[00:00:01]
WELCOME TO THE[CALL TO ORDER]
MARCH, 2025 MEETING OF THE AUSTIN MAYORS COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.LET'S START WITH THE CALL TO ORDER OVER THE ROLL CALL.
MICKEY, DOES YOUR AUDIO WORK DO HERE? EXCELLENT.
PETE SALAZAR AND KRISTEN VASSO MAY JOIN SHORTLY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS TONIGHT? NO.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities regular meeting on February 7, 2025.]
MOVING ON, UM, THE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 7TH, 2025 MEETING.UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE? A MOTION TO APPROVE.
I DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THAT MEETING, SO I'M GONNA ABSTAIN, BUT ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[2. Presentation and discussion of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. Presentation by James May, Officer Housing & Community Development, Rocio Pena-Martinez, Grants Program Manager, Housing Department and Julie Smith, Engagement Specialist, Housing Department. ]
DIS DISCUSSION ITEMS. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, 26.
PRESENTATION BY JAMES MAY, OFFICE, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
I'M THE GRANTS PROGRAM MANAGER FOR HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, JULIE AND I ARE HERE TODAY TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR HUD GRANTS, UH, PROCESS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN CALLED THE ACTION PLAN.
WE'RE HOPING TO GIVE YOU ENOUGH BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT WE CAN, UM, ELICIT YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY ABOUT HOW THESE GRANTS MAY IMPACT YOUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
I'M THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
I'M HERE PRIMARILY TO LISTEN, UH, AND FIRST JUST WANTED TO HELP SET THE STAGE FOR, YOU KNOW, WHY WE'RE HERE AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
UM, WOULD YOU GUYS MIND TALK, BRINGING THE, IS THIS CLICKER ON? OH, I JUST SAW IT MOVE.
SO, QUICK PREVIEW OF WHAT WE'LL GO OVER.
UM, IN THE NEXT, UH, 20 MINUTES OR SO, WE WANT TO REVIEW THE, THE FUNDING CYCLE AND THE ENGAGEMENT CYCLE THAT THIS IS A PART OF.
UH, GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE FEDERAL GRANTS, TALK ABOUT WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO LAST YEAR AND HOW WE ACCOMPLISHED THOSE GOALS.
UM, AND THEN REALLY TALK ABOUT THE PRIORITIES FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO THIS ACTION PLAN THAT OUR STAFF IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON.
SO WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR HUD FEDERAL FUNDING, BUT THIS IS ONLY ONE OF MANY SOURCES OF FUNDS THAT WE HAVE.
AND I, AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT AS I'M IN COMMUNITY LISTENING, AS THE ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, I'M HERE TO, TO LISTEN ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO WHILE THE ROCIO IS LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK ON OUR FEDERAL FUNDS, ANYTHING I HEAR, I MAKE SURE THAT IS PART OF OUR ONGOING ENGAGEMENT.
AND THIS BUILDS ON ENGAGEMENT OF THE PAST AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BUILD.
UM, AND SO IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN'T ADDRESS WITH OUR FEDERAL FUNDS, WE ALWAYS WANNA LOOK TO SEE WHAT OTHER FUNDS WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THOSE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
AND THE FEDERAL FUNDS ARE PART OF A FIVE YEAR CYCLE.
YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT WE WERE HERE LAST YEAR AS A PART OF THE, UM, CONSOLIDATED PLAN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND, UM, THAT HELPS SET THE STAGE FOR WHAT IS HAPPENING.
WE'RE IN YEAR ONE, UM, OF THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN AND PLANNING FOR YEAR TWO.
AND AS PART OF THAT PLANNING FOR YEAR TWO, WE COME TO TOUCH BASE AND SAY, HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW, HERE'S, UM, WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW AND WHERE DO YOU WANNA PLAY A ROLE? AND AT THE END OF EACH YEAR, OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR CAPER, WHICH YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT IN TERMS OF HOW WELL WE DID IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.
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UH, 13 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, OVER 40 OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.WE CAME WITH THE GOAL OF SAYING, HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR.
HERE ARE THE FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK THEMES WE CONTINUE TO HEAR.
AND IN THOSE CONSULTATIONS, WE GOT TO KNOW A LOT DEEPER ABOUT THESE FEEDBACK THEMES.
WE HAD THEMES ADDED, UH, TO KINDA WHAT WE UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA BUILD ON THOSE THIS YEAR, SPECIFICALLY FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE THEMES THAT WE HEARD.
UH, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WAS A HUGE PIECE OF THIS.
UH, WANTING TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW FUNDS ARE USED AND WHY FUND, WHY DECISIONS ARE MADE.
UM, WANTING TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE DATA AND THE IMPACT.
SO EVERY COMMISSION WE HEARD FROM SAID, CAN YOU BRING US BETTER DATA ON HOW YOU'RE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY AND THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY? WANTING TO KNOW THAT THOSE COMMUNITIES WERE BEING REACHED OUT TO.
UM, SO THAT OUR PROGRAMMING, UH, WAS MADE AVAILABLE FOR, FOR VERY SPECIFIC POPULATIONS.
UM, WE HEARD FUNDING POSSIBILITIES FROM LOTS OF DIFFERENT ANGLES.
UM, AND OVERALL A SENSE OF JUST KINDA DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISTRUST AND HOW WE DO ENGAGEMENT AND HOW WE MAKE DECISIONS.
AND SO WHEN WE COME BACK TO YOU THIS YEAR, WE WANNA SAY, WE KNOW THAT THAT FRUSTRATION STILL EXISTS AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO BUILD ON THAT FEEDBACK AS WE CREATE THESE PLANS.
AND SO, UM, THERE'S A SUMMARY HERE.
I WON'T READ IT TO YOU, BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR MATERIALS.
UM, SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE HEARD FROM THIS COMMITTEE LAST YEAR, UM, WHICH ALIGNS A LOT WITH THE THEMES THAT WE HEARD FROM OTHER COMMISSIONS IN TERMS OF REALLY WANTING TO SEE THE DATA, UM, FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE OF OUR DEVELOPERS.
UM, AND I'M EXCITED TO, TO SHARE THAT.
WE HAVE MADE, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS ON HOW WE COLLECT DATA.
WE HAVE A BRAND NEW DATA AND POLICY TEAM THAT WILL, SO HOPEFULLY IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO COMMISSIONS WITH VERY SPECIFIC DATA ON THE POPULATIONS THAT YOU SERVE.
AND SO THAT TEAM IS BUSY SETTING, KIND OF LEARNING THE, THE LAY OF THE LAND, UM, AND THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AND HELPING US MAKE REALLY DATA INFORMED DECISIONS.
AND SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT TIME WE'RE IN FRONT OF YOU, REALLY HAVING THAT, HOPEFULLY HAVING THAT SPECIFIC DATA.
UM, HERE'S KINDA A SNAPSHOT OF HOW WE ARE RESPONDING TO COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF SPEAKING THROUGH COMMUNITY NEEDS.
SO FOR ALL THE NEEDS THAT WE HEARD, UM, AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE ONES THAT, THAT CAME UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH COMMISSIONS.
AND SO KNOWLEDGE OF PROGRAMS, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY MORE, UH, BEING REALLY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHO WE'RE REACHING AND HOW WE'RE REACHING THEM, UH, HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE, HOLDING OUR PARTNERS ACCOUNTABLE, UM, IS ALL CAPTURED IN.
UH, THIS IS A, JUST A SNAPSHOT OF A REPORT THAT'S ABOUT TO BE RELEASED, UH, THAT REALLY OUTLAYS OUR, UH, LAYS OUT OUR COMMITMENTS BASED ON THE NEEDS THAT WE'RE HEARING.
UM, SO YOU'LL SEE MORE TRANSPARENCY IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, FINDING CLEAR, EASIER WAYS TO TALK ABOUT THE FUNDING, HOW THE FUNDING USED, WHAT'S REQUIRED OF THE PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE OUR FUNDING.
UM, SO PLEASE KNOW THAT THAT IS ALL IN PROGRESS, UM, AND, UH, WILL HOPEFULLY BE KINDA IN A, A VISUAL, TANGIBLE, UH, PLACE SOON.
SO THANKS FOR THE FEEDBACK AND HELPING, UH, DRIVE THAT.
THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET CONTINUES TO BE A PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, AND WILL AND, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD LAST YEAR.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CIO TO TALK, UH, ABOUT OUR FEDERAL FUNDING, AND THEN WE'LL WANNA HEAR MORE FROM YOU ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK THE NEEDS ARE THIS YEAR.
SO I'M GONNA GET INTO MORE OF THE DETAILS ABOUT FEDERAL GRANTS THAT WE'RE APPLYING TO DURING THIS ACTION PLAN PROCESS.
I WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS BACKGROUND SO THAT DURING YOUR FEEDBACK, UH, WE CAN RELATE IT BACK TO OUR APPLICATION TO HUD AND WE WILL INCLUDE YOUR FEEDBACK IN OUR HUD REPORTING.
UM, SO THE GRANTS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY ARE THESE FOUR FORMULA GRANTS FROM HUD.
UH, THEY ARE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, WHICH FOCUSES ON CREATING, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT ALSO ECONOMICALLY ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES VIA HOUSING, UM, FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS.
WE ALSO HAVE TOP RIGHT HOME, WHICH FOCUSES ON MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILDING, UM, HOPWA BOTTOM LEFT, WHICH IS A GRANT THAT FOCUSES ON PROVIDING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR FOLKS LIVING WITH HIV.
AND, UM, THE ESG GRANT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HEARTH GRANT.
OCCASIONALLY THAT ONE FOCUSES ON PROVIDING SERVICES FOR, UM, HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE.
SO WE CONDUCT THIS ANNUAL ACTION PLAN PROCESS THAT INVOLVES COMING TO YOU, HEARING YOUR FEEDBACK, AND EVERY YEAR WE WILL APPLY TO THESE FOUR GRANTS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
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UM, AT SOME POINT WE'LL HEAR BACK FROM HUD WHETHER OR NOT OUR APPLICATION IS RECEIVED AND APPROVED, AND HOW MUCH OF WHAT WE'VE APPLIED TO WE WILL RECEIVE.AND THEN, UH, THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF HOW WE HAVE USED THOSE GRANTS.
MOST RECENTLY FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR, 2324, YOU'LL SEE THOSE FOUR GRANTS I JUST TALKED ABOUT ALONG THE TOP.
AND ALONG THE LEFT COLUMN ARE THE PRIORITY AREAS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED DURING OUR FIVE YEAR PLAN, UH, WHICH IS JULIE MENTIONED BRIEFLY AT THE BEGINNING.
UM, WE DO MORE IN DEPTH ANALYSIS AND PLANNING IN A CONSOLIDATED PLAN, WHICH INFORMS THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OF WHICH WE ARE IN YEAR TWO.
UM, I WILL LET YOU ALL, UH, EXPLORE THIS FURTHER AND WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT THIS IS A, A BREAKDOWN OF HOW THESE, THE FUNDS THAT WERE RECEIVED IN 2324 AND HOW THEY WERE USED BY THESE PRIORITY AREAS, UH, WHICH ARE RENTER ASSISTANCE, HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE, UM, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, HOMELESSNESS ASSISTANCE, SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE, AND DEVELOP, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
THIS TABLE IS FROM OUR END OF YEAR REPORTING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2324.
UH, AT THE END OF THE ACTION PLAN PROCESS, UH, IF WE HAVE RECEIVED HUD GRANTS, WE THEN REPORT ON OUR USE OF THEM, AND WE COMPARE OUR END OF YEAR OUTCOMES TO WHAT WE ORIGINALLY APPLIED THE GOALS WE ORIGINALLY MENTIONED.
SO HERE YOU WILL SEE AGAIN ALL OF THOSE PRIORITY NEED AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
UH, THE GOALS THAT WE STATED WHEN WE APPLIED THE ACTUAL OUTCOME AND THE ACTUAL EXPENSE, UH, TRUE FOR, FOR THE END OF FISCAL YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 23, 24.
SO YOU'LL SEE, YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE SOMETHING SIMILAR AT THE END OF THIS YEAR'S, UH, GRANT CYCLE.
THIS IS SOME DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, UH, THAT IS PART OF OUR, OUR HUD PROCESS THAT HUD, UM, ALSO COLLECTS, UH, THE CITY AS, I MEAN, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, AS JULIE MENTIONED, IS WORKING ON DEVELOPING MORE ROBUST INTERNAL DATA PROCESSES.
UM, SO THIS IS SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC, UH, DATA WE HAVE AVAILABLE CURRENTLY.
HERE IS A TABLE OF MFI USE BY HOUSEHOLD, SERVED BY THE COLLECTIVE, UH, FOR FOUR GRANT PROGRAMS. I'M SORRY, THE TWO GRANT PROGRAMS, CDBG ON THE LEFT AND HOME ON THE RIGHT.
SO WE'VE TRIED TO BE SU SUCCINCT WITH OUR BACKGROUND.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE YOU, YOU HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO WORK WITH.
UM, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU HOW YOU THINK THESE GRANTS MAY IMPACT YOUR COMMUNITIES IN THIS COMING YEAR.
UM, WHAT SOME OF YOUR PRIORITIES ARE.
HERE'S, UM, HERE ARE TWO, UH, HIGHLIGHTS FROM SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT JULIE HAS MENTIONED WE'VE ALREADY HEARD, UM, AND ARE ALREADY INCORPORATING IN OUR DECISION MAKING.
AND YEAH, LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
ARE YOU THE STATE? HU AND IS THE NATIONAL HU ONE, THE YARD PINE? THESE RENTS TOO FEDERAL? YES, THE NATIONAL.
AND HOW DOES HUD RELATE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY? UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF AUSTIN VERSUS, UH, THE FEDERAL HUD? JAMIE WORKS IN THE STATE.
HUD I'M NOT SURE ABOUT STATE HUD I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT STATE HUD.
I MIGHT, UH, LET JAMIE ANSWER THAT.
UH, UM, SO, UH, HUD IS THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
THEY PROVIDE GRANTS TO THE STATES AND TO LOCALITIES.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS A, UH, DIRECT RECIPIENT OF THOSE GRANTS.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE DO EVERY YEAR WITH THE ACTION PLAN, UM, WHERE WE RECEIVE FUNDS FROM THE STATE WHERE THEY ARE A PASS THROUGH OF THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS.
[00:15:01]
THAT IS AN AWARD PROCESS THAT THE STATE MANAGES.UH, SO THOSE, THAT REPORTING WOULD GO THROUGH THAT LEVEL.
UM, WE WOULD SPEND THE DOLLARS AND WE, WE'VE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT, BUT FOR THIS PLANNING STAGE, WE, WE WOULDN'T CONSIDER ANY OF THOSE DOLLARS FOR OUR PURPOSES AS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN AWARDED YET, SO, RIGHT.
ALL THIS DO I ONE THE HELP WHEN, UH, THE RELATIONSHIP, THE HOUSE AUTHORITY AND HUD, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ALSO RECEIVES FUNDING FROM HUD.
UM, BUT THEY ARE A SEPARATE ENTITY HIRED, UH, SO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS A RECIPIENT THROUGH A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT OF HUD.
UH, AND THEY MANAGE THEIR OWN, UH, UH, THEIR OWN BUDGETS.
THE, UH, I THINK THE ONLY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS THAT THE MAYOR, UM, APPOINTS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, I BELIEVE IS CORRECT.
UH, SO JUST, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE, BECAUSE YOU'RE CALLED THE HOUSING OF
I'M VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, UM, DOJA IS REVIEWING EXISTING CONTRACTS AND CANCELING THEM, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS PLAN WAS DEVELOPED BEFORE, UM, THESE NEW, UM, INITIATIVES, UH, BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, WENT INTO EFFECT.
SO I'M, I'M VERY, UH, CONCERNED BECAUSE, UM, THIS PLAN WAS REALLY ABOUT EQUITY AND REALLY BEING AWARE OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF OUR CITY AND WHERE WE'RE SEEING, UM, INEQUITY IN, IN PRACTICE AND, UH, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS OTHERS THAT FIT UNDER DEI WHEN EVERYTHING'S SUPPOSED TO BE BASED ON A MERIT BASED SYSTEM.
NOW, UM, IT'S VERY CONCERNING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH ANY OF THESE GRANTS IN THE FUTURE.
AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU'RE DEVELOPING A CONTINGENCY PLAN, IF NO FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE AWARDED, AND THE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY ALSO BEHIND THAT, NOT TO GET POLITICAL.
UM, I, I KNOW THAT'S THE LAST THING WE WANNA THINK ABOUT RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE DEEPLY IMPACTED BY THIS, AND WE'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP AT THIS LOCAL LEVEL IN ANY WAY.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR OFFER OF SUPPORT AND I, I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN AS WELL.
UH, AS FAR AS MESSAGING, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A BRAND NEW INTERGOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICE.
THEY ARE REALLY SPEARHEADING, UH, COMMUNICATIONS WITH AND ABOUT THESE, UH, FEDERAL MANDATES.
I WILL BE SURE TO SHARE WITH, UH, WITH CHRISTIE OR VIA CHRISTIE THE MOST RECENT MEMO FROM THEM.
UM, AND IN, IN THAT, YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR CONTINGENCY PLAN IS, IS ONE, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS AS THEY CURRENTLY EXIST.
THAT WE HAVE NO REASONS TO POTENTIALLY LOSE GROUND ON THE GRANTS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY PLANNED FOR AND ARE CURRENTLY APPLYING FOR.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY AS WELL.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
UM, I THINK THERE IS ALSO, AS THIS IS BUDGET SEASON OF STRATEGIZING HAPPENING AT THE, UH, DIRECTOR OFFICE LEVEL ABOUT ALTERNATE FUNDS, UM, LIKE GENERAL FUNDS OR OTHER FUND SOURCES.
I IS, UH, FOR, FOR THOSE FAMILIES THAT YOU HAD ON THE PRESENTATION THAT ARE, WERE RECEIVING RES ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE GRANTS, IS THAT ONGOING SUCH THAT IF WE WEREN'T TO GET THE GRANTS THIS YEAR, THAT THERE, THAT THAT ASSISTANCE WOULD BE IMPACTED? OR IS IT KIND OF YEAR TO YEAR AS IN YOU'D BE WE JUST WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ASSIST NEW FAMILIES? YOU MEAN THE, THE HOUSEHOLD SERVE THAT WE SHOWED YOU? CORRECT.
FOR THE OUTCOMES? I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE UNIQUE TO EVERY YEAR.
I THINK THERE ARE SO MANY PROGRAMS WITHIN THESE FOUR GRANTS UMBRELLAS.
SOME OF THEM ARE, AS YOU'RE DESCRIBING, UH, SORT OF LIKE A, THE SAME FAMILY MAY BE SERVED IN, UH, UNIQUELY EVERY YEAR ON A CONTINUAL BASIS.
OTHER PROGRAMS ARE, UM, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL MAY, UH, RECEIVE ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE GRANTS, BE OTHER PROGRAMMING MIGHT BE A ONE-TIME THING, MIGHT BE A AS NEEDED, AS NEED BASIS
[00:20:02]
INTERACTION.I MEAN, I, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT I WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, MY BIGGEST CONCERN WOULD BE PRIORITIZING, UH, HOUSEHOLDS, UH, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY HOUSEHOLDS THAT HAVE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
IT MIGHT BE MORE VULNERABLE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE LOSE ANY FUNDING DUE TO THE NOT BEING ABLE TO ATTAIN THE GRANTS, THAT THERE ISN'T A BREAK IN SERVICE FOR THOSE EXISTING FAMILIES THAT ARE RELYING ON US.
AND, UM, I JUST HAD A REALLY QUICK QUESTION.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAMS AND THE WAY PEOPLE ARE SERVED, ARE THEY, DO THEY COME DIRECTLY TO YOU OR DO YOU WORK WITH OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS? AND ONE CONCERN I HAVE IS MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND ALL OF THAT IS EQUITABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THAT MAKING SURE PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR WHO ARE DEAF HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME KIND OF APPLICATION PROCESSES.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, IT DOES.
UH, FOR THESE GRANTS THAT WE'RE PRESENTING ON TONIGHT, UH, THEY ARE DISPERSED THROUGH ACTUALLY SEVERAL CITY DEPARTMENTS, NOT JUST THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
EACH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS THEN WORKS WITH VARIOUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS OR AT TIMES INTERNAL CITY PROGRAMS. SO EACH OF THE SERVICES APPLICATIONS WOULD BE THROUGH A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND THEIR STANDARDS OR THROUGH THE CITY DEPARTMENT WHO'S OFFERING THE PROGRAM DIRECTLY.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE STANDARDS FOR ACCESSIBILITY, UH, THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS.
UM, I DUNNO IF, IF MAYBE JAMIE HAS MORE DETAIL.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE COLLECT IT CURRENTLY.
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ABSOLUTELY WE ARE THINKING ABOUT IT.AND, AND THAT'S, UM, A NEWER, A DEVELOPING TEAM ON IN OUR DEPARTMENT, SO THIS IS GOOD FEEDBACK TO TAKE BACK AS WELL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, POINTERS FOR US IF WE WANT TO LOOK INTO COLLECTING DISABILITY OR OTHER HIPAA PROTECTED INFORMATION? WELL, I THINK IT DEFINITELY HAS TO BE VOLUNTARY, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM THE PERSON.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE MAYBE A QUESTIONNAIRE DEVELOPED WITH OUR BOARD THAT WE COULD SEND OUT LATE TO ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT COULD BE VOLUNTARY IF PEOPLE WANTED TO ANSWER TO HELP THE CITY COLLECT THIS KIND OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
UM, WE DEFINITELY HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET, BUT THERE'S OTHER DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD DEFINITELY, UM, BENEFIT FROM THIS INFORMATION TOO.
AND IT HELPS US GET AN IDEA OF WHO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP AND SERVE.
SO, I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S JUST, THERE'S VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE TRYING TO SERVE.
AND THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE TERM THAT I'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST FOUR YEARS, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, TO DEFINE, UM, THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT WITH, UM, OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES, I HAVE ONE COMMENT, AND I MEAN THIS IN THE ABSOLUTE KINDEST WAY, BUT YOUR PRESENTATION WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE.
LIKE, IT'S THE, THE TYPEFACE IS VERY SMALL, SO I MEAN, I, I HAVE GOOD VISION, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK AND REVIEW IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, SOME OF OUR MEMBERS ALSO ARE, HAVE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT DISABILITIES AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE PRESENTING TO THE BOARDS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PRESENTATIONS ARE ACCESSIBLE TOO.
NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE PRESENTATION.
UM, DO YOU KNOW IF THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS LOOKING AT HOUSING FUNDS FOR THE BOND IN WHAT, 2026? UM, I'M, I AM THE ASSIGNEE FROM THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, SO, YES.
UM, WE DO NOT KNOW HOW BIG IT'S GONNA BE OR EVEN IF HOUSING WOULD BE PART OF IT THOUGH.
AND ONE LAST THING, JUST TO CLARIFY.
THE, THE PERSON OR COMMUNI THE NEW COMMUNICATION TEAM OR PERSON THAT IS KIND OF FOLLOWING ALL OF THE NEW FEDERAL REGULATIONS, UM, YOU ARE GONNA SEND THAT TO CHRISTIE AND SO THAT WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I'LL SEND THEIR MOST RECENT MEMO THROUGH CHRISTIE.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, COMMENTS? NO.
UM, I KNOW THAT FEDERAL ANYTHING RIGHT NOW IS KIND OF TENUOUS.
UM, AND I DO LOOK FORWARD NEXT YEAR TO HAVING, HOPEFULLY HAVING BETTER DATA.
AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE LISTENING TO COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE PUTTING IN EFFORTS, SO, ALL RIGHT.
[3. Discussion of micromobility and obstruction of sidewalks. ]
ON TO DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION OF MICRO MOBILITY AND OBSTRUCTION OF SIDEWALKS.UH, COMMISSIONER KELLY, YOU WANNA START THIS ONE? YEAH, SURE.
SO OF COURSE WE'VE BEEN REVISITING THIS TOPIC A BIT.
UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO THE HERE FOR THE DISCUSSION, MAYBE.
UM, FOLKS ONLINE IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND TURN YOUR CAMERAS ON.
[00:30:05]
WELL, HEY, MY NAME'S MIKEUH, I'M, UH, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR SHARED MOBILITY SERVICES WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON.
MY DOES NOT SEEM TO BE COOPERATING RIGHT NOW, SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN DO THAT.
LET'S JUST INTRODUCE HELLO EVERYBODY.
I'M THE DEPARTMENT ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE TIME AND, UH, VERY HONORED TO BE HERE TO HELP OUT WITH ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAVE.
MIKE KIMBRO IS, YOU KNOW, EXPERT HERE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR SHAREABILITY PROGRAM.
UM, I'M HERE TO HELP, UH, FILL THE GAPS AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IN THE SUPPORT.
UM, SO I'LL JUST HAND IT OVER TO HIM AND, UH, WE'RE READY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, WELL, THANK YOU BOTH FOR, FOR COMING AND JOINING US.
I THINK ONE TOPIC THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS IS HOW WE CAN IMPROVE, UH, SIDEWALK ACCESSIBILITY JUST DUE TO, UH, MICRO MOBILITY SCOOTERS BEING LEFT IN PUBLIC WALKWAYS.
I THINK IT'S BEEN, UH, AN ISSUE THAT, UH, AT LEAST THE INDIVIDUALS IN MY DISTRICT HAVE RAISED, AND I THINK OTHER PEOPLE HAVE, HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT AS WELL.
I KNOW SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE, HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN THIS TOO, AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD JUST INTRODUCE, UM, YOURSELVES IN TERMS OF WHAT, UM, WHAT YOU DO WITH THE MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM, KIND OF, ITS, ITS PURVIEW AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS JUST YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES GENERALLY.
SO, UM, LET WAIT FOR YOU, MICHAEL.
BUT, UH, SO I'M A PARK ENTERPRISE MANAGER.
UM, SO I OVERSEE, UH, MULTIPLE, UH, DIVISIONS OR, OR PROGRAMS WITHIN AND, UH, PARKING ENTERPRISE.
AND ONE OF THOSE IS EXTERNAL MOBILITY PROGRAM, AND MICHAEL IS THE MANAGER OVER THAT PROGRAM.
UH, YOU CAN GO AHEAD, MICHAEL.
YEAH, SO, UH, BASICALLY I MANAGE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE, UH, PROVIDERS.
UH, IN THOSE CASES, SPUR AND LINE ARE THE ONLY TWO LEFT, UH, OPERATING WITH THEM, CINDY, RIGHT AWAY.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, COORDINATE WITH TRO, UH, IN MANAGING OPERATIONS FOR CAP METRO LIGHTSTREAM SYSTEMS, WHICH IS A LITTLE IRRELEVANT THIS CONVERSATION SINCE THAT'S ALL
BUT, BUT YEAH, WE'RE, UH, UM, CONSTANTLY COORDINATING WITH THE, WITH THE MOBILITY PROVIDERS, UH, TRYING TO IMPROVE THINGS AND, UH, UH, YEAH, THE, THE ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP THERE, SO.
AND SO I, I KNOW IN THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, I THINK IT'S LIKE CHAPTER 12 TWO THAT KIND OF GOVERNS THE DIFFERENT RESTRICTIONS OR GUIDELINES ON, UM, MICRO MOBILITY IN AUSTIN.
WERE, WERE YOU ALL INVOLVED IN THAT DRAFTING THAT, OR IS THAT MANAGED BY SOME OTHER DEPARTMENT? I JUST HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE, HOW WE ENFORCE THE, THE DIFFERENT MICRO MOBILITY LAWS AND GUIDELINES.
I CAN START WITH THAT ONE, MICHAEL.
UM, SO THE 12 F TWO IS ACTUALLY A STATE, WHAT WE CALL THE STATE RIGHT ORDINANCE, AND THAT WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN DEPARTMENT AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING A PD.
UM, A LOT OF THOSE THAT ORDINANCES, UM, WOULD BE MANAGED AND ENFORCED BY A PD, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE ACTUAL MOBILITY PROVIDERS TO ALLOW 'EM TO OPERATE WITHIN OUR CITY RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, THAT IS DONE THROUGH INFORMANTS 14 DASH NINE.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE DIRECTORS RULES THAT GOVERN HOW WE MANAGE THAT RELATIONSHIP, AND THEN HOW WE EXPECT THEM TO OPERATE WITHIN OUR DIRECT, IN OUR RIGHT OF WAY.
SO WE ISSUE OUT THE LICENSE AND THE PERMIT TO ALLOW 'EM TO DO THAT, UM, AND FORCE, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE, UH, OPERATIONAL, UM, GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE AND RULES TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE, UH, OPERATING.
UH, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO STATE WRITING ORDINANCE FOR WHEN WE SPEAK OF 12 DASH TWO, A LOT OF THOSE ARE MOVING VIOLATIONS THAT WOULD ENCOMPASS TPD.
SO THAT WOULDN'T THAT, THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH THAT IN TERMS OF, UH, TALKING WITH THE A PD ABOUT ENFORCEMENT OR HOW MANY FINES THEY'VE ISSUED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? UH, WHAT WE DO, WE DO SOME COORDINATION WITH 'EM.
WE DEFINITELY HAVE IN THE PAST WHERE WE'LL WORK WITH THEM TO DO, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL TARGETED EVENTS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GETTING SAFE RIDING.
BUT, UH, TYPICALLY WITH THEIR RESOURCES, WE WORK AROUND THEIR SCHEDULES AND, AND WHAT TO HAVE.
COMMISSIONER ANTE, I THINK YOU HAD A QUESTION.
WHAT ARE AVAILABLE OF MARCO MOBILITY? I, YOU BROKE UP A LITTLE BIT.
CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? PLEASE? CAN ASK WHAT ARE, UH, MICRO MOBILITY, UH, EXAMPLES OF MICRO MOBILITY? YEAH.
UH, SO FAR OUR PURPOSES IS, IS, UH, ANYTHING SMALLER THAN A CAR IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS MICRO MOBILITY.
SO THAT COULD BE A BICYCLE, A SCOOTER, UM, AN ELECTRIC SKATEBOARD, A ONE WHEEL, ANY OF THOSE KIND OF DEVICES THAT WOULD BE, UH, SMALLER
[00:35:01]
THAN A CAR IS WHAT WE WOULD CATEGORIZE AS MICRO MOBILITY.FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS DISCUSSION, WE'RE TALKING SHARED MICRO MOBILITY, WHICH, UH, OUR PRIVATE COMPANIES OPERATING CITY RIGHT AWAY, UM, WITH DEVICES THAT YOU COULD WALK UP AND RENT AND RIDE, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR, UH, WHATEVER DISTANCE YOU'D LIKE TO.
UH, BUT, AND THAT WOULD BE SCOOTERS AND BICYCLES IN THIS CASE, HOWEVER.
AND WHAT, IS THERE A TICKETING PROCESS FOR PEOPLE WHO LEAVE THESE IN PUBLIC SIDEWALKS OR IN PUBLIC PARKS OR IN LAKES OR WHEREVER? IS THERE A WAY TO TRACE THEM BACK TO WHO LEFT 'EM? IS THERE A PROCESS FOR TICKETING THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO LEAVE THESE ALL OVER THE PLACE? NO, NOT ON OUR END OF THINGS.
THE, THE DATA THAT WE GET FROM THE PROVIDERS IS ANONYMIZED, SO WE DON'T GET ANY ACTUAL SPECIFIC CUSTOMER DATA.
UM, I CAN'T KIND OF GO THROUGH THE, THE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS IF YOU, IF Y'ALL LIKE TO HEAR THAT, BECAUSE I WOULD, YES.
SO, UH, WE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR, UM, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT, WE MONITOR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SYSTEM WHILE, WHILE OUR MOBILITY, UH, UH, SAFETY OFFICERS ARE AROUND DURING THEIR ROUNDS, YOU KNOW, CHECKING FOR IMPROPERLY PARKED VEHICLES AND WHATNOT, THEY ALSO TOOK OUT THE MICRO MOBILITY LANDSCAPE.
SO IF THEY COME ACROSS A SCOOTER THAT'S PARKED IMPROPERLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE ON A SIDEWALK OR DA ACCESS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, UM, THEY CREATE, UH, A CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUEST.
IT WAS PREVIOUSLY DONE THROUGH OUR, THROUGH OUR ONE SYSTEM.
WE'VE SINCE MOVED IT OUT OF THERE SO WE CAN GET SOME BETTER, BETTER DATA.
BUT, UH, BUT BASICALLY THE CREATE A REQUEST, TAKE A PICTURE OF THE DEVICE THAT'S PARKED IN DIRECTLY, UH, NOTE WHICH OF THE PROVIDERS IT IS, IT IS, UH, UH, REFER TO WHETHER THAT BE I REFERRED IN THIS CASE, UH, AND SUBMIT THE REQUEST THAT IS THEN DISPATCHED DIRECTLY TO THE PROVIDER AND THEY HAVE A SERVICE LEVEL OBJECTIVE WITH US TO RECTIFY THAT WITHIN TWO HOURS, OR THAT PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER CAN GO BACK AND ACTUALLY IMPOUND THE DEVICE.
UM, THEY'VE GOTTEN, UH, UH, REALLY, REALLY RESPONSIVE TO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE GONNA BE CASES WHERE THEY CAN'T GET THROUGH BY SOME TIME AND THEY CAN CAUSE AN OBSTRUCTION, UH, BUT THEY TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY.
THEY TAKE THAT, THEY TAKE THAT SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT WITH US VERY SERIOUSLY AND TRY TO RECTIFY THE ASSOCIATIONS AND STUFF AS POSSIBLE, AND THAT, THAT SYSTEM'S GONNA BE LARGELY REACTIVE.
THEY'RE NOT, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THEY'RE TRACKING THE SCOOTERS IN REAL TIME.
THEY WAIT UNTIL THEY RECEIVE A REPORT.
RIGHT? WELL, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, YEAH.
UH, AND I THINK, I BELIEVE YOU GUYS TALKED A LINE A COUPLE, UH, IN YOUR LAST MEETING.
I THINK THEY'RE MAKING SOME REALLY, I'M, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE NEW AI TOOL THAT MINE, UH, PRESENTED TO YOU ABOUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEONE ENDS A TRIP, THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT A PHOTO OF WHERE THEY MARK THE DEVICE.
AND, UH, UP UNTIL NOW THAT WAS REVIEWED BY A PERSON, AND IT OBVIOUSLY TAKES TIME.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TRIPS PER DAY.
UH, THE NEW, UH, THE MACHINE LEARNING TOOLS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ANALYZE THAT LIKE IMMEDIATELY IS VERY, VERY EXCITING, BECAUSE THAT MAKES IT LESS REACTIONARY.
YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T NOW THAT THEY'LL KNOW IN REAL TIME AND THE PERSON ENDING THE TRIP WILL BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY IF THEY'RE OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THAT.
SO, UH, SO NO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE DON'T, WE DON'T FIND ANYONE, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD TOOLS IN PLACE TO, TO HELP MANAGE IT.
I CAN ADD ON TO IT REALLY QUICKLY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HOLD ACCOUNTABLE TO MY ABILITY PROVIDERS TO ACCESS THOSE, THOSE ISSUES THAT WE SEE IN OUR, AND OUR OFFICERS ARE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, MONITORING THAT SYSTEM FOR US AND TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RECTIFYING, YOU KNOW, OBSTRUCTIONS AND THINGS THAT THEY SEE THEM AND THAT THEY COME UP.
AND WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO DO THAT.
THE PROVIDERS HAVE MET THAT, THAT, UH, WITH, WITH US AND REALLY COME TO THE TABLE WITH CREATING NEW TOOLS AND WAYS TO, TO REALLY HELP THE COMMUNITY TO, THAT ARE USING THESE DEVICES TO PARK PROPERLY.
UM, AND THEY CONTINUE TO ENHANCE THAT OVER TIME.
THAT BEING SAID, THE PROVIDERS THEMSELVES, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE INDIVIDUAL RIDERS AND STUFF, UM, THEY ARE DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO, TO RECTIFY BAD HABITS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TOOLS THEMSELVES TO, IF SOMEONE'S DOING THINGS CONSTANTLY IN, IN, IN THE WRONG WAY, UM, THEY'RE REACHING OUT TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND ENSURING THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING THAT, OR, YOU KNOW, SUSPENDING 'EM THEIR SYSTEM IF THEY NEED TO.
UM, SO THEY DO HAVE WAYS TO DO THAT.
I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE TWO HOURS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PATH IS OBSTRUCTED FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY IN A WHEELCHAIR OR SOMEBODY USING A WHITE CANE HAS TO GO OUT OF THEIR WAY AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, GO A DANGEROUS WAY TO GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS.
AND, UH, THEY, THEY JUST, THEY MAKE PEOPLE'S LIVES DANGEROUS.
[00:40:01]
AND, UM, I I JUST HOPE THAT THAT'S FULLY APPRECIATED.AND I DO FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU PARK YOUR CAR SOMEPLACE THAT YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO PARK IT, YOU GET A FINE, YOU GET A TICKET.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S NOT HAPPENING HERE.
YEAH, IT'S, AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, IT'S ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATED.
UH, THAT'S WHY I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE NEW AI TOOLS, THAT THAT INSTANT FEEDBACK FOR THOSE THAT ARE DEPARTING INCORRECTLY IS A, IS A, IS AN EXCITING DEVELOPMENT FOR ME BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL GO A LONG WAY.
SO TOWARDS RECTIFYING A LOT OF THIS, UM, THE REASON, YOU KNOW, THERE'RE, IT'S, IT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN A CAR.
UH, I, EVERYBODY'S PROBABLY NOTICED MAY SEE TWO OR THREE DEVICES THAT HAVE BEEN STAGED AND THEY'LL BE PUSHED OVER.
I THINK THE REASON WE CAN'T GO BACK AND FIND THE LAST PERSON TO HAVE TAKEN A TRIP IS BECAUSE SOMEBODY COULD COME IN AND MOVE THAT DEVICE AND MOVE IT IN THE WAY, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN'T BE FOR SURE WHO LEFT IT THERE UNLESS WE CAN REFER BACK TO THE PARKING PHOTO.
SO, UM, YEAH, I I, I, I ABSOLUTELY GET WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
IT'S A, IT'S A, UH, A FRUSTRATION, BUT YEAH, THERE'S A, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR YEAH.
I'M WONDERING, I'M WONDERING ABOUT ANY PROACTIVE STRATEGIES, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN PEOPLE SIGN UP TO USE THE SERVICES IN THE SERVICE AGREEMENT OR IN THE LANGUAGE OF HOW TO, HOW TO USE THE SERVICE OR THE DEVICES.
IS THERE ANYTHING CURRENTLY THAT SAYS, HEY, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE THESE THINGS HERE, THAT IT CREATES A PROBLEM FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST PEOPLE WITH DI UH, WITH DISABILITIES, PEOPLE WITH, YOU KNOW, WHEELCHAIR, I MEAN, NOT WHEELCHAIRS, BUT PEOPLE WITH STROLLERS, YOU KNOW, UM, IS THERE ANYTHING PROACTIVELY LETTING THESE PEOPLE KNOW, HEY, IF YOU JUST ABSENTMINDEDLY LEAVE YOUR SCOOTER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK, IT CREATES PROBLEMS. IT'S IN THE, UH, UH, THE USER APP, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEONE'S, UH, CHECKING OUT A DEVICE, UH, WHEN THEY INITIALLY SIGN UP FOR THE SERVICE.
AND PART OF THE USER AGREE IS THAT THEY WON'T PARK, UH, BLOCKING SIDEWALKS.
UH, THEY GET IN-APP MESSAGING, TEXT MESSAGING, UH, EMAIL MESSAGING THAT, THAT REINFORCES THESE THINGS.
UM, SO YEAH, THEY, THEY'RE DOING THIS MESSAGING OUT THERE.
WE DO OUR BEST TO, WE HAVE MESSAGING ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, UH, AND WE, WE TRY TO PROMOTE THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE, IT, YEAH, IT IS AN ISSUE AND SOMETHING THAT WE CONSTANTLY BATTLE, BUT, UM, UH, YEAH, YEAH,
SO I KNOW I, I, I BELIEVE IN BOTH APPS WHEN YOU SIGN UP, UM, THEY HAVE LIKE THIS LITTLE TRAINING COURSE YOU GO TO, UM, GO THROUGH AND IT SHOWS YOU HOW TO PROPERTY PARK AND WHERE THE BEST PLACES ARE TO PARK.
UM, AND SO, AND THE GIVEN CENSUS FOR THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU DO DO THOSE THINGS.
THEY MIGHT GIVE YOU A DISCOUNT ON RIDES OR IF YOU, YOU KNOW, PARK MORE PROPERLY IN CERTAIN AREAS, THEY GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE BIT OF A DISCOUNT.
THEY'RE WORKING ON DIFFERENT WAYS TO HELP OUT.
I THINK ON THE PRODUCTION SIDE FOR, ON THE CITY, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS REALLY IDENTIFYING THOSE AREAS THAT WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, TRIPS ARE ENDING, UM, AND REALLY FOCUSING ON TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO IDENTIFY THROUGH LIKE VERTICAL ELEMENTS WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD PARK EITHER, YOU KNOW, PARKING BOXES WITH SIGNAGE, YOU KNOW, UM, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH, WITH, WITH THE PROVIDERS TO IDENTIFY THAT WITHIN THEIR APP WHEN THEIR APPS, SO THAT WHEN THEY, SOMEONE ENDS ARRIVE CLOSE TO THOSE AREAS, THEY ARE MOVING THEIR DEVICE TO THOSE BOXES.
SO THAT'S, UH, SORRY, I, UM, I'LL ASK WHEN YOU'RE DONE.
SORRY, IF YOU YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE'RE OUT IN THERE.
THAT WAS, UH, JUST WHEN THEY SAY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUE TO PUTTING THESE BOXES OUT AND, AND HELPING WITH THAT.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, THINK OF A, A PARKING SPACE OR MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES, AND THERE ARE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES WITH THE, UM, THE COMPANIES WHERE THEY CAN RESTRICT, SORT OF GEO THOSE SPACES.
SO YOU CAN'T END THE TRIP OUTSIDE OF THAT.
UM, IT'S, IT IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER ALL THE TIME.
IT'S BEEN PERFECT BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, GBS DRIFT IS A REAL THING, ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN, JUST PHONE SIGNALS AND WHATNOT.
SO IT'S KIND OF HARD TO CENTRALIZE PEOPLE INTO THESE PARKING BOXES, BUT, UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, WE SEE WE'VE GOTTA DO ON THE GROUND THAT, THAT DO REALLY WELL.
IT'S JUST WHEN PEOPLE SEE THAT, HEY, THIS IS WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO PARK THE SCOOTER INSTEAD OF JUST ON THE SIDEWALK, THEY, THEY TEND TO GO THERE.
SO IT'S JUST, UH, KIND OF N IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
MY QUESTION WAS, AND, AND I APOLOGIZE, IT'S BEEN SOME TIME SINCE I'VE, YOU KNOW, RENTED A SCOOT SCOOTER.
IT'S PROBABLY BEEN YEARS AND THINGS HAVE PROBABLY BEEN IMPROVED SINCE THEN, BUT, UM, I, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THAT, UH, INITIAL IN LIKE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO.
I THINK THERE WAS MAYBE, UM, AND JUST IF THERE'S A PROMPT TO REMIND PEOPLE OF THE RULES, UH, BEFORE EVERY TRIP, UM, AND I REMEMBER NOT BEING ABLE TO PARK SOMETHING AND THE BILL KEPT
[00:45:01]
RUNNING BECAUSE I, I DIDN'T HAVE LIKE A, A PLACE WHERE I COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, PARK THE SCOOTER.SO I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE LIKE SECURE IT WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, OH, OKAY, I CAN GET, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZED OR SOMETHING.
BUT THEN THERE'S A REMINDER OF LIKE, I'LL GET FINED, UH, AFTER THE FACT IF, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T FOLLOW THE RULES OR, UM, I, MY ACCOUNT CAN'T GET SUSPENDED OR SOMETHING.
SO HOW DO YOU JUST JOG PEOPLE'S MEMORY? YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR ME, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I, UH, YOU KNOW, USED ONE, SO I MIGHT NEED TO JOG MY MEMORY ABOUT LIKE WHAT THE RULES ARE AND IS IT BEFORE EVERY TRIP AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE ENDING A TRIP AS WELL? YEAH, WHEN, WHEN YOU START A TRIP, UH, I USED ONE PRETTY RECENTLY.
WHENEVER YOU GO UP TO SCAN A DEVICE, UH, AND UNLOCK IT, IT WILL, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU SOME SAFETY MESSAGING.
ONE OF THOSE IS HOW TO PROPERLY PARK, UH, DON'T RIDE INTOXICATED, ONLY RIDE ONE PERSON PER DEVICE.
DON'T TRY TO, YOU KNOW, LET YOUR FRIEND RIDE WITH YOU.
SO IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME THAT YOU START A TRIP.
YEAH, I, I, I CAN ADD TO THAT REALLY QUICKLY.
AND I THINK ALSO WHAT WE, WE DO HAVE A, UH, A SAFETY VIDEO ONLINE.
I THINK MAYBE YOU COULD REFERENCE THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS WE'RE ADDING ON TO THOSE, THOSE PIECES OF EDUCATION, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO ADD ON TO THAT.
UM, WE'RE GOING THROUGH ANOTHER PERIOD ROUND OF, UH, SURVEYS RIGHT NOW THAT WE JUST RELEASED, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE FOCUSING ON GATHERING MORE DATA.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN OPEN HOUSE COMING UP AT THE END OF MARCH, UM, FOR FEEDBACK ON HOW TO ADD MORE EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL AS WELL TO OUR WEBSITE AND THINK NOTIFYING ABOUT WHERE THESE GEOFENCES ARE AT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU CAN'T END YOUR RIDE, YOU KNOW, ONE, I KNOW SOMEONE ELSE JUST MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT ENDS IN A PARK, RIGHT? WE DO HAVE GEOFENCES AROUND OUR PARK SYSTEM WHERE THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED INTO OUR TRAILS AND THINGS.
UM, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE, UH, CONTINUOUSLY ON WHERE THEY CAN AND CANNOT RIDE AND WHERE THEY CANNOT, UH, AND CANNOT PARK.
I MEAN, I, I'D LIKE TO COMMENT THAT I, AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE OBVIOUS ISSUE WITH THIS IS LYME HAS THE DATA TO KNOW WHO'S PARKING THESE IMPROPERLY, I THINK MOST OF THE TIME.
AND OF COURSE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE INCENTIVIZED TO SHARE THAT WITH US BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR CUSTOMERS.
AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THIS GAP IN ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S PARKING CORRECTLY, SHORT OF, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY ISSUING THEM A FINE UNDER THE RELEVANT CITY ORDINANCE, WHICH I, I FULLY APPRECIATE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK TO THE EXTENT WE CAN SPUR THEM TO, TO DO MORE AND, AND REALLY PUSH THAT ON THEIR CUSTOMERS, I THINK WE SHOULD, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE'RE, WE, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THEM BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT BENEFIT FOR THE CITY TO HAVE SCOOTERS, I THINK.
AND IT'S A, IT'S AN EFFECTIVE AND AFFORDABLE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND HELPS REDUCE DRUNK DRIVING, YOU KNOW, LOT, LOTS OF BENEFITS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, THAT IT DOES COME AT A COST TO SOME OF OUR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, AND I THINK WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE PUSHING THEM ON THAT.
UM, ONE THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT WAS, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY WAY WE COULD LIKE POTENTIALLY PUT UP SIGNS IN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE LOTS OF SCOOTER PICKUPS? YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE LOTS OF HUBS WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, SCOOTERS ARE PICKED UP KIND OF DOWNTOWN OR IN THE UT AREA.
UH, YOU KNOW, JUST REMINDING PEOPLE TO CLEAR THE SIDEWALKS AT THE END OF, AT THE END OF THE RIDE.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN ONLY RELY ON THE PROVIDERS TO A CERTAIN DEGREE AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S ONE AREA WHERE THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO, TO ASSIST WITH LIKE ACTUAL SIGNAGE IN THE CITY.
I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
I I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE THAT ONE BACK AND LOOK INTO IT.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A BACK IN OFFICE THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE A DATA FEED AND WE CAN SEE WHERE IN RIDE AND START TRIPS HAPPEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, MOST DENSELY USE ROUTES WITHIN THE SYSTEM FEE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT WE COULD LOOK INTO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH OUR ENGINEERING TEAM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS ALLOWABLE FOR US TO PUT OUT THERE.
UM, AND WE CAN DEFINITELY GET BACK WITH YOU ON THOSE.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WE CAN, UH, I MEAN, I GUESS IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REALLY QUICKLY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE ALWAYS, WE CAN AT LEAST CONSIDER CONTRIBUTING TO THE BUDGET FOR ANY KIND OF LIKE SIGNAGE PROGRAM OR ANYTHING THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD HELP AMELIORATE THIS PROBLEM.
UM, 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT I RECOGNIZE AND, AND I FOUND WITH SPEAKING WITH LYME, I FOUND THEM TO BE VERY RECEPTIVE AND, YOU KNOW, WILLING TO HELP.
AND I, YOU KNOW, THEY DO HAVE GOOD SYSTEMS IN PLACE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY I SEE TONS OF SCOOTERS THAT ARE IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF SIDEWALKS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S CLEARLY SOMETHING THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S FINES OR EDUCATING RIDER OR, YOU KNOW, PUSHING LIME TO DO MORE AND, AND BIRD, OF COURSE, I COULDN'T EVEN GET IN CONTACT WITH BIRD.
[00:50:01]
TO YOUR EARLIER POINT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, WE CAN TAKE BACK TO THEM AND, AND KEEP GOING, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S, THEY'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE MORE, UH, UH, EAGER TO, TO USE THE CARROT RATHER THAN THE STICK.SO THEY TRY TO INCENTIVIZE THE BEHAVIOR RATHER THAN PUNISH.
SO, UH, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, IT'S GOOD FEEDBACK THAT WE CAN TAKE BACK TO THEM, I THINK.
UH, AND, AND TRY TO PUSH THAT A LITTLE BIT.
YEAH, I MEAN, AND YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OFFICERS OR ANYONE TO GO AROUND PATROLLING A CITY FOR THESE TYPES OF VIOLATIONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, ANY WAYS THAT WE CAN THINK OF OUTSIDE THE BOX TO TRY AND, YOU KNOW, CONVINCE PEOPLE TO COMPLY VOLUNTARILY WOULD BE, YOU KNOW.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I DON'T DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS ITEM? NO.
THANK YOU, UM, FOR COMING AND LETTING US KNOW.
I REALLY LIKE THE IDEAS OF THE PARKING AREAS AND IT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU REALLY ARE DOING ALL OF THE POSITIVE, PROACTIVE THINGS, UM, AND IT IS HARD LEGALLY TO KNOW, LIKE, DID YOU REALLY PARK IT THERE? DID SOMEBODY MOVE IT THERE? UM, SO I DO APPRECIATE YOU JUST CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS.
YEAH, THANK, I THINK YOU REALLY WENT.
ONE LAST THING, LET Y'ALL KNOW WE'LL BE GOING TO MOBILITY COMMITTEE IN APRIL, ON APRIL 17TH, PROVIDING A, ANOTHER UPDATE TO COUNCIL ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AND REALLY FOCUSING ON, UH, GETTING SOME MORE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
AND THIS, THIS, YOU KNOW, COMING HERE IS, UH, REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO HEAR THAT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT NEW WAYS AND PROACTIVE WAYS TO HELP OUT WITH SOME OF THE SIDEWALK WEB INSTRUCTIONS AND TO KEEP THIS, YOU KNOW, GREAT, YOU KNOW, UH, ALTERNATIVE MODE OF BENEFIT TO THE PUBLIC.
OKAY, UM, MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION
[4. Discussion of upcoming changes to the fare system at CapMetro. ]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, DISCUSSION OF UPCOMING CHANGES TO THE FAIR SYSTEM AT CAPITAL METRO.I JUST WANTED TO REALLY QUICKLY JUST LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT CAPITAL METRO IS CHANGING THEIR FAREBOX SYSTEM.
YOU MAY NOTICE THAT THERE ARE, THERE'S THE OLD BOX THAT YOU COULD LIKE TAP YOUR CARD, YOUR DISABILITY FARE CARD ON, AND THEN A LOT OF THE, UM, A LOT OF THE BUSES ALSO HAVE THE NEW BOX ON IT.
SO I BELIEVE IT'S AFTER THIS MONTH, THE OLD DISABILITY, THE MONTHLY DISABILITY FARE CARDS WILL NOT WORK IN APRIL, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE SOME GRACE AND LENIENCY THERE.
UM, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW TO THAT.
UM, YOU'LL NEED TO GET, UH, NEW CARDS AND THERE'S GONNA BE A NEW APP.
I'M NOT SURE WHEN IT'S GONNA COME ONLINE.
I THINK EVERYTHING WAS SLATED TO START IN APRIL, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S ALREADY, SO GO AHEAD AND, UM, CHECK OUT THE CAPITAL METRO WEBSITE.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING THAT THEY CAN ADD TO THAT? NO.
[5. Discussion of bringing awareness to 2025 disability events in the Austin area. ]
ITEM NUMBER FIVE.UH, BRINGING AWARENESS TO 2025 DISABILITY EVENTS IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
UM, YEAH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
I WANTED TO BRING THIS UP, UH, LAST MONTH AND I JUST WANTED TO FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON IT.
COULD WE SCROLL UP ON THE SLIDE PLEASE? SCROLL, SCROLL A LITTLE BIT MORE.
IT, SO, UH, CAN I SHARE MY SCREEN NOW? IS THAT SOMETHING I CAN DO? UM, UH, YES, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO.
LEMME FIGURE OUT HOW TO SHARE.
IS IT SHARE? I THINK YOU JUST HAVE TO ENABLE IT.
I HAVE TO LEAVE AND REJOIN ONE, RIGHT? UH, TRY IT, UH, PRESS CANCEL.
COMMISSIONER ANO, IF YOU WANNA SEND IT TO ME, I CAN DISTRIBUTE TO THE COMMISSION.
FOLKS ONLINE, THIS IS CHRISTIE.
COMMISSIONER ANO HAS A DOCUMENT THAT HE'S GOING TO SHARE WITH ME AND I'M GOING TO DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE COMMISSION.
[00:55:10]
OKAY.SO I'LL BE SENDING IT OUT IF YOU WANNA PROCEED.
SO I HAVE FOUR THINGS I WANTED TO FOCUS ON ON MARCH 15TH.
IT'S GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY ON JULY 26TH.
WE'RE FOCUSING ON A DA CELEBRATIONS IN OCTOBER.
THE ENTIRE MONTH IS NATIONAL DISABILITY WORK AWARENESS MONTH.
AND DECEMBER 3RD IS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR I WANNA FOCUS ON TODAY.
WE HAVE SUPPORT, UM, A SPONSOR NAMED LISA, LISA CHANG, AND CONNOR KELLY.
SO WE'VE JUST SET THAT UP WITH SPONSORSHIPS AND POSSIBLY WE HAVE A TEXAS GOVERNOR'S COMMISSION OF COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND WE MIGHT BE PARTNERING WITH THEM TO PLAN THESE EVENTS AS WELL, POSSIBLY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR DISCUSSION, YOUR THOUGHTS, AND LIKE I WANTED TO GET THE TEAM, WE WANNA FIGURE OUT PLACES FOR THESE.
UM, WHEN BASICALLY THOSE FOUR, WE WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW TO PLAN THE BEST EVENTS WE CAN.
WELL, UM, I WOULD SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
I KNOW THAT I'M GONNA SAY A GOOD LIKE 1215, MAYBE EVEN 20 YEARS AGO.
UH, I WAS INVOLVED KIND OF TANGENTIALLY TO THIS COMMITTEE HAD, UH, A, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN OCTOBER, BUT THEY HAD A BANQUET AND THEY GAVE AWARDS AND THEY REALLY, UM, REALLY DID FOCUS AND CELEBRATE ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WORKING.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, AGAIN, LIKE COMMISSIONER CHANG, I DON'T WANNA GET TOO P POLITICAL, BUT WITH THE THIS DEI STUFF, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, SO I WOULD REALLY LOVE IT IF WE COULD REALLY FOCUS ON, ON THAT AND REALLY HIGHLIGHT THAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK OCTOBER WOULD BE A GREAT FOCUS FOR THAT.
I MEAN, ALSO WE HAVE SO MANY, UM, I MEAN THERE'S A GOOD NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS HERE IN AUSTIN.
WE COULD INVITE AND RECOGNIZE, UM, DIFFERENT DEAF BLIND PEOPLE FOR THE BLIND DEAF, UM, PEOPLE WHO CAN USE WHEELCHAIRS, A BLE.
UM, THE CAPITAL WE WENT LAST SUMMER, IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
WAIT, WAS THAT THE WINTER? YEAH, SO THAT KIND OF LIKE GATHERING AND MUTUAL SUPPORT AND OCTOBER'S A GREAT TIME TO HAVE THAT KIND OF GATHERING.
AND, AND I CAN SAY RON LUCY, WHO IS NOW IN CHARGE OF THE, UM, TEXAS, I FORGET THE NAME OF IT, BUT BASICALLY IT'S OUR, OUR COMMITTEE, BUT FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS NOW.
HE USED TO BE THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE AND HE WAS, THAT WAS BACK IN THE DAY WHEN THEY WERE DOING ALL THESE CELEBRATIONS.
SO HE MIGHT BE A REALLY GOOD RESOURCE.
DO WE WANT TO CONSIDER ANY KIND OF, RON I THINK SHOULD GET IN, IN TOUCH WITH US.
I THINK, I THINK WE'LL BE IN CONTACT WITH RON DID.
AND HE, HE TOLD ME, UM, WHEN HE CAME, WHEN HE VISITED OUR COMMITTEE A MONTH OR TWO AGO, HE DID TELL ME TO REACH OUT TO HIM ANYTIME.
SO I THINK HE WOULD BE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT COME BACK TO OUR COMMITTEE.
UH, MY QUESTION WAS, DO YOU HAVE ANY, DO WE NEED IT TO ADD ANY OF THIS TO THE BUDGET IN TERMS OF FOR THESE CELEBRATIONS? YES, PLEASE.
I'M NOT SURE LIKE EXACTLY WHAT BUDGET THAT WILL LOOK LIKE, BUT WE WILL NEED HELP WITH THAT.
SO I GUESS WHOEVER, WHEN I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET WORKING COMMITTEE COMING UP, SO I GUESS THAT'S, THAT'S ONE ITEM FOR THEM TO KEEP IN MIND.
DOES ANYBODY ONLINE HAVE ANY INPUT ON THIS DISCUSSION ITEM? YES.
ON MARCH 14TH, ADAPT IS HAVING A SHARE THE PIE ROUTE AT CAPITAL
[01:00:01]
AT 11 O'CLOCK AND I WILL SEND A PIE.I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD SEGUE TO
[7. Formation of a Working Group to research and write Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget recommendations. ]
DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. NUMBER SEVEN, F UH, THE FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO RESEARCH AND WRITE FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26.UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THOSE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS ARE DUE MARCH 31ST, WHICH MEANS THAT ANY WORKING GROUP WOULD HAVE TO MEET REALLY QUICKLY AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL SESSION, UH, BEFORE THE 31ST TO, UM, VOTE ON THOSE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT WAS VERY LAST MINUTE, BUT WE DID IT.
UM, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UM, I THINK COMMISSIONER CHANG, WAS THIS YOURS? YES.
UM, ACTUALLY ON THE
WELL, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE DISCUSSING ABOUT FORMING A WORK GROUP THAT COULD SEPARATELY, UM, DISCUSS SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT WE HAD.
UM, WOULD, WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN OR HAVE TIME TO WORK ON A WORK GROUP? I CAN PARTICIPATE TOO.
PEOPLE, PEOPLE, I'M SORRY, I'M VISUALLY IMPAIRED, BUT I'M, I'M LIKE OUTTA HERE.
DOES THAT MATTER? NO, IT'S FINE.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AS LONG AS YOU'RE STILL A COMMITTEE MEMBER.
UM, I, I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF FORMING A WORK GROUP.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SET A MOTION TO FORM A WORK GROUP FOR, TO RESEARCH AND WRITE FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO WHO ALL IS COMMISSIONER KELLY, YOU SAID YOU CAN PARTICIPATE.
UM, WHO ONLINE SAID THEY COULD PARTICIPATE? COMMISSIONER CHANG.
COMMISSIONER CHANG AND COMMISSIONER POWELL.
UM, DO WE NEED TO, DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THOSE PARTICULAR PEOPLE? NO, YOU DO NOT.
I AM SUPER HAPPY ABOUT IT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL Y'ALL'S EFFORT AND PUTTING IN THE EXTRA TIME.
UM, WHILE I HAVE EVERYBODY HERE, OR MO MOST PEOPLE HERE, DO WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND SET A DATE FOR A SPECIAL MEETING? UM, BECAUSE WE, FOR I REALLY, I, I DON'T, I WANNA
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MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THIS WORK GROUP, I WANT THEIR WORK TO BE RECOGNIZED AND TO BE INCLUDED.AND FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, WE ALL HAVE TO AGREE TO MEET AGAIN BEFORE MARCH 31ST.
LET'S FIND A DATE THAT EVERYBODY CAN, CAN, CAN AGREE TO.
UH, CHAIR, I, I APOLOGIZE THE ITEM ISN'T POSTED FOR THAT.
IT'S JUST POSTED FOR, UH, FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP.
SO WHAT WE COULD DO IS, UM, HAVE AN EMAIL.
I CAN SEND OUT AN EMAIL AND, UM, PROVIDE MY AVAILABILITY.
BECAUSE I, I WILL HAVE SOME TIME OFF THIS MONTH AND THEN WE CAN SEE WHAT DATE MIGHT WORK, WHAT DATE.
UM, DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WHEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEND THAT EMAIL SO WE CAN YES, I CAN SEND IT THIS EVENING.
UM, SO Y'ALL, IT'S REALLY GONNA BE IMPORTANT THAT YOU CHECK YOUR EMAIL, UM, BEFORE MONDAY AND REPLY SO THAT WE CAN EVEN SEE IF IT'S FEASIBLE FOR US TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THANK YOU.
UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO SET UP A COUPLE OF MEETINGS TO SPECIAL, UH, SPREADSHEET FOR THE JIC AND ALSO FOR OUR OWN, UM, FOR WHAT'S DUE FROM OUR COMMISSION.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, WE'LL HAVE A WORK GROUP THAT'LL BE NOT MEETING FORUM.
WE'LL DO THAT ON OUR OWN TIME AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A MEETING THAT WILL BE A FULL MEETING.
THAT WILL BE BEFORE OUR REGULAR MEETING.
AND CHRISTIE, THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR WORKING GROUPS TO BE IN PERSON, RIGHT? WE COULD JUST MEET UP VIA ZOOM OR SOMETHING, CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT.
AND, UM, ALSO AS FAR AS WRITING THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, I JUST WENT LAST YEAR THAT, UM, THAT LIST THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT THE JIC PUT OUT, I JUST WENT AND LOOKED AT A COUPLE OF 'EM AND JUST KIND OF BASED MINE OFF OF THE FORMATTING THAT I SAW AND IT'S, IT WAS ACCEPTED.
UM, SO IF YOU JUST WANNA GO AHEAD AND REVIEW SOME OF THE OTHER ONES FOR FORMATTING AND WORDING.
UM, ITEMS THAT WERE PASSED IN THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE? YES, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE IN THE MARCH.
AND THERE IS THERE, UH, THE SPECIAL SESSION IS LISTED SEPARATELY? YES.
SO IF YOU JUST LOOK TO 2024 MAYOR'S COMMITTEE WEBPAGE AND THEN YOU'LL LOOK TO MARCH AND THERE WAS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING THAT MONTH AND COMMISSIONER POWELL, UM, IF YOU WANT TO SEND ME THAT JIC SPREADSHEET, I CAN SHARE IT WITH THE NEWLY FORMED BUDGET WORKING GROUP.
I'LL DO THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
THERE WAS A, WAS A FLURRY OF EMAILS RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING, SO YES.
I'LL DISTRIBUTE THAT TO THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS.
SO, UM, ANYBODY THAT IS NOT ON THE WORKING GROUP, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE IDEA OF PROMOTING THE, UM, THE PROPER PARKING FOR THE SCOOTERS AND THEN I KNOW THAT WE ALSO HAVE THE CONSIDERATION FOR THE CELEBRATION DAYS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT HAS OTHER PRIORITIES THAT THEY MAY WANT THE WORKING GROUP TO CONSIDER THAT ARE NO.
SO, UM, THAT'S JUST GOING TO BE KIND OF A GUIDING PRINCIPLE, UM, AND GOING INTO THIS BUDGETING CYCLE FROM YOU PERSONALLY.
I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE AND I'M ON BOARD WITH EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID.
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YOU VERY MUCH.I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK.
AND I, I THINK THAT THAT IS A GOOD SEGUE
[8. Discussion of ways the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities can work with and advise the City of Austin Human Resources Department and formation of a Working Group to develop a training on City Code Chapter 5-6. ]
INTO DISCUSSION ITEM AND ACTION ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, DISCUSSION OF WAYS THAT THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CAN WORK WITH AND ADVISE THE CITY OF AUSTIN HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT AND FORMATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP, TO DEVELOP A TRAINING ON THE CITY CODE CHAPTER FIVE AND SIX.SO THIS WAS, UM, SOMETHING I BROUGHT UP A LITTLE BIT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE A DA PROGRAM AND THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS COME AND TALK WITH US ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY DO.
AND I CONTACTED THEM ABOUT KIND OF PUTTING TOGETHER MAYBE, UH, SOME KIND OF TRAINING FOR, UH, THAT BOTH HR AND, UH, PEOPLE AT THE CITY THAT DEAL WITH CONTRACTING ABOUT THE CHAPTER IN THE CITY ORDINANCES THAT BASICALLY COVERS THEIR OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
YOU KNOW, UM, WITH RES YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THEY HAVE TO TAKE CERTAIN AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONS IF THEY'RE A CITY CONTRACTOR.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY YOU, IF YOU'RE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES, WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE THEM.
UM, AND IT'S SIMILAR TO FEDERAL LAWS, BUT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND SO I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE KIND OF HELPFUL TO, UM, DESCRIBE FOR THESE INTERESTED PARTIES IN THE CITY, MOSTLY CITY EMPLOYEES, UH, HOW THIS, HOW THE CITY ORDINANCE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND, UM, WHAT, WHAT THEY MIGHT BE USED TO.
AND SO I KIND OF THOUGHT OF AND STARTED WORKING ON LIKE A, LIKE A RECORDED MODULE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE LIKE A, A, A GOOD NO COST WAY TO, UM, BE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO, UM, HR AND, AND MANAGERS AT, AT THE CITY.
UM, AND SO I TALKED TO THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND A DA PROGRAM AND THEY SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE OKAY WITH THAT.
AND, UH, I THINK TWO WAYS WE COULD DO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE COULD FORM, UH, FORM A WORKING GROUP AND I COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD ALL WORK TOGETHER ON IT OR, YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY TO JUST CONTINUE PUTTING TOGETHER THE TRAINING AND, YOU KNOW, I COULD COME AND, UH, BRING IT FOR COMMENT TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE OUR NEXT MEETING OR THE MEETING AFTER.
I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DO IT EITHER WAY.
UM, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU, YOU SAID THAT YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING ON SOMETHING, RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
YEAH, I STARTED, I STARTED PUTTING TOGETHER SOME NOTES AND STUFF ON THAT.
UM, I'M HAPPY FOR YOU JUST FOR YOU TO COME BACK AND JUST KIND OF PRESENT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE IS REALLY INTERESTED IN SERVING ON A WORK GROUP DEDICATED TO THIS.
YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU CONTINUE YOUR WORK AND BRING IT BACK TO US.
AND I CAN GET, YEAH, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT.
AND I DON'T WANNA SEEM LIKE, OH, WELL JUST, YOU DO IT LIKE YOU'RE, UM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR EXPERTISE IN THIS AREA.
THAT NONE OF THE REST OF US REALLY HAVE.
SO LIKE, JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY, I'D BE HAPPY TO SERVE ON A WORK GROUP, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT I WOULD CONTRIBUTE.
YEAH, I THINK WHAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IS WHEN I BRING IT FOR COMMENT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE ANY IDEAS IN TERMS OF HOW TO SHARE ANY KIND OF LIKE, FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW IT RELATES TO THE COMMUNITY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE VIEWERS TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, SO I WOULD, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE I SHOULD PUT FORTH A MOTION FOR YOU TO, UM, FOR YOU TO DEVELOP SOME MATERIALS, UM, AND BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE TO YEAH, SURE.
I DON'T WANNA OVERPROMISE AND SAY I CAN GET IT TOGETHER BY NEXT MEETING.
I THINK DEFINITELY BY THE, WOULD THAT BE THE, THE MAY MEETING? I THINK I CAN DO THAT FOR SURE.
YEAH, WE, WE CAN PUT IT ON THE MAY AGENDA.
UM, SO IF I PUT FORTH THE MOTION, DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.
I KNOW IT'S, UH, I KNOW TRAINING MATERIALS TAKE A LONG TIME, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM FOR APRIL.UM, I HAVE RECEIVED, I BELIEVE, THREE TIMES NOW AN
[01:15:01]
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN, UM, SO THE INTERVIEW PROCESS FOR SOME IMPORTANT CITY POSITIONS AS MY ROLE AS CHAIR OF THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE.AND UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE WAY OUR BYLAWS WORK, I'M NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.
NOW, I CAN TECHNICALLY PARTICIPATE AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN, BUT THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T WANT THAT.
THEY SEEM TO WANT LIKE THE, THE APPROVAL OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, SO I, AND I ALSO THINK THAT THESE PARTICIPATING IN THESE INTERVIEWS, UM, IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMITTEE TO PARTICIPATE IN.
SO I WAS TALKING TO CHRISTIE ABOUT HOW, HOW WE CAN FACILITATE OUR PARTICIPATION AND FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS FOR APRIL, MAYBE DISCUSS IF WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A WORK COMMITTEE TO MAYBE MAKE A PRIORITY LIST OR TO FIGURE OUT HOW IT IS THAT WE CAN BEST PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
CAN YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF? BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE CHRISTIE.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE.
AND THEN, THEN CHRISTIE IS THE STAFF SUPPORT.
SO SHE WORKS FOR THE CITY AND HELPS MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WE DO IS PURSUANT TO THE RULES AND THAT EVERYTHING RUNS SMOOTHLY.
AND SHE SENDS OUT ALL THE EMAILS AND DOES ALL, UM, BASICALLY MOST OF THE WORK.
AND WHO IS KELLY? OH, COMMISSIONER KELLY.
YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF? THAT'S ME.
HE THAT, UM, HE'S A PARTICIPANT ON THE BOARD, JUST, UH, ON THE COMMITTEE JUST LIKE YOU ARE.
I KNOW IT'S HARD WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE IN PERSON AND PEOPLE ONLINE AND WE'RE NOT ALL IN THE SAME ROOM.
IT'S REALLY HARD KE TO KEEP TRACK OF WHO'S WHO AND I'M IN THE CORNER.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, SO I WOULD LIKE TO PUT THAT ON THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO JUST REMIND PEOPLE THAT IN APRIL WE HAVE OUR ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, SO WE'LL BE DOING THAT NEXT MONTH.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? NO.
DO WE ALREADY HAVE ANYTHING FOR APRIL? LET ME PULL THAT UP.
THE ONLY OTHER THING AT THE MOMENT IS THAT IT'S TIME TO NOMINATE THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES.
AND SO, UM, THERE'LL BE THAT VOTE.
SO WE'LL BE VOTING ALSO ON THAT
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY.
I WAS NOT SURE THAT WE WERE GONNA MAKE IT THE SEVEN O'CLOCK
AND, UM, SO DO I, DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION? NO, YOU DO NOT.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
AND MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR EMAIL IN CASE WE NEED TO HAVE A, BECAUSE WE'RE PRO WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING TO GO OVER THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FREQUENTLY THIS WEEK.