* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] GOOD MORNING [Call to Order] EVERYBODY. IT IS 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON OCTOBER 23RD, 2025, AND I WILL CALL TO ORDER THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENT. WELL, WE DID. YEAH, WE DO. UM, HE'S OUT THERE. YEAH. , COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, ARE YOU AVAILABLE? OH, THERE WE ARE. COUNCILMAN HARPER MADISON'S HERE. SO WE HAVE A CORPSMAN CITY COUNCIL PRESENT. UH, WE ARE MEETING IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WHICH ARE LOCATED IN CITY HALL AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET. UH, BEFORE I GO THROUGH THE, THE MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, IS ABSENT TODAY BY, AND SHE'S CONDUCTING IMPORTANT CITY BUSINESS FOR US. UH, SO IN ALL THE, IF I FAIL TO CALL OUT ON ANY OF THE VOTES TODAY, I WANNA SAY FOR THE RECORD THAT SHE IS, UH, ABSENT ON IMPORTANT CITY BUSINESS. BEFORE I GO THROUGH THE ORDER OF THE DAY, I WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, COLLEAGUES, A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, UM, ANYTIME I'M ABSENT, IF YOU CAN PLEASE MAKE SURE TO SAY THAT IT IS ON IMPORTANT CITY BUSINESS, I WILL DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT. THAT'S A CA THAT IS A CASE BY CASE JUDGMENT COUNCIL TWO. UH, THE MAYOR HASN'T RECOGNIZED ME FIRST, JUST, JUST, IT WASN'T JUST TO INFORM Y'ALL THAT THE DALLAS COWBOYS WON THIS PAST WEEKEND, BUT THEY DID. UM, YEAH, SO FAR YOU HAVEN'T ADDRESSED ANYTHING THAT THE HOMIE, WE ARE YET COLLEAGUES TODAY. TODAY I AM, AND EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE, I'M A LITTLE P****D. A LOT OF SAD AND SOMEHOW STILL EXCITED, UH, BECAUSE TODAY THE BOSS OF THE DISTRICT THREE OFFICE HEADS FOR GREENER PASTURES, APPARENTLY BECAUSE SHE FOUND A BETTER JOSE. ONE WHO DOESN'T BLAST JOHN MAYER AND GANGSTER RAP MUSIC IN EQUAL MEASURE THE PRIDE OF SOCORRO TEXAS. LIZETTE SCARFACE MELENDEZ IS A PROUD GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND RICE UNIVERSITY. HER LIFE HAS BEEN A TESTAMENT TO SERVICE FIRST SHAPING YOUNG MINDS AS HIS PRE-K TEACHER, THEN SERVING ALONGSIDE COUNCIL MEMBER RENTERIA, WHO IS ALSO HERE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. THEN FOLLOWING HER, CALLING IN EDUCATION ALL THE WAY TO DENVER. BUT THE GREAT CITY OF AUSTIN CALLED HER HOME, AND SOON AFTER HER SISTER'S RIDICULOUS FRIEND ASKED HER TO TAKE ONE MORE LEAP AND HELP HIM SERVE, SERVE THIS COMMUNITY AS THE DISTRICT THREE CHIEF OF STAFF. SHE DIDN'T HESITATE. SHE JUMPED. AND FROM THAT MOMENT, SHE STITCHED, STITCHED TOGETHER EVERY MOVING PIECE, TEACHING ALL OF US A MASTERCLASS IN COMPASSION AND PRAGMATISM. LIZETTE MELENDEZ, YOU HAVE SERVED THIS CITY WITH GREAT COURAGE, CONVICTION, AND AN UNRELENTING COMPASSION THAT I ASPIRE TO. AUSTIN OWES YOU A DEBT OF GRATITUDE BECAUSE YOU HAVE MADE IT BETTER, KINDER AND STRONGER THAN YOU FOUND IT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. YOU TOOK A WIDE-EYED EAST AUSTIN ACTIVIST, DUSTED HIM OFF AND SOMEHOW TURNED HIM INTO SOMEWHAT OF A RESPECTABLE COUNCILMAN SINCE THE DAY I WAS ELECTED, PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, SO HOW GLAD ARE YOU THAT YOU ARE THE BOSS NOW? AND SINCE THE DAY I WAS ELECTED, I HAVE RESPONDED WITH LIZETTE MELENDEZ IS THE BOSS. I'M JUST A PROUD MEMBER OF THE DISTRICT THREE STAFF TO MY BOSS, MY SISTER, OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, BECAUSE OF THE BATTLES YOU HAVE FOUGHT WITH ME AND FOR ME AND FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. I'M A BETTER LEADER, A BETTER COUNCILMAN, AND A BETTER MAN. I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU. AND WE WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE BEST ON YOUR NEW JOURNEY. NO, NO, NO, NO. AND THIS IS A DISTINCT DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD. I HONESTLY DON'T EVER NEED A MIC. THEY JUST GIVE ME ONE. THIS SERVICE AWARD FOR ALL OF OUR YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ AND, AND, UM, LIZETTE. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. UM, FOR THE RECORD, COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ HAS NOW USED UP ALL OF HIS WORDS FOR THIS COUNCILMAN . WE APPRECIATE THIS VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, LET ME, UH, GO THROUGH THE ORDER OF THE DAY. UH, WE, UH, I'LL START BY, UH, TALKING ABOUT OUR CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS IN THE RECORD. WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, ANY CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS THAT I NEED TO READ IN THE RECORD. UH, THE ORDER OF THE DAY WILL BE THAT IN JUST A MOMENT, WE WILL TAKE UP [00:05:01] THE CONSENT AGENDA. UH, WE WILL TAKE UP SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. UH, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES, AND WE WILL THEN AT THE END OF THAT, UH, HAVE DISCUSSION BRIEF REMARKS FROM COUNSEL AND TAKE AND TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA. WE WILL THEN, UH, IT DEPENDS ON HOW TIMING WORKS OUT, UH, BUT WE HAVE ONE PULLED ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA MEMBERS, AND THAT IS ITEM NUMBER 11, PULLED BY COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN. UH, NON-CONSENT ITEMS INCLUDE ITEMS FROM COUNCIL COMMITTEES. WE HAVE THREE OF THOSE ITEMS, 58, 59, AND 88. WE HAVE IMMINENT DOMAIN ITEMS. ITEM 60, 61 AND 62. WE HAVE FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. ITEM 63 THROUGH 66 AROUND NOON, AND AS CLOSE TO NOON AS WE CAN GET IT. AND IF WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING, WE WILL PAUSE THAT, WHATEVER IT IS WE'RE WORKING ON TO TAKE UP OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, WHICH WILL BE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND MUSIC. I ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WILL TAKE TO ABOUT 1230, UH, 1230 TO 1235, AT WHICH POINT WE WILL RECESS FOR LIVE MUSIC AND WE WILL COME BACK AROUND ONE 10. I'LL MAKE THAT MORE SPECIFIC AS WE GET TO IT. AND OF COURSE, AT TWO O'CLOCK, WE WILL HAVE OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN FOR ZONING ITEMS. WITH THAT, UNLESS THERE'S [Consent Agenda (Part 1 of 2)] ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, WE WILL GO TO THE CONSENT AGENDA AND I WILL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK AND ASK THE CITY CLERK TO PLEASE BEGIN THE PROCESS OF CALLING SPEAKERS. FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL THAT ARE HERE TO SPEAK, UH, IN PERSON, UH, SHE WILL CALL THREE TO FOUR OR FIVE NAMES AT A TIME. WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND PLEASE FIND A PLACE TO SIT, UH, EITHER, UH, UPFRONT IF THERE'S, IF A CHAIR CHAIR AVAILABLE WHERE WE HAVE, UH, THE MICROPHONES FOR SPEAKERS, GO AHEAD AND TAKE ONE OF THOSE, UH, SEATS. WE ONLY ASK THAT YOU STATE YOUR FULL NAME FOR THE RECORD, UH, BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR TESTIMONY. OTHERWISE, JUST TAKE ONE OF THE SEATS IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE SEATS. THAT WAY WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE READY TO GO AND, AND WE CAN CALL ON YOU. WITH THAT, I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ON ITEM TWO, WE HAVE JOE BALA AND TAYLOR NICOLO. ARE EITHER OF THOSE PEOPLE HERE? OKAY. PLEASE COME FORWARD. GO AHEAD AND CALL A COUPLE OF OTHER NAMES SO PEOPLE WILL KNOW. ON ITEM FIVE, WE WILL HAVE MEGAN MEISENBACH. PLEASE TAKE A SEAT. JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS TAYLOR NICOLO AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO EXPRESS OUR STRONG SUPPORT FOR ITEM TWO, THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, UNCONVENTIONAL, A TX. AUSTIN IS KNOWN FOR BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, WHETHER IT'S LIVE MUSIC, TECH, INNOVATION, OR MAJOR EVENTS THAT PUT OUR CITY ON THE MAP. AND WHILE OUR CITY HAS EXPERIENCED TREMENDOUS GROWTH OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, AUSTIN'S CONVENTION CENTER HAS DONE ADEQUATELY KEPT PACE WITH OUR GROWTH. TOO OFTEN, WE ARE TURNING AWAY OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF LIMITED SPACE AND THE CONVENTION CENTER RE REDEVELOPMENT FINALLY CHANGES THAT. THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER WOULD ALLOW AUSTIN TO WELCOME MORE VISITORS AND EVENTS SUPPORTING LOCAL RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE CITY. DESPITE BEING THE 13TH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, WE HAVE THE 61ST LARGEST CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH LEADS TO CONSTANT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES BEING TURNED DOWN DUE TO SIZE AND SCHEDULE CONSTRAINTS. THIS HURTS ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION IN AUSTIN. WHAT'S EVEN MORE EXCITING ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS HOW IT REFLECTS AUSTIN'S VALUES. IT'S DESIGNED TO BE THE FIRST ZERO CARBON CONVENTION CENTER IN THE WORLD, POWERED ENTIRELY BY RENEWABLE ENERGY AND WILL FEATURE ONE OF THE LARGEST PUBLIC ART INVESTMENTS IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY. IT'S NOT JUST A BIGGER BUILDING, IT'S A MORE CONNECTED, COMMUNITY CENTERED SPACE THAT CREATES LOCAL JOBS AND INVITES MORE PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE AUSTIN'S CREATIVE SPIRIT. ON BEHALF OF THE CHAMBER, I WANT TO THANK CITY LEADERSHIP AND THE STAFF FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS VISION UNCONVENTIONAL A TX REPRESENTS THE BEST OF AUSTIN, INNOVATIVE, SUSTAINABLE, AND INCLUSIVE, AND WE'RE PROUD TO SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM, PLEASE. GOOD MORNING, COUNSEL. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS MEETING WHERE WE CAN SPEAK TO YOU. I'M MEGAN MEISENBACH OF THE JUDGES HILL NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, WHICH IS PART OF DOWNTOWN. I WANTED TO SPEAK ON, UM, THE MONEY BEING, UM, FORWARDED TO THE CONVENTION CENTER. THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT THE HOTEL MOTEL, UH, TAX CAN DO FOR THE CITY IN TERMS OF CULTURE PARKS, AND IT DOESN'T NEED TO GO TO THIS CONVENTION CENTER THAT WE JUST KNOCKED DOWN THE OLD ONE AND ANOTHER ONE'S GOING TO BE BILLED AT THE RACETRACK. SO I ASK YOU TO NOT APPROPRIATE THE MONEY AT THIS TIME AND WAIT FOR THE PETITION THAT IS AGAINST THE CONVENTION CENTER [00:10:01] TO BE, UH, FOR CERTIFIED OR NOT CERTIFIED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. FOR ITEM EIGHT, WE HAVE KIMBERLY LEVINSON, JOE BASH, BILL BUNCH, MATT GKE. I'M KIMBERLY LEVINSON, DISTRICT NINE. UH, I'M PART OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, BUT I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF ON THIS ISSUE. UM, I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER, AND SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO APPROVE BOTH ITEMS EIGHT AND NINE TODAY. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT AUSTIN NOT BE LEFT WITHOUT A CONVENTION CENTER IN ITS DOWNTOWN AREA. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR TOURISM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OVERALL TAX DOLLARS, AND THE CITY REALLY CANNOT FOREGO THE REVENUE ON THIS. AND BECAUSE THE, UH, MONEY IS NOT, FOR THE MOST PART, COMING OUT OF THE CITY'S GENERAL REVENUE TO BUILD THE CONVENTION CENTER, IT IS COMING OUT OF HOT TAX DOLLARS. I THINK THAT IT MAKES FINANCIAL SENSE. SO I'M NOT GONNA SPEND A LOT OF YOUR TIME ON THIS, UM, BUT I DO JUST WANNA SAY THAT I HOPE THAT YOU'LL SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE THIS IS GOOD FOR DOWNTOWN. THANK YOU, MR. BUNCH. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, BILL BUNCH, DISTRICT FIVE SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE. UH, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM EIGHT IS $46 MILLION OF REFUNDING BONDS TO PAY OFF THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT Y'ALL JUST DESTROYED THE DEBT FOR THAT. NOW, JUST LET THAT SINK IN FOR A SECOND. HOW MUCH SENSE DOES IT MAKE TO BE ISSUING $46 MILLION OF NEW DEBT, NEW DEBT INSTRUMENTS TO PAY OFF SOMETHING YOU JUST GOT THROUGH DESTROYING WITH VIRTUALLY ZERO DUE DILIGENCE? IT REALLY MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. IT'S TIME TO PUT THE BREAKS ON THIS. UM, Y'ALL SHOULD KNOW BY NOW, AND I WANT IT ON PUBLIC RECORD, THAT, UH, AUSTIN UNITED PAC DID FILE A VALID PETITION WITH THE CITY CLERK THAT THE CITY CLERK'S CURRENTLY REVIEWING, UH, WITH A LOT MORE THAN THE 20,000 SIGNATURES THAT OUR AUSTIN CITY CHARTER REQUIRES TO FORCE YOU TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS, TO EITHER ADOPT THE PETITIONED ORDINANCE WITHOUT AMENDMENT, OR TO PUT IT ON THE NEXT BALLOT. UM, IT IS TIME FOR Y'ALL TO STOP DIGGING THIS, UH, MAGIC HOLE. NOBODY BELIEVES IN IT. UH, IT'S A PHENOMENAL WASTE OF MONEY AND IT'S A BETRAYAL OF THE CITY AND WHAT REALLY MAKES THIS CITY SPECIAL. OUR ARTS, OUR CULTURE, OUR LIVE MUSIC, OUR UNIQUE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, THAT'S WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE HERE. THAT'S WHAT BRINGS, IT'S A REALLY IN, IN ADDITION TO OUR, UH, NATURE IN THE CITY PARKS, THAT'S WHAT MAKES AUSTIN OUR ENTIRE ECONOMY'S. BASED ON THAT, THE CONVENTION CENTER CONTRIBUTES ALMOST NOTHING. UM, IT'S TIME TO, UH, PAY OFF. THANK YOU, WHAT YOU DID ALREADY. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME IS MATT GSKI. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, AND I BELIEVE IN THIS PROJECT. I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ITEMS EIGHT AND NINE. OUR ROLE AT DAA IS TO BE STEWARDS AND PROMOTERS OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN. PART OF OUR STEWARDSHIP IS TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE SMALL BUSINESSES WHO ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE VIBRANCY AND VITALITY OF DOWNTOWN. THEY PROVIDE JOBS TO AUSTINITES, PROMOTE AUSTIN'S UNIQUE CULTURE AND CONTRIBUTE TO ALL OF AUSTIN THROUGH THEIR SALES TAX. ADDITIONALLY, CONFERENCE TOURISM CONTRIBUTES HEAVILY TO THE PROMOTION OF AUSTIN AROUND THE WORLD AND PROVIDES FOOT TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN DURING NON-PEAK DAYS OF THE WEEK. THESE, THOSE FOLKS SPEND MONEY AT THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES. MOST IF NOT ALL, SMALL BUSINESSES NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTER RELY HEAVILY ON CONFERENCE TOURISM, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE WORKING WITH THOSE BUSINESSES TO SUPPORT THEIR WORK WHILE THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER IS BEING BUILT. ITEMS EIGHT AND NINE ARE IMPORTANT STEP TO ENSURING THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER STAYS ON TIME AND ON BUDGET. IF THOSE ITEMS ARE NOT APPROVED TODAY, WE FEAR THAT MANY SMALL BUSINESSES AND THEIR JOBS WILL LOSE, WILL CLOSE, AND LEAD DOWNTOWN. WE RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU APPROVE ITEMS EIGHT AND NINE TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THANK YOU. ON ITEM NINE, WE HAVE KIMBERLY LEVINSON, TOM NEWNAN, ERICA BOYD, CHRISTINE KRAMER. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. FEEL FREE TO GRAB A CHAIR AND WE'LL CALL YOU IN THE ORDER. I JUST WANNA REITERATE WHAT MATT SAID ABOUT HOW DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES REALLY DO [00:15:01] RELY ON CONVENTION BUSINESSES. IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD LEAVE A HUGE HOLE IN DOWNTOWN, IN THE FINANCES OF DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES, SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, WITHOUT A CONVENTION CENTER HERE. SO WE DO NEED TO PAY OFF THE OLD ONE AND GET THE NEW ONE BUILT AND, UM, I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU'LL SUPPORT THAT. THANK YOU. TOM NUNAN HAS TIME DONATED BY STEVE GENI. STEVE, ARE YOU HERE? YES, HE'S IN THE BACK THERE. PERFECT. YOU WILL HAVE SIX MINUTES. SORRY, FOUR MINUTES. CHRISTINE KRAMER, YOU'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES. YOU NEED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO, YOU NEED TO DO THAT IN ADVANCE. SO I JUST DID. IT'S, I CAN HANDLE IT IN FOUR. MAYOR, PLEASE DO SO. THANK YOU. HAVE TO ARGUE ABOUT IT. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, I'M TOM NUNAN, PRESIDENT, CEO OF VISIT AUSTIN. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ALL THE ITEMS REGARDING THE CONVENTION CENTER TODAY, BUT ESPECIALLY ITEMS THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW. THIS BUILDING IS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR AUSTIN, RIGHT? SO, AND THIS HAS BEEN A 10 YEAR CONVERSATION, A VERY PUBLIC CONVERSATION. WE HAD A TOURISM TASK FORCE STUDY THIS FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. WE HAD A TOURISM COMMISSION STUDY IT FOR A YEAR. WE HAD A UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS STUDY DONE. WE HAD A CITY COUNCIL VOTE, AND THEN WE HAD A PUBLIC ELECTION PROP B IN 2019. AND OVERWHELMINGLY, EVERYBODY APPROVED THIS PROJECT. SO THIS HAS BEEN A WELL CONVERSED CONVERSATION. WE ARE THE 13TH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA. WE HAD THE 61ST LARGEST CONVENTION CENTER. IF WE BUILD THE NEW ONE, WE'LL BE 35. IF WE DON'T, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE PALMER EVENT CENTER. NICE BUILDING. IT'S THE 203RD LARGEST CONVENTION FACILITY IN AMERICA. IT HAS FIVE BREAKOUTS AND NO KITCHEN. WE'RE NOT GONNA BE IN THE MEETINGS BUSINESS IN THIS CASE. BIGGER DOES MEAN BETTER. I WILL TELL YOU WHAT, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 14 DEFINITE BOOKINGS FOR THE NEW BUILDING. WE HAVE 65 TENTATIVES FOR THIS NEW BUILDING, AND WE HAVE OF, OF THOSE 13 ARE GETTING READY TO GO TO CONTRACT MODE AS WELL. SO WE MAY SOON HAVE 27 BOOKINGS FOR THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER. LEISURE TOURISM IS WEEKEND TOURISM WHO FILLS HOTEL ROOMS SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAYS. MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS DO BOTH FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER AND IN-HOUSE MEETINGS AT HOTELS TO DELAY THIS OR CANCEL THIS PROJECT. IN MY OPINION, THE ECONOMIC DROP FOR DOWNTOWN WOULD BE SECOND ONLY TO WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID AND IT'D BE PERMANENT. THE TIMING OF THIS PETITION IS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE IT LEAVES US WITHOUT A CONVENTION CENTER AT ALL. WE HAVE 140,000 PEOPLE THAT DEPEND ON HOSPITALITY TOURISM FOR THEIR JOBS, AND THIS WOULD BE DEVASTATING. PETITIONERS, PETITIONERS WAITED UNTIL THE CENTER WAS TORN DOWN TO START COLLECTING SIGNATURES, SO WE'D BE LEFT OUTTA COMMISSION CENTER. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WE COULD HAVE HAD THIS VOTE IN 21, 22, 23, OR 24 AND HAD THE BUILDING IN PLACE, BUT NOW THEY DECIDE TO DO IT AFTER WE TORE THE CONVENTION CENTER DOWN, LEAVING US WITH NO CONVENTION CENTER WHATSOEVER. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT HOTEL TAX. IN 2014, WE STARTED SEEING HOTELS LIKE THE JW MARRIOTT, THE FAIRMONT, AND THE A MD AND OTHERS COME INTO OUR MARKETPLACE. WE COLLECTED $68 MILLION IN HOTEL TAX. 7 MILLION OF THAT WENT TO THE ARTS. NOW IN 2024, WE COLLECTED $163 MILLION OF HOTEL TAX. 20 MILLION WENT TO ARTS, 20 MILLION WENT TO HERITAGE, WHICH IS A 300, ALMOST A 300% INCREASE IN HOTEL TAX SELECTION FOR ARTS AND HERITAGE. AUSTIN COLLECTS MORE HOT FOR ARTS AND HERITAGE THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WE'RE PROUD OF THAT, BUT WE ARE AT OUR 15% MAX IN THOSE BUCKETS. THE ONLY WAY TO GROW ARTS AND HERITAGE FUNDING IS TO GROW OVERALL HOT COLLECTIONS. NOT HAVING A CONVENTION CENTER IS NOT GONNA HELP US. THE SPREAD MISINFORMATION, IN MY OPINION, THAT THE FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER CAN BE USED FOR THINGS LIKE ARTS AND MUSIC AND OUR PARKS IS MISLEADING AND DAMAGING TO OUR INDUSTRY. AND I THINK WHEN THE OTHER SHOE DROPS AND THE MEETINGS AND BUSINESS ISN'T COMING HERE AND THEY SEE A FURTHER DROP IN HOTEL TAX AND THAT IMPACTS WHAT ARTS AND HERITAGE IS GONNA RECEIVE, I FEEL BAD FOR THAT COMMUNITY TO FIND OUT IN THE BACKSIDE. THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. AND I THINK ABOUT HAVING A WHOLE DOWNTOWN NEXT TO THE WORK WE'RE DOING AT THE WATERLOO GREENWAY AND THE PALM PARK AND RAINY STREET AND THE CONFLUENCE AND OLD SIX AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. IT'S NOT GONNA BE VERY ATTRACTIVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR HOSPITALITY TOURISM PARTNERS THAT ARE HERE TO SUPPORT US, AND I MOSTLY WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL TODAY BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN CHAMPIONS FOR THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, NOT ONLY FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE TOURISM PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, BUT YOU, YOU RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANT AND THE NUMBER OF JOBS THAT THIS INDUSTRY HAS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A GREAT PLAN. IT'S WORKING. LET'S NOT BREAK IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MR. N. STILL ON ITEM NINE. JOE BI, JEFF DONAHOE, ROB GILLETTE, JOANNA MCCREARY. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. WE'LL BEGIN WITH YOU, SIR, PLEASE. [00:20:01] THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNSEL. UH, I WOULD JUST ECHO A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT MY COLLEAGUE, UH, MR. NUNAN JUST REFERRED TO, AND THAT IS THAT THIS IS REALLY THE HEART OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY HERE IN AUSTIN, AND I CAN GIVE YOU A GRAPHIC DEMONSTRATION OF THAT. UM, I HAVE NOW PROUDLY 373 TEAM MEMBERS THAT WORK IN MY BUILDING FULL TIME. THE WIDE MAJORITY OF THOSE ALL RESIDING WITHIN YOUR ELECTORATE. UH, I HAD BEFORE THE CONVENTION CENTER CLOSED 420 TEAM MEMBERS. UH, THE BUSINESS IMPACT THAT WE SAW AS AN INDUSTRY WAS IMMEDIATE, AND BECAUSE WE ARE AN OCCUPANCY BASED INDUSTRY, IT IMPACTS THOSE THAT NEED THOSE JOBS THE MOST. IMMEDIATELY. I SHARE MR. NEWNAN'S CONCERN THAT IF IN THE MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS INDUSTRY, WE ARE PERCEIVED AS GETTING OUT OF THAT SECTOR, UH, AND THAT A DELAY OR A SEVEN YEAR STALL ON THE CONVENTION CENTER DEVELOPMENT IS AN EVENTUALITY, IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING NOT ONLY TO OUR INDUSTRY AND NOT ONLY TO HOT TECHS, BUT TO THE FAMILIES AND THE TEAM MEMBERS IN MY HOTEL THAT RELY ON THOSE JOBS. I LEFT THE HOTEL THIS MORNING AND, UH, FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO RUN INTO ONE OF MY TEAM MEMBERS TO ASK ME WHERE I WAS GOING, AND I TOLD THEM, AND THEY IMPLORED ME TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THEY COME TO ME EVERY SINGLE DAY AND I WISH I COULD SHARE THEIR QUESTIONS DIRECTLY. WHAT AM I GONNA DO IF THEY DON'T REBUILD THE CENTER? WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO MY JOB? HOW AM I GONNA PAY MY BILLS? THE IMPACT THAT THIS CENTER HAS FOR OUR INDUSTRY AND FOR THIS CITY'S TREMENDOUS ON MANY LEVELS, IT WILL HEIGHTEN, UH, THE TAXES THAT ARE COLLECTED. THANK YOU, SIR. SIR, COULD YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME? YES. UH, I'M JOE BOLES, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE HILTON AUSTIN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR, DISTINGUISHED COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JEFF DONAHOE. I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE HYATT REGENCY HOTEL HERE IN DOWNTOWN 2024. HYATT REGENCY AUSTIN PAID $2.9 MILLION OF HOTEL TAX AND AN ADDITIONAL $1.8 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAXES. I'M HERE THIS MORNING AS A VERY CONCERNED BUSINESS LEADER AND AN EXCEPTIONALLY CONCERNED CITIZEN SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF AND ASKING FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER. HALTING THE PROGRESS ON, OR GOD FORBID, ELIMINATING THIS PROJECT DOWNTOWN WOULD BE NOTHING SHORT OF CATASTROPHIC FOR THIS DESTINATION, FOR THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY, FOR THE HOTEL COMMUNITY, AND FOR THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HOTEL WORKERS THAT WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AND PUT A NAME TAG ON JUST LIKE I DO. GROUP AND EVENT BUSINESS IS CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS. IN FACT, 56% OF ALL OF OUR REVENUE IN MY BUILDING COMES DIRECTLY FROM A GROUP CUSTOMER, MANY OF WHOM WOULD NOT BE HERE WITH THE ABSENCE OF A CONVENTION CENTER. CONTINUING THE PROGRESS OF THE DEVELOP, MAKE, MAKES GOOD BUSINESS SENSE. IT ENSURES THE VIBRANCY OF OUR DOWNTOWN FOR DECADES TO COME, AND IT IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS. IN CLOSING, I WOULD APPEAL TO COUNCIL ON A MUCH MORE PERSONAL LEVEL AS TO WHY THIS DEVELOPMENT IS SO CRITICAL. AT HYATT REGENCY AUSTIN, WE EMPLOY 240 OF THE MOST PASSIONATE AND CARING INDIVIDUALS THAT I HAVE EVER COME ACROSS IN MY 30 YEARS IN THIS BUSINESS, MANY OF WHOM RESIDE IN YOUR DISTRICTS. THEY ARE DESERVING OF A RICH AND ROBUST TOURISM PIPELINE THAT THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER WILL PROVIDE AND HAS PROVIDED. THEY DEPEND ON IT FOR THEIR LIVELIHOODS AND FOR THE WELLBEING OF THEIR FAMILIES. THEY ALSO DEPEND ON US TO ACT RESPONSIBLY WITH SUCH A CRITICAL DECISION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. GOOD MORNING. I'M ROB GILLETTE. UH, I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE RENAISSANCE AUSTIN, THE ARBORETUM DISTRICT. MR. MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. UH, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT, UH, THE ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT. I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN THAT HOLE AND WHAT'S GONNA COME OUT OF THAT HOLE. I WANNA UNDERSCORE HOW VITAL THIS PROJECT IS THE CONVENTION CENTER TO OUR ECONOMIC HEALTH OF THE CITY. OUR HOTEL IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE. WE'RE MILES FROM THE CURRENT SITE, YET OUR BUSINESS RELIES FUNDAMENTALLY ON AUSTIN'S APPEAL AS A MEETING'S DESTINATION IN 2024. OUR GROUP SEGMENT WAS 50% OF OUR TOTAL UNIT VOLUME. THIS GROUP BUSINESS IS A DIRECT REVENUE CENTER FOR CITY OF AUSTIN. LAST YEAR, OUR HOTEL CONTRIBUTED $5 MILLION, THREE AND A HALF IN HOT, AND ONE AND A HALF MILLION IN PROPERTY TAXES. THE CORE SUCCESS OF THE RENAISSANCE AUSTIN AND OUR AMBASSADORS, I HAVE 30 AMBASSADORS THAT HAVE BEEN AT THAT HOTEL OVER 30 YEARS, ARE ALL LONG-TERM, UH, AUSTINITES [00:25:01] SIMPLY TEARING DOWN THE OLD CENTER AND FAILING TO BUILD A NEW ONE WOULD BE EXTRA EXTRAORDINARY SELF-INFLICTED, UH, WOUND ON OUR CITY'S ECONOMY. AND I WOULD SAY, MR. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, THIS PROJECT IS NOT A LUXURY. IT IS A TAX REVENUE GENERATOR AND A JOB SECURITY GUARANTEE FOR THE CITY'S HOSPITALITY ECOSYSTEM. LET'S CONTINUE TO MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD ON BUDGET ON TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU ALL ON ITEM NINE, BILL BUNCH, BETSY GREENBERG, JUSTIN BRAUL, MEGAN MEISENBACH IS LAURA TEMPLETON HERE. MR. BUNCH WILL HAVE FOUR MINUTES, MR. BUNCH. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, BILL BUNCH, DISTRICT FIVE, UH, HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, WHICH I'LL TELL FOLKS SINCE Y'ALL DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE. IT'S, UH, $650 MILLION OF PROPOSED BOND FINANCING, UH, FOR THE NEW, UH, CONVENTION CENTER. MOST EVERYTHING YOU HEARD FROM MR. NUNAN THIS MORNING WAS FALSE. AND I'LL TICK THROUGH SOME OF THAT. UH, THE SAME AS WHAT YOU'RE GETTING FROM YOUR STAFF IN THE BACKUP. I'LL START WITH WHAT YOU'RE CALLING IT, AN EXPANSION PROJECT. THIS IS NOT AN EXPANSION PROJECT. THIS IS A DEMOLITION AND AN ENTIRELY NEW CONVENTION CENTER, SO LET'S USE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE USED AND UNDERSTOOD. THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE ALL THAT STUFF YOU HEARD ABOUT MR. NUNAN AND ALL THOSE STUDIES ABOUT HOW, OH, WE WENT THROUGH THIS, PEOPLE SUPPORT IT, WE STUDIED IT, THAT'S COMPLETELY FALSE. THAT'S REFERRING TO THE PRE COVID PROJECT WHERE IT WAS GONNA BE EXPANDED TO THE WEST AND THEN RECONSTRUCT IT IN PLACE BECAUSE YOUR EXPERTS TOLD YOU OVER AND OVER AND OVER. IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE TO TEAR IT DOWN AND REBUILD IT IN PLACE AND HAVE IT BE CLOSED FOR FIVE YEARS. AND YET THE MINUTE THAT YOU COULDN'T BUY THAT LAND ON THE WEST SIDE, ALL OF THOSE STATEMENTS THAT WERE MADE REPEATEDLY ABOUT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO. WHAT YOU'RE NOW PROPOSING. $650 MILLION OF DEBT TO DO WAS ALL THAT WAS FORGOTTEN. AND NOW OF COURSE WE'RE DOING THIS. THIS IS WHAT WE WERE ALWAYS GONNA DO. IT'S AN EXPANSION. FALSE. THE WHOLE WORLD HAS CHANGED SINCE COVID. Y'ALL KNOW THAT. AND THERE'S BEEN ZERO, ZERO DUE DILIGENCE ON THIS PROJECT TO LOOK AT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE CITY. THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY IS IN A TAILSPIN. ALL THESE PROJECTIONS ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMING HERE TO INHABIT THIS BIGGER GIANT HOLE IN THE GROUND ARE FALSE. THE FACT THAT ALL THE STATEMENTS THAT MR. MAYOR WATSON HAS MADE IN THE PAPER THAT WE'RE TURNING AWAY ALL THIS BUSINESS IS FALSE. WE NEVER MET MORE THAN HALF OF THE PROJECTIONS OF BUSINESS COMING TO THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT WERE MADE. WHEN Y'ALL SOLD IT, THE CITY SOLD IT TO THE VOTERS IN 1998. MAYOR WATSON SOLD IT TO THE VOTERS IN 1998 FOR THE EXPANSION. IT WAS A HUNDRED AND IT WAS PROJECTED TO BE $110 MILLION REVENUE STREAM. IT TURNED IT OUT TO BE WAY MORE THAN THAT. AND NOW HERE WE ARE. YOUR STAFF HAS SAID THIS IS A $5.6 BILLION PROJECT ALL IN REVENUES OVER THE 30 YEAR, UH, DEBT FINANCING PERIOD, AND YOU'RE REFUSING TO LET US VOTE ON IT. YOU'RE DIGGING THE HOLE DEEPER. $650 MILLION OF DEBT DEEPER IF YOU GO FORWARD WITH THIS AND YOU DON'T TELL THEM NOT TO ISSUE THESE BONDS UNTIL AFTER Y'ALL HAVE TAKEN ACTION ON THE PETITION OR THE VOTERS HAVE TAKEN ACTION ON THE PETITION. YOUR BACKUP SAYS THESE BONDS WILL BE ISSUED BEFORE OCTOBER OF NEXT YEAR. WELL SIMPLY AMEND THAT AND SAY, DON'T ISSUE 'EM UNTIL AFTER JUNE, BETWEEN JUNE AND OCTOBER OF NEXT YEAR. VERY SIMPLE. GIVE US A CHANCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO LOSE ALL THIS BUSINESS IF WE DON'T GO FORWARD. RIGHT NOW IS COMPLETELY FALSE. THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER PROJECTS WE CAN DO WITH THIS BLANK SLATE OF SIX BLOCKS. THANK YOU. THAT SHOULD BE DONE. THAT WILL BRING US A WHOLE LOT MORE BUSINESS THANK THAN THE NEW CONVENTION [00:30:01] CENTER. THANK YOU, MS. GREENBERG. WHY DON'T YOU GO. MY NAME IS BETSY GREENBERG AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE. I'M OPPOSED TO ITEM NINE. THE SAVE THE SOUL OF AUSTIN CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFULLY GATHERED OVER 21,000 SIGNATURES FROM QUALIFIED AUSTIN VOTERS TO SECURE A PLACE ON THE MAY BALLOT FOR AUSTIN VOTERS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO EXPAND THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER. WE DESERVE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO SPEND THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX REVENUE, AND HOW TO USE THAT VALUABLE DOWNTOWN LAND. AUSTIN ALREADY HAS MORE THAN 600 VENUES TO SUPPORT CONVENTIONS LARGE AND SMALL. WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER ONE, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT COSTS BILLIONS AND HAS LESS TOURIST ATTRACTION AND ECONOMIC IMPACT CAN COMPARED TO INVESTING IN CULTURE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE NASHVILLE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM ATTRACTED 1.6 MILLION VISITORS IN 2023. THE OPTIMISTIC PROJECTION FOR THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER IS LESS THAN HALF OF THAT. WHY DOES AUSTIN, THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, NOT NEED A COMPARABLE WORLD CLASS CENTER INFORMING VISITORS OF AUSTIN'S MUSIC HISTORY AND CULTURE? WHY WOULD WE WANT ALESS EMPTY BUILDING INVEST IN AUSTIN'S CULTURE? VOTE NO ON THE CONVENTION CENTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. WHY DON'T YOU GO NEXT? THANK YOU. I'M MEGAN MEISENBACH AGAIN, JUDGES HILL NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS THE EIGHTH DISTRICT OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLANT. I CONCUR WITH MS. BI, UH, GREENBERG AND MR. BUNCH. I THINK YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM WITH THE BUDGET, RIGHT? WE HAVE PROPOSITION Q COMING UP. YOU NEED, I I'VE BEEN TOLD 110 MORE MILLION DOLLARS. UM, AND YOU'LL GET, UH, MAYBE YOU NEED 33 MILLION FOR YOUR BUDGET. NOT REALLY SURE, BUT SO WHY WOULD WE PUT MORE DEBT AND WHY TEAR DOWN THE OLD CONVENTION CENTER BEFORE YOU HAD A PLAN FOR THE NEW ONE? THE PEOPLE WHO SAY, WELL, MY HOTEL IS MILES AWAY FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER. OKAY, GOOD. LET THOSE PEOPLE GO TO THE RACETRACK CONVENTION CENTER. THEY DON'T NEED TO COME DOWNTOWN. OR IF THEY REALLY DO, WHY DIDN'T YOU LEAVE THE CONVENTION CENTER AS IT WAS? THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME AND HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON OR GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JUSTIN BRAGGLE. I'M A DISTRICT 10 RESIDENT AND I'M GENERAL COUNSEL FOR THE TEXAS HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION HERE IN SUPPORT OF ITEM NUMBER NINE AND ALL OF THE CONVENTION CENTER FUNDING ITEMS BEFORE YOU ALL HERE TODAY. UH, LOOKING AT THIS FROM A, JUST A STATE PERSPECTIVE, UH, MORE SPECIFICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, HOTEL ANCY TAX REVENUES HAVE ALWAYS REMAINED DEDICATED BY STATE STATUTE AND REVENUE MUST BE SPENT IN A WAY THAT DIRECTLY PROMOTES TOURISM IN THE HOTEL AND CONVENTION INDUSTRY. AND, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE INCREASES TO THE HOTEL TAX THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS IMPLEMENTED AND VOTERS HAVE APPROVED IS DEDICATED SPECIFICALLY TO CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION. SO WHILE WE ARE BIG BELIEVERS IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY, IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY, HISTORICAL RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION, AND MAKING OUR COMMUNITIES A NICER PLACE TO LIVE AND VISIT, HOTEL TAX REVENUE IS A VITAL COMPONENT TO THAT. BUT THERE ARE STATUTORY CAPS ON THE USE OF HOTEL TAX REVENUE FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE ITEMS. UM, IF WE, WHEN WE REBUILD AND EXPAND THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, WE WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN HOTEL ANCY TAX REVENUE OVERALL FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ESSENTIALLY EXPANDING THE PIE. AND WHILE THESE STATUTORY CAPS FOR EACH ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES WILL REMAIN IN PLACE, THERE'LL BE MORE MONEY AVAILABLE TO SPEND ON THINGS LIKE THE ARTS AND HISTORICAL RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION. UM, THIS IS THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF THE HOTEL ADVOCACY TAX FOR MUNICIPALITIES. WHEN THE TAX WAS FIRST AUTHORIZED BY THE LEGISLATURE IN THE 1960S, IT WAS FOR THE EXPANSION OF AND CREATION OF CONVENTION CENTERS. THIS IS REASON WHY THAT ITS CATEGORY ONE OF THE NINE CATEGORIES THAT'S AVAILABLE. UM, WE'RE HERE AGAIN IN SUPPORT OF THAT AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU OR YOUR STAFF MAY HAVE ABOUT HOTEL ANCY TAX LAW. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. ON ITEM NINE, JENNIFER ROBSHAW. KAREN CANARD, SCOTT BLAYLOCK, PLEASE BEGIN WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, MS. ROBO. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, CITY COUNCIL. I'M JEN ROBO FROM DISTRICT TWO, AND I'M SPEAKING HERE ON ITEM NINE, WHICH AUTHORIZES $650 MILLION IN SPECIAL TAX REVENUE BONDS FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPEN EXPANSION, UH, DEBT TO BE SERVICED BY THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND. AND, UH, I WANNA SPEAK ON A COUPLE TOPICS HERE. ONE BEING JUST [00:35:01] HOW THE CITY IS DEALING WITH DEBT AND TWO, REALLY THE CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING. I FIND THAT THE FACT THAT WE ARE STILL PAYING OFF DEBT ON THE PREVIOUS CONVENTION CENTER, TROUBLING SEEMS LIKE A SHORTSIGHTED SOLUTION TO TEAR THAT DOWN IF WE ARE STILL PAYING OFF ON IT. AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE AUSTIN DOESN'T JUST HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM, BUT WE HAVE A DEBT PROBLEM. AND I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST AT OUR CITY COUNCIL. AUSTIN HAS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PERSONAL DEBT OF ANY OTHER MAJOR METRO IN THE COUNTRY. AND I THINK THAT OUR RESIDENTS NEED TO BE LOOKING TO OUR CITY GOVERNMENT TO SET A BETTER EXAMPLE FOR HOW WE HANDLE DEBT. OUR SPENDING PATTERNS SHOW THAT WE LIKE TO CHASE STATUS SYMBOLS. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THAT I FIRST STARTED SPEAKING WITH Y'ALL ABOUT THE AIRPORT ARTWORK. WE'RE OUTSOURCING THINGS TO OTHER STATES. WE'RE NOT MAKING SOUND DECISIONS AND WE'RE NOT HONORING OUR CULTURE HERE IN AUSTIN. AUSTIN SHOULDN'T BE FOLLOWING THE CROWD. WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN INDEPENDENT SPIRIT. WE'RE INNOVATIVE AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD FIND MUCH MORE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO HOW TO ATTRACT TOURISTS HERE TO AUSTIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR WATSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. MY NAME IS SCOTT BLAYLOCK. I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE JW MARRIOTT, AND, UH, I'M SPEAKING ON ITEM NINE, BUT I'M ALSO IN SUPPORT OF, UH, TWO, UH, ITEM 2 8, 9, 11 AND 38. UH, OUR JW MARRIOTT HAS OVER 800 ASSOCIATES WORKING IN THE HOTEL. UH, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL RELIANT ON GROUP AND MEETINGS BUSINESS THROUGHOUT, UH, AUSTIN. IN OUR HOTEL, 60% OF ALL THE BUSINESS THAT WE DO IS GROUP, UH, AND EVENT RELATED. SO FOR YEARS WE'VE WONDERED WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH BUSINESS COMES FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER. WELL, NOW WE KNOW IT'S NOT THERE. SO HERE'S A FEW NUMBERS AROUND OUR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND SOME OF THE AREAS, UH, NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTER. UM, IN APRIL, OUR OCCUPANCY WAS DOWN 10%, MAY DOWN 13.8%, JUNE 26.5%, JULY DOWN 18%, AUGUST DOWN 40%, SEPTEMBER DOWN 8.6%. SO IT'S REAL. WE KNOW WHAT THE CONVENTION CENTER CONTRIBUTES TO THE ECONOMY AND TO THE SUPPORT OF THE ASSOCIATES AND RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN. UH, A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN IN, IN 2019, AS WE ARE, UH, APPROACHING THE IDEA OF EXPANSION, PEOPLE WONDERED, WELL, IT REALLY DOESN'T DO MUCH FOR OTHER HOTELS OUTSIDE OF THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. BUT WE DID A STUDY. WE, WE OPERATED 20 HOTELS AT THE TIME AND WE LOOKED AT THE HOTELS OUTSIDE OF THE BUSINESS DISTRICT AND, AND WE KNEW, WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT A THOUSAND ROOMS THAT WERE RELATED TO GROUP IN THAT WERE, UH, AT THE CONVENTION CENTER CREATED A COMPRESSION TO THE OUTLYING MARKETS, UH, THROUGHOUT AUSTIN THAT WAS OVER 11% IN O IN OCCUPANCY LIFT FOR THEM ON THOSE DAYS THAT THERE WERE A THOUSAND ROOMS ASSOCIATED WITH A CONVENTION CENTER GROUP. SO IF WE WERE WONDERING ABOUT IT, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE AND IT'S THE FUTURE OF WHAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT IS GET THE CONVENTION CENTER BUILT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS KAREN KENARD. I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING VISIT AUSTIN. VISIT AUSTIN STRONGLY SUPPORTS ITEM NINE AND THE OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THAT LOOK TO MOVE THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION CLOSER TO, UH, ITS, UH, COMPLETION. WE ALSO WANNA NOTE THAT VISIT AUSTIN HAS REVIEWED THE PETITION THAT MAY BE BEFORE THIS COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE, AND WE'D JUST LIKE TO EXPRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS WE HAVE ABOUT THAT. AS JUSTIN BRAG MENTIONED IN HIS TESTIMONY, UH, AS YOU ARE AWARE, THERE ARE SPECIFIC LIMITS IN THE CURRENT STATE STATUTE ON THE AMOUNT OF, UH, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES THAT IT CAN BE EXPENDED FOR SPECIFIC CATEGORIES. AND SO WE WOULD JUST BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU AS THAT ISSUE COMES FORWARD, UH, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE MOVING THIS ITEM FORWARD AND ALL OF THE ITEMS FORWARD RELATING TO THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION AND VISIT AUSTIN. LOOKS FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO BE A PARTNER WITH YOU IN THE CONVENTION, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRIES. THANK YOU MS. ARD. ON ITEM 14, JENNIFER ROBES, ITEM 11 AS WELL. ITEM 11 HAS BEEN ON, ITEM 11 WAS PULLED, SO IT'S NOT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. NO PROBLEM. GOOD MORNING, CITY COUNCIL. I'M JEN ROBO FROM DISTRICT TWO, AND HERE I'M SPEAKING ON ITEM 14, WHICH IS A CONTRACT FOR AIRLINE BOARDING EQUIPMENT REPAIRS, A CONTRACT FOR $1,250,000. AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PROVIDE THIS SERVICE AT OUR AIRPORT. MY MAIN CONCERN HERE IS THAT WE CONTRACTED OR ARE PROPOSING TO CONTRACT WITH AN OUT-OF-STATE COMPANY, AND IT DOESN'T LOOK [00:40:01] LIKE WE HAD ANY COMPETITIVE BIDDING ON THIS AS WELL. TEXAS IS A BIG STATE. IT IS REALLY SURPRISING TO ME THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIND SOMEBODY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT CAN PROVIDE THIS SERVICE. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL SORTS OF ISSUES LIKE SALES TAX DROPPING, SALES TAX, REVENUE DROPPING, AND OTHER ECONOMIC FACTORS, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO KEEP OUR CONTRACTS AND OUR BUSINESS HERE IN TEXAS AND EVEN IN AUSTIN IF IT'S AVAILABLE, IS ONLY GOING TO HELP BOOST OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. PLEASE RECONSIDER THIS AND LOOK FOR SOME LOCAL IN-STATE VENDORS. THANK YOU. YOU ARE ALSO REGISTERED ON ITEM 16. THANK YOU. I AM JEN ROBO DISTRICT TWO, AND ITEM 16 IS A CONTRACT FOR AIRPORT MARKINGS AND RUBBER REMOVAL. THIS IS A $4 MILLION CONTRACT FOR SERVICES. MY CONCERNS HERE ARE THE SAME AS THEY WERE ON THE OTHER. I'M SURE THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SERVICE FOR US TO HAVE AT THE AIRPORT, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE CONTRACTING FROM A COMPANY OUT OF MISSISSIPPI AND THERE ARE LOCAL COMPANIES THAT CAN DO THIS SERVICE. AND SO I THINK AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BIDDING PROCESS, WE NEED TO BE HONORING WHAT'S IN OUR CITY CODE, WHICH GIVES LOCAL PREFERENCES AND THAT ALLOWS US TO CREATE MORE JOBS HERE LOCALLY. KEEP THOSE DOLLARS HERE LOCALLY AND STRENGTHEN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. THANK YOU. I ALSO HAVE YOU REGISTERED ON ITEM 23 ALONG WITH UH, BILL BUNCH. THANK YOU FOR THE RECORD. I'M JEN ROBO FROM DISTRICT TWO. ITEM 23 IS A CONTRACT FOR NUTANIX PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. IT IS FOR SCALABLE COMPUTING RESOURCES. THE CONTRACT IS FOR OVER $40 MILLION AND I KNOW THAT OUR CITY SPENDS A LOT ON IT SERVICES. THIS PARTICULAR SOFTWARE IS PROPRIETARY, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD BE LOCKED INTO THEIR SYSTEM, WHICH MEANS THAT WE BECOME CAPTIVE TO WHATEVER EXORBITANT PRICING THAT THEY WANNA SET FOR THIS. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT A LOT OF THESE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS THAT WE USE HAVE OPEN SOURCE SOLUTIONS. AND IN MY RESEARCH, THIS ONE WOULD BE AVAILABLE THROUGH AN OPEN SOURCE SOLUTION. YES, WE WOULD HAVE TO BUILD THAT IN-HOUSE AND SUPPORT IT, BUT EVEN THE COMPANIES THAT PROVIDE OPEN SOURCE SOLUTIONS, THEY PROVIDE SOFTWARE SUPPORT FOR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS VERSUS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. OPEN SOURCE IS ALSO REALLY BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY OVERALL. MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD USE OPEN SOURCE SOLUTIONS, AND AUSTIN BEING AN INNOVATIVE CITY CAN SET THE STANDARD AND HELP PROVIDE MORE DEVELOPMENT ON THOSE RESOURCES. IT DOESN'T JUST HELP OUR POCKETBOOKS HERE, BUT IT HELPS TO IMPROVE THE ENTIRE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY AROUND THE GLOBE. I THINK WE SHOULD BE MAKING MUCH MORE THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS ABOUT THE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS THAT WE ARE ADOPTING HERE IN THE CITY, NOT GETTING INTO MULTI-YEAR MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACTS, LOOKING AT WAYS TO TAP INTO OUR INNOVATIVE POPULATION HERE, OUR STAFF MEMBERS WHO CAN SET UP THESE OPEN SOURCE SOLUTIONS INSTEAD, CUT OUR SPENDING ON THESE IT SOLUTIONS. I MEAN, $40 MILLION, GOSH, THAT'S MORE THAN, UH, MORE THAN THE BUDGET DEFICIT THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO COVER WITH THE TRE. SO LET'S LOOK FOR WAYS TO CUT SOME OF THE SPENDING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. BUNCHER. YOU GOING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? YOU ARE ALSO SIGNED UP ON ITEM 28 AND ITEM 33, MR. BUNCH. THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, BILL BUNCH, DISTRICT FIVE. JUST SPEAKING, UH, FOR MYSELF ON THIS ITEM, WHICH IS A $40.3 MILLION COMPUTER SERVICES CONTRACT, UH, WHICH IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. UH, AND I'M NOT AWARE OF Y'ALL ASKING A SINGLE QUESTION ABOUT THIS. UM, AS THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER OBSERVED, THIS IS MORE THAN THE BUDGET DEFICIT, UM, THAT YOU'RE ASKING THE VOTERS TO PROVE A TAX INCREASE TO COVER. UM, IS THERE A TOTAL ON HOW MUCH Y'ALL SPEND ON OUTSIDE VENDORS FOR COMPUTER SERVICES? I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE. WHAT I DO SEE IS ALMOST EVERY SINGLE MEETING YOU ARE APPROVING CONTRACTS JUST LIKE THIS. MILLIONS, TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR ONE COMPUTER PROGRAM AFTER THE NEXT, AFTER THE NEXT, AFTER THE NEXT. UM, Y'ALL, I MEAN, THERE'S THERE, THERE'S A BUNCH OF COMPANIES OUT THERE THAT, THAT TRULY LOVE YOUR BUSINESS. UM, I'M NOT AWARE OF A SINGLE DOCUMENT THAT SHOWS THAT YOU'RE BEING COMPREHENSIVE AND CAREFUL ABOUT YOUR TECHNOLOGY ACROSS THE CITY. UH, THE POTENTIAL FOR SAVINGS ON THIS, IT APPEARS TO BE LIKE OFF THE CHARTS. [00:45:01] AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, LARGE ONES, STATES, NATIONS, ARE GOING TO OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE SO THAT YOU'RE NOT HANDCUFFED TO THESE LEGACY PROGRAMS OR TO THESE COMPANIES, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT PUT THE HANDCUFFS ON FOR YEARS AND YEARS. UM, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW WITH, WITH THE INNOVATION, YOU KNOW, HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, AS WE SPEAK, UM, YOU REALLY SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS. YOU NEED TO STEP BACK AND SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY. YOU'RE SIGNED UP ON ANOTHER ITEM TWO, WOULD YOU SAY THE NUMBER OF THE ITEM 28 AND ITEM 33. ITEM 28 IS, UH, A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT TO BUY PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZERS. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S OVERUSED AND ABUSED IN OUR PARKS. WE NEED TO BE MINIMIZING THE USE OF PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZERS IN OUR PARKS. AND AGAIN, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE'S NO PLAN THAT REALLY SPELLS OUT WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE TO USE PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZERS AND WHERE IT'S NOT. I KNOW ALSO FOR A FACT THAT PESTICIDES ARE BEING USED TO TRY TO HELP US GET RID OF INVASIVE SPECIES RIGHT ON OUR CREEK BANKS AND UNDERSTAND THE, THE TEMPTATION TO DO THAT. UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT OKAY. THESE ARE HIGHLY TOXIC POLLUTANTS. UH, UH, MANY OF THE PESTICIDES WHICH ENCOMPASSES HERBICIDES, FUNGICIDES, UM, AND THEN THE FERTILIZERS ARE PUTTING NUTRIENTS IN OUR WATER THAT ARE CAUSING SERIOUS ALGAE BLOOMS. UM, AND INCLUDING SOME OF THE TOXIC ALGAE BLOOMS. AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, SHOULD BE NIXED OR REDUCED IN YOUR BUDGET. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. ITEM 33, UM, ITEM 33, UM, ANOTHER EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ON CONSENT. UH, THIS IS FOR, UH, COMPANIES TO HELP THE CITY WITH PLANNING SERVICES. UH, MOST OF THESE COMPANIES DO MOST OF THEIR BUSINESS FOR DEVELOPMENT INTERESTS, UM, WHO ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO AVOID AND MINIMIZE, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH OUR CITY PLANS. UM, Y'ALL, MOST OF YOU, UH, HAVE SUPPORTED ESSENTIALLY DEREGULATING DEVELOPMENT ACROSS OUR ENTIRE CITY ON A WHOLESALE BASIS, UM, AND MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT YOU HAVE NO RESPECT FOR COMMUNITY-BASED PLANNING, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, SMALL AREA PLANS, SPECIAL PLANS, UH, A SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLAN, THE, UH, SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT VISION PLAN EXHIBIT A, UH, IMAGINE AUSTIN, OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. UM, Y'ALL AREN'T INTERESTED IN WHAT IT HAS TO SAY. YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED IN USING IT AS A TOOL, SO WHY WOULD YOU GO SPEND EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS WHEN WE'RE IN A BUDGET CRUNCH, UH, FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE NO RESPECT FOR AND YOU'RE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN? SO, UM, I'M SPEAKING NO FOR AGAINST, UH, THESE PLANNING SERVICES CONTRACTS. ON ITEM 35, WE HAVE BRENT, DAVEY, AND JENNIFER ROBO. HELLO, I'M BRENT DAVY. UM, I'M A FREELANCE WRITER, PERFORMING ARTIST, AND I AM ON A POPULAR YOUTUBE SHOW CALLED FINANCIAL AUDIT. AND THE REASON THIS SHOW IS SO POPULAR IS, WELL, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IS KIND OF THE POLITICAL ETHOS OF OUR TIME. AND, UM, WE'VE SEEN THAT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, STATE LEVEL, AND I HOPE WE CAN SEE IT AT THE CITY LEVEL TOO. UM, WE CAN DO A LOT WITH LESS SOMETIMES, AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN SACRIFICING QUALITY. [00:50:01] UM, I'VE BEEN A DIGITAL CONSULTANT FOR A COMPANY'S LARGE AND SMALL, AND I FREQUENTLY FIND THAT I CAN OUTPERFORM EVEN THE BIG GUYS JUST BECAUSE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, I, I JUST, I WANT IT, YOU KNOW, I CAN DO MORE WITH LESS AND I HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL COULD SEE THAT, UM, AS THEY APPROACH THEIR SPENDING HABITS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. ROBO. GOOD MORNING. I'M JEN ROBOSHO AND SPEAKING ON ITEM 35. THIS IS AN $8.73 MILLION CONTRACT WITH ADOBE, AND THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY TO BE SPENDING ON DESIGN SOFTWARE, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING A FEW FACTORS. ONE, THE NEW BRANDING THAT HAS BEEN PUT OUT THE GUIDE HAS IS VERY RESTRICTIVE. THIS IS REALLY VALUABLE TO THE CITY. IT MEANS THAT THERE ARE CLEAR GUIDELINES AROUND HOW THE BRAND CAN BE USED AND HOW COLORS AND DESIGNS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED. IT ALSO MEANS THAT FEW PEOPLE IN THE CITY NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO DESIGN SERVICES BECAUSE MOST OF THE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE HERE. I ALSO HAVE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE CITY USES MICROSOFT AND MICROSOFT PROVIDES DESIGN TOOLS THAT I THINK WOULD BE ADEQUATE TO MOST OF THE, UH, BASIC LAY SORT OF DESIGN FEATURES THAT ANY OF THE EMPLOYEES WOULD NEED TO BE USING. UH, BUT IN A MORE IMPORTANT SENSE, ADOBE PROVIDES SOFTWARE THAT CAN BE FILLED BY OPEN SOURCE SOLUTIONS. I, MYSELF AM A GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND I USE OPEN SOURCE SOLUTIONS, AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PRODUCE QUALITY PRODUCTS THAT ARE JUST THE SAME AS ANYTHING THAT I COULD PRODUCE WITH AN ADOBE SOFTWARE SYSTEM. I USE THESE PRODUCTS BECAUSE THEY ARE FREE AND IT IS A GREAT WAY FOR ME TO CONTROL MY COSTS. PHOTOSHOP HAS AN ALTERNATIVE, IT'S CALLED GIMP ILLUSTRATOR HAS AN ALTERNATIVE CALLED INKSCAPE IN DESIGN HAS AN ALTERNATIVE CALLED SCRIBE US. AND THESE HELP TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY OVERALL. INDIVIDUALS LIKE ME ARE ABLE TO USE THESE SYSTEMS BECAUSE OF THE BROAD COMMUNITY THAT DEVELOPS AND SUPPORTS THEM. AND IF AUSTIN WERE TO ADOPT THESE SYSTEMS INSTEAD IT WOULD HELP TO SUPPORT THE ENTIRE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND SET THE STAGE THAT WE ARE INDEPENDENT THINKERS HERE IN AUSTIN AND THAT WE'RE NOT BEHOLDEN TO LEGACY SYSTEMS. OUR CITY HAS ONLY 37 MARKETING ROLES. THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE SAVVY AND WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THESE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS EFFECTIVELY. THANK YOU FOR ITEM 38, JOE BACHE, BILL BUNCH, MEGAN MEISENBACH, AND BETSY GREENBERG. THANK Y'ALL, UH, VERY MUCH. GO AHEAD. WHOEVER WANTS TO KICK US OFF. UH, THANK YOU MR. COUNCIL. UM, AGAIN, JUST ANOTHER VOICE FROM THE HOSPITALITY COMMUNITY OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE OF THESE ITEMS AND ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT SUPPORT CONVENTION CENTER DEVELOPMENT. UM, MY COLLEAGUES MENTIONED EARLIER HOW MUCH THEY, UH, THEIR FACILITIES PAY INTO THE HOT TAX. MY FACILITY IS ONE THAT PAID 5.5 MILLION, UH, INTO THE HOT TAX IN 2024. UM, SO IT'S AN CRITICAL IMPORTANT, UM, LIFELINE, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE FUNDS THAT WE RELY ON TO FUND ARTS IN HISTORIC, UH, ENDEAVORS AS WELL AS HOSPITALITY HERE IN AUSTIN. UM, SO TO ANYTHING THAT WOULD, UH, DERAIL THE PROGRESS OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, WE STAND AGAINST AND CERTAINLY ARE OVERWHELMINGLY IN FAVOR OF ALL OF THE, UH, AGENDA ITEMS TODAY THAT IN SUPPORTING THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MEMBERS. SIR, COULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME, UH, FOR THE RECORD? JOE BOLES, GENERAL MANAGER, HILTON AUSTIN. THANK YOU. PLEASE GO AHEAD. BILL BUNCH, UH, SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE DISTRICT FIVE, SPEAKING AGAINST ITEM 38. THIS IS A $1.7 MILLION, UH, CONTRACT INCREASE TO A FIRM CALLED ICE IEIS DESIGN FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UM, TO SELL THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, I LOOKED AT THEIR WEBSITE. IT, THERE'S ONE WOMAN THAT'S SHOWN, UH, SHE'S IN SAN FRANCISCO. UH, SHE'S NOT IN AUSTIN. NOT A SINGLE WORD ON HER WEBPAGE SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT COMMUNITY OUTREACH. IT'S ALL ADVERTISING. UM, THAT [00:55:01] DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. UH, ARE WE SUPPORTING LOCALS OR ARE WE SUPPORTING FOLKS SOMEWHERE ELSE? IS THERE REALLY NOT ANYBODY IN AUSTIN THAT COULD DO THIS JOB AND ACTUALLY DO COMMU COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND HAS SOME TRACK RECORD THERE? UM, YOUR STAFF PROMISED AGGRESSIVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH BEFORE WE GOT TO THIS POINT. NONE OF THAT EVER HAPPENED. THERE WAS NEVER A SINGLE SERIOUS EFFORT TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN LOOKING AT THE COST AND BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT POST COVID OR IN THE DESIGN. AND THE DESIGN, UH, ENGAGEMENT WAS, WAS SPECIFICALLY PROMISED. UM, NOW THERE'S GONNA BE AN ELECTION ON THIS ALMOST CERTAINLY IN MAY. UM, UNLESS Y'ALL DO THE RIGHT THING AND SIMPLY ADOPT THE PETITION IMMEDIATELY AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT BETTER, FOR BETTER USES FOR THIS SIX BLOCKS OF DOWNTOWN AND BETTER USES FOR THE HOT TAX DOLLARS. I DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU'LL DO THAT. UM, YOU'LL KEEP DIGGING THE HOLE DEEPER. UM, AT WHICH POINT THIS PROJECT BECOMES ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN PROPAGANDA. IT SHOULD NOT BE SUPPORTED. THANK YOU, MS. GREENBERG. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS BETSY GREENBERG AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE. I AM OPPOSED TO ITEM 38 AUTHORIZING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR PROMOTION OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION PROJECT. OVER 21,000 AUSTIN REGISTERED VOTERS SIGNED A PETITION TO PUT ON THE MAY BALLOT, THE OPTION TO STOP THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION, AND YET THE CITY WANTS TO SPEND AN ADDITIONAL 540,000 FOR CONVENTION CENTER STAFF TO PROMOTE THE EXPANSION. THIS SOUNDS LIKE MONEY TO SUPPORT ILLEGAL CAMPAIGNING ON THE CONVENTION CENTER VOTE. DO NOT SPEND MONEY PROMOTING AN EXPANSION UNTIL THERE'S BEEN A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION AND VOTE ABOUT ALTERNATIVES TO REBUILDING THE CONVENTION CENTER. INSTEAD, SPEND THAT REVENUE FOR PROMOTION OF EXISTING AMAZING PEOPLE AND PLACES IN AUSTIN THAT MAKE AUSTIN AN ATTRACTIVE AND VIBRANT PLACE FOR TOURISTS. THE MUSIC VENUES AND MUSICIANS, THE ARTISTS AND ART STUDIOS, THE ACTORS AND THEATERS, LOCAL MEETING AND EXHIBIT VENUES AND THE PARKS, HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE, FOODIE CULTURE AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS. SECTION 3 5 1 0.101 OF THE STATE LAW FOR HOTEL OCCUPANCY. TAX REVENUE EXPLICITLY STATES THAT IT CAN BE USED FOR ADVERTISING AND CONDUCTING SOLICITATIONS AND PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT TOURISTS, PROMOTE AUSTIN'S CULTURE, TALENT, AND VIBE. NOT A CULTURALIST EMPTY BUILDING. VOTE NO ON ITEM 38. PERFECT. GREAT. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS IS, I'M MEGAN MEISENBACH AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE AND I CONCUR WITH EVERYTHING BETSY SAID. THAT WAS REALLY AMAZING AND I HOPE YOU WERE ABLE TO TAKE IN WHAT SHE SAID. MAYBE YOU'LL WRITE A LETTER, TELL EVERYBODY WHAT YOU SAID ONCE MORE. THIS IS AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY FOR ADVERTISEMENT, FOR SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO VOTE ON, AND I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT. UM, I'M NOT SURE THIS ADVERTISING MONEY SHOULD GO TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING AUTHORIZED. THINK ABOUT YOUR BUDGET. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL ALL. ITEM 46, LIZ HUNLEY, JOE BURKE, DOROTHY BARNETT. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. PAUL SANA. ADAM DEON. CAROL BAXTER. IS DOROTHY BARNETT AT THE PODIUM? YEAH. OKAY. IS LAUREN MASSENGALE HERE? RIGHT THERE. HE'S OVER THERE. SHE HAS TIME DONATED AND WE'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES. OKAY. THANK YOU. WELCOME, UH, MAYOR COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY. UH, I AM DOROTHY LOPEZ BARNETT WITH ZILKER PARK BOATS. I HAVE MET WITH MOST OF YOU OR YOUR POLICY ADMINS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND KNOW THAT THE ITEM BEFORE YOU HAS BEEN MASSAGED TO DEATH. IN THESE MEETINGS, WE HAVE COME AWAY WITH ASSURANCES THAT OUR FAMILY BUSINESS OF ALMOST 57 YEARS WILL BE HONORED, RECOGNIZED AND CELEBRATED. AND YET WITH EACH PRESENTATION, THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES MADE UNTIL THE EFFORTS TO DIS TO DESIGNATE OUR BUSINESS OR ANY OTHERS AS A LEGACY CON CONCESSION HAS GOTTEN SO WATERED DOWN THAT IT [01:00:01] NO LONGER FEELS HONORED AND DOES NOT DO JUSTICE TO OUR FAMILY'S YEARS IN SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN AND TO ZILKER PARK, WHAT IS BEFORE YOU ALSO GIVES AWAY THE DECISION MAKING POWER THAT YOU, THE MANAGER, THE MAYOR, THE ELECTED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THE LANGUAGE GIVES YOUR POWER TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR OF PARD IS GIVEN, AND THIS IS A QUOTE, SOLE AUTHORITY FOR IMPORTANT DECISIONS THAT SHOULD COME UNDER THE DIRECTION, EXCUSE ME, UH, OF THOSE ABOVE THE OFFICE AND IT'S REVOLVING DOOR. WE KNOW HOW HOW OFTEN THE CITY, THE, UH, PARKS DIRECTORS CHANGE. WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE TABLE THIS ITEM UNTIL SOMEONE LOOKS MORE CLOSELY AT THE LANGUAGE THAT SHRINKS YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE THE BEST INFORMED DECISION ABOUT OUR CONCESSION CONTRACT AND THE LEGACY CONCESSION AND YOUR POWER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. SALDANA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? SURE. GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS PAUL SALANA. AS MS. BARNETT SAID, AT THIS POINT, THE UPDATED CRITERIA HAS REDUCED THE OPERATING BUSINESSES WITH CITY REQUIREMENTS TO 20 YEARS, WHICH WE BELIEVE AGAIN, UH, REALLY MINIMIZES THE DEFINITION OF A LEGACY CONCESSIONAIRE. ULTIMATELY, THE CONCERNS ARE THAT WHATEVER YOU GUYS ADOPT BY POLICY WILL BE ENFORCED AND APPLIED TO THE NEXT CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH ZUCKER PORT, UH, ZUCKER BOATS. AND UNDER THE EXISTING RECOMMENDATIONS, A FUTURE CONTRACT AT MAXIMUM WILL ONLY YIELD A 20 YEAR CONTRACT, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN OFFERED AND EXECUTED TO THE TEXAS ROWING CENTER WITHOUT EVEN A LEGACY CATEGORY OF CRITERIA. UH, SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED FOR THE RECORD THAT BACK IN 2012, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ACTUALLY CREATED LEGACY CONTRACTS AND RECOGNIZED THE, UH, TRAIL OF LIGHTS FOUNDATION AS THE RECIPIENT OF A LEGACY CONTRACT. SO IT ISN'T PRESIDENT SETTING, IT'S ALREADY BEEN SET. IN ADDITION, CITY STAFF IS ADDING ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE TO THE LEG TO LEGACY CRITERIA, WHICH WE BELIEVE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED DURING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH FLAT FEES AND PERCENTAGES OF SALES AND WHAT HAVE YOU TO DATE. THERE HAVE BEEN TOO MANY ICONIC BUSINESSES THAT HAVE REPRESENTED AUSTIN'S CULTURE AND COMMUNITY VALUES. ZILKER BOAT DOES NOT WANT TO BE ADDED TO THAT LIST OF THOSE LOST ICONIC PLACES IN AUSTIN. THEREFORE, WE ARE RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT COUNCIL POSTPONE THIS ITEM UNTIL THEY BARNETT AND POTENTIALLY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS HAVE HAD MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND DEVELOP LEGACY CONCESSION CRITERIA THAT BENEFITS ALL EQUITABLY. THANK YOU. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WATSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CAROL BAXTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB. MY COLLEAGUE NEXT TO ME IS AUBREY RUDDER, DIRECTOR OF RENTAL OPERATIONS. AUSTIN ROWING CLUB IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HAS PROUDLY SERVED THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1981. WE ARE LOCATED OFF TRINITY STREET BETWEEN THE WALLER CREEK TUNNEL AND CONGRESS BRIDGE. FOR THE PAST 35, 37 YEARS, WE HAVE MAINTAINED A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN 2025. WE HAVE EMPLOYED 150 STAFF MEMBERS FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. OUR MISSION AND SCOPE HAS GROWN OVER THE PAST FOUR DECADES SERVING THE CITY, NOT JUST AS A BUSINESS, BUT AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER, MAKING AUSTIN'S BEAUTIFUL LADY BIRD LAKE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE. WE PROVIDE PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND MARTIN AND MERKERSON MIDDLE SCHOOLS, ADAPTIVE ROWING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PARTNERSHIPS WITH ST. EDWARDS UNIVERSITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS WITH THE AMERICAN MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, SOBER ADULT COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY AND VETERANS. WE ALSO HOST LARGE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND HAVE REMOVED THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF TRASH FROM LADY BIRD LAKE THROUGH OUR VOLUNTEER CLEANUPS. AS COUNCIL CONSIDERS THE DEFINITION OF A LEGACY CONCESSION, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT NONPROFITS LIKE OURSELVES BE EXPLICITLY INCLUDED. THIS DECISION NARROWS THE GAP BETWEEN THE CITY'S CURRENT CATEGORIES AND THE IMPACT OF LONGSTANDING COMMUNITY PARTNERS. A LEGACY CONCESSION DESIGNATION WOULD GIVE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB THE OPERATIONAL STABILITY OF A FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENT, ENABLING US TO SUSTAIN OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS IN ANNUAL OUTREACH PROGRAMMING ALONE, ALL WHILE CONTINUING AS ONE OF THE CITY'S HIGHEST PERFORMING LATE CONCESSIONS. A TRUE LEGACY PARTNER IS ONE THAT HAS INVESTED DECADES IN SERVING AUSTINITES, PROTECTING OUR PARKS, AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO RECREATION. WE HOPE THE CITY WILL RECOGNIZE O ROWING CLUB CONTRIBUTIONS AND ENSURE THAT NONPROFIT PARTNERS ARE INCLUDED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME LEADERSHIP AND CONTINUED SUPPORT OF AUSTIN'S LADY BIRD LAKE. THANK YOU FOR ITEM 50. JENNIFER ROBO. [01:05:08] GOOD MORNING CITY COUNCIL. I'M JEN ROBO, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO. ITEM 50 IS AN AMENDED AGREEMENT FOR LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY GATEWAY AMERICAN GATEWAYS. IT'S FOR $150,000. MY MAIN CONCERN HERE IS THAT THIS IS BEING FUNDED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE LEGAL SERVICES ARE FOR IMMIGRANTS, AND I DO NOT SEE HOW THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS THAT THE CITY COULD BE SPENDING THESE DOLLARS ON. THIS, TO ME, IS A MISAPPROPRIATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDS. OUR FUNDING SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT. WE SHOULD NOT BE HIDING LEGAL SERVICES IN PARTS OF THE BUDGET THAT AREN'T APPLICABLE TO LEGAL SERVICES. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT THIS MAKES AUSTIN VULNERABLE TO LEGAL ACTION. BY HIDING THIS, IT GIVES US THE IMPRESSION THAT MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS ABOVE THE TABLE THAT WE SHOULD BE FUNDING AS A COMMUNITY. LET'S PUT IT IN THE BUDGET IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND STOP USING OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DOLLARS TO FUND LEGAL SERVICES FOR IMMIGRANTS. THANK YOU. AND THEN I, HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR ITEM 55 AS WELL? YES. AND JEN ROBO. THANK YOU. UH, AND I'LL BE SPEAKING ON ITEM 55 AND 56, AND I'LL JUST COMBINE THESE TWO TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY'RE RELATED. BOTH OF THESE ARE FEE WAIVERS AND THEY'RE RELATIVELY SMALL SUMS OF MONEY, BUT THEY DO REPRESENT LOST REVENUE AND THEY DO REPRESENT, UH, A MISMATCH OF WHAT YOU ALL SAY THAT YOU NEED AND WHAT YOU ALL ARE WILLING TO DO. SO ITEM 55 IS $1,050 WAIVER FOR A NONPROFIT FOR AN EVENT THAT THEY HELD. ITEM 56 IS $335 FOR ANOTHER COMMUNITY EVENT. NONPROFIT GROUPS ARE BUSINESSES. THIS IS PART OF THEIR FUNDING THAT THEY BUDGET FOR. AND SO THESE GROUPS, JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE WHO'D WANNA HOLD AN EVENT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SHOULD PAY FOR THE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE USING. AND WHEN WE PULL THESE DOLLARS OUT OF REVENUE, WE ARE TAKING THEM OUT OF TAXPAYER POCKETS. THIS IS AT A TIME THAT YOU ALL ARE TELLING US THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO COVER YOUR EXPENSES. YOU'RE ASKING US TO GIVE YOU MORE FUNDING, AND YET YOU FIND IT APPROPRIATE TO WAIVE THESE SORTS OF FEES. UH, WHEN HOUSEHOLDS NEED TO CUT SPENDING, THEY LOOK FOR THE LITTLE THINGS TO CUT. IT REALLY ADDS UP. AND AS A CITY, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU ALL PRACTICING MORE FISCAL RESTRAINT AND LOOKING EVEN AT THE SMALL THINGS TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE WASTE IS HAPPENING AND WHERE WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MORE EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS FOR THE ENTIRE CITY OVERALL. THANK YOU. ITEM 87, BILL BUNCH. MR. BUNCH, ARE YOU GONNA SPEAK? WHICH ITEM IS THAT? 87. IS THAT A ZONING CASE? I DON'T HAVE MY AGENDA IN FRONT OF ME. YOU'RE THE ONE THAT WANTS TO SPEAK ON IT. PARDON? WHAT'S WHAT'S THE SUBJECT MATTER? PLEASE? WOULD YOU READ THE SUBJECT MATTER TO HIM PLEASE? IT IS APPROVING A RESOLUTION, EXTENDING A DECLARATION OF A LOCAL STATE OF DISASTER. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, BILL BUNCH, DISTRICT FIVE. UH, JUST SPEAKING AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN, I, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR OR AGAINST, UH, THIS DE DECLARATION OF DISASTER. UH, IT MAY WELL MAKE A LOT OF SENSE TO BE PREPARED GIVEN THE KIND OF EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS WE'RE FACING, UM, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR WILDFIRE IN PARTICULAR. UH, I JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO BE AWARE THOUGH, HOWEVER, THAT, UM, YOU HAVE IN THE PARKS BUDGET, UH, AND IN OUR, UH, WILDLANDS MANAGEMENT BUDGET, SOME ACTIVITIES THAT ARE, UH, DEEMED TO BE BENEFICIAL IN PREVENTING WILDFIRE AND WILDFIRE SPREAD, WHEN IN FACT THEY DO THE OPPOSITE. UM, CLEARING BRUSH CLEARING AND CUTTING DOWN TREES, THINNING FORESTS, UH, INCREASES OUR WILDFIRE RISKS. AND I WOULD HATE TO SEE, UH, YOUR STAFF, YOUR CONTRACTORS USE THIS EMERGENCY DECLARATION TO GO OUT AND START CUTTING FIRE BREAKS [01:10:01] WHERE THEY'RE NOT NEEDED AND WILL, WHERE THEY'LL ACTUALLY, UH, INCREASE THE RISK OF FIRE SPREADING. UM, AND THERE MAY WELL BE OTHER ACTIONS THAT REALLY SHOULD BE OFF LIMITS. UH, ONCE YOU DECLARE A DAA DISASTER ZONE, UM, YOU'RE GIVING FREE REIGN, UM, TO A LOT OF ACTIVITIES THAT REALLY COULD DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. SO WE NEED SOME GUIDANCE ON WHAT YOU ACTUALLY MEAN WHEN YOU DO THIS, AND YOUR STAFF AND YOUR CONTRACTORS NEED THE SAME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT CONCLUDES ALL SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. THANK YOU. UH, MEMBERS, AS YOU'VE HEARD, THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. UH, I I'M GONNA ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE, ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO PULL ANY OTHER ITEMS. WE WILL PULL ITEM NUMBER 46, UH, FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER. SO WE WILL HAVE ITEM NUMBER 46 AND NUMBER AND ITEM NUMBER 11 OR PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AS I, I PREVIOUSLY INDICATED ON ITEM NUMBER 11. UH, WE'LL GO TO DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. IF YOU WISH TO BE HEARD ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL START THE PROCESS. UH, I WANT TO COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER 56. ITEM NUMBER 56 IS THE ITEM IN WHICH WE WILL, UH, IF PASSED, WHICH I ANTICIPATE IT WILL BE, BUT IF PASSED, IT WILL, IT WILL, UH, DIRECT THAT THE SEARCH FIRM THAT WAS HIRED IN ORDER TO HELP THE COUNCIL HIRE THE NEXT CITY AUDITOR. DID I READ THE WRONG? READ IT WRONG. 57. WELL, THAT'S WHY WE NEED AN AUDITOR. UH, WE GET, I GET THE NUMBERS WRONG. UH, ITEM NUMBER 57, UH, IS, IS THE ITEM THAT WE WILL DIRECT THE, THE, UH, SEARCH FIRM TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE PERSON THAT THE, THAT THE COUNCIL HAS INDICATED WOULD BE THE, UH, NEXT CITY AUDITOR. AND, UH, I WANT TO JUST POINT OUT THAT THE PERSON THAT THE COUNCIL, AGAIN, ASSUMING THAT WE ALL VOTE ON THIS, UH, IN THE WAY I ANTICIPATE, UH, WOULD ASK JASON AVI TO BE OUR NEXT CITY AUDITOR. HE'S CURRENTLY OUR DEPUTY CITY AUDITOR AND HAS BEEN IN THAT POSITION FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND, UH, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE GONNA FIND IS SOME EXCITEMENT. UH, WE ARE LOSING OUR CURRENT CITY AUDITOR. AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, UH, CORY BAKER HAS BEEN WITH, I MEAN, CORY STOKES HAS BEEN WITH US, UH, SINCE 1999. SHE'S BEEN THE CITY AUDITOR SINCE 2015. AND, UM, JASON'S COMMENT WHEN ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT, UH, WHY HE WOULD BE A GOOD CITY AUDITOR, HE BEGAN BY SAYING, WELL, IF YOU CAN'T KEEP COREY, THEN I THINK I'M THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR IT. WHICH I, UH, I THINK EVERYBODY IS, UH, IS GOING TO BE SAD WHEN WE SEE COREY GO, BUT I ANTICIPATE WE'RE GOING TO BE VERY PLEASED THAT WE'RE ELEVATING OUR DEPUTY CITY AUDITOR TO THE POSITION OF CITY AUDITOR. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LANE. THANK YOU. UM, BEFORE, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. AND I WANTED TO, UM, TAKE THIS MOMENT TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE, UH, THE WORK OF OUR AUSTIN POLICE CHIEF LISA DAVIS FOR, UH, THE EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE OF AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THE NO KINGS PROTEST THIS PAST SATURDAY. I, I WAS NOT PRESENT, BUT I AM TOLD THAT THERE WERE OVER 20,000 PEOPLE THERE. NO MAJOR CONFRONTATIONS, NO ARRESTS. I BELIEVE, AND I THINK SO MANY OF US HERE, PROBABLY ALL OF US HERE, BELIEVE THAT AUSTIN IS A CITY THAT BELIEVES IN THE HARD ONE RIGHT TO PROTEST. AND I'M GRATIFIED TO SEE AUSTIN LAW, LAW ENFORCEMENT BEING ACTIVE PARTNERS IN ENSURING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO EXERCISE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. THANK YOU TO CHIEF DAVIS, THE A PD DIALOGUE TEAM, AND ALL THE OTHER OFFICERS WHO STAFF THIS EVENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL DAY FOR AUSTIN NIGHT'S EXERCISING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I'LL SAVE ALL MY WORDS FOR ANOTHER POINT. I DON'T HAVE ANY NAMES IN COMMON. OKAY. COUNCILOR VELA AND MAYOR, CAN WE PULL ITEM, UH, 63? I HAVE AN AMENDMENT ON THAT. AND, AND MY SENSE WOULD BE TO JUST HANDLE IT OFF OF THE ITEM NUMBER 63 IS NOT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. 'CAUSE IT, IT'S, UM, APOLOGIES. IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING. GOT IT. ANY OTHER SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN. AND THEN I'M GONNA CALL FOR A MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA CALL OUT QUICKLY. ITEM 21. UM, I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED BY THIS. I THINK IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF EFFICIENCIES WE CAN FIND IN OUR DEPARTMENTS. I REALLY WANNA THANK THE CITY MANAGER, UM, AS WELL AS AUSTIN FINANCIAL SERVICES AND OUR CTM FOR IDENTIFYING THESE SORT OF CONTRACTS AND STREAMLINING OUR PURCHASING. THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS GONNA REPLACE, I BELIEVE, THREE EXISTING CONTRACTS FOR VARIOUS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. AND IT'S GONNA ALLOW US TO BE INCREASINGLY EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE ON CONTRACT MONITORING, ON NEGOTIATING LOWER COSTS, ON PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. UH, AND ULTIMATELY, I THINK SAVE US TIME AND MONEY. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK ON THIS ITEM. [01:15:01] THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ. IT'S MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL. UH, IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING ON THE CONS? UH, A VOTE ON ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A SPECIFIC ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON AN ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? IN THAT CASE WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED WITH AMERIPRO TIM, ABSENT, AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, UH, TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAAS MEMBERS, I'LL TAKE [46. Approve a resolution approving updated Policies and Procedures for Concessions in City Parks, which includes the recognition of a legacy concessionaire category. Funding: This is an internal, administrative policy update that does not have a fiscal impact. (Part 1 of 3)] US TO ITEM NUMBER 46, BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN HANDLE THAT FAIRLY QUICKLY. UH, I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER BAYLA ON ITEM NUMBER 46. UH, THANK YOU. UH, UH, MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM TO, UH, NOVEMBER 20TH. I JUST HAVE A HANDFUL OF, UH, OF, UH, QUESTIONS THAT, UH, I'D LIKE TO GET ANSWERED. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER BAYLA IS MOVED. IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ. THAT ITEM NUMBER 46 BE POSTPONED UNTIL NOVEMBER 20TH, 2025. IS THERE DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS? YES, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO NOTE FROM MY COLLEAGUES THAT THIS HAD ALREADY BEEN PUSHED BACK IN THE AGENDA A COUPLE OF WEEKS. MY TEAM AND MYSELF HAVE WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH OUR STAFF TO TRY TO GET THIS TO A PLACE WHERE, WHERE WE THINK IT'S GOING TO WORK. UM, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO NOT DELAY THIS BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN COMMITTED TO THIS CONVERSATION. UM, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT AN EXTRA COUPLE OF WEEKS IS GOING TO MAKE IT ANY MORE CLEAR WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELA SPIRIT, I COULD MAKE IT A SHORTER CONTINUANCE TO THE NEXT MEETING IF THAT WOULD, UH, UH, HELP AT ALL. I THINK SHE'S THINKING ANY, UH, ADDITIONAL TIME IS NOT WHAT, WHAT SHE'S IN FAVOR OF OTHER DISCUSSION. ALRIGHT, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UH, RAISE YOUR HAND. I'M SORRY. TALK MYSELF. OKAY, . I, I, I DIDN'T READ YOUR LIPS ON THAT, SO I THINK YOU'RE OKAY. ALL OPPOSED? THERE BEING SEVEN VOTES IN FAVOR. TWO VOTES OPPOSED. THE MAYOR PRO TIM, ABSENT. AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, UH, TEMPORARILY OFF, TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAIS. UH, THE MOTION IS ADOPTED AND ITEM NUMBER 46 WILL BE POSTPONED UNTIL NOVEMBER 20TH, 2025. UH, THAT [11. Authorize an amendment to the scope of the contract with JE Dunn/Turner, a joint venture, for the Austin Convention Center Redevelopment and Expansion Project (the Expansion Project) to include delivery of an Austin Energy district chilling plant, infrastructure upgrades and modifications for Capital Metro and Austin Water, improvements to the adjacent right-of-way, and other planned construction activities for the Expansion Project. The chilling plant and right-of-way improvements are not part of the Expansion Project but are being included in the contract for project delivery efficiency and coordination. The amendment is in the amount of $450,000,000 for a total contract amount not to exceed $1,650,000,000. Funding: $207,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Energy, $1,500,000 is available in the budget of Austin Transportation and Public Works and $241,500,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Convention Center. Approval of this item does not increase the overall project budget of the Expansion Project. Total contract authority for the Convention Center portion of this construction contract after this action will be $1,441,500,000.] WILL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 11. UH, THAT WAS PULLED BY COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN. COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SOME SHORT COMMENTS BEFORE WE GO TO THE SPEAKERS? BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO, WE WILL, WE WILL, WE'LL TAKE IT ALL THE TIME WE NEED ON THIS ITEM. UH, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE IF, IF, IF WE CAN, WE, WE COMPLETE IT BEFORE OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I'VE GOT REALLY, LIKE, I THINK TWO QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THIS. OKAY. UH, BUT BEFORE I BEGIN, I, I FIRST WANNA THANK A SULFUR. JUST TAKING A MOMENT TO WALK THROUGH THIS WITH ME. THIS PROJECT IS COMPLICATED. IT'S GOT A LOT OF MOVING PARTS. IT'S BEEN UNDERWAY FOR A LONG TIME. IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE CITY, AND IT ALSO IMPORTANTLY INVOLVES A LOT OF MONEY. UM, THIS ITEM ALONE OUT OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS A $450 MILLION AMENDMENT FROM WHERE I'M SITTING. THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY. AND FOR THAT SCOPE, I DOES, I DO THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO TAKE AT LEAST TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO GET CLARITY IN THE PROJECT DETAILS WERE POSSIBLE. UH, SO I DO WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR A REALLY QUICK TURNAROUND ON OUR, OUR MANY QUESTIONS THIS WEEK REGARDING THE HISTORY OF THIS PROJECT AND ITS DESIGN. UM, YOU KNOW, I RECOGNIZE ALSO THERE ARE ELEMENTS FROM THAT THIS, UH, EXPANSION OF REBUILD THAT PREDATED MY TIME ON THE COUNCIL. AND IT'S BEEN VALUABLE TO GET THEIR ANSWERS TO GET UP TO SPEED ON THIS. UH, AND FROM THOSE ANSWERS THAT WE'RE INTERPRETING, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT LOOKS TO BE ON TRACK AND MOVING AS INTENDED, EVEN WITH EVERYTHING GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN, MY CONCERNS STEM FROM THERE JUST BEING A STEADY VOCAL CONCERN ABOUT OUR TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS, INCLUDING MYSELF GETTING UP TO SPEED. UH, I FEEL LIKE IT'S CAN BE DIFFICULT TO PLAN EFFECTIVELY THIS ENVIRONMENT AND PROJECTS LIKE THIS DEMOLITION REPLACEMENT REQUIRE A GREAT DEAL OF RESOURCES. AND THAT I, I WOULD INCLUDE PUBLIC TRUST IS ONE OF THOSE RESOURCES. UM, PART OF THE REASON THAT I'M SUPPORTIVE OF ITEM 38 IS THAT MY HOPE IS THAT THAT'S GONNA HELP US WITH THE ENGAGEMENT EFFORT AS WE CONNECT TO CONSTITUENTS, PROVIDE THEM WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION AND ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT THEY'VE GOT GOING FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS. THE OTHER THING I JUST WANNA RAISE, AND I MAY BE INCREDIBLY NAIVE IN SAYING THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, MY HOPE IS THAT GOING FORWARD WITH MORE INFORMATION AND TRANSPARENCY AROUND THESE [01:20:01] SORT OF LARGE MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, THEY CAN REDUCE SOME OF THE HEARTBURN, UH, FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED. AND IMPORTANTLY, I SUSPECT THERE MAY BE AN IMPLICATION FOR OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS. WE HAVE AIRPORT EXPANSIONS AND CAP AND STITCH. AND, AND AGAIN, MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN LAY A FOUNDATION FOR A PROCESS THAT WE CAN, UH, GET ACCURATE AND TIMELY INFORMATION TO PEOPLE, WHETHER THEY'RE COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. AND SO WITH THAT, I'VE JUST GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR, UM, UH, CONVENTION CENTER STAFF. IF THEY HAPPEN TO BE HERE THIS MORNING, PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER DUC WILL HAVE QUESTIONS. UH, GOOD MORNING, KATIE Z MESNICK, ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER. GOOD MORNING, TRICIA TETRO, DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER. GOOD MORNING AND THANKS FOR, UM, YOUR HELP WITH THE QUESTIONS OVER THE LAST WEEK ON Q AND A. SO MY QUESTIONS ARE REALLY JUST ABOUT THE FUTURE, AND WE'VE HEARD EVEN THIS MORNING ABOUT, UH, THE PETITION. AND SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, UH, THIS IS SORT OF A, IT'S ALL GONNA BE RELATED, BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE APPROVAL OF THESE ITEMS AND THE BUDGETS IF THE, UH, PETITION AGAINST THE UNDERLYING CAPITAL PROJECT IS FOUND TO BE VALID? AND THEN IF IT IS FOUND TO BE VALID AND CITIZENS REJECT THE PROJECT FOR WHATEVER REASONS, WHAT THEN HAPPENS. UH, AND THEN BEYOND THAT LAST PART, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CONTRACT AUTHORITY THAT WE ARE GRANTING TODAY? CAN YOU GET US SOME CLARITY ON THAT? I KNOW YOU, I KNOW WE ASKED A SIMILAR QUESTION DURING Q AND A AND I IMAGINE A LOT OF IT'S UP IN THE AIR, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU CAN SHARE WITH US AT THIS MOMENT THAT WOULD BE USEFUL? I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO BE A QUESTION ANSWERED BY OUR LAW DEPARTMENT. UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WAS ANSWERED IN THE Q AND A WAS IF THE PETITION WAS, UM, VALIDATED THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING THROUGH THE OPTIONS. AND I THINK THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. UM, BUT I THINK I WOULD DEFER TO OUR LAW DEPARTMENT FOR THAT ANSWER. OKAY. I MEAN, IF THAT'S THE BEST COURSE, THEN I'LL REACH OUT TO LAW AND SEE IF THEY CAN HELP ME WITH THOSE QUESTIONS. SORRY, I CAN'T BE OF MORE HELP. NO, I REALIZE IT'S ALL PLAYING OUT IN REAL TIME. YES. UM, BUT I JUST, I THINK IT'D BE USEFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS ARE BECAUSE WE'RE PASSING CONTRACTS THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER MAY OF NEXT YEAR. AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, I'LL COULD BE MOOT DEPENDING WHAT THE CLERK SAYS. SO, UM, ANY CLARITY WE CAN GET FROM LAW BEYOND THIS WOULD BE USEFUL. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. MEMBERS, WHAT I, WHAT I SUGGEST WE DO IS, UM, WE DEFER ITEM NUMBER 11 FOR RIGHT NOW. AND BECAUSE OF THE TIME, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL TAKE UP OTHER ITEMS AND THEN WE'LL GO TO OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, BUT WHAT WE'LL DO IS WHEN WE COME BACK AT ONE 10, UH, WE'LL ALL COME BACK IN AND, AND WE WILL THEN GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION SO THAT THERE'LL BE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN TO ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT HE WANTS. UH, SINCE THE AN WE, WE, WE HEARD THE ANSWER, AND, AND SO WHAT WE SHOULD PLAN TO DO IS, UH, COME BACK. WELL, WE, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL HEAR PUBLIC TESTIMONY. UH, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL TAKE UP PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON ITEM NUMBER 11, BUT WE WILL NOT TAKE UP A VOTE ON ITEM NUMBER 11 UNTIL WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT? OKAY. WITH THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU ALL AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS I WILL CALL, CALL ON THE CITY CLERK TO PLEASE, UH, CALL THE SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 11. ON ITEM 11, WE HAVE JOE BE PAUL BAHA, BILL BUNCH, BETSY GREENBERG, MEGAN MEISENBACH, AND JENNIFER ROBO. PLEASE COME FORWARD AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, WHOEVER WANTS TO BEGIN. UM, I APOLOGIZE. I'LL BE QUICK, UH, DUE TO THE CHANGE IN SPEAKING TIME, SO, UM, GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS PAUL BAHAR AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FIVE. I'M HERE TODAY OUT OF MY CIVIC DUTY REGARDING ITEM AGENDA 11. I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN FOR PULLING THIS ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. THIS IS NEARLY A HALF A BILLION DOLLAR AMENDMENT, AND THIS SERVES FULL PUBLIC SCRUTINY, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CRITICAL FAILURES DOCUMENTING THE CITY'S OWN BACKUP MATERIALS. I'M HERE TO URGE [01:25:01] TO VOTE NO ON ITEM 11, OR AT THE VERY LEAST, POSTPONE IT INDEFINITELY PENDING A FULL INDEPENDENT AUDIT. MY PRIMARY CONCERN STEMS FROM THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND CONTRACTUAL COMPLIANCE CONFIRMING PAGE ONE OF THE CITY'S OWN RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION DOCUMENT ONE. THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT YOU APPROVE MANDATED A 10.3 MBE AND 2.3 WE PARTICIPATION. HOWEVER, THE CITY'S OWN DOCUMENT FOR ITEM 11 ADMITS THE CONTRACTOR'S ACTUAL PERFORMANCE DATE IS AT DISMAL 0.69 MBE AND A 0.08 WBE. THAT IS A 93% FAILURE ON THAT, UH, UH, AND ON THE MBE AND 96% FAILURE ON THE WE GOAL. THIS IS AN ESTIMATE, IT'S AN ADMISSION IN YOUR OWN PAPERWORK AND A MATERIAL BREACH OF THE CONTRACT. FURTHERMORE, THE CITY'S PUBLIC BUDGET NARRATIVE IS CONSTRICTED BY THE SAME DOCUMENT WHILE THE PUBLIC IS TOLD AT 1.6 BILLION PROJECT. THE RCA CONFIRMS THIS AMENDMENT BRINGS THE PRIME CONTRACT ALONE TO 1.6 BILLION, ADDING THE DESIGN AND OWNER'S REP CONTRACTS, UH, REAL AUTHORIZED TOTAL NEARLY 1.75 RCA ATTEMPTS TO OBSCURE THIS 145 MILLION OVERRUN BY BUNDLING AN UNRELATED AUSTIN ENERGY AND A-T-P-W-I ASK FOR TWO MORE PARAGRAPHS. MAY I HAVE THE TIME? UM, THIS NO. THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M SORRY. I WAS MR. MAYOR, I HAVE TWO PARAGRAPHS TO READ. IS THAT OKAY? NO, IT'S NOT. UH, YOU, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK. I, I WILL YOUR, YOUR TIME. MY, UH, PLEASE DO THAT. THE CITY AUDITOR AND THE ETHICS REVIEW COMMISSION. THAT'D BE GREAT. THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. APPRECIATE THAT. MS. GREENBERG WANTS YOU BEGIN. MY NAME IS BETSY GREENBERG. I LIVE IN DISTRICT NINE, AND I'M OPPOSED TO ITEM 11. OVER 21,000 AUSTIN REGISTERED VOTERS SIGNED A PETITION TO PUT THE OPTION TO STOP THE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION ON THE MAY BALLOT. GIVE THE VOTERS A CHANCE TO CONSIDER A BETTER MIX OF USES FOR THE SIX BLOCKS OF VALUABLE DOWNTOWN LAND. TEXAS LAW FOR THE, UM, ALLOWS FOR THE USE OF HOTEL TAX REVENUE, ALLOWS THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO BUILD WORLD-CLASS IMMERSIVE AND INTERACTIVE VISITOR CENTERS THAT TELL THE STORY OF THE CITY'S CULTURE AND HISTORY IN MUSIC ARTS, POPULAR CULTURE, TECH, AND GREEN BUILDING. WE CAN ALSO USE HOTEL TAX REVENUE TO PAY FOR CITY AMBASSADOR POSITIONS IN WHICH THE CITY EMPLOYS THE CITY'S TALENTED MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS AS REPRESENTATIVES THAT BEST KNOW THE CITY'S MUSIC AND ART SCENE WITH MANY AUSTIN MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS BARELY SURVIVING THIS PROGRAM WILL HAVE THEM THRIVING. WE CAN USE THE HOTEL TAX REVENUE FOR PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMMING THAT PROMOTES THE PEOPLE SUCH AS MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS, PLACES, CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND PARKS AND EVENTS THAT MAKE AUSTIN SUCH AN INTERESTING PLACE TO EXPERIENCE INVESTING CULTURE. VOTE NO ON THE CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT. VOTE NO ON ITEM 11. THANK YOU MR. BUNCH. YOU WANNA GO? SURE. UH, BILL BUNCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE AND, UH, DISTRICT FIVE. UH, ALSO SPEAKING AGAINST THIS ALMOST HALF A BILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN THE GENERAL CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT, UH, FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER. UH, WE KEEP HEARING HOW IT'S, OH, IT'S ON BUDGET. WELL, ACTUALLY IT'S NOT, UM, UNLESS YOU WANT TO IGNORE HALF A BILLION DOLLARS, UH, 450 MILLION TO BE SPECIFIC, THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT, ACCORDING TO YOUR BACKUP, WAS FOR 1.21 BILLION FOR CONSTRUCTION. YOU'RE NOW INCREASING THAT TO $1.65 BILLION. NOW, YOUR BACKUP CLAIMS THAT 207 OF THIS, UH, 450 MILLION INCREASE IS TO MOVE THE CHILLER PLANT THAT, THAT HELPS PROVIDE, UH, UM, SERVICES TO THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, UH, IN COOLING, UM, AND POWER. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THOUGH THAT WAS TRIGGERED BY THIS PROJECT. IT SHOULD. IT'S A COST OF THE CONVENTION CENTER PROJECT. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE REST OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S RATE PAYER BASE SHOULD BE PAYING FOR. THIS IS, SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE CONVENTION CENTER. THAT'S JUST THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS. YOUR OWN STAFF HAS NOW TOLD YOU ON RECORD THE LAST TIME WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS UP HERE, THAT THEY'RE GONNA KEEP SECRET UNTIL SECOND QUARTER 2027. THE INTEREST PAYMENTS THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THIS. CAN WE HAVE SOME BASIC FUNDAMENTAL FINANCIAL REPORTING [01:30:01] SO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? I MEAN, THAT IS ABSURD. Y'ALL NEED TO TELL YOUR STAFF RIGHT NOW TO RELEASE ALL OF THE DETAILS. YOU ALREADY HAVE A MEMO THAT SAYS IT'S A $5.6 BILLION PROJECT, AND THAT'S NOT EVEN COUNTED. THANK THANK YOU, MR. $600 MILLION VALUE OF THANK YOU, SIR. SIX BLOCKS OF DOWNTOWN LAND. THANK YOU. WE NEED THE DETAILS. THANK YOU, SIR. HI, I'M MEGAN MEISENBACH, DISTRICT NINE JUDGES HILL NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I WANTED TO, UH, EMPHASIZE SOMETHING COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN SAID ABOUT PUBLIC TRUST, AND I THINK YOU JUST HEARD SOME NUMBERS THAT SHOW THAT THE PUBLIC TRUST IS BEING STRETCHED RATHER THIN WITH THIS REQUEST. AND I URGE YOU TO VOTE NO ON ITEM 11. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES ALL SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 11 MEMBERS. THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 11. UM, I MISUNDERSTOOD COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, UH, AND THOUGHT HE WAS REQUESTING THAT WE GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND I WAS GONNA BE DEFERENTIAL IN THAT REGARD. HE'S NOT, UH, WHAT HE SAID WAS THAT HE WOULD BE, UH, ABLE TO TALK TO, TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND GET ANSWERS TO HIS QUESTIONS. AND I'VE CLARIFIED WITH HIM THAT HE IS OKAY WITH US GOING FORWARD ON THIS ITEM. I WILL ASK IF ANYBODY ELSE, UH, BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF ANY, IF I CREATED ANY CONFUSION IN TRYING TO, UH, BE DEFERENTIAL TO A COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, WE ARE IN A POSITION WHERE WE COULD HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND VOTE ON THIS ITEM. UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN CAN GET ANSWERS TO HIS QUESTIONS, UH, THAT, THAT HE HAS FROM DIRECTLY FROM LEGAL. SEEING NO OBJECTION. WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 11. COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER MOVES APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 11. IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA. DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER. I HAVE A QUESTION OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF REAL QUICK. OKAY, I SEE MR. RILEY COMING DOWN. GOOD MORNING, STUART RILEY, INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER, AUSTIN ENERGY. GOOD MORNING. UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO CONFUSION AROUND, UH, A STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE THAT THE COST OF THE THIS PLANT WILL BE BORNE BY, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL RATE PAYERS. UH, LOOKING AT THE Q AND A, THE QUESTION, WILL MONEY COLLECTED FROM AE CUSTOMERS BE USED TO REPAY THE DEBT? THE ANSWER WAS NO. DISTRICT COOLING RATES BILLED TO ITS CUSTOMERS ARE STRUCTURED TO RECOVER THE ASSOCIATED DEBT SERVICE. SO IS THAT CORRECT THAT THAT RATE PAYERS, TYPICAL RATE PAYERS WILL NOT SEE ANY BILL IMPACT BECAUSE OF THIS? THAT'S CORRECT. IF, UM, IF YOU'RE AN ELECTRIC CUSTOMER OF AUSTIN ENERGY, YOU DO NOT PAY FOR DISTRICT COOLING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES. DISTRICT COOLING CUSTOMERS THEMSELVES PAY FOR THAT DEBT SERVICE AND, AND THE COSTS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN PROVIDING DISTRICT COOLING. SO, UM, THINK OF IT SEPARATELY AND, AND THOSE COSTS ARE CONTAINED FROM THAT CUSTOMER BASE SPECIFIC TO DISTRICT COOLING. PERFECT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 11 IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN BEING SHOWN ABSTAINING AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, ABSENT. THANK YOU ALL, UH, MEMBERS. COUNCIL [Consent Agenda (Part 2 of 2)] MEMBER HARPER MADISON WAS TEMPORARILY OFF THE DIOCESE WHEN WE TOOK UP THE CONSENT AGENDA IN ITEM NUMBER 46. SHE WOULD LIKE TO BE SHOWN VOTING ON BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS ON, ON, AND, UH, IT WOULD NOT CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE. ON ITEM NUMBER 40 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, SHE WOULD LIKE TO BE SHOWN VOTING IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. IT WILL NOT CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE. I'LL MOVE THAT SHE BE SHOWN. VOTING IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA. UH, ANY OBJECTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? UH, THE MOTION IS ADOPTED WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM ABSENT, UH, ON ITEM NUMBER 46, [46. Approve a resolution approving updated Policies and Procedures for Concessions in City Parks, which includes the recognition of a legacy concessionaire category. Funding: This is an internal, administrative policy update that does not have a fiscal impact. (Part 2 of 3)] SHE WOULD LIKE TO BE SHOWN VOTING, BUT SHE WOULD LIKE TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING FROM THAT VOTE, UH, FOR THE REC FOR RECORD PURPOSES. UH, AND I'LL MOVE, THAT SHOULD BE SHOWN ABSTAINING ON ITEM NUMBER 46. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL. IS THERE ANY, UH, DISCUSSION? ANY OBJECTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? THE, UH, MOTION IS ADOPTED AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON WILL BE SHOWN, UH, ABSTAINING ON ITEM NUMBER 46 MEMBERS. WHAT I'LL DO [58. Approve the Community Police Review Commission (CPRC) bylaws, which establish guidelines for the operation of the CPRC, including its purpose, duties, membership, officers, officers’ duties, agenda specifications, and meeting requirements. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] NOW IS GO TO OUR NON-CONSENT ITEMS, UH, ITEMS 58 59 AND 88 ON ITEM NUMBER 58. UH, THAT IS AN ITEM THAT COMES FROM THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, OF WHICH I'M THE CHAIR AND I WOULD MOVE APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 58, WHICH RELATES TO THE, UH, APPROVING THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION BYLAWS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ALL THE GUIDELINES, UH, FOR OPERATION AND PURPOSE DUTIES, THINGS OF THAT [01:35:01] NATURE. IT IS SECONDED BY THE VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER. UH, I'LL TURN TO THE CLERK AND ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 58, NO SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 58 MEMBERS. THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 58. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 58? WITHOUT OBJECTION, ITEM NUMBER 58 IS ADOPTED WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM. UH, ABSENT ON [59. Approve bylaw amendments for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Quality of Life Advisory Commission to add an office of secretary, provide for the secretary’s duties, and to provide that the Office of the City Clerk shall retain all documents for the Commission. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] ITEM NUMBER 59, THAT ALSO COMES FROM THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. I WILL, AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, I WILL MOVE APPROVAL OF BYLAW AMENDMENTS FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, AND QUEER QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION. UH, IT'S SECONDED BY THE VICE CHAIR OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER IS THERE, UH, DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER FI, AND I KNOW NOBODY SIGNED UP, BUT FOR THE RECORD, I'LL ASK YOU NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM 59. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THERE BEING NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 59. WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 59 WILL BE ADOPTED. ITEM NUMBER [88. Approve a resolution appointing India Gardner to fill a vacancy on the Austin Travis County Sobriety Center Local Government Corporation d/b/a The Sobering Center Board of Directors for term ending December 31, 2026.] 88 IS AN ITEM THAT COMES FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE. UH, THE MAYOR PRO TIM SERVES AS CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE AND SHE'S ABSENT. SO I WILL TURN TO THE VICE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE. COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN FOR A MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS ITEM APPROVES APPOINTING DIA GARDNER TO FILL A VACANCY AT THIS FRIDAY CENTER AND WAS BROUGHT FORTH BY THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE AND UNDER OF APPROVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN MOVES APPROVAL. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER LANE. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 88 IS ADOPTED AND APPROVED MEMBERS. WE WILL NOW GO TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND THE FIRST ITEM WE WILL TAKE UP IS ITEM NUMBER 63. LET ME, LET ME DOUBLE CHECK THAT I [65. Conduct a public hearing and consider a resolution related to an application by SL Easton Partners, LP, or an affiliated entity, for 4% Non-Competitive Housing Tax Credits for the construction of a multifamily development to be financed through the private activity bond program and to be known as Tapestry at Easton Park, located at or near 7504 Cota Vista Drive, Austin, Texas 78744. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] TELL YOU WHAT, LET'S GO FOR ITEM NUMBER 64, BY THE WAY, HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN. ITEM NUMBER 65. WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 65. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, BECAUSE IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 65. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. I'LL TURN TO THE CLERK. THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM 65. THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 65. SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 65. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 65. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA MOVES APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 65. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, UH, ANY DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 65 IS ADOPTED. ITEM NUMBER [66. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance relating to the Statement of Intent to Increase Rates filed by Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) for electric service; authorizing the City’s ongoing participation in the proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas related to the proposed rate increase; authorizing engagement with counsel and consultants for the Alliance of Oncor Cities, including authorizing settlement of the rate case; requiring reimbursement by Oncor of rate case expenses; and providing notice of the ordinance to Oncor. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact] 66 IS A PUBLIC HEARING WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 66. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK FOR, UH, PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 66. THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 66 MEMBERS. THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS WHO SIGNED UP ON ITEM NUMBER 66. SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 66. UH, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED ON ITEM NUMBER 66. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 66? COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS MOVES APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 66 IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER LANE. IS THERE DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER 66 IS APPROVED WITH AMERIPRO TIM BEING ABSENT MEMBERS, [Items 60 - 62] I WILL GO BACK NOW TO, UH, ITEM 60, 61 AND 62, ITEM 60, 61 AND 62 MEMBERS WITH RESPECT TO ITEM 60 61 TO 62, THEY ARE NON-CONSENT CONDEMNATION ITEMS. AND I, WHAT I'LL ASK FOR IN A MOMENT IS A MOTION TO THE EFFECT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN AUTHORIZES THE USE OF THE POWER OF IMMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTIES SET FORTH AND DESCRIBED IN THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING FOR THE PUBLIC USES THAT ARE DESCRIBED THEREIN. UM, LET ME FIRST TURN AND ASK IF, UH, THERE'S ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM 61, 60, 61 AND 62. THERE ARE NO ONE I, UH, REGISTERED SPEAKERS FOR 60, 61 OR 62. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MEMBERS, THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS ON ITEM 60, 61 AND 62. SO WITH RESPECT TO THOSE ITEMS, THEY ARE NON-CONSENT CON CONDEMNATION ITEMS, IS THERE A MOTION TO THE EFFECT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN AUTHORIZES THE USE OF THE POWER OF IMMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY SET FORTH AND DESCRIBED IN THE AGENDA FOR THE CURRENT MEETING FOR THE PUBLIC USES DESCRIBED THEIR END COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL, UH, MOVES APPROVAL OF ITEM 60 61 62 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MOTION I'VE JUST READ, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA SECONDS. THAT MOTION IS THERE, DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION. THE MOTION IS ADOPTED WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM TEMPORARILY, THE MAYOR PRO TEM ABSENT AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON TEMPORARILY OFF THE DAIS MEMBERS. I'M GOING TO GO TO ITEM NUMBER 63, WHICH IS ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING. UH, WE MAY NOT GET IT [01:40:01] COMPLETED. COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE SHOWN ON ITEM 60, 61 AND 62? I WOULD, MR. MAYOR, AND I'M GONNA, UM, I'M GONNA SEE IF I CAN GET CTM TO HELP ME. I HAVE A, A WEIRD DELAY UP HERE. OKAY. BUT YES, I'D LIKE TO BE SHOWN, UH, VOTING AFFIRMATIVE ON 63. ALL RIGHT, MEMBERS, THAT WILL NOT CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE. UH, SO I MOVE THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON BE SHOWN VOTING IN FAVOR OF ITEM 60 61 62. COUNCIL MEMBER VELA SECONDS. MY MOTION IS THERE. DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION. THE MOTION IS ADOPTED AND SHALL BE SHOWN VOTING IN FAVOR OF ITEM 60 61 62 WITH AMERI PRO TEM. ABSENT. ITEM NUMBER [63. Conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 (Land Development) to establish a maximum building height limit within the Central Business District (CBD) zoning district and update the Downtown Density Bonus Program and Rainey Street Subdistrict regulations to incorporate the CBD maximum building height limit when participating in the Downtown Density Bonus Program. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.] 63 IS A PUBLIC HEARING. UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 63. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN, AND I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK TO CALL FOR THE SPEAKERS ON ITEM 63, REMOTE SPEAKER, BRAD MASSENGILL. GOOD MORNING, Y'ALL. UH, BRAD MASSENGILL, UH, DISTRICT THREE. UH, THIS IS KIND OF A COMPLICATED THING Y'ALL BEEN TRYING TO DEAL WITH HERE. I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND WITH THE STATE BILL EIGHT 40 KINDA MAKE SOME OF YOUR PRIOR PLANS, UH, MOOT, I SUPPOSE. UM, BUT READING WHAT I CAN INTO THIS, IT LOOKS LIKE THE LOWER THE HEIGHTS WE GO ON IT, THE BETTER FOR AFFORDABILITY FUNDING IN THE CITY. IT'S ONE OF THE FEW LEVERS WE HAVE TO CONTROL. UH, HOW MUCH OF THE DOWNTOWN MONEY IS GONNA GO INTO THE HOUSING FUND. UH, THE HIGHER WE GO, THE MORE DILUTED THAT MONEY GOES PER U PER UNIT BASIS ON THE THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE BUILT THERE. SO I'D ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO GO FOR THE LOWEST, UH, ALLOWABLE HEIGHT LIMIT, UH, FOR THE SAKE OF, UH, THE CITY'S HOUSING SUPPLY AND, UM, MAKING THE CITY MORE AFFORDABLE AND KEEPING PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS. I APPRECIATE IT. THANKS. ALL RIGHT, MAYOR, WE WILL MOVE TO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. ROGER KAVIN. PHILLIP WILEY. KIMBERLY LEVINSON. BETSY GREENBERG, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN SPEAKING. HELLO, MY NAME IS ROGER COVIN. I AM WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. UH, HOPEFULLY MY SLIDES ARE GONNA BE PUT UP. SO, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UH, POSES THE PROPOSED BASE HEIGHT LIMIT, AND WE, UH, MORE GENERALLY OPPOSE HEIGHT LIMITS AND OTHER EXCLUSIONARY ZONING DOWNTOWN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE DO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THE PROPOSED HEIGHT LIMIT, UH, BUT WE SORT OF, UH, UH, DISAGREE ABOUT THE MERITS OF, UH, UH, TRYING TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM VIA THE THIS MEANS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS IS A CHART FROM A STUDY OUT OF, UH, LOS ANGELES STUDYING THEIR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. AND, UH, IN A NUTSHELL, WHAT IT SHOWS IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE CALIBRATION THEY TRIED, THE MODEL SHOWED THAT THEY ALWAYS LOST, SACRIFICED A, UH, MARKET RATE UNITS TO GAIN AFFORDABLE UNITS, UH, AT A FIVE TO ONE RATIO AT LEAST. SO BIG, BIG, UH, UH, EFFECT ON HOUSING SUPPLY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UH, MOREOVER, THEY FOUND THAT, UH, OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD, IF THEY JUST ELIMINATED THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, UH, AND JUST PROVIDED, UH, AND GRANTED THOSE ENTITLEMENTS BY RIGHT THERE WOULD BE A 30 PER 38% INCREASE COMPARED TO THEIR, UH, EXISTING POLICY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UH, BOTTOM LINE HERE IS YOU CAN GET A LOT OF EXTRA PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, WHICH YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IF YOU JUST UNLEASH THE SUPPLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. GREENBERG. MY NAME IS BETSY GREENBERG. CBD ZONING HAS NO HEIGHT LIMIT AND LIMITS DEVELOPMENT TO NO MORE THAN EIGHT TO ONE FAR. TO BUILD ANYTHING ABOVE THE EIGHT TO ONE FAR LIMIT, DEVELOPERS MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, TYPICALLY BY PAYING FEE IN LIEU TO PROVIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. ACCORDING TO THE AUSTIN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM ASSESSMENT [01:45:01] PUBLISHED IN DECEMBER ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM GENERATES 70% OF ALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING FEE AND LIE PAYMENTS. IN AUSTIN, SB EIGHT 40 PASSED BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITS LIMITS TO FAR FOR HOUSING. THIS MEANS THAT SINCE SEPTEMBER ONE, WHEN THE BILL WAS ENACTED, PROJECTS WAS CBD ZONING CAN BE BUILT WITH NO SIZE LIMIT AND NO FEE, AND LIEBE PAYMENTS TO QUICKLY DEAL WITH THE LOSS OF THE EIGHT TO ONE FAR STAFF HAS PROPOSED A HEIGHT LIMIT. HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF PROPOSING THE 210 FEET LIMIT, THAT WOULD BE EQUIVALENT TO AN EIGHT TO ONE FAR, THE STAFF RECOMMENDED A 350 FOOT LIMIT EVERY SINGLE FOOT OF INCREASED ENTITLEMENT ABOVE A 210 FEET MAXIMUM IS A GIFT TO DEVELOPERS AND TAKES AWAY MONEY THAT WOULD GO INTO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND. A HIGHER HEIGHT LIMIT ALSO WILL ALSO ALLOWS MORE PROJECTS TO BYPASS THE GREAT STREETS REQUIREMENT. VOTE FOR ITEM 63, BUT WITH AN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE HEIGHT LIMIT TO 210 FEET. YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE THIS LATER WHEN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS ARE REVISED NEXT YEAR. OR YOU CAN GIFT THE DEVELOPERS WITH A HIGHER HEIGHT LIMIT AND ASK THE TAXPAYERS TO APPROVE PROP Q TO REPLACE THE FEE AND LIE MONEY THAT WOULD BE LOST AS A RESULT. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. PHIL WILEY, A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT DEMOGRAPHICS. THE AUSTIN BUSINESS JOURNAL RECENTLY REPORTED THAT FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, UH, 7 8 7 0 1 WAS THE WEALTHIEST ZIP CODE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UM, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I TAKE PRIDE IN AS A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT. THAT WAS NOT THE GOAL OF THE DOWNTOWN PLAN, AND I THINK THERE'S A DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT BETWEEN THIS PROGRAM WE CALL THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. AND, AND IT'S BASICALLY AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM, AND, UH, THAT'S THE INCENTIVE THAT IT HELPED CREATE. UM, THE, THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS, UM, CBD, UM, IS IN BLUE ON THIS CHART. THIS IS, UH, THE STAFF CHART. UM, IT WAS BASICALLY DESIGNED AROUND THE TROLLEY CAR, UM, BACK IN THE THIRTIES WITH THE ADDITION AT THE BOTTOM OF, UH, OF, OF RAINY, WHICH BECAME AN ENTERTAINMENT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CONVENTION CENTER KIND OF THOUGHT. UM, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE, THE, THE RED LINE IS, UM, GUADALUPE, THE, THE, THE TRANSIT SPINE FOR THE, FOR THE METRO. SO MY, MY CONTENTION IS THAT IF WE HAVE HEIGHTS AT ALL, THEN RIGHT NOW THE HEIGHT STRUCTURE IS CREATING AN INCENTIVE TO GO TOWARDS CBD FOR THE BIGGEST BUILDINGS. AND THAT ISN'T WHERE OUR TRANSIT SPINE IS. SO, UM, TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE, I DON'T WANNA PICK FAVORITES. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE ALL HEIGHTS. UM, AND THE, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT CHART, AND, AND PART OF THE REASON I SAY THIS, WE JUST, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE, BUT OUR TRANSIT SPINE BETWEEN THE UT MALL AND GUADALUPE IS THE STRONGEST TRANSIT SPINE OF ANY CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND I, I THINK WE COULD DEFINITELY DO BETTER THERE. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU. MR. WILEY. ON ITEM 63, BILL BUNCH, MEGAN MEISENBACH AND HANNAH RANGA. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. CAN I GO FIRST SINCE I SAT DOWN FIRST? PLEASE GO AHEAD. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU WERE FAST ENOUGH TO BE THERE FOR I'M GONNA DO IT. YEAH. LET'S GO. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ON BEHALF OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A 120 DAY DELAY ON ITEM 63 TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE CITY TO CONDUCT FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND MODELING, TO TEST THE FULL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT, TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE TIME FOR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK, AND TO EXPLORE ALTERNATE METHODS TO FUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFITS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS AMENDMENT IS IN RESPONSE TO SB EIGHT 40, WHICH WENT INTO EFFECT ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, AND FUNCTIONALLY REMOVED FAR AS A REGULATORY TOOL FOR THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS. BUT THE FOCUS SO FAR HAS BEEN ON PROTECTING FEES DERIVED FROM DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AT THE EXPENSE OF PRESERVING AND ENHANCING REVENUES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AT A TIME WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED MOST. THIS REALITY CAME INTO FOCUS AT LAST WEEK'S PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING WHERE COMMISSIONERS IDENTIFIED AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT PRIOR TO SB EIGHT 40. A DOWNTOWN PROJECT WITH CCB CBD ZONING HAD THE ABILITY TO ACHIEVE A 25 TO ONE DENSITY AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION THROUGH PARTICIPATION [01:50:01] IN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. UNDER THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT, A PROJECT COULD ONLY ACHIEVE A HEIGHT OF 350 FEET, WHICH IS ABOUT A THREE 13 TO ONE FAR ADMINISTRATIVELY ANY ADDITIONAL HEIGHT WOULD NEED COUNCIL APPROVAL. THIS IS A NEAR 50% REDUCTION IN ADMINISTRATIVELY GRANTED DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL, REDUCING THE THRESHOLD FOR WHAT REQUIRES COUNCIL APPROVAL TO THIS DEGREE, AMOUNTS TO A DOWN ZONING ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL GIVES CERTAINTY OF OUTCOME TO DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, WHICH HAS REAL VALUE AS IT RELATES TO THE LIFECYCLE OF PROJECT. ITS CARRY COSTS AND ITS IMPUTED LAND VALUE, GIVEN THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVELY GRANTED DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL WILL BE SEVERELY CURTAILED UNDER, UNDER THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT. WE BELIEVE THIS COULD DRAMATICALLY IMPACT DOWNTOWN PROPERTY VALUES BECAUSE IT AFFECTS WHAT IS LEGALLY PERMISSIBLE AND PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE ON A SITE. THIS, IN TURN, WILL NEGATIVE NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE CITY'S OWN BUDGET. EITHER THE ASSESSOR WILL REDUCE APPRAISED VALUES OR PROPERTY OWNERS WILL PROTEST THEIR ASSESSED VALUES. I CAN SEE THE TIME, SORRY, . THIS RESULT WILL LIKELY BE LESS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FROM A DISTRICT THAT CURRENTLY PRODUCES ALMOST 10% OF IT FOR THE CITY. WE MAINTAIN THAT A 120 DAY DELAY IS, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. MEGAN MEISENBACH. NO, NO, NO. SORRY, ME, HANNAH RINGLE. THANK YOU. SHE DID, SHE DID THAT AT THE BEGINNING. SORRY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. MEGAN MEISENBACH, JUDGES HILL NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT NINE. AND THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THIS ITEM 63, WHERE IT PRESENTLY, THE FAR IS AT EIGHT TO ONE, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL DECIDE THAT IT SHOULD BE, UH, 210 FEET THE EQUIVALENT AND NOT CHANGE IT AT THIS TIME. UM, ONE OTHER CONSIDERATION IS SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THIS ARE RIGHT ALONG MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BOULEVARD. AND THAT IS WHERE THE UNO, THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY MEETS DOWNTOWN. AND SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I DON'T KNOW THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND, UH, WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE REALLY TALL AND, UM, KNOW THAT THE STUDENT BODY HAS WRITTEN THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE A MORE NEIGHBORHOOD FEEL TO THE CAMPUS. AND THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE END OF THE CAMPUS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES ALL SPEAKERS. THANK YOU, SIR. UM, MEMBERS, ZACH, AS YOU'VE JUST HEARD, THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 63. THE WAY I WOULD SUGGEST WE PROCEED, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THIS, IS THAT WE GET A MO A MAIN MOTION OUT ON THE TABLE. UM, AND THEN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VALA MOVES TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 63 THAT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS. UM, IS THERE, UH, NOW MEMBERS, WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA ON OUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT. YOU HAVE A YELLOW SHEET THAT HAS, UH, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT. YOU MAY HAVE RECEIVED TWO. UH, THEY'RE BOTH THE SAME. THEY'RE LABELED ITEM NUMBER 63, OCTOBER 23RD, 2025 CM VELAS MOTION SHEET DASH DDBP MAPS. AND THERE, AND ONE, ONE VERSION THAT I GOT HAS A, A MAP ATTACHED TO IT, ONE DOESN'T, BUT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. COUNCIL MEMBER BAILEY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, MAYOR, UH, THE, THE PROPOSED, UH, REGULATIONS RIGHT NOW, UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE AMENDMENT IS TO, UH, ESSENTIALLY MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT, UH, UH, REGULATIONS ARE INTERIM REGULATIONS WHILE WE DO THE ANALYSIS AND DO THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH THAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, TO GET TO WHERE WE WANT ON THE, THE CBD HEIGHT ISSUES. AND, UH, RIGHT NOW, THE THREE PARTS OF DOWNTOWN IN PARTICULAR THAT ARE AFFECTED, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A NO HEIGHT LIMIT. UH, AND PREVIOUSLY THE REGULATIONS WAS, UH, WERE BASED ON, UH, THE FLORIDA AREA RATIO WITH SENATE BILL EIGHT 40, ELIMINATING FLORIDA AREA RATIOS. THEN THAT EFFECTIVELY GUTS OUR BONUS PROGRAM, AND THAT MEANS THAT WE WOULD POTENTIALLY LOSE THOSE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY DOLLARS THAT THE DOWNTOWN SKYSCRAPERS GENERATE. UH, IMPORTANTLY, UH, THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM IS ALSO PART OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. SO THEN WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY LOSE THE, UH, ABILITY TO REQUIRE, UH, GREAT STREET TREATMENTS IN THE, OUR, YOU KNOW, HIGHEST, UH, TALLEST, UH, DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS. UH, I, I BELIEVE MOST EVERYBODY WANTS TO, UH, HOLD ON TO BOTH THE DENSITY, UH, BONUS DOLLARS THAT FUND, UH, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. UH, AND, UH, I BELIEVE THERE'S VIRTUALLY UNIVERSAL AGREEMENT THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, UH, DOWNTOWN HAS THE, THE GREAT STREETS, UH, TREATMENT. AND SO THIS, UH, [01:55:01] MY AMENDMENT WOULD ESSENTIALLY, UH, PUT A, A, A TIME LIMIT ON, UH, THE, ON ITEM 63 ON THE, THE NEW, UH, ORDINANCE. AND THAT ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO COME BACK, UH, WITH A, UM, WITH A REVISED ORDINANCE AFTER ENGAGEMENT WITH, UH, UH, STAKEHOLDERS AND THE, UH, THE PROPER, UH, ANALYSIS TO SEE WHERE WE COULD GET, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, OF THE, THE DOWNTOWN, UH, DENSITY BONUS, WHAT A NEW SYSTEM FOR A DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS WOULD, UH, LOOK LIKE. AND AGAIN, MY, MY, I KNOW THAT THERE'S OTHER AREAS OF DOWNTOWN THAT, UH, THEY CURRENTLY HAVE HEIGHT LIMITS, AND I KNOW THAT, THAT THERE IS A, A RESOLUTION THAT WE PASS THAT, UH, THERE WILL BE A BROADER KIND OF REFORM OF THE DOWNTOWN, UM, ZONING THIS, UH, AMENDMENT AND, AND THE GOAL OF, UH, ACCELERATING THE, UH, THE CHANGES TO THAT, THAT KIND OF CORE CBD AREA ARE, BECAUSE THERE'S UNIVERSAL AGREEMENT HERE THAT WE WANT UNLIMITED HEIGHT IN THOSE CORE AREAS OF, UH, DOWNTOWN. AND, UH, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE AND FACILITATE THAT. YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WHEN THIS, UH, A, A NEW, UH, ORDINANCE COMES BACK, UH, AND I WOULD CALL IT KIND OF A, A-D-B-C-B-D, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE GONNA PUT A, AN OVERLAY OVER THAT. THE GOAL WOULD BE TO FACILITATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF, UH, OF TALL BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN, UH, SKYSCRAPERS. AND TO MAKE IT, UH, AGAIN, ADMINISTRATIVELY AS EASY AS POSSIBLE SO FOLKS DON'T HAVE TO BE COMING BACK FOR ADDITIONAL APPROVALS. UH, WE WANNA REALLY EXPEDITE THE, THE CONSTRUCTION AND REALLY WELCOME, UH, TALL BUILDINGS IN THOSE CORE DOWNTOWN AREAS WHERE, UH, WHERE WE ALL AGREE THAT, THAT THEY, UH, THEY SHOULD BE. UH, SO WITH THAT, UH, SAID, I WOULD, UH, MOTION, UH, UH, I WOULD SUBMIT MY, MY AMENDMENT, UH, FOR APPROVAL. COUNCIL MEMBER VELA MOVES APPROVAL OF VELA AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER 63. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ. DISCUSSION, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, I JUST, AS, AS THIS MOVES FORWARD, I FULLY SUPPORT THIS AND I THINK WE DO NEED MORE TIME TO GET THIS RIGHT AS STAFF IS WORKING ON WHATEVER COMES BACK IN SIX MONTHS. UH, HAVING THE HOUSING THAT COMES WITH THE HEIGHT, BUT ALSO HAVING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT COMES WITH THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM. UH, I KNOW THERE IS A WAY FOR US TO DO IT BOTH, OR TO DO BOTH. AND SO JUST AS STAFF IS WORKING ON THIS, YOU KNOW, MY NORTH STAR IS NO LESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOLLARS THAN WE HAVE TODAY. AND THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THAT WHILE ACHIEVING SOME OF THE, UM, ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES WE'VE HEARD TODAY. BUT I THINK WE CANNOT GO BACKWARDS ON OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING REVENUES, UH, 'CAUSE WE CLEARLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH AS IT IS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, FURTHER DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE. GREAT, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THIS IS JUST GENERAL COMMENTS ON ITEM 60, UH, THREE, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY THE MOTION, IS THAT CORRECT? NO, RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST, WE'RE ON THE MOTION TO AMEND. WE'LL COME, I'LL COME BACK IF YOU DON'T MIND. ALRIGHT. UH, THE VOTE WILL BE ON THE MOTION TO AMEND VELA. MOTION TO AMEND NUMBER ONE TO ITEM NUMBER 63. WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE MOTION TO AMEND VELA MOTION TO AMEND NUMBER ONE TO ITEM 63 IS ADOPTED WITH AMERIPRO TEM. ABSENT NOW, WE WILL GO BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION AND I'LL CALL FOR DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 63 AS AMENDED BY THE VELA AMENDMENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. GREAT. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, AND WANT TO THANK COUNCIL VELA FOR BRINGING FORWARD HIS MOTION SHEET, UH, RELATING TO ITEM NUMBER 63. WE UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT IDEAL FOR ANYONE, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN IS YET AGAIN CHALLENGED BY STATE LAW AND EXISTING COURT RULINGS. BUT I WANT TO ASSURE OUR DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY, WHICH I REPRESENT ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, THAT I'M COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH STAFF TO FAST TRACK AND STREAMLINE THE DENSITY, UH, THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS UPDATE PROCESS FOR THE AREAS OF DOWNTOWN MOST AFFECTED BY THE INTERIM CHANGE, AND BRING BACK A BETTER PROGRAM THAT TRULY INCENTIVIZES INVESTMENTS, UH, DOWNTOWN, WHILE ALSO MEETING OUR GOALS AS A COMMUNITY. UH, AND I KNOW OUR CITY STAFF JOIN ME IN THAT COMMITMENT AS WELL. SO I WANT EVERYONE TO GET READY, UH, TO HELP US GET THIS RIGHT AND JOIN US, AND JOIN US IN MAKING DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, UH, THE MOST VIBRANT, WALKABLE, DIVERSE DOWNTOWN, UH, IN THE NATION. SO, ONCE AGAIN, I, I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RIVERA'S, UH, MOTION SHEET, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE ELSE, UH, FOR THEIR WORK. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE. UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION. ITEM NUMBER 63 AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED WITH AMERIPRO TIM, ABSENT MEMBERS. [46. Approve a resolution approving updated Policies and Procedures for Concessions in City Parks, which includes the recognition of a legacy concessionaire category. Funding: This is an internal, administrative policy update that does not have a fiscal impact. (Part 3 of 3)] UM, ON ON ITEM NUMBER 46, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LENGTH OF TIME FOR THAT POSTPONEMENT. [02:00:01] UM, AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER VELA TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER ITEM NUMBER 46. HE WAS ON THE PREVAILING SIDE, AND SO, UH, I'LL RECOGNIZE HIM. THANK YOU, MAYOR MOTION, UH, UH, TO RECONSIDER THE, UH, POSTPONEMENT OF, UH, ITEM 46, I'D LIKE TO JUST CHANGE THE DATE FROM THE NOVEMBER 20TH MEETING TO THE NOVEMBER 6TH MEETING AND, UH, UH, REMA REMOTION, UH, THE POSTPONEMENT. SO, MEMBERS, THE, THE MOTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER VELA HAS MADE IS NOW, EXCUSE ME, WAS THAT 46 OR 47? 46. 46. 46, OKAY. YEAH. UM, THE MO THE, THE MOTION THAT WILL BE BEFORE US IS A MOTION TO RECONSIDER THE VOTE BY WHICH ITEM NUMBER 46 WAS ADOPTED. THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? ITEM NUMBER, THE, THE, UH, ITEM NUMBER 46 WILL BE RECONSIDERED WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM. UH, ABSENT I WILL NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN VELA ON A MOTION TO APPROVE. I, UH, A MOTION TO POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER 46, UH, MOVE TO POSTPONE. ITEM 46 TO THE NOVEMBER 6TH MEETING. UH, THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELA TO, UH, UM, POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER 46 UNTIL THE NOVEMBER 6TH MEETING. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION WITHOUT OBJECTION? THE MOTION TO POSTPONE TO NOVEMBER 6TH IS ADOPTED WITH THE MAYOR PRO TIM, ABSENT, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, HOW ARE YOU VOTING? I WILL STILL VOTE NO, BUT IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED TO HAVE A SHORTER DELAY. AND COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN WILL STILL BE SHOWN VOTING NO. SO COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS AND COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN WILL STILL BE SHOWN VOTING NO. UM, BUT THEY DO IT WITH GREATER JOY . UM, ALRIGHT, [12:00 PM - Public Communication: General] MEMBERS, THAT TAKES US TO OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, AND WE DID THAT BY 1202, SO THAT'S PRETTY GOOD. UM, MEMBERS, I HAD TOLD EVERYBODY THAT WE WOULD BE AT A POINT WHERE WE'D PROBABLY COME BACK AROUND ONE 10, BUT WE HAVE COMPLETED ALL OF THE BUSINESS OTHER THAN OUR GENERAL PUBLIC CO COMMENT AND THE TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN. SO AT THE, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO RECESS UNTIL TWO O'CLOCK. UH, AND THAT'S WHY I KIND OF WANTED TO GET THAT, THAT WORK DONE SO IT WOULD GIVE, UH, UH, EVERYBODY THAT, THAT, THAT BREAK. UM, SO JUST BE AWARE THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. WE WILL STILL HAVE LIVE MUSIC, UH, UPON THE RECESS OF THE MEETING, BUT WE WON'T COME BACK UNTIL TWO O'CLOCK. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ON THAT. WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET'S GO TO OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, WHICH IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, AND I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO ASK THAT. UH, YOU START CALLING THE NAMES. FOLKS, YOU SIGNED UP FOR THIS SO YOU PROBABLY KNOW WHERE YOU ARE ON THE LIST, IF YOU'D MAKE YOUR WAY DOWN TO THE FRONT SO WE CAN CALL YOU AND MOVE IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER, WE'LL DO THAT. MS. SILVA, YOU'LL BE THE FIRST PERSON, BUT I'LL TURN TO HIM AND LET HIM START CALLING FOLKS. YES, OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE DANIELLA SILVA. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS DANIELLA SILVA AND I'M THE AUSTIN POLICY COORDINATOR AT WORKERS DEFENSE ACTION FUND. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS OR ALPS AND HOW THEY PRESENT GREAT HARM FOR THE LATIN AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. ALPS ARE AN AI SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY CREATED BY BILLIONAIRES WHOSE ONLY MOTIVATION IS PROFIT RATHER THAN PUBLIC SAFETY, AND IS A TECHNOLOGY THAT IS RIPE FOR ABUSE BY BAD ACTORS. WITH SB EIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT 2 87 G AGREEMENTS LOOMING AHEAD, THE MANDATED COOPERATION BETWEEN SHERIFFS AND FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT MAKES ANY LICENSE PLATE BASED DATABASE IN TEXAS ONLY ONE REQUEST AWAY FROM ICE. NATIONWIDE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING HAS ALREADY SHOWN ICE AND CPB ACCESSING FLOCK SAFETY AND VIGILANT SOLUTIONS DATA DESPITE LOCAL POLICIES. ACCORDING TO A RECENTLY PUBLISHED ARTICLE, A DEA AGENT USED AN ILLINOIS COPS FLOCK LICENSE PLATE READER PASSWORD FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT SEARCHES. EARLIER THIS SUMMER, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA POLICE CHIEF RICK EDWARDS SAID THAT THE DATA FROM THE DEPARTMENT'S LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM WAS USED TO ASSIST WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN VIOLATION OF THE DEPARTMENT'S OWN POLICY. ACCORDING TO THE A CLU FLOCK HAS BUILT A NATIONWIDE LICENSE PLATE TRACKING SYSTEM, WHICH STREAMS RECORDS OF AMERICANS, CUMMINGS, AND GOINGS INTO A PRIVATE NATIONAL DATABASE. THAT'S BAD ENOUGH, BUT THE COMPANY IS ALSO NOW APPARENTLY ANALYZING OUR DRIVING PATTERNS TO DETERMINE IF WE'RE SUSPICIOUS. IT'S A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION IN THE USE OF THE COMPANY'S SURVEILLANCE INFRASTRUCTURE FROM ALLOWING POLICE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SPECIFIC VEHICLES OF INTEREST TO USING THE SYSTEM TO GENERATE SUSPICION IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE COMPANY'S CAMERAS ARE NO LONGER JUST RECORDING OUR COMINGS AND GOINGS. NOW, USING AI, THE SYSTEM IS ACTIVELY EVALUATING EACH OF US TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD BE REPORTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AS THE POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS IN ORGANIZED CRIME. EAST [02:05:01] AUSTIN, DESPITE THE PLAGUE OF GENTRIFICATION, CONTINUES TO BE HOME TO PREDOMINANTLY BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES WHICH ARE STATISTICALLY OVERPOLICED. HAVING A LPR TECHNOLOGY AND POLICE VEHICLES AND IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS MEANS THAT OUR OVERPOLICED IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES WILL ALSO END UP BEING OVER SURVEILLED COMMUNITIES, ADD ON ANY ALGORITHM GENERATING SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY, AND WE CAN ANTICIPATE AN EVEN QUICKER FUNNELING OF OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS INTO THE DEPORTATION PIPELINE. EARLIER THIS MONTH, SENATOR RON WYDEN SAID, ABUSE OF FLOCK CAMERAS IS INEVITABLE AND FLOCK HAS MADE IT CLEAR. IT TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY TO PREVENT OR DETECT THAT. FOR THAT REASON, I MUST NOW RECOMMEND THAT COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE INSTALLED FLOCK CAMERAS REEVALUATE THEIR DECISION. NOW, Y'ALL MAY BE THINKING, DANIELA, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE HERE. WE DECIDED NOT TO RENEW THE CONTRACT. ENTER GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA. THEIR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL VOTED ON A TWO YEAR CONTRACT FOR FLOCK ALPS IN FEBRUARY OF 23, SET TO EXPIRED FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. DESPITE THAT FLOCK DID NOT REMOVE THEIR CAMERAS UNTIL JULY, AND WE'RE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE GATHERING A LPR DATAS MAKING IT AVAILABLE TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES FOR A FULL FIVE MONTHS POSTEX EXPIRATION. SO I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO DEMAND THAT FLOCK REMOVE THEIR FIXED CAMERAS FROM ACROSS ALL OF AUSTIN. THESE COMPANIES WHO MAKE THE TECHNOLOGIES CANNOT BE TRUSTED. THE CAMERAS DO NOT MAKE US FEEL SAFER, AND WE CALL ON YOUR COMMITMENT TO REJECT ANY FUTURE ITEMS RELATED TO AI SURVEILLANCE. AUSTINITE, SAY NO TO APRS. NOT NOW, NOT EVER. THE NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE KATE ROBINSON EDWARDS. AMANDA VAL BRA AND JUAN JARAMILLO. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN KATIE ROBINSON EDWARDS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M KATIE ROBINSON EDWARDS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CURATOR AT THE YUEL SCULPTURE GARDEN AND MUSEUM LOCATED IN DISTRICT FIVE. I'M A LONGTIME AUSTINITE WHO LIVES IN DISTRICT NINE. I'M HERE TODAY WITH MY COLLEAGUE AT MANDA ALBRECHT TO ADVOCATE FOR THE UMOFF TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 2026 GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND. THE MOF IS A NONPROFIT SCULPTURE, GARDEN AND MUSEUM NOW IN ITS 35TH YEAR. THE SITE WAS FOUNDED ON A MAJOR 1985 GIFT FROM CHARLES AND ANGELINE MOF TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. CHARLES MOF WAS A PRACTICING SCULPTOR IN CHICAGO WHEN THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HIRED HIM IN 1941. HE'S ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST PROLIFIC ARTISTS WITH WORK IN MUSEUM COLLECTIONS SUCH AS THE MET AND SMITHSONIAN IN TEXAS ALONE, UMOFF HAS MORE SCULPTURE ON PUBLIC VIEW THAN ANY OTHER ARTIST. THE UMOFF FAMILY HOME, HIS STUDIO AND THEIR TWO ACRE GARDEN OVERLOOKING BARTON SPRINGS ROAD EARNED A NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES DESIGNATION LAST YEAR. THIS UNIQUE HISTORIC SITE TELLS AN INTEGRAL PART OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY. HOWEVER, IT HAS NOT BEEN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SINCE THE 1985 GIFT DUE TO INACCESSIBILITY, LACK OF CODE COMPLIANCE AND PRESERVATION NEEDS. ONCE WE OPEN THE ENTIRE EIGHT ACRES OF CITY LAND, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SHARE THE ARTIST STUDIO HOME IN A PUBLIC MUSEUM, DEDICATED HIS WORK. IT IS RARE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO HAVE THOSE THREE TREASURED ASSETS IN A SINGLE LOCATION AT THE PUBLIC SCULPTURE GARDEN AND MUSEUM THAT SITS JUST SOUTH OF CHARLES OLAF'S HISTORIC HOMESTEAD. OUR MISSION IS TO CULTIVATE COMMUNITY CURIOSITY AND CONNECTION THROUGH NATURE CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS AND THE WORK OF CHARLES MOFT. WE SUPPORT CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS THROUGH A ROTATING SCHEDULE OF EXHIBITIONS RANGING FROM BLUE CHIP ARTISTS WITH INTERNATIONAL REPUTATIONS LIKE MICHAEL RAY, CHARLES AND CEDRIC HUCKABEE, WHO'S PICTURED HERE TO MID-CAREER ARTISTS WHO ARE VITAL TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY, TO EMERGING AND UP AND COMING ARTISTS, DESIGNERS, AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS. SINCE 1991, THOUSANDS OF MUSICIANS, ACTORS, WRITERS, AND ARCHITECTS, DANCERS, AND EVEN CHEFS AMONG OTHERS, HAVE SHARED THEIR TALENTS AT THE UMOFF. GREAT. UM, I'M SORRY. OUR TRAINED TEACHING ARTISTS TRAVEL TO CLASSROOMS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN PROVIDING FREE ARTS EDUCATION TO CHILDREN IN TITLE ONE SCHOOLS. THROUGH OUR FLAGSHIP SHAPING SPACE PROGRAM. THROUGH THEIR ARTS EDUCATION, CHILDREN ALSO GAIN VALUABLE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LIFE SKILLS THAT WE MEASURE THROUGH MESH SURVEYS TO CREATE A DYNAMIC AND RESPONSIVE CURRICULUM. THE UMOFF IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN FOR THE ENTIRE CITY OF AUSTIN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M AMANDA ALBRECHT, THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION AT THE UMOFF SCULPTURE GARDENING IN MUSEUM. THE UMOFF IS A ONE OF A KIND CITY OF AUSTIN ASSET THAT EMBRACES THE PAST AND THE FUTURE. WHILE OUR LAND AND BUILDINGS ARE OWNED BY [02:10:01] THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION RAISES THE NECESSARY OPERATIONAL FUNDS AND CARES FOR THE ENTIRE SITE. SINCE OPENING IN 1991, WE HAVE BEEN UNDER PARKS AND RECREATION AND NOW ARE BEING MOVED TO ARTS, SCULPTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT. WHILE ACME ORIGINALLY INCLUDED THE UMOFF AS A PRIORITY IN THEIR LIST OF NEEDS FOR THE 2026 GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND, THE UMOFF DID NOT MAKE THE PUBLISHED LIST. AS PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE UMOFF SCULPTURE GARDEN AND MUSEUM FUNDRAISED AND COMPLETED A $250,000 VISION PLAN TITLED THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION EXPANSION AND UNIFICATION PLAN. THE PLAN TITLE LEADS WITH HISTORIC PRESERVATION BECAUSE IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE ORIGINAL GIFT OF THE HISTORIC HOMESTEAD BE PRESERVED. EXPANSION REFERS TO EXPANDING UMOFF PROGRAMMING AND VISITOR CAPACITY, AND UNIFICATION REFERS TO MAKING THE ENTIRE EIGHT ACRE SITE HALF OF WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNUSABLE, COMPLETELY UNIFIED AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE PLAN IS A COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND THE PRESERVATION OF A HISTORICAL LANDMARK. THIS DIAGRAM HERE ILLUSTRATES HOW SUSTAINABILITY CONSIDERATIONS WOULD BE INTEGRATED THROUGHOUT CREATING A SITE THAT GIVES BACK MORE THAN IT USES. THIS SLIDE SHOWS ALL OF THE PROJECTS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN. THE UMOFF IS REQUESTING BOND SUPPORT FOR THE TWO COLUMNS ON THE LEFT, WHICH EQUATES TO ONE THIRD OF THE TOTAL COST TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE VISION AS SHOWN HERE. BOND DOLLARS WOULD GO SPECIFICALLY TOWARD ADDRESSING STORMWATER AND ACCESSIBILITY CHALLENGES, AS WELL AS INCREASING AUSTIN'S ACCESS TO PUBLIC GREEN SPACE BY TWO ACRES THROUGH TAX CREDITS, PRIVATE DONATIONS AND GRANTS. THE UM, LAW WILL RAISE THE FUNDING FOR ALL OTHER PROJECTS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO GENERATE THE REVENUE TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THE ENTIRE SITE. THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION WOULD RESULT IN THREE TIMES THE VALUE IN IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN ASSET, AN INVESTMENT WHICH WOULD GENERATE EVEN MORE IN TOURISM DOLLARS ANNUALLY WHILE EXPANDING ACCESS TO A TREASURED AUSTIN ICON FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION TO BEING HERE TODAY, WE CONTINUE TO PRESENT OUR CASE TO THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE AND THE RELEVANT WORKING GROUPS. WE'RE HAPPY TO MEET WITH ANY OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. THANK YOU BOTH FOR ALL YOU DO. NEXT WE HAVE LU I ABU AMARA MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS LU ABO AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX. UH, I HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN SINCE 2001. I INITIALLY REGISTERED TO SPEAK JUST IN CASE AUSTIN RESIDENT GREG STOKER WAS NOT RELEASED FROM ISRAELI DETENTION. HE IS SAFE AT HOME NOW, AND HE SAYS THAT WHAT HE SAW WAS NOT EVEN 10% OF WHAT PALESTINIANS FACE IN ISRAELI PRISONS. THAT CAN BE SHOWN BY THE RECORD OF, UM, DETAINED PEOPLE THAT WERE HEARING PALESTINIANS SCREAMS THROUGHOUT THE PRISONS THAT THEY WERE AT. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL THAT MADE THEIR VOICES HEARD, DEMANDING HIS RELEASE. YOUR VOICES SERVED AS A REASON FOR HIS FREEDOM. I APPRECIATE THE INITIATIVE THIS COUNCIL HAS SHOWN IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIAN ARAB MUSLIM COMMUNITIES. RECENTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO SPECIFICALLY THANK COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MIKE SIEGEL FOR MCING A NIGHT OF GIVING FOR WORLD FOOD DAY, WHERE $40,000 WERE RAISED FOR GAZA AND SUDAN. THROUGH CONNECT HER. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY COUNCIL MEMBER, KRIS LANE FOR ATTENDING AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT CO-HOSTED THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WITH THE CEASEFIRE REACHED IN GAZA, I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT AS A PALESTINIAN, THERE IS SOME RELIEF THAT A GENOCIDE IS STALLED. HOWEVER, WE ARE FAR OFF FROM CONSIDERING THIS SITUATION. A COST FOR CELEBRATION, THOUGH IT IS CALLED A CEASEFIRE, ISRAEL CONTINUES TO KILL PALESTINIANS WITH 98 KILLED AND HUNDREDS INJURED SO FAR. ON SUNDAY ALONE, AN ISRAELI BULLDOZER DROVE OVER AN UNEXPLODED ORDINANCE KILLING TWO PRIVATE CONTRACTORS TASKED TO DEMOLISH PALESTINIAN HOUSES DURING A CEASEFIRE WITH WASHINGTON'S KNOWLEDGE. ACCORDING TO DROP SITE, ISRAEL USED THAT AS A PRETENSE TO BOMB GAZA, KILLING 42 PEOPLE. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, ONE FAMILY CONSISTING OF 11 PEOPLE WERE KILLED INSTANTLY, AMONG WHICH WERE SEVEN KIDS CONDITIONED OF RELEASE PALESTINIAN HOSTAGES WERE AWFUL WITH A LOT OF THEM NARRATING HORROR STORIES FROM INSIDE ISRAELI ISRAELI DUNGEONS AND SHOWING CLEAR SIGNS OF TORTURE. THERE ARE 9,000 PEOPLE LANGUISHING AT ISRAELI PRISONS AS WE SPEAK. MOST OF THEM WITH NO CHARGE. 400 OF THEM ARE CHILDREN, INCLUDING ONE US CITIZEN AT THE AGE OF 16 YEARS OLD. BODIES RELEASED BY ISRAEL SHOW VISIBLE SIGNS OF TORTURE AS WELL AS SOME WITH MISSING ORGANS [02:15:01] FROM THE 7,000 TRUCKS THAT SUPPOSED TO ENTER GAZA DURING THE CEASEFIRE. SO FAR, ONLY A THOUSAND ENTERED WITH THE RAFFA CROSSING STILL CLOSED. PEOPLE ARE STILL LIVING IN UNIMAGINABLE MISERABLE CONDITIONS WITH NO JUSTICE IN SIGHT. WITH THAT SAID, THE WEST BANK ALONE IS SEEING A LOT OF SETTLER ATTACKS ON PALESTINIAN DURING THE OLIVE OLIVE, THE OLIVE HARVEST SEASON, AND JUST YESTERDAY, THE ICJ RELEASED A STATEMENT ASKING ISRAEL TO STOP WEAPONIZING AID AND DETERMINING THAT ISRAEL ACCUSATION AGAINST YOU AND AGENCIES SUCH AS THE OWNER WERE UNSUBSTANTIATED. AND THIS IS ONLY WHAT I CAN COVER IN LESS THAN THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE TO A REMOTE PARTICIPANT, DEMETRIUS BEASLEY. DEMETRIUS, IF YOU CAN PLEASE UNMUTE, WE WILL REACH OUT TO THEM. NEXT WILL BE JULIAN REYES. JULIAN REYES. RYAN CRAWLEY. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MY NAME IS RYAN CROWLEY, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE AND OPERATIONS DIRECTOR FOR COLLEGE HOUSES, AN AFFORDABLE NONPROFIT COOPERATIVE STUDENT HOUSING PROVIDER, AND DISTRICT NINE. I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO REQUEST THAT COUNCIL BRINGS THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, OVERLAY UPDATE BACK TO YOUR AGENDA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. FOR OVER A YEAR, CITY STAFF WORKED ADMIRABLY TO GET STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK ON THE PROPOSAL. IN SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS, I PERSONALLY WITNESSED UT ADMIN REPRESENTATIVES EXPLICITLY STATE IN THOSE MEETINGS THAT THE AMENDMENT WAS NOT ANY OF THEIR BUSINESS. STUDENT LEADERS, LIKE THE LEADERS OF MY ORGANIZATION, WORKED HARD TO MEET CITY STAFF AND COUNCIL IN OUR SHARED GOAL OF IMPROVING THE UNO ORDINANCE TO IMPROVE AFFORDABILITY AND RESIDENT EXPERIENCE IN THE UNO AREA. THEY MET AND WORKED DURING FINALS AND THE SUMMER TO MEET THE CITY'S TIMELINE THAT THE ITEM HAS BEEN PULLED INDEFINITELY IS ENOUGH OF AN INSULT TO THAT IMPRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT THAT THERE ARE NOW BACKDOOR HIDDEN MEETINGS WITH THE UT ADMINISTRATION THAT REPORTEDLY IS EXCITED TO PLEDGE LOYALTY TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S IDEOLOGY IS DISTURBING. I DON'T THINK THAT IS A VIEWPOINT THAT SHOULD GET TO VETO AUSTIN STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS. IF THE ITEM IS NOT READY FOR YOU TO VOTE ON, AT LEAST BRING THE DISCUSSIONS BACK INTO THE PUBLIC SO THE STUDENTS MOST AFFECTED CAN HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD UNLESS THEY'RE FORCED TO JUST ASSUME THAT THE UT ADMINISTRATION AND CITY COUNCIL BELIEVE THEY DON'T PAY ENOUGH RENT AND DON'T DESERVE EXPANDED TENANT RIGHTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. IT'S TOO LATE. MR. REYES, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? I WAS TRYING. WELL, YOU CAN SPEAK. IT'S JUST TOO LATE FOR YOU TO U TO, UH, GIVE THAT TO, TO GIVE THAT TO THEM. OKAY. IT'S AVAILABLE ALL NIGHT. ANY PARTICULAR PLACE YOU WANT ME, JUDGE? JUST ANY PLACE THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE, ALL DIFFERENT. SO MY NAME'S JULIAN REYES. I'M WITH THE CHALLENGER STREET NEWSPAPER. I'M A MEMBER OF THE THE PRESS. I'VE BEEN, UH, REPORTING ON THE MILITARY, THE MILITARIZATION OF AUSTIN ON THE STREETS AND THE, THE, UH, MURDER OF OUR PEOPLE. UH, OUR AUSTINITES BY, UH, EDICT OF CITY COUNCIL OF GREG ABBOTT. IT GOES ALL THE WAY UP THE CHAIN. UM, BUT THERE'S AT LEAST 500 STREET DEATHS TYPICALLY IN AUSTIN FROM THE OPPRESSION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE POLICE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO. WE'VE GOT OFFICER GARVEY THAT DRAGS. HE COMES UP, I HAVE A STORY HERE. OFFICER GARVEY USES A KNIFE. HE SNEAKS UP ON TENTS WITH PEOPLE ASLEEP, MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ALL ACROSS AUSTIN. HE SNEAKS UP WITH A KNIFE AND HE SLASHES THEIR TENTS, GRABBING THE PEOPLE INSIDE, UM, BY THEIR FEET, ASSAULTING THEM, BEATING THEM, AND THEN ORDERING THE CITY'S CONTRACTOR GOONS TO STEAL EVERYTHING THEY OWN, UNLAWFULLY AND AGAINST ALL AMERICANS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS UNDER THE FOURTH, 14TH, FIFTH, AND EIGHTH AMENDMENTS, AS WELL AS 42 USC 1983, THE CIVIL RIGHTS RIGHTS ACT IN 1985. CONSPIRACY OF PARTIES, YOU GUYS ARE ORDERING THAT YOU'RE NOT OVERSEEING YOUR POLICE OFFICERS AND YOU'RE CREATING A PROBLEM FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS PSYCH PSYCHOLOGICALLY. UM, BUT YOU'RE ALSO KILLING PEOPLE. YOU'RE MURDERING PEOPLE. BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDS. THIS THING WITH, WITH WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL SAYS THEY'RE SHOCKED THAT THAT [02:20:01] GOVERNOR ABBOTT, A FAR RIGHT EXTREMIST MAGA, CAN WE SAY NAZI, IS THAT ALLOWED ANYMORE? UH, SOMEONE WHO HAS EXTREME RIGHT WING, UH, TENDENCIES AND BIAS AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR AND MINORITIES, THAT GUY IS, IS SENDING HIS TROOPS DOWN HERE. I'M FILMING THAT LIVE. I'M THE REPORTER THAT DOES THIS FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF. I GET RETALIATED BY YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS A VIOLATION OF THE THE PRESS, THE PEOPLE'S PRESS. MY JOB IS TO TELL THE PEOPLE, AND Y'ALL WHAT'S GOING ON, AND LEMME TELL THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN, YOUR CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT CARE, DOES NOT WANT AN AUDIT, DOES NOT INVESTIGATE THEIR OFFICERS. THE CITY COUNCIL FOR MULTIPLE CITY COUNCILS GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO LEE LEFFINGWELL HAVE ALLOWED THESE OFFICERS TO RAPE PILLAGE AND PL PLUNDER AND TO COMMIT CRIMES UNDER COLOR OF LAW. THEY'VE CREATED CONSPIRACIES AMONG GANGS, POLICE GANGS, THAT, THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO JUSTICE. IN FACT, THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZES CITY LEGAL TO FIGHT ME AND OTHER PEOPLE AGAINST JUSTICE TO CREATE MORE INJUSTICE TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE COUNCIL, THE CITY AND ITS ITS INSURANCE COMPANY, DON'T HAVE TO PAY OUT WHEN THEY SHOOT SOMEONE IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD OR THE FRONT OF THE HEAD LIKE THEY DID. ALEXANDER GONZALEZ, WHEN HE IS REACHING FOR HIS CHILD IN THE BACK SEAT WITH NO GUN, THE SAME LAWYERS WILL LIE ABOUT A GUN AND PERJURE THEMSELVES IN A FEDERAL COURT OF LAW. WE SAW IN, IN, IN THE DISTRICT COURT UNDER JUDGE BLAZE, WE SAW THE ENTIRE, LIKE THE LEAD JUROR WAS ASLEEP DURING THE MURDER TRIAL WITH CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR WHEN HE SHOT MIKE RAMOS. THE JURORS WERE ASLEEP. THERE WAS ALL SORTS OF PERRIES THAT WERE GOING ON AND IT'S ALL ALLOWED AND CITY COUNCIL'S CULPABLE. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. WE'VE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO DIMITRIUS, BUT WE ARE UNABLE TO GET A CONNECTION. THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS FOR NOON PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MEMBERS, AS YOU'VE HEARD, THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS FOR OUR, OUR TIME, CERTAIN PUBLIC COMM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. PLEASE BE PLEASE BE IN ORDER. UM, MEMBERS WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL BE IN RECESS UNTIL 2:00 PM WITHOUT OBJECTION. THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IS IN RECESS UNTIL 2:00 PM IT IS 1222. THANKS EVERYBODY. SEE YOU TOO. GOOD [2:00 PM - Zoning and Neighborhood Plan Amendments (Public Hearings and Possible Action)] AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. IT'S TWO O'CLOCK ON OCTOBER 23RD, 2025, AND I WILL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. WE'RE AT OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, WHICH RELATES TO ZONING ITEMS. UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT JOY HARDIN HADN'T SHOWN UP TO WORK TODAY, SO, UM, WE'LL GO TO SOMEBODY ELSE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M ERIC THOMAS WITH AUSTIN PLANNING. MS. HARDEN SENDS HER REGRETS. UH, I'M SURE. SURE. UH, YOU'RE STUCK WITH ME TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY. WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE. THANK YOU. AND WE ALL, AND WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE MS. HARDEN. THAT'S ALRIGHT. YOUR ZONING AGENDA TODAY BEGINS WITH ITEM NUMBER 69 C ONE FOUR H 20 25 0 0 7 7. THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM NUMBER 70 IS C 4 20 25 7 2. IT'S ALSO OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. NEXT IS ITEM NUMBER 71 C FOUR H 20 25, 2 2. IT'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM NUMBER 72 IS C 14 H 20 25 0 0 66. IT'S ALSO OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER 73 NPA 20 24 0 0 0 5 0.01. THIS IS OFFERED AS AN APPLICANT AND DEFINITE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST. THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER 74 C 4 20 24 0 0 9 9, AND THIS IS ALSO OFFERED AS AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY THE APPLICANT. MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER 75 NPA 20 22 0 0 0 5 0.01. THIS ITEM IS OFFERED AS AN APPLICANT INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST, AND THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER 76 C 14 22 2 0 1 0 7. IT'S ALSO OFFERED AS AN APPLICANT INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST. THE NEXT THREE ITEMS ARE RELATED, BEGINNING WITH ITEM NUMBER 77 NPA 20 23 0 0 0 0.0 1 0 0 0 2 0.01. EXCUSE ME. THIS IS OFFERED AS AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY THE APPLICANT. THE FIRST RELATED REZONING ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 78 C 1 4 20 24 0 0 1 0. IT'S ALSO OFFERED AS AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY THE APPLICANT. AND THE SECOND RELATED REZONING ITEM IS NUMBER 79 C 1 4 20 24 0 0 1 7. AGAIN, THIS IS AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY THE APPLICANT. ITEM NUMBER 80 IS NPA 20 25 0 0 0 8 0.01. THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT FIRST READING ONLY TODAY TO ALLOW MORE TIME FOR CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS, AND THIS ITEM WILL BE RETURNING ON YOUR NOVEMBER 6TH COUNCIL AGENDA. THE RELATED REZONING IS ITEM NUMBER 81 C 1 4 2 2 5 0 0 4 9, [02:25:01] AND THIS ITEM IS ALSO BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT FIRST READING ONLY, RETURNING ON NOVEMBER 6TH. ITEM NUMBER 82 IS C 1 4 20 25 0 0 7. THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT FIRST READING ONLY, AND WILL RETURN ON NOVEMBER 6TH. ITEM NUMBER 83 IS C 4 20 25 84. IT'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS. ITEM NUMBER 84 IS C 1 4 2 25 0 0 5 3 OFFERED AS A POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO YOUR NOVEMBER 6TH MEETING. NUMBER 85 IS C 4 20 25 0 0 2 9. IT'S OFFERED AS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR NOVEMBER 20TH MEETING. AND ITEM NUMBER 86 IS C 1 4 20 25 0 5 7. THIS ITEM IS ALSO OFFERED AS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO YOUR NOVEMBER 20TH COUNCIL MEETING. AND THIS CONCLUDES THE READING OF THE ZONING AGENDA, WHICH OF COURSE IS AT YOUR DISCRETION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, MEMBERS, THE CONSENT AGENDA, THE MOTION THAT, UH, THE CHAIR WILL TAKE IS TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA IN THE FOLLOWING WAY, 69 70, 71, 72 ON ALL THREE READINGS, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, AND 79 INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT, 80, 81 AND 82. FIRST READING AND RETURNING ON NOVEMBER 6TH, 83. CAN ALL THREE READINGS, 84 POSTPONEMENT TO NOVEMBER 6TH, 85 AND 86 POSTPONEMENT TO NOVEMBER 20TH. IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER LANE? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL. UH, NOW WE WILL GO TO, UH, SPEAKERS AND I'LL ASK YOU TO PLEASE GO IN ORDER, UH, AS AS WE'VE CALLED OUT THE CONSENT AGENDA. YES. FIRST ON ITEM 71, PHILLIP WILEY. HI EVERYONE, MY NAME'S PHIL WILEY AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 71. UM, THIS, THIS IS A LANDMARK CASE. THE PROPERTY IS ON MY STREET. UM, I WANTED TO SHOW SOME APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE CARE AND EFFORT AND TIME AND MONEY THAT WENT INTO THIS, AND ALSO TELL PEOPLE THAT WE REALLY CAN HAVE IT ALL. WE, WE CAN HAVE TALL BUILDINGS, WE CAN HAVE LANDMARKS, WE CAN HAVE OLD, WE CAN HAVE NEW, IT CAN ALL EXIST IN HARMONY. UM, NEXT CHART, PLEASE. UM, I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THIS FITS INTO A, A, A BROADER PICTURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND ESPECIALLY IN DOWNTOWNS IN DOWNTOWN BOSTON RIGHT NOW. TO ADDRESS A, UH, SEVERE HOUSING CRISIS DOWNTOWN LAKE WE CURRENTLY HAVE TODAY IN, IN CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHICS, UM, THEY, THEY HAVE CREATED A A, WELL, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THEY HAVE A NEW MODEL WHERE THEY HAVE A TODD MODEL, UM, WHERE DENSITY IS FOCUSED ALONG WASHINGTON STREET AND BUILDINGS CAN, WOULD BE ABLE TO GO UP TO 700 FEET HIGH, WHICH IS PRETTY, PRETTY AMBITIOUS IN A, A CITY AS OLD AND HISTORIC AS, UH, BOSTON 700 FEET HIGH, BUT ONLY IF THE MAJORITY OF THE BUILDING IS USED FOR HOUSING. THAT IS A STIPULATION. IF YOU WANNA BUILD TALL, IT HAS TO BE FOR HOUSING. VANCOUVER HAS A, A PROJECT THAT THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE DOING 6,000 UNITS IN 10 AND A HALF ACRES. AND SOMEONE POINTED OUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION. YEAH. SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN VANCOUVER DON'T LIKE THAT. WELL, IT, IT'S, UH, IT'S NEXT TO SINGLE FAMILY, SO YOU GET 6,000 NEW UNITS AND 50 PEOPLE THAT ARE UPSET. UM, SENATE BILL 79 FROM CALIFORNIA'S GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD, AND I'LL BE BACK TO TELL YOU ABOUT MORE ABOUT THAT LATER. THANK YOU. NEXT, ON ITEM 72, WE HAVE JOE BOSH, BILL BUNCH, AND JUSTIN BRAG. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. OKAY. PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT ONE. ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE TO REMOTE SPEAKERS. ON ITEM 75, 76 AND 77, WE HAVE BRAD MASSENGILL SPEAKING TO THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT. MR. MASSENGILL, LET'S GO TO [02:30:01] THE NEXT ONE. NEXT WE MOVE TO ITEM 80 AND WE HAVE TAYLOR HIGGINS, AARON CLONINGER, SAMUEL GOLOV, KIM BARKER, CHRISTOPHER PAGE, MR. PAGE. HE'S PASSING. OH, ALRIGHT. YEAH, YEAH, SURE. PLEASE. WHEN YOUR NAME'S CALLED, PLEASE COME DOWN. THAT'S WHEN I DIDN'T SEE ANY REACTION. I DIDN'T THINK THAT THEY WERE, Y'ALL WERE HERE. SO JUST PLEASE COME AND, AND ALL OF YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO TAKE A SEAT. OKAY. CHRIS PAGE, YOU HAVE TIME DONATED, SO WE'LL JUST NEED TO CHECK THAT BEFORE YOU START. PLEASE GO AHEAD, PLEASE SAY YOUR NAME AND BEGIN SPEAKING. THANKS. MOTION FOR ME? UH, SURE. I'LL GO AHEAD. HI, MY NAME IS KIM BARKER. I AM, UH, THANKFUL FOR YOU ALL TO LISTEN TO MY TESTIMONY, WHICH I HAVE NOT FINISHED PREPARING. UM, I HAVE BEEN OPPOSED TO THE CHANGE IN ZONING, UH, FOR THE ROSE, THE HISTORIC ROSEWOOD ELEMENTARY SITE, UM, OUT OF CONCERN OF WHAT WOULD BE PERMISSIBLE UNDER THE PROPOSED COMMERCIAL MIXED USE ZONING, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE HISTORIC ROSEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE HISTORIC ROSEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS CONSTRUCTED BEGINNING IN THE 1930S AND HAS SERVED AS A SCHOOL FOR ITS ENTIRE DURATION. UM, IT WAS SOLD FROM A SD TO A CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO, AND THAT CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL IS NOW PROPOSING, UM, OR IS NOW SELLING IT TO A DEVELOPER. UH, I AM A PRESERVATION PROFESSIONAL. I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THIS PROPERTY. I AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT BEHIND THE DEVELOPER'S PLAN TO RETAIN AND REHABILITATE THE SCHOOL. WE LOVE THIS PLAN. WE JUST WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TIME BETWEEN TODAY'S FIRST READING AND YOUR ACTUAL VOTE, UM, TO COMMIT THEIR PLANS TO WRITING AND TO GET A RESTRICTED COVENANT THAT PUTS THAT COMMITMENT INTO WRITING. UM, WE HAVE TALKED WITH MANY OF, UH, MANY STAFFS OF YOUR COUNCIL OFFICES, AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A RESTRICTED COVENANT IS VERY TYPICAL IN THESE SORT OF SITUATIONS THAT COUNCIL DOESN'T WANNA GIVE AWAY A BUNCH OF ENTITLEMENTS WITHOUT SOME SORT OF COMMITMENT. UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TIME, UM, TO GET A RESTRICTED COVENANT TO INCLUDE RETENTION AND REHABILITATION OF THIS BUILDING AMONG SOME OTHER THINGS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WATSON AND THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS SAM GOB. I'M A FAMILY THERAPIST. I'VE LIVED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR, AT MY CURRENT ADDRESS FOR FIVE YEARS. I WORK AT AUSTIN CHILD GUIDANCE CENTER IN A PREVIOUS, UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE THAT THE REZONING TO MIXED USE WOULD CAUSE FOR THE CHILDREN THAT LIVE AT, UM, THE BOOKER T WASHINGTON PUBLIC HOUSING SITE ACROSS THE STREET. PREVIOUS JOB OF MINE, I WORKED IN, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND SO I WAS ON SITE MULTIPLE TIMES. MANY OF THOSE FAMILIES, UH, DO NOT HAVE THE ECONOMIC MEANS FOR TRANSPORTATION AND THEIR CHILDREN WALK TO OAK SPRINGS ELEMENTARY AND TO KEELING MIDDLE SCHOOL. THE INCREASED, I'M CONCERNED THAT THE INCREASED LEVEL OF TRAFFIC THAT MIGHT BE CAUSED BY, UH, THIS REZONING MIGHT ENDANGER THE STUDENTS THAT WALK WITHOUT SUPERVISION, MANY BLOCKS TO GET TO SCHOOL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. SIR, DID YOU SIGN UP TO SPEAK? YES, SIR. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK MR. PAGE? YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO COME FORWARD TOO. IF YOU'D LIKE. PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND BEGIN WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. AARON K CLONINGER PLEASANTRY, ALL AS A HOMEOWNER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE APPLICANT'S AGENDA. ITEMS 80 AND 81 ON THE PROPOSED SITE, I, I URGE YOU TO VOTE NO ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT AND THE ZONING CHANGE AT THIS TIME. THIS PROJECT PRESENTS LITMUS TESTS FOR REDEVELOPMENT IN SHUTTERED SCHOOLS FOR INTERPRETATION OF SENATE BILL EIGHT 40 AND COMPATIBILITY WITH SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS AT SAID SCHOOLS FOR ADAPTING REGULATIONS OF ZONING INFLUENCE, TIME OF DAY TRAFFIC PATTERNS IN NEIGHBORHOODS FOR ADDRESSING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, AMPLIFIED SOUND. ALSO A TIME OF DAY CONCERN. WE KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S COUNCIL IS LISTENING. HERE WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE [02:35:01] ROSEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY DISMANTLED ACROSS THE SPAN OF SI 60 YEARS. A FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR REMEMBERS A PART OF ROSEWOOD THAT USED TO BE A FEW HUNDRED YARDS AWAY, WHERE THE BARGE CREEK GREEN BELT WIDENS. YOU WON'T FIND THE PLACE NAME IN ANY OLD MAPS OR ARCHIVES. IT WAS CALLED JOLLY COURSE. LOOK UP GLEN OAK'S PROJECT IN YOUR FAVORITE AI ENGINE, TWO TO 300 FAMILIES, HOMES, OR BULLDOZED FOR THE PURPOSE OF REMOVING BLIGHT AND FLOOD RISK. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS DRAMATICALLY REDUCED IN SCALE. THE ROSEWOOD SHOPPING CENTER WAS OPENED IN 1969 WHERE THE MILLENNIUM YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX NOW STANDS. THIS SITE ALSO WAS PREVIOUSLY A NEIGHBORHOOD, SO OUR LITTLE VESTIGE OF THE ROSEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTUALLY WAS REORGANIZED TO BE PARTIALLY ABSORBED INTO HOMEWOOD HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS ACROSS THE RAVINE TO THE EAST FRIENDLY R RICES ROOSEVELT ERA. BRICK SCHOOL BUILDING IS OUR PRIZED CULTURAL HUB, STANDING CENTRAL AND RESIDENTIAL AND CIVIC ZONING DISTRICT. THERE WAS PURPOSE IN NOT CHANGING THE ZONING OF THE WHOLE SITE IN THE RECENT CITYWIDE ZONING REVISION. THEY COULDN'T, THEY WOULDN'T RUN PLOW MAL OVER THE ROSEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. PAGE, DID YOU INDICATE HE HAD SOMEBODY THAT, WAS THAT DONATED TIME? YES. IS JOSHUA COLLIER HERE? YES. AND IS BARBARA MACARTHUR? SHE IS. PERFECT. YOU'LL, UH, MR. PAGE WILL HAVE SIX MINUTES. AND MR. MAYOR, UM, BEFORE MR. PAGE SPEAKS, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT. THIS MR. PAGE IS FROM MY DISTRICT, AND I KNOW HE'S BEEN VERY HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THIS AND I WANNA HEAR WHAT HE'S SAYING. FOR WHATEVER REASON, I CAN'T HEAR CHAMBER. IT'S VERY, VERY QUIET. JUST WANTED TO LET CTM KNOW THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. TESTING. YOU HEAR THAT? SHE GOT IT. GOOD. OKAY. UM, SO, UH, I THINK SOME OF OUR, UH, NEIGHBORS HAVE ALREADY BROUGHT FORWARD A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION. I'LL TRY TO NOT BE TOO REPETITIVE. UM, OFTENTIMES REZONING IS A MATTER OF GIVE AND TAKE. IT'S A MATTER OF, UH, COMPROMISE AND SO FAR WE'VE SEEN NONE. WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO DO IS TO CHANGE ROUGHLY ONE AND A HALF ACRES OF SF THREE ZONE PROPERTY INTO A CS BASE ZONE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST INTENSITY COMMERCIAL ZONES THAT EXIST IN THE CITY. IT'S ALSO, BY DEFINITION, INCOMPATIBLE WITH RESIDE RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTS. WE HAVE SUGGESTED AS AN ALTERNATIVE LR, WHICH IS COMPATIBLE BOTH, UH, IN SCALE AND BEING LESS AUTO CENTRIC AND BEING MORE NEIGHBORHOOD FACING IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF RETAIL THAT ARE AVAILABLE THERE, UH, THAT HAS BEEN SHOT DOWN. I'D LIKE TO, UH, REMIND YOU OF A RECENT REZONING THAT YOU HAD WITH, UH, WITH THE HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH THEY REACHED, REACHED A COMPROMISE, UH, ORBITING AROUND THE CHANGE TO, UH, LR BASED ZONE, SO THAT IF THE APPLICANT CAPITALIZES ON SB EIGHT 40, THEY WOULD STILL HAVE AN INCENTIVE TO PARTICIPATE IN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. THAT ACTUALLY PARALLELS SOME OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND MAYBE THIS COUNCIL'S THINKING AROUND THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AND TRYING TO RESUSCITATE SOME OF THOSE FEES IN LIEU, WHICH TO MY UNDERSTANDING GENERATES ABOUT 75% OF THE FEE AND LIE PROGRAM, UH, FUNDS. UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THIS NEGOTIATION, WE'VE HAD, UH, CONCERNS AND I THINK MATERIALIZED CONCERNS AROUND THE CREDIBILITY OF THE, UH, REPRESENTATIONS BY THE APPLICANT. UH, FROM THE OUTSET, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY INTEND A CREATIVE REUSE OF AN EXISTING HISTORIC BUILDING. UM, WE SUGGESTED THAT THEY ADDED DASH H TO THEIR ZONING STREAM, WHICH WOULD FACILITATE GREAT TAX ADVANTAGES FOR THEM AT THE CITY, COUNTY, AND SCHOOL DISTRICT LEVEL. AND THEY HAVE ACTED DEADLY ALLERGIC TO IT. AN ALTERNATIVE, WE RECOMMENDED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING IN WHICH THEY WOULD INDICATE THAT THEY WOULD NOT OPPOSE HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION SHOULD IT GET TRIGGERED FOR HLC REVIEW. THEY WERE DEADLY ALLERGIC TO THAT AS WELL. THEN WE SUGGESTED A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THEM TO MAYBE PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH PARTS OF, UH, HISTORIC DESIGNATION THEY WANT WITHOUT NECESSARILY RUNNING INTO SOME OF THE BUREAUCRATIC OR RED TAPE THAT MIGHT SLOW THEM DOWN. AND THEY INDICATED THAT THEY ARE ALSO DEADLY ALLERGIC TO THAT. UM, IT'S GIVEN US A FEELING THAT THEY'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE WHAT WOULD BE A NET THREE ACRE, 3.16 ACRE PARCEL INTERIOR TO A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH CURB CUTS THAT FLOW DIRECTLY ONTO TWO A SMP LEVEL ONE ROADS, [02:40:01] SPECIFICALLY BEDFORD AND, UH, SO WILSON, WHICH MANY OF THE RESIDENTS HERE LIVE ON. UM, FOR SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT ON THE BACKGROUND OF THIS SITE, THERE WERE THREE LAYERS OF PROTECTION THAT WERE VERY DELIBERATELY INSTALLED TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE EDUCATIONAL USE ON THIS SITE. UM, IT, IT WAS A CIVIC, UH, LAND USE UNDER THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IN THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. THERE WERE SPECIFIC DEED RESTRICTIONS WHEN THE, UH, INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS SOLD IT TO TEXAS CAN, AND THOSE DEED RESTRICTIONS RELATE EXCLUSIVELY TO ANTI-DISCRIMINATION MEASURES. UH, AND IT ALSO SPEAKS HEAVILY TO THE SPECIFIC INTENT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN IT TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL USES GOING FORWARD. UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE SPLIT ZONING, WHICH IS NOW, UH, YOU KNOW, SUBJECT TO A POTENTIAL DISMANTLING. THE SPLIT ZONING ITSELF WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT CIVIC USE TO CONTINUE TO BE A SCHOOL USE AS IT HAS BEEN FOR ALMOST A HUNDRED YEARS NOW. UM, IT IS A PARTICULARLY ACUTE PAIN THAT'S FELT BY THE LOSS OF THIS SCHOOL BECAUSE SIMULTANEOUSLY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS ANNOUNCED THE CLOSURE OF OAK SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH AT UNDER A 2022, UH, BOND WAS SEEING A $48 MILLION RECONSTRUCTION OF THEIR CAMPUS, WHICH IS NOW HALTED. WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY THAT'S BEEN. AND THAT'S THE SECOND SCHOOL LOSS WITHIN ROUGHLY A QUARTER MILE RADIUS OF THIS SITE. NOW, THE INTERSECTION HERE IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO OUR COMMUNITY. ACROSS THE STREET FROM IT IS THE MILLENNIUM YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX, WHICH TO GREAT COMMUNITY ACTIVISM TO GET, UH, ALSO ACROSS THE STREET IS THE HISTORIC YELLOW JACKET STADIUM, WHICH YOU WILL TODAY SEE MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS OUT USING AFTER SCHOOL HOURS. UH, YOU'LL ALSO FIND THE BOOKER T UH, HACKER SITE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PUBLICLY OWNED AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITES IN THE CITY. WE ARE GREATLY CONCERNED FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE RESIDENTS, NOT JUST FOR THEIR CONVENIENCE, BUT FOR THIS IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL ASSET TO BE LOST. AND WE'RE TRYING TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN TO SEE THAT WHATEVER FUTURE USE, UH, MAY EMERGE, THERE WILL SIMILARLY HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY BENEFIT. UM, UNFORTUNATELY WITH NO COMPROMISE, LITERALLY ON ANY POINT THAT WE HAVE VERY REASONABLY BROUGHT UP. UH, IT'S VERY UNLIKELY TO YIELD GREAT COMMUNITY BENEFIT. IN FACT, IT STARTED TO APPEAR MORE LIKE A VANITY PROJECT WHERE SOMEONE IS TREATING A HISTORIC ASSET LIKE A DISNEYLAND, YOU KNOW, UM, ASSET INSTEAD. UM, WE ARE FULLY OPEN TO A PRODUCTIVE PROCESS GOING FORWARD. WE WANT TO BE PROFESSIONAL, WE WANT TO BE THOUGHTFUL AND ANALYTICAL, AND WE WANT THE FUTURE OF THIS INTERSECTION TO REFLECT THE QUALITY OF ITS PAST. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, VIRGINIA GRAYSON. WILL NOW REMO GO TO REMOTE SPEAKERS ON ITEM 80 CAN PLEASE UNMUTE BRAD MASSENGILL. HEY Y'ALL. BRAD MASSING. BRAD MASSING HERE FROM, UH, DISTRICT THREE. UM, IN, IN LIGHT OF SB 40, UH, I THINK IT'D BE REALLY FOOL FOOLHARDY TO, TO GRANT THIS OR ANY OF THESE OTHER, UH, ZONING CHANGES TO COMMERCIAL, KNOWING WHAT THAT POTENTIAL IS GONNA PUT IN ANY GIVEN NEIGHBORHOOD AT THIS POINT. UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE CITY COUNCIL TO USE THE POWER THAT THEY HAVE TO, UH, TO STOP, UH, LETTING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, UH, SQUEAK OUT OF THE, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND TURN INTO THESE MONSTROSITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING POP UP ALL OVER TOWN. UM, EVEN IF IT'S SOMETHING BENIGN SEEMING AND THE ECONOMY TURNS SOUTH AND IT GETS SOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE, IT COULD TURN INTO SOMETHING REALLY BAD QUICKLY, UM, WITH VIEWS, GUARDRAILS, OR ANY MECHANISMS FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE ANY INPUT, UH, ONCE IT'S COMMERCIAL. UM, LET, LET'S, LET'S START WORKING ON PRESERVING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS MORE. I, I REALLY THINK THAT SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF THINGS. UM, I STAND WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I CAN'T ADD MUCH MORE TO WHAT CHRIS AND THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS SAID THAN THAT. THANK YOU. [02:45:05] NEXT SPEAKER. ELLIOT HAN. ELLIOT TRAHAN. ALL RIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER IS MARY CHISHOLM. HI, YES, MY NAME'S MARY CHISHOLM. I LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR, BUT I USED TO WORK OVER AT OAK SPRINGS AND AIRPORT. AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL NOT TO APPROVE THE ZONING CHANGES ON ITEM 80 OR 81 TO PRESERVE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, THEY ARE SOME OF THE LAST, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS IN AUSTIN THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DEVELOPED, AND THEY SHOULD STAY THAT THE WAY THEY ARE AND KEEP THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE. THERE. UM, I JUST WANNA AGREE WITH ALL THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS AND HOPE THAT YOU DO LISTEN TO THE CONSTITUENTS AND, UM, LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY THAT PRESERVE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT IN-PERSON, SPEAKER ON ITEM 81, TAYLOR HIGGINS. AARON CLINGER. SAMUEL GOLOV. KIM BARKER. IF YOUR NAME, CHRISTOPHER SPATE. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED AND YOU WANT TO SPEAK, COME FORWARD, PLEASE. IT'S ON DIFFERENT ITEMS. IT'S FOR ITEM 81, CHRISTOPHER PAGE AND JENNY GRAYSON. I'D LIKE TO, IT'S, IT'S, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT THROUGH A PROCESS, SO THANK YOU THOUGH. IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK ON ITEM 81, PLEASE COME FORWARD. JOSHUA COLLIER HERE. IF YOU WANNA SPEAK, PLEASE COME FORWARD. BARBARA MACARTHUR. I DON'T SEE HER ANYMORE AS OF RIGHT NOW. CHRISTOPHER PAGE HAS FOUR MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. WHO HAS DONATED TIME? JUST JOSHUA COLLIER. OKAY. MR. COLLIER, IF YOU HAVE DONATED YOUR TIME TO MR. PAGE ON ITEM 80, DOES IT MATTER? IT'S ITEM 81. HE INDICATED THAT YOU'VE ALSO DONATED ON 81. THAT WOULD'VE BEEN FOUR MINUTES. UH, YES SIR. IF, HAS HE RECEIVED THE TIME? HE, HE WILL, HE WILL GET FOUR MINUTES. YOU'VE DONATED HIM TIME ON TWO DIFFERENT ITEMS. OKAY. OKAY. HAPPY TO SPEAK OR DONATE TIME. WELL, THAT'S UP TO YOU. OKAY. RIGHT. Y'ALL FIGHT THAT OUT LATER. ALRIGHT, WHO GOES FIRST? YOU CAN, UH, MR. MAYOR, UH, CAN YOU CLARIFY FOR ME IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT THE ONE WE'RE SPEAKING ON RIGHT NOW? THIS IS ITEM NUMBER 81 AND I'LL READ IT TO YOU. IT'S CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVE ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY CODE TITLE 25 BY REZONING PROPERTY LOCALLY KNOWN AS 1159 AND A HALF, AND 1169 HARGRAVE STREET, AND 24 0 7 AND A HALF. SAUL WILSON AVENUE, BOBBY CREEK, BOGGY CREEK WATERSHED. YOU WANT ME, DO I NEED TO READ THE REST OF THAT TO YOU? ALRIGHT. UH, NO THANK YOU. THANKS VERY MUCH. GREAT. JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AS YOU BEGIN. AARON K CLONINGER. I LIVE WITHIN A STONE'S THROW FROM THIS SITE IN QUESTION FOR THE ZONING CHANGE. AND I AM AN OWNER OF A RESIDENCE AT THE TIME. CURRENTLY, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE'S NO NEED FOR A ZONING CHANGE AS THE NORTH SIDE OF THE SITE IS ZONED FOR SF THREE. AS IT WAS EVEN BEFORE THE NEARLY A HUNDRED YEAR OLD SCHOOL WAS CONSTRUCTED. I BELIEVE THE SPIRIT OF THE CITYWIDE ZONING, UM, REVISIONS OF RECENT, UM, ONLY ADDED THE COMMERCIAL ZONING TO THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE SITE FOR PURPOSE. ACCORDING TO THE APPLICANTS IN FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, THEY SAID THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE, UM, RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION ON THIS SITE, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE STREET FRONTAGE OF SO WILSON. AS IT IS NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS WITH DEAD ENDS. ONE OF THE DEAD ENDS IS A VERY STEEP GRADE DOWN TO A NON CUL-DE-SAC. [02:50:01] NEITHER OF THEM ARE CUL-DE-SACS. UM, AT THE TOP OF THE GRADE, THE, THE, UH, STREET MAKES A 45 DEGREE CORNER ADDING COMPLEX ISSUES TO HAVING PEOPLE MISTAKENLY DRIVE DOWN. WE'VE HAD, UM, CONCERNING TRAFFIC ISSUES, WE'VE HAD, UH, MULTIPLE DEAD END SIGNS INSTALLED, AND IT HASN'T CHANGED THE DRIVER BEHAVIOR OF PEOPLE THINKING THEY GET TO CUT THROUGH WHEN THEY CAN'T. UH, SO THESE SHORT LITTLE STREETS CAN'T TAKE THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS OF HAVING A COMMERCIAL PARKING LOT TWO-WAY CURB CUT ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD STREET. SORRY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GO AHEAD. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JOSHUA COLLIER WAS BORN IN AUSTIN. UM, I'VE WORKED HERE MOST OF MY LIFE, UM, LATELY AS A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER. SO PART OF MY ROLE HAS BEEN TO PROVIDE, UH, SUPPORT FOR HEALTH ACCESS, UM, AND WHAT WE CALL THE SOCIAL DRIVERS OF HEALTH, OR, UH, WHICH OF COURSE, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF YOUR WORK ON HOMELESS STRATEGY, RIGHT? HOUSING FIRST IS, IS A RALLYING CALL, RIGHT? FOR THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO IN THIS CASE, UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S BEEN PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, UM, YOU, WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE, UM, THIS MAY DRIVE DISPLACEMENT OF LONG-TERM RESIDENTS. YOU CAN SEE THAT MANY OF US KNOW EACH OTHER. WE'VE LIVED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FOR SOME TIME AND WE'VE MADE GOOD FAITH EFFORTS TO WORK WITH THE DEVELOPERS, UM, THAT WE DON'T FEEL LIKE HAVE BEEN MET. SO WE WERE, UM, PLEASED THAT THERE WAS A POSTPONEMENT, THAT THERE'S ONLY A FIRST READING TODAY, BUT WE FEEL LIKE WE WANT TO OUTLINE VERY SPECIFIC METRICS, VERY SPECIFIC GOALS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE VERY REASONABLE GOALS TO MEET BEFORE THIS MOVES FORWARD. UM, AND SO, UM, WE HOPE TO ADDRESS THAT NEXT TIME WE'VE REACHED OUT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, STAFF. UM, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS, WE'VE ALSO MET WITH PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, IT'S SAFE TO SAY OUR ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD AGREES ON, ON THESE ISSUES THAT WE'VE SET FORTH. UM, ONE THING THAT HASN'T BEEN MENTIONED IS THIS IS ON THE FOOT, THE FOOTSTEP, THE, THE FRONT STEP OF THE PLACE WHERE JUNETEENTH IS CELEBRATED. UM, THIS IS AN AREA THAT IN BETWEEN A HOUSING PROJECT, MILLENNIUM YOUTH COMPLEX, AND A HIGH SCHOOL AREAS OF SOCIAL BENEFIT. AND IF, IF OUR REQUEST THAT ITEMS, FOR EXAMPLE, ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD COULD BE A PART, SAY AN ANCHORED TENANT THERE, UM, THAT WOULD ALSO ALIGN WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN, WHICH I HELPED CO-DEVELOP WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND OF COURSE HAS BEEN PASSED BY CITY COUNCIL IN TRAVIS COUNTY. UM, ANOTHER IDEA THAT WE OFFERED WAS AN AREA FOR CO-WORKING. SO WE'RE, WE WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE'RE FLEXIBLE. WE'RE WORKING WITH WE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PAGE. SURE. UM, JUST A FEW POINTS THAT WEREN'T, WEREN'T MADE PREVIOUSLY OR MAYBE WEREN'T EMPHASIZED ENOUGH. UM, OUR ONLY COMMUNICATION SO FAR HAS BEEN WITH TOPO, WHO DOES NOT ACTUALLY OWN THE PROPERTY. UM, IT'S A LITTLE PECULIAR, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THEY MAY HAVE AN OPTION TO BUY. AND IF THIS IS A REZONING TO MATERIALIZE A SPECIFIC ENTITLEMENT LEVEL TO SATISFY THEIR OPTION TO BUY, THEN THIS IS POTENTIALLY CONTRACT ZONING OR ILLEGAL SPOT ZONING. UM, ANOTHER THING IS, UH, REGARDING SB EIGHT 40, UH, WHEN PLANNING COMMISSION WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS CASE, UH, SB EIGHT 40 WAS NOT IN THEIR STAFF REPORT. IT IS IN YOUR STAFF REPORT. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S MENTIONED IN YOUR STAFF REPORT, IT IS, UH, NOT FULLY DESCRIBED. THERE'S A HUGE UNKNOWN TO IT. AS STATEWIDE LITIGATION IS LIKELY TO SPARK OFF IN OTHER CITIES, WHICH MAY AFFECT WHATEVER AUSTIN HAS TO INTERPRET, SHOULD THAT BE THE CASE? I THINK THAT, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW WITH THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AND HEIGHTS, UM, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY FOR NOTHING. UM, THE PLANNING COMMISSION ALSO TALKED ABOUT THIS AS THOUGH THIS SITE WERE ALREADY, UH, GOING TO BE HISTORICALLY PRESERVED. AS I'VE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, NOT ONLY IS IT NOT PROTECTED FOR PRESERVATION, BUT IT APPEARS THAT THE APPLICANT IS OPPOSED TO PRESERVATION SIMPLY THROUGH THEIR UNWILLING UNWILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT WOULD ALIGN WITH THEIR STATED INTENTIONS. UM, AND MAYOR, I KNOW I'VE SEEN YOU, UH, ON THE STAGES AT HOUSTON TILLSON, AT EBENEZER, AT MOUNT ZION, AT PILLARS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND I REALLY WANNA SEE YOUR OFFICE SHOW UP FOR BOOKER [02:55:01] T. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU THANK Y'ALL SPEAKING REMOTELY ON ITEM 81, BRAD MASSENGILL. YEAH, I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO ADD OTHER THAN TO REEMPHASIZE WHAT, WHAT CHRIS WAS JUST SAYING ABOUT SB EIGHT 40. UM, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THESE TO BE, UH, TROJAN HORSES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, WE, WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY AND THEN COME BACK AND EVERYTHING ELSE BE TAKEN AWAY ON TOP OF THAT, WHICH IS A REAL POSSIBILITY. UM, SO, SO THESE, LET'S PRESERVE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THANKS FOR DOING THIS ON FIRST READING ONLY. UM, LET'S HOPE IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET TO THOSE OTHER READINGS SO THAT SOME OF THIS STUFF CAN SHAKE OUT AND Y'ALL CAN ACTUALLY CONSIDER WHAT SB EIGHT 40 HAS TO DO WITH THIS IN OTHER CASES. THANK YOU. MOVING TO ITEM 84 IN-PERSON SPEAKERS AND SPEAKING TO THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT. RON, LUKE, HELEN GABER, AND CHARLES DHAR COURT, IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED. AND I DON'T REC, I DON'T SEE TWO OF THE PEOPLE THAT I, I KNOW TWO OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU MENTIONED. I DON'T SEE THEM HERE. IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD. OKAY. NEXT, WE'LL GO TO ITEM 85, SPEAKING TO THE MARRIAGE OF THE POSTPONEMENT. BRAD MASSENGILL, UM, NOT TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD , BUT, UH, THIS, THIS, UH, THIS IS A, A DB 90 THAT WAS PROPOSED AT A 38 11 AIRPORT BOULEVARD IN THE BOGGY CREEK, UH, WATERSHED. AND AGAIN, THANKS FOR POSTPONING. WE NEED TO NOT HAVE THESE, UH, FUTURE LAND USE MAP CHANGES, UH, ETCHED INTO STONE UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. 'CAUSE WE'RE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR, UH, A CHECKERBOARD OF HIGH RISES THAT HAVE NO PUBLIC BENEFIT IN THEM AT ALL. SO, UH, THANK YOU MR. MASSENGILL. ALSO SPEAKING TO THE MERITS OF POSTPONEMENT ON ITEM 86. UM, I, I SAID WHAT I NEED TO SAY ON THOSE TWO. MOVING TO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. BILL BUNCH ON ITEM 86. MR. BUNCH IS NOT HERE. I DON'T SEE HIM, MR. BUNCH. OKAY, THAT CONCLUDES ALL SPEAKERS, MAYOR. THANK YOU. UM, MEMBERS, AS YOU'VE HEARD THAT IT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. UH, IS THERE, LET, LET ME ASK IF THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ MOTIONS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER LANE. IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL, IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO ABSTAIN FROM A VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, I'D LIKE TO ABSTAIN ON 80 AND 81, PLEASE. OKAY. ANYONE WISHING TO SHOW THEMSELVES, RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON ANY OF THE ITEMS ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ANY OF THE ITEMS? COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, MR. MAYOR, WHEN WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO IT, I'LL SAY WHY, BUT FOR NOW, I'M VOTING NO ON ITEMS 80 AND 81. VERY GOOD, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ, UH, 80 AND 81. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. DISCUSSION, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU. ANYONE, ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO BE HEARD FOR DISCUSSION ON THE VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? COUNCIL MEMBER THERE YOU ARE. COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU. UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UM, I WANTED TO SPEAK TO THIS CASE, 'CAUSE CASE, UM, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON. I, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE HOMEWOOD HEIGHTS MCKINLEY FOLKS, YOU GUYS KEEP SHOWING UP AND I APPRECIATE THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO CONSIDER THAN, THAN, UM, THEN THIS ONE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT ASSET. UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IN TERMS OF PROXIMITY, THIS SITS SMACK DAB RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT. IT'S THE EPICENTER FOR THE SIX SQUARE, THE SIX SQUARE MILES THAT REPRESENT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT. WE'RE DOING SOME REAL COMPREHENSIVE WORK ON THE DISTRICT AS ITS OWN INDEPENDENT INITIATIVE. UM, THEN BLOCK 16 AND 18 OFF OF [03:00:01] 11TH STREET ARE WELL UNDERWAY. UM, THE 7 8 7 0 2 PLAN HAS GOTTEN REALLY, WHICH BY THE WAY, THANK YOU TO CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF FOR REALLY PUMPING UP THE VOLUME. UM, WHAT WE WERE JUST RECOGNIZING WAS A SUITE OF ASSETS IN 7 8 7 0 2 THAT WERE GONNA REQUIRE SOME SPECIAL ATTENTION GIVEN AT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE ASSETS. YOU STAND IN FRONT OF IT, YOU CAN SEE A PRISTINE CITY OF AUSTIN SKYLINE VIEW YOU SMACK DAB IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN WHEN YOU ARE AT THESE ASSETS IN 7 8, 7 0 2. AND I RECOGNIZE BOTH BY CULTURE AND PROXIMITY. THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO ARE GONNA BRISTLE. WHEN I SAY IT'S DOWNTOWN, GUESS WHAT? I'M TAKING A MATTER OF A PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. I'M IN AUSTINITE. I GET TO SAY IT. I'M FROM THE EAST SIDE, THE PART OF EAST AUSTIN WHERE I LIVE, THE PART OF EAST AUSTIN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. YOU CAN SEE DOWNTOWN CLEARLY, IN WHICH CASE WE REALLY HAVE TO PUT INTO, I THINK, PUT INTO PLACE SOME PROTOCOL, SOME PROTECTIONS. THAT WAS THE PLAN AROUND, UM, THE NORTHEAST PLANNING DISTRICT AROUND ZIP CODE PLANNING, LIKE 7 8, 7 0 2 OR 7, 8, 7, 2 3. THOSE PLACES AND SPACES THAT WE RECOGNIZE AS A TEAM ARE GONNA REQUIRE SOME EXTRA SPECIAL ATTENTION. EXCUSE ME, I'M A LITTLE OUT OF BREATH. THOSE PLACES AND SPACES THAT ARE GONNA REQUIRE A LITTLE SPECIAL ATTENTION, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT THE FOLKS WHO CAME TO SPEAK TO US TODAY TALKED ABOUT. BOOKER T YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN ENORMOUS INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING COMPLEX THAT A LOT OF FOLKS WHO DO GREAT WORK IN THIS TOWN WHO LOOK LIKE ME, GREW UP IN. AND YOU KNOW, RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER WE HAVE MOUNT CARMEL AND THEN WE HAVE ROSEWOOD COURTS, AND THEN WE HAVE, AND SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ASSET ADJACENT TO WHAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT, WHICH IS A GREATER, LARGER, BIGGER PICTURE, A SUITE OF ASSETS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THIS ASSET IN DISCUSSION IS THE MILLENNIUM, WHICH WE OWN FLEET SERVICES AT THE CORNER OF HARGRAVE. AND 12 IS FINALLY MOVING TOWARD REMEDIATION AND US BEING ABLE TO RECLAIM IN A WAY THAT ACTUALLY HAS COMMUNITY BENEFIT OVER NINE ACRES IN CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN, RIGHT SMACK DAB IN THE EPICENTER OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT. ALL THAT SAID, THE MILLENNIUM HAS NOT SEEN ITS GREATEST DAYS YET. AND THAT FLEET SERVICES SITE, WE'VE YET TO EVEN TAP INTO WHAT IS FEASIBLE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS. SO I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, ONE, NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE MOST ADJACENT STAKEHOLDERS. THIS COMMUNITY IS GONNA UNDERGO A LOT OF CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION. NOT ALL CHANGE IS BAD, NOT ALL CHANGE IS GOOD. SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO AS A TEAM, AND ALONGSIDE YOU ALL MY COLLEAGUES AND ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED, IS TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF EAST AUSTIN CENTRAL AND FAR EAST AUSTIN, TO BE ABLE TO SERVE AS A TEMPLATE, AS AN EXAMPLE FOR WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN COMMUNITY POLICY MAKERS AND OUR INDEPENDENT PRIVATE PARTNERS ALL GET TOGETHER AND BUILD COMMUNITIES WITH THE COMMUNITY IN MIND, WITH THE COMMUNITY IN MIND, WITH THE AMENITIES, WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT. SOME OF THE SPECIFICS OF THE CASE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THEIR OPPOSITION TO THESE ITEMS AND HOW, UM, SOMEBODY SAID EARLIER ABOUT HOW ENVIRONMENTS ARE INTENDED TO BLEND. WE WANT EVERYTHING TO BLEND AS SEAMLESSLY AS POSSIBLE. THAT'S WHERE THE BENEFIT LIES, IN WHICH CASE MY NO VOTE TODAY, UM, IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH A COMMUNITY WHO DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GETTING THE BEST PRODUCT AVAILABLE AND NOT GETTING FULL TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION WITH THESE FOLKS AS THEY ADJACENTLY. AND I HAVE TO MAKE SURE TO POINT THIS UP, THEY ARE ADJACENTLY HAVING TO CONSIDER JUST LIKE US, THE 7 8, 7 0 2, THE BLOCK 1618. SO THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK. THEY'RE WORKING DOUBLE TIME. I THINK IT'S, UM, IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE FOR US, THE MUNICIPALITY, THEM, THE PRIVATE ENTITIES AND THE COMMUNITY TO ALL WORK REALLY WELL TOGETHER TO WHERE NOBODY IS FEELING LIKE THEY DID ALL THE WORK. I DON'T THINK THAT'S NECESSARY. AND I ALSO DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY FOR ANYBODY TO WALK AWAY FROM THE TABLE AT THE LAST READING ON THIS ITEM, FEELING LIKE WE DIDN'T DO THE BEST WE COULD DO COLLECTIVELY. SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TO SPEAK TO IT AND THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING IN MORE COMMUNICATION. UM, BUT THIS, UH, THE ECOSYSTEM THAT SURROUNDS THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT A QUADRANT OF THE CITY, UH, REDEVELOPING. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE, UH, I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, HARPER MADISON'S, UH, UH, WORDS AND I'M GONNA VOTE SUPPORT, UH, THE ITEM. THIS IS A GREAT PROPERTY, A BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY, AND A, AND A, UH, A GREAT [03:05:01] PART OF, UH, A TOWN. AND, AND I THINK THERE'S, UH, A GOOD PLACE TO GET ON ON THIS. I MEAN, I THINK THERE WOULD BE AN AMAZING PROJECT, UH, AT THE END OF IT. AND I JUST WANTED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, SAY THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON. APPRECIATE IT. THOUGHTS. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN ABSTAINING ON ITEMS 80 AND 81. COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON AND VELASQUEZ VOTING NO ON ITEMS 80 AND 81 AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM. ABSENT MEMBERS, THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THIS REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. UH, WE WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL ADJOURN WITHOUT OBJECTION. WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 2:43 PM THANKS EVERYBODY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.