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YOU ARE WATCHING A MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WITH MAYOR KIRK WATSON, MAYOR PRO, TIM VANESSA FUENTES, COUNCIL MEMBERS NATASHA HARPER MADISON, JOSE VELAZQUEZ, CHEETO VELA, RYAN ALTER, CRYSTAL LANE, MIKE SIEGEL, PAIGE ELLIS, ZOE CADRE, MARK UCHIN, CITY ATTORNEY DEBORAH THOMAS, CITY CLERK ERICA BRADY, AND CITY MANAGER TC BROADNAX.UH, I'LL, WE, WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT, THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, JOINING US VIRTUALLY, BUT WE, UH, I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE, IT'S NINE O'CLOCK AND I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE, UH, DECEMBER 9TH, 2025 COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
WE ARE MEETING IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WHICH ARE LOCATED IN THE CITY HALL AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF BRIEFINGS AND, UH, ONE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM, BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THE, AND, AND LEMME TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT I'LL DO WHEN WE, WHEN WE, WE HAVE ALSO, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND WHAT I'M GOING TO SUGGEST THAT WE DO IS THAT WE HEAR THE PRESENTATION AND THEN WE CALL UP THE SPEAKER SO THAT THE SPEAKERS WILL HAVE HEARD WHAT IT IS THAT'S BEING SAID AND NOT JUST BE KIND OF TALKING INTO THE WIND.
SO THAT, THAT'S HOW WE'LL HANDLE THAT FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE TO, TO SPEAK.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO, UH, DO SOMETHING WE DO, I GUESS ONCE EVERY SIX MONTHS, AND THAT IS, WE DRAW FOR SEATS, UH, ON THE DAAS.
'CAUSE WHAT WE DO IS WE CHANGE SEATS FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OTHER THAN THE MAYOR AND THE MAYOR PRO TIM.
AND WE DO THAT ONCE EVERY SIX MONTHS.
UH, WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WAITING TO DO THAT IN, IN, AT THE NEXT MEETING, BUT WE HAVE A VERY FULL SCHEDULE AND I DIDN'T WANNA WASTE TIME, UH, DOING THAT.
AND THEN WE DON'T WANNA WAIT ALL THE WAY TILL JANUARY.
SO WITH THAT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'LL HAVE THE CLERK'S OFFICE DRAW FOR, UM, WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND START THERE, AND EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT HERE, WE'LL JUST DRAW AND WE'LL CALL 'EM OUT.
SIX THREE FIVE EIGHT FIVE FOUR, ONE ALTER TWO, FOUR, AND SEVEN FOR GOOD.
SO HERE, HERE'S WHAT THE, THE, OR WHAT WE'VE GOT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON WILL BE IN SEAT SIX.
COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL IN NINE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA WILL BECOME THE MAYOR PRO TIM IN JANUARY, SO HE'LL BE IN THE MAYOR PRO TIM SEAT.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE WILL BE IN EIGHT.
THE MAYOR PRO, CURRENT MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, WILL BE IN FIVE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ WILL BE IN ONE COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER IN TWO.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS IN SEVEN.
SO Y'ALL, UM, ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY GOT IT? WITH THAT,
[B1. Briefing regarding the development assessment for a proposed planned unit development (PUD) located at 1100 West Cesar Chavez Street, 206 1/2 and 220 1/2 North Lamar Boulevard - within the Lady Bird Lake Watershed - Urban Watershed [Joi Harden, Zoning Officer - Planning Department].]
WE WILL GO TO ITEM B ONE, WHICH A BRIEFING REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT FOR PROPOSED PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.AND I'LL, UH, TURN IT OVER TO MS. HARDIN.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? ALL RIGHT.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M JOY HARDIN WITH AUSTIN PLANNING.
I'M HERE TO PRESENT THIS DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT ITEM CASE NUMBER CD 20 25 0 0 0 3.
THIS IS A BRIEFING ON THE PROPOSED PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT OR P LOCATED AT 1100 WEST CESAR CHAVEZ STREET, 2 0 6 AND A HALF, AND TWO 20 AND A HALF NORTHLAND MAR BOULEVARD.
AND THE SITE IS ALSO KNOWN AS TOWN LAKE YMCA.
I HAVE PRESENTED TWO DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENTS RECENTLY, SO I KNOW YOU'RE SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROCESS, BUT JUST AS A QUICK REMINDER, THE CITY'S LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REQUIRES THEIR PRIOR TO AN APPLICANT SUBMITTING A PUT APPLICATION.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUIRED TO DO WHAT WE CALL THIS DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A DRY RUN OF WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO SUBMIT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE BASELINE MOVING FORWARD.
STAFF OFFERS COMMENTS, AND THE COMMENTS COME FROM NUMEROUS CITY DEPARTMENTS.
WE GIVE THEM BACK TO THE APPLICANT, AND THEN WE GIVE A BRIEFING TO
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THE COUNCIL ON SOME OF THE OVERALL BIG PICTURE ITEMS IN REFERENCE TO WHAT THE APPLICANT'S GOING TO SUBMIT IN THEIR FUTURE.PUD THIS IS THE TIME WHERE YOU PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THIS PROPOSAL.
AS I STATED, THIS SITE IS LOCATED 1100 WEST CAESAR CHAVEZ STREET, 2 0 6 AND A HALF, AND TWO 20 AND A HALF NORTH LAMAR BOULEVARD.
THE SITE IS 4.8 ACRES IN SIZE AND IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPED WITHIN TOWN LAKE YMCA AND IS ZONED L-I-C-N-P.
IT IS DESIGNATED AS CIVIC ON THE LAND USE MAP IN THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED ON JUNE 29TH, 2000.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED WITHIN THE LADY BURKE LAKE WATERSHED, WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AS AN URBAN WATERSHED AND IS PART OF THE LA LAMAR WATERFRONT DISTRICT.
AGAIN, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING PUD AND P ZONING.
THE PUD WILL CONSIST OF A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT OF UP TO 750 CONDOMINIUM HOMES, A MINIMUM OF 90 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, 110,000 SQUARE FEET OF CIVIC AND OFFICE USES, AND APPROXIMATELY 35,000 SQUARE FEET OF PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED USES ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE PROJECT.
APPROXIMATELY 10,000 SQUARE FEET OF GROUND FLOOR PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED SPACE WILL BE FOR THE RESTAURANT USE.
THE PARKING FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH PARKING STRUCTURES.
AGAIN, THE SITE IS ZONED LICO NP, WHICH ALLOWS FOR 60 FEET IN HEIGHT.
THEI DISTRICT WOULD BE THE BASELINE SONY DISTRICT FOR THE PUD, SO ANY DEVELOPMENT OVER THE HEIGHT OF 60 FEET OR THE ONE-TO-ONE FAR WOULD HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT BONUS SECTION OF THE PUD ORDINANCE, WHICH OUTLINES THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT.
ALSO TO NOTE THE PROJECT'S PROXIMITY TO CAPITAL METRO METRIC, RAPID 8 0 3 LINE, THE LANCE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY, THE ROY BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, AND LA AT LADY BIRD LAKE AND THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE BICYCLE AND MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION FEATURES.
WITHIN AN ADJACENT TO THE PROJECT, THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING 16 CODE MODIFICATIONS, WHICH ARE OUTLINED IN YOUR BACK OF, IN EXHIBIT E AND A NOTE, THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT OF 425 FEET, AND A FLOOR T AERIAL RATIO REQUESTS A SEVEN TO FIVE TO ONE, WHICH OF WHICH, OF COURSE, THE EXISTING ZONING DOES NOT ALLOW IN EXCHANGE FOR RECEIVING THE INCREASED ENTITLEMENTS OF HEIGHT, FAR AND THE OTHER MODIFICATIONS, THE APPLICANT IS SEEKING.
SOME OF THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED SUPERIOR ORDER SUPERIORITY ITEMS, WHICH ARE STILL IN REVIEW ARE AS FOLLOWS, A MINIMUM OF 90 UNITS OF ONSITE AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING, WHICH WITH A RANGE OF 30% TO 80% MFI, WITH AN AVERAGE OF LESS THAN 55% MFI FUNCTIONAL GREEN CONCEPTS TO AUGMENT WATER QUALITY TREATMENT ON THE PROPERTY.
A THREE STAR AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING RATING, AN ENHANCED PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK TO THE LAKE, A WATER QUALITY POND TO TREAT CURRENT UNTREATED STORMWATER RUNOFF FROM NORTH LAMAR BOULEVARD.
A MINIMUM OF 10,000 SQUARE FEET OF GREEN ROOF WOULD BE PROVIDED ON THE PROJECT.
10% OF THE OVERALL PARKING SPACES AT AS DEDICATED SPACES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING UP TO 2,500 SQUARE FEET OF PHOTO AX.
SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF'S TERRACE OF THE YMCA, A MINIMUM OF TWO ART PIECES BY ARTISTS WHO PRINCIPALLY RESIDE IN AUSTIN.
THE NEW TOWN LAKE YMCA WILL ALSO INCLUDE A MINIMUM OF 13,000 SQUARE FEET OF A-Y-M-C-A TOMORROW ACADEMY PRESCHOOL, A MINIMUM OF 2000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR LOCAL BUSINESS OR NONPROFIT USE.
AGAIN, THESE ARE SOME OF THE PRO, SOME OF THE PROPOSED SUPERIORITY ITEMS AS OFFERED BY THE APPLICANT AND STAFF IS STILL WEIGHING THEIR MERITS.
SO, SO COUNSEL, JUST TO KNOW THAT ONCE THIS BRIEFING IS COMPLETE, THE APPLICANT MAY SUBMIT THEIR ACTUAL PUT APPLICATION.
IT WILL GO THROUGH THE USUAL PROCESS REVIEW BY MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS, REVIEW, REVIEW BY AT A MINIMUM ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND FINALLY, BACK TO COUNSEL, UM, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THIS CONCLUDES ME LAYING OUT THE PRESENTATION.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RELAY ANY COMMENTS AT THIS TIME, OR YOU MAY WANT TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER YOU HEAR FROM THE SPEAKERS, AND I'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK AT THAT TIME.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, ANYTHING BEFORE WE START CALLING SPEAKERS? OKAY, THEN, UH, I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK AND ASK THAT YOU CALL THE SPEAKERS.
ON ITEM B ONE, WE HAVE KATHY KIIS,
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DAVE ANDERSON, STEVE RENER, WALTER MURROW, PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN SPEAKING.PRESS THE BUTTON WHEN YOU'RE READY.
I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO WITH THE GREATER AUSTIN YMCA.
ALSO, HERE WITH ME TODAY ARE REAGAN NASH, OUR BOARD CHAIR, AND KATE HENDERSON, INCOMING BOARD CHAIR FOR THE GREATER AUSTIN YMCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS A ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFORM THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BY REIMAGINING THE TOWN LAKE YMCA.
IT WILL INCLUDE HIGH QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES, FOCUSING ON FAMILY HOUSING, EXPANDED HEALTH AND WELLBEING PROGRAMMING, PARTICULARLY MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, YOUTH PROGRAMS AND SUPPORTS FOR SENIORS.
WE'LL CREATE A DESTINATION FOR FAMILY FUN, MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH IS A STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE FOR OUR YMCA AND A HUB FOR EXPANDING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
TO PUT THIS PROJECT IN PROPER CONTEXT, WE ARE ADDRESSING A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT MAYOR WATSON AND CITY LEADERS HAVE BEEN GRAPPLING WITH FOR YEARS, LIKE AFFORDABILITY, IN PARTICULAR, A LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY FOR FAMILIES.
IN RECENT PAST MAYOR PRO TE FUENTES ACKNOWLEDGED THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE.
WE SEE THIS ESPECIALLY IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, AND ESPECIALLY FOR WORKERS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS HIGHLIGHTED CHALLENGES IN MAINTAINING SERVICES FOR SENIORS AMID SHRINKING RESOURCES, CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION 10 YEARS AGO ON LAMAR BEACH, NOW KNOWN AS THE VMA OVERTON SENIOR VISION PLAN, WHICH IDENTIFIED ISSUES LIKE PARKING, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, AND PUBLIC BENEFITS.
THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN TARGETED THIS AREA FOR UPGRADES AND PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE CITY'S WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT HAS LONG KNOWN OF THE IMPACTS FROM URBAN RUNOFF, WHICH WE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCE THROUGH OUR PROPERTY.
UNLESS YOU'VE GOT SOME OTHER, UNLESS THERE WAS A DONATION OF TIME.
LET ME CONTINUE ON DOWN THE ROAD HERE.
UH, UH, WE'RE TWO MINUTES, THAT'S WHY WE'RE SHORT.
UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I'M GONNA SPEED THROUGH THESE.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
YOU SEE THE YMCA ON THE LEFT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, STANDALONE BUILDING IMMEDIATELY TO ITS WEST, AND THEN, UH, THE CONDOMINIUM HOMES IMMEDIATELY TO THE WEST.
THERE, HERE IS A RENDERING OF, OF THE PROJECT AS WE SEE IT.
YOU'LL SEE THE YMCA ON THE RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE CAPITOL VIEW CORRIDOR, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE MIDDLE, AND WHAT WE CALL THE ECONOMIC ENGINE TO ALLOW THE CIVIC USES TO HAPPEN AT THE LEVEL THEY'RE HAPPENING THERE TO THE WEST.
YOU'LL NOTE, UM, ROADWAY D IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, UH, AND SO I DON'T WANT TO, UH, PUT FORWARD THAT THAT IS A, UH, BEEN SOLVED, BUT THIS, THESE ARE IDEAS AT THIS POINT.
UH, WHAT I WOULD SAY, HOWEVER, IS WE ARE LOOKING TO IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IN AND AROUND B REYNOLDS BY ADDING A ROUNDABOUT.
WE ARE LOOKING TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY BY, UM, EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL FOR A WATER QUALITY POND ON THE WEST AND ON THE EAST.
UM, KATHY TALKED ABOUT YMCA FEATURES, SO, UH, WE DON'T NEED TO REALLY TOUCH ON THAT.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, WALTER, UH, MORO WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES WILL TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, WE'RE REALLY MOVING THE NEEDLE POSITIVELY FROM A BUILDING DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, INCLUDING WHAT WE CALL BLACK WATER TREATMENT, WHICH IS TAKING AND TREATING TOILET WATER IN THE BASEMENTS OF THESE, UH, THE THREE CONDOMINIUM HOME TOWERS, UH, AND USING THEM TO FLUSH TOILETS, UH, MAKE UP COOLING TOWER, AND, UM, IRRIGATE LANDSCAPES.
FROM A WATER QUALITY PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE ABLE, OUR CURRENT VISION, WE'RE ABLE TO
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TREAT UP TO ABOUT 15 ACRES MORE THAN WE CURRENTLY TREAT TODAY.SO I WILL PASS IT OVER TO STEVE RENNER TO TALK ABOUT THESE LAST TWO THINGS.
UM, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, I, UH, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS A WHILE, AND IN DOING THAT, UM, WE'VE WORKED ON LOTS OF PUDS.
UH, I'M, I BELIEVE THIS PUD DELIVERS MORE IN THE WAY OF MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAN ANY THAT I'VE EVER WORKED ON.
UH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE AND TO BE ABLE TO BEGIN HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THIS PROJECT DELIVERS.
UH, MY PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE WAS TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMICS, AND I'M NOT GONNA READ FROM THE SCREEN, BUT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS, AS, AS THE PROJECT, UH, AS AS THE PROPERTY EXISTS TODAY, IT ISN'T, HAS NO TAXABLE VALUE THAT WILL CONVERT INTO AN ENORMOUS TAXABLE VALUE THAT WILL PRODUCE TAXES THAT AT THE, UH, WITH THE DECISION OF THE COUNCIL, UH, COULD BE SPENT IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT AREAS, UH, INCLUDING ON THE ADJACENT PARK.
UH, BUT THAT IS PART OF THE SPINOFF, UH, FROM THIS PROJECT.
THE DIRECT, UH, BALANCE, IF YOU WILL, IS BETWEEN WHAT THE, UH, CONDOMINIUMS PRODUCE IN TERMS OF REVENUE, AND HOW THAT THEN, UH, PAYS FOR A NEW Y AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THAT Y WILL BRING, AS WELL AS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WALTER WILL BE TALKING ABOUT IN A FEW MINUTES.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU SEE THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ON THE, THE BOARD THAT, UH, REFLECT THAT, UH, ECONOMIC, THE IMPACT OF THAT ECONOMIC ENGINE.
THE ONE THING THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, AND IF YOU'D SWITCH THE SLIDE, UH, THIS Y WILL SUPPORT YS AROUND THE CITY IN EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT, UH, IN THIS CITY.
SO IT'S NOT JUST AN ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT AFFECTS DOWNTOWN, IT AFFECTS EVERY ONE OF YOUR DISTRICTS.
AND FOR THE RECORD, WOULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME? EXCUSE ME.
STEVE RENER WITH THE NER GROUP.
I'M WALTER MOREAU, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
UH, WE ARE SUPER EXCITED TO BE INVITED INTO THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE YMCA AND, UH, LIMIT MILLENNIUM PARTNERS.
WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES, AND SO WE'RE PLANNING TO BUILD A, UH, SEVEN STORY 90 UNIT, UH, FAMILY FOCUSED, AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY, RIGHT ADJACENT TO THE YMCA AND THE CHILDCARE THAT'S GONNA BE THERE.
WE'RE EXCITED TO, UH, DEVELOP SERVICES TOGETHER WITH THE Y UM, WE'RE FOCUSING ON MORE TWO AND THREE BEDROOM UNITS, SO IT'S NOT AS MANY UNITS AS IF WE JUST CRAMMED IN A LOT OF EFFICIENCIES, BUT WE THINK THIS IS A RARE, AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD, UH, HOUSING FOR LARGER HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, WE LIKE TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ALL PARTS OF TOWN.
TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO AN ONSITE ADJACENT TO THE Y IS, UH, PRETTY AMAZING.
NEXT WE HAVE LARRY SPEC, GREG ANDERSON, JOE RIDDELL, BOBBY LAVINSKY, DEAN LARRY SPECK.
UH, I WAS CO-DIRECTOR OF THE TALENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN THE 1980S THAT PROPOSED THIS HIGH DENSITY, UH, RESIDENTIAL MIXED USE DISTRICT ALL OVER THE LOWER PART OF DOWNTOWN.
UH, THE IDEA THERE WAS TO MAKE MUCH MORE SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR LIVING LOWER ENERGY, USE, LOWER, UH, LAND USE, UH, LOWER WATER USE, UH, AND IT HAS BEEN PHENOMENALLY SUCCESSFUL WITH THE SUPPORT OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WE HAVE TRANSFORMED THE LOWER PART OF DOWNTOWN AND MADE IT A REALLY SUSTAINABLE PLACE TO LIVE, NOT JUST IN THE UNITS THEMSELVES, BUT IN A LIFESTYLE THAT'S NOT CAR DEPENDENT.
PEOPLE CAN WALK AND PEOPLE CAN BIKE, AND PEOPLE CAN, UH, REALLY OPERATE WITHOUT A CAR.
UH, THIS IS A PERFECT SITE FOR EXTENDING THAT WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF THOSE SITES.
AND THIS ONE IS, UH, I, I LIVED THREE BLOCKS AWAY FROM THIS SITE FOR 18 YEARS.
UH, I KNOW THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, TWO GREAT GROCERY STORES RIGHT THERE.
THOUSANDS OF JOBS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, GREAT MASS TRANSIT, GREAT BIKE, UH, WAY ACCESS.
THIS IS THE PERFECT SITE FOR THAT KIND OF REALLY SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE TO THRIVE.
UH, AND IT, UH, IT, IT, AS CURRENTLY PLANNED IS NOT ONLY PROVIDING THAT WONDERFUL LIFESTYLE POSSIBILITY, BUT ALSO THEN ADDING A LOT OF AMENITIES.
UM, IT'S, UH, ALSO A THOUSAND FEET FROM THE NEAREST, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE.
UH, IT IS, UH, HAS TWO MAJOR ARTERIALS IN A RAILROAD TRACK, SEPARATING IT FROM ANY OTHER KIND
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OF LOWER DENSITY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.UH, IT, IT, UH, WILL THEN PRODUCE A REAL BENEFIT FOR THE PARK ITSELF.
UH, THIS PART OF THE PARK IS, UH, HEAVILY USED ON A SATURDAY MORNING IN THE RIGHT SPORTS SEASON, BUT FOR MOST OF THE TIME IT'S PRETTY UNINHABITED AND IT FEELS A LITTLE UNSAFE IN THIS PART OF THE PARK, AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT MAKES, UH, A PART OF THE CITY SAFER THAN HAVING RESIDENTS AROUND IT, AND THAT'LL PROVIDE THIS.
NEXT SPEAKERS ARE DONNA OSBORNE AND STEVE AMOS.
AND STEVE AMOS HAS TIME DONATED BY SHEILA LYON AND MIKE BANGARD.
ARE THEY BOTH HERE? THEY'RE BOTH.
I'M STEVE AMOS AND YOU, I'M ON, AND I WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TIME AND OPPORTUNITY, AND ALSO, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE CAREFUL FOR, I MEAN, HOW THINGS CHANGE.
A MOMENT AGO, I HAD TWO MINUTES AND I'LL HAVE SIX
UH, FIRST OF OFF, I'M THE CHAIR OF THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
WE BORDER FROM LAMAR BOULEVARD TO LADYBIRD LAKE TO MOPAC TO INFIELD.
WE AGREE ON THE NEED FOR A REFRESHED YMCA.
PERSONALLY, THE YMCA WAS A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE GROWING UP.
WE KNOW THE BENEFIT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
ALSO, WE NEED CHILDCARE AND WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WOULDN'T IT BE FANTASTIC IF THE TEACHERS AT MATTHEWS ELEMENTARY AND AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL, IF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS THERE ON, ON BLANCO AT THE FIRE STATION COULD ACTUALLY LIVE HERE? THE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THIS BUILDING, WE SUPPORT THAT.
IN REVIEWING THIS PARTICULAR P THERE ARE SOME AREAS TO DISCUSS SPECIFICALLY THE SEVENFOLD INCREASE OVER THE CURRENT ZONING OF 60 FEET SEVENFOLD.
IT'S ALMOST FOUR TIMES OVER THE 110 FEET ALONG WEST LAMAR.
THE PICTURE YOU SEE IS LOOKING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH.
YOU SEE LAMAR, THAT WHOLE SPACE THERE, THAT WHOLE GREEN, THAT'S THE CURRENT, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD.
IN FACT, IF IT LOOKS GOOD TO YOU, IT ALSO GOOD LOOK, LOOK REALLY GOOD TO A LONDON BASED MAGAZINE THIS PAST YEAR.
TIMEOUT NUMBER IN THE TOP 50 NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE WORLD.
WHY? ONE OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED, GREEN SPACE, NO OTHER TEXAS NEIGHBORHOOD WAS MENTIONED.
WE HAVE A VERY UNIQUE PROPERTY THERE, WHICH I THINK WE HAVE A LOT TO THANK FOR OUR PAST LEADERS AND LADY BIRD JOHNSON.
SO, JUST TO LOOK AT THIS FOR A MOMENT, I IS THIS, THIS ALSO GO GREAT AS YOU SAW A MOMENT AGO, HERE'S THE CURRENT, UH, FOOTPRINT.
UM, YOU SEE THE, THE PARKS THAT'S LAMAR, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR RIGHT.
AND NOW LOOKING FROM ACROSS THE STREET, JUST TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE ON THE FAR LEFT, THAT'S A HUNDRED AND FEET HIGH.
THE JLL PLAZA, THAT'S RIGHT NEAR MOPAC AND FIFTH STREET.
WHEN YOU COME FURTHER, RIGHT ABOVE WHERE IT SAYS, UM, A MLI, THAT'S ABOUT 50 FEET HIGH, THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S ALSO ON WEST, UH, WEST OF LAMAR.
AND THEN YOU BEGIN TO GET INTO OUR CITY DENSITY.
LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW WITH YOUR BACK TO THE, UH, LADY BIRD LAKE IS, IS THE CURRENT VIEW, AND NOW HERE'S WHAT IT'S GONNA BE.
IT'S TOTALLY CHANGE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONFIGURATION AND SETTING A VERY, AS SOMEONE SAID, A SLIPPERY SLOPE FOR DEVELOPMENT IN AN AREA RIGHT NOW THAT'S NOTHING LIKE THIS.
IN FACT, LOOKING AT THIS PROPERTY FROM THIS IS NEAR THE HIGH SCHOOL, LOOKING TOWARDS TOWN, UH, SEE, YOU SEE THE BELVEDERE AT 75 FEET AND GO ALL THE WAY DOWN THERE IS ONE THING THAT'S I'D LIKE TO NOTE ABOUT THIS SLIDE TO BE CORRECTED.
IT'S NOT ONE PROPOSED 425 FOOT TOWERS.
IT'S THREE IN A VERY SENSITIVE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE, AND IT REALLY SETS THE STAGE FOR POTENTIAL, THAT TYPE OF HEIGHT ALL THE WAY DOWN THE, THE WESTERN PART OF THE RIVER.
SO HERE'S WHERE WE HAVE IT RIGHT NOW.
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TO THE EAST OF LAMAR IS OUR ESTABLISHED HIGH DENSITY.WE LIKE BIG DENSITY AND THERE'S A LOT OF SPACE THERE FOR MORE DENSITY.
AND WHAT DO WE HAVE ON THE LEFT? WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD UNIQUE TOP 50 IN THE WORLD.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING CONVERSATIONS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A DEVELOPMENT, BUT WITH A MORE APPROACHABLE HEIGHT.
UH, WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.
SOME FOLKS I KNOW AT THE AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL SAY THEY ALREADY HAVE NIGHTMARES
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO THAT, UM, WELL, AS WE THINK OF THE FUTURE, AS WE STRIVE TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND AN AUSTIN THRIVES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME, WON'T BE GREAT IF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD STILL STAYS WITHIN THAT TOP 50 IN THE WORLD.
SO THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M DONNA OSBORNE, UM, HERE WITH AWANA AND A 40 YEAR RESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'RE TOTALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A WONDERFUL NEW WHY AND ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CHILDCARE WITH WALTER MONROE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT WE DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS, AND I WILL ONLY STATE THESE IN A BROAD BROADLY IN LINE THAT THEY ALIGN WITH CITY STAFF.
REVIEW COMMENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN BECAUSE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS NOT YET ARRIVED AT A POSITION ON THIS APPLICATION.
ONE CONCERN IS, UH, THE BASEMENT WATER TREATMENT FACILITY AND USING PARKLAND DOWNHILL FOR RELEASE, WHICH APPEARS TO BE NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE PROPOSAL OF A PROJECT THAT IS 95% IMPERVIOUS COVER.
HAS THE APPLICANT ASSURED THE CITY AND THE PUBLIC THAT THERE IS NO REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE? THE CWQZ EXISTS PRECISELY THAT, SO THAT NO, SO THAT ALTERNATIVES MUST BE FULLY EXPLORED BEFORE PROPOSING DEVELOPMENT THAT IS IN PROTECTED RIPARIAN BUFFER.
NO REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE MEANS ALL OTHERS ARE TRULY PHYSICALLY INFEASIBLE, NOT MERELY LESS CONVENIENT.
SHIFTING THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT, RESTRUCTURING THE LAYOUT, SPLITTING THE FACILITY, RELOCATING FUNCTIONS UP SLOPE, OR DOWNSIZING THE PROJECT TO FIT THE SITE WITHOUT ENCROACHING INTO THE CWQZ WOULD BE OPTIONS.
A BUILDING TOO LARGE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS OF THE PROPERTY CREATES A SELF-IMPOSED HARDSHIP.
ENGINEERED IN SUBSURFACE SYSTEMS, WHICH CAN FAIL SILENTLY, CANNOT REPLICATE THE ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF AN INTACT RIP BUFFER, SUCH AS INFILTRATION HABITAT RESILIENCY, AND LONG-TERM WALL WATER QUALITY FILTRATION, PROTECTING LADYBIRD LAKE ITSELF IS A LONG-TERM COMMUNITY SERVICE.
ALSO PROPOSED AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT SUPPORTED BY STRONG LANGUAGE IN THE SUBMITTED SITE.
PLAN NOTES, WHICH STATE, IF NOTHING IS BUILT OR ONLY THE FACILITY ON THE PROPERTY IS THE TOWN LAKE WIDE, THE PUD REQUIREMENT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL BE VOID.
THE POTENTIAL PROJECT HAS BEEN PUBLICLY MARKETED THUS FAR, HIGHLIGHTING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT AND ITS BENEFITS.
ANY HEIGHT INCREASE REQUEST MUST CONTAIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT, WHAT RUNS WITH THE LAND, REGARDLESS OF THE TIMING OF THE CONSTRUCTION, HISTORICALLY HEIGHT INCREASES OR GRANTED BECAUSE OF THE INCLUSION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WHAT I WOULD ASK THAT YOU DO IS THE, THE, THE QUESTIONS OR THE, THE COMMENTS THAT YOU'RE MAKING, IF YOU WANT TO SEND THOSE TO COUNSEL SO THAT COUNSEL CAN ASK THOSE QUESTIONS OF THE FOLKS THAT THAT SPOKE BEFORE YOU ALL.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL SPEAKERS ON ITEM B ONE.
UM, MS. HARDEN, WOULD YOU COME DOWN? I SIGNED UP ON B ONE.
YOUR NAME WAS CALLED, BUT PLEASE COME FORWARD AND SPEAK.
IS SANDRA HAMILTON HERE? YEAH.
YOU, THEY CALLED YOUR NAME, SO I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED TO MOVE.
UH, COUNSEL, MY NAME IS JOE RIDDELL.
YOU NEED TO TURN ON YOUR MICROPHONE.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I SPOKE HERE.
I, UH, JUST THOUGHT I'D TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AS IT HANG, HANG ON ONE SECOND, MR. RIDDELL.
HE HAS FOUR MINUTES, SO WE NEED TO SET THE CLOCK.
I, I JUST DECIDED TO LOOK INTO THIS AS AN INTERESTED PERSON.
I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON LADY BIRD LAKE AND, UM, I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED AT THE LACK OF DETAIL IN THIS, UH, DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.
IN PARTICULAR, THE PROPOSAL THEY SUBMITTED, UH, YOU SAW A SLIDE EARLIER WITH A LAND USE PLAN THAT SHOWED TWO OR THREE ROADS COMING OVER TO THE PROPOSED PROPERTY, BUT IN THE COUNCIL BACK UP THAT, THAT THE LAND USE PLAN DOES NOT EXIST.
THEY JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO.
THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T SHOW A LAYOUT OF WHERE THEY WANTED THINGS TO BE.
AND AS A RESULT, WHEN THE STAFF REVIEWED THIS, UH, THEY, THEY COULDN'T EVALUATE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE BUILDINGS WOULD BE, WHERE THE FOUR DIFFERENT DRIVEWAYS WOULD BE AND SO FORTH.
[00:30:01]
UM, AND THEY REALLY JUST VAGUELY SPED SPOKE ABOUT, UH, TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS.UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CITY STAFF COMMENTS, YOU'LL SEE, UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WITH WHAT WAS SUBMITTED.
AND I CAN GO OVER THOSE IN A MINUTE.
I FOUND OUT THAT I CAN'T SHOW 'EM BECAUSE I DIDN'T TURN THEM IN BEFORE FIVE O'CLOCK YESTERDAY.
BUT I WANNA MENTION, UH, ONE OF THE SETS OF SLIDES WOULD RELATE TO, UH, A RESTRICTION ON THE PARKLAND SOUTH OF THE Y THAT PARKLAND IS PART OF THE SAND BEACH RESERVE, WHICH WAS SET ASIDE IN 1840 FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES.
THE CITY, NOAH OWNS IT, BUT, UH, IT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF THE, UH, DEED AND IF THE, IF THE CITY ALLOWS THE Y TO TAKE OVER PARTS OF, UM, OR USE PARTS OF THE PARK, UH, FOR ITS OWN PURPOSES, PRIVATE PURPOSES.
UM, ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU FOR SLIDES.
UH, THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN PUBLIC LAND ON THE SOUTH AND PRIVATE LAND ON THE NORTH DEPENDS UPON THE LOCATION OF THE BLUFF, THE HIGH BLUFF OF THE COLORADO RIVER.
AND, UM, DUE TO A, A SURVEYOR'S MISTAKES BACK IN 1916, UH, THE Y IS NOW CLAIMING MORE LAND THAN THEY ACTUALLY OWN.
IT'S NOT A LOT, BUT IT'S A SLIVER, UH, IN THE SOUTH PART OF, UH, THEIR PROPERTY.
AND IT PROBABLY INCLUDES A LOT OF THE TREES THEY WOULD OTHERWISE PLAN TO BE CUTTING DOWN.
AND SPEAKING OF TREES, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T EVEN PRESERVE ALL OF THE HERITAGE TREES.
UH, THEY TALK ABOUT MOVING SOME OF THEM, AND OF COURSE, THEY, THEY NOT DON'T WANNA MOVE 'EM ONTO THEIR OWN PROPERTY.
THEY WANNA PUT 'EM SOMEWHERE ELSE SO THEY CAN, UH, BUILD ON 95% OF, OF THE LAND.
RIGHT NOW, THE IMPERVIOUS COVER IS 56%.
SO YOU KNOW, THIS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS NOT REALLY ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE, UH, SO TO SPEAK.
AND IT'S, UM, IT'S AN AFFRONT TO ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE IN TOWN WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, RESPECTING THE LAND AND LEAVING SOME OF IT ALONE.
UH, THERE'S SOME OTHER PROBLEMS. LET'S SEE,
UH, BUT IT, UM, IT'S JUST CLEAR THEY WANT TO JUST MAX OUT ON THIS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS REALLY ONE OF THOSE PROPOSALS WHERE THE DEVELOPER JUST, UH, REQUESTS THE MOON KNOWING THAT, WELL, WE'LL GET CUT BACK SOME, BUT WE'LL STILL GET PLENTY.
SO, UM, THERE ARE MANY OTHER PROBLEMS HERE.
OR WHEN THEY WANT TO HAVE A FIRE LANE, UH, BACK, BACK TOWARD THE RAILROAD ON A 45 DEGREE ANGLE, WHAT KIND OF VEHICLES GO UP? UH, 45 DEGREE SLOPES.
UM, FINALLY, ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE, WE WON'T NECESSARILY GET WHAT WE WANT IN MULTIPLE UNITS.
YOU CAN COUNT, UH, TWO BEDROOM AS TWO UNITS, AND THEY WOULD CREATE A SEGREGATED HOUSING BY PUTTING ALL THESE PEOPLE LOW INCOME PEOPLE IN ONE BUILDING.
MS. HARDEN, BEFORE, UH, YOU WRAP UP AND WE GO TO QUESTIONS.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'VE GOT A, A, A QUESTION OR TWO, AND IT MAY BE THAT WE WANT TO HEAR FROM, BUT, BUT THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT, THAT I'VE MADE A NOTE OF THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR SOMETHING TODAY ON.
AND THAT IS THE, UH, COMPLAINT THAT THERE WAS A, WOULD BE A RELEASE OF WASTEWATER INTO THE PARKS.
UM, IF, AND IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER THE SPECIFIC QUESTION YEP, WE DO HAVE WATERSHED.
BUT WE DO HAVE CITY STAFF HERE THAT COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
LIZ JOHNSTON, WATERSHED PROTECTION ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER.
UM, I'M NOT AWARE OF A RELEASE OF WASTEWATER THAT WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE APPLICANT ON HOW TO, UH, IMPROVE WATER QUALITY BENEFITS FROM SURFACE WATER.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE PROPOSING, UH, BLACK WATER REUSE INSIDE THE BUILDING.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD NOT, UM, SUPPORT RELEASE OF ANY WASTEWATER INTO THE GREEN SPACE THOUGH, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
THE SECOND QUESTION I'VE GOT IS THE USE OF THE PARK.
AND THIS IS PROBABLY NOT A WASTEWATER QUESTION, UH, THE WATERSHED QUESTION, BUT THE USE OF THE PARK FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES, I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH SAND BEACH A LONG, LONG TIME, SO YEAH, AND I, AND I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THE APPLICANT COME UP AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR MAKE ANY COMMITMENTS THAT WE MIGHT NEED.
[00:35:01]
SAVES TIME AND IS HELPFUL.DEFER TO OUR, UH, PARKS STAFF.
YOU WANT ME TO ASK MY QUESTION AGAIN, PLEASE? IT, IT WAS ALLEGED THAT PART OF WHAT THEIR, THEIR PROPOSAL, THIS PROPOSAL DOES IS IT USES, UH, PARKLAND FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES.
AND SO I'D LIKE YOU TO ADDRESS THAT.
I'M RANDY SCOTT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
MS. ROBIN HAYMAN'S, PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
WE OVERLAID, UH, THE PROPOSAL ON THE PARKLAND, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S ABOUT FOUR ACRES OF PARKLAND BEING USED EITHER AS ROADWAYS OR WATER QUALITY.
UM, THOSE WOULD REQUIRE A CHAPTER 26 BY A SPONSORING, UH, CITY DEPARTMENT.
UH, MITIGATION WOULD RANGE, COULD BE ALL THE WAY UP TO $80 MILLION FOR THAT LAND.
UH, LET ME TURN TO THE APPLICANT AND SEE WHAT YOUR REACTION IS TO THAT.
UM, SO THE ALLEGATION, MAYOR, AND, AND YOUR QUESTION RELATED TO PRIVATE PURPOSES MM-HMM
WE ARE NOT USING THE PARKLAND FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES.
ANYTHING THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS A DECISION THAT THE, THAT THE CITY WILL MAKE IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD SPEND SOME OF OUR MONEY TO HELP, FOR INSTANCE, WATER QUALITY FROM THE OANA NEIGHBORHOOD.
OUR WATER QUALITY IS TAKEN CARE OF ON SITE.
SO THIS IS JUST COMMUNITY BENEFIT, NOT PRIVATE BENEFIT.
SO THE, THE FOUR ACRES THAT, THAT HE REFERRED TO WOULD BE IF WE, IF, AND BY WE, I MEAN WE AS A COMMUNITY AND OR WE AS A COUNCIL WANTED TO LOOK AT THIS PROGRAM AND SAY, WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS, THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER THINGS WE COULD DO TO ACHIEVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC PURPOSES.
AND, AND FOR THE MOST THAT IS CORRECT, MAYOR, AND FOR THE MOST PART, WE'RE WILLING TO PAY FOR THOSE THINGS, BUT THEY DO NOT BENEFIT THE PROJECT.
SO, SO THE CONCEPT OF USING ANY PARKLAND FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES AND THE PRIVATE BEING HERE, THE YMCA OR THE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT THAT, THAT THE YMCA IS BRINGING FORWARD, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
IT WOULD BE IF IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AND THE CITY, UH, PROFESSIONAL STAFF LOOKED AND SAID THERE ARE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS WE MIGHT COULD MAKE, AND THAT WOULD'VE AN IMPACT ON PARKLAND.
YOU WANNA COMMENT ON THAT? UM, I, I DO JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT THERE IS A COUNCIL APPROVED A VISION PLAN FOR BOMA BEACH.
AND, UH, THOSE IMPROVEMENTS DO NOT GO TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING THAT, THE ROADWAY.
I MEAN, WE HAVE BIG, WE HAVE A LOT OF DECISIONS TO, SO, YEAH.
AND, AND THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN PRIVATE USE? THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE, THAT'S CORRECT.
YES, IT WOULD, GO AHEAD PLEASE.
ROBIN MOND FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
I THINK PROBABLY WHAT WAS BEING REFERRED TO IS THE SUPERIORITY ELEMENTS OF THE P ARE BEING, UH, PLACED ON THE PARKLAND.
SO IT'S NOT THE PRIVATE, IT'S NOT THE, UM, BUILDING WASTEWATER OR WATER QUALITY ITSELF.
IT'S THE ELEMENTS THAT MAKE THE PUT SUPERIOR.
SO THAT'S THE DECISIONS THAT THE CITY HAS.
WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A REAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT WHAT THE, I WROTE DOWN THE EXACT LANGUAGE AND IT WAS USING THE PARK FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES, SO MM-HMM
UM, AS WE GO FORWARD, LET'S NOT TRY TO CREATE A ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS. LET'S, LET'S SEE HOW WE ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS. MM-HMM
I WOULD JUST ASK IF STAFF CAN SHARE THE VISION PLAN, UM, TO US SO THAT WE CAN ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW THIS PROJECT WINDS UP TO THAT VISION PLAN.
UM, BUT OVERALL, I JUST WANNA SAY HOW EXCITING THIS PROJECT IS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M VERY THRILLED TO SEE ALL OF THESE PARTNERS COME TOGETHER AND FOR US TO HAVE THIS TRULY TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT RIGHT IN OUR DOWNTOWN, UH, WITH CHILDCARE, HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FAMILY ORIENTED HOUSING, UH, AMENITIES FOR OUR YOUTH, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFITS HERE.
SO I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE PROPOSAL AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE IT MOVE FORWARD.
THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR PORT TIM, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN.
AND I AM ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO HOW THIS PROJECT CONTINUES TO DEVELOP.
I HAD JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
[00:40:01]
WHAT THE IMPLICATION IS BETWEEN THE INCREASE IN IMPERVIOUS COVER ON THE PROPERTY.I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A LOT OF ATTENTION BEING PAID TO THE WATER QUALITY, BUT CAN SOMEBODY FROM STAFF OR THE APPLICANT HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED TO BE CONSIDERING AS FAR AS INCREASE, IF ANYTHING, AS FAR AS INCREASING THE IMPERIOUS COVER ON THAT PROPERTY? GOOD MORNING.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK IMPERVIOUS COVER MEANS THERE'S LESS OPEN SPACE ON THE PROPERTY, UM, AND WHICH MAKES IT, UH, MORE OF A CHALLENGE TO FIND LOCATIONS FOR CERTAIN ELEMENTS LIKE WATER QUALITY, TREE MITIGATION, LANDSCAPING.
SO THE APPLICANT IS LOOKING AT OTHER AL ALTERNATIVES TO ACHIEVE THOSE SUCH AS GREEN ROOFS.
UM, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE, UM, THE, THE TRADING OFFSITE, UH, WATER QUALITY, UM, STORMWATER FROM LAMAR, FOR EXAMPLE, IN AN AREA THAT'S NOT AS, UH, USED AS PARK SPACE, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, AND, AND LOOKING AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE THE TREE MITIGATION COULD GO.
SO, UM, SO THE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THERE ARE WAYS TO, TO, TO KIND OF MITIGATE THAT, THE HIGH IMPERVIOUS COVER, BUT IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CHALLENGE.
SO THAT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM WHAT MR. RENER SAID A MOMENT AGO WHERE WATER QUALITY WAS TAKEN CARE OF ON SITE, HE'S REFERRING TO JUST THE, UH, FACILITIES, NOT THE IMPERVIOUS COVER PIECE.
SO, YEAH, SO THEY'LL HAVE A SUBSURFACE WATER QUALITY TREATMENT FACILITY, UM, TO TREAT THE BUILDING ITSELF.
COUNCIL MEMBER DUCHEN, IDENTIFY YOURSELF PLEASE.
UH, DAVID ANDERSON, UH, REPRESENTING THE YMCA FROM A WATER QUALITY PERSPECTIVE, ALL 95% OF THE IMPERVIOUS COVER ON THE SITE WILL BE TREATED ON THE SITE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I LOOKED AT SOME DATA YESTERDAY THAT SAID WE'RE TREATING 104% OF WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TREATING.
UM, ANYTHING WE DO OFFSITE WILL BE, UH, DISCUSSED WITH WATERSHED, UH, WITH LIZ AND WITH THE PARKS FOLKS, BUT I WANNA BE SUPER CLEAR THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF ALL OF THE REQUIRED WATER QUALITY TREATMENT FOR 95% IMPERVIOUS COVER ON OUR SITE.
JUST LIKE, JUST LIKE IT'S DONE IN EVERY SITE AROUND THE CITY.
AND I, IF YOU DO HAVE SOME UPDATES, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM REGARDING HOW YOU PLAN TO TREAT THAT.
YEAH, AS, AS THE DESIGN CONTINUES TO EVOLVE BASED ON THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE'VE MET WITH WATERSHED HALF DOZEN TIMES AND WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
WE WILL, WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS WE GO.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE WAS JUST ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF SOMEBODY CAN HELP ME UNDERSTAND FROM, UH, EITHER THE APPLICANT OR HOUSING, HOW THE, IF AND HOW THE HOUSING SCALES TO THE HEIGHT OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVE ANDERSON REPRESENTING THE YMCA AGAIN, UH, HOW DOES IT SCALE? CAN YOU ASK THAT A DIFFERENT WAY? SO YOU'VE GOT 90 UNITS, UHHUH
DO YOUR 90 UNITS SCALE LINEARLY, FOR INSTANCE, WITH THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING, OR IS THERE A DIFFERENT CALCULATION AT WORK FOR HOW YOU'RE GETTING TO 90 UNITS? WE ARE DIVORCED FROM PERHAPS.
UM, THE INTENT, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE, THE UNIT, THE 90 UNITS IS BASED ON, IS BASED ON, UH, THE BONUS SQUARE FOOTAGE, UM, APPLIED TO THE PUD.
IN THIS CASE, WE SUBTRACT OUT, UH, THE YMCA USE, LIKE ON MOST PROJECTS, WHEN YOU CALCULATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, RIGHT, YOU CALCULATE IT ON, UH, THE MARKET RATE, UM, RESIDENTS, RIGHT? YOU DON'T, WHEN YOU HAVE A BONUS PROGRAM, YOU USUALLY LOOK TO, TO LOOK FOR THINGS LIKE COMMUNITY BENEFITS OR YOU LOOK FOR THINGS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO WE TOOK THOSE OFF THE TABLE WHEN CALCULATING OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IF WE DID MORE UNITS, UH, MORE, UH, CONDOMINIUM UNITS, I WOULD EXPECT THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS TO GO UP.
IF WE DID LESS, I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON WHETHER OR NOT, I CAN'T SAY RIGHT NOW THAT THEY WOULD GO DOWN AUTOMATICALLY.
I THINK WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
I JUST WANTED TO ECHO, UH, UH, MAYOR PRO FUENTES, UH, COMMENTS ABOUT THE, THE, THE CHILDCARE BENEFITS AND, UH, THE HOUSING BENEFITS, BUT I ALSO, ESPECIALLY WITH,
[00:45:01]
UM, THE, THE, THE PROPERTY TAX SITUATION AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UH, THE ADDITIONAL REVENUES THAT, UH, LARGE, UH, BUILDINGS LIKE THIS, THE, THE KIND OF INTENSE, UH, PROPERTY TAX VALUE AND THE LARGE PAYMENTS THAT ULTIMATELY FLOW INTO NOT JUST OUR COFFERS, BUT TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, COFFERS AS WELL ARE, ARE GONNA BE A HUGE BENEFIT.AND AS WE THINK ABOUT THE, THE VIABILITY OF OUR FINANCES MOVING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY WITH THE 3.5% REVENUE CAPS, UH, WE'VE GOT TO ENCOURAGE THIS TYPE OF GROWTH, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, SUSTAIN OUR, UH, THE QUALITY OF OUR MUNICIPAL SERVICES.
SO, UH, UH, THIS LOOKS LIKE A GREAT PROJECT, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO STAFF AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S, UH, A GREAT PROJECT.
UH, BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S, UH, HIGHLY LIKELY GONNA BE ONE THAT I WILL, UH, FULLY SUPPORT.
ALRIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY, YOU WANNA WRAP UP OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA SAY? MS. HARDEN? I DON'T HAVE, EXCUSE ME.
THE APPLICANT CAN NOW SUBMIT THEIR PUTT APPLICATION.
AGAIN, WE ARE STILL WEIGHING THEIR SUPERIORITY AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO STILL BE DONE.
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME.
UH, MEMBERS, THAT'S GONNA TAKE US TO ITEM
[B2. Office of Police Oversight Annual Report [Gail McCant, Director - Office of Police Oversight].]
B TWO AND BEFORE WE, UH, TAKE UP THE SPECIFIC ITEM, I WILL, UH, TURN TO THE MANAGER FOR COMMENTS.UH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THIS MORNING, UH, YOU WILL HEAR A PRESENTATION OF THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHTS 2024 ANNUAL REPORT.
THE REPORT OUTLINES THE DEPARTMENT'S OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES AND MAJOR TRENDS FOR 2024.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EFFORT OF THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT STAFF, AS WELL AS ITS LEADERSHIP FOR THEIR WORK THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER, UH, TO DIRECTOR GAIL MCCANN AND HER TEAM TO SHARE, UH, THE ANNUAL REPORT.
THANK YOU, MANAGER, DIRECTOR MCCANN.
WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, LET US KNOW.
AND WELCOME AND THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER BRANAS.
I'M GAIL MCCANN, DIRECTOR AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT.
WE ARE GOING TO PRESENT THE ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH WILL OUTLINE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE POLICE OVERSIGHT.
DURING CALENDAR YEAR 2024, AUSTIN POLICE PROVIDES IMPARTIAL OVERSIGHT OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT'S POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND CONDUCT.
THE GOAL HERE IS STRENGTHENING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRUST WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT STAFF FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND PROFESSIONALISM IN CARRYING OUT THE WORK EVERY DAY.
IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY WE ARE PRESENTING THE 2024 REPORT, UH, AT THE END OF 2025, THE REASON BEING IS THAT THE AUSTIN INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION HAVE 180 DAYS TO COMPLETE AN INVESTIGATION.
IN DOING SO, UM, WHAT YOU WILL FIND IS THAT THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION, AFTER COMPLETING AN INVESTIGATION THAT WE MAY NOT COMPLETE AN INVESTIGATION TO MIDYEAR, AND SO IT WOULD BE JUNE THE FOLLOWING YEAR BEFORE ALL COMPLAINTS ARE INVESTIGATED AND COMPLETED.
THIS INFORMATION IS THEN PROVIDED TO OUR PROJECT LEAD, UM, ON THE ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH IS THE INFORMATION IS SUBSEQUENTLY REVIEWED AND THEN FINALIZED AND COORDINATED WITH THE AUSTIN COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT PART DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
THIS APPROACH HELPS US TO ENSURE THAT THE ANNUAL REPORT, UM, PROVIDES, UM, ALL THE COMPLETE AND ACCURATE DATA.
SO IT'S THE FOLLOWING YEAR IN JUNE WHEN ALL OF THE INVESTIGATIONS ARE COMPLETE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT THE ANNUAL REPORT IS BEING, UH, RE, UH, PUBLISHED AT THE END OF
[00:50:01]
THE FOLLOWING YEAR.SOME OF THE KEY TRENDS, UH, YOU WILL SEE IN THIS PRESENTATION, UH, INCLUDES A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS CONTACTING, UM, THE OFFICE COMPARED TO 2023.
ALONGSIDE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN COMPLIMENT FOR OFFICERS, UM, WHICH, UM, MORE THAN DOUBLED, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS INDICATES IMPROVED QUALITY OF ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE AN INCREASE IN BOTH INTERNAL COMPLAINTS AND EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN INTERNAL COMPLAINTS, EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS, CONTACTS, AND COMPLAINTS.
CONTACTS ARE ALL THE CONTACTS.
WE HAVE ALL THE INCOMING COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND THIS DECREASED DURING 2024.
COMPLAINTS ARE ALLEGATIONS OF OFFICER MISCONDUCT, AND THIS NUMBER INCREASED IN 2024.
INTERNAL COMPLAINTS ARE IN INITIATED WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND COME TO A PO FROM THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS ARE THOSE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, MOST NOTABLY, SUSTAINED EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS ROSE SUBSTANTIALLY IN 2024, FROM 14 IN 2023 TO 69.
A SUSTAINED COMPLAINT MEANS THE INVESTIGATION FOUND SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT THE ACT ACTUALLY CONS CONSTITUTED MISCONDUCT.
IN ASSESSING WHY WE MAY BE SEEING THESE DRIVERS, THESE POSSIBLE TRENDS, WE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL OPERATIONAL FACTORS ENHANCED, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, THE, THE ABILITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO FILE AND AFFIRM ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS WITH OPO WITHOUT A SWORN OFFICER BEING PRESENT.
FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT, FOLLOWING THE RATIFICATION OF THE MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENT, UH, NO G FILE, WHICH PROVIDED GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND JUST GROWING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND OVERSIGHT.
THESE FACTORS TAKEN ALL TOGETHER HELPED EXPLAIN THE SHIFTS REFLECTED IN THE DATA.
I NOW WANNA TRANSITION THE PRESENTATION TO OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, WHO WILL PROVIDE A MORE DETAILED OVERVIEW OF EACH DIVISION'S WORK.
WE HAVE THREE DIVISIONS, THE COMPLAINTS DIVISION, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT POSITION, UH, DIVISION, AND THE POLICY AND RESEARCH DIVISION.
FIRST, YOU'LL HEAR FROM MS. SARAH PERALTA, WHO IS OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MARKETING PROGRAM MANAGER, WHO WILL PRESENT THE OFFICE, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR 2024.
SHE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MS. CRYSTAL KIMBRO, OUR POLICY COMPLIANCE CONSULTANT, WHICH WILL PRESENT, UH, AND OUTLINE THE DIVISION'S POLICY AND RESEARCH INITIATIVES.
AND THEN FINALLY, MR. MASTERS, KEVIN MASTERS, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, WHO WILL PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE SUMMARY OF THE 2024 ACT, UH, ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY THE COMPLAINTS DIVISION.
MY NAME IS SARAH PERALTA AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF LEADING THE, UM, AWESOME POLICE OVERSIGHTS, ALMOST SAID THE WRONG NAME.
AWESOME POLICE OVERSIGHTS, COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNICATION TEAM.
UH, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WANTED TO QUICKLY EXPLAIN THE SCOPE OF OUR TEAM'S WORK FROM ENGAGING THE PUBLIC ONLINE TO FACILITATING CONVERSATIONS.
APOS COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM COLLABORATES WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
NOW I'M EXCITED TO BRING YOU OUR 2024 HIGHLIGHTS.
SO, UH, PER THE AWESOME POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT, OUR OFFICE HOSTS AN ONLINE CENTRAL DEPOSITORY FOR DOCUMENTATION RELATED TO POLICE OVERSIGHT.
IN 2024, WE PUBLISHED 151 DOCUMENTS TO OUR ONLINE HUB.
THOSE DOCUMENTS INCLUDE DISCIPLINARY MEMOS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND LAWSUIT DOCUMENTS RELATED TO POLICE MISCONDUCT.
ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON OUR WEBSITE, ATX POLICE OVERSIGHT.ORG.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE AWESOME POLICE DEPARTMENT'S GENERAL ORDERS ONE 17 IS A POLICY TO PUBLICLY RELEASED MATERIALS,
[00:55:01]
UH, RELATED TO CRITICAL INCIDENTS LIKE AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING, UH, WI WITHIN THE 10 DAY POLICY.THOSE MATERIALS MAY INCLUDE A BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE, UM, DASH CAMERA FOOTAGE, RADIO TRAFFIC RECORDINGS, AND MORE.
UH, AS PART OF THAT POLICY, ALSO POLICE OVERSIGHT REVIEWS OF MATERIALS BEFORE THEY GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
IN 2024, WE REVIEWED MATERIALS FOR, UH, RELATED TO SEVEN CRITICAL INCIDENTS.
BUILDING SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY IS A KEY PART OF OUR MISSION, AND WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO BUILD AWARENESS, UH, ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AND BUILD TRUST WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IN 2024, WE PARTICIPATED IN 50 COMMUNITY EVENTS FROM PRESENTING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, TO ENGAGING WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS, UH, WITH VARIOUS COMMUNITY GROUPS.
ONE OF THE MANY EVENTS THAT WE HOST IS OUR POLICE OVERSIGHT IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP, WHICH IS HOSTED IN ALIGNMENT WITH COUNCIL RESOLUTION 99.
DURING THIS MEETING, WE PRESENT COMPLAINTS DATA FROM THE LAST QUARTER.
WE ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT OUR, UH, COMPLAINTS PROCESS, AND WE PRESENT, UH, THE LATEST, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT OUR WORK.
IN 2024, WE HOSTED FOUR MEETINGS, A MIX OF BOTH ONLINE AND IN PERSON TO MAKE IT CONVENIENT FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
ALL OF OUR MEETING MATERIALS ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, ATX POLICE OVERSIGHT.ORG, UH, IN CASE YOU COULD MAKE IT TO THE MEETING.
NOW, I'M GONNA HAND THIS OFF TO CRYSTAL, UH, FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR POLICY TEAM.
I SERVE AS A POLICY AND RESEARCH MANAGER FOR A PO.
I'M EXCITED TO SHARE WHAT THE POLICY AND RESEARCH DIVISION ACCOMPLISHED IN 2024.
FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF OUR DIVISION'S RESPONSIBILITIES.
THEY INCLUDE DRIVING POLICY AND TRAINING, TURNING DATA INTO INSIGHT, STRATEGIC RESEARCH AND FORESIGHT AND LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY GUIDANCE.
SOURCES OF OUR WORK INCLUDE A PD INITIATED POLICY CHANGES, COMPLAINT GENERATED TRENDS, CITY MANAGER DIRECTIVES, CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS, COMMUNITY INPUT, AND PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
IN 2024, THE POLICY AND RESEARCH DIVISION MADE 26 RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FOLLOWING GENERAL ORDERS.
SOME OF THOSE INCLUDED DRONE POLICY, HAIR POLICY, LOW SPEED INTERVENTIONS, TRANSPORT VEHICLE POLICIES, TASER DEVICE GUIDELINES, AND TIRE DEFLATION DEVICES.
THE POLICY DIVISION MANAGER SERVES ON THE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE APDS ACADEMY CURRICULUM IN 2024, WE REVIEWED THE COURSE, INTERACTING WITH THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING RECOMMENDATIONS MADE INCLUDED INCREASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, USE OF MODERN TOOLS FOR INTERPRETATION, EXPANDING ACTIVE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, AND FOCUSING ON LOCAL HISTORY WITHIN THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITY.
IN 2024, THE POLICY AND RESEARCH DIVISION PUBLISHED QUARTERLY USE OF FORCE REPORTS, WHICH CONSOLIDATED DATA PROVIDED BY APDS FORCE RE VIEW UNIT.
THESE REPORTS PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO TOTAL FORCE INCIDENTS, SUBJECTS, AND OFFICERS INVOLVED FORCE LEVELS BY SECTOR TYPES OF FORCE USED AND RESPONSE TECHNIQUES SUPPLIED AND RESISTANCE ENCOUNTERED.
AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO KEVIN MASTERS, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
COUNCIL MEMBERS MANAGER, BROAD NECKS.
MY NAME'S KEVIN MASTERS AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR AT AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT.
I WILL BE PROVIDING A SUMMARY OF THE COMPLAINT DATA CONTAINED IN THE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT.
HERE'S A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE COMPLAINT PROCESS.
ANY ADULT CAN FILE A COMPLAINT OR A COMPLIMENT CONCERNING AN A PO OFFICER ABOUT THE INTERACTIONS THAT THEY HAD, OR ARE THEY WITNESS? THEY CAN FILE A COMPLAINT OR A COMPLIMENT ONLINE OVER THE PHONE, IN PERSON, OR BY MAIL.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS DO NOT HAVE TO PROVIDE THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION, AND THEY CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS DURING THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
AFTER A PO RECEIVES A COMPLAINT, THE COMPLAINT IS ASSIGNED TO A COMPLAINT SPECIALIST WHO WILL CONDUCT A PRELIMINARY REVIEW.
THE PRELIMINARY REVIEW INVOLVES A REVIEW OF THE OFFICER'S BODY-WORN CAMERA, ANY CAR DASH CAMERA, ANY MATERIALS PROVIDED BY THE COMPLAINANT, AS WELL AS REVIEWING ALL REPORTS COMPLETED BY THE A PD OFFICER.
AFTER THE PRELIMINARY REVIEW REVIEW, THE COMPLAINANT IS CONTACTED AND DETER AND WE DETERMINE HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEIR COMPLAINT PROCESS.
THERE ARE THREE WAYS IN WHICH THEY CAN PRO THEIR PROCESS, THEIR COMPLAINT.
THEY CAN ELECT TO HAVE A COMMUNITY CONCERN, WHICH MEANS THEY JUST WANT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR INCIDENT.
THEY DON'T WANT ANY FURTHER CONTACT.
THEY CAN ELECT TO HAVE A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL, WHICH MEANS THEY WOULD
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LIKE TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE OFFICER'S SUPERVISOR, AND THEY CAN REQUEST A FORMAL INVESTIGATION.IF THEY REQUEST A FORMAL INVESTIGATION.
THE COMPLAINT IS FORWARDED TO A COMPLAINT INVESTIGATOR IN OUR OFFICE.
THE COMPLAINT INVESTIGATOR RECONTACTS THE VIC, THE COMPLAINANT GETS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, TRANSPOSES THAT INFORMATION INTO A COMPLAINT AFFIDAVIT, AND THE COMPLAINT IS FORWARDED TO THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION FOR FORMAL INVESTIGATION.
WE MONITOR ALL FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
FOR COMPLAINANTS WHO REQUEST A FORMAL INVESTIGATION AND A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL AT THE CONCLUSION OF A FORMAL COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION, A PO WILL CONTACT THE COMPLAINANT AND INFORM THEM OF THE DISPOSITION OF THEIR COMPLAINT.
THIS SLIDE PRESENTS DATA ON THE VOLUME OF COMMUNITY INTERACTIONS WITH AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT, SPECIFICALLY CONTACTS, WHICH REFLECT THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO REACHED OUT TO A PO, WHICH INCLUDE COMPLAINTS, CONCERNS, OR GENERAL INQUIRIES AND COMPLIMENTS.
THESE ARE POSITIVE FEEDBACKS RECEIVED REGARDING THE ACTIONS OF AN OFFICER.
IN 2023, WE RECEIVED 1,552 TOTAL CONTACTS, 99 OF WHICH WERE COMPLIMENTS 2024.
WE RECEIVED 1052 TOTAL CONTACTS OF WHICH 211 WERE COMPLIMENTS.
TRACKING COMPLIMENTS ALONGSIDE COMPLAINTS HELP BALANCE THE NARRATIVE AND PROVIDE A FULLER PICTURE OF COMMUNITY POLICE INTERACTIONS.
FEWER CONTACTS MAY INDICATE A DECREASE IN COMMUNITY AWARENESS OR CONCERNS WHILE ARIS IN COMPLIMENTS COULD REFLECT, IMPROVE OFFICER CONDUCT OR IMPROVE COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
THIS SLIDE CONTAINS INFORMATION IN TERMS OF HOW COMPLAINTS ARE CATEGORIZED.
FORMAL COMPLAINTS ARE CATEGORIZED IN FIVE WAYS.
ACTUALLY, IT'S SIX WAYS A THROUGH D PENDING AS WELL AS SUPERVISED REFERRAL.
MINOR POLICY VIOLATION CLASS A COMPLAINTS ARE THE MOST SEVERE ALLEGATIONS, WHICH MAY INCLUDE EX EXCESSIVE FORCE, DEATH AND CUSTODY, EGREGIOUS OFFICER MISCONDUCT, AND THEY CAN RECEIVE DISCIPLINE OF DEMOTION TERMINATION OR 15 DAYS OR MORE.
SUSPENSION TIME, CATEGORY B THROUGH D, UH, DECREASE IN THEIR SEVERITY.
OTHER INVESTIGATIVE CLASSIFICATIONS INCLUDE SUPERVIS REFERRAL COMMUNITY CONCERNS, INFORMATION PENDING, NO CLASSIFICATION RECORDED, WHICH MEANS THE CASE DIDN'T GO TO A PD.
THE LOW NUMBER OF CLASS AC COMPLAINTS SUGGEST EITHER FEWER SERIOUS INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED OR POTENTIAL UNDER REPORTING.
A NOTABLE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS WERE COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND SUPERVISORY REFERRAL.
THIS IS BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE EITHER JUST WANT A-P-B-A-P-D TO BE AWARE OF THEIR EXPERIENCE AND THEY DON'T WANT ANY FURTHER CONTACT, OR THEY WANT TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO AN OFFICER'S SUPERVISOR.
EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS TREND TO CLASS D SUPERVISOR, REFERRAL AND COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
THIS SLIDE DISTINGUISHES COMPLAINT OUTCOMES.
AS A REMINDER, INTERNAL COMPLAINTS ARE COMPLAINTS FILED BY A PD PERSONNEL AND EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS ARE COMPLAINTS FILED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IN 2024, THERE WERE 841 COMPLAINTS FORWARDED TO A PD COMPARED TO 578 IN 23, WHICH IS A 45% INCREASE, THE NUMBER OF FOUR FORMAL COMPLAINTS INVESTIGATED, DECREASED BY 26%, 1 59 TO TWO 15 AND SUSTAINED COMPLAINTS.
EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 14 AND 23 TO 69.
INTERNAL COMPLAINTS INCREASED IN 2024 IN ALL CATEGORIES.
A 35% INCREASE ON COMPLAINTS THAT WERE INITIATED.
A 80% INCREASE ON FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS LAUNCHED AND, UH, ABOUT A 20% INCREASE IN SUSTAINED COMPLAINTS.
COMPARING INTERNAL TO EXTERNAL OUTCOMES SHOW VARIANCES IN HOW COMPLAINTS ARE HANDLED BASED ON THEIR ORIGINS.
A HIGH NUMBER OF INTERNAL COMPLAINTS ARE SUSTAINED FOLLOWING THE INVESTIGATION, WHICH MAY INDICATE MORE SERIOUS ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO INTERNAL COMPLAINTS.
INTERNAL A PD MEMBERS ARE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ACTUAL POLICY VIOLATION.
THEREFORE, WE EXPECT THERE TO BE A HIGHER NUMBER OF EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS THAT ARE SUSTAINED.
THIS SLIDE FOCUSES ON DISCIPLINE AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS TAKEN BY A PD IN RESPONSE TO SUBSTANTIATED COMPLAINTS.
DISCIPLINE INCLUDES REPRIMANDS, SUSPENSIONS, EDUCATION BASED DISCIPLINE AND TERMINATION.
A TOTAL OF 125 OFFICERS RECEIVED DISCIPLINE IN 2024 COMPARED TO 103 AND 2023.
A 21% INCREASE DISCIPLINE FROM SUSTAINED EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS WERE NINE AND 24 COMPARED TO 14 AND 23, WHICH IS A THREE 5% DECREASE DISCIPLINE FROM SUSTAINED INTERNAL COMPLAINTS WERE 116 IN 2024 COMPARED TO 89 IN 2023, WHICH IS A 21% INCREASE.
IN ADDITION TO FORMAL DISCIPLINE, A PD ALSO PROVIDES TRAINING COUNSELING FOR OFFICERS WHO COMMIT LOWER LEVEL GENERAL OFFENSES.
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THE NUMBER AND TYPES OF DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS MAY PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO APDS ACCOUNTABILITY PRACTICES.MOST DISCIPLINE RESULTED FROM INTERNAL COMPLAINTS WITH FEWER INSTANCES OF FORMAL DISCIPLINE BEING ASSESSED WITH EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS.
AND AS STATED BEFORE A PO, WE RECOGNIZE THAT OFFICERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO RECEIVE SUSTAINED FINDINGS AND BE DISCIPLINED FOR INTERNAL COMPLAINTS BECAUSE THE LEVEL OF THE ALLEGATION AND INTERNAL COMPLAINTS TEND TO INVOLVE MORE SERIOUS OFFENSE.
AND A PD MEMBERS KNOW WHAT CONSTITUTES A POLICY VIOLATION FOR 2023 TO 2024.
CONTACTS DEC DECLINE COMPLIMENTS DOUBLED EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL COMPLAINTS ROSE AND MORE OFFICERS FACE DISCIPLINE.
EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS TRENDED TO THE CLASS D AND SUPERVIS REFERRAL AND COMMUNITY CER CATEGORIES WHILE SUSTAINED EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY FROM 2023 TO 2024, THAT COMPLETES THE COMPLAINT DIVISION'S DATA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CODRE, THEY FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER LANG.
YEAH, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION ON, ON ONE OF THE FIRST SLIDES.
IT DID MENTION THERE'S A GROWING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE OVERSIGHT.
HOW IS THAT MEASURED? THE, THE CONFIDENCE IN OVERSIGHT? YEAH, THE, THE, THE BY THE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN OVERSIGHT? YEAH.
JUST BY WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN TERMS OF, UH, THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS BEING FILED, THE NUMBER OF, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COMING TO OUR OFFICE OFFICE FILING COMPLAINTS, WE'RE SEEING MORE SUSTAINED COMPLAINTS.
NOW, OF COURSE, THERE IS A ROBUST OVERSIGHT FROM OUR OFFICE.
AND SO, UM, THIS YEAR IN 2024, UM, NOT IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF OUT, UH, OUTREACH EVENTS WE, UH, CONDUCTED, BUT THE, THE, THE ROBUST OUTREACH WE ARE DOING TO REACH, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND SO WE ARE SEEING A TREND THERE WITH THE ENGAGEMENT WITH OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AS YOU NOTED, AS WE'VE NOTED THAT WE SAW COMPLIMENTS RISE SUBSTANTIALLY THIS YEAR FOR, UM, FOR OFFICERS.
AND SO WITH THAT TREND, WE ARE, WE, UM, SEE THAT THERE IS, UH, IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS GREATER, UM, ENGAGEMENT, POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER LANE, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS RELATED TO SLIDES 22 AND 23.
SO ON COMMUNITY, ON PAGE 22, COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS EXTERNAL 2024, I SEE 69 SUSTAINED COMPLAINTS.
BUT ON PAGE 23, EX DISCIPLINE ISSUED FOR EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS TOTAL SUSTAINED IN 2024 IS NINE.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT ONLY THAT 60 OF THE COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS DID NOT RECEIVE A DISCIPLINARY OUTCOME? NO.
SO THE DISCIPLINE IS NOT EQUATE TO THE SUSTAINMENT.
SO A COMPLAINT CAN BE SUSTAINED AND DISCIPLINE.
THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE IT IS TO SAY IT'S NOT A ONE SUM GAME.
EVERY TIME YOU SEE A SUSTAINMENT, YOU'RE NOT GONNA NECESSARILY SEE A DISCIPLINE ACTION.
THERE COULD BE A SU SUSTAINMENT WITH TRAINING OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF ACTION.
THERE COULD BE A SUSTAINMENT ON, UH, ON AN INCIDENT WITH TWO EPISODES OF DISCIPLINE ON THAT ONE INCIDENT.
SO IT'S NOT A ONE IN, ONE OUT, ONE SUSTAINED, ONE DISCIPLINE.
OKAY, SO HOW SHOULD I INTERPRET THE 60 SUSTAINED COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS IN 2024, THE 60, LIKE THERE ARE 69 THAT WERE SUSTAINED, NINE OF THEM.
I, I MEAN, THERE'S NINE DISCIPLINARY OUTCOMES.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE OTHER 60? UH, I WOULD SAY EITHER SOME FORM OF TRAINING IS BEING PROVIDED OR SOMETHING OTHER THAN FORMAL DISCIPLINE.
THE DISCIPLINE YOU RECEIVE, YOU SEE ON THIS, ON, ON THE DATA, IS FORMAL DIS DISCIPLINE, WHICH IS TERMINATION, SUSPENSION, LETTERS OF REPRIMAND.
THERE ARE OTHER FORMS OF TRAINING AND LOWER LEVELS OF DISCIPLINES THAT'S NOT TRACKED IN WHAT'S CAPTURED IN THIS DISCIPLINE.
ORAL COUNSELING IS NOT A FORMAL, FORMAL DISCIPLINE WRITTEN REPRIMAND.
WHILE IT IS A LEVEL OF DISCIPLINE, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY CAPTURED ON THE FORMAL DISCIPLINE THAT'S IN OUR, OUR REPORTING AS WELL AS, UH, EBD AND, AND, AND OTHER TRAININGS THAT THEY OFFER.
FOR LOWER LEVEL VIOLATIONS, I DO SEE A CATEGORY FOR ORAL REPRIMAND, AND I ALSO SEE A CATEGORY FOR EDUCATION BASED DISCIPLINE, AND I'LL JUST FLAG THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT WITH 60 OTHER INCIDENTS, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING TO SHOW SOME BREAKDOWN ON, UH, AS FAR AS WHAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, AND YOU'VE ALREADY ANSWERED THE NEXT QUESTION THOUGH, ON THE INTERNAL COMPLAINTS, HOW ARE WE HAVING MORE DISCIPLINE THAN THE NUMBER SUSTAINED? THANK YOU FOR THAT.
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UM, MY FINAL QUESTION IS WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THE 2025 REPORT TO BE AVAILABLE? SO, AS I NOTED EARLIER, UM, WE WANNA ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE FULL AND ACCURATE DATA.SO COMPLAINTS THAT ARE BEING FILED LATE IN THE YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, IN DECEMBER, BEING THAT THE OFF THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT HAVE 180 DAYS, IT COULD BE JUNE OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR BEFORE WE GET THAT COMPLETE DATA IN TERMS OF INVESTIGATIVE DATA.
AND SO ONCE WE RECEIVE THAT DATA IN JUNE, THAT'S WHEN WE START TO VALIDATE THE DATA AND COMPLY THE DATA.
AND SO IT'S NORMALLY AROUND THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR, UM, BEFORE WE RELEASE THE NEXT REPORT, JUST BASED ON THE FACT THAT INTERNAL AFFAIRS HAS THAT 180 DAYS.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THOSE COMPLAINTS ARE BEING, THAT'S BEING FILED, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS MONTH.
UM, IT COULD BE JUNE, JUNE BEFORE THEY FINALIZE, EVEN WHEN WE PUBLISH THE 2020, UH, FIVE REPORT, THERE ARE STILL SOME CASES STILL PENDING, BUT WE WANNA GET AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE TO, TO HAVING COMPLETE AND ACCURATE DATA.
I'D LIKE TO FLAG, UM, THAT PERHAPS WE COULD TRY TO FIND A WAY EITHER TO PROVIDE SOME PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS SOONER THAN A YEAR AFTER IT'S COMPLETE, OR WE COULD FIND A WAY TO LOOK AT IF THERE ARE WAYS TO EXPEDITE THAT TRANSMISSION OF DATA.
UM, BECAUSE THIS BEING SUCH A LARGE AREA OF CONCERN IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AMONG COUNCIL, IT IS HELPFUL TO KNOW SOONER WHICH DIRECTION WE'RE HEADED.
SO I'M JUST RAISING THOSE TWO POSSIBLE ABILITIES IF WE CAN CONSIDER.
COUNCIL MEMBER SEAL AND COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN.
AND, UH, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR AND TEAM, UM, FOR ALL THIS WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND REALLY HELPS BUILD TRUST IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS. AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, THE COMMITMENT TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, UM, MY TEAM HAS DEVELOPED A FEW QUESTIONS, UM, ABOUT THE REPORT AND THE UNDERLYING DATA, AND SO I'LL ASK SOME OF THESE NOW, BUT IF SOME OF THESE ARE BETTER TO KIND OF RESPOND OFFLINE, UH, HAPPY TO DO THAT AS WELL.
UM, THIS FIRST NOTE IS THAT THE QR CODES IN THE PRESENTATION DON'T SEEM TO BE WORKING.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU SCAN THE A PD USE OF FORCE ANALYSIS LINK, IT SAYS THAT IT'S BEEN DEACTIVATED.
SO HOPING, UM, THAT CAN BE UPDATED.
UM, BUT I GUESS ABOUT THE COMPLAINT PROCESS AND KIND OF THE UNDERLYING REPORT, UM, WANTED TO START WITH PAGE 19.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIKE THE OVERVIEW OF THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS AND YOU KNOW, SUBSECTION FOUR IS THE COMPLAINT OUTCOME.
AND, UM, SO THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT CAN OBJECT TO THE DISPOSITION OR DISCIPLINARY ACTION, DISCIPLINARY ACTION IMPOSED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU KNOW, HOW MANY TIMES DID A PO OBJECT TO AN A PD DISPOSITION IN 2024? WE DO NOT HAVE THAT DATA IN FRONT OF US.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE MADE APPROXIMATELY 17, I THINK IT IS, UH, DISCIPLINARY RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, THE CHIEF ALIGNED WITH ABOUT HALF OF THOSE, UH, UM, AND I THINK THREE OR FOUR OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE OFFICER EITHER RESIGNED OR RETIRED, UM, PRIOR TO DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS BEING IMPOSED.
BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU AND FOLLOW BACK UP.
AND IN TERMS OF THE COMPLAINT OUTCOME, UM, HOW OFTEN DOES A PO MEET WITH COMPLAINANTS AND SHOW THEM WHAT YOU'VE FOUND, MEET WITH THEM AND SHOW THEM WHAT, WHAT YOU'VE FOUND? WELL, WE ARE FOLLOWING UP WITH COMPLAINANTS.
ONCE A A COMPLAINT IS FILED, THERE'S A CONTINUOUS, UH, CONVERSATION, UM, WITH, IN REGARDS TO THE STATUS OF THE COMPLAINTS.
THAT'S NOT NORMALLY A FACE-TO-FACE, UH, MEETING, BUT THAT'S A FALL, A PHONE CALL TO SAY, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE.
ONCE THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE, WE ARE FOLLOWING BACK UP WITH THE COMPLAINANT VIA TELEPHONE OR EMAIL, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THE COMPLAINT IS IS CLOSED OUT.
AND DO YOU PROVIDE MORE DETAILS OR WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION PROVIDE MORE DETAILS? I'D REFER TO KEVIN IN TERMS OF THE DETAILS.
YES, WE, WE WERE USUALLY CONTACT THEM AND ADVISE THEM THE DISPOSITION OF THE CASE.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR CASE WAS SUBSTANTIATED, WHICH MEANS YOUR ALLEGATIONS WERE AFFIRMED, OR, UH, THE OFFICER WERE, IT WAS FOUND THAT NO POLICY VIOLATION OCCURRED, AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE INVESTIGATION.
FOR THE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE INVESTIGATION, THAT'S IN IAD FILES, WE REFER THEM TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS, BUT WE PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION
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AS WE CAN ON THE WHYS AND WHAT'S NEXT.AND WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, PROVIDE ALL COMPLAINANTS WITH HOW THEY CAN RECEIVE COPIES OF THE, THEIR COMPLETE FILE FROM IAD AS WELL AS ALL A PO FILES AND BODY-WORN CAMERA.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT THE NEXT PAGE, UM, OF THE UNDERLYING REPORT, UH, THE, THE PRELIMINARY REVIEW SECTION, UM, IT, IT SUMMARIZES THE ALLEGATIONS BY TYPE AND THE FIRST, UH, CATEGORY, WHICH IS I GUESS THE LARGEST AREA OF COMPLAINT IS, UH, NO ASSISTANCE FROM A PD, UH, FOR THIS CATEGORY.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS RESULTED VERSUS HOW MANY WERE RECOMMENDED? NO, WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
AND IF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THE ONE PAGER INFORMATION IN TERMS OF, UH, THE TOP LEVEL OF COMPLAINTS, WE DON'T TRACK DA, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DATE MINE IN TERMS OF THE DISPOSITION ON THOSE COMPLAINTS BASED ON THE CATEGORY OF THE ONE PAGER.
AND BY ONE PAGER, YOU MEAN LIKE A PAGE 20 OF THE, THE MAIN REPORT? CORRECT.
I WANTED TO GO OVER TODAY, MAYOR, UM, UH, ON PAGE 22 OF THE MAIN REPORT, UM, THIS IS, UH, TITLED, UM, AT THE TOP, UH, CLASSIFY, UM, LOOKS LIKE THERE WERE 88, UH, FORMAL COMPLAINT RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, CAN YOU PROVIDE A BREAKDOWN OF THESE? FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT WERE THE COMPLAINTS CONCERNING HOW MANY RESULTED IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION? THAT WOULD BE INFORMATION WE WOULD HAVE TO COLLECT AND GET BACK WITH YOU COUNSEL.
UM, IS IT EXPLAINED TO COMPLAINANTS THAT THERE IS, UM, NO A PO INVESTIGATION IF THEY CHOOSE SUPERVISOR REFERRAL? THERE? WE, WE DO A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF EVERY COMPLAINT.
SO BEFORE WE CONTACT A, A COMPLAINANT, WE HAVE COMPLETED A PRELIMINARY REVIEW, WHICH INCLUDES LOOKING AT BODY-WORN CAMERA, DASH CAMERA, A PD SYSTEMS TO DETERMINE IF WE BELIEVE A POLICY VIOLATION OCCURRED.
SO WE DO A PRELIMINARY REVIEW ON 100% OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE RECEIVE.
BUT IN, IN TERMS OF YOUR, YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN, YES, WE ARE PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION IN TERMS OF THERE IS NO FORMAL INVESTIGATION.
IF COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE SELECTING TO, UM, CLASSIFY THEIR COMPLAINTS AS A COMMUNITY CONCERN, THEY ARE, UH, THE DRIVER OF THE COMPLAINT PROCESS.
AND SO WE ARE GIVING THEM INFORMATION WHAT A SUPERVISOR REFER IS, WHAT A FORM COMPLAINT IS, WHAT A COMMUNITY CONCERN IS, AND SO THEY ARE MAKING THOSE DETERMINATIONS IN TERMS OF HOW THEY WANT TO THEIR COMPLAINT TO BE PROCESSED.
DIRECTOR, DO YOU KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE PRESENTED WITH IN WRITING OR IS IT MORE OF A, A VERBAL, UM, EXPLANATION MORE OF A, THAT INITIAL CONTACT? UH, IT'S MORE OF A VERBAL CONVERSATION WITH THEM WHEN THEY INITIALLY TALK WITH THE COMPLAINT SPECIALIST.
AND THEN, UM, FAST FORWARDING A LITTLE BIT, UM, TO, UH, I GUESS PAGE 27, UM, AND THIS IS, UH, THE, THE PAGE OF THE MAIN REPORT THAT HAS A CHART ON DISCIPLINE ISSUED.
UM, CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES OF SUSTAINED COMPLAINTS? UH, THIS IS KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON COUNCIL MEMBER LANE'S QUESTION, UH, SUSTAINED COMPLAINTS THAT DID NOT RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF THAT? YES.
SUSTAINED COMPLAINT THAT DIDN'T RESULT IN A DISCIPLINARY ACTION COULD BE A LOWER LEVEL DISCOURTESY.
UH, OR MAYBE AN OFFICER MAY HAVE MADE AN INAPPROPRIATE COMMENT TO A COMPLAINANT OR LET'S SAY FAILED TO FOLLOW THROUGH WHERE AN OFFICER DIDN'T COMPLETE HIS OR HER REPORT IN A TIMELY MANNER AND IT KINDA LEFT THE COMPLAINANT HANGING AND IT WAS SUSTAINED.
THOSE TYPES OF FINDINGS CAN BE SUSTAINED AND THERE NOT BE A FORMAL DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
IT COULD BE A, AN ORAL COUNSELING OR IT COULD BE SOME FORM OF TRAINING THE OFFICER RECEIVE, AND THAT DOESN'T CONSTITUTE DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
AND THEN LAST QUESTION FOR TODAY, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE ONLINE, UH, SIX, DISCIPLINARY IN ACTION DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS, UH, HAVE BEEN POSTED, UH, FOR 2024, BUT THIS CHART, UH, SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THERE WERE NINE, UH, ACTIONS.
UM, DO YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTHER THREE? I'M SORRY, SIR, COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? YES, SIR.
UM, SO ON THE A PO WEBSITE, SIX DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS FOR 2024 HAVE BEEN POSTED, BUT THIS CHART SEEMS TO INDICATE, UH, NINE ACTIONS, AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE THREE ARE NOT ON THERE.
DO YOU HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
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THAT? YEAH, UM, WE WILL, WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY CHECK THE WEBSITE AND DETERMINE WHERE THE ADDITIONAL THREE, UM, DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS ARE AND EN ENSURE THAT THEY ARE POSTED.I WAS HOPING YOU GUYS GET CLARIFY A COUPLE.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE HERE AND, AND EVERY INDICATION THAT I HAVE FROM READING BOTH REPORTS PRESENTATION OF THE ACTUAL REPORT SUGGESTS THAT THINGS SEEM TO BE TRENDING IN A HEALTHY DIRECTION.
SO I'M VERY ENCOURAGED BY WHAT I'M SEEING.
UH, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I'M HOPING YOU CAN CLARIFY.
ONE IS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE MADE THAT ARE BOTH AS A RESULT OF THE, UH, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMPLAINT PROCESS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE ALSO POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE MADE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
DO WE HAVE ANY BREAKDOWN, IT SEEMS LIKE MOST OF THE ENERGY WAS SPENT ON UNDERSTANDING THE BREAKDOWN OF THE COMPLAINT RECOMMENDATIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE EXTENT THAT A PD ADOPTED THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE OUTLINED FOR THINGS LIKE, UH, DRONES OR TASERS OR THINGS LIKE THAT? I KNOW ON, UM, I GUESS THIS SLIDE SHOWS NOT BACK UP, BUT I HAVE ASTERISK NEXT TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE EITHER PARTIALLY OR FULLY IMPLEMENTED BY A PD.
AGAIN, WE MAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AND WHETHER OR NOT A PD ACCEPTS THEM IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR CHOICE.
SO THE ONES WITH ASTERISK WERE EITHER PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED OR FULLY IMPLEMENTED, THE REST HAVE NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
SO IF I COULD, IF I INTERPRET THAT THE ASTERISK INDICATE TO THE EXTENT THAT SOMETHING HAS BEEN PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED OR FULLY IMPLEMENTED, THE REST OF THEM I CAN ASSUME HAVE NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED AT ALL? CORRECT.
UM, I'M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT, I THINK THERE WAS A, ON THE SLIDE, LET'S SEE WHAT THIS IS.
I THINK SLIDE 22, IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE DOING A MUCH BETTER JOB OF INVESTIGATING THE INTERNAL COMPLAINTS BETWEEN 23 AND 24.
LOOKS LIKE IN 23, MAYBE TWO THIRDS OF THEM WERE INVESTIGATED IN 24, ALMOST LIKE WHAT 96% OR INVESTIGATED.
CAN YOU HELP? UM, IS THERE ANY EXPLANATION YOU CAN SHARE THAT HELPS ACCOUNT FOR WHY WE'RE DOING A DRAMATICALLY BETTER JOB INVESTIGATING THE INTERNAL COMPLAINTS BETWEEN YEAR TO YEAR REFER TO KEVIN IN THE INTERNAL COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION, THEY'RE SUBMITTED INTERNALLY BY A PD, THE INVESTIGATIONS ARE CONDUCTED BY A PD WHILE WE DO A PRELIMINARY REVIEW, A PD WOULD HAVE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
THEY'RE THE DRIVER OF THE ACTIVITY.
UH, NOW WOULD NOW BE AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO ASK EITHER CHIEF DAVIS OR HENDERSON TO HELP ME BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT? ABSOLUTELY, SIR.
CAN YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION, PLEASE? I WAS WONDERING BETWEEN 2023 AND 2024, IT LOOKS LIKE WE DID A SUBSTANTIALLY BETTER JOB INVESTIGATING OUR INTERNAL COMPLAINTS, LIKE GOING UP FROM, CALL IT 60, 65% TO CLOSE TO A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO, AND THEY INDICATED, UH, STAFF INDICATED THAT THAT WAS MORE DRIVEN BY A PD INTERNAL POLICY RATHER THAN THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE AT OPO.
UM, SO I'M CURIOUS IF, IF YOU CAN HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY WE SEEM TO HAVE DONE A MUCH BETTER JOB INVESTIGATING OUR INTERNAL COMPLAINTS.
I THINK THEY'RE SUPERVISORY DRIVEN, AND SO IT IS THE SUPERVISOR, THE FRONTLINE SUPERVISOR, RECOGNIZING BEHAVIORS THAT NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED AND SENDING THEM UP THE CHAIN TO BE INVESTIGATED.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A MORE ROBUST, UM, DRIVING DRIVE FROM THOSE FRONTLINE SUPERVISORS.
RE HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, LAST QUESTION I'VE GOT, ONE OF THE FIRST SLIDES IN THERE INDICATES IT TALKS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE DRIVERS OF WHY THINGS ARE TRENDING IN A MUCH BETTER DIRECTION.
UH, CHIEF DAVIS, I MIGHT USE YOUR PERSPECTIVE HERE ALSO, IF YOU DON'T MIND STAYING AROUND FOR ONE MORE QUESTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S NOT THERE.
UH, SO FIRST OF ALL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS THERE IS THE IDEA THAT WE DID A MUCH BETTER JOB OUTREACH, WHICH I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALSO, AS OTHERS HAVE INDICATED, BUT I'D ALSO ASSUME I'D GET A DIFFERENT RESPONSE IN THE DATA IF WE'D DONE A MUCH, IF WE'D, MY EXPECTATION WOULD'VE BEEN HAD WE DONE A, UH, HAD WE
[01:25:01]
ENHANCED OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS, I WOULD'VE ACTUALLY GOTTEN, I FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET POTENTIALLY EVEN MORE COMPLAINTS OR MORE COMPLIMENTS IN, UM, WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE ACTUALLY GOTTEN A AGGREGATE DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT BETWEEN YEAR TO YEAR.ONE THING THAT'S NOT ON THERE IS ANY CHANGES THAT ARE IMPLEMENTED BY A PD ON THERE THAT MIGHT HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR THESE CHANGES.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU FEEL LIKE ALL THE COM ALL THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE SEEING YEAR TO YEAR ARE BEING DRIVEN INTERNALLY BY OPO PROCESSES OR THERE ARE ALSO THINGS THAT A PD IS DONE TO ACCOUNT FOR WHY SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, HAVE BEEN REFLECTED OF THE DATA YOU'VE SHARED TODAY? YEAH, I, I, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, IN TERMS OF, I, I, I KNOW WE NOTED THAT THE COMPLIMENTS FOR OFFICERS HAVE INCREASED, UH, IN OUR OFFICE ON, IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OVERSIGHT ACT.
WE DO BODY-WORN CAM AUDITS, AND WE REALLY ARE SEEING POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY ME, UM, MEMBERS AS WE ARE DOING THOSE BODY-WORN CAM AUDITS.
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST THAT WE ARE GETTING THE COMPLIMENTS THAT ARE COMING INTO OUR OFFICE.
WE ALSO, AS WE DO THOSE OFF, UH, THOSE AUDITS, WE ARE ALSO SEEING THAT POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH, WITH OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND WE ARE FOLLOWING BACK UP WITH THOSE OFFICERS SAYING, WE'VE VIEWED YOUR BODY-WORN CAM TODAY, AND THIS IS WHAT WE SAW THAT POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OFFICERS.
AND SO I I I, I BELIEVE THAT AS WE ARE FOLLOWING BACK UP WITH OFFICERS AND TALKING TO THEM ABOUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING, UM, ON, ON AUDITS, THAT WE ARE REINFORCING, REINFORCING THAT BEHAVIOR, UH, THAT POSITIVE BEHAVIOR BETWEEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND, UH, OFFICERS.
CHIEF, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN ADD TO WHY YOU THINK WE'VE MADE, UM, THIS KIND OF IMPROVEMENT YEAR TO YEAR? YEAH, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A COMBINATION OF BOTH.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT GAIL DOES.
I THINK THERE'S ABSOLUTELY, UM, YOU KNOW, POLICE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE TO HAVE THIS.
UM, SO I, I RESPECT THE, THE WHOLE PROCESS, BUT IT IS ALSO HOW WE'RE DOING INTERNALLY AS WELL.
AND SO, UH, SETTING THAT EXPECTATION AND CERTAINLY AS WE MOVE INTO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT 2025, UM, HOW WE'RE DOING THAT AND HOW WE'RE GETTING BETTER AT IT, CUSTOMER SERVICE DRIVEN, BEING CUSTOMER SERVICE DRIVEN, ALL OF THAT IS IMPORTANT.
SO I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF, OF BOTH.
ARE YOU SEEING ANY KIND OF, UH, DATA ON YOUR END CHIEF IN TERMS OF ANYTHING YOU CAN MEASURE, I DON'T KNOW, RECRUITMENT, MORALE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT, UM, THIS KIND OF REPORTING IMPACTS THE WAY THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT OR YOUR OFFICERS ARE EITHER RUNNING OR BEHAVING? WELL, AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S ABSOLUTE BENEFIT HERE.
AND I THINK AS WE START LOOKING AT, AND PEOPLE FEEL CONFIDENT IN THEIR, IN THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND WE START GETTING, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE COMPLAINTS, UM, AND, AND I THINK OPO OR A PO DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF KIND OF BREAKING DOWN WHAT THOSE COMPLAINTS ARE, UM, AND WE CAN START MEASURING THOSE, HOW WE GET BETTER AT THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I THINK CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, MOVING INTO THIS YEAR AND MOVING INTO 2026, IT IS ABOUT HOW WE'RE, OUR RESPONSE TIMES ARE IMPROVING, HOW WE'RE GETTING ON SCENE, HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE REPORTING PROCESS OURSELF, AND AGAIN, BEING CUSTOMER SERVICE DRIVEN, UM, AS AN AGENCY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT AND CLARIFYING THAT.
AND, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, THE PRESENTATION.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DATA FOR NEXT YEAR.
COUNCIL MEMBER DUC AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER COUNCILOR ELLIS AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
I WAS CURIOUS IF Y'ALL COLLECT ANY DATA OR HOW, IF AT ALL YOU MEASURE THE SATISFACTION OF THE COMPLAINANT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF QUESTION AT THE END? YOU KNOW, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH HOW THIS RESOLVED? WE, WE DO NOT HAVE, I I KNOW THIS YEAR THERE IS A PLAN TO REALLY, UH, ENGAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH, WITH A SURVEY.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DOING THAT.
UM, IN, IN TERMS OF THERE, THERE WAS A, A QUESTION, UH, EARLIER IN, IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO GAUGE WHETHER OR NOT, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE, ARE, ARE PLEASED WITH THE WORK THAT WE DO AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS, AS WE NOTED WHILE WE, WE NOTED THAT CONTACTS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE DECREASED, BUT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS BEING FILED WHEN WITH OUR OFFICE IS INCREASED.
AND ONE OF THE TRENDS THAT WE ASSOCIATE WITH THAT IS THAT THERE'S MORE, UM, CONFIDENCE IN THE OVERSIGHT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE OVERSIGHT OFFICE.
AND SO WHILE WE DON'T HAVE ANY DATA AND JUST THE ABILITY TO DO SOME OF THAT, THAT DATA MINDING AS WE ARE SEEING THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS BEING FILED IN OUR OFFICE, UM, WE BELIEVE
[01:30:01]
THAT THIS IS A TREND THAT SHOWS THAT THE, THE COMMUNITY IS REALLY CONFIDENT IN THE, IN THE OVERSIGHT, IN THE OVERSIGHT OFFICE AND ON THE, IN THE, IN THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JUST WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE THAT MAKES THIS, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINANT FOCUSED, YOU KNOW, NOT FOCUSED ON WHETHER IT'S THE OFFICER OR WHATEVER, BUT, BUT THAT THIS PROCESS IS REALLY COMPLAINANT? YEAH, WE, WE REALLY DO AIM TO PROVIDE, UM, PROCEDURAL JUSTICE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND SO THAT'S ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A COMPLAINT PROCESS THAT IS REALLY ACCESSIBLE, THAT'S REALLY EASY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO FILE COMPLAINTS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS IN WHICH COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN FILE COMPLAINT.
WE ALSO ENSURE THAT ANYTIME WE ARE DOING AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT, UH, COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT ARE SPONSORED BY AUSTIN COMMUN, UH, OVERSIGHT OFFICE, THAT WE HAVE INTERPRETIVE SERV SERVICES, WE ENSURE THAT, UM, WE ARE HAVING OUR MATERIALS THAT ARE PRINTED IN, UH, MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID IN 2024 IS THAT WE BUILT OUT WHAT'S CALLED A INTAKE SPACE, AND IT'S A PRIVATE, UH, SPACE, UH, CONFIDENTIAL SPACE, NOT ON THE SAME FLOOR AS OUR, AS OUR OFFICE, TO ALLOW A SAFE SPACE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COME FILE COMPLAINTS.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE AWARE, BUT OUR OFFICE IS LOCATED ON THE SAME FLOOR WITH INTERNAL AFFAIRS, AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS THAT POSSIBILITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO RUN INTO OUR OFFICE, UH, OFFICER.
AND SO WE BUILD OUT THIS SPACE IN A CORNER ON ANOTHER, ON ANOTHER FLOOR TO ENSURE THAT, UM, COMMUNITIES MEMBERS KNOW THAT THEY HAVE, UH, A SPACE THAT'S PRIVATE AND SAFE, UM, THAT THEY CAN COME TO AND FILE THE COMPLAINTS AND REALLY NOT HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO, TO RUN INTO, TO OFFICERS, UH, IF THEY'RE COMING DIRECTLY TO OUR OFFICE.
SO ALL OF THAT BEING, UM, COMPLAINT, UM, CENTERED, AND I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU THINK LOOKING TO NEXT YEAR, WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE, BETTER, DONE DIFFERENTLY, JUST WHAT IS KIND OF ON THE HORIZON THAT YOU THINK IS A ROOM FOR GROWTH? YEAH, I, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE, WE, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO A LITTLE MORE DATA MINDING, UH, ON TO TELL, TO TELL OUR STORY, UH, WE DO HAVE SOME VERY EXCITING PROJECTS COMING UP FOR 2026.
WE'RE GOING TO, UH, REVAMP OUR KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, UH, CAMPAIGN, ENHANCING THAT PROJECT.
WE ARE SCHEDULED TO, UM, MIDYEAR, UH, DO A OFFICE INVOLVED SHOOTING, UH, DASHBOARD.
SO, SO COMMUNITIES ARE, ARE GETTING INFORMATION IN REAL TIME.
IN THE PAST, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE DONE AN OFFICE INVOLVED REPORT FOR LIKE, OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
WE DON'T THINK, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE TO WAIT.
WE WANNA GIVE THEM THAT INFORMATION IN REAL TIME.
SO THOSE ARE TWO OF THE BIGGER PROJECTS WE HAVE PLANNED FOR, FOR 2026.
I CAN'T SEEM TO GET THAT TURNED ON.
I HAD A QUICK QUESTION, UM, WHICH ALSO PERTAINS TO THE GRAPH THAT'S SHOWN ON PAGE 20, BUT THERE IS A DEFINITION ON 29, WHICH IS THAT HIGHEST, THAT HIGHEST LEVEL OF REPORTING, NO ASSISTANCE FROM A PD.
CAN YOU TALK ME THROUGH SPECIFICALLY WHAT DIFFERENT TYPES OF NO ASSISTANCE WERE SEEN IN THAT AREA? SORRY, THAT'S NOT THE SLIDE.
I THINK WE MAY BE WORKING OFF DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THE TOP COMPLAINT WAS NO ASSISTANCE FROM A PD.
IS THAT A MATTER OF THEY CALLED AND SOMEONE DIDN'T COME QUICKLY ENOUGH, SOMEONE DIDN'T COME, OR THEY DID SHOW UP AND THEY WEREN'T SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE INTERACTION.
CAN YOU TALK ME THROUGH THAT? THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT'S, YOU NEED TO HIT YOUR BUTTON.
IIII, I'M SETTING A BAD EXAMPLE AND I APOLOGIZE.
UH, YES TO YOUR QUESTION, WHAT YOU DESCRIBED IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT THIS DATA REPRESENTS IS, UH, WE HAVE OUR, OUR PRIMARY COMPLAINT INTAKE PERSON.
WHENEVER WE RECEIVE A COMPLAINT, WE LOOK AT THE NATURE OF THE COMPLAINT AND, AND SHE IDENTIFIES WHAT IS THE TOP, WHAT ARE THEY SAYING, WHAT ARE THEIR PRIMARY COMPLAINTS? AND YOU ANSWERED YOUR OWN QUESTION YES.
IS THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
SO ALL THREE OF THOSE SITUATIONS ARE BEING CATEGORIZED IN ONE, CORRECT, AS ONE NO ASSISTANCE.
[01:35:01]
WAY THAT WE COULD GET A LITTLE MORE BREAKDOWN ON WHAT IS ABOUT RESPONSE TIME AND WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE SHOWING UP AND SHOWING UP QUICKLY AND THEN BEING, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO COMMUNICATE THAT MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT A PD CAN'T HELP WITH, FOR INSTANCE? YEAH, AND, AND WE CALL THIS, THIS IS REALLY OUR, WHAT WE CALL THE BUCKET LIST, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE GET SO MANY COMPLAINTS IF WE TRY TO ITEMIZE EVERY COMPLAINT WE GET, WE'D NEED PROBABLY 20 PAGES JUST FOR THAT.WE TRY TO IDENTIFY A BUCKET THAT WE CAN PUT CERTAIN TYPES OF COMPLAINTS INTO.
I GUESS WE COULD, BUT THAT WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL TIME AND SPACE.
I WOULD LOVE IF THERE'S A WAY TO DIG DOWN A LITTLE DEEPER.
I KNOW AS YOU GET FURTHER OUTSIDE THE CITY CORPS, YOU END UP WITH THE CALLS EITHER TAKING LONGER OR MAYBE AN OFFICER CAN'T COME OUT UNTIL THE MORNING IF IT'S A NOISE COMPLAINT OR, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME ISSUE LIKE THAT.
SO I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT IS, DID SOMEONE SHOW UP VERSUS SOMEONE SHOWED UP AND, AND THE PERSON WHO HAD CALLED 9 1 1, JUST WHAT DIDN'T THINK THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO SOLVE THE ISSUE THEY WERE WANTING A PD TO HELP THEM SOLVE? IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND HAVE SOME CONVERSATION AROUND IT.
AND THEN I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT PAGE 25 WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS.
UH, THE EXTERNAL COMPLAINTS 841 WERE FORWARDED FROM OPO TO THE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN IT SAYS 159 WERE INVESTIGATED, WHICH WERE ALL 159, THAT OPO HAD RECOMMENDED TO BE INVESTIGATED, WHICH IS GREAT TO HEAR THAT IF, IF THE POLICE OVERSIGHT OFFICE IS, UM, IS MAKING THAT SUGGESTION THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS TAKING IT SERIOUSLY, WHAT IS IN THE OTHER BUCKET OF THOSE 841 THAT DID NOT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF SUGGESTING A PD ACTUALLY TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
THE, THE OTHER BUCKET CONSISTS OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THE COMPLAINANT REQUESTED, SUPERVISOR REFERRAL COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
AND THEN OPO JUST SAID, WE DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY TO INVESTIGATE.
CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT? NO, THE, THE FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS, THIS IS COMPLAINT DRIVEN.
SO 99.9% OF THE TIME WE PROCESS A COMPLAINANT'S COMPLAINT.
THE WAY THAT THEY ASK US TO, IF THEY ASK US TO DO A FORMAL INVESTIGATION, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT A FORMAL INVESTIGATION GETS DONE.
IF THEY ASK FOR A SUPERVISORY REFERRAL, WE WILL MORE OFTEN THAN NOT MAKE SURE THAT A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL GETS DONE.
THE ONLY TIME WE DEVIATE IS IF DURING OUR PRELIMINARY REVIEW WE SEE WHAT MAY BE A MORE EGREGIOUS VIOLATION OCCUR THAT WE THINK IT SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS.
WE DO HAVE OCCASIONS WHERE A COMPLAINANT WILL CALL AND SAY, HEY, I WANT A SUPERVISORY REFERRAL, OR I JUST WANT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS.
AND WE ELEVATE IT TO A FORMAL INVESTIGATION BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT NEEDS THAT.
SO IT'S REALLY COMPLAINT DRIVEN.
THE 1 59 THAT ARE INVESTIGATED, IT'S BECAUSE THEY'VE ASKED FOR AN INVESTIGATION AND ARE DURING OUR REVIEW, WE BELIEVED IT WARRANTED AN INVESTIGATION.
THE BALANCE IS WHAT THEY ASKED FOR.
IF THEY ASK FOR A SUPERVISED REFERRAL, WE FORWARD IT TO, TO THE A PD FOR A SUPERVISED REFERRAL.
IF THEY ASK FOR A COMMUNITY CONCERN, WE FORWARD IT TO AP D AS A COMMUNITY CONCERN.
THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS HAVE A COMPLAINANT CALL US AND SAY, HEY, I WANT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS.
I JUST WANT IT TO BE A CONCERN.
I DON'T WANNA HEAR FROM SOMEONE.
AND THEN THEY GET A CALL FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY SPECIFICALLY TOLD US THEY DIDN'T WANT IT.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE THAT ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT SAME PAGE, THE INTERNAL COMPLAINTS INTERNALLY INITIATED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT TYPES OF SCENARIOS WHERE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL SELF-INITIATE, UM, YOU LOOKING INTO IT OR KIND OF START A TICKET, IF YOU WILL, TO SAY THERE'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT HERE? CAN YOU TALK ME THROUGH THOSE SCENARIOS? SURE.
WHENEVER THERE'S AN OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING OR A DEATH IN CUSTODY, UH, INTERNAL INVESTIGATION IS AUTOMATICALLY INITIATED.
UM, MOST ACCIDENTS, WHICH IS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT'S ACTUALLY CORRECT, BUT THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION.
OR IF AN OFFICER SAW ANOTHER OFFICER OR A SUPERVISOR SAW AN OFFICER DO SOMETHING THAT HE OR SHE THOUGHT WAS INAPPROPRIATE, THAT'S WHEN WHAT THE CHIEF SAID, THEY WOULD REFER TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR AN INVESTIGATION.
THOSE ARE ALL THE INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS.
AND BY ACCIDENT YOU MEAN CRASH, LIKE YES, YES.
AN INTERACTION WITH A POLICE VEHICLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? CORRECT.
COUNCILMAN RES, COUNCILMAN VELA, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
UM, SUPERVISOR REFERRAL, WHEN SOMEONE CALLS AND, AND YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL? THAT'S WHEN, AND WE EXPLAINED THE TURTLE SITUATION TO THE COMPLAINANT, AND, UH, WHEN WE SAY ANOTHER WAY WE PROCESS COMPLAINTS IS IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE OFFICER'S SUPERVISOR ABOUT YOUR INCIDENT.
[01:40:01]
COMPLAINANT CALLS US, WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE SPECIFICS THAT'S ON A BODY-WORN CAMERA.UH, ON SOME OCCASIONS, WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE SPECIFICS THAT'S IN A REPORT.
THE REPORT MAY NOT BE APPROVED YET.
HOWEVER, A SUPERVISOR CAN TALK TO THEM ABOUT ALL THAT STUFF.
SO WE LET THEM KNOW THAT IF THEY WOULD LIKE A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL, UH, THEY CAN REQUEST THAT.
AND WITHIN CERTAIN DAYS, A SUPERVISOR IS REQUIRED TO CONTACT THEM TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.
UH, WHEN THEY REQUEST A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL, WE LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'LL BE CONTACTED BY A SUPERVISOR, AND ONCE THE SUPERVISOR COMPLETES THE RE THE CONTACT OF THE COMPLAINANT, THERE'S A FORM THEY HAVE TO FILL OUT THAT GOES TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND THEN COMES TO US AND WE CIRCLE BACK WITH THE COMPLAINANT.
SO WE DO A 360 JUST TO AFFIRM OR CONFIRM THAT THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT A SUPERVISOR ABOUT THEIR, THEIR COMPLAINT, AND IF THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VET OUT WHAT NEEDED TO BE VETTED OUT.
AND SO WHEN SOMEONE CALLS IN, THEY'RE NOT FILING A COMPLAINT PER SE, THEY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CAN WANT TO TALK TO THE SUPERVISOR OF AN OFFICER THAT THEY HAD SOME KIND OF INTERACTION WITH? UH, WE STILL, WE STILL CLASSIFY IT AS A FORMAL, AS AS A COMPLAINT.
NOT A FORMAL COMPLAINT, BUT IT'S STILL A COMPLAINT THAT'S JUST PROCESSED AS A SUPERVISOR REFERRAL.
IF THE, UH, IF THE OUTCOME THAT THE COMPLAINANT WANTED WAS TO JUST COMMUNICATE WITH THE SUPERVISOR, YOU'RE GONNA PUT THEM IN TOUCH WITH A SUPERVISOR.
SUPERVISOR IS REQUIRED TO REACH OUT TO THAT PERSON WITHIN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO CIRCLE BACK TO BOTH INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND THEN ULTIMATELY TO OPO TO KIND OF CLOSE THE LOOP AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS THAT INTERACTION THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED BETWEEN THE COMPLAINANT AND THE SUPERVISOR.
IS THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
BUT WE ALSO, WHEN YOU SAY IT'S NOT INVESTIGATIVE, WE ARE DOING A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF EVERY COMPLAINT THAT IS COMING TO OUR OFFICE.
SO EVEN ON SOME OF THOSE, YOU ALL MAY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT DOES NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED.
IF WE IDENTIFY THAT IT'S EGREGIOUS UHHUH, UH, WE, WE MAKE THE DECISION THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE ESCALATED AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS A FORMAL COMPLAINT.
THAT'S, UH, VERY, UH, UH, HELPFUL.
AND, BUT SO, AND AGAIN, JUST TO CLARIFY BOTH FOR MYSELF AND I THINK FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, THE INTERNAL COMPLAINTS THAT YOU HAVE, AND THIS IS ON YOUR PRESENTATION ON PAGE 22, INTERNAL COMPLAINTS, THOSE ARE INITIATED BY A PD, EITHER BY SUPERVISORS OR BY OTHER OFFICERS ON THE SCENE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT, SIR.
AND THEN THE COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS, THOSE ARE NOT, UH, INITIATED THOUGH.
THEY'RE INITIATED BY FOLKS CALLING IN TO YOUR OFFICE SAYING, HEY, I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS, OR I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
IS THERE OVERLAP BETWEEN THE TWO WHERE, YOU KNOW, A PD IS ALREADY INVESTIGATING, UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND JUST KIND OF TRYING TO SUSS THAT OUT, HOW, HOW MUCH OVERLAP IS THERE? I I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY IS OVERLAP WHERE A COMMUNITY MEMBER HAS FILED A COMPLAINT AND THE INTERNAL AFFAIR, UM, THE SUPERVISOR FOR AN OFFICER HAS ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT RELATED TO THAT SAME ALLEGATION.
SO THERE IS SOME OVERLAP THERE.
AND, AND THEN AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE ONES WHERE A COMPLAINANT CALLED AND SAID THEY DID WANT A FORMAL INVESTIGATION, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTOOD THIS, THAT ALL OF THOSE CASES, YOU REFERRED THEM TO A PD FOUR, A FORMAL INVESTIGATION, AND THERE WAS A FORMAL INVESTIGATION.
WAS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO THERE'S NO CASES WHERE THE PUBLIC IS SAYING, HEY, I WANT Y'ALL TO LOOK INTO THIS, AND, AND THERE WAS NO KIND OF FOLLOW UP, HUH? UH, THAT'S, NO, SIR.
UM, THEN, UH, I UNDERSTOOD AND I HEARD THAT, DO Y'ALL DO, UH, RANDOM AUDITS OF, UH, BODY CAM, UH, CAMERAS? THAT IS CON CORRECT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT ACT? WE DO RANDOM BODY-WORN CAM AUDITS, AND SO THE STAFF IS LOOKING AT BODY-WORN CAM.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THE, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER IN MY HEAD IN TERMS OF HOW MANY BODY-WORN CAM AUDITS WE DID.
I, IT, IT, I THINK WE DID AROUND, IN 24, 1200 REVIEWS OF BODY-WORN CAMERA AND OVER A THOUSAND HOURS OF VIDEO.
AND ARE THOSE IN RELATION TO SPECIFIC INCIDENTS, LIKE A RANDOM SELECTION OF INCIDENTS, OR YOU'RE JUST PULLING A RANDOM DAY AND, AND REVIEWING THE, THE FOOTAGE JUST, UH, AS A PRECAUTIONARY MATTER? UH, NOT, NOT RELATED TO A SPECIFIC INCIDENT.
WE'RE JUST PULLING THE DATA AND LOOKING AT IT RANDOMLY.
AND THEN, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, ACADEMY RECOMMENDATIONS, I SAW THAT YOU HAVE AN, AND I KNOW THAT, THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL MENTIONED THAT THE QR CODE'S NOT WORKING ON THAT, BUT THAT THERE WERE SOME, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS WITH REGARD TO CURRICULUM AND OR THE ACADEMY.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, THOSE
[01:45:01]
A LITTLE BIT? WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT? I'LL DEFER TO CRYSTAL.UH, YES, I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, THERE IS, IT WAS PART OF KROLL RECOMMENDATIONS TO CREATE A PAC, WHICH IS THE, UM, PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AT THE ACADEMY.
AND IT'S MADE UP OF SWORN AND CIVILIAN, UM, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT REVIEW COURSES THAT WE, THERE'RE COURSES THAT ARE BEING TAUGHT BO COURSES.
UM, WE REVIEW THE T COLE MATERIAL REVIEW, THE, UM, INSTRUCTOR'S CURRICULUM, THE POWERPOINTS, ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HANDED OUT TO THE CADETS, LIKE SUPPLEMENTARY, UM, EDUCATIONAL TOOLS.
AND THEN EVERYONE WRITES THEIR OWN RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE LENS.
LIKE I WOULD, I WRITE THE RECOMMENDATION THROUGH THE LENS OF AUSTIN POLICE OVERSIGHT, AND WE GET BACK TOGETHER, DISCUSS IT.
IT'S WRITTEN UP AND SENT TO THE COMMANDER TO REVIEW AND THEN SIGN OFF ON, ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO IMPLEMENT THOSE CHANGES.
UH, AND, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT'S THE, THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE, THE QR CODE WOULD LEAD TO, UH, A DOCUMENT THAT HAS, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGH THE ACADEMY? OUR WEBSITE HAS, UH, THERE'S SEPARATE DOCUMENTS.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WEBSITE TO SEE THE CURRICULUM RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THEY'RE ALL ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UH, AND THEN, UM, JUST BROADLY SPEAKING, UH, ANY TRENDS IN PARTICULAR WITH THE USE OF FORCE? AND I KNOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, LIKE ARE Y'ALL, IS ANYTHING THAT JUMPS OUT, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE OVERALL USE OF FORCE, UH, COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS THERE? THE DATA THAT WE, WELL, COMPLAINTS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE USE OF FORCE REPORTS.
UM, I CAN SPEAK TO THE REPORTING AND THAT DATA WE WERE GETTING FROM THE FORCE REVIEW UNIT.
UH, IT DIDN'T GET INTO DEMOGRAPHICS.
IT WASN'T THAT DETAILED, BUT I WOULD SAY SECTOR WISE, YOU KNOW, GEORGE SECTOR WAS HIGHEST IN USE OF FORCE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE WERE TRENDS WITHIN THE REPORT, BUT THERE WAS ALSO DATA MISSING.
WELL, WE'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT, UH, UH, OFFLINE.
FINALLY, YOU WERE MENTIONING THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES MAYBE SOMEONE IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME OF, OF THEIR, UH, COMPLAINT.
UH, RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, WITH THE, THE, THE, UH, GFA WITH THE, UH, A POA AND THEN ULTIMATELY THE, UH, FULL TRANSPARENCY THAT WAS, UH, INCLUDED IN THE POLICE CONTRACT.
WHEN SOMEONE IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE REPORT, OR HONESTLY, EVEN IF THEY AREN'T SATISFIED WITH THE REPORT, THEY CAN REQUEST THE INVESTIGATORY MATERIALS AND THEY WILL RECEIVE THE INVESTIGATORY MATERIALS.
IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
I MEAN, WITH THE, WITH THE G FILE, UM, A COMMUNITY MEMBER HAS THE ABILITY TO REQUEST THEIR, THEIR CASE INFORMATION VIA A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
PRIOR TO THAT, YOU COULD MAKE THE REQUEST, BUT THE, THE INFORMATION WAS NOT RELEASED TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
NOW THAT THERE'S NO, UH, CONFIDENTIAL G FILE, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE A REQUEST PUB PER A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST AND RECEIVE THOSE, THOSE THAT EVIDENCE OR THAT CASE FILE INFORMATION.
I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE WHAT A, A POSITIVE CHANGE THAT IS AND WHAT A, A BIG CHANGE THAT IS.
UH, I, I MEAN, IT'S ONE THING TO GET A, YOU KNOW, SAY, OH, IT WAS INVESTIGATED AND WE TOOK CARE OF IT, AND WE CAN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THAT, THAT, THAT JUST DOES NOT INSTILL CONFIDENCE, THAT JUST THE FULL TRANSPARENCY WHERE PEOPLE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THEIR CONCERNS AND REVIEW THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION, WHETHER THEY'RE SATISFIED OR NOT, HONESTLY, WITH THE OUTCOME IS JUST, I THINK, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR INSTILLING, UH, PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND IMPROVING, UH, PUBLIC CONFIDENCE.
SO, UH, AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
CHIEF, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SAY? YES, MA'AM, I DID.
UM, IN REGARD TO YOUR, YOUR, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE DATA ON THE USE OF FORCE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, WE CONTRACTED WITH DR.
UH, YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD HER PRESENTATION ON THE USE OF FORCE.
ONE OF THE THINGS SHE FOUND IS ON THE WEBSITE, THE USE OF FORCE WAS BEING REPORTED TWICE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT WAS PULLED OFF OF THE SITE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DATA WAS, UM, CORRECT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE FOUND IS WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT IT, THERE WERE SOME USES OF FORCE THAT WERE BEING DOUBLE COUNTED.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT WAS PULLED, AND THAT WILL BE PUT BACK ON, UM, CORRECTLY.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION, CHIEF.
ALRIGHT, MEMBERS, UM, THAT'LL TAKE US TO THE, WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER I, I THINK ON THIS ITEM, SO I'M GONNA ASK THAT, UM, THE CLERK CALL, UH, THIS SPEAKER.
THE ONLY SPEAKER WE HAVE ON ITEM B TWO IS NELLY PAULINA RAMIREZ.
[01:50:01]
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.BUT WE THOUGHT THE WAY BEST WAY TO DO THIS WAS LET ALL THE PRESENTATION BE MADE.
UM, I DID HAVE PREPARED REMARKS, BUT AFTER LISTENING TO THE PRESENTATION, YOU'LL BEAR WITH ME AS I KIND OF MAKE MY WAY THROUGH MY NOTES.
UM, MY NAME IS NELLY AND PAULINA RAMIREZ, AND I AM, UM, A RESIDENT OF D FIVE AND I AM ALSO CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
MANY OF YOU SHOULD HAVE AL ALL OF YOU SHOULD HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION PASSED WITH REGARDS TO THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, WHICH INCLUDED A REQUEST FOR A COMPLETE AUDIT OF THEIR COMPLAINTS PROCESS.
UM, I THINK, UM, AFTER LISTENING TO TODAY'S PRESENTATION, I JUST WANNA HAVE A LITTLE SIDEBAR AND SAY THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE INCREASE IN COMPLIMENTS FOR OFFICERS AND, UM, AN IMPROVED, IMPROVED DIS IMPROVED RESULTS FOR INTERNAL COMPLAINTS THAT A PD IS SEEING.
AND A HUGE NOD TO CHIEF DAVIS, UM, FOR MAKING THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
I DON'T WANT US TO CONFLATE IMPROVEMENTS AT A PD WITH SATISFACTION WITH THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT COMPLAINT PROCESS BECAUSE THE WAY THOSE COMPLAINTS ARE BEING HANDLED IS DISTINCT.
AND THEN, UM, JUST A REMINDER THAT SWORN OFFICERS HAVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION, CITY LEGAL, THIS COUNCIL, THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION, AND THEIR LEGAL TEAM SUPPORTING THEM COMPLAINANTS ONLY HAVE THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT.
THE COMMUNITY WANTS AN OPO THAT SUPPORTS AND INFORMS COMPLAINANTS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT COUNCIL WILL PUSH OUR OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT TO BETTER ADVOCATE AND GO TO BAT FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT VOTED FOR THEIR CONTINUED EXISTENCE AS A DEPARTMENT.
UM, I SAY THIS, UM, BECAUSE, UM, FINISH, I AM DONE, SAY BECAUSE, AND THEN WE'LL BE DONE.
UM, MY OVERALL BIG PICTURE CONCERN IS THAT WE HAVE AN OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT THAT HAS, IN THE INTEREST OF CREATING A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN OF AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, CREATED AN OVERLY DEFERENTIAL PROCESS TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
[E. Executive Session]
OUR AGENDA IS THAT WE'RE GONNA GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.BEFORE WE DO THAT, HOWEVER, I WANT TO, AGAIN, BECAUSE I'M, I'M WORRIED THAT WHEN I STARTED THIS MORNING, SOME OF OUR STAFFS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE DRAWING OF, OF SEATS.
AND SO FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S IN THE, IN THE BACK ROOMS AND IN THEIR OFFICES RIGHT NOW, LET ME CALL OUT THE SEATS AGAIN SO THAT EVERYBODY WILL BE READY WHEN WE COME BACK.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MATT, AND, AND BY THE WAY, NUMBER ONE IS TO MY FAR RIGHT.
UH, NUMBER ONE IS THE WESTERNMOST SEAT COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON WILL BE IN SEAT SIX.
COUNCIL MEMBER LANE WILL BE IN SEAT THREE.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL WILL BE IN SEAT NINE.
COUNCIL MEMBER VALA WILL BE IN THE MAYOR PRO TEM SEAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE WILL BE IN SEAT EIGHT.
COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES WILL BE IN SEAT FIVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ WILL BE IN SEAT ONE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER WILL BE IN SEAT TWO.
COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN WILL BE IN SEAT FOUR, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS WILL BE IN SEAT SEVEN.
I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT OUT SO THAT EVERYBODY THERE'D BE NO CONFUSION.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO A CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP ONE ITEM.
PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0 8 6 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER UTILITY COMPETITIVE MATTERS RELATED TO ITEM E ONE, CONSIDERING MATTERS RELATED TO AUSTIN ENERGY GENERATION OPERATION AND RESOURCES.
THIS INVOLVES CERTAIN PUBLIC POWER UTILITY COMPETITIVE MATTERS UNDER SECTION FIVE AS DEFINED UNDER SECTION 5 5 1 0 8 6 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO GOING INTO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEM ANNOUNCED? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
THE COUNCIL WILL NOW NOW GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 10:54 AM FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHEN THIS EXECUTIVE SESSION IS OVER.
THERE WILL BE NO OTHER ITEMS ON THE WORK SESSION AGENDA OF THE COUNCIL.
SO I WILL COME OUT AND WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING,
[01:55:01]
THE WORK SESSION AT THAT POINT IN TIME FOR NOW WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.EVERYBODY READY? YOU READY? OKAY.
IN CLOSED SESSION, WE CONSIDERED UTILITY COMPETITIVE MATTERS RELATED TO AGENDA ITEM E ONE.
UH, IT IS 12:24 PM AND THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THIS SCHEDULED WORK SESSION.
THE CITY COUNCIL IS ADJOURNED AT 12:24 PM THANK YOU EVERYBODY.