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[CALL TO ORDER ]
UH, TODAY IS, UH, DECEMBER 9TH, 2025.IT IS 6:34 PM AND I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO ORDER.
UH, WE HAVE NINE MEMBERS, 10, 10 MEMBERS PRESENT.
UM, SO LET'S START WITH OUR PUBLIC, OUR GENERAL COMMUNICATION.
UH, REMEMBER THAT FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, THE FIRST 10 SPEAKERS SIGNED UP PRIOR TO THE MEETING BEING CALLED TO ORDER.
WILL EACH BE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS REGARDING ITEMS THAT ARE NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA? DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS? WE DO NOT.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP.
SO WE'LL CLOSE THAT ITEM, AND WE WILL GO
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
TO ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.UH, THIS IS, THIS ITEM IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE CDC REGULAR MEETING FROM NOVEMBER 18TH, 2025.
PLEASE LOOK OVER IT AND LET US KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY MISTAKES THAT WE NEED TO CORRECT BEFORE WE, UM, GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES.
SO TAKE SOME TIME TO LOOK AT IT.
I MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, UH, MOVES TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I, SECOND.
COMMISSIONER NATISHA, WHO IS HERE WITH US TODAY, UH, IN PERSON, UH, SECOND THAT MOTION.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, LET'S TAKE A VOTE.
REMEMBER, IF YOU'RE ONLINE, TURN ON YOUR CAMERA SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO VOTE.
UM, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER.
COMMISSIONER TRICE AND WARLAW.
COMMISSIONER LYRIC, DO YOU HAVE, CAN YOU TURN ON YOUR CAMERA OR TO VOTE ON APPROVING THE MINUTES? DID WE GET IT? YES.
UH, THOSE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
UM, SO NOW ABSTENTIONS, OH, DO WE HAVE ANY ABSTENTIONS? DO WE JUST COUNT THOSE AS VACCINATIONS? OKAY, GOOD.
UH, ONE THING THAT I FORGOT FROM THE BEGINNING, WHICH IS NOT IN OUR PACKET ANYMORE, UH, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMISSION IS TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITH EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S OUR MISSION AS A COMMISSION.
[2. Staff briefing regarding Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) activities and outcomes. Presentation by Angel Zambrano, Program Manager III, Austin Public Health]
STARTED WITH OUR STAFF BRIEFINGS.UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO, WE'RE GOING TO GET OUR MONTHLY BRIEFING, UH, REGARDING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, UH, ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES, UH, PRESENTED BY ANGELA ANO, IT'S REALLY HARD TO HEAR YOU ONLINE, SIR.
IT'S JUST REALLY HARD TO HEAR YOU ONLINE.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S THEIR MICROPHONE OR, UM, OR SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENING.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW.
IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO HEAR YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? IS THAT BETTER? IT'S REAL FUZZY.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I DON'T KNOW IF MY OTHER ONLINE COMMISSIONERS ARE HAVING TO SAY
COMMISSIONER LYRIC, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? I CAN HEAR.
THIS COMMISSIONER MENO CAN HEAR.
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CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? BETTER? SAME.WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED, IT WAS VERY CLEAR AND THEN SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN IT JUST KIND OF GOT REAL STATICKY.
UM, WE DO HAVE THE CLOSE CAPTION ON, SO I'M HAPPY TO STAY WITH THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW IF IT CAN'T BE FIXED.
UM, WE JUST, UH, WE CAN STAY WITH THE CLOSED CAPTION.
UM, IS THIS, IS THIS ANY BETTER? NO, YOU MAY NEED TO TRY YOUR CAMERA OR HE TOOK YOUR CAMERA OFF.
UH, COMMISSIONER ORTIZ AND SEE IF THAT WORKS.
AND THEN, UH, ARE, ARE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVING TROUBLE HEARING AS WELL? I'M NOT.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE ADVICE FOR COMMISSIONER ORTIZ? OKAY, THERE SHE GOES.
IS IT OKAY IF WE CONTINUE? YES.
UH, SO OUR ITEM NUMBER TWO IS OUR STAFF BRIEFING, MONTHLY STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, CSBG, THE ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES PRESENTED BY HIL SAMANO, PROGRAM MANAGER FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE'LL START WITH THE PROGRAMMATIC AND FINANCIAL REPORT ON PAGE ONE.
THE NEIGHBOR SERVICES UNIT IMPROVES THE LIVES AND HEALTH OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING POVERTY BY PROVIDING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND CONNECTING RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
WE DO THAT THROUGH A VARIETY OF, UH, SERVICES LISTED HERE.
BASIC NEEDS, PREVENTIVE HEALTH THROUGH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH, NURSING, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT WITH OUR SOCIAL WORKERS, HELPING PEOPLE GET BACK INTO THE WORLD OF WORK.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE ONE, IT GIVES YOU THE, UH, CUMULATIVE EXPENDITURES THROUGH OCTOBER 31ST.
WE HAVE ABOUT EXPENDED 76% OF OUR FUNDS, AND WE EXPECT TO EXPEND FULLY, UH, SOMETIME IN JANUARY.
SO WE'LL GO A LITTLE BIT OVER INTO CALENDAR.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE TWO, UH, FOCUS JUST ON A COUPLE OF THINGS, THE REST OF YOU CAN KIND OF LOOK OVER ON YOUR OWN.
WE'RE FINISHING THE YEAR STRONG IN MANY, UH, RESPECTS, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT ON, UH, THE ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES IN PAGE THREE.
BUT HERE, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR TRANSITIONS OUT OF POVERTY, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS THROUGH OCTOBER.
WE HAVE, UH, OUR GOAL FROM THE STATE IS 41.
WE'VE HAD 24, BUT WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD A 45 TO DATE.
UM, THAT'S ONE DATA POINT THAT I CAN REPORT EARLIER THAN TWO YEARS.
THAT'S DUE TO ALL THE HARD WORK OF OUR SOCIAL WORKERS WHO MANAGE THE SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, OUR IMMUNIZATIONS.
OUR NURSES DO, UM, ASSIST WITH THE FLU VACCINE DURING FLU SEASON.
UM, AGAIN, THIS DATA IS TWO MONTHS.
UH, ACTUALLY 400 VACCINES WERE ADMINISTERED TO FOLKS WITH LOW INCOME.
WE SEE UNINSURED OR UNIN OR UNDERINSURED.
THE ACTUAL NUMBERS I GOT THEM TODAY IS 517 FOR THE SEASON.
SO THAT'S THE MOST WE'VE EVER DONE, UH, IN THE NSU.
SO SHOUT OUT TO THE NURSES, UH, GOING OUT TO EVENTS AND ALSO DOING THEIR HUBS AT THE CENTERS.
I LET 'EM KNOW THAT THIS REALLY DOESN'T IMPACT JUST THE 517 PEOPLE, BUT ALL THE OTHER FOLKS THAT MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN SICK TOO, HAD THEY NOT HAD THE VACCINE AND GOTTEN SICK THEMSELVES.
SO IT SORT OF, KIND OF RIPPLES OUT IN A POSITIVE WAY.
WE'VE STILL DONE A LOT OF FOOD.
ALMOST 70,000 PEOPLE SERVED ON DUPLICATED THIS YEAR.
UM, LITTLE LESS THAN LAST YEAR, BUT WE DID HAVE A COUPLE OF CENTERS CLOSED, UH, FOR MAJOR REPAIRS.
IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE
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SECOND PAGE, GIVES YOU THE GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DOES.YOU ALL KNOW ALREADY IF YOU GO TO PAGE THREE, UM, I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE.
LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE FINISHING STRONG, UH, FOR A HOLIDAY, UH, ASSISTANCE, UH, DUE TO THE, UM, SNAP FIASCO AND PEOPLE LOSING THEIR BENEFITS FOR A LITTLE BIT.
WE WERE ABLE TO STEP UP AND, AND HELP A LOT OF FOLKS IN NOVEMBER, UH, FOR THANKSGIVING MEALS, UH, FOOD SHELF, TABLE ITEMS, TURKEYS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S NOT IN HERE, BUT I GOT THE DATA TOO ON THAT.
UH, FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER ON OUR HOLIDAY EVENTS, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST, UH, 1,987 HOUSEHOLDS, WHICH IS 4,656 PEOPLE LIVE IN THOSE HOUSEHOLDS.
SO AGAIN, ALMOST 5,000 PEOPLE WERE IMPACTED IN A POSITIVE WAY, UM, DURING A VERY TOUGH TIME.
AND AGAIN, KUDOS TO ALL THE STAFF.
SOCIAL WORKERS, PITCH IN COMMUNITY WORKERS, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, MANAGERS, UH, NURSES, EVERY, IT'S A TEAM EFFORT.
AND THANK YOU ALSO TO THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK FOR CONTINUING TO PROVIDE A LOT OF THIS, UH, THIS FOOD.
UH, NUMBER THREE, WE HAVE A VERY SMALL RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, BUT SO FAR FROM, UH, JANUARY THROUGH NOVEMBER, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST 564 PEOPLE IN 245 HOUSEHOLDS AVOID EVICTION AND RENT PAYMENTS WERE MADE IN THE AMOUNT OF 715,000 PLUS DOLLARS.
AGAIN, THE NURSING PROGRAM, KUDOS TO THEM.
THEY PROVIDE A LOT OF FREE, UH, SCREENINGS, EDUCATION REFERRALS, HELPING PEOPLE GET BACK INTO A MEDICAL HOME.
AND IN THIS, IN THE FALL, THEY SPEND A LOT OF THEIR TIME DOING FLU.
SO, UH, THROUGH OCTOBER 400 VACCINES.
BUT AGAIN, HOT OFF THE PRESS 517 FOR THE SEASON.
I ALREADY TOUCHED ON NUMBER SIX.
AGAIN, OUR TOP GOAL OF 41, WE'VE ALREADY GONE GOTTEN TO 45 ON THAT.
AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY FOR YOU ALL.
YOU CAN TAKE THE TIME TO READ THAT ON YOUR OWN, BUT IT KIND OF GIVES YOU A GOOD, UM, IDEA.
I KNOW LAST MONTH WE HAD A SUCCESS STORY THAT SOMEBODY WAS ABLE TO CHANGE VERY QUICKLY.
AND THERE ARE OTHER STORIES THAT PEOPLE TAKE TIME.
SO EVERYBODY'S IN A DIFFERENT PLACE REGARDING CHANGE AND, UH, AND MEETING THEIR GOALS.
UH, BUT THIS IS A, I REALLY LIKE THIS STORY.
IT'S A FAMILY, UM, THAT WERE STRUGGLING AND THEY WERE ABLE TO, THROUGH OUR HELP, BUT MOSTLY I'M SURE THEIR EFFORTS AND US BELIEVING IN THEM AND GRADUATING FROM CULINARY SCHOOL, THEY WERE ABLE TO GO BACK AND, UH, AND HAVE A JOB WHERE THEY WERE ACTUALLY STAYING.
UH, SO REALLY GOOD STORY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
AND THAT'S, UH, IT FOR MY REPORT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THEM.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, HIL.
UM, LET'S START WITH QUESTIONS, UH, OVER HERE.
COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, GO AHEAD.
UM, LAST WEEK, MS. JACKMAN GAVE US A PRESENTATION ON SOME OF THE PROGRAMS, UM, THAT WERE GRANT FUNDED BY, LIKE PROJECT CONNECT, A LOT OF 'EM.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW, I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHETHER, UH, THESE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS ARE AVAILABLE TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO LIKE BORROW THE SPACE, USE THE SPACE IF THEY GOT LIKE THEY WORK TOGETHER.
UM, IF THAT'S AN, IF THAT'S AVAILABLE, IF THE SPACES ARE AVAILABLE.
IT DEPENDS ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
UM, LIKE BLACKLAND IS VERY SMALL.
THERE REALLY IS NO SPACE THERE FOR PARTNERS.
BUT IF WE THINK OF LIKE DOVE SPRINGS, WHICH IS THE NEW NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, A LITTLE BIGGER, MORE MODERN.
UM, AND WE HAVE TALKED TO SOME STAFF FROM PROJECT CONNECT TO HAVE SOME PROJECTS ONLINE ABOUT COLLABORATING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS OR, OR REC CENTERS, UH, TO HELP SORT OF FOLKS, UM, ACCESS MORE SERVICES THAN JUST OURS.
SO THAT IS, THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT.
DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER TISHA, GO AHEAD.
SO QUESTION ABOUT POINT NUMBER THREE, THE STABILITY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
AND I'M LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ASSISTED AND THEN THE TOTAL AMOUNT.
SO DOING SOME QUICK MATH, MAYBE MY MATH IS WAY OFF, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE AROUND 1200 TO 1300.
I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT AVERAGE PER REQUEST THAT YOU ALL ARE GRANTING, UH, BECAUSE AS WE TEND, NOT 10, BUT AS WE'RE SEEING THE MONTHLY RENT IS CHANGING AND REVOLVING AND THE WAY IT'S EVOLVING IS UP HERE IN
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AUSTIN.SO JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THE AVERAGE, UH, REQUEST IS LOOKING LIKE.
UH, THAT'S COMING IN AND, UH, YOU ARE CORRECT.
I MEAN, THE RENT, WE, WE ARE SEEING MORE, UH, CLIENTS WHO NEED MORE FUNDS TO NOT BE EVICTED JUST BECAUSE RENTS ARE GOING UP OR THEY GET BEHIND A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER BACKUP, THAT'S JUST FOR YOU ALL, UH, IT SHOULD BE ON.
CAN YOU MAYBE PULL IT UP PLEASE? IT'S THE C-D-C-N-S-U AND ANIL CAN, MAY I ADD TO THAT QUESTION? CAN JUST FOR LIKE NEW COMMISSIONERS AND I GUESS FOR THE PUBLIC, CAN YOU TELL US LIKE WHERE THE FUNDING, HOW MUCH FUNDING YOU HAVE FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, LIKE WHERE IT COMES FROM, AND ALSO THE PROCESS OF HOW DO FAMILY SUPPLY FOR IT? I KNOW WE TALKED, IT'S, IT'S, UH, AND ALSO I GUESS RIGHT NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEED, THE GREAT NEED FOR IT.
SO RIGHT THERE FOR QUESTION NUMBER ONE, YOU SAID THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE IS ALMOST $2,000 FOR THE YEAR.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE'VE MADE PAYMENTS FOUR TO $6,000 SOMETIMES FOR FOLKS WHO QUALIFY AND ARE BEHIND THAT MUCH.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF, UH, HELP AT THE TIME.
UM, THE FUNDING COMES FROM, UH, GENERAL FUNDS IN THE CITY AND IT'S ABOUT $775,000 A YEAR.
SOME OF THAT GOES FOR ADMIN COSTS.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH, UH, AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAGUE, WHICH IS OUR FISCAL AGENTS.
SO WE DO ALL THE ELIGIBILITY, ALL THE, UM, PAPERWORK.
THEY JUST CUT THE CHECKS FOR US, BUT THEY DO HAVE A ADMINISTRATIVE COST FOR THAT.
AND THEN TO ALSO JUST ECHO WHAT, UM, CHAIRLESS WAS DESCRIBING IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BEFORE SOMEONE FINDS OUT FROM APPLICATION TO BEING INFORMED? AND, UH, IN TERMS OF WHO WILL GET SELECTED? 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOTTERY PROCESS THAT HAPPENS, UM, THROUGH AUSTIN HOUSING SOMETIMES WITH RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
I'M WONDERING IF IT'S SIMILAR TO THAT.
UH, OR BUT FOR ME IT'S THE, THE TIME PERIOD WE'RE VERY GOOD TWO WEEKS, TWO, THREE WEEKS.
AND THE LANDLORD WILL HAVE THEIR, UH, FUNDS FROM THE TIME THE PERSON CALLS, GET THE SLOT AND THEN STARTS TURNING IN THEIR PAPERWORK.
AND MORE SPECIFICALLY TO THE PROCESS THERE, THERE'S A TIME A DAY AND THE TIME WHEN THEY, YEAH, MONDAY MORNINGS THEY CALL THE RED LINE MM-HMM
SO MONDAY MORNING THEY CALL AND THEY GET A SLOT, A SPOT INTO THE SLOTS, RUN OUT.
AND THEN WE CALL THEM WITHIN 24 HOURS AND START THE PROCESS.
A LOT OF IT DOES DEPEND ON THE CLIENT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TURN IN THEIR LEDGER THAT GOES TO THE LANDLORD, FILL OUT THE APPLICATION INFORMATION FOR EVERYBODY IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
SO IF THEY MOVE QUICKLY, WE'RE MOVING QUICKLY AS WELL.
I WOULD SAY ABOUT TWO WEEKS FOR THE PAYMENT TO BE PROCESSED AND PAID TO THE LANDLORD.
AND DO ANY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS DO FOLLOW UP CASE WORK OR CASE MANAGEMENT WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS? OR IS IT JUST ONLY WITH THOSE THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY? CASE MANAGEMENT.
SO WE DO OFFER THAT SERVICE, WHICH IS THE TRANSITION OUT OF POVERTY SERVICE.
UH, SOME FOLKS ALREADY HAVE JOBS, THEY JUST HAD A CRISIS, WHETHER THEY WERE INJURED ON THE JOB OR LOST A JOB, GOT A NEW ONE, BUT GOT BEHIND ON RENT.
AND THEN THERE'S A FEW WHO COME IN WITHOUT A JOB AND WANT TO GET INTO A CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TISHA FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, COMMISSIONER MARTINEZ, GO AHEAD.
UM, SO JUST TO ADD TO THAT, UM, SO ARE, ARE THERE, UM, FOR WITH THE FUNDS, ARE THERE LIKE DIFFERENT BUCKETS OF MONEY FOR THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD? OR IS THERE JUST LIKE ONE, UM, EVERYTHING COMES OUT OF ONE FUND.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MARTINEZ.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? I, YEP.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER TISHA, GO AHEAD.
I PROMISE IT'S AN EASY ONE ON HILL
SO YOU HAD MENTIONED THE 7 75 ANNUALLY TYPICALLY IS WHAT YOU ALL GET IN FUNDING, BUT THEN IT SHOWS THE TOTAL SEVEN 15, SO THAT'S ABOUT ROUGHLY 60 BALANCE, 60 K BALANCE.
UH, WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS A BALANCE? AND CAN YOU SPEAK TO THIS PARTICULAR BALANCE? I FEEL IT'S THE END OF THIS TERM YEAR.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S END OF FISCAL YEAR, HOW YOU ALL ARE SCHEDULED IN THAT WAY.
WE, WE, WE FULLY EXPENDED EVERY YEAR, SO WE'RE STILL
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TAKING RENT CASES NOW, SO THAT MONEY WILL BE FULLY EXPENDED.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, HIL FOR YOUR MONTHLY UPDATES.
I MEAN, I REALLY ENJOYED BEING HERE THIS YEAR.
UH, I REALLY ENJOYED THE NEW COMMISSIONERS AND THEIR QUESTIONS.
SO HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE AND, UH, BE SAFE.
[3. Staff briefing regarding Austin Housing activities and programs. Presentation by Nefertitti Jackmon, Community Displacement Prevention Officer, Austin Housing. ]
GOING ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.THIS IS OUR MONTHLY STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE AUSTIN HOUSING ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS, UH, PRESENTED BY NEFERTITI JACKMAN, COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER FROM AUSTIN HOUSING.
SO AGAIN, MY NAME IS NEFERTITI JACKMAN AND I AM HERE WITH YOUR MONTHLY REPORT FROM THE AUSTIN HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND AGAIN, AS WE BEGIN TO SHAPE THESE REPORTS, UH, THEY WILL BE DIFFERENT EACH MONTH, UNLIKE IN HELL'S WHERE HE IS ABLE TO FOCUS ON THE VARIOUS AREAS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF MANY DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND SO YOU WILL SEE IN THIS PACKET, I HAVE SORT OF OUTLINED A CADENCE OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
SO WE WILL HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE PROVIDING SOME UPDATES TO YOU EVERY MONTH.
BUT THEN I LEARNED THAT WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING A, UM, UH, DEPARTMENT WIDE REPORTING PROCESS.
SO EACH QUARTER WE ANTICIPATE HAVING SOMEONE COME AND PRESENT INFORMATION TO YOU, UM, FROM THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS GONNA LOOK LIKE, BUT WE HAVE A NEW, UH, POLICY AND, UH, DATA ANALYTICS TEAM.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WORKING ON HOW DO WE COMBINE THIS INFORMATION AND REPORT IT OUT IN A WAY THAT IS RELEVANT TO HELP YOU MAKE, UH, INFORMED DECISIONS AS YOU PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO, UH, THIS EVENING I WILL BE SHARING WITH YOU INFORMATION, UM, BASIC INFORMATION REPORTING FROM FISCAL YEAR FY 25 ON THE HOME REPAIR AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A STARTING POINT AND WE CERTAINLY WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK ON, YOU KNOW, HOW WE MIGHT ENHANCE, UH, HOW WE'RE SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH YOU.
I WILL SAY HOME REPAIR SERVICES, I THINK, UM, THE, IT IS BEING ELEVATED AS A VIABLE STRATEGY TO ADDRESS DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES.
I THINK FOR MANY YEARS, UM, IT'S SORT OF BEEN OVERLOOKED.
IT'S BEEN LIKE A, A, A STEPCHILD, IF YOU WILL.
BUT AS AMERICA'S HOUSING STOCK IS GROWING OLDER, UH, MANY CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE SEEING THE NEED TO INVEST MORE DOLLARS IN HOME REPAIR SERVICES.
UH, IT ALSO HELPS TO PROTECT VULNERABLE RESIDENTS IF, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN REMAIN IN THEIR HOME, IN HEALTHY SAFETY HOMES.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S USUALLY WHAT OUR GOAL IS, IS TO MAKE SURE WE BRING THE REPAIRS UP TO A HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARD SO, UH, INDIVIDUALS CAN LEAD REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES AND GROW OLD IN THEIR HOMES WITH, UH, A LEVEL OF DIGNITY.
SO, UH, WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN HERE, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU IS BASIC, UM, HOUSEHOLD SERVED IN FY 25, SOME DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
I'LL ALSO INCLUDE A MAP SHOWING THE GEOGRAPHIC IMPACT TO DATE, AND THEN WE'LL, I'LL SORT OF CLOSE WITH SOME CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
SO ON THE FIRST PAGE, YOU WILL SEE THE LIST OF THE VARIOUS HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, UM, THAT WE HAVE IN THE DEPARTMENT.
WE DO HAVE, UH, VARIOUS FUNDING SOURCES, UH, WHICH IS A GOOD THING YOU NORMALLY HEAR ABOUT THE CDBG FUNDING, BUT WE ALSO HAVE LOCAL FUNDING INCLUDING, UH, FUNDS FROM AUSTIN WATER, UH, THE HOUSING TRUST FUND AND THE GEO BONDS.
SO THESE ARE THE VARIOUS, UM, FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
AND THE LOCAL FUNDING SOURCES OFTEN ALLOW US GREATER FLEXIBILITY TO, UM, MEET THE NEEDS OF, UM, OUR RESIDENTS AND REMOVING IT.
THEY OFTEN REMOVE SOME OF THE UNNECESSARY BARRIERS THAT MIGHT EXIST WITH SOME OF THE FEDERAL DOLLARS.
UH, YOU'LL SEE WHAT OUR GOALS WERE AND, UM, THE ACTUAL NUMBERS.
AND WE ONLY, UH, MET AND OR EXCEEDED THE GOAL
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IN, UH, WITH OUR ARCHITECTURAL BURIAL REMOVAL PROGRAM.AND WE CERTAINLY, WE WILL BE WORKING ON THAT.
AND I'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AT THE END.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DID HEAR FROM COMMISSIONER TISHA, SHE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE, UH, THE SCOPE OF THE NEED.
UM, AND WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE SOME TIME TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.
LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON OUR WAITING LIST.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE, I'VE INCLUDED THE NUMBER.
UH, SO ANNUAL INQUIRIES, UH, FOR 2024 AND 2025.
WE, IT'S ABOUT THE SAME, ROUGHLY 1300 PEOPLE.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO SUBMITTED A SHORT APPLICATION FORM, SO THEY EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ONLY SERVED ABOUT 26% OF THOSE WHO SUBMITTED AN INQUIRY.
BUT MANY THINGS HAPPEN AND I, UM, HAVE NOT TAKEN TIME.
BUT WE WILL TAKE THE TIME IN THE FUTURE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO, UH, DIG INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UH, SOMETIMES WE DIRECT ORGANIZ INDIVIDUALS TO ORGANIZATIONS.
OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM PARTNERS, UH, SOME DON'T COMPLETE THEIR APPLICATIONS.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE 1300 AND WE COULD NOT SERVE ALL OF THEM, BUT MANY PEOPLE DON'T, UM, COMPLETE THE APPLICATIONS.
THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE.
AND THERE THERE MIGHT BE OTHER BARRIERS, UH, WHERE THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO GET ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD PRECLUDE SOMEONE FROM GETTING ASSISTANCE IS NOT, UM, BEING DELINQUENT ON THEIR TAXES.
SO THOSE ARE, UM, JUST SOME OF THE INITIAL NUMBERS THAT WE FOUND, UM, LOOKING AT THIS INFORMATION.
UM, AND HERE I WANTED TO SORT OF SPEAK TO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAD REACHING THE GOALS.
UH, WE BROUGHT ON A COUPLE OF NEW NONPROFIT PARTNERS, UH, TO ASSIST, UH, WITH THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT WAS, UH, IT WAS A GOOD THING.
BUT IN THE BEGINNING, YOU, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LEARNING CURVE, IF YOU WILL.
SO THERE WERE CHALLENGES, UH, ONBOARDING THE NEW PROGRAM PARTNERS.
WE THINK IN THE LONG TERM IT WOULD BE MORE SUCCESSFUL AS THEY BECOME FAMILIAR WITH OUR PROCESS.
UH, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER CHALLENGES THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE IS THE HUD REQUIRED, UH, SPECIFICALLY THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS, BUT THERE ARE OTHER CHALLENGES AS WELL.
SO IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, BUT WE CAN'T EVEN START THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS UNTIL, UH, OUR CONTRACT IS EVEN EXECUTED WITH HUD.
AND SO THIS YEAR WE HAVE NOT, UM, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE OUR FUNDING.
SO JUST TO BE VERY CLEAR, OUR HUD FUNDING, THE, THE GOOD THING IS WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR LOCAL DOLLARS UNTIL OUR GRANT AGREEMENTS ARE COMPLETED AND EXECUTED IF THEY WILL BE.
UM, BUT, UH, TOGETHER ALL OF THE PROGRAMS IN TOTAL, WE WERE ABLE TO SERVE 361 HOUSEHOLDS CITYWIDE, UH, IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY AND SAFETY AS WELL AS THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR, UH, THE HOUSEHOLDS.
I WILL SHARE THAT THE VAST MA MAJORITY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT PEOPLE TAP INTO ARE OUR GRANT PROGRAMS. SO THEY ARE NO COST TO THE HOMEOWNER.
THERE ARE, UM, LOAN PROGRAMS, BUT THOSE NUMBERS ARE LOW IN TERMS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THEM.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THE LOAN PROGRAMS BECAUSE THEY ADDRESS A WIDER RANGE OF HOUSING NEEDS.
BUT OFTENTIMES PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, BUT THE LOANS ARE ZERO INTEREST LOANS, RIGHT? SO THEY, YOU KNOW, SO THERE ARE SOME PROS AND CONS, AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IN THE FUTURE IS HAVE MORE EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF THE LOAN PROGRAMS AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, UM, AND THEY'RE NOT BASING THEIR LACK OF PARTICIPATION, UM, BASED ON WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW OR ANY FEARS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE.
SO THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE HERE IS JUST A SAMPLE OF WHAT WE COULD PROVIDE.
UH, WE HAVE REQUESTS, YOU HAD REQUESTS TO PROVIDE FANCY MAPS,
AND, UH, BUT THIS IS JUST ONE PROGRAM.
AND SO THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
UH, THE H IT'S THE HOME LOAN REHABILITATION PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES LOANS, UM,
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$75,000 OR UP TO $350,000.THERE'S A, THAT'S FOR DEMO, DEMOLITION AND RECONSTRUCTION.
AND THE INFORMATION WE'VE PROVIDED HERE IS, UH, BASED ON THE ETHNICITY WHERE WE HAD OVER 60% OF THE, UH, PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAM WERE OF HISPANIC, UM, ORIGIN OR ETHNICITY, AND THEN 20% WERE BLACK IDENTIFIED AS AFRICAN AMERICAN OR BLACK, AND THEN 20% IDENTIFIED AS CAUCASIAN.
YOU, WE HAD 60% OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM, UM, IDENTIFIED AS A FEMALE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLDS.
UH, SOME OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT SPEAKS TO, UM, A PERSON'S VULNERABILITY TO DISPLACEMENT AS WELL.
AND SO THIS IS, UH, SIMILAR TO, UH, THOSE CHARACTERISTICS.
AND THEN WHAT I ALSO INCLUDED, UM, IS JUST INFORMATION ON THE AGE OF THE HOME.
AND I AM SORRY, I SEE THOSE NUMBERS ARE VERY SMALL, BUT, UM, ABOUT 75%, I NEED TO LOOK AT ANOTHER GRAPH.
I THINK YOU GUYS CAN PROBABLY SEE IT CLOSER THAN I CAN, BUT 75% OF, OR 20%, I'M SORRY, OF THE UNITS SERVED WERE OVER 75 YEARS OR OLDER.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THEN 55 YEARS, 45 YEARS, AND ONE HOME OR A SMALL PERCENTAGE WAS JUST LIKE 20 YEARS OR SO.
BUT THAT SPEAKS TO THE LEVEL OF NEED THAT, UH, COULD EXIST.
AND BASED ON WHO WE SERVE, THIS MAP HERE SHOWS A GEOGRAPHIC IMPACT AND THE DISPERSION OF WHERE HOUSEHOLDS WERE SERVED, UM, THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. AND THIS IS FOR FY 24, NOT FY 25.
WE HAVEN'T MAPPED IT FOR FY 25, BUT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT.
THIS INFORMATION IS VERY SIMILAR TO OTHER MAPS YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN ABOUT WHERE VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS EXIST IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, PRIMARILY IN THAT EASTERN CRESCENT AREA.
RIGHT? AND THEN THIS IS ANOTHER MAP SHOWING, UH, PRETTY MUCH THE SAME INFORMATION, BUT YOU CAN SEE, UH, FROM A, A CENSUS LEVEL, LIKE HOW MANY HOUSEHOLDS WERE, UH, SERVED IN EACH OF THOSE HOUSEHOLDS.
AND AGAIN, WE DON'T SEE THE NEED OR APPLICANTS IN ON THE WEST SIDE OF AUSTIN, BUT MORE HOUSEHOLDS ARE BEING SERVED THROUGH THE PROGRAMS, UH, IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
WE MAY OR MAY NOT WANT TO, UH, INCLUDE INFORMATION LIKE THIS.
THERE CONTINUES TO BE LONG WAITING LISTS.
WE WERE, I WAS TRYING TO GET SPECIFIC NUMBERS.
I KNOW FOR, UH, EASTERSEALS, I THINK THEY HAVE A WAITING LIST OF OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO, UM, THEY ALSO RECEIVE FUNDING FROM OTHER SOURCES THAN JUST THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO WE JUST HEARD BACK FROM THAT ORGANIZATION.
SO THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE IDEA.
UM, OTHER CHALLENGES INC, UH, INCLUDE THE INCREASING CONSTRUCTION COSTS, HOWEVER, THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS FOR FUNDING HAVE REMAINED THE SAME.
AND SO WE NEED TO SORT OF LOOK AT SOME, UH, ADJUSTMENTS THERE.
UM, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING MULTIPLE JOBS, SO WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO INCREASE, UH, EFFICIENCIES AND BALANCE, BETTER BALANCE, UH, THE WORKLOAD.
OTHER CHALLENGES I MENTIONED EARLIER, UNPAID TAXES, WHICH PROHIBIT, UH, MANY PEOPLE FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.
FEDERAL FUNDING IS A CHALLENGE.
UM, SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS, UH, CAN BE VERY BURDENSOME FOR PEOPLE, AND IT, UH, DISCOURAGES THEM FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.
AND THEN ALSO, LIKE, UH, WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING NOW, THERE'S JUST A LONG DELAY, UM, BEFORE WE CAN GET STARTED.
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS HAVE, UH, COMPLAINED ABOUT IS THE LONG DELAY, UH, IN GETTING STARTED.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS, UH, BEHIND, UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE LITTLE CONTROL OVER AS WHEN IT COMES TO THE FEDERAL FUNDING.
AND THE OTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IS, IS REALLY OUTDATED DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING SYSTEMS. EVERYTHING THAT I PULLED FOR YOU TONIGHT, I PULLED IT FROM EXCEL SPREADSHEETS, AND THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE MOST, UH, EFFICIENT WAY TO PULL DATA
[00:35:01]
AND INFORMATION AND TO GET IT TO YOU IN A TIMELY, UH, MANNER.THE GOOD THING IS, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES, EVEN THOUGH I PUT THIS AT THE END, I'M GONNA START WITH, UM, THE ITEM THAT I HAD ON THE BOTTOM.
UH, I RECENTLY RECRUITED AND HIRED A NEW DIVISION MANAGER.
UH, THE PREVIOUS PERSON IN THE ROLE RETIRED FROM THE CITY, AND SO, AND HE WOULD BE HERE, BUT, UM, HE'S GETTING MARRIED ALSO.
SO
SO, UM, UM, SO, BUT HE, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE HE REALLY UNDERSTANDS THE PROGRAMS. HE HAS WORKED IN COMMUNITY BEFORE.
HE KNOWS MORTGAGE LENDING, HE KNOWS CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO, UM, HE HAS BEEN WORKING ALREADY MAPPING OUT THE VARIOUS STAGES OF THE PROGRAM, SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS THAT YOU REFERRED TO EARLIER.
AND SO, UH, THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE, UH, IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE FUNDING SOURCES.
SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE FEDERAL DOLLARS, WE ALSO HAVE THE, THE GEO BONDS, AND THEN WE HAVE FUNDS FROM AUSTIN WATER.
AND SOMETIMES, UM, WE MIGHT HAVE A HOUSING TRUST FUND.
I, I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WILL LOOK IN THE FUTURE, BUT ALSO OUR GOAL IS TO EXPAND THE POOL OF CONTRACTORS THAT ARE PROVIDING SERVICES.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING WITH APPROXIMATELY SIX CONTRACTORS.
AND SO, AND THAT MEAN, AND THAT IS ACTUALLY ALL OF OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS ARE WORKING WITH THE SAME SIX CONTRACTORS.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON EXPANDING, UM, THE POOL OF CONTRACTORS THAT WE'RE, UH, WORKING WITH UPDATING OUR DATA COLLECTION, UM, AND REPORTING SYSTEMS. AND THEN LOOKING AT THE APPLICATION PROCESS AS WE HAVE HEARD FROM MANY PEOPLE THAT IT IS, UM, VERY LONG AND CUMBERSOME.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE KEEP WHAT IS NEEDED SO THAT WE CAN BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE TAXPAYERS, BUT ELIMINATE ANYTHING THAT SERVES AS A BARRIER TO PEOPLE PARTICIPATING AND DOESN'T ADD TO INFORMATION THAT WE'RE COLLECTING TO ENHANCE THE PROGRAM AND OR, UM, UM, APPROVE ELIGIBILITY.
AND, UM, THEN ALSO WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR THIS COMING YEAR IS HOW DO WE MORE EFFECTIVELY MARKET THE PROGRAMS AND THEN ALSO HAVE SOME HOME REPAIR WORKSHOPS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME MAINTENANCE ISSUES THAT MIGHT NEED TO HAPPEN ON AN ONGOING BASIS OR AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND WE HAVE FOUND FROM OTHER CITIES, UH, SAN ANTONIO IS AN EXAMPLE.
THEY HAVE GREAT HOME REPAIR WORKSHOPS WHERE THEY'RE HELPING PEOPLE TO WALK THROUGH, UM, THE PROCESS AND EVEN INCLUDING THINGS LIKE, HOW DO YOU GET A CLEAR TITLE? WE, UM, SO THINGS LIKE THAT TO HELP PEOPLE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY INFORMATION ON THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, BUT WHAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT TO YOU, THIS IS OUR SECOND REPORT SO FAR.
I WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE THAT, UM, I DID HEAR THE INFORMATION YOU PRESENTED TO US LAST TIME.
SO EVEN THOUGH EVERYTHING MIGHT NOT BE IN THIS REPORT, I'M KEEPING IT AT THE TOP OF, UH, MY RADAR.
AND SO LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE THE ANNUAL PROGRAM BUDGETS, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS MADE ME AWARE OF THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IN THESE REPORTS.
UH, THE RESOURCE LIST FOR EMERGENCY RENT ASSISTANCE, I RECEIVED THAT TODAY, SO I HAVE NOT SENT THAT TO YOU, BUT I WILL SEND THAT TOMORROW.
UM, PROGRAM SUPPLY AND DEMAND WAIT LIST, I MENTIONED THAT BRIEFLY, BUT I'LL MAKE SURE THAT IS INCORPORATED, UH, INTO OUR PROGRAM, STILL GATHERING THAT INFORMATION.
AND THE OTHER PART WAS THE CONTEXTUAL STORIES, UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT.
I REALLY BELIEVE WE CAN DO SOME OF THAT, BUT I THINK PROXIMITY, AND I'M STILL IN THIS FROM BRIAN STEVENSON, FROM THE EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE.
UM, OUR PARTNERS, OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS ARE MORE IN PROXIMITY TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE SERVING.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HEAR THOSE STORIES DIRECTLY FROM THEM.
UM, AND SO WE CAN SEE HOW, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE, EVEN IF WE INVITE OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS FOR A DEEPER DIVE ON THE NIGHTS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, UM, THESE REPORTS OR ON FOR A DIFFERENT DAY.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, THIS IS THE CADENCE THAT THIS CAN CHANGE.
[00:40:01]
AND YOU GUYS CAN LET US KNOW, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE TONIGHT, BUT LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT.THIS, UH, SCHEDULE INCLUDES EVERY AREA, EVERY PROGRAM AREA FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, BOTH DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION AND, UH, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT.
SO EVERY AREA WOULD PROVIDE A REPORT ONCE A, NOT ONCE A QUARTER, ONCE A YEAR, BUT AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THAT WE COULD AFFORD.
BUT I DID IN TERMS OF THE TIME THAT WE HAVE, UNLESS YOU WANT TO HEAR MULTIPLE REPORTS AT ONE MEETING.
HOWEVER, WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS THAT QUARTERLY REPORT THAT WOULD COVER, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE YET.
AND, AND SO I HAVE IT LISTED THERE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TONIGHT.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, LIKE YOU, I ALSO AGREE THAT, UM, HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS ARE OVERLOOKED AS A MECHANISM OF LIKE DISPLACEMENT.
UM, I DID HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK LIKE THE MOST URGENT QUESTION, UM, HAD TO DO WITH LIKE GRANTS VERSUS LOANS.
I THINK THOSE EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS ARE LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LIKE INFORM PEOPLE MM-HMM
UM, UM, THIS INFORMATION, THIS DEMOGRAPHIC IMPACT, THE, THE PIE CHARTS, IT DOES SAY JUST HOME LOANS.
I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE LIKE WHO TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE GRANTS AND, UM, I KNOW THAT BEFORE WITH LIKE HOME REPAIR LOANS, THERE WAS LIKE A MECHANISM LIKE TYING PEOPLE TO LIKE THE LOAN, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE MECHANISMS, LIKE, WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THEY EXIST ANYMORE, BUT MY QUESTION IS LIKE, WHAT PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF LIKE A GRANT OR A LOAN AND THEN LIKE FLIPPING THE HOUSE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? AND, BUT ANYWAYS, UM, GREAT PRESENTATION.
I DID SEE HERE THAT YOU ACTUALLY, UM, DID EXCEED, UH, THE HOUSEHOLD SERVED IN TWO AREAS, PLUMBING AND ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL.
UM, WHAT I WAS CURIOUS ALSO TO KNOW WAS LIKE, WHY WAS ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVALS FOR RENTERS ZERO? WHAT IS ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVALS FOR, YOU KNOW? SURE.
SO ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL MIGHT INCLUDE, UM, PROVIDING ACCESS, EXPANDING ACCESS TO A BATHROOM, UH, IF SOMEONE, UH, RAMPS, YEAH.
HOW DO WE PROVIDE ACCESS FOR A PERSON WHO MIGHT BE DISABLED OR A SENIOR CITIZEN, UM, TO BE ABLE TO MORE EASILY ACCESS, UM, SPACES WITHIN THEIR HOME? THE ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL PROGRAM FOR RENTERS HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING TO GET PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE, AND MAINLY LANDLORDS.
THE ONE FOR HOMEOWNERS IS EASY BECAUSE IT'S A HOMEOWNER DECIDING WHAT THEY WANT FOR THE LANDLORDS, FOR THE RENTERS, THEY'RE, WHAT WE HAVE HEARD IN THE PAST IS, UM, LANDLORDS HAVE FELT THAT THE PROCESSES WERE VERY LABORIOUS.
IT WAS FEDERAL FUNDING, SO I'LL SAY THAT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO SOME HAVE DESIRE THE CHANGES TO BE REVERTED AFTER A RENTER IS OUT, AND WE WOULD NOT AGREE TO DO THAT, RIGHT? SO, WE'LL, AND SO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HESITANT THIS PAST YEAR.
WE MOVED THE FUNDING TO HOUSING TRUST FUND, THINKING THAT AT LEAST IT MIGHT MAKE IT EASIER FOR LANDLORDS TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE TWO PROJECTS UNDERWAY, BUT THEY DID NOT GET, UH, COMPLETED IN FY 25.
SO I THINK ALSO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, JUST BECAUSE WE CHANGE A PROGRAM, WE CAN'T EXPECT THAT PEOPLE KNOW THE FUNDING SOURCES CHANGE.
AND SO THE BARRIERS THAT THEY EXISTED PREVIOUSLY, UM, THEY NO LONGER EXIST.
SO WE HAVE TO ALSO DO A CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THE CHANGES, UH, IN THE FUNDING SOURCES OR OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
LIOR, UH, QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER? UH, SORRY.
UM, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? MM-HMM
I'M GONNA ECHO THE THANKS FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AND I, UM, I'M JUST SO EXCITED AND REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS A SEASON OF SORT OF CO-CREATING HOW THE CDC SHOWS UP AND THE BEST WAYS THAT WE CAN SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND INFORM COUNCIL.
[00:45:01]
AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS AS A STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.AND SO MY QUESTIONS AREN'T ABOUT THE REPORT ITSELF MM-HMM
IT'S MORE OF SAYING OUT LOUD THOUGHTS I HAVE SORT OF FOR YOU, BUT ALSO FOR, FOR US, FOR BOTH FOR HOUSING COMMITTEE AND THE STRATEGY WORK GROUP AND UPCOMING, UM, RETREAT CONVERSATIONS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT I'M THINKING THROUGH AS I HEAR THIS, WHAT ARE LEVERS WHERE IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR US TO INTERACT? AND AS SOME OF THAT IN HELPING BRAINSTORM AND BETTER UNDERSTAND THINGS WHERE COMMISSIONERS HAVE DEEP UNDERSTANDING IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE LOAN PROGRAM IS UNDERUTILIZED, IS THERE A PLACE FOR COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THIS ORGANIZATION TO HELP WITH THAT? AND SO I'M SAYING THAT OUT LOUD.
UM, AND THEN THE, THAT WAS THE ONE THING IS WHEN THERE ARE STICKING POINTS THAT AREN'T WORKING, CAN WE BE OF HELP? AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS THAT I ALSO, I REALLY, REALLY LOVE THE REQUEST FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE NEED AND THE REPORTING ON IT, BECAUSE I AM CURIOUS TO WHAT EXTENT IT IS HELPFUL FOR THE CDC TO HELP FILL ROLES TO SORT OF AGGREGATE UNDERSTANDING OF NEEDS, OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES IN AUSTIN.
BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN WE'VE ASKED BEFORE, THERE DOESN'T REALLY SEEM TO BE A BODY THAT FULLY UNDERSTANDS THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF A VOLUNTEER COMMISSION
SO JUST SAYING OUT LOUD THAT THE WAYS THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE MECHANISM FOR MAKING SURE WE ARE UNDERSTANDING IT AND ELEVATING IT IN ADDITION TO, I MEAN, I KNOW A NUMBER ONE THING WE DO IS OFFER ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME AND SHARE, BUT ALSO WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP COUNCIL BETTER UNDERSTAND.
JUST WANNA, UH, SAY THANK YOU AGAIN, CONTINUE TO ECHOING AND ABSOLUTELY WHAT VICE CHAIR ES WAS TALKING ABOUT.
HOW CAN WE BEST LEVERAGE THE COMMISSION FOR ANSWERING SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS OR EVEN INFORMATION GATHERING FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, FOR FEEDBACK.
BUT I DO HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION, THOUGH,
SO, UM, THE, THE FIRST ONE ACTUALLY GOES TO WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED WHERE YOU'RE MOVING THE FUNDS FROM THE ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL FOR RENTERS INTO THE HOUSING TRUST.
UH, CAN YOU ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF HOW THOSE FUNDS WILL THEN BE REDIRECTED OR PIVOTED IF, UM, SO ONE OF THE, I I, TO BE QUITE HONEST, FOR FY 27, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU BECAUSE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR IS A FEW PROGRAMS WERE REMOVED FROM CDBG FUNDING TO ALLOW FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS IN COLONY PARK.
DO YOU GUYS RECALL THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES THAT CAME UP, UH, LAST YEAR? SO I KNOW IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LOT.
SO WE MOVE, WE NEEDED TO REDUCE SOME OF THE PROGRAMS AND WE MOVED TWO PROGRAMS FROM CDBG FUNDING, AND ONE WAS THE, UH, ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL PROGRAM.
BUT WE HAVE FUNDS ON IN HOUSING TRUST FUND, WHICH COMES FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S GENERAL FUNDS.
HOWEVER, IN LIGHT OF THE BUDGET SHORTFALLS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD, RIGHT? WE MIGHT HAVE TO EITHER ELIMINATE THAT PROGRAM OR SEE IF WE COULD RETURN IT TO CDBG FUNDING.
BUT I'LL SAY, UM, THE CHALLENGE THAT I HAVE IS THAT I ALMOST FEEL LIKE WE ALWAYS WANNA HAVE SOME DOLLARS THERE, EVEN IF IT IS UNDERUTILIZED, BECAUSE BASICALLY WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A PERSON WHO, UH, IS DISABLED OR IMPAIRED, AND LIKE, WHAT DO WE DO THAT ONE TIME THAT SOMEONE HAS A NEED WHO IS A RENTER? RIGHT? SO, BUT I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU AT THIS TIME.
UM, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU AT THIS TIME.
UH, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS IN REGARDS TO THE TIMELINE MM-HMM
UH, SO WHEN YOU WERE DESCRIBING, FOR INSTANCE, WHAT IF SOMEBODY BECOMES RECENTLY, UM, DISABLED OR IMMOBILE BASED OFF OF A TRAGIC EXPERIENCE OR SOMETHING UNEXPECTED MM-HMM
EXPERIENCE, UM, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR APPROVAL? SIMILAR ASK ON HELL WHEN SOMEONE SUBMITS
[00:50:01]
INTEREST, WHICH FYI MIGHT WANNA HAVE AN INTEREST FORM.AND THEN THE APPLICATION, UM, IN TERMS OF A PROCESS, IT IS LIKE THAT.
SO THE INQUIRY FORM, SO THAT'S THE ONE I, I SHARED.
I CALL, THEY CALL IT AN INQUIRY FORM.
IT IS NOT THE LONG FULL APPLICATION.
IT'S SORT OF LIKE AN INTEREST FORM.
SO IN THAT TIMELINE BETWEEN THEM COMPLETING IT, THE APPROVAL STARTING OF THE PROJECT, WE KNOW DELAYS HAPPEN MM-HMM
BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF BALLPARK IDEA TIMELINE? I WILL SAY THIS, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH MY STAFF THIS PAST YEAR, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE SHARED IS I THINK WE NEED TO, WE USED TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY REPAIR PROGRAM.
I THINK WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD INDIVIDUALS, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY HAD A FALL, THEY HAD HIP SURGERY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEY, I, I THINK PEOPLE, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NEED TO BE MOVED UP AHEAD OF THE LINE BECAUSE IT IS THAT URGENT, RIGHT? UM, BUT AT THIS TIME WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND SO IT CAN TAKE SOMETIMES, JUST TO BE VERY HONEST, AND I HATE TO SAY THIS, IT CAN TAKE A YEAR, A YEAR AND A HALF, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, SO WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT WHAT DOES AN EMERGENCY REPAIR PROGRAM LOOK LIKE? AND IT WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY, UH, TO PROVIDE ACCESS, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE, UM, YEAH.
DISABLED OR FACING AN IMPAIRMENT.
NO, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT WAS COMING TO MIND WAS LOOKING AT THE MAJORITY OF THE AGE OF THE HOME AND BEING OUR SENIORS AND OUR ELDER CITIZENS.
UM, AND NOT TO SOUND A COB OR MORBID, BUT A YEAR IS LITERALLY A LIFE OR DEATH SCENARIO FOR THIS TIME, AGE, AND TIMEFRAME.
UM, SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UH, BUT THEN TO JUST QUICKLY FOLLOW UP ABOUT THE SITUATIONS OF, UM, REQUESTS FOR LOANS OR, UH, IF YOU'VE SEEN ANY ANECDOTAL RESPONSES TO CODE VIOLATIONS, IF PEOPLE HAVE REQUESTED BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN CODE VIOLATIONS, SITUATIONS, UM, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THAT? YES.
AND, UM, WE CAN DO BETTER TO WORK AS A CITY TO COORDINATE THAT A LITTLE BETTER.
I WILL SHARE, UM, RECENTLY I MET WITH THE FAMILY, UH, OUR DIVISION MANAGER, CALEB BROWN, MET WITH ME, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS JUST THE TWO OF US, OR ED COULD HAVE BEEN IN THERE AS WELL.
AND IT IS, THANKS TO YOUR COMMISSIONER, BERTHA, YOUR FORMER COMMISSIONER, BERTHA DELGADO, AS SHE BROUGHT THIS FAMILY TO US, IT WAS VERY, VERY PAINFUL.
BUT THEY CAME TO US VERY LATE.
UM, THEY HAD RECEIVED VIOLATIONS BECAUSE, UM, THE PROPERTY WAS OLD, THE ROOF WAS CAVING IN AND EVENTUALLY, UH, BUT HERE IS THE CHALLENGE.
NO ONE WAS LIVING IN THE HOME.
SO IF IT'S A HOME THAT WE ARE GONNA REPAIR, LIKE YOU, YOU MENTIONED, UH, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU PROTECT SOMEONE FROM FLIPPING IT? ONE OF THE THINGS WE REQUIRE, IT MUST BE YOUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE, RIGHT? SO THEY WERE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT LIVING THERE.
THE GOOD THING IS, WE DID SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT THE OPTIONS THAT THEY HAD, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY HAVE A VERY, UM, UM, THEY HAVE PRIME PROPERTY, RIGHT? SO THERE ARE SOME OPTIONS THAT THEY HAVE.
AND SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD DO.
CALEB WALKED THEM THROUGH VARIOUS PROCESSES.
THE GOOD THING IS, I WILL SAY, EVEN THOUGH THEIR HOME WAS DEMOLISHED AND THERE WAS A LOT OF PAIN BECAUSE IT WAS THEIR CHILDHOOD HOME, UH, THEY LEFT FEELING VERY INFORMED AFTER THAT MEETING.
AND I ACTUALLY GOT A TEXT FROM BERTHA TODAY, WHICH MADE ME FEEL GOOD.
THAT MADE ME KNOW WE DID SOMETHING RIGHT DURING THAT MEETING.
UM, BUT WE HAVE, WE OFTEN WORK WITH COLD WATER, AUSTIN WATER AND OTHERS, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB SO WE CAN GET AHEAD, AHEAD OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT, UH, WE ARE SEEING.
I WILL SAY THAT IS HOW THE AUSTIN WA THE PLUMBING AND THE P LAB PROGRAMS WORK.
THEY OFTEN ARE GETTING NOTIFICATIONS BECAUSE OF A LEAK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THIS IS WHY AUSTIN WATER FUNDS THOSE PROGRAMS. SO I WILL SAY IN SOME INSTANCES IT'S WORKING REALLY GREAT.
[00:55:01]
NOT ALWAYS WORKING GOOD.THERE'S ROOM FOR US TO IMPROVE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER TISHA, WE HAVE, UH, MORE QUESTIONS, UH, QUESTIONS.
UH, QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER MARTINEZ.
UM, SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, UNDER THE OPPORTUNITIES EX IT, IT SAYS THE, UM, EXPAND THE POOL OF CONTRACTORS BECAUSE I, I HEARD YOU SAY THAT THERE WAS LIKE SIX CONTRACTORS OR THE EVERY, ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE USING THE SAME, UM, SIX CONTRACTORS.
AND, UM, SO WHAT'S THE PROCESS TO, UM, OR, OR WHAT OUTREACH IS BEING DONE TO, UM, GET MORE CONTRACTORS? MM-HMM
THIS IS WHERE I COULD USE YOUR HELP.
I WOULD SAY THIS, IF YOU KNOW GREAT CONTRACTORS, GIVE ME GREAT CONTRACTORS.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU WANT TO COME INTO YOUR HOME, PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM TO SIGN UP TO BECOME A VENDOR WITH THE CITY THAT IS.
IF YOU JUST GOOGLE IT, HOW TO, UH, BECOME A VENDOR WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IT WILL POP UP AND IT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE SITE.
UM, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE US SOME TIME.
I THINK WE, I HOPE I'LL SAY THIS, A SOLICITATION NORMALLY TAKES ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS, RIGHT? SO IT'S GONNA TAKE US SOME TIME.
UH, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT WE ARE, UH, MAKING.
BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A VERY STRONG LIST OF CONTRACTORS THAT WE COULD TAP INTO.
'CAUSE I, I KNOW LOTS OF CONTRACTORS.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL DO ROOFING.
UM, SO, SO THAT WAS, UM, I, I WILL GIVE THEM THAT INFORMATION AND YOU SAID THEY CAN JUST, UM, HOW TO CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
JUST GOOGLE THAT AND, AND THEY CAN JUST MM-HMM
AND THEN, UM, THE NEXT THING, UM, UNDER THE CHALLENGES FOR THE UNPAID TAXES.
SO, UM, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE CAUGHT UP, UM, WITH THEIR TAXES IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR ANY OF THESE FUNDINGS.
AND THEN, SO WHAT HAP, I MEAN, IF THEY'RE NOT, IS THERE ANY HELP FOR THE, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CAUGHT UP OR, UM, INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET CAUGHT UP OR WHAT ARE THEY JUST LEFT OUT OR
WELL, NUMBER ONE, WE CANNOT PROVIDE, UH, USE TAX DOLLARS TO PAY SOMEONE'S TAXES.
UH, SO THAT THERE ARE, UM, LET ME VERIFY.
THERE WERE ORGANIZATIONS, EAST AUSTIN CONSERVANCY IS ONE THAT SORT OF FOCUSES ON HOW DO WE HELP RESIDENTS, UH, ADDRESS THEIR TAX ISSUES.
THERE MIGHT ALSO, AT ONE TIME, BIG AUSTIN WAS ALSO PROVIDING ASSISTANCE, BIG AUSTIN, BIG AUSTIN, IT'S A-C-D-F-I AND THEN AUSTIN REVITALIZATION AUTHORITY.
NOW, EAST AUSTIN CONSERVANCY IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT I KNOW THAT PROMOTES THAT ASSISTANCE.
THE OTHERS, I JUST KNOW BY TALKING WITH THEM, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT PROMOTED.
BUT THEY DO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE.
THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT I AM AWARE OF.
OH, A RA AWESOME REVITALIZATION AUTHORITY.
UM, ALSO USED TO PROVIDE TAX CLINICS.
AND SO I WILL WRITE THAT DOWN.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT THEM IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, BUT THEY USED TO PARTNER WITH, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND TRAVIS COUNTY, AND THEY WOULD DO TAX WORKSHOPS TO HELP PEOPLE, UM, ADDRESS ANY DELINQUENT TAXES.
THANK YOU NEFERTITI FOR YOUR ANSWERS.
UM, COMMISSIONERS ONLINE, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR PRESENTER? I DO.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER, UH, MADANO.
COMMISSIONER MADANO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
OH, UH, I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR ME.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE, UH, WEALTH OF INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED.
UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, UH, REGARDING THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM AND, UH, DATA COLLECTION AS FAR AS HOW MANY, UM, CUSTOMERS OR, UH, APPLICANTS DO, UH, MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS, AND IF THEY'RE ON THE WAITING LIST MULTIPLE TIMES, UH, FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE ARE THE HOMES THAT YOU'RE
[01:00:01]
TALKING ABOUT THAT ARE IN THE 70 YEAR RANGE, THE 60 YEAR RANGE, THE 50 YEAR RANGE AND LOWER, UH, WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY NEED, UH, PROBABLY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, UM, REPAIRS.AND THINKING ABOUT THAT, UH, THAT SITUATION YOU BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE HOLE IN THE ROOF AND THE HOUSE WAS ALREADY FAR GONE.
HOW CAN WE PREVENT SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN THE FUTURE WHEN THERE ARE OLDER HOMES THAT NEED MAJOR, UH, REPAIRS? HOW CAN WE STAIR STEP THAT SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO LOSE THEIR HOME OR PROPERTY OR THEIR CHILDHOOD HOME? UM, I KNOW THAT'S A THREE, MAYBE A FIVE PART QUESTION, BUT THE MAIN PART IS HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU KNOW OF A, UH, APPLICANT THAT ARE, UH, NEEDING RESOURCES MULTIPLE TIMES, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, THE GOOD THING IS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, UM, STAFF, THEY GO OUT TO THE HOME AS WELL AS OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS, AND THEY DO AN ASSESSMENT.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE THE LOAN PROGRAM, UM, THE MOST THAT YOU CAN GET THROUGH THE GRANT PROGRAMS IS $20,000.
BUT WHAT THEY WILL LOOK AT AND SEE IF YOU NEED MORE ASSISTANCE, AND THEY WILL TRY TO, UH, LAYER ON DIFFERENT PROGRAMS TO MEET ALL OF THE NEEDS, THE PRIMARY NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT THE, UH, HOUSE IS HEALTH, HEALTHY AND SAFE.
AND SO WE WILL DO AN ASSESSMENT TO SEE WHAT REPAIRS ARE NEEDED, PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE, AND SEE WHAT PROGRAMS WOULD FIT.
IF WE THINK IF THE, THE REPAIRS NEEDED FAR EXCEED THE GRANT PROGRAMS, THEN WE WILL LOOK AT, THEY'LL DO AN ASSESSMENT AND LOOK AT THE LOAN PROGRAMS, AND THAT'S WHEN WE WILL ENCOURAGE A HOUSEHOLD TO DO THE LOAN PROGRAM.
SOME WILLINGLY ACCEPT OTHERS DO NOT.
RIGHT? EVERY, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED, UH, ABOUT THE LOAN PROGRAMS BECAUSE THERE IS AN AFFORDABILITY PERIOD THAT WE PUT ON THEM TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE DO NOT FLIP THE HOMES.
AND SO, UM, BUT WE TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE OPTIONS, BUT THE HOME REPAIR LOANS, UH, CAN BE UP TO $75,000 TO ADDRESS A WIDER RANGE OF NEEDS.
AND, BUT DO YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE DATA ON, LIKE YOU SAID, THOSE, UH, APPLICANTS THAT NEED THAT GREATER NEED OF, UH, HOME REPAIRS? AND IF SO, ARE THEY, UH, DO YOU FOLLOW UP WITH THEM, UH, TO ENCOURAGE THEM MORE? UH, UH, SO THE HOUSE WILL NOT BE, YOU KNOW, UH, CONSIDERED, UH, UM, NEEDS TO, YOU KNOW, TO BE A TEAR DOWN.
UM, I WOULD HAVE TO, I, I CAN'T SAY THAT I KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE, WELL, WE KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE PIPELINE.
I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY, BUT I COULD FOLLOW UP AND FIND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON OUR, IN THE PIPELINE TO BE SERVED THROUGH THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS. SO I WILL, UH, FIND OUT WHAT THAT NUMBER IS.
UM, IN TERMS OF PROACTIVELY, DO WE KNOW THE AGE OF THE HOUSING STOCK OR THE, THAT MIGHT BE INFORMATION THAT LILA COULD POSSIBLY ASSIST ME WITH, BUT IT WOULDN'T SPEAK TO NECESSARILY THE QUALITY.
I COULD KNOW THE AGE OF THE H HOUSING STOCK BY, UH, WORKING, UH, WITH HER OR OTHER PEOPLE TO MAP OUT AND UNDERSTAND THE AGE, BUT THE QUALITY, IF THEY HAVE NOT APPLIED, I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT.
I WILL SHARE WITH YOU GUYS THOUGH.
THIS IS, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE YOU COULD BE OF VALUE, RIGHT? UM, BERTHA REACHED OUT BECAUSE SHE KNEW ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS AS A RESULT OF HER WORKING AND SERVING ON THIS COMMISSION.
AND, UH, IT DID TAKE SOME TIME.
IT TOOK US SOME TIME BEFORE WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH THE FAMILY AND HAVE A MEETING.
UM, BUT SHE WAS RELENTLESS AND, AND I APPRECIATED THAT, AND THE FAMILY DID AS WELL.
UM, IF THERE ARE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, I DO HAVE, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, IT'S NOT PERTAINING TO YOUR PRESENTATION,
[01:05:01]
BUT, UH, EARLIER COMMISSIONER LONGORIA NOTED HOW YOUR LAST MONTH'S PRESENTATION WAS AWESOME.UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER PROGRAMS, ANTI DISPLACEMENT PROGRAMS, UM, I WANTED YOU TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE AD CAP PROGRAM HERE, HOW IT WAS PAUSED.
UH, WE, UM, PUT FORTH A RECOMMENDATION THAT IT SHOULD BE REOPENED.
UH, IT'S A PROGRAM THAT'S VITAL FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, UH, GETTING FUNDING, UH, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE PROJECT CONNECT, UH, AREAS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, FACING THOSE, UH, THAT ARE FACING THOSE PRESSURES, THOSE DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES FROM DEVELOPMENT.
UM, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CIS GRANT AND THE RECENT DECISION, UM, TO, SORRY, THE RECENT DECISION TO PAUSE THAT AS WELL, SO I CAN, HOWEVER, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, I, I DON'T KNOW
IT, WELL, THE CHALLENGE IS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, IT'S NOT POSTED AS AN AGENDA ITEM, SO THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION.
IT'S NOT POSTED AS AN AGENDA ITEM, HOWEVER, BROADLY, SO WE'RE, IT IS BROADLY WE'RE GOING TO AIR, I'LL BE SAFE.
I THINK WE CAN, BECAUSE IT IS VERY BROAD, MY STAFF BRIEFING, UH, REGARDING THE AUSTIN HOUSING ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS. SO, UM, I CAN SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT THAT.
UH, THE PROGRAMS, UH, FOR PROJECT CONNECT, WE, IN LIGHT OF, UH, A NUMBER OF THINGS, UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY, WE HAVE CANCELED THAT SOLICITATION.
SO THAT SOLICITATION, AND YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO THE $5 MILLION SOLICITATION, UH, IT WAS CANCELED.
IT DOES NOT IMPACT ANY OF THE EXISTING COMMUNITY INITIATED SOLUTIONS, UH, PROGRAMS THAT ARE OPERATING.
WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING, WE'RE EVALUATING ALL OF THE EXISTING PROGRAMS. UH, WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED A ROUND OF ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH CONSULTANTS AND THE PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO, UM, UNDERSTAND WHAT FUTURE FUNDING PRIORITIES WILL BE.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA REASSESS, UH, AND LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF THE EXISTING PROGRAMS, AND THEN ALSO THE FUNDING RE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT BODY.
AND, UM, AND THEN MAKE A DECISION IN TERMS OF WHERE ARE THE GAPS THAT EXIST, AND THEN ALSO WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS. AND SO EITHER WE WILL ISSUE A SOLICITATION IN THE FUTURE, OR WE MAY OR MAY NOT GO THE ROUND THAT WE DID IN THE PAST OF USING, UH, THE COMMUNITY INITIATED SOLUTIONS FORMAT.
AND SO THOSE THINGS ARE STILL BEING EVALUATED AT THIS TIME.
UM, IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE THE AT CAMP HAS BEEN PAUSED MM-HMM
AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW VITAL THESE PROGRAMS ARE, ESPECIALLY, UH, LAST MONTH WHEN WE, YOU HAD YOUR PRESENTATION ABOUT COMMUNITY GROUPS, UH, BEING ABLE TO GET THAT FUNDING AND, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING PROGRAMS, UH, FOR, TO HELP PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMES.
UH, CIS WE, IT'S EVEN BROADER IN THAT, WHERE A LOT OF THE, ESPECIALLY THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, THE DIRECT FUNDING FOR, FOR FAMILIES, THINGS LIKE THAT, WERE PART OF THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT THE, THE NOTICE OF, UM, FUNDING WAS OPENED AND THERE WERE APPLICATIONS MM-HMM
UH, THERE WERE APPLICANTS, THERE WERE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE, WERE WAITING FOR FUNDING.
UH, FIRST CAN YOU TELL US, UH, HOW MANY HAVE APPLIED AND WERE THEY ALL NOTIFIED THAT THEY WERE YEAH.
I CANNOT GIVE YOU THE EXACT NUMBER.
UH, I WOULD HAVE TO INVITE, UH, MY STAFF BACK, UH, TO PROVIDE THAT SPECIFIC, I MEAN, THEY'RE UNDER MY PURVIEW, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I, I WANNA SAY 60 OR SO, BUT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST ROUND.
SO I, I FEEL LIKE I WOULD BE GUESSING SO, BUT WE DID NOTIFY ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAD SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS.
UM, SOME HAVE REQUESTED, THEY'D LIKE FEEDBACK, THEY WANNA MEET WITH US.
AND SO WE WILL PROVIDE THAT, THAT WILL BE, TAKES, UH, PLACE SOMETIME IN
[01:10:01]
JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.AND, UM, BUT IT'S, BUT THE GOAL IS TO EVALUATE, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, UH, PROGRAMS ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH CURRENT CITY DIRECTION.
AND THEN ALSO MAKING SURE WE'RE, WE'RE USING THE FUNDS IN A WAY THAT IS, CONTINUES TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO COMMUNITY AND EQUITABLE AS WELL.
THE AD CAP PROGRAM, WE ARE IN A TRANSITION WITH REAL ESTATE.
UM, AND SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO REAL ESTATE, BUT THAT PROGRAM IS IN PAUSES.
IT IS NOT UNDER MY PURVIEW, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM REAL ESTATE TO COME BACK TO TELL, UH, LIKE WHAT IS GONNA BE THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE ADD CAP PROGRAM.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, ANY COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
[4.Discussion on “Mapping Displacement: Gentrification and Displacement in Austin”. Discussion led by Genesis Pedraza, Madi Gutierrez and Alexia Leclercq from Land-Justice Community School. ]
NEXT ITEM.ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A DISCUSSION ITEM ON MAPPING DISPLACEMENT, GENTRIFICATION, AND DISPLACEMENT IN AUSTIN.
AND IT'S A DISCUSSION LED BY GENESIS RAZA, MARI GUTIERREZ, AND ALEXIA LE CLERK FROM THE LAND JUSTICE COMMUNITY SCHOOL.
UH, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A PRESENTATION AND YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATION AND IN YOUR PACKET.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE SHARING THIS TOOL THAT WE CREATED, UM, USING STORY MAPS, WHICH IS AN ARC GIS TOOL.
FOR ANY OF Y'ALL THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR, UM, YOU CAN USE IT FOR MAPPING AND FOR STORYTELLING, AND WE'LL END THE PRESENTATION WITH THE LINK SO Y'ALL CAN EXPLORE THAT AS WELL.
AND WE'LL ALSO EMAIL Y'ALL TOMORROW, UM, WITH THE LINK.
SO, STARTING OFF, THIS IS JUST HOW IT LOOKS LIKE, AND TODAY WE'RE GONNA DO A BRIEF PRESENTATION AND JUST GO OVER THE SECTIONS THAT ARE IN THE STORY MAPS SO Y'ALL CAN BE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT WE CREATED.
UM, HELLO, MY NAME IS JUSTICE RAZA.
THIS IS PART ONE, THE DEVELOPMENT AND HISTORY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AUSTIN IS LOCATED ON RETRIAL LANDS OF DIFFERENT, OF DIFFERENT TRIBES.
Y SETTLERS SURVIVED IN THE 1820S WHEN THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGED COLONIZATION FOR PROFIT.
ONE OF THE Y SETTLERS, STEFAN F AUSTIN BROUGHT 500 SETTLER FAMILIES, ESTABLISHED AUSTIN COLONY, AND HELP FORM THE TEXAN MILITIA.
LATER, THE TEXAN RANGERS, WHICH VIOLATE DISPLACED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.
THE TEXAN RANGERS WERE INITIALLY A VOLUNTEER MILITIA THAT DEFENDANT SETTLERS IN 1823.
IT LATER BECAME A PROFESSIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
IN 1935, EARLY AUSTIN RELIED HEAVILY ON LAND SPECULATION AND SLAVERY, ENSLAVED AFRICANS WITH PLANTATIONS, ALONG WITH COLORADO, THE COLORADO RIVER, AND HELPED BUILD THE TEXAS STATE CAPITAL.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, FORMERLY ENSLAVED PEOPLE CREATED 20 PLUS FRIEND MAN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT AUSTIN, THE 1928 MASTER PLAN FOR HIS BLACK AND MEXICAN AMERICAN RESIDENT INTO EAST AUSTIN, RESTRICTING BLACK ONLY PUBLIC AMENITIES TO A DESIGNATED SIX SQUARE MILE DISTRICT.
RESIDENTS OUTSIDE THAT DISTRICT HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN STAYING WITHOUT MUNICIPAL SERVICES OR RELOCATING EAST TO ACCESS SEGREGATED FACILITIES.
THE FEDERAL REDLINING POLICIES FURTHER INTENT SEGREGATION BY DENYING MORTGAGES TO ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS OF COLOR, ZONING, ZONING POLICIES, CONCENTRATED INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL USES IN EAST AUSTIN, BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS, ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM, FACILITIES LIKE THE TANK FARM, THE HOLLY POWER PLANT, AND SEVERAL INDUSTRIAL PLANTS CREATED POLLUTION LINKED TO CANCER, ASTHMA, AND OTHER HEALTHY ISSUES IN NEARBY COMMUNITIES.
THESE PATTERNS OF CONDENSATION, EXPLOITATION, DISPLACEMENT, AND DISINVESTMENT CONTINUE TO SHAPE AUSTIN'S RACIAL AND ECO ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE TODAY.
THEN THE NEXT SESSION IS BRIDGING HISTORY AND WHAT IS PRESENTLY HAPPENING.
AS Y'ALL KNOW, GENTRIFICATION IS A HUGE ISSUE, AND WE REALLY GO INTO DEFINING IT, AND WE DEFINE IT AS A PROFIT DRIVEN RACIAL AND CLASS RECONFIGURATION OF URBAN WORKING CLASS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN AREAS THAT HAVE SUFFERED A HISTORY OF DISINVESTMENT.
AND WE REALLY EMPHASIZE ON HOW THIS PROCESS IS NOT ACCIDENTAL OR MYSTERIOUS.
IT IS DRIVEN BY PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, BY LANDLORDS, BY BUSINESSES, BY CORPORATIONS, AND SUPPORTED THROUGH GOVERNMENT POLICIES THAT ARE PASSED RIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL THAT FACILITATE DISPLACEMENT THROUGH
[01:15:01]
ZONING CHANGES, THROUGH INCENTIVES, ET CETERA.UM, AND WE SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, AREAS THAT ARE HISTORICALLY DISENFRANCHISED HAVE LOWER LAND VALUES.
AND SO THESE DEVELOPERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND BUILD LUXURY DEVELOPMENT AND PUSH OUT WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
AND WE THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DEFINE THE PROCESS OF HOW THAT HAPPENS SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE INTERVENTIONS CAN BE.
OH, YEAH, THE NEXT PART WILL BE COLLECTING STORIES.
UM, OVER 20 STORIES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED HIGHLIGHTING THE GENTRIFICATION, HISTORIC DISPLACEMENT, AND SYSTEMIC RACISM IN AUSTIN.
OUT OF THESE 20, I DID, UH, TALK ABOUT THREE.
I TALKED ABOUT ROSEWOOD COURTS, THE GOODWIN APARTMENTS, AND ACACIA LIVES, AND ROSEWOOD COURTS.
WHAT WE KNOW IS, UH, PRIMARILY AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVING AFTER PRIVATE REDEVELOPMENT AND DEMOLITION, UM, ALONG WITH NO TENANT RIGHTS HAS CAUSED DISPLACEMENT.
UH, NEXT IS THE GOODWIN, UM, APARTMENTS AFTER REDEVELOPMENT, LESS THAN 10% FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES FAMILIES ALONG WITH ONE THIRD OF CHILDREN FROM GO VALLEY ELEMENTARY, WERE DISPLACED.
THIS IS WHERE WE SEE A LACK OF ENROLLMENT, AND IT IS TIED TO DISPLACEMENT.
UM, DB DB ID IS A REZONING PROGRAM, IS MISREPRESENTED AS A TOTAL TO INCREASE AFFORDABILITY LIVING UNITS THAT WERE 30 TO 50%.
MFI NOW BECAME LUXURY UNITS, FURTHER DISPLACING THE RESIDENTS, DOCUMENTING STORIES ABOUT GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT STARTS WITH LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE CAPTURE THE REALITIES, UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY, AND THE REAL IMPACT OF THESE CHANGES.
I DO ALSO WANT TO INCLUDE THAT WHEN YOU GO OVER THE STORIES ON, UH, THE WEBSITE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S BEEN A RAPID TREND OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IN DISPLACEMENT.
AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN TALKING ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION.
AND THEN WE ALSO GO INTO SOLUTIONS AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO ADD TO THE WEBSITE AS WELL.
UM, WE GO IN DEPTH ABOUT THE PEOPLE'S PLAN THAT WAS INTRODUCED AND CREATED, UM, YEARS AGO ABOUT HOW CAN WE BUILD COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS THAT ARE RUN BY THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE EQUITY OVERLAY FROM COMMUNITY POWERED A TX, WHICH Y'ALL HAVE HEARD OF, UM, AND MORE.
AND WE HAVE A POLICY PLATFORM THAT IS GOING TO BE COMING OUT ON THERE IN 2026 AS WELL, OR ASK, WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO USE THIS TOOL, ADD MORE EAST AUSTIN STORIES, AND SHARE MORE SOLUTIONS AND IDEAS WITH US.
ONE, ONE SOLUTION THAT WE NEED IS MORE MONEY FOR THE COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS.
SO WE NEED TO REOPEN THE CIS AND ADD CAP GRANTS.
AND THEN WE JUST WANNA END, THIS IS THE SHORTCUT LINK TO THE STORY MAPS.
UM, OUR TWO YOUTH FELLOWS HERE HAVE PUT IN A LOT OF WORK AND RESEARCH, UM, HAVE TALKED TO A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, HAVE INTERVIEWED SOME OF THEM ON THE PODCAST.
AND SO WE THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL TO SHARE THOSE.
A LOT OF THEM, YOU CAN'T REALLY GOOGLE AND SEARCH THEM.
YOU HAVE TO EITHER KNOW THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OR WE'RE AN ORGANIZER OR WE'RE PART OF, YOU KNOW, THE CAMPAIGN WHEN IT HAPPENED TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND WE THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DOCUMENT WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING, ESPECIALLY IN EAST AUSTIN OVER THE PAST DECADES.
UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS? UH, ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU FOUND INTERESTING? OUR STORIES? GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER LAGUARDIA.
I REALLY ADMIRE THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND, UM, THE EDUCATION, UH, THE OUTREACH.
WELL, UM, AS FAR AS LIKE HISTORY IS SO IMPORTANT, UM, I LOVE THIS.
AND THEN ALSO HOW YOU DEFINE GENTRIFICATION'S, LIKE REALLY CONCISE AND SUCCINCT AND ELOQUENT.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS SOLUTIONS ARE CONCERNED, UM, BELIEVE ME THAT WE HAVE ALSO BEEN WAITING ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY FOR LIKE OVER A YEAR.
HOWEVER, UH, THAT CONSULTING FIRM COMPANY, WHATEVER, THEY CAME, UH, WITH AN UPDATE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, AND THEY DID SPEAK ABOUT COMMUNITY ORIENTED SOLUTIONS.
AND ONE OF 'EM WAS A, UM, LIKE CROWDSOURCING FUND TO HELP PEOPLE PAY FOR LIKE THEIR UNPAID TAXES.
AND THESE PEOPLE WERE LOOKING AT, UM, DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE THIS HAD BEEN USED IN SEATTLE, I THINK LIKE WASHINGTON DC I THINK ATLANTA, GEORGIA, OTHER LIKE URBAN METROS AND STUFF.
BUT AS FAR AS, AGAIN, SOLUTIONS ARE CONCERNED, UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, UM, FOCUS ON LIKE THE ELDERLY AND SENIORS, UH, THROUGH THESE LIKE, HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAMS AND OR GRANTS, YOU KNOW, UM, WORKSHOPS, UM, UH, CONNECT WITH
[01:20:01]
THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT CENTERS FOR LIKE HOSTING WORKSHOPS THERE.AND, UM, I THINK I HAVE ONE MORE THING TO SAY AS FAR AS LIKE SOLUTIONS GO, BUT, UM, AH, ANOTHER VERY, UH, CURIOUS THING THAT I LEARNED ABOUT RECENTLY, I THINK IT WAS LIKE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
THEY SPOKE TO ME ABOUT THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE, AND THEY EDUCATED ME ABOUT THAT, HOW I THINK THAT IS LIKE A HUGE RESOURCE AND HOW LIKE, IT, IT, IT CLEANS OXYGEN.
IT, THIS IS ABOUT RAISING AWARENESS AND EDUCATING PEOPLE.
AND THROUGH THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE, I THINK YOU CAN CREATE A POLICY THE SAME WAY THAT, UM, THE BARTON CREEK WATERSHED PROTECTION STUFF.
YOU JUST KIND OF GOT TO GET PEOPLE INVESTED IN THIS.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN GET ENOUGH PEOPLE INTERESTED AND INVESTED, I THINK YOU CAN CREATE POLICIES TO PROTECT, YOU KNOW, EAST AUSTIN RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, DISPLACEMENT AND, AND GENTRIFICATION.
SO, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE WILL DEFINITELY DO MORE RESEARCH AND CONTINUE DOING THE WORK.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
UM, YEAH, ON THAT NOTE ACTUALLY, UM, I'M GOING TO JUMP INTO, ONE QUESTION I HAD IS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION.
UM, I SEE THERE'S A LOT OF, OF YOUR ON, ON YOUR COLLECTING STORIES, UM, SLIDE.
I CAN SEE ALL THE LITTLE DOTS, UH, CLOSE TO THE COLORADO RIVER.
UM, IS THERE, DO YOU, UH, INCLUDE STORIES ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT? UM, I KNOW THAT HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH WE'LL HAVE A, UM, PRESENTATION ON THE RIVER PARK DEVELOPMENT THAT'S ON RIVERSIDE.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, HOW THAT AFFECTS THE, OUR RIVER, OUR WATERSHEDS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE TAKE AN INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH WHEN WE COLLECTED THE STORIES.
AND SO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IS VERY MUCH TIED TO HOUSING JUSTICE, AND WE TALK ABOUT HOW THERE'S SO MUCH DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND REDEVELOPMENT AND LUXURY DEVELOPMENT IN EAST RIVERSIDE THAT HAS DISPLACED PEOPLE, BUT ALSO HAS CAUSED COUNTRY CLUB CREEK TO ERODE SO MUCH.
UM, AND ACTUALLY RECENTLY, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT, THE BRIDGE WAS WASHED AWAY AND THE CITY IS NOW SPENDING $40 MILLION ON IT.
UM, YEAH, UH, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE COMMISSIONER LAGUARDIA SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE KNOW THESE STORIES, WE KNOW THE HISTORY THAT, YOU KNOW, PROPERTIES, THE LAND EAST OF I 35 DOES NOT HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS AS STRONG AS, UM, THE LAND WEST OF I 35.
AND YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CLEAR RED LINE, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER TISHA, GO AHEAD.
UH, I AM QUITE INTERESTED ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY AND YES, WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAD A PRESENTATION FROM YOU ALL, UM, PREVIOUSLY, UM, OR PEERS I SHOULD SAY.
BUT HAVE THERE BEEN ANY RECENT UPDATES THAT YOU FEEL YOU CAN DISCUSS TODAY, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE EQUITY OVERLAY? UM, ANY MAJOR CHANGES OR TRENDS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN SINCE MAYBE THIS SUMMER? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT'S ELAPSED.
SO I'M CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF IDEA OF UPDATES OF THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE US TO KNOW.
UM, I KNOW ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES, UH, MIS RAMOS HAS TALKED TO CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT CONTINUING TO PUSH FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY, BUT WE'RE KIND OF ALL IN LIKE A LIMBO.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING TO GET ACCESS TO MORE INFORMATION ON THE REPORT FROM THE CONSULTING FIRM AND HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT FOR MORE OF A GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN TO SEE WHAT WE CAN PUSH FOR REALISTICALLY AS SOLUTIONS.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? COMMISSIONER ORTIZ? GO AHEAD.
NO, ACTUALLY, COMMISSIONER TCH.
UM, AS ALWAYS, WE'RE ON THAT SAME WAVELENGTH AND SHE ASKED MY QUESTION AS WELL.
SO I DID JUST WANNA ALSO COMMEND YOU ON THIS WONDERFUL PRESENTATION AND KEEPING IT IN LIGHT.
AND I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE GET CAUGHT UP IN SOME OR MORE OF THE, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY IT, UH, QUITE RIGHT, UH, FROM MY HEAD TO MY MOUTH, BUT REMINDING US HOW IMPORTANT, UM, OUR LAND IS THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL LAND THAT WE HAVE.
UM, IT'S NOT JUST THE HUMAN EQUITY, BUT THE, THE LAND ITSELF IS WHAT SUSTAINS US.
IT'S WHAT FEEDS US, IT'S WHAT GIVES US THAT FOUNDATION FOR SHELTER
[01:25:01]
AND EVERYTHING ELSE ALONG THE WAY.SO, UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION, KEEPING IT ON THE FOREFRONT.
UM, I HOPE YOU'LL CONTINUE TO STAY, UM, ACTIVATED, UH, ACTIVE WITH US.
AND WHEN YOU DO GET MORE INFORMATION AND, AND AS THE RESEARCH COMES IN AND AS Y'ALL START TO DEVELOP EVEN MORE IDEAS, UM, I HOPE YOU'LL BRING THEM TO US AS WELL.
UM, AND I'M JUST VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE WORK Y'ALL DONE, AND I HOPE Y'ALL CONTINUE, UH, WITH THE SAME PASSION THAT Y'ALL HAVE TODAY AS THIS, THIS WAS VERY GOOD AND ENLIGHTENING.
AND, UM, JUST LIKE COMMISSIONER TISHA SAID, HOPEFULLY, UM, ONCE YOU GUYS GET MORE INTO THE EQUITY OVERLAY THAT Y'ALL WILL BE ABLE TO, TO COME BACK AND GIVE US SOME MORE IDEAS AND THOUGHTS.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? I WANTED TO, UH, FOLLOW UP, UH, WITH ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, IN YOUR SLIDE WITH, SORRY, COLLECTING STORIES, UH, YOU TALK ABOUT THE GOODWIN APARTMENTS AND ACACIA CLIFFS, OF COURSE, WE, UH, DISCUSSED ACACIA CLIFFS HERE IN THIS COMMISSION A FEW TIMES.
UH, AND ALSO LAST MONTH WE HAD A PRESENTATION ON DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS AND HOW THAT'S A TOOL THAT'S USED, UH, BY, BY THE CITY TO, UH, BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ACACIA CLIFFS, I CAN SEE HERE WHERE YOU SAY THAT THE UNITS WERE 30 TO 50% MFI, UM, AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA BECOME LUXURY UNITS, UH, FOR THEIR DISPLACING RESIDENTS.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT? UH, LIKE THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY, HOW THEY AFFECT, YOU KNOW, THE, OUR STORIES HERE THAT YOU'RE COVERING.
SO, AS WE KNOW, AFFORDABILITY SHOULD BE, UH, 30 TO 40%.
MFI, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN REQUIRES 60 TO 80% MFI TO BE AFFORDABLE, AND 60 TO 80% IS NOT AFFORDABLE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE DENSITY PROGRAM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA ELABORATE ON THAT.
YEAH, I THINK BUILDING OFF OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID, UM, A LOT OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS DON'T TRULY MEET WHAT IS AFFORDABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
LIKE MARI SAID, WE REALLY NEED TO BE BUILDING 30% M IFI HOUSING.
AND, AND A NOTE HERE, UM, I MEAN, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO MY, MY COMMUNITY, EAST RIVERSIDE, I KNOW THAT WHEN THINGS WERE UP ZONE WITH THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR, THINGS LIKE THAT, WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP, UM, LOSING A WHOLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, BROOK ELEMENTARY BECAUSE THOSE APARTMENTS WERE TORN DOWN AND, UM, THE WHOLE AREA WAS REDEVELOPED.
UH, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT THE GOODWIN APARTMENTS AND THAT THE FACT THAT GO VALLEY ELEMENTARY LOST ONE THIRD OF THE STUDENTS WHEN THEY WERE REDEVELOPED.
AND THE FACT THAT WE ONLY REQUIRE 10% AFFORDABLE UNITS AT A RATE THAT YOU, YOU'RE JUST TELLING US ARE NOT REALLY AFFORDABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, COMMISSIONER LAGUARDIA, YOU HAVE A FOLLOW UP? YEAH, JUST, UM, COMMENT.
UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF MAJOR PROJECTS GOING ON.
UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER, UM, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE THAT, UM, CAP ALONG I 35.
UM, AND THEN ALSO RECENTLY THE, THE SCHOOL CLOSURES WITH CONSOLIDATIONS.
AND I'M ESPECIALLY, UH, I'M ESPECIALLY THINKING ABOUT LIKE MARTIN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE EAST SIDE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, I, I'M SURE YOU GUYS KIND OF HAVE THAT ON YOUR RADAR, BUT, UM, PLEASE, UM, CONTINUE YOUR WORK AND LIKE KEEP US INFORMED ON HOW WE CAN LIKE HELP GUIDE, UM, OUR DISCUSSION AND, UM, PUT FORTH LIKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL ON, UM, HOW TO MINI MINIMIZE LIKE, NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON LIKE WORKING CLASS PEOPLE.
JUST ONE REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY.
SO A POINT OF, OF INSIGHT, 'CAUSE YOU ASKED IF WE CAN PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION.
SO SOMETHING THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW IN THE RESEARCH AND, UM, STATISTICS WORLD IS REVISITING THE POVERTY LINE.
THE POVERTY LINE AS IT SITS IS AROUND $31,200 FOR FAMILY THAT ORIGINATED, THAT NUMBER ORIGINATED DECADES AGO BASED OFF OF HOW AFFORDABLE FOOD IS FOR A PARTICULAR FAMILY.
AND THEN MULTIPLY, THAT'S WHAT GIVES YOU THE NUMBER.
IF THEY MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FOR TODAY, THAT NUMBER IS $136,000 AS THE POVERTY LINE.
SO I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT MFI, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, BECAUSE THE SCHOLARS, THE ECONOMISTS THAT ARE TRYING TO PUSH THIS INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE WE
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ARE ACCOMMODATING AND BALANCING AND ADJUSTING FOR TODAY'S CURRENT TIMES THAT THE TRUE POVERTY LINE IS $136,000.NOW IMAGINE THAT IF THAT'S THE POVERTY LINE AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT EXISTS BELOW IT, WHERE DOES THE CURRENT MFI 30 TO 50% EXIST WITHIN THAT? WOW.
THANK, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER AND TISHA FOR THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, YEAH, JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND YES, UM, LIKE COMMISSIONER LONGORIA SAID, THE CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT MAYBE Y'ALL SHOULD LOOK AT, KEEP AN EYE ON, UH, ESPECIALLY AS THE REAL ESTATE IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOLD OFF AND REDEVELOP, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT IS BEING BUILT THERE? IS IT TRULY AFFORDABLE FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ALREADY BEING DISPLACED? UH, AND I SPOKE ABOUT THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. THEY'RE ALSO, UM, REDOING THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT MAYBE Y'ALL SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON.
AND AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT THE, THE RATE OF AFFORDABILITY, IS IT TRULY AFFORDABLE? THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND GREAT JOB.
[5.Question and concerns about HUD federal reporting and community engagement processes. Discussion led by Vice Chair Jenny Achilles. ]
ITEM AS ITEM NUMBER FIVE.UH, WE HAVE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE HUD FEDERAL REPORTING, UH, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
AND IT'S A DISCUSSION BEING LED BY OUR VICE CHAIR, UH, VICE CHAIR, ACHILLES, GO AHEAD.
UM, AGAIN, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME BECAUSE I'VE GOT MY COMPUTER.
UH, SO WE AS AGAIN, AS THIS YEAR, WE'RE FIGURING OUT THE BEST WAYS TO, TO ENGAGE.
AND ONE OF OUR BIGGEST RESPONSIBILITIES IS HEARING REPORTS ON DIFFERENT FEDERAL FUNDING STREAMS. AND WE'RE WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY INFORMED AND AWARE OF WHEN INFORMATION IS GONNA COME TO US AND EXACTLY WHAT THE ACTION STEPS ARE THAT ARE NEEDED.
I PUT THIS ACTION ITEM ON, 'CAUSE WE HAD SOME CONCERNS COME UP RECENTLY WHEN WE'RE RECEIVING COMMUNICATION IN A TIMELINE THAT FEELS LIKE IT DOESN'T GIVE US ANY SPACE TO RESPOND AND BE ACTIVE.
AND IT COMES ON THE BACK OF SEVERAL MONTHS OF SORT OF NOTICING THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY FEELING EMPOWERED OR UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR ROLE IS TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS.
SO, WANTED TO OPEN UP A DISCUSSION HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT I FULLY UNDERSTAND AND DOCUMENT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, I HAVE SENT AN EMAIL TO, TO STAFF AND WOULD LOVE TO, TO FOLLOW UP.
UM, THE, THE ITEM THAT BROUGHT THIS TO OUR ATTENTION IS WE DID RECEIVE AN EMAIL ABOUT A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD A MONTH AGO, THE MORNING OF OUR COMMISSION MEETING, WHEN IT'S TOO LATE FOR US TO ADD THAT TO OUR AGENDA.
SO WE WERE CONCERNED THAT WE LOST THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT IT SEEMED LIKE WOULD'VE BEEN KNOWN IN ADVANCE AND COULD HAVE BEEN AN ITEM THAT WE WOULD'VE LOVED TO INCLUDE.
SO IT FELT LIKE A VERY MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CDC TO ENGAGE IN, UM, REVIEWING THE DRAFT FY 25 CAPER AND SHARING FEEDBACK, UM, AS PART OF THAT PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AND THEN AGAIN, THIS WEEK WE JUST RECEIVED, AFTER OUR AGENDA HAD GONE PUBLIC AND WE COULDN'T ADD ANY, UM, ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS, UM, NOTICE THAT THERE IS ALSO AN AUSTIN HOUSING SURVEY RIGHT NOW AROUND RENTAL HOUSING FEES, UM, IN AUSTIN.
SO THESE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT, AND WE FEEL THAT THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT BODY FOR THAT.
AND SO I JUST WANT, AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE I'M SAYING A LOT OF THINGS
I THINK THE THINGS THAT I KNOW I WOULD BEST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND.
SO I JUST WANNA SHARE THIS WITH Y'ALL AND SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS, ET CETERA.
SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, UM, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE FEDERAL FUNDING, AND WE'RE WORKING ON ADDING THIS, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, ON REALLY UNDERSTANDING THIS TO GET IN OUR ONBOARDING MANUAL, BUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT ARE THE REQUIRED ACTIONS AND DECISION POINTS.
SO WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS OR REVIEWS ARE REQUIRED OF THE CDC, UM, FOR EACH TOUCH POINT AND GRANT DELIVERABLE, UM, AND WHO'S SORT OF MANDATING THAT? IS IT HUD, CITY CODE DEPARTMENTAL PRACTICE? WE'RE ALSO REALLY INTERESTED IN THE PURPOSE AND IMPACT OF CDC INPUT.
UM, SO WHAT IS THE INTENDED IMPACT OF CDC REVIEW WHEN SOMETHING COMES TO US? AND, UM, SORRY, I SCROLLED AND WHAT OCCURS IF THE CDC IS NOT ABLE TO TAKE ACTION DUE TO TIMING OR INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION.
ALSO WANTING TO UNDERSTAND FEEDBACK INCORPORATION AND TRANSPARENCY.
SO HOW DOES OUR INPUT AND HOW DOES INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, HOW IS THAT THEN INCORPORATED INTO THOSE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS AS A RESULT? AND HOW
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AND WHEN IS THE CDC AND THE PUBLIC INFORMED OF THE RESULTS OF THAT INCORPORATION? SO THERE'S A LOT OF SORT OF CONNECTING THE DOTS, CLOSING THE LOOP THAT I FEEL THAT AS A COMMISSIONER, WE'RE I AS A COMMISSIONER AM NOT CLEAR ONSO LET ME JUST SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PENDING QUESTIONS, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE REALLY UNDERSTAND WHEN SOMETHING COMES BEFORE US, WHAT IS, WHAT'S THE INTENDED, UM, ACTION AND IMPACT OF THAT.
AND SO THEN THE FINAL POINT TOO IS JUST TRYING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ANNUAL OPERATIONAL CALENDAR.
AND I WANNA, UM, I DO WANNA THINK, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T PUT THIS TOGETHER, SO I DO KNOW NEFERTITI HAD PUT TOGETHER A REALLY ROBUST CALENDAR, I THINK OF WHAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING WAS.
UM, I'M NOW MEANT LIKE PUTTING IN A PLACEHOLDER.
WE HAVE ADDED THE FACT THAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN NOVEMBER THERE IS NOW A, THERE IS A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE CAPER.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO PROACTIVELY, AS COMMISSIONERS, TRACK WHAT ACTIONS WE KNOW ARE GONNA BE COMING IN.
WHAT, AND BY WE, COMMISSIONER AGAIN, THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR HELPING US DO THAT.
I DON'T MEAN THAT WE ARE SOLELY, UM, BUT, BUT WE KNOW WE CAN HAVE A PROACTIVE ROLE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD IT TO OUR AGENDAS.
BUT I KNOW WE ALSO NEED SOME HELP, UM, FULLY UNDERSTANDING AND GETTING THAT ON OUR RADAR.
'CAUSE WE DON'T JUST INTUITIVELY KNOW IT.
SO THANK YOU TO THE HELP WE'VE GOTTEN AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL HELP AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THESE REALLY IMPORTANT PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODS AND ACTION POINTS ARE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE MEANINGFULLY INTERACTING WITH.
SORRY,
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU.
I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE A COMMISSION, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE AN IMPACT, HAVE AN EFFECT ON, ON WHAT WITH THE THINGS WE DO.
AND YES, WHEN WE RECEIVE THINGS, YOU KNOW, AT THE LAST MINUTE WHEN WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS THAT YOU JUST POSED, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY HINDERS US FROM, FROM HAVING THAT IMPACT AND KNOWING WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WE CAN HAVE.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS DISCUSSION AND YEAH, LET'S OPEN IT UP.
UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD? WELL, UM, YEAH, THANKS FOR INCLUDING THIS AND I DID GET THE UPDATED AGENDA.
UM, SO AS FAR AS LIKE REQUIRED ACTIONS, UM, AND GRANT DELIVERABLES, I BELIEVE THIS ACTION, THIS COMMUNITY, UM, INPUT IS MANDATED BY HUD.
I THINK WITH THIS CDBG, I THINK THIS IS RELATIVELY NEW WHERE THEY'RE REQUIRING IMPACT, UH, LIKE COMMUNITY INPUT.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS LIKE WHAT IS THE INTENDED IMPACT OF THE CDC REVIEW, I MEAN, I JUST THINK THAT WE'RE ANOTHER LIKE BOX THAT YOU NEED TO CHECK AS FAR AS LIKE THIS GRANT DELIVERABLE, WHETHER IT'S LIKE AUTHENTIC AND GENUINE INPUT OR NOT.
LIKE, I MEAN, TECHNICALLY YOU CAN SAY LIKE, HEY, IT WAS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, UM, YEAH, WHETHER, YEAH, WHETHER WE HAVE SUFFICIENT TIMING OR INFORMATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT, UM, I'VE EXPRESSED SOME OF MY FRUSTRATION IN THE PAST AS FAR AS LIKE, UM, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, OUTREACH AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, ONLINE SURVEYS OR, OR WHATEVER COMMUNITY, UH, RESOURCES OR WHATEVER, LIKE AS FAR AS LIKE GETTING THIS INFORMATION.
AND AS FAR AS IN SOME OF THE PAST, UM, GRANT DELIVERABLES, THEY HAVE INCLUDED I THINK EVERY SINGLE COMMENT THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.
SO, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY DO INCLUDE, THEY DO LOOK AT THAT.
UM, AND YEAH, I THINK THE OPERATIONAL CALENDAR, I THINK THAT WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT RECENTLY.
UH, THAT WAY WE CAN LIKE ANTICIPATE SOMETHING.
SO I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A, A WIN.
BUT AS FAR AS LIKE COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS CONCERNED, I, AGAIN, I'M GONNA SAY THAT WE CAN'T LEAVE IT UP ALL TO THE CITY.
IT'S KIND OF OUR JOB ALSO TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, UH, LET 'EM KNOW THAT WE NEED YOUR INPUT, UM, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DECIMATE THAT INFORMATION THROUGH YOUR WORK OR SOCIAL MEDIA OR THROUGH YOUR COLLEAGUES, COWORKERS, WHATEVER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS IT'S KIND OF OUR JOB TOO, TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND LET 'EM KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY.
IT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND, UM, YEAH, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, HELP SHAPE IT, YOU KNOW, SO.
I DO WANNA UNDERSCORE THOUGH THAT I THINK THAT BECAUSE WE MEET HERE MONTHLY, LIKE HAVING THAT INFORMATION SO WE CAN INCLUDE IT AS PART OF THESE REGULAR MEETINGS IS
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SOMETHING THAT'S FAIR FOR US TO, TO EXPECT AND ASK FOR, UM, FROM, FROM STAFF.UM, 'CAUSE IT IS, THIS IS A GREAT VENUE FOR US TO DO THAT.
AND ALL OF US THEN TAKING ADDIT AND WE ALL CAN TAKE, BUT LIKE USING THIS OPPORTUNITY FEELS LIKE THE BEST WAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT WE DO THIS MONTHLY AND IT, IT, IT FEELS FRUSTRATING, LIKE A MAJOR LOSS IF WE LOSE THIS PUBLIC VENUE.
BUT, AND I JUST WANT, WANT TO ECHO, UM, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE, THE FRUSTRATION FOR SURE, UM, ESPECIALLY SEEING THINGS AFTER THE FACT OR NOT IN A TIMELY MANNER.
UH, THAT'S BEEN SORT OF MY THEME TONIGHT, ASKING ABOUT TIMELINES
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL CALENDAR, BUT WONDERING WHERE AND HOW, FOR INSTANCE, IF, UH, I REALLY LIKED WHAT NEFERTITI PRESENTED TODAY WITH THE, THE CADENCE, THE REPORTING CADENCE THAT WE CAN NOW OKAY, OVERLAP THAT WITHIN OUR OPERATIONAL CALENDAR.
THIS IS WHAT'S, THIS IS WHAT HOUSING IS USING AS THEIR OWN GUIDELINES.
SO WE CAN ALSO INCLUDE THAT IN GUIDELINES FOR US AS WELL.
WHAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAVE THESE TYPE OF CADENCE OR SCHEDULING THAT WE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO.
SO WE CAN AGAIN, INCLUDE IT IN OUR OPERATIONAL SCHEDULING SO WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND BE ANTICIPATORY ABOUT DISCUSSION AND, AND UM, FORUM.
UH, SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, MENTION AND AND TRACK ABOUT THIS IS, IS, UH, LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE.
'CAUSE IN THAT EMAIL, THE FIRST THING I DID WHEN I WENT TO THE PAGE TO TRY AND FILL OUT THE SURVEY IS I LOOKED AT THE PUBLIC INFORMATION, I LOOKED AT THE TIMELINE, IT TALKS ABOUT PROJECT, UM, UH, UH, INITIATION AND THEN PROJECT ALL THESE DIFFERENT PARTS COMPONENTS.
AND THEN IT HAS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO I IMMEDIATELY LOOK FOR WHEN DID COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT START AND IT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR THAT PARTICULAR SURVEY FOR THE RENTERS, UM, FEE FROM THE LANDLORD STARTED ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO.
WHY ARE WE ONLY HEARING ABOUT IT NOW? SO THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT I ASK AND THAT'S WHERE THE FRUSTRATION COMES FROM.
UM, OTHER, OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS HERE IN THE ROOM? I GUESS, UH, ONE COMMENT THAT I'LL HAVE IS THAT, UM, THIS IS BASED OFF OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT THAT ANKE INFORMS US ON EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
I BELIEVE THAT THEY DEVELOP THEIR LIST OF PRIORITIES OR SERVICES BASED OFF OF LIKE COMMUNITY INPUT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND I MEAN, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT FOR THE CDBG, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT MECHANISM THE CSBG USES TO INFORM THEIR MISSION OR THEIR PRIORITIES, BUT I MEAN, LET'S JUST DO THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF THEY USE A SURVEY OR, OR WHATEVER.
BUT, UM, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? AND THANK YOU BECAUSE I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YEAH, WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY GIVEN
SO APOLOGIES IF MY BRINGING IT UP AT OUR AGENDA MEETING, WHICH IS RIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING LIMITED IN ANY WAY.
WELL, UH, THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE FEEDBACK.
I WILL CERTAINLY MAKE SURE, UM, THAT ALL, UH, APPROPRIATE STAFF IN THE DEPARTMENT ARE AWARE.
UM, AND THE, I'LL SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
WE DID HAVE A MEETING THIS PAST WEEK TWO ADDRESS.
I DID FORWARD YOUR EMAIL OF CONCERN ABOUT THE TIMELINESS IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU'RE RECEIVING INFORMATION.
UM, YOUR FIRST REQUEST WAS IN OCTOBER TO HAVE STAFF PRESENT TO GET UPDATES, UH, AROUND THE FEDERAL FUNDING AND UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
SO WE'RE, UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT.
UH, AS I SHARED, WE HAD A MEETING TO DISCUSS WHAT WILL BE, UH, A LONGER TERM STRATEGY OF HOW WE MIGHT ENGAGE WITH THE COMMISSION, WHAT INFORMATION WE CAN PROVIDE TO YOU, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN ALSO SHARE IT, UH, THROUGHOUT YOUR NET NETWORKS AS WELL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DO IS, UM, OUR MARKETING TEAM, UH, WILL BE PRESENT IF YOU DESIRE, AT THE RETREAT
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IN JANUARY.IS THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR TODAY? OKAY.
SO ON THE IN, WHEN WE HAVE THE RETREAT, THEY HAVE, UH, OFFERED THAT THEY WILL COME AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO SORT OF IDENTIFY SOME PRIORITIES AND GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU OVER, UM, THE OPPORTU OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS THE STRATEGIES, WHAT WE MIGHT IMPROVE, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
AND I, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THE EMAIL I SENT SINCE THIS WAS ON THE AGENDA CAN NOW BE SENT BY MIGUEL TO EVERYONE, JUST SO YOU GUYS KNOW.
LIKE, I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SEND THAT TO Y'ALL, SO I DIDN'T, BUT I THINK SOME OF Y'ALL DIDN'T, HAVEN'T READ ALL OF IT, SO I CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS SENT TO EVERYONE.
IT'S JUST FOR WALKING FORUM REASONS COULDN'T OR FOR, ANYWAY.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR COMMENTS, YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, LET'S GO ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER SIX.
AND FOR THIS ITEM WE'RE GOING TO TABLE IT FOR A FUTURE DATE.
UH, IT IS A, UH, WE WANT A PRESENTATION ON THE RIVER PARK DEVELOPMENT.
IT IS NOT A DISCUSSION, UH, ITEM.
AND SO HAVE TO TABLE THAT FOR A FUTURE DATE.
UM, SO WE'LL GO ON TO NUMBER SEVEN.
[7.Discussion on CDC Staff Retreat and adoption of date and time. Discussion led by Vice Chair Jenny Achilles. ]
A DISCUSSION ON THE CDC STAFF RETREAT, UH, ADOPTION OF A DATE AND TIME.I THINK, UH, NEFERTITI MENTIONED IT, BUT, UH, COMMISSIONER ES, VICE CHAIR ACHILLES, IT'S GOING TO, UM, LEAD US ON THAT.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO LEAD THAT ONE IF YOU WANT.
THAT WAS NOT AN INTENTIONAL PUTTING ME CHARGE OF, UM, 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A DATE.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING AND I'M NOT, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT POLL? THE DATE THAT MIGUEL SHARED WITH ME IS JANUARY THE 24TH, I BELIEVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, BASED ON THE DOODLE POLL, THAT WAS THE HIGHEST RESPONSE.
AND SO THAT'S THE DATE THAT WE ARE PUTTING FORWARD.
AND WE'RE THINKING, UH, THE TIMES WERE NINE TO THREE.
IS THAT WHAT WE, WE HAD NINE TO NINE TO THREE, AND WE CAN CHANGE THAT, BUT IT IS NINE TO THREE WHAT WE HAD PROPOSED.
IN CREATING AND SETTING THE AGENDA, IS THAT COMING FROM YOU ALL OR DO WE HAVE ANY INPUT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON AN AGENDA FOR THAT DAY? CORRECT.
SO I WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR AND, BUT IT WAS BASED ON INPUT THAT YOU GUYS HAD PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED.
THAT'S HOW WE ESTABLISHED THE AGENDA.
SO THERE IS TIME TO CHANGE, I THINK.
UM, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO MOVE SOME THINGS AND I WOULD NEED TO DISCUSS.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'RE GONNA SET THE AGENDA.
I'M JUST THINKING IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE.
BUT IT WOULD LOOK VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE PREVIOUSLY HAD.
I DON'T REALLY ANTICIPATE CHANGING ANYTHING, BUT THEN I WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT IF WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE, UH, MARKETING AND OUTREACH.
I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE UP.
SO YEAH, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DISCUSS.
AND I'M WORKING TO PULL UP THE AGENDA RIGHT NOW SINCE THIS IS AN ITEM TODAY, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
THAT WAS MY MY QUESTION BECAUSE I'M, I'M THINKING AHEAD IN TERMS OF THE STRATEGY WORKING GROUP.
IF THERE ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS THAT AT LEAST WE HAD FROM OUR FIRST MEETING, THAT COULD ABSOLUTELY TRANSITION INTO A TALKING POINT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE RETREAT.
I THINK, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE AGENDA IN FRONT OF ME, SO THANK YOU WORKING ON IT.
UH, VICE CHAIR, ACHILLES, BUT I THINK THERE MIGHT BE ONE OR TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE SOME CHANGES.
I THINK ONE WAS, IF YOU GUYS ARE OKAY WITH IT, I WAS GOING TO DISCUSS SORT OF YOUR, UM, SPHERE OF INFLUENCE AND WHAT THINGS YOU GUYS COULD IMPACT.
I SORT OF ALREADY DID THAT, UH, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, SO I THINK WE CAN SCRATCH THAT OUT.
UM, BUT I WOULD, I I I, I'M SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A QUICK REVISIT OF THAT, A QUICK RECAP.
UM, IF THERE'S ANY SPACE FOR THAT, BECAUSE THAT IS A COMPONENT OF THE STRATEGY WORKING GROUP IS DISCUSSING THAT COMPONENT AS WELL.
SO WHEN WE MEET THEN OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE IN EARLY JANUARY, UH, WITH
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STAFF AND THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.I THINK IF YOU CAN SHARE WITH THEM, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY ROOM TO MAKE A LOT OF CHANGES.
I WILL SAY THAT IT'S PRETTY MUCH ALREADY SET.
WE WILL SEND THE, I WORK WITH MIGUEL AND UH, LORENA TO SEND OUT THE DRAFT AGENDA AND THEN YOU GUYS CAN GIVE US INPUT IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE CHANGE.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A QUICK TURNAROUND.
SO I CAN ALSO REAL QUICK RUN FOLKS THROUGH.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S COMING, ESPECIALLY THE FOLKS WHO DON'T HAVE EMAIL YET,
THAT'S THE BIGGEST NEWS OF THE YEAR.
UM, SO REAL QUICK, WE HAD A, A JUST WELCOMES THEN WE HAD, UM, GETTING TO KNOW EACH, AND THIS IS AN OLD AGENDA THAT I'VE GOT IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, I CANNOT FIND THE LATEST ONE.
UM, BUT WE, IT INCLUDED AN ICEBREAKER, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
I KNOW COMMISSIONER LYRIC HAD, UM, HAD SOME SPECIFIC REQUESTS THERE.
ALSO, AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT THE, TO NEFERTITI'S POINT, OUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE.
AND THEN WE HAD, I KNOW WE HAD AN ACTIVITY AROUND ESTABLISHING GOALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO WHEN WE WILL GET THIS TO YOU BECAUSE BASED ON THE STRATEGY WORK GROUP, YOU COULD CHANGE SORT OF SOME OF THE FRAMING.
SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST POINT WHERE IT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE SOME INPUT IS, IS ANY REVISIONS TO SORT OF THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR WAY WE WANTED TO HANDLE THAT.
UM, STRATEGY PRIORITIZATION, UM, WORK BREAKOUT SESSION.
UM, AND, AND ALSO JUST TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER COMPLICATIONS.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE OF ONE, THIS NEEDS TO BE POSTED, SO I KIND OF WANT TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHAT THAT DATE IS.
I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU THAT DATE.
I'M NOT LOOKING AT A CALENDAR.
IT WOULD BE THREE BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THAT DATE.
SO IF IT'S THE 21ST, THAT'S THE 21ST.
AND THAT WEDNESDAY WE WOULD SHOOT TO POST IT ON THAT TUESDAY.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S IN THE RECORD THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY TUESDAY, JANUARY 20TH.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, WE HAVE NEVER HAD QUORUM.
I, I NEED YOU GUYS TO UNDERSTAND THAT BOTH THINGS HAVE BEEN TRUE AT THE SAME TIME.
THE FAILURE TO GET THE AGENDA POSTED IN A TIMELY MANNER AND THE LACK OF QUORUM THREE TIMES.
CAN YOU CLARIFY, THE QUORUM IS IN PERSON, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THE ADVANCE CONFIRMATION OF ATTENDANCE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN BY QUORUM? OR BOTH? BOTH.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING, UH, YOU HAVE PROVIDED A RESPONSE TO, UH, STAFF TO LET US KNOW.
UH, LORENA KEEPS TRACK OF EVERYONE WHO HAVE CONFIRMED THEIR ATTENDANCE.
THE VERY FIRST ONE PEOPLE HAD, AND SOME OF YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THAT.
WE HAD PEOPLE SAY, BUT ON THE DAY OF ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, WERE NOT PRESENT, RIGHT? SO BOTH THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN.
NO, WE REALLY COULDN'T DISCUSS ANY, YEAH.
SO, YES, SO PLEASE, UH, AS COMMISSIONER, YEAH, UH, KEEP UP WITH YOUR EMAILS, KEEP UP WITH YOUR CALENDAR, UH, LET US KNOW IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES.
AND YEAH, UM, IF YOU CAN PLEASE BLOCK THAT TIME, UH, ON YOUR CALENDARS.
AND, UH, ALSO, YEAH, GREAT NEWS.
UH, COMMISSIONER MENARD HAS HER EMAIL NOW.
IF YOU DO NOT, PLEASE, UM, REACH OUT TO MIGUEL, UH, AND GET SOME, UH, ASSISTANCE IN SETTING UP YOUR EMAIL AND GETTING THAT SO THAT YOU CAN GET ALL THE UPDATES.
I, I DID WANNA KNOW IF FOR ANY REASON WE GET TOO CLOSE TO THE 24TH AND WE ARE NOT GONNA MAKE QUORUM, I THINK WE WOULD ALSO LOVE TO KNOW THAT THE SECOND WE FIND OUT, BECAUSE WE WOULD LOVE THE CHANCE TO TRY TO TEXT PEOPLE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THOSE ARE LEVERS Y'ALL DON'T HAVE,
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BUT WE DO.AND SO WE WOULD REALLY, REALLY LOVE TO THE VERY SECOND, UM, TO KNOW WHO WE, HOW WE NEED TO TEXT.
'CAUSE SOME, SOME, THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MISUNDERSTANDING, THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE TWEAKED.
I KNOW LAST TIME, THE VERY FIRST TIME WE ALMOST MADE IT BECAUSE ONE COMMISSIONER DID COMPLETELY CHANGE HER PLANS AND SHOW UP.
UM, SO WE STILL DIDN'T MAKE IT.
AND I DID FIND THE AGENDA
AND IT WAS STARTING WITH THE WELCOME, STARTING WITH THE THEN 30 MINUTE ICEBREAKER, 15 MINUTE LEVEL SETTING, UM, FOR AN HOUR.
WHAT IS THE CDC C'S ROLE AND PURPOSE? UM, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE OUR REQUIREMENTS? WHAT ARE WE ABLE TO DO? HOW DO WE DO IT? UM, IT'S POSSIBLE IF THAT, WE COULD SHORTEN THAT IF IT'S MORE OF A REVIEW.
BUT WE HAD AN HOUR FOR IT ORIGINALLY.
THEN WE HAD AN HOUR, AN HOUR OF ESTABLISHING FY 25 GOALS.
SO DISCUSSION OF TOP POLICY PRIORITIES AND DISCUSSION ON PROCESS FOR ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS.
THEN A 30 MINUTE BREAK, AND THEN WE WOULD COME BACK WITH AN ACTIVITY TO ALIGN AND NARROW THOSE PRIORITIES.
AND THEN WE HAD A CLOSE OUT A REVIEW OF THE GOALS AND GENERAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO, TO LOOP, UM, TO LOOP OTHER FOLKS IN FOR, FOR TALKING ABOUT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED IT, BUT WHAT IS THE TIME? I HAVE IT ON MY CALENDAR, BUT WHAT'S THE TIME FOR THE 24TH? UH, WE HAVE 9:00 AM TO 3:00 PM OKAY.
IT THE E IS IT VIA EMAIL? IS IT LIKE A CALENDAR INVITE? WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ACCEPTING OR LIKE A REPLY ALL I JUST, I, I CAN'T, I THINK I RECEIVED AN EMAIL AND I THOUGHT I JUST WAS SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT IT, BUT MAYBE I WAS SUPPOSED TO ALSO REPLY TO SOMEONE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOTED.
SO I JUST WASN'T SURE, LIKE IF THERE'S MULTIPLE OR IF THERE'S JUST NOTHING THING.
NO, UH, WE'RE GONNA, AFTER WE VOTE ON IT TONIGHT, THEN THIS WEEK WE CAN SEND THE CALENDAR INVITE, BUT NO CALENDAR INVITE HAS BEEN SENT TODAY.
BUT ALL I NEED TO DO IS SET THE CALENDAR INVITE.
UH, I AND, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, ACCEPT THE CALENDAR INVITE, AND THEN AS WE GET CLOSER, YOU WILL FOLLOW UP.
IF YOU ACCEPT THE CALENDAR INVITE, THAT WOULD BE CONFIRMATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ATTEND.
RIGHT? IF YOU HIT DECLINE, WE WILL KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT CONFIRMED OR, AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP.
IF SO, DOES THAT WORK FOR YOU GUYS OR NO? ARE ARE YOU ASKING FOR, I DON'T WANNA FLOOD YOU GUYS WITH A LOT OF EMAILS AND SAY, ACCEPT THE CALENDAR INVITE, THEN SEND AN EMAIL IF, IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH JUST ACCEPTING IT YES.
THAT YOU WILL ATTEND AND THEN WE WE'LL FOLLOW UP.
AND, UM, THE WEEK BEFORE, WE CAN SEND CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, UH, NOTIFICATIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT, UH, THE ATTENDANCE, UH, CONFIRMATIONS ARE.
AND ALSO IF, YEAH, IF SOMEBODY DECLINES AND YOU CAN LET US KNOW WHO HAS, OKAY.
THE ONLY ITEM I HAVE OR QUESTION I HAVE IS WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH THE MARKETING AND OUTREACH STRATEGY? DO WE WANT TO, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AT A WORKING GROUP? COULD WE SPLIT THAT NEFERTITI'S ORIGINAL HOUR TO 30 AND 30? WE CAN DO THAT.
SINCE, SINCE SO MUCH OF WHAT WE DO, IS THAT
OR WE, ARE WE VOTING ON, ON SOMETHING OR? YES.
ARE WE, JUST TO CLARIFY, WE'RE VOTING ON THE DATE.
UM, SO LET ME, YEAH, LET ME, SO, UM, FOR OUR CDC STAFF RETREAT, UH, WE HAVE IT FOR JANUARY 24TH, SATURDAY, JANUARY 24TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 3:00 PM.
UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THAT.
DOES SOMEBODY MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, HOLD ON A SECOND.
I, I STILL HAVE LIKE SOMETHING TO DISCUSS REALLY QUICK.
AND OTHERWISE I CAN MAKE A MOTION.
BUT ANYWAYS, UM, AS FAR AS LIKE THE RETREAT GOES, I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE, STUFF ON THE AGENDA, BUT LIKE THE PREVIOUS ONE THAT I ATTENDED, ROBERT'S RULES WAS SO HELPFUL TO ME.
UM, I ALSO ENJOYED, UM, UM, ANKI EXPERT, UH, PRESENTATION ON, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING SOURCES.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL TO KNOW.
FED FUNDING, STATE FUNDING, CITY FUNDING, DIFFERENTIATING THAT STUFF, AND MAYBE UPDATES FROM LIKE A WORKING GROUP
[02:00:01]
STRATEGY OR FEDERAL FUNDING OR HOUSING OR WHATEVER.BUT ANYWAYS, UM, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
BUT OTHERWISE, LIKE, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE TIME AND DATE FOR THE CDC STAFF RETREAT FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 24TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 3:00 PM THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER LAGUARDIA? UH, DOES SOMEBODY SECOND THAT MOTION? I'LL SECOND IT.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION? UH, YES.
COMMISSIONER MENARD, DO WE WANT TO ADD THE POSTING DATE OF JANUARY 20TH TO THE MOTION? TO THE MOTION? OKAY.
UH, WILL YOU, HOW WOULD YOU WANNA WORD THAT? IT WOULD JUST, WE COULD JUST, UM, ADD THAT WE MOVE THAT WE WILL SET A DATE FOR THE, THE RETREAT ON JANUARY 24TH, UH, WITH THE AGENDA TO BE POSTED ON JANUARY 20TH.
IS THAT, IS THAT WORKING? DOES THAT COUNT WORKING DAYS? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT'S, IT DOES.
SO, UM, SO WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON NOW IS, UH, OUR RETREAT SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 24TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 3:00 PM WITH THE, CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? WITH THE AGENDA BEING POSTED BY THE, ON OR BEFORE OR BEFORE THE JANUARY 20TH WITH THE AGENDA BEING POSTED ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 20TH.
DO WE NEED ANY MOTION FOR THAT? YES.
SO, UH, IF EVERYBODY AGREES OR WE'RE GONNA TAKE A VOTE, UH, IF YOU'RE ON CAMERA, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA SO THAT YOU CAN VOTE FOR THAT.
UM, THE DATE, THE TIME WITH THE ADDITION THAT THE AGENDA MUST BE POSTED ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 20TH.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT CLOSES OUT OUR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, UH, ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
[8.Update from the CDC Elections and Onboarding Working Group and possible adoption of recommendation. Discussion led by Chair Noe Elias. ]
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.UH, WE WILL ALSO BE TABLING FOR A FUTURE DATE.
UH, IT WAS GOING TO BE AN, UH, AN UPDATE ON CDC ELECTIONS AND ONBOARDING WORKING GROUP.
UH, WE ARE CLOSING OUT THAT WORKING GROUP, UH, BY, UH, PRESENTING A RECOMMENDATION ON ELECTIONS.
BUT JUST AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED, UH, TIMELINESS, UH, BEING INFORMED AND ALL OF THAT, UM, I WANNA APOLOGIZE TO ANIL AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE, OR ME, AS SHE DID NOT GIVE ENOUGH TIME FOR, UM, ANIL TO REVIEW THIS RECOMMENDATION TO LOOK AT IT.
UH, AND SO SINCE I, IT'S NOT A TIMELY MANNER, UH, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
IT DOESN'T, UM, IT'S NOT, THERE AREN'T ANY ELECTIONS COMING UP.
SO, UH, WE WILL TABLE THAT FOR A FUTURE DATE AND GIVE ENOUGH TIME FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO LOOK AT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND GIVE US FEEDBACK AS WELL.
UM, IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT? ALL RIGHT.
SO SINCE WE'RE TABLING ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WE GO ON TO
[9. Update regarding the recent activities of the CDC Strategy Working Group. Discussion led by Vice Chair Jenny Achilles.]
ITEM NUMBER NINE.WE HAVE BEEN AN UPDATE REGARDING THE RECENT ACTIVITIES OF THE CDC STRATEGY WORKING GROUP.
AND THIS DISCUSSION IS NOT BEING LED BY VICE CHAIR
ACHILLES IS BEING LED BY COMMISSIONER TISHA, GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR ELIA.
VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE STRATEGY WORKING GROUP COMING TOGETHER, UM, BEING ABLE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN MOVING FORWARD.
BUT JUST FOR, UM, FOR TIME SAKE,
UH, BUT THEN WE HAVE OUR PURPOSE, WHICH IS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUSED, AND IT'S LOOKING AT THE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT FEEDBACK.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DISCUSS FEEDBACK LOOPS.
HOW ARE WE PROVIDING INFORMATION? HOW ARE WE GATHERING INFORMATION? AND WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THAT INFORMATION AS
[02:05:01]
WE CONTINUE OUR AGENDAS AND OUR CONVERSATION TOPICS, DISCUSSION TOPICS MOVING FORWARD? SO THAT BEING SAID, OUR OBJECTIVES, UH, MAINLY ARE TO CLARIFY THE NARRATIVES AS YOU SEE THAT IS LISTED HERE, LOOKING AT THOSE PRIORITIES, UM, EXPANDING THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN DOING HERE IN OUR MEETINGS AND TAKING THOSE OUTSIDE.SO IF WE NEED TO HAVE FURTHER INVESTIGATION, FURTHER CONVERSATION, NOT ONLY FOR MATTERS OF TIMELINESS, BUT ALSO FOR MATTERS OF A DEEPER, UM, UNDERSTANDING OR DEEPER REFLECTION OF THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC.
AND THEN ALSO TO LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT APPROACHES WE CAN TAKE TOWARDS OUR COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANTS AS WE HAVE THE DIFFERENT VARIATIONS.
AND AS COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, UM, BRINGING UP HOW WE CAN LOOK AT THE PRIORITIES THAT EXIST THERE.
SO LOOKING AT OVERLAP ACROSS THE MANY DIFFERENT, UM, PRIORITIES THAT EXIST AS WELL.
SO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPROACHES, UM, CONTINUING THE OBJECTIVES.
WE ALSO WANT TO LOOK AT HOW ARE WE SHAPING AND INFLUENCING DECISION MAKING HERE IN THE CITY WITH STAFF OFFICIALS, UM, OF COURSE, THE, THE, THE COUNCIL MAYOR, UH, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT THEN MAKE DECISIONS THAT IMPACT THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE REPRESENT.
SO HOW DO WE INTERPRET AND GENERATE THE TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS? WE'VE ALREADY DONE A FEW OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS A CDC, BUT WITH THE STRATEGIC WORKING GROUP, WE CAN DIVE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, WE CAN EXPAND A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, REFINE IF NEED BE, OR EVEN BRING IN NEW RECOMMENDATIONS AND TOPICS THAT ARE OF IMPORTANCE TO THE CDC.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE LAST PIECE I'LL JUST REITERATE, HOW DO WE INFORM AND INFLUENCE SORT OF THESE LEGISLATIVE CONSIDERATIONS? UH, THE DECISION MAKING THAT IS MADE BY CITY COUNCIL AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HOW CAN WE HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT? AND ONE EXAMPLE IS THE BUDGET, THE MOST RECENT AMENDED BUDGET.
IF YOU LOOK HERE, THIS IS A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE CATEGORIES THAT THE CITY PROVIDES AND SOME OF THE PRIORITIES, THE CATEGORIES, UH, THAT WE HAD EXPRESSED IN THE STRATEGY WORKING GROUP, AS WELL AS IN THE PREVIOUS CDC MEETING.
UH, WE LOOKED AT HOUSING, LOOKING AT THE HOMELESSNESS, UM, ISSUES.
WE ARE LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION, WE'RE LOOKING AT EMERGENCY SERVICES, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, UM, RENTAL, RENTAL, RAPID REHOUSING, RENTAL NEEDS.
BUT WHY I PICK QUESTION MARKS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO AND THAT WE DID DO IN OUR WORKING GROUP IS WHERE DOES TRANSPORTATION EXIST IN THESE CATEGORIES? SO IT HELPS US BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY IF PRIORITIES THAT ARE PRIORITIES TO COMMUNITIES OF THE POOR HERE IN AUSTIN.
ALSO ALIGN WITH CATEGORIES AND PRIORITIES WITHIN THE CITY, WITHIN AMONGST CITY DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE CAN DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER.
WE CAN RECOGNIZE THAT TRANSPORTATION AND THE FUNDING LINE FOR TRANSPORTATION MIGHT EXIST IN PLANNING, OR IT MIGHT EXIST IN SOME OTHER PLACES.
BUT TO THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL, LOOKING AT THESE CATEGORIES, WHERE DOES THEIR PRIORITY EXIST? WHICH THEN BEGS THE QUESTION OF THE COMMUNITIES OF THE POOR, THE LARGER COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN, WHERE DO THEY EXIST HERE IN THE CITY OF THEIR IMPORTANCE OF THEIR PRIORITY? SO THEN IT LEADS TO THE OUTPUTS AND WHAT WE WILL PROVIDE AS A WORKING GROUP AND CONTINUOUS AS A WORKING GROUP.
UM, HOW DO WE WANT TO LOOK AT CONVERSATIONS? AND VICE CHAIR ACHILLES BROUGHT THIS UP REALLY, UM, BEAUTIFULLY IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS OF HOW CAN, HOW CAN WE SHAPE THINGS MORE? HOW CAN WE, UH, UTILIZE THE DATA OR THE DATA THAT'S GIVEN TO US, OR HOW CAN WE PROVIDE INPUT? UM, SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF OUR PLACE AND HOW CAN WE MOVE THE NEEDLE, UH, TO WHAT COMMISSIONER LONGORIA WAS TALKING ABOUT? IT'S JUST A CHECKBOX IS PEOPLE SAYING, WELL, WE, WE SENT THE INFORMATION TO CDC, SO WE CHECK THE BOX.
WE DON'T NEED TO INVEST ANYMORE OR DO ANYTHING BEYOND.
I WOULD LIKE US TO EXIST MORE AS AN ACTIVE GROUP, AS VICE CHAIR ACHILLES WAS MENTIONING, AND MORE INSTEAD OF A PASSIVE GROUP FOR, UM, PASSIVE UNDERSTANDING OR PASSIVE CONSIDERATION.
BUT WE TRULY ARE HELPING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE.
AND SO THIS, THE LAST TWO POINTS HERE IS LOOKING AT WHAT IS IMPORTANT.
SO WE'RE CODIFYING THE IMPORTANCE, WE ARE PRIORITIZING THE PRIORITIES OF COMMUNITIES OF THE POOR HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND THEN THE LAST PART ARE THESE FEEDBACK FRAMEWORKS.
SO WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS WE'RE ASKING? WHAT IS THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT WE ARE REQUESTING AND THEN THE INFORMATION THAT WE ARE NEEDING OR THAT WE'RE HEARING ON THE GROUND THAT WE THEN COME BACK AND HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS AND DISCUSSION.
SO IN A NUTSHELL, THAT'S WHAT STRATEGY WORKING GROUP IS GOING TO BE DOING.
[02:10:01]
UM, AND HELPING TO FURTHER ADVANCE, MOVING THE NEEDLE OF CDCS INFLUENCE, UM, BEYOND JUST AN ADVISORY BOARD, BUT TRULY AN ACTION BODY HERE IN THE CITY.THAT WAS GREAT,
UM, YEAH, SO, UM, YEAH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING ALONG WITH THIS WORKING GROUP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, TO ALL THE MEMBERS.
UM, YEAH, THIS IS GREAT, AND THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT.
I FORGOT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE MEMBERS.
UM, BUT CAN WE JUST QUICKLY PUT THAT UP THERE IN ALL THE MEMBERS THAT ARE A PART OF THE STRATEGY WORKING GROUP? I'M SO SORRY, I FORGOT TO, TO POST THAT.
JUST SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT'S ON THE RECORD BECAUSE IT IS IN THE DOCUMENT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR APPROACH, UM, DOCUMENT THAT'S INCLUDED IN OUR PACKET JUST REITERATES, UM, ALL THE, THE COMPONENTS THAT I ALREADY WENT OVER.
AND THEN I'LL JUST ADVANCE THROUGH IT REALLY QUICKLY, OR YOU CAN, IT'S THE LAST ONE.
SO SHOUT OUT TO OUR CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE STRATEGY WORKING GROUP.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT AND INSIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, COMMISSIONER TISHA FOR YOUR UPDATE AND YOUR GUIDANCE ON ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE PLANNING AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
UH, WE ARE, THAT WAS ITEM NUMBER NINE.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ON TO OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? REMEMBER, UM, WHEN WE, UH, PRESENT SOMETHING FOR OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, STAFF KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT PRESENTATION WE WANT, UH, THEY WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.THERE IS A FORM AS WELL, UH, THAT YOU CAN FILL OUT THAT YOU SHOULD FILL OUT TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AND BE ABLE TO REACH THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND LET THEM KNOW, UH, WHAT, UH, WE WANT FROM THEM, WHAT QUESTIONS WE HAVE FROM THEM.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
WELL, I MEAN, IF, IF YOU HAVEN'T INCLUDED IT ALREADY, THE, THE CIS FUNDING PROGRAMS, THAT'S NEWS, THAT'S SHOCKING TO ME.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY IT WAS PAUSED.
UM, WHAT ARE THE METRICS THAT THE CITY IS USING? YOU KNOW, THEY REFERENCE KIND OF LIKE ALIGNMENT OR GOALS, LIKE, I WANNA KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
UH, I DID HAVE THAT ON MY LIST HERE.
AND, UH, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, WE CAN ALSO GET UPDATES ON THE AD CAP PROGRAM THAT WE HAD A RECOMMENDATION FOR.
UH, SO IF WE CAN GET A PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON THAT.
UM, ANY OTHER ITEMS, COMMISSIONER TISHA? UH, ABSOLUTELY TO ADD TO WHAT YOU WERE DESCRIBING WITH THE AD CAP AND, UM, A GROUP THAT WAS HERE TODAY DISCUSSING THE EQUITY OVERLAY, IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER UPDATES, IF IT CAN JUST MAYBE BE A LITTLE BIT OF A STANDING ITEM TYPE OF THING TO SEE IF THEY, IF THEY HAVE RECEIVED ANY KIND OF CONCLUSIVE DATA THAT THEY'VE, THEY'VE GATHERED, ESPECIALLY FROM THAT CONSULTING GROUP.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER ITEM IS, THIS GOES WAY BACK TO WHAT I WAS FIRST ON, FIRST ON HERE, AND I ASKED ABOUT A SURVEY I SAW ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT WAS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY.
IT'S BACK AND IT'S THE GROUP IS, IT SAYS ETC INSTITUTE.
HOWEVER, THERE'S A CAVEAT IN THE LANGUAGE AND IT SAYS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO REACH OUT TO BUDGET AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE.
SO I DID, I CALLED THE NUMBER AND THE NUMBER REDIRECTED ME AND SAID, THIS NUMBER DOES NOT EXIST.
SO COME TO FIND OUT, I WENT AND I CALLED THE OTHER NUMBER, REDIRECTED ME TO 3 1 1.
SO I SPOKE TO A 3 1, 1 INDIVIDUAL, WHICH THANK GOODNESS THIS PERSON IS A DETECTIVE INVESTIGATOR AND WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY THAT IT'S FROM FINANCIAL SERVICES.
SO A DIRECT ASK IF IT CAN BE INVESTIGATED FOR THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY FROM FINANCIAL SERVICES.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT'S LISTED, BUT THE EXACT LANGUAGE SAYS BUDGET AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN TERMS OF ANY UPDATES OR WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIND, UM, OR WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY DISCOVERED, EXCUSE
[02:15:01]
ME, IN THIS COMMUNITY SURVEY.IS THAT ENOUGH INFO? IS THAT ENOUGH INFO FOR THE ITEM FORM? FOR SURE.
UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, UH, TRICE, GO AHEAD.
UM, JUST CHECKING TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY PENDING BONDS FOR COLONY PARK AND ANY SUPPORT FROM ALSO PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE LIBRARIES.
DID YOU GET THAT QUESTIONS? NO.
CAN YOU PLEASE CLARIFY? I'M SORRY.
TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THERE ARE ANY PENDING BONDS FOR 2026.
UM, AND THIS IS MORE SO IN, UH, COMMUNICATION FOR COLONY PARK.
UM, AND JUST TRYING TO SEE ABOUT ANY SUPPORT THAT WE WOULD BE GIVEN FOR, UM, FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OR THE LIBRARIES, CONSIDERING THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IS TO HAVE A LIBRARY IN THE 208 ACRES.
SO THE BOND COMMITTEE HAS NOT PROVIDED THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHAT WILL BE FUND FUNDED, WHAT THE FUTURE BOND HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME.
SO I WOULD NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION OR PERSON TO BRING TO YOU.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING THE PRIORITIES THAT WOULD GO ON THE BOND ELECTION.
I, IF I COULD REFER YOU TO THE COLONY PARK CORE TEAM, UM, EBONY, IF YOU WOULD EMAIL ME OR, UM, THEY HAVE SOME, UM, BECAUSE I WAS, UH, REGARDING THE LIBRARIES AND SOME OTHER THINGS, I, I WOULD YOU LIKE THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE, THEY'RE THE QUESTION ANSWERS.
UH, IF YOU EMAIL ME, THEN I, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANYTHING ELSE WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD? UH, COMMISSIONER MARTINEZ.
UM, SO THE, UM, SANTA RITA COURTS PROJECT, UM, SO JUST BASICALLY WHERE ARE THEY AT WITH THAT? UM, IS THERE A TIMELINE? WHERE ON THE TIMELINE ARE THEY, UM, HAVE RESIDENTS BEGUN TO MOVE OUT OR WHEN UM, ARE THEY GONNA START MOVING OUT? JUST AN UPDATE ON THE, UM, SANTA RITA COURTS PROJECT.
UH, YEAH, IF WE CAN GET AN UPDATE ON THE SANTA RITA COURT, UH, REDEVELOPMENT.
UH, AND A QUESTION ON THAT, I HAVE THAT ON ANOTHER LIST AS WELL FOR, THERE WAS A TOUR, WAS IT FOR SANTA RITA COURTS OR WAS IT FOR ANOTHER ONE? IT WAS SANTA RITA COURTS AND A TOUR IS REQUESTED.
ANY OTHER, UH, ITEMS? COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
REMEMBER IF YOU HAVE AN ITEM, UM, THAT YOU HAVEN'T BROUGHT UP, YOU CAN ALWAYS, UH, EMAIL STAFF AND THEN, UH, FILL OUT THAT FORM AS WELL, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN KNOW WHAT, UH, TO BRING TO OUR, OUR MEETINGS.
IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, UH, PLEASE HAVE A GREAT NIGHT.
THIS IS, UH, IT IS 8 52 AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.