* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Spring Festival Season News Conference on March 11, 2026.] [00:00:04] GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY, AND THANKS, UH, TO EVERYONE FOR JOINING US TO KICK OFF OUR SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON. UH, AUSTIN, TEXAS IS A GREAT PLACE TO BE AT ALL TIMES, BUT DURING THE SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON, IT CALLS, UH, EVEN GREATER ATTENTION TO OUR WONDERFUL CITY AND ALL THE FUN THAT CAN BE HAD IN AUSTIN. UH, THIS TIME OF YEAR IS REALLY, UH, WHAT MANY PEOPLE THINK OF WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT IT IS TO LIVE AND TO VISIT THIS, UH, CITY OF OURS. THE COLD WEATHER IS BEHIND US, THE SUNNY DAYS, HOPEFULLY WE'LL OUTNUMBER THE RAINY ONES, AND WE'RE SPENDING TIME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY ENJOYING WHAT AUSTIN IS KNOWN FOR LIVE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT. I NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, OF COURSE, THAT IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT SIXTH STREET INCIDENTS, UH, THINGS DO FEEL A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR. THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ANXIETY, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF FRAGILITY THAT WE FEEL ABOUT ALL THIS, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS REMOVED FROM A SENSELESS TRAGEDY WHERE WE LOST THREE INNOCENT LIVES AND MANY WERE HOSPITALIZED AND TRAUMATIZED. WE CONTINUE TO SEND OUR BEST TO THE FAMILIES OF THOSE VICTIMS, AND WE WISH THE SPEEDIEST OF RECOVERIES TO THOSE THAT ARE STILL HEAL HEALING. I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY AGAIN, HOW PROUD I AM OF AUSTIN POLICE, AUSTIN FIRE, AND AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS FOR THEIR RESPONSE. WE KNOW THAT THEIR TRAINING, THEIR PREPARATION AND THEIR BRAVERY SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES THAT MORNING OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, UH, OR I'M SORRY. UH, OVER THE NEXT, NEXT FEW, UH, THAT TELLS YOU WHERE MY FOCUS WAS. OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, UH, THE CITY'S GONNA BE HOSTING A NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT MAKE OUR CITY, AS I'VE INDICATED, SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE TO BE, INCLUDING RODEO AUSTIN AT THE EXPO CENTER, THE KITE FESTIVAL AT ZILKER PARK, THE AUSTIN REGGAE FESTIVAL, AND AUDITORIUM SHORES, MOTO GP, GRAND PRIX AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS, AND OF COURSE, THE GRANDDADDY OF THEM MALL CELEBRATING A 40TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ALL OVER DOWNTOWN AND VENUES SPANNING INTO EAST AUSTIN. WE ARE READY. WE ARE EXCITED. WE ARE PREPARED TO THE THOUSANDS OF FOLKS THAT WILL BE COMING TO OUR HOME, TO OUR TOWN FOR THESE UNIQUE AUSTIN EXPERIENCES. WE ARE HAPPY TO WELCOME YOU. WE WELCOME YOU AS A CITY AND AS AUSTINITES, AND OF COURSE, WE ASK, UH, AUSTINITES FOR THEIR PATIENTS AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP AS WE NAVIGATE THE CHALLENGES THAT FESTIVALS AND, AND EVENTS BRING TO AUSTIN CITY STAFF PLANS AND COORDINATES YEAR ROUND FOR EVENTS LIKE THIS, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE STARTED JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THEY REVIEW PERMITS FOR EACH LOCATION, INCLUDING THE SECURITY PLAN BEFORE THE EVENT, AND THEY INSPECT THE VENUES THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. EVENT. THIS ALL HAPPENS FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR EVENT GOERS AND THE PUBLIC. I ALSO WANNA SAY JUST A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE CITY STAFF. IT IS A YEAR ROUND EFFORT, AND THEY DO GREAT WORK. IN FACT, I JUST CAME FROM THE COMMAND CENTER FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST BEFORE I CAME HERE TO, TO SEE HOW ALL THAT WAS OPERATING AND SEE IF THEY NEEDED ANYTHING. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY POINTED OUT TO ME WAS HOW THANKFUL THEY ARE FOR THE WAY OUR CITY STAFF INTERACTS WITH THEM, AND THE LE THE HIGH, HIGH LEVEL OF COORDINATION THAT GOES ON. AND DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST SPECIFICALLY, UH, WE SET UP A, A, A, AN EVENT OPERATIONS CENTER, SO THAT, THAT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST COMMAND CENTER. AND OUR EVENT OPERATIONS CENTER PREEMPTIVELY INVITE ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE AUSTIN REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER AND THE FBI JOINT TERRORISM TASK FORCE. THEY INVITE THEM AS PART OF OUR FESTIVAL SECURITY. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE ADDED STR WE KNOW AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S AN ADDED STRAIN THAT LARGE EVENTS PUT ON OUR CITY RESOURCES. SO WHEN WE SEE TRAFFIC CONGESTION, UH, ROAD CLOSURES, ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENCE, PLEASE KNOW THAT THIS IS TO ENSURE EVERYONE COMING TO AUSTIN, UH, WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A GREAT TIME IN THE SAFEST WAY POSSIBLE. SO THIS MORNING WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, UH, THE AIRPORT, CAPITAL METRO, AND OUR ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT. THAT'S GONNA GIVE YOU SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE CITY'S PREPARATION AND WHAT'S NEXT, UH, OVER THE FEW AND, AND WHAT THE NEXT FEW WEEKS ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE. SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR ANGELA MEANS, WITH THE AUSTIN ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT, OR WHAT WE CALL ACME, THAT DEPARTMENT [00:05:02] DIRECTOR MEANS THANK YOU, MAYOR WATSON, AND THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE HERE TODAY. I'M ANGELA MEANS GOOD MORNING, THE DIRECTOR OF WHAT WE CALL ACME HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING TIMES OF THE YEAR HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. IT'S WHEN THE CREATIVITY, CULTURE, AND THE ENERGY THAT DEFINE OUR CITY ARE ON FULL DISPLAY FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. AS WE MOVE THROUGH OUR FIRST YEAR AS A DEPARTMENT, THIS IS ACME'S FIRST YEAR, WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING HOW AUSTIN SUPPORTS FESTIVALS, SPECIAL EVENTS, AND THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES THAT PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR CITY'S ECONOMY AND IDENTITY. THROUGH THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS, OUR TEAM HAS REVIEWED OVER 120 PERMIT APPLICA APPLICATIONS FOR EVENTS TAKING PLACE OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS ALONE. FROM BELOVED COMMUNITY FESTIVALS TO INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EVENTS LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, THESE GATHERINGS HELP SHOWCASE AUSTIN AS THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, AND A GLOBAL HUB FOR THE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION COORDINATION OF THESE EVENTS REQUIRES YEAR ROUND, LONG, STRONG COLLABORATION ACROSS MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS. THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS WORKS CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS AT AUSTIN POLICE, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, PARKS AND RECREATION, AUSTIN FIRE, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO ENSURE EVENTS ARE SAFE, ORGANIZED, AND SUCCESSFUL. I WANNA THANK ALL THESE TEAMS WHO WORK YEAR ROUND BEHIND THE SCENES TO MAKE THESE EVENTS POSSIBLE. DURING THE SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON, OUR PUBLIC ASSEMBLY CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAMS, WHICH IS KNOWN AS PACE, WILL ALSO BE ACTIVE ACROSS THE CITY, CONDUCTING INSPECTIONS AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH ORGANIZERS TO ENSURE VENUES MEET ALL SAFETY AND PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS. WE INVITE EVERYONE TO STAY CONNECTED THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL SEASON BY FOLLOWING THE CITY'S SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS. AUSTIN'S FESTIVALS ARE MORE THAN JUST EVENTS. THEY ARE A CELEBRATION OF THE CREATIVITY, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY THAT MAKE THIS CITY ONE OF THE MOST VIBRANT DESTINATIONS IN THE WORLD. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU VISITORS, SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL ARTISTS AND BUSINESSES, AND CELEBRATING EVERYTHING THAT MAKES AUSTIN SPECIAL. THANK YOU. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF DAVIS WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU, ANGELA. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. I'M CHIEF LISA DAVIS WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE ARE EXCITED TO WELCOME SPRING FESTIVAL 2026. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO ENJOY THIS FESTIVAL RESPONSIBLY AND SAFELY TO HELP ENSURE THAT SAFETY. WE'VE DONE A FEW THINGS AND I'VE GOT A FEW REMINDERS FOR EVERYONE. ONE, STARTING WITH STREET CLOSURES AND TRAFFIC FLOW. WE NEED TO COMPLY WITH ALL STREET CLOSURES. AND REMEMBER, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE ORANGE BARRELS, AND YOU'RE ALSO GONNA SEE THE LOWER PROFILE MERIDIAN BARRICADES AS WELL. PLEASE LOOK OUT FOR THOSE AND ADHERE TO THOSE. DO NOT IGNORE THEM. ALSO, SOME OF THE ROADS ARE GONNA BE BLOCKED BY POLICE VEHICLES. PLEASE DON'T GO AROUND THOSE POLICE VEHICLES. THEY'RE THERE FOR A REASON. ALSO, STREET CLOSURES WILL BEGIN DAILY AT NOON, AND THEY'LL CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. EXPECT MAJOR TRAFFIC IMPACTS IN AROUND THE CITY. ALL STREET CLOSURES CAN BE FOUND ONLINE AND IN THOSE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, PLEASE BE PATIENT AND DRIVE WITH CAUTION. AND THEN FOR MY PEDESTRIANS, PLEASE FOLLOW ALL PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU CROSS A DESIGNATED CROSSWALKS. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FROM OFFICERS AND TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONNEL DRIVERS. PLEASE DON'T BLOCK OUR INTERSECTIONS AND CONTRIBUTE TO UNNECESSARY CONGESTION. AND THEN CONSIDER USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD CHOICE. AND THEN KNOW THE DESIGNATED RIDE SHARE STOPS AND PICK UP LOCATIONS. PARKING INFORMATION, PARKING WILL BE LIMITED HERE. WE KNOW THAT NO PARKING TOW AWAY ZONES WILL BE ENFORCED. AND THEN REMEMBER, MANY RESIDENTS THAT LIVE DOWNTOWN HAVE PARKING, UM, PLACARDS. AND SO PLEASE DON'T PARK IN THOSE LOCATIONS WHERE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE ARE ABLE TO PARK ALCOHOL. IF YOU PLAN TO DRINK AND DRIVE, PLEASE DO SO RESPONSIBLY, OR NOT DRINK AND DRIVE, BUT JUST IF YOU DRINK, DRINK RESPONSIBLY, . BUT THE NO REFUSAL INITIATIVE IN THIS CITY WILL BE TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE FESTIVAL. SO IF YOU ARE DRINKING AND DRIVING AND YOU'RE INTOXICATED, YOU WILL BE STOPPED. SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. AND THEN KNOW YOUR SURROUNDINGS. PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU KNOW, UM, YOUR EXITS AND YOUR ENTRY POINTS HAVE A PLAN IF YOU GET SEPARATED FROM PEOPLE. BUT THEN IN CONCLUSION, WHAT I WANNA SAY TO EVERYBODY IS A PD WILL BE HIGHLY VISIBLE DOWNTOWN. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS, [00:10:01] I WANT YOU TO CALL 9 1 1. NINE ONE ONE HAS BEEN, UH, NOTIFIED THAT IF THEY GET A CALL FROM SOMEONE IN THIS AREA OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, THAT IS TO GO THROUGH, UM, IMMEDIATELY. SO IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS, PLEASE CALL THAT IN. OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE HERE. BUT WHAT I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW IN THIS CITY, AND I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT'S COMING INTO THIS CITY, THE A PD IS FULLY STAFFED FOR THIS EVENT, AND WE ARE FULLY PREPARED AT THIS POINT. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF ROB LARDS FROM EEMS. THANK YOU, CHIEF DAVIS. ROB LUCRE, CHIEF OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. UM, WE ARE VERY EXCITED AS THE EMS DEPARTMENT AND AS THE CITY TO WELCOME EVERYONE HERE TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. UM, AS CHIEF DAVIS AND THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO EARLIER, I JUST WANT TO, UH, REEMPHASIZE, UM, THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PLANNING EFFORT THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE PAST, UH, YEAR. WE START THESE PLANNING SESSIONS RIGHT AFTER THE PREVIOUS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY PREPARED FOR. UM, IN FACT, I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT MANY OF THE LESSONS THAT WE LEARN AND MANY OF THE NEW INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS THAT WE IMPLEMENT, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN SO EFFECTIVE IN SAVING LIVES IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, WERE BORN OUT OF PROGRAMS THAT WE INITIATE INITIALLY STARTED AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. AND SO THIS IS, UM, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO INNOVATE AND TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP NEW, UH, NEW PROGRAMS, UH, TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. OUR PROGRAM. OUR, UM, STAFFING PLAN THIS YEAR WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS YEARS, UH, KEEPING A VERY SIMILAR FOOTPRINT. UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE CHANGING DYNAMICS HERE IN, UM, AUSTIN WITH THE, THE MOVEMENT OF THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT INTO OTHER AREAS AND THE CLOSURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER. SO WE WILL HAVE A BROADER FOOTPRINT THAN YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST. UM, YOU MAY SEE MANY OF OUR RESOURCES BOTH IN EAST AUSTIN AS WELL AS FURTHER, UH, FURTHER WEST ON SIXTH STREET, UM, FOCUSING OUR EFFORTS AROUND SIXTH STREET, THE WAREHOUSE DISTRICT, RAINY STREET, AND EAST AUSTIN. WE'LL BE DEPLOYING A NUMBER OF SPECIALIZED RESOURCES, UH, INCLUDING OUR CAST ME TEAM, OUR DTAC TEAM, UM, WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR COLLEAGUES, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, AND AGAIN, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH THE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE THREE AGENCIES, HOW CRITICAL THAT IS FOR OUR SUCCESS. UM, AND THAT REALLY IS, UM, WHAT I THINK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, HIGHLIGHTS WHY WE HAVE SUCH SUCCESS HERE IN PUBLIC SAFETY, IS THAT WE HAVE THREE PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES HERE THAT ABSOLUTELY WORKS SEAMLESSLY TOGETHER, UM, AND WORK TOGETHER IN DEVELOPING NEW PROGRAMS THAT ARE ABLE TO SAVE LIVES. UM, OUR GOAL AGAIN IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS SAFE HERE DURING THIS, THIS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FESTIVAL. AS CHIEF DAVIS SAID, IF YOU SEE ANY OF OUR TEAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE, THEY'LL BE IN DIFFERENT VEHICLES. UM, WE'LL BE, UM, PROVIDING SUPPORT IN VARIOUS AREAS DOWNTOWN. PLEASE GIVE THEM A WIDE BER, PLEASE SUPPORT THEM. UM, AGAIN, IF YOU'RE OUT AND YOU, UH, YOU ARE DRINKING, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE WORKING. UM, THEY'LL BE IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. AND, UM, WITH THAT, I WILL TURN THIS BACK OVER TO, OR TURN THIS OVER TO CHIEF, UH, KERRY STEWART FROM THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT. GOOD MORNING. I'M KERRY STEWART, FIRE MARSHAL FOR AUSTIN FIRE. THE A FD SPECIAL EVENTS TEAM FROM THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE WILL BE PERMITTING AND INSPECTING ALL EVENTS SUBMITTED THROUGH THE AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS, AND WILL ALSO PROVIDE FIRE WATCH AS NECESSARY THROUGHOUT THE EVENTS. OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE'LL BE PROVIDE STAFFING FOR THE OPERATIONAL CENTER FOR THE ENTIRETY OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, ALONG WITH ALL OF THE OTHER INVOLVED CITY DEPARTMENTS. INSPECTORS FROM THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE WILL BE PART OF THE MULTI-AGENCY PACE TEAMS, PUBLIC ASSEMBLY, CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND WE'LL BE STAFFING ADDITIONAL A FT NIGHT INSPECTION TEAMS TO ASSIST WITH ANY PERMITTING OR SAFETY ISSUES LIKE OVER OCCUPANCY OR LACK OF PROPER EXITING AT DOWNTOWN VENUES. FAF WILL ASSIGN PERSONNEL TO PRE-STAGE RESCUE TASK FORCES WITH OUR OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES, AGAIN, HIGHLIGHTING THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE ACROSS ALL THREE AGENCIES. AND OUR RED TEAM WILL PROVIDE DRONE SUPPORT TO ANY PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES WHO NEED DRONE SUPPORT. OUR REGULAR OPERATIONS WILL POSTURE TO REMAIN FULLY STAFFED, READY, AND AVAILABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. SO TO ALL OF OUR VISITORS HERE IN AUSTIN, BE SAFE AND ENJOY YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. AND NEXT ITEM, UH, TPW DIRECTOR RICHARD MENDOZA. THANK YOU CHIEF, AND GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. I'M RICHARD MENDOZA, DIRECTOR FOR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORK. SO, AS YOU MIGHT'VE GUESSED BY NOW, WE ARE EXPECTING LARGER AND MORE DISPERSED CROWDS THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN, UH, FOR THE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER UNDERGOING CONSTRUCTION AND WHAT THIS WILL MEAN, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE PEOPLE WALKING, BIKING, AND USING OTHER MOBILITY ALTERNATIVE DEVICES, UH, MICRO, MICRO DEVICES. I AFFECTIONATELY CALL THEM SCOOTERS, UH, IN ALL PLACES THAT DRIVERS MIGHT NOT EXPECT THEM IN PAST YEARS. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT ALL OUR ROAD USERS BE EXTRA CAREFUL IN THESE NEXT FEW WEEKS. FOR DRIVERS, PLEASE SLOW DOWN, STAY ALERT, ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS, NO TEXTING AND DRIVING. BE AWARE OF PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS AND FOLLOW SIGNALS AND MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH OTHER DRIVERS AND OTHER, UH, VULNERABLE USERS OF THE RIGHT OF WAY WHERE POSSIBLE. AS YOU'VE SEEN, MANY PARTS OF OUR DOWNTOWN AREA HOSTING THIS FESTIVAL ARE ACTIVE [00:15:01] CONSTRUCTION ZONES. UM, THE CONVENTION CENTERS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY BY TDOT BY I 35, SO BE EXTRA MINDFUL OF THOSE CONSTRUCTION ZONES AND TAKE EXTRA CAUTION AS YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH THOSE AREAS, AS WELL AS THE FESTIVAL ROAD CLOSURES AND DETOURS THAT WILL BE IN PLACE TO PROTECT THOSE CONSTRUCTION ZONES, WHICH MAY CAUSE DELAYS. SO PLAN A LITTLE BIT EARLIER WHEN YOU BEGIN YOUR TRIPS. IF YOU ARE ATTENDING THE FESTIVAL, WHETHER YOU'RE VISITING FROM ELSEWHERE OR AN AUSTIN RESIDENT, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION FOR ACCESSING ALL THE EXCITING EVENTS RATHER THAN, UH, SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES. UH, KAT MITCHELL WILL TALK ABOUT THIS MORE, BUT UTILIZE TRANSIT, UTILIZE THE, UH, THE CAP METRO BIKE SHARE, UH, PROGRAM. WALKING AND BIKING IS ALWAYS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE AND GREAT WAY TO GET AROUND. UH, DOWNTOWN. YOU MAY ALSO NOTICE, UH, A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT IN OUR TRAFFIC SIGNAL OPERATIONS. UH, WE EMPLOY WHAT WE CALL LEADING PEDESTRIAN CYCLES TO GIVE PEDESTRIANS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT IN THE CROSSWALK PRIOR TO THE GREEN LIGHT FOR VEHICLES. THIS IS FOR THEIR SAFETY AND ALSO PROTECT OUR VEHICLES. OUR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER WILL BE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK AND MONITORING OUR SIGNAL OPERATIONS AND INTERSECTIONS. THROUGHOUT THIS TIME. WE ARE GOING TO INSTITUTE SOME EXTRA COUPLE OF SECONDS FOR PEDESTRIANS, KNOWING THAT WE ARE GONNA EXPECT A GREATER, UH, PEDESTRIAN VOLUMES THIS WEEKEND. SO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT. SO AGAIN, WATCH OUT FOR INCREASED PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLE TRAFFIC. LOOK FOR THAT EARLY WALK SIGNAL FOR PEDESTRIANS STEPPING OUT INTO THE CROSSWALK BEFORE THE CAR IS MOVED. AND TOGETHER THESE MEASURES WILL ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR STREETS AND OUR COMMUNITY AND VISITORS. WITH THAT, I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO CAP METRO. GOOD MORNING, I'M SAMANTHA VALEZ. I'M OUR EVP OF EXPERIENCE AND ENGAGEMENT FOR CAP METRO. UH, AND THIS YEAR WE ARE RINGING IN OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY ALONGSIDE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. AND WE REMAIN ONE OF THE BEST OPTIONS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE TO MOVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE ARE FULLY PREPARED TO KEEP PEOPLE MOVING THROUGH SPRING BREAK THROUGH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND OTHER EXCITING EVENTS HAPPENING IN OUR REGION. WE DO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TAKE OUR CAT METRO OPTIONS, INCLUDING BUS, RAIL AND BIKE SHARE. OUR RAIL SERVICE IS OFFERING SOME SPECIAL EXTENDED SERVICE DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THE LAST TRAINS WILL DEPART DOWNTOWN AFTER 2:00 AM AND ON SUNDAY. AND THE WEEKDAYS, THE LAST TRAINS WILL DEPART DOWNTOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 AM FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A QUICK COMMUTE BETWEEN VENUES. IF YOU'RE IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE, OUR BIKE SHARE SERVICE NOW HAS 80 STATIONS ACROSS THE CITY, UH, FOR LOCATIONS AND RENTALS. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE BIKE SHARE APP OR YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE TRANSIT APP AND YOU'LL HAVE THOSE CONVENIENTLY RIGHT THERE ON YOUR PHONE. OUR BUS SERVICE IS RUNNING A NORMAL SCHEDULE THIS YEAR, UM, BUT IT IS EASIER THAN EVER TO RIDE AND TO PAY. WE DO HAVE FOR THE FIRST YEAR, TAP TO PAY ON OUR VEHICLES. SO FOR OUR VISITORS, ANYBODY WHO'S IN TOWN, THERE'S NO NEED TO DOWNLOAD AN APP. YOU CAN JUST USE ONE OF YOUR CONTACTLESS CREDIT CARDS, UM, A DEBIT CARD, GOOGLE PAY, OR APPLE WALLET BOARD. ONE OF OUR VEHICLES, ONE OF OUR BUSES, TAP TO PAY AND GET ALONG YOUR WAY. WE ARE ALSO COMMITTED TO KEEPING EVERYBODY SAFE. OUR CAP METRO TRANSIT POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE PREPARING FOR LARGE CROWDS. SO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS. WE DO HAVE AN INCREASED, UM, SECURITY PRESENCE PLANNED FOR A FEW AREAS WHERE WE SEE THE MOST TRAFFIC ON THE CAP METRO SYSTEM. THAT INCLUDES THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND REPUBLIC SQUARE PARK. IT'LL ALSO CONTINUE TO DO OUR ROUTINE PATROLS AND RESPOND TO CALLS ACROSS OUR ENTIRE CAP METRO SYSTEM FOR ALL SERVICE INFORMATION, IF YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE@CATMETRO.ORG AND THERE'S MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ANYTHING THAT I MENTIONED. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. UH, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS DR. DESAR WALKS. I'M AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY AND THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH MEDICAL DIRECTOR. AS FOLKS WILL BE GATHERING TOGETHER FOR ALL OF THE SPRING'S FUN EVENTS, WE WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE OF SAFE PRACTICES TO FOLLOW TO ENSURE WE'RE SPREADING JOY AND NOT DISEASE. WE'RE NOT QUITE OUT OF THE FLU SEASON. IN FACT, WE'RE STILL SEEING IT AND OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRUSES IN OUR CLINICS. BUT FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE AT OUR DISPOSAL TO PREVENT SPREAD. STAY HOME IF YOU'RE FEELING SICK, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A SNIFFLE, AND WASH YOUR HANDS REGULARLY. AND FINALLY, BE SURE THAT YOU'RE UP TO DATE ON YOUR VACCINES. I WANT TO ALSO, UM, SAY THAT WE WILL BE, UM, MONITORING, UH, THE EVENTS, UH, FOR SAFETY. AND, UH, MOST OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PARTNERS ARE, HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUES THAT THE WORK WE MONITORING, MONITORING. HOWEVER, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU AS THE PUBLIC [00:20:01] TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE OUR MOST IMPORTANT PARTNERS IN THIS EFFORT TO ENSURE SAFETY. UM, FINALLY I WANT TO SAY THAT IF YOU'RE COOKING, MAKE SURE THAT YOU KEEP FOODS AT PROPER TEMPERATURES FOR KEEPING HOT FOOD. THAT IS KEEPING HOT FOODS HOT AND COLD FOODS COLD. AND DON'T LET FOOD SIT FOR MORE THAN FOUR HOURS AFTER WHICH TIME IT IS NOT SAFE TO EAT. UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT WE'VE TAKEN MANY, MANY STEPS TO PREPARE FOR THIS TIME IN OUR CITY WHERE WE ENJOY THE SPRING FESTIVITIES, AND HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE TIME THIS SPRING. THANK YOU. I'LL TURN THIS BACK OVER TO MAYOR WATSON. THANK YOU, DOCTOR. WELL, THIS IS, UH, ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES OF THE YEAR IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL THESE DIFFERENT SPRING EVENTS AND FESTIVALS COMING UP, IT'S PART OF WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT OUR HOME. IT'S PART OF WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD LOOKS TO AUSTIN FOR. AND OF COURSE, AS I'VE INDICATED, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, KIND OF KICKS THAT OFF IN A BIG WAY. UH, IT'S THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. UH, IN MANY WAYS, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS GROWN AND CHANGED THE SAME WAY SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HAS GROWN AND CHANGED, UH, I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, THAT, UH, THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, UH, THE, THE FILM, UH, INDUSTRY THAT WE HAVE HERE, THE, UH, CREATIVE ASPECTS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HAS BEEN A KEY PART OF, UH, SO I, I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE, THE ROLE THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HAS PLAYED IN AUSTIN. I WILL TELL YOU, AS I INDICATED EARLIER, I, I WAS OVER THERE, UH, LOOKING AT, UH, HOW THINGS WERE GOING WITH THE COMMAND CENTER AND HOW THINGS WERE SET UP. THEY DO A, A, AN AMAZING JOB OF HELPING WITH THAT, PROVIDING, UH, THE KIND OF SERVICES THAT, THAT YOU, YOU WOULD THINK OF, OF SUCH A HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL, UH, INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE WOULD, WOULD DO. SO, UH, THIS IS A GOOD TIME OF YEAR. THAT'S A HAPPY TIME. SO LET'S, UH, EVERYBODY BE SAFE AND ENJOY IT. UH, BE PATIENT, UH, BUT ALSO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO, TO BE THE KIND OF WELCOMING CITY THAT WE ARE. AND WITH THAT, WE'LL ANSWER A COUPLE QUESTIONS. YEAH. SO IT'S ALWAYS BEEN TRADITIONAL THAT SOUTH BY IS KIND OF CENTERED AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER. YEAH. I MEAN, THERE'S NOT ONLY MUSIC VENUES THAT ARE SPREAD OUT ALL OVER, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF CONVENTIONS AND SEMINARS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. IS THAT GONNA MOVE TO LIKE PALMER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? NO. WHERE IS THE CENTER GONNA BE NOW? SO, UM, THE CENTER'S DOWNTOWN, UM, AND THE WAY SOUTH IT, IT'S, THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, AND I THINK SOUTH, SOUTH BY FEELS THE SAME WAY THAT, UH, WITH THE CHANGE IN THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE CONVENTION CENTER BEING UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND 40 YEARS INTO THIS, IT CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, TO LOOK AT ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO DO THIS AND ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE, WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE GOING TO DO IS, IS, UH, HAVE HOUSES, IF YOU WILL, VENUES THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO CERTAIN THINGS. FOR EXAMPLE, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS, UH, FOR THE RED RIVER DISTRICT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR MUSIC IN THAT REGARD. UH, FILM, UH, THERE WILL BE A FOCUS ON, UH, THE PARAMOUNT AND THE STATE THEATER IN, IN, IN WAYS THAT, UH, CREATE A SPECIAL HOME OR VENUE FOR THAT HOUSE. I, I THINK IS THE WORD THAT'S BEING USED. UH, IN ADDITION, UH, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS CONGRESS AVENUE. SO THE CONGRESS AVENUE IS, IS GOING TO BE CLOSED, UH, AT DIFFERENT TIMES SO THAT, THAT EVERYBODY CAN ENJOY THAT IN THE SAME WAY. UM, AND, AND, AND BY THE WAY, THAT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST BADGES, THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, PEOPLE THAT WANNA JUST BE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE. WHAT WE'RE ALREADY HEARING, UH, IS THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT SOUTH BY IS NOT FULLY UP AND RUNNING, BUT WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS PEOPLE ARE ALREADY KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE OUT AND ABOUT AND SEE MORE THAN THEY MIGHT'VE JUST SEEN IN THE, AT, AT THE CONVENTION CENTER. SO, UM, THIS IS AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE CREATIVE ENTITY THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST HAS ALWAYS SHOWN IT TO ITSELF TO BE. AND, UM, I THINK WE'LL SEE, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL LEARN FROM THIS AND SEE THINGS THAT MAKE IT A BETTER EXPERIENCE. YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN THAT CONVENTION CENTER IS BACK UP AND RUNNING IN FOUR YEARS, UH, MY GUESS IS THERE WILL BE A, AN ADDITIONAL REINVENTION AND HOW DO WE USE THAT IMPROVED, BIGGER CONVENTION CENTER AS PART OF ALL THIS. BUT, UH, WITH, THEY'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH ALL OF THE MAJOR HOTELS, UH, SO THAT THEY'RE, THOSE BECOME, UH, SPECIAL VENUES IN THEIR OWN RIGHTS. AND, AND PROBABLY, UH, IN SOME WAYS I COULD ARGUE WOULD, WOULD BE, WOULD BENEFIT THOSE HOTELS, BENEFIT SALES, TAX REVENUE BENEFIT, BENEFIT, HOT TAX REVENUE, UH, IN DIFFERENT WAYS. I NOTICED THE CHIEF, I DON'T KNOW IF BOTH OF YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THIS, MENTIONED AN EVEN BIGGER POLICE PRESENCE AFTER WHAT HAPPENED ON WEST SIXTH AND ALSO A DIRECT LINE GOING INTO THE COMMAND CENTER. CAN YOU EITHER OF YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THAT? WELL, [00:25:01] I'LL LET CHIEF TALK ABOUT IT. YEAH. HOW DO YOU UTILIZE THAT? HOW DO YOU ACTIVATE THAT IF YOU'RE CALLING IN? SO THIS IS JUST, IF, IF SOMEONE'S CALLING 9 1 1, IF THEY SEE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS, ONCE THAT DISPATCHER GETS THAT, IT'LL THEN BE SENT TO THE COMMAND POST THAT'S HERE WITH THEIR, SO THERE'S NO DELAY. WE'RE NOT PUTTING PEOPLE ON HOLD, WE'RE GETTING INFORMATION OUT, UM, IN REAL TIME. THAT'S, THAT'S THE GOAL FOR THAT. IS THAT NEW, IS THIS SPECIAL? IT'S FOR THIS EVENT. I THINK IT'S, IT'S JUST SOMETHING, AGAIN, THAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT ABOUT BEING HERE. AGAIN, WE'RE PREPARED, WE'RE FULLY STAFFED. UM, AND IT'S JUST, AGAIN, GIVES THEM AN OUTLET, GIVES THEM A, A RESOURCE TO, TO GET WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. AND REAL TIME, WE'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE, OFFICERS OUT WALKING DOWNTOWN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A PRESENCE THERE AND TO GET THAT INFORMATION TO THEM AS QUICKLY AS AS POSSIBLE. HOW DOES 9 1 1 KNOW THAT IT'S COMING FROM A SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST EVENT OR AREA? WELL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, WE, WE KNOW THE PARAMETER OF WHERE SOUTH BY IS, RIGHT? AND SO ANY CALL THAT'S COMING FROM DOWNTOWN, ANY CALL THAT'S COMING FROM WITHIN THAT FOOTPRINT, OR EVEN SLIGHTLY OUTSIDE THAT FOOTPRINT, WE'RE GONNA GET THAT INFORMATION. IS THAT LARGER FOOTPRINT GONNA CAUSE ANY KIND OF CHALLENGES? AND HOW IS A PD GONNA KIND OF RESPOND TO THAT? NO, I THINK THE LARGER FOOTPRINT AND TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, IT'S GONNA BE, UM, INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THIS, HOW THIS GOES. AND SO I'M EXCITED. I'LL BE DOWN THERE ALL WEEKEND MYSELF WALKING AROUND. UM, BUT NO, WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARED FOR IT. AGAIN, OFFICERS ARE GONNA BE STRATEGICALLY PLACED IN, IN DIFFERENT PLACES AND WE'RE PREPARED. AND KEEP IN MIND, UH, THANKS CHIEF. UH, KEEP IN MIND THAT, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, UH, THE FOCUS ON HOW WE DO BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN OUR DOWNTOWN AND ENJOYING OUR DOWNTOWN, WE'VE, UH, EXPANDED CERTAIN THINGS TO MAKE IT PRESENCE IS, UH, IT'S NOT THE SAME AS AT SOUTH BY OBVIOUSLY, BUT, BUT WE'VE INCREASED PRESENCE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST IN, I GUESS THE 24, UH, FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, UH, WORKING WITH EMS, UH, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IS IF WE HAD A COMMAND CENTER IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. UM, AND WE FUNDED THAT IN THE 2024 BUDGET. UH, HAVE, HAVE MOVED FORWARD WITH THAT. IT IS, UH, WORKING VERY, VERY WELL. AND I THINK THE CHIEF, UH, CHIEF LUCAS WOULD TELL YOU THAT IT WAS PART OF THE SUCCESS, UH, IN, IN THE TRAGIC SITUATION WE HAD TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, AS I WAS COMING IN TO GO TO, UH, TO THE COMMAND CENTER AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST THIS MORNING, I SAW IT, UH, MOVING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND MOVING TO BE SET UP. UH, IT, IT WAS ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF DOING ALL THAT. SO THIS IS, UH, IT'S A FOCUS, BUT IT'S BEEN A FOCUS. AND SO WE'RE ADDING TO THAT AS PART OF IT. SO IT'S THE BIGGEST MESSAGE TO PEOPLE IS TO PLAN ON DOING A LOT MORE WALKING. WELL, I SUPPOSE, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY WERE WALKING IN THE CONVENTION CENTER. UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT, THAT PEOPLE CAN GET OUT AND, AND IT WILL BE ABLE TO, THEY'LL BE ABLE IN A POSITION TO, TO SEE MORE OF THE DOWNTOWN AND EXPERIENCE MORE IN THAT REGARD. UH, YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION KIND OF LIKE IT'S A NEGATIVE, BUT I'M NOT SURE IT IS. I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT OUR, WELL, YOU MAY HAVE TO CARRY THAT, BUT, UM, , UH, I THOUGHT YOU WERE, I THOUGHT YOU WERE UNSELFISHLY ASKING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE. OF COURSE. YEAH. UM, AND, AND, UM, BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS DOWNTOWN AND WE HAVE A, A PLACE THAT HAS A LOT OF VENUES AND THOSE VENUES IN CLA IN, IN FACT, IN THE 40 YEARS BETWEEN SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, BEING BIRTHED TO NOW CELEBRATING ITS FORTI 40TH ANNIVERSARY, THOSE THAT ARE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER, AND I MAY BE THE ONLY ONE IN THE ROOM, BUT, UM, THOSE THAT ARE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER, KNOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE WE HAVE IN OUR DOWNTOWN. UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ONLY ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO, WE DIDN'T HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN. NOW WE HAVE MULTIPLE HOTELS BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE, AND THAT IS WHAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS PARTNERING WITH. ARE THOSE DIFFERENT HOTELS THROUGH IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO DO THAT? SO YEAH, THERE MAY BE SOME ADDITIONAL WALKING, BUT I SEE THAT AS A BENEFIT FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE TO ENJOY AUSTIN. UM, AND FOR OUR DOWNTOWN AND THE USE OF OUR DOWNTOWN. JUST ON A NOTE, UH, WITH THINGS BEING MORE SPREAD OUT, HOW DOES THE SIZE OF THIS YEAR'S EVENT COMPARE TO PREVIOUS YEARS? YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS. TAMMY, DO YOU HAVE THOSE NUMBERS? COME ON UP HERE AND TALK TO US. SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WEARING A SO SOUTHWEST JACKET. , I DON'T LOVE THE JACKET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, TAMMY RICHTER, VICE PRESIDENT OF EVENT OPERATIONS FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. UM, WE SEE WALKUP REGISTRATIONS AS SOME OF OUR, OUR MOST ROBUST RE REGISTRATIONS THAT WE SEE. SO WE WON'T HAVE EXACT NUMBERS UNTIL AFTER SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. UM, BUT WE ALSO SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY BADGE HOLDERS COMING TO AUSTIN TO EXPERIENCE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. AND SO WE JUST WON'T TRULY UNDERSTAND HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME TO AUSTIN TO ENJOY SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON UNTIL POST-EVENT. DOES IT FEEL BIGGER OR SMALLER? CAN I KNOW IT'S EARLY. IT [00:30:01] SEEMS VERY ON PAR WITH WHAT WE'VE SEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SO IT'S VERY EXCITING. IS THIS THE FIRST TIME Y'ALL ARE ACTUALLY CLOSING DOWN CONGRESS AVENUE? I DON'T REMEMBER THAT EVER HAPPENING IN THE PAST. AND THAT'S GONNA BE A WHOLE NOTHER ANIMAL, KIND OF, ISN'T IT? BUT YOU'RE VERY YOUNG . WE HAD ONE BLOCK CLOSED DOWN LAST YEAR, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PARAMOUNT IN THE STATE, AND THEY, WE USE THAT AS A FAN ZONE. UM, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE, UH, RED CARPETS AND THE PHOTO OPS THAT ARE HAPPENING, UH, WITH ALL THE CELEBRITIES AND, AND A-LIST TALENT THAT ARE COMING TO TOWN. THIS YEAR WE'RE EXPANDING IT TO THREE BLOCKS. AND SO WITHIN THOSE THREE BLOCKS WE'LL HAVE, UH, SPONSOR ACTIVATIONS AND THEN WE'LL ALSO HAVE, UH, THE CONGRESS AVENUE BLOCK PARTY, WHICH IS GOING TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THIS YEAR SO THAT WE CAN INVITE THE PUBLIC IN TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST EXPERIENCE. AND WILL THAT BE SHUT DOWN THOSE THREE BLOCKS? PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE TIME. THE WHOLE TIME, YES. YES. THANK YOU. WHICH, WHICH THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE GET TO EXPERIENCE THE MAIN STREET OF TEXAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, I'VE ALWAYS MAINTAINED THERE'S NOT A BETTER BACKDROP ANYWHERE IN AUSTIN THAN THAT BEAUTIFUL CAPITAL AND THE ROLE THAT IT PLAYS. SO IT, IT ADDS TO THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE. WHY DON'T I TAKE ONE MORE QUESTION OR ANY OF US. WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE BORED YOU, SO EXCITED FOR, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I, I MUST ADMIT THE, THE, THE, JUST THE ENERGY AND, AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING TO ME, UH, JUST ON A PERSONAL LEVEL IS THAT WHEN I'VE EX DESCRIBED SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO WEAR MY MAYOR'S HAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE, IT, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTING TO ME IS HOW YOU HAVE A CHANGE. YOU KINDA HAVE A CHANGE IN THE POPULATION AS IT HAS GONE ALONG WHEN IT'S MORE SPREAD, SPREAD OUT OVER TIME, DOING IT THE WAY THEY'RE DOING IT NOW. UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL SEE IS, I MEAN, I'M, I, THIS IS A PREDICTION, I HOPE IT BECOMES TRUE, BUT I THINK YOU'LL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU'LL SEE OUR HOTELS HAVE MORE HOTEL NIGHTS BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE WILL, THEY, THEY, THEY WERE COMING FOR ONE THING, BUT NOW THEY'RE PART OF THE, THE EXPERIENCE. AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE THEM STAY LONGER, BUT YOU WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT MIX. I MEAN, EVERYBODY WILL BE HERE SORT OF AT ONE TIME IN A WAY WHERE YOU DON'T, UH, HAVE THE, THE AGE OF THE POPULATION DOESN'T CHANGE WHEN THE MUSIC PART STARTS, YOU KNOW, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO I, SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND, AND, AND THE, THE, THE, THE EVOLUTION, IF YOU WILL, THE CHANGE THAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT. UM, IT, IT'S INTERESTING TODAY, UH, I GET, I HAVE A REALLY GOOD DAY AHEAD OF ME, IN PART BECAUSE PART OF WHAT TODAY IS, IS IT'LL BE THE FIRST TIME THAT A GROUP OF MAYORS, UH, WE, WE'VE DUBBED OURSELVES THE, I I THINK THERE'S ACTUALLY AN OFFICIAL TITLE, BUT THE, THE SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE, MAYORS, THE MAYORS OF THE CITIES OF THE SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE ARE IN TOWN. I'LL BE HOSTING THEM TODAY, UH, HERE AT CITY HALL AND AT THE, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. THAT'S, LET ME, LEMME MAKE SURE THE TIE IS SEEN. UM, AND, BUT PART OF THE REASON THEY'RE HERE IS BECAUSE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND THAT THAT WILL ROLL INTO A DEAL THAT A PARTNERSHIP THAT THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS AND SO BY SOUTHWEST HAS HAD FOR, FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, UM, CALLED CIVIC IO, WHICH IS MAYORS FROM A, NOT JUST SEC MAYORS, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING HERE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. THEY, THEY'RE GETTING HERE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT THEN THE CIVIC IO STARTS. SO, SO PART OF MY EXCITEMENT IS I GET TO SHOW OFF MY TOWN AND, UM, I LOVE THIS PLACE. UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SPECIAL AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS A KEY PART OF THAT, THAT SPECIAL NATURE OF IT. SO, UH, I'M JUST KIND OF GENERALLY EXCITED OVERALL. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.