[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE 2026 BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON MARCH 24TH, 2025 AT TWO O'CLOCK.UM, I'D LIKE, UH, NICOLE TO CALL.
UM, I'M GONNA TAKE A, A BRIEF PAUSE AND JUST ALLOW, WE HAVE TWO NEW MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE WITH US TODAY.
WE HAVE, UM, JEREMY HENDRICKS AND ROB FIELDER, AND I JUST WANNA GIVE THEM A BRIEF OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES TO OUR GROUP.
SO, JEREMY, PLEASE TAKE FIRST.
UH, IN MY DAY JOB, I'M WITH THE LABORERS INTERNATIONAL UNION, SO FIGHTING FOR WORKER RIGHTS AND, UH, GOOD PAYING JOBS.
SAFETY ON THE WORKPLACE IS WHAT I DO ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT ALSO I WEAR MANY OTHER HATS.
I JUST WRAPPED UP EIGHT YEARS OF SERVICE ON THE AUSTIN AIRPORT COMMISSION.
I'M ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE WINDSOR HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH GLAD TO SEE SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS HERE THIS EVENING, AND I'M HAPPY TO BE SERVING TODAY AND GET TO KNOW EVERYBODY.
THAT ONE, THE MICROPHONE, THE BUTTON BUTTON.
ROB FIELDER FROM, UH, DISTRICT SIX AND, UH, NEW TO THE BOARD.
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYBODY.
I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN 28 YEARS, AND, UM, I'VE BEEN ON A NUMBER OF COMMISSIONS, NOT FOR THE CITY, BUT A NUMBER OF, UH, VOLUNTEER POSITIONS THAT PAY EQUALLY WELL.
AND, UH, ANYWAY, I THINK, UH, I THINK IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO BE WITH THIS BOARD.
SO LOOK, LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING EVERYONE IN MORE DEPTH.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
IS CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE MULTIPLE PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.FIRST WE HAVE MARTHA LANGFORD.
IS IT ON NOW? OKAY, HERE WE GO.
DO YOU HAVE, YOU DO HAVE IT ON, ON THE LIST THERE.
IF YOU COULD READ IT IN FRONT OF YOU.
I HAVE THREE MAIN POINTS THAT WE SENIORS FROM GUS GARCIA RECREATION CENTER AND PARK WANT TO PRESENT TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
NUMBER ONE, NORTHEAST AUSTIN AREA NEEDS A SENIOR FACILITY BUILDING AT GUS GARCIA PARK, THE AREA OF NORTHEAST AUSTIN, THAT INCLUDES DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH I'M A MEMBER OF, AND PARTS OF DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT SEVEN HAS NEEDED A SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER FOR AT LEAST 30 TO 40 YEARS.
THIS FACT HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED BY CITY STAFF AND COUNCIL SINCE 2017, BUT MORE PRESSING CITY PROJECTS HAVE ALWAYS RISEN TO PUSH OUR NEEDS TO THE FUTURE.
AS THE NUMBERS OF SENIORS PARTICIPATING IN GUS GARCIA PROGRAMS THAT GREW, SO DID THE NUMBER OF YOUTH, TEEN AND ADULT PARTICIPANTS EXPANDING TO THE POINT OF SPACE FOR SENIOR PROGRAMS. HAD TO STOP DURING THE SUMMER AND SPRING BREAK.
OUR DISTRICT FOR HARD REPRESENTATIVE CATHERINE FLOWERS, PRESENTED TO THIS COMMITTEE IN JANUARY THAT THE PART BOARD HAD PASSED A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTING A SPECIAL USE SENIOR FACILITY FOR GUS GARCIA SENIORS.
AND THAT HAS A NUMBER, IF YOU'LL NOTICE, IT'S 20 23 1 27 DASH 0 0 2.
I JUST TALKED TO ONE OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTORS FOR THE PAR STAFF,
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UH, AND SHE TOLD ME THAT, YES, THAT GUS GARCIA SENIOR FACILITY IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING PUTTING ON THE BUDGET FOR THE, UH, AND THEY WILL PRESENT IN APRIL WHAT THEIRS WILL BE LIKE.UH, SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
WE'RE JUST SAYING THAT AS ONE OF THE ONES THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED FROM STUDIES TO BE NEEDED.
NUMBER TWO, A SENIOR FACILITY FOR GUS GARCIA SENIORS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE 2026 BOND ISSUE THIS AFTERNOON.
WE SENIORS WISH TO, UM, URGE THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE TO PLEASE INCLUDE US IN THE 2026 BOND ISSUE OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION'S BUDGET SECTION.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO ACCEPT BEING ASKED TO WAIT FOR A FUTURE BOND ISSUE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE TYPE BUILDINGS ESCALATING IN 2024.
MOVING PLANS FOR THIS FACILITY TO THE NEXT BOND ISSUE WOULD ONLY BE MORE EXPENSIVE.
NOW THIS IS 23,673 NORTHEAST AUSTIN SENIORS, THAT'S DISTRICT FOUR, ONE AND SEVEN.
BELIEVE IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT OUR NEEDS NOT BE IGNORED ONCE AGAIN.
GUS GARCIA RECREATION CENTER AND PARK IS THE ONLY CITY FACILITY SERVING ALL AGES AND VARIETIES OF CITIZENS IN THE NORTHEAST AUSTIN AREA.
GUS GARCIA RECREATION CENTER AND PARK IS THE ONLY CITY FACILITY SERVING ALL AGES OF CITIZENS WITHIN AN AREA NORTH FROM HIGHWAY 180 3 TO THE CITY LIMITS, AND EAST FROM LAMAR TO MAYNARD, ISD TERRITORY ALONG DESAL ROAD EACH YEAR SINCE THE PANDEMIC GUS GARCIA NUMBERS FOR PARTICIPATION AT ALL LEVELS.
THAT'S ME, UH, HAS INCREASED STEADILY.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO LEAVE AT THIS TIME BECAUSE I HAVE A VERY SICK DAUGHTER.
AND FOUR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
IF MY VOICE CARRIES A LOT OR REAL LOUD, I'M A, UH, EX, UH, DRILL SERGEANT, AND, UH, SO I, MY VOICE CARRIES.
SO Y'ALL JUST TELL ME SLOW DOWN.
ANYWAY, I'LL PUT ALL THIS ASIDE AND JUST TELL YOU FROM THE HEART WHEN NEED A SENIOR CENTER PERIOD.
WHY? BECAUSE OUR NUMBERS ARE GROWING VERY SIMPLE, VERY, VERY SIMPLE.
AND ALSO, WHEN YOU SET BACK AND SEE PEOPLE MY AGE AND IN SENIORS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING, AND THEN I SEE YOUNG PEOPLE COME IN TO OUR EXERCISE, I'M JUST GIVING ONE TO OUR EXERCISE CLASS, PUSHING A PATIENT INTO THE GYM TO GET THEIR THERAPY FROM PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE THAT BRING THEM IN TO SEE A VOLUNTEER, ONE OF OUR SENIORS.
GIVE THEM THE INSTRUCTIONS AND UTILIZE IT FOR THEIR HEALTH.
IT'S AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN SEE.
I WOULD INVITE ANY ONE OF Y'ALL TO GO OUT THERE AND SEE OUR SENIORS GROW.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR AREA THAT WE ONLY HAVE FOUR ROOMS TO SATISFY THE NEED OF YOUTH, OF OUR, UH, UH, PEOPLE THAT NEED SHELTER, PANTRIES, MEAL ON WHEELS, ET CETERA, AND KIDS PROGRAMS. SO WE NEED A, IT'S A, THERE'S A NEED IN AUSTIN THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED FROM ALL THE CITIZENS.
NOW, WITH ALL THAT SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO AS SENIORS? SOME OF US, SOME WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THE PROFESSIONAL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE RETIRED NOW THEY'RE SENIORS AND THEY'RE PART PARTICIPATING IN THEIR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. NOW WE HAVE LIBRARIANS, LAWYERS, ET CETERA.
OKAY? THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING BACK FREE.
NOW, HOW CAN WE WORK IN TO A, UH, TO OUR PARTS AND REC OR WHOEVER PUTS THE PROGRAMS TOGETHER, UH, HOW CAN WE BE STILL USEFUL?
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THERE'S SOME OF US IN OUR EIGHTIES THAT, UH, LOOK PRETTY GOOD THERE.THERE'S, THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, WE NEED A LITTLE OF HELP.
OKAY? AND, UH, IT IS FUNNY HOW AGE GETS PEOPLE TO DO SOMETHING, AND I TELL YOU, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD FEELING WHEN YOU SEE A SATISFIED SENIOR.
WE'RE THE FASTEST GROWING POPULATION IN AMERICA, AND WE JUST NEED TO DO A PRESENTATION.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THANK YOU.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE FRIENDS OF THE ELIZABETH NAY MUSEUM.
UH, ANN GRAHAM AND I ARE HERE TODAY TO DO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, BRING YOU UP TO DATE ON SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING AT THE ELIZABETH NAY TO IMPROVE IT.
UH, THE OTHER IS TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER ADDING BOND FUNDING OF 500,000 TO ADD AN ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM FOR THE MUSEUM.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND, THE, THE ELIZABETH NAY MUS MUSEUM WAS BUILT IN 1892 AS THE STUDIO AND HOME OF ELIZABETH NAY, WHO ENTERED DAY WAS WORLD FAMOUS, BOTH IN EUROPE AND THE US.
THE MUSEUMS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT'S THE LARGEST REPOSITORY OF WORKS BY ELIZABETH NAY.
HER SCULPTURES OWNED AROUND THE WORLD BY MUSEUMS, PROMINENT MUSEUMS SUCH AS THE SMITHSONIAN, AS WELL AS THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
HER LIFE-SIZED SCULPTURES OF SAM HOUSTON AND STEPHEN F. AUSTIN ARE REPRESENTED IN BOTH THE TEXAS CAPITOL AND THE US CAPITOL.
SHE'S THE ONLY WOMAN SCULPTOR WITH TWO PIECES IN THE US HALL OF SCULPTURE.
UH, HER HOME AND STUDIO IS ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND HAS STATE AS WELL AS LOCAL HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
RIGHT NOW, THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED DOWN FOR 18 MONTHS FOR MAJOR RENOVATIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO REDO THE DOORS.
THE WINDOWS GET NEW HVAC, SECURITY AND LIGHTING SYSTEMS AS, UM, AS WELL AS AN ACCESSIBLE BRIDGE ACROSS THE, UH, WALTER CREEK THAT'S RIGHT BEHIND THE MUSEUM.
ALL THAT'S PAID FOR BY $3.4 MILLION.
THAT CAME FROM A 2012 CITY OF AUSTIN BOND, AS WELL AS CITY PARKLAND.
DECA, UH, THE PARKLAND DEDICATION FUND AND FUNDING FROM THE, UH, NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UH, THE PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS, UM, ARE NOT ENOUGH.
AND WITH $408,000 OF PRIVATELY RAISED FUNDS, WE HAVE CREATED AN INTERPRETATION PLAN THAT WILL RETELL THE STORY OF ELIZABETH DAY, AS WELL AS, AS A COMPLETE REDO OF THE, THE, UH, HISTORIC GROUNDS.
ALMOST TWO ACRES RIGHT THERE NEXT TO SHPE PARK.
WHEN IT'S ALL DONE, IT'LL BE A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF AUSTIN.
WE INTEND TO RAISE A LITTLE OVER $3 MILLION FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO REALIZE THIS INTERPRETATION PLAN AND THE LANDSCAPE PLAN.
OVERALL, IT'S ABOUT A $7.2 MILLION PRIVATE, UH, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, UH, OVER HALF OF WHICH WILL COME FROM THE, THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND WHEN COMPLETED, THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A NEW MUSEUM AND PARKLAND EXPERIENCE FOR THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN.
I'M A RESIDENT OF HYDE PARK, AND I'VE BEEN LONG ACTIVE, UM, HERE, ET CETERA.
I JUST RETIRED AND NOW I'M BACK AT CITY HALL GETTING BUSY AGAIN.
UM, THANK YOU JACK FOR LAYING THE FOUNDATION, AND THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING ON THE TASK FORCE.
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TASK FORCE, UM, WITH, WE GOT RESOURCES FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, JACK WAS REPORTING ON FOR ELIZABETH NAY.UM, THIS IS A REQUEST TO PLEASE PLACE THE, THE BATHROOM RECOMMENDATIONS, THE ACCESSIBLE RESTROOMS ON THE CITY BOND FUNDING.
UM, THE MUSEUM, SINGLE BATHROOM, IF ANY, AND HAVE NOT BEEN DOWN THERE, IS IN A BASEMENT DOWN A NARROW, TINY STAIRCASE, UM, INACCESSIBLE FOR ANYBODY WITH ANY MOBILITY ISSUES.
AND IT IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE DISABILITIES ACT OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, POLICY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT WE'RE DOING ACROSS THE RIVER, ACROSS THE CREEK.
UM, WE ENVISION A SEPARATE STANDALONE STRUCTURE FOR A MODEST FACILITY.
WE ESTIMATE THE COST AT 500,000 THAT WILL PAY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL AS THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION.
AND IT WILL BE A RELATIVELY LOW USAGE, LOW MAINTENANCE, UM, FACILITY.
GIVEN BOTH THIS LOCATION AND THE ENTITY THAT IT SERVES.
UM, THE PLAN SITE WILL BE ADJACENT TO, BUT NOT CONNECTED TO THE MUSEUM BUILDING AND ITS HISTORIC CHARACTER WILL NOT BE COMPROMISED.
THE OTHER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, UM, MANAGED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IN MANY CASES, THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM, ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER, SUSANNA DICKINSON HOUSE, ALL HAVE ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCES AND BATHROOMS. UM, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS PROJECT QUALIFIES FOR THE CITY BOND FUNDING.
THE COUNCIL RE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING THE BOND PACKAGE INCLUDES GOALS AND REQUIREMENTS, WHICH WE HAVE REVIEWED, AND FEEL THAT THE PROJECT MEETS THOSE GOALS.
UM, THE NEED FOR PUBLIC ASSET IMPROVEMENTS, UM, AND ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LEARN FROM AND RECEIVE, HOPEFULLY ASSISTANCE FROM YOU ALL, IS HOW DO WE ALSO COMPLY WITH OR ENGAGE WITH THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF THE REQUESTS THAT WE'VE MADE? UM, THAT'S REALLY IT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU OVER THE COURSE OF THE COMING YEARS.
WE, UM, ARE HOSTING A COME VISIT THE NAY DAY, UH, WITH WEAR YOUR HARD HAT.
UM, IF THAT INTERESTS YOU, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
WE'D LIKE EVERYBODY TO SEE FIRSTHAND WHAT IS, WHAT YOU CAN EXPERIENCE.
THE NAY IS CLOSED, AS JACK HAD MENTIONED, BUT, UM, WITH OUR HARD HATS AND A DATE, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO WELCOME ANY OF YOU TO JOIN US.
I DON'T THINK NEXT WE HAVE CHRIS FLORES.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, ESTEEMED TASK FORCE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND MR. MCGILL OF COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER'S OFFICE SUGGESTED I BRING MY IDEA DIRECTLY TO YOU.
I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH ELECTED PEOPLE AND THEIR TEAMS WITH REGARD TO A FEW POOL AND SWIMMER ISSUES.
IT'S A PASSION POINT FOR ME AS I AM A DAILY SWIMMER.
MY IDEA IS FOR THE CITY TO CONSIDER, APPROVE AND FUND AN AQUIFER FED POOL IN THE STYLE OF DEEP EDDY AS PART OF THE CLIMATE RESILIENCY BOND IN 2026.
THERE IS A BLANK SLATE PARK NAMED B EAST OF HIGHWAY 180 3.
IT SITS ON THE COLORADO RIVER.
UH, THE VISION PLAN WAS PRESENTED TO THE PARKS BOARD IN NOVEMBER, 2024.
THE LAND IS CURRENTLY A RATHER DYSTOPIAN INDUSTRIAL PLACE, BUT CLEANED UP.
IT WILL BE A STUNNING SANCTUARY FOR HUMANS AND WILDLIFE.
I DON'T PROPOSE CHANGING ANY PART OF THE VISION PLAN.
THERE WILL BE TRAILS, SOCCER FIELDS, RESTROOMS. IT'S, IT'S ALL GREAT.
I AM PROPOSING A DEEP BETTY BEACH POOL WITH OUTDOOR SHOWERS AND A BREEZEWAY IN THE 1930 STYLE STONE BATHHOUSE IN THE PLACE OF A GREAT LAWN AND AN OFF-LEASH DOG PARK.
UM, IT WOULD BE A BIG STEP TO EQUITY AS NO AQUIFER FED POOLS EXIST IN EAST AUSTIN.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES SUPPORTS IT, UH, PROFESSOR BRISCOE AT UT SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE PLANS TO ASSIGN HER STUDENTS TO DRAW IT THIS SUMMER.
I WILL SHARE THEIR IDEAS WITH YOU.
UH, IN CASE YOU WANT TO REVIEW THE VISION PLAN, IT IS AVAILABLE AS A BACKUP IN THE NOVEMBER 24 PARK, UH, PARKS BOARD MEETING DOCUMENTS.
UH, PLEASE VISIT IT AND PLEASE CONSIDER WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IN, UH, SUMMERS THAT LAST FROM MARCH TO DECEMBER FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT'S GOING TO COME TOGETHER ON THE EAST SIDE OF 180 3.
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GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.I LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR HOMEOWNER.
I'VE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR QUITE A WHILE ON AIR QUALITY, CLIMATE, TRANSPORTATION, SAFETY AND, AND MORE AND MORE SOCIAL ISSUES.
I'M HEARTENED WHEN I HEAR SOME OF THE PRIOR SPEAKERS WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT SWEAT EQUITY AND ABOUT RAISING PRIVATE FUNDS.
I REALIZE THAT RAISING PRIVATE FUNDS IS NOT POSSIBLE IN ALL PARTS OF AUSTIN, BUT CERTAINLY WITH THE BUDGET THAT ALL OF US WERE CONCERNED WOULD HAPPEN IS BECOMING THE BUDGET THAT WE MIGHT NOT GET WHAT WE WANT AND NEED OUT OF IT WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
HEALTH AND SAFETY REALLY, FOR ME, IS ONE OF THE CORE ISSUES FOR THIS TYPE OF BOND.
AND I CERTAINLY AM AWARE OF AND, AND VOLUNTEER TO SUPPORT THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN ON ONE OF THE WORKING GROUPS FOR CONSUMPTION.
BUT THE IDEA OF, OF UPGRADING BUILDINGS THAT DO NEED TO BE UPGRADED FOR THE PURPOSES OF, OF HEALTH AND SAFETY RELATED TO IMPROVED INDOOR AIR QUALITY, A MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE THAN OUTDOOR AIR QUALITY IN MOST SITUATIONS, OR IF IT HAS MOLD THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE.
WILDFIRE NEEDS, AS WE ALL KNOW, AND OUR AWARENESS IS CERTAINLY VERY HEIGHTENED IN THE LAST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS ABOUT THAT ISSUE.
AND THE AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY PLAN HAS A VERY LARGE BUDGET ITEM WITH A TRANSFER STATION.
BUT IF WE CAN ELECTRIFY THAT FLEET OR START TO ELECTRIFY THAT FLEET MORE RAPIDLY, THAT WOULD BE A HUGE, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROTECT OUR HEALTH RELATED TO AIR QUALITY AND THE PARTICULATES THAT THAT COME FROM THE VEHICLES AND FROM THE TIRES AND THE BRAKE LININGS.
UH, ONE THING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS THAT SOME NEIGHBORHOODS, SUCH AS MINE HAVE OPPORTUNISTICALLY WORKED WITH DEVELOPERS.
ONE, BUILDING A VERY LARGE STRUCTURE THAT'S APARTMENT COMPLEX TWO TOGETHER THAT EQUAL 450 OR 4 75 TOTAL UNITS.
WE ASKED THEM BECAUSE WE NEEDED IN NORTH LOOP A NEW PARK, AND THEY'RE WORKING TO MAKE THE BUILDING TALLER, SO THERE'S MORE SPACE TO BUILD A PARK, AND THEY'RE HELPING FUND IT TO A SUBSTANTIAL LEVEL.
SO DEVELOPMENT CAN HELP WITH OUR NEEDS PRESENT AND FUTURE.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THIS GROUP, IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY OUTREACHING, REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WITH STAFF TO TRY TO LOOK FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO ENHANCE AN EXISTING PARK OR TO TRY TO BUILD A NEW PARK.
BECAUSE IF THEY'RE, PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR NEW PARKS, UNLESS THERE'S A DEARTH OF THEM, WHICH THERE WAS IN OUR AREA, I'M NOT NECESSARILY SUPPORTIVE OF NEW PARKS, WHETHER THEY ARE HELPING THAT AREA OR NOT.
WE NEED TO MAKE BETTER THE CURRENT PARKS.
WE HAVE TRY TO HAVE PEOPLE USE THOSE.
THE UTILIZATION RATE OF SOME PARKS IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT COULD BE.
CULTURAL BUILDINGS, HOPEFULLY THIS IS ALREADY IN PLACE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS, THEY SHOULD HAVE A MAINTENANCE PLAN, AND SOME OF THAT COULD BE SWEAT EQUITY, SOME OF IT COULD BE PRIVATE MONEY.
IF IT DOESN'T, AND THESE ARE NEW BUILDINGS, THEN THIS, THIS GROUP AND THE CITY SHOULD REVISIT THAT.
WE HAVE NO MORE PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
[1. Approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of the 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force (BEATF) on February 24, 2025.]
MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.AND THAT IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE FROM FEBRUARY 24TH, 2025.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MINUTES? YES, YES.
I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THE WRONG VERSION OF THE MINUTES.
UM, BUT I, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME CORRECTIONS IN MY VERSION.
IT'S APPROVING THE JANUARY 27TH OF THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
SHOULDN'T IT BE THE FEBRUARY 24TH? AND I'M PRETTY, I KNOW I DIDN'T ABSTAIN.
I MIGHT BE LOOKING AT THE WRONG VERSIONS.
WELL, WE, UM, APPROVED THE JANUARY 27TH MINUTE AT THE LAST MEETING SUBJECT TO SOME CORRECTIONS.
SO I THINK THESE ARE THE CORRECTIONS TO THE JANUARY MINUTES.
I WILL GO BACK AND CHECK THOSE OUT.
THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR THE JANUARY MINUTES, CORRECT? CORRECT.
NICOLE, DID YOU, WERE YOU AT THAT MEETING? WAS THERE A MEETING YOU MISSED? YES, THERE WAS.
WELL, I, I, I JUST WAS REMEMBERING IT WAS A MEETING.
IS IT TECHNICAL ABSTAINING IF YOU'RE MISSED OR NO, THAT WOULDN'T BE AN EXTENSION.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO, I KNOW THAT WE RAISED THE CORRECTION THE LAST TIME.
MR. SULLIVAN, MEMBER SULLIVAN.
I DON'T THINK IT HAD BEEN CORRECTED SINCE HE RAISED THE ISSUE, SO JUST GOTCHA.
WITH THAT CORRECTION, DO, UM, HAVE
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A VOTE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY MEETING? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND SO NICOLE CAN TAKE ACCOUNT AND KEEP IT RAISED UNTIL SHE'S HAD A CHANCE TO[2. Staff briefings from the Housing Department, Homeless Strategy Office and Transportation and Public Works Department on past bond spending summary and 2026 Bond Development (technical criteria and scoring matrix).]
IS UNDER STAFF BRIEFINGS.AND WE ARE GONNA HEAR FIRST FROM, WE'RE DOING THIS A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER FROM WHAT'S LISTED IN THE AGENDA, BUT WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, SOME FAMILIAR FACES, SO THAT'S LOVELY.
I AM A TRANSPORTATION OFFICER WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION.
AND, UM, I WAS ASKED TO COME AND TALK TO YOU TODAY, UM, ABOUT HOW, UM, TRANSPORTATION SPECIFICALLY IS STARTING TO THINK ABOUT, EVALUATE, PRIORITIZE ALL OF OUR NEEDS FOR A POTENTIAL 2026 BOND.
UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF COLLABORATIVE WORK, UM, WITH OUR, UM, COLLEAGUES AT CAPITAL DELIVERY, BUT ALSO WITH OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
JUST STARTING TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT HOW WE AS A CITY ARE GOING TO REALLY KIND OF LOOK AT ALL OF THE NEEDS, UM, OUT THERE, WHICH ARE ENORMOUS, THEY ALWAYS ARE.
AND HOW WITH KIND OF, UM, A LIMITED FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, UM, ARE WE GOING TO IDENTIFY THE MOST CRITICAL NEEDS, UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT NEEDS TO PROGRESS FIRST FOR THIS PARTICULAR FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.
UM, SO I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE, WHAT WE'RE CALLING GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WE HOPE TO USE AS KIND OF QUANTIFICATION METRICS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO START TO EVALUATE WAY AND PRIORITIZE THIS MASSIVE UNIVERSE OF NEED AND MAKE SURE WE'RE FUNDING THE MOST CRITICAL THINGS WE NEED TO FUND FIRST.
UM, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY BE, UM, LESS FAMILIAR WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO READ THAT SLIDE THAT'S VERY FAR AWAY
UM, BUT OUR MISSION, UM, WE ARE A HIGHLY RELIABLE ORGANIZATION THAT BUILDS AND MAINTAINS MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, UM, OUR VISION, UM, I I REALLY WANTED TO READ THIS ALOUD BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT JUST TO, TO ME PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY, IS, UM, WE HAVE A VISION THAT AUSTIN IS THE MODEL FOR SAFE, RELIABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION.
SO THIS MISSION AND VISION, AND THEN THE VALUES HERE ARE GONNA BE REFLECTED IN, UM, ALL OF OUR WORK PROGRAMS. UM, AND WE'RE REALLY ALWAYS GONNA BE LOOKING BACK TO THIS MISSION, VISION, VALUES, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE ARE REFLECTING, UM, THESE THREE KIND OF CORE TENETS IN ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE DO, AND IT'S A LOT OF WORK.
UM, SO ON THE SCREEN BEFORE VIEW IS, UM, JUST A VERY BRIEF SNAPSHOT OF THE KIND OF ENORMOUS NUMBER OF KIND OF ASSETS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE TODAY, UM, THAT WE MAINTAIN.
SO THIS IS NOT EVEN LOOKING AHEAD TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE OUR RE YOU KNOW, CONTINUING NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE AND PROVIDE MORE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AND MORE TRANSIT BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, SIGNALS, WHAT HAVE YOU.
THIS IS JUST WHAT WE HAVE OUT THERE TODAY.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE IN TERMS OF KIND OF OUR DEPARTMENT PURVIEW, UM, IT REALLY IS QUITE, UM, YOU KNOW, A LARGE SYSTEM THAT WE OVERSEE AND MAINTAIN.
SO BEFORE I GET INTO, YOU KNOW, THOSE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND POTENTIAL, UM, QUANTIFIED MEASURES FOR HOW WE MIGHT EVALUATE OUR UNIVERSE OF NEED, I, I WANTED TO STEP BACK AND, UM, MAYBE ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE PERCOLATING OUT THERE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF OUR CURRENT BOND SPENDING, OUR, OUR PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, GOING TO RUN OUT OF MONEY ANYTIME SOON.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF TABLES FOR YOU.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IN BLUE IS OUR KIND OF PROJECTED BOND SPENDING RATE OVER,
[00:30:01]
UM, THE LIFETIME OR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS THROUGH 2027.YOU CAN SEE IN BLUE HERE THAT WE DO HAVE KIND OF PROJECTED BOND EXPENDITURES, UM, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE BLACK AND RED LINE, UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE MORE OR LESS ON TRACK TO DELIVER ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS AND BOND DOLLARS BY 2027, KIND OF PER THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULE.
SO WE ARE LOOKING KIND OF REALLY HEALTHY RIGHT NOW.
AND JUST TO SHOW YOU THIS IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FORMAT, OH, UM, IN BAR GRAPH FORMAT, WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IN, IN THE BLUE BARS OVER TIME, UM, REALLY THE SAME TAKEAWAY THAT WE HAVE BOND DOLLARS FOR OUR VARIOUS PROGRAMS, UM, BE THAT SIDEWALKS, URBAN TRAILS, BIKEWAY, VISION ZERO TRANSIT, WHAT HAVE YOU, UM, THROUGH 20, UH, 27, CERTAINLY INTO 2028 AS WELL.
SO WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE RUNNING OUT OF MONEY THIS YEAR OR THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO WE FEEL AS A DEPARTMENT VERY COMFORTABLE HAVING THIS 20, OH MY GOSH, WHAT YEAR IS THAT 2026 BOND CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW? UM, SO THEN BACKING BACK UP, UM, I DO WANNA KIND OF CIRCLE BACK TO THIS CONVERSATION OF, OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
UM, WE IN TRANSPORTATION DO HAVE AN OVERARCHING STRATEGIC PLAN, THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN.
THIS WAS PASSED BACK IN 2019, IT'S RELATIVELY NEW.
UM, AND THIS IS OUR GUIDING POLICY DOCUMENT THAT REALLY STEERS EVERYTHING WE DO AS A DEPARTMENT AND INCLUDES, UM, POLICIES THAT WE'RE, UM, IMPLEMENTING, UM, ACTIONS THAT WE TRACK ON, UM, AN ANNUAL OR SEMI-ANNUAL BASIS.
UM, AND IT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, ITS OWN SET OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE COLUMN TO THE RIGHT.
UM, WE WANTED TO STEP BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT HOW OUR TRANSPORTATION GUIDING PRINCIPLES COMPARE AGAINST, UM, THOSE THAT ARE IN OUR CITY STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UM, BEEN DISTRIBUTED THE CITY STRATEGIC PLAN AND ARE MORE OR LESS FAMILIAR WITH THAT STRUCTURE.
UM, THAT PLAN IS, UM, ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO THESE SIX ANCHORS.
UM, THOSE ARE EQUITY, AFFORDABILITY, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY, PROACTIVE PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS.
NOW, THESE ARE ACCORDING TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, THE ANCHORS THROUGH WHICH THE CITY, UM, SHOULD BE DELIVERING OUR SERVICES.
AND THE CITY STRATEGIC PLAN KIND OF WATERFALLS DOWN FROM THESE SIX ANCHORS.
UM, WHEN WE DID THE CROSSWALK BETWEEN THESE STRATEGIC PLAN ANCHORS AND OUR A SMP GUIDING PRINCIPLES, THERE REALLY WAS A STRONG CORRELATION.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE SCREEN AHEAD OF YOU WITH THE CITY ANCHORS IN ORANGE.
AND THEN REALLY TAKING A FIRST PASS AT HOW EVALUATING HOW THE TRANSPORTATION, UM, GUIDING PRINCIPLES NEST BENEATH THOSE, UM, CITY ANCHORS.
AND THERE REALLY IS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, UM, AN A STRONG ENOUGH CORRELATION THAT WE IN TRANSPORTATION FEEL REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH THIS CONCEPT OF, OF REALLY LETTING THESE CITY STRATEGIC PLAN ANCHORS SERVE AS OUR GUIDING FRAMEWORK FOR HOW WE WANNA KIND OF IDENTIFY AND PROPOSE POTENTIAL BOND PROJECTS FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS KIND WALK THROUGH EACH OF THESE ANCHORS ONE BY ONE, AND THEN GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, UM, IN REGARD TO HOW WE AT TRANSPORTATION ARE THINKING ABOUT QUANTIFYING SOME OF THESE AND, AND TURNING THIS QUANTIFICATION INTO AN EVALUATION OF OUR NEEDS.
SO IN REGARD TO EQUITY, UM, WE, UM, AT TRANSPORTATION, UM, PRIMARILY ADDRESS EQUITY BY DIRECTING INVESTMENTS TO AREAS WE KNOW HAVE HIGH EQUITY NEEDS ACROSS OUR CITY, UM, AND TO AREAS, UM, WHERE WE KNOW WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING KIND OF EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SAFE AND CONVENIENT AND AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT AS A CITY SEEING DISPROPORTIONATE,
[00:35:01]
UM, HEALTH AND SAFETY IMPACTS, UM, DUE TO THAT LACK OF ACCESS.SO AT TPW, UM, SOME YEARS AGO, UM, WELL, NOT TOO LONG AGO, UM, IN THE RECENT PAST, UM, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WITH THE, UM, OFFICE OF EQUITY TO DEVELOP, UM, WHAT WE CALL OUR EQUITY ANALYSIS ZONES, EA ZS.
UM, AND WE ACTIVELY USE THESE TODAY, UM, IN OUR MODAL PLANS, OUR SIDEWALK PLAN, OUR BICYCLE PLAN, WHAT HAVE YOU, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IDENTIFYING THOSE PORTIONS OF THE CITY, UM, WHERE WE HAVE THOSE EQUITY ISSUES AND WHAT, AND WHERE WE KNOW WE WANNA, UM, STRATEGICALLY THINK ABOUT OUR INVESTMENTS IN THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RECONCILING SOME OF THOSE HISTORIC ISSUES.
UM, SO WE WOULD PROPOSE LOOKING AT THOSE EEA ZS AS A TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA, LOOKING WHERE WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS WITHIN THEM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, LOOKING AT TITLE SIX TRANSIT ROUTES AS WELL.
THESE ARE IDENTIFIED BY CAPITAL METRO, AND THESE ARE TRANSIT ROUTES THAT SERVE LOW INCOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO THIS ALLOWS US TO TAKE A STEP BACK OUTSIDE OF A PARTICULAR CENSUS ZONE OF RESIDENCE, AND ALSO LOOK AT WHERE ARE OUR LOW INCOME AUSTINITES TRAVELING TO AND FROM, UM, AND WHAT SORTS OF TRANSPORTATION NEEDS, UM, EXIST ALONG THESE CORRIDORS, UM, TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT RELIABLY, EFFICIENTLY, SAFELY.
IN TERMS OF THE AFFORDABILITY PILLAR, SO AT TRANSPORTATION, WE ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY, UM, BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO LOW COST, UM, MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, BE THAT BICYCLE, PEDESTRIAN TRANSIT, UH, PEDESTRIAN TRANSPORTATION, UM, AND TRANSIT, HIGH SPEED, RELIABLE TRANSIT, UM, ACCESS.
SO IN TERMS OF QUANTIFYING THIS IMPACT, UM, THAT A PROJECT COULD HAVE ON AFFORDABILITY, WE WOULD PROPOSE LOOKING AT THE LEVEL OF BICYCLE FACILITY IMPROVEMENT THAT A PROJECT WOULD BE PROPOSING.
UM, LOOKING AT, UM, THE TRANSIT SERVICE, THE QUALITY AND FREQUENCY OF A TRANSIT SERVICE THAT A PROJECT WOULD BE PROPOSING, UM, WHETHER OR NOT A PROJECT INCLUDES A HIGH PRIORITY SIDEWALK OR CROSSING TO HELP CLOSE THAT NETWORK GAP.
UM, AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THESE SORTS OF IMPROVEMENTS, UM, IN PLACES WHERE, UM, PEOPLE NEED TO GET TO AND FROM.
AND SO TO THAT LAST POINT, UM, DOES A PROPOSED PROJECT SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT, UM, IN ONE OF THE IMAGINE AUSTIN GROWTH CENTERS INNOVATION.
SO, UH, IN TERMS OF THE CITY VALUE OF INNOVATION, TRANSPORTATION PRIORITIZES, UM, INNOVATION BY INTEGRATING, UM, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES AND SMART INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, INTO OUR PROJECTS.
SO THINGS LIKE SMART SIGNAL, LIKE TRANSIT, UM, SIGNAL PRIORITY TO PROVIDE FASTER BUS SERVICE.
UM, BUT WE ALSO THINK ABOUT INNOVATION IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE DELIVERING PROJECTS AS WELL.
UM, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEVERAGE PROJECT NEEDS, BOTH AMONGST PROGRAMS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO BETWEEN OUR WORK AND THE WORK OF OUR COLLEAGUES, UM, AT OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
UM, HOW CAN WE LEVERAGE, UM, GRANT FUNDING, FOR EXAMPLE, OR ANY OTHER KIND OF THIRD PARTY FUNDING AS PART OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECT? UM, SO THE CRITERIA THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING FOR THIS FACTOR, UM, INCLUDE, YES, THOSE KINDS OF SMART TECHNOLOGIES TO HELP, UM, KEEP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK MODERN AND HIGH FUNCTIONING, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE PROJECT READINESS, LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY.
UM, ANOTHER CORE CRITERIA, UM, AT, IN THE TRANSPORTATION WORLD, WE REALLY THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY, INCLUSIVES OF, IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT OUR PROJECTS ARE INCLUDING, UM, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AS PART OF OUR BASELINE PROJECT SCOPES.
UM, WE KNOW WE'RE IN KIND OF A WARMING CLIMATE.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, UM, KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND OUR URBAN FOREST AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT THE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT THERE, UM, ALSO INCLUDE SHADE, WHICH IS PART OF OUR, UM, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
[00:40:01]
ALSO FOCUS ON BUILDING PROJECTS THAT, UM, PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION CHOICES THAT MINIMIZE OUR CARBON EMISSIONS.UM, SO AGAIN, BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS, TRA PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS, UM, TRANSIT ACCESS AND SPEED AND RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT HOW THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK PROVIDES RESILIENCY IN TIMES OF, UM, OF, OF EMERGENCIES OR CRISIS.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF THE CRITERIA HERE, LOOKING AT, UM, DOES OUR PRO, DOES OUR PROPOSED PROJECT, UM, INCLUDE THOSE HIGH PRIORITY ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ELEMENTS AND THOSE HIGH PRIORITY TRANSIT SPEED AND RELIABILITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT, UM, THE STREETS THAT PROJECTS ARE PROPOSED FOR, DO THESE PARTICULAR STREET SEGMENTS SERVE AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION, UM, IN THE ROADWAY NETWORK, UM, DURING TIMES OF EMERGENCY, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE RESILIENCY? AND THEN FINALLY, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, DOES A PROJECT INCLUDE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION, UM, OR SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AS PART OF IT? BASELINE PROJECT SCOPE? COUPLE MORE HERE.
UM, PROACTIVE PREVENTION, ANOTHER ONE OF OUR CITY STRATEGIC PLAN ANCHORS.
UM, AT TPW, AT TPW, OUR FOCUS ON PROACTIVE PREVENTION IS REALLY THINKING SYSTEMICALLY HOW WE PREVENT, UM, TRAFFIC CRASHES AND DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURIES ON OUR STREET NETWORK BEFORE THEY OCCUR.
UM, SO REALLY LOOKING A LOT OF, UH, HERE AT A LOT OF, UM, QUANTIFIED SAFETY NEEDS.
UM, SO WHAT RANKING DOES A PROPOSED PROJECT HAVE IN OUR HIGH CRASH, UM, NETWORK OR OUR HIGH CRASH INTERSECTION, UM, EVALUATION, UM, AND IS A PROPOSED PROJECT, UM, NOT ONLY ADDRESSING OUR HIGH CRASH NETWORK, BUT IS IT ALSO, UM, ON A POTENTIAL SAFE ROUTE TO SCHOOL, UM, TO PREVENT THOSE TYPES OF CRASHES BEFORE THEY HAPPEN? AND THEN FINALLY, THE LAST PILLAR IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS COMMUNITY TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, AT TRANSPORTATION, YOU KNOW, OUR FOCUS IS, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENGAGED COMMUNITY, UM, IN A MEANINGFUL KINDA IMPACTFUL WAY FOR ANY PROJECT THAT WE WOULD, UM, SET FORTH, UM, FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO IN TERMS OF EVALUATING THAT, LOOKING AT THE LEVEL AND INTENSITY OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT A PROPOSED PROJECT HAS HAD, AND THEN AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF POTENTIALLY IMPACTED OR AFFECTED RESIDENTS, RESIDENTS, UM, THAT A PROPOSED PROJECT MIGHT HAVE.
SO LOOKING AT POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT DENSITY IN A PROJECT AREA, UM, JUST TO QUANTIFY, UM, THOSE THAT MIGHT BENEFIT FROM A PROJECT AND MAKING SURE WE'RE TRYING TO BENEFIT AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN WITH OUR LIMITED DOLLARS.
SO OUR NEXT STEP, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE WANNA DEFINITELY HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THESE STRATEGIC PLAN ANCHORS, HOW TRANSPORTATION MIGHT EVALUATE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS WITHIN EACH OF THESE ANCHORS.
OUR NEXT STEP, AND WE'RE STARTING TO DO THIS NOW, IS TO START TO THINK HOW MIGHT WE, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE'VE IDENTIFIED ALL OF OUR MEASURABLE CRITERIA, HOW MIGHT WE WANNA WEIGH EACH OF THESE SIX, UM, ANCHORS AGAINST EACH OTHER? WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE ON A TABLE IS JUST AN INITIAL, UM, PASS, ASSUMING THAT FOR THE MOST PART, EACH OF THESE SIX ANCHORS ARE WEIGHED EVENLY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF KIND OF POLICY IMPETUS EITHER IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN OR IN OUR A SMP THAT MIGHT SUGGEST THAT AFFORDABILITY IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN SUSTAINABILITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN COMMUNITY TRUST.
SO WE'RE REALLY STARTING FROM A PLACE OF, PERHAPS THESE ARE ALL WEIGHT EVENLY, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, OF KIND OF OUR FIRST VOLLEY OUT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, INNOVATION, SOME OF THESE CRITERIA UNDER INNOVATION LIKE PROJECT READINESS AND LEVERAGE.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE EVALUATING EACH OF KIND OF OUR POTENTIAL BOND PROJECTS, UM, IN ADVANCE FOR THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS WILL BE A BIT OF A KIND OF A GATEKEEPING FACTOR FOR US.
WE'RE NOT GONNA PROPOSE A, A BOND PROJECT THAT ISN'T PROJECT READY.
[00:45:01]
SO, UH, CONCEPTUALLY THE THOUGHT IS PERHAPS THAT ONE, FOR AT LEAST TRANSPORTATION'S PURPOSE, WE MIGHT KIND OF SENSITIVITY TEST THE IDEA OF, OF WEIGHING THAT ONE LESS EQUALLY THAN THE OTHERS.BUT THIS IS, UH, COMPLETELY HYPOTHETICAL.
WE WANNA KIND OF PUT THIS OUT THERE FOR YOUR KIND OF THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS OVER THE NEXT SERIES OF MONTHS.
OUR JOB WILL BE TO, UM, ACTUALLY PUT THIS CRITERIA AGAINST OUR NEEDS AND START TO KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT DOES THIS EVALUATION YIELD US? DOES IT MAKE SENSE? UM, DO WE NEED TO DO SOME SENSITIVITY TESTING AND KIND OF CRANK THIS ONE UP OR THIS ONE DOWN AND SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, UM, DIFFERENCES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT YIELD.
BUT ULTIMATELY WE WANNA GET TO THE PLACE WHERE WE'RE COMING TO YOU LATER THIS YEAR WITH A LIST OF NEEDS AND SCORED AND EVALUATED AND PRIORITIZED PROJECTS THAT APPLIES THIS MATRIX TO THAT LIST AND SHARE WHAT THAT YIELDS, UM, FOR YOU ALL.
UM, SO THIS IS A GREAT KIND OF BASELINE FOUNDATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO JUST GET YOU YOUR INPUT ON THIS APPROACH.
LET US KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE, UM, MAYBE HAVEN'T CONSIDERED OR YOU WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER MORE BEFORE WE START DOING THAT SCORING WORK.
UM, THAT I BELIEVE IS ALL I HAVE FOR YOU, SO I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
UH, AND THIS MAY BE A LATER ANSWER, I THANK YOU FOR, FOR THIS.
IT'S, UH, I'M SO GONNA USE THE NEW ACRONYMS, UM, IN THIS LIST.
I'M SURE YOU'D THINK ABOUT IT.
UH, BUT THE COORDINATION BETWEEN CAPITAL METRO, UH, BOTH THE DOLLARS THAT THEY'RE WORK THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH, AND THE PLANS THAT THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH AS WELL AS LIGHT RAIL AND LEVERAGING, I, THAT'S ONE THING I WAS, I WAS HOPING IT WOULD BE IN THE, IN THE ANALYSIS WAITING IS ARE WE ABLE TO LEVERAGE FUNDS WITH OTHER ENTITIES THAT MIGHT BE DOING SIMILAR IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE AREAS? MM-HMM
THAT COULD HAVE A LITTLE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT TO IT, RIGHT? IF THAT'S A GREAT PROJECT THAT MAKE IT UP, CAP METRO IS DOING X ON THIS PARTICULAR STREET, WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF WE COULD THEN ELEVATE OUR PROJECT TO THEN MEET THAT THE SAME NEEDS THAT THAT WOULD SERVICE THOSE SAME RESIDENTS? SO I WOULD LOOK AT JUST LEVERAGING DOLLARS FROM BOTH CAMPO CAP, METRO LIGHT RAIL, FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT MAY BE COMING IN TO OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE IN AND AROUND THE TRANSPORTATION SPHERE.
AND THAT LEVERAGING CATEGORY IS INTENDED TO GET AT JUST THAT, UM, HOW ARE WE LEVERAGING REGIONAL DOLLARS, FEDERAL DOLLARS, UM, MUNICIPAL DOLLARS.
UM, SO I THINK CAP METRO WOULD ABSOLUTELY FALL WITHIN THAT CATEGORY, AND THAT MAY BE A GOOD REASON, UM, TO KIND OF BUMP, BUMP THAT UP A LITTLE BIT.
YEAH, MAYBE, UM, MAYBE 5% FOR, FOR LEVERAGE MIGHT, IN YOUR OPINION, MIGHT NOT BE ADEQUATE.
UM, GIVEN THAT COUNCIL HAS SAID CLIMATE SHOULD BE A, A BIG, UH, PRIORITY FOR THIS COMING BOND, UH, ONE THING THAT I'M HOPING TO GET FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT IS, YOU KNOW, A CARBON FOOTPRINT, UH, OF EACH PROJECT THAT MIGHT BE PROPOSED, KIND OF A LIFECYCLE GREENHOUSE GAS ESTIMATE, UH, EITHER FOR, UH, INCLUDING IF THERE'S ANY NEW ROAD PROJECTS, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IN TERMS OF INCREASED EMISSIONS, IF THERE'S A NEW URBAN TRAIL, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT MIGHT MEAN IN TERMS OF REDUCED EMT AND THUS REDUCED CARBON EMISSIONS.
BUT I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, ACROSS ALL THE PROJECTS, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS BE ABLE TO KNOW, IS THIS GOING TO INCREASE EMISSIONS OR DECREASE EMISSIONS? AND THEN BE ABLE, WHEN THERE'S, WE'RE TRYING TO DECIDE BETWEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT NEEDY PROJECTS, UH, FOLK PRIORITIZE THOSE THAT HAVE THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK IN TERMS OF CARBON EMISSIONS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'D BE POSSIBLE? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE EVER KIND OF DONE A, A FUTURE LOOKING, UM, ANY FUTURE LOOKING ASSUMPTIONS AT HOW WE ANTICIPATE GETTING YEAH, MAYBE WE DO.
SO ONE OF THE REASONS WE AT TRANSPORTATION FOCUS ON, UM, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS IS BECAUSE WE, WE AS A DEPARTMENT DO HAVE AN ADOPTED POLICY THAT WE WANNA GET TO WHAT WE CALL 50 50 MODE SHARE BY 2030.
SO THAT'S 50% OF ALL OF OUR TRIPS LOCALLY BEING TAKEN BY NONS SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES.
SO WE ARE AUTOMATICALLY GOING TO BE PRIORITIZING, UM, THOSE SORTS OF IMPROVEMENTS FOR YOU, UM, IN TERMS OF PROJECTING FUTURE USE, UM, AND THE IMPACTS ON THAT MODE SPLIT FOR A POTENTIAL PROJECT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S REALLY A GOOD METHODOLOGY FOR DOING THAT, THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH.
UM, ANNA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THAT? HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, ANNA MARTIN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, TPW.
YEAH, JUST TO ADD TO WHAT, UM, MICHELLE SAID,
[00:50:01]
I CAN'T THINK, WE'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT COMMENT.GIVE US A, A MOMENT TO TAKE THAT BACK AND THINK THAT THROUGH.
THERE'S CERTAINLY CONSTRUCTION METHODS AND MATERIALS THAT ALSO IMPACT THAT SORT OF LONG RANGE GREENHOUSE GAS, UM, CALCULATIONS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS WE COULD LOOK AT THAT.
UM, BUT WE'D LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK THROUGH THAT, UM, AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
YEAH, THAT'LL TAKE SOME THOUGHT.
UM, HOPEFULLY I CAN MAKE THIS QUICK.
UM, SO IN THE SPIRIT OF THAT 50 50 MODE SHARE, ONE THING THAT I, THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IN THE TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP WAS COOL STREETS AND JUST MAKING IT COMFORTABLE TO USE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, IF IF THAT'S KIND OF IN YOUR PURVIEW OR IF THAT IS PRIMARILY TREES AND SHADING, THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, BUT CAN YOU JUST BRIEFLY SPEAK TO THAT? I WANNA MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU RIGHT.
YOU SAID SCHOOL STREETS COOL STREETS.
I WAS GONNA, I WAS GONNA DIVE INTO OUR LIVING SPEECH PROGRAM, BUT THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UM, I CAN SAY THAT THE, THE OFFICE OF THE CITY ENGINEER, WHICH IS IT WITHIN TPW, THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UH, DIFFERENT CONCRETE TYPES THAT DEFINITELY HAVE A, UM, PAVEMENT TEMPERATURE SORT OF OUTCOME.
UM, WHETHER WE HAVE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THAT IN COMBINATION WITH SHADE AND OTHER THINGS, UM, I DON'T THINK WE'VE GONE THAT FAR YET.
YOU WANT ANYTHING TO ADD? YEAH, JUST TO SPEAK TO THE MATERIALS QUESTION, UM, THEY ARE EVALUATING MATERIALS, UM, THAT, THAT EMANATE LESS HEAT, CONCRETE AND ASPHALT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
UM, SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE ACTIVELY BEING EVALUATED.
UM, I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO STREET TREES.
UM, WE ARE, UM, TRYING TO GET MUCH MORE DILIGENT ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT STREET TREES ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE BASELINE SCOPES OF, OF THESE PROJECTS, UM, SO THAT WHEN WE'RE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, CORRIDORS OR SIDEWALKS OR BIKE LANES OR WHAT HAVE YOU, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE THOSE STREET, TRI STREET TREES ALONG WITH THOSE.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT'S CALLED OUT AS A MEASURE HERE, IS WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE THOSE PROJECTS THAT WILL BE DOING THAT.
SO REAL QUICK, ONE POINT FROM EARLIER, WHEN TINA WAS MENTIONING THIS, I DIDN'T HEAR THE WORD COUNTY IN THERE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT GRANTS FROM FEDERAL, UH, AND LOCAL AND WHATNOT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP AROUND OUR PERIPHERAL CITY EDGES WHERE THE COUNTY IS DOING PROJECTS.
SO DO YOU WORK WITH THE COUNTY AT ALL? YES, WE WORK WITH BOTH WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE'RE OUR ETJ OVERLAPS INTO THE COUNTIES.
AND ONE OTHER POINT I'D MAKE IS WITH REGARD TO WHAT LUKE MENTIONED, UH, THERE'S A GROUP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY, UH, THAT DOES CLIMATE, UH, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, UH, CALCULATIONS.
UH, IF YOU GOOGLED, UM, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY COOL CLIMATE, UH, THEY MAY HAVE SOME METHODS THAT YOU COULD ADAPT TO.
THANK YOU FOR SOLICITING OUR, UM, OUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE WAITING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR SCORING MATRIX.
UH, WE COULD OBVIOUSLY GO AROUND THE ROOM AND LIKE GIVE OUR INDIVIDUAL OPINIONS ON THAT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT MIGHT BE MORE USEFUL TO YOU, MADAM CHAIR, IF WE DID SOME SORT OF FORMAL RANKING EXERCISE OR SOMETHING, UH, AT A FUTURE MEETING OR VIA EMAIL SO THAT THEY CAN SORT OF SEE HOW WE PRIORITIZE THINGS OR IF THE BODY'S NOT INTERESTED IN A BIG THING LIKE THAT, THAT COULD BE DEVOLVED TO THE WORKING GROUP ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
I THINK FIGURING OUT HOW TO ASSEMBLE ALL, ALL OF OUR FEEDBACK TO THE, TO THAT IS A GOOD, IS A GOOD IDEA.
WE'LL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT.
BUT I AGREE, KIBA, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING MATERIALS THAT CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, HOLD LESS HEAT.
I'M WONDERING, ARE YOU ALSO LOOKING AT MATERIALS FROM A, UH, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PERSPECTIVE? AND IF SO, WHICH MATERIALS ARE YOU LOOKING AT? YEAH, WE, UM, THE OFFICE OF THE ENGINEERS ALSO, UM, UH, UH, RECENTLY APPLIED FOR FEDERAL FUNDING TO, UM, PILOT A LOW COST, UH, LOW CARBON CONCRETE, UM, IN THE CITY AS WELL, AND TO, TO TEST THAT.
UM, SO I, I DON'T QUITE KNOW WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT IS GIVEN KIND OF THE CURRENT FEDERAL FUNDING CLIMATE.
UM, BUT, UM, I CAN'T SAY WE AS A DEPARTMENT ARE VERY INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO LOOK AT LOW CARBON CONCRETE.
BUT I WOULD, I WOULD JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'VE ALREADY DONE SOME TESTING HERE AND THERE'S OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE USING IT, SO I DON'T, I WOULDN'T LET YOURSELF BE HELD UP BY LACK OF THAT GRANT.
[00:55:01]
WOULD PUT THAT IN THE NICE TO HAVE COLUMN, NOT THE ESSENTIAL TO MOVE FORWARD.SO I, I HOPE THAT WHATEVER COMES FORWARD IN TERMS OF PROJECTS, UH, FOR US, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN WE HEARD FROM, FROM ZACH BALLMER, HE, YOU KNOW, HE KIND OF DESCRIBED, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE PROJECTS AND THEN PROJECTS THAT CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, A, A CLIMATE ELEMENT TO THEM.
AND I THINK THE MATERIALS THAT WE USE, WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE'RE BUILDING, UM, IN INCLUDING OUR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, SHOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SHOULD BE TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
AND CERTAINLY LOW CARBON CONCRETE IS EVEN LOCALLY, SOME OF THE SUPPLIERS THAT THE CITY IS ALREADY USING ARE, ARE USING TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE, UH, FEWER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
SO PRIORITIZING THEM IN CONTRACTING SEEMS LIKE A, AN EASY PLACE TO START IMMEDIATELY, UM, WITH, WITH A PLAN TO, TO RAMP UP.
AND I'M, I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE PLAN.
I, I JUST THINK, THINK WE COULD PROBABLY MOVE A LITTLE FASTER GIVEN WHAT IS AVAILABLE LOCALLY.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION WAS ABOUT, UH, TRANSPORTATION, ELECTRIFICATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, SO, BUT I, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW THAT MIGHT BE FITTING INTO ANY OF YOUR PLANNING? YEAH, THAT'S USUALLY AWESOME ENERGY.
YEAH, WE, WE, I'LL SAY TPW WOULD HAVE TO WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH AUSTIN ENERGY ON, UM, ELECTRIFICATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
I KNOW FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH CAPITAL METRO, TRYING TO GET THE END OF LINE, UM, SO THEY CAN RUN ELECTRIC BUSES ON THE METRO RAPID.
AND, UM, SO YES, WE WOULD WANNA TALK TO OUR COLLEAGUES AND, UM, AND PERHAPS COME BACK TO A SUBCOMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
ANYONE ELSE ON THIS SIDE OF A QUESTION? I THINK THERE WAS, LET ME ALSO JUST ANA, BE SURE TO RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I WAS REMEMBERING THAT YOU MADE REFERENCE TO A LIST, UM, AND I THINK IT WAS TOWARDS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I'M INTERESTED IF THERE IS A LIST, DOES IT IDENTIFY THE LOCATION OF WHERE THE GAPS MAY BE AT AND MAYBE HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN ON A WAITING LIST TO GET THEIR NEEDS ADDRESSED? YEAH, WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING THAT WORK, UM, IDENTIFYING WHAT THE UNIVERSE OF NEEDS ARE.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE COME BACK TO YOU, OUR AIM IS TO COME BACK TO YOU WITH THAT LIST OF WHAT THE UNIVERSE OF NEEDS ARE WITH THESE EVALUATION CRITERIA APPLIED SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT.
SO, UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TODAY.
WILL, WILL, WILL THAT LIST INCLUDE HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN ON THE WAITING LIST? UM, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
HAYDEN, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.
I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR, UM, CLIMATE RESILIENCY, BUT ALSO, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND, UM, AND I, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT 30% OF OUR POPULATION DOESN'T DRIVE FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S HIGH TIME THAT WE, Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DOING AN AMAZING JOB PUTTING THINGS ON THE GROUND, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP, KEEP, UM, FOLLOWING THAT NORTH STAR AND THE AS S AND P DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF THAT.
UM, I NOTICED ON THAT VERY FIRST SLIDE THAT THEY'RE 8,000 MILES OF ROADWAY AND 2,800 MILES OF SIDEWALK.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO, TO CONTINUE TO, TO, UM, CORRECT FOR THAT
UM, I HAD A QUESTION I REMEMBERED IN 2016 WHEN WE WORKED ON THE BONDS, IT WAS GONNA TAKE 200 YEARS AT THE CURRENT LEVEL OF FUNDING TO BUILD OUT ALL THE SIDEWALKS.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS THESE DAYS?
I THINK IT'S COME DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY WHERE OUR NETWORK, I BELIEVE AT THE BEGINNING OF 2016, OUR NETWORK WAS 16% COMPLETE.
AND, AND JUST WITH THE INVESTMENTS WE'VE MADE FROM 2016 TILL NOW, WE'RE AT 37, 30 8% COMPLETE.
SO MORE THAN DOUBLED, UM, OUR COMPLETED NETWORK.
SO WE'RE WELL, WELL BELOW 200 YEARS.
I WILL, I'LL STOP SHORT OF QUOTING A NUMBER.
I WOULD DOING BETTER THAN WE WERE
UM, I ALSO, I SEEM TO RECALL IN THE AS SMP, IT RECOMMENDS DEDICATING $30 MILLION A YEAR TO SIDEWALK FUNDING, AND I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE'RE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THOSE LEVELS.
SO MAYBE JUST AS A REMINDER, I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF NEEDS IN THE CITY, BUT, UM, CERTAINLY SAFE, UM, TRANSPORTATION MODES ARE, ARE CRITICAL.
UM, SO YEAH, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
UM, I HAD SIMILAR QUESTION TO MR. DWYER AS WELL ABOUT SORT OF HOW DO YOU WANT US TO GIVE YOU FEEDBACK ON THE
[01:00:01]
CRITERIA, BUT IN GIVING YOU THAT FEEDBACK, I WANTED TO CLARIFY A FEW ADAM'S ITEMS. I KNOW, TINA, YOU BROUGHT UP THE LEVERAGE.I ALMOST WOULD'VE PUT THAT IN A DIFFERENT BUCKET.
YOU KNOW, AFFORDABILITY MEANS AFFORDABLE, YOU KNOW, DOES IT MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE? DOES IT IMPROVE AFFORDABILITY? AND THERE'S, THERE'S PROJECT AFFORDABILITY THROUGH THE LEVERAGING IT, IT KIND OF SKEWS THE WEIGHTINGS AND THE RESULTS A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO, ONE, I CAN CERTAINLY GIVE YOU MY ADJUSTMENTS TO WHAT YOU HAVE PROPOSED, AND MAYBE YOU TAKE THAT ALL IN AND SORT OF RECOMMENDED AN OVERALL RECOMMENDATION TO THE TASK FORCE OR AS YOU TAKE INDIVIDUAL GUIDANCE.
SO I WANTED TO SAY WHAT, HOW BEST, HOW I CAN GIVE YOU FEEDBACK ON THE CRITERIA, BUT IN DOING SO ON YOUR VALUES, THERE'S ONE I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE.
EMPLOYEE FULFILLMENT, DOES THAT MEAN CRITER FEASIBILITY OR SOME KIND OF, YOU KNOW, NOTION OF THAT SENSE? MM-HMM.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS I LOOK AT THE CRITERIA THAT THEY'RE STEEPED IN THE VALUES, AND I DON'T WANNA SORT OF GUESS ABOUT WHAT YOUR THINKING WAS BEHIND THAT VALUE.
YEAH, THAT'S, UM, REALLY AN INTERNALLY DIRECTED VALUE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION LEADERSHIP IS, IS, UM, KIND OF STEERING A, UM, UM, A, UM, WELL-FUNCTIONING, PRODUCTIVE DEPARTMENT AND THAT WE'RE CREATING A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANNA WORK.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF KIND OF HOW WE MANAGE OUR TEAMS. I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD NECESSARILY, UM, SUGGEST THAT, THAT THAT PARTICULAR ONE BE USED FOR PRIORITIZING, UM, PROJECTS.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE, RIGHT? YEAH.
WHICH IS THE UNDERPINNINGS OF THE CRITERIA, RIGHT? RIGHT.
THE VALUES REPRESENT WHY, AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO, IS IT, I CAN UNDERSTAND IF IT'S PROJECT FEASIBILITY, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
MORE FEASIBLE, MORE, YOU KNOW, THE MORE SUPPORT, MORE RESOURCE, MORE ALIGNMENT, THE MORE REASONABLE THE PROJECT IS MM-HMM
UM, BUT CERTAINLY I CAN, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I CAN TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS I OPINE IN THE REST OF THESE.
YES, BEN, JUST QUICKLY, IN THE, UH, INNOVATION TECHNICAL CRITERIA UNDER PROJECT READINESS, IS THAT ONLY, UH, MEASURING WHAT IS READY TO START? OR DOES IT SOMEHOW FACTOR IN, YOU KNOW, A, A PROJECT THAT IS GONNA TAKE SEVERAL YEARS TO COMPLETE VERSUS ONE THAT IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, GIVE US 10 MONTHS AND WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING READY TO GO.
YOU'LL BE BIKING ON IT BEFORE THE YEAR'S OUT.
THE INTENT THERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE PROPOSING PROJECTS THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE CONSTRUCTED AND COMPLETED WITHIN THAT SIX YEAR BOND TIMELINE.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO KIND OF GET STUCK IN IS, OKAY, HERE'S A NEED, BUT THIS NEED IS GONNA TAKE, YOU KNOW, SIX YEARS TO GET IT DESIGNED AND TO COORDINATE AND TO BE READY TO KIND OF SH UH, SHOVEL DIRT.
AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, READY TO FUND AND CONSTRUCT THIS FOR, YOU KNOW, 15 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S IMPLEMENTABLE AND DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED UP TO A LEVEL ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE RELIABILITY IN THE COST ESTIMATE, RELIABILITY IN THE SCOPE, AND THAT IT CAN BE CONSTRUCTED SUCCESSFULLY BY 2032.
TO CLARIFY, WE HAVE TWO PROJECTS THAT ARE READY TO BOTH READY TO GO.
ONE WILL BE READY TO GO AND IN COMPLETE SOONER JUST BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, SMALLER NATURE OR WHATEVER.
AND ONE ALSO READY TO GO, BUT WILL TAKE LONGER TO IMPLEMENT.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WEIGHTING OF THOSE TWO? NO, IT'S BINARY.
CAN IT BE CONSTRUCTED BY 2032? YES.
I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, IN TERMS OF PROJECTS THAT JUST ARE MORE COMPLICATED AND, YOU KNOW, UM, ARE GONNA TAKE LONGER, WHAT IS THE PLAN, YOU KNOW, TO GET THOSE PROJECTS DONE, IF NOT THROUGH THIS MECHANISM? YEAH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE AND, AND PLEASE JUMP IN ANNA.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE OUTSIDE OF THIS BOND PROCESS TO SEEK PARTNERSHIPS, SEEK GRANT FUNDING AT THE FEDERAL, STATE AND, AND METRO AND COUNTY LEVEL.
UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO PUSH THOSE FORWARD AND LOOK FOR STRATEGIES TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS THAT, THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF, OF BOND DOLLARS.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? THAT'S, I, THAT'S JUST THE WEIGHT.
THAT'S JUST THE WEIGHT FOR THE CRITERIA.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE NOT GONNA GIVE US ANY PROJECTS THAT, SO WE'RE NOT GONNA GET ANY PROJECTS THAT GO PAST 2032.
I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S KIND OF WHAT YOU WERE ASKING.
LIKE, ARE YOU ONLY GIVING US PROJECTS THAT CAN BE COMPLETED BY 2032? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
THE LATEST GUIDANCE FROM OUR BOND COUNCIL IS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE AN ASSET COMPLETE BY THE END OF THE BOND CYCLE.
SO BY 2032, UM, A PROJECT WOULD BE COMPLETED OR SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE.
[01:05:01]
I JUST HAD ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION.UM, WE TEND TO TALK IN TERMS OF PROJECTS, 'CAUSE THAT'S EASY TO VISUALIZE, BUT IN THE PAST, BONDS HAVE ALSO BEEN PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY PROGRAMS LIKE URBAN TRAILS, WHERE THOSE ARE REALLY, UM, OUTLINED IN THE A SMP.
I JUST WANTED TO, I GUESS WE GOT AN A MEMO EARLIER TODAY FROM AUSTIN OUTSIDE ABOUT THAT ISSUE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT PROGRAMS AS WELL AS PROJECTS.
I'M SO, YEAH, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT.
UM, I'M SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
UM, OUR LOCAL MOBILITY AND SAFETY PROGRAMS, THINGS LIKE THE SIDEWALK PROGRAM, VISION ZERO, URBAN TRAILS, AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, WE WILL, UM, WE WILL DEFINITELY BE BRINGING THOSE TO YOU AS WELL.
UM, AND ALSO SHOWING YOU HOW THOSE PROGRAMS AT A KIND OF ROLLED UP LEVEL ACCOMPLISH THESE OBJECTIVES AS WELL.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS ONLINE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I JUST, YEAH, ONE LAST THING, PAUL, THIS IS REALLY FOR, FOR Y'ALL SPECIFICALLY, BUT, UM, I NOTICED THAT, UM, YOUR CONTACT INFO ISN'T ON YOUR SLIDE DECK, WHICH THIS IS FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS THAT MIGHT COME.
I'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT IN CASE WE HAVE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, WE KNOW WHO TO WHO REACH OUT TO.
AND YOU CAN ALSO ALWAYS ROUTE ANY QUESTION YOU HAVE THROUGH NICOLE WHO CAN GET IT AS WELL IN CASE YOU DON'T HAVE THE CONTACT INFORMATION.
LOOKING AT OUR AGENDA AND LOOKING AT THE CLOCK, I WANNA, UM, TAKE A PAUSE AND JUST ASK IF I CAN HAVE MARIO COME UP AND TELL US JUST A, AN ESTIMATE OF HOW LONG YOU THINK YOUR PRESENTATION IS.
UM, I WOULD SAY LESS 30 MINUTES, LESS THAN 10
I DO NEED ALL OF YOU TO HAVE A MOTION AND A DISCUSSION.
I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA, UM, PROPOSE THAT WE TABLE TWO THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET TODAY IN ORDER THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME ON OUR AGENDA.
UM, SO THE MOTION WOULD BE THAT WE, WE DON'T HEAR FROM HOUSING AND THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE TODAY, BUT WE DEFER THAT TO A LATER MEETING SO THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH THE REST OF THE AGENDA.
IS THERE A SECOND? JUST A QUESTION.
SO, UM, THAT'S SO THAT WE CAN HEAR ON THE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN AGAIN, OR SO THAT WE CAN MOVE TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS AND WORKING GROUP UPDATES.
IF WE, IF WE END UP WITH TIME AT THE END, WE COULD BRING THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION.
I'M JUST, I'M, I'M WORRIED THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET TO WHAT WE NEED TO GET TO ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS AND I DON'T WANNA RUSH THROUGH HOUSING OR RUSH THROUGH HOMELESS.
I JUST DON'T THINK THE WORKING GROUPS ARE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF UPDATES, IS MY RIGHT.
AND I, I HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, 10 MINUTES FOR THAT IF IT'S LESS THAN 10 IS FIVE.
WE STILL HAVE ITEMS ON THE, I MEAN, WE CAN TRY TO PUSH, IT WAS JUST AN IDEA.
IF YOU WANT, YOU THINK, I JUST DON'T WANNA SHORT CHANGE ANYBODY.
WE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION.
I ASSUME WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR HOUSING AND HOMELESS, AND WE WILL NOT GET THROUGH THAT IN THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT.
SO WE CAN, IF YOU WANNA PLOW THROUGH, WE CAN PLOW THROUGH.
WE JUST, WE WILL, SOMEONE WILL GET SHORTCHANGED.
THE ONLY ACTION ITEM IS WE NEED TO, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE SEVERAL ACTION ITEMS. WE HAVE, WE WANNA TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY BUCKETS.
AND WE ALSO NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE WORKING GROUPS BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY UNBALANCED.
AND I WAS HOPING WE MIGHT DO THAT AS WELL TODAY AND TAKE ACTION ON THAT.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO ACTION ITEMS. I FEEL LIKE, UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS ON THREE DIFFERENT MEETINGS.
I'M MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN GETTING TO THE MEAT OF THE SUBSTANCE THAN CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS.
UN UNLESS THERE'S, DO WE REALLY NEED TO VOTE ON THE BUCKETS? APPARENTLY WE DO.
AND SO TO GET THE SURVEY OUT, AND I CAN LET SOMEONE ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, WORKING GROUP TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT THERE IS AN ACTION ITEM.
WE COULD SKIP THE UPDATE FOR THE, I KNOW THERE'S SOME CHANGES TO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
MAYBE WE DON'T DISCUSS THOSE AND JUST DISCUSS THE BUCKETS.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY THING IS IF, IF EVERYONE FEELS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, WE CAN JUST DISCUSS THE BUCKETS TO MAKE IT LESS TIME.
SO WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE PRESENTATION.
YEAH, WE JUST DISCUSS THE BUCKETS.
I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PRESENTATION IF WE'RE VOTING ON SOMETHING.
BUT CAN WE JUST DO IT? SO WE, I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, WE'RE WASTING OUR TIME.
WILL HOUSING DEPARTMENT PLEASE COME FORWARD? WE WELCOME.
I CAN SPEAK AS QUICKLY AS YOU WANT ME TO.
I'M THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, UH, WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UH, TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PREVIOUS BOND ELECTIONS
[01:10:01]
AND, UH, OUR PLAN FOR, UH, AWARDING FUNDS AND GOING FORWARD.UH, SO, UH, WE'RE JUST GONNA GO OVER OUR MISSION AND STRATEGY FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UH, THEN TALK ABOUT OUR PRIOR BOND SPENDING, AND THEN TALK ABOUT OUR TECHNICAL CRITERIA.
SO FIRST, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS, UH, THE MISSION OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS TO, UH, PARTNER WITH THE COMMUNITY TO SHAPE A MORE EQUITABLE AUSTIN AND TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE AND SERVICES THROUGH THE INVESTMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING RESOURCES.
THAT INCLUDES GAP FINANCING FOR HOUSING CONSTRUCTION, AS WELL AS RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UH, PROGRAMS OR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR OWNERSHIP.
UH, SEVERAL, MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, UH, ASSISTANCE TO AUSTIN HOUSEHOLDS SO THAT THEY CAN AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
UH, THESE, UH, COMMUNITY VALUES ARE SUPPORTED BY THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE, UH, FIVE IDENTIFIED IN OUR BLUEPRINT.
AND THESE MAPPED PRETTY DIRECTLY ONTO THE SIX COMMUNITY VALUES IDENTIFIED BY THE, UH, CSP, UH, PREVENTING HOUSEHOLDS FROM BEING PRICED OUT OF AUSTIN AT FOSTER EQUITABLE, INTEGRATED AND DIVERSE COMMUNITIES INVEST IN HOUSING AND FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED, CREATE NEW AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING CHOICES FOR ALL AUSTINITES IN ALL PARTS OF AUSTIN, AND HELP AUSTINITES REDUCE THEIR HOUSEHOLD COSTS.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE IS, UH, ONE EXTRA.
UM, WE ONLY HAD FIVE VALUES IN THE, UH, STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT.
HOWEVER, UH, COMMUNITY, WHERE'D YOU GO? COMMUNITY, UH, PARTNERSHIPS AND, UH, COMMUNITY TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DEAL WITH EVERY DAY.
UH, MOST OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE CONTRACTED OUT THROUGH, UH, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, WE ALSO PARTNER WITH, UH, DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER IT'S A FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPER OR A NON-PROFIT DEVELOPER, UH, TO OWN AND OPERATE, UH, FACILITIES SUCH AS OUR PECAN GARDENS, UH, HOMELESS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UH, UH, FACILITY IN, UH, WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
THAT IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, UH, FAMILY ELDER CARE.
MOVING FORWARD A LITTLE BIT, PART OF THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT, UH, ALSO GIVES US, UH, SPECIFIC GOALS TO ACHIEVE EACH OF THOSE, UH, UH, THOSE METRICS OR METRICS TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
AS FAR AS EQUITY, AT LEAST 25% OF NEW INCOME RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE HOUSING SHOULD BE IN HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREAS.
AND THOSE ARE DEFINED BY, UH, THE IMAGINE AUSTIN CORRIDORS.
UH, AFFORDABILITY IS TO PRESERVE 10,000 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS OVER 10 YEARS, AND THAT'S PRES PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, WHAT WE CALL NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, ESSENTIALLY WE WILL, UH, ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY AND THEN HOLD THE RENTS AT AN AFFORDABLE LEVEL SO THEY DON'T, UH, ESCALATE AT LEAST 30% OF NEW HOUSING SHOULD BE A RANGE OF HOUSING TYPES FROM SMALL LOTS, SINGLE FAMILY TO EIGHT PLEXES TO HELP AUSTIN'S, UH, NEED TO HELP ADDRESS AUSTIN'S NEED FROM MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSING.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO LIVE HERE, AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO, TO GROW AND STAY HERE.
UM, SO WE WON'T NEED MULTIPLE TYPES OF HOUSING.
NOT EVERYBODY NEEDS A, A, UH, AN EFFICIENCY.
SOME PEOPLE WANT A HOUSE WITH A YARD.
UH, AT LEAST 75% OF NEW HOUSING UNITS SHOULD BE WITHIN A HALF MILE OF IMAGINE AUSTIN COR CENTERS AND CORRIDORS.
AND THAT'S REALLY SO THAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE ALL OF OUR CITY INVESTMENTS, AT LEAST 10% OF RENTAL HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE AFFORDABLE TO HOUSEHOLDS EARNING AT OR BELOW 30% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
THAT'S 30% OF THE AREA MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, WHICH I BELIEVE IS, UH, ABOUT $45,000 FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR.
UH, AT LEAST 25% OF OWNERSHIP UNITS, UH, THAT ARE AFFORDABLE TO HOUSEHOLDS EARNING AT OR BELOW 120% OF MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
SO WE UNDER, WE RECOGNIZE THAT OWNERSHIP IS MORE EXPENSIVE.
PEOPLE NEED TO BE, UH, MORTGAGE READY IN ORDER TO ACQUIRE TO, UH, UH, QUALIFY FOR ONE OF OUR UNITS, AND THEN FINALLY PRODUCE 100 PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS EACH YEAR.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN THE LAST, UH, FISCAL YEAR, UH, WE ACTUALLY PR SAW, UM, CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY FOR OVER 400 PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS.
AND THAT WAS THROUGH, UH, HOTEL CONVERSION PROCESSES AS WELL AS OUR, UH, FIRST PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP SPARROW AT RUTLAND, UH, WITH 171, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS.
THIS IS A, UH, UH, MOCKUP OF OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT.
UM, THE, THIS DONUT CHART THAT YOU SEE IS PART OF A REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE FOR EVERY PRESENTATION THAT WE GIVE TO SHOW THE DONUT, UH, THE COLORS THAT YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, 20,000 UNITS.
THE RED IS FOR UNITS BELOW 30% OF MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, 25,000 UNITS BELOW 60% MEDIAN INCOME, AND SO ON.
WE CAN REALLY ONLY ADDRESS THAT RED, ORANGE, AND BLUE, UH, AS THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UH, BECAUSE ANYTHING OVER THAT, ANYTHING OVER 80% IS BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO FUND.
[01:15:01]
THIS IS HOW WE ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.UM, IN 2017, COUNCIL APPROVED THIS BAR CHART, UH, TO SHOW ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT RESOURCES AND SOURCES OF FUNDING TO BUILD THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I JUST WANT YOU TO NOTE THAT, UH, THIS VERY, VERY LARGE GREEN ONE RIGHT AT THE TOP, UM, IS EVERYTHING ELSE.
IT'S, UH, TAX, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS, UH, PRESERVATION, HOMESTEAD, PRESERVATION DISTRICTS, UH, PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENTS, UH, DENSITY BONUSES, SMART HOUSING.
UH, THE BONDS ACTUALLY F UH, ARE A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THIS.
HOWEVER, THEY'RE AN EXTREMELY, UH, IMPORTANT PORTION BECAUSE WITHOUT THE BONDS THERE WOULD, MOST OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS WOULD HAVE LARGE FINANCIAL GAPS AND NOT BE ABLE TO SERVE THE POPULATIONS THAT WE ARE SEEKING TO SERVE.
NOW, HISTOR, HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, UH, LEVERAGE OUR FUNDS PRETTY AGGRESSIVELY.
UM, IN 2025, IN 2018, UH, VOTERS APPROVED A $250 MILLION BOND PACKAGE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
OF THAT, UH, WE HAVE ISSUED BONDS TO COVER 225, UH, MILLION OF THAT.
UM, WE'VE SPENT THAT $225 MILLION ACTUALLY ON STICKS AND BRICKS AND LAND ACQUISITION IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE'VE ENCUMBERED AN ADDITIONAL 18.8 MILLION, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE READY TO SPEND IT.
WE ARE A, UH, REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS.
SO ALL OF OUR, UH, LOANS ARE REIMBURSEMENTS.
UM, AND WE'VE COMMITTED, AS OF FEBRUARY 13TH, THE LAST $5 MILLION OF THE 2018 GEO BOND PACKAGE, UH, TO PURCHASE THE ELGA O SITE ON SOUTH CONGRESS, UH, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM ST.
UH, WE PURCHASED THAT TO A QUOTE, TO ASSEMBLE A DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE, UH, FOR, UH, SOUTH CONGRESS, RIGHT ON THE PROJECT CONNECT, UH, TRANSIT LINES.
UM, SO EVEN THOUGH IT SHOWS 900,000 AS AVAILABLE IN 2018, WE'VE PRETTY MUCH SPENT EVERYTHING.
UM, THAT 900,000 WOULD ALSO BE, UH, USED FOR STAFF SALARIES, FOR LEGAL SERVICES, FOR, UH, ANY OTHER, UH, NON ACQUISITION, NON-CONSTRUCTION COSTS THAT WE MIGHT, UH, COME IN, COME INTO, RUN INTO FOR OUR 2022 GNRL OBLIGATION BONDS.
WE'VE, UH, WE WERE APPROVED $350 MILLION.
UM, WE HAVE SPENT ABOUT 61 MILLION OF THAT.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S CASH OUT THE DOOR.
UH, WE HAVE ENCUMBERED 90 MILLION, SO WE'VE MADE LOANS TO DEVELOPMENTS.
AND AGAIN, AS WE REIMBURSE, THOSE DOLLARS GET SPENT.
UH, AND WE HAVE A, UH, 90 MILLION THAT WE ARE STILL WAITING TO, TO SEND OUT TO THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
UM, AS OF DECEMBER 12TH, WE HAVE COMMITTED, UH, $40 MILLION IN LOANS TO DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS.
AND THOSE DEVELOPMENTS ARE LISTED ON, UH, ON THIS SLIDE AS WELL.
UH, LEMME WALK THROUGH THESE NUMBERS REAL QUICK.
UH, THE NAMES OF THE DEVELOPMENTS ARE LISTED THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT, UH, HAS BEEN AWARDED, UH, FOR EACH OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS.
AND THEN THESE, UH, FIVE COLUMNS TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT ARE, UH, COC, WHICH MEANS CONTINUUM OF CARE.
THOSE ARE UNITS THAT ARE DEDICATED TO, UH, INDIVIDUALS EXITING HOMELESSNESS.
UH, 30% IS 30% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, 40% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, 50% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
AND THEN OHDA IS OWNERSHIP UNITS.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE HAD A 145, UH, JUST IN THIS ROUND IN BETWEEN DECEMBER 12TH AND, UH, JANUARY 30TH.
WE HAVE AWARDED FUNDS TO PRODUCE A 145 COMMUNITY OF CARE UNITS AND WELL OVER, UH, 500, UM, AFFORDABLE UNITS, AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS, AS WELL AS 111 AFFORDABLE OWNERSHIP UNITS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
FINALLY, UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'VE, UH, HAVE ABOUT $157 MILLION AVAILABLE, UH, ON THE 2022 GO BONDS.
THOSE DOLLARS WERE ALLOCATED, UH, IN ONE LUMP SUM.
UM, HOWEVER WE HAVE BUDGETED THEM OVER THE YEARS.
IN THE LAST, UH, LAST COUNCIL MEETING, WE ASKED, UH, COUNCIL TO, UH, FORWARD BUDGET OR TO, UH, TAKE SOME OF OUR ALLOCATION FOR FY 26 27, AND ALLOW US TO SPEND THAT AND ALLOCATE IT THIS YEAR, OR COMMIT IT THIS YEAR.
UM, WE'LL BE GOING BACK TO COUNCIL IN APRIL IN ORDER TO DO THAT FOR SEVERAL DEVELOPMENTS.
THE MESSAGE IS THE DEMAND IS HIGHER THAN OUR RESOURCES.
WE ARE ALWAYS OVER, OVER, UH, UH, SUBSID, OVERSUBSCRIBED, AND, UH, WE CAN'T KEEP UP.
UM, THE, UH, I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT OUR SPENDING, UH, DOES LAG BY ABOUT TWO YEARS BASED ON HOW WE AWARD FUNDS AND, UH, HOW THEY, SINCE THEY ARE REIMBURSEMENT, TAKES A WHILE FOR STICKS TO GET PUT INTO THE GROUND AND THEN PAID FOR, UM, TO RUN THROUGH OUR TECHNICAL CRITERIA.
UM, THE, OUR BONDS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED, OR HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED THROUGH FOUR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. THE FIRST IS, UH, OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
THAT'S BEEN THE SMALLEST ALLOCATION OF OUR BONDS, UH, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF CAPACITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY TO MOVE TO GET
[01:20:01]
THOSE DOLLARS SPENT.THE SECOND WOULD BE OUR OWNERSHIP.
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.
OWNERSHIP HOUSING IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN RENTAL HOUSING TO FUND.
UM, AND IT'S, UH, THERE ARE VERY FEW, UH, ENTITIES THAT ACTUALLY DO THAT WORK.
UM, I'M LOOKING DIRECTLY AT RACHEL.
UH, OUR, UH, THE OTHER TWO PROGRAMS ARE OUR RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHERE WE, UH, SPEND MOST OF OUR FUNDS, UH, WITH OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
UM, AND THOSE ARE LOANS DIRECTLY TO DEVELOPMENT SO THAT THEY CAN HOLD THAT AFFORDABILITY DOWN.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR, UH, AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS. THAT'S WHERE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION WILL ACQUIRE PROPERTIES, MANAGE THE PROPERTIES, AND, UH, HOLD ONTO IT FOR PERPETUITY.
THE, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THOSE NUMBERS, UH, SOME OF THESE ARE, THIS IS OUR APPLICATION SHEET.
UH, IT'S GOING TO ASK FOR DATA, SOME INFORMATION OF LOCATION, UH, FINANCING.
HOW ARE YOU GONNA PAY FOR THIS? WE DO NOT WANT TO BE THE ONLY FUNDER AT THE PARTY.
WE WANT TO BE THE LAST ONE IN THE DOOR.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE WITH US.
UH, BUT WE TRY TO, UH, ASSESS EACH DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUALLY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE GETTING THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK AND THE MOST COMMUNITY BENEFIT POSSIBLE FROM EACH DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THESE, I'M JUST GONNA SLIP THROUGH THIS REAL QUICK.
THIS IS THE, UH, UH, HOW WE SCORE THEM, UH, CURRENTLY IN TERMS OF OUR, OUR RHDA PROGRAM.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UH, CONTINUUM OF CARE WEIGHTED SCORE, UH, IS, UH, PROVIDE, IS WEIGHTED BY MOBILITY, ACCESS TO JOBS, COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS, AND SOCIAL COHESION.
UM, AND IF YOU PROVIDE FOUR PLUS BEDROOM UNITS, UM, THEN YOU CAN GET MORE POINTS IN THAT CATEGORY.
UH, THIS IS HOW WE'VE BEEN ORGANIZED FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS.
I WILL SAY THAT, UH, IN JUNE, WE WILL BE RELEASING A NEW PLAN, A NEW PROGRAM FOR HOW WE ASSESS APPLICATIONS FOR, UH, FOR GAP FINANCING.
WE'VE WORKED WITH GUIDEHOUSE, UH, TO DEVELOP THAT, AND THEY TALKED TO 49 DIFFERENT, UH, UM, COMMUNITY, UH, ENTITIES, WHETHER IT'S A DEVELOPER OR A SERVICE PROVIDER.
UH, SO WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT IN MOVING FORWARD ON THAT ASSESSMENT, UH, TOOL.
AND THAT SHOULD BE ROLLING OUT WITHIN THE NEXT, LIKE I SAID, JUNE WOULD BE, UH, THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE THAT.
FINALLY, UH, THIS LAST SLIDE HERE SHOWS, UH, WHAT AN UNDERWRITING SCORE OR WHAT OUR FINANCIAL SCORE WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, ESSENTIALLY IN OUR CURRENT SCORING PROGRAM, UH, OUR, UH, MINIMUM SCORE IS, UH, 50 THRESHOLD SCORE.
UH, AND THAT SCORE THRESHOLD IS FAR TOO LOW.
UH, SO WE'VE TOLD OUR DEVELOPER FRIENDS THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE REALLY JUST TO GET IN THE DOOR.
UM, PLEASE DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS.
UH, AND THAT'S HOW IT'S BEEN FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH A NEW, UH, TYPE OF SCORING SYSTEM, UH, IN THE, IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA START ON THE DAVE SIDE AND WORK AROUND, AND IF WE COULD TRY TO LIMIT OUR COMMENTS TO ACTUAL JUST THE QUESTION YOU'VE GOT, IF YOU CAN.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION, DAVE? UH, NO, I DON'T.
I, I ACTUALLY WORK WITH JAMIE.
I'M ON THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE, SO I, I KNOW ALL THIS STUFF.
WHAT'S A STRIKE FUND? STRIKE FUND? AH, THE, UH, UM, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME ABOUT, IS PART OF THE PLANNING FOR THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT.
UH, WHAT HAS TAKEN ITS PLACE IS ESSENTIALLY A AFFORDABLE CENTRAL TEXAS, IT'S A NONPROFIT, UH, INVE, OR I'M SORRY, IT'S AN INVESTMENT FIRM, UH, THAT WILL ACQUIRE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, UH, DAVID STEIN WOODELL WAS THE, UH, FORMER HEAD.
AND, UH, IF YOU HAVE MONEY YOU'D LIKE TO INVEST, THEN YOU CAN INVEST IN AFFORDABLE CENTRAL TEXAS.
THERE'S A GUARANTEED RETURN AS OPPOSED TO THE ELEVATED, UM, LIKE 18% RETURN THAT YOU WOULD GET FROM A, FROM A REGULAR INVESTMENT FUND.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT, THAT WAS A LOT OF WORDS, BEN.
GARRETT, NO QUESTIONS GOING AROUND THE ROOM? NO QUESTIONS.
IT SEEMED LIKE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
THAT'S PART, AND YOU KIND OF WENT OVER THAT VERY QUICKLY AND MAKE, BASICALLY, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD IT, IT WAS BECAUSE OF LACK OF CAPACITY TO DO WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO.
SO HOW ARE WE DOING? HOW ARE WE IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LACK OF THE CURRENT RESIDENTS? IF ALL WE'RE DOING IS FOCUSING ON OTHERS? I MEAN, WE'RE,
[01:25:01]
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING A, A CERTAIN KEY POPULATION THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ADDRESSING.SO WE ARE, WE DO HAVE MULTIPLE, UH, HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, UM, NOT JUST THE GO REPAIR, WHICH, UH, PROVIDES UP TO $20,000 IN, UH, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO A HOME.
UM, WE ALSO USE OUR CDBG FUNDS, UH, TO PROVIDE, UM, LARGER REPAIR SERVICES OR EVEN SMALLER MINOR REPAIRS.
SO WE DO SERVE A LARGE POPULATION.
UM, HOWEVER, THAT OWNERSHIP, THAT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR UNITS THAT ARE OWNER OCCUPIED BELOW A CERTAIN MFI FINDING THE CLIENTS, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT WE LEAVE UP TO OUR FRIENDS IN THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A LIMITATION ON HOW MUCH THOSE NONPROFITS CAN TAKE ON.
SO WE NEED TO EXPAND THAT FOOTPRINT.
UM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD NEED TO WORK THROUGH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A MONEY PROBLEM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
NOW WE HEAR FROM THE, WE WILL HEAR FROM THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
ALSO, JOINING ME IN THE AUDIENCE IS GREG MCCORMICK.
GREG LEADS ALL OF OUR SHELTER OPERATIONS FOR THE CITY, UH, AND HE'S ALSO IN CHARGE OF EXPANDING SHELTER BEDS IN THE CITY.
UH, I WANNA TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, KIND OF WHAT WE DO.
WE'RE A NEW OFFICE HERE IN THE CITY, AND THEN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING AND THINKING ABOUT AS WE GO ABOUT DOING OUR WORK.
JUST TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT ABOUT THE LOCAL HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
TRY TO GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF KIND OF WHAT OUR POPULATION LOOKS LIKE ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT.
IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THERE'S ABOUT 6,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE SLEEPING UNSHELTERED HOMELESS.
THESE ARE THE FOLKS YOU SEE UNDER THE BRIDGES IN YOUR PARKS, IN CREEKS, ON SIDEWALKS, AND OTHER PLACES THAT ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR HUMAN, UH, ADAPTATION.
THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE SLEEPING IN CARS OR MAYBE COUCH SURFING.
UM, AND SO WE DO OUR BEST TO, TO TRACK AND IDENTIFY THOSE FOLKS AS WELL.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY DATA FOR US TO COLLECT.
LAST YEAR ACROSS OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, UH, WE HAD ABOUT 3000 PEOPLE WHO SUCCESSFULLY EXITED, WHICH MEANS THEY WERE ABLE TO TRANSITION OUT OF A HOMELESS SERVICE IN THE CITY AND MOVE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING STABLY.
UH, AND THAT REPRESENTS A 50% INCREASE FROM WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE IN 2022.
UH, AND SO I WANT TO GIVE A, A LOT OF PROPS AND THANKS TO, UH, NOT JUST MY STAFF, BUT ALL CITY STAFF AND ALL OF OUR NONPROFIT, UH, PARTNERS WHO MAKE THIS WORK POSSIBLE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE ALSO SAW A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO TOUCHED THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
UH, LAST YEAR, 24,000 PEOPLE INTERACTED WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S PART OF THIS SYSTEM.
THAT COULD BE A PHONE CALL FOR QUICK HELP.
THAT COULD BE SOMEBODY REACHING OUT FOR ASSISTANCE.
IT COULD BE SOMEBODY WHO WE'VE COME ACROSS, UH, LIVING UNSHELTERED HOMELESS.
AND SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DEMAND A LOT FROM OUR SYSTEM.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE OVER 8,400 PEOPLE WHO, UH, ENTERED HOMELESSNESS FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH REPRESENTED A 72% INCREASE FROM 2022.
UH, AND 30% OF OUR POPULATION IS WHAT'S CALLED CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
AND THOSE ARE FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN, UH, UNSHELTERED HOMELESS FOR AT LEAST 12 MONTHS, UH, AND ALSO HAVE SOME TYPE OF DISABLING CONDITION, WHICH COULD BE A, A MENTAL HEALTH NEED OR A PHYSICAL DISABILITY.
SO THAT'S JUST SOME CONTEXT ABOUT OUR SYSTEM TO HELP PUT THIS WORK INTO PERSPECTIVE.
UH, OUR OFFICE IS ONE OF THE NEWEST CITY OFFICES.
WE'RE NOT THE NEWEST, BUT WE ARE STILL ONE OF THE NEWEST, WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN DECEMBER OF 2023.
UM, SO JUST OVER, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO.
UH, WHAT'S SOME MAIN CHARGES WOULD YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU? UH, I WON'T READ 'EM LINE BY LINE JUST IN KIND OF INTEREST OF YOUR TIME, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS OUR MAJOR CHARGES ARE NUMBER ONE, UH, OVERSEEING ALL THE CITY SPENDING WHEN IT COMES TO HOMELESS SERVICES.
SO ALL THE CONTRACTS AND FUNDING THAT USED TO LIVE IN MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS NOW RESIDE WITHIN OUR OFFICE.
WE ALSO OPERATE AND OVERSEE THE OPERATIONS OF FIVE CITY SHELTERS.
WE WORK WITH UNIVERSITIES, UH, AND OTHER RESEARCH PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US AND FOR OUR HOMELESS SYSTEM RESPONSE PARTNERS.
WE ALSO OVERSEE THE CITY'S OUTREACH, UH, TO FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED.
WE ALSO OVERSEE THE ENFORCEMENT OF MEASURE B AND ENCAMPMENT, CLEANUPS AND CLOSURES IN THE CITY.
AND THEN WE'RE, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATING THE WORK THAT THE CITY DOES, UH, TO THE PUBLIC.
AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE SIX CITY OWNED SHELTERS, WHICH ARE ALL LISTED ON YOUR SCREEN HERE.
UH, THE TWO DOWNTOWN ARE THE ARCH AND OUR H STREET SHELTER.
H STREET SERVES WOMEN AND GENDER DIVERSE CLIENTS.
WE HAVE, UH, TWO SHELTERS OUTSIDE OF THAT, THAT ARE, UH, NORTH
[01:30:01]
BRIDGE AND SOUTH BRIDGE.UH, THESE ARE HOTEL CONVERTED SHELTERS THAT ARE TIED TO, UH, AN ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE CALLED HEAL.
UH, THROUGH THAT INITIATIVE, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL GO INTO AN ENC, AN ENCAMPMENT, UH, WE'LL CREATE A BY NAME LIST OF ALL THE FOLKS WHO LIVE THERE, AND WE'LL MOVE EVERYBODY FROM THE ENCAMPMENT INTO SHELTER AT ONE TIME.
UH, WE'VE DONE 30 OF THOSE TYPES OF ENFORCEMENTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, UH, AND WE USE OUR NORTH BRIDGE AND OUR SOUTH BRIDGE SHELTERS TO FACILITATE THOSE.
OUR LARGEST SHELTER IS OUR TEMPORARY MARSHALING YARD SHELTER.
AND SO THIS IS A SHELTER OUT, UH, AT THE MARSHING YARD, WHICH IS A WAREHOUSE OWNED BY THE CONVENTION CENTER ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT.
WE'RE HOUSING, UH, CLOSE TO 300 ADULTS THERE, MEN, WOMEN, UH, FOLKS WITH, UM, SPECIAL NEEDS, A DA, ET CETERA.
WE ALSO OWN THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN OUT IN EAST AUSTIN.
UH, THAT'S A SHELTER THAT'S OPERATED BY THE SALVATION ARMY.
AND AS THE NAME IMPLY THAT SHELTER SERVES, UH, WOMEN AND CHILDREN ACROSS THE CITY SHELTERS, WE'RE PROVIDING CLOSE TO A THOUSAND BEDS EVERY NIGHT.
UH, AND THEN ON TOP OF THOSE, THERE'S A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION THAT HAS, UH, SHELTERS THAT ARE LED BY THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, THOSE ARE NOT CITY, CITY SHELTERS.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR STRATEGIC GOALS, AND THESE ARE ENCAPSULATED WITHIN THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE STRIVE TO DO, BUT THESE ARE, ARE THE THREE THAT ARE SERVING AS OUR CORE TENANTS FOR NOW.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE RECENTLY STARTED LEADING INTO AS AN ORGANIZATION.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO STOP HOMELESSNESS BEFORE IT EVEN STARTS.
UH, AND SO WE'RE GETTING UPSTREAM.
UH, WE WANT TO HELP FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE HOUSED, BUT MIGHT BE FACING EVICTION, REMAIN STABLY HOUSED.
UH, AND IF SOMEBODY WERE TO LOSE THEIR HOUSING, WE WANT TO GET THEM REENGAGED WITH THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THE FIRST 30 DAYS OF BEING HOMELESS.
AND SO WE'VE RECENTLY SECURED COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR, UH, SOME HOMELESS PREVENTION EFFORTS WITH THE SUNRISE NAVIGATION CENTER.
WE ALSO EQUIPPED ALL OF OUR SHELTERS WITH, UH, FUNDS CALLED DIVERSION FUNDS.
THOSE ARE DOLLARS THAT THE SHELTER OPERATORS CAN USE TO RAPIDLY GET SOMEBODY OUTTA SHELTER AND BACK INTO HOUSING.
THE SECOND I HAD TOUCHED ON IS OUR HEAL INITIATIVE.
UH, THIS IS OUR EFFORT TO CLOSE ENCAMPMENTS BY MOVING EVERYBODY FROM THE ENCAMPMENT INTO HOUSING.
UH, BOTH NORTH BRIDGE AND SOUTH BRIDGE ARE EQUIPPED WITH FUNDS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR THOSE SHELTERS TO HELP PEOPLE MOVE FROM THE SHELTER INTO A RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM, OR ANOTHER PROGRAM GEARED TOWARDS HOUSING THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE THROUGHPUT THROUGH THOSE SHELTERS.
WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO MORE ENCAMPMENT CLOSURES.
AND THEN THE THIRD IS, UM, STABILITY.
MAKING SURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE HOUSED, THAT THEY'RE NOT RETURNING BACK TO HOMELESSNESS AS A SYSTEM.
WHAT WE SEE FROM HUD DATA IS, UH, WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO HOUSE SOMEBODY, ABOUT 95% OF THOSE FOLKS REMAIN HOUSED OVER TIME, WHICH IS GREAT.
UH, THAT BEATS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH SITS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 85 AND 90%.
SO AS A SYSTEM, WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
UH, OUR SYSTEM'S BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS JUST LACK OF CAPACITY, UH, WHICH I'LL TOUCH ON SHORTLY.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT BOND CONSIDERATIONS, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICE LOOKS AT AND WE TRY TO KEEP TOP OF MIND.
THE FIRST IS THE STATE OF THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM REPORT AND MODELING.
THIS IS A REPORT THAT WAS RECENTLY PRODUCED BY ECHO, WHICH IS A COC CONTINUUM OF CARE LEAD AGENCY FOR OUR AREA.
AND THAT REPORT BASICALLY LOOKS AT OF, OF ALL THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WHETHER IT'S HOMELESS PREVENTION DOLLARS, ALL THE WAY THROUGH PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS, UH, WHERE ARE WE OVER-RESOURCED, BUT ALSO MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHERE ARE WE UNDER-RESOURCED AND WHERE DO WE NEED TO ADD MORE SYSTEM CAPACITY IN ORDER TO HELP PEOPLE EXIT HOMELESSNESS.
THE SECOND IS WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY PRODUCES A MEASURABLE REDUCTION IN THE PREVALENCE OF HOMELESSNESS.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH JUST TO SPEND MONEY OR TO BUILD THE THINGS IF THE THINGS AREN'T ACTUALLY HELPING OUR HOMELESS POPULATION GO DOWN.
UM, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ANY INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING IS HELPING TO REDUCE THE OVERALL POPULATION OF HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY.
THE THIRD, AS I MENTIONED, IS A RENEWED FOCUS LOOKING UPSTREAM.
SO HOW DO WE DO A BETTER JOB PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS BEFORE IT STARTS? UH, ALSO, THOSE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE GEARED TOWARDS FOLKS WHO ARE AT RISK OR NEWLY HOMELESS, UH, TEND TO BE LOWER DOLLAR COSTS TO THE CITY AND TO OUR TAXPAYERS, AND ALSO HAVE A VERY HIGH SUCCESS RATE.
UM, PEOPLE WHO JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT OF HELP GETTING OVER THAT HUMP WITH SOME CASE MANAGEMENT TENDS TO BE EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL AND NOT REENTERING HOMELESSNESS.
UH, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, AS THE LONGER SOMEBODY STAYS ON THE STREET, UH, THE MORE WORK IT TAKES TO GET THAT PERSON BACK TO A POINT WHERE THEY CAN BE STABLE, UH, ON THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT OF, OF OUR HELP.
AND THEN THE LAST IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE MOST APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UH, WE FUND A NUMBER OF INTERVENTIONS.
I I HAVE A SLIDE ON ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE DO.
I DID NOT INCLUDE THIS, THIS IN THIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE I'M SURE YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION.
[01:35:01]
SO I, BUT IF YOU EVER WANT TO KNOW, LET ME KNOW.BUT THERE'S ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT DIFFERENT INTERVENTIONS THAT WE INVEST IN.
UH, IN THE PAST THOUGH, PEOPLE WEREN'T NECESSARILY MATCHED TO THE BEST INTERVENTION.
UM, AND SO WE'VE REALLY MADE IT A, AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO LOOK AT SOMEBODY'S UNIQUE SITUATION AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU, UH, HAVEN'T BEEN HOMELESS THAT LONG AND, AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE READY TO WORK AND YOU'RE ABLE BODIED, THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT YOU KNOW WE SHOULD SLOT YOU IN BECAUSE IT HAS A HIGH SUCCESS RATE, UH, OF SOMEBODY OF, OF, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR PROFILE AND YOUR ABILITIES.
WHEREAS IF YOU'VE BEEN UNSHELTERED HOMELESS FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS AND YOU HAVE A SUBSTANCE USE CHALLENGE, YOU ALSO, UH, ARE AN AMPUTEE, RIGHT? THERE'S A DIFFERENT INTERVENTION FOR YOU, STILL SUCCESSFUL, BUT SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR SOMEBODY IN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE.
AND SO, UH, WE ARE MAKING A RENEWED FOCUS AT MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED TO PROGRAMS THAT WORK, UH, AND PROGRAMS THAT WORK FOR THEM, UH, AS OPPOSED TO DENYING PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES THAT FOR PROGRAMS THAT THAT WORK FOR THEM.
UM, WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE THINK ABOUT, UM, BOND PROJECTS AND JUST OUR CITY WORK IN GENERAL, UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT, UH, HAVE ASSETS AND THAT DO WORK THAT TOUCH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
THIS INCLUDES OUR LIBRARIES, OUR REC CENTERS, UM, OUR ARTS AND CULTURE CENTERS.
YOU KNOW, OUR FOLKS USE THESE FACILITIES JUST AS MUCH AS ANY OF US USE THESE FACILITIES, WHETHER IT'S TO CHECK OUT AND READ BOOKS OR TO SHOWER OR TO USE A RESTROOM OR TO FIND A WARM PLACE TO BE WHEN IT'S COLD OUTSIDE, OR NOW I GUESS IT'S STARTING TO GET HOT.
SO NOW I'M LOOKING FOR A COOL, A COOL PLACE TO BE WHEN IT'S HOT OUTSIDE.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR US, THESE FACILITIES ARE OFTEN IDENTIFIED AS PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO.
WE PROACTIVELY WILL TELL PEOPLE, GO TO YOUR RECREATION CENTER, GO TO A NEARBY LIBRARY TO, TO GET OUT THE HEAT, UH, OR TO ESCAPE THE CODE.
PLEASE DON'T BUILD A FIRE, UH, OUTSIDE ON THESE WIND DAYS.
UH, IF YOU NEED TO USE A RESTROOM, PLEASE GO USE IT IN THE CITY OWNED BUILDING.
DON'T USE IT OUTSIDE OR IN SOMEBODY'S STOOP.
UH, WE, WE HAVE SPACES AND WE HAVE STAFF THAT, THAT ARE HAPPY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, READY TO ACCOMMODATE YOU.
UM, AND SO WE'RE JUST VERY GRATEFUL FOR OUR CITY PARTNERS.
AND SO, UH, OUR OFFICE STANDS READY TO SUPPORT ANY CITY DEPARTMENT THAT PUTS FORTH ANY PROJECT, WHETHER IT'S JAMIE MAY, WHO WAS HERE A SECOND AGO, WHO'S INVESTING IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, OR IT'S THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE LIBRARY WHO'S LOOKING TO BUILD A NEW LIBRARY FACILITY SOMEWHERE.
AND, AND WE THINK THERE'S SOME GREAT RESOURCES THAT WE CAN PROVIDE FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGH THOSE, THOSE ACTIVITIES.
AND SO I THINK THAT ENDS MY PRESENTATION.
LIKE I SAID, I TRIED TO KEEP IT BRIEF AND AND HIGH LEVEL 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION.
UM, BUT ON BEHALF OF THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT.
AND, UH, MADAM CHAIR, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FROM YOU OR YOUR COLLEAGUES.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
UM, I'LL JUST START, UH, DEWEY, WE'RE JUST GONNA GO AROUND.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? THANK YOU.
IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, UM, WOULD YOU PLEASE SEND THAT ON? I'M NOT SURE IF THE GROUP NEEDS TO READ IT, BUT I WANNA READ EVERYTHING.
NICOLE, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION ON KEY PARTNERSHIPS.
I HOPE THAT INCLUDES BOTH THE COUNTY AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING NATIONALLY.
A LOT OF ISDS ARE INTERESTED IN, ARE ENGAGING IN THEIR OWN HOUSING PROJECTS, MAINLY FOR WORKFORCE OR TEACHER HOUSING, BUT CERTAINLY THERE'S SOME COMP, I THINK AS WE SEE STUDENT POPULATION DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT, THERE COULD BE FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES AROUND YOUR OFFICE AND KEY PARTNERSHIPS WITH BOTH THE COUNTY AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT YOU ARE ENGAGING THEM AS WELL, AB ABSOLUTELY.
AND YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS, THEY TALK ABOUT THEM BEING, UM, YOU KNOW, MILE DEEP AND INCH WIDE.
LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT OF PARTNERS, BUT LIKE VERY SHALLOW.
I'M REALLY FORTUNATE THAT OUR PARTNERSHIPS ARE A MILE WIDE AND ALSO A MILE DEEP.
WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH ALL THOSE ENTITIES YOU JUST NAMED AND MORE.
UM, AND EVEN OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN, WE COLLABORATE WITH OTHER CITIES TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND TEACH THEM ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, AND ALSO TRY TO BRING THEIR BEST PRACTICES TO AUSTIN.
WE JUST HAD TO DELEGATION GO TO NASHVILLE TO DO AN EXCHANGE AROUND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND HOW WE DO IT HERE AND HOW ARE THEY DOING IT THERE, AND THEN BRINGING THE INFORMATION BACK AND EMPOWERING OUR LOCAL PARTNERS WITH THAT.
UH, I KNOW I TALKED A LOT ABOUT OUR CITY PARTNERS, BUT WE HAVE PARTNERS ACROSS ALL JURISDICTIONS.
UM, SO ARE YOU, IS THE, IS YOUR OFFICE SUBMITTING A BOND PACKAGE THAT IS GONNA BE INCLUDED WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PACKAGE OR WHAT, HOW, HOW ARE OR IS IT LIKE IN THE OTHER FACILITIES YOU MENTIONED? I, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL EXPLORING, RIGHT? I, I HATE TO TRY TO GIVE YOU AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW WHEN IT'S STILL ALL BEING DECIDED, BUT AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND AND YOUR COLLEAGUES HERE KNOW, OKAY.
[01:40:01]
THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM.RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
THANKS FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, LOOKING AT THIS LIST OF SIX, UH, CITY SHELTERS, UM, DO THEY ALL HAVE BACKUP POWER? UH, LET, LET ME CONFIRM THAT FOR YOU.
MY, I BELIEVE YES, BECAUSE WE'VE WORKED WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND OTHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ALL HAVE BACKUP POWER.
SOME OF THEM I KNOW FOR SURE HAVE BACKUP POWER BECAUSE WE'VE HAD TO USE IT ALREADY.
UH, BUT LET ME TALK WITH GREG AND OUR SHELTER OPERATORS TO CONFIRM THAT AND I'LL MAKE SURE WE GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO YOU.
AND I WOULD SPECIFICALLY ALSO BE INTERESTED IF ANY OF THEM HAVE SOLAR AND BATTERY.
UM, SO IF YOU YEAH, IF YOU CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO US, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, AND THEN I WAS JUST WONDERING IN TERMS OF OTHER STRATEGIES, I KNOW A COUPLE YEARS BACK MAYBE IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THREE, MAYBE FOUR, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, UM, KIND OF CREATING SOME SORT OF CENTRALIZED AREA TO LIKE, UM, BASICALLY PEOPLE THAT WERE ENCAMPED VARIOUS PLACES THAT THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, MORE OR LESS HAVE LIKE A CAMPGROUND THAT HAD LIKE FACILITIES SHOWERS AND BATHROOMS AND STUFF.
AND IT SEEMED LIKE THAT FELL APART, BUT MAYBE I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO IT.
IS THAT IN THE WORKS AT ALL? YEAH, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENT GROUNDS.
UH, I THINK WHAT YOU MIGHT BE REFERRING TO A FEW YEARS AGO WAS WHAT WAS, WHAT PRECEDED, UM, THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY OUT THERE IN, IN EAST AUSTIN, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY LIKE SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENT GROUND.
WHAT WE DO HAVE DOWNTOWN IS, UH, A SPACE AT THE ARCH WHERE FOLKS ARE ALLOWED TO COME.
FOLKS ARE ALLOWED TO COME THERE.
UH, WE HAVE A SHOWER FACILITY THERE.
RESTROOMS, A LITTLE DOG PARK, PICNIC TABLES, COVERED TABLES.
SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL ROUTINELY COME AND GIVE FOOD.
PEOPLE CAN ALSO GET CONNECTED WITH, UM, SOCIAL SERVICES THERE SO THEY CAN ENROLL IN, UH, HEALTHCARE OR THEY CAN MEET WITH THEIR, THEIR CASE MANAGER.
AND SO WE, WE TRIED TO CREATE, UH, A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND BE SAFE DURING THE DAY.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY SANCTIONED IN CAMPING GROUNDS AND WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE ANY PLANS ON DOING SANCTIONED IN CAMPING.
AND WHAT ABOUT ANY OF THOSE KIND OF LIKE INDIVIDUAL, UM, I GUESS PIECES OF IN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU, THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THAT? UM, I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, JUST PUBLIC RESTROOMS STANDALONE FROM SAY A LIBRARY SHOWERS, UM, PLACES TO GET WATER, YOU KNOW, TO DRINK OR ANY OF THOSE.
PART OF WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY LIKE WHAT YOU WANT IS TO GET EVERYBODY OFF THE STREET AND INTO HOUSING IN THE MEANTIME.
AND I GUESS 'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS LIKE A NEW BATCH OF PEOPLE, LIKE, UH, YEAH, JUST WONDERING IF ANY OF THOSE KIND OF, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE ARE BEING ENVISIONED.
YEAH, WE DON'T, YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY LIKE POPUP KIND OF BATHROOMS OR SHOWERS.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE HAVE CITY FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT, THAT MAKE THOSE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
OR AT LEAST WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE OPEN, WHAT WE ARE DOING IS CREATING ESSENTIALLY A, A RESOURCE MAP OR AN ASSET MAP THAT PEOPLE CAN USE THAT WOULD BE UPDATED IN REAL TIME SO THAT, UH, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU'RE AT IN THE CITY, IF YOU NEED A SHOWER, IF YOU NEED WATER, IF YOU NEED FOOD, UH, YOU COULD ACCESS THIS ASSET MAP AND IT WILL SHOW YOU WHERE THOSE FACILITIES ARE, HOW FAR THEY, HOW FAR AWAY THEY ARE FROM YOU, HOW TO GET TO THEM WHEN THEY'RE AVAILABLE, ET CETERA.
UH, BUT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE PLANS TO DO MORE LIKE SHOWER TRAILERS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND, AND PART OF IT'S JUST THE, THE COST OF TRYING TO STAND THOSE UP AND THEN MAINTAIN THEM RELATIVE TO THE, THE BENEFIT, UH, IT, IT'S MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE FOR US TO DIRECT PEOPLE TO THE CITY FACILITIES WHERE THEY CAN ACCESS THOSE AND, AND TAKE CARE OF THOSE NEEDS.
DO YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT MAP? WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING IT.
UM, I, AND WHEN I SAY IN THE PROCESS, UH, WE'RE VERY FAR ALONG IN THAT PROCESS AND SO THAT MAP SHOULD BE COMING OUT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
UM, YEAH, SO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT MAP.
OH, TRUST ME, AS SOON AS THAT MAP IS AVAILABLE, EVERYBODY WILL HEAR ABOUT IT.
UH, ESPECIALLY OUR UNHOUSED CLIENTS WHO I KNOW ARE, ARE, ARE EAGERLY WAITING FOR IT.
I WOULD JUST MAYBE ENCOURAGE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, AT LEAST LIKE, UH, WATER FOUNTAINS, YOU KNOW, IN PLACE TO REFILL A WATER BOTTLE.
MAYBE COULD BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, NOT AS HIGH COST AS LIKE RESTROOMS OR SOMETHING, BUT LIKE REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE HAVE MORE AND MORE HOT SUMMER DAYS.
AND SO, AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE LIKE IN CERTAIN AREAS.
YEAH, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG REASONS WHY WE LEANED INTO THE MAP WAS, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS MIGHT BE AVAILABLE.
IT MIGHT BE WATER FOUNTAINS AT PARKS OR THERE MIGHT BE REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLE STATIONS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMFORTABLE WITH PEOPLE COMING IN AND USING THEM.
SO THE RESOURCE MAP WILL MAKE SURE TO HAVE ALL THOSE.
BUT I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE QUESTION AND THE SPIRIT AND HOPEFULLY WHEN YOU SEE THE MAP, YOU'RE VERY PLEASED.
IF NOT, LET ME KNOW, UH, AND WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT WE UPDATE AND AND ADD MORE
[01:45:01]
FEATURES TO THAT.UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE SOME MORE INFORMATION AS TO WHY WE HAVE HOMELESSNESS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE STARTING TO DO SOME DATA, YOU KNOW, COLLECTION THERE.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A, A REPORT THAT I'VE, I HAVEN'T READ IT, BUT I HEARD ABOUT IT THAT THERE WAS A HUGE INCREASE ON EVICTIONS THIS PAST YEAR.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY, I'M MAKING ME WONDER IF THERE'S A CORRELATION BETWEEN THAT AND, AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE NOW INCREASED NUMBERS OF HOMELESSNESS.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT, I KNOW THERE'S STREET, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IS IN THE STREET.
WELL, THERE'S ALSO HOMELESS PEOPLE IN OUR MINI GREEN BELTS IN OUR CREEKS.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL, A NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, INCLUDING THE RISK OF WILDFIRE.
UM, SO I JUST, UM, HAVE A LOT MORE QUESTIONS.
I THINK I'M, I'M HOPING TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION AS TO WHAT THE REAL CAUSES ARE.
UM, AND YEAH, JUST HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, WHAT WE CAN DO IS FOLLOW UP WITH YOU DIRECTLY WITH THAT INFORMATION.
IS THAT FINE? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I'LL MAKE SURE TO WORK WITH THE STAFF LIAISON FOR THIS GROUP, UM, TO GET YOUR INFORMATION.
WE'LL MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
[3. Presentation from the Communications and Public Information Office (CPIO) on the community engagement plan for the 2026 Bond program, discussion and possible action to approve project categories for the community engagement survey.]
ITEM THREE, PRESENTATION FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE PROJECT CATEGORIES FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY.I THINK WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, MAYBE TRYING TO TALK ABOUT, UH, AS SUCCINCTLY AS WE CAN TO GET TO THE ACTION ITEM YOU NEED FROM US.
AND THANK YOU FOR MY, I WANNA CALL IT MINE.
IT'S NOT MINE, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S MINE, MY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY ALL ARE AMAZING.
I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THEIR TIME.
I'M GONNA SEE IF MY DIRECTOR COMES VERY QUICKLY.
I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION VERY, VERY QUICK.
UH, JUST BEING MINDFUL WITH TIME.
SO, UM, OH, I GOT THE CLICKER SO I CAN DO THAT.
LEMME JUST SET MY NAME FOR THE RECORD.
UM, MARIA SANCHEZ, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER FOR CPIO.
I'M LETTING MY EYES JUST GIMME JUST A MOMENT.
SO I'M REALIZING MORE AND MORE THESE DAYS I NEED GLASSES.
UM, SO WE ARE HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE.
I THINK AT THE LAST MEETING WE GAVE YOU A GENERAL SCHEDULE, UM, OF WHAT OUR OUTREACH LOOKED LIKE, OUR ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES LOOKED LIKE.
ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS ENSURING THAT WE DIDN'T CAUSE ANY CONFUSION, ESPECIALLY AS THE BUDGET PROCESS BEGAN.
WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE BUDGET SCHEDULE WILL BE LOOKING LIKE COMING INTO THE, AS WE PROGRESS TOWARDS BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CONFLICT.
SO, UM, WE ARE HERE TODAY, MARIA WILL WALK THROUGH, UM, A, A SLIGHTLY REVISED SCHEDULE TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONFLICT IN THAT AREA.
UM, AND SO I'LL JUST PASS BACK TO HER.
AND WE ONLY HAVE LIKE A FEW MINUTES.
SO WE HAVE READ THE GOALS BEFORE.
I'M GONNA MAKE IT VERY EASY OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT, THAT ANALYSIS, AND THEN CLOSING THE LOOPS, MAKING SURE COMMITTEE KNOWS WHAT, WHAT WE HEARD.
OUR SCHEDULE HAVE MOVED ABOUT THREE WEEKS ONLY TO ALLOW THE BUDGET OFFICE TO HAVE THEIR SURVEY OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
THEIR SURVEY ENDS, I BELIEVE, UM, MAY 9TH.
AND THEN WE BEGIN OUR ORIGINAL ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY AROUND MAY 16TH IS ABOUT A WEEK AFTER.
WE STILL HAVE A STEP ONE AND A STEP TWO.
STEP ONE IS WHERE WE GATHER THE EMOTION, FEELINGS, ASPIRATIONS OF WHAT I'VE BEEN CALLING THE BUCKETS.
AND SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN CALLING THE CATEGORIES.
AND THEN A STEP TWO WILL BE MORE NARROW FOCUS.
AND IN THAT TIME WE WILL HAVE A POSSIBLE LIST OF PROJECTS AS WELL AS VERY DEFINED SUBCATEGORIES.
AND SO OUR RESEARCH WILL MOVE TO, WHAT ARE WE CALLING A STEP TWO.
AND WE WILL ALSO HAVE OUR FOUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS SCHEDULED IN SEPTEMBER.
I DON'T HAVE THE DATES FOR THOSE, BUT THEY WILL BE WITHIN A 10 DAY PERIOD.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE USE THE MOMENTUM AND COMMUNITY EXCITEMENT AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, MEDIA SUPPORT AS
[01:50:01]
THEY ARE PROMOTING THE EVENT.AND THAT'S OUR SCHEDULE TWO MILESTONES WILL BE THAT WE WILL PROVIDE YOU, UH, TWO PRELIMINARY REPORTS AND ONE FINAL REPORT.
AND BOTH PRELIMINARY REPORTS WILL BE THE OUTCOME OF THOSE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THAT WILL HELP YOU MAKE SOME DECISIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AS ALWAYS, PLEASE GIVE US FEEDBACK AND LET US KNOW IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
OUR ENGAGEMENT PERIOD WILL LAST FROM MID-MAY ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF OCTOBER.
SO IF YOU HAVE AN EVENT THAT YOU KNOW OF, UM, PLEASE SEND IT TO OUR STAFF, LEAH, SOON.
I'M GETTING SO EMAILS DIRECTLY AND THEY JUST KEEP FALLING DOWN, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I, I READ ALL OF THEM, SO IF YOU SEND IT TO HER, SHE'LL MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
OKAY, SO HERE IS THE MAIN EVENT.
SO WE HAVE HAD TWO, UM, MEETINGS WITH OUR WORKING GROUP.
OUR WORKING GROUP SHOWS THAT THE CATEGORIES SLASH BUCKET SHOULD MATCH THE CURRENT SETUP OF YOUR WORKING GROUPS.
AS YOU NOTICE WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 OF THEM PLUS ENGAGEMENT.
BUT ENGAGEMENT OBVIOUSLY IS NOT GONNA BE A CATEGORY FOR THE RESEARCH.
ON THE SECOND MEETING, UH, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HEAR SOME FEEDBACK AS WELL AND WE ADJUSTED THE LANGUAGE SLIGHTLY.
SO IT WILL BE WHAT I CALL MORE COMMUNITY FRIENDLY AND BEING ABLE FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH THE LANGUAGE AND THE MEANING OF THESE CATEGORIES.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO GET FROM ALL OF YOU IS YOUR AGREEMENT ON THESE CATEGORIES OR PERHAPS A DISCUSSION.
IF WE NEED TO ADD PERHAPS A COUPLE OF CATEGORIES, I WILL NOT RECOMMEND ANYTHING MORE COMPLEX BECAUSE THE IDEA OF PEOPLE SPENDING TIME ON THE SURVEY IS CORRELATED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS ALL THIS BOND ABOUT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR EMOTION, FEELINGS.
UH, WHAT IS IT THAT, THAT THEY BELIEVE WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OR THE COMMUNITY AND SO FORTH.
SO WE DON'T WANNA MAKE IT TOO COMPLICATED AND REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE A TWO STEP ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, WHICH QUITE FRANKLY IS SUCH A NICE THING TO START WITH SOMETHING SIMPLE AND THEN MOVE TO SOMETHING MORE COMPLEX WHEN PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY ENGAGED AND THEY'RE READY TO GIVE US MORE DEFINED FEEDBACK.
AND YEAH, WE ARE PREPARING THE TOOLS, WE ARE PREPARING THE RESEARCH.
WE ARE READY TO START, WE'RE EXCITED, AND WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A LITTLE DEMONSTRATION NEXT TIME WE COME AROUND SO YOU CAN SEE HOW EVERYTHING IS LOOKING.
I GUESS IF WE, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE SECOND WORKING GROUP MEETING, COMMUNITY FRIENDLY LANGUAGE SUGGESTIONS, HAPPY TO MOVE.
SECOND, SECOND DISCUSSION OF THE, UH, NEW WORDING.
JUST A QUICK QUESTION THAT, SO IF IT'S SOMETHING IS CONSERVATION BASED, THAT WOULD BE LIKE, THAT WOULD BE WATER CONSIDERED WATER QUALITY.
IF IT'S NOT LIKE IS OPEN SPACE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO ONLY AND THEN I'M ALSO CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE HOME THE HOMELESSNESS WOULD FALL INTO THIS IF THAT'S A COMMUNITY FACILITY.
UH, SO YEAH, SO WHAT WE ARE PLANNING TO DO IS TO USE THESE CATEGORIES AT, AT A DESCRIPTION THAT, UM, COLLECTIVELY WILL CRAFT AND THEN INCLUDE THE DIFFERENT SUBCATEGORIES AS EXAMPLES.
SO IMAGINE POCKET, POCKET DESCRIPTION AND THEN EXAMPLES.
AND THOSE ARE THE SUB-CATEGORIES THAT ARE COMING FROM SOME OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN EMAILING.
SO HOPEFULLY IT WILL PROVIDE CLARITY AS SOMEONE IS ENGAGING WITH A SURVEY AND OTHER TOOLS THAT WE'RE PREPARING.
YEAH, I JUST THINK THAT THE OPEN SPACE THING GETS REALLY CONFUSING WHEN IT'S LIKE A MITIGATION, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE SPECIAL CONSERVATION PLACE.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, WELL THAT, WHAT, THAT'S ONE THING THAT I HAD THOUGHT OF TOO WAS THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME, UM, NOTIF SOME SOMETHING TO TELL PEOPLE THAT THERE COULD BE OVERLAPS BETWEEN THE BUCKETS BECAUSE AGAIN, WITH OPEN SPACE YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, GET WATER QUALITY AND SOME OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, THE SET, THE ONE ABOUT THE, UH, ONE OF THE BUCKETS THERE COULD BE BOTH FOR HOUSING AND FOR COMMUNITY ASSETS.
SO THERE'S OVERLAP BETWEEN THESE IN MANY CASES.
WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT DESCRIPTION
[01:55:01]
ALIGNS THAT SPECIFIC IDEA WORKING AROUND THE ROOM QUESTIONS.YEAH, I GUESS, UH, I, I THOUGHT, AND, AND I THINK THIS WAS THE SECOND MEETING, I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED A MEETING, BUT I, I THOUGHT THE SUBCATEGORIES THAT WE WERE ASKING EVERYBODY TO SEND IN WERE, WERE NOT JUST FOR EXAMPLES, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SURVEY IS JUST GONNA ASK PEOPLE TO PICK BETWEEN THESE REALLY LARGE BUCKETS AND, AND I'M JUST NOT SURE HOW USEFUL THAT IS GOING TO BE FOR US IN OUR PROCESS TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY WE WANT TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT.
LIKE WHAT I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH THAT INFORMATION.
JUST REMEMBER THERE IS TWO SURVEYS HAPPENING.
SO A STEP ONE IS MORE OF A BIG PICTURE TYPE OF QUESTIONS, AND THEN A STEP TWO WILL BE MORE DEFINED BY THE TIME THAT WE'RE READY FOR A STEP TWO, WE WILL HAVE HOPEFULLY A LIST OF PROJECTS AND IT WILL INCLUDE THAT.
I THINK THERE, I THINK WE COULD MAKE MORE OF, MORE USE OF STEP ONE BY NOT HAVING IT BE GIANT CATEGORIES AND ALSO NOT SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
LIKE SIDEWALKS ISN'T A SPECIFIC PROJECT, IT'S STILL A CATEGORY OF, OR, OR EVEN JUST LIKE PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE OTHER THINGS AS WELL, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE MUCH MORE USEFUL AS WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS THAN JUST KNOWING THAT PEOPLE WANT INVESTMENT IN TRANSPORTATION.
IF YOU FEEL THAT ONE V IS TOO BIG JUST TO USE THE SAME ILLUSTRATION, FEEL FREE TO CREATE A SECOND ONE THAT PERHAPS WILL INCLUDE OTHER TYPE OF, UH, SUBCATEGORIES.
SO LIKE TRANSPORTATION MIGHT BE ONE THAT YOU MIGHT DECIDE TO HAVE TWO OUT OF IT.
THAT WAS JUST AN EXAMPLE THOUGH I THINK IT'S TRUE IN MANY OF THESE BUCKETS.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN OUR MEETING AND I GUESS, I GUESS WE DIDN'T HAVE AGREEMENT, BUT THAT WAS MY IMPRESSION.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? WORKING AROUND NICOLE.
UM, SO I HAVEN'T MET WITH MY WORKING GROUP, BUT I WASN'T QUITE SURE WHAT WAS IN THE BUCKET.
AND SO I WOULD BENEFIT EVEN AND, AND THIS IS A PUBLIC CITIZEN, RIGHT? WHETHER OR NOT IS I SHOULD BE REMOTELY INTERESTED IN THESE BUCKETS OR A SURVEY.
IN ANY CASE, I'M ALONG THE LINES OF, OF KABA ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION DOES, IS THAT INCLUDE SIDEWALKS, RIGHT? I WAS CONFUSED ABOUT INVESTMENT FACILITIES THINKING IT WOULD BE MORE SORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE, BUT IT IS COMMUNITY ASSETS.
IS IT LIBRARIES, CULTURAL CENTERS? UM, IS IT, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
AND SO I WOULD BENEFIT FROM A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL IN THOSE LARGER BUCKETS.
COMMUNITY, CULTURAL ARTS CENTERS, MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES, ET CETERA, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING.
CULT UM, COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND ASSETS.
'CAUSE BEFORE I HAD A THINKING, I WAS THINKING MORE OF INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS THAT AREN'T SEXY, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT, THE PUBLIC DOESN'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT IT WAS MORE FOR, YOU KNOW, SO I GUESS IN MY MIND I'D LIKE TO SEE A, A RANGE OF THE BUCKETS TO BE, TO BE ABLE TO CHARACTERIZE THOSE LARGER BUCKETS.
UM, BECAUSE IN MY MIND IF IT'S, IF IT'S JUST FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY ASSETS AND FACILITIES, THEN I THINK THE LAY PERSON LIKE MYSELF MAY NEED TO KNOW THAT THAT INCLUDES MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES, CULTURAL ARTS CENTERS, PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS, ET CETERA, THAT I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT THAT IS A BUCKET THAT WOULD, UM, LIKE MY NEIGHBORS, I'M PUTTING MYSELF IN THE SHOES OF MY NEIGHBORS.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA NECESSARILY UNDERSTAND, HEY, I NEED TO FIGHT FOR MY LIBRARY, I NEED TO GO TALK TO THEM.
AND THEN THE COMMUNITY FACILITIES ASK, AM I BEING SIMPLE MINDED OR I, I'M SORRY.
I, I, I I FOLLOW YOU PERFECTLY.
I MEAN, OKAY, SO I MEAN, I CAN GIVE YOU SUGGESTIONS ON THE LARGER BUCKETS AND MAYBE SOME SUBCATEGORIES, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA LEAD ANY, LEAVE ANYTHING OUT OF THOSE SUBCATEGORIES.
AND THEN I GUESS I HAVE THE QUESTION, WHERE IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE NON-SEXY STUFF THAT MY NEIGHBORS WHO REALLY DON'T SEE, THEY DON'T SEE THE WINDOWS FALLING APART ON THE A AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA NECESSARILY MAKE IT A PART OF THEIR AGENDA TO GO SPEAK ON THAT, BUT THEY WILL SPEAK ABOUT THEIR LIBRARIES AND THEIR CULTURAL ARTS CENTERS.
SO I GUESS I'M ASKING A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THE LARGER BUCKETS MORE USER FRIENDLY AND APPARENT, AND THEN MAYBE THE SUBCATEGORIES WITHIN, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SHOULD BE UTILIZING TO SORT OF, UM, DIRECT THEIR INTEREST AND ATTENTION.
SO JUST A QUICK REMINDER THAT ON THE FIRST MEETING WITH THE WORKING GROUP, WHAT WE CHOSE AND, AND KAVIA AND F FRANCIS WAS THERE, UH, WAS TO USE YOUR ALREADY SET UP WORKING GROUPS.
[02:00:01]
THAT MAKES SENSE ON MY END IN TERMS OF FIGURE OUT WHAT FEELINGS AND EMOTION FROM COMMUNITY ARE HAVING.THEN ON THE SECOND MEETING WE DISCUSSED THAT SOME OF THESE POCKETS NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A DESCRIPTION, AND THAT'S WHEN I START GETTING SOME OF THE SUBCATEGORIES FROM EVERYBODY.
AND FRANCIS PROBABLY, UH, TALKED TO SOME OF YOU MAYBE, UH, KAVA DID.
AND THAT'S HOW I'M BEGINNING TO GET THOSE, UH, POSSIBLE SUBCATEGORIES THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY INCLUDE IT.
NOW, THAT PARTICULAR BUCKET THAT YOU ARE MENTIONING, IT'S ONE THAT IS VERY COMPLEX, RIGHT? BECAUSE IN INCLUDES A LOT OF THINGS.
I MEAN, AND SO THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER ONE THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA CONSIDER CREATING TWO.
I'M, I DON'T KNOW THAT I AM BEST POSITIONED TO SAY WHAT THE SUBCATEGORIES ARE NOT KNOWING WHAT THE UNIVERSE OF NEEDS ARE THAT YOU WERE INITIALLY CHARACTERIZING IN A INVESTMENT IN FACILITY ASSETS.
INITIALLY IT WAS FACILITY ASSETS.
IN MY MIND THAT COULD BE ANY INFRASTRUCTURE THING THAT DOESN'T FIT IN THE OTHER BUCKETS, BUT WHEN I LATER I FOUND OUT IT'S MORE CULTURAL ARTS, IT'S LIBRARIES, IT'S MUSEUMS, IT'S ALL THOSE COMMUNITY ASSETS, THE COMPONENTS OF IT.
BUT I'M SURE THOSE ASSETS FALL SOMEWHERE AMONGST THESE BUCKETS.
AND SO I GUESS I CAN, I CAN GIVE YOU MY PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT THE BUCKETS SHOULD BE, UM, BUT I DON'T WANT THAT TO PRECLUDE ANYTHING THAT, I DON'T WANT US TO KEEP ANYTHING OUT BASED ON THAT UNDERSTANDING.
UM, BUT I THINK YOU WERE SORT OF UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO KIND OF ADVISE ON THESE.
AND, AND SO I'M JUST ASKING FOR MORE RELATABLE KIND OF BUCKETS.
I GUESS NOW THAT I'M TALKING THROUGH IT, I'LL SEND YOU MY RECOMMENDATION ARE, WELL, YOU'RE ALL GONNA DISCUSS IT NOW AND YOU'RE ALL GONNA TELL ME WHAT WILL WORK BEST, UH, FOR YOUR DECISION THAT WILL HELP US.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT MORE DISCUSSION.
YEAH, I, I MEAN, DO WE, WHY WAS IT THAT WE HAD TO VOTE ON THIS TODAY INSTEAD OF, 'CAUSE I THINK SOME OF OUR WORKING GROUPS HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO MEET YET.
SO I, LIKE EVEN THIS ONE, LIKE PARKLAND, I IMAGINE WOULD INCLUDE POOLS THAT IS VERY COUNTERINTUITIVE.
I THINK IF SOMEONE'S, LIKE, IS IT A COMMUNITY FACILITY OR A PARK, THAT KIND OF STUFF, I THINK IT'S REALLY GONNA NEED, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE POOLS, SO YEAH, THERE YOU GO.
UM, WELL, THE REASON THAT I NEED GUIDANCE IS BECAUSE WE NEED TO FINALIZE ALL OUR ENGAGEMENT TOOLS AND WE ARE SCHEDULED TO START THE SECOND WEEK OF MAY, AND SO WE NEED TO PRINT, DESIGN, UM, DEPLOY A DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, UH, TRAIN.
SO IT, IT TAKES QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT ON OUR END TO BE READY BY THAT DAY.
AND SO IF WE WAIT FOR THE NEXT MEETING, IT WILL PUT US BEHIND.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE ALL OF THIS AND THE WORK OF THIS SUBCOMMITTEE AND EVERYTHING, BUT I, I'LL SAY FOR MYSELF, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW I CAN CAST A VOTE ON THIS WITHOUT SEEING THE REST OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED ALL ALONG.
UM, AND ON THE PARKLAND OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE AND, AND FOR US ON THE OPEN SPACE SIDE, IT'S THAT POINT THAT RACHEL MADE, WHICH IS, THAT INCLUDES WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS, BUT NOW WATER QUALITY SHOWS IN DRAINAGE AND IT FEELS DIFFERENT.
SO I'M JUST CONFUSED AND TOO CONFUSED, I THINK TO CAST A GOOD VOTE AT THIS POINT.
KIBA, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUBGROUP, LIKE THIS IS Y'ALL'S SORT OF BABY, AND THIS WAS DELIVERED TO US TO FROM Y'ALL, SO HELP US OUT HERE,
YEAH, I MEAN, WHAT WE DISCUSSED WAS TRYING TO HAVE MORE GRANULARITY SO THAT THE WORKING GROUPS, IT WASN'T A, A MATTER OF, OF US FROM, FROM, I THINK THAT WHAT'S PROPOSED, WHAT WE WOULD GET IS LIKE, ALL RIGHT, HERE'S THE MOST IMPORTANT WORKING GROUP TO THE LEAST IMPORTANT WORKING GROUP IN TERMS OF LIKE WHERE THERE'S SUPPORT.
BUT WHAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, I, I THINK WHAT WE DISCUSSED ANYWAY WAS MORE LIKE WITHIN EACH WORKING GROUP, WHERE SHOULD WE FOCUS, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING SOME ATTENTION BECAUSE THE PUBLIC IS SEEING A NEED.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S, I THOUGHT WAS THE EXERCISE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ALL DOING, UM, ALBEA A LITTLE BIT LAST MINUTE, AND SOME OF THE GROUPS DIDN'T MAYBE MEET, BUT I THINK EVERY GROUP SENT IN SUBCATEGORIES.
AND THE IDEA WAS THAT JUST USING TRANSPORTATION AS AN EXAMPLE, LIKE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STRONG SUPPORT FOR BIKE LANES AND SIDEWALKS AND STRONG OPPOSITION FOR BUILDING NEW ROADS, GETTING A, YOU KNOW, MEDIUM SUPPORT OUT OF THAT, ON THIS BROADER LEVEL SURVEY.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT DOES FOR US.
I THINK THAT'S A, A WASTED OPPORTUNITY.
UM, DOES THE SURVEY JUST, JUST WHAT THE, WHAT THE SURVEY QUESTION WILL BE? WILL THE SURVEY QUESTION BE, WHICH ONE OF THESE FIVE THINGS DO YOU LIKE MORE? NO.
[02:05:01]
HELP US WITH WHAT THE SURVEY QUESTION.AND THE, THE ONE THING IS THAT YOU, ALL OF YOU ARE VERY CLOSE TO THIS SUBJECT MATTER AND ALL OF YOU ARE VERY INVESTED.
THE COMMUNITY ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THIS TOOL AND THEY'RE GONNA ANSWER VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SPEND MORE TIME, MOST OF THE TIME WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT PEOPLE PROVIDE AN OPINION IN A VERY QUICK REACTION.
MORE LIKELY THEY WON'T BE ASKING QUESTION ABOUT WATER QUALITY.
I, I CANNOT EVEN GIVE YOU A DEFINITION ABOUT WHAT THOSE WATER QUALITY ENTAIL, TO BE HONEST.
AND SO BE MINDFUL THAT WE WANNA SURVEY AND OTHER TOOLS THAT ARE EASY TO DIGEST AND EASY TO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION.
NOW, THE KEY HERE IS THAT WE ARE NOT PUTTING TRANSPORTATION AGAINST OPEN SPACES.
AND AS WHICH ONE IS MORE IMPORTANT, ALL OF THEM ARE IMPORTANT.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA ASK COMMUNITY IS TO TELL US THE LIKELIHOOD THAT SOME OF THESE ITEMS WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE WORKING GROUP.
AND SO EVERY ITEM WILL BE AN INDIVIDUAL QUESTION THAT PEOPLE CAN SAY, OH YEAH, TRANSPORTATION.
YEAH, IT SHOULD BE MORE ON THE RIGHT.
AND THEN I DON'T, THE OTHER CATEGORIES SHOULD GO MORE ON THE LEFT.
AND SO THAT WAS THE, UM, THE RENAL GUIDANCE THAT WE GOT.
NOW REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE TWO STEPS.
SO THIS IS A STEP ONE, WHICH WE WILL LET US LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE HEARD ON A STEP TWO.
WE WILL HAVE MORE SPECIFIC AS FAR AS THE, UM, INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS AND OBVIOUSLY MORE DEFINED TYPE OF QUESTION.
MORE COMMENTS, QUESTIONS ON THE MOTION DISCUSSION.
WELL, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED SOME DIRECTION FROM US NOW.
UM, I AGREE WITH KABA AND NICOLE AND OTHERS THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE GRANULARITY WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE TIME TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THAT, THOSE GRAINS ARE.
UM, SO MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, TO, YOU KNOW, GO DELEGATE IT BACK TO YOU TO DETERMINE, BUT WITH THAT GUIDANCE THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK RATHER THAN JUST TRANSPORTATION ROADS AND AS ONE CATEGORY AND THEN UH, BIKE LANE SIDEWALKS AND OTHER NON ROAD TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES IS A SECOND CATEGORY.
AND THEN INSTEAD OF COMMUNITY ASSETS, LIBRARIES AND ARTS FACILITIES.
AND THEN JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL SO THAT WE'RE, WE'RE BETTER ABLE TO, UM, UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PUBLIC'S TELLING US.
MORE DISCUSSION ON THIS BEFORE WE VOTE.
AND, BUT ALSO THAT KEEPING IN MIND THAT I THINK THE DATA IS MORE USEFUL WITHIN EACH SUBGROUP THAN, LIKE, I REALLY AM NOT THAT INTERESTED.
IF SOMEBODY IS LIKE MORE FOR TRANSPORTATION VERSUS WATER QUALITY.
IF THEY'RE NOT EVEN GIVING US, THEY MIGHT BE VERY FOR SIDEWALKS AND VERY FOR, YOU KNOW, POOLS AND WE'RE NOT GONNA, THAT, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS WE NEED TO BE ASKING.
SO I, I THINK THAT, THAT THE SURVEY REALLY NEEDS TO BE ABOUT THE SUBCATEGORIES, NOT JUST GIVING EXAMPLES OF WHAT THE SUBCATEGORIES ARE.
CAN, COULD, COULD OUR MOTION PERHAPS BE AMENDED TO, UH, INCLUDE, UH, ASKING FOR FEEDBACK ON SUBCATEGORIES, UH, INCLUDING THE ONES THAT WERE SUBMITTED FROM THE WORKING GROUPS SO FAR WITH ANY ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES THE STAFF THINKS WE MAY HAVE LEFT OUT.
'CAUSE IT'S POSSIBLE WE LEFT SOME OUT, BUT I MEAN IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS SOME PRETTY GOOD LIST COMING FROM THE VARIOUS GROUPS.
AND THERE'S THE DALLAS QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT MORE SUBCATEGORIES.
ARE WE NOT GOING, I'M SORRY I HAD TO STEP OUT, BUT ARE THE SUBCATEGORIES NOT HAPPENING? I GUESS I'M, I THOUGHT THEY WERE HAPPENING AND I THOUGHT WE WERE HAVING TWO SURVEYS.
THERE WAS GONNA BE ONE WITH, BUT IS THERE, I THINK I'M NOT HEARING ABOUT PEOPLE.
YOU, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A SURVEY WITH THE SUBCATEGORIES, ARE WE NOT? YEAH, THAT'S FAIR TOO.
OKAY, SO, SO WE'RE DISCUSSING NOT HAVING THE SUB, HAVING THE SUBCATEGORIES FOR THE FIRST SURVEY.
YEAH, I THINK THE QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANY REAL VALUE FROM ASKING PEOPLE ON JUST THESE BROAD BUCKETS, WHEREAS YOU COULD ASK ON CATEGORIES.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS ABOUT MORE SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
SO THE ONE THING THAT I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING THE CATEGORY IS THAT CURRENTLY WE HAVE, I BELIEVE, FIVE POCKETS.
AND IMAGINE THAT EACH BUCKET HAS ABOUT 10 CATEGORIES.
SO NOW WE HAVE 50 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER.
SO THE IDEA THAT WE WERE EXPLORING FOR SIMPLIFICATION AND FOR THE ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IS TO HAVE
[02:10:01]
THE BUCKET, THE DESCRIPTION, AND THEN THE CATEGORY SO PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHAT THEY ARE ON IT.SO, UM, BUT CERTAINLY IT CAN BE DONE.
I JUST WANT YOU TO BE MINDFUL THAT THAT MEANS THAT WHEN I'M ENGAGING WITH ONE INDIVIDUAL, IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER FOR SOMEONE NOT ONLY TO PARTICIPATE, BUT EVEN TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT PERHAPS IT'S NOT THE DETAILS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT I'M OFFERING THAT WE WILL HAVE THIS FIRST STEP AND THEN WE WILL HAVE THE SECOND ONE WITH MORE DETAIL.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH, ONE, WELL, ONE OPTION WOULD BE, I MEAN AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE MIGHT BE 10 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES UNDER TRANSPORTATION.
BUT WHAT IF THE WORK GROUP GOT TOGETHER AND GAVE YOU TWO OR THREE AND ASKED YOU TO HAVE THE, ALL THE HIGH LEVEL THINGS WITH TWO OR THREE ITEMS UNDER EACH ONE THAT WILL SIMPLIFY IT AND MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
SO IF YOU ARE IN THIS, WELL THAT'S THE POINT.
SIMPLIFY IT, BUT MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX THAN JUST HAVING THIS SIMPLE FIVE NAMES.
YEAH, DAVE, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THE GROUPS HAD ANYWHERE NEAR 10.
JUST FYII SAW AS, YOU KNOW, EVER SINCE EVERYBODY WAS SENDING THEM TO BOTH MYSELF AND STAFF.
WELL, NEVERTHELESS, MY POINT STANDS HAVE TWO OR THREE.
CAN I OFFER THAT? YOU KNOW, JUST SIMPLY ALONG THOSE LINES, MAYBE IT'S TRANSPORTATION AND SIDEWALKS, BUT DEFINITELY ON COMMUNITY FACILITY, IF WE'RE HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE, I WOULD SAY COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND CULTURAL ASSETS, SOMETHING THAT LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THAT HEY, LIBRARIES MIGHT BE IN THAT BUCKET, UM, JUST AS A GUESSING GAME.
SO LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE AN ADDITIONAL LINE ITEMS WOULD JUST, TRANSPORTATION IN MY MIND IS A BUS OR A VEHICLE, NOT NECESSARILY PEDESTRIAN OR SIDEWALKS, YOU KNOW.
SO, UH, JUST CLARIFYING THOSE LITTLE OBVIOUS THINGS THAT I'M, YOU KNOW, A LAY PERSON TRYING TO FIND MY BUCKET THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND I WOULD OFFER THEM, THAT'S WHY SUGGESTED THAT IT BE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORK GROUP THAT BE INVOLVED IN IT.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, ON THE TABLE JUST TO APPROVE THESE FIVE BUCKETS.
I, I ACTUALLY, I'VE, I'VE MADE A MOTION TO AMEND, INCLUDING THAT WE ACTUALLY USE SUBCATEGORIES AS IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THAT AND THAT THE SUBCATEGORIES THAT WERE SUBMITTED BY OUR WORKING GROUPS BE USED WITH IN STAFF OR ANY ADDITIONS THEY MAY WANNA ADD TO THAT.
I'LL SECOND THAT AMENDMENT WELL IN MY AMENDMENT TO THAT IS THAT IT BE A VERY SHORT LIST.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO DEFER TO THE EXPERTS IN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, STAFF IN GIVING US GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO CONDUCT THE SURVEYS.
SO I DON'T WANNA GET IN YOUR BUSINESS, I UNDERSTAND NEEDING MORE DETAIL, BUT I'D ALSO DON'T WANNA TELL YOU HOW TO WRITE A SURVEY, WHICH IS A VERY COMPLICATED THING.
SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT APPROACH HERE.
WE ALL KNOW WE WANT MORE SOMEHOW TO CONVEY TO THE PEOPLE TAKING THE SURVEY WHAT THOSE BUCKETS MEAN.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US TODAY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WITH THAT, WITH THAT BEING THE, THE, UH, THE GOAL.
SO LET ME, LET ME TRY FROM A, FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU'RE GIVING US SOME GENERAL DIRECTION AND I THINK IF YOU SHARE WITH US WHAT YOUR WANTS ARE, SO TO SPECIFY THAT, RIGHT? IF NOT TO SAY GIVE ME FIVE OR GIVE ME, GIVE ME A NUMBER, BUT UH, PLEASE PROVIDE MORE SPECIFICITY OR MORE EXAMPLES, SOMETHING THAT HELPS THE USER UNDERSTAND REALLY WHAT IS CONTAINED WITHIN THAT BUCKET.
IF YOU CAN PROVIDE JUST GENERAL LANGUAGE THAT WAY, THEN THAT WILL HELP US COME UP WITH SOME OPTIONS.
AND AN EXAMPLE THAT YOU COULD USE AS PART OF YOUR MOTION WOULD BE GIVING US MORE INFORMATION AS TO WHAT IS INCLUDED WITHIN THAT BUCKET, SUCH AS POTENTIALLY PROVIDING CATEGORIES OR A NUMBER OF CATEGORIES THAT WOULD WORK WITHIN THE SURVEY.
IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GIVE US THAT BROAD LANGUAGE, SHE, MARIA AND HER TEAM WOULD HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO DESIGN A SURVEY AND ALL THE RESEARCH TOOLS THAT THEY WOULD NEED.
I'LL YIELD TO HER IF SHE HAS ANY OTHER FEEDBACK ON THAT.
CAN I JUMP IN HERE REAL QUICK? WE ALREADY HAVE AN EXAMPLE IN KABA.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO PUT THEM IN THE DOCUMENT.
THE DALLAS EXAMPLE THAT WE HAD HAS DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND IT'S THREE OR FIVE, WE JUST NEED TO USE THEM.
I THINK THERE WAS A DIFFERENT APPROACH THAT THE CITY WAS TRYING TO TAKE AND THE BOARD DOESN'T WANNA GO THAT ROUTE.
SO I THINK WE JUST NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE, SO I DON'T WANNA ACT LIKE WE'RE STARTING FROM SCRATCH.
WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN USE.
KAY AND I CAN GET TOGETHER, ADD WHAT THE, THIS BODY HAS COME TOGETHER AND THEN GET THAT OVER TO THE CITY STAFF.
YEAH, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE A TRANSPORTATION BUCKET THAT EXPLAINS WHAT WE MEAN BY TRANSPORTATION.
'CAUSE LIKE EVA SAID, IF SOMEONE VOTES FOR THAT, THAT DOESN'T TELL US ANYTHING.
RIGHT? I WANT TWO SEPARATE OR TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
ONE IS ROADS, ONE IS NON ROADS.
[02:15:01]
WELL AND WE HAVE IT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I THINK EVERY GROUP ALREADY THE FACILITIES, CITY FACILITIES AND ASSETS, BUT WE ALSO GOT EXAMPLES.THEY GAVE US EXAMPLES TO LOOK AT FROM OTHER BOND PROGRAMS. YEAH.
SO WE ALSO HAVE EXAMPLES FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I THINK IT WAS THE APPROACH THAT WE WERE TRYING TO, SO IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH APPROVING THE FIVE CATEGORIES, PROVIDED THAT THERE ARE TWO TO THREE SUBCATEGORIES AS PROVIDED BY THE WORKING GROUPS TO DIFFERENTIATE WHEN THEY'RE MAKING SELECTIONS.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? WHAT WE WANT? COULD I AMEND MY MIND? UH, THREE.
THREE IS SMALL FOR SOME OF THEM.
COULD WE SAY UP TO FIVE SUBCATEGORIES IS, YOU KNOW, DETERMINED.
AGAIN, I THINK I WOULD DEFER TO THE FOLKS WHO WRITE THE SURVEYS AND WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA GET ANYTHING GOOD OUT OF THEM IF WE, YOU KNOW, OVERCOMPLICATE.
BUT I THINK, I THINK THAT'S FINE.
I THINK WE CAN MAKE THAT WORK.
AND, AND THEN CAN WE ADDRESS THE FACT THAT FOR PARK LAND AND OPEN SPACE, THERE IS WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS IN THAT HISTORICALLY, BUT THEN WE HAVE A SUBCATEGORY THAT SAYS WATER QUALITY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT, BUT IT SEEMS CONFUSING TO ME.
IT SEEMS LIKE IF I COULD, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S SHIFTED OVER INTO THE STORM WATER BUCKET.
AND, AND SUBSEQUENT TO THAT I'M ON ON ONE WORKING GROUP WE HAVE YET TO MEET, I AM INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING ON OTHER WORKING GROUPS TO THE EXTENT THAT THE SCOPE CHANGES REGARDLESS OF THAT.
UM, I KNOW THE SCOPE IS PROBABLY GONNA CHANGE BASED UPON THESE BUCKETS, BUT THERE ARE OTHER ASSIGNMENTS TO BE MADE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT ONCE WE GIVE YOU WHAT WE LEARN, YOU CAN USE IT WHEN YOU MAKE A DECISION, RIGHT? AND SO IF THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED, THIS IS WHAT WE WILL WORK ON IT.
UM, AND SO THIS WAS VERY HELPFUL FOR EVERYBODY.
SO JUST TO RECAP, I THINK THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE FIVE BUCKETS WITH UP TO FIVE SUBCATEGORIES WHERE FOLKS CAN MAKE THE CHOICES THAT YOU'RE ASKING THEM ABOUT BETWEEN THE CATEGORIES, NOT JUST THE LARGER BUCKETS.
I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY A MUCH MORE ARTFUL WAY OF SAYING THAT, BUT I'M TRYING TO GET US TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN SAY THAT'S I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON.
ALTHOUGH I'M, I'M WONDERING IS THE OPEN SPACES, LIKE SHOULD THAT BE JUST REMOVED FROM PARKLAND IF IT'S IN STORMWATER? LIKE WHAT? I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I DON'T THINK THAT QUESTION GOT ANSWERED.
I I SURE HAVEN'T HEARD IT YET.
THERE'S UNDER STORMWATER IT SAYS STORMWATER, DRAINAGE AND WATER QUALITY, A SUB SUBCATEGORY FOR PARKLAND AND OPEN SPACE OR WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS.
YOU ARE ASKING ME A QUESTION THAT I'M UNABLE TO ANSWER BECAUSE I AM NOT AN ENGINEER.
HOWEVER, WE CAN WORK WITH OUR TECHNICAL TEAM AND THEY CAN HELP US COME WITH THE STOP CATEGORIES IF NECESSARY.
SO LET JUST, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
OH, WELL WHY CAN'T WE LET THE WORK GROUPS DECIDE WHAT THE UP TO FIVE ITEMS ARE? I KNOW, BUT I THINK WHAT HE'S WORRIED ABOUT IS WE'RE AGREEING ON THE WORD OPEN SPACES AS PART OF OUR PROVING THE FIVE BUCKETS.
AND HE'S THE OPEN SPACES TERMINOLOGY IS QUESTION RIGHT NOW.
I UNDERST WE CAN'T, I UNDERSTAND IS THERE CAN BE SOME CONFUSION, RIGHT? BUT IF A HAVE TO ON WORKS GETS TOGETHER WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERTISE IN THIS, THEY COULD POSSIBLY RESOLVE IT WITH THE SUBCATEGORIES.
AND I'LL JUST SUBMIT, I DON'T THINK IT'S AN EXPERTISE CHALLENGE THAT, THAT THOSE SUBCATEGORIES CAME FROM PREVIOUS BOND PROPOSITIONS.
AND ACTUAL THE PROGRAMS I DON'T THINK IS THAT, IT'S NOT TECHNICAL, IT'S JUST WORKS.
NO, I I MADE THE POINT EARLIER IN THIS MEETING THAT THE, THERE WERE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT BUCKETS, RIGHT? BUT AGAIN, THE WORK GROUPS SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPECIFY AND THEY MAY BE THINGS THAT ARE IN TWO BUCKETS, THE SAME THING.
SO I DO WANT, I, THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE STATEMENT I WAS GONNA MAKE AS YOU JUMPED IN TOO.
BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A SPACE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THAT AT THE FRONT END OF ANY COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE WITH THE PUBLIC.
UM, BONDS ARE NOT DONE REALLY IN BUCKETS AS THE CITY DOES NOT WORK IN JUST A BUCKET.
AT LEAST THEY SHOULD NOT WORK IN JUST BUCKETS, RIGHT? WE SHOULD NOT BE SILOED IN SUCH A WAY THAT ONE THING HERE DOESN'T IMPACT OTHERS.
AND, AND WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT.
SO, UM, I THINK THERE IS A WAY TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THAT.
KEEP IN MIND THAT THE FIRST PHASE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS IS REALLY LEANING MORE TOWARDS THE EDUCATIONAL ASPECT, GAINING INTEREST, GATHERING THAT TRACTION FOR PEOPLE TO BE ENGAGED AND INTERESTED SO THAT WHEN THE MORE DETAILED SURVEY COMES AROUND, THEY GO, OH, I REMEMBER THAT.
I WANT TO PARTICIPATE THERE TOO.
RIGHT? SO SIMPLY BECAUSE WE SAY OPEN SPACE, OPEN SPACE CAN BE A VARIETY OF THINGS INCLUDING STORM WATER MANAGEMENT BECAUSE IT ALL INTEGRATES WITH EACH OTHER, RIGHT? I THINK THERE'S SO MUCH OF AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT, WELL THERE'S NOT A LOT OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOW STORM MANAGEMENT
[02:20:01]
WORKS.I SAY THAT SIMPLY BECAUSE MY RESIDENTIAL PERMITTING EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST, I UNDERSTAND HOW STORMWATER IMPACTS OUR, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT NOT EVERYBODY DOES.
AND THEY DON'T EQUATE OPEN SPACE TO STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, RIGHT? SO HOW DO WE BRING PEOPLE TO THE TABLE? HOW DO WE GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND? AND I THINK MARION'S IN A RIGHT POINT, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS GROUP, LET'S LOOK AT LARGE BUCKETS FIRST.
WE CAN SUBCATEGORIZE THESE THINGS AND HELP PEOPLE JUST GENERALLY UNDERSTAND THEM.
BUT I DON'T THINK ADDING OPEN SPACE PREVENTS YOU FROM, UM, OR LIMITS US FROM MAKING ANY CHANGES OR ADJUSTMENTS LATER WHEN WE START TALKING MORE DETAILED ON THE SURVEY ASPECTS IN THE PROJECTS.
I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS I I WOULD HESITATE OR ENCOURAGE US TO AVOID TRYING TO PERFECT IT BECAUSE IT'S SUCH, IT'S SUCH A BLURRY SPACE AND OUR GOAL IS TO REALLY TAKE SOMETHING SO COMPLEX LIKE THIS AND MAKE IT DIGESTIBLE FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND THESE BUCKETS ARE A GOOD WAY TO START.
LET'S VOTE ON THE MOTION, WHICH, WHICH IS THAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GROUP IS GONNA PROVIDE THE NO SUBCATEGORIES OR THE WORKING GROUPS.
EACH WORKING GROUP WORKING GROUPS HAVE ALREADY PROVIDED SUBCATEGORIES, BUT THOSE THAT HAVE MORE THAN FIVE NEED TO AND THOSE THAT HAVE MORE THAN FIVE NEED TO NARROW IT DOWN TO FIVE DOWN.
SO THERE'LL BE, THAT'LL BE FURTHER REFINED.
THAT ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AS I'VE, I NEED TO REPEAT IT.
BUT APPROVING THESE FIVE WITH UP TO FIVE SUBCATEGORIES DETERMINED BY THE WORKING GROUPS DELIVERED TO MARI.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
KEEP THEM UP WHILE NICOLE DOES HER COUNTING.
AND IS ANNA ANNA FALL OFF? ANNA IS, SHE FELL OFF.
SHE EMAILED US
AND I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT SINCE OPEN SPACES CAN BE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES AS WELL, MAYBE THE WATER QUALITY IN THAT BUCKET COULD JUST BE THINGS THAT AREN'T OPEN SPACES AND ANYONE OPPOSED TO THE BUCKET.
SHOULD, SHOULD WE ASK WHAT THE DEADLINE IS FOR GETTING INFORMATION BACK TO MARIA
IF YOU COULD PLEASE GET, THANK YOU.
BY THE END OF THE WEEK, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY SENT THEM, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T YET, IF YOU CAN DO IT BY THE END OF THE WEEK, THAT'LL GIVE US A CHANCE TO GET TOGETHER AS A WORKING GROUP AS WELL.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
RUN OUT OF TIME FOR THE REST OF THE AGENDA.BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR JUST QUICKLY IF ANYONE HAS ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, YOU CAN ALSO ALWAYS EMAIL ME WITH THEM AFTERWARDS.
HOW DO YOU PARTICIPATE ON OTHER WORKING GROUPS? HOW DO YOU MAKE CHANGES TO ASSIGNMENTS? I'M GONNA SEND AN EMAIL AROUND OR HAVE NICOLE SEND AN EMAIL AROUND BECAUSE I THINK SOME OF THAT CAN BE DONE JUST BY PEOPLE SAYING, I'M WILLING TO SERVE ON TWO, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? AND THEN WHEN WE COME BACK NEXT MONTH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A BETTER SHORTER DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE FUTURE? I HAVE JUST A QUESTION BEING MY FIRST MEETING, IF WE'RE NOT IN A WORKING GROUP BETWEEN THE NEXT MEETING CAN WE JOIN A WORKING GROUP? OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
ANYONE'S WELCOME TO TO JOIN THE WORKING GROUP AS LONG AS YOU DON'T HAVE A 12 OF US THERE.
AND I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU SPECIFICALLY TOO, OR 24.