[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.I NOW CALL THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER AT SIX 3:00 PM IN AUSTIN CITY HALL, IN THE CITY.
UH, FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE ROLE.
PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRESENCE WHEN I CALLED YOUR NAME.
UM, AND I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE ORDER.
AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR EX-OFFICIAL MEMBER, UM, CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS, JESSICA COHEN AS WELL.
UH, JUST AS WE GET STARTED HERE, I JUST WANNA, UM, QUICKLY SAY IF I KNOW COMMISSIONER MAXWELL HAS, UH, STOP AT 7:00 PM IF THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE WHO NEEDS TO LEAVE AT ANY POINT, PLEASE DO LET US OR THE STAFF KNOW VIA EMAIL OTHERWISE, SO WE CAN MANAGE ACCORDINGLY.
UM, BUT JUST LETTING FOLKS KNOW, WE ONLY HAVE THREE COMMISSIONERS HERE ON THE D SO YOU CAN DO THE MATH ACCORDINGLY.
UM, SO PER USUAL, TONIGHT'S MEETING WILL BE HYBRID, ALLOWING FOR VIRTUAL QUORUM AS LONG AS THE COMMISSIONER IS SERVING AS CHAIRS PRESENT IN CHAMBERS.
AS SUCH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS HERE IN CHAMBERS AND ATTENDANCE, VIRTUALLY, SIMILARLY, SPEAKERS CAN PRESENT FROM THE CHAMBERS OR PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY VIRTUAL COMMISSIONERS.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO SEND YOUR SIGN-IN SHEET TO OUR STAFF LIAISON FOR THE CLERK'S GUIDELINES, UM, AND FOR THE NEW COMMISSIONERS TO REMIND YOU TO HAVE SOMETHING, AN ITEM THAT'S GREEN, RED, OR YELLOW, TO SHOW US YOUR VOTES, IF THAT'S HELPFUL.
UM, PLEASE REMAIN MUTED WHEN YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING AND RAISE YOUR HAND TO BE RECOGNIZED.
IF FEELS LIKE WE'RE NOT RECOGNIZING YOU, JUST UNMUTE YOURSELF AND SAY SOMETHING AND WE'LL RECOGNIZE YOU.
UM, AND WE CAN SORT OF GO FROM THERE.
AND IF YOU'RE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL PRIOR TO THE COMMISSION TAKING UP YOUR ITEM.
AND I HAVE, UH, ASSISTANCE FROM MS. GARCIA IN ANNOUNCING THEIR SPEAKERS DURING PUBLIC HEARINGS.
SO, JUST TO START OFF, UH, MS. GARCIA, DO WE
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
HAVE ANY SIGN ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? YES.WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED IN FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
PHILIP, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I, I HADN'T PLANNED TO COME TODAY, BUT I RECEIVED A NOTICE YESTERDAY THAT THIS PROJECT'S GOING FORWARD, AND THERE'S SOME THINGS RELATED TO UNO I THOUGHT I SHOULD TALK ABOUT SINCE I DIDN'T TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY WHEN UNO WAS ON THE AGENDA LAST TIME.
UM, THIS IS, UH, COMING TO 1900 SAN GABRIEL, WHICH IS THE CORNER OF SAN GABRIEL AND MLK.
UM, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND, THERE WAS AN APARTMENT BUILDING THERE THAT HAD 12 UNITS.
IT WAS IN A GEO LOT, SO IT WAS NON-CONFORMING.
UH, I THINK THEY WAS INTERESTED IN DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN THE APARTMENT AREA WITH THAT LOT AFTER THE PIPES FROZE DURING THE LAST FREEZE, THE BIG FREEZE.
UM, AND THEY JUST, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE ZONING.
UH, THEY, THEY SOLD THE PROPERTY.
IT, AT THE TIME THEY BOUGHT IT, COULD ONLY BE USED AS AN OFFICE BUILDING.
SO DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT COULD NOW BE USED FOR APARTMENTS, IT'S, UM, SCHEDULED TO BE USED AS AN EDUCATIONAL CENTER OFFICE SPACE AND, UH, KIND OF CLASSROOM MUSEUM TYPE OF PLACE.
UH, AND THE, UH, THE, THE RAND FOUNDATION IS, UH, RELOCATING FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO AUSTIN.
UM, I SAW THE HOUSING COMMITTEE EARLIER TODAY AND SPENT THREE MINUTES FUMBLING OVER THIS CHART.
I USED TO BE ONE, I MADE PLENTY.
YOU'LL PROBABLY DO A LITTLE OF THAT YOURSELF UP THERE FROM TIME TO TIME.
UM, ONE THING I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT THOUGH, UM, IS COMPATIBILITY AND WHETHER, I WANNA SHOW YOU A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE COMPATIBILITY IN THE CENTER.
WE COULD THINK ABOUT COMPATIBILITY AS BEING DIFFERENT IN THE CENTER, IN THE AREAS THAT, UH, CIRCLE AROUND THE CENTER, WHICH IS THE CORE.
AND THEN IN THE GREEN, YOU KNOW, THE FURTHER AREAS.
BUT WE HAVE ONE RULE FOR COMPATIBILITY.
UM, UH, THIS, THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, ANOMALIES IN THIS AREA, AND IT COULD BE BECAUSE IT'S OLD, IT COULD BE BECAUSE OF OTHER REASONS IT PREDATED MOST OF THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S IN AUSTIN.
THIS SIGN IS, SHOWS YOU ONE OF THE ANOMALIES FOR RPP AT THE END OF THE STREET IS WHAT'S GONNA BE THE RAND CENTER.
[00:05:01]
A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE.YOU SEE A NO PARKING ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREET SIGN THAT ISN'T NORMAL, THAT HASN'T BEEN ALLOWED IN AUSTIN THIS CENTURY.
THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA WANT THAT TO CHANGE.
THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT AND SAY, THAT'S AN ANOMALY.
THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
ESPECIALLY KNOWING THE BACKGROUND OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THE ANN RAN OR HOWEVER YOU SAY IT RAN.
UH, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE PHILOSOPHY.
THIS IS, UH, UH, JUST NEXT TO THEM ON THE WEST SIDE.
I'VE LIVED IN THIS AREA FOR 33 YEARS IN FULL DISCLAIMER, I'M WITHIN 500 FEET.
AND MAYBE ONE, ONE MORE AND THEN I'LL, I'LL WRAP UP, UH, OF, UH, THIS IS THE FIRST OF THREE CHARTS THAT ARE SINGLE FAMILY PICTURES THAT SHOW THERE'S REALLY, IT'S VERY QUESTIONABLE THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE COMPATIBILITY TO THESE BUILDINGS.
SO I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER LOOKING AT THE OTHER ONES.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. GARCIA.
[Consent Agenda]
NEXT ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.THESE ARE OUR, UM, REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING ON TUESDAY, APRIL 8TH, 2025.
IF THERE IS, AND I GUESS WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH A CONSENT, BUT IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, CAN WE ADD THOSE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA? NOT SEEING ANY.
THANK YOU STAFF FOR WORKING ON THIS.
UM, I'M GONNA, SO OUR FIRST ACTIVITIES, AGAIN TO GO THROUGH THE CONSENT AGENDA AND NOTE ITEMS THAT ARE CONSENT, APPROVAL, DISAPPROVAL, POSTPONEMENTS OF PUBLIC HEARINGS OR NON-DISCUSSION ITEMS. I'LL BE GOING THROUGH THAT MYSELF, UH, FOR PUBLIC HIRING.
UH, HI HEARING, WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER TWO, LDC AMENDMENT C 20 DASH 2 23 DASH 37.
SMART HOUSING UPDATES PHASE TWO.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION ACTION TONIGHT.
AND THAT IS OUR ONLY, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. SO THAT IS UP FOR DISCUSSION.
AND THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES IS WITHIN OUR, UM, CONSENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE TWO STAFF BRIEFINGS AFTER THAT THAT WE'LL BE JUMPING INTO.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ANYBODY WISHING TO RECUSE OR ABSTAIN THEMSELVES FROM THIS ITEM? OR WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, NOT SEEING ANYTHING.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE OUR, UM, CONSENT AGENDA OR DISCUSSION ITEM, AND THEN APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES FROM OUR TUESDAY, APRIL 8TH MEETING MINUTES.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION BY VICE CHAIR WOODS? SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER HILLER.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE CHAIR WOODS PUTZ, AND, UM, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HILLER APPROVAL OF MINUTES, AND THEN DISCUSSION ITEM FOR OUR PUBLIC HEARING ITEM TONIGHT.
ANY OBJECTIONS? THAT MOTION NOT SEEING ANY, I'M GONNA SAY THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[2. LDC Amendment: C20-2023-037 - SMART Housing Updates Phase 2]
OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ITEM, WHICH IS THE LVC AMENDMENT.AND WE HAVE MR. KENNEDY HERE FROM OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO WALK US THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
FIRST, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UH, MY NAME'S BRENDAN KENNEDY.
I'M A PROGRAM MANAGER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, IN THAT ROLE, I ADMINISTER THE CITY'S DENSITY, BONUS AND DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND I AM HERE TODAY TO TALK THROUGH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UM, SOME MINOR AMENDMENTS TO THE SMART HOUSING PROGRAM, WHICH REPRESENT PHASE TWO OF STAFF'S RESPONSE TO A COUNCIL INITIATED RESOLUTION, UH, ON THAT PROGRAM.
TO BEGIN, FOR ANY WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW, SMART HOUSING IS THE CITY'S OLDEST VOLUNTARY AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
THESE PROGRAMS OFFER INCENTIVES TO HOUSING DEVELOPERS IN EXCHANGE FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UM, MOST ESPECIALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO FOR HAR SMART HOUSING SPECIFICALLY, THE INCENTIVE THAT'S OFFERED TO DEVELOPERS IS PRIMARILY FEE WAIVERS.
CERTAIN FEES DURING THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, PERMITTING PROCESS ARE WAIVED THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
THERE ARE ALSO BENEFITS ON PERMIT REVIEW, TURNAROUND TIMES, AND ADDITIONAL STAFF SUPPORT IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
AND THEN LASTLY, APPLICANTS MAY NEED SMART HOUSING CERTIFICATION AS A THRESHOLD REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR CITY, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUNDS OR A COUNCIL RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT.
THE BENEFITS THAT THE COMMUNITY RECEIVES IN EXCHANGE ARE, FIRST AND FOREMOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
APPLICANTS WILL RECEIVE A FULL, UH, FEE WAIVER FOR ELIGIBLE FEES.
IF THEY PROVIDE 40% OF THEIR UNITS IS AFFORDABLE, THAT SCALES DOWN.
IF YOU PROVIDE 10% OF YOUR UNITS IS AFFORDABLE, YOU GET A 25% REDUCTION.
AND THE AFFORDABILITY IN THIS CASE IS, UH, UNITS AT 80% OF MFI FOR BOTH RENTAL AND SALE.
THERE ARE ALSO ADDITIONAL DESIGN STANDARDS FOR GREEN BUILDING AND ACCESSIBILITY, AS WELL AS STANDARDS FOR TRANSIT PROXIMITY, WHICH CAN BE WAIVED, UH, IN THE CODE.
I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT SMART HOUSING,
[00:10:01]
UH, IS ON ITS OWN, UH, TYPICALLY NOT ENOUGH TO, UH, MAKE A PROJECT FEASIBLE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.AND TYPICALLY IT IS PAIRED WITH OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOOLS, WHETHER LOCAL, UH, STATE OR FEDERAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS. UM, THIS MEANS THAT IN ACTUALITY, THE SMART HOUSING MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ARE IN ALMOST ALL CASES, NOT THE ACTUAL ON THE GROUND AFFORDABILITY LEVELS.
UH, THE DATA HERE SHOWS THAT WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PROJECTS, UM, FOR RENTAL, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE PROVIDING, UH, AFFORDABILITY AT DEEPER LEVELS OF 60% MFI BY UTILIZING OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS IN CONJUNCTION WITH SMART HOUSING.
UH, WITH THAT, I WANNA MOVE TO THE AMENDMENTS, WHICH WERE INITIATED THROUGH A 2023 COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THAT RESOLUTION WAS TO CLARIFY, UH, THE FEE WAIVERS IN THE ANNUAL FEE SCHEDULE.
THAT PHASE WAS LED BY DSD AND, UH, IS NOW COMPLETE.
THE RESOLUTION, THOUGH ALSO CALLED FOR ANY AMENDMENTS NEEDED TO QUOTE, IMPROVE THE OPERATION AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE PROGRAM.
AND THIS IS THE PHASE TWO THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TODAY.
SO IN RESPONSE TO THIS DIRECTION, HOUSING STAFF HAVE PROPOSED A NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS, UM, FOCUSED ON IMPROVING PROGRAM CONSISTENCY AND REMOVING OUTDATED PROVISIONS.
UH, THESE HAVE MINOR PROGRAMMATIC IMPACT, BUT ARE, UH, MEANT TO IMPROVE ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT DEALS WITH THE LAND, UH, AFFORDABILITY RESTRICTION PROCESS.
SO WE ENFORCE THE PROGRAM'S AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS THROUGH RECORDED LAND RESTRICTIONS.
THE CURRENT PROCESS FOR SMART HOUSING CALLS FOR THAT ONLY ONCE A DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN BUILT AND IS PURSUING A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
THIS HAS RAISED SOME ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES AND IS NO LONGER OUR STANDARD PRACTICE FOR A NEW INCENTIVE AND BONUS PROGRAMS, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY A REFLECTION OF CODE.
SO WE ARE PROPOSING A CODE AMENDMENT TO BRING THIS IN LINE WITH OUR OTHER CITY PROGRAMS AND PURSUE THOSE RESTRICTIONS, UH, ON THE FRONT END OF THE PROCESS TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY, UH, UNDERSTANDING AND CONSISTENCY.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, REMOVING AN EXEMPTION THAT WAS, UH, ESTABLISHED IN 2007 RELATED TO COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS.
UH, THIS, AS I SAID, IS AN OLDER PROVISION THAT ALLOWED FOR A MUCH LOWER PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE UNITS IF THOSE UNITS WERE DEDICATED TO A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST OR CLT.
UM, DUE TO THE UNIQUE NATURE OF COMMUNITY LAND TRUST HOUSING, THIS HAS, UM, ONE BEEN ADMINISTRATIVELY AND FEASIBLE.
WE'VE HAD SIGNIFICANT ISSUES USING THIS PROVISION TO ACTUALLY GENERATE CLT UNITS.
WE'VE ALSO FOUND THAT THE MANY ACTIVE ESTABLISHED, UH, CLTS THAT OPERATE HERE IN AUSTIN ARE ACTUALLY PROVIDING THE FULL LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY NEEDED TO JUST PARTICIPATE IN THESE STANDARD SMART HOUSING, UH, SET-ASIDES.
AND SO THEY DO NOT ACTUALLY UTILIZE THIS PROVISION.
IT INSTEAD HAS BEEN PRIMARILY UTILIZED BY DEVELOPERS WHO ARE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO PROVIDING CLT UNITS, WHICH IS WHERE MUCH OF THAT, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE AND FEASIBILITY HAS COME FROM.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX NOW FOR CLTS.
SO WE ARE PROMO PRO PROPOSING TO REMOVE THIS PROVISION, UH, AND FOCUS OUR CLT EFFORTS ON THOSE OTHER TOOLS.
WE ARE ALSO PROPOSING AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE RENTAL MFI FOR THE PROGRAM FROM 80% MFI TO 60% MFI WITH, UH, INCOME AVERAGING ALLOWED.
OUR OTHER CITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS, ALMOST ALL CALL FOR 60% MFI UNITS THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT GOALS.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED SINCE SMART HOUSING WAS PUT IN PLACE IN MANY OF OUR CURRENT, UH, CITY AFFORDABILITY STANDARDS.
THE REASON FOR INCOME AVERAGING IS TWOFOLD.
UM, THE FIRST IS, IT IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM, WHICH IS VERY COMMONLY UTILIZED BY, UH, APPLICANTS FOR SMART HOUSING.
THE SECOND IS THAT IT, UH, PROMOTES FLEXIBILITY FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS SO LONG AS THEY PROVIDE, UM, COUNTERBALANCING LOWER MFI LEVELS, UH, IF THEY ALSO PROVIDE 80% MFI.
SO IT INCREASES FLEXIBILITY WHILE STILL, UM, SERVING OUR OVERALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THE KEY FOCUS OF THIS IS CONSISTENCY BETWEEN OUR PROGRAMS TO TARGET 60%.
AND LASTLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL PROVISIONS THAT NO LONGER APPLY THAT WE'RE PRO PROPOSING TO REMOVE THESE, UH, EITHER NO LONGER APPLY BECAUSE THE PROCESS REFERENCED IS OUTDATED, UH, OR THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE LISTED HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN SUPERSEDED BY OTHER SECTIONS OF CODE.
SO TO GO THROUGH THOSE BRIEFLY, WE HAVE A SECTION ON NOTIFYING OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
THIS IS AUTOMATICALLY DONE THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND NO LONGER NEEDS TO BE REFERENCED.
UH, IN CODE SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE
[00:15:01]
A PROVISION PROVIDING AN EXEMPTION FOR VERTICAL MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS THAT IS IN CONFLICT WITH OUR CHANGE TO THE RENTAL MFI.UM, WE PREFER CONSISTENCY IN HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING TYPOLOGIES APPROACH SMART HOUSING.
UM, AND DUE TO THIS INCONSISTENCY WOULD CALL TO REMOVE THE VERTICAL MIXED USE EXEMPTION.
AND WE ALSO HAVE AFFORDABILITY STANDARDS LAID OUT IN SMART HOUSING CODE FOR THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY AND CERTAIN DOWNTOWN ZONES.
THOSE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN SUPERSEDED BY MORE RECENT AMENDMENTS AND ORDINANCES FOR UNO AND FOR THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM RESPECTIVELY.
SO AFFORDABILITY STANDARDS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED SEPARATELY THAT SUPERSEDE THIS LANGUAGE, SO THEY NEED TO BE REMOVED.
I DO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT, AND I WILL NOTE WE HAD AS LATE BACK UP A STAFF MEMO THAT SPEAKS TO THIS AS WELL, THAT WENT TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT, UM, WE DO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE LIMITS TO THESE AMENDMENTS.
THEY'RE NOT THE MOST WIDE RANGING IN SCOPE.
UM, AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE SMART HOUSING PROGRAM.
SO BECAUSE THE INITIATION RESOLUTION WAS VERY LIMITED IN SCOPE, WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON CLARIFYING FEE WAIVERS AND MINOR ADMINISTRATIVE AMENDMENTS ON TOP OF THAT, UM, WE UNDERSTAND THESE HAVE MINIMAL PROGRAMMATIC IMPACTS, BUT AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS OUR CITY'S OLDEST AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, AREAS WHERE STAKEHOLDERS AND STAFF FEEL THAT WE COULD TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT THE PROGRAM, REALLY CONSIDER HOW IT WORKS AND POTENTIAL CHANGES.
UM, SO THIS LAST SECTION TALKS ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
IT IS NOT A PART OF THESE AMENDMENTS, UM, BUT WE JUST WANNA MENTION THAT MOVING FORWARD STAFF ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE PROGRAM, EVALUATING THE RESOURCES THAT MIGHT BE NECESSARY, UM, TO MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM.
AND WE, WE DO PLAN IF, IF WE FIND APPROPRIATE AREAS FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE REVISIONS TO MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
JUST TO BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT A FEW TOPICS OF INTEREST AND, AND THERE ARE FAR MORE BEYOND THIS, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, STAFF MAY LOOK AT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FROM A STAFF TIME AND RESOURCE PERSPECTIVE, FROM A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE TO DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING.
EVALUATE FEE WAIVER IMPACTS ON THE GENERAL FUND, LOOK AT THE BUILDING DESIGN STANDARDS OF THE PROGRAM FOR UPDATES.
CONSIDER EXPANDING THE PROGRAM TO NEW TYPOLOGIES OR ALIGNING WITH RECENT CODE AMENDMENTS, UH, OR EVEN CONSIDERING ADJUSTMENTS TO PROJECTS WITH SIGNIFICANT COMMERCIAL COMPONENTS.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE AMENDMENTS THAT WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT AS A POTENTIAL FUTURE PHASE, BUT WE DO WANNA CONSIDER THE, THE STAFF AND RESOURCE IMPACTS BEFORE MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS AND WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE AMENDMENTS IN THE MEANTIME.
SO WITH THAT, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
MS. GARCIA, DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? NO.
UM, IN WHICH CASE, UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER TWO? MOTION BY VICE CHAIR WOODS? DO I HAVE A SECOND ON THAT? COMMISSIONER HILLER.
SO WE HAVE A, UH, MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WOODS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HILLER TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER TWO.
I'M GONNA SAY THAT THAT ITEM, UM, THE CLOSING PUBLIC HEARING PASSED, UM, UNANIMOUSLY.
THIS TAKES US INTO OUR ROUND TABLE, UM, Q AND A REMINDER COMMISSIONERS, UH, FOR OUR RULES FOR A CODE ITEM.
UH, EVERY COMMISSIONER HAS A CHANCE TO ASK A QUESTION, AND I'LL BE GOING IN THE ORDER IN WHICH I SEE THAT, OR WE CAN START JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE TIME TO FORM THE QUESTIONS.
THERE'S SOMEONE WHO HAS QUESTIONS TO START OFF WITH, IN WHICH CASE, OH, COMMISSIONER
I, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE REMOVAL OR THE CHANGE IN THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD.
SO THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO STEW FROM DISTRICT TWO WHO ALWAYS COMES TO CHAT WITH US.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE MENTIONED LAST TIME WAS EXTENDING THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD FROM FIVE YEARS TO 40 YEARS.
AND GIVEN THAT UNO IS 40 YEARS AND THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS I THINK IS ALSO 40 YEARS, WHY ARE WE REDUCING THIS TO FIVE OR KEEPING IT AT FIVE? SO THERE, THERE ARE TWO REASONS.
THE FIRST IS THAT, AS I MENTIONED, UM, WE ARE SEEING THAT THIS SMART HOUSING PROGRAM IS OVERWHELMING, OVERWHELMINGLY USED IN TANDEM WITH SOME OF THOSE OTHER PROGRAMS, WHETHER IT IS STATE OR FEDERAL LIKE LITECH OR WHETHER IT IS LOCAL PROGRAMS LIKE UNO OR, UH, DOWNTOWN.
[00:20:01]
SO IN THE CASES THAT THOSE OTHER TOOLS ARE BEING UTILIZED, IN ACTUALITY, THE AFFORDABILITY THAT'S PROVIDED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM IS SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER AND TENDS TO BE THOSE, UH, 40 YEAR PERIODS WHEN IT COMES TO THE AFFORDABILITY ON THE GROUND.THE SECOND REASON IS, UM, IN TERMS OF THE BASE REQUIREMENTS IN THOSE MARGINAL CASES WHERE THAT MIGHT NOT APPLY, WHERE OTHER TOOLS ARE NOT BEING USED WITH LONGER AFFORDABILITY PERIODS, WE DO REALLY WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO ENGAGE AND CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF A CHANGE IN THE REQUIRED AFFORDABILITY PERIOD, UM, WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING THE EXCHANGE OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR DEVELOPER INCENTIVES.
AND SO WE FELT THAT CERTAINLY MAY BE AN AREA THAT WE'RE WILLING TO EVALUATE IN A FUTURE PHASE, BUT WANTED ADDITIONAL TIME AS STAFF TO, UM, CONSIDER THE IMPACTS OF MAKING THAT CHANGE.
SO IT'S A POTENTIAL PHASE THREE AFTER FURTHER REVIEW CHANGE, ABSOLUTELY AFFORDABILITY PERIOD COULD CERTAINLY FALL UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF SOMETHING WE WE TACKLE IN THE FUTURE FOR A PHASE THREE.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS ABOUT THE, I I UNDERSTAND THAT COMMUNICATION TO THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORK DIRECTOR IS KIND OF A LOT FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE, BUT WHAT IS THE PROCESS TODAY FOR COMMUNICATING TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS ABOUT THESE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS AND ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT ACCESS IS GOOD OR, UM, OTHER TYPE YOU'RE COORDINATING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY? ABSOLUTELY.
SO SMART HOUSING IS IN ALMOST ALL CASES APPLIED FOR FIRST BEFORE, UM, FURTHER PERMITS.
THE REASON IS BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN USE THE PROGRAM TO CLAIM FEE WAIVERS WHEN APPLYING FOR THOSE PERMITS.
SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN, UM, AND THIS IS A LITTLE OUTSIDE OF MY SCOPE AND MORE WITH DSD, BUT THE PERMITS THAT ARE OPENED WHEN A SMART HOUSING CERTIFICATION IS ISSUED WILL BE VERY CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED AS SMART HOUSING, BOTH IN THE NAME OF THE, THE CASE FILE, BUT ALSO FURTHER IN, YOU KNOW, THE ATTACHMENTS TO THAT, UH, FOLDER, UH, AND OTHER PLACES.
AND SO ALL REVIEWERS AND ALL DISCIPLINES AND ALL DEPARTMENTS WILL BE AWARE THAT THE PROJECT IS SMART HOUSING WHEN THEY ARE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THEIR, THEIR REVIEWS.
GREAT, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BRAD RAMIREZ, OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAYBE ASK IF FOLKS HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, ONE OF THEM WAS, I KNOW MR. KEN ALREADY MENTIONED THIS SORT OF IN THE PHASE THREE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IT'S WE'RE SAYING THAT YOU CAN GET A HUNDRED PERCENT FEE WAIVER AWARDS FOR THE VMU PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD REMAIN, OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE, WE'RE PROPOSING TO REMOVE THAT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE INCONSISTENT WITH OUR CHANGE OF THE, UH, MFI.
UM, AS YOU MAY KNOW, VERTICAL MIXED USE HAS KIND OF TWO POTENTIAL MFI LEVELS 80% MFI OR WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD OPT-IN 60% MFI.
SO DEVELOPMENTS THAT DO PROVIDE 10% OF UNITS AT 60% MFI WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR AND RECEIVE FEE WAIVERS THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
UM, SO LONG AS THEY ARE MEETING THE OTHER GREEN BUILDING IN ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS.
SO IT'S NOT SHUTTING THE DOOR ENTIRELY ON VERTICAL MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS, BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY ONE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THIS CHANGE IS A VMU DEVELOPMENT WITH ONLY 10% OF UNITS AT 80% MFI FROM A STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT GOALS PROGRAMMATIC STANDPOINT, WE FEEL, UM, UH, THAT CHANGE IS NO LONGER SUITABLE FOR FEE WAIVERS.
AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP, THAT WOULD, UM, THAT WOULD APPLY TO OTHER PROGRAMS AS WELL.
SO AS LONG AS SOMEONE MEETS THE SMART HOUSING REQUIREMENTS, IF THEY'RE USING ANOTHER PROGRAM LIKE DB 90 OR ANY OF OUR ADDITIONAL DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS THAT MIGHT BE CREATED, AS LONG AS THEY MEET THE SMART HOUSING REQUIREMENTS, THEY WOULD STILL BE ELIGIBLE TO USE THE PROGRAM.
THAT'S, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
AND YOU CAN COMBINE PROGRAMS IN THAT WAY WITHOUT NEEDING TO STACK THE AFFORDABILITY.
SO YES, AS LONG AS YOU'RE MEETING THE MINIMUM 10% REQUIREMENT, YOU CAN ACCESS THE PROGRAM AND THE FEE WAIVERS.
AND THEN ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT WAS ALSO, UM, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, ESSENTIALLY IF, IF A DENSITY BONUS OR SOMEONE ELSE IS USING IT, THE FEE WAIVER, AS LONG AS IT IS A PER UNIT STYLE OF FEE AND NOT A LARGER AT LARGE FEE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, UM, IT IS PRORATED TO THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT ARE GONNA BE INCOME RESTRICTED, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
THERE ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF FEES THAT ARE ASSESSED TO AN INDIVIDUAL UNIT.
IN THOSE CASES, THEY ARE TIED TO THE UNITS THAT ARE INCOME RESTRICTED OR AFFORDABLE.
UM, SO ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF INCOME AVERAGING THAT I MENTIONED IS FLEXIBILITY TO PROVIDE FEE WAIVERS FOR DEVELOPMENTS WITH, YOU KNOW, A WIDER, UH, VARIETY OF MFI LEVELS TO ACCESS FEE WAIVERS FOR THOSE UNITS.
BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, THERE ARE CERTAIN UNITS THAT ARE ASSESSED ON KIND OF A PER UNIT BASIS.
AND JUST ONE LAST QUESTION, WHICH WAS, UM, I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER BARRY RAMIREZ ASKING ABOUT THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD AS WELL.
WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION OF LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF THE, SUCH AS THE REDEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE UNDER CHAPTER FOUR 18 OR THE
[00:25:01]
WROTE RELEASE ADDENDUM? JUST, UH, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW DO WE AVERAGE OUT SORT OF ALL THE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE QUALITY OF LIFE AND QUALITY OF SORT OF CONSTRUCTION, UH, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ALIGNED ACROSS THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS? CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT IF THERE WAS ANY ASSESSMENT OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT? ABSOLUTELY.WE, WE CERTAINLY DID CONSIDER WHETHER TO INCORPORATE THE FOUR 18 REQUIREMENTS IN THEIR TOTALITY, UH, WITH THESE AMENDMENTS.
WE DID FEEL THOSE FELL JUST ON THE LINE OF NEEDING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, ENGAGEMENT AND CONSIDERATION BEFORE WE MOVED FORWARD WITH THEM.
BUT THOSE ARE CERTAINLY, UM, AMONG THE KINDA LOW HANGING FRUIT TOPICS THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER FOR FUTURE REVISIONS.
THEY DO HAVE SOME, UH, PROGRAMMATIC IMPACT, UM, IN TERMS OF NEW, NEW RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS, AND WE JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE TIME TO CONSIDER THE IMPACTS OF THOSE.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER WOODS? I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION, WHICH IS, UM, COULD YOU TALK US THROUGH WHICH FEES ARE NOT WAIVED AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM? WHICH FEES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE? SO THAT IS A DIFFICULT THING TO CHARACTERIZE BROADLY.
UM, I WILL START WITH KIND OF TWO SEPARATE CLASSES.
THE FIRST IS THE STANDARD PERMITTING FEES.
MY UNDERSTANDING, AND THIS IS MORE IN THE REALM OF INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS, BUT IS THINGS LIKE FISCAL, FISCAL SURETY IMPACT FEES, FEES THAT ARE REALLY SET UP, UM, UH, TO SORT OF OFFSET COSTS OR, UH, PROTECT, UM, THE PUBLIC IN CERTAIN CASES, THOSE ARE GENERALLY NOT WAIVED.
IT'S MORE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROCESSING FEES.
FOR EXAMPLE, A STANDARD FEE THAT YOU MUST PAY TO SUBMIT A SITE PLAN APPLICATION OR TO UTILIZE, UM, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGICAL PLATFORMS TO SUBMIT PERMITS.
THOSE DO TEND TO COME WITH FEES ASSOCIATED.
THOSE GET WAIVED THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
UM, THE MORE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROCESSING FEES.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE ARE FEES THAT ARE HOUSED IN OTHER SECTIONS OF CODE.
UM, THOSE ARE MANY OF THE PER UNIT FEES THAT THE, THE CHAIR MENTIONED.
SO THINGS LIKE PARKLAND DEDICATION, STREET IMPACT FEES, UM, AUSTIN WATER FEES ALL HAVE SORT OF SEPARATE PER UNIT, UH, AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS THAT THE AFFORDABLE UNITS RECEIVE, UM, THOSE FEE WAIVERS.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO KIND OF LIMITS ON ON WAIVERS.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? IF NOT, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? UM, I WILL BE HONEST, I HAVE SOME AMENDMENTS SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT OTHER FOLKS MIGHT HAVE AMENDMENTS AS WELL.
BUT TO START OFF, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO, UM, CREATE A BASE MOTION OF STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
I SEE COMMISSIONER WOODS IS MAKING A MOTION TO APPROVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE A SECOND ON THAT.
SO WE HAVE VICE CHAIR WOODS AND, UM, COMMISSIONER HILLER AS THE BASE MOTION.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BASE MOTION? IF NOT, HOW MANY FOLKS HAVE AMENDMENTS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER? I KNOW I HAVE THEM AND WE USUALLY GO THROUGH ONE ROUND.
SO INSTEAD OF CALLING UPON EVERYONE'S NAME, IF FOLKS ARE FINE WITH IT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND ONCE I'M DONE WITH MY FIRST ROUND OF AMENDMENTS, WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION.
WHO ELSE MIGHT HAVE A ROUND? I KNOW THESE WERE JUST SHARED WITH Y'ALL.
UM, THANK YOU MS. GARCIA FOR SHARING THOSE OUT.
THEY SHOULD BE IN YOUR EMAIL, BUT THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, AND WHEN I DRAFTED THESE, I WASN'T THINKING OF THE PHASE THREE.
I WILL BE HONEST, IT MAKES SENSE RIGHT NOW THAT THESE ARE GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
THESE ARE GUIDANCE OR WE'RE SENDING TO COUNCIL, THEY'RE NOT TO THE ORDINANCE ITSELF, AND IT MAKES SENSE TO, UM, HAVE THEM POTENTIALLY BE LOOPED INTO THAT PHASE THREE OR WHATEVER COUNSELOR STAFFS WILL, MIGHT BE.
BUT THE FIRST ONE REALLY IS INCREASING THAT AFFORDABILITY PERIOD, UM, TO ALIGN WITH THE OTHER PROGRAMS. AND IT VARIES A LITTLE BIT AMONG VARIOUS PROGRAMS, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, OUR RENTAL PROGRAMS AT 40 YEARS OF AFFORDABILITY AND OWNERSHIP ARE 99 YEARS OF AFFORDABILITY.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY GENERAL RECOMMENDATION.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT.
UM, YES, COMMISSIONER S SKIDMORE, I GUESS THAT'S A QUESTION OF, I KNOW STAFF ADDRESSED IT IN THEIR PRESENTATION THAT THEY WEREN'T READY TO, UH, CHANGE IT BECAUSE OF IT, IT SOUND, I I IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS ALMOST A MOOT POINT BECAUSE THE APPLICANTS ARE USING OTHER PROGRAMS. UH, MAYBE MY QUESTION IS, ARE WE AWARE OF WHERE SHORTER AFFORDABILITY PERIODS HAVE BEEN APPLIED AND HAVE CAUSED THE LOSS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH THE SMART PROGRAM? MR. KENNEDY IS WALKING UP.
[00:30:01]
INDIVIDUAL EXAMPLES.UM, UH, AGAIN, I WILL SAY, GOING BACK TO MY PRESENTATION, THE, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF, UH, PROJECTS THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR SMART HOUSING IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAVE UTILIZED SOME OTHER TOOL.
FIVE YEARS IS NOT THE STANDARD FOR THOSE OTHER TOOLS.
SO WHILE IT MIGHT NOT BE THE FULL 40 IN EVERY SINGLE CASE, UM, THE DATA WE HAD SHOWED THAT AT THE VERY LEAST 94% OF SMART APPLICATIONS HAD DEEPER LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY.
IN ACTUALITY, THERE MAY BE SOME THAT UTILIZED OTHER PROGRAMS THAT, THAT WE JUST WEREN'T TRACKING.
SO, UM, WHILE I DON'T KNOW THE, THE SPECIFIC CASES THAT FALL OUTSIDE THAT RANGE, I CAN SAY THE VAST MAJORITY OF APPLICANTS ARE PROVIDING DEEPER AFFORDABILITY LEVELS IN ACTUALITY.
AND COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE, TO YOUR QUESTION, I MIGHT RESPOND AS THE MOTION MAKER AS WELL.
UM, SO YES, MR. CANDY IS RIGHT.
REALLY IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE PROGRAM, FOLKS USED IT IN A WAY WHERE WE HAD LOSS.
IN RECENT YEARS, WE HAVE NOT, AND IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS, BUT I WOULD ASSUME MIGHT BE WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE'VE HAD SOME CASES COME TO PLANNING COMMISSION WHERE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS TO HAVE AN AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT.
WE HAD SOME DEVELOPERS WERE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SMART HOUSING PROGRAM VOLUNTARILY.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE WERE SEEING THE CHALLENGE.
THEY WERE NOT NECESSARILY ALIGNING IT WITH THE OTHER FUNDING PROGRAMS. NOW, OF COURSE, IF THEY'RE GOING FOR A HIGHER THRESHOLD, THEY WILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THEIR FINANCES.
BUT I THINK JUST IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER A PARTICULAR CASE WHERE IT WAS BEING, YOU KNOW, PUSHED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO MAINTAIN EXISTING TENANTS AND NOT LOSE THEM AS THERE WAS A SMART HOUSING PROGRAM.
BUT IF IT'S ONLY FIVE YEARS, THEN REALLY THEN WE'RE GONNA SEE LIKELY AN OVERALL LOSS OF AFFORDABILITY OVER TIME.
IT SORT OF OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNED IN OUR PROGRAMS. THANK YOU.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NOT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION.
THIS IS GENERAL RECOMMENDATION.
ONE, STAFF SHOULD CONSIDER INCREASING THE AFFORDABILITY, BUT REQUIREMENTS FROM THE PROGRAM TO ALIGN WITH OTHER CITY PROGRAMS, 40 YEARS FOR RENTAL HOUSING AND 99 YEARS FOR OWNERSHIP HOUSING.
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND ON THAT? I HAVE A SECOND BY THE VICE CHAIR.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THE MOTION? IF, IF NOT, AGAIN, THIS IS A MOTION BY HIS HEART, SECONDED BY WOODS.
OR RAISE YOUR HANDS OR YOUR GREEN ITEMS THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
UM, THAT PASSES IN THE FIRST ROUND.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER PERSON WHO HAS A, UH, AMENDMENT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AT THIS TIME? IF NOT, SO THIS IS OUT OF ORDER, SO I WOULD ONLY DO IT IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, CAN WE DO A SECOND ROUND OF AMENDMENTS AND I CAN PUT IN MY AMENDMENT, NOT SEE AN OBJECTION, WE'RE GONNA SAY THAT RULE IS AMENDED.
UM, I'LL AGAIN TALK ABOUT IT AND THEN WE CAN HAVE QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS.
THIS WOULD JUST SAY, AGAIN, IT'S PART OF THAT PHASE THREE, YOUR FUTURE WORK STAFF SHOULD CONSIDER REQUIRING SMART HOUSING PARTICIPANTS TO UTILIZE THE REQUIREMENTS OF CHAPTER FOUR 18, THE RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AND OWNERSHIP, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, RHODA ODA GUIDELINES, AND THEN THE RHODA LEASE ADDENDUM.
AND I CAN TALK ABOUT SORT OF ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, AND I WOULDN'T SAY THAT STAFF HAS TO SORT OF TAKE IT ALL AND APPLY IT.
IT'S CONSIDERING THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND WHAT MAKES SENSE.
ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THAT? IN THAT CASE, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION.
THIS IS GENERAL RECOMMENDATION TO THE STAFF SHOULD CONSIDER REQUIRING SMART HOUSING PARTICIPANTS TO UTILIZE THE REQUIREMENTS OF CHAPTER FOUR 18, RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.
WROTE IN OWNERSHIP, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, ORDER GUIDELINES, AND WROTE A LEASE ADDENDUM.
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND ON THIS BY COMMISSIONER WOODS AGAIN AS WELL? ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? UH, I'LL JUST QUICKLY SAY, I THINK THE REASONING BEHIND THIS IS REALLY JUST TO SAY AGAIN, WE'VE WORKED HARD OVER THE YEARS IN DIFFERENT PLACES REGARDING REDEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR HOUSING, BUT ALSO DIFFERENT SORT OF TENANT PROTECTIONS AND QUALITY OF LIFE ITEMS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND BECAUSE SMART HOUSING IS SO OFTEN USED WITH THOSE, UM, FUNDING PROGRAMS, SOME OF THIS PROBABLY ALREADY APPLIES TO THEM, BUT IT MAKES SENSE, AGAIN, FROM A PERSPECTIVE TO SEE IF SOME OF THOSE ITEMS CAN BE LOOPED IN HERE AS WE WANT TO DO WITH OUR REGULAR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS AS WELL.
ANYBODY WISHING TO SPEAK AGAINST THE MOTION OR FOR, IN WHICH CASE, ALL THIS IS A, A MOTION BY AZAR, SECONDED BY WOODS.
THIS IS GENERAL RECOMMENDATION NUMBER TWO FROM AZAR.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS ON THIS ITEM
[00:35:01]
AT THIS TIME? IF NOT, THAT TAKES US TO THE BASE MOTION.UH, BY VICE CHAIR WOODS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HILLER WITH THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS PROPOSED BY MYSELF.
ANYBODY WISHING TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THE ITEM? NOT SEEING ANY.
I'M GONNA SAY ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND FOR YOUR GREEN CARD.
YOU'RE HELPING US MOVE THROUGH THIS.
SO THIS IS OUR PUBLIC HEARING ITEM CLOSED OUT.
UM, THIS TAKES US TO OUR FIRST STAFF
[3. Staff briefing regarding the Integrated Bond Program Development and Delivery Plan. Presentation by Eric Bailey, 512-974-7713, eric.bailey@austintexas.gov]
BRIEFING, UH, WHICH IS FROM A CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.WE HAVE STAFF, UH, AVAILABLE HERE TO WALK US THROUGH THE INTEGRATED BOND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY PLAN.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR COMMISSIONERS.
I'M ACTUALLY THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR HERE.
UH, OUR DEPUTY COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY.
SO I HAVE THE HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT, UH, A QUICK UPDATE ON THE, UH, 2026, UH, GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROGRAM.
UM, JUST KIND OF HAVE A QUICK AGENDA HERE.
SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CDS, JUST WHO WE ARE.
WE'LL TALK, UM, A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROGRAM.
WHAT IS IT? THE IMPROVED BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING.
UM, FOR 2026, THE STAFF WORK COMPLETED A DATE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, TECHNICAL CRITERIA, AND SCORING MATRICES AND PROGRESS TO DATE AND SOME KEY UPCOMING MILESTONES.
UM, SO WITH THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL LIBERTY SERVICE IS STILL RELATIVELY NEW DEPARTMENT.
WE WERE CREATED IN 20 20 23 WITH THE OVERALL OBJECTION OF REDUCING PROJECT DELIVERY TIMEFRAMES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE A GROUP OF ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, PROJECT MANAGERS, REALLY WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANTS AND CONTRACTOR TEAMS TO GET CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED IN A TIMELY MANNER HERE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
OUR ROLE IN THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM, OF COURSE, IS WE ARE CONVENING ALL THE, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP A, A NEEDS ASSESSMENT OR WHAT WE WOULD CALL THE, THE PROJECT OR PROGRAM LIST OF, UH, THAT WILL BE GOING FORWARD IN THE MOVING FORWARD IN THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM.
UH, WE ALSO GUIDE THE PROCESS TO ENSURE PROJECTS ARE VETTED, UM, WITH FULL SCOPE SCHEDULES AND BUDGETS, WHICH ARE ACCURATE AND REALISTIC.
IN ADDITION, UM, WE COORDINATE PROJECTS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS TO ACHIEVE, UH, MULTIPLE BENEFITS FOR THE CITY.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, SO FAR WE'VE BEEN KIND OF WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS SINCE MAY OF 2024.
SO ABOUT A YEAR RIGHT NOW THROUGH THIS, THIS ORIGINAL, UH, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
EXACTLY WHAT IS A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROGRAM? IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT STANDARD PROJECTS OR TYPICAL BOND PROJECTS, YOU WOULD SEE THAT THEIR FLOOD AND EROSION CONTROL IMPROVEMENTS, IT'S NEWER REPLACEMENT OF CITY FACILITIES, REHABILITATION OF EXISTING FACILITIES, HOUSING, UM, PROJECTS, STREET THOROUGHFARE, IMPROVEMENTS LIKE SIDEWALKS, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES LIKE FIRE, EMS, POLICE AND ALSO LAND PROCUREMENT.
WHAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY NOT SEE, UM, OF COURSE IN A GEO BOND PROGRAM IS JUST ROUTINE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
SO POTHOLE REPAIR, YOU WOULDN'T SEE MINOR STREET REPAIRS, LIKE BASIN PAYMENT FAILURES, LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE, GENERAL BUILDING MAINTENANCE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS FOR SHORT TERM LEASE SPACE.
OF COURSE, CODE ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVES LIKE MOWING OF LAWNS AND GRASSES, PICKING UP TRASH, THINGS LIKE THAT, EMPLOYEES SALARIES.
AND THEN, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE TENDED, ARE, ARE TYPICALLY FUNDED BY DEBT, FUNDED THROUGH, UH, THEIR REVENUE BONDS.
SO THEY WOULD NOT QUALIFY OR BE PARTICIPATING IN THE GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT.
UM, SO YOU WOULDN'T SEE 'EM IN THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM FROM THAT STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, AS A NEW DEPARTMENT, IT'S, I JUST WANNA KIND OF FOCUS ON TWO, JUST THE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BROWN BOXES, THIS IS REALLY, I THINK THE POINT OF THIS KIND OF BUSY SLIDE FROM A, FROM A TIMELINE PERSPECTIVE, IF YOU LOOK AT HOW WE AS AUSTIN MOVED FORWARD WITH BOND PROGRAMS IN THE PAST, WE WOULD TYPICALLY DO A LOT OF THE PROJECT PLANNING, DEVELOPING THE SCOPE, THE SCHEDULE, AND THE BUDGET AFTER THE BOND ELECTION WAS HELD FOR THIS BOND PROCESS, WE'VE ACTUALLY REVIEWED A LOT OF PURE CITIES AND WE'RE, WE'VE FOUND THAT PROJECT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SCOPE, SCHEDULE AND BUDGET ACTUALLY OCCURS IN FRONT OF THE BOND ELECTION.
SO PLANNING THOROUGHLY FOR WHAT YOUR ACTUAL SCOPE IS GOING TO BE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE BUDGET AND SCHEDULE ALIGNED WITH THOSE IS KEY, KIND OF MOVING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THAT HELPS US ALSO BE ABLE TO START DESIGNING CONSTRUCTION IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BOND PROGRAM IS HOPEFULLY APPROVED.
UM, SO I KNOW THIS IS A BUSY SLIDE HERE, AND REALLY THE KEY TAKEAWAY OF THIS IS I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED WE'VE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS SINCE MAY OF 2024, AND THAT'S BEEN AT THE DIRECTOR LEVEL.
WE'VE BEEN MEETING AT THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LEVEL, AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN MEETING WITH THE POLICY, UH, MATTER EXPERTS OF COURSE, THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
AND OVERALL, SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE PROBABLY HELD 40 PLUS MEETINGS, UM, WITH CITY STAFF RELATED TO, TO BOND DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL.
[00:40:01]
AND THAT'S REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON REALLY SETTING THAT GOAL AND, AND SETTING OUR ADOPTED CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, ANCHORS AS OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.AND THEN OF COURSE, TALKING ABOUT OUR TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND SCORING MATRICES.
AND THEN IN PARALLEL, BACK IN JULY, WE ACTUALLY CALLED FOR THE DEPARTMENTS TO START PUTTING THAT NEEDS ASSESSMENT TOGETHER.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING THAT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE BOND FRAMEWORK AND THEN ALSO THE, THE PROJECT LIST AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, AND THEN FOR JUST BACKGROUND ON THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND TECHNICAL CRITERIA, SCORING MATRICES, YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY, AS WE STARTED GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH STAFF AND GOING THROUGH THESE MEETINGS AND HAVING CONVERSATION WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UM, WE ACTUALLY CAME UP WITH EIGHT STRATEGIC, UM, ANCHORS AS OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
AND AS WE STARTED HAVING THE BIGGER CONVERSATIONS, WE REALIZED THAT, HEY, IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN JUST ADOPTED THE SIX STRATEGIC ANCHOR, AND OUR TWO ADDITIONAL ONES ACTUALLY ROLLED UP INTO THOSE, UM, THOSE OTHER ONES.
SO IT WAS PERFECT ALIGNMENT FOR THOSE LONG TERM, YOU KNOW, UH, PRINCIPLES TO HELP US GUIDE, UH, OUR PROJECTS AS A CITY.
SO IT WAS A, A FA FANTASTIC, UH, DISCOVERY AS WE WERE WORKING THROUGH THIS, WORKING TOGETHER AS DEPARTMENTS AND AS A CITY.
UM, FURTHERMORE, YOU KNOW, EACH ASSET OWNER DEPARTMENT DEVELOP THEIR OWN TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND THEIR OWN ON OWN MATRIX BASED ON THEIR OWN DEPARTMENT NEEDS, THEIR OWN CONCERNS THAT THEY'RE HEARING FROM THE, THE COMMUNITY, THEIR COMMISSIONS.
BUT, AND MORE THAN THAT TOO, JUST THE EXPERTISE THAT THEY HAVE AS A DEPARTMENT.
UM, THEY WILL ALSO TAKE, THE DEPARTMENT WILL TAKE THOSE, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND THEN THEY WILL USE THAT, THAT MATRIX THAT THEY'RE CREATING AND THEY'LL SCORE THEM BASED OFF OF A RUBRIC OFF OF A HUNDRED POINT MATRIX.
SO THAT'LL BE THE DEPARTMENTS DOING THAT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'LL BE USING PROJECT CHARTERS TO HELP SCORE AND EVALUATE THIS PROCESS AS WE FURTHER DEFINE THESE PRIORITIZED LISTS OF PROJECTS AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS.
THIS BOND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, THIS IS COURSE IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY'S SEEN HERE.
THIS IS THE ACTUAL, UM, UH, ADOPT A CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN ANCHORS THAT WE'RE USING AS OUR, OUR, OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
SO I WON'T GO THROUGH 'EM ALL, BUT IT'S, THEY'RE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.
AND, UH, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE PROGRESS TO DATE SOME OF OUR KEY MILESTONES THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE REALLY GOING, GOING AFTER HERE IN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF.
BUT AS YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS, AGAIN, WE INCREASED, WE, UH, CREATED OUR INTERNAL GOVERNANCE TEAM BACK IN MAY OF 2024, SO ROUGHLY A YEAR AGO.
UM, WE ACTUALLY INITIATED THE CALL FOR PROJECTS AS WE DISCUSSED, AND THE ASSET OWNER DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN CREATING THEIR TECHNICAL CRITER AND SCORING MATRICES.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH OUR BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE, AND THE DEPARTMENTS ARE GOING TO THEM TO PRESENT THESE, UM, TECHNICAL CRITERIA AND SCORING MATRICES, HOW THEY'RE GONNA PRIORITIZE THEIR PROJECTS AND WHAT, WE'LL, WHAT WE'LL KIND OF BE GOING FROM THAT POINT IS GOING INTO JULY AND WE'LL HAVE OUR FIRST INITIAL PRIORITIZED LIST THAT WE'LL PROVIDE, PROVIDE TO THE B TIFF IN JULY.
SO MOVING PAST THAT, GOING INTO AUGUST, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND THEN AS YOU CAN KIND OF SEE, WE KIND OF START DOING BOARD AND COMMISSION UPDATES AGAIN, KIND OF INTO THE EARLY SPRING.
KIND OF WHAT DOES THAT PROJECT LIST LOOK LIKE WITH, UM, THE B TIFF REPORTING TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL IN MAY OF 2026? THE COUNCIL WOULD CALL FOR OUR BOND ELECTION IN JULY OR AUGUST, DEPENDING ON THE TIMEFRAME.
AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE BOND ELECTION IN NOVEMBER OF 2026.
AND THIS IS JUST KIND OF LIKE, JUST HIGHLIGHTS THE, THE ACTUAL STAFF PRESENTATIONS THAT WE JUST MENTIONED, UH, AS THEY'RE GOING FORWARD.
SO WE'VE ALREADY IN MARCH HAD HOUSING HOMELESS AND TPW GO THIS MONTH WE HAD LIBRARY, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH AND PARD GO, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ANIMAL SERVICES FLEET AND WATERSHED PROTECTION IN NEXT MONTH WITH FIRE POLICE EMS AND MUNICIPAL COURTS KIND OF WRAPPING US UP IN JUNE.
UM, AND THEN THEY HAVE PER PER RESOLUTION, THEY'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING THEIR FIRST INITIAL REPORT TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ON BOND DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK, UM, ALSO IN JUNE.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR PROPOSED LIST COMING OUT IN JULY.
AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY, MAY HAVE.
UM, COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS, ACTUALLY, BEFORE THAT, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? NO CHAIR.
UH, COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS? I'LL MAYBE GO AHEAD AND SORT OF KICK US OFF AND FOLKS CAN JUMP IN AS NECESSARY.
UM, I, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION, SORT OF THE WAY STAFF IS SORT OF METHODICALLY THINKING THROUGH HOW DO WE LOOK, WE LOOK AT OUR BOND SORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOW DO WE LOOK AT IT? THERE WERE TWO ELEMENTS I THINK I WAS THINKING OF.
ONE WAS, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE HAVE DONE BONDS IN THE PAST AND SORT OF CHANGING THE STRUCTURE OF IT, I WONDER HOW Y'ALL ARE ENGAGING WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ON THE HOUSING BONDS.
AND THAT IN THE SENSE THAT THEY'RE SORT OF UNIQUE IN THE SENSE THAT THEY'RE NOT A PUBLIC ENTITY THAT THEN DELIVERS THE PROJECT OR GOES THROUGH IT.
IT'S REALLY THAT WE HAVE AN ALLOCATION TO A PRIVATE SLASH NONPROFIT WHO WILL THEN DO THE WORK.
SO IT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN THE ORDER OF THINGS.
AND JUST THE WAY COUNCIL DOES THE
[00:45:01]
ALLOCATION, UM, TO OUR HOUSING, UH, CORPORATION, WE HAVE HAD HOUSING IN OUR AND ALL OF OUR MEETINGS.I'M SO SORRY, SIR, CAN I ASK YOU TO PAUSE FOR A SECOND? OH, UM, COMMISSIONERS ONLINE.
WE NEED ONE MORE PERSON TO SHOW UP VIRTUALLY.
SO AS PART OF OUR INTEGRATED BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, HOUSING HAS BEEN PART OF ALL OF OUR MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD.
SO THEY'VE BEEN PART OF ALL OUR COMMUNICATIONS.
THEY'VE ACTUALLY THE FIRST ONES THAT KIND OF WENT AND PRESENTED TO, UH, OUR BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE.
SO WE'RE TREATING EVERYONE INCLUSIVE AS THIS BOND PROCESS KIND OF GOES FORWARD IS HOW WE'RE GONNA TRY TO TALK ABOUT ALL CITY NEEDS AND KIND OF MAKE A DECISION BASED OFF OF, OF THAT INSTEAD OF JUST UNIQUE INDEPENDENT, UM, I THINK PRO PROPOSITIONS OR BOND PROGRAMS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
AND, AND SO AM I UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY WILL BE A JOINT BOND PROGRAM OR WHAT THE BALLOT LOOKS LIKE? WE'RE UNSURE RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE, BUT IT IS GONNA BE A COMPREHENSIVE BOND PROGRAM.
SO, UM, SIMILAR TO 2018 WHERE IT'S GONNA BE A NUMBER OF CITY DEPARTMENTS AND NOT LIKE WHAT WE'VE HAD SEEN IN 2020 OR 22 OR WHERE IT WAS JUST TRANSPORTATION ONLY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WAS IT.
AND THEN MY SECOND WAS, I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, SORT OF A CLIMATE BOND OR JUST UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
NOW, OF COURSE, I THINK A LOT OF CLIMATE RESILIENCY ASPECTS GOING TO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT SORT OF ELEMENTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, EACH OF OUR DEPARTMENT TOUCHES IT IN ITS OWN WAY.
UM, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, I KNOW THERE WERE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAD COME FROM STAFF EARLIER.
IS THAT JUST PART OF WHAT THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE IS LOOKING AT? ARE WE SORT OF JUST THINKING OF CLIMATE AS INFRASTRUCTURE? I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIKE HOW, AND MAYBE THAT'S A BON ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE QUESTION, BUT IS STAFF THINKING ABOUT HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT WHAT ELEMENTS FALL WITHIN THAT OR WOULD POTENTIALLY BE PART OF THAT? SO WE ARE, SO WE, AND WE ARE VERY ENGAGED WITH S ZACH BOMBER AND HIS TEAM.
SO, UM, WE'VE, THEY OF COURSE HAVE ALSO BEEN THROUGH ALL THE MEETINGS WITH US AND WE'RE KIND OF, UH, HEAVILY ENGAGED WITH THEM, BUT WE ARE STILL KIND OF WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UM, SO IT IT'S, IT'S BEEN AN ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, BUT WE'RE STILL EARLY ON IN THE FRAMEWORK AND AS WE KIND OF MOVE CLOSER INTO THE PROJECTS, WE'LL HAVE MORE CONSIDERATION AND, AND, AND TALKS ABOUT WHAT THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE.
ONE QUICK COMMENT I'LL MAKE ON THAT IS I REALLY HOPE, YOU KNOW, THE BOND AZI TASK FORCE, BUT STAFF AS WELL.
I GUESS AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, WE CAN THINK FROM FLOOD INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PERSPECTIVE AS WELL, JUST FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE SEE A LOT IS WE WANNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE KINDS OF HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES SOMEWHERE OR HAVE NEW HOUSING.
AND WHAT THAT COMES WITH IS OF COURSE, INFRASTRUCTURAL CHALLENGES, OF COURSE AROUND WATERSHED NEEDS AND JUST, UH, FLOODING AS WELL.
AND JUST IF WE COULD MANAGE SOME OF THAT WITH AN INFRASTRUCTURE, OF COURSE THAT WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
LIKE FROM A CIP PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE AS THE COMMISSION HERE QUITE A BIT BIT.
AND, AND TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT, WE WOULD FOLLOW ALL THE GREEN BUILDING POLICIES THAT THE CITY HAS AND SUSTAINABILITY GUIDELINES.
SO THAT WOULD OF COURSE WOULD HAPPEN IN ADDITION, I'M NOT SURE, BUT IF YOU GO BACK AND IF WE SAW THE SLIDE WITH ALL THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, BUT WE DO HAVE, UM, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY THAT IS INTEGRATED AND BUILT INTO, UM, ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND THEY ARE BUILDING A LOT OF THEIR TECHNICAL CRITERIA BASED OFF OF THAT, THAT GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
SO IT IS AN INTEGRATED PIECE, BUT ALSO FOLLOWING CITY POLICY AND AND SUSTAINABILITY GUIDELINES.
I APPRECIATE, THANK YOU MR. HAMMER.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS, NOT SEEING ANY GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.
IF NOT, WE WOULD MOVE AHEAD WITH THIS ITEM.
AND OF COURSE, IN THE FUTURE, AS IT MAKES SENSE, AS THE I THINK STAFF HAS ITS OWN RECOMMENDATION, BOND ELECTION ADVISORY WILL ENSURE HOWEVER WE CAN, WE CAN CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH YOU ALL AND SUPPORT THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
THANK YOU, CHAIR, WE APPRECIATE IT.
[4. Staff briefing regarding the timeline for Planning Department planning initiatives. Presentation by Erica Leak, 512-974-9375, erica.leak@austintexas.gov]
TO OUR, UM, SECOND STAFF BRIEFING FOR TODAY.UM, MS. LEE IS HERE TO TALK US THROUGH THE TIMELINE FOR PLANNING DEPARTMENT PLANNING INITIATIVES.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.
ERIC KLIK, UH, OFFICER WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SO I JUST HAVE A VERY BRIEF ONE SLIDE PRESENTATION, UM, TO PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH, UM, WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE VARIOUS LONG RANGE PLANNING INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT IS ACROSS THE WHOLE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SO IN MAY WE EXPECT POTENTIAL COUNCIL ADOPTION OF THE NORTH LAMAR AND SOUTH CONGRESS TRANSIT CENTER STATIONARY VISION PLANS THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UM, REVIEWED AND, UH, ALREADY MADE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT.
UM, WE ALSO EXPECT COMPLETION OF AN AGRICULTURALLY FOCUSED NEIGHBORHOODS RESOLUTION RESPONSE.
LOOKING AT, UM, WHAT MODELS EXIST FOR AGRICULTURALLY FOCUSED NEIGHBORHOODS IN JULY, WE EXPECT THAT
[00:50:01]
THE DOWNTOWN HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY AND THE EQUITY OVERLAY STUDY WILL BE COMPLETE IN SEPTEMBER.WE EXPECT THAT AN INDUSTRIAL STUDY WILL BE COMPLETE.
THAT'S LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE TRENDS IN INDUSTRIAL USES, UM, WHERE, WHERE SHOULD SOME OF THOSE USES BE MAINTAINED? WHERE DOES IT NOT MAKE AS MUCH SENSE AND AND HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO, UM, THE ECONOMY IN IN AUSTIN AND, AND APPROPRIATENESS IN GENERAL.
UM, BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HOPE THAT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES UPDATE WILL BE COMPLETE AND THAT THE GREAT STREETS PLAN AND THE STANDARDS UP UPDATE WILL BE COMPLETE.
AND THEN WE HAVE TWO PLANNING PROJECTS THAT WILL BE ACTIVE FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
AND THOSE ARE THE NORTHEAST DISTRICT PLAN AND THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR VISION PLAN UPDATE.
IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THOSE ITEMS AND PLANNING INITIATIVES, WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF, UM, INITIATIVES FOR WHICH COST ESTIMATES ARE NEEDED AND WHERE WE'LL BE DETERMINING THE TIMELINES.
AND SO THOSE INCLUDE AN UPDATE TO IMAGINE AUSTIN, UM, THE GREATER 7 8 7 0 2 INITIATIVE, AN UPDATE TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN, UM, A TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ANALYSIS FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS, A DISTRICT PLANNING FRAMEWORK, AND AN UPDATE TO THE CRESTVIEW TOD PLAN.
AND I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.
UM, COMMISSIONER WOODS, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
SORRY, WOULD YOU MIND PULLING THAT SLIDE BACK UP? I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION, WHICH IS CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT THE AGRICULTURAL NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, PLAN? CERTAINLY.
UM, SO THIS WAS A RESOLUTION FOR FROM COUNCIL FOR STAFF TO STUDY.
UM, IF THERE ARE BARRIERS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURALLY FOCUSED NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH IS, IS GENERALLY, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE BUILT AROUND SOME TYPE OF FARMLAND.
UM, THERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF AGRICULTURALLY FOCUSED NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND SO WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE PLACES THAT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THEM TO BE BUILT IN AUSTIN? UM, HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT CURRENTLY EXIST AND ARE THERE WAYS THAT, UM, THAT WE COULD CHANGE PROGRAMS OR, OR POTENTIALLY REGULATIONS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO BE BUILT.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? I I HAVE, UM, TWO QUICK ONE.
ONE IS, CAN YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT, I KNOW THERE'S A CONVERSATION AROUND THE DENSITY BONUS AND I KNOW THE TIMELINE HAS CHANGED.
CAN YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT SORT OF, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL DENSITY BONUS STRUCTURE, WAITING ON GUIDANCE FROM COUNCIL.
WHERE ARE WE IN THAT PIECE? SURE.
UM, SO, AND, AND THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BE CONFUSING, UM, THE, OUR CODE AMENDMENTS ARE ACTUALLY ON A SEPARATE GANTT CHART.
THEY'RE ON THE CODE AMENDMENT GANTT CHART.
AND SO, UM, DENSITY BONUS UPDATES WOULD BE ON THAT, UM, THAT TIMELINE.
UM, FOR THOSE, THE, WE HAD CONSULTANTS WHO DID SOME ANALYSIS OF ALL THE CITY'S DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS, AND THAT ANALYSIS WAS RELEASED TO COUNCIL IN JANUARY, UM, AND PRESENTED TO THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AT THEIR FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND, AND SO WE'RE TAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT STUDY TO TRY TO THINK COMPREHENSIVELY ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE NEED AS A CITY IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL CITYWIDE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS AND ALSO HOW THAT MAY INTERACT WITH THE CITY'S, UH, EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, UM, OVERLAYS.
AND SO WE ARE, UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO POTENTIALLY BRING A RESOLUTION TO COUNCIL, PERHAPS IN THE SUMMER, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CLEAR GUIDANCE, UH, ABOUT HOW THOSE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS SHOULD INTERACT AND THEN WHAT WE WOULD HOPE TO BRING THOSE BACK TO COUNCIL BY THE END OF, BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THEN I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT.
UM, I, OF COURSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SCOPE FOR THE INDUSTRIAL STUDY IS, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING HONESTLY, THAT
[00:55:01]
PLANNING COMMISSION HAS STRUGGLED A LITTLE BIT WITHIN THE PAST FEW YEARS.SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SORT OF SEE IT ON THERE.
AND I THINK FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION PERSPECTIVE, UNDERSTANDING, I THINK WE'RE REALLY CHALLENGED BECAUSE WE HAVE INDUSTRIAL AREAS THAT ARE CHANGING.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A GOOD WAY OF UNDERSTANDING WHERE DO WE WANT TO MAINTAIN SOME OF THAT.
SO I THINK ANY SORT OF GUIDANCE FROM THAT STUDY THAT CAN GUIDE FUTURE ZONING CASES, PARTICULARLY AS FOLKS ARE SWITCHING FROM INDUSTRIAL TO OTHER USES, HONESTLY, I CAN SEE A LOT OF USE FOR THIS STUDY.
SO JUST MORE OF A COMMENT ON THAT INDEED.
AND, AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY PART OF THE PURPOSE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, YES.
COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITING PROJECTS COMING UP.
UM, I AM CURIOUS ABOUT THE DISTRICT LEVEL PLANNING EFFORTS.
SO IS THAT BASICALLY A LOT OF, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD OR SMALL AREA PLANS COMING TOGETHER? AURORA, SORRY,
SO LIKE THE NORTHEAST DISTRICT, THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT WOULD BE NO PIECES KIND OF PUT TOGETHER TO MAKE A DISTRICT.
I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WILL WE BE SEEING THESE IN THE SMALL AREA PLANNING COMMITTEE, UM, COMMITTEE, AND CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? UH, YES.
SO THE CONCEPT OF DISTRICT PLANS IS TO HAVE, UM, BIGGER GEOGRAPHIC AREAS LIKE THE NORTHEAST DISTRICT, UM, SO THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE PLANS, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY FOR THE, FOR THE WHOLE CITY IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.
UM, AND WHAT WAS THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION? SORRY.
UM, SO IT IS, UM, I'M MORE CURIOUS ABOUT KIND OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOW THEY'LL BE DETERMINED FOR THE DISTRICT.
AND I KNOW NORTHEAST DISTRICT, BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT DOWNTOWN AND THE, IS IT JUST THE ZIP CODE OF O2? NO, WELL THAT ALL OF THAT IS STILL A LITTLE BIT UP IN THE AIR, BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UM, THE CITY'S DEMO DEMOGRAPHIC DEMOGRAPHICS GROUP, UM, AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL AREAS, UM, THAT THEY USE FOR POPULATION PROJECTIONS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT INCLUDE CENSUS TRACKED BOUNDARIES, UM, A A VARIETY OF BOUNDARIES, UM, WHERE WE WOULD ABLE, WHERE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET, UH, A GOOD AMOUNT OF DATA SO THAT, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT INFORMATION TO GUIDE, UM, TO GUIDE AND INFORM THE PLANNING PROCESSES.
SO, UM, YOU'LL DEFINITELY BE HEARING MORE ABOUT THAT, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
AND, UM, YOU ALSO ASKED, YOU KNOW, WOULD THEY BE COMING TO THE SMALL AREA PLANNING, UM, COMMISSION COMMITTEE? UM, AND I THINK THE ANSWER TO THAT WOULD BE YES.
AND THEN IT LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE DOING A, LIKE AN A, A DISTRICT FRAMEWORK STUDY.
SO I GUESS I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WOULD BE FIRST IT KIND OF FELT LIKE IT WAS LOWER ON THE CHART.
SO MAYBE BEFORE THE NORTHEAST DISTRICT, WELL, NORTHEAST DISTRICT IS UNDERWAY.
BUT YES, BUT, BUT UNDERSTOOD AND NOTED.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, UM, WE CAN MOVE TO OUR
[WORKING GROUP/COMMITTEE UPDATES]
NEXT ITEM.THIS IS OUR WORKING GROUP AND COMMITTEE UPDATES.
SO Y'ALL WILL HAVE TO HELP ME, WHOEVER'S ON A COMMITTEE.
I KNOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH SOME CHANGES, UM, CODES AND ORDINANCES, JOINT COMMITTEE, UH, THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT MET SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, SO WE DO NOT HAVE ANY UPDATE AT THIS TIME.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE.
I THINK WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY MEMBERS SERVING ON THERE RIGHT NOW.
UM, SAME GOES FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE UNLESS THERE'S AN UPDATE FROM THAT SMALLER YEAR PLANNING JOINT COMMITTEE.
DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE? COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ? WELL, I DID WANNA SAY, I SENT AN EMAIL ABOUT THIS, BUT LAST TIME WE DID TALK ABOUT, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THE ORACLE CAMPUS AND CIRCULATION THROUGHOUT THE CAMPUS, AND THEN THERE WAS A PROPERTY, UM, IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ON ALONG RIVERSIDE, BURTON SPRINGS AREA, AND WE TALKED ABOUT ROADWAY AND CIRCULATION IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
UM, SOUTH UNDER WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD.
I THINK WE HAD HEARD, UH, FROM COMMISSIONER MAXWELL THAT THAT BODY HAS NOT BEEN MEETING AT THIS TIME.
UM, AND THE GOVERNOR'S RULE GOVERNANCE RULES AND PROCEDURES WORKING GROUP.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER WOODS, YOU CAN TELL ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT ESSENTIALLY WE HAVE NOT MET SINCE THE LAST MEETING AND DO NOT HAVE ANY OTHER, UM, UPDATE AT THIS TIME.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? IF NOT, AND THERE IS NO OBJECTION.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS MEETING OF THE
[01:00:01]
PLANNING COMMISSION AT SEVEN 3:00 PM THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.