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[CALL TO ORDER]
CALL THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE 2026 BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON THIS MAY 27TH.NICOLE, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL OUR RULE MARY HAGER? PRESENT.
DID, DID YOU HEAR THAT I WAS HERE.
OKAY, LET'S MOVE TO THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE 2026 BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON APRIL 28TH, 2025.
UH, WE HAVE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
COMMUNICATION.OKAY, UH, CALL UP ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON, AMANDA MACINO, AND WENDY TEDA.
I'M GOING TO MOVE THIS UP SOME.
UM, WELL, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR INVITING US TO BE ABLE TO COME SPEAK.
MY NAME IS ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON.
I AM AT THE, AT LARGE BOARD MEMBER FOR EVERGREEN AUSTIN.
UM, WE ARE HERE TO SHARE OUR MISSION, A LITTLE MISSION, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO WE ARE, OUR VISION, AND THEN SOME KEY ITEMS THAT WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT, ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO THE 2026 UPCOMING BOND ELECTION.
UM, YOU'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM AMANDA AND WENDY WHEN IT DEALS TO PUBLIC HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND LAND ACQUISITIONS.
AND SO WE ARE A WOMAN LED ENVIRONMENTAL NONPROFIT COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT AUSTIN INVESTS DELIBERATELY, URGENTLY AND GENEROUSLY AND EQUITABLY, EQUITABLE, EXCUSE ME.
IN GREEN SPACE AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR VISION IS TO CREATE A MORE LIVABLE, EQUITABLE, RESILIENT, AND HEALTHY AUSTIN BY REIGNITING OUR GREEN CONSCIOUSNESS AND EMBEDDING AND ENDURING GREEN CULTURE IN OUR CITY.
WE FEEL THAT IT IS NOW IT'S PERTINENT TO BE ABLE TO INVEST IN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, ESPECIALLY AS OUR CITY GROWS.
UM, EVERGREEN AUSTIN WANTS AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO PROTECT AND ACQUIRE AS MUCH PARKLAND AND OPEN SPACE AS POSSIBLE, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BECAUSE AUSTIN HAS A UNIQUE ATTRACTION TO REST LARGELY IN ITS I REPLACEABLE GREEN SPACES.
I'VE BEEN LIVING IN AUSTIN NOW FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
I'M ORIGINALLY FROM CHICAGO, AND OTHER THAN COMING HERE TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, IT WAS THE GREEN SPACES THAT BROUGHT ME HERE AND ATTRACTED ME TO STAY HERE.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY INDIVIDUALS COME TO AUSTIN EVEN DECIDE TO STAY LIVING HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, AUSTIN BOATERS IN BOTH AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY HAVE HISTORICALLY SUPPORTED LAND ACQUISITION OF PARKS AND OPEN SPACES AS AUSTIN GROVES, SO DOES ITS HEAT ISLAND GROWS, UM, WHICH YOU CAN ESPECIALLY SEE IN DISTRICT ONE IN MY AREA WHERE I LIVE.
AND THIS REGION IS ONLY GETTING HOTTER AND DRIER.
AND SO IF, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS SAW A REPORT ON KXN TWO WEEKS AGO THAT AUSTIN, THE WEEK OF MAY 12TH WAS ONE OF THE HOTTEST THAT IT'S HAD IN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
AND SO GREEN SPACE, UH, HAS BEEN LOST TO GRADE THROUGHOUT THE REGION DUE TO RAPID GROWTH IN THE LAST DECADE.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, BASED ON THE, COULD YOU ZOOM IN IN A LITTLE BIT ON THAT PLEASE? AS YOU CAN SEE, BASED ON THAT, UH, MAP THAT EVERY CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT
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IN THIS CITY IS PARK DEFICIENT, AND SO IT'S LIKE THERE IS NOT SIGNIFICANT PARKLAND ACCESS TO RESIDENTS IN A REASONABLE WALKING DISTANCE.AND SO LASTLY, GREEN SPACE HELPS TO MITIGATE EXTREME WEATHER, REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE, PURIFY THE AIR, AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY.
MASSINO WILL ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE NEED FOR GREEN SPACES AS THE BENEFITS TO HEALTH, CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
I'M A PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY AND CHAIR OF NATURAL SCIENCES AT HOUSTON TILLSON UNIVERSITY.
UM, IT'S A WONDERFUL INSTITUTION THAT ALLOWS ME TO DO WORK IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND HEALTH EQUITY.
AND, UM, I AM HERE TO SUPPORT EVERGREEN AUSTIN AS A BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE AS WELL.
UM, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACING AUSTIN OVER THE NEXT CENTURY, I THINK ABOUT HEAT.
I THINK ABOUT HEALTH, AND I THINK ABOUT EQUITY.
AND THESE ARE ACTIVE PROBLEMS. THEY ARE GROWING PROBLEMS, BUT THEY ARE PROBLEMS THAT SHARE AT LEAST ONE COMMON SOLUTION.
AND THAT SOLUTION IS GREEN SPACE.
SO, I, BEING A PROFESSOR, OF COURSE, I HAVE SOME NUMBERS FOR YOU WITH REGARDS TO HEAT.
AUSTIN FACES AN ESCALATING HEAT CRISIS THAT DEMANDS NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS.
GREEN SPACES AND TREE CANOPY REDUCE THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT COMPARED TO CONTINUOUS URBAN FABRIC.
AREAS OF URBAN TREES HAVE DEMONSTRABLY REDUCED TEMPERATURES FROM 0.5 TO 5.9 CELSIUS DEGREES, NOT FAHRENHEIT CELSIUS DEGREES, UM, IN ONE STUDY OF MAJOR EUROPEAN CITIES.
AND THIS EFFECT CAN BE, IS PREDICTED AT ONE TO THREE CELSIUS DEGREES FOR DIFFERENT CITIES IN TEXAS.
THESE REDUCE TEMPERATURES SAVE LIVES FROM HEAT RELATED DEATHS, AND THEY SAVE MONEY BY REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PRESSURE WITH REGARDS TO HEALTH.
GREEN SPACES PROVIDE MEASURABLE PUBLIC HEALTH BENEFITS.
HIGHER LEVELS OF NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN SPACE REDUCED PHYSIOLOGIC STRESS, LIKE MEASURABLE STRESS IN THE BODY AS CORTISOL LEVELS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A LOWER RISK OF ALL CAUSE MORTALITY AND CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY, LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE EFFECTS OF GREEN SPACE ON AIR QUALITY AND IMPROVING AIR QUALITY.
WE KNOW THAT AIR PARTICULATE MATTER INFLAMES THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND ALSO BY REDUCING ASTHMA.
SO CHILDREN WHO LIVE WITHIN 250 METERS OF GREEN SPACE HAVE REDUCED ASTHMA INCIDENTS COMPARED TO CHILDREN WHO DON'T.
AND THE LAST POINT, EQUITY, ALL OF THE PROBLEMS I MENTIONED, URBAN HEAT, ISLAND AIR QUALITY, CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY, UM, EXPOSURE TO GREEN SPACE IS JUST TO HAVE THEM AROUND FOR EXERCISE, RIGHT? ALL OF THESE IMPACT PEOPLE OF COLOR AND LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES MORE THAN OTHERS.
SO THESE PROBLEMS ARE INTERCONNECTED.
GREEN SPACE HAS THE ABILITY TO ADDRESS THEM ALL.
UM, YOU HAVE A VERY TOUGH JOB IN, IN LOOKING AT THE PRIORITIES OF AUSTIN AND ALL OF THE COMPETING SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM PROBLEMS. AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU THAT AS YOU ADDRESS THE, THE REALLY PRESSING FIRES, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY THAT YOU KEEP IN MIND THIS LONGER VISION.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I TALK ABOUT MY, WITH MY STUDENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND HEALTH EQUITY ALL THE TIME.
IF WE ARE ALL IN A BOAT THAT HAS A HOLE IN IT AND IS GAINING WATER, WE HAVE TO STOP BAILING OUT THE WATER AND START BUILDING A BIGGER BOAT.
AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT GREEN SPACE IS ABOUT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
I AM ALSO AN EVERGREEN BOARD MEMBER.
I'M AN ARCHITECT, BUT I'M ACTUALLY HERE AND EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT GREEN SPACE BECAUSE AS MY COLLEAGUES ON EVERGREEN EXPRESSED GREEN SPACE IS REALLY, THAT'S ALL OF THOSE SPACES IN BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS THAT I AS AN ARCHITECT CARE ABOUT IN TERMS OF A LIVABLE CITY.
IT'S THE ONE THING THAT REALLY ADDRESSES ALL OF THE BOARD'S WORKING GROUP ISSUES.
THERE IS SOMETHING IN THIS FOR EVERY SINGLE CITIZEN.
AS WE THINK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT OUR GREEN SPACES ARE FOR ALL.
THEY ADDRESS AND ALLOW, LET LIVABILITY COMPONENT.
AND THEY ARE PUBLIC AND ACCESSIBLE, AND THEY'RE WITHOUT FEE.
AND THEY REALLY DO ADDRESS, UM, NOT ONLY THE IMMEDIATE COMMUNITIES, BUT ACTUALLY WHOLE COMMUNITIES NEEDS.
AND SOME OF YOU MAY BE THINKING ABOUT THE PARKS IN YOUR DISTRICT, WHICH AS MY COLLEAGUE SHOWED, EVERY DISTRICT IS DEFICIENT.
BUT ACTUALLY THE DATA SETS FROM OUR PARK SHOW THAT YES, THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VISITORS ARE FROM IMMEDIATE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT ACTUALLY THE REMAINDER OF THOSE, FOR EXAMPLE, AT PEA
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PARK, THERE ARE A SIMILAR PERCENTAGE OF VISITORS FROM DOUG SPRINGS AND SLAUGHTER CREEK NEIGHBORHOODS AS THERE ARE FROM NORTH SHOAL CREEK, OR CRESTVIEW OR ALLADALE.SO AS WE THINK ABOUT OUR PARKS, EVEN IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE IMMEDIATE ADJACENT ONES, LET'S THINK ABOUT HOW THEY BENEFIT THE WHOLE CITY.
AND AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE ENORMITY OF AFFORDABILITY, IT'S ALSO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT HEALTH AND LIVABILITY.
AND GREEN SPACE IS ONE OF THOSE ASPECTS OF EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOUR HOME COSTS OR IF YOU ARE HOME CHALLENGED, THAT GREEN SPACE IS A RESPITE.
IT INCREASES AIR QUALITY OF WHICH YOU'VE SEEN ART LESS THAN STELLAR GRADES LATELY.
UM, IT DECREASES HEAT ISLAND AND IT REALLY INCREASES MENTAL HEALTH AGAIN, FOR ALL.
ANOTHER WORKING GROUP YOU HAVE IS REALLY ABOUT INVESTMENTS IN FACILITIES.
BUT IF YOU THINK MORE BROADLY ABOUT INVESTMENTS, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR GREEN SPACE IS ENORMOUS.
THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND RECENT REPORT SHOWS THAT FOR EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR SPENT, COMMUNITIES REAP FOUR TO 11 BACK.
MOST RECENT DATA FOR VERMONT IS OVER $9.
MOST RECENT DATA FOR MAINE IS OVER $11.
YOU ALL HAVE THE POWER TO THINK ABOUT INVESTMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE, THAT IT WILL INCREASE INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN HEALTH, INDIVIDUAL CHILD HEALTH, AND ALSO FRANKLY, BUSINESS HEALTH AND TOURISM, HEALTH AND ECONOMIC BENEFIT THAT WILL HAVE A LARGER RIPPLE EFFECT.
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND MULTIMODAL SORT OF SOLUTIONS HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT A SIDEWALK WITHOUT A TREE IS NOT A WALKABLE PLACE.
I AM GONNA CALL UP THE NEXT SET OF SPEAKERS, UH, PAULETTE TANI, MEL LEBLANC, AND ALFREDO REYES.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
I'M ONE OF THE CO-DIRECTORS OF A ORGANIZATION CALLED FOCAL TEXAS.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY GROUP THAT ORGANIZES LOW INCOME PEOPLE IMPACTED BY HOMELESSNESS, THE WAR ON DRUGS, MASS INCARCERATION, AND AIDS.
UM, WE'RE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
I THINK ALL OF US HERE AGREE AND OFTEN WONDER WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP SOLVE HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN.
AND THE HONEST ANSWER IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE HAVE OVER 6,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING ON OUR STREETS OR IN SHELTERS EVERY NIGHT.
THIS IS A LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION FOR SO MANY PEOPLE.
UM, I WANNA PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, UH, IN FRONT OF YOU.
WE'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS HERE AT CITY HALL AROUND THE CAP AND STITCH PROPOSAL, BECAUSE WE WERE WORRIED THAT SOME OF THE BOND DOLLARS WERE GOING TO BE, UH, REDUCED AND OUR ABILITY TO HOUSE MORE PEOPLE WOULD BE THEREFORE REDUCED.
UM, BUT IN OUR ADVOCACY, WE TALKED ABOUT A RECENT BLUEPRINT SCORECARD THAT CAME OUT, UM, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE SCORECARD THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW MUCH AFFORDABLE HOUSING OUR CITY HAS DEVELOPED.
UM, IN 2017, OUR CITY COMMITTED TO BUILDING 20,000 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
TO DATE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT 426 OF THOSE UNITS HAVE BEEN BUILT.
A LOT OF UNHOUSED PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE MORE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BUT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THOSE UNITS BUILT YET, AND BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, PEOPLE ARE STILL ON OUR STREETS.
AND THIS COMMISSION HAS, HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY SHAPE THE FUTURE AND HELP THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY ENSURING THAT WE HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE BOND.
AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT WHEN WE HELP PEOPLE GET OFF THE STREETS SOONER, IT ALLOWS US TO AVOID CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.
I THINK THAT'S A HUGE PIECE OF THE, THE PUZZLE THAT WE'RE MISSING WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS.
IF WE WERE TO HOUSE PEOPLE QUICKER, WE WOULD NOT NEED AS MANY SERVICES.
WE WOULD NOT NEED AS MUCH PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING NECESSARILY.
BUT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO PUT PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE LANGUISHING ON OUR STREETS FOR, FOR FIVE, 10 YEARS.
SO PAULETTE SPOKE TO THIS A BIT, BUT WE TESTIFIED LAST WEEK ON THE CAP ANDIT VOTE.
AND, UM, WE ARE MADE UP OF LEADERS WHO HAVE DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH HOMELESSNESS OR ANY OF THE ISSUES THAT WE FOCUS ON.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF THE QUOTES FROM LAST WEEK FROM ONE OF OUR VOCAL TEXAS LEADERS.
I'M GONNA READ DIRECTLY FROM HER TESTIMONY.
UM, I'VE STRUGGLED FOR OVER 20 YEARS TO FIND
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STABLE HOUSING.MY HUSBAND PASSED AWAY FROM CANCER.
I USED TO GET SURVIVAL BENEFITS.
THEN MY SOCIAL SECURITY GOT CUT BECAUSE I WAS MARRIED TO MY HUSBAND FOR NINE AND A HALF YEARS INSTEAD OF 10.
SINCE THEN, I'VE BEEN UNSTABLE.
I'VE BEEN HOMELESS SEVERAL TIMES, SOMETIMES ON THE STREETS, SOMETIMES IN SHELTERS.
I'VE EVEN HAD TO SLEEP OUTSIDE AT THE BUS STOP WITH MY SON.
MOST RECENTLY, I WAS IN THE RAPID REHOUSING PROJECT, BUT THEN MY PROGRAM EXPIRED.
I COULD NOT AFFORD THE RENT ON MY OWN, AND I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE STREETS.
I ONLY HAD ONE AND A HALF YEARS TO GET MY LIFE COMPLETELY IN ORDER BEFORE MY RAPID REHOUSING EXPIRED.
UM, I WILL SHARE THIS ON HER BEHALF, BUT SHE SAID THAT DURING THIS TIME SHE WAS GOING THROUGH A LOT OF STUFF FROM BEING CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, AND THEN ALSO HER MOTHER PASSED AWAY AND SO MUCH WAS HAPPENING TO HER.
THAT ONE AND A HALF YEARS JUST WASN'T HELPFUL FOR HER.
UM, AND IT WOULDN'T BE REALLY FOR ANY OF US.
BUT, UM, THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HER.
WITH SO LITTLE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THIS IS VERY COMMON FOR PEOPLE IN MY SITUATION.
WE NEED MONEY FOR HOUSING FOR POOR PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE STREETS WITHOUT HOUSING, WE'RE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE EXTREMELY HOT TEMPERATURES IS UNFAIR TO TALK ABOUT BUILDING A PARK WHEN WE CAN'T PRIORITIZE OUR OWN RESIDENTS IN THE CITY.
WE NEED THE CITY TO PRIORITIZE US, AND WE NEED IT NOW.
AND THEN, ALTHOUGH THIS WAS FOR THE CAPTAIN, SUCH, I BELIEVE IT'S STILL APPLIES TO THE BOND.
AND IT SHOWS WHY WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE THESE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T BEEN FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS.
I AM A GROW ORGANIZER FOR FO TEXAS.
I WAS ALSO ONE OF THOSE THAT WAS ON HOUSE FOR SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS, THEN WOULD CANCEL UNDERNEATH FOR BRIDGE.
THE ONE THING THAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT EVEN THE, UH, THE VOUCHER THAT I GOT FOR HOUSING WAS A BLESSING.
THE ONE THING I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT PAYING 2100 FOR AN APARTMENT COMING OUT FROM BEING IN THE STREET AND BEING HOMELESS WAS, I, I, I WAS SHOCKED.
I I BEEN FEAR OF JUST FIGURING OUT WHERE AM I GONNA END UP AFTER THE VOUCHER'S OVER WITH.
BUT EVEN THEN, I'VE BEEN LOOKING TO SEE, UH, WHAT APARTMENTS OR PLACES I CAN GET INTO.
I CANNOT AFFORD ANY, ANY KIND OF APARTMENT.
AND I'M WORKING FOR BO TEXAS, I'M STILL IN THAT 30% MFI STATUS AND THAT LINE.
SO EVEN, EVEN THEN, ONCE MY BACHELOR'S OVER, I'M, I'M FACING THAT SAME STRUGGLE THAT I WENT THROUGH FROM WHEN I FIRST GOT MY HELP.
MEANING THAT NOW I HAVE TO LOOK FOR A PLACE THAT I CAN TRULY AFFORD, WHICH EVEN WORKING, I, I WON'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD $2,100.
IT'S EITHER $2,100 WITH ME GETTING A PLACE AND NOT EATING AND GOING TO BAKE FOR FOOD OR WHATEVER, OR DUMPSTER DIVE AGAIN.
BUT IT, IT IS JUST RIDICULOUS THAT WE, THE CITY IS NOT FOCUSING AND PRIORITIZING ON MAKING SURE THEY MAKE TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
FOR SOMEBODY LIKE MYSELF, SOMEBODY WHO'S STRUGGLING, SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN OUT THERE DUMPSTER DIVING, SOMEBODY WHO, WHO HAS A ILLNESS, I HAVE CANCER.
AND EVERY DAY IT WAS A STRUGGLE.
AND TO THIS DAY, I'M HERE FIGHTING BECAUSE WE ALL HERE IS, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE OUT THERE THAT'S SUFFERING.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH ILLNESSES.
THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE SUFFERING, DYING ON A DAILY BASIS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET HOUSING.
AND
WE ARE NOT, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GET A FREE RIDE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE HOUSING TRULY AFFORDABLE THAT SOMEBODY CAN AFFORD OR WORK A LITTLE JOB AND BE STILL BE ABLE TO GET ON THEIR FEET.
'CAUSE WHAT I'LL SEE IS IT'S, IT ALMOST FEELS SOMETIMES THAT I'M LIKE, I'M TRYING TO GET BACK ON MY FEET.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE I, I FEEL LIKE I'M A FAIL BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING AFFORDABLE FOR ME.
AGAIN, I SEE THIS ON A REGULAR DAILY BASIS.
I TALK TO PEOPLE ON A REGULAR DAILY BASIS.
EVERYBODY'S TELLING ME THE SAME THING.
THEY CAN PUT ME ANYWHERE BUT
WHAT THE HELL CAN I AFFORD? I CAN'T.
SO IT BECOMES DOWN TO SURVIVAL MODE AGAIN.
AND WE, WE NEED, THAT'S NOT FAIR TO US.
PEOPLE WHO ARE ON HOUSE, WHO ARE IN THE STREET.
I CAN SPEAK FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE AND I CAN SPEAK ALSO FOR THE PEOPLE THAT I SPEAK TO ON A REGULAR DAILY BASIS.
WE NEED TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MAKING SURE THEY MAKE IT SO THAT WE CAN AFFORD IT, MAKE SURE IT IS, IT IS, UH, TRULY AFFORDABLE AND THAT IT'S 30% F-F-M-F-I SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN AFFORD IT.
'CAUSE ROSS SAYS, IF YOU ALL LOOK RIGHT NOW ON A PILLOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT APARTMENT YOU CAN FIND EVEN A ONE BEDROOM OR STUDIO THAT'S UNDER 2100.
NEXT, NEXT WE HAVE ANDREW SMILEY AND ABBY TAL ON DECK.
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SHE'S ON BEHIND YOU.SHOULD I COME UP HERE AS WELL? IF YOU WANNA BE READY, THAT'S FINE.
SO YEAH, I HAVE A LITTLE, UH, PRESENTATION HERE AND I'LL JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU THE HEADS UP OR THE, THE HIGH SIGN WHEN IT'S TIME TO FLIP THE SLIDE.
SO, UH, YEAH, THANK Y'ALL FOR OH, COOL.
UH, YEAH, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL HAVING ME.
UM, I, UH, I WORKED WITH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED TREE FOLKS, SO MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH TREE FOLKS.
WE WERE FOUNDED HERE IN AUSTIN IN, UH, 1989.
UH, SINCE THEN, WE'VE PLANTED ABOUT 3 MILLION TREES IN CENTRAL TEXAS, UH, UNDER OUR, UH, UNDER OUR MISSION TO BUILD STRONGER COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS, UH, BY PLANTING AND CARING FOR TREES.
BUT I'M ACTUALLY NOT HERE TO TALK JUST ABOUT PLANTING TREES.
I'M ACTUALLY HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, UH, BUILDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S REALLY BUILDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS WHAT WE'RE UP TO.
A LOT OF FOLKS THINK TREES ARE JUST LANDSCAPING, BUT IN FACT, THEY ARE A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
JUST LIKE ANY BUILDING OR ROAD.
UH, THERE ARE MULTIPLE STEPS TO BUILDING TREE CANOPY, UH, AND IT TAKES TIME TO ESTABLISH THE SCREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, TREES ARE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND I'LL SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME.
TREES ARE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR IMPACTING FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE.
UH, THE, UH, UH, SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PAYING FOR TREES WITH BOND MONEY.
UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONSTRUCTING RESILIENT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, SO Y'ALL, I'M ENCOURAGED BY THE SIX GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR, UH, FOR THIS BOND PROGRAM.
AND FORTUNATELY, TREE PLANTING, OR TREE CANOPY, EXCUSE ME, FULFILLS ALL SIX OF THOSE.
SO I PLUG THE EFFORTS, UH, BY STAFF TO HIGHLIGHT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS.
UH, HIGHLIGHT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS IN THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA.
UM, SO I'LL ALSO ENCOURAGE FOLKS, PLEASE USE US TREE FOLKS.
UH, ANY OF OUR STAFF, ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, ANY OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, USE US AS A RESOURCE WHEN WE'RE FIGURING OUT STRATEGIES, PROBLEM SOLVING BUDGETS, UH, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP EXTEND THE VALUE OF PUBLIC DOLLARS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UH, WE KNOW WHERE THE HIGH PRIORITY AREAS ARE, AND WE KNOW THAT TREES ARE COST EFFECTIVE.
UH, JUST AS WE INCLUDE RENOVATIONS TO BUILDINGS IN OUR BOND PROGRAMS. WE CAN ALSO, UH, FOCUS ON RENOVATIONS AND UPGRADES TO OUR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, TO OUR TREE CANOPY.
UH, OUR CITY'S GOVERNMENT HAS AN UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITY HERE TO BUILD GOODWILL AND TRUST WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS BY ENGAGING LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS, UH, TO ACHIEVE THIS WORK.
SO Y'ALL ARE CHARGED WITH A, WITH A SIGNIFICANT, UH, RESPONSIBILITY HERE.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT Y'ALL PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT EVERY PROPOSAL THAT COMES UP FOR CONSIDERATION FEATURES, ACCOMMODATIONS FOR BUILDING, RENOVATING, AND SUSTAINING OUR TREE CANOPY.
UH, THE GOAL IS PRETTY CLEARLY STATED, 50% CITYWIDE TREE CANOPY COVERAGE BY 2050.
SO THE ONLY WAY WE REACH THAT NUMBER IS TO START NOW.
SO, AGAIN, TREE FOLKS IS HERE TO SERVE AS A RESOURCE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
I FORGOT COMPLETELY ABOUT THE SLIDES, BUT I THINK THEY'RE IN YOUR PACKET ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU OTHERWISE.
I SHOULD GET THAT BACK TO YOU.
HELLO, UM, MY NAME IS ABBY TAKO.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING COALITION.
UM, AND WE ARE A NONPROFIT HOUSING COALITION THAT FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, HAS REPRESENTED AFFORDABLE DEVELOPERS, DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS AND ADVOCATES, PROMOTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION IN ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY.
OUR MEMBERS ARE INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF RENTAL HOME OWNERSHIP AND HOMELESS RESPONSE UNITS, UM, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AS WELL AS OTHERS, UM, AND AS WELL AS CONDUCTING VITAL HOME REPAIRS FOR EXISTING LOW INCOME HOMEOWNERS.
UH, WITH AFFORDABILITY IMPACTING MORE AND MORE HOUSEHOLDS.
OUR COALITION RECOGNIZES HOW GREAT THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE AND HOW CHALLENGING YOUR WORK TO PRIORITIZE, PRIORITIZE THESE NEEDS HAS BECOME.
WITH REGARDS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LARGE OBSTACLES TO BRINGING THESE COMMUNITIES ONLINE.
OUR COMPLICATED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND PERMITTING PROCESSES, SKYROCKETING LAND, CONSTRUCTION, AND OPERATING COSTS.
AND UNFORTUNATE NIMBYISM IN 2025, THESE OBSTACLES ARE TENFOLD.
JUST AS RISING COSTS ARE AFFECTING FAMILIES, THE PROCESS TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE WITH TARIFFS AND THREATS TO IMMIGRATION, CAUSING
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THE COST OF GOODS AND LABOR TO SKYROCKET.AND MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, FEDERAL FUNDING STREAMS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARE BEING REPURPOSED AT THE DROP OF A HAT ON ONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
FOR THE FIRM THAT I WORK WITH, UM, THAT WAS ABOUT TO START CONSTRUCTION EARLIER THIS MONTH.
WE WERE TOLD A WEEK BEFORE CLOSING THAT FEDERAL EPA FUNDING WOULD NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE FOR THIS PROJECT.
THIS PROJECT IS IN FORT WORTH, AND WE WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE OTHER LOCAL FUNDING STREAMS TO HELP ADDRESS THE LARGE FUNDING GAP THAT WAS CREATED.
THIS WAS A REMINDER OF THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE THAT LOCAL FUNDING SOURCES PLAY IN FORTIFYING OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE VITAL WORK TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, AUSTIN HOUSING COALITION REPRESENTS THE DEVELOPERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT ARE WORKING TO BRING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS ONLINE.
PSH HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS THE HOUSING INTERVENTION MOST NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS CAN FIND HOUSING INSTABILITY.
UH, ALMOST A DECADE AGO, AUSTIN LEADERS RECOGNIZED THAT THE CITY HAD TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE TO ADDRESS A HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM THAT WAS NOT ADEQUATE TO SERVE ITS UNHOUSED POPULATION.
WE'VE MADE GREAT PROGRESS IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS BOND FUNDING AND COVID RELIEF MONIES, BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDST OF A DISPLACEMENT AND HOMELESSNESS CRISIS THAT, AND FEDERAL FUNDS HAVE DRIED UP, WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY, URGING YOU TO INCLUDE HOUSING BONDS IN YOUR UPCOMING RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.
TO ENSURE THAT THIS PROGRESS IS NOT THWARTED, THESE FUNDS ARE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL TO FUND AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOME OWNERSHIP AND PSH HOUSING UNITS AND HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS TO KEEP AUSTIN HOUSED.
AND OUR LAST TWO SPEAKERS, WE HAVE MALCOLM YATES AND ED MILLER.
I AM THE CHAIR OF THE EAST RIVERSIDE OLTORF COMBINED CONTACT TEAM.
THE IRAQ CONTACT TEAM IS A COALITION OF NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA.
AT THE APRIL MEETING OF THE BOND TASK FORCE, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ON THE RECREATION CENTER GAP ANALYSIS REPORT.
THE IRAQ CONTACT TEAM HAS RESEARCHED THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA AND HAVE CREATED AN IRAQ GAP ANALYSIS REPORT THAT CONFIRMS THE NEED FOR A COMMUNITY CENTER AND MORE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR THE POPULATION OF THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA.
THIS REPORT USES THE SAME CRITERIA AS THE PARK DEPARTMENT GAP ANALYSIS REPORT TO DEMONSTRATE THIS NEED, THE IRAQ REPORT'S TOO LARGE TO PRESENT IN A THREE MINUTE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
THIS IRAQ REPORT HAS BEEN SENT TO ALL THE BOND TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
WE WILL BE SUMMARIZING THIS REPORT TONIGHT.
ANYWAY, THIS IS A SLIDE FROM THE BOND TASK FORCE MEETING PRESENTATION OF THE BY THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION.
THIS SLIDE LISTS THE CRITERIA, PRIORITIES, AND WEIGHTS USED IN THE POWERED GAP ANALYSIS REPORT.
THE IRAQ GAP ANALYSIS REPORT USES THE SAME CRITERIA.
THIS IS A LIST OF THE CRITERIA USED BY THE MINNEAPOLIS PARKS DEPARTMENT IN THEIR NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
THE AUSTIN PARKS DEPARTMENT USED THE MINNEAPOLIS STUDY AS ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF BEST PRACTICES.
THESE ARE THE FOUR MOST IMPORTANT EQUITY-BASED CRITERIA FOR PRIORITIZING CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN AN AREA, RACIALLY CONCENTRATED AREAS OF POVERTY, NEIGHBORHOOD POPULATION DENSITY, YOUTH POPULATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD, AND NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME STATISTICS.
THE IRAQ GAP ANALYSIS CONTAINS THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION THAT PROVES THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA NEEDS AND DESERVES MORE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE STUDENTS AT LINDER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH SERVES THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA.
THE STUDENT POPULATION IS 89% HISPANIC OR AFRICAN AMERICAN, AND IS OVER 90% ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED.
THIS IS JUST ONE STATISTIC TAKEN FROM THE IRAQ GAP ANALYSIS REPORT TO PRESENT TONIGHT.
THIS TABLE SHOWS THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA IS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR THE FOUR EQUITY BASED CRITERIA FOR PRIORITIZING CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
THIS TABLE IS A SUMMARY OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC CRITERIA PRESENTED IN THE EOG GAP ANALYSIS REPORT.
THE BACKUP INFORMATION ON THE SOURCES OF THESE STATISTICS IS IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS SENT TO THE BOND
[00:30:01]
TASK FORCE MEMBERS.THIS SUMMARY CONTRADICTS THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE POWERED GAP ANALYSIS REPORT, WHICH CONCLUDES THAT THE GREATEST NEED FOR RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IS ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH EDGES OF AUSTIN.
PLEASE REVIEW THE IRAQ REPORT AND SUPPORT THE REQUEST OF THE IRAQ CONTACT TEAM FOR FUNDING FOR A COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE 2026 BOND ELECTION.
I'M ED MILLER WITH THE EAST RIVERSIDE CONTACT TEAM.
I'VE WORKED THERE 30 YEARS, 15 AS A PROFESSOR AT A CC RIVERSIDE, RUNNING A REENTRY PROGRAM FOR EX-OFFENDERS RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY.
STRANGELY, MOST OF MY STUDENTS CAME FROM EAST RIVERSIDE IN 15 YEARS.
I LEARNED WHY THAT WAS BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SERVICES AVAILABLE TO NEEDY PEOPLE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THE NEEDIEST PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY LIVE THERE.
50,000 PEOPLE IN THAT ONE AREA AND A TWO SQUARE MILE AREA.
1% OF THE CITY'S POPULATION LIVES IN 50 LOW RENT APARTMENTS.
8% OF THE CITY'S CRIME OCCURS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
HIGHEST CRIME, HIGHEST POVERTY, HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT, HIGHEST SCHOOL DROPOUT.
AND NO SERVICES, NO COMMUNITY CENTER, NO PLACE TO DELIVER SERVICES.
IS THAT A COINCIDENCE? WE THINK IT'S CAUSE AND EFFECT.
WE THINK THOSE STUDENTS THAT WERE IN MY REENTRY PROGRAM LEARNED HOW TO BE THIEVES AND BANDITS AND KILLERS, AND TO ASSAULT PEOPLE RIGHT THERE IN THEIR HOME NEIGHBORHOOD, DRIVEN BY POVERTY, DRIVEN BY NO OPPORTUNITY, BY NO SERVICES.
WE NEED A PLACE TO DELIVER MENTAL HEALTH, PHYSICAL HEALTH, OFFER RECREATION, PROVIDE COUNSELING, HELP PEOPLE.
IF WE DON'T, IT JUST KEEPS SNOWBALLING.
IT DOES WHAT IT DOES BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING TO CHANGE IT.
AND WE'RE HERE ASKING YOU THAT HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE IT BECAUSE WE NEED IT.
AND THE POOR PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, 50,000 PEOPLE, 90% IN RENTAL PROPERTY WITH A 50% TURNOVER EVERY SIX MONTHS WHEN THE RENT COMES DUE.
THE SAME THING IN THE SCHOOLS.
50% OF THE STUDENTS AT TRAVIS HIGH ARE GONE THE NEXT SEMESTER.
50% OF THE STUDENTS AT LEND ELEMENTARY ARE GONE THE NEXT SEMESTER.
AND THE ONES THAT COME IN, THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, DON'T KNOW ANYONE, HAVE NO ACCESS TO SERVICES.
IT'S THE ONLY WORD I KNOW FOR IT TO TRY TO GET SOME SUPPORT FOR PUTTING IN A COMMUNITY CENTER SO THAT THERE WILL BE A PLACE TO OFFER SERVICES.
WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF FREE SERVICES.
THERE'S JUST NOWHERE TO DELIVER THEM IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE CARS, DON'T HAVE COMPUTERS, DON'T EVEN HAVE CELL PHONES.
[1. Approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of the 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force (BEATF) on April 28, 2025.]
OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE 2026 BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TEST FORCE ON APRIL 28TH, 2025.ALL IN ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MINUTES? ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE MINUTES, APPROVING THE MINUTES.
RAISE YOUR HAND AND KEEP 'EM UP SO THAT NICOLE CAN, CAN US.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO ON
[2. Staff briefing from Financial Services Department update on Cap & Stitch]
THE AGENDA STAFF BRIEFING FROM THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UPDATE ON CAP AND STITCH.SORRY TO THINK IF IT'S MORNING OR AFTERNOON.
KIM LAVAR, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A BRIEFING PRESENTATION.
IT'S MORE, UM, UH, JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON WHAT OCCURRED THIS PAST WEEK AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE.
[00:35:01]
THE CITY COUNCIL DID, UH, TAKE A VOTE ON THE CAPTAIN STITCH PROGRAM.UH, AND ULTIMATELY DETERMINED THAT THEY WOULD, UH, DO THE CAPS FROM CAESAR CHAVEZ TO FOURTH.
UM, A REDUCED CAP FROM FIFTH TO OR SIXTH TO SEVENTH, OR IT'S, THERE'S A FOURTH TO SEVENTH AREA AND THEY'RE JUST DOING A, A, A REDUCED, UH, COVERAGE THERE, 11TH TO 12TH.
AND THEN, UM, THERE'S A, A DOUBLE STITCH AND THIS, AND THIS ALL IS SO WONKY AND BUREAUCRATIC IN THE
SO, BUT, UM, THE, A A LARGE COVERAGE AREA UP ON, IN THE NORTHERN AREAS, BUT NOT A FULL SIZED, UH, CAP LIKE, UM, HAD BEEN PROPOSED.
UM, SO THE TOTAL AMOUNT TO CARRY THAT WORK OUT, UH, FOR THE ROADWAY ELEMENTS CONSTRUCTION, WE'VE ALREADY COVERED DESIGN COSTS FOR THOSE THOSE NEEDS.
THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR THAT, UM, WILL BE PAID BY TWO SOURCES.
UH, WE HAVE A STATE INFRASTRUCTURE, LO STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK LOAN, UH, FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS IN THE AMOUNT OF $41 MILLION.
AND THEN THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT CAPITAL BUDGET WAS AMENDED FOR $63 MILLION, UH, WHICH WAS THE DIFFERENCE.
SO IT WAS $104 MILLION TOTAL, UH, FOR ALL THE SELECTED COVERAGE AREAS.
UM, SO THAT 63 MILLION RIGHT NOW IS BACKED BY CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, NON-VOTER APPROVED DEBT.
UH, THE, IN ORDER FOR US TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT, AN ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT CONTRACT WITH TDOT, WE HAVE TO HAVE APPROPRIATION.
WE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, TO ENCUMBER THOSE FUNDS, THE AUTHORIZATION TO SPEND THOSE SPEND DOLLARS.
NOW, THE PLAN IS FOR US TO BE SEEKING OUT ANY AND ALL OTHER FUNDING SOURCES TO BE ABLE TO COVER THAT COST.
UM, BUT CEOS IS A FOR SURE OPTION AT THIS POINT.
SO WE HAD TO GO WITH WHAT IS A FOR SURE OPTION AT THIS POINT WITH THE, UH, THE PLAN TO PURSUE OTHER SOURCES, UH, AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS WE GO.
UH, SO THAT'S GENERALLY WHAT THEY DID.
WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL, OR WE DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE A, ANOTHER DECISION TO TEXT UNTIL NOVEMBER OF 2026, UH, FOR WHICH CAPS WILL BE DONE.
UM, STAFF IS, UH, HAVING ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS INTERNALLY ON HOW TO APPROACH THAT PROCESS, THAT THAT STAGE, OR TO GET US TO THAT DEADLINE.
UM, AND ALSO ACTIVELY WORKING WITH, UH, PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO IDEALLY BRING, UH, MANY OTHER FOLKS TO THE TABLE TO HELP WITH THE, UH, THE FINANCING OF THOSE OF THOSE NEEDS.
UH, SO ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE.
CAN YOU JUST GIVE A, UH, PRACTICAL SORT OF IMPACT OF THOSE DECISIONS ON THE AMOUNT OF BOND MONEY THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN 2026? SURE.
SO BASED ON, IN, IN PREPARATION OF THAT DECISION, UH, WE DID STAFF IN COMBINATION WITH OUR FINANCIAL, THE CITY'S FINANCIAL ADVISOR DID AN ANALYSIS OF ALL OUTSTANDING DEBT, UM, ALL AUTHORIZED, BUT UNISSUED DEBT, AND THEN TO THEN DETERMINE HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT WE COULD ADD TO THE LEDGER, UH, WITHOUT RISK OF DOWNGRADE.
UM, BASED ON OUR CURRENT ANALYSIS, THE, THE MAXIMUM THAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING THE COUNCIL FOR ANY OF PURPOSE IS $750 MILLION.
SO IF THE ROADWAY ELEMENTS, UH, PHASE THAT WAS JUST APPROVED BY COUNSEL FOR THE CAPS AND STITCHES, UH, WERE TO REMAIN AS CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, THEN THAT REDUCES THE 750 MILLION TO, UH, 800 AND, I MEAN 687 MILLION.
BECAUSE NON VOTER APPROVED DEBT IS THE, IS ISSUED UNDER THE SAME, UH, CREDIT THAT IT, THE VOTER APPROVED DEBT IS, IT'S ALL, IT'S GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT.
AND JUST ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE OTHERS, ARE THERE, DO YOU ANTICIPATE BETWEEN NOW AND THE TIME WE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WRITING OUR BALLOT LANGUAGE, ANY ADDITIONAL REQUESTS FOR FUNDING THAT WILL COME FOR CAP AND STITCH THAT WOULD FURTHER REDUCE THAT NUMBER THEN? UM, THEY, SO TEXTILE HAS INDICATED RIGHT NOW THEY'RE ABOUT 30% DESIGN, UH, LATER THIS SUMMER, EARLY FALL, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET 60%.
UM, SO WE'LL GET UPDATED COST ESTIMATES.
SO RIGHT NOW THE NUMBER IS WHAT IT IS.
UM, BUT IF THEY COME BACK TO US IN THE FALL WITH ANYTHING, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE COME TO IT.
SO IT COULD CONTINUE TO BE REDUCED BY CAP AND STITCH COMMITMENTS? I, I, IT COULD BE REDUCED.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE ALL SORT OF HOPING WE CAN GET TO A, A NUMBER THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
AND SO IF IT'S STILL IN FLUX, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
OTHER QUESTIONS, HAYDEN? I WAS JUST HOPING TO, TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
[00:40:01]
FOR THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK, HOW DOES THAT, OR MAYBE YOU COULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR BONDING CAPACITY.SO THE, IT'S ESSENTIALLY, I WOULD, I WOULD DESCRIBE IT AS LIKE A PRIVATE PLACEMENT, UM, BOND.
UM, AND IN THIS CASE, WE JUST HAVE A, A FINANCE AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE.
SO WE WILL STILL PAY FOR THE, THE LOAN WE, UH, PROCEEDS FROM THE DEBT SERVICE PORTION OF THE TAX RATE.
UM, SO IT'S UNDER THE, THE GEO CREDIT RATING AS WELL.
SO IT, ALONG WITH OUR CEOS, OUR, OUR, UM, P PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS, THE VOTER APPROVED DEBT, THOSE ALL IMPACT THE GEO CREDIT RATING.
SO IT IMPACTS THE CREDIT RATING, BUT ISN'T NECESSARILY CONSIDERED, WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THAT OUT OF THE TOTAL FUNDING CAPACITY.
NO, THAT'S, THAT'S ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR WHEN WE DID OUR CALCULATIONS, UM, AND, AND REACHED THAT RECOMMENDATION OF THE 750 MAX, THE 41 MILLION WAS ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE 750 MILLION MM-HMM
UM, THE ANALYSIS YOU MENTIONED, UH, THOSE OF US ON THE TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP RECEIVED, UH, ONE OF THOSE SLIDES AT OUR LAST MEETING.
UM, AND IT, IT LOOKS LIKE, IF I'M READING IT CORRECTLY, IT, IT DOES AN ANALYSIS OF SORT OF A $500 MILLION BOND, A $750 MILLION BOND AND A $1.2 BILLION BOND.
AND THE SORT OF, THE IMPACT OF THAT ON, ON THE BOND PER CAPITA MM-HMM
UM, WE DID 1 BILLION AS WELL, BUT I COULD ONLY FIT SO MANY SLIDE.
UM, THAT ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
UH, SO OF THOSE TOP TWO NUMBERS, SEVEN 50000001.2 BILLION, IF I'M READING THIS CORRECTLY, THEY BOTH IMPACT THE S AND P DEBT AND LIABILITY SCORE CARD THE SAME WAY THEY, THEY BOTH BUMP US UP FROM A THREE TO A FIVE IN THAT CATEGORY, RIGHT? WHICH I ASSUME IS, IS THE PRIMARY REASON THAT SEVEN 50 WAS, WAS WHAT Y'ALL CHOSE? WERE THERE OTHER FACTORS THERE? I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS IF, IF THEY BOTH HAD THE SAME IMPACT ON OUR CREDIT RATING, UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING NOT ON THIS SLIDE, WHY GO WITH THE LOWER NUMBER AS OPPOSED TO THE HIGHER NUMBER? IT'S WHERE IT, THERE'S A RANGE FOR EACH OF THE CATEGORIES, SO IT PUTS US ON THAT LOWER END OF THE RANGE.
AND BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS AT PLAY, THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A FEW COMPONENTS TO THE SCORECARD.
UM, NOT ONLY FOR S AND P, BUT FOR MOODY'S AND, AND FITCH.
UH, SO WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT LARGELY THAT PARTICULAR METRIC, BUT ALSO HAVING TO RECOGNIZE THERE'S ANOTHER OTHER THING.
SO ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, MANAGEMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT COME INTO PLAY MM-HMM
SO, UH, JUST FOR MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION AND FROM OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE, UM, WITH THE UNKNOWN, TO ALWAYS GO TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I WOULD RATHER US BE AT A POINT LATER WHERE WE COULD SAY, ACTUALLY WE CAN PUSH IT UP TO 800 OR SOMETHING THAN HAVE TO CLOTH THINGS BACK.
UM, SO WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA PROVIDE THE, THE CONSERVATIVE, UM, FISCAL CONSERVATIVE, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
ARE THOSE OTHER FACTORS YOU MENTIONED IMPACTED BY THE TOP LINE NUMBER THAT WE, THAT GETS CHOSEN FOR THE BOND? SO THEY, SO THEIR SCORECARD, THERE'S MULTIPLE METRICS AND EACH ONE HAS ITS OWN CATEGORIES AND DIFFERENT RANGES AND, AND THE SORTS.
SO WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, PARTICULAR AT THE DEBT PER CAPITA METRIC, WHICH IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ONE OF THE, THE DEBT AND LIABILITIES PORTION OF THE SCORECARD.
UH, AND BECAUSE OF ALL OF OUR AUTHORIZED BUT UNISSUED DEBT.
UM, AND THEN THAT IS WHAT HAS THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON INCREASING, UH, OUR PER CAPITA NUMBER.
UM, AND THEN THAT KIND OF, THAT SEVEN 50 IS WHERE WE START REACHING A TIPPING POINT.
SO, UM, BASED ON WHAT OUR, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, UM, IS LOOKING AT WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY DO THOSE PROJECTIONS ON THE SCORECARD, THEY WERE, THEY CAME BACK WITH SEVEN 50 IS, IS PROBABLY LIKE THE MOST, MOST SOLID, UM, POINT TO LAND.
UM, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE PROPERTY TAX, UH, IMPACT FOR THE 750 MILLION NUMBER? I DO NOT HAVE THAT NUMBER OFFHAND OR ON HAND.
UM, I WILL NEED TO, WE'RE ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF PROPOSED BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, SO I, WHAT I CAN DO IS I CAN CHECK WITH WHAT OUR LATEST, UM, PROPERTY, UM, VALUE NUMBERS AND ET CETERA TO BE ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT, WHAT WE ANTICIPATE THAT IMPACT WOULD BE.
OTHER QUESTIONS ONLINE? YES, DONALD.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO CHECK ON THIS.
UH, SO I KNOW THAT THE, THE 63 MILLION FOR THE CAPTAIN RELATED TRANSPORTATION, UH, IMPROVEMENTS IS COMING AGAINST THE CURRENT BONDING AUTHORITY.
I'VE ALSO HEARD THAT THERE'S, UH, THAT THERE'S BONDING, THERE'S BONDING AUTHORITY FROM TRANSPORTATION BONDS FROM THE PAST THAT HAVEN'T,
[00:45:01]
UH, THAT HAVEN'T BEEN, UH, NECESSARILY SPENT OR ENCUMBERED YET.I DON'T KNOW A LOT OF DETAILS ABOUT THAT, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, UM, THAT WE, THAT COULD BE LOOKED INTO OR IF WE COULD GET A REPORT ON THAT IN THE FUTURE.
UH, IF THERE'S ANY POTENTIAL LIKE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THAT DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD, THAT, THAT ANY BONDING, UH, CAPACITY COULD BE DE ASSESSED AND MAYBE REALLOCATED TO THIS OR OTHER TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO, UH, THERE WAS JUST RECENTLY A PRESENTATION AT THE COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE REGARDING THE STATUS OF THOSE TRANSPORTATION BONDS PROJECTS.
UM, SO I WOULD DEFER TO THAT PRESENTATION AND TO THE STAFF INVOLVED WITH THAT.
UM, TO SPEAK TO MORE PROJECT SPECIFICS, FROM A LOGISTICAL PERSPECTIVE, IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT, UM, USING ANY OF THOSE BOND DOLLARS FOR OTHER NEEDS, UH, THERE ARE TWO MAJOR COMPONENTS YOU HAVE TO, TO BE THINKING ABOUT.
UM, NUMBER ONE, UH, WHAT THE PROPOSITION LANGUAGE WAS THAT AUTHORIZED THOSE BONDS IN THE FIRST PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT REGARDLESS THEY'RE BEING USED IN, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH THAT PROPOSITION LANGUAGE.
AND NUMBER TWO, UM, THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS, UH, BECAUSE OF THOSE CONTRACTS WITH THE VOTERS FOR OUR MOST RECENT ELECTIONS, THAT PUTS A LOT OF EXTRA STIPULATIONS ON THE, THE BONDS, UM, WITH EXPECTATIONS AROUND NAMED PROJECTS.
UM, SO IF WE'RE NOT FULFILLING THOSE NAMED PROJECTS, IT PUTS US AT RISK OF, OF, UM, BEING OUTTA COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONTRACT, THE VOTERS, WHICH CREATES ALL KINDS OF LEGAL CONCERNS.
UH, SO, UM, IF THERE WAS A DESIRE TO LOOK AT ANY PARTICULAR, UH, CHUNK OF FUNDING FROM THOSE TRANSPORTATION BONDS, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO IDENTIFY SPECIFICALLY WHICH PORTION WE WOULD WANNA BE LOOKING AT AND THEN RESEARCH WHAT THE, THE POSSIBILITIES ARE, UM, IN TERMS OF REALLOCATION FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
THE OTHER OPTION YOU HAVE BEYOND REALLOCATION IS DEAUTHORIZATION.
THERE IS AN ENTIRE LEGAL PROCESS FOR, I'M NOT, THERE'S LIKE THE STALENESS DOCTRINE AND THINGS LIKE THIS THAT IT GETS VERY, UM, LIKE EVEN MORE WONKY AND BUREAUCRATIC THAN WHEN I WAS TRYING TO TALK ABOUT THE COMPONENTS OF THE CAP AND STITCH.
BUT BASICALLY, UH, THERE'S A CLOCK TICKING, UH, FOR ANY BONDS THAT MIGHT ALREADY BE AUTHORIZED, BUT UNSPENT AND UN ISSSUED.
AND, UH, SO THERE'S WAYS THROUGH COUNCIL ORDINANCE, UM, AND THROUGH THE BALLOT PROCESS AS WELL TO DEAUTHORIZE FUNDS.
IF YOU WERE TO DE AUTHORIZE ANY FUNDS, OH, I DON'T WANT TO PICK ON MY TRANSPORTATION FUNDS, BUT IF YOU WERE TO DE AUTHORIZE ANY FUNDS, UM, IT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE AVAILABLE BONDING CAPACITY AS A WHOLE FOR THE, FOR THE, UM, THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY.
UH, GIVEN WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT DEAUTHORIZATION, DO YOU KNOW OF ANY MECHANISM AT WORK IN THE CITY LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR THAT TYPE OF, UH, AUTHORIZED DEBT THAT HASN'T BEEN PUT TO WORK AND MAY HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN ABOUT? UH, UM, WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN ABOUT
WE, WE, UH, DILIGENTLY TRACK ALL AUTHORIZED BUDGET UNISSUED.
UM, THERE WERE SOME INCREDIBLY OLD DOLLARS FROM LIKE THE EIGHTIES AND THINGS THAT ARE, IT'S LIKE ASSOCIATED WITH BRACKENRIDGE, UM, BACK WHEN, UM, THE, THE HOSPITAL WAS ACTUALLY PART OF CITY OPERATIONS, BUT, UM, THAT WAS, THAT SEPARATION HAPPENED BACK IN LIKE OH 3 0 4 TIMEFRAME.
UM, SO WE LEGALLY CAN'T USE THOSE DOLLARS FOR THAT PURPOSE.
SO WE'D BE LOOKING AT AUTHORIZING THOSE FOR SURE AS WE'VE JUST GOTTEN UPDATED LEGAL GUIDANCE SO WE CAN PURSUE THAT, UM, PROCESS.
IN TERMS OF OUR MORE RECENT BOND PROGRAMS, EVEN GOING BACK TO LIKE THE, THE LATE NINETIES, UM, THOSE HAVE, HAVE BEEN PICKED THROUGH EXTENSIVELY.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S VERY LITTLE THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR DEAUTHORIZATION THERE, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT LIKE MAYBE SINGLE DIGIT MILLIONS, UM, UH, MAYBE UP INTO THE TWENTIES.
UM, SO IT DOESN'T HAVE A MASSIVE, WELL, IT HAS AN IMPACT, DOESN'T MATTER SIZE WISE.
IT'S, IT HAS AN IMPACT FOR, UM, BUT, UH, UM, SO WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT WITH, AGAIN, LIKE I NOTED WITH OUR UPDATED GUIDANCE, UM, IN TERMS OF OUR MORE REASON, MAYBE NOT 2010 GOING FORWARD, BUT PRE 20, LIKE OR OH SIX OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, THERE'S, AGAIN, IT'S JUST, IT'S GENERALLY, IT'S ALSO BEEN PICKED THROUGH, UM, AND IT'S, UH, A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WE COULD BE AUTHORIZING.
UM, SO REAL QUICK, TO WHAT DEGREE DOES THIS, UH, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE CURRENT, UM, STATE OF THE CITY ECONOMY? SO WHEN WE DO ALL THIS ANALYSIS, WE'RE ALSO INCLUDING, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ONLY LOOKING AT OUR AUTHORIZED BUT UNISSUED.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN ANTICIPATE IN TERMS OF PROPERTY VALUE INCREASES, AND THEREFORE
[00:50:01]
PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.WE'RE LOOKING AT POPULATION GROWTH, UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, LIKE, 'CAUSE THAT IS A DEBT PER CAPITA METRIC, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHERE, WHAT ARE WE ARE SEEING HISTORICALLY AND, UM, PROJECTING GOING FORWARD FOR POPULATION GROWTH, UM, SIMILAR FOR PROPERTY TAX.
THE ECONOMIC FACTORS ARE DEFINITELY PART OF THE CONSIDERATION.
OTHER QUESTIONS? BEN, YOU HAD YOUR HAND, BUT YOU'RE, I WAS, I WAS JUST GONNA RUN THROUGH THE NUMBERS ONCE MORE.
YOU SAID THAT THEY, UH, ASSESSED AND, AND THEY TOOK A LOOK AND SAID 750 MILLION WAS THE BOND, WAS THE CAPACITY TOTAL NOW LESS THE 1 0 4, UH, WHICH HAD TWO CO NO, SO JUST THE 63, THE $41 MILLION SIB LOAN WAS ALREADY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE CAME UP WITH THE SEVEN 50.
SO REALLY YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SEVEN 50 MINUS THE 63.
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, SO THANK YOU.
[3. Staff briefing on Legislative updates and the impact on Bond Election Advisory Task Force]
NUMBER THREE, WHICH WAS GOING TO BE A STAFF BRIEFING ON LEGISLATIVE UPDATES.BUT THE CITY STAFFER WHO WOULD BE GIVING THAT PRESENTATION IS AT THE LEGISLATURE AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE THE UPDATE TODAY.
SO WE ARE GOING TO MOVE THAT TO NEXT MONTH.
[4. Staff briefings from Animal Services, Fleet, and Watershed Protection Department on past bond spending summary and 2026 Bond Development (technical criteria and scoring matrix).]
UH, THE STAFF BRIEFINGS.WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UM, ANIMAL SERVICES.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS JASON GARZA, THE DEPUTY CHIEF WITH ANIMAL SERVICES.
UH, FIRST, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE AND, UH, YOUR WORK TOWARD THIS PROJECT.
SO I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON ASO'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE CITY'S BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
UM, WHAT I WILL SHARE TODAY IS WHERE WE AS A DEPARTMENT ARE AT IN THE PROCESS, SPECIFICALLY THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO USE WHEN, WHEN DEVELOPING PROJECTS ARE, WHEN PROJECTS ARE IDENTIFIED, AND THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA THAT, UM, WE'VE DEVELOPED TO SCORE ANY PROPOSED PROJECTS.
UM, AS YOU PROBABLY HEARD, I CANNOT SPEAK ON ANY SPECIFIC PROPOSED PROJECTS IN DETAIL.
UM, PROJECTS IN GENERAL ARE TO HAVE A PURPOSE THAT WILL ENHANCE SERVICE AND PROMOTE THE MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT OUR PURPOSE, WHAT GUIDES US.
SO THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC SERVICE AND A SAFETY NET FOR LOSS IN HOMELESS ANIMALS IN THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING FOOD, WATER, SHELTER, AND STANDARD MUNICIPAL VETERINARY CARE.
UM, WE ALSO PROVIDE PLACEMENT SERVICES THAT WILL ASSIST LOST HOMELESS OR SHELTERED ANIMALS TO THEIR HOMES, OR FIND NEW HOMES WHEN NECESSARY, UM, AND TO PROVIDE A LIVE OUTCOME FOR AT LEAST 95% OF THE SHELTERED ANIMALS THAT COME INTO OUR CARE.
UH, THIS PARTICULAR FOCUS IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITY'S COUNCIL APPROVED NO KILL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ENFORCE ANIMAL REGULATIONS AND ASSIST THE PUBLIC WITH ANIMAL RELATED CONCERNS, INCLUDING IMPOUNDMENT, QUARANTINE, AND OTHERS, OTHER RABIES RELATED CONTROL SERVICES IN ORDER TO PROTECT OUR, OUR CITIZENS AND OUR ANIMALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE PROVIDE ANIMAL SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC IN ORDER TO EDUCATE AND PREVENT ANIMAL HOMELESSNESS AND PROMOTE HUMANE, COMPASSIONATE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS AND RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TAKING VARIOUS ANIMALS AT THE AUSTIN ANIMALS CENTER.
UM, WE TAKE IN HAWKS, SNAKES, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN POSSUMS AND WE PROVIDE WHATEVER SERVICES THAT MAY BE NEEDED FOR THEM.
WE PROVIDE VACCINATION MEDICAL CARE, DAILY FEEDING AND CLEANING WITH THE GOAL PLANNING, THE, UH, GETTING, PREPARING THE ANIMAL FOR ITS NEXT HOME.
SO, UM, THIS IS A BRIEF SNAPSHOT OF WHAT, UH, WE'VE DONE IN THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.
SO, AGAIN, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE STRIVE TO, UH, IDENTIFY SUITABLE LIVE OUTCOMES FOR ANIMALS IN OUR CARE.
UM, THIS INCLUDES ADOPTION, FOSTER TRANSFERRING TO OUR RESCUE PARTNERS.
WITH THOSE EFFORTS, WE'RE ABLE, WE, LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO REACH A 96.79% LIVE OUTCOME RATE.
SO OF ALL THE ANIMALS THAT CAME IN, ALMOST 97% OF THEM WERE, WERE ABLE TO, UH, TO, UM, FIND A HOME.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF ANIMALS WE GET, WE TOOK IN 11,000 ANIMALS LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE STILL A DEFICIT THOUGH.
I MEAN, WE, WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 10,000 ANIMALS GO OUT, AND SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS IN ORDER TO HOUSE THOSE ANIMALS AND, AND SORT OF ADDRESS THOSE, UH, GAPS.
UM, A LOT OF THESE ANIMALS, THOUGH, DO REMAIN IN THE SHELTER, WHICH DOES EXASPERATE OUR SPACE ISSUES THAT WE STRUGGLE WITH, AND Y'ALL PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE STRIVE TO MAKE AS MANY, UH, OUTCOMES AS POSSIBLE.
LAST YEAR, WE HAD OVER 7,000 ADOPTIONS AND OVER 31 HAND ANIMALS GO, UH, TO OUR, UH, OVER 1000 FOSTER HOMES.
UM, ONE WAY, ONE THING THAT WE TRY TO DO IS WITH PREVENTATIVE MAJOR MEASURES.
SO WE DO A LOT OF SPAY NEUTERING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE TRY TO, UM, HELP INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NEED MEDICAL SERVICES BY PROVIDING 'EM VOUCHERS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, JUST TO TRY TO,
[00:55:01]
TO ENSURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PETS ARE GETTING WHAT THEY NEED.UM, WE ALSO PERFORM SURGERIES IN-HOUSE, BUT, UM, NOT, AND NOT JUST SUBSIDIZE THAT IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, IN-HOUSE WE DO UP TO 6,000 ANIMALS, UM, UH, SURGERIES.
UM, PLUS WITH OUR THIRD PARTY EFFORTS THAT WE ARE ABLE, LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO GET OVER 15,000 ANIMALS SPAYED OR NEUTERED.
SO, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.
THE LAST TIME THE ANIMAL SERVICES PARTICIPATED IN A BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WAS ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE A DIVISION OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS NOW P**N PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, AT THE TIME, WE SOUGHT FUNDING TO REPLACE THE FACILITY AT THE TOWN LAKE ANIMAL CENTER OFF CESAR CHAVEZ.
AND INITIAL COST CAME IN AT ABOUT 22 MILLION, BUT IN THE END, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO, TO, UM, BALANCE, UH, NEEDS, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR FUNDING WAS AT $12 MILLION, WHICH RESULTED IN THE CURRENT AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER, WHICH WAS BUILT AT THE LA VANDER LOOP CAMPUS, WHICH WAS A HEALTH OWNED PROPERTY.
SO RECENTLY, UH, ANIMAL SERVICES WAS ABLE TO DEVELOP AND GET APPROVED, A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN WAS AN EIGHT MONTH PROCESS TO UTILIZE FEEDBACK RECEIVED FROM STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS.
IT CONSISTS OF SIX FOCUS AREAS WITH 18 SPECIFIC GOALS, AND EACH GOAL HAS A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES FOR STAFF TO IMPLEMENT.
SO CURRENTLY WE'RE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE, AND WE'LL BE PROVIDING PERIODIC UPDATES TO THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION AND WORKING TO PUBLISH ON OUR WEBSITE A DASHBOARD THAT'S SHOWING OUR PROGRESS AND GOALS.
UM, SO THE AUSTIN ANIMAL CENTER OPENED IN 2012.
UH, HOWEVER, THE FINAL DESIGN OF THE FACILITY WAS DONE BEFORE THE COUNCIL APPROVED NO KILL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
AND FROM THAT POINT ON, THERE HAVE BEEN CAPACITY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES REGARDING KENNEL SPACE FOR ANIMAL POPULATIONS.
SO WE TRY TO MITIGATE THAT BY MODIFYING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO FOR ANY OF US THAT HASN'T VISIT US OR SEEN IT, LIKE WE WILL USE CAT KENNELS FOR OUR SMALL DOG POPULATION, AND WE'LL HAVE DEDICATED STAFF TO TAKE THOSE DOGS OUT ON A MORE FREQUENT BASIS.
BUT JUST TO TRY TO MAKE THOSE, WE WILL UTILIZE OUR LARGER KENNEL SPACE TO TRY TO GET, UM, BUILD, BASICALLY BUILD ROOMMATES AND, YOU KNOW, ENSURE THAT THOSE DOGS ARE GETTING WELL WITH EACH OTHER.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GETTING THAT, UH, REALLY MAXIMIZE SPACE OVER THE YEARS.
UM, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE'VE MODIFIED IT TO OUR, FOR OUR OPERATIONS.
UM, THIS HELPS EXPAND OUR CAPACITY ANALYST VERSUS THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF PHYSICAL KENNELS THAT WE HAVE FOR, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR MEDIUM TO LARGE POPULATIONS.
SO, TO FURTHER ILLUSTRATE THE CHALLENGES OF OUR FACILITY, HERE'S SOME INFORMATION REGARDING HOW MANY DAYS THE CENTER IS AT CAPACITY FOR THE THREE TYPES OF ANIMALS THAT ARE PRIMARILY HOUSED.
UH, YOU CAN SEE OUR MEDIUM TO LARGE POPULATIONS IS WHERE WE ARE AT CAPACITY FOR OVER 90% OF THE YEAR.
SO ALTHOUGH KENNEL CAPACITY IS AN ISSUE, THERE ARE SOME OTHER GAPS IN THE FACILITY THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, A A A C IS TASKED WITH CARING FOR INJURED AND SICK ANIMALS, BUT THEY'RE ONLY TWO OPERATING TABLES AND ONE PRE-OP PREPS AREA.
WE ALSO ONLY HAVE ONE, UM, RECOVERY AREA FOR A LARGE DOG IN THE, IN OUR, AT OUR SPRAYING NEUTER.
AND SO WE WILL SOMETIMES UTILIZE FLOOR SPACE AND VOLUNTEERS TO MONITOR THOSE DOGS AS THEY'RE RECOVERING, GETTING OUT OF THEIR LITTLE SURGERY HAZE.
UM, THERE'S ALSO LIMITED ISOLATION FOR, FOR ANIMALS THAT IF THERE HAPPENS TO BE AN OUTBREAK OF A DISEASE OR WHATNOT.
UM, FINALLY WHEN THE FACILITY WAS BUILT, THE ASSUMPTION MAY HAVE BEEN THAT ANIMALS WOULD NOT BREAK OFF TO BECOME, UH, THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICE WOULD NOT BECOME A STANDALONE OFFICE.
NOW THEY HAS, AND, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET STAFF FOR CERTAIN TEAMS, AND THAT HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS.
WE'VE NOW RUN OUTTA SPACE JUST FOR STAFF.
AND SO WILL WE COORDINATE TELEWORKING, UH, SCHEDULES TO ENSURE WE CAN SHARE SPACES.
WE WILL HOUSE DOUBLE PEOP, UH, DOUBLE UP AS PEOPLE AS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND TRY TO MAXIMIZE OUR OFFICE SPACE.
SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS PROCESS BEING LED AND STEWARDED BY CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST ITEMS FULFILLED WAS THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS PARTICIPATE IN HAD TO, UH, UTILIZE SIX GUIDING PRINCIPLES TIED TO THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THESE ARE THE FOUNDATION OF HOW EACH DEPARTMENT WILL DEVELOP THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA TO SCORE THE PROPOSED PROJECTS.
AND EACH OF THESE HAVE THEIR SPECIFIC, UH, DEFINITIONS THAT WILL CORRELATE BACK TO, UH, THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA DEVELOPED.
SO WHILE DEVELOPING OUR CRITERIA, WE DIS WE DISCUSSED WHAT A PROJECT WOULD TACKLE AND HOW IT WOULD IMPROVE A SO.
WE TRIED TO FRAME THOSE, THESE DISCUSSIONS, UH, WITH RELATIONS TO THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
AND HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF EACH.
SOME ARE FAR MORE DIRECT CORRELATION AND OTHERS, BUT OVERALL, WE TRY TO BE AS COMPREHENSIVE AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SPECIFICALLY WITH AREAS LIKE PROACTIVE PREVENTION.
YOU KNOW, WILL THE PROJECT AFFECT PETS IN A POSITIVE ASPECT AS WELL AS POSITIVE IMPACT ON OVERALL SHELTER OPERATIONS? AND, YOU KNOW, WITH COMMUNITY TRUST, WILL, UH, WILL IT INCREASE PUBLIC TRUST IN RELATIONS THAT MAY BE STRAINED DUE TO CURRENT GAPS IN SERVICES? UM, SO WITHIN THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA, UH, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE MAIN CONCERNS OR ISSUES, WE CREATED FOUR AREAS OF FOCUS.
SO IN ENHANCED SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS AND IMPROVEMENT TO A
[01:00:01]
SO OPERATIONS, IF IT PROMOTES SAFETY AND WELLBEING TO HUMANS AND PROMOTES ENHANCED ANIMAL WELFARE.SO EACH CRITERIA IS SCORED BASED ON HOW THE PROJECT RELATES TO THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND ALL PROJECTS MAY SCORE UP TO A HUNDRED POINTS.
SO WITHIN OUR SCORING MATRIX, THIS IS HOW WE BROKE IT DOWN.
WITHIN, UM, EACH, UH, PRINCIPLE, THE POINT ALLOCATE, UH, WE ALLOCATE MORE POINTS TO AREAS WHERE A SO AS AN ORGANIZATION WOULD BE MOST IMPACTFUL FOR US.
THOSE ARE PROACTIVE PREVENTION AND CUSTOMERS TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS IMPROVING.
THESE ARE ALSO CORE STRATEGIES FROM THE RECENTLY COUNCIL APPROVED STRATEGIC PLAN THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE.
UM, BUT IN COLLABORATION WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY, WE WOULD ALL, WE WOULD PRIORITIZE THE IMPLEMENTATION DELIVERY OF A BOND FUNDED INVESTMENT WITH THE CITY'S CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, THIS INCLUDES A FOCUS ON MINIMIZING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THROUGH A SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DERIVED FROM A CLIMATE RESILIENT DESIGN, ENSURING EFFICIENT, UH, FLEXIBLE LONG-TERM OPERATION, AND TO RESPOND TO CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS.
SO, UM, MOVING FORWARD WE'LL CONTINUE THE PROCESS WITH, WITH, UH, GUIDANCE FROM CDS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP OUR PROJECTS FOR CONSIDERATION.
UM, WE'LL ALSO DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANY ALIGNMENT OR OVERLAP WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS, PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS.
AND ONCE THOSE ARE FINALIZED, I MEAN, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
QUESTIONS, LUKE, IS THERE MORE WE COULD DO ON SPAYED AND NEUTERING, AND WOULD THAT REDUCE THE SHELTERING NEEDS? SO I THINK ONE OF THE BIG, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT I MENTIONED, WE HAVE JUST TWO SURGERY TABLES.
SO EVEN DAYS WHERE WE'VE HAVE HIRED A HIGH SPEED SPAY NEUTER PERSON, THEY'RE LITERALLY HAVE THEIR BACK TO BACK.
SO, YOU KNOW, PREPPING AN ANIMAL, PREPPING ENAMEL, AND TURNING AND MOVING AND DOING THOSE SURGERY.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY JUST THE LACK OF SPACE FOR THAT MEDICAL AREA HAS, HAS, HAS EXACERBATED THAT, THAT, THAT SPACE CRUNCH.
EVEN JUST THE OVERALL RECOVERY, ONLY HAVING ONE KENNEL FOR A MEDIUM TO LARGE DOG WHEN YOU MAY HAVE FIVE, 100 POUND DOGS CAN BE, CAN BE TOUGH.
UM, SO, UH, YEAH, THOSE, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT, AT, YOU KNOW, AREAS WHERE WE SEE NEED.
SO THAT'S WHY WE DO OUR BEST, WHAT WE DO IN-HOUSE, UM, BUT ALSO SORT OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE TAKING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, DO SURGERIES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, EVEN WITH PRIVATE VETS ON HOW WE CAN, HOW WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF EXPANDING THE CURRENT A SO FACILITY OR BUILDING NEW ONES? SO, UM, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE PUT ONE IN FAR NORTH AUSTIN, COULD WE COLLABORATE WITH ROUND ROCK? OR IF WE BUILT ONE IN FAR SOUTH AUSTIN, COULD, COULD WE COLLABORATE WITH BUTTA AND KYLE? I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, UH, ALL OPTIONS, UM, RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, FAN TALKS I TO GO OUT, UH, TOO MUCH ON PROJECTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, EXPANSION IS ALWAYS FIRST AND FOREMOST CONSIDERING THAT, YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE KNOW THAT AS THE CITY SHELTER, UM, WHEN, WHEN IT WAS DESIGNED, YOU KNOW, WASN'T THINKING INTO THE SORT OF THE OPERATIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE NOW.
SO JUST EXPANDING IT TO, TO A SENSE, TO MODIF, TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT WITH WHAT EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE DO.
SO, BUT YES, WE ARE TOTALLY PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.
AND SO YES, I THINK WE ARE JUST WITH, ON THAT FRONT, WE ARE TOTALLY FINE WITH SORT OF WHAT OPTIONS WE COULD BUILD NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, HONESTLY.
UH, JUST A FOLLOW UP ON HIS QUESTION.
I'M GUESSING WHEN WE ARE PARTNERING WITH OTHER CITIES, WE GOTTA KEEP IN MIND IF THEY'RE NOT NO.
KILL CITIES, CORRECT? UH, YES.
I MEAN, WE, I THINK WHEN WE, WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH MUNICIPAL, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT SORT OF THE MANDATES THAT AUSTIN HAS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SHARED VALUES, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
SO I'LL EVEN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
WE DO, WE WILL SOMETIMES DO SHELTER SWAPS.
SO IF WE HAVE A LONG STAY ANIMAL THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR HUNDREDS OF DAYS, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH ONE OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO DO A SHELTER SWAP, AND IT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN SUCCESSFUL, LIKE MAYBE JUST TO CHANGE THE SCENERY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OR SOMEONE DIDN'T DRIVE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO US TO, TO FIND THEIR ANIMAL AND THEN THEY WAS LIKE, OH, I FELL IN LOVE WITH THAT ONE AND, AND VICE VERSA.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO THOSE TYPE OF MINI SORT OF RELATIONSHIPS IN ORDER TO GET THAT.
BUT PEOPLE ARE AWARE, ESPECIALLY WITHIN OUR PARTNERS, WE DO HAVE, UH, RESCUE PARTNERS.
AND SO WITHIN OUR AGREEMENT WE, WE MAKE SURE LIKE, HEY, YOU FOLLOW THESE VALUES, YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW, IF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, IF EUTHANASIA OPTIONS BEEN, ALL OTHER OPTIONS HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED.
SO WHEN YOU PRESENT YOUR FINDINGS TO CITY MANAGER, YOU SAID WILL YOU ALSO BE INCLUDING THAT THE ONGOING FISCAL O AND M FOR THE FACILITIES? YES.
DO WE, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT I SAW ON THE LAST SLIDE.
LIKE THERE WAS A, A BIT OF A TIMELINE, I THINK IT WAS, AND IT MENTIONED
[01:05:01]
SOMETHING ABOUT DEVELOPING THE PROJECTS, RIGHT? SO YES.I MEAN, PRIOR THAT, SO WITH THE NEEDS OF THE PROJECTS OR IS THERE ANOTHER SLIDE SOMEWHERE WITH MORE DETAIL SPELLING OUT WITH THE PROJECTS? SO AS WAY I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, LIKE WE'RE STILL LOOKING TO, TO, UH, ASSESS THE DIFFERENT, UM, PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING THEM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ADDRESS ANY SPECIFIC NEED THAT WE MAY HAVE, AND THEN WORK WITH CBS TO PRESENT THOSE TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND SO THERE'S, IS THERE ANY TIME OR OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SEE THOSE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER? UH, I THINK FOR THE TIMELINE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, CAN I SPEAK ON THIS JULY? YEAH.
WE WON'T BE GOING ON VACATION, I GUESS.
THANK YOU, DONALD, YOU HAD A QUESTION ONLINE? YEAH, THANKS.
UH, JUST A GREAT PRESENTATION.
REALLY APPRECIATE WHOEVER SLIPPED IN THAT PICTURE OF THE BABY POSSUM.
UM, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE SPACE CONSTRAINTS, ESPECIALLY WITH KE WITH KENNELS AND ABSENCE OF KENNELS AND HOW YOU'RE HAVING TO KIND OF DOUBLE UP FOR SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE KENNEL AND MM-HMM
UH, THERE AREN'T ENOUGH SPACES FOR, FOR THE ANIMALS THAT ARE, THAT THEY'RE SORT OF DESIGNED FOR.
UM, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK, I MEAN, WHICH IS ALL QUITE BAD.
I WAS JUST GONNA, I WAS ALSO GONNA ASK IF, IF THAT KIND OF, THOSE KIND OF SPACE ISSUES AND THE, AND THE CROWDING THAT'S HAPPENING THERE HAS ANY NEGATIVE IMPACT FOR STAFF OR THE WORKERS OR VOLUNTEERS WHO, WHO, WHO OUT THERE, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT COULD MAKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM OR MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO HAVE KIND OF ANIMALS THAT ARE, UM, EASY TO WORK WITH.
I, I WILL ADMIT IT DOES TAKE QUITE A TOLL.
UM, YES, ON, ON ON ON OUR FRONTLINE STAFF, OUR VOLUNTEERS, UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM, ESPECIALLY, I'LL GO WITH OUR MEDIUM DOG POPULATION, OUR LARGE DOG POPULATION, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY SEE DOGS THAT THEY GET TO KNOW, BUT FOR SOME REASON THEY'RE JUST NOT MOVING OUT.
AND SO IT CAN TAKE A TOLL ON THEM AS WELL JUST BECAUSE, AND THEN JUST, IT, IT IS TOUGH CLEANING KENNELS.
I MEAN, WHEN WE'VE HAD TO BE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TIME TO SHORT STAFF, LIKE I, I'VE CLEANED KENNELS AND CRATES AND IT, IT'S NOT FUN.
IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY HARD WORK.
UM, AND WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, UH, UTILIZE JUST, JUST HOW WE EVEN TIME THOSE.
SO WE'LL, WE WILL RUN PLAYGROUP IN THE MORNINGS, GO AND GET THE ENERGY OUT FROM THE DOGS, BUT ALSO THAT'S OUR CLEANING TIME.
SO WE'RE UNINTERRUPTED CLEANING.
WE HAVE AN EMPTY KENNEL, LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN ROTATE DOGS IN IS OUT, IN AND OUT.
UM, WE'VE DONE SOME MINOR MODIFICATIONS HERE AND THERE WITHIN THE SHELTER.
SO, UM, WHEN THE SHELTER WAS FIRST DESIGNED IN 2020, THERE WERE JUST BIG HOLES IN THE, IN THE WALL FOR THEY CAN GO INSIDE, OUTSIDE RUNS.
SO WE'VE PUT SALOON STYLE DOORS LITTLE BY LITTLE SO THAT WAY WE CAN AT LEAST SAVE SOME OF THAT, THAT HVAC NOT WASTING, YOU KNOW, COOL OR WARM AIR.
BUT ALSO WE CAN THEN LOCK THOSE AND THEN DOGS ON THE INSIDE OR INSIDE OR OUTSIDE, AND THEN WE CAN CLEAN THAT AREA.
SO IT'S JUST MAKING THOSE LITTLE MINOR MODIFICATIONS TO SORT OF IMPROVE OPERATIONS WHERE WE CAN.
YOU JUST ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS ABOUT, UH, AREAS THAT, UH, THAT OPERATIONALLY YOU CAN FOCUS TO SAVE US MONEY BY DOING SMALL THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS CAPITAL EXPENDITURE TO DO OTHER THINGS, UH, I WOULD SAY PLEASE KEEP IN MIND TARGETING THINGS THAT WILL, WILL GIVE US THAT POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP ON SPENDING MONEY.
UH, MY MY OTHER QUESTION WAS, UM, AND, AND THIS MAY BE SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE WORKS, BUT, UH, LOOKING AT THE SLIDE THAT HAD TO DO WITH, UH, CAPACITY CHALLENGES, THERE SEEMED TO BE, UH, UH, THE, THE BIGGEST ONE AT 93% FOR FY 24 WAS THE MEDIUM AND LARGE DOGS SPECIFICALLY.
UM, ARE ARE THERE TALKS, ARE THERE PEOPLE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT WHERE WE CAN, UH, SPEND TO TARGET THE MOST, THE MOST CRITICAL AREAS? UM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT JUST GENERAL CAPACITY AND STUFF, BUT IF, IF WE HAVE TO START, YOU KNOW, CUTTING, YOU KNOW, OR TARGETING VERY SPECIFIC MM-HMM
LONG LIST OF NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT YOU CAN THINK OF THAT WILL TARGET SOME OF THE MOST, UH, DIFFICULT AREAS LIKE THAT? UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING OUR LAND IN A, IN A BETTER WAY, AT LEAST FOR THE RELATION TO BOND PROJECTS.
RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE DO, JUST TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, UH, COME COMBAT THE CAPACITY ISSUES, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF, OF, OF THIS PROCESS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT WAYS HOW WE CAN GET OUR PARTNERS, UM, SUCCESSFUL.
SO EVEN OFFERING PARTNERS VOUCHERS FOR MEDICAL CARE, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER THING DOING THE VET CARE IN-HOUSE.
SO IT'S ONE LESS COST TO INCENTIVIZE THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE OFFER CARE PACKAGES TO VOLUNTEER OR, UH, RESCUE PARTNERS FOSTERS AND ADOPTERS JUST AGAIN, TO BUILD THAT CAPACITY.
UM, THERE ARE SOMETIMES WITHIN THE YEAR WE'VE, WE'VE OFFERED TO PAY OUR RESCUES.
LIKE, HEY, IF YOU TAKE THIS DOG, WE'LL ALSO GIVE YOU THESE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
[01:10:01]
SOMETIMES WE GET SOME PLACE, SOMETIMES WE DON'T.AND SO WE'RE CURRENTLY RIGHT THAT IN, IN, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW, WE ARE AT A NEGATIVE 52 WITH MEDIUM TO LARGE DOGS, UH, WHICH MEANS, YEAH, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO ADOPT FOSTER OR RESCUE 50 DOGS BEFORE WE GET BACK TO ZERO.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH KENNEL SPACE.
SO, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WITH THE RELATIONS TO PROJECTS, I MEAN, WE WERE LOOKING TO JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, BUILD CAPACITY BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS ONE THING TO BE OPEN INTAKE, BUT THEN SORT OF OPEN INTAKE WITH RESTRICTIONS, YOU WANNA OFFER THOSE SERVICES BECAUSE THE PET MIGHT NEED IT.
UM, BUT EVEN WITH OUR, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THIS PAST YEAR, FINER TO FOSTER PROGRAM.
SO IF YOU FIND A PET, YOU BRING IT TO US AND YOU'RE WILLING TO HOLD IT FOR US, THEN WE WILL PROVIDE THE SERVICES NEEDED FOR THAT PET BEFORE WE CAN IDENTIFY AN INTAKE DATE.
AND YOU CAN BRING THE AMMO TO US ONCE WE'RE PREPARED.
SO, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRESENTATION
[5. Discussion on the update due in June from BEATF to City Council]
FROM STAFF FROM FLEET.I AM, UH, AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES.
I'M JOINED BY GLORIA ESPARZA, UH, MY COLLEAGUE.
AND, UH, WE JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO YOU GUYS TODAY AND SPEAK TO YOU ALL ABOUT WHAT FLEET IS AND, UM, HOW WE CAN PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW TO YOU ALL OVER THE, UH, HOW WE'RE PREPARING FOR AUSTIN'S FUTURE DEMAND ON FLEET SERVICES AND HOW BOND INVESTMENT CAN HELP US MEET, UM, THAT DEMAND AND CONTINUE OUR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUITABILITY ACROSS THE CITY.
SO I'M GOING TO GO TO, I'M GONNA JUMP A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
SO FIRST OFF, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT US, BUT FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES MANAGES ROUGHLY 7,800 PIECES OF EQUIPMENT ACROSS 42 FUEL SITES, ENABLING CRITICAL OPERATIONS FROM EVERYTHING FROM ACQUISITIONS ALL THE WAY THROUGH DISPOSAL.
UM, OUR FOCUS IS ON SERVICE RELIABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND COST CONTROL.
WE SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY, WE SUPPORT ALL THE UTILITIES.
UH, YOU CAN'T GO AND DO ANY SERVICES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN UNLESS YOU'VE GOT THE VEHICLE THAT SUPPORTS THAT SERVICE THAT YOU GO AND PERFORM.
THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE HERE THAT WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS TODAY, UM, IT REALLY JUST SHOWS OUR SCALE AND THROUGHPUT.
UH, WE PROCESS OVER 47,000 REPAIR ORDERS ON AN ANNUALIZED BASIS, A LOT MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE.
UM, WE ISSUE OUT ROUGHLY ABOUT 5 MILLION GALLONS OF FUEL A YEAR.
IT'S ABOUT A THOUSAND TRANSACTIONS A DAY FOR THE CITY FLEET.
THE FLEET RUNS ABOUT 43 MILLION MILES A YEAR IN AND OF ITSELF.
UM, WE DO THIS WITH A VERY LEAN, HARDWORKING TEAM WITH LIMITED SPACE, AND THAT'S A POINT WE'LL BRING UP HERE SHORTLY.
THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE HERE, WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL JUST OUR SERVICE CENTER LOCATIONS.
UH, THE LOCATIONS WHERE OUR SERVICE CENTERS ARE AT ARE IN PURPLE.
THERE IS A NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING OUT THAT'S IN GREEN UP OFF OF JOHNNY MORRIS ROAD.
EACH ONE OF THESE SERVICE CENTERS SUPPORTS A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT AND A DIFFERENT COMPLIMENT OF VEHICLES FROM POLICE, FIRE, AUSTIN ENERGY, PUBLIC WORKS, YOU NAME IT.
AND AS THE SIZE AND COMPLEXITY OF THE FLEET GROWS, THESE SERVICE CENTERS ARE INCREASINGLY CONSTRAINED BY BOTH SPACE AND CAPACITY.
UM, THE LOCATION OF THE SERVICE CENTERS THAT YOU SEE THERE ARE NOT STRATEGICALLY PLACED AT ALL.
THEY'RE MORE HISTORICALLY PLACED.
UM, WE'RE USING YESTERDAY'S FACILITIES AND REPAIR FACILITIES TO MANAGE TODAY'S FLEET, WHICH IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT WAS 20, 30 YEARS AGO.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH TODAY.
AND IT'S MISALIGNED WITH FUTURE LAND USE AREAS LIKE THE WALLER CREEK REDEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN.
MORE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
HERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXTUAL VIEW OF IT ALL, HERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A, A GALLERY OF SOME OF THE IMAGES THAT WE HAVE.
THIS IS, UH, US ON A GOOD DAY.
IT DOESN'T NORMALLY LOOK THIS CLEAN.
UM, BUT, UM, THESE PHOTOS, THESE PHOTOS KINDA SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
MANY OF THE SERVICE CENTERS ARE OVERCROWDED AND UPDATED, OUTDATED.
UH, WE REPAIR ABOUT HALF OF OUR FLEET IS ACTUALLY HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES, REFUSE TRUCKS, DUMP TRUCKS, BIG STUFF.
AND WE'RE NOT SEDANS AND CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS FOR THE MOST PART.
WE'RE WORKING FLEET, UM, IS WHAT WE ARE.
AND A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DO IS OUT ON THE STREETS ITSELF.
[01:15:01]
WE'RE PARKING OUR VEHICLES ON THE STREETS, WE'RE REPAIRING OUR VEHICLES ON THE STREETS.AND I'D LIKE TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO JUST A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS HERE WHERE THIS, UH, KIND OF COMES TO A POINT, ONE OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
AND THIS IS REALLY THE TOP THREE PHOTOS.
THERE IS A LOCATION AT HAROLD COURT.
UM, THIS FACILITY, AGAIN, IT OUTDATED.
IT'S JUST A METAL STRUCTURE BUILDING.
IT'S JUST KIND OF AN OLD TIN BUILDING.
IT'S A WIDE OPEN, UH, THERE'S NO, UM, MANAGEABLE CLIMATE CONTROL FOR OUR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE WORKING IN THERE.
THEY'RE WORKING IN THE HEAT, UH, EVERY DAY.
UM, THE VEHICLES THAT ARE SERVICED AT THAT LOCATION ARE, ARE PARKED ON THE STREETS.
UM, IT PRESENTS SAFETY ISSUES, SECURITY ISSUES, AND AESTHETIC ISSUES FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'RE GETTING THOSE COMPLAINTS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY'RE, WE'RE JUST NOT GOOD NEIGHBORS THERE.
THE SECOND LOCATION THAT I WANNA POINT OUT TO YOU IS THE BOTTOM 1 7 14 EAST EIGHTH STREET.
AND MOST OF YOU KNOW, A PD HEADQUARTERS IS MOVING OVER OFF OF SOUTH MOPAC, UH, AT LEAST I BELIEVE THAT YOU ALL ARE, AND THAT THEY HISTORICALLY, THE BOTTOM PHOTO THERE IS WHERE A PD HEADQUARTERS IS AT.
THERE'S A 10 BAY SERVICE CENTER FACILITY THAT'S RIGHT THERE AND THAT, SO WE'RE GONNA DECOUPLE FROM A PD AT THIS POINT.
SO THIS LOCATION, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT OUT OF THERE.
THAT LOCATION ACTUALLY SITS RIGHT ON WALLER CREEK.
WE HAVE UNDERGROUND FUEL CELLS THAT ARE BACK IN THERE IN THE BACK THAT SIT LITERALLY ON THE CREEK ITSELF, REALLY CLOSE TO IT.
AND IT'S JUST NOT CONGRUENT TO FUTURE PLANS FOR THAT AREA.
AND THE LARGER VISION FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, UM, THOSE FUEL CELLS, WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO TOP THOSE FUEL TANKS OFF, WE LITERALLY HAVE TO BLOCK THE ENTIRE ACCESS ROAD AND BACK AN 18 WHEELER DOWN THAT LITTLE ROAD RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S, OR THAT LITTLE ALLEYWAY.
UH, IT'S, WE DO THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND THAT'S GREAT.
BUT AS CAPTAIN STITCH AND SOME OF THE I 35 REWORK IS GONNA BE DONE.
WE'RE JUST IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING AT THIS POINT.
IT'S HARD FOR THE DEPARTMENTS TO COME AND GET SERVICE THERE, AND IT'S HARD FOR US TO JUST WORK WITH AND EVEN PARKING ANYTHING ANYWHERE AROUND THAT FACILITY AT ALL.
AND SO THIS IS A PARTICULAR CHALLENGE FOR US.
THE NEXT SLIDE I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL IS JUST KIND OF THE FORECAST, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING NOW.
WE FEEL LIKE THIS NEEDS TO BE COMMUNICATED MORE.
OUR CURRENT SERVICE CENTER FOOTPRINT CANNOT MEET OUR 2040 NEEDS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING OUT INTO THE FUTURE.
UH, THE FLEET'S GROWN 8.4% OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
WE FORECASTED A MODEST 1.5% INCREASE IN ITS SIZE EACH YEAR FOR THE NEXT 40 YEARS.
UM, AND WE ARE BUILDING THIS NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, BUT EVENTUALLY WE WILL STILL BE SHORT OF BASE BASE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE CITY'S FLEET.
MORE TO COME ON THIS, THIS NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A, A LAYOUT OF OUR FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE.
AS I SAID, WE ISSUE OUT ABOUT FIVE, A LITTLE OVER 5 MILLION GALLONS OF FUEL ANNUALLY.
WE, WE, WE REALLY FOCUS ON THAT HEAVILY.
UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO FOCUSED ON FLEET ELECTRIFICATION AS WELL.
AND SOMETHING THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT MORE IN JUST A MINUTE.
BUT, UM, THERE'S THREE LOCATIONS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR FUEL SITES, AND THESE ARE ALSO, UH, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS A COMBINED EV CHARGING DEPOT WITH EACH ONE OF THESE, UH, LOCATIONS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
THE FIRST ONE, NUMBER ONE IS KIND OF DOWN SOUTH AND EAST.
UM, AND WE FOCUSED ON THAT AREA BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON A SOUTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, CONSOLIDATED SERVICE CENTER, AND GET US OUTTA SOME OF THOSE AREAS THAT I DESCRIBED TO YOU EARLIER.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY DOWN THAT WAY.
SO WE KIND OF LOOKED DOWN THERE FOR OPPORTUNITY.
THE SECOND LOCATION IS, UM, IS WEST OF CENTRAL DOWNTOWN, WHERE WE WOULD MOVE THE FUEL SITE, BUT NOT ANYWHERE NEAR BARTON CREEK OR ANYWHERE NEAR THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS THAT WHERE THE NEW POLICE, FIRE AND, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTERS IS AT.
PROBABLY DOWN AND OUT OF THE WAY OF ALL OF THAT IS WHERE WE'D LIKE TO, UH, DISTRIBUTE THAT FUEL.
AND THEN NORTH AND WEST, AS THE CITY HAS EXPANDED, UM, OVER TIME, UH, THESE ALL IT, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE FUEL TO WHERE THE CITY FLEET WORKS.
YOU DON'T WANNA HAVE TO DRIVE 10 MILES TO GO GET A TANK OF GAS AND THEN DRIVE BACK TO YOUR WORKSPACE.
YOU NEED TO HAVE FUEL DISTRIBUTED EVENLY THROUGH THE CITY FOR, UH, CONTINUITY OF SERVICES, FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES, FOR ALL KINDS OF REASONS.
AND WE'VE HAD TO SUPPORT A LOT OF EMERGENCY OPERATIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AS ALL OF YOU, I'M SURE, KNOW, EACH OF THOSE BLUE DOTS ON THAT MAP REPRESENT A, UM, UM, FIRE STATION THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY PUT A SMALL 500 GALLON FUEL CELL IN.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF FUEL THAT'S OUT THERE THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF OUR BIG SERVICE TRUCKS.
UH, EACH TIME ONE OF THESE LITTLE, THESE BIG SERVICE TRUCKS COMES IN, TAKES FUEL FROM ONE OF THESE SMALL TANKS, THEY'RE DRAINING THE TANK CAPACITY, THEY'RE DRAINING IT VERY QUICKLY, AND WE SEE SPOT
[01:20:01]
OUTAGES.WE WANNA AVOID THAT TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO TAKE A BALANCED STRATEGIC APPROACH TO THIS.
BUT OUR GOAL IS TO PUT EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE OUT THERE AND MAKE THAT A CHARGING DEPOT FOR OUR FLEET AS WE MOVE AND TRANSITION INTO A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE FLEET OF THE FUTURE.
SO THAT TRANSITIONS ME INTO THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
SO THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UH, FOR US WITH FLEET IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE 40% OF ALL VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED WOULD BE BATTERY, ELECTRIC VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED BY 2030.
WE'RE PROBABLY NOT ON THAT QUITE AN AGGRESSIVE PATH, BUT WE'RE QUICKLY MOVING THERE, AND WE'RE AT THIS STAGE RIGHT NOW.
WE NEED TO BUILD OUT THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THAT TRANSITION.
SO THIS IS, UH, A, A HUGE, UM, KIND OF, WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD A SCALABLE DEPOT GRADE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, AN OVERLAY IN THE CITY, IF YOU WILL.
AND, UM, AND THIS WOULD BE FOR LIGHT, MEDIUM, AND HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES ALL ACROSS THE BOARD.
UH, AND THE, YOU, YOU, THE CITY IS VERY DISPERSED WITH ITS FLEET.
UM, THEY DON'T DOMICILE THE VEHICLES IN SINGULAR LOCATIONS.
THEY, THEY, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.
SO YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A LEVEL THREE OR DC FAST CHARGE OVERLAY ON THE CITY.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT, WHY WE'RE KIND OF COUPLING THESE CHARGING STATIONS WITH OUR FUEL SITES, CITY OWNED PROPERTY.
IT'S WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE POWER.
WE CAN LEVERAGE THAT AND BUILD ACCORDINGLY.
SO OUR PROPOSED BUILD PROJECTS BUILD ON PROVEN DESIGNS.
WE HAVE ALREADY DESIGNED A NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.
WE UNDERSTAND THE ACCELERATION AND DELIVERY TIMELINES THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FROM MONEY LIKE THIS.
AN INVESTMENT LIKE THIS, WE CAN REPLICATE WHAT WE ALREADY ARE DESIGNING AND ALREADY KNOW THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND THAT REDUCES BOND RISK DELIVERY.
UM, THESE DESIGNS GO BEYOND COMPLIANCE.
THEY INTEGRATE, UH, WATER REUSE.
SO WE HAVE CISTERNS AND PLAN TO REUSE WATER.
IN FACT, OUR NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER WILL SUPPLY 30% OF THE ENTIRE POWER DEMAND OF OUR ENTIRE FACILITIES UP IN, UH, UH, NORTHWEST AUSTIN.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUCH LARGE FACILITY, YOU HAVE LARGE ROOFS, YOU CAN PUT THAT SOLAR THERE.
IT'S AMAZING WHAT IT DOES FOR US.
UM, BUT UH, ALSO WE HAVE BEEN BUILDING AND OUR DESIGNS INCLUDE GREEN, AUSTIN GREEN ENERGY BUILDINGS, PLANS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES, AND WELL BUILDING STANDARDS AS WELL.
SO JUST A LITTLE BIT HERE ON THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA.
SO WHILE WE REMOVE THE DETAILED SCORING AND THE PRINCIPLES REMAIN THE SAME ON OUR TECHNICAL CRITERIA, IT'S A COST EFFECTIVE DESIGN, EQUITABLE ACCESS, SUSTAINABILITY, AND SERVICE CONTINUITY.
THESE PRIORITIES GUIDE EVERY PROJECT PROPOSAL THAT WE WOULD PROVIDE TO YOU ALL IN THE FUTURE.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE ON THIS TASK FORCE.
IT'S, UH, TAKES A LOT OF YOUR TIME AND YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ALL OF US
UM, SO WE'RE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, PROVIDE FUTURE SITE VISITS OR, UM, ADD ANY DE ADDITIONAL DETAIL THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, QUESTIONS FROM THE GROUP OVER HERE, LUKE? UM, I KNOW, UH, YOU SAID, OR THE MAJORITY OF THE VEHICLES ARE WORKING VEHICLES, SO THIS IS PRACTICAL FOR MOST CASES, BUT I IMAGINE SOME APPLICATIONS IT MIGHT.
JUST CURIOUS, DOES UH, THE FLEET HAVE ANY E-BIKES, UH, THAT MIGHT THAT BE SOMETHING THAT, UH, EITHER E-BIKES OR TRANSIT OR OTHER THINGS? ARE THERE OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES THAT SUBSIDY EMPLOYEES COULD USE? SO WE DON'T FOCUS ON, ON THAT, UH, BCYCLE OR THAT E-BIKE LEVEL OF TRANSPORTATION THAT LASTS, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY A THOUSAND FEET OR SO.
UH, WE'RE FOCUSED ON ACTUAL TRUE HEAVY DUTY WORKING CITY FLEET ASSETS.
WE'VE GOT 373 BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES THAT ARE UP AND OPERATIONAL TODAY.
WE'LL BE AT 400 BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND, UH, WE'VE GOT A KIND OF A, UH, A PLAN EVERY TIME THROUGH OUR ACQUISITION CYCLE.
EVERY TIME A INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLE THAT COMES UP FOR REPLACEMENT, WE ARE KIND OF LOCKING THAT DOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE IN ITS PLACE.
AND THEN WE'RE FOCUSED ON BUILDING THE SUPPORTING CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE TO, UH, MAINTAIN THAT VEHICLE OVER TIME FOR THE EACH ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, ON THE SLIDE DECK THAT HAS THE FUTURE SITES, UM, SOME OF THOSE OF COURSE, FAR NORTHWEST AND SOUTHEAST, UM, ARE Y'ALL LOOKING AT CO-LOCATING WITH EITHER TRAVIS COUNTY, WILLIAMSON COUNTY, OR EVEN POSSIBLY HAYES COUNTY ON SOME OF THOSE? WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO TRAVIS COUNTY.
[01:25:01]
UM, QUITE A BIT OF, UH, FLEET DEPOING UP IN, UH, NORTHWEST.UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP CONSOLIDATE OUR SERVICES TOGETHER, LIKE OUR CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, IF WE BUILD IT, THEY CAN CHARGE OFF OF IT, UM, AND VICE VERSA.
SO THERE'S A PLAN, NOT FORMAL, BUT MM-HMM
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION.
I HAVE A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS I WANTED TO ASK.
ARE THERE 13 SERVICE? I MEAN, I KNOW THEY'RE NUMBERED BY TO 13 SERVICE CENTER SITES, SO THERE ARE 13 SERVICE CENTER SITES WHERE THERE HOUSING FLEET AND SUPPORTING AND REPAIRING AND DOING ALL THAT STUFF.
THERE'S, THERE'S ACTUALLY ONLY SIX.
IT'S PART OF THAT CONFUSING AS AUSTIN'S, YOU KNOW, EVOLVED, THERE WAS A SERVICE CENTER TWO AND SERVICE CENTER TWO WENT AWAY AND THIS AND THAT.
BUT WE, WE HAVE THESE NAMES FOR THEM, UM, THAT SAYS LIKE, IT'S SERVICE CENTER 13 OR SERVICE CENTER 11, BUT WE ONLY HAVE SIX ACTUALLY.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE GROWTH THAT YOU EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE IN FLEET, IS IT BECAUSE OF THE REPAIR CYCLES OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE I'M ASSUMING THAT THERE'S A REPAIR PERIOD WHERE BIG FIRE TRUCKS OR FLEETS, THEY MOVE IN AND OUT OF REPAIR AND I'M, I'M ASSUMING THOSE VEHICLES ARE DISPOSED IN A WAY THAT PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET REVENUE, I'M PRESUMING.
UM, BUT IS IT THE GROWTH BECAUSE MORE ARE IN DISREPAIR AND NEED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED, OR IS THE GROWTH ASSOCIATED WITH NEW STAFF THAT NEEDS VEHICLE? I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE GROWTH PATTERNS AROUND FLEET, BECAUSE IN MY MIND WITH THE ON, YOU KNOW, ONSLAUGHT OF EVS AND SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL IN TERMS OF LOGISTICAL, SORT OF, THERE SEEMS TO BE OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT WITH THE DEPLOYMENT OF FEE FLEET.
SO I GUESS, I GUESS MY THIRD FOLLOW UP IS THAT TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, IN TERMS OF LOGISTICS AND PLANNING AND EFFICIENCIES, ARE YOU UP TO SPEED AND UP TO DATE AND CURRENT WITH THOSE STRATEGIES AS WELL? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, YOU'RE ASKING GREAT QUESTIONS AND, UM, SO OUR GROWTH IS RELATIVE TO THE GROWTH OF THE DEPARTMENTS EACH WEEK BECAUSE WE SUPPORT EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY, FROM WATER TO POWER TO BOSTON RESOURCE RECOVERY, EVERY ONE OF THEM, UM, AS THEY GROW, WE GROW, UH, IT BECOMES ANOTHER ASSET THAT WE HAVE TO MANAGE AND MAINTAIN.
AND WE WORK ON PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE CYCLES.
SO THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO COME IN, WE TAKE A LOOK AT 'EM, WE FIX AND REPAIR AS MUCH AS WE CAN SEND 'EM BACK OUT, AND WE HOPE TO NOT SEE 'EM AGAIN UNTIL THEIR NEXT PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.
UH, AS FAR AS TECHNOLOGY GOES, YOU'RE RIGHT.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GOING INTO THE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE, UH, WORLD.
UH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF SAVINGS THAT, THAT COME FROM THAT.
UH, SO THERE'S OPERATIONAL SAVINGS.
UH, WE'VE SAVED $2.5 MILLION IN FUEL AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSE ALONE, JUST WITH THE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE PUT INTO PLACE TO DATE.
UM, AND WE ALSO, THE SECOND, UH, PART OF SAVING IS WE'VE SAVED ALMOST 6,800 METRO TONS OF CARBON OUTPUT, UH, FROM THE BATTERY ELECTRIC FLEET THAT WE PUT IN PLACE.
AND, UH, AS FAR AS OUR FLEET GOES, AND THE UNIVERSE OF ALL OF THE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES THAT ARE OUT THERE, BECAUSE WE RUN A VERY HEAVY DUTY AND A COMPLEX WORKING FLEET.
I SHOWED YOU THE PICTURE OF THAT.
IT'S LIKE A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING, RIGHT? UH, YOU KNOW, UM, ONLY 29% OF OUR FLEET ACTUALLY HAS A BATTERY, ELECTRIC, VIABLE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE OPTION TO GO BUY AND REPLACE IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO WE WE'RE KIND OF THROUGH ALL THE SEDANS AND THE TRUCKS AND THE CROSSOVERS AND THE, AND THE TRUCKS JUST CAME ON THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
BUT, UH, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE BIGGER PIECES OF OUR FLEET RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE RUNNING PILOT PROGRAMS WITH OUR SOLID WASTE FLEET RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THAT IS THE HIGHEST COST PER MILE AND ALSO THE HIGHEST POLLUTANT VEHICLE THAT IS ON THE ROAD FROM THE CITY FLEET.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE FOCUSED ON OUR POLICE PURSUIT VEHICLES, WHICH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT LITERALLY ALL BY THEMSELVES DRIVES 40% OF ALL THE VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED FOR THE ENTIRE FLEET.
SO, UH, WHICH IS ABOUT 18 MILLION MILES.
AND, UH, SO WE'RE AT THE END OF THE MONTH ACTUALLY GOING TO, UH, DO A COMMUNICATION BLAST AND PUSH OUT, UH, SOME, UH, POLICE PURSUIT VEHICLES THAT ARE ELECTRIC, AND THIS WILL BE NEW, AND WE'LL BE ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES IN THE NATION TO ACTUALLY, UH, HAVE THOSE ON THE ROAD.
AND APDS WORKING WITH THEM NOW AND TRYING TO, UH, DETERMINE IF THEY CAN BREAK 'EM OR NOT
SO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT 'EM TO DO.
THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR THAT THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING AND THAT INNOVATION IS THERE AND THAT ABSOLUTELY THE CAPITAL.
SO WE PILOT, WE TEST, WE MEASURE, AND THEN WE DETERMINE OUR PURCHASING PATTERNS FROM THERE.
I'M GONNA TAKE ONE MORE QUESTION AND WE'LL NEED TO MOVE ON.
I'LL HAVE THREE QUESTIONS, BUT THEY'RE ALL AROUND THE 40% GOAL.
AND I'LL SAY 'EM ALL AT ONCE SO YOU CAN, UM, ANSWER THEM HOWEVER YOU WANT.
BUT THE, AS FAR AS THE 40% GOAL, I UNDERSTOOD YOU TO SAY THAT IT'S MILES DRIVEN AND NOT HOURS, UM, EQUIPMENT HOURS AND COULD, SO COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THAT
[01:30:01]
RELATIVE TO BEING A HEAVY FLEET IN, IN THE CONTEXT OF YOUR LAST ANSWER ABOUT VEHICLES ONE, TWO, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE EXPANSION PLAN FOR FUEL AND HOW THAT MIGHT HELP TO MOVE US TOWARD COMPLETION OF THE OR ACHIEVEMENT OF THAT 40% GOAL? AND THEN THREE, WHAT ARE THE OTHER FACTORS THAT WOULD HELP THE CITY GET TO THAT 40%? SO YOUR FIRST QUESTION'S A GREAT QUESTION, UM, BECAUSE IDLING IS A HUGE PIECE, WHICH IS, UM, SO WE HAVE TELEMATICS AND ALL OF OUR VEHICLES, ALL OF OUR VEHICLES ARE CONNECTED.WE SEE HOW IF THE ENGINE'S ON OR OFF, WHETHER IT'S RUNNING AND IT'S STANDING STILL, WE CAN TELL EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND WE'VE INCORPORATED MEASUREMENT OF THE IDLE HOURS, IF YOU WILL, AND MILES INTO OUR ANALYSIS.
SO EVERY ONE HOUR OF IDLING IS EQUIVALENT TO 30 MILES OF WEAR AND TEAR.
SO WE USE THAT CALCULATION TO DETERMINE KIND OF THE IMPACT ON, YOU KNOW, THE CARBON OUTPUT.
UM, WITH REGARD TO HOW THE FUEL EXPANSION HELPS BE, UH, THE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE EXPANSION, IT'S PART OF EXPANDING OUR FUELING INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN WE CAN GO BUILD A NEW FUEL SITE THAT DOES TWO THINGS.
ONE, IT PROVIDES, YOU KNOW, UM, REGULAR FUEL FOR US, YOU KNOW, DIESEL, GAS, ALL THAT KINDA STUFF.
AND WE CAN MAKE SURE OUR
BUT WHEN WE DO THAT, WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN AND CREATE A CHARGING DEPOT FOR, UM, THE BATTERY ELECTRIC FLEET.
AND WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO IS ALTER THE CULTURE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE HAVE 86% OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE ALL DRIVING A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
SO WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED, UH, IN THE FLEET DEPARTMENT ITSELF IS WE UNDERSTAND WE'RE LEADING THIS CULTURE CHANGE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF OPINIONS ON EVERY DEPARTMENT.
EVERYBODY'S GOT A DIFFERENT OPINION, BUT ONCE THEY TAKE ONE OF THESE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND DRIVE THEM, IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OPINION.
AND, UH, SO, UM, SO BOND INVESTMENT HELPS US EXPAND THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALSO, UH, REALLY SUPPORTS CONTINUITY OF CITY SERVICES.
HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND THE THIRD WAS, WHAT ARE THE OTHER FACTORS THAT WOULD HELP THE CITY GET TO THE 40%? OH, OKAY.
UM, SO OUR PILOT PROGRAMS ARE THE BIGGEST FACTOR THAT IS GONNA GET US TO THE 30% IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON.
UM, SO, UM, TO GET TO 40% OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED BY 2030, WE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ALMOST 2,500 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLES, LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES, 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL WE CAN BUY TODAY.
SO THAT'S AN INTERNAL DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
WHETHER THAT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT OR BAD INVESTMENT, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S A GREAT INVESTMENT AT THIS POINT, UH, IN TERMS OF NET PRESENT VALUE AND TOTAL COST OF INVESTMENT.
UM, BUT, UM, NOW IS THE TIME TO TEST THINGS LIKE THE POLICE PURSUIT VEHICLES, AND NOW'S THE TIME TO DIVE INTO, UH, THE REFUSE TRUCKS AND SEE IF WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE WORST PERFORMING HIGHEST POLLUTANT, UH, MOST COMPLICATED VEHICLES THAT WE'VE GOT.
PROVE OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SAVINGS ARE TRULY THERE FROM, YOU KNOW, SAVINGS AND FUEL SAVINGS AND MAINTENANCE, UH, SAVINGS AND JUST, UH, JUST GENERAL DOWNTIME.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU BUY THESE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, THEY LITERALLY HAVE HALF THE MOVING PARTS OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLE.
BUT OUR, OUR NOW THE TIME NOW IS REALLY FOCUSED ON BUILDING OUT CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS IS WHEN WE HAVE TO REALLY FOCUS ON THAT PIECE OF THE BUILD OUT.
WITHOUT THAT, THAT'S A LONG POLE IN THE TENT, AND WITHOUT THAT, WE REALLY CAN'T SCALE LIKE WE NEED TO.
I KNOW THERE MIGHT BE A FEW ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
SO IN ORDER TO GET THROUGH OUR AGENDA, WOULD Y'ALL MIND HANGING AROUND? AND IF WE HAVE TIME, WE MIGHT BRING YOU BACK UP FOR SOME MORE QUESTIONS? YES, MA'AM.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM WATERSHED PROTECTION NOW.
GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANKS FOR HAVING US.
MY NAME IS JANAE SPENCE, I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION, AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND TECHNICAL CRITERIA.
UH, HERE IS KELLY GAGNAN, AGAIN, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES FROM WATERSHED, UH, TO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE.
IS IT JUST THE RIGHT BUTTON? OKAY, GREAT.
UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER JUST AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, SO Y'ALL KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT WE DO, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND HOW WE PICK OUR PROJECTS, AND THEN TALK ABOUT OUR TECHNICAL CRITERIA FOR THIS BOND.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR OPEN SPACE LAND ACQUISITION STRATEGY.
IT IS AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL STRATEGY, SO WE'LL GET INTO THAT AS WELL.
DO I JUST TELL YOU, IS THAT THE, OR
[01:35:01]
AM I SUPPOSED TO PRESS THIS? YOU JUST NEED TO POINT IT OUT.UM, SO AT WATERSHED PROTECTION, WE ARE THE CITY'S DRAINAGE UTILITY.
WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN 1991 WITH THE GOAL OF MANAGING OUR CITY'S CREEKS, DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, AND WATER QUALITY PROGRAM.
SO YOU CAN SEE OUR MISSION HERE, WHICH IS TO PROTECT THE LIVES, PROPERTY, AND ENVIRONMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY BY REDUCING THE IMPACTS OF FLOODING, EROSION, AND WATER POLLUTION.
UM, SO WE ARE IN FLASH FLOOD ALLEY, WHICH IS BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST FLOOD PRONE AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS BECAUSE OF OUR ROCKY SOILS, STEEP TERRAIN AND INTENSE RAINFALL, WHICH I'M SURE SOME OF YOU EXPERIENCED LAST NIGHT.
UM, SO THIS PROS IS A REOCCURRING RISK TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, PROPERTY AND WATER QUALITY.
ALSO, BECAUSE OF CHANGING CLIMATE, THIS IS NOT ONLY A REOCCURRING RISK, BUT IT IS AN INCREASING RISK AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE HIGHER INTENSITY RAINFALL.
SO IT MAKES OUR, UH, WORK MORE DIFFICULT AS WE'RE KIND OF CHASING A MOVING POST.
RIGHT? SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT OUR DIFFERENT MISSION AREAS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CREEK FLOODING, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT, UM, CREEKS THAT ARE OVERPOWERED WITH TOO MUCH FLOW.
THIS IS ONE OF OUR MORE DANGEROUS THINGS AS IT CAN, UH, HAVE LOW WATER CROSSINGS, AS YOU SEE HERE, PUSHING VEHICLES, UM, OR EVEN HOUSES THAT ARE ALONG THE CREEK WITH THOSE HEAVY FLOWS, UM, IT CAN POSE A, A MAJOR RISK.
LOCAL FLOODING, THIS IS TALKING ABOUT AREAS THAT ARE AWAY FROM THE CREEKS THAT HAVE, UH, TOO MUCH WATER THAT THE DRAINAGE, UH, SYSTEMS UNDERNEATH CAN'T HOLD ALL THAT WATER.
SO THIS IS REALLY THE, THE PIPES DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY.
THE CHANNELS THAT ARE IN THOSE AREAS DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY, AND SO THEY'RE OVERRUN AND HAVE, UH, FLOODING THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE RUSH, BUT IT CAN RISE IN PEOPLE'S HOMES AND CAUSE DAMAGE EROSION.
THIS IS, UH, TWO OF OUR ACTIVE PROJECTS ACTUALLY RIGHT NOW ON TUMI, WHICH IS AROUND, UH, TOWN LAKE AND THEN ROY G. GUERRERO IN THE PARK.
UM, THIS IS THE, TO REDUCE THE RISK TO PROPERTY VAL PROPERTIES AND, UH, OUR CRITICAL ASSETS.
AND SO EROSION, UH, HAPPENS ALONG OUR BANKS, AND THIS IS, UH, WHAT WE DO TO PROTECT THE CHANNEL INTEGRITY TO PREVENT THAT DAMAGE.
AND THEN WATER QUALITY, UH, THIS IS AGAIN, A SHARED MISSION, ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE HAVE SHARED WITH OUR PARTNERS AT AUSTIN WATER.
UH, OUR GOAL IS TO PROTECT OUR WATER QUALITY, TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE OUR WATERWAYS AND AQUIFERS, NOT JUST FOR CITIZEN USE, BUT ALSO TO SUPPORT AQUATIC LIFE.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT THERE, YOU CAN SEE THE COVER OF OUR ORIGINAL PLAN, WHICH IS IN 2001.
UH, WE UPDATED IT IN 2016, BUT WE ARE DOING A FULL COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS CALLED RAIN TO RIVER.
UM, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN ENGAGEMENT AND WORKING ON THAT COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE.
WE'RE EXCITED BECAUSE WE'RE USING THINGS, WE'RE LEARNING FROM THAT AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THIS BOND DEVELOPMENT, UM, FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FROM THE PROCESS.
AND SO OUR CURRENT, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN LOOKS AT WORST PROBLEMS FIRST.
SO IT REALLY IDENTIFIES AND PRIORITIZE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT I, UH, OUTLINED EARLIER THROUGH A PROBLEM SCORE APPROACH.
SO EACH OF THOSE MISSION AREAS THAT I WENT OVER, WE HAVE A PROBLEM SCORE THAT SAYS, HERE'S YOUR WORST AREAS THAT YOU NEED TO, TO LOOK AT TO TRY TO ADDRESS.
SO THAT STRATEGIC PLAN OUTLINED OVER 2 BILLION, UH, NEEDS WITHIN THE CITY.
SO THIS IS O AND M NEEDS OPERATION, MAINTENANCE NEEDS, AS WELL AS JUST AREAS THAT NEED TO HAVE, UH, INCREASED CAPACITY FOR, FOR OUR WATER.
SO SOLUTIONS, WE CAN HAVE PROJECTS WHICH WE'LL GO OVER A LITTLE BIT AND IS OFTEN, UH, BOND TYPE PROJECTS.
WE HAVE PROGRAMS, UM, WHICH IS LIKE CLEANING, UH, COLORADO RIVER, CLEANING TOWN LAKE, AND THEN REGULATIONS OF COURSE, THINGS THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPERS AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING WORK IN THE CITY, UH, UPGRADE INFRASTRUCTURE AND WORK TO MITIGATE THEIR IMPACTS AS WELL.
SO A FEW SOLUTION EXAMPLES WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE PROJECT TYPES.
WE HAVE LOW WATER CROSSING UPGRADES, UM, CHANNEL RESTORATION, FLOOD WALLS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE NON-STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS.
SO IF WE DO FLOOD BUYOUTS, THAT ELIMINATES THE RISK ALTOGETHER.
UM, IF WE HAVE ROAD CLOSURES WHERE THAT ROAD IS NO LONGER A LOW WATER CROSSING, THERE ARE CERTAIN DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN TRY TO ADDRESS ALL THESE PROBLEMS. SO I JUST WANTED TO GO OVER A FEW HIGH LEVEL ONES AND IF THE, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES, YOU CAN SEE, UH, THESE ARE ALL PROBLEM AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED WITH THOSE SOLUTIONS.
SO I WANNA GO OVER A LITTLE BIT OF OUR PAST OF OUR BONDS.
SO WE HAVE HAD, YOU CAN SEE WE SEPARATED OUT DRAINAGE AND OPEN SPACE.
WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OPEN SPACE HERE TODAY.
THESE ARE JUST OUR BONDS FROM OUR LAST 25 YEARS.
SO YOU CAN SEE FROM 26 WHERE WE HAD IN DRAINAGE AND OPEN SPACE.
IN 2012, WE ONLY HAD OPEN SPACE MONEY.
AND THEN IN 2018, WHAT WE HAD FOR DRAINAGE AND OPEN SPACE ALTOGETHER.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST A PASS OF THE BONDS THAT WE HAVE HAD GOING TOWARD THESE INITIATIVES WITH THOSE, UH, PROJECTS.
YOU CAN SEE THIS IS SOME WORDING THAT WAS FROM OUR 2018 OF WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS THERE ARE JUST, THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM THE PROPOSAL, AND THOSE BOND FUNDS WERE USED TOWARD 50 DIFFERENT STORMWATER PROJECTS.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE PICTURES HERE.
THIS IS ORIGINALLY STORM DRAIN.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE LOCAL FLOOD PROJECTS I TALKED ABOUT, UM, WHERE WE'RE INCREASING THE PIPE CAPACITY.
UH, THAT ONE WAS FROM OUR 26, OR SORRY, 2006 BOND.
[01:40:01]
AND THEN ROY G, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, UH, IN THE PARK.AND THEN AGAIN, WATER, UH, OPEN SPACE LAND ACQUISITION.
SO THIS IS OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN WATER AND ALSO OUR OFFICE OF REAL ESTATE.
THIS IS SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS FROM THAT, UH, 2018, WHICH REALLY SAYS THAT IT'S TO PURCHASE LAND THAT FEEDS EDWARDS AQUIFER, BARTON SPRINGS, AND THE COLORADO RIVER.
UH, SO WITH THAT BOND FUNDING, WE WERE ABLE TO PERMANENTLY PROTECT OVER 35,000 ACRES.
TO PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT A LITTLE BIT, THAT'S A HUNDRED ZILKER PARKS AND NOT JUST THE GREAT LAWN AREA, BUT BARTON SPRINGS, THE WHOLE GREATER ZILKER AREA.
UM, SO THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCALE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH THAT FUNDING.
THIS IS A SNAPSHOT FROM 2018, THE PROP D AND THE LANGUAGE, UH, HOW IT WAS SEPARATED OUT FOR DRAINAGE AND THEN OUR WATER QUALITY PROTECTION, AND THEN HOW IT WAS, UH, SEPARATED, 184 MILLION, 112 TO DRAINAGE AND 72 TO OPEN SPACE.
AND THIS IS HOW WE'RE SPENDING THAT MONEY OUT.
SO WE ARE TRENDING VERY WELL TO SPEND THE REST OF OUR AVAILABLE FUNDING OUT BY THE END OF 2026, I BELIEVE WE HAVE ABOUT 30 MILLION LEFT IN THERE, AND WE HAVE 10 PROJECTS THAT ARE EITHER IN PRE-CONSTRUCTION OR CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO SPEND THAT MONEY OUT PRETTY QUICK ONCE YOU GET TO CONSTRUCTION.
SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR TECHNICAL CRITERIA.
SO THIS IS THE CRITERIA THAT WE'RE GONNA USE TO HAVE OUR SUBSET OF OUR IDENTIFIED CIP PROJECTS.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT THIS CRITERIA WON'T COVER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO OUTLINE THAT.
UH, WE HAVE PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, OR IDIQ, WHICH IS INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINITE QUANTITY.
THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY KIND OF PRESENT THEMSELVES, UM, EITHER FROM A DEVELOPER PRESENTING THESE PROJECTS THAT WE CAN PARTNER WITH FOR MORE BANK FOR, UH, THE CITY'S BUCK, OR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WORKING ON PROJECTS.
AND THEN ALSO, OF COURSE, AGAIN, OUR OPEN SPACE LAND ACQUISITION, UH, WILL BE USING A SEPARATE CRITERIA THAN OUR DRAINAGE PROJECTS WILL BE USING.
I KNOW YOU'VE PROBABLY BEEN OVER THIS A FEW TIMES, SO I WON'T GO IN DEPTH OVER THIS, BUT THESE ARE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE CITY.
THIS IS HOW WE ARE APPLYING THEM TO OUR PROJECTS.
YOU CAN SEE HERE, UH, THE ONLY ONE THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IS INNOVATION.
WE HAD DIFFICULT TIME WITH ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT MISSION AREAS OF HOW WE CAN, UH, EQUALLY KIND OF, UH, LOOK AT THAT AS A, AS A GRADING SCORE.
BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO INHERENTLY.
HOW DO WE SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS WITH, UH, NEW INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS IN WAYS THAT WILL, UH, MAXIMIZE THE BENEFIT OF THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS? SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF EACH OF THESE CRITERIA.
UH, YOU CAN SEE EQUITY IS AT 15, AFFORDABILITY AT 15, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY, FIVE, PROACTIVE PREVENTION, 40, AND THEN CUSTOMER TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS 25.
AND I'LL GO OVER EACH OF THOSE, BUT THOSE ALL ADD UP TO OUR SCORE OF A HUNDRED.
UM, SO FOR EQUITY, WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS AND WE THINK ABOUT OUR, UH, FLOODING AND OUR NATURAL DISASTERS, AND, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT PROJECTS THAT CAN IMPLO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES FOR ALL RESIDENTS, ELIMINATE RACIAL DISPARITIES AND MITIGATE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THESE NATURAL DISASTERS, THAT THEY DON'T IMPACT EVERYBODY THE SAME.
WHILE WE CAN HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT BOTH HAVE 18 INCHES OF WATER IN THEIR HOME, THE ABILITY TO RECOVER MAY BE DIFFERENT FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL OVER ANOTHER.
AND SO THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT IS THE, UH, C-D-C-S-V-I, THE SOCIAL SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX OVERALL THEME, THE SVI RACE AND LANGUAGE THEME, THE DISPLACEMENT RISK, AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, HAZARD EXPOSURE RISK.
SO THESE WERE THE FOUR CRITERIA THAT WE USED WITHIN THIS TO TRY TO SEE.
WE WANNA DO PROJECTS IN THOSE AREAS THAT WE CAN, UH, HELP THOSE INDIVIDUALS RECOVER AFFORDABILITY.
SO THIS IS AGAIN, HOW DO WE GET THE MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK FOR THESE PROJECTS? SO THESE ARE A GOOD THING FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP.
DIG ONCE OPPORTUNITIES, IF WE HAVE ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT'S ALREADY GONNA BE ON THAT ROAD, HOW CAN WE MINIMIZE COSTS WHILE, UH, DOING MULTIPLE BENEFITS? AND THEN ALSO, HOW DO WE LEVERAGE EXTERNAL FUNDING? SO GRANTS OPPORTUNITIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
IF A PROJECT HAS THOSE AND ARE BRINGING MORE, UH, FUNDING TO THE TABLE THAT THEY CAN SCORE HIGHER FOR THE CRITERIA IN SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S INHERENT TO OUR WORK AT WATERSHED.
UM, YOU SEE A BULK OF IT IS IN PROACTIVE PREVENTION, AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE EXTRA POINTS FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING THE EXTRA MILE.
AND SO FOR SUSTAINABILITY, THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE PURSUING SUSTAINABILITY RATINGS AND VISION SITES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN FOR RESILIENCY, UH, AGAIN, WE ARE LOOKING AT, WE KNOW THAT RESILIENCY IS DIRECTLY, UH, CORRELATED WITH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH INDEX.
AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT AREAS THAT HAVE PROJECTS IN THOSE AREAS, UM, TO INCREASE RESILIENCY AS WELL, AND PROACTIVE PREVENTION.
SO WITH, UH, ALL THESE THINGS, EROSION, FLOODING, WE'RE TRYING TO PREVENT THEM BEFORE THEY HAPPEN.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD THESE IN THE PAST AND WE'RE TRYING TO PREVENT THE NEXT REOCCURRING RISK THAT COULD COME TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS REALLY WHERE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN COMES INTO PLAY.
THOSE ALREADY ARE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE, UH, MISSION AREAS AND THOSE PROBLEM SCORES FOR IT.
SO OUR RANKINGS HERE ARE, IF IT'S VERY, VERY HIGH IN THAT STRATEGIC PLAN, THEN IT'LL GET THE FULL 40 POINTS AND SO ON.
SO THIS IS REALLY RELATED TO HOW WE DEVELOP THOSE PROBLEM SCORES WITHIN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN,
[01:45:02]
UH, CUSTOMER TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS.SO WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT WITH THIS ONE IS, ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO DELIVER ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY EXPECTS WITH THIS BOND? HOW BOND READY IS THIS? AND WHAT ARE THE RISKS THAT ARE AS PART OF THOSE PROJECTS? SO THE DIFFERENT POINT SCALES ARE REALLY, UH, HOW READY IS THE PROJECT AND HOW MUCH RISK IS THERE? SO THE FIRST ONE IS, IF IT'S IN FINAL DESIGN AND PERMITTING, BASICALLY READY TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION, THAT ONE GETS THE MOST POINTS.
IF IT IS CURRENTLY IN DESIGN PHASE, EXPECTING TO END AROUND THE TIME THAT THE BOND IS MOVING FORWARD, THEN THAT WOULD GET, UH, LESS POINTS, BUT STILL POINTS AS LONG AS IT WOULD COMPLETE BY 20, UH, SORRY, BY 2032.
AND THEN PROJECTS THAT HAVEN'T STARTED DESIGN YET, BUT WE KNOW CAN COMPLETE WITHIN THE BOND CYCLE, UM, THEY STILL GET ZERO POINTS, BUT THEY'RE JUST ALLOWED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE LIST.
THE THOUGHT WITH THAT IS, IF IT HASN'T EVEN STARTED DESIGNED, THAT THERE MAY BE RISKS THAT MEAN THAT WE CAN'T DELIVER ON THAT PROJECT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS REALLY FOCUSED ON HOW RISKY IS IT TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY DO WHAT WE SAY WE'RE GONNA DO.
AND I JUST HAD THIS, AGAIN, TO REITERATE THAT THIS IS JUST FOR THE, UH, CIP PROJECTS PARTNERSHIP, AND IDIQ, UH, WILL GO AND OUR, THOSE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WILL GO THROUGH A DIFFERENT PRIORITIZATION AS WELL AS THE, UH, OPEN SPACE, UH, LAND ACQUISITION.
SO I'M JUST GONNA TOUCH ON THE OPEN SPACE LAND ACQUISITION.
I KNOW WE HAVE SOME OF OUR PARTNERS IN THE ROOM FROM AUSTIN WATER, AS WELL AS FROM PARD.
UM, THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE DO ACROSS MULTIPLE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE IT HAS MULTIPLE DIFFERENT BENEFITS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THEM HERE, NOT JUST WATER QUALITY, BUT WATER QUANTITY, UH, RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES, REDUCTION OF THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND, UH, HABITAT CONSERVATION, BIODIVERSITY, HEALTHY FOOD SYSTEMS, AND OF COURSE REDUCTION OF FLOOD AND WILDFIRE IMPACTS.
SO WE HAVE PRESERVATION GOALS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE AND STRATEGIC PLANS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OPEN SPACE ACQUISITION.
WHAT OUR STRATEGY WOULD BE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THESE AREAS IS HOW CAN WE EXPAND AND BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS? SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS LISTED HERE, AS WELL AS THE DIFFERENT, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT WORK ON THAT.
WE WERE JUST THE ONES WHO WERE PRESENTING.
SO WE SAID, SURE, WE'LL PRESENT ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THIS, BUT THIS IS REALLY A JOINT EFFORT, UM, BETWEEN, UH, ALL THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS.
AND WE HAVE OFFICE OF CLIMATE AND RESILIENCY TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS PARK, AUSTIN WATER AND WATERSHED.
SO IT'S A COLLABORATION ACROSS ALL OF US.
UH, OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM IS GONNA PRESENT CRITERIA TO THE PARKLAND AND OPEN SPACE WORKING GROUP, UM, WHEN THAT TIME COMES.
I KNOW IT WAS THE LAST ONE, BUT I HOPE, UH, I APPRECIATE THAT Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR WATERSHED JC HI.
UM, GIVEN THE REALLY STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE, I WAS SURPRISED THAT SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY GOT SUCH A LOW SCORE IN YOUR, UH, CRITERIA OF MATRIX.
SOME OF THAT MIGHT GET COVERED UNDER PROACTIVE PREVENTION, I GUESS, BUT CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY IT'S THE LOWEST? YEAH, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT, AND I MIGHT HAVE KELLY JUMP IN AS WELL.
UM, OUR THOUGHT IN LOOKING AT IT IS THAT IT COULD GO EITHER OR.
WE WERE ACTUALLY GOING BACK AND FORTH AND WE TALKED ABOUT CAN WE COMBINE PROACTIVE PREVENTION AND SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY.
UM, AND THIS IS WHAT WE SETTLED ON, IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE IT IN PROACTIVE PREVENTION BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO PREVENT THESE THINGS, UH, PRIOR TO THEM HAPPENING, AND THEN WE COULD GIVE EXTRA POINTS, UH, FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY, KNOWING THAT IT COULD GO TO EITHER OR.
AND WE WERE JUST TRYING TO BEST, UH, FIGURE OUT HOW TO APPLY THEM.
KELLY, DID YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING? OKAY.
UM, IN, FOR THE OPEN SPACE ACQUISITION, ARE Y'ALL CONSIDERING CARBON SEQUESTRATION BENEFITS AND CALCULATING THAT? AND WHEN YOU PRESENT, UH, ANY RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TASK FORCE WILL, WILL BE, BE ABLE TO SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, CARBON REDUCTION PER DOLLAR INVESTED OR THOSE KINDS OF TALLIES OR ESTIMATES? UH, HI KELLY GAGNAN PLANNING WITH WATERSHED.
UM, WHILE I'M NOT ON THAT GROUP, ON THE GROUP THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPING THAT PRIORITIZATION MATRIX, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SPEAK TO UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENT, BUT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, THAT GROUP IS COLLABORATIVELY WORKING TOWARDS THAT CLIMATE EQUITY GOAL WHERE, YOU KNOW, FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON CARBON SE SEQUESTRATION, WHICH IS ONE COMPONENT OF MANY.
OF COURSE, NOT ALL LAND CAN SEQUESTERED CARBON THE SAME WAY, BUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE A BENEFIT THAT WOULD BE, UH, CONSIDERED WITHIN THAT PRIORITIZATION, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
ANY QUESTIONS ONLINE? I THINK IT BEEN ANNA ANNA.
UM, I KNOW ONE ELSE ON THE FLOOD MITIGATION TASK FORCE, WE GOT A NEEDS ASSESSMENT BY DISTRICT, SO I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL COULD PROVIDE US ONE.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT 'CAUSE IT GETS GREATER DETAIL AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, NEXT PIECE IS, I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WATER THAT WE LOSE BECAUSE OF LEAKING PIPES, ET CETERA.
SO HOW MUCH ARE WE LOSING? AND THEN WITH THE GROWTH IN POPULATION, AT WHAT PINE, AT WHAT POINT WILL WE REACH OUR
[01:50:01]
CAPACITY TO SUSTAIN THE POPULATION OF THE CITY? YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE GOT WATER, WATER IS GONNA BE A, A RESOURCE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE.AND YOU'RE SPEAKING TO, UH, WATER, LIKE DRINKING WATER PIPES? CORRECT.
CAN I SEE? DOES ANYBODY WANT SOME WATER? I'M CALLING UP A PHONING A FRIEND HERE.
SO WATER SHOULD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RAIN WATER AND AUSTIN WATERS, UH, DRINKING WATER.
SO THEY'RE GONNA COME AND SEE IF THEY CAN HELP OUT.
I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH AUSTIN WATER.
SO COULD I GET YOU, JUST TO REPEAT YOUR QUESTION AGAIN, JUST A SECOND HERE.
SO I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF WATER LEAKING, WE'RE LOSING WATER.
AND SO THAT'S ONE PIECE OF WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW IN REGARDS TO THAT? AND THEN THE SECOND PIECE, I KNOW WE'VE GOT POPULATION GROWTH, AND AT WHAT POINT WILL THIS CITY REACH MAXIMUM CAPACITY THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN A GROWING POPULATION? SO THAT'S A BIG QUESTION.
LET ME JUST HIT IT ON THE HIGH POINT.
UM, WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED COUNCIL'S APPROVED OUR WATER FORWARD PLAN, WHICH IS OUR INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLAN, WHICH REALLY STRIKES A HUNDRED YEAR, UH, PLAN FOR, UM, INTEGRATED WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT, IT INCLUDES A VARIETY OF, UM, TECHNIQUES, INCLUDING A BIG FOCUS ON WATER CONSERVATION, UH, FOCUS ON, UM, LEAK REDUCTION.
SO SYSTEM LEAK REDUCTION, UM, ALSO FOCUSES ON, UH, TRANSFORMATION TO RECLAIMED WATER USE, UM, AND THEN FUTURE SUPPLY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS WOULD BE REFLECTED IN AUSTIN WATER'S CAPITAL PLAN LONG TERM.
SO THOSE FUNDS THAT MONEY WOULD BE, UH, FROM, UH, REVENUE BONDS FROM THE RIGHT PAYERS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THE ASPECT AS SHORT AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY.
THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THE ASPECT ABOUT, UH, THE, UH, DIG ONCE.
UH, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE RATING MATRIX THAT, UH, GIVES POINTS FOR, UH, SOMETHING HAVING MULTIPLE USE? LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THIS OPEN LAND IF PEOPLE ARE WALKING THEIR DOG THERE, IT'S GIVEN SOME MORE, SOME, SOME OTHER USE BESIDES, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S INTENDED PURPOSE.
YEAH, I THINK WE INTERNALLY WE HAVE A MISSION INTEGRATION, SO AT LEAST ACROSS OUR, UH, DEPARTMENT, WE LOOK AT ARE WE SOLVING MULTIPLE OF OUR MISSION AREAS.
UM, BUT OF COURSE, AS A CITY, WE'RE ALL ONE CITY, SO WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, DEPARTMENTS AS FAR AS, UH, ACTUALLY HAVING ADDITIONAL CRITERIA OR SCORES FOR THOSE.
I THINK EVERY PROJECT WOULD HAVE SOME LEVEL OF THAT.
UM, BUT WE REALLY FOCUS ON THE BIGGEST BENEFITS, WHICH ARE THOSE DIG ONES.
DO THEY HAVE A LARGE PROJECT IN THAT AREA THAT THEY'RE ALSO TRYING TO DO? UM, SO THAT'S WHERE WE INCLUDED THOSE PARTNERSHIPS.
OKAY, WITH THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME LEFT, WE'LL TRY TO HIT SOME OF THESE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS. NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION ON THE UPDATE DUE IN, IN JUNE FROM THE BT TIP TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO AS YOU KNOW ON THE TIMELINE, WE HAD A, I THINK IT'S IN JULY, WHERE, UH, COUNCIL HAD ASKED THE BT TIP TO COME TO THEM JULY, 2025 WITH AN UPDATE, UM, THAT HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN PUT IN THERE WITH THE IDEA THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A 2025 BOND AND WE MIGHT'VE HAD PROJECTS TO BRING TO THEM.
GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT AND THAT WE SEE SO FAR WITHOUT A LIST OF PROJECTS.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK, BUT WE HAVEN'T REALLY DONE ENOUGH TO MAKE A FORMAL PRESENTATION TO COUNSEL ON, UM, ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER.
I HAVE WORKED WITH THE STAFF JUST TO PUT TOGETHER A, A SHORT MEMO THAT BASICALLY JUST KIND OF LISTS OUT WHAT WE'VE DONE IN OUR MEETINGS TO DATE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PRESENTATIONS WE'VE RECEIVED, THE WORKING GROUPS PUT TOGETHER, UM, SOME OF THE GOVERNANCE THINGS WE TACKLED EARLY ON, AND THAT WILL JUST BE DELIVERED VIA MEMO, UM, AS OPPOSED TO A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL.
UM, HOPE, HAPPY TO DISCUSS THAT WITH THE GROUP IF THERE'S A, A COUNTER OPINION TO THAT PLAN, BUT THAT SEEMED, UM, REASONABLE TO ME.
DO, DO WE HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER 26TH TO GET OUR THOUGHTS IN FRONT OF COUNSEL OTHER THAN OUR FINAL RECOMMENDATION? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I WOULD ASSUME THE ANSWER IS YES.
UH, THAT IF WE WANT TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA, WE CAN, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE SET FORTH FOR THAT YET.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN CALLED, WE HAVEN'T BEEN CALLED TO, I'M SORRY.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN CALLED TO OTHER THAN THIS, I DON'T BELIEVE SO, BUT I, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THAT SEEMS REASONABLE THAT WE WOULD DO THAT.
IT, IT ONLY STRIKES ME THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT FROM THE COMMUNITY DURING OUR, UM, THE BEGINNINGS OF OUR MEETINGS AROUND VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ALREADY ON THE MINDS OF VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AND GIVEN, GIVEN THE COUNCIL'S, YOU KNOW, PREFERENCE FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE SORT OF PREPLANNED
[01:55:01]
AND VETTED AND HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS, I DON'T REALLY SEE THE PATH FOR THOSE COMMUNITY LED IDEAS TO GET THROUGH TO THE END UNLESS COUNCIL KIND OF KNOWS ABOUT THEM NOW AND MIGHT BE WILLING TO LIKE, PUT SOME DOLLARS TOWARDS THINKING ABOUT THEM OR PLANNING THEM.I'M JUST WONDERING, MEANING THERE'S MAYBE A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE LIST THAT WE'RE GONNA GET AND THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN, THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO US POTENTIALLY VIA COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
POTEN, THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT THOSE WON'T BE ON THAT LIST.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF THIS REPORT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE STUFF WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY.
WELL, THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID ASK.
I LOOKED AT THE THING THAT STAFF PUT TOGETHER FOR MARY, AND I HAD ASKED THEM TO PUT THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE ASKED THEM TO ACTUALLY PUT THAT IN THE MEMO BECAUSE I THINK IT IS, TO YOUR POINT, I THINK WE NEED TO HIGHLIGHT HOW MUCH PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN.
SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN, I DON'T KNOW, MARY, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN THE ADDITION, BUT WE DID ASK FOR THEM TO PUT THAT IN THE MEMO FOR THAT REASON.
BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE COMING IN SENDING US PDF MEMOS AND D DIFFERENT THINGS, SO THAT MIGHT LEAD TO MORE CONVERSATION.
SO WOULD IT BE, UH, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION IF THAT MEMO INCLUDED A RECITATION OF THE VARIOUS SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED? OR, OR JUST A LITTLE SUMMARY OF EACH OF THE, SORT OF THE COMMUNITY, OR AT LEAST LIST THEM MAYBE.
'CAUSE WE WERE GONNA, WE ASKED THE STAFF TO PUT THE NUMBER OF RIGHT.
I MEAN, IF THERE'S TIME, MAYBE A SHORT SUMMARY OR, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S LIKE PARTNERS INVOLVED, OTHER THINGS THAT THE CITY MIGHT CONSIDER LEVERAGING, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP IF, IF THAT'S TRUE.
ALONG THOSE LINES, WE'VE GOT A LETTER FROM AUSTIN OUTSIDE CALLING FOR THE BOND PACKAGE TO BE CARBON NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE.
WHICH I'D ALSO LOVE TO INCLUDE IN THERE.
YEAH, I, I MEAN, I'M, I'M GONNA LOOK OVER AT MARCUS.
HE'S GONNA JUST GIVE ME THE YEP.
I HAVE A QUESTION THAT'S RELATED TO THIS, BUT KIND OF DOVETAILS OFF OF THIS.
I'M ASSUMING AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA COME TOGETHER WITH AN IMPLEMENTATION, UM, MILESTONE WITH TIMEFRAMES AND ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED.
UM, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASSUMING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE WOULD SORT OF SAY, WE DID ALL THIS AND THIS IS COMPILING, WE GO BACK AND REPORT TO COUNCIL ITERATIVE STEPS, YOU KNOW, OUR TIMELINE, OUR STRATEGIES AROUND OUR OWN CRITERIA MM-HMM
SO I'M ASSUMING THAT'S GONNA BE LAID OUT IN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, STRATEGIC WAY AT SOME POINT, AND WE CAN AGREE UPON THOSE.
WE'LL SEE THOSE TIMING ELEMENTS.
AM I OFF BASE IN ASSUMING THAT, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS AT SOME POINT, MAYBE NOT IN THE TOO DISTANT FUTURE, US AS A GROUP PUT TOGETHER TIMELINE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY FOR HOW WE ARE GONNA DO OUR WORK ONCE WE GET THE LIST AND WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STEPS.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? THE ENTIRE PROCESS FROM HERE ON OUT? RIGHT.
LIKE THE TIMELINE FROM WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE PUBLIC OR THE COUNCIL WHEN WE TAKE OUR OWN ACTION, OUR CRITERIA, SOMETHING, A COMPREHENSIVE IMPLEMENTATION SORT OF PLAN AROUND GETTING TO THAT RECOMMEND 2026 RECOMMENDATION.
WHAT, WHAT ABOUT I PUT, UM, AN AGENDA ITEM? YES.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEM BEFORE THAT.
I'D BE HAPPY TO WORK ON IT WITH SOMEONE AND HAVING DONE IT BEFORE.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT? CAN WE MOVE ON TO OUR LAST, OKAY, SO ITEM NUMBER SIX
[6. Discussion of the criteria to be applied to all projects across all departments]
THAT WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THIS, BUT IT WAS DISCUSSION OF THE CRITERIA TO BE APPLIED TO ALL PROJECTS ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS.THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT WAS DELIVERED TO US VIA ONE OF THE WORKING GROUPS.
AND, UM, THAT PERSON I DON'T THINK IS HERE TODAY, BUT MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE IN THAT WORKING GROUP WHO WAS THERE FOR THAT CONVERSATION COULD SPEAK UP TO THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
WE'VE GENERALLY TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO GO ABOUT IT YET.
ANYBODY HAVE THAT? I I WAS PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, TO SOME EXTENT, AND IT'S ALONG THOSE LINES, RIGHT? AS COALESCING AROUND HOW WE'RE GONNA PRIORITIZE CRITERIA AS A GROUP, AS A BODY, UM, WHEN WE MAKE SORT OF DECISIONS.
I, I WORRY ABOUT THE US GETTING TOWARDS THE END AND WE ARE JUST KIND OF, UM, SACRED COWS OR OUR OWN PERSONAL INTEREST AND LOVE FOR US TO BE GUIDED UPON OUR OWN SORT OF WAYS OF SORT OF COMBINING AND COALESCING AROUND THIS.
AND SO WE THOUGHT EARLIER THAN LATER TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT UP SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY AS A PRIORITY OF YOURS.
OF COURSE, MINE ARE MORE IN LINE WITH TAXPAYER SAVINGS, ECONOMIC, UM, REASONABLENESS, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE'VE GOTTA BALANCE OUT ALL THESE PERSPECTIVES.
AND SO WE THOUGHT AS A WORKING GROUP, AM I RIGHT? WAS IT US OR? NO? NO, IT WAS OKAY.
I'M OUT SPEAKING, I'M OUT SPEAKING.
UM, THAT WE MIGHT SORT OF ADVANCE THIS AS A DISCUSSION TOPIC EARLY ON AS A BODY CONSIDERING.
AND I THINK MAYBE ADD IT TO AN AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MORE TIME TO DEVOTE TO IT
[02:00:01]
UH, THE NEXT, UH, IS OUR WORKING GROUP UPDATES.UH, IF I COULD, UH, CAN MAY, I SUGGEST ON THE WORKING GROUP UPDATES THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS BY WHICH WE SUBMIT THOSE IN ADVANCE SO THAT THEY CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE MATERIALS THAT ARE SENT OUT WITH THE AGENDA.
SO SET A DATE CERTAIN A WEEK OR WHATEVER THE TIME IS SO THAT WE CAN ALL THEN HAVE A WRITTEN ONE PAGE OR WHATEVER IT IS FROM EACH OF THE WORKING GROUPS.
AND ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT THAT HAPPENS BEFORE EVERY YES.
SO AN UPDATE FROM THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WORKING GROUPS FROM THE LAST, YES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE TO MAKE, TAKE A VOTE ON THAT, BUT THAT SOUNDS LIKE A REASONABLE THING FOR, FOR US TO DO.
SO, UM, ITEM NUMBER SIX, IS THERE A COMMUNITY
[6. Update from the Community Engagement Working Group on work that has been completed since the April meeting]
ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP UPDATE? YEAH, I THINK I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE LINK AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY OPEN FOR ONE MONTH, SO WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THIS NEXT MONTH THAT WE REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE ALL THE B TIF F MEMBERS TO REALLY SHARE WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEIR NETWORKS.THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAFF ARE GONNA BE DOING THAT ON THEIR END AND USING ALL OF THE CHANNELS THAT WE DISCUSSED, BUT JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO SHARE IT WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU'RE A PART OF COMMUNITY, UM, DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
AND SO I JUST DON'T WANNA, UM, MISS THAT POINT THAT IT REALLY, UH, WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF ALL OF US KIND OF SHARE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AS MUCH EQUITY AS MUCH DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT GROUPS CAN REALLY GET THE WORD OUT.
SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE NOW THAT IT'S LIVE.
[7. Update from the Affordable Housing Working Group on work that has been completed since the April meeting.]
THERE AN UPDATE FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORKING GROUP? UM, YES.WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING, UM, STAFF COMING TO OUR NEXT MEETING TO TALK ABOUT MORE SPECIFICALLY HOW EACH, UM, ITEM THAT THE BONDS FUND IS FUNDED.
SO IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN JOINING THAT, UM, WORKING GROUP MEETING RIGHT NOW, IT'S SCHEDULED FOR THE THIRD WEDNESDAY AT, I'M SORRY, THIRD THURSDAY AT 12:00 PM BUT WE MIGHT BE MOVING IT TO THREE 30, BUT PLEASE JUST, UM, SEND ME AN EMAIL IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US FOR A DEEPER DIVE INTO HOW THE, UM, HOW THE FUNDING BUCKETS WORK FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HOW ABOUT FROM THE INVESTMENTS IN
[8. Update from the Investments in Facilities & Assets Working Group on work that has been completed since the April meeting.]
FACILITIES AND ASSETS WORKING GROUP ITEM NUMBER EIGHT? I THINK THAT'S KIVA IS THE CHAIR OF THAT ONE.[9. Update from the Parkland & Open Space Working Group on work that has been completed since the April meeting.]
PARKLAND AT OPEN SPACE WORKING GROUP.THERE WERE TWO MAIN ITEMS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
ONE WAS A REVIEW OF THE INVENTORY OF CITY OWNED PROPERTIES, AND BEN DID THIS GREAT MAPPING, UM, PROCESS AND SO WE COULD LOOK AT AND TRY TO SORT THROUGH THE DATABASE AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT WORK WE EXPECT.
UH, THE OTHER IS WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT A COOL BUSINESS UNDER WHICH THE CITY MIGHT WORK WITH PRIVATE BUSINESSES TO CREATE MORE SHADE AND COOLING BENEFITS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY, UM, LARGE PARKING LOTS.
AND JUST A DISCUSSION ON THAT TOPIC.
WE'RE GONNA MEET AGAIN TOMORROW AT THREE O'CLOCK BY TEAMS. THANK YOU.
[10. Update from the Stormwater Working Group on work that has been completed since the April meeting.]
GROUP.WE HAVE A CHAIR OF STORMWATER.
HAS THAT GROUP MET? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE.
THE LAST TIME WE MET THERE WASN'T YET A PERSON WHO HAS IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS THE LEADER OF THAT GROUP.
I'LL FOLLOW UP TRANSPORTATION AND
[11. Update from the Transportation & Electrification Infrastructure Working Group on work that has been completed since the April meeting.]
ELECTRIFICATION INFRASTRUCTURE.COVERED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TOPICS, UH, INCLUDING OUR INITIAL THOUGHTS ABOUT A MATRIX, UM, AND THEN LEANING IN HARD ON, ON OF COURSE ELECTRIFICATION AND BIKE CHARGING AND HOW WE MIGHT LIAISE WITH CAPITAL METRO ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
UH, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT OUR PRIORITIES FOR OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH WE HAD IN MAY 21ST.
UH, THE GOALS OF THAT MEETING WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE START GATHERING, UH, TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION PRIORITIES FROM EACH OF THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE OR, OR WORKING GROUP, UH, REPRESENT, AS WELL AS THEN GOING OUT INTO THE OTHER COUNCIL DISTRICTS TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT THEIR URGENT PRIORITIES ARE DIRECTLY FROM THEIR DISTRICTS.
UM, WE ARE, UH, WORKING ON GETTING A PRESENTATION FROM THE, UH, FOLKS AT AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP JUST TO GET A SENSE OF WHERE THAT PROJECT IS AND WHERE IT MIGHT, WE MIGHT HAVE TO FIND SOME TECHNICAL ALIGNMENT WITH THIS PARTICULAR BOND.
UM, TALKED ABOUT SOLAR WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND CITY OF AUSTIN.
THERE WAS A DESIRE, UH, FROM ONE OF THE MEMBERS TO HAVE A PRESENTATION BY FLEET.
UH, AND THEN TALK THROUGH THE RESULTS OF OUR TRANSPORTATION ANCHOR STRATEGY.
SO VERY, VERY BUSY WORKING GROUP.
UH, AND THEN WE KEEP ALL OF THAT ON A SHARED DOCUMENT AND I'M HAPPY I JUST SENT IT OVER TO THE, UH, CLERK SO THAT THAT CAN BE INCLUDED WITH JUST SOME ONGOING INFORMATION AND WE JUST KEEP NOTES AND AGENDAS AND ATTENDANCE IN THAT.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, A COUPLE, UM, THE DISCUSSION OF THE CRITERIA AND THEN THIS TIMELINE, IMPLEMENTATION DISCUSSION.ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? HEY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REALLY AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT I WANTED TO BRING IT UP IN CASE IT NEEDS TO BE.
UM, A COLLEAGUE POINTED OUT TO ME THAT, UM,
[02:05:01]
MATERIALS FOR THESE MEETINGS ARE NOT BEING POSTED UNTIL AFTER THE MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING.THE BACKUP, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT BECAUSE I'M GETTING EMAILS AND I THINK WE ALL ARE AHEAD OF TIME, BUT, UM, I LOOKED AT THE, UM, POSTING ON THE WEBSITE AT ONE O'CLOCK TODAY AND SURE ENOUGH, IT WAS ONLY THE AGENDA AND NO BACKUP MATERIAL.
AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE FEEL LIKE A MORE TRANSPARENT PROCESS IF THE BACKUP WERE POSTED AHEAD OF THE MEETINGS.
CERTAINLY, UM, LOOK INTO THAT.
CAN I, MAY I ADD, UM, ALSO THE LIST THAT'S ON THERE, IT ONLY SEES BACKUP.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WANTED, IF I WAS JOHN TO PUBLIC, I WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT EACH BACKUP TOPIC IS ON EACH OF THE ITEMS THAT IS LISTED ON THE, ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO IT DOESN'T TELL US THIS, THIS BACKUP IS ABOUT LIKE AN AGENDA ITEM? NO.
YEAH, IT DOESN'T TO LINE UP WHAT THE TOPIC IS.
YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT WAS ABOUT PARKS, IT, I WOULD HAVE TO GO INTO THAT DOCUMENT TO READ WHAT THE TOP, WHAT THAT DOCUMENT IS.
AND BEING A FORMER BOARD MEMBER OF A OR YEAH.
OR, OR A COMMISSION MEMBER, YOU WOULD SEE WHAT THE TITLE OF THAT DOCUMENT IS THAT'S LISTED ON THE YEAH, SO IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T DESCRIBE ANYTHING.
AND I WAS, I REVIEWED OUR, THE MEETING FROM LAST MONTH, BUT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF OTHER AUDIO MEETING POSTED FROM A DIFFERENT BOARD ON OUR FOR TODAY'S MEETING.
AND I'M LIKE, THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
WHY, WHY ARE WE, WHY WOULD WE HAVE A VIDEO ON THERE? SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, SO THERE WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION.
SO THE ONLY THING POSTED WAS THE AGENDA AND THEN ALL THE BACKUP WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW.
AND THEN I TRIED TO LISTEN TO THE CITIZEN'S COMMUNICATION AND I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME PULLING UP THAT VIDEO FROM LAST MONTH.
THERE WAS SOME, THERE WAS A SNAG AND I DID BRING IT TO ATX IN'S ATTENTION.
UM, THEY DID RECOMMEND THAT SOMETIMES IF YOU DOWNLOAD THE VIDEO IT WORKS BETTER VERSUS JUST TRYING TO WATCH IT, UM, FROM THE STREAM.
HOPE TO SOME, SOME QUALITY CONTROL, UH, WORK THERE.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? WELL, JUST A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THESE, UH, POSTCARDS THAT WE HAVE.
I THOUGHT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORKING GROUP MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT THOSE, BUT IT DIDN'T.
WELL, FRANCIS LOOKS LIKE SHE'S GONE OFF, BUT, UM, I THINK THESE ARE FOR YOU TO DISTRIBUTE TO IN YOUR COMMUNITIES.
WELL, I MEAN, ARE THERE ANY INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT LIKE, LEAVE THEM IN LIBRARIES AND I DON'T WANT THESE TO BECOME LITTER, BASICALLY, IT LOOKS LIKE MARIANNE IS LEFT.
UM, LET US, LET US, UM, GET THAT INFORMATION YEAH.
IF I COULD, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN EMAILING EVERYBODY I KNOW ABOUT THIS.
MARY, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT BEING QUIET ABOUT IT.
JUST MAKING A NOTE TO GET SOME POST GUARD INSTRUCTIONS IF DATE OF YOUR INFORMATION.
I ASKED NICOLE JUST KNOW WHAT THE DEADLINE WAS FOR THIS AND IT'S JUNE 23RD.
CHAIR, CAN WE, UM, SORRY, UH, JUST TO PUT A PERIOD ON THE, UM, STATUS REPORT CONVERSATION, ARE WE GONNA GET A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT BEFORE IT GOES TO COUNSEL? I KNOW IT'S NOT DUE TILL, I THINK LIKE JULY 1ST.
OH, I, I THINK WE WERE GONNA DELIVER IT THE THIRD, JUNE 3RD.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A JULY UPDATE, BUT THEY'RE NOT MEETING IN JULY.
SO IT WOULD BE THE JUNE MEETING.
AND MY, WE WERE ORIGINALLY GONNA GIVE THE ORAL PRESENTATION.
IT WAS A MAYBE A WORKING GROUP.
UM, I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.