[CALL TO ORDER]
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TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE 2026 BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, 2025 AT TWO OH THREE.
NICOLE, WILL YOU CALL OUR ROLE MARY HAGER? PRESENT? FRANCIS JORDAN.
WERE YOU ABLE TO GET, UM, BOARD MEMBER CONLEY AS WELL? YES.
NO, WE GOT IT TECHNICALLY NOW WEBEX, SO, OKAY, GREAT.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.WE'RE GONNA START WITH OUR, UH, REMOTE SPEAKER, DONELLE MCCASKILL.
MY NAME IS DONELLE MCCASKILL AND I'VE SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN CELTIC FESTIVAL FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AS WELL AS, UH, DIRECTOR ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE AUSTIN CELTIC ASSOCIATION.
AND I'VE BEEN PROJECT MANAGER ON SEVERAL EVENTS IN AUSTIN, UM, BASED ON THE CULTURE OF CELTIC GROUPS SUCH AS THE IRISH, THE SCOTCH, THE WELSH, AND OTHER CELTIC PEOPLES, UH, LIKE THE GALATIANS IN SPAIN, THE PEOPLES OF BRINEY AND FRANCE, THE ISLE OF MAN CORNWALL.
BUT THE LARGER GROUPS ARE THE IRISH SCOTS AND ULSTER SCOTS ARE, AS YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD THEM, REFERRED TO, UH, SCOTCH IRISH.
AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE RAISE THE STONE CAMPAIGN, BEGUN BY THE AUSTIN CELTIC ASSOCIATION AND ARE OVER 20,000 SUPPORTERS TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER, UH, RECOMMENDING A CELTIC CULTURAL CENTER AS PART OF THE UPCOMING BOND ELECTION AS A FORWARD-LOOKING CULTURAL INVESTMENT.
UM, THIS WOULD NOT JUST BENEFIT AUSTIN, BUT OUR TOURIST INDUSTRY, ACCORDING TO US CENSUS DATA, MORE THAN 1 MILLION TEXANS IDENTIFY AS HAVING IRISH OR SCOTTISH ANCESTRY WITH CENTRAL TEXAS REPRESENTING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THAT POPULATION.
UH, THESE COMMUNITIES HELP SHAPE EARLY SETTLEMENT, MILITARY SERVICE, EDUCATION, CULTURAL TRADITIONS, TRADITIONS ACROSS THE STATE.
UH, YET DESPITE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF ACTIVITY IN AUSTIN'S, UH, ART SCENE, THERE IS CURRENTLY NO PERMANENT PUBLIC FACILITY DEDICATED TO CELTIC CULTURE.
UH, THE PROPOSED CENTER WOULD BE A MULTI-USE PUBLIC ACCESSIBLE FACILITY WITH PERFORMANCE SPACE, CLASSROOMS, MEETING ROOMS, EXHIBITION AREAS, AND THAT WOULD HELP PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, STABLE, AFFORDABLE SPACE FOR A LOT OF OUR LOCAL IRISH AND SCOTTISH ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF, LIKE THE AUSTIN CELTIC FESTIVAL.
NOW IN ITS 30TH YEAR, THE INDUSTRY IRISH DANCERS, THE SCOTTISH DANCE ALLIANCE, THE SILVER THISTLE PIPES AND DRUMS, LONE STAR CURLING, THE RENAISSANCE THEATER COMPANY, GAELIC FOOTBALL GROUPS, CONRAD NEGA, UM, AUSTIN IRISH BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.
UH, THIS CENTER WOULD ALSO DIRECTLY SERVE AUSTIN'S GROWING AGING POPULATION.
UH, BY 2030, NEARLY ONE IN FIVE AUSTINITES WILL BE OVER THE AGE OF 60 AND A CELTIC CENTER, ESPECIALLY WITH ITS FOCUS ON LOT OF GENEALOGY AND HERITAGE IS A GREAT PLACE TO SHARE INTERGENERATIONAL SPACE WITH OLDER ADULTS THAT CAN HELP PASS DOWN MUSIC, LANGUAGE AND HISTORY AND HELP ENGAGE YOUNGER GENERATIONS.
UM, SO I RESPECTFULLY URGE, UH, THE COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND THE CELTIC CULTURAL CENTER AS PART OF AUSTIN'S BOND PROGRAM.
I THINK THIS, IT WOULD BE A GREAT INVESTMENT IN CULTURE, TOURISM, AGING WELL AND INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNITY.
UH, SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE COMPILED INFORMATION ON BUDGET, PLANS OF ACTIONS, EXTENDED PURPOSES AND REASONS FOR THE CELTIC CENTER.
UH, AND THAT CAN ALL BE FOUND@AUSTINCELTICFESTIVAL.COM, ON THE CELTIC CENTER TAB.
AND WE DO PLAN ON EMAILING SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION TO YOU AND TO OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT ME AT AUSTIN CELTIC FESTIVAL@GMAIL.COM.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR IN-PERSON SPEAKERS, AND OUR FIRST ONE IS JIM RITZ.
[00:05:08]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.I'M JIM RITZ, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN THEATER ALLIANCE.
IS YOUR MICROPHONE ON JIM? IS YOUR MICROPHONE ON? I JUST WANNA BE SURE YOUR MICROPHONE'S ON.
I'M SO USED TO THEM HANDING THEM TO ME
THEY KNOW NEVER TO LET ME TURN ON OR TO TOUCH ANYTHING AT THE THEATERS.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SPENDING THE TIME, UH, WITH US HERE.
I, WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT IS A MA A HUGE PROJECT FOR THE AUSTIN THEATER ALLIANCE.
WHAT IS THE AUSTIN THEATER ALLIANCE? IT'S THE 110 YEAR OLD PARAMOUNT THEATER, THE 90-YEAR-OLD STATE THEATER AND THE MOON TOWER COMEDY FESTIVAL, WHICH IS NOW THE LARGEST ANNUAL COMEDY FESTIVAL IN, UH, NORTH AMERICA.
UM, WHAT WE, AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE IF WE CAN.
SO YOU UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE IN TERMS OF ECONOMICALLY.
WE PRODUCED OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS, ACTUALLY, I SHOULD SAY, THROUGH NEW YEAR'S EVE OF THIS YEAR, 570 EVENTS, WE WELCOMED OVER 290,000 PEOPLE, UH, INTO OUR THEATER DOORS.
WE GENERATED BETWEEN 22 TO $25 MILLION IN DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
AND WE HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY ANCILLARY ECONOMIC IMPACT, UM, TO CONGRESS AVENUE BETWEEN SEVENTH AND 11TH.
AND I'LL SPEAK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT.
THE OTHER THING IS WE DRAMATICALLY IMPACT THE LIFE EVERY YEAR OF 30,000 SCHOOL CHILDREN.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE COMING INTO OUR THEATER, OR WE'RE GOING TO, THOSE SCHOOLS ARE ENTITLED ONE SCHOOLS.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN IN THE SILENT PHASE FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF WHAT WE CALL THE SHINE ON CAMPAIGN.
IT'S SIMPLY THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, THE ULTIMATE CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVE.
IT'S TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE THEATERS FOR THE NEXT A HUNDRED YEARS.
SO HOW DO WE DO THAT FIRST FULL, THE FIRST FULL RESTORATION OF THE PARAMOUNT THEATER IN THE LAST 50 YEARS, AND A COMPLETE RE-IMAGINING OF OUR SMALLER THEATER, THE STATE THEATER, UM, I, I'M GONNA TAKE YOU BACK FOR JUST ONE SECOND.
YOU SEE THE STATE AND THE PARAMOUNT THEATERS THERE.
AND, UH, YOU ALSO SEE A BUILDING THAT YOU CAN'T TELL BUT IS FOR SALE AND HAD BEEN ABANDONED FOR, UH, 11 YEARS NOW.
20 YEARS AT, AT, AT THIS POINT WHEN WE TOOK IT OVER, IN ORDER FOR US TO RESTORE BOTH OF THE THEATERS, WE HAD TO GET OUR PEOPLE OUT OUR FULL, WE HAVE ALMOST 70 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
WE HAD TO GET THEM OUT OF THE LITTLE WARRENS OF OFFICES UP AT THE TOP OF BOTH OF THOSE THEATERS.
SO WHERE WERE WE GONNA PUT THEM? SO WE, WE PURCHASED THAT BUILDING THAT SAT EMPTY.
UH, IT'S NOW THE 31 STORY, UM, HYATT CENTRIC HOTEL.
UH, WE HAVE NO EQUITY POSITION.
WE DO THOUGH HAVE A, A 99 YEAR LEASE AT A DOLLAR A YEAR ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, WHICH IS THAT FIRST FLOOR THAT JUTS OUT, UM, WHERE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO PUT ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES IN THERE.
SO LET'S GO FORWARD A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE WE DOING TO THE PARAMOUNT THEATER.
IT'S THE FIRST FULL RESTORATION SINCE 1979.
UH, WE'RE FOCUSING ON PATRON COMFORT FIRST, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING.
YES, WE ARE REPLACING ALL OF THE SEATS IN THE PARAMOUNT THEATER, WHICH IS THE MAJOR COMPLAINT.
THANK YOU T AND I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT, ABOUT IT.
UH, WE ARE UPGRADING EVERYTHING, EXPANDING OUR, EXPANDING OUR RESTROOMS, EXPANDING, UH, AND SO MANY PARTS ABOUT THIS.
WHY DON'T WE JUMP, IF WE WILL, WE'LL JUMP VERY FAR AHEAD AND GO THROUGH THIS.
WE'RE DOING ALL SORTS OF ARTISTIC THINGS.
THIS JUST GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE ARE ALSO, THIS, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS IN THE ORIGINAL 1915 PLANS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE, WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY CUT YOU OFF.
SO, AND WE'VE RAISED $27.6 MILLION, SO THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT,
NEXT WE HAVE KATIE ROBINSON AND AMANDA ALB.
I'M KATIE ROBINSON EDWARDS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CURATOR HERE AT THE UMOFF SCULPTURE GARDEN AND MUSEUM IN AUSTIN.
WE KNOW THAT THE LIST OF NEEDS GIVEN TO THE B-E-A-T-F ARE EXTRAORDINARY, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME IN THESE MEETINGS AND IN THE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS AND IN THE COMMUNITY SESSIONS, AND ESPECIALLY, UH, WHEN YOU'RE HEARING FROM THOSE WHO DID NOT MAKE THE CITY DEPARTMENTS LISTS.
WE ARE HERE TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE MOF,
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WHICH EXISTS BECAUSE OF A GIFT THAT RENOWNED SCULPTOR CHARLES MOF GAVE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN 1985.HIS FAMILY HOME, HIS ART STUDIO, THEIR LAND, AND HUNDREDS OF SCULPTURES.
HIS LIFE WORK WAS GIVEN TO THE CITY TO CARE FOR AND MAKE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND IT'S A RARE SORT OF SPACE TO FIND IN ANY COMMUNITY.
THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WAS FORMED TO BE CARETAKERS OF THIS CITY LAND AND ITS FACILITIES.
THE NONPROFIT DOES NOT OWN THESE ASSETS, BUT WE'VE BEEN TAKING CARE OF THEM FOR THREE DECADES.
WE ARE HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS PIECE OF HISTORY THAT NEEDS SUPPORT FROM ITS OWNERS.
THE UMOFF PAID FOR AND COMPLETED A VISION PLAN AS REQUESTED AND REQUIRED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO REALIZE THE UM, OFF'S ORIGINAL VISION WHEN THEY MADE THEIR 85 GIFT.
WHILE IT IS OUR REQUEST AND HOPE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL CONTRIBUTE ONE THIRD OF THE TOTAL COST TO REALIZE THIS VISION, OR 10.5 MILLION, SO THE UMOFF NONPROFIT CAN LEVERAGE THOSE FUNDS AND RAISE THE TOTAL OF 30.65 MILLION NEEDED.
WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEEDS OF THE CITY ARE VAST.
WE ASK THAT IF THE ORIGINAL REQUEST REMOVES US FROM THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING INCLUDED ON THE BOND WE WANNA TAKE TODAY TO SPECIFICALLY CONSIDER THE ACCESSIBILITY, STORMWATER, AND MANAGE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PIECES OF THE PLAN, WHICH TOTALS 3.5 MILLION.
THE UMOFF COMPLETED AN A DA COMPLIANCE ASSESSMENT WITH CONTOUR COLLECTIVE IN 2023.
HERE YOU SEE THE IDENTIFIED NON-COMPLIANT AREAS OF THE FACILITY, RESTROOMS, PARKING LOT, TRAILS, AND MOST OF CHARLES AND ANGELINE'S HOME, STUDIO AND GARDEN.
THE CITY FACILITIES WERE COMPLETED IN 1991 AND ARE NO LONGER COMPLIANT WITH A DA REGULATIONS.
THE MOF WAS INCLUDED IN A PARKS AND REC TRANSITION PLAN FOR THE 2018 BOND AND WAS LISTED AS A RECOMMENDED PROJECT FOR YEARS FOUR THROUGH 10 OF THAT PLAN, PARD RECEIVED 149 MILLION IN BOND FUNDING IN 2018, BUT THE UMOFF HAS YET TO RECEIVE CITY SUPPORT TO ADDRESS THESE CRITICAL A DA NEEDS.
THE CROSSWALK, WHICH IS AT CENTER, IS NOT EASILY IDENTIFIED.
CARS DON'T STOP FOR PEDESTRIANS, AND THERE WAS EVEN AN INCIDENT OF A CHILD BEING HIT BY A CAR BECAUSE OF THIS WAS NOT A NEWLAW EVENT.
WE ARE PROPOSING MOVING THE CROSSWALK AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE THAT VEHICLES PULL INTO, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH THE CITY TO MAKE THE CROSSWALK MORE VISIBLE, REQUIRING CARS TO STOP FOR PEDESTRIANS, THE MOF PARKING LOT DOES NOT HAVE A DA PARKING SPACES OR SLOPES THAT ARE COMPLIANT TO CURRENT STANDARDS.
HELLO, I'M AMANDA RECH, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT THE MOF.
PORTIONS OF THE PATHWAYS THROUGH THE SCULPTURE GARDEN HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS NON-COMPLIANT WITH A DA AS WELL.
AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, TRAILS ARE ALSO FREQUENTLY WASHED OUT BY STORM WATER FROM THE CITY OWNED BARTON BOULEVARD AND MAKE THE GARDEN UNSAFE FOR VISITORS FOR DAYS AFTER A RAIN EVENT.
THE UMLA HAS A PLAN TO CAPTURE THIS DESTRUCTIVE STORM WATER FROM BARTON BOULEVARD AND REUSE IT TO IRRIGATE THE GARDEN.
LASTLY, ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE SITE SITS TWO ACRES OF INACCESSIBLE GREEN SPACE.
WE KNOW THAT PARKLAND ACQUISITION IS A GOAL OF THE BOND.
THIS TWO ACRES IS ALREADY OWNED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT IT IS OVERGROWN WITH INVASIVE SPECIES AND OUTDATED STORM WATER FACILITIES.
THESE TWO ACRES COULD BE CLEANED UP AND BE A SITE FOR ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND A NATURAL REFUGE IN THE HEART OF AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
THE UMOFF WOULD WANT THIS SPACE TO BE SEPARATE FROM THE MUSEUM, NO ADMISSION REQUIRED AND FREE FOR ANYONE TO ACCESS IN ORDER TO RAISE THE $30 MILLION NEEDED TO SUSTAIN THIS FACILITY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
DONORS WANT TO SEE THE CITY'S BUY-IN FOR THEIR OWN FACILITY.
IF THE NONPROFIT SUDDENLY CEASED TO EXIST, THIS LAND, THESE FACILITIES, AND THIS NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES SITE WOULD BE LEFT TO THE CITY OF BOSTON TO MANAGE WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO FUNDRAISE AS THE NONPROFIT CAN.
THE OVERALL PROJECT THAT THE UMOFF IS TRYING TO COMPLETE ALIGNS WITH SEVERAL 2026 BOND PRIORITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE, STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, WATER CONSERVATION, ACCESSIBILITY, PUBLIC ACCESS TO MORE PARKLAND AND PRESERVING CITY FACILITIES.
AND THESE PROJECTS AREN'T JUST IDEAS.
THESE ARE CONCRETE PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING, INCLUDING BEING VETTED BY A RIGOROUS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT ALIGNS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PRACTICES.
THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE READY TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
WE KNOW THAT, UH, YOU HAVE BEEN PRESENTED WITH A UNIQUE AND DIFFICULT TASK FOR THIS PARTICULAR BOND.
TO END, I'D LIKE TO REFERENCE AN EXCERPT FROM CHARLES AND ANGELINE MLA'S, 1978 LETTER TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN REGARDING OUR GIFT.
IT IS OUR DESIRE THAT THIS PLACE, THIS PRECIOUS PIECE OF LAND AT 5 0 6 BARTON BOULEVARD AND ALL THAT IS, IS UPON IT BE USED IN THE FUTURE TO NURTURE THE LOVE OF LEARNING BEAUTY AND TRUTH,
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AND BE A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION TO OTHERS IN ITS CLOSENESS TO NATURE AND MANKIND AS IT HAS BEEN TO US.HERE, THEY SHALL BE REMOVED FROM NEARLY EVERY ASPECT OF MATERIALISM AND ITS DULLING EFFECT UPON A PERSON'S SENSIBILITY.
WE WANT IT TO REMAIN THE OASIS.
IT HAS BEEN TERMED FOR SEVERAL VISITORS, THE FEAST FOR THE EYES, AND THE SPIRIT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
WE HAVE SANTIAGO RAMIREZ SAYING YOUR NAME, NICE AND CLEAR.
HI, MY NAME IS SANTIAGO RAMIREZ.
I HAVE COME HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE ARE BEING STUPID ABOUT HOW WE TREAT OUR PLANET.
I THINK WE SHOULD SPEND MONEY ON FIGHTING CLIMATE TREES, LIKE, ON MAKING IT EASIER TO WALK BETTER BUILDINGS MADE OUT OF MODERN ABE, MORE CLEAN ENERGY LIKE SOLAR PANELS AND WIND, MORE TREES, MORE PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS.
I HOPE YOU LISTEN TO ME BECAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE TOWARDS THAT'S OUR PLANET.
AND A WHAT AND WITH NO PLANET, WE HAVE NO PLACE TO LIVE.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE SYLVIA OROZCO WITH TIME DONATED BY RICHARD GREEN, AMY ANDERSON, SARAH PALMA, AND MINDY RADKEY.
SO HOW DO I TURN THE SLIDES? GIMME JUST A SECOND.
I'LL HAVE IT ALL RIGHT, MA'AM.
AND YOU'RE JUST GONNA CLICK THIS BUTTON WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
YOU CAN, CAN YOU DO IT WHEN I SAY NEXT? MM-HMM.
MARTHA, CAN YOU PRESS THIS ONE WHEN I SAY NEXT? OKAY.
I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF MEXICO AT THE MUSEUM.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
THIS IS, UH, YOU'RE VERY DEDICATED AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
WE'RE HERE TO REQUEST THAT YOU, THE, UH, THE COMMITTEE, UH, RECOMMEND MEXICAN ART, THE MUSEUM BUILDING PROJECT PHASE TWO FOR THE, UH, 2006 BOND PACKAGE, UH, MEXICAN ART.
THE MUSEUM IS, UH, DEDICATED TO THE CULTURE ENRICHMENT EDUCATION THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND PROMOTION OF TRADITIONAL CONTEMPORARY MEXICAN, LATINO, AND LATIN AMERICAN ART AND CULTURE.
THE MUSEUM WAS FOUNDED IN 1984.
IN 1984, UH, AT THE, AND WE STARTED AT THE ARTS WAREHOUSE AT 300 SAN ANTONIO, UH, 300 SAN ANTONIO, UH, ACROSS FROM REPUBLIC SQUARE.
UH, THE, THE ORGANIZATION MOVED TO FOUR 19 CONGRESS, UH, IN 1988.
AND, UH, I WANNA GIVE YOU A, A, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MUSEUM.
UH, UH, WE ARE 42 YEARS OLD AND SERVING THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN.
WE'RE ONE OF, UH, A HANDFUL OF LATINO MUSEUMS, THE UNITED STATES.
WE HAVE SERVED OVER 200,000 CHILDREN IN THE AUSTIN SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE A PERMANENT COLLECTION OF OVER 7,000 ARTWORKS.
AND, UH, WE SERVE OVER 50,000 PEOPLE EVERY YEAR.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS, UH, WE HAVE A PERMANENT COLLECTION.
WE HAVE A, AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, AND WE HAVE AN AWARD-WINNING EDUCATION PROGRAM.
MEXICO ART, THE MUSEUM IS ALSO THE PIONEER AND ANCHOR OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN FIFTH STREET DISTRICT, DESIGNATED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE HAVE A DEDICATED, UH, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF, WHICH ARE HERE WITH ME TODAY.
UH, WE HAVE A 25 YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT STARTED IN 2001 WHEN THE CITY HELPED US PURCHASE THE BUILDING THROUGH A A 50 YEAR SERVICE AGREEMENT.
IN 2006, WE WERE AWARDED $5 MILLION FROM THE BOND ELECTION.
THE ORIGINAL REQUEST WAS 16 MILLION.
UH, MEHA THEN ENTERED INTO AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND FOR, UH, AND IN 2018, WE WERE APPROVED $15 MILLION FROM THE BOND ELECTION THAT HAVE, WE'VE BEEN USING ON PHASE ONE OF THE PROJECT.
SO WE HAVE FROM, UH, UH, 2018 TO 2024, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS, INCLUDING, UH, THE, UH, THE DESIGN ARCHITECTURAL,
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UH, UH, SCHEMATIC DESIGN, THE ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT DESIGN.AND, UH, IN 2003, 2023, IT WAS, UH, DECIDED THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH FUNDING FOR THE TOTAL PROJECT DUE TO INFLATION.
AND WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID? SO IN 2025, THE CITY OF AUSTIN CONTRACTED WITH FGM ARCHITECTS TO PROVIDE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SERVICES AND SPA GLASS.
SO WE BELIEVE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WITH, IN ADDITION, WITH THE FUNDING FROM PHASE TWO, THAT WE CAN COMPLETE THE ENTIRE BUILDING, UH, PHASE ONE INCLUDES, WHICH IS NOW UNDERWAY, UH, UH, THE DESIGN OF, OF THE, OF THE BUILDING DEMOLITION OF THE THREE STORY BUILDING, THE REPLICA OF THE EXISTING FACADE, UH, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FOUR STORY BUILDING, A FINISHED GROUND AND A FINISHED GROUND FLOOR.
AND THE MECHANICAL PENTHOUSE ON, ON THE TOP LEVEL HERE IS, UH, JUST A, A BRIEF, UH, SUMMARY OF THE FUNDING FROM PHASE ONE.
THIS IS A DESIGN FOR PHASE ONE.
AS YOU SEE, WE'RE REPLICATING, UH, THE FACADE ON, UH, THE CONGRESS AVENUE.
UH, SO WHAT THAT WILL INCLUDE, WE HAVE THE FOUR FLOOR PLANS FOR THAT.
THE FIRST FLOOR WILL BE TOTALLY FINISHED OUT, UH, BUT THE REST OF THE, THE THREE FLOORS WILL ONLY BE THE COR AND SHELL.
SO WE NEED THE CITY OF AUSTIN ASSISTANCE IN TWO COMPLETE THE, THE COMPLETE BUILDING, BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS AN UNFINISHED BUILDING IN THE MIDDLE OF CONGRESS, ON CONGRESS AVENUE.
UH, AND SO WITH THE ASSISTANCE FROM PHASE TWO, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE BUILDING.
HERE IS WHAT WE WOULD HAVE, UH, UH, UH, AFTER THE, UH, THE, THE TWO BONDS, UH, ACTUALLY THE THREE BONDS WE'RE COMPLETE BECAUSE OF THE, THE PROJECT WAS NEVER FULLY FUNDED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
AND SO PHASE TWO GUIDING PRINCIPLES BASICALLY ARE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
AND THE, THE PROJECT WOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE FIVE YEARS, WHICH ALSO IS ONE OF THE GOALS OF, OF THE BOND TO FINISH THE PROJECTS.
UM, AND, UH, WE WOULD ALSO BE, UH, ACCREDITED.
UH, WE WOULD BE ACCREDITED BY THE, UH, UH, AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS. HERE IS A BRIEF BUDGET, UH, THAT WOULD BE USED FOR THE, THE 19 MILLION.
AND THIS HAS BEEN BEEN PREPARED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN FINANCIAL SERVICES, WHICH ORIGINALLY HAD US ON THE LIST.
WE WERE NUMBER TWO ALONG WITH COLONY PARK.
SO WE WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND WE ARE A CITY FUNDED PROJECT.
UM, SO, UH, IT IS REAL IMPORTANT THAT YOU ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE BRINGING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
WE HAVE SHOWED THAT IN THE PAST, AND WE SHOW THAT EVERY YEAR WE HAVE A $1.5 MILLION BUDGET THAT WE RAISE.
AND, UH, WE WERE, UH, DONATED A MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE MCKENZIE SCOTT, UH, UH, DONATION IN 2021, WHICH WILL ALSO BE USED FOR OUR PROJECT.
UH, THE PROJECT, BECAUSE IT IS PROJECT MANAGED BY THE CITY, WILL BE DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE LEAD SILVER RATING.
AND, UH, THIS IS, UH, ALSO, UH, UH, THE LIST OF OUR BUILDING COMMITTEE.
UH, AND, UH, WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO COME VISIT THE MUSEUM TO SEE THE CONDITIONS OF THE BUILDING.
THE BUILDING IS AN OLD BUILDING, AND IT NEEDS TO BE, UH, THAT IS, IT'S NOT SAFE FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, AS IS, UH, FOR OUR, OUR STAFF AND FOR THE PUBLIC.
WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO OPERATE RIGHT NOW ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
UH, WE WILL BE MOVING OUT TO A TEMPORARY SPACE, ALSO SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THEN WE WILL BE MOVING BACK INTO THE BUILDING.
BUT WE WANT TO BE MOVED BACK INTO THE BUILDING, A COMPLETE BUILDING, NOT ONLY ONE FLOOR BUILDING.
AND SO I THINK THAT, THAT THE, THE VOTERS OF AUSTIN IN 2006, IN 2018 VOTED FOR THE PROJECT.
THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN WANT MEXICO AT THE MUSEUM.
THEY WANT A MUSEUM, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY IN THE CENTER OF AUSTIN.
AND WE TOOK THE INITIATIVE ALSO TO RECLAIM, UH, REPUBLIC SQUARE AND THE, AND BROUGHT BACK THE IDEA OF, OF, OF THE, THE FACT THAT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WERE IN DOWNTOWN.
SO WE RECLAIM THAT SPACE, AND WE ARE NOW PROGRAMMING AND BRINGING RESOURCES FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS AND OTHER SOURCES TO NOT ONLY DEVELOP ME THE MUSEUM, BUT THE COMPLETE CORRIDOR FROM REPUBLIC SQUARE TO, AND ME IS THE ANCHOR.
SO FOR ALL OF YOU, WE WANT TO GIFT OUR WORK FOR OVER 40 YEARS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
OUR COMPLETE COLLECTION WILL BE PART OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THIS WILL BE FOR YOU FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
WE ARE ONLY THE ONE OF, OF A FEW IN THE WHOLE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS A JEWEL, AND WE WANT TO EXHIBIT AND BE, BE KNOWN AS A JEWEL AND NOT, AND HAVE A COMPLETE AND BEAUTIFUL BUILDING THAT CAN BE ACCREDITED, UH, BY THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS.
[00:25:01]
I WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALLOWING US THIS PRESENTATION.IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DO WE HAVE ANY MORE TIME LEFT? UH, YOU GOT SEVEN MINUTES.
TECHNICALLY, I CAN SAY A COUPLE OF YES.
MY, I'VE SERVED ON SEVERAL BOND COMMITTEES.
IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL TO KNOW THAT, THAT YOU'RE HAVING A PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY.
I JUST WANNA SAY SOMETHING, UH, KARATE ISN'T ONE OF THE HUGELY FUNDED ANNUAL PROJECTS IN THE CITY.
UH, I KNOW BECAUSE I'M ON THE BOARD AND I'M AMAZED SYLVIA DOESN'T HAVE A PENSION PLAN.
THAT'S ONE OF MY PROJECTS THIS COMING YEAR IS TO WORK ON ONE.
UM, SHE'S WORKED 1984 ON THIS PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, SHE'S THE BIRTH MOTHER HERE.
UH, HOWEVER, IT, IT'S THE ONLY MUSEUM THAT I KNOW OF, AND ALL OF US PROBABLY KNOW THIS, WHO TRAVEL AROUND THE NATION AND, AND THE WORLD THAT IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, YOU WANNA POP IN.
YOU CAN POP IN ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND WE ACTUALLY PRETTY MUCH OPERATE WITH INTERNS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SYLVIA'S VERY, VERY GOOD AT GETTING EXTERNAL MONEY.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE 10 PEOPLE FOR INTERNS.
BUT A LOT OF OUR WORK IS DONE, UH, AT, AT VERY LOW COST, BUT GREAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THESE INTERNS HAVE GONE ON TO, SEVEN OR MORE OF THEM HAVE GONE ON TO LEAD A MAJOR, UH, MUSEUM PROJECT, INCLUDING ONE WHO IS A CURATOR AT THE BLANKER MUSEUM.
SO ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS OFFERED THE JOB AT LAS CRUCES, UH, MUSEUM OF ART.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, SHE DIDN'T TAKE IT.
I FEEL VERY BAD FOR THAT BECAUSE WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THAT AREA.
UH, BUT ANYWAY, UH, I, I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THAT, THAT THE MUSEUM IS ABLE TO RAISE AS MUCH OPERATION MONEY AS THEY BRING TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO A CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN AN ORGANIZATION THAT BRINGS IN MILLIONS IN TOURIST BUCKS, BECAUSE WE'RE RIGHT ON CONGRESS, PEOPLE POP IN AND THEY ALSO RUN A STORE.
SO A LOT OF THEIR OPERATION MONEY COMES FROM THE STORE THAT THE MUSEUM OWNS.
HI, MY NAME IS, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE TO LIKE GO CLOSE.
I'M THE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR AT ME CARTE MUSEUM.
AND SO I AM, UH, ASSISTING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MUSEUM BUILDING PROJECT.
I ALSO ASSISTED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIFTH STREET, UH, MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL DISTRICT.
MY BACKGROUND IS IN RHETORIC AND WRITING.
SO JUST SPEAKING AS A FORMER SCHOLAR OF RHETORIC, WE DEFINE RHETORIC AS THE ART OF MAKING THINGS MATTER.
AND AS SYLVIA DEMONSTRATED, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS ALSO CHOSEN TO MAKE THIS PROJECT MATTER VIA THE VOTERS, VIA THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THE VARIOUS AREAS OF SUPPORT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, UM, BOTH IN SOCIAL ADVOCACY AND ACTUAL, UH, FUNDING AND DOLLARS.
UM, THE COMMUNITY BELIEVES THAT THIS PROJECT MATTERS.
AND IN THAT BELIEF AND THE TANGIBLE SUPPORT, WE MAKE IT A CULTURAL SPACE SIGNIFICANT TO THE CITY THAT CAN BE PRESERVED.
IT'S ONE THING TO FORM THE SPACE, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO SUSTAIN AND PRESERVE THE SPACE.
AND DEVELOPING THE BUILDING PROJECT IS THE NEXT PART OF THAT.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO JUST MAKE THE STORIES MATTER.
WE ALSO GIVE BACK IN EDUCATION AS SYLVIA DEMONSTRATED.
UM, AND ALSO BRINGING IN TOURISTS, WHICH IS A MAJOR PRIORITY OF THE CITY.
UM, AND THE BUILDING PROJECT DEVELOPING IS ALSO GOING TO, UM, IMPROVE THE STANDARDS OF SAFETY AND ALSO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UM, DUE TO ITS IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE, THANKS TO THE OVERSIGHT OF THE ENGINEERING, UH, COMMITTEE.
UM, SO IT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PROJECT, UM, AND WE HOPE TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, I'M AN EDUCATION ASSOCIATE HERE AT ME HIKARI MUSEUM.
UM, TODAY I ALSO WANNA SPEAK, UM, AS A YOUNG ARTIST HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, I GRADUATED FROM UT IN 2023.
I'VE BEEN WITH ME HIKARI FOR A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS.
AND, UM, I THINK IT IS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, UM, LIKE CULTURAL LANDMARK FOR THE CITY.
I THINK IT PROVIDES SPACES FOR, UM, YOUNG AND EMERGING ARTISTS THROUGH OUR RITO PROGRAM, THROUGH OUR MIX AND MATCH COMMUNITY EXHIBIT EVERY SPRING.
UM, THEY PROVIDED ME WITH A LOT OF ASSISTANCE WHEN I WAS JUST COMING OUT OF UT AND I REALLY WANTED TO STAY AS AN AN ARTIST IN AUSTIN.
AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NOW, UM, IS
[00:30:01]
A VERY IMPORTANT MOMENT TO FOCUS ON HERE IN THE CITY.KEEPING ARTISTS HERE AND PROVIDING THEM THE SPACE AND THE AVENUES TO HAVE THAT SUPPORT TO NOT ONLY LIVE, BUT TO THRIVE AND TO DEVELOP THEIR, THEIR PRACTICE.
AND I THINK MAHI KARATE, UM, IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF ALLOWING THAT TO THRIVE NOT ONLY IN, UM, AUSTIN, BUT IN A PRIME SPOT IN DOWNTOWN.
IT PROVIDES A LOT OF VISIBILITY AND ACCESS, UM, THAT THESE YOUNG ARTISTS MIGHT NOT RECEIVE OTHERWISE.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, UM, WE SHOW SUPPORT FOR, UH, THIS ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN AROUND, UH, FOR 40 PLUS YEARS AND HAS DONE SO MUCH TO FURTHER NOT ONLY THE, UH, CULTURAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF AUSTIN, BUT ALSO ITS, UM, YOUNG ARTIST COMMUNITY THAT NOW NEEDS MORE HELP, UH, NOW THAN EVER.
[1. Approve the minutes of the 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force Regular Called meeting on November 17, 2025. ]
ON TO ITEM ONE OF THE AGENDA APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE 2026 BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE, REGULAR CALL MEETING ON NOVEMBER 17TH, 2025.
EVERYBODY HAS RECEIVED THE MINUTES.
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE.
ANY DISCUSSION OF THE MINUTES? ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
EVERYBODY CAN'T SEE RACHEL? ANYBODY OPPOSED TO THE MINUTE APPROVING THE MINUTES, MINUTES THAT I WASN'T HERE? OKAY, MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
[2. Discussion of public engagement input from BEATF listening sessions. ]
TWO, DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT INPUT FROM BTF LISTENING SESSIONS.SO THIS ITEM IS ON THE AGENDA FOR A COUPLE REASONS.
ONE, AS YOU KNOW, THE B TIFF HOSTED THREE SESSIONS.
WE HOSTED TWO IN PERSON AND ONE VIRTUAL SESSION.
UM, FRANCIS ISN'T HERE TODAY, BUT SHE PROVIDED A SUMMARY OF THOSE SESSIONS, WHAT WE HEARD PLUS A LOT OF THE ACTUAL DATA, THE SURVEY DATA, AND THE WRITTEN COMMENTARY AND FIR.
FIRST THING I WANNA SAY IS I WANNA THANK FRANCIS, ALTHOUGH SHE'S NOT HERE TO HEAR IT.
SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL, REALLY CRITICAL IN BRINGING THOSE TOGETHER.
DID A LOT OF THE LEGWORK AND ALSO WANNA THANK OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE.
WHO CAME? CA, CHARLES, JC ANNA, MS. RICH WAS THERE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED, I THINK EARLY ON IN THOSE SESSIONS WAS, AND THE ADVERTISING WAS NOT, WELL, NOT GOOD.
WE DIDN'T GET THE MESSAGE OUT VERY WELL.
SO IF FUTURE ENGAGEMENT TAKEAWAY IS WE NEED TO POST THESE THINGS ON REC CENTER DOORS, UH, WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS ON HOW TO, UH, GET THE WHAT WORD OUT TO THE, TO FOLKS TO COME TO THOSE SESSIONS.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE EAGER TO ATTEND.
THEY'RE EAGER TO GIVE US THEIR FEEDBACK.
SO, UM, OTHER FEEDBACK WE GOT IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS FROM THE SESSIONS, UH, IDEAS THAT WERE BOTH ON LISTS AND NOT ON LISTS.
AND THOSE NOW SHOULD BE ON A LIST.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, JUST A REMINDER THAT THE CITY IS GONNA DO FURTHER ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY.
I THINK IT'S MORE LIKE FEBRUARY.
SO WE'LL GET EVEN MORE PUBLIC, UM, DATA, UH, ON, ON, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZING PROJECTS AND, AND, UM, WITH PUBLIC FEEDBACK.
DID ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANTED TO, ANYONE WHO ATTENDED THE SESSIONS WANNA SHARE ANYTHING? ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WAS IN FRANCIS' PACKET, RICH? YEAH, I MEAN, I'LL JUST SAY WE ALL DID REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY WHO TURNED OUT, AND WE KNOW IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TAKING TIME OUT OF THE EVERYBODY'S CALENDARS TO COME TO A MEETING.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZED SOME OF THE LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES.
WE ALL HAVE A SPACE AVAILABLE, UM, THAT DIDN'T INTERFERE WITH EXISTING PROGRAMMING OF THOSE SPACES, WHICH MEANT WE HAD SOME LESS IDEAL TIME SLOTS.
SO I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL WE'LL LOOK FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO WHERE WE CAN INCREASE THAT ATTENDANCE AND THAT ACCESSIBILITY.
AND I'D BE REMISS NOT TO ALSO THANK THE STAFF WHO CAME TO HELP SUPPORT, UM, THAT WAS MUCH NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.
YEAH, DAVE? WELL I REMEMBER FOR THE 2012 BONDS, I I AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS WROTE AN OP-ED PIECE FOR THE AMERICAN STATESMAN.
WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT, MIGHT REACH PEOPLE THAT WAS THE OP-ED IN SUPPORT OF THE BOND ONCE? YES.
THE PACKAGE HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED, YEAH.
I MEAN, I, I THINK ANY SUPPORT WE CAN GIVE IT IN THAT WAY, WELL I'M HAPPY TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP WITH THAT OR, OR WONDERFUL.
WRITE UP A DRAFT AND HAVE IT CIRCULATED AND WE COULD RUN IT IN THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN AND THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE AND THE AUSTIN MONITOR
[00:35:01]
AND YEAH.OR WE COULD DISTRIBUTE IT TO ALL THE PRINT PUBLICATIONS AND ONLINE PUBLICATIONS.
YEAH, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ADVOCACY RIGHT NOW FOR ANYTHING FUTURE USING ON THE PUBLIC SIDE.
BUT I MEAN FOR, IN TERMS OF THIS CURRENT BOARD, I MEAN, I THINK EVEN EXPLAINED TO WHAT WE'RE DOING AND EDUCATING THE POPULATION WELL THAT WOULD BE THE POINT.
AND THEN, AND MOVING FORWARD, ONCE WE'VE DELIVER A BOND PACKAGE, UM, FOR COUNSEL AND IT GETS APPROVED, I LOVE THE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO FURTHER EDUCATE AND ET CETERA, UM, FOR SAID BOND PACKAGE, RIGHT? THE, I MEAN THE POINT WOULD BE FOR A PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THEN MAYBE IN 2026, APRIL MAY, WE COULD DO SOMETHING IN TO ARGUE IN FAVOR OF IT.
BUT, UM, FOR RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD JUST BE TO ASK PEOPLE TO GIVE US INPUT.
I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE ANYONE WOULD OBJECT TO THE IDEA THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE HUGE TURNOUT AT OUR LISTENING SESSIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD, I THINK THERE WERE 60 TOTAL PEOPLE.
SO ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT WAS TOSSED AROUND AMONGST THE GROUP THAT WAS THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF EACH OF US POTENTIALLY WORKING WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBER TO PIGGYBACK ON A MEETING OR A NEIGHBORHOOD SESSION THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE SCHEDULED, REACH OUT AND SEE IF WE CAN ATTEND AND ONE ANSWER QUESTIONS OR EDUCATE.
SO THERE, I THINK THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WE CAN DO, WE CAN TAKE, UH, INDIVIDUALLY OR PAIRED UP WITH OUR, WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GET MORE, UH, INPUT AND MORE INFORMATION OUT TOO.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT ITEM? OKAY.
UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION
[3. Discussion of bond spending eligibility questions and other financial considerations, including review of financial Q&A prepared by Financial Services Department.]
OF BOND SPENDING ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS AND OTHER FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDING REVIEW OF FINANCIAL Q AND A PREPARED BY FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN ODD ONE,
AND THEY, THEY'RE NOT READY TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT THEY ARE GRACIOUSLY HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE.
I KNOW WE HAVE A QUESTIONS FLOAT AROUND FROM TIME TO TIME, SO I WANTED TO OPEN IT UP TO THE GROUP.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW DAVE GOT HIS, WE GOT HIS, THE TREE QUESTION ANSWERED AND IF ANYONE DIDN'T SEE IT IN THEIR EMAIL, WE NOW HAVE A TREE AN ANSWER ON TREES IN BOND FUNDING.
DAVE, DO YOU WANNA MAYBE SUMMARIZE THAT WHAT, WHAT YOU HEARD? WELL, UH, SHELLY KDAY HAD PROVIDED THE ANSWER TO THIS.
I HAD MET WITH SOME PEOPLE ABOUT, UH, THEIR SUGGESTIONS FOR ZILKER PARK AND ONE OF THEM WAS ABOUT MORE TREES.
AND SO WE ASKED CAN TREES BE CONSIDERED CAPITAL INVESTMENTS? BUT IT'S NOT JUST TREES, IT'S AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM ALSO.
SO IT DOES COUNT AS CAPITAL INVESTMENT BECAUSE LIKE THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND THEN THE COST OF THE PLANTING.
UM, AND SO WE KNOW THAT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF NEED IN EAST AUSTIN FOR MORE, UH, COVERAGE OF TREES AND, UM, THERE'S PROBABLY SOME PARKS THAT NEED ALSO.
SO THAT WAS THE ANSWER THAT WE GOT.
BUT YES, ONE FOLLOW UP TO THAT I THINK WE HEARD IN THE ZILKER IS ALSO SORT OF THE, UM, THE LANDSCAPE WHICH THE GIANT SORT OF ROCKS THAT THEY BUILD UP, YOU KNOW, IS THAT COVERED LANDSCAPE? CAN YOU, KIMBERLY, CAN YOU GIVE US ANY, ANY, UH, GUIDANCE ON LANDSCAPE GENERALLY BEYOND TREES? RIGHT.
SO GENERALLY WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, LANDSCAPING TREES, THINGS LIKE THAT, IT NEEDS TO BE PART OF A LARGER SCALE INVESTMENT.
UM, IT, IT WOULDN'T BE JUST, UH, INVESTING IN TREES SOLELY.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE'RE BUILDING A NEW FACILITY, UM, YOU NEED TO, TO, THERE'S THE ACTIONS TO MAKE IT, UM, FINISHED COMPLETE OCCUPIABLE, THAT'S EVEN A WORD.
SO, UM, AND THAT CAN INCLUDE THE LANDSCAPING BECAUSE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GROUNDS ARE, ARE, ARE PROPERLY MAINTAINED.
SO IN THAT INSTANCE, IT'S AN ALLOWABLE COST 'CAUSE IT'S PART OF FINISHING OUT A LARGER SCALE CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
UM, BUT JUST USING, UH, UM, BONDS TO BUY LARGE ROCK STRUCTURES AND THE SORT OR, SO LIKE WHICH ROCK? I'M NOT SURE I WASN'T, I'M NOT PRIVY TO THE, THE ZILKER CONVERSATION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ROCKS OVER ON THE WELL, IT WAS TO REINFORCE THE, LIKE EROSION CONTROLS ALONG WHERE EROSION CONTROL PROJECT.
SO I MEAN IT WOULD BE PART OF, FROM WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS PART OF A LARGER CAPITAL PROJECT FOR, UM, RIP REPAIR AND RESTORATION AND IMPROVEMENTS.
THEY ALSO HAVE ACTIVE AND PASSIVE RECREATIONAL COMPONENTS TO IT.
SO GENERALLY SPEAKING THEN THINGS LIKE THAT ARE ALLOW, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ARE DOING AN EROSION, LIKE WATERSHED PROTECTION DOES EROSION MITIGATION PROJECTS ALL THE TIME AND THEY HAVE A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES THEY USE TO DO THAT WITH, UM, UH, UH, THE NAME IS
[00:40:01]
ESCAPING ME LIKE THE GABLES OR UH, DIFFERENT ROCK STRUCTURES AND EVERYTHING.UM, BUT UM, SO WHEN IT'S PART OF THOSE LARGER SCALE EFFORTS THAT THAT'S REASONABLE.
UM, LIKE I, I UNDERSTAND THOUGH THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE LOTS OF UNIQUE ONE-OFF KIND OF THINGS.
SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE WHERE WE CAN ALSO ADDRESS THINGS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS TO JUST TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT, 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA MAKE A, A BROAD STATEMENT THAT FOLKS INTERPRET AS LIKE, OH YES, USE BONDS TO BUY ALL THE ROCKS,
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING NECESSARILY.
BUT, UM, IT, UH, JUST NEEDING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE FULL SCOPE OF THE PROJECT TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS AND UH, UM, ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABIDING BY RULES, UM, SET BY THE STATE, UM, AS WELL AS IRS TO MAINTAIN TACTIC EXEMPT STATUS AND THE SORT.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ONLINE HAD ANY QUESTIONS, BUT, AND THEN, SO THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM STAFF, UM, IT WAS DEFINITELY VERY CLEAR TO, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING WHAT YOU HAD SAID ON THE TREE PLANTING AS PART OF LANDSCAPING OF A BIGGER PROJECT.
IT'S AN ARCHITECTURAL CIVIL THAT THAT INCLUDES IRRIGATION, WATER PLANTING.
THEN THERE IS ALSO TREE PLANTING AS PART OF REFORESTATION OF A PARTICULAR PARK OR GROUP OF PARKS THAT INCLUDES IRRIGATION OR A WATERING PLAN.
AND THEN THERE WAS A THIRD ONE TREE PLANTING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OR ALONG TRAILS AND TRANSPORTATION ROUTES THAT INCLUDE IRRIGATION OR, UH, OR A WATERING PLANT AS FAR AS ALL BEING ABLE TO BE INCLUDED IN GEO.
I MEAN, DOES THAT SOUND CORRECT TO YOU? I THINK SO.
WHAT YOU'RE, AND SHE'S GONNA COME UP HERE 'CAUSE SHE WAS THE ONE WHO DUG INTO THIS.
BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING LARGER SCALE, LIKE TRAIL OR SIDEWALK TYPE OF INSTALLATIONS, UM, AND YOU CAN INCLUDE THE TREE PLANTING AS PART OF THAT.
IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT WHAT THE INTENT THAT YOU WERE WROTE THAT YOU, YOU ACTUALLY WE CHECK WITH WITH NOT ONLY OUR BOND COUNCIL INTERNAL, BUT OUR EXTERNAL BOND COUNCIL.
AND YES, YOU CAN AS PART OF A GREATER, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANTED TO DO SOME HUGE TREE PLANTING ALONG OUR ROADS, THAT IS ALLOWABLE, BUT YOU CAN'T PLANT A TREE AND HAVE NO PLAN FOR WATERING IT BECAUSE THAT WOULD NOT BE A 20 YEAR INVESTMENT.
I MEAN THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A, IT WILL BE DEAD IN A FEW WEEKS TYPE OF INVESTMENT
SO ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON HOW IT'S SET UP.
BUT, BUT GENERALLY, YES, SO AS KIM SAID, EACH INDIVIDUAL THING NEEDS TO BE KIND OF CLEARLY EVALUATED.
WE HAVE TO VE YEAH, TO VET, WE WANNA CREATE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO, FOR EACH PROJECT WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO VET AND, UM, WITH THE SCOPE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AREN'T SAYING YES TO SOMETHING WITHOUT KNOWING THE FULL WELL THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE.
HOW WOULD WE SCOPE IT WITHIN THE BOND PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW WITH THESE CATEGORIES WHERE IT IS, IS IT A STANDALONE OR IS IT ALL OF A SUDDEN A POLICY OR IF IT IS ANY CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT, THAT ARE IMPLEMENTED UNDERNEATH THE 2026 PLAN HAS A REQUIREMENT OF X.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND.
YEAH, I MEAN, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE A COMPONENT OF A PROPOSITION SAYING FOR THE PLANTING OF LIKE REFORESTATION YOU, IT, YOU NO, LIKE YOU WOULD, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED TO BE INCLUDED AS PART OF A LARGER SCALE LIKE PARK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT OR SIDEWALKS, TRAILS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO IT WOULD NEED TO BE INCORPORATED AND I MEAN THAT'S, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE, UM, AND THE CDS FOLKS CAN SPEAK TO THIS, UM, BETTER THAN I CAN, BUT WHERE WE HAVE VARIOUS LEAD REQUIREMENTS ON DIFFERENT PROJECTS WHERE YOU WON'T SEE IN THE BOND, UM, PROPOSITION LANGUAGE THAT TO ACHIEVE LEAD THIS, THIS, THIS, IT'S TO FUND THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF X TYPES OF FACILITIES OR THE SPORTS.
SO IT'S KIND OF A INTERNAL POLICY OF US TRYING TO INCORPORATE THOSE, THOSE SORT OF PRACTICES.
YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO, WHERE THERE'S COMFORT LEVEL WHERE THAT WOULD BE ACTUALLY BE INCORPORATED IN A CAPITAL PROJECT.
SO IF IT ALL OF A SUDDEN BECOMES WE'RE DOING A POLICY RECOMMENDATION ADDITIONAL AT THE END WHEN WE PROVIDE A BOND PACKAGE AND WE HAVE A LIST OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE ALSO INCLUDED FOR FUNDING OR OTHER POLICY CHANGES, IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT IT MAY GO THERE.
WHAT I THINK THE CONCERN WOULD BE FOR ME WHO IS FORMER PAST PRESIDENT OF TREE FOLKS, SO I LOVE TREES, IS THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUTTING THE MONEY IN THAT CAPITAL PROJECT, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, HOW DO DOES IT CAPTURE EVERYTHING FOR THE WHAT'S NEEDED FOR THAT FORESTATION, RIGHT? SO THOSE RESOLUTIONS THAT THE TASK FORCE CAN ABSOLUTELY, UM, INCLUDE RESOLUTIONS WITH POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AS PART OF THEIR OVERALL BOND RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THAT HAS DEFINITELY TAKEN PLACE IN YEARS PAST.
UM, AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO DELIVERING THE PROJECTS, WHEN IT, THE VARIOUS POLICIES AND, AND, UM, WHETHER BY ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION, UM, THAT COUNCIL PASSES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THERE'S LITERALLY JUST LIKE PAGES AND PAGES OF, OF, UH, PROJECT MANUAL COMPONENTS OF VERY GOOD.
YOU HAVE TO DO THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS.
SO IT, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THOSE DOCUMENTS.
[00:45:01]
I HAVE A QUESTION.YEAH, THIS, UH, ACTUALLY CAME UP ALSO IN OUR TRANSPORTATION AND ELECTRIFICATION WORKING GROUP, UM, SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE CORRIDOR PROJECTS THAT WERE FUNDED, UM, BUT NOT, I GUESS FUNDED TO THE LEVEL THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THE FULL PROJECT TO BE DEVELOPED.
AND WHAT WE WERE TOLD IS THAT ONE OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS THAT HAS BEEN LEFT OUT WAS THE TREE PLANTING PIECE OF IT.
SO I'M HEARING YOU SAY IT NEEDS TO BE PART OF A BIGGER PROJECT IN THAT CASE, UH, IT WAS, BUT THEN IT WAS SCOPED OUT DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING.
SO CAN YOU, IS IS THERE A WAY FOR US IF WE SO CHOSE TO RECOMMEND FUNDING THAT PIECE THAT WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY FUNDED? RIGHT.
SO I, WITH THE CORRIDOR PROJECTS, I'M, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK TO BECAUSE I, I'M JUST NOT INVOLVED WITH THOSE AT THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL TO BE ABLE TO COMMENT ON WHAT WAS SCOPED OUT OR, UH, I'M OUT GIVEN THAT SCENARIO, COULD WE DO THAT? BUT I MEAN, SO I MEAN, WITH ANY OF THESE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, ULTIMATELY THERE'S GONNA, THERE HAS, THERE MIGHT HAVE TO BE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UM, HOW DO WE CARRY THE PROJECT THROUGH, UM, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY WITH THE FUNDING AVAILABLE.
UM, AND IF THERE ARE COMPONENTS THAT PERHAPS NEED TO BE, UM, FOR A LACK OF A BETTER TERM VALUE ENGINEERED OUT, I MEAN, THAT'S A BIGGER CONVERSATION.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT STAFF JUST TAKES LIGHTLY.
UM, SO, UM, I DON'T THINK I ASKED MY QUESTION VERY WELL.
I'M ASKING, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THIS PIECE OF THE PROJECT WAS TAKEN OUT.
I'M ASKING COULD WE HAVE A BOND ITEM NOW TO FUND THE PIECE THAT WAS TAKEN OUT? OH, OKAY.
UM, IT COULD JUST BE TREES, WHICH I THINK IS PREDOMINANTLY TREES, MAYBE SOME OTHER STUFF TOO.
BUT I MEAN, DO DOING ESSENTIALLY GAP FINANCING FOR PRIOR BOND PROGRAMS THAT YES, THAT'S ALLOWABLE FOR BUYER PRIOR BOND PROGRAM PROJECTS.
SORRY, I WAS NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION.
MISSED THE MARK WITH MY COMMUNICATION
SO WHAT I'M IMAGINING IS A MAP, AND THAT MAP SHOWS SEVERAL PARKS THAT NEED TREES AND SEVERAL ROADWAYS THAT NEED TREES.
I'M ON THE CITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND WE, YOU KNOW, THEY ABSORBED THE URBAN FORESTRY INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
SO I'LL TALK TO MY COLLEAGUES ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ABOUT THIS.
BUT YOU KNOW, I CAN IMAGINE A MAP THAT SHOWS WHERE THESE TREES WOULD BE PLANTED AND IT WOULD BE ONE REFORESTATION PROJECT THAT INCLUDED IRRIGATION, WATERING AND IRRIGATION.
AND THEN WE COULD ASK THE CITY ARBORISTS TO GIVE US A QUOTE ON WHAT THAT MIGHT COST.
ALL RIGHT? SO FOR AN EXAMPLE LIKE THAT, UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY WANNA HAVE A, A MORE DETAILED CONVERSATION WITH BOND COUNCIL BECAUSE THE GUIDANCE THAT WE PROVIDED SO FAR IS, IS HIGH LEVEL.
UM, JUST, UM, AND SO FOR, FROM A, MY MY FIRST INCLINATION IS THAT JUST A PURE REFORESTATION PROJECT, UM, WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE.
BUT AGAIN, I WOULD WANNA HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR, I I DON'T SEE WHY NOT.
I MEAN, IT WOULD INCLUDE THE WATERING AND IRRIGATION AND IT WOULD PROVIDE SHADE AND, UH, ABSORPTION OF CARBON OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE, RIGHT.
OH, I, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A, A, A VERY LARGE CAPITAL PROJECT.
WHAT I IS, WHAT I SEE, I ABSOLUTELY HEAR YOU.
UM, BUT, BUT AGAIN, WHERE, WHERE WE'VE, THE EXAMPLES WE'VE GIVEN PRIOR TO THIS QUESTION, WERE FOCUSED MORE ON IF WE'RE BUILDING A NEW FACILITY OR WE'RE BUILDING NEW SIDEWALKS AND TRAILS AND WE'RE MAKING THOSE INVESTMENTS THAT THE TREES COMPONENTS, THAT'S PART OF THE OVERALL PROJECT.
WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS TREES AS A SOLE STANDALONE TYPE OF PROJECT.
SO THAT'S WHERE, UM, I WOULD JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, LIKE THAT'S, THAT'S A MUCH MORE SPECIFIC INSTANCE THAN THE KIND OF THE HIGHER LEVEL EXAMPLES, UH, THAT WERE GIVEN IN THE OVERALL GUIDANCE.
SO, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH BOND COUNCIL, BUT I, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW WITH CERTAINTY AT THIS POINT.
OTHER QUESTIONS IN THE ROOM? UH, JUST A FINANCE QUESTION.
WHEN DO WE THINK WE'LL KNOW KIND OF THE THRESHOLD OF RIGHT FINANCIAL REALM OF POSSIBILITIES OF THE GIANT WISHLIST? RIGHT.
SO THE, UH, ONE OF THE KEY PEOPLE I NEED TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THAT ANALYSIS, UM, IS JUST HAD A BRAND NEW BABY
AND SO LETTING THEM HAVE, UH, THAT TIME.
UM, SO I'M HOPING THAT, UM, I WILL HAVE THAT, UM, BY EARLY, MID NEXT MONTH, JANUARY.
[00:50:02]
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ONLINE? IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, TURN YOUR CAMERA ON FOR US.SEEING NONE, GARY? YEAH, JUST TO, UM, PICK UP ON TINA'S QUESTION IN YOUR RESPONSE, IN OUR WORK PLAN THAT WE ADOPTED, IT SAYS JANUARY THE NINTH IS WHEN WE'RE GONNA GET THE UPDATES ON DEBT CAPACITY.
AND WE HAVE A SERIES OF PRESENTATIONS STARTING ON THE NINTH WITH TRANSPORTATION MOVING ON.
AND SO HAVING CLARIFICATION ON THAT TOPIC WOULD BE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
I'M JUMPING AHEAD A LITTLE BIT, BUT GIVEN THAT THIS UPDATE, WE'RE GONNA PUSH THAT JANUARY 12TH PRESENTATION SO THAT THAT GROUP HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
SO I WAS GONNA GET THERE, BUT YES.
WAS AN AIR
LIKE WHAT, WHAT MAKES UP WHERE WE CURRENT OUR CURRENT DEBT IS? YES.
THAT'S, THAT'S GIVING US THIS BARRIER, RIGHT? OH YEAH.
THAT, THAT WILL MOST CERTAINLY BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
WHAT, WHAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH, UM, CURRENT AUTHORIZED BUT ONIS ISSUE.
PRIOR, UM, VOTER AUTHORIZED DEBT THAT WE HAVE NOT YET SOLD THE DEBT FOR, WELL, NOT JUST VOTER AUTHORIZED.
I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR YEAH.
OH YEAH, I'M GETTING, I'M, YEAH.
SO THERE'S THE, UH, AUTHORIZED, BUT UN ISSSUED IS NOT JUST, UH, JUST VOTER APPROVED.
IT'S ALSO WE HAVE, THERE'S VOTER APPROVED, THERE'S SIGNIFICANCE OBLIGATION, THERE'S ALSO, UM, UH, UM, CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, WHICH IS A SHORTER TERM INSTRUMENT, BUT ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS, WHETHER IT'S VOTER APPROVED OR NOT, ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS GO INTO OUR, ALL OF OUR DEBT MODELING.
AND THAT'S GONNA HELP US CONVEY TO THE PUBLIC AS WE CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THEM IN 2026.
AND THEN OF COURSE, I KNOW JUST AS ALL OF US AS TAXPAYERS, WE WANT TO SEE THAT TOO.
BACK TO, UH, DAVE'S QUESTION ABOUT JUST A CAPITAL REFORESTATION OR TREE PLANTING PRO, UM, PROJECT AND ELIGIBILITY FOR THE BOND.
WHEN DO YOU EXPECT WE WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION, I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL AS IF WE COULD GET FROM DAVE WHAT HIS VISION IS ON THE PROJECT
IT'S ALL IN THE FINE DETAIL, RIGHT? ON THAT.
SO I THINK SEEING THAT, AND THEN ALSO THE PRACTICAL, UM, ASPECT OF IT.
I'LL, I'LL GET BACK TO YOU BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.
YEAH, I'LL TALK TO MY TREE GUYS ABOUT THIS.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE SPECIFICS? AND I THINK, UM, YEAH, SO, RIGHT.
BUT, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL GUIDANCE THAT I SENT WAS WHAT WE GOT FROM OUR BOND COUNCIL.
THE, UH, AND THEN, BUT I THINK THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS IN TERMS OF RIGHT.
UNDERSTAND WHAT IT, WHAT IT'S OKAY.
[4. Discussion and possible action to approve criteria to be used by full BEATF to prioritize projects recommended by Working Groups.]
ITEM FOUR, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE CRITERIA TO BE USED BY THE FULL BTIF TO PRIORITIZE PROJECTS RECOMMENDED BY WORKING GROUPS.SO WE CONTINUE OUR WORK WITH THE, UH, QUESTION OF HOW ARE WE GOING TO SCORE AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO ASSESS AND COME TOGETHER, BACK TOGETHER AFTER THE WORKING GROUPS RECOMMEND PROJECTS AND, UM, FIGURE THIS OUT.
I GOT FEEDBACK ON THE FOUR CATEGORIES THAT WE TALKED THROUGH.
I INCORPORATED SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK.
I ALSO, UM, TINA CANNON HAD PUT TOGETHER A, UM, A CRITERIA FOR HER WORKING GROUP, AND I PULLED SOME PIECES FROM THAT INTO THIS DOCUMENT.
AND MY, MY HOPE IS THAT WE WOULD ALL, IN ALL THE WORKING GROUPS WE WOULD USE, WE WOULD USE A FORM OF THIS SO THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING OFF SORT OF THE SAME MARCHING ORDERS.
UM, A COUPLE THINGS AROUND THAT.
ONE, WE STILL NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH, I THINK ONE OF THEM IS THE WEIGHTING OF THE FOUR DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
WORK THROUGH THAT AS A GROUP, WORK THROUGH, UH, MORE INPUT ON QUESTIONS AND EVALUATION.
AND THEN JUST NOTE THAT ON THE PORTION THAT'S THE ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL VALUE.
SORT OF NOTE THAT DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS MIGHT NEED TO HAVE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS ON THAT TOPIC AS, FOR EXAMPLE, OPEN SPACE MIGHT BE REVIEWED DIFFERENTLY, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU THE ADMISSIONS ALL FROM A NEW BUILDING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
[00:55:01]
ONE LITTLE CAVEAT IS I THINK, UM, TO THE EXTENT WE CAN STAY UNIFORM ON THIS, I THINK IT'LL HELP US GUIDE AND, AND FEEL GOOD THAT WE HAVE A, UH, UH, A RUBRIC THAT WE'VE ALL BOUGHT INTO AND THE WORKING GROUPS ARE LOOKING AT, BUT KNOWING THAT THAT PIECE MIGHT STILL NEED A LITTLE BIT OF WORK FOR THE, FOR SOME OF THE WORKING GROUPS.SO WITH THAT, TO GET, TO KEEP THIS PROCESS MOVING AND TO HOPEFULLY WRAP IT UP SOON, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE HARD WORK OF ACTUALLY LOOKING THROUGH THE PROJECTS, AND I WANNA GET PAST THE PROCESS AND INTO THE DETAIL, I WILL, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO, TO MOVE TO ADOPT THE THIS THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND I WILL, UH, IF ANYONE WANTS TO SECOND THAT, THEN WE'LL GO INTO DISCUSSION.
SECOND, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
I KNOW THIS GOT TOO LATE,
SO HAPPY TO LAUNCH INTO, AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL MAYBE TO GO SLIDE BY SLIDE AND, AND MAYBE IF POSSIBLE KIND OF LIMIT OUR DISCUSSION TO, YOU KNOW, LET'S CHANGE THE WORDING TO THIS WORD, UH, OR THE, OR THE VALUE POINT.
SO I WILL STOP TALKING AND LET DAVE STOP TALKING.
OH, WELL, I WAS GONNA SAY DID, BUT DIDN'T ZACH BAUMER GIVE US SOME DIRECTION ON THE, THE, UNLIKE THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS AS FAR AS, UH, GRADING FOR GR UH, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? YES.
AND I'M, I'M HOPING THAT THE, UH, AND KABA CAN, CAN HELP ME BECAUSE SHE ASSISTED ON THIS, UH, SLIDE, UH, HELP ME WORK THROUGH THAT.
SO THE POINT IS, WE'VE ALREADY GOT A SCORE FROM CITY STAFF, FROM THE OFFICE OF CLIMATES AND RE CLIMATE AND RESILIENCE ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE THE DATA AND THEN WE WOULD USE THAT DATA TO SCORE, RIGHT? THE PROJECT.
BUT CAN WE START AT THE, YEAH, START AT THE BEGINNING THERE.
FINANCIAL PRUDENCE SLIDE IF ANYONE HAS A COMMENT ON THANK YOU.
ON THE PURPLE SLASH BLACK AND WHITE SLIDE ON FINANCIAL PRUDENCE.
UH, DONALD, UM, I REALLY LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKS NOW.
I WOULD MAYBE, UM, ADD A FEW MORE POINT POTENTIALS FOR THE FIRST LINE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO LEVERAGE FUNDING.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE SECOND LINE ABOUT, UM, THE BOND BEING THE ONLY AVAILABLE SOURCE OF FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT, I THINK MAYBE ONLY AVAILABLE IS DOING A LOT OF WORK THERE.
UM, AND, AND THAT MIGHT BE JUST SOMETHING TO THINK THROUGH.
LIKE IF THERE'S LIKE WHAT, LIKE, LIKE A, LIKE A MIDDLE GROUND THAT COULD FALL INTO THAT MAYBE CATEGORY MM-HMM
UH, OR LIKE PRIMARY OR IF IT'S NEEDED TO, LIKE IF CITY FUNDS ARE NEEDED TO, TO GET THE LEVERAGE AND WITHOUT THE CITY FUNDS, THERE'S NO LEVERAGE, THAT KIND OF THING.
JUST GOING BACK TO THE FIRST POINT SO I CAN HIT EACH OF THEM.
YOU'RE SUGGESTING A CHANGE TO THE, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POINTS FROM FIVE, OR ARE YOU SUGGESTING CHANGING YES.
TO A DIFFERENT NUMBER? TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY SAYING THERE.
I WAS JUST SUGGESTING A TOTAL NUMBER OF POINTS.
I JUST, BECAUSE THE POTENTIAL OF LEVERAGE SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY VALUABLE THING TO ENCOURAGE, GIVEN OUR FISCAL CONSTRAINTS.
ANYBODY HAVE A THOUGHT ON THAT? I THINK THAT'S FINE.
KIVA, YOU HAVE A THOUGHT ON CHANGING THAT NUMBER? YEAH.
UM, I GUESS WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT VERY FEW OTHER PROJECTS HAVE, UH, LEVERAGE.
SO I GUESS I, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD OVERWEIGHT IT JUST BECAUSE, I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING IN THE FACILITIES GROUP OR I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF IN TRANSPORTATION, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR THE MOST PART THERE'S NOT LEVERAGE TO BE HAD.
SO, UM, I GUESS I WOULD HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT INCREASING THAT TOO MUCH.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THAT, GARY? YEAH, I'LL, I'LL JUST SUGGEST THAT THAT MIGHT BE REASON TO, TO ACTUALLY INCREASE IT IS BECAUSE THERE'S SO FEW PROJECTS THAT HAVE OTHER FUNDING THAT IF THERE IS OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, WE SHOULD BE MORE INTERESTED IN THOSE.
UM, AGREEING THAT THERE ARE NOT MANY THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE RECOMMENDED LIST SO FAR, BUT WE'VE HEARD OTHER, UM, PROJECTS, PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD OTHER PROJECTS FOR CONSIDERATION, NOT ON THE CITY RECOMMENDED LISTS, BUT THAT DO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL, UM, YOU KNOW, MATCHING OP UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM THAT COULD BE OF INTEREST TO US.
WELL, YES, AND I, THE, UM, IT'S NOT TRUE ABOUT THE FACILITIES, IT'S THAT IT'S NOT THE PUB, THE PUBLIC BUILT BUILDINGS, BUT LIKE ALL THE ACME PROJECTS HAVE LEVERAGE.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS THERE.
SO I DO THINK LEVERAGE IS IMPORTANT IF WE ARE WANTING TO BRING IN MORE FUNDS.
UH, JUST THE IDEA WE COULD, WE COULD MAKE THEM BOTH 10, YOU COULD TAKE FIVE OFF OF THE, UH, ONLY AVAILABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING, MAKE EACH OF
[01:00:01]
THE THREE EQUALLY WEIGHTED.BEN, I AGREE WITH THE IDEA OF RAISING THE WEIGHTING ON THAT FIRST CATEGORY.
UH, I'M APPROACHING IT FROM THE ANGLE OF WE'RE GONNA, UH, BE MAKING THIS CASE TO COUNCIL WHO, YOU KNOW, IS EVENTUALLY GONNA DECIDE WHAT'S THEY'RE GONNA PUT ON THE BALLOT.
AND THEN, AND THEN WE'LL BE MAKING THE CASE TO VOTERS.
AND I'M THINKING ABOUT MAKING THE CASE TO VOTERS, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO BE THE MOST STRATEGIC WITH THE MONEY.
AND IT, IT IS A GESTURE OF GOOD FAITH TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAXIMIZE OUR DOLLARS.
AND, AND I THINK IT HELPS SETTLE, UH, IT HELPS MAKE THE CASE THAT THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING WE SHOULD DO, UH, AND THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC, UM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE'S SENSITIVITY TOWARDS, TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE ON THEIR TAX BILL.
IS THERE A SUGGESTION ON WHAT THAT NUMBER SHOULD CHANGE TO IF I SUGGESTED EQUAL WEIGHT, BUT IF THAT'S NOT, DOESN'T IT JUST WASH ITSELF OUT? HMM.
IF IT'S 10 10, YOU'RE SAYING SOME GETS FUNDING, YOU GET 10, YOU GET NO FUNDING, YOU GET 10.
DOES IT JUST, SORRY, I MEANT IN BETWEEN THESE, BETWEEN THE ITEM ONE AND TWO, ONE'S WORTH FIVE, ONE'S WORTH 15.
IF WE CHANGED IT TO 10 AND 10 THERE, THAT'S THE, I MEAN, I, I'M LOOKING FOR THE, WHAT'S THE REQUEST IN TERMS OF UPPING THAT NUMBER? OKAY.
WHICH THE, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING FRI UH, FINANCIAL PRUDENCE ON THE, DOES THE FUNDING FROM THE 2006 BOND OPEN UP OTHER NON-CITY SOURCES? SO YOU'RE SAYING, SO ARE WE ON YES.
ARE WE WANTING TO WEIGHT THE LEVERAGE COMPONENT MORE THAN FIVE OUT OF THE 30? AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S DONALD'S SUGGESTION AND I JUST HAVEN'T HEARD A NUMBER AS TO HOW WE WANNA CHANGE THAT.
AND I GUESS WHERE I'M, UH, IS WHEN YOU, YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU'RE LEVERAGING NON-CITY SOURCES AND YOU PUT THAT AT 10, AND THEN YOU SAY, AND THEN THE BOND IS THE ONLY AVAILABLE FUNDING, AND YOU PUT, DROP THAT DOWN TO 10, THEN YOU'RE GETTING 10 AUTOMATICALLY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
RIGHT? SO THEN WHY DO WE JUST ELIMINATE THAT QUESTION? NICOLE? CAN I HAVE A QUESTION? I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT.
IT, UH, THEY WOULD WATCH EACH OTHER OUT.
BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, AS I'VE STARTED GOING THROUGH TRYING TO RATE MY PROJECTS AND MY LITTLE SHORT LIST, I WASN'T SURE IF I COULD DETERMINE IF IT, IF BOND FUNDS WERE THE ONLY AVAILABLE SOURCE OF FUNDS.
WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THE SAME SORT OF EXPERIENCE.
UM, AND, AND IF WE'RE, WE ARE GOING TO GET, I GUESS I DIDN'T HEAR ALL OF THE CITIES, I COULDN'T NECESSARILY HEAR EVERY WORD, BUT ARE THEY GONNA TELL US WHICH ONES ABSOLUTELY.
BOND DOLLARS VERSUS CEOS OR SOME GAP FINANCING OR SOMETHING? UM, IF YOU COULD ANSWER THAT FOR ME, BECAUSE OTHERWISE, IF WE'RE PRIORITIZING LEVERAGING DOLLARS, IT'S KIND OF COUNTERINTUITIVE TO SAY, WELL, IT'S THE ONLY SOURCE OF BOND DOLLARS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU EQUALLY WEIGHT THEM.
IT SEEMS LIKE A PIECE OF INFORMATION WE COULD ASK.
AND THERE SHOULD BE AN ANSWER TO
UH, JUST, I KNOW WE'RE DIDN'T ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION, BUT ON THE SECOND ONE, A QUESTION I DO HAVE IS THE 2026 BOND VERSUS THE 2008.
WE'VE ALREADY HEARD SEVERAL GAP.
THERE'S TWO PROJECTS WHERE THERE WAS MONEY NOT SPENT, BUT BUT VOTED FOR.
IS THAT, DOES THIS QUESTION CONSIDER THAT? BUT CAN WE START WITH, JUST STICK WITH THE ONE QUESTION AT A TIME? UNLESS THAT'S CHANGE.
I JUST, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THROUGH IT.
SO DO WE WANNA MAKE A CHANGE TO THE WAITING OR LEAVE IT WHERE IT'S AT TO SO THAT IT IS NOT ON THE SECOND ONE? WE'RE ON THE SECOND ONE.
THE SUGGESTION ON THE TABLE IS TO WAIT IT HIGHER.
IS THIS HER HAND UP OR IS THIS OKAY,
IT DOES SAY, DOES IT OPEN UP? AND THEN THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS LISTED, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE FOR A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE THE KIND OF PRIVATE PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT WOULDN'T BE THERE IF THE CITY DIDN'T FUND THE PROJECT.
LIKE IT'S NOT THE SAME AS A, UH, FEDERAL MATCHING GRANT KIND OF THING.
SO I, I GUESS I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON MM-HMM
WHAT COUNTS, UM, AS WELL AS WHAT THE POINTS ARE.
I THINK RIGHT NOW, ANY OTHER FUNDING THAT COULD BE LEVERAGED, WHETHER IT'S
[01:05:01]
A MATCHING LIKE A FEDERAL S EVEN IF NOT, EVEN IF THEY'LL GET THE MONEY, EVEN IF THE CITY DOESN'T PUT IN MONEY, YOU MEAN WE WOULD HAVE TO, WE'D HAVE TO FIND OUT FROM EACH OF THE PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER THEY WERE HAVING A CONDITIONAL CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ON MATCHING.I MEAN, MOST OF THEM, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THEY'VE BEEN SAYING THAT.
THEY'VE BEEN JUST SAYING, WE'VE GOT THIS MONEY, WE'VE GOT THIS COMMITMENT.
I GUESS I JUST SEE THAT AS LIKE, UM, GOOD FOR THAT PROJECT, UH, AND MAYBE REDUCES THE OVERALL NEED.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHY IT IS FIVE OUT OF A HUNDRED POINTS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S NECESSARILY GONNA, UM, CHANGE A LOT, BUT YEAH.
IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME THIS IS, IS THIS MONEY GOING TO THEN HELP LEVERAGE OTHER MONEY FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO USE FOR OPERATIONS MAINTENANCE ONGOING? FD YEAH.
LIKE, OR IS IT GONNA BE CONTINUALLY DEPENDENT ON US? I THINK FIVE IS A DECENT WAITING FOR THAT, UH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE END ALL BE ALL.
I, I WOULD STILL SAY LEVERAGE BEING ABLE TO OPEN UP AND LEVERAGE FUNDING IS IMPORTANT IN THIS, IN THIS SITUATION.
SO LEMME ASK YOU THEN ON STAFF RECOMMENDATION VERSUS LEVERAGE FUNDING.
THEY'RE BOTH GONNA BE WEIGHTED AT 10.
SO IF I LOOK AT STAFF RECOMMENDATION, MAYBE AROUND GAP FUNDING, I'M PROBABLY GONNA PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE WEIGHT BEHIND THAT THAN I WOULD, COULD IT OPEN UP ADDITIONAL FUNDRAISING PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT? THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE MY WAITING IS KIND OF GOING ON THAT MM-HMM
IF I LOOK AT STAFF, STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND I, WE HAVE A 10 ON IT.
DOES, DOES THAT FIRST ONE KIND OF EQUATE OR WEIGH AS MUCH AS A STAFF RECOMMENDATION WOULD? IN MY, IN MY THINKING PROBABLY NOT AS MUCH.
I THINK, I THINK THIS IS A FACTOR, BUT IT, IT, IT IS, AS RACHEL POINTED OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A FACTOR FOR A CERTAIN SEGMENT OF PROJECTS AND THEN ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS ARE GONNA GET A ZERO YEAH.
AND IT, UM, DOESN'T SPEAK TO THE URGENCY OR THE ESSENTIAL SERVICE BEING PROVIDED, WHICH I WOULD NOW, IT, IT OCCURS TO ME, WE DID KIND OF DISCUSS THAT I THINK IN THE FACILITIES WORKING GROUP.
LIKE IS IT AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE? I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WAY FOR US TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THIS BUCKET OR SOME SOMETHING ELSE, BUT THAT'S MY CONCERN.
GARY, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE SECOND POINT THAT YOU HAD AN ISSUE? YEAH, I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE QUESTION FIRST BULLET, RACHEL.
UM, I JUST, I THINK THAT IF WE WANNA MAKE IT MORE CONTINGENT UPON LIKE THAT, IT'S GONNA OPEN UP FEDERAL FUNDING, BUT I DO THINK THERE ARE MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF PROJECTS IN HERE THAT REQUIRE CITY FUNDS IN ORDER TO ACCESS FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND I, I DO THINK THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT IN A LOT OF CASES THAN SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS.
SO I WOULD WANT TO SEE IT WEIGHTED APPROPRIATELY.
I THINK 10 IS A GOOD NUMBER, BUT IF IT NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN LIKE FUNDRAISING, I THINK THAT'S DIFFERENT.
UM, KIVA MENTIONED, UH, SO I STARTED GOING THROUGH THIS AND I STARTED LOOKING AT, WE DON'T REALLY ACCOUNT FOR HEALTH SAFETY LIFE ISSUES, LIKE BASIC LIFE.
YOU NEED TO DO THIS FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY.
AND SO I WAS THINKING WHEN WE GET TO SORT OF THE EQUITY SESSION, WE MIGHT CONSIDER ADDING IN QUESTION, DOES IT ADDRESS SORT OF BASIC HEALTH, SAFE, ESSENTIAL HEALTH SAFETY SERVICES? AND, AND SO I DO THINK THAT WHILE NOT APPLICABLE, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER IN THE FINANCE SECTION, BUT DEFINITELY IN SORT OF THE EQUITY ACCESS SECTION.
CHARLES, I'VE SPOKEN SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT MY OPPOSITION TO THIS PARTICULAR FACTOR BECAUSE I THINK IN MOST PROJECTS IT'S UNKNOWN.
UH, AND EVEN IF THEY COME IN WITH A PROJECT AND GUARANTEE OR TELL US THAT THEY HAVE ANOTHER SOURCE OF FUNDING, THAT OFTENTIMES GOES AWAY.
UM, BUT I WOULD AL I'M ALSO OPPOSED TO IT BECAUSE I THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE BASIC VALUE AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT AND NOT WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER MONEY THAT WOULD HELP PAY FOR THE PROJECT.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE CASE, AS, AS NICOLE JUST MENTIONED, I THINK IT WAS NICOLE THAT MENTIONED PUBLIC SAFETY PROJECTS OR FLOODING PROJECTS, THOSE ARE NOT NORMALLY GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BE SOMETHING YOU WOULD FUNDRAISE FOR, BUT IT'S STILL A BASIC CITY RESPONSIBILITY.
AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS ASKING VOTERS TO PAY FOR BASIC CITY RESPONSIBILITIES.
I WOULD RATHER US NOT HAVE ANY POINTS FOR IT, AND I'M DEFINITELY OPPOSED TO INCREASING
[01:10:01]
THE POINTS.GARY? YEAH, FOR ALL THREE OF THESE ON, UM, I, I WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THE SAME, UM, NUMBER, WHATEVER THAT IS.
SO IF IT'S 5, 5, 5, 10, 10, 10 FOR ALL THREE OF THESE CATEGORIES, AND THEN FUNDAMENTALLY, UM, HAVING MORE OVERALL WEIGHT GIVEN TO THE ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL NUMBER HERE INSTEAD OF 30, 30, 30 AND 10, HAVING MAYBE JUST THE 15 AND THEN PUSHING THOSE OTHER 15 POINTS OVER TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL BE BENEFICIAL.
SO I, LET'S STICK WITH THE FINANCIAL PRUDENCE.
SO RIGHT NOW, SORRY, IT'S AT 30 POINTS, WHICH I THINK I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY OBJECTION TO THAT BEING WEIGHTED AT 30.
WELL, UH, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD WANT THAT POINT TO BE AND HOW YOU WOULD ADJUST.
I'M HEARING THERE'S, WE'RE ULTIMATELY GONNA VOTE ON THIS AND SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, YOU, YOU VOTE NO, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GET TO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE A VOTE ON.
SO FOR THIS, WE'VE GOT 30 POINTS.
CAN I ADJUST THE SECOND BULLET POINT? YEAH.
TO MAYBE, UH, ADJUST THAT DOWN FROM, UH, ONLY AVAILABLE SOURCE AT FIVE, FIVE POINTS IN THAT BUCKET AND THEN ADD A SECOND, A TWO, TWO POINT A, UH, FOR GAP FUNDING AT 10 POINTS.
IN THAT SECOND BULLET POINT, THE 2026 BOND IS ONLY AVAILABLE.
MAKE THAT FIVE POINTS MM-HMM
AND THEN ADD GAP FUNDING AT 10 POINTS.
ADD WHOLE, ANOTHER LINE OF GAP FUNDING.
AND WHAT IS THAT? WHAT IS THE QUESTION GAP FUNDING? MEANING CAN WE BRING THOSE PROJECTS FROM THE 20 BONDS TO, TO FINALLY TO FULL COMPLETION? I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT USE OF FUNDS AND FINANCIALLY PRUDENT TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE PROMISED TO THE VOTERS ORIGINALLY BACK IN WHAT? OH 8, 12, 14, ALL THE PAST BONDS THAT WE HAVE.
SEE I THINK THAT'S A BETTER QUESTION THAN NUMBER ONE.
I MEAN, COULD WE JUST GET RID OF NUMBER ONE? I THINK THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THE LEVERAGE.
THERE'S SUPPORT FOR NUMBER, I MEAN, IF I GET A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF THE FED FOR A, YOU KNOW, ROAD CONSTRUCTION, THAT'S FAIR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SUPPORT.
IF IT'S ACTUAL LEVERAGE, NOT A HOPE AND A PRAYER, AND WE'RE GONNA PUT A BOOSTER CLUB TOGETHER.
WELL, AND BY THAT I MEAN ALSO THAT THEY WEREN'T GONNA GET THE MONEY EITHER WAY, BUT FOR, RIGHT.
QUICK, QUICK CLARIFICATION FOR YOUR 10 POINT RECOMMENDATION FOR THE SECOND ONE.
SO WHEN YOU SAY GAP FUNDING, YOU JUST MEAN FROM PRIOR BOND EXPERIENCES? FROM PRIOR BONDS, YEAH.
SO RIGHT NOW I'D SAID LEVERAGE AT FIVE ONLY AVAILABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING AT FIVE.
GAP FUNDING AT 10, AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AT 10 TO GET TO 30 POINTS.
BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE AN INTEREST IN REDUCING THE OVERALL POINTS IN THAT CATEGORY, SO WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE POINTS.
I WONDER IF WE SHOULD DECIDE THE OVERALL POINTS BEFORE WE GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE.
'CAUSE THEN IT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO 'EM ONCE WE DECIDE THAT FIRST.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE EVERYTHING BUT COMMUNITY SUPPORT IS THE SAME.
AND, UH, I'M HEARING SOME SUGGESTIONS.
I, I'LL JUST TELL YOU MY, MY SUGGESTION IS THAT, UM, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF STRONG ADVOCACY FOR ALL THREE OF THOSE THINGS.
AND THAT WE'VE HEARD BOTH FROM PUBLIC AND OTHERS.
SO I'M A, I'M I AM, DEPENDING ON HOW FAR WE WANNA CHANGE IT.
I'M, I'M SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MAKING A DRASTIC CHANGE THERE.
WHAT'S THE PROPOSAL? WOULD SOMEONE WANNA MAKE A PROPOSAL ON WHAT THAT SHOULD BE? AND WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT.
GARY, DIDN'T YOU PROPOSE SOMETHING? UM, I WILL PROPOSE THAT FINANCIAL PRUDENCE GOES TO 15 POINTS.
EQUITY STAYS AT 30, COMMUNITY STAYS AT 30 AND ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL GOES TO 45.
SO WAIT, COMMUNITY'S AT 10? CORRECT.
30 FOR EQUITY AND ACCESS, 10 FOR COMMUNITY AND 45 FOR ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIAL.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT? YEAH, WE JUST HAD AN ELECTION THAT SAID THAT FINANCIAL PRUDENCE IS PRETTY DAMN IMPORTANT.
WE JUST HAD THEM, I THINK 15 IS COULD WE OKAY, RACHEL ONLINE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S QUITE WILD TO GO BACK TO THE PUBLIC AND BE LIKE, ACTUALLY WE THINK FINANCIAL PRUDENCE IS NOT IMPORTANT.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE HEARD OVERWHELMINGLY FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN COMMUNITY INPUT AND DOLLARS.
LIKE I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF WAYS THAT WE HAVE LIKE ADDED
[01:15:01]
CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT IN HERE THAT IT'S JUST LIKE YOU CAN'T, THIS IS JUST MAKING IT SO YOU GET, IT BASICALLY HAS TO BE A GREEN PROJECT.WE'RE GONNA OUTWEIGH EVERYTHING WE SAID LAST TIME WITH LIKE THE GREEN COMING IN AND NOW IT'S GONNA BE EVEN MORE.
IT'S LIKE, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE THAT MUCH GREEN IN THIS BOND TO START ACTING LIKE IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
THE NUMBERS WE GOT LAST TIME SORT OF SHOWED THAT.
SO I WOULD BE TOTALLY AGAINST THAT.
I THINK THE CITY HAS ENOUGH OF THE DIFFERENT CLIMATE ACTION, GREEN BOND.
LIKE WE HAVE ENOUGH PROGRAMS, POLICIES, IT'S NOT LIKE STAFF IS GONNA GO MOW OVER A PARK AND PUT IN A PARKING LOT.
I THINK WE HAVE A, A REAL KIND OF, UH, ETHOS TO WHO WE ARE AS A CITY AND WE HAVE PLANS THAT COVER THE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE DOING.
I, I'D JUST LIKE TO RESPOND TO THAT.
UM, SO I'M CERTAINLY NOT ADVOCATING FOR FINANCIAL IMPRUDENCE AND, AND REMEMBER THAT THE OVERARCHING PIECE OF THIS IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARD FROM AND GUIDED BY THE DIRECTION ON THE FULL CAP THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN AND SHOULD RECOMMEND.
RIGHT? THAT'S THE FINANCIAL PRUDENCE PIECE OF IT ALREADY INCORPORATED, IS THAT WE'RE GONNA GET A STRONG RECOMMENDATION FOR A, A TOP DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT IS WITHIN THE FINANCIAL PRUDENCE OF THE CITY.
I DUNNO, I WOULD WOULD ABSOLUTELY DEFINE IT THAT WAY ALSO, BUT BECAUSE, AND, AND SO THIS IS JUST PROJECT BY PROJECT HOW WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT.
BUT, UM, BUT ALL OF THESE PROJECTS WE'RE GONNA EVALUATE, UH, IN, IN THE SAME CONTEXT OF THE BETTERMENT OF THE CITY.
SO I, I DON'T, I I I WOULD DISAGREE THAT CHANGING THIS IS ANY INDICATION OF FINANCIAL IMP PRUDENCE, I MEAN, BECAUSE WE HAVE A BOND CEILING ON THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'M GONNA, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD A SPACE STATION BECAUSE IT'S UNDER THE BOND THRESHOLD.
THAT'S NOT FINANCIALLY PRUDENT TO BUILD A SPACE STATION.
SO YOU STILL HAVE TO BE FINANCIALLY PRUDENT WITHIN THE PROJECT ITSELF.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING OFF OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED TO US ALMOST WITH ALMOST NO EXCEPTIONS BY CITY STAFF.
WE HAVE VERY, VERY, VERY FEW PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT GONNA GET, UM, SOME CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
WE JUST, AND SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE THAT EXAMPLE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE OR YEAH, I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY THAT'S NOT HOW THIS, BUT WE'RE GOING, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT WORKING OFF OF THOSE, LIKE OUTTA THE BLUE OUR OWN IDEAS KIND OF PROJECTS.
CAN I, ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ON, ON WAITING? I, WE HAVE, WE HAVE GARY'S SUGGESTION AND THE OTHER YES.
AND THIS IS, YEAH, I, I, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PASSION AND THEIR, AND THEIR THOUGHTS AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE, I DON'T THINK I HAVE THE ANSWER, BUT MAYBE WE'LL CHECK IT OUT.
SO ON THE FIRST ONE, GOING BACK TO, IT'S KIND OF A COMBINATION OF MEMBER MERITS AND, UM, WHOEVER, UH, WAS IT MEMBER SULLIVAN WHO, WHOEVER HAD THE GAP ANALYSIS OR THE GAP FUNDING? SO TINA, WAS THAT YOU ON GAP FUNDING? OH YEAH.
I'D MENTIONED GAP AS PART OF THE SCORING.
SO I MEAN, IT WOULD BE FIVE, BASICALLY FIVE ALL ACROSS THE BOARD AND, AND PROJECT AND PROGRAM RECOMMENDATION WOULD JUST BE IF IT'S EITHER IN THERE OR NOT.
SO NOW YOU WOULD HAVE A TOTAL OF 20 RELATING TO, I THINK WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE BIG BUCKETS THOUGH.
WELL, I'M TRYING TO HELP INFORM WHAT THE BIG BUCKET IS, BECAUSE THE OTHER THING I'M HEARING ON LIFE SAFETY IS, AND I AGREE WITH ON LIFE SAFETY, I THINK THAT'S A, A REAL IMPORTANT ONE.
UM, AND MATTER OF FACT, I WOULD BE EMBARRASSED GOING TO THE COMMUNITY AND THEN, AND THEN NOT HAVING BEEN ADDRESSED.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS THEN WHERE DOES IT GO? AND SO FOR ME, YOU KNOW, THE BEST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BEST, BUT A, A SOLUTION WOULD BE JUST LIFE SAFETY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT OR COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
WE HAVE EQUITY AND ACCESS THAT HAS 30 POINTS.
IF YOU GO THERE, WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND WE COULD RESHUFFLE, BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND GIVING, DO YOU, YOU KNOW, HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW YOU WOULD WEIGHT THEM? YEAH.
SO ON THIS CASE THEN WE'LL DO 20 POINTS FOR THE FIRST, RIGHT.
WHICH WOULD BE THE INCLUSION OF THE GAP FUNDING.
SO BE FIVE FOR, UM, IF YOU HAVE THE MATCHING, AND IT'S FIVE.
AND I'M REALLY ALMOST MORE DOING THIS FRANKLY, SO PEOPLE CAN IDENTIFY WHICH, WHERE THERE'S A PROJECT THAT HAS FUNDING AND WHICH ONE'S GONNA BE SOLD.
IT'S REALLY MORE OF AN IDENTIFIER AS WE GO THROUGH THE LIST.
UM, 'CAUSE IT WILL WASH ITSELF OUT.
BUT THEN, SO WE GOT FIRST ONE, SECOND ONE.
FOURTH ONE WOULD BE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
WHAT ABOUT, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER CATEGORIES.
UM, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY CHANGES TO EQUITY AND ACCESS UNLESS YOU'RE MOVING LIFE SAFETY.
UM, NO MOVING LIFE SAFETY INTO THERE.
AND THAT WOULD BE 30 IF WE DID THAT.
WHAT ABOUT COMMUNITY SUPPORT? I SUGGEST THAT WE MOVE IT INTO THE, THE ACCESS EQUITY PIECE.
I THINK THAT'S A NATURAL FIT FOR IT.
[01:20:01]
OKAY.AND THEN SOME
SOME ARE GONNA BE BASED UPON ADDRESSING SERVICE GAPS.
AND SO I, I THINK THAT'S A NATURAL PLACE WE COULD PUT IT WELL FOR ACCESS.
THAT DOES MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
WHEN YOU REALLY WANT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HAS, SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO, TO SAFE SPACES.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND THE ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL? YEAH, I'M, I'M IS THAT WHERE THE 10 POINTS WOULD GO THAT YOU'RE TAKING OFF THE FRONT ONE? WELL, WE'RE ADDING FIVE, BUT YEAH, IT'S THE OTHER 10.
WELL, YOU CAN DISTRIBUTE WHEREVER IT'S, I'M LESS, I'M LESS PASSIONATE ABOUT WHERE THE OTHER 10 GO.
IT'S REALLY, AND I'M NOT SAYING YOU'RE SAYING MAYBE FIVE TO EQUITY AND ACCESS AND FIVE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL.
OR YOU CAN WAIT IT TO 10 FOR THE LIFE SAFETY.
I, I'M HOPING THAT THAT ISN'T LIFE SAFETY, BUT MORE LIKE ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
LET'S LET RICH, YOU WANNA FINISH, YOU'RE SAYING 2035.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD YOU, WHAT'S YOUR OTHER COMMUNITY SUPPORT STILL HAD 10? CORRECT.
AND THEN WHAT ARE THE THE, THE BALANCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL? THAT'S FINE.
ANYBODY ELSE WANNA PROPOSE AWAIT? I'VE GOT ONE FROM GARY, I'VE GOT MINE.
SO I DON'T UNDER IT, I THOUGHT WE AGREED THAT ALL THE PROJECTS ARE GONNA MEET SOME KIND OF ENVIRONMENTAL THRESHOLD.
SO I DON'T KNOW, DO WE HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME GOING THROUGH EACH PROJECT IF EACH PROJECT IN ORDER TO BE A MINIMUM QUALIFICATION TO BE PART OF THE MOM PACKAGE THAT IT HAS TO DO SOMETHING ENVIRONMENTALLY.
YOU KNOW, GETTING A LITTLE BIT THERE IN MY MIND IS FINE.
AND PUTTING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, POINTS UNDER THE EQUITY AND ACCESS, ESPECIALLY IF WE ADD ESSENTIAL LIFE HEALTH SAFETY AS A, A CRITERION THERE.
UM, BECAUSE DID WE NOT AGREE THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO MEET SOME KIND OF MINIMUM THRESHOLD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS? WE DID NOT.
WELL THEN I GUESS WE NEED IT THEN, BECAUSE THERE, SO WE ANTICIPATE THERE'RE GONNA BE PROJECTS AS A PART, THIS BOND, BUT DON'T THAT WE CAN'T ARTICULATE, MEET SOME ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT IS A STARK DIFFERENCE THAN WHAT WE HAD INITIALLY DISCUSSED.
I MEAN, LOOK AT THE ANALYSIS FROM THE CLIMATE ACTION TEAM.
THE CITY GO STAFF GO IN AND RATE THE PRO.
THEY GAVE US BACK THE ANALYSIS OF ALL THE PROJECTS.
10 35, WHICH IS RICHES AND GOT BACK TO US.
I JUST KEEP LEANING TOWARD THE, YOU KNOW, 60 PLUS PERCENT, YOU KNOW, TRE SHOT DOWN.
AND I THINK IF WE DON'T COME PUTTING EMPHASIS ON FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS AS, AS EQUALLY WEIGHTED ON THE ORIGINAL, I THINK WE'RE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR A POTENTIAL FAILURE.
I WANNA BE ABLE TO GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND SAY, WHEN WE, WHEN WE'RE SUPPORTING THIS, THIS BOND THAT WE TOOK YOUR VOTE SERIOUSLY AND WE LEANED IN REALLY HARD AND SHARPENED OUR PENCILS AND DID THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF BOND THRESHOLD THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE TWO CATEGORIES THAT SEEM TO BE HAVING THE MOST STRESS, WE HAD A, WE HAD A 30 PRE PROPOSAL MM-HMM
AND THEN, UH, AND AND 30 ON ENVIRONMENT.
THEN GARY'S IS 15 AND 45 AND I THINK RICH'S IS 20 AND 35.
ARE WE GETTING CLOSER? IS 20 CLOSER TINA TO THE CONCERN YOU'RE RAISING ON FINANCIAL? YEAH, I, I MEAN JUST, I CAN'T HAVE FINANCIAL BEING, YOU KNOW, THE PRETTY MUCH THE LAST ONE.
IT JUST, I THINK IT'S COUNTER TO WHAT THE VOTERS JUST SAID.
JC HASN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
LET'S LET HIM, TINA, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT TAKING RICH'S PROPOSAL BUT THEN FOLDING IN COMMUNITY SUPPORT INTO THE FINANCIAL BUCKET? THAT WOULD BRING BACK ANOTHER 10 POINTS.
'CAUSE THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTS AN IDEA.
DOESN'T MEAN IT'S FINANCIALLY PRUDENT, THOUGH.
AGAIN, I'LL USE MY SPACE STATION AS AN EXAMPLE.
I WOULD ARGUE COMMUNITY SUPPORT,
BUT THEY'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THOSE POINTS IN, IN THE FINANCIAL INCOME.
OH, BEN, I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO KIND OF EXPRESS THAT I, I'M HEARING TWO SIDES THAT I AGREE WITH
UH, I THINK WE WOULD BE VERY HARD PRESSED TO GO TO THE PUBLIC AND SAY, HEY, ARE THERE, THESE ARE ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE, UH, VERY GOOD FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT.
[01:25:01]
WE HAVEN'T LISTENED TO YOU ABOUT PUSHING THINGS THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR.UH, ON THE OTHER SIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL AND WE HAVE TO, UH, ADDRESS THAT AND THINK ABOUT IT AND ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, EVEN, EVEN WEIGHING IN THE THINGS THAT ARE MAYBE GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT AND LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT ARE GONNA OFFSET IT OR, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE CARE OF IT MAYBE A DIFFERENT, UH, IN A DIFFERENT PLACE.
SO I WOULD SUPPORT THEM BEING EQUAL.
UM, AND UH, I I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, NICOLE MAKES A VERY GOOD POINT ON HEALTH AND SAFETY, UH, BEING A COMPONENT AS WELL.
UH, SO IF, IF WE'RE NOT HAVING THEM, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST ONE ON FINANCIAL PRUDENCE AND THE LAST ONE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL, IF WE'RE NOT HAVING THEM EACH STAY AT 30, I WOULD SUPPORT BUMPING THEM BOTH DOWN TO 25 SO THAT WE CAPTURE A 10 THAT WE CAN DEDICATE TOWARDS SAFETY, YOU KNOW, BASIC HEALTH AND SAFETY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NEUTRAL ON WHETHER IT'S HOUSED IN, IN COMMUNITY SUPPORT, AC EQUITY AND ACCESS.
I DO THINK THE EQUITY AND ACCESS PROBABLY IS THE ONE WHERE IT MAKES MORE SENSE IF I'M EXPLAINING IT TO SOMEONE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, EITHER 30, 30 OR 25 25 AND PUT THE 10 ON HEALTH AND SAFETY.
UH, I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THOSE TWO SHOULD BE IN OPPOSITION.
I THINK WE HAVE TO DO BOTH FOR THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, YOU KNOW, IN THE VOTER'S EYES.
YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK IF THERE'S GONNA BE A CATEGORY THAT WOULD BE MORE HEAVILY WEIGHTED, IT WOULD TO ME BE THE EQUITY ONE.
NOT, I CAN'T THINK OF WHY WE WOULD MAKE OTHER CATEGORIES HIGHER THAN EQUITY WHEN GIVEN OUR CITY'S HISTORY.
SO, UH, I WOULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE PUTTING MY NAME ON SOMETHING THAT HAD A LOWER SCORE FOR EQUITY THAN ENVIRONMENT OR EVEN FINANCIAL PRUDENCE.
I'M GONNA TAKE
ONE IS THAT I THINK GARY WAS ONTO SOMETHING WITH HIS POINT ABOUT FINANCIAL PRUDENCE.
AND ACTUALLY AS I LIKE READ THESE QUESTIONS AGAIN, I REALIZE THESE ARE NOT REALLY ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF FINANCIAL PRUDENCE AT ALL, RIGHT? LIKE THE LAST ONE HAS NOTHING.
I MEAN, IT MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH FINANCIAL PRUDENCE, BUT IT MIGHT NOT.
UM, AND THE SECOND ONE MAY OR MAY NOT BECAUSE OFTENTIMES THE OTHER SOURCE OF FUNDING IS ALSO CITY FUNDING.
UM, AND THEN THE FIRST QUESTION, LIKE, WOULD IT BE FINANCIALLY PRUDENT IF WE PUT ALL OF THE MONEY INTO CULTURAL CENTERS? BECAUSE THOSE ARE PRETTY, AND I GUESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE CREDIT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THEY ACTUALLY DO GET FEDERAL MONEY.
BUT ASIDE FROM AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT'S PREDOMINANTLY THE MUSEUMS. LIKE, WOULD IT BE FINANCIALLY PRUDENT IF WE SPENT LIKE HALF THE BOND ON THAT AND NONE ON SIDEWALKS OR ANYTHING ELSE? I, I REALLY DON'T THINK SO.
UM, SO I JUST WONDER IF WE SHOULD FIRST OF ALL RENAME THIS BUCKET AND, AND HAVE SOME OTHER STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PRUDENCE THAT IS MORE OVERARCHING TO KIND OF GET TO GARY'S POINT.
I'M GONNA BE STARTING WITH, UM, GARY'S POINT.
I'M ALSO REMEMBERING WHAT SANTIAGO, WHO IS THE MOST BRILLIANT SPEAKER TODAY.
UH, THE LITTLE ONE THAT, I WON'T USE THE WORD THAT HE USED, BUT I'M OVER HERE THINKING HE'S TELLING US NOT TO VOTE A CERTAIN WAY.
SO I JUST, I'M GONNA BE LEANING TOWARDS, UM, WHAT GARY'S RECOMMENDING.
YEAH, I I JUST, UM, APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS THERE, KABA THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, CALLING IT FINANCIAL PRUDENCE IS NOT AN ACCURATE REFLECTION OF THE WAY WE'RE GIVING POINTS HERE.
AND IN FACT, IT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED COUNTER TO THAT BECAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING CRE UH, WEIGHT TO VOTERS CHOICES IN 2026 MINUS 8 19, 18 YEARS AGO, THAT DIDN'T GET DELIVERED, BUT THEY GET POINTS HERE BECAUSE THEY GOT VOTED FOR AND GOT VOTED FOR AND, AND THEY COULD PROJECT COULDN'T ACTUALLY GET BUILT.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S, IS A, THAT TITLE OF FINANCIAL PRUDENCE REFLECTS THAT ACCURATELY.
WE'RE GONNA BE, WE WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT AND WE WANT TO DELIVER THOSE PROJECTS.
AND IF IT TAKES POINTS IN THIS TO DELIVER THOSE PROJECTS, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE A LITTLE BIT MOVEMENT.
SO, ALL IN FAVOR OF AWAITING OF 30 FINANCIAL PRUDENCE, 30 EQUITY AND ACCESS 10 COMMUNITY SUPPORT, 30 ENVIRONMENTAL, RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANYBODY ONLINE RAISING THEIR HAND?
[01:30:01]
2 1 2 3 4 3 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 THAT PASSES.SO NOW WE CAN GO AND, AND CHAIR, SORRY, BUT AGAIN, WOULD WE DISTRIBUTE ON QUESTION NUMBER ONE? UM, SEVEN AND A HALF POINTS FOR THE FIRST SEVEN AND A HALF POINTS FOR THE SECOND SEVEN AND A HALF POINTS FOR THE GAP FUNDING.
SEVEN AND A HALF POINTS FOR THE PROJECT RECOMMENDED BY CITY STAFF.
RIGHT? I THINK WE STILL HAVE TO DETERMINE THE, HOW WE'RE WA THOSE RIGHT WITHIN THE POINTS THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO THAT SECTION.
YEAH, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE.
WE WERE JUST SORT OF DOING THE WAITING.
I WANTED TO, I THINK IT'S HARDER.
I MEAN, I, I, I RECOGNIZE REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS ON WHETHER WE ARE IDENTIFYING FINANCIAL PRUDENCE CORRECTLY, BUT I THINK GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE HAVE AN AGREEMENT ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA WAIT, IT HELPS US MOVE TO THAT, UM, DISCUSSION.
AND I, I, I WILL, I WILL SAY THAT MY PUTTING THESE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND FINANCIAL PRUDENCE WAS BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING A TON OF WORK THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING IN TERMS OF VETTING THE PROJECTS.
AND SO I, I DO THINK THAT THAT IS SOUND THAT IS FINANCIALLY PRUDENT TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT THE STAFF WHO'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THESE STAFF DEPARTMENTS, WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.
AND I, I, I THINK WE SHOULD PUT SOME CONFIDENCE IN THAT, THAT THAT'S, THAT FINANCIAL PRUDENCE IS PART OF THEIR METHODOLOGY.
WELL, JUST TO, I WAS GONNA RAISE A POINT ABOUT THAT ONE.
WELL, THE POINT IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE RANKINGS MM-HMM
THERE'S ONE CATEGORY IN WHICH EVERYTHING IS RANKED NUMBER ONE.
THAT WAS ON TRANSPORTATION, I THINK.
AND THEN, UM, THAT THERE WAS, THERE WERE A COUPLE WHERE THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK, BUT I FORGET WHAT, THERE WAS ANOTHER QUIRK WITHIN THE RANKING.
SO THE POINT, AND ALSO SOME, SOME OF THE CATEGORIES DON'T HAVE 10 OPTIONS.
SO THIS SHOULD BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THIRD, THE SECOND THIRD, THE LAST THIRD, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I DO, UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, I WOULD THINK THAT THIS PROJECT OR PROGRAM RANKING BY CITY STAFF WOULD BE NOT THE FULL BUCKET LIST WE'VE BEEN GIVEN.
THAT'S SORT OF THE GENERAL, BUT ACTUALLY REFERS TO THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDED PROJECTS, WHICH I HOPE WOULD BE RANKED
WELL, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE JULY LIST OF 166 PROJECTS THAT WOULD BROKEN DOWN BY DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEY HAD A RANKING WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? WE SHOULD HAVE THE BUT, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE'RE GONNA GET A MUCH, HAVE A MORE HEAVILY CURATED LIST THAT'S ACTUALLY WITHIN OUR BONDING CAPACITY THAT IS FROM STAFF, THAT'S A RECOMMENDED LIST.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE AWARDED POINTS ON, NOT, NOT THE FULL WILL.
BUT AGAIN, NOT ALL, NOT, NOT EVERYTHING HAS 10 I ITEMS IS MY POINT.
SO, SO TOP THIRD, SECOND, THIRD, LET YOU KNOW.
I THINK THAT THAT'S REASONABLE.
I, UH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
UM, I'M QUESTIONING WHETHER WE SHOULD KEEP PLUGGING ON THE FINANCIAL PRUDENCE QUESTIONS.
I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO KEEP DOING THAT WITH THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME LEFT TO TACKLE SOME OF THE EQUITY AND EXCESS.
IF I CAN MOVE THAT WE DO 5, 5, 10, 10.
UH, MY NOTES SAY 5, 5, 10, 10 RIGHT NOW.
BUT OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, GET EVERYBODY'S, WE'RE STILL, I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME FOLKS WHO THINK THE LEVERAGE NUMBERS WRONG.
AND, AND I'M HAPPY TO KEEP PLUGGING ON THAT IF WE, WE SHOULD DO THAT OR WE CAN, WE CAN SEE IF WE CAN MAKE MORE PROGRESS ON SOME OF THE OTHERS AND COME BACK TO IT.
HOW ABOUT THAT EQUITY AND ACCESS? SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 30 POINTS.
I THINK WE'VE HEARD PRETTY WELL RESOUNDINGLY THAT WE NEED TO, TO ADD THE, DOES THE PROJECT ADDRESS AN ESSENTIAL HEALTH OR SAFETY, UM, ISSUE? SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I GUESS I WOULD ASK THE GROUP TO TELL ME, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW I'VE GOT 'EM WEIGHTED EQUALLY.
SHOULD ALL FOUR OF THOSE BE WEIGHTED EQUALLY OR DOES SOMEONE WANNA ARGUE THAT THEY SHOULD, ONE SHOULD BE WEIGHTED MORE? IS THIS WHERE THAT SAFETY CAN GO INTO ONE OF THESE SERVICE GAPS? SOMEBODY HAD MENTIONED SAFETY, I THINK IT WAS NICOLE.
THIS IS WHERE I THINK WE WERE PUTTING THE, IS THIS THE ESSENTIAL HEALTH OR SAFETY ISSUE? DOES IT ADDRESS AN ESSENTIAL HEALTH OR SAFETY ISSUE? OH, OKAY.
WILL BE ADDED TO THIS AS A NEW QUESTION, RIGHT.
IN ADDITION, RIGHT, IT'LL, THERE'LL NOW BE FOUR QUESTIONS, WHICH WILL HAVE A TOTAL OF 30 POINTS.
IF SOMEONE, I WILL EQUALLY WEIGHT THEM, UNLESS SOMEONE HAS A STRONG FEELING THAT ONE SHOULD BE, OR MORE SHOULD BE WEIGHTED DIFFERENTLY.
IT'S KIND OF HARD TO PUT ANYTHING ABOUT SAFETY
[01:35:01]
JUST REPEAT WHATI THINK THE QUESTION, AND I'M JUST COMING UP WITH THIS NOW, IS, UM, DOES THE PROJECT OR PROGRAM ADDRESS AN ESSENTIAL HEALTH OR SAFETY ISSUE OR I JUST MADE THAT UP SO, YOU KNOW, FEEL FREE TO WORDSMITH THAT, BUT I THINK THAT WAS THE GIST.
DOES IT ADDRESS ESSENTIAL HEALTH LIFE SAFETY ISSUES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY? SO YES, THAT'S THE GIST.
AND I DOES IT HAVE TO BE ACROSS THE COMMUNITY? 'CAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE MORE LOCALIZED.
I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, THE CENTRAL HEALTH LIFE SAFETY.
AND ALSO JUST SO I, THIS IS WHERE I WAS, I KNOW I AGREED TO, YOU KNOW, EQUAL POINTS, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M WITH RACHEL ABOUT EQUITY AND ACCESS AND ADDING SOMETHING HERE.
IF WE DON'T WANNA SORT OF GIVE THEM THESE OTHER AREAS, I'M NOT SURE I FOLLOWED THAT.
YOU MEAN YOU DON'T WANNA TAKE AWAY THE 10, THE POINTS YOU'VE ALREADY GIVEN TO THE EQUITY QUESTIONS, NICOLE? YOU COULD GO EITHER WAY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE JUST DOING A THIRD, THEN I GUESS WE HAVE TO SORT OF TAKE AWAY TO BUILD IN THAT QUESTION.
UM, I WAS MORE ALONG THE LINES OF ADDING ANOTHER 10 HERE AND REMOVING SOMEPLACE ELSE, BUT, UM, WE CAN MAKE IT WORK WITHIN THE 30.
WELL I'M NOT HEARING A BIG OBJECTION TO THEM BEING EQUALLY WEIGHTED UNLESS SOMEONE OKAY.
MOVING TO THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
WHEN WE FIRST PUT THIS QUESTIONNAIRE OUT OR THIS, THESE, WE HAD A SERIES OF QUESTIONS AND, AND I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF PUSHBACK ON THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO WE GOT REALLY SIMPLE HERE AND JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, DID THE PROJECT OR PROGRAM RECEIVE PUBLIC SUPPORT STRONG, YOU KNOW, MEANING THEY CAME TO MULTIPLE MEETINGS.
WE CAN LEAVE THAT UP TO THE WORKING GROUPS FOR THEM TO ASSESS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY FEEL THAT IS SO STRONG.
MEDIUM, NONE TOTAL OF 10 POINTS.
WELL, I HAVE A, YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION.
HOW ARE WE MEASURING COMMUNITY SUPPORT? I THINK IT'S GONNA BE THE DATA THAT WE RECEIVE, WHETHER THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, WE, WHETHER WE HEARD ABOUT IT IN A, IN A LISTENING SESSION.
WE HEARD ABOUT IT AT A MEETING.
WE HEARD ABOUT IT IN A SURVEY.
'CAUSE UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE THAT CAN MAKE IT ALMOST TO EVERY MEETING AND THERE'S SOME THAT ARE JUST FINDING OUT ABOUT THIS.
AND I'M OVER HERE, LIKE, JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE THERE AT EVERY MEETING DOESN'T MEAN THAT YEAH.
AND I'M HOPING THAT THE WORKING GROUPS WILL, THIS WON'T BE JUST FOR PURE RAW DATA ANALYSIS.
THAT'LL BE, YOU KNOW, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THAT SOME FOLKS ARE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, COME TO EVERY MEETING.
I THINK IF IT'S THE SAME PERSON SHOWING UP, LIKE YOU COUNT ONCE ONCE.
AND THEN THE LAST, OH, CAN I, SORRY, WHO? NICOLE.
THIS IS ONE WHERE I HAVE AN EQUITY ISSUE ABOUT THIS.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S LIKE THOSE THAT ARE, YOU HAVE THE TIME TO LEAVE THEIR DROPS OR COME IN AND MAKE A CASE.
UM, AND SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S A COMBINATION OF, OF SOURCES WHERE WE CONSIDER THIS ALL THE SOURCES OF INPUT, NOT JUST THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SORT OF COME AND PRESENT IN FRONT OF THE V FAC OR THE WORKING GROUPS BECAUSE THIS IS AN EQUITY ISSUE.
I HAVE PEOPLE THAT WORK, THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO COME AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE THEIR CASE HEARD ALL THE TIME.
AND WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
DONALD, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK AS SORT OF A FOLLOW UP, THERE WAS A SURVEY THAT WAS DONE EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE WAS ANY POTENTIAL OR PLAN FOR LIKE AN ADDITIONAL SURVEY IN THE SPRING? THERE IS.
THERE IS, THE CITY'S GONNA RUN ANOTHER SURVEY AS PART OF THEIR SPRING ENGAGEMENT.
MAYBE THAT COULD GET, MAYBE THERE COULD BE EFFORT TO MAKE THAT MORE WIDELY, MORE WIDELY DISPERSED.
THE LAST SECTION IS THE ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL, UH, DOES THIS PROJECT OR PROGRAM HELP OR HURT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS? AND I THINK, UM, THIS IS THE ONE WHERE, WHEN I STARTED OUT I SAID I THINK THIS ONE MIGHT IN THE WORKING GROUPS MIGHT POTENTIALLY HAVE BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO HEAR, UH, ANY INPUTS THAT Y'ALL HAVE ON THIS ONE.
UH, BROADLY, I THINK THESE ARE GOOD.
THERE'S ONE, THERE'S ONE ITEM.
THERE'S ONE THOUGHT I WAS HAVING THAT MIGHT BE RELEVANT BASED ON SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN AND, AND SOME OF THE OPEN SPACE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL AND THE POINT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE POINT DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE.
WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL ONE THAT HAS SOMETHING, UM, AROUND WILDLIFE, UH, OR HABITAT SUPPORT?
[01:40:01]
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.THERE WAS, I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL PRESENTATION FROM ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS ABOUT LIKE WILDLIFE LANDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND FUNDING FOR THOSE.
SO JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT AS SOMETHING TO MAYBE INCLUDE IN THIS, WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT MAKE SENSE FOR IT TO BE ONE OF THESE SORT OF ALTERNATE THAT YOU MIGHT DISCUSS IN THE PARKLAND AND OPEN SPACE? 'CAUSE THAT, THAT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE APPLICABLE MOSTLY TO THAT GROUP, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE COULD ADD THAT AND IF, IF ONE OF THESE OTHER THINGS DOESN'T REALLY THE LAST ONE YEAH.
I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE.
I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT THE PARKLAND GROUP, I WAS ALSO LOOKING, LOOKING AT, UM, THE ANIMAL CENTER, UH, EXPANSION.
SO THERE'S INDIRECT WILDLIFE BENEFITS FOR EXPANDED, YOU KNOW.
WELL DO YOU, COULD WE JUST ADD THAT INTO THE QUESTION? COULD WE SAY CERTAINLY GREEN CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES, DA DA DA MAXIMIZED AND OR WILDLIFE BENEFITED.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A WORDSMITH.
I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT AS THE IDEA IS FRAMEWORK IMPROVES, EXPANDS, HELPS WILDLIFE HABITAT.
UH, AND, AND WILDLIFE, I MEAN THE ANIMALS INVERSION, THE THING IT WOULD DO IS HELP REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF BIRDS BEING KILLED BY CATS
I THINK THAT'S STILL RELEVANT.
BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT THAT IN THAT SAME, IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
SIMILAR TO SOME OF THE HABITAT STUFF AND MAKE IT MORE, YEAH.
NICOLE, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, WE'RE NOT EXPECTED TO GRADE THESE.
ARE THEY, ARE THESE GONNA BE POPULATED BY SOMEONE AT CITY STAFF AS WE GO THROUGH THESE, OUR PROJECTS OR DEVELOP OUR SHORT LIST? BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO DETERMINE HOW TO ASSIGN CARBON IMPACT AIR AND POLLUTION OR GREEN CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES.
PERSONALLY, I THINK THAT'S IN THE A CAR INFORMATION THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED.
THE, THE FIRST LINE IS THE CARBON IMPACT IS THE GREEN CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES WAS IN MOST OF THE PRESENTATIONS.
YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS THERE, IT WAS THERE.
AND IF IT'S NOT, THEN WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE WERE GETTING THAT INFORMATION WAS DIRECTLY FROM THE DEPARTMENTS.
LIKE WHEN THEY WERE SAYING LIKE, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA USE LOW CARBON CONCRETE OR WE'RE GONNA PUT SOLAR ON THIS FACILITY, WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO THOSE PRESENTATIONS AND ON THE AIR, ON THE AIR POLLUTION IMPACT.
OH, THAT, THAT CAME MORE FROM, UH, I THINK WE CAN GET SOME OF THAT PROBABLY FROM, UH, DEPARTMENTAL PRESENTATIONS AND THEN SOME FROM PAST, UH, A R PRESENTATIONS ALSO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
I MEAN, WON'T IT BE THE CASE TOO THAT ONCE WE ADOPT THIS DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY PRESENTED, MAY COME BACK AND SAY, SEEING HOW YOU ARE GRADING THESE THINGS, WE ARE GOING TO USE SUCH AND SUCH MATERIALS, SUCH AND SUCH AIR CONDITIONING, SUCH AND SUCH WATER CAPTURE, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
SO IT GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE RESPONSIVE.
UM, MEET, GET RACHEL AND THEN I'LL GET CHARLES.
SO I THOUGHT IN THE LAST SESSION WE SAID WE WERE GONNA TRY TO WEIGH THE PROJECTS BY, YOU KNOW, TO COME OUT WITH LIKE A CARBON NEUTRAL BOND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ALL THOSE NUMBERS AND THEN WE HAD THE PARKLAND AND OPEN SPACE AND WE WERE GONNA TRY TO BALANCE THOSE OUT.
SO I JUST, I THINK IF THIS QUESTION IS IN HERE WITH THIS MANY POINTS, I WOULD NOT EXPECT US TO THEN ALSO TAKE THAT APPROACH.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT LIKE, I THINK WE, WE SHOULD DO ONE OR THE OTHER, BUT NOT BOTH.
I THINK WHAT'S ON THE TABLE IS JUST DOING THIS.
RIGHT NOW, CHARLES, TO, TO POINT TO FIRST A QUESTION.
SO HOW DOES THAT IMPACT OUR SCHEDULE IF THERE'S A SECOND COMMUNITY SURVEY COMING AT SOME POINT THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO RATING AND IF DEPARTMENTS ARE GONNA LOOK AT THESE CRITERIA AND THEN RESUBMIT THEIR PROPOSAL, WHEN IS THAT COMING? OKAY.
AND HOW DOES THAT, HOW DO WE GET THAT? WHEN'S THE FIRST WORK GROUP SUPPOSED TO MAKE THEIR PRESENT THEIR, IF YOU'LL JUST, WE'RE GONNA GET TO THAT IN THE FUTURE AGENDA.
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THAT WORK PLAN AND TALK ABOUT PUSHING AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND MAYBE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE HAVE TWO WORKING GROUPS PRESENT INSTEAD OF ONE EACH TIME.
SO YEAH, THE SECOND POINT IS UNDER THE ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL, WHEN WE STARTED OUR DISCUSSION AND WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THIS BEING A BOND ELECTION THAT ADDRESSED CLIMATE CHANGE, WE WERE, I THOUGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENT BOTH IN TERMS OF ITS IMPACT ON THE PROJECT'S, IMPACT ON CLIMATE
[01:45:01]
CHANGE.AND WE ALSO WERE TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE, BUT I'M NOT SEEING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHERE DID SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE GO? BUT YOU WOULD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUGGEST ADDING THAT? I MEAN, I THINK SUSTAINABILITY, I THOUGHT IT WAS, I THOUGHT IT WAS PART OF THE, I EXPECTED THAT IT WAS GONNA BE PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CATEGORY, BUT THESE I DON'T THINK ARE, DO NOT ADDRESS, UH, FULLY ADDRESS SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE.
I'M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT THE IMPACTS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS EXPERIENCING BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND WHERE, WHERE ARE THOSE CORRECTING THOSE IMPACTS TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY'RE BOND PROJECTS THAT WOULD DO THAT.
WHERE, WHERE DID THAT, WHERE DOES THAT COME INTO THE RATINGS? I DON'T THINK OF A COMPLETE ANSWER FOR THAT.
I THINK SOME OF IT MIGHT BE IN THE SAFETY, HEALTH AND SAFETY.
IF IT'S A, LIKE A FLOODING COULD THAT COULD END UP IN, IN THAT ANALYSIS AND THE EQUITY.
BUT I WILL, UM, I THINK THAT'S A VALID POINT.
AND IF WE NEED, IF WE NEED TO ADD SOMETHING ON THE, ON THAT TOPIC, TO ME FLOODING WOULD, WOULD FALL IN TWO PLACES.
IT WOULD BE A HEALTH AND SAFETY, BUT IT WOULD ALSO BE A RESPONSE TO THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
UM, FOR THIS, THE, THE GREEN CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES, UH, POINT HERE THAT FOR THE PARKLAND AND OPEN SPACE, I'M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PROGRAMS, UM, OPEN SPACE ACQUISITION AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND WHICH WOULD NOT, UM, THAT WOULDN'T GET ANY POINTS FOR THIS.
AND, AND I THINK WHAT I WAS SAYING EARLIER IS I THINK FOR THAT PARTICULAR WORKING GROUP MM-HMM
WE MAY NEED ALTERNATIVE QUESTIONS.
WELL, I WAS JUST CURIOUS WITH FOR ALL, FOR EACH OF THE WORKING GROUPS, IF THEY, WHICH OTHERS WOULD BE EXPERIENCING THAT, UM, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'LL, WE'LL RECOMMEND PROJECT FROM THE WORKING GROUPS, BUT THEN WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING 'EM AT THE FULL TASK FORCE, YOU KNOW, IS ARE THERE OTHER WORKING GROUPS THAT WOULD BE EXPERIENCING SOMETHING HERE? UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT MAY NOT BE AS IMPORTANT IN THE OVERALL SCORING VERSUS WE ALREADY HAVE CARBON IMPACT AND AIR POLLUTION IMPACT, WHICH WOULD ENCOMPASS SOME OF THESE SAME BENEFITS OF GREEN CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES.
UM, I THINK DEFINITELY FACILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION THAT APPLIES TO, UM, SO WE HAD SUGGESTED EARLIER ADDING AND OR WILDLIFE BENEFIT TO GET TO THAT POINT ABOUT OPEN SPACE.
DOES THAT ADDRESS YOUR CONCERN OR YOU'RE SAYING THAT WOULDN'T APPLY? I MEAN IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'D GET THE POINTS THERE FOR OPEN SPACE.
I JUST THINK I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT SOME MORE.
CAN I ASK A A DUMB GREEN PERSON? LIKE A, SORRY, CAN I GET THE JC REAL FAST? YEAH.
DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? YEAH, I DID.
UM, THIS IS JUST A WORDSMITHING THING.
SO, UH, THE FIRST ROW CARBON IMPACT WE HAVE ESSENTIALLY A RAMP RIGHT TO LEFT OF SIGNIFICANT EMISSIONS, MODERATE EMISSIONS, SMALL EMISSIONS, AND THEN SEQUESTERS CARBON.
CAN WE CHANGE SEQUESTERS CARBON TO SOMETHING LIKE NEGATIVE EMISSIONS? MY UNDERSTANDING, MY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING IS THAT CARBON SE SEQUESTRATION IS A TERM OF ART IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS A VERY SPECIFIC MEANING.
AND I WOULDN'T WANNA LIMIT AND YOU WANNA SAY YEAH, NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE EMISSIONS.
I MEAN THIS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, AS I WAS WORKING ON THAT SECTION, THAT'S WHERE I STARTED AND I WAS LIKE THE PEOPLE, I WASN'T, IT'S ULTIMATELY CARBON SEQUESTRATION.
RIGHT? BUT THAT MEANS YOU LIKE PUTTING TREES IN THE GROUND, THAT KIND OF THING.
TINA, I THINK YOU, I JUST DON'T KNOW THE, LIKE HOW, HOW DO I, HOW DO I KNOW GREEN CONSTRUCTION? LIKE HOW DO I KNOW THAT? HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT FROM THE PRESENTATIONS.
SO IT WOULD BE JUST FROM WHATEVER STAFF GAVE US ON THAT? YEAH.
DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THOSE? OKAY, ANNA, SO WHY ARE WE ONLY FOCUSING ON AIR POLLUTION? 'CAUSE THERE'S SOIL POLLUTION AND WATER.
SO ARE WE TELLING PEOPLE, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T POISON THE AIR, YOU'LL BE OKAY.
BUT IF YOU POISON THE WATER AND THE WELL, NO, YOU'LL BE OKAY.
IF YOU POISON THE WATER AND YOU POISON THE SOIL, JUST DON'T POISON THE AIR HERE.
SO WHY IS THE ONLY, CAN WE SAY REDUCE IS POLLUTION, IS THAT A OR THAT'S NOT TOTALLY FAIR POINT.
IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE THE INFORMATION THAT WE GOT FROM ACAR, THERE WERE ITEMS THAT HAD TO DO WITH WATER OR AIR POLLUTION.
SO WE NEED TO BE DIDN'T NO, BECAUSE I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED IN EAST AUSTIN, THE SOIL IS WHAT WAS POISONING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS BEING LEAKED INTO THE SOIL AND THAT'S WHAT WAS KILLING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW? SO IF WE'RE GONNA, YEAH, WE NEED TO BE HOLISTIC IN THIS WHOLE THING.
[01:50:01]
YOU BRIAN, COULD WE USE AN A R SCORE? IS THAT A THING? IF IT'S, YEAH, IT'S, I DON'T, I WANNA BE, IT'S NOT PART OF THEIR SCORING.IT WAS PART OF OTHER INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE I THINK GOT THREE PRESENTATIONS AT LEAST FROM THEM.
SO THERE WAS INFORMATION IN SOME OF THEIR I CAN, I CAN ASSURE YOU, PAUL, THAT WOULD HAVE A GREAT PRESENTATION ABOUT IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
COULD, COULD I ACTUALLY JUST DIRECT KIND OF QUESTION.
WELL JUST, JUST THOUGHT ABOUT THAT SINCE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE JUST CITY, LIKE BASICALLY MUNICIPAL PROJECTS FOR LIKE ALMOST ALL OF THEM.
I THINK MAYBE THERE'S A, I MEAN THERE'S BEEN PRESENTATIONS INCLUDING TODAY FOR, UH, CITY SUPPORTED INDEPENDENT, UM, ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT MOST OF THIS IS CITY PROJECTS.
AND CURRENTLY I THINK ALL OF THE CITY PROJECTS HAVE SOME ENOUGH SORT OF LEAD AND ENVIRONMENTAL LIKE BASE REQUIREMENTS THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE, I MEAN, THERE WOULDN'T BE THAT KIND, THERE WOULDN'T BE AS MUCH SOIL OR, OR, OR, OR WATER POLLUTION COMING FROM ANY, ANY OF THEM SPECIFICALLY.
I MEAN THE PARKS OR PARKS, UM, ROADS WOULD HAVE RUN OFF, BUT THAT'S KIND OF AN, THAT'S LIKE A, WELL, SO ACTUALLY, I MEAN I, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GONNA TALK MYSELF OUT OF THIS.
ROSE WOULD BE A GOOD ONE WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GREEN.
I THINK IT'S EASY ENOUGH TO JUST MAKE THIS AIR, WATER, LAND POLLUTION IMPACT AND THEN WE'LL MAKE MINOR EDITS ALONG THE LINE TO TAKE OUT EMISSIONS AND IT'S JUST LIKE REDUCES ZERO OR SMALL, MODERATE SIGNIFICANT.
DOES THAT THANK YOU WORK? MM-HMM
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE COMMENTS ON THIS? OKAY, JUST RECAPPING.
I THINK GOING BACK WITH THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT TO THE FINANCIAL PRUDENCE AT THE BEGINNING, I THINK WE, I FEEL LIKE WE, WE MIGHT HAVE LEFT A, SO RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS I CAN SEE, WE'VE GOT FOUR QUESTIONS.
WE'VE GOT THE LEVERAGE QUESTION FIRST.
THE ONLY AVAILABLE SOURCE TO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE PROVIDING GAP FUNDING FOR A TOTAL OF 30 POINTS WITH IT BEING 5, 5, 10, 10 CURRENTLY.
I KNOW THERE WERE THOUGHTS ABOUT CHANGING THE LEVERAGE AND I'M, DONALD SEEMS LIKE MAYBE HE'S GOT A THOUGHT.
I I WOULD STILL RATHER GIVE IT 10 POINTS AGAIN, AS STEVE'S BEEN SAYING, PARTLY, I MEAN PARTLY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA AND PARTLY ALSO I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR THE VOTERS TO KNOW THAT WE'RE LIKE ACTUALLY WAITING THAT
UM, AND I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND TAKING IT FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN HERE, BUT I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA FIGHT TOO HARD ON IT.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THE FINANCIAL PRUDENCE SLIDE? OKAY.
I THINK WITH THE, SO SORRY, WHERE DID, WHERE ARE WE LANDING ON THEM BEING EQUAL? 5, 5, 10, 10 TO VOTE ON IT.
AND IF WE DON'T, IT DOESN'T PASS AND WE WANT NEED TO CHANGE THE LEVERAGE TO GET IT TO PASS.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.
IF THERE'S SUPPORT FOR IT AT 5, 5, 10, 10.
BUT YOU WERE PROPOSING THAT THEY BE EQUAL, IS THAT ALL OF THEM BE EQUAL? IS THAT, WHAT WERE YOU SAYING? I THINK HE WAS SAYING HE WANTED TO BE 10 AND TAKE FIVE POINTS FROM SOMETHING ELSE.
PROBABLY THE STAFF RECOMMENDED JUST BECAUSE MOST OF THESE ARE, ARE STAFF RECOMMENDED.
SO, BUT THAT'S MY GARY THEN, UM, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE MY, UM, PREVIOUS STATEMENTS ABOUT THE WORD PRUDENCE AND ASK THAT THIS SLIDE BE SOMETHING MORE LIKE, UH, FINANCIAL AND STAFF CONSIDERATIONS.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND TAKE THE WORD PRUDENCE OUT OF THAT.
FINANCIAL AND STAFF CONSIDERATIONS.
OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY, FINANCIAL AND STAFF CONSIDERATIONS.
I MEAN, WE WE'RE VALUING TO AN EXTENT CERTAIN FINANCIAL STAFF CONSIDERATIONS.
HOW ABOUT JUST FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS? I LIKE IT.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT A FINANCIAL PRUDENCE.
WELL, I MEAN CONSIDERATION, PRUDENCE IS, CONSIDERATIONS IS A MORE UNDERSTANDABLE WORD.
SO, UM, WITH, WITH, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS ATTEMPT ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CRITERIA AS AMENDED THROUGH OUR CONVERSATIONS TODAY, WHICH I WILL SEND VIA FOLLOW UP.
AND IF SOMEONE HAS A MASSIVE OBJECTION THAT I'VE DONE IT WRONG, WE CAN RECI, WE CAN CIRCLE BACK.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CRITERIA, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEMS. QUICKLY.AS WE HAVE NOTED FROM A COUPLE OF UPDATES ON THE SCHEDULE, FINANCIAL SERVICES, STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, WE ARE NOT GONNA BE PREPARED FOR A JANUARY 12TH PRESENTATION.
[01:55:01]
SUGGESTION AT A MINIMUM RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE MOVE EVERYTHING, WE MOVE THE FINANCIAL SERVICES PRESENTATION TO THE 26TH WITH THE IDEA THAT WHEN WE MEET AT, ON THE 12TH, WE MIGHT, UH, RE REJIGGER THE MEETING PLAN.BUT FOR SURE THE JANUARY 12TH, NO PRESENTATION.
YOU SAID FINANCIAL SERVICES ON THE 26TH.
TRANSPORTATION AND ELECTRIFICATION.
THAT FINANCIAL SERVICES NOT A WORKING GROUP.
IS THERE SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO ON THE 12TH? MUCH AS I LOVE MEETINGS, WE ARE GONNA HAVE THE PRESENTATION FROM FINANCIAL SERVICES.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND WE WILL HAVE GOTTEN THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WE THEN COULD BE HAVING, YOU KNOW, UH, FEEDBACK TOO, LIKE NEEDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BY THEN.
YOU KNOW, SO WERE YOU SUGGESTING WE DON'T MEET ON THE 12TH? OH NO, I NEED TO HEAR FINANCE.
THAT IS, THAT IS OUR FIRST SIX O'CLOCK MEETING AT PDC.
CAN I ASK, UM, I'M SORRY, I'M NOT LOOKING AT THE SCHEDULE RIGHT NOW.
WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION? I HAVE JANUARY THE NINTH.
AND I'M LOOKING AT MARCUS WHO IS SMILING AND NODDING, SO THAT IS A CONFIRMATION.
ARE WE GONNA GET CALENDAR INVITES FOR THOSE? I JUST NOTICED I DIDN'T HAVE ONE FOR TODAY AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR THE 12TH.
SO WE HAVEN'T SET CALENDAR INVITES.
I SORT OF LET EVERYONE MANAGE THEIR OWN CALENDAR.
YEAH, I SAW THE EMAIL OF COURSE, BUT I DIDN'T SEE THE CALENDAR.
WE HAVEN'T, THAT'S ALL I LOOK AT.
YEAH, WE HAVEN'T HISTORICALLY SENT CALENDAR INVITATIONS.
SO IT'S AT 6:00 PM AT PDC? YES.
IS COULD WE GET CALENDAR INVITATIONS? WOULD BE, IT SHOULD BE SO HELPFUL.
SOUNDED LIKE MAYBE WE GOT A YES THERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
UH, WILL YOU SEND IT TO BOTH EMAILS? THANK YOU.
I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S HARD WORK.