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GOOD MORNING[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYONE.I CALLED TO ORDER THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.
THE TIME IS 10:00 AM ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1ST, 2026, AND WE ARE HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR APRIL 1ST APRIL FOOLS COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, WE HAVE A RELATIVELY SHORT AGENDA TODAY.
WE'LL START OUT WITH PUBLIC COMMUN PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO APPROVAL OF MI MEETING MINUTES FROM MARCH 4TH COMMITTEE MEETING.
NEXT, WE'LL HAVE A BRIEFING ON ESPANZA TWO EXPANSION AND WORKFORCE PROGRAMMING FROM THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION.
FROM THERE, THE COMMITTEE WILL RECEIVE AN UPDATE BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ON THE E-CIGARETTE RETAIL RESOLUTION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE AGENDA TODAY? OKAY.
SEEING NONE, WE WILL NOW WELCOME SPEAKERS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
MAY THE CLERK OFFICE PLEASE START US OFF WITH THE FIRST SPEAKER.
[Approval of Minutes]
TO THE APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES FOR ADAM.NUMBER ONE, CAN I GET A MOTION? MOTION BY VICE DUCHEN? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
UM, THIS IS FOR APPROVAL OF THE MARCH 4TH, 2026 MEETING MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL? SEEING NONE, THOSE STAND APPROVED.
[2. Briefing on the Esperanza II expansion and workforce programming from The Other Ones Foundation. [Elizabeth Baker, Executive Director -The Other Ones Foundation].]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO AND WE'LL WELCOME ELIZABETH BAKER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FROM THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION FOR A BRIEFING ON ESPANZA TO EXPANSION AND WORKFORCE PROGRAMMING FROM THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION.UM, SO MY NAME IS ELIZABETH BAKER.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION.
AND, UH, I WANNA TAKE A FEW MINUTES OF MY TIME TODAY TO TALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY OF THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION, KIND OF WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR WORK AND, AND OUR PHILOSOPHY.
AND THEN I'LL MOVE INTO, UM, THE EVOLUTION OF OUR PROGRAMMING.
UH, MOST RECENTLY, DO I HAVE CONTROL OF THE SLIDES? YEAH.
SO, UM, THE MISSION OF THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION IS, UH, STRICTLY TO TRANSITION PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS INTO ENGAGED COMMUNITY STABILITY, UM, AND, UH, AND A DIGNIFIED WAY OF LIVING THROUGH SHELTER OPPORTUNITY AND SUPPORT.
AND WHAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS JUST THE ENGAGED COMMUNITY VALUE THAT IS SO CORE TO THE WORK THAT WE DO AS AN ORGANIZATION.
WE, UM, WE TAKE, WE ACCEPT PEOPLE AS THEY ARE, AS THEY SHOW UP TO ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS WITH ALL OF THEIR CORKS AND FIGURATIVE BAGGAGE, UM, AND MOLD OUR PROGRAMS AROUND THEIR NEEDS TO, UH, TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES.
WE SPEAK HONESTLY AND WITH CLARITY TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE.
HAVING THAT FIERCE AUTHENTICITY REALLY BUILDS THE TRUST THAT MAKES OUR PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL.
AND, UH, WE, UM, SORRY I LOST MY PLACE.
AND THAT, UH, THAT RADICAL KINSHIP AND REALLY BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS FROM THE GROUND UP.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION AND JUST HOW WE CAME TO BE.
SO WE WERE FOUNDED IN 2017, UM, AND STARTED DEVELOPING, UH, AND PROVIDING SERVICES IN 2018.
AND THAT WAS DONE THROUGH A FISCAL SPONSORSHIP WITH FAMILY ELDER CARE.
AND SO I HAVE TO GIVE BIG PROPS TO FAMILY ELDER CARE AND THEIR SUPPORT OF THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION.
THOSE THREE YEARS WHERE WE WERE ENGAGED IN THAT FISCAL SPONSORSHIP, UH, RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, REALLY SET UP THE FOUNDATION OF OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND HELPED US MATURE THE ORGANIZATION TO A PLACE WHERE WE WERE REALLY ABLE TO RAMP UP SERVICES, UM, AS THE ARPA DOLLARS WERE COMING DOWN INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE LAUNCHED A NUMBER OF, UH, OF NEW PROGRAMS DURING THAT ARPA UH, UH, INFLUX OF FUNDS INTO THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING A MOBILE HYGIENE CLINIC, UM, A DIVERSION PROGRAM, A RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM, UM, AND, UH, PREVENTION SERVICES AS WELL.
AND WE WERE REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT WE DO BEST AS AN ORGANIZATION IN ORDER TO FILL GAPS IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO, UM, TO UTILIZE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY DELIVER SERVICES, UM, BUT ARE UNIQUE TO OUR ORGANIZATION.
SO AS SOON AS THOSE ARPA DOLLARS REALLY STARTED TO DWINDLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU'LL SEE THAT, THAT, UH, REDUCTION IN STAFFING RESOURCES AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES FROM 2023 TO 2025, THAT WAS US GETTING FIERCELY
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FOCUSED ON WHAT WE DO BEST IN THE COMMUNITY AND GETTING REALLY ROOTED IN OUR TWO SERVICE DELIVERY METHODS THAT SET US APART IN THE COMMUNITY.AND THAT'S NON CONGREGATE SHELTER AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
SO I'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR.
UM, BUT I DO ALSO JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE OPENING OF THE JOHN PAUL DEJORIA SKILLS CENTER, WHICH I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION WAS IN FEBRUARY OF 2025, IS WHEN WE LAUNCHED PROGRAMMING IN THAT BUILDING.
SO THE HISTORY OF THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY, UM, IT IS A NON CONGREGATE SHELTER WITH 200, UH, INDIVIDUAL LOCKABLE SHELTER UNITS.
UM, WE HAVE WRAPAROUND CASE MANAGEMENT, ONSITE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM THAT REALLY LEVERAGES THAT VALUE THAT WE HOLD SO CLOSELY.
IT STARTED AS AN ENCAMPMENT IN 2019, UM, A SANCTIONED HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
YOU GUYS HAVE KIND OF, I'M SURE, TRACKED OUR PROGRESS OVER THAT TIME TO KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT ON THAT SITE.
UM, SO YOU HAVE THE, THE PRE AND POST COMPARISON THERE TO, TO LOOK AT WHAT IT, UH, CURRENTLY LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT WOULD MADE THAT POSSIBLE IN THE BEGINNING WAS A STRONG PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENT IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO THE FIRST 100 UNITS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT ON THE SITE WERE, UH, STRICTLY PHILANTHROPICALLY FUNDED IN 2023.
WE HAD, UH, CITY COUNTY PARTNERS COME TO THE TABLE AND SUPPORT US IN THIS NEXT 100 UNITS.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE'LL TALK ABOUT FUTURE EXPANSION LATER ON AS WELL.
UM, TDOT IS A HUGE PARTNER ON THIS, UM, ON THIS SITE.
SO IN 2020, UH, WE WERE INTRODUCED TO TXDOT THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING AND WERE MADE AWARE OF THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY AND, UH, AT THAT TIME KNOWN AS CAMP RAT.
AND SO WE BROUGHT OUR MOBILE HYGIENE CLINIC OUT TO THAT SITE AND STARTED TO, TO, UH, GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT WERE LIVING OUT THERE AND WHAT THEIR NEEDS WERE.
AND IN 2020 WE MOVED OUR OFFICE OUT TO THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY TO JUST SERVE AS A SERVICE COORDINATOR TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND TRY TO BRING SOME RESOURCES.
UM, IN 2021, THE, UH, T-D-H-C-A RELEASED ARPA FUNDS, THAT ALLOWED US TO INCREASE, UM, THE SERVICES AVAILABLE ON THE SITE AND REALLY BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE AS WE SEE IT TODAY.
UM, SO IN 2023, WE FINISHED OUR, UH, FIRST 100 UNITS.
IN 2024, WE BROKE GROUND ON THE NEXT 100.
AND, UH, IN 2025 REALLY STARTED WORK IN EARNEST ON THE EXPANSION PROJECT, UM, AND FINALIZING THAT APPLICATION, WHICH WAS AWARDED IN DECEMBER.
SO IN, UH, THIS, UH, THIS COMING SUMMER, WE'LL BE OPENING THOSE NEXT 100 SHELTER UNITS, UM, AND DOING THE FINALIZATION OF OUR PLANNING FOR THE EXPANSION.
SO THERE IS, UM, A STATED NEED FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER, UM, CAPACITY INCREASES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S STATED IN THE HSO STRATEGIC PLAN, IT'S STATED IN ECHO STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, AND OF COURSE, TOOTH IS, UH, COMMITTED TO BRINGING THOSE RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
IN DECEMBER, AS I SAID, OUR UH, OUR, OUR AWARD WAS ISSUED BY TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH THE CONTRACTING PROCESS THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR, BUT THAT CAPITAL INVESTMENT IS, UH, 98% FUNDED BY T-D-H-C-A, WHICH IS UNUSUAL FOR THIS, THIS PARTICULAR FUNDING SOURCE.
UM, AND IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, OF COURSE, COUNCIL TOOK ACTION TO EXPRESS A COMMITTED SUPPORT FOR THE OPERATING EXPENSES FOR ESPANZA MOVING FORWARD.
BUT, UH, WHAT WAS STATED IN THAT COMMITMENT AND WHAT TWO IS, HAS BEEN WORKING ON AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE WORKING ON OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT THREE YEARS, IS DIVERSIFYING THAT FUNDING MODEL.
WE DON'T WANT THE CITY HOLDING THE BAG FOR THAT FULL OPERATING EXPENSE.
UM, AND AS I WANTED TO SHOW THE HISTORY OF FUNDING OF THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY, SO YOU COULD SEE THAT THERE REALLY IS A FOUNDATION OF DIVERSIFIED FUNDING THAT WE'RE GOING INTO THIS PLANNING WITH.
SO THERE ARE SOME NEW PARTNERS WE NEED TO BRING TO THE TABLE, BUT PRIMARILY IT'S ABOUT DEEPENING THOSE EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY UP UNTIL THIS POINT.
SO THIS IS A ROUGH TIMELINE, VERY HIGH LEVEL TIMELINE OF THE ESPERANZA TWO EXPANSION.
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UM, THIS YEAR WE WILL BE, UH, FINALIZING THE DESIGN AND SIGNING THE CONTRACT BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO SITE PREP AND PERMITTING, UM, WITH THE PLAN OF COMPLETION OF THE ALL FACILITIES IN LATE 2029.
SO, UM, THERE, UP TO THIS POINT, THERE IS STILL A LOT TO BE LEARNED AROUND THE PROGRAM DESIGN THAT WILL GO INTO THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY.
AND SO, ACTUALLY, I'M GONNA PAUSE HERE 'CAUSE I APOLOGIZE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I ACTUALLY TALK THROUGH THE, THE PHYSICAL DESIGN 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO KNOW RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO THE PHYSICAL DESIGN OF THE SHELTER, IT IS A SEVEN AND A HALF ACRE PLOT OF LAND THAT IS DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO ESPERANZA AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
IT ALLOWS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY GET SOME ECONOMY OF SCALE ON THE SITE.
SO THE LARGE BUILDING THAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS A FOUR STORY BUILDING THAT WILL INCLUDE 100 RESIDENTIAL UNITS ON THE TOP TWO FLOORS.
AND ON THE BOTTOM TWO FLOORS WILL BE, UM, UH, COMMUNITY RESOURCES LIKE AN, UH, AN INDUSTRIAL KITCHEN, UH, MEDICAL FACILITY LIBRARY AND COMPUTER LAB, KIND OF GENERAL AMENITIES THAT CAN BE ACCESSED ACROSS THE ESPERANZA PROGRAM.
UM, WE'LL HAVE COLLABORATIVE SPACE FOR CO-LOCATION OF PARTNERS, UM, AND AS I MENTIONED, THOSE RESIDENTIAL UNITS WILL BE INDIVIDUAL NON CONGREGATE SHELTER UNITS.
UM, THE REMAINDER OF THE SITE IS GONNA BE 225 INDIVIDUAL CABINS AS WE CURRENTLY HAVE AT, UM, ON OUR, ON OUR SITE.
UM, THERE IS SOME PENDING WAIVERS AND DISCUSSION TO BE HAD WITH HUD AROUND THE DESIGN OF THOSE UNITS AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, UM, BE MOST COST EFFECTIVE AND, UM, AND UTILIZE THE SPACE, UM, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY WITHIN THE, THE REGULATIONS OF THE GRANT THAT WAS ISSUED.
I JUST ASK A QUICK, THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, ARE THOSE LIKE PERMANENT RESIDENTIAL OR LIKE ON THE SHELTER TRANSITION THROUGH RESIDENTIAL? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, THEY'RE ALL NON CONGREGATE SHELTERS, SO IT'S NOT PERMANENT HOUSING.
THE REASON THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE THOSE 100 UNITS INDOORS IS BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE, UM, A SPECTRUM OF NEEDS IN THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THAT INDIVIDUAL LOCKABLE SHELTER UNIT COULD KIND OF, COULD BE A CHALLENGE FOR SOME OF THE, THE FOLKS THAT ARE NEEDING SHELTER.
SO THAT ENVIRONMENT ALLOWS FOR MORE INTENSIVE, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, POTENTIALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE OVERSIGHT BY STAFF, BUT ALSO IT DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOCK THOSE UNITS SO THAT KINDA GENERAL VISITORS CAN'T ACCESS THEM.
SO, UM, IN MY VISION IT WOULD BE, UM, WONDERFUL TO HAVE AN ONSITE SUBSTANCE USE PROGRAM WHERE PEOPLE HAVE THAT MORE SUPPORTED ENVIRONMENT AND, AND NOT EXPOSED TO THAT TEMPTATION.
SO, UH, SO PROGRAMMING THOUGH, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN PLANNING THE PROGRAMMING THAT WILL GO INTO ESPERANZA TOO.
I'M GONNA USE ESPERANZA PROGRAMMING AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS TO, TO GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF WHAT WE EXPECT IT TO BE.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT ON THIS PAGE.
I KNOW I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO CALL OUT SOME OF OUR PARTNERS 'CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR US STRATEGICALLY AS AN ORGANIZATION.
WE DON'T WANNA BE PROVIDING SERVICES THAT OUR PARTNERS ARE ALREADY DOING REALLY WELL.
WE WANNA BRING THEM INTO THAT SPACE.
AND THAT'S WHY STRUCTURALLY WE DESIGNED A FACILITY THAT ALLOWS FOR THAT CO-LOCATION SO WE CAN HAVE THAT DIVERSITY IN SERVICES, UM, WITHOUT THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION HAVING TO OPEN NEW LINES OF SERVICE.
SO THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AT ESPERANZA ONE.
BUT THE KEY COMPONENTS SECTION THAT'S ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN REALLY HIGHLIGHTS WHAT WE DO, UM, AS SHELTER OPERATORS AND WHAT WE'VE REALLY REFINED IN TERMS OF OUR APPROACHES.
UM, SO THE, UH, INTAKE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE WELCOMING PEOPLE INTO THE COMMUNITY AND THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THOSE INDIVIDUAL, UM, ASSESSMENT AND SERVICE PLANS.
SORRY, I WAS GOING FROM MEMORY AND I LOST MY PLACE ON MY PAPER.
UM, LUCKILY I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT OUR PROGRAMMING AND I DON'T NEED MY NOTES.
UM, SO, AND AGAIN, LOOPING BACK TO THAT COMMON THREAD OF COMMUNITY, UH, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM IS MADE UP OF TWO CORE COMPONENTS.
WE HAVE A TEAM OF SAFETY AND SECURITY STAFF THAT ARE INTERNALLY HIRED AND TRAINED, UM, WITH A TRAUMA-INFORMED PREVENTION LENS, WHICH MEANS
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YOU'LL OFTEN SEE OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY STAFF OUT WALKING AROUND THE COMMUNITY, CHECKING IN ON PEOPLE.AND THEN WHEN PEOPLE ARE SITTING AROUND, THEY'RE SITTING AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, THEY'RE PLAYING BASKETBALL, THEY'RE ENGAGING IN, UM, IN HEALTHY ACTIVITIES TO BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP.
SO WHEN THERE ARE BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES THAT COULD POSE A THREAT TO, OR, OR A SAFETY RISK TO THE COMMUNITY THERE, THEY HAVE THAT BASE, THAT RELATIONSHIP, UH, TO LEAN ON IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
UM, THEN WE HAVE A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM THAT IS KIND OF LIKE OUR SHELTER SUPPORT STAFF THAT, UM, THAT CHECK ON FOLKS, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THEIR BASIC NEEDS MET.
THEY HAVE HYGIENE SUPPLIES, THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THEIR SHELTER UNIT AND HAVE CLEANING SUPPLIES THAT ARE NEEDED.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR, UH, FACILITIES TEAM.
I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT OUR SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT APPARATUS.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THAT WRAPAROUND CASE MANAGEMENT.
AND THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF ALL OF THESE SERVICES IS FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT, UM, THAT SENSE OF SAFETY FEEL EMPOWERED, FEEL, UH, LIKE THEY HAVE DIGNITY IN THE PLACE THAT THEY'RE STAYING, UM, AND THAT THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
AND WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY ASSESSING AND, UH, REPORTING BACK ON THAT PROGRESS.
SO OUR OUTCOMES AND WHO WE SERVE.
UM, CURRENTLY AT ESPERANZA, WE SEE, UM, FOLKS OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE AGES VARY GREATLY WITH, UM, GENERALLY THAT 40 TO 60 RANGE BEING THE HIGHEST VOLUME.
BUT WE DO SERVE YOUTH, UM, WE DO SERVE ELDERLY POPULATIONS.
UM, GENERALLY THE SIG MOST SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES WE SEE ARE PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.
UM, OF COURSE, LACK OF DOCUMENTATION IS ADDRESSED WITH OUR CASE MANAGEMENT TEAM.
UM, AND THEN THAT LACK OF SOCIAL SUPPORT.
AND SO WHILE PEOPLE ARE AT, AT ESPERAN, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON REBUILDING THAT SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORK.
SO WHEN THEY MOVE OUT, THEY HAVE THAT ESTABLISHED TO RETAIN HOUSING.
UM, OUR OUTCOMES AT, AT THE SHELTER.
UM, SO LAST YEAR WE SERVED 209 PEOPLE.
SO ON AVERAGE WE'RE TURNING EACH BED OVER, UM, ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR.
UM, WITH THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY BEING APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MONTHS, UM, ON AVERAGE ARE POSITIVE EXIT RATE OUT OF THE SHELTER IS 58%.
SO, UH, A LITTLE ABOUT OUR MEDICAL SERVICES.
OUR MEDICAL PARTNERSHIPS ARE CRITICAL, UM, TO THE, TO OUR SUCCESS.
COMMUNITY CARE HAS BEEN A PARTNER WITH US SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN IT WAS AN ENCAMPMENT.
UM, CENTRAL HEALTH HAS REALLY COME ALONG TO, UM, TO FURTHER DEL DEVELOP AND, AND DEEPEN THAT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, INTEGRAL CARE BRINGS THEIR MOBILE VAN OUT, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH A RESIDENT RUN, UM, UH, MEDICAL CLINIC AT UT.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE THOSE BASIC HYGIENE NEEDS THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR THOSE WELLNESS SERVICES.
ONE OTHER THING I JUST WANNA MENTION IS THE MEDICAL MANAGEMENT.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S, UH, THERE'S OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT PROVIDE SIMILAR SERVICES, BUT FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT REALLY NEED THAT HANDS-ON SUPPORT WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT TO GET, UH, TO REMAIN IN LINE WITH THEIR DOCTOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS WITH MEDICATIONS, WE OFFER THAT SERVICE AS WELL.
OKAY, SO OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CONTINUUM, UM, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS KIND OF BUILT INTO OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER MODEL, AND WE'VE REALLY INTEGRATED THOSE TWO SERVICES.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA KIND OF TAKE A LITTLE DETOUR TO TALK ABOUT IT AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO, TO ESPERANZA.
BUT, UM, THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION STARTED OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AS OUR FLAGSHIP PROJECT.
SO IN 2018, WE DEVELOPED, UH, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN THROUGH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, UH, AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION, AND, UH, THE AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY DEPARTMENT TO CREATE WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UH, WE WENT OUT AND DID OUTREACH INTO ON THE STREET AND ASKED PEOPLE, UM, IF THEY WANTED TO WORK.
ORIGINALLY, THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED AS A ALTERNATIVE TO PANHANDLING.
AND SO WE REALLY FOCUSED OUR EFFORTS ON THOSE STREET CORNERS AND ENGAGING PEOPLE IN WORK.
THEY WERE OUT THERE ALL DAY ANYWAY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME WITH US AND DO, DO THIS WORK IN, UM, IN PARKS AND GREEN SPACES? AND THAT PROJECT HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL, BUT WHAT WE RECOGNIZED IS THAT THE TRANSITIONAL JOBS MODEL THAT WE HAD, THAT THAT, UH, EXTREMELY LOW BARRIER OPPORTUNITY IN AND OF ITSELF WASN'T GETTING PEOPLE THAT LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT.
SO WE STARTED CONVERSATIONS WITH AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, UM, WITH THE PEACE, LOVE, AND HAPPINESS FOUNDATION AROUND HOW DO WE EXPAND THIS CONTINUUM.
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AND, UH, IN 2025, WE BUILT THE JOHN PAUL DEJORIA, PEACE, LOVE, AND HAPPINESS, UH, SKILLS CENTER ON SITE AT ESPERANZA.SO, UM, ONE THING THAT I WANNA MENTION ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS THAT IT IS SO VITAL AND, AND CURRENTLY IN THE CONVERSATION AROUND HOW WE ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS NATIONALLY, IT IS, IT IS, UH, ALMOST ASSUMED THAT PEOPLE WILL BE GETTING BACK TO WORK AND CREATING THAT EARNED INCOME.
YET IT IS EXTREMELY UNDER-RESOURCED IN THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
AND WE'VE SPENT THE LAST YEAR REALLY LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE BRIDGE THIS GAP BETWEEN THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM AND THE EXISTING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES.
AND IT'S NOT AN EASY
SO WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH IN DEVELOPMENT OF WORKING THAT, THAT CONTINUUM OUT.
UM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS AN ASSUMPTION THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING BACK TO WORK, YET THE THE STRUCTURE AND THE PATHWAY BY WHICH PEOPLE DO THAT HASN'T REALLY FULLY BEEN EXPLORED OR WORKED THROUGH.
UM, UH, SO I'LL ALSO MENTION THAT OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IS INTEGRATED INTO OUR SHELTER OPERATIONS.
SO WE HAVE TRANSITIONAL JOBS AVAILABLE ONSITE FOR PEOPLE TO DO, UM, FOOD, UM, FOOD SERVICES.
AND SO THEY GET THEIR FOOD HANDLERS PERMIT, AND THEN WE REFER THEM TO A COLLABORATIVE PARTNER WITH GOOD WORK TO GET THAT PATHWAY, UM, INTO EMPLOYMENT.
SIMILARLY, WE HAVE POSITIONS WITH OUR FACILITIES TEAM, WITH OUR JANITORIAL STAFF THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO HAVE THAT REALLY TARGETED TRANSITIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE, UM, AND REFER THEM TO THOSE PARTNERS FOR, UH, CONTINUED HARD SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND JOB PLACEMENT.
UM, THERE ARE SOME TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TRANSITIONAL JOBS, UM, UH, THAT THAT FEED INTO THEM NECESSARILY.
AND SO FOLKS DEVELOP THAT EARLY, UM, JOB READINESS SKILLSET OF SHOWING UP ON TIME, GETTING ALONG WITH THEIR COWORKERS, GETTING ALONG WITH THEIR BOSS, COMMUNICATING THEIR HOURS, UM, BUDGET MANAGEMENT.
THOSE SKILLS ARE ALL DEVELOPED IN THAT TRANSITIONAL JOBS, UM, PROGRAM THAT TOOTH RUNS.
AND THEN ON SITE IN THE SKILLS CENTER, UH, WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH A C, C AND GOODWILL TO BRING TRAININGS THAT, UM, WILL EARN PEOPLE A LIVING WAGE, THINGS LIKE HVAC, AUTO MECHANIC, UM, CLASSES AND WELDING CURRENTLY.
AND SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO BUILD THAT PARTNERSHIP, UM, UH, PORTFOLIO SO THAT WE CAN DIVERSIFY THOSE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS INTO EMPLOYMENT.
I ALSO HAVE ONE NOTE ON HERE THAT I'LL MENTION JUST AROUND THE INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND MAKING THIS WORK.
SO WE, IN JANUARY, WE HELD A WORKSHOP OF LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS TO COME TOGETHER AND TALK THROUGH THE DATA THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AVAILABLE ON THE SKILLS CENTER, CHALLENGES WE WERE EXPERIENCING, SUCCESSES WE WERE EXPERIENCING, AND, UM, SPENT ABOUT THREE HOURS BRAINSTORMING WAYS IN WHICH WE REALLY BUILD OUT THIS CONTINUUM OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND THEN I WANTED TO PROVIDE A CLIENT EXAMPLE OF JUST WHAT THIS PATHWAY LOOKS LIKE.
EVERYBODY'S PATHWAY LOOKS DIFFERENT.
UH, WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT COME TO US, THEY ENTER THE SHELTER, THEY ENGAGE IN OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND THEY MOVE ON IN THE NEXT THREE, FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS, UM, SUCCESSFULLY TO EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING.
UM, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY, IT CAN TAKE LONGER.
HE'S SOMEBODY I'VE KNOWN FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
HE USED TO LIVE IN THE WOODS NEXT DOOR TO ESPERANZA.
UM, AND, UH, THAT WAS IN PROBABLY 20 22, 20 23.
AND OUR TEAM DID OUTREACH TO HIM.
WE WOULD VISIT HIM WITH WATER, WITH A MEAL.
UM, HE, IT TOOK ABOUT A YEAR FOR HIM TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE HE WAS READY TO JOIN THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY.
SO HE JOINED IN 2023 AND STARTED WORKING OUR WORKFORCE FIRST MODEL.
HE WAS A REALLY RESERVED PERSON.
HE KIND OF LIKE MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN, HE WOULD SAY, WELL, I'M ON THE LIST, RIGHT? I'M ON THE LIST FOR HOUSING NOW.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO US WITH THAT FEELING OF, UM, UH, I, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO.
THEY DON'T FEEL EMPOWERED TO TAKE ACTION, AND THEY DON'T SEE A PATHWAY OUT OF HOMELESSNESS ON THEIR OWN.
AND SO WE REALLY HELPED RED, UM, COME OUT OF HIS SHELL IN THAT WAY.
HE STARTED WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR STAFF AND ACTUALLY ADVOCATED AND HELPED COORDINATE THE YELLOW BIKE PROJECT COMING OUT TO THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY SO THAT PEOPLE COULD WORK ON THEIR BIKES, BUILD THAT SKILL AND INCREASE TRANSPORTATION.
AND THAT PROGRAM JUST LAUNCHED LAST MONTH, BUT IN 2025,
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RED, UM, PARTICIPATED IN OUR JOB READINESS SKILLS ACADEMY AND OUR AUTO MECHANIC CLASSES.HE BUILT CONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF AND SAW A PATHWAY TO STABILITY THAT HADN'T BEEN AVAILABLE TO HIM IN A REALLY LONG TIME.
HE SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS STARTING RIGHT AFTER HE GRADUATED IN AUGUST, AND HE SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS FOR SIX MONTHS BEFORE FINALLY LA LANDING A JOB THREE WEEKS AGO AS A FULL-TIME AUTOMOTIVE DETAILING SPECIALIST.
AND SO NOW RED IS LOOKING FOR, UH, HAS, HAS BEEN PARTICIPATING IN A SAVINGS PROGRAM AND PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, UNIVERSITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION THAT WE HAVE, UM, SAVING UP FOR THAT INITIAL MOVING COST AND LOOKING FOR AN APARTMENT CLOSE TO HIS WORK LOCATION, UM, FOR THAT STABILITY.
AND IT REALLY TAKES THAT TENACITY.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT EASY, AND IT DOESN'T, UH, IT, IT DOESN'T COME EASILY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AND IT TAKES THAT RAMP UP AND THAT, UM, UH, THAT CONTINUUM OF SERVICE TO BUILD PEOPLE UP TO, TO READINESS FOR, UM, FOR REENTERING THE WORKFORCE.
SO, UM, LET ME GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO IN CLOSING, I'LL JUST SAY THE CITY HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION'S EFFORTS.
UM, I WANNA SING, UH, DAVID, DAVID GRAY'S, UH, PRAISES AND THE HSO TEAM HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY COLLABORATIVE AND COMMUNICATIVE WITH TWO.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, WITH NEW PROGRAMMING AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES COMING TO THE TABLE, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO CONTINUE THIS PARTNERSHIP.
UM, WITH THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION, JUST TAKING ON THE SOUTHBRIDGE SHELTER, I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BUILD TRUST, UM, BUILD A, UH, A, A CASE THAT SHOWS THAT OUR MODEL WORKS AND SHOULD BE REPLICATED AND GROWN AND EXPANDED UPON.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS THAT FOLKS MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION COLLEAGUES WHO WOULD LIKE TO KICK US OFF.
UM, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO GO OUT A NUMBER OF TIMES.
I HAD A CHANCE TO GO OUT, UH, WHEN YOU SHOWED THAT BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE WHEN IT WAS THE BEFORE, UM, JUST COULDN'T BE ANY MORE DIFFERENT THAN THE WORK Y'ALL HAVE DONE, UH, IS REALLY, REALLY SOMETHING.
AND, AND NOT, I, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE WHERE YOU ENDED IT.
UM, NOT LOSING SIGHT OF ALL THE, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME THROUGH AND, UH, WHAT IT HAS RESULTED IN FOR THEM.
UH, SO REALLY JUST WANNA TO START OFF WITH THAT.
I AM CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, YOU TO TOUCHED ON A LITTLE BIT OF SOME OF THE PARTNERS IN THE HEALTHCARE SPACE, PARTICULARLY IN MENTAL HEALTH.
DO INTEGRAL CARE OR COMMUNITY CARE OFFER SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT RIGHT NOW FOR CLIENTS THERE? YES, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS.
THEY, THEY, I KNOW THAT CENTRAL HEALTH IS, IS WORKING TOWARDS DEEPENING THEIR, UH, THEIR PRESENCE IN THAT SPACE.
UM, INTEGRAL CARE, UH, DOES PROVIDE SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES.
SO WE'RE STILL KIND OF EXPLORING WHO IS THE BEST PARTNER TO, TO STEP INTO THAT SPACE.
I THINK THEY MIGHT STILL BE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO THE BEST PARTNER IS TO
UM, BUT I, THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEGUN AND THERE'S CERTAINLY INVESTMENT IN MAKING SURE THAT THAT RESOURCE IS AVAILABLE AT THE SHELTER.
AND THE MANY REASONS WHY I'M INTERESTED IN THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE, ALL THE QUESTIONS AROUND THE NEW NOFO AND WHAT KIND OF REQUIREMENTS WILL BE THERE AS IT RELATES TO SUBSTANCE USE.
SO I'M CURIOUS, JUST FOR THE PROVIDER OR FOR, FOR THE SHELTER PROVIDERS ON THE GROUND ARE, ARE OUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, WHETHER THAT IS IN LOCAL CARE OR CENTRAL HEALTH, UM, ARE WE SET UP FOR THAT OR IS THERE STILL WORK TO BE DONE? AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN.
YEAH, I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY STILL WORK TO BE DONE, PARTICULARLY AROUND HOW IT, HOW SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES PERTAINS TO THIS SITE.
I WILL SAY THAT, UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT PROVIDERS, AND THAT USUALLY INVOLVES STARTING WITH OS A R, UM, THE, THE, THE CENTRALIZED REFERRAL PATHWAY.
UM, AND, AND HELPING PEOPLE MOVE THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
BUT THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS THAT FOLKS HAVE TO GO AND GET THOSE SERVICES OFF SITE.
AND OFTENTIMES THAT'S A RESIDENTIAL SERVICES.
UH, THOSE ARE RESIDENTIAL SERVICES.
AND SO FOLKS MIGHT BE WITH US FOR A PERIOD OF TIME FOR SEVERAL MONTHS OR EVEN A YEAR, KIND OF UNDERSTAND COMING TO AN UNDERSTANDING AND READINESS FOR CHANGE IN THEIR SUBSTANCE USE PATTERNS.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO RIP THEM OUT OF THAT SUPPORT NETWORK THAT THEY HAVE BUILT AT OUR SHELTER.
AND SO MY GOAL IS TO BRING THOSE SERVICES TO THE SHELTER SO PEOPLE CAN, CAN STILL, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR RECOVERY GOALS, BUT HAVE THE ESTABLISHED SUPPORT NETWORK THAT THEY'VE BUILT THERE
[00:30:02]
COMPLETELY SEPARATELY ON THE FUNDING QUESTION, THE SLIDE THAT YOU HAVE, YOUR BAR CHARTS FROM FISCAL YEAR 22 TO 25, THERE'S SIGNIFICANT STATE FUNDING.IS THAT OPERATIONS FUNDING OR, YES, SIR.
SO IN 2021, UM, TUF WAS AWARDED, UM, UH, ARPA FUNDS THROUGH TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
THAT WAS OUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF OPERATING FUNDING THROUGH 2025 WHEN, UM, WHEN THOSE FUNDS SUNSETTED.
SO THAT KIND OF GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AS TO WHY I WAS HERE, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AGO ADVOCATING FOR THIS OR, OR BACK IN THE SUMMER.
UM, BECAUSE THOUGH WE, WE WERE, WE KNEW THAT THAT SUNSET WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND WE TOOK A LOT OF STEPS AS YOU COULD SEE FROM THAT GRAPH TO SCALE DOWN SERVICES AND TO GET REALLY EFFICIENT.
UM, WE STILL, THAT WAS A MASSIVE PIECE OF OUR OPERATING, UH, FUNDING THAT WE NEEDED TO FIND REPLACEMENT FOR.
AND THEN FROM THE CAPITAL SIDE OF THE MOST RECENT A HUNDRED BED EXPANSION, WHAT IS YOUR ALL IN COST PER UNIT? NO, NO, THAT'S OKAY.
I'M, I I'M JUST TRYING TO COMPARE IT TO OTHER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AS, AS WE THINK ABOUT OTHER SHELTER OPTIONS, HOW YOUR COSTS COMPARE ON A CAPITAL.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CAP FOR THE CAPITAL BUILD, CORRECT.
I, I WILL HAVE TO GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU.
YOU CAN FOLLOW UP WITH US ON THAT.
IT TOOK YOU, AND FROM YOUR SLIDES, IT'S ABOUT TWO YEARS FROM START TO FINISH OF THAT A HUNDRED BED EXPANSION, IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? UM, SO WE HAVE THREE YEARS TO DO THE CONSTRUCTION FROM THE SIGNING OF THE CONTRACT WITH T-D-H-C-A.
OH, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE MOST RECENT, SORRY, NOT THE 325 BEDS, BUT THE ONE YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABOUT TO CUT THE RIBBON ON, JUST HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO BUILD THOSE HUNDRED CABINS? AND, AND I'M INCLUDING LIKE THE DESIGN SIDE OF THINGS, LIKE WHEN Y'ALL SAID, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS TO BEING ABLE TO CUT A RIBBON ABOUT TWO YEARS.
IS THAT A LITTLE UNDER TWO YEARS? YES.
PRETTY FAST BY ANY, UH, STRETCH.
WHAT DO Y'ALL DO IN TERMS OF COORDINATED ENTRY? ARE YOUR PLACEMENTS EXCLUSIVELY COORDINATED ENTRY? NO COORDINATED ENTRY, SOME COORDINATED ENTRY? WHAT'S YOUR, SO WE'RE OPEN TO UTILIZING COORDINATED ENTRY AS A PATHWAY INTO SHELTER.
HONESTLY, IT BENEFITS US BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY PRIMARILY COMING WITH A HOUSING PLAN IF, IF WE UTILIZE THAT.
BUT THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM IS NOT CURRENTLY BUILT FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER.
UM, SO THE, UH, REFERRAL INDICATORS OF WHO WOULD GO IS, IS NOT, UH, CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
SO WHERE DO YOU, WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR CLIENTS FROM? ARE THEY REFERRED TO FROM A DIFFERENT SHELTER OR, YEAH, SO WE RECEIVE, UM, OUR REFERRALS PRIMARILY THROUGH OUTREACH PROVIDERS, AND THAT INCLUDES THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, HSO, UH, SUNRISE, UH, NAVIGATION TEAMS. UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, WE'VE HAD A LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT FOR THOSE REFERRALS, UM, BUT HAVE A MORE RECENT PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTRAL HEALTH.
SO WE RECEIVE REFERRALS FOR FOLKS THAT ARE LEAVING THEIR MEDICAL RESPITE SO THAT THEY HAVE A, A BRIDGE, UM, TO RETAIN THE, THE HEALTHCARE, UH, GAINS THAT THEY'VE MADE IN THAT PROGRAM.
UM, AND THOSE, BUT PRIMARILY IT'S, UH, OH, I'M MISSING ONE.
AND THEN WE DO REFER INTERNALLY OUR WORKFORCE FIRST PROGRAM, WHICH KIND OF OPERATES LIKE AN OUTREACH PROGRAM, RIGHT.
WE'RE MEETING PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE'LL DO INTERNAL REFERRALS FROM THAT PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND THE WORKFORCE FIRST PROGRAM REFERRALS GENERALLY ARE SELF-REFERRAL.
FOLKS CALLING IN OR SUBMITTING A FORM.
AND WHAT, IN TERMS OF COORDINATED ENTRY, ARE YOU, YOU, IS THAT SOMETHING Y'ALL ARE ACTIVELY PURSUING? OR WHERE, HOW ARE Y'ALL THINKING ABOUT EITHER MAKING THAT CHANGE OR JUST CONTINUING WITH THE, THE RELATIONSHIPS YOU HAVE? YEAH, SO THE STRATEGY FOR US IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNED WITH THE REST OF THE SHELTER SYSTEM.
SO, UH, WITH THE CITY HOLDING THE MAJORITY OF THOSE BEDS, WE'RE REALLY FOLLOWING THEIR LEAD, UM, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IDEALLY THERE'S A SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY FOR FOLKS TO GET INTO SHELTER.
WELL, I, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S JUST INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE.
YOU'RE 58% SUCCESS RATE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FOR SHELTER QUITE HIGH.
UM, AND SO I'D BE INTERESTED ANY KIND OF ANALYSIS OF YOUR CLIENTS VERSUS WHETHER IT'S AT THE ARCH OR EIGHTH STREET OR MARSHALING YARD.
YOU KNOW, ARE YOU SERVING SIMILAR CLIENTELE AND JUST HAVING BETTER OUTCOMES, OR ARE YOU
[00:35:01]
SERVING A DIFFERENT CLIENTELE ALTOGETHER? UH, I THINK THAT'D BE AN INTERESTING QUESTION FOR US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND.UH, AND I KNOW HSO HAS A LOT OF THOSE DATA, SO WE, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY ARE YOU DOING SO WELL
UM, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY NON CONGREGATE SHELTER IS, WE ALL KNOW HAS HIGHER SUCCESS RATE THAN CONGREGATE SHELTER.
THAT'S CERTAINLY AN ELEMENT TO IT, BUT, UM, JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS WE, AS WE MAKE FUTURE INVESTMENTS, BUT WELL, CAN, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT, BECAUSE I WANNA UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES FOR YOUR NON, FOR YOUR CONGREGATE SHELTER, YOUR EMERGENCY SHELTER OPERATIONS THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE AND WILL BE EXPANDING TO.
HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM THE CITY'S RUN EMERGENCY SHELTER IN TERMS OF THE REFERRAL? YOU KIND OF WENT OVER THE REFERRAL, BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER DIFFERENCES IN DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN HOW YOU DO THE INTAKE OF PEOPLE WHO NEED EMERGENCY SHELTER? AND IF YOU CAN ALSO ILLUMINATE A LITTLE BIT AS TO WHY YOU, WHY SUCH SO MUCH HIGHER POSITIVE RATE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LEARNING A LOT RIGHT NOW WITH ONE OF THOSE CITY SHELTERS SOUTH WITH US TAKING ON SOUTHBRIDGE TODAY IS ACTUALLY OUR FIRST DAY OF FULL OPERATION.
SO I THINK LEARNING, UM, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND SEEING THE CHANGE MANAGEMENT THAT WE'LL DO AT THAT SITE AND WHAT, UM, WHAT POLICIES OR PRACTICES NEED TO BE INSERTED INTO THAT PROGRAM WILL BE REALLY TELLING TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
BUT, UM, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK MAKES US STAND OUT A BIT IS THAT, UM, UM, THE DURATION, RIGHT? A LOT OF PEOPLE LEAVE SHELTER BECAUSE THERE IS A MISALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE RULES, UM, THE EXPECTATIONS, THERE'S A, UM, UH, PEOPLE DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT, RIGHT? AND, AND SO WHAT THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION DOES DIFFERENTLY IS REALLY LEAN INTO THAT COMMUNITY DYNAMIC.
WE DEVELOPED THOSE RULES, WE DEVELOP THOSE POLICIES WITH THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE LIVING ON THE SITE, AND WE CONSISTENTLY REVIEW AND REVISE THOSE RULES TO MAKE SURE WE AT LEAST HAVE A CORE GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT, UM, THAT HAD A VOICE AT THE TABLE IN DECIDING THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND IF FOLKS STAY IN SHELTER, THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY WILL LEAVE SUCCESSFULLY.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF EXITS OUT OF SHELTER BECAUSE OF THAT MISALIGNMENT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, THAT WE, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, PROACTIVELY ADDRESS.
AND I THINK IT'S FUNDAMENTALLY EIGHTH STREET ARCH MARSHALING YARD.
THOSE ARE ALL CONGREGATE SHELTER.
THEY'RE NON CONGREGATE, AND YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT HAS PLAYED ITSELF OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
BUT THE PLAN IS TO BRING ON CONGREGATE SHELTER, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, AS PART OF THE EXPANSION.
NO, THE EXPANSION IS NON CONGREGATE SHELTER.
IT IS REQUIRED BY THE GRANT, UH, ISSUED BY, UH, BY HUD.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S A NON CONGREGATE EMERGENCY SHELTER.
WELL THEN, UM, JUST ANOTHER QUESTION ON THE FUNDING PIECE, SINCE WE'RE ON THE, OR, WE'RE ON THE FUNDING CHART, YOU WITH THE, UM, FY 29 TO 31 OUTLOOK FOR YOUR PROJECTED OPERATING SPENDING.
THE, HOW DOES THE TDCH FUNDING REFLECT IN THIS, IN THOSE YEARS? SO THE T-D-H-C-A FUNDING IS, UM, CAPITAL ONLY MOVING FORWARD.
SO THOUGH THEY HAD, UH, MADE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN OPERATING IN ESPERANZA IN THE PAST, THAT WAS TIED TO ARPA AND HAS NO REPLACEMENT FUNDS.
SO, UM, SO THE CAPITAL IS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT FUTURE STACK.
UM, IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE PAST IN THE PRIOR 'CAUSE I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE CITY'S INVESTMENT, UM, IN ESPERANZA AS WELL AS TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH WAS ALL CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
BUT MOVING FORWARD THAT, UH, THAT CAPITAL INVESTMENT IS COMING FROM T-D-H-C-A AND THE OPERATING HAS TO COME FROM ALL OTHER SOURCES.
THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION DOES HAVE A, UM, ESG CONTRACT WITH T-D-H-C-A THAT WE HOPE TO LEAN INTO AND, UM, AND EXPAND TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT STATE, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO DRAW DOWN STATE FUNDING.
RUN THAT LAST PIECE AGAIN BY ME.
SO, UH, TWO IS CURRENTLY A RECIPIENT OF ESG FUNDS EMERGENCY SOLUTION GRANT FUNDS THROUGH T-D-H-C-A.
IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL CONTRACT, JUST UNDER $400,000.
UM, BUT WE'LL BE WORKING TO RETAIN THAT AND EXPAND IT OVER THE YEARS AS WE EXPAND.
SO, BUT AS FAR AS THE PROJECTION OF THE OUTLOOK FOR TWO, IT'S THE CITY THAT WOULD BE ABSORBING THE PORTION OF THE STATE FUNDING THAT WAS COMING IN THROUGH THE ARPA DOLLARS IN THESE FY 29 TO 31.
WELL, FOR THE EXPANSION, THE 29 TO 31 IS, IS ADDING 325
[00:40:01]
UNITS.SO T-D-H-C-A DID NOT HAVE ANY AR YOU KNOW, THESE ARE NEW BEDS WITH NO EXISTING FUNDING MODEL TO LEAN ON.
UM, SO THE FUNDING MODEL THAT YOU'RE SEEING PRIOR IS, IS FOR THE EXISTING SHELTER, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
I, UH, FIRST OF ALL, A LOT OF ENCOURAGING THINGS IN THE REPORT.
PI WANTED TO BUILD ON, UH, THE CHAIR'S QUESTION ABOUT 29 TO 31.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THIS, YOU'RE PROJECTING THE CITY CONTRIBUTION TO BASICALLY DOUBLE DURING THAT WINDOW.
UH, CAN YOU EXPAND ON WHAT THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS WITH THAT? YEAH, SO THE CITY'S CURRENT INVESTMENT IN ESPERANZA IS, UM, UH, IF OUR CURRENT 200 UNITS IS A JUST BELOW 50% OF THE OPERATING.
UM, AND SO WE USED A SIMILAR MODEL.
I MEAN, THE CITY IS DEFINITELY A CORE FOUNDATIONAL PART FUNDING PARTNER IN THIS MODELING.
UM, AND, UH, WE BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA BRING THE VALUE AND THE SERVICES TO THE CITY.
WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO DIVERSIFY THAT FUNDING MODEL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT THERE'S NOT THAT MANY ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES IF WE WANNA MAKE THIS PROJECT HAPPEN.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE EXPECTATION IS TO RELY ON WHAT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT A $3 MILLION INCREASE IN THAT WINDOW.
UM, THAT RIGHT NOW THE ASSUMPTION IS TO RELY ON THE CITY.
UM, I WANTED TO TALK REALLY BRIEFLY ABOUT, UH, TWO OTHER THINGS.
ONE IS, I SAW THAT WHEN YOU HAD THE, UM, THE LENGTH OF, UH, HOW ARE YOU CHARACTERIZING IT HERE? OH, HERE WE GO.
IT'S ON, UH, I THINK SLIDE 11.
IT'S THE CLIENT CUMULATIVE MONTHS OF HOMELESSNESS ON INTAKE.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, HAVE BEEN THERE FOR OVER, UH, OVER 12 MONTHS.
IS THAT I DIRECTLY INTERPRETING THAT? YES.
SO, UH, BUT I WILL CLARIFY THAT PEOPLE CAN BE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS WHEN AT INTAKE.
SO, UM, CHRONICALLY HOMELESS DOES NOT NECESSARILY INDICATE THAT THEY'VE BEEN AT THAT SHELTER FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR HOMELESSNESS.
IT MEANS THAT THEY'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FOR GREATER, FOR, FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.
UM, BUT GENERALLY THE MAJORITY OF OUR FOLKS COMING IN ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
UM, THAT AS WE EXPAND AND INCREASE OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY, UM, WE'LL LIKELY SEE THAT THE, THAT PIE, UH, SHIFT A BIT.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA GET FOLKS WHO JUST ENTER HOMELESSNESS, UH, EARLY AND WANNA GET THROUGH THAT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY.
SO WE'RE HOPING IT WITH THAT SUBPOPULATION OF PEOPLE THAT THAT ACTUALLY BRINGS DOWN OUR LENGTH OF STAY A BIT.
UM, WHILE FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS MAY HAVE A LONGER WAIT FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING BED, BUT I'M READING THIS AS ABOUT A TWO TO ONE RATIO, AND YES.
THE FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, AGAIN, THAT'S THAT'S THE RIGHT TERMINOLOGY, BUT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR, HAVE BEEN HOMELESS FOR MORE THAN 12 MONTHS.
UM, AND THIS JUST TIES INTO, I THINK, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTAKE SYSTEM AND HOW YOU'RE GETTING THESE REFERRALS.
UM, ANY SORT OF CONCLUSIONS FROM THE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS VERSUS THE MORE RECENTLY HOMELESS, OR LESS THAN NOT CHRONICALLY HOMELESS IN TERMS OF WHERE YOU ARE, WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM, WHETHER THEY'RE THE REFERRALS FROM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER THEY'RE FROM SOME OTHER PLACES.
GENERALLY OUTREACH PROVIDERS OR LIKE THE NA OR NAVIGATION CENTERS, UM, ARE GONNA REFER THEIR MOST IN NEED FOLKS.
RIGHT? THEY KIND OF SELF FILTER THOSE REFERRALS.
AND SO WE'RE LIKELY TO GET FOLKS WITH MORE, UM, UH, DISABLING CONDITIONS WITH FOLKS THAT ARE MORE VULNERABLE, LIVING ON THE STREET FROM THOSE OUTREACH TEAMS. AND SIMILARLY FROM CENTRAL HEALTH, RIGHT? YOU HAVE FOLKS WITH RECENT CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR, OR, UM, SIGNIFICANT MENTAL MEDICAL IMPAIRMENTS.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT GROUP OF FOLKS ARE LIKELY TO COME TO US WITH A LENGTHIER, UH, HOMELESS HISTORY.
UM, OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOCUS WERE, UM, THOSE FOLKS HAVE JUST NOT BEEN W WEATHERED BY THE TRAUMA OF HOMELESSNESS FOR AS LONG, AND THEY'RE STILL MOTIVATED AND, AND FEEL THAT, THAT HOPE TO, UM, TO LIFT THEMSELVES OUT OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO THAT TENDS TO BE THOSE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HOMELESS A LITTLE BIT LONG, UH, LESS DIRECTION.
AND YOU'RE KIND OF HEADING THE DIRECTION.
MY NEXT QUESTION, WHICH WAS UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE POSITIVE ACCESS BETWEEN THE SUCCESS AT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
ARE YOU SEEING A LARGE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE, THAT ARE LIVING THERE THAT ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS VERSUS THE ONES THAT ARE ZERO TO 11 MONTHS? UM, THERE'S DEFINITELY DIFFERENT SERVICE
[00:45:01]
NEEDS.UM, THEY, THEY ARE TWO DISTINCT KIND OF PATHWAYS THROUGH OUR SERVICES.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE POPULATION OF PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE, LIKE COMMUNITY, EVERYBODY COMES TOGETHER.
I, YOU, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE AND THEY CONNECT ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL THAN HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN HOMELESS OR WHAT THEIR, THEIR MEDICAL CONDITIONS MIGHT BE.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE ARE TWO PRETTY DISTINCT ARRAYS OF SERVICES THAT WE HAVE TO APPLY.
AND, AND THEY DO OVERLAP, RIGHT? LIKE, WE DO THESE INDIVIDUAL SERVICE PLANS, YOU'RE NOT PUT ON A TRACK AND THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE ACCESS TO.
UM, BUT, BUT IT IS TO, UM, KIND OF GENERAL GROUPINGS OF SERVICE.
UH, LAST QUESTIONS ARE JUST ABOUT THE POSITIVE EXITS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, CAN YOU, I, MY COLLEAGUES PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THIS, BUT CAN YOU FOR MY EDIFICATION, EXPLAIN WHAT A POSITIVE EXIT MEANS FOR YOU ALL? YEAH.
A POSITIVE EXIT IS PERMANENT HOUSING PLACEMENT.
AND SO THAT COULD BE IN A SUBSIDIZED, UNSUBSIDIZED UNIT.
UM, IT COULD BE RECONNECTING WITH FAMILY AND BEING PLACED THERE AS LONG AS, UH, IT'S, IT'S STABLE, IT'S EXPECTED TO LAST.
UM, YOU KNOW, DO Y'ALL DO ANY KIND OF ONE YEAR FOLLOW UP? SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
SO WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE THE RESOURCES IN ORDER TO DO THAT SORT OF FOLLOW UP.
BUT WE ARE ABLE TO TRACK SOME OF IT THROUGH HMIS AND, UM, AND THROUGH OUR PSH PARTNERS.
SO WE WILL, UM, OFTEN, YOU KNOW, WE STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH A LOT OF CLIENTS, BUT IT'S NOT A CONSISTENT SCIENTIFIC TRACKING.
DOES ANYBODY DO THAT TRACKING? UH, I MEAN, IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, AT THE CITY OR PUBLIC HEALTH OR ANY OF THE PROVIDERS OR, OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? I COULDN'T, I COULDN'T SAY.
UM, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE CENTRAL QUESTIONS THAT I'VE GOT.
I KNOW THAT, AND Y'ALL MIGHT REMEMBER, WE DID A BUDGET Q AND A WHERE WE TRIED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE CITY WERE USING FOR KPIS IN THIS SPACE.
AND AS I, I PULL THAT UP AND I'VE LOOKED AT IT IN COMPARISON TO TRY AND GAUGE, AND I HATE TO SAY A LOT OF IT'S VERY APPLES AND ORANGES.
UH, AND THIS IS NOT A REFLECTION, THIS, BY THE WAY, NOT ANY WAY A REFLECTION.
LIKE I, IF ANYTHING, I SENSE THAT THAT'S PROBABLY A VERY ACCURATE NUMBER YOU'RE SHARING WITH US ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE EITHER, IT SOUNDS LIKE MOVING ON TO PSH OR RESOLVING VIA FAMILY CONNECTION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT AS I LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HOW FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES IS REPORTING THE INFORMATION, I'M NOT, I'M EITHER NOT SEEING SOMETHING THAT'S COMPARABLE TO THAT KIND OF DATA.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT LIKE RIO BRAND AND HOW THEY'RE MEASURING, UM, PUBLIC BENEFITS AND HOUSING, THEY'RE REPORTING ALMOST LIKE A 99%, UH, PERCENT OF HOUSEHOLDS AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS THAT MAINTAIN HOUSING.
AND SO PART OF MY STRUGGLE IS FIGURING OUT LIKE, HOW DO WE COMPARE THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND THEY'RE EXIT MEASUREMENTS AGAINST HOW THE OTHER PROVIDERS ARE WORKING IN THIS SPACE.
AND RIGHT NOW, THAT IS JUST A STRUGGLE.
LIKE, I, I DON'T HAVE A WINDOW INTO THAT EITHER, EITHER BASED ON THE WAY THAT THEY'RE REPORTING THE INFORMATION, AT LEAST IN THE KPIS THAT WE WERE SHARED WITH LAST YEAR.
IT JUST FEELS LIKE I'M, UM, THAT, THAT THERE'S NO STANDARD WAY OF REPORTING OR THAT I JUST DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
AND SO IT'S VERY HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER 58% IS A GREAT NUMBER, WHETHER IT'S A, A WORK IN PROGRESS NUMBER, WHETHER YOU'RE SORT OF LEADING THE CHARGE IN THAT SPACE.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER CONTEXT YOU CAN SHARE WITH ME ABOUT WHAT THAT 58% MEANS RELATIVE TO, UH, AN INDUSTRY STANDARD IF THERE IS SUCH A THING.
'CAUSE I'M NOT CONVINCED THERE IS, FROM EVEN LOOKING AT OUR OWN REPORTING FROM HOW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE TRYING TO REPORT OUT KIND OF SIMILAR HOUSING KPIS.
IT'S, UM, I DON'T HAVE, I, I HAVE SEARCHED FOR THAT NATIONAL NUMBER.
AND IT'S, UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I, UH, I HAVE FELT VERY COMFORTABLE IN BECAUSE SHELTERS VARY GREATLY, RIGHT? FROM, UM, FAMILY SHELTERS, WHICH TEND TO HAVE VERY, VERY HIGH SUCCESS RATE COMPARED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS, SINGLE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND, UH, AND ALSO THE, THE SHELTER MODELS CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY, UM, IN, IN, SO IT, IT IS DIFFICULT TO NAIL DOWN A NATIONAL AVERAGE.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT JUST HAVING GONE THROUGH CONTRACTING WITH HSO, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A, A STRONG FOCUS ON ALIGNING, UM, THE OUTCOME MEASURES FOR SIMILAR CONTRACTS.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A, A DATA POINT FOR FUTURE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ASSESSMENT IS, IS, YOU KNOW, IF ALL SHELTERS HAVE THE SAME OUTCOME MEASURE, HOW ARE THEY, HOW ARE THEY HOLDING UP? YEAH.
[00:50:01]
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.I MEAN, SAFE IS LISTED IN HERE WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO MEASURE THEIR DATA.
AND THEY, THE WAY IT'S CLASSIFIED IN HERE IS THE NUMBER OF CASE MANAGED HOUSEHOLDS THAT TRANSITION FROM HOMELESSNESS INTO HOUSING, WHICH I'M ASSUMING IS SOMEWHAT COMPARABLE TO WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT WITH YOUR EXIT NUMBER.
AND THEY REPORT A 64%, UH, EXIT RATE WITH A GOAL OF 80%.
AND, UM, BUT LATER THEY, THEY HAVE OTHER DATA POINTS LIKE FOR VICTIM SERVICES THAT, UH, IS HIGHER.
IT'S LIKE ALMOST 80% REPORTED RATE.
SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU ARE REPORTING 58%, IS THERE A REASON THAT, UM, IT'S MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOU ALL TO PLACE EXITS THAN SAFE ALLIANCE? OR ARE AGAIN, AM I JUST LOOKING AT SORT OF APPLES AND ORANGES HERE? ARE WE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING? YEAH, I THINK, I THINK IT'S TRYING, UM, IT, IT'S DIFFICULT TO GENERALIZE.
I MEAN, IF YOU THINK OF THE CLIENT PROFILE AND THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY MAKE BECOMING WITH THIS IS, THIS IS NOT, UM, TO PUT ONE AGAINST THE OTHER.
BUT IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY FLEEING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHO MAY BE, YOU KNOW, I, THERE'S TOO MANY FACTORS, I GUESS IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
HOW LONG WAS THAT PERSON EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHEN THEY EN ENTERED SAFE SERVICES? UM, THERE'S A NUMBER VERSUS HOW LONG HAS SOMEBODY BEEN HOMELESS THAT HAS BEEN AT ESPERANZA.
UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF WAYS OF SLICING IT THAT YOU WILL SEE TRENDS.
THE LONGER SOMEBODY IS HOMELESS, THE LONGER IT WILL TAKE THEM TO, TO REENTER HOUSING.
AND, AND THE LOWER, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RATIO LIKELY.
UM, SO THERE ARE SOME POPULATION, UH, CONSIDERATIONS IN WAYS THAT YOU CAN SLICE AND DICE THE DATA.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE PROGRAM, THE, THE POPULATION THAT THE PROGRAM IS SERVING IS OF SIGNIFICANCE IN TERMS OF COMPARING THESE, THESE TWO OUTCOME MEASURES.
WELL, THAT MAY BE A CONVERSATION YOU AND I CAN HAVE OFFLINE ABOUT THAT AND MAYBE ALSO FOLLOW WITH, WITH, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH ABOUT HOW WE ARE COLLECTING INFORMATION FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
'CAUSE I, I DO SENSE THAT THERE'S A, A GAP HERE OR SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS WE CAN WORK ON, OR REALLY THAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH THAT THERE'S, DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THERE'S A CONSISTENT WAY THAT WE CAN REPORT AND INTERNALIZE THIS, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF SUBJECTIVITY BASED ON THE PROFILE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OR THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF THE WORK AN ORGANIZATION IS DOING.
AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE HUNGRY TO UNDERSTAND, ARE WE BEING SUCCESSFUL IN THIS SPACE AS WE MAKE INVESTMENTS THERE? YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE COUNTING ON THE CITY FOR ANOTHER $3 MILLION STARTING IN 2029, I'D WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DEMONSTRATE TO PEOPLE THAT THIS IS RELATIVELY SUCCESSFUL, RIGHT? THAT, THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN TURN AROUND LIVES.
SO, UM, SO I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE PROBABLY NEED TO FOLLOW UP WITH Y'ALL ABOUT AS WELL AS PROBABLY WORK WITH CITY STAFF AND FIGURE OUT IS THERE A, IS THERE A BETTER WAY OF UNDERSTANDING AND TALKING ABOUT THIS KIND OF SUCCESS? AND MAYBE THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO REPORT IT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE DONE SOME HOMEWORK TOO AND HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATED BY NATIONAL DATA OR THE LACK THEREOF OF A STANDARD.
SO I'D LIKE TO TRY AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE SOME PROGRESS ON THIS GOING FORWARD.
I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT THAT.
READY? I WOULD JUST SAY THIS KIND OF BUILDS INTO THE NOT A CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD HERE BEFORE AS A, AS A BODY OF SERVING FEWER PEOPLE WITH HIGHER SUCCESS OR SERVING MORE PEOPLE WITH FEWER SUCCESS, RIGHT? NO COMMUNITY HAS CRACKED THAT CODE, BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT WHAT YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT FOR RIO GRANDE LEGAL AID, THAT'S ON THE PREVENTION SIDE, RIGHT? THEY'RE KEEPING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES, AND SO THEY ARE HAVING 99% SUCCESS RATES BECAUSE PREVENTION IS REALLY CHEAP AND REALLY EFFECTIVE.
BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY ON THE STREETS? AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SERVE A HUNDRED OF THEM REALLY WELL, OR WE COULD SERVE 300 OF THEM, MAYBE NOT QUITE AS WELL, BUT AT LEAST YOU'RE SERVING THEM SOME.
IT, IT'S, SO I THINK YOU'RE GETTING AT THE EXACT QUESTIONS THAT, UH, I HAVE TO IMAGINE, I I'M NOT THE, THE ONLY ONE STRUGGLING WITH THIS QUESTION.
AND IT'S WHAT, UH, I KNOW DIRECTOR GRAY HAS TRIED TO BUILD HIS PLAN AND MODEL AROUND OF WHAT, WHAT IS THE RIGHT ANSWER? UM, AND, AND I THINK YOU KINDA HAVE TO PULL FROM BOTH ENDS, RIGHT? YOU GOTTA STOP THE INFLOW, YOU GOT TO HELP THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN THERE THE LONGEST.
BUT HOW DO YOU THEN SAY, OKAY, WELL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE FOR SIX MONTHS, WHO WE KNOW, WE COULD PROBABLY HAVE BETTER EXIT RATES IF WE POURED RESOURCE INTO THERE, BUT THAT'S IGNORING THE PERSON WHO'S BEEN THERE FOR SIX YEARS.
UM, SO I, I JUST, I I THINK THERE WERE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
I, I WISH WE HAD BETTER ANSWERS.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD SEGUE THAT TO OUR NEXT ITEM.
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APPRECIATE YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR TODAY'S ROBUST CONVERSATION AND ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT IS TAKING PLACE AT THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION ESPERANZA EXPANSION.
SO, FOR MOVING ON, CAN I MAKE, OH, CAN I MAKE ONE COMMENT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM BEFORE WE MOVE ON? YES.
I WISH I COULD BE THERE IN PERSON TODAY.
UM, JUST AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT EFFECTIVENESS, I, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M STRUCK BY, IN PARTICULAR THIS SLIDE ABOUT GRA GRASSROOTS EFFORT TO ESTABLISH COMMUNITY PARTNER.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT I FIND TO BE QUITE IMPORTANT IS THE CAPACITY BUILDING THAT AUSTIN SUPPORT HAS ALLOWED.
AND AS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A LOT OF GROWTH IN HOMELESSNESS IN NORTH AND NORTHWEST AUSTIN, I, I REALLY WANNA COMMENT THAT, UM, WHEN WE SPEAK TO THE CHARLIE CENTER, THE PRIMARY PROVIDER, UH, THE PRIMARY ENTITY THAT'S CONNECTING THE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS TO OPTIONS THAT CAN HELP THEM TO GET OUT OF IT, WE HEAR THAT ESPERANZA IS THE ONE PLACE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO FIND SOME, UH, SOMEPLACE THAT, THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS CAN GO.
AND SO AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT BOTH EFFECTIVENESS AND BUILDING OUR CAPACITY, I WOULD SAY THAT CHARLIE CENTER IS IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THAT GROWTH TOWARDS BEING A REALLY ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY PARTNER AND HAVING THE ABILITY TO HAVE ANOTHER ENTITY THAT IS SUCCEEDING AND, AND HELPING THEM TO FIND PLACEMENTS AND IS ALREADY FARTHER ALONG THE PATH IS, IS GREAT.
AND IT IS ALSO A HALLMARK OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS, OF THIS PATTERN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PREVENTION AND, AND FROM FALLING INTO BEING CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, THOSE EFFORTS REALLY MUST BE DECENTRALIZED, I THINK, SO THAT PEOPLE REMAIN IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTS THAT THEY DO HAVE THAT CAN BE PART OF LIFTING ONESELF OUT OF HOMELESSNESS.
BUT I ALSO JUST WANNA, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS MODEL AND THE TYPES OF SUPPORT THAT ARE PROVIDED, AND ALSO JUST THE GROWTH THAT HAS OCCURRED AND FROM WHERE I STAND IN THE CITY IS WORKING TO HELP US HAVE SOME SOLUTIONS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT EXPERIENCE FROM OUR DISTRICT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILOR LANE, AND THANK YOU MS. BAKER FOR BEING HERE.
[3. Update on E-Cigarette Retail Resolution No. 20250522-054. [Cassandra DeLeon, Deputy Director and Stephanie Helfman, Program Manager - Austin Public Health].]
WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.THIS IS AN UPDATE ON THE E-CIGARETTE RETAIL RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED BACK IN MAY OF LAST YEAR.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME CASSANDRA DELEON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR AN UPDATE ON THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY AND ALSO WANNA WELCOME MY COLLEAGUE STEPHANIE HOFFMAN, WHO WAS LEADING, UH, THE WORK ON THE STAFF RESPONSE FOR, UM, THE RESOLUTION THAT'S RELATED TO, UM, COUNSEL PROVIDING US GUIDANCE TO CONSIDER WHAT CAN BE DONE REGARDING, UH, UH, VAPE, SYNTHETIC CIGARETTE, SYNTHETIC, UH, NICOTINE THAT'S BEING SOLD, UH, WITHIN, UH, A THOUSAND FEET OF A SCHOOL, UH, A, UH, DAYCARE CENTER, UM, IN AREAS WHERE WE KNOW THAT, UM, UH, CHILDREN MAY BE AT RISK OF OBTAINING A, UH, UH, TOBACCO PRODUCT.
UM, SO WE'LL KIND OF JUMP INTO IT.
UH, AGAIN, STAFF WERE DIRECTED TO EXPLORE OPTIONS TO REGULATE THE CELL OF SYNTHETIC NICOTINE PRODUCTS AND E-CIGARETTES OF ANY KIND, SO THAT NONE OF THESE PRODUCTS MAY BE SOLD WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL, PRIVATE SCHOOL, OR, UH, DAYCARE.
UH, THE KEY DIRECTIVES WERE TO IDENTIFY EFFECTIVE BUSINESSES, CONDUCT STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AND PROVIDE A MEMO SUMMARIZING THE FEEDBACK.
WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO TODAY IS WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU THE UPDATE ON, UH, WHAT OUR RESEARCH FOUND, UH, WHAT THE ENGAGEMENT, UH, FINDINGS WERE, AND WHAT THE, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATIONS AND ADVISE ON NEXT STEPS.
AND I WILL HAND IT OVER NOW TO STEPHANIE HOPE AND TO PROVIDE, UM, FEEDBACK ON THE ENGAGEMENT IN THE PROCESS.
SO TO START OFF WITH THE SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH PHASE, UH, WE FIRST BEGAN WITH A MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL WORK GROUP, UM, TO CONVENE ON THIS ISSUE.
AND DURING THE RESEARCH PHASE, WE REALLY HAD THE THREE MAIN QUESTIONS.
ONE WAS, WHAT DOES THE TOBACCO RETAIL ENVIRONMENT LOOK LIKE IN AUSTIN? WHAT HAVE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES DONE AS IT RELATES TO THESE TYPES OF ORDINANCES? AND THE THIRD, UH, QUESTION WAS, WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS OF THE ORDINANCE? UH, WE CONDUCTED MAPPING OF THE TOBACCO RETAILERS IN AUSTIN, AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THERE ARE OVER 600 RETAILERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF SCHOOLS AND DAYCARE CENTERS.
MOST OF THESE RETAILERS HAVE LICENSES TO SELL BOTH TO TOBACCO, UM, PRODUCTS AS WELL AS E-CIGARETTES.
AND WE KNOW FROM NATIONAL DATA THAT, UH,
[01:00:01]
YOUNG PEOPLE WHO GET TOBACCO FROM RETAILERS, UM, GET THOSE PRODUCTS BOTH FROM VAPE STORES, WHICH IS ABOUT 22% OF WHERE THEY'RE GETTING THOSE PRODUCTS FROM.AND CONVENIENCE STORES IS ABOUT CLOSE TO 16% WHEN IT COMES TO THE RETAIL ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY'RE PURCHASING THE PRODUCTS.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE, UH, TEXAS MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAD THESE TYPES OF ORDINANCES, AND THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ORDINANCES REALLY ONLY AFFECTED VAPE STORES.
AND SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE LOOKED OUTSIDE OF TEXAS AT ADDITIONAL MUNICIPALITIES AND FOUND, UM, MANY, MANY CITIES IN, IN CALIFORNIA THAT HAD THIS TYPE OF ORDINANCE.
AND BY DOING THAT, WE DID FIND THAT THERE ARE THREE POSSIBLE MECHANISM MECHANISMS TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS OF THE RESOLUTION.
AND THEY ARE, ONE IS A TOBACCO RETAIL LICENSE ORDINANCE, A LOCAL ORDINANCE.
TWO IS DIRECT REGULATION, AND THREE IS A ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE FOUND FROM THE RESEARCH, THE SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH PHASE.
THEN, UM, WE ALSO CONDUCTED, I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? I THOUGHT IT WAS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
THE THREE, THE THREE MECHANISMS, YES.
UH, THE LOCAL TOBACCO RETAIL LICENSE, UHHUH DIRECT REGULATION WOULD BE TWO, AND THE THIRD IS A ZONING ORDINANCE.
OKAY, SO MOVING ON TO STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE CONDUCTED STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, UH, FROM BUSINESSES THAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY IMPACTED BY THE ORDINANCE, AND THESE INCLUDE CONVENIENCE STORES, GROCERY STORES, AND VAPE STORES.
SO OUR OUTREACH CONSISTED OF MAILING 80 LETTERS TO VAPE STORES, EMAILS TO OVER 500.
UM, GROCERY STORES AND CONVENIENCE STORES.
WE INVITED RETAILERS TO ATTEND TWO, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FORUMS, UM, TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
AND WE ALSO HAD AN EMAIL ADDRESS WHERE THEY COULD PROVIDE FEEDBACK OR REACH OUT TO US IF THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THE FORUMS. SO IN TOTAL, WE HAD FIVE ATTENDEES IN THE FORUMS, AND THEY REPRESENTED FOUR CONVENIENCE STORES AND ONE GROCERY STORE.
WE DID NOT HAVE ANY REPRESENTATIVES FROM VAPE STORES IN THE FORUMS, AND AS A RESULT, WE DID DIRECT OUTREACH TO THE VAPE STORES.
AND THROUGH THAT DIRECT OUTREACH, WE'RE ABLE TO CONDUCT TWO ADDITIONAL KEY INFORMING INTERVIEWS WITH OWNERS OR MANAGERS OF VAPE STORES.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE FACILITATED SIX STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS WITH SCHOOLS, UH, SCHOOL PERSONNEL, CHILDCARE CENTERS, YOUTH SERVING ORGANIZATIONS, AND WE DID HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM BOTH AUSTIN ISD AS WELL AS DELL VALLEY ISD IN THOSE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS.
SO TO SUMMARIZE SOME OF THE FINDINGS FROM THOSE, UM, FROM THE ENGAGEMENT, I FIRST WANNA START WITH THE ENGAGEMENT FINDINGS FROM SCHOOLS AND YOUTH SERVING ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A SURPRISE, BUT SCHOOLS REPORTED THAT E-CIGARETTES E-CIGARETTE USE IS EXTREMELY DISRUPTIVE IN THE SCHOOLS AND THAT THERE ARE MANY INFRACTIONS.
UM, IN GENERAL, THEY SAW A POSITIVE, UH, EFFECT OF LIMITING NEW TOBACCO AND E-CIGARETTE RETAILERS NEAR SCHOOLS, NOTING THAT IN THE LONG TERM, THIS COULD MAKE IT HARDER FOR STUDENTS TO EITHER ACCESS PRODUCTS OR COULD REDUCE THEIR EXPOSURE TO MARKETING IN THE STORES RELATED TO TOBACCO.
UH, THEY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT GRANDFATHERING OF EXISTING STORES, UM, NOTING THAT THAT WOULD LIMIT THE EFFECTIVENESS.
AND THEY ALSO MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF JUST CONTINUING TO HAVE HIGHER ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL THE RETAILERS AND ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS RELATED TO SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND E-CIGARETTES TO MINERS.
TO SUMMARIZE THE FEEDBACK FROM THE RETAILERS OR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THEIR CONCERN WAS ABOUT A POTENTIAL NEGATIVE BUSINESS IMPACT.
AND THIS WAS RELATED TO REDUCING MARKET COMPETITION BECAUSE THE GRANDFATHERED STORES WOULD NOT HAVE NEW STORES MOVING IN RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THEM, SO THEY WOULD HAVE LESS COMPETITION AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, A HARDER TIME FINDING NEW LOCATIONS, UM, TO EXPAND TO BECAUSE OF THE BUFFER ZONE.
UH, SOME OF THEM FELT THAT IF THE ORDINANCE INCLUDES ALL TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND NOT JUST E-CIGARETTES AND SYNTHETIC NICOTINE, THAT THAT WOULD BE AN OVERREACH GOING BEYOND THE ADDITI THE, UH, INITIAL, UM, GOALS OF THE RESOLUTION, SOME FELT THAT A THOUSAND FEET WAS TOO LARGE OF A BUFFER, AND THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT EXEMPTION OF GROCERY STORES.
AND AS WE GET INTO THE ACTUAL, UM, PROPOSED ORDINANCE LANGUAGE, YOU'LL SEE THERE IS AN EXEMPTION FOR LARGER RETAILERS AT OUR GROCERY RETAILERS AND OTHER TYPES OF REAL RETAILERS THAT COULD BE SELLING FOOD.
SO AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE ARE THE THREE DIFFERENT MECHANISMS FOR ACCOMPLISHING THE GOALS OF THE RESOLUTION.
UM, AND BEING TOBACCO RETAILER LICENSING, DIRECT REGULATION AND ZONING, WE FOUND, UM, THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO IMPLEMENT A LOCAL TOBACCO RETAILER LICENSE IN, IN TEXAS DUE TO PREEMPTION, WHERE, UH, LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES ARE SPECIFICALLY PREEMPTED
[01:05:01]
FROM DOING ANYTHING AROUND LICENSING THAT'S HANDLED AT THE STATE LEVEL BY THE TEXAS CONTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.SO RIGHT AWAY THE LICENSING WAS OFF THE TABLE.
WE LOOKED AT DIRECT REGULATION AND THROUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CONTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS, REALIZED THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO REALLY ENFORCE THAT TYPE OF RESOLUTION UNLIKE ALCOHOL, WHERE THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP WITH TABC AND WHEN A PERMANENT IS ISSUED, TABC WILL COME TO THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITY AND SAY, CAN WE ISSUE THIS PERMIT? IS IT WITHIN A BUFFER? AND THERE'S THAT CHECK AND BALANCE THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH TOBACCO.
SO THERE'S NO WAY TO, UH, KEEP RETAILERS IN THE BUFFER FROM GETTING THOSE LICENSES.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY, UM, IT'S NOT REALLY POSSIBLE TO ENFORCE THAT TYPE OF REGULATION.
SO AS A RESULT, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION IS A ZONING ORDINANCE TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS OF THE RESOLUTION.
WE ALSO AT PUBLIC HEALTH RECOMMEND, UH, THAT THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE BE BROADENED TO EXTEND TO ALL TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND NOT JUST E-CIGARETTES AND SYNTHETIC NICOTINE.
AND THE REASONS FOR THIS ARE, THERE'S, THERE'S A COUPLE REASONS.
ONE IS NO TOBACCO PRODUCTS ARE SAFE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
SECOND REASON IS THERE'S REALLY VERY LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SYNTHETIC NICOTINE AND NICOTINE THAT'S DERIVED FROM A TOBACCO PRODUCT.
UM, ALSO WE KNOW MOST PEOPLE WHO START SMOKING START YOUNG.
MOST PEOPLE START BEFORE THE AGE OF 18.
SO THERE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE USING COMBUSTIBLE CIGARETTES AND OTHER FORMS OF TOBACCO.
UM, BUT REALLY ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES IS THAT THE TOBACCO LANDSCAPE IS CHANGING VERY QUICKLY AND NEW PRODUCTS ARE BEING INTRODUCED ALL THE TIME.
FOR EXAMPLE, NOW THERE ARE NEW DISSOLVABLE TOBACCO PRODUCTS THAT ARE COMING ON THE MARKET SUCH AS NICOTINE STICKS, UM, NICOTINE LOZENGES.
A LOT OF THESE PRODUCTS LOOK LIKE HARD CANDY.
A LOT OF THEM ARE FLAVORED, UM, AND THEY CAN APPEAL TO YOUTH.
AND SO BY INCLUDING ALL TOBACCO PRODUCTS IN THIS TYPE OF ORDINANCE, IT WILL CAPTURE THE NEW PRODUCTS AS THEY ARE EMERGING AND AS THEY'RE INTRODUCED, WHETHER THEY'RE MADE OF SYNTHETIC NICOTINE OR NICOTINE FROM TOBACCO.
AND THIS WILL MAKE THE ORDINANCE MORE EVERGREEN AND REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF LOOPHOLES IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND FINALLY, AND THERE'S A QUESTION OF, UM, EASE OF ENFORCEMENT AND EXPANDING THIS TYPE OF ORDINANCE TO ALL TOBACCO PRODUCTS NEAR SCHOOLS WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO ENFORCE BECAUSE THEN YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO IDENTIFY WHICH PRODUCTS CONTAIN SYNTHETIC SYNTHETIC NICOTINE AND WHICH PRODUCTS, UM, CONTAIN NICOTINE DERIVED FROM TOBACCO TO DETERMINE IF THERE WERE ANY INFRACTIONS.
UM, FINALLY, UH, JUST TO NOTE THAT THE GRANDFATHERING IS, UM, IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS TYPE OF ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT IS A ZONING ORDINANCE.
THERE IS A STATE LAW THAT STATES THAT WHEN LAND, WHEN A LAND USED IS TAKEN AWAY, THE CITY MUST PAY THE BUSINESS FOR THE USE FOR THE USE THAT THEY'RE LOSING.
AND AS I MENTIONED ALREADY, THERE ARE OVER 600 RETAILERS THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE BUFFER ZONE ALREADY.
UM, SO TO SUMMARIZE THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGE, UM, AS IT RELATES TO ZONING, STAFF DO RECOMMEND CREATING A NEW LAND USE THAT WOULD RESTRICT THE LOCATION OF NEW TOBACCO OR E-CIGARETTE RETAILERS WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF SCHOOLS AND CHILDCARE CENTERS.
AND AGAIN, THIS WOULD ONLY IMPACT THE NEW RETAILERS.
SO THE EXISTING RETAILERS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO SELL TOBACCO AND E-CIGARETTES.
AND THIS DOES IMPACT BOTH VAPE STORES AND OTHER RETAILERS LIKE CONVENIENCE STORES.
HOWEVER, TO REDUCE THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OR POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES AROUND LIMITING A FULL SERVICE GROCERY STORE EXPANSION IN AN AREA OF LOW FOOD ACCESS, UH, STORES THAT HAVE FOOD USE OR GENERAL RETAIL GENERAL USE THAT ARE OVER 12,000 SQUARE FEET WOULD BE EXEMPTED AND THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO, UM, TO OPEN UP.
IN ADDITION, UM, WE ALSO RECOMMEND SOME UPDATES TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH CODE, UH, AGAIN TO CLOSE SOME OF THE LOOPHOLES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
SO WE RECOMMEND UPDATING CHAPTERS 10.4 MINERS ACCESS TO TOBACCO, AS WELL AS 10 11 ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICES TO INCLUDE SYNTHETIC NICOTINE DEVICES AND NICOTINE ANALOGS IN THE DEFINITION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
UM, AND THE DEFINITION OF E-CIGARETTES.
AND THE REASON FOR THIS IS IN 2022, THE FDA, THEY ALSO UPDATED THEIR DEFINITION OF TOBACCO PRODUCT TO INCLUDE ALL PRODUCTS OR ANY PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN NICOTINE FOR ANY SOURCE.
AND THAT'S DUE TO THE PREVALENCE OF SYNTHETIC NICOTINE.
HOWEVER, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS NOT, UM, THE CODE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED WITH THAT TYPE OF LANGUAGE.
SO WE'RE PROPOSING THAT THAT UPDATE BE MADE AT THIS TIME.
UM, AND ALSO TO CAPTURE NICOTINE ANALOGS.
NOW, NICOTINE ANALOGS ARE NEW PRODUCTS THAT ARE, UH, THEY'RE LIKE IMITATION, UM, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, I WOULD SAY.
AND THEY REALLY CREATE THE SAME SENSATION AS NICOTINE.
THESE, UM, PRODUCTS ARE OFTEN FRUIT FLAVORED.
THEY MAY APPEAL TO YOUTH AND THEY'RE OTHERWISE UNREGULATED.
SO INCLUDING THOSE AS WELL, AGAIN, WE WILL MAKE A
[01:10:01]
MORE EVERGREEN POLICY, UH, BECAUSE THE MARKET IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.IN ADDITION, WE RECOMMEND THAT THE CODE BE UPDATED TO EXPLICITLY STATE THAT FDA APPROVED TOBACCO CESSATION DEVICES ARE NOT CONSIDERED TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CASSANDRA TO FINISH THE TIMELINE.
UM, JUST SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE A SENSE OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO COUNCIL APPROVE THE RESOLUTION IN MAY OF 2025.
STAFF HAVE CONDUCTED THEIR RESEARCH PHASE THROUGH JUNE AND, UH, TO OCTOBER, UH, THEY'VE DONE THEIR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
WE'RE NOW AT A SPACE WHERE WE'RE COMING FORWARD TO INFORM THE COUNCIL SPONSOR, UH, AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE AND, UH, DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE THERE, UM, WITH THE NEXT STEPS OF BEING, UH, CONNECTING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL AND HAVE THE COUNCIL HEARING, UH, JOINT COMMISSION, UH, MEETING SO THAT THIS CAN BE HEARD WITH OTHER CODE ITEMS. UM, AND THAT'S ANTICIPATED FOR EITHER SPRING OR FALL, DEPENDS ON HOW MANY CODE ITEMS CAN BE COLLABORATED AND MOVE FORWARD AS A PACKAGE WHICH THIS WOULD BE CONTINUED CONSIDERED IN THAT SPACE.
AND THEN POTENTIALLY ONCE THAT, UM, MOVES FORWARD OUT OF THAT, UH, HEARING, THEN IT WOULD GO TO COUNSEL, UH, FOR A PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL.
WELL, I WILL CHECK WITH THE LEAD SPONSOR ON THIS RESOLUTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER LANE, IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO START US OFF WITH, I JUST WANT TO THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, WHAT YOU'RE SHARING WITH US.
AND I LIKE THE DIRECTION YOU'VE TAKEN.
I, I'M COMFORTABLE AND I'VE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS BEFORE WE ARRIVE HERE TODAY, SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THE INPUT OF YOUR COMMITTEE.
I WAS A CO-SPONSOR ON THIS RESOLUTION AND REALLY UNDERSTAND THE NEED AND THE IMPORTANCE OF US MOVING FORWARD AND ADOPTING THIS ZONING CHANGE AND THE INITIATING IT VIA AN ORDINANCE.
AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE STAFF TO DO THIS AS TIMELY AS POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT FORTH THIS RESOLUTION ABOUT A YEAR AGO NOW, AND SO, UM, AND THERE WAS EXTENSIVE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT CONDUCTED.
AND SO I FEEL, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE TO MAKE THE ZONING CHANGE AS WELL AS THE HEALTH CODE UPDATES THAT ARE OUTLINED HERE.
AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD.
DID Y'ALL CONSIDER INCLUDING HEMP DERIVED PRODUCTS? WE DID NOT.
UM, SINCE THAT IS NOT A TOBACCO PRODUCT, UH, THINKING ABOUT THE SPACE THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN AND WHAT WE HAD, UM, AND STICKING WITH WHAT THE RESOLUTION ADVISED, UM, UH, LOOKING AT THE TOBACCO DEFINITION, TOBACCO IS A SPECIFIC, UH, UH, FDA REGULATED PRODUCT AS WELL AS NICOTINE.
AND SO WE WERE IN THAT, UM, FAMILY OF DRUG CLASS AND DID NOT EXPAND BEYOND THAT.
WOULD THE ANALYSIS DO YOU THINK BE PRETTY SIMILAR AS IT RELATES TO HEMP DIVIDE PRO IDE PRODUCTS? UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF A NEWER SCENARIO COMING ONLINE, WHEREAS TOBACCO RETAIL HAS BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, AND STATE REGULATION HAS BEEN INVOLVED SINCE THE NINETIES RELATED TO TOBACCO RETAIL LICENSING.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT MORE, UM, AWARENESS THAT AND, AND, UH, PRECEDENT THAT WE HAVE TO GO FROM ON THE TOBACCO SPACE.
SO THIS IS A, A SPACE THAT WE HAVE MORE INSIGHTS ON AND MORE, UM, RESEARCH AVAILABLE FOR US.
HEMP WOULD BE, UH, A NEW SPACE.
YEAH, WELL, I'M JUST THINKING OF, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WAS IF YOU ARE GRANDFATHERING EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS, THEN IT REALLY DOES UNDERCUT A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, WHEREAS THIS IS A VERY NEW SPACE.
AND SO IF WE TAKE THE PROACTIVE MEASURE NOW, WE CAN ALWAYS LOOSEN THAT LATER.
BUT ONCE THE GENIE'S OUTTA THE BOTTLE, WE'RE KIND OF STUCK.
SO I, I KNOW THAT WAS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION, BUT AS IT COMES TO US THIS FALL, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DATA ON WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE OF THESE ON KIDS AND THEIR USAGE AND, UM, BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY, IN MY OPINION.
SO, UM, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I WOULD, I WOULD ASK FOR YOU TO HELP US PREPARE FOR IF, IF THAT WAS A ROUTE WE WANTED TO TAKE.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS FROM THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE, IS THERE ANY, LIKE, COULD YOU DECLARE THEM A NUISANCE AS IT RELATES TO CHILDREN AND, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT THAT ROUTE.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T EXPLORE AS FAR AS A PUBLIC NUISANCE ISSUE WITH, UM, TOBACCO RETAILERS.
[01:15:01]
IS SOMETHING WE CAN DEFINITELY INQUIRE WITH OUR CITY LEGAL, UH, TO ADVISE IF THAT IS A CONCERN.I KNOW WHEN WE MET WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CHRISTA LANE, SHE DID ADVISE THAT THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT, UM, BAD ACTORS, RETAILERS THAT CONSISTENTLY CONTINUE TO SELL TO CHILDREN, UM, AND WHAT CAN BE DONE IN THAT SPACE.
AND THAT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC HEALTH JURISDICTION, BUT IN TEXAS, UH, IT IS A MISDEMEANOR FOR A, A RETAILER TO CONTINUE TO SELL TO A MINOR.
AND SO THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY POTENTIALLY THAT WOULD NEED TO BE WORKED ON WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO, UH, MANAGE THAT, UM, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, UH, CONTINUED AND, AND ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY PROVIDE EDUCATION.
BUT THAT DEFINITELY IS A SPACE THAT, UH, TO BE CONSIDERED AS WELL AS A WAY TO TRY TO PROMOTE GOODWILL YEAH.
BUT YEAH, AND WE COULD DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP WITH, UM, LAW TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY CAPACITY THERE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANY PRECEDENT WITH THAT IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION.
NO PRECEDENT UNTIL SOMEONE DOES IT FIRST.
UM, I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'D PROBABLY BE SOMETHING WE'D HAVE TO VISIT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT WHAT OUR OPTIONS WOULD BE TO TRY TO DECLARE THESE AS A NUISANCE THROUGH LITIGATION.
UM, I WANTED TO CONFIRM A COUPLE OF DATA POINTS.
YOU MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, I THINK YOU SAID SOMETHING LIKE 22% OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SOURCING THESE THROUGH CONVENIENCE STORES AND 16 THROUGH BIG STORES.
I MIGHT HAVE THAT BACKWARDS, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.
SO THAT IS FROM NATIONAL DATA FROM THE TRUTH FOUNDATION, AND THAT'S ONLY WHEN ASKING YOUNG PEOPLE WHO BUY OR OBTAIN THEM FROM RETAIL SOURCES, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE ALSO OBTAINING THEM FROM SOCIAL SOURCES, THEY'RE OBTAINING THEM FROM FRIENDS, YEAH.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE THE LARGER PERCENTAGE.
BUT OF THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DO BUY THEM FROM RETAIL STORES, AGAIN, IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL TO A MINER, UM, SELL TO SOMEONE UNDER THE AGE OF 21, ANY OF THESE PRODUCTS, AND THEY ARE BUYING THEM.
AND WHEN ASKED WHERE THEY'RE BUYING THEM FROM IN THE RETAILER ENVIRONMENT, THOSE THAT DO STATE THAT THEY'RE BUYING THEM EITHER FROM VAPE STORES OR CONVENIENCE STORES MORE THAN OTHER TYPES OF RETAILERS.
I APPRECIATE YOU CLARIFYING THAT.
I WASN'T SURE WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
YEAH, WHETHER THAT WAS FROM THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, RIGHT? OR IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S FROM NATIONAL DATA SOURCES.
UH, I MEAN IT, IT RAISES A QUESTION THAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH ON THIS ONE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, IN, IN TALKING ANECDOTALLY WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN SCHOOLS OR SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES, THEIR BELIEF WAS THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING THESE FROM PLACES OTHER THAN RETAIL SHOPS, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE JUST CONFIRMED A MOMENT AGO.
SO DID THAT, WAS THAT SOMETHING YOU ALL THOUGHT THROUGH AS YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, WHICH IS HOW TO ADDRESS HOW THE MAJORITY OF KIDS ARE OBTAINING THESE, IF NOT FROM RETAIL PLACES? I MEAN, I REALIZE IT'S OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF WHAT COUNCIL DIRECTED GIVE TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT AS YOU WERE EXPLORING THIS AND RESEARCHING AND GOING THROUGH THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, DID THAT COME UP AT ALL FOR YOU ALL? SO IT'S A CONSTANT EFFORT TO DO TOBACCO, UH, PREVENTION TO ADVISE, UH, AND DO COMMUNITY EDUCATION AROUND THE RISK OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND TO TALK THROUGH HOW UH, FOLKS ARE ACCESSING, ACCESSING TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IN THE STATE THERE'S BEEN SOME GOOD WORK WHERE THEY'VE ACTUALLY INCREASED THE LEGAL, UM, POSSESSION OF AND WHO CAN PURCHASE, IT'S UP TO 21 YEARS OLD NOW AND WHERE IT USED TO BE 18.
AND SO THAT'S BEEN A REALLY, UM, GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT, UM, MINORS ACCESS AND HOW, UH, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN, UH, THAT IT'S NOT OKAY FOR CHILDREN TO HAVE TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S JUST PART OF OUR WORK CONSTANTLY IS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.
WE KNOW THAT CHILDREN IN A PEER SETTING ARE SHARING TOBACCO AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER THINGS, UH, THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY GOOD FOR THEM.
UM, BUT DEFINITELY THERE'S WORK THAT'S BEING, THAT IS HAPPENS TO, UH, UH, PROVIDE THAT PREVENTION EDUCATION.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THAT TOBACCO RETAILING IS, UM, IT, IT PROMOTES TOBACCO USE.
THERE'S, UM, ADVERTISING, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT, THAT TOBACCO RETAIL SPACE DOES THAT MAY NOT BE SELLING THE PRODUCT DIRECTLY, BUT IT DOES CREATE AN INVITING SPACE FOR USING THE PRODUCT.
SO REGARDLESS IF THE, UH, CHILD IS PURCHASING FROM THAT LOCATION OR NOT, THE FACT THAT THE ADVERTISING IS THERE, THE FACT THAT PROMOTION OF A PRODUCT THAT IS, UM, ILLEGAL FOR THEM TO USE AND ALSO DANGEROUS FOR ANYONE TO USE, UM, DOES PROMOTE THE USE OF, OF THAT PRODUCT AND CREATES A, A UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT RELATED TO USING THAT PRODUCT.
SO REGARDLESS IF SOMEONE IS ACCESSING OR NOT, UH, WE ALSO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE ACCESS, UH, TO TOBACCO IS OFTEN UH, UH, SOMETHING THAT UH, CHILDREN FIND WAYS AROUND GETTING IT, UH, IF SOMEONE ELSE IS PURCHASING FOR THEM, FOR THEM AT
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THAT SITE.UH, SO THERE'S A LOT OF EDUCATION THAT HAPPENS IN THAT SPACE TOO FOR RETAILERS AND FOR PEOPLE IN GENERAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF THE RISK OF DOING THAT AND WHAT'S LEGALLY, UH, THEY CAN DO IN THAT SPACE.
OKAY, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE GIVING A LOT OF THOUGHT.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE WAS JUST TO BUILD ON CUSTOMER ALTER'S QUESTION JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
SO WE'RE GRANDFATHERING THE ZONING CHANGE WITH GRANDFATHER, THE EXISTING 600 RETAILERS THAT YOU IDENTIFIED.
SO THIS IS REALLY FOR AS UH, EITHER RETAIL SPACE TURNS OVER OR AS UM, IT EXPANDS TO NEW PARTS OF THE CITY, PERHAPS THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE IMPACTING HERE.
WE WOULD NOT BE IMPACTING THE EXISTING 600 PLACES YOU'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED AND FOR THERE, THERE REALLY IS NO GOOD ANSWER IT SOUNDS LIKE, FOR HOW TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT THEY'RE WITHIN THIS RADIUS OF THE SCHOOL AND ARE SELLING THESE PRODUCTS.
AND AS YOU SAID A MOMENT AGO, CREATING ADVERTISING AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO ENCOURAGE THAT USE, THERE'S VIRTUALLY NO OPTIONS THAT WE COULD IDENTIFY OUTSIDE OF WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO WITH USING NUISANCE OR SOME OTHER LEGAL INSTRUMENT TO TRY AND CURTAIL THAT.
I DO WANNA SAY THERE WAS STATE, A STATE LAW THAT PASSED THAT UM, ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS ON THE MARKETING AND ADVERTISEMENT OF VAPE SHOPS AND RETAILERS.
SO I WONDER HOW THAT KIND OF INTERSECTS WITH WHAT THOSE 600 EXISTING, UM, RETAILERS WOULD BE SUBJECT TO WITH THE NEW STATE LAW CHANGES.
I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT, YES, THAT'S CORRECT IN THAT THERE, IN THE STATE LAW CHANGE, THERE WERE SOME OTHER BENEFICIAL THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING AS WELL.
THEY CAN'T SELL E-CIGARETTES THAT LOOK LIKE SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THOSE STORES THAT ARE NEARBY, YOU KNOW, THOSE STATE LAWS THAT WERE PASSED, UM, WILL HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME POS POSITIVE EFFECT.
THERE WAS ALSO A LAW PASSED AROUND ADVERTISING OF E-CIGARETTES, BUT THAT'S MORE OUTDOOR ADVERTISING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO YOU WON'T BE SEEING BILLBOARDS NEAR SCHOOLS, RIGHT.
ADVERTISING E-CIGARETTES, BUT THAT DOESN'T IMPACT INTERIOR ADVERTISING OF THE STORES.
HAVE Y'ALL SENT A MEMO ON THIS YET? WE HAVE MEMO THAT'S DRAFTED.
UM, PART OF OUR DUE DILIGENCE WAS TO DO THIS NOTIFICATION AND THEN MEMO SHOULD BE COMING TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL SHORTLY.
CAN YOU ADD JUST A SUMMARY ON THE STATE LAW ADVERTISING CHANGES ON THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
WE CAN DEFINITELY INCLUDE THAT.
THE LAST QUESTION IS JUST BASED ON THIS DISCUSSION, TO WHAT EXTENT DID YOU ALL COLLABORATE WITH THE IGRO TEAM TO TRY IF, IF, IF INDEED A LOT OF THIS IS STATE ADDRESSED, UM, TO WHAT EXTENT DID YOU ALL VISIT WITH THEM AND, AND SEE IF WHAT SOLUTIONS MIGHT BE IN THE CARDS OR WHETHER THIS WAS A PRIORITY THAT THEY COULD ADDRESS IN THE UPCOMING SESSION? YEAH, NO, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO I JRO WE, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP IN THE LOOP ON ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, BUT UH, THERE'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE DEFINITELY WILL, WILL CIRCLE BACK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE AS THIS IS MOVING FORWARD THAT THEY'RE COMPLETELY IN THE LOOP AND AWARE AND, YOU KNOW, WE DID LIAISON WITH THE STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AND ENSURING THAT THOSE CONNECTIONS ARE, YOU KNOW, UH, MADE HAS BEEN A ROLE THAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, CONNECTING WITH A GRO ON AS WELL.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE I'M JUST SENSING THAT BETWEEN THE GRANDFATHERING AND BETWEEN THE, UM, THE DATA AROUND HOW YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ACCESSING IT, THAT WE'RE POTENTIALLY, UH, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY WHATEVER WE DO IS GONNA HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME BENEFIT, BUT THAT WE'RE MISSING A LARGE PART OF THE, THE SOLUTION HERE.
AND SO I WONDER IF THEY MIGHT, IF CARRIE OR OTHERS MIGHT HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE CAN APPROACH THIS OR COLLABORATE WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE STATE TO SAY, WAIT A SECOND, MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE SOME, SOME DIFFERENT CONSTRAINTS IN PLACE BEFORE WE THINK ABOUT, UM, THE RELATIVELY, I THINK MINOR WAYS THAT WE CAN TRY AND ADDRESS THIS AT THE CITY LEVEL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE UPDATE.
COUNCILOR LANE, I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO ADD SOMETHING ON, UM, I LOVE THE GROUND THAT'S BEEN COVERED AND ESPECIALLY THE CONVERSATION AROUND MARKETING, UH, AND I, BUT SOMETHING THAT HASN'T COME OUT IN THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION IS THE CHANGES AND THE IMPACTS TO OUR YOUNG STUDENTS' LIVES WHEN THEY BRING THESE PRODUCTS ONTO CAMPUS.
AND SO YES, AS THEY WALK AND BIKE TO SCHOOL MORE OFTEN, WHICH WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AS A CITY ENCOURAGING, THEY ARE EXPOSED TO MARKETING NO MATTER THEIR AGE.
BUT ALSO IF YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THOSE SOCIAL SALES THAT ARE OCCURRING AND SCHOOL IS A PLACE THAT THEY HAVE OCCURRED, UM, YOU KNOW, TRADIT TRADITIONALLY OCCUR, THE APPROACH THAT THE STATE HAS TAKEN SO FAR IN RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS IS TO INCREASE THE IMPACT AND CONSEQUENCES TO ANY CHILD STUDENT WHO BRINGS PRODUCTS ONTO CAMPUS.
SO WHETHER THAT'S A SIX WEEK MANDATORY REMOVAL TO THE ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL AS A DISCIPLINARY CONTACT, UM, CONSEQUENCE OR IT'S NOW THAT WE HAVE LEGISLATION REQUIRING THERE TO BE AN OFFICER ON EVERY SINGLE CAMPUS CRIMINAL IMPACTS THAT AFFECT THE REST OF THEIR
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LIVES.AND SO IT IS DEFINITELY DISHEARTENING ON ONE LEVEL TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE SUCH LIMITED OPTIONS TO ADDRESS THAT AND THERE ARE ALL OF THESE HEALTH IMPACTS, BUT THERE ARE ALSO VERY REAL IMPACTS TO THESE CHILDREN'S EDUCATION DISCIPLINE, CRI CRIMINAL IMPACTS THAT WERE NOT THE CASE, UM, A DECADE AGO.
THESE ARE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN RE RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND SO, AND IT'S PART OF WHAT I HEARD ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT, THAT I DID BEFORE BRINGING THE IFC.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL.
AND, UM, AS GOOD AS IT IS FOR THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR STUDENTS TO BE WALKING AND BIKING MORE OFTEN, IT'S ALSO JUST IMPORTANT TO, TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO PROTECT AGAINST THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY A REALITY.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK.
I REALLY APPRECIATED YOUR PRESENTATION HERE, UM, THE THOUGHTFUL APPROACH THAT YOU'VE TAKEN AND ALSO OUR BRIEFING TOGETHER.
COLLEAGUES, JUST WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION THAT WE DO HAVE A MEMO IN THE BACKUP AROUND THE SUNRISE NAVIGATION AROUND THE SOUTH AUSTIN HOUSING NAVIGATION CENTER.
UH, AND UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? OKAY.
ARE THERE ANY FUTURE ITEMS THAT
[4. Identify items to be discussed at future meetings.]
THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS? YES, COUNCIL DCHA, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.I HAD A COUPLE I WANTED TO VOLUNTEER.
ONE WAS, WE HAD A PROCLAMATION RECENTLY ON LONG COVID AND I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO GET A BRIEFING ON THAT.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY YOU WOULD FIND SOME VALUE IN THAT AS WELL.
UM, WE ALSO HAD, UH, A MEETING OF THE DAY WITH FOLKS, UM, WHAT IS IT CALLED? I THINK IT'S EVENT FROM THE, THE FORMERLY THE EIGHT SERVICES OF AUSTIN.
AND SO IT GOT ME THINKING THAT I JUST DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THAT SPACE.
WE ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT EVEN IMPACTED PEOPLE AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT MIGHT BE, IF, IF THERE'S APPETITE HERE, THAT MIGHT BE, UH, ALSO SOMETHING WORTH GETTING A BRIEFING ON IS SORT OF THE FATALITY PROVIDERS AND WORK THAT WE'RE DOING THAT SPACE, THE FEDERAL GRANTS, UH, I KNOW WE'VE, THAT'S COME UP IN DIFFERENT PIECES AND CONTEXT, BUT NOT AS A SORT OF, UH, NOT AS A FULL BRIEFING.
AND THE LAST ONE I'LL THROW OUT THERE IS, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE CONSULTING CONTRACTS AND I'D BE CURIOUS TO GET A BETTER SENSE FROM A PH ON THE INTERSECTION OF BOTH THE CONSULTING CONTRACTS AND A PH AS WELL AS THE UM, UH, SOMETHING I WAS WORKING WITH COUNCILOR ALTER ON, WHICH IS I THINK A PH AND THE DATA WE WERE GIVING LAST YEAR WAS THE LARGEST, UH, USER OF TRAVEL IN THE CITY BY DEPARTMENT.
AND SO ALSO MAYBE GETTING A BRIEFING ON JUST TO THE EXTENT THAT HOW WE'RE, HOW WE'RE USING THAT, UM, AND WHAT VALUE THAT'S CREATING FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND, AND THE CITY.
THE, THAT LAST ONE, THAT QUESTION, THOSE QUESTIONS PROBABLY ARE BEST SUITED FOR BUDGET TIME.
UM, COLLEAGUES, THE MAY MEETING WILL BE CHAIRED BY OUR VICE CHAIR
SO WE MIGHT BE SCHEDULED OUT FOR MAY.
SO, UM, TO, IN ORDER TO GET TO YOUR QUESTION SOONER, THE BUDGET SEASON MIGHT BE A BETTER TIMEFRAME.
ANYTHING ELSE, COLLEAGUES? OKAY.
UM, WITH THAT, SEE NO FURTHER BUSINESS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.
IT IS 11:28 AM AND I WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.