, THAT THEY ARE WORKING TO PREPARE A MORE DETAILED, A MORE, A MORE SHOVEL READY, IF YOU WILL, UH, ESTIMATE FOR PROJECTS THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN PREVIOUS BOND ELECTIONS.
BUT THAT WORK DOES NOT INCLUDE, AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, THESE PROJECTS, UH, THE CLIMATE RELATED PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY.
IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S A VENN DIAGRAM.
THERE ARE, WE HAVE, I THINK THERE ARE CERTAIN PROJECTS, UH, IN OUR LISTS THAT ARE ALSO, THAT MAY ALSO BE IN DEPARTMENT LISTS.
THAT ARE, AND THERE'S A VARIATION.
SOME ARE FAR DOWN THE ROAD AND DESIGNED AND READY AND SOME ARE CONCEPTS AND IDEAS.
AND SO IT'S PROJECT BY PROJECT.
BUT THE, BUT THE, THE POINT THAT I UNDERSTOOD KERO PROJECTS, UH, DEPARTMENT WAS MAKING WAS THAT THEIR INTENT IS FOR THE DEPARTMENT LIST, THAT THOSE WOULD BE SCOPED AND MORE SHOVEL READY THAN HAD BEEN THE TRADITION IN THE PAST.
WHICH I THINK WE'LL GET INTO LATER IN A DISCUSSION OF HOW WE CAME TO HAVE SO MANY AUTHORIZED BUT UNUSED THOUGHTS.
SO THAT THERE IS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO LISTS.
ONE CAPITAL PROJECTS IS SAYING IS GOING TO BE MORE SHOVEL READY, IT, BUT THEY HAVE NOT YET WORKED ON PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE CLIMATE LIST, THAT ARE NOT ON THE DEPARTMENT LIST.
JUST, JUST CLEARING MY THROAT.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION OR MAYBE IT'S MORE OF A REQUEST AND ZACH, IT MAY NOT BE FOR YOU.
IT MAY BE MORE FOR CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
UM, SEVERAL MEETINGS AGO, I, AND IT RELATES TO THIS QUESTION ABOUT A 2025 BOND.
UM, I REQUESTED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHICH, UH, PROGRAMS ARE DEPENDENT HEAVILY ON BOND FUNDING AND HAVE VERY LITTLE OTHER FUNDING.
AND IN SOME OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT FUNDING WILL RUN OUT BEFORE 2026.
I THINK IT WOULD REALLY HELP OUR DISCUSSION IF WE HAD THAT INFORMATION.
UM, AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISSED IT, BUT I DID REQUEST IT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
UM, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DEPARTMENTS WILL RUN OUT OF MONEY BECAUSE THEY ARE BOND, PRIMARILY BOND FUNDED AND WHAT THE GAP IS TO FUND THOSE PROJECTS SO THAT THEY DON'T FALL APART IN THE MEANTIME IF, IF WE DON'T DO A 2025 BOND TO FUND THEM TO, TO FUND THAT GAP.
GARY, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION BY THE WAY.
I UNDERSTAND IT MAYBE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO, UH, BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW PROJECT COSTS, UM, ARE DETERMINED HERE FROM THE I IDEAS COMING AROUND IN FALL OF 2021 TO WHERE WE ARE NOW TO POTENTIAL 2026 NOVEMBER BOND TO, UM, WHERE ARE THEY PRICED AND AND HOW OFTEN IS THAT PRICING EVALUATED? SO ALL THE DEPARTMENTAL COSTS ARE, OR ALL THE, THE COSTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THESE DOCUMENTS ARE DEVELOPED BY DEPARTMENTS AND BROUGHT
[01:15:01]
FORWARD, UM, ALL THE LIST OF, UH, COSTS THAT YOU SEE ON ALL THE, ON THE SLIDES THAT I PRESENTED, THOSE WERE DEVELOPED A YEAR AGO.SO THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT OLD AND PRICES COULD HAVE CHANGED, BUT THAT'S WHAT WAS PRESENTED AT THE TIME.
UM, AND THE EFFORT THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW WITH THIS MORE DETAILED PLAN, WE'RE EVERYONE'S TAKING A FRESH LOOK AT THOSE PROJECT COSTS.
SO IT'S, THERE ARE ESTIMATES DEVELOPED BY DEPARTMENTS WITH THEIR BEST KNOWLEDGE AT THE TIME.
SO, SO WHEN THE, THE MANAGEABLE CLIMATE PROJECTS LIST IS, THAT WILL BE THE, THE ESTIMATED PRICE OF THOSE PROJECT AS OF APRIL OF 2025.
I READ AN ARTICLE IN THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN LAST MONTH, I MEAN LAST WEEK.
IT IS TITLED CIVIL, CIVIL ENGINEERS CALL FOR MORE INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ALL OF TEXAS.
AND IT ALSO MENTIONED A COMMENT BY, UM, APPARENTLY A STEVE
I WONDERED HOW AUSTIN BUILT IN THAT RANKING.
'CAUSE I'M SURE THEY TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND I'M WONDERING IF WHAT OUR INFORMATION THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO, OR THAT WE'RE BEING, THAT'S BEING PROVIDED TO US TO CONSIDER HOW IT MATCHES WITH THIS REPORT.
UM, BECAUSE IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT, UM, IT STATES HERE THAT THE, THE STATE GOVERNMENT GAMBLES WITH RESIDENTS LIVES IF IT DOES NOT BOLSTER THE SYSTEMS THAT SUPPLIED DRINKING WATER, STORM, STORM DRAINAGE, WASTE TREATMENT, AND TRANSPORTATION.
SO I JUST AM CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW AUSTIN DID ON THIS STUDY, OR IF IT'S EVEN BROKEN DOWN BY CITY, BUT I, YEAH, THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.
AND I'M LIKE, THAT TIES INTO WHAT WE'RE NEEDING TO CONSIDER AND WHAT OTHER REPORTS SHOULD WE OR YES.
STUDIES SHOULD WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE MAKE A DECISION.
BECAUSE MAYBE SOME OF THESE EXPERTS HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME THINGS THAT WE OR OURSELVES HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED.
I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CONSIDERING ALL RESOURCES.
I THINK, UH, WE CAN TAKE THAT QUESTION BACK TO OUR, UH, THE EXPERTS AND I BET WE CAN FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE IN THOSE RANKINGS AND WE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION BACK.
CAN I ADD, I I, I DON'T THINK THAT REPORT DOES BREAK DOWN BY CITY.
IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND THAT WOULD BE SUPER USEFUL INFORMATION, BUT, UH, THAT AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CIVIL ENGINEERS REPORT, I THINK JUST A STATE BY STATE OF THE NATIONAL.
BUT IF THERE'S, UH, SOME OTHER REPORT OUT THERE.
I KNOW THAT THE AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT ECONOMY DOES CITY RANKINGS AND OTHER THINGS, AND THEN THERE'S, UM, YEAH.
BUT THOSE WOULD BE GREAT TO LOOK AT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ANA? NO, MA'AM.
NO, ALITA, ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
UM, AT THIS TIME I THINK MAYBE WE JUST ENTERTAIN A MOTION ABOUT WHETHER THE BTF WANTS TO CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION FOR 2025, AND THEN WE CAN, UH, DISCUSS THAT MOTION.
I, WELL, I, I, I GUESS ASSUMING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR WORKING GROUPS CREATED, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DO TAKE THIS ON AS OUR FIRST CHARGE WITHIN OUR WORKING GROUPS THAT THE WORKING GROUPS, UH, MEET BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING TO REVIEW THE LIST FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN AND BRING BACK TO THIS GROUP AT OUR NEXT MEETING, AN OUTLINE OF POSSIBLE ITEMS FOR 2025.
IS THERE A SECOND? I MEAN, THAT'S JUST LIKE AN IDEA OF HOW TO DO IT.
WE COULD PUT A DIFFERENT TIMELINE ON IT, BUT SECOND FOR THAT MOTION.
I'M TRYING TO TURN MY CAMERA ON.
YEAH, BUT JUST TO REPEAT, UM, I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE DO CONSIDER IT, NOT THAT WE, YOU KNOW, SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, BUT THAT WE DO CONSIDER, UM, MOVING FORWARD IN THE PROCESS, UH, WITH IDENTIFY IDENTIFYING ITEMS FOR POSSIBLE 2025 BOND AND SPECIFICALLY THAT WE TAKE UP THAT WORK
[01:20:01]
IN OUR WORKING GROUPS BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT MEETING.DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION COMMENTS.
I, I FIND IT KIND OF DIFFICULT TO, UM, GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF TRYING TO IDENTIFY THINGS FOR A POTENTIAL 2025 ELECTION WITHOUT MAKING THE DECISION ON WHETHER WE'RE PREPARED TO RECOMMEND A 2025 ELECTION.
UM,
SO THE, THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS TO SEND THIS TO THE WORKING GROUPS.
AND SO ANY MORE DISCUSSION TO, TO DO A FIRST STEP AT LOOKING AT A 2025 RECOMMENDATION.
SO THAT'S THE MOTION AND CHAIR THAT A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM WOULD BE AT OUR NEXT MEETING TO VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE A 20, RECOMMEND A 2025 BOND ELECTION.
IF THIS MOTION PASSES, I IF THIS MOTION PASSES, PASSES, PASSES.
AGREE THAT HAVE TO BE DEFERRED INTO THE NEXT MEETING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON 2025.
AND SO THE WORKING GROUPS WILL BE LOOKING AT THE LIST THAT WAS ALREADY DEVELOPED, OR SO NOT EVERY WORKING GROUP WOULD BE PARTICIPATING.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT LIKE, AND TO BE CLEAR, THAT LIST HASN'T BEEN DEVELOPED.
LIKE WE, WE WERE JUST TOLD THAT EVEN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABLE, OR I'M SORRY, THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE, I'M SORRY, I'M GONNA LEARN IT SOON.
UM, THAT, LIKE WE AS A TASK FORCE WOULD BE OPERATING ALONE IN OUR WORKING GROUP MEETINGS, ATTEMPTING TO NARROW DOWN FROM THE, THE OLD LIST THAT IS BEING ACTIVELY REVISED RIGHT NOW BY STAFF MEMBERS THAT WE SHOULD DO A PROCESS IN PARALLEL, BUT WITHOUT THEIR, WITHOUT ANY STAFF SUPPORT FOR DOING SUCH A THING.
THAT, THAT FEELS DUPLICATIVE TO ME.
I'LL ADMIT I I'M IN A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
'CAUSE I'VE, I DO HAVE THE LIST.
UM, THE JSC HAS BEEN SHARED THE LIST.
PERHAPS WE COULD GET THE WORKING GROUPS TO ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THE LIST.
WELL, I'D ALSO MENTION WHAT, WHAT, UH, HAYDEN WALKER MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE, UM, ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE GONNA RUN OUTTA MONEY.
SO IF WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION THAT COULD BE VERY HELPFUL ABOUT WHETHER WE NEED A 2025 ELECTION.
I GUESS I MIGHT, UM, ASK STAFF THAT QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED AND HAS NOT BEEN ANSWERED.
IS THAT ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT WE COULD GET SOMEBODY WANTED? THANK YOU.
UH, ROBERT, GOOD CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
WE'RE, THOSE ARE PROJECTIONS, OBVIOUSLY ALL OF THAT IS PROJECTIONS ON THEIR BURN RATE.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THAT'S REASONABLE BECAUSE IN THE PAST WE'VE GOT BURN RATES THAT ARE NOT REASONABLE AND THUS WE HAVE $1.3 BILLION STILL
SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, THAT'S FINE.
BUT IS THERE A TIMEFRAME UPON WHICH THAT INFORMATION COULD BE DELIVERED?
WE'LL GET IT TO YOU WHEN WE CAN.
WITH, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I'M GONNA VOTE AGAINST THE MOTION AND, AND I WANT TO TELL YOU WHY.
UM, WE'VE HEARD PRETTY REGULARLY HERE THE WORK THAT STAFF IS DOING TO PREPARE A LOT OF INFORMATION IN DIFFERENT FORMS. AND, UM, AND I'M NOT CONFIDENT THAT A MONTH FROM NOW WE'LL HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO RECEIVE TO REALLY ADDRESS THAT QUESTION OF 2025 OR 2026, EVEN IF WE DID.
I STILL THINK THAT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE HEARD ABOUT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PIECE OF HOW, UM, LIMITED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT COULD BE WITH A 2025 BOND VERSUS A 2026, UH, THAT WOULD MAKE ME WANT TO HOLD BACK AND JUST WAIT UNTIL 2026 SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FULFILLING THAT OBLIGATION TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN SECONDLY, JUST THE CONFUSION OF TWO BONDS, TWO YEARS IN A ROW ON THE VOTERS AND ON THE COMMUNICATION PIECE OF THIS, I, I JUST THINK THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STRONGER.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BETTER 2026 BOND ULTIMATELY IF WE JUST WAIT AND INCLUDE EVERYTHING IN THERE.
SO IF THE MOTION WAS, WAS TODAY TO, FOR A 2025 BOND, I WOULD VOTE NO ON THAT.
BUT I'M GONNA VOTE NO ON THE MOTION AS THIS DRAFTED.
[01:25:01]
UNDERSTAND MY THINKING THERE, BENJAMIN, OR, YEAH, I'M, I'M GONNA ECHO SOME OF WHAT YOU SAID AND COME OUT WITH A DIFFERENT CONCLUSION.UM, I, I ALSO SEE ALL THOSE POINTS, ESPECIALLY IN, IN READING, UM, THE, THE MEMO FROM JANUARY 9TH ON THE 2020 SIXTH PATENT PROGRAM UPDATE, UM, FROM, FROM ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UM, I, I SHARE THOSE CONCERNS.
I THINK WHAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE ON THE MOTION, OR THE MOTION THAT'S BEFORE US NOW THOUGH, IS TO TALK ABOUT IT.
UH, AND I DON'T, I THINK THAT MAYBE COMING OUTTA THE CONVERSATION AND GETTING INFO FROM, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE HEADING OUR WAY, HOPEFULLY SOON.
UM, WE, WE MAY ALSO ARRIVE AT THAT SAME CONCLUSION WITH EVEN, EVEN MORE STRENGTH.
OR WE MAY IDENTIFY SOME THINGS THAT NEED FUNDING IMMEDIATELY, OR WE MAY IDENTIFY THINGS THAT ARE SHOVEL READY THAT COULD, COULD GO AND THAT MAY SWING US ONE, ONE THE OTHER, THE OTHER WAY.
SO I'M OPEN TO THE CONVERSATION, WHICH IS WHY I WOULD VOTE YES ON THIS ONE.
ANNA NOLITA DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM.
OTHER THOUGHTS? CHARLES? ACCORDING TO THE PRESENTATION THAT WE JUST HAD, WE WILL NOT HAVE A LIST OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THIS PLAN THAT ARE BOND ELIGIBLE TILL THE END OF APRIL, WHICH IS I THINK, KIND OF A CRITICAL PIECE OF INFORMATION FOR THE WORK GROUPS TO HAVE AS THEY GO THROUGH THE LIST.
WHICH ONES THAT ARE ON THIS LIST ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE FUNDED THROUGH GENERAL OBLIGATION AND IS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT INFORMATION WON'T COME TO US UNTIL THE END OF APRIL AND SOMEONE ON STAFF JUST CONCUR.
LET ME ASK ZACH, I THINK WHAT ZACH WAS SAYING IS THEY'RE PARING DOWN THE LIST THAT YOU, THAT WAS DONE IN 2024.
AND SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT MORE REALISTIC NEXT COUPLE YEARS AND BOND FUNDED.
I THINK WE'VE GOT THAT PRETTY CLOSE TO BEING IDENTIFIED.
BUT YOU WON'T HAVE THAT PAIRED DOWN LIST TILL THE END OF MARCH.
IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, THE FINAL PRODUCT WILL BE DELIVERED TO COUNCIL BY THE END OF MARCH.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LARGER 10 POINT WHATEVER BILLION DOLLARS OF CITYWIDE NEED LIST, THAT'LL BE MORE IN JUNE, JULY TIMEFRAME FOR US TO DELIVER.
THE SLIDE 15 SAYS THE BOND ELIGIBLE CLIMATE PROJECTS WILL BE DELIVERED AT THE END OF APRIL.
YEAH, WHAT IT, IT DID SAY APRIL, 2025? THE THINKING WITH THAT WAS THAT WE WOULD FINISH ALL THIS BODY OF WORK, WE WOULD SUBMIT IT TO CITY COUNCIL AND IT WOULD BE FINAL BY THE END OF MARCH.
AND THEN THERE'D PROBABLY BE ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION TO ENSURE REALLY, WHICH PROJECTS COULD BE FUNDED BY BONDS.
AND SO I JUST TRICKLED THAT INTO APRIL, NOT NECESSARILY END OF APRIL.
JUST SO THE, THE POINT WAS THAT IF THE WORKING GROUPS ARE GONNA CONSIDER THIS, I THINK THEY, THEY WOULD NEED TO HAVE LONGER THAN A MONTH TO LOOK AT A LIST THAT IS ACTUALLY ELIGIBLE FOR BOND FUNDING AS OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT THE LIST OVERALL.
DEFINITELY AGREE THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ALL SEE THE LIST.
UM, AND I WOULD BE FINE WITH AMENDING THE MOTION TO GIVE US AN ADDITIONAL MONTH TO DO THAT WORK OF, OF HAVING A LOOK.
UM, THAT SAID, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD START THAT NOW, ZACH, I REALIZE THAT THE LIST IS NOT FINALIZED, BUT COULD THE WORKING GROUPS KIND OF LIKE THE JSC HAVE HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT LIST? COULD THE WORKING GROUPS SEE THE LIST AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS? YEAH, I THINK SO.
AND IT'S NOT, YEAH, IT'S JUST, NOTHING'S BEEN FINALIZED YET.
SO THAT SAID, I'M STILL FINE WITH LIKE, IF WE THINK THAT TWO MONTHS WOULD GIVE US MORE TIME TO DO THAT WORK PROPERLY, COULD AMEND TINA? YEAH, I JUST, MY 2 CENTS, KINDA LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THERE.
UM, I THINK THERE, THERE ARE NO SHORTAGE OF PROJECTS THAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY AND NO SHORTAGES OF NEEDS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BOTH ASKED FOR OR THAT STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED.
UM, I JUST STRUGGLE WITH UNDERSTANDING WHY WE'RE FAST TRACKING ONE GROUP OF NEEDS WHEN WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY REVIEW ALL OF THE NEEDS.
AND IS THAT REALLY SETTING US UP FOR A GOOD 2026 BOND STRATEGY TO GET VOTER CONSENT AND APPROVAL OF THE WHAT WOULD PROBABLY MOST LIKELY BE A MUCH LARGER LIST, UH, OF ITEMS.
[01:30:01]
WHAT I DON'T WANNA DO IS TO HARM THE STRATEGY GOING INTO 2026 BY FAST TRACKING ONE AREA OF, OF OUR, OF OUR CITY'S NEEDS.SO LIKE, LIKE YOU, I'LL, I'LL BE VOTING NO ON THIS, THEN I'LL BE VOTING NO ON A, ON A 2025 PROPOSAL.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? I JUST AM CONFUSED WHY A PROGRAM FUNDING WOULD END IF IT'S A CAPITAL NEEDS BOND.
LIKE WHAT, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THAT MIGHT, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE ALREADY IN THE WORKS THAT NEEDS BOND MONEY THAT WOULD HAVE TO STOP? I, I THINK WHAT WE'VE BEEN FOR REFERRING TO IN A PREVIOUS MEETINGS IS A SIDEWALK PROGRAM IS ONE OF OUR MOST EFFICIENT PROGRAMS FOR SPENDING THEIR BOND FUNDS.
AND SO THEY, THEIR BOND FUNDS, NOT GRANT FUNDS AND NOT OPERATIONAL FUNDS.
UH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
ARE YOU GONNA BE DONE BEFORE THE 2026 PROGRAM WOULD COME ABOUT? OKAY.
THAT, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED AS A CONCERN.
MAY I, ON THAT I WOULD BE VERY EXCITED AND HAPPY TO, AS A TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF OTHER FUNDING SOURCES AVAILABLE IN ADDITION TO BOND FUNDING.
SO THAT PROGRAM, THE, THE SCALING BACK THAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN COULD POTENTIALLY, UM, BE MITIGATED BY OTHER FUNDING SOURCES.
AND I'M ABSOLUTELY IN SUPPORT OF LOOKING INTO THAT IN OUR WORKING GROUPS AND EXPRESSING VOCAL SUPPORT OF UTILIZING ALL AVAILABLE FUNDING SOURCES.
UM, BUT I WILL ALSO BE VOTING NO ON ANY CONSIDERATION OF A 2025 BOND.
AND, AND THAT EXAMPLE, BY THE WAY OF TALKED TO RICHARD MENDOZA, PUBLIC WORK TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORK INSTRUCTOR, THAT PROGRAM IS NOT GOING AWAY.
SO IF IT'S, IF IF THERE'S A GAP IN FUNDING FOR THAT EIGHT MONTHS, THE PROGRAM'S GONNA STAY.
IT, IT'S A NECESSARY, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE BUNCH OF SIDEWALK GAPS AND THERE'S A SIDEWALK MASTER PLAN AND WE'LL, WE'LL BE DOING THIS FOREVER.
AND SO PROGRAM'S NOT GOING AWAY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH, I WANTED, YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK TINA, YOU ASK A OR MADE A COMMENT KIND OF, KIND OF A QUESTION ABOUT WHY, WHY WOULD WE MOVE FORWARD IN 25 AND THEN STILL KNOW THAT WE ALSO NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN 26? AND YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE BUCKET OF BONDS THAT WE WOULD BE CONSIDERING IN 2025 IS, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE CLIMATE RELATED.
UM, THEY DO HAVE INHERENTLY EMISSIONS BENEFITS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS A NEAR TERM URGENT NEED.
AND THE SOONER WE GET STARTED, THE SOONER WE CAN GET THOSE BENEFITS.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S TRUE OF A LOT OF THINGS, BUT, UM, WE HAVE THIS BODY OF WORK THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE AND WE CAN GET STARTED ON IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WONDER IF MAYBE PART OF THE REASON THERE HAS BEEN DIFFICULTY IN SPENDING ON BOND MONEY IN THE PAST IS BECAUSE WE DO BUNDLE EVERYTHING UP AND, AND DO TRY TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE.
AND THIS WOULD ALLOW SOME PROJECTS TO GET STARTED, HAVE A WHOLE YEAR, AND THEN AUTHORIZE MONEY FOR OTHER PROJECTS AND ALLOW THEM TO, YOU KNOW, GET STARTED ON, ON THAT NEXT TIMELINE.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S JUST ABOUT GETTING MORE WORK DONE SOONER.
THAT'S WHY I'M BRINGING, PUSHING THAT.
I THINK THERE'S SOME, SOME GREAT THINGS TO BE DONE.
I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE THE CLIMATE JUST IN THIS ROOM TO BE BETTER
UH, BUT, UH, I, YEAH, I, I AGREE.
BUT IF I WERE A HOUSING ADVOCATE, IF I WERE AN EARLY CHILDHOOD ADVOCATE, I WOULD SAY THAT I HAVE AN URGENT NEED.
AND JUST, I, I THINK THAT EVERYBODY WOULD COME TO THE TABLE DURING COMMUNICATION AND SAY THEY HAVE AN URGENT NEED TO MOVE SOMETHING THROUGH.
THERE IS SOME STRATEGY AROUND BUNDLING BOND ITEMS TOGETHER.
THERE IS SOME, SOME STRATEGY AROUND GETTING CONSENT AND BUY-IN FOR SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT LIKE 60% OF WHAT'S IN THE BOND PACKAGE.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA GET THAT VOTE AS OPPOSED TO, MY WORRY IS IF THIS IS A STANDALONE BOND TOO, IS THAT'S JUST NOT A GOOD BOND STRATEGY, RIGHT.
BECAUSE IT'S REALLY EASY FOR AN OPPOSITION GROUP TO STAND UP AN ORGANIZATION TO SAY NO TO ALL OF THAT.
AND NOW WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE ALL THIS WORK, PUT THE STAFF THROUGH ALL THESE MOTIONS WHERE WE COULD HAVE JUST DONE THE WORK IN CONCORDANCE WITH OUR 2026 PACKAGE.
DON'T THEY HAVE TO BE ON AS SEPARATE ITEMS ANYWAY? USUALLY WHEN WE THE PROPOSITION? YEAH, I MEAN YOU VOTE ON THEM SEPARATELY ANYWAY.
TERM THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS WANTING TO UNDERSTAND.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT RECOMMENDING TWO SEPARATE ELECTIONS TO VOTERS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? OKAY.
I I THINK THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE ENORMOUSLY DIFFICULT FOR VOTERS CONSIDERING THE TAX FATIGUE THAT WE'RE ALREADY EXPERIENCING FROM THE LAST ROUND OF BOND ELECTIONS.
I MEAN, I STILL HAVE TEACHERS ON MY BLOCK WHO ARE REELING FROM SOME OF THE INCREASES THAT WERE PUT IN.
I DO THINK WE NEED THE TIME TO EDUCATE
[01:35:01]
OUR VOTERS AND NOT NECESSARILY I DAZ AND CONFUSE THEM AROUND THESE BOND PACKAGES AND UNDERSTANDING SORT OF WHICH ONES REQUIRE THEIR ATTENTION.AND I GET, I'M CONCERNED THAT IF WE PRESENT TWO ELECTIONS TO VOTERS, THAT, UM, IT COULD BE A WAY TO SORT OF DIMINISH SUPPORT FOR THE MORE COMPREHENSIVE BOND, UH, PROPOSAL, WHICH I THINK I, I AGREE WITH YOU.
YOU BUILD THAT AROUND STRATEGIC INTENT AND INTEREST ACROSS THE BOARD AND NOW, AND THEN ALSO NOT TO MENTION THE LEGISLATION, THERE ARE SOME REALLY CONCERNING BILLS OUT THERE.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE MORE INSIGHTS AS THE SESSION GOES ALONG TO SEE WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST IN TERMS OF BUILDING OUT A FULL STRATEGY THAT WE THINK THAT CAN STAND UP TO, TO VOTER SCRUTINY AND, AND POTENTIAL RATIFICATION, UM, BY THE VOTERS IN 2025 OR 2026.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE MOTION? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO THAT.
I THINK IF YOU LOOK BACK AT AUSTIN'S BOND HISTORY, WHEN THERE IS A STANDALONE SMALLER ITEM THAT IT TEND, IT DOES TEND TO FAIL.
IT'S E MUCH EASIER TO RALLY OPPOSITION AROUND.
UM, IT USUALLY THESE LARGER BOND PACKAGES, THERE'S TONS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARE GOING OUT AND GETTING THEIR COMMUNITIES TO COME SUPPORT IT AND USUALLY WORKING TOGETHER.
SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF EFFORT AND MONEY AND OUTREACH THAT GOES INTO EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THEM WHEN IT'S JUST NOT, LIKE IT WOULD, IT WOULD SCARE ME A LOT AT THIS TIME TO TRY TO DO THIS.
SO I WOULD ALSO NOT BE FOR IT, JUST GIVEN THE, THE PAST.
SO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS TO ALLOW THE WORKING GROUPS TO CONVENE, REVIEW THE EIP RECOMMENDATIONS, COME BACK TO THIS BODY WITH A, UM, MORE INFORMATION ON 2025 SO THAT WE COULD MAKE A DETERMINATION ABOUT A RECOMMENDATION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
DO WE HAVE ANY ABSTAINING? OKAY.
DID ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE ANY FURTHER MOTIONS ON THE 2025 BOND AND RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN? WELL, I MEAN, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ARE ONLY GOING TO CONSIDER A 2026 BOND? YOU CAN MAKE THAT MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO LIMIT OUR WORK TO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A 2026 BOND GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND ELECTION, PLEASE? SO COUNSEL ALSO, UM, PASSED A RESOLUTION ASKING, UH, FOR US TO MAKE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WOULD BE IN PREPARATION FOR A BOND.
ARE YOU TRYING TO EXCLUDE THAT FROM OUR WORK? NO.
WOULD YOU MIND AMENDING YOUR MOTION THEN? AND AND YOU CAN OFFER THAT AMENDMENT.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THE AMENDMENT FOR ME?
YOU MAKE YOUR MOTION HOW YOU WANT.
I JUST WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF THERE RESOLUTION.
BUT THE POINT IS WE DON'T WANT THE POINT, THE POINT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS WE'RE NOT GOING TO SUGGEST A 20 A NOVEMBER, 2025 BOND ELECTION.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT BOND ELECTION.
I'M TALKING ABOUT, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE RESOLUTION THAT OKAY.
HIS MOTION ON THE TABLE IS TO IS TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR 2026 BOND AND NOT A 2025 BOND PERIOD.
GENERAL, NOT GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND ELECTION.
I JUST HEARD LIMIT OUR WORK TOO.
NO, I THINK IT DO A BOND ELECTION.
I WAS GONNA SAY, I'M SAYING THOSE PROCESSES ARE DIFFERENT.
I THINK WHATEVER WE ARE GOING TO RECOMMEND FOR THE BUDGET PROCESS WOULD STILL BE ALLOWABLE.
RIGHT? WE'RE GONNA BE FOLLOWING THE VOTER, THE, THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT IS DEVELOPED BY THIS BODY ALSO.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? YES, JC SORRY DAVE, IF I COULD JUST UNDERSTAND YOUR INTENT A LITTLE BETTER IF WE'VE, CLEARLY THE SENSE OF THE ROOM IS RULING OUT A 2025 BOND AT THIS POINT, AND WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY COUNSEL TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING THAT CAN HAPPEN BY 2026.
THERE ARE NO INTERVENING YEARS.
UH, WHAT IS THE GOAL OF STATING OUTRIGHT THAT IT'S GONNA BE A 2026 BOND, IF THAT'S WHAT'S AT LEAST PLAINLY APPARENT TO ME? WELL, BECAUSE THERE'S DISSENSION IN OUR BODY ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE A 2025 OR THE EIP VERSUS ONE IN 2026 THAT WOULD UNCOVER THAT AND OTHER ELEMENTS, RIGHT? I GUESS I'M ASKING WASN'T THAT TENSION JUST RESOLVED BY THE PRIOR VOTE? NO, THE PRIOR VOTE WAS ONLY TO POSTPONE IT
[01:40:01]
FOR A MONTH.WAS IT TO WORK IN GROUPS? YEAH.
SO IT COULD COME UP AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, RIGHT? YES.
IS THAT ANYBODY'S INTENT HERE? WELL, THE INTENT IS TO PUT IT TO BED.
SO I I THINK THERE'S A BIT OF A QUESTION ABOUT OUR AGENDA POSTING AND I WILL BE INTERESTED IN, IN INPUT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS BODY AT THIS MEETING COULD SAY WE WILL ONLY, UM, RECOMMEND A 2026 BOND.
SO WE COULD STAND ON THE PRIOR MOTION THAT WAS DEFEATED THAT WE WILL NOT SEND A 2025 BOND TO THE WORKING GROUP.
I I, I AGREE THAT MAYBE THAT THAT AGENDA POSTING WOULD NEED TO HAVE INCLUDED SOMETHING ABOUT A DEFINITIVE 2025 VERSUS 2026.
WELL, IT SAYS STAFF PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON B-E-A-T-F RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL TO PROCEED WITH A NOVEMBER, 2025 BOND ELECTION BASED ON GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND ELIGIBLE PROJECTS FROM THE EIP.
SO MAYBE IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO AMEND THE MOTION TO SAY THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND A 2025 BOND.
THIS, IT'S AN IMPORTANT, THIS IS THE FIRST SORT OF CONTENTIOUS, YOU KNOW, DEBATED ITEM ON THIS TASK FORCE, AND I WANNA BE SURE WE'RE NOT, THAT'S CAUGHT UP IN SOME PROCEDURAL ERROR.
SO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS FOR THE GROUP NOT TO RECOMMEND A 2025 BOND ELECTION, CORRECT? SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? ARE WE DONE WITH THAT? AND HAS HER HANDOFF? AND ANNA HAS HER NAME UP TO YOU? YEAH, SO I JUST HAVE A COMMENT.
I KNOW THERE WAS A REFERENCE TO THAT.
THERE'S DISSENSION IN THE ROOM.
ACTUALLY, I WANNA, I WELCOME DISSENSION IF PEOPLE WANNA SPEAK UP.
I OF COURSE WORRIED THAT THIS TYPE OF ACTION MAY TELL PEOPLE WE'LL SHUT YOU DOWN IF WE NEED TO.
I KIND OF, THAT KIND OF BOTHERS ME.
SO I JUST WANNA, I WANNA TO FEEL OKAY TO DISAGREE, UM, AND SPEAK OPENLY ABOUT IT.
I FEEL LIKE THIS IS ALMOST LIKE FLAT OUT SHUTTING PEOPLE DOWN.
AND WHAT IF NEXT WEEK WE FIND OUT THAT SOMETHING DRASTIC IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN AND WE MAY NEED TO CHANGE OUR MINDS.
SO I JUST, JUST SAYING THAT, WELL, UH, ONE, ONE WAY TO ADDRESS THAT WOULD BE TO HAVE IT ON OUR AGENDA EVERY MONTH OF WHETHER OR NOT TO CONSIDER A 2025 BOND ELECTION.
AND THEN WE COULD SAY RIGHT NOW THAT WE DON'T WANT ONE, BUT WE COULD CHANGE OUR MINDS.
I I JUST WANNA SAY TO ANNA THAT I APPRECIATE THE NOTE.
LIKE IF MY COMMENT ABOUT DISSENSION OR WHAT I DIDN'T MEAN TO STIFLE DISCUSSION.
I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE THAT WE WERE REALLY CLEAR ON WHAT WE WERE VOTING ON.
AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WAS POSTED.
I, AND, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT IF WE CAME IN TWO MONTHS, THE GROUP DECIDED TO PUT ON THE AGENDA TO REVISIT IT.
DOES NOT FORECLOSE OUR ABILITY TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
AGAIN, JUST AT THIS MEETING, THE MOTION IS THAT WE WILL, AT THIS POINT NOT RECOMMEND A 2025 BOND, RIGHT? AND WE ADD A SECOND AND WE HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION ON THE TABLE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.
WHAT WAS THE COUNT? I COUNTED 12 IN FAVOR.
I NEEDED TO GET, I KNOW WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO GET TO 10 TODAY.
[4. Discussion and possible action on creating work session groups.]
IN THE AGENDA IS THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON WORK SESSION GROUPS.SO WITH THE, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR MEMBERSHIP IS GONNA CHANGE SLIGHTLY OVER THE NEXT, UH, FEW WEEKS AS NEW APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE, UM, WE HAVE A CURRENT ROSTER WHICH EVERYBODY HAS RECEIVED, IF YOU WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
I KNOW WE HAVE SOME GROUPS THAT ARE, HAVE VERY LOW REPRESENTATION.
WE HAVE SOME GROUPS THAT HAVE A LITTLE, ARE A LITTLE WEIGHTED.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM TODAY.
UNDERSTANDING THAT WE, UH, WE COULD VOTE TO APPROVE THE WORK SESSION GROUPS VOTE TO APPROVE THEIR COMPOSITION.
BUT AS WE GO ALONG, WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE, UM, AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION, WE CAN MAKE, UH,
[01:45:01]
YOU KNOW, CHANGES TO THAT.AND I HOPE EVERYBODY WILL BE WILLING, FOR EXAMPLE, TO, TO SERVE ON STORM WATER.
SO, UM, THE ACTION, THE ITEM IS TO APPROVE THE WORK SESSION GROUPS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE BENJAMIN? YOU MOVE TO APPROVE.
MOVE TO APPROVE AND, UH, LEAVE ROOM FOR ADDITIONS? SHOULD NEW PEOPLE JOIN OUR BODY? OKAY.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE APPROVAL OF THE WORK SESSION GROUPS AS THEY'RE CURRENTLY SHOWN IN THE ROSTER WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WILL BE, UM, THEY WILL BE FLEXIBLE.
I DO JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
DO WE, WE DON'T KNOW YET HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING SWITCHED NOW, DO WE? WE DON'T.
THIS DISTRICT 10 REPRESENTATION IS STAYING IN PLACE AND I'M NOT POSITIVE ABOUT THE OTHERS.
SO MAYBE THERE MIGHT BE THREE THAT ARE POTENTIALLY CHANGING.
AND UNTIL THEY'RE DISTRICT SEVEN IS GONNA BE TWO NEW PEOPLE.
DALE AND I ARE BOTH GONNA BE BUMPED OFF.
AND UNTIL THAT TIME WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE.
JASON, MIGHT THAT FUTURE FLEXIBILITY INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF NEW WORKING GROUPS? YES.
IF ZACH COMES BACK TO US AND SAYS, HEY, I'VE GOT A GREAT THING THAT DOESN'T FIT.
THIS IS JUST TO GET US STARTED.
AND, UM, ONE THING I'LL SAY BEFORE WE VOTE IS, IS, UM, WHEN, ACTUALLY I'LL WAIT, I'LL WAIT.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF, OF APPROVING THE WORKING SESSION GROUPS.
I'M, I'M AVAILABLE AND AMENABLE TO SWITCH WORKING AS NECESSARY TO FIND BALANCE ACROSS THE GROUPS.
'CAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE HEAVILY WEIGHTED AND OTHERS ARE NOT.
I I ASSUME THAT WE'RE ALL SOMEWHAT FLEXIBLE IN SERVING.
THAT'S WHY I HELD BACK FROM ADDING MY SECOND ONE BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE WORK SESSION GROUPS.
UM, ON THAT NOTE, I WOULD LIKE FOR, UM, AS A WAY SO THAT THIS BODY HAS, UM, INSIGHT AND TRANSPARENCY INTO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORKING SESSION GROUPS, THAT WHEN THE WORK SESSION GROUPS MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME, IF YOU'LL APPOINT A POINT OF CONTACT A CHAIR OF THAT WORK SESSION GROUP.
THAT WAY I KNOW WHO TO REACH OUT TO, TO SAY, I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO GIVE THE A READOUT TO THE BTF THE NEXT TIME WE MEET.
AS WELL AS TO GIVE BARBARA, UM, A POINT OF CONTACT FOR ANY PUBLIC MEETING, ANY SCHEDULING OF ROOMS THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED.
AND JUST GENERALLY, IF SOMEONE HAS A QUESTION ABOUT WORK SESSION GROUP, IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A CHAIR THAT CAN RUN THAT BE THE POINT OF CONTACT.
SO PLEASE, IF YOU'VE MET THE TIME, BY THE TIME WE MEET NEXT, WE'D LOVE TO GET YOUR NAMES OR YOU CAN EMAIL THEM TO ME IF WE KNOW.
UM, TO THE POINT ABOUT REPORT OUTS, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO JUST HAVE A STANDING AGENDA ITEM IF ANYBODY HAS MET IN THE LAST MONTH? TELL US WHAT'S, I WAS THINKING THAT THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE, RIGHT? UNLESS THERE'S A SPECIFIC QUESTION.
UH, JUST A QUESTION ABOUT THE WORK GROUP, UH, ORGANIZATION.
ARE, IS IT, ARE WE SAYING THAT, UH, THE MEMBERS SHOULD CONVENE OURSELVES AND FIGURE OUT A PLAN OR WILL STAFF BE MOBILIZING US? I THINK THE FIRST STEP WOULD BE THAT STAFF GIVES EVERYBODY CONTACT INFORMATION OF EVERYONE ON THE WORK SESSION GROUP TO THE EXTENT YOU DON'T HAVE IT.
AND THEN, UH, WORK AMONGST YOURSELVES TO, TO COME UP WITH WHAT YOU THINK YOUR WORK PLAN IS, YOUR WHEN YOU GONNA MEET AND THEN RELAY THAT INFORMATION BACK TO US.
AND I OBVIOUSLY, I THINK THIS IS, UH, A BIT OF A, UH, THERE'S NO HARD AND FAST RULES.
LET'S GO AT, YOU KNOW, SO LONG AS WE'RE GETTING TRANSPARENCY AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE, THEY CAN GO TO A WORK SESSION GROUP SO LONG AS THAT POINT OF CONTACT OR THAT CHAIR, THAT WORK SESSION GROUP CAN CONFIRM, YOU'RE NOT GONNA CREATE A QUORUM BY HAVING EVERYBODY THERE.
SO COMMUNICATE, IF YOU'RE GONNA GO TO A WORK SESSION GROUP THAT YOU'RE NOT A MEMBER OF, I'D ASK YOU TO COMMUNICATE WITH THAT POINT OF CONTACT.
I WAS JUST THINKING WE PUT A TIMEFRAME LIKE BY THE END OF THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK, THE STAFF WILL CONNECT EVERYONE JUST SO THAT WE BARBARA.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL WE'LL TRY TO FACILITATE THAT
COULD WE JUST GET THE CONTACT LIST AND THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR STAFF TO CONVENE US? MARCUS, WOULD YOU PLEASE ADDRESS THAT WALKING FORUM BY HAVING ALL MEMBERS INCLUSIVE, HAVING CONVERSATIONS TOGETHER? THAT WOULD BE MY CONCERN ABOUT PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.
I WASN'T, UM, SUGGESTING THAT WE ALL BE ON AN EMAIL JUST SO WE GET THE CONTRACTS.
I THINK IF WE, IT'S FINE IF WE JUST SEND THE COMMITTEE.
AS LONG AS YOU'LL DO IT IN IN THE NEXT WEEK.
UM, ALSO THE, THESE ARE WORKING GROUPS THAT ARE NOT GONNA BE VOTING OR TAKING ANY ACTION ON
[01:50:01]
ANYTHING.SO AS FAR AS WALKING QUORUMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT'S VERY, VERY MINIMAL.
I THINK FOR THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT THOUGH, WE HAVE TO NOT HAVE, UM, DISCUSSIONS WITH A QUORUM PRESENT.
SO EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT TAKING AN ACTION, THAT HAS TO BE PART OF EVEN BY EMAIL, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO WHEN I COMMUNICATE TO YOU, I DO IT IBCC, EVERYBODY SO THAT YOU CAN'T THEN REPLY ALL.
ALTHOUGH IT MAKES ME NERVOUS EVERY TIME THAT I'M GONNA GET MY HAND SLAPPED FROM NOT DOING THAT.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
LET'S TALK ABOUT FUTURE AGENDA
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEMS. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT WE HAVE THE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GONNA BE BREAKING UP INTO WORKING GROUPS, I'D REALLY LIKE THE FULL TASK FORCE TO UNDERSTAND BETTER ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BONDS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY'VE BEEN DISPLAYED AS THOUGH THEY ARE NOT BEING SPENT OR THAT THERE'S ALL THIS MONEY LEFT OVER.UM, ANYONE WHO IS TRYING TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING RIGHT NOW THROUGH THOSE CITY BONDS IS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO MONEY LEFT.
UM, BECAUSE IT IS BASICALLY ALL OBLIGATED, UM, ALREADY AND IT WAS PURPOSELY LIKE GIVEN AN AMOUNT EACH YEAR TO BE SPENT.
SO THE AMOUNT THAT IS LEFT IS THERE ON PURPOSE.
AND SO I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HEAR FROM THE CITY ABOUT WHY THAT IS DIFFERENT AND WHY IT IS NOT LIKE, SORT OF LIKE LATE PROJECTS.
UM, SO I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HEAR FROM, UH, US IN HOUSING, UH, AUSTIN FI, HOUSING FINANCE ABOUT THAT.
I'LL JUST MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS, THE STAFF CAN DO THAT BEFORE WE AGREE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE NEXT TIME.
OH NO, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE NEXT TIME.
BUT I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE TRIPPED OURSELVES UP A LITTLE BIT SOMETIMES WITH PLANNING TO DO SOMETHING THAT STAFF'S NOT ABLE JUST AS SUPPORTIVE INFORMATION, JUST BE STAFF.
ARE YOU GONNA BE ABLE TO GIVE THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING? I THINK THOSE ARE FANTASTIC CONVERSATIONS FOR THE WORKING GROUPS AS THEY GET INTO THAT TO UNDERSTAND AND LEARN ABOUT HOW THE PROGRAMS ARE SET UP.
UM, AND YOU'RE NOT ON THE MIC.
I THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET, SORRY, THAT'S MY FAULT.
I'M JUST THROWING QUESTIONS ACROSS THE ROOM.
MARCUS HAMMER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
SO I THINK THAT YOU GUYS ARE, ARE KIND OF MOVING RIGHT INTO LIKE WHAT THE WORKING GROUP CONVERSATIONS WOULD BE KIND OF LEADING INTO IS REALLY THE EDUCATIONAL STANDPOINT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WHETHER IT BE FOR, FOR HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, UH, WATERSHED, LAND ACQUISITION, ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF, I THINK KEY ITEMS THAT YOU'RE WANTING TO DISCUSS AND GET MORE INVOLVED IN AND HAVING THOSE UPDATES.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN START HELPING ESTABLISH AND SET UP AS A WORKING GROUPS ARE BEING CREATED, INFORMED, UM, TO HELP HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK THE BENEFIT WAS THAT THE WHOLE GROUP WOULD BE, WE'D BENEFIT FROM CERTAIN CONVERSATIONS BEING DELIVERED TO THE 'CAUSE.
IT, NOT EVERYBODY WILL ATTEND THE WORK SECTION GROUP.
MY REQUEST IS NOT SO MUCH 'CAUSE I THINK THE WORKING GROUPS SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT FUTURE NEED AND WHAT THE MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, WHAT THE ASKS ARE AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
MY REQUEST FOR THE FULL GROUP TO BE EDUCATED IS BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN A SLIDE UP ON THE SCREEN A COUPLE OF TIMES THAT HAD REMAINING BONDS FOR SPECIFICALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PROJECT CONNECT THAT IMPLY THERE IS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS LEFT IN THE PROGRAM AND THAT IS COMPLETELY FALSE FROM A PROJECT LEVEL PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S SORT OF DRAMATIC CONFUSION ABOUT THAT, UM, BECAUSE OF THOSE SLIDES.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HELP TO HAVE THE DEPARTMENT EXPLAIN HOW THEY DO THINGS SINCE IT IS IT, THE ONLY REASON IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S MONEY LEFT IS BECAUSE THEY DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY THAN ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT WE, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE MEMO THAT WAS KIND OF PRODUCED BACK IN JANUARY, WE, THERE WAS KIND OF A BIGGER OUTLINE THAT WAS KIND OF PUT IN THERE FROM A DEPARTMENT STANDPOINT AND BRINGING DEPARTMENTS FORWARD TO KIND OF HAVE THEIR CONVERSATION ABOUT TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND THEIR NEEDS MM-HMM
UM, AND THOSE WOULD DEFINITELY BE PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND THE, THE COURSE OF THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE ABLE TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AND HAVE, HAVE A MUCH LARGER UNDERSTANDING.
AND THAT WOULD BE OUR INTENT IS TO BRING 'EM ALL FORWARD YOU'RE ASKING FOR, BUT THEN IT'S THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS TO COME BACK AND EXPLAIN SOMETHING THAT JUST LIKE ZACH CAME AND GAVE A PRESENTATION THAT I THINK WE ALL NEEDED TO HEAR.
I PERSONALLY THINK THAT AS SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THE, UH, LAY PERSON, IT, I THINK IT IS, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR THE WHOLE GROUP TO UNDERSTAND THIS A LITTLE BETTER.
WE, WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COORDINATE WITH THOSE GUYS AND BRING 'EM BACK.
AND, AND I'LL POINT OUT RACHEL'S NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO'S AWARE OF THIS ISSUE.
I'M ON THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY AND I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH WHAT SHE SAID.
WE WILL ADD THEM FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM FOR, FOR THE MARCH.
JUST AS A POINT OF INFORMATION.
BOND OVERSIGHT COMMISSION GOT A BRIEFING FROM HOUSING LAST WEEK, SO THEY'VE GOT THE BRIEFING READY, THEY'RE PREPARED IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN GETTING IT, THEY'RE READY TO GO.
[01:55:01]
HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO ON FRIDAY NIGHT.THAT'S A RELEVANT POINT FOR OUR CONSIDERATION.
UM, SO I DUNNO HOW RELATED THAT IS OR DIFFERENT, BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE
I PRESUME THAT THERE'S GONNA NEED TO BE SOME PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL TWEAKING JUST TO SORT OF FEEL AS IF, AND IT IS ALL ABOUT PERCEPTIONS, RIGHT? AND UH, THESE AREAS ARE GETTING THE FULL CANVAS AND SCOPE AND ATTENTION OF THE FULL BODIED COMMISSION.
AND SO WITH THAT, I THINK THAT WE'RE DEFINITELY HEAVY HANDED IN CERTAIN GROUPS AND UNDER A LIGHT ON OTHERS.
SO I WOULD EXPECT THAT THAT THIS IS GONNA CHANGE SOMEWHAT DRAMATICALLY BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, GOING BACK TO THE ISSUE OF HEAVY DO WITH THE BOND, UM, IF THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ADDRESSED ALL THE PAST BONDS AND CURRENT STATUS, WHATEVER, I THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE BENEFICIAL TO ME TO KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING STOOD, NOT JUST HOUSING OR AFFORDABLE AFFORDABILITY.
I THINK I'D RATHER HAVE A BIG PICTURE OF ALL OF THE AREAS THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO ADDRESS.
MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
YOU WOULD LIKE A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OUT ON THE EXISTING CURRENT BOND PROGRAMS, WHAT'S BEEN SPENT, WHAT'S NOT BEEN SPENT.
AM I SAYING THAT CORRECTLY? YEAH.
BECAUSE OF, IF WHAT I'M HEARING IS WE ARE GONNA HEAR ONLY ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, THE THAT PIECE, I THINK I WOULD TO BE EQUITABLE, I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR ABOUT ALL OF THE AREAS THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE WORKING GROUPS ON TO ALL OF US BE EQUALLY REPRESENTED AND EQUITABLY ADDRESSED.
I AGREE THAT THE EDUCATION COMPONENTS SHOULD BE SHARED WITH THE LARGER GROUP.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SHARE OUT THE BOND TASK FORCE, VIDEO LENGTH, AND JUST KIND OF EVERYBODY DO THEIR HOMEWORK AND NOT HAVE STAFF MIGHT BE PRESENT AGAIN, SOMETHING THEY JUST PRESENTED A WEEK AGO.
THAT'S WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY.
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN TODAY'S MEETING, DAVE.
STORM WATER RIGHT? YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP PLAYING ON EACH OTHER, BABY.
YOU JUST GOTTA KNOW THAT THE ONE WHO'S ALWAYS HELPED YOU DOWN.
WELL LOOK NOW FEELS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN HIDING FROM THE WHOLE TIME.