* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:02]
           YOU ARE WATCHING A MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WITH MAYOR KIRK WATSON, MAYOR PRO, TIM VANESSA FUENTES, COUNCIL MEMBERS NATASHA HARPER, MADISON, JOSE VELAZQUEZ, CHEAT, CHEETO VELA, RYAN ALTER, CRYSTAL LANE, MIKE SIEGEL, PAIGE ELLIS, ZOE CADRE, MARK UCHIN, CITY ATTORNEY DEBORAH THOMAS, CITY CLERK ERICA BRADY, AND CITY MANAGER TC BROAD, NINE O'CLOCK IN 
          [Call to Order]
THE MORNING AND I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL BUDGET MEETING. 
          THIS IS TUESDAY, JULY 15TH, 2025, AND WE ARE MEETING AT THE AUSTIN CITY HALL IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET. 
          AND WE HAVE, UH, ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT, UM, MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. 
          UH, THE WAY WE WILL, UH, OPERATE TODAY IS THE FIRST THING WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GOING TO CALL UP, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AS PART OF THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          THEN WE WILL TAKE, HAVE A PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE CITY MANAGERS, UH, PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 26 BUDGET, AND THEN WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS, UH, TO SET PUBLIC HEARINGS. 
          THAT'S THE ORDER THAT WE WILL GO IN TODAY. 
          UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, LET ME JUST POINT OUT ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE COUNCIL AND, AND FOR THE PUBLIC THAT'S PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS, UH, THE COUNT. 
          THIS COUNCIL AND OUR COMMUNITY HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS NOW OVER THE, UH, PAST FEW WEEKS, AND WE WILL HAVE CONVERSATIONS, UH, AND MEETING MULTIPLE MEETINGS OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS ABOUT THIS PROPOSED BUDGET AND HOW TO NAVIGATE THE CURRENT, UH, FINANCIAL SITUATION. 
          THE CITY'S FACING. 
          UH, EVERYBODY UP HERE KNOWS THAT THE CITY HAS VERY REAL NEEDS AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT NEED TO BE MET. 
          UH, EVERYTHING FROM PARKS AND LIBRARIES TO SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, TO OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, FINDING STABILITY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOW PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN A CITY THAT PROVIDES THEM ESSENTIAL SERVICES. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S EVERYONE UP HERE HAS BEEN WORKING VERY HARD, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT AUSTIN REMAINS AN AFFORDABLE CITY, AND RECOGNIZES THAT THERE ARE ECONOMIC FORCES OUT THERE THAT, UH, ARE IMPACTING HOW OUR BUDGET AT THE LOCAL LEVEL GETS PUT TOGETHER THAT WE WILL HAVE TO ADDRESS. 
          I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST TH AT LEAST THREE LENSES THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT AS WE GO FORWARD. 
          ONE IS THE LENS OF TRANSPARENCY, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, PROVIDING THE PUBLIC WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING. 
          THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS YOU WILL SEE US TALKING ABOUT, UH, AND, AND USING NUMBERS THAT MAY NOT EVEN BE NUMBERS THAT ULTIMATELY, UH, BECOME A PART OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT, BUT WE WANT ALL OF IT OUT THERE SO THAT EVERYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO ASSESS THAT. 
          THE OTHER LENS, OF COURSE, IS AFFORDABILITY AND HOW WE, UH, BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF THIS COUNCIL AND, AND THE MANAGER'S OFFICE IN TERMS OF HELPING TO TRY TO MAKE AUSTIN AFFORDABLE, AND OF COURSE, OF FOCUSING ON THE, THROUGH THE LENS OF THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UH, WE'RE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS, UH, WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS PROCESS IS LIKE NO ONE, UH, SHOULD TRY TO COMPLETELY PREDICT, BUT, UH, OTHER THAN THERE WILL BE A BUDGET. 
          AND, BUT THE, THIS COUNCIL IS DEDICATED TO FOLLOWING A VERY TRANSPARENT, OPEN PROCESS, AND THAT'S WHY YOU WILL SEE US MEETING SO MUCH, AND YOU'LL SEE LOTS OF DISCUSSION. 
          SO WITH THAT, I, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER, UH, TO LAY OUT AND, AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF LAYING OUT, UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET MANAGER. 
          GOOD IDEA. 
          LET'S HAVE THOSE THAT 
          [Public Communication]
HAVE SIGNED UP TO PUBLIC SPEAK, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE MANAGER. 
          I'LL LOOK TO THE CITY CLERK. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR DORIS ADAMS, MONICA GUZMAN, ROBIN SCHNEIDER, AND SCOTT COBB. 
          IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME DOWN AND STATE YOUR NAME RIGHT INTO THE PODIUM. 
          IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. 
          MR. COBB, I SEE YOU THERE. 
          PLEASE, UH, TAKE THE MICROPHONE AFTER SHE DOES. 
          IT'S ALL YOURS. 
          ALL MINE. 
          OKAY. 
          GOOD MORNING, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR WATSON. 
          [00:05:01]
MY NAME IS DORIS ADAMS, AND I LIVE IN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE, AND SPEAK TODAY AS A MEMBER OF UNDOING WHITE SUPREMACY AUSTIN. 
          MY REMARKS FOCUS ON THE BUDGET OF THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION, AND PARTICULARLY ON THE DECREASE IN THE EQUITY INCLUSION BUDGET OF 140,249 FOR, I QUOTE, CONTRACTUALS DUE TO IDENTIFIED OPERATIONAL DEFICIENCIES. 
          THIS IS A VAGUE TERM USED FAIRLY OFTEN IN THE BUDGET. 
          WE ARE AT US ARE CONCERN THAT THIS DECREASE COULD AFFECT THE CONTRACTS FOR EQUITIES DIVISIONS TO CONTINUE CONDUCTING WORKSHOPS SUCH AS UNDOING RACISM AND LATINX CHALLENGE THAT INCLUDE BOTH CITY STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 
          THIS CONCERN HAS BEEN HEIGHTENED BECAUSE SINCE MAY IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE, THESE TRAININGS HAVE BEEN PAUSED. 
          THE EQUITY OFFICES UNDOING RACISM AND OTHER WORKSHOPS PROVIDED FOR YEARS ARE ONE OF THE CENTRAL STRATEGIES REQUIRED TO EFFECTIVELY DO THE LONG-TERM INSIDE OUTSIDE WORK TO UPROOT SYSTEMIC RA RACISM EMBEDDED IN OUR INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          IT BRINGS CITY EMPLOYEES, AND THAT'S THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY. 
          IT BRINGS CITY EMPLOYEES AND THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY MOST IMPACTED BY RACISM TOGETHER TO DO DIFFICULT WORK. 
          THIS IS NOT YOUR ORDINARY CORPORATE WORKING, ORDINARY CORPORATE WORKSHOP. 
          IT IS A CAREFULLY CURATED MULTIRACIAL SPACE HELD BY MULTIRACIAL FACILITATORS WHERE PEOPLE SHARED LIVED EXPERIENCE GRAPPLE WITH INTERNALIZED RACISM AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF RACIAL PREJUDICE AND POWER, AND WAYS OF WORKING TOGETHER TO UNDO RACISM. 
          MOST IMPORTANTLY, PEOPLE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AS A MEMBER OF WILDFLOWER UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH. 
          DO I DO I I'M SORRY. 
          YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED YOU, AND YOU TOOK THE TWO MINUTES. 
          NO, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. 
          HELLO, MY NAME IS SCOTT COBB. 
          I WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A LIFEGUARD. 
          THE TOP STORY ON THE NEW YORK TIMES TODAY SAYS US INFLATION ACCELERATED IN JUNE AS TRUMP'S TERRORISTS PUSHED UP PRICES. 
          THIS IS AN AVOCADO. 
          87% OF THESE ARE PRODUCED IN MEXICO. 
          70% OF TOMATOES ARE PRODUCED IN MEXICO. 
          TRUMP HAS THREATENED A 30% TARIFF ON MEXICO ALREADY IMPOSED A 17% TARIFF ON TOMATOES. 
          LOWER INCOME PEOPLE SPEND A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF THEIR INCOME ON BASICS LIKE FOOD AS OPPOSED TO HIGHER INCOME PEOPLE. 
          WE ALL EAT THE SAME AMOUNT OF FOOD. 
          WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THE BUDGET THAT PROPOSED TO YOU HAS A 4% INCREASE FOR ALL BASIC PAY WORKERS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          HOWEVER, THE LIVING WAGE ONLY GOES UP 1.97%, SO THE PEOPLE MAKING $114,000, LIKE ASHLEY WELLS, THE DIRECTOR OF AQUATICS, GETS A 4% RAISE. 
          SHE'S GONNA BE ABLE TO AFFORD THIS AVOCADO PRETTY EASILY IF IT GOES UP. 
          LIFEGUARDS GET A 1.97% RAISE FROM 2163 TO 2205. 
          LAST YEAR, ALMOST ONE YEAR AGO, VANESSA FUENTES SUBMITTED A Q AND A TO THE BUDGET OFFICE, AND THEY SAID THAT NEXT YEAR, THE LIVING WAGE WOULD GO UP TO 22.28, A 3% RAISE. 
          IT DID NOT. 
          IT IS 2205. 
          THEY ALSO SAID THE BASIC WAGE WOULD GO UP 3%. 
          IT WENT UP 4%. 
          THE LAST TWO YEARS, IT HAS GONE UP 4%. 
          THE LAST TWO YEARS, LIVING WAGE HAS GONE UP 4%. 
          WHY THIS YEAR? LIVING WAGE 1.97. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          MS. GUZMAN. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          GOOD MORNING, MARION COUNSEL. 
          I'M MONICA GUZMAN, POLICY DIRECTOR AT GAVA. 
          GO. 
          AUSTIN. 
          VAU. 
          I WANNA START OUT BY SAYING WE DID SUBMIT OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS IN LATE MAY, AND AN UPDATED VERSION WILL BE SUBMITTED LATER THIS MORNING. 
          UM, I JUST WANNA SAY, IN ORDER TO HAVE BOTH AN EQUITABLE BUDGET AND AN ECONOMICALLY STABLE, AUSTIN COUNCIL NEEDS TO ENSURE A ROBUST BUDGET, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE CITY IS FACING A MASSIVE DEC DEFICIT. 
          I, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S A MOMENTOUS TASK, 
          [00:10:01]
BUT YOU NEED TO REMEMBER TO INVEST IN THE THE CRITICAL NEEDS. 
          WHILE WE DO NEED OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, THEY ARE NOT THE ONES WHO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO NEED ASSISTANCE WHEN THEIR RENT IS RUNNING LATE OR THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR GROCERIES, ESPECIALLY WITH THE RISING PRICES, AS WAS JUST SPOKEN ABOUT BY THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER. 
          BECAUSE OF TARIFFS AND INFLATION, WE NEED YOU TO ENSURE FUNDING IN OUR LOCAL CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, THE WORKFORCE BEHIND THE WORKFORCE. 
          THEY PROVIDE NOT JUST STANDARD HOURS, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, EIGHT TO FIVE OR NINE TO SIX. 
          SOME OF THEM ARE ALSO DOING OUTSIDE OF THAT IN THE EVENING WEEKENDS OVERNIGHT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR MANY CITY STAFFERS SUCH AS OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHO DO NOT WORK THOSE STANDARD HOURS. 
          WE NEED FUNDING FOR THE OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION, SPECIFICALLY THE EQUITY DIVISION INVESTMENTS, UNDOING RACISM, LOCAL BIPOC OWNED BUSINESSES TO CATER THE EQUITY ACTION TEAM MEETINGS AND RESTARTING THE EQUITY ASSESSMENTS OF CITY DEPARTMENTS. 
          CONTINUATION OF THE FAMILY STABILIZATION GRANT IS ALSO NEEDED, ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME. 
          AND FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE AN INVESTMENT OF 500,000 FOR CONTINUED IMMIGRANT SUPPORT, SPECIFICALLY LEGAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, ESPECIALLY IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE, AND ALSO $733,069, UH, FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF CLIMATE RESISTANCE AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS COMMITMENTS, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS BEING PART. 
          THANK YOU, MS. GUZMAN. 
          MS. SCHNEIDER. 
          GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. 
          ROBIN SCHNEIDER, ALSO WITH UNDOING WHITE SUPREMACY AUSTIN. 
          UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A BIG INCREASE IN THE EQUITY AND INCLUSION, THAT NEW COMBINED DIVISION. 
          UM, BUT WITH, UH, THE HANDOUT THAT YOU JUST GOT, I LOOKED AT KIND OF WHAT THAT INCREASE IS, AND MORE THAN 90% OF IT IS, AT LEAST 90% OF IT DOES NOT RELATE TO THE EQUITY PART OF THE BUDGET. 
          IT'S, YOU KNOW, GREAT STUFF, HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION, UM, ANTI HATE CRIMES, PUBLIC CAMPAIGN, MORE MONEY FOR ACCESSIBILITY. 
          UM, BUT, UH, ASIDE FROM SALARY INCREASES FOR THE EXISTING STAFF, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S ANY EXPANSION. 
          AND I WANNA ECHO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE DEE, UM, DORIS ADAMS SAID IS THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONLY CUT THAT IS PROPOSED IS 140,000 FOR CONTRACTUALS. 
          IT'S UNCLEAR IN THE BUDGET, KIND OF WHAT THAT IS, IS THAT THE UNDOING RACISM AND LATINX CHALLENGE, UH, UH, WORKSHOPS OR SOMETHING ELSE. 
          IT'S NOT DIVIDED BY WHAT'S EQUITY, WHAT'S, UH, HUMAN RIGHTS, UH, WHAT'S THE CIVIL RIGHTS PART. 
          SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRESS FOR MORE DETAIL. 
          UM, I, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THE STAFF IN THE DIVISION HAS HAD MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN KNOW WHAT, WHAT THE BUDGET, UH, INCLUDES. 
          SO I THINK THAT WE NEED MORE INFORMATION SO THAT BOTH THE STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY CAN KNOW WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEING CUT, WHAT'S BEING INCREASED. 
          THERE'S SOME DETAIL, BUT WE NEED MORE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THE LAST SPEAKER FOR ITEM ONE IS MICHAEL LOFTON. 
          WELCOME MR. LOFTON. 
          ALL RIGHT, GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, MAYOR WATSON, UH, CITY MANAGER, UH, ALL OF OUR GREAT CITY COUNCILS. 
          FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, I'M MICHAEL LOFTON. 
          I'M THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH HARVEST FOUNDATION, AS WELL AS, UH, THE HARVEST TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTER. 
          UM, I'M A NATIVE AUSTINITE. 
          I'VE BEEN HERE GOING ON 68 YEARS. 
          BASICALLY, WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL THAT I HAVE, UH, SUBMITTED A INCREASE, UH, IN THE BUDGET FOR THE HARVEST TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTER. 
          AND THE REASON BEING IS THAT WE ARE, UH, RECEIVING THREE TIMES OUR CONTRACTUAL, I WAS JUST PUTTING GOAL OF CLIENTS IS COMING TO SEE US, UH, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. 
          AND THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS, OF COURSE, THE FIRST YEAR WE WERE FUNDED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          THIS YEAR WE WERE FUNDED BY, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, AND THE NEXT YEAR IS TO BE SUPPORTED BY FEDERAL SUPPORT. 
          WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK COUNCIL TO DO TODAY IS TO CONSIDER MAKING US A LINE ITEM IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WE ARE SEEING THREE X AMOUNT OF CLIENTS THAT WE ARE FUNDED FOR. 
          IT'S A STRUGGLING ACT, AND I, I HAVE SENT DATA, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO COME OUT AND TOUR THE RESOURCE CENTER. 
          AND ALSO, NOT ONLY JUST LOOK AT THE DATA, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO TALK TO 
          [00:15:01]
THE ACTUAL CLIENTS THAT WE ARE SERVING, BECAUSE I THINK THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY WOULD GARNER THE SUPPORT. 
          I, I HATE TO SAY THIS HERE. 
          UH, JUST THIS PAST WEEK, UH, WE HAD A CLIENT, UH, OF COURSE I WON'T GIVE NAMES, BUT WE HAD A CLIENT THAT CAME TO US, UH, OF THE 61 CLIENTS THAT CAME AND AREAS OF SUICIDAL IDEATIONS. 
          UH, WE HAD 12 THAT WE HAD TO DO AN INTERVENTION ON AND HAVE 'EM TO GO TO, UH, EMERGENCY HOSPITAL. 
          ONE OF THOSE CLIENTS THE DAY AFTER THEY LEFT, UH, THE HOSPITAL END UP TAKING THEIR OWN LIFE. 
          AND I DON'T LIKE THAT. 
          AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE NEED Y'ALL'S HELP. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU MR. LAWSON. 
          FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO, I HAVE ALEXANDRA WHITE, WHO HAS TIME DONATED BY MEL LEBLANC. 
          ARE YOU BOTH HERE? PERFECT. 
          FOUR MINUTES. 
          AND THEN FOLLOWING IS MONICA GUZMAN. 
          HI, Y'ALL. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          MY NAME IS ALEX WHITE. 
          I'M THE SERVICES DIRECTOR AT TEXAS HARM REDUCTION. 
          WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WITH EVERYONE ELSE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE BUDGET, BUT WE'RE HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE NEED YOUR HELP. 
          WE'RE AN ORGANIZATION THAT ONLY HIRES PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH DRUG USE, SEX WORK, HOMELESSNESS, AND OR INCARCERATION. 
          WE WORK TO KEEP AUSTINITES WHO USE DRUGS ALIVE AND CONNECTED TO COMMUNITY VIA A DROP-IN CENTER ON EAST CAESAR CHAVEZ, AND A STREET OUTREACH TEAM THAT FOCUSES ON THE EASTERN CRESCENT. 
          OUR DROP-IN ON OUTREACH TEAMS SEE THREE OVER 3000 AUSTINITES AT RISK OF OVERDOSE. 
          IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE SEE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AT THE COUNTY JAIL THAT WE VISIT SEVERAL TIMES EACH WEEK, WHO ARE EIGHT TIMES AS LIKELY TO DIE FROM AN OVERDOSE UPON RELEASE. 
          WE'RE THE ONE OF THE ONLY AGENCIES THAT I'M AWARE OF WHO IS DOING BOTH PRE AND POST-RELEASE CARE FOR PEOPLE AT THE INTERSECTION OF, UM, INCARCERATION AT THE COUNTY JAIL AND HOMELESSNESS. 
          IN ADDITION, WE'RE ON THE FRONT LINES OF OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS TO HOUSING RE RESOURCES. 
          THE HOMELESS MORTALITY REPORT THAT CAME OUT RECENTLY NAMED OVERDOSE AS A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR OUR UNSHELTERED COMMUNITY. 
          SO WE ARE CONNECTING PEOPLE EVERY DAY TO HOUSING RESOURCES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT HOUSING IS ALSO HARM REDUCTION AS OVERDOSE DEATHS DECREASE. 
          WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE YEARS THAT OVERDOSE REVERSALS REPORTED BY OUR PARTICIPANTS HAVE INCREASED, WHICH SHOWS WHAT WE KNOW, WHICH IS THAT HARM REDUCTION WORKS. 
          AUSTIN HAS BEEN A LEADER IN A STATE THAT HAS MADE IT REALLY HARD TO SAVE LIVES DURING A HISTORIC OVERDOSE CRISIS, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE, OR TRENDS WILL REVERSE. 
          TO SUSTAIN OUR SERVICES, WE NEED $824,000. 
          I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT RECENTLY WE HAD SOMEONE DRIVE A PERSON WHO WAS OVERDOSING TO OUR DROP-IN CENTER. 
          HE WAS OVERDOSING IN THE DOWNTOWN IN A CAR, AND THEY DROVE HIM TO OUR FRONT GATE WHERE OUR STAFF PULLED HIM OUT OF A CAR AND ADMINISTER NALOXONE AND, UM, RESCUE BREATHING AND SAVED HIS LIFE. 
          I THINK THIS REALLY SPEAKS TO THE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CALLING 9 1 1 IN THE MOMENTS WHERE JUST A FEW MOMENTS CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. 
          I'M SO PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS TEAM BECAUSE WE ARE SCRAPPY, WE ARE NIMBLE, WE ARE AGILE, WE ARE FLEXIBLE, AND WE REALLY MOVE TO WHERE OUR PEOPLE ARE AND WHERE THEY NEED US MOST. 
          SO I HOPE THAT Y'ALL WILL CONSIDER US . 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          I'M MONICA GOSMAN, POLICY DIRECTOR AT GAVA. 
          GO. 
          AUSTIN, BAMO AUSTIN AND DISTRICT FOUR RESIDENT. 
          FIRST, THANK YOU FOR HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING THAT STARTS LATE IN THE DAY, THE AFTERNOON, ALLOWING FOR THOSE WITH WORK SCHEDULES THAT THEY CANNOT BE HERE UNTIL AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK. 
          AND IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD DO MORE THAN ONE, BUT WHAT I WANT TO POINT OUT IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR FOR THE ONE THAT STARTED AT THREE. 
          THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO CAME UP TO ME WHEN I WAS OUT IN THE ATRIUM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY CAN'T I REGISTER? I, I WENT TO THE KIOSK, JUST LIKE YOU SAID TO DO IN THE EMAILS, AND I SAID, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, IT'S MORE THAN 45 MINUTES BEFORE ANYTHING BEGINS. 
          AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS LACK OF CLEAR COMMUNICATION, BOTH ONLINE, THE COUNCIL MESSAGE BOARD, THE AGENDA, THE SPEAKER INSTRUCTIONS, AND THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE. 
          WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN REGISTER UP TO 45 MINUTES BEFORE IT BEGINS. 
          NOW, IF IT'D BEEN UNDERSTOOD THAT THE COUNCIL WORK SESSION OR MEETING THAT IT CONVENED IN THE MORNING WAS STILL CONSIDERED IN SESSION, THEN I WOULD'VE TOLD PEOPLE, MAKE SURE YOU GET IT DONE. 
          YOU KNOW, IN THE MORNING. 
          HOWEVER, WHEN WE HEAR THE WORD ADJOURN AND YOU CONVENE AGAIN 
          [00:20:01]
IN THE AFTERNOON, MANY ARE UNDERSTANDING THAT TO BE SOMETHING NEW. 
          THAT WAS THE COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM THE CITY, FROM PEOPLE, FROM STAFF AND ONLINE COMMUNICATION, AND THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO REGISTER. 
          YOU DID NOT GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY BECAUSE OF THE MISCOMMUNICATION AND LACK OF CLARITY. 
          SO WE ASK YOU, PLEASE BE VERY CLEAR IF THE 3:00 PM HEARING IS CONSIDERED A NEW CONVENING, THEN MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO REGISTER UNTIL TWO 15 IN THE AFTERNOON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS. 
          GREAT, THANKS, AND THANKS FOR THOSE WHO'VE BEEN HERE TO SPEAK. 
          UM, WITH THAT, WE WILL, 
          [1. Presentation and discussion of the City Manager’s Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Proposed Budget]
UH, NOW GO TO THE PRESENTATION AND I'LL, UH, LOOK TO OUR CITY MANAGER. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UH, AND GOOD MORNING, UH, TO YOU AND THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          THIS IS DEFINITELY AN IMPORTANT DAY, AND I'M PLEASED TO SHARE THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S 2025 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          AS YOU KNOW, I STARTED THIS ROLE AS CITY MANAGER IN MAY OF LAST YEAR. 
          SO THIS IS THE FIRST CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET THAT I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GUIDE FROM START TO FINISH. 
          IT WAS CERTAINLY A CHALLENGING YEAR TO DO SO, AS THIS COUNCIL KNOWS, DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF THE STATE'S CAP ON PROPERTY RATES, PROPERTY TAX RATES, I'M SORRY, SLOWING SALES TAX REVENUE, AND CONCERNS OVER REDUCTIONS IN FEDERAL FUNDING, WE BEGAN THIS BUDGET CYCLE WITH A $33 MILLION SHORTFALL IN THE GENERAL FUND. 
          BUT I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT THROUGH A CLOSE AND CRITICAL LOOK AT ALL OF OUR SPENDING AND REVENUES, WHAT WE ARE PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY IS A BALANCED BUDGET. 
          A BUDGET WHERE STRATEGIC DECISIONS WERE MADE TO REALIZE SAVINGS AND TO INCREASE INVESTMENTS IN KEY AREAS. 
          THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO PAUSE AND THINK. 
          THE COUNTLESS HOURS OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS, IT WAS NO EASY TASK. 
          SO MANY PEOPLE PLAYED A ROLE FROM OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS TO THE DIRECTORS DEPUTY AND ASSISTANT DIRECTORS DEPARTMENT, FINANCIAL STAFF, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THEIR STAFF, AND OF COURSE, OUR BUDGET TEAM WHO TRULY WORK NONSTOP IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THIS PRESENTATION, MANY, MANY HOURS TALENT AND EXPERTISE GO INTO EVERY YEAR. 
          SO I WANT TO PARTICULARLY THANK OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR CARRIE LANG AND HER STAFF FOR THEIR HARD WORK. 
          WE COULD NOT DO THIS WORK, OR BETTER STATED, WE SHOULD NOT DO THIS WORK WITHOUT THE INPUT OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 
          FROM OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS AROUND THE CITY TO CITYWIDE SURVEYS, WE MADE SURE TO LISTEN, TO RESPOND, AND TO DEVELOP PRIORITIES AROUND WHAT AUSTIN KNIGHTS TOLD US. 
          AND IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO DO SO. 
          DOING SO HELPED US DEVELOP A BUDGET THAT ALIGNS WITH THREE CRITICAL FOCUS AREAS, PEOPLE PRIORITIZING ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND STAFF ALIKE, PLACES, STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY SENSE OF PLACE, CREATING A MORE LIVABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND RESILIENT AUSTIN. 
          AND FINALLY, PARTNERSHIPS. 
          BUILDING STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS. 
          SOME OF THE KEY AREAS OF INVESTMENT IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDE EXPANDING SHELTER SPACE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND FUNDING NEW POSITIONS TO BOLSTER THE SIZE OF THE TEAM, DOING OUTREACH AND ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY, CREATING AN ESSENTIAL NEW DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN'S ART, CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT, TO BE THE CENTRALIZED HUB FOR AUSTIN'S CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMES. 
          ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR YOUTH ATLE, ATHLETIC FIELDS AND CITY POOL MAINTENANCE, EXPANDING EMERGENCY RESPONSE OPERATIONS AND PROVIDING MUCH NEEDED SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR WILDFIRE RESPONSE TEAMS AND INCREASING CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS AND REBATES AND INCENTIVES. 
          WE ALSO ESTABLISHED A HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION IN OUR OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION, PLUS SPENDING OVER $2.9 BILLION IN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS SUCH AS WASTEWATER TREATMENT, FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS, THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER AND THE EXPANSION AT ATRI STROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. 
          AND MORE PRIORITIES THAT AUSTINITES AND THE CITY COUNCIL LET US KNOW WERE IMPORTANT TO THEM. 
          WE'RE ALSO INVESTING IN OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE, OUR PEOPLE, IN PROPOSING A 4% WAGE INCREASE FOR CITY OF AUSTIN CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, AND INCREASING THE LIVING WAGE FROM $21 AND 63 CENTS AN HOUR TO $22 AND 5 CENTS AN HOUR WHILE CHALLENGING. 
          I BELIEVE THIS IS A BUDGET AUSTIN CAN BE PROUD OF. 
          AS YOU KNOW, 
          [00:25:01]
BEGINNING LAST YEAR, WE STARTED LOOKING AHEAD IN OUR BUDGET PLANNING INSTEAD OF JUST FOCUSING ON THE UPCOMING YEAR. 
          THIS BIANNUAL STRUCTURE CONTINUES TO SECURE AND DEMONSTRATE THE SUSTAINABLE AMOUNTS OF INVESTMENTS AND ENSURING WE ARE MANAGING UNCERTAINTY THROUGH STRATEGIC STEWARDSHIP AND TRANSPARENCY AS WE PLAN AHEAD, NOT JUST FOR THIS YEAR, BUT FOR YEARS TO COME. 
          WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO STRATEGICALLY WHILE LISTENING AND RESPONDING TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SEEK INNOVATIVE PATHWAYS TO ENSURE WE ARE PRESERVING, PROMOTING AND PROGRESSING THE VALUES THAT DEFINE AUSTIN. 
          AND WITH THAT, I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO CARRIE LANG AND HER TEAM FOR THE BUDGET PRESENTATION. 
          CARRIE, THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. 
          CARRIE LANG, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE. 
          UM, I WANNA START TODAY BY ECHOING THE CITY MANAGERS THANKS TO THE TEAM, UM, STARTING WITH THE DEPARTMENT STAFF AND DIRECTORS FOR THEIR COLLABORATION AND WORK WITH, UM, MY TEAM OVER THE COURSE OF THESE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AND TO THANK MY TEAM FOR THEIR WORK OVER THESE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS AND WEEKS TO GET US TO THIS POINT TODAY. 
          WE WILL BEGIN TODAY BY, UM, JUST TALKING THROUGH THE AGENDA, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING. 
          WE'LL START WITH JUST GIVING A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE TIMELINE FOR THE REST OF THE BUDGET, UH, PROCESS. 
          WE'LL THEN HAVE A DISCUSSION ON OUR, UM, OVER OVERALL CITY BUDGET, OUR ALL FUNDS OVERVIEW. 
          THEN GO INTO OUR GENERAL FUND HIGHLIGHTS, TALK ABOUT OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS AS WELL. 
          AND THEN FINALLY WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE CAPITAL, UH, BUDGET OR SPENDING PLAN FOR THIS COMING YEAR, AND THEN NEXT STEPS. 
          SO, UM, EXCITED TO HAVE TODAY TO TALK THROUGH THE, THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET AND TO TALK THROUGH THE THINGS THAT WE ARE, UM, PROPOSING FOR, FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND WHAT OUR OUTLOOK, OUTLOOK LOOKS LIKE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. 
          UM, AND THEN AFTER TODAY, WE DO HAVE, UH, FIVE OTHER WORK SESSIONS TO TALK THROUGH THE ELEMENTS OF THE BUDGET. 
          AND FINALLY, UH, BUDGET ADOPTION ON AUGUST 13TH. 
          SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR CITY'S OVERALL OPERATING BUDGET, WE ARE AT $6.3 BILLION FOR THE CITY'S TOTAL BUDGET. 
          THAT IS A 5.1% INCREASE FROM FISCAL YEAR 25. 
          UM, THIS INCREASE THAT YOU SEE IS PRIMARILY THE RESULTS OF, UM, GROWTH IN OUR UTILITIES AND OUR AVIATION DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, OUR, OUR UTILITIES, AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER CONTINUE TO HAVE, BE THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE BUDGET AT 43% OF THE CITY'S TOTAL BUDGET. 
          WITH AVIATION GROWING TO 7% THIS YEAR OF THE BUDGET. 
          THE GENERAL FUND REMAINS AT 23% OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET. 
          UM, AND THEN INTERNAL SERVICES, OUR INTERNAL OPERATIONS SUCH AS SUPPORT SERVICES, WHICH HOUSES, UM, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE LAW DEPARTMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES AND FINANCE, UM, THAT ALONG WITH FLEET MOBILITY. 
          UM, OUR CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES AND OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT, THAT IS 23, EXCUSE ME, THAT IS, UM, YES, 23% OF THE BUDGET. 
          AND THEN, UM, THEN WE HAVE OUR SMALLER ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS, WHICH INCLUDE, UM, WATERSHED PROTECTION CONVENTION CENTER, UM, THEREBY 11% OF THE BUDGET. 
          AND THEN OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION, UH, DEBT SERVICE IS 4%. 
          SO THIS SLIDE HERE WILL TALK ABOUT ALL OF OUR CITYWIDE COST DRIVERS THAT IMPACT EVERY DEPARTMENT, UM, AND EVERY FUND. 
          MOST OF THE FUNDS IN THE, IN THE CITY, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR HEALTH INSURANCE, UM, THAT IS GOING TO REMAIN FLAT. 
          THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION TO HEALTH INSURERS IS REMAINING FLAT FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          AND OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES, WE'LL, WE WILL SHOW BOTH THE PROPOSED, UH, FISCAL YEAR 26 AND THE PLANNED YEAR. 
          AND SO IN FISCAL YEAR 26, HEALTH INSURERS REMAINS FLAT. 
          AS FAR AS THE CITY CONTRIBUTION. 
          WE ARE ANTICIPATING A 5% INCREASE IN FISCAL YEAR 27 FOR THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION, AND THE EMPLOYEE'S PREMIUMS WILL REMAIN FLAT. 
          UM, FOR BOTH OF THOSE YEARS, WE'VE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO, UM, REALLY HONE IN ON MAKING SURE WE MANAGE IT, MANAGE THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND SO THAT WE WON'T HAVE A, A NUMBER OF, UH, EBBS AND FLOWS. 
          BIG JUMPS ARE, ARE, UM, UH, SPIKES IN, IN THE FUNDING FOR THE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT FUND, AND THIS IS, SOME OF THIS IS THE RESULT OF SOME OF THAT WORK. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR WAGES, UM, WE ARE SHOWING A 4% OR PROPOSING A 4% INCREASE FOR, UH, CIVILIANS IN FISCAL YEAR 26, UM, AND IN FISCAL YEAR 27, AND WE'LL KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PROJECTIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          BUT IN ORDER TO HELP BALANCE FISCAL YEAR 
          [00:30:01]
27, WE ARE PROJECTING NO INCREASES FOR CIVILIANS FOR THE FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR, FOR THE PLANNED YEAR. 
          UM, WE DO HAVE MARKET STUDY ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE ARE PLANNING FOR. 
          SO THE ANNUALIZED EXPENSES FOR THE TRADE TITLES THAT WERE, THAT RECEIVE MARKET INCREASES IN FISCAL YEAR 25, WE HAVE THOSE, UM, THOSE FUNDED FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          AND THEN THERE IS A PLACEHOLDER FOR CITYWIDE MARKET STUDY. 
          IN FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          LIVING WAGE WILL INCREASE THIS FISCAL YEAR TO $22 AND 5 CENTS. 
          THAT'S BASED ON, UM, CPI. 
          THE, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, UM, HAS SET THE METHODOLOGY TO, TO, UM, INCREASE LIVING WAGE BASED ON CBI, BUT DO NOT EXCEED, UH, THE ACROSS THE BOARD FOR CIVILIANS. 
          AND SO, UM, IN, IN THE PAST YEARS AND PAST SEVERAL YEARS, CBI WAS ABOVE, UM, THE, ACROSS THE BOARD PLANNED WAGE. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU SAW THE LIVING WAGE INCREASE MATCH. 
          THE ACROSS THE BOARD THIS YEAR IS AT 1.94, AND THAT IS WHY IT IS AT 22.5, $22 AND 5 CENTS FOR, UM, FOR A FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          WE DO HAVE A PLACEHOLDER FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, UM, AND WE WILL LOOK AT THE CBI IN JANUARY TO DETERMINE WHAT THE NEXT LIVING WAGE INCREASE WILL BE. 
          AND THEN, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE FOR MAKING SURE WE, WE REVIEW OUR VACANCIES ACROSS THE CITY. 
          UM, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE STARTED LOOKING AT VACANCIES AND ELIMINATING THOSE THAT WERE TWO YEARS OR OLDER. 
          IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE HAVE EIGHT POSITIONS THAT HAD A, UH, LONG VACANCY, UH, RATE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE THAT PROCESS. 
          IF YOU ALL WILL. 
          REMEMBER WHEN WE STARTED THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE NUMBER WAS AS HIGH AS ABOUT A HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE, A HUNDRED AND FORTY POSITIONS THAT WERE, UM, LOOKED TO ELIMINATE THAT WE ELIMINATED. 
          AND SO THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB IN LOOKING AT THEIR VACANCIES AND MAKING SURE THEY CONTINUE TO HIRE IN THOSE, IN THOSE POSITIONS. 
          MOVING FORWARD TO GENERAL FUND HIGHLIGHTS, THE GENERAL FUND IS AT 1.5 BILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          PROPOSED. 
          THAT IS A 3.7% INCREASE. 
          UM, WE HAVE 13 DEPARTMENTS IN THE, IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT INCLUDES THE, UH, NEW ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND MAKEUP, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY REMAINS THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE GENERAL FUND AT 64.5% AND IS FOLLOWED BY OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENTS. 
          UM, THAT INCLUDES LIBRARIES, PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION. 
          THAT IS, UH, 26.8% OF THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND. 
          THIS 1.5 BILLION IS, UH, IS A 3.7% INCREASE. 
          SO THAT $23.1 MILLION IS THE INCREASE FOR FISCAL YEAR 25. 
          THESE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, I WILL TALK ABOUT THE INCREMENTAL CHANGES THAT, THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS THE PLANNED. 
          UM, THE PLANNED INCREMENTAL CHANGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, THE, THE PROPOSED LIVING, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE PROPOSED 4% CIVILIAN INCREASE RESULTS IN $9.3 MILLION. 
          UM, INCREASE COST FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND FISCAL YEAR 26 LIVING WAGE IS A $1.2 MILLION INCREASE FOR THE GENERAL FUND. 
          AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, UM, HEALTH INSURANCE WILL REMAIN FLAT, THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION WILL REMAIN FLAT, SO THERE'S NO INCREASE THERE. 
          AND THEN THE MARKET STUDIES THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER IS 900,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 26, AND THEN 5 MILLION FOR THE CITYWIDE AND FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          AND THEN THE CITY'S, UH, RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS. 
          THIS IS FOR THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEM. 
          IT'S 3.9 IN, UH, NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN 800,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 27 FOR OUR SWORN EMPLOYEES. 
          THAT'S, UM, EMS POLICE AND FIRE, UM, EMS AND POLICE. 
          THEY HAVE THEIR AGREED UPON, UM, WAGE INCREASES PER THEIR, UM, MEET AND CONFER ARE LABOR AGREEMENTS. 
          AND SO, UM, EMS IS LOOKING AT A 3% INCREASE IN BOTH FISCAL YEAR 26 AND FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          THE POLICE INCREASE IS 13.2 MILLION OR 6% IN FISCAL YEAR 26, AND THEN 5% IN FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          IN ADDITION TO, UM, THE, THE WAGE INCREASES THE, UM, CITY SUPPORT FOR THE POLICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM, UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT AT 1.3 MILLION, THE LEGACY LIABILITY PAYMENT FOR THAT SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE CITY'S, UM, ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION IS 3.7 FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 
          AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE A, UM, PLACEHOLDER IN PLACE BECAUSE THE, THAT, UM, THE DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY, UM, BEGINNING NEGOTIATIONS FOR, FOR THE WAGE OR THE, UH, EMPLOYEE CONTRACT WITH THE ASSOCIATION. 
          [00:35:01]
UM, AND THEN THEY, WE DO HAVE A $2.6 MILLION INCREASE FOR THE POLICE, UM, EXCUSE ME, THE FIRE RETIREMENT SYSTEM BASED ON THE REFORMS THAT WERE TAKING PLACE IN THE MOST RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. 
          THEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE COST ALLOCATIONS, UM, THAT ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED. 
          THE, THE GENERAL FUND, UM, LOOKING AT SUPPORT SERVICES, AGAIN, THOSE INTERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENTS THAT, UM, SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THE CITY. 
          THAT'S 6.8 MILLION. 
          UM, FOR, FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR, OUR IT DEPARTMENT, UM, TECHNOLOGY SERVICES IS $6.4 MILLION INCREASE. 
          UM, AND THEN CTEC, WHICH PRIMARILY SUPPORTS THE PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES OR THE PUB PUBLIC SAFETY FUNCTIONS, IS A $1 MILLION INCREASE. 
          THE OTHER ALLOCATIONS ACROSS THE GENERAL FUND INCLUDE OUR FLEET, FLEET MAINTENANCE, OUR CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, UM, WIRELESS, AS WELL AS OUR LIABILITY RESERVE. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, THIS, UM, TRANSFER TO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION, BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE FUND. 
          UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 25, WE HAD A $1.5 MILLION TRANSFER IN TO THAT FUND. 
          AND THIS IS SHOWING THAT INCREMENTAL CHANGE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOING THAT TRANSFER IN, IN FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          SO, AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, UM, THIS BUDGET REQUIRED, UM, SOME REALLY STRATEGIC LOOKS AT BOTH OUR INVESTMENTS FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR AND WHAT SPACES OR AREAS WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME REDUCTIONS OR REALLOCATIONS. 
          AND, UM, DEPARTMENT STAFF WORKED OVER SEVERAL MONTHS TO IDENTIFY WHAT THEIR CORE SERVICES WERE OR WHAT SERVICES WERE, UM, THAT THEY WERE PROVIDING THAT MAY BE FURTHER FROM THEIR CORE SERVICES. 
          AND WITH THAT INPUT AND THAT INSIGHT AND, AND CONVERSATIONS, UM, THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES WE'LL WALK THROUGH BOTH THE NEW INVESTMENTS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE IN FISCAL YEAR 26, AS WELL AS SOME REDUCTIONS THAT WERE, UM, PUT IN PLACE. 
          SO WITH THE EMS DEPARTMENT, UM, WE ARE ANNUALIZING THE COST OF THE POSITIONS FOR THE OPENING OF THE CANYON CREEK FIRE EMS STATION. 
          SIMILARLY, UM, IN FIRE, WE ARE ANALYZING THE COST FOR THOSE SWORN EMPLOYEES. 
          WE ALSO HAVE INCREASES IN FIRE FOR THEIR, UH, WILDFIRE SHELTERS AND EQUIPMENT. 
          UM, THAT IS A $280,000. 
          THERE'S ALSO A $8.3 MILLION SAVINGS IN, UH, FIRE IN OVERTIME BASED ON THE PLANNED, UM, RESTRUCTURING OF SOME OF THE FI FIRE MODEL. 
          AND THEN THERE'S, UM, ONE TIME THAT WAS FUNDED IN FISCAL YEAR 25 THAT WE ARE CONTINUING IN FISCAL YEAR SET, 20, UH, SIX. 
          THAT IS ONE TIME THAT IS FUNDED THROUGH THE BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE FUND FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE THIRD CADET CLASS THAT WAS ADDED THIS FISCAL YEAR, AS WELL AS THE REPLACEMENT OF THEIR, UM, BREATHING APPARATUS FOR, FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS IN FORENSIC SCIENCE. 
          THEY ARE RECEIVING, UM, FIVE NEW POSITIONS FOR THE NEW WAREHOUSE THAT IS OPENING. 
          AND THEN IN MUNICIPAL COURT, YOU SEE THIS $3.5 MILLION REDUCTION THAT IS THE RESULT OF, UM, THE MAGISTRATION SERVICES MOVING OVER TO THE COUNTY. 
          AND SO THE SAVINGS YOU SEE IN, IN, UM, MUNICIPAL COURT OFFSETS THAT INCREASE THE Q SEE IN THE POLICE, UM, SECTION WHERE IT SAYS $6 MILLION FOR THE TRAVIS COUNTY ILA FOR MAGISTRATION, THE, UM, NET INCREASE FOR THAT CONTRACT IS $2.5 MILLION. 
          AND THEN, UM, IN POLICE AS WELL, YOU SEE A $9 MILLION SAVINGS ON OVERTIME BECAUSE OF THE RESTRUCTURING THAT WAS ROLLED OUT, UH, A STAFFING IN THE STAFFING MILE THAT WAS ROLLED OUT IN JUNE. 
          AND THEN, UH, FINALLY THERE WAS SOME SAVINGS THAT WAS IDENTIFIED BECAUSE THE BLUE SANTA WAREHOUSE WILL BE MOVING TO A CITY OWNED FACILITY. 
          MOVING ON TO OUR HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING, UM, FUNCTIONS. 
          OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY, UM, AND OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT HAS $8 MILLION IN ONE-TIME FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE MARSHALING YARD. 
          THAT FUNDING IS COMING FROM THE HOUSING TRUST FUND IN FISCAL YEAR 26, AND THEN THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, UH, OF ONGOING FUNDING FOR THE CONTINUED OPERATIONS OF THE EIGHTH STREET SHELTER. 
          IN ADDITION, 12 NEW POSITIONS WAS ADDED TO, UM, HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE TO, UH, TO ALLOW FOR MORE OUTREACH AND ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT ENGAGEMENT. 
          AND THEN IN HOUSING, $1.7 MILLION, ADDITIONAL DOLLARS WAS ADDED THROUGH THE HOUSING TRUST FUND FOR A TOTAL OF A $5 MILLION INVESTMENT, A $5.7 MILLION INVESTMENT, UM, FOR OUR 374 UNITS, 
          [00:40:01]
UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          THAT INCLUDES 170 NEW UNITS FOR, UM, FOR THAT PROGRAM. 
          AND THEN $500,000 WAS ALSO ADDED IN ONE-TIME FUNDS FOR THE DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION PLAN, AS WELL AS AN INCREASE IN, UM, INVESTMENT IN, IN, IN THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE. 
          UM, $400,000 INCREASE FOR A TOTAL $4 MILLION INVESTMENT FOR EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE. 
          AND THEN PLANNING IS RECEIVING TWO POSITIONS, UM, FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND TO, UM, ASSIST WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTRICT AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MOVING FORWARD TO COMMUNITY SERVICES. 
          ANIMAL SERVICES IS RECEIVING FOUR NEW POSITIONS, TWO ANIMAL PROTECTION OFFICERS AND TWO SUPPORT POSITIONS FOR, FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT. 
          AND THEN THERE'S A $586,000 REDUCTION IN CONTRACTS FOR EMERGENCY AND SPECIALTY SURGERIES. 
          UM, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A REDUCTION IN SERVICES PROVIDED, BUT THE, THE DEPARTMENT HAS SAID THAT THIS IS SERVICES THAT THEY CAN, UM, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT WITH, WITH CURRENT STAFFING AND THEN ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT. 
          THE NEW DEPARTMENT IS RECEIVING FIVE NEW POSITIONS FOR FINANCIAL AND MANAGERIAL SUPPORT, PARKS AND RECREATION. 
          AS YOU ALL REMEMBER, UM, RECEIVED 20 POSITIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 25, THAT IT WAS PARTIAL YEAR FUNDING. 
          SO THIS IS ANNUALIZING THE COST OF THOSE 20 POSITIONS. 
          AND, UM, THEY'RE ALSO RECEIVING $375,000 FOR ATHLETIC YOUTH, ATHLETIC FIELD MAINTENANCE FOR OUR FIELDS THAT ARE, UM, ADJACENT TO OUR RECREATION CENTERS. 
          AND THEN TWO POSITIONS FOR POOL MAINTENANCE AT COLONY PARK POOL. 
          AND TO HELP SUPPORT THE, THE MAINTENANCE AT THE OTHER POOLS ACROSS THE SYSTEM. 
          OUR LIBRARY DEPARTMENT IS RECEIVING $400,000 FOR ADDITIONAL, UH, SECURITY AT THE LIBRARIES. 
          AND THEN, UM, $216,000 FOR ADDITIONAL, UM, MATERIALS. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, UM, THERE IS A RESTRUCTURING OF THE RECYCLE REEDS PROGRAM. 
          SO THEY ARE GOING TO REALIZE SAVINGS IN CLOSING THAT SITE OF THE, OF THE, UH, RECYCLE REEDS. 
          HOWEVER, THEY'RE EXPANDING THAT PROGRAM ACROSS THE SYSTEM TO ALLOW FOR, UM, THAT PROGRAM TO BE AVAILABLE AT EACH OF THE BRANCHES. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, PUBLIC HEALTH IS, UM, IS RECOGNIZING $3.4 MILLION IN SAVINGS AS THEY HAVE, UM, MOVED STAFF FROM STROM, FROM BERGSTROM TECH INTO THE GROVE. 
          SO AS WE LOOK AT OUR GENERAL FUND RESERVES, UM, IN ORDER TO, UH, GET TO A BALANCED BUDGET THIS YEAR, WE TRANSFERRED $14.1 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND, UH, BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE FUND INTO THE OPERATIONS OF THE GENERAL FUND. 
          AND THAT SUPPORT ALLOWED US TO MAINTAIN, UM, ALL OF OUR MAJOR, UH, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES WITHOUT CUTTING IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, PARTICULARLY OUR SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS. 
          WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, WE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN DO BEST TO SUSTAIN THOSE SERVICES. 
          UM, AND SO THAT 14.1 MILLION WILL ALLOW FOR ALL OF OUR SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS TO REMAIN AT LEVEL FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD TO FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          AND THE THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO BALANCE, IN ADDITION TO THE ELIMINATION OF OUR, UH, CIVILIAN WAGES THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, IT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE A, UH, ELIMINATION OF ABOUT $16.8 MILLION OF SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS IN FISCAL YEAR 27 TO REMAIN BALANCED ALONG WITH A, UM, REDUCTION OR ELIMINATION OF OUR TRANSFER TO OUR HOUSING TRUST FUND, AS WELL AS A REDUCTION OR ELIMINATION OF OUR TRANSFER TO OUR CAPITAL REHABILITATION FUND. 
          BUT WHEN WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT RESERVES FOR, FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, UM, WE ARE PROPOSING THAT WE END THE FISCAL YEAR AT 15.8%. 
          THAT IS A, UM, UNDER OUR 17% POLICY. 
          HOWEVER, THOSE DOLLARS WERE NEEDED, AGAIN, TO HELP US BALANCE AND, UM, WHAT WE UNDERSTAND TO BE, UM, ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS THAT WE ARE SEEING AS AS THIS AS A CITY. 
          UM, AND IT IS WITHIN OUR FINANCIAL POLICY THAT ALLOWS US TO DO SO IN FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          WE, UH, DO NOT ANTICIPATE, UH, UH, IN ANY ADDITIONAL INCREASES OR TRANSFERS INTO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE FUND OR TO OUR RESERVES. 
          AND SO OUR RESERVE BALANCE WILL BE AT 15.4. 
          WE WILL START LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN TRANSITION THAT INTO, UM, REBUILDING THAT RESERVES IN FISCAL YEAR 20, IN FISCAL YEAR 28. 
          SO THIS SLIDE HERE REALLY 
          [00:45:01]
TALKS THROUGH AS WE BEGIN TO TRANSITION AND TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR REVENUE. 
          WE WANT TO START OFF WITH LOOKING AT WHEN WE SEE OUR REVENUE IN GENERAL, THE, THE BREAKOUT OF ALL THE REVENUE SOURCES THAT WE HAVE COMPARED TO HOW OUR, UM, OUR EXPENSES OR REQUIREMENTS ARE REQUIRED OVER THE YEAR. 
          WE SEE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, UM, POLICE FIRE AT EMS COMPARED TO THAT INNER CIRCLE THAT SHOWS OUR PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX, OTHER REVENUE AND UTILITY TRANSFERS, OUR, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY FUNCTIONS TAKE UP ALL OF THE REVENUE FROM OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE AS WELL AS 68.3% OF OUR SALES TAX REVENUE. 
          AND SO THIS IS JUST TO KINDA GIVE US AN IDEA OF HOW OUR SPENDING AND HOW OUR BUDGET, UH, ALIGNS WITH OUR REVENUE AND, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT AND CONSIDER AS WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE DOLLARS AND FUNDING AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE ALL OF OUR CORE SERVICES, UM, AND PROGRAMS FOR THE CITY. 
          AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ERIC NELSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR TO TALK THROUGH OUR REVENUE. 
          UH, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 
          UH, GENERAL FUND CONTINUES TO RELY PRIMARILY ON PROPERTY TAX, UH, AND THAT ALSO LIMITS, UH, THE OVERALL GROWTH BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRAINTS THAT, UH, OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IS UNDER. 
          UM, MOST OF OUR MARGINAL INVESTMENT IN RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN THROUGH STRONG SALES TAX RESULTS. 
          UH, UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE RESULTS ARE, ARE NOW TRENDING, SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE. 
          UM, ONE BRIGHT SPOT, UH, IN THIS YEAR'S REVENUE PROJECTIONS ARE, UH, A BIG INCREASE IN THE UTILITY TRANSFERS, AND THEN THE GROWTH IN OTHER REVENUE IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY THAT 14.1 MILLION TRANSFER FROM RESERVES THAT, UH, CARRIE JUST SPOKE TO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, AS WE MOVE TOWARDS A, A LITTLE DEEPER DISCUSSION ON PROPERTY TAX, THIS JUST PROVIDES SOME CONTEXT ABOUT HOW THE IMPACT TO OUR TYPICAL HOMEOWNERS HAS BEEN TRENDING. 
          UH, WE SPIKED UP IN FY 21 AS A RESULT OF THE PROJECT CONNECT, TRE, UH, BUT SINCE THAT TIME WE'VE BEEN, UM, TURNING DOWNWARDS BACK TO THE SORT OF LOW MIDDLE OF THE PACK WHERE WE HAVE TENDED TO BE, AND THAT'S, UH, BEEN DRIVEN, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN BOTH A DECLINE IN THE MEDIAN SALES PRICE THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND ALSO SOME PRETTY STRONG GROWTH IN, UH, MEDIAN INCOMES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          LOOKING AT THE TAX RATE ITSELF, WE PROJECT, UH, A RATE OF 52.76 CENTS. 
          THAT'S A 5 CENT INCREASE FROM THE CURRENT RATE. 
          UM, THE STATE'S CAP IS A REVENUE CAP, SO THE RATE WILL ADJUST IN RESPONSE TO VALUES. 
          SO THE PRIMARY REASON WHY THAT RATE IS INCREASING IS BECAUSE, UH, TCA IS PROJECTING A DECLINE IN TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE IN THE CITY, UH, NET OF EXPECTED PROTEST LOSS. 
          UH, THE PROJECTIONS FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS HAVE US AT ABOUT 227 BILLION IN TAXABLE VALUE IN 26, WHICH WOULD BE ALMOST A 4% DECLINE, UH, FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. 
          UH, EVEN MORE CRUCIALLY FOR OUR REVENUE IS THAT NEW PROPERTY TAXABLE VALUE. 
          LAST YEAR WE HAD A RECORD $5.4 BILLION. 
          UH, THE, THE TAX FROM THAT VALUE IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE CAP, AND SO THAT CAN DRIVE A LOT OF INCREMENTAL INVESTMENT. 
          UM, BUT AFTER THAT RECORD VALUE, WE'RE SEEING IT, UH, FALL, UM, BY MORE THAN HALF OR, OH, EXCUSE ME, ALMOST HALF TO 2.3 BILLION THIS YEAR, WHICH IS, UM, THE LOWEST RESULT WE'VE SEEN SINCE, UH, FY 17. 
          THE LOOKING AT THE PROJECTED BILL, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE NON-SENIOR TYPICAL HOMEOWNER, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A 7.9% INCREASE. 
          NOW, WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE 3.5% INCREASE, BUT THE REASON THAT THE, UH, TYPICAL HOMEOWNER WILL BE HIGHER THAN THAT IS BECAUSE THEIR VALUES WHILE DECLINING, ARE NOT DECLINING AS FAST AS THE CITY'S OVERALL TAXABLE VALUE. 
          SO THEY'RE GOING TO ABSORB A LITTLE MORE OF THE TAX BURDEN, AND THAT IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BECAUSE OF THE EFFECT OF THE ASSESSED VALUE CAP. 
          UM, ALMOST 29% OF HOMESTEADS STILL HAVE CAP VALUE THAT IS DOWN FROM 70% IN THE PRIOR YEAR, SO IT'S BEING WORKED OFF, BUT UNTIL IT TOTALLY DISAPPEARS, WE CAN EXPECT A MEDIAN HOMEOWNERS VALUE TO, TO RISE FASTER THAN THE, THE CITY, UH, SENIORS. 
          AS A RESULT OF THE ACTION COUNCIL TOOK TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD 
          [00:50:01]
EXEMPTION, WE'LL SEE A SMALL DECLINE YEAR OVER YEAR IN THEIR PROJECTED TAX BILL. 
          AND ONE OTHER FACTOR DRIVING THESE INCREASES IS, UH, THE INCREASE IN THE CITY'S DEBT ASSOCIATED WITH PRIOR BOND ISSUANCES. 
          SO ABOUT 60% OF THIS INCREASES ON THE M AND O RATE AND ABOUT 40% FROM THE DEBT RATE. 
          MOVING TO SALES TAX, UH, WE'VE RECEIVED EIGHT PAYMENTS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND WE'RE SITTING AT, UH, JUST SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE 0.3%, WHICH IS 10 AND A HALF MILLION BELOW BUDGET. 
          UM, FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, WE EXPECT TO END UP IN THE ABOUT A HALF PERCENT DECLINE RANGE, WHICH WOULD PUT US 15 MILLION BELOW BUDGET. 
          UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE EXPECT THERE TO BE, UH, PRETTY WEAK RESULTS INTO FY 26 AS ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AND GENERAL ECONOMIC SLUGGISHNESS CONTINUE. 
          UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT A 1% DECLINE, FURTHER DECLINE IN FY 26, AND INTERESTINGLY, WE CONTINUE TO LAG OUR PEER CITIES, UM, WHO ARE SEEING, UM, STRONGER RESULTS. 
          THE GRAPH ON THE BOTTOM SHOWS HOW WE WERE TRENDING DURING THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR, AND WE WERE OPTIMISTIC WHEN WE WERE SITTING HERE LAST YEAR. 
          UM, BUT AS WE MOVED INTO FY 25, UM, WE SAW THOSE RESULTS FALL OFF, FALL OFF, AND WE SOUNDED THE ALARM WITH COUNCIL DURING OUR FINANCIAL FORECAST. 
          LOOKING OUT OVER OUR FORECAST PERIOD, WE DO EXPECT A MODERATE RECOVERY AS WE APPROACH THE LATER YEARS OF THE FORECAST WORKING WITH OUR ECONOMIC CONSULTANT, WE THINK WE CAN EXPECT A RETURN TO THE TWO TO 3% RANGE, UM, BUT IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER WE'LL EVER SEE THAT CONSISTENT FIVE OR TO 7% GROWTH THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED FOR THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. 
          UH, ONE BRIGHT SPOT IN THE REVENUE FORECAST ARE THESE UTILITY TRANSFERS AS A RESULT OF CUSTOMER GROWTH AND, AND SOME RECENT RATE INCREASES, WE'RE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE HERE, UM, $13.4 MILLION, UH, IN IN 25, EXCUSE ME. 
          UM, IN THIS YEAR AND ADDITIONAL $16.4 MILLION LOOKING INTO PROPOSED OVER THE FORECAST PERIOD, WE'RE GOING TO EXPECT THESE TRANSFERS TO GROW A LITTLE OVER 4%, WHICH WILL KEEP PACE WITH EXPECTED GROWTH IN THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES. 
          AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WITH RESPECT TO OTHER REVENUE, THIS IS KIND OF OUR BUCKET FOR EVERYTHING THAT'S LEFT OVER. 
          UM, THAT'S MAINLY BEING DRIVEN IN FY 26 BY THIS ONE TIME TRANSFER FROM THE BSRF. 
          WE'VE ALSO SEEN SOME GOOD RESULTS FROM EMS. UH, WE ADDED SOME STAFF IN RECENT FISCAL YEARS TO IMPROVE THEIR BILLING EFFICIENCIES, AND THAT'S PAID OFF. 
          THAT'S DRIVING ABOUT A $5 MILLION INCREASE. 
          AND WE'VE ALSO TRUED UP THEIR TRANSPORT FEES AND THEIR FEES FOR STANDBY AT SPECIAL EVENTS, AND THAT'S GENERATING A LITTLE OVER, UH, $4 MILLION IN PROJECTED REVENUE. 
          UH, THE GROWTH SLOWS DOWN IN THE OUT YEARS BECAUSE WE HAVE INTEREST RESULTS ROLLING INTO THIS CATEGORY. 
          AND WHILE THE TIMING APPEARS DELAYED, I THINK WE CAN EXPECT IN COMING YEARS FOR RATES TO BE AT A LOWER AVERAGE LEVEL THAN THEY ARE NOW, AND THAT WEIGHS ON THE TOTAL GROWTH IN THIS CATEGORY. 
          UH, FINALLY, THIS IS, THIS IS OUR CHART THAT SUMMARIZES THE REVENUE VERSUS EXPENDITURE PICTURE FOR THE WHOLE GENERAL FUND OVER OUR FORECAST PERIOD. 
          UH, WE'VE INTRODUCED THE TWO YEAR BUDGET PLAN. 
          SO WE HAVE BALANCED BUDGETS IN 26 AND 27, BUT WE HAVE EXPANDING DEFICITS THEREAFTER. 
          UH, I THINK SINCE SB TWO PASSED, THIS HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT STORY AND OUR LEVER IS SORT OF SALES TAX RESULTS, AND IF WE'RE ABOVE THAT FIVE TO 6% LEVEL, WE MAY JUST BE BALANCED OR HAVE A FEW DOLLARS FOR NEW INVESTMENTS, BUT IF IT FALLS OFF BELOW THAT, THE LIMITATIONS ON THE PROPERTY TAX MEAN THAT WE START TO SEE, UH, GAPS WIDEN VERSUS OUR BASE COST DRIVER FORECAST. 
          NEXT, WE'LL BEGIN TALKING ABOUT OUR ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS AND GIVE, UM, SOME HIGHLIGHTS OVER THEIR PROJECTED, UH, OUR PROPOSED BUDGETS FOR 
          [00:55:01]
THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 
          WE HAVE EIGHT ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS, UM, THAT WE'LL TALK THROUGH OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES, BEGINNING WITH AVIATION. 
          AVIATION HAS A $292.5 MILLION BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          THAT IS A 3.4% INCREASE. 
          UM, THEY ARE, UM, ANTICIPATING 24 NEW POSITIONS, UM, TO SUPPORT EXPANSION OF, UH, THEIR, THEIR SERVICES OR THEIR NEWLY, UM, RENOVATED AREAS, INCLUDING WORK IN CUSTODIAL TERMINAL AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE, AS WELL AS THE WEST INFILL AND WESTGATE EXPANSION. 
          UH, PROJECTS. 
          THE $64 MILLION, UH, TRANSFER IS TO FURTHER SUPPORT, UM, THE EXPANSION AND THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AT THE AIRPORT. 
          UM, THEY ARE ANTICIPATING $77.2 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE BECAUSE OF THE NEWLY, UM, THE ANTICIPATED AGREEMENT WITH THE AIRLINES. 
          UM, AND THIS, THE, THE INCREASE IS PRIMARILY BASED ON, UM, THE AIRPORT CHANGING THE METHODOLOGY TO BETTER BE IN LINE WITH INDUSTRY STANDARDS ON, ON HOW THEY REACH AGREEMENTS WITH, UM, THE AIRLINES. 
          AND THEN A $3 MILLION DECREASE IN, UM, RESOURCES OR REVENUE RELATED TO PARKING, AS WELL AS INTEREST INCOME IN THE, IN THE COMING YEAR, IN THE PLANNED YEAR. 
          UM, THEY ARE ANTICIPATING ADDITIONAL INCREASES IN THEIR REVENUE, 40.1 MILLION. 
          UM, THEY ARE ANTICIPATING, UH, 20 ADDITIONAL POSITIONS TO FURTHER SUPPORT THE NEW FACILITIES. 
          AND THEN A REDUCTION IN, UM, OPERATIONAL EXPENSES OF $2.2 MILLION BECAUSE OF THE CLOSING OF THE SOUTH TERMINAL. 
          THE CONVENTION CENTER IS, UM, ONE POINT 125.3 MILLION. 
          UM, THEY ARE DECREASING BECAUSE OF THEIR CLOSURE AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR EXPANSION AND REDEVELOPMENT. 
          UM, THEY ARE, UM, ELIMINATING 27 VACANT POSITIONS DUE TO THE CLOSURE. 
          AND THEN THEY DO SEE SOME OPERATIONAL, UM, SAVINGS AGAIN, BASED ON WHERE THEY ARE IN, IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PROCESS. 
          UM, THEY ARE CONTINUING TO TRANSFER DOLLARS TO THEIR, UM, CIP FOR THE EXPANSION PROJECT. 
          WE ARE, UM, ANTICIPATING THAT THE PALMER EVENT CENTER WILL ACTUALLY SEE AN INCREASE IN REVENUE BECAUSE OF THEIR EVENTS THAT ARE SCHEDULED OVER THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 
          UM, AND THEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, UM, WE ARE ANTICIPATING A DECREASE OR A DECLINE, UM, FROM BUDGET TO BUDGET BECAUSE WE, WE ARE NOT RECEIVING AS MUCH HOT REVENUE AS WE ANTICIPATED IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT WE ANTICIPATED FLATTENING OUT THE 2.2 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          UM, AND THIS SLIDE ALSO SHOWS WHERE, UM, ALL THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT PLACES THAT THE HOT TAX GOES TO, THE DIFFERENT FUNDS IT SUPPORTS FROM CULTURAL ARTS TO CONVENTION CENTER, CAPITAL TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION, TOURISM AND, AND PROMOTION. 
          OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, IS, UM, INCREASING TO $110.6 MILLION. 
          THIS INCLUDES OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FUND AND OUR CODE FUND. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CODE FUND, UM, $37 MILLION OF EXPENDITURES, UM, OUR FUNDED BY THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE CODE IS THE CODE DIVISION IS ANTICIPATING FIVE NEW POSITIONS FROM AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE UNIFORM RECYCLING ORDINANCE. 
          THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE WILL INCREASE 10 CENTS FOR BOTH FISCAL YEAR 26 AND FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          UM, AND THEY, THERE IS FUNDING IN, UM, FISCAL YEAR 27 FOR SIX ADDITIONAL POSITIONS FOR THE GRAFFITI ABATEMENT PROGRAM. 
          THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FUND HAS CONTINUED TO SEE A REDUCTION IN REVENUE. 
          UM, THEY ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON RIGHT SIZING THE DEPARTMENT AND REALLY LOOK AT HOW THEY NEED TO, UM, CREATE A SPACE WHERE THEY CAN, UM, EBB AND FLOW AND RESPOND TO THE CHANGES THAT HAPPENS IN DEVELOPMENT. 
          THEY'VE REDUCED 45 POSITIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FUND, UM, AND THEY'RE GOING TO AUGMENT THEIR, THEIR TEAMS WITH TEMPORARY OR CONTRACTUAL, UH, STAFFING OR FUNDING TO HELP WITH THE EBBS AND FLOW AGAIN, OF, OF DEVELOPMENT. 
          UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT. 
          THE TEAM HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK TO REALLY LOOK AT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO, TO RIGHT SIZE, UM, NOT ONLY THE SIZE OF THE DEPARTMENT, BUT LOOK AT THE COST OF SERVICE AND THE FEES, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CHARGING APPROPRIATELY FOR THE SERVICES PROVIDED. 
          AND, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT WORK OVER THE COMING MONTHS AND YEARS AS WE, AS WE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE LONG TERM THE DEVELOPMENT 
          [01:00:01]
SERVICES FUND WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ITSELF. 
          AUSTIN ENERGY, OUR UTILITY IS AT 2 BILLION. 
          UM, THAT IS A 5.8% INCREASE FROM THIS FISCAL YEAR. 
          UM, THEY ARE, UM, INCREASING 32 POSITIONS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, SOME OF THAT, SOME OF THE COSTS RELATED TO THOSE POSITION IS OFFSET BECAUSE THEY ARE TRANSFERRING CONTRACTED OR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES INTO FULL-TIME. 
          SO THEY'RE REDUCING THEIR CONTRACTUAL COSTS IN ORDER TO DO THESE, INCREASE THESE NEW POSITIONS. 
          UM, THEY ALSO HAVE $3.7 MILLION FOR THEIR CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS, REBATES AND INCENTIVES PROGRAM. 
          UM, THEY ARE, UM, THEY WILL BE EXPERIENCING, UM, INCREASED EXPENSES OF 13.5 MILLION FOR THEIR SHARE OF THE SOUTH TEXAS NUCLEAR PLANT AND FAYETTE POWER PROJECT, AND THEN INCREASED COST FROM, UM, ERCOT AS WELL AS WHAT THEY'LL SEE IN FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          THE, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY ANTICIPATES A 5% BASE RATE INCREASE IN 27 AND TWO NEW POSITION, 20 NEW POSITIONS ACROSS THAT SYSTEM IN 27. 
          UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FISCAL YEAR 26 RATES, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT DECREASED 4%, UM, FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 TO $117 AND 7 CENTS ANSWER, THEY MAY HAVE SOME MONEY. 
          I RESOURCE RECOVERY $146.6 MILLION BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20, UH, SIX A 9% INCREASE. 
          UM, THIS INCLUDES NEW POSITIONS, UM, THREE NEW POSITIONS FOR A LITTER ABATEMENT, UM, AT 248,000. 
          THREE NEW POSITIONS FOR THE FURNITURE REUSE WAREHOUSE. 
          UM, AND THEN A, A POSITION FOR, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL TRAINING. 
          THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE WILL REMAIN FLAT FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 AND HAVE A 10 CENT INCREASE FOR FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          THE RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION, UM, FEE WILL INCREASE SEVEN POINT HALF PERCENT, UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 26 TO $36 AND 30 CENTS. 
          AND THEN THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL $1 AND 30 CENTS INCREASE IN FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          UM, AND THE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO INCREASING THEIR, UM, TEMPORARY AND CONTRACTUAL STAFFING TO AUGMENT SOME OF THE, THE STAFFING LEVELS TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN MAINTAIN THEIR SERVICE LEVELS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 
          MOVING FORWARD TO THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AT A $243.1 MILLION BUDGET, UM, THEY ARE, UH, INCREASING $900,000 FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTION PARTNERSHIP. 
          UM, THEY ARE ALSO, UH, INCREASING 12 POSITIONS TO MAINTAIN THEIR CURRENT SERVICE LEVELS AND TO, UM, WORK ON CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. 
          UM, THE TPW BUDGET INCLUDES A REDUCTION IN FUNDING FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM, UM, AND IT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, AN INCREASE IN THEIR FEES IN THE TRA TRANSPORTATION USER FEE OF 9.9%, WHICH TOTALS A DOLLAR AND 96 CENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          UM, THEY, THEY HAVE MAINLY THE COST DRIVERS AND CITYWIDE COST DRIVERS AT 4.4 MILLION, BUT THEY DO ANTICIPATE AN 8.4% INCREASE IN THE TRANSPORTATION USER FEE. 
          AUSTIN WATER, OUR, OUR WATER UTILITY, IT HAS A $850 MILLION BUDGET IS INCREASING 9.9%. 
          THEIR BUDGET IS PRIMARILY INCREASING. 
          IF, IF YOU COULD SEE THAT $48.8 MILLION, UM, TO FUND THEIR CAPITAL AND AND DEBT SERVICE, UM, REQUIREMENTS, THEY ARE ADDING 20, UH, EXCUSE ME, 18 POSITIONS, UM, NEW POSITIONS, AND THEN 13 TEMP TO PERM CONVERSIONS. 
          IN FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          THEIR RATE WILL INCREASE 9.6% TO, THAT'S AN INCREASE OF $8 AND 71 CENTS. 
          AND IN FISCAL YEAR 27, THEY ANTICIPATE ADDING AN AN ADDITIONAL 31 POSITIONS WITH A 7.8% INCREASE TO THEIR RATE. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, WATERSHED PROTECTION IS AT $127.8 MILLION, A FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 
          THEY'RE ADDING 14 NEW POSITIONS, UM, AND AT $2 MILLION. 
          AND THEN THEY, UM, ARE IMPLEMENTING THEIR STORM DRAIN REHABILITATION PROGRAM AT $300,000. 
          THE DRAINAGE, UM, USER FEE IS A 67 CENT INCREASE OR 5% INCREASE FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 
          UM, THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT ALSO ANTICIPATES INCREASING 14 NEW POSITIONS AND AN 8.6% OR A DOLLAR 20 INCREASE TO THE, UH, DRAINER USER FEE. 
          [01:05:02]
SO NOW THAT WE'VE WALKED THROUGH ALL OF OUR, UH, UTILITY, ALL OF OUR, UH, ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS TALK THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND, THIS IS THE, UH, TYPICAL, UH, IMPACT TO THE IMPACT TO THE TYPICAL RATE, UM, AND TAXPAYER. 
          UM, WE'RE SHOWING A COMBINED IMPACT OF 4.9% FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          THIS 4.9%, AS YOU CAN SEE, INCLUDES THE, UM, PROPERTY TAX BILL INCREASE, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE RATE INCREASES, UM, OR THE FEE INCREASES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED. 
          UM, AND IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT BY DEFINING WHAT THE TYPICAL RATE OR TAXPAYER IS. 
          SO EACH FEE HAS A DEFINITION TO GET TO THIS PO TO THIS POINT. 
          UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE IN INCREASE WE SEE FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, IT IS A $22 AND 35 CENTS PER MONTH INCREASE. 
          AND THEN FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 IS $28 AND 56 CENTS MOVING FORWARD TO OUR CAPITAL DISCUSSION. 
          SO THE 26, UH, BUDGET INCLUDES A SPEND PLAN OF 13.2 MIL BILLION DOLLARS THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 30. 
          THIS IS OUR FIVE YEAR SPEND PLAN. 
          UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT FISCAL YEAR 26 AND 27, THE THE LARGE INCREASES. 
          WE HAVE A NUMBER OF LARGE PROJECTS GOING ON ACROSS THE CITY. 
          UM, I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, EXPANSION AND REDEVELOPMENT, UM, AVIATION, THE AIRPORT IS DOING LARGE PROJECTS IN THEIR EXPANSION. 
          WE CONTINUE TO HAVE WORK BEING DONE, UM, ON, UM, OUR, OUR BONDS THAT ARE IN THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED. 
          SO, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS HAS A NUMBER OF PROJECTS, CORRIDOR PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY. 
          AND THEN AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY CONTINUE TO DO THEIR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TO CONTINUE THE, UH, UTILITY SERVICES. 
          THIS IS A BREAKDOWN, AGAIN, OF THE SPEND PLAN FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR BASED ON, UM, THE TYPES OF PROJECTS OR THE DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE THE LARGEST PROJECTS. 
          AGAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, AVIATION WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR EXPANSION TAKES UP 28.6 OF THE PERCENT OF THE SPEND PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          UM, AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY CONTINUE TO HAVE, UM, A LARGE PORTION, AND THEN THE CONVENTION CENTERS WITH THEIR EXPANSION IS 13%. 
          THIS SLIDE WALKS THROUGH OUR BOND PROGRAMS, THE FINANCIAL SUMMARY OF OUR, OF OUR PRIOR YEAR BOND PROGRAMS. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR, YOU KNOW, WE GO BACK TO 2006, UM, THROUGH 2013. 
          THOSE BOND, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE, ARE PRIMARILY, ARE MOSTLY COMPLETED. 
          UM, AND THEN WHEN YOU GO INTO OUR, UM, MOBILITY PROJECTS OR PROGRAMS THAT STARTING IN 2016, YOU SEE THAT WE HAVE, UM, STILL ABOUT 200 MILLION, UM, UM, THAT ARE, THAT IS STILL AVAILABLE BALANCE IN, IN THE 2016 PROGRAM. 
          2018, WE HAVE 130 MILLION STILL AVAILABLE. 
          AND THEN YOU LOOK AT TWENTY, TWENTY, A HUNDRED AND SEVENTY 6 MILLION. 
          UM, AND, AND THAT IS, YOU SEE THAT REFLECTED ALSO IN THE SPEND PLAN THAT I, I SHOWED YOU OVER THE FIVE YEAR SPEND PLAN OVER THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO SPEND THOSE DOLLARS DOWN OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. 
          THE 2022, UH, BOND PROGRAM IS OUR HOUSING BOND. 
          UM, AND WE ARE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS ON THAT PROJECT, ON THOSE PROJECTS. 
          SO FAR. 
          SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTED SPENDING FOR OUR BOND, UM, FOR OUR, UH, CAPITAL PROGRAMS, UM, AND, AND SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE, ARE TRYING TO MAKE PROGRESS IN, UM, IN NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 
          AVIATION IS LOOKING AT THE MIDFIELD TAXIWAY $197 MILLION AS WELL AS THE WEST GARAGE. 
          LOT B CONSTRUCTION CONVENTION CENTER, $361 MILLION FOR THE EXPANSION PROJECT. 
          WATER IS, UM, DOING WORK ON THE WALNUT CREEK WATER WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT. 
          UM, THAT'S 54 MILLION. 
          AND THEN, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY HAS 106 MILLION FOR TRANSMISSION PROJECTS. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS 76 MILLION FOR QUARTER PROGRAM PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY FROM THE 2016, UH, MOBILITY BOND. 
          SO WITH THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL START TALKING THROUGH SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS. 
          UM, AGAIN, WE BEGIN WORK SESSIONS NEXT WEDNESDAY, UM, WITH COMMUNITY INPUT. 
          THESE WORK SESSIONS WILL BE FOCUSED ON, UM, GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS NEXT WEEK. 
          IF 
          [01:10:01]
THERE ARE PARTICULAR DEPARTMENTS OR TOPICS THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE FOR US TO BRING FORTH, PLEASE, UM, LET US KNOW SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT STAFF HERE AND THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. 
          UM, ON THE 29TH, WE WILL FOCUS ON ENTERPRISE AND CIP AS OUR DISCUSSION. 
          AND THEN THE 31ST, UM, WE WILL INC. 
          THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING AT 3:00 PM UM, AND, AND THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THE WORK SESSION AS WELL. 
          AND, UM, THE COUNCIL WILL BE SETTING THE MAX TAX RATE. 
          AUGUST 4TH IS THE DEADLINE FOR ALL COUNCIL BUDGET QUESTIONS, AMENDMENTS, AND IFCS. 
          AND THEN ON THE SEVENTH, WE WILL HEAR FROM COUNCIL, UM, AS YOU ALL WALK THROUGH YOUR BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND, UM, RESOLUTION, UM, RESOLUTION RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          AND THEN, UM, JUST SO YOU ALL WILL KNOW THIS, THE COUNCIL BUDGET QUESTIONS PORTAL IS OPENING TODAY. 
          UM, WE WILL SEND YOU ALL AN EMAIL WITH, TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL HAVE A LINK TO THE FORM FOR THE COUNCIL BUDGET QUESTIONS, AS WELL AS SEND YOU THE FORMS FOR THE, UM, AMENDMENT. 
          SO THAT EMAIL WILL GO OUT TODAY. 
          WE HAVE SEVERAL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS, UM, INCLUDING THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION REPORT THAT WE'LL BE, WE WILL BE DISTRIBUTING BY THE END OF THIS WEEK. 
          AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, MEMBERS, LET'S GO TO QUESTIONS. 
          AND IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE QUEUE, WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS LOOK FOR YOU TO BE IN THE QUEUE. 
          AND, UH, IF YOU, AS YOU DO THAT, KEEP IN MIND THAT EVERYBODY'S PROBABLY GONNA HAVE QUESTIONS. 
          SO WHEN YOU START YOUR QUESTIONS, UH, I'LL, I'LL PAY YOU A LITTLE BIT OF ATTENTION TO THE CLOCK. 
          DON'T WANNA CUT ANYBODY OFF, BUT TO KEEP THINGS ROLLING FOR EVERYBODY, I MAY GIVE YOU THE HIGH SIGN AF AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME. 
          UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, WHILE Y'ALL ARE GETTING YOURSELVES IN THE QUEUE, WHAT I'LL DO IS ASK MS. LANG, I I'D LIKE YOU TO GO TO PAGE 37 OF THE REPORT. 
          'CAUSE I DON'T WANT THERE TO BE, I WANT THERE TO BE TRANSPARENCY, AND I DON'T WANT THERE TO BE ANY CONFUSION ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AND CONSIDERATION. 
          UH, WE'RE NOT POSTED TO GET INTO FINAL DETERMINATIONS ABOUT POTENTIAL REVENUES, ADDITIONAL REVENUE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          BUT OF COURSE, THERE'S BEEN A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME OF THAT, INCLUDING COUNCIL TALKING ABOUT IT, UH, FREQUENTLY IN THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE TALKING ABOUT IT. 
          AND THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSION, I THINK AS THE BUDGET GOT LAID OUT BY THE, UH, BY THE MANAGER'S OFFICE THAT IT, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN IT'S CALLED A BALANCED BUDGET AND IT IS INDEED A BALANCED BUDGET, UH, IT'S AS THOUGH THERE ISN'T ANY SORT OF TAX INCREASE IN THAT, THAT MAYBE THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER TAX INCREASES, BUT THIS BUDGET, THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL DOESN'T. 
          BUT I WANNA, SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, UH, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR ON A COUPLE OF THINGS. 
          ONE, IS THIS PROPOSED BUDGET DOES IN FACT RAISE THE TAX RATE TO THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE ALLOWED BY LAW. 
          YES, THAT IS CORRECT. 
          AND THAT'S WHY ON THE PROPERTY TAX BILL, DOWN ON PAGE 37, UH, FOR 26, YOU SEE AN INCREASE AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN 27. 
          YES, THAT'S CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I JUST WANT, AS, AS WE START THIS PROCESS, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S BUILT INTO IT. 
          AND IF WE LOOK AT THE TOTALS THERE FOR THE TYPICAL RATE AND TAXPAYER, THAT'S A MONTHLY TOTAL. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND THE ANTICIPATION IS THAT THAT MONTHLY TOTAL WILL GO UP TO THAT TOTAL IN THE NEXT YEAR? YES. 
          GOOD DEAL. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, UH, NOT GOOD DEAL, BUT I WANT TO GOOD DEAL. 
          WE UNDERSTAND. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ALL OUT THERE AND CLEAR, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS, I WANNA MAKE SURE ALSO FOR THOSE THAT ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS, THIS IS THE WAY THIS PROCESS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. 
          THE MANAGER PROPOSES UNDER OUR CHARTER A BUDGET, UH, IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A BALANCED BUDGET. 
          UH, THE WAY HE, I THINK, APPROPRIATELY READS THE, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CHARTER IS THAT, UM, HE IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET AND, AND DO IT THE WAY HE'S DONE. 
          THAT IT'S NOT A COMPETITION THEN, THAT THE COUNCIL COMES IN AND TRIES TO JUST ADD REVENUE. 
          AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS IT'S BEING REPORTED ON, AND AS THE PUBLIC LOOKS AT IT, THEY SEE THAT THIS IS THE WAY THE PROCESS IS SUPPOSED TO, SUPPOSED TO PLAY OUT. 
          AND, UM, ANYWAY, SO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THAT? THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING. 
          I THINK THE IMPACT ON THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET AND THE TAX RATE AS WELL AS PROPOSED REVENUES, UH, WHICH ARE INCREASING ABOUT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT, AND YOU ARE CORRECT, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO 
          [01:15:01]
HOW THE TEAM AND I APPROACHED THIS BUDGET. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID NOT WANT TO DO, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE CHARTER ACTUALLY, IS TO PREPARE A BUDGET THAT THIS COUNCIL THEN HAS THE DECISION POINTS AND, UH, THE ABILITY TO RAISE AND OR CHANGE AND SET TAX RATES HIGHER. 
          UH, AND THAT WE DID NOT WANT TO PRESUME, UH, ANY OF, OF THE LATTER AS IT RELATES TO, UH, BOXING THE COUNCIL IN ON THEIR CONSIDERATIONS OF WHAT TO DO WITH THE BUDGET. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE COUNSEL LISTENING THIS MORNING, AND WE ARE HERE TO HOPEFULLY CLARIFY ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO ASK. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT IF WE, BECAUSE IF YOU DID THAT, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO UN MIGHT HAVE TO UNWIND STUFF AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE WHY, WHY IT'S THIS WAY. 
          UM, AND SO I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU'RE ALSO CLARIFYING THAT, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT POSTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHERE, UH, A TAX RATE ELECTION OR THINGS LIKE THAT MIGHT, UH, MIGHT PLAY OUT. 
          UH, BUT THERE'S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO NEED TO BE, THERE OBVIOUSLY WILL BE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT. 
          AND I, AGAIN, AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE WHAT I WAS SAYING EARLIER, UH, WHEN I, WHEN WE FIRST OPENED THE MEETING, AND THAT IS, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE ALL THAT ENDS UP, UH, BUT THAT'S PART OF ANY DISCUSSION. 
          THAT'S A TRANSPARENT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE NEEDS OF OUR CITY, ABOUT THE AFFORDABILITY NEEDS OF OUR CITY, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          SO WITH THAT, I WILL GO TO, I'LL CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBER LANG, AND SHE HAS THE FLOOR FOLLOWED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, I'D LIKE TO START FIRST BY THANKING OUR CITY MANAGER, CARRIE LANG AND THE ENTIRE BUDGET TEAM FOR PRESENTING TO US A BUDGET THAT IS BALANCED WITHOUT A TRE AS A STARTING POINT, UM, THAT FINDS WAYS TO INVEST IN STRATEGICALLY AND OUR CORE CITY SERVICES AND SOME OF THE GAPS IN CITY SERVICES THAT HAVE ALREADY PERSISTED FOR TOO LONG. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. 
          I ALSO, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE SEEING THE BEGINNING OF SOME OF THE RESTRUCTURING THAT WILL LEAD TO SAVINGS THAT CAN BE INVESTED IN WHAT WE AS A CITY VIEW AS OUR CORE VALUES. 
          AND ALSO, AGAIN, ENSURING THAT OUR ENTIRE CITY GETS THE BENEFIT OF SOME OF THESE PRIORITIES AND SPENDING, UM, ALSO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE A TWO YEAR LOOK FORWARD RATHER THAN A ONE YEAR, SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING A LITTLE BIT FARTHER OUT IN SUCH CHALLENGING TIMES. 
          UM, I, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN TO QUESTIONS. 
          UM, I, THE FIRST IS RELATED TO PAGE 15, THE 15.8% RESERVE LEVEL. 
          UM, I MAINTAINING A RESERVE LEVEL AS Y'ALL, AS YOU KNOW, UM, THAT MAINTAINS OUR HIGHEST, UM, FINANCIAL RATING IS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR ME. 
          AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE PRIORITY THAT YOU CITY MANAGER BROAD ACTS HAVE PUT ON CAPITAL DELIVERIES. 
          SO WE CAN GET SOME OF THAT OFF THE BOOKS TO HELP US WITH OUR RESERVE RATING. 
          UM, BUT I STILL WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO WALK ME THROUGH WHOEVER IS THE RIGHT PERSON. 
          UM, WHAT PERCENTAGE LEVEL DO WE NEED TO MAINTAIN RESERVES AT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR FINANCIAL RATING IF CLARA YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. 
          IT'S PROBABLY, AND YOU KNOW, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER , THAT IS A NUANCED QUESTION. 
          COUNCIL, UM, MEMBER IN THE SENSE THERE IS NOT A MAGIC NUMBER AROUND RESERVES. 
          THAT GENERAL, UH, GOVERNMENTAL FINANCIAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDS A RESERVE LEVEL OF 60 DAYS, WHICH KIND EQUATES TO ROUGHLY 17%, WHICH IS WHAT OUR POLICY, UM, LEVEL OF LEVEL IS AT. 
          UM, RATING AGENCIES ARE LOOKING AT THINGS MORE BROADLY IN REGARDS TO WHAT IS YOUR FINANCIAL RESILIENCY? WHAT IS YOUR, UH, FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND TO ECONOMIC SHOCKS OR, UM, DISASTERS. 
          AND SO DEPENDING UPON YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES AS A CITY, A A RESERVE LEVEL, MORE THAN 17% MAY BE NECESSARY, OR LESS THAN 17% MAY BE NECESSARY. 
          AND OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RATING AGENCIES, I THINK OUR POLICY IS THE RIGHT POLICY LEVEL. 
          WE ARE PROPOSING A BUDGET THAT'S BELOW THAT POLICY LEVEL, BUT IT IS IN LINE WITH OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT BREAK IT UP INTO AN EMERGENCY RESERVE AND A BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE. 
          UH, THE REASON WE DO THAT IS SO THAT WHEN WE HAVE ECONOMIC SHOCKS LIKE SALES TAXES SLOWING DOWN OR, UM, UH, BUDGETARY SHOCKS, LIKE FEDERAL GRANT MONIES, UH, GOING AWAY, THAT WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND WITH THAT WITHOUT HAVING TO MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES. 
          AND SO, UM, I THINK 17% IS THE RIGHT NUMBER. 
          UM, IT DOESN'T CREATE ME GREAT CONCERN TO PROPOSE A BUDGET BELOW THAT THIS YEAR, KNOWING THAT OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES DO CALL FOR US TO RESTORE THAT IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND AS MS. LANG MENTIONED, THAT WOULD BE OUR INTENT TO START 
          [01:20:01]
RESTORING THOSE RESERVES TO THE POLICY LEVEL BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 28. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, I MEAN, THE RE RESERVES LEVEL AT THE FINANCIAL RATING ARE CERTAINLY IMPORTANT FOR DOING THE MOST WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE FUTURE. 
          SO I DEFINITELY VALUE THAT. 
          UM, I APPRECIATE WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE BUDGET AND THROUGH MY CONVERSATIONS WITH CHIEF BAKER, UH, AROUND WILDFIRE PLANNING, UM, THAT WE ARE DOING THINGS THAT ALSO HIT ON THAT DISASTER, UM, NATURAL DISASTER PIECE, AS WELL AS WORKING HARD WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AROUND OUR, UM, FEDERAL FUNDING AROUND FLOODING AND FEMA AND THAT SORT OF THING. 
          UM, I, I WOULD LIKE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THIS, HOWEVER, AND WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING CAPTAIN STITCH, UM, AND KIM OLIVERS WAS, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON AT THE FRONT AT THAT TIME, UM, I EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE RISK THAT THE CITY WAS EXPOSING ITSELF TO BY TAKING ON SO MUCH OF THE RISK, WHAT SUCH A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE RESPONSE, THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR CAP AND STITCH PROJECTS, AND ALSO THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCREASING COST BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND VARIETY OF UNKNOWNS. 
          AND SO IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH THOSE FACTORS HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED AS YOU LOOK AT FINANCIAL RATING PRESERVATION, UM, YEAH, THAT CERTAINLY PLAYS INTO OUR CALCULATIONS, NOT JUST CAP AND STITCH, BUT OUR OVERALL LIABILITY LEVELS. 
          UM, OUR DEBT LOADS, UH, THE PROSPECTIVE 2026 BOND, UM, THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, UM, THE EXISTING AUTHORIZED BUT IN ISSUED BONDS THAT VOTERS HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THAT STILL HAVE TO WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH THE SYSTEM. 
          AND WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO MARKET TO ISSUE THOSE BONDS. 
          SO THAT IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IN OUR FINANCIAL RATINGS, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY OUR, OUR DEBT TO INCOME RATIOS IS A VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION. 
          UM, OURS ARE HIGH. 
          WE ARE WORKING HARD TO MANAGE THAT. 
          IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ISSUING BONDS, IT'S ALSO ABOUT, UH, THE, THE, UH, FINANCIAL STABILITY OF OUR PENSION SYSTEMS, OUR POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. 
          UM, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON THOSE FRONTS. 
          AS YOU, AS YOU ARE AWARE AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO START MANAGING THOSE LIABILITIES, UM, OVER THE LONG TERM, IN TERMS OF THE RISK OF CAP AND STITCH, THERE'S CERTAINLY A RISK IN REGARDS TO COST ESCALATION. 
          THERE ALWAYS IS ON ANY MAJOR PROJECT. 
          I KNOW OUR, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR IS HERE, AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM THAT I THINK WE'RE CONFIDENT FEELING GOOD. 
          WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A, A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE, UH, COST ESTIMATES AND FOR THE LEVEL OF DESIGN STAGE WE'RE AT, WE'RE BUILDING IN CONTINGENCY IN THE EVENT THERE IS COST ESCALATION. 
          OF COURSE, THE INTENT HERE IS FOR THAT PROJECT TO NOT FALL, FALL SQUARELY ON THE, ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE CITY THAT WE HAVE COMMITTED TO BUILDING THE VERTICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          WE ARE GONNA BE WORKING, UM, ON, ON ALTERNATIVE FINANCING PLANS, LOOKING AT, UH, ALL SORTS OF AVENUES FROM TIFS TO PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN ORDER, YOU KNOW, UH, PHILANTHROPY TO TRY TO GET THOSE CAPS STITCH, UH, CAPS AND STITCHES BUILT IN A MANNER LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN IN OTHER CITIES, LARGELY FUNDED THROUGH A COLLABORATION BETWEEN CITY SOURCES AND NON-CITY SOURCES. 
          SO WE'RE DOING ALL THAT WORK. 
          UM, CERTAINLY IF, IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, AND THE ONLY AVENUE FOR BUILDING THE CAPS AND STITCHES AND IT WAS COUNCIL DIRECTION WAS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, THAT WOULD REQUIRE, UM, SOME TYPE OF BOND PROPOSITION IN THE, IN THE FUTURE TO GET VOTER APPROVAL FOR THAT, WHICH OF COURSE THEN WOULD ADD, UH, FINANCIAL PRESSURES TO OUR CREDIT RATING, OR IT WOULD MEAN WE'D HAVE LESS MONEY TO FUND OTHER PRIORITIES. 
          BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT OUR INTENT, UM, IS THAT WE, OUR INTENT IS TO FIND OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING BEYOND THE CITY COFFERS. 
          UM, OUR STAFF HAS WORKED, WORKED LONG AND FAR TO, TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. 
          I HEAR IT FROM YOU. 
          I HAVE ALSO SPOKEN WITH A CM ROGERS QUITE A BIT ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND CONCERNS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. 
          UM, I WILL HIGHLIGHT THAT AT THE POINT ONCE WE GO PAST, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL A LITTLE SPACE, BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE WAY THOSE CONTRACTS ARE STRUCTURED ARE THAT WE AS AUSTIN ASSUME THE LIABILITY FOR ALL COST INCREASES TO CONSTRUCTION COSTS. 
          AND SO ONCE WE HAVE TAKEN THE ADDITIONAL STEPS THAT ARE COMING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL FULLY ASSUME NOT A LIABILITY, IT WON'T MATTER IF WE SEE IT COMING OR NOT, IT WON'T MATTER IF IT MAKES IT TO A BOND OR NOT, OUR CITY WILL BE LIABLE FOR THEM. 
          I SEE YOU NODDING. 
          SORRY, , THAT'S GREAT. 
          BUT, UH, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION, UM, 
          [01:25:01]
FOR ME TO MAKE SURE THAT IT COMES OUT. 
          AND PART OF THE REASON THAT I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE THE PASSIONS WERE VERY HIGH, UH, DURING THE DISCUSSIONS OF CAP AND STITCH FOR QUITE SOME TIME. 
          AND A BIG PIECE OF THE SUCCESS OF THIS IS ATTRACTING THE PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY DOLLARS FOR WHICH MANY OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE, YOU KNOW, SPOKE ELOQUENTLY ABOUT THE NEED AND THE WAY THAT THAT MONEY COULD COME IN THE PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY. 
          AND I HOPE THAT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UM, AS THEY DEVELOP. 
          BUT I ALSO JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW FAST COSTS ARE RISING, AND THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD CONSIDERATION TO MAYBE HAVE PERIODIC UPDATES ON THROUGH MOBILITY COMMITTEE WHERE WE SEE THOSE FIGURES A LOT. 
          UM, THANK YOU , DONE WITH THAT PART. 
          UM, I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION ON PAGE 19. 
          WHOOPS, SORRY. 
          UM, I AM WONDERING WHY AUSTIN IS TRAILING PEER CITIES ON SALES TAX, UM, RESULTS IN IN 2025, UM, SALES TAXES, OBVIOUSLY, AND, AND Y'ALL EXPLAINED IT VERY CLEARLY, A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR FINANCIAL FORECAST. 
          AND I, I'D JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT IS CAUSING US TO BE TRAILING OUR PEER CITIES COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          YOU SAID PAGE 15, BUT I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PAGE, PAGE 19. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          DID I MISUNDERSTOOD YOU? THAT'S A PROPERTY TAX ONE. 
          OH, I'M SORRY. 
          THAT'S WHY I'M, OKAY. 
          SO I THINK 20 21, 21, 21, I THINK. 
          OKAY. 
          SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          NO PROBLEM. 
          I, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION, AND I DON'T THINK WE, WE HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER. 
          UM, I THINK PART OF THE FACTORS THAT WE MAY BE A LITTLE MORE TIED TO, UM, DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM AND TRAVEL, AND THOSE HAVE SUFFERED PARTICULARLY WITH, UM, THE RECENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND, UM, TARIFF RELATED GLOBAL ORDER UNCERTAINTY MM-HMM . 
          UM, I THINK ANOTHER FACTOR IS IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE ON 22, UH, WE HAD SUCH A STRONG RECOVERY, UH, YOU CAN'T EVEN CALL IT A RECOVERY. 
          WE HAD AN EXPLOSION AFTER THE PANDEMIC WHERE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, CHOSE TO COME HERE. 
          WE, YOU COULD WORK FROM ANYWHERE. 
          UM, WE SAW A MASSIVE RUN UP IN HOUSING PRICES AND WE SAW, YOU KNOW, UH, 20 OVER 21% GROWTH IN SALES TAX. 
          THOSE OTHER CITIES DIDN'T SEE THAT. 
          UM, IN THE LONG TERM, YOU CAN SEE, EVEN WITH OUR SORT OF ANEMIC GROWTH THAT WE'RE FORECASTING, WE WOULD STILL AVERAGE OUT TO ALMOST 5% A YEAR OVER 10 YEARS JUST BECAUSE OF THAT MASSIVE RUNUP. 
          SO I THINK WE'RE WORKING FROM SUCH A, A HIGH BASE NOW THAT IT'S MORE DIFFICULT TO GROW. 
          THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          UM, I, I HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL THEORIES, UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO CONNECT ABOUT IT SOME POINT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, OKAY, SO I BELIEVE PAGE 18 IS THE PROPERTY TAX MODELING AND THAT I'M NOT, LIKE, I PROBABLY SHOULD LOOK AT IT TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT STEERING YOU ALL ASTRAY. 
          UM, BEGINS A LITTLE EARLIER, ACTUALLY. 
          UM, PAGE 18. 
          UM, SO THE PROPERTY TAX MODELING IS OBVIOUSLY QUITE, QUITE IMPORTANT AS WELL. 
          UM, I APPRECIATED SEEING THE GRAPHS ON THE MEDIAN HOME VALUE AND THE DISCUSSION AROUND SOME OF THE IMPACTS OF HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION VERSUS RENTAL. 
          I, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT AS AUSTIN HAS BEEN TRANSITIONING TOWARDS A MORE AND MORE RENTER BASE OF POPULATION, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK I, YOU PROBABLY GOT THAT COVERED, BUT WANNA MAKE SURE WE SEE THE SHIFTS THERE. 
          BUT THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, UM, HAVE YOU, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAX IS A HUGE SEGMENT, AND CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT'S DISAGGREGATED IN YOUR, IN THE MODELS THAT YOU ARE USING? SO WHEN WE LOOK AT 26, WE HAVE THE NOTICED ROLES FROM, FROM TCA AND FROM THE OTHER APPRAISAL DISTRICTS. 
          AND THEN WE'RE USING, UM, THEIR EXPECTATION OF PROTEST LOSS. 
          SO IT'S BASED ON THE ACTUAL NOTICES THAT WENT OUT, UM, NOT, NOT JUST A PURE FORECAST MM-HMM . 
          UM, I CAN SAY THAT JUST BASED ON THE WAY IT'S SHAKING OUT WITH THE MEDIAN, THE COMMERCIAL IS GONNA COME DOWN, UM, A BIT FASTER THAN THE RESIDENTIAL IS. 
          AND THAT'S PART OF WHY YOU SEE THAT 7.9% INCREASE FOR THE RESIDENT WHEN MAYBE YOU WOULD EXPECT A THREE, A THREE AND A HALF IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TALKING MORE ABOUT THAT AT SOME POINT. 
          YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO, OF COURSE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, PAGE 31 IS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. 
          I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS PAGE, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. 
          UM, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE WORK THAT IS ALREADY GOING ON, UH, IN RELATION TO RESTRUCTURING, UM, FINDING OUR SAVINGS, LOOKING AT THE FEE STRUCTURE AND HOW THAT NEEDING IT TO REMAIN SOLVENT. 
          AND ALSO, I BELIEVE I'M SEEING 
          [01:30:01]
BETWEEN THE LINES, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO, UM, HAVING THAT DEPARTMENT AND THE SPENDING AND THE FEES SUPPORT OUR VALUES AS A CITY AND WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO, NOT JUST MAINTAINING, UM, CASH FLOW. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH AND I DEFINITELY WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT THANK DR. JOHNSON FOR WHAT I'M SURE IS WORK IN THAT AREA ALREADY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, PAGE 34, THE CONSTRUCTION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM TO COORDINATE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY. 
          I THANK VERY MUCH OUR TRANSPORTATION AND LEGAL STAFF FOR SPEAKING WITH ME AND GIVING ME MORE CONTEXT AROUND HOW WE GOT WHERE WE ARE. 
          VERY USEFUL. 
          UM, I LIKE SEEING AN INVESTMENT IN THIS AREA, I BELIEVE IT WAS 0.9 MILLION. 
          I, MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT ALLOCATION ENOUGH TO INTEGRATE DISTRICT SIX'S CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS MORE FULLY INTO THIS COORDINATION? UM, I'LL GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES. 
          UM, THERE ARE MANY ARTERIALS AND EVEN HIGHWAYS THAT GO THROUGH DISTRICT SIX THAT ARE IN THE ETJ OR LIMITED PURPOSE ZONING. 
          UH, AND WHILE THEY ARE NOT INSIDE THE CITY, OUR, THE HOMES THAT ARE BEHIND THEM, WHERE THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS ARE FREQUENTLY MUST USE THEM IN ORDER TO GET ANYWHERE. 
          UM, SO, AND FREQUENTLY WHERE THEY'RE GOING IS WORK OR TAKING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL. 
          AND SO IF WE, WE, WHILE THESE ROADS AND THE DEVELOPERS AND THE INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS AND THOSE THAT WE SUPPORT ARE NOT IN FULL PURPOSE AUSTIN, THE PEOPLE WHO USE THEM ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THE CITY. 
          AND SO, UM, I'LL GIVE, AND TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE THAT'S QUITE RECENT AND TOPICAL, UM, IN THE RECENT FLOODING THAT IMPACTED KERRVILLE AND IMPACTED SOME OF OUR SUBURBS NORTH OF AUSTIN, UH, PRETTY DRAMATICALLY A SECTION OF 360 IS ALSO WASHED OUT AND NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION. 
          AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED, WE HAD A CUT THROUGH THAT WAS ALREADY BLOCKED FOR CONSTRUCTION, AND NOW THE WAY ABOVE TO CONNECT THROUGH IS ALSO BLOCKED FOR CONSTRUCTION. 
          SO WE'VE LOST A LOT OF ACCESS THERE. 
          ALSO, WILLIAMSON COUNTY BEING 60% OF THE DISTRICT, AND, UM, NOT HAVING THEM INTEGRATED INTO THE ORIGINAL SET OF PARTNERS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH MOST FULLY. 
          THIS IS THE CONTEXT ON WHY I AM WONDERING FOR THESE TYPES OF ISSUES. 
          DOES THIS, IS THIS ENOUGH TO INTEGRATE OUR DISTRICT MORE FULLY AND BRING US BACK ONTO THE MAP AS HOW WE ARE HELPING OUR CITIZENS NAVIGATE ALL OF THESE CONSTRUCTION AREAS? AND THAT PROBABLY MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR ASSISTANT MANAGER ROGERS, IF I HAD TO GET OH, YES, PLEASE. 
          AH, LONG TIME. 
          NO. 
          SEE. 
          OKAY. 
          MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          COUNCIL MEMBER LANG. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. 
          RICHARD MENDOZA, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. 
          SO THE CONSTRUCTION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IS ACTUALLY A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT TO COORDINATE AND, UM, DISSEMINATE CONSTRUCTION, UH, INFORMATION TO OUR COMMUNITY TO INCLUDE A REGION-WIDE APPROACH. 
          SO CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS, INCLUDING TXDOT, CTMA, SURROUNDING COUNTIES, CAMPO, AND, UH, CAP METRO, UH, GETTING READY FOR THIS CONSTRUCTION, ARMAGEDDON, IF YOU WILL, AROUND MOBILITY. 
          AND SO I DO EXPECT THAT THE, UH, BENEFITS OF THE CPP WILL REACH YOUR DISTRICT. 
          SO JUST TO BRING FORWARD ONE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT I LAID OUT, UM, I, I LOVE A LOT OF WHAT I'M SEEING IN THIS PROJECT. 
          THE TIME SUPPORTER, YOU ALREADY HAVE TECH.AS A PRIMARY PARTNER, BUT THE WASHOUT OF 360 DOESN'T SHOW UP ON THE BETAS THAT I'M LOOKING AT. 
          UM, AND THERE ARE OTHER CONSTRUCTION AREAS THAT ARE QUITE ACTIVE AND SIGNS THAT A NEW ONES ARE COMING THAT AREN'T REFLECTED. 
          AND I, I DO THINK THAT, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS EARLY CONSIDERATION OF INCLUDING WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND THE INITIAL SET OF PARTNERS AND THAT THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. 
          UM, BUT SOME OF THIS LIES IN AREAS WHERE ADDITIONAL COORDINATION WITH WILLIAMSON COUNTY PROBABLY WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          NOT AT THE COUNCIL MEMBER LEVEL, BUT AT THE STAFF AND PLANNING AND PARTNERSHIP LEVEL. 
          AND SO ARE, YOU'RE, THE ALLOCATION YOU ALREADY HAVE IS ADEQUATE YES, IT IS. 
          FOR THIS, FOR THIS PHASE OF THE PROGRAM. 
          AND THAT'S GOOD FEEDBACK. 
          I WILL TAKE THAT BACK TO THE PROJECT TEAM. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          I'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE. 
          THE NEXT ONES RELATED TO PARKS, UM, FOR, UM, YOUR, 
          [01:35:01]
FOR THE PAR PROGRAMS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 26 OBJECTIVES, I COULD I GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW STAFF PRIORITIZE PROJECTS FOR INVESTMENTS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          IS THAT, AM I GETTING UP ON TIME? SHOULD I PAUSE YOU? YOU'VE BEEN OVER 15 MINUTES. 
          UM, I WILL HOLD THE REST OF MY WHY QUESTIONS FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE. 
          WHY DON, DON'T YOU FINISH WITH THIS AND, AND THEN WHAT WE'LL DO IS IF YOU WANT QUESTIONS, I'LL STOP THERE. 
          I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS THEIR OPPORTUNITY AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK. 
          OKAY. 
          I'LL STOP THERE ACTUALLY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK VERY GOOD. 
          THANK. 
          AND THEN MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU'LL HAVE THE FLOOR FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, COLLEAGUES, WHEN I LOOK, LOOK AND LEARN ABOUT THE BUDGET PRESENTATION THAT WE JUST RECEIVED AND TAKE IN, UH, THE PROPOSAL THAT IS BEFORE US, WHAT I SEE AND WHAT I BELIEVE WE HAVE BEFORE US IS A BAND-AID BUDGET. 
          A BUDGET THAT HAS BAND-AID SOLUTIONS. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF MOVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE HERE, BOTH TAKING FROM OUR RESERVE FUNDS, WE HAVE STAFF RESTRUCTURING, WE HAVE CUTS ON OVERTIME, WE'RE ZEROING OUT OUR HOUSING TRUST FUND, WHERE WE'RE LESSENING OUR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT FUND. 
          THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT ARE BEING MADE IN OUR BUDGET, AND I REALIZE IT'S A BALANCED BUDGET. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE TAKE TIME TO UNMASK ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AS PART OF THIS PROPOSAL. 
          AND I APPRECIATE THAT THERE. 
          IT'S A TWO YEAR OUTLOOK BECAUSE WHAT I WANNA MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS ABOUT IS THAT WE CAN EXPECT FOR YEAR TWO, UH, OVER $16 MILLION WORTH OF CUTS TO SOCIAL SERVICES, WE CAN EXPECT THAT CIVILIANS WILL NOT HAVE ANY COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS. 
          WE CAN EXPECT MUCH MORE DEEP CUTS FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          SO MY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF IS JUST TO GO OVER, I, I KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED A FEW OF THE CHANGES TO, TO SHOWCASE, UM, ALL OF THE EFFORTS. 
          AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT WERE, HAVE BEEN MADE, UH, TO DELIVER US A BALANCED BUDGET. 
          BUT I, I, I HIGHLIGHTED PULLING FROM OUR RESERVES, CUTTING OVERTIME, RESTRUCTURING STAFFING RATIOS, ZEROING OUT OUR HOUSING TRUST FUNDS, WHAT OTHER TRANSFERS OR CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE AS PART OF THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER US THIS BALANCED BUDGET. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTI. 
          UM, SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, ELEMENTS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, THOSE ARE PLANNED FOR FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          UM, AND, AND THOSE ARE THE MAJOR ITEMS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN TO BALANCE. 
          SO CAPITAL REHABILITATION, UM, TRANSFER THAT, I BELIEVE THAT WAS $11 MILLION, UM, REDUCTION IN THAT TRANSFER. 
          UM, HOUSING TRUST FUND IS ABOUT A $12 MILLION REDUCTION. 
          UM, THE CIVILIAN WAGE INCREASE FOR 27 FOR GENERAL FUND IS ABOUT $10 MILLION. 
          AND THAT COVERS GENERAL FUND AND THE PORTION OF THE SUPPORT SERVICES FUND THAT THE GENERAL FUND, UM, COVERS. 
          UM, AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE LARGE ADJUSTMENTS THAT IS, AND, AND THE ELIMINATION, EXCUSE ME, THIS IS, I KNOW THIS IS A MAJOR PIECE OF IT, THE ELIMINATION OF $16.8 MILLION FOR SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACT SUPPORT. 
          THOSE ARE ITEMS THAT WE HAD TO LOOK AND, AND SEE HOW DO, WHAT DEEP CUTS, WHAT CUTS COULD BE MADE WHERE WE WERE NOT END UP REDUCING STAFF LEVELS, UM, BEYOND THOSE THAT ARE, ARE ALREADY VACANT. 
          LOOKING AT VACANCIES IS ONE WAY TO PROVIDE SAVINGS, BUT TO MAKE, WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE, UM, DID NOT GET INTO A SPACE WHERE WE WERE LOOKING AT ELIMINATING OR DOING STARTING ARIF PROCESS OF OUR STAFF. 
          UM, AND SO THOSE ARE THE MAJOR AREAS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT TO HAVE AN IMPACT AND KEEP US BALANCED IN FISCAL YEAR 27 FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, MANY OF THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE, IT WAS TO MAKE SURE, AGAIN, THAT WE HAD THE MINIMAL IMPACT NOT ONLY ON STAFF, BUT ON THE SERVICES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO THESE CHANGES THAT YOU SEE, WHETHER IT IS ANIMAL SERVICES, UM, CHANGING OR REDUCING SOME OF THEIR CONTRACTED SERVICES OR THE, THE STAFFING CHANGES THAT, UM, HAVE BEEN DONE IN POLICE AND, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR FIRE, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE, WE LOOKED AT AND, AND WERE VERY AWARE OF HOW CAN WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS? HOW CAN WE BALANCE THE BUDGET WITHOUT REDUCING SERVICE LEVELS TO THE COMMUNITY? UM, I THINK PART OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE, YES, EVERY YEAR WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE IN ON WHAT DO WE NEED TO CHANGE, WHAT CAN WE REALLOCATE THAT AS PART OF THE NATURAL BUDGET PROCESS? UM, BUT ALSO THINKING THROUGH, EVEN WITH THOSE ADJUSTMENTS, EVEN WITH THOSE CHANGES, HOW CAN, WHAT THINGS CAN WE INVEST IN? AND SO I THINK WE, WE DID A GOOD JOB OF BALANCING THOSE TWO THINGS IN FISCAL YEAR 26, BUT YOU SEE THE DEEPER CUTS IN FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          I JUST WANNA HONE IN ON THE DEEPER CUTS TO FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          MM-HMM . 
          WE KNOW WE CAN EXPECT OVER $16 MILLION REDUCTION IN SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS. 
          CAN YOU ILLUMINATE WHAT 
          [01:40:01]
CONTRACTS THOSE INCLUDE? JUST A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHAT TYPE OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE CAN ANTICIPATE OVER $16 MILLION WORTH OF CUTS. 
          SO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL, UM, MONTHS, THE, WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED THE EXACT CONTRACTS TO THAT WOULD BE REDUCED. 
          AT THIS MOMENT. 
          WE LOOKED AT A 20% DECREASE ACROSS ALL SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS. 
          AND SO, UM, UPON THE, YOU KNOW, THE FINISHING OF, OF THE, UH, BUDGET, THEN WE WOULD GO BACK TO DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND WORK WITH THEM TO START IDENTIFYING WHAT SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS COULD BE IMPACTED. 
          START WORKING WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THESE, THIS IS, UM, POTENTIALLY COMING FORWARD IN FISCAL YEAR 27, SO THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM ENOUGH OF, UM, UH, UH, RUNWAY TO START LOOKING AT WHAT ADJUSTMENTS COULD BE MADE, UM, IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL BUDGETS. 
          BUT WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC CONTRACTS AT THIS MOMENT. 
          COLLEAGUES, I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL BEFORE US IS KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. 
          THERE ARE SOME MAJOR DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE AROUND ENSURING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DELIVER HIGH QUALITY, RELIABLE SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND AS PART OF THAT, WE HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS. 
          WE ARE FORCED INTO HAVING CONVERSATIONS ON A TAX RATE ELECTION, BUT IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE WANNA SPEND MORE MONEY. 
          IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DELIVER HIGH QUALITY, RELIABLE CITY SERVICES. 
          THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS CHANGED THE RULES, SO WE NOW FIND OURSELVES IN THIS SITUATION. 
          WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THAT SITUATION. 
          THERE ARE MANY OTHER CITIES WHO ARE IN SIMILAR PREDICAMENTS THAT WE ARE. 
          AND SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE SOME TOUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY IN THE COMING WEEKS AS WE DELIBERATE THE BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT IS BEFORE US. 
          UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD FOR YOU WAS AROUND THE, THE WAGE INCREASE. 
          AND I WANNA THANK SCOTT COBB FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION. 
          AS PART OF HIS EARLIER COMMENTS WHEN HE PROVIDED TESTIMONY, UM, YOU HAVE MENTIONED THAT THE PROPOSED MINIMUM WAGE FOR CITY WORKERS WILL BE AT A 22.05. 
          UH, IN THE QUESTION THAT OUR OFFICE SUBMITTED LAST YEAR, CITY STAFF SAID THAT IT WOULD BE AT A HIGHER RATE FOR THIS YEAR. 
          IT WAS, IT WAS PROJECTED AT A 22.28. 
          UM, AND IF WE WENT THROUGH A 4% INCREASE THAT THE MANAGER IS PROPOSING FOR, UH, FOR COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS, THEN OUR MINIMUM LIVING WAGE SHOULD BE AT 22.49. 
          SO CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH WHY THE PROPOSAL BEFORE US TODAY IS AT 2205? I WILL DO MY BEST. 
          I LOOK BACK TO SEE IF MY FRIENDS AT, UM, HUMAN RESOURCES WERE HERE AS WELL. 
          BUT THE, UM, POLICY FOR LI OR THE METHODOLOGY FOR THE LIVING WAGE INCREASE IS TO LOOK AT CPIU, UM, AND TO DETERMINE THE LIVING WAGE INCREASE BASED ON THAT AND FISCAL YEAR IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEARS, BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 22, THAT, AND LEMME BACK UP, LOOK AT CPIU, BUT DON'T GO OVER THE, ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASE FOR CIVILIANS IN PREVIOUS FISCAL YEARS, THE CPIU WAS 4.445% IN FISCAL YEAR 24, 6 0.4 IN FISCAL YEAR 23 AND 7.8 IN FISCAL YEAR 22. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU SAW THE 4% INCREASE OR THE EQUAL INCREASE TO THE, ACROSS THE BOARD AND THE LIVING WAGE IN THOSE PREVIOUS YEARS. 
          THIS YEAR IT IS AT 1.94 AND THAT'S HOW THE LIVING WAGE IS CALCULATED, I BELIEVE. 
          AND WHEN WE WERE, UH, PLANNING FISCAL YEAR 26, WE WERE PROJECTING WHAT WE THOUGHT THE LIVING WAGE OR THE CPIU WOULD BE. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD THE, THE 20, UM, THE EXTRA 63 CENTS I BELIEVE, IN THE, IN THE, UH, PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 26. 
          HOWEVER, WHEN WE RECEIVED THOSE NUMBERS IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, THAT'S WHEN WE UPDATE THE ACTUAL CALCULATION. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION OFFLINE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, UM, WAS BEFORE US, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE BEING PROVIDED, UM, THROUGH THE Q AND A PROCESS IS INFORMATION THAT WE CAN ENSURE GETS ACTUALLY BAKED INTO OUR POLICIES MOVING FORWARD. 
          AND I KNOW WE HAVE A POLICY ON RECORD REGARDING THE LIVING WAGE, SO I JUST WANNA BETTER UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES ON THIS ONE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THE OTHER AREA I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT REALLY QUICKLY HERE, AND I'LL YIELD THE FLOOR IS, UH, AROUND THE BUDGETARY SHOCKS ON OUR FEDERAL FUNDING CONTRACTS AND, AND GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED. 
          CAN WE HAVE SOMEONE SPEAK TO HOW THAT, UM, THE CUTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IN OUR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR GRANT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, HOW THAT'S AFFECTED THE BASE BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US? SO WE'VE LOOKED AT, UM, WE'VE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF REDUCTIONS OR, UH, FEDERAL GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, ELIMINATED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, PRIMARILY IN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, DEPARTMENT. 
          AND 
          [01:45:01]
ONCE WE RECEIVED THOSE ELIMINATIONS, MANY OF THOSE STAFF, SEVERAL OF THOSE STAFF, UM, WERE, UM, MOVED TO OTHER AREAS OR OFF THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, POSITIONS IN OTHER FUNCTIONS OR DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER TO OFFSET THE REDUCTION IN, UM, FUNDING. 
          UM, THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY HAS, UM, SOME THAT THEY'RE WATCHING A NUMBER OF GRANTS THAT THEY'RE WATCHING BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED, UM, FINAL NOTICE THAT THOSE GRANTS HAVE BEEN ENDING. 
          SO WE'RE WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENTS, BUT UM, AT THIS POINT WE HAVEN'T ADDED ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO THE GRANT FOR ANTICIPATED FEDERAL REDUCTIONS, UH, ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, I'M SORRY, TO THE BUDGET FOR ADDITIONAL, UH, FEDERAL REDUCTIONS. 
          SO THIS BASE BUDGET PROPOSAL DOES NOT HAVE ANY GAP FUNDING TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR RECOGNIZE ANY OF THE FEDERAL FUNDED PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE HAD AS PART OF OUR CITY SERVICES. 
          WE DON'T HAVE ANY GAP FUNDING TO COVER THOSE COSTS. 
          NONE AT THE MOMENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND AS PART OF THE BUDGET TIMELINE THAT YOU HAVE LAID OUT FOR US AT WHICH WORK SESSION, CAN WE, UH, ANTICIPATE A DEEPER DIVE ON THE FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS, WHICH REC SESSION? WHICH YOU WOULD YOU PREFER IT TO BE AT ? WE CAN, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL CONNECT WITH YOU OFFLINE AND HAVE OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MR. PRO. 
          TIM. 
          UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER VELA. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          UM, I THINK THIS IS EVERYONE'S FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR AT CITY HALL. 
          UM, SORRY. 
          SO APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S WORK. 
          AND, UH, I THINK IT WAS YESTERDAY WHEN WE GOT THE, THE PHYSICAL COPY OF THE BINDERS. 
          UH, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN. 
          UM, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S ON MY, IN MY, I'M SURPRISED YOU COULD PICK IT UP. 
          YEAH. 
          , I WAS GONNA SAY I HAD IT IN MY POCKET, BUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE A LIE. 
          UM, BUT NO, I, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS THAT, THAT KIND OF STOOD OUT TO ME. 
          UH, I'M SURE I'LL HAVE SOME MORE LATER, BUT I'M GONNA TRY TO KEEP, UH, MY, MY REMARKS AND MY, UH, QUESTIONS AS CONCISE AS POSSIBLE. 
          BUT ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT WAS I SAW THERE'S GONNA BE MORE PERSONNEL THAT ARE GONNA BE DEDICATED TO, UM, THE MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE AND COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE, UH, PARAMEDIC SECTION. 
          AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, I GUESS, MORE DETAIL WHAT THOSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THOSE POSITIONS WILL, WILL LOOK LIKE. 
          GIVE ME ONE SECOND. 
          SURE. 
          I AM GONNA ASK, UM, THE CHIEF LOOKED CHIEF TO COME TO AN EMERGENCY COME DOWN. 
           COUNCIL MEMBER, CAN YOU CLARIFY YOUR QUESTION AGAIN? YEAH. 
          UH, I WAS, I WAS SEEING IN THE, MY, MY NIGHTTIME READING THAT THERE'S GONNA BE, UH, NEW POSITIONS ADDED TO THE MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE AND COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC SECTION. 
          I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THOSE ROLES, YOU KNOW, DO THESE RESPONSIBILITIES WILL LOOK LIKE. 
          UH, IT'S ON PAGE 3 0 8 OF THE, UH, THE SMALL BOOK BINDER THAT WE HAVE NOW. 
          HE'S JUST SHOWING . 
          WE'RE LOOKING UP THAT PAGE JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ON THE QUESTIONS. 
          GREAT. 
          SO THE CHIEF CAN ANSWER, MAYBE WE COULD JUST GO ONTO THE NEXT QUESTION SURE. 
          AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS ONE IN A COUPLE MINUTES. 
          SURE. 
          UM, SO ANOTHER QUESTION ON STAFFING. 
          I SAW THAT WE'RE GONNA ADD 12 MORE NEW FTS IN THE HSO OFFICE, UH, AND THEN THEIR, YOU KNOW, AND THEIR ROLES ARE GONNA SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT OUTREACH AND ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO GET MORE DETAILS ON ON THAT AS WELL. 
          LET'S HAVE, UM, DAVID GRAY, OUR HOMELESS SURE. 
          STRATEGY OFFICER GONNA COME DOWN AND SPEAK TO ME. 
          DAVID'S COMING ON DOWN MORNING COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID GRAY, DIRECTOR OF THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          UH, CORRECT. 
          AS YOU MENTIONED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THERE'S 12 FTES FOR STREET OUTREACH AND ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT. 
          I THINK AS YOU AND THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, CURRENTLY OUR OFFICE HAS TWO, UH, TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES PERFORMING THOSE FUNCTIONS ON A DAILY BASIS ACROSS OUR CITY'S 300 SQUARE MILE AREA. 
          UH, HAVING THESE 12 FTES WILL ALLOW US TO ENHANCE WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IN THE STREETS AND WHAT THE PUBLIC WOULD EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO SEE IS QUICKER RESPONSE TIMES TO THE 3 1 1 CALLS, UH, IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR ABILITY TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS AND OUT OF ENCAMPMENTS AND GET THEM INTO SHELTER. 
          AND ALSO HELP OUR CLIENTS TRANSITION FROM THE STREETS AND INTO SHELTER SO THAT WE HAVE HIGHER RETENTION RATES WITHIN OUR SHELTER SYSTEM AND ULTIMATELY CAN CONNECT PEOPLE 
          [01:50:01]
FROM SHELTER INTO HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON, TO BE IN DOWNTOWN, UH, LATE FRIDAY NIGHT, UM, NOT ON SIXTH STREET PARTYING, BUT, UH, UH, I WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH A PD FROM ABOUT 12 TO LIKE THREE O'CLOCK. 
          UH, AND, AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THE WORK THAT HSO HAS DONE ON THE GROUND. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I HEARD YOUR PRAISES BEING SUNG, UH, THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT, SO, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND, AND HSO IN GENERAL. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, SHOULD I GO INTO ANOTHER QUESTION? OKAY. 
          UM, GREAT. 
          UH, I SAW, UM, AND FOREVER, WHOEVER CAN, AND, AND WANTS TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION THAT THERE'S GONNA BE TWO POSITIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE ELIMINATED FROM, UH, THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT. 
          UM, IF, IF YOU COULD JUST GET MORE DETAIL ON WHAT THOSE POSITIONS WILL BE AND WHY THEY'RE BEING ELIMINATED. 
          SO, SO FOR OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, UM, ONE POSITION WAS A TRANSFER. 
          UM, IT WAS A, UH, TRANSFER OF A, UH, EMPLOYEE FROM, FROM POLICE OVERSIGHT INTO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, UM, FOR SUPPORT IN, IN PART. 
          UM, AND THEN THE SECOND ONE, I BELIEVE IS A VACANCY, UM, THAT, UM, IN, IN, UM, OPOS RESTRUCTURING AND CREATION OF A, UH, DEPUTY, UH, OFFICER, THERE WAS A VACANCY THAT WAS NO LONGER NEEDED. 
          UM, AND SO THAT WAS THE, THE SECOND ELIMINATION. 
          GOT IT. 
          AND THEN YOU ALREADY KIND OF WENT INTO MY LAST QUESTION, UM, IS THAT ONE OF THE POSITIONS IS BEING TRANSFERRED INTO PARD. 
          UH, COULD YOU JUST GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON WHAT THAT NEW POSITION WILL, WILL LOOK LIKE? MY UNDERSTANDING IS GOING TO PROVIDE, UM, SOME FINANCIAL AND RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR THE DEPARTMENT. 
          GOT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, DO Y'ALL HAVE CLARITY ON, ON QUESTION NUMBER ONE YET? SO THEY'RE, SO THEY'RE STILL TALKING THROUGH THAT? I BELIEVE SO THE, THE, THE PAGE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THE PROGRAMMATIC PAGE, AND IT'S NOT NEW POSITIONS THAT, THAT ARE MOVED INTO THAT, UH, PROGRAM AREA, BUT IT IS A RESTRUCTURING INTERNALLY. 
          AND SO, UM, THE, THE CHIEF AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ARE TALKING THROUGH THAT, THAT INTERNAL REORGANIZATION WHERE ADDITIONAL SWORN POSITIONS WERE MAYBE MOVED FROM THEIR OPERATIONS OR OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT TO SUPPORT THE MOBILE, UM, INTEGRATED HEALTH. 
          GOT IT. 
          GREAT. 
          WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT CLARITY AND IF I HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, WE'LL FOLLOW UP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CODRE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS VELA, THEN ALTER. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          MY FIRST QUESTION IS GOING TO BE ABOUT REIMBURSEMENTS. 
          IT DIDN'T SEEM THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF DIRECTION IN THIS PRESENTATION ABOUT HOW MUCH ARE WE STILL OWED IN REIMBURSEMENTS AND HOW DO THOSE FACTOR INTO THE ANNUAL BUDGET, WHETHER THOSE ARE FROM FEMA OR STATE REIMBURSEMENTS OR ANY OTHER COSTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, PUT FORWARD UPFRONT. 
          SO WE HAVE, UM, A NUMBER OF ABOUT $38 MILLION OF FEMA REIMBURSEMENTS THAT, UM, WE ARE STILL AWAITING, UM, FINAL DECISION ON, UM, WE RECEIVED SOME, UM, AD ADVERSE, UM, DETERMINATIONS FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, SEVERAL, UH, WEEKS AGO. 
          AND, UM, WE ARE WORKING, OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT IS WORKING ALONG WITH OUR CONSULTANTS TO WORK THROUGH THE APPEAL PROCESS FOR THAT. 
          UM, THOSE FEMA REIMBURSEMENTS WILL GO INTO THE RESERVES OR IT WILL IMPACT THE RESERVES. 
          AND SO IF THERE ARE DOLLARS THAT, UM, WE EVENTUALLY GET THAT WILL GO INTO RESERVES IF WE ARE OWED DOLLARS OR IF WE OWE DOLLARS BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THEN THAT WILL HAVE TO COME OUTTA RESERVES BECAUSE THAT IS THE RESERVES IS WHERE WE USE THE, THE LEVER THAT WE USE TO DO MOST OF THE RESPONSE FOR, UM, FEMA. 
          AND THEN THERE'S ALSO, UM, MARA DOLLARS THAT WE ARE STILL AWAITING ON, UM, IN, IN REGARDS TO FEMA REIMBURSEMENTS, UM, IN REGARDS TO, UM, REIMBURSEMENTS FOR THINGS LIKE DEPLOYMENTS THAT IS, THAT HAPPENS AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL, UM, AND NOT AT THE RESERVE LEVEL. 
          AND SO ONCE DEPARTMENTS DEPLOY, THEY WORK WITH THOSE AGENCIES THAT REQUIRED, UM, THE ASSISTANCE, UM, AND THEN WORK THROUGH THAT, UM, REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS THROUGH THEM. 
          OKAY. 
          AND IS THE MARA REIMBURSEMENTS THE OLDEST ONES THAT WE HAVE YET TO RECEIVE FINAL WORD BACK ON? LET ME CHECK IN TO SEE WHICH ONES ARE STILL REMAINING AND I WILL, I WILL GET THAT ANSWER FOR YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M JUST CURIOUS 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT WE CONSTANTLY TAP INTO THE STABILIZATION RESERVES TO BE ABLE TO FLOAT THOSE DOLLARS. 
          WE KNOW THAT WE NEED OUR EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE TO BE ABLE TO BE IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN DISASTERS STRIKE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO BE AWARE THAT WE ARE FLOATING THIS BILL FOR, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK AT ONE POINT IT WAS FOUR OR FIVE YEARS OUT THAT THERE WERE STILL SOME DOLLARS THE CITY FELT WE WERE OWED AND THAT THE 
          [01:55:01]
AGENCIES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR APPROVING THOSE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GIVE US THOSE DOLLARS BACK YET. 
          SO I KNOW IT'S A LENGTHY PROCESS THAT TAKES A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, FORMALIZED, UM, INK ON PAPER, JUST REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT HOURS WERE WORKED, WHAT TYPE OF RESOURCES WERE USED, AND IF THOSE ARE APPROVED TO BE ABLE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR US. 
          BUT LOOKING AT $38 MILLION THAT COULD BE IN A STABILIZATION RESERVE FOR FUTURE DISASTERS IS SOMETHING THAT'S HIGH OF MIND FOR ME, THAT WE'RE KIND OF WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, COMPENSATED FOR THE SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, THE NEXT QUESTION THAT I'LL ASK IS ABOUT COMPRESSION. 
          I SEE THAT THERE'S SOME COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE, ARE PROPOSED IN THIS BUDGET. 
          UH, IT LOOKS LIKE NEXT YEAR IS GONNA BE QUITE UNCERTAIN ABOUT THAT. 
          BUT AS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES AND OTHER SORTS OF BONUSES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, DO WE FEEL THAT COMPRESSION IS BEING SUFFICIENTLY ADDRESSED IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE NOT IN YEAR ONE OR NOT WORKING FOR OUR MINIMUM WAGE RATES? YES. 
          WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AS, AS WE LOOKED AT NOT ONLY LIVING WAGE, BUT WHAT THE, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASES WOULDN'T HAVE THAT SAME COMPRESSION IMPACT. 
          BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS AND, AND IDENTIFY AREAS OF POTENTIAL COMPRESSION AS WE'VE LOOKED THROUGH THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN I KNOW THAT WE HAD PASSED AN ITEM THROUGH COUNCIL A COUPLE YEARS BACK ABOUT THE NEW, UM, THE NEW WORKDAY HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. 
          DOES THIS BUDGET INCLUDE DOLLARS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOLKS THAT WORKED FOR THE CITY TOOK A LITTLE TIME WORKING SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEN CAME BACK TO THE CITY THAT THOSE, UH, VACATION ACCRUALS AND OTHER SORTS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, TIME WORKED, COST INCREASES ARE, ARE BEING GIVEN TO THOSE EMPLOYEES? SUSANS IS COMING UP. 
          WELCOME. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          SUSAN SINS HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          YES. 
          THIS BUDGET HAS THAT IN THERE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND DO YOU KNOW IF THOSE, IF THOSE, UM, BENEFITS ARE BEING GIVEN TO PEOPLE FOR THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR AS WELL? WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET IN THERE THE NEXT COUPLE PAY PERIODS AND THEY'RE RETROACTIVE AND WE'RE TAKING CARE OF EVERYONE WHO HAS HAD, WHO FITS IN THAT CATEGORY, PREVIOUS SERVICE, AND MAKING SURE THEIR EARNING RATES REFLECTED OF THAT. 
          PERFECT. 
          AND BY NEXT COUPLE OF PAY PERIODS, DO YOU HAVE A DATE OR IS THAT, OH GOSH, I HOPE, WELL, WE HAD A WORKDAY IMPLEMENTATION AS, AS YOU Y'ALL ARE AWARE, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          AND, UH, PROBABLY IN, UM, COME THIS, NOT THIS CURRENT PAY, BUT PROBABLY THAT NEXT PAY, WE CAN HAVE THAT IN THERE. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL THAT'S, THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. 
          AND I'M NOT SURE IF THE NEXT QUESTION IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE THE ANSWER TO, BUT THERE WAS A SLIDE, UM, NUMBER 10 TALKING ABOUT OUR SWORN EMPLOYEES. 
          AND THIS YEAR THERE'S NO INCREMENTAL COST TO THE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR SWORN EMPLOYEES, BUT NEXT YEAR IT SAID THERE WOULD BE 3.2 MILLION. 
          IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS HAVING TO COVER? UM, I REALIZE THESE ARE, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS THAT GO THROUGH CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. 
          SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IN THE NEGOTIATION WE SAID THE CITY PAYS FOR OR THAT THE EMPLOYEES WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR? THOSE ARE OUR OVERALL, UM, UM, HEALTH BENEFIT COSTS. 
          SO THAT'S JUST, WE JUST BROKE IT OUT FOR SWORN VERSUS CIVILIAN IN THOSE SLIDES. 
          IF YOU LOOKED AT THE, UM, BEGINNING, I THINK, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT SLIDE IT IS, MAYBE SLIDE THREE WHERE WE TALK ABOUT OVERALL COST DRIVERS AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE INCREASE IN FISCAL YEAR 26 VERSUS FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          UM, SO THAT IS JUST BREAKING IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER TO SHOW WHAT THE COSTS THAT ARE RELATED TO SWORN, BUT THAT, THAT, THOSE ARE THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTIONS AS WE DO FOR ALL EMPLOYEES. 
          OKAY, I SEE THAT. 
          YEAH, IT WENT FROM 0% IN FISCAL YEAR 25, 26 TO 5% IN 26, 27. 
          CORRECT. 
          SO NO EMPLOYEES WILL HAVE TO FOOT THE COST OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE. 
          THAT'S ALL THE CITY SIDE FOR BOTH YEARS. 
          OKAY, PERFECT. 
          WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR. 
          UM, I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT PARKS. 
          I SEE IN YOUR SLIDE THERE IS A MENTION OF YOUTH ATHLETIC FIELDS BEING IMPROVED AT REC REC CENTERS. 
          I'M CURIOUS ABOUT YOUTH ATHLETIC FIELDS THAT ARE NOT AT A REC CENTER. 
          CAN YOU SPEAK TO, IS THERE NUANCE THERE OR IS IT JUST UM, ALL, ALL YOUTH ATHLETIC FIELDS THE CITY HAS DOES SUPPORT, UM, SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE, UM, FIELDS THAT ARE NOT CITY ON FIELDS. 
          SO THAT SUPPORT IS ALREADY, ALREADY THERE. 
          UM, WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT THE FIELDS NEXT TO THE REC CENTER GET THE SAME KIND OF MAINTENANCE AND TREATMENT AND UPKEEP. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT 3 75 IS PARTICULAR FOR, UH, THE CITY OWNED FIELDS. 
          OKAY. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S ONE IN MY DISTRICT THAT THE CITY OWNS THE LAND, BUT THERE IS A YOUTH SOCCER CLUB THAT HAS, I THINK IT'S A LEASE MM-HMM . 
          TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE THERE. 
          IS THAT NOT 
          [02:00:01]
INCLUDED? BECAUSE THE PEOPLE LEASING THOSE FIELDS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE? I BELIEVE. 
          I BELIEVE IT'S A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. 
          UM, I, I THINK WHAT WE WERE REALLY WORKING TO DO AS, AS A CITY IS MAKE SURE WE JUST FOCUSED ON THE CITY OWNED, UM, FACILITIES. 
          AND I BE YES, SIR. 
          JESUS, COME ON UP. 
          AND WE HAVE OUR PARKS DIRECTOR HERE. 
          . 
          GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          MORNING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES. 
          UM, SO THE WAY THE, THE FIELDS THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING ARE MANAGED THROUGH YOUTH SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, CONTRACT WE HAVE WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROVIDE THE BASIC MAINTENANCE. 
          THE FIELDS THAT, UH, WE ADDED FUNDING FOR THIS YEAR ARE THE ONES THAT ARE ADJACENT TO THE COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT WE JUST HAVE CONTRACTS THAT SUPPORT THOSE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND ARE THERE ANY OTHER ATHLETIC FIELDS THAT DON'T FALL INTO EITHER OF THOSE TWO CATEGORIES? UM, YES. 
          WE HAVE SOME, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ARE ON CONTRACT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          WE HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THERE'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY THAT WE MANAGE ALL THE FIELDS. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ALL MAINTAINED AT, AT, AT THE SAME LEVEL. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S HELPFUL. 
          AND THEN YOU MAY WANNA STAY UP HERE BECAUSE I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM. 
          IT APPEARS THAT THE DOLLARS ARE GOING DOWN FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM. 
          IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD SPEAK TO THE DECISION TO DO THAT? UM, I SEE MR. NOT OUR TPW, THAT'S FOR TPW, SO, OKAY. 
          WELL, THE EXAMPLE IN MY DISTRICT IS PARK , BUT I GUESS THE MONEY'S COMING THROUGH TPW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          YES. 
          THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM HAD BEEN RECEIVING OUT OF THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS OPERATING BUDGET, A SET AMOUNT EACH YEAR. 
          AND THAT AMOUNT'S BEING ELIMINATED. 
          HOWEVER, THEY STILL DO HAVE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE DELIVERING FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE FUNDED BY PRIOR BONDS. 
          AND THAT WORK WELL CONTINUE AND ALL PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE COMMITTED TO WITH THE COMMUNITY WILL BE COMPLETED. 
          OKAY. 
          AND DO YOU KNOW THE POPULARITY OF THAT PROGRAM RIGHT NOW? I KNOW THE FOLKS IN MY DISTRICT MANY YEARS AGO CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA THAT INSTEAD OF CREATING A CONNECTOR STREET, THEY WANTED TO CREATE A MORE PARK SPACE PATHWAY TO TWO SCHOOLS THAT WERE ADJACENT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          ARE THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS STILL BEING IMPLEMENTED OR HAVE PEOPLE, UM, STOPPED GETTING INFORMATION THAT, THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY HAVE IF THEY WANNA VOLUNTEER TO BEAUTIFY THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD? YEAH, IT VARIES THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. 
          WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC OUTREACH, UH, PERSON THAT IS ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM. 
          THEY WILL STILL BE ENGAGED IN PUBLIC OUTREACH. 
          WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY FACING PROGRAMS THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT. 
          UM, BUT WE STILL ARE RECEIVING APPLICATIONS AND WE'RE STILL ADMINISTERING THOSE FORWARD. 
          UM, AND SO MY EXPECTATION IS THAT WHILE THIS DIVISION ITSELF WILL, UH, NO LONGER BE IN EXISTENCE, THE WORK WILL BE ABSORBED IN THE REMAINING DEPARTMENT. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION. 
          AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WILL BE ABOUT THE MENTION OF AUSTIN ENERGY REBATES AND INCENTIVES. 
          CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT IF THERE'S JUST GONNA BE ADDED DOLLARS INTO THE EXISTING PROGRAMS OR IF THERE'S ANY NEW PROGRAMS THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS HOPING TO IMPLEMENT? AND I SEE MR. RILEY IS GETTING UP IN CASE HE GETS TO THE ANSWER FASTER THAN . 
          GOOD MORNING, STUART RILEY, AUSTIN ENERGY INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER. 
          SO THE 3.6 MILLION I BELIEVE, IN ADDITIONAL CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS. 
          REBATES IN THIS BUDGET IS FOR EXISTING PROGRAMS. PLUS WE'RE WORKING ON LAUNCHING A, UH, BATTERY STORAGE CUSTOMER REBATE PROGRAM. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SHORT AND SWEET. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT DOES IT FOR MY QUESTIONS. 
          I'LL TURN IT BACK TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          BUR NEXT STEP WE'LL HAVE COUNCIL REVELLA FOLLOWED BY ALTER SIEGEL, THEN UCHIN. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR PRO TEM. 
          UM, FIRST I, I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE, UH, THE, THE FIRE CHIEF AND THE POLICE CHIEF ON THE, THE OVERTIME REDUCTIONS. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY LONG TERM CONTROLLING THE, UH, BUDGET IS A MATTER OF CONTROLLING PUBLIC SAFETY COSTS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE PUBLIC SAFETY COSTS ARE SUCH A HUGE PART OF OUR BUDGET AND, UH, $8 MILLION IN OVERTIME REDUCTIONS FROM THE, THE FIRE, UH, BUDGET AND, UH, ABOUT 9 MILLION FROM THE POLICE BUDGET. 
          UH, I, I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AND THAT'S GONNA GO A LONG WAY TOWARD, UH, UH, CLOSING THAT GAP AND, AND THANK THE CITY MANAGER AND, AND, AND THE BUDGET OFFICE STAFF AS WELL. 
          THAT WAS, UH, UH, REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE SEEING THAT. 
          UM, QUESTION ON THE, UM, WE RECENTLY, UH, IMPLEMENTED OUR, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UH, COLLECTION, THE NEW KIND OF SYSTEM, THE NEW RULES THAT WE SET UP. 
          DO WE KNOW WHAT THOSE COLLECTIONS ARE LOOKING, UH, LIKE, AND AGAIN, I'M 
          [02:05:01]
NOT EVEN SURE HONESTLY IF WE RECEIVED THAT FIRST TRAN OF PAYMENTS FROM WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED THE PROGRAM, BUT ANY SENSE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? I THINK IN THE SHORT TERM, THE MOVE TO TWO YEARS MEANS WE'RE GONNA SEE A LITTLE DIP BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL GET, UH, A LONGER TIMEFRAME. 
          AND THEN LOOKING INTO 27, WE SEE IT GOING BACK UP. 
          SO IT'S HARD TO SAY NOW BECAUSE THERE'S THE DISTORTION FROM THE CHANGE IN THE FEE REGIME. 
          UH, WELL, I WAS THINKING NOT NECESSARILY IN THE FEE REGIME, BUT MORE IN THE HOTEL MOTEL TAX THAT, 'CAUSE BEFORE WE HAD THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR SHORT TERM RENTALS WERE NOT PAYING INTO, UH, THE, THE SYSTEM. 
          UH, THEY WERE INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE, BUT NOW THE PLATFORMS ARE MAKING THEM, ARE COLLECTING THE MONEY, YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, WELL REALLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, GUESTS. 
          UH, DO WE HAVE THAT FIRST PAYMENT FROM THE COMPTROLLER? DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE ON THOSE SHORT-TERM RENTAL? UH, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION RIGHT NOW, WE WILL GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE IF THAT, IF THERE IS ANY CHANGE OR SOMETHING THAT INDICATES THAT THERE'S AN INCREASE IN, IN REVENUE BECAUSE OF THOSE, UM, SHORT-TERM RENTALS BEING ADDED IN OR THAT REC THAT RECOGNIZED REVENUE. 
          UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW. 
          GOT IT. 
          I JUST, THERE WAS A LOT OF ANECDOTES ABOUT HOW MUCH WE WERE MISSING OUT ON AND, UH, ASSURE, UH, WILL BE NICE TO, TO SEE WHAT THAT, UH, MONEY ACTUALLY ADDS UP TO. 
          UM, ON PAGE SIX THERE WAS A MENTION OF HARD TO FILL, UH, POSITIONS, A SALARY SURVEY, UH, AND, UH, LOOKING AT THE HARD TO FILL, UH, POSITIONS AND, AND SALARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR THOSE. 
          WHAT, WHICH POSITIONS, UH, ARE THOSE, AND THEN AGAIN, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, KIND OF WHAT KIND OF POSITIONS ARE WE LOOKING AT ON THOSE? I'M GONNA ASK SUSAN OR UM, REBECCA TO COME UP. 
          AND JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S REFERENCES, I'M ON PAGE SIX WHERE IT SAYS MARKET STUDY SALARY ADJUSTMENTS, ANNUALIZED EXPENSES FROM STUDY OF HARD TO FILL TRADE TITLES IMPLEMENTED MID FY 25. 
          YEP. 
          SUSAN, SINCE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR HERE WITH THE CITY, UM, WE ARE ENGAGING IN A STUDY BECAUSE WE REALLY NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE COMPETITIVE WITH OUR, UM, MARKET. 
          AND OF COURSE, INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY, MOSTLY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF HARD TO FILL POSITIONS AND WE WANT TO HAVE THE CORRECT DATA TO RANK THOSE POSITIONS AND TO RECRUIT FROM THOSE POSITIONS. 
          MOSTLY THEY, THERE'S TRADES POSITIONS IN THERE, THERE IS, UM, IT POSITIONS IN THERE AND JUST THOSE ARE SOME EXAMPLES AND WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THE DUE DILIGENCE TO ENSURE WE'RE NOT OVER INFLATING ANYTHING, BUT WE ARE CONSISTENT AND THEN GEARING THE REST OF OUR COMPENSATION PLAN TO, UM, TO JUST, UH, REFLECT THAT EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL, UH, COMPETITIVENESS. 
          GOT IT. 
          SO THIS IS AN ONGOING STUDY, NOT AN A COMPLETED STUDY WITH THE WAGE ADJUSTMENTS ALREADY BAKED IN? CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          GOT IT. 
          UH, AND AGAIN, MY SENSE WOULD BE, AGAIN, ENGINEERING, UH, IT AND, AND SOME OF THE TRADES, YOU KNOW, YOUR ELECTRICAL, YOUR HVAC, THOSE KINDS OF POSITIONS. 
          CORRECT. 
          WERE THE ONES THAT, WHERE WE'RE NOT QUITE COMPETITIVE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND, AND WE'RE LOSING TOO MANY FOLKS. 
          UH, THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, WE ON PAGE COUNCIL MEMBER, YES. 
          WE HAVE AN ANSWER TO THE, UH, HOTEL OE TAX THE FIRST QUARTER UNDER THE NEW ORDINANCE ENDED JUNE 30TH. 
          SO THEY HAVE ANOTHER MONTH TO FINISH THEIR PAYMENT. 
          SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION RIGHT NOW. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, ON ON PAGE 11, WE HAVE THE IT IN, IN, IN, IN, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT BUMP IN THE IT, UM, $6.4 MILLION PROPOSED. 
          AND THEN, UH, AGAIN, DROPPING THAT BACK TO 2.8 MILLION, THE 26 27, UM, WHAT THAT $6.4 MILLION, UH, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? COULD, COULD, COULD WE, COULD YOU BREAK THAT DOWN JUST A BIT? AND AGAIN, I'M ON PAGE 11, INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COST ALLOCATIONS AND TRANSFERS AT THAT $6.4 MILLION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 25, 26. 
          IT'S ONE BIG COMPONENT OF THAT, WHY IT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN YOU MIGHT EXPECT JUST BASED ON, UH, GENERAL COST DRIVERS. 
          WE FUNDED A LOT OF, UH, CRITICAL IT REPLACEMENTS WITH RESERVE DOLLARS LAST YEAR TO KIND OF SMOOTH OUT THAT INCREASE BECAUSE OF A DIFFERENT PRIOR YEAR ISSUE THEN. 
          UM, AND SO WE'VE TRIED TO BUILD SOME OF THAT BACK INTO THEIR ONGOING BUDGET BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THOSE REPLACEMENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS. 
          SO YOU GET A LITTLE BIT M UH, LARGER BUMP THIS YEAR. 
          AND, AND, AND JUST, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT AN IT PERSON, BUT IS THIS HARDWARE INVESTMENTS, SOFTWARE INVESTMENTS? UH, IT CONTRACTS JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY. 
          SO THE THINGS THAT ARE INCREASING, THERE ARE 
          [02:10:01]
CONTRACTUAL INCREASES FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR OUR MICROSOFT, UM, LI LICENSE, AS ERIC SAID, THE, UH, TRANSFER WERE KEPT INTENTIONALLY LOW LAST YEAR. 
          'CAUSE WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY IN THAT FUND'S ENDING BALANCE, BUT NOW WE GOTTA BRING THE, UH, THE, THE TRANSFER AMOUNTS FROM THE DEPARTMENTS BACK UP TO THE ANNUAL COST. 
          BUT THERE ARE NO, YOU KNOW, BIG NEW INCREASES. 
          WE'RE NOT IMPLEMENTING ANY NEW MM-HMM . 
          UH, UH, MAJOR SYSTEMS AS PART OF THIS BUDGET OR ADDING STAFF, BUT IT IS JUST ROUTINE COST DRIVERS. 
          SAME THING YOU SEE IN THE GENERAL FUND. 
          UM, WAGES, HEALTH INSURANCE, UH, RETIREMENT SYSTEMS, AND SOME CONTRACTUAL INCREASES. 
          GOT IT. 
          SO THEY'RE NOT NEW INVESTMENTS, IT'S JUST A BUDGETING KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UH, GIMMICK IS THE WRONG WORD, BUT, YOU KNOW, , UH, UH, BUDGETING REALITY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, UH, THE, THE DEPARTMENT'S PAID FROM AND NOW THEY'RE TRANSFERRING TO THE, TO THE, THE GENERAL FUND, I GUESS. 
          RIGHT. 
          OR I MEAN, ON SOME OF OUR GENERAL, SOME OF THAT, SOME OF THAT, AND SOME OF IT IS JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A BIG ORGANIZATION WITH A BIG IT BUDGET. 
          SO WHEN M YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE AN INCREASE IN OUR MICROSOFT CONTRACTUAL COSTS IS, IT'S, IT COULD BE MILLIONS, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 3.2 MILLION. 
          IT WAS JUST RELATED TO OUR MICROSOFT LICENSE. 
          GOT IT. 
          UM, ON PAGE 13, UM, THERE IS THE $8 MILLION IN ONE-TIME FUNDING, UH, PROVIDED THROUGH THE HOUSING TRUST FUND FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER OPERATIONS. 
          UM, WHAT IS THE BALANCE OF THE HOUSING TRUST FUND AND WHERE ARE THE REVENUES THAT ARE IN THE HOUSING TRUST FUND? WHERE ARE THOSE COMING FROM? SO THE HOUSING TRUST FUND RECEIVES A TRANSFER IN FROM THE GENERAL FUND, AND THEN THERE IS THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS, UM, REVENUE THAT COMES INTO THE HOUSING TRANSFER FUND AS WELL. 
          UM, I AM PULLING UP THE FUND BALANCE. 
          UM, AND, AND SO OVER THE LAST PROBABLY YEAR AND A HALF, UM, THE BUDGET TEAM AND THE HOUSING TEAM HAS WORKED CLOSELY TOGETHER TO LOOK AT WHAT DOLLARS, UM, FOR PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS WERE IN THEIR, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IN THEIR CIP BUCKET. 
          UM, AND, AND LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT THOSE DOLLARS WERE A BETTER FIT IN OPERATIONS, UM, OR IN THEIR OPERATING BUDGET. 
          AND SO, UM, OVER THIS FISCAL YEAR, OVER THIS PROPOSED, UH, BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, UM, THERE WAS ABOUT $10 MILLION IDENTIFIED. 
          THAT WAS A, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE FROM CIP BACK INTO THE OPERATING BUDGET TO HELP SUPPORT, UM, THIS, UH, TO HELP SUPPORT THE, THE CONTINUING OF THE MARSHALING YARD AND FISCAL YEAR 26, UM, WHILE STILL MAINTAINING THEIR CURRENT SERVICE LEVELS OR DOING SOME INCREASES IN EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE. 
          UM, WE ARE ESTIMATING TO END, UM, FISCAL YEAR 25 IN THAT BUDGET AT 13.2 MILLION. 
          AND THEN, I'M SORRY. 
          YES. 
          AND THEN WE WILL, UM, END FISCAL YEAR 26 WITH, UH, ZERO IN THE, IN THE FUND BALANCE, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE PROGRAMMING ALL OF THE DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THE, THE DOLLARS, UH, AGAIN, EITHER OBVIOUSLY WE CAN TRUST FOR GENERAL FUNDS IN THERE, YOU KNOW, AT, AT, UH, OUR, AT AVAILABILITY, RIGHT. 
          AT OUR, OUR DISCRETION. 
          BUT THEN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS, UH, ALSO THE, THOSE HOUSING DOLLARS THAT ARE GENERATED BY, YOU KNOW, THE SKYSCRAPERS DOWNTOWN, THOSE ARE GOING INTO THE HOUSING, UH, TRUST FUND. 
          CORRECT. 
          UH, UH, COM UH, COMPLETELY AGREE THAT WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO FUND THE MARSHALING YARD, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT COMPLETELY DRAINING THE HOUSING TRUST FUND TO FUND THE MARSHALING YARD. 
          UH, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE, THE ADDITION OF, UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH, BUT, YOU KNOW, $400,000 OR SO INTO THE, THE TENANT, UH, ASSISTANCE FUND. 
          UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT AS A LONG TERM FUND THAT IS THERE, AS OPPOSED TO KIND OF USING THAT, THE, YOU KNOW, THE $8 MILLION OF THE $12 MILLION. 
          SO THAT'S IN THE FUND. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ONE. 
          UH, MY, MY GUT SENSE WOULD BE THAT THAT'S A MORE OF A-A-T-R-E, UH, TYPE DISCUSSION ITEM. 
          I KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE GOTTA PASS IT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOTTA MAKE THE BUDGET BEFORE WE, WE, WE TAKE THE VOTE ON THE, THE TRE, BUT, UH, I JUST HAVE REAL CONCERNS WITH COMPLETELY DRAINING THE HOUSING TRUST FUND. 
          'CAUSE THEN I GUESS THE IMPLICATION WOULD BE THAT THERE WOULD BE NO MORE TENANT ASSISTANCE IN THE 27, UH, TIMEFRAME, OR IT WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT OF, UH, UH, GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, HUH? CORRECT. 
          AND FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, UM, WE SHOW THE ELIMINATION OF THE TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND INTO THE HOUSING TRUST FUND. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO FOR 27, THERE ARE NO FUNDS AVAILABLE EXCEPT 
          [02:15:01]
FOR THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS REVENUE. 
          SO WE NEED SOME MORE SKYSCRAPERS GOING UP QUICK. 
          UH, ALL RIGHT. 
          UH, I'LL, I'M GONNA RETURN TO THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO, UH, UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON AND, AND, AND I THINK I DO, UM, RECYCLED READS, UH, I'VE DROPPED OFF MANY BOOKS OVER AT THE  RECYCLE WEEDS, AND WHEN WE SAY WE'RE, WE'RE CLOSING IT, THAT'S THE, THE STOREFRONT ON, IS IT ON BURNETT? IS IT STILL ON? BURNETT IS, IS, YES. 
          UH, OKAY. 
          , HECK, EVERYBODY. 
          YES. 
          YEAH. 
          IT WAS A VERY CONFIDENT ANSWER. 
          , IT'S BEEN A WHILE, HONESTLY, SINCE I'VE BEEN, BUT THE LAST TIME I WENT, UH, IT WAS, UH, UH, UP ON NORTH, UH, UH, BURNETT, UH, AND, AND THE PROGRAM, IT SAYS WE'LL CONTINUE, UH, TO ALLOW FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE PROGRAM ACROSS THE LIBRARY SYSTEM THERE. 
          UH, ANY, UH, I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK OR, OR, OR WHAT THAT THAT IS. 
          AND FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, RECYCLED READS IS A, IS A REALLY KIND OF A, A DONATION BOOKSTORE THAT THE CITY RUNS AND OPERATES AS PART OF THE, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM. 
          UH, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT LITTLE STORE FOR THOSE THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN HANNAH TERRELL, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. 
          UM, WE'RE VERY EXCITED. 
          FIRST OF ALL, LET ME EXPLAIN THE LEASE. 
          IT IS A LEASE SPACE. 
          THE LEASE ENDS MARCH 31ST, 2026. 
          UH, SO IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK TO SEE HOW COULD WE EITHER ABSORB THAT, UM, AND WE CAN, WE HAVE, UM, BOOK SALES IN EACH OF OUR BRANCHES CURRENTLY. 
          AND SO TAKING THE INVENTORY THAT'S IN THE RECYCLE RES AT 53 35 BURNETT ROAD, PUTTING IT IN ALL OF OUR BRANCHES, EXPANDING THE ALREADY BOOK SALES THAT ARE THERE, UH, WE ALSO HAVE TOOL LIBRARY. 
          WE'LL BE AT OUR XERO GOSO WAREHOUSE, WHICH IS NEXT TO THE ZEPEDA BRANCH, AS WELL AS PASSPORT SERVICES THAT IS WITHIN THAT LOCATION THAT WE WILL BE MOVING THAT TO THE YARBOROUGH BRANCH. 
          SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS BEING EVEN MORE EQUITABLE ECONOMIC AND EFFICIENT PROCESS. 
          UH, BECAUSE, AND, AND ALSO TOO, WHICH WAS VERY IMPORTANT, THE MISSION OF IT WAS TO CONTINUE TO DIVERT FROM THE LANDFILL. 
          WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING THAT WITH GOODWILL OF CENTRAL TEXAS, AS WELL AS LOOKING TO EXPAND IT WITH BETTER WORLD BOOKS. 
          SO OUR NORMAL, OUR, OUR CENTRAL MISSION STILL BEING ACCOMPLISHED, UH, BUT WE'RE BEING MORE EQUITABLE, ECONOMIC AND EFFICIENT BY HAVING IT IN ALL OF OUR, UH, LOCATIONS. 
          GREAT. 
          UH, THANK YOU, UH, SO MUCH FOR THE EXPLANATION. 
          HONESTLY, UH, I THINK WE HAVE THE, THE ROOM AND THE, AND THE CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY TO KIND OF HAVE A RECYCLED READS AT AT VIRTUALLY EVERY BRANCH. 
          AND, AND THAT SEEMS LIKE A, A PERFECTLY REASONABLE, UH, SOLUTION. 
          SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR CLARIFYING THAT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I THINK THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION. 
          JUST WHAT'S OUR, OUR SWORN, UH, POLICE OFFICER COUNT, UH, RIGHT NOW? WHERE, WHERE ARE WE AT ON THE TOTAL? AND I'M SORRY, I WAS TRYING TO FIND IT ONLINE. 
          I, I JUST, I COULDN'T, UH, 1,819 POLICE SWORN FTES IN 26 BUDGETED, RIGHT? YES. 
          AND, BUT WHAT IS A CURRENT, UH, EMPLOYED, UH, SWORN OFFICER COUNT? LAST I CHECKED, IT WAS IN THE 1400 RANGE. 
          UH, I THINK WE DID BELOW 1400 FOR A MINUTE, AND THEN WE'RE BACK OVER, LIKE, WE'RE AT 14, 25 ISH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT THE CURRENT NUMBER WAS. 
          OKAY. 
          14 20 14 20 14 20 ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND THE PERSONNEL, PERSONNEL NUMBERS FOR ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS IS ON PAGE 9 0 4 OF THE BUDGET DOCUMENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND WE DON'T BLAME YOU FOR NOT MAKING IT THAT FAR. 
          , UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY PROBABLY DID. 
          BUT, UH, , THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER BAYLA, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL, AND COUNCIL MEMBER DUCH. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, OF COURSE, THANKS TO THE, THE BUDGET STAFF. 
          I KNOW HOW HARD Y'ALL BEEN WORKING, HOW MANY HOURS YOU'VE BEEN WORKING, AND SO, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK THAT HAS GONE TO GET US WHERE WE ARE TODAY. 
          AND I, I'M ENCOURAGED THAT CARRIE'S WEARING THE, THE GREEN JACKET, NOT THE RED JACKET TODAY. 
          SO, , UH, MAKE, MAKES ME FEEL LIKE THERE'S HOPE HERE. 
          UM, 
          [02:20:01]
I, YOU KNOW, I WANNA START A LITTLE BIT BY REITERATING WHAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM MENTIONED. 
          YOU KNOW, THIS BUDGET DOES MORE THAN JUST CUT OUT FAT. 
          YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE HIT SOME BONE AND YOU LOOK AT NEXT YEAR, WE GO THROUGH THE BONE. 
          UH, THERE ARE REAL IMPACTS TO PEOPLE THAT WE SEE IN THIS BUDGET. 
          AND IT'S THAT WAY BECAUSE THE STATE HAS ARTIFICIALLY CAPPED WHAT WE CAN DO. 
          AND ULTIMATELY WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO AUSTIN RESIDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE NO MIS NO MISTAKES. 
          THESE, THESE COSTS SHOW UP SOMEWHERE, RIGHT? FOR, IF WE DON'T BRING AN INDIVIDUAL OFF THE STREETS AND INTO A HOUSE, WE PAY FOR THEM IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM THROUGH OFTEN A PD RESPONSE, HOMELESS STRATEGY, OFFICE RESPONSE. 
          UH, OUR JAILS BEING THE MEN, THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF MENTAL HEALTH IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          IF SOMEONE CAN'T WALK TO A PARK, THEN THAT HAS NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THEIR HEALTH, OR THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE EXTRA TIME TO GET IN THEIR CAR AND GO FIND A SPACE WHERE THEY CAN ENJOY, UH, SOME PEACE AND SOME NATURE. 
          THERE ARE REAL IMPACTS TO WHAT WE HAVE IN THIS BUDGET. 
          AND I FULLY, UH, RECOGNIZE THAT THERE WERE HARD CHOICES THAT HAD TO GO INTO MAKING IT. 
          I'M, I'M NOT CRITICAL THAT THIS IS THE PRODUCT BECAUSE WE WERE FORCED TO MAKE IT. 
          IT'S, IT'S WHAT WE DO WITH IT AND HOW WE, UH, TAKE IT FORWARD AND ULTIMATELY DELIVER THE HIGH QUALITY SERVICES THAT AUSTINITES DESERVE. 
          I DO WANT TO, UH, START ON THE PRESENTATION HERE. 
          THE HEALTH COSTS. 
          ON, ON SLIDE SIX, WE HAD A LITTLE DISCUSSION OF THIS. 
          IS THE, ON THE HEALTH INSURANCE? NO, NO ANNUAL INCREASE FROM, UH, THE CITY CONTRIBUTIONS, NO INCREASE FOR EMPLOYEES IN THIS BUDGET. 
          NEXT YEAR, 5%, STILL NO INCREASE ON EMPLOYEES. 
          WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE DID INCREASE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS? DO YOU KNOW? FISCAL YEAR 23. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WHAT I HAVE SEEN SO MANY TIMES IN, IN GOVERNMENT BUDGETING IS YOU HOLD SOMETHING, HOLD, HOLD, HOLD, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE A BIG JUMP. 
          RIGHT? INSTEAD OF DOING THAT GLIDE PATH, 1%, 2% ANNUALLY, AND, YOU KNOW, 5% IS NOT CRAZY, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT STAIR STEP FROM ZERO. 
          UM, WHEN, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FUND THAT THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND, WHICH FUNDS THIS, THAT IS A COMBINATION OF EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS, AND THEN CITY GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS, ALL, ALL FUNDS, CONTRIBUTIONS. 
          SO EVERYBODY GOES PUT CON, CONTRIBUTES TO THE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT FUND. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHEN WE GET TO THE, I THINK IT WAS ON SLIDE, WELL, YOU HAVE SWORN HEALTH INSURANCE HERE, BUT WHY THAT THAT NUMBER IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER? IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER. 
          I, I CAN GO BACK AND FIND IT, BUT THAT MAKES, UM, SENSE. 
          SO IF WE, DO YOU RUN A SCENARIO OF DO, OF EMPLOYEE HEALTH CONTRIBUTION INCREASES? LIKE IF THEY WERE TO INCREASE 1% MORE, WHAT, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FROM AN OFFSETTING OF CITY RESPONSIBILITY, WE LOOK AT SCENARIOS BASED ON CHANGES TO THE PLANS, AND WE WORK WITH HR TO LOOK AT WHAT THAT INCREASE COULD BE IF, IF THERE ARE CHANGES TO THE PLAN. 
          UM, THIS YEAR, UM, DURING THE, UM, DEVELOPMENT OF, OF THE, OF THE BUDGET, UM, AND, AND MONTHS IN PREPARING FOR IT, WE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH HR TO LOOK AT THE EBF IN PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND IN PARTICULAR, TO, UM, UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, WHAT ENDING BALANCE WE NEEDED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE AREN'T ANY BIG JUMPS OR CHANGES EITHER FOR EMPLOYEES OR FOR CITY CONTRIBUTIONS. 
          AND SO, UM, IN, IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, YOU SEE THE POLICY CHANGE AND AUDIT FINANCE COMMITTEE LOOKED AT THAT POLICY CHANGE FOR THE EBF TO MAKE SURE WE HAD, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S A 20% ENDING BALANCE TO HELP WITH CHANGES THAT MAY HAPPEN, UM, IN, IN THAT FUND. 
          AND I THINK THAT WILL ALLOW FOR, UM, LESS OF THOSE BIG INCREASES OR THOSE BIG SWINGS YEAR OVER YEAR FOR BOTH, UM, THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION AND FOR EMPLOYEES. 
          AND DO WE, ARE THE SWORN EMPLOYEES, IS THEIR CONTRIBUTION SET IN CONTRACT, OR DO WE HAVE THE DISCRETION TO INCREASE DECREASE? NO, ALL EMPLOYEES ARE PAID 
          [02:25:01]
BY THE CITY. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S NOT PART OF THEIR CONTRACT. 
          IT IS A CITY BENEFIT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I, I WANTED TO GET A CLARIFICATION. 
          I I ALWAYS MESS THIS UP. 
          THE, THE LIVING WAGE THAT JUST APPLIES TO TEMP WORKERS OR CONTRACTORS, IS THAT CORRECT? TEMP WORKERS AND OUR CONTRACTS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WHEN WE RAISE THE 4%, WHOEVER IS AT THE MINIMUM, THEY'RE GETTING, IF THEY'RE A CITY EMPLOYEE, THEY'RE GETTING THAT 4%. 
          BUT IF YOU'RE A TEMP EMPLOYEE, THAT'S WHERE THIS DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE 4% AND THE 1.97% THE EXPERT IS COMING DOWN TO GIVE HER EXPERTISE. 
          HI, REBECCA KENNEDY. 
          WITH HUMAN RESOURCES, THE LIVING WAGE APPLIES, APPLIES TO EVERYONE. 
          SO OUR REGULAR EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS OUR TEMPS AND, AND, AND OUR CONTRACTORS. 
          SO WHEN WE RAISE THE LIVING WAGE, IT RAISES THE, THE FLOOR FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE PAID POTEN, POTENTIALLY LESS THAN THAT. 
          BUT IF YOU'RE AN EMPLOYEE RIGHT NOW WHO'S MAKING, UH, 21, WHAT IS IT, 21 63 3, AND YOU'RE A CITY EMPLOYEE, YOU'RE GONNA GET THE 4% BUMP. 
          CORRECT. 
          SO YOU'RE GONNA GO UP TO 2249. 
          OUR METHODOLOGY HAS GENERALLY BEEN TO MOVE THEM UP TO THE NEW LIVING WAGE AND THEN APPLY THERE ACROSS THE BOARD ON TOP OF THAT . 
          THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I KNEW IT TO BE. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S A GOOD PIECE OF INFORMATION TO KNOW. 
          SO THEY'LL GO UP TO 2205, THEN GET A 4% BUMP? CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, GOING TO PAGE 12, JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY COUNSEL, THE COUNSEL AT FIRST APPEARANCE, WHY DO THOSE COSTS MOVE FROM THE MUNICIPAL COURT TO A PD? SO, WITH THE MOVE OF MAGISTRATION TO THE COUNTY, THE CONTRACT FOR BOOKING AND MAGISTRATION IS BETWEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, UM, THE COUNTY. 
          THE, THE WORK THAT, UM, THE MUNICIPAL COURT WAS DOING, SINCE THOSE THAT WORK IS NO LONGER BEING DONE, WE RECEIVED A CREDIT FOR THAT IN THE PAST IN THAT, IN THAT, UM, AGREEMENT. 
          AND SO NOW THE FULL COST IS GOING OVER TO, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. 
          HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE HOUSE BILL 1900 ISSUE? YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE RATCHET, IT'S A ONE-WAY RATCHET. 
          UM, IS THERE, I GUESS THE FIRST QUESTION IS, IS THERE ABILITY TO CONTINUE HAVING IT THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL COURT? DOES IT, IT HAS TO BE THROUGH A PD, UM, AS, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS COGNIZANT OF THAT LIMITATION WE HAVE. 
          YES. 
          UM, I THINK, I THINK THE MOST APPROPRIATE RESPONSE IS THAT'S THE APPROPRIATE, UM, PLACE FOR THAT CONTRACT BECAUSE IT IS THE, THE BOOKING CONTRACT BETWEEN, FOR THE SERVICES THAT POLICE PROVIDES. 
          UM, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S, IT'S THERE WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, I KNOW, I KNOW THE, THE CONVERSATION IS HOW DO WE CURB THE INCREASE OF THE BUDGET, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT COSTS SHOULD BE IN, IN THAT BUDGET. 
          AND I, I THINK THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE COST FOR THE POLICE BUDGET. 
          AND, UM, THEIR BUDGET WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE, OF COURSE, YEAR OVER YEAR. 
          AND WE, WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW IT'S INCREASING, BUT AS WE WERE DECIDING AND TALKING ABOUT WHERE THE MOST APPROPRIATE PLACE WAS, WE, UH, WE UNDERSTAND THAT'S TO BE THE MOST APPROPRIATE PLACE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THIS IS PROBABLY A QUESTION YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO, BUT I'D LOVE TO SEE OVER TIME, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE TAX CAPS HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE, WHAT PERCENT OF THE GENERAL FUND HAS BEEN FUNDED BY PROPERTY TAX? SO, YOU KNOW, IN 2020, WAS IT OVER 50% AND NOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, CLOSER TO 48 OR, UM, JUST HOW HAS THAT CHANGED OUR RELIANCE ON SALES TAX AND OTHER REVENUES INTO THE GENERAL FUND? I'D BE REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE, UM, GIMME JUST HALF A SECOND HERE TO PULL UP MY ANNOTATED BUDGET HERE. 
          UM, I ALSO WANTED TO ASK IF YOU GUYS COULD PROVIDE A KIND OF ROSY AND A EVEN WORSE SCENARIO AS IT RELATED TO SALES TAX. 
          SO IF NEXT YEAR, LET'S SAY WE'RE 1% BETTER THAN WE THOUGHT OR 1% WORSE, UH, JUST HAVE US UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT IS THAT CONE OF UNCERTAINTY WHERE WE MIGHT BE SO WE CAN HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF, OF WHERE THAT COULD END UP, SINCE I DOUBT WE EVER HIT IT RIGHT ON THE MARK. 
          UM, 
          [02:30:01]
AND LET ME JUST DOUBLE CHECK HERE. 
          OKAY, MY LAST QUESTION IS, IS THE ONE I I BROUGHT UP LAST YEAR AS IT RELATES TO THE COUNCIL BUDGET QUESTIONS, WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED SO FAR IS IT'S, IT'S GONNA OPEN TODAY, THERE'S GONNA BE A HUGE FLOOD OF QUESTIONS, AND THEN IT'S GONNA TAKE A FEW WEEKS TO GET THROUGH THOSE. 
          THEN EVERYBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, STARTS PUTTING IN QUESTIONS AND WE GET SOME OF THOSE ANSWERS TWO DAYS BEFORE OR THE NIGHT BEFORE WE ADOPT THE BUDGET, WHICH IS, I FIND NOT THAT HELPFUL BECAUSE THAT INFORMATION WAS NEEDED A WEEK OR TWO PRIOR. 
          UM, SO FIRST THAT REQUIRES JUST SOME RESTRAINT ON OUR PART TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO ANSWERS TO INSTEAD OF JUST EVERY QUESTION THAT YOU COULD EVER THINK OF. 
          UH, AND I'M EQUALLY GUILTY. 
          I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO, UH, CAST DISPERSIONS HERE. 
          I RECOGNIZE, UH, POINTS HERE. 
          UM, BUT IF THERE IS A WAY FOR US TO SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR A FEW OF OUR QUESTIONS, THIS QUESTION IS, IS A REALLY HIGH PRIORITY. 
          WE REALLY NEED AN ANSWER TO THIS SOON. 
          UM, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, LIKE, AS I MENTIONED, A COUPLE GOLD STAR QUESTIONS, THAT WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS YOU, YOU'VE JUST ANSWERED YOUR OWN QUESTION, WHICH IS WE WILL HAVE TO SHOW DISCIPLINE AND MAYBE PRIORITIZE FOR THEM SO THAT THEY'RE NOT LEFT IN A SITUATION WHERE WE, AT THE LAST MINUTE WE SAY, WELL, THIS WAS, I, I CAN'T MAKE A DECISION ANYMORE. 
          'CAUSE THIS WAS SUCH AN IMPORTANT QUESTION, AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT BECAUSE YEP. 
          WHATEVER. 
          SO LET'S, LET'S ALL TAKE WHAT COUNCILMAN ALTER'S SAYING TO HEART, WHICH IS, LET'S HAVE, LET'S HAVE THE QUESTIONS, LET'S ASK OUR QUESTIONS. 
          LET'S NOT SUBMIT EVERY QUESTION THAT WE MIGHT GET ON OUR EMAILS AND THEN TURN 'EM OVER AS QUESTIONS OR SOMEBODY TELL, STOPS US SOMEPLACE ELSE. 
          AND THEN LET'S PRIORITIZE AND SAY, LOOK, IF YOU, IF YOU MAKE THIS A PRIORITY, I, I GET THAT. 
          YOU MIGHT NOT ANSWER SOME OF MY OTHER QUESTIONS. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, AND I SAID THAT WAS MY LAST ONE MORE FOR ED. 
          THE IT QUESTION THAT COUNCILMAN VELA WAS ASKING ABOUT, HAVE WE DONE ANY ANALYSIS OF IF WE WERE TO MAKE CERTAIN UPFRONT INVESTMENTS IN IT THAT WOULD SAVE MAINTENANCE COSTS OR OTHER COSTS DOWN THE ROAD? YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME OLD SYSTEMS THAT YOU, MAY WE MAINTAIN THAT IF THEY WERE CONVERTED, IT MIGHT SAVE DOWN THE ROAD. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF RETURN ON INVESTMENT ANALYSIS AS IT RELATES TO IT? SINCE I KNOW THAT IS A GROWING COST, UM, WE DON'T HAVE IT. 
          AND I'M, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION. 
          'CAUSE ONE THING I LEFT OUT OF MY RESPONSE TO COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IS THAT WE DO HAVE ROUGHLY A MILLION DOLLARS, UH, IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET TO CONTINUE THE VARIOUS STUDIES ALONG THOSE LINES. 
          SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF OUR, AN ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT. 
          HOW DO WE, HOW ARE WE STRUCTURED AS AN I IT DEPARTMENT? HOW ARE IT STAFF ALLOCATED BETWEEN CENTRAL AND DECENTRALIZED ROLES? HOW DOES IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THAT LOOK LIKE COMPARED TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS, UM, STAFF, IT STAFF TO TOTAL STAFF RATIOS AND ALL OF THAT? SO WE'RE TAKING A REALLY HARD LOOK JUST AT HOW ARE WE DELIVERING IT SERVICES, AND ARE THERE, ARE THERE WAYS WE COULD DO IT MORE EFFICIENTLY? I THINK THE PART YOU'RE INTERESTED IN IS WHAT WE WOULD CALL OUR APPLICATION RATIONALIZATION PROCESS, UM, BRINGING IN SOME CONSULTANT SUPPORT TO LOOK AT OUR, OUR LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF APPLICATIONS WE MAINTAIN IN THE CITY, ROUGHLY 850 DISTINCT APPLICATIONS THAT WE MAINTAIN IN THE CITY. 
          AND DO WE NEED THAT MANY SYSTEMS? UM, YOU KNOW, HYPOTHETICALLY, IF, IF, IF THIS SIDE OF THE DAIS WAS USING ONE SOFTWARE PACKAGE FOR CONSTITUENT SERVICES, AND THIS SIDE OF THE DAIS WAS USING A DIFFERENT SOFTWARE PACKAGE, DO WE NEED TWO PACKAGES OR COULD WE GET IT DONE WITH JUST A SINGLE SOFTWARE SOLUTION? REDUCE COST, MAINTENANCE COST. 
          SO THAT'S OUR APPLICATION RATIONALIZATION PROCESS. 
          AND THEN WE'RE ALSO, UM, SEEKING ASSISTANCE AT OUR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. 
          WE HAVE VERY TALENTED CONTRACT STAFF, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE NEGOTIATING WITH MICROSOFT, WE HAVE, WE HAVE ONE DATA POINT. 
          SO, UM, BRINGING IN SOME SUPPORT THAT, UM, DO THIS PROFESSIONALLY TO SEE IF WE CAN NEGOTIATE THE BEST TERMS POSSIBLE WITH THOSE LARGE, UM, WITH THOSE LARGE VENDORS. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK UNDERWAY TO WHAT, WHAT BROADLY WHAT I WOULD CHARACTERIZE AS OPTIMIZING OUR DELIVERY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANKS, COUNCILMAN WALTER. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL, COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MATTIS. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          AND, UM, YEAH, I JUST WANNA START OFF BY THANKING THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF FOR ALL OF YOUR AMAZING WORK. 
          UH, YOU LOOK REMARKABLY BRIGHT AND BUSHY TAILED, UH, AFTER DELIVERING US THIS AMAZING DOCUMENT, UM, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO ON. 
          AND I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE 
          [02:35:01]
COMMENTS OF COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AND MAYOR PRO TEM. 
          UH, I DO THINK THIS IS A BANDAID BUDGET. 
          UM, AND AS THE MAYOR ACKNOWLEDGED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT WE, YOU KNOW, STAFF PRODUCE A BALANCED BUDGET. 
          BUT I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT THIS IS BY NO MEANS AN END POINT. 
          THIS IS A STARTING POINT FOR AN ONGOING CONVERSATION. 
          UM, I SEE THIS BUDGET AS PART OF A, A LARGER POLITICAL CONTEXT WHERE FRANKLY, WE HAVE RISING AUTHORITARIANISM AND INCREASING AUSTERITY. 
          AND AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL WITH THIS LATEST, AS BILL, WE'RE SEEING UNPRECEDENTED TRANSFERS OF WEALTH FROM WORKING AMERICANS TO THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIETY, AND DEVASTATING CUTS TO PROGRAMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          AND IN THE FACE OF THESE, UH, ASSAULTS ON OUR COMMUNITY. 
          I'M HOPEFUL THAT AS A BODY WE CAN SHOW UP FOR AUSTIN. 
          WE CAN, UH, SHOW THAT AS A BODY, WE CAN KEEP AUSTIN PROGRESSIVE AND DEMOCRATIC AND ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS AND SOCIALLY JUST, UH, A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE CAN THRIVE. 
          AND I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, ALL OF US ARE AWARE THAT WE CAN'T WAIT FOR OTHERS. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, THE CAVALRY IS NOT COMING, RIGHT? THERE'S NO OUTSIDE POWERS OR LARGE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GONNA SAVE US, BUT I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN BE THE ONES WE'RE WAITING FOR HERE AND, YOU KNOW, SHOW UP, UH, FOR OUR VALUES AS A COMMUNITY, STAND UP FOR CITY WORKERS, STAND UP FOR OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND, UM, MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE KEEP AUSTIN WHAT IT IS DESPITE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS. 
          UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF MY, MY STATEMENT OF INTENT HERE. 
          UM, AND WITH THAT, UH, WANTED TO ASK, UH, SOME QUESTIONS. 
          FIRST OF ALL, ABOUT, UM, POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED IN THE BUDGET. 
          UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, DIRECTOR LANG, YOU HAVE THESE ANSWERS, BUT, UH, IF YOU COULD SHARE HOW MANY FILLED POSITIONS ARE BEING ELIMINATED IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THIS COMING YEAR? THERE ARE NO FIELD POSITIONS BEING ELIMINATED. 
          OKAY. 
          AND IS, SO WE, WE ARE NOT GOING THROUGH A RIF PROGRAM. 
          OKAY. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND IS THAT ALSO TRUE FOR THE 2027, THE, THE SECOND YEAR OF THE BUDGET? ACTUALLY, LET ME CORRECT MYSELF. 
          UM, I THINK THAT, THAT THE, UM, IN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS IN PARTICULAR, THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM, THOSE POSITIONS WERE NOT, WERE NOT ELIMINATED. 
          THEY WERE REASSIGNED. 
          SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, CLEAR ON THAT. 
          UM, BUT NO, NO RIFS AND AT THE MOMENT, NO PLANNED RIFS FOR FISCAL YEAR 27. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN, UM, KIND OF ANOTHER BIG PICTURE QUESTION IS ABOUT ARPA FUNDS. 
          UM, ARE THERE PROGRAMS OR POSITIONS THAT WERE FUNDED BY ARPA OR OTHER GRANTS THAT ARE BEING DISCONTINUED THAT ARE NOT COVERED IN THE BASE BUDGET? AND IF SO, UH, CAN YOU SHARE WHAT THOSE WOULD BE? UM, YES. 
          THERE IS THE, UM, CASE MANAGEMENT WORKERS IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT. 
          UM, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT SIX POSITIONS, UM, THAT WERE ARPA FUNDED THAT ARE NOT GOING TO CONTINUE. 
          UM, THE, I'LL HAVE TO GET MORE INFORMATION FROM PUBLIC HEALTH BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF POSITIONS IN PUBLIC HEALTH. 
          I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION RIGHT, RIGHT. 
          WITH ME. 
          BUT WE CAN GIVE THAT AS A COUNCIL BUDGET QUESTION AND GIVE YOU THE FULL ANSWER OF ALL THE POSITIONS, UM, THAT WERE IMPACTED THROUGH APA ENDING. 
          OKAY. 
          PERFECT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, UM, KIND OF GOING OVER TO PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, I GUESS IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT, NOT THE PRESENTATION, UM, ON PAGE 70 75, IT SAYS A REDUCTION OF $16.8 MILLION OR 22.5% IN THE BUDGET FOR SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS. 
          UM, CAN YOU SHARE TODAY WHAT TYPES OF SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS THOSE WOULD BE? WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED THE SPECIFIC CONTRACTS IN, IN THOSE POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS. 
          WE WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS. 
          SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, CONTRACTS ACROSS PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOMELESS, HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, AND THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT. 
          AND SO WE WILL WORK WITH THOSE DEPARTMENTS TO IDENTIFY, UM, THE CONTRACTS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE REDUCED, UM, ONCE WE GET THROUGH THE BUDGET CYCLE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, DO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE ANY OF THOSE CONTRACTS THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS? SO, COUNCILMAN? YES. 
          YES, SIR. 
          GREAT QUESTION IS, AND I, I THINK WHAT CARRIE IS TRYING TO ARTICULATE AND WHAT THE BUDGET REFLECTS RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE RESOURCES THAT WOULD'VE BEEN REDUCED BETWEEN JULY AND OCTOBER IF WE HAD IMPLEMENTED A 20% ACROSS THE BOARD CUT, ARE NOT BEING, UH, TAKEN. 
          UH, BECAUSE WE'RE USING THE CONTINGENCY FORESHADOWING NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, UH, THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE ENTITIES AS WELL AS THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, WOULD HAVE TO TAKE PLACE. 
          STAFF WOULD HAVE TO THEN ANALYZE THE TYPES OF SERVICES AND THE IMPACTS, AND IT MIGHT NOT BE 
          [02:40:01]
ACROSS THE BOARD. 
          THERE COULD BE SPECIFIC TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT, UH, BE ABLE TO FUND. 
          AND SO THOSE DISCUSSIONS WOULD BE ONGOING. 
          BUT AT THIS TIME, UH, IN LIEU OF, UH, HAVING, UH, MAJOR AND SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS, UH, DOING FOR US IN SUPPORT WITH OUR NONPROFITS, WE CHOSE TO DIP INTO OUR OWN RESERVES, UH, AND GIVE, UH, AT LEAST 16 TO 18 MONTHS WORTH OF A CONVERSATION. 
          SO RIGHT NOW THAT HADN'T BEEN IDENTIFIED, AND IT WILL BECOME A PROBLEM NEXT YEAR IF IN FACT WE DO NOT FIND RECURRING REVENUES TO BACKFILL AND SUPPORT, UH, CONTINUING THOSE AT, I THINK ACROSS THE BOARD IT'S ABOUT $72 MILLION, UH, PLUS OR MINUS IN THAT, UH, PARTICULAR CATEGORY, IF NOT CLOSE TO 80 MILLION. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MANAGER. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          UM, ON THE HOUSING TRUST FUND, I HAD SEVERAL QUESTIONS, UM, BUT THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BELA FOR, FOR GETTING INTO A LOT OF THAT. 
          UH, I DID HAVE A RANDOM, UH, GOLF QUESTION. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, YOU'RE A GOLF EXPERT, UH, MS. LANG, UM, UH, IF YOU COULD JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT FOR THE $4 MILLION IN GOLF COURSE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NOTED IN THE BUDGET. 
          I AM NOT A GOLF EXPERT. 
          , UH, IS THE, UH, I'M GONNA ASK JESUS TO COME DOWN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          STILL, JESUS PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR. 
          I'M ALSO NOT A GOLF EXPERT. 
          UM, I, APOLOGIES. 
          UM, CAN YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION ONE MORE TIME? SURE. 
          UH, IN THE, UM, THE BUDGET, THERE'S A $4 MILLION TRANSFER GOT IT. 
          FOR GOLF COURSE IMPROVEMENTS. 
          YEAH. 
          SORRY THAT, THAT IS PART OF OUR CAP PROGRAM TO, TO REALLY ADDRESS SOME OF THE LONGSTANDING ISSUES IN THE GOLF COURSES. 
          I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA FUND WITH THAT, BUT IT'S BASICALLY SOME OF THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE THAT'S, THAT'S IN THE GOLF SYSTEM. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, THANK YOU, UH, DIRECTOR. 
          WE CAN EXPLORE THAT THROUGH QK. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN LIKE MY LAST CATEGORY OF QUESTIONS IS RELATING TO FEES AND FINES. 
          UM, AND SO ON PAGE 5 87 OF THE BUDGET, UH, THERE'S A REFERENCE TO, FRANKLY, VERY LARGE INCREASES IN FEES AND FINES, INCLUDING LIBRARY FINES, TRAFFIC FINES, AND PARKING VIOLATIONS. 
          AND SO, UM, I WANTED TO ASK IF, UH, Y'ALL COULD PROVIDE MORE CONTEXT FOR THESE ESTIMATES, UM, AND YEAH. 
          HOW, HOW THESE INCREASES IN REVENUE WOULD COME ABOUT. 
          YEAH, WE'RE GETTING TO THE PAGE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER THE LACK? SURE. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          JOHN KABE, ACTING FINANCIAL MANAGER, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          I WAS GONNA ADDRESS THE, UH, QUESTION ABOUT LIBRARY CLIENTS AND FEES. 
          WHAT WAS THE EXACT QUESTION? UM, IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU EXPECT TO INCREASE, OR, SORRY, YEAH. 
          YOUR PLAN TO INCREASE FINES AND, AND HOW THOSE WOULD BE ACHIEVED. 
          WELL, IT WASN'T REALLY LIKE A LOT OF THE FINES, WE'VE ELIMINATED FINES, UH, A LONG TIME, A FEW YEARS AGO, WHAT WE, WHAT WE DID IS WE LOOKED AT THE FEES THAT WE WERE CHARGING FOR SPECIFIC THINGS SPECIFIC, UH, PARTICULARLY THE, UM, SPECIAL EVENT FEES THAT WE OFFER. 
          WE FOUND THAT, UM, WE HAVE, WE ARE WAY BELOW MARKET ON THOSE. 
          AND IN WORKING WITH MY SPECIAL EVENTS MANAGER, REALIZE THAT WE ARE REALLY UNDERSELLING AND NOT UTILIZING OUR SPACE THAT WE'VE INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY IN AS A CITY FOR THIS BUILDING CENTRAL LIBRARY. 
          SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THOSE FEES MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT WE CAN REASONABLY EXPECT TO PAY. 
          THEY'RE STILL WELL BELOW MARKET VALUE, SO, AND WE'RE NOT, THESE ARE NOT IMPACTING ANY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. 
          THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE UTILIZING THE SPACE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE LOOK AT OTHER MORE EXPENSIVE PLACES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          WELCOME. 
          SORRY, I, I THINK YOUR QUESTION WAS RELATIVE TO THE FINE SPECIFICALLY AS OPPOSED TO THE FEES, UH, IN THE LIBRARY. 
          I THINK THEY'RE TRUING IT UP BASED ON THEIR, UH, EXPECTED 25 VALUES AND CARRYING THAT FORWARD. 
          UM, WE'RE SEEING, UH, A MAJOR UPTICK IN PARKING VIOLATIONS. 
          PART OF THAT'S DUE TO, UH, I BELIEVE COUNCIL ACTION IN FEBRUARY TO INCREASE, UH, PARKING TICKET FEES. 
          SO WE'RE STARTING TO SEE, UM, THE IMPACT OF THAT ALREADY. 
          AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE JUST, UH, GENERAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CITATIONS DUE TO EXPANDED COVERAGE AREAS AND UTILIZATION. 
          UM, THOSE, THOSE FEES HAVE BEEN DEPRESSED FROM WHERE THEY WERE ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, BUT NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THEM RAMP BACK UP. 
          AND YOU HAVE A, A LESSER INCREASE IN THE TRAFFIC FINES AS WELL. 
          BUT THERE, THERE'S NO BUDGETARY 
          [02:45:01]
TARGET. 
          WE'RE JUST TRYING TO RECOGNIZE THE TRENDS, UH, IN LIGHT OF, UM, BEHAVIOR. 
          AND THEN ANY, UH, UH, INCREASES PASSED BY COUNSEL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          JUST TO CLARIFY, THAT'S TRUE FOR BOTH, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT AS WELL AS TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BACK TO YOU MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER SEAL, COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, HARPER MADISON. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, I WANNA START OFF BY, UH, SAYING THANK YOU FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK ON THIS BUDGET FOR ALL OF Y'ALL. 
          I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY BEEN A LOT OF SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE EFFORT IN PRESENTING US A BALANCED BUDGET THAT I THINK IS GONNA BE A REALLY, UH, VALUABLE STARTING POINT FOR THE CONVERSATION OVER THE NEXT MONTH. 
          UH, MY SENSE RIGHT NOW, AND, AND PART OF THE REASON THAT I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE IS THAT AT LEAST IN TALKING TO FOLKS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I DO HAVE A SENSE THAT FOLKS ARE STRUGGLING OUT THERE AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO US FOR SOME KIND OF DIRECTION, POSITIVE DIRECTION TO TAKE THE CITY AND THIS BUDGET AS A REFLECTION OF THE CITY IN, IN A, IN A HEALTHY WAY. 
          UM, AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH STAFF AND MY COLLEAGUES IN THE DAIS HERE TO TRY AND ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS REGARDING OUR SPENDING. 
          UM, AND SO THE FIRST QUESTION I'VE GOT, AND I'M GONNA PROBABLY START WITH THE SLIDES FROM TODAY AND THEN TRY AND JUMP TO SOME SPECIFIC BUDGET QUESTIONS. 
          UM, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IN PRIOR YEARS, I KNOW I LOOKED AT THE ONE FOR THIS LAST BUDGET, Y'ALL HAVE HELPED RELEASE A LIST OF UNMET NEEDS. 
          DO WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT YOU'VE ALREADY SHARED WITH US THAT I MISSED? IS THAT SOMETHING IN THE WORKS? CAN YOU EXPAND THAT? SO YES, WE WILL, UM, PROVIDE ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. 
          SO THAT INCLUDES THE BOARD AND COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION REPORT, UM, THE PRIORITIZATION OR REDUCTION LIST, AND WHAT WE ARE NOW CALLING ENHANCEMENT REQUESTS TO, UM, THE COUNCIL BY THE END OF THIS WEEK. 
          SO WE ARE FINALIZING, UM, THOSE REPORTS TO, TO MAKE IT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN SHARE THEM SHAREABLE. 
          UM, AND, AND WE'LL GET THOSE OUT BY THE END OF THIS WEEK. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE CAN EXPECT BOTH WHATEVER TRE SCENARIOS PLUS ALSO THE UNMET NEEDS OR AS PART OF THAT, UH, ALL BY BEYOND THIS WEEK. 
          YES. 
          SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE, UM, IN THE PAST IS WE'VE PLACED THE REPORTS, THOSE, THOSE, UM, THOSE SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS ON OUR BUDGET, UH, WEBSITE, AND WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE SHARE THOSE DOCUMENTS THROUGH THE LINK TO THE COUNCIL. 
          UM, AND THEN, UM, ADDITIONALLY, THE, UH, TRE DISCUSSION AND SCENARIOS WILL BE PROVIDED ON BY FRIDAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, SO I'M GONNA JUMP TO PAGE 39, UH, WHICH I THINK IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN YOU GUYS HAVE LAID OUT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. 
          UH, FIRST QUESTION IS, WHAT IS IN THE OTHER CATEGORY? IS THAT GONNA BE THE CONVENTION CENTER? IS THAT GONNA BE CAPTAIN STITCH? WHAT'S GONNA BE IN OTHER, OTHER IS PRIMARILY THE CONVENTION CENTER. 
          OKAY. 
          WHERE WOULD CAPTAIN STITCH BE, IF ANYWHERE, OR IS THAT PRIMARILY BOND, UH, OF, TO BE DETERMINED NEXT YEAR? I THINK THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN I JUST A GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT THE CIP SPENDING, WHICH IS IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE SORT OF ENTERING THIS FIVE YEAR WINDOW OF WHAT I MIGHT CONSIDER TO BE UNPRECEDENTED CIP SPENDING. 
          DOES THAT HAVE A SPECIFIC OPERATING BUDGET IMPLICATION ANYWHERE THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF, OR IS THAT ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT? SOME OF THE PROJECTS DOES DO HAVE, UM, OPERATION IMPLICATIONS AND WE TRY TO INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION, UM, IN THE BUDGET AND BRIEF IN THE, IN THE FRONT MATTER AS WELL AS, UM, IF THERE ARE OPERATIONAL INCREASES IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WE INCLUDE THAT IN THE DEPARTMENTAL PAGES. 
          OKAY. 
          I'LL FOLLOW UP IF WE CAN'T FIND THAT INFORMATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I'M ALSO GONNA LOOK AT, LET'S SEE, PAGE, I THINK 22. 
          UH, YEAH. 
          UH, SO IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT YOU GUYS HAVE A FUTURE PROJECTION, A 10 YEAR ANNUAL, UH, AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH OF ABOUT 4.8%. 
          I SAW IN THE BUDGET ON PAGE 63, YOU'VE GOT ECONOMIC FORECASTS WHERE YOU SAY THE GROWTH, UH, THE EXPECTATIONS FOR GROWTH TO RISE TO ABOUT TWO POINT A HALF PERCENT ANNUALLY. 
          UH, I THINK THE QUOTE IS, UH, THIS IS REFLECTING AUSTIN'S APPEAL AS A CENTER FOR THE MODERN ECONOMY. 
          UM, ONE, THERE'S A BIT OF DISTANCE THERE BETWEEN OBVIOUSLY THOSE TWO NUMBERS. 
          AND TWO, IT DOES FEEL LIKE IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS CONVERSATION AND SOME OF THE DATA THAT'S IN THESE SLIDES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALREADY THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ADDRESSED, DOES FEEL A LITTLE BIT OPTIMISTIC. 
          HOW ARE YOU GETTING TO THOSE NUMBERS SO THAT 4.8% REPRESENTS WHAT THE AVERAGE GROWTH THROUGH FY 30 WOULD BE VERSUS, UH, FY 20 AS A BASE YEAR. 
          AND SO IT'S JUST TRYING TO SHOW THAT, UH, 
          [02:50:01]
WE'D BE AT A LITTLE BIT SMALLER AVERAGE RATE FOR THAT 10 YEAR PERIOD THAN WE WERE FOR THE 10 YEARS LEADING UP TO THE PANDEMIC, AND ALSO TO, UM, TRY TO GET ACROSS THE MAGNITUDE OF THE GROWTH WE SAW RIGHT IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE PANDEMIC, SUCH THAT EVEN IF WE ARE AT THOSE LOWER GROWTH RATES IN THAT TWO TO 3% RANGE, UM, IN THE OUT YEARS, IT, IT'S STILL AVERAGING ALMOST 5% GROWTH A YEAR OVER 10 YEARS BECAUSE THOSE FY 21, 22 YEARS WERE JUST JUST THAT STRONG. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT ACCOUNTS FOR, UH, THIS PARTICULAR DECADE, WHICH YOU'RE KIND OF ROLLING BACK A FEW YEARS AND THEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THE REMAINING PART. 
          EXACTLY. 
          WHAT ABOUT THE TWO POINT HALF PERCENT THAT'S REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET THAT YOU TALK ABOUT? CAN CAN ANYBODY YEAH. 
          SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT? SO THAT TWO POINT A HALF, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TARGETING WITH OUR, UH, 28, 29 30, UM, PROJECTIONS TRYING TO BE IN THAT RANGE. 
          UM, MAYBE WE'RE BEING A LITTLE MORE OPTIMISTIC THAN MR. HAOS IN 29 AND 30 . 
          UM, BUT I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE IN LINE, ESPECIALLY THAT MANY YEARS OUT, WE'RE WITHIN THE MARGIN OF ERROR. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE COLLECTIVELY STRUGGLING WITH IS HOW TO WE MANAGE OUR EXPENSES AS THEY CONTINUE TO OUTPACE REVENUE WITH OUR SB TWO LIMITATIONS. 
          CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT, AND, AND PART OF MY FRUSTRATION IS THE WAY THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE TAX SYSTEM WORKS, AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE DIOCESE AND AND COMMITTEES, IS THAT IT DOES FEEL LIKE AT TIMES WE ARE BURDENING, UM, PEOPLE UNFAIRLY, RIGHT? SO I'M, MY QUESTION IS WHAT ARE THE LEVERS OF CONTROL THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF FEES, UM, REVENUE SOURCES, OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN, UH, THAT WE CAN TRY AND MORE, I WOULD SAY PROGRESSIVELY TAX PEOPLE, RIGHT? LIKE IF WE'VE GOT AN ENERGY BILL AND WE'VE GOT, UH, DIFFERENT VARIABLE COSTS OR WHAT THEY CALL VOLUMETRIC COSTS, AND WE MIGHT SAY, OKAY, WELL WE CAN APPLY A LARGER FEE INCREASE TO THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP END WHO ARE USING MORE, RIGHT? ALMOST A CONSUMPTION TAX. 
          WHAT ARE THOSE SORT OF TOOLS THAT WE'VE GOT THAT YOU COULD THINK OF, UM, OR THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH ME THAT WE CAN BE EXPLORING THAT AREN'T JUST APPLYING A STANDARD TAX RATE INCREASE TO THE ENTIRE CITY? I MEAN, THERE'S NOT A LOT . 
          UM, AND THE ONES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, WE ARE UTILIZING, SO IN TERMS OF PROPERTY TAX, OF COURSE WE CAN OFFER A GENERAL HOME SET EXEMPTION. 
          IT CAPS OUT AT 20%. 
          UM, WE'RE AT THE 20%. 
          UH, A MORE PROGRESSIVE POLICY THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE TO US IS IF WE COULD HAVE A FIXED DOLLAR AMOUNT, UM, UH, EXEMPTION LIKE WE DO FOR THE SENIOR DISABLED EXEMPTION AT $192,000. 
          UM, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU DO A 20% EXEMPTION, UH, A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR HOME GETS A MUCH BIGGER DOLLAR TAX, UH, EXEMPTION THAN A, THAN A A A LOWER VALUED HOME DOES, WHERE THE FIXED EXEMPTION IS THE SAME FOR EVERYBODY. 
          BUT, UH, THESE THINGS ARE ALL DICTATED IN STATE LAW. 
          UM, WE DO, UH, ANNUALLY WE'VE BEEN INCREASING, THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN APPROVING INCREASES TO THE SENIOR DISABLED TAX EXEMPTION SIGNIFICANTLY EVERY YEAR TRYING TO KEEP THOSE ON A FIXED INCOME, UM, HELD HARMLESS RELATIVE TO RISING TAX BURDENS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          UH, FOR THE GENERAL HOMESTEADS, UM, THAT CAP IS, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT THE CAP AND THERE'S VERY FEW OTHER TOOLS, UM, THAT I CAN THINK OF, UM, REALLY UNDER, UNDER TEXAS LAW THAT ALLOW US TO HAVE A MORE PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO OUR TAXATION SYSTEM. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          UH, TWO MORE QUESTIONS. 
          HOPEFULLY I'VE GOT TIME FOR BOTH. 
          ONE IS, UH, IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY, I THINK ON, UH, I THINK IT'S ON 21. 
          UM, AND I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LANE STARTED WITH THIS QUESTION ABOUT LAGGING PEER CITIES. 
          UM, I NOTICED THAT WHEN I PULLED SOME DIFFERENT DATA AND, AND YOU GUYS HAVE A DIFFERENT CHART HERE THAT, UH, UH, LET'S SEE. 
          IT'S THE CHART THAT I THINK IS THE, THE MEDIAN, UH, IT'S THE MEDIAN TAX ON THE MEDIAN FAMILY IN ANY CASE, UH, JUST TO SAVE SOME TIME. 
          UM, REALLY MY QUESTION IS, I UNDERSTAND THAT CALCULATION RELATIVE TO OTHER TEXAS CITIES. 
          WHEN I LOOK AT PER CAPITA DATA, THOUGH, IT LOOKS LIKE GOING BACK ABOUT 10 YEARS, WE WERE SPENDING ABOUT $1,200 MORE THAN THE CLOSEST TEXAS CITY, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN DALLAS TODAY. 
          THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALMOST DOUBLED, UM, LAST YEAR FROM THE DATA THAT WAS SHARED WITH US A FEW WEEKS AGO, 
          [02:55:01]
UH, BY, UH, BY YOU ALL, IT LOOKED LIKE THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER WAS PAYING ACROSS THE FIVE JURISDICTIONS ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR, OR ABOUT A 14% YEAR INCREASE IN JUST A SINGLE YEAR. 
          MY QUESTION IS, UM, IS THIS A, IS THIS A FAIR FIRST OF ALL, THE, THE FIRST PART, THE PER CAPITA? IS THAT A, IS THAT A FAIR WAY TO EVALUATE SPENDING OR IS THERE TOO MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CITIES FOR THAT TO BE A USEFUL TOOL FOR UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE SPENDING HERE? I THINK THE WAY WE'VE PRESENTED THIS WAS TO TRY TO TIE INTO OUR MEDIAN, UM, TYPICAL HOMEOWNER THAT WE LOOK AT THE YEAR OVER YEAR PROPERTY TAX INCREASE FOR. 
          UM, I THINK I WOULD WANT TO SPEAK WITH YOU AND DIG INTO YOUR PER CAPITA STUFF. 
          IT, THAT SOUNDS VERY INTERESTING AND I'M SURE THERE'S, UH, PROS AND CONS AND VALIDITY AND CHALLENGES WITH EITHER WAY, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO EXPAND THE, THE TOTAL WAY WE LOOK AT ALL OF THIS. 
          OKAY. 
          I, I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION. 
          AND, AND THEN THE LAST PART IS, AND THIS IS SORT OF IN THE, IN THE CONTEXT OF ALL THIS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE HAVE GOOD PERFORMANCE METRICS? AND ONE THING I WANNA DO IS THANK THE CITY MANAGER FOR STARTING, UH, TO REBUILD. 
          I THINK, UH, 'CAUSE I'M NOT AWARE OF IT ANYWHERE ELSE OTHER THAN SOME INDEPENDENT CONSULTING DATA THAT WE GET THE PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS FROM EARLY THIS YEAR, UM, TO BUILD OUT THE KPIS FOR THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO HELP US UNDERSTAND, UH, ESSENTIALLY THE PERFORMANCE DATA THAT HE STARTED. 
          AND, AND I KIND OF WANNA BELIEVE THIS IS A HUGE STEP FORWARD FOR HELPING US EVALUATE HOW WE'RE DOING, WHETHER ABSOLUTELY OR RELATIVE TO OTHER CITIES. 
          AND IT'S ALSO HELPFUL FOR ME PERSONALLY AND I THINK MY TEAM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE PRIORITIZED. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, IT DOES LOOK LIKE THERE'S STILL A DECENT AMOUNT OF MISSING THIS IN THE DATA SETS, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR THINGS THAT SEEM TO BE IMPORTANT. 
          THINGS LIKE 9 1 1 CALLS RESPONDED WITHIN 10 SECONDS. 
          UM, SO I'M CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY WORK ON THE NEXT MONTH. 
          I'M HOPING THAT GIVES ME, OR MAYBE MY COLLEAGUES ALSO A SENSE OF WHERE TO PRIORITIZE OUR ENERGY AND EFFORT AS FAR AS WHAT'S WORKING AND, AND WHAT WHAT NEED MAYBE NEEDS MORE RESOURCES OR WHAT MAYBE NEEDS, UH, TO BE LOOKED AT AND MORE WITH MORE SCRUTINY AND WHAT'S, HOW ARE WE MEASURING SUCCESS ESSENTIALLY. 
          UH, SO I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA END WITH SAYING ON AN OPTIMISTIC NOTE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD OUT THAT DATA AND WE CAN TRY AND USE THAT TO MAKE SOME GOOD DECISIONS OVER THE NEXT MONTH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          UM, THE BEAUTY OF GOING LAST IS THAT ALL MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED , THAT THAT WORKS OUT WELL. 
          AND WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK AND ASK IF OTHERS THAT FEEL LIKE THEY WERE, UH, LIMITED IN THEIR TIMES. 
          NO, I DON'T FEEL LIMITED AT ALL. 
          I FEEL LIKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA MOST ESPECIALLY GOT MOST OF MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUES' APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS PROCESS. 
          UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, STAFF IS VERY RESPONSIVE. 
          AND LET'S JUST SAY I'VE BEEN, WHAT'S THIS STIFF ARMED HEISMAN . 
          YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN BUSY AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW MUCH WORK YOU'VE DONE. 
          UM, THE ONE THING I WILL SAY IS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IN ALL THE AREAS OF MY LIFE WHERE I'M LONG-WINDED, THIS WON'T BE ONE. 
          UM, I REALLY WANT US TO UTILIZE AS A COLLEAGUES, I'D LIKE FOR US TO UTILIZE THE, UH, ACCESS THAT WE HAVE TO STAFF OUTSIDE OF THE DA. 
          UM, I, I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE PLACE TO BELABOR OUR QUESTIONS. 
          IT MAKES THE DAY LONG FOR EVERYBODY. 
          SO IF WE CAN BE AS SUCCINCT AS POSSIBLE UP HERE, THAT'S THE REQUEST I HAVE FOR MY COLLEAGUES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          UM, I'M GONNA NOW GO BACK TO, UH, OTHER MEMBERS. 
          IF YOU WANT TO BE, UH, RECOGNIZED, LET ME KNOW. 
          OTHERWISE, I'M JUST GONNA GO WHERE I KNOW SOMEBODY WANTS TO BE RECOGNIZED. 
          AND SO WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER LANE. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, THANK YOU. 
          I HAVE, UH, A QUESTION ABOUT REVENUE AND FEES, SPECIFICALLY AUSTIN ENERGY. 
          I AM WONDERING IF STAFF COULD CLARIFY THE REVENUE DRIVERS THAT ENABLED THE $5 PER MONTH SAVINGS FOR AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMER BILLS. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES, MARKET PRICING, COMMERCIAL DEMAND RESPONSE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, GOOD DAY. 
          GOOD. 
          UM, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S MORNING OR AFTERNOON. 
          I THINK IT'S . 
          UM, STUART RILEY, INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER. 
          IT'S STILL, IT'S STILL GOOD MORNING, MAN. 
          OKAY. 
          LETS SEE HOW LONG THIS ANSWER IS. 
          HINT, HINT. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, SO THE, THE REASON THAT THE BILL IS COMING DOWN IS BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE OUR WHOLESALE POWER COSTS THAT ARE RECOVERED THROUGH THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT ON THE BILL. 
          AND THROUGH THAT ENERGY MARKET RISK REDUCTION THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE, WE'RE BRINGING THAT COST DOWN. 
          THAT MAKES UP, YOU KNOW, BASE RATES MAKE UP ABOUT HALF OF THE CUSTOMER BILL. 
          THE OTHER HALF OF THE CUSTOMER BILL IS PASS THROUGHS BY FAR. 
          THE LARGEST OF THOSE IS THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT, AND THAT'S WHAT'S RESULTING IN THE DECREASE. 
          OKAY. 
          [03:00:01]
THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          LOVELY. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, . 
          THANK YOU . 
          UM, SO MY NEXT QUESTION RELATES TO, UM, FIRE. 
          SO WE'VE HEARD, UM, LEADING INTO THIS MEETING SOME CONCERNS FROM THE PUBLIC AND THE FIRE UNION ABOUT REVERSING THE FOREPERSON STAFFING ORDINANCE FOR FIRE DEPLOYMENT. 
          UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT IMPACT THAT I CONCEPT WOULD HAVE ON EMERGENCY RESPONSE? GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          JOEL BAKER, FIRE CHIEF CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          UH, THE IMPACT, UH, WE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO RESPOND UNIT TO ALL HOUSES. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, THE NFPA STANDARD, SAY FOUR AND FOUR ON EACH APPARATUS. 
          THE PLAN IS FOR A FOUR AND THREE STAFFING MODEL. 
          UH, IF MEMORY SERVED ME RIGHT ON A ONE STORY OR TWO STORY HOUSE FRAME HOME THAT'S ABOUT 16 OR 17 PERSONNEL, EVEN WITH THE FOUR AND THREE STAFFING MODEL THAT'S PROPOSED, WE WILL STILL EXCEED THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL ON THE SCENE. 
          THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL WILL STILL EXCEED. 
          ALTHOUGH THE NFPA RECOMMENDS A FOUR AND FOUR STAFFING MODEL, AND I THINK IF, UH, WE DO THE FOUR AND THREE MODEL WITH THE NUMBER OF UNITS WE SEND IS APPROXIMATELY 30 PERSONNEL WE WOULD HAVE ON THE SCENE OR 24 PERSONNEL WE HAVE ON THE SCENE. 
          SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE WOULD STILL EXCEED THE NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS ON THE SCENE, BUT NOT WITHIN THE FOUR AND FOUR RECOMMENDED STAFFING DEPARTMENT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO IF THAT RECOMMENDATION WERE TO COME TO PLAY, UM, WOULD WE ALSO BE SEEING TARGET AND, YOU KNOW, RESPONSE TIME AND TYPE OF COVERAGE AND ACTUALS MAYBE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AS PART OF THAT? I'M NOT SURE WHAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT LET ME, LET ME TRY TO ANSWER THIS WAY. 
          I CAN, I COULD REPHRASE. 
          SURE, GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND REPHRASE IT. 
          UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, AND PARTICULARLY IN THIS TIME, WE HAVE SO MUCH REVENUE, UH, AND COST CONSTRAINT TO RIGHTSIZE OUR RESPONSE, BUT IT'S ALSO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT NOT TO SACRIFICE WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE HAPPEN, WHICH IS EFFECTIVE RESPONSE. 
          AND YOUR, YOUR ANSWER ALIGNS WITH WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM YOU IN PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, UM, AND ARE PART OF THE REASON THAT I'M REALLY FOCUSED ON THIS. 
          BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE DO GO DOWN THIS PATH, THAT UM, THERE WILL BE PERIODIC DATA AVAILABLE TO COUNCIL, UM, PERHAPS THROUGH PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE THAT'LL SHOW US THE GOAL THAT YOU TELL US NOW, UM, CAN BE ACHIEVED AND HOW WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE THAT DATA TO COUNCIL AND MM-HMM . 
          PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, UM, PER, UM, COMMITTEE, UH, WHO NEEDS TO KNOW WE CAN, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT. 
          BUT LET ME ADD, UH, MA'AM, UH, TO UH, AND TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, WITH THE 8.3 BUDGET REDUCTION, IT'S EITHER TO TEMPORARY, DO A STAFFING MODEL REDUCTION OR BLACKOUT A BROWNOUT STATION, WHICH IS NOT THE ANSWER. 
          IF WE ARE FORCED TO BLACKOUT, WHICH MEAN PERMANENT CLOSE AT FIRE STATION, A BROWNOUT WOULD MEAN TEMPORARY CLOSE AT FIRE STATION UNIT. 
          THAT IS WORSE THAN THE REDUCTION OF STAFFING. 
          THE STAFFING MODEL IS THE BEST SOLUTION THAT WE HAVE AT THE TABLE RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY FIRE STATION, EVERY UNIT IS STILL STAFFED WITH TRAINED FIREFIGHTER AND PERSONNEL TO RESPOND TO THESE MERCY FIRE AND MEDICAL CALLS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I DUNNO IF FIRE DEPARTMENT IS SO CRITICAL IN RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY, NOT JUST TO FIRES, BUT ALSO TO, UM, MEDICAL CALLS, UM, SO OFTEN THE FIRST, UH, RESPONSE ON THE SCENE IS VERY APPRECIATED. 
          I BELIEVE THAT THE, UM, LAST FIRE STATION TO COME ONLINE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS ON SIX 20 NEAR THE CANYON CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. 
          UM, WHERE THERE HAVE, IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, RESPONSE AND ACTION THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN IN RELATION TO 9 1 1 RESPONSE TIMES IN THAT AREA. 
          SO JUST TO CONFIRM OUT HERE, UM, OUR CURRENT BUDGET PROPOSAL WITH, EVEN WITH THE RESTRUCTURING THAT'S CONTEMPLATED, WILL NOT SACRIFICE STAFFING FOR A FIRE AT THAT STATION. 
          THIS, THIS AT THAT STATION. 
          UH, I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE, I THINK WE HAVE ONE UNIT AT THAT STATION. 
          WE HAVE, YEAH, I THINK ONE'S ONE, WE HAVE ONE UNIT THAT STATION. 
          SO THAT STATION, IF IT'S AN ENGINE, THERE WOULD BE THREE PERSONNEL. 
          IF IT WAS A TRUCK COULD BE FOUR OR AREA THAT WOULD BE FOUR PERSONNEL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND I THINK THAT STATION'S ALSO CRITICAL IN OUR WILDFIRE RESPONSE, WHICH I KNOW IS A PRIORITY AND ALSO BUILT IN. 
          AND UH, JUST ANOTHER REASON WHY I SUSPECTED THERE WOULD NOT BE A NEGATIVE IMPACT THERE. 
          BUT ALSO JUST ONE THOUGHT. 
          WELL WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A WILDFIRE BATTALION MM-HMM. 
          THAT CIRCLED THE CITY. 
          MM-HMM. 
          THERE ARE EACH, 
          [03:05:01]
THOSE FIVE STATIONS ARE STATISTICALLY PLACED TO RESPOND TO WIFI MITIGATION. 
          WE IS REDUCING STAFFING MODEL, THE FOUR AND THREE STAFFING MODEL. 
          WE WOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL ON THOSE HIGH WILDFIRE DAYS THAT WE WILL, WE WILL HAVE THE RESOURCE THAT WE CAN UPS STAFF AS NEEDED WITH LITTLE TO NO PACK IN OUR OVERTIME BUDGET BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE THE PERSONNEL TO UP STAFF AS NECESSARY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UM, I CERTAINLY ALSO AGREE THAT HAVING THE LEVELS OF STAFFING THAT WILL ALLOW US TO REDUCE OVERTIME, UH, COST IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF COST CUTTING IN THIS ENVIRONMENT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT. 
          AND, AND TO ADD TO, TO REDUCE OVERTIME, THE LIMITED, THE STAFF MODEL WILL ALSO GIVE OUR MEMBERS THE NEEDED TIME OFF VERSUS THEM WORKING A LOT OF OVERTIME SO THEY CAN REDUCE THE PTSD AND STRESS AND MENTAL ILLNESS THAT THESE FIREFIGHTERS MM-HMM . 
          ARE HAVING. 
          SO THEY WOULD HAVE MORE TIME OFF TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILY AND HAVE MORE TIME OFF THE REST. 
          YES. 
          AND I KNOW OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN REQUESTING THAT TIME TO REST AND BE READY, SO I APPRECIATE THAT TOO. 
          THAT'S ALL FOR FIRE FOR ME. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I HAVE JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, UM, BUT IT'S NOT FIRE RELATED . 
          UM, THIS, THIS RELATES TO THE REVENUE PROJECTIONS. 
          UM, AND I'LL LAY IT OUT. 
          I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHO'S THE RIGHT PERSON TO ANSWER. 
          UM, I AM WONDERING THE EXTENT TO WHICH OUR BUDGET ALREADY REFLECTS STRATEGIC WORK THAT COULD STIMULATE NEW PROPERTY TAX REVENUE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LEGISLATIVE CAP OUTSIDE OF THE CITY CORE. 
          UM, YES, SKYSCRAPERS IN DOWNTOWN AND OTHER CENTRAL AREAS ARE A PART OF THAT. 
          UM, BUT THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR REVENUE GENERATION OUTSIDE OF THE CORE. 
          AND I JUST WANNA FEEL FOR HOW MUCH, UM, THAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED AND ACCOUNTED FOR ALREADY IN THE THINKING OF THIS BUDGET. 
          UM, AND I'LL JUST CLARIFY THAT WHEN I SAY STRATEGIC WORK, I MEAN BUDGET DOLLARS FOR TARGETED INVESTMENT THAT CAN STIMULATE NEW DEVELOPMENT IN SOME OF OUR OUTLYING AREAS. 
          I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS PREFERABLY OF CURRENT VACANT PROPERTIES, BOTH LAND AND BUILDINGS. 
          AGAIN, THOSE ARE EASIER TO COME BY IN SOME AREAS OUTSIDE IN THE OUTLYING AREAS THAN OTHERS. 
          UM, BUT IT DOESN'T JUST INCLUDE BUDGET DOLLARS. 
          THAT ALSO INCLUDES THE TYPE OF MANAGEMENT LEVEL RESTRUCTURING WE'VE HEARD ABOUT IN THIS PRESENTATION AND SOME POLICY WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEGUN. 
          AND I KNOW THAT BOTH OF THOSE WILL CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WHICH IS THE WINDOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD IN. 
          I WILL ALSO CLARIFY THAT WHEN I SAY NEW DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTIN'S OUTLYING AREAS, I MEAN BOTH VACANT LAND AND BUILDINGS THAT ARE ALREADY FOR FULL PURPOSE. 
          AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE, LAKELINE STATION TRANSIT OR DEVELOPMENT ON THE LONG AGO COMPLETED REDLINE STATION. 
          UM, AND I ALSO MEAN VACANT LAND IN BUILDINGS IN THE ETJ IN LIMITED PURPOSE AREA ZONING AREAS OR THE COUNTY THAT HAVE POTENTIAL, POTENTIAL REALISTIC POTENTIAL FOR NEAR TERM REDEVELOPMENT WITH PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, REQUESTING ANNEXATION AS PART OF THAT PROCESS. 
          AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE THE 45 AND SIX 20 CORRIDOR FROM PARER WESTWARD ACROSS 180 3 TO ANDERSON MILL ROAD, WHERE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE HAVE SEEN A LOW INCOME BUBBLE THAT HAS QUIETLY BUT SIGNIFICANTLY GROWN, UM, DURING THE FAST FI LAST FIVE YEARS, PRIMARILY THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION OF LARGE SCALE APARTMENT COMPLEXES UP AND DOWN THAT CORRIDOR. 
          UM, SO THAT'S WHAT I MEAN WHEN I ASK THE QUESTION, AND I'LL ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT WAS A LONG LAYING OUT. 
          UM, CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME A FEEL FOR THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE BUDGET AS WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED TODAY ALREADY REFLECTS STRATEGIC WORK THAT COULD STIMULATE NEW PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, NOT SUBJECT TO THE LEGISLATIVE CAP, NEW, NEW DEVELOPMENT VACANT? BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT WE HEAR ABOUT IS, UH, RE ISSUES HERE IS REDEVELOPMENT OF OCCUPIED PROPERTIES. 
          THERE ARE LOTS OF VACANT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, OUTSIDE THE CITY CORPS, AND UNFORTUNATELY, I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF WIDE RANGING. 
          IT MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR OUR CITY MANAGER. 
          NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT  OR YOU COULD CALL ON SOMEONE. 
          . 
          THANK, THANK, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN. 
          UH, AND SO I, I BELIEVE ONE OF THE SLIDES ON THE SCREEN WAS PRETTY TELLING. 
          I THINK ERIC, UH, COVERED IT WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE NEW CONSTRUCTION AMOUNTS AND THE HIGH WATERMARK, UH, OF 5.3 BILLION PRIOR YEAR, WHICH WAS A RECORD. 
          AND WHERE WE'VE SETTLED DOWN TO ABOUT A $2.3 BILLION NUMBER. 
          UH, I THINK THAT NUMBER IN ITSELF IS EVIDENT THAT, UH, WE'VE GOTTA CONTINUALLY FOCUS ON CREATING NEW PROPERTY VALUE, UH, WHETHER REDEVELOPMENT, UH, AND OR NEW DEVELOPMENT IN VACANT SPACES, ONE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. 
          OBVIOUSLY THE CORE OF OUR CITY IS IMPORTANT, UH, WHERE A, A LARGE REVENUE GENERATION OPPORTUNITY CONTINUALLY EXISTS, PARTICULARLY WITH CITY OWNED PROPERTIES IN SOME CASES. 
          AND SO AS TO YOUR QUESTION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT IS ALREADY IDENTIFIED IN THE BUDGET, UH, THAT NUMBER AND THOSE ANTICIPATED AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE GROWTH ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED AND ARTICULATED. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE TALKING WITH THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY, IS 
          [03:10:01]
TAKING A LOOK AT OUR OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, UH, INCLUSIVE OF OUR HOUSING POLICY AND STRATEGY, AND LAYING THAT OUT WITH A FORWARD THINKING VIEWPOINT ON EXACTLY WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT. 
          AND THAT IS HOW DO WE ONE GROW, UH, RESPONSIBLY, UH, AS WELL AS IDENTIFY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES, UH, THAT EXIST TO PARTNER, UH, WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, UH, ENTITIES TO, TO ENCOURAGE MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND SO WE'LL BE DOING THAT WORK OVER THE NEXT YEAR, HOPEFULLY, UH, THAT WILL BEAR SOME FRUIT, UH, BUT WE ARE NOT, UH, ANTICIPATING AND OR PUTTING INTO THE BUDGET THINGS THAT WE DON'T KNOW ARE ALREADY ON THE GROUND. 
          AND SO WE'LL CONTINUALLY MONITOR THAT, UH, THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AND WORK, UH, SPECIFICALLY WITH THIS COUNCIL IN THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP THAT STRATEGY TO ENCOURAGE MORE, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND MEET MANY OF THE POLICY GOALS THAT THE COUNCILS SET OUT. 
          UH, AT THE SAME TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF, UH, RESPONSE THAT I WAS HOPING TO HEAR. 
          UH, APPRECIATE HOW YOU LAID THAT OUT. 
          AND, UM, ALSO REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR NEAR TERM, MEDIUM TERM LONG TERM PLANNING FOR OUR NEEDS, WHICH ARE CERTAINLY GONNA BE CHALLENGING. 
          THAT'S THE EXTENT OF MY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          I'VE JUST GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, REGARDING AUSTIN ENERGY. 
          I WAS HOPING THAT, UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR RILEY COULD HELP ME WITH A HOPEFULLY LIGHTNING ROUND OF SOFTBALL QUESTIONS BEFORE WE WRAP UP HERE. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL DONE. 
          UM, SO I NOTICED IN THE BUDGET EARLY ON IN THE TAXPAYER IMPACT STATEMENT, WE LIST THAT THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL CON, YOU KNOW, CONSUMPTION, UM, IS ABOUT 860 KILOWATT HOURS. 
          WHEN I LOOK AT THE TEXAS AVERAGE, IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN IT'S CLOSE TO LIKE 1200. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. 
          WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THAT DIFFERENCE? WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING RIGHT THAT THE REST OF THE STATE CAN'T FIGURE OUT? WELL, UM, IT'S A COMBINATION OF FACTORS. 
          FOR ONE THING, WE HAVE BEEN INVESTING IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY FAR EARLIER THAN ANYBODY ELSE NATIONWIDE, ESPECIALLY STATEWIDE. 
          SO STARTING IN THE, THE EIGHTIES, WE STARTED INVESTING IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND THOSE EFFORTS HAVE RAMPED UP. 
          UM, ALSO WE JUST HAVE A, A POPULATION THAT TENDS TO LIVE IN MORE, UH, APARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, SMALLER RESIDENCES AS WELL. 
          UH, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL ROOFTOP SOLAR, WE HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY. 
          THOSE KINDS OF INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE IN OUR SYSTEM KEEP OUR TYPICAL CUSTOMER BILL MUCH LOWER THAN THE REST OF THE STATE, WHICH IS GREAT. 
          UM, AND IT JUST CREATES A NEW CHALLENGE OF GETTING TO ADEQUATE COST RECOVERY FROM THAT CUSTOMER BASE. 
          AND AS CUSTOMERS CONTINUE GETTING MORE AND MORE EFFICIENT, I, I SHOULD SAY, NOT ONLY ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATES, BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN A NATIONWIDE LEADER IN TERMS OF THE ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE, UH, AND OF WHAT BUILT NEW HOUSING STOCK COMING ONLINE. 
          WE'VE SEEN DRAMATIC DECREASES IN THE AVERAGE CONSUMPTION FOR NEW HOUSING STOCK, WHETHER SINGLE FAMILY OR MULTIFAMILY. 
          SO THAT'S CONTRIBUTING TO AT A GREAT DEAL AS WELL. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          UH, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS JUST REGARDING THE TRANSFERS, WHICH I THINK WERE ON SLIDE 23 FOR TODAY. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, I NOTICED THAT WE'RE GOING INTO THIS AGAIN, KIND OF UNPRECEDENTED EXPANSION OF TRANSFERS. 
          IT WAS 10 MILLION, THIS CURRENT BUDGET, 14 MILLION PROJECTED, AND THEN NINE AFTER THAT. 
          SO WITHIN A THREE YEAR WINDOW, ABOUT $33 MILLION. 
          WHEREAS WHEN I LOOK BACK TO 2016, IT WAS AT, AND, AND THE EIGHT YEARS AFTER THAT, IT WAS ABOUT A $7 MILLION INCREASE OVER EIGHT YEARS. 
          SO VASTLY MORE TRANSFERS HAPPENING NOW OR THE RATE OF TRANSFERS. 
          CAN YOU HELP ME? WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THAT? YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, UM, AGAIN, A COMBINATION OF FACTORS. 
          ONE IS JUST LOAD GROWTH. 
          SO OUR, OUR SERVICE AREA, WE'RE ADDING ONE AND A HALF PERCENT MORE CUSTOMERS TO OUR CUSTOMER BASE EVERY YEAR. 
          SO THAT ADDITION OF CUSTOMERS LEADS TO ADDITIONAL, UH, METERS TURNING THAT EQUATES TO 12% OF THOSE REVENUES ARE SUBJECT TO THOSE OF THOSE BASE REVENUES SUBJECT TO GENERAL FUND TRANSFER AMOUNT. 
          SO THE, THE RATE IS STAYING THE SAME. 
          UH, THE, THE FINANCIAL POLICY SAY THAT THE GENERAL FUND TRANSFER CAN BE UP TO 12% OF APPLICABLE REVENUES. 
          AND SO THAT RATE HASN'T GONE UP. 
          IT'S THAT OUR REVENUES HAVE GONE UP BECAUSE OF CUSTOMER GROWTH AND BECAUSE OF THE RATE INCREASES THAT WE'VE NEEDED IN RECENT YEARS. 
          SO WE WENT THROUGH A PERIOD OF TIME, UH, FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS WHEN WE DID NOT INCREASE RATES, WE DID DO ONE 6% RATE INCREASE, AND THEN WE HAD A 6% RATE DECREASE. 
          SO OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, THERE WAS PRACTICALLY NO CHANGE TO THE GENERAL FUND TRANSFER AMOUNT, BUT THAT HAS ALWAYS REMAINED AT THAT PERCENTAGE BASED ON FINANCIAL POLICY. 
          SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE INCREASES, BECAUSE THAT 
          [03:15:01]
THREE YEAR AVERAGE, SOME OF THOSE LOWER YEARS BEFORE SOME OF THIS GROWTH REVENUE GROWTH IS FALLING OUT OF THE AVERAGE THAT RESULTS IN THE GENERAL FUND TRANSFER AMOUNT BEING CALCULATED. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, IN CONNECTION TO THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER IN CONNECTION TO THAT, UH, MY CONCERN IS THAT EITHER OVER TIME AUSTIN ENERGY WILL BE IN A PLACE WHERE IT'S NOT ESSENTIALLY RECOVERING ITS COSTS AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASED TRANSFERS OR PER CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD OR RELATIVE TO THE STORM THAT HIT LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AGO, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF HARDENING OF POLES AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED TO GO DO THAT WE MAY, YOU KNOW, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT NEED TO HAPPEN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF AUSTIN ENERGY. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE THAT, UM, THERE ARE TRADE-OFFS THAT ARE HAPPENING HERE THAT WE MAY NEED TO RECONSIDER WELL IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, GRID RESILIENCE AND, AND IN, IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL RESILIENCE FOR THE UTILITY? BECAUSE STORMS HAPPEN, UH, MARKET EVENTS HAPPEN, WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE RESOURCES TO, TO BE RESILIENT BOTH, UM, ON OUR ELECTRIC SYSTEM AND TO BE ABLE TO BOUNCE BACK AND, AND HAVE THOSE FINANCES. 
          SO, UM, I THINK OUR, OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE POSITIONED TO DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ADEQUATELY WHILE ALSO PROVIDING TO OUR COMMUNITY WHAT THE PROMISE OF PUBLIC POWER PROVIDES, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE A RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT TO THE CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE PUT IN THIS ELECTRIC SYSTEM. 
          AND THAT'S THE BENEFIT THAT THE COMMUNITY BARGAINS FOR. 
          AND SO I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RECOVERING OUR COSTS. 
          THIS PLAN THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, I'VE EXPLAINED TO THIS COUNCIL THAT WE'VE SEEN DRAMATICALLY ESCALATING COSTS IN THE ELECTRIC INDUSTRY, UM, DURING A PERIOD OF HISTORIC INFLATION, YOU KNOW, FOUR YEARS WHERE PEOPLE SAW 16% INCREASES IN CONSUMER PRICE INDEX. 
          WE SAW ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE BUYING INCREASING BY 100%, 200% DOUBLING AND TRIPLING. 
          SO WE HAVE AN UPHILL CLIMB IN TERMS OF COST RECOVERY AT AUSTIN ENERGY. 
          WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR PLAN TO GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES. 
          WE, WE HAVE A RESILIENCY PLAN THAT WE ARE, UM, WORKING ON. 
          WE HAVE AN OVERHEAD HARDENING STUDY THAT WE WILL BRIEF THIS COUNCIL ON, UM, NEXT WEEK. 
          AND, UH, SO THAT WILL, THAT WILL LIKELY RESULT IN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS THAT WILL COME WITH ADDITIONAL COSTS. 
          BUT, UM, OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO DO THAT AS COST EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I GET IT. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MEMBERS THAT, UH, WRAPS UP THE, THE DISCUSSION I WANT WITH ONE EXCEPTION. 
          AND WHAT I WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT WHEN I POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I POSTED, UH, AND, AND THAT I WOULD TALK WITH THE MANAGER AND AND OUR STAFF ABOUT, UH, DOING IS WE NOW HAVE THE MANAGER'S PROPOSED BASE BUDGET, BUT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A FULL DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT MIGHT OCCUR AT AT FUTURE MEETINGS, UM, WITH REGARD TO, UH, THINGS LIKE A TAX RATE ELECTION, HAVE THE MANAGER BRING US MANAGER ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS. 
          SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WHAT WOULD A 1 CENT INCREASE DO, AND WE'LL CALL THAT MANAGER ALTERNATIVE ONE, WHAT WOULD A 2 CENT INCREASE? WHAT WOULD BE THE BUDGET THAT WOULD BE PROPOSED WITH A 2 CENT INCREASE? AND THAT'LL BE MANAGER ALTERNATIVE TWO, WHAT WOULD A 3 CENT INCREASE? WHAT WOULD THE MANAGER PROPOSE? AND WE'LL CALL THAT MANAGER ALTERNATIVE THREE FOR THOSE FOLLOWING ALONG FOUR, FIVE. 
          UM, AND IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT MATH, THEN YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE IN A BUDGET DISCUSSION. 
          BUT, UM, BUT THE, BUT YOU SEE WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO THERE AND, AND I DIDN'T GET ANY, UH, OBJECTION TO THAT. 
          SO WITH THAT, I WOULD, UH, PRESENT THAT, UH, GOING UP TO ABOUT EIGHT, UH, 8 CENTS. 
          UM, AND, AND, AND PROVIDING THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IN DISCUSSIONS. 
          I THINK THAT COULD BE PROVIDED AS EARLY AS, UH, FRIDAY. 
          I'LL MENTION THAT ONLY BECAUSE I'M GETTING READY TO, WE'RE GETTING READY TO VOTE ON SOMETHING IN TERMS OF SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING. 
          AND THEN I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH THE TIMELINE AGAIN. 
          AND NEXT WEEK ON THE 22ND, THERE WILL BE AN AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, A SPECIAL CALLED AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, WHERE WE WILL TALK ABOUT, UH, AND START THE REAL, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT TA POTENTIAL FOR A TAX RATE ELECTION. 
          AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE, THOSE ALTERNATIVES UP, UH, OR AT LEAST LOOK AT THEM AT THAT TIME. 
          LET ME SAY AGAIN, THOUGH, TO THE PUBLIC, TH WHAT WE'RE, WHAT THIS COUNCIL IS ATTEMPTING TO DO IN, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MANAGER AND MS. LANG IS HAVE A VERY, PUT IT THROUGH THE PRISM OF A VERY TRANSPARENT PROCESS. 
          NOTHING SHOULD BE PR NO, NO ONE SHOULD THINK THEY CAN PREDETERMINE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO END UP. 
          WE TODAY HAVE STARTED THIS 
          [03:20:01]
CONVERSATION, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'LL SAY. 
          TWO OTHER THINGS WE ARE GOING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THROUGH, AGAIN, LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW DO WE MEET THOSE NEEDS IN DIFFICULT BUDGET TIMES. 
          BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE ALL, AS A COUNCIL, WORKED AS A TEAM TO DEAL WITH THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND WE GET THAT, UH, DEALING WITH TAXES HAS AN IMPACT ON AFFORDABILITY AS WELL. 
          SO THAT IS ALSO ONE OF THE, THE LENSES THAT WE WILL LOOK AT THIS THROUGH. 
          SO WITH THAT, 
          [2. Set a public hearing to receive and consider public comment on the proposed budget for the City  for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. (Suggested date, time, and location: July 31, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., Austin  City Hall, Council Chambers, 301 W. Second Street, Austin, Texas). Funding: This item has no  fiscal impact.]
UH, MEMBERS, LET'S GO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO AND I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING IN ORDER TO RECEIVE AND CONSIDER PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE CITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 TO 2026 ON JULY 31ST, 2025 AT 3:00 PM AT AUSTIN CITY HALL IN THE AUSTIN, IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE MAKES THE MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER VELA SECOND AT DISCUSSION. 
          HEARING NONE, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION. 
          THE ITEM IS ADOPTED WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, OFF THE DAAS. 
          ALRIGHT, WITH THAT MEMBERS, UH, WHAT I WOULD DO, AND I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO GRADE MY PAPER AND MAKE SURE WE DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY, UM, I JUST MENTIONED ON JULY 22ND THAT THAT'LL BE, UM, ON JULY 22ND, WE WILL HAVE AN AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING. 
          AND I JUST MENTIONED THAT WHILE THAT'S NOT, UH, THE WHOLE COUNCIL, THE WHOLE COUNCIL'S INVITED, BUT, BUT THAT, WHILE THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE COUNCIL, I MENTION IT BECAUSE IT'S A SPECIAL CALL MEETING WILL RELATE TO, UM, THE BUDGET ON JULY, WEDNESDAY, JULY 23RD, THERE WILL BE A CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORK SESSION, AND IT WILL ALLOW FOR COMMUNITY INPUT. 
          TUESDAY, JULY 29TH, THERE WILL BE A CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORK SESSION. 
          THURSDAY, JULY 31ST, THERE WILL BE A CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORK SESSION THAT AT THAT MEETING WE WILL SET THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE AND HAVE A, AS WE JUST ADOPTED, HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET. 
          LET ME MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT THE MAXIMUM PROPERTY TAX RATE, IF I MIGHT. 
          AND THAT IS, THAT IS REQUIRED BY LAW, BY STATE LAW THAT THE GOVERNING BODY PASS, WHAT IT'S, IT DECLARES WILL BE THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE IT WILL CONSIDER. 
          THAT MEANS IF, IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT A TAX RATE ELECTION, IT WILL BE, WE WILL NEED TO CONSIDER THAT AS PART OF SETTING A MAXIMUM TAX RATE, UH, SO THAT WE'LL BE IN A POSITION TO NOT CUT OFF, UH, A TAX RATIFICATION, A TAX RATE ELECTION, IF THAT'S WHAT IS ULTIMATELY DECIDED WE WANT TO HAVE HAPPENED. 
          AS I MENTIONED IN THE MESSAGE BOARD, UH, I ANTICIPATE THAT THAT MAXIMUM TAX RATE WILL BE SET AT SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY IS NOT WHAT THE COUNCIL WILL ULTIMATELY UTILIZE AS A TAX RATE. 
          IT WILL, BUT, BUT WE NEED TO SET THAT AT THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE TAX RATE THAT WE WILL CONSIDER. 
          AND I JUST, I MENTION ALL THAT BECAUSE IT SOMETIMES GETS LOST IN THE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT IT IS WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING. 
          THAT'LL BE JULY 31ST, UH, AUGUST 5TH, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE A BUDGET WORK SESSION. 
          AUGUST 7TH, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE A BUDGET WORK SESSION, AND THEN ON AUGUST 13TH THROUGH AUGUST 15TH, IF NECESSARY, TO PASS A BUDGET ON ALL THREE READINGS. 
          BUT WE WILL HAVE A TAX RATE PUBLIC HEARING, WE'LL HAVE UTILITY RATE HEARINGS, AND WE'LL HAVE A BUDGET AND TAX RATE ADOPTION. 
          SO FOR THE PUBLIC, I JUST WANTED TO GET ALL THOSE OUT THERE. 
          AGAIN, WE WILL PUBLISH THOSE, UH, MULTIPLE TIMES. 
          UH, I'LL MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALSO PUBLISHED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD AS MS. LANG HAS POINTED OUT, THE Q AND A PORTAL OPENS TODAY, UH, THAT HAS BEEN, UH, THAT, THAT YOU'LL HAVE THE, THE WAY TO DO ALL THAT. 
          THAT'S ALSO MENTIONED, UH, I THINK IN THE MESSAGE BOARD POST. 
          AND THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE THE FORMS FOR AMENDMENTS AND THE MESSAGE BOARD POST THE LATEST ONE. 
          IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT WHEN WE WILL TRY TO BRING THOSE UP SO WE CAN HAVE FULL DISCUSSIONS OF THOSE. 
          UH, I'M, I'M GIVING THIS, I'M ACT LIKE I'M JUST DOING IT FOR THE COUNCIL, BUT IT'S MORE FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, UH, WHERE IT IS WE'RE GOING. 
          MS. LANG, YOU, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE THE REQUEST AS WE ARE PREPARING FOR THE UPCOMING WORK SESSIONS. 
          UM, IF THE COUNCIL COULD LET US KNOW WHAT TOPICS OR SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS, UH, THE 23RD WHERE WE'LL BE DISCUSSING GENERAL FUND PRIMARILY. 
          SO IF THERE ARE GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS, GENERAL FUND TOPICS THAT YOU WANNA MAKE SURE WE ARE, WE HAVE THE RIGHT STAFF HERE AND 
          [03:25:01]
ARE ARE READY TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, UM, HOPEFULLY BY TOMORROW OR THURSDAY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARED. 
          UM, AND THEN ON, UM, THE 29TH, IT WILL BE A FOCUS ON ENTERPRISE AND, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
          UM, AND SO ANY OF THOSE IDEAS OR ANY OF THOSE TOPICS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND WE'LL START MAKING SURE THE RIGHT STAFF IS, UH, READY. 
          NICE ADDITIONS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, MEMBERS ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US, I'M GONNA SAY OUT LOUD AGAIN, ALTHOUGH SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE SAID IT, BUT I'M GONNA SAY OUT LOUD AGAIN, HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'VE DONE MS. LANG, UH, TO GET US TO THIS POINT. 
          YEAH. 
          AND YOU, YOU APPROPRIATELY TURN TO YOUR STAFF AND, AND APPLAUD THAT YOUR STAFF. 
          UH, WE WE'RE VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE, THE HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL WORK THAT YOU DO AND, AND THE CLARITY WITH WHICH YOU TRY TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS. 
          UH, IT MEANS A LOT TO US AND MANAGER. 
          THANK YOU AS WELL. 
          MR. VINO, THANK YOU ALSO, MEMBERS, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO BRING UP THAT WOULDN'T VIOLATE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, UM, BECAUSE OF THE POSTING? UH, THAT, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE UH, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL BUDGET MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 12:26 PM THANK YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.