Oct 15, 2025 Environmental Commission

EXCELLENT.

ALL IN FAVOR? EXCELLENT.

[2. Recommend approval of an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 (Land Development Code) related to the drainage easements on parkland owned by the City of Austin – Kevin Shunk, Floodplain Administrator, Austin Watershed Protection]

NUMBER ITEM NUMBER TWO.

AND, UM, THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR AN APPROVAL OF A CITY CODE TITLE 25 LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE A SPEAKER.

FIRST UP WE HAVE CHRIS FLORES.

HOLD ON.

DO WE WANNA HAVE, UH, ELIZABETH FUNK WATERSHED IN THE PAST YOU'LL HAVE DONE STAFF PRESENTATIONS AND THEN PUBLIC.

LET'S DO THAT COMMUNICATION.

LET'S DO, BUT WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IS WE'LL DO STAFF PRESENTATION FIRST AND THEN WE'LL GO TO OUR SPEAKERS.

GOOD EVENING.

NAME IS KEVIN.

I'M THE CITY'S FLOOD PLAIN ADMINISTRATOR IN AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION.

WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT A PROPOSED CHANGE TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE RELATED TO DRAINAGE EASEMENTS ON CITY PARKLAND.

WHICH ONE? .

TO THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT REQUIREMENT ON PROJECTS THAT ARE ON CITY PARKLAND.

SO THE CURRENT LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REQUIRES THAT WHEN A PIECE OF LAND IS DEVELOPED, THE PORTION OF THAT LAND THAT'S IN THE 100 YEAR FLOODPLAIN HAS TO BE CONTAINED WITHIN A DRAINAGE EASEMENT.

AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT RULE IS SO THAT THE CURRENT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FUTURE PROPERTY OWNERS KNOW, HEY, THERE'S FLOOD PLAIN HERE.

MAYBE THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS I, I SHOULD ASK.

SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT, THAT EASEMENT AND THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT THAT'S ANOTHER WAY FOR IT TO BE CARRIED FORWARD.

THERE ARE OTHER WAYS.

THERE'S NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR BUYING AND SELLING PROPERTY.

THIS IS ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT TOOL THAT WE HAVE IN OUR TOOLBOX TO IDENTIFY FLOOD RISK AND THEREFORE PROMOTE OUR FLOOD PLAN MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.

I HAVE IT IN MY HEAD MORE THAN I DO IN THE SLIDE, SO I'M SORRY IF THEY DON'T MATCH UP VERY WELL.

UM, THIS REQUIREMENT APPLIES TO ALL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING PUBLIC PARK DEVELOPMENT ON PUBLIC PARK LAND.

TO ACCOMPLISH GETTING A DRAINAGE EASEMENT RECORDED WITH THE COUNTY, ONE WOULD HAVE TO HIRE A SURVEYOR, HIRE AN ENGINEER, DELINEATE THE FLOODPLAIN, DRAW UP SOME LEGAL DOCUMENTS, HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE LOOKING GOOD.

IT IS A TIME EXTENSIVE, AND IT CAN BE AN EXPENSIVE PROCESS.

OUR OPINION IS THAT IT'S A GREATER USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS, THAT IF A PROJECT IS ON PUBLIC PARKLAND, THAT DRAINAGE EASEMENT IS NOT REQUIRED AND NOT NEEDED.

AND WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER ABOUT FUTURE PROPERTY OWNERS KNOWING THAT THERE'S FLOOD RISK THERE ON PUBLIC PARKLAND, THE FUTURE OWNER IS THE CITY.

AND THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN GET WE CAN SELL OFF PARKLAND IS THROUGH A REFERENDUM REFERENDUM.

AND SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT KEY THING OF FUTURE PROPERTY OWNERS NOTIFYING THEM THAT THEY'RE FLOOD RISK BECAUSE THE FUTURE PROPERTY OWNER, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, WILL CONTINUE TO BE PARDONED.

SORRY.

SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO ADD A CLAUSE IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT GIVES THE DIRECTOR OF THE OCEAN WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT THE AUTHORITY TO APPROVE A VARIANCE

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AND THAT WOULD THEREFORE, STAFF COULD ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVE THE VARIANCE, AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO, TO MEET THAT SECTION OF THE CODE, THEREFORE, SAVING SOME PUBLIC MONEY AND SAVE GO SAVING TIME FOR THAT PROJECT PROJECT.

SO THAT PROJECT CAN PROCEED.

THERE'S THE PROPOSED SECTION LDC 25 7 1 52.

HERE I GO WITH MY CODE E TWO AND THE, THE NEW LETTER BE E LOWER E IF THE, IF THE PARK, IF THE PROJECT IS ON PARK LAND OWNED BY THE CITY OF BOSTON, IT CAN GET A VARIANCE TO THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT REQUIREMENT.

SO THERE'S JUST A EXAMPLE, A, A LIST OF THE SCHEDULE THAT WE'VE GONE TO.

WE'VE TALKED WITH, UH, COJC, AND WE GOT PERMISSION TO PROCEED WITH THIS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

AND WE SENT A MEMO TO THE PARK BOARD ABOUT THIS REQUIREMENT.

AND HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT, TALK WITH YOU BACK TO COJC WITH THE OFFICIAL PROPOSED CHANGE BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION WITH THE PRO PROPOSED CHANGE.

AND THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD HEAR THIS IN SOMETIME IN JAN, THE JANUARY, JANUARY TIMEFRAME.

I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.

I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

AND THERE'S ALSO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE PARK DEPARTMENT WHO CAN ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE SOME ALSO.

BUT TODAY WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR US TO PROCEED DOWN THAT SCHEDULE IN, IN, IN, FOR THIS PROPOSED CODE CHANGE.

THANK YOU FOR PUBLIC SPEAKERS, WE HAVE CHRIS FLORES.

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

I JUST, UM, BEFORE YOU GET STARTED TOO, I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, BECAUSE WE HAVE QUITE A FEW SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR THIS EVENING THAT, UM, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS AND STUFF, BUT WE WELCOME ALL OF YOUR, UH, INPUT AND PRESENTATION.

MY NAME IS CHRIS FLORES.

I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT 10.

UM, I, I READ THIS ITEM, AND I'LL CONFESS TO YOU, I FOUND IT EXTRAORDINARILY CONFUSING, .

SO THEN THERE WERE PICTURES OF BRIDGES, LIKE, OKAY, SO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT OWNS THE LAND.

A LOT OF OUR PARKS LAND IS LAND THAT FLOODED AT ONE POINT AND HAS NOW BEEN TURNED INTO PARK LAND IN ORDER THAT NO ONE ELSE BUILD ON IT.

THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOES BUILD STUFF ON LAND.

THEY HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH SEVERAL LARGE CONSERVANCIES AND NONPROFITS WHO BUILD THINGS FOR, UH, PROFIT, UH, ALONG THE TRAILS AND IN PARKS.

UM, SO MY QUESTION AND MY COMMENT IS, IF, IF IT'S NOT PERMITTED FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP PROJECTS ON THIS LAND OR ANYBODY ELSE FOR THAT MATTER, WHY IS THERE A NEED TO NOT HOLD, UH, THE PARK DEPARTMENT TO THE STANDARDS OF DRAINAGE EASEMENTS? UM, AND, AND IF I'M COM, IF I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING IT, I APOLOGIZE TO YOU.

UH, I, I'M, MY INTENT OF THIS IS WHAT IS THE MOST FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE AND THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPECTFUL PATH FOR PARD TO MANAGE ITS PARKLAND? UM, IF DEVELOPMENTS, I, IN MY, THE WAY OF THINKING THERE SHOULD BE NO DEVELOPMENTS ON FLOOD LAND, PERIOD THAT CAN BE FALLOW, GREENLAND WITH TRAILS THAT PEOPLE CAN USE.

AND THERE IT SITS DOING ITS THING WITHOUT ANY DEVELOPMENT.

UH, SO I'M CONFUSED BY THE, THE OPTION OF DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES UP ON THESE CODE CHANGES.

UH, LET'S GO AROUND THE HORN.

AND SO THE, I SEE COMMISSIONER'S PRIMER'S MIC IS ALREADY ON, SO WE'LL START WITH YOU FOR QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS.

OH, I JUST FORGOT TO TURN IT OFF, SO, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

UH, ALRIGHT.

SO WE'RE JUST, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, WE'RE JUST ADDING NUMBER THREE TO, OR WELL, WHATEVER THAT IS THE THING THAT SAYS PARKS CORRECT.

IT, IT'S THE, I DON'T REMEMBER THE, THE NUMBER LINEAGE, BUT IT GOES DOWN TO LINE ITEM SMALL E IS LOWER.

ADDING.

UH, NOW A MEMO WAS SENT TO THE PARKS BOARD, CORRECT? YES.

WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT WE SENT THE

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MEMO? YEAH.

DOES THAT MEAN, SO DID THAT GO TO EVERY MEMBER OF THE PARKS BOARD AS AN EMAIL OR DID YOU JUST SEND IT TO THE CHAIR OF THE PARKS BOARD, OR WHAT DOES, I SENT A MEMO TO THE PARKS BOARD, MEAN I'M, I'M GETTING AN, UH, UH, AN AFFIRMATIVE THAT IT WAS SENT TO EVERYBODY, BUT, UH, DEANNE WILLIAMS IS COMING UP.

SHE CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

YES, SIR.

IT WAS SENT TO EVERY PARKS BOARD MEMBER, THE MEMO.

AND, UH, MAY I ASK, UH, WHY THIS WASN'T BROUGHT UP FOR THE PARKS BOARD SINCE YOU'RE IMPACTING THE PARKS? I THINK THAT WAS A DIRECTOR'S DECISION THAT IT'S INITIATED, UH, AND A BENEFIT TO THE PARKS.

SO IT WAS, UH, AN KIND OF IN INFORMATION ONLY, RATHER THAN ASKING FOR AN ACTION ITEM, WAS THE CHOICE MADE AT THAT TIME.

SOMEONE MIGHT REASONABLY SAY IT TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE PARKS AND THE PARK BOARD MIGHT HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, MIGHT HAVE WISHED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DECISION PROCESS.

BUT I, I'M JUST ASKING, I MEAN, IT'S A PARK AND YOU'VE CUT THEM OUT OF THE DECISION PROCESS.

I'M JUST ASKING A QUESTION.

WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY RESPONSES FROM THE PARKS BOARD ASKING FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR ASKING FOR A PRESENTATION.

IF THEY ASK FOR ONE, WE WOULD DO THAT.

LIZ JOHNSTONE, ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER.

AND YOU, YOU KNOW, DAN AND, AND KEVIN CAN CONFIRM, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THEY DID RECOMMEND THE INITIATION PREVIOUSLY.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT THE THEY DIDN'T GO TO PARKS BOARD THEN? NO, NO.

MM.

UH, NO, NO PROBLEM.

I WAS JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY SURE.

THE PROCESS, BECAUSE IT SAID A MEMO, WHICH IS NOT THE SAME THING AS A PRESENTATION IN A MEETING OR APPROVAL.

OH, OKAY.

NOW, UH, I GUESS I READ THIS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE SPEAKER, AND SO I MAY BE, YOU KNOW, I WAS A BIT CONFUSED WHEN I READ THIS AS WELL.

SO MY INTERPRETATION OF THIS MAY BE INCORRECT AS WELL.

UH, THE WATERSHED IS USING, IN THE CASE OF, UH, HEMPHILL PARK AND REED PARK IS PROPOSING TO USE THOSE PARKS FOR STORMWATER RETENTION IN THE EVENT OF FLOODS.

NOW, WHEN I TALK, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SEE THINGS ABOUT EASEMENT AND FLOODING, MY MIND IMMEDIATELY GOES BACK TO THOSE THINGS.

AND I'M WONDERING IF THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO, UH, ALLOW, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED TO USE PARKS FOR STORMWATER RETENTION WITHOUT, UH, RUNNING THIS THROUGH EITHER THE PARKS BOARD OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC VENUE FOR COMMENT.

BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, DISCORD BETWEEN PARTS USERS ABOUT PROPOSED USE OF THE PARTS FOR STORM WATER RETENTION.

AND THIS JUST LOOKS A BIT SIMILAR TO THIS.

AND WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO THIS, YOU KNOW, ISSUE, AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE, THEN THAT MEANS YOU TAKE THE PUBLIC OUT OF, UH, THE PROCESS BY WHICH THEY'RE ABLE TO STEP IN AND OFFER AN OPINION.

SO THIS ITEM WAS NOT INITIATED BY AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION.

IT WAS INITIATED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.

I UNDERSTAND.

AND THE PARKS BOARD MAY BE, YOU KNOW, PART, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY'RE OFFERING UP THE PARKS PART OF STORMWATER RETENTION AS WELL.

I MEAN, THEY, THEY OFFERED UP REED PARK AND HEMPHILL PARK FOR STORMWATER RETENTION.

AND SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, IS THE LONG-TERM STRATEGY OF THIS TO FREE UP PARK SPACE FOR STORMWATER RETENTION IF THIS WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO USE PARK FOR STORMWATER RETENTION WITHOUT PUBLIC INPUT? ACTUALLY, IF I COULD ANSWER THAT, UM, SURE.

STORMWATER RETENTION COULD BE, IS NOT ALWAYS, BUT COULD BE A CHANGE IN USE, WHICH IS PROTECTED BY STATE LAW CHAPTER 26.

SO IF IT'S A REGIONAL DETENTION, WE STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH A CHAPTER 26 PROCESS.

AND THIS CHANGE THAT ALLOWS US A VARIANCE TO NOT DEDICATE A DRAINAGE EASEMENT WOULD NOT CHANGE THAT.

SORRY.

DID THAT MAKE SENSE? IT MAKES SENSE.

I'M SKEPTICAL ABOUT IT.

'CAUSE I, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT FAMILIAR WITH THE HEMPHILL PARK AND THE REED PARK THING.

I'VE GOT ROPED INTO THESE THINGS INVOLUNTARILY.

EASEMENT DOES NOT EXEMPT US FROM ANY CODE REQUIREMENTS AT ALL.

AND, AND ALSO JUST TO RESPOND TO PREVIOUS QUESTIONS AS WELL, THE, ALLOWING US A VARIANCE TO NOT DEDICATE A DRAINAGE

[00:15:01]

WE STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW ALL CODE REQUIREMENTS.

THAT, THAT'S A FANTASTIC POINT.

I WANT SHARE ONE THAT I WANTED TO HIT ON AGAIN, IS THAT THE PRESENCE OF THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT ALONE DOES NOT MEAN THE FLOOD PLAN REGULATIONS MUST BE SATISFIED ON A PROJECT IF THERE'S FLOOD PLAN ON THE LOT.

THE FLOOD PLAN REGULATIONS APPLY EASEMENT OR NO EASEMENT.

UH, OKAY.

UH, YEAH, MY ONLY OTHER QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED, UH, CHAPTER 26, I BELIEVE, UH, CERTAINLY IF YOU TRANSFER THE PROPERTY TO SOME OTHER OWNER GO THROUGH CHAPTER 26, BUT PAR BUILDS BUILDINGS ALL THE TIME FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES, YOU KNOW, RESTROOMS AND VISITOR CENTERS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO YOU'D STILL WOULD HAVE BUILDINGS THAT GO UP.

SO I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCES WITHOUT PUBLIC REVIEW.

SO THE FLOOD PLAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDINGS IN THE FLOOD PLAIN STILL APPLY.

SO ALL THOSE THINGS THAT, UH, CANNOT BE BUILT IN THE FLOOD PLAIN, NONE OF THAT GOES AWAY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A DRAINAGE EASEMENT.

THE REGULATION STILL APPLIES.

SO WE WOULD NOT BUILD BUILDINGS IN A FLOODPLAIN UNLESS THEY MET THE CODE REQUIREMENTS.

UH, AND I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, NAME THEM, BUT, UM, THEY WOULD STILL BE PROTECTED PER THE CODE AND IT WOULD STILL BE A RECREATIONAL USE.

SO IT'S NOT A CHANGE IN USE IS WHAT THE CHAPTER 26 COVERS.

COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.

SO ARE THERE ANY DOWNSIDES THAT YOU SEE IN THIS? NO.

I THINK THIS PROCESS STILL ENSURES THE FLOOD PLAN REGULATIONS NEED TO BE SATISFIED MM-HMM .

BUT IT'S NOT GOING AWAY.

IT'S, IT'S JUST THAT THE, THE TIME AND EXPENSE OF PREPARING THE EASEMENT DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES ARE NOT BEING APPLIED TO PUBLIC PROJECTS TO PARKLAND PROJECTS ON PARKLAND ITSELF.

UH, AND I THINK THAT'S A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY.

SO HERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION THOUGH.

WHY NOT APPLY THAT TO ANY CITY PROPERTY? THAT'S, THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.

AND THE, THE REASON I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE PROCESS TO SELL THAT PROPERTY WOULD, MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN A PARKLAND, AND THAT PROCESS IS DIFFERENT.

SO BECAUSE THE PROCESS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE PROCEDURES SHALL WOULD BE DIFFERENT AS WELL.

UM, SO JUST ONE QUESTION FROM ME AROUND, UH, THE DOCUMENT SAYS THAT THE EASEMENTS SORT OF SERVE AS AN, AS A ALERT TO PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, PRESENT AND FUTURE, THAT THERE IS FLOOD RISK ON THE PROPERTY.

SO WITHOUT THE EASEMENT, WHAT ARE THE SORT OF SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO ALERT, UM, I GUESS FUTURE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT THERE IS FLOOD RISK ON THE PROPERTY THAT WOULD FALL ON THE FLOOD FRONT OFFICE, FLOOD POINT OFFICE, WHICH IS WHERE I WORK IN, UH, IN FINDING WAYS TO EDUCATE THE, THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL ABOUT FLOOD RISK.

WE CREATE THINGS LIKE OUR WEBSITE@TXFLOODPRO.COM.

IT AS WAYS TO GET THE WORD OUT, IF YOU WILL, THERE'S FLOOD RISK HERE IN THE CITY.

HERE'S WHERE TO FIND IT, ENTER YOUR PROPERTY.

YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH FLOOD ON IS ON YOUR PROPERTY.

SO THAT IT GOES TO US AS A WAY OF FINDING WAYS TO COMMUNICATE THAT RISK TO THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL.

AND THOSE DATABASES, UH, DO EXIST RIGHT NOW.

SO THIS IS JUST ABOUT, UM, SPEEDING UP A PROCESS OF, UH, THE CITY.

IT MAKES THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT FOR A, FOR A PARK CLIENT AND QUICKER, FASTER, BUT IT ALSO SAVES MONEY AS WELL FOR, FOR, FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.

HOW DOES IT SAVE MONEY? BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO HIRE THE SURVEY AND THE ENGINEERING COMPANY AND THE LAWYERS TO CREATE THE DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES.

ALL THANKS.

[00:20:03]

COMMISSIONER FLORY.

UH, NO QUESTIONS FROM ME.

YOU'VE ANSWERED ALL OF THEM.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

UH, JAMES THAT, HI.

UM, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION.

I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU GUYS HAD SAID, UH, IF A PROPERTY IS, UH, PUT UP FOR SALE, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO DEDICATE THE EASEMENT ONCE THERE'S A PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT.

UM, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? LIKE, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEY THEN ARE REQUIRED TO ONCE AGAIN HAVE THE EASEMENT? SO IF THE PARKS PRO PARK PROPERTY IS SOLD OFF TO A PRIVATE OWNER MM-HMM .

AND THAT PRIVATE OWNER THEN WANTS TO REDEVELOP IT, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO DONATE THE HUNDRED TO THE FLOOD PLAIN, AS WOULD ANY DEVELOPMENT ON A PIECE OF LAND.

THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION.

THANKS.

SECRETARY HARRIS.

UM, YEAH, SO I'M AN EXTREME LAY PERSON HERE, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.

BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, BASICALLY WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE ALLOWING PUBLIC PARKLAND TO BE A VARIANCE BECAUSE THE CITY OF AUSTIN ALREADY CONTROLS THE LAND.

AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT, THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT IS BASICALLY JUST PIECE OF LAND OR PROPERTY OR WHATEVER THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ALLOWED TO BUILD UPON TO CONTROLLED DRAIN.

AND BECAUSE THIS IS ALREADY CONTROLLED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THERE'S NO REAL NEED TO DO IT, BUT IT JUST, WE LOSE MONEY AND TIME BY HAVING THIS SET UP.

SO THIS IS LIKE TRYING TO MAKE THAT MORE EFFICIENT.

IS THAT ABOUT ON THE DOT? I, I, I THINK EFFICIENCY IS A VERY GOOD WAY OF PUTTING EFFICIENCY IS THE FIRST GOAL, AND THEN SAVING THE PUBLIC MONEY IS THE SECOND GOAL.

WHILE THE PURPOSE OF THE EASEMENT AND THE LOCATION OF FLOOD OF THE FLOODPLAIN, THAT'S STILL, THE FLOOD RISK IS STILL THERE.

THE MAPS ARE STILL THERE.

IF ANY DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS ON THE LAND, THE STOCK PARK PLANE, THEY WOULD'VE TO FOLLOW THE FLOOD BLOWN REGULATIONS.

THAT'S NOT JUST THE FLOOD AND REGULATIONS THEMSELVES, BUT DEDICATING THE EASEMENT THEMSELVES IF IT BECOMES PRIVATE PROPERTY.

UM, YEAH, THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION.

VICE CHAIR RUGGER, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

JUST WANT TO EXPOUND ON THE POINTS THAT THE LAST TWO COMMISSIONERS MADE, WHICH IT'S, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE MAIN IMPETUS FOR THIS CHANGE IS TO AUGMENT EFFICIENCY IN THE PROCESS.

SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN GIVE ONE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF HOW THE CURRENT SYSTEM HAS BEEN ONEROUS.

IAN, DO YOU WANNA YOU WANNA GET THAT ONE? WELL, I, I THINK KEVIN COVERED IN THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO, UH, GET A PROPOSAL AND NEGOTIATE FOR A SURVEYOR, GO THROUGH THE SURVEYING PROCESS, THE FEES THAT, UH, ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

THEN IT ALSO GOES THROUGH, UH, ADDITIONAL REVIEW DURING THE SITE PLAN PROCESS.

UH, THE ENGINEERS HAVE TO REVIEW ALL OF THIS.

ALL OF THIS TAKES STAFF TIME AS WELL.

IT USUALLY ADDS, UH, TIME ONTO THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT PROCESS.

UH, IT IS OUTSIDE OF THIS CURRENT, UH, EXPEDITED PROCESS FOR PUBLIC PROJECTS.

UM, SO IT, IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE ADDED BURDENS TO PERMITTING FOR US.

UM, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT ABOUT THE PROCESS.

I WAS WONDERING ABOUT SPECIFICS TO TAKE IT FROM THE THEORETICAL TO SOMETHING MORE CONCRETE.

IS THERE A SPECIFIC PROJECT NAME OR SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN POINT TO? OH, ON THIS PROPERTY, WE WENT THROUGH THESE STEPS AND WERE WE TO IMPLEMENT THIS CHANGE? HERE'S HOW IT WOULD PRACTICALLY BE BETTER FOR US.

WE HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS THAT HAVE CREEKS THAT RUN THROUGH THEM THAT HAVE FLOODPLAIN.

UM, BUT MY MOST CURRENT ONES DO NOT.

SO, UH, SO I'M HAVING A HARD TIME COMING UP WITH A PROJECT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

AND IT ALSO TAKES A LOT OF TIME.

I, I GUESS ONE OF THE EXAMPLES IS WE'RE IN THE PROCESS WORKING WITH TRANSPORTATION ON URBAN TRAILS THAT RUN THROUGH GREEN BELTS ON PARKLAND.

UH, AND THOSE TRAILS ARE OFTEN NEAR CREEKS THAT RUN THROUGH THE PROPERTIES, UH, THROUGH THE PARK SYSTEM.

AND, UM, SO THEY'RE VERY LONG AND LINEAL, UH, MULTIPLE MILES WORTH OF TRAILS.

AND SO TO, TO HAVE TO SURVEY THE BOUNDARIES OF THESE FLOODPLAINS ALONG WITH, UM, WITH ALL OF THE, UM, RESTRICTIONS, THERE ARE SLOPES, THERE ARE TREES, THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT MAKE THOSE SURVEYS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO, TO SURVEY.

UM,

[00:25:01]

SO I KNOW THAT THE WALNUT CREEK TRAILS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN DESIGN, ALL OF THE NEXT SECTIONS THAT ARE COMING UP WOULD HAVE TO DEDICATE DRAINAGE EASEMENTS FOR THOSE SECTIONS THAT ARE ON PARKLAND.

THAT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY AND ALSO SLOW THE SITE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS DOWN.

UM, DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE AS TO HOW MUCH MONEY THIS WILL SAVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN ANNUALLY? I DO NOT.

UH, SURVEYS USED TO BE FAIRLY INEXPENSIVE.

UH, AND OF COURSE THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE ANY LONGER.

SO I, I DON'T THINK I COULD GIVE YOU A CURRENT ESTIMATE.

I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

SO, UM, I DO AGREE WITH OUR, OUR SPEAKER THAT WAS HERE THIS EVENING.

IT'S, IT'S VERY CONFUSING THE WAY THAT IT'S WRITTEN IN HERE BECAUSE IT'S SORT OF JUST THIS, THIS LITTLE LINE ITEM THAT STUCK DOWN IN NUMBER E OR E, UM, IS ON PARKLAND OWNED BY THE CITY.

THAT'S ALL IT STATES.

AND SO THEN, BUT B IS PERMITTED IN A FLOOD PLAN UNDER SECTION 25 7 93, GENERAL EXCEPTIONS, SECTION 25 7 9 4 EXCEPTIONS IN CENTRAL BUSINESS AREA, SECTION 25 7 EXCEPTIONS FOR PARKING AREAS OR SECTION 25 7, 9 6 EXCEPTIONS IN THE 25 YEAR FLOOD PLAIN C IS NOT A BUILDING OR PARKING AREA.

WELL, B JUST TALKED ABOUT BUILDINGS AND PARKING AREAS, SO CONFUSING.

UM, I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S, WHEN I READ THIS, HAD I NOT SEEN THIS EMBOLDENED IN RED DOWN HERE AT THE VERY BOTTOM, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OF THIS IS PERTAINING TO PARKLAND.

IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S PERTAINING TO DEVELOPMENT AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE WAIVING THE, THE, THE, UM, SURVEYS FOR ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT.

SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY THAT, THAT THIS CAN BE WORDED A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY TO REALLY BE CLEAR.

UM, BECAUSE IS ON PARKLAND OWNED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IT JUST, IT FEELS A LITTLE OFF, A LITTLE OFF.

UM, SO I JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT.

UM, AND THEN, UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, I, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHY SURVEYS ARE BAD, LIKE, EXPLAIN THAT TO ME.

IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE BAD, BUT THEY'RE COSTLY.

UH, AND ALSO TAKE TIME.

BOTH, UH, IT ADDS TO OUR COST OF THE ENGINEER ON THE PROJECT.

IT, WE HAVE TO HIRE A SEPARATE SURVEYOR TO DO THE SURVEYOR.

IT TAKES STAFF TIME TO NEGOTIATE AND, UM, GET THE PROPOSALS AND THE CONTRACTS.

THERE'S MULTIPLE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, AND IT TAKES TIME AND EFFORT AND MONEY, UH, FOR TO PAY THEM FOR ALL OF THOSE PROCESSES.

AND SO, WOULD Y'ALL DO SURVEYS ON YOUR OWN? I MEAN, EXPLAIN THAT TO ME.

WOULD SURVEYS RATHER THAN HIRE OUT FOR THAT, I MEAN, WOULD THAT BE DONE IN HOUSE? WE DON'T HAVE A LICENSED, UH, SURVEYOR.

THEY HAVE TO BE STATE CERTIFIED FOR THEM TO BE RECORDED AS A SURVEY.

UM, AND THEN, UM, I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION HERE IS, UM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CURRENT AND FUTURE LANDOWNERS.

UM, THE CURRENT LANDOWNERS, HOW WOULD THEY BE NOTIFIED IF THE CURRENT LANDOWNERS ARE NEXT TO THE PROPERTY? HOW WOULD THEY BE NOTIFIED? CURRENT LANDOWNER, MEANING THAT THE OWNER OF THE PARKLAND, WHICH IS PARKS, WHICH GOES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS LIKE ANY OTHER DEVELOPMENT DOES, THEN THE PRESENCE OF THE FLOOD PLAIN IS IDENTIFIED THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

SO IT WOULD BE ALERTED INITIALLY THAT THEY'RE FLIPPING ON THE PROPERTY BECAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS INDICATES THAT OR ILLUSTRATES THAT.

SO I'M ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT, I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE CLARIFIED THIS.

THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS, RIGHT, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CREATE ANY KIND OF UNDUE DRAINAGE INTO THEIR PROPERTY, RIGHT? SO THEY'D HAVE TO BE NOTIFIED.

SO PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS ENSURING THAT THE DEVELOPMENT DOESN'T ADVERSELY AFFECT FLOODING ON OTHER PROPERTIES.

IF THEY DO, THEN YES, THERE MAY BE SOME NOTIFICATION PROCESS IN PLACE NEEDED.

IF THERE'S NOT AN ADVERSE IMPACT, THEN THE ADJACENT OWNERS WOULDN'T BE CONTACTED ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF THE, OF THE FLOOD PLAN.

'CAUSE THE LAND, THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS DOESN'T REQUIRE IT.

UM, SO YOU SAID THIS WAS,

[00:30:01]

UM, INITIATED BY PAR.

IS THAT CORRECT? AND, UM, WHEN Y'ALL WERE REVIEWING THIS, AND I'M SORRY TO BELABOR THIS SO MUCH, I'M, I'M USUALLY A LITTLE MORE QUICK ON THIS.

UM, WHAT WAS THE DECISION JUST TO ADD IT INTO E WHY NOT PUT IT UP HERE SOMEWHERE IN THE BEGINNING THAT REALLY CLARIFIES THAT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT PARKLAND.

WE ARE JUST ADDING ONE MORE OPTION TO, UH, GIVE AUTHORITY FOR A VARIANCE.

SO ALL THE OTHER THINGS LISTED ARE ALREADY, UH, THE DIRECTOR ALREADY HAS AUTHORITY TO GIVE VARIANCES FOR THOSE ITEMS. SO WE'RE JUST ADDING ONE MORE ITEM THAT THEY WILL HAVE AUTHORITY TO GIVE A VARIANCE ON.

I THINK THAT IF IT WERE TO ADD ONTO THAT, I THINK THERE IN A DIFFERENT SECTION OF THE, OF THAT, OF THAT SECTION 1 52 THAN IT WOULD MAKE IT, IT, IT WOULD MAKE IT A LITTLE TOO BROAD.

HAVING IT IN THE PROPOSED LOCATION THAT WE'RE, THAT WE HAVE E MAKES IT NARROW INTO, IT'S JUST PARKLAND, JUST WORK ON CITY PARKLAND PROPERTY.

SO THIS IS ONLY FOR LAND THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PURCHASED.

SO THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY FOR LAND THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED TO BE PURCHASED FOR PARKLAND, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.

I'M GLAD THAT WE COULD GET CLARITY HERE VERBALLY BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S HERE IN WORDS.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

BUT, UM, MAYBE THAT CAN BE REVIEWED BY SOMEBODY OTHER THAN ME, UH, LIZ JOHNSON.

UM, TO YOUR POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LAW DEPARTMENT, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IS CONFUSING AND I DON'T EXPECT ANY LAY PERSON TO JUST UNDERSTAND IT IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS THEY SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, DON'T FEEL BAD THAT IT'S NOT CLEAR.

OUR LAW DEPARTMENT REVIEWS ALL OF THESE THINGS AND THEY'RE GONNA WORDSMITH THIS AND TELL IT WHERE IT NEEDS, TELL US WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

SO THIS IS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE LAW DEPARTMENT WILL BE THE FINAL SAY ON WHAT THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE IS.

THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I, I HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS IF I MAY.

GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU, MA'AM.

UH, HOW IS THIS HANDLED? IF THE PROPERTY IS LEASED, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT GOES TO A CONCESSIONAIRE OR IF IT GOES, SOME OF THE PROPERTY PARK PROPERTY IS GOING TO BE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CORRECT TERM IS, ALLOCATED, LEASED, LENT SUBCONTRACTED TO, TO THE LIGHT RAIL, UH, PROJECT.

UH, IT'S GONNA GO THROUGH, UH, YOU KNOW, PARKS.

SO HOW IS THIS GONNA IMPACT THAT? DOES THAT ONE? SURE.

UM, THE PLACES WHERE THE LIGHT RAIL WILL GO THROUGH PARKLAND, IT WILL NOT BE PARKLAND WHEN THE LIGHT RAIL GOES THROUGH.

SO IT'S, SO GO AHEAD.

UM, SO, AND I'M ONLY BARELY INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, SO I DON'T, I CAN'T TELL YOU THE EXACT LEGAL PROCESS THAT IT IS ALL GOING THROUGH, BUT AS AN EXAMPLE WHERE THE BOATHOUSE IS ON THE NORTH SHORE, WHERE THE LIGHT RAIL WILL BE GOING THROUGH THERE, THOSE FACILITIES WILL NO LONGER BE PARKLAND AS THEY GO THROUGH.

UH, AND ANY OTHER WORK THAT IS ON REMAINING PARKLAND IS A PARK USE.

SO THEY'RE RECONNECTING TO THE TRAILS.

UM, IS A PARK USE, SO IF IT'S NOT GONNA BE PARKLAND, WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE? I MEAN, IS THAT GONNA BE TRANSFERRED UNDER? IT GOES THROUGH A CHAPTER 26 PROCESS? IT DOES.

SO IT'S GONNA GO THROUGH SECTION 26 TO BE REALLOCATED TO, IT GOES THROUGH A CHAPTER 26 PROCESS.

SO IT'LL GO THROUGH A, UH, A PUBLIC PROCESS BEFORE THAT PROPERTY CHANGES.

WOULD BE TO THE ADVANTAGE IN THE LONG TERM OF THE CITY TO UNDERSTAND THE FLOOD RISKS BEFOREHAND.

AND I'M GOING TO ASK A QUESTION THAT GETS BACK TO, UH, CHAIR BRISTOL'S, UH, THING WAS, OR THE COMMENTS SHE MADE, IS THAT, UH, I UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY TO WANNA SAVE MONEY.

I MEAN, WE ALL WANNA SAVE MONEY.

ON THE OTHER HAND, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE WOULD WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF FLOODING ON MULTIMILLION DOLLAR PROJECTS WE'RE DOING, FOR EXAMPLE, UP AT, UH, BULL CREEK DISTRICT PARK, UH, MANY YEARS AGO, SAY, UH, HURRICANE HERMIONE, THE PARK DEPARTMENT BUILT, UH, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF PARK IMPROVEMENTS RIGHT NEAR BULL CREEK.

AND THEN ALMOST LITERALLY A FEW DAYS AFTER THEY DEDICATED THE WHOLE THING, IT GOT WASHED TO THE GULF OF MEXICO.

SO IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT DOING A STUDY OF LIKE THESE THINGS

[00:35:01]

AND IF YOU'RE GONNA QUIT DOING THAT, THEN YOU'RE GONNA BE BUILDING IN A FLOODPLAIN WITHOUT PERHAPS UNDERSTANDING.

SO DEDICATION OF AN EASEMENT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FLOODPLAIN IS ON THE PROPERTY.

THERE'S A FEMA FLOODPLAIN, THERE IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN MAPPING OF THE FLOODPLAIN.

WE ARE VERY AWARE OF WHERE FLOODPLAIN IS ON OUR PROPERTY.

WE JUST DON'T GO THROUGH THE PRO PROCESS OF HAVING A SURVEYOR COME OUT AND SURVEY POINTS AND CREATE A MEETS AND BOUNDS FOR THAT, UH, FLOODPLAIN THAT THEN GETS DEDICATED INTO A DRAINAGE EASEMENT.

SO WE ARE ABSOLUTELY AWARE OF THE FLOODPLAIN ALWAYS ON THE PROPERTY.

AND WE ALSO, AS NOTED, FOLLOW THE REGULATIONS OF NOT INCREASING IMPACT TO THE FLOODPLAIN OUTSIDE OF OUR PROPERTY.

IN OUR OPINION, THIS PROPOSED CODE CHANGE WOULD NOT AFFECT THE FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS AT ALL.

IT WOULD STILL BE REVIEWING DEVELOPMENT TO SEE HOW IT IMPACTS THE CITY.

WELL, IT'S NOT GONNA AFFECT THE REGULATIONS.

IT JUST MAY IMPACT THE LONG-TERM COST OF THE WHOLE THING BY NOT DOING SUFFICIENT STUDIES BEFORE THINGS ARE DONE, THE LONG-TERM IMPACT MAY BE GREATER.

SO YOU'RE SAVING MONEY UP FRONT AND YOU MAY BE COSTING MONEY LATER ON.

SO THE, THE FLOOD IMPACT WILL STILL BE STUDIED REGARDLESS OF THIS SECTION OR NOT? ABSOLUTELY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, THOUGHTS? SEEING NONE, UM, SECRETARY REI, YOU READY? YEAH.

SO WE DO HAVE MOTION, WHEREAS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS PRESENTED INFORMATION RELATING TO AMENDMENT 25 715 2 E AS RELATED TO PARKLAND DRAINAGE EASEMENTS, WHICH WOULD ALLOW AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE TO NOT REQUIRE DRAINAGE EASEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ON PARKLAND OWNED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES CURRENT CODE REQUIRES THE PROPERTY OWNERS DEDICATE A PUBLIC DRAINAGE EASEMENT TO THE LIMITS OF THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD PLAIN AS A PART OF THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT, UM, APPROVAL PROCESS.

ADDITIONALLY, 25 7 1 5 2 E INCLUDES PROVISIONS ALLOWING THE DIRECTOR OF WATERSHED PROTECTION TO GRANT ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AS DESCRIBED IN THAT SECTION.

THE PURPOSE OF THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT IS TO ALERT PRESENT AND FUTURE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT THERE IS FLOOD RISK ON THE PROPERTY.

THERE ARE LIMITATIONS ON THE USAGE ON THE USE OF THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT AND FLOODPLAIN AREAS ON THE PROPERTY.

THESE USES ARE REGULATED BY THE FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS, THUS IMPROVING EFFICIENCY DURING THE PERMIT REVIEW PROCESS FOR PARKLAND PROJECTS.

AND WE, AS THE UNITED COMMISSION, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS THE AMENDMENT TO 25 1 7 1 15 2 E TO ALLOW FOR ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE PROCESS TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT TO DEDICATE A DRAINAGE EASEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ON PARKLAND OWNED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE CODE AMENDMENT UPDATE.

BOY, THAT WAS A GOOD ONE.

I'LL SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? CAN WE DISCUSS THIS BEFORE WE VOTE? WE SURE CAN.

UH, I'D LIKE, I HAVE TWO THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS.

FIRST IS, I'D LIKE TO AMEND IT TO REQUIRE THAT THIS BE DISCUSSED BEFORE THE PARKS BOARD, UH, BECAUSE IT IS IN THE PARK, IT IMPACTS THE PARKS.

AND IT WENT OUT AS A MEMO TO THE PARKS, BUT IT WAS NOT VOTED ON BY THE PARKS BOARD.

SO I THINK IN AS MUCH AS THIS IS GOING BEFORE, I MEAN THIS IMPACTS THE PARKS, I THINK THEY NEED TO HAVE A VOTE ON IT.

I THINK IT'S ONLY CORRECT THE PARKS BOARD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE AN OPINION ON IT.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY, THAT'S AN AMENDMENT I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE.

UM, SO I, I'M GONNA, I HEAR YOU AND I WANNA MAKE SURE, SO THE ONLY THING THAT Y'ALL SENT TO THE PARKS BOARD WAS A LETTER, IS THAT CORRECT? IT WAS A MEMO AND THAT WAS THE DIRECTOR'S DECISION.

AND SO, UM, THEY WEREN'T AT THAT TIME ASKED FOR ANY KIND OF FEEDBACK OR HAD THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF LIKE A WORKING GROUP OR ANYTHING? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.

I'LL SECOND YOUR AMENDMENT.

UH, NEXT THERE'S TO BE SOME SORT OF VOTE.

IT CAN BE WITH NO OBJECTIONS THAT CAN BE ADDED OR A FORMAL VOTE.

ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? IT'S NOT REALLY A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, BUT I'D LIKE TO SAY FRIENDLY .

WE'RE ALL

[00:40:01]

FRIENDS.

WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE.

MY, MY SECOND THING IS, IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, UH, BECAUSE THE WORDING OF ALL THIS IS VERY CHALLENGING AT BEST, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST WE POSTPONE THIS VOTE IN ORDER THAT WE GET A BETTER SENSE OF THE WORDING ON THIS AND GIVE, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT A SHOT AT PERHAPS EITHER REWORDING THAT PARTICULAR ITEM, PUTTING IT IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION AS CHAIR BRISTOL INDICATED THAT IT MIGHT FIT SOMEPLACE ELSE.

UH, SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED THAT, THAT THE WHOLE THING IS A BIT CONVOLUTED.

UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE GONE THROUGH IT SEVERAL TIMES AND FOUND IT ODD AND THAT SORT OF THING.

AND SO EVEN THOUGH I PROPOSED A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND WOULD, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON IT AND EVERYTHING, IT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE A MORE CAREFULLY PHRASED CHANGE TO THE CODE SO THAT IT WAS MORE CLEAR TO EVERYONE WHAT WAS GOING ON.

AS, UH, STAFF MENTIONED, IT'S GONNA GO TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT WHO WILL HACK IT TO DEATH ANYWAY, SO WE'RE NOT CLEAR WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON IN ANY EVENT.

THOUGH THE LAW DEPARTMENT WILL LOOK AT IT BEFORE IT GOES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

SO THEY WERE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT IT UNTIL WE RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AS NECESSARY.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, IF IF YOU HAVE INTENT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONVEY, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME FOR THAT.

AND THEY WILL CONSIDER THAT WHEN THEY DRAFT THE LANGUAGE, BUT WE WON'T HAVE THE FINAL LANGUAGE UNTIL PLANNING COMMISSION THE, THE, THE LAW DEPARTMENT.

I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE THING.

THEY DID HAVE INPUT ON, ON THIS CURRENT LANGUAGE.

SOME THEY'RE NOT.

THEY, THEY'LL PROVIDE MORE INPUT, BUT WE DID ASK THEM INITIALLY WITH THIS WHERE THE, THE LANGUAGE IS PROPOSED AT THIS TIME.

YOU DID OR DID NOT? WE DID.

THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

SO, UM, YOU'RE ASKING TO BASICALLY TABLE THIS CORRECT.

UNTIL NOVEMBER 5TH MEETING, CORRECT? YOU SHOULD HAVE LED WITH THAT ? YES.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'D HAVE TO GET A SECOND ON THAT.

I WOULD, THAT WOULD YOU ARE CORRECT.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND ON THAT? WE DO NOT.

SO, UM, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THIS TODAY.

I HEAR YOU AGAIN.

UM, AND LOOKS LIKE THE NEXT MEETING THAT IT GOES TO, UM, IS CODES AND ORDINANCE JOINT COMMITTEE.

I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE SOME TIME WITH IT.

YEAH, THAT'S ALL I GOT.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? OKAY.

UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.

UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF, UM, THE MOTION AS IT WAS READ EARLIER IN IT WITH THE ADDITION OF THE AMENDMENT? YES.

AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THE AMENDMENT IS THAT THE PARKS BOARD IS GIVEN A PRESENTATION ON THIS CODE AMENDMENT? YES.

WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON IT? YEAH.

UM, WE ARE GONNA MOVE ON TO, UM, OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. AND, UM, SO WE HAVE UNDER THAT WE HAVE THE, UM, UM, A PRESENTATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR TOWN LAKE YMCA.

ALL IN FAVOR.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

[3. Presentation of Development Assessment Report for Townlake YMCA PUD, located at 1100 West Cesar Chavez Street, 206 1/2 and 220 1/2 North Lamar Boulevard, CD-2025- 0003 (District 9). Applicant: Richard T. Suttle, Armbrust & Brown, PLLC. Staff: Cynthia Hadri, Planning Department]

SO I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR TO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM.

COMMISSIONERS AS WELL AS PEOPLE, UM, THAT ARE HERE.

WE ARE NOT VOTING TODAY ON THIS PROJECT.

THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT REPORT.

SO THIS IS, UM, THEM SAYING THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO.

UM, AS THAT COMES FORWARD, WE GIVE INPUT ON THAT.

UM, AND THEN THE PROJECT TAKES THAT INPUT, GOES TO OTHER BOARD BOARDS, COMMISSIONS IT, THEIR INPUT AS WELL.

AND THEN WE'LL SEE THEM AGAIN IN ABOUT ANYWHERE BETWEEN SIX TO 18 MONTHS, UM, TO, TO ACTUALLY VOTE ON THIS.

SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR THAT

[00:45:01]

WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY VOTING ON THIS TODAY.

SO, UH, THAT BEING SAID, LET'S GET TO IT.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

CYNTHIA HORI AUSTIN PLANNING.

THIS IS DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT CASE NUMBER CD 2 2 0 2 5 0 0 0 3 TOWN LAKE, YMCA PLAN, DEVELOPMENT PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT POD.

THE APPLICANT HAS SUBMITTED A DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT FOR A 4.8 ACRE MIXED USE PROJECT LOCATED AT 1 1 0 0 WEST CAESAR CHAVEZ STREET, 2 0 6 AND A HALF, AND 2, 2 0 AND A HALF NORTH LAMAR BOULEVARD.

THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION IS ZONED L-I-C-O-N-P.

IT IS DESIGNATED AS CIVIC ON THE LAND USE MAP IN THE OLD, OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.

THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED WITHIN THE LADY BIRD LAKE WATERSHED, WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AS AN URBAN WATERSHED.

IT IS PART OF THE LAMAR WATERFRONT DISTRICT AND IS IN DISTRICT NINE.

THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING THE LIMITED INDUSTRIAL SERVICES DISTRICT AS THE BASELINE ZONING DISTRICT FOR THE P THE PUD WILL CONSIST OF A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT OF UP TO 750 CONDOMINIUM HOMES, A MINIMUM OF 90 AFFORDABLE U HOUSING UNIT, UH, 90 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, 1001 1 1, 1 0, 1010 SQUARE FEET OF CIVIC AND OFFICE USES.

AND APPROXIMATELY 35,000 SQUARE FEET OF PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED USES ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE PROJECT.

APPROXIMATELY 10,000 SQUARE FEET OF THAT GROUND FLOOR PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED ORIENTED SPACE WILL BE FOR A RESTAURANT USE.

I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND THE APPLICANT, DAVE ANDERSON, IS ALSO HERE, AND WE'LL GIVE A PRESENTATION.

THAT'S OKAY.

THAT'S WHAT YOU GOT.

UM, DID YOU, ARE YOU PRESENTING ALSO? YEAH.

OKAY, EXCELLENT.

THANK YOU CHAIR COMMISSIONERS.

I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE 10 MINUTES AND THERE'S TWO OF US TO SPEAK WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME.

SO WE, UH, WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR TIME AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO KATHY CURTIS, THE CEO OF THE GREATER AUSTIN YMCA.

AND I DO JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS, SO IF YOU GO OVER A LITTLE BIT, YOU'RE OKAY.

UM, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

UH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.

I'M HERE IN MY ROLE AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE GREATER AUSTIN YMCA BECAUSE THIS PROJECT PRESENTS A ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFORM THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BY RE-IMAGINING THE TOWN LAKE YMCA.

IT WILL INCLUDE HIGH QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES, FOCUSING ON FAMILY HOUSING, EXPANDED HEALTH AND WELLBEING PROGRAM, PARTICULARLY MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING AND YOUTH PROGRAMS. WE'LL CREATE A DESTINATION FOR FAMILY FUN, MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH IS A STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE FOR THE YMCA AND A HUB FOR EXPANDING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.

TO PUT THIS PROJECT IN PROPER CONTEXT, WE ARE ADDRESSING A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT MAYOR WATSON AND CITY LEADERS HAVE BEEN GRAPPLING WITH FOR YEARS, LIKE AFFORDABILITY, IN PARTICULAR, A LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY FOR FAMILIES.

IN RECENT PAST COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES ACKNOWLEDGED THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE, ESPECIALLY IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, AND ESPECIALLY FOR WORKERS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.

CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION 10 YEARS AGO ON LAMAR BEACH, NOW KNOWN AS THE ULMA OVERTON SENIOR VISION PLAN, WHICH IDENTIFIED ISSUES LIKE PARKING, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, AND PUBLIC BENEFITS.

THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN TARGETED THIS AREA FOR UPGRADES AND PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND THE CITY'S WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT HAS LONG KNOWN OF THE IMPACTS FROM URBAN RUNOFF, WHICH WE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCE THROUGH OUR PROPERTY.

WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE YMCA, WE LOOK TO TACKLE THESE ITEMS IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T BURDEN THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN, AND THAT DOESN'T BURDEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN GOVERNMENT.

WITH THE COST TO DO SO, A REIMAGINED TOWN LAKE YMCA WILL CREATE A NEW PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO CONNECT AND PLAY RIGHT IN AUSTIN'S LIVING ROOM, A PROJECT FOR AUSTIN

[00:50:01]

THAT IS GOOD FOR TODAY AND GOOD FOR TOMORROW.

OKAY, SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS THE TOWN LAKE, DOWNTOWN YMCA SITE.

YOU'LL SEE PARKLAND, UH, IN BETWEEN THE Y CESAR CHAVEZ AND THE LAKE AUSTIN PETS ALIVE TO THE LEFT, LAMAR RUNNING NORTH SOUTH TO THE RIGHT, AND AMTRAK UNION STATION.

ABOVE THAT, WHAT KATHY JUST TALKED ABOUT WERE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF WHAT THE CITY'S BEEN STRUGGLING WITH FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

I WANNA, UH, UNDERSCORE WHAT, UH, CHAIR BRISTOL SAID A LITTLE LITTLE BIT AGO.

THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE PUBLIC PROCESS.

WE'RE GOING OUT ON TOUR AND ASKING FOR OPINIONS.

UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS AN IMPORTANT, UH, ONE OF THOSE OPINIONS.

WE GO TO CITY COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER AND THEN WE'LL TAKE THAT INPUT AND GO BACK AND, UH, UM, UH, SHARPEN OUR PENCILS.

THIS IS SOME EARLY IMAGERY OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

UM, AND WE'LL, WE CAN DIVE INTO ARCHITECTURE, WE CAN DIVE INTO TREES, WE CAN DIVE INTO ALL OF THAT.

BUT THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE OF THE SCALE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

YOU SEE THE Y IN THE FOREGROUND.

THIS IS TAKEN FROM SOUTHEAST TO THE Y PROBABLY IF YOU ARE ON, IF YOU KNOW WHERE, UH, BR REYNOLDS IS.

AND THAT CRAZY TURNAROUND, THE INTERSECTION AS IT GETS TO LAMAR, IT'S KIND OF LOOKING TO THE NORTHWEST FROM HERE, FROM, FROM A PLANNED VIEW.

UH, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THE YMCA ON THE RIGHT, A STANDALONE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, A BUILDING IN THE MIDDLE, A PRIVATE DRIVE THAT SEPARATES THOSE.

AND THREE TOWERS TO THE LEFT, THOSE TOWERS ARE WHAT WE CALL THE ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT ENABLES THE REDEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR.

YOU'LL ALSO SEE, UM, WHAT WE CALL ROADWAY A, WHICH IS EAST AND WEST, THAT OVERLAYS AN EXISTING DRIVE AISLE THAT IS ON PARK LAND, AS IS ROADWAY E, WHICH IS A NORTH, SOUTH, UH, CONNECTOR, WHICH IS ON PARKLAND.

YOU GUYS HEARD ABOUT CHAPTER 26 ISSUES EARLIER TONIGHT.

WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF THAT AND WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AS IS NECESSARY.

HERE'S MY AGENDA.

I'M GONNA FLY THROUGH THESE, THROW SOMETHING AT ME IF, UH, YOU WANT ME TO STOP, BUT I'M TRYING TO KEEP, KEEP US ON SCHEDULE, UH, FROM A WATER QUALITY PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S NO WATER QUALITY TREATMENT ON THE 4.8 ACRES TODAY.

WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO DO IS TO TREAT THE ENTIRETY OF THAT 4.8 ACRES ON OUR SITE AS IS REQUIRED BY CODE.

WHAT WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO, HOWEVER, IS TO TREAT CURRENTLY UNTREATED FLOWS FROM NORTH LAMAR, THINK LAMAR AND SIXTH WHOLE FOODS AREA.

THERE'S NO TREATMENT FROM, FROM THAT RUNOFF THAT GOES INTO THE LAKE.

AND THEN, UH, NORTH OF THE RAILROAD, UH, GOING, UM, LET'S SAY SIXTH TO OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.

THERE IS ABOUT 98 ACRES THAT, UH, IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN, THE TREATMENT LEVEL OF THAT, THAT THAT'S HAPPENING.

BUT THAT'S AN OLDER PART OF TOWN.

AND SO WE CAN IMAGINE THAT THAT WATER IS ALSO DIRTY.

SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EFFECTIVELY TREAT ALMOST 15 ACRES, 14 AND A HALF ACRES OF CURRENTLY UNTREATED FLOWS GOING INTO LADY BIRD LAKE.

UH, I ESTIMATED THAT AT 5,000 POUNDS OF TSS TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS.

THINK ABOUT, UM, HYDRILLA, THINK ABOUT ALGAE BLOOMS. THERE ARE NITRO THERE, THERE ARE, UH, NUTRIENTS THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT TSS.

UM, SO WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT IF YOU'D LIKE.

THERE'S A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE ON WHAT CO WHAT I CALL AN EPHEMERAL UNNAMED DRAINAGE CHANNEL.

UH, WE'RE PROPOSING TO REMOVE THAT AND PUT THAT, UH, PUT THAT WATER IN A CULVERT AND THEN FOCUS ON DOWNSTREAM, UM, RESTORING THAT CHANNEL DOWNSTREAM.

LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL FOR A WATER QUALITY POND, LIZ AND HER STAFF, LESLIE, WE HAVE MET WITH THEM AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THAT.

AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING.

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AND WE THINK WE CAN GET THERE, UH, TO IMPROVE THE FLOODPLAIN HEALTH ALONG THAT STRETCH AS WELL.

SO HERE'S AGAIN, THE PLAN VIEW.

IN THE GREEN BOXES, YOU SEE WATER QUALITY, UM, TREATMENT FACILITIES FOR THE SITE ITSELF.

THE BROWN ON THE LEFT IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING RIGHT NOW IS A POND, BUT AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN IN CON IN, IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION.

THIS IS ALSO RELEVANT TO WHAT YOU ALL, YOU ALL JUST TALKED ABOUT, RIGHT? UH, DRAINAGE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS ON PARKLAND.

UH, THE, THERE'S A PUR A POND IN PURPLE TO THE RIGHT, UM, THAT WAS ACTUALLY PROPOSED IN A PARKS MASTER PLAN THAT ENABLES US TO TREAT UNTREATED FLOWS FROM LAMAR.

THIS IS THE FLOODPLAIN FUNCTIONAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT.

DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? UM, CURRENTLY, UH, OUR, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS PUT THAT, UH, THE CONDITION OF THAT EPHEMERAL DRAINAGE CHANNEL AT POOR.

WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE IT FROM GOOD TO

[00:55:01]

EXCELLENT, FROM A WATER QUANTITY AND REUSE PERSPECTIVE.

CHAPTER 15 DASH 13 OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REQUIRES US NOW TO REUSE WATER TO SAVE, UH, A CALCULATED, UH, NUMBER OF POTABLE WATER GALLONS FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT AS PROPOSED.

THAT SAVINGS IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION GALLONS A YEAR.

WHAT WE ARE DOING IS INDUSTRY, UH, LEADING BLACKWATER SYSTEMS FOR THE THREE TOWERS, BLACKWATER, NOT GRAY WATER.

AND THAT ENABLES US TO SAVE A WHOPPING 20 MILLION GALLONS OF POTABLE WATER A YEAR.

SO 2.7, 2.8 TIMES WHAT IS REQUIRED.

THAT IS GAME CHANGING, NOT ONLY IN DOWNTOWN, BUT IN ALL OF AUSTIN.

UH, THERE ARE ONLY A SMALL HANDFUL OF BLACK WATER PROJECTS.

SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.

THIS IS A SCHEMATIC.

WE CAN COME BACK TO THIS IF YOU'D LIKE, FROM A FLOOD AND DRAINAGE PERSPECTIVE.

AGAIN, YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS, UH, IN YOUR PREVIOUS ITEM.

UM, THE LIGHT BLUE IS THE CURRENT FLOODPLAIN.

THE DARK BLUE OUTLINE IS WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING.

AND IN THAT POND AREA, WE ARE PROPOSING, UH, THAT TO FUNCTION IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.

ONE, UH, AS EXTENDED DETENTION AND TWO, TO TREAT WATER QUALITY COMING FROM NORTH OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS FROM THAT 98 ACRE DRAINAGE AREA.

WHAT THIS DOES IS IT ELIMINATES FLOODPLAIN AND YMCA, IT ELIMINATES FLOODPLAIN ALMO, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY FROM AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.

WE'VE ALL, FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR A WHILE, EVERY TIME IT FLOODS, THEY SAY, COME GET THE DOGS TO KEEP 'EM OUTTA THE FLOODPLAIN.

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THAT.

FRANKLY, FROM A TREE PERSPECTIVE, WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE SITE IS, UH, A SUMMARY OF THE TREE RESOURCES, UH, ON SITE.

WE WERE JUST OUT THERE WITH THE CITY ARBORIST, UH, WHAT WEEK AND A HALF AGO.

UM, GREEN ARE IN GOOD CONDITION, YELLOW AND FAIR, RED AND POOR.

I'VE OVERLAID WHAT I CALL A UTILITY CONFLICT ZONE THAT, UH, WHERE THERE ARE ELECTRICAL, UH, WATER WASTE WATER, UM, CONFLICTS, UH, IN THE PURPLE YOU WILL SEE A BUNCH OF TREES THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO, UH, RELOCATE.

SO WE, THERE ARE THREE HERITAGE TREES ON SITE.

THERE ARE GOOD CANDIDATES TO BE TRANSPLANTED.

WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.

NOTHING HAS BEEN DETERMINED IN, UH, FROM A FINAL PERSPECTIVE ABOUT RELOCATING THOSE.

SAME WITH THE PROTECTED TREES.

ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS IS, IS AFTER WE'RE DONE, WE'RE PROPO, WE'RE, UH, ANTICIPATING A 30%, 31% COVERAGE FOR TREE CANOPY.

AND THAT'S A BIG IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT'S THERE TODAY.

HERE'S A COMPARISON OF WHAT'S THERE TODAY VERSUS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.

HERE'S, UH, SOME EARLY IDEAS ON TRANSPLANT LOCATIONS, AND HERE'S AN IDEA OF HOW WE MIGHT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE CANOPY IN THE PARKLAND.

AGAIN, WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH PARD.

UH, WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR INPUT ON THIS, WE NEED THEIR INPUT ON THIS.

UM, BUT THESE ARE SOME IDEAS ON HOW WE CAN REALLY CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE.

SPEAKING OF LANDSCAPING, I WILL NOT READ THESE TO YOU, BUT I THINK WHAT I WOULD SAY FOR A LANDSCAPING PERSPECTIVE IS WE'RE FOCUSING ON DIVERSITY.

WE'RE FOCUSING ON EXCEEDING, UH, EXCEEDING THE CODE REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOCUSING ON POLLINATOR RESOURCES, BIODIVERSITY, UH, AND THEN, UM, LOOKING FROM, FROM AN IRRIGATION PERSPECTIVE, LOOKING TO DO THAT WITH NON PORTABLE SOURCES.

UH, THE SPREADSHEET, IT'S A SCREEN CAPTURE OF A SPREADSHEET ON THE BOTTOM THAT SHOWS KIND OF THE LEVEL OF DETAIL WE'RE GOING THROUGH.

WHAT ECO REGION, UH, WHAT TYPE OF PLANT SHRUB.

I'M LOOKING, UH, AT A GENTLEMAN THAT I JUST MET EARLIER TONIGHT, THEN I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT, ABOUT, UH, TREES AND BUSHES.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT I DON'T, BUT WE DO HAVE OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS HERE THAT CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FROM A BUILDING DESIGN PERSPECTIVE.

AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING, UH, THREE STAR, UM, UH, FOR ALL OF THE BUILDINGS EXCEPT FOR THE Y AND I CALL THE YA FOUR STAR PLUS.

WE'RE STILL POKING AROUND ON HOW GOOD THIS CAN BE.

UH, KATHY HAS SAID SHE WANTS THIS TO BE WORLD CLASS, THE MOST SUSTAINABLE YMCA IN THE WORLD, NOT IN TEXAS, NOT IN AUSTIN, NOT IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE WORLD.

AND WE HAVE A DEVELOPMENT TEAM THAT IS COMMITTED TO THAT AS WELL.

WE'RE LOOKING AT NET ZERO CARBON, UH, FOOTPRINT, ALL ELECTRIC BUILDING OPERATIONS, EXCLUDING COMMERCIAL KITCHENS.

I'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE WATER, THE, THE, THE GAME CHANGING WATER, UM, QUANTITY AND REUSE STRATEGIES.

WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER, UH, GREEN ROOFS.

WE HAD A CALL TODAY ABOUT, UH, INCREASING THE GREEN ROOFS ARE DOING, UH, IN ADDITION TO HORIZONTALLY THINKING ABOUT DOING IT

[01:00:01]

VERTICALLY, SOLAR, LOW TIVITY, UH, MATERIALS, LIGHT POLLUTION, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

UH, HERE IS A SUMMARY OF ALL OF THOSE AND OUR APPROACH TO BUILDING DESIGN, BEING HOLISTIC, TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE ALL OF THESE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME.

UH, CHAIR BRISTOL, THIS ONE IS FOR YOU AND WE CAN DIG INTO IT ON, ON BIRD STRIKE.

UM, BIRD STRIKE ISSUES, BIRD DETERRENCE, BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN.

WE UNDERSTAND THE ORDINANCES THAT ARE GOING FORWARD RIGHT NOW.

WE UNDERSTAND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION'S POSITION ON THOSE.

AND HOWEVER THOSE COME OUT, WE WILL COMPLY WITH THOSE.

HERE'S SOME OTHER IDEAS ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

OPEN SPACE PARKLAND.

THE WAY THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT OUR INTERACTION, UH, AND DR.

SPEC CAN TALK ABOUT THIS AT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE WAY THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT OUR INTERACTION WITH THE PARKLAND IN FRONT OF US IS FORMED BY THIS MASTER PLAN.

THERE ARE DIFFERING OPINIONS ON THE MASTER PLAN, UM, BUT THIS HAS FORMED A BASIS FOR HOW WE WOULD APPROACH IT.

YOU'LL SEE, UM, THE, UH, MOVING OF CESAR CHAVEZ TO THE NORTH.

WE REPLICATE THAT WITH THE DRIVE VI, UH, TO THE NORTH UP CLOSER TO THE YMCA.

THEY HAVE SURFACE PARKING, WE HAVE INVESTIGATED SURFACE PARKING.

WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S APPROPRIATE OR IF IT'S NOT.

TALKING TO STAKEHOLDERS, TALKING TO PARD.

UH, SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW THAT'S, UM, THAT, THAT FORMED OUR OPINION.

HERE'S A SUMMARY OF OPEN SPACE AND PARKLAND, BOTH ONSITE ON THE TOP, AND THEN THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING AND OFFERING TO DO IN THE PARKLAND TO THE SOUTH.

PUBLIC PLAY AREAS.

REALLY, REALLY INCREASING PEDESTRIAN SIDEWALKS, TRAILS, BIKE PATHS, SHARED USE PATHS, ET CETERA.

AND INCREASING THE TREE CANOPY.

THIS IS A TRANSPORTATION ORIENTED SLIDE.

UH, WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THAT.

I WILL NOTE THAT BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE CONCEPT DESIGN, UH, PERIOD, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS YET.

UM, BUT I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT I, THAT CAN AT THIS POINT AND I'LL WRAP UP BY SAYING WE ARE SO EXCITED TO OFFER THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, NOT ONLY TO TOWN LAKE USERS, DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS, BUT THE, BUT THIS YMCA, THE DOWNTOWN YMCA SENDS MONEY TO PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT.

SO WE ARE NOT JUST IMPROVING THIS PARTICULAR SITE.

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE YM THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, PRIMARILY, UH, AND CHILDCARE AT FACILITIES ALL ACROSS THE CITY.

AND THAT'S A REALLY, THAT'S SOMETHING WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY AND ARE VERY PROUD OF.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL STOP.

I THINK WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS.

UM, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU IN A MINUTE.

WE'LL START WITH CHARLENE LURI, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES AND I'M JUST GONNA REAL QUICK.

UM, WE HAVE 10 SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR THIS.

I'M GONNA REDUCE EVERYBODY'S TO TWO MINUTES AS PART OF, DO I NEED TO DO THAT AHEAD OF TIME? I CAN DO RIGHT NOW.

UM, FROM THE WATER PLANNING COMMUNITY, A REAL HESITANT IN THE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT WORLD, UM, FOR TAPPING INTO THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR BLACKWATER.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE Y'ALL THANK YOU.

GIVE EVERYBODY, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY HERE.

THANKS SO MUCH.

UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK, UM, IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.

UM, AS SOMEBODY WHO SPENT SIX YEARS, UM, BEING ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LONG RANGE PLANNING FOR CITY OF AUSTIN FOR OUR WATER SUPPLY, UM, I CHAIRED THE TASK FORCE KNOWN AS THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE, WHICH IS OUR CITY'S HUNDRED YEAR WATER PLAN.

UM, AND A CORE PART OF THAT PLAN IS ABOUT LOOKING AT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AS A SOURCE OF WATER, NOT JUST AS A DEMAND FOR WATER.

UM, SO ACTUALLY LOOKING AT BUILDINGS AS PLACES WHERE WE CAN HARVEST AND TREAT WATER CLOSER TO THE PLACE WHERE THAT WATER IS DEMANDED FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE USE WATER EVERY DAY.

UM, WHY THAT IS SO INTEGRAL TO OUR CITY AND OUR CONTINUED GROWTH, UM, IS KIND OF TWO REASONS.

ONE IS THE REALITY THAT WITH EACH PASSING DECADE, OUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF WATER, OUR LAKES EVAPORATES MORE AND MORE.

AS TEMPERATURE INCREASES, MORE EVAPORATIVE LOSSES OCCUR, LOWER STORAGE IS YIELDED.

AND AS A RESULT, WE ARE MORE AND MORE AT RISK OF WATER SCARCITY.

UM, MANY COMMUNITIES AROUND US HAVE ANSWERED THAT BY REACHING OUTWARD TO GROUNDWATER PRODUCTION AND OTHER COMMUNITIES ADJACENT.

BUT OUR COMMUNITY SAID NO.

WE WANNA FIND WAYS OF BEING SELF-RELIANT.

AND SO TAPPING INTO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT LIKE THIS BUILDING DOES, UM, THROUGH THE, THE, THIS IS THE FIRST BUILDING THAT HARVEST.

ITS BLACKWATER FOR ONSITE USE.

UM, WE HAVE, AS DAVE SAID, JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER BUILDINGS THAT HAVE COME FORWARD TO DO THAT.

AND WE'VE REALLY SEEN,

[01:05:01]

AND SO THIS PROJECT AND ITS COMMITMENT TO TAPPING INTO THAT RESOURCE FOR ONSITE REUSE IS HUGE.

IT'S HUGE THAT IT'S DOING THAT FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN A PLACE THAT'S GONNA BE VISITED BY SO MANY PEOPLE.

UM, AND SO I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT THIS PROJECT WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY THAT INSPIRES MORE PROJECTS TO TAP INTO THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT TO BE PART OF OUR WATER SOLUTION.

SO THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

NEXT UP WE HAVE GREG ANDERSON.

HI COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR SERVING.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.

UH, CTMS HELPING HIM BACK SLIDE.

UNLESS I HAVE A SLIDE, I DON'T THINK I DO.

SO I HOPE YOU ALL KNOW THIS SITE AND IT'S AMAZING PROXIMITY TO THIS AMAZING CITY.

IS THIS THE BEST DOWNTOWN IN ALL THE SOUTH? I THINK IT IS, RIGHT? SO SLIDE.

WE DON'T HAVE BIG INTERSTATES BLOCKING US.

YOU CAN JUST KIND OF WALK IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

THIS IS THE SITE TODAY.

IT'S BEEN WELL LOVED AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING THAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO A LOT MORE WITH IT.

SLIDE.

SO THIS WAS IN AUSTIN BUSINESS JOURNAL RECENTLY ABOUT, UM, HOMES BEING BUILT OR PLANNED IN DIFFERENT CITIES.

AND SEE THAT LITTLE BITTY DOT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, THAT'S AUSTIN.

AND IF THERE'S NOT A SCARIER THING THAT YOU'VE SEEN RECENTLY, I'LL SHOW YOU ONE IN A MINUTE, BUT THIS IS PRETTY AWFUL, RIGHT? SO THIS IS JUST SPRAWL ON STEROIDS SLIDE.

AND WE COULD CHANGE THAT.

WE CAN ALLOW A LOT OF PEOPLE TO LIVE IN AN AMAZING PLACE WHERE THEY CAN WALK TO WORK, BIKE TO WORK SLIDE.

AND THIS IS WESTERN TRAVIS COUNTY.

I SAW THIS RECENTLY WHERE THEY JUST KIND OF CLEAR CUT A MOUNTAIN AND THEY'RE GONNA BE BUILDING SPRAWL.

AND IT'S REALLY EASY TO DO THAT.

IF YOU WANNA BUILD SPRAWL, IT'S REALLY EASY, RIGHT? YOU JUST GO OUT THERE AND JUST MOW IT DOWN.

YOU GET TO KIND OF BUILD WHATEVER YOU WANT.

IF YOU WANNA BUILD HOMES IN THE CENTRAL CITY OF AN AMAZING CITY, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A REALLY LONG, DIFFICULT PUD PROCESS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE ALL HERE TONIGHT.

SLIDE.

THIS IS AMAZING, RIGHT? I'VE LIVED IN A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITIES WHERE I GET TO WALK EVERYWHERE I BIKED HERE TONIGHT AND IT'S JUST A LOT OF FUN TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A LOWER CARBON FOOTPRINT AND NOT HAVE TO SLIDE, GET AROUND EVERYWHERE LIKE THIS SLIDE.

SO THIS IS FROM THE BERKELEY COOL CLIMATE CALCULATOR.

IF YOU, WE CAN REDUCE TRIP MILEAGE, HUGE DEAL SIDE.

AND IF WE'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO CARBON ACCU, CARBON ACCUMULATION, THEN WE'RE MESSING UP, RIGHT? SO THIS IS FROM VERY RECENTLY, BIGGEST YEAR OVER YEAR IMPACT.

AND THIS IS JUST ACCUMULATING SIDE, AND THIS IS THE OVERALL CARBON FOOTPRINT OUT THERE.

JUST ALL THE CARBON IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

IT'S GETTING WARMER.

YOU GUYS CAN MAKE A REALLY GOOD VOTE HERE IN THE FUTURE.

THANKS.

OF RUNNING OUT OF PLACES WHERE THAT CAN HAPPEN, UH, IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.

NEXT WE HAVE LARRY SPECK.

SO MY NAME IS LARRY SPEC.

UM, I'M FACULTY MEMBER AT UT AUSTIN, FORMER DEAN OF THE SCHOOL THERE, THE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE.

UH, I WAS ALSO CO-DIRECTOR OF THE TOWN LIFE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH LAID OUT THIS REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN THAT GREG WAS TALKING ABOUT.

AND ONE OF THE REALLY UNUSUAL THINGS WE DID WAS PROPOSE A HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL MIXED USE DOWNTOWN.

NOBODY ELSE HAD RESIDENTIAL MIXED USE.

UH, THAT MEANT, AS GREG WAS POINTING OUT, PEOPLE COULD LIVE IN A VERY SUSTAINABLE WAY, LOWER ENERGY USE IN THEIR HOME, UH, LOWER, UH, FOOTPRINT OF LAND, CONSUMED LOWER, UH, AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, LOWER WATER CONSUMPTION, NO YARD, UH, ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

PLUS ALL THE THINGS GREG WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR CAR.

YOU WALK ON YOUR BIKE AND YOU CAN GO TO THE THINGS YOU NEED TO GO TO IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO WHERE YOU LIVE.

UH, WHEN I MOVED INTO THE FIRST HIGHRISE BUILDING DOWNTOWN IN 2004, WILL WYNN, WHO WAS MAYOR, MOVED IN SAME BUILDING, SAME TIME, UH, WILL AND I KIND OF WENT ON THE ROAD TALKING ABOUT IT.

UH, WILL WAS FOND OF SAYING AT THAT POINT IN 2004, WE HAD 400 PEOPLE LIVING DOWNTOWN, AND A HUNDRED OF THEM LIVED AT THE COUNTY JAIL.

UH, AND NOW WE HAVE 15,000 PEOPLE LIVING DOWNTOWN.

THE MAGIC THAT MADE THIS WORK IN AUSTIN AND WOULD NOT WORK IN OTHER DOWNTOWNS IS THAT WE COMBINED EXTREMELY SUSTAINABLE LIVING WITH A BEAUTIFUL NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU COULD BE A PART OF.

NOT A LITTLE POSTAGE STAMP BACKYARD, BUT A PLACE WITH MILES OF TRAILS AND WATER AND TREES AND, UH, WILDLIFE AND BIRDS, AND JUST AN INCREDIBLE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE BOTH NATURE AND A SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE.

UH, NOW THAT HAS BEEN, UH, PHENOMENALLY IN THE BIG DEMAND, BUT WE'RE KIND

[01:10:01]

AND YOU CAN GET THAT KIND OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING, UH, WITH THE, THE PARKS.

THE OTHER THING THAT'S BEEN GREAT ABOUT THE PARKS IS IT ALL THAT LIVING BENEFITS, THE PARKS, IT KEEPS THEM SAFE.

NOW WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS WHO ACTUALLY HELP THE PARKS, MAINTAIN THE PARKS, INVEST IN THE PARKS, GIVE PHILANTHROPY, ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.

UH, BUT DO I, I, I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOU, BUT THAT WAS YOUR TWO MINUTE.

NEXT UP WE HAVE WALTER MOREAU.

I AM WALTER MURROW, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.

UH, WE ARE REALLY HONORED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE YMCA TOWN LAKE PROJECT, UH, TO, TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

WE'RE GONNA BUILD 90 UNITS, LARGER UNITS, MORE TWO BEDROOM AND THREE BED BEDROOM UNITS TO SERVE FAMILIES.

I THINK OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN, I'VE TRIED REALLY HARD TO FIND LOCATIONS FOR OUR HOUSING THAT ARE CONNECTED, UH, THAT ARE TRANSIT CONNECTED, CONNECTED TO JOBS AND SERVICES AND WALKABLE.

IT'S HARD TO FIND A PERFECT LOCATION, BUT I THINK THIS IS ABOUT THE PERFECT LOCATION.

UH, WE LOVE TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE YMCA AND OUR FAMILIES WILL HAVE THEIR KIDS AT THE CHILDCARE AND FAMILIES WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FITNESS PROGRAMS AND ALL THE OTHER SERVICES OF THE Y WE'LL BE ABLE TO BRING OUR SERVICES, UH, FITNESS AND FOOD PROGRAMS ON SITE TOO.

UM, I THINK THIS IS THE GREENEST SITE THAT WE COULD ENVISION, UH, FOR FAMILIES IN AUSTIN, AND WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

SO WELCOME YOUR SUPPORT.

THANKS.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

NEXT UP WE HAVE DANIELLE HAN.

MY NAME IS DANIELLE HAN.

I'M A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER WITH AUSTIN, ISD, AND A GRADUATE STUDENT PURSUING MY MASTER'S IN PUBLIC HEALTH.

I'M ALSO A SINGLE MOTHER TO A VIBRANT 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO'S PROBABLY ASLEEP RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND IN MY SPARE TIME, I TEACH A COUPLE OF YOGA CLASSES EACH WEEK AT THE YMCA.

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROPOSED PROJECT, PARTICULARLY A NEW YMCA TOMORROW ACADEMY AT THE NEW TOWN LAKE YMC, A PROPOSED LOCATION.

IT'S A PROJECT THAT I BELIEVE WILL BE LIFE CHANGING FOR FAMILIES LIKE MINE.

MY CONNECTION TO THE Y BEGAN OVER A DECADE AGO IN WISCONSIN, WHERE I FIRST JOINED TO MANAGE CHRONIC BACK PAIN THROUGH YOGA.

OVER THE YEARS, THE Y HAS BECOME A CORNERSTONE OF MY LIFE, NOT JUST FOR MY PHYSICAL HEALTH, BUT FOR MY EMOTIONAL WELLBEING, MY PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, AND MY ABILITY TO PARENT WITH PURPOSE.

WHEN I MOVED TO AUSTIN, I FACE THE SAME CHALLENGES MANY FAMILIES HERE DO, HIGH CHILDCARE COSTS, LONG WAIT LISTS, AND THE STRESS OF NAVIGATING TRAFFIC AND LOGISTICS WHILE TRYING TO STAY CLOSE TO MY DAUGHTER.

IN FACT, WHEN SHE WAS JUST FOUR MONTHS OLD, I MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO LEAVE AUSTIN AND RETURN TO WISCONSIN WHERE I'M FROM BECAUSE I COULDN'T HAVE FIND, I COULD NOT FIND AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE CHILDCARE.

THAT EXPERIENCE WAS FILLED WITH ANXIETY AND PANIC FEELINGS.

I KNOW MANY PARENTS HERE UNDERSTAND ALL TOO WELL.

WHEN I RETURNED TO AUSTIN DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE Y WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES I TURNED TO.

IT GAVE ME A SAFE SPACE TO RECONNECT WITH MY YOGA PRACTICE, COMPLETE MY TEACHER TRAINING, AND EVENTUALLY BEGIN TEACHING CLASSES MYSELF.

THE Y HAS SUPPORTED ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY FROM OFFERING CHILDCARE WHILE I TEACH, TO PROVIDING PROGRAMS THAT ENRICH MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE, LIKE DANCE, SOCCER, AND SWIM.

THE PROPOSED TOMORROW ACADEMY WOULD HAVE MADE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE FOR ME IN THOSE EARLY YEARS.

IT WOULD ALSO HAVE ALLOWED ME TO STAY IN AUSTIN, STAY EMPLOYED, AND STAY CLOSE TO MY DAUGHTER.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WOULD'VE OFFERED A SENSE OF STABILITY AND COMMUNITY THAT SO MANY FAMILIES ARE SEARCHING FOR.

THE Y IS MORE THAN A GYM.

IT'S A GATHERING PLACE WHERE PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS COME TOGETHER WITH SHARED VALUES OF INCLUSION, RESPECT, AND SUPPORT.

AND THAT'S YOUR TIME.

UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

NEXT UP WE HAVE, UH, BARBARA GRANT BONITA, WHO IS CALLING

[01:15:01]

IN.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.

MY NAME IS BARBARA GTA, AND I SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY SUCCESS BY SIX COALITION, WHICH IS A COALITION OF MORE THAN 140 ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO ENSURE THAT ALL CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY ENTER KINDERGARTEN, HEALTHY, SUPPORTED, AND READY TO SUCCEED.

I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT TONIGHT AND TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR INCREASING ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN AUSTIN, PARTICULARLY IN AND AROUND THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

FAMILIES NEED MORE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE, JUST LIKE WE JUST HEARD.

OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, MANY PROVIDERS HAVE HAD TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS DUE TO RISING COSTS, STAFFING CHALLENGES, AND LIMITED SPACE.

AND FOR FAMILIES WHO WORK OR LIVE DOWNTOWN, OPTIONS CAN BE ESPECIALLY SCARCE.

THIS NEED FOR HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE IMPACTS NOT JUST FAMILIES, BUT OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND WORKFORCE.

WHEN PARENTS CAN'T FIND RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE CARE, THEY'RE OFTEN FORCED TO REDUCE WORK HOURS OR LEAVE THE WORKFORCE ALTOGETHER THAT HURTS FAMILIES.

EMPLOYERS IN AUSTIN'S LONG TERM ECONOMIC VITALITY PROJECTS THAT EXPAND EARLY EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS THE POTENTIAL NEW CHILDCARE CENTER AT THE TOWN LAKE, YMCA CAN BE PART OF THAT SOLUTION.

HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE CENTERS NEAR EMPLOYMENT HUBS, REDUCE COMMUTE TIMES, SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY GOALS, AND STRENGTHEN THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY BY HELPING FAMILIES LIVE, WORK, AND THRIVE IN AUSTIN.

CHILDCARE IS ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AS CRITICAL TO A THRIVING CITY AS HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION.

AS AUSTIN CONTINUES TO GROW, ENSURING THAT YOUNG CHILDREN AND WORKING FAMILIES HAVE A PLACE HERE MUST REMAIN AT THE HEART OF OUR PLANNING.

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

NEXT UP WE HAVE STEVE AMOS REQUEST, UH, CLOSING FOR QUESTIONING.

IF IT COULD BE CONSIDERATION FOR MORE THAN THE TWO MINUTES JUST TO MY, WELL, THREE, BUT IF NOT, I UNDERSTAND.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.

I'M STEVE AMOS.

I'M THE CHAIR OF THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND, AND REAL QUICK, I I WILL SAY THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE FAIR TO EVERYBODY.

GETS TWO MINUTES, STEVE.

WEST SIDE OF LAMAR MORE, UM, COMPATIBLE WITH OUR PARKS BECAUSE I CAN PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEE YOU THIS.

SO THEY HAD 10, UM, DO YOU HAVE MY SLIDES PLEASE? THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD, IF, UH, FOR YOU TO KNOW IT'S FROM THE RIVER, FROM TO, UH, INFIELD, FROM MOPAC TO LAMAR.

IT'S A VERY DYNAMIC AREA.

WE ARE SUPPORTING A LOT OF GROWTH, UM, UH, ESPECIALLY AROUND LAMAR AND SIXTH AND FIFTH, SOME INCREDIBLE NEW DEVELOPMENT.

UH, THAT'S UP TO 120 FEET HIGH.

SO YOU SEE IN THE RED WHERE THE, UM, LOT FOR THE YMCA, IF WE CAN SEE THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

BUT NOW LET, LET'S LOOK AT IT FROM THE OTHER.

SO THE NEXT SLIDE, GREAT.

SO THIS IS LOOKING FROM ACROSS THE RIVER, UM, AND WHAT IT'S HARD TO SEE THERE, BUT YOU HAVE OUR NOTES.

SO I'M SPEAKING NOT ONLY ON BEHALF OF THE OS AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT ALSO OF THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.

SO NOW FROM THIS SIDE LOOKING ACROSS, UM, MOST EVERYTHING IS MORE AT OR AROUND, IT'S EVEN HARD.

OH, I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE.

, UH, OF, FROM A HUNDRED FEET, 92 FEET.

THAT'S WHAT WE SEE ON THAT LEFT SIDE.

NOW, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SIDE, PLEASE.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING NOW FROM, UH, SO, SO HARVEY'S WORDS OF TIME WITH THAT SHAA STREET, UH, IN THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS NOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

TOTALLY DIFFERENT DYNAMIC FOR THE COMMUNITY, NOT THE 120 FEET FOR THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.

SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT, WHICH ACTUALLY IS GONNA ALSO IMPACT THE EXPERIENCE FROM THE WHOLE NATURE OF EVERYBODY ON THE TRAIL.

YOU CAN SEE THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, IT'S SO EXCESSIVE.

NOT AT ALL IN KEEPING WITH THE REST OF OLD WEST AUSTIN.

IN THE NEXT SLIDE, WHAT WE ASK FOR THE SUPPORT FROM THIS COMMISSION IS THAT WE WORK TOGETHER, THAT WE LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES FOR THE HEIGHT OF THESE THREE TOWERS, AND THAT WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT KEEPING THE

[01:20:01]

WE SET A PRECEDENT FOR 450 FEET THERE, OPENS UP FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS FOR ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN FURTHER DOWN.

THANK YOU, MR. AOS.

YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED, SO THANK YOU.

NEXT UP WE HAVE WILLIAM OSBORNE COMMISSIONERS.

I'M WILLIAM OSBORNE.

I'M A MEMBER OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND SERVE AS ITS GENERAL COUNSEL.

UM, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A CHANCE TO WORK WITH THESE DEVELOPERS TO SEE IF, UM, SOME COMPROMISE COULD BE ARRIVED AT.

YOU HEARD THE APPLICANT SPEAK OF RE-IMAGINING THE USE OF AUSTIN'S LIVING ROOM.

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION THINKS OF IT AS OUR FRONT YARD, IF YOU WILL.

AND, UM, THE QUESTION ARISES, WHO SHALL BE GIVEN THE POWER TO REIMAGINE THE USE OF THIS SPACE, WHICH HAS TRADITIONALLY HAD A GOOD BIT OF PUBLIC INPUT WITH, UH, THE TOWN LAKE PARK COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WITH THE WATERFRONT OVERLAY.

YOU'VE HAD TWO GENERATIONS NOW OF AUSTINITES CONTRIBUTE THEIR THOUGHTS AND CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE WITH THIS SPACE.

UM, THE USE OF THE SPACE NOW IS UNIFORMLY FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD AND BENEFIT.

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRIVATIZING A PART OF THE SPACE, IF YOU WILL, RIGHT NOW.

YOU'VE GOT AUSTIN HIGH, YOU'VE GOT THE WAY OF ATHLETIC FIELDS, YOU'VE GOT THE ANIMAL SHELTER, AND YOU'VE GOT THE WHY PEOPLE DON'T LIVE IN THIS AREA RIGHT NOW.

SO, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD BE A CONSIDERABLE CHANGE.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRECEDENT AND LOOKS FORWARD TO A CHANCE REALLY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND WITH OTHERS IN THE, UH, CITY ADMINISTRATION AND REVIEW PROCESS TO TOGETHER IMAGINE THE USE OF THIS SPACE.

FIRM'S VERTICAL FOREST BUILDING IN MILAN.

AND THEN LAST UP WE HAVE CHRIS FLORES, UM, CHRIS FLOTIS, DISTRICT 10 WEST AUSTIN.

UM, THE YMCA IS AN AMAZING, UM, LONG LIVED ORGANIZATION OF HEALTH AND SPIRITUALITY.

UH, THIS YMCA MIXED USE PROJECT ON TOWN LAKE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE VIRTUOUS ON A HUMAN AND AN ENVIRONMENTAL LEVEL.

I HOPE IT SUCCEEDS WILDLY AND I HOPE IT OFFERS A ROADMAP FOR MORE VIRTUOUS DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR CITY.

UM, I OFFER A COUPLE OF COMMENTS TONIGHT.

UH, NUMBER ONE, UM, COULD YOU PLEASE FIND A WAY TO DEDICATE MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE TO AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS? THE CURRENT PLAN CALLS FOR 111,000 SQUARE FEET OR 90 UNITS.

HOW ABOUT 130,000 SQUARE FEET AND 260 SMALL 500 SQUARE FOOT APARTMENTS THAT WOULD RENT FOR 500 A MONTH FOR SINGLE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLDS, SMALL FAMILIES, PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE CITY, THE Y AND THE WISE CUS AND WHO ARE THE WISE CUSTOMERS? OUR CITY NEEDS A LOT MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS FOR WORKERS.

UM, THE PLAN CALLS FOR 1 MILLION SQUARE FEET FOR 750 CONDOS.

HOW ABOUT 900,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, FOR 2000 AFFORDABLE 500 SQUARE FOOT CONDOS, NOT MEANT AS SHORT-TERM RENTALS, BUT AS STARTER HOMES FOR AUSTIN WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, UM, DAYCARES IN THE BUILDING.

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.

MAY ALL BUILDINGS DO THIS.

UM, MAY THE DAYCARE WORKERS BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE ON SITE? UH, LASTLY, REGARDING THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDINGS, UM, THEY WILL BE SOUTH FACING, UH, VIEW BUILDINGS.

THEY SHOULD BE COVERED IN GREEN PLANT FILLED BALCONIES RATHER THAN HEAT REFLECTING GLASS.

SO PARK USERS ON THE TRAIL CAN ENJOY THE SAME AS THE CONDO OWNERS ENJOY THE COOLING EFFECT OF THE RIVER AND A CONTINUOUS GREEN VIEW.

I OFFER A BUILDING FOR YOU TO PICTURE, UH, THE STEFANO BO BOI ARCHITECTURE

[01:25:01]

THANK YOU EVERYBODY, UM, FOR YOUR, YOUR WONDERFUL AND THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS AND YOUR PASSION ON THIS, UH, PROJECT.

UM, WE WILL GET STARTED WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION QUESTIONS.

AND I WAS GONNA SAY, AND UM, I'M GONNA ASK WHO WANTS TO START? DAVID SULLIVAN.

GET IN.

WELL, I MEAN, I'M A DISTRICT NINE RESIDENT.

ALRIGHT, SO, UH, ONE ISSUE IS ACCESS ON FOOT OR BIKE OR PETTY CAB OR WHATEVER TO THIS FACILITY BECAUSE IT'S ON THE, ON THE NORTH YOU GOT THE RAILROAD TRACK, AND ON THE EAST YOU GOT LAMAR BOULEVARD.

SO IT'S NOT REALLY AN EASY PLACE TO WALK TO WHOLE FOODS MARKET OR WATERLOO RECORDS OR WHATEVER.

UH, FROM HERE.

SO WHAT, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THAT COMMISSIONER? GREAT QUESTION.

WE HAVE LOOKED AT TRYING TO CROSS LAMAR AT DIFFERENT PLACES AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S FEASIBLE.

WHAT WE FOCUS INSTEAD ON IS GOING ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACKS.

YOU MIGHT SAY, THAT'S CRAZY, 500 PEOPLE, IS THAT RIGHT, KATHY? 500 PEOPLE A DAY, CROSS THAT RAILROAD TRACK ON FOOT, RIGHT? BUT MAKE A, MAKE IT A LEGITIMATE CROSSING.

THAT'S EX THAT'S, SO WE HAVE BEEN TALKING, THE YMCA HAS BEEN TALKING TO UNION PACIFIC ABOUT DOING EXACTLY THAT.

WE'VE HAD HALF A DOZEN MEETINGS THAT HAVE GONE SURPRISINGLY WELL.

GOOD.

UM, WE, I CAN'T SIT HERE AND COMMIT UNION PACIFIC TO DO ANYTHING, BUT THAT IS A BIG FOCUS.

AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, THE DEVELOP, THE DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT MATRIX, THE PUD MATRIX IS IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT, WE WOULD THEN DO SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD TAKE, UH, UH, ADDRESS THE LAST 500 FEET BEFORE YOU GET TO THE REAL BIKE PED FACILITIES GOING EAST AND WEST ON THIRD.

SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT GOAL, RIGHT? AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THE, THE, THE, THE RAILROAD WILL PLAY BALL.

ALRIGHT, GREAT.

THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE MIGHT BE TO TUNNEL UNDERNEATH THE RAILROAD TRACK, WHICH IS, THERE WAS A PROPOSAL TO DO THAT A LITTLE BIT FARTHER EAST, UM, THAT FELL APART.

IT DID.

AND I THINK CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TUNNELING THIS TIME HAVE NOT GONE WELL EITHER, REALLY.

YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY.

ALRIGHT, THANKS.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT GRADE OR ABOVE GRADE, JUST A WAY TO GET TO CONNECT THE TWO.

UM, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

GREAT, THANK YOU.

YES, SIR.

COMMISSIONER BRIER? UH, I DIDN'T HAVE MY LIGHT ON, SO YOU CAN'T CALL ON ME.

JUST DID .

NOT ONLY ON OUR SITE, BUT IN AN, IN AN ADJACENT WAY.

COMMISSIONER MORRISON, YOU'RE ON OTHER WAY.

THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND SHARING MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT.

IT LOOKS, UH, THE, THE, THE MOCKUPS LOOK LIKE IT'S GONNA BE BEAUTIFUL AND I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY AND HEALTH AND EDUCATION BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT ARE, UM, AND YMCAS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ARE, UM, UNDENIABLE.

SO I'M EXCITED TO, UH, SEE HOW THINGS PROGRESS.

BUT I, I, I THINK FROM A, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT, READING THE, UM, REPORT, THERE ARE, UH, CONCERNS FROM STAFF MEMBERS ON A NUMBER OF, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL METRICS.

SO I GUESS MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, HOW DO YOU ALL PLAN TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE GAPS? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHY, UH, SHOULD THE COMMISSION, UM, GREAT QUESTION.

BE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT FROM, UM, FROM A ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, LIKE HEALTH AND QUALITY, UH, STANDPOINT? GREAT QUESTION.

I THINK, UM, WE WILL ADDRESS THOSE, UM, BY ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES.

WE WERE OUT IN THE FIELD WITH, UH, CITY ARBORIST WEEK AND A HALF AGO.

WE MET WITH LIZ AND HER STAFF AT WATERSHED PROTECTION THREE WEEKS AGO.

UM, WE MET WITH PARD FOUR WEEKS, PARKS AND RECREATION, AUSTIN PARKS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE CALLED NOW, BUT, UH, THERE'S JUST A REBRANDING.

SO, I MEAN, THAT'S THE HONEST ANSWER.

UM, WHAT WE'VE LAID OUT IN THE PRESENTATION REALLY ARE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE OUTTA THIS WORLD, OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO MAKE BIG CHANGES, WHETHER IT'S WATER REUSE, WHETHER IT'S, UH, NUTRIENT LOADING IN LADY BIRD LAKE.

UM, WHETHER IT'S INCREASING THE TREE CANOPY

[01:30:01]

AND THINKING ABOUT, UH, URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.

WE'VE GOT GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.

THOSE, THERE'S STILL CHALLENGES WITH THAT, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WE ARE HERE TO TO, TO LISTEN TO YOU AND, AND TO TAKE YOUR TEMPERATURE ON TELLING US WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.

UM, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, UM, UH, AND GET THIS AS AS GREEN AS WE CAN.

I THINK THE GAME CHANGERS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UM, ARE THE WATER REUSE AND, AND, AND THE POTENTIAL TO DO REAL POLLUTANT REMOVAL.

THAT'S, THAT, THAT CURRENTLY IS FLOWING, UNTREATED IN THE LAKE.

THOSE ARE GINORMOUS OPPORTUNITIES.

AND, UH, LIZ JOHNSTON, ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER WITH AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION.

I DID WANNA ALSO JUST GIVE A KIND OF AN OVERVIEW ON HOW WE APPROACH PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT CODE IS WHAT WE CONSIDER BASELINE PUDS NEED TO BE SUPERIOR.

UM, WE ALREADY HAVE A REALLY PROTECTIVE WATER QUALITY CODE AND NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION CODE.

ONE THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF.

IT'S ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY OR PERHAPS THE WORLD.

UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, BUT WE DON'T LIMIT OUR FOCUS TO JUST THOSE NATURAL RESOURCES OF, YOU KNOW, SO WE DO CONSIDER THE ENERGY SAVINGS, THE WATER SAVINGS, THE GREEN ROOFS, UM, VERY, YOU KNOW, THE WATER QUALITY OF COURSE IS VERY, YOU KNOW, UH, RELEVANT TO OUR CODE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AND THEY, THEY'RE ALREADY AGREEING TO A LOT OF THINGS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE SUPERIOR WITH CODE.

NOW THEY ARE ALSO ASKING TO IMPACT AN EXISTING PROTECTED CREEK, UM, IN A WAY THAT IS, YOU KNOW, NOT SOMETHING WE SEE EVERY DAY.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA SET A HIGH BAR FOR STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON THAT.

SO I THINK WE'RE FOCUSING OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THIS ONE ON HOW TO MITIGATE THOSE IMPACTS, UM, HOW TO COME UP WITH SUPERIOR, UM, RESTORATION OR WATER QUALITY RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, THOSE IMPACTS.

SO YEAH, THAT'S KINDA WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON.

THAT'S HELPFUL, THANK YOU.

AND IN TERMS OF TIMELINE, UM, WHERE DO ALL THOSE DECISIONS GET MADE IN RELATION TO, UH, ACTUALLY BREAKING GROUND AND, YEAH.

SO RIGHT NOW, THIS IS A, THE, THE FIRST STEP IN THE PUD PROCESS IS THIS DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT.

YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE ACTUAL PUD REVIEW, IT IS, UH, KIND OF A GENERAL, WE'RE GETTING SOME FEEDBACK GOING TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, CITY COUNCIL.

AND THEN AFTER ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED, DONE, THEY THEN SUBMIT THE ACTUAL PUD APPLICATION AND THAT'S WHEN WE REALLY START TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES.

THEN IT'LL COME BACK THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, PROBABLY PARKS BOARD, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION, AND CITY COUNCIL AGAIN FOR THE FINAL ADOPTION.

SO THAT TAKES A LONG TIME.

SO WE'RE WE'RE YEARS FROM PUTTING A SHOVEL ON THE GROUND.

WE'RE LITERALLY STEP ONE YEAH.

LETTER A OF THE ALPHABET.

WHAT, UH, NUMBER ONE ON THE, YOU KNOW.

THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OF COURSE.

UM, COMMISSIONER LUKI, THANK YOU.

THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING SET OF THINGS YOU'RE DOING ALL AT ONCE.

UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY SPEAKING, I'M WONDERING ABOUT HEATING AND COOLING OF THE BUILDING.

ARE Y'ALL GONNA BE USING, UM, HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS FOR HEATING WATER OR, UH, AND HEATING AND COOLING THE BUILDING ITSELF? GLAD YOU WANT TO, DO YOU WANT TO HELP ME HELP? YEAH.

COME ON.

COME ON UP.

YOU CAN COME ON UP AND THAT WAY YOU'LL BE ON THE MICROPHONE.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

THIS IS THE ARCHITECT, UH, THE PRINCIPAL IN CHARGE FROM THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM.

I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU GET THE RIGHT ANSWER.

UH, YEAH.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

UH, JUST FROM A, UH, ENERGY STANDARD, UH, REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF HEAT ON THAT BUILDING COMPLETELY AND STILL HAVING THAT VISUALIZATION OUT, OUT TOWARDS THE, THE, THE PARK.

WE'LL BE USING HEAT PUMPS, UH, FOR THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND WE'LL BE HAVING, CAN YOU, CAN YOU SAY YOUR NAME? OH YEAH, I'M SORRY.

GLEN SCAVO.

HANDEL ARCHITECTS PARTNER IN CHARGE.

UM, YEAH.

WE'LL BE USING HEAT PUMPS FOR THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, UM, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE COOLING TOWERS.

AND PART OF THE, UH, BLACK WATER, UM, RECAPTURING SYSTEM THAT WE'RE GONNA BE USING IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE USED FOR THOSE COOLING TOWERS.

SO WE'RE GONNA BE RECIRCULATING ALL OF THAT WATER.

BRILLIANT.

UM, IS THERE GONNA BE ANY SOLAR ON THIS BUILDING? THERE IS GONNA BE SOME SOLAR ON THE, THE Y WE HAVE AN AREA THAT WE'VE DEDICATED FOR SOLAR, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SOLAR.

UH, IF I CAN GO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON THE Y BUILDING, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THAT'S THE SORT OF THE JEWEL, UM, UH, OF, OF THE SITE.

WE'RE, WE'RE DOING A, UM, PERFORATED, UH, SCREEN ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING.

THERE'LL BE GLAZING BEHIND THAT.

SO WE, WE'VE GOT A, A SORT OF A SOLAR CONTAINED, UM, SYSTEM THERE.

UM, SO IT'S GONNA BE GREAT NOT ONLY FOR, UH, BIRD, UH, COLLISION MITIGATIONS, BUT ALSO,

[01:35:01]

UM, I HAD A COUPLE OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, UM, RAIN RAINWATER RUNOFF, UH, GOING THROUGH THERE.

Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT CAPTURING IT.

YOU'VE GOT A, A POND THAT, UH, WAS IN, IN THE DRAWING, UH, THAT WAS PURPLE.

UM, UH, AH, SO, YEAH, I KNOW, UH, LET ME DO IT FROM MEMORY.

I'M CURIOUS ABOUT HOW, HOW MUCH YOU CALCULATED GOING THROUGH THERE AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE CLEANING AND ALL THAT.

SO, RAIN WATER FALLING ON THE SITE WILL STAY ON THE SITE, WILL GO INTO THE REUSE SYSTEM, AND WE WILL BE, WILL BE UTILIZED ALONG WITH BLACK WA TREATED BLACK WATER TO AUGMENT ONSITE IRRIGATION RAINWATER THAT FALLS ON LAMAR BOULEVARD BETWEEN WHOLE FOODS.

AND, UH, THE BRIDGE OVER LADY BIRD LAKE WOULD BE CAPTURED IN A, IN A WATER QUALITY POND THAT SITS IN BETWEEN BR REYNOLDS AND LAMAR.

IF YOU'RE STANDING ON LAMAR LOOKING NORTH WISE TO YOUR LEFT APARTMENTS AT RETAIL, TO YOUR RIGHT, THERE IS AN EXISTING POND THAT SITS ON THE EAST SIDE OF LAMAR.

WE WOULD DO SOMETHING SIMILAR, MAYBE A DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY, BUT STILL A POND THAT WOULD TREAT AND CAPTURE RUNOFF OFF OF LAMAR THAT'S CURRENTLY RUNNING RIGHT INTO THE LAKE.

IS THAT, IS IT THE CLASSIC, IT, IT CAPTURES THE WATER AND THEN IT SLOWLY FILTERS AND IT, THAT'S HOW YOU, YOU GET YOUR YEAH, IT WOULD BE, YES.

I GUYS THAT I'M LOOKING AT THE ENGINEERS AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE NODDING YES.

SEDIMENT, SEDIMENTATION FILTRATION, BIOFILTRATION BIOFILTRATION, WHICH MEANS IT'S GOT GREEN, UH, A GREEN BASE OVER THE FILTRATION MEDIA.

AND WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ALL THAT STUFF YOU'RE CAPTURING THERE OVER TIME? DO YOU TAKE IT BACK OUT? UH, IF I, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA CAPTURE A LOT OF THAT LOCATION.

I'M, YOU ARE, I'M, I'M ASSUMING.

I, I AGREE.

SO, SO THERE'S, THERE, FROM A MAINTENANCE PERSPECTIVE, YOU WOULD SEND IN SOMEONE TO CLEAN IN, UH, OFF THE, THE, UH, THE FILTER MEDIA SOME DEPTH, I'M REMEMBERING THIS FROM A LONG TIME AGO.

SOME DEPTH WITH SOME FREQUENCY AND REPLACE THAT FILTER MEDIA SO YOU'RE NOT CLOGGING AND YOU'RE GETTING THE FILTRATION TO HAPPEN.

COOL.

WELL, I'M GLAD Y'ALL THOUGHT OF THOSE THINGS.

WHERE DOES THAT STUFF GO ONCE YOU PULL IT BACK OUT? IT, WHAT'S YOUR NAME, SIR? I'M TOM BURSTON.

I'M A CIVIL ENGINEER.

UH, PLEASED TO BE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT.

THAT MATERIAL WILL PROBABLY GO TO A LANDFILL OR SOME OTHER, UH, PLACE THAT CAN TAKE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.

'CAUSE WHO KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IN THERE.

BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THEY'RE GONNA COME AND SCRAPE THE TOP OFF, REPLACE THE MATERIAL THAT WAS, UH, SCRAPED OFF AND PROBABLY THE PLANTS THAT, UH, GOT SCRAPED UP AND, UH, THEN PROPERLY DISPOSE OF IT.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE WATER COLUMN WILL, TRADITIONALLY FOR STORMWATER RUNOFF FROM A ROAD, YOU HAVE OIL AND GREASE, RIGHT? FROM, FROM THE CARS.

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE, UM, UH, LOW LEVELS OF METALS BECAUSE OF BRAKE PADS.

UM, AND SO THEY WOULD ANALYZE KIND OF WHAT THEY TOOK OFF, THEY'D SAMPLE IT AND THEN THEY'D SAY, IF IT'S BAD THIS MONTH OR THIS QUARTER, IT'S GONNA GO HERE.

IF IT'S OKAY, IT'S GONNA GO HERE.

THAT'S HOW THEY NORMALLY DO THAT.

I JUST DON'T REMEMBER THE FREQUENCY, WHO'S THEY, WHO'S GONNA BE DOING THAT, UH, TO BE DETERMINED.

WANT TO TAKE ON MAINTENANCE OR IF THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, THESE FOLKS TOO.

I MEAN, NORMALLY THE CITY OPERATES WATER QUALITY PONDS.

AND LIZ, TELL ME, TELL ME IF I'M WRONG FOR, I SAY THAT NORMALLY BECAUSE A, THIS WOULD BE TREATING PUBLIC, UH, RUNOFF AND B, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S DONE THEIR WAY AND WATERSHED IS BEST IN CLASS IN DOING THAT.

AND SO WE WOULD WORK WITH THEM TO, TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.

IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, CORRECT.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE PONDS KIND OF ALL OVER FOR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.

TYPICALLY THE LANDOWNER IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THEIR WATER QUALITY OR DETENTION PONDS.

THEY ARE REGULARLY INSPECTED BY AUSTIN WATERSHED STAFF.

UM, HOWEVER, WE ALSO HAVE OUR OWN PONDS.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS MAY HAVE THE RE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN THEIR PONDS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED HAS OUR OWN PONDS AND WE OFTEN HELP OUT PARKS AND REC WITH PONDS THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN, UH, REQUIRED TO BUILD OR THAT WE HAVE BUILT ON THEIR PROPERTY.

UM, SO THEY'RE KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHO MAINTAINS WILL BE A DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, UM, WELL, I'LL REACH OUT TO OUR OPERATIONS GROUP AND SEE IF THEY

[01:40:01]

SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A DISCUSSION.

ONE OTHER THING I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU MADE THE SUGGESTION THAT Y'ALL WERE GONNA MOVE CAESAR CHAVEZ? NO, I SAID THAT WAS IN A MASTER PLAN, AND IF I SAID IT THE WRONG WAY, THEN I APOLOGIZE.

IT'S SAT IT MOVING.

STAAR CHAVEZ HAS BEEN, WAS IN THAT MASTER PLAN THAT WAS DONE 10 YEARS AGO.

UH, THERE ARE MIXED OPINIONS ON WHETHER IF, OR WHETHER THAT SHOULD HAPPEN.

THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I TRIED TO CONVEY.

IF I DIDN'T DO A GOOD JOB, I APOLOGIZE.

NO WORRIES.

YOU THREW A LOT OF STUFF AT US.

I KNOW.

WE WERE JUST TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH IT'S FAIR.

ALL THE MOVING PARTS AND MOVING.

THAT'S FAIR.

CESAR CHAVEZ SEEMED LIKE A BIG DEAL.

AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT MIGHT BE PRETTY EXTREME, UM, ESPECIALLY TO CAESAR.

SO, UH, , UH, I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THIS VERTICAL FORCE BUILDING IN MILAN.

I REALLY WANNA CHECK THAT OUT.

BUT, UM, UH, BEYOND THAT 425 FEET TALL, IS THAT HOW TALL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE? YEAH.

BOY, THAT'S, THAT'S TALL.

IT IS TALL.

WHEN YOU THINK OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE REST OF THE SITE, THERE'S, THERE ARE, THERE'S A COST TO THAT.

AND HAVING THAT LEVEL OF INTENSITY IS NECESSARY TO MAKE THE REST OF THE PROJECT HAPPEN THAT WOULD PAY FOR THE 90 APARTMENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE AFFORDABLE.

I'M ASSUMING THEY PLAY A ROLE IN THAT.

I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION.

UM, HOW MANY THREE BEDROOM APARTMENTS ARE GONNA BE IN THAT FOR THE FAMILIES? BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GONNA BE FAMILY FRIENDLY HERE, IT'S THE THREE BEDROOM APARTMENTS THAT ARE THE MOST DESIRABLE.

SO WALTER JUST LEFT.

I WAS COUNTING ON HIM BEING HERE.

TWO, WHAT I'VE SAID IS ABOUT TWO THIRDS ARE TWO AND THREE BEDROOM.

I DON'T HAVE A BREAKDOWN, BUT WE CAN GET THAT TO YOU AS WE KNOW IT TODAY.

I THINK THERE'S A LAYOUT ABOUT 30, ABOUT 30% OF THE UNITS ARE THREE BEDROOM.

AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THE MIX OF UNITS WAS BASED ON WALTER'S, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS KNOW WALTER, BUT HE'S BEEN DOING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND IS IS THE PREMIER GUY IN AUSTIN.

THIS IS BASED ON WHAT HE KNOWS OF THE MARKET IN THIS PART OF TOWN.

SO HE CAME UP WITH A UNIT MIX, AND IT ALSO JIVES WITH, UH, I THINK 9% TAX CREDITS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE.

SO IT'S A MIX OF 30, 50, 60, AND 80%.

MFI, IT'S WEIGHTED MORE HEAVILY TOWARDS TWO AND THREE BEDROOM, BUT I THINK HE'S GOT SOME METRICS THAT HE NEEDS TO MEET IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE STATE FUNDS.

UH, WE CAN GET YOU MORE INFORMATION IF YOU WANT.

UH, I GET IT.

IT'S COMPLICATED.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR GOOD ANSWERS.

UM, AND YOU LIKELY SAID THIS, BUT THE OVERALL FOOTPRINT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER IS IN INCREASING OR DECREASING? INCREASING, INCREASING, GENERALLY HIGH.

HIGH LEVEL.

WHAT, WHAT'S THE 65 TO 95? 65% EXISTING.

95% WILL BE, UH, PERVIOUS, NO, SORRY, IMPERVIOUS.

UM, I GUESS MAYBE THAT, THAT WOULD JUST BE THE SMALL, LIKE, EXISTING, UM, FOOTPRINT TODAY.

LIKE, UH, THE MAP HAD LIKE A, A, A TINY RED POLYGON ON THE SITE, NOT THE, THE GREEN SPACE, UM, THAT WAS BEING SHOWN.

UM, SO THE GREEN SPACE THAT'S BEING SHOWN IS PARKLAND.

THAT'S OWNED BY THE CITY IN FRONT OF US.

AND THAT, SO THIS IS JUST THE 4.8 ACRES? IT'S, IT'S JUST THE 4.8.

I MEAN, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THE IMPERVIOUS COVER OF THAT LARGER AREA, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, BUT IT WOULD BE SMALL.

BUT THAT'S NOT OUR PROPERTY.

AND WE WANNA PARTNER WITH THE CITY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT, UH, THE BEST USE TO THE CITIZENS TO ALL OF US, THE CITIZENS OF BOSTON.

SO, OKAY.

95 IS A LOT, LOT.

I THINK IT'S A GOOD, I THINK THAT'S AN INTERESTING WAY TO LOOK AT IT THOUGH.

I'M GONNA WRITE THAT DOWN.

95 IS A LOT.

UM, AND THEN, SO THE, THE, THE, THE FOOTPRINT IS A BIT LARGER, BUT IT DIDN'T NECESSARILY LOOK LIKE THE YMCA WAS GROWING IN SIZE ALMOST.

IT MUST OR IT IS.

IT IT IS, BUT IT'S DECEIVING.

'CAUSE WE'RE ADDING FLOORS, RIGHT? IT'S GROWING FROM 74,000 SQUARE FEET TO A HUNDRED, 108 TO 110.

DEPENDING ON HOW YOU CALCULATE IT.

UM, BUT IT IS PROBABLY SHRINKING IN WIDTH AND GOING UP IN HEIGHT.

WE ARE CAPPED, UH, IN OUR HEIGHT, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S A CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR THAT SITS ON THE EASTERN END OF THE PROPERTY.

SO I, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.

THE, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, UM, DECISION TO BE DENSE BENEFITS FROM THAT.

JUST THINKING THROUGH DIFFERENT, UM, EXPERIENCES.

THE, THE HEIGHT BEING MAYBE, UH, THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL THING OR ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL THINGS OF THE PROJECT.

UM, DO YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DID YOU GET TO THREE TOWERS VERSUS ONE MASSIVE TOWER VERSUS FOUR ONES THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER? UM, JUST,

[01:45:01]

UM, UH, I WILL PROBABLY LET AN ARCHITECT WHO'S MUCH MORE QUALIFIED THAN ME TALK ABOUT WHY THAT PARTICULAR IDEA WAS PUT FORWARD.

GLEN, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT? YEAH.

SO FROM A MASSING STANDPOINT, UM, TOWERS COULD ONLY BE SO WIDE, OTHERWISE THEY'RE INEFFICIENT.

YOU'VE GOT THE CORE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOWER, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE DEPTH OF THE APARTMENTS.

SO THE, THE GIVEN THE, THE, THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE SITE BEING LONG AND NARROW, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY PLACED THE TOWERS GOING NORTH AND SOUTH SO THAT THE, THE THIN PART OF THE TOWER IS FACING TOWARDS THE PARK.

AND THEN THE WIDER BREADTH OF THE TOWER IS THE LENGTH OR THE DEPTH OF THE SITE.

SO THE WAY THAT IT WORKED OUT, IT WAS THREE TOWERS MADE IT EASIER.

AND THEN THAT ALLOWED US TO GET GAPS IN BETWEEN EACH OF THE TOWERS.

SO THERE'S A VIEW CORRIDOR FROM CLARKSVILLE BACK DOWN THROUGH THE SITE, AND THEN VICE VERSA FROM ACROSS THE LAKE BACK TOWARDS CLARKSVILLE, THERE'S A VIEW CORRIDOR.

SO THAT'S BASICALLY HOW, AGAIN, TO, TO DAVID'S POINT, WE HAD TO MOVE EVERYTHING SORT OF TO THE WEST TO GET OUT OF THE VIEW CORRIDOR.

IF WE HAD THE, IF THE VIEW CORRIDOR WASN'T AN ISSUE, WE'D PROBABLY BE, YOU KNOW, SPREADING THOSE TOWERS OUT FURTHER AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WOULD'VE BEEN A LITTLE DIFFERENT GEOMETRY THERE.

BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHY THEY'RE THAT CONFIGURATION.

AND DID YOU LOOK AT THE SHADE, UM, PATTERNS IT WAS, UH, CREATING ON LIKE, ADJACENT PROPERTIES? UM, IS IT SO TALL THAT THAT'S A PROBLEM, OR NO, THAT'S NOT NO, NO.

UM, YEAH, WE, WELL WE'VE, WE'VE DONE SOME, SOME SHADE ANALYSIS AND SOME WIND ANALYSIS, SO WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF ALL OF THAT.

UM, BUT YEAH, WE COULD, WE COULD DEFINITELY PROVIDE, UM, FANS, SHADE FANS IF THAT'S NECESSARY TO SHOW WHERE IT DOES, WHERE IT SHADES THE MAJORITY OF THE TOWERS ARE SHADING THEMSELVES, WHICH IS A GOOD THING BECAUSE IT STARTS TO REDUCE HEAT GAIN FOR EACH OF THOSE TOWERS, WHICH IS, IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.

UH, WE'VE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THE ARCHITECTURE THAT WAS POINTED OUT EARLIER, UH, I KNOW THAT BUILDING, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING.

WE DO HAVE A LOT OF BALCONIES ON THIS, ON THIS BUILDING.

SO WE WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE, UH, A LOT OF MORE SHADE AND SHADOW AND POSSIBLY SOME OF THAT GREEN THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING EARLIER THAT WAS MENTIONED BY THE SPEAKER.

UM, AND I'M EXCITED TO HEAR Y'ALL HAVE, UH, UH, WORKING WITH UNION PACIFIC ON THAT CROSSING THERE.

'CAUSE THAT HAS SEEMED LIKE QUITE A BARRIER.

AND JUST, JUST CURIOUS, YOU SAID 500 PEOPLE ARE CROSSING THAT TODAY, AND THAT'S AN INFORMAL CROSSING.

CORRECT? I THINK THE GUY THAT COUNTED HIM WAS SITTING IN THE BACK.

UH, UM, IT'S A PRETTY GOOD NUMBER AND I THINK IT'S OVER A COUPLE OF DAYS.

SO IT'S AN AVERAGE.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE YMCA AND UNION PACIFIC HAVE A, UH, OVER A HUNDRED YEAR RELATIONSHIP, UM, GOING BACK TO WHEN THE RAILROADS WERE MOVING WEST, THE YMCA PROVIDED HOUSING TO KEEP RAILROAD WORKERS OUTTA TROUBLE.

AND SO WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THINGS WITH UNION PACIFIC AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM THAT NOBODY ELSE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO.

AND TO BE ABLE TO GET A SAFE CROSSING AT THAT LOCATION IS SO EXCITING.

YEAH, SO EXCITING.

I, I GOTTA SAY AMEN.

UNION PACIFIC IS VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH.

LET'S NOT JINX IT, BUT LIKE YEAH, IT'S, IT'S NEAT TO SEE HOW THOSE TWO PARTIES INTERACT.

SO I'M TRYING TO SAY ALWAYS WITHIN ENVIRONMENTAL.

UM, AND, BUT ONE THING THAT DOES STAND OUT WHILE YOU GOT THEM IN THE DOOR IS THAT IS A, THEY'RE VERY LOUD WHEN THEY COME THROUGH THERE.

THE, THE, THE, THE NOISE THEY MAKE OR SCREAMING.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYTHING CAN BE DONE TO SOFTEN THAT, THAT THE, THE SCREE ARE ON THE TURN.

I DON'T KNOW.

AND THE, UH, YEAH.

UM, IT'S JUST THE NOTICEABLY LOUD, UH, NOISE POLLUTION IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, NOTED IN YOUR BYLAWS, I BELIEVE.

SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN YEAH.

COMMENT ON THAT.

UM, LET'S SEE.

UM, SO WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ACCIDENTS I WAS GONNA ASK IF ANY PEDESTRIANS HAVE BEEN HURT IN THAT 500.

IT LOOKS, SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS JUST A FIELD SURVEY NOT COMING FROM UNION PACIFIC, CORRECT? YEAH.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, UH, I, I HOPE THERE'S ZERO.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TRAINED PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS WE DON'T HAVE ACCIDENT OR, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ACCIDENT DATA, SO.

A LONG TERM LEASE ON THOSE FIELDS, UH, TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT, UH, AN ACCESS ROAD IN BETWEEN THE BALL FIELDS.

UH, SO I WANT TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE, I MEAN, I MEAN THE, THE CAESAR CHAVEZ MOVE, SO NOT NECESSARILY THAT MOVE, BUT THE NOTICING THAT THE BASEBALL FIELDS KIND OF STAYED STATIC IN THE PLAN.

SO THAT'S CITY PROPERTY THAT IS, SO YOU'RE NOT REALLY AT BE AT STAKE TO SAY IF THOSE CHANGE OR WHAT GOES ON THERE, OR I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE LARGER SITE PLANNING EFFORT AS IT RELATES TO THESE BUILDINGS.

UH, IT, THAT'S REALLY GREAT QUESTION.

UH, WE HAD A MEETING TODAY WITH WEST AUSTIN YOUTH ASSOCIATION, WHO HAS

[01:50:01]

THE BALL FIELDS DIDN'T MOVE FOR THAT REASON.

UM, ALSO OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, THEY HAVE, THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS FOR WHAT THAT PARK NEEDS TO BE.

UM, WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS TO STAY A, UH, WITH THE SPIRIT OF THAT ULMA OVERTON SENIOR BEACH VISION PLAN AS FAR AS LOOKING AT, UH, SURFACE TRANS VEHICULAR TRANSPORTATION THROUGH THAT, THAT PARK LAND, PEDESTRIAN BIKE, SURFACE PARKING, UM, WHILE STILL TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT'S ON THE GROUND TODAY AND THE STAKEHOLDERS AND, YOU KNOW, KIDS THAT USE, I MEAN, I DUNNO IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE ON THE WEEKENDS, BUT IT'S BONKERS.

IT'S BONKERS.

AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE, MAKE SURE OUR MEETING THIS MORNING WAS HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT STAYS AS IT IS IN A RESOURCE TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHILE STILL, YOU KNOW, SOLVING SOME OF THESE OTHER PROBLEMS. GREAT.

UM, I'LL JUST SAY, UM, I APPRECIATED HEARING A LOT OF THE SUSTAINABLE, UM, EFFORTS OF THE PROJECT THAT ARE COMING FORWARD AND HOPE WE CAN KEEP IT A, UH, A COOL GREEN NATURE FEEL, UH, TO THAT SURROUNDING PARKLAND AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IT GET DEVELOPED.

UM, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF LIKE, I GUESS RECOMMENDATIONS THANKS TO THINK ABOUT POTENTIALLY.

UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAD CONSIDERED A COMMUNITY GARDEN AT ALL.

YES, THERE IS SPACE, I THINK DESIGNATED SPACE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DESIGNATED SPACE ON THE TOP OF THE Y FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN.

UH, YEAH.

SO I DON'T KNOW THE SIZE OF IT YET BECAUSE WE'RE CONCEPT, BUT IT IS, UH, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE HOPING TO DO.

I WAS JUST WANTING YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER, UH, BUILDING ONE AND THEN ALSO MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE FOR, UH, BOTH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AND ALSO THE CONDOS.

UM, JUST SO THAT SOME OF THE STIGMA IS REMOVED FROM THAT'S SMART.

YOU KNOW, IF IT BECOMES JUST AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING THING.

NO, I LOVE IT.

AND VICE VERSA.

UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO TOUCH ON WAS THE BIOFILTRATION.

UM, I BELIEVE YOU CAN ENHANCE THE FILTRATION MECHANISM WITH CERTAIN MICROBES, SO DIFFERENT BACTERIA, UM, THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY TARGET THE PARTICULAR, UH, CONTAMINANTS THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE DEALING WITH.

AND SO IT MIGHT BE WORTH WHILE DOING SOME SORT OF TESTING BEFOREHAND TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY IS IN THE WATER AND IN THE RUNOFF, PROBABLY SEASONALLY.

UM, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO TREAT THE FILTRATION SYSTEM WITH WHATEVER MICROBES.

BECAUSE WITH THAT, I MEAN, YOU CAN ELIMINATE A LOT OF THE TOXIC WASTE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.

UH, YOU'LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT I HAVE HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH OUR DESIGNERS ABOUT GETTING SAMPLE, GETTING STORMWATER SAMPLES, UH, ESPECIALLY FROM NORTH, FROM THAT 98 ACRES, BUT ON BOTH SIDES, AND THEN DOING IT SEASONALLY AS WELL.

SO.

GREAT RECOMMENDATION.

YOU MAY HAVE, YEAH, WE MAY HAVE STORMWATER RUNOFF DATA AS WELL.

WE CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH THOSE FOLKS.

I LOOK, BUT THEY WERE JUST IN MY SOURCE.

WE'LL CHECK ANYWAY.

UM, THE OTHER THING, OH, UM, FOR THE IMPERVIOUS COVER, I'M CURIOUS WHAT, UH, PERCENTAGE OF THAT IS NOT BUILDING.

I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT I CAN, I DON'T THAT'S OKAY.

UM, BUT I WOULD URGE YOU TO, TO CONSIDER GREEN CONCRETE.

UM, 'CAUSE THAT CAN ALSO HELP WITH THE FLOODING ISSUES AND THE RUNOFF.

SO INFILTRATION ABSOLUTELY IS A GOAL OF OURS.

AND I KNOW, UH, IN OUR MEETING A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IT'S A, A CORE VALUE FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION.

WE HAVE LOOKED AT INFILTRATION, WE'VE LOOKED AT BOTH POROUS CONCRETE AND GEOCELLS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

THE FIRE LANES, UH, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT WE CAN'T EVEN POR POR CONCRETE FOR, FOR SIDEWALKS.

WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT, BUT IT IS ON OUR LIST.

WE, YOU KNOW, JUST, THEY'RE NOT A PANACEA FOR EVERYTHING.

AND A LOT OF THOSE SYSTEMS, I WILL SAY IT MAY KIND OF REDUCE SOME OF THE RUNOFF FROM LARGE, FROM SMALLER STORMS, BUT BECAUSE THESE ARE INSTALLED OVER COMPACTED BASE AND SOMETIMES THEY'LL EVEN HAVE UNDER DRAINS, THEY DON'T OFTEN INFILTRATE DEEPLY INTO THE SOIL.

[01:55:01]

SO, YEAH.

SO WITH THAT, WOULD CERTAIN DRAINAGE BE CONSIDERED ALSO TO GO TO WORK ALONG WITH THAT GREEN CONCRETE? YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS LOOK AT WAYS TO HANDLE STORM WATER, UM, IN, IN INNOVATIVE WAYS.

UM, YOU KNOW, TO MAXIMIZE OVERLAND FLOW TO ACHIEVE THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF, UM, INFILTRATION POSSIBLE.

COOL.

AND THEN, UM, FOR THE, UH, PONDS, THE RUNOFF PONDS, UHHUH, , UM, ARE THOSE, WILL THOSE BE EQUIPPED? I GUESS THIS IS A QUESTION FOR YOUR ENGINEERS MAYBE, UM, BUT ARE THOSE EQUIPPED TO HANDLE LIKE THE FLOOD WATERS? UM, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN IN DROUGHT FOR HOWEVER, FOUR YEARS, UM, AND WHENEVER IT RAINS, IT JUST LIKE ABSOLUTELY RAINS CATS AND DOGS.

UM, SO I FEEL LIKE A BIG ISSUE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH THE SUDDEN INFLUX OF A LOT OF WATER COMING THROUGH RUNOFF.

SO, UH, ATLAS 14 IS THE NEW NORM, WHICH TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, ELEVATED PRECIPITATION EVENTS AND MORE INTENSE PRECIPITATION EVENTS.

WHAT WE HAVE MODELED ON THE WESTERN POND, WHICH IS IN THE CHANNEL, UH, IS, IS STORM STORM WATER RUNOFF FROM THAT.

AND WE DO HAVE A FLOOD EXTENDED DETENTION COMPONENT TO THAT POND.

SO THAT POND IS DUAL ON THE EASTERN SMALLER POND IN BETWEEN BR REYNOLDS AND LAMAR.

THAT IS SOLELY A WATER QUALITY POND.

IN THE EVENT OF A FLOOD, GUYS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT IN THE EVENT OF A FLOOD, I THINK THOSE FLOOD WATERS WOULD, UH, CRUISE DOWN LAMAR AND OVER LIKE, AND DOWN INTO THE LAKE DIRECTLY.

I, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S HOW THAT, HOW THAT, UM, FLOW REGIME WORKS.

OKAY, COOL.

LAST COUPLE.

UM, FOR THE NORTH SIDE FACING WALL OF THE BUILDING, UHHUH LIKE THE MOST NORTH BUILDING, UHHUH, , UM, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT THE OTHER ONES WOULD SORT OF SHADE THEMSELVES.

UM, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MAYBE DOING, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE BALCONIES PLANNED FOR THAT WALL, BUT, UM, THAT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD PLACE TO INTEGRATE THE LIVING WALL THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER.

AH, UM, JUST BECAUSE THAT WILL BE THE ONE WALL THAT DOESN'T EXPERIENCE SHADING, WE WILL, I'M WRITING THAT DOWN AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT WHERE, WHERE WE WANT TO, UH, IF WE CAN DO LIVING WALLS, WHERE THEY WOULD GO.

AND THEN MY LAST THING IS, HAVE YOU GUYS TALKED TO A PA, LIKE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS CLOSE BY ARE, SO WE HAVE HAD FIVE MEETINGS, FOUR OR FIVE MEETINGS WITH A PA, UH, WE STILL NEED TO GO BACK TO THE, I MEAN, THESE ARE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS.

LIKE I SAID, WE MET WITH, WE THIS MORNING, A PA, WE TALKED ABOUT WE NEED TO GO VISIT WITH A PA.

UM, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING THAT WILL GREATLY BENEFIT A PA.

UM, AND WE, WE JUST, AS THIS THING KIND OF COMES TOGETHER, WE NEED TO BE VERY, VERY, UH, OPEN AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AND THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT BE THAT GREAT.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A TON OF THOSE, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND, AND WE'LL, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

SO, UM, THE, WELL ONE, THANKS FOR THAT.

UM, TWO, UH, MY MAIN CONCERN IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE, UM, PARKS AND GREEN SPACES ARE STILL ACCESSIBLE TO VOLUNTEERS AT A PA SINCE THEY WALK ALL THE LITTLE DOGGIES AND JUST HAVING LIKE, YOU KNOW, WASTE BAGS AVAILABLE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, YES, I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE BETTER AND MORE PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS TO GET, UH, TO PARTS OF THE PARK THAT AREN'T CURRENTLY SUPER USED RIGHT NOW.

AND ALSO TO GET TOWN LAKE LADY BIRD LAKE, UM, IN THE FUTURE.

SO.

BUT I, BUT I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING, UH, THE, UM, DOGGOS WHEN WE DO THAT.

THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR HEARING ME OUT.

YEAH, FOR SURE.

AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

IT'S SOUNDS REALLY GREAT.

I'M EXCITED.

COMMISSIONER PRIMER.

NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SEEMS TO BE NOT THOROUGHLY ON BOARD WITH THIS FOR WHATEVER THE REASON IS.

THANK YOU FOR PRESENTATION, UH, VERY DETAILED.

I APPRECIATE IT.

UM, I GUESS ONE, ONE THING I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE, UH, OR THE WEST AUSTIN, OLD WEST AUSTIN

[02:00:01]

AND, UH, SO I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO ENGAGE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, IN THE PROCESS SO THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THEIR CONCERNS ARE HEARD AND ADDRESSED.

UH, I'VE READ THE, UH, PLANS FROM 2000, UH, WHICH IS THEIRS, AND THEN THE 2017 PLAN, WHICH WAS THE OVERTON MM-HMM .

UH, VISION PLAN.

SO I'VE READ BOTH OF THOSE DOCUMENTS.

THE OTHER TWO THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT GO BACK TO 85 AND 87 ARE OLDER THAN MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.

SO I DIDN'T SEE THEM AS BEING PARTICULARLY RELEVANT.

UH, SO ANYWAY, UH, THE OLD WEST TYPE, UH, AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SHOULD BE PART OF THIS, UH, THING HERE.

UH, NOW I GUESS YOU, YOU DRAW, YOU REFERENCED THOSE QUITE HEAVILY IN, IN YOUR PROPOSAL, SO TALK ABOUT A LOT OF SAFETY ACCESS TO SOME OF THESE THINGS AND ACCESS TO TRAILS.

UH, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY MENTION OF SAFETY ACCESS TO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN SOME OF THESE, UH, DOCUMENTS THAT YOU REFERENCED, TALKED ABOUT SAFE ACCESS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE AUSTIN HIGH TO, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PARKS THAT ARE ACROSS, UH, CESAR CHAVEZ AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THIS.

THIS IS, THESE ARE KEY POINTS THAT ARE PART OF THE PLANS THAT ARE IN THERE.

AND BECAUSE YOU REFERENCED THOSE, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE NOT ADJACENT PHYSICALLY TO CAESAR CHAVEZ AND EVERYTHING, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE PARTS OF THOSE PLANS THAT YOU REFERENCED AS PART OF THE CORNERSTONE OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT TO BE ADDRESSED IN SOME MANNER.

THERE'S ALSO TRAILS THAT RUN BY THERE, UH, THAT NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO.

I KNOW THERE'S SOME IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT, BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME THAT ARE CROSSED.

LAMAR, I KNOW YOU'VE REFERENCED THAT AS BEING A CHALLENGE YEAH.

BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC IN LAMAR.

BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT YOU CAN WITH ALL THAT OTHER SORT OF STUFF.

UH, I REALLY HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE, UH, CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE REMOVALS THAT YOU'LL BE DOING.

THE APPLICANTS WAS TALK ABOUT WHERE'S OUR STREET TREES, HOW ARE WE GONNA GET THE SOIL VOLUME? AND THAT'S A SUPERIOR CONCEPT FOR A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.

THAT'S REALLY KIND OF A, KIND OF A NO-NO.

UH, THEN THERE'S THE 95% IMPERVIOUS COVER COMMISSIONER, CAN YOU TELL ME WHY, WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE WITH THAT PARTICULAR STRETCH OF THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE SO THAT WE CAN I CAN, I CAN MAKE SURE THAT I'M WRITING DOWN.

WELL, I GUESS DOWN IN GENERAL, WE, WE LIKE TO PROTECT THOSE THINGS.

AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT REMOVING THEM, WE'RE KIND OF SENSITIVE TO THAT SOMETIMES.

AND SO WE WANT TO SEE LIKE, OKAY, YOU'RE REMOVING THESE, BUT HOW'S LIFE BETTER NOW? YEP.

AND THE SAME THING IS WITH SOME RIPERIAN BUFFER AREAS YEP.

THAT YOU'RE, UH, REMOVING.

AND, UH, SO THAT'S KIND OF A, A SORE POINT PERHAPS WITH SOME PEOPLE AS WELL AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SUBMISSION.

WELL, I, I'LL GET TO THE REST OF THAT IN A MINUTE.

UM, SO LET'S SEE.

I'VE COVERED THAT AND THAT AND THAT.

UH, OH, AND THERE'S SOMETHING WE HEARD ABOUT, UH, LAST WEEK OR LAST MEETING, AND YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THIS, SO THAT'S OKAY.

UH, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT IS GETTING INVOLVED IN SOMETHING THEY CALL STREET TREES.

AND SO YOU MAY WANNA LINK UP WITH THEM AND FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN INCORPORATE THEM.

I MEAN, IT'S A NEW PLAN AND A NEW THING THEY'RE DOING, WHICH HAS NOT MOVED INTO FRUITION YET, BUT YOU MAY WANNA CONTACT WITH THEM TO SEE HOW THAT MIGHT BE PART OF IT.

NOW, GO AHEAD.

I WILL SAY, I WILL SAY THAT UH, THE EAST, ACTUALLY BOTH THE NORTH SOUTH AND THE EAST WEST, UH, OUR VISION FOR THOSE STREETS, THEY WILL INCORPORATE STREET TREES IF THERE ARE NEW REGULATIONS THAT ARE COMING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

THANK YOU FOR THE HEADS UP.

WE'LL CHECK THAT OUT.

WE DO WANNA, YEAH, I MEAN THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLICATED THINGS INVOLVED WITH THAT.

SOME CITY CODE CHANGES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH UTILITIES.

AND I'M NOT GONNA PRETEND I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.

YOU NEED TO TALK TO THEM, BUT IT WILL HELP, HELP SOME OF YOUR STUFF WITH YOUR, YOUR TREE PLANNING AND ALL THAT OTHER KIND OF FUN STUFF.

NAOMI, WHO THE CITY ARBORIST IS GONNA COME TELL US WORKS 24 HOURS A DAY, APPARENTLY WITH NO OVERTIME PAY.

UH, KNOWS MORE ABOUT THIS THAN I DO, BUT UH, YEAH, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY, THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS NOT NECESSARILY, UM, INITIATING CODE CHANGES.

IT'S MORE OF A SYSTEM TO INTEGRATE STREET TREES INTO DEVELOPMENT AND FIND THAT SPACE AND WORK OUT THE UTILITY CONFLICTS.

UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN WE MET WITH, UM,

[02:05:01]

SO THEY ARE JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO PRESERVE ON THE SITE IS AMAZING.

WHAT THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO TRANSPLANT IS AMAZING, BUT ALSO WHAT THEY'RE GONNA PLANT.

AND THAT'S THAT SUPERIORITIES THAT SOIL VOLUME.

YOU CAN GET THAT SUPERIOR SUPERIORITY ALSO WITH, UM, EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES OUT THERE LIKE SOIL CELLS THAT ALSO, UM, ARE IN CONJUN WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, STORM WATER, UM, ABATEMENT.

AND SO THERE IS SOME, WE WILL DEFINITELY WORK.

UM, AND WE HAVE, UH, NOTIFIED WITH THE, UH, TECHNICAL ADVISORY REVIEW PANEL, THE TARP ON WHAT'S GOING IN THROUGH THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND THAT PUSH TO REALLY WORK OUT THESE MAINLY UTILITY AND PERMITTING, UM, BARRIERS.

DOES THAT HELP? YEAH, NO, I MEAN, THAT'S FINE.

I JUST WAS KIND OF REF, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE YEAH.

HOOKING UP WITH WHOEVER THEY NEEDED TO YES.

HOOK UP WITH ON THAT.

BUT SINCE YOU'RE UP HERE, UH, I'LL TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

UH, THEY'RE PRESERVING SOME TREES AND, UH, THEY ARE RELOCATING SOME OTHERS, BUT THERE ARE A EMBARRASSINGLY LARGE NUMBER OF HERITAGE TREES THAT APPARENTLY AREN'T, UH, GONNA MAKE THE CUT, SO TO SPEAK.

NO.

UM, THEY, I DON'T MEAN TO SAY NO , NO, THAT, THAT'S SO OKAY.

THEY, THEY ARE, THEY ARE PRESERVING THE HERITAGE TREE.

IT'S AN ELEMENT OF SUPERIORITY IN A PUTT IS TO PRESERVE THE HERITAGE TREES.

UM, THERE'S MANY TREES THAT WERE HIT, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE MORE VISIBLE.

UM, THOSE ARE THE, UH, LAY SPARK ELMS THAT WERE VERY MUCH HIT BY THE FIRST STORM OF 2021 AND THE 2023.

SO THERE ARE BIGGER TREES THAT WERE, THERE'S SOME THAT ARE FALLING APART COMPLETELY, UM, AT THE SITE, BUT THEY ARE PROPOSING TO REMOVE OR TO PRESERVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF EVEN PROTECTED TREES, EVEN REGULATED TREES TO, TO TRANSPLANT.

AND TRANSPLANT IS ALSO A FORM OF PRESERVATION AS WELL.

SO NO, I'M, THEY'RE GONNA KEEP THE HERITAGE TREES.

WELL, I'M REFERRING DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THING.

THERE'S SOME, UH, APPENDICES THAT ARE BASICALLY PART OF THE REVIEW PROCESS, I GUESS, OF THE SITE PLAN OR I, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY THE RIGHT TERM THAT TALKS ABOUT SOME ITEMS THAT, UH, SHOW SOME DEFICIENCIES IN THE, UH, THING.

AND IT TALKS ABOUT SOME HERITAGE TREES AND SOME PROTECTED TREES THAT, UH, AND I'M GONNA MAKE UP SOME NUMBERS 'CAUSE I FORGET WHAT THEY ARE, BUT LET'S SAY THERE'S A TOTAL OF 50 TREES THAT ARE AT ISSUE AND SAY 25 OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE KEPT IN SOME MANNER, RELOCATED, OR, YOU KNOW, KEPT WHERE THEY ARE OR WHATEVER THE DEAL IS.

BUT THEN THERE'S THE OTHER 25 THAT WILL BE LOST IN THE PROCESS.

SO IN THAT WRITE UP DOWN THERE THAT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TREES, I'M CONCERNED THAT THE NUMBER OF TREES THAT ARE LISTED DOWN THERE IS SOMEWHAT LARGER THAN ONE WOULD WANT IN THERE.

SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

UH, WE CAN ANSWER THAT.

YEAH, SURE.

I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO, UH, ALL HERITAGE TREES ARE TO, ARE TO BE PRESERVED.

THIS IS THE COMMENT FROM THE ARBORIST TAYLOR HORTON, AND 75% OF CALIBER INCHES ON ALL OF THE OTHER NATIVE TREES ARE TO BE PRESERVED.

SO WE MEET THE FIRST STANDARD.

WE DON'T MEET THE SECOND STANDARD, BUT, UH, WE HAVE WITH THE CITY ARBORIST AND, UH, WITH, UH, OUR OWN ARBORIST, WE HAVE GONE AND IDENTIFIED WHICH TREES ARE WORTH, UH, SAVING.

UM, AND WE HAVE GONE ACROSS THE SPECTRUM, WHICH IS NOT NORMAL.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SAVING SMALLER DIAMETER TREES IN ADDITION TO THE LARGER PROTECTED AND THE LARGER HERITAGE.

AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A WHOLE MENU OF WAYS.

UH, NAOMI TALKED ABOUT TWO OF THE THINGS.

WE TALKED ABOUT A WHOLE NUMBER OF WAYS THAT WE CAN, UH, MITIGATE FOR NOT MEETING THE 75% STANDARD.

AND THAT INCLUDES EVALUATING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOIL CELLS, INCREASING SOIL VOLUME.

UM, GOT A CHEAT SHEET IF YOU WANT ME TO KEEP GOING, BUT NO, THAT'S OKAY.

I GUESS THE, BROADLY SPEAKING, THAT'S A CONCERN IS THE NUMBER OF TREES THAT ARE LOST AND THE MITIGATION PROCESS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

AND WHEN I READ THROUGH THAT, THAT KIND OF STOOD OUT TO ME AS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

AND I DON'T NEED TO KNOW TODAY HOW MANY TREES YOU'RE GONNA PLANT.

IT'S A CONCERN THAT I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WHEN I LOOK

[02:10:01]

AT IT AT THAT SORT OF THING.

UH, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOLAR PANELS.

ARE YOU PLANNING ON PUTTING EV CHARGING STATIONS IN THE, UH, GARAGE? AND IF SO, HOW MANY? UH, I'D HAVE TO, CAN I CHECK? OH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME DOWN THE, UH, IT'S, I THINK IT'S 10% THAT OF THE, YEAH, WE'RE EXCEEDING, WE'RE EXCEEDING THE, THE, THE, THE CITY STANDARD FOR THE NUMBER OF CHARGING STATIONS.

NOW THERE'S A PARKING LOT THAT THE CURRENTLY, THE Y UH, LEASES FROM PARK? UH, NO, IT'S, THAT'S JUST PUBLIC PARKING.

WELL, IT, UH, IT'S, I BELIEVE THEY LEASE IT FROM PARK.

NO, NO.

SO, SO IF THAT'S THEN MY INFORMATION IS INCORRECT.

THEY DON'T LEASE THAT FROM PARK? NO.

THEY, THEY, THE, THE PARKING, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE Y YEP.

YOU'RE STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BALL FIELD.

YOU'RE ON THE PITCHER'S BOUND.

YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE Y YEAH.

THE PARKING DIRECTLY TO THE LEFT OF THE Y AND THE PARKING DIRECTLY TO THE RIGHT OF THE Y ARE IS YMCA PARKING? THAT'S, THAT'S, THEY OWN THAT LAND.

NOW THERE IS A STRIP IN FRONT OF THE Y MM-HMM .

THAT IS PUBLIC PARKING.

IT IS, IT IS PARKING ON PARK LAND.

THE Y HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT, THAT PARKING.

AND THERE ARE 98 SPACES, UH, ON, ON THAT, UH, IN THAT STRIP OF PARKING.

I THOUGHT THEY'D LEASED 80 FROM THE CITY FOR THE Y.

NOW THERE WAS A, HOW MANY PARKING SPOTS ARE YOU GONNA HAVE FOR EVERYTHING? I KNOW UNDER THE YMCA, WE'LL HAVE 250, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OVER WHAT IS THERE TODAY.

UH, AND THE CONDOS AND THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL BE FULLY PARKED.

I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME.

UM, BUT, UH, THOSE, THOSE PARKING FACILITIES ARE BEING DESIGNED TO FULLY ACCOMMODATE RESIDENTS AND USERS OF THE YMCA SUCH THAT NO PUBLIC PARKING WOULD BE NECESSARY.

UH, NOW I READ SOMEWHERE IN THERE THAT THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST IN ORDER TO HAVE YOU HOOK UP THE WATER AND WASTEWATER.

IS THAT GONNA BE PART OF THE PUT OR DOES THAT HAVE TO BE, UH, HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED FOR A SEPARATE, THE WAY THE SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST, UH, WORKS, AND TOM AND DWAYNE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH BEFORE A SITE PLAN IS PULLED, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEM.

AND, AND, AND IF THERE ARE, HOW BIG ARE THEY, WHERE ARE THEY, ET CETERA.

SO THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY PART OF THE PUD PROCESS, BUT IT IS PART OF THE SITE PLAN PROCESS.

SO THAT WOULD COME BEFORE US AS A SEPARATE THING.

I DON'T KNOW IF SCRS IN THE URBAN CORE COME TO YOU.

WHEN I WAS ON ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, WE GOT SCRS ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN SENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S ONLY, UH, ONLY SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST WATER IN THE ETJ IN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION PROTECTION, DRINKING WATER PROTECTION.

WE, UH, THE ONLY SERVICE EXTENSION REQUESTS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO COME TO THIS BODY ARE THOSE THAT ARE IN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE AND OUTSIDE OF THE FULL PURPOSE ZONING.

SO IN THE ETJ EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.

UH, VERY GOOD.

UH, LET'S SEE IF I GOT EVERYTHING.

UH, LET'S SEE.

OH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE OLD WEST, UH, AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD VISION PLAN WAS VERY UP ON WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT ORIENTED, NA TRANSIT ORIENTED, NEIGHBORHOOD ORIENTED SHOP FOCUSED ON HISTORIC IDENTITY, UH, ECONOMIC DIVERSITY.

AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THEY MENTIONED WAS MODERATELY PRICED HOUSING AS OPPOSED TO LOW COST HOUSING IN THEIR, IN THEIR DOCUMENT.

UH, SO I'D LIKE TO BRING, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO SAY ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR.

I'M JUST SAYING THAT IN THE DOCUMENT YOU REFERENCED, THESE ARE THINGS THAT CAME UP AS PART OF THE OLD WEST.

ONE OTHER THING, UH, THE, THE AT BOTTOM THERE, WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HERITAGE TREES, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE PROPERTY WAS IN THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE.

AUSTIN, NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, VISION PLANNER, I DUNNO, WHATEVER THEY CALL THAT 2000 DOCUMENT.

UH, THAT WAS SOMETHING IN THERE.

ARE YOU PLANNING TO HAVE PUBLIC RESTROOMS AT ALL, CHANGING THE SUBJECT A LITTLE BIT? PUBLIC RESTROOMS? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.

THE WHY WE'LL HAVE RESTROOMS. UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.

LET ME WRITE THAT DOWN.

YOU JUST, AGAIN, JUST A QUESTION.

UHHUH .

UH, AND

[02:15:01]

THE CITY THINKS YOU ARE AND THE STATE SAYS YOU'RE NOT.

AND, UH, WHOEVER REVIEWED THAT SUGGESTED THAT YOU GET A, UH, HYDROLOGY ENGINEERED TO DO THAT, TO DETERMINE THAT.

ARE YOU PLANNING ON ACTUALLY DOING THAT? OR WHAT, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS? NO, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY THINKING ABOUT DOING THAT.

UH, HYDROGEOLOGIST, SCOTT AYERS RECOMMENDED THAT IN HIS REVIEW COMMENTS WE'RE RIGHT ON THE EDGE.

WE HAVE DONE A COUPLE OF BORING SO FAR, AND THOSE HAVE SHOWN THAT WE'RE NOT IN IT, BUT THOSE HAVE BEEN EAST OF WHERE THE LINE IS.

SO WE SHOULD KNOW THAT DEFINITIVELY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

I DO WANNA DRAW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN, UH, THE BARTON SPRINGS ZONE OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER.

WHICH IS SOUTH OF THE LAKE AND THIS PART OF THE, UH, EDWARDS AQUIFER.

NO, I UNDERSTAND THE DISTINCTION.

I JUST WAS CURIOUS WHETHER OR NOT YOU WERE GONNA PURSUE THAT.

YES, SIR.

AS AN PART OF THE EVALUATION OF YES, SIR.

'CAUSE MORE, MORE FUN HAPPENS IF YOU'RE YEAH.

IN THE RECHARGE ZONE THAN IF YOU'RE NOT.

SO, YES, SIR.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, SECRETARY.

HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.

UH, I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE PARKING FOR RESIDENTS AND FOR YMCA MEMBERS.

UH, WHAT IS THE CURRENT LEVEL OF LIKE ELECTRICAL HOOKUPS FOR ELECTRICAL VEHICLES AND WHAT IS SORT OF LIKE THE PLAN REGARDING THAT AS YOU BUILD OUT, YOU KNOW, THESE GARAGES OR UNDERGROUND PARKING OR WHATEVER THE PLAN MAY BE? SO CURRENTLY, BECAUSE THE Y HAS BEEN AROUND FOREVER, THERE'S NOTHING, THE, THE, UH, THE FUTURE FOR THE Y WILL BE EXCEEDING CODE.

SO GREATER THAN 10% OF THE NUMBER OF STALLS.

I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT IS FOR THE CONDOS OR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.

SO, UH, WE WILL BE EXCEEDING CODE FROM A, FROM AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING PERSPECTIVE FOR THE YMCA.

AND THEN YOU MENTIONED FOR THE YI BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, UH, HAVING SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY GARDEN ELEMENT.

UM, WHAT ABOUT SOLAR? 'CAUSE I GUESS, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S NOT GONNA BE SUPER CHILL TO BE AROUND A BUNCH OF SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF IF YOU PLAN TO HAVE PEOPLE THERE.

SO, UH, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY PLANS REGARDING SOLAR POWER? YEAH, SO THERE'S A PORTION OF THE ROOF THAT, UH, I DON'T REMEMBER THE SQUARE FOOTAGE.

GLEN, DO YOU REMEMBER A COUPLE THOUSAND SQUARE FEET IN WHICH, UH, IT'LL BE LIKE A GATHERING PLACE OR A, A MEET, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD? LIKE MEETING SPACE, LIKE A THIRD SPACE KIND OF THING.

YEAH, THERE WE GO.

AND SO IT DEPENDS, RIGHT AS ENVISIONED NOW, THE PANELS WILL BE ON TOP OF THAT, SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ROAMING AROUND PICKING TOMATOES AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO DEAL WITH ROOF-MOUNTED SOLAR ON YOUR RIGHT.

SO WE'VE TRIED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S DONE IN A THOUGHTFUL WAY.

YEAH, THOSE WERE MY ONLY QUESTIONS.

NATURAL CHANNEL DESIGN WAS ONE OF OUR EARLY IDEAS INSTEAD OF THE POND AND THAT IDEA.

VICE CHAIR.

K THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

THANKS FOR ANSWERING ALL OUR QUESTIONS.

UM, I JUST WANNA START OFF WITH ONE COMMENT, UH, 'CAUSE IT'S GERMANE TO A NUMBER OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WERE GIVEN AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE BROUGHT IT UP.

BUT I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE DEFINED PURVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

SO I'LL KEEP IT SHORT AND THEN VEER, VEER OFF TO OTHER QUESTIONS.

UM, BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE ARE 840 HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE BEING BUILT, UM, 750, I THINK, AT MARKET RATE 90 THAT ARE AFFORDABLE.

SO THAT EQUATES TO 10.7%, UM, THAT ARE AFFORDABLE, WHICH MEANS 90% OF THIS PRIME REAL ESTATE IS GONNA BE AT MARKET VALUE, WHICH IN THIS AREA WILL BE CATERING TO THE 1%.

UM, SO I THINK TO PRESENT THIS AS A VICTORY FOR WORKING FAMILIES AND AFFORDABILITY IS UNFORTUNATELY A MISREPRESENTATION.

UM, 10% IS THE FLOOR, NOT THE CEILING.

AND WE'VE BEEN CONDITIONED TO ACCEPT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GIFT AND I UNDERSTAND WE'RE WORKING WITHIN THE SYSTEMS THAT THAT WE HAVE.

AND SOME OF THIS, YOU KNOW, THE DEVELOPER HAS LATITUDE.

THERE ARE, UM, PARAMETERS THAT, UH, THE STATE DEFINES THAT BAKE LIMITATIONS INTO OUR SYSTEM.

BUT I JUST THINK FOR ALL OF US HERE WHO ARE ENGAGED IN CIVIL SOCIETY, WE HAVE TO DREAM BIGGER.

WE HAVE TO ENVISION A MORE EQUITABLE WORLD WHERE 10%, UM, IS NOT CONSIDERED A VICTORY.

'CAUSE I CERTAINLY DON'T.

UM, SO I JUST WANT, WANT TO NOTE THAT FOR THE RECORD.

THANK YOU FOR THIS COMMENTS.

APPRECIATE THAT.

SO IN TERMS OF DIRECTLY RELATED, UH, TO THE ENVIRONMENT, SO THE EPHEMERAL UNNAMED DRAINAGE CHANNEL THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, YOU USED THE PHRASE NATURAL CHANNEL AND DESIGN, AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.

[02:20:01]

SO, SO THAT IDEA CAME BACK UP WHEN WE MET WITH, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL STAFF, LESLIE, LIZ, UH, AND PAMELA ABIT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.

NATURAL CHANNEL DESIGN IS TAKING A CHANNEL AND REESTABLISHING IT IN ITS GEOMORPHOLOGICAL STATE.

SO HOW DID IT EXIST ORIGINALLY? IT HAD WIGGLES, RIGHT? IT WASN'T A STRAIGHT LINE.

IT PROBABLY HAD WHAT WE CALL POOLS AND RIFFLES AREAS OF SLOW WATER, AREAS OF FAST WATER.

AND SO ONE OF THE IDEAS WAS IT, CAN WE RESTORE THAT EPHEMERAL DRAINAGE CHANNEL, UH, TO SOMETHING THAT FUNCTIONS MORE LIKE ITS ORIGINAL IDEA? DO WE GET AS MUCH WATER QUALITY BENEFIT OUT OF THAT? NO.

DO WE GET OTHER BENEFITS OUT OF THAT? ABSOLUTELY.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT ABOUT, UM, FIGURING OUT HOW, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO DO, BUT IT'S REALLY TRYING TO LOOK AT A CHANNEL AND REESTABLISHING IT IN THE WAY THAT ORIGINALLY WAS.

SO, UH, THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS, UM, THAT INCLUDES NATURAL CHANNEL DESIGN TECHNIQUES OF MATERIALS.

SO INSTEAD OF USING CONCRETE TO BOLSTER SOMETHING, YOU USE BOULDERS.

AUSTIN DID A GREAT JOB OF THAT.

IT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD THINK ABOUT THOSE KINDS OF CONCEPTS IN THIS, IN THIS CASE TOO.

UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY PHOTOS OF THE EXISTING EPHEMERAL CHANNEL AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH US? UH, NOT IN MY PRESENTATION, BUT I CAN SEND YOU A BUNCH OF THEM.

THERE'S, THERE'S A VERY POORLY DEFINED, UM, TWO YEAR FLOW CHANNEL.

UM, THERE'S A BUNCH OF TRASH, THERE'S A BUNCH OF INVASIVE SPECIES.

IT JUST, JUST DOESN'T, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IT DOESN'T FUNCTION VERY WELL BECAUSE IT'S, UH, VERY HEAVILY IMPACTED BY MAN UPSTREAM IN THE HEADWATERS, YOU KNOW? UH, AND SO THAT'S, IT'S EPHEMERAL.

AND SO IT, IT, IT'S, YEAH.

THAT'S OUR, THAT'S OUR TAKE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE A DIFFERENT TAKE, BUT THAT'S WHAT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT SAID.

UM, AND WE HAVEN'T EVALUATED THE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT YET.

SO WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY DO THAT WHEN THE, UM, UH, PUD ACTUALLY IS THE, THE REAL PUT, UM, APPLICATION COMES OUR WAY.

I THINK MY MAIN CONCERN IS JUST WANTING TO ENSURE THAT THIS ISN'T GONNA BE A PAVED CULVERT.

NO.

THAT IT'S, OKAY, GOOD.

SO WE WILL PUT A PORTION OF THAT THROUGH OUR SITE IN A CULVERT MM-HMM .

BUT WE'LL, IN OUR MIND, WE MORE THAN MAKE UP FOR THAT BY THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE DOING DOWNSTREAM OF OUR SITE ALL THE WAY TO CESAR CHAVEZ.

AND IF IT'S DESIRABLE TO DO STUFF IN BETWEEN CESAR CHAVEZ AND THE WATERLINE, I THINK WE'D BE OPEN TO THAT AS WELL.

UM, AND THEN IN YOUR PLAN, YOU NOTED THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOSING 21 TREES.

I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO WHAT SPECIES THOSE TREES ARE? MR. AMBE, CAN YOU DO THAT BY MEMORY? I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN DO THAT.

UH, ANNA, CAN YOU DO THAT? I DON'T THINK WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.

UM, YEAH, I, I THINK I'D, I WOULDN'T, I'D BE DOING EVERY ONE A DISSERVICE IF I GUESSED.

BUT I WILL GET YOU 21 TREES SPECIES COMMISSIONER KRUEGER.

WE CAN WORK OUT THE UTILITY CONFLICTS WITH THAT.

AND CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT THE MITIGATION RATE IS THAT YOU ALL ARE OFFERING? I THINK, I THINK WHAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY OFFERED IN OUR, I MEAN, YOU'LL FORGIVE ME, I, THE, THE, IT'S A BIG DOCUMENT.

I THINK OUR ORIGINAL MITIGATION OFFERING WAS, WAS, UH, COMPLIANT WITH CODE.

BUT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT INCREASING THAT MITIGATION IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE TO THE CITY ARBORIST.

SHE, DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS, NAOMI AL CITY ARBORIST? GREAT QUESTION.

UH, STANDARD MITIGATION APPLIES THE, IN, LIKE I WAS SAYING BEFORE, THE ENHANCED MITIGATION IS THAT SOIL VOLUME.

SO YOU CAN GET THESE TREES TO GROW VERY FAST.

THERE'S MANY PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDIES ON THE GROWTH RATES OF TREES VERSUS LIKE, UM, TREE GRATE, A TREE, WELL, DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UM, OF SETTINGS.

BUT IF YOU HAVE THE SOIL CELLS AND YOU HAVE THAT VOLUME, YOU CAN HAVE TREES GROW REALLY WELL.

SO THAT'S AN ENHANCED, UM, MITIGATION THAT WE'RE REALLY PULLING FOR.

AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID,

[02:25:02]

'CAUSE IT'S ALL ABOUT SPACE FOR THOSE TREES.

AND YOU MENTIONED, UM, OFFSITE PLANTING TAKING PLACE.

I'M ASSUMING THAT THAT'S THROUGH THE MITIGATION FUND? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? NO, OR NO? WE WERE ACTUALLY DOING THAT OUTSIDE OF THE MITIGATION FUND.

COULD YOU ELABORATE MORE ON WHERE THAT WILL BE? WE DON'T, WE, WE DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, IN CONCERT WITH THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT.

UM, WE HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF INCHES IN THE NUMBER OF TREES IN OUR MIND THAT, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE, UH, FINANCIAL, UH, MITIGATION THAT WE, WE, THAT WE COULD PLANT AND WE THINK WOULD, WOULD SERVE AS A, A GREAT RESOURCE IN THAT, IN THAT PARK SPACE.

BUT MM-HMM .

UM, WE CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT PARD WANTING IT, RIGHT? MM-HMM .

AND TELLING US WHERE THEY WANT IT AND THINKING HOLISTICALLY ABOUT IT, SO.

AND DO YOU RECALL THE, THE RATE FOR THAT, THE MITIGATION RATE FOR THE OFFSITE PLANTING? SO, OR THE, OR A NUMBER THAT YOU HAVE IN MIND OF THE NUMBER OF TREES THAT YOU'LL BE PLANTING? WE SAID 2020, I DON'T REMEMBER.

IT'S MUCH MORE, RIGHT.

IT'S, I THINK IT WAS LIKE 400 INCHES NORTH OF 400 INCHES.

IS WHAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW, BUT MM-HMM .

AGAIN, PART MAY WANT A HUNDRED, THEY MAY WANT NOTHING.

THEY MAY WANT 300 MM-HMM .

THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE'VE GOT TO A POINT THAT WE CAN OFFER.

WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW OR WHERE, EVEN WHAT SPECIES.

I MEAN, WE'VE LITERALLY TALKED TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND NAOMI ABOUT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE SPECIES THAT WE HAVE OCCURRING ON THE SITE TODAY.

LET'S LOOK AT WHAT'S, WHAT WAS TRADITIONALLY THERE.

IS THAT THE SAME KINDS OF TREES? IF THERE ARE PIECES OF THAT SPECTRUM MISSING, WELL, LET'S GO AND GROW OUR OWN BEFORE THE PROJECT HAPPENS AND GET THOSE TREES OUT THERE SO THAT WE'RE BEING, UH, FROM A BIODIVERSITY PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE REESTABLISHING KIND OF THE NATIVE, THAT'S THE KIND OF THOUGHTFULNESS THAT OUR WONDERFUL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS ARE, ARE PUTTING TOGETHER.

NAOMI, OR CHAEL, I CAN ANSWER PART OF LIKE, THE SPECIES LIST OF THE REMOVALS.

UM, MOST OF THEM, THERE'S, UM, CEDAR ELMS, SOME OF THEM ARE IN POOR CONDITION.

UM, INVASIVE MULBERRIES, THOSE ARE THE WHITE MULBERRIES.

UM, THERE'S A BUNCH OF CHINA BERRIES ON THE SITE.

UM, A DECAY BOX, ELDER HACK BERRIES THAT ARE IN PRETTY ROUGH CONDITION, A FEW COTTONWOODS.

UM, MANY OF THE SPARK ELMS THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE FREEZE, SORRY, THIS IS REALLY SMALL.

OH, YOU'RE FINE.

YOU'RE READING IT.

AND, UM, AND THEN THE MORE DESIRABLE LIVE OAKS THAT ARE IN GOOD CONDITION, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE ARE GONNA REALLY PUSH, UM, FOR SAVING.

AND THE APPLICANT HAS REALLY AGREED TO WORK WITH US ON DESIGNING AROUND TRANSPLANTING.

BUT, UM, THE INFERIOR SPECIES THAT ARE REALLY IN POOR CONDITION ARE NOT GONNA MAKE IT.

UM, SOME NEED TO BE REMOVED RIGHT AWAY, UM, JUST FOR, UH, PARKING AND THE CURRENT USE.

I HOPE THIS HELPED, BUT YES, THANK YOU.

I DON'T MIND SAYING GOODBYE TO THE CHINA BERRY AND INVASIVE MULBERRY FOR SURE.

BUT, BUT, WELL, HACKBERRY HACKBERRYS, I HAVE DIFFERENT FEELINGS ABOUT, BUT, UM, YEAH, THE COTTONWOODS, THEY'RE SUCH GREAT SYMBOLS, YOU KNOW, OF, OF WATER FOR PEOPLE.

UM, BEFORE WE HAD MAPS AND A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS WHEN YOU'D SEE THE COTTONWOOD, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THE WATER IS.

SO, UM, AS MUCH AS WE CAN RETAIN THE SYMBOL SYMBOLISM OF THAT AND THE NEW PLANTING, I THINK THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.

I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING FROM A SPECIFIC NATIVE LIST, AND SO, UM, YEAH, NO, THAT IS HELPFUL.

SOME OF THEM COTTONWOODS DON'T LIVE LONG MM-HMM .

UM, BUT I COMPLETELY AGREE IT'S A GREAT LOVER OF COTTONWOODS ALL THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY, FROM CANADA TO ALL OF CALIFORNIA, PACIFIC NORTHWEST TO THE ROCKIES.

I KNOW EVERY SPECIES OF COTTONWOOD MM-HMM .

THERE IS, AND ALL THEIR BOTANICAL NAMES, UM, .

SO THEY ARE NOT LONG LIVING, BUT I'VE SEEN MANY OF THEM PLANTED ALONG THE TRAIL THAT ARE QUITE SUCCESSFUL.

AND WITH THE COTTONWOOD, IF YOU'RE HAVING THEM IN NATURAL AREAS, IF YOU CAN PRUNE OR IN PARKS, IF YOU CAN PRUNE THAT AT AN EARLY AGE AND HAVE THAT GOOD, UM, STRUCTURE, A LOT THEY'RE BEING PLANTED, UM, IN GREAT NUMBERS IN WATERLOO, ALONG THE CONVEYANCE AND THE CONSERVANCY.

UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING THAT STRUCTURE AT THE BEGINNING, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

SO HEARING ABOUT THE COTTONWOODS.

YES, .

THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO JUST DECIDE, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY TREES THEY WANT AND WHERE I DON'T, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE DON'T HAVE A BLACKLAND PRAIRIE MITIGATION FUND, BUT THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING I THINK WE, AS A CITY SHOULD THINK ABOUT, IS THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE LOSS.

WELL, THANK YOU.

UM, I KNOW YOU'RE, UM, RELIANT ON

[02:30:01]

UM, SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO MITIGATE THAT LOSS AS WELL, ALBEIT A SMALL, SMALL PATCH OF LAND, IT ALL ADDS UP.

UM, LET ME SEE.

UM, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE GREEN ROOFS.

THAT'S REALLY EXCITING.

SO GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING THAT.

I APPRECIATED THE PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT GREEN WALLS OR GREEN BALCONIES.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT, DO YOU HAVE PLANS RIGHT NOW FOR GREEN WALLS OR BALCONIES OR, YOU KNOW, PLANTING OP OPPORTUNITIES ON BALCONIES? I DON'T, GLEN, YOU YEAH.

YOU WANNA MENTION, MENTION, UH, OR TALKED TO THAT.

I KNOW THAT ON A CALL TODAY WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, VERTICAL PLANTING SERVICES, SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE WITH THE SPECIFICS.

SO AT THE BASE OF THE BUILDING WHERE WE HAVE, UH, A LARGE AREA DEDICATED TO PARKING, WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE GREEN, UM, VERTICAL, UM, GREEN, UM, UM, APPLICATIONS THERE AT ABOUT 75 FEET.

WE HAVE OUR FIRST, OUR PODIUM ROOF.

THAT'S ALL GONNA BE LANDSCAPE.

THAT'S, UH, THE RESIDENTIAL, UM, UH, AMENITY FLOOR, WHICH IS HEAVILY LANDSCAPED.

AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED, UM, ALL THE TOWERS HAVE BALCONIES ALMOST, UH, ALL THE WAY AROUND.

AND I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE OPPORTUNITY THERE.

WE HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, COMMITTED TO ANYTHING YET, BUT I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S DEFINITELY OPPORTUNITY THERE WHERE WE CAN DO PROBABLY SOMETHING AS WELL.

ON THE Y UM, THE TOP OF THE Y THE ROOF AT 55 FEET, THAT'S, UH, A LARGE AREA IS GONNA BE DEDICATED TO GREEN SPACE.

UM, THERE'S GONNA BE CHILDREN ACTIVITY UP THERE AS WELL AS, UH, PLANTING THROUGHOUT.

AND THEN ABOVE THAT WE HAVE THE SOLAR PANELS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, BEFORE.

AND ONE OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS BROUGHT UP HEATING AND COOLING.

UM, WHAT PASSIVE HOUSE PRINCIPLES, IF ANY, ARE YOU EMPLOYING IN THIS DESIGN? SO WE HAVEN'T COMMITTED A HUNDRED PERCENT TO PASSIVE HOUSE.

WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT CAREFULLY.

UM, THE STEPS THAT WE'RE TAKING ARE, YOU KNOW, LEADING US TO, TO A, A LEVEL OF THAT.

UM, I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, THE Y IS PROBABLY GONNA HAVE A FOUR STAR RATING RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

AND THEN NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO PUSH THAT.

I THINK WITH THE EXTERIOR FACADE THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON THAT BUILDING, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU SEE.

YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE ANY GLASS, YOU'RE REALLY GONNA BE SHIELD.

NOW IT'S A QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, OUR VENTILATION SYSTEM AND HOW WE CAN CONTROL IT.

THE POOL IS PROBABLY THE, THE HARDEST PART OF THE, THE, THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE ASPECT OF THAT.

BUT, UH, WE ARE, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW, UM, PROFESSORS AND, UM, AND ENGINEERS THAT ARE, UM, FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY.

UM, ONE SPOKE EARLIER TODAY, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THESE MEETINGS ON A WEEKLY BASIS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE Y BECAUSE THAT'S ONE AREA THAT WE FEEL THAT WE CAN REALLY MAKE A STATEMENT FOR THE RESIDENTIAL TOWERS.

WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO PUSH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING ALL ELECTRIC, WE'RE DOING THE BLACK WATER, UH, RECYCLE TO, TO COOL FOR THE COOLING TOWERS.

SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE THERE.

UM, PASSIVE HOUSE ON THE, ON THE RESIDENTIAL IS, IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED, ESPECIALLY THE FACT THAT WE HAVE, WE WANT TO HAVE OPERABLE WINDOWS, WE HAVE THESE BALCONIES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE IS NATURAL VENTILATION IN, IN HOMES.

UM, SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THAT ON THE TOWER.

MM-HMM.

BUT I THINK THE Y IS, IS, IS WHERE OUR FOCUS IS FOR PUSHING THAT ENVELOPE.

THANK YOU YAS, AS MUCH AS YOU CAN EMPLOY THAT, I THINK, AT LEAST FOR ME PERSONALLY, THAT WILL ELEVATE THE PROJECT IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY AND, AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.

I'M GONNA ASK THE CEO TO COME UP REAL BRIEFLY AND TALK ABOUT SHE'S BEEN PUSHING PASSIVE HOUSE IDEAS SINCE WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT THIS, AND I'D JUST LOVE HER TO TAKE 15 OR 20 SECONDS TO TALK ABOUT THAT.

IS THAT OKAY? ALRIGHT.

AT A MINIMUM, AND WE'RE PUSHING TO WHAT WE ASPIRE TO DO.

SO, UM, ONE THING THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS THE YMCA'S IN 120 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT A PROJECT LIKE THIS, WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING IN THE US FOR EXAMPLE, OR EVEN CANADA, WHERE VANCOUVER'S ONE, UM, YMCA AND CITY, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF YMCA EUROPE, HER NAME IS EMMA OMON, SHE FOR HER DAY JOB.

SO SHE'S THE VOLUNTEER BOARD PRESIDENT, BUILDS PASSIVE HOUSES IN EUROPE, AND SHE RECENTLY, IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, THEY BUILT THE FIRST PASSIVE HOUSE FITNESS CENTER IN THE UK.

AND SO SHE'S SOMEONE THAT WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH REGULARLY.

AND THE WAY THAT I THINK ABOUT IT IS RIGHT NOW WE'RE CLEAR ON WHAT WE CAN DO

[02:35:01]

UM, AND PASSIVE HOUSE IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STUDYING.

WE'RE ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT PASSIVE HOUSE CAN LOOK LIKE IN THE KIND OF CLIMATE THAT WE HAVE.

EUROPE IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE CLIMATE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN TEXAS, BUT THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE PUSHING, UM, AND CHALLENGING OURSELVES WITH AND WHY THE EXPERTS, UM, WE'VE PUT TOGETHER, UH, TO HELP US THINK THROUGH THAT VERY WELL.

BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US.

IT'S ONE OF OUR FOUR PILLARS FOR THE GREATER AUSTIN YMCA, A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

IT'S ALSO ONE OF FOUR PILLARS FOR THE YMCA GLOBALLY, A SUSTAINABLE PLANET.

UM, SO IT'S RIGHT IN LINE WITH OUR VISION 2030 AND OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.

AND I BELIEVE WHO WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AROUND HEALTHY SPIRIT, MIND, BODY, AND PLANET FOR ALL MM-HMM .

SO IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY AND I'M ACTUALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO.

WELL, THANK YOU.

I'M GLAD THERE'S AN ADVOCATE ON THE INSIDE.

AND I'M SURE YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A PILOT PROJECT, UM, IN PASSIVE HOUSING.

AND THERE HAVE, THERE'S BEEN RESEARCH DONE AFTER THE 2021 WINTER STORM AND OTHER EVENTS IN AUSTIN THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED PROOF OF CONCEPT HERE FOR WHAT WORKS.

SO, CAN I MENTION ONE OTHER THING QUICKLY? ALSO, OUR DEVELOPER PARTNER.

SO RICH BAER'S HERE, THEY JUST BUILT THE LARGEST PASSIVE HOUSE OFFICE SPACE IN THE WORLD IN BOSTON.

SO THEY KNOW PASSIVE HOUSE.

AND ONE OF THE REASONS OUR BOARD SELECTED MILLENNIUM PARTNERS WAS BECAUSE OF THEIR TRACK RECORD IN SUSTAINABILITY VERSUS ALL THE OTHER, UM, PROPOSALS THAT WE TOOK A LOOK AT.

AND THEN, UM, I'VE HEARD AN EMPHASIS ON NATIVE PLANTING, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.

MY NEW MANTRA IN THESE MEETINGS IS PLEASE DO DENSE NATIVE PLANTING.

A LOT OF LANDSCAPE COMPANIES USE A LOT OF MULCH, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A, A SINGLE BUSH AND THEN A LOT OF MULCH AND THEN A SINGLE TREE, AND THEY CALL THAT NATIVE PLANTING.

AND THAT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT HOW ECOSYSTEMS, UH, EXIST NATURALLY.

SO AS MUCH GUILD BLA UH, GUILD PLANTING, DENSE PLANTING THAT WE CAN DO THAT, UM, IS WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE.

UH, I APPRECIATE THE BLACKWATER INCLUSION.

I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL.

REALLY HELPS YOUR PROJECT STAND OUT.

UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR PURPLE PIPE EXPANSION.

THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING I KEEP BRINGING UP AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PRESSURE WE CAN PUT ON THE CITY TO EXPAND IT, BUT JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THAT HAS BEEN PART OF THE CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL AS WELL.

IT HAS BEEN.

IT'S, IT'S, UH, THE TRADE OFF WAS CAN WE GO AND GET PURPLE PIPE OR CAN WE, FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE DO, UH, IN-HOUSE REUSE? AND WE CHALLENGED OURSELVES TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

AND WHAT STAYING IN-HOUSE ALLOWED US TO DO WAS TO GO TO BLACKWATER.

AND SO IT ALLOWED, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IT MOVES THE IDEA OF REUSE TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL.

UM, YES, IT DOESN'T EXPAND, IT DOESN'T GIVE US ANOTHER 500 OR A THOUSAND FEET OF PURPLE PIPE, BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IN IN THE WATER INDUSTRY, IT, IT'S GOING TO DRAMATICALLY CHANGE WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.

SO WE LOOKED AT IT, BUT IT WAS JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DUNNO.

I MEAN, I THINK IT'S STILL A VICTORY, BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT REALLY EXPANDING THIS ON A BROADER CITY LEVEL, THE MORE WE CAN EXTEND THE LINE JUST LIKE A BUS LINE OR A TRAIN LINE, THE MORE THEN THAT ALLOWS FOR FUTURE EXPANSION FOR NEIGHBORING PROJECTS.

SO I APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERATION.

JUST LIKE, WHICH ONE DO YOU DO? I GET IT.

I, OKAY.

I HOPE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH.

I'LL KEEP MY FINGERS CROSSED, BUT, UH, APPRECIATE THE BLACKWATER UHHUH .

UH, DO YOU ALL HAVE BIKE RACKS PLANNED FOR ON SITE? YES.

ON ONSITE.

OFFSITE, WELL, I, AND BY OFFSITE I SAY IN PARKLAND, BOTH EXCEEDING CODE REQUIREMENTS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UM, ALL THREE COMPONENTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT WILL HAVE THEIR OWN BICYCLE RACKS THAT EXCEED CODE.

AND THEN WE'RE PUTTING A BUNCH ON THE EAST WEST ROAD IN FRONT OF US.

UM, GREAT.

AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANNA REITERATE, COMMISSIONER CHANG SITS POINT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY GARDEN.

WE LEARNED LOVE IT THROUGH THE COMPREHENSIVE, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY, OR EXCUSE ME, THE TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE FOOD PLAN, I THINK IS WHAT IT WAS CALLED.

UM, THAT LESS THAN 0.1% OF THE FOOD THAT WE CONSUME IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, IS GROWN LOCALLY.

AND PART OF THE SOLUTION TO CHANGING THAT IS BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWING OUR OWN FOOD AGAIN.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITH SUCH A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE CITY BEING RENTERS, LIVING IN THESE MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, WE REALLY NEED YOU ALL AS DEVELOPERS TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE BUILDING DESIGN.

SO I THINK ON THE ROOF

[02:40:01]

WOULD BE GREAT.

WHEREVER YOU CAN MAKE SPACE, EITHER HAVING COMMUNITY GARDENS OR FOOD FORESTS JUST I THINK WOULD ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE LIVING THERE WOULD CHANGE OUR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR FOOD AND WHERE IT COMES FROM, BUILDS OUR RESILIENCE.

IN THE LAST, UH, WINTER STORM THAT HAPPENED, THE CITY OF AUSTIN DETERMINED IT ONLY HAD THREE DAYS OF EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLY.

SO AGAIN, THE MORE WE CAN ADD THAT, THE BETTER.

AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, MA'AM.

UM, SO, UM, AND, AND MAYBE A COUPLE MORE THAN A COUPLE COMMENTS.

SO, UM, I, I, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS AND I'LL START WITH THOSE.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT THINGS IN HERE TOO, BUT I'M GONNA START WITH SOME CONCERNS AND, AND PART OF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE BANKING A LOT ON THE, UM, THE USE OF PUBLIC LAND, UM, FOR SOME OF THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR WATER RETENTION AREAS, THE PLANTING, YOU KNOW, REMOVING TREES AND PLANTING THEM, UM, IN THE BALL FIELD AREAS.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, UM, WITH KIND OF, WELL, WE WANNA DO THIS, BUT WE ALSO WANNA USE THIS PARKLAND OVER HERE FOR OUR OWN USE.

SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE LIKE LITTLE MODERATE RED FLAG OVER THERE, UH, WITHIN PARTICULAR FOR THE RETENTION POND THAT IS NEAR THE BALL FIELD.

SO IT'S KIND OF, WHAT IS THAT ADJACENT? I GUESS IT WOULD BE FOR THE BALL FIELD.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.

WE'LL START WITH THAT ONE.

SO, UM, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THAT PARTICULAR POND, IF IT, IF THERE'S A FLOOD EVENT THAT IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD OVERFLOW AND IT WOULD GO DOWN TO THE, TO THE RIVER.

UH, UNDERSTANDABLE.

UH, HOWEVER, UH, I, I JUST WANNA RECOMMEND THAT, UM, IT HAVE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER BIOSWALE ON THE SIDE OF THE BALL FIELD SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST UNILATERALLY COMING OUT AND FLOWING INTO WHEREVER IT NEEDS TO FLOW, THAT IT'S GUIDED, UM, SO THAT IT ACTUALLY GOES TO THE RIVER INSTEAD OF OUT ONTO THE BALL FIELDS.

WHICH THEN WOULD CAUSE TAXPAYERS TO HAVE TO REPLACE THINGS THAT WERE ON THE BALL FIELD.

SO, UM, UM, SO WANNA KIND OF THINK ABOUT THAT.

UM, I WANT TO, UM, ADDRESS, UM, THE SORT OF HUMAN ENVIRONMENT HERE.

UM, YOU TALK A LOT ABOUT IN, IN THIS 15 PAGE DOCUMENT HERE, UM, WORKING WITH, UM, CAPITOL METRO TO HAVE BUSES COME, YOU'RE WORKING WITH FIRE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FIRE ENGINE'S STUFF IN THERE.

WHERE DO THE SCHOOL BUSES GO? GREAT QUESTION.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED TO, UH, TALK TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ABOUT HOW THE SCHOOL THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND TO THAT, WHAT SCHOOL DID THEY GO TO? THEY WOULD BE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW THE LATEST MM-HMM .

IT PROBABLY WOULD BE O HENRY AUSTIN HIGH, AND I CAN'T THINK OF WHAT GRADE SCHOOL THEY WOULD GO TO.

MATTHEWS.

MATTHEWS, RIGHT? YEAH.

SO JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE WE TALK A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA HAVE FAMILIES HERE, BUT, UM, WE'RE REDUCING, UM, THE SCHOOLS, UH, IN THAT AREA PRETTY VIGOROUSLY.

SO, UM, JUST WANNA, THAT'S A GREAT, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THAT'S A GREAT THING.

SAY, SAY THAT OUT LOUD.

UM, SO, UM, ON NEXT, UM, LISTENING TO, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND, UM, AND THEN ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE VIEW CORRIDOR, UH, I ALSO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE HEIGHT MM-HMM .

UM, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ARCHITECT SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TOWERS AND MAKING THEM STRUCTURALLY CORRECT.

UM, IT JUST KIND OF SEEMS LIKE IF YOU LOWERED EVERYTHING AND MADE IT, YOU KNOW, ONE BUILDING, YOU COULD KIND OF GET THE SAME, UM, AMOUNT OF UNITS IN IT.

UH, THERE'S LIKELY, WELL, IT'S IN THE DRAINAGE AREA THAT FLOWS UNDER THE, UH, RAILROAD AND INTO THAT DRAINAGE CHANNEL.

UM, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, I AM NOT AN ARCHITECT AND I I KNOW THAT YOU ARE A, A GREAT ONE.

SO, UM, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THE CITY, WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, ARE LOOKING AT, AND WE'RE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, CONCERNED WHAT THEY ARE.

UM, IN THIS DOCUMENT, THERE'S UM, THERE'S MENTION OF AN INDUSTRIAL TRACK.

TELL ME WHAT THAT IS.

UH, THE TIPS, IRON WORKS TRACK SITS NORTH OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS.

UH, PRO IT, IT'S A BIG CHUNK OF, IT'S SIX ACRES OR SOMETHING.

UH, IT HAS SAT UNUSED.

I DON'T KNOW DAVID SULLIVAN PROBABLY KNOWS HOW MANY YEARS, BUT A LOT OF YEARS.

YOU GUYS PROBABLY KNOW HOW LONG AS WELL.

IT'S, UM, IT, SO,

[02:45:02]

AND I, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN THE GROUND THERE, BUT IT'S AN OLD INDUSTRIAL FACILITY.

AND SO TAKING AN OPPORTUNITY, SAMPLE THE WATER AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT, IT SEEMED TO BE A, UH, SOMETHING THAT IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, IT'S GOOD FOR THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN, JUST TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT IF WE COULD MAKE THAT A BETTER SITUATION.

UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE, THE BIG, YOU KNOW, CLAIM TO FAME, UH, HERE WITH, UH, WITH UTILIZING THE YMCA IS, YOU KNOW, CHILDCARE, CHILDCARE, CHILDCARE.

LOVE IT.

UM, BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.

UM, WITH, IS THAT ALL INDOORS OR WILL THERE BE AN OUTDOOR COMPONENT FOR THE CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO PLAY AND LEARN OUTDOORS? THERE'S AN OUTDOOR COMPONENT.

GLEN, DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT, DO YOU, DO YOU WANT SPECIFICS ABOUT HOW MANY, YEAH.

SO, UM, YEAH.

SO WE'VE LOCATED ON THE, UH, NORTHEAST PART OF THE PLAN AND, UM, THERE'S, UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S ABOUT 10, UH, ROOMS THAT ALL HAVE OUTDOOR FACING SPACES, AND ALL THOSE SPACES ARE SHELTERED AND THERE'S BASICALLY AN OVERHANG THERE.

SO IT'S A CUTOUT, BUT THEY'RE OUTDOOR SPACES.

IN THE LAST, UH, YEAR AND A HALF, WE TRAVELED, UH, TO VARIOUS YMCAS THROUGHOUT CANADA AND, AND, AND THE COUNTRY.

AND WE SAW WHAT, WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DIDN'T WORK.

AND WE THINK WE'VE COME UP WITH A GREAT SOLUTION THAT IS A PROTECTED AREA.

SO THE KIDS HAVE, BUT THEY ALWAYS HAVE OUTDOOR, UM, LIGHT AND AIR, AND THEN THEY HAVE THE OUTDOOR SPACE THAT'S PROTECTED AND, AND, AND CONTROLLED FROM A SOLAR GAIN, UH, ASPECT AS WELL.

I'M GONNA RECOMMEND, UM, THAT YOU CONNECT WITH THE CITY'S CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE, UM, DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY, UM, TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND THEN ALSO WHAT ARE THE STATE REGULATIONS FOR THAT, UM, THAT ARE, UM, TO GET THAT FIVE STAR RATING, TO HAVE A CONNECTION WITH, UM, LIVING AND GROWING THINGS AND OUTDOOR TIME.

SO, UM, OUR OPERATIONS DIRECTOR IS HERE AND HE COULD SPEAK TO THAT IF YOU'D LIKE, UH, MADAM CHAIR, OR WE CAN, UH, JUST GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.

I, I THINK AS LONG AS Y'ALL ARE AWARE AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE MAKING HEADWAY ON THAT, THAT'S GREAT.

UM, I REALIZE IT'S GETTING LATE.

IT IS.

WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE LONG IN THE TOOTH HERE.

UM, SO THE, THE SOLAR PANELS, WHAT, WHAT WILL THEY POWER? WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THEIR USE THERE? GREAT QUESTION.

I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOT THAT NAILED DOWN YET.

UM, WELL, HOPEFULLY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL, YOU'LL USE THAT MAYBE TO, TO HEAT AND COOL THE POOL.

UM, I LEARNED TO SWIM AT THE YMCA, I LEARNED TO PAY BASKETBALL AT THE YMCA.

LOVE IT.

UM, THAT'S HOW LONG I'VE LIVED HERE AND, UH, I HAVE GREAT AFFINITY FOR THAT POOL, UM, BECAUSE IT HAS A DEEP END STILL, AND NOT JUST ONE OF THESE SHALLOW THINGS THAT ARE ONLY LAP POOLS.

SO HOPE THAT KIND JUST AS A PERSONAL NOTE, WANT TO KEEP THAT.

UM, SO KIND OF THINKING ABOUT LIKE, WHAT'S ON MY WISHLIST, UM, LIKE TO, LIKE TO SEE THE, REDUCE THE FOOTPRINT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER, UM, GOING FROM 65%, UM, LET'S BRING THAT DOWN TO 85% IF POSSIBLE.

I'D LIKE TO REDUCE THE HEAT, I MEAN THE HEIGHT I WROTE DOWN HEAT, BUT, AND THE HEAT.

LET'S REDUCE THE HEAT, UM, AND WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, UM, TO COME UP WITH THAT HAPPY MEDIUM.

UM, UH, YOU MENTIONED COMPLYING WITH THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN.

LET'S JUST AGREE TO DO IT.

LET'S JUST DO IT.

I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I INTENDED TO SAY.

LIKE WHAT WE JUST DON'T DUNNO WHAT THAT ORDINANCE IS GONNA, IS IT GONNA BE 75? IS IT GONNA BE A HUNDRED? WHATEVER IT IS, UH, WE'RE GONNA COMPLY WITH IT.

UM, AND ONE OF THOSE IS ALSO IF YOU DO HAVE THOSE OUTDOOR SPACES, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT DID YOU CALL THEM? THEY ARE, UM, UH, LANDSCAPE ROOFS, UM, AND THOSE AREAS MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN ELEMENTS ON THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN INTERFACE THEN, UH, WITH THE BIRDS, UM, IN THAT AREA.

UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE DARK SKY LIGHTING.

I LOVE THE GREEN WALLS CONCEPT.

UM, I CAN'T WRITE THIS FAST.

MM.

I CAN HAND YOU THIS LITTLE NOTE HERE TOO.

UM, AND I THINK THAT WAS REALLY IT.

UM, YEAH.

THANK

[02:50:01]

YOU.

I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE COVERED EVERYTHING ON THAT.

THANK Y'ALL.

GOOD LUCK WITH THE PROJECT AND, UM, WE'LL SEE YOU, SEE YOU IN A FEW MONTHS, FEW MONTHS.

CHAIR.

I HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS.

IF I COULD MAKE IT QUICK.

OH, I WILL.

UH, ARE YOU GONNA RECYCLE ALL THAT OLD CONCRETE? WE ARE GONNA REUSE MATERIALS TO THE, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT WE CAN.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE COM WE HAVEN'T COMMITTED TO A CERTAIN WASTE STREAM'S GONNA GO HERE OR THERE, BUT THAT IS ON THE TABLE.

IF, UH, WHAT I'M GONNA WRITE DOWN IS, UH, EVALUATE RECYCLING OF MATERIALS.

IS THAT OKAY, COMMISSIONER? IS THAT OKAY? YEAH, I'LL WRITE THAT DOWN.

YOU CAN BUILD A SWIMMING POOL IN MY BACKYARD.

UH, SO, SO THAT'D BE ONE, ONE THING YOU CAN DO WITH IT.

THE OTHER THING I NOTICED, AND I MAYBE I'M NOT READING YOUR, YOUR DOCUMENT, RIGHT.

THE THING THAT YOU, UH, SUBMITTED, THERE WAS A THING WHERE YOU SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT CI OR CL WITH THE BASE ZONE ZONING? L-I-L-I-L.

WELL, YEAH, THERE YOU GO.

UH, SO THERE WERE, THERE'S A COLUMN THAT YOU HAD A LIST OF PERMITTED USES.

USES, AND THE NEXT TO IT WAS A LIST OF UNPERMITTED USES.

YES, I READ THOSE.

IT WAS A BIT CONFUSING.

IT'S A, IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAD THINGS LIKE, UH, UH, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING WAS UNDER PERMITTED USES, BUT IT WAS ALSO UNDER EXCLUDED USES.

THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS THERE THAT WERE UNDER PERMITTED AND UNPERMITTED USES.

AND IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE ALL THESE THINGS UNDER PERMITTED AND UNPERMITTED AT THE SAME TIME.

THE THE MIDDLE COLUMN, THE, THE, THE LEFT COLUMN IS A DESCRIPTION.

THE MIDDLE COLUMN IS WHAT, WHAT IS ALLOWED TODAY ARE PERMITTED TODAY.

AND THE RIGHT COLUMN IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO IN THE FUTURE.

UH, SOME OF THOSE DON'T LOOK, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH SOME OF THAT STUFF.

UH, I WOULD LOVE, I WOULD LOVE TO GET YOUR, YOUR RED LINE OF WHAT, HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT CHANGED.

WELL, LIKE RECYCLING AND, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT DOESN'T LOOK, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, RECYCLING.

IF IT'S AN ALUMINUM CAN, MAYBE IT'S ALL RIGHT.

BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'RE RECYCLING.

LIKE TOXIC WASTE.

I MAY BE THAT, THAT'S, HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

THAT LIST IS VERY SPECIFIC TO THE, THE USE DESCRIPTIONS IN THE CODE.

AND SO I CAN TELL YOU, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, RECYCLING IS A FAIRLY INDUSTRIAL IN, UH, MUR F MATERIALS RECYCLING FACILITY, MRF.

UM, AND SO IT'S A VERY INTENSE INDUSTRIAL, UH, USE.

AND SO WITHOUT LOOKING AT IT, WITHOUT KNOWING, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S CURRENTLY ALLOWED IN THEI ZONING BECAUSE IT'S LIGHT INDUSTRIAL.

AND WE'RE CURRENTLY SAYING WE DON'T WANT IT ALLOWED IN OUR MIXED USE BECAUSE IT'S AN INDUS WELL, IT COULD BE THAT I MISREAD EVERYTHING, BUT, UH, I, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU MISREAD IT.

I JUST THINK THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF THE USE DESCRIPTIONS, WHICH WOULD REALLY WELL, YEAH.

LIKE I SAID, I MAY HAVE MISREAD THE COLUMN HEADINGS THAT EXPLAINED EVERYTHING, BUT, UH, IN ANY EVENT, THERE WERE, UH, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, LAUNDRY SERVICES, SAFETY SERVICES, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING THAT SEEMED TO BE IN BOTH COLUMNS THAT SEEMED TO BE APPROVED AND NOT APPROVED.

AND THOSE SEEM TO BE, YOU KNOW, THAT, BUT IF I MISREAD IT, THAT'S OKAY TOO.

WE'LL CLARIFY THAT WHEN WE COME BACK.

SO THAT, YEAH, THAT SOUNDS OKAY.

THAT'S ALL.

YOU CAN, UH, SEND US ALL HOME.

THANK, I WISH I COULD SEND YOU HOME.

WE HAVE ONE MORE THING.

I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THAT WOULD BE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH COMMISSIONERS FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME.

AND FRANKLY, YOUR SERVICE ON LATE NIGHTS LIKE THIS, IT MEANS A LOT.

AND THANKS EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT AND EXPRESSED, UH, Y'ALL'S, UH, CONCERNS AND OPINIONS.

UH, DO WE NEED A, LIKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK? YEAH, I'M SEEING SOME NODDING HEADS.

LET'S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.

WE'LL MEET BACK HERE AT NINE O'CLOCK SHARP.

THAT'S ACTUALLY FOUR MINUTES, SO MAKE IT REALLY QUICK.

LET'S GET STARTED AGAIN.

TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE? UM, WE ARE HAVING AN OVERVIEW OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCY, IF YOU WANNA COME ON UP.

UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT ONE, TWO.

WE WILL, WE HAVE QUORUM.

THEY'LL BE BACK.

UM, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?

[4. Overview of Austin Climate Action and Resilience – Zach Baumer, Director, Austin Climate and Resilience]

IT FEELS SO MUCH CALMER IN HERE.

NOW IT

[02:55:03]

YOU SIR, YOU CHASED OFF ALL THE RIFF.

WR .

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

I AM ZACH BAUMER.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE.

AND THIS HAS BEEN A LONG DAY FOR ME.

IT'S PROBABLY BEEN A LONG DAY FOR YOU.

UM, THIS IS MUCH HIGHER LEVEL.

THIS IS, UM, GONNA BE A MUCH MORE RELAXED PRESENTATION AND REALLY JUST AN OVERVIEW OF OUR, UM, MY OFFICE AND THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE COVER AND WORK ON.

UH, AND I AM GONNA GO PRETTY QUICKLY THROUGH THESE SLIDES, SO WE'RE NOT HERE FOREVER.

OH, OKAY.

SO, I'M QUICKLY GONNA COVER TIMELINE AND SOME HISTORY ABOUT, UM, OUR OFFICE.

UH, AND THEN I'M GONNA GO THROUGH OUR FIVE TEAMS. SO AT AUSTIN, CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE, UH, WE BASICALLY HAVE FIVE DIVISIONS, UH, EACH ONE OF THESE GROUPS AS A MANAGER, UM, AND MANAGES, UH, THE WORK WITH EACH ONE OF THESE TEAMS. SO THERE'S A CLIMATE TEAM, THE RESILIENCE TEAM, THE FOOD TEAM, THE URBAN FORESTRY TEAM, AND THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM.

UM, AND AS YOU'LL SEE, THIS WORK HAS GROWN AND GROWN OVER THE YEARS, UH, TO THE POINT THAT WE ARE NOW WHERE, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT INCLUDING TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THE RECENT ACQUISITION OF, UH, THE URBAN FORESTRY TEAM.

WE HAVE ABOUT 30 PEOPLE, UH, IN OUR OFFICE TODAY.

SO, A QUICK TIMELINE IN HISTORY.

UH, YOU MAY BE MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE NAME, OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.

THAT'S WHAT WE WERE CALLED FOR, UH, 14 YEARS, BASICALLY.

UH, SO IN 2010, THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY WAS CREATED.

UH, IT WAS CREATED WHEN THE CITY HIRED A ITS FIRST CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER, AND THEN TOOK AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF, UH, THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL SORT OF CLIMATE TEAM THAT WORKED AT AUSTIN ENERGY, THAT THAT GROUP CAME TOGETHER AND CREATED WHAT WAS CALLED THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.

UM, SO THE ORIGINAL WORK WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON CLIMATE MITIGATION.

UH, IN 2014, UM, THROUGH CITY COUNCIL ACTION, UH, WE HIRED A FOOD POLICY MANAGER.

SO THAT STARTED THE WORK THAT FOCUSED ON FOOD IN OUR OFFICE.

UH, IN 2022, UH, THE OFFICE OF RESILIENCE WAS CREATED, UH, TO FOCUS ON CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND ADAPTING TO A CHANGE IN CLIMATE.

UM, IN 2024, UH, THAT THE ORIGINAL OFFICE OF RESILIENCE WAS CREATED, SORT OF IN PARALLEL TO OUR GROUP.

IN 2024, RESILIENCE, UH, JOINED THIS OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.

AND WITH THE NEW CITY MANAGER, UH, AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS SORT OF CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT DID SUSTAINABILITY MEAN THERE, HAVING, THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, WITH NEW EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT ABOUT WHAT DO WE DO, WHAT'S OUR VALUE, LIKE, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD A PLACE, UM, IN, IN THE CITY GOING FORWARD.

AND WE DID, AND THEY UNDERSTOOD THE MESSAGE.

THEY JUST WANTED TO HAVE A MUCH MORE CLEAR NAME.

UH, SO WE WENT WITH CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE TO TRY TO CAPTURE THE SORT OF WHOLE, UH, THE BREADTH OF WORK THAT WE WORK ON.

UM, AND THEN IN 2025, SO JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, ON OCTOBER 1ST, UM, THE URBAN FORESTRY GROUP CAME TO OUR OFFICE FROM, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.

SO THAT GROUP HAD BEEN THERE WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR MANY YEARS, UH, AND IS NOW PART OF OUR TEAM.

UM, IT SHOULD ALL I I'M GONNA ALSO NOTE THAT OUR GROUP, UH, CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE IS LIAISON FOR TWO COMMISSIONS.

SO WE DO THIS MONTHLY, UH, FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UH, AND THE FOOD POLICY BOARD.

UM, SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHY YOU DON'T SEE ME VERY OFTEN BECAUSE HAR SHOWS UP TO THE JSC, UM, AND WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE AND, UM, CLIMATE WORK AT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UH, INSTEAD OF HERE.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DO, JUST CONCEPTUALLY.

UM, I I LIKE TO SAY THAT WE DO THESE THREE THINGS SORT OF BEST.

WE LEAD CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL INITIATIVES AND COLLABORATIONS.

WE DO A LOT OF LEADING, UM, BEING AT THE FRONT ON CLIMATE AND, UH, RESILIENCE TOPICS.

WE DO A LOT OF COORDINATION.

UH, MUCH OF OUR WORK IS COORDINATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS ON NEW CHALLENGES, PILOTS RESEARCH, UH, CONNECTING THE DOTS BETWEEN OUR LARGE DEPARTMENTS AND OUR LARGE SILOS THAT ARE WORKING ON, UH, BIG PROBLEMS AT THE CITY.

UM, AND THEN WE ADVISE, SO WE DO A LOT OF ADVISEMENT TO LARGER DEPARTMENTS WITH VERY SPECIFIC EXPERTISE RELATED TO CLIMATE RESILIENCE, TREES AND FOOD ISSUES.

UM, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, WITH WATERSHED, WITH AUSTIN WATER RESOURCE RECOVERY MAJOR DEPARTMENTS ALL THE TIME ON HELPING THEM NAVIGATE ISSUES, UM, AND SORT OF STAY BEHIND THEM AND, AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION OF WORK IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, WE RESPOND TO COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL REQUEST

[03:00:01]

ON BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, BIG, BIG QUESTIONS AND IFCS THAT PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL ON SOLAR, ON GREEN BUILDING.

UM, AND OUR OFFICE SORT OF COMES IN AND TENDS TO CATCH THOSE BIG QUESTIONS, WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS, COORDINATE WITH DEPARTMENTS, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORTH LIKE A COHESIVE CITYWIDE MESSAGE.

UM, WHAT WE DON'T DO, WE ARE VERY SMALL.

WE DON'T, UH, CREATE OR ENFORCE REGULATIONS.

ALMOST ALL THE STUFF THAT WE DO IS VOLUNTARY, UM, AND IS ENCOURAGING AND COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO TAKE ACTION.

UM, WE DON'T OWN, OPERATE OR MANAGE ANY ASSETS.

SO AGAIN, WE DO NOT HAVE A LARGE BUDGET.

WE DO NOT OWN THINGS OR, UM, DO THAT KIND OF ACTIVITY.

AND THEN FINALLY, UM, FOR A FEW YEARS WITH THE RESILIENCE WORK, UM, WE HAD GOTTEN, UM, JUST WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT RESILIENCE AND ADAPTING TO A CHANGING CLIMATE, YOU IMMEDIATELY GET INTO NATURAL DISASTERS.

UM, BUT THERE ARE DEPARTMENTS FOR THAT.

AND THERE, THERE ARE GROUPS THAT DO THAT WORK AT THE CITY, AND IT'S NOT US.

SO WE ADVISE THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND WE HELP SUPPORT THEM, UH, BUT WE DON'T ACTUALLY DO DISASTER RESPONSE.

UH, SO WE, DURING THE PAST, SORT OF FIVE YEARS OR SO, WE PUT TOGETHER THIS FRAMEWORK, UH, CALLED THE CLIMATE EQUITY AND RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK TO TRY TO CAPTURE REALLY THOSE TWO BIG CONCEPTS OF, UH, CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE.

SO, UM, WE KNOW THE CLIMATE'S CHANGING, IT'S CHANGING VERY QUICKLY.

UM, HUMAN ACTIVITIES ARE BURNING, FOSSIL FUELS ARE, ARE DRIVING THAT CHANGE.

SO THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT'S BEING DONE AROUND MITIGATION.

SO HOW DO WE REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ACROSS ALL CORNERS OF THE CITY OPERATION ACROSS ALL CORNERS OF THIS COMMUNITY? UM, AND THOSE, ALL OF THOSE ACTIVITIES TO REDUCE CAPTURE, AVOID GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, KIND OF FIT, FIT INTO THESE SIX BOXES.

UM, WE KIND OF HAVE A SPECIAL FOCUS ON NATURAL SYSTEMS AND ON, UM, FOOD CONSUMPTION AS YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THE, THE SECTIONS OF OUR OFFICE.

UM, AND THEN THE SECOND SIDE OF THIS WORK IS THE RESILIENCE AND THE CLIMATE CLIMATE ADAPTATION PART.

UM, AS YOU SAW ON THIS SLIDE, THE GREAT SLIDE FROM GREG EARLIER, WE'RE ALREADY AT, UH, 430 PARTS PER MILLION OF CO2 IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

THE CLIMATE IS ALREADY WARMED BY AT LEAST ONE DEGREE CELSIUS.

UM, AND THESE CHANGES ARE HAPPENING MORE RAPIDLY, I THINK, THAN EVER, UM, EVER THOUGHT.

UM, SO THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT THE CITY IS DOING, UM, AND NEEDS TO DO, UH, TO PREPARE FOR AND RECOVER FROM SHOCKS AND STRESSORS RELATED TO THIS CHANGING CLIMATE.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THOSE ARE SORT OF THE SIX AREAS THAT WE HAVE SORT OF CREATED THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IN THIS SPACE.

UM, AND SPECIFICALLY IN OUR OFFICE, WE DO A LOT OF WORK ON, UH, THAT ENVIRONMENTAL DATA RESEARCH AND MODELING PART OF STUDYING HOW THE CLIMATE'S CHANGING, UM, AND THEN ALSO ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY.

OKAY, SO THESE NEXT SLIDES ARE THE SORT OF SECTION BY SECTION, UM, OF THE FIVE GROUPS WITHIN OUR OFFICE.

SO THESE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES ARE ABOUT THE CLIMATE TEAM.

SO THE MAIN WORK THAT THE CLIMATE TEAM DOES, UM, WAS TO CREATE OUR, UM, MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY-WIDE PLANS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE, TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

UM, THE PRIMARY PLAN THAT WE FOCUS ON RIGHT NOW, UH, WAS CREATED WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN 2019, 20 AND 21.

UM, IT'S CALLED THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.

IT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 2021.

IT HAS THE GOAL OF NET ZERO COMMUNITY WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2040.

IT HAS THESE FIVE SECTIONS, GOALS, STRATEGIES.

THIS IS REALLY LIKE THE ANCHOR OF, UH, THE CLIMATE WORK IN THE CITY.

AND THIS PLAN TOUCHES BASICALLY EVERY MAJOR DEPARTMENT AND EVERY MAJOR DEPARTMENT SORT OF HAS A ROLE TO PLAY, UH, IN IMPLEMENTING THIS PLAN.

UM, A FEW YEARS INTO IMPLEMENTATION, UM, I THINK STARTING IN 2023, UM, WE GOT INPUT AND DIRECTION FROM COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND, UH, CITY COUNCIL THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE A MUCH MORE DETAILED, UH, IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.

SO ESSENTIALLY TAKE THE ACTIONS IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS BEING IMPLEMENTED, WHAT WASN'T BEING IMPLEMENTED, AND WHAT WASN'T COME UP WITH VERY SPECIFIC PLANS, UM, TO GET ALL THOSE ACTIONS DONE.

UM, SO WE, UH, WORKED FOR BASICALLY A YEAR AND A HALF TO CREATE THIS COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.

UH, THIS WAS SENT TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, IN MAY WITH, UM, A WHOLE LIST OF PROJECTS, UM, IN ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT PROJECT TYPES.

UH, THERE WAS A TON OF ANALYSIS DONE, A TON OF COLLABORATION DONE WITH DEPARTMENTS TO SPECIFY ALL OF THE EXACT PROJECTS, UM, THAT THE CITY COULD REALLY, UM, SORT

[03:05:01]

OF DIG INTO AND INVEST IN, UM, TO CREATE LARGE AMOUNTS OF GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS, UM, IN, IN THIS SORT OF IMMEDIATE TWO YEAR TIMEFRAME.

AND THEN THAT WOULD SORT OF CREATE RIPPLE EFFECTS FURTHER OUT INTO THE FUTURE.

UM, SO THIS WHOLE PLAN, ALL THIS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.

THERE'S AN INTERACTIVE DASHBOARD ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.

UM, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THIS SLIDE, BUT THIS SLIDE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE KIND OF WORK THAT WE DO.

UM, SO WHEN WE CREATED THAT, UH, COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, UM, WE DID, UH, THIS COST PER TON ANALYSIS ON ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.

SO WE WORKED WITH, WE WORKED WITH DEPARTMENTS TO ESSENTIALLY SCOPE OUT WHAT WOULD BE DETAILED PROJECT PLANS TO LIKE IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM, THEN DETAILED THE COST, UM, THEN DID ALL OF THE CALCULATION ANALYSIS ON HOW MUCH EMISSIONS WOULD BE REDUCED OVER TIME.

UM, AND THEN ESSENTIALLY LOOKED AT SCALE OF REDUCTIONS, COST PER TON ANALYSIS, UM, TO HELP PRIORITIZE ACTIONS IN THAT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

UM, SO WE HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF SORT OF QUANT QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS, UM, SKILLS ON OUR TEAM.

UM, SO WE'RE OFTEN USING THIS TO HELP OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UM, ANALYZE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS ON DIFFERENT THINGS, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO CLIMATE ACTION.

UM, SO NEXT, SWITCHING, UH, TO RESILIENCE.

SO, UM, ON THE TOPIC OF RESILIENCE, UH, WE HAVE A FRAMEWORK THAT WAS CREATED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, IS STILL ENDORSED BY, UH, THE CITY MANAGER.

AND, UM, IT ESSENTIALLY TOOK A TON OF, UH, COMMUNITY INPUT AND FEEDBACK INTO CREATING SORT OF WHAT IS THIS FRAMEWORK FOR, FOR HOW WE'RE DEFINING AUSTIN, UH, DEFINING, UH, RESILIENCE AT THE CITY.

AND WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE THREE PRIORITY AREAS.

SO THE FIRST ONE IS ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE.

SO THINKING ABOUT HEAT, DROUGHT, FLOOD, WILDFIRE, AND EXTREME COLD WEATHER, AND HOW THOSE SHOCKS AND STRESSORS, UM, SORT OF BEAR DOWN ON OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THEN THE SORT OF TWO PINCH POINTS IN RELATION TO THAT ARE RACIAL EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY.

SO REALLY RECOGNIZING THAT FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THIS COMMUNITY, UM, IT'S REALLY THE CONFLUENCE OF ADDRESSING THESE THREE, UM, CHALLENGES ALTOGETHER THAT IS GONNA GET US TO A POINT WHERE INDIVIDUALS AND OUR SYSTEMS ARE RESILIENT TO SHOCKS AND STRESSORS.

AND AS WE'RE SEEING NOW AND AS ARE GONNA BE ADVANCING IN THE COMING YEARS, UM, THERE'S SORT OF FOUR, FOUR KIND OF FRAMING ASPIRATIONAL AREAS IN THAT FRAMEWORK.

UM, VIBRANT ECOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

THIS IS THE BASIS OF THE KIND OF THINGS YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT, RIGHT? MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY ACTUALLY HAS, UM, A FOUNDATION.

UM, THEN THE NEXT IS THRIVING NEIGHBORHOODS, SO SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, HEALTHY AND PRESS PROSPEROUS AUSTINITES, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE HAVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP.

SO, UM, GOVERNMENT AND OUR PARTNERS AND BUSINESSES ARE INTERACTING AND SUPPORTING SORT OF ALL THROUGHOUT THIS, UM, FRAMEWORK OF LIFTING UP THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AND RESILIENCE.

UM, IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, WE HAVE HAD A SPECIFIC ON SPECIFIC FOCUS ON EXTREME HEAT.

UH, MOSTLY JUST BECAUSE, AS YOU ALL CAN FEEL RIGHT NOW IN THE SUMMER, UM, WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A LOT OF EXTREME HEAT.

SO, UH, WE CREATED THE HEAT RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK.

UM, IT HAS NEIGHBORHOOD POLICIES, IT HAS CITY POLICIES, IT HAS PROGRAMS. UM, IT IS ESSENTIALLY EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY IS DOING AND OR COULD BE DOING TO ADDRESS EXTREME HEAT IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, IT'S NOT A PLAN.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING AND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE AND DO MORE OF.

UM, SO THIS HAS BEEN OUT IN THE WORLD FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.

UH, WE COLLABORATE REALLY CLOSELY WITH HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN ENERGY ON THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS MOVING FORWARD EVERY YEAR.

UM, ANOTHER THING, UH, IN THE RES RESILIENCE SPACE, IT'S A BIG ITEM IN OUR BUDGET, UM, THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN SUPPORTING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS IS WHAT'S CALLED THE UT CITY COLAB.

UH, THIS IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN JACKSON SCHOOL OF GEOSCIENCES, LBJ SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY, UM, AND THEN A MULTITUDE OF CITY DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE PUT IN FUNDING.

AND THEN WE ESSENTIALLY, UM, FIND RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT ARE QUESTIONS THAT DEPARTMENTS HAVE ABOUT A CHANGING CLIMATE, UM, AND ABOUT THINGS LIKE HEAT AND DROUGHT AND FLOOD AND WILDFIRE, AND HOW ARE THOSE THINGS AFFECTING OUR CITY SYSTEM.

SO WE SOURCE PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE CONNECT WITH RESEARCHERS.

SO WE

[03:10:01]

CONNECT WITH A WHOLE MULTITUDE OF RESEARCHERS IN THOSE, UM, SCHOOLS AND ESSENTIALLY LINE UP PROFESSORS, GRAD STUDENTS, UM, AND DEPARTMENTS TO GET RESEARCH PROJECTS DONE.

UM, JUST TO ADVANCE THE, THE RESEARCH IN ON ALL OF THESE TOPICS AND TRY TO HAVE SORT OF THE BEST SCIENCE THAT WE HA CAN, UM, SUPPORTING DECISIONS AT THE CITY.

UH, NEXT TO FOOD, UH, IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, THE MAIN DRIVER OF OUR FOOD WORK AT THIS POINT IS THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN.

UM, OUR FOOD WORK AT THE CITY OPERATED FOR MANY YEARS WITH SORT OF, UM, TWO STAFF MEMBERS, UH, JUST TRYING TO WORK WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS ON ALL THE QUESTIONS AROUND, UH, URBAN FOOD ISSUES.

UM, THEN ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, UM, WITH ARPA FUNDING, WE ACTUALLY GOT MONEY TO CREATE THIS FOOD PLAN TO REALLY, UM, DEFINE ACTIONS AND GOALS AND STRATEGIES AND BOUND OUT LIKE REALLY WHAT ARE ALL THE THINGS, UH, THAT THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ADDRESSING RELATED TO FOOD.

UM, IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY ON THIS PLAN AS WELL, RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE FOOD ISSUES DON'T HAVE, UM, A BOUNDARY.

UM, THERE WAS A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, THERE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN CREATING THIS WORK.

SO THIS WAS A REALLY COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROCESS.

UH, OVER 2000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, 40 EVENTS HELPED FORM THIS.

UM, THERE'S, UM, THE PLAN HAS THESE SORT OF SIX AREAS THAT IT FOCUSES ON FOOD PRODUCTION PROCESS AND DISTRIBUTION MARKETS AND RETAIL CONSUMPTION AND ACCESS CONSUMPTION AND FOOD WASTE, UH, AND THEN FOOD JUSTICE.

BUT THERE'S A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON, UH, ACCESS, FOOD ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY.

UH, WE HA REALLY DO HAVE A SORT OF CRISIS IN THE CITY RELATED TO FOOD INSECURITY AND PEOPLE'S ACCESS TO, UM, HEALTHY FOOD.

UM, AND THEN ALSO FOCUS ON FOOD PRODUCTION AND AGRICULTURE.

THE STAT THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, IS A VERY REAL STAT THAT, UM, THE AMOUNT OF FOOD THAT WE PRODUCE IN THIS COMMUNITY IS CLOSE TO 0% OF, UM, OF ALL THE FOOD THAT WE EAT.

UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF HEALTH BENEFITS, UM, AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO BE, UM, GAINED IF WE CAN INCREASE THAT PERCENTAGE OVER TIME.

SO, UH, THIS FOOD PLAN WAS BROUGHT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER COURT, UM, LAST YEAR UM, LAST SEPTEMBER, UM, AND WAS ADOPTED BY BOTH OF THOSE BODIES.

AND THE MAJOR THING THEY'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS, UH, CREATING THIS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVE, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE GROUPS OF BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS AND GOVERNMENT WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO, UM, FUND AND IMPLEMENT THINGS IN THIS PLAN.

UM, I'LL JUST SKIP OVER THIS.

UM, WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD ALL, ALL THE PARTS IN, IN THE FOOD PLAN, BUT THESE ARE JUST A LIST OF SHORT LIST OF THINGS THEY'RE FOCUSED ON REALLY RIGHT NOW.

UM, ANOTHER BIG PROGRAM, UM, THAT WE CREATED IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, UH, IS CALLED, UH, THE FOOD AND CLIMATE EQUITY GRANT PROGRAM, OR THE FACE GRANTS.

UM, THIS STARTED OUT AS FOOD JUSTICE MINI-GRANTS.

UH, WE HAVE AWARDED 25 ORGANIZATIONS, $3,000 GRANTS LAST YEAR.

UM, THIS HAS BECOME SORT OF A BIG AREA OF WORK FOR OUR GROUP, AS YOU'RE GONNA SEE.

WE ALSO HAVE A GRANT PROGRAM CALLED BRIGHT GREEN FUTURE GRANTS THAT'S FOCUSED ON SCHOOLS.

UM, AGAIN, BECAUSE WE'RE, UH, A VOLUNTARY GROUP THAT WORKS WITH A LOT OF NONPROFITS, UM, AND SCHOOLS AND GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, THE GAP IS ALWAYS FUNDING.

UM, SO WITH THESE DIFFERENT GRANT PROGRAMS, WE'VE ESSENTIALLY, WE CREATE THE MECHANISM, THE PROGRAM TO TAKE APPLICATIONS AND, AND GET THE FUNDING OUT.

AND THEN WE DO A LOT OF WORK BEHIND THE SCENES TO RAISE MONEY FROM OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS, FROM AUSTIN ENERGY, FROM AUSTIN WATER, FROM WATERSHED, UH, TO CONTRIBUTE MONEY INTO THESE POOLS SO WE CAN GET FUNDING OUT TO NONPROFITS, UM, TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THE TEAM THAT JUST JOINED US, UH, THE URBAN FORESTRY TEAM, UM, THIS GROUP, UH, WAS AT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR MANY YEARS.

UM, AND THERE IS THE, UM, THERE'S THE SORT OF REGULATORY SIDE OF TREES, AND THEN THERE IS THE KIND OF VOLUNTARY AND TREE PLANNING AND MONEY, UM, SPENDING SIDE OF, OF URBAN FORESTRY AT THE CITY.

UH, SO THIS GROUP GROUP REALLY HAS FOUR GOALS, GROWING, CARING, FORMING, AND INSPIRING, UH, RELATED TO THE URBAN FORESTRY, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THERE'S A USE FOR YOUTH FOREST COUNCIL AND A LOT OF YOUTH EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT THAT THEY DO AROUND TREES.

UH, A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND, UH, TREE CARE, TREE MAINTENANCE,

[03:15:01]

PLANTING TREES, A LOT OF DATA AND MAPPING THAT GOES ON TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE URBAN FOREST, UM, NEEDS SUPPORT AND NEEDS INVESTMENT.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THIS WORK IS THE URBAN FOREST, UH, FUNDING.

SO THIS GROUP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SPENDING DOWN THE URBAN TREE MITIGATION FUNDING.

UH, SO THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT CONTRACTS AND MECHANISMS BY WHICH, UM, WE GET TREES PLANTED IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH NONPROFITS, ON PARKS ON AND CITY RIGHT OF WAY, ET CETERA.

UM, THIS IS JUST A MAP JUST SHOWING WHERE, UM, WHERE THE $30 MILLION IN FUNDING OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST, UH, BASICALLY 11 YEARS HAS BEEN SPENT ON PLANTING TREES IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO, UH, THERE'S BEEN A REALLY LARGE IMPACT THERE.

UH, AND THEN FINALLY, LAST SLIDE.

UM, COMMUNICATIONS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ON CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES IS OBVIOUSLY A BIG PART OF OUR WORK, RIGHT? WITH THINGS BEING VOLUNTARY, WE'RE TRYING TO GET MESSAGES AND TRYING TO GET INFORMATION IN FRONT OF HULKS.

UM, SO WE HAVE VERY, A VERY STRONG WEB, SOCIAL MEDIA, GRAPHIC DESIGN, BRANDING, UH, NEWSLETTERS, MEDIA RELATIONS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, TABLING.

WE DO, UM, A LOT OF THAT WORK FOR THE SIZE OF THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE.

UH, WE ALSO HAVE THIS BRIGHT GREENS, BRIGHT GREEN FUTURES GRANT PROGRAM THAT I MENTIONED THAT'S SORT OF A COMPANION TO THE FACE GRANTS PROGRAM.

UM, THAT PROGRAM HAS DISTRIBUTED OVER $1 MILLION OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 13 YEARS.

UM, SO IT REALLY HAS A BIG, IT ADD A BIG IMPACT WITH, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE AND EDUCATION AROUND CLIMATE AND TREE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

UM, THEN THE FINAL PROGRAM ON HERE, UM, THIS IS ALSO A VERY LONG RUNNING PROGRAM.

UM, THE AUSTIN GREEN BUSINESS LEADERS PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT WE CREATED AND ADMINISTER, UM, WHICH HAS OVER 300 BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT FOLLOW A CHECKLIST AND ESSENTIALLY TAKE VOLUNTARY ACTION, AND WE RECOGNIZE THEM FOR THEIR WORK, UM, IN THIS SPACE.

SO THAT'S THE SUMMARY OF EVERY THING THAT WE DO AT CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE.

AND IF YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS, I'M GLAD TO ANSWER 'EM.

OR IF YOU WANNA GO HOME, THAT'S FINE TOO.

WE WANNA DO A, WE WANNA DO A, UM, YEAH, LET'S GO AROUND THE HORN, UM, WITH, WITH QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU FOR, UH, A REALLY EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING.

THIS IS, UH, IT'S A LOT.

UM, YOU WANNA START OVER HERE? THANKS.

I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS.

UM, A QUICK QUESTION, I HOPE I CAN MAKE SIMPLE.

UM, I AM A-A-G-I-S ANALYST.

ONE OF MY THINGS I DO, AND I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT MAPPING RESILIENCE AND SOME OF THE AMENITIES YOU PUT TOGETHER AND HOW YOU MIGHT LOOK AT WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE MAYBE MORE RESILIENT THAN OTHERS, IF THAT'S SOMETHING Y'ALL DO.

YEAH, IT IS.

UM, SO THE THING THAT WE LOOK AT MOST ON THAT TOPIC IS, UH, SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX.

AND SO, MAPPING SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX IN, UM, IN COMPARISON TO SHOCKS AND STRESSORS AND DIFFERENT THREATS.

UM, SO YES, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S DONE IN THAT SPACE, AND PEOPLE'S INDIVIDUAL VULNERABILITY IS ONE OF THE MAJOR FACTORS WHEN THINKING ABOUT RESILIENCE.

I WAS, WAS, WAS CURIOUS ALMOST LIKE A SIMPLE LIST OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS, PARKS, FIRE STATIONS, HEALTH CENTERS.

WHAT ARE THOSE LIKE KEY SERVICES THAT MAKE A, A COMMUNITY MAYBE RESILIENT OR, UM, CONNECTED? IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING Y'ALL HAVE LOOKED AT OR, OR, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE RESEARCH IS OUT THERE ON THAT, IF I'M EXPLAINING MYSELF.

YEAH, I THINK SO.

UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WAS DONE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO ON THE CONCEPT OF RES OF RESILIENCE HUBS, WHICH IS RELATED TO THAT TOPIC, RIGHT? YEAH.

UM, IN SOME CITIES, RESILIENCE HUBS ARE LIKE ANYWHERE IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE GO, UM, THE WAY, UH, WHEN THERE, LIKE, WHEN THERE'S A DISASTER OR SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS.

UM, THE DIRECTION THAT WE TOOK IT AT THE CITY OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS WAS FOCUSING ON REC CENTERS AND COMMUNITY CENTERS AND PLACES AND LIBRARIES, UM, AND PLACES WHERE, UM, THE COMMUNITY FELT SAFE AND WE'RE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

AND IF THE POWER WENT OUT, LIKE WE COULD HAVE BACKUP POWER AND FOOD AND WATER FOR PEOPLE IN CERTAIN FACILITIES.

UM, THAT WORK SORT OF STILL GOES ON AND WE SORT OF FOCUS ON CITY ASSETS FIRST.

UM, BUT THAT WORK HAS SORT OF TRANSITIONED TO BE LIKE A MORE COMMUNITY FOCUSED MODEL WHERE, UM, IT GOES FAR BEYOND JUST WHAT THE CITY OFFERS.

'CAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR FACILITIES, WE DON'T REALLY, WE DON'T REALLY GET WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF EVERYBODY'S HOUSE.

UM, BUT IF YOU START LOOKING AT CHURCHES AND BUSINESSES AND GROCERY STORES AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS, YOU, YOU REALLY DO GET TO THAT POINT.

[03:20:01]

UH, THANK YOU.

NO MORE QUESTIONS.

I WANTED TO JUMP IN.

WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AND MR. CHRIS FLORES , THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I'M SORRY.

I, UM, I MISSED MY CUE.

WE HAVE CHRIS, IT'S, IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE WE HAVE CHRIS FLORES HERE.

THANK YOU, ELIZABETH.

REAL QUICK, YOU'RE STILL HERE.

I DON'T WANT YOU TO MOVE.

TOOK OUT MY DOC MARTINS.

'CAUSE I'M HOPING IF I DRESS FOR FALL, FALL WILL COME, BUT I'M NOT USED TO WALKING IN THESE CLUNKY THINGS.

UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, .

UM, HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED USING AUSTIN'S HEAT MAP AS A REPORT CARD FOR RESILIENCY? BECAUSE WE, I, I'VE SEARCHED THROUGH THE AUSTIN HEAT MAP AND I CAN SEE SHOAL CREEKS NICE AND GREEN AND BOGGY CREEKS NICE AND GREEN GOLF COURSE IS KIND OF YELLOW, NOT SO COOL AS ONE WOULD THINK DOWNTOWN HOT, RED HOT, UM, THAT WE COULD SOMEHOW GIVE OURSELVES SOME KIND OF REPORT CARD WHERE EVERY YEAR, EVERY BOND, EVERY, EVERYTHING WE DO, HOW CAN WE SEE HOW WE'RE DOING? AND I DON'T KNOW, YOU'RE STUDYING SO MANY THINGS AND THERE'S SO MANY CHARTS.

SO I, I JUST THOUGHT I'D THROW OUT THE HEAT MAP THING.

'CAUSE IF WE CAN SURVIVE THE HEAT, WE CAN OF SURVIVE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT EATING.

BUT, UM, BUT I, I SO LOVE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

UM, I'M WITH FRIENDS OF DEEP EDDIE.

I'M GONNA SEND YOU AN EMAIL BECAUSE THE SWIMMING POOLS MAY BE A WAY TO SURVIVE THE HEAT.

YOU KNOW, WE MAY NEED YOUR HELP.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN YOUR COMMENT, MR. LUKE.

THANK YOU, MR. BOMBER.

IT'S, UH, GOOD TO SEE YOU'RE STILL WORKING ON, ON THESE PROJECTS.

UH, UH, I THINK I HAD HIM ON MY, UH, SHOW ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, MAYBE LONGER.

MAYBE LONGER AGO, LONGER AGO.

AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT CAN BE DONE? AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE DOING IT.

SO, UH, KUDOS FOR THAT.

UM, THE, THE, THE OTHER MAP I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT IS THE, IS THE TREE CANOPY MAP, WHICH IS PRETTY OBVIOUSLY SPLIT RIGHT DOWN I 35 AS TO AS TO, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY AREN'T.

AND, UH, I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR PLANTING MORE TREES IN, IN THOSE PLACES WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED, WHERE THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT IS REALLY PREVALENT.

THAT IS THE SLIDE THAT HAD THE, THE GREEN AND THE RED DOTS ON IT.

UM, WE HEAVILY PRIORITIZE PLANTING TREES WHERE THEY NEED TO BE PLANTED.

SO, UM, IT'S INTEGRATED INTO THE WORK OF THAT GROUP, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY FOCUSED ON EQUITY AND TRYING TO ADVANCE TREE CANOPY WHERE IT'S NEEDED MOST.

SO, BUT DO YOU HAVE A, LIKE A PLAN? DO YOU, ARE YOU WORKING ON SOMETHING TO DO THAT? UM, I, I THINK I JUST SAY THAT IT'S, IT'S PART OF THEIR WORK PLAN.

LIKE IT'S, IT'S, I THINK IT IS THEIR PLAN TO DO THAT.

CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION? SURE.

UM, MAYBE YOU SHOULD, UH, DO SOME OUTREACH TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERS AVAILABLE.

AND, UH, IN THAT LIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THE AUSTIN ECO FEST THAT WE'RE HAVING IN BARTHOLOMEW PARK ON NOVEMBER THE FIRST, WHERE WE'RE GONNA GIVE AWAY 600 TREES TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN WINDSOR PARK AREA.

AND PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE IS, UH, IS DOING OUTREACH DOOR TO DOOR SPECIFICALLY TO THOSE HOUSES THAT DO NOT HAVE A TREE IN THE FRONT YARD WHERE WE CAN PLANT ONE AND EVENTUALLY PUT SHADE ON THE STREETS SO WE CAN REDUCE THIS HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.

AND HOPEFULLY, UM, I CAN GET YOU TO SEND, SEND SOME PEOPLE OVER TO TABLE OUR EVENT.

I'VE SEEN SOME EMAILS.

I'M PRETTY SURE THEY'RE COMING.

COMMISSIONER PRIMER YOUR LIGHT'S ON.

SO, GOING WITH YOU .

WELL, I WAS, I WAS, I WAS CRUSHED THAT I WASN'T ASKED TO BE FIRST, SO I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY, WHICH IS, I KNOW IN AN ALARMING THING FOR YOU TO HEAR FROM ME, BUT, UH, I HAVE NO QUESTION, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE UPDATE ON EVERYTHING BECAUSE ABSOLUTELY.

UH, IT HELPS TIES A LOT OF THINGS TOGETHER THAT, UH, KIND OF RUN AROUND IN THE BACKGROUND THAT WE DON'T SEE VERY OFTEN.

AND SO I APPRECIATE GETTING A, A BIGGER PICTURE OF SOME OF ALL THIS STUFF THAT WE SEE KIND OF THE WEEDS.

AND NOW, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE BIGGER BACKGROUND IS, IS IMPORTANT.

BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ABSOLUTELY.

[03:25:01]

COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.

UM, COULD YOU GO BACK TO YOUR PRESENTATION? SURE.

I CAN'T, I KNOW I'M ONLY GONNA, I'M ONLY GONNA BRING THIS UP BECAUSE I HAD A LONG CON UH, PHONE CONVERSATION YESTERDAY WITH A FRIEND OF MINE WHO WAS, HAD A SLIGHT CRITICISM ABOUT IT.

UM, BUT IT MIGHT NOT BE A CRITICISM, IT JUST MIGHT BE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT INFORMATION.

SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT.

SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DATA IN THIS.

AND PART OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS HOW MUCH ENERGY OR OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ARE SAVED BASED ON DIFFERENT STRATEGIES MM-HMM .

AND WITH REGARD TO SOME OF THEM, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU CREATE, UM, MORE, UH, TRAILS AND WHATNOT FOR PEOPLE TO WALK OR RIDE BIKES OR THINGS LIKE THAT, OBVIOUSLY THAT FORM OF TRANSPORTATION, WOULD YOU PUT OUT LESS GREENHOUSE GASES? YEP.

THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU COUNT THE FACT THAT THAT HOUSEHOLD MIGHT NOT HAVE TWO CARS? SO THE POINT IS THAT THERE'S AN EMBODIED ENERGY IN, IN AN AUTOMOBILE MM-HMM .

AND SO IF YOU CAN GET BY WITH A FEWER CARS YEAH.

THEN YOU ALSO SAVE ON THE MANUFACTURING OF THAT VEHICLE.

I DON'T THINK WE CAPTURE THAT.

I, I THINK THAT ALL THAT IN THIS, WE'RE JUST CAPTURING AVOIDED TRIPS.

AND LIKE INDUCED, BECAUSE I WOULD USE MY OWN HOUSEHOLD AS AN EXAMPLE.

WE USED TO HAVE TWO CARS.

MY CAR TURNED INTO A STATUE OF A CAR BECAUSE I DIDN'T DRIVE IT ANYMORE.

AND, AND SO WE SOLD IT.

SO NOW WE'RE A ONE CAR HOUSEHOLD, BUT, SO THE POINT IS THAT WE'RE SAVING ON A WHOLE VEHICLE THAT, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER HOUSEHOLD MIGHT HAVE BOUGHT INSTEAD.

AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER SAVING.

UH, NO, I DON'T, I, THIS ANALYSIS DOESN'T CAPTURE THAT.

WE DON'T GET TO THE POINT IN THAT, IN THIS ANALYSIS WE DIDN'T INCLUDE, UH, LIKE EMBODIED CARBON OR UPSTREAM EFFECTS.

BUT IN SOME ANALYSIS WE DO.

NOT THIS ONE THOUGH.

WELL JUST WANT, I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT ONLY.

NO, IT'S BUS ONLY, ONLY BECAUSE A FRIEND OF MINE CALLED ME YESTERDAY AND CHEWED ME OUT ABOUT IT.

UM, AND SO, AND, AND YOU MIGHT, I COULD GIVE YOU CLUES TO WHO IT WAS, BUT I WON'T DO THAT.

UM, AVOIDING THE CAR, IT DEFINITELY MAKES AN IMPACT.

RIGHT? YEAH.

UH, WHAT WAS THE OTHER POINT I WANTED TO MAKE? UM, NO, I DON'T THINK I, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.

COMMISSIONER MORRISON, NO QUESTIONS FROM ME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

SECOND EAR HARRISS.

MAN, IF I HAD QUESTIONS, IT WOULD BE PRETTY ALARMING CONSIDERING THAT I AM ON THE JSC.

UM, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS PRESENTATION AND STICKING AROUND TILL THE WEE HOURS OF THE NIGHT.

UH, NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

I WAS, I WAS TOLD.

UM, SO OF COURSE MY TOP OF MIND QUESTIONS ARE ABOUT THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN, UM, WHICH IS ON SLIDE 13 IF WE WANNA BRING IT UP.

I'M NOT SEEING EVIDENCE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT HAPPENING.

I'M JUST NOT REALLY SEEING IT OUTSIDE OF THE FACE GRANT, WHICH I THINK WAS IDENTIFIED, LIKE I'M AWARE THAT THE FACE GRANT EXISTS.

UM, BUT SO, UM, SO I WOULD POINT YOU TO, I DON'T THINK I LINKED IT IN THIS, UM, BUT THEY HAVE CREATED AN, AN ALSO AN IMPLEMENTATION DASHBOARD WHERE YOU CAN GO TO WEB, A WEBSITE, AND IT HAS SORT OF LIKE STRATEGY BY STRATEGY, WHAT THE STATUS IS AND WHAT THE PLAN IS.

UM, CAN YOU GIMME AN OVERVIEW OF HOW ARE WE DOING? BECAUSE CERTAINLY WITH THE, YOU KNOW, UM, DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE SEE SOME COMING THROUGH THIS COMMISSION, LIKE I'M NOT SEEING EVIDENCE OF THE URBAN AGRICULTURE COMPONENT, FOR EXAMPLE, OR HEARING ABOUT LAND BEING PURCHASED FOR URBAN OR REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE USE.

SO IN THOSE AREAS, I, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO MM-HMM .

UM, THERE WASN'T A LOT OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING AWARDED IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS.

UM, WE HAVE OUR STAFF THAT WORK ON IT.

WE HAVE THE TRAVIS COUNTY STAFF.

UM, WE'RE, I THINK PRIMARILY TRYING TO WORK WITH OUTSIDE PARTNERS TO SORT OF INSPIRE ACTION IN THE COMMUNITY MM-HMM .

UM, BUT YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD POINT YOU TO THE DASHBOARD AND I'D POINT YOU TO THE FOOD POLICY BOARD.

AT LEAST FROM THE DEVELOPER SIDE.

I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY CHANGES TO CODE OR CRITERIA MANUALS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT I THINK WOULD, UM, HELP PUSH IMPLEMENTATION,

[03:30:01]

I'M THINKING THAT THAT'S PROBABLY A SHORTFALL IN THE SYSTEM.

WE HAVE THIS VISION PLAN, BUT WE DON'T HAVE, UM, THE MANDATE FOR EXECUTION.

I THINK.

SO, UM, YEAH.

ANYWAY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT.

I APPRECIATE OTHERS STARTING TO BRING IT UP MORE IN THE CONVERSATION WITH DEVELOPERS, BUT I THINK UNTIL WE MANDATE IT, IT'S NOT GONNA BE YEAH.

NOT GONNA BE.

AND IF, AND IF YOU WANNA DIVE DEEPLY INTO THAT, EDWIN IN THE FOOD TEAM WOULD BE GLAD TO TALK TO YOU.

WHO, WHO IS ON THE FOOD TEAM AHEAD? UH, EDWARD MARTY IS THE FOOD POLICY MANAGER.

OH YEAH.

HE'D BE THE MAIN PERSON TO COME WITH.

AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER COUGAR, I HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH HIM AND WE HAVE A DATE IN, IN DECEMBER FOR HIM TO COME TALK TO YOU GUYS, AND I SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU THAT.

I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.

UM, AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, UM, PAGE EIGHT WHERE WE JUST WERE THE, YOU KNOW, ACQUIRING LAND AND PROTECTING OPEN SPACES.

UHHUH IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.

UM, ONE OF THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES, UHHUH, , WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT ARE WE DOING THERE? , HAVE WE PURCHASED ANY NEW LAND RECENTLY? OR WHAT ACTIONS ARE WE TAKINGS ON THAT? UM, IN NOT THIS BUDGET CYCLE, BUT THE PREVIOUS ONE, UM, COUNCIL ALLOCATED $50 MILLION TO BE SPENT ON OPEN SPACE ACQUISITION.

UM, I LED A PRESS DEPARTMENTAL TEAM WITH WATERSHED AND AUSTIN WATER, UM, AND PARKS.

THEY'VE IDENTIFIED PROPERTIES AND THEY ARE SPENDING ON DOWN THAT MONEY TO DO EXACTLY, UH, THAT THING.

UM, THE OTHER, THE NEXT PLACE THAT IT WOULD, THAT IT WILL BE HAPPENING, UM, IS IN THE BOND MM-HMM .

SO IN THE UPCOMING 2026 BOND, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND, UM, SETTING ASIDE MONEY TO PURCHASE LAND AND RIGHT.

OPEN SPACE.

SO THAT'S THE MAIN WAY, UM, JUST BECAUSE LAND'S EXPENSIVE AND, UM, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH MONEY.

AND FOR THE 50 MILLION THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED, IS THAT ALLOCATED TOWARDS LAND FOR CONSERVATION OR IS THAT JUST CITY ACQUIRING PROPERTIES THAT COULD THEN BE CONVERTED INTO OTHER USES? UH, IT'S A, SO WE WENT THROUGH A, UH, THE COUNCIL DIRECTION WAS FOR US TO LOOK AT THE BALANCE OF, UM, CONSERVATION PURPOSES, WATERSHED AND WATER PROTECTIONS, UM, AND ALSO PARKS MM-HMM .

SO WE CREATED A WHOLE PROCESS AND MATRIX TO ANALYZE LIKE THE CONFLUENCE OF THOSE THREE FACTORS.

UM, AND WE'RE PURCHASING, AND THE PLAN, UM, IS TO ACQUIRE LAND THAT DOES ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

AND SOME OF THE PROPERTIES ARE KIND OF PARKS ONLY.

SOME OF THE PROPERTIES ARE KIND OF CONSERVATION ONLY.

UM, SOME ARE SPECIFIC WATERSHED PROTECTION PROPERTIES.

SO I WONDER, I MEAN, WITH THE PARKS LAND, UM, THERE ARE TALKS OF BUILDING AN LGBTQIA PLUS CULTURAL CENTER IN AUSTIN, WHICH I AM IN FAVOR OF MM-HMM .

BUT THAT WILL COME TO US THROUGH THE PARKS.

AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHEN WE SAY, OH, IT'S $50 MILLION OF LAND TOWARDS OPEN GREEN SPACE, AT LEAST GOING INTO PARKS IS NO, NO SECURITY OF, OF CONSERVATION AND ULTIMATELY HELPING WITH CLIMATE.

SO IT, IT COULD BE GREAT FOR OTHER CAUSES, BUT YEAH.

THE, THE FOCUS OF MUCH OF THAT MONEY WAS CONSERVATION PURPOSES.

UM, AND IN THE BOND PROCESS, I BELIEVE THAT PAR IS ASKING FOR THEIR OWN FUNDING FOR PARKS PURPOSES.

AND THAT, UM, THE OPEN SPACE, UM, PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD ARE REALLY FOR OPEN SPACE AND FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES.

AND LAST I JUST WANNA ASK ABOUT, UH, THE RESILIENCE HUBS AND THAT PILOT PROJECT.

DOES THAT COME UNDER YOUR AUSPICE? UM, SO THAT WORK HAS BEEN SPUN INTO HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND THEY NOW MANAGE WHAT'S CALLED THE AUSTIN RESILIENCE NETWORK.

MM.

SO THEY WORK HAND IN HAND WITH PARD AND LIBRARIES ON THE PHYSICAL FACILITIES THAT THE CITY OWNS TO ACTIVATE, TO OPEN THOSE DURING EVERYTHING FROM COLD WEATHER TO LIKE WHEN THERE'S A POWER OUTAGE.

UM, BUT THEN THEY ALSO ARE DEVELOPING CONTRACTS AND MOUS WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE FOOD BANK, UM, AND OTHERS TO ESSENTIALLY HAVE A WHOLE NETWORK OF GROUPS AND PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU CAN CALL ON WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN.

UM, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT THEY'VE SORT OF LEARNED OVER THE YEARS IS THAT, UM, WE NEED TO BE READY FOR EVERYTHING.

AND JUST HAVING ONE FACILITY IN ONE PLACE, UM, ISN'T REALLY THE BEST STRATEGY FOR THESE MULTI-PRONGED, SORT OF INSANE STACK DISASTERS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING.

WHO ARE IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECTS AND THE PROGRAMS WITHIN IT.

UM, AND THEN LAST WITH THE HEAT RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK MM-HMM .

I SEE THAT YOU SAY IT'S NOT A PLAN, THERE'S NO BUDGET TIMELINE OR REPORTING INVOLVED IN IT.

SO WHO DO YOU ANTICIPATE USING THIS PLAYBOOK? HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE IT BEING USED? UM, IT'S BEING USED BY OUR DEPARTMENTS

[03:35:01]

UM, AND IT TURNS OUT THERE IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE REPORTING, LIKE THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A AUDIT DONE OF EXTREME HEAT PREPAREDNESS DONE LIKE EARLIER THIS YEAR.

UM, AND IT TURNS OUT WE ARE GONNA REPORT ON PROGRESS AND WHAT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED AND WHERE WE'RE BEING SUCCESSFUL, SO.

UM, I'VE GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

SO FIRST OFF, ON, ON, UM, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT PAGE IT IS, BUT IT'S THE ONE, AUSTIN MM-HMM .

YOU'VE GOT THE THREE, YOU KNOW, CIRCLES THERE.

YOU KNOW, NOWHERE IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT WE TALK ABOUT WILDLIFE OR BIODIVERSITY, I'D LOVE TO SEE A CIRCLE THERE THAT TALKS ABOUT INCREASING WILDLIFE AND BIODIVERSITY.

YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE A, ON THE NEXT PAGE IT IS.

THAT IS A CORE TENANT.

IT'S PART OF VIBRANT ECOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

OH, IT'S ON THE PYRAMID, NOT THE CIRCLE.

UM, SO THEN ON THE, UM, ON YOUR TREE MAP, YOU KNOW, FIRST OFF, UH, THANKS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, $30 MILLION WORTH OF TREES, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER AND I TALK A LOT ABOUT THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE MM-HMM .

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE RESPECT THE FACT THAT IT'S PRAIRIE MM-HMM .

AND NOT, YOU KNOW, HILL COUNTRY.

UM, AND, AND NOT FILLING IT UP WITH TREES UNLESS THOSE ARE IN, IN THE BOTTOM LANDS AND ALONG THE CREEKS AND REPAIRING AREAS.

UM, YOU'VE GOT A BIG, BIG CHUNK OVER HERE IN THIS QUADRANT THAT'S BETWEEN ONE 30 AND TWO 90 MM-HMM .

UM, THAT REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, CORE BLACK, LIMP PRAIRIE.

SO JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE WHEN WE, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THAT.

UM, AND THEN, UM, SORRY, USUALLY I PUT IT ON ONE PAGE, BUT NOT TODAY.

UM, WHEN YOU WERE, UM, TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, SPACES, UM, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING THAT PARK LANDS MM-HMM .

UM, AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WITH THAT $50 MILLION, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FILLING IN SOME OF THE GAPS FOR, UM, FOR RESIDENTS BEING WITHIN A QUARTER MILE WALKING DISTANCE OF A PARK.

UM, AND SO, UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE COMMUNITIES DON'T NECESSARILY MEET THAT YET.

UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLOSING 13 SCHOOLS, UM, BECAUSE OF A PRETTY SERIOUS REDUCTION, UM, IN OUR, IN OUR POPULATION OF CHILDREN.

UM, AND THEN ALSO OF COURSE, DEFUNDING OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS, DIFFERENT TOPIC, BUT MM-HMM .

UM, THOSE 13 SPACES HAVE A LOT OF LAND.

UM, AND SO THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE INCORPORATE THAT? HOW DO WE USE THOSE, UM, PROPERTIES, UH, IS THERE OPPORTUNITY THERE INSTEAD OF JUST SELLING THEM OFF AND DEVELOPING THEM, UH, WHICH IS WHAT I'M SURE, UM, CERTAIN DEVELOPERS ARE CHOMPING AT THE BIT FOR.

UM, BUT THOSE ARE GREAT SPACES FOR COMMUNITY GARDENS, PARKLANDS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, UH, CHILDCARE, HOUSING, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR TO CREATE RESILIENCY, UM, ESPECIALLY RIGHT.

IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.

SO, YEP.

UH, OF COURSE IT'S ALWAYS BEST USED AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN MY MIND, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF NOT, UH, MAYBE WE TURN INTO A WIN FOR RESILIENCY.

SO, UM, THAT, THAT CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING WITH THE BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE.

GOOD.

I'VE HEARD THAT MENTIONED MULTIPLE TIMES AT CITY HALL AND AT THOSE MEETINGS, SO, GOOD.

GOOD.

EXCELLENT.

UM, YEAH, THAT'S ALL I GOT.

I MEAN, GREAT.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

THANKS FOR STAYING LATE.

NO PROBLEM.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.

WE'LL SEE YOU.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.

HOPEFULLY MAYBE IN A YEAR, UM, FOR COMING BACK TO US AND ALWAYS GIVING US AN UPDATE, SO.

MAYBE WE CAN PROMISE TO LET HIM GO FIRST NEXT TIME.

UM, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. LOOK AT Y'ALL FACES.

WHATEVER HAPPENS, WE WON'T PUT YOU BEHIND THE YMCA PROMISE THAT OKAY.

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

IT'S SO, Y'ALL ARE ADORABLE.