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[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYONE.I CALLED TO ORDER THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.
IT IS 10:03 AM ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, 2026, AND WE ARE IN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR FEBRUARY PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND, UH, WE ARE JOINED TODAY WITH OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER IS JOINING US ONLINE AND ALSO JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL LANE.
UH, OUR OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBER COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ IS NOT FEELING WELL AND WE SEND HIM A SWIFT RECOVERY AS HE GETS BETTER.
SO THANK EVERYONE FOR JOINING US.
WE HAVE A PACKED AGENDA TODAY.
UH, WE'LL START WITH FIRST WITH OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
THEN WE'LL MOVE TO CONSIDERING THE APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR DECEMBER 3RD COMMITTEE MEETING.
FROM THERE, THE COMMITTEE WILL HOLD AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE CITY MANAGER'S COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE CITY'S SOCIAL SERVICES PORTFOLIO.
THEN WE'LL RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON OUR HOMELESS AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS OFFICES STRATEGIC PLAN FOR FY 25 26.
AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A BRIEFING ON THE 2025 AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE AGENDA? OKAY, WELL THEN WE WILL
[Public Communication: General]
NOW MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.WELL WELCOME SPEAKERS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
MAY THE CLERK'S OFFICE PLEASE START US OFF WITH THE FIRST SPEAKER.
YES, IF I CAN HAVE DEWEY SMITH.
I'M AN ENGAGED AUSTIN RESIDENT AND A BOARD MEMBER OF THE SAFE ALLIANCE.
I'M HERE TO COMMENT ON ITEM TWO.
I COME AS A STEWARD OF THIS ORGANIZATION IN A CONSTITUENT, DEEPLY INVESTED IN THE FUTURE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF AUSTIN.
TO BE VERY CLEAR, THE SOCIAL SERVICES PORTFOLIO YOU ARE CONSIDERING CUTTING IS NOT SUPPLEMENTAL TO AUSTIN SAFETY, SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE.
SAFE OPERATES AT THE INTERSECTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY STABILITY.
WHEN THE SYSTEM WORKS, IT'S DIFFICULT TO TALLY WHAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
A FAMILY THAT STAYED HOUSED, A SURVIVOR, A SEXUAL ASSAULT OR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHO AVOIDED EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE, A CHILD WHO NEVER ENTERED FOSTER CARE.
THOSE OUTCOMES MUST BE PLANNED FOR.
THEY ARE THE DIRECT RESULT OF SUSTAINED INTENTIONAL INVESTMENT.
AND RIGHT NOW, THAT INVESTMENT FEELS AS THOUGH IT'S AT RISK.
FROM A GOVERNANCE STANDPOINT, THE GREATEST DANGER IS THE COMPOUNDING IMPACT OF INSTABILITY.
SURVIVOR SAFETY SYSTEMS CANNOT BE PAUSED AND RESTARTED WHEN SPECIALIZED STAFF LEAVE.
WHEN CLINICAL CAPACITY SHRINKS, WHEN SURVIVORS LOSE TRUST IN WHERE THEY CAN GO SAFELY FOR HELP, THOSE LOSSES TAKE YEARS AND SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FUNDING TO REBUILD.
AUSTIN BECAME A NATIONAL LEADER BECAUSE IT INVESTED EARLY AND CONSISTENTLY IN SURVIVOR-CENTERED INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CREATED RESILIENCE ACROSS OUR ENTIRE PUBLIC SAFETY ECOSYSTEM.
ERODING IT NOW WILL NOT CREATE SAVINGS.
IT'LL SIMPLY SHIFT THOSE COSTS TO HOSPITALS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, HOUSING SYSTEMS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO THE FAMILIES IN CRISIS.
DEFUNDING SURVIVOR SAFETY IS NOT A NEUTRAL CHOICE LIKE WATER, ELECTRICITY, E, AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
THIS IS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MUST WORK.
IN CLOSING, AS YOU FINALIZE THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET, I URGE YOU TO PLEASE TREAT SAFE AND SOCIAL SERVICES AS CORE RISK MITIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THIS CITY.
STABLE FUNDING IS NOT ABOUT GROWTH, IT'S ABOUT PREVENTING IRREVERSIBLE LOSS.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL DELIBERATION AND FOR JOINING US IN TAKING THE LONG VIEW OF AUSTIN'S SAFETY AND HELP.
PIERRE BERNSTEIN, CHAIR FUENTES, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
BETA AND I SERVE AS THE CEO OF THE SAFE ALLIANCE.
WE ARE THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC SEXUAL VIOLENCE, SEX TRAFFICKING, AND CHILD ABUSE IN THE SOUTH AND AMONG THE THREE LARGEST IN THE UNITED STATES.
I WANT TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT JUST LAST WEEK WE HEARD AND LEARNED OF THE MURDER OF THE DENISE TIINA KILLED BY HER BOYFRIEND.
WE OFTEN SAY THAT ONE DEATH IS TOO MANY, BUT THOSE WORDS MUST BE MATCHED BY THE BUDGET CHOICES THAT WE MAKE.
THEY SHOW WHO WE ARE WILLING TO PROTECT AND WHO'S SUFFERING.
WE ARE WILLING TO ENDURE AND ABSORB LATER AT FAR GREATER COST.
THIS YEAR'S $145,000 CUT TO SAVE TRANSLATES
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TO ABOUT $500,000 LOST FOR US.AND IT MEANS THAT 345 SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN WILL GO WITHOUT SUPPORT.
NAMING DENISE HERE MATTERS BECAUSE IT SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN, WHEN WE DEFUND EARLY INTERVENTION, PEOPLE DO NOT DISAPPEAR.
THEY SHOW UP LATER IN OTHER SYSTEMS WHEN HARM IS GREATER AND COSTS ARE HIGHER.
IN FACT, THIS YEAR'S CUT TO SAVE ALONE WILL SHIFT AN ESTIMATED 3.5 TO $7 MILLION IN COST TO OTHER PUBLIC SYSTEMS. THAT IS A NEGATIVE RETURN OF $29 TO $57 LOST FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE'VE CUT.
THAT'S NOT JUST A MORAL FAILURE.
SAVES WORK IS AN ACT OF LOVE, AND IT IS ALSO SOUND ECONOMIC POLICY BECAUSE IT PREVENTS AVOIDABLE CRISIS SPENDING.
LOOKING AHEAD, MY CONCERN IS THE STABILITY OF CORE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT AUSTIN RELIES ON.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE OPERATE A CITY-OWNED SHELTER SERVING ABOUT 550 PEOPLE A YEAR.
THE CITY CONTRIBUTES $2.1 MILLION, BUT THE TRUE COST IS CLOSER TO 3 MILLION, WHICH SAFE COVERS THROUGH PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING.
OUR RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
NEARLY A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN SAFE SHELTERS TRANSITION TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF PEOPLE IN OUR SHELTERS TRANSITION TO STABLE HOUSING.
BY COMPARISON, THE CITY RUN MARSHALING YARD IS FUNDED AT OVER $8 MILLION A YEAR, AND IT HAS HOUSING EXITS AROUND 30%.
SAFE ALSO CONDUCTS 85 TO 95% OF ALL SEXUAL ASSAULT FORENSIC EXAMS IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE CURRENTLY ARE CARRYING AN $800,000 SHORTFALL JUST TO KEEP THE PROGRAM OPERATING THIS YEAR WITH NO FUNDING SECURED BEYOND IT.
THAT LEAVES AUSTIN'S FORENSIC BACKBONE ONE BUDGET CYCLE AWAY FROM COLLAPSE IF IT FAILS, EXAMS REVERT TO HOSPITALS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WITHIN 30 DAYS.
THESE ARE THE CONDITIONS THE CITY HAS SPENT YEARS WORKING TO CORRECT.
SAFE IS NOT ALONE AS A MEMBER OF ONE VOICE, CENTRAL TEXAS.
I CAN TELL YOU THIS STRAIN IS BEING FELT BY ORGANIZATIONS SERVING ELDERS, IMMIGRANTS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND FAMILIES ACROSS THE CITY.
WE ARE JUST A MICROCOSM OF A SYSTEM UNDER COMPRESSION.
DOCTOR, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, WOULD YOU SHARE THAT DATA THAT YOU'VE GOT, THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SHARED A MOMENT AGO WITH, UH, THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE? I'M SORRY, WOULD YOU MIND REPEATING THE QUESTION? SURE.
WOULD YOU MIND, YOU JUST SHARED A BUNCH OF NUMBERS REGARDING AND AND DATA THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER REGARDING THE IMPACTS OF THE CUTS AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
CAN YOU SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE? 100%, ABSOLUTELY.
I WOULD ALSO INVITE YOU TO READ, UH, A FIVE PAGE LETTER THAT I SENT TO, UH, ALL OF YOU, UH, FURTHER DETAILING THESE CUTS.
BUT ABSOLUTELY MY OFFICE WILL SEND THIS TO YOURS, UH, AND TO ALL OF YOU.
I'M DR. ROSA MARIA MURILLO, AND TODAY I'M HERE AS A CHAIR OF ONE VOICE, CENTRAL TEXAS, A COALITION OF OVER 80 NONPROFIT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS WHO TOGETHER EMPLOY OVER 8,000 CENTRAL TEXANS AND PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES ACROSS AUSTIN.
OUR ORGANIZATIONS HELP KEEP AUSTIN HEALTHY HOUSE AND WORKING.
TODAY, I AM HERE BECAUSE THE CITY REDUCED SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS BY 10%, ABOUT $5 MILLION RETROACTIVE TO OCTOBER 1ST, 2025.
THIS IS FORCING IMMEDIATE SERVICE REDUCTIONS, BREAKING TRUST MIDSTREAM.
WE ARE REQUESTING FOUR THINGS.
FIRST, NO FURTHER CUTS TO SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS.
SECOND, CONDUCT AN IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT REDUCTIONS.
THIRD, FACILITATE A BUDGET CYCLE WORK SESSION ON SOCIAL SERVICES, INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUTCOMES.
THAT INCLUDES PROVIDERS AT THE TABLE.
FOURTH, CONVENE A CROSS SECTOR ENGAGEMENT THAT INCLUDES THE CITY, THE COUNTY, CENTRAL HEALTH, PHILANTHROPY, AND COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP STABILIZATION, INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ACHIEVE, UH, EQUITY AND STABILIZATION IN AUSTIN.
LET ME JUST BE CLEAR THAT THESE CUTS ARE NOT FUTURE.
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IT IS NOT, UH, A SITUATION WHERE AGENCIES CAN PLAN.PROGRAMS WERE ALREADY OFFERED TO THE COMMUNITY, AND RESIDENTS WERE TOLD HELP WAS AVAILABLE.
THEN FUNDING WAS CUT, RETROACTIVE CUTS, TRUST, RETROACTIVE CUTS, BREAK TRUST AND FORCE IMMEDIATE CRISIS.
ON TOP OF THAT, THE CITY REDUCED THE I BELONG IN AUSTIN EVICTION PREVENTION BY $1 MILLION.
THE PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY INITIATED SOLUTIONS PROCUREMENT, WHICH DELAYS COMMUNITY DESIGN PATHWAYS TO STABILIZE AND IN AND DECREASE THE DISPLACEMENT THAT IS HAPPENING OUR, IN OUR CITY.
WE UNDERSTAND FISCAL CON CONSTRAINTS.
BELIEVE ME, WE LIVE THAT EVERY DAY, BUT WE ARE ALARMED THAT THE IMPACTS HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY ASSESSED, ESPECIALLY AS WE HEAR THAT NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE A UP NEXT WE'LL HAVE DR.
AARON AORN, FOLLOWED BY VERRON VERDA DURDEN AND SHARON VIGIL.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME TO THE FRONT.
DO I, I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
ERIN ALARCON AND I COME TO YOU AS CEO OF FILI ELDER CARE, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION SERVING AUSTIN FOR 44 YEARS.
VICE CHAIR OF ONE VOICE, REPRESENTING MORE THAN 80 HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES NONPROFIT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, AS A FIERCE ADVOCATE FOR ASKING OLDER ADULTS OUR PARENTS, NEIGHBORS, VETERANS, AND LONG-TERM CONTRIBUTORS WHO ARE TOO OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN POLICY PRIORITIES.
THE DATA IS CLEAR ACROSS THE NATION AND HERE IN TEXAS, INCLUDING AUSTIN, SOCIAL SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS ARE UNDER RESOURCED AND FAILING TO MEET DEMAND AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, ABOUT $39, ABOUT 2.37 BILLION NATIONALLY, WHICH IS ABOUT $39 PER OLDER ADULT PER YEAR.
HARDLY ENOUGH TO FIND THE NUTRITION, TRANSPORTATION, CAREGIVING SUPPORTS, AND IN-HOME SERVICES.
THAT POOR FUNDING TRANSLATES INTO PEOPLE WAITING YEARS FOR SERVICES THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO AT HOME.
TEXAS HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES WAITING LISTS IN THE COUNTRY.
THESE WAITING LISTS ARE NOT JUST NAMES.
THEY REPRESENT REAL LIVES AT RISK, OLDER ADULTS BEING DENIED THE SUPPORT NEEDED TO AVOID NURSING HOME PLACEMENT OR HOMELESSNESS.
WHAT'S MORE DISTURBING IS THAT HOMELESSNESS AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN CENTRAL TEXAS INCREASED BY 70% IN TWO YEARS AT FAMILY ELDER CARE.
OUR FINANCIAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM PROVIDES TAILORED FINANCIAL TOOLS AND CASE MANAGEMENT THAT HELP OLDER ASTRONAUTS AGE IN PLACE.
OUR DATA SHOWS THAT 85% OF OUR CLIENTS REPORT THAT IF NOT FOR OUR SERVICES, THEY WOULD NOT LIVE INDEPENDENTLY.
YET, THIS PROGRAM FACED A 10% CUT THIS YEAR AND IS THREATENED WITH DEEPER REDUCTIONS NEXT YEAR.
SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS AMONG OLDER ADULTS ARE WIDESPREAD AND UNDERDRESSED APPROXIMATELY ONE IN FOUR OLDER ADULTS OVER THE AGE OF 65 REPORT FEELING SOCIALLY ISOLATED OR LONELY.
ISOLATION IS LINKED TO HIGHER MORTALITY, DEMENTIA, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, AND FREQUENT HOSPITALIZATIONS.
OUR IN-HOME COUNSELING PROGRAM DIRECTLY FIGHTS ISOLATION.
THESE TWO SUFFER A 10% CUT AND FACES FARTHER.
THIS COMMITTEE HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE OUTCOME FOR AUSTIN SENIORS.
I URGE THREE IMMEDIATE ACTIONS, NO FURTHER CUTS TO SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACT FUNDING, ESPECIALLY PROGRAM SERVING OLDER ADULTS.
WHAT WE INVEST IN NOW PREVENTS FAR GREATER COSTS.
LATER, ENGAGE THE STAKEHOLDERS TO EVALUATE FUNDING MODELS THAT FOCUS ON RETURN ON INVESTMENT PROGRAMS LIKE OURS.
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SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS.MY NAME IS VERANDA DURDEN AND I SERVE AS CEO OF ANY BABY CAN.
I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE READY FAMILIES COLLABORATIVE, A PARTNERSHIP OF EIGHT TRUSTED COMMUNITY ROOTED ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS, AUSTIN PBS AVAN, THE JEREMIAH PROGRAM, THE LITERACY COALITION SAFE ALLIANCE, THE YMCA AND ANY BABY CAN FOR MORE THAN 11 YEARS, THE READY FAMILIES COLLABORATIVE HAS DELIVERED COORDINATED EVIDENCE-BASED SERVICES TO FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AGES ZERO TO FIVE, WHO ARE LIVING 250 CENT BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY, POVERTY LEVEL.
THROUGH SHARED DATA ALIGNED PROGRAMMING AND INTENTIONAL COORDINATION, WE HAVE MAXIMIZED PUBLIC INVESTMENT AND ACHIEVE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES.
WE ARE NOT SIMPLY A COLLECTION OF NONPROFITS.
WE ARE A PROVEN CONTINUUM OF CARE THAT DIRECTLY ADVANCES THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
EARLY PREVENTION WORKS WHEN FAMILIES RECEIVE SUPPORT, SUPPORT BEFORE CHALLENGES ESCALATE, WE PREVENT FAR MORE COSTLY INTERVENTIONS, WHETHER THROUGH THAT'S EMERGENCY HOUSING, CHILD WELFARE INVOLVEMENT, OR EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE.
THE CURRENT AND PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS THREATEN TO UNRAVEL THIS PROGRESS AT A TIME WHEN FAMILIES ARE ALREADY FACING UNPRECEDENTED ECONOMIC PRESSURE.
IN REAL TERMS, ANY BABY CAN WILL BE FORCED TO TURN AWAY.
FAMILIES WHO ARE ON THE BRINK OF HOMELESSNESS, OUR RATE LISTS ALREADY AVERAGE THREE TO FOUR MONTHS, AND THESE CUTS WILL EXTEND THOSE WEIGHTS DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING FAMILIES WHO ARE ALREADY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOL ANTICIPATES LOSING MORE THAN 20,000 SERVICE HOURS EACH YEAR AND POTENTIALLY AN EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOM.
SAFE ALLIANCE IN AUSTIN PUP AND AUSTIN PBS FACE STAFFING RE REDUCTIONS THAT COMPROMISE THE SAFETY, STABILITY, AND EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAMS SERVING HIGH NEED CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
THE JEREMIAH PROGRAM WILL HAVE TO REDUCE SCHOLARSHIPS THAT ENABLE SINGLE MOTHERS TO COMPLETE HIGHER EDUCATION AND JOIN AUSTIN'S WORKFORCE.
REDUCING PREVENTION SERVICES DOES NOT REDUCE NEED.
IT PUSHES COSTS IN THE INTO THE FUTURE WHERE THEY BECOME SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EXPENSIVE.
EXPENSIVE CUTTING CONTRACTS TODAY CREATES FI LARGER FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL LILIA ABILITIES FOR THE CITY TOMORROW.
OUR WORK ALIGNS WITH THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND WHILE WE SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE FUNDING RUBRIC, THAT RUBRIC MUST VALUE EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION IN COOLING EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STABILITY.
LET US NOT ASK THE FAMILIES WITH THE FEWEST RESOURCES TO SHOULDER THE GREATEST BURDEN OF A BUDGET SHORTFALL.
IF WE INVEST IN WHAT WORKS NOW, WE PROTECT FAMILIES, STRENGTHEN OUTCOMES, AND SAVE THE CITY FAR MORE IN THE LONG TERM.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR COMMITTED COMMITMENT, SHARON.
SHARON VIGIL, FOLLOWED BY TAYLOR INGRID AND CHRISTOPHER HUDSON.
THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'M PRIVILEGED TO SERVE AS THE CEO FOR UNITED WAY FOR GREATER AUSTIN IN A CITY KNOWN FOR NEW AND EDGY INVESTMENTS IN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY.
WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A HUNDRED YEARS AS AN EXPERIENCED EVIDENCE-BASED CONVENER OF NOW HUNDREDS OF ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERS EAGER TO FIND COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS TO SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES.
WE'RE ALSO A TRUSTED SOURCE OF DATA FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR SOCIAL SERVICE AND HEALTH SECTORS WERE UNUSUAL IN THAT WE GIVE GRANTS TO PARTNERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE ALSO SEEK GRANT FUNDING.
SO WE HAVE AN UNUSUAL PERSPECTIVE IN THE SOCIAL SERVICE FABRIC OF AUSTIN.
WE FUND PARTNERS THAT SERVE FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THOSE INVESTMENTS HAVE AN ROI OF ABOUT $9 FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT IS SPENT.
IF CHILDREN DON'T DO WELL IN THEIR EARLY YEARS, THEY ARRIVE IN KINDERGARTEN WITH LOW LITERACY RATES, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS PLUMMET, AND THE QUALITY OF AUSTIN'S SKILLED WORKFORCE DECLINES.
WE ALSO FUND PARTNERS THAT SUPPORT FAMILIES SEEKING TO ATTAIN A FAMILY SUSTAINING WAGE, AND WE'RE SEEING THAT
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IT'S GETTING HARDER TO REACH THAT THRESHOLD IN AUSTIN.IN AUSTIN, IT TAKES A SALARY OF 102,000 FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR WITH TWO CHILDREN IN CHILDCARE TO JUST SURVIVE.
THAT MEANS THEY'RE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK.
IT MEANS THAT ANYTHING UNEXPECTED, EVEN SMALL, LIKE A BLOWN OUT TIRE OR A NEW PRESCRIPTION, IS LIKELY GONNA REQUIRE THEM TO SEEK SUPPORT FROM OUTSIDE.
AND IT MIGHT BE SURPRISING TO LEARN THAT OVER ONE THIRD OF HOUSEHOLDS IN TRAVIS COUNTY ARE NOT EARNING A FAMILY SUSTAINING WAGE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE HOUSEHOLDS ARE NOT MEETING THAT THRESHOLD.
TYPICALLY HAVE TO GO OUT AND GET SOME KIND OF REGULAR OR OCCASIONAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE TRUSTED PARTNERS IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR.
NONPROFIT NONPROFITS ARE A TRUSTED BRIDGE THAT FAMILIES ARE INCREASINGLY HAVING TO DEPEND ON.
THE REALITY IN FRONT OF US DEMANDS IMMEDIATE COLLECTIVE ACTION FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS, COUNT COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PHILANTHROPY AND BUSINESS.
WHEN OVER A THIRD OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS CANNOT MEET THE BASIC COSTS OF SURVIVAL.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ISOLATED HARDSHIPS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SYSTEMIC CONDITIONS THAT TOUCHES EVERY CORNER OF AUSTIN'S FUTURE.
THE MOMENT CALLS ON US TO CREATE A SHARED VISION FOR WHAT AUSTIN CAN BE IN ITS BEST VERSION.
AND TO PRIORITIZE INVESTMENTS THAT KEEP AUSTIN FAMILIES CENTERED.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD SYSTEMS TODAY TOGETHER DUE TO THESE BUDGET CON CHRISTOPHER HUDSON, FOLLOWED BY GEORGIA HERNANDEZ.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS TODAY.
MY NAME IS GEORGIA HERNANDEZ AND I AM A DISTRICT TWO NATIVE AUSTINITE AND HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS A DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AT ELANO.
FOR YEARS, EL ONE HAS PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A TRUSTED SOCIAL SERVICES VENDOR, A PARTNERSHIP INTENTIONALLY BUILT AND INVESTED IN TO MEET ESSENTIAL NEEDS.
OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, WE HAVE SERVED AS AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE HUB, PARTNERING WITH THE CITY DURING SOME OF THE MOST CRITICAL TIMES OF OUR LIFETIME.
DURING THIS TIME, WE HAVE DISTRIBUTED FOOD TO OVER 30,000 INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR.
FACILITATED OVER A HUN UH, 10,000 VACCINES AND PROVIDED ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND HEALTH PROGRAMS WHILE ALSO DISTRIBUTING OVER $30 MILLION IN RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
THIS WORK REFLECTS WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN CITY PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A THRIVING AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE SEEKING BELONGING, EQUITABLE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY AND MORE.
THIS 10% REDUCTION ACROSS CITY CONTRACTS COMBINED WITH THE $1 MILLION CUT TO I BELONG IN AUSTIN.
RENTAL ASSISTANCE DIRECTLY IMPACTS BU'S ABILITY TO SUSTAIN SERVICES OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON.
RIGHT NOW, BU MANAGES FOUR CITY CONTRACTS THAT NOW FACE REDUCTION AND AFFECT ACCESS TO HEALTH RESOURCES, WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES, FOOD AND BASIC AND ESSENTIAL NEED SUPPORTS.
THIS REDUCTION TO IBIA WILL ALSO MEAN THAT WE EXPECT ABOUT 180 FAMILIES AT RISK OF EVICTION WILL NOT RECEIVE SUPPORT NEEDED TO REMAIN HOUSED WHILE EL BLEND WILL WORK DIGITALLY TO FLEX RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
THESE OTHERWISE FLEXIBLE RESOURCES ALLOW US TO RESPOND TO URGENT CLIENT SITUATIONS.
WHEN A FAMILY COMES TO US WITH A A NEED THAT GOES BEYOND OUR TRADITIONAL PROGRAM PARAMETERS, THIS STRAINS THE VERY MODEL THAT ALLOWS
THE TIMING OF THESE REDUCTIONS FROM ALREADY EXECUTED CONTRACTS PRESENTS AN IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE TO PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY STAFFED, PLANNED FOR, AND OPERATIONALIZED.
THESE ARE NOT FUTURE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE CAN PREPARE FOR.
THEY ARE PRESENT DAY DISRUPTIONS AFFECTING SERVICES MOST OF OUR FAMILIES DEPEND ON RIGHT NOW.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE GREATEST IMPACT WILL BE FELT BY OUR NEIGHBORS.
A DECREASE IN SERVICE NUMBERS SHOULD NEVER BE INTERPRETED AS A DECREASED IN NEED.
IN REALITY, THE NEED FROM OUR FAMILIES IS GREATER THAN EVER AND REMAINING DILIGENT TO SERVE AUSTIN'S MOST VULNERABLE FAMILIES REQUIRES SUSTAINING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MAKES THIS WORK POSSIBLE.
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WHEN THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IS WEAKENED, OUR FAMILIES FEEL THE IMPACT.FIRST, WE RESPECTFULLY URGE THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS OF THESE REDUCTIONS TO HELP US PROVIDE CLARITY ON FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGETS AND PREVENT ANY FURTHER REDUCTIONS WHILE ENGAGING COMMUNITY AND NONPROFIT LEADERS IN THESE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE THE DECISIONS ARE FINAL.
THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT CREATE BELONGING, INCLUSION, AND STABILITY FOR AUSTIN FAMILIES.
HEY, WOULD YOU MIND JUST REPEATING THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO WERE CALLED BUT DIDN'T TESTIFY? YES, SHARON VIGIL AND CHRISTOPHER HUDSON.
AND THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR JOINING US TODAY.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY.
[Approval of Minutes]
WILL NOW MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM THAT IS CONSIDERATION OF OUR DECEMBER MEETING MINUTES, YOU HAVE THAT IN YOUR MEETING PACKET.SO FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE, CAN I GET A MOTION, MOTION BY VICE CHAIR AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER ANY OBJECTION TO APPROVING THE MEETING MINUTES? SEEING NONE, THOSE MEETING MINUTES FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE, DECEMBER 3RD, 2025 ARE APPROVED.
[2. Discussion and possible action on the City Manager’s comprehensive review of the City’s social services portfolio. [Daniel Culotta, Assistant Director - Office of Budget and Organizational Excellence; Kerri Lang, Director - Office of Budget and Organizational Excellence].]
NUMBER TWO.COLLEAGUES, AS WE KNOW LAST FALL, WE WENT THROUGH TWO BUDGET PROCESSES, UM, WITHIN MONTHS OF EACH OTHER.
AND BUDGET 2.0, UH, WAS PART OF, UH, OR DURING THAT TIME OF BUDGET 2.0, OUR CITY MANAGER ANNOUNCED A SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACT RESTRUCTURING PLAN AS PART OF A CITYWIDE EFFICIENCY AND OPTIMIZATION PROCESS.
THE CITY SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS SUPPORT OUR CRITICAL CITY SERVICES.
AND RELATED TO TODAY'S MEETING, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING MORE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY'S BASIC NEEDS, BEHAVIORAL AND PRIMARY HEALTH, CHILDCARE, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, HOMELESSNESS SERVICES, AND SO MANY OTHER SUPPORTS THAT ARE VITAL TO SO MANY AUSTIN FAMILIES, PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE.
AND SO, UM, WE KNOW, AND AS WAS MENTIONED IN TESTIMONY TODAY THAT AS PART OF BUDGET 2.0, THE CITY REVISED A BUDGET THAT MADE A $5 MILLION ESTIMATED CUT TO THE CITY'S SOCIAL SERVICE SAFETY NET.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, WAS HEARTBREAKING FOR ME PERSONALLY TO KNOW THAT SUBSEQUENT THE FAILURE OF PROP Q, THAT WE ESSENTIALLY BALANCED OUR BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF OUR SOCIAL SAFETY NET.
AND SO IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME AS WE NAVIGATE MOVING FORWARD THAT WE SAFEGUARD AND KEEP AS MUCH OF OUR SOCIAL SERVICES INTACT, UH, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, I DO WANNA TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY STAFF HERE.
UM, THEY WILL BE PROVIDING A PRESENTATION, AND SO WE HAVE DANIEL COLLETTA AND CARRIE LING FROM THE OFFICE OF BUDGET AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR A PRESENTATION ON THE CITY MANAGER'S COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE CITY SERVICE SOCIAL SERVICE PORTFOLIO.
THANK YOU, CHAIR FUENTES AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
UH, AS THE CHAIR SAID, WE'RE HERE TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW ON OUR PROGRESS TO DATE ON THE SOCIAL SERVICES, UM, CONTRACTING FRAMEWORK.
UH, WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THE, THE HIGH POINTS AS WELL AS, UM, SOME OF THE AREAS WE'RE LOOKING AT TO HELP US THROUGH THIS EXERCISE, UM, THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE.
WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH OF THOSE IN TURN.
SO IN SUMMARY, WHY WE'RE HERE, UH, THE CITY IS PROJECTED TO FACE, UH, MAJOR BUDGET SHORTFALLS AGAIN IN FY 27.
UM, AND THERE IT'S BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WILL BE A PLAN $16.8 MILLION REDUCTIONS, UH, ACROSS THE SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTING PORTFOLIO.
WHAT THE CITY NEEDS TO DO THIS THOUGH, IS A SHARED APPROACH FOR ASSESSING OUR ORGANIZATION WIDE STRATEGY AND PERFORMANCE AND SOCIAL SERVICES AND OTHER THIRD PARTY CONTRACTS ACROSS OUR DEPARTMENTS.
WHAT WE HOPE WILL COME OUT OF THIS EFFORT IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONTENT AND FUNCTION OF OUR SOCIAL SERVICES ECOSYSTEM ACROSS THE METRO AREA, UH, ELIMINATION OF A DUPLICATION, DUPLICATIVE OR, UH, SERVICES.
AND, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING OUR BEST WITH PARTNERSHIPS AND OWNERS, UH, OWNERSHIP, UM, ASSIGNMENTS, CREATING A FRAMEWORK FOR ALIGNING SOCIAL SERVICES STRATEGY AND RESOURCES ALLOCATION WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AS BEST WE CAN, AS BEST, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE TO MAKE, UM, DECISIONS LIKE THESE, THE COST REDUCTION, UH, OPTIONS FOR THE FY 27 BUDGET AND AN EVALUATION FRAMEWORK THAT WE CAN USE GOING INTO THE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PRIORITIZING AND GETTING THE MOST OUT OF OUR SOCIAL SERVICE INVESTMENTS.
OUR DEFINITIONS ARE IMPORTANT HERE.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOCIAL SERVICES, WE MEAN, UH, COORDINATED PROGRAMS AND SUPPORTS THAT HELP INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES MEET ESSENTIAL NEEDS AND
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NAVIGATE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES.THESE CAN INCLUDE SERVICES RELATED TO EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE ACCESS, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING ASSISTANCE, AND INCOME SUPPORTS.
AND THESE ARE INTENDED TO REDUCE DISPARITIES AND STABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
UM, SOCIAL SERVICES GRANT PROVIDES, UM, SERVICES TO THE CITY RESIDENTS OR CLIENTS RATHER THAN SERVICES TO THE CITY ORGANIZATION ITSELF.
WE FURTHER DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN CONTRACTS AND GRANTS.
UH, THE IMPORTANT PART HERE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON INTEN, UH, INTERNALLY.
UM, A CON A CONTRACT IS ESSENTIALLY SOMETHING, UM, THAT WE, WE HAVE TO DO OR WE WOULD HAVE TO DO OTHERWISE AS A CITY, UM, AS A CITY PROGRAM IF WE DID NOT, UM, FUND ANOTHER ORGANIZATION TO DO IT.
UM, AND A GRANT IS, YOU KNOW, ONE, WE POSE A VALUE ADD BUT NOT NECESSARILY MANDATORY.
UM, AND THOSE JUST COME WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF AGREEMENT STRUCTURES, UM, AND REQUIREMENTS BEHIND THEM.
WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW WE'RE ASSESSING, UH, AND OPTIMIZING SOCIAL SERVICES, UH, WE'RE PRIMARILY LOOKING AT THREE LEVERS, UM, AS WE'RE REFERRING TO THEM RIGHT NOW.
ONE IS A PARTNERSHIP REASSESSMENT THAT'S MAKING SURE WE'RE UNDERSTANDING ACROSS THE ECOSYSTEM WHO DOES WHAT, UM, WITH OUR OTHER FUNDING PARTNERS, UM, IN THE METRO AREA, UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S ALIGNED AS BEST IT CAN BE.
UH, POTENTIAL FUNDING MODEL ADJUSTMENTS.
THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE FUND IN OUR TIMING OF FUNDING TO REDUCE ANY VULNERABILITIES ON OUR FRAGILITY IN OUR SYSTEM.
AND THEN AS WELL AS THE GRANT AND CONTRACT EVALUATION, WHICH A LOT OF, UH, US HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, WHERE WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT OUR CITY FUNDED.
SO WHAT WE DO INVEST IN, WE'RE GETTING THE, THE HIGHEST PERFORMANCE AND THE HIGHEST STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT OUTTA THOSE CONTRACTS.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT PARTNERSHIP ASSESSMENT, I HAVE SOME BENCHMARKING HERE.
UM, THIS, WE'VE ALL SEEN THIS, BUT THIS IS THE, UH, BREAKDOWN OF THE CITY'S SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS PORTFOLIO, UM, AS WE HAVE IT IN THE FY 26 ADOPTED BUDGET.
UM, WITH THOSE DIFFERENT BUCKETS, UH, LEAD DEPARTMENTS AND, AND HOW MUCH GOES TO EACH.
AGAIN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE ARE CONTRACTS, UH, WITH, UM, THIRD PARTY PARTY PROVIDERS AS WE GO, UM, MORE INTO THESE NEXT SLIDES, UM, OF, OF OUR OTHER FUNDERS IN THE REGION.
UH, THERE ARE OTHER TYPES OF CONTRACTS OR OTHER TYPES OF AGREEMENTS SUCH AS CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, UM, ILAS AND DIRECT SERVICES.
THOSE ARE ALL PART OF THE FUND OF THE SERVICES LANDSCAPE.
UH, BUT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS OUR, UH, CONTRACTS, OUR SOCIAL, YOU KNOW, DESIGNATED SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR AREA PARTNERS, WE LIKE TO CONSIDER, UH, THIS AS AN ECOSYSTEM.
SO WE HAVE TRAVIS COUNTY CENTRAL HEALTH AND INTERVAL CARE.
UM, THIS IS THE COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT, UM, AND MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE LOOKED AT ACROSS THE OTHER BENCHMARK CITIES THAT WE'LL SEE HERE IN A BIT.
AGAIN, I WANT TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER SERVICES WITH WITHIN, UM, THESE, UH, ECOSYSTEMS THAT EACH OF THESE PROVIDERS DO BRING TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THOSE ARE OFTEN STRUCTURED IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF AGREEMENTS OR FORMATS, LIKE I SAID, ILAS, CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, UH, DIRECT SERVICES.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS CONTRACTS.
AND I WILL NOTE THAT WE ARE STILL MAPPING AND ALIGNING THAT ECOSYSTEM OF CONTRACTS ACROSS, UM, ACROSS PROVIDERS, UM, AND STILL GETTING INFORMATION THERE.
BUT, UM, IN GENERAL, WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHO DOES WHAT AND WHERE WE MIGHT, UM, BEST ALIGN.
ON THE AREA PARTNERS FOCUS AND FUNDING, UH, FOR THE TRAVIS COUNTY CENTRAL HEALTH INTEGRAL CARE, DID WE, IS THIS WHAT THEY ALSO HAVE? LIKE, HAVE THESE PARTNERS AFFIRMED THAT THESE ARE THEIR FOCUS AREA OR ARE THESE COMING BASED ON CITY LAW'S INTERNAL ASSESSMENT? YEAH, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PULLING OUT PRIMARILY FROM THEIR BUDGET.
THIS BUDGETS AT THIS POINT, UM, WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH ALL OF THESE PARTNERS TO FURTHER MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT THEIR ECOSYSTEMS FULLY MAPPED, UM, BEYOND JUST THEIR, JUST WHAT MIGHT BE CONTRACTS THAT ARE RELATIVELY AVAILABLE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAPPING ALL THOSE SERVICES.
AND IF I CAN JUST, UM, JUMP IN CARRIE LANG, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, UM, WE ARE GOING TO, AS WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM, WE'LL PROVIDE UPDATES TO THE COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FULL ECOSYSTEM OF OUR PARTNERS AND THE AMOUNTS THAT'S FUNDED BY THOSE PARTNERS AS WELL.
SO WE DID WANT TO DO SOME BENCHMARKING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, UM, OTHER EXAMPLES, UM, MIGHT BE THAT WE CAN COMPARE AGAINST.
UM, WE LOOKED AT DALLAS, UH, HOUSTON AND SAN ANTONIO, UH, IN TEXAS, AS WELL AS SOME NATIONAL, UM, COMPARISONS.
THESE ALL HAD MA MATURE, MATURE, UH, SOCIAL SERVICES ECOSYSTEMS, UM, AND PORTFOLIOS.
AND WE LOOKED AT THEIR CITY, COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT AND MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES, UM, FOR EACH, UM, AND WE REVIEW THE RESPONSIBILITY DISTRIBUTION ACROSS PARTNERS, UM, AS WELL AS THEIR FUNDING MODELS AND, UM, FREQUENCY.
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NOTE THAT AS WE GO INTO THESE BENCHMARKS, IT'S NOT SAYING THAT ONE IS RIGHT OR WRONG, BETTER OR WORSE, IT'S JUST FOR COMPARISON'S SAKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE KIND OF LANDSCAPE OF POSSIBILITY LOOKS LIKE.SO WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS THESE PARTNERS AGAIN IN AUSTIN, WE'RE BASICALLY, UH, MAINLY CONCENTRATING ON OUR, UM, GENERAL FUND THIRD PARTY CONTRACTS.
WE DO KNOW THAT, FOR INSTANCE, OUR COUNTY PARTNERS HAVE SOME OTHER, UM, SERVICES AND SOME OF THESE AREAS THAT ARE, THAT ARE STRUCTURED, UM, DIFFERENTLY.
SO WE WANT TO ADD THOSE TO THE ECOSYSTEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE DO.
UM, I THINK THE MAIN POINT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS SLIDE IS THAT MANY OF OUR OTHER BENCHMARK CITIES DISTRIBUTE, UM, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVICES ACROSS DIFFERENT, UM, PARTNERS, UM, SUCH AS HOSPITAL DISTRICTS, UM, AND, AND COUNTIES.
THEY ALSO TEND TO ALIGN THOSE SERVICES IN MORE FORMAL REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, UM, OR, OR JOINT EFFORTS, UH, WHEN THERE IS, UH, A LOT OF OVERLAP BETWEEN SERVICES RATHER THAN HAVING, UM, PARALLEL FUNDING STREAMS AND CONTRACTING, UM, PROCESSES.
SO FROM THAT, UM, COMPARISON SLIDE, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INFORM, UM, OH, SORRY, I GOT ONE MORE HERE.
UM, THE, WE'LL GET TO SOME, SOME GENERAL INSIGHTS TO PULL OUT OF THAT, BUT WE DID ALSO WANT TO SAY SHOW THIS IS THE, UH, GENERAL FUND SPEND FROM THOSE CITY ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AS WELL AS HOW THEY ARE ADDING GRANTS TO THEIR FULL SOCIAL SERVICES SPEND, UM, COMPARED TO US.
SO WE HAVE A, UH, VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF GENERAL FUND SPEND AS COMPARED TO THE, UM, GRANTS THAT WE BRING IN.
AND COMPARED TO SOMEONE LIKE HOUSTON WHO HAS A GRANTS FIRST STRATEGY, THEY LEVERAGE ALL THE GRANTS THAT THEY CAN FIRST AND THEN, UM, GO INTO GENERAL FUND SPEND.
AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST DIFFERENT MODELS, UM, THAT, THAT EXIST, UH, THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO LEARN FROM OR COMPARE AGAINST.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PARTNER DISTRIBUTION INSIGHTS, WE DO HAVE, UM, CORE MUNICIPAL ALIGNMENT.
AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT THE CITY ORGANIZATION, UM, FOR AREAS LIKE, UM, UH, CHILD AND YOUTH AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UM, AND THE COUNTY NOW HAS THEIR DEDICATED TAX, WHICH IS GONNA FURTHER BOLSTER THAT ECOSYSTEM.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME STRUCTURAL MISALIGNMENT, UH, WITH MANY OF THE OTHER, UH, BENCHMARK CITIES.
AGAIN, THIS IS, IT'S NOT SAYING IT'S BETTER OR WORSE, UM, IT'S JUST THAT IT, UH, WE DO MAINTAIN OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY, UM, FOR FUNDING THIRD PARTY SERVICES WHERE MANY OF THESE OTHERS HAVE THAT ROUTED THROUGH COUNTIES AND HOSPITAL DISTRICTS.
UM, WE HAVE SOME DIFFERENT SERVICE CATEGORIZATION IN SOME OF THESE CASES.
FOR INSTANCE, UM, HEALTH EQUITY, MENTAL HEALTH, UM, ARE DEFINED AS MEDICAL OR COUNTY FUNCTIONS IN SOME OF THESE OTHER, UM, AREAS WITH HOSPITAL DISTRICTS.
UM, IN SOME PLACES YOU HAVE A, UH, GOVERNANCE VERSUS FUNDING DISTINCTION.
SO SOME OF OUR BENCHMARK CITIES LIKE PORTLAND AND DALLAS, OFTEN SEPARATE FUNDING.
SO LIKE THE CITY FUNDS THINGS, UM, FROM THE EXECUTION.
SO LIKE A REGIONAL AUTHORITY MAY MANAGE THAT FULL PORTFOLIO OF SERVICES.
CAN I ASK, SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT AUSTIN RETAINS SO AN OUTLIER WHEN IT COMES TO HOW WE FUND OUR HOMELESSNESS, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND HEALTH EQUITY, AND THAT WE, WE RETAIN THE CITY RETAINS OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY WHERE PEERS DISTRIBUTE THESE DUTIES TO COUNTIES AND HOSPITAL DISTRICTS.
CAN YOU PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF THAT? YEAH, SO IN SOME CASES, LEMME SEE.
SORRY, I HAD A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF THESE I WANTED TO PULL OUT.
SO, UM, IN, LEMME SEE WHERE WE AT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
YEAH, IF YOU GIMME JUST A MOMENT, I DO HAVE SOME EXAMPLES PULLED THAT, AND WHEN WE QA I'LL PULL 'EM OUT.
I WANNA, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I GET YOU THOSE RIGHT.
UM, AND THEN THE FINAL INSIGHT HERE, UM, NON DIVERSIFIED FUNDING THAT MIGHT BE BETTER STATED AS OPERATIONAL FRAGMENTATION, I WOULD SAY.
SO IN MANY CASES WE HAVE, UM, FUNDING AREAS OR OPERATIONS THAT RUN PARALLEL TO SOME OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS LIKE
[00:40:01]
THE COUNTY, LIKE THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT, LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE FUNDING SIMILAR SERVICES AND WE'RE ALL DOING IT, YOU KNOW, IN THESE PARALLEL STREAMS. AND WE SEE THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ALIGN SOME OF THOSE PROCESSES, UM, TO ESSENTIALLY DE-DUPLICATE SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS, UM, AND, AND GET SOME MORE EFFICIENCY THERE.SO, UH, AND ALL, WE PAY ABOUT $40 MILLION MORE THAN SOME OF OUR, UM, BENCHMARK CITIES DO, UH, FOR SERVICES THAT OTHERS DISTRIBUTE ACROSS THOSE PARTNERS.
SO WE ALSO WANTED TO LOOK AT, UH, OUR FUNDING MODEL IN AUSTIN.
WE LOOK AT OUR SOCIAL SERVICES PORTFOLIO ALONG WITH OUR ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS AND ADJUST THOSE AMOUNTS.
UM, ANNUALLY, UH, IN MANY YEARS PAST WHERE WE'VE HAD, UM, QUITE A LOT OF FUNDING, WE HAVEN'T MADE A LOT OF ADJUSTMENTS TO THOSE CONTRACTS.
AND I WILL NOTE A DISTINCTION HERE THAT MANY OF THESE CONTRACTS THAT, FOR INSTANCE, DEPARTMENTS HOLD ARE MULTI-YEAR TERMS, BUT WE DETERMINE THE AMOUNT EACH YEAR OF THAT TERM BASED ON THE BUDGET CYCLE THAT WE ADOPT HERE AT THE CITY.
SO THERE, THERE'S NOT THE PREDICTABILITY OF, UM, EVERY YEAR OVER YEAR OF A FIVE YEAR TERM THAT, UH, FUNDING EACH YEAR MAY FLUCTUATE DEPENDING ON THE CITY'S BUDGET.
THERE ARE SOME, UH, UH, OTHER TYPES OF MODELS, UH, THAT WE SEE THAT RUN ON LONGER CYCLES, UM, THAT HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RENEWALS.
FOR INSTANCE, SAN ANTONIO DOES, UM, PERFORMANCE BASED RENEWALS, UM, IN YEARS TWO THROUGH FOUR OF THEIR, UM, FOUR YEAR CYCLE.
UH, AND THERE'S ALSO FUNDING MODELS THAT ALIGN CLOSER WITH GRANT, UM, UM, GRANT CYCLES, UH, PRIMARILY ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
SO THIS IS JUST TO SAY THAT THERE MAY BE SOME WAYS THAT WE COULD ADJUST OUR TIMING OF THIS FUNDING, UM, OR, OR HOW WE STRUCTURE THAT THAT COULD PROVIDE US SOME BUDGETARY RELIEF THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY, UM, JUST FOCUS ON CONTRACT REDUCTIONS.
UM, OUR MODEL DOES PROVIDE AGILITY AND RESPONSIVENESS BECAUSE WE CAN LOOK AT AMOUNTS EVERY YEAR.
UH, WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, UM, THAT, THAT ARE NEEDED, UH, DEPENDING ON THOSE EXTERNAL FACTORS.
WE ARE A BIT OF A STRUCTURAL OUTLIER IN THAT WAY.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE SOME OPERATIONAL FRICTION WHERE IF WE'RE DOING THIS EVERY YEAR, ESPECIALLY IF OUR FUNDING, UM, LANDSCAPE IS FLUCTUATING, UH, WE START TO GET SOME ADMINISTRATIVE AND PERFORMANCE DRAG, UM, COMPARED TO IF WE HAD A LONGER CYCLE FOR SOME OF THESE, UM, THIS FUNDING.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME FRAGILITY IN OUR SYSTEM BY REASSESSING, UH, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, DETERMINING AMOUNTS EVERY YEAR AS WE'VE SEEN HERE, UH, WHEN WE HAVE A YEAR WHERE WE HAVE LESS RESOURCES, THE ENTIRE SAFETY NET CAN BE AFFECTED.
UM, AND THEN AS NOTED, THERE'S SOME ADMINISTRATIVE DUPLICATION WHERE WE CARRY SOME PARALLEL, UM, CONTRACTING SYSTEMS WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNERS.
WE DID WANT TO NOTE THAT THE, THAT PHILANTHROPY IS AN IMPORTANT, UM, PART OF THIS ECOSYSTEM AS WELL.
UH, THIS IS JUST A NOTICE SOME OF THE MAJOR FUNDERS, THIS IS IN EVERY SINGLE FUNDER IN EVERY SINGLE CITY.
UM, BUT WE ARE FAIRLY IN LINE WITH THE, UH, OTHER TEXAS CITIES AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT OF, UM, PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING, UM, THAT, THAT FLOWS THROUGH THE METRO AREA AND OUR, UM, NATIONAL PEERS HAVE.
SO, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, FUNDING JUST DUE TO WHAT'S IN THEIR CITIES.
I, SO OUR THIRD, UM, TIER, UH, OR POLICY LEVER IS LOOKING AT ACTUAL CONTRACTS THEMSELVES.
WE ARE PROPOSING A THREE TIER SYSTEM, UM, TO DO THAT.
UH, THE FIRST IS LOOKING AT THOSE CONTRACTS THAT ARE MANDATORY OR ESSENTIALLY NON-DISCRETIONARY, NON-DISCRETIONARY.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE, WE HAVE TO DO, OR FISCAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THOSE WOULD NOT BE, UM, AVAILABLE FOR CUTS FILTER TO, UH, OR TIER TWO.
WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THIS EFFICIENCY AND, AND REALIGNMENT BY SEEING WHERE WE CAN REDUCE OVERHEAD, ANY ALIGNMENT WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO REDUCE DUPLICATION, UM, IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE PARTNERS, CAN WE STREAMLINE IT, CAN WE CONSOLIDATE IT, ET CETERA, WITHOUT HAVING A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE, UH, AMOUNT OF SERVICES THAT ACTUALLY REACH RESIDENTS.
AND TIER THREE IS WHERE WE START LOOKING AT THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS, UM, ROI AND STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING THE MOST OUT OF EACH CONTRACT THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN.
[00:45:01]
ON THESE.UM, AGAIN, THE MANDATORY INSTRUCTIONAL FILTER, I THINK IS FAIRLY SELF-EXPLANATORY.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO OR THINGS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, HIGH INVESTMENT AND MOMENTUM AND NEEDING TO, UM, MAINTAIN.
UH, WHEN WE LOOK INTO THE EFFICIENCY AND REALIGNMENT, THESE ARE THINGS LIKE, CAN IT BE SIMPLIFIED? MIGHT RE REALIGN, UM, RESPONSIBILITY AMONG SOME OF OUR PARTNERS.
UM, AND THEN WE ALWAYS WANT TO HAVE CHECKS ACROSS ALL OF THESE, UM, TIERS, IN THIS CASE, A SERVICE, SERVICE VULNERABILITY CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO, UH, MAKE A REDUCTION THAT MIGHT HAVE A CATASTROPHIC OR CASCADING EFFECT ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
ESSENTIALLY MAKING SURE WE UNDERSTAND THE INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN THESE SERVICES.
AND THEN WE LOOK AT, UH, TIER THREE, THE PERFORMANCE AND STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT.
THESE GO INTO SOME OF THESE DETAILS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, FISCAL STEWARDSHIP.
UH, THE STRATEGIC IMPACT I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH THIS COMMITTEE AND, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, WITH, TO UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW WE MIGHT PRIORITIZE ACROSS SOME OF OUR STRATEGIC AREAS WHEN WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME OF THESE DECISIONS.
UM, THE PERFORMANCE INTEGRITY OF CONTRACTS, UM, STRUCTURE AND STABILITY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AND THE TYPE OF FUNDING, UM, THAT IS PUT FORWARD TO THEM.
IE IS IT ONE-TIME FUNDING THAT'S FOR INSTANCE FROM ARPA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? IS IT A PILOT? AND AGAIN, THIS, UM, EQUITY CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, BY WIDENING EQUITY GAPS, UM, AS MUCH AS WE CAN AVOID, UM, AND AVOIDING ANY INADVERTENT IMPACTS, UM, TO SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT MAY BE, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED, UM, ON COMMUNITIES THAT THAT'S THE ONLY PROVIDER.
SO AGAIN, HOW THE FRAMEWORK IS APPLIED, WE WANNA MOVE THROUGH THESE TIERS AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THIS FRAMEWORK, UM, AS WELL AS THE OTHER LEVERS THAT WE MENTIONED HERE, IS TRYING TO CREATE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF DISRUPTION IN, UM, THE SERVICE ECOSYSTEM THAT RESIDENTS EXPERIENCE, UH, ACROSS THE METRO AREA THAT WE CAN.
SO IN TIMELINES, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT JUST LIKE I SAID, THAT WE'RE STILL MAPPING, UM, OUR PARTNER ECOSYSTEMS AND SERVICES AND, AND GETTING A DEEP UNDERSTANDING THERE.
WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING TO INVENTORY ACROSS, UM, CITY DEPARTMENTS TO UNDERSTAND, UM, ANY, UH, CONTRACTS, UH, THAT MAY FALL INTO THE SOCIAL SERVICES TYPE CATEGORY, UM, BUT THAT WEREN'T, UH, CLASSIFIED AS SOCIAL SERVICES SPECIFICALLY BEFORE.
UM, AND TO DATE, WE FOUND ABOUT 160 CONTRACTS EQUALING 207 MILLION.
UM, AND THESE ARE AGAIN, THINGS THAT WE CAN ASSESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, PROPER ALIGNMENT, UM, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, ET CETERA, ACROSS THE WHOLE PORTFOLIO OF THE CITY.
UM, WE'LL BE GENERATING THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND DECISION CRITERIA, AGAIN, WITH INPUT FROM THIS COMMITTEE, UM, AND OTHERS START, AND AS WELL AS LET THAT INFORM THE PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION FRAMEWORK.
UM, WE'LL LOOK AT THIS ENTIRE PORTFOLIO TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE PERFORMANCES ON THESE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS AS WELL AS A, A GROUP ACROSS OUR PARTNERS.
UM, OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT, OF COURSE, WILL, UM, CONTINUE THROUGHOUT, UH, THIS PROCESS.
WE'RE AT THE VERY BEGINNING NOW, BUT IT'S CRUCIAL AS WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR PARTNERS, TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AS EARLY AND OFTEN AS WE CAN SO THAT WE CAN, AS MUCH AS WE CAN AVOID ANY SURPRISES OR, OR, YOU KNOW, RAPID, UM, DEVELOPMENTS THAT, THAT KIND OF PUT PEOPLE ON THE, ON THE BACK FOOT.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE THE, THE FINAL OUTCOME SINCE THIS AND FY 27 DECISION SUPPORT HERE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TIMELINE, WE'VE ESSENTIALLY DONE THE KICKOFF, UM, IN JANUARY AND NOW HERE, UM, PRESENTING OUR FIRST, UH, SET OF, OF REC, UH, FINDINGS, UM, FROM THE FRAMEWORK TO YOU.
UH, IN MARCH AND APRIL, WE'LL CONTINUE THIS ANALYSIS AND THAT RECOMMENDATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT.
AND THEN IN MAY WE'LL BE, UH, HAVING, HAVING OUR FULL SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, TO THIS COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL TO GIVE A BIT, UH, FURTHER OUTLOOK, UH, TO THE BUDGET.
UM, AGAIN, IN, IN MARCH WE'LL BE DOING, UH, WHAT WE'RE CALLING ALIGNMENT SPRINTS INTERNALLY.
UM, THIS IS LOOKING ACROSS THE, THE ECOSYSTEM OF CONTRACTS, UM, AND SERVICES WITH OUR INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE MIGHT GET THE MOST EFFICIENCIES, UM, WHILE STILL KEEPING UP PERFORMANCE THERE.
UM, AND MAY WE'LL BE BRINGING THOSE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT, UM, OUR PARTNERS HAVE AS MUCH NOTICE ABOUT ANY PROPOSED CHANGES,
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UM, THAT WE CAN, UM, IN JUNE.AND, AND REALLY THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, PROVIDING ALL OF THE RESOURCES WE CAN FOR CAPACITY BUILDING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, SUPPORT, UM, FOR ANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY BE IMPACTED, UM, SO THAT WE CAN TRY AND GIVE THE MOST HELP WE CAN FOR, UH, ANY OF THOSE IMPACTS FROM REDUCTIONS THAT MAY BE COMING.
UM, JULY, UH, AS WE ALL KNOW, PROPOSED BUDGET AND HEARINGS, AUGUST ADOPTION, AND THEN IN OCTOBER, ANY CONTRACT UPDATES WILL GO INTO EFFECT 11.
SORRY, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO SLIDE 11, WHICH IS THE MATRIX QUICKLY.
SO I WANTED TO JUST QUICKLY RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTION.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHEN, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, THE RETAINS OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY, IT'S GOING BACK TO THIS, I KNOW IT'S A VERY BUSY SLIDE, BUT THIS IS HOW WE WERE ANALYZING WHAT THE CITY, UM, INVEST.
AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR PEERS, WHAT THOSE INVESTMENTS LOOK LIKE, AS I MENTIONED, AND AS DANIEL MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE STILL DIGGING INTO THE ECOSYSTEM THAT IS IN, UM, THE REGION AND WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR INVESTMENTS ARE, WHAT CENTRAL HEALTH INVESTMENTS ARE.
BUT WE WERE COMPARING THE CONTRACTS THAT WE ARE SEEING IN AUSTIN TO THE, THOSE SAME TYPES OF CONTRACTS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN SAN ANTONIO, WHERE THEY HAVE, UM, SOME COUNTY GENERAL FUND DOLLARS AS WELL AS, UM, THE DELEGATES ACROSS AGENCIES.
SO WHEN WE SAY THAT WE HAVE THE, UM, OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY IS COMPARED TO THOSE PEER CITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND HOW THEY USE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES TO, TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.
AND DIRECTOR LANG, ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ON THIS? UM, BECAUSE I JUST WANNA BE VERY CLEAR HERE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF ADOPTING THE UPDATED BUDGET, THE MANAGER WAS, I BELIEVE, VERY CLEAR THAT HE INTENDS TO FURTHER REDUCE SOCIAL SERVICES BY AN ADDITIONAL 16 MILLION.
AND SO WE SHOULD ANTICIPATE AND EXPECT THAT HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL IN EIGHT MONTHS FROM NOW OR SEVEN MONTHS IN JULY WILL INCLUDE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION.
IF, IF YOU REMEMBER, UM, IN BUDGET 1.0, UM, THE, WE ALWAYS DO A PLANNED BUDGET.
WE ALWAYS LOOK AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET THAT YOU'RE APPROVING AND PLANNING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND IN ORDER TO, UM, BALANCE FISCAL YEAR 27, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF REDUCTIONS THAT WE MADE ACROSS SEVERAL AREAS, ONE OF THOSE BEING SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER, THE HOUSING TRUST FUND TRANSFER HAS BEEN REDUCED OR ELIMINATED IN 27, AS WELL AS THE CAPITAL REHABILITATION FUND, UM, TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF AREAS THAT WE LOOKED AT IN ORDER TO BALANCE FISCAL YEAR 27.
OF COURSE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN, UM, FORECAST AND, UM, IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE'LL LOOK AT WHAT REVENUE IS COMING IN AND HOW WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT.
BUT THOSE AREAS WHERE THE PRIMARY AREAS, OH, THERE'S ONE MORE AREA.
UM, IT DOES INCLUDE, UM, THE PLANNED YEAR DID NOT INCLUDE ANY WAGE INCREASES FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT WAS, THOSE ARE THE MAIN LEVERS THAT WE USE TO BALANCE FISCAL YEAR 27.
THERE'S, UM, AS WE LOOK AT REVENUE, WE'LL SEE WHAT ADJUSTMENTS WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE, IF ANY.
UM, BUT THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN BUDGET.
THANK YOU COLLEAGUES WHO WOULD LIKE TO KICK US OFF WITH ANY QUESTIONS, VICE CHAIR? SURE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE RESEARCH AND THE PRESENTATION AND THE INSIGHT THAT YOU'VE SHARED WITH US THIS MORNING.
UM, I'M GONNA START OFF BY SAYING ONE OR TWO THINGS AND THEN JUMP INTO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I'VE GOT FROM THE RESEARCH THAT YOU'VE SHARED.
UM, ONE IS JUST TO SAY VERY QUICKLY, MY FIRST JOB HERE, A POLICE POLITICAL JOB HERE WAS WORKING FOR A LADY NAMED KELLY WHITE, WHO WAS THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF, UH, OF, AT THAT POINT I THINK IT WAS JUST SAFE OR SAFE PLACE, AND HER HUSBAND WORKED FOR AT LATER FAMILY ELDER CARE AS THE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.
AND SO I GOT AT THAT POINT, AND THIS IS 20 YEARS AGO, UH, A WINDOW INTO THE CHALLENGES THAT THE OR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE IN TERMS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY, RAISING MONEY AND, AND BEING EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
AND SO I VERY MUCH WANNA JUST SAY FROM THE OUTSET, EMPATHIZE WITH THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE ALL FACING, WHICH IS A TIME OF, UH, CONSTRAINT, A TIME OF WHERE SALES TAXES ARE DOWN, WHERE ALL OF US ARE HAVING TO MAKE REALLY CHALLENGING DECISIONS BASED
[00:55:01]
ON A VERY UNCERTAIN ECONOMIC FUTURE THAT WE FACE.AND SOME OF MY QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE FOR, UM, UH, DIRECTOR LANG AND, AND MR. COLODA ARE, ARE REGARDING SOME OF THAT FORECAST.
AND, AND, AND SO I'LL START WITH HOW DID WE BECOME THE OUTLIER? YOU POINTED TO SLIDE 11, WHICH DESCRIBED THE FUNDING SOURCES, UM, FOR THE PARTNERSHIP ASSESSMENTS.
AND I'M CURIOUS IF YOU CAN GIVE US ANY CONTEXT FOR HOW WE WOUND UP IN A PLACE WHERE IN MANY OF THOSE CATEGORIES WE'VE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO TURNING TO THE CITY FOR DOLLARS.
AND I THINK THERE'S A SECOND QUESTION THAT I'D ASK.
WELL, LET ME GET THAT ANSWER FIRST, AND I'M GONNA BUILD ON THAT.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF HOW WE'VE DEVELOPED INTO THIS, UM, SITUATION THAT JUST MAYBE ME PERSONALLY, I'M, I'M SURE IT'S OUT THERE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BRING, UM, IN OUR NEXT UPDATE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE DEVELOP IN THIS POSITION.
AND TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT, I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN PROBABLY PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT, BUT AS THE, UM, I THINK IT WAS A CHARGE OF PAST COUNCILS TO REALLY BOLSTER OUR SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACT INVESTMENTS.
AND I BELIEVE IT GOES BACK TO THE MID TO LATE EIGHTIES THAT WE STARTED WORKING ON THAT AS A PRIORITY AS A CITY.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE, UM, FINANCIAL SPACES THAT THE CITY WAS IN AS FAR AS THE REVENUE THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE AND THE ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS, THAT THAT WAS WHY, YOU KNOW, WE AS A CITY DECIDED TO, OR CONTINUE TO INVEST IN SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS.
I THINK AS YOU LOOK AT SOME OF OUR PEER CITIES, THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY'VE SET UP FUNDAMENTALLY AND, AND INITIALLY WAS WORKING WITH THEIR AREA PARTNERS.
AND ALTHOUGH WE'VE DONE THAT IN SOME SPACES, THE OTHER PEER CITIES THAT YOU LOOK AT HAVE, YOU KNOW, FORMALIZED STRUCTURED AGREEMENTS ON WHO'S GOING TO DO WHAT, AND THAT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED IN OUR COMMUNITY SO FAR.
AND WELCOME, WE HAVE HCM, STEPHANIE HAYDEN, HOWARD GOOD MORNING.
UM, STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UM, JUST WANT TO MAYBE PROVIDE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE KIND OF BACKGROUND FROM, KIND OF FROM MY EXPERIENCE.
UM, THE CITY, UM, STARTED IN THIS SPACE PROBABLY IN ABOUT 1987 WHEN THE ELECTED OFFICIALS HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH PARTNERS ABOUT HOW WE CAN ASSIST, UM, AND REALLY JUST BE IN A SPACE OF JUST KIND OF BEING A FINANCIAL PARTNER DURING THOSE EARLY CONVERSATIONS.
UM, THE CONTRACTS, UM, WERE WITH, UM, AT THE TIME, UM, INTERVAL CARE AND A ISD AND KIND OF STARTED KIND OF FUNDING IN THAT WAY OVER THE YEARS.
UM, COUNCIL, UM, UH, DECIDED TO MAKE A, A, A POLICY DECISION, UM, BECAUSE WHAT WE WERE SEEING IS, IS THAT WHEN WE WERE DOING THE SOLICITATIONS, THERE WAS SUCH A GREAT NEED, UM, WHEN FOLKS PUT IN THEIR APPLICATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE POT WAS MAYBE $15 MILLION AND THE APPLICATIONS THAT CAME IN DOUBLED THAT AMOUNT.
UM, AND SO WE, WE, WE LOOKED AT, UM, THE POPULATION IN AUSTIN, WE LOOKED AT CONSUMER PRICE INDEX.
UM, THERE WAS SOME BENCHMARKING THAT WAS DONE, UM, IN THE PAST.
AND SO, UM, BASED ON ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UM, AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT THE NEED AS A COMMUNITY AND WANTING TO BE ABLE TO PREVENT, UM, AND WORK ON MORE OF THE DOWNSTREAM ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, IF I COULD, YOU KNOW, UM, INVEST IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT EDUCATION.
I, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT, AT EVERYTHING, UM, I, I, I HAD A FEELING THAT WE DID HAVE, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE FUND, AS THE TEAM HAS TALKED ABOUT, WE HAVE THE SOCIAL SERVICE FUND.
AND SO THE, THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT THE FUNDS, UM, WOULD REDUCE THAT FUND ITSELF.
BUT THEY'VE DONE ANOTHER SURVEY AND THAT SURVEY HAS SHOWN THAT THERE ARE OTHER CONTRACTS THAT THE CITY HAS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS,
[01:00:01]
AND THOSE CONTRACTS ARE WITHIN FOLKS BASED BUDGET.AND SO TO THE TUNE OF, I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE THE NUMBER THERE, WE, WE NEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE FUNDING AND HOW WE'RE FUNDING NOT JUST IN THE SOCIAL SERVICE FUND, BUT ALSO IN THE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS.
IF, IF WE HAVE NOT BEEN HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, THERE COULD BE A CHANCE OF DUPLICATION.
AND WE DO NEED TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE IS SOME DUPLICATION AND IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, SHIFT FUNDING.
AND SO IF WE, YOU KNOW, REDUCE THE, THE FUND, ARE THE DEPARTMENTS GONNA BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE.
SO WE DO NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO, AS THEY'RE SAYING, THIS IS OUR FIRST BLUSH.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT IT A LITTLE CLOSER AND UNDERSTAND AND ENSURE THAT WE'RE, WE DON'T HAVE THE DUPLICATION, DO I, YOU KNOW, AS YOU ALL KNOW, MY BACKGROUND IS IN SOCIAL WORK.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO PREVENT THINGS FROM HAPPENING, UM, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, BALANCE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
EARLY ON AS A CITY, WHEN WE WERE DOING CONTRACTS, WE REALLY TRIED TO HAVE AGENCIES WHERE WE WERE NOT MORE THAN MAYBE 30 OR 40% OF THEIR TOTAL BUDGET.
AND WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN AWAY FROM THAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WHEN OTHER ENTITIES MADE THEIR REDUCTIONS AND THEY CHANGED THEIR MISSION, TYPICALLY THE CITY FOLKS WILL COME TO THE CITY AND ASK US, YOU KNOW, IF WE WOULD BE WILLING TO PROVIDE AN INCREASE.
AND SO I KNOW WE'RE JUST AT A VERY CHALLENGING TIME AS AN ORGANIZATION, AND I KNOW THESE ARE GOING TO BE DIFFICULT DECISIONS, BUT I DO FEEL LIKE THAT IF WE ALL COME TOGETHER, ALL OF THE COMMUNITY, ALL OF ONE VOICE AND ALL OF THE PARTNERS AND WE ALL WORK ON THIS TOGETHER, WE CAN GET TO A VERY GOOD PLACE.
A CM HAYDEN HOWARD, I AM, AND I APPRECIATE THE CONTEXT I GOT HERE IN 96, SO I CLEARLY MISSED THE FIRST DECADE OF, OF ALL THESE CHANGES.
ALL OF THIS IS PROBABLY ANCIENT HISTORY TO MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES, BUT, UM, BUT REALLY HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF THE GENESIS OF HOW WE ARRIVED HERE BECAUSE, UH, ONE QUESTION I'VE GOT IS TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS IS SORT OF THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE THIS LEVEL OF PEER BENCHMARKING TO UNDERSTAND IF HOW OTHER CITIES ARE APPROACHING THIS KIND OF FUNDING CHALLENGE.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE KEY INSIGHTS I TOOK AWAY FROM THIS WAS NOT JUST, UM, THE THE FUNDING MAKEUP, BUT ALSO THE FUNDING TIMELINES AND ASSESSMENTS THEY, THAT THE PROCESS THAT THEY HAVE THAT SEEMS TO BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM HOW WE APPROACH OURS AND THE PROS AND CONS OF THAT.
SO I'M CURIOUS IF YOU CAN JUST SPEAK TO THE DEGREE THAT ANYBODY THERE, Y Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH US HAVING DONE THIS SORT OF INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS BEFORE.
I BELIEVE WE, WE DID, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH LED A REVIEW OF OUR PEERS IN 2012 OR 2013 TO UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW THEY WERE, UM, FUNDING THEIR SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS.
WE COULD PROBABLY PULL THAT INFORMATION, BUT I THINK THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE DID IT ABOUT 20 12, 20 13.
AND THAT, I BELIEVE THAT WAS WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT CHANGING HOW WE WERE GOING TO DO OUR SOLICITATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN PULL THAT INFORMATION.
I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO COMPARE THAT TO WHAT, WHERE WE ARE NOW, BUT APPRECIATE AGAIN THAT CONTEXT.
UM, I, I WONDER IF YOU CAN JUST EXPAND VERY BRIEFLY, A CM HAYDEN HOWARD, YOU MENTIONED THAT IN THE PAST WE SORT OF MAYBE HAD AN INTERNAL RULE OR JUST A GUIDELINE OR BENCHMARK TO SAY WE WEREN'T GONNA SPEND MORE THAN 30 OR 40%, UH, INTERNALLY ON THE CONTRACTS AND SOMEHOW WE GOT AWAY FROM THAT.
DO YOU, CAN YOU EXPAND ON WHEN THAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED AND IF THERE WAS A PARTICULAR CATALYST OR CIRCUMSTANCE AROUND THAT? I THINK THERE PROBABLY WAS SEVERAL THINGS THAT MAYBE HAVE HAS KIND OF HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, OVER
[01:05:01]
THE YEARS.UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT WITH, UM, WITH OUR, UM, HOMELESS, UM, PORTFOLIO WHEN WE ARE DOING, UM, H YOU KNOW, HOUSING AND WE'RE DOING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE, THE UNIT ITSELF AND THEN WE LOOK TO PROVIDE THE SUPPORTIVE DOLLARS.
AND SO FOR THOSE DEALS TO REALLY BE STRONG DEALS AND BE MADE, YOU KNOW, TO THE BEST OF, YOU KNOW, UM, FIDELITY, WE HAVE TYPICALLY BEEN A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT FUNDING THAT COUPLES UP WITH PSH.
UM, THERE, THERE'S BEEN SOME, SOME PILOT, UM, PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND WORKED WITH THE PARTNERS AND HAVE KNOW, THOUGHT ABOUT, UM, PILOTS THAT WE WOULD DO.
AND SO IN THOSE INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, WE ENDED UP BEING, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THERE'S TIMES WHEN WE'VE HAD GRANTS, WE HAD THE ARPA FUNDING, WE HAD THE CARES FUNDING, UM, KNOWING WE NEEDED TO GET, YOU KNOW, THOSE DOLLARS OUT THE DOOR TO MEET THE NEED.
AND SOMETIME WE FOUND OURSELVES DOING 100%.
SO THERE'S JUST BEEN KIND OF DIFFERENT INSTANCES ALONG THE WAY WHERE WE, WE FELT LIKE THIS IS A GOOD DECISION TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
OKAY, THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
AND I KNOW OTHERS WANT TO GET TO THIS, SO I'M GONNA TRY AND WRAP UP AT LEAST A FIRST ROUND HERE.
UH, ARE ANY OF Y'ALL FAMILIAR WITH WHETHER THIS, IF NOT EXACT SIMILAR PROCESS IS PLAYING OUT AT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN TERMS OF THE SAME PINCH, UH, OR, OR FINANCIAL CONSTRAINT IN THE SAME, UM, UH, YEAH, IF, IF A SIMILAR CONVERSATION IS PLAYING OUT THERE WHERE YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF ENTITIES THAT AGAIN, MAY NOT BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR PEER CITIES, ALL WE KNOW, UH, AND THEY ARE PERHAPS OVERLY RELIANT ON ONE PARTICULAR AGENT OR GOVERNMENT ENTITY OR ANOTHER, AND BEING SIMILARLY SQUEEZED, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THAT LEVEL OF INFORMATION, ARE WE AS MM-HMM.
ESPECIALLY AT THE STATE LEVEL.
I THINK WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE AND WHAT, UM, FUNDING AVAILABILITY THERE IS.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE HAVING THE SAME CHALLENGES AND LOOKING AT THE SAME RESTRAINTS THAT WE ARE.
BUT I THINK AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE'LL BET WE'LL GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEIR CHALLENGES ARE, WHAT THEY CAN DO, AND AGAIN, LOOK AT HOW WE CAN LOOK AT THIS REGIONALLY AND MAYBE PROVIDE A MORE IN DEPTH ECOSYSTEM IN THE FUNDING REALM SO THAT WE CAN BETTER ADDRESS THESE THINGS ACROSS ALL OF OUR PARTNERS.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE CAN DO ALSO IS GO CHECK IN WITH COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND FIND OUT TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING THIS OR A SIMILAR CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW.
UH, I'M CURIOUS IF YOU CAN GO BACK, UH, WELL ACTUALLY DIRECTOR LANG, IF YOU CAN JUST COMMENT VERY BRIEFLY.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS PART OF WHAT WE BALANCED BUDGET 2.0 ON WAS TAKING OUT A RESERVES AND THAT PART OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IS THAT WE DON'T WANNA DO THAT AGAIN IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT'S CREATING THIS, UM, THIS NECESSITY TO GO LOOK FOR DOLLARS ELSEWHERE.
CAN YOU COMMENT ON THAT TO, YOU ARE CORRECT TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
WE DID DO A A TRANSFER IN FROM RESERVES.
UM, AND, UM, IN THE 2.0 VERSION, THAT 5.2 MILLION REDUCTION TO SOME OF THE, UH, CONTRACT PROVIDERS WAS REALLOCATED.
SO WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T REDUCE SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS HOLISTICALLY.
WE REALLOCATED THOSE DOLLARS TO, UM, UM, HOMELESSNESS TO SUPPORT SOME OF THE AREAS THAT, UM, WAS DETERMINED WAS SOME OF THE PRIORITY IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WELL, AND 'CAUSE I UNDERSTOOD IT THAT WE REALLOCATED, SO HOMELESSNESS SERVICES, THE PROVIDERS ALL RECEIVED A 4% CUT, NOT A 10%, BUT THEY RECEIVED A 4% BECAUSE WE DID THE REALLOCATION WITHIN HOMELESSNESS AND THAT THE REST OF SOCIAL SERVICES RECEIVED A 10% CUT AND CORRECT.
SO NOT ALL OF THE HOMELESSNESS PROVIDERS RECEIVED A 4%.
THERE WAS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IF RAPID REHOUSING, I'LL JUST USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE BECAUSE THAT WAS AN AREA OF INVESTMENT.
WE DIDN'T REDUCE THOSE CONTRACTS.
THERE WERE OTHER SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS WITHIN THE HOMELESSNESS REALM THAT WAS REDUCED 4% TO
[01:10:01]
REALLOCATE THE REST OF THE PROVIDERS RECEIVED 10%.UM, BUT IT JUST TO, BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE, TO YOUR QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER, VICE CHAIR UCHIN IS, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS NEW KIND OF TWO YEAR OUTLOOK THAT WE DO WITH OUR BUDGETING, UH, WE DID DO A ONE TIME PULL FROM OUR RESERVE FUND, UH, 14 MILLION WITH THE INTENTION THAT IN THE MANAGER SIGNAL THAT THE, FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR THAT WE WOULD REDUCE SOCIAL SERVICES BY, BY AN ADDITIONAL 16 MILLION BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T BE MAKING THAT TRANSFER FOR NEXT YEAR.
UH, I KNOW I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS BECAUSE EVENTUALLY I'LL WAIT FOR YOU TO INTRODUCE, UH, YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE I THINK I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN POTENTIALLY WORK WITH THE FRAMEWORK THAT DANIEL HAS PRESENTED.
UM, I THINK THE LAST THING I WAS JUST A CLARIFICATION ON SLIDE 22, YOU TALK, UH, YOU TALK ABOUT STRATEGIC IMPACT AND THEN PERFORMANCE INTEGRITY.
I JUST WONDERED IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES ABOUT, UH, SPECIFIC PLACES WHERE THOSE, WHERE YOU COULD SORT OF DELINEATE BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
FOR STRATEGIC IMPACT, WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING A THOROUGH JOB MAPPING AGAINST THINGS LIKE THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT, THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN, THOSE THINGS THAT WE'VE DETERMINED ARE, UM, STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS HAVE STRONG ALIGNMENT TO WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, MIX OR, UH, OR PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE DETERMINED BEFORE.
UH, AND PERFORMANCE LEADS MORE TO WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THESE SERVICES THAT WE DO, UM, INVEST IN, UM, HOW ARE THE CONTRACTS PERFORMING? UM, HOW HAS THE, UM, ENGAGEMENT GONE, UM, OVER THE CONTRACTING PERIOD AND MAKING SURE THAT WE SET THOSE SAME TYPES OF, UM, METRICS AND ASSESSMENTS UP FOR CONTRACTS GOING FORWARD AS WELL SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE, THIS ISN'T JUST A ONE TIME THING, BUT WE'RE HOPEFULLY SETTING UP A STRATEGIC PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK TO, THAT WE CAN USE GOING INTO TO FUTURE YEARS.
SO THE PERFORMANCE INTEGRITY IS MORE LIKE OUTCOMES AND EFFICIENCY AND THE STRATEGIC IMPACT IS MORE, IS IT CONNECTED TO A STRATEGIC VISION? YOU HAVE A BULLET POINT THERE ABOUT WHERE THE VERY, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE LEVERAGING, UH, OTHER DOLLARS OR RESOURCES MM-HMM
SO THINGS THAT CAN BE TIED BACK TO THE STRATEGIC VISION.
COUNCIL LEE, THANK, UM, THANK YOU.
I, I'LL MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS BEFORE I ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, AND I FIRST REALLY JUST WANNA THANK ALL OF THE PARTNERS WHO ARE OUT IN THE AUDIENCE, SOME OF WHOM WE'VE SPOKEN MANY TIMES AND OTHERS PROBABLY HAVEN'T HEARD ANY WORD OUTTA MY MOUTH UNTIL TODAY, WHICH IS PART OF THE REASON THAT I'M STARTING WITH COMMENTS JUST TO KIND OF INTRODUCE MYSELF.
UM, BUT I, I MEAN, I WANNA START BY SAYING HOW MUCH I TRULY VALUE THE WORK THAT EACH AND OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HAVE PUT INTO OUR CITY, BOTH PAID AND UNPAID.
UM, I UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE VERY IMPORTANT TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT ALLOW NONPROFITS TO WORK WITH THE STABILITY OF CITY FUNDING AND THEN ALSO PULL IN PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY DOLLARS.
UM, I REPRESENT DISTRICT SIX, WHICH IS THE FAR NORTHERN AND NORTHWESTERN SUBURBS OF AUSTIN.
UM, 60% WILLIAMSON COUNTY, 95% TRAVIS COUNTY FIVE TITLE ONE SCHOOLS.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST A BRIEF INTRODUCTION.
I ALSO WANNA REALLY THANK A CM HAYDEN HOWARD, BOTH FOR THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND FOR HER COMMENTS ABOUT HOW VITALLY IMPORTANT AND EFFECTIVE IT CAN BE TO WORK, COLLABORATE COLLABORATIVELY, TO COME TO A PLACE THAT IS THE BEST WE CAN GET TO AND MAKES US STRONGER TOGETHER THROUGH THE, THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND AT THE END OF IT, AND THE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, I AM MAKING FROM, IT'S, IT'S HARD WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH FEAR AND SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS IN OUR CITY, ACROSS OUR CITY, UH, RIGHT NOW, AND, UM, SCARCITY OF RESOURCES.
BUT I AM MAKING THESE COMMENTS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET, AND I HOPE THAT THEY ARE FELT IN THAT WAY.
UM, AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY QUESTIONS, I ALSO JUST, I DON'T WANNA FORGET TO SAY THIS, SO I'M GONNA SAY IT NOW.
IF I SPEAK TO, UM, AREAS THAT HAVEN'T REACHED DISTRICT SIX, UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT MY OFFICE IS WORKING VERY ACTIVELY TO INCREASE THE COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION IN DISTRICT SIX.
AND THERE ARE FUNDING PARTNERS THERE THAT AREN'T ALREADY TIED INTO THESE CUTS.
AND SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING, UM, KEEP US IN MIND.
[01:15:01]
COUPLE QUESTIONS.UM, SO ONE, SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
I'M SO GLAD THAT I FOLLOWED THE MAYOR'S REQUEST TO ATTEND THIS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH MEETING, AND I EXPECT TO BE BACK MORE OFTEN.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATED THE EXPLANATION OF HOW THESE CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN MAPPED.
UM, THE THREE, THE THREE PARTNERSHIPS THAT YOU'VE EVALUATED AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT CONTRACTS, AND, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE THE SIMILAR CONTRACTS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
CUTS THAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, QUICK, MORE QUICKLY THAN MANY OF US HAD HOPED, UM, DURING THE BUDGET CYCLE.
SO YOUR THREE FUNDING PRIMARY PARTNERS, UM, THE PARTNERS THEMSELVES DON'T REACH 60% OF MY DISTRICT, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF INTERVAL CARE THAT HAS, UH, PARTICIPATION AT PECAN GARDENS.
UM, AND, UH, I KNOW HAS SOME OTHER MENTAL HEALTH WORK THAT HAPPENS IN OUR AREA AND IS FAMILIAR WITH OUR WILLIAMSON COUNTY PARTNER AND, AND WORKS WITH THEM.
BUT I AM HIGHLIGHTING THAT THE ANALYSIS ITSELF DOESN'T CONSIDER THE MAJORITY OF MY DISTRICT AND THEIR NEEDS.
AND IT'S A DISTRICT IN WHICH, BECAUSE OF, IN PART BECAUSE OF THE DISCONNECTION FROM SERVICES AND TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS AND ALL OF THESE THINGS, A LOT OF DISPLACEMENT HAS OCCURRED INTO MY DISTRICT OF LOW INCOME FAMILIES, OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION THAT HAS SURGED SINCE THE REINSTATEMENT OF THE CAMPING BAN.
AND SO, BY ANALYZING THE REACH AND NEEDS WITHIN THESE FILTERS, UM, ON THE FOUNDATION OF A SYSTEM THAT HAS GROWN AND GROWN, WITHOUT REACHING A LOT OF MY DISTRICT IN PARTICULAR ONES THAT HAVE NEEDS, UM, I WANNA JUST, I WANNA ELEVATE THAT.
UM, BUT I ALSO WANNA ASK, I MEAN, IT'S, I REALLY APPRECIATED THE EXPLANATION ABOUT THIS HAVING START THESE PARTNERSHIPS HAVING STARTED BACK IN THE EIGHTIES WITH A ISD AND, AND ANIMAL SERVICES, A ISD ONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN MY ENTIRE DISTRICT.
AND IT'S NOT TITLE ONE, I'LL TELL YOU THAT
SO, UM, I THINK WE'VE ALSO GROWN IN THAT WAY.
AND AS PAINFUL AS THIS RESET IS AND IS, IS COMING IN LIKE A FLOOD IN A LOT OF WAYS THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL IT IS A RESET THAT THAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN FAR TOO LONG.
I THINK, UM, NOT BECAUSE I'M LOOKING FOR CUTS, BUT BECAUSE I THINK IT IS VERY USEFUL AND VALUABLE TO TAKE THIS BIG PICTURE VIEW OF WHO ARE WE REACHING AND HOW, AND WHAT I WANT TO ADD ONTO THAT IS, ARE WE REACHING OUR ENTIRE CITY? UM, AND SO WITH, WITH THAT IN MIND, I AM WONDERING, UM, AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW TO ADJUST THAT, HOW CAN WE, HOW HAVE YOU, OR HOW CAN WE INCORPORATE SOME TYPE OF GAP ANALYSIS? UM, I KNOW A CM HAYDEN HOWARD AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, ZIP CODES AS A WAY TO SEE IF WE'RE ACTUALLY REACHING OUR ENTIRE CITY.
UM, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE DATA FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THAT A LOT OF THE DATA THAT OUR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS USE TO DEVELOP THESE PLANS, UM, SUBSCRIPTIONS DON'T COVER WILLIAMSON COUNTY, WHICH IS WHERE OUR TITLE ONE RESIDENTS, UH, LOW INCOME RESIDENTS ARE CONCENTRATED.
UM, I FOUND THIS CROPPING UP IN LOTS OF WAYS.
SO THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION IS HOW IN THIS RESET AND THIS VERY, UM, CAREFUL AND DELIBERATE PROCESS OF SETTING OUT FILTERS AND CRITERIA, HOW ARE WE INCORPORATING A GAP ANALYSIS? AND IF NOT YET, CAN IT BE A YET? WELL, WE HAVE AN ITEM THAT, A POLICY ITEM THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DISCUSS THAT I THINK WE CAN INTEGRATE TO MAKE SURE THAT'S PART OF THE DIRECTION MOVING FORWARD.
UH, CUSTOMER THERE ANY QUESTIONS IN YOUR, UM, OH, DO YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? I, I, I, SO YOU, YOU WANNA JUST HOLD THAT TILL LATER? MM-HMM.
UM, I HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS AND THEY ARE SCATTERED AROUND, BUT I, I WANT TO START BY JUST SAYING, AT LEAST FROM MY POSITION, I STILL AM VERY CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN OUR SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS TO BASICALLY BE THE LOWEST TIER OR THE HIGHEST TIER.
HOWEVER YOU WANNA THINK ABOUT IT.
THE FIRST THING TO GO RIGHT, I MEAN, WE'VE ZEROED OUT THE HOUSING TRUST FUND.
WE'VE NOT PROPOSED EMPLOYEE RA RAISE EMPLOYEE
[01:20:01]
RAISES, BUT LOOKING AT THE PROPOSED BUDGET, YOU KNOW, DEPARTMENT AFTER DEPARTMENT EITHER NEXT YEAR STAYS LEVEL, GROWS HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE IS PROJECTED TO DIMINISH SEVERELY, LARGELY 'CAUSE OF THE FUNDS THAT WERE FUNDING, THAT SIMILAR HOUSING DEPARTMENT DIMINISHED SEVERELY BECAUSE NO HOUSING TRUST FUND, BUT WE ARE IN EFFECT BALANCING THE BUDGET ON OUR SOCIAL SERVICES.AND I, I, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THE RIGHT POLICY DECISION, SO I JUST WANNA START WITH THAT.
AND I, I CAN SEE YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS, SO PLEASE.
SO, YES, I, I THINK, UM, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR BUDGET PROCESS AND THE STEPS THAT WE GO THROUGH, UM, FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, AND EVEN AT LOOKING AT FISCAL YEAR 27, WE ALWAYS START WITH DIGGING INTO DEPARTMENTS AND LOOKING AT WHAT AREAS WE CAN REDUCE, FIND EFFICIENCIES, REALLOCATE.
AND SO THAT IS PART OF OUR PROCESS THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE BEING PART OF OUR PROCESS FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.
UM, THERE WERE REDUCTIONS TAKEN FROM DEPARTMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 26 TO BALANCE, UM, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, UM, SOME IN PLANNING.
UM, SO THERE WAS SOME REDUCTIONS TAKEN, AND WE'LL CONTINUE.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE DID KICK OFF TWO WEEKS AGO WITH DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE THINGS, UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL LEVERS THAT WE CAN REDUCE, AND THAT WILL BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION IN OUR, UM, RECOMMENDATION AND OUR CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK WE DID TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LOOKED ACROSS THE GENERAL FUND FOR OPTIONS.
UM, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS, THE HOUSING TRUST FUND, THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT AREAS, BUT, UM, WE HAVE LOOKED IN OTHER PLACES, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK IN OTHER PLACES, AND I KNOW YOU WILL, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU FROM YOUR POSITION, YOU'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO, TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
AND THAT'S AN UNENVIABLE TASK, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, UH, WITH THE CONSTRAINTS WE'RE UNDER.
UM, BUT I DO THINK JUST LOOKING, YOU DON'T SEE OTHER DEPARTMENT, LIKE IF THIS WAS, IF SOCIAL SERVICES WAS A DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? WE'RE LOOKING AT A 20% CUT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, ASIDE FROM HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE OR NOW AUSTIN, HOMELESS STRATEGY OPERATIONS, THEY'RE REALLY THE ONLY OTHER DEPARTMENT LOOKING AT THAT KIND OF CUT.
AND YOU COULD KIND OF THINK OF THEM, I ALMOST, YOU KNOW, THE MOST OF OUR SOCIAL SERVICES ARE HOMELESS STRATEGY.
YOU DON'T SEE A 20% CUT FROM PARKS PLANNING.
AND, AND I JUST THINK THAT'S A, UH, A QUESTION WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELF OF THE SEVERITY OF THE CUTS TO THIS ONE PARTICULAR, UM, PART OF OUR BUDGET.
AND, AND I, I THINK IT POINTS A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT THE CHAIR IS, IS BRINGING OR HOPE TO BRING AS, UH, AN ITEM HERE.
BUT ASSESSING COST SAVINGS WITHIN THE BUDGET IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK NEEDS TO BE PART OF THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY POLICE CALLS, HOW MANY EMS CALLS ARE TO RESPOND TO HOMELESSNESS? YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T HAVE THE DATA ON THAT, BUT I'M SURE IT'S A VERY LARGE NUMBER.
AND IF WE PREVENT THOSE INDIVIDUALS FROM ENTERING INTO HOMELESSNESS, OR IF WE ARE ABLE TO SERVE THEM THROUGH A LOWER COST OPTION, SHOULD WE BE TAKING THOSE DOLLARS FROM THE AREA WHERE THEY'RE NOW, WE'RE NOT HAVING THAT BURDEN, RIGHT? THE, THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND THE AVOIDED COSTS ARE SOMETHING THAT I KNOW ARE REALLY DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY, AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, BACKWARDS LOOKING.
BUT I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE HARD QUESTIONS WE HAVE TO ASK OUR OURSELVES RIGHT NOW IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES ONE POSITION IN THIS DEPARTMENT EQUAL IN, IN SERVICES TO MAKE THAT THAT PERSON NOT HAVE TO GO RESPOND TO THE INDIVIDUAL ON THE CORNER.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST ONE THING THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT WITHIN WHAT THE CHAIR IS, IS TRYING TO BRING FORWARD.
I ALSO WANNA UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT THE TIER ONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE MUST FUND LIST, THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE OWN AND OPERATE.
HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD BE OPERATING IT AT ALL? SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE OWN WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, PICK YOUR SHELTER, THE MARSHALING YARD, AND AS LONG AS IT'S OPEN, WE HAVE TO PAY THE BILL TO OPERATE IT.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE TIER ONE IS PRESUMING THAT IF WE OWN IT, WE MUST OPERATE IT.
AND THAT, NOT THAT NECESSARILY THAT'S THE BEST USE OF THOSE DOLLARS.
[01:25:01]
AND I'M JUST PICKING ON SHELTER AT THE MOMENT, BUT WE, THIS RUNS THE GAMUT.UH, SO HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT THAT AT THIS POINT? WE ARE LOOKING, UH, AT THESE AS THINGS THAT ALREADY HAVE MOMENTUM.
I THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK AND HAVE THAT EVEN HIGHER, UH, STRATEGIC CONVERSATION AROUND THOSE, UM, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT EXISTING CONTRACTS.
THIS IS HOW WE'RE BREAKING IT DOWN.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I DO THINK AS THIS PROCESS PROGRESSES, OBVIOUSLY IN THE EARLY STAGES, IF IT'S, IF WE DESIRE TO HAVE THOSE TYPE OF CONVERSATIONS, THEN WE SHOULD BUILD THAT INTO, TO OUR FRAMEWORK.
AND, AND, AND I ASKED THAT QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE SPENDING OVER $25,000 A BED AT, AT OUR VARIOUS SHELTERS.
IT'S NOT, UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S UNFORTUNATELY NOT A ONE-TO-ONE MAPPING, BUT, YOU KNOW, I I, I SEE SUNRISE IN THE HOUSE HERE, RIGHT? FOR $500, THEY CAN PREVENT SOMEONE FROM ENTERING HOMELESSNESS.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A HUGE DISPARITY OF, OF INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU COULD HOPEFULLY NOT EVEN LAND IN THE SHELTER, UM, PER BED.
BUT I, I RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S NOT, YOU CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY, RIGHT? THERE'S, THERE'S A TIME LAG THERE.
UH, I'M ALSO WONDERING HOW WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, ESPERANZA IS LOOKING TO COME ONLINE, THEY WILL OFFER ADDITIONAL SHELTER BEDS AND BRING OTHER DOLLARS TO THE TABLE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST, IT WOULDN'T JUST BE THE CITY.
HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT IN, IN, ONCE AGAIN, THE MUST FUND THE TIER ONE? ARE THERE WAYS TO DO THIS WITH A PARTNER WHO BRING OTHER DOLLARS TO THE TABLE? I THINK THOSE ARE ALL THE LEVERS THAT WE'LL LOOK AT.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE WERE CREATING AND STARTING THIS WORK, WE WANTED TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE FOUNDATION OF WHERE WE ARE.
AND THEN I THINK THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO CONTINUE TO HAVE TO SAY, HOW ARE WE IDENTIFYING THIS PRIORITY AND FIGURING OUT THE BEST WAY TO FUND IT SO THAT IT CAN HAVE THE LONGEVITY THAT IT NEEDS, AND THAT ALL OF THE COMMUNITY IS PARTICIPATING IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
SO I, I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OF CON SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'LL CONTINUE.
WELL, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT SAYING IF WE OWN IT, WE MUST OPERATE IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND THAT'S WHAT, AND IT IS SETTING THE FOUNDATION THAT WE'VE OWNED IT AND WE'VE BEEN OPERATING.
AND, AND SO I THINK GOING FORWARD, DECIDING HOW WE WANNA CHANGE THAT IS, IS DEFINITELY A CONVERSATION.
AND MY LAST QUESTION, WITHIN THE TIER ONE, TECHNICALLY FOR OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECTS, WE OWN THEM.
ARE WE CONSIDERING THOSE AS TIER ONE MUST FUND, YOU KNOW, THEIR SOCIAL SERVICES SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE? TIER ONE RIGHT NOW IS PRIMARILY, UH, THE THINGS THAT WE, THE WAY WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IS THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO, A LOT OF IT'S LIKE LEGAL MANDATES, LIKE THINGS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A PRETTY SMALL, UM, PERCENTAGE OF THINGS THAT WILL ACTUALLY FALL INTO THE, THIS IS AN UNASSAILABLE, UM, YOU KNOW, ITEM THAT WE CANNOT TOUCH.
UH, AND THEN I THINK THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SOME GRAY AREA OF THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, EXTREMELY HIGH PRIORITY OR HIGH MOMENTUM OWNERSHIP, ET CETERA, THAT ARE GOING TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST OF THAT STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, UM, IN THE, IN THE TIER TWO THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
THAT'S HOW WE'RE CURRENTLY THINKING ABOUT IT.
I DID, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THINGS CHANGE, OBVIOUSLY, BUT NOT VERY MANY YEARS AGO WE SET OUT ON EXPANDING OUR HOUSING, ESPECIALLY OUR PERMIT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
WE DID A REALLY AMAZING JOB DOING THAT.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SAY DOUBLED THE, THE CAPACITY THERE SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.
UH, BUT THAT WAS ON THE, ON THE PROMISE AND ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE OWNED IT, YOU OPERATE IT, BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE STRINGS ATTACHED THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO FULFILL.
AND, AND I FEAR THAT IF WE DON'T DO THAT, NOT ONLY WILL WE GO BACKWARDS, SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY CLOSE OR JUST TURN INTO GENERAL POPULATION, BUT WHO'S GOING TO TRUST US NEXT TIME THAT WE SAY LET'S DO THIS? AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS TO SHOW UP SOMEWHERE IN THIS ANALYSIS AS WELL.
UM, I HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS, AND THAT IS SOMEWHERE IN HERE.
I CAN'T EXACTLY REMEMBER THE SLIDE, BUT THERE WAS A, A NOTION ABOUT BASICALLY, SHOULD WE HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE DOING A BUNCH OF THINGS OR FIND, YOU KNOW, A FEW PROVIDERS WHO DO VARIOUS THINGS REALLY WELL AND FUND THAT PROVIDER TO DO THAT
[01:30:01]
THING? IS THAT, CAN YOU JUST EXPAND UPON THAT? YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I CAN THINK OF CERTAIN PROVIDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO DO YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN THING REALLY, REALLY WELL, AND SHOULD WE FOCUS RESOURCES ON THOSE PROVIDERS? AND OF COURSE, THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THAT COIN IS THAT'S TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE SMALLER, NEWER PROVIDERS.BUT HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT THAT? YEAH, I THINK WE WILL LOOK, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THAT ACROSS THESE DIFFERENT SERVICES AND HOW THE PROVIDER NETWORKS LOOK.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE AUTOMATICALLY DEFERRING TO FINDING THE ONE PROVIDER THAT WE WOULD FUND.
I THINK THERE'S, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE A LOT OF THESE MAY SERVE DIFFERENT POPULATIONS, UM, PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVICES, UM, WHERE THERE'S NUANCE BETWEEN THEM.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE REALLY GONNA DIG INTO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE, WHAT DOES THE NEED AND SERVICE ECOSYSTEM LOOK LIKE? HOW'S THE PERFORMANCE, UM, GONE WITH THESE PROVIDERS, UM, IN THE FIRST PLACE? SO I'LL SAY WE DON'T HAVE ONE, YOU KNOW, ONE IDEAL, YOU KNOW, FORMAT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO GO TOWARDS, IT'LL BE BASED ON THE, THE SERVICE AND THE CURRENT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE CITY THERE.
UM, AND LAST, I THINK IT'LL TEE UP RIGHT WHERE I, I BELIEVE THE CHAIR IS GONNA TALK ABOUT HER, UH, ITEM HERE.
HER SHOOT, OF COURSE, MY COMPUTER LOCKS A MINUTE.
UM, HER RECOMMENDATION, BUT I, I, I THINK REALLY IMPORTANT IN THERE IS THE RECOGNITION WITHIN THIS ANALYSIS OF THE, THE CRITICALITY OF THE SERVICE, RIGHT? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT PROVIDING LIFESAVING HEALTH, FOOD, SHELTER, OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE? AND, AND THAT'S NOT TO DISCOUNT THE SOMETHING ELSE.
THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD, SOMETHING ELSE IS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN LIVE BEFORE THE NEXT STAGE.
SO, UH, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, YEAH, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND THAT'S THE IDEA BEHIND SOME OF THOSE CHECKS.
I, I THINK I PUT 'EM AT THE BOTTOM OF THOSE FILTER SLIDES THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING OVER, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, UM, THIS ASSESSMENT FOR THINGS LIKE THAT, FOR THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, CASCADING EFFECTS THAT WE MIGHT CAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, BY SOME OF THESE POTENTIAL DECISIONS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THOSE CHECKS ARE INTENDED FOR.
I MEAN, YOU BRING UP A GREAT, UH, POINT COUNCIL MEMBER IN THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT TO S SINGLE OUT A PARTICULAR CONTRACT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I ALSO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD BE FUNDING ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY FUNDS IS A NONPROFIT TO COORDINATE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THAT TO ME IS NOT LIKE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PRIORITY FOR US, UH, AS WE NAVIGATE THE CLIMATE AND THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS THAT WE'RE IN.
SO WE NEED A PROCESS THAT REALLY SHOWS, YOU KNOW, WHERE IS THAT PRIORITIZATION? WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL SERVICES THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY LIFELINES FOR MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO WITH THAT, COLLEAGUES, I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION THAT I'D LIKE TO PUT FORTH FOR OUR COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER.
UM, THIS IS A REALLY ROOTED IN UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MANAGER HAS OUTLINED A SOCIAL SERVICE RESET FOR THE CITY.
AND WE AS POLICY MAKERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GUIDE, DIRECT, AND HELP SHAPE THAT PROCESS.
AND SO WHAT THIS RECOMMENDATION DOES, AND I WANNA THANK, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR HELPING US WITH THIS ITEM AS WELL AS WITH CITY STAFF.
THEY HAVE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH THEM THROUGHOUT IT, SO YOU, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF ALIGNMENT AS TO WHAT THEY PRESENTED, UH, AND WHAT'S LAID OUT IN THE RESOLUTION BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN IN CLOSE CONVERSATION ON HOW TO OUTLAY THE PROCESS.
UH, THIS RECOMMENDATION IS A POLICY DIRECTION THAT DOES THREE MAJOR THINGS.
ONE, IT DIRECTS A CITY MANAGER TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE RUBRIC TO PRIORITIZE THE CITY'S CURRENT SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS, UTILIZING THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT TO INFORM AND GUIDE OUR INVESTMENTS.
AND WHILE WE WERE SLATED TO HAVE THAT PRESENTATION DURING TODAY'S COMMITTEE MEETING, KNOW THAT WE WILL, UM, TAKE THAT UP NEXT MONTH.
UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IS AN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY RESOURCE THAT CONVENES SEVERAL DIFFERENT PARTNERS IN AUSTIN THAT INFORM THAT ASSESSMENT AND THAT HAS SOME REALLY GOOD INSIGHTS THAT WE SHOULD USE, UH, TO GUIDE OUR WORK MOVING FORWARD.
THE SECOND THING THAT THE RECOMMENDATION DOES, IT DIRECTS A CITY TO EXPLORE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOURCES, PARTNERSHIPS, CITYWIDE COST SAVINGS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO PRIORITIZE ONGOING INVESTMENTS IN SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS.
AND THREE, IT DIRECTS THE CITY MANAGER TO CONDUCT REGULAR FEEDBACK AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO
[01:35:01]
IDENTIFY COMMUNITY PRIORITIES TO FINALIZE BOTH THE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, PLAN AS WELL AS, UM, WELL TO FINALIZE THE COMPREHENSIVE AND SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACT RESTRUCTURING PLAN.AND SO REALLY THAT THIRD COMPONENT IS, IS ROOTED IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL PARTNERS TODAY ABOUT HOW THEIR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, NOT ONLY FROM THE CUTS THAT THEY RECEIVED FROM THE CITY, BUT ALSO THE FEDERAL CLIMATE AND FUNDING CUTS THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AS WELL.
AND ULTIMATELY, THOSE DYNAMICS ARE CONTEXT THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT SIX MONTHS HERE, THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS INVOLVED, THEY ARE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEMS, AND WE'LL HAVE IMPORTANT INSIGHTS THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I WILL, UM, IF I CAN, UH, I'LL MOVE FOR THE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER IT.
IS THERE A SECOND SECONDED BY OUR VICE CHAIR HERE, AND NOW WE'RE DISCUSSING THE RECOMMENDATION? YES, I, I'LL JUST, I, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA PRESS FOR TIME, SO I'M NOT GONNA REALLY SAY A LOT OTHER THAN WHAT I SAID, BUT I THINK THIS IS A REALLY STRONG ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET OFFICE IS LOOKING AT THINGS FROM A CERTAIN, UH, LENS, AND THIS CAN HELP DO SOME OF THAT FILTERING AND REALLY BRING TO THE TOP THOSE CONTRACTS THAT ARE VERY CRITICAL.
AND SO I, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT, UH, ADDITION.
I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU BRING IT FORWARD.
I SHARE THANK YOU CHAIR, UH, JUAN, APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AND STAFF HAVE PUT FORTH TO DEVELOPING THIS.
THE ONLY QUESTION I'VE GOT, AND MAYBE IT'S MORE OF EVEN A SUGGESTION, AND I THINK THERE'S A QUESTION I'VE GOT THAT'S RELATED TO THAT I'LL ASK IN A SECOND, IS TO THE EXTENT THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE MR. COLODA HAS WORKED ON A FRAMEWORK ALREADY THAT'S BEEN IN THE PRESENTATION TO HELP ANSWER AT LEAST SOME OF THE, GET US SOME CLARITY TOWARDS A DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR EVALUATING THE CONTRACTS GOING FORWARD.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO, OR THE INTENT HERE IS TO SYNTHESIZE WHAT YOU'VE GOT.
AND THERE ARE PROBABLY, OR YOU AND COUNCILOR ALTAR PUT TOGETHER THAT YOU'VE GOT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN HERE ABOUT, PERHAPS SPECIFIC THINGS THAT ARE NOT PART OF MR. CLOSE'S FRAMEWORK THAT WOULD BE INCORPORATED, OR IF MAYBE YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THIS WORKS IN TANDEM OR WHAT YOUR VISION IS OF WORKING IN TANDEM.
WHAT THE FRAMEWORK THAT HE'S LAID OUT.
WELL, WELL, ONE, I THINK THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS IT GOES IN TANDEM WITH THIS METHODOLOGY THAT HE HAS JUST FOR THE CONTRACTING PIECE, IN THAT WE WILL NEED MORE INFORMATION, RIGHT? SO IT SETS THAT, IT DIRECTS THAT WE WANT THIS AS A ELEMENT TO CONSIDER AS PART OF THE SOCIAL, UH, THE MANAGER'S SOCIAL SERVICE RESET.
BUT TWO, IN THAT MEMO UPDATE THAT WE'RE DIRECTING TO RECEIVE FROM STAFF, WE'RE, WE'RE SAYING WE NEED MORE INFORMATION.
'CAUSE ALREADY IN THESE DIFFERENT TIER ONES, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED AS THOSE LEGAL MANDATES VERSUS WHAT ARE THE ONES THAT, UM, THEY'VE IDENTIFIED AS DUPLICATIVE BUCKET AREAS FOR US TO CONSIDER.
RIGHT? SO IT IT'S THE, THIS IS AN OUTLINE TO THE FRAMEWORK, BUT WHAT WE ARE ASKING AND WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE BACK IS A MEMO UPDATE OF THE FRAMEWORK ITSELF.
AND THAT, YEAH, I MEAN, I HEAR THAT THERE'S SORT OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO MERGE WORK THAT HE'S ALREADY STARTED WITH SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS, AND I THINK THERE ARE THINGS IN HERE THAT WERE NOT TOUCHED ON DURING HIS PRESENTATION THAT COULD BE REALLY VALUABLE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND.
AND THE, THE OTHER PIECE TO THAT IS THE ROI ON THE SERVICES, AND I THINK ONE PARTNER SPOKE TO IT, AND THAT'S AN INFORMATION I WANNA GLEAN IS IF WE, IF THE CITY DOESN'T FUND THAT SERVICE, WHERE ELSE MIGHT WE BE SHIFTING THE COST, RIGHT? EITHER TO OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES, TO OUR LEGAL SYSTEM, TO OUR JAILS, SOMEHOW SOMEWHERE OUR EVERYDAY TAXPAYER IS GONNA ABSORB THE COST.
AND SO WE HAVE TO HAVE A WAY TO CAPTURE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
AND I'LL SAY THERE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL AS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION TO, AGAIN, IF WE CAN, UM, AGGREGATE THEM, RIGHT? I KNOW IN OUR Q AND A PROCESS FOR THE BUDGET, WE ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACT KPIS, RIGHT? AND LIKE, BRINGING THAT INFORMATION IN HERE I THINK WOULD BE VALUABLE.
ONE QUESTION I'VE GOT FOR MR. COLODA IS JUST TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF HOW GRANULAR YOU WENT IN LOOKING AT THE PEER CITY COMPARISON.
WHEN I SAY THAT, I'M JUST GONNA USE AN EXAMPLE BECAUSE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER HAS TALKED ABOUT IT, WHICH IS OUR HOMELESS SYSTEM CAPACITY, RIGHT? THE DATA THAT I'VE GOT IS FROM 2024 AND IT SHOWS MAYBE WHAT, 2100 SHELTER BEDS, MAYBE 3,800, UH, PSH BEDS.
DO WE HAVE ANY SORT OF COMPARISON OF HOW OUR ASSISTANT CAPACITY IS DOING RELATIVE TO THESE OTHERS SINCE YOU WERE LOOKING AT NOT JUST CITY, BUT COUNTY AND
[01:40:01]
NONPROFITS SPACE AS WELL? YEAH, INITIALLY WE FOCUSED ON PEER CITIES BOTH WITHIN OUR AREA AND ONES THAT WE'RE OFF TO COMPARE TO NATIONALLY.WE DO WANT TO START DIGGING MORE INTO DIFFERENT MEASURES OR LEVELS OF, OF NEED, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY IT.
SO IT, WITHIN THESE DIFFERENT SERVICES, SOMETHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW MANY BEDS OR, YOU KNOW, HOW, WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF NEED FOR SHELTER, FOR INSTANCE.
I THINK THERE ARE MEASURES LIKE THAT FOR MANY OF THESE DIFFERENT SERVICES.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A COMPREHENSIVE, YOU KNOW, UM, WAY TO DETERMINE A SINGLE NUMBER FOR, FOR NEED ACROSS THE CITY.
BUT WE DO WANNA START, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE BRING THAT INTO THE BALANCE AS WELL, TO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE FUNDING THINGS, UM, AT THE LEVEL OF NEED THAT THEY ARE, OR AT LEAST UNDERSTANDING, UM, GAPS WHERE THEY ARE AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT COMPARES TO OTHERS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLY VALUABLE.
AND I REALIZE THIS IS A JOURNEY, AND THIS IS NOT THE, THE END POINT TODAY, BUT I, I MEAN IN TERMS OF THE FINDINGS THAT YOU SHARED, THERE WERE SOME REAL SURPRISES THERE FOR ME IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS HERE ABOUT THE PHILANTHROPIC UNIVERSE AND RELATIVE TO OTHER PEER CITIES AND THE SENSE THAT FOR INSTANCE, HOUSTON DALLAS HAVE MUCH LARGER PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITIES.
THERE'S ALSO THE SENSE, AND, AND IN RELATION TO THAT, WHAT IS SORT OF THE CARE PER CAPITA VALUE OF SOME OF THESE SPACES? AND IF THAT'S A, IF THAT'S EVEN RELEVANT TO THIS CONVERSATION, BUT NOTING THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR PHILANTHROPIC CONTRIBUTION IN THIS SPACE WAS COMPARABLE TO CITIES THAT ARE IN SOME CASES TWICE OUR SIZE.
SO THERE WERE JUST A LOT OF TAKEAWAYS THAT I'D BE CURIOUS TO MAYBE VISIT MORE WITH YOU LATER ABOUT HOW TO, IF THERE'S A WAY TO, AS WE WORK THROUGH THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE LAID OUT IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THAT WE'VE GOT A REALLY SMART WAY TO COMPARE REALLY WHAT'S GOING ON HERE VERSUS OTHER SPACES AND THE PLACES THAT WE COULD GET THE MOST VALUE FROM WORKING ON.
SO WITH THAT SAID, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO SORT OF SYNTHESIZING OR AGGREGATING THE DATA TOGETHER AND HELPING US MAKE SMART DECISIONS GOING FORWARD.
YES, I I'LL ALSO KEEP IT BRIEF SINCE I WAS LENGTHY AT THE BEGINNING, UM, AND ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER COVERED, UH, MANY OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD'VE OTHERWISE COMMENT ON.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE WILLINGNESS TO INCORPORATE THE GAP ANALYSIS INTO WHAT MAY COME TO COUNCIL.
I WANT TO CLARIFY ONE ADDITIONAL THING, OR SAY EXPLICITLY ONE ADDITIONAL THING, WHICH IS THAT, UM, THE, THE AMAZING WORK THAT THIS CITY HAS DONE IN PROVIDING FUNDING, FUNDING FOR THESE TYPES OF SERVICES, UH, FOR THE, IN THIS WAY IS, IS WONDERFUL AND IT'S PAINFUL TO BE FACED WITH THIS NOW, BUT THE CAPACITY BUILDING THAT'S OCCURRED, THE STABILITY OF FUNDING, ALL OF THIS IS AMAZING.
AND I HOPE THAT AS WE LOOK TOWARD THE GAP ANALYSIS, WE ALSO LOOK TOWARDS WHERE, LET'S JUST SAY A NONPROFIT THAT'S VERY SKILLED AND EXPERIENCED IN A CERTAIN AREA, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE WHATEVER REDUCTION IS HAPPENING.
SO CAN WE LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO HAVE A ROLE IN CAPACITY BUILDING IN AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED AND HAVE NEED? UM, AND I THINK THAT CAN REALLY HELP US ALL GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER.
SPEAKING TO MY DISTRICT, WHICH I KNOW BEST, THERE IS A WIDESPREAD LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY AND WITH THE PARTNERS THAT ARE MOST ACTIVE IN THE CITY.
AND I, MYSELF, YOU KNOW, I AM, I HAVE BEEN AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, BUT IT ALSO VERY MUCH APPLIES TO OUR ON THE GROUND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO CARE.
AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
SO JUST WANNA INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS.
THERE'S ONE MORE THING I WANTED TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION, AND THIS IS RELATED TO ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU'VE LAID OUT, WHICH IS HELPING US UNDERSTAND THE RECENT STATE AND FEDERAL CUTS.
I KNOW IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR, I THINK ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT THEY'VE MADE THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT IS, UH, WHAT SEEMS TO BE A MULTI-YEAR GRANT WORK PLAN THAT'S INTENDED TO HELP IDENTIFY NOT JUST STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, BUT, BUT EVERYTHING FROM EARMARKS AND WRITERS THAT TO THE POINT THAT YOU IDENTIFIED IN THE REPORT THAT IS NOW, UM, A MULTI SWITCHING TO A MULTI-YEAR WAY OF LOOKING FORWARD AND IDENTIFYING THOSE, THOSE DIFFERENT DOLLARS AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN THE PAST.
SO I'M HOPING THAT CAN ALL BE INCORPORATED INTO WHAT OUR, OUR PRODUCT HERE.
AND, AND THIS IS REALLY, IT'S, IT'S, UM, I'M PUTTING IT FORTH AS A RECOMMENDATION OF THIS COMMITTEE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS SHAPED BY THE INPUT FROM OUR COMMITTEE, RIGHT? AND WE WANNA PUT THAT FORTH AS
[01:45:01]
THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.UM, SO KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS VOTE, UH, WE WILL FOLLOW UP, WE'LL WORK WITH YOU ALL ON DOING A VERSION TWO SO THAT WE CAPTURE THE FEEDBACK THAT HAS BEEN LAID OUT TODAY.
UM, BUT ULTIMATELY JUST WANNA APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S, UM, FEEDBACK AND INPUT AND, AND KNOW THAT WE ARE A COMMITTEE THAT WORKS
SO WITH THAT, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO PASSING THIS ITEM? OKAY, SO NO OBJECTION THAT RECOMMENDATION STANDS APPROVED.
ALL RIGHT, COLLEAGUES, WE HAVE A LITTLE, ABOUT A LITTLE OVER 10 MINUTES LEFT IN OUR COMMITTEE MEETING AND, UH, THERE ARE TWO ITEMS THAT WE HAD SLATED ON OUR AGENDA TODAY, INCLUDING A PRESENTATION ON THE 2025 AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT.
WE, LAURA FUENTE, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH, WAS GONNA GIVE A PRESENTATION.
WE LET HER KNOW THAT WE WILL TAKE THAT UP NEXT MONTH IN MARCH.
AND THEN THE OTHER UPDATE WAS A BIG UPDATE FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS OFFICE ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND SO, UM, DIRECTOR GRAY, IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT, WE'LL REQUEST THAT THIS ITEM TURNS COME, COMES BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL AS A WORK SESSION BRIEFING, UM, SO THAT EVERYONE CAN GET THAT UPDATE.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT IS ITEM TWO AND THREE.
AND WITH THE LAST ITEM BEING ANY
[5. Identify items to be discussed at future meetings.]
FUTURE ITEMS THAT WE'D LIKE TO DISCUSS, COLLEAGUES, ANY TOPICS FOR CONSIDERATION? WE GOT A AGENDA.YES, THE MARCH AGENDA IS ALSO PACKED.
I THINK WE ALSO HAVE, UH, THE LEADERSHIP FROM CENTRAL HEALTH WILL BE GIVING US AN UPDATE.
UH, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND CONTRIBUTION TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.
IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS, I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 11:50 AM THANK YOU.