[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER]
WE HAVE A FULL HOUSE AND A VERY PACKED SCHEDULE.UM, I AM GONNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE AND JUST GIVE A HEADS UP THAT WE ARE GOING TO REARRANGE OUR AGENDA ITEMS A BIT TO ACCOMMODATE, UM, FOR CHIEF DAVIS'S, UM, ATTENDANCE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE HER SPEAK TO AN ITEM.
UM, WITH THAT, COULD YOU HELP ME WITH ATTENDANCE, ACTUALLY? SURE, SURE.
YASMINE SMITH MAY BE JOINING SHORTLY.
UM, I WILL TAKE JUST A COUPLE IF YOU GUYS, UH, WE HAVE TWO NEW COMMISSIONERS JOINING US TODAY, AND IF YOU GUYS JUST WANNA GIVE YOUR A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO YOURSELF, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I AM REPRESENTING, UH, MARK UCHIN OFFICE.
I AM, UH, IN AUSTIN ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS AFTER A NEARLY 40 YEAR CAREER AS A RABBI IN, UH, LOS ANGELES.
HI, DANIEL GOWIN, UH, REPRESENTING KRIS ELAINE'S, UH, OFFICE.
I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN ABOUT 30 YEARS NOW.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
AND WITH THAT, UM, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GO TO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.DO WE HAVE ANYBODY, CHRISTIE? WE HAVE NO SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
SEVERAL SPEAKERS FOR ITEMS FIVE AND SEVEN.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
UM, NEXT UP APPROVAL OF MINUTES.DO WE HAVE ANY MOTION FOR THE FULL FLOOR TO CONSIDER OBJECTIONS CHANGES BEFORE I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES? OKAY.
OKAY, WITH THAT, CAN I JUST GET A RAISE OF HANDS FOR APPROVAL OF MINUTES? 1, 2, 3.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR MOVING THROUGH THAT QUICKLY.
[2. Public Safety Quarterly Report, Austin Fire. Presentation by Tom Vocke, Assistant Chief, Austin Fire.]
AND I THINK JUST SO THAT I CAN WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THE CHANGES THAT I'M GONNA MAKE TO OUR, UM, SCHEDULE, WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD AND START WITH PUBLIC SAFETY QUARTERLY REPORT, LIKE WE USUALLY DO.IF YOU COULD PULL THAT POWERPOINT OUT FOR ME, PLEASE.
I AM TOM BOKEY, ASSISTANT CHIEF WITH AUSTIN FIRE.
GO AHEAD AND CLICK TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AS IT COMES UP, WE'LL SHOW US, EXCUSE ME, OUR RESPONSE NUMBERS AND THE ANTICIPATED NUMBERS FOR THIS YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE WE'VE BEEN STEADY AROUND THAT 1 0 7 TO ONE 10.
UH, IN, IN JULY OF LAST YEAR, THERE WAS A CHANGE TO THE MEDICAL RESPONSE PROTOCOLS BASED ON A LOT OF RESEARCH FROM AUSTIN EMS AND THE OFFICE OF, UH, THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
UM, AND THE RESULT OF THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT 15 TO 20,000 FEWER CALLS FOR A FD THIS YEAR.
UH, THOSE ARE CALLS THAT WE WERE BOTH GOING ON PREVIOUSLY THAT, THAT WE'VE REPRIORITIZED AND, AND ARE JUST SENDING A MEDIC UNIT NOW.
SO IT'S A SIGNIFICANT, UH, A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FOR US.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IT RIGHT NOW AND, AND THEY'RE GONNA MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IF THEY SEE ANY HOLES IN IT, BUT RIGHT NOW IT FEELS LIKE IT'S, IT'S WORKING PRETTY WELL.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ANTICIPATING RUNNING AROUND 90,000 CALLS, UH, THIS YEAR.
AGAIN, THAT'S JUST A PROJECTION, YOU KNOW, THE WINTER STORMS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS REALLY BUMPED THE NUMBERS UP, BUT IN GENERAL, WE EXPECT TO BE SOMEWHERE IN THE 90 TO 95,000 RANGE FOR NEXT YEAR OR FOR THIS, THIS YEAR, I GUESS.
UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE FACILITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
STATION 17 IS, UH, HAVING A FREE, UH, A FULL REMODEL THAT'S, UH, LOCATED ON SOUTH FIRST STREET, UM, IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
THE REMODELS ALMOST DONE, WE HOPE TO BE BACK IN THAT STATION IN TWO WEEKS.
WE OBVIOUSLY, WHENEVER WE WE'RE RENOVATING A STATION WHERE WE NEED TO MOVE A COMPANY OUT, WE, UH, WE MOVED INTO THE CLOSEST STATION NEARBY HOUSE SOME UP WHERE WE CAN AND, AND KEEP 'EM RESPONDING INTO THE TERRITORY.
UH, STATION 30 33 IN NORTH AUSTIN IS WORKING OUT OF, UH, STATION 44, WHICH IS AGAIN, THE CLOSEST ADJACENT STATION.
THAT ONE'S A LITTLE SMALLER PROJECT.
UM, THEY'VE REPLACED THE ROOF ALREADY, SO NOW THEY'RE DOING
[00:05:01]
THE INTERIOR DUCT WORK AND CEILINGS AND STUFF.THEY'VE TOLD US SIX WEEKS, BUT WE'RE HOPING IT'S MORE LIKE THREE OR FOUR.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
AND SO THAT SHOULD BE, UH, THAT SHOULD BE WRAPPED UP PRETTY QUICKLY.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO MAJOR PROJECTS THAT WE GOT GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
ONCE WE WRAP THOSE TWO UP, WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE ON.
WE'RE WORKING REALLY WELL WITH BUILDING SERVICES NOW TO, UH, TO, UH, FLIP THESE STATIONS IN A REGULAR, A REGULAR INTERVAL.
THE STATION, UH, 17 ON SOUTH FIRST STREET HADN'T BEEN REMODELED IN, UH, 30 YEARS, I WOULD GUESS, SO IT REALLY NEEDED IT.
AND SO LOOKING FORWARD TO A FRESH START IN THAT, IN THAT FACILITY WITHOUT HAVING TO CLOSE IT DOWN OR, OR SPEND, UH, AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
IT REALLY, IT REALLY, THE PROGRAM THEY HAVE WITH REFRESHING WORKED REALLY WELL.
UM, OUR AUTOMATIC AID IS, UH, REMAINS, WE KNOW KIND OF STATUS QUO AS IT HAS BEEN.
WE'RE DOING AUTO EIGHT ON DISPATCH AND AUTO EIGHT ON, UH, ON RESPONSES, WHICH MEANS YOU GET THE CLOSEST TRUCK, UH, REGARDLESS OF THE LINE.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING REALLY WELL WITH THAT.
WE HAVE A COUPLE EXAMPLES HERE OF A, A VEHICLE RESCUE THAT WE DID IN WESTLAKE, WHERE THE WESTLAKE CREWS WERE VERY HELPFUL.
THEY GOT THERE QUICKER THAN WE WOULD'VE AND, UH, AND ALLOWED US TO STABILIZE AND GET THE FOLKS OUTTA THE VEHICLE VERY QUICKLY.
UH, WE RUN A LOT IN THE SD 11, WHICH IS, UH, YOU KNOW, SOUTHEAST TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, UH, WITH THAT GROUP OUT THERE, UH, WE'VE BEEN RUNNING A LOT OF GRASS FIRES WITH THEM AND, AND LOTS OF, LOTS OF DIFFERENT FIRES IN THAT AREA.
AND SO IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE THEM AS THEY, THEY'VE EXPANDED TO SEVEN STATIONS NOW OUT THERE IN SOUTHEAST TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO HAVING THAT, THAT WORKFORCE TO MULTIPLY OUR WORKFORCE, ESPECIALLY OUT THERE WHERE THEY SURROUND CODA, IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF THESE ESDS SO THAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE THE, THE FIRE SERVICE, UH, RESOURCES IN, IN, IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
SO IT'S A BIG WIN FOR EVERYBODY.
AS YOU LOOK AT THE OVERDOSE RESPONSE, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, A DECREASE OVERALL IN OVERDOSES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, YOU KNOW, FOR QUARTER ONE OF 26, OUR NARCAN ADMINISTRATION FELL TO, TO LESS THAN HALF OF, UH, OF WHAT IT WAS.
SO YOU CAN SEE OVERALL THE NUMBERS ARE DOWN AND I THINK THE AVAILABILITY, UH, WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS HAVING IT AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVING IT, THE TEST STRIPS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND THE AVAILABILITY OF NARCAN EVERYWHERE HAS, UH, GREATLY REDUCED THE, UH, THE NUMBER OF, OF RESPONSE CALLS.
AND SO, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THOSE, EVERY ONE OF THOSE IS A LIFE THAT'S SAVED.
AND SO IT'S A BIG DEAL AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY PITCHING AND, UH, MAKES THIS WORK.
AND YOU CAN SEE BY THE NUMBERS THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS, THINGS ARE REALLY GETTING BETTER.
UH, THE ONLY THING THAT, THAT MAYBE, UH, THAT MAYBE WE'RE NOT SEEING IS PEOPLE NOT CALLING BECAUSE THEY'RE HANDLING IT ON THEIR OWN.
SO WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE ON THAT YET, BUT, UM, IT'S, WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT AS, AS WE GO THROUGH IT TOO, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT HAVING IT, YOU KNOW, OVERDOSES WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS AREN'T CALLING AND THEN YOU HAVE A LAPSE OR THOSE KIND OF THINGS AS WELL.
YOU CAN SEE OUR INVESTIGATIONS RATE, THE NATIONAL RATES 22%.
WE REMAIN WELL ABOVE THAT EVERY QUARTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR ARSON INVESTIGATORS DO A REALLY GREAT JOB OF CLOSING OUT INCIDENTS.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DO A GOOD JOB OF, OF RESPONDING.
UM, WE HAVE A SMALL GROUP OVER THERE.
WE ONLY HAVE 11 PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO THAT SECTION, AND THEY COVER, UH, THEY COVER THE WHOLE CITY, UH, EVERY DAY.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S A VERY BUSY GROUP AND THEIR CASELOAD'S HIGH, BUT THEY DO A GOOD JOB OF CLEARING CASES.
AND SO, UM, WE, WE DID HAVE SOME TURNOVER THERE.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE TURNOVER THERE, IT'S, UH, IT'S SLOW FOR US BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO RUN THROUGH A FULL POLICE ACADEMY AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, TO BECOME, TO BECOME ARSON INVESTIGATORS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO, UM, IT'S, THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN BOTH CERTIFICATIONS.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A HEAVY LIFT, BUT, UM, THEY DO A GREAT JOB AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VERY UNIQUE IN, IN THE WAY THEY PERFORM THEIR JOB COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE FIRE SERVICE.
SO THE SITUATIONAL AND EVACUATION, UH, PLANNING TOOLS ARE OUT NOW.
WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IN TRAINING ALL OF OUR MEMBERS, ALL OF OUR OPERATIONS MEMBERS HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE TRAINING UP TO THIS POINT, AND SO WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD WITH
UM, WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING IN SOME AREAS, MAYBE WITH THE COUNT, GETTING THE COUNTY AND THE CITY ON THE SAME PAGE WITH SOME OF THESE THINGS, BUT IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS AND WORKING THROUGH, THROUGH
UH, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF PLANNING, A LOT OF WORK, AND WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE COMPARED TO WHERE WE'VE BEEN IN THE PAST.
AS YOU FOLLOW ON DOWN THROUGH HERE, THE CWPP OR THE COMMUNITY WILD, UH, FIRE PROTECTION PLANT, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE REDOING THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.
UH, IT WAS UP, UH, WE GOT A GRANT ACTUALLY, TO REDO THE, THE PLAN.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, WE JUST KICKED OFF, UH, IN MAY, KICKED OFF, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH ESO REDOING THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.
AND SO THAT'S A THIRD PARTY GROUP THAT COMES IN AND HELPS US, UH, LOOK AT WHAT OUR, ALL OF OUR PLANNING, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, IT SETS WHAT OUR FUTURE PLANNING IS.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW IS FROM THE ORIGINAL, UH, 2016, UH, CWPP THAT WE HAD.
AND SO IT'S, UH, IT WAS TIME FOR US TO RENEW IT AND TIME FOR US TO START LOOKING AT THINGS WITH FRESH EYES.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING BACK THROUGH AND, AND NOW BEFORE WHEN WE, WHEN WE STARTED THIS, WE WERE KIND OF STARTING FROM ZERO.
AND SO NOW TO COME BACK AND LOOK AT IT AND START FROM A, A GOOD PLACE, UH, FOR US TO REALLY BE ABLE TO DO SOME GOOD THINGS, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, IN THE FIRE ADAPTIVE COMMUNITIES, WE'RE CONTINUING TO,
[00:10:01]
UH, TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FIRE ADAPTIVE COMMUNITIES.YOU CAN SEE ON THERE THE SIZE, SIZE INSPECTIONS.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURAL IGNITION ZONES, AND THOSE ARE INDIVIDUAL HOMES HELPING INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS, UH, BE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR HOMES SAFER.
AND AS WE GET INTO THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN DOWN THE ROAD IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WON'T, WON'T, UH, BE INSURABLE BECAUSE OF WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, UH, BECAUSE OF THE WILDLAND RISK.
AND SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING TO TRY TO OFFSET SOME OF THAT.
AND, UH, AND WORKING WITH, UH, WITH ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO MAKE THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE COMMUNITY SAFER.
SO, OUR FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, UM, THE SPECIAL EVENTS GROUP, UH, HAD 21, UH, YOU KNOW, MAJOR EVENTS, I GUESS QUARTER ONE OF 26 CATCHES THE END OF, UH, THE, THE FALL FESTIVAL SEASON.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GET F1 AND, AND SOME OF ACL AND THOSE THINGS IN THERE.
AND SO THAT GROUP'S BEEN VERY BUSY.
UM, AT THE BOTTOM THERE, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE NUMBER OF TRADE SHOWS AND THINGS HAVE GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY, AND A LOT OF THE HOTELS AROUND HERE BECAUSE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER BEING CLOSED.
SO ALL THE OTHER HOTELS ARE, ARE, ARE REALLY BOOKED EVERYWHERE THAT HAS ANY CONVENTION SPACE IN OUR HOTELS ARE, ARE, ARE REALLY BOOKED UP.
AND SO WE'RE, UH, CONSTANTLY ENGAGED IN THOSE WHERE WE'RE, WE WEREN'T NECESSARILY ENGAGED IN AS MANY OF THOSE BEFORE.
SO THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY AS THEY SET UP THESE SMALLER CONVENTIONS AT ALL THESE HOTELS.
SO THE COMPLIANCE ENGINE, YOU CAN SEE OUR NUMBERS DOWN THERE, THAT'S FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE HAVE 81% OF THEM THAT WE ARE, THAT WE GUARANTEE ARE IN COMPLIANCE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THE YEARS THOSE NUMBERS.
WHEN WE STARTED THE COMPLIANCE ENGINE IN 15, WE WORKED IT ALL THE WAY UP AND HAD IT IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE.
AND THEN 2020 HIT AND WE DROPPED, STARTED DROPPING BACK DOWN.
SO WE, WE'VE GOT IT UP ABOVE 80%.
WE'VE MAINTAINED IT ABOVE 80%, UH, FOR, FOR THE LAST, UH, FOUR YEARS.
AND SO, UM, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING THIRD PARTY EYES ON ALL OF THE FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS AND ALL THE BUILDINGS AND, AND THAT 37,000 IS A, IS A BIG NUMBER.
IT WAS, UH, I THINK WHEN I STARTED IN THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE IN 2018, IT WAS AROUND 25,000.
AND SO, AND THAT'S JUST WHAT WE HAVE IN COMPLIANCE.
SO THE ACTUAL NUMBER IS, IS PROBABLY MORE AROUND 43 OR 44,000, UH, FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY NOW.
AND AS WE SEE ALL THESE BUILDINGS AROUND TOWN, UH, THAT ARE, UH, ARE SLATED FOR DEMOLITION, WHEN THEY REBUILD THERE, IT'S, IT'S MORE, IT'S MORE, MORE ITEMS FOR US TO LOOK AT, MORE ITEMS FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
SO, UH, EXCITED ABOUT WHERE THIS PROGRAM IS AND, AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM, ALLOWS US TO, WITH LITTLE EFFORT, ALLOWS US TO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, GUARANTEE THAT THE FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS THAT ALL THESE BIG BUILDINGS WE'RE BUILDING AROUND TOWN ARE WORKING THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HERE WE CONTINUE TO DO THE SMOKE ALARM INSTALLATIONS AND, UH, AND WORK THROUGH THE FIRE SAFETY TRAINING AT, UH, FACILITIES AND SCHOOLS.
AND, UH, WE DO FIRE EXTINGUISHER TRAINING.
WE DO, WE PROVIDE ALL THOSE THINGS TO ANY COMMUNITY GROUP THAT'S, THAT'S REACHING OUT.
AND SO, UH, THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOOD AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT.
UM, EVERYTHING'S, EVERYTHING'S WELL.
WE HAVE A GROUP OF ONLY FIVE FOLKS THAT WORK IN THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AREA RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND, AND OVERALL, THE, THE AMOUNT, UH, OF THINGS WE'RE ABLE TO DO, UH, COMBINING THEM WITH, UH, THE, THE RESPONSE UNITS, THE RESPONSE UNITS, UH, ATTEND A LOT OF THESE EVENTS IN SERVICE.
SO THEY GO, UH, BUT THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO RESPOND FROM THAT INCIDENT IF THEY NEED TO.
SO, UH, IT HELPS US, UH, MAXIMIZE OUR RESOURCES.
AND THERE'S JUST OUR, OUR REGULAR, UH, SLIDE ABOUT SMOKE ALARMS. JUST A REMINDER.
UH, SEPARATIONS, YOU CAN SEE THERE, OUR, OUR TOTAL VAC, OUR SWORN VACANCIES RIGHT NOW ARE 77.
UM, WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, I GUESS REALLY THAT UPDATE, THE, THE 2026 NUMBER ALREADY IS PROBABLY ABOUT 10.
WE'VE HAD ABOUT NINE PEOPLE RETIRED IN THE LAST WEEK AND A HALF.
SO, UM, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR THE, FOR OUR CONTRACT TO GET IN PLACE AND FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR IN JANUARY FOR THE TAX YEAR.
AND SO WE'VE HAD A, A SPIKE IN RETIREMENTS.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO WITH THE, THE WORK WEEK REDUCTION THAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
THE, UH, 22 OF THOSE 77 ARE NEW, NEW POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDED THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE ADDING, UH, AN ADDITIONAL, UH, 32 POSITIONS NEXT YEAR.
SO, UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO AT THE ACADEMY.
WE'RE GONNA RUN, UH, PROBABLY SIX OR SEVEN CLASSES, UH, DEPENDING ON HOW THE NUMBERS SHAKE OUT OVER THE NEXT, UH, TWO YEARS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING.
OCTOBER, 2027 IS WHEN WE, UH, DO THE ACTUAL REDUCTION OF THE WORK WEEK.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, WE'RE GONNA NEED THOSE ADDITIONAL 56 PEOPLE AND ANY VACANCIES WE HAVE, UH, COULD BE PROBLEMATIC FOR US FROM AN ADDED TIME OR OVERTIME STANDPOINT.
SO WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE WE FILL AS MANY VACANCIES AS WE CAN, AS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
AND, AND HONESTLY, 77 WITH THOSE 22 IS NOT A TERRIBLE NUMBER, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE GOT 26 THAT'LL GRADUATE, UH, HERE SHORTLY, AND I'LL GET TO THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO WE'RE HIRING, UM, RIGHT NOW WE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST DOING A CANDIDATE INTEREST CARD.
WE, WE CONDUCTED A HIRING LIST.
UH, WE CONDUCTED A HIRING EXAM, UH,
[00:15:01]
AND, AND, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO WE'RE, UH, WORKING ON PROCESSING THOSE GROUPS RIGHT NOW.WE GRABBED THE FIRST 150 FOLKS AND WE'RE PROCESSING THE FIRST 150 RIGHT NOW, UH, FOR A CLASS TO START THIS SUMMER.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE ALSO, AS A PART OF OUR, AS A PART OF OUR, UH, LABOR AGREEMENT, WE'RE AWARDED THE ABILITY TO HIRE LATERAL, WHICH MEANS WE COULD HIRE FROM, FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE STATE, UM, AND MAYBE EVEN THE COUNTRY.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TECH, YOU GOTTA BE CERTIFIABLE IN TEXAS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXPLORING AS A WAY TO KIND OF CLOSE THAT GAP IN A MORE COST EFFECTIVE MANNER IF WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, ATTRACT SOME, UH, MEMBERS THAT ARE ALREADY CERTIFIED FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND, AND WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED AND A LITTLE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT IT, BUT WE'RE STILL GOTTA SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, OUR, OUR EXPLORER GROUP IS STRONG IN OUR PASO TORCH ACADEMY, WHICH I THINK IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST PROGRAMS WE HAVE WHERE WE BRING FOLKS IN AND THEY, THEY KIND OF GIVE THE FIRE SERVICE A DRY RUN ON SOME SATURDAYS.
UH, LETS 'EM KIND OF KNOW WHAT, WHAT IT IS THAT WE REALLY DO AND, AND KNOW HOW CHALLENGING IT IS AND, AND LETS THEM DECIDE WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THEY REALLY WANT TO FOLLOW.
IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM BECAUSE IT GIVES PEOPLE A REALISTIC VIEW OF WHAT, OF WHAT THEY'RE GETTING THEMSELVES INTO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF, OUTSIDE OF BEING IN THE FIRE SERVICE OR BEING CLOSE TO THE FIRE SERVICE, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE ACTUAL JOB ENTAILS.
SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD PROGRAM.
AND THERE'S A CADET CLASSES, SO 1 39 IS, IS IS WRAPPED UP.
UM, THEY'RE OFF PROBATION NOW.
UH, CLASS ONE 40 IS CURRENTLY ON PROBATION TILL MARCH, AND THEN CLASS 1 41 GRADUATES MARCH 6TH.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S ALL OF THE CLASSES THAT WE HAVE ACTIVE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO GET ANOTHER CLASS STARTED THIS SUMMER, AND THEN IF, IF POSSIBLE, MAYBE START A, A LATERAL HIRING, UH, CLASS OR PROCESS, UH, BEFORE THAT SO THAT WE CAN GET A GROUP.
THE LATERAL PROCESS IS A, A 14 WEEK ACADEMY INSTEAD OF A 28 WEEK ACADEMY, WHICH ALLOWS US TO GET 'EM ON THE STREET, UH, 14 WEEKS SOONER, UH, WHICH SAVES US A TON OF MONEY.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO POSSIBLY, UH, ROLLING THAT OUT.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE, AND I AM GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M JUST GONNA SAY THAT I THINK, AND I FEEL REALLY SILLY REALIZING THIS, BUT I DON'T THINK I REALIZED THAT THE FIRE ACADEMY CLASSES WERE A FULL YEAR CYCLE, BASICALLY.
SO THE WAY WE RUN IT, WE RUN THE ACADEMY IS 28 WEEKS MM-HMM
AND THEN THEY'RE ON PROBATION FOR 28 WEEKS.
SO THAT INCLUDES THE PROBATION.
SO THE, THE SECOND HALF OF IT, THEY'RE ON A TRUCK.
IT'S STILL, STILL FOLLOWING A TRAINING MANUAL AND DOING THE THINGS THAT WE REQUIRE.
BUT THEY ARE ON A TRUCK AND THEY ARE FILLING A C AND THEY'RE COUNTING TOWARD OUR NUMBERS EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEP.
COMMISSIONER
HAVE YOU GUYS NOTICED ANY CHANGE IN THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF THE NARCAN USE? AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET? LIKE IN ADDITION TO THE CHANGE IN THE CALLS? ANY CHANGE IN GEOGRAPHY AT ALL? ANECDOTALLY, I HAVE NOT SEEN A CHANGE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD ACTUALLY ASK.
ONE, WE COULD ASK OUR, UH, OUR DATA FOLKS TO PULL IN, UH, WEST, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE ANYTHING, BUT WE, WE, WE KEEP THE MAP AND WE RUN THE MAP REGULARLY, SO I THINK IT WOULD BE PRETTY EASY FOR US TO DO LIKE A, A QUARTER OVER QUARTER OVERLAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IF THAT'S SOMETHING Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
YEAH, I THINK, I MEAN, EYEBALLING IT LOOKS BROADLY SIMILAR, BUT IT COULD BE USEFUL TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY SHIFTING
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S EASY ENOUGH FOR US TO DO.
ANYTHING ELSE? I WILL JUST, SINCE, UM, VICE CHAIR RUTAN BROUGHT UP THE OVER OVERDOSE RESPONSE, I WILL MENTION THAT A PD DID PROVIDE THEIR FOLLOW-UP ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR ABOUT THE DRUG OFFENSE CATEGORY.
THOSE ARE UPLOADED TO OUR BACKUP, UM, INFORMATION IN JANUARY.
AND SO JUST AN INTERESTING CONTRAST TO THE, THE, THE REDUCTION IN OVERDOSE RESPONSE.
UM, FOR ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO GO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING
[5. Discussion of community concern around interactions between Austin Police with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.]
ELSE, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON.WE ARE GONNA JUMP AHEAD TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION OF COMMUNITY CONCERN AROUND INTERACTIONS BETWEEN AUSTIN POLICE, WITH US IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT.
CHRISTIE, CHELSEA, CAN YOU ALL HELP ME CALLING SPEAKERS? YES, CHAIR.
WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS FOR ITEM FIVE.
KATHY MITCHELL, THREE MINUTES.
GOOD EVENING, THIS IS, I'M KATHY MITCHELL, RETIRED PERSON,
UM, I'M GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT AND BORE YOU BY READING THE THREE POINTS THAT I HAVE SO THAT I BE SURE.
AND MAKE THEM, UH, AND THEN I WANT TO ELABORATE ON THE LAST ONE.
[00:20:01]
UM, WE ARE ALL SEEING A GREAT DEAL MORE IMAGERY OF, UM, ICE DETENTIONS HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, MOVING TOWARDS DOWNTOWN.SO IN RECENT DAYS WE WERE SEEING STUFF SOUTHWEST, AND THEN WE WERE SEEING STUFF NORTH AND THEN NORTHWEST AND THEN NORTHEAST, UH, AND NOW WE'RE SEEING THEM CLOSER TO DOWNTOWN.
UH, ALL THAT TO SAY, I THINK THERE'S PLENTY OF EVIDENCE THAT BOTH ICE IS ACTIVE RIGHT NOW AND THAT AUSTIN RESIDENTS CARE ABOUT THIS AND ARE PULLING OUT THEIR PHONES AND THEY'RE TAKING PICTURES AND THEY'RE TAKING VIDEOS, AND WE'RE GONNA KNOW MORE IN THE COMING DAYS AS ALL OF THAT STARTS TO FILTER OUT INTO TO THE REST OF US.
UM, SO IN THIS MOMENT, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN FLOATING AROUND, AND I JUST KIND OF WANNA CRYSTALLIZE SOME OF THEM SO THAT IT'S ALL BEEN LAID OUT FOR DISCUSSION.
THE GENERAL ORDERS HAVE TO BE REVISED.
I KNOW, UH, I HEAR, I HEAR RUMOR THAT THAT IS IN PROCESS, A WORK IN PROCESS, BUT FOR ME, AND THIS IS JUST OLD RETIRED LADY SPEAKING, UH, THE MAIN THING THAT I THINK HAS TO HAPPEN IS A, A FORMULA FOR SUPERVISOR APPROVAL IN ALL CASES.
UM, THE KIND OF FINER DISTINCTIONS THAT WE TRY TO MAKE WHEN WE SAY WE CAN HAVE SUPERVISOR APPROVAL FOR THIS, BUT WE DON'T NEED IT FOR, THAT SIMPLY OPENS THE DOOR FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANNA GET SUPERVISOR APPROVAL TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WEDGE THEIR INCIDENT INTO THE RIGHT BOX.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S A VERY SIMPLE WAY FOR MANAGEMENT TO START WRAPPING ITS HEAD AROUND WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE STREET.
UM, NUMBER TWO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PD MAINTAIN AND RELEASE A LIST OF CASES IN WHICH SUPERVISOR APPROVAL WAS GRANTED WITH THE CRIMINAL CHARGE APPLICABLE TO ANY PERSON DETAINED.
UH, IN THIS CITY WHERE WE ARE GOVERNED BY THE PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM CITIES, THE ICE SHOULD NOT BE, YOU KNOW, STOPPING AND DETAINING PEOPLE AT RANDOM TRAFFIC STOPS.
AND CERTAINLY A PD SHOULD NOT BE HELPING THEM DO THAT.
UH, AND OF COURSE, WE DON'T SUPPORT DETAINING PEOPLE WITHOUT APPROPRIATE JUDICIAL WARRANTS.
AND YET SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD ME HARP ON THIS BEFORE, MANAGEMENT MUST IMMEDIATELY REVISED PROCEDURES FOR OFFICERS TO SELF ASSIGN THEIR TIME WHEN THEY'RE ON PATROL.
OKAY, I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT NOW I AM NOT.
THREE MINUTES TIME HER TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
IT HAS TO BE DONE PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
UH, MY NAME'S AMY THOMPSON, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY KNOW ME, I'M SPEAKING TODAY ON, UH, INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN.
AND, UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE WITH ME.
UM, JUST CALLING OUT SOME THINGS THAT I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HERE ARE AWARE OF.
BUT IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH LEADERSHIP AT CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE LEVEL IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS ABOUT SOME BASIC CONCEPTS, UM, REGARDING IMMIGRATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT, I JUST, I FEEL LIKE IT, THERE'S A NEED TO CALL THIS OUT AT EVERY PUBLIC FORUM JUST SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE REALITY AND THE IMPACT THAT IT'S HAVING ON YOUR CONSTITUENCY.
UM, ONE AGAIN, IMMIGRATION LAW IS ADMINISTRATIVE LAW.
SO OUR, UM, ICE IS INFORMING, IS ENFORCING ADMINISTRATIVE LAW.
THEY ARE NOT TRADITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
THEY HAVE NO DIRECTIVE TO PROTECT AND TO SERVE.
THEY'RE THERE TO JUST ENFORCE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW.
IT WOULD, AND THEY'RE SHOWING UP WITH GUNS.
UM, THAT WOULD BE LIKE AN IRS AUDITOR CARRYING A BAZOOKA INTO AN AUDIT.
IT'S INTIMIDATING, IT'S SCARY.
IT IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF EXCESSIVE FORCE ON THE FACE OF IT.
WE INCREASINGLY, UH, SEE OUR NEIGHBORS, UM, LIMITING THEIR, THEIR MOVEMENTS AND, UH, BEING SCARED AND CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY AND THEIR SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN.
AND THE REALITY IS, HERE IN TEXAS, YOU GUYS ARE THE CAVALRY.
YOU'RE THE ONLY THING BETWEEN US
[00:25:01]
AND A, A FEDERAL AGENCY THAT IS INTENT AND CONSISTENTLY USING EXCESSIVE FORCE.AND WE'VE SEEN THE RESULT OF THAT IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO I'M JUST HERE TODAY TO PLEASE ASK YOU TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU DEVELOP THE RULES, UM, AND TO CONSIDER USING WHAT YOU HAVE AT HAND.
CONSIDER, FOR EXAMPLE, LEVERAGING YOUR, UM, YOUR OWN POLICIES ABOUT, UH, EXCESSIVE FORCE RULES USING, UH, YOUR OWN OFFICERS AND YOUR OWN RULES TO PROTECT CITIZENS AGAINST EXCESSIVE FORCE BY IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
UM, ALSO TO, UH, THE COMMISSION AND, UM, UH, OTHER, UH, CITY LEADERS TO CONSIDER CREATIVE, UH, SOLUTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, UH, PUBLIC, UH, PORTALS FOR FOLKS TO, UM, UPLOAD THEIR EVIDENCE OF ICE ABUSES TO FACILITATE, UH, INVESTIGATION BY YOUR ATTORNEY'S GENERAL.
UM, THAT, UH, THAT'S BEING DONE IN NEW JERSEY RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK IT'S GET CREATIVE PLEASE AND PROTECT US YOUR ONLY HOPE,
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS FOR ITEM FIVE.
AND SO, UM, JUST SO THAT WE KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING THINGS, UM, WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN A DISCUSSION AMONGST THE COMMISSIONERS CHIEF DAVIS.
UM, WE HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN TOLD THAT A PD WOULD NOT BE READY TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM TODAY, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE HERE IN MARCH, WHICH IS WHY WE STRUCTURED THE AGENDA THE WAY WE DID.
UM, CHIEF DAVIS IS HERE, SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT SO THAT SHE CAN, UM, I'M ASSUMING SHE, I WILL BE BACK IN MARCH AS WELL.
I'M ASSUMING THAT SHE HAS SOME THINGS SHE'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US, AND THEN WE CAN OPEN DISCUSSION AMONGST THE COMMISSIONERS AFTER THAT.
YEAH, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO COME.
UM, YES, I CAN ONLY GIVE AN HOUR, BUT I WANTED TO STOP BY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SPEAK TO JUST THE GRAVITY, UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON, AND CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SITUATION THAT, UM, I CANNOT BEGIN TO FEEL, UM, AND KNOW WHAT OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS, THIS ON A DAILY BASIS.
BUT WHAT I CAN SPEAK TO IS WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND KATHY, I'D LIKE TO ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS THAT, THAT YOU, YOU, UH, POSED.
UH, SO IT GOES TO THE GENERAL ORDERS.
UM, THOSE ARE BEING REVISED AND THEY'RE BEING REVISED TO ADD IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT.
UM, IN FEBRUARY OF 2025, OVER 700,000 ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS WERE PUT INTO THE SYSTEM BY ICE.
THOSE HAD NOT BEEN THERE BEFORE.
AND SO WHEN AN OFFICER, OR WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, A PERSON'S BEING RAN, THOSE TWO WARRANTS ARE VERY SIMILAR.
IT'LL COME UP ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT OR A DETAINER CALL ICE, AND IT GIVES YOU A NUMBER TO CALL FOR BOTH, UM, BOTH OF THOSE CALLS.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE INCIDENT WHERE THE MOTHER AND HER FIVE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WERE, WERE DEPORTED AND SENT BACK TO HONDURAS, UM, THAT CAME FROM THAT, UH, THE OFFICER, UM, WAS THERE INVESTIGATING ANOTHER CRIME.
AND UM, WHEN THEY RAN THE RUNNING HER, IT CAME UP AS A DETE AS A ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT.
HE CALLED ICE, THE OFFICER DID.
AND, UM, THEY DECIDED TO COME AND PICK HER UP.
AND SO AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, OKAY, WAS THIS JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT THESE TWO WARRANTS LOOK LIKE? UM, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE TO DO AND WHAT WE, WHAT I WANT AS A CHIEF FOR AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO IT IS CERTAINLY, UM, AT THAT POINT WHEN AN OFFICER DOES COME UP AND THEY'RE HOLDING SOMEONE, DETAINING SOMEONE OR INVESTIGATING A CRIME ONLY, UM, AND THEY COME UP WITH AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT, IF THEY CHOOSE TO CALL ICE, THAT WILL THEN BE, UM, TAKEN TO A COMMANDER LEVEL.
AND SO THE IDEA OF WAITING FOR ICE WAITING ANY AMOUNT OF TIME, WE JUST DO NOT HAVE, UM, AS AN AGENCY, WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO WAIT FOR ICE TO COME PICK UP ON AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT, A CIVIL WARRANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS A DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OVER 300 OFFICERS SHORT, WE HAVE CALLS HOLDING.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR, YOUR TIME AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH YOUR TIME.
UM, I WOULD MUCH RATHER YOU BE ON DIRECTED PATROLS AND YOUR TIME IS MANAGED THAT WAY AND YOU'RE TAKING PRIORITY TWOS AND THREES, WHICH WE KNOW ARE HOLDING A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SO TAKING THAT IN THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMANDER WHO IS AT A HIGHER LEVEL OF AUTHORITY, WHO ALSO UNDERSTANDS THAT THE OVERALL MISSION, CERTAINLY FROM, UM, FROM ME AND THE EXECUTIVE TEAM AND WHAT THAT IS, UM, I DO FEEL THAT WE'LL TAKE THAT OUTTA THE HANDS OF THE OFFICERS AS FAR AS SEEING, UM, UM, THEM WAITING THERE.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT ALSO, UM, HELPS WITH SENATE BILL FOUR, WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH SENATE BILL FOUR AT THE SAME TIME, WHERE IT'S, IT'S REASONABLE.
SO I, KATHY, I THINK THAT THAT REVISION WILL WORK AND AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, LEAD LEE ROGERS HERE, OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, WE WILL GET NOTIFIED AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TAKE ABSOLUTELY INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, YOU KNOW,
[00:30:01]
MAINTAINING AND RELEASING OF THAT.I KNOW THAT'S, IF THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION, WE WILL CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND HOW THAT CAN BE FACILITATED.
I THINK TRANSPARENCY IS THE BEST WAY TO GO, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, THAT SELF-ASSIGNED TIME, I THINK, AGAIN, LOOKING AT WHAT MY OVERALL PRIORITIES ARE FOR THIS DEPARTMENT AND IT'S CRIME PREVENTION, IT'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANYWHERE IN THEIR, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, ICE.
AND, UH, WE DO NOT ASK IMMIGRATION STATUS.
AND, UM, WHEN IT DOES COME, YOU KNOW, ICE DOES NOT HAVE, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH ICE.
THEY'RE NOT ON THE SAME RADIO CHANNEL WE'RE ON, WE DON'T KNOW.
SO, UM, YOU WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT SEEING, UM, A PD OFFICERS WITH ICE AND THAT WAS A CALL THEY SENT INTO COMMUNICATIONS THAT A CAR CRASHED INTO A BUILDING.
AND SO AS SOON AS OUR OFFICERS GOT THERE, RECOGNIZED THAT THEY WERE NOT NEEDED THERE, THEY CLEARED THE SCENE.
SO THOSE CALLS DO HAPPEN WHEN IF THEY'RE CALLING IT IN FOR SOME ASSISTANCE OR THEY HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, BUT AT NO TIME ARE WE, WE'RE NOT WORKING IN, IN OPERATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH ICE, IT'S JUST NOT HAPPENING HERE.
SO AGAIN, I THINK IT, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SENATE BILL BEFORE AND WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALL HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THE, THE LAW AND WE WILL DO THAT.
UM, BUT ALSO A PRIORITY OF IT IS JUST NOT A PRIORITY FOR THIS DEPARTMENT.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE TIME OR THE RESOURCES, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD, THAT THAT WOULD REQUIRE JUST ISN'T HAPPENING.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
SO A PROCESS QUESTION, I UNDERSTAND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE THAT GOT ALL THE MEDIA ATTENTION, IT WAS RUNNING A CRIMINAL CHECK SPECIFICALLY THAT THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT'S WHAT IS THE ROUTINE PROCESS DURING SAY, TRAFFIC STOPS OR OTHER AREAS? IS THAT AN AREA IN WHICH THESE ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS WOULD POTENTIALLY BE ENCOUNTERED UNDER CURRENT PROCESSES? SO LET ME BACK UP AND SAY ON THIS, ON THAT PARTICULAR RUN WITH KAREN, IT WAS, UM, SHE HAD CALLED 9 1 1 AND THIS WAS A, YOU KNOW, IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WITHIN A THREE MONTH PERIOD, THERE HAD BEEN 29 CALLS TO THAT HOUSE.
AND SO A LOT OF CALLS FOR SERVICE THERE, UM, WHICH IS SOME, UM, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THAT HOUSE AND SOME DISAGREEMENTS GOING ON.
SO OFFICERS HAD RESPONDED OVER AND OVER TO THAT RESIDENCE WHEN SHE CALLED, SHE LEFT THE LINE OPEN AND THE DISPATCHERS COULD HEAR HER SAY HE HAS A RESTRAINING ORDER, THE POLICE ARE COMING.
AND SO AT THAT POINT THEY, THEY RAN HER TO SEE DOES SHE HAVE A RESTRAINING ORDER? BECAUSE IN THAT BACKGROUND, WHEN, IF I WERE TO RUN YOU FOR, DO YOU HAVE A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE? DO YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT'S YOUR CRIMINAL HISTORY? IT WOULD ALWAYS, IT WOULD ALSO SHOW IF YOU HAD A, UM, EXISTING, UM, UH, RESTRAINING ORDER.
SO THEY SAW THAT SHE DID HAVE A, AN EXPIRED RESTRAINING ORDER.
UM, BUT IT ALSO AT THAT POINT CAME UP WITH THE RE THAT SHE HAD AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT.
AND SO THAT'S WHEN IT WAS GIVEN OVER TO, TO THE OFFICER AT THAT POINT.
SO ON A ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP MM-HMM
AND AT THE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, STAYING WITHIN COMPLIANCE, A SENATE BILL FOR THE, THE GENERAL ORDERS, UM, WELL, THEY MAY CALL ICE, BUT THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THE MAJORITY OF OFFICERS IN THIS, IN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE NOT GOING TO CALL ICE ON AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT.
BUT IF THEY DECIDE TO, IT WILL THEN BE BROUGHT TO A COMMANDER'S ATTENTION AND THEN WE'LL BE CAPTURING THAT DATA AS WELL.
UM, I'M GONNA TAKE A QUESTION AND IF THERE ARE MORE, OF COURSE, UM, I WANNA WRAP MY HEAD AROUND WHEN POLICE OFFICERS DON'T PULL BACKGROUND CHECKS, BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS ARE BASICALLY JUST IN THE SYSTEM NOW.
AND SO ANYTIME A POLICE OFFICER PULLS A BACKGROUND CHECK, THEY NOW DON'T EVEN HAVE TO DO AN IMMIGRATION INQUIRY NECESSARILY.
THIS DATA IS ALREADY LIVING IN THE DATABASE.
AND SO I WANNA WRAP MY HEAD AROUND INSTANCES.
'CAUSE I, I FEEL LIKE IT, IT'S PROBABLY MORE AUTOMATIC THAN NOT FOR POLICE OFFICERS TO PULL BACKGROUND CHECKS MM-HMM
AND SO I WANNA GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEIR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, UM, DICTATE WITH REGARDS TO WHEN AND WHEN THEY CAN'T PULL BACKGROUND CHECKS.
SO IF I, IF IT WAS A CALL FOR SERVICE AND I CAME TO YOUR HOUSE AND THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE AND YOU WERE CALLING ABOUT SOME CONFLICT INSIDE THAT HOUSE, I WOULD PROBABLY DO, UM, A BACKGROUND CHECK ON EVERYBODY IN THAT HOUSE.
NOT TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE SPECIFIC INCIDENCES, BECAUSE WE DON'T USUALLY DEAL WITH SPECIFIC INCIDENCES AS A COMMISSION.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT BIGGER PICTURE.
NO, WE'RE NOT DRIVING AROUND AND RUNNING LICENSE PLATES TO SEE IF THERE'S AN THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
WE'RE NOT RUNNING INTO, OH, THERE'S JOE SMITH.
I KNOW JOE, OH, LET ME RUN HIM.
DOES HE HAVE SOME THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
BUT MY QUESTION WAS ABOUT POLICY AND WHETHER STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES ACTUALLY NARROW NARROWLY DEFINE WHEN AND WHEN THEY CAN'T, WHEN, WHEN THEY ARE ALLOWED TO PULL BACKGROUND CHECKS.
WOULD, YOU KNOW, MORE SPECIFIC? IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE FACT SPECIFIC BASED
[00:35:01]
ON THE CALL.IF WE'RE TRYING TO GATHER INFORMATION ON WHO THE INDIVIDUAL IS THAT WE'RE TALKING TO, INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR A REPORT, OBVIOUSLY ON TRAFFIC STOPS WHEN YOU'RE DETERMINING IF SOMEBODY HAS A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE OR NOT, THAT'S WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING.
UH, SOMETIMES THERE ARE INSTANCES IN WHICH YOU WOULD, UH, CHECK A VICTIM.
MORE LIKELY THAN NOT, OFFICERS WOULD NOT BE JUST RUNNING VICTIM'S INFORMATION, BUT IN THE INSTANCE THAT THERE, THERE ARE INSTANCES IN WHICH THAT WOULD, UH, OCCUR BASED ON SOMETHING THAT THE, THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WOULD, WOULD TELL YOU ABOUT AT THE SCENE.
AND I HOPE YOU, I'M NOT TRYING TO PICK APART LIKE THE, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY TRYING TO, THIS IS ME TRYING TO THINK BIG PICTURE, AND I'M REALLY TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THE SCALE AT WHICH OUR COMMUNITY'S IMMIGRATION STATUSES ARE BEING ACCESSED BY A PD ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND SO THAT, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S JUST KIND OF A BIG PICTURE, INTENTIONAL OR NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT PEOPLE ARE INTENTIONALLY GOING IN TO PULL IMMIGRATION STATUSES ON PEOPLE, BUT THIS IS INFORMATION THAT LIVES IN THE DATABASE NOW MM-HMM
AND SO I'M JUST REALLY TRYING TO GET IN UNDERSTANDING AROUND HOW MUCH OF THIS INFORMATION ARE POLICE OFFICERS HANDLING EVERY DAY.
WELL, IT DOES, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S MORE ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE RESPOND TO OVER, I THINK WITHIN, UM, WHAT A MONTH WE SP OVER 33,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT WE RESPOND TO, UM, AS AN AGENCY.
AND THAT'S A GREAT DEAL OF CALLS FOR SERVICE.
AND SO, UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE CALLS, YES, THAT'S THERE.
UM, BUT OUR, OUR ORDERS ARE SPECIFIC ABOUT OUR INTERACTIONS WITH THE PUBLIC OR ABOUT CALLS FOR SERVICE.
ARE THEY COMMITTING A CRIME? IS THERE PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE CRIME? SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE GOING INTO THE HEB PARKING LOT AND WE'RE RUNNING LICENSE PLATES TO SEE IF, IF THIS THEN COMES UP WITH A IMMIGRATION WARRANT.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT.
UM, SO, UM, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, BUT ONE IS, UM, THE ROLE OF THE COMMANDER, IS THAT JUST DOCUMENTATION, OR DO THEY HAVE A ROLE IN SAYING WHAT MAKING THE DECISION? THAT'S RIGHT.
THEY WILL LOOK AT, THEY WILL SAY, WE ARE HOLDING CALLS FOR SERVICE.
WE HAVE DIRECTED PATROLS THAT COULD BE DONE HERE.
THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR THIS COMMANDER IN THIS SECTOR.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO WAIT.
AND THAT IT WILL, AND THAT WILL BE DOCUMENTED.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
UM, AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION, WHICH IS, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE BIG PICTURE AND MAYBE WILL INVOLVE OR WILL REQUIRE SOME FOLLOW UP, UM, I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT THE PERCEPTION THAT A PD IS, UM, REFERRING PEOPLE TO ICE FOR DEPORTATION IS GOING TO IMPACT, UM, VIOLENT CRIME VICTIMS REPORTING CRIMES.
AND, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT MECHANISM WE COULD CREATE TO MAKE PEOPLE SAFE WHO WANT TO REPORT A SERIOUS VIOLENT CRIME.
BECAUSE THE, I MEAN, AS YOU SAID, APDS NUMBER ONE GOAL IS CRIME REDUCTION.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT IF THERE IS A SERIAL OFFENDER OUT THERE WHO'S HURTING MULTIPLE PEOPLE AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING REPORTS FROM THE IMPACTED COMMUNITY, THERE'S NO WAY TO DEAL WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY A CONCERN OF MINE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT IS HOW CAN WE BE CREATIVE WITH, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A POPULATION THAT IS ALREADY UNDER REPORTS CRIME, RIGHT? AND SO HOW DO WE GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY'RE FEELING COMFORTABLE TO REPORT THOSE CRIMES? AND SO AS WE LOOK AT, WE HAVE 52 VICTIM SERVICE, UM, COUNSELORS WITH A PD, AND SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THERE.
AND SO CAN WE USE THE VICTIM SERVICES TO ALLOW THEM TO TOUCH BASE WITH THEM TO REPORT A CRIME? YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TALKING SOMETHING THAT JUST OCCURRED OR THEY NEED A A, AN OFFICER RIGHT AWAY, UM, BUT THEN COULD BE KIND OF A THIRD PARTY INTER INTERMEDIARY FOR US.
AND THEN, UM, THE REPORT'S TAKEN AND THERE, AND THERE'S A COMFORT LEVEL OF KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ABOUT IMMIGRATION STATUS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CRIME, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW AS WELL, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT SIGNS A LOT OF U VISAS MORE THAN MOST MAJOR CITIES, UH, IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND SO WHEN SOMEONE REPORTS A CRIME AND THEY'RE GONNA COOPERATE WITH THAT CRIME, WE WILL, WE WILL SIGN THOSE U VISAS.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS ONE THING.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I MET WITH, UM, BLA I BELIEVE SHE'S HERE, AND, UM, SOME OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY JUST KIND OF UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, THE LEADERSHIPS, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THAT COMMUNITY, WHAT THEY'RE, UM, WANTING TO SEE AND WANTING TO UNDERSTAND CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE, AND THEN JUST REALLY BE CREATIVE IN HOW WE CAN, UM, GET PEOPLE TO REPORT CRIME AND FEEL CONFIDENT KNOWING THAT THAT IMMIGRATION STATUS ISN'T GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT, WHAT OUR AIM IS AT ALL.
JUST A, A QUICK FOLLOW UP, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR FOLKS TO REPORT CRIME AT A THIRD LOCATION, RIGHT.
LIKE AT A, AT A COOPERATING NONPROFIT OR SOMEPLACE THAT THEY MIGHT FEEL SAFE? SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT.
I MEAN, WE'RE OPEN TO THAT AND I THINK IT'S JUST THE, THE CONVERSATIONS
[00:40:01]
ARE JUST STARTING, BUT AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S GOTTA BE A POINT, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT THERE ARE A PD UM, VICTIM SERVICES, THEY ARE EMPLOYEES, AND SO THEY ALREADY WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND SO THERE MIGHT BE A COMFORT LEVEL ALREADY THERE, BUT WE ARE OPEN TO BEING CREATIVE ON HOW WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO REPORT THESE CRIMES.I DIDN'T MEAN WHO WAS REPORTING, I JUST MEANT WHERE, YEAH.
UH, A FIRST QUESTION OF A, OF A COUPLE THAT I HAVE, CAN YOU GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE NUMBER, THE SCOPE OF AGENTS THAT HAVE CURRENT OPERATIONS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THEIR TIMELINE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT? I CANNOT.
UM, DOES THE AUSTIN POLICE, I'M NOT, IT'S BECAUSE I'M NOT TOLD THAT.
IT'S NOT THAT I, I I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M NOT TOLD THOSE THINGS.
DOES THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE ANY PLANS TO INSTITUTE A POLICY THAT WOULD REQUIRE A DUTY TO INTERVENE IF A PD WERE TO WITNESS WHAT THEY BELIEVE REASONABLY TO BE THE VIOLATION OF SOMEONE'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS BY ICE? YEAH, I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, CERTAINLY, AND, AND, AND LISTENING TO THE, TO THE SPEAKER, UM, UNDERSTANDING AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, IS IT DOCUMENTING WHERE WE'RE SEEING THESE, YOU KNOW, UM, CRIMES, UM, THAT'S A, A CONVERSATION THAT THE EXECUTIVE STAFF AND I HAVE TO HAVE.
UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A ROUTE WE'D GO WHERE WE'RE DOCUMENTING SOME, UM, SOME OF THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, ALLEGATIONS THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST WAY TO GO.
UM, BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL A NEW UNCHARTERED TERRITORY HERE.
AND SO I THINK IT'S ABOUT GETTING, UH, OUR HEADS WRAPPED AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE GO AND, AND TALKING TO THE EXECUTIVE STAFF ON HOW WE DO THAT, BE BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND WE ARE, UM, THAT'S WHAT OUR ROLE IS, IS TO, IS TO SERVE AND PROTECT.
THERE ARE CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS AGAINST UNREASONABLE DETENTIONS.
PART OF THAT CALCULUS IS THE LENGTH OF THOSE DETENTIONS.
UH, OTHER STATES IN THE PAST, NOTABLY ARIZONA, HAVE NAVIGATED SIMILAR CONSIDERATIONS AROUND COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, DOES THE A PD HAVE ANY PLANS TO PUT INTO POLICY SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS ON WHAT THEY DEFINE AS A REASONABLE LENGTH OF DETENTION IN COOPERATION WITH ISIS PART OF SB FOUR? I HONESTLY THINK THAT I'M BETTER OFF, UM, WITH LEAVING IT, THE FACT OF LEAVING IN THE COMMANDER'S HANDS BECAUSE REASONABLE TO ME IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE 300 OFFICERS SHORT AND REASONABLE TO ME IS THAT I HAVE DIRECTED PATROLS IN HOTSPOT LOCATIONS THAT NEED TO NEED AN OFFICER'S ATTENTION THERE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S REASONABLE TO ME, IS TO THINK ABOUT OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE, UM, OUR OFFICERS IN THEIR OWN DISTRICTS, UM, YOU KNOW, PATROLLING AROUND THEIR OWN AREAS.
SO THERE IS NO PLAN CURRENTLY TO SAY ANY DEPARTMENT WIDE STATE.
I, I'M NOT GONNA SAY I'M GONNA WAIT, THIS IS THE THING.
I'M I GONNA OPEN MYSELF UP AND SAY, I'M GONNA WAIT 20 MINUTES AND SOMEONE'S 25 MINUTES AWAY, 20 MINUTES AWAY.
IT, TO ME, THE REASONABLENESS IS THAT I'M OVER 300 OFFICERS SHORT AND I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT ON A, ON A, UM, UH, A CIVIL DETAINER, UM, THIS TIME JUST BECAUSE OF THE, THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE OR THE LACK OF RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
MY LAST QUESTION, UH, THIS I THINK DOVETAILS WITH EARLIER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.
DOES THE A PD CURRENTLY HAVE OR PLAN TO CODIFY ANY CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH OFFICERS WILL NOT SEARCH FOR BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF VICTIMS SUSPECTS, OR ANY CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THEY WOULD NOT USE THE INFORMATION TO, TO WHICH THEY ARE PRIVY IN THE COURSE OF THEIR NORMAL INVESTIGATIONS? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THEY DO THAT EVERY DAY THERE.
BELIEVE ME, THERE ARE PEOPLE ON 33,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE IN A MONTH THAT THEY'RE RUNNING AND THEY SEE AN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT AND THEY'RE NOT CALLING ICE THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.
AND SO WE COULD GO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO GO BACK THROUGH ALL THOSE RUNS AND SEE WAS THIS PERSON, IS THAT SOMETHING WE WANNA DO? I DON'T KNOW.
BUT LIKE I SAID, I, THAT IS SOMETHING WE DO DAILY.
TO BE CLEAR TO YOU, MY QUESTION WAS, IS THERE A PLAN TO IMPLEMENT A POLICY THAT WOULD NO RESTRICT ON WHEN THAT, WHEN THAT WOULD HAPPEN? OR THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE SOMETHING LEFT ENTIRELY TO DISCRETION OF OFFICERS? I THINK WE, AT THIS POINT, THERE IS NO PLAN TO DO THAT.
YEAH, I THINK I HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION.
AND IT'S JUST, UH, WITH THE IDEA THAT THERE IS NO TIME TO WAIT.
YOU GUYS HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES, YOU NEED TO ANSWER OTHER CALLS.
THERE'S NO TIME TO SIT AROUND AND WAIT FOR ICE.
AND THIS IS A BIT OF A SCENARIO WALKTHROUGH.
A POLICE OFFICER CALLS ICE, IT'S HAPPENED.
THEY HAVE INFORMED THEY HAVE NOT, ACCORDING TO HOW THE POLICY SEEMS LIKE IT'S LAID OUT NOW, THEY HAVE MADE THE CALL TO ICE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO INTERFERE WITH THEIR ABILITY TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF US BEFORE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
SO THEY'VE NOW CALLED ICE, THEY'VE CALLED THE SUPERVISOR, THE SUPERVISOR SAYS, WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO SIT AROUND AND WAIT.
AND SO DOES THAT POLICE OFFICER AND SUPERVISOR NOW LEAVE THE SCENE? YES, YES, YES.
AND FINAL DETERMINATION AS THE COMMANDER.
AND THERE IS, AND, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO, AGAIN, TRYING TO LISTEN TO EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VIOLATION OF PEOPLE'S RIGHTS WHEN ICE ARRIVES.
[00:45:01]
SO NOW THERE IS NO POLICE OFFICER ON SCENE TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PERSON THAT WAS THAT, THAT THAT THE PERSON THAT'S LEFT BEHIND FOR ICE TO COME FIND AND THAT PERSON DOESN'T HAVE TO STAY THERE.I KNOW, BUT THAT'S, BUT, BUT THAT IS RIGHT.
SO THAT MEANS A PD IS LEAVING THE SCENE AND NO LONGER AFTER CALLING, AFTER CALLING ICE.
YES, THEY ARE LEAVING THE SCENE.
AND JUST A FOLLOW UP ON THAT, BECAUSE YOU, YOU SAID EARLIER, UM, IN REGARDS TO A PD BEING THE SHIELD BETWEEN POTENTIALLY A CIVILIAN'S RIGHTS BEING AGREED BY ICE, IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, I BELIEVE THE WORDING WAS DOCUMENT THE ALLEGATIONS AND FROM THE CHAIRS, JUST HER, HER, HER, HER SCENARIO.
SHE JUST POINTED OUT IF THE A PD OFFICER, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THE A PD OFFICER WITNESSES THE INFRINGEMENT OF RIGHTS, IF THE A PD OFFICER WITNESSES ICE ROLLING UP AND BEATING SOMEONE TO A POINT WHERE IT IS OVER AND ABOVE WHAT IS NECESSARY TO ELIMINATE A POTENTIAL THREAT, IS IT IN YOUR REFORMED OR IN YOUR GUIDANCE THAT THEY STEP UP AND PROTECT THE INDIVIDUAL? 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT PART.
I JUST WANNA MAKE CRYSTAL CLEAR.
I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY WHAT YOUR GUIDANCE IS TO ONE OF OUR OFFICERS IF THEY WITNESS AN ATTACK ON A CIVILIAN.
YEAH, WELL, WE COULD SIT AND GO THROUGH SCENARIOS, BUT I THINK AS I'M LOOKING AT ICE'S PRESENCE HERE IN AUSTIN, THE THING THAT I HAVE TO DO IS NOT, NOT, IT'S NOT COLLABORATION, BUT IT'S SET AT THE TABLE WITH DHS AND ICE AND TALK ABOUT, AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT TELLING US WHERE THEY ARE NOW, IF WE CALL AND SAY WE'VE GOTTEN CALLS THAT YOU'RE HERE, ARE YOU HERE? SO WE ARE NOT BEING CALLED TO COME IN ACTIVELY DO OPERATIONS WITH ICE.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, IF OFFICERS ARE WITNESSING SOMETHING AND THEY WITNESS WHAT THEY FEEL IS AN EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE, I WOULD HOPE THAT THEY WOULD STEP IN.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS EXECUTIVE STAFF AND I HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS DOCUMENTATION OR HOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD OR WHAT THAT WOULD ALL LOOK LIKE.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
AND, AND CHIEF, WILL YOU BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION WITH, ONCE YOU'VE REVIEWED THAT NOTION OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU WILL MAKE THAT POLICY FOR YOUR OFFICERS TO STEP IN WHEN THEY WITNESS KIND OF A FOLLOW UP TO COMMISSIONER? I'LL BE HERE IN MARCH, UH, FOR THE MARCH MEETING.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO CITY LEGAL AND TALKING TO OTHERS AND THE EXECUTIVE STAFF, UM, WE COULD SPEAK MORE ON IT.
AND THEN JUST FOR EVERYBODY WATCHING AT HOME AND IN THE CROWD, THE PLAN AND, UH, AS OF THAT I WAS AWARE OF IN MARCH WAS THAT AT THAT POINT WE WOULD ACTUALLY REVIEW THE NEW GENERAL ORDERS, UM, AND POLICY, UM, THAT IS FINALIZED BY A PD.
SO WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT IN THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING, TAKING, UH, NUMBER FIVE HIGHER.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, SO I THINK I'M GONNA LEAVE OUR RECOMMENDATION.
I, I WANT US TO KIND OF THINK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE JUST HEARD AND, UM, GIVE COMMISSIONERS A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE RECOMMENDATION AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL REVISIONS WE WANNA MAKE BEFORE WE PUT THAT UP.
SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH OTHER ITEMS, UM, AND TRY TO GET BACK TO SORT OF SOME SEMBLANCE OF ORDER HERE.
[4. Update from Homeless Strategy Office on inclement weather response and new initiatives. Presentation by David Gray, Director, Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations.]
UM, NEXT UP IS, UM, THE UPDATE FROM HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE ON INCLEMENT WEATHER RESPONSE AND NEW INITIATIVES.NO, WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF PEOPLE GO
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE QUORUM, THEN
I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN'S HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I'VE BEEN ASKED TO COVER TODAY.
UH, ONE IS AN OVERVIEW OF OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS, AND THE OTHER IS AN UPDATE ABOUT OUR NEW SOUTH AUSTIN HOUSING NAVIGATION CENTER.
UH, I KNOW YOU ALSO HAVE AN ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA LATER TODAY REGARDING THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS.
UH, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO SPEAK TO THAT TOO, BUT AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, MADAM CHAIR, YOU JUST LET ME KNOW
[00:50:01]
IF YOU WANT ME TO DO THAT NOW OR STICK AROUND FOR THAT ITEM COMES UP ON THE AGENDA.I THINK THAT YOU CAN TACK IT ONTO THE END OF YOUR PRESENTATION IF THAT'S EASIEST FOR YOU.
WELL, JUST FOR A QUICK BACKGROUND, FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH OUR OFFICE, WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN AT THE END OF 2023.
UH, AND OUR VISION IS SIMPLY TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY IN AUSTIN HAS ACCESS TO STABLE HOUSING AS WELL AS THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE.
AND WE DO OUR WORK PREMISED ON, UH, FIVE KEY PILLARS.
UH, THE FIRST IS SYSTEM LEADERSHIP.
UH, BEING A LEADER IN THE LOCAL HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM AND PARTNERSHIP WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ECHO AND A WHOLE HOST OF COMMUNITY GROUPS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY IS MAKING IMPACTFUL COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS WITH THE RESOURCES UNDER OUR COMMAND.
UH, WE MANAGE ABOUT $35 MILLION IN SUPPORTIVE SERVICE CONTRACTS EVERY YEAR.
UH, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AUSTINITES ARE SEEING A RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE INVESTMENTS ARE HAVING REAL, UH, TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT IN THE LIVES OF THE CLIENTS WHO WE'RE TOUCHING EVERY DAY SPEAKING OF THOSE CLIENTS.
THE THIRD IS CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM MANAGEMENT.
UH, WE JUST CAME OUT OF A WEATHER CRISIS WHERE, UH, AT LAST COUNT WE SERVED ABOUT 4,500 BED NIGHTS, UH, OF SERVICE OVER A NINE DAY COLD WEATHER SHELTER ACTIVATION.
BUT EVEN ON BLUE SKY DAYS, FOR MOST OF US, THERE IS SOMEBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY IN CRISIS AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT'S ABLE TO, TO HELP THEM HOLD THEM AND ULTIMATELY GET THEM ON A PATH OFF THE STREETS, UH, AND INTO HOUSING.
THE FOURTH IS COMMUNICATIONS, MAKING SURE THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND THAT PEOPLE HAVE A WAY TO TALK BACK TO US ABOUT THE GREAT WORK AS WELL AS THE AREAS WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE.
AND LAST IS INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE.
UH, DOING THIS WORK IS HARD WORK.
UH, I KEEP GLANCING AT MY PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS 'CAUSE AGAIN, FOR THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS, WE'VE ALL BEEN IN THIS COLD WEATHER SHELTER RESPONSE TOGETHER.
AND I KNOW THAT I DID A 36 HOUR SHIFT AT ONE POINT.
I HAD STAFF WHO DID 24 36 HOUR SHIFTS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE INVEST IN THEM AS THEY INVEST IN TRANSFORMING LIVES ACROSS OUR, OUR CITY.
SO TALKING ABOUT COLD WEATHER, SHELTER OPERATIONS, UH, AND THIS IS A LOT OF TEXT ON SCREEN, BUT I PROMISE I WON'T READ IT ALL VERBATIM, BUT IT'S HERE FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO LOOK AT IT.
UH, OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTER RESPONSE IS TRULY A LIFESAVING MEASURE.
UH, I THINK AT PEAK CAPACITY, THIS PAST EVENT, WE HAD ABOUT 850 PEOPLE IN OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTER SYSTEM.
THAT'S 850 PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT OUT IN SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES FOR MULTIPLE HOURS, UH, WHERE THEY LITERALLY COULD HAVE DIED IF THEY HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO THAT WEATHER.
OUR OFFICE MONITORS THE WEATHER FORECAST.
UH, WE LOOK TWO WEEKS AHEAD, UH, EVERY WEEK AT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND WE WILL ACTIVATE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS IF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST AT THE CAMP MABRY STATION INDICATES AN OVERNIGHT LOW OF 35 DEGREES OR LESS.
AND WE SPECIFICALLY USE THAT NATIONAL WEATHER CENTER LOCATION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU PROBABLY ALL HAVE WEATHER APPS ON YOUR PHONE.
I HAVE A WEATHER APP ON MY PHONE AND THEY ALL PROBABLY SAY A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE ONE CLEAR INDICATOR THAT WE GO TO AND THAT WE COULD TELL OUR COMMUNITY TO GO TO, TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA HIT THAT THRESHOLD FOR COLD WEATHER SHELTER.
IF IN FACT, WE DO ACTIVATE THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER, WE USE THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT OFFICE AT ONE TEXAS CENTER AS OUR CENTRALIZED HUB FOR REGISTRATION AND EMBARKATION.
THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP AN ACCURATE HEAD COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN.
IT ALLOWS US TO TRIAGE FAMILIES AND UNACCOMPANIED MINORS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO GET SAFELY TO A HOTEL ACCOMMODATION.
AND IT ALLOWS US TO DEPLOY PEOPLE TO SHELTERS WHERE WE KNOW THERE IS AVAILABLE SPACE.
WE PROVIDE SNACKS AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR FOLKS WHEN THEY COME INTO EMBARKATION, THEY'LL ALSO RECEIVE A MEAL AT THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER.
SO WHEN WE DO OVERNIGHT ONLY FOLKS GET DINNER AT NIGHT AND BREAKFAST THE FOLLOWING DAY WHEN WE DO A 24 HOUR SHELTER, WHICH MEANS THE SHELTER IS OPEN ALL DAY, THEN WE PROVIDE BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER WITH SNACKS IN BETWEEN.
UH, AND AS I MENTIONED, IF FAMILIES COME WITH CHILDREN OR IF IT'S AN UNACCOMPANIED MINOR, UH, WE DO NOT SEND THEM TO THE OVERNIGHT SHELTER.
WE WILL ACTUALLY PUT THEM IN A HOTEL AND WE'LL PUT THEM IN A HOTEL FOR THE DURATION OF THAT EXPERIENCE.
SO FOR FOLKS WHO CAME INTO COLD WEATHER SHELTERS LAST FRIDAY, THOSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN IN THAT HOTEL ALL WEEK UNTIL I THINK EITHER THIS MORNING OR TOMORROW MORNING.
SO WE REALLY TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING PEOPLE IN SPACES WHERE THEY ARE SAFE, WHERE THEY COULD BE ACCOMMODATED, AND THEY HAVE TIME TO FIGURE OUT THEIR, THEIR PLAN AND THEIR EXIT STRATEGY.
WE DO ALLOW OUR GUESTS TO BRING BELONGINGS IF THEY LIKE.
UH, THEY JUST HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, TO CARRY THEIR BELONGINGS WITH THEM.
UH, THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR IN HOUSED FOLKS BECAUSE WE KNOW MANY PEOPLE WILL NOT COME INSIDE IF THEY CANNOT BRING THEIR STUFF WITH THEM.
[00:55:01]
THEM THAT YOU CAN BRING IT IN AS LONG AS YOU'RE ABLE TO TRANSPORT IT, UH, YOURSELF.UH, CAP METRO IS OUR TRANSPORTATION PROVIDER.
THEY DO PROVIDE RIDES AT NO COST FOR ANYBODY WHO NEEDS TO GET TO ONE TEXAS CENTER.
AND LET'S SAY WE HAVE A SITUATION LIKE THIS PAST WEEKEND WHERE THE ROAD CONDITION WAS SO BAD THAT CAP METRO HAD TO SHUT DOWN THEIR SERVICE.
UH, THEN WE DEPLOY A, A SYSTEM THROUGH AUSTIN THREE ONE ONE, WHERE PEOPLE CAN CALL INTO AUSTIN THREE ONE ONE.
THEY CAN REQUEST PICK UP AND CAP METRO WILL DISPATCH A DRIVER TO GO PICK THE PERSON UP AND THEN BRING THEM TO WHERE WE NEED THEM TO BE.
WE ALSO ALLOW PEOPLE TO BRING PETS, AND WE'VE HAD ALL KINDS OF PETS, MOSTLY DOGS, FEW CATS THINK WE'VE HAD A SNAKE AND A TURTLE AT ONE POINT.
UH, BUT YOU ARE ALLOWED TO BRING YOUR PET AS LONG AS YOUR PET IS NOT AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS OTHER PEOPLE.
UH, IF IT IS A DOG, WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE PUT THE DOG ON A LEASH.
UH, AND IF THE DOG, YOU KNOW, GETS UP AND WALKS AROUND, WE MIGHT ASK YOU TO ALLOW US TO PUT THE DOG IN A KENNEL WHILE THEY'RE IN THE, IN THE SHELTER.
UH, BUT AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT MOST PEOPLE WILL NOT ABANDON THEIR PET OUTDOORS.
EVEN THOSE OF US WHO ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE HOUSED.
IF THE POWER GOES OUT, YOU ARE NOT GONNA LEAVE YOUR DOG OR YOUR CAT OR YOUR TURTLE AT HOME.
UH, AND SO WE INVITE YOU TO PLEASE BRING YOUR PET WITH YOU.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PETS ARE ACCOMMODATED, AND WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH ANIMAL SERVICES WHERE THEY ALSO ROTATE THROUGH OUR SYSTEM, PROVIDING PET FOOD, DOING CHECKUPS, UH, AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO KEEP THE PETS HAPPY AND HEALTHY AND SAFE.
UH, IF COUPLES SHOW UP AT THE SHELTER, WE DO ALLOW COUPLES TO GO TO THE SAME SHELTER LOCATION, UH, BUT WE DO SEPARATE MEN AND WOMEN WITHIN THE SHELTER.
SO THEY'RE IN THE SAME SPACE, SAME BUILDING, BUT THEY'RE IN TWO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BUILDING, UH, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UH, AND THEN LAST IS WE DON'T PUBLICLY ADVERTISE THE LOCATIONS OF OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTER SITES.
WE DO THAT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
UH, WE HAVE FOLKS WHO COME INTO OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTERS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THOSE ARE WOMEN WHO ARE TRYING TO ESCAPE, UH, THE, THE CLUTCHES OF AN ABUSIVE HUSBAND OR MAYBE A YOUNG PERSON WHO'S TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM A, A PREDATOR.
AND SO, UH, WE DON'T PUBLISH THE LOCATIONS FOR THOSE PURPOSES.
ALSO, OPERATIONALLY, WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WELL ENOUGH IN ADVANCE WHAT LOCATIONS ARE GONNA BE OPEN.
WE USE RECREATION CENTERS AS OUR OVERNIGHT COLD WEATHER SHELTER SITES IF SCHOOL IS IN SERVICE.
SOME OF THOSE RECREATION CENTERS ARE THE SAME PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING FOR CHILDCARE AND AFTERSCHOOL CARE.
SOMETIMES THERE'S SENIOR ACTIVITIES, UH, SOMETIMES ERECT CENTERS HVAC MIGHT GO DOWN, AND WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT SERVICE, THAT LOCATION OFFLINE.
AND SO IT, IT'S VERY CHALLENGING FOR THE PUBLIC TO ALWAYS TRACK THE LOCATIONS OF WHICH RECREATION CENTERS ARE OPEN.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE USE ONE TEXAS CENTER AS OUR HUB.
IT IS A PREDICTABLE, RELIABLE, UH, SAFE LOCATION FOR PEOPLE TO KEEP IN THEIR MIND, TO KNOW TO GET TO.
AND AS LONG AS YOU CAN GET TO ONE TEXAS CENTER, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A SAFE, ACCOMMODATING PLACE TO BE.
THE LAST THING THAT I'LL NOTE HERE, WHICH I DID NOTE, IS WE NEVER TURN ANYBODY AWAY.
IF YOU ARE COMING TO, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR A SAFE, WARM PLACE TO BE, WE DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE SINGLE OR A COUPLE.
WE DON'T CHECK YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUS.
WE DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE AN AUSTIN RESIDENT OR IF YOU'RE FROM A SURROUNDING CITY OR A SURROUNDING COUNTY.
IF YOU ARE COMING IN, WE WILL ACCOMMODATE YOU.
WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SURGE CAPACITY WITH THIS LAST ON, ON A NORMAL ACTIVATION, WE'LL MAYBE HAVE TWO OR THREE SHELTERS OPEN.
WE HAD SEVEN, AND WE WERE READY TO GO TO EIGHT IF WE NEEDED TO.
TRAVIS COUNTY, TO THEIR CREDIT, STEPPED UP AND HELPED US STAFF THAT SEVEN SHELTER.
WE WILL NEVER TURN ANYBODY AWAY.
SO WHETHER YOU'RE HOUSED OR UNHOUSED, SINGLE COUPLE, WHATEVER, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SHOW UP.
DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA TURN YOU AWAY.
COME AND LET US FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACCOMMODATE YOU.
UM, AND THEN I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS MOST RECENT WINTER EVENT.
NOW, I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THESE THREE STAFF, UH, ONE OF WHOM IS MY STAFF, BUT THE OTHER TWO ARE FROM THE COMMUNITY COURT.
UH, WE HAD A, A MAN WHO WAS TRANSPORTED TO ONE TEXAS CENTER.
I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW HE GOT THERE, BUT I KNOW WHEN HE WAS THERE, HE WAS LITERALLY ALMOST FROZEN SOLID.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT, I'M NOT TALKING IN A SYMBOLIC, I MEAN, LITERALLY COULD NOT MOVE.
PARTS OF HIS BODY COULD NOT SPEAK, WAS JUST SHIVERING.
AND OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT 10 MINUTES, OUR STAFF, UH, DRIED HIM OFF, UH, TOOK OFF HIS SOCKS AND WASHED HIS FEET, GAVE HIM WARM CLOTHES CALLED EMS TO MAKE SURE THAT PARAMEDICS WERE ON THE WAY.
AND AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THE MAN FINALLY SAID, LOOK, I CAN FINALLY MOVE MY ARMS. AND THEN HE COULD START TO MOVE HIS LEGS.
AND THEN HE WAS ABLE TO START TALKING AND MOVING MUCH MORE.
NOW, WE DID NOT BRING HIM INTO COLD-WEATHER SHELTER.
WE CONVINCED THAT MAN TO GO WITH EMS TO A HOSPITAL TO MAKE
[01:00:01]
SURE THAT HE GOT CHECKED OUT.BUT THAT MAN WOULD HAVE DIED OUTDOORS IF SOMEBODY HAD NOT BROUGHT HIM TO ONE TEXAS CENTER.
AND IF OUR STAFF IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR EMS AND OUR FIRE PARTNERS DIDN'T GET HIM TO A HOSPITAL.
AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS RESOURCE AS A LIFESAVING RESOURCE, WE MEAN THAT LITERALLY.
UH, AND AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR OUR THREE CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES WHO STEPPED UP AND STEPPED IN, KEPT IT COOL AND CALM, BUT MADE SURE THAT THIS GENTLEMAN WAS, WAS TAKEN CARE OF.
SO I'M GONNA PIVOT A LITTLE BIT AND JUST BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THAT SOUTH AUSTIN HOUSING NAVIGATION CENTER, WHICH I THINK WAS ANOTHER TOPIC OF, OF INTEREST FOR THIS GROUP.
FIRST, I JUST WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HOUSING NAVIGATION IS.
AND, AND AT ITS CORE HOUSING NAVIGATION IS REALLY EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.
IT'S A SERVICE CENTER THAT SOMEBODY CAN GO TO TO GET CONNECTED WITH HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES.
NOW, THOSE HOUSING RESOURCES MIGHT LOOK LIKE ONE TIME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MOVE INTO AN APARTMENT.
IT MIGHT BE A MEETING WITH AN ATTORNEY TO HELP STOP AN UNJUST EVICTION.
IT MIGHT BE MEETING WITH THE CASE MANAGER WHO COULD HELP YOU APPLY FOR HOUSING, HELP YOU FIND HOUSING THAT YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR.
MAYBE IT COULD BE A SHELTER ENTRY.
SO WE COULD USE THE SHELTER AS A BRIDGE OPPORTUNITY TO GET YOU OFF THE STREET AND TELL YOUR HOUSING UNIT IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU.
THIS IS A HOUSING NAVIGATION CENTER IS NOT A HOMELESS SHELTER.
IT'S NOT A NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM.
UH, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE ANCILLARY MEDICAL SERVICES HERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, INTEGRAL CARE HAS A CLINIC ON WHEELS WHERE THEY CAN DRIVE OUT AND THEY CAN PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS ON SITE.
WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TO OPEN UP SPACE FOR THAT.
BUT THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF A HOUSING NAVIGATION CENTER IS TO HELP PEOPLE GET HOUSED.
AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO PUT THESE CENTERS IN PLACES THAT ARE ACTIVELY UNDERGOING GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU BRING THESE HOUSING STAB, UH, STABILIZATION RESOURCES TO THOSE COMMUNITIES, IT HELPS KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES, WHICH MEANS FOR ME AND MY TEAM, IT HELPS KEEP YOU OFF THE STREET.
I LOVE HELPING MY CLIENTS, BUT I DON'T LIKE HAVING MORE CLIENTS.
SO WE WANT TO BRING THESE, MORE OF THESE RESOURCES TO OUR CITY TO HELP KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED AND TO HELP GET PEOPLE HOUSED QUICKER.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME HOUSING NAVIGATION CENTERS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ALREADY, UH, ONE OF WHICH IS AT THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.
IT IS A COMMUNITY COURT, BUT YOU CAN WALK IN FOR WALK-IN SERVICES.
THE OTHER ONES ARE ALL FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY RUN NAVIGATION CENTERS, SOME OF WHICH YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THE TRINITY CENTER, WHICH OPERATES RIGHT HERE IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN SUNRISE NAVIGATION CENTER, WHICH OPERATES IN SOUTH AUSTIN, AND THE CHARLIE CENTER, WHICH OPERATES IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN.
I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT ALL THREE OF THOSE PARTNERS DO EXCELLENT WORK.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ARE PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'VE SEEN A 25% REDUCTION IN HOUSING WAIT TIMES.
THEY'RE PART OF THE REASON WHY LAST YEAR AS A CONTINUUM, WE'VE HOUSED MORE PEOPLE THAN WE'VE EVER HOUSED IN A SINGLE YEAR IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE THEY'RE FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY OWNED, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY OVER THEM.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH MORE NAVIGATION CENTERS THAT WE HAVE SOME OVERSIGHT AND AUTHORITY OVER THAT WAY.
IT JUST BRINGS IN THAT ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE HOUSING NAVIGATION EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING A CENTER ADVISORY BOARD TO HELP US OPEN THIS NAVIGATION CENTER AND THEN ULTIMATELY OPERATED.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE, UH, MOST PROXIMATE TO THE NAVIGATION CENTER.
I THINK IT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA.
UH, WE JUST CLOSED THE APPLICATION FOR THIS, I BELIEVE LAST WEDNESDAY WITH ABOUT 70 APPLICANTS FOR THE 13 SEATS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN.
UH, FIVE OF THOSE SEATS WILL BE FROM FOLKS FROM THE NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS.
THREE WILL BE FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS.
FOUR WILL BE FROM, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO WORK RELATED TO HOMELESS SERVICES OR HOUSING SERVICES.
AND THEN ONE WILL BE FROM OUR FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY, UH, OR A CIVIC ORGANIZATION THAT'S NOT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, WE ARE STILL ON TRACK TO GET THIS CENTER OPEN BY LATE SUMMER.
UH, THAT'S BEEN OUR GOAL FROM THE ONSET, AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE'RE STILL, UH, ON SCHEDULE TO DELIVER THAT.
UH, WE HAVE A SPEAK UP AUSTIN WEBPAGE.
IF YOU JUST SEARCH GOOGLE SEARCH, SPEAK UP AUSTIN, CITY OF AUSTIN NAVIGATION CENTER.
IT WILL BE THE FIRST THING THAT POPS UP, I GUARANTEE IT.
UH, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE KEEP ALL OF OUR PROJECT UPDATES.
AND IF THE TIMELINE EVER SHIFTS, THEN IT WILL BE ANNOUNCED THROUGH THAT WEBSITE AS WELL AS THROUGH OUR LISTSERV THAT YOU COULD SIGN UP FOR, UH, THROUGH THAT WEBSITE AS WELL.
SO, MADAM CHAIR, I KNOW I RAN THROUGH ALL THAT REALLY QUICKLY.
I WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR TIME.
UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION NOW AND THEN MAYBE ADDRESS THE, THE OTHER ITEM LATER.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IF WE COULD GET THE SCREEN BACK UP SO I CAN SEE EVERYBODY ONLINE? COMMISSIONER
[01:05:01]
BERNHARDT.UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, SO I GOT KIND OF EXCITED WHEN YOU SAID YOU GUYS WERE PLANNING MORE NAVIGATION CENTERS, BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS, HAS THERE BEEN AN ANALYSIS OF WHERE THE CURRENT NAVIGATION CENTERS ARE AND WHERE WE NEED NAVIGATION CENTERS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THEM? I UNDERSTAND THE, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE EMINENT NEW NAVIGATION CENTER IS REPLACING A NAVIGATION CENTER, BUT SO POTENTIALLY, RIGHT.
THAT, THAT'S COME UP IN DISCUSSION.
SO, UH, FOR THE CURRENT, THE NAVIGATION CENTER THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO OPEN AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WAS SPECIFICALLY CHOSEN BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT EVICTION FILINGS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT THERE NEAR PARKER AND RF MM-HMM
HAS SOME OF THE HIGHEST EVICTION RATES IN OUR ENTIRE COUNTY.
UH, WE WERE OUT TALKING TO SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN THAT AREA WHO WERE TELLING US ABOUT STUDENTS WHO STARTED THE YEAR LIVING A FEW BLOCKS FROM SCHOOL AND NOW ARE HAVING TO COMMUTE FROM DELL VALLEY OR BASTROP BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN EVICTED, BUT THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO STAY TIED TO THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
SO, SO THAT ONE WAS A VERY PRESSING KIND OF URGENT, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
UH, THE, SINCE WE'RE DOING ONE ON THE SOUTH SIDE, OUR NEXT NATURAL LOCATION TO LOOK IS ON THE NORTH SIDE.
UH, THE CHARLIE CENTER IS, IS NORTHWEST AUSTIN.
THEY KIND OF DO REALLY GREAT WORK IN THAT AREA OF TOWN.
UH, BUT ONCE YOU GET NORTH OF DOWNTOWN ON THE EAST SIDE, IT'S KIND OF A VACUUM, RIGHT? YEAH.
YOU HAVE THE TRINITY CENTER RIGHT HERE IN DOWNTOWN.
YOU HAVE THE CHARLIE CENTER NORTHWEST, BUT REALLY NOTHING NORTH, CENTRAL NORTHEAST.
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SCOPING FOR POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL NAVIGATION CENTERS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ONLINE SPECIFICALLY? NO.
OH, TIME, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA GO TO, WE'RE ON THE NAVIGATION SIDE.
I, AND WANNA GO BACK TO THE INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER QUESTIONS, IF THAT ISN'T A GOOD TIME TO DO THAT.
UM, 'CAUSE IT WAS ALL PART OF THE, YEAH, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND ASK ABOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER STUFF AS WELL,
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO FIRST SAY, UM, GETTING BETTER EVERY YEAR, UM, AS SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF THIS HAT BEING A SERVICE PROVIDER IN THAT WORLD, GETTING BETTER EVERY YEAR.
SO, WANNA SAY, UH, KUDOS TO THAT.
I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN GOOD WORK IS BEING DONE.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, UM, AND I CAN PAUSE WHENEVER, CHAIR, SO THAT WE CAN ALL SHARE THIS SPACE.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT SOMETHING THAT GAVE, UM, YOUR SERVICE PROVIDERS AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS SOME CONCERN, THIS GO AROUND WAS SPECIFICALLY THE, UH, POTENTIAL, UM, INTERACTION WITH ICE DURING THAT TIME.
NOW, I KNOW WE DON'T TAKE IMMIGRATION STATUS AND ALL OF THAT GOOD STUFF, BUT I DID WANNA ALLOW FOR SPACE FOR YOU TO CLEARLY ON THE RECORD, DESCRIBE THE PROTOCOLS IN RELATION TO, UM, THE PROPER PROCEDURES, UM, UH, WITH ICE, UH, DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER TIMES, UM, EITHER AT AN EMBARKATION OR THE SHELTER LOCATIONS THEMSELVES.
WE HAVE, WE'VE RECEIVED VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FROM CITY LEADERSHIP ON HOW TO ENGAGE WITH ICE.
UH, I WILL START OFF BY SAYING THAT, UH, I KNOW THERE WERE RUMORS KIND OF OUT THERE THAT ICE WAS GOING TO, UH, COME TO THE EMBARKATION AND, AND COME TO THE SHELTERS, UH, THAT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
UH, AND, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY INDICATION THAT THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
NOW, SHOULD ICE SHOW UP, STATE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW US TO STOP THEM FROM CONDUCTING THEIR ACTIVITY.
UH, BUT WE ALSO DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY AID IN THE DOING OF THAT ACTIVITY.
AND SO, INTERNALLY FOR US, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS A, UH, A REQUEST TO ICE TO SEE, UH, ANY DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE THAT JUSTIFIES THEIR PRESENCE FOR BEING THERE.
UH, A CALL TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE JUST TO ACTIVATE KIND OF THAT, THAT LEGAL, UH, ARM OF THE CITY AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT, I GUESS, NUMBER ONE, THAT OUR STAFF IS ACTING APPROPRIATELY AND THAT WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR OUR CLIENT'S BEST INTEREST.
UH, BUT ALSO THAT THE CITY IS PREPARED TO DO ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, SHOULD IT, SHOULD IT NEED TO.
UH, AND THEN WE WOULD ALSO CALL OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS AT A PD.
UH, AGAIN, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE NOT GONNA STAND IN THE WAY OF, OF ICE AND, UH, STOP THEM.
UH, BUT A PD HOLDS THAT RELATIONSHIP AS A FELLOW LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
AND SO, UH, THAT'D BE A CALL FROM, FROM MY STAFF TO ME, ME TO THE CHIEF, UH, TO AGAIN, KIND OF ACTIVATE THAT PART OF THE CITY OPERATION.
UH, BUT AGAIN, WITH THIS ACTIVATION, WE HAD NO INDICATION THAT ICE WAS GONNA BE THERE.
UH, WE, WE HEARD THE SAME RUMORS THAT YOU HEARD, UH, AND WE WERE LETTING PEOPLE KNOW, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I, ICE IS NOT COMING.
WE, WE ARE SOLELY FOCUSED ON WANTING TO GIVE PEOPLE INSIGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF GETTING THEM OUT OF THIS LIFE-THREATENING WEATHER.
COMMISSIONER RUTTEN, I THINK YOU HAD A QUESTION AS WELL.
[01:10:02]
YOU CAN GO AHEAD.COMMISSIONER SMITH, I KNOW YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, I JUST KIND OF WANNA PAUSE THERE BECAUSE WE, WE JUST HEARD WE WOULD CALL A PD, BUT THEN WE JUST TALKED TO CHIEF WHERE I MADE A SCENARIO, WHERE WOULD YOU STAND IN THE WAY AS A SHIELD IN ORDER FOR SOMEONE NOT TO BE HARMED? AND THERE'S LACK OF CLARITY OF WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE.
SO THAT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A COMPLETELY CLOSED LOOP TO ME.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE SOME MORE CLARITY.
AND I KNOW YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE THAT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, 'CAUSE CHIEF WASN'T ABLE TO GIVE THAT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
BUT BEFORE WE COME BACK TO THIS TABLE, AGAIN, I KNOW FOR SURE FROM MY COMMUNITY DEPARTMENT, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND THOSE PEOPLE ACTIVELY ON THE STREETS, THAT CLARITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO HOW THEY OPERATE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY TALKING ABOUT THEIR OPERATIONS, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR THE GRASS ROOT ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THOUGH IT IS EXPLAINED THAT THERE ARE PROTOCOLS WHEN, UM, UH, CAPITAL METRO STOP SERVICE PROVISION, THERE STILL APPEARS TO BE A GAP.
AND AGAIN, GETTING BETTER EVERY YEAR.
SO NOW WE'RE ONLY FOCUSED ON THOSE SMALL GAPS,
IT, IT FEEL, IT'S STILL FEELING LIKE A LOT OF THAT OUTREACH IS BEING TAKEN ON OUTSIDE OF THE, LIKE, BUREAUCRACY ECOSYSTEM.
AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT HAPPENS IS THAT RELYING ON THOSE, THOSE NGOS OR, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCE, EXPA, ESPECIALLY THOSE SMALL GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, THAT REALLY ALLOWS THE AVAILABILITY FOR THEM TO BE BURNT OUT.
AND SO, I JUST WANNA SAY FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER, THOSE, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT OFFICIALLY IN THE ECOSYSTEM, OR THEY'RE NOT MATED OR EVEN FUNDED FOR SOME OF THEM, THEY ARE PLAYING AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO GET BETTER, TO CONTINUE TO GET PEOPLE IN THERE TO CONTINUE TO BREAK THROUGH THESE RECORDS.
AND IF YOU BURN THEM OUT, PEOPLE ARE GONNA SUFFER.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'D REALLY LIKE SOME FOCUS AND ATTENTION, IF IT EVER CAME TO THIS COMMISSION, I MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE TO RECUSE MYSELF ANYWAY.
BUT JUST FOR MY CONSCIOUS, I WANNA SAY YOU'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE REALLY STRETCHING THEM THEN AND HAVE BEEN STRETCHING THEM THEN.
AND IF THEY WERE TO GO DARK, THAT WOULD BE A HUGE HOLE IN KIND OF HOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, PROCEEDING.
AND ON THAT FRONT, SPEAKING AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN ON THE FRONT LINE AND HAS WELCOMED THAT PERSON WHO CAN'T MOVE THEIR EXTREMITIES, IT IS REALLY TRAUMATIZING, UM, FOR SOMEONE TO NOT BE A FIRST RESPONDER AND HAVE TO LIKE, CONSUME THAT TRAUMA.
SO I'D ALSO REALLY SUGGEST, AGAIN, LOOKING AT FINE TUNING THOSE SMALL GAPS.
WHAT ARE WE DOING IN RELATION TO TRAUMA RESPONSE AND THERAPY AND COUNSELING FOR THE INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY FIRST RESPONDERS, BUT ARE WORKING IN THAT ECOSYSTEM AS THEY DEAL IN A, DURING A TRAUMATIC TIME WITH A TRAUMATIC CLIENTELE GOING THROUGH TRAUMA BEING TRAUMATIZED THEMSELVES.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? COMMISSIONER, I, I, I FEEL LIKE YOU WERE ECOSYSTEM, SOME NONPROFITS OUTREACH AND ALSO LIKE THERAPY TRAUMA, LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.
FIRST, UH, I, I AM PLEASED TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT THE SYSTEM GETS BETTER EVERY YEAR.
UH, I, I LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT, BUT I, IT HAS, I'M ALSO VERY BIASED.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT FEEDBACK.
AND, AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU A LONG WAY SINCE STORM URI.
LET'S NOT BE, HEY, WELL, THAT, THAT'S GOOD.
WE AS OFTEN HAVE COME A LONG WAY.
SO IF YOU COULD PUT THAT IN WRITING TO TC BROAD ACTS, I THINK WE'D OUGHT APPRECIATE IT.
SO I THINK, UM, FIRST, YOU KNOW, WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESS THOUGH AND, AND HOW WE GET BETTER EVERY YEAR, I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR THAT OUR SUCCESS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO STAND IN THE GAP AND WHO ARE WORKING IN THE CREEKS AND THE STREETS EACH AND EVERY DAY, RIGHT? AND TELLING THE FOLKS WHO WON'T LISTEN TO ME, HEY, YOU NEED TO, TO BRING YOUR BUT INTO SHELTER BECAUSE IT'S NOT SAFE FOR YOU TO BE OUT HERE.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT'S THE HEALING PROJECT OR THE, MY SISTER KEEPERS, THE WE CANALS, THE AUSTIN MUTUAL AIDS, AND THERE'S SO MANY MORE JUST LIKE THAT, WHO WERE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH ME, WORKING WITH AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, BUT ALSO ON THEIR OWN, GOING OUT DRIVING THEIR VEHICLES, GETTING PEOPLE, PROVIDING FOOD, PROVIDING BLANKETS, TRANSPORTING PEOPLE TO SHELTER.
AND SO I, I, I DO THINK IT'S VERY APPROPRIATE THAT WE HONOR AND THAT WE RECOGNIZE THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO CRITICAL TO THE LIFESAVING OPERATION.
UH, ONE OF OUR COMMITMENTS, AND THIS IS WHY I SAID I FELT LIKE YOU WERE IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER WITH US, BECAUSE EVEN BEFORE THE EVENT ENDED, ONE OF OUR COMMITMENTS WAS TO CONNECT WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND REALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT FORMAL PARTNERSHIP LOOKS LIKE.
HAVING BEEN ON A NONPROFIT SIDE BEFORE, I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE SOMEBODY ASK YOU TO DO SOMETHING AND TO NOT GET COMPENSATED FOR IT.
AND OUR, OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS ARE PROVIDING REAL VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT THAT VALUE DESERVES
[01:15:01]
TO BE INVESTED IN.AND SO, UH, SO WE'VE MADE A, A FIRM COMMITMENT, NOT ONE OF THOSE, LIKE PLEASANTRIES, OH, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU AND TALK ABOUT CONTRACTS.
NO, WE MADE A FIRM COMMITMENT THAT WE ARE GONNA CIRCLE BACK AS SOON AS WE GET OUTTA THIS WINTER SEASON AND START PLANNING FOR NEXT WINTER TO LOOK AT WHAT REAL PARTNERSHIP LOOKS LIKE WITH THOSE GROUPS.
I, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY THE NEXT MOUNTAIN WE HAVE TO CLIMB.
BUT I, I ALSO INVITED JANET FROM AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO COME SIT AT THE TABLE WITH ME, UH, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE DID THIS, UH, PAST EVENT, UH, WAS REALLY THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, AND THEIR MASS CARE WING, WHICH COORDINATES WITH A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITY GROUPS.
SO I WANT TO GIVE JANET AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PART OF THE OPERATION REGION.
AND I THINK, UM, SINCE WINTER STORM, YURI AND MARA, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UM, INVESTMENT MADE INTO THE MASS CARE COMPONENT OF MOST EMERGENCY RESPONSES.
AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO WINTER WEATHER, UH, ONE THING THAT AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS DONE IS ACTUALLY BUILT WHAT THEY CALL AUSTIN, THE AUSTIN RESILIENCE NETWORK.
IT'S A NETWORK OF, I'M GONNA SAY ABOUT 70 COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, COME TOGETHER TO HELP SUPPORT AND THEY PROVIDE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVICE, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WE REALIZED, UH, FOLLOWING WINTER STORMS, URI AND MARA, THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO KIND OF MAKE SURE WE HAD OUR ARMS AROUND.
AND ONE, THEY'RE PROVIDING SOME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TO US IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ABOUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING OUT ON THE STREETS.
BUT THEY MAY ACTUALLY BE PROVIDING RIDES INTO SHELTERS MM-HMM
UM, THEY MAY BE PROVIDING STAFF IN.
SO THEY PROVIDE A WHOLE PLETHORA OF TYPES OF SERVICES, UH, TO THE C TO THE COMMUNITY, AND TO THE RESPONSE.
SO I, I THINK ONE THING THAT WE SAW THIS YEAR, UM, THAT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE WAS, UM, THAT THIS GROUP NETWORK OF, OF, UH, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS DID REALLY COME AND HELP SUPPORT THE RESPONSE EFFORT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME OVER THE LAST YEAR WORKING ON MASS CARE, WORKING ON SHELTERING OPERATIONS AS WELL.
UM, KNOWING THAT WE'RE BUILDING THIS, WE'RE BUILDING THIS NETWORK AND BUILDING THE SHELTER RESPONSE AS WE GO.
AND I FEEL LIKE THIS WAS A VERY GOOD TEST OF THAT SYSTEM AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS.
'CAUSE WE HAD TO DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE BEING ABLE TO STAND UP SURGE SHELTER AND MAKE SURE WE HAD SURGE STAFFING.
AND, UH, I THINK THERE WERE A LOT OF SUCCESSFUL THINGS THAT HAPPENED DURING THIS PARTICULAR RESPONSE.
UM, A LOT OF COORDINATION, A LOT OF COMMUNICATION, BOTH INTERNALLY WITHIN CITI AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY WITH OUR, UM, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS OUT IN THE FIELD.
UM, YOU SAID YOU HAD SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO SAY ABOUT OUR, UM, RECOMMENDATION, IF YOU WANTED TO TOUCH ON THAT BRIEFLY, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE, WE'RE GONNA CONSIDER THE RECOMMENDATION AT THE TAIL END, BUT IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND OFFER YOUR COMMENT ON THAT.
UH, FIRST, I, I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE, THE THOUGHTS AROUND COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS AND HOW WE MAKE THEM BETTER.
UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND BY THE FOLKS WHO'VE COME INTO SHELTER AND, AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM TELLING US ABOUT OURSELVES.
AND SO I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THAT WE ARE DOING BETTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
I'LL SAY, WHEN IT COMES TO THE DECENTRALIZED APPROACH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, THAT WE'VE WRESTLED WITH A LOT INTERNALLY AS AN OFFICE, AND THERE'S A FEW REASONS WHY WE DON'T DO IT.
AND I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
BE, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR YOUR, YOUR RESOLUTION.
UH, YOU KNOW, FIRST KIND OF AS I TALKED ABOUT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE KIND OF DEDICATED SPACES THAT WE USE FOR THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATION.
THE, THE SPACES SOMETIMES ROTATE DEPENDING ON FACILITY AVAILABILITY, UH, OTHER THINGS GOING ON IN THE CITY, OTHER NEEDS FOR THE, FOR THE FACILITIES.
AND SO WHAT WE FOUND IS HAVING A CONSISTENT, DEDICATED PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO TAKES THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE RISK OFF OF OUR CLIENTS, UH, AND, AND PUTS ALL OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY ON US TO MAKE SURE THAT ONE TEXAS CENTER IS ALWAYS OPEN AND AVAILABLE.
THE LAST THING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IN A STORM, LIKE THE ONE WE JUST HAD, IS FOR SOMEBODY TO SAY, HEY, NORTHWEST RECREATION CENTER WAS OPEN LAST WEEK FOR COLD WEATHER SHELTER, SO I'M GONNA GO STRAIGHT TO NORTHWEST RECREATION CENTER.
AND THEY MISSED OUR MESSAGE THAT THAT ONE'S ACTUALLY CLOSED.
AND NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE WAY UP THERE BY MOPAC IN 2222, HAVING DONE ALL THE WORK TO GET THERE, WHEN IN FACT, THE CLOSEST RECREATION CENTER ON NORTH SIDE IS TURNER ROBERTS, WHICH IS WAY OUT IN CONNIE PARK.
SO NOW YOU'VE GOTTA DOUBLE ALL THE WAY BACK.
UH, AND SO WE, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PUT THAT RESPONSIBILITY ON FOLKS TO KEEP TRACK OF WHICH THINGS ARE OPEN ON WHICH ACTIVATIONS.
[01:20:01]
GUARANTEE THAT A SPECIFIC SITE WILL ALWAYS BE OPEN EVERY DAY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE, WE DON'T DO THE DECENTRALIZED MODEL EVEN WITH THIS LAST ACTIVATION.AND AROUND 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, I GOT A CALL FROM PARD SAYING, THE HVAC JUST WENT OUT.
WE NEED TO MOVE PEOPLE FROM THIS LOCATION TO ANOTHER ONE.
AND IT TOOK US ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TO DO THAT.
SO EVEN WHEN A SITE IS OPEN, WE'RE STILL HAVING TO MOVE PEOPLE.
IT'S JUST MUCH EASIER TO MANAGE FROM A CENTRALIZED COMMAND THAN TO HAVE IT DISPERSED.
THE OTHER IS, WHEN IT COMES TO THE OPERATIONS ITSELF AND, AND THE COST OF THE OPERATIONS, UH, THESE COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS HAVE REAL COST.
UH, WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE REGISTER AT ONE TEXAS CENTER, WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE COMING IN, AND THEN WE HAVE A WAY OF MAKING AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY EMS CALLS.
WE'LL GET FIRE CALLS, WE'LL GET A PD CALLS, WE'LL GET FOR OVERNIGHT DROP-OFFS, AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO SCALE THE OPERATION ACCORDINGLY.
SO IF WE ONLY NEED TO OPEN TWO SHELTERS AND NOT FIVE, GREAT, LET'S OPEN TWO SHELTERS.
IT REDUCES THE COST OF THE PUBLIC.
WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TWO SHELTERS OPERATE EXCEEDINGLY AND ABUNDANTLY WELL.
AND WE'RE NOT HAVING TO KEEP ANOTHER FACILITY OPEN FOR ONE OR TWO PEOPLE, UH, AND, AND TRY TO MANAGE SOME OF THESE IN CONSISTENCIES ACROSS THE SYSTEM WHERE YOU COULD HAVE ONE SHELTER THAT'S AT 110% CAPACITY AND ANOTHER ONE THAT'S AT 2% CAPACITY.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE LACK THE RESOURCES TO BOTH TRACK KIND OF REAL TIME THE, THE OCCUPANCY AT DIFFERENT SHELTERS.
SO HAVING EVERYTHING FLOW THROUGH A A CENTRALIZED POINT ALLOWS US TO KIND OF MONITOR, UH, EXACTLY HOW MANY BUSES WE SEND OUT TO A LOCATION AND TRACK OCCUPANCY LEVELS THAT WAY.
UH, BUT IF WE HAD TO, LET'S SAY, STAND UP FIVE SITES AT ONE TIME AND THEN TRY TO TRACK REAL TIME THE OCCUPANCY ACROSS ALL THOSE FIVE SITES AND DEPLOY RESOURCES TO POSSIBLY MOVE PEOPLE BETWEEN SITES, THAT JUST BECOMES A, A LOGISTICAL LEVEL OF GYMNASTICS THAT WE ARE NOT YET CAPABLE TO DO.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE CAN'T GET THERE ONE DAY, IT'S JUST AS A CITY AND, AND AS AN OFFICE, WE'RE NOT STAFFED OR CAPABLE, UH, TO DO THAT AT THAT TIME.
I THINK THE LAST THING IS, UH, I KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE CENTRALIZED HUB MODEL, THE BIGGEST CRITIQUE WE GET IS THAT THERE'S IS THE TRANSPORTATION, RIGHT? IT'S THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE ONE HUB THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO TRY TO GET TO.
AND SO I'LL JUST KIND OF SHARE TWO THINGS ON THAT.
NUMBER ONE, EVEN IN A DECENTRALIZED VERSION, UH, OR MODEL, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY ELIMINATE THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT THIS PAST WEEKEND, THE THREE SITES THAT WE ACTIVATED WAS A SITE AT TURNER ROBERTS, A SITE AT MONTOPOLIS, AND A SITE AT, UH, DUFF SPRINGS, RIGHT? SO IF YOU'RE LIVING NORTHWEST AUSTIN, YOU STILL HAVE TO HOP ON A BUS TO GET TO A SITE.
UH, AND SO THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT IN A DECENTRALIZED MODEL THAT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO GET ON A BUS TO TRY TO GET SOMEWHERE THAT THE TRANSPORTATION BARRIER EXISTS IN BOTH MODELS.
I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER, AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED TO DO BETTER IS FIGURE OUT A BETTER SYSTEM TO GET PEOPLE TO THE EMBARKATION HUB.
UH, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY CAN WAIT FOR THE CAP METRO BUS.
UH, NOT EVERYBODY CAN NECESSARILY TAKE THE CAP METRO BUS, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT CAP METRO PROVIDES THAT SERVICE AT NO COST.
UH, AND SO IN ADDITION TO WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS ONE OF OUR NEXT KIND OF MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB, UH, SOLVING THIS TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGE IS ANOTHER MOUNTAIN THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO, TO CLIMB FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO I, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT WE OPPOSE THE RESOLUTION BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO KNOW EVERY YEAR WE KIND OF WRESTLE WITH DO WE KEEP THE CENTRALIZED MODEL OR DO WE DISPERSE AND DECENTRALIZED? BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE DO THE MODEL THAT WE DO, AND JUST WHERE WE'RE AT OPERATIONALLY, WHICH IS RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT OPERATIONALLY SET UP TO, TO DO A DECENTRALIZED MODEL IN A WAY THAT WE THINK WOULD REALLY WORK WELL FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, MADAM CHAIR, I JUST WANT TO OFFER THAT, THAT FEEDBACK.
UH, AND HAPPY TO MEET WITH FOLKS, YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO STICK AROUND IF YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER QUESTIONS LATER ON THAT ITEM.
AND IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO TALK ABOUT THE ITEM TODAY, BUT FOLKS THAT WANNA MEET WITH ME AND KIND OF TALK THROUGH IT, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE BETWEEN NOW AND YOUR NEXT MEETING.
[3. Presentation regarding the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget, including Public Safety Department allocations, 5-year forecast process, and the budget process. Presentation by Kerri Lang, Director, Austin Budget and Organizational Excellence.]
WITH THAT, UM, WE ARE TO OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION AND I'M GONNA APOLOGIZE AND SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WE MOVED EVERYTHING AROUND.[01:25:09]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.UM, CARRIE LANG, THE DIRECTOR OF BUDGET AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, AND I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU ALL A BRIEF OVERVIEW ON THE BUDGET PROCESS AND THE BUDGET AS IT STANDS FOR AMENDED FISCAL YEAR 26 AND THE PLANNED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION OR A REQUEST TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS.
AND WE, THIS, THIS CALENDAR, WE PUT UP SOMETHING SIMILAR EVERY YEAR, BUT THIS IS THE GENERAL PROCESS THAT WE HAVE FOR DEVELOPING THE BUDGET FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR.
I'LL TELL YOU THAT WE JUST DID THE KICKOFF, WHICH IS OUR INTERNAL KICKOFF, WHERE WE STARTED GETTING INFORMATION FROM DEPARTMENTS THAT HAPPENED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.
SO WE ARE VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE STILL GATHERING INFORMATION FROM DEPARTMENTS.
WE'RE STILL ANALYZING, UM, REVENUE TO DATE TO SEE WHAT WE ANTICIPATE REVENUE BEING FOR THE GENERAL FUND, IN PARTICULAR IN THE NEXT, UH, FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND IN THIS PROCESS WE ALSO HAVE, UM, WE'LL ALSO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES.
SO WE ARE IN THE, YOU CAUGHT ME IN THE VERY, VERY BEGINNING.
SO, UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, WHAT THIS PROCESS LOOKS LIKE IN GENERAL.
UM, WE WILL BE SENDING, UM, COMMUNICATION TO ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO TO GIVE SOME INSTRUCTION ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS.
THOSE ARE DUE BY THE END OF MARCH.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE EVERY YEAR, ASKING YOU THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO THINK THROUGH THE INFORMATION THEY'VE HEARD FROM DEPARTMENTS OR FROM THE COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST YEAR AND MAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN FISCAL YEAR 20 SEVEN'S BUDGET.
UM, ALSO WITH THAT THOUGH, UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE CITY TRANSITIONED TO A TWO YEAR BUDGET WHERE WE GET THE APPROVED BUDGET FOR ONE YEAR AND BALANCE THE PLANNED BUDGET FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE NEXT SLIDES.
WE ALREADY HAVE WHAT WE KIND OF PLANNED THE BUDGET TO LOOK LIKE FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.
THAT IS CONTINGENT, OF COURSE, ON OUR REVENUE CONTINUING AS WE PROJECTED.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER, UH, POTENTIAL EXPENDITURES THAT WE WERE NOT AWARE OF THAT DID THAT MAY COME UP BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
UM, WE WILL DO A FINANCIAL FORECAST IN APRIL.
THAT FINANCIAL FORECAST GIVES US A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW, WILL GIVE THE COUNCIL A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING IN, UM, FOR REVENUE PRIMARILY.
AND THEN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE BASELINE COST DRIVERS THAT WE HAVE FOR, UH, FISCAL YEAR 27 AND THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BASELINE COST DRIVERS, WE TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE INSURANCE INCREASES, WAGE CHANGES, UM, CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS THAT WE, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PREPARED FOR, UM, PENSION, YOU KNOW, PAYMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THOSE ARE OUR BASELINES THAT WE LOOK AT.
AND THEN FROM THERE IN APRIL WHERE WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, WE GO AWAY AND GET AS MUCH REVENUE INFORMATION AS WE CAN AND START CRAFTING THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 28.
UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, THERE ARE TONS OF OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'LL PRESENT THE BUDGET ON JULY 16TH.
AND THEN THERE'S A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY INPUT, UM, FOR COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS TO GIVE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND I'LL ALSO NOTE, I DON'T HAVE IT ON HERE, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE IS A PLAN FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO DO SOME TOWN HALLS IN, UM, THE END OF FEBRUARY, IN MARCH AND FEBRUARY, MARCH AND APRIL.
UM, AND, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE, UH, PUT ON THE SCHEDULE AND PUBLICIZED AS WE GET THOSE DATES FINALIZED.
SO THIS IS THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, A $1.5 BILLION BUDGET FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
IT SHOWS ALL OF THE, UH, DEPARTMENT'S EXPENSES AS WELL AS OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL CHARGES OR TRANSFERS AND OTHER, UM, WHEN WE SHOW THIS WILL, THE WAY THAT IT IS ON THE OUTSIDE, THOSE ARE EXPENDITURES.
SO THOSE ARE THE USES OF THE FUNDS.
THE INTERNAL, UH, CIRCLE SHOWS OUR SOURCES.
SO YOU'LL SEE PROPERTY TAXES IS 48.1%, SALES TAX, 24.2, UM, UTILITY TRANSFERS.
THOSE ARE TRANSFERS IN FROM AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND THEN OTHER REVENUE INCLUDES THINGS LIKE EMS, UH, SERVICES, THE BILLS THAT, THE MEDICAL BILLS THAT WE CHARGE FOR OR GET REIMBURSED FOR, FOR EMS AS WELL AS PARKS, UM, RECREATION, YOU KNOW, UM, FEES TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THOSE.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN OTHER, OTHER REVENUE.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, WILL, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE, WE TRUE IT UP TO SHOW HOW OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT,
[01:30:01]
UM, LOOKS COMPARED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS.SO AT 63.2% OF THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE IN FISCAL YEAR 26.
AND WE ALSO SHOW HOW IT LOOKS COMPARED TO OUR REVENUE.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND YOU LOOK AT THAT INNER WILL, UM, THE CITY MANAGER OFTEN TALKS ABOUT MOST OF OUR PROPERTY TAXES.
A LARGE PORTION OF OUR SALES TAX SUPPORTS THE SERVICES OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
THIS SLIDE HERE TALKS ABOUT OUR, THE, THE CURRENT BUDGET FISCAL YEAR SIX AMENDED AND THE PLANNED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.
IT GIVES A BREAKDOWN OF OUR THREE E PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT'S, UM, APPROPRIATED BUDGETS AS WELL AS THEIR SWORN FTE COUNT AND THEIR CIVILIAN FTE COUNT.
I WILL NOTE THAT THE AMENDED BUDGET INCLUDES, UM, A AMENDMENT THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD IN DECEMBER TO ADD 22 POSITIONS TO SUPPORT THE NEW CONTRACT.
UM, AND THEN THE PLANNED BUDGET INCLUDES OUR BASE COST DRIVERS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, I THINK I'LL START OFF AND THANK YOU FOR THIS.
UM, IN MY FIVE, SIX YEARS ON THE COMMISSION, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE BUDGET OFFICE HAS COME TO PRESENT TO THE COMMISSION DIRECTLY, SO THANK YOU.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE WANTED FOR A LONG TIME, SO I APPRECIATE THE TIME.
UM, MY QUESTION AND THE CHIEFS OF STAFF CAN ATTEST TO MY BUGGING OF THEM ABOUT THIS IS ONCE THEIR BUDGETS.
SO AS A COMMISSION, WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IS WE'LL ENGAGE WITH THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS' RECOMMENDATIONS IN MARCH, BUT THOSE VERY MUCH FEEL LIKE A WISHLIST.
AND IN PREVIOUS YEARS WE'VE REALLY LIKED TAKING A LOOK AT ONCE THEY'RE DONE WITH THEIR BUDGETS.
WHAT, AND I KNOW IT'S REBRANDED NOW AND CALLED SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS LIKED LOOKING AT WHAT UNMET NEEDS ARE LEFT ON THE TABLE.
IS THERE ROOM IN THIS CURRENT PROCESS FOR US TO DO THAT THIS YEAR? AGAIN, SO IN GEN IN GENERAL, I, I WOULD SAY THAT THE WAY THAT WE, UM, THE PROCESS MANAGES WHAT USED TO BE CALLED UNMET NEEDS OR WHAT WE NOW CALL OUR ENHANCEMENT PROCESS IS, IS DIFFERENT IN THAT IT'S NOT AN UNMET NEED UNTIL IT'S NOT IN THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND SO WHILE IN THE PAST THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS EARLY IN THE SPRING ABOUT WHAT OUR DEPARTMENT'S NEEDS, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT GOING TO LOOK LIKE, UM, FOR THE DEPARTMENT FOR NEXT YEAR, IT REALLY IS A CONVERSATION THAT WE ARE HAVING INTERNALLY AND WE DON'T HAVE A FULL PICTURE OF WHAT WILL OR WILL NOT BE IN THE BUDGET UNTIL ABOUT JUNE.
AND SO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION IN MARCH OR APRIL, OR EVEN MAY, IT PREEMPTS THE CITY MANAGER FROM CRAFTING HIS FULL BUDGET AND HIS PROPOSAL TO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING, UM, SOME OF THE COMMISSIONS IS YOU'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THESE, UH, DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
YOU'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THEIR CHALLENGES ARE.
YOU'RE TALKING TO YOUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE IN THIS SPACE.
AND SO I'M RECOMMENDING BASED ON THAT YEAR OR SO OF CONVERSATION, YOU MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THAT.
AND THEN IN A LOT OF WAYS IT WILL COMPLIMENT OR ADD TO AS WE'RE PROCESSING WHAT DEPARTMENTS TURN IN AS THEIR ENHANCEMENT REQUEST.
UM, YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH MM-HMM
AND I APOLOGIZE, THIS IS DEFINITELY A BUDGET RELATED QUESTION, BUT I'M NOT SURE IT'S A BUDGET DEPARTMENT QUESTION.
UM, I'M NOT SURPRISED LOOKING AT THE USE OF THE FUNDS THAT, UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES ARE OVER 60% OF THE BUDGET.
I AM CURIOUS BECAUSE OF THAT, WHAT EFFORTS THE CITY MAKES, UM, TO AUDIT THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY, LIKE AGENCIES AND HOW THEY USE FUNDS.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD SAY YOU PROBABLY START WITH THE POLICE AND THEN GO TO FIRE.
'CAUSE I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT EMS TO KNOW THAT FIRST OF ALL, THEY'RE LAR THEY, THEY SIGNIFICANTLY SELF-FUND.
UM, BUT, SO I'LL SAY THIS, UM, EMS DOES BRING IN A LARGE AMOUNT OF REVENUE, UM, ABOUT 45, 40 6% OF THEIR TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET.
BUT, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT DEPARTMENTS AND WE STARTED SEVERAL PROCESSES WITHIN THE CITY WHERE WE ARE, UM, LOOKING AT NOT ONLY OUR SHARED SERVICES, SO HOW ARE WE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING HR SERVICES ACROSS THE CITY, OUR FINANCE OR OUR COMMUNICATIONS, UM, FUNCTIONS OR SERVICES.
AND AS WE DO THAT, THAT IS GOING TO, UM, A, ALLOW US TO DIVE INTO DEPARTMENTS
[01:35:01]
A LITTLE BIT MORE TO SEE HOW DEPARTMENTS ARE PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES INTERNALLY, AS WELL AS HOW WE ARE STRUCTURING IT CORPORATELY.AND THEN, UM, BEYOND THAT, WE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH, UM, DOING SOME DEEP DIVES IN DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO, UM, ACTUALLY MY TEAM IS A TEAM THAT, THAT OVERSEES THAT FUNCTION AS WELL.
AND AS WE ARE DOING PLANNING FOR A DEPARTMENT AND THEN GOING BACK AND ASSESSING THAT THOSE SPENDS, THAT IS SOME WORK THAT WE HAVE BEGUN.
UM, IT WILL BE, UM, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A CYCLE AS WE WORK THROUGH THOSE THINGS AND WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING WHAT THAT CYCLE IS NOW.
BECAUSE YOU THINK ABOUT THE SHARED SERVICES THAT I MENTIONED, THEY HIT EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT.
MANAGING THAT FIRST WILL BE OUR FIRST CHARGE, AND THEN WE'LL START DIGGING INTO THE SITE, UH, INTO THE DEPARTMENTS SPECIFICALLY OF THEIR SERVICES.
UM, SO I CAN'T GIVE YOU A TIMELINE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT DEPARTMENTAL ASSESSMENTS WILL BE COMING, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, WORKING WITH THE, UM, AUDITOR'S OFFICE IN A LOT OF WAYS ARE USING THEIR GUIDANCE MORE SO TO SEE WHAT AREAS WE MAY NEED TO FOCUS ON IN THE FUTURE YEARS.
ANYONE ELSE? GUESS I'M TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD A LITTLE BIT AROUND, AS CHAIR RAMIREZ DISCUSSED SOME OF THE CHANGES IN, IN, IN THE PROCESS.
SO AS IS NOW WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS BEING DUE MARCH 31ST.
SO FOR US, W OUR NEXT MEETING, FIRST WEEK OF MARCH, SO AS OPPOSED TO A LISTING OF THE SORT OF TRADITIONAL UNMET NEEDS HAS BEEN THE PREVIOUS YEARS, THE GOAL WOULD BE WE WOULD COME AND SAY, OKAY, WE, UM, EMS HAS SOME OF THESE INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED ON PILOT.
WE REALLY THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO MAINTAIN.
WE WANT TO HAVE THIS PARTICULAR ADDED JUST AS ONE EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT CAME UP.
IS THAT THE SORT OF SENSE OF WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HAVING AS OPPOSED TO GETTING A CHANCE TO SEE KIND OF WHAT'S THERE? YEAH.
SO THE, THE THOUGHT IS THAT, UM, IT, IT MAY NOT BE SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC AND I'M GONNA PICK ON EMS 'CAUSE I USED TO WORK THERE.
UM, BUT, SO IT MAY NOT BE, YOU KNOW, EMS NEEDS 10, 12 POSITIONS AND A NEW AMBULANCE.
IT MAY BE, UM, A RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE SERVICES AT EMS BECAUSE YOU'VE, YOU'VE SEEN OR HEARD OF A NEED IN THIS PARTICULAR SERVICE.
AND SO THAT KIND OF RECOMMENDATION WILL THEN ALLOW US TO GO BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT AND SAY, WHAT DOES THIS NEED? CAN YOU, CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU NEED DEPARTMENT TO, UM, ANSWER OR TO RESPOND TO THIS REQUEST? SO THAT'S HOW WE RECOMMEND YOU MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT, UM, YOU HAVE HEARD THAT THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR THAT MAY NOT COMPLETELY ALIGN WITH WHAT DEPARTMENTS SAY OR THEIR NEEDS INTERNALLY.
AND SO WE WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ONLINE? OKAY.
UM, WE WILL DO OUR BEST IN MARCH.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, WE DO STILL LIKE TO, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT THE FINAL BUDGETS THAT DEPARTMENTS PUT TOGETHER.
UM, IT'S, AS YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT SAID OVER 60% OF THE BUDGET, AND SO WE DO USUALLY DEDICATE AT LEAST ONE MEETING AFTER THE BUDGET HAS BEEN RELEASED MM-HMM
AND THAT WAS PRETTY CHALLENGING LAST YEAR.
UM, IT WAS REALLY CHALLENGING WITH REGARDS TO HOW MUCH THE DEPARTMENTS FELT LIKE THEY COULD DISCUSS.
UM, AND SO I WOULD LIKE US TO FIND A WAY, AND THIS IS BE SORT OF GRASPING FOR A, A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY WHERE WE CAN, AT THAT POINT, AFTER THE BUDGET HAS BEEN RELEASED TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE BUDGETS ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE, UM, AND WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE 2 CENTS TO ADD AT THAT POINT, WE WILL DEFINITELY WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, I KNOW THAT OVER THE YEARS WE'VE HAD SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS OF HOW WE'VE, UM, MANAGED, INTRODUCED, TALKED ABOUT THE BUDGET, UM, AND IT HAS EVOLVED WITH EACH OF OUR CITY MANAGERS.
UM, AND SO WE'LL REALLY WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE ULTIMATELY ONCE THE, THE BUDGET IS PRESENTED BY THE CITY MANAGER TO COUNCIL DEPARTMENTS CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THEIR BUDGET, WHAT, WHAT THIS BUDGET PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AND SO WE'LL WORK WITH THEM IN THE, IN THE COMING MONTHS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S PREPARED FOR THAT.
SO THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC CAN CREATE, HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S INCLUDED AND WHAT'S NOT.
I, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S THE POINT OF THAT DEFINITELY THAT MEETING THAT WE HAVE IN JULY, JUNE, AUGUST, WHENEVER IT IS THAT WE HAVE IT, IT'S ABOUT REALLY CREATING SOME BASIS OF UNDERSTANDING FOR THE COMMUNITY
[01:40:01]
WITH REGARDS TO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S THERE.AND SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
I WILL ALSO SAY, UM, I DO A TOUR AROUND TEXAS OR AROUND AUSTIN ANYWAY, BETWEEN JULY AND AUGUST WHERE WE ARE HAVING, I DON'T KNOW, UM, PROBABLY NINE OR 10.
UM, SOMETIMES SOME OF THE DISTRICTS HAVE COMBINED TOWN HALLS AND USUALLY IN THOSE MEETINGS AS WELL, WE WALK THROUGH EXACTLY WHAT'S IN EACH DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, WHAT, WHAT NEW THINGS WERE ADDED, IF ANY, IN EACH DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET.
BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE COORDINATE TO MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNICATION IS AVAILABLE AND IS HAD AS NEEDED.
I THINK IT WOULD ALSO BE USEFUL FOR US COMING IS TO KIND OF SEE WHAT TRADE OFFS WERE MADE.
UM, AND I THINK JUST IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT PUBLIC TRUST AND MOVING FORWARD WITH BUDGET, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WERE THE OPTIONS ARE MADE? WHAT WAS DONE, WHAT WAS NOT DONE? WHAT ARE THE COST DRIVERS, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU LOOK AT THE, THE SKEW 26 TO 27 PLAN BUDGET AND EVERYTHING IS GOING UP, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INFLATION DRIVERS.
AND SO I THINK FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF LIKE, OKAY, YES, THE BUDGET IS MORE, HERE'S WHY.
HERE'S WHAT WE WOULD WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE DONE.
HERE'S THE TRADEOFFS THAT WE MADE TO MAINTAIN THESE LEVELS OF SERVICES.
THOSE TYPES OF THINGS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND I THINK, I THINK WE'RE, WE ARE, UM, GROWING AND EVOLVING IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
WE, WE BEGAN, UM, WHAT WE'VE CALLED OUR WELL UNMET NEEDS OR ENHANCEMENT REPORT WHERE WE TALK THROUGH OR SHOW THE THINGS THAT WERE ADDED, UM, ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND THEN AS WELL AS THE THINGS THAT WERE STILL, THAT WERE REQUESTED WERE THAT WERE NOT ADDED IN THE BUDGETS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THIS LAST YEAR WE INCLUDED OUR PRIORITIZATION, WHICH WERE SOME REDUCTIONS OR MO MONIES THAT WERE REDUCED FROM ONE SPACE AND ADDED TO THE OTHER.
BUT I THINK HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS IS HELPFUL AND WE, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, AVAILABLE OR, OR HAVE THE, THE DEPARTMENTS AVAILABLE TO MAKE SURE THEY ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS OR AT LEAST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, WE ARE AT 5 44 COMMISSIONERS AND WE HAVE TIME FOR TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.
[6. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding inclement weather response and a decentralized intake model.]
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM SIX, TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL REGARDING INCLEMENT WEATHER RESPONSE AND A DECENTRALIZED INTAKE MODEL.COMMISSIONER SMITH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS BRIEFLY BEFORE WE, UM, OPEN UP CONVERSATION? FOR SURE.
UM, AGAIN, UH, AS SAID BEFORE, WE KEEP GETTING BETTER IN THIS CITY EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
UM, AND THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN BOUGHT UP, UM, I THINK THROUGH MYSELF AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS THROUGHOUT, UH, THE LAST COUPLE YEARS IN RELATION TO THE CENTRALIZED MODEL WE HAVE WITH INTAKE.
NOW, I DON'T WANT TO NEGATE WHAT WE HEARD, UH, FROM THE CONTENT MATTER EXPERT, THE PERSON WHO'S KIND OF OVER, UM, ALL THAT, UH, MR. GRANT EARLIER, HOWEVER, AND THERE ARE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE YOU HAVE, UM, A CONSTITUENT UNHOUSED NEIGHBOR WHO SEES
AND SO I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR, UM, THAT DIVISION TO BEGIN ENVISIONING WHAT A DECENTRALIZED INTAKE COULD ENCOMPASS.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT FROM MR. GRAYA.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THERE LOGISTICALLY AND PROGRAMMATICALLY TO BE ABLE TO DO, UM, THE, UH, IN TIME TRACKING OF ALL ASSETS, WHETHER THEY ARE PHYSICAL, UM, OR, OR PEOPLE AT ONE TIME WHERE WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
THIS IS A PUSH TO BEGIN TO ENVISION WHEN WE ARE THERE, UM, IN ORDER FOR EFFICIENCY, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THE MODEL IS SUSTAINABLE AND TO HELP THE BOTTOM LINE.
UM, I I, I, I DO BELIEVE, UH, THAT WE SHOULD BEGIN, UM, INVESTIGATING A DECENTRALIZED MODEL.
UM, ACTUALLY I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UM, CAN WE GET A MOTION TO CONSIDER AND THEN WE'LL OPEN UP CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION.
CAN WE GET A MOTION FROM THE FLOOR TO GO AHEAD AND CONSIDER THIS RECOMMENDATION? SO MOVED.
AND SO NOW WE'RE OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
I GUESS COMMISSIONER, 'CAUSE I, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED, UH, GIVEN, UM, THE PRESENTATION, I, I'M UNCOMFORTABLE GOING AGAINST WHAT OUR PROFESSIONALS RECOMMEND.
I ALMOST WONDER IF WE HAVE THE TWO RESOLVE THIS MAYBE POTENTIALLY CUTTING THE FIRST RESOLVE THAT SAYS WE RECOMMEND A DECENTRALIZED
[01:45:01]
INTAKE MODEL, BUT KEEPING THE SECOND ONE AND REQUESTING A REPORT BACK IN A FIXED PERIOD OF TIME ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY AND COST BENEFITS.UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD BE AMENABLE TO CONSIDERING THAT AS MORE ASKING FOR A STUDY WITH A, A IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND TRADE OFFS.
COMMISSIONER SMITH, DO YOU HAVE I, UM, I FEEL, UM, I THINK FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I HEAR WHAT, UM, MR. GRAY SPOKE ABOUT AND ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE, BUT I, I ALSO, UH, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER SMITH THAT THIS IS, THIS IS ABOUT NUDGING, UM, AND, AND A ASPIRING TO A DECENTRALIZED MODEL.
UM, IT REALLY HIT ME, UM, WHEN, UM, SSOM WAS HERE LAST, I THINK IT WAS DECEMBER, NOVEMBER, WHENEVER THEY WERE HERE LAST.
UM, AND, UM, DIRECTOR SPOKE TO, UM, EMERGENCY SITUATIONS THAT HAPPEN, EVACUATION SITUATIONS THAT HAPPEN IN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO ENSURE THAT SHELTERING, UM, IN THOSE EVACUATION SITUATIONS WERE HOUSED CLOSE TO THOSE NEIGHBOR'S HOMES.
UM, AND THAT REALLY, REALLY HIT ME BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY DOESN'T GO HOME TO A HOUSE AND CLOSES THE DOOR DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A HOME.
UM, AND IT IS, I, I DO THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD ASPIRE TO SHELTERING OUR UNHOUSED, UM, NEIGHBORS CLOSER TO THEIR HOMES, UM, AND AS CLOSE TO THEIR HOMES AS POSSIBLE.
AND I KNOW THAT THEY DO THAT NOW, BUT THE, THE INTAKE PROCESS I THINK DEFINITELY COULD, WE COULD WORK TOWARDS THAT, YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE REMOVING, REMOVING THAT, BUT I'M, I'M COMFORTABLE TAKING IT UP FOR A VOTE IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO PROVIDE A SECOND TO COMMISSIONER RUTAN'S.
VICE CHAIR TAN, COULD YOU JUST RESTATE THE MOTION TO AMEND? SURE.
SO WE'D STRIKE THE FIRST, BE IT RESOLVED, UM, AND THEN KEEP THE SECOND ONE AND I'LL JUST ADD AND REPORT BACK TO THIS COMMISSION IN SIX MONTHS TIME'S ARBITRARY, BUT, OKAY.
THE MOTION IS ON THE FLOOR TO STRIKE THE FIRST NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED.
PARAGRAPH LEAVING ONLY THE SECOND WITH AN ADDITION OF END REPORT BACK TO OUR COMMISSION IN SIX MONTHS.
CAN I SEE, I THINK I'M GONNA DO A SHOW OF HANDS FOR ANY, ANYONE IN FAVOR OF THAT? TWO, THREE.
THAT'S THREE IN FAVOR AGAINST THREE.
OH, THAT'S TWO ON SCREEN AND THREE HERE.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING NOTE OF THAT, CHRISTIE.
UM, WITHOUT A MAJORITY OF VOTES, THAT DOES NOT PASS, THAT AMENDMENT DOES NOT PASS.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH A VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATION AS A WHOLE? OKAY.
WELL THEN WE WILL TAKE UP A VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATION AS IT STANDS.
ALL THOSE IN ALL THOSE FOUR, IF I CAN SEE A SHOW OF HANDS.
THAT IS GODWIN, SIERRA, RELO, RAMIREZ, BERNHARDT.
[7. Approve a Recommendation to Council regarding data collection around Austin Police’s interaction with U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement.]
THEN OUR NEXT RECOMMENDATION WILL BE, UM, FOR, UM, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL REGARDING DATA COLLECTION AROUND AUSTIN POLICE'S INTERACTION WITH US IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT.UM, TO SET THIS UP A LITTLE BIT, UM, THERE IS ALREADY A RESOLUTION ON RECORD, UM, RESOLUTION 2 0 2 3 0 9 1 4 1 3 2, UM, WHICH, UM, CAPTURES INFORMATION AROUND IMMIGRATION INQUIRIES.
UM, WHAT THIS, UH, RECOMMENDATION DOES IS BUILD ON THAT EXISTING DATA SET.
[01:50:01]
UM, DID YOU NEED, WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER JUST FLAT.WE DID HAVE, UH, THREE PEOPLE SIGNED UP, BUT TWO HAVE SINCE LEFT.
HOW Y'ALL, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
UM, THIS IS PART OF A LARGER CONVERSATION THAT WE STARTED EARLIER, UM, TODAY AND THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
YOU MENTIONED SOME PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS.
I WANTED TO DIRECT THE COMMISSION TO TWO OTHER RESOLUTIONS THAT WERE PASSED IN 2018.
UM, I'M GONNA EMAIL Y'ALL AFTER, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT REMEMBERING.
BUT FOR THE RECORD, UH, NUMBER 20 18 6 14 DASH SEVEN THREE, UM, THIS ASKS THE CITY MANAGER AND A PD TO GIVE QUARTERLY PUBLIC MEMOS, UH, TO COUNSEL FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRANSPARENCY, TO PROVIDE DATA CONCERNING THE USE OF DISCRETIONARY ARRESTS IN LIEU OF CITATION FOR NON-VIOLENT MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES WHEN A TICKET OR SALVATION OR A CITATION WILL BE ALLOWABLE BY STATE LAW.
UM, AND IT ASKS FOR 12 MONTHS THAT THESE MEMOS STARTED IN SEPTEMBER, 2018.
SO I WANTED TO ASK, YOU KNOW, ARE THE RECORDS STILL HAPPENING OR HAS THAT BEEN ENDED? AND WHERE CAN RESIDENTS VIEW PAST REPORTS AND WOULD THE COMMISSION BE WILLING TO CONSIDER, UM, BASICALLY STARTING THIS OVER FOR 2026 AND HAVING AN INDEFINITE AMOUNT OF THESE REPORTS? UM, AND I THINK ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES THAT I SEE, UM, AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER ADVOCATING IN THIS SPACE IS THAT IF THERE ARE TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS, UM, RESIDENTS AREN'T AWARE OF THEM, IT'S NOT EASY TO FIND THEM ON THE WEBSITE.
AND WHEN AN OUTSIDE, UM, JOURNALIST TRIES TO COVER THIS, THEY OFTEN ARE NOT AWARE EITHER.
AND SO THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION, UM, NO, LIKE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE AND THEY'RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT THE GENERAL ORDERS, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE CONTEXT FOR THE REST OF THIS CONVERSATION.
THE OTHER RESOLUTION IS 20 18 0 6, 14 0 7 4 WAS PASSED AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, AND IT DIRECTS THAT CITY COUNCIL DIRECTS THE CITY MANAGER TO WORK WITH THE POLICE CHIEF TO TAKE NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE STEPS TO REINFORCE CONSTITUTIONAL LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR DETAINEES AND ARRESTEES WHO MAY BE AFFECTED BY SB FOUR.
UM, AND THEN THIS BASICALLY SAYS, YOU KNOW, ARE A PD OFFICERS INFORMING CIVILIANS OF THEIR RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT WITH ICE? IF THEY'RE DUMPING, YOU KNOW, A CALL TO ICE AND THEN DUMPING THE CIVILIAN AND LEAVING, THEN ARE THEY GIVING A KNOW YOUR RIGHTS CARD TO THAT CIVILIAN? ARE THEY GIVING A CARD FOR LEGAL AID TO THAT CIVILIAN? IS THERE ANY ACTUAL MATERIAL SUPPORT TO PROTECT US? 'CAUSE OTHERWISE THEY'RE SHIRKING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO SERVE AND PROTECT, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION.
UM, AND MY QUESTION HERE ARE ALL THE NEW JOURNAL ORDERS GOING TO REQUIRE THAT A OFFICERS ARE INFORMING FOLKS OF THEIR RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT WHEN INTERACTING WITH BOTH A PD AND ICE? UM, AND AGAIN, THIS ASKS FOR REPORTS.
UM, IT ASKS FOR REPORTS FOR A WHILE.
I DON'T THINK THESE REPORTS ARE STILL HAPPENING.
AND IF THEY ARE, ARE THEY AVAILABLE? AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, IN PART OF THIS LARGER CONVERSATION, I KNOW MY TIME IS SHORT.
I WANTED TO BRING UP THAT, LIKE I DON'T FEEL SAFE CALLING THE COPS.
LIKE I GET PROFILED WHEN I DRIVE.
I USED TO DRIVE LIKE A 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY AND I WOULD GET PROFILED 'CAUSE I LIVED ON THE EAST SIDE.
THE COP WOULD DRIVE UP NEXT TO ME AND HE'D LOOK AT ME AND THEN HE'D DRIVE AWAY.
AND THAT MAKES ME SO ANGRY BECAUSE IF I DON'T FEEL SAFE, THEN MY IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS CERTAINLY DON'T FEEL SAFE.
CIRCLING BACK TO THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, SO THE, IT SORT OF BUILDS ON THE IMMIGRATION INQUIRY, UM, DATA THAT'S ALREADY BEING CAPTURED, UM, DUE TO THE RESOLUTION FROM 2023.
UM, AND AS I WAS DIVING INTO THE DATA, NOTICE THAT NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS REQUIRED BY THE, UM, RESOLUTION IS POSTED TO THE PORTAL.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S COLLATED AS PART OF QUARTERLY DATA THAT'S REPORTED SOMEHOW, BUT THERE'S NO, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE HAVE ACCESS TO OR THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND
UM, AND SO THE CALL IS FOR ALL OF THAT DATA TO BE POSTED PUBLICLY, UM, TO THE DATA PORTAL AND THAT WE EXPAND, UM, THE DATA, UM, THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IN RELATION SO THAT IT CAN BE, UM, TRACKING ALL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN AUSTIN POLICE AND ICE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND SOME ADDITIONAL DATA POINTS THAT WE WERE ASKING
[01:55:01]
FOR TO ENSURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND, UM, BUDGET BUDGETARY SORT OF IMPACT OF THESE INTERACTIONS, UM, INCLUDING WHAT TYPE OF PAY AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, UM, ENSURING THAT THERE'S ADDITIONAL TRANSPARENCY BY SOME REPORTING, SOME TRANSPARENT REPORTING EITHER TO THE COMMISSION, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE OR COUNCIL ON A QUARTERLY BASIS IN ADDITION TO THE DATA THAT'S BEING POSTED ONLINE.AND SO WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS? YEP.
OH, DO WE GET A MOTION TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION? MOVE TO OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, SO, UH, IN REFERENCE TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT, SPEAKERS YES.
COMMENTS ABOUT THE RESOLUTIONS, UM, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE OR I GUESS I, I I MIGHT BE PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT, UM, TO ADD, UH, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, UM, THAT WOULD REVIVE, UM, THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS IN THE 2018 RESOLUTION REGARDING SITE AND RELEASE.
THE, IT'S IF, IF WE JUST WANNA CITE THE RESOLUTION, IT'S A CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION AND I THINK WE PROBABLY BOTH WROTE THE NUMBERS DOWN.
YEAH, BUT IT'S THE FIRST ONE, IT'S THE OH SEVEN THREE.
CAN I ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION ON THAT? WAS THAT SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO FEDERAL INTERACTION ICE OR WAS IT STATE RELATED? OH, THE OH SEVEN THREE.
UM, IT SPECIFICALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE DISCRETIONARY SITUATION WHERE A POLICE OFFICER IS DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO ARREST SOMEONE OR GIVE THEM A CITATION FOR, UH, A MISDEMEANOR INFRACTION THAT'S QUALIFIED FOR A CITATION.
THE REASON THAT'S RELEVANT IS THAT UM, EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO'S GETTING ARRESTED IN AUSTIN AND PROCESSED THROUGH THE JAIL IS GONNA BE SCREENED BY ICE IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT.
THEY'RE THERE TWO EVERY TWO HOURS.
THEY MIGHT AS WELL BE THERE EVERY MINUTE OF THE DAY.
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU'RE BEING ARRESTED FOR, IF IT'S A TRAFFIC OFFENSE, WHICH IT SHOULDN'T BE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE THE MOST PETTY MISDEMEANOR AND THEY'RE GONNA SCREEN PEOPLE AT THE JAIL.
SO, UM, THAT IS A, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD? UM, THAT IS A PROCESS THAT'S BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
UM, BUT IT DEFINITELY CREATES THE POSSIBILITY FOR POLICE AND OTHER ACTORS TO RACIALLY PROFILE FOLKS IN LIKE PETTY TRAFFIC INTERACTIONS AND TAKE THEM TO JAIL WHERE THEY WOULDN'T OTHERWISE BECAUSE THEY WANT THEM DEPORTED.
SO I'M GOING TO SAY THAT IT APPEARS THAT COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT HAS SUBMITTED AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD ADD, UM, REPORTING OF SITE AND RELEASE DATA FROM IN, IN IT THAT CORRELATES TO 2000 TO RESOLUTION NUMBER 2018 DASH 0 6 1 4 DASH 0 7 3 AND ENSURE THAT THAT'S INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS OVERALL IMMIGRATION DATA.
UM, DATA CONSISTENT WITH THAT RESOLUTION.
I THINK DATA CONSISTENT WITH THAT RESOLUTION IS THE LANGUAGE THAT MIGHT WORK.
COULD YOU JUST REPEAT THE LANGUAGE PLEASE? I DUNNO IF I CAN WHAT YOU, OKAY.
SO, UM, UH, ADDITIONAL DATA POINTS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH RESOLUTION 2018 DASH 0 6 1 4 DASH 0 7 3 AROUND SITE AND RELEASE.
WE'VE GOT A FIRST AND A SECOND AND LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON THAT AMENDMENT.
CAN I SEE A RAISE OF HANDS FOR THAT? I CANNOT SEE COMMISSIONER RAGO, BUT, OKAY.
AND THEN I HAVE ONE MORE AMENDMENT TO CONSIDER ADDING, WHICH IS ALSO IN, IN REACTION TO SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WE GOT, WHICH IS, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE MAINTAIN A LIST OF INCIDENTS WHERE SUPERVISOR APPROVAL WAS GRANTED AND WHERE WOULD THAT BE INSERTED? UM, UNDER THE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED IN ADDITIONAL, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED.
BULLET THE FINAL ONE UNLESS WE GET MORE, DO I HAVE A SECOND FOR, IS THERE A SECOND? OF COURSE.
SO THAT LANGUAGE ONLY, SO IT'S RECORDING OF THE INCIDENT IN WHICH APPROVAL WAS GIVEN AS WELL AS THE SUPERVISOR.
[02:00:01]
I KNOW WE'RE ALREADY CAPTURING NUMBER OF OFFICERS ON SCENE MM-HMMUM, IT WOULD BE THE OFFICER THEMSELVES PRESUMABLY.
I DON'T THINK IT CURRENTLY LISTS THE OFFICER NAME OR IDENTIFIER IN THE CURRENT RESOLUTION.
NO, BUT WE HAVE, BUT WE DO HAVE, UM, WE DO HAVE IN THE DATA SET, UM, THE, UM, INCIDENT NUMBER, I BELIEVE THE CASE REPORT NUMBER, WHICH WOULD CAPTURE ALL THAT INFORMATION CORRECT.
SO WE CAN, WOULD IT BE EASY JUST TO ADD IT SO THE NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, WHICH CLARIFIES CLEARLY IDENTIFIES ALL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN AUSTIN POLICE ICE AND YOU GUYS HAVE A COMMON SUPERVISORY APPROVALS THAT'S MAKING IT SPECIFIC THAT WE WANT THAT NO, I THINK I WANT, I THINK I WANT US TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE RECORDING A RECORDING OF THE INCIDENT THAT INCLUDES THE SUPERVISOR APPROVAL, THE SUPERVISOR AND THE OFFICER RIGHT RECORDING OF THE INCIDENT.
UM, THAT MAINTAINS A YEAH, SO I'M WORKING THROUGH LANGUAGE IN MY HEAD.
I JUST DUNNO IF THE CURRENTLY, IF THE CURRENT LANGUAGE WOULD GIVE THE INCIDENT NUMBER AND INCLUDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BASED ON THE INCIDENT OR WOULD JUST INCLUDE AN INCIDENT NUMBER WITHOUT ANY LINKING TO THE SPECIFIC INFORMATION OF OFFICERS SUSPECTS, ET CETERA.
SO PRESUMABLY YOU CAN, YOU CAN BACKTRACK AND YOU CAN FOY AND DO EVERYTHING ELSE AFTER YOU HAVE THE INCIDENT NUMBER, BUT YEP.
SO CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THE, JUST 'CAUSE MY BRAIN IS FRIED, CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, REPORTING AND INSTANCES IN WHICH ADVISOR APPROVAL WAS GIVEN THE, UH, NAME AND UNIQUE IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF SUPERVISORS, RESPONDING OFFICERS.
SUPERVISORS AND RESPONDING OFFICERS.
CAN WE GET A SECOND TO THAT AMENDMENT? UH, CHAIR, IF YOU COULD JUST RESTATE THE MOTION SINCE, UH, COMMISSIONER CILO EFFECTIVELY AMENDED YOUR AMENDMENT.
UM, WE JUST NEED TO HAVE THAT ON THE RECORD CLEARLY.
SO HE, SO SO I MOTION TO MAKE THAT AMENDMENT.
SO THERE, I MEAN THERE WAS A MOTION IN YOUR MOTION AND THEN THERE WAS COMMISSIONER SMITH SECOND FOR THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT YOU HAD READ, BUT THEN COMMISSIONER CILO STARTED AMENDING YOUR AMENDMENT.
SO, UM, IT'S UP TO YOU HOW YOU WANT TO HANDLE IT, WHETHER YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE RESTATED SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE VOTING ON.
SO I AM TABLING, TABLING, WITHDRAWING MY AMENDMENT TO MAINTAIN A LIST OF INCIDENTS WHERE SUPERVISOR APPROVAL WAS GRANTED.
UM, AND PROVIDING A SECOND TO COMMISSIONER SIERRA ARLOS AMENDMENT, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN STATED AND THAT I'M NOT GONNA HAVE THE BRAIN IF YOU COULD JUST STATE IT FOR THE RECORD SO THAT WE CAN CAPTURE IT FOR THE RECOMMENDATION.
THE INCIDENT NUMBER, SUPERVISOR'S NAME AND IDENTIFYING NUMBER OR UNIQUE IDENTIFIER AND RESPONDING OFFICER'S NAMES AND UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE VOTING ON OR WE NEED A SECOND, BUT WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THAT SECOND AMENDMENT.
CAN I SEE A SHOW OF HANDS? OKAY.
AND NOW WE ARE GONNA VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATION AS A WHOLE AND SHOW OF HANDS.
I'M SORRY WE WENT OVER BY FIVE MINUTES.
I APPRECIATE, UM, EVERYONE'S PATIENCE AND HELP.
UM, WE WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AGAIN, UH, ABOUT THIS, UM, ITEM AGAIN IN MARCH.
UM, PLEASE SUBMIT ANY, UM, AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS THAT YOU HAVE VIA EMAIL, UM, TO CHELSEA.
EVERYBODY MET CHELSEA, OUR NEW LIAISON, UM, AND CHRISTIE.
UM, AND WE WILL GET SECONDS VIA EMAIL AND TALK IN BETWEEN.