[00:00:02]
SO WE'RE ALREADY DOING WAY BETTER THAN LAST MEETING.
[CALL TO ORDER ]
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, AND, UH, CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.AND WE'LL START WITH, DOES, HAS ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FROM THE PUBLIC? OKAY.
SO YOU SAID WE DO HAVE, BUT IT'S NOT, NOT FOR GENERAL.
[1. Approval of minutes from the March 26th, 2025 meeting of the Joint Sustainability Committee]
OKAY.SO THEN WE'LL START WITH THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 26TH MEETING.
WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY EDITS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE MINUTES? OKAY.
UM, ANNA, ARE YOU ABLE TO TURN YOUR CAMERA ON? SO I DON'T THINK I AM, UH, LIKE I DON'T ACTUALLY SEE THE ICON IN, UH, WEBEX, BUT I'VE CONFIRMED WITH WEBEX THAT MY VIDEO IS WORKING IN THE SETTINGS.
DO I NEED TO BECOME A PRESENTER TO PUT MY VIDEO ON? NO, THANKS.
I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALREADY IN THE MEETING.
UM, WHY DON'T YOU TRY LOGGING OFF AND COMING BACK ON? AND I WILL WAIT A MINUTE FOR YOU.
'CAUSE WE MIGHT, WE MIGHT NEED YOU.
I'M ANTICIPATING A POSSIBLE ABSTENTION.
DO YOU PLAN TO VOTE FOR THE MINUTES? ALL RIGHT, ANNA, ANY LUCK? CURRENTLY NOT.
SO, ALL IN FAVOR, UH, OF APPROVING THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE, THE MINUTES.
JOHN, ARE YOU ABSTAINING? OKAY.
AND ONE ABSTENTION, SO THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
[2. 2026 Bond Development Process – Eric Bailey and Marcus Hammer, Capital Delivery Services Department; Braden Latham-Jones, Office of Climate Action and Resilience]
SO OUR FIRST REAL ITEM IS A PRESENTATION ON THE 2026 BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A FEW PRESENTERS.
I'M NOT SURE WHO'S COMING UP FIRST.
I LIKE WE HAVE ERIC, MARCUS, AND BRADEN ALL STAR TEAM.
I'M THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, AND WE'RE HERE TO GIVE, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE, THE BOND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR THE 2026, UH, BOND.
SO, VERY QUICKLY WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UH, GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHO CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES IS, WHAT WE DO, UH, WHAT IS A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROGRAM, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE STEPS WE'RE TAKING TO IMPROVE THE BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, THE WORK WE'VE DONE TO DATE, UM, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, TECHNICAL, TECHNICAL CRITERIA, AND SCORING MATRICES, AND THEN PROGRESS TO DATE AND UPCOMING MILESTONES, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IN THE FUTURE.
SO WHO IS CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES? UH, WE'RE A DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, AND PROJECT MANAGERS AND INSPECTORS THAT WAS CREATED FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF REDUCING DELIVERY TIME FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WE PARTNER WITH, UM, CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO DELIVER ASSETS FOR THE CITY.
S'S ROLE IN THE 2026 BOND IS TO CONVENE THE CITY'S DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP AN OVERALL DEPARTMENTAL
[00:05:01]
NEEDS ASSESSMENT.GUIDE THE PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECTS ARE VETTED FOR SCOPE, SCHEDULE, AND BUDGET, AS WELL AS BOND ELIGIBILITY AND COORDINATE PROJECTS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS TO ACHIEVE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RESULTS.
THE PROCESS HAS BEEN UNDERWAY FOR OVER A YEAR TO GET THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER, DEVELOPING THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SO FAR.
SO WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS ARE BOND ELIGIBLE AND WHICH ARE NOT? THINGS THAT ARE BOND ELIGIBLE FOR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS ARE FLOOD AND EROSION CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS, NEW OR REPLACEMENT CITY FACILITIES, REHABILITATION OF EXISTING FACILITIES, HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROJECTS, STREET THOROUGHFARE IMPROVEMENTS, SIDEWALKS, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES, PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, AND LAND PURCHASES.
THERE'S ALSO A LIST OF WORK THAT'S NOT, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
THOSE INCLUDE ROUTINE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, FILLING POTHOLES, MINOR STREET REPAIR, LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE, GENERAL BUILDING MAINTENANCE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS FOR SHORT-TERM LEASE SPACE CODE ENFORCEMENT, EMPLOYEE SALARIES, WHICH THAT INCLUDES POLICE, FIRE AND EMS. AND THEN AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY CAPITAL PROJECTS TYPICALLY DON'T USE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
THEY ARE DEBT FUNDED, UM, VIA AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER REVENUE BONDS AND NOT THE GO BOND PROGRAM.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING DIFFERENT THIS TIME? WHAT'S DIFFERENT FOR THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM FROM THE PREVIOUS PROGRAMS? IN THE PAST, WE'VE PACKAGED PROJECT CONCEPTS INTO BOND PROPOSITIONS, AND THEN AFTER THE BOND PASSES, WE'VE UNDERTAKEN THE PRELIMINARY WORK TO DEVELOP THE SCOPE, SCHEDULE AND BUDGET FOR A PROJECT.
IN THE PAST THAT'S LED TO SITUATIONS WHERE THE BOND PROPOSALS FOR, SAY, A $5 MILLION NEW LIBRARY, BUT THE, THAT $5 MILLION DIDN'T INCLUDE THINGS LIKE LAND ACQUISITION.
AND NOW THAT $5 MILLION LIBRARY IS REALLY $8 MILLION BECAUSE THERE WERE SCOPES THAT WERE MISSED IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, IN THE ORIGINAL PLANNING PROCESS.
WHAT THAT LEADS TO IS IT ERODES THE TRUST IN, UM, THE CITY'S ABLE THE ABILITY TO, TO PERFORM AND DELIVER BOND PROGRAMS. BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE BROWN BOX, UH, IN THE YELLOW AREA THERE.
UM, WE'RE MOVING THAT PROJECT PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT SCOPE, SCHEDULE, AND BUDGET TO BEFORE THE BOND ELECTION TAKES PLACE.
SO WE'RE COMING FORWARD WITH FULLY VETTED PROJECTS THAT HAVE ACCURATE AND COMPLETE SCOPE SCHEDULES AND BUDGETS SO WE KNOW, UH, WHAT TO EXPECT AND WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, FULFILL THOSE, UM, PROMISES TO THE PUBLIC WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BOND PROGRAMS. AS I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, UM, CDS HAS CONVENED CITY DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP A GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION CRITERIA TO PREPARE STAFF COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC FOR A BOND ELECTION IN 2026.
UH, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SLIDE HERE, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS ON A REGULAR RECURRING BASIS AT THE DIRECTOR LEVEL, UM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LEVEL, UM, AS WELL AS THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM AND INTEGRATE INTEGRATED BOND DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
UM, SINCE MAY OF 2024, WE'VE HAD OVER 40 MEETINGS WITH CITY STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN RELATED TO BOND DEVELOPMENT.
SO REALLY WORKING ON GETTING THOSE SCOPE SCHEDULES AND BUDGETS IN PLACE BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH A BOND ELECTION.
UM, AS PART OF, UM, CONVENING THE DEPARTMENTS, WE'VE WORKED WITH, UM, DEVELOPING GUIDING PRINCIPLES, TECHNICAL CRITERIA, AND SCORING MATRICES.
UM, AND THOSE ARE BASED ON THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN, AS WELL AS THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC PLANNING DOCUMENTS, THINGS LIKE THE, UM, STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN AND, UM, GREEN BUILDING PLANS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
FROM THERE, UM, EACH ASSET OWNER DEPARTMENT DEVELOP THEIR OWN TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND SCORING MATRIX BASED ON DEPARTMENTAL NEEDS AS WELL AS EXPERTISE.
WE'VE THEN USED THE PROJECT CHARTER, UH, PHASE, UM, TO FURTHER DEVELOP AND PRIORITIZE, UM, THOSE PROJECTS.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, WITH AN OVERALL, UM, TECHNICAL SCORING CRITERIA, BUT THEN EACH INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT SCORES PROJECTS THAT THEY BRING FORWARD ON, ON THEIR OWN, AND THEN THEY'RE BROUGHT TO THE GROUP TO, TO EVALUATE AND COORDINATE ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE 2026 BOND ARE ALL TAKEN FROM THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, AT A HIGH LEVEL, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE LIST ON THE LEFT THERE, EQUITY, AFFORDABILITY, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE, PROACTIVE PREVENTION AND CUSTOMER TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS PROGRESS TO DATE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS TO PRESENT GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE HERE, UM, TODAY IS SO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BRADEN AND HIS TEAM CAN TALK ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND HOW WE'RE EVALUATING PROJECTS, UM, AS WELL AS THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND SCORING MATRICES THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
WE OUTLINED THE SCHEDULE HERE THAT SHOW MAJOR, MAJOR MILESTONES, INCLUDING THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE UPDATE TO COUNCIL IN JUNE, 2025.
[00:10:01]
PRESENTATION OF THE RANKED NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN JULY OF 2025.COMMUNITY OUTREACH WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGH THE SUMMER AND INCORPORATION OF THOSE COMMENTS THROUGH THE FALL OF 2025, RETURNING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN EARLY 2026 WITH FINAL STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL IN THE SPRING OF 2026.
UM, SO THAT COUNCIL CAN CALL FOR A BOND ELECTION WITH A PRIORITIZED SET OF PROJECTS IN THE SUMMER OF 2026.
WE'RE CURRENTLY, UM, AS I MENTIONED, UM, DISCUSSING, UM, PROJECTS WITH, WITH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BUT THEN ALSO WITH THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE.
UM, THE SCHEDULE HERE SHOWS FROM MARCH, APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE.
THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE COMING TO PRESENT TO THE BTIF ON THEIR, UM, TECHNICAL TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND SCORING MATRICES, AND THOSE WILL ROLL THROUGH, UM, JUNE OF 2025 AND THE B TIFFS INITIAL REPORT, UM, COMING TO COUNCIL IN JUNE.
AND THEN STAFF WILL BE PRESENTING THE RANK NEEDS ASSESSMENT BASED ON THE TECHNICAL SCORING CRITERIA IN JULY, AND THEN AGAIN, ROLLING INTO THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS THROUGH THE SUMMER WITH A FINAL, UM, YOU KNOW, PROJECT, UH, LIST DEVELOPED IN EARLY 2026.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE GENERAL BOND PREP SIDE.
BEFORE WE START ON THAT, UM, ALBERTA PHILLIPS, I THINK IS IN THE, I DON'T KNOW, OTHER AREA YOU'RE MOVING HER.
ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS? ANNA? ANNA? YEAH.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL START THIS BY CLARIFYING THAT I'M NOT A FINANCIAL EXPERT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT OF NEWS ABOUT THE BOND MARKETS, HOW WERE CHANGES IN THE FINANCIAL MARKETS AND SPECIFICALLY LIKELY CHANGES IN BOND RATES GOING TO IMPACT THIS, IF AT ALL.
YEAH, THE, THE CHANGES IN BOND RATES WILL AFFECT THE, UM, AMOUNT OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DELIVER AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE BOND.
OBVIOUSLY, WHEN THE FINANCING COSTS INCREASE, THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE GO FORWARD WITH WILL DECREASE.
AND THIS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE CREATING THE OVERALL BOND EVALUATION MATRIX.
THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY FAR OUTWEIGH OUR BONDING CAPACITY OR WHAT WE CAN DELIVER IN A SIX YEAR BOND TIMEFRAME.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE COMING FORWARD WITH THE PRIORITIZATION MATRIX SO WE CAN SAY, ALL RIGHT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS HAS A LIST OF ONE THROUGH 10, WHAT THE TOP PROJECTS ARE, AND DEPENDING ON HOW THE OVERALL BOND PIE GETS SLICED IN TERMS OF FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE WILL AFFECT WHICH PROJECTS ARE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND SPECIFICALLY, WHEN DOES THAT BOND RATE GET SET? LIKE I'M PULLING UP YOUR TIMELINE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE HAVE AN ELECTION AND THEN IT GETS APPROVED, LIKE AT WHAT POINT DOES THE CITY CALL UP? I DON'T KNOW, WHOEVER A BANKER IS, GOLDMAN, WHOEVER, AND SAY LIKE, HEY, LIKE, WE GOT THIS APPROVED.
LIKE WHEN DOES THAT RATE GET FIXED AND THAT CONTRACTING GETS SETTLED? YEAH, THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
FOR OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES DIVISION, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, SURE ON THAT, BUT FROM WHAT I KNOW OF IT, THE CITY DOESN'T RELEASE LIKE ALL OF THE BOND MONEY ALL AT ONCE.
BASICALLY IT'S A A ON A YEARLY BASIS, AND THE RATES ARE SET BASED ON WHEN THAT FUNDING GOES FORWARD.
SO IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON WHEN WE HAVE THE NEED FOR THE FUNDING AND WHEN WE GO TO MARKET WITH THOSE BOND FUNDS.
I THINK WE CAN GO TO THE, WHOEVER'S NEXT.
I GUESS ACTUALLY BEFORE, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, I GUESS I'LL JUST, YOU KNOW, ASK IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT NECESSARILY, UM, CLIMATE SPECIFIC, RIGHT? THERE'S ALL KINDS OF NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S LEGITIMATE.
UM, BUT NEVERTHELESS, REALLY ANY PROJECT CAN HAVE A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IMPACT DEPENDING ON CHOICES THAT ARE MADE.
SO IS PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS DOING AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT ON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FOR, FOR ALL OF THE PROJECTS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT MATERIALS ARE BEING USED AND, AND WHATEVER ELSE CAN BE DONE TO MITIGATE MM-HMM
ONE OF THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA IS, UM, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABILITY IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE EVALUATION POINTS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE PROJECTS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE, THE TECHNICAL SCORING, UM, PROCESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE 2026 BOND WILL MEET THE COUNCIL DIRECTIVES RELATED TO SUSTAINABILITY
[00:15:01]
IN THE ENVIRONMENT.UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS ONE OF THE EVALUATION CRITERIA AS WE MOVE FORWARD,
UM, HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING THAT IN TERMS OF, ARE YOU DOING A, YOU KNOW, LIKE A LIFECYCLE GREENHOUSE GAS ANALYSIS FOR EACH PROJECT? AND IF SO, IS THAT BEING DONE IN-HOUSE? DO YOU HAVE A CONSULTANT DOING THAT? MM-HMM
WHAT'S, OR, OR IS THAT STILL TO BE DETERMINED? WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THAT AS WE RANK AND EVALUATE THE PROJECTS AND SCORE THOSE PROJECTS ON THE, THE DIFFERENT, UM, RATING CRITERIA.
LIKE YOU'RE WORKING THROUGH WHO'S GOING TO DO THE WORK OR HOW WE'RE GONNA SCORE IT, WHAT THE CRITERIA ARE SPECIFICALLY GONNA BE, AND, AND DETERMINING HOW THOSE PROJECTS ARE GONNA BE EVALUATED ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY, UH, CRITERIA.
DO Y'ALL HAVE PEOPLE ON STAFF THAT CAN DO THAT KIND OF LIFECYCLE ANALYSIS? WE DO, BUT I MEAN, IN GENERAL, UM, FOR THAT, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO EVALUATE ALL OF THE PROJECTS BASED ON THAT.
SO IT'D BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKELY GO, UM, OUT FOR A CONSULTANT TO, TO HELP US ON THAT EFFORT.
WILL YOU NEED TO DO AN RFP FOR THAT, OR DO YOU HAVE KIND OF A LIST THAT ARE ALREADY KIND OF ON CONTRACT? OR, WE CAN PROBABLY PULL FROM AN EXISTING ROTATION LIST IN ORDER TO GET THOSE FOLKS UNDER CONTRACT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT WORK.
I, IT'S FINE IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT HERE, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT THAT, THAT LIST IS THAT YOU'D BE PULLING FROM, IF YOU CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
SORRY TO STOP YOU THERE, BRENDA.
I'M BRADEN LAHAM JONES, BACK AGAIN.
I'M THE CLIMATE PROGRAM MANAGER FROM THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE HERE AT THE CITY.
UH, AND I'M GONNA PROVIDE SOME SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION TO WHAT WAS JUST PRESENTED FROM, UH, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, A SLIDE Y'ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH.
IT'S PROBABLY THE THIRD OR FOURTH TIME IT'S BEEN UP HERE, BUT, UH, AGAIN, MOST OF THE TIME WE TALK ABOUT THIS, WE TALK ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR BY COUNCIL DIRECTING STAFF TO BRING BACK TWO THINGS, UM, OFTEN TALKING ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.
BUT IN THIS CASE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS FIRST ONE, BROAD PICTURE.
UM, OUR ROLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, REGARDLESS OF, UH, WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, IS BROKEN DOWN INTO THREE MAJOR THINGS.
ONE IS LEADING WHATEVER THE CITY IS ASKING US TO LEAD ON, AND WE ADVISE COUNCIL MANAGEMENT, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, AND WE COORDINATE AND CONVENE, UH, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UH, AND THE COMMUNITY.
HOW THAT APPLIES AND HAS BEEN APPLIED TO THE BOND PROCESS SO FAR IS THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED A LIST OF GEO BOND ELIGIBLE PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT CLIMATE ACTION, UM, THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN AS DIRECTED BY, UH, COUNCIL ACTION FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR.
AND THEN AGAIN, THE EIP 2.0, IF YOU WILL, THE COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.
UH, WE ARE IN AN ADVISORY ROLE HERE AS WELL, UH, PROVIDING, UM, SUPPORT FOR ASSET OWNER DEPARTMENTS, UH, BEING CONSIDERED SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN THE AREAS OF, UH, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE.
WE WERE HELPING THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ACTUALLY OWN ASSETS, SO THINK LAND BUILDINGS, UM, EQUIPMENT, AND ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS THAT COME UP THROUGH THIS PROCESS, SHOULD THEY HAVE THEM, UM, DEVELOPING THE CRITERIA THAT WAS MENTIONED AND DISCUSSED BY CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, AND PROVIDING ADVICE ON, UM, BEST PRACTICES WITH BUILDING PLANNING, UH, AND, AND THROUGH THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA THAT WAS ALREADY DISCUSSED, WE'RE ALSO COORDINATING AND CONVENING.
UM, WE'RE VERY INVOLVED IN THE CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL, UH, BOND DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP, THAT GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE THAT WAS MENTIONED PRIOR, UH, AND HAVE CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE THROUGHOUT.
ITS, UM, THROUGHOUT ITS TIME FOR THE PURPOSES OF, UH, CLARITY AND TRANSPARENCY.
OUR DEFINITIONS AND PRACTICE FOR THE BOND AND ITS PROPOSALS ARE SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE FOCUSED.
SO SUSTAINABILITY BEING THE ACTIONS THAT AVOID, REDUCE OR CAPTURE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND RESILIENCE ARE THOSE ACTIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO PREPARE FOR WITHSTAND AND RECOVER FROM SHOCKS AND STRESSORS RELATED TO A CHANGING CLIMATE.
THIS IS THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE'VE BEEN EMPLOYING AT THE CITY ON ALL SORTS OF ISSUES.
UH, BUT THE BOND IS NO EXCEPTION.
SO, AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TWO MAJOR FOCUSES FOR OUR WORK, UH, AS AN OFFICE, WE FOCUS ON BOTH MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION, RIGHT? SO REDUCING GREENHOUSE GASES AND ADAPTING TO A CHANGING CLIMATE.
SO ON THE MITIGATION SIDE, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, THAT'S ONE SECTION OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, AS WELL AS NATURAL SYSTEMS
[00:20:01]
IN THE BOND PROCESS.THAT'S HOW WE WORK WITH WATERSHED FOR NATURAL SYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS.
WE WORK WITH, UH, BUILDING SERVICES AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT OWN FACILITIES.
IN THE ADAPTATION SIDE, WE'RE DOING SOME RESILIENCE AND ECONOMIC, UH, RECOVERY AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FLOOD MITIGATION AND OTHER ASPECTS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CITY FOR CONSIDERATION IN THIS UPCOMING BOND.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE BROKEN DOWN MORE.
UM, THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT A BOND WILL LOOK LIKE IN 2026 AS IT RELATES TO SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE.
TWO STRATEGIES COME FOR COME FORWARD FROM OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER CITIES WHO HAVE PURSUED BONDS WITH A CLIMATE FOCUS.
UH, ONE IS PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED BY A BOND THAT MEET ALL CRITERIA FOR VOTER APPROVED BONDS, WHICH DIRECTLY ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE.
AN EXAMPLE HERE, LAND PURCHASE TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION, AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION BEING A BRIBERY FOCUS.
THE SECOND STRATEGY WE'RE CONSIDERING AND EXPLORING, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS IS THE INTEGRATION OF ALL PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES AND APPROACHES TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND INCREASE RESILIENCE.
SO CONSIDER THIS AS IF ONE PROPOSITION IS A NEW LIBRARY, IT IS BUILT, UH, LEAD PLATINUM, UH, AND HAS SOLAR AND ONSITE BATTERY STORAGE SO THAT IT CAN BE MORE RESILIENT, UH, IN TIMES OF CRISIS.
THIS IS JUST A INTRODUCTORY SLIDE.
THE WEBSITE THAT YOU HAVE GONE TO FOR THE DASHBOARD FOR THAT CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN NOW ALSO HAS A NEW TAB, UH, FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
UH, IT CAN BE VIEWED THERE, THERE WILL BE SOME EDITS AND A FOLLOWING MEMO ONCE THOSE EDITS ARE COMPLETE.
SO WE HAVEN'T PUBLISHED IT IN PART BECAUSE IT IS STILL IN PROGRESS, UH, BUT IT IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE IN THE FUNDING STATUS, WHICH IS THAT FINAL COLUMN ON THE FAR RIGHT, YOU WILL SEE SPECIFIC DETAILS RELATED TO THE FUNDING AND FINANCING OF EACH ACTION, UH, INCLUDING, WHICH HAVE BEEN DE DESIGNATED AS GEO BOND ELIGIBLE.
UH, THOSE ARE BEING CONSIDERED IN THIS CONVERSATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THAT'S ALL I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO PLAY ALONG HERE.
SO I JUST WENT BACK TO THE DASHBOARD.
CAN YOU JUST WALK, WALK THROUGH AGAIN? SO I SEE THERE'S AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, YES.
TAB CLICK THERE, AND THEN THE LIST OF ACTIONS THAT YOU MENTIONED? YES.
SO ACTIONS BY SECTION OR ACTION? YEAH, IT WOULD BE ACTION BY SECTION.
THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT THAT ARE GEO BOND ELIGIBLE, WHERE YOU'LL FIND THAT INFORMATION IS IN THE FUNDING STATUS COLUMN, WHICH IS ON THE FAR RIGHT, UH, IN EACH SECTION.
AND THANK Y'ALL FOR ALL THE HELP TO GET US THERE.
QUESTIONS FOR BRADEN, CHARLOTTE? UH, THANK YOU.
UM, BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
ACTUALLY, MY QUESTION IS PROBABLY FOR MR. BAILEY, IT IS HOW, WHAT IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH IT'S DETERMINED, UH, HOW LARGE OF A BOND PACKAGE IS PUT FORTH, HOW, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? HOW DO WE DECIDE IT? MM-HMM
UM, AND IT'S A COMBINATION OF, OF MULTIPLE FACTORS.
UM, THERE'S THE FINANCIAL IMPACT TO THE CITY IN TERMS OF BOND RATING AND, AND, UH, AVAILABLE BOND FUNDING.
THERE'S ALSO, UM, A CONSIDERATION OF HOW MUCH WE CAN ACTUALLY DELIVER WITHIN A SIX YEAR TIMEFRAME.
WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING BACK ON A REGULAR SIX YEAR CADENCE FOR OUR BOND PROGRAMS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF TO BE DETERMINED ON, ON THE, UM, THE TOTAL VALUATION OF THE BOND PROGRAM AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THE PUBLIC OUTREACH PROCESS, PART OF INTERACTION WITH THE BTIF, AS WELL AS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, IS GOING TO BE MOVING FORWARD.
AND IN TERMS OF YOUR TIMELINE, UM, AT WHAT POINT ALONG THOSE, THAT TIMELINE, WOULD THAT BE DETERMINED? BECAUSE I, I IMAGINE THAT THAT AFFECTS WHICH PROJECTS GO IN AND WHICH DON'T MAKE THE CUT.
CERTAINLY I CAN UNDERSTAND THINGS THAT HAVE A LONGER THAN SIX YEAR DELIVERY TIMEFRAME WOULD, WOULD NOT MAKE THE CUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, ASSUMING YOU'VE GOT LOTS OF PROJECTS, UM, THAT COULD BE DONE, BUT YOU DON'T WANNA PUT A $10 BILLION BOND OUT THERE.
HOW DO, HOW DO YOU YEAH, SO IN, IN AUGUST OF 2026, THE COUNCIL IS GONNA HAVE TO CALL FOR A BOND ELECTION, AT WHICH TIME THE BOND PROPOSITION LANGUAGE WILL BE FINALIZED, AS WELL AS THE DOLLAR VALUE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH.
UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S GONNA GO INTO
[00:25:01]
IT BEFORE THAT, A LOT OF, UM, OUTREACH BOTH TO THE PUBLIC AND TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT, UM, FOLKS CAN SUPPORT, UM, AND WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.BRADEN, I SEE THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO FILTER BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS, CORRECT? HERE, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ONE OF THEM IS LIKE BY THE FUNDING MECHANISM.
IS THAT ACCURATE? OR, AND IF SO, IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD THAT THAT'S GOOD FEEDBACK.
UM, I'LL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A DEDICATED COMMS TEAM WHO'S BEEN WORKING TO GET THIS DONE.
I'LL CHECK IN WITH THEM IF IT'S POSSIBLE.
I IMAGINE THAT CAN BE, UM, BUT I'LL CHECK IN JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S GOOD FEEDBACK.
UM, SINCE I'M NOT GONNA, WHATEVER, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL LOOK THROUGH THIS IN DETAIL, UH, ANOTHER, ANOTHER TIME.
BUT MAYBE YOU COULD HIGHLIGHT FOR US SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE, THAT WOULD BE BOND ELIGIBLE.
OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON ALL 46.
IT'LL BE A LITTLE, I, I DON'T WANT TO MISQUOTE MY OWN WORK.
UM, I'M GOING TO THINK SOLAR ON CITY FACILITIES WAS IDENTIFIED AS GEO BOND ELIGIBLE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, I BELIEVE RELATED TO CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT I'M THE MOST CONFIDENT ABOUT.
AND I'LL LEAVE THE REST FOR, UH, I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL AS WELL, JUST TO ALL OF JJSU, SO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN HAND.
THAT COULD BE DONE IN BETWEEN WHEN THAT EDIT GETS MADE TO THE WEBSITE AS WELL FOR ITS FUNCTIONALITY.
OTHER QUESTIONS? CHRIS? THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO THE, UM, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT DOESN'T CREATE ITS OWN CRITERIA.
IT IS EACH INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT THAT CREATES THAT.
I JUST WANT TO BE YEP, THAT, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND EACH INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT CREATES THAT CRITERIA BASED ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS WOULD CREATE THEIRS BASED ON THE STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, AND THEN BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THINGS IN THERE.
THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE THING I THINK THE DE DEPARTMENTS DON'T GET A LOT OF CREDIT FOR IS HAVING THESE STRATEGIC PLANS ALREADY IN PLACE AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE A GOOD FRAMEWORK IN PLACE TO EVALUATE PROJECTS AGAINST THE STRATEGIC, UM, YOU KNOW, DELIVERY, UM, PRIORITIES THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE DEVELOPED.
SO THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY GOOD PIECES WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO DELIVER AND PUT, SORT OF CONNECT THE DOTS ON THAT TO SAY, HEY, HERE'S THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, HERE'S THE BOND FUNDING, THE BOND POTENTIAL BOND FUNDED PROJECTS, AND HERE'S HOW THEY TIE TOGETHER, WHICH IS REALLY THE PURPOSE OF CREATING THE WHOLE, UM, EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SCORING MATRIX IS TO TIE THE STRATEGY TO THE ACTUAL PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING OUT.
JUST, I REALIZE THAT THE NUMBER IS NOT YET KNOWN, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU CAN, UM, SPEAK TO THE, THE MAGNITUDE, THE GENERAL RANGE OF KINDA WHAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE IN TERMS OF BONDING CAPACITY.
AND SINCE THERE'S ALSO, IT SOUNDS LIKE POTENTIAL FOR A BUNCH OF NOT VOTER APPROVED BONDS, AM I RIGHT IN UNDERSTANDING THAT THOSE WOULD STILL AFFECT THE AMOUNT OF VOTER APPROVED BONDS? YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, WHICH IS ANOTHER METHODOLOGY THE CITY HAS TO FUND PROJECTS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, UM, AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
SO, UM, I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO THAT.
BUT YES, IT DOES AFFECT THE OVERALL BONDING CAPACITY OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
THE RATING AGENCIES TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE ENTIRE PICTURE OF ALL THE CITY'S DEBTS THAT IT HAS.
SO, UM, IN TERMS OF A, A TOTAL NUMBER, LIKE I SAID, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THAT YET.
I CAN TELL YOU WHEN WE FIRST COMPLETED THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UM, IT WAS ON THE ORDER OF 600 PROJECTS AND ABOUT $10 BILLION, WHICH IS A LOT.
UM, BUT PART OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS IS GOING THROUGH AND, UM, EVALUATING THOSE PROJECTS AGAINST BOND ELIGIBILITY AND A BUNCH OF OTHER CRITERIA.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THAT LIST TO ABOUT 200 PROJECTS AND ABOUT $4 BILLION IN TERMS OF WHAT'S GONNA BE KIND OF MOVING FORWARD IN TERMS OF BOND ELIGIBILITY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE RANKING AND SCORING AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, I FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT IN SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO A $4 BILLION BOND PROGRAM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT NUMBER IS GONNA BE.
AND LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND THE SPRING OF 2026 TO COME TO A CONSENSUS ON WHAT, UM, WE'RE
[00:30:01]
COMFORTABLE WITH FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, AS WELL AS FROM THE COMMUNITY STANDPOINT AND WHAT WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN DELIVER IN THAT SIX YEAR TIMEFRAME.NARROWED IT DOWN TO 400 BILLION, NO, NO, NO, FOUR, 4,000,000,200 PROJECTS.
BILLION, 400 BILLION WOULD BE, SORRY, FOUR.
AM I RIGHT TO ASSUME THAT LIKE, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT LESS THAN A BILLION FOR 2026 ALL TOLD, OR? I WOULD SAY THAT'S A PRETTY SAFE ASSUMPTION, BUT I, AGAIN, I, THAT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE WE CAN COME FORWARD WITH WHAT THAT NUMBER'S GOING TO BE.
OTHER, UH, ALBERTA, SORRY, I HAD TO LOOK AT THESE BUTTONS TO SEE WHICH ONE WAS THE UNMUTE BUTTON.
UH, I, I HAD A, A QUESTION BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED COS AS PART OF THE OVERALL, UH, PORTFOLIO OF BONDS, HOW MUCH DID THE CEOS OR THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT VOTER APPROVED BONDS, THOSE ARE NON-VOTER APPROVED DEBT THAT THE CITY, UH, ENGAGES IN.
SO, SO WHAT DOES THAT PORTFOLIO LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW AND WHAT'S YOUR EXPECTATION? WHAT, WHAT KINDS OF THINGS DO WE FUND WITH CEOS THAT WE DON'T GO OUT AND ASK VOTERS FOR APPROVAL? I, I WOULD REALLY HAVE TO DEFER TO OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES, UH, DEPARTMENT ON THAT IN TERMS OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF CEOS THAT WE HAVE, AS WELL AS THE DISCUSSION AROUND THE PROJECTS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY FUNDED BY CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
BUT THOSE ARE NON-VOTER APPROVED BONDS.
THOSE ARE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
AND THE, THEY, THE, YOU DON'T, DO YOU HAVE, UH, YOU, UM, EVA TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET AN IDEA OF THAT.
IS THAT GONNA BE PART OF THE OVERALL, UH, BONDING PLAN FOR 2026 TO HAVE COS IN THE MIX? N NO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR 2026, SO THERE WON'T BE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION THAT'LL BE IN INCLUDED IN THAT.
SO THE 4 BILLION THAT YOU MENTIONED AS THE TOP FIGURE OVER SIX YEAR PERIOD MM-HMM
UH, SORRY, SORRY, JUST, JUST TO CORRECT THAT THE, THE FOUR, THE 4 BILLION IS, IS THE NEEDS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
THAT'S NOT THE TOP NUMBER BY ANY MEANS.
I, THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE THE, THE NUMBER.
SO DON'T START ANY RUMORS, RIGHT,
I REGRET SAYING THAT ALL TOGETHER NOW.
UM, BUT UH, AND I HEAR YOU ON THAT, UH, THAT'S A BIG NUMBER, BUT, SO, SO NO ANTICIPATED, UH, COS FOR 2026, IS THERE ANY ANTICIPATED CO FUNDING IN, IN, IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR AFTER THAT 2027? HAVE YOU GOTTEN THAT FAR? YEAH.
THE, THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION FUNDING, AGAIN, THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT REALLY NEEDS TO, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, THEY'RE REALLY THE ONES THAT, UM, RUN THAT PROGRAM.
AND SO IT'S NOT THE SAME AS A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND.
THEY HAVE TO GO TO A BOND ELECTION IN ORDER TO BE APPROVED.
THE CERTIFICATE OF OBLI CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, AS WE MENTIONED, ARE NON VOTER APPROVED.
AND SO WE DON'T NEED A, AN ELECTION TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
NOW, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY RIGHT NOW AROUND CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE BEING IN SESSION.
SO THERE COULD BE A LOT THAT CHANGES ON THAT FRONT.
UM, AND SO, LIKE I SAID, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, FINANCIAL SERVICES REALLY WOULD NEED TO COME AND, AND SPEAK TO THEM MUCH BETTER THAN I CAN.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I THINK, UM, ALBERTA WAS PROBABLY ASKING THAT 'CAUSE SHE AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE CAP AND STITCH AND IS THAT AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE CEOS WOULD BE USED OR IS THE INTENTION FOR THAT TO GO TO VOTERS? AGAIN, THAT'S A QUESTION FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH.
[3. I-35 Cap and Stitch Updates – Michelle Marx, Transportation and Public Works Department ]
I THINK WE HAVE MICHELLE MARKS WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS AND I THINK JUST TO TAKE QUESTIONS ON CAP AND STITCH, BUT WE WOULD CERTAINLY WELCOME ANY, UM,[00:35:01]
COMMENTS.SORRY, DO I HAVE WHO? WHOEVER IT IS.
I'M SORRY IF I MAYOR RECENTLY ONE HAS THE PRESENTATIONS AND THEN THE SPEAKERS, SO THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T HOP UP HERE.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS THINK MAYBE THAT'S FINE.
WE CAN TAKE, WE CAN TAKE YOU FIRST.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA SAY.
SO
SO, YEAH, WHY DON'T WAIT, WHY DON'T, YOU CAN WAIT.
GOOD AFTERNOON COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, I'M RICHARD MENDOZA, DIRECTOR FOR TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND, UH, ALSO JOINED BY THE MICHELLE MARKS THAT'S ON THE AGENDA.
TRANSPORTATION OFFICER, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAG TEAM ON THIS AND IF MY VOICE GIVES OUT BEFORE THE END OF MY PORTION, MICHELLE IS READY TO JUMP RIGHT IN.
UH, SO AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME ADDRESS, UH, THE COMMITTEE AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR FUTURE 35 CAPTAIN STITCH, UH, PROGRAM.
I DO NOT HAVE A POWERPOINT PREPARED.
UM, I RECEIVED THAT REQUEST A LITTLE, A LITTLE LATE, UH, IN ORDER TO GET IT THROUGH THE VETTING PROCESS.
HOWEVER, I DID, UH, DISTRIBUTE A ONE PAGE FRONT AND BACK AND, UH, I'LL GO THROUGH THAT, UH, STARTING ON THE FRONT PAGE THAT HAS A MAP.
AND SO JUST TO REVIEW QUICKLY, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SORRY, BUT CAN I JUST PAUSE YOU? IS IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S ONLINE SO THAT WE CAN MAYBE PUT IT ON THE SCREEN FOR I BELIEVE SO.
JUST SINCE WE HAVE SO MANY OF OUR MEMBERS, OF COURSE, ONLINE AND THEY DON'T HAVE THIS LOVELY HANDOUT.
I SEE THAT ROHAN EMAILED IT OUT AS WELL.
IF, IF WE ALL NEED TO ACCESS IT INDIVIDUALLY, DOES EVERYBODY HAVE THAT OR MAYBE I'LL ASK DIFFERENTLY.
DOES ANYBODY NOT HAVE IT? OKAY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE SILENCE AS EVERYBODY HAS IT AND YOU CAN PROCEED.
OH, AND HERE IT IS ON THE SCREEN TOO.
LET'S ZOOM IN ON THE, THE MAP PART.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT A POTENTIAL CAPTAIN STITCH PROGRAM, UM, TO WORK WITH THEIR CAPEX 35 PROJECT, UH, THROUGH, UH, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, EXTENDING FROM BEN WHITE ON THE SOUTH, ALL THE WAY UP TO 180 3 ON THE NORTH.
THEY'VE SPLIT THAT PROJECT INTO THREE DISTINCT, UH, SECTIONS.
AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS THE CENTRAL SECTION.
AND THAT CENTRAL SECTION ACTUALLY CONSISTS OF THREE DIFFERENT PHASES.
AND SO THEIR DESIGNS ARE TO DEMOLISH THE CURRENT OVERHEAD I 35, UH, PORTIONS, AND THEN TAKE ALL THE CURRENT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY BELOW GRADE.
THEY, AS PART OF THEIR BASELINE DESIGN, ALSO AS PART OF THEIR BASELINE BASELINE DESIGN, THEY'RE GOING TO IMPROVE CROSSINGS, BOTH VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN WITH ENHANCED CROSSINGS.
BASICALLY 30 FEET BEHIND CURB ACROSS EVERY, UH, STREET CROSSING FOR THE CITY WITH ENHANCED BIKE AND PED FACILITIES.
AND THIS PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO EVEN GO ONE BETTER, UH, IN TERMS OF THOSE ENHANCED CROSSINGS AND INCORPORATE, UH, THE POTENTIAL FOR WHAT ARE COMMONLY CALLED HIGHWAY CAPS AND STITCHES.
EXAMPLES OF THESE PROJECTS CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY CURRENTLY AND CITIES SUCH AS DALLAS, PHOENIX, DENVER, AND BOSTON.
AND WHAT THIS ESSENTIALLY DOES IS RECONNECT COMMUNITIES AND CREATES A MORE VALUABLE LAND PUBLIC SPACE FOR THOSE
[00:40:01]
COMMUNITIES.AND SO WORKING WITH TEXDOT AND OUR ENGINEERS, WE'VE IDENTIFIED NINE POTENTIAL LOCATIONS WHERE THEIR I 35 CAPEX CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WOULD MAKE POSSIBLE A COVERING LAND BRIDGE OR CAP OVER THAT.
OF COURSE, TXDOT VIEWS THIS AS A BETTERMENT ABOVE AND BEYOND THEIR BASELINE DESIGN.
AND THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR THOSE BETTERMENTS WOULD FALL ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO IN THIS MAP, THIS IS A OVERVIEW OF THOSE SPECIFIC NINE, I MEAN EIGHT LOCATIONS STARTING, UM, ON THE, LET'S SEE, ON THE SOUTH, WHICH IS TO THE RIGHT AT THE HOLLY STITCH, THAT'S NUMBER ONE, PROGRESSING, UH, NORTHERN TO CAESAR CHAVEZ TO FOURTH STREET.
UH, THAT'S NUMBER TWO AND THREE.
AND THEN WE HAVE SEVENTH TO EIGHTH AND FOURTH TO, UH, WAIT A MINUTE, FOURTH THROUGH SEVENTH, AND THEN 11TH TO 12TH, THAT'S NUMBER FIVE.
UH, MOVING FURTHER NORTH, THOSE ARE, UH, NORTHERN CAPS.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED POTENTIAL LOCATIONS AT 38TH AND A HALF TO 41ST, AND THEN FINALLY 40, 41ST TO THE RED LINE, UH, CAP.
UH, SO THESE ARE THE, UH, LOCATIONS THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE IF THE CITY SO DESIRES TO FUND AND MOVE FORWARD WITH CONSTRUCTING, UH, THESE CAPS LOCATIONS.
ALSO DEPICTED HERE IN ORANGE IS UT HAS BEEN HAVING DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TDOT, UH, FOR CAPPING OVER THOSE SECTIONS OF I 35 DIRECTLY ADJACENT THEIR CAMPUS.
AND I BELIEVE THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH EITHER BOTH OR ONE OF THOSE LOCATIONS, UH, AS WE SPEAK.
IF YOU SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS FIRST PAGE, YOU'LL SEE THE CURRENT COST ESTIMATES BY EACH CAP LOCATION, WHICH IS LISTED DOWN, UH, THE LEFT.
AND FOR EACH ONE OF THESE, YOU'LL HAVE THE SPACE THAT WOULD BE CREATED BY THAT CAP.
AND, UH, IN TOTAL FOR ALL EIGHT LOCATIONS, THAT'S UPWARDS OF 26 ACRES.
THEN YOU'LL SEE COST ESTIMATES FOR WHAT WE CALL PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO, AND THROUGH PHASE FIVE.
SO PHASE ONE BASICALLY IS THE, UH, ELEMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO SUPPORT THE OVERHEAD DECKS, LIFE SAFETY, VENTILATION, AND ANYTHING WE BUILD ON TOP, WE REFER TO THE THOSE AS THE ROADWAY ELEMENTS.
PHASE TWO WOULD BE THE ACTUAL PLACEMENT OF THE LIDS, IF YOU WILL, OR DECKS OVER THOSE STRUCTURAL ROADWAY ELEMENTS.
AND THERE'S THE CORRESPONDING, UH, CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR EACH OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
AND THEN WE ROLL THAT INTO A TOTAL, UH, FOR STRUCTURES IN THAT DARK BLUE COLUMN.
THE AMENITIES WE'VE BROKEN OUT INTO THREE DIFFERENT PHASES FOR VARIOUS DEGREES OF AMENITIES, STARTING WITH THE MOST BASIC PHASE THREE, WHICH BASICALLY IS GRASS, TRAILS, AND MAYBE SOME SHADE STRUCTURES OR TREES.
MOVING TO THE RIGHT, YOU GET A LITTLE MORE, UH, INTENSE AMENITY DESIGN, PLAY SCAPES, UH, ADDITIONAL WATER FEATURES, UM, LIGHTING.
AND THEN A FULL BUILD OUT FOR PHASE FIVE WOULD INCORPORATE BUILDINGS FOR PROGRAMMING.
THIS COULD BE VENDORS, PUBLIC RESTROOMS, UM, ART VENUES, MUSIC VENUES, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN NOT TO BE IGNORED ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT IN THE GREEN ARE, WE WILL BE EXPECTED IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE CAP STAGE LOCATIONS TO ASSUME THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS, EITHER THE CITY OR THROUGH PARTNERS.
AND THOSE ARE THE COST ESTIMATES, BOTH FOR THE UNDERLYING STRUCTURES AS WELL AS FOR THE AMENITIES.
SO AT THIS MOMENT, THESE COST ESTIMATES ARE DEVELOPED FROM 30% DESIGN.
IN DECEMBER OF 2023, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED $15 MILLION PAYMENT TO, UH, TDOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH 30% DESIGN OF THESE POTENTIAL, UH, CAP AND STITCH, UH, LOCATIONS IN TXDOT FEELS THAT THEY'RE, UM, CONFIDENT COST ESTIMATES THROUGH, UH, THE SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR IN 26 WHEN THEY PLAN TO GO TO
[00:45:01]
CONSTRUCTION LETTING.SO AT THIS MOMENT, THE, UH, DECISION FOR OUR CITY, AND THAT IS DUE TO TECH STOP BY THE END OF MAY, IT'S WHICH OF THESE LOCATIONS DO WE WANT A FUTURE PROOF FOR, UH, FOR CAPS AND STITCHES BY WAY OF COMMITTING TO THE FUNDING FOR THOSE STRUCTURAL ROADWAY ELEMENTS.
WE COULD ALSO ELECT TO COMMIT AND IDENTIFY FUNDING FOR DEX IF WE SO CHOOSE.
BUT THAT OPTION WILL BE AVAILABLE, UH, TO US THROUGH THE TX CONTRACT, UH, THROUGH NEXT SUMMER WITH THESE COST ESTIMATES.
AND WE BEYOND IF WE ELECT TO GO A CHANGE ORDER.
UM, HOWEVER, IF WE MOVE THE DECISION AND COMMITMENT FOR DEX OR AMENITIES PAST, UM, NEXT SUMMER, LETTING WE ANTICIPATE THAT CHANGE ORDER CHANGE ORDERS WOULD ESCALATE THESE COSTS, UH, AN ADDITIONAL 35 TO 45%.
BUT WHAT THAT TIME GAINS THE CITY OF COURSE IS MOVES US PAST A POTENTIAL 2026, UH, BOND REV REFER BOND REFERENDUM.
SO OF THESE, UH, YOU MAY HAVE, UH, I ALSO WANNA COVER SOME OF THE FUNDING THAT WE FEEL WE'VE GOT SECURED AND HALF SECURED.
SO THUS FAR, I SPOKE ABOUT THE PRIOR COMMITMENT AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE 30% DESIGN THAT WAS $15 MILLION.
UH, WE'VE ALSO BEEN APPROVED TO GO FORWARD TO THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK FOR A LOW INTEREST LOAN.
AND THE AMOUNT OF 41 MILLION WE'VE BEEN APPROVED FOR THAT AMOUNT BY TDO.
AND THEN MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, LAST, UH, YEAR OR THE END OF THE YEAR PRIOR, THE CITY WAS AWARDED AN, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS AND EQUITY GRANT FOR THE CAP AND STATE PROJECT BETWEEN CAA CHAVEZ AND FOURTH AVENUE IN THE AMOUNT OF 105 MILLION REQUIRING I THINK, UH, 45 MILLION CITY MATCH.
WE WERE IN THE PROGRESS OF EXECUTING THE ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE US UH, HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT, UH, LATE LAST YEAR AND BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR WHEN THE NEW ADMINISTRATION ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO PAUSE, UH, ALL DISBURSEMENTS OF PRIOR, UM, UH, IIJA PROGRAM FUNDING PENDING A 90 DAY REVIEW.
AND SO WE WE'RE STILL AWAITING NEWS OF THE OUTCOME OF THAT REVIEW GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT'S THE HALF SECURED PART OF THE FUNDING EQUATION.
SO THESE DECISIONS, UM, ON WHAT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FUTURE PROOFING BY MEANS OF COMMITTING TO THE ROADWAY ELEMENTS OR STRUCTURAL, UH, LOCATIONS, UM, IS, IS YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH EIGHT DIFFERENT SECTIONS, UH, CAN BE QUITE COMPLEX.
HOWEVER, UH, OUR CITY DECIDES BEST TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO WE WERE ASKED TO PREPARE TO AID IN THIS, UM, DELIBERATION FOR OUR COUNCIL AND MAYOR, VARIOUS SCENARIOS.
AND UH, ACROSS THE TOP YOU'LL SEE SCENARIOS ONE, TWO A, TWO B AND TWO, UH, INCLUDE MIX AND MATCHES OF ONLY THOSE DOWNTOWN SECTIONS BETWEEN CAA CHAVEZ AND FOURTH, FOURTH THROUGH SEVENTH AND 11TH THROUGH 12TH.
UM, WE CHOSE THESE SECTIONS PRIMARILY OF ON ONE, THE STRENGTH OF THE GRANT APPLICATION FOR CAESAR CHAVEZ TO FOURTH, AND THEN TWO, THE STRENGTH OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND DESIRE FOR THE 11TH TO 12TH.
UH, THE DOWNTOWN C THE CHAVE FOURTH, RECONNECTING THE PRIMARILY, UH, HISTORIC, UH, HISPANIC COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THE 11TH THROUGH THE 12TH, RECONNECTING THE HISTORIC AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, COMMUNITY IN PARENTHESES ON SOME OF THESE SCENARIOS, TWO A AND TWO B, YOU'LL SEE 800 FEET.
SO, AND A LESSER AMOUNT OF FUNDING NEEDED.
WHAT THAT IS, IS AN OPTION FOR US TO SHORTEN THE LENGTH OF THE CAP TO 800 FEET.
THAT'S THE THRESHOLD THAT TRIGGERS ADDITIONAL JET FAN VENTILATION, LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND MECHANICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE SURFACE, WHICH DRIVES UP THE COST SUBSTANTIALLY.
UH, FOR CAESAR CHAVEZ AND FORTH.
WE DID, UH, FIRM WITH THE U-S-D-O-T THAT A LEAN VERSION OF THE, THAT CAP LOCATION
[00:50:01]
WOULD MEET THE REQUIREMENTS AND SPIRIT OF THE GRANT, UM, APPLICATION AND NOT RISK ANY OF THE FUNDS.UH, MOVING TO THE RIGHT, UH, SCENARIOS FOUR THROUGH SIX INCLUDE DOWNTOWN LOCATIONS IN ADDITION TO A MIX OR MATCH OF A NORTHERN CAP, UH, LOCATION.
UM, AND THE CORRESPONDING FUNDING NEEDED, ASSUMING THAT WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN RETAINING THE NAE GRANT FOR EACH OF THOSE SCENARIOS IS THAT FIRST LINE IN RED FOR THE ROADWAY ELEMENTS.
SO YOU MAY NOTICE ALSO ON THESE SCENARIOS THAT SECTIONS ONE AND EIGHT HAVE DROPPED OFF OUR LIST FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND THIS IS PRIMARILY PER A PRIOR COUNCIL WORK SESSION IN NOVEMBER OF 24, WHERE WE DIDN'T, UH, THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR DID NOT SEE THE BENEFIT FOR THE COSTS FOR THOSE, UH, SMALLER, UH, LOCATIONS AS WELL AS SUBSEQUENT ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSIONS WITH EACH COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO IN ESSENCE, WITH THESE SCENARIOS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE SECTIONS TWO, UH, THROUGH SEVEN.
SO THAT'S AN OVERVIEW, UH, WHERE WE ARE, UH, WE ARE ON SCHEDULE FOR A MAY 6TH WORK SESSION WITH MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO PICK UP THE CONVERSATION ON, UH, WHICH OF THESE CAPTAIN STITCH LOCATIONS THE CITY WILL DESIRE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
UM, GONNA ASK OTHERS FOR QUESTIONS, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY, IN THAT LAST POINT, YOU'RE SAYING THAT ON THIS SHEET, NUMBERS ONE AND EIGHT, THEY ARE NOT REPRESENTED IN SCENARIOS ONE THROUGH SIX AT ALL, IS THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS UNDERSTANDING WHO, WHO HAS QUESTIONS.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. MENDOZA.
THAT WAS A REALLY NICE PRESENTATION AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, COULD YOU JUST, I'M, I'M TRYING TO TAKE NOTES.
WOULD YOU JUST BRIEFLY GO OVER WHAT THE, UH, APPROVED FUNDING SOURCES ARE AND, AND HOW MUCH THEY ARE FOR, FOR WHAT AGAIN, PLEASE.
AND, AND THEN, UM, ALSO WHAT IS BEING THE AMOUNT THAT'S BEING HELD UP BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? WELL, CERTAINLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
SO TO RECAP, WE'VE ALREADY EXPENDED $15 MILLION AND THAT WAS PAID TO TEXDOT, UM, IN I BELIEVE JANUARY OF 2024 TO ADVANCE THE 30% DESIGN.
THAT WORK WAS NEEDED TO STAY AND KEEP THESE CAP STITCHES VIABLE WITH THEIR, UH, SCHEDULE FOR DESIGN AND THEIR, UM, PLAN TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION ON THESE LOCATIONS THIS AND NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT'S BEEN EXPENDED, UH, $41 MILLION IS A SECURED FUNDING IN THE FORM OF AN APPROVED STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK LOAN FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION THAT WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, I BELIEVE EARLIER, UH, THIS YEAR.
AND, UM, WE'VE NOT TAKEN THAT LOAN OUT 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANNA START PAYING INTEREST ON IT UNTIL WE ACTUALLY, UH, START NEEDING IT FOR, UH, UM, FOR, FOR THE PROJECT.
AND THEN WE HAVE AN AWARD FROM THE U-S-D-O-T IN THE AMOUNT OF $105 MILLION FOR THE CAESAR CHAVEZ TO FOURTH STREET CAP.
AND IT CAN ONLY BE APPLIED TO THAT CAP LOCATION.
IT IS TO BE, AND IT WILL REQUIRE A $45 MILLION CITY MATCH OF WHICH WE COULD ELECT TO USE PROCEEDS FROM THE SIB LOAN TOWARDS, OR WE COULD WORK WITH FINANCE AND IDENTIFY, UH, YET TO BE IDENTIFIED, UH, OTHER, UH, FUNDING.
SO THAT'S A, UH, A RECAP OF WHERE WE ARE ON THE FINANCES.
AND, AND YOU SAID THE, UM, THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WAS 105 MILLION THAT'S, UH, NEEDS REQUIRED TO BE USED ON THE CESAR CHAVEZ, UH, CAP AND DIGES? AM I, DID I HEAR THAT CORRECTLY? YES, MA'AM.
AND THAT FUNDING IS ON PAUSE FROM U-S-D-O-T PER EXECUTIVE ORDER WHILE THEY CONDUCT A, UH, REVIEW OF ALL I, UM, IIJA PRIOR ADMINISTRATION GRANT FUNDS, UM, AND CRITERIA I EXPECT
[00:55:01]
WE, WE MAY HEAR SOMETHING BACK SOON, UH, AND WE MAY HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR APPLICATION, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW.I I PREFER TO LOOK AT IT AS, UH, NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS AT THIS POINT.
UM, THE, UH, THE, YOU SAID, SO THE, UM, BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT $45 MILLION CITY MATCH 45? YES.
AND THAT WOULD COME FROM THE LOAN FROM THAT THE CITY HAS APPROVED FOR TDOT, I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW THIS.
YEAH, WE COULD USE THE LOAN PROCEEDS TOWARDS THAT MATCH.
WE'D STILL BE, UH, SLIGHTLY SHORT, ABOUT $4 MILLION SHORT, BUT IF WE ELECT TO DO SO, WE, WE COULD USE THAT.
AND WHAT WAS THE TOTAL OF THE LOAN THAT THE CITY IS GETTING? THAT TOTAL IS $41 MILLION.
SO IT WOULD REQUIRE ALL OF THAT PLUS SOMETHING THEN TO USE ON CESA CHAVEZ, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.
AND THEN THE, THE OTHER THING THAT I, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT IT.
SO IN TERMS, WHAT WOULD BE THE, I KNOW THAT THESE SCENARIOS HAVE DIFFERENT BOTTOM LINES, BUT THE, SAY, LET'S JUST PICK ONE SCENARIO, MAYBE SCENARIO TWO, UM, OR ONE THAT I, I'M AS, AS YOU, AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, I I I, I SERVED ON AN ADVISORY, AN EARLY ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT LOOKED AT THESE CAP AND STITCHES AND WORK WITH COMMUNITIES TO COME UP WITH SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THE, THE, UH, I WILL SAY THE COMMITMENT TO FUNDING THE 11TH AND 12TH STREET, UM, CAP AND LOOKING AT ONE OF THE SCENARIOS THAT INCLUDES THAT AND PICK THE ONE THAT YOU WANT, OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT USING COS WHICH ARE, UM, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS AND THUS, UM, BONDS ESSENTIALLY THAT ARE NOT APPROVED BY THE VOTERS FOR THIS AND FOR, FOR ANY PRO ONE OF THESE PROJECTS? OR ARE WE LOOKING AT ALSO VOTER APPROVED GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS? ARE ANY OF THESE GONNA BE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS OR, UH, ALL, ANY ONE SCENARIO THAT THAT IS CHOSEN TO BE FUNDED GOING TO BE COS FOR WHAT IS NOT, WHAT HAS NOT RECEIVED FUNDING? THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBER AT THIS MOMENT, WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE FINANCE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT ALL, ALL FUNDING ALTERNATIVES, EVERY TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX TO INCLUDE CEOS, GOS, UH, PHILANTHROPY, UH, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, UM, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE PURSUED TURS, UH, AT ALL.
UM, POSSIBLY, BUT AT THIS MOMENT, I DON'T HAVE A DEFINITIVE, A DEFINITIVE, UH, RESPONSE IN TERMS OF WHAT FUNDING SOURCE WOULD BE USED FOR WHAT SCENARIO WE DO.
I DO EXPECT, UM, THAT BY THE MAY 6TH WORK SESSION WITH CITY COUNCIL, THAT WE WILL HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE CITY'S FINANCIAL POSTURE AND FUNDING CAPACITY FOR NOT ONLY THIS PROJECT, UH, BUT ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE GENERAL OBLIGATION 26 BOND REFERENDUM IN SUPPORTING TO NOTE THAT, UH, THE USE OF OF CITY, UH, DEBT FOR THIS PROJECT, UM, WOULD LIKELY, UM, DISPLACE THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE FOR OTHER NEEDS IN A SUBSEQUENT 26, UH, BOND REFERENDUM.
SO WE'RE HAVING TO WEIGH ALL OF THAT, UH, IN THE BALANCE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT ANSWER, MR. MENDOZA.
AND, UM, CERTAINLY WE'LL TRY TO AT LEAST, UH, FIGURE OUT THE, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN MAY 6TH IF, AND TRY TO BE PRESENT FOR THAT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND AS, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND JUST ONE OTHER THING THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER, UH, GOING FORWARD, WHAT KIND OF BURDEN IS IT, ARE THESE PAUSES ON FUNDING PUTTING ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN? I'M SORRY, THE, THE WHAT ON FUNDING THE, THE PAUSES IN FUNDING FROM FEDERAL, UM, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PUTTING ON THE, UH, THE PROJECTS
[01:00:01]
THAT, THE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE OR HOPE TO RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR.AM I NOT BEING CLEAR? I, I, I UNDERSTAND NOW.
UM, THUS FAR, UM, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT, UH, TXDOT HAS BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH US AND ALLOW US MORE TIME ON THE DECIDING POINT.
UH, THE ORIGINAL DEADLINE WAS DECEMBER 31ST, AND THEN IT WAS MOVED BACK TO MARCH 31ST.
AND, UM, NOT KNOWING THE DETERMINATION OF THE FEDERAL REVIEW, UM, AND THE SAFEGUARDING OF THAT $105 MILLION GRANT, UM, WOULD CREATE A LOT OF STRESS ON US BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG HOLE TO FILL.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE SO HOPEFUL WE'LL GET A DECISION BEFORE THE IMPENDING MAY 31ST TXDOT DEADLINE, SO THEN WE CAN, UH, RECALIBRATE AS NEEDED.
UM, WE MAY HAVE TO DEVELOP CONTINGENCY PLANS IF WE DON'T HAVE DETERMINATION BY, UM, UH, MAY 31ST DATE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. SUMAN DOZA.
THANK YOU MAYOR MEMBER ANNA, YOU WERE NEXT? YEAH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN TERMS OF THE CAPS, UM, MAYBE IN TERMS OF BENEFITS THAT, THAT ARE CAPTURED HERE? LIKE I'M THINKING FOR EXAMPLE, WASTEWATER RUNOFF OR STORM WATER, SORRY, RUNOFF, UM, TO CONSIDER WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT COSTS VERSUS BENEFITS IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION? I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY.
SO ONE THING I FAILED TO MENTION IS THAT $15 MILLION PAYMENT TO TEOP FOR 30% DESIGN WAS ALSO GOING.
IT ALSO IS FUNDING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UH, STATEMENT AND STUDY FOR THE CAPS THEMSELVES, WHERE THEY'LL BE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT NOT JUST WATER QUALITY, BUT AIR QUALITY, UH, NOISE.
AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN RELUCTANT TO GO OUT ON OUR OWN AND DO A COMPETING STUDY.
UM, BUT DEFINITELY THOSE WOULD FACTOR INTO THE COST BENEFITS.
MICHELLE, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL ON THAT? YEAH, I CAN ADD THAT WHILE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, BE COGNIZANT AND RESPECTFUL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS WORK THAT TECH.IS DOING, STAFF IS SIMULTANEOUSLY LOOKING AT, UM, MICROCLIMATES ON TOP OF CAPS, UM, TO JUST TRY AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OF IF THESE CAPS MOVE FORWARD, WHAT WOULD THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE BE LIKE IN TERMS OF, UM, URBAN HEAT, UM, AIR AND NOISE, AND TO WHAT EXTENT WOULD THE CAPS AND THE AMENITIES ON TOP PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, UM, KIND OF COMBAT SOME OF THOSE, UM, KIND OF URBAN, UM, IMPACTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO WHERE DO WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE, FOR EXAMPLE, ROBUST, UM, UH, TREE CANOPY, UM, TO HELP COMBAT KIND OF WHAT, WHAT IS, UM, A CONCRETE CANYON TODAY TO CREATE A MORE KIND OF RESILIENT, COOL SPACE IN THIS AREA, FOR EXAMPLE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M, I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I'M NEW TO, YOU KNOW, THE OVERALL CONCEPT OF, UH, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, SO THE I 35 CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT, SO THAT'S THE LOWERING AND THE CAPPING OF CERTAIN CROSSINGS, RIGHT? BUT NOT THE EXTENSIVE CITY OF AUSTIN PROCESS, RIGHT? SO THERE WOULD BE THESE CAPS, I GUESS, IN THAT PART OF THAT PROJECT OF, OF LOWERING THE LANES, RIGHT? YES, WITH THE BASE TECH STOCK PROJECT, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THE WHOLE FREEWAY BELOW GRADE AND, UM, AND THE EXISTING CROSSINGS, AND I THINK THE ADDITIONAL ONE CROSSING AT FOURTH, UM, THEY'RE GOING TO, RIGHT NOW THERE'S MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE FOOT SIDEWALKS EITHER SIDE OF THE PAVEMENT.
THEY'RE GONNA GO 30 FEET BEYOND BACK A CURB ON EITHER SIDE WITH PUBLIC SPACE FOR SHARED USE PATHS.
AND, UM, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE ENVISIONING SHADE STRUCTURES, BUT WE CAN WORK WITH THEM ON THAT.
BUT IT'LL BE A MUCH IMPROVED, UM, UH, UM, ENVIRONMENT THAN WHAT YOU SEE PRESENT DAY WITH THE BASELINE PROJECT.
UH, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY, OF COURSE, IS TO FILL IN
[01:05:01]
THE GAPS IN BETWEEN THOSE ROAD CROSSINGS, UH, WITH THE EVEN, UM, MORE, UH, IMPROVED PUBLIC SPACES.SO I KNOW THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN GOING ON, SO EACH CAP AREA, WAS IT, UM, WAS THERE SPECIFIC REASONS FOR THOSE? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN SEE DOWNTOWN AND THEN OF COURSE WE CAN SEE THE UT SECTION, WHICH YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT THAT'LL BE ON UT I GUESS I WAS JUST PRO PROGRESSING NORTH, YOU KNOW, TO THE NORTHERN SECTION AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, RIGHT? YEAH.
OBVIOUSLY THOSE ARE MUCH LARGER WHEN YOU SEE THE ACREAGE, THOSE, THOSE CAPS, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY THE STRUCTURAL COST, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, THE COST PER ACRE, YOU WOULD THINK THERE'S MORE ACREAGE, LIKE THE COST PER ACRE WOULD GO DOWN, BUT IT DOESN'T, RIGHT? WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER STITCHES.
AND SO JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WERE THERE SPECIFIC REASON REGIONS, UH, REASONS FOR EACH OF THOSE, UH, CAPS? UH, AND THEN IF SO, THEN AS WE GO NORTH, WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE, UH, SIX, SEVEN, AND EIGHT, I GUESS, UH, CAPS, RIGHT? A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY.
AND IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE OVERHEAD DECKS AND LIFE SAFETY VENTILATION, TXDOT WOULD ACTUALLY EVEN HAVE TO LOWER THE, UH, PROFILE OF THE HIGHWAY EVEN FURTHER THAN THE BASELINE DESIGN.
YOU RUN INTO UTILITIES, UH, ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, YOU RUN INTO, UH, DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS.
IN FACT, ONE OF THE FIRST PHASES OF THE PROJECT IS TO, UH, DRILL A LARGE DRAINAGE TUNNEL, UH, AND EFFECTIVELY, UH, TAKE THE RUNOFF FROM THE FREEWAY, UH, DOWNSTREAM, UM, TO THE COLORADO RIVER, I THINK SOUTH OF THE LONGHORN DAM.
UM, THEY'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION IS ASKING TDOT TO INCORPORATE BETTERMENTS IN TERMS OF THE TREATMENT BEFORE THAT, UH, WATER IS RELEASED TO THE RIVER.
AND SO THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT AS WELL.
UH, CURRENTLY THE EXISTING, UM, I 35 ALSO DRAINS A PORTION INTO THE WALLER CREEK TUNNEL, WHICH WAS THE PROJECT THE CITY, UH, COMPLETED ABOUT FIVE YEARS, UH, SIX YEARS AGO.
UM, THAT WOULD NO LONGER BE NEEDED, SO IT WOULD GIVE THE CITY BACK CAPACITY FOR, UH, THE WATERLOO GREENWAY AND ALL OF THOSE.
SO, UM, UH, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF ENGINEERING AS FAR AS THE NORTHERN SECTIONS.
A LOT OF IT IS THE GRADES AND, UH, THEY HAVE TO COME UP WITH RAMPS AND BACK DOWN AT RAMPS AND MEET CERTAIN, UH, UM, UH, GRADES ALONG THE WAY.
AND SO A LOT OF THE RESTRICTING FACTORS IS THE TOPOGRAPHY AND THE VERTICAL CLEARANCES OF THE, UH, OVERHEAD.
THERE'S ALSO THE RED LINE CROSSING, UH, ESPECIALLY ON THE NORTH.
IT, IT CROSSES AT A SKEWED ANGLE.
SO THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REINFORCED IN MANY, MANY PLACES RECONSTRUCTED, WHICH, UH, ADDS TO THE COST.
UM, BUT, BUT STILL, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE REASON, SO WE'RE EXPANDING THESE CAPS OR CITY OF AUSTIN WOULD BE, AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT DOWNTOWN AND THE PRINCIPLES OF RECONNECTION AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GET THAT, YOU, YOU KNOW, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THE, THE CAP AND STITCH WITH THE UT AREA, BECAUSE THERE'S ATHLETIC FIELDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 35 IN THAT AREA, YOU CAN GET THAT.
I GUESS I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS COST AND YOU START HITTING TO THE NORTHERN CAP, AND IT JUST THE JUSTIFICATION FOR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER FOR THE WHOLE VISION, I MEAN, THAT'S A HUGE NUMBER ONE POINT, YOU KNOW, 3 BILLION OR WHATEVER IT IS.
AND SO JUST THINKING ABOUT, ARE THERE SPECIFIC REASONS AND SO THAT IF A CERTAIN VISION GOES FORWARD THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE SOME OF THESE, LIKE IS THAT GONNA BE LIKE A DETRIMENT TO THAT COMMUNITY IN THAT NORTHERN STITCH AREA? I GUESS THAT'S JUST WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO, UM, I DO KNOW THAT, UH, THESE TECH STOCK COST ESTIMATES ARE BASED ON 30% DESIGN.
UH, OUR CITY DID GO AND REVIEW THE BID LINE ITEM, UH, COST ESTIMATES, UH, FROM TEXDOT AND COMPARED THEM, UH, BOTH TO THE CLYDE WARREN AND SOUTHERN GATEWAY CAP UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND, AND DALLAS.
AND COMPARED TO METHODOLOGY WITH THE COST ESTIMATES FOR, UH, UT THE ORANGE SECTIONS AND FOUND THEM, UH, WITHIN, UH, UH, ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF TOLERANCE AND, AND COMPARABLE.
[01:10:02]
THANK YOU.UM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, REGARDING LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS.
UM, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THOSE MATERIALS AND WHERE THOSE FIT INTO THE BUDGET HERE.
UM, SO I'M CURIOUS IF ANY SORT OF GREENER MATERIALS, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, MORE PERVIOUS, UM, CONCRETE HAD BEEN CONSIDERED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE CAPS, AND, UM, IF SO, ARE THOSE SORT OF MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, UM, BUILDING MATERIALS BUILT INTO THIS BUDGET OR, UM, IS THIS LIKE THE LOWER COST HARD CONCRETE
SO THERE'S ROOM TO, UM, CONSIDER LOW CARBON, CONCRETE, UH, PER BILL PAVERS, UM, DRAINAGE WALLS, THAT SORT OF THING IN THE DESIGN.
AND, UH, WE, WE'LL BE CONTINUALLY WORKING WITH TDOT, UH, UH, FOR LOOKING AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, WHO SORT OF MONITORS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS WITH TDOT? YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS.
SO TEXDOT DOES HAVE A, UM, A, I BELIEVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE CAPEX 35 PROJECT.
THAT'S THE BASELINE PROJECT, NO CAPTAIN STITCHES OR LAND BRIDGES, UH, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL 'EM.
UM, AND SO, UM, I BELIEVE THEY RECEIVED A, UH, A LETTER OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FOR THAT OR FOR THEIR BASELINE PROJECT.
UH, THEY, THEY DO HAVE THEIR, UM, IT'S A FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND RECORD AND DECISION, UM, ON, ON THEIR PROJECT WEBSITE, UM, AND THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL WORK, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD RIGHT NOW TO EVALUATE THE CAPS.
THEY ARE GONNA BE LOOKING, UM, AT A, UM, CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.
UM, IN RECOGNITION THAT THE CAPS ARE IN LARGE PART, UM, A MITIGATION FOR A LOT OF WHAT THE, THE IMPACTS OF THE FREEWAY ARE.
BUT THAT'S WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF THE CAP EXPANSIONS DONE BY THE CITY, CORRECT? NO, THAT IS AN ANALYSIS OF THE POTENTIAL CITY FUNDED BETTERMENTS TO THEIR PROJECT.
UM, I GUESS I'M LOOKING AT THIS MAP AND I'M ALSO LOOKING AT A RENDERING THAT, UM, I THINK WAS FROM ANOTHER PRESENTATION AND SEEING THAT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE, THESE CAPS DON'T SEEM TO ACTUALLY, LIKE YOU COULDN'T WALK ALL THE WAY ACROSS, LIKE THERE'S STILL A BUNCH OF LANES OF TRAFFIC, UM, ON, ON ONE SIDE.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO WHY, WHY THE, WHY THEY'RE DESIGNED LIKE THAT, WHY THEY'RE NOT FULLY CAPPING AND CONNECTING.
'CAUSE I'M SEEING HERE LIKE EIGHT LANES OF ROAD STILL.
SO AS PART OF TEXTILES BASELINE PROJECT, THEY ARE GOING TO BE, UM, EFFECTIVELY COUPLING THEIR FRONTAGE ROADS, SO TO RUN ON ONE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY OR THE OTHER.
SO TODAY WE HAVE A NORTHBOUND AND A SOUTHBOUND KIND OF SANDWICHING THE I 35 CORRIDOR WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN SEGMENT OF THE PROJECT.
UM, THEY'RE GONNA BE, UM, TAKING THAT NORTHBOUND FRONTAGE ROAD AND SWINGING IT OVER TO THE DOWNTOWN SIDE, UM, TO CREATE WHAT THEY'RE KIND OF, UM, REFERRING TO AS AN URBAN BOULEVARD TREATMENT.
AND SO IT'S GONNA BE, UM, I BELIEVE, UM, A SIX LANE KIND OF DESIGNED AS MORE OF LIKE A CITY STREET THAN RATHER, RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, A A FRONTAGE ROAD WITHOUT SIGNALS OR INTERSECTIONS OR, OR STOP CONDITIONS.
SO ALONG THE DOWNTOWN SIDE, ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, THERE WILL BE NO, UM, KIND OF VEHICLE ROADS AT ALL SEPARATING THE, THE EAST AUSTIN SIDE FROM THE CAP, UM, JUST A PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE, UM, FACILITY ONLY.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO WALK RIGHT ONTO THE CAP FROM THE EAST SIDE.
[01:15:01]
THERE WILL BE THAT KIND OF SIX LANE URBAN STREET CONDITION BETWEEN THE CAP AND DOWNTOWN.HOWEVER, THOSE ARE GONNA BE STOP CONTROLLED WITH A FULL TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT EVERY INTERSECTION.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EVERY, YOU KNOW, THREE, 400 FEET.
THERE'LL BE A STOP SIGN, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, A FULL SIGNAL, UM, WITH FOUR-WAY PEDESTRIAN WALK AND, UM, UM, A PEDESTRIAN PHASE TO ACCESS TO CROSS THE STREET AND GET TO THE CAP.
UM, SO THE, UM, SPEEDS WILL BE KIND OF DICTATED BY THE TIMING OF THOSE SIGNALS.
UM, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE WILL BE, THERE'LL BE KIND OF THIS ASYMMETRIC TREATMENT WITH, WITH ONE ROAD ON ONE SIDE AND NO ROAD ON THE OTHER.
SO BASICALLY IN SUMMARY, TEXT DESIGN DID NOT ALLOW FOR A FULL CAP WITHOUT THE ROADS DIVIDING.
UM, DIRECTOR MENDOZA, UM, BRINGS TO MY ATTENTION.
THERE'S ONE THAT'S CORRECT, BUT THERE'S ONE EXCEPTION THERE.
UM, THE CAPS DO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A BRAND NEW, UM, CROSSING OF THE FREEWAY CORRIDOR AT THIRD STREET.
SO THERE'S NO CROSSING THERE TODAY.
UM, IF, UM, WE ARE ABLE TO KIND OF BRING IN THIS, UH, CAP BETWEEN CESAR CHAVEZ AND FOURTH, UM, THE TECH STOCK CONFIGURATION ALLOWS KIND OF A FULL AS DIRECTOR MENDOZA, UM, TERMED IT LIKE LANDBRIDGE TREATMENT THERE, WHERE FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO WALK, BE ABLE TO WALK EAST WEST WITHOUT CROSSING ANY FRONTAGE ROAD AT ALL.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE ONE EXCEPTION.
THAT, THAT IS THE RENDERING I THINK THAT I'M LOOKING AT.
AND I GUESS JUST TO GET TO THE LANES, UM, HAS IT CHANGED MAYBE SINCE THIS RENDERING WAS DONE? BECAUSE I MEAN, I'M SEEING TWO LANES OF WHAT'S LABELED FRONTAGE ROAD IN EACH DIRECTION, AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE AT LEAST FOUR LANES IN BETWEEN.
IS THAT MAYBE CHANGED OR, UM, I'M NOT SURE THE RENDERING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, IF IT'S TAKEN AT, AT THAT THIRD STREET LOCATION OR NOT.
UM, SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY, UNFORTUNATELY.
YEAH, IT'S CESAR CHAVEZ TO THIRD STREET THAT I'M LOOKING AT.
SO THE THIRD STREET CONNECTION YOU'RE SEEING ON THE SCREEN WOULD BE, UM, PED BIKE ONLY AND EMERGENCY ACCESS, NO VEHICLES.
SO I'M ASKING ABOUT THIS THAT GOES UNDERNEATH, THAT'S BELOW GRADE.
UM, SO THE PED BYTE CONNECTION BRIDGE IS OVER IT, RIGHT? AND BETWEEN CESAR CHAVEZ AND THIRD STREET, THAT'S COR THAT'S CORRECT.
SO YOU WOULDN'T CROSS THERE, YOU'D HAVE TO CROSS THAT THIRD.
I GUESS I'M JUST ASKING, IT LOOKS LIKE NO, THAT THOSE EIGHT, SIX, THOSE EIGHT LANES WILL BE THERE NEXT TO THE CAP THAT YOU AS A BARRIER BETWEEN THE CAP AND DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO THE FRONTAGE LOAD, YOU SEE A, A TWO LANE NORTHBOUND FRONTAGE ROAD MM-HMM
A TWO LANE SOUTHBOUND, AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE IS BELOW GRADE.
BUT SO YOU'D KINDA LOOK DOWN ONTO THOSE LANES, GUESS THAT'S RIGHT.
WILL THE, THE FRONTAGE ROAD YOU SEE THERE, NORTHBOUND WILL BE AT THE GRADE OF THE CAP.
AND THEN THE, THE LIGHT GRAY THAT YOU'RE SEEING IS, IS DOWN BELOW.
THAT'S THE FREEWAY DOWN BELOW.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS, JOHN? UM, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT, AGAIN, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THIS 30 FOOT WIDE WALKWAY THAT'S, UH, WOULD BE ON EACH SIDE OF THESE ROADS THAT ARE CROSSING OVER.
DID I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY? YES.
THE BASELINE, UH, DESIGN FOR TXDOT FOR THE, UH, THE ROAD CROSSINGS OF THE NEW BELOW GRADE, UH, FREEWAY, UH, ANTICIPATES WHAT THEY CALL ENHANCED CROSSINGS.
AND SO BEHIND CURB, THEY WOULD BUILD 30 FEET.
NOW THAT 30 FEET CAN, WOULD BE MUCH LIKE A, UH, LIVING STREET.
UH, IT'LL BE, UH, HAVE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEDESTRIANS, FOR BIKES, FOR STREET FURNITURE, UM, AND TO YET TO BE DESIGNED OTHER TYPES OF, UM, UH, PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND AMENITIES.
ARE THERE GONNA BE REQUIREMENTS FOR TREES? YOU HAD MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT SHADING MAY SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS, UH, SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT BE REQUIRED YET.
YEAH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH TXDOT ON THAT.
UM, AND, UM, THE, THE DEPTH OF THEIR BRIDGE DECK STRUCTURES, UM, ARE NOT GONNA BE ADEQUATE, UM, TO PROVIDE THE SOIL VOLUME REQUIRED FOR LARGE SHADE TREES ON THOSE BRIDGES.
UM, BUT THEY ARE EXPLORING, UM, LOW LEVEL PLANTINGS AND SHADE STRUCTURES, UM, TO HELP MAKE UP FOR THAT LOSS OF SHADE.
[01:20:01]
OKAY.UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S NOT A GUARANTEE.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S IN A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS WHOLE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE TRAVERSING SUCH A, A WIDE HIGHWAY, UH, ESPECIALLY GETTING FROM EAST SIDE TO CENTRAL DOWNTOWN OF HOW WE PROTECT THE, PROTECT THE PEDESTRIAN, ESPECIALLY IN THE HEAT THAT WE HAVE.
UM, TEXT DOT HAS, UM, SET ASIDE, UM, A PRETTY HEALTHY, WHAT THEY CALL, UM, AESTHETICS, UM, BUDGET TO ADDRESS EXACTLY THAT, TO TO, TO DO WHAT THEY CAN TO HELP CREATE A, A FRIENDLIER, MORE COMFORTABLE PEDESTRIAN REALM ON THOSE CROSSINGS.
UM, AND I THINK THE MAJORITY OF THAT BUDGET IN THE CENTRAL SECTION IS, UM, KIND OF EARMARKED AND DEDICATED FOR THOSE CROSSINGS.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK THE LIKELIHOOD OF, OF, OF THE, OF THERE BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME SHADE STRUCTURE THERE IS, UM, PRETTY HIGH.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, REQUIREMENTS OR STANDARDS THAT THEY HAVE TO, THAT WOULD APPLY TYPICALLY TO ANYONE DEVELOPING DOWNTOWN, UH, FOR EITHER IT'S GREAT STREETS OR, OR SOME SORT OF, UH, STANDARD THAT, UH, T.IS REQUIRED WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO? OR IS THIS GOOD FAITH KIND OF LET'S, YEAH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, TX DOTS NOT BEHOLDEN TO ANY OF OUR, UM, LOCAL CITY REGULATION.
UM, BUT THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH US TO, UM, KIND OF MEET CITY OBJECTIVES TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN REGARD TO PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE COMFORT AND SAFETY.
IF I CAN ADD, UH, TO YOU, UH, YOU CAN FIND AN EXAMPLE OF THESE ENHANCEMENTS THAT TXDOT, UM, IS, IS PLANNING TO MAKE WITH THEIR BASELINE PROJECT, UH, BY LOOKING AT THE NEW, UH, BRI I 35 BRIDGE OVER LADY BIRD LAKE.
UH, THEY ARE GOING TO, UH, CONSTRUCT A FULLY SEPARATED BIKE AND PED FACILITY WITH LOOKOUT VENUES FOR THE LAKE.
AND, UM, UH, IT'S HAS QUITE A BIT OF, UH, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL, UH, IMPROVEMENTS WITH THAT.
SO THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF, UH, SOME OF THE DESIGNS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD IN THE, UH, PUBLIC SPACE WITH THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND I GUESS ONE LAST QUESTION IS ABOUT THE INTEGRATION OF THESE STREET GRIDS INTO OUR DOWNTOWN DISTRICTS, UM, COORDINATION, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A CERTAIN SET OF STANDARDS THAT THOSE STREETS ARE REQUIRED TO MEET, AND THEN ONCE WE HIT OUR FRONTAGE ROAD, IT USUALLY DISAPPEARS.
AND SO WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO DEAL WITH SOME BUILDING THAT'S RUNNING THAT ROAD THAT'S REALLY NOT SEEING IT AS AN IMPORTANT FACADE.
UH, BUT NOW THIS IS GONNA BECOME A VERY IMPORTANT FACADE FOR THOSE BUILDINGS AND THE INTEGRATION OF URBAN DESIGN THERE.
UM, SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S, ANY COORDINATION THAT'S HAPPENING BETWEEN EITHER T CITY OF AUSTIN AND ANY OF THE GROUPS THAT ARE HELPING FACILITATE GREAT URBAN DESIGN, UH, OPPORTUNITIES? THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
UM, YES, OUR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING, UH, DIVISION HAS ACTUALLY BEEN, UH, BROUGHT TO THE DESIGN TABLE WITH TDOT OVER THE LAST TWO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO COORDINATE THE, UH, APPROPRIATE PLACEMENT OF THE ON AND OFF RAMPS AND HOW THEY MESH WITH OUR CURRENT STREET GRID, UH, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ACHIEVE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, THE GREATEST, UH, MOBILITY IMPROVEMENT WITH THAT IN TERMS OF, UH, URBAN DESIGN THAT GOES BACK TO THEIR PLANS TO INCORPORATE, UH, ENHANCED CROSSINGS.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH TDOT, UH, TO IMPROVE ON THEIR, UM, PARALLEL SHARED USE PATH AND MAKE IT BASICALLY AN URBAN TRAIL SEPARATED BY AND PED FACILITY.
WE, WE LIKE TO CALL THAT, UH, THE EAST AVENUE TRAIL, UH, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON THE DESIGN AND COST ESTIMATES FOR THAT.
SO, UM, A GREAT DEAL OF, UH, ARCHITECTURAL WORK HAS BEEN GOING INTO THE DESIGNS, BUT FROM A TECHNICAL, UH, TRAFFIC ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE, UH, THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS.
AND, UH, OUR ENGINEERS HAVE BEEN AT THE TABLE WITH THEM AND CONTINUE TO BE, UH, AS WE MOVE.
IF YOU RECALL, UH, MAYBE TWO YEARS AGO, THEY BROUGHT FORWARD THREE DESIGN ALTERNATIVES AND THE DECISION TO GO WITH DESIGN ALTERNATIVE THREE WAS IN LARGE PART IN COORDINATION WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TRAFFIC ENGINEERS.
OTHER QUESTIONS, HEATHER? YEAH, THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS.
[01:25:01]
ONE ABOUT THE PHASES AND WHAT WE WOULD LOSE OUT ON, I GUESS, IF WE DIDN'T SUPPORT THIS AS A CITY OR A COMMISSION.UM, SO IF WE DO NOT DO PHASE ONE NOW, IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO DO PHASE ONE IN THE FUTURE? I MEAN, I ASSUME IT'S ALL INTEGRATED, UM, WITH THE, THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, BUT I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL DEPENDS ON OUR DECISIONS NOW.
UM, THE TIMING TO COMMIT TO THE PHASE ONE, WHICH ARE BASICALLY THE FOUNDATIONAL SUPPORT ELEMENTS FOR ANY FUTURE CAPTAIN STITCH LOCATIONS IS, UM, REQUIRED NOW, UH, BY THE END OF MAY, UM, NOT SELECTING ANY, UH, SECTIONS WOULD FOREGO OUR ABILITY TO COME BACK AND CAP AT A FUTURE DATE.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A MAJOR, UH, DECISION.
AND THE REASON BEING IS THEY HAVE TO DESIGN THEIR BID PACKAGE AND, UH, FOR THOSE CAP AND STITCH LOCATIONS, THAT DESIGN WILL BE A LOWERED ROADWAY.
THERE'LL BE THICKER COLUMNS, UH, THICKER, STRONGER, UH, RETAINING WALLS TO SUPPORT THE OVERHEAD DECKS.
ABSENT THAT, UM, THEY'RE GONNA DESIGN THE BASELINE PROJECT AND WE WOULD LOSE THAT OPPORTUNITY, UM, FROM HERE ON.
AND WITH THE OTHER PHASES, YOU KNOW, THAT DON'T HAVE DATES ON THEM YEAH.
THE AMENITIES, UM, THAT AS LONG AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE THERE, THE STRUCTURE'S THERE, THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED AT ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE.
IS THAT TRUE? UH, THAT'S FAIRLY TRUE.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A WINDOW TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AFTER WE DECIDE ON THE STRUCTURAL ROADWAY ELEMENTS THROUGH, UH, 2033.
AND, UM, BEFORE THEN, WE CAN EITHER CHANGE ORDER THE EXISTING TXDOT PROJECT OR GO WITH A SEPARATE CITY CONTRACT IF WE DO NOT ELECT TO, UH, START CONSTRUCTION ON CAPS BY THAT DATE, TEXDOT IS, UM, IMPOSING A 10 YEAR MORATORIUM ON ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION.
SO THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND DECK OVER AREAS THAT WE ELECT TO FUTURE PROOF NOW WOULD BE IN 2043.
SO THAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO PHASE I FOR AMENITIES,
WE CAN COME AND PUT GRASS ON TOP ANYTIME.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, WHAT YOU WERE SPEAKING TO IS PHASE TWO? YES.
THAT WE, THAT IT DOES HAVE THAT HARD, HARD HARDISH DEADLINE WITHOUT WAITING 10 YEARS.
YEAH, THE PHASE TWO AFTER 2033.
OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER THIS, BUT, UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE ACREAGE AND THE COST, YOU KNOW, IT, IT LOOKS LIKE MAY, IF MY MATH IS RIGHT, THAT IT'S LIKE $31 MILLION PER ACRE.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU CAN SPEAK AT ALL TO HOW THAT COMPARES TO LAND COSTS IN AUSTIN
UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY, UM, IT IS MORE, UM, AND WE'RE DIGGING INTO, YOU KNOW, THE COMPARISON OF COST PER ACRE FOR LAND ACQUISITION IN A DOWNTOWN CONTEXT AS COM, YOU KNOW, VERSUS A, A MORE KIND OF EXURBAN CONTEXT AS COMPARED TO ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTING A BRIDGE LIKE STRUCTURE OVER I 35.
UM, AND WE, UM, WE'RE DIGGING INTO THOSE NUMBERS AND WE'LL HAVE THOSE PREPARED IN ADVANCE OF THE BASIC WORK SESSION TO SHARE.
UM, BUT IT IS MORE, DO YOU HAVE, AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE NOT, YOU DON'T HAVE THE DETAILED NUMBER YET, BUT LIKE, COULD, COULD YOU BALLPARK? LIKE HOW MUCH YEAH, MORE.
IT SEEMS LIKE, I MEAN, 31 MILLION PER ACRE TO ME JUST IS LIKE, KIND OF MIND BLOWING.
I MEAN, IS DOWNTOWN LAND EVEN IN THAT RANGE OR I, I HESITATE TO HAZARD A GUESS.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT, IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN COST PER ACRE FOR ACQUIRING LAND.
[01:30:02]
DIANA, ARE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND OR JUST ADJUSTING YOUR SCREEN? ADJUSTING SCREEN.ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND, UH, SHARING ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH US.
ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE A FEW, WE HAVE A, AN ITEM ON CAP AND STITCH.
UM, AND I HAVE A SMALL UPDATE FROM THE EUC AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANTED TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION ON THE 2026 BOND, BUT JUST IN CASE FOLKS NEED TO LEAVE, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE UP ITEM SEVEN, WHICH IS OFFICER ELECTIONS, JUST SO THAT WE HAVE THAT DONE.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN GET BACK TO OUR, OUR AGENDA IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION TO THAT.
OH, ON ITEM THREE, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE REDLINE PARKWAY INITIATIVE.
WE SUPPORT THE TRAIL ALONG THE CAPITAL METRO REDLINE, UH, 36 MILE PROJECT TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO TRANSIT AND TO OUR EXISTING CITY.
AND I WAS A LITTLE BIT ALARMED WHEN I SAW THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR OVER A DECADE, UM, WITH CLIMATE IN MIND, AND I WAS JUST REALLY KIND OF, I GUESS I HAVE TO SAY I WAS SHOCKED BY SOME OF THE CONCLUSIONS IN HERE.
'CAUSE IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S KINDA SURPRISING.
BUT I JUST WANNA BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
I'M A HUGE BIKING WALKING FAN.
IF YOU'VE SEEN ANY OF THE, IF YOU'VE USED, IF YOU BIKE TODAY OR WALK TODAY, CHANCES ARE HAD A HAND IN THAT PROJECT, WHETHER IT'S THE THIRD STREET BIKEWAY OR THE SIDEWALK NEAR YOUR HOME.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE OUR CITY IS LIVABLE, RIGHT? SO, UM, WE ARE, OUR MAIN MISSION IS TO COMPLETE A TRAIL ON THE CAPITAL METRO RED LINE CROSSES THE I 35 PROJECT, BUT WE ARE WORKING IN A COALITION CALLED FUND THE CAPS, WHICH INCLUDES NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS.
UM, WHEN WE'RE PRESENTED OVER THE YEARS, I'VE WORKED ON A LOT OF BIKE WALK PROJECTS.
UH, ONE EXAMPLE I WANNA GIVE REAL QUICK IS SH 71 SHARED USE PATH.
WHEN WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A BIKE WALK PATH ALONG THAT PROJECT, WE TOOK IT, IT WAS NOT THE TOP CHOICE AMONG THE CITY, BUT WE EITHER GOT THAT PATH OR WE DIDN'T.
NOW PEOPLE IN DELL VALLEY CAN WALK TO WORK.
WE WOULD NOT HAVE THAT IF WE DIDN'T TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
THIS OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR THE I 35 CAPS IS ONCE IN MULTIPLE GENERATIONS.
THE NEXT TIME WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS IS 2090, MAYBE 2100.
WE ARE CREATING A HEAVY INDUSTRIAL AREA.
WE'RE EXPANDING IT, WE'RE DOUBLING THE SIZE OF IT.
WE, THE, THE BIGGEST REASON FOR THIS PROJECT, FOR THE CAPS, I GET THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PARKS AND THAT'S GONNA BE GREAT.
BUT THE BIGGEST REASON, THE MAJORITY REASON IS FOR MITIGATION.
IT'S A $5 BILLION HIGHWAY PROJECT.
IF WE DIDN'T DO MITIGATION AGAINST HIGHWAY PROJECTS, MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL DIE.
UM, PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO WALK ACROSS THIS HIGHWAY, BIKE ACROSS THIS HIGHWAY.
THEY'RE GONNA LIVE NEAR THIS HIGHWAY.
UM, I, I'M SORRY THAT IN THE, THE TWO HOURS THAT I HEARD ABOUT THIS, I COULD NOT BRING DOZENS OF PEOPLE DOWN HERE TO TESTIFY, BUT PEOPLE ARE DEPENDING ON THIS, THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH TEXTILE AT THE CITY, TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO MAKE THIS PROJECT A PART OF A LIVABLE CITY.
MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN WALK AND BIKE LIVE NEAR TRANSIT, THAT PEOPLE CAN FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT NEW DEVELOPMENT, SUCH AS HANCOCK CENTER.
UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU, I WOULD SUGGEST TURNING YOUR, THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER INTO QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR A LIST OF CONCERNS.
I JUST, I THINK IT'S KIND OF PREMATURE TO SUGGEST TO BE, TO HAVE THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, TO HAVE AN ANTIBI WALK TRANSIT RESOLUTION.
I'M HAPPY I, SINCE WE ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR TESTIMONY, THERE'S SO MUCH TO GO IN HERE.
I'D BE HAPPY TO MEET UP WITH ANY OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, WHATNOT, AT ANOTHER TIME TO TALK 'EM THROUGH.
UM, SO, SORRY, I'M JUST, JUST, I'M READING THIS.
IT'S LIKE, I, I THINK THAT THERE'S JUST A HUGE MISUNDERSTANDING AND THEN MAYBE THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN DELIVERED IN DIFFERENT AVENUES THAT MAYBE SOME OF THESE POINTS WEREN'T MADE CLEAR.
UM, JUST A COUPLE THINGS JUST TO, I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER MUCH, UM, BUT JUST SAYING THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER FUNDING.
ACTUALLY, I'LL JUST DROP IT THERE.
CAN WE, CAN WE, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR TESTIMONY.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, IN YOUR, IN YOUR VIEW, THE CAP AND STITCH IS, IS FOR MITIGATION.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, HOW YOU SEE THESE PROJECTS PREVENT, YOU KNOW, PREVENTING DEATHS AND, AND MITIGATING CLIMATE ISSUES? WE HAVE? YEAH.
UM, AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO COVER ALL THE, THE WAYS, UM, HAVING WORKED ON THIS PROJECT SO LONG, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WORK ON A PROJECT SO LONG, IT'S HARD TO KNOW.
OTHER PEOPLE DON'T SEE ABOUT IT.
[01:35:01]
JUST SIMPLY, RIGHT NOW THE HIGHWAY SERVES AS A BARRIER.WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT WALKING AND CROSSING, WALKING OR BIKING ACROSS THE HIGHWAY, THEY, THEY KIND OF KNOW IN THEIR HEAD WHERE THOSE SAFE CROSSINGS ARE.
THERE'S ONE AT HANCOCK CENTER, THERE'S ONE AT FOURTH STREET, THERE'S ONE AT LADYBIRD LAKE.
PEOPLE TRY TO AVOID CROSSING I 35 ANYWHERE ELSE WITH THE CAPS THAT'LL BE MULTIPLIED, MULTIFOLD.
UM, WHEN YOU CROSS, SAY AT 41ST STREET OR YOU CROSS THAT FOURTH STREET OR THIRD STREET, YOU WON'T HAVE THE, THE CAR POLLUTION COMING RIGHT UP, WHETHER IT'S THE NOISE, UM, AND WHETHER IT'S THE, THE PM 2.5 OR THE CARBON MONOXIDE, YOU WON'T HAVE THAT POLLUTION COMING DIRECTLY UP.
UM, I THINK THE OTHER THING IS JUST FOR THE, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AROUND, AROUND THE PROJECT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF WE DON'T DO ANY PARKS OR ANY OTHER BIKE WALK AMENITIES, JUST SIMPLY LIKE, WE HAVE A HUGE PROGRAM OF SOUND WALLS, RIGHT? LIKE TECH.FUND, SOUND WALLS.
AND FRANKLY, THEY SHOULD BE FUNDING THIS, RIGHT? UM, SO SOUND WALLS DO A LOT TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF A HIGHWAY.
SIMPLY CAPPING THEM WITHOUT EVEN PUTTING ANY AMENITIES ON IT, OF COURSE, BLOCKS THE SOUND.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A HUGE IMPACT.
UM, BOTH SOUND, THE AIR POLLUTION I TALKED ABOUT.
THERE'S COUNTLESS STATS ON, ON HOW THOSE ACTUALLY AFFECT PEOPLE, PEOPLE'S LIVES AND CUT LIVES SHORT.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S LOOKING FOR THAT, UM, THE EAST AVENUE TRAIL THAT WAS MENTIONED, IT WILL GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT PEOPLE JUST SIMPLY DON'T HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WALK AND BIKE TO WORK.
UM, CREATES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANOTHER TRANSIT LINE BUS LINE ALONG I, THE, THE EAST AVENUE CORRIDOR.
UM, AND I, I CAN, I CAN BEGIN TO PROVIDE SOME OTHER EXAMPLES, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE THE, THOSE ARE THE BIG ONES.
AND JUST THE ONE THING IS THE, THE COST OF THE PROJECT.
SO IT'S A $5 BILLION PROJECT THAT WAS NEVER BROUGHT TO THE VOTERS.
UM, BASICALLY TXDOT IS UNLOADING THE MITIGATION AND SAYING, HEY, CITI, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
BUT IN THE END, THE ROADWAY ELEMENTS ARE ONLY 5% OF THE HIGHWAY COST AND A LOT OF THE OTHER COSTS THAT ARE COMING IN THE FUTURE, THERE'S MORE, MANY MORE FUNDING SOURCES.
EVEN THE, THE, I I, I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
I DON'T WANNA GO INTO OTHER THINGS.
I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YEAH, GO AHEAD, ANNA.
UM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE, THE TESTIMONY.
UH, YOU TALKED, UH, TWO, TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, SORT OF THE, THE LINKS WITH THE BIKE AND TRAILS NON-CAR ACCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO TODAY THAT'S, THAT HIGHWAY IS SOMETHING THAT I REGULARLY CROSS MY HUSBAND CROSSES TO COMMUTE TO WORK, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IS, IS THIS AN ARGUMENT OF LIKE, IS THERE ADDITIONAL ACCESS BECAUSE WE JUST REMOVE THIS AS A BARRIER AND IT'S A LOT NICER.
AND THEN QUESTION TWO IS, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT THE, THE POLLUTION.
COULD YOU, COULD YOU TALK ABOUT LIKE HOW WE THINK THIS IMPACTS THE POLLUTION, HOW WE KNOW THAT? I JUST, I JUST DID A QUICK LITERATURE SEARCH.
UM, THERE HAVEN'T BEEN A LOT OF STUDIES THAT HAVE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS.
UM, SO COULD YOU COMMENT ON THAT? SURE.
UM, TO THE FIRST QUESTION, UM, SO ONE THING TO NOTE IS THE, A LOT OF THE, HOW IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE EXPANDED.
SO, UM, IT'S ROUGHLY DOUBLING THE WIDTH IN A LOT OF LOCATIONS.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT A LOT OF THE EXISTING HIGHWAY CROSSINGS AROUND THE CITY, THEY, I MEAN, ALREADY I 35 SERVES AS A BARRIER, AND PEOPLE JUST SIMPLY DON'T MAKE THE TRIPS.
THEY INSTEAD DRIVE TO GET ACROSS 'EM.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LOOKING AROUND THE CITY, THOSE ARE HUGE BARRIERS.
I MEAN, PEOPLE DON'T THINK A NEIGHBORHOOD'S CROSSING HIGHWAYS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THOSE JUST AREN'T CONNECTED PLACES.
UM, SO THERE, AS FAR AS THE ACCESS, SO ONE, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE NOTABLE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY, CITY STAFF MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, THIRD STREET IS A NEW BIKE WALK CROSSING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR MISSION RED LINE PARKWAY INITIATIVE, THERE ARE TWO CROSSINGS THAT THERE'S A CROSSING AT FOURTH STREET, AND THEN THERE'LL BE ONE AT HANCOCK CENTER.
THOSE WILL BE ONES WHERE YOU DON'T EVEN ENCOUNTER CARS AT ALL.
YOU'LL, YOU'LL GO OVER THE FRONT ROAD LANES, OVER THE HIGHWAY LANES, UM, YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW THERE'S A HIGHWAY UNDERNEATH.
THAT'S THE SORT OF EXPERIENCE THAT'S LIKE, OBVIOUSLY THE BEST LEVEL.
UM, SO WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO USE THOSE AT OTHER CROSSINGS.
YOU MAY HAVE TO ENCOUNTER THE FRONTAGE ROAD LANES, UM, BY ALSO BY CREATING, SO THERE'S THE ASPECT OF BEING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CAPS SHOULD ALSO BE AWAY FROM, UM, AT LEAST THE MAIN LANE POLLUTION.
YOU'LL ENCOUNTER THE FRONTAGE ROAD LANE POLLUTION, UM, DOWNTOWN, YES, EIGHT LANES FURTHER UP NORTH.
UM, ALSO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT URBAN FABRIC OF ACTIVITY, IT'S HUGE TOO.
IF YOU, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF AN EXAMPLE THAT EVERYONE MIGHT KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU THINK OF THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT OF DOWNTOWN, A LOT OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE PARKING
[01:40:01]
GARAGES, NOT A VERY PLEASANT PLACE TO BE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S HOW A HIGHWAY FEELS LIKE CROSSING.AND, AND PEOPLE SIMPLY WON'T MAKE THE TRIP BECAUSE, UM, THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE.
THERE AREN'T PEOPLE AROUND TO THE EYE, MORE EYES ON THE STREET MAKING 'EM FEEL SAFE.
SO THE MORE ACTIVITY YOU CAN ACTUALLY BRING TO THOSE CROSSINGS, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, LIKE FAMILIES AND SO ON, OR JUST EVEN PEOPLE SITTING AROUND OR, OR, YOU KNOW, KICKING A SOCCER BALL, UH, THE SAFER PEOPLE WILL FEEL MORE ENJOYABLE.
PEOPLE WILL FEEL IT'S JUST ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF WALKING THROUGH A CITY.
THE MORE ACTIVITY, AN ACTIVITY YOU HAD, THE MORE LIKELY TO MAKE THAT WALK ON THE POLLUTION.
I WASN'T CRYSTAL CLEAR ON WHAT YOU'RE, UH, REFERRING TO THE SECOND QUESTION, UM, IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU SUGGESTED THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE LOCALLY DECREASING POLLUTION, SORRY, A CAP AND STITCH WOULD LOCALLY DECREASE POLLUTION.
DID, DID I HEAR THAT CORRECTLY? YEAH, AND I, I, I ABSOLUTELY WANNA CLARIFY ON THAT.
SO, UM, CERTAINLY THE NOISE POLLUTION WOULD BE CUT DOWN BY THE COPS.
UM, I THINK AS FAR AS THE AIR POLLUTION, UM, THAT'S THE TRICKY THING.
I, I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST THINKING OF THE ONE WHERE IS THIS? HERE, WHEN I READ IT, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, I CAN SEE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, WHOEVER WROTE THIS, BUT IT'S JUST ACTUALLY NOT TRUE.
YOU, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT, RIGHT? SO IT SAYS, UM, LIKE ONE OF THE WEARERS, IT SAYS, WON'T REDUCE LOCAL AIR POLLUTION AT THE REGIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.
AND THE FACT IS, THE CAPS THEMSELVES WON'T, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NO SCRUBBERS.
THEY WON'T, THEY WON'T TAKE THE PM TWO FIVE OR THE OTHER POLLUTION FROM THE CARS THAT DO USE THE HIGHWAY OUT OF THE AIR.
BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ADDING BIKE LANES OR ADDING TRANSIT LINES OR WALKIN FACILITIES, WE THINK OF THOSE THINGS AS REDUCING POLLUTION, RIGHT? I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S THE MOTIVATION.
AND BY MAKING IT MORE BIKE WALK FRIENDLY ALONG THE CORRIDOR AND ACROSS THE CORRIDOR ARE CREATING THOSE BETTER CONNECTIONS.
IN THAT SENSE, THOSE TRIPS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD'VE BEEN MADE BY CAR WILL NOW BE WALKING, BIKING, AND TRANSIT TRIPS.
AND SO IN THAT WAY, IT REDUCES THE POLLUTION.
AND I, I GUESS THE OTHER THING TOO IS JUST TO CLARIFY, I SAID IT EARLIER, BUT WHEN PEOPLE CROSS THE HIGHWAY, THEY WON'T ENCOUNTER AS MUCH POLLUTION EITHER.
I, SO IT SOUNDED LIKE TXDOT IS GONNA PROVIDE THESE PEDESTRIAN BIKE CROSSING PATHS.
ANYWAY, I JUST AM CURIOUS, RIGHT? AND, AND I DO WANT
I MEAN, WE, I'VE LED A MULTI-YEAR EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT TEX STOCK BUILD SHARED THESE PATHS ALONG THE HIGHWAY, AND SO THEY'RE INCLUDING THOSE AS PART OF THEIR BASELINE PROJECT, AND THEY ENHANCE CROSSINGS ARE ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY GLAD TO SEE.
AND SO I THINK AT THE CROSSINGS WHERE THERE ISN'T A CAP OR ANY OTHER KIND OF FURTHER ACCOMMODATION, THEY'RE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, I THINK IT'S JUST THE REALITY IS THAT THEY WON'T ATTRACT AS MANY PEOPLE WALKING, BIKING ACROSS THE HIGHWAY.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY, THEY WILL HELP, RIGHT? UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, THEY AREN'T FAR AWAY FROM THE, THAT EDGE OF THE HIGHWAY THAT LIKE, YOU WILL STILL GET THE, THE AIR POLLUTION COMING UP FROM THE HIGHWAY WHEN YOU'RE THAT CLOSE.
UM, THE FURTHER AWAY YOU GET, OBVIOUSLY YOU WON'T, YOU KNOW, CROSSING AT ONE OF THE CAPS.
YOU WON'T GET THAT, THAT AIR POLLUTION.
AND THEN IT'S JUST THE URBAN FABRIC.
IT'S NOT CREATING THE SAME KIND OF URBAN FABRIC.
IT'S JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF EXAMPLES OF WHAT WORKS WELL, WHAT HELPS A LITTLE BIT, AND SO ON.
NOW WE HAVE COMPLETE COMPLETED ITEM THREE, AND WE WILL
[7. JSC officer elections for the 2025-2026 term ]
MOVE QUICKLY TO ITEM SEVEN, AND THEN WE WILL GO BACK TO THE OTHERS, UH, IN ORDER.SO WE NEED A CHAIR, AND WE NEED A VICE CHAIR.
WHO WANTS TO DO THAT? I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE KABA WHITE FOR CHAIR.
I DO JUST WANNA SAY AGAIN, THOUGH, IF SOMEBODY IS ITCHING TO DO THIS, I WILL, I WILL HAPPILY PASS THE BATON.
UM, ANYBODY LOOKING, LOOKING FOR, OKAY.
DO WE WANNA DO THAT ONE AND THEN DO VICE CHAIR? WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND DO THAT? UM, I GUESS JUST ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
LOOKS LIKE I'M DOING THIS AGAIN.
UM, VICE CHAIR CHARLOTTE HAS BEEN GREAT.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK, BUT I KNOW YOU JUST TOOK ON ANOTHER COMMITMENT.
SO WHAT DO YOU, HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
[01:45:01]
AND JUST SO FOLKS KNOW, UM, I KNOW NOT EVERY COMMISSION WORKS THE SAME WAY, BUT, UM, HERE AT THE JSC, AT LEAST, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WORK TOGETHER, RIGHT? WE DO AGENDA SETTING AS A, AS A TEAM.
SO WHOEVER'S VICE CHAIR, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL BE INVITED TO JOIN A, A MEETING A COUPLE WEEKS IN ADVANCE, UH, TO WORK ON AGENDA ITEMS. IT'S NOT A HUGE BURDEN, BUT, UH, IS AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO HAVE A LITTLE EXTRA INPUT ON WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING AT THESE MEETINGS.
WHO WANTS TO STEP UP? DIANA DID A GREAT JOB.
YOU COULD BE THE NEXT, I KEEP HOPING THAT SOMEBODY THAT TAKES ON THE VICE CHAIR ROLE WILL THEN, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WANNA TAKE ON THE CHAIR ROLE AFTER A WHILE.
I JUST WANNA PUT IT OUT THERE.
JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO NOMINATE YOU.
AND, AND, AND CHRIS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SPEAKING SO
AND SO I THINK THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE SUPPORT IN PERSON MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOUGH.
COULD I NOMINATE RODRIGO? I, I APPRECIATE THAT ALBERTA, BUT I FEEL LIKE COMING INTO MY LAST YEAR OF GRAD SCHOOL, IT'S JUST NOT GREAT TIMING.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH WITH OUR TRANSITION.
I TRIED TO RECRUIT HIM ALREADY.
I, I WILL, I WILL VOLUNTEER TO RUN AGAIN.
I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE CHARLOTTE AS VICE CHAIR AGAIN.
AND JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW, SHE JUST TOOK ON CHAIRING THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, SO SHE'S DOING DOUBLE DUTIES, SO THANK YOU.
YEAH, I THINK WE NEED A SECOND.
I WILL SECOND THAT NOMINATION.
ALL IN FAVOR BEFORE SHE CHANGES HER MIND.
LOOKS LIKE THAT ONE'S ALSO UNANIMOUS.
[4. Update from the Electric Utility Commission on the Solar for All Program – Kaiba White, Electric Utility Commission ]
UPDATE FROM THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION IS REAL QUICK.UM, BUT I KNOW Y'ALL WERE, MANY, MANY WERE INTERESTED IN THE SOLAR FOR ALL, UH, PROGRAM THAT TIM HARVEY PRESENTED TO US ABOUT, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO.
AND, UH, THEY HAVE NOW, AUSTIN ENERGY HAS SCHEDULED THE FIRST, UH, COMMUNITY MEETING ON THAT.
AND I CAN ALSO SEND THIS AROUND BY EMAIL.
IT'LL BE JUNE 3RD FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM AND IT'LL BE AT THE SOUTHEAST BRANCH, UH, PUBLIC LIBRARY.
SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE, UH, FOLKS TO, YOU KNOW, SHARE THAT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE THE INTENTION FOR THESE MEETINGS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY DO REALLY INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, JUST EVERYDAY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE, THE SOLAR AND BATTERY INSTALLATIONS, UM, AS WELL AS PEOPLE LIKE US TO ENGAGE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A COME ONE COME ALL KIND OF THING.
SO, UM, I'LL SEND THAT AROUND, BUT WANTED TO SHARE IT HERE TOO.
AND HOPEFULLY THERE WILL SOON BE SOME SORT OF RSVP PAGE.
RIGHT NOW I JUST HAVE THE DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION ALBERTA.
DID, DID THIS COMMITTEE, UM, PASS A RESOLUTION FOR THE, WHAT I'M GONNA CALL SOLAR FOR SOME PROGRAM?
WE HAD A RESOLUTION THAT WAS, UH, I BELIEVE REGARDING THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM.
[01:50:01]
BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE ANYTHING AROUND THE SOLAR FOR ALL PROGRAM.UM, I WILL, UH, YOU KNOW, SAY THAT SINCE TIM PRESENTED HERE, UM, I'VE HEARD HIM SPEAK, YOU KNOW, BRIEFLY ABOUT THE SOLAR FOR ALL PROGRAM A COUPLE TIMES.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL OF US WERE CONCERNED WHEN HE, WHEN HE SPOKE HERE ABOUT THOSE INSTALLATIONS GOING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMERS WHO ARE NOT LOW INCOME, BUT MAYBE LIVE IN THOSE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT WERE DESIGNATED DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES BASED ON KIND OF HISTORIC DATA THAT MAYBE DOESN'T APPLY TO MANY INDIVIDUALS THERE.
UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, COMMITTED TO, TO MAKING A FULL EFFORT TO ACTUALLY GET THOSE SOLAR AND BATTERY INSTALLATIONS AT LOW INCOME HOMES.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD DEVELOPMENT OF OBVIOUSLY, LIKE, NEED TO KIND OF SEE THAT IN A MORE FORMAL WAY.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT THERE IS A ROLE THAT WE ALL CAN PLAY IN HELPING THAT COME TO FRUITION BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR, I THINK IT'S MAYBE 2500, 2200, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, HOMES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO, IF, IF THEY CAN'T GET THEM INSTALLED ON LOW INCOME, THEN THEY'LL START LOOKING FOR OTHERS WITHIN THOSE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.
SO I THINK WE CAN ALL PARTICIPATE.
BUT TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, HAVE THEY PUT THAT, HAVE THEY WRITTEN THAT INTO, BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I LOOKED AT IT, THAT WAS NOT WRITTEN INTO THE PLAN AND, UM, IF IT'S NOT WRITTEN INTO THE PLAN, I I DON'T HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE THAT IT'LL BE CARRIED OUT THAT WAY.
I THINK THE ANSWER IS SORT, SORT OF NOT REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, I THINK IT'S APPEARED MAYBE ON A SLIDE SOMEWHERE THAT IT WILL BE FOR LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS.
SO I THINK IT'S MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, BUT I'M SURE THERE'S GONNA BE SOME LIKE, FORMAL PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO ATTEND MEETINGS LIKE THIS ONE IN JUNE TO, YOU KNOW, SPEAK YOUR MIND AND, AND ENCOURAGE THAT THAT BE, YOU KNOW, FORMALLY STATED IN, IN THOSE PROGRAM DOCUMENTS ONCE THEY'RE DEVELOPED.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT THESE MEETINGS ARE, ARE FOR.
UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, WE WILL MOVE ON.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, I DID NOT WRITE ANYTHING FOR, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE DID, WE JUST HAD IN CASE WE WANTED TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE 2026 BOND PROCESS.
UM, IT'S ON OUR AGENDA, SO WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING WRITTEN, BUT IF ANYBODY HAS THOUGHTS THERE, I'LL JUST PAUSE.
[5. Recommendations for Climate and Sustainability in the 2026 Bond ]
WOULD A RECOMMENDATION BE HELPFUL HERE, KIBA? LIKE, IS, IS THERE DECISION PROCESS STUFF THAT, THAT NEEDS A VOICE OF SUPPORT OR A VOICE OF DISAPPROVAL ON SOMETHING? UM, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS SOME LEVEL OF A COMMITMENT TO ANALYSIS ON CLIMATE IMPACTS OF PROJECTS, BUT THAT, THAT FELT A LITTLE, UM, A LITTLE LIGHT ON DETAIL.UM, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED FOR DOING THAT.
SO IF, IF WE RECOMMENDED ANYTHING, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE THE THING THAT I WOULD MAYBE, YOU KNOW, COME OUT OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION THINKING THAT LIKE MAYBE THERE COULD BE SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THAT.
WELL, COULD WE PUT THAT IN THE FORM OF A RECOMMENDATION? UM, AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER YEAH, YEAH.
I, I CAN WRITE THAT UP IN A BRIEF WAY.
ALBERTA, WHAT DID YOU HAVE IN MIND? UH, WELL I DIDN'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THE QUESTION, BUT IN THE PAST WHEN I'VE ASKED THE QUESTION, THE, THEY PRESENT THIS AS A PROJECT, THE CAP AND STITCH TO, AND THE WHOLE CAP ANDIT DEAL AS A PROJECT TO RECONNECT COMMUNITIES.
BUT, UH, I'VE ASKED IN THE PAST ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT, THE FURTHER DISPLACEMENT OF BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE AS A RESULT OF THE I 35 EXPANSION AND CAP, CAP AND STITCH BECAUSE OF THE, THE ADDITIONAL LAND THAT WILL BE NEEDED.
AND THEN ALSO, AND THE ONE THING I DO KNOW, I DO KNOW IS,
[01:55:01]
IS THIS, IS THAT THE LAND NEAR THE, UM, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? THE, THE, THE HIGHWAY, BUT THE, THAT PARK LAND AND WHAT HAVE YOU, WHATEVER IS NE NEIGHBORING THAT THE PROPERTY VALUES ARE GOING TO RISE EXPONENTIALLY BECAUSE THAT LAND NOW WILL BE PRIMARY, WILL BE EVEN MORE VALUABLE THAN WHAT IT IS TODAY.SO WHAT WILL BE THE FURTHER DISPLACEMENT OF LOWER INCOME PEOPLE IN THESE COMMUNITIES? UH, AND I THINK THAT BEFORE THEY GO FORWARD OR AS THEY GO FORWARD, THAT THEY REALLY DO NEED TO, TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE IMPACT OF CAP AND STITCH AND I 35 ON THE LAND THAT NEIGHBORS THE, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA CALL IT, BUT EVEN THAT TRAIL, THE EAST AUSTIN TRAIL, I, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE THAT CALLING IT EAST, EAST AVENUE TRAIL EAST AVENUE, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL BARRIER THAT, UH, DESIGNATED THE NEGRO DISTRICT FROM THE REST OF AUSTIN.
SO I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT ASPECT OF IT.
UM, ALBERTA, IF, IF YOU CAN HOLD THAT THOUGHT, UM, WE ARE ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE RIGHT NOW, WHICH, UM, ISN'T, ISN'T REALLY ABOUT THE CAP AND STITCH.
WE WILL COME TO THAT ONE IN JUST A SECOND.
BUT, UH, AND ALL THAT'S RELEVANT THERE.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING ON NUMBER FIVE THAT ANYBODY ELSE WOULD ADD? LIKE TO ADD THOUGH, RE REGARDING THE, THE VOTER APPROVED BOND INITIATIVE? WHY WOULDN'T THAT BE PART OF THAT? AS I SEE IT, AS PART OF THE TRANSPARENCY WITH REGARDS TO THE VOTER APPROVED BONDS? OKAY.
I GUESS I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO THIS COULD MAYBE JUST BE A SECOND RECOMMENDATION THAT VOTER APPROVED THAT, THAT IF CAP AND STITCHER TO WERE TO, YOU KNOW, BE RECOMMENDED THAT THAT SHOULD GO TO THE VOTERS.
IS THAT THE ESSENCE OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? I'M SAYING THAT THERE SHOULD BE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT HOW PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE THERE NOW WILL BE IMPACTED BY PROPERTY VALUES AND THE LIKE, AND THE DISPLACEMENT FACTOR SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CAPTAIN STITCH PROGRAM.
DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? I JUST, I'M NOT SURE IT FALLS UNDER ITEM FIVE, BUT I'M ALL FOR TAKING IT UP UNDER ITEM SIX.
UM, I DID GO KINDA, I MEAN, IF, IF WE WANT FOR NEXT MEETING, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO, TO DRAFT, UH, A RECOMMENDATION SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CLIMATE IN, IN SUSTAINABILITY BOND.
BUT I'M NOT TOTALLY CLEAR ON, I DON'T KNOW, I FEEL LIKE WE JUST GOT AN UPDATE AND I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE SUBSTATIVE INPUT OR CRITICISM OR FEEDBACK TO OFFER ON THAT.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE AT THE POINT OF LIKE, MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, TO THE POINT THOUGH, THAT YOU HAD RAISED OR THAT THAT I WAS DISCUSSING BEFORE, I DID WRITE A TWO SENTENCES, SO I'LL JUST READ IT.
THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY CONTRACT WITH A QUALIFIED THIRD PARTY TO CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPACT ANALYSIS FOR EACH BOND PROJECT.
UNDER CONSIDERATION, THE CONSULTANT SHOULD ALSO BE TASKED WITH THE RECOMMENDING MITIGATION MEASURES FOR ANY NEGATIVE EMISSIONS OR OTHER IMPACTS.
CHRIS, SO, SO WHAT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CRITERIA IN EACH DEPARTMENT, PUTTING SOMETHING IN ABOUT, UM, MAKING THE CLIMATE EQUITY GOALS, I KNOW HOW YOU SAY, HIGH ON THE, OR HIGHER ON THE SCORING CRITERIA OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT, UM, AS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS COMMITTEE? THANKS.
[02:00:32]
BUT AGAIN, I MEAN, YOU'RE SAYING DEADLINE WISE, IT'S NOT LIKE WE NEED TO ABSOLUTELY FLESH THIS OUT TONIGHT AND HAVE THIS READY TO GO FOR A VOTE.I MEAN, WE, NO, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO.
ALTHOUGH I DO THINK THAT IF, MAYBE IF THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, AS THEY KIND OF LOOK BACK AT THEIR CONTRACTS, IF THEY DON'T HAVE ONE THAT'S ALREADY APPROPRIATE FOR THIS WORK, THEN THEY WOULD NEED TO GET ON THAT PRETTY QUICKLY TO MEET THE TIMELINE IN TERMS OF LIKE, IF THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN RFP PROCESS.
YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF US TRYING TO GET ALL THE LANGUAGE TOGETHER AND VOTE ON SOMETHING TONIGHT VERSUS NEXT MONTH FROM THE BOND RECOMMENDATION, THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
YEAH, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO, UM, I DID WRITE THE SENTENCE FOR WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THOUGH.
I SAID THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION AND MEETING THE GOALS OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN WEIGH HEAVILY IN, IN THE SCORING CRITERIA FOR PROJECT SELECTION.
I DON'T KNOW, I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT KEEPS COMING BACK AROUND.
UM, SO YES, WE WILL HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
I THINK ALSO, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY NOW AND WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT, THEN WE CAN SAY SOMETHING NOW AND WE CAN SAY SOMETHING MORE IN A FEW MONTHS AS WE LEARN MORE.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT DO FOLKS THINK? UH, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THEM LOOKING AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THESE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I FEEL STRONGLY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT, BUT I THINK SOMEONE SHOULD DO SOME ROUGH MATH GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK SOME OF THE, THE, THE THINGS THAT ARE, THAT, THAT COULD BE ON THERE THAT I THINK WILL BE POPULAR, CERTAINLY I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, OR, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY GONNA BE THINGS LIKE HOUSING.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE IF IT WASN'T GONNA BE A THIRD PARTY, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE OFFICES SUSTAINABILITY.
UM,
IS THERE CAPACITY IN-HOUSE FOR THIS? UM, WE WOULD BE LIMITED IN OUR ACTUAL CAPACITY WITH, UH, WHAT WE'D BE ABLE TO DO WITHIN THIS EXISTING STAFF.
UH, IT'S ALSO A DEDICATED FIELD WITH A LOT OF EXPERTISE THAT MIGHT REQUIRE AN EXTERNAL SUPPORT, REGARDLESS IF WE HAD CAPACITY OR NOT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, IF IT IS OPEN, THAT GIVES US THE TIME TO, AND THE, THE POSSIBILITY TO WORK THAT OUT, CLARIFY THE DETAILS ON WHAT'S MOST POSSIBLE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'D EITHER NEED ADDITIONAL STAFF OR MAYBE Y'ALL WOULD HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY TO LIKE MANAGE A CONTRACT FOR SOMEBODY TO DO THE WORK, BUT THAT'S MY SENSE NOT TO FULLY DO THE WORK.
YEAH, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, THAT'S MY SENSE.
BRIEFLY, KIND OF GOING BACK TO, UM, ALBERTA'S POINT, I WONDER, UM, IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ADD SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF, UM, THE COMMUNICATION THROUGH AN IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, UM, WHICH WOULD RELATE BACK TO WHICHEVER, UM, GEO BOND PROJECT WOULD, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY IMPACT THEM, UM, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HOUSING COSTS, UM, HEALTH RELATING BACK TO POLLUTANTS.
UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY TO KIND OF PULL IN HER RECOMMENDATION, BUT ALSO KEEP IT GENERAL TO APPLY TO MOST OF THE, THE BOND PROJECTS.
'CAUSE I, I ASSUME A NUMBER OF THEM WILL IMPACT COMMUNITIES VERY STRONGLY AND AS AN EFFECTIVE THAT MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES EVEN STRONGER.
SO I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE THAT IF WE MAKE IT BROADER THAN JUST CAP AND STITCH, THEN WHO KNOWS? MAYBE A CAP AND STITCH ENDS UP IN THERE.
BUT YEAH, IT JUST COULD APPLY TO EVERYTHING ALBERTA.
DOES THAT GET WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO GO? YEAH, IT DOES.
UM, IT DOES AND I WOULD, AND THANK YOU FOR,
[02:05:01]
FOR DOING THAT.UH, PERHAPS TO PULL IN ALSO THE, UH, BECAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND RESILIENCE IS ALSO ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS AND ALSO ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT, AND THAT GOES TO HEALTH AND WELFARE OF, OF PEOPLE.
SO WE MIGHT TRY, YOU KNOW, JUST USING OUR OWN LANGUAGE AND WE'RE, WE, WE MIGHT TRY TO PULL IN THOSE FACTORS.
AND I, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU JUST OUTLINED.
SO THE SIMPLEST SENTENCE THAT I CAME UP WITH, WITH WAS JUST THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT COMMUNITY IMPACTS OF ALL PROJECTS BE EVALUATED.
BUT DO WE WANT TO LIST ANY OF THOSE IMPACTS OR LEAVE IT BROAD? WELL, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO PULL IN THE, THE, UM, UNDERSERVED COMMUN AND, AND, AND ESPECIALLY FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THAT CONTINUE TO BE IMPACTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
UH, INEQUITIES BE, AND, AND THE IM AND THE IMPACT OF, OF, UH, HIGHWAYS AND WHATEVER
WE, WE'VE ALL LEARNED ABOUT THESE STORIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST ADMINISTRATION FROM THE STUDIES THAT WERE DONE.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENT, WE ARE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT HEALTH AND, AND WELFARE OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
THAT'S ALL UNDER THE CATEGORY OF ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
SO RECOMMENDS THE COMMUNITY IMPACTS, ESPECIALLY ON UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IMPACTED BY ENVIR OR, UH, THAT ARE MAYBE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, YEAH.
UH, AND WE, WE DO HAVE THE, THE, MAYBE THE ASPECT OF DISPLACEMENT AND HEALTH AND, AND, UM, AND HEALTH IS ALSO MENTAL HEALTH.
AND HEALTH IS ALSO YOUR ENVIRONMENT, YOUR, YOUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
UM, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL POLLUTION COMING FROM THIS.
AND SO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS ALSO PART OF ALL OF THIS AS WE HAVE COME TO LEARN, UM, YOUR ABILITY TO HAVE GREEN SPACE AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO MAYBE WE WORK ON IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, HONE IT UP, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS INITIALLY PROVIDED.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS BETTER
I I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, THIS SOUNDS A LOT LIKE, UM, THE EQUITY SCREENING TOOL THAT WAS IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
AND I WONDER IF WE CAN JUST LEAN ON THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW IT HAS, UM, QUESTIONS TO ASSESS PROJECTS AROUND FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HEALTH, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AFFORDABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY.
SO I WONDER IF, IF WE CAN REFERENCE THAT
SO RIGHT NOW I HAVE THE JSC ALSO RECOMMENDS THE COMMUNITY IMPACTS, ESPECIALLY ON UNDER UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE OF ALL PROJECTS BE EVALUATED.
AND THEN MAYBE A SECOND SENTENCE ABOUT INCORPORATING THE SCREENING TOOL IS THAT MAYBE WE COULD SAY AS OUTLINED IN THE, UM, MAYBE THE PRO SCREENING DOCUMENT, THE PROCESS OUTLINED IN THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN I THINK ALSO TOO, UM, ADDING IN THE COMMUNICATION OF, YOU KNOW, THAT REPORT TO THE RESIDENTS WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AREN'T AWARE OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, LIKE GOVERNMENT WEBSITES.
UM, AND THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS EDUCATED ON HOW TO NAVIGATE THOSE SOURCES.
UM, SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE, LIKE MY FAMILY CANNOT, DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIND THINGS, UM, ON THEIR CITY WEBSITE AT ALL.
UM, SO MAKING THOSE REPORTS ACCESSIBLE FOR THE RESIDENTS
[02:10:01]
I THINK WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT.WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, LIKE PAPER THAT IS LEFT ON THEIR DOORSTEPS OR IN THEIR MAILBOX, WHATEVER.
SO I'VE ADDED THE, THE PROCESS OUTLINED IN THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOL OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN SHOULD BE UTILIZED, THE RESULTS SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO THE COMMUNITY USING A VARIETY OF METHODS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO RESIDENTS OF ALL DEMOGRAPHICS.
I HAVE ONE MORE SUGGESTION, KABA.
UM, IF WE COULD LIST OUT SOME EXAMPLES OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS JUST FOR CLARITY, LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL, FINANCIAL, PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE STRONGER.
I'M ADDING THE AFTER IMPACTS, JUST A PARENTHETICAL, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL, FINANCIAL, AND HEALTH.
UM, I AM LOGGED ON, BUT I THINK NOT IN THE PARTICIPANT.
CAN, CAN YOU MAKE IT SO I CAN HAVE SHARING PRIVILEGES? I JUST WANTED TO THROW THIS ON THE SCREEN SO FOLKS CAN SEE IT.
THAT'S STILL HARD TO SEE, ISN'T IT? YEAH, IT LOOKS GOOD.
AND I THANK EVERYBODY FOR HELPING ME ARTICULATE THIS.
UM, I CAN'T SEE EVERYBODY ONLINE, I DON'T THINK, BUT DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY CONCERNS WITH US? IF NOT, I THINK WE CAN MOVE, MOVE FORWARD.
I DO HAVE ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, AS FAR AS THE SCORING CRITERIA GOES, I REALLY LIKE THAT RECOMMENDATION, BUT I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, I NEED CLARITY AROUND IF EACH DEPARTMENT IS CREATING THEIR SELECTION OR EVALUATION CRITERIA IN FULL, OR IF THERE'S SOME KIND OF UNIVERSAL BASELINE CRITERIA THAT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO USE IN ADDITION TO THEIR, LIKE FLARE ON THE CRITERIA.
WOULD, DID ANYONE GET CLARITY ON THAT? I DO NOT HAVE FULL CLARITY ON THAT.
UM, I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S A DESIRE AT THE BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE FOR THERE TO BE A SET OF CRITERIA THAT APPLIES IN SOME WAYS TO EVERYTHING, BUT THEN MAYBE ALSO WITHIN DIFFERENT, UM, SECTORS.
BUT I, IT'S NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR TO ME, BUT I, YEAH.
WHAT IF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE PLANNING TO HAVE, MY HOPE IS THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF UNIFYING CRITERIA, RIGHT? THEN I WONDER IF WE NEED TO SPECIFY THAT THIS IS INCLUDED IN THE UNIFYING CRITERIA RATHER THAN THE, UM, SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTAL CRITERIA.
DO YOU THINK THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE INCLUDED IN BOTH? I THINK IT COULD BE, BUT I THINK IT MAY BE READ IT CURRENTLY.
IT MAY READ AS IF WE'RE JUST SAYING THAT LIKE OA CONSIDERS IT AND THEIR CRITERIA FOR PROJECTS COMING OUT OF OAR OH OH.
THAT WAS NOT THE INTENTION OF THE SENTENCE.
I DON'T THINK IT, IT READS THAT WAY FOR SURE, BUT I THINK IT COULD BE INTERPRETED THAT WAY.
SO JUST, I THINK IT COULD BENEFIT FROM A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICITY.
AND I THINK WE'RE MISSING AN E AFTER AUSTIN OR AUSTIN CLIMATE NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF WORK IN.
[02:15:01]
APPROVAL OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE ON THE SCREEN.UM, I THINK I'VE READ IT ALL ALOUD, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN LINE WITH EVERYTHING, I AM GOING TO READ IT ONE TIME.
THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY CONTRACT WITH A QUALIFIED THIRD PARTY TO CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPACT ANALYSIS FOR EACH BOND PROJECT.
UNDER CONSIDERATION, THE CONSULTANT SHOULD ALSO BE TASKED WITH RECOMMENDING MITIGATION MEASURES FOR ANY NEGATIVE EMISSIONS OR OTHER IMPACTS.
THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION AND MEETING THE GOALS OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY EQUITY PLAN WEIGH HEAVILY IN THE SCORING CRITERIA PER PRO FOR PROJECT SELECTION FOR ALL BOND, MAYBE CRITERIA FOR, SO THAT'S FINE.
FOR PROJECT SELECTION, FOR ALL BOND PROJECTS, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY, UH, COMMITTEE, SORRY.
I ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT COMMUNITY IMPACTS INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL, FINANCIAL, AND HEALTH, ESPECIALLY IN UNDERSERVED COMMUN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
I THINK, UM,
I'M JUST MAKING IT TWO SENTENCES.
SO STARTING WITH THAT, FOR THAT LAST PARAGRAPH, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT COMMUNITY IMPACTS INCLUDING HEALTH, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL, FINANCIAL, AND HEALTH OF ALL PROJECTS BE EVALUATED, IMPACTS ON UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE SHOULD BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED.
THE PROCESS OUTLINED IN THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOL OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN SHOULD BE UTILIZED.
THE RESULTS SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO THE COMMUNITY USING A VARIETY OF METHODS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO RESIDENTS OF ALL DEMOGRAPHICS.
THE SECOND PARAGRAPH NEEDS THE, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
ALRIGHT, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.
UM, LET ME STOP SHARING SO I CAN SEE PEOPLE.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY'S VOTING YES ON THIS ONE.
SO THAT'S APPROVED AND I WILL, I'M GONNA, LET ME SAVE THAT DOCUMENT SO I DON'T, DON'T LOSE IT.
[6. Recommendation on the I-35 Cap and Stitch]
SO THE NEXT ITEM IS SPECIFICALLY ON CAP AND STITCH.AND I DID SEND AROUND A DRAFT, IT WAS A DRAFT SO THAT WE HAD SOMETHING TO WORK FROM.
OBVIOUSLY WE CAN JET US IN IT, WE CAN EDIT IT, WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE WANT.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO PUT SOME THINGS DOWN SO THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO START FROM ZERO NECESSARILY.
SO SINCE I WROTE IT, I'M GONNA JUST KIND OF OPEN IT UP FIRST FOR DISCUSSION TO, TO HEAR WHAT FOLKS ARE THINKING ON KAPLAN'S STITCH.
UM, I WILL JUST SAY THAT I, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH THINK THAT WE DO NEED THE CONNECTIVITY.
UM, I GUESS I JUST SEE THAT THE BASELINE PROJECT PROVIDES THAT.
AND SO THE, THE MAIN THING WITH THE CAPS IS, IS THIS PARK SPACE.
UM, BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT SINCE THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME, I DON'T KNOW, READING OF THAT, THAT SEEMED TO, SEEMED TO IMPLY THAT THERE WAS NOT A, UM, PRIORITY FOR PEDESTRIAN AND, AND BIKE ACCESS.
I GUESS I GO BACK TO AGAIN, THE GOALS OF CONNECTIVITY OF CONNECTING EAST AND WEST.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, A WAY FOR AUSTIN TO OVERCOME, YOU KNOW, SOME HISTORY, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, BUT WHEN, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT JUST THE WHOLE PROJECT AND YOU LOOK AT THE SEGMENTS, RIGHT? AGAIN, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO MY EARLIER POINT ABOUT THE
[02:20:01]
DOWNTOWN SECTIONS VERSUS THE NORTHERN SECTIONS, RIGHT? SO JUST RUN THE NUMBERS, LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE METRIC OF THE COST PER ACRE.THE CAP STITCH ONE THROUGH FIVE COMES OUT TO BE 28 MILLION PER ACRE JUST FOR THE STRUCTURES.
THE CAP STITCH FOR SIX TO EIGHT IS 37 MILLION PER ACRE.
I DON'T WANNA SAY IT LIKE THAT, BUT, UM, I, I, I JUST LOOK AT IT THAT WAY.
SO MEANING, YOU KNOW, THE CAPTAIN STITCH I THINK HAS MERIT AND A GREAT POTENTIAL.
AND WHEN, YOU KNOW ALL THIS STUFF ABOUT GENERATIONAL, I MEAN, IT REALLY GETS TO YOU LIKE, YEAH, WHEN ARE WE GONNA HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AGAIN? SO, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE SMART BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM DEBT LIKE THIS CAN, YOU KNOW, BE TOUGH.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK MORE AT SEGMENTS AND THE REASONS FOR THESE.
UM, UM, FOR INSTANCE, THE, THE NORTHERN SECTIONS, YOU KNOW, MUELLER PARK IS PRETTY CLOSE, YOU KNOW, TO THAT.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE THE, THE IDEA OF ADDING PARKLAND, YOU KNOW, TO THAT SEGMENT.
I MEAN, THAT'S GREAT, BUT FOR THE RESIDENTS IN CHERRYWOOD AND MUELLER NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE THAT PARK, UH, YOU KNOW, HANCOCK, IT'S MORE OF A GOLF COURSE, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY A PARK PER SE.
UM, BUT STILL, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A DIS DIS DISPROPORTIONATE, I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T SAY THAT.
DISPROPORTIONATE, DISPROPORTIONATE, UH, COST AND, AND MAYBE BENEFIT FOR THESE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE MY, I GUESS, UH, TAKE ON LOOKING AT OTHER OVERALL COSTS, UM, OF THE CAPA DITCH.
YEAH, I GUESS, UH, I'LL COME TO YOU, ANNA, IN JUST A SECOND.
I JUST, YEAH, I THINK DEFINITELY THE KIND OF COST FOR, FOR WHAT WE'RE GETTING IS, IS MY PRIMARY CONCERN, BECAUSE WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T HAVE OUR CAKE CAKE AND EAT IT TOO.
AND WHATEVER WE SPEND ON THIS, WE AREN'T GONNA SPEND IT ON SOMETHING ELSE.
AND, UM, THEY SEEMED LIKE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS A LITTLE BIGGER THAN POCKET PERKS, BUT NOT, THEY'RE NOT BIG PARKS.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT SIGNIFICANT ACREAGE AT ALL.
UM, AND THEY'RE, THEY ARE STILL SURROUNDED BY HIGHWAYS.
AND, AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ACCESS TO PARKS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL, YOU KNOW, LOCAL PEOPLE LOCALLY ARE GONNA USE IT.
SO OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT DOWNTOWN AND THE ACCESS TO PARKS, YOU KNOW? YES.
I THINK THAT COULD BE A BENEFIT.
YOU KNOW, SOMEONE'S NOT GONNA TRAVEL FROM FAR UP NORTH JUST TO COME TO THESE LITTLE POCKET PARKS DOWN ON, SO, YOU KNOW, FOR THE BENEFIT OF, OF DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS AND EAST SIDE RESIDENTS.
AND I MEAN, YEAH, I COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, A BENEFIT BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF POTENTIAL PARK AREAS DOWN THERE.
BUT IT JUST, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE NORTHERN SECTION, I FEEL LIKE NOT AS, UH, WARRANTED THE INVESTMENT FOR THE CABIN STITCH ALONG THOSE SEVEN, ALTHOUGH THERE IS, THERE IS PARKLAND, LIKE REALLY NOT THAT FAR AWAY, LIKE RIGHT ALONG THE RIVER.
WHICH I WOULD SAY IS MUCH MORE DESIRABLE PLACE.
THAT'S WHERE I WOULD RATHER GO THAN LIKE, YES, I GET IT LAID BIRD, LATE LAY BIRD TRAIL.
I'M NOT PLAY ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT THAT'S JUST ME.
ANNA
I THINK MY QUESTION, I MEAN, I THINK THIS SOUNDS NICE AND IMPORTANT AND, AND I THINK, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT A, A CAPPED HIGHWAY WOULD BE ONE THAT PEOPLE WOULD CROSS AND THEY WOULD CROSS WITHOUT USING CARS.
UM, I THINK MY QUESTION, MAYBE THIS IS TO COUNCIL, RIGHT? IS LIKE, WHAT, WHAT IS THIS? INSTEAD OF, RIGHT? LIKE, I THINK WE HEARD LAST MEETING FROM A COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT, OR RIGHTFULLY BRINGING UP THE ISSUE OF INEQUITY, LIKE IN OUR BUS LINES.
AND SO FOR ME, I, YOU KNOW, I WANNA LOOK AT THE CARBON COST, BUT I ALSO WANNA LOOK AT THE TRADE OFF OF LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE COST OF THIS COMPARED TO PROVIDING FREE BUS PILOTS IN, YOU KNOW, OUR UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS OR FREE TRANSIT, FOR EXAMPLE.
WHAT'S THE COST OF THIS COMPARED TO HOUSING FOR OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS? UM, THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY.
WHAT'S THE COST OF THIS COMPARED TO, I DON'T KNOW, BATTERIES, WHICH MAYBE AUSTIN ENERGY SHOULD, SHOULD BE PAYING FOR? AND SO IT'S A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT ISSUE, OR LIKE A TRANSFER CENTER.
YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW IF I, FROM, FROM A AIR POLLUTION STANDPOINT, I, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED THAT LIKE, WE'RE TAKING SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND SAYING LIKE, HEY, GO PLAY IN THE PARK ABOVE THE HIGHWAY, UM, QUESTION THAT, AND JUST LOOKING, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE
[02:25:01]
THERE'S BEEN A TON OF, OF RESEARCH AND STUDY DONE ON THAT.AND SO I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I, I ALSO WANNA LEARN MORE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A QUESTION, BUT THAT'S HOW I'M FEELING.
AND I, THE, I THINK I SENT AROUND ONE, UM, PDF OF DOCUMENTS, UM, AND THE, THERE WAS, THERE WAS ONE AIR KIND OF AIR QUALITY, UM, I GUESS MAP IN THERE.
I THINK THAT'S OF THE, MAYBE OF THE CESAR CHAVEZ.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHERE THAT IS.
BUT, UM, IT'S ONE OF, ONE OF THE CAP AREAS, I GUESS, UNDER CONSIDERATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY THE, THE, THE AIR POLLUTION'S, NOT IT, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T GO AWAY, RIGHT? LIKE IT
UM, AND THAT IS A REAL CONCERN OF MINE, YOU KNOW, LIVING NEAR A HIGHWAY IS, UH, YOU KNOW, HAS NEGATIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES.
SO DOES GOING TO SCHOOL OR, YOU KNOW, ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL TIME, ESSENTIALLY WITHIN, YOU KNOW, LIKE A THOUSAND FEET, UM, CERTAINLY OF A BUSY HIGHWAY LIKE I 35 HAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY I PERSONALLY WOULD NOT LIKE GO TO THESE SPACES.
AND EVEN FOR THOSE WHO LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO THEM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BAD ENOUGH IF YOU LIVE NEXT TO THEM.
HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE LIKE GOOD WINDOWS IN A TIGHTLY SEALED HOME.
UM, WHEN YOU DO GO OUTSIDE, IDEALLY YOU WOULD GO OUT OF THAT LIKE THOUSAND FEET AREA FOR YOUR RECREATION, PARTICULARLY IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN OR, YOU KNOW, ANY SORT OF RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES.
UM, SO I, YEAH, I THINK I, I DO KIND OF QUESTION THE WISDOM OF DRAWING PEOPLE THERE FROM MORE TIME THAN THEY ALREADY WOULD NATURALLY BE.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND TOO, THE, UM, AIR POLLUTION WOULD ACTUALLY BE WORSE IN THE AREA BELOW THE, THE CAP.
AND SO THAT IS WHERE, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONALLY THESE FAMILIES ARE LIVING AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN GOING OUTSIDE OR INTO THEIR BACKYARD, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE SPACE THAT THEY DO HAVE IS NOW WORSE, I GUESS, TO GET THEM TO GO PLAY ON TOP OF THE HIGHWAY.
UM, IN LINE WITH THAT, THE SOIL WOULDN'T BE DEEP ENOUGH TO PLANT, YOU KNOW, MATURE TREES THAT ARE CAPABLE OF SIGNIFICANT CARBON SEQUESTRATION.
UM, I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND BUILDING, YOU KNOW, LIKE URBAN, UM, YOU KNOW, FOOD FARMS ON TOP OF A HIGHWAY.
UM, SO YEAH, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE.
AND ALTHOUGH I DO THINK THAT THIS IS A REALLY COOL PROJECT, I SORT OF WONDER IF IT'S SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF OUR TIME IN THAT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS DOING THE PROJECT IN 20 YEARS OR, OR WHATEVER THE, THE YEAR CUTOFF WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE HAVE ACCESS TO MORE AFFORDABLE, UM, PERVIOUS COVER TECHNOLOGY.
MAYBE WE ARE ABLE TO PLANT MORE MATURE TREES, UM, ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS, YEAH, I THINK WHAT I HEARD WAS THAT PHASE ONE THAT WE HAVE TO DECIDE NOW, THE CITY HAS TO DECIDE NOW IT'S PHASE TWO, THE DECKS AND TUNNEL ELEMENTS, UM, THAT I THINK THAT COULD EITHER BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN THE 2033 RANGE OR SOMETIME AFTER 10 YEARS, BUT RIGHT.
EVEN THE NOW THE, LIKE, MINIMUM.
YOU KNOW, NOW, I GUESS DEPENDING ON HOW MANY OF THESE CAPS THEY WENT FOR, IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF I GUESS EIGHT AND ONE WERE ELIMINATED, I THINK IT WOULD, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE LIKE TWO, TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE, TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE MAYBE MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK LIKE THAT'S, THAT'S NOT NOTHING.
IT'S, IT'S GONNA CUT OUT, IT'S GONNA CUT OUT SOME OTHER PROJECTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THERE JUST IS, UM, WHATEVER, A MATTER OF PRIORITIZATION.
AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT, UM, RATHER THAN PUTTING THOSE FUNDS TOWARDS THESE CAPS, UM, LIKE THE CAP HIGHWAY PARKS,
[02:30:01]
UM, IT, IT WOULD BE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT AND ALSO THE, THE COMMUNITY AND CULTURE OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO INVEST MORE IN THE, THE LOCAL PARKS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.FOR EXAMPLE, I'M SURE THAT IN SOME OF THESE AREAS, IN PARTICULARLY IN EAST AUSTIN, THERE MIGHT BE PARK LAND TECHNICALLY, UM, THAT IS NOT MAINTAINED TO THE QUALITY OF, YOU KNOW, COMPARABLE PARKLAND ON, ON THE WEST SIDE.
AND SO I, I, I MEAN, YEAH, IT'S A REALLY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT I THINK COULD BENEFIT, UM, THE COMMUNITIES AND YEAH, IN, IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UM, THIS IS A REALLY TOUGH ONE FOR ME.
UM, THE PRICE TAG IS ENORMOUS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WHILE I, I WISH THAT WE HAD ALL OF THE MONEY TO DO ALL OF THE THINGS, UM, I'M ALSO A, A BIT OF A PRAGMATIST, UH, THAT SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, THE, THE CITY HAS SPENT THE, THE LAST THREE YEARS OR SO GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND ASKING PEOPLE, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? YOU KNOW, WE'RE BASICALLY GOT RUN OVER BY TXDOT, RIGHT? THEY'RE GONNA WIDEN THE HIGHWAY.
WE HAD ALMOST NO SAY IN IT WHATSOEVER.
AND THIS CAP AND STITCH WAS SORT OF PITCHED AS A, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S A TERRIBLE CONSOLATION PRIZE IN, IN MY VIEW.
UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS, YOU KNOW, COULD BE A NICE THING, RIGHT? AND HAVING GONE THROUGH, UH, MANY OPEN HOUSES AND MANY FEEDBACK SESSIONS, LISTENING SESSIONS, AND GATHERING COMMUNITY INPUT, UM, AND SAYING, HERE'S WHAT THE PLANS LOOK LIKE, HERE'S THIS BEAUTIFUL ARTIST RENDERING.
UM, I, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S AN EQUITY CONCERN HERE, UM, TO SAY AT THIS POINT, WELL, ACTUALLY NO, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN PROMISED AND HAS EX EXPECTED AND DEMANDED, AND THE ONES THAT LIVE THERE, FRANKLY, A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT LIVE AT CLOSE ENOUGH PROXIMITY TO SOME OF THESE PLACES HAVE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THOSE PLACES HAVE ALREADY BEEN GENTRIFIED.
SO, UM, I'M REALLY TORN ABOUT THIS.
I REALLY THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M UNDER NO ILLUSION THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A, A, YOU KNOW, A POSITIVE CLIMATE TYPE OF PROJECT.
UM, BUT I DO THINK WE, UH, HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE, THE HIGHWAY WIDENING PROJECT, AND ALSO THE, THE COMMUNITIES THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT GET FUNDING FOR THEIR PARKS IN OTHER PARTS OF TOWN, BECAUSE THIS HAS $47 MILLION OF ANNUAL MAINTENANCE THAT'S GONNA, THAT IT'S GONNA NEED.
UM, SO I'M, I'M REALLY AMBIVALENT ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF MY THOUGHTS I WANTED TO PUT OUT THERE, AND I, I WOULD BE GLAD TO HEAR OTHER, OTHER PERSPECTIVES ON THIS.
SO, AND THEN ALBERTA DON, OUR FUTURE 35 WEBSITE, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT, UM, PEOPLE BEING PITCHED THIS AND EVERYTHING.
SO IT SAID, YOU KNOW, APPROXIMATELY 1800 TOTAL RESPONSES IN THE SURVEY IN THAT ALMOST 80% YEAH.
UH, THAT, THAT AGREED TO THE DRAFT VISION, MISSION, MISSION, AND GOALS OF THE PROJECT, RIGHT? SO, I MEAN, IF WE JUST WANT TO, I GUESS, SOME OTHER EVIDENCE OF, OF THE OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WEIGHING IN ON THIS, I MEAN, THAT IS AT LEAST A DATA POINT ON THAT.
SO I SHARE, UH, CHARLOTTE'S CONCERN, UH, JUST UP IN THE AIR.
UM, I DO THINK IT IS A GREAT PROJECT, A CONNECTIVITY, UM, BUT OF COURSE COMES WITH, UM, ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND SO IT COMES DOWN TO THESE TWO THINGS FOR ME IS ONE IS THE COMMUNITY IMPACT, AND THEN TWO IS THE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL
[02:35:01]
IMPACT.UM, AND BOTH OF THOSE I NEED TO DO MORE RESEARCH ON TO UNDERSTAND BETTER OF HOW THE COMMUNITIES ARE AFFECTING THIS, UM, OR BEING AFFECTED BY THIS.
UH, BUT I DO THINK, UH, THERE'S SOME GOOD THINGS, AS WAS POINTED OUT BY OUR SPEAKER, UM, ABOUT THE OFFSETS THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE BEING, OR THAT ARE HAPPENING DUE TO THE, UM, PARKS AND, UM, THE, UH, EMISSIONS THAT WERE BEING OFFSET BY THE GREEN SPACE.
UH, SO I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WEIGHS, UH, HEAVILY ON, ON ME UNDERSTANDING IT.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS ON AN URBAN DESIGN STANDPOINT OF HOW THIS CONNECTS THE CITY, UM, THE BIG, A BIG PART OF THIS FOR ME IS UNDERSTANDING HOW WE'RE GOING TO SEW THIS INTO A CITY FABRIC THAT IS SEAMLESS, AND IT WORKS AT ALL LEVELS TO WHERE WE DON'T HIT OBSTACLES AND, AND EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD CROSSING THE STREET UNTIL YOU GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
UM, BUT I STILL NEED TO DO MY OWN RESEARCH ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMP IMPACTS THAT ARE, ARE BAKED INTO THIS THING.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO IS THE JUICE WORTH A SQUEEZE, AS I LIKE TO SAY? AND, UM, I WILL SAY THIS, I WAS ON THE, ONE OF THE ORIGINAL COMMITTEES, PERHAPS THE ORIGINAL COMMITTEE THAT DID SERVE AS THE COMMITTEE'S, THE CITY'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE, TO LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT ISSUES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID PROMISE THAT THEY WAS, THEY WERE GOING TO CENTER EQUITY IN, IN TERMS OF HOW THIS WAS DONE, BUT THEN WHEN WE GOT BACK THE PLANS, THERE WAS NOTHING FOR, THERE WAS EAST, THE EAST 11TH AND 12TH, 12TH STREET CORRIDOR HAD NO CAP, ONLY A STITCH, KIND OF LIKE A FOOTBRIDGE.
AND IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE, THE, THE, THE WHOLE HISTORY OF I 35 IS ROOTED IN RACISM AND WHY THEY BUILT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE IN THE, YOU KNOW, UH, OPENED IT IN 19, IN THE 1960S AS A, AND, AND, AND CHOSE THAT, THAT CORRIDOR TURNING EAST AUSTIN INTO THIS DOUBLE DECKER HIGHWAY.
AND SO WHEN WE, WE WENT ALONG WITH THE CITY FOR A LONG TIME IN TERMS OF INPUT, AND ULTIMATELY FOUND OUT THE CITY HAD NOT BEEN HONEST WITH US BECAUSE WE, WE ALSO DECIDED TO MEET WITH TXDOT.
AND THEY HAD TOLD US, THE CITY HAD BEEN TELLING US THAT, HEY, YOU KNOW, THE REASON THAT WE CANNOT DO THE CAP ON EAST 12TH, BUT WE CAN DO IT IN ALL THESE OTHER PLACES, IS BECAUSE TDOT DID NOT, COULD NOT COME UP WITH A DESIGN AND PUT THE EMPHASIS ON US TO DO IT.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MEET WITH THEM ALL THIS TIME, AND THEY WOULD NOT AGREE TO MEET.
WE FINALLY GOT CHERYL COLE TO SET UP A MEETING WITH TDOT.
AND IN THAT MEETING, WE LEARNED THAT THE CITY HAD NEVER EVEN APPROACHED TDOT ABOUT A CAP AT THE 11TH AND 12TH STREET CORRIDOR.
SO WE HAD NOT BEEN TOLD THE TRUTH.
WE WENT TO THE MAYOR, UH, WATSON, AND HE, YOU KNOW, RIGHTLY TOOK UP THE CAUSE AND SAID, IF THERE'S ANY CAP THAT IS DESERVING, IT IS EAST 11TH AND 12TH STREET.
SO THE QUESTION IS, PARTICULARLY AS WE HEARD HIM LAY OUT WHAT THE PRE-FINANCING IS, WHAT IS ACTUALLY GONNA GET DONE, WHAT IS ACTUALLY, I DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO FINANCE ALL OF THE CAPS THAT ARE IN THESE PROGRAMS, OR EVEN A, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CAPS IN THIS PROGRAM, GIVEN THE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT IS NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD FOR THESE.
AND ALSO, GIVEN WHAT THE CITY HAS DECIDED TO DO, WHETHER HE WANTED TO ADMIT IT OR NOT, GO OUT FOR COS UH, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS.
BUT WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD THAT IN OUR MEETINGS WITH THE CITY.
BUT NOW, OKAY, THAT'S UP IN THE AIR TOO.
UM, AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF POLITICAL BACKLASH ENGAGED IN THAT THEY HAVE DONE NO DISPLACEMENT STUDY AS WE ASKED THEM TO DO, COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO IN THESE, UH, SUBSEQUENT COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD NOT ENDORSE WHAT WAS GOING ON GOING FORWARD BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND
[02:40:01]
THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PLAYING AROUND WITH THE ISSUES AND THE FACT THAT WE COULD NOT REALLY SECURE A GOOD, UM, A GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION PROGRAM.WE COULDN'T, UH, GET THEM TO COMMIT TO A DISPLACEMENT STUDY FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS.
WE WITHHELD OUR ENDORSEMENT, AND THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL I 35 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION THAT WAS INVOLVED IN ALL OF THIS.
SO MY POSITION REALLY IS AT THIS POINT IS I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE CITY DOING THIS IN AN EQUITABLE WAY.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE, THAT WON'T BE FUNDED.
I UNDERSTAND IF THEY WERE TO DO THIS IN AN EQUITABLE WAY, IT COULD BE A GOOD THING.
UM, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION, UM, THINGS THAT WERE ON THE TABLE, UH, THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT, BUT DISMISSED BECAUSE OF COST, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND SO, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM IS, IS THE JUICE WORTH THE SQUEEZE? AND I, I DON'T THINK IT IS.
I, MARISSA, I JUST WANTED TO FIRST SAY THAT I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S THOUGHTS ON THIS, AND, UM, ALSO TO OUR SPEAKER WHO CAME AND PAINTED, UM, A PICTURE AS WELL FOR US, I, I ALSO SHARE THE SENTIMENT THAT I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO REALLY SAY WHETHER OR NOT THIS ENTIRE THING SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T BE FUNDED, BUT I HAVE BEEN KIND OF JOTTING DOWN SOME SENTIMENTS THAT I THINK I'M HEARING AS WE ARE TALKING THROUGH THIS.
AND I HAVE DRAFTED KIND OF AN ALTERNATIVE RESOLUTION STATEMENT, AND I'D LIKE TO READ IT OUT IF THAT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT, TO SEE IF THAT'S WHAT, UM, WHAT WE'RE LEANING TOWARDS.
SO, UM, I HAVE NOW THEREFORE IT BE, IT RESOLVED THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE URGES THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL, FINANCIAL, AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF THE I 35 CAP AND STITCH PROJECTS.
AND TO WEIGH THESE IMPACTS AGAINST THE POTENTIAL TRADE-OFFS, SPECIFICALLY THE OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT COULD BE MADE TO ADVANCE THE CITY'S URGENT CLIMATE GOALS AND OTHER CRITICAL COMMUNITY NEEDS, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE COMMITTEE ENCOURAGES THE CITY TO EVALUATE HOW INVESTMENTS IN THE I 35 PROJECT COMPARE TO OTHER POLLUTION MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS, SUCH AS DIRECT LAND ACQUISITION, IMPROVING ACTIVE AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, EXPANDING TREE CANOPY AND GREEN SPACE IN UNDERSERVED AREAS, ENHANCING BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND INCREASING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO CLEAN AIR AND WATER WITH THE POTENTIAL TO ADD AN EQUITY RECOMMENDATION THAT IF IT IS MOVING FORWARD, THAT IT SHOULD BE DONE IN AN EQUITABLE WAY.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD WANT TO ADD TO THAT IS THAT I, I THINK IT'S AN ALL OR NOTHING, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE REPRESENT THAT, BECAUSE IF THEY GET TO PICK AND CHOOSE AND DO PHASES, UM, THEY EITHER HAVE TO COMMIT TO, AND ANY COMMITMENT THAT THEY MAKE HAS GOTTA BE EQUITABLE.
AND SO MAYBE THEY CAN GO AHEAD IN PHASES AS THEY WANT TO, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY HAVE TO MAKE AN ABSOLUTE COMMITMENT TO THE EAST 11TH AND 12TH STREET CORRIDOR, WHICH WASN'T EVEN ON THE MAP UNTIL WE GOT INVOLVED AND PRESSED FOR THAT.
SO ANY, ANY EQUITY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAS TO INCLUDE THAT.
SO I WOULD SAY WE HAVE TO BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT THAT COMMITMENT BECAUSE OF THE HISTORIC AND SYSTEMIC RACISM DIRECTED AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR.
AND EVEN THOUGH THE AREA IS GREATLY GENTRIFIED, IT IS STILL FROM THE I 35 TO AIRPORT, THE, THE PLACE WHERE THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS STILL LIVE IN THIS CITY.
UM, I MIGHT REQUEST THAT WE CONSIDER ADDING THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR ME IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST THE ENVIRONMENT HERE, RIGHT? IT'S, IT, IT IS THE EQUITY PIECE OF THIS THAT THAT CONCERNS ME.
AND SO WHEN I SAY LIKE, THE COST BENEFIT, I, I ALSO INTEND TO MEAN TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DISPLACED PEOPLE, ARE THERE BETTER WAYS TO MAKE UP THIS HISTORIC WRONG TO THEM, MORE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE WAYS, LIKE WHATEVER THAT, THAT METRIC LOOKS LIKE.
UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, ALBERTA, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ON
[02:45:01]
THIS TOPIC.I, I WOULD SAY THAT LIKE IF SOMEONE COULD, IF SOMEONE HAD SOLD THIS TO ME, LIKE ON THE BASIS OF LIKE, REPARATIONS, I, I'D PROBABLY BE LIKE A LOT MORE LIKELY TO LIKE BE INTO THIS.
SO, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S LIKE A MARKETING NOTE TO FOLKS.
UM, I, I JUST WANNA TELL YOU THAT THAT'S THE FIRST WAY THEY TRY TO SELL THIS IS ON THE BACKS OF BLACK PEOPLE REGARDING REPARATIONS.
AND WE WERE TOTALLY INSULTED BY THAT, TOTALLY AS IF YOU COULD EVER MAKE UP FOR, YOU KNOW, BLACK PEOPLE LIVED IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS CITY, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BARTON SPRINGS OR GOLDEN CREEK, OR NOT JUST WHEATVILLE IN CLARKSVILLE IN FREEDMAN COMMUNITIES, AND WERE FORCED TO MOVE I 35 EAST, WHERE THERE WAS ALSO A CONCENTRATION OF BLACK PEOPLE UNDER A RACIST JIM CROW ZONING PLAN.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, THEY HAD TO SELL THEIR HOMES FOR PENNY, WELL, I WON'T SAY PENNIES ON A DOLLAR, BUT BELOW MARKET VALUE, BECAUSE IF THEY DIDN'T MOVE THERE, THEY WERE GONNA BE DENIED CITY SERVICES COMPLETELY.
AND ALL OF THIS WAS DONE, YOU KNOW, TO HELP US BECAUSE WE COULD PUT EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN THAT COMMUNITY, AND THEREFORE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO TRAVEL AROUND FOR IT.
AND THEN TO SAY THAT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS OF NEVER RECONNECTING, AND IN, AND IN FACT IN THE 1960S, EVEN MAKING THE BARRIERS EVEN GREATER, ESPECIALLY FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS AND, AND, UH, HISPANICS, WHO THEN WERE ALSO FORCED BY, UH, PROCEDURES, IF NOT, YOU KNOW, UH, ZONING, BUT BY POLICIES THE CITY HAD PASSED INTO THE BARRIO AREAS, THEN TO SAY THAT WE'RE DOING THIS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO RECONNECT WITH IT, IT IS, IT, IT IS VERY RICH.
BUT, UM, I, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT TO, TO MAKE, UH, TO HELP REPAIR THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE AND CONTINUES TO BE DONE FOR THAT MATTER.
SO THANK YOU FOR FOR, FOR SAYING THAT BECAUSE IT MEANS A LOT.
YEAH, ALBERTA, I THINK THAT IS VERY, VERY IN LINE WITH MY TAKE ON THIS, THAT IT IS, UM, IT, THERE'S, THERE'S NO UNDOING THAT THIS MASSIVE HIGHWAY IS THERE THAT THAT HISTORIC, YOU KNOW, TRAVESTY HAPPENED THAT PEOPLE WERE HARMED BY IT.
THIS WILL NOT CHANGE ANY OF THAT.
AND I THINK ABOUT WHO IS LIVING CLOSEST TO THESE AREAS NOW.
AND FRANKLY, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE PEOPLE THAT BY AND LARGE THAT WERE HARMED.
LIKE YOU LOOK AT THE NEW HIGH RISES THAT HAVE GONE UP THERE, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE AT THESE MASSIVELY EXPENSIVE PARKS COSTING $31 MILLION PER ACRE WHILE OVER ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE PARKS THAT FRANKLY COULD HAVE MORE AMENITIES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK AND MAYBE HAVE FREE SHUTTLE BUSES OR SOMETHING TO LIKE, GET PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE, I THINK TO MORE DIRECTLY, UM, HELP PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT IS MY ISSUE.
IT'S LIKE IF THIS, IF THIS WERE BEING PAID FOR BY THE STATE, THEN, THEN, THEN GREAT
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS AND PEOPLE WITH THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY GROUPS COMING TO THAT TASK FORCE AND SAYING, HEY, LIKE, THERE'S NO SENIOR CENTER ANYWHERE IN THIS PART OF TOWN.
WE WANT A SENIOR CENTER, OR, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, THIS PLACE HAS NO BATHROOM THAT IS ACCESSIBLE.
WE NEED A BATHROOM THAT'S ACCESSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND IT'S LIKE, HOW MANY OF THOSE DO WE FOREGO SO THAT WE CAN HAVE WHAT, TO ME LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY MINIMAL SPACE FOR PEOPLE WHO FRANKLY HAVE MONEY THAT ARE LIVING CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN? I JUST, I DON'T THINK IT'S WORTH IT.
I'M, I'M HAPPY TO GO WITH, WITH THE STATEMENT THAT WAS WR WRITTEN UP.
I THINK I WOULD PREFER THAT WE EDGE A LITTLE, A LITTLE MORE LESS LIKE IF IT HAPPENS.
BUT I, I HEAR THAT WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF NOT SURE.
[02:50:03]
I TRIED TO COME UP WITH A THIRD COMPONENT, UH, CENTERED AROUND EQUITY, SO I'D LIKE TO READ THAT AND SEE WHAT PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS ARE.UM, I SAID B FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE URGES THE CITY TO PRIORITIZE EQUITY IN ALL DECISIONS RELATED TO THE I 35 CAP AND PROJECT, INCLUDING A COMMITMENT TO THE PROPOSED CAPS AT 11TH AND 12TH STREETS AREAS HISTORICALLY IMPACTED BY DISPLACEMENT AND DISINVESTMENT.
THE COMMITTEE ENCOURAGES THE CITY TO EXPLORE WHETHER THIS INFRASTRUCTURE TRULY SERVES THOSE COMMUNITIES AND TO EVALUATE ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF RE REPARATIVE INVESTMENT, SUCH AS DIRECT COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP, CULTURALLY ROOTED LAND USES AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR COMMUNITY DRIVEN GREEN SPACES.
UM, AND I WILL SAY, UH, KIVA, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU STATED, UM, AND WHAT, WHICH COMMUNITIES WILL BE, UM, BENEFIT BENEFITED AND WHICH COMMUNITIES WILL NOT BE BENEFITED.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD STATEMENT, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, AND, AND, AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WILL ACTUALLY GET FUNDED, AND THIS IS WHERE THE TRUST FACTOR AND, AND UH, COMES IN BECAUSE YOU HEARD THE, UH, MR. MENDOZA TALK ABOUT THE PAUSE OF $105 MILLION, UM, AND, AND THE
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT A CHANCE IN, YOU KNOW, HELL THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET THAT MONEY FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
UM, THEY DID NOT GET THE MONEY FOR PROJECT CONNECT AND UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.
AND SO I, I, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME, BUT, UM, THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY RECONFIGURE ALL OF THESE THINGS? SO I THINK THAT, THAT WHAT YOU HAVE PUT IN THERE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD EVEN GO FURTHER TO SAY THAT IF UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES THESE THINGS SHOULD NOT, THESE THINGS WON'T HAPPEN, THEN, THEN WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT, THE PROJECTS SHOULD GO FORWARD.
I THINK THAT I WOULD PUSH FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, I'M DEFINITELY HAPPY WITH A, A STRONGLY WORDED SENTIMENT BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, IF I WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS, LIKE THE SOLUTION THAT I MIGHT BE SPITBALLING A LITTLE BIT MORE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN IS IF SOMEBODY SAID, HEY, WE'RE GONNA SPEND THIS LIKE GAZILLION DOLLARS TO DO THIS, BUT LIKE, ALSO BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, MAKE THE CROSS ALL THE OTHER CROSSINGS UP AND DOWN I 35, LIKE WAY MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY OR SOMETHING, JUST LIKE IF THEY WERE TO LINK IT TO SOMETHING ELSE.
I'M NOT TRYING TO LIKE NEGOTIATE THIS OUT, BUT THAT'S, THAT TO ME WOULD SEEM A LITTLE BIT MORE PALATABLE.
LIKE IF YOU'RE LIVING NEXT TO I 35 DOWN IN DISTRICT TWO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STILL, IN FACT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE THAN YOU MORE OF A BARRIER THAN THAN EVER.
AND, AND NO MEDIC NO MITIGATION IN.
UM, MARISSA, ARE YOU ENVISIONING WHAT YOU WROTE, UM, BE REPLACING THE ENTIRE RESOLUTION? DID YOU WANNA KEEP ANY OF THE EZ STATEMENTS OR DO YOU WANNA JUST MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT'S JUST THE, THE WORDS THAT YOU WERE WRITING UP? UM, INITIALLY I WAS THINKING THIS COULD JUST REPLACE THE RESOLUTION PIECE AND KEEP THE WHEREASES.
UM, I REVIEWED THOSE THE OTHER, LIKE LAST NIGHT, BUT HAVE NOT BEEN LOOKING AT THEM SINCE WE'VE HAD OUR CONVERSATION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'D BE WORTH KIND OF THROWING UP ON THE SCREEN FOR FOLKS TO THINK THROUGH AS WELL.
BUT I THINK THAT IT PAINTS A PICTURE AS TO WHY THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT PROMPTED OUR CONVERSATION.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO ALSO THROW OUT THAT, UM, TO ALBERTA AND ANNA'S POINT, I, I HAVE THIS ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE THAT WE CAN ADD IF WE'D LIKE, WHICH SAYS, IF THE PROJECT CANNOT ADVANCE EQUITY, REPAIR PAST HARMS AND ALIGN WITH THE GOALS OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, THEN THE COMMITTEE DOES NOT BELIEVE THE PROJECT SHOULD PROCEED.
I'LL, UM, FORWARD THIS LANGUAGE, OR I'LL SEND THIS LANGUAGE TO YOU KABA VIA EMAIL, SO IT CAN MAYBE JUST BE COPIED AND PASTED SO WE CAN ALL
[02:55:01]
YEAH, I CAN PASTE IT INTO THIS DOCUMENT.PLEASE SEND IT TO MY PUBLIC CITIZEN EMAIL COPY, COPY THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I, UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING AND ALSO MAYBE ASK, UM, BECAUSE I THINK SOMEBODY MADE A POINT ABOUT THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHWAY EXPANSION IS NOT JUST GONNA IMPACT DOWNTOWN, BUT IT'S GOING TO IMPACT OTHER PARTS OF AUSTIN WHERE THERE IS A GREATER, UH, CONCENTRATION OF, OF PEOPLE OF COLOR AND LOW INCOME FOLKS.
AND I'M WONDERING, I THINK SOMEBODY SAID SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF LIKE, COULD WE USE THIS MONEY FOR, TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS ON THOSE COMMUNITIES? AND I WONDER IF THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EMPHASIZE, UM, MORE STRONGLY.
FOR EXAMPLE, ARE THERE THINGS THAT ALIGN WITH THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, LIKE EXPANDING TREE CANOPY COVER THAT COULD BE TARGETED IN AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY LOW IN TREE CANOPY, BUT ARE ALSO GOING NOW GOING TO BE ADJACENT TO AN EVEN MORE MASSIVE HIGHWAY? SO THAT WOULD HAVE CO-BENEFITS IN TERMS OF, UH, SUPPORTING LIKE AIR QUALITY MITIGATION AS WELL AS OUR CLIMATE GOALS.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? YEAH, I'M, I'M JUST SAYING, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN EMPHASIZE LIKE PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, THE INTENT IS TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF THE HIGHWAY EXPANSION ON DOWNTOWN, BUT THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF AUSTIN THAT WILL ALSO BE IMPACTED BY THE HIGHWAY EXPANSION.
AH, SO LIKE, MAYBE AWARE OF PERHAPS THERE ARE, YEAH.
PER, PERHAPS THERE ARE MITIGATION MEASURES THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH OUR CLIMATE PLAN THAT COULD ALSO PROVIDE AIR QUALITY BENEFITS AND ADDRESS EQUITY CONCERNS.
AND MAYBE LIKE TO QUOTE ALBERTA, THE JUICE, THE, THE, THE JUICE IS WORTH THE SQUEEZE IN THOSE INSTANCES BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING MULTIPLE CO BENEFITS.
AND, AND MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK IN AND THE THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, UM, I SOMETHING ABOUT LIKE EXPLORING OTHER MITIGATION OPTIONS THAT ALIGN WITH THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND THAT WOULD BENEFIT, OR THAT WOULD MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF THE I 35 EXPANSION TO THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT AREN'T JUST DOWNTOWN.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S LIKE A WAY TO WORK SOMETHING IN THAT FIRST MM-HMM
I MEAN, I GUESS THIS IS BROAD ENOUGH THAT THAT WOULD INCLUDE THAT, BUT I, I THINK LIKE WE'RE SAYING, HEY, THERE'S MAYBE THERE'S OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT WOULD GET TO THE CORE OF MITIGATING THE IMPACT OF THIS MONSTROSITY WHILE ALSO ALIGNING WITH OUR CLIMATE PLAN.
RODRIGO, CAN YOU CLARIFY HOW THAT, WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS MAYBE DIFFERENT FROM THAT SECOND, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED? OH, LET'S SEE.
OH YEAH, I KIND OF THINK THAT'S WHERE IT GOES.
I THINK, I THINK, YEAH, I THINK THAT, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK, UM, MAYBE EMPHASIZING
[03:00:01]
THAT LIKE THESE THINGS, THIS SHOULDN'T JUST BE FOCUSED ON DOWNTOWN.'CAUSE I THINK SO FAR, LIKE THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN AROUND THE CAP AND STITCH DOWNTOWN, BUT AS SOMEBODY RIGHTLY POINTED OUT, LIKE THAT'S NOT THE ONLY PLACE WHERE THE HIGHWAY IS GETTING EXPANDED.
UM, OKAY, SO MAYBE JUST HERE, WELL, I GUESS WE HAVE IT IN THE RAZ.
UM, MAYBE WE COULD SAY, UM, IN UNDERSERVED AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO MAYBE MITIGATION MEASURES THAT COULD, UH, MORE COMPREHENSIBLY COMPREHENSIVELY AND EQUITABLY MITIGATE.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN THE BE IT RESOLVED HERE, LIKE GIVING SOME EXTRA, UM, IN THE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED MM-HMM
UM, THAT THE COMMITTEE ENCOURAGES THE CITY, UH, THE SECOND LINE FROM THE BOTTOM IT SAYS, AND GREEN SPACE IN UNDERSERVED AREAS.
MAYBE WE COULD JUST ADD THROUGHOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE BREADTH OF MM-HMM
OR JUST SAY, YEAH, IN UNDERSERVED AREAS, ALSO IMPACTED BY THE I 35 EXPANSION MM-HMM
UH, OR INCLUDING AREAS ALSO IMPACTED BY, BECAUSE THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA JUST FOCUS ON THE I 35 STRIP, BUT WE WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE DON'T WANT THE FOCUS TO BE JUST DOWNTOWN, MAYBE JUST LIKE INCLUDING IN, UM, YEAH.
SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT, INCLUDING IN THE, MAYBE THE FULL RANGE OF AREAS OR FULL RANGE OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT COULD WORK.
SO ON THIS LAST ONE, I, IS THERE, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO SAY IF CAPS ARE DONE, THAT IT SHOULD INCLUDE 11TH AND 12TH WITHOUT SAYING THAT IT'S A COMMITMENT TO THAT, THAT KIND OF SEEMS LIKE IT'S LEANING MORE IN THE DIRECTION OF, OF DOING IT.
UM, BUT I THINK THE INTENT HERE WAS TO SAY, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO IT, THAT YOU NEED TO INCLUDE THAT.
AND SO MUCH THAT I SPARKED SOME OF SOME OF THIS.
MY, MY, MY INTENTION WAS TO SORT OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF START TO LAY OUT THE NEGOTIATING CARDS A LITTLE BIT.
COULD NOT JUST, UH, SAY INCLUDING AREAS HISTORICALLY IMPACTED, UH, I, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT, WE COULD JUST SAY AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY IMPACTED.
IF, IF CABIN STITCH MOVES O MOVES FORWARD, AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY IMPACTED SUCH AS 11TH AND 12TH SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED.
[03:05:01]
AHEAD.YEAH, I, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS THE INTENT IS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, A COMMITMENT TO THE 11TH AND 12TH STREET, UM, AREA THAT, THAT MAKES THAT CROSSING NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT, THAT ENSURES, YOU KNOW, EQUITY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ENSURES THAT, THAT, THAT THOSE, THAT THAT AREA IS DEFINITELY, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT LEFT TO, YOU KNOW, AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF, SEEMS THAT MOST OF THE EMPHASIS IS ON THE CAESAR CHAVEZ TO FOURTH STREET.
THAT'S WHERE THE FEDERAL GRANT WAS AWARDED.
AND, UM, BUT CERTAINLY THAT, THAT 11TH AND 12TH STREET NEEDS TO BE PRIORITIZED IN THE DECISIONS AROUND HOW TO, HOW TO TREAT THAT CROSSING.
AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT.
UM, YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, AND THE, THE GRANT WAS, THE REASON WHY THEY PURSUED THE GRANT FOR THAT AREA IS BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE TO DOWNTOWN AND NOW THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
LET'S, LET'S JUST BE, YOU KNOW, STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH THIS.
SO, UM, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, WHEN THEY REDEVELOP THE CONVENTION CENTER, IT'S GONNA TAKE UP SIX SQUARE BLOCKS.
SO THEY NEVER REALLY ASKED FOR ANYTHING, BUT THAT, THAT ONE.
SO IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DRIVEN HOME THAT THE PRIORITY HAS TO BE 11TH AND 12TH STREET.
THE CONVENTION CENTER PARTICIPANTS, THAT'S WHO WILL BE AT THIS PARK.
I, I MEAN, SERIOUSLY,
AT LEAST THERE'S THAT FOR TH $31 MILLION AN ACRE.
ARE WE, ARE WE OKAY WITH, WITH THE EDIT I MADE HERE? SO IT NOW SAYS IF A CAP STITCH INVESTMENT IS APPROVED, AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY IMPACTED BY DISPLACEMENT, UH, AND DISINVESTMENT, INCLUDING THE 11TH AND 12TH STREET AREA, SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, EDITS, ANYTHING? I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY WORKING ON THIS.
I HAVE A, UH, ANOTHER SUGGESTION FOR THE FINAL LINE.
UM, I THINK BASED ON THE CONVERSATION, UM, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY IS THAT WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE PROJECT SHOULD PROCEED USING FUNDS OR FOR BOND MONEY THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO TO CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS.
BECAUSE IF MONEY WERE TO SHOW UP FROM LIKE PHILANTHROPY, LIKE IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE WOULD BE OPPOSED TO THAT.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT SHOULDN'T BE MONEY THAT THEY ARE DOING WITH COS THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST NOT MORALLY RIGHT.
SO YOU HAVE 10 CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WILL DECIDE HOW MUCH DEBT THAT THE REST OF US ARE GONNA PAY FOR.
UM, RODRIGO, I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT TRADE-OFFS IS IN THE FIRST BE IT RESOLVED, MAYBE WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN THAT OR WHAT, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD THERE? WELL, THE WAY THAT IT, THAT THE RESOLUTION ENDS MAKES IT SOUND LIKE, UM, WE DON'T THINK THE PROJECT SHOULD PROCEED, UM, EVEN IF THERE'S LIKE OTHER FUNDS THAT WEREN'T TO COME FROM THE CITY.
UN UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, UNLESS, UH, EXTERNAL FUNDING CAN BE SECURED FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE PROJECT OR ALL OF THE PROJECT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
[03:10:01]
WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ADD A CLAUSE HERE? YEAH.UM, THAT CAN BE EX EXPANDED TO, OR IT GOES TO THE VOTERS.
WELL, I THINK THE REALITY IS WE MISSED THE, THE TIMELINE IS SUCH THAT THERE IS NO TIME TO GO TO THE VOTERS BEFORE MAKING THE DECISION ON PHASE ONE.
SO THEN THERE WOULD BE THE QUESTION OF LIKE, DO THEY, DO THEY PAY FOR PHASE ONE AND THEN GO TO THE VOTERS ABOUT PHASE TWO? AND THEN HAVE WE MAYBE WELL, WHY GO TO THE VOTERS
BUT THE VOTERS WOULD GET IT IN NOVEMBER AND THEY'VE DONE THAT BEFORE.
BUT I'M, I GUESS I'M SAYING THE, THE CITY WOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR IT, EVEN RIGHT NOW, WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF IF THEY WANNA PUT IT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT, THEY DO HAVE TIME TO DO THAT.
OH, THEY HAVE TIME TO PUT IT ON A NOVEMBER BALLOT.
I'M JUST SAYING THEY HAVE TO TELL TDOT, I BELIEVE MAY 22ND, YES OR NO ON PHASE.
AND ARE YOU SAYING THAT THEY COULDN'T TELL THEM THAT THEY WERE TAKING IT TO A NOVEMBER BALLOT? RIGHT.
I I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YES, IS TXDOT NEEDS A FIRM COMMITMENT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER FROM THE CITY ON PHASE ONE.
BY MAY 22ND, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THE COMMITMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT YET ON THE 105 MILLION.
BUT I CAN GO ALONG WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
BUT IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE COMMITMENT ON 105 YET, THEN, AND, AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THAT.
THEN THEY HAVE TO RECONFIGURE EVERYTHING AS THEY TOLD US.
SO I THINK THAT THERE IS NEGOTIATING ROOM WITH TDOT, BUT I WON'T PUSH THAT POINT.
MR. MENDOZA, WOULD YOU MIND CLARIFYING THE TIMELINE FOR US SO THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH A FULL DECK OF CARDS HERE? 'CAUSE MAYBE I HAVE IT WRONG.
THE COMMITMENT THAT TXDOT IS SEEKING FROM THE CITY SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP THEIR DESIGN ADVANCING IS BY MAY 31ST, UM, BY COUNCIL ACTION, COMMIT TO NO LESS THAN WHAT SECTIONS OF THE POTENTIAL CAPITAL LOCATIONS.
WE WILL COMMIT TO FUNDING THE ROADWAY ELEMENTS.
AT A MINIMUM, THAT COMMITMENT NEEDS TO COME IN THE FORM OF AN IDENTIFIED SOURCE OF FUNDING.
SO IF BY MAY 31ST THE CITY DOESN'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE FEDERAL GRANT IS GONNA COME THROUGH, THEN BASICALLY THE CITY WOULD NEED TO PUT, PUT THAT FORWARD IN TERMS OF BONDS OR SOME OTHER YEAH.
IS THAT, YEAH, I WOULD EXPECT THAT IF WE, UH, KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL GRANT WAS RESCINDED, THAT THAT MAY, UM, UM, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, SHRINK WHAT OUR ABILITY IS TO COMMIT TO AT THAT TIME.
I MEAN, I THINK THE REALITY IS IT'S TERRIBLE TIMING.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GET DOWN INTO THE WEEDS WITH THAT.
WE CAN LEAVE IT LIKE RODRIGO HAS RECOMMENDED.
I THINK THAT IT'S GONNA BE A LONG SHOT FOR THE FEDS TO COME THROUGH, ESPECIALLY IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
SO THERE'S, WE'RE PROBABLY WILL BE LOOKING AT A SHRINKING PROJECT AND MAYBE WE CAN ADDRESS IT AT THE TIME IF THAT HAPPENS.
UM, SO RODRIGO, I MEAN, I'M TYPING THIS UNLESS EXTERNAL FUNDING CAN BE SECURED.
IT DOES SEEM THOUGH THAT LIKE THERE'S BASICALLY A MONTH TO DO THAT.
I MEAN, IS THIS, I DON'T KNOW, THAT DOES, THAT DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY THAT THERE'S GONNA BE EXTERNAL FUNDING SECURED OVER THE NEXT MONTH,
[03:15:12]
THEN AGAIN, DOESN'T HURT TO SAY, YEAH, I, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF LEAVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.AND JUST, JUST TO MAKE CLEAR, IT'S, IT'S NOT, I MEAN AS FAR AS I'M HEARING, LIKE IT'S NOT THE ACTUAL PROJECT SO MUCH THAT PEOPLE ARE OBJECTING TO SO MUCH AS THE OPPORTUNITY COST, THE JUICING COST TO ALBERTA'S POINT.
SO I THINK WE, WE HAVE THIS, UH, SINCE WE HAVE ADDED THINGS, I THINK I NEED TO, I DON'T NEED TO READ THE FIRST, ALTHOUGH EZ IS INTO THE RECORD, BUT I THINK THE LAST WHEREAS AND ALL THESE NOW THEY'RE FOR BE IT RESOLVED.
I'LL JUST READ THE FINAL VERSION.
UM, WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY MORE EDITS, RIGHT? SO I DON'T HAVE TO READ IT AGAIN.
UNLESS WE FIND AN ERROR, WHICH IS NOT UNLIKELY.
SO, UH, AFTER THE, WHEREAS THAT, UH, ENDS IN STITCHING SEGMENTS OF I 35, WE ARE DELETING EVERYTHING THAT COMES AFTER THAT AND ADDING, WHEREAS THE PROPOSED CAP AND STITCH PROJECTS WOULD ONLY OFFER BENEFITS TO A VERY LIMITED SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY I 35 EXPANSION THAT EXTENDS FAR TO THE SOUTH AND NORTH OF THE, THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE URGES THE CITY COUNCIL TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL, FINANCIAL, AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF THE I 35 CAP AND STITCH PROJECTS, AND TO WEIGH THESE IMPACTS AGAINST THE POTENTIAL TRADE-OFFS, SPECIFICALLY THE OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT COULD BE MADE TO ADVANCE THE CITY'S URGENT CLIMATE GOALS AND OTHER CRITICAL COMMUNITY NEEDS.
BE IT FOR THE RESULT THAT THE COMMITTEE, UH, ENCOURAGES THE CITY COUNCIL TO EVALUATE HOW THE PROPOSED I 35 CAP ANDIT INVESTMENTS COMPARED TO OTHER POLLUTION MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS SUCH AS DIRECT LAND ACQUISITION, IMPROVING ACTIVE AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, EXPANDING TREE CANOPY AND GREEN SPACE AND UNDERSERVED AREAS, INCLUDING IN THE FULL RANGE OF NEIGHBORHOODS IMPACTED BY I 35 EXPANSION, ENHANCING BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND INCREASING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO CLEAN AIR AND WATER.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE URGES THE CITY COUNCIL TO PRIORITIZE IN ALL DECISIONS RELATED TO THE I 35 CAP ANDIT PROJECT, PRIORITIZE EQUITY IN ALL DECISIONS RELATED TO THE I 35 CAP AND PROJECT.
IF A CAP AND INVESTMENT IS APPROVED, AREAS HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY IMPACTED BY DISPLACEMENT AND DI DISINVESTMENT, INCLUDING THE 11TH AND 12TH STREET AREA SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED.
THE COMMITTEE ENCOURAGES THE CITY TO EXPLORE WHETHER THIS INFRASTRUCTURE TRULY SERVES THESE COMMUNITIES AND EVALUATE ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF REPARATIVE INVESTMENT, SUCH AS DIRECT COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP, CULTURALLY DIRECT COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF WHAT SHOULD WE ADD A WORD THERE? ASSETS
WHAT, WHAT KIND OF ASSETS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? I THINK WE LEAVE THAT GENERAL, I MEAN THAT COULD, COULD BE HEALTH ASSETS, IT COULD BE BUSINESS ASSETS.
UH, WE LET THE CITY DECIDE MM-HMM
SUCH AS DIRECT COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF ASSETS, CULTURALLY ROOTED LAND USES AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR COMMUNITY DRIVEN GREEN SPACES.
IF THE PROJECT CANNOT ADVANCE EQUITY, REPAIR PAST HARMS AND ALIGN WITH THE GOALS OF THE ALSTON CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, THEN THE COMMITTEE DOES NOT BELIEVE THE PROJECT SHOULD, SHOULD PROCEED UNLESS EXTERNAL FUNDING CAN BE SECURED TO COVER THE COST.
UM, I'M GONNA ALSO SUGGEST THAT WE MAYBE ADD ONE MORE, WHEREAS THAT JUST STATES WHEREAS THE DEFAULT I 35 DESIGN DOES INCLUDE ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY THAT WILL ENABLE BIKING, YOU KNOW, BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN, UH, ACCESS BETWEEN THE, THE EAST SIDE AND, AND DOWNTOWN.
JUST, JUST TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THAT.
[03:20:31]
OKAY, SO THAT ONE I'VE SAID, WHEREAS THE DEFAULT I 35 DESIGNED BY TEXT DOT INCLUDES EXPANDED AND ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN EAST AUSTIN AND DOWNTOWN TO ENABLE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS.WE GOOD? MARISSA, THIS IS, THIS IS YOURS AS MUCH AS IT IS MINE.
DO YOU WANNA MAKE THE MOTION I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE, UM, THE RESOLUTION ON I 35 CAP AND STITCH? WE'VE GOT A MOTION.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HANDS.
ALL RIGHT, WE'VE GOT 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11.
ANY OPPOSED? ONE OPPOSED, ANY ABSTAINING AND ONE ABSTAINING? SO THE RESOLUTION IS ADOPTED.
SORRY, WHO WAS THE SECOND? PERFECT.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL AND I THINK THAT'S THE END OF OUR AGENDA TOO.
SO BONUS WE GET TO GO HOME, BUT JUST REAL QUICK, IF ANYBODY DOES HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO, TO RAISE UP NOW, IF NOT, CHARLOTTE, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.