[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER]
IS THE, UH, REGULAR CALLED MEETING AT THE AUSTIN DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.IT IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21ST, 2025.
UM, SO THE FIRST ITEM, AGENDA ON THE AGENDA IS, UM, ROLL CALL.
KRISTY, WOULD YOU MIND CALLING? ROLL? DON'T MIND AT ALL.
PETER BRETON MAY BE ON HIS WAY.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THAT? NO CHAIR.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission regular called meeting on April 16, 2025.]
RIGHT.UM, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT, UH, ITEM OF BUSINESS, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO READ OVER LAST WEEK'S OR LAST MONTH'S, MINUTES? WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT.
[2. Staff briefing by Carey Chaudoir, Commander - Downtown Area Command, Austin Police Department, and Joshua Griggers, Lieutenant - Downtown Operations, Austin Police Department, regarding an update on the reopening of Sixth Street and crime statistics as they relate to the Safer Sixth Street Initiative.]
ON TO THE MEAT OF THE AGENDA.SO THE FIRST ITEM IS A BRIEFING, AND LET ME FIND MY AGENDA.
A STAFF BRIEFING BY CARRIE SHA, HOW DO YOU SAY THE NAME? SORRY.
COMMANDER DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND.
AND JOSHUA RIGGERS, LIEUTENANT DOWNTOWN OPERATIONS AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE REOPENING OF SIXTH STREET AND CRIME STATISTICS AS THEY RELATE TO THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE.
I'M BRAND NEW TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, RECENTLY WAS ASSIGNED DOWN TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO I'M STILL LEARNING ALL THINGS DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED, SIR, THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE SOME CRIMINAL STATISTICS.
AND I JUST WANT TO KIND OF PREFACE BY SAYING WE, UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVING AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF OUR CRIME DATA.
SO WE'RE NOT AT, WE'RE NOT READY RIGHT NOW TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU.
'CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE VERIFIED AND ACCURATE BEFORE WE PRESENT THAT DATA TO YOU.
UM, BUT WHAT I CAN DO IS KIND OF GENERALIZE WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE INITIATIVE STARTED, AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THAT.
SO, JUST TO GIVE YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT OF A REFRESHER FOR THE BACKGROUND.
IN 2022, AUSTIN LAUNCHED THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE IN RESPONSE TO A SERIES OF VIOLENT INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED ON SIXTH STREET.
THESE INITIATIVES INVOLVED VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, AND CITY PLANNERS.
AND THE INITIATIVE FOCUSES ON BOTH IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE AND REVITALIZE THE DISTRICT.
AND AS PART OF THE SAFER STREET INITIATIVE, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT LAUNCHED A PILOT PROGRAM, UH, THAT REOPENED SIXTH STREET TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON WEEKEND NIGHTS.
THE PILOT BEGAN THIS, UH, PRESENTATION SAYS JANUARY.
IT ACTUALLY STARTED, I BELIEVE IN DECEMBER, 2024.
UM, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN IMPLEMENTED TEMPORARY METAL FENCING, RUBBER CURBS, A WHITE, WHITE FLEX POSTS TO SEPARATE PEDESTRIANS FROM VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.
AND I'LL SHOW YOU A PICTURE HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.
UH, THESE MEASURES WERE AIMED TO KEEP PEDESTRIANS ON WIDENED SIDEWALKS AND PREVENT CROWDING IN THE STREETS.
AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A, A PICTURE FOR YOU TO SEE WHAT, WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE INITIALLY UPON IMPLEMENTATION IN JANUARY.
THE, THE SLIDE ON THE LEFT, UM, THAT IS STILL THERE WITH THE, WITH THE RUBBER CURBS AND THE, THE WHITE POLES.
THE SLIDE ON THE RIGHT WAS THE INITIAL FENCING THAT WE PURCHASED FOR A TEMPORARY, UH, WIDENING OF THE SIDEWALKS.
UH, THE TEMPORARY FENCING WE LEARNED PROVED TO BE INADEQUATE OVER TIME, SO CROWDS WERE LEANING ON THE FENCES AND VEHICLES OCCASIONALLY WERE RUNNING OVER THE FOOTINGS.
THAT LED TO STRUCTURAL WEAKNESSES WITH SOME SECTIONS COLLAPSING INTO THE ROADWAY.
SO IMMEDIATELY WE WANTED TO CHANGE THIS FOR SAFETY REASONS, FOR THE PEDESTRIANS AS WELL AS, UM, THE, UH, THE DRIVERS AND THE OFFICERS.
IN RESPONSE TO THIS, THE CITY REPLACED THE DAMAGED FENCING WITH MORE DURABLE WATER-FILLED ORANGE AND WHITE, OR SOME ARE YELLOW AND WHITE PLASTIC BARRICADES IN MAY OF 2025.
[00:05:01]
WEEKS AGO.UM, WE HAVE RECEIVED SOME PRELIMINARY FEEDBACK THAT THESE PEOPLE FELT MORE SAFE WHEN THESE WERE DOWN THERE.
UM, AND HERE'S A PICTURE OF ON THE RIGHT IS WHAT IS DOWN THERE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, WHICH REPLACED THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT.
UM, SOMETIMES WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS, I WAS DOWN THERE THE LAST TWO WEEKENDS.
THEY MAY BE SITTING ON THE, ON THESE BARRICADES, WHICH WAS A CONCERN OF OURS.
VERY MINIMAL PEOPLE, WE JUST ASK THEM TO MOVE ON.
THEY'RE GETTING OFF, THEY'RE COMPLYING.
GENERALLY, A PD KEEPS THE ROAD OPEN TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON THE WEEKENDS.
HOWEVER, IF THE CROWDS GROW TOO LARGE OR IF IT'S DEEMED UNSAFE, A PD WILL CLOSE SIXTH STREET.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS PAST SATURDAY, UH, WE ENDED UP HAVING TO CLOSE THE STREETS AROUND 1230, MIDNIGHT 30, JUST BECAUSE THE CROWDS WERE STARTING TO SPILL OUTSIDE OF THE AREA THAT WE HAD FOR THE PEDESTRIANS.
AND THE TRAFFIC WAS NOT ABLE TO CYCLE THROUGH.
THEY, THEY WERE AT A STANDSTILL FOR SEVERAL LIGHTS.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, WE ALLOWED THE TRAFFIC TO GO THROUGH, UM, SO THAT WE COULD HAVE THE CROWDS BE SAFE.
OOPS, DID I LOSE MY, OH, HOLD UP.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS THE ONLY DATA SLIDE THAT I HAD IN HERE.
UH, LIKE I SAID, I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T HAVE MORE DATA FOR YOU.
UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT CURRENTLY, AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S COMPLETELY ACCURATE.
UH, BUT THIS IS JUST SOME, UH, THE TOP THREE ARREST CHARGES THAT ARE USUALLY MADE DOWNTOWN, UH, REQUEST TO APPREHEND, WHICH ARE WARRANT ARRESTS, PUBLIC INTOXICATION AND CRIMINAL TRESPASS.
ABOUT 48% OF THE ARRESTS THAT ARE MADE BY GEORGE PATROL OFFICERS AND GEORGE, WE MEAN THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF DOWNTOWN, UH, OCCURRED DURING THE WEEKEND.
AND IN THIS INSTANCE, THE WEEKEND IS CONSIDERED FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY.
UM, AND 46% OF ARRESTS MADE BY GEORGE PATROL OFFICERS OCCURRED IN THE EAST SIXTH STREET AREA.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, THAT REALLY SMALL, DEFINED AS, UH, BRAS TO I 35 IN EAST FIFTH TO SEVENTH.
OVER HALF OF THESE OCCURRED BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 9:00 PM AND 3:00 AM AND OVER HALF OF THESE OCCURRED DURING THE WEEKEND, THE FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY.
AND ROUGHLY ONE FIFTH ARE THESE, UH, PUBLIC INTOXICATION ARRESTS.
AND SO THOSE ARE ALL THE, THAT'S REALLY ALL THE INFORMATION.
IT'S KIND OF A SHORT AND SWEET PRESENTATION FOR EVERYONE HERE.
I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN.
UH, THE ONLY THING I'LL PROBABLY ADD IS, UH, LIKE I SAID, AS SOON AS WE HAVE THE DATA FOR YOU TO KIND OF COMPARE IT TO LAST YEAR TO SEE EXACTLY HOW THIS, UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION HAS, UM, LOOKED LIKE FOR EVERYBODY, WE WILL, WE WILL GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
DO YOU, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME RIGHT NOW? AND I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER NOW, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO GET BACK WITH YOU WITH THE ANSWER.
SO YEAH, WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLORIDA QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE BARRICADES.
UH, THE WATER PEELED BARRICADES, ARE THOSE MORE LONG TERM OR ARE THEY, UM, TEMPORARY AS WELL? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, SIR.
SO THE, THOSE BARRICADES ARE ALSO TEMPORARY.
IT WAS JUST A TEMPORARY UNTIL WE CAN GET SOMETHING MORE, UM, LONG-TERM PERMANENT THAT ALSO LOOKS TO BEAUTIF, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEAUTIFICATION SO THAT OUR SIXTH STREET CULT, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN AREA LOOKS PRESENTABLE, WELCOMES TOURISTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE HAVE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE MEETING WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS MM-HMM
AND THEY ARE GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THEM SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING EVERYTHING INTO CONSIDERATION.
BUT THEY ARE A TEMPORARY BARRICADE.
IT, IT WOULD BE GOOD ONCE THOSE CONCEPTUALS ARE DEVELOPED, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THAT FEEDBACK HERE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO ASK WHAT, WHAT ARE THE BORDERS OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMAND, THE AREAS THAT WE'RE CLOSING THAT WE'VE OPENED UP? SIXTH STREET? UH, NO, YOU SAID YOU'RE THE DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND? YES, SIR.
WHAT ARE THE BORDERS FOR THAT? SO WE, FROM THE RIVER UP THROUGH, UP TO MLK, SO SOUTH AND NORTH THE BORDERS.
AND THEN FROM 35 ALL THE WAY OVER TO MOPAC, WE JUST RECENTLY CHANGED.
UH, DO YOU CONSIDER EXCLUDING SIXTH STREET AREA, DO YOU CONSIDER DOWNTOWN TO BE PRETTY SAFE? I WOULD SAY YES.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.
I'VE LIVED, UH, DOWNTOWN FOR OVER 30 YEARS, AND I AM REALLY HAPPY AND IMPRESSED WITH, UH, THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO AND OTHER FORCES, AND CONSIDER IT TO BE EXTREMELY SAFE.
AND, UH, I DON'T THINK SOME OF THE THINGS WE HEAR IN THE MEDIA ARE REALLY FAIR.
AND, UH, PEOPLE FOCUS ON SIXTH STREETS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, I JUST WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAD HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY SINCE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS AND BEAUTIFICATION.
HAVE, ARE THERE ANY PLANS FOR THEM TO
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BUILD OUT WIDER SIDEWALKS? ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE, YES.WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH TRANSPORTATION, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH OTHER CITY, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY AND, AND JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, SO YES, MA'AM.
UH, OUTSIDE OF MY CAPACITY HERE, I RUN AN ORGANIZATION CALLED A TX MUSICIANS, AND WE REPRESENT ABOUT 6,000 CENTRAL TEXAS MUSICIANS.
AND ONE OF THE MAIN, UM, TOUCH POINTS WE HEAR IS THAT SO MANY OF OUR MUSICIANS WHO PLAY DOWNTOWN AND ON SIXTH STREET, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEIR SAFETY ISSUES, OBVIOUSLY WITH CRIME.
UH, SO IT'S GREAT TO HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
UH, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, ARE YOU GUYS WORKING WITH STREAM REALTY AND THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT ON SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING IN? YES, SIR.
AS I STATED, I'M, I'M NEW TO THE AREA, SO I ALREADY HAVE MEETINGS ON MY SCHEDULE TO MEET WITH STREAM, I BELIEVE TOMORROW
UM, AND THEN WITH THE RED RIVER CULTURE, I BELIEVE THAT IS ALSO IN THE WORKS AS WELL.
I'VE ALREADY MET WITH, UH, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE REALLY.
UM, AND I'VE ALSO MET WITH, UM, I'M GONNA BE MEETING IN NEXT WEEK WITH, OH, I'M GONNA FORGET THE NAME OF IT NOW, BUT I BELIEVE HIS NAME IS MR. BLAKE THOMPSON.
UH, ONE MORE QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I LIVE DOWNTOWN AND SO I'M OUT AND ABOUT AS A PEDESTRIAN DAILY, SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.
UM, AND I NOTICED THE OTHER NIGHT I RAN INTO, UH, TWO OFFICERS ON, UM, BIKES AND I ASKED THEM IF, UM, BIKE PATROL HAD BEEN INCREASED DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, IS THAT THE CASE? ARE THERE MORE, UM, A PD OFFICERS OUT ON THEIR BIKES? I THINK OUR GOAL WAS ALSO TO ALLOW MORE VISIBILITY WITH OUR OFFICERS TO BE ON MOUNTED PATROL ON BICYCLES, ON OUR ATVS MM-HMM
AND SO WE HAVE INCREASED VISIBILITY DURING THIS IMPLEMENTATION THAT WAS PART OF THE GOAL AND, AND THE REQUEST FROM CITY LEADERSHIP AS WELL.
AND SO ALL OF OUR, I BELIEVE ALL OF OUR GEORGIA OFFICERS ARE ON BIKES.
LIKE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL BIKE CERTIFIED, SO THEY'RE ABLE TO BE ON BIKES.
AND SO YES, WE'RE, THE GOAL IS, AND MY MISSION TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM OUT MORE, MORE SO ON THEIR BIKES.
WELL, AS A LONG TIME DOWNTOWN RESIDENT, IT WAS REASSURING, UH, TO SEE, SEE THAT, THAT EVENING AFTER I WAS AFTER.
AND I WILL DEFINITELY LET THEM KNOW THAT, THAT THAT IS, THEY, OBVIOUSLY, THE VISIBILITY DOWN THERE IS, WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
WE'LL CONTINUE THAT SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER, UM, ONE VERY HAPPY THAT, UH, OFFICERS ARE EXPERIENCING WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE DOWNTOWN ON BIKES.
IT, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
UM, I HAD A QUESTION ON THE STATISTICS SLIDE.
SO THERE WAS A 48, 46, AND THEN IT BROKE DOWN, I THINK THE 46%, UH, SAYING ABOUT HALF OF THE 46% WERE PUBLIC INTOXICATION, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING.
LET ME MAKE SURE I, THE WAY THAT BREAKDOWN HAPPENS, WHETHER THAT'S INCLUSIVE OF, OF ALL, OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING OR JUST THAT 46% OF THE TIME, I BELIEVE THAT LAST, THAT SECOND ONE WAS, CAN WE BRING THIS SLIDE BACK UP? SO LET'S SEE, 48% OF ARRESTS MADE BY GEORGE DURING THE WEEKEND.
SO, AND THAT, SO THAT'S BASICALLY ALL THE ARRESTS IN GEORGE.
SO THAT'S THAT GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, RIGHT? YEP.
MLK TO THE RIVER, AND THEN 35 TO MOPAC.
UM, 46% OF ARRESTS MADE BY GEORGE, UM, OCCUR IN THE EAST SIXTH STREET AREA.
AND THAT IS DEFINED AS THE BRAS TO I 35 AND EAST FIFTH TO SEVENTH STREET.
SO IT'S, IT'S THAT REALLY SMALL AREA.
AND THEN ABOUT HALF OF THOSE THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THAT SPECIFIC AREA ARE PUBLIC INTOXICATION? UH, NO.
ONE FIFTH ARE THOSE ONE FIFTH? YES.
AND THEN WHAT WAS THE, ABOUT HALF A HALF OF THOSE OCCURRED BETWEEN 9:00 PM AND 3:00 AM.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS THE WEEKEND, THE ENTERTAINMENT.
WHEN, WHEN FOLKS ARE DOWN THERE TRYING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME MM-HMM
AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THE BREAKDOWN.
OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO DOWNTOWN, I KNOW YOU'VE ONLY BEEN IN THE COMMAND A VERY SHORT TIME, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU KNOW OF NOW THAT YOU THINK THAT THE COMMISSION COULD HELP WITH LOOK INTO? UM, ANY OF THAT? UH, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP HOWEVER WE CAN.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT AND I WILL ABSOLUTELY BE CALLING ON YOU GUYS FOR HELP AS SOON AS I CAN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DIGEST EVERYTHING THAT I'M LEARNING AND FIGURE OUT.
'CAUSE IT'S ONLY BEEN, THIS IS LITERALLY MY FIRST OFFICIAL WEEK,
SO, UM, IF YOU'LL JUST BE PATIENT WITH ME, TRUST ME, I WILL LET YOU KNOW IF WE NEED ANYTHING.
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THANK YOU FOR COMING AND WELCOME TO DOWNTOWN.I THINK WE HAVE SOMEBODY ONLINE.
AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER KUFA ALSO HAS HAD A QUESTION.
I SAW HER RAISING HER HAND EARLIER.
UM, UH, I WANTED TO ASK, SO IT'S A SIX HOUR WINDOW ON THE WEEKENDS THAT FEELS LIKE IS THE BULK OF THE, WHEN THE ARRESTS ARE HAPPENING OR WHEN THE ACTIVITY IS HAPPENING.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE, OR COULD YOU, UM, WHEN YOU COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION, GIVE US A SENSE OF THE NUMBER OF RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING ALLOCATED TO THE SIXTH STREET AREA, UM, AND ALSO WHETHER OR NOT ALL OF THOSE RESOURCES ARE STILL BEING PAID OVER TIME FOR THOSE SHIFTS? YES, MA'AM.
AND THAT'S, THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR THAT REQUEST.
'CAUSE AND IF ANYONE ELSE HAS A REQUEST SO THAT I CAN HOPEFULLY BE BETTER OR MORE PREPARED THE NEXT TIME I COME AND TALK WITH YOU GUYS, UM, THAT WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL.
AND I ASK SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY BRIEF WINDOW OF TIME.
AND JUST IN YOUR QUICK REFERENCE OF RESOURCES, THAT'S A LOT OF RESOURCES.
UM, THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF RESOURCES FOR 18 HOURS.
UM, SO IT, IT'D JUST BE INTERESTING TO KNOW WHAT THAT'S COSTING.
COMMISSIONER KOFA, MY QUESTION WAS ANSWERED.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
[3. Staff briefing by Michael Kimbro, Program Manager III, Austin Transportation and Public Works Department, and Joseph Al-Hajeri, Parking Enterprise Manager, Austin Transportation and Public Works Department, regarding the Shared Micro Mobility Program.]
THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS A STAFF BRIEFING BY MICHAEL KIMBRO, PROGRAM MANAGER, THREE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.AND JOSEPH AL HAJERI, PARKING ENTERPRISE MANAGER, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT REGARDING THE SHARED MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM.
UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS, UH, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M JUST GONNA DO A QUICK INTRO, UM, THEN PASS THAT OVER TO, TO MICHAEL.
I AM THE, UH, PARK ENTERPRISE MANAGER FOR TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, I OVERSEE A COUPLE DIFFERENT, UH, TEAMS, ONE OF THOSE BEING OUR SHARED MO UH, MOBILITY TEAM, AS WELL AS ENFORCEMENT, CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT, UM, AND OUR, UH, GROUND TRANSPORTATION PERMITTING AND, UM, AND OTHER TYPES OF PARKING PERMITS.
UM, REALLY THE, THE, UM, CULMINATION OF A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN DONE, UM, A LOT FROM THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AS WELL AS FROM OUR, UM, UH, CITY LEADERSHIP REALLY LOOKING TOWARDS, UM, WANTING TO, UM, DIAL IN ON SOME OF OUR SHARED MOBILITY PROGRAM RULES.
UM, UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY'RE PLACED ON THE STREET, UM, AND HOW, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY CAN ACCESS THEM A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
UM, WE PUT SOME RULES BACK IN, TEMPORARY RULES BACK IN PLACE, UM, FROM OUR DIRECTOR BACK IN APRIL LAST YEAR.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR SOME, UM, UPDATES ON THAT AS WELL AS, UM, OUR PLAN TO GO TO A FORMALIZED DIRECTOR'S RULES PROCESS, WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED.
SO WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT AND HOW TO GET FEEDBACK ON THAT AS WELL.
SO I'LL PASS IT OVER TO MICHAEL.
UM, AND AGAIN, THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH.
MY NAME'S MIKE KIMBRO, UH, AS JOSEPH SAID, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR SHARED MOBILITY SERVICES WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, YEAH, SO AGENDA, UH, WE'LL GIVE YOU GUYS A BRIEF PROGRAM UPDATE ON THE STATE OF SHARED MICRO MOBILITY.
UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH WE'VE BEEN DOING.
AND, UH, KIND OF BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE REVISIONS TO THE DIRECTOR'S RULES THAT ARE JOSEPH MENTIONED ARE CURRENTLY POSTED.
UM, AS HE MENTIONED, UH, IN APRIL OF 2024, WE MADE SOME CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM OVERALL.
UM, IF YOU CAST YOUR MIND BACK ALL THE WAY TO 2023, YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE HAD FOUR, UH, SCOOTER VENDORS OPERATING WITHIN CITY RIGHT OF WAY.
UH, TWO OF THOSE UNEXPECTEDLY LEFT THE MARKET, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF 2023, APRIL OF 20 20, 20 24.
UH, WE DECIDED TO PUT A MORATORIUM ON ANY NEW VENDORS ENTERING THE CITY.
UH, SO WE CAPPED IT UP TWO, UM, AND WE CAPPED THE NUMBER OF DEVICES THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DEPLOY WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS DURING THAT TIME.
UH, THAT CAP RE, UH, RESULTED IN A, UH, 29% REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES IN THE CITY OVERALL.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE MORATORIUM ON THE NUMBER OF VENDORS, WE'VE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT COULD OPERATE WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PROJECT COORDINATION ZONE, SO DOWNTOWN AND THE AREA IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THE RIVER.
UM, WE KEPT THAT AT 1,125 DEVICES PER VENDOR, WHICH REPRESENTS A 44% DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DEVICES OPERATING IN THE GENERAL DOWNTOWN VICINITY.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE MADE A TEST, UH, CHANGES TO THE, UM, WAY THAT WE DO OUR REPORTING, UM, TO THE PROVIDERS AS FAR AS ENFORCEMENT'S CONCERNED, UH, OUR PARKING ENFORCEMENT DIVISION.
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THEY, UH, WHILE THEY'RE OUT IN THE FIELD, WILL CREATE SERVICE REQUESTS THAT ARE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PROVIDERS TO TAKE CARE OF ANY IMPROPERLY PARKED SCOOTERS OR ANY OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.UH, PREVIOUSLY THEY HAD DONE THAT THROUGH THE CITY THROUGH ON ONE SYSTEM, UM, WHICH POSED SOME A A COUPLE OF CHALLENGES.
SO WE MIGRATED THAT INTO OUR INTERNAL NAC SYSTEM, UH, WHICH GIVES US, UM, TWO BENEFITS.
UH, THE FIRST WE'RE ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN SERVICE REQUESTS THAT ARE CREATED BY THE CITIZENS, AND THOSE THAT ARE CREATED BY THE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
SO THOSE THAT ARE, UH, INPUTTED BY CITIZENS CAN TAKE A HIGHER PRIORITY.
UH, AND SECONDLY, WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK THE SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE VENDORS SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING OUT THERE AND, AND PICKING UP THE DEVICES IN THE PROPER TIMEFRAME.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF BUCKETS OF DATA THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TO KIND OF SEE WHAT IMPACT THESE CHANGES HAD.
UM, TWO DIFFERENT DATE RANGES, UH, BOTH APRIL 1ST THROUGH MARCH 31ST, THE FIRST, UH, 2023 THROUGH 24.
SO THE YEAR PRIOR TO THE CHANGES AND THE YEAR SINCE.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, TOTAL TRIPS OVERALL CITYWIDE, UH, IN THAT FIRST YEAR WERE, UH, ALMOST 3000002.915 MILLION TRIPS.
UM, AFTER WE MADE THE CHANGES, WE WENT DOWN TO 2.85 MILLION, UM, WHICH REPRESENTS A 3% DECREASE IN TOTAL OVER OVERALL TRIPS.
UH, AND AGAIN, KEEP IN MIND WE DID ALMOST A 30% DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DEVICES, UH, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHICH IS GONNA BE OF MORE INTEREST TO YOU ALL.
UM, WE HAD ALMOST 2 MILLION TRIPS IN THAT FIRST YEAR AFTER THE CHANGES.
WE HAD A LITTLE OVER 1.8 MILLION TRIPS, UH, IN THE YEAR, WHICH REPRESENTED A 9% DECREASE, BUT AGAIN, 44% FEWER DEVICES.
SO WE'RE KIND OF GETTING A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THAT EQUILIBRIUM OF, UH, ACCEPTABLE NUMBER OF DEVICES AND STILL MEETING SOME DEMAND, UM, WHICH WE WERE PRETTY PLEASED WITH.
UM, ONE OF THE KEY METRICS THAT WE TRACK FOR, UH, UH, MICRO MOBILITY IS TRIPS FOR VEHICLE PER DAY.
UM, WE WENT FROM 1.21 TRIPS PER VEHICLE TO 1.36, BUT DOWNTOWN WE WENT FROM 1.1 TO ALMOST 1.8 TRIPS.
SO THAT MEANS ALMOST TWO TRIPS PER VEHICLE PER DAY.
SO THEY'RE MOVING AROUND A LITTLE MORE FREQUENTLY THAN WE SAW BEFORE, WHICH IS NICE.
UM, THE, THE BAR GRAPH TO THE RIGHT IS THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUESTS.
THESE ARE FROM PARKING ENFORCEMENT, UM, AND CITIZENS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE IT'S A DRAMATIC REDUCTION.
UM, THERE WERE SOME OTHER MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES, SO THE, THE CHANGE ISN'T QUITE THAT DRAMATIC, BUT WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THE REDUCTION IN SERVICE REQUESTS WE'VE SEEN.
I THINK EVEN ANECDOTALLY, UH, YOU CAN TELL THAT THE, THE STREETS LOOK A LITTLE MORE NEAT, OR, YOU KNOW, ONLY HAVING TWO VENDORS REDUCING THE NUMBER OF DEVICES, IT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR THEM TO KEEP UP WITH.
UH, IT'S EASIER FOR ENFORCEMENT TO REPORT THESE THINGS.
SO, UM, OVERALL I THINK WE'VE SEEN POSITIVE RESULTS FROM THE CHANGES.
UM, NEXT STEP COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH.
UH, PART OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT WAS THAT WE WEREN'T ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY OFTEN ENOUGH ON THESE, UH, WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY VALID.
SO WE'VE BEEN MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT TO, TO REACH OUT MORE, TO SPEAK TO MORE COMMISSIONS AND, UH, COMMITTEES AND WHATNOT, AND ENGAGE THE PUBLIC.
UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, ON MARCH 24TH, WE HAD AN OPEN HOUSE AT THE, UH, CARVER BRANCH LIBRARY OVER ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, WAS ATTENDED BY BOTH OF THE OPERATORS.
SO THEY WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS CITY STAFF.
UM, UH, REASONABLY SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
WE, WE HAD SOME STICKY NOTES, SO WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE SOME FEEDBACK FROM THEM, UH, TAKE SUGGESTIONS ON WHERE THEY WANTED TO SEE MORE PARKING BOXES PLACED AND WHATNOT.
UH, AND THE VENDORS WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC, UH, ABOUT SAFETY.
THEY HANDED OUT QUITE A FEW HELMETS AT THE EVENT, WHICH WAS, WHICH WAS REALLY GREAT.
UH, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS CONTINUALLY GOING WITH THE STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, UM, CONTINUALLY MEETING WITH THE VENDORS AND WITH TPW STAFF, UH, AND TRYING TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND, AND MAKE THE PROGRAM WORK FOR EVERYONE.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT AND THE OPEN HOUSE THAT WE DID, WE HAD A SURVEY THAT CLOSED, UM, ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE OPEN HOUSE EVENT.
UM, WE HAD JUST A LITTLE SHY OF 700 PARTICIPANTS, UM, WITH OVER 1300 COMMENTS IN THERE.
UH, WE HAD THREE OPEN-ENDED COMMENT QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT A LOT OF CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
UH, A LOT OF, A LOT OF REALLY GOOD POINTS THAT WE CAN USE TO HELP STREAMLINE, UM, THE SYSTEM.
KEY TAKEAWAYS, UM, SOME OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS, UM, 50% OF THE RESPONDENTS DON'T RIDE BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS.
UM, 51% OF RESPONDENTS ARE PEOPLE WHO RIDE, USE THE DEVICES, USE SCOOTERS TO GET TO, UH, ENTERTAINMENT WITH 30% COMMUTING TO WORKER SCHOOL.
UM, ALMOST HALF OF THE RESPONDENTS CONSIDERS DEVICES TO BE SOMEWHAT OR VERY SAFE.
UM, 20% HAVE EXPERIENCED A CRASH ON A SHARED DEVICE.
THAT NUMBER WAS, WAS QUITE SURPRISING TO ME, AND I WE'RE UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THAT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER GOING FORWARD.
UM, 61% ARE CONCERNED ABOUT BLOCK
[00:25:01]
SIDEWALKS, WHICH I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIGGEST CONCERN FOR A LOT OF US.UH, AND 51% CONCERNED BY DANGEROUS RIDER BEHAVIOR.
AGAIN, UH, WE HAD OVER 1300 COMMENTS.
SO SOME OF THE RECURRING THEMES FROM THE COMMENTS, UH, WERE THE NEED FOR MORE BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, WITH, UH, PROTECTED BIKE LANES BEING MENTIONED MOST FREQUENTLY.
UM, POOR ROAD CONDITIONS AND POOR RI POOR LIGHTING.
UM, LACK OF DEDICATED PARKING, UH, WHICH WE'LL LOOK AT IN THE NEXT SITE, IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO IN DRESSING, UM, FEELING THAT JUST THE DESIGN OF THE SCOOTERS ITSELF ARE DANGEROUS.
UH, THE NEED FOR MORE HELMET USAGE, UNSAFE OPERATION, AGAIN, PEOPLE JUST RIDING RECKLESSLY, UH, THE NEED FOR MORE RIDER EDUCATION.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE CAN ALWAYS BE BETTER AT.
UH, AND WE SAW A REALLY GOOD STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE CAP METRO BIKE SHARE SYSTEM, UM, THAT IS OWNED BY THE CITY, BUT OPERATED BY CAP METRO.
THAT THAT WAS, THAT WAS ENCOURAGING TO SEE.
UM, YEAH, THERE'S SOME, SOME HIGHLIGHTED COMMENTS THERE, UH, TO LOOK AT.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, MICRO MOBILITY PARKING.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, A NUMBER OF PARKING SPOTS AROUND TOWN, UH, DESIGNATED FOR MICRO MOBILITY PARKING.
WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT.
UM, THE, THE VENDORS HAVE SOME REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY CAN USE, THAT WE CAN HELP.
UM, ESSENTIALLY FORCE PARK, YOU KNOW, UH, REALLY GUIDE PEOPLE TO PARK AND DESIGNATED PARKING SPOTS.
UM, SO THE, THE, THE, THE MAIN CONCERN THERE IS YOU WANT TO HAVE A GOOD DENSITY OF THESE PARKING BOXES BEFORE YOU CAN REALLY UTILIZE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE THEN SCOOTERS MIGHT DOCKLESS, MICRO MOBILITY LOSES SOME OF ITS UTILITY IF YOU HAVE TO GO TO ESSENTIALLY A DOCK, YOU KNOW.
BUT, UM, WE, UH, UH, HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
WE HAD AN INTERACTIVE MAP WHERE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO DROP A, A PIN WHERE THEY THOUGHT THAT WE COULD, UM, PUT A PARKING BOX.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO DIVE INTO THAT.
UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY JUST DONE AN AUDIT OF OUR EXISTING PARKING BOXES, UM, CHECKING OUT THE STATE OF EXISTING BOXES.
SOME, SOME HAVE JUST DISAPPEARED AND WORN AWAY OVER TIME.
UH, AND, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT, USE SOME DATA FROM THE VENDORS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY THINK PARKING BOXES WILL BE USEFUL, UH, AS FAR AS TRIP INS AND WHATNOT, AND UTILIZE A LOT OF THIS DATA AND BE ABLE TO REALLY START MAKING A MUCH MORE ROBUST, UH, PARKING SITUATION FOR FOLKS.
SO 46% OF THE RESPONDENTS, UH, WERE AWARE OF PARKING BOXES BEFORE TAKING THE SURVEY.
UH, BUT ONLY 28% HAVE USED THEM, WHICH I THINK IS A, A DENSITY QUES, UH, UH, UH, RESULT, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN ANYTHING.
UM, 54% DID NOT FEEL LIKE IT'S CLEAR WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PARK PROPERLY AND SAFELY, WHICH IS A BIG CONCERN.
AND I THINK SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THROUGH RIDER, UH, EDUCATION WITH THE VENDORS.
THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN ALL DO BETTER AT EDUCATING RIDERS HOW TO PARK SAFELY AND PROPERLY.
UM, 61%, AGAIN, CONCERNED WITH BLOCK SIDEWALKS, UH, AND 39% FEEL THAT THERE IS TOO MUCH CLUTTER.
UH, NEXT STEP WE'LL GO INTO OUR DIRECTOR'S RULES REVISIONS.
UM, AS JOSEPH MENTIONED, WE HAD BEEN OPERATING ON AN OLD SET OF DIRECTOR'S RULES THAT HAD BEEN ADOPTED IN, I THINK, 2018.
UM, SO THE, THE REAL, UH, GOAL OF THIS WAS JUST TO KIND OF, UH, MODERNIZE IT WITH A LOT OF BEST PRACTICES THAT WE KNEW FROM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY AND OTHER CITIES, PEER CITIES AND WHATNOT.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY JUST A STREAMLINING OF IT.
THERE WEREN'T A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, UH, GROUNDBREAKING CHANGES NECESSARILY.
UM, SO WE CAN KIND OF GO, UM, THROUGH IT.
UM, DID SOME UPDATED SAFETY GUIDELINES, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION MEASURES, STANDARDIZING REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, AN INCREASED EMPHASIS ON EQUITY, UM, SOME ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY AND TERMINOLOGY QUESTIONS AND WHATNOT.
SO WE CAN KIND OF, I'LL BRIEFLY, UH, SPEAK TO EACH SECTION.
UM, WE DEFINE DOCKLESS TRANSPORTATION UNITS, WHICH IT'S, IT'S FOR OUR PURPOSES ARE ESSENTIALLY SCOOTERS AND BICYCLES, UH, BUT IT OUTLINES VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS AND SAFETY STANDARDS AS WELL.
UH, EQUITY WAS A NEW SECTION THAT WE ADDED.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT I AM PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, I THINK IT CAN HELP US, UH, MEET SOME A SMP GOALS AND GET MORE FOLKS RIDING, UH, REDUCE SOME OF THOSE, UH, VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED AND WHATNOT.
UM, SO THE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS WAS ESSENTIALLY TO SET THE GUIDELINES, UH, AND KIND OF CODIFY WHAT VENDORS ARE ALREADY DOING IN OTHER CITIES, UH, FOR AFFORDABILITY PROGRAMS TO GET, TO GET MORE FOLKS ON, ON SCOOTERS.
SO WE, WHEN PUT THOSE IN THERE, WE ADDED SOME, UH, SOME REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THEM.
AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE EXCITING, UH, IF THESE GET ADOPTED TO, TO MOVE FORWARD AND HELP DEPLOY SOME OF THESE, UH, NEW REQUIREMENTS AND MAYBE GET MORE FOLKS, UH, OUTTA CARS.
UM, SECTION FOUR TALKS ABOUT, UH, DEFINING PERMIT AMOUNTS, UH, AREAS OF OPERATION, AND, UH, SPEAKS TO REQUIRING NOTICE FOR CHANGES TO THE SYSTEM.
UH, THIS IS A, A, A BIG, UH, PROJECT OF OURS IS STREAMLINING SAFETY REPORTING, COLLISION REPORTING
[00:30:01]
FROM THE, FROM THE VENDORS.UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF DISPARATE INFORMATION OUT THERE.
UH, IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET, YOU KNOW, ONE SOURCE OF TRUTH ON HOW MANY CRASHES AND COLLISIONS ARE HAPPENING ON THESE DEVICES.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS ONE SET OF RULES OR ONE SET OF REPORTING.
UH, EMS HAS ANOTHER TRAUMA CENTERS HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO REALLY STREAMLINE THIS AND REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, VENDORS THEMSELVES ARE REPORTING ACCURATELY, UH, AND, UM, OBJECTIVELY.
SO, SO THAT'S WHAT THE SAFETY SECTION SPEAKS ABOUT.
UH, UNIT DEPLOYMENT INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, ADDRESSES, STREET ONLY DEVICES, UH, FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE DEVICES.
UH, TALKS ABOUT AREAS OF DEPLOYMENT.
AGAIN, OPERATIONS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE JUST KIND OF SETS RULES FOR, THEY HAVE TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY DISPLAYED CONTACT INFORMATION AND, AND STAFF ON CALL.
IF SOMEONE HAS AN ISSUE, THEY CAN CONTACT SOMEONE AND THEY'RE NOT JUST HUNG OUT TO DRIVE, UH, AND ACCESS TO CITY STAFF TO BE ABLE TO TEST DRIVE VEHICLES.
UH, PRIVACY DATA REPORTING AND SHARING, UH, SPEAKS ABOUT ESSENTIALLY EXACTLY THAT.
JUST REPORTING DATA TO US ACCURATELY.
UH, INSURANCE PERFORMANCE, BOND AND FEES, UH, JUST KIND OF MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS FOR CLARITY, UH, PERFORMANCE.
WE WE'RE INTRODUCING AN EVALUATION PROCESS.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE DO A, UH, EVERY SIX MONTH PERMIT CYCLE.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE RENEWAL CYCLE RIGHT NOW, UH, WITH THE NEXT PERMIT CYCLE.
WE'RE DEVELOPING, UH, A SCORECARD SO WE CAN, WE CAN OBJECTIVELY RATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE VENDORS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MEETING OUR GOALS AND WHATNOT.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO ROLL THAT OUT IN THE FUTURE, UH, IN VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES, UH, SPEAK TO EXACTLY THAT, HOW WE, HOW WE CAN, UH, UH, HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
UH, AS JOSEPH MENTIONED, UH, RULES WERE POSTED WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE LAST WEEK.
UM, THOSE ARE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WILL BE ENDING IN A MONTH.
UH, WE'LL HAVE RESPONSE TO THE COMMENTS AND OUR SUMMARY POSTED BY JULY 10TH, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ADOPTING, UH, JULY 17TH.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
BE, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR EXPLANATION HERE.
WELL, HEARST, AS A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT WHO'S EXPERIENCED THESE FROM DAY ONE, AND, UM, AND, AND I THANK YOU FOR PUTTING A CAP ON TWO VENDORS, I THINK THAT'S HELPED TREMENDOUSLY, UM, BEING OUT AND ABOUT EVERY DAY.
UM, BUT THERE'S STILL, YOU KNOW, AN ISSUE OF, YOU MENTIONED CLUTTER.
YOU KNOW, AND OFTEN I HAVE SEEN CONTINUALLY, UH, THE CLUTTER IS ON A DA RAMPS, YOU KNOW, WHICH PREVENTS, UH, CERTAIN PEOPLE FROM, UH, NAVIGATING, UH, DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, FROM PERSONAL RESEARCH, I, I KNOW THAT SOME CITIES HAVE DEALT WITH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS, UH, WITH THE NUMBER OF, UH, OF THESE, UM, BY HAVING DOCKING STATIONS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE, UM, THE DOWNTOWN.
AND YOU MENTIONED DESIGNATED PARKING SPACES WITH TECHNOLOGY.
UH, IS THERE THE ABILITY TO ONLY BE ABLE TO OPEN AND CLOSE, UM, ONE OF THE, UM, VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, UM, WITHIN THESE AREAS? BUT I THINK THAT WOULD HELP MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT.
AND, AND THEN ALSO AS A PEDESTRIAN, UM, THE SAFETY ISSUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY CLOSE CALLS, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE SPEEDING, COMING UP FROM BEHIND YOU.
AND THE, THE LITTLE HORNS THAT YOU CAN BARELY HEAR IF YOU'RE ON YOUR PHONE OR IF YOU'RE TALKING TO SOMEONE, IF YOU'RE WALKING WITH, WITH SOMEONE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT IN TUNED WITH SOMETHING COMING UP VERY QUICKLY BEHIND YOU.
AND JUST THE OTHER EVENING THROUGH DINNER, I WAS ALMOST HIT BY FOUR COMING UP, SPEEDING ON THE, ON THE SIDEWALK.
AND THERE WERE QUITE A FEW PEDESTRIANS AT THE MOMENT, AT THAT MOMENT.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ENFORCEMENT, UM, IS GOING TO BE KEY, BUT ALSO, UM, MAKING IT MORE EFFICIENT, UM, TO RENT, TO OPEN AND CLOSE MM-HMM
THESE IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE DOWNTOWN.
UH, TO THE, TO THE FIRST QUESTION, YEAH, THAT IS THE GOAL OF THE, THE PARKING BOXES IS TO, IS TO DO THAT.
UM, THE, THE TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY HAVE WILL NOT ALLOW RIDERS TO END THEIR TRIP OUTSIDE OF THAT BOX.
AND THE, UH, THE ACCURACY OF THE GPS IS, IS ONLY GETTING BETTER.
SO IT'S GETTING, YOU KNOW, CLOSER AND CLOSER SO WE CAN REALLY RESTRICT THEM WITHIN THAT BOX.
UM, ANOTHER, ANOTHER COOL TECHNOLOGY FEATURE THAT LIME CURRENTLY HAS IN USE AND BIRD HAS COMING ONLINE IS, UM, IF YOU END YOUR TRIP ON A SCOOTER, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO TAKE A PHOTO OF THE SCOOTER BEFORE YOU END THE TRIP.
AND THAT'S KIND OF TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
UH, THEY'RE BOTH USING A THIRD PARTY, UH, AI SOURCE.
THAT IS, UH, I, WELL, I SHOULD CONTINUE ON EXPLAINING THAT THOSE PHOTOS ARE, UM,
[00:35:01]
UM, I GUESS REVIEWED BY HUMAN BEINGS.SO IT'S, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T DO THAT IN REAL TIME WITH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TRIPS ENDING AT ANY MOMENT.
SO THEY'RE ALL DONE AFTER THE FACT, BUT NOW THEY'RE BOTH CONTRACTING WITH A THIRD PARTY VENDOR THAT IS ANALYZING THOSE IN REAL TIME.
SO IF SOMEONE, UH, ENDS A TRIP WITH A SCOOTER, TAKES A PHOTO, AND IT'S PARKED IN AN A DA RAMP, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IT'S INSTANTANEOUS THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO END THAT TRIP AND THEY CAN GET, YOU KNOW, INCUR FURTHER COSTS IF THEY JUST WALK AWAY FROM IT.
IF THEY WALK AWAY WITHOUT ENDING THE TRIP, THEY'RE STILL RACKING UP FARES.
SO, UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER, UH, I THINK GREAT PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT IS GONNA REALLY, REALLY HELP IN THAT REGARD.
AND, AND AS FAR AS RIDING ON SIDEWALKS, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE DISCOURAGE THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND THE RIDERS DO, OR THE, THE VENDORS DO AS WELL.
UM, IT, IT'S ABSOLUTELY AN ISSUE IN AREAS WHERE A BIKE LANE IS AVAILABLE.
UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT ALLOWED, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN AREAS WHERE THERE ISN'T A BIKE LANE, UH, TECHNICALLY THEY'RE ALLOWED TO, UM, THAT, AND THAT'S JUST, I THINK THAT'S AN EDUCATION ISSUE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO MORE AND MORE.
UM, WE, WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GEOFENCE SPEED LIMITS ON SIDEWALKS, BUT THE, THE GPS JUST ISN'T THAT ACCURATE AT THE MOMENT.
SO, BUT, UH, BUT THAT'S A, UH, DEFINITELY A CONCERN AND APPRECIATE THAT.
JUST AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, UM, SO THE TECHNOLOGY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH PARKING HAS NOT BEEN ROLLED OUT YET, RIGHT? THE, UH, THE TRIP IN TRIP PHOTO VERIFICATION.
UH, LYME IS LIVE, I THINK BIRD IS STILL TESTING, SO IT'S OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED A LOT OF DATA TO BUILD THESE, THESE MACHINES, THESE A M MACHINES TO BE ABLE TO ANALYZE THIS CORRECTLY.
SO BIRD IS IN THE PROCESS OF IMPORTING THE DATA NOW.
SO THEY'RE JUST GIVING MORE AND MORE DATA TO THE VENDOR.
UH, THE, THE PARKING TECHNOLOGY IS AVAILABLE.
WE UTILIZE IT DURING EVENTS, YOU KNOW, DURING ACL WE ONLY, UH, ALLOW PEOPLE TO END TRIPS AT THE TOME ROAD PARKING LOT OVER BY THE BASEBALL FIELDS, UH, FOR ACL FESTIVAL.
SO FORCED PARKING IS IN EFFECT THERE.
UH, WE'VE DONE IT AT A COUPLE OF OUR PARKING BOXES AROUND TOWN.
UM, BUT, UH, WE HAVEN'T DEPLOYED IT NECESSARILY CITYWIDE YET.
WE WANT TO FINISH THIS AUDIT OF OUR PARKING BOXES, UH, AND GET SOME MORE ON THE GROUND BEFORE WE REALLY START DOING IT, BUT THAT'S, WE'RE VERY ENCOURAGED BY IT.
AND FOR BYRD, WHEN DID THEY THINK THEY WILL ROLL THAT OUT? UM, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I, I COULDN'T TELL YOU THE, THE EXACT DATE, BUT I MET WITH THEM A FEW WEEKS AGO AND, AND THEY WERE EXCITED TO TELL ME THAT THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS, SO HOPEFULLY SOON.
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND PRESENTING.
IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO GET AN UPDATE.
I WAS CURIOUS, I THINK A FEW YEARS AGO, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WAS GEO-FENCED, SCOOTERS COULD NOT ENTER.
DO YOU KNOW IF THAT'S STILL THE CASE? WELL, I, I, I MISSED IT.
A FEW YEARS AGO AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, YOU COULDN'T DRIVE A SCOOTER ON IT WAS GEO NO.
UH, SCOOTERS ARE ALLOWED AT UT NOW.
UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A SEPARATE AGREEMENT THAT THEY HAVE WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, I BELIEVE.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS YEAH, YEAH.
TO SEE HOW THAT WAS PLAYING OUT.
YEAH, NO, THEY, THEY'RE VERY, VERY POPULAR UP THERE, UH, AS IS CAT METRO BIKE SHERIFF.
SO THEY BOTH DO A LOT OF BUSINESS UP THERE.
MR. BRITTON, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
FIRST, CONFIRMING THE BOUNDARIES THAT YOU USE FOR DOWNTOWN, IS THAT SIMILAR TO THE DOWNTOWN PLAN, LIKE MLK MOPAC? YES.
SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S DEFINED AS THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PROJECT COORDINATION ZONE, UH, WHICH ESSENTIALLY IS MLK TO OLTORF AND SAY LAMAR, AND IT EVEN ENCROACHES ON THE EAST SIDE A LITTLE BIT.
SO IT'S, IT'S A PRETTY LARGE AREA.
MY, MY MAIN THING ABOUT THAT IS SOMEONE WHO, WHO SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN UT AND STILL SPENDS SOME TIME AROUND UT, MAYBE NOT UT CAMPUS SPECIFICALLY, BUT WEST CAMPUS FEELS LIKE ONE OF THE MAJOR BACK AND FORTH INTO DOWNTOWN TO SIXTH THEN, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF THAT CAN BE BROKEN INTO DIFFERENT PIECES.
SO YOU'VE GOT DOWNTOWN, YOU'VE GOT, UH, YOU KNOW, WEST CAMPUS, AND YOU BUILD BOTH OF THOSE TOGETHER AND YOU SEE A BIGGER KIND OF CENTRAL, DOWNTOWN, CENTRAL AUSTIN THING, RIGHT? MM-HMM
UH, SO THAT YOU CAN GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THE DATA LOOKS LIKE THERE.
AND THEN ALSO MAYBE NEXT YEAR, NOW THAT THE BIKE SHARE SYSTEM HAS COME BACK AS A FULLY ELECTRIC SYSTEM, SEEING SOME METRICS THAT WAY AS WELL, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
IT'S, UH, WE, WE UTILIZE, UH, UM, UH, THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE CALLED RIDE REPORT.
THAT'S HOW WE INTAKE DATA FROM THE VENDORS.
UM, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, OF INTAKING THE BIKER DATA AS WELL.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO LOOK AT 'EM SIDE BY SIDE.
UH, AND THE, AND THE COOL THING IS WE CAN, WE CAN CREATE AREAS AND ANALYZE DATA GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF IT, SO, OKAY.
SO ANY SORT OF ZONE WE WANT, WE CAN CREATE ANY ZONE WE WANT AND LOOK AT THE DATA THAT HAPPENS WITHIN THAT.
IT'S PRETTY, IT'S PRETTY GREAT.
UM, I HAVE, UH, AN ONE NOTE, WHICH YOU MENTIONED ABOUT CRASHES.
I DON'T KNOW IF I FILLED OUT THAT SURVEY.
[00:40:01]
I, I AM SOMEONE WHO OWNS A SCOOTER AND A BIKE AND USES CAT METRO BIKE SHARE AND HAS USED LYME.UM, THE CRASH STATISTICS, MAYBE IF IT WASN'T CLEAR ON THE SURVEY, UH, I HAVEN'T, I HAVE CRASHED BEFORE WHERE I FELL DOWN.
LIKE I WAS GOING AT SPEED AND I FELL IN THE ROAD OR IN THE SIDEWALK.
AND SOME PEOPLE MAY BE CONFLATING THAT WITH A VEHICULAR INCIDENT.
I THINK IT'S, UH, SORT OF IN THE SAME, UH, VEIN HERE ABOUT SAFETY MM-HMM
AND USING IT, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR IN DOWNTOWN AND IN WEST CAMPUS AND SORT OF IN AUSTIN WIDER, A LOT OF THE CONFLICT THAT HAPPENS BETWEEN VEHICLES, UH, SHARED MOBILITY AND PEDESTRIANS IS JUST DUE TO THIS LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND EVEN LACK OF ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THERE ARE BIKE LANES, FOR EXAMPLE, ON BIKE LANES ON GUAD BY THE DRAG, BUT THEY'RE BASICALLY A GUTTER.
AND IF YOU'RE ON A SCOOTER AND THERE'S A POTHOLE, I MEAN, YOU JUST RIGHT INTO THE ROAD OR RIGHT INTO THE SIDEWALK, HOPEFULLY INSTEAD OF THE ROAD.
UM, BUT OFTEN WHEN YOU'RE RIDING, YOU WOULD RATHER, YOU KNOW, NOT FALL INTO A, A LANE.
AND SO THE SIDEWALK IS THE SAFER PLACE.
I CERTAINLY, UH, HOPE TO SEE GEOFENCED SPEED LIMITS, UH, SORT OF IN MORE SENSITIVE AREAS WITH HIGH PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY.
UH, LIKE THE DRAG, UH, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE CASE ALREADY.
UH, I HAVE EXPERIENCED A GEOFENCED SPEED LIMIT BEFORE, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE ONLINE.
UH, I WOULD, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE PFLUGER BRIDGE IS MM-HMM
SO IF YOU'RE CRUISING ALONG THERE, YOU'RE GONNA SLOW WAY DOWN CROSSING, CROSSING, PFLUGER BRIDGE, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, UH, SO YEAH, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK AT.
WE ALSO HAD AN INTERACTIVE MAP ABOUT THE CRASHES AND COLLISIONS TO, TO, OR UNDERSTAND, AND EVEN SAFETY QUESTIONS TO DROP A, DROP A PIN WHERE YOU FEEL UNSAFE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY BE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION FOR, FOR NEW STREET DESIGN AND THAT SORT OF THING.
WHEN IT COMES TO INFRASTRUCTURE, I WOULD ALSO SAY IT'S VERY CLEAR TO ME AS SOMEONE WHO RIDES A BIKE OFTEN AND TRIES TO FIND PARKING MM-HMM
UH, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE VERY NATURALLY WHO USE SHARED MOBILITY, VIEW BIKE PARKING AS THE PLACE WHERE THEY WILL DROP THEIR SCOOTER MM-HMM
AND WHEN THERE'S, WHEN I DON'T SEE BIKE PARKING AROUND, I SEE SCOOTERS ON THE SIDEWALK ALL THE TIME, OR WHEN THERE'S NOT ENOUGH BIKE PARKING AND IT'S BEING IN USE RIGHT.
THEN THERE'S, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH.
SO I THINK INFRASTRUCTURE IS A REALLY KEY ENABLER OF THE, UH, SUCCESS AND THE, UH, UH, THE WORKING TOGETHER WELL WITH ALL OF THE THINGS IN THE CITY, UH, FOR THIS KIND OF PROGRAM.
I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT PARKING FOR A MINUTE.
UM, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, WHAT EXACTLY IS EXPECTED OF SOMEBODY WHEN THEY GET OFF A SCOOTER RIGHT NOW? ARE THEY EXPECTED TO TAKE IT TO SOME KIND OF CORRAL OR AREA? NO.
UH, FUTURE STATE, WE HOPE THAT TO BE THE CASE, AND THAT WON'T, AND IT WON'T BE THE CASE EVERYWHERE.
UH, IT'LL BE, I CAN, I CAN FORESEE ALONG SOUTH CONGRESS HAVING A PARKING BOX ON EVERY BLOCK AND FORCING PEOPLE TO PARK IN THOSE SPECIFIC PARKING BOXES, AND I JUST USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE.
WE'LL DO THAT IN A WIDER RANGE OF PLACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
BUT, UH, BUT AT THE MOMENT, UH, THEY CAN, THEY CAN END THE TRIP IS, YOU KNOW, NOT SUPPOSED TO BE BLOCKING SIDEWALKS.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PARK IN, YOU KNOW, THE FURNITURE ZONE DOWNTOWN, UH, THE AREA BY PLANTERS OR THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, AND SHOULD ALWAYS LEAVE AT LEAST THREE FEET OF SIDEWALK, UH, FOR A DA ACCESS AND WHATNOT.
SO, UM, SO NO, NO, NO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF WHERE YET.
AND HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD AN AREA GO ABOUT ASKING TO GET A PARKING BOX WHERE SOUTH OF MLK AND NORTH OF MLK, THERE'S A LOT OF RANDOM PLACEMENT OF WHERE THEY RETURN YEAH.
UH, THE SCOOTERS WHEN THEY'RE DONE.
AND, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR THE PROGRAM AND A GOOD THING FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO USE THOSE BLOCKS AND LIVE ON THOSE BLOCKS IF, UH, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE ORGANIZED.
IS THERE A PROCESS TO YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, AND I, I, I GUESS JUST TO FINISH THE QUESTION, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF, UH, AN RPP ZONE WHERE THINGS ARE SET UP ANOTHER WAY TODAY MM-HMM
UM, AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE SURVEY, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REQUESTED, WE WANTED FEEDBACK ON THAT SORT OF THING, AND WE WANTED PEOPLE TO TELL US WHERE THEY WANTED PARKING.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S
[00:45:01]
ONE WAY THAT THAT FOLKS, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY CLOSED NOW, BUT THAT WAS ONE WAY THAT YOU COULD REQUEST A PARKING BOX.BUT, UH, AND YOU COULD EMAIL SHARED MOBILITY@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV AT ANY TIME, AND, AND LET US KNOW WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PARKING BOX.
AND WE'LL COME OUT AND ANALYZE IT AND LOOK AT THE TRIP DATA THAT WE HAVE AND SEE, UH, IF WE THINK IT'LL BE FEASIBLE TO DO SO.
UH, AND WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT RPP, UH, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IN THE PEACE PARK AREA, THERE'S BEEN SOME CONCERN THERE THAT, UH, INCORPORATING, YOU KNOW, A MO MOBILITY BOX THERE BECAUSE RIGHT.
UH, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DRIVE ON PARKLAND, YOU CAN'T TAKE SHELL CREEK TRAIL THROUGH THERE.
SO A LOT OF TRIPS WILL END, YOU KNOW, AT THE SOUTH OR NORTH END OF THAT.
SO WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOME, SOME, UH, PARKING IN AREAS LIKE THAT, SO, YEAH.
UM, BECAUSE THE, FROM A BIGGER PICTURE POINT OF VIEW, I THINK SINCE RPP WAS DONE IN THE LATE 1990S WAS WHEN IT STARTED, WE, WE'VE ADDED A LOT OF NEW THINGS THAT DEMAND PARKING, UH, E-BIKES MM-HMM
MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES, AMAZON TRUCKS, UH, EVEN PARKING BENEFIT DISTRICTS ON SOUTH CONGRESS.
AND IT ISN'T CLEAR TO PEOPLE HOW WE MIGHT RETHINK AN AREA AND INCORPORATE SOME OF YOUR OTHER PROGRAMS IN A HOLISTIC MANNER, UH, TO KIND OF ADDRESS WHAT THE CURRENT NEEDS ARE.
THAT MIGHT BE MORE A QUESTION FOR JOSEPH.
YOU WANT HANDLE THAT
NO, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE SEE THE CITY GROW AND CHANGE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT MOBILITY OPTIONS TO CURB, DEMAND IS BECOMING A BIG DEAL.
AND, UM, OUR, OBVIOUSLY OUR DEVELOPMENT RULES HAVE CHANGED NO PARK REQUIREMENTS, IT'S GONNA CREATE MORE PRESSURES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE KICKING OFF A STUDY, UH, HERE SOON TO LOOK AT CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT, UH, TO CREATE DIFFERENT TYPOLOGIES FOR DIFFERENT AREAS OF TOWN.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL CENTERS, NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CENTERS, UM, DIFFERENT TYPES OF NEIGHBORHOOD USES.
UM, AS WE START TO GET MORE DATA, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE THE MICRO MOBILITY DATA.
WHERE IN TRIPS ARE OCCURRING, WHERE START TRIPS ARE OCCURRING, LEGACY TRIPS AND GOING BACK AND FORTH WHERE YOU'RE HAVING ALL THIS DATA, UM, AS WELL AS PARKING DATA, RPP PERMITS PURCHASED IN AREAS, ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL DELIVERY IS HAPPENING.
UM, WE CAN START DEVELOPING AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THE CURB NEEDS TO BE ACCESSED AND USED.
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THAT, THAT CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT STUDY THAT WILL BE HAPPENING THAT'S SHOULD BE KICKED OFF THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.
IT'S EXPECTED TO GO ABOUT 10 TO 11, MAYBE A FULL YEAR.
SO SOMETIME NEXT YEAR BE COMPLETED.
THERE'LL BE SOME STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
WE'LL DEFINITELY DO OUR ROUNDS AT COMMISSIONS.
UM, AND, AND DEFINITELY WOULD BE, UM, ENCOURAGED TO GET SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT.
BUT YEAH, THAT'S THE WHOLE GOAL.
WE KNOW THERE'S CHANGES MICRO MOBILITY BOXES IN, IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS.
NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE ASKED FOR THEM.
UM, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE AVID RIDERS AND WANT TO HAVE THOSE IN TRIPS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, AS WELL AS THE PROVIDERS THEMSELVES WANTING TO DROP 'EM OFF IN THOSE LOCATIONS.
'CAUSE NOW THEY'RE JUST RANDOMLY DROPPED OFF.
UM, SO I THINK HAVING A LITTLE BIT COORDINATED WAY OF DOING THINGS THAT'S A LITTLE, UM, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSISTENT WILL MAKE THINGS LOOK CLEANER, UM, AS WELL AS CREATE ACCESS, MORE ACCESS FOR THOSE THAT NEED IT IN THOSE AREAS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
IS THE PARKING BENEFIT DISTRICT, UH, AREA ALL ALSO PART OF YOUR DEPARTMENT OR, YES.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING TONIGHT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
UM, YOU HAVE THESE, UH, PERIODS OF SURVEY.
UM, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STILL GIVE INPUT IN BETWEEN THESE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, NEW THINGS ARISE, YOU KNOW, NEW ISSUES SOMETIMES DAILY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THAT ABILITY TO, UH, GIVE YOU INPUT AS A DOWNTOWN, UH, PROPERTY OWNER AND PEDESTRIAN? ABSOLUTELY.
AS MENTIONED BEFORE, OUR, OUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS LIFT LISTED ON SHARED MOBILITY SERVICES ON, ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S WEBSITE.
UH, AND THAT SHARED MOBILITY@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV EMAIL ADDRESS IS MONITORED BY MY STAFF, UH, REGULARLY.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WAY YOU CAN EMAIL ME DIRECTLY, MICHAEL DOT KIMBRO@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV.
UH, AND WE, YEAH, WE, UH, UH, WELCOME ANY, ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK, BUT THE SHARED MOBILITY WEBSITE OR EMAIL ADDRESS IS PROBABLY THE EASIEST.
WELL, AND, AND OUR BUILDING, YOU KNOW, IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAPITOL.
IN THE BEGINNING WE HAD LOTS OF ISSUES AT THE BUILDING AND WE HAD A WORKING RELATIONSHIP AT THE TIME WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND, AND THERE'S, UH, HER STAFF.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THERE'S LIKE A, AN ISSUE ARISES AT A PARTICULAR BUILDING DOWNTOWN, UH, CAN, IS THERE, UM, UH, A PROCEDURE, A PROCESS TO CONTACT YOUR OFFICE DIRECTLY, UH, TO GIVE THAT FEEDBACK, UH, OF THE PROBLEMS THAT MAYBE OCCURRED? SO IF, IF WE'RE TALKING LIKE, YOU SEE AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED RIGHT NOW, THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, THE BEST WAY FOR ANYONE I WOULD SUGGEST TO DO THAT IS JUST USE THE, UH, 3 1 1 APP.
[00:50:01]
CAN IDENTIFY THE VENDORS WITHIN THE APP.THOSE GO DIRECTLY TO BURDEN LY.
IF, IF YOU DO IT, YOU IDENTIFY LYME, IT GOES EMAILS DIRECTLY TO THEM.
THEY DISPATCH SOMEONE TO GET IT, AND THEY HAVE, LIKE I MENTIONED, THEY HAVE A SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION WITHIN TWO HOURS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET, UH, YOU KNOW, ALMOST IMMEDIATE ACTION.
SO YEAH, I WOULD DO, DO 3 1 1 APP IS YOUR BEST, BEST BET FOR THAT.
BUT AS FAR AS CONTACTING MY OFFICE DIRECTLY, UH, AGAIN, YEAH, EMAILING US IS THE BEST WAY.
AND JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, I THINK, UH, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THERE IS NO PARTICULAR RULE YET ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD BE DROPPING OFF THESE DEVICES, BUT THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE DROPPING THEM OFF ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, RIGHT? CORRECT.
YEAH, THAT THERE, THERE ARE RULES FOR THAT.
THEY'RE PRIVATE PROPERTY IS, IS OFF LIMITS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
ANY, I GUESS, SIR? YEAH, I GUESS WE'RE DONE.
THANKS, Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD ONE.
[4. Presentation by Nicole Klepadlo, Executive Director, Red River Cultural District, regarding the recent work toward the advancement of tourism and entertainment.]
ALL RIGHT.THE, UH, NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A PRESENTATION BY NICOLE.
HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU SAY, ITLO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT REGARDING THE RECENT WORK TOWARD THE ADVANCEMENT OF TOURISM AND ENTERTAINMENT.
HOW DO WE WORK THIS THING? OKAY, SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, UM, WE ARE THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
WE'RE LOCATED IN THE EASTERN PART OF DOWNTOWN SPANNING FROM FOURTH STREET TO 15TH STREET AND GIVING A LITTLE LOVE UP TO I 35 AND THEN TO THE WEST TO NECHES AND TRINITY.
UM, OUR ORGANIZATION WAS FORMED IN 2014.
UM, IN 2013, THE CITY OF AUSTIN DESIGNATED US A LOCAL CULTURAL DISTRICT.
AND THEN IN 2020 WE BECAME A STATE CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UM, SO THAT DESIGNATION HAS BEEN WITH US NOW.
UM, WE'VE BEEN AN ACTIVE ORGANIZATION FOR A DECADE.
UH, WE'LL CELEBRATE OUR, UH, ANNIVERSARY IN OCTOBER, WHICH I CANNOT BELIEVE WE'VE, WE'VE MADE IT 10 YEARS.
UM, NOT WITHOUT
I KNOW WE HAVE MANY NEW COMMISSIONERS TODAY.
UM, THE CULTURAL DISTRICT WAS REALLY BUILT OUT OF A CALL TO ACTION.
UM, IN 2013 WE SAW SEVERAL MUSIC VENUES CLOSING AND IT WAS REALLY A CHANCE FOR THAT COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER, BAND TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT HOW THEY COULD BE A BETTER VOICE TOGETHER.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE EVER SINCE.
UM, AND WE ARE A CREATIVE COMMUNITY PROVIDING AUTHENTIC AUSTIN EXPERIENCES THROUGH DIVERSE LOCAL MUSIC ART FOR EVERY FOOD AND FOOD FOR EVERY FAN AND GUEST.
AND WE'VE ADDED A LITTLE BIT EXTRA TO OUR MISSION STATEMENT RECENTLY, WHICH IS IN AN EVER-CHANGING AUSTIN, OUR NONPROFIT SEEKS TO PRESERVE AND GROW RED RIVERS CREATIVE BUSINESS AND MUSIC SCENE.
UM, WE REALLY SEE OUR COMMUNITY AS A SPACE THAT'S ROOTED IN ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS, PERFORMERS, CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, SMALL BUSINESSES, AND FEEL LIKE THIS IS REALLY TRULY THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE'S A QUICK BOUNDARY MAP FOR YOU.
SO WHO WE ARE, AND I'M GONNA KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS BRIEFLY 'CAUSE I WANNA BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS ON SOME STUFF THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
UM, BUT ULTIMATELY WE HAVE OVER 10 LOCAL LIVE MUSIC VENUES.
UM, I THINK WE'RE UP TO 15 RIGHT NOW.
UM, MANY OF THOSE ARE INDEPENDENT VENUES, UM, OUTSIDE OF, UM, THE BIGGER COMPANIES LIKE LIVE NATION.
BUT WE DO WORK A LOT WITH C3 AS A LOCAL COMMUNITY.
UM, WE HAVE TWO COMMUNITY FESTIVALS, WHICH I'LL DIVE INTO.
UM, OUR STAGE, THE STAGES IN THE DISTRICT, HOST, UM, HOST, TONS OF LOCAL ARTISTS.
UM, WE HAVE MUSIC 365 A YEAR, UM, AND WE'RE ALSO A CENTER FOR HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM.
SO THINKING THROUGH HOW WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF PRESERVING, UM, WHAT WE'VE CALLED KIND OF AUSTIN'S MUSIC MILE, UM, IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, AFTER 18 MONTHS, UM, AND THE GREAT SUPPORT OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, WE WERE ABLE TO FINALLY SECURE CULTURAL DISTRICT FUNDING.
UM, WE ARE ONE OF CULT ONE OF THREE CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND WE WERE NOT RECEIVING ANY FUNDING THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE HAD APPLIED THROUGH THE CULTURAL GRANTS PROCESS AND WERE DENIED.
AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS, UM, STARTED TO RALLY KIND OF OUR OWN WAY.
AND AFTER 18 MONTHS, UM, WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE COMMISSION SUPPORT AND SPECIFICALLY SOME OF THE WORK OF CITY COUNCIL.
UM, WHEN STAFF WERE ASKED IF THEY COULD FUND FUNDING, THE ANSWER WAS NO.
AND WEEKS LATER, CITY COUNCIL STAFF WERE ABLE TO FIND THAT FUNDING.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY GIVEN A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT OF $150,000 ANNUALLY, UM, THROUGH THE, UM, THROUGH A STRUCTURE OF RIGHT AWAY FEES.
UM, AND WE WERE JUST ISSUED THAT CONTRACT IN DECEMBER, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
SO JUST OUR FESTIVALS, WE'VE GOT TWO, ONE HAPPENS IN JANUARY.
[00:55:01]
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM THIS.BEING A MAIN CULTURAL HUB AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, WE'VE GOT THESE TWO EVENTS.
FREE WEEK IS A 20 PLUS, UM, UH, STANDING EVENT.
IT WAS STARTED AT THE OLD EMOS ON RED RIVER.
UM, AND IT STILL STANDS TRUE TODAY DAY.
UM, THESE EVENTS, UH, ATTRACT CLOSE TO 15,000 PEOPLE, UM, FOR THREE DAYS OF FREE MUSIC.
IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN, WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU COME OUT.
UM, WE ARE ABLE TO RAISE ALL OF THE FUNDS TO PROVIDE PAID OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MUSICIANS THAT PLAY THESE STAGES, AND WE'RE GROWING IN A CAPACITY TO OFFER MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY, ALL AGES, UM, MORE CREATIVE SPACE EVENTS AS WELL.
UM, IN TERMS OF KIND OF HOW THIS IS PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR KIND OF MARKETING AND TOURISM, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SHOULD HIGHLIGHT IS WHY THIS IS A VERY HEAVILY CENTRIC LOCAL EVENT.
WE HAVE DONE OUR GOOD DUE DILIGENCE OF EXTENDING OUR MARKETING EFFORTS TO REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE, AND WE ARE STARTING TO SEE, UM, FOLKS COME IN FROM DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO, EL PASO AND STAY AT OUR LOCAL HOTELS FOR THAT THREE WEEK OR THREE DAY EVENT, WHICH REALLY EXCITING.
WE'RE, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH A LOT OF OUR OTHER NONPROFITS HERE, GIVING THEM A SPACE TO KIND OF SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER.
UM, WE ALSO DO SOME LOCAL SPECIALS ON FOOD AND DRINK SPECIALS TO PROMOTE THOSE LOCAL BUSINESSES DURING THAT THREE DAY PERIOD.
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS IS OUR NEXT ONE.
UM, WE'VE GOT THAT COMING UP JULY 24TH, 25TH AND 26TH.
I'M HAVING A FEELING IT MIGHT BE ONE OF OUR BIGGEST HOT SUMMER NIGHTS, YET.
UM, BUT LAST YEAR WE DID HIT A, UM, UH, OUR MILESTONE WITH OVER 544 PAID MUSICIANS AND PERFORMERS, UM, THROUGH THAT EVENT.
UM, 14 MUSIC VENUES PARTICIPATING.
AND THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE ALSO INTRODUCED SOME REALLY COOL CREATIVE PROGRAMMING WITH YOGA IN THE PARK.
UM, SOME POPUP EVENTS THAT I'LL GET TO, AGAIN, LOOKING AT OUR MARKETING EFFORTS.
UM, SO THIS IS NOT ONLY JUST MARKETING THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, BUT ALSO MARKETING AUSTIN AS A HUB, UM, OF CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.
A PLACE TO COME SEE LIVE MUSIC.
UM, AND IF YOU'VE BEEN DOWN THERE DURING ONE OF THESE EVENTS, THE THE STREETS ARE PACKED.
UM, THE ENERGY IS REALLY STRONG.
UM, WE HAD A GREAT EVENT WITH WATERLOO PARK.
OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE CAME OUT.
I WAS ONE OF THOSE CRAZY PEOPLE.
UH, IT WAS IN THE MORNING, BUT WE DID YOGA UNTIL ABOUT 10:00 AM UNTIL THE SUN CAME OVER THE BIG BUILDING, AND THEN WE ALL ATE POPSICLES.
UM, WE HOSTED SOME KIDS PROGRAMMING AT THE MOHAWK AND HAD A PIZZA PARTY.
UM, AND THEN IN COLLABORATION WITH FUTURE FRONT TEXAS, WE DID A FIRST EVER NIGHT MARKET, WHICH HOSTED OVER 15, UM, LOCAL ARTISTS AND, AND VENDORS WHO WERE ABLE TO KIND OF SHOW OFF THEIR CRAFTS AND PEOPLE BOUGHT SOME GOOD STUFF WHILE THEY WERE THERE WITH THE CITY FUNDING.
ONE OF OUR NEW INITIATIVES IS, UH, A PROGRAM CALLED DISTRICT DIALOGUES.
WE LAUNCHED THIS IN MARCH TO A SOLD OUT CROWD.
IT'S A QUARTERLY EVENT THAT'S BRINGING TOGETHER A SPEAKER SERIES TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT, UM, AND HIGHLIGHT THE RICH HISTORY AND MUSICAL TRADITIONS OF AUSTIN, UM, SPECIFICALLY ON RED RIVER.
AND OUR EVENT IN MARCH, UM, SHOWED TWO SCREENINGS, TWO DOCUMENTARY SCREENINGS, UM, THAT WERE ACTUALLY, UM, PHASED INTO OUR TWO OLD VENUES THAT WERE ON RED RIVER.
SO THE INTERVIEWS OF THESE DOCUMENTARIES SHOWED INTERVIEWS WITH MUSICIANS AND OPERATORS OF THESE VENUES.
IT WAS A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
THE FILMMAKERS WERE THERE SHARING THEIR INFORMATION, AND WE'RE PLANNING TO DO THREE MORE THIS YEAR.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT SOME COOL TOPICS COMING UP WITH A LAUNCH IN NOVEMBER WITH A NEXT ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET STARTED.
SO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND WITH SOME OF THE FUNDING WE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY, WE DID LAUNCH CULTURAL CURRENTS.
THIS HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DUG INTO DEEP.
UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY DOCUMENTING THE HISTORY ON RED RIVER PLACE BY PLACE, PERSON BY PERSON, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE.
THESE WERE MUSIC VENUES, UNDERSTANDING WHO WERE THE INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, AND THEN ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHAT DISPLACEMENT OF CERTAIN CULTURE OR HERITAGE MAY HAVE OCCURRED TO GIVE HONOR TO THAT AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN DO OUR BEST TO INTEGRATE THAT COMMUNITY BACK ONTO RED RIVER.
UM, SO WE ARE IN THE HISTORIC RESEARCH STAGE OF THINGS RIGHT NOW, BUT THE END GOAL WILL BE SOME SORT OF EXHIBITION WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE THIS HISTORY AND THEN HOPEFULLY, UM, THE CITY WILL ALLOW US TO UNLOCK THE $275,000 THAT HAS BEEN SITTING THERE SINCE 2017 FOR US TO DO SOME HERITAGE WAY FINDING IN THE DISTRICT, UM, WITH THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
THIS WILL BE A HUGE ASPECT FOR TOURISM.
SO FOLKS STAYING HERE CAN KIND OF BROWSE THE DISTRICT, CLICK ON SOME QR CODES, LEARN ABOUT, UM, THE MUSIC HISTORY, LEARN ABOUT THE GERMAN HISTORY THAT'S IN THE DISTRICT.
[01:00:01]
SOMETHING THAT GROWS OVER TIME.AND THIS IS MERELY JUST PHASE ONE.
UM, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS WE'RE FOCUSED ON HEAVILY RIGHT NOW IS WE ARE PRIMARILY A NIGHTLIFE DESTINATION.
UM, AND AS THE AREAS AROUND US ARE CHANGING, WHICH I WILL GET TO, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESSES, UM, PARTICULARLY VENUES, UM, REVENUE LINES ARE, ARE SLIM WHEN YOU RUN A VENUE.
AND SO THINKING ABOUT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, CREATE SOME REVENUE GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES, WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT MATINEE PROGRAMMING AND DAYTIME PROGRAMMING.
MANY OF OUR BUSINESSES ARE EXPLORING NEW MODELS.
IS IT FOOD POPUPS? IS IT, UM, OFFERING DIFFERENT TYPES OF EVENTS, COMEDY? WHAT ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN REALLY SUPPORT DAYTIME ACTIVATION SO THAT WE ARE READY WHEN THAT CONVENTION CENTER OPENS? WHEN WE ARE READY, WHEN THE GREENWAY IS COMPLETED? UM, WE TRULY WANNA EVOLVE WITH THE, WITH THE DOWNTOWN.
AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE SOME CHANCES.
AND SO RED RIVER DAYS IS PART OF THAT, AND WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR FUNDERS TO HELP SUPPORT THIS EFFORT.
UM, WE HAVE JUST STARTED OUR SOUNDTRACK TO THE FUTURE.
UM, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS 10 YEARS OLD, IS TIME FOR A REFRESH.
UM, WE'RE DEFINITELY A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION THAN WE WERE SOME TIME AGO, AND, UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT AHEAD OF US.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN EMBARKING ON THAT.
WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GREAT FOCUS GROUPS OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
UM, A SURVEY THAT'S OUT THERE AS WELL.
UM, THERE'S INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE, BUT HORIZON ITEMS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN AND AROUND THE CULTURAL DISTRICT THAT WILL HAVE SOME IMPACT ON WHAT REDDER RIVER LOOKS LIKE IN THE FUTURE AND HOW WE ARE THE THREAD BETWEEN ALL OF THESE PROJECTS.
UM, SO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I CAN STRESS IN FRONT OF YOU ALL TODAY IS THAT CURRENTLY THERE ARE MAJOR INVESTMENT PROJECTS THAT WE ARE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT, BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF EFFORT CONNECTING THESE LARGE INVESTMENT PROJECTS WITH THE THREADS IN BETWEEN.
UM, WITH RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT BEING THERE, UM, SPOT IN THE MIDDLE AND HAVING SO MUCH TO OFFER IN TERMS OF TOURISM AND ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE, WE TRULY ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO WAIT FOR A CONVENTION CENTER TO WAIT FOR THE GREENWAY TO OPEN, UM, TO BE PART OF CONSTRUCTION AND HOW OUR BUSINESSES WILL WEATHER THAT.
UM, PARTICULARLY AT A TIME WHEN DOWNTOWN ACTIVITY IS, IS LOWER THAN NORMAL.
UM, SO THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT ARE ON OUR HORIZON.
WE'RE PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO.
WE'RE WORKING WITH CITY STAFF, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY OWNERS.
UM, THE STREAM REALTY ACQUISITIONS HAVE OCCURRED ALSO ON RED RIVER.
THEY OWN THE BLOCK FROM SIXTH STREET TO SEVENTH STREET ALONG RED RIVER, WHICH ENCOMPASSES FOUR SMALL BUSINESSES, THREE OF THEM THAT ARE LIVE MUSIC VENUES.
UM, WE ARE IN GOOD COMMUNICATION WITH STREAM, NOT TO SAY WE AGREE ON ALL THINGS, UM, INCLUDING LEASE RENTS AND TERMS. SO AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE ARE CONTINUING TO EVOLVE DOWNTOWN, WE'VE GOT TO FIND WAYS TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE INVESTING IN THE CURRENT FABRIC THAT IS HERE AND NURTURING IT SO THAT WHEN ALL THESE GREAT INVESTMENTS HAPPEN, THE CULTURE IS STILL HERE.
UM, A DOWNTOWN WITH SHINY NEW PROJECTS WITHOUT THE CULTURE IS ABSOLUTELY NOT ATTRACTIVE TO ANYONE.
UM, AND SO WE REALLY WANNA BE PART OF THAT.
UM, BUT, AND WE'RE, WE'RE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN ALL OF THESE PROJECTS AND REALLY EXCITED FOR THE DOWNTOWN PLAN UPDATE AS WELL.
OUR CORE CHALLENGES DOWNTOWN VISITORSHIP IS DEFINITELY ONE, UM, AFFORDABILITY AND PROPERTY OWNERSHIP.
UM, THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT WE'RE REALLY CHALLENGED WITH, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS AND STREETS AND, UM, SOME CHALLENGING AREAS WHERE WE'VE, WE'VE ACTUALLY LOST LIVES AT SEVENTH AND RED RIVER, UM, SAFETY.
UM, AND WHILE THERE IS SOME CHALLENGES WITH SAFETY, THERE'S A PRESS, UM, UM, A PERCEPTION OF SAFETY ISSUES.
SO PEOPLE ARE AVOIDING DOWNTOWN.
UM, WHEN PEOPLE ARE STAYING IN HOTELS, THEY'RE PERCEIVING THAT IT'S NOT SAFE TO BE THERE.
SO WE ARE COMBATING A LOT OF THAT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, CAR BREAK-INS, UM, BUILDING BREAK-INS, UM, THAT REALLY ARE, ARE NOT ADDRESSED.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY INHIBITING THE BUSINESSES FROM THRIVING.
UM, OUR CUSTOMER, CHA CHANGES, RIGHT? I MEAN, BEHAVIORAL CHANGES ARE, ARE HAPPENING.
AND FOR A DISTRICT THAT'S PRIMARILY BUILT ON AN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY AS PEOPLE'S PREFERENCES TO BE HEALTHIER, CHANGE LESS ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, UM, THE REVENUE CHANGES, THE BOTTOM LINE CHANGES, UM, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT, UM, COST OF OPERATING THESE SPACES HAVE GROWN TREMENDOUSLY.
INSURANCE RATES FOR LIVE MUSIC VENUES HAS SKYROCKETED SINCE COVID, UM, PARKING, UM, AND I, I'M GONNA HAVE TO EMAIL JOSEPH, UH, EVER SINCE HE WAS JUST HERE.
UM, AND PAT MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, UH, WE HAVE REALLY CHALLENGING PARKING
[01:05:01]
SITUATION.UM, OUR MUSICIANS DON'T KNOW WHERE TO PARK, UM, FOR LESS THAN $60.
OUR EMPLOYEES DON'T KNOW WHERE TO PARK THAT'S SAFE TO EXIT THE BUILDING AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
AND OUR PATRONS ARE DETERRED FROM COMING DOWNTOWN WITH NO PARKING.
AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER TO KEEP THAT SPACE OPEN, BUT IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
AND WE'RE HEARING IT FROM EVERYONE ABOUT HOW IF PARKING WAS EASIER DESIGNATED PARKING FOR COMING DOWN TO THE DISTRICT, IT COULD BE MORE ATTRACTIVE TO GET FOLKS DOWN THERE.
SO WE ARE A TEAM, A HAPPY TEAM OF ONE, THAT'S ME.
UM, WE'VE GOT A BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UM, BUT OVER TIME, UM, WE ARE NOT A FULL-TIME, UM, STAFFED ORGANIZATION.
UH, IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE WE ARE, 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE ARE
UM, BUT ORGANIZATIONAL RESOURCES CAN, CONTINUING TO KEEP UP WITH THIS MOMENTUM AND STAY AND HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND ALL THOSE PROJECTS, UM, WAS, IS GOING TO REQUIRE STAFF.
AND WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENT, REDEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE PROJECTS.
AND REALLY TIME WE'RE RUNNING OUTTA TIME, RIGHT? WE'RE ABSOLUTELY RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
UM, WE'VE GOT VENUES AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE HOLDING ON BY A THREAD.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE FOCUSING A LOT ON PLANNING AND NOT A LOT ON IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, AND, AND WE'RE ENCOURAGING THE CITY TO FOCUS ON THOSE IMPLEMENTATION ITEMS THAT ALLOW MORE PEOPLE TO BE DOWNTOWN AND FOR THOSE AREAS TO BE ACTIVATED.
UM, OUR ACTIVE EFFORTS IN WINS, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE TOURISM FLOW IN AND OUT, THE MIXED BEVERAGE TAX, THE SALES REVENUE, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY LOOK AT OUR DISTRICT AS A WHOLE AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT OUR CONTRIBUTION IS, UM, WHERE WE'RE GOING THROUGH A FUND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, UM, AS AN ORGANIZATION SO THAT WE CAN STAY STABLE AND STRONG.
UM, WE ARE AN ACTIVE PART OF THE RETENTION AND EXPANSION OF THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACME OFFICE.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN PART OF THE, THE WORKING GROUP AT A, AT A COMMISSION LEVEL, AND WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE, UM, WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT.
BUT STRONGLY URGE THAT THE COMMITMENT TO VENUES THROUGH THAT LIVE MUSIC FUND CONTINUE.
UM, IT'S BEEN CONTROVERSIAL IN THE PAST.
UM, INCENTIVE AND ECONOMIC TOOL DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE AT THE TABLE PUSHING THE CITY FOR MORE TOOLS, MORE, YOU KNOW, REAL ESTATE GAP FINANCING PROGRAMS, MORE, UM, REBATE PROGRAMS, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN HAVE TO HELP SUPPORT SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESS.
UM, WE ALREADY TALKED THROUGH OUR SECURED FUNDING.
UM, WE FINALLY FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A SEAT AT A TABLE, SO WE THANK ALL THE COMMISSIONS FOR SUPPORTING US ON THAT.
AND WE RECENTLY WERE PART OF THE WIN, WHICH WAS THE SOUND ASSESSMENT AND DISCLOSURE ORDINANCE, WHICH WAS A HUGE THING WE'D BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE DURATION OF THE ORGANIZATION.
SO I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, THAT'S A LOT TO THROW AT YOU IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER SHIVER.
YOU SAID YOU WANT THE CITY TO FOCUS ON IMPLEMENTATION.
WHAT SPECIFICALLY WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? SO I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE THINKING THROUGH PARKING IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, WE GOT A, UM, IT WAS A PILOT EFFORT THROUGH THE CONVENTION CENTER PARKING GARAGE.
UM, AFTER COVID, THAT GARAGE DID NOT OPEN BACK UP TO FULL CAPACITY.
UM, AND THEY WERE CLOSING THE GARAGE AT 9:00 PM WHEN MOST FOLKS THAT ARE COMING OUT FOR SHOWS ARE COMING OUT MUCH LATER FOR THAT.
SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS THERE SOME SORT OF MUSICIAN AFFORDABLE PARKING PROGRAM? IS THERE AN EMPLOYEE AFFORDABLE PARKING PROGRAM? UM, HOW CAN WE DO SOME MARKETING EFFORTS? WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER PARKING GARAGE IS LIMITED AND THAT PILOT WILL NOT BE ONGOING.
UM, SO THAT IS A BIG FOCUS ON OUR END IS THAT THE PARKING THING HAS TO BE, UM, HAS TO BE FIXED.
IN TERMS OF OTHER IMPLEMENTATION, UM, THESE INCENTIVES AND TOOLS, THERE ARE 15 PLUS RESOLUTIONS DIRECTING STAFF TO COME UP WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLS TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES.
AND WE'RE SEEING VERY FEW COME OUT OF THAT.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN WATCHING CLOSELY, WE'VE, WE'VE PROVIDED POTENTIAL OPTIONS FOR THAT AND INCENTIVES.
UM, AND REALLY JUST KIND OF A THIRD ONE TO HIGHLIGHT IS, UM, JUST A GENERAL FOCUS ON THE COORDINATION OF PROJECTS, UM, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS, WHETHER THAT BE STREET OR SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION OR ACTIVITY ACTIVATIONS IN THESE AREAS THAT ARE THE THREADS OF, UM, THE THREADS OF THESE BIGGER PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
THOSE WOULD MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE AT THIS POINT.
AND I KNOW THE DAA IS VERY CONCERNED ALSO ABOUT, UM, CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION, WHICH WOULD CERTAINLY AFFECT YOU GUYS.
YEAH, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT TODAY.
I HAD A MEETING WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE, UM, THE TRUCK TRAFFIC ROUTE
[01:10:01]
FOR EXITING THE CONVENTION CENTER GOES DOWN, UH, RED RIVER TO SEVENTH STREET.AND SO, UM, WE SAW THE CAPACITY OF TRUCK, UM, TRUCK POTENTIAL THAT WILL OCCUR FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
AND THAT GIVES US GREAT CONCERN FOR AN AREA THAT WE'RE TRYING TO EVOLVE AS A PEDESTRIAN DESTINATION.
UM, AS SIXTH STREET EVOLVES AS A MORE PEDESTRIAN DESTINATION DURING THE DAY WITH SOME OF THE STREAM REALTY INVESTMENTS, UM, WE'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO KEEP UP.
AND RIGHT NOW WE, WE UNFORTUNATELY CANNOT KEEP UP OR CANNOT EVOLVE WITH SOME OF THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
MCDANIEL, COMMISSIONER AND DANIEL.
UH, NICOLE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, WHILE THE DEVELOPMENT IS NECESSARY AND HELPFUL FOR THE CITY, I THINK THAT THERE'S A CERTAIN HEARTBEAT WITHIN THE CITY THAT MAKES IT SPECIAL.
I SO APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS IN IN TAKING CARE OF THAT.
I WANT TO FORGIVE MY IGNORANCE, BUT I, I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS $275,000 THAT HAD BEEN ALLOCATED BUT NOT ABLE TO BE, UH, APPROPRIATED.
WHAT, CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? YEAH, I'LL GIVE YOU THE SHORT VERSION.
SO IN 2017, UM, CITY, THERE WAS A CITY FINANCE COMMITTEE THAT APPROPRIATED SOME FUNDS TO NOT ONLY OUR DISTRICT, BUT ALSO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN SIX SQUARED CULTURAL DISTRICT, AND I BELIEVE THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT.
AND THEY WERE EARMARKED FOR HERITAGE WAY FINDING.
UM, THE CURRENT WAY FINDING SYSTEM, WHICH IS A SYSTEM OF ENGINEERED SIGNS, UM, DID NOT HAVE A SIGN TYPE IN IT THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE HERITAGE WAYFINDING, MEANING AT A PEDESTRIAN SCALE, POTENTIALLY MORE ON EITHER MOUNTED NEAR, UM, NEAR A BUILDING OR ADJACENT TO A BUILDING.
AND SO THEY FACILITATED A PROCESS WITH THE SAME DOWNTOWN WAY FINDING CONSULTANT TO CREATE A HERITAGE WAY FINDING PLAN.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY HAVE A PLAN, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.
UM, AND IN NOVEMBER WE WILL HAVE ALL THIS GREAT RESEARCH THAT WE WILL BE WILLING AND WANTING TO PUT ON SIGNS WITH GREAT PHOTOS.
UM, AND I ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING EARLIER TODAY WITH DAPHNE OVER AT SIX SQUARED, AND THEY'RE KIND OF IN THE SAME BOAT RIGHT? READY TO GO.
UM, SO I THINK THE BIGGEST HOLDUP RIGHT NOW IS DON'T WANNA MINIMIZE IT, BUT IT'S CREATING A SIGN OR IDENTIFYING A SIGN THAT WILL MEET THIS NEED.
AND THEN I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER STEPS IN MAKING SURE THAT WE PUT SIGNS IN APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS SO THAT WE'RE NOT CONFLICTING WITH OTHER THINGS.
UM, WE DID A SITE VISIT ALREADY, UH, I THINK ABOUT SIX TIMES TO IDENTIFY THE LOCATIONS.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE, WE DON'T WANNA WALK THE STREET AGAIN.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE THE MONEY WE'VE BEEN TOLD, THE MONEY IS STILL EARMARKED AT THIS POINT.
UH, YOU'VE GIVEN US A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION,
SO AT THIS POINT, FIGURING OUT SOME TOOLS TO SUPPORT OUR CURRENT VENUES.
UM, SO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE EITHER LAND DEVELOPMENT OR CODE BARRIERS TO THEM EXPANDING THEIR USES.
UM, SO MANY OF THEM ARE ZONED A CERTAIN WAY, BUT WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR THEM TO PUT A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN IN? OR WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR THEM TO EVOLVE SO THAT DURING THE DAY THEY COULD ACCOMMODATE ONE USE AND AT, IN THE EVENING THEY COULD BE A VENUE.
SO WE'RE THINKING REVENUE GENERATION AND ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO THEN HAVE BUSINESSES THAT CAN BE OPEN, UM, MORE HOURS OF THE DAY.
UM, SECONDLY, IT IS JUST TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THE CULTURAL DISTRICT WITH SOME PROBABLY POLICY MAKERS.
UM, AND WHERE THEY SEE THE FUTURE OF THE CULTURAL DISTRICT BEING, UM, AS WE THINK ABOUT THESE MAJOR SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS, UM, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WANT TO EVOLVE AS WELL, UM, AND WANT TO BE PART OF THAT.
SO IT'S NOT HAPPENING TO US, BUT IT'S HAPPENING WITH US.
AND SOME OF THESE MORE, I'LL JUST SAY MORE TACTICAL, PLACEMAKING SORT OF THINGS LIKE KEEP KEEPING THE BEAUTIFICATION ON, ON RED RIVER POSSIBLE.
WE'VE GOT PLANTER BOXES NOW THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
THEY GO A LONG WAY FROM KIND OF THAT PLACE AESTHETIC COMPONENT.
UM, BUT I THINK IMPORTANTLY IT'S DRAWING ATTENTION TO JUST HOW FRAGILE AND VULNERABLE THE CURRENT MUSIC ECOSYSTEM HERE IS IN AUSTIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TO TONIGHT.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO PUT UP THE, UH, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO PUT UP THE MAP AGAIN FOR THE, THE BORDERS OF YOUR DISTRICT? UM, AND, AND WHILE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THAT OR IS SOMEONE ELSE? I THINK HE'S GONNA, YEAH.
[01:15:02]
WHAT I, WHAT I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IS, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I HOPE WE PUT A GOOD AMOUNT OF EFFORT INTO WHEN THE THE DAP GETS UPDATED IS WE, WE HAVE SOME TENSION AND CONFLICT BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL USE AND MUSIC VENUES.AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE QUITE UPFRONT ABOUT THAT.
WE SHOULD AND, AND TAKE IT HEAD ON AND, AND SAY THAT YOU GOT IT.
PART OF THE REASON IS THAT THEY'RE IN THE SAME PLACE AND THAT WE DON'T OFFER A LOT OF OPTIONS FOR RESIDENTS MM-HMM
UH, OR FOR PEOPLE THAT WANNA MOVE DOWNTOWN.
SO WITHIN THIS AREA, WHAT IT, WHAT ARE YOU EXPERIENCING, BECAUSE I CAN'T REALLY SEE THE STREET NUMBERS, BUT 12TH IS STARTING TO GET A FAIR NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
AND, UH, SO WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU KINDA SEEING AS WE GROW? PHILIP? I'M REALLY GLAD YOU ASKED THIS QUESTION.
'CAUSE IT, IT'S LIKE SOMETIMES AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, RIGHT? AND IT CAN'T BE, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
SO JUST FOR SOME FOLKS THAT ARE UP HERE, UM, SOMETIME, I THINK IT WAS IN 20, UH, 20 18, 20 19, UM, WE STARTED GETTING SOME MAJOR COMPLAINTS FROM THE FAR NORTH, LIKE NEAR UT.
AND THERE WERE SOME REALLY ACTIVE CITIZENS WHO WERE LIKE, I CAN HEAR STUBS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND SO THERE WAS A VERY DILIGENT EFFORT BY VARIOUS, UM, DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY.
UM, AND WE BROUGHT ALL OF THE VENUES IN ON RED RIVER, AND WE SAID, WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT WHO'S A GOOD ACTOR AND WHO'S A BAD ACTOR.
LIKE UNFORTUNATELY, WE NEED TO FIND OUT IF THIS IS RED RIVER OR IF THE SOUND IS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND ULTIMATELY WHAT THAT, UM, DISCLOSED WAS THEY DID PUT THE SOUND MACHINES FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME, UM, AROUND THE DISTRICT.
UM, THEY HAD HANDS-ON, TEAM BRIAN BLOCK AND HIS TEAM WENT OUT TO VENUES ON THE PEAK WEEKENDS, MEASURED SOUND AT THE SOUND BOOTH, MEASURED SOUND AT THE FRONT OF THE BUSINESS TO MAKE SURE IT WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE.
I I WENT OUT WITH BRIAN BLOCK SEVERAL TIMES.
AND, UM, WE DID FOR A WHILE FIND A FEW BAD ACTORS.
AND THERE WAS A WAY TO CORRECT THAT IN SAYING, OKAY, CAN WE MOVE YOUR, UM, CAN WE MOVE YOUR SPEAKERS? SO THEY FACE DOWN, UM, BECAUSE THAT TEAM, THE MUSIC OFFICE AND BRIAN BLOCK AND HIS TEAM WHO WORKS IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, HAD DONE A LOT OF STUDIES ON SOUND.
WE HAD A SOUND ENGINEER COME IN AND DO A STUDY, UM, AND GIVE US TACTICS REALLY.
AND SO WE STARTED TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS WHO ACTUALLY GOT THE IMMEDIATE CELL PHONE NUMBERS OF THESE VENUE OPERATORS.
SO AT ONE IN THE MORNING, IF THEY WERE HEARING SOUND, THEY WOULD CALL UP, YOU KNOW, THE STUBBS GM AND SAY, ARE YOU, ARE YOU PLAYING MUSIC? AND THEY WERE LIKE, NO, WE'RE DARK.
AND SO THIS STARTED TO KIND OF EVIDENCE IT WASN'T RED RIVER AND IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD TO LOOK FOR OTHER THINGS.
WE WILL NOT, THERE WERE TIMES WHERE PEOPLE WERE PLAYING AT A HIGHER BASE CAPACITY, UM, OR THEY PLAYED 10 MINUTES LATE, RIGHT? A BAND WENT ON AND THEY WOULDN'T GET OFF THE STAGE.
UM, AND SO THERE WERE A LOT OF STEPS THAT WENT INTO PLACE TO MANAGE THOSE SCENARIOS.
UM, THE ONLY ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD AS OF RECENTLY, UM, WE HAVE A MAJOR, UM, WE HAVE AN APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT JUST SITS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MOHAWK AND CHEER UP.
UM, THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX DOES A FANTASTIC JOB OF JUST LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHEN THEY SIGN THEIR LEASE THAT YOU ARE IN AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
UM, YOU ARE IN THIS SPACE THAT IS GONNA BE LOUD MOST OF THESE DAYS, BUT ALSO GIVING THEM THE RULES TO SAY, IF YOU'RE STILL SINGING MUSIC OR HEARING MUSIC AFTER THIS TIME, THEN THEY HAVE, THEN THEY HAVE, UM, VIOLATED OUR NOISE ORDINANCE.
AND YOU CAN CALL 3 1 1 AND MAKE A COMPLAINT AND PLEASE ALSO SEND US AN EMAIL.
SO PART OF THAT HAS BEEN THE EDUCATION COMPONENT.
UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME ISSUES WITH HOTELS.
UM, THE WAY MANY OF THESE HOTELS WERE BUILT, THEY WERE BUILT IN A WAY THAT DIDN'T FACTOR IN ANY SOUND MITIGATION.
AND SO THE NEWS SOUND DISCLOSURE AND ASSESSMENT ORDINANCE ENCOURAGES THAT IF NEW BUILDINGS ARE BUILT, THEY REALLY LOOK AT, THEY HAVE TO DISCLOSE, OKAY, YOU'RE CLOSE TO A MUSIC VENUE, SO DO YOU THINK ABOUT PUTTING THE WINDOWS ON ANOTHER SIDE? DO YOU THINK ABOUT PUTTING THE AC AND HEATING UNITS ON ANOTHER SIDE? SO WE START TO GET AHEAD OF THE PROBLEM.
AND THEN ALSO THE VENUE IS CONTACTED TO SAY, OKAY, IS THERE ANYTHING MORE WE COULD BE DOING IN TERMS OF SPEAKER PLACEMENT? AND ALSO JUST MAKING SURE IF YOU HAVE A NEW, YOU KNOW, SOUND TECHNICIAN, THAT THEY ARE ALSO TRAINED, UM, IN THAT REGARD.
BUT WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY, I WOULD SAY, OVER SINCE COV TO NOW THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY SOUND ESCALATIONS IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, THIS MAY CHANGE, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, PHILIP,
[01:20:01]
THERE IS A BUNCH OF NEW CONDOS THAT HAVE GONE IN THERE RIGHT AT 12TH AND RED RIVER.UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ARE AT THE SAME TABLE WITH SOME OF THE HOTELS.
UM, THE HOTELS HAVE LEANED INTO IT BEING AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
NOT TO SAY THAT THEY DON'T GET A COMPLAINT OR THEY GET SOMEBODY THAT IS UPSET, BUT WE'VE ALSO DONE OUR DUE DUE DILIGENCE OF PASSING OUT MAPS OR OFFERING DISCOUNTED DRINK TICKETS OR TICKETS TO THE HOTELS TO GET THOSE PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND ACTUALLY LIKE, BE PART OF THE DISTRICT WHEN THEY'RE STAYING THERE.
OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, I'M TRYING TO, TO SORT OUT THE, UH, RED RIVER DISTRICT IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY BIG PART OF THE MUSIC SCENE, WHICH WE ALL VALUE, AND SURE.
THEY WERE THERE BEFORE THE RESIDENTS WERE.
UM, AND, BUT WE DO NEED TO COEXIST.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PLACES WHERE THERE ARE MUSIC.
SO IS THERE SOME KIND OF, DO WE, ARE, ARE YOU ONE OF MANY PEOPLE THAT WE WILL NEED TO KIND OF WORK AND SOCIALIZE THIS WITH THROUGH THE PROCESS OR? SURE.
SO IF YOU'RE REFERENCING DOWNTOWN VENUES, WE HAVE A GOOD, I HAVE A GREAT PARTNER THAT WE WORK WITH THROUGH THE AUSTIN MUSIC VENUE ALLIANCE ROOM IS REBECCA REYNOLDS.
SHE WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH A LOT OF THE VENUES.
UM, SO IF IT'S A, IF THERE'S A, A SOUND ISSUE, UM, THAT IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SHE CAN HELP NAVIGATE AN TONES.
UM, ONE DELINEATION I DO WANNA MAKE IS THAT WE'RE VERY VENUE CENTRIC.
UM, AND SO, UH, FOR RED RIVER, IF ANY OF OUR BUSINESSES THAT ARE BARS OR RESTAURANTS ARE HAVING MUSIC AND THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SAME OUTDOOR MUSIC PERMITTING COMPLIANCE RULES AS THEY SHOULD, BUT IF THERE ARE SOUND ISSUES WITHIN DOWNTOWN, I THINK BRIAN BLOCK AT THE CITY IS A GREAT RESOURCE AS WELL AS DISTINGUISHING, IS IT A MUSIC VENUE OR IS IT A BAR THAT IS HOSTING A DJ, HOSTING A BAND? UM, I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONCERNS ON, UM, FAR WEST SIX THAT HAVE BEEN PROBLEMATIC.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE KIND OF A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION THAN A, THAN ADDRESSING IT FROM A VENUE SIDE OF THINGS.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS THAT THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT I'VE SEEN DOWNTOWN WITH MUSIC ARE NOT ON IN THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY ON WEST SIXTH STREET, SOME OF THE PATIO OUTDOOR PATIOS.
UH, I HAVE A QUESTION BACK TO YOUR STRUCTURE.
UM, UM, I FIND IT, UM, VERY SURPRISING.
YOU, YOU'RE JUST A STAFF OF ONE
AND I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE A, AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER BOARD THAT ASSISTS YOU? YEAH, WE HAVE A BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, WE'RE IN A BOARD ELECTION PROCESS, BUT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, EIGHT BOARD MEMBERS MM-HMM
UM, WE DO KEY ELECTIONS IN AUGUST.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE LIKE A PR MARKETING CONTRACTUAL SUPPORT.
I MEAN, ARE THERE LONG-TERM PLANS TO INCREASE YOUR STAFF? AT LEAST BRING ON YEAH, I MEAN, THERE IS, UM, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IDENTIFIES THE NEED FOR MORE ORGANIZATIONAL STABILITY IN THE FORM OF STAFF.
UM, THE BIGGEST BARRIER RIGHT NOW IS FUNDING.
UM, ALL OF THE FUNDING THAT WE RAISE THROUGH GRANTS, SPONSORSHIPS AND DONORS, UM, GOES DIRECTLY BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SO BOTH OF OUR FEST FESTIVALS THAT WE DO, UM, COST WELL OVER $200,000 TO PRODUCE THREE DAY FESTIVALS THAT ARE FREE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE OFFICE SPACE.
WE'RE A VERY LEAN ORGANIZATION.
UM, SO WHENEVER WE GET DOLLARS, WE'RE QUICKLY INVESTING THEM BACK.
UM, AND THEN THE CITY FUNDING THAT WE DID RECEIVE, UM, WE WERE VERY, UH, THE TEAM THAT WE WORKED WITH WAS VERY OPEN TO HOW WE STRUCTURED, UM, THAT, THAT PROCESS OF HOW WE WERE ALLOCATING FUNDS, BUT WE WERE VERY CAREFUL TO NOT ALLOCATE FUNDING TO JUST STAFF.
UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDING THAT THE CITY WAS GIVING US WAS FUNDING THAT WAS BEING INVESTED BACK TO PROGRAMS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURE AND TOURISM.
SO, UM, IT IS AN EVERYDAY BATTLE TO CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY FUNDERS.
OBVIOUSLY, HAVING AT LEAST ONE STAFF MEMBER WOULD LEVERAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SITUATION, YOU KNOW, AND IF IT ANY OF THAT FUNDING THAT FOUR YEAR $150,000 COULD BE DIRECTED TO AT LEAST A PART-TIME STAFF MEMBER TO ASSIST YOU.
UH, I THINK THAT WOULD OPEN SOME DOORS.
WE'VE GOT, UM, ONE OF THE ITEMS. I'M GLAD YOU RECOGNIZE THAT.
I APPRECIATE THAT THE MORE STAFF WE HAVE, THE MORE WE CAN DO, THE MORE IMPACT WE CAN HAVE.
UM, WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER THAT CAME ON, ON A CONTRACTUAL BASIS.
UM, HE'S WITH US FOR FOUR MONTHS AND HE'S HELPING ON THE FUNDRAISING SIDE OF THINGS.
AND WE'VE SEEN GREAT BENEFITS FROM THAT OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
AND SO WE, WE'VE GOT 'EM FOR ANOTHER TWO.
UM, SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
[01:25:01]
THANK YOU.OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER BTA? SURE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, IN FULL DISCLOSURE, MY ORGANIZATION AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, HAS ENJOYED WORKING WITH THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT FOR MANY YEARS, UH, AS WELL AS THE MUSIC VENUE ALLIANCE.
AND I CERTAINLY, UH, APPRECIATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS YOU GUYS MAKE TO THE HEALTH OF OUR MUSIC, UH, ECOSYSTEM.
I'VE GOT THREE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
I THINK YOU KIND OF ALREADY ANSWERED THE ONE ABOUT STABILITY.
UM, SO I'LL JUST NOTE THERE THAT RUNNING A MUSIC NONPROFIT WAS NOT THE MOST LUCRATIVE CAREER PATH, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE GOOD FIGHT THERE.
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT WITH STREAM REALTY AND THE CHALLENGES, I GUESS, AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT, THAT LIE WITH THAT.
CAN YOU EXPAND ON HOW THAT'S GONNA AFFECT, UH, THE DISTRICT? SURE.
OBVIOUSLY NOT JUST RED RIVER, BUT YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE SORT OF LARGER DI ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT DOWN THERE WITH SIXTH STREET.
SO WE SEE THE CHANGE THAT'S HAPPENING OR PLAN TO HAPPEN ON SIXTH STREET AS A POSITIVE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, WE ALSO SEE IT AS A CHALLENGE TO US TO BE ABLE TO BE A COMPLIMENTARY DISTRICT TO SIXTH STREET WHEN THOSE CHANGES OCCUR.
UM, HAVING PEOPLE COME DOWN MAYBE FOR A BREAKFAST OR A BRUNCH ON SIXTH STREET AS THEY ENVISION AND BEING ABLE TO COME OVER BEFORE 9:00 PM STILL DURING THOSE DAYTIME HOURS AND SEE MUSIC IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE ENVISION WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF THE QUESTION AROUND THAT, QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE AROUND THE STREAM ACQUISITIONS AND THE PLANS REALLY HAVE TO DO WITH THE BLOCK THAT THEY OWN ON RED RIVER.
UM, JUST ENSURING LONG-TERM STABILITY OF THOSE TENANTS.
UM, WE'VE GOT, UH, CHESS CLUB, SWAN DIVE, BARELLA AND TRUE BLUE TATTOO, ALL NAMES THAT HAVE BEEN IN IN AUSTIN FOR SOME TIME.
UM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD LOVE, AND WE'VE MENTIONED THIS TO THE CITY, UM, SOME SORT OF WAY, UM, STREAM IS MAKING A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN.
UM, ANY WAY THAT WE COULD LEVERAGE THEIR INVESTMENT IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY TO THINK ABOUT OFFERING LONGER TERM LEASES FOR, UM, DEDICATED, COMMITTED RENT RATES.
UM, SO THAT THESE VENUES HAVE SOME STABILITY, UM, THAT THEY'RE NOT OPERATING ON A YEAR LEASE OR A SIX MONTH LEASE, BUT THEY'VE GOT FIVE YEARS SO THAT THEY CAN INVEST.
AND THOSE BUSINESS CHANGES SO THAT WHEN SIX, THE, THE, THE OLD SIXES UP AND RUNNING THESE BUSINESSES ALSO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVOLVE, UH, EVOLVE WITH THAT.
MY ONLY OTHER QUESTION, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE HAD TIME TO THINK ABOUT THIS BEFORE COMING HERE TODAY, BUT HOW CAN THIS COMMISSION SPECIFICALLY, UH, HELP IN YOUR EFFORTS IN THE FUTURE? I, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE ASKED HAVE BEEN REALLY GREAT AND KIND OF ON TARGET.
I THINK JUST THINKING ABOUT THE, UH, DAP PLAN UPDATE, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY FOCUSING ON, IT'S A PLAN, BUT I THINK, UM, SOME OF A PLANNER BY TRADE, LIKE BY AN EDUCATION.
UM, BUT THE ONE THING IS THAT ALL THESE PLANS TRULY NEED TO BE ROOTED IN ECONOMIC, UM, DATA AND WITHOUT A PLAN WHEN IT'S NOT ROOTED IN ECONOMIC DATA, IN MY OPINION.
UM, AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN LEVERAGES, UM, EXPECTATIONS AND PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK WE CAN HAVE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T, THAT A MARKET CANNOT SUPPORT, OR THAT OUR MARKET IS TOO EXPENSIVE TO SUPPORT.
SO I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE THE DAP, UM, UPDATE TO INCLUDE SOME SORT OF ECONOMIC, UM, UH, UPDATE WITH IT, UM, SO THAT WHEN WE ARE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE DOWNTOWN, IT IS GROUNDED IN SOME ECONOMIC REALITIES.
UM, AND I THINK THE OTHER ELEMENT THERE IS JUST CONTINUE TO SUPPORT WHEN YOU'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS, UM, THINKING ABOUT RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT AS A THREAD OF DOWNTOWN AND KEEPING US IN, IN MIND OF CONTINUING TO ELEVATE US AS WE'RE WORKING ON A BIGGER AND BETTER AND MORE INVESTED IN DOWNTOWN.
OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST A QUICK COMMENT THAT WE DID MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE DA PLAN TO INCLUDE ECONOMIC MODELING, SO YAY.
HOPEFULLY THEY'LL ACTUALLY DO IT.
I THINK THERE'S A HAND ON THE SCREEN.
UH, JUST SORT OF AS I AM ABSORBING AND THINKING ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT PLACES THAT I'M IN AND, AND THINGS THAT I'M SEEING.
UH, FIRST OFF, I THINK IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT FOR SO MANY PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, MUSIC IS WHAT MAKES AUSTIN, AUSTIN MM-HMM
AND FROM, I THINK MY PERSPECTIVE AS SOMEONE WHO IS VERY INVESTED IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND THE PEDESTRIAN, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENT AND VIBRANCY OF DOWNTOWN, THIS IS GONNA BE A REALLY DIFFICULT DECADE
[01:30:01]
OF JUST THE CONVENTION CENTER AND PROJECT CONNECT AND 35 AND REALLY THE ARC OF, OR THE WAVE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S FINALLY OR WAS AND NOW NOT ISN'T IS AND MAYBE WILL BE LATER, YOU KNOW, VERY PROFITABLE TO TAKE THESE SPACES THAT HOST REALLY IMPORTANT INSTITUTIONS OF CULTURE AND ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THOSE AND DISPLACE THEM.I THINK THAT THAT SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM IS GONNA BE WIDER THAN RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT AND, AND WIDER THAN DOWNTOWN.
CERTAINLY DOWNTOWN IS ONE OF THE KEY CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS OR, OR AREAS OF OUR TOWN.
UH, BUT I'M SO VERY HAPPY THAT RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT HAS BOTH BUSINESSES AND STAFF MEMBERS AT THE CULTURAL DISTRICT ORGANIZATION INVESTED IN VIBRANCY MM-HMM
UH, OF ALL DAY, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST NIGHTTIME, UH, ACTIVITY.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I AM, WE, WE WERE TALKING EARLIER, YOU WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT THE PARKING ISSUE, WHICH I THINK IS A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE.
I'M ON THE DA'S MOBILITY COMMITTEE YEAH.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT.
BUT IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT EITHER THIS COMMISSION, THE DA ANYBODY ELSE CAN POSSIBLY HELP YOU GUYS WITH THAT, UM, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER FEL, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AT THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UM, PERSONALLY SPEAKING, SOME OF MY FAVORITE KNIGHT IN AUSTIN, UM, HAVE BEEN THERE.
SO THE WORK YOU DO IS REALLY SACRED AND I, UM, I'M GRATEFUL FOR IT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, I'D UM, BE REALLY INTERESTED IN HOW WE CAN SUPPORT LEVERAGING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT YOUR DISTRICT IS SEEING WITH STREAM REALTY AND OTHERS.
UM, WE CAN MAYBE TALK OFFLINE, BUT I HAVE SOME POTENTIAL INCENTIVE STRUCTURES THAT, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HELP WITH THAT.
WELL I WILL SEND A QUICK NOTE TO THE COMMISSION BEFORE HOT SUMMER NIGHTS AND GET YOU ALL DOWN THERE.
IT WILL BE STICKY, BUT YOU WILL ENJOY YOURSELF.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UH, NEXT ITEM IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS? ALRIGHT.UM, THOSE CAN ACTUALLY BE ADDRESSED AFTER THE END OF THE MEETING, AND ALL WE NEED ARE TWO COMMISSIONERS TO, UM, SUPPORT WHATEVER THE AGENDA ITEM IS.
UM, ALSO THE JUNE MEETING WILL PROBABLY BE CANCELED.
UM, I WILL NOT BE IN TOWN AND NEITHER WILL OUR ILLUSTRIOUS VICE CHAIR, SO, UM, SORRY, I'LL BE IN ITALY.
LOOKS LIKE THE JUNE MEETING WILL BE CANCELED.
UM, JUST A REMINDER THAT WE DO HAVE THE TOUR OF THE, UM, HOMELESS SHELTER DOWNTOWN ON MAY 28TH AT 9:00 AM I BELIEVE THEY GAVE US TWO TIMES.
DID WE? I THOUGHT IT WAS NINE.
I THINK IT WAS, UM, CONTINGENT ON HOW MANY FOLKS RESPONDED IN ORDER TO BE AWARE OF A QUORUM.
AND SO YES, 9:00 AM WAS GIVEN AS AN OPTION.
AS OF NOW, YOU'RE WELL BENEATH THE QUORUM ON THOSE ATTENDING, BUT IF ANYBODY HASN'T RESPONDED AND WOULD LIKE TO GO, PLEASE JUST SEND ME AN EMAIL AND I'LL FORWARD THAT TO THE HOMELESS SERVICES OFFICE.
I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME, UH, COMMISSIONER MCDANIEL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
UM, IF THERE'S NOT ANYTHING ELSE, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.