[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
I AM VICE CHAIR RYAN AL ALTER.SO I AM QUARTERBACKING OUR MEETING TODAY FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE.
UM, WE ARE HERE AT CITY HALL CHAMBERS ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH.
UH, WE ARE 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
[Public Communication: General]
WE BEGIN, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS TODAY? YES, WE HAVE ONE.ALRIGHT, WELL, WE'LL BEGIN WITH PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND THEN WE'LL WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THE AGENDA IF WE CAN HAVE RYAN SAUNDERS.
READY FOR ME TO START? ALRIGHT.
UH, SO I'M HERE TO REQUEST, UM, AN AUDIT OF THE WAY THE, UH, OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUE PERMITS, WHICH ARE RELATED TO, UH, SOUND FOR BARS, MUSIC'S, RESTAURANTS, VENUES, AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE SECOND LARGEST NUMBER OF 3 1 1 COMPLAINTS IN THE CITY, UH, THROUGH AUGUST OF THIS YEAR OF 16,734 RELATED TO NON-EMERGENCY NOISE AND ALARM.
UM, SO ESSENTIALLY THE THINGS I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS JUST WHAT DETERMINES WHO GETS AN OMV PERMIT, WHY IT'S REQUIRED DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DBC AND DBA INDOOR AND OUTDOOR STANDARDS, UM, AND THEN A PD VERSUS CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UH, SO BRIAN BLOCK HAS BEEN THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF DOING THESE PERMITS FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
THEY DID CHANGE THE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY TO ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT, BUT BRIAN HAS SELF-TITLED HIMSELF THE NIGHTLIFE MAYOR, AND HE HAS ALSO NOW PARLAYED THAT INTO A CONSULTING COMPANY WHILE ALSO WORKING FULL-TIME FOR THE CITY.
UM, AND HE'S TRAVELING TO, UH, DO THIS WORK.
WHILE WE'RE SEEING THAT HIS WORK HERE IN AUSTIN IS CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, AND I FEEL LIKE HE SHOULD BE FOCUSING MORE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CITY.
UH, AN OUTDOOR VENUE STATES AT A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT, UH, WHERE IT'S FULLY, NOT FULLY ENCLOSED BY PERMANENT SOLID WALLS.
AND THEN IT ALSO FURTHER SAYS, ANY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WHERE SOUND EQUIPMENT IS USED TO AMPLIFIED SOUND.
UM, AND THEN YOU SEE BELOW THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT STANDARDS FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS, RESIDENTIAL TO RESIDENTIAL FOOD TRUCKS, BARS, RESTAURANTS, COFFEE SHOPS, UM, THE GRAY AREA OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR.
IF YOU HAVE A GARAGE DOOR THAT'S NOT A PERMANENT WALL, IF YOU LEAVE YOUR FRONT DOOR OPEN, THAT'S NOT A PERMANENT WALL IF YOU LEAVE YOUR WINDOW OPEN, THAT'S NOT FOR FULLY CLOSED PERMANENT WALLS YET.
THOSE VENUES ARE NOT COUNTED AS OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUE PERMITS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE ALSO THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT STANDARDS.
A RESTAURANT'S SUPPOSED TO BE 70 DBA, BUT THEN THIS ONE'S ALLOWED A 80 DBC, WHICH BASE IS MORE DISRUPTIVE, AND THIS IS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS IN AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
AND THEIR DBC FOR BASE IS LOWER THAN THE ONE THAT'S IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY'RE IN AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
UM, CERTAIN BARS AND VENUES ARE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO HAVE OMV BECAUSE THEY'RE WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF A RESIDENCE, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY LESS REGULATED WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE AN OMV.
AND IT ALSO MAKES THEM BE UNDER THE ENFORCEMENT OF A PD RATHER THAN CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHICH WASTES RESOURCES.
UM, ALSO OMV PUTS TIME LIMITS, WHEREAS A VENUES WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET, THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN OMV.
THEY'LL HAVE LOUD MUSIC AT HIGHER LEVELS THAN OMV PERMITTED VENUES TILL 2:00 AM RATHER THAN THE LOWER RESTRICTIONS.
UH, THIS ONE IS ON RAINY STREET, HAS THE SAME GARAGE DOORS, OPEN GARAGE DOORS, UM, OR TO THE NEXT ONE AS THIS ONE, WHICH IS IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE ONE ON RAINY STREET HAS AN OMV.
THEY SUPPOSEDLY OPTED IN DRINKS, HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO NOT BE AN OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUE APPLICANT.
YES, I WAS GONNA ASK IF YOU COULD EMAIL YOUR PRESENTATION TO US, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE TIME TODAY.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Audit and Finance Committee meeting of August 20, 2025.]
THAT WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.CAN I GET A MOTION? I HAVE MOTION BY, UH, COUNCILOR FUENTES, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN.
[2. Discussion and possible action on proposed bylaws for the Community Police Review Commission and proposed bylaw amendments for the Commission on Aging and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Quality of Life Advisory Commission [Stephanie Hall, Assistant City Clerk – Office of the City Clerk]
UH, AND I ACTUALLY FORGOT TO ANNOUNCE WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, VELA AND UCHIN HERE FOR THE MEETING FOR WHOEVER, WHOMEVER IS TAKING THE MINUTES.ALRIGHT, ITEM NUMBER TWO, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON PROPOSED BYLAWS FOR THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION AND PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENTS FOR THE COMMISSION ON AGING AND THE L-G-B-T-Q LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION.
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KICK US OFF.STEPHANIE HALL, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK.
WELL, ONE BRAND NEW BYLAWS FROM THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION AND AN AMENDMENT TO PRESENT TO YOU.
THE FIRST IS THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER AND QUEER QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO ADD THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY TO THEIR COMMISSION.
AND SO THAT WILL BE EDITING ARTICLE FOUR OFFICERS EDIT SECTIONS A, B, AND C.
AND THEY'RE ALSO JUST MAKING A CLEANUP EDIT IN ARTICLE SEVEN MEETINGS L TO UPDATE THAT THEIR STAFFING DEPARTMENT IS NOW THE OFFICE OF CITY CLERK, WHICH HAS BEEN TRUE FOR SOME TIME.
UM, THEIR JUSTIFICATION FOR THIS IS A SEC SECRETARY WILL IMPROVE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE FULL COMMISSION AND ALLOW WELL LEADERSHIP TO FOCUS ON FACILITATION STAFF HAS NO ISSUE WITH THIS AMENDMENT.
THE SECOND ITEM I HAVE FOR YOU ARE NEW BYLAWS FROM THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION.
THEY ARE JUST ADOPTING THE STANDARD TEMPLATE, FILLING IN WHERE IT'S APPLICABLE FOR THEM.
AND IT'S JUST, JUST AGAIN, TO ESTABLISH THEIR INITIAL BYLAWS.
STAFF FULLY SUPPORTS THIS, THESE NEW BYLAW LIMITS.
ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILOR BAYLA? NO, JUST, UH, UH, MOVE, UH, APPROVAL.
OH, I DO HAVE A, A QUESTION AS IT RELATES TO THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION.
I CERTAINLY, UM, UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, IT'S TAKEN A WHILE TO GET THEM SPUN UP AND, UH, I BELIEVE THE, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION HAS HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS.
AND I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER IF THEY ACTUALLY MADE A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION OR IF IT WAS JUST DISCUSSED, BUT MOVING THE CPRC OUT FROM UNDER THE OPO AND INTO THE CLERK'S PURVIEW, JUST LIKE OTHER COMMISSIONS, I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT OR, OR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
I AM AWARE OF THE POLI THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY ACTUALLY ADOPTED A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION.
I KNOW THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT, SO I HAVE SEEN AND HEARD THAT.
I HAVEN'T HAD ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COMMISSION OR ANYONE ELSE ABOUT THAT YET.
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE SETTING UP THE CPRC? THEY ARE, THEY'RE, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THEY'RE FULLY SET UP RIGHT NOW AND THEY ARE MEETING, THIS WAS JUST TO FORMALIZE THEIR BYLAWS SO THEY HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE.
UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE EXTENT THAT I KNOW.
I I DO KNOW THEY HAVE CONTACT WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
I DO KNOW OBO IS STAFFING THEM.
WE HAVE TRAINED THEIR STAFF LIAISONS, BUT THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE THAT ARE MORE SO THAN OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO I'M LOOKING AT, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE RECOMMENDATION WHAT THEY, WHAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION HAS ASKED FOR TO THIS POINT IS ASSIGNMENT OF A STAFF LIAISON FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION.
UM, THEY CITE THE STRAIN ON OPO HAVING LIMITED RESOURCES.
WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE IF Y'ALL, Y'ALL LIAISE BETWEEN COMMISSIONS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS? LIKE IT'S NOT ALWAYS JUST A LIAISON BETWEEN YOURSELF AND A, A COMMISSION? IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY, WE DO.
SO WE DO HAVE THREE POSITIONS IN OUR OFFICE THAT ARE ACTUALLY NOW THE LIAISONS FOR SEVERAL.
IT'S MOSTLY QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS.
WE DO ACTUALLY LIAISE THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
SO I HAVE THREE POSITIONS THAT DO THAT.
ALL THE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, WE ARE KIND OF THE MIDDLE BETWEEN THOSE STAFF LIAISONS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND COUNCIL.
SO WE DO KIND OF INTERACT WITH ALL OF THEM, BUT WE DO HAVE A DIRECT STAFFING RELATIONSHIP WITH ABOUT, I THINK IT'S 15 BODIES.
WELL, I I THINK THIS IS JUST SOMETHING WE SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, THANK YOU FOR SURFACING THAT RECOMMENDATION.
UH, CERTAINLY I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT STAFFING CONSTRAINTS WITHIN THE OPO OFFICE.
I KNOW THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO ATTEND A TOWN HALL THAT I HAD, UH, SCHEDULED AND ENDED UP CANCELING, I THINK PRETTY MUCH LAST MINUTE DUE TO STAFFING CONSTRAINTS.
SO I DO WORRY ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO APPROPRIATELY STAFF A VERY IMPORTANT COMMISSION SUCH AS THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON SAFETY.
WELL, I WILL, I I THINK WE, WE CAN TALK MORE OFFLINE AND, AND ALSO JUST BETTER UNDERSTAND IF THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS.
'CAUSE WE WANT THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND, AND HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED.
SO APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR WORK HERE.
AND THEN WE HAVE A, A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER VALA TO, UH, APPROVE THIS ITEM.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCILLOR FUENTES.
UH, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, I SEE NONE.
[3. Audit of Lobbyist compliance with City Code [Mateo Macias, Senior Auditor – Office of the City Auditor].]
NOW ONTO ITEM NUMBER THREE.THIS IS A BRIEFING ON THE AUDIT OF LOBBYIST COMPLIANCE WITH CITY CODE AND MATEO.
ALRIGHT, MATEO MACIAS FROM THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND, AND
[00:10:01]
JUST FOR, UH, AWARENESS, UH, ERICA BRADY, WHO IS OUR CLERK, IS, UH, OFF DOING SOME REQUIRED WORK IN HAYES COUNTY RELATED TO BALLOT CERTIFICATION OR BALLOT, SOMETHING.UM, AND IF HER OFFICE IS HERE, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS, UH, HER OFFICE WILL TAKE THOSE QUESTIONS AND GET US ANSWERS IN THE MEMO OR SOME OTHER, UM, WAY TO DISTRIBUTE THAT.
SO WITH THAT, I TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
HELLO, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS MATTO MACIAS AND I'M THE LAW AUDITOR IN CHARGE OF THIS, THIS YEAR'S EDITION OF THE LOBBYIST COMPLIANCE AUDIT.
THE LITTLE CONTEXT LOBBYING IS WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL SEEKS TO INFLUENCE THE POLICY DECISION MAKING OF CITY OFFICIALS.
OUR OFFICE HAS CONDUCTED A FEW OF THESE AUDITS IN THE PAST, MOST RECENTLY IN 2022 AND 2019, AND WE NOTED A FEW ISSUES WITH TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
PARDON? ACCESSIBILITY IN RESPONSE, THE LOBBYIST MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND REVIEW BY THE CITY AUDITOR SECTIONS WERE ADJUSTED AND CLARIFIED.
AND THE CITY AND NOW CITY CODE DIRECTS OUR OFFICE TO REVIEW INFORMATION RELATED TO LOBBYIST MEETINGS FOR COMPLIANCE.
AND THAT LEADS US TO OUR FIRST FINDING.
AND THIS DEALS DIRECTLY WITH THE DUTIES SET OUT BY CITY CODE IN RELATION TO LOBBYIST PROVISIONS.
AND IT READS, SOME CITY DEPARTMENTS DO NOT PROVIDE A REASONABLE WAY TO RECORD INFORMATION FROM LOBBYISTS AS REQUIRED BY CITY CODE.
ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE A METHOD FOR LOBBYISTS TO REPORT ABOUT SCHEDULED MEETINGS.
AND IN ORDER TO ASSESS THIS REQUIREMENT FOR COMPLIANCE, OUR OFFICE CONDUCTED, CONDUCTED A SURVEY AND SENT IT OUT TO ALL CITY, CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES, ASKING THEM IF THEY DO PROVIDE THIS METHOD.
ABOUT 60% OF THEM SAID YES THAT THEY DO, AND ABOUT 40% SAID THAT THEY, THEY DO NOT.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS' OFFICES COMPLIED WITH THIS REQUIREMENT, UM, AS WELL AS THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
THIS, THIS SECTION OF CITY CODE ALSO REQUIRES LOBBYISTS TO REPORT INFORMATION ABOUT SCHEDULED MEETINGS WITH CITY OFFICIALS.
THIS PHYSICAL SIGNIN SHEET HERE THAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT WAS THE MOST COMMON FORM OF METHOD PROVIDED BY OFFICES AND DEPARTMENTS.
HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT REQUIRE ALL OF THE, IT DOES NOT CAPTURE ALL OF THE NECESSARY INFORMATION NEEDED FOR OFFICE TO CONDUCT COMPLIANCE AS SET OUT BY CITY CODE.
THIS ADDITIONALLY, THIS PHYSICAL SIGN-IN SHEET MAY NOT BE COMPLETE OR LEGIBLE WHEN IT IS FILLED OUT.
AND OF COURSE, A PHYSICAL SIGN-IN SHEET DOES NOT SUFFICE FOR VIRTUAL MEETINGS.
UM, AND THAT LEADS US TO OUR SECOND FINDING, WHICH ADDRESSES THE MORE HIGHER LEVEL INHERENT ISSUES WITH TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESSIBILITY IN THIS SECTION OF CODE.
AND IT READS CURRENT CITY CODE LOBBYING PROVISIONS, LIMIT REPORTING, AND MAKE TRANSPARENCY HARD TO ACHIEVE.
AND SO WE LOOKED AT A COUPLE OF OUR PEER CITIES, DALLAS, EL PASO, AND SAN ANTONIO TO GET A LAY OF THE LANDSCAPE, IF YOU WILL, AND WE NOTICED A COUPLE OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEIR CITY CODE LOBBYING PROVISIONS AND OUR OWN.
FIRSTLY, THEIR DEFINITION OF CITY OFFICIALS APPLIES TO A SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER SET OF CITY STAFF THAN AUSTIN'S.
THESE CITIES ALSO REQUIRE MORE REPORTING THAN US LOBBYISTS IN THESE CITIES REQUIRE REPORT, REQUIRE LOBBYISTS TO REPORT ALL CONTACTS WITH CITY OFFICIALS WITHIN THEIR QUARTERLY ACTIVITY REPORTS, WHEREAS AUSTIN LIMITS REPORTING TO ONLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS.
AND THESE CITIES ALSO REQUIRE LOBBYISTS, OF COURSE, TO, UH, UH, LIKE I JUST SAID, HAVE TO, UH, REPORT THESE CONTACTS IN THEIR QUARTERLY ACTIVITY REPORTS, WHEREAS WE DO NOT.
AND SO THIS LEADS US TO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE ISSUED ONE RECOMMENDATION AND THERE'S TWOFOLD.
A, THE CITY MANAGER SHOULD ENSURE CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE COMPLIANT WITH CITY CODE LOBBYING REQUIREMENTS, AND B, THE CITY MANAGER SHOULD IDENTIFY AND PRESENT POSSIBLE REVISIONS TO CITY CODE LOBBYING REGULATIONS TO COUNCIL FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION.
AND WITH THAT, I CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION AND OPEN THE FLOOR UP TO QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS.
COUNCILLOR UCHIN, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK ON THIS.
UM, ONE QUESTION THAT, THAT I HAD WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE OTHER CITIES THAT YOU LOOKED AT HAVE IMPLEMENTED A SYSTEM WHERE THE ONUS IS ON THE LOBBYIST AS OPPOSED TO THE DEPARTMENTS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF.
UH, IN YOUR RESEARCH FROM DOING THAT, FROM, FROM INVESTIGATING, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE FOR US, DO YOU THINK, TO SWITCH TO THAT SYSTEM? AND WHAT ARE THE SORT OF TECHNOLOGY OR OPERATIONAL HURDLES THAT WE RUN INTO AS PART OF THAT TRANSITION THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'D BE NEEDED THAT WE NEED TO BE CONSIDERING AS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MIGHT COME BACK FROM THIS MANAGER? YES, SIR.
COUNCIL MEMBER, MY AUDIT MANAGER WILL, WILL SPEAK TO THAT.
PATRICK JOHNSON, ASSISTANT CITY AUDITOR.
UH, I, I THINK MANAGEMENT, UH, WOULD, WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT ASSESSMENT
[00:15:01]
AND, AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.I, I KNOW WE, IN CONVERSATIONS WE HAD WITH THE CITY CLERK, I KNOW THEY HAVE, UH, THEIR, THEIR QUARTERLY REPORTING, RIGHT? THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT SET UP, BUT THEY'RE, THEY WILL HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES TO ACCOMMODATE THIS.
THEY'VE SAID THAT WILL TAKE, UM, SOME EXTRA, UH, FUNDING AND, AND SOME TIME TO DO THAT.
SO THERE IS SOME TIME BAKED INTO TO MAKING THESE CHANGES.
AND FOR CLARITY ON THE, UM, FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL CODE REVISIONS, AND WITHIN THAT THERE'S A MENTION THAT IF, IF REVISIONS ARE NECESSARY OR BROUGHT BACK, THAT WOULD BE AROUND SUMMER OF 2026.
IS THAT AN ACCURATE ESTIMATE? UH, THAT THAT'S WHAT MANAGEMENT, UM, HAS PROPOSED AND, AND OBVIOUSLY I THINK THERE CAN BE A CONVERSATION.
WE HAVE A MEMBER OF THE LAW DEPARTMENT WITH US TODAY.
I THINK SHE COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT, BUT I, BUT I THINK THERE CAN BE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT COMING BACK, UM, ON A DIFFERENT TIMEFRAME.
IF, IF THAT'S REQUESTED GOOD MORNING, WOULD YOU HEAR RISBY WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT? WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE, UH, AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO BRING THOSE, UH, BRING THAT ORDINANCE WITH THOSE CODE CHANGES BY SPRING, UH, BY MARCH OF 2026 TO ACCOMMODATE A, A MORE, UH, EXPEDITED TIMELINE.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CATHERINE.
DID YOU, SORRY ABOUT ONE MORE QUESTION, WHICH IS, WHEN YOU DID LOOK INTO THE PEER CITIES AND THEIR DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL MODEL FOR HOW THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING, UM, UH, THIS KIND OF OVERSIGHT, WERE THERE ANY DISADVANTAGES YOU IDENTIFIED AS PART OF PUTTING THE RESPONSIBILITY IN THE LOBBYISTS AS OPPOSED TO THE DEPARTMENTS AND CITY STAFF? UH, I, I WOULD SAY, UM, I THINK THE ONLY THING IS, IS IT WOULD COME IN QUARTERLY REPORTS.
AND SO THERE MAY BE A BIT OF A TIME LAG.
UM, OTHERWISE IT JUST MAKES THE, THE ENTIRE PROCESS, UH, MUCH MORE SIMPLE, UM, MUCH MORE EASY, EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
AND I THINK, I THINK WE WOULD GET GREATER COMPLIANCE, MORE INFORMATION AND THAT INFORMATION WILL BE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UH, JUST A QUICK MORE OF A, A COMMENT, UH, BUT FOLLOWED BY A QUESTION.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT'S ALSO THE STATE RULE, UH, WOULD BE THAT IT'S, UH, THE LOBBYIST'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT ANY CONTACTS, ANY KIND OF SPENDING, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WHAT, UH, MEMBERS, IS THAT Y'ALL'S UNDERSTANDING AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT THAT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING? YES, SIR.
AND I KNOW LESS ABOUT, UH, UH, CONGRESS, BUT THAT'S ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AGAIN, THAT IT'S, UH, THE, THE LOBBYIST RESPONSIBILITY, IN OTHER WORDS, THE KIND OF THE NORMAL REGULATORY KIND OF SYSTEM PUTS THE ONUS ON THE LOBBYIST.
UH, BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, THEY KNOW IF THEY'RE A REGISTERED LOBBYIST OR NOT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO OUR OFFICE AS AN ADVOCATING FOR SOMETHING IF THEY'RE A REGISTERED LOBBYIST OR NOT.
UH, AND, AND THEN THERE'S A, AND I WOULD JUST ALSO NOTE THAT IT'S MUCH EASIER, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WANTED TO KNOW WHO, UH, CITY HALL, UH, CITY COUNCIL OFFICES ARE TALKING TO, UH, OR FOR THAT MATTER, CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE, UH, TALKING TO CITY MANAGEMENT, YOU HAVE TO GO IN AND DO A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST ON ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT LOBBYISTS.
WHEREAS IF IT'S ALL THOSE DIFFERENT OFFICES, WHEREAS IF IT'S ON THE LOBBYIST, YOU GO TO THAT ONE LOBBYIST THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THEIR REPORT AND YOU SEE WHO THEY'RE, UH, CONTACTING.
SO AGAIN, I I, I THINK, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE TIME LAG, BUT, UH, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A MUCH SIMPLER, CLEANER SYSTEM TO HAVE A LOBBYIST FOCUSED A REGULATION.
AND, AND I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THE TIMELINE ISSUE REALLY.
UM, ANYBODY CAN DO A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST FOR COUNCIL CALENDARS AND MEETINGS, THE SCHEDULED MEETINGS, UH, RIGHT.
WHICH IS WHAT, UH, THE CURRENT SECTION, THE LOBBY SECTION COVERS SCHEDULE MEETINGS ONLY.
SO, UH, ANYBODY COULD REQUEST YOUR SCHEDULED MEETING, SEE WHO YOU'RE MEETING WITH, WHO YOU'RE TALKING WITH IN REAL TIME, AND GET THE SAME INFORMATION ON THE TIMEFRAME.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT A DISADVANTAGE.
IT'S, IT'S JUST RIGHT THERE, THERE IS A, A BIT OF A LAG JUST IN THAT CENTRALIZED REPORT.
AND, AND I MEAN, IF, IF STAFF COULD BRING THIS FORWARD, I MEAN, MY SENSE WOULD BE THAT THERE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT FROM COUNCIL BROADLY SPEAKING FOR THAT TYPE OF CHANGE.
IT JUST SIMPLIFIES EVERYTHING.
AND I THINK IT'S JUST A BETTER SYSTEM, ONE THAT OUR PEER CITIES AND, AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL JURISDICTIONS USE.
FINALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF LIKE LAND USE, UH, UH, LOBBYISTS IS PROBABLY THE WRONG WORD, BUT LIKE HELPERS, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT WILL TAKE A PERMIT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ON BEHALF OF AN OWNER OR, YOU KNOW, A CONTRACTOR OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, AND, AND PUSH IT THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A VERY SIMILAR KIND OF SETUP IN THE, UH, THE CULTURAL ARTS, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR DIFFERENT KIND OF EVENT PERMITS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
WOULD THOSE FOLKS UNDER THE CURRENT ORDINANCE,
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ARE THOSE FOLKS CONSIDERED TO BE LOBBYISTS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU, YOU'RE PROBABLY BEST, BEST, UH, SUITED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.UM, SO WHAT RISES TO THE LEVEL OF, OF WHO IS REGISTERING AS A LOBBYIST COMES DOWN TO WHETHER THEY'RE, UH, ADVOCATING ON A MUNICIPAL QUESTION OR COMMUNICATING ON A, A MUNICIPAL QUESTION.
AND THEY, THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, LOBBYING FOR 26 HOURS IN A GIVEN TIMEFRAME, CERTAIN, UM, CERTAIN PAYMENTS THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING FROM CLIENTS.
SO IF YOU RECEIVE, IF YOU RISE TO THAT LEVEL UNDER CODE OF WHAT CONSTITUTES, UH, SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU ARE, YOU ARE COMMUNICATING ON, IT COULD BE LAND USE, IT COULD BE, UH, CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, IT COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF MUNICIPAL QUESTIONS YOU WOULD THEN BE SUBJECT TO, TO THESE CHANGES AND TO, TO FILING YOUR ACTIVITY AND YOUR COMMUNICATIONS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
AND, AND SO AGAIN, FROM YOUR REPORT, YOU WERE SAYING THAT WE HAVE A MUCH BROADER DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A LOBBYIST AND THAN OTHER CITIES.
COULD YOU JUST EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR STATUTE AND, UH, OTHER CITIES, FOR EXAMPLE? AND, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY CITY OFFICIALS.
IT'S THE DEFINITION OF CITY OFFICIALS IS MUCH BROADER IN AUSTIN.
AND WHAT AUSTIN INCLUDES ARE, UH, ESSENTIALLY ALL CITY EMPLOYEES, UNLESS YOUR, YOUR DUTIES ARE SOLELY CLERICAL.
UM, AND SO, RIGHT, THAT CAN BE, UH, THAT'S HAS TO BE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF, OF CITY EMPLOYEES.
UM, WE ALSO INCLUDE ALL BOARD AND COMMISSION, UH, MEMBERS AND IN OTHER CITIES, THEY, UH, THEY IDENTIFIED SELECT BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.
AND SO, UM, IT, IT WAS, IT WAS, UM, AND, AND ACTUALLY OUR, UH, DEFINITION OF CITY OFFICIAL IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY CODE, UH, REALLY MIRRORS, UH, THE OTHER CITY'S DEFINITION, THAT MORE NARROW DEFINITION.
UM, SO I THINK, UH, ADJUSTING THE DEFINITION OF CITY OFFICIALS IN THE LOBBYIST SECTION, UH, WOULD MAKE SENSE.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD BRING IT IN MORE ALIGNMENT WITH THE REST OF THE, OF AUSTIN CITY CODE EVEN.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOU WANT A SPECIFIC BREAKDOWN OF THE DIFFERENCES OF THE CITY OFFICIAL DEFINITION BETWEEN THE CITIES AND OUR OWN, THERE'S AN APPENDIX AT THE END OF A REPORT THAT YOU CAN REFERENCE.
I'LL, I'LL, UH, UH, GIVE THAT A LOOK.
AND AGAIN, I, I JUST BRING THAT UP BECAUSE I DON'T WANT FOLKS TO BE INADVERTENTLY VIOLATING THE, THE, THE CODE.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE NO IDEA AND THEY WOULD NOT THINK THAT THIS WOULD APPLY TO THEM.
AND HONESTLY, I'M NOT EVEN SURE IT REALLY SHOULD APPLY TO THEM.
AND I, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO GET TAGGED FOR, UH, AGAIN, COMPLETELY INADVERTENT OFFENSE.
AND ARGUABLY THERE'S NO REAL KIND OF POLICY GAIN TO BE MADE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE LAND YOUTH PERSON IS, IS, YOU KNOW, SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION AND DID NOT, YOU KNOW, FAIL TO REGISTER THE LOBBY OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I I, I JUST WOULD RATHER, I WANT A, A REALISTIC, UH, AND AND FOCUSED, UH, UH, UH, ORDINANCE AND, AND NOT ONE THAT'S KIND OF OVERBROAD AND, AND AND CONFUSING.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
APPRECIATE THE BRIEFING AND I GUESS WE'LL SEE YOU BACK IN THE SPRING PERHAPS.
[4. Audit of Austin Resource Recovery’s recycling and composting education efforts [Kathie Harrison, Acting Assistant City Auditor – Office of the City Auditor].]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.THIS IS THE AUDIT OF AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERIES RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING EDUCATION EFFORTS.
AND IS, UH, KATHY, OUR PRESENTER? ALRIGHT, MS. HARRISON, TAKE IT AWAY.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? ALL RIGHT, PERFECT.
UH, GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I AM THE AUDIT LEAD ON THIS PROJECT, AND I WILL BE GIVING THIS PRESENTATION TO GIVE SOME BACKGROUND.
AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING TRASH, RECYCLING, COMPOSTING, AND OTHER ITEMS. THEY'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR MEETING THE CITY'S ZERO WASTE GOLD TO DIVERT 90% OF THE CITY'S WASTE WASTE AWAY FROM THE LANDFILL BY 2040.
AND ALTHOUGH A RR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MEETING THIS GOAL, THEY ONLY COLLECT ROUGHLY 15% OF THE WASTE PRODUCED IN AUSTIN WITH THE REMAINING 85% COLLECTED AND PROCESSED BY PRIVATE WASTE HAULERS TO INCREASE ITS DIVERSION RATE.
A RR UPDATED ITS PLAN, OFFER NEW SERVICES, PROVIDED MORE EDUCATION AND ADOPTED THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING CODE.
A-A-A-R-R ENFORCES COMPLIANCE WITH THIS NOT CODE ORDINANCE, WHICH SETS MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING.
THE, THE DIVERSION RATE HAS BEEN ABOUT THE SAME FOR THE LAST DECADE AT 37%, WHICH IS, WHICH IS BETTER THAN MANY OF OUR PEERS.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FIRST FINDING AND WHAT'S GOING WELL.
ALSO, RESOURCE RECOVERY CONDUCTS
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EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND CONTRACTS WITH A LOCAL NONPROFIT TO PROVIDE EDUCATION TO THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS EACH YEAR.WE NOTED THAT ARRS OVERALL EFFORTS APPEAR TO FOLLOW BEST PRACTICES AND ALIGN WITH PEERS.
HOWEVER, THERE'S STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
WE NOTICE THAT A RR IS NOT CONSISTENTLY PRIORITIZING EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS BY IMPACT.
THEY USE A PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOL, AND THIS TOOL IS NOT USED TO PRIORITIZE THE 90 PLUS PROJECTS AND CAMPAIGNS BECAUSE ALL OUR CONSIDERED A PRIORITY.
ALTHOUGH STAFF SAID THEY WANNA A CLEAR A DIRECTION ON WHICH PROJECTS AND CAMPAIGNS TO PRIORITIZE.
A RR DOES HAVE METRICS, BUT SOME LACK MEASURABLE GOALS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE NO GOALS THAT INCLUDE HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY WOULD LIKE TO REACH EACH QUARTER, NOR GOALS TO SHOW IF THEIR EFFORTS CHANGE ANYONE'S BEHAVIOR.
THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE WASTE COMPOSITION STUDIES ARE DONE TWICE A YEAR, AND THIS DATA COULD REFLECT CHANGES IN, IN EVERYBODY'S BE BEHAVIOR BY COMPARING CONTAMINATION RATES OVER TIME.
HOWEVER, THESE STUDIES ARE NOT DONE BEFORE AND AFTER CAMPAIGNS, AND SO THIS DATA CANNOT BE USED TO EVALUATE CAMPAIGN SUCCESS.
WE ALSO LEARNED THAT ARRS BUDGET FOR EDUCATION IS ABOUT $2.9 MILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.
HOWEVER, THESE FUNDS ARE CODED ACROSS VARIOUS DIVISIONS IN UNDER DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, WHICH MAKES IT HARDER TO COORDINATE AND PRIORITIZE EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS.
LET'S MOVE TO THE SECOND FINDING BEST PRACTICES RECOMMEND ORGANIZATIONS USE CONSISTENT AND CLEAR LABELS, SYMBOLS, SIGNS AND MESSAGING TO REDUCE CONFUSION ABOUT RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING.
AUSTIN DOES HAVE ZERO WASTE GUIDELINES, BUT THESE GUIDELINES DO NOT HAVE CLEAR IM IMPLEMENTATION DATES.
AND A RR DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE AUTHORITY TO MAKE OTHERS COMPLY, RESULTING IN INCONSISTENT MESSAGING.
FURTHER, WE LEARNED THAT A RR ONLY CONTROLS RESIDENTIAL CURBSIDE BINS AND OTHER CITY APARTMENTS ARE, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR ALL OF THE BINS WITHIN THEIR FACILITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, LIBRARIES MANAGE THEIR OWN PARKS, MANAGE THEIR OWN, AND THEN BUILDING SERVICES, MANAGE BINS WITHIN MANY CITY FACILITIES, INCLUDING CITY HALL.
NOW, I WANTED TO SHARE SOME EXAMPLES WE NOTICED FROM OUR FIELD TRIP AROUND AUSTIN.
FIRST, HERE'S, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF, UM, SOME OF THE BINS THAT ACTUALLY FOLLOW THE ZERO WASTE GUIDELINES BY USING BLUE BINS FOR, FOR RECYCLING, GREEN FOR COMPOST, AND POSTING SIGNS WITH PICTURES.
NEXT, HERE'S, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF INCONSISTENT MESSAGING WITHIN THE SAME CITY FACILITY.
LAST, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF, UH, DIFFERENT COLORS AND, AND, AND THEN DESIGNS, WHICH MAY LEAD TO CONFUSION AND INCREASED CONTAMINATION.
AS YOU KNOW, AUSTIN HAS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN POPULATION AND MORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING HERE FROM, FROM VARIOUS STATES WHERE, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE RULES ARE DIFFERENT.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE ON THIS SLIDE THAT WE COMPARE RULES FOR FOR THE TOP ITEMS DISPOSED OF IN AUSTIN TO PEERS.
TO SHOW EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT MESSAGING PEOPLE RECEIVE BEST PRACTICES SUGGEST THAT COORDINATE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH BETWEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND PRIVATE WASTE HAULERS CAN IMPROVE THE SUCCESS OF RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING PROGRAMS. AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY MEETS WITH ONE OF THREE CONTRACTORS MONTHLY AND HOST QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH THE OTHER TWO CONTRACTORS.
HOWEVER, CONTRACTING STAFF SAID THEY DON'T GENERALLY SHARE DATA OR COORDINATE EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS WITH AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
AND IN ADDITION, WE, UH, LOOKED AT CONTRACTS AND FOUND THAT ONE COMPANY PAYS AN EDUCATIONAL FEE TO HELP COVER THE COST OF EDUCATING CUSTOMERS WHILE OTHERS DON'T.
FURTHER, WE OBSERVED THAT AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE EFFECTIVE INTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND FOUND THAT STAFF'S ABILITY TO PRIORITIZE IS LIMITED.
THEIR EDUCATIONAL E EFFORTS ARE REACTIVE TO OTHERS' NEEDS AND STAFF SAID THEY'RE EXCLUDED FROM PLANNING DISCUSSIONS AND DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE PROJECTS ASSIGNED TO THEM.
WE ISSUED TWO RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP FOCUS AND COORDINATE EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS ACROSS THE CITY WITH PRI AND, AND WITH PRIVATE WASTE HAULERS MANAGEMENT AGREED WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, DO WE WANNA HAVE THE DEPARTMENT THANK YOU, UH, OR WHOEVER IS HERE ON BEHALF
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OF A RR GIVE THEIR RESPONSE AND THEN WE CAN GO.I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
MY NAME IS GINA MCKINLEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
UM, WE WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE ON THIS TOPIC.
UM, WE ARE TALKING WITH THEM OVER THE FINDINGS.
WE AGREE WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
FORTUNATELY, A LOT OF THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THE DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY ACTIVELY WORKING ON, AS YOU CAN SEE IN OUR RESPONSE.
UM, AND WE CONCUR AND ARE HAPPY TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK HERE IN THIS PRESENTATION WE JUST RECEIVED.
WHAT ABOUT THE, THE FACT THAT ONLY ONE OF OUR CONTRACTORS PAYS INTO THE EDUCATION FEE AND THE OTHERS DO NOT? CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY CONTEXT ON THAT AND WHETHER OR NOT THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH THE CONTRACTORS WHO ARE CURRENTLY NOT HELPING WITH EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS? I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.
SO THAT IS REFERRING TO OUR RECYCLING PROCESSING CONTRACTS.
ONE IS WITH TEXAS DISPOSAL SYSTEMS, ONE IS WITH CIRCULAR SERVICES, FORMERLY ES RESOURCES.
THEY, UH, OUR CON OUR STAFF HAUL MATERIAL TO THOSE FACILITIES WHERE THOSE RECYCLABLES ARE PROCESSED.
THOSE ARE LONG-TERM CONTRACTS WITH RESET PERIODS.
WE'RE ACTUALLY APPROACHING IN THE NEXT YEAR A RESET PERIOD AND ARE STARTING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE VENDORS.
SO THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
DURING THE PREVIOUS RESET PERIOD, ONE OF THE VENDORS DID AGREE TO AN EDUCATION FEE THAT IS BASED UPON THE MATERIALS THAT THEY COLLECT.
THEY SEND A PORTION OF THAT BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT TO USE FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MARKETING EFFORTS.
UM, AND THE OTHER VENDOR DID NOT AGREE TO THAT.
AND, AND SO WHAT IS THE CITY'S RECOURSE? WE HAVE A VENDOR THAT IS UNWILLING TO PAY IN TO HELP WITH EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS.
IT WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT OF THE CONTRACT, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP DURING THE NEGO RENEGOTIATION PERIOD.
SO WE CAN TAKE ACTION TO INITIATE CONVERSATIONS DURING THAT RENEGOTIATION, UM, AND HOPE, HOPE FOR A BETTER OUTCOME.
SO IN TERMS OF RECOURSE, THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE VENDOR AND THE CITY, UM, ARE WHAT THEY ARE AND WE COME TO AGREEMENT IN THE END.
WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE IT A REQUIREMENT IN OUR PROCUREMENT EFFORTS ON, AND, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE FINDINGS OF THE AUDIT, AND WE PLAN TO WORK WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT TO FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO FUTURE CONTRACTS.
AND THEN ALSO THE OTHER THING THAT I FOUND INTERESTING, IT WAS JUST THAT YOU, WE HAVEN'T REALLY MADE MUCH PROGRESS IN OUR, IN OUR DIVERSION GOAL EFFORTS.
I THINK 36% WAS WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, CAN YOU SHARE YOUR, YOUR FEEDBACK AND THOUGHTS ON THE METRICS THAT WE HAVE AND JUST WHAT ELSE WE CAN BE DOING TO, TO MAKE MORE PROGRESS IN A FASTER WAY? ABSOLUTELY.
AND THE AUDIT REFERENCED AN UPDATE TO THE ZERO WASTE PLAN THAT WAS DONE IN 2023.
A BIG FOCUS OF THAT PLAN HONESTLY, WAS DATA AND INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE WE ARE FALLING BEHIND.
THE ZERO WASTE PLAN WAS PUT IN PLACE IN 2011.
UM, WHEN WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THE UPDATE, THE NUMBERS ARE WHAT THEY ARE.
WE HAVEN'T MADE A LOT OF SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON THAT DIVERSION RATE METRIC.
UM, A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE SOLID WASTE INDUSTRY OVER THAT DECADE, WHICH IS LEADING TO SOME OF THE STAGNATION IN THE DIVERSION RATE.
AND PART OF THAT PLAN UPDATE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT AND THEN ALSO ADDED ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO HELP US BETTER QUANTIFY OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS ZERO WASTE.
UM, THE 90% DIVERSION RATE GOAL IS AN ASPIRATIONAL GOAL.
IT ALSO TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THINGS LIKE REDUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, REUSE, REPAIR, AVOIDING MATERIALS GOING NOT JUST TO THE LANDFILL, BUT ALSO FOR ADDITIONAL PROCESSING LIKE RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE BETTER AND HIGHER USE THAN EVEN THAT.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE PIECE OF IT.
THE BIG METRIC THAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IS A PER CAPITA DISPOSAL RATE.
THAT IS A MUCH CLEANER NUMBER.
IT'S UNDERSTANDING HOW MUCH IS GOING TO THE TRASH.
SO IT ALLOWS US TO ACCOUNT FOR NOT JUST RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING, BUT ALSO SOME OF THAT REDUCTION THAT WE'RE EDUCATING ABOUT HEAVILY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THAT IS ONE PIECE OF THE PIE.
UM, SOME OF THE CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRY AND JUST MATERIAL CONSUMPTION, MATERIAL PRODUCTION, UM, LIGHTWEIGHTING, WHICH IS REFERENCED IN THE STAFF RESPONSE MEMO.
UM, SOME MATERIALS, LIKE IF YOU TAKE A PLASTIC BOTTLE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WITH PUSHES TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL THAT IT TAKES TO CREATE ONE PLASTIC BOTTLE IS MUCH
[00:35:01]
LESS TODAY THAN IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO.SO YOU COULD HAVE A LARGER AMOUNT OF MATERIALS IN A RECYCLING STREAM THAT WEIGH LESS.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE CALL LIGHTWEIGHTING IN THE INDUSTRY.
MATERIAL COMPOSITION HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY TOO.
UM, USED TO BE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE GLASS BOTTLES OR THAT CONTAINS A PRODUCT, NOW YOU HAVE MULTI-LAYERED MATERIALS AND COMPLICATED PACKAGING THAT MAKES IT HARDER FOR MATERIALS TO BE SORTED BY THE CONSUMER AND PUT INTO THE RECYCLING BIN.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, I I WOULD ATTRIBUTE IT TO INDUSTRY SHIFTS.
AND THEN ALSO WE NEED ADDITIONAL METRICS, WHICH WE HAVE, WE ARE IN THE WORKS TO GET THAT MET, THOSE METRICS.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE CONDUCTING A CAPTURE RATE STUDY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE METRICS NOTED IN THE ZERO WASTE PLAN.
IT'S LITERALLY HAPPENING THIS WEEK AND LAST WEEK.
UM, WE'LL DO A PRE AND POST MEASUREMENT WITH AN EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION IN BETWEEN, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THAT DATA SHOWS US.
AND LAST QUESTION ON MY END, IT, DOES THE DEPARTMENT NEED MORE GUIDANCE OR DIRECTION ON WHICH EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS TO PRIORITIZE? UM, THE AUDIT BALLOT? THERE WAS OVER 90 EFFORTS AND OR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS AND THAT, THAT THERE WAS NO REALLY DELINEATION ON WHAT WAS PRIORITY AND OR MEASURES ESTABLISHED FOR THOSE.
AND I, I THINK AGAIN, WITH THE 2023 PLAN UPDATE, WE'VE ESTABLISHED NEAR AND LONG-TERM GOALS, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE AS A DEPARTMENT A GOOD HANDLE ON WHAT OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE.
UM, WE, WE HAVE STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORTS THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR TO REALLY FOCUS FOR ON A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS WHAT OUR PRIORITIES WILL BE.
UM, WE TOOK THE INFORMATION FOUND FROM THE AUDIT TO SEE WHAT SORT OF INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS WE COULD MAKE IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION PRIORITIZATION, UM, AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ENTIRE STAFF UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE, WHAT THE GOALS ARE AND PRIORITIES ARE FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
COUNCILOR VELA, JUST, UH, A QUICK QUESTION, UNCLEAR DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE AUDIT, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, IS THAT FOR RECYCLING PURPOSES, UH, TO SORT, UH, AND, AND ULTIMATELY RECYCLE, UH, UH, THE, THE CONTRACTOR WILL NOT OPEN PLASTIC BAGS.
UH, IN OTHER WORDS, IF THEY'RE GETTING, UH, RECYCLING THAT IS BAGGED, UH, THEY'RE NOT GONNA OPEN KIND OF UNKNOWN BAGS AND, YOU KNOW, SEE IF IT'S RECYCLING OR TRASH.
UH, IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? SO THAT, THAT IS CORRECT.
AND TO PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT, UM, WHEN OUR DRIVERS ARE COLLECTING THE MATERIAL AT THE CURB, SOMETIMES THEY CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE, LIKE A RECYCLING BIN MAY BE CONTAMINATED WITH BAGGED MATERIALS.
IF IT'S VISIBLE, THEY CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE INSTRUCTED TO TAG THAT MATERIAL.
WE ASK THE CUSTOMER TO CORRECT IT SO THAT WE CAN AVOID, UM, THAT HAPPENING AND CLOGGING UP THE MACHINERY AT THE MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITIES.
IF THERE ARE BAGS THAT ARE COLLECTED IN OUR RECYCLING TRUCKS THAT MAYBE ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BIN OR JUST WEREN'T CATCHED, THOSE WILL BE DUMPED WITH AN ENTIRE TRUCKLOAD AT A MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITY.
WHAT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IS THAT THE ENTIRE TRUCKLOAD IS THEN CON CONSIDERED CONTAMINATED.
UM, IT'S, IT CAN BE A ONE-OFF BASIS IF DURING THAT PROCESS THE BAGS ARE, IT'S CLEAR TO SEE IF IT'S A CLEAR BAG AND YOU CAN TELL THERE'S RECYCLABLES INSIDE THE BAG.
UM, THEY WILL ATTEMPT TO TRY TO RECOVER THAT, OPEN THE BAG AND REMOVE THE BAG FROM THE STREAM.
IF IT'S A, A BAG THAT IS NOT TRANSPARENT, UM, IT COULD POSE RISK TO THE MACHINERY AT THE SORTING FACILITIES AND THOSE, THOSE ARE PULLED OUT OF THE STREAM AND CONSIDERED CONTAMINATION.
AND UM, I, I THINK THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE HOME RECYCLING, UH, IS PEOPLE SEEM TO BE DOING A GOOD JOB.
YOU KNOW, YOU LARGELY DON'T SEE, YOU SEE THE RECYCLING BINS THAT HAVE JUST CANS AND PAPER AND GLASS AND, AND, AND THAT KIND OF STUFF LIKE THAT.
UH, HONESTLY, MY, MY, MY THINKING WAS AS WE'VE MOVED INTO THE COMMERCIAL, UH, AREA OF RECYCLING, I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MY LAW OFFICE AND THE BUILDING THAT WE WERE IN FOR GOD, EIGHT YEARS, 10 YEARS, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
AND, UH, IF IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME THAT, AND THEY WERE NOT CLEAR BAGS, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD JUST BAG IT AND, AND PUT IT IN THE RECYCLING BIN AS OPPOSED TO BAG IT AND PUT IT IN THE TRASH BIN.
IS ALL THAT GETTING THROWN AWAY? AND, AND AGAIN, I KNOW THESE ARE COMMERCIAL KIND OF OPERATIONS, UH, BUT I'M, I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN TO EXTEND THE QUESTION A LITTLE BIT, AS I GO THROUGH CITY FACILITIES, I MEAN, I THINK WE DO THE SAME THING.
LIKE WE BAG, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I'M NOT GONNA TRY TO SIT HERE AND TELL 'CAUSE UH, UH, OBVIOUSLY
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IT'S A LOT MORE DIFFICULT TO HANDLE, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A BIN THAT'S NOT BAGGED YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO, IT'S JUST MORE INVOLVED IN IT.UH, BUT ARE, ARE WE, IS ALL THE STUFF THAT WE'RE RECYCLING, PUTTING IN A BAG AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TURNING OVER TO THE CONTRACTOR, IS ALL THAT GETTING THROWN AWAY? AND I CAN SPEAK TO WHAT WE DO WITH OUR CUSTOMERS AT AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY AND HOW THAT MATERIAL IS PROCESSED.
BE LIKE YOU SAID, MOST OF THE COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH PRIVATE VENDORS AND PRIVATE CONTRACTORS.
UM, WE DO NOT NECESSARILY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE AGREEMENTS ARE FOR ALL OF THOSE CONTRACTORS THAT I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME CASES WHERE THE VENDOR INSTRUCTION TO THE CUSTOMER IS TO BAG RECYCLING AND THEY MAY HAVE A PROCESS, AN INTERNAL PROCESS WHERE THEY OPEN THE BAGS AND SORT THE MATERIAL.
THAT IS A PROCESS THAT SOME VENDORS CHOOSE TO EMPLOY.
I COULDN'T SPEAK EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT COLLECTION HAPPENS THAT DON'T ALWAYS ADHERE TO THE SAME SORT OF COLLECTION RULES THAT OUR CURBSIDE COLLECTION WOULD HAVE.
SO IT COULD BE THAT ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, EVEN THOUGH THE RECYCLING IS BAGGED, THEY HAVE ALREADY KIND OF FIGURED THAT OUT AND THEY'RE STILL GOING TO OPEN THAT BAG AND, UH, POTENTIALLY RECYCLE THOSE CONTENTS.
BUT WE DON'T, AS A CITY, I MEAN, WE REQUIRE RECYCLING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.
THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE REQUIRES COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO RECYCLING AND IN SOME CASES, IN MOST CASES, COMPOSTING MM-HMM
FOR THEIR TENANTS AND EMPLOYEES.
WHAT WE DON'T REGULATE IS EXACTLY HOW WE HAVE MINIMUM, A MINIMUM STANDARD IN TERMS OF CAPACITY AND WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE.
EDUCATING THE CUSTOMERS AND REPORTING BACK TO US HOW YOU'RE MEETING THOSE GUIDELINES.
UM, BUT WE DON'T GET INTO THE MINUTIAE OF HOW THEY CHOOSE TO COLLECT IT ASIDE FROM WE DO HAVE SOME GUIDANCE ON LIKE BIN PLACEMENT, MAKING SURE BINS ARE PLACED NEXT TO EACH OTHER, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THAT 37% FIGURE WOULD BE, ARE THE TRASH THAT WE DIRECTLY COLLECT, NOT THE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY TRASH? THAT IS CORRECT.
THANK YOU CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR.
UH, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
I WANTED TO ACTUALLY START WITH WHAT YOU CLARIFIED AS THE ASPIRATIONAL GOAL, THE 90%.
UH, ONE IS, IS THAT WORTH AT SOME POINT RETHINKING OR RECALIBRATING? IF IT'S ASPIRATIONAL AND WE ARE 60% SHY AND WE'VE ACTUALLY, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL IN THE DATA, MIGHT HAVE ACTUALLY BACKSLID A COUPLE OF PERCENTAGE POINTS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UH, IS THAT A USEFUL METRIC? I MEAN, YOU, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS TO MEASURE THIS THAT COULD BE MORE VALUABLE, UH, OR MORE REFLECTIVE OF WHERE WE ARE.
SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE, THE, THE PURPOSE AND VALUE OF THE ASPIRATIONAL GOAL AND, AND WHETHER THAT'S EVEN MEANINGFUL IN THIS CONVERSATION.
THAT GOAL WAS ESTABLISHED, THERE WAS A ZERO WASTE STRATEGIC PLAN IN 2009.
WE FORMALIZED OUR PLAN IN 2011 OR ZERO, WHICH WAS REALLY OUR ROADMAP OF HOW ARE WE GOING TO REACH ZERO WASTE.
THAT 90% DOES INCLUDE ACTIVITIES LIKE REUSE AND REPAIR, WHICH ARE VERY HARD TO QUANTIFY.
REDUCTION IN CONSUMPTION IS SOMETHING VERY TRICKY TO MEASURE.
UM, WE HAVE NOT CONSIDERED AT THIS POINT DOING AWAY WITHIN THE 90% ASPIRATIONAL GOAL BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD IT IN PLACE FOR SO LONG.
UM, AND IT DOES TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SOME OF THOSE CIRCULAR PRACTICES THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, WHAT WE DID DO IN THE UPDATE IN 2023 WAS ADD AN ADDITIONAL MEASURE MEASURES.
THE PER CAPITA DISPOSAL IS REALLY THE MEASURE THAT I THINK WE'LL USE TO DRIVE TRUE PROGRESS TOWARDS ZERO WASTE.
AND WE HOPE TO SEE THAT REDUCE.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER MEASURES LIKE A CAPTURE RATE, WASTE CHARACTERIZATION, AND WE INTEND TO ALTERNATE THOSE STUDIES EVERY YEAR.
UM, SO TO DIRECTLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, AT THIS MOMENT, WE HAVEN'T DECIDED TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE 90%, UM, BUT RATHER SUPPLEMENT WITH BETTER DATA THAT WE CAN MORE EASILY QUANTIFY AND COMPARE RESULTS FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
I WOULD JUST BE CONCERNED THAT IF PEOPLE ARE, THE PUBLIC IS COMPARING US TO OUR 90% GOAL, AND WE ARE ACTUALLY FROM, AGAIN, THE, THE REPORT THAT YOU SHARED, UH, ACTUALLY MOVING AWAY FROM IT, THAT IT'S, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH IT'S UNREALISTIC OR THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THE WORK WE NEED TO DO.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IN MANY CASES YOU'RE REALLY BEING THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW TO APPROACH THIS AND HOW TO COME UP WITH BETTER DATA TO MEASURE WHAT OUR PROGRESS.
DO WE HAVE THAT PER CAPITA DATA OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S BRAND NEW? THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS BRAND NEW AND IN THE WORKS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND I, I SAY THAT WE'D LIKE
[00:45:01]
TO DO A STU A DEEP DIVE STUDY.WE HAVE ANECDOTAL DATA WHERE WE COULD, WE COULD LOOK AT WHAT OUR PER CAPITA MIGHT BE RIGHT NOW.
UM, WELL, I GUESS IN RELATION TO THIS POINT, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT THE AUDITORS IDENTIFIED WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, 85% IS THE PRIVATE HAULERS AND 15% IS A R IN TERMS OF WHETHER WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE ASPIRATIONAL GOAL OR NOT, OR THE PER CAPITA MEASUREMENTS OR REALLY IS HOW TO IMPROVE UPON OUR CURRENT WORK IN THIS SPACE IN TERMS OF OUR EFFORTS AND ENERGY.
ARE WE BETTER OFF SPENDING LOOKING AT MORE SOLUTIONS FOR THE PRIVATE HAULERS OPPOSED TO AR ITSELF? BECAUSE THAT SEEMS LIKE A RELATIVELY SMALL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
I'D SAY THE, THE, WE ARE FUNDED TO BE THE SOLID WASTE UTILITY FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
WE'RE AN ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENT THAT RECEIVE, UM, THE RATE PAYERS PAY FOR THAT DIRECT SERVICE.
UM, THAT SAID, YOU ARE NOT WRONG THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF WASTE GENERATION WITHIN THE CITY, UM, IS NOT DIRECTLY CONTROLLED BY THE DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF A COMMUNITY.
AND, AND IT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, HONESTLY, UM, TO BE A CITY WITH A ZERO WASTE GOAL.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND TO INFLUENCE THAT BEHAVIOR, THE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THAT IS, IS A CHALLENGE.
UM, IN THE ZERO WASTE PLAN, WE HAVE FUTURE EFFORTS RELATED TO THE, THE PORTION OF THE WASTE STREAM THAT WE DO NOT DIRECTLY CONTROL LARGELY THROUGH POLICY.
THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING OR ORDINANCE AS IT STANDS NOW CREATES MINIMUM STANDARDS.
THERE COULD BE ADDITIONAL METRICS OR REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE BUILT INTO THAT POLICY IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO THERE, THOSE ARE THINGS TO LOOK AT, BUT YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT.
UM, AND IT IS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE AS A DEPARTMENT.
WELL, IN LIGHT OF THAT CHALLENGE, I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT THERE WAS ABOUT $3 MILLION FOR EDUCATION EFFORTS.
HOW MUCH DID A SPLIT BETWEEN A RR EFFORTS AND PRIVATE HAULER EFFORTS? OR IS IT ALL OF THAT A RR AND NONE OF THAT PRIVATE HAULER? THE DOLLARS REFERENCED IN THE PRESENTATION WERE A RR BUDGETED DOLLARS.
SO THOSE ARE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR COMMUNICATION EDUCATION EFFORTS.
I GUESS, LET ME REPHRASE THAT THEN.
IS THAT, IS THE EFFORTS SPENT THEN ON COMMUNICATING JUST TO AR CUSTOMERS OR TO PRIVATE HAULER CUSTOMERS? OR DO I MISUNDERSTAND HOW THAT BUDGET WORKS? THE MAJORITY, YEAH.
THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FUNDS ARE TO OUR DIRECT CUSTOMERS.
SO OUR DIRECT CUSTOMERS, PRIMARILY THOSE THAT HAVE OUR CURBSIDE CARTS, UM, WE HAVE, WE ARE FUNDED THROUGH OUR BASE RATE AS WELL AS THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE, WHICH DOES IMPACT ALL OF AUSTIN.
THE EDU THE DOLLARS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE ARE USED TO EDUCATE RELATED TO EFFORTS LIKE THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE.
SO THAT WOULD INCLUDE COMMUNICATION WITH HAULERS AS WELL AS THOSE BUSINESSES, MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THAT ORDINANCE.
SO THERE IS A MIX OF EDUCATION INCLUDED IN THOSE DOLLARS.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE USEFUL GOING FORWARD TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, OR AT LEAST I WOULD FIND IT USEFUL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BREAKDOWN IS IF THEY ARE INDEED RESPONSIBLE FOR 85%.
UM, AND YET WHATEVER THE ACTUAL PERCENTAGE WE'RE SPENDING OF THOSE $3 MILLION, $2.9 MILLION IS ACTUALLY GOING TOWARDS GENERAL PUBLIC EDUCATION OR JUST THE SUBSET OF A RR CUSTOMERS THAT MAY ACCOUNT FOR A RELATIVELY SMALL PORTION OF WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE DATA THAT THE AUTOS REPAIR REPORTED, THEY MENTIONED THAT, UH, AND I THINK IT WAS ON ONE OF THE SLIDES, LOS ANGELES IS SOMEHOW BLOWING THIS WAY.
I KNOW WE, WE TALKED ABOUT IT THE OTHER DAY WHEN, UM, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT DO THEY ALSO HAVE LIKE A VERY ASPIRATIONAL GOAL THAT THEY'RE JUST FURTHER ALONG OR IS, OR IS ALL OF THIS APPLES AND ORANGES THAT'S INCREDIBLY HARD TO MEASURE BETWEEN CITIES? I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AGAIN, HOW USEFUL THESE SORT OF HIGH LEVEL METRICS ARE OR WHETHER THEY'VE GOT, WHETHER THEY'RE ALREADY USING THE PER CAPITA METRICS THAT YOU TALK ABOUT IMPLEMENTING GOING FORWARD.
UH, A LOT OF THAT IS WHAT YOU SAID, APPLES TO ORANGES.
UM, LOS ANGELES FOR EXAMPLE, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS REGULATIONS THAT CAN INFLUENCE WHERE, HOW MUCH WASTE IS DIVERTED AT A STATE LEVEL, NOT EVEN AT A LOCAL LEVEL THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO THOSE KINDS OF, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE LANDFILL BANS OR, UM, REQUIREMENTS TO DO CERTAIN ACTIVITIES WITH WASTE, THOSE THINGS REALLY DRIVE THOSE DIVERSION RATES UP.
UM, I CAN SAY THAT THERE IS, WHILE THE DIVERSION RATE METRIC WAS AT THE TIME THAT WE ESTABLISHED OUR OWN GOAL, A VERY GROWINGLY COMMON WAY TO MEASURE PROGRESS TOWARDS ZERO WASTE, THERE IS A SHIFT IN THE INDUSTRY WHICH WE'RE ALIGNED WITH AND MOVING TOWARDS A PER CAPITA.
I THINK WE'LL SEE MORE AND MORE CITIES USING THAT AS A MEASUREMENT OF PROGRESS GOING FORWARD.
[00:50:01]
OKAY.UH, AND THEN TO THAT POINT, I WAS INTENDING TO ASK FOR SOME HISTORICALS FOR GOING BACK WHATEVER, CALL IT FIVE OR 10 YEARS.
AM I BETTER OFF JUST WAITING ON THE PER CAPITA DATA AFTER YOU'VE STUDIED IT AND IMPLEMENTED IT TO, TO THEN USE THAT AS A BETTER BENCHMARK FOR, FOR OUR PROGRESS? HAPPY TO DO BOTH.
I THINK THE PER CAPITA DATA WILL BE A, A BETTER WAY TO TELL THAT STORY.
UM, ONCE WE GET THE PER CAPITA RATE, WE DO DO INTEND TO ESTABLISH BENCHMARKS RELATED TO THAT.
ONCE WE BETTER UNDERSTAND THE DATA, WHEN WE USE THAT NEW BENCHMARK, OUR, OUR PRIVATE HAULER IS GONNA BE ALSO SHARING INFORMATION USING THAT BENCHMARK.
I MEAN, IS THAT GONNA BE ACROSS THE BOARD OR IS THAT JUST OUR REPORTING PROGRESS USING THAT BENCHMARK? SIMILAR TO OUR 90% DIVERSION GOAL, WHICH IS A COMMUNITY WIDE EFFORT, THE, THE PER CAPITA METRICS WOULD BE A COMMUNITY WIDE EFFORT.
UM, SO WE WOULD INTEND TO INCORPORATE ALL OF THE WASTE GENERATED IN THE CITY AS PART OF THAT.
I'M FIRST WONDERING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE ECONOMICS WHERE IF, IF THERE ARE SAVINGS ACHIEVED, LIKE LET'S JUST SAY TOMORROW EVERYBODY DID EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO, THEY COMPOSTED ALL THEIR FOOD, THEY RECYCLED ALL THEIR RECYCLABLES, THEY HAD VERY LITTLE TRASH.
IS THERE SAVINGS TO THE SYSTEM IF THAT HAPPENS? OR IS IT JUST YOU SPEND LESS ON THE TRASH BUT MORE ON THE RECYCLING OR MORE ON THE COMPOSTING? CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT? I WOULD LIKE TO SAY YES, BUT THE, THE REAL ANSWER IS IT DEPENDS.
SO, UM, TRADITIONALLY DIVERTING MATERIALS FOR RECYCLING OR COMPOSTING SHOULD SHOW YOU A COST SAVINGS COMPARED TO THE RATE YOU WOULD PAY TO LANDFILL.
ALL OF THE MATERIAL THAT SAID RECYCLABLES, PARTICULARLY THOSE ARE COMMODITIES AND THEY'RE SUBJECT TO MARKET SHIFTS.
HISTORICALLY, THEY'RE OUR HIGHEST AND LOWS, JUST LIKE WITH MOST THINGS ON THE MARKET.
UM, AND SO, AND WE DO, UM, STRUCTURE OUR CONTRACTS IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE TRY TO BENEFIT THE CITY FROM THE REVENUE SHARE WITH THE VENDORS THAT WE USE.
SO I'D LIKE TO SAY YES, BUT IT REALLY DOES DEPEND.
THEORETICALLY, YES, WE WOULD BE SAVING MONEY.
SO DO WE PAY OUR LANDFILL OPERATORS JUST A, A FIXED RATE OR A VOLUMETRIC, LIKE WE, WE HAVE DEPOSITED X TONS OF TRASH IN THIS MONTH AND SO WE PAY YOU BASED ON THE TONNAGE.
THERE IS A TIP RATE FOR, UM, MATERIAL.
IT'S A DIRECT COST TO THE MATERIAL THAT WE TAKE.
SEPARATELY, WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WHERE TO FOCUS, IS THERE MORE OF A BENEFIT, LET'S SAY IF EVERYBODY STARTED COMPOSTING RATHER THAN EVERYBODY DOING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF RECYCLING? LIKE IS ONE MORE BENEFICIAL THAN THE OTHER? I MEAN, I KNOW WE WANTED TO DO EVERYTHING, BUT, BUT IF WE COULD SAY EVERYONE DOES COMPOSTING, DOES THAT HAVE SOME GREATER EFFECT OR BENEFIT THAN LET'S SAY EVERYONE RECYCLING? I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE AN ACCURATE ANSWER FOR THAT.
I, I WOULD SAY THERE ARE A LOT OF IT, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AS MORE BENEFICIAL.
IS IT MORE BENEFICIAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT? IS IT MORE BENEFICIAL IN TERMS OF COST SAVINGS, UM, OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY? SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS YOU COULD MEASURE THAT BENEFIT.
UM, SO I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER, BUT I'M HAPPY TO EXPLORE PARADISE AVENUES.
WELL, I'VE GOT ONE MORE THING FOR YOU TO EXPLORE.
AND IT'S, UM, A LITTLE MORE OUT THERE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW OUR SCHEDULE, AS YOU ARE ABUNDANTLY AWARE, YOU, THEY, YOU GET YOUR COMPOST PICKED UP EVERY WEEK.
YOU GET YOUR TRASH PICKED UP EVERY WEEK, BUT YOU GET RECYCLING PICKED UP EVERY OTHER WEEK.
AND NOW IF ANYBODY IS LIKE OUR HOUSEHOLD, YOUR RECYCLING IS OVERFLOWING BY THE END OF WEEK TWO.
UH, AND WE HAVE A SMALL TRASH BIN THAT IS ALMOST NEVER FULL.
UH, I'M CURIOUS, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT FLIPPING THAT AND MAKING RECYCLING EVERY WEEK AND TRASH EVERY OTHER WEEK? BOTH FROM A ENCOURAGING, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PRIORITIZING RECYCLING OVER TRASH, BUT ALSO I, MY GUESS WOULD BE PEOPLE NATURALLY WOULD SAY, WELL, IF I HAVE TO HAVE MY TRASH SIT FOR TWO WEEKS, I DON'T WANT FOOD ROTTING IN THERE, SO I SHOULD PUT THAT IN THE COMPOST.
UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, DRIVING BEHAVIOR THROUGH MORE OF A STICK THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
I'M, I'M CURIOUS IF THAT'S BEEN A, A DISCUSSION OR ANALYSIS Y'ALL HAVE DONE.
WE HAVE CONSIDERED, UH, AT LEAST CHANGING THE RECYCLING FREQUENCY IN THE PAST, MOVING FROM EVERY OTHER WEEK TO EVERY WEEK.
UM, IN TERMS OF SHIFTING THE TRASH COLLECTION, THERE IS A STATE REQUIREMENT THAT WE COLLECT PU SABLE MATERIAL, WHICH YOU WOULD CONSIDER TRASH, UM, EVERY WEEK.
SO THAT IS WHY WE WOULD CONTINUE TO SHIFT THE TRASH.
UM, WE HAVE CONSIDERED THE RECYCLING AND, AND CHANGING THAT FREQUENCY
[00:55:01]
RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN REQUEST ANOTHER CART IF YOU NEED AT NO CHARGE AND WE WILL COLLECT MORE RECYCLABLES.UM, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL CONSIDER, CONTINUE TO CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE.
UM, LOOKING AT THE EFFICIENCIES AND LIKE YOU NOTED, WOULD IT DRIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE JUST BY SHIFTING THE PRACTICE? OKAY.
UM, WELL I GUESS WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THIS CONVERSATION.
I ACTUALLY, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU.
AND I, I WAS LOOKING AT STATES WHO HAVE PUT INTO PLACE THE MORE STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU KINDA ALLUDED TO.
YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA AND OTHER STATES HAVE, HAVE A STATE LAW THAT YOU MUST COMPOST, YOU MUST DO THIS.
AND AN ANALYSIS WAS DONE THAT SHOWED MOST OF THESE STATES DIDN'T REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE ONCE THOSE LAWS WENT TO EFFECT EXCEPT FOR ONE.
AND THAT WAS MASSACHUSETTS BECAUSE THEY PAIRED THAT WITH ENFORCEMENT.
THEY HAD, UH, PEOPLE COME AND DO SITE ASSESSMENTS OR, UM, UM, WHAT'S THE RIGHT WORD? LIKE CODE ENFORCEMENT TYPE ANALYSIS OR, OR REVIEWS.
DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF, UH, ENFORCEMENT OR ANYBODY THAT GOES TO A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS, KINDA LIKE AN AUDIT AND SAY, ARE YOU COMPOSTING? ARE YOU RECYCLING LIKE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO? OR DO WE JUST KIND OF LEAVE IT UP TO THEM AND HOPE FOR THE BEST? WE DO.
WE HAVE A COMPLIANCE TEAM AND ACTUALLY THERE WAS A SHIFT THAT COMPLIANCE TEAM WAS HOUSED WITHIN AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
UM, STARTING IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THEY WILL SHIFT DOING THE SAME WORK BUT BE HOUSED IN DSD ALONGSIDE OUR OTHER CODE OFFICERS, WHICH I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S SOME EFFICIENCIES THERE, BUT THEY ARE TASKED WITH, UM, LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL ENFORCING THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE.
SO CHECKING IN ON COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES, THERE IS AN ANNUAL REPORTING REQUIREMENT FOR THE URO.
UM, AND IN THAT YOU HAVE TO REPORT HOW YOU'RE COMPLYING.
SO IF THERE ARE, UM, ITEMS WHERE A PARTICULAR BUSINESS IS OUT OF COMPLIANCE, THAT TEAM IS AVAILABLE OR IF THEY HAVEN'T SUBMITTED A FORM, UM, AND NEED TO DO SO, UH, THAT TEAM HANDLES THAT.
AND IS IT LIKE, HOW BIG IS THE TEAM? IS IT DO IF I'M A, IF I'M OPERATING A BUSINESS, AM I THINKING THAT THEY'RE GONNA SHOW UP OR AM I THINKING IT'S PRETTY UNLIKELY BECAUSE WE HAVE FIVE PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS? I HOPE YOU'RE THINKING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SHOW UP.
AND THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW TEAM IN THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE HAVE, I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A SUPERVISOR AND THREE INSPECTION OFFICERS, SO IT'S NOT A HUGE TEAM.
UM, BUT THEY ARE ABLE TO HANDLE QUITE A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES THROUGH THE COURSE OF THEIR DAY.
I'M SURE WE'LL CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT, UH, ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, I GUESS WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN DO IT.
[5. Update on City of Austin redevelopment projects [Kim Olivares, Director; Christine Maguire, Division Manager - Financial Services Department].]
WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, AN UPDATE ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UH, FROM DIRECTOR OLIVARES AND MS. MCGUIRE.GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, KIMEL LAVAR, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES.
I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE THIS MORNING, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, CHRISTINE MCGUIRE FOR MY TEAM TO SPEAK TO THE VARIOUS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SOME THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE FOR WELL OVER 20 YEARS, UH, AND THOSE THAT ARE IN THEIR, THEIR EARLY, EARLY STAGES, UH, AS WE LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO IMPROVE AND INCREASE OUR TAX BASE, TO ADDRESS OUR BUDGET NEEDS, UM, THEIR REDEVELOPMENT IS, IS A KEY, UM, PART OF THAT.
UH, BUT THE REDEVELOPMENT IS ALSO IS A KEY PART OF, UH, DELIVERING ON VARIOUS COMMUNITY NEEDS, UM, PRIORITIES FROM COUNCIL, UH, RELATIVE TO THINGS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LOCAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, PARKS AND OPEN SPACE, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO, UH, CHRISTINE IS GOING TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF, UH, THE VARIOUS PROJECTS WE HAVE, UM, AND AT VARIOUS STAGES.
AND THEN I'LL CLOSE IT UP WITH SOME FINAL POINTS.
UH, I APPRECIATE, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UH, SHOWCASE WHAT OUR, UM, DIVISION DOES.
Y'ALL HAD A WARMUP BAN AT YOUR LAST AUDIT AND FINANCE, UH, WITH THE AUSTIN PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATION.
THAT'S ALSO PART OF WHAT WE DO.
THIS PRESENTATION WILL FOCUS, UH, MAINLY ON OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY REPOSITIONING.
SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE DO, WHERE WE DO IT, HOW WE DO IT, AND ABOUT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
[01:00:01]
TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.WHAT, WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE PROPERTY FOR WHICH THE CITY HAS, ESSENTIALLY, MOST OF OUR PROPERTY HAS BEEN DECOMMISSIONED UTILITY PROPERTY FOR WHICH THE CITY, UH, NO LONGER HAS A MUNICIPAL PURPOSE FOR, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY A COMMUNITY IN, UH, PURPOSE FOR.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE, AS A STAFF, WE WED COUNCIL POLICY WITH COMMUNITY VISION AND KNIT THAT WITH, AND FRAME IT WITH WHAT ARE THE CONSTRAINTS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES INHERENT ON THE LAND ITSELF, AND BASED ON THE MARKET CONTEXT IN TERMS OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND, DEVELOPERS' EXPECTATION OF RETURN, UH, VACANCY, ET CETERA, OF ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRODUCTS AND WHAT IS MISSING, QUITE HONESTLY, THAT THE MARKET IS NOT DOING.
AND THEN HOW CAN THIS BASICALLY THIS PROJECT BE A CATALYST FOR COMMUNITY ORIENTED BENEFIT THAT DELIVERS LOTS OF BENEFITS.
SO WE KNIT THAT ALL TOGETHER AND BRING FORWARD BASICALLY A LAND PLAN, GO TO THE PRIVATE MARKET, UH, ATTRACT AND SELECT THROUGH COUNCIL, UH, SELECTION, UH, COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL SELECTION PROCESS, A DEVELOPER PARTNER.
AND THEN WE DO, UH, A LOT OF ARM WRESTLING.
IT'S A TECHNICAL TERM FOR NEGOTIATION OF ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR AGREEMENTS ENSURE THAT THE CITY GETS WHAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE FOR, WE ENSURE THAT THE VISION IS SECURED AND OBTAINED.
UM, BUT WE ALSO LOOK TO OFF OFFLOAD RISK ONTO THE DEVELOPER.
AND THE DEVELOPER IS OBVIOUSLY SEEKING A MARKET, UH, SUPPORTED RETURN FOR THEIR RISK.
AND SO WE ALIGN ALL THIS UP INTO LEGAL AGREEMENTS AND THEN WE STEWARD THOSE PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE VERY MUCH GROUNDED, THEREFORE, IN, IN WHAT ARE THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION AND STRATEGIC POINTS OF COUNCIL.
AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE CITY MANAGER STRATEGIC DIRECTION.
WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING FOR, UH, DOING THIS KIND OF FOCUSED WORK SINCE ESSENTIALLY THE, THE LATE NINETIES.
AND WE HAVE DONE PROJECTS SUCH AS MILLER, THE SEA HOME REDEVELOPMENT, THE GREEN WATER TREATMENT PLANT REDEVELOPMENT, UH, AND SOME NEWER PROJECTS SUCH AS ST.
JOHN, UH, AND THE GROVE RIVERSIDE PROJECT, WHICH IS A, A BEEN A RECENT ACQUISITION WHERE THE FORMER TOKYO ELECTRON PROPERTY IS, AND THE, AND THE LAND AROUND IT.
WHAT OUR SWEET SPOT IS AS A FOCUS FOR WHAT WE DO IS ESSENTIALLY LARGER PIECES OF LAND THAT ARE TAKEN THAT HAVE MULTIPLE PHASES AND THAT HAVE A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE COMPLEXITIES, LAND DEVELOPMENT COMPLEXITIES.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS OUR SPECIAL SAUCE.
WE PARTNER A LOT WITH OUR AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION AND OTHER ECONOMIC AND OTHER REDEVELOPMENT PARTNERS TO DO PROJECTS THAT ARE MORE FOCUSED FOR, UM, THINGS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY HOUSING, BUT FOR THINGS THAT ARE MORE MIXED USE, UH, LARGER AND MULTI-PHASE, UH, UH, THAT IS OUR SPECIALTY.
WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE AT AN INTERESTING POINT IN TIME IN TERMS OF OUR PROJECTS.
SOME ARE DONE AND WE'RE STEWARDING, UM, CARETAKING THROUGH RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS.
THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE ALMOST BECOMING COMPLETED, AND I SAY ALMOST MEANING SEVERAL YEARS TO THAT.
UM, SOME ARE BEGINNING TO HAVE DIRT TURN OR NEARING DIRT TURNING, AND SOME WERE JUST BEGINNING.
SO I WANNA GIVE YOU A FLAVOR OF IT'S WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE DO IT, BUT BASED ON WHAT SOME OF OUR SUCCESSES WERE AND HOW WE'RE LEARNING FROM, UM, THE SCAR TISSUE FROM THOSE SUCCESSES, UH, THE SEA HOME DISTRICT IS, UH, THIS IS WHAT IS IS DONE.
AND OBVIOUSLY WHERE, WHERE CITY HALL SITS, UH, IS PART OF THAT STORY, WHERE THE, WE HAD, YOU KNOW, FORMER WATER, UH, TREATMENT PLANT FORMER, UM, UH, FORMER AUSTIN ENERGY, ELECTRIC POWER
[01:05:01]
PLANT THAT WAS, UH, REALLY GIVING ELECTRICITY TO THE CITY THROUGH THE DAM, THE LADY BIRD LAKE DAM.AND SO THESE WERE NO LONGER LEAD NEEDED.
THIS IS WHERE THIS 90 ACRE TRACK, THE, THE, UH, THE TEAM BACK BASICALLY BEGINNING IN THE, IN THE NINETIES, THE LATE NINETIES, WORKED A LOT OF COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS TO COME WITH, WITH A LARGE MASTER PLAN.
AND OVER TIME, THESE PARTS OF THESE 90 ACRES WERE EITHER SOLD OFF OR WE GROUND LEASED TO SPECIFIC PARTNERS ALONG THE WAY OVER TIME.
SO THIS, THIS AREA NOW WHERE WE HAVE, UH, THE SEA HOME, UH, THE SEA HOME PLANT, IS NOW CONVERTED INTO THESE WONDERFUL MIXED USE PROJECTS.
AND WHAT'S RESULTED REALLY, AND IT'S TAKEN MORE THAN TWO DECADES TO PUT IN ON THE GROUND, 2300 RESIDENTIAL UNITS RETAIL OFFICE.
AND, UH, A LOT OF THIS IS ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS IN PRIVATE INVESTMENT.
SECOND STREET DISTRICT, WHICH IS WHERE CITY HALL IS, HAS, IS ALSO BEEN PART OF ESSENTIALLY WHAT STARTED WITH, UH, CSC OR SILICON LABS AS A, A BUSINESS RETENTION DEAL, WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO GO OUT INTO THE SUBURBS.
WE ENCOURAGED THEM TO GO AND BE TWO PODIUMS A BLOCK, TWO AND FOUR, AND THE CITY WOULD COME IN, BUILD A CITY HALL, AND CREATE A VIBRANT, UH, RETAIL SCAPE.
AND WHAT HAS RESULTED IS THE SECOND STREET DISTRICT FOR WHICH WE HAVE EXCEPTIONAL PARTNERS WITH AM E AND OBVIOUSLY WE SOLD A PARCEL THAT, UH, ENABLED, UH, THE WTP, UH, TO BE BUILT ALONG WITH, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, THE HOME OF AUSTIN CITY LIMITS.
SO THIS ALSO IS DONE, BUT DONE IS REALLY NEVER DONE IN A SENSE THAT WE ARE CONTINUALLY WORKING WITH OUR RETAIL MANAGEMENT ENTITY AM E TO ENSURE THAT THIS RETAIN A VIBRANT DISTRICT, AND THAT WE AS THE CITY TAKE ON AND ENSURE THAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO KEEP THE SECOND STREET AREA CLEAN, SAFE, AND, UH, AND VIBRANT MILLER 700 ACRES FORMER AIRPORT.
Y'ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS STORY, BUT I WILL SAY THIS TOO, WAS FROM THE NINETIES DECOMMISSIONING OF THE AIRPORT, A BROAD COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS, AND THAT THE CITY STAFF, UH, WORKED WITH CREATING A PLAN, A MASTER PLAN, WENT OUT TO MARKET, GOT ELLAS, UH, WHICH IS A NATIONAL COMPANY WHO IS BEEN A LONG-TERM PARTNER THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TIME FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF, OF WHAT REALLY HAS BEEN A 20 YEAR BUILD OUT.
THIS PROJECT HAS SEVERAL MORE YEARS TO GO.
WE ARE LEARNING A LOT OF LESSONS ABOUT HOW TO WIND DOWN A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT THAT WILL HELP US THINK TO THE FUTURE OF PROJECTS THAT ARE JUST BEGINNING, SUCH AS THE REDEVELOPMENT OF COLONY PARK, WHICH IS LOYOLA AND DECKER, 208 ACRES, SAME INDIVIDUALS, DIFFERENT SAME COMPANY INDIVIDUALS.
SO AN EXCELLENT PARTNER THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO BE DEVELOPING WITH.
BUT WE'RE LEARNING A LOT OF LESSONS HERE IN TERMS OF ENSURING THAT THESE LONG, LONG-TERM MULTI-PHASE PROJECTS ARE ENTITLED, SO THAT AS THE MARKET CHANGES OVER TIME AND AS THE COMMUNITY'S PRIORITIES CHANGE OVER TIME, THAT WE ARE NOT BASICALLY TYING OUR ABILITY OR THE DEVELOPER'S ABILITY TO DELIVER, UH, TO DELIVER ON LAND USES THAT REALLY MEET THE CURRENT MARKET NEEDS.
AND, AND THAT IS A SPECIAL, THAT IS A SPECIAL TRICK.
THIS, UH, THIS PROJECT AT THE TIME, WE NOW LOOK AT MILLER GOING, WOW, THAT'S AMAZING SUCCESS.
WE LOOK UP AND DOWN THE STREET GOING, WOW, THIS IS AMAZING SUCCESS.
IT'S AN AMAZING SUCCESS THAT'S TAKEN 20 TO 30 YEARS TO HAPPEN.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOW ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF THAT LABOR, THAT HAS BEEN A LONG-TERM COLLABORATION AND MANY LAYERS OF FUNDING TO ACTUALLY BRING FORWARD THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ON, ON THESE LANDS.
TAX INCREMENT FINANCING, WE'VE WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH OUR DIFFERENT, UH, UH, ABILITY
[01:10:01]
TO RECEIVE TAX CREDITS, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS.IT'S BEEN, UH, PARTNERSHIPS WITH UT PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UH, MANY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND TO DATE, WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY THERE'S A VIBRANT, UH, TOWN CENTER THAT HAS, IN THAT TOWN CENTER, 77% OF THE BUSINESS, THERE ARE LOCAL BUSINESSES.
UM, OVER AND OVER 50% OF THE BUSINESSES HERE ON SECOND STREET ARE LOCAL BUSINESSES.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE WAYS THAT WE REALLY WANNA DELIVER COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
UH, AND THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE GOALS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PROJECT FOR, IN TERMS OF THE HORIZONTAL CONSTRUCTION, PUTTING AN ENTIRE NEW ROADWAY IN, UH, NETWORK PARK PARKS, CHAIN OF PARKS, ET CETERA, THAT HAD M-B-D-E-W-B-E GOALS.
THERE'S A GROCERY STORE OF HEB THAT'S SERVING KIND OF THE BROADER AREA.
UM, SO THIS IS REALLY ALSO AN ABILITY TO CREATE A LAND ENVIRONMENT WHERE QUITE HONESTLY, OUR PARTNERS, LIKE UT AND A ISD WANNA LOCATE AND THEIR PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND RELATED ENTITIES.
SO THIS HAS A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT WEREN'T NECESSARILY HARDWIRED INTO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MDA, BUT HAVE RESULT OF CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE, UM, BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYERS WANT TO, UH, WANT TO BE LOCATED IN.
AND A LOT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, AND A LOT OF THESE EARLY OPPORTUNITIES DID FIND THEIR HOME IN THE MDA, SUCH AS LOOKING FOR CARVING OUT A POTENTIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, ET CETERA.
THE EARLIER WE CAN BEGIN ENGAGING OUR PARTNERS, WHICH AS WE WILL TALK ABOUT WITH COLONY PARK, THE, THE EARLIER WE CAN GET DEVELOPMENT OUT OF THE GROUND, SO WE'RE NOT JUST WAITING TILL WE ICE THE DEAL.
IT'S PART OF EVEN THE COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS AND WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY KEY PROJECTS THAT CAN BE LEADS AND SET THE, THE SCALE AND THE VISION OF WHAT WE ARE ALL TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AS POLICY MAKERS AND, AND THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
UM, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT KIND OF THE MAIN AND MAIN, OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS OBLIGATE THAT, THE, THE DEVELOPER FOR MILLER AS WELL AS FOR OTHER PROJECTS LIKE COLONY PARK.
AND WHAT WE ANTICIPATE WITH GROVE, WHAT WE DO IS WE, WE AS THE CITY DON'T WANT TO BE THE DEVELOPER.
WE DO NOT HAVE A GROUNDED UNDERSTANDING AND THE DAY BY DAY INTRICACIES OF CAPITAL MARKETS.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT OUR SWEET SPOT.
WE ALSO HAVE DIFFERENT RISKS WITH BEING STEWARDS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
THAT IS NOT FOR THE CITY TO BE RISK TAKING WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
WHAT WE DO IS WE CAN BE PATIENT WITH OUR LAND AND HAVE AN AGREEMENT WHERE THE DEVELOPER CAN TAKE MORE MARKET RATE, RETURN AND RISK, AND WE OFFLOAD THAT RISK IN OUR AGREEMENTS.
WE CAN HELP MITIGATE RISK BY FINANCIAL SUPPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT, BUT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S REALLY HAVING THAT PATIENT CAPITAL THAT COMES WITH THE LAND.
WE OWN THE LAND AND CONVEY IT AT THE RIGHT TIME THROUGH GROUND LEASE OR WHATEVER.
SO I THINK THAT IS HOW WE, ON A MORE GRANULAR DETAIL, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ALIGN OUR GOALS THROUGH THESE AGREEMENTS THAT NEED TO LAST 20 YEARS.
UM, UM, I WON'T GO THROUGH THIS, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT MILLER'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM IS THAT OVER THE 20 TO 25 YEAR, OVER THE 20 YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON MILLER, THE THE ACHING NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS REALLY INCREASED.
AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE LIKE A, A POD AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
AND THIS IS THE SPECIAL SAUCE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET DENSER, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR LOT LINES, IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, GOING VERTICAL IN ORDER TO SQUEEZE OUT MORE QUALITY, AFFORDABLE UNITS IN PLACES THAT ARE DESIRABLE THROUGHOUT MILLER.
SO IT'S INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM WHAT MAY BE MORE MARKET RATE DEALS IN TERMS OF QUALITY CONSTRUCTION AND AMENITIES, AND WE ARE VERY DEDICATED TO THAT.
[01:15:01]
ESPECIALLY AS, UH, THE HOUSING MARKET HAS REALLY TIGHTENED FOR OUR LOWER TO MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS, UH, HERE, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET MORE, MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OUT OF THE LAND.AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT OUR PROJECTS BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF THE MARKET AT THE TIME.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE NOW ABOUT COLONY PARK.
THIS HAS BEEN A COMMUNITY PLANNING EFFORT WITH THE COLONY PARK LAKESIDE COMMUNITY SINCE, UH, COMING OUT OF THE GREAT RECESSION IN 20 10, 20 11, WHERE THE CITY WON A AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT GRANT, $3 MILLION GRANT, ONE OF THE HIGHEST VALUE GRANT IN THE UNITED STATES TO DO A GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, COMMUNITY-ORIENTED VISIONING PROCESS FOR THE LAND.
AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY, GIVEN THAT HOW, HOW INCREDIBLY, UH, CHALLENGING THE FINANCIAL MARKETS ARE AND WHAT CAPITAL REQUIRES IN TERMS OF RETURN OF GETTING A PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPER ON BOARD THAT REALLY IS COMMITTED TO THE VISION.
AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE SINCE, UH, SINCE 20, UH, SINCE 20, REALLY, IT WAS 2014, AND THEN RECALIBRATED VERY RECENTLY WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, UH, IS REALLY ENABLE THIS PROJECT TO REALLY MAKE THAT VISION HAPPEN NOW MORE IN TUNE WITH WHAT THE MARKET REQUIRES IN TERMS OF DENSITY.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT THIS IS THE LAND PLAN.
THIS IS WHAT HAS BEEN ENTITLED, WE HAVEN'T EXECUTED DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UH, WITH KATES.
UH, THEY ARE UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME, SAME INDIVIDUALS.
I THINK THEY'RE CALLED BRAND BERRY NOW, BUT YES, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A COUPLE ITERATIONS, BUT THAT, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO NO LONGER SAY THAT NAME.
IT ISN'T ROLLING OFF THE, ROLLING OFF THE, THE, UH, THE TONGUE HERE.
BUT WE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE COM A COMMITTED ALIGNMENT OF VISION AND RISK.
UM, THIS DOES OBVIOUSLY REQUIRE, UH, LAYERS OF CAPITAL.
AND WE ARE VERY, WE HAVE A TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE.
WE ALSO HAVE THROUGH, UM, UH, DEFINITE COMMITMENT OF, OF COUNCIL, UH, $12.5 MILLION IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDING, UH, THAT WILL GO TO HELP WITH INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'VE ALSO GOTTEN SEVERAL FEDERAL EARMARKS FOR THIS PROJECT THAT WE ARE REALLY, UH, PUTTING TO GOOD USE.
UM, AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS COMING OUT OF THE GROUND, UM, IS YES, LOTS OF LAYERS OF MONEY I'M GONNA KEEP ON BRACING THROUGH, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
BUT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS COMING OUT OF THE GROUND THAT WHEN YOU GO BY COLONY PARK, YOU ARE SEEING THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CENTRAL HEALTH AND THE CITY BUILD A HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
DURING COVID, THIS ZIP CODE HAD THE HIGHEST RATES OF MORBIDITY AND, UM, MORTALITY THROUGHOUT TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND THIS IS OUR COMMITMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE USING, UM, OUR, UH, ARPA MONEY, WHICH IS HELPING TO BUILD THE ROAD AND TO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTRAL HEALTH TO GET THIS THING BUILT.
SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY THAT THIS IS, UH, COMING OUT OF THE GROUND.
ON THAT LONG-TERM ADVENTURE, ST.
JOHN, WE ARE, WE SAY WE'RE FIXING TO TURN DIRT.
THE CHALLENGE AND THE OPPORTUNITY WITH ST.
JOHN'S IS, THIS HAS BEEN A, A, ALSO A LITTLE SMALLER SITE, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY VERY CHALLENGED IN TERM WHAT THE USES WERE THAT WERE ON IT.
WE HAVE SCRAPED THE SITE, WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY TO ENVISION A NEW VISION FOR THIS TRACK.
AND NOW WHERE WE ARE, WE HAVE A EXCELLENT PARTNER WITH GREYSTAR AND HAKA, UH, TO DO, UH, A PROJECT WHICH WILL HAVE, UH, WE ARE GOING TO EXPAND THE PARK, PUT IN RETAIL AS WELL AS MORE, UH, MIXED INCOME.
UH, AND I THINK WHAT WE ARE NOW DOING, AND WE ARE, UH, LITTLE TEASER HERE, LITTLE TEASER.
UH, AS, AS THIS INK WAS DRAWING ON THE MDA BACK, UM, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, THE AMOUNT OF MULTIFAMILY HITTING AUSTIN'S
[01:20:01]
MARKET WAS SUBSTANTIAL.AND SO THE CAPITAL MARKETS RE THE AMOUNT OF VACANCY INCREASE, RENTS DECREASE.
THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR RESIDENTS STRUGGLING TO MAKE RENTS PAY.
BUT IN TERMS OF HOW WE STRUCTURED THIS PROJECT AND THE CAPITAL MARKETS, THAT IS WHY YOU HAVEN'T SEEN, UH, MUCH ACTIVITY YET ON THIS SITE.
THAT SAID, UH, WE ARE HOPEFUL TO BRING FORWARD TO, TO COUNCIL, UM, UH, A, A WAY FORWARD BASED ON THIS MORE CHALLENGING HEADWINDS WITH OUR CAPITAL MARKETS FOR THIS PROJECT.
SO REALLY EXCITED AND, AND WE HAVE OUR, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND WE'RE REALLY, UH, TEED UP IN A GOOD POINT AND HOPE TO SEE DIRT TURN ON THIS WITHIN THE NEXT, UH, 12 MONTHS, 12 TO 18 MONTHS.
UH, THIS IS ALL THE STUFF THAT'S HAPPENING NOW.
WE'RE JUST ABOUT READY, AND I KNOW I'M BEING LONG-WINDED, BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE WITH A RECENT PURCHASE OF VACANT LAND, AS WELL AS THE FORMER TOKYO ELECTRON SITE, AS WELL AS PARTNERING WITH OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT WHO OWNS, UH, THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, WHICH OWNS 18 ACRES TO ASSEMBLE OVER 125 ACRES, UH, FOR, WE'RE NOT CALLING IT TOKYO ELECTRONS.
LET'S JUST ERASE THAT THOUGHT.
WE'RE GONNA CALL IT GROVE RIVERSIDE.
AND THIS ASSEMBLAGE WILL HAVE THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP LIGHT RAIL STOP RIGHT ON ITS DOORSTEP, UH, RIGHT ON ITS FRONT PORCH, BASICALLY AT EAST RIVERSIDE.
SO THIS IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY THAT THE CITY HAS TO, TO REALLY BRING IMPORTANT COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
AND REALLY, WE HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN THE VISIONING PROCESS YET.
WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW IS UNDERSTANDING THE MARKET.
WE ARE WORKING ON FILLING THAT BUILDING WITH CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF AND DOING THE FINISH OUT FOR, UM, MAKING THAT, UH, AN EMPLOYMENT CENTER FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
AND WE'RE ALSO GETTING A SENSE OF WHAT'S ON THE LAND, WHAT DID WE REALLY BUY, AND HOW GOOD IS, UH, ARE THERE ANY KIND OF PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS WITH THE LAND? WE HAVE JUST, UH, PRESENTED.
UH, WE JUST HAVE DONE OUR INITIAL WORK IN TERMS OF MARKET CONTACTS, PRELIMINARY AND PRELIMINARY SITE ANALYSIS FOR, AND WE'RE GONNA BEGIN VISIONING COMMUNITY VISIONING IN THE FALL.
AND THAT WOULD LAST, UH, UNTIL, UH, LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER, UH, COULD GO LONGER.
AND THERE, AND THIS IS BEING COORDINATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR REGULATORY PLAN.
OBVIOUSLY, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, UM, HAS DONE A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT.
SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS HAPPENING ALONG THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR THAT WERE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE DOING, UH, IN ORDER TO, TO HAVE A REALLY MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WHERE THIS IS ALL HEADING, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN A, IN A VERY SUCCESSFUL FORMULA WITH, UH, WITH MILLER COLONY PARK SEA HOME IS ALL THIS INFORMATION AND COMMUNITY VISION THAT'S INFORMED BY MARKET AND PHYSICAL CONTEXT IS GOING TO BE IN A DEVELOPER SOLICITATION.
ONCE COUNCIL ENDORSES THE VISION, UH, IN ORDER TO GET AN APPROPRIATE DEVELOPER, PARTNER OR PARTNERS, WE HAVEN'T, UH, THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE WORK TO DO OF HOW THIS, IT'S A HUNDRED ACRES THAT NEEDS TO BE PHASED OUT.
SO THIS IS DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE ITS OWN COMPLEXITIES UNTIL TERMS OF UTILITIES AND ENTITLEMENTS, ET CETERA.
BUT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, UM, ENGAGING IN THE, IN THE, IN THE GRIST AND IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR PROJECT, UH, FOR THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE METRICS OF, OF WHAT OUR, SO WHY DO WE DO IT RIGHT? IT'S NOT ONLY THAT WE BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE BUILD PARKS, WE HAVE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES, WE CREATE JOBS.
UM, THERE'S TAX REVENUE THAT WE BRING INTO THE CITY.
$31 MILLION A YEAR COMES OFF OF OUR, OUR PROPERTY THAT WE'VE REDEVELOPED OVER THEN, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY EQUATES TO ABOUT 5 BILLION IN VALUE.
AND SO I THINK, UH, 15,000 NEW JOBS.
AND I, I THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT THIS SLIDE ISN'T SAYING IN TERMS OF COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING THEM BUILD THEIR CAPACITY AS WE WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE THE VISION COME FORWARD.
[01:25:01]
UM, I AM A, A FINANCE GAL, SO I THINK IN TERMS OF NUMBERS, BUT TO ME THAT IS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I AM, I AM SO PROUD TO BE WITH THIS PHILOSOPHY WITH THE, WITH THIS CITY ABOUT WHAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MEANS.DO YOU LIKE THIS FACADE VERSUS THE SOUTHERN FACADE? IT'S ACTUALLY, CAN WE HELP THE COMMUNITY BE BE LEADERS THEMSELVES IN ADVOCATING FOR THEIR OWN CHANGE? 'CAUSE THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO ON OUR LAND.
WE CAN DO OUR PART OF WHAT HAPPENS ON OUR LAND, BUT THERE'S WHAT'S AROUND THE LAND, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT HAVE ALREADY SEEN GENTRIFICATION, UH, THAT, THAT REALLY DOES NEED THIS TO HELP HELP THEM BECOME BETTER CHAMPIONS, UH, AND ADVOCATES FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND I AM NOW GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO KIM.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, CHRISTINE IS INCREDIBLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS WORK.
UM, HER ENTIRE TEAM IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
IT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE, UH, TO HAVE THEM BECOME PART OF OUR TEAM IN FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS NOW, ALMOST.
UM, AND I HAVE TO SAY FROM A PERSONAL, UH, MY CAREER, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH COLONY PARK, THE HAVING, UM, SUCH A INVOLVEMENT WITH THAT DEVELOPMENT AND GETTING TO KNOW THAT COMMUNITY, UH, AND, UM, MS. SCOTT AND MISS MS. MILLER AND, AND EVERYBODY OUT THERE, THAT THEY ARE JUST LIFE FORCES.
AND IT IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS IN MY CAREER THAT I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR, UM, LONG AFTER I HAVE, I HAVE, UH, LEFT, UM, THE, THESE HALLS.
UM, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF FANTASTIC WORK THAT HAS BEEN, THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED, THAT'S UNDERWAY, THAT'S IN ITS EARLY PHASES, UM, UM, AT SPECIFIC LOCATIONS.
BUT, UH, THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF ADDITIONAL WORK FOR US TO DO, UH, FOR, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PUTTING OURSELVES IN A GOOD SPOT GOING FORWARD FOR MANY DECADES TO COME.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, WE, UH, I ACTUALLY HAVE A NEW STAFF MEMBER STARTING ON MONDAY THAT WILL BE FULLY DEDICATED, UH, TO, UH, THIS REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS.
AND, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING A NEW SYSTEM TO MANAGE ALL OF OUR REAL ESTATE ASSETS.
AND THIS INDIVIDUAL WILL BE DIGGING INTO THAT IN A, UM, INCREDIBLE WAY THAT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR, OUR OWN REAL ESTATE, UM, TO UNDERSTAND WHERE IT CAN MEET NEEDS, UM, BOTH FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE AND COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE, 'CAUSE LAND IS NOT, THERE'S NOT JUST A LOT OF NEW LAND SUDDENLY POPPING UP IN AUSTIN.
SO HOW ARE WE, HOW CAN WE MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY USE WHAT WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS, UH, AS WE TALK ABOUT 2026 BOND DEVELOPMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, AS OPPOSED TO SAYING, OH, WELL WE'RE GOING TO DO A BRANCH LIBRARY AND WE NEED TO BUY LAND FOR IT.
DO WE HAVE LAND IN THAT AREA THAT COULD MEET THOSE NEEDS? UM, BUT ALSO COULD MEET THE NEEDS OF PERHAPS A, A NEW AWESOME PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITY, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
UM, WE ALSO WANNA LOOK AT SURROUNDING USES, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPLIMENTING, BUT ALSO TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE SURROUNDING USES.
IF WE HAVE LAND THAT'S SITTING FALLOW, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND IT IS DEVELOPING IN A VERY MEANINGFUL WAY, PARTICULARLY RELATIVE TO OUR TAX BASE, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
ALSO, UM, I WANT TO BE LOOKING AT OUR PORTFOLIO RELATED TO REVENUE GENERATION BEYOND JUST THE TAX BASE.
UH, AS WE STRUGGLE WITH, UH, PROPERTY TAX LIMITATIONS FROM STATE LEGISLATION.
HOW COULD WE CREATE NEW REVENUE STREAMS WITH THESE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE, WHETHER IT'S LAND OR PARKING GARAGES OR THIS OR THAT.
HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THOSE ASSETS TO CREATE ONGOING REVENUE STREAMS TO BETTER SUPPORT OUR, OUR, THE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS? AND THEN FINALLY, UM, LOOKING AT, UH, CONTINUED EXPANSION OF PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, OUR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UM, DEVELOPERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY LOOKING AT JUST THEIR BOTTOM LINE.
THEY LOOK AT AND RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THOSE BENEFITS.
AND SO HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE GOALS IN A, A MUCH MORE IMPACTFUL WAY.
UH, SO OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS, CONVERSATION AND ALWAYS
[01:30:01]
WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AND, AND CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE MEETINGS AS WELL.ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILOR FUENTES.
THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
UH, JUST TWO QUESTIONS ON MY END.
UH, MS. OLIVAREZ, YOU MENTIONED THE, UM, NEW STAFF MEMBER WHO WILL BE JOINING YOUR TEAM AND HELPING WITH THIS ANALYSIS.
DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF WHEN THAT ANALYSIS WILL BE CONDUCTED AND READY FOR US TO REVIEW? UH, SO THAT WILL BE PART OF HER, UM, ASSIGNMENT IS, IS FIGURING OUT THAT TIMELINE, THE, UM, HOW, WHICH, WHICH AREAS WHICH, WHICH TYPES OF PROPERTIES SHOULD WE PRIORITIZE IN OUR REVIEW TO KIND OF, TO, IT'S ONE OF HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT, ONE BITE AT A TIME.
SO HOW CAN WE DO THAT IN THE MOST STRATEGIC AND PRODUCTIVE WAY? SO SHE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT, BUT I KNOW THERE ARE QUITE A FEW EFFORTS ONGOING OR A PRIORITY AT THIS GIVEN MOMENT.
I THINK THAT WILL DRIVE, UH, WHERE WE LOOK AT, UM, IN, IN TOWN WHERE, WHAT AREAS OF TOWN WE LOOK AT FIRST AND FOREMOST MM-HMM
UM, JUST BECAUSE OF, OF ONGOING, UH, PROJECTS OR, OR EFFORTS.
SO, UH, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN CREATE A REGULAR CADENCE OF REPORTING OUT TO COUNSEL, UM, ON THOSE EFFORTS.
SO IT'S NOT A SIT AND WAIT UNTIL IT'S COMPLETELY DONE.
WE'RE WE, WE CAN'T JUST, WE THAT'S, YES, I, I RECOGNIZE THAT'S UNREASONABLE, SO WE WANNA BE, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMING BACK TO Y'ALL AS OFTEN AS WE CAN.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, I NOTICED IN THE PRESENTATION WE DIDN'T HAVE HEALTH SOUTH LISTED IN HERE.
CAN WE GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT ON THAT REDEVELOPMENT? SO HEALTH SOUTH STILL, UH, REMAINS ON HOLD.
THERE WAS THE LAST COMMUNICATION BRIEFING TO COUNCIL WE SPEAKING TO JUST WITH MARKET CONDITIONS AND THE SORT IT, UM, IT REALLY DIDN'T LEND ITSELF TO REALLY MOVING FORWARD.
WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE THAT PROPERTY BECAUSE OF CAPITAL MARKET CONDITIONS.
I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING TO TURN THE CORNER ON THAT, ESPECIALLY HOPEFULLY WITH, UH, THE FED IS TAKING ACTION TODAY AND THERE'S HOPEFUL FOR A 25 BASIS POINT RATE CUT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S THE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING TO HEAD INTO A, A, A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT SO MUCH FOCUSED ON PRE DEV WORK, BUT WE COULD REALLY START, UM, PUTTING TOGETHER PACKAGES AND, AND, AND SHOVELS IN THE GROUND.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR DOWNTOWN PROPERTIES COLLECTIVELY BECAUSE OF THE OWNERSHIP WE HAVE AT BLOCK 88 WHERE THE, UM, THE ARCH AND, UH, EAST EIGHTH STREET SHELTERS LOCATED A PD HEADQUARTERS, HEALTH SOUTH, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE PROPERTIES TO, UM, GET A REALLY FRESH LOOK AT POSSIBILITIES, MARKET CONDITIONS, UM, WHAT CHANGES OR ADJUSTMENTS COULD EVEN COULD MAXIMIZE THOSE PROPERTIES EVEN MORE.
SO WE, UH, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH INFORMATION ON THAT LATER THIS SPRING, THIS SUMMER.
ANYWAY, WE COULD GET IT LATER THIS YEAR, LIKE TOWARDS THE END
AND IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO REVISIT ON WHAT WE DO MOVING FORWARD WITH HEALTH SOFT.
LET ME CONFER WITH DR. JOHNSON AND, UH, AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET BACK TO Y'ALL.
THANK YOU COUNCILOR OCHEN, THANKS FOR THIS VERY, UH, INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION BRIEFING.
UH, I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION, WHICH WAS, IS THERE A WAY TO UNDERSTAND FROM A CITYWIDE PERSPECTIVE WHAT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FUTURE, UH, LAND OPPORTUNITIES EXIST? UH, I KNOW SOME OF THESE ARE ACQUISITIONS, A LOT OF THIS, AS YOU SAY, FORMER UTILITY LAND, ET CETERA.
UM, IS THERE A WAY TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHERE THE FULL BREADTH OF CITY OPPORTUNITIES YOU SORT OF GAVE US? A LOT OF THESE ARE CENTERED IN CENTRAL AND EAST AUSTIN, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, IS THERE A WAY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE, IF THEY EXIST AT ALL, UH, WHAT OTHER PROPERTIES YOU, OR PLACES YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT FOR FUTURE SIMILAR OPPORTUNITIES? YEAH, I, I THINK THAT WHAT KIM WAS MENTIONING AND AS WELL AS A WHOLE LOOK AT THE CITY, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE CITY'S ENTIRE PORTFOLIO.
SO THAT'S, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY SPOT ON.
SO EVEN THOUGH THAT MAP JUST ILLUSTRATES, UM, A MORE EAST AUSTIN FOCUS, THE CITY OWNS LAND ALL ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AND I DO THINK THAT THERE'S A REAL STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY WITH THE RECENT PURCHASES OF BUILDINGS THAT HAS HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST, I, I DON'T KNOW, I, I LOVE BEING WITH FINANCE
[01:35:01]
BECAUSE THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, KIM AND THE VERTICAL HAS NOT ONLY A VISION, THEY'VE GOT THE PURSE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT LIKE, IT'S LIKE WE BOUGHT SOME BUILDINGS, RIGHT? AND SO I, THAT ENABLES US TO NOW MOVE STAFF OUT INTO, INTO PROPERTY AND REALLY BEGIN TO KIND OF MOVE THINGS AROUND ON A CHESS FORCE TO ACTUALLY BE STRATEGIC.SO TO YOUR POINT, WE KNOW WHAT LAND WE OWN.
WE THINK, UH, WE KNOW WHAT LAND WE OWN, BUT I DON'T, I THINK WE NEED TO COME BACK WITH THE STRATEGY AS WELL AS KNOWING WHAT LAND WE OWN WITH SOME ANALYSIS AND SOME GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS ABOUT, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE RECENT PURCHASES, HOW WE CAN BE MORE STRATEGIC AND MINDFUL TO REALLY UNLEASH VALUE THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND ACCOMPLISH THE DIFFERENT GOALS THAT ARE THROUGHOUT THE CITY AS WELL.
SO THAT, THAT'S HOW I WOULD ANSWER IT WITH A, WITH KIND OF A NON-ANSWER.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE ARE, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
THAT IS THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF OUR STRATEGIC PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS THAT WE WANT TO DO.
AND JUST, AND KINDA ADD TO THAT, UM, WITH THAT PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS, THE STAFF MEMBER WHO'S COMING ON BOARD THIS THIS NEXT WEEK, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THERE, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT RELATIVE TO SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.
SO IF WE HAVE FIVE, 10 ACRES SOMEWHERE, BUT THERE'S ALSO AN ASSEMBLAGE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO US THAT'S GOT 50, A HUNDRED ACRES, MAYBE THAT CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE, TO GO APPROACH THEM AND THAT OWNER AND BE LIKE, HEY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? BECAUSE WE ARE, WE'RE OPEN TO IDEAS.
SO JUST CREATING THE ABILITY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
'CAUSE THOSE AREN'T CONVERSATIONS WE NECESSARILY CAN HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO WE WANNA CREATE THAT, UM, THAT DATABASE OF INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO CREATE, TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND IT ALSO FITS IN NEATLY WITH, UM, DR.
JOHNSON'S EFFORTS TO REALLY REVAMP AND, AND, UM, CREATE A, A NEW FORWARD THINKING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY FOR, FOR THE CITY.
SO HAVING ALL THIS HAPPEN KIND OF SIMULTANEOUSLY IS, IT'S A LOT, BUT IT'S ALSO REALLY KIND OF GREAT FROM A TIMING PERSPECTIVE IN MY OPINION.
NO, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR ANSWER ON THAT AND OBVIOUSLY WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT ANALYSIS ONCE IT'S COMPLETED IN THE NEW HELP FROM YOUR NEW STAFF.
UH, IN RELATION TO THAT, THOUGH, I'M JUST WONDERING, AND I WONDER IF MY COLLEAGUES ALREADY STEP AHEAD OF ME ON THIS.
IS THERE A GIS SYSTEM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT HELPS US PRESENTLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FULL INVENTORY OF CITY PROPERTIES LOOKS LIKE? THAT MIGHT AT LEAST GIVE ME OR MY TEAM SOME UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE THINKING ABOUT FORWARD? YEAH, WE, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE THESE PROPERTIES MAPPED IN GIS YEAH, ALL OF OUR, OUR, OUR OWNERSHIP AND, AND WE CAN EASILY PROVIDE THOSE, UH, THE LATEST AND GREATEST VERSIONS OF THOSE MAPS TO Y'ALL.
UM, BUT JUST HAVING THINGS MAPPED IS A REALLY SMALL PIECE OF THE, THE PUZZLE, UM, WITH THIS REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM, UM, THAT WE'RE GOING TO, I'M, I KEEP REFERRING TO AS LIKE, I JUST WANNA PUT ROCKET BOOSTERS ON IT.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS, THIS INDIVIDUAL IS GOING TO, SHE, SHE IS GOING TO BE OUR ROCKET BOOSTER, UM, TO REALLY BUILD THAT, THE DATA AND THE CONTEXT AROUND EACH OF THOSE PROPERTIES.
UM, HOW IS IT BEING USED OR NOT USED, WHAT ARE THE SURROUNDING USES? WHAT ARE THE SURROUNDING ZONINGS, WHAT ARE SO ON AND SO FORTH SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A MUCH SMARTER, UM, AND VIEW OF OUR PROPERTY AND, UM, APPROACH IT MORE STRATEGICALLY, UH, LONG, SHORT AND LONG TERM.
WELL I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
AND I, I WONDER IF IN THE MEANTIME WE CAN GET THAT ABSOLUTELY.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH.
I'LL JUST ADD ONE COMMENT AS I KNOW WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD, UH, TO THE 2026 BOND, AND YOU ALLUDED TO LOOKING AT, UH, MULTI PURPOSING OR, UH, USING SITES FOR MORE THAN ONE USE.
AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH GROUPS LIKE THE THINK INQUIRY ABOUT HOW WE CAN TAKE LIBRARY SPACE AND MAKE IT A SPACE THAT IS, UH, ALSO A LEARNING SPACE FOR STEM OR OTHER, UM, OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ON YOUR MIND.
SO, UH, AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, WHAT PLANS WE HAVE FOR THE BOND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD CERTAINLY, UH, ENCOURAGE US TO CONTINUE TO LOOK TOWARDS THOSE PARTNERSHIPS.
AND OF COURSE, IF SOMEONE IS BRINGING OUTSIDE RESOURCES TO THE TABLE TO DO, UH, OPERATIONS OR JUST CAPITAL DOLLARS, THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING WE CAN'T IGNORE.
YOU KNOW, THE ONE THAT COMES TO MY MIND, OF COURSE IN DISTRICT FIVE, THE UMOFF IS, YOU KNOW, FOR $10 MILLION WE CAN GET 30.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD DEAL IN MY MIND.
AND, AND I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO, UM, PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT.
SO ALWAYS APPRECIATE OTHER FOLKS BRINGING THE CHECKBOOK
[01:40:01]
TO THE TABLE.SO AS ALWAYS, IF THERE ARE ANY, UH, ITEMS ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, ON THE AGENDA, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT, UH, TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OR MYSELF.