[CALL TO ORDER ]
[00:00:05]
UH, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
WELCOME TO, UH, THE MAY 13TH, UH, MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.
UM, I'M PLEASED AND EXCITED TO SAY THAT WE HAVE EVERYONE IN PERSON TODAY, AND IT'S GOOD BECAUSE WE WANNA, PARDON ME.
WHO ARE WE MISSING? GREG? OH, GREG, SORRY.
SOMEBODY SAID, WE'RE ALL HERE.
HE'LL BE, HE'LL BE ROLLING IN.
UM, BUT WELCOME TO THE TOURISM COMMISSION, AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO GET THIS MEETING STARTED.
THE, UH, SECURITY LADY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I DO WITH THIS
I SAID IT WAS HANDED TO ME, HANDED DOWN TO ME.
I, I DON'T USE IT OFTEN, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UH, FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING IN APRIL 8TH.SO, I HOPE EVERYONE HAS HAD THEY'RE BRIEF.
SO I HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A QUICK CHANCE TO SCAN THEM.
I THINK THEY'RE PRETTY BRIEF HERE.
I HAVE A, I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM COMMISSIONER PENOC.
I SECOND SEE VICE CHAIR MASTERS HAS WEIGHED IN.
UH, SO DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? ANYONE NEED ANYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO BRING UP ABOUT THIS? WITHOUT THAT, THEN LET'S GO TO A VOTE.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MIN APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 8TH, UH, TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND, SIR.
LOOKS LIKE IT'S UNANIMOUS FROM OUR FOLKS HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, PEOPLE APPRECIATE IT.
[2. Briefing from Staff Liaison Felicia Burleson regarding the recent commission vacancy that has been filled, updates and introduction related to new liaison assignments, and an overview of upcoming meetings and key deadlines.]
TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH WOULD BRING US TO STAFF BRIEFING FROM FELICIA BURLESON.I THINK YOU HAVE SOME, SOME GUESTS TODAY.
UM, TODAY'S PACKET INCLUDES YOUR AGENDA.
WE JUST WENT OVER THE APRIL MINUTES.
WE ALSO HAVE THE UPDATED ROADMAP, UM, THE REMAINING CALENDAR, UM, SCHEDULE FOR THE YEAR.
AND THEN, UM, OUR UPDATED ROSTER.
I'M PROUD TO SAY WE FINALLY HAVE A FULL COMMISSION BOARD.
SO THANK YOU CATHERINE, FOR JOINING US.
WE, AND WE'LL HAVE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE YOU, UM, AND THEN OUR TWO PRESENTATIONS FOR TODAY.
AND THEN I ALSO WANNA TAKE A MOMENT, UM, TO INTRODUCE THE NEW STAFF THAT'S GOING TO BE TAKING OVER FOR, UH, FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
I'M THE, THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR 16 YEARS, ALMOST 17, AND I'VE SERVED WITH MULTIPLE OTHER COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION AND THE VETERANS COMMISSION.
SO IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND SUPPORT Y'ALL.
I AM THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES PROGRAM MANAGER AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AS WELL, SO BAD.
I'VE BEEN HERE QUITE A LONG TIME, UM, 18, ALMOST 19 YEARS WITH THE CITY AND WORKED WITH VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THROUGHOUT THAT TIME.
UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING BESIDE YOU AND LEARNING FROM YOU.
SO APRIL WILL BE YOUR NEW STAFF LIAISON.
UM, I WILL BE PRESENT FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS SO I'M NOT DISAPPEARING, UM, QUICKLY, BUT, UH, BUT I WILL SAY MY GOODBYES.
I DO WANNA JUST SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY.
IT'S BEEN A FUN, LET'S SAY EIGHT YEARS, UM, SINCE THIS BOARD HAS BEEN, UM, ESTABLISHED AND THEN I DID TWO YEARS BEFORE.
SO I'VE DONE A DECADE WORTH OF STAFF LIAISONING,
SO, UM, BUT YAS A BUNCH OF, UM, FUN FOLKS AND I'M GLAD TO HAVE LEARNED FROM, UH, WHAT Y'ALL BRING TO THE COMMUNITY.
APPRECIATE THANKS FELICIA SO MUCH.
AND, AND HANG AROUND AFTERWARDS.
I THINK WE WE'RE GONNA, EVERYONE, I'M JUST SAYING WE'RE GONNA TAKE A PICTURE WITH FELICIA.
MY EMAIL'S NOT CHANGING, SO IF YOU EVER WANNA REACH OUT.
[3. Presentation by the Austin Police Association (Police Union) on officer perspectives related to downtown public safety, staffing realities, and how frontline conditions impact the visitor experience and special event support. Presentation by Michael Bullock, President]
WELL, THAT BRINGS US TO DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER THREE.UM, WE HAVE A, A PRESENTATION BY THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION AND AN, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, WELCOMING MICHAEL BULLOCK, WHO'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION TO, UH, HE'S GONNA SHARE SOME OF THE, ID EXPAND ON, I THINK SOME OF THE, THE INFORMATION THAT WE WERE
[00:05:01]
LEARNING, UH, FROM OUR SIXTH STREET EXPLORATION AND, AND THE PRESENTATION FROM THE A PD.AND NOW I BELIEVE THAT MICHAEL'S GOING TO HELP US ZOOM OUT A LITTLE BIT AND LOOK AT THE, THE TOTAL MARK, UH, TOTAL CITY AND, AND THE LENS FROM, FROM THEIR ORGANIZATION'S PERSPECTIVE ON HOW TOURISM AND, UH, OUR AND, AND ALL OF THE SAFETY, UH, CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
MICHAEL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I, UH, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND, UH, TALK WITH Y'ALL.
THIS IS EXCITING FOR ME BECAUSE IT'S A WHOLE LOT OF JUST TALKING ABOUT WHERE THINGS STAND AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE OUR CITY GREAT.
AND SO I WILL TELL YOU JUST FROM VERY BROAD PERSPECTIVE, WE'LL DRILL INTO IT A A LITTLE BIT MORE.
A LOT OF THIS IS GONNA BE VERY HIGH LEVEL, BUT, UH, FROM THE OFFICER PERSPECTIVE, WORKING SPECIAL EVENTS IS OFTENTIMES A FUN EXPERIENCE FOR THEM TO DO.
LIKE WHEN WE DO WORK EVENTS LIKE ACL AND SOUTH BY, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FESTIVALS AND PARADES AND, UH, MARATHONS THAT GO ON, A LOT OF OFFICERS ENJOY GETTING TO WORK THOSE THINGS.
UT GAMES, IT'S A VERY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.
AND A LOT OF TIMES, EVEN DURING ACL OFFICERS LIKE TO GO, UH, ABOVE AND BEYOND HONESTLY OF WHAT YOU KNOW, REALLY IS, IS JUST GENERALLY ASKED WHERE THEY KEEP MAPS, UH, ON THEIR PHONE.
SO THAT WAY IF PEOPLE HAVE GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE TO GET CERTAIN PLACES WITH AN ACL THAT THEY CAN HELP OUT WITH THAT.
UH, 'CAUSE WE REALLY WANNA PUT A, A POSITIVE VIBE OUT THERE ACROSS PUBLIC SAFETY FOR ANYONE THAT'S COMING TO VISIT OUR CITY.
SO TALKING ABOUT THIS KIND OF STUFF IS, UH, IS EXCITING.
SO I APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO BE HERE.
UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT PERSPECTIVE, I DIDN'T ACTUALLY PUT IT IN HERE, BUT FOR THE, UH, A PA OR WE ARE THE, UM, PER STATUTE WE'RE CALLED THE EXCLUSIVE BARGAINING AGENT, BUT EFFECTIVELY WE ARE THE VOICE AND THE REPRESENTATION OF ALL THE LINE OFFICERS.
AND SO OUR JOB IS TO REPRESENT THEM AND TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM.
AND SO TO THAT, TO THAT END, WE STAY IN TOUCH OBVIOUSLY WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND WE TALK TO THEM WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER ISSUES AND WHATEVER MAY COME ALONG, UH, AS THE DEPARTMENT IS GOING THROUGH ITS OPERATIONS AND THROUGH A LOT OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE A PD CURRENTLY STANDS, RIGHT? WE HAVE, UH, LITTLE OVER 1800 AUTHORIZED POSITIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND 1,477 SWORN OFFICERS WITH THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY.
UH, SO WE JUST HAD A CADET CLASS THAT RECENTLY GRADUATED THAT IS GONNA RESULT IN 36 NEW OFFICERS, UH, HITTING THE STREETS.
THEY'RE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH A SECONDARY LEVEL OF TRAINING, UH, THAT'S FOR THEIR INTERMEDIATE LICENSURE.
AND THEN THEY'LL START, UH, WORKING ON PATROL AND THEY'LL BEGIN THEIR FIELD TRAINING PROGRAM.
SO THAT USUALLY LASTS AROUND THREE MONTHS BEFORE THEY START, UH, BEING, BEING OUT AND ABOUT SOLO AND WORKING 9 1 1 CALLS ON THEIR OWN.
SO THAT LEAVES US RIGHT NOW WITH ABOUT 313 VACANCIES SO FAR FOR THE YEAR.
WE'VE HAD 37 PEOPLE LEAVE THE DEPARTMENT THAT'S LEAVE FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT REASONS, WHETHER THAT'S RETIREMENT, RESIGNATION, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, FOR ANY OTHER NUMBER OF REASONS THAT MAY COME ALONG.
SO, UH, WE ARE MAKING SLOW PROGRESS, BUT IT IS POSITIVE PROGRESS THAT HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO PICK UP.
BUT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, BASED UPON, LIKE I SAID, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FACTORS, UH, AND THERE'S NOT, I WILL CAVEAT THIS WITH THIS IS BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMAND LEVELS AND HIGHER WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE DEMANDS AS WELL AS OUR CALL VOLUME AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
LIKE REALISTICALLY, OUR STAFFING SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE AROUND 2100 OFFICERS.
SO WE'RE STILL SIGNIFICANTLY SHORT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE OUR RELIANCE UPON OVERTIME TO FILL A LOT OF THESE VACANCIES.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, FOR ANYONE THAT MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR, A PD IS DIVIDED INTO NINE SECTORS, INCLUDING THE AIRPORT.
AND SO EACH SECTOR, UH, HAS A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SHIFTS THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO IT.
TYPICALLY, EXCEPT FOR IN DTAC, WHICH IS OUR DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS GEORGE SECTOR, IF YOU'VE HEARD IT REFERRED TO AS THAT, UM, WE HAVE TWO DAY SHIFTS, TWO EVENING SHIFTS, AND TWO NIGHT SHIFTS, UH, ALL OF WHICH OVERLAP BETWEEN DAISIES AND NIGHTS.
UH, AND THEN THEY ALL HAVE ONE DAY WHERE, BECAUSE THEY WORK FOUR 10 HOUR SHIFTS EVERY, UH, SHIFT HAS ONE DAY WHERE BOTH SHIFTS ARE ON DUTY AND SOMETIMES THAT'S ON A THURSDAY, SOMETIMES THAT'S ON A FRIDAY.
UM, FOR EACH SECTOR RIGHT NOW, BASED ON WHAT'S AUTHORIZED, THAT MEANS ABOUT 72 TO 104, AGAIN, DEPENDING UPON WHICH SECTOR, UH, OFFICERS IN EACH SECTOR.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY SHIFT THAT'S ABOVE 63.
SO ALL OF OUR SHIFTS, AGAIN, MOST OF THE VACANCIES FOR THE DEPARTMENT ARE HELD ON PATROL, AND THOSE STAFFING NUMBERS ARE TYPICALLY DETERMINED BASED UPON CALL VOLUME AS WELL AS GEOGRAPHY.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT THIS MAP, AND I KNOW IT'S KIND OF HARD TO TELL BY THE COLORS, BUT NORTHWEST AUSTIN, WHICH IS ADAM SECTOR, IS A LARGE SECTOR AS WELL AS DAVID SECTOR, WHICH IS DOWN SOUTHWEST, RIGHT? SO DAVID SECTOR SOUTHWEST, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, BASICALLY STARTS AT CONGRESS AND RIVERSIDE AND GOES EVERYWHERE SOUTHWEST OUT TOWARDS 1845.
SO THAT'S A LARGE AREA TO COVER PATH CIRCLE C.
SO IF THE BULK OF YOUR OFFICERS ARE CONCENTRATED UP TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, RIVERSIDE AND THEY NEED TO RELOCATE
[00:10:01]
DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, CIRCLE C FOR AN EMERGENCY, DEPENDING UPON THE TIME OF DAY, THAT COULD TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 30, 45 MINUTES, EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHEN THERE IS NO TRAFFIC THAT'S GONNA TAKE CLOSE TO, YOU KNOW, 20 MINUTES TO GET DOWN THERE.SO THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON, UH, RESPONSE TIMES.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE ALLOCATING, WHEN THE DEPARTMENT'S ALLOCATING RESOURCES, YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM ALSO A GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BEST COVER EACH AREA.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS KIND OF ASKED THAT, AND THIS IS A SOMEWHAT NARROW, BUT IT'S THE MOST SIMILAR, UH, COMPARISON I CAN MAKE, IS BETWEEN US AND FORT WORTH.
SO FORT WORTH IS THE NEXT CLOSEST CITY IN SIZE POPULATION, UH, THAT WE CAN KIND OF COMPARE TO THAT WE'RE IN.
WE KIND OF FIGHT EACH OTHER FOR THAT 10TH PLACE, UH, ON THE, ON THE POPULATION CHARTS.
BUT FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES ABOUT THE SAME POPULATION, FORT WORTH HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE SQUARE MILEAGE THAN WE DO, UH, TO COVER.
BUT THESE, ON THESE, UH, TABLES HERE, IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY THE TYPES OF CRIME.
SO DPS MAINTAINS A DATABASE THAT'S CALLED UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING STATISTICS, AND IT'S BROKEN DOWN INTO A VARIETY OF CATEGORIES, WHICH IS THE PERSON PROPERTY OR SOCIETY, RIGHT? PERSON BEING THINGS LIKE ASSAULT, PROPERTY BEING THINGS LIKE THEFT, AND, UH, CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY CAN BE DRUG OFFENSES, GAMBLING, UM, AND EVEN ANIMAL CRUELTY FALLS INTO THAT CATEGORY.
SO, AND THEN OFFICERS DOWN THERE AT THE VERY BOTTOM SHOWS YOU THE LEVEL OF STAFFING EACH YEAR.
AND ALL OF THIS IS REPORTED THROUGH DPS.
SO THIS IS ALL, AGAIN, THEY'RE KIND OF SNIPPETS IN TIME, BUT IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA ABOUT THE, THE CRIME THAT'S OCCURRING IN EACH CITY.
AUSTIN DOES OUTPACE, UH, FORT WORTH WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE CATEGORIES.
UH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL POINT OUT THOUGH IS IT, IT'S, AGAIN, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LINES AND CATEGORIES WITHIN EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES.
SO I DON'T HAVE ALL OF THAT, BUT I HAVE THE REPORTS IN FRONT OF ME IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
WE DO HAVE A, BETTER'S NOT THE BEST WORD, BUT I CAN'T COME UP WITH THE, UH, THE RIGHT ONE AT THE MOMENT.
HOMICIDE RATE WHERE WE HAVE FEWER HOMICIDES THAN WHAT FORT WORTH DOES, RIGHT? SO WHILE OUR PERSON, UH, CRIME IS HIGHER OVERALL IN SOME CATEGORIES, WE DO PERFORM BETTER, LIKE IN HOMICIDES, UM, YOU KNOW, ZERO IS THE IDEAL NUMBER, BUT LOWER IS STILL BETTER.
UH, BUT AS YOU LOOK AT THIS, AND I'LL SHOW YOU IN KINDA THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, WHEN YOU'RE COMPARING SIDE BY SIDE, RIGHT, THEY, THEY'RE GENERALLY LOWER EXCEPT FOR WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOCIETY CRIMES WE'RE FAIRLY SIMILAR, UH, CERTAINLY IN 22 AND 23, UH, WITH THE RATES AND THE NUMBER OF CRIMES BEING REPORTED.
BUT AUSTIN DOES OUTPACE FORT WORTH AND IT DOES GENERALLY FOLLOW, UH, STAFFING LEVEL.
SO STAFFING HAS A, A DEFINITIVE IMPACT ON THE TYPES OF CRIME THAT WE RESPOND TO.
AND ALSO RESPONSE TIMES, I DON'T HAVE THAT PART IN HERE, BUT ALSO HAPPY TO KIND OF ADDRESS THAT ONE ANECDOTALLY FOR YOU.
UM, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, WITHIN EACH CATEGORY IT KIND OF VARIES WHAT EXACTLY WE OUTPACE FORT WORTH IN SOME CATEGORIES WERE BETTER, SOME NOT SO MUCH.
SO KIND OF TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAPPEN HERE IN AUSTIN BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE PARADES, MARATHONS, FESTIVALS, YOU KNOW, F1, ALTHOUGH F1 ITSELF, THOUGH IT CODA IS MANAGED NOT BY A PD OUT AT THE FACILITY, IT'S MANAGED BY OTHER ENTITIES.
TRAVIS COUNTY DEPUTIES AND CONSTABLES ARE TYPICALLY WORKING THAT, UH, WE STILL DO HAVE SOME IMPACT BECAUSE WE MANAGE A LOT OF THE SHUTTLES THAT HAPPEN HERE IN CITY LIMITS AND TRAFFIC CONTROL.
UH, THEN YOU ALSO HAVE AUSTIN FC GAMES AND Q2 UT FOOTBALL AND ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS AT MOODY CENTER FOR THE MOST PART, WE'RE ALSO INVOLVED IN, AND YOU SEE OFFICERS OUT AT THOSE EVENTS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE JUST KIND OF SOME OF THE CATCHALL, THERE'S A LOT OF RECORDINGS THAT HAPPEN HERE FOR COMMERCIALS AND VARIOUS TV SHOWS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE OFFICERS THAT ARE BLOCKING STREETS AND, UH, MAINTAINING SOME, SOME DISTANCE THAT THEY NEED THE BUFFER ZONE SO THAT WAY THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF WHAT THEY NEED TO.
AND THEN WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT ARE PRESENT FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, UH, AND EVEN WHEN WE HAVE DIGNITARIES THAT COME INTO TOWN, OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE HAVE PRESIDENTIAL VISITS, THOSE ARE ONES THAT ARE A, A HEAVY LIFT FOR THE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF ROAD CLOSURES INVOLVED IN THAT ONE.
AND WE TYPICALLY RELY ON OTHER AGENCIES AS WELL.
UM, SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT THAT'S GOING ON AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
AND WE HAVE A SPECIAL EVENTS UNIT, SO A PD HAS A UNIT THAT IS SOLELY DEDICATED TO MAIN, TO MANAGING THE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS THAT COME THROUGH HERE AND THE STAFFING NEEDS, UH, THAT ARE HELD.
MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE WITH PERMITTED EVENTS.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER INSTANCES WHERE THEY ARE NOT INVOLVED, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS IS A SMALL BUT MIGHTY UNIT.
UH, I DON'T HAVE THEIR EXACT NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THEY BRING IN THEIR UNIT ALONE IS PART OF A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT BRING IN OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY TO THE CITY ANNUALLY.
AND SO THEY ARE A, A KEY COMPONENT TO MAKING SURE THAT THE ECONOMIC ENGINE HERE THROUGH A LOT OF OUR EVENTS CONTINUES TO RUN AND RUN WELL.
[00:15:01]
THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONSTANTLY GOING.AND ALMOST AS SOON AS SOME OF OUR MAJOR EVENTS END, UH, THAT ARE ANNUAL, THEY BEGIN PLANNING FOR THE NEXT YEAR RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE IT TAKES A GREAT AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT TO DO THAT.
SO, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF THE CORNERSTONE THAT KEEPS A LOT OF THESE THINGS RUNNING, SO EXTREMELY PROUD OF THEM AND A LOT OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
UM, ONE COMPONENT THAT'S ON HERE THAT I DO WANT TO COVER JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN IT'S, THAT'S ON THERE IS THEY ALSO HELP WITH OUR RESERVE OFFICER PROGRAM.
SO WHEN WE KIND OF TALK ABOUT STAFFING, UH, SOME OF YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR THAT WE DO HAVE A RESERVE OFFICER PROGRAM.
UH, THAT RESERVE OFFICER IS MADE UP OF OFFICERS WHO HAVE RETIRED FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THEY COME BACK AND THEY WORK ONLY SPECIAL EVENT OVER TIME.
AND THAT IS FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, ROAD, ROAD BLOCKS OR, YOU KNOW, WORKING AT SOME OF THESE OTHER EVENTS.
SO THEY'RE, THEY ARE FORMER A PD OFFICERS THAT DO KIND OF HELP FILL IN THE GAP.
TYPICALLY, WE TRY TO FILL FROM ACTIVE OFFICERS FIRST, AND THEN IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO MEET THOSE NEEDS, IT MAY MOVE ON DOWN THE LINE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF THESE POLICIES THAT ARE IN PLACE WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF THINGS THAT DO HAPPEN THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF SPECIAL EVENTS.
SO MOST RECENTLY, SOME EXAMPLES WOULD BE FOR SOUTH BY, UH, WHEN WE HAVE COMPANIES THAT COME IN AND THEY'RE DOING A CORPORATE EVENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT'S AT A PRIVATE BUSINESS AND THEY STILL WANT SOME LEVEL OF OFFICER PRESENCE.
WE HAD ONE, UH, THAT WAS OVER ON WEST SIXTH AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY A CONCERN FOR THEM, THAT THEY WANTED A LITTLE EXTRA VISIBILITY.
AND SO THEY ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO US AS THE AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION AND WE MANAGE OFF-DUTY CONTRACTS WHERE IT'S NOT ACTUALLY CITY OVERTIME, IT'S NOT A CITY EVENT, IT'S A PRIVATE EVENT, BUT THEY'RE STILL LOOKING FOR SOME LEVEL OF OFFICER INVOLVEMENT.
THEY'LL REACH OUT TO US AND WE WILL FILL THE OVERTIME FORUM, UH, WITH, WITH OFFICERS, AND I USE THE WORD OVERTIME, BUT THAT CAN VARY.
LIKE RESERVE OFFICERS ARE PAID A FIXED RATE.
UH, THAT DOESN'T, DOESN'T CHANGE.
UH, SOME EVENTS ARE PAID AT JUST THE OVERTIME RATE.
UH, TYPICALLY THOSE ARE REIMBURSED EVENTS WHERE THE ORGANIZER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST.
AND THEN, UH, WITH LIKE THE OFF-DUTY CONTRACTS, THOSE ARE A NEGOTIATED RATE BETWEEN THE ORGANIZER AND EITHER THE OFFICER OR IF IT'S THE A PA US.
AND SO WE HAVE FIXED RATES THAT GET CHARGED AS A RESULT OF ALL THAT.
UM, THE, THE HARD PART THAT I THINK PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, IS POTENTIALLY MOST INTERESTING TO Y'ALL AS WELL IS THAT'S A LOT OF COMPETING INTERESTS, RIGHT? WE'RE TRYING TO STAFF A SHORTHANDED PATROL BUREAU THAT IS CONSTANTLY DEALING WITH VACANCIES ON PATROL.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO 9 1 1 CALLS, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE ALL THESE SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE ECONOMY HERE IN AUSTIN THAT ARE ALSO A PRIORITY.
AND SO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN STAFF ALL OF THOSE EVENTS AND GET ENOUGH PEOPLE THERE TO MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE AND WE MEET, MEET THE EXPECTATIONS, UH, THAT THE ORGANIZERS HAVE, AS WELL AS WHAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE OUR SPECIAL EVENTS TEAM RECOMMENDS IS THIS IS WHAT WILL HELP KEEP YOUR EVENT SAFE.
AND IN TIMES IN THE, THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST, UH, FORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT BEEN SEEING IT AS MUCH RECENTLY, UH, BUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO THERE HAVE BEEN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE WE WERE COMPLETELY UNABLE TO FILL ANY SPECIAL EVENTS OVER TIME OR, OR CERTAIN POSITIONS WITHIN IT, UM, THAT RESULTED IN SHORTAGES AND PATROL RESOURCES WERE DIVERTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD DEAL WITH ROAD CLOSURES AND ANYTHING ELSE.
SO THOSE ARE OFFICERS THAT WE TAKE AWAY FROM HANDLING 9 1 1 CALLS THAT THEN GET DIVERTED TO GO DO OTHER DUTIES.
AND SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT I THINK ARE PROBLEMATIC.
UM, FORTUNATELY IN RECENT YEARS, IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS WE'VE NOT BEEN SEEING THAT AS MUCH, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE VERY MUCH, I THINK WE SHOULD BE AVOIDING AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THERE IS, I, I KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE RATES, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE IS A PROCESS TO TRY TO KEEP IT TO WHERE THESE RATES ARE, NOT THAT, THAT THOSE COSTS ARE CONTAINED AS MUCH AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN, WHERE THEY TYPICALLY TRY TO FILL THESE VACANCIES WITH OFFICERS FIRST.
UH, 'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE LOWEST HOURLY RATE, AND THEN IF THEY DON'T GET FILLED, THEN IT CAN MOVE UP TO HIGHER RANKS.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF A WAY TO TRY TO KEEP IT AS PREDICTABLE AS WE CAN.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT YOU'RE KIND OF COMPETING WITH IS THAT PATROL OVER TIME CAN ONLY BE WORKED BY OFFICERS.
CORPORALS AND DETECTIVE ARE THE SAME RANK FOR US, BUT THOSE ARE THE ONLY INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN WORK PATROL OVER TIME WHEN THOSE VACANCIES OCCUR.
SO, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO SPECIAL EVENTS, SOMETIMES SERGEANTS OR LIEUTENANTS CAN WORK THOSE AS WELL, BUT THEY CANNOT WORK, UH, PATROL OVER TIME.
SO THERE'S ONLY CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT CAN FILL CERTAIN SPOTS.
UH, AND THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT HARDER SOMETIMES TO FILL THE SPECIAL EVENT, UH, OR THE PATROL OVER TIME.
WITH THAT, I SAID THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION AND IT WAS VERY HIGH LEVEL.
SO SORRY IF, UH, THAT WAS JUST A, A FIRE HOSE RIGHT THERE.
BUT I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, COVER ANYTHING THAT I DIDN'T, BUT THAT'S KIND OF A, A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE STAND AS A DEPARTMENT, UH, WHERE OUR STAFFING IS AND KIND OF HOW THE SPECIAL EVENT
[00:20:01]
SIDE WORKS.ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH MICHAEL.
I'M GONNA LOOK TO MY LEFT AND RIGHT HERE TO SEE WHO WOULD LIKE TO JUMP IN.
HEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
THIS WAS, UM, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT RIGHT HOW THE, THE BACKEND GETS DONE AND THE OFFICERS WE REALLY APPRECIATE, ESPECIALLY ALL THE EVENTS GOING ON.
ALSO, GOOD TO KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A GOOD, UM, CAREER IN RETIREMENT WORKING AUSTIN SPECIAL EVENTS, SO ABSOLUTELY.
UM, A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THE CRIME STATS.
THOSE ARE NOT INCLUDING UT CAMPUS AND THE AIRPORT, CORRECT? IT, IT DEPENDS.
SO UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS, UH, THIS IS KIND OF A, A CAVEAT WITHIN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ALL THE TIME.
IS THAT SOME IN GENERAL FOR UT? NO.
BUT NOT ALL, BECAUSE SOME CASES THAT UT HAS, OUR DEPARTMENT DOES WORK AND SO IT COULD GET REPORTED THROUGH OUR SYSTEM LIKE A MURDER BUT NOT LIKE A DRUG CRIME.
LIKE IF THEY HAVE AN ISSUE THAT'S SOLELY WITH ON CAMPUS THAT UTPD HAS THE INVESTIGATIVE ABILITY TO DO, THEN THAT FALLS ONLY WITH THEIR REPORTING.
BUT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY ASK FOR OUR HELP ON AND WE GENERATE A REPORT AND AN INVESTIGATIVE FILE FOR IT, THEN IT'S GONNA GET DOCUMENTED ON OUR YOUR GOTCHA.
SO ALL WITH ANY CROSSOVER MM-HMM
AND WE DO ALL OF THE AIRPORT DOES IT IS OURS.
NO, AND THE CAMPUS WAS MY, I JUST SAID AIRPORT.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT CAME OUT, BUT
IT WAS BLOCKED OUT ON THE MAP.
OH, SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS, SO RIGHT.
I WORK IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS A LOT.
THERE'S A, AN AN A PDI GUESS SERGEANT OR ABOVE WORKING TRAFFIC.
DOES THAT FALL IN THE OTHER CATEGORY AS WELL? YEAH, IT'D BE KIND OF UNDER THE, THE MISCELLANEOUS TYPE EVENTS THAT WE, THAT WE DEAL WITH WHERE YES, A LOT OF THOSE TRAFFIC CONTROL ASSIGNMENTS WHERE YOU'RE HELPING, YOU KNOW, SAY IT'S AT FIVE O'CLOCK WHEN YOU HAVE A, A HIGH RISE WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC THAT'S TRYING TO GET OUT.
AND YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T GET PEOPLE BOGGED DOWN OUR GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND HERE.
AND SO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS FLOW LIKE THAT.
A LOT OF TIMES THAT DOES FLOW THROUGH OUR SPECIAL EVENTS UNIT AND THEY WILL, THEY THEY COORDINATE ALL THAT.
WHAT, UM, WHAT'S YOUR PERSONAL PHONE POLICY WHEN THEY'RE WORKING? THE OFFICERS WORKING THE SPECIAL EVENTS? NOT THAT I'M CALLING ANYONE OUT FOR WATCHING, UH, NBA PLAYOFF GAMES, BUT I'VE BEEN TO DIFFERENT TOWNS, THEY'VE SEEN DIFFERENT EVENTS AND THEY'VE SEEN DIFFERENT OFFICERS AND KIND OF THAT PERSONAL PHONE POLICY.
SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IT IS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THERE'S NOT REALLY A, A ACTUAL POLICY IN PLACE, RIGHT? THE EXPECTATION IS THAT YOU FULFILL WHATEVER YOUR OBLIGATION IS, RIGHT? SO IF YOUR JOB IS TO BE OUT THERE AND TO BE VISIBLE AND TO BE WALKING AROUND, OBVIOUSLY BEING ON YOUR PHONE IS NOT, NOT WHAT YOU'RE BEING, WHAT YOU'RE BEING PAID TO DO.
YOU KNOW, AND SO, I MEAN, YOU DO SEE IT OBVIOUSLY, LIKE PEOPLE DO ARE ARE ON THEIR PERSONAL PHONES.
IF YOU'RE SITTING ON A BLOCK EIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE FOR ACL, WE MAINTAIN ROADBLOCKS OBVIOUSLY 24 7.
AND SO IF IT'S 3:00 AM AND YOUR JOB IS TO BE, YOU KNOW, JUST BLOCKING OFF A ROADWAY FOR SURE, IF PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR PERSONAL PHONE, LIKE THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE.
SO IT JUST, IT'S ALL DEPENDENT UPON WHAT YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS.
I WOULD MAYBE ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE A DEFINED POLICY AROUND THAT.
JUST I THINK WE ALL ARE CAN ANECDOTALLY GO DOWN THAT LANE.
OH, THANK YOU FOR GOING COMPETING INTERESTS TOO.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT WHEN YOU WERE TALKING IN TERMS OF HOW YOU'RE STAFFING AND THEN THE RIGHT, THE COMPETING INTERESTS AND FINANCIAL INTERESTS TO GET OFFICERS WHERE YOU NEED THEM TO BE.
I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UH, ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR OUR GUESTS? PARDON ME? COMMISSIONER PRUITT, PLEASE.
UM, IT'S SO SILLY BUT IT'S SO NECESSARY TO MAYBE TALK ABOUT FOR A SECOND.
UM, SPECIAL EVENTS AND WAYMO'S AND BLOCKING OFF TRAFFIC AND WAYMO'S AND WAYMO'S INTERFERING WITH, UM, EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.
UM, WHAT IS YOUR PERCEPTION ON THAT? WHAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME TASKS, OR NOT TASKS, BUT STRATEGIES, UM, OR HOW, HOW IS ALL OF THAT WORKING FOR, FOR YOU ALL? BECAUSE I KNOW I GET FRUSTRATED WITH THEM AND I'M NOT, YOU KNOW,
SO JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOUR PERCEPTION AND, UM, EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN WITH THAT.
YEAH, I CAN TELL YOU FROM, YOU KNOW, THE PATROL OFFICER PERSPECTIVE OR JUST GONNA HAVE THE MOST DIRECT IMPACT WITH THEM.
THERE'S, I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S A PREVALENT PROBLEM, IT IS A PAIN POINT AT TIMES.
AND A LOT OF TIMES IT HAS TO DO WITH WHETHER OR NOT THE VEHICLE KNOWS HOW TO RESPOND TO WHATEVER CIRCUMSTANCE WE ARE DEALING WITH, RIGHT? IF WE HAVE A
[00:25:01]
ROAD BLOCKED OFF, YOU KNOW, AT TIMES IT JUST STOPS AND DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.AND, AND I, I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR TO A DEGREE ON THEIR BACKEND HOW THEY HANDLE IT, IF IT'S WAITING FOR AN OPERATOR TO ACTUALLY JUMP IN AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANUALLY, MANUALLY DIRECT IT OR IF IT'S JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO DO.
AND SO USUALLY AT TRAFFIC, UM, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS WHERE A LOT OF THE FRUSTRATIONS CAN COME AROUND WHERE, I MEAN, WE, WE CAN'T POINT AT THE DRIVER TO GO A DIFFERENT WAY.
WE CAN'T POINT AT ANYTHING LIKE WE'RE STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD TRYING TO, TRYING TO BLOCK IT OFF.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AT TIMES THAT CAN BE PROBLEMATIC.
I KNOW FIRE DOES DO A DECENT AMOUNT OF TRAINING WITH THEM BECAUSE IT HAS A WHOLE OTHER TYPE OF FIRE RESPONSE THAT MAY COME ALONG WITH IT, DEPENDING UPON A TRAFFIC COLLISION THAT MAY OCCUR OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, WE, FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SIDE, WE TYPICALLY GET WHAT'S CALLED LIKE A TRAINING BULLETIN OR A MEMO THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF DIRECTION ON HERE'S HOW YOU CAN TRY TO CONTACT WAMO, HERE'S HOW YOU MAY BE ABLE TO MANUALLY STOP IT, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UH, BUT A LOT OF TIMES, BECAUSE OUR INTERACTIONS AREN'T SUPER COMMON, TRYING TO RECALL ALL THAT INFORMATION IN THE MOMENT IS NOT ALWAYS THE EASIEST.
SO AGAIN, I WOULDN'T CLASSIFY IT AS A, A, A MAJOR ISSUE THAT WE DEAL WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, AND I I THINK EVERYBODY'S SEEN SOME OF THE VIDEOS WHERE LIKE IT'S OBVIOUS AT TIMES, IT GETS CONFUSED AND IT TAKES A MINUTE FOR IT TO WORK THINGS OUT.
AND DEPENDING UPON THE SITUATION DEPENDS UPON WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S REALLY A PROBLEM OR NOT.
WHEN YOU'RE, I I THINK IN GENERAL, ANYTIME YOU TAKE THE HUMAN ELEMENT OUT OF THINGS, TROUBLESHOOTING BECOMES MORE PROBLEMATIC.
LIKE, AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF A, A, A GENERALITY, BUT THAT'S IN, IN OUR WORLD, IT'S JUST KIND OF THE REALITY THAT WE DO DEAL WITH.
LIKE WHEN WE, WE HAVE PEOPLE, IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR US TO NAVIGATE WHATEVER SITUATION WE CAN.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THE PERSPECTIVE THAT IT'S MORE OF A, A PAIN POINT AND NOT A PREVALENT PROBLEM.
UM, JUST BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WHEN WE DO HEAR ABOUT IT IN THE NEWS, IT'S A, IT'S A MAJOR ISSUE, UM, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT SOUNDS LIKE REALLY NOT A VERY COMMON ISSUE.
UH, SO I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
COMMISSIONER PRUITT HANDS, AH, EXCUSE ME.
UH, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, PLEASE.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DO.
IT BASED ON THE DATA THAT YOU SHOWED US, I THINK YOU'RE DOING A, WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB BALANCING PUBLIC SAFETY WITH SUPPORTING THOSE MAJOR EVENTS THAT HELP OUR TOURISM.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN TAKE BACK TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT MAY HELP YOU RETAIN OFFICERS? I KNOW PEOPLE RETIRE, BUT, UM, OR MAYBE RECRUIT.
'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE IF WE HAD MORE OFFICERS, THERE'D BE MORE FLEXIBILITY.
AND I, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO HELP ON OUR END.
I MEAN, I I THINK YOU'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT.
LIKE IT'S, IT'S THE RECRUITING PIPELINE THAT IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ISSUES RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND IN FAIRNESS, THAT'S NOT A AUSTIN UNIQUE PROBLEM TO A DEGREE.
UM, BUT I THINK EVEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT GRAPH, UH, THAT COMPARES US TO FORT WORTH.
FORT WORTH IS ON AN UPWARD TRAJECT TRAJECTORY WHERE WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, PLATEAUING AT BEST RIGHT NOW.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, A A LOT OF THAT COMES DOWN TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU'RE WORKING IN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO, WE HAVE SEEN THAT THROUGH OUR LABOR AGREEMENT.
OUR ATTRITION RATE HAS GONE DOWN.
WE PEAKED FROM HAVING 161 PEOPLE LEAVE IN 2023 RIGHT AROUND THERE TO WHERE NOW WE'RE HOVERING AROUND 70.
AND SO WE'VE CUT IT IN HALF IN TWO YEARS, WHICH IS GOOD.
UH, BUT NOW TRYING TO BRING THOSE RECRUITING NUMBERS BACK UP IS, IS THE NEXT CHALLENGE.
AND FROM THE ASSOCIATION SIDE, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT FROM A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT UNIQUE ANGLES AND TRYING TO PARTNER WITH A LOT OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND OTHER SUPPORTERS AND TRYING TO ADDRESS OTHER ISSUES LIKE AFFORDABILITY.
RIGHT? WE LAUNCHED A PROGRAM WITH THE AUSTIN DEPARTMENT ASSOCIATION TO TRY TO FIND WAYS OF COMING UP WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS FOR OFFICERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY HERE.
BUT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE INTO A NEW PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR CADETS BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A BIT OF A HIT FOR SOME PEOPLE TO TRY TO COME HERE BECAUSE CADET PAY IS NOT VERY HIGH.
UM, IT'S COMPETITIVE WITH A LOT OF OTHER PLACES, BUT IT'S STILL A PROBLEM.
AND WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT OTHER, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS MORE SEASONED OR EVEN EXPERIENCED INDIVIDUALS, THEN IT'S NOT ON, IT'S NOT ON PACE.
AND SO TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOME OF THESE UNIQUE WAYS IS, YOU KNOW, IS A CHALLENGE.
BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST THING OVERALL IS IT'S, IT'S THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH YOU WORK, RIGHT? I THINK IT'S, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, IT'S BEEN NO SECRET THAT THERE'S BEEN UPS AND DOWNS IN POLICING THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
UH, BUT, AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS EVER ASKED LIKE, HEY, THERE'S A, AN EXPECTED BLANKET APPROVAL OF ANYTHING THE DEPARTMENT DOES, BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT MAKES MISTAKE OFFICERS MAKE MISTAKES.
THOSE HAPPEN AND IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
IT'S UNFORTUNATELY, AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THAT HUMAN ELEMENT.
SOME THINGS ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL, BUT IN GENERAL, IF OFFICERS WORK WITHIN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED, THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO DO THE JOB AND THEY'RE BEING ALLOWED TO DO THE JOB THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO DO,
[00:30:01]
THEN MORE PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO COME HERE.SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT SOME OF THE BIGGER THINGS THAT DON'T COST ANYTHING, BECAUSE MONEY IS THE NEXT QUESTION THAT COMES INTO ALL OF THAT, BUT JUST A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THAT IS, THAT IS MORE TANGIBLE, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS RECRUITING.
UH, COMMISSIONER CHAP, SPEAKING OF PUBLIC SAFETY,
SO PEOPLE WILL ASK, IS AUSTIN SAFE AND THE GENERAL RESPONSES YES, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE AT AND WHAT TIME OF DAY IT IS, WE KNOW THIS INFORMATION, BUT THESE LOCATIONS STILL REMAIN UNSAFE.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT AND THE EFFORTS THAT ARE GOING AROUND? I KNOW THERE'S DIALOGUE AROUND A PD DOESN'T REALLY ENGAGE WITH HOMELESSNESS, AND WE NEED A WHOLE SEPARATE HOMELESS SERVICES TO DEAL WITH THAT, BUT THERE ARE TOURISTS GETTING ASSAULTED, THERE ARE TOURISTS BEING ASSAULTED BY MACHETES.
THERE ARE FIGHTS, THERE ARE PROMINENT INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS THAT JUST FEATURE FIGHTS ON SIXTH STREET.
RAINY STREET ASSAULTS, AMBULANCES MAKING THEIR WAY TO RAINY STREET.
TALK ABOUT WAYMO'S JUST GETTING THERE.
WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT ANY OF THAT TODAY.
I'D LIKE YOU TO TALK ABOUT THAT OKAY.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO HOMELESSNESS SPECIFICALLY, RIGHT, LIKE A PD UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE OVERALL PLANNED STRATEGY, RIGHT? IT IS SOMEWHAT OF A MORE LIMITED ROLE WHERE HSO DOES HAVE KIND OF THE FOREFRONT OF THAT WHEN IT COMES TO AN ACTUAL PLAN TO ADDRESS IT.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT 9 1 1 CALLS VERY FREQUENTLY INVOLVE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND THEREFORE WE'RE, WE ARE PULLED INTO THAT, RIGHT? NOT, NOT BY THE DEPARTMENTS CHOOSING, BUT BY THE NATURE OF OUR ROLE AND WHAT WE'RE ASKED TO DO.
AND SO I CAN TELL YOU AS PRIOR TO COMING TO THE A PAI, UH, I'M STILL A SWORN OFFICER WITH THE DEPARTMENT, AND I WORK NIGHT SHIFT IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN FOR SIX YEARS.
AND THERE WERE A, A HIGH NUMBER OF OUR CALLS DO INVOLVE INDIVIDUALS WHO, WHO ARE HOMELESS.
AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO OUR RESPONSE AND INVOLVEMENT IS THAT IT'S THE SAME INDIVIDUALS ON, ON, ON, ON REPEAT THAT WE DEAL WITH.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE GET TO KNOW THEM BY NAME AND SOMETIMES THAT'S HELPFUL.
IT'S NOT A GREAT SIGN THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH THE SAME INDIVIDUAL OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
YES, IT'S VERY INEFFICIENT, BUT AT OTHER TIMES, I CAN TELL YOU IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN HELPFUL WHERE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE MAY USUALLY FIGHT, BUT BECAUSE I KNOW THEM, RIGHT, I CAN CALL THEM BY NAME AND BE LIKE, HEY, WE DON'T, LET'S NOT DO THAT TODAY.
AND IF YOU CALL 'EM BY NAME, WELL MAGICALLY IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE STILL GONNA GO TO JAIL, BUT IT'S NOT A USE OF FORCE, IT'S NOT ANYTHING ELSE, RIGHT.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF DEESCALATE THOSE THINGS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE INVOLVEMENT IS, IS THERE, IT IS STILL A PREVALENT ISSUE FOR OUR, OUR DEPARTMENT TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH, ESPECIALLY ON THE PATROL LEVEL.
AND A LOT OF TIMES IT DOES INVOLVE CRIMINAL TRESPASS IS ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENT THINGS THAT WE DEAL WITH IN AND AROUND THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND CITYWIDE WHERE IT HAPPENS AT BUSINESSES ALL THE TIME.
AND THERE IS NOT, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE OFFENSES, WHETHER THERE'S ANY FOLLOW UP OR NOT.
LIKE I, I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO A WHOLE LOT WHAT OTHER FOLLOW ON SERVICES MAY HAPPEN.
BUT IN, IN THE MOMENT, RIGHT? I CAN TELL YOU I'VE SEEN PLENTY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, YOU KNOW, UPWARDS OF, YOU KNOW, A DOZEN TIMES FOR THE SAME OFFENSE, OFTENTIMES AT THE SAME LOCATION.
AND THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED.
AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE FOLLOW THROUGH THAT MAY HAPPEN ON THE COUNTY ATTORNEY SIDE, LIKE EVERYTHING TYPICALLY WINDS UP GETTING DISMISSED.
AND SO LIKE, IT THAT, THAT CONTINUES TO PUT US IN THIS LOOP WHERE IF YOU'RE NOT, IF THERE'S NOTHING THAT BREAKS IT, THEN WE JUST KEEP REPEATING THE SAME THING.
AND I THINK THERE WAS A CONVERSATION AROUND, RIGHT, IT WAS $2,000 TO SEND SOMEONE TO TRAVIS COUNTY JAIL AND COULDN'T THAT MONEY BE USED FOR HOMELESS SERVICES AND THAT SORT OF THING, AND THIS KIND OF RIGHT.
WE'RE IN THAT CHASM RIGHT NOW MM-HMM
TRYING TO SORT THAT, UM, THAT THROUGH, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE AROUND, I MEAN, I KNOW WE HAD THE PRESENTATION LAST MONTH AROUND SIXTH STREET, KIND OF CHANGING THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THAT, BUT IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, WHAT ARE THINGS THAT THE OFFICERS TALK ABOUT THAT ARE, THAT THEY FEEL COULD HELP ON SPECIAL EVENTS, WHETHER THAT'S COORDINATION FOR THE DIFFERENT FACILITIES MM-HMM
BUT WHAT ARE SOME NUGGETS OR HELPFULNESS THAT YOU COULD PUT OUT THERE FOR OTHERS? I, I WILL TELL YOU, I, I BELIEVE, LIKE I SAID, WHEN IT COMES TO A LOT OF THE SPECIAL EVENTS, THEY'RE MANAGED VERY WELL.
RIGHT? I DO THINK OUR SPECIAL EVENTS UNIT, UH, AND, AND THE DEPARTMENT DOES A, A GOOD JOB OF MANAGING A LOT OF THESE EVENTS, UH, AND WORKING WITH THE ORGANIZERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE HANDLED APPROPRIATELY.
UM, AGAIN, THE BIGGEST, THE BIGGEST STRUGGLE JUST GOES BACK TO TRYING TO FILL THESE POSITIONS, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S STAFFING.
AND SO THAT FOR SURE, NO, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE.
[00:35:01]
THE, THE AFFORDABILITY FRONT, THERE'S MOVEMENTS AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION TO HAVE PRIVATE SECTOR OR EVEN RIGHT CADET HOUSING BE BROUGHT INTO SOME OF THESE AFFORDABILITY CONVERSATIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL OUTSIDE OF OUR PURVIEW ON, UH, TOURISM.I THINK YOU GUYS ARE, YOU'RE DOING AWESOME.
LET'S WORK ON THE PHONE POLICY.
YOU BRING OUT THE HORSES OR THE DOGS AND EVERYBODY'S VERY HAPPY.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE LIKE, HAS A QUESTION? NO, NO.
UM, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE RESERVE OFFICER, UH, AND, AND IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, YOU SAID BY AND LARGE, UH, THOSE OFFICERS ARE SCHEDULED THROUGH YOUR OFFICES.
THEY, THEY'RE SCHEDULED, THE RESERVE OFFICERS ARE MANAGED THROUGH OUR SPECIAL EVENTS UNIT.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT COORDINATE ALL THAT.
RIGHT? SO, AND I GUESS WHAT I WANTED TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER ON THEN, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THERE, THAT THE COMPENSATION THAT THOSE OFFICERS RECEIVE FOR THIS SERVICE, IS THAT NEGOTIATED, THAT'S NEGOTIATED DIRECT BY YOUR ORGANIZATION OR THE REP AND, AND MEANING MY, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS THOSE ARE CLIENT PAID, ARE THEY PAID BY THE CLIENTS WHO ARE RE HIRING THE OFFICERS TO OVERSEE A POPUP EVENT DURING SOUTH BY? AND I'M, I'M TRYING TO GET WHERE I'M HEADING WITH THIS.
I'M TRYING TO GET A, SOME SORT OF A PICTURE OF WHAT THE SCALE OF THAT, THAT AMOUNT OF, OF MONEY MIGHT LOOK LIKE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS THAT I WOULD SAY WE WOULD, I WOULD LOOK AT AS AUGMENTING THE CITY BUDGET.
AND IT'S AUGMENTED INCOME FOR CERTAINLY FOR UNDERSTOOD FOR THEIR OFFICERS THEMSELVES.
BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A FEEL FOR WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT REPRESENT AS A, AS A SPEND FROM PRIVATE RESOURCES? UH, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NECESSARILY LOOK AT THAT AS ECONOMIC IMPACT.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'S FACTORED INTO NUMBERS THAT GET THROWN AROUND ABOUT ECONOMIC IMPACT, BUT I'M VERY, YOU KNOW, I'M CURIOUS IF IT, WHAT IT MIGHT REPRESENT FRACTIONALLY, YOU KNOW, AND OR HOWEVER YOU WOULD LOOK AT THAT MAYBE SINCE I CAN'T FIND THE RIGHT WORDS.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I I WANT TO CLARIFY A COUPLE THINGS.
SO WE HAVE, YOU HAVE ACTIVE OFFICERS WHO ARE COORDINATED THROUGH OUR SPECIAL EVENTS UNITS TO DO CITY, UH, SPONSORED EVENTS WHERE IT IS PAID EITHER BY THE CITY OR IT'S, UH, STILL COORDINATED THROUGH THE CITY, MEANING OUR SPECIAL EVENTS UNIT.
UH, BUT IT'S REIMBURSED, MEANING THAT THE ORGANIZER OF THE EVENT IS ULTIMATELY PAYING FOR IT.
AND SO IT'S COST NEUTRAL TO THE CITY.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE, WHAT WE WOULD CALL SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT, WHICH THAT'S WHAT'S COORDINATED THROUGH US AT THE A PA TYPICALLY, UM, OR THROUGH AN OFFICER DIRECTLY, PERHAPS.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT FOR THE MOST PART.
SO FOR THOSE PRIVATE EVENTS WHERE IT DOESN'T GO THROUGH THE CITY, IT JUST COMES THROUGH US.
UM, THOSE ARE, THOSE RATES ARE SET BY OUR ORGANIZATION, UH, AS LIKE THE COMPETING RATE BASICALLY.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE, THEY WANT TO PAY HIGHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR, THEIR EVENT DOES GET COVERED BECAUSE AGAIN, WE HAVE COMPETING INTERESTS AND DEPENDING UPON THE TIME, UH, AND DEPENDING UPON WHAT ALL IS GOING ON, THE RATE MAY FLUCTUATE SLIGHTLY.
UM, AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL NUMBER AND THE IMPACT OF THAT, I, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I'M HAPPY TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT BECAUSE I'M CURIOUS NOW MYSELF HOW MUCH THAT ACTUALLY REPRESENTS.
UM, BECAUSE FOR US IT'S BEEN SUCH A, A, THE, THE PRIMARY COMPONENT OF WHAT WE DO, YOU DON'T EVEN REALLY THINK ABOUT IT A WHOLE LOT.
SO I ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN FRONT OF ME.
UH, BUT JUST KIND OF ANECDOTALLY, I CAN TELL YOU ON A REGULAR BASIS, OUR ORGANIZATION IS PROBABLY COORDINATING SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF, YOU KNOW, TWO, PROBABLY AROUND 200 EVENTS PER YEAR, OR 200 REQUESTS PER YEAR FOR, UH, AN A PD OFFICER TO WORK OFF DUTY TO HELP WITH THEIR EVENT.
AND IT COULD BE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
SOMETIMES WE DO 'EM FOR ACTUAL SPECIAL EVENTS WHERE IT IS, LIKE I SAID, THOSE, UH, LIKE MAYBE A SIDE PARTY THAT'S GOING ON FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OR ACL.
UM, BUT ALSO SOMETIMES WE GET THESE REQUESTS FOR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOMEONE THAT'S HAVING A HIGH LEVEL BOARD MEETING OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
LIKE WE GET, WE GET A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT REQUESTS THAT MAY COME IN.
SO I, I WOULD SAY THAT'S PROBABLY AROUND 200 A YEAR THAT WE GET.
AGAIN, THAT'S JUST KIND OF ANECDOTALLY BASED ON MY MEMORY RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT I AM HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THAT MORE AND FOLLOW UP TO GIVE YOU GUYS A, A LITTLE BIT BETTER OF AN IDEA.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S A START ON THE, I MEAN, I JUST, I REALLY DO 200 EVENTS STILL DOESN'T EVEN GET CLOSE TO TELL ME HOW MANY OFFICERS ARE ENGAGED IN A YEAR AND DOES THAT REPRESENT $2 MILLION WORTH OF AUGMENTED INCOME? THAT KIND, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WAS WANTED TO FINISH, BUT I, I APPRECIATE WE'RE ON THE PATH.
JUST A QUICK CHASER TO THIS, AND THIS IS ALL PROBABLY GONNA BE ANECDOTAL RATHER THAN QUANTITATIVE, BUT
[00:40:01]
I'M CURIOUS, UM, WHETHER YOU SAW COMPRESSION IN THE AMOUNT OF ENGAGEMENT FOR THOSE SERVICES FOR THIS YEAR IS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE RESHAPING OF THAT EVENT, HOW IT HIT THE CITY IN NEW WAYS.I'M KIND OF JUST, SINCE WE'RE HAVING THIS TOPICAL CONVERSATION, I'M CURIOUS HOW IT IMPACTED WHAT HAD BEEN HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY AND YOU'VE BEEN IN YOUR POSITION LONG ENOUGH TO PROBABLY BE ABLE TO GET A, SOME KIND OF A VALUE JUDGMENT ON THAT.
UM, AND IT, IT WILL BE KIND OF ANECDOTAL BECAUSE I WOULD RELY ON SPECIAL EVENTS TO TELL YOU THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF ASSETS THAT WERE AVAILABLE AND WORKING, UH, DURING ACL OR DURING SOUTH BY, UM, I WOULD SAY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT DIDN'T LOOK DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, BUT FROM AN ATTENDANCE PERSPECTIVE, WHEN WE ARE DEDICATING THE MOST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES, IT DOES APPEAR LIKE THE LAST YEAR WE SAW A PRETTY DRAMATIC DECLINE IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, BUT THIS YEAR DID SEEM LIKE IT PICKED UP A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO THERE IS A DIFFERENCE FROM YEARS PAST THAT WE HAVE SEEN.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT TO A DEGREE THAT HAS SPREAD OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT IT HAS.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE CONVENTION CENTER NOT BEING, UH, UP AND RUNNING DURING THIS LAST ONE HAS AN IMPACT TO A DEGREE, UH, AS WELL.
SO IT JUST, EVERYTHING LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT NOW.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD SAY, LIKE I SAID, ATTENDANCE WISE, IT HAS CHANGED OUR RESPONSE LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
I, I, AND I GUESS I CAN SEE WITHOUT THE CONSIDER CENTER BEING THE NUCLEUS AND KIND OF THE GROUND WHERE EVERYTHING IS, AND THAT'S KIND OF MANAGEABLE AND IT'S, WE, WE KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.
MAYBE MOVING OFFSITE TO SOME OF THESE SATELLITE LOCATIONS CREATED A SHIFT IN HOW THE DEPLOYMENT WORKED, WHICH I CAN APPRECIATE THEN THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, COULD HAVE, COULD HAVE CREATED GROWTH, IN FACT, YOU KNOW, SO I HEAR THAT.
AND, AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I WOULD, I WOULD SHARE WITH YOU TOO IS ONE OF THE OTHER THING THAT'S A POSITIVE THAT WE HAVE SEEN IS PART OF IT HAS BEEN A SHIFT IN THE DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE TO, TO A DEGREE BE MORE PROACTIVE AS WE ARE DRAWING IN, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, OTHER, OTHER FOLKS FROM OUTTA TOWN THAT THAT CAN'T HAVE AN IMPACT.
UH, BUT IT WAS AN ISSUE, UH, SOME YEARS BACK OF BASICALLY UNOFFICIAL EVENTS THAT WERE GOING ON.
AND THAT THOSE WERE ONES WHERE WE TENDED TO SEE A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF VIOLENCE OCCURRING AT, UH, DEPENDING UPON WHERE THEY WERE, WHAT ALL WAS GOING ON.
UM, SO WE DID SEE MORE OF THAT, AND THAT FORTUNATELY SEEMS LIKE IT HAS, IT HAS BEEN ON THE DECLINE, UH, AND PART OF THAT HAS BEEN, UH, THE WAY THAT SOUTH BY HAS MANAGED THINGS AND THEIR, THEIR DEDICATED EFFORTS.
SO I, I DEFINITELY GIVE PROPS TO THEM AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR FOLKS THAT WORK TO TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
WE, WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE, UH, LOOKING AT FESTIVALS SPECIFICALLY, UH, FOR FURTHER INTO OUR AGENDA THIS YEAR.
SO WE'LL HAVE SOUTH BY IN FRONT OF US.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD JUST BE INTERESTING TO HAVE JUST THAT IN THE BACK POCKET AS WHILE WE FORMULATE KIND OF CONVERSATION WE LIKE TO HAVE WITH THEM TO UNDERSTAND THEIR SITUATION AND HOW WE CAN HELP THE SOUTH BY EXPERIENCE AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, LET'S GO.
UH, THANKS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND ALL THE POINTS.
UM, GOING AND LOOKING AT CLOSELY AT THE BEAUTIFUL MAP OF THE AP SEC, A BD SECTORS, UH, THE LAST POINT OF STAFFING IS DETERMINED BY CALL VOLUME IN GEOGRAPHY.
I JUST WANNA ASK, UM, THE DEFINITION OF THAT IN RELATION TO THE LIME GREEN.
UH, IT JUST, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS MAP AND I SEE THE LIME GREEN IS STRETCHING FROM VALENTI BEACH ALL THE WAY TO MAINOR ALL THE WAY DOWN.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE, THE KIND OF INCONVENIENCE SOMETIMES OF HOW LARGE THESE SECTORS ARE.
I JUST, THE LIME GREEN ONE STUCK OUT AND IT'S NOT THE ONE THAT IS KIND OF THE SHAMROCK GREEN, IT'S SLIGHTLY LIGHTER THAN THAT.
IT'S JUST SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY.
SO I JUST, CAN YOU KIND OF DEFINE THAT A LITTLE FURTHER IN RELATION TO THAT ONE? I KNOW THERE'S, IT'S LIKE IT'S SCATTERED AND IT'S IN THE RED.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT IN THE BLUE.
MAYBE IT'S, I DON'T HAVE THE LEGEND TO DEFINE WHICH OF THESE COLORS ARE WHICH, BUT MM-HMM
THAT ONE STUCK OUT TO ME AS JUST LIKE, IF I WAS AN OFFICER ASSIGNED TO LIME GREEN, THAT WOULD BE, I DON'T, I WOULDN'T KNOW WHERE TO LIVE, YOU KNOW? SO
SO THOSE AREAS, LIKE PART OF WHAT YOU KINDA KEEP IN MIND HERE TOO IS THAT THERE ARE OTHER POCKETS THAT EXIST WHERE IT'S NOT ACTUALLY A PD, THERE'S OTHER SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS.
UM, SO 'CAUSE YOU CAN TELL KIND OF UP NORTH, ONCE YOU GET TO PFLUGERVILLE AND EVERYWHERE ELSE, LIKE IT'S KIND OF, IT, IT, THERE'S SOME LITTLE POCKETS UP THERE TOO.
THOSE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, SECONDARY AREAS.
UM, MOST OF 'EM, I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THOSE ARE, UH, PARKS ARE WHAT THOSE ARE.
AND SO I, UH, 'CAUSE THERE'S THE ONE THAT'S, IF YOU NOTICE WHERE THE AIRPORT IS JUST SOUTH OF THERE, THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE A PARK DOWN THERE, SOME OF WHICH, UH, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, OTHERS ARE GONNA BE OTHER SURROUNDING PARK AREAS.
SO MOST OF THOSE, THOSE, UH, LIME GREEN ONES ARE, UH, PARK AREAS.
SO, AND AGAIN, SOME OF THEM WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR, SOME
[00:45:01]
OF THEM WE ARE NOT.SO IT KIND OF DEPENDS, BUT THAT'S NOT AN ACTUAL, UH, PATROL SECTOR.
AND THEN, UH, JUST A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION IN TERMS OF DEFINITION, UM, THE A PA IS SILLY, BUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, NEED TO DEFINE THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEARLY.
UM, IS THAT ONLY A PD UNION OFFICERS OR IS THAT WHEN YOU SAID OTHER AGENCIES AS WELL, SUCH AS TRAVIS COUNTY CONSTABLES, ET CETERA? I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT IN RELATION TO DAKOTA, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS, ARE, ARE THEY MEMBERS OF THE A PA OR IS IT JUST CITY EMPLOYEES? YEAH, A UH, DEPARTMENT.
WE ONLY REPRESENT SWORN A PD OFFICERS.
WE DON'T REPRESENT ANY OTHER, UH, JURISDICTION.
I, I THOUGHT YOU HAD ANOTHER ONE.
SO, PITCHING TO YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAP, SO WITH THE ACL COMING UP, COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT TRAINING GOES ON FOR THOSE OFFICERS THAT ARE STATIONED FOR THAT SPECIAL EVENT? UM, I LIVE IN ZILKER, SO I SEE A LOT OF OFFICERS TO AND ON MY WAY BACK AND FORTH.
AND SO IT LOOKS HEAVILY STAFFED, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S A REASON WHY IT LOOKS HEAVILY STAFFED.
AND SO IF YOU COULD JUST, OBVIOUSLY LIKE ACTIVE SHOOTER IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT YOU, YOU TRAINED FOR.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THESE OFFICERS TRAINED FOR, FOR THESE SPECIAL EVENTS? SO WE CAN USE ACL AS AN EXAMPLE MM-HMM
AND SO IT'S, IT'S GONNA FALL FOR THE MOST PART UNDER JUST THE GENERAL TRAINING THAT OFFICERS RECEIVE FOR THE MOST PART.
THERE ARE SOME FOLKS, LIKE FOR A LOT OF THESE LARGER EVENTS, THERE ARE, ARE A LOT OF OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE THERE THAT ARE SPECIALIZED UNITS THAT RECEIVE ADDITIONAL TRAINING.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLENTY OF EVENTS, THE SAME GROUPS THAT WORK IN LIKE THE AIRPORT WHERE WE HAVE, UH, EXPLOSIVE ORDINANCE DISPOSAL, WHICH, YOU KNOW, OUR BOMB SQUAD BASICALLY.
AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, DOGS THAT WILL COME SWEEP CERTAIN AREAS.
AND SO THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE CERTAIN HIGHER LEVEL TRAINING, BUT FROM THE BASIC PATROL LEVEL, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE OFFICERS THAT YOU WILL SEE OUT THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PART, THEY OBTAIN A LOT OF THEIR TRAINING SOMEWHAT INFORMALLY FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ORGANIZING THE EVENT ON LIKE, HERE'S PERHAPS THE SPECIALTIES OF WHATEVER PARTICULAR ASSIGNMENT THAT YOU HAVE.
SO THERE'S NOT A SPECIAL EVENT TRAINING PROGRAM, SO YOU JUST MIGHT BE ASSIGNED TO SAY CROWD CONTROL, THIS SORT OF THING.
YOU'RE HELPING MOVING THE QUEUES? CORRECT.
UM, WHERE, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, WE CALL 'EM PORTAL ENTRANCES.
UM, I'M, I'M ASHAMED TO ADMIT, I'M NOT ACTUALLY FAMILIAR WHAT IT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE IF THEY'RE STILL CALLED PORTALS
BUT, UH, WE CALL THEM PORTAL ENTRANCES WHERE PEOPLE COME THROUGH, UH, THE GATES TO GET INTO THE FESTIVAL.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS THAT ARE WORKING THOSE, THEY'LL TYPICALLY GET BRIEFINGS AHEAD OF TIME ABOUT HERE'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, HERE'S WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE.
AND THEN A LOT OF TIMES TOO, WE GET OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING THESE FOR QUITE SOME TIME WHERE THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE EXPECTATIONS.
AND SO THERE'S AN INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT GETS PASSED ON TO NEW PEOPLE THAT MAY COME ON TO WORK THE EVENT.
UM, THERE ARE A FEW SPECIALIZED THINGS LIKE, I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED ACTIVE SHOOTER, UH, THE SAME TEAM THAT WAS INVOLVED IN OUR MARCH 1ST RESPONSE, WHICH IS CALLED CAST OUR COUNTER ASSAULT STRIKE TEAM.
EXISTS AND, UH, HAS BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
IT'S A VERY UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN A PD AND EMS WHERE WE OPERATE IN TANDEM.
AND SO YOU HAVE A UNIT OF A PD OFFICERS WHERE A MEDIC IS ASSIGNED WITH THEM AND PHYSICALLY RIDING WITH THEM.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT IF A ACTIVE, ACTIVE ATTACK OR SOME, YOU KNOW, HIGH THREAT LEVEL INCIDENT DOES OCCUR, THAT INVOLVES POTENTIALLY CRITICAL INJURIES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET THE MEDIC TO THAT PATIENT A LOT QUICKER BECAUSE THEY HAVE SECURITY THROUGH THE OFFICER VERSUS THEM WAITING FOR US TO CLEAR A SCENE AND TO MAKE IT SAFE.
IT'S A MUCH MORE RAPID DEPLOYMENT THAT CAN OCCUR.
UM, AND WE DO THIS ON A PRE, PRE-PLANNED LEVEL FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT EVENTS.
UM, MAJOR EVENTS, UH, EVEN, YOU KNOW, WE DO 'EM FOR DOWNTOWN EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND.
SO EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS WE HAVE OUR EVENT YEAH.
SO, AND THEY'RE TYPICALLY AVAILABLE AND AROUND AND ASKED TO WORK A LOT OF THESE SPECIAL EVENTS AS WELL.
AND THEY DO HAVE SPECIALIZED TRAINING.
IT'S A WEEK AND A HALF LONG COURSE THAT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT'S SPECIALIZED JUST TO OUR CAST TEAM.
AND SO THERE ARE VARYING LEVELS OF SPECIALIZED TRAINING PEOPLE GO THROUGH, AND THEY SUBSEQUENTLY ARE ASKED TO WORK THESE SPECIAL EVENTS UTILIZING THOSE SKILLS.
IT WAS A GREAT, UH, DESCRIPTION.
THANKS FOR KEEPING US SAFE AND HOPE WE, UH, MAINTAIN THAT.
COMMISSIONER CHAPEL AND C COMMISSIONER PRUITT.
SORRY, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT DOWNTOWN, UM, BROUGHT UP THE HOMELESS SITUATION AND YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT.
UM, WE HAD THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE PRESENT TO US A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
AND, UM, I WAS PRETTY, I I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
THEY WERE PRETTY NEW KIND OF ORGANIZATION IN TOWN.
UM, HOW HAS THEIR LIKE DOWNTOWN LIKE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM BEEN,
[00:50:01]
YOU KNOW, HELPFUL OR IMPACTED OR WHAT, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH, UM, WITH THEIR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM? I MEAN, I THINK IT'S, IT BENEFICIAL FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A CONSISTENT PRESENCE IN AN AREA, IT TO A DEGREE HAS A DETERRENT EFFECT.UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KNOW, IT, IT ALSO DOES HELP US KIND OF TRIAGE CERTAIN THINGS WHERE OBVIOUSLY IF WE GET REPORTS FROM THEM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'VE BEEN AROUND, THEY HAVE CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS AND SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO SIFT THROUGH WHAT OUR RESPONSE SHOULD BE.
AND SO HAVING ADDITIONAL EYES OUT THERE ALLOWS US TO BE FOCUSED ON THE IMMEDIATE AND THEY'RE KIND OF VIGILANT OF DEVELOPING PROBLEMS PER SE.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK HAVING TALKED WITH A NUMBER OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS, IT'S ALSO BENEFICIAL BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE AND KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR POTENTIAL ISSUES.
WHEREAS THEY MAY HAVE HAD TO BE DE HAD TO HAVE DEDICATED RESOURCES OR EMPLOYEES TO DEALING WITH THOSE ISSUES.
NOW THEY HAVE THESE AMBASSADORS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE TAKING CARE OF THAT FOR THEM.
SO IT KIND OF ACTS AS A LIAISON TO A DEGREE.
UM, AND I THINK, LIKE I SAID, IN GENERAL, HAVING MORE PEOPLE OUT AND ABOUT AND KNOWING THAT THEIR JOB IS TO BE AWARE AND TO NOTIFY US OF ISSUES DOES HAVE TO A DEGREE, A DETERRENT EFFECT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER PRUITT, I THINK THAT IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, UNLESS I SEE MUCH QUESTIONS THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY MOVE ON, LET'S SEE OUR NEXT GUEST.
UM, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME WITH US, MICHAEL, APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR, UH, OUR TOURISM ECONOMY AND BEING VERY FORWARD WITH OUR EVENTS.
I'D LIKE, I'M STILL COMPETITIVELY GONNA SAY I'M, I THINK THAT WE HAVE MORE EVENTS AND, AND SIGNIFICANT EVENTS THAT COMPETING WITH FORT WORTH ON HOWEVER WE ARE.
I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY HAVE THE BEST EQUIPPED TEAM TO, BECAUSE EVENTS ARE SO MUCH A PART OF OUR CULTURE, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING AND, AND, UH, WISH YOU ALL SAFETY OUT THERE.
I APPRECIATE IT AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH YOU.
I DO THINK WE HAVE THE BEST TEAM, SO, RIGHT.
ALRIGHT, UM, WE ARE GONNA MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER
[4. Presentation by the Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations regarding an overview of the City’s council-approved strategic plan to address homelessness and to understand how this work intersects with Austin’s visitor experience. Presentation by Natasha Ponczek, Business Process Consultant ]
FOUR.AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS ORG.
AND, UH, I BELIEVE, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, NATASHA PONCHE, IS THAT CORRECT? SHE'S GOING TO, I'M, I'M SORRY.
I DON'T OH, YOU'RE THE BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANT.
UH, WELCOME TO THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.
WE, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE, THERE WAS A LOT OF, WE'RE DOING THESE KIND OF THEMATICALLY AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THE, YOUR, YOUR INTERESTS AND, UH, THAT THIS TOPIC KIND OF FED THE, SOME OF THE CONVERSATION WE HAD WITH THE, WITH THE A PA.
AND THAT'S KIND OF OUR DESIGN.
WE WANT THINGS TO CROSS OVER LIKE THIS SO THAT WE CAN REALLY PUT THE PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD AND WE WILL, I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU AS WELL, PLEASE.
UM, AND I AM THE MANAGER OVER THE PLANNING AND POLICY DIVISION AT THE HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS.
AND WITH ME TODAY, I HAVE CHARLES LUON, CHARLES LUON HERE, AND PATRICIA RERA.
AND, UM, WE ARE, UH, HERE ON BEHALF OF DAVID GRAY, OUR DIRECTOR, TO TALK ABOUT SPECIFICALLY, UM, TALK ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, THAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH A WHOLE PROCESS ON.
SO I GUESS I DO, NO, THERE WE GO.
THEY'RE ALSO WELCOME TO JOIN YOU, UH, IF THEY, IF YOU THINK THEY'RE GONNA CONTRIBUTE AND, AND YOU MIGHT WANNA LEAN INTO THEM TO MAYBE ANSWER TOPICS THAT YOU'RE FREE TO BE THERE.
I JUST WANNA, HOWEVER YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, JUST YEAH.
I'LL HAVE THEM COME UP WHEN, WHEN QUESTIONS COME UP.
UH, BEFORE I GET INTO THE PLAN ITSELF, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT A STRATEGIC PLAN IS FOR HSO AND WHY WE DEVELOPED ONE.
IN SHORT, IT'S A TIME BOUND EVOLVING ROADMAP FOR THE FUTURE.
A COLLECTION OF INTENTIONAL DECISIONS USED AS A GUIDE TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION.
AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? IT PROVIDES CLARITY ON OUR ROLE WITH THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM OR THE HRS FOR ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
THOSE WE SERVE, OUR PARTNERS, OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR TEAM, ESPECIALLY AS A NEWLY FORMED CITY DEPARTMENT CHARGED WITH ALIGNING POLICIES, INVESTMENTS, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN A COMPLEX SYSTEM.
WE'RE A VERY YOUNG DEPARTMENT
UM, OUR VISION IS THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO STABLE HOUSING AND SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO THRIVE THROUGH A THOUGHTFUL PROCESS OVER SEVERAL MONTHS INVOLVING DISCUSSIONS AND REFLECTIONS ON WHAT OUR LEADERSHIP MEANS AND WHAT OUR, UM, OOPS.
[00:55:01]
OKAY.I'M NOT USED TO DOING TWO THINGS AT ONE TIME.
WE DEVELOPED OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES, OUR VISION AND MISSION, AS WELL AS OUR CORE VALUES OF INTEGRITY BEING RESULTS ORIENTED AND COLLABORATIVE.
THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ARE THE COMPASS FOR EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE.
THEY PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION TO ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ALIGNMENT SO WE'RE NOT JUST REACTING, BUT THAT WE'RE GUIDED BY SHARED VALUES IN A CLEAR SENSE OF PURPOSE.
WITH THIS FOUNDATION IN PLACE, WE CAN THEN MOVE INTO OUR PLAN COMPONENTS, STARTING WITH IDENTIFYING OUR FOCUS AREAS.
SO WE HAVE FIVE FOCUS AREAS, UM, SORRY, HERE WE GO.
UM, FIVE FOCUS AREAS, SYSTEM LEADERSHIP, IMPACTFUL COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS, CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM MANAGEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE.
AND THESE FIVE FOCUSED AREAS ARE WHERE WE BELIEVE WE CAN MAKE THE GREATEST IMPACT FOR EACH FOCUSED AREA.
WE ASK WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? AND THESE STATEMENTS CAPTURE OUR VISION AND GUIDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR GOALS AND STRATEGIES, AND PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK TO ENSURE OUR WORK IS ALIGNED AND MEASURABLE.
AND THEY REPRESENT OUR NORTH STAR, KEEPING US FOCUSED ON PRIORITIES THAT MATTER WITHIN EACH FOCUS AREA.
WE THEN DEVELOPED SP SPECIFIC GOALS AND STRATEGIES.
AND IN THE INTEREST OF THIS GROUP, I THOUGHT WE'D DIVE DEEPER INTO OUR CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM GOALS.
SO THIS IS OUR GOALS ON OUR CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
WE ENSURE THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS, OUTREACH, CRISIS, SHELTER, AND OTHER SERVICES TO SUPPORT SURVIVAL AND PATHWAYS TO STABLE HOUSING.
AND EACH ONE OF THOSE, UM, FOCUS AREAS FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE HAS, UH, RESPECTIVE GOALS LIKE THIS ONE.
BUT WE THOUGHT THAT YOU GUYS WOULD BE, UH, INTERESTED IN, IN HEARING MORE ABOUT THIS.
AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS HERE IS ABOUT IMPLEMENTING A CITYWIDE OUTREACH COORDINATION PLAN.
AND, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN FUTURE SLIDES.
BUT OPERATING AND MANAGING A CITY OWNED SHELTERS PUT US IN THE LEADING POSITION TO BUILD A RESPONSIVE CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM THAT MEETS THE URGENT NEEDS OF THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING HOUSING TRANSITIONS.
THE GOALS HERE, ALL OF THEM HERE ARE FOCUSED ON IMMEDIATE NEEDS AND CRISIS RESPONSE, AND INCLUDE DEVELOPING A CITYWIDE OUTREACH COORDINATION PLAN, EXPANDING SHELTER CAPACITY, ADDING NAVIGATION CENTERS TO HELP REDUCE BARRIERS AND WORKING TO IMPROVE SHELTER EFFICIENCY AND REFINING ENCAMPMENT STRATEGIES.
AND, UM, REGARDING THE OUTREACH COORDINATION PLAN, UM, LET'S SEE.
UH, THE STREET AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UM, TEAM IS, UH, TASKED WITH, UH, CONNECTING UNHOUSED RESIDENTS TO STABILIZING SYSTEMS OF CARE AND PROVIDING NEEDED RESOURCES.
THEY OPERATE WITH THE CORE VALUES OF TRUST, PERSON BEING PERSON CENTERED AND PROMOTING WELLBEING.
THE STREET AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH GOALS AND ACTIVITIES, UM, THAT ARE UNDERNEATH THIS, UM, THAT THEY, THIS TEAM WORKS ON, UH, FOCUSES ON REDUCING MORBIDITY AND PREMATURE MORTALITY ON THE STREETS, IDENTIFYING PATHWAYS TO SAFETY AND HOUSING, AND IMPROVING OUR RESPONSE TO UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS.
THE GOAL 3.1 FROM OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS TO IMPLEMENT A CITYWIDE OUTREACH COORDINATION PLAN WITH AN AIM TO REDUCE THESE, REDUCE MORBIDITY AND TEAM MEMBERS, UM, ON THIS STREET AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM WORK TO ASSESS NEEDS, DISTRIBUTE SUPPLIES, COORDINATE SERVICES AND REFERRALS, OUTREACH SERVICE AS THE DUAL PURPOSE OF REDUCING RISK TO INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND OUTREACH WORKERS FOCUS ON INCREASING STABILITY BY IDENTIFYING PATHWAYS TO SAFETY AND HOUSING WITH THE INTENTION OF IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE AND ACHIEVING POSITIVE HOUSING OUTCOMES.
SO OUTREACH IS A VITAL STEP IN THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT PROCESS.
UM, THE OUTREACH TEAM ATTENDS WEEKLY PLANNING AND LOGISTIC MEETINGS TO ENSURE AWARENESS OF THE ENCAMPMENT ABATEMENTS COMING UP AND SCHEDULING ENGAGEMENT OF UNHOUSED RESIDENTS, UM, BEFORE THOSE, UH, ABATEMENTS.
AND THIS COORDINATED APPROACH HELPS TO MINIMIZE THE DESTABILIZING EFFECTS OF DISPLACEMENT.
[01:00:04]
OH, AFTER ALL OF OUR WORK, WE WANNA REAFFIRM OUR SERVICE COMMITMENT.AND SO, UM, THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, HSO REMAINS COMMITTED TO EXPANDING SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE MAKING BOLD INVESTMENTS ACROSS THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, AND WE'RE SUPPORTING FUNDING FOR SERVICES AND HOUSING OPTIONS.
SOME OF OUR RECENT EFFORTS HAVE SHOWN SUCCESS, SUCH AS INCREASING THE PERMANENT HOUSING INVENTORY BY 630% SINCE 2024.
WITH THE CO COMBINATION OF CINDY FUNDING CAPITAL SOCIAL SERVICE AND LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHERS.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE A SOLICITATION FOR, UM, OOPS.
UH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE A SOLICITATION FOR $6.7 MILLION FOR, UH, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
AND THAT IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
OUR HSO SHELTER CAPACITY IS ALSO AT A ALL TIME HIGH.
WE'VE ADDED MORE THAN 400 BEDS SINCE 23 AND A HUNDRED ADDITIONAL BEDS AND 325 MORE BEDS ARE EXPECTED WITH THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY PROJECT.
HSO IS ALSO, UH, CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING THE SOUTH AUSTIN NAVIGATION CENTER.
UM, SO THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF MY, UM, PRESENTATION, I THINK.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA INVITE, UH, YOUR QUESTIONS.
I'M, I CERTAIN WE WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, UH, FOR YOU AND, UM, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS AND EVENING'S FIRST.
OH, OUR NEW, OUR NEWEST MEMBER, WE HAVEN'T EVEN MET YOU YET, BUT COMMISSIONER WHITE, PLEASE JOIN US.
YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU MENTIONED THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS FAIRLY YOUNG.
WHEN WAS THIS, UM, DEPARTMENT CREATED? UM, THE DEPARTMENT PREVIOUSLY WAS UNDER A DIVISION UNDER AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, STARTING IN RIGHT.
BUT, AND THEN IN DECEMBER, 2023, WE BECAME OUR OWN DEPARTMENT.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT AND TALKING TO US, YOU GUYS, UM, APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
AND AS WE HEARD BEFORE WITH A PD RIGHT, WE'RE, UH, A, A BIG VECTOR IN TIME AS WE CREATE TO CREATE HOMELESSNESS SOLUTIONS AND PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, MERGED TOGETHER.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE PLAN FOR, LEMME MAKE SURE I PRONOUNCE THE NAME CORRECTLY, TO RAISE THIS BRANCH LIBRARY AND WHY THIS LOCATION HAS NOT BEEN USED AS A NAVIGATION POINT IN A HOMELESS OUTREACH EPICENTER.
CHARLES LUON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS.
UH, THE AREA AROUND THE CHARLES BRANCH LIBRARY WAS PRIORITIZED THROUGH, UH, THE HEAL INITIATIVE, WHICH WAS REALLY OUR FIRST COORDINATED ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION INITIATIVE.
UH, THAT, UH, INITIATIVE WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL RESOLUTION IN FEBRUARY OF 2021.
UH, AND THEN WE BEGAN MOVING INTO IMPLEMENTATION OF FOCUSED ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION IN THE LATE SPRING OF THAT YEAR.
THE FIRST ENCAMPMENT RESOLVED THROUGH THE HEAL INITIATIVE, AND I THINK WE'RE INTO THE HIGH THIRTIES OR LOW FORTIES NOW, WAS AT THE TERRAZA BRANCH LIBRARY.
WE'VE CONTINUED OUR WORK AROUND THE TERRAZA BRANCH LIBRARY, UH, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS SINCE, UH, SPRING OF 2021, WE'VE HAD THREE FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS AROUND THE TERRAZA BRANCH LIBRARY.
AND SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS PROVIDING DIRECT ACCESS, UH, OF UNHOUSED RESIDENTS RESIDING OR FREQUENTING THAT AREA TO OUR LIMITED SHELTER OPTIONS.
UH, THAT, SO IT'S BEEN 140 INDIVIDUALS HAVE GAINED ACCESS THROUGH FOCUSED SHELTERING IN 2021 THROUGH HEAL INITIATIVE IN 2023 WHEN THE MARSHALING YARD TEMPORARY SHELTER OPENED, AND AGAIN IN 2024.
THAT IS IN ADDITION TO ONGOING OUTREACH AND SHELTERING THAT OCCURS OF INDIVIDUALS IN THAT AREA.
ADDITIONALLY, WE DO HAVE, UH, PERSONNEL WHO ARE STAFFED AT THE TERRAZA BRANCH LIBRARY A COUPLE OF DAYS A WEEK TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL NAVIGATION SUPPORT TO UNHOUSED RESIDENTS.
[01:05:01]
UH, THE PRIMARY CHALLENGE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS A CONCENTRATION OF SOCIAL SERVICES.SOME OF THOSE ARE PUBLICLY FUNDED.
UM, I THINK PROBABLY THE PRIMARY ATTRACTOR.
THERE IS A PRIVATELY FUNDED FAITH-BASED SOUP KITCHEN THAT PROVIDES TWO MEALS A DAY, 363 DAYS A YEAR.
AND SO WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF UNHOUSED RESIDENTS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO OBTAIN THAT VITAL NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT.
UH, WE ARE IN ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACT TEAM WITH OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS AT, AT A PD WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UM, AND WE'RE HAVING HIGHER LEVEL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MITIGATION OF PUBLIC CAMPING, UM, AND, AND MITIGATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY IMPACTS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, INCLUDING CONVERSATIONS AND MEETINGS ABOUT IT, UM, UH, TOMORROW.
SO I UNDERSTAND, UH, WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS, UH, BOTH ABOUT THE SAFETY OF UNHOUSED RESIDENTS, UH, RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ADDITIONAL LINE OF, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT IT BEING A PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHY IS THAT LIBRARY NOT CONVERTED INTO A TOOL FOR THIS DEPARTMENT? UH, COMMISSIONER? I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE, UH, AND, AND IT'S A WORTHY LINE OF INQUIRY.
IT WOULD BE A GOOD QUESTION FOR THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UM, I, I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SPEAK TO, A'S, UH, OPERATION YOU'RE TASKED YOUR TASK WITH HOMELESSNESS AND HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT AND ONE OF THE MAIN, IF NOT THE MAIN CAMPS REMAINS ACTIVE, REMAINS OPEN.
AND WE PRETEND THAT THERE'S A PUBLIC SERVICEABLE LIBRARY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THOSE RESIDENTS, AND I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE ADDRESSING IT.
IS THAT, ARE YOU, YOU WRAPPED? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, PLEASE.
UM, THE QUESTION IN REGARDING, UM, THAT I HAVE WITH COMMUNITY OUTREACH KIND OF, I KNOW WE'RE IN A PUBLIC INITIATIVE HERE, BUT DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT ACCEPT ANY DONATIONS FOR THESE NEEDED RESOURCES OR SUPPLIES THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED IN GENERAL? SURE.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT QUESTION.
GENERALLY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ITSELF, UH, IS NOT THE RECIPIENT OF DONATIONS.
HOWEVER, IN MY ROLE AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONSULTANT INTERFACE WITH A VARIETY OF, OF PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES TO SERVE ON HOUSE RESIDENTS AND LOW INCOME RESIDENTS.
IF YOU ARE AWARE OF AN ORGANIZATION, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, EVEN, UH, A MUTUAL AID GROUP MM-HMM
OR A NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP THAT'S INFORMAL THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN MAKING A DONATION TO THE CAUSE MM-HMM
I'M HAPPY TO INTRODUCE YOU AND CONNECT YOU WITH A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE INVESTED IN EMBEDDED.
AND, UM, THE ANOTHER QUESTION, THE REAFFIRMING OUR CITY COMMITMENT, THE 630%, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.
UM, I JUST, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, DO YOU HAVE ANY FOLKS STILL ON A WAIT LIST, EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBERS ARE SO GREAT, AND, UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE NEW BEDS COMING AND THE ADDITIONAL BEDS, I JUST, IS THERE STILL A WAIT LIST AT ANY, YOU KNOW, ANY POINT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? OR IS IT A FULFILLING THING? SURE.
ECHO IS OUR CONTINUUM OF CARE LEAD AGENCY, UH, AND A VITAL PARTNER IN THIS WORK.
THEY MAINTAIN OUR HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE DATABASE THAT WE USE TO TRACK ENGAGEMENT OF UNHOUSED RESIDENTS.
UH, ACROSS TIME AND SPACE ECHO DOES MAINTAIN A PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARD.
AND SO YOU COULD TYPE IN A SEARCH TERM INTO YOUR FAVORITE ENGINE, FOR EXAMPLE, AUSTIN HOMELESS DASHBOARD, THAT WOULD LIKELY BE A TOP OR ONE OF THE TOP RESULTS.
AND YOU COULD GET SOME KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THERE.
I THINK ONE OF THE KEY PIECES OF INFORMATION IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CRISIS SHELTER AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HOUSING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR UNHOUSED COMMUNITY.
UM, NUMBER THAT IS FREQUENTLY CITED IS, UH, ABOUT FIVE INDIVIDUALS TO EVERY CRISIS SHELTER BED THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE CURRENTLY.
UH, SO OUR SYSTEM IS UNDER-RESOURCED TO MEET THE NEEDS AND THE DEMAND FOR SERVICES.
THERE IS A PROCESS THAT WE CALL COORDINATED ENTRY.
AS PART OF THAT COORDINATED ENTRY PROCESS, THERE IS A COORDINATED ASSESSMENT.
[01:10:01]
THAT ASSESSMENT ALLOWS ECHO, UH, AND PARTNERS TO EVALUATE THE ACUITY OF NEED OF AN INDIVIDUAL AND THEN PRIORITIZE THAT INDIVIDUAL FOR AN AVAILABLE AND APPROPRIATE INTERVENTION.THERE IS A VERY LONG WAIT LIST FOR HOUSING INTERVENTIONS, WHETHER THAT BE A SHALLOW, UH, OR SHORT TERM SUBSIDY, OR WHETHER THAT BE AN INTERVENTION LIKE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR SOMEONE WHO'S CHRONICALLY HOMELESS AND MAY HAVE A DISABLING CONDITION.
ADDITIONALLY, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE MANY PEOPLE LIVING OUTDOORS WHO WOULD LOVE TO COME INTO A SAFE AND STABLE ENVIRONMENT LIKE ONE OF OUR SHELTERS.
BUT WE DO HAVE INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY.
UH, WE DO MAINTAIN SHELTER WAIT LISTS.
WE OPEN THOSE AND CLOSE THOSE PERIODICALLY.
UH, AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE LISTENING, UH, THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ARE UNSHELTERED AND MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN GETTING ACCESS TO ONE OF OUR SHELTERS CAN CALL THE SUNRISE HOTLINE.
SUNRISE IS A WELL REGARDED AND WELL-KNOWN NAVIGATION, UM, NAVIGATION CENTER IN AUSTIN.
THEY DO MAINTAIN A DIGITAL HOTLINE THAT IS PARTIALLY FUNDED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN THROUGH DIGITAL NAVIGATION, UH, INITIATIVE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SUNRISE SEARCHING SUNRISE HOTLINE.
THAT SHOULD COME UP AS THE FIRST SEARCH RESULT IN, IN ANYONE'S PREFERRED SEARCH ENGINE.
AND THE FINAL QUESTION I HAVE IS JUST THE, UM, PUTTING THE PLAN INTO PRAXIS, RIGHT? SO WHEN I SEE THIS, IT'S A 2025 TO 20 27, 20 27 IS IN SIX MONTHS.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE FULL YEAR OF 2027 TO WORK WITH, BUT UH, I LOVE THE, YOU KNOW, ASSESSING THE NEEDS, DISTRIBUTING SUPPLIES, BUT I SEE A LOT OF WILL CONDUCT WILL CONNECT, UM, THE WILL TURNING IT INTO PRAXIS, RIGHT? SO WHEN WILL THE CHANGE FROM THE PLANNING GO INTO PUTTING THESE INITIATIVES INTO PRAXIS? CURIOUS ABOUT THE TIMELINE AND IS IT OBVIOUSLY NOT LIMITED TO THE YEAR 2027? IT'S LIKE WHAT WE PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH IN THIS TIMEFRAME, BUT I JUST, IS IT AN ONGOING EFFORT? IS IT, IS THIS FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THINGS TAKE TIME, SO GIVING THAT PATIENCE AND GRACE THERE, BUT CURIOUS OF THE TURNING WILL INTO DO.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, THE TIMELINE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UM, DEVELOPING THE PLAN, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, A PROCESS THAT, UH, WENT OVER ABOUT 50 MEETINGS OVER SIX MONTHS OR SO.
UM, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING THE IMPLEMENTATION NOW.
UM, AND SO WE'VE, UH, DIVIDED OUT ALL OF THE, UM, DIFFERENT, UH, STRATEGIES UNDERNEATH THE FIVE DIFFERENT FOCUS AREAS.
AND, UM, I COUNTED THERE'S LIKE 79 KPIS, 79 METRICS, UM,
AND SO WE'RE RIGHT NOW WORKING ON, UM, DEVELOPING IMPLEMENTATION OF EACH ONE OF THOSE AREAS.
AND WE HAVE A LITTLE STRATEGY GROUPS THAT ARE MEETING, UM, RIGHT NOW ARE PROBABLY LITERALLY, UM, ON EACH ONE OF THOSE AREAS.
AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HOPE TO, UM, WE'VE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED PIECES OF THE PLAN BECAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY IN ACTION, UM, BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED THIS, UM, PROCESS.
UM, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO BE UPDATING AND THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A FEW, UM, PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'VE DONE TO COUNCIL THAT YOU COULD CHECK OUT TOO THAT, AGAIN, MORE IN DEPTH ON, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
UM, BUT UH, THIS IS AN ONGOING THING AND THAT 27 IS NOT THE END, THAT'S FOR SURE.
DID I HAVE A QUESTION? DID YOU HAVE COMMISSIONER CHAP? THANK, SO I JUST LOOKED AT THE PROGRAM.
THERE'S 3,534 ACTIVE PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
COMMISSIONER, COULD YOU CLARIFY WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? WELL, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE, LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO STACK A BUNCH OF SERVICES AND DEPARTMENTS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, AND I JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE GROUP THAT WE ALREADY HAVE 3,534 PROGRAMS DEDICATED TO THIS SUBPOPULATION.
AND SO AS WE'RE TASKING IN OUR STRATEGIES AND WE'RE MAKING OUR OPERATIONAL ROADMAPS TO IMPACT THIS COMMUNITY, I WOULD REALLY HOPE THAT WE'RE LEVERAGING ALL 3,534 PROGRAMS THAT ALREADY EXIST.
I KNOW HOUSING IS A DEMAND AND WE NEED MORE HOUSING, BUT I JUST, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, THE OPERATIONS OF IT AND HOW IT'S BEING MANAGED TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER'S POINTS, THE TIMELINES OF THAT.
I THINK OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE A BIT HIGHER.
DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A QUESTION, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT IN REGARDS TO THE PROGRAMS.
[01:15:01]
THERE'S A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY ESTABLISHED.WE'RE STRUGGLING TO GET THINGS EXECUTED ON.
COMMISSIONER, COULD YOU CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD WHICH DATA SOURCE YOU'RE REFERRING TO THAT INDICATES THERE ARE 3000? THE ONE THAT YOU TOLD US TO GOOGLE AND GO TO THE ECHO ONE.
UH, YOU TALKING ABOUT SUNRISE? THAT NO, AUSTIN WAS AUSTIN ECHO.
AND THEN IT WAS JUST LIKE HELP.ORG.
ONE OF THE HELP THAT SUB AND WENT THROUGH THERE.
MAYBE WE SHOULD FIND OUT HOW MANY PROGRAMS WE HAVE.
LET'S FIND OUT HOW MANY PROGRAMS WE HAVE.
CLARIFY THAT NUMBER, THEN WE CAN WORK WITH ECHO ON THE DATA MANAGEMENT.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
UH, I'M, UH, SEEKING CLARIFICATION ON THE DATA SOURCE THAT YOU'RE, HOW MANY HOMELESSNESS SERVICES ARE ACTIVE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS AS PROGRAMS, HOUSING, FOOD, TRAFFIC, WORK, MEDICAL, HOW MANY ACTIVE PROGRAMS DO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW? SURE.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
AND, AND INDICATE THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THAT AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS IS MAKING INVESTMENTS IN.
BECAUSE I WENT TO YOUR WEBSITE, YOU SUGGESTED IT SAID 3,534 HOMELESS PROGRAMS. THAT'S CUMULATIVE OF ALL THE PROGRAMS FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
SO IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF EFFORT GOING ON AND IT'S NOT REALLY BEING MANAGED VERY WELL FROM MY POINT OF VIEW AS A COMMISSIONER FOR TOURISM.
LEMME TAKE A LOOK AT THE, AT THE ECHO DASHBOARD.
UH, I, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'RE REFERRING TO THE SAME DATA SOURCE, BUT WE'LL BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO COMMISSIONER POSI AND HE'S ASKING IT FIRST FOR THE DAY.
UM, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT.
I, UH, TO, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, CHAPEL, UM, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, UH, YOUR QUESTION AND I, AND I THINK SHARE SOME OF YOUR PASSION ABOUT IT, BUT I DO THINK THAT, UH, I THINK THIS IS JUST ONE ORGANIZATION THAT'S, UH, ADDRESSING US.
AND I KNOW THERE'S MULTIPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, GROUPS THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT AS A COMMISSION TO SEE WHAT, HOW WE CAN ALIGN ALL THE GROUPS.
THEY'RE LEADING EFFORT, THEY'RE LEADING EFFORT IN MANAGING ALL THESE PROGRAMS THEY HAVE.
YEAH, WELL, YOU KNOW HOW LIKE CITY GOVERNMENT WORKS, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT FRAGMENTED, SO THAT'S, I JUST WANNA JUST WANNA GIVE THEM A LITTLE GRACE.
I'LL GIVE THEM SOME GRACE, BUT THAT'S FINE.
I'M JUST WONDERING WHY, WHY TREZZA ISN'T ON YOUR HOTSPOT EPICENTER.
LIKE THESE ARE REALLY LOW HANGING BLANK PROBLEMS TO ME THAT COULD BE SOLVED WITH THE RESOURCES GIVEN AND THE ATTENTION GIVEN.
YOU TELL ME TO TALK TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
WHY, WHY ISN'T THAT ON YOUR STRATEGY? WE'D LOVE THIS SPACE.
WE WOULD LOVE IT AND WE WOULD HAVE SUCH A GREAT IMPACT IF WE COULD HAVE THAT LIBRARY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE A POINT TOO, THAT THE, UM, HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE IS GETTING, UM, GENERAL FUND STATE FUNDS AND FEDERAL FUNDS FOR, UM, PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, FOR HOMELESS.
IT'S NOWHERE EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO THE THOUSANDS.
IT'S ONLY, THERE'S ONLY ABOUT 15 ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE FUND.
UM, AND SO I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE DATA SOURCE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME ANSWERING MY QUESTION.
I THINK THAT'S JUST, IT JUST SHOWS TO GO THE COMPLICATIONS.
THAT RIGHT THERE ISN'T, WE DON'T KNOW THE PROGRAMS, WE DON'T COUNT.
I REALLY WANT YOU GUYS TO TAKE OVER THAT LIBRARY SPACE WEBSITE.
YOU SEEM TO WANT TO TALK AROUND IT TALKING STUFF, HOW YOU CAN'T, I THINK THAT COULD BE SO IMPACTFUL, TAKING OVER THAT LIBRARY SPACE.
SERVING MEALS OUT OF THAT LIBRARY.
BUT THE YOU THREE DON'T WANT TO SEEM TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND THAT'S OKAY.
WE'RE ENTITLED TO OUR OPINIONS COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.
WE PROBABLY NEED TO, TO REST THIS.
I APPRECIATE, WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION.
I THINK THEY'RE AT RAISING LEGITIMATE, IT'S A NEW OFFICE.
UH, THEY'RE FORMULATING AND, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE NEW EFFORT AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PARTIES IN TOWN AND THEY CAN'T REPRESENT ANSWER FOR ALL OF THEM.
SO I WOULD JUST GIVE 'EM SOME SPACE TO DO THIS.
UH, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO THEM, WE NOTED THAT WE WANTED TO PUT MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON, YOU KNOW, GETTING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE GROUND LAYER.
AND WE ALSO SAID WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT AS IT AFFECTS TOURISM ISSUES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME HESITATION BECAUSE SIMILARLY, AS THE ACME GROUP WHO WERE ALSO A NEW DIVISION OF THE CITY, AND THEY HAD SIMILAR CONCERNS TO COME BEFORE US BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE RAMPANT EVOLUTION AND GETTING THEIR STUFF TOGETHER.
AND IN MOST CASES THEY'RE BOTH SMALL DIVISIONS, SMALL EMPLOYEE GROUPS.
[01:20:01]
IN ON THE GROUND LEVEL AND HEAR WHAT THEY'RE HEARING AND HAVE THE ROOM TO BRING THEM BACK AS THEY EVOLVE.GOING BACK TO THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THEY'RE IN A TWO YEAR CYCLE RIGHT NOW.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPECTING THAT AND UNDER AND LETTING YOU KNOW THAT WE DO UNDERSTAND IT.
WE HAD A VERY, WE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES WITH ACME.
WE ASKED A LOT OF PERTINENT QUESTIONS THERE AND THEY HAD SOME TROUBLE COMING FORWARD JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE NEW AND THEY'RE GETTING THINGS ORGANIZED.
SO WE WILL BE HAPPY TO GET BACK AND FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, UM, IN ANOTHER TIME.
AND WE CAN HAVE A DISCOURSE BEHIND THE SCENES THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY INVOLVE MAKING A PRESENTATION.
'CAUSE WE LIKE TO STAY ENGAGED WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I THINK WE HAD ANOTHER HAND, COMMISSIONER PRUITT, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? AND I'M GONNA GET THIS.
UH, IT IS A SIMILAR QUESTION TO, UM, COMMISSIONER CHAPS, BUT FROM A, A DIFFERENT APPROACH BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS, YOU DID SPEAK TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOUR GROUP DOESN'T TAKE DONATIONS, BUT YOU KIND OF LIAISON WITH OTHER GROUPS TO MAKE THOSE SURE.
THOSE RESOURCES GET HANDED OUT.
SO IN REGARDS TO THAT, LIKE WHO ARE, LIKE HOW MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS ARE YOU WORKING WITH? AND LIKE HOW, WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE? AND, UM, HOW IS THAT ENGAGEMENT WORKING? BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS COMPLICATED.
UM, AND I KNOW IN THIS, UM, AREA OF SERVICE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE HELPFUL AND SOMETIMES THEM THE WAY THEY'RE HELPING ISN'T ACTUALLY HELPFUL.
UM, AND SO JUST KIND OF, I DON'T KNOW, JUST HOW, HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, IF YOU CAN TALK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO I DON'T HAVE A, A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR YOU.
I THINK, UH, NATASHA HAS ALREADY REFERENCED THE NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE, UH, A FUNDING RELATIONSHIP WITH.
UM, WE'RE INTERFACING WITH COMMUNITY AT EVERY LEVEL.
SO THAT GOES TO FROM INFORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE JUST INTERESTED IN, IN HELPING CARE FOR THE FOLKS WHO ARE IN THEIR IMMEDIATE VICINITY, UM, TO LARGE, HIGHLY ORGANIZED INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, PLANNING TEAMS, UM, AND BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
YOU ALL ARE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AS WELL.
UM, SO, UH, A VEHICLE FOR ORGANIZING AND COORDINATION AND DISSEMINATING ACCURATE INFORMATION, UH, I THINK IT'S A, A GREAT LINE OF QUESTIONING.
AND, UM, THE, THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY DIALOGUE AND COORDINATION IS ONGOING.
UM, WE'VE DEVELOPED SOME INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO HELPING SURFACE COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
UH, SO ABOUT A YEAR AGO WE BEGAN TESTING A NEW RESOURCE FINDER, IT'S DIGITAL RESOURCE FINDER THAT WE CALL OPEN NOW.
IT'S AVAILABLE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV SLASH OPEN NOW WITH THE INTENTION OF, UM, PROVIDING EASIER ACCESS TO FINDING KEY RESOURCES SUCH AS NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT, HYGIENE RESOURCES WHERE RESIDENTS CAN GO FOR HOUSING NAVIGATION SERVICES AND A VARIETY OF OTHERS.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THERE WILL BE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCE TYPES ADDED TO THAT DATABASE IN THE VERY NEW FEATURE AS WE'RE ALSO REBRANDING AND UPDATING TO THE NEW CITY'S BRAND GUIDELINES FOR THAT APPLICATION.
UM, THE OPEN NOW APPLICATION IS REALLY FOUNDATIONAL FOR DIGITAL RESOURCE NAVIGATION AND ALSO POTENTIALLY A WAY TO BRING IN SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND HARMONIZE OUR EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT RESOURCES ARE DISTRIBUTED EQUITABLY, UH, NOT NECESSARILY, UM, DIS UH, CONCENTRATED OR OVER CONCENTRATED IN PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS WHILE NEGLECTING POPULATIONS LOCATED ELSEWHERE ACROSS OUR CITY.
I THINK THIS IS AN AREA WHERE NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT, UH, HAS PROBABLY THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF UNDERSERVED MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE HOPING TO USE OPEN NOW TO FACILITATE SOME OF THOSE, UM, THOSE ORGANIZING FUNCTIONS AND COORDINATING FUNCTIONS, BUT ULTIMATELY TO SURFACE THE INFORMATION SO THAT RESIDENTS AND ADVOCATES HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE, WHERE IS IT AVAILABLE, WHEN IS IT AVAILABLE.
AND THEN JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT, 'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THE OPEN NOW RESOURCE IS AVAILABLE FOR, UM, ADVOCATES TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A, A CENTER POINT TO GO FIND INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH OTHERS, AND THEN ALSO FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING, UM, HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSELESSNESS TO BE ABLE TO, TO FIND RESOURCES.
WHERE IS THE GAP BETWEEN FOLKS HAVING ACCESS TO A COMPUTER OR A PHONE OR WHATEVER TO GET TO THAT DIGITAL RESOURCE? YEAH, IT'S A WONDERFUL QUESTION AND I THINK YOUR
[01:25:01]
LINE OF THINKING AND MINE IS VERY MUCH ALIGNED.UH, WE, OUR COMMUNITY DOES PRODUCE PRINTED RESOURCE GUIDES.
THE CHALLENGE WITH PRINTED RESOURCE GUIDES IS THAT, UH, THEY CAN GET DAMAGED AND LOST VERY EASILY.
THE INFORMATION IS NOT EVERGREEN AND, UM, RESOURCES MOVE AROUND, RIGHT? WE BE SERVING FOOD AT THIS ONE LOCATION ONE WEEKEND AND GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND SO IT'S NOT REALLY ADAPTIVE.
IT IS HELPFUL THOUGH, THAT'S ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING DIGITAL, UH, RESOURCE NAVIGATION OR DIGITAL NAVIGATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK THE KEY IS ONE, MARKET IT RIGHT FOR THE FOLKS THAT DO HAVE MOBILE DEVICES, WHETHER THEY'RE CELLULAR CONNECTED OR CONNECTED TO WIFI, MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW THESE, THESE TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE AND, AND HELPING ADVOCATES KNOW THAT THESE TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE.
ALSO, OUR LIBRARIES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN DIGITAL ACCESS AND DIGITAL LITERACY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND ADDITIONALLY, THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH SUNRISE, UH, THEY HAVE BEEN, UH, PILOTING AND DEPLOYING WHAT THEY CALL PODS, DIGITAL NAVIGATION PODS AROUND OUR COMMUNITY AT SELECT LOCATIONS.
SO THOSE ARE OTHER ACCESS POINTS AND WE'RE NOT DONE THERE.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER KIOSKS THAT COULD BE DEPLOYED STRATEGICALLY AT SELECT LOCATIONS, SAY FOR EXAMPLE, AT COURTS, LIBRARIES, POTENTIALLY OTHER SITES, UH, JUST TO REDUCE THE, THE BARRIERS AND THE FRICTION OF GETTING TO THAT VITAL INFORMATION THAT'S GONNA HELP A RESIDENT ON THEIR NEXT STEP TO EXITING HOMELESSNESS.
AND SOMETIMES THAT NEXT STEP IS JUST TAKING CARE OF THEIR IMMEDIATE SURVIVAL.
UM, AGAIN, IT SOUNDS LIKE A VERY NEW PROGRAM.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS AND I'M SURE YOU'RE COMING ACROSS SOME STUMBLING OF BLOCKS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS FOR THE NEXT STEP AND APPROACHING OBSTACLES AND, YOU KNOW, A PERSISTENT WAY, UM, TO GET THESE RESOURCES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, SORRY TO HOLD YOU UP.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TODAY AND FOR BEING WILLING TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE CAN ALL FEEL THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT REALLY STRIKES A NERVE IN AUSTIN.
AND SO TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO COME IN HERE AND SPEAK TO US IS SOMETHING THAT I GREATLY ESTEEM AND ADMIRE.
BUT I'M WONDERING, LIKE, WHAT IS IT THAT, SO WE'VE HAD SPEAKERS COME IN FROM DIFFERENT CVBS, LIKE FREDERICKSBURG OR WHATEVER.
WE, WE LOVE TO LOOK AT OTHER CITIES AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT.
AND I CAN'T HELP BUT LOOK AT JUST SOME OTHER CITIES HERE IN TEXAS, LIKE HOUSTON OR DALLAS THAT HAVE ABOUT THE SAME HOMELESS POPULATION AS WE DO, UM, MORE SMALLER CITY AND WE GOT A LOT LESS ENCAMPMENTS.
I MEAN, WE ARE THE ENCAMPMENT CAPITAL REALLY OF THE SOUTH.
LIKE THE ONLY PLACES THAT HAVE MORE ENCAMPMENTS ARE WEST COAST.
I KNOW YOU CAN SAY EAST COAST, THEY DON'T 'CAUSE IT'S COLD, BUT STILL LIKE WE ARE THE ENCAMPMENT KINGS IN TEXAS.
AND I'M WONDERING WHAT IS IT WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF HOMELESS POPULATION, PRETTY MUCH JUST A FEW HUNDRED DIFFERENT IN DALLAS OR HOUSTON THAT MAKES IT TO WHERE THE HOMELESS, LIKE WE ARE JUST HIGH VISIBILITY, WHICH MEANS PRETTY MUCH ENCAMPMENTS.
WHAT DO WE, DO THEY HAVE MORE HOUSING? DO THEY, ARE THEY DOING SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO? UM, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THAT, ON, ON WHERE WE'RE AT HERE BECAUSE WE JUST SORT OF DON'T GET A WHOLE LOT BETTER, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
BUT IT'S SUCH A HOT TOPIC TO WHERE NOW IT'S JUST, I THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GETTING PRETTY EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A REAL PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE A PD CHIEF, DIDN'T THEY HAVE TO ARREST SOMEONE RECENTLY AT THE LIBRARY THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT? YEAH.
SO REALLY ALL I'M ASKING IS WHAT DO YOU THINK, ARE THERE THINGS THAT OTHER CITIES IN IN TEXAS ARE DOING A LITTLE BETTER THAN US? AND IS IT THAT THEY HAVE MORE HOUSING OR WHAT DO YOU THINK IS HOLDING US BACK? EVIDENTLY IT'S NOT PROGRAM NUMBERS, I GUESS IT'S BEDS, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHAT IS, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS, WHAT DO WE REALLY NEED TO DO HERE TO NOT BE THE ENCAMPMENT CAPITAL? SURE.
WELL, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR CONCERNS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS IN YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND I ACKNOWLEDGE YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE ACTUALLY SOMEONE WHO'S WORKING ON TRYING TO MAKE IT BETTER.
[01:30:01]
LIKE, THANK YOU.AS, AS ARE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE TODAY AND MANY BACK AT THE OFFICE.
AND MANY OUT IN THE FIELD RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK, MEETING WITH UNHOUSED RESIDENTS AND WORKING IN ENCAMPMENTS, UM, BOTH TO ASSIST THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND, AND, AND RESOLVE THOSE ENCAMPMENTS.
UH, HOMELESSNESS IS A COMPLEX ISSUE.
AND IF YOU ASK 10 DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHAT THE COSTS ARE, YOU'RE GONNA GET 10 DIFFERENT ANSWERS.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, WE'RE MAKING A VARIETY OF INVESTMENTS ACROSS THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, UH, FROM, FROM ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT AND ABATEMENT AND OUTREACH TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE NEED A STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR COMMUNITY TO AGREE ON WHAT THE RIGHT APPROACH IS TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE AND LONG TERM NEEDS RELATED TO THESE ISSUES AND FOR THE POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE SERVING.
THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS INTENDED TO BE OUR NORTH STAR, RIGHT? AND IT'S INTENDED TO ALIGN OUR OBJECTIVES, UH, ALIGN OUR WORK TO SCALE UP OUR SYSTEM, PRESERVE THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE AND MORE EFFICIENTLY ACHIEVE IMPACT THAT'S VISIBLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WE GO DOWN MAIN STREET AND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, UH, CONGRESS AVENUE, UH, AND ALSO IMPACT WITH RESPECT TO THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING OUT THERE DISCONNECTED AND NOT CARED FOR, FOR FAR TOO LONG.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO PATRICIA BARRERA, WHO IS THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR, UM, OUR PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT DIVISION, AND PATRICIA LEE'S EFFORTS RELATED TO, UH, ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTIONS.
AND PATRICIA, I THINK YOU'VE GOT SOME EXCITING NEWS TO SHARE ABOUT SCALE UP OF OUR ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE THAT LAUNCHED THIS WEEK.
I AM THE MANAGER FOR THE, UH, DIVISION THAT IS THE PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT.
AND SO THIS WEEK WE STARTED, UM, AN INCREASE OF OUR ENFORCEMENT, UM, CAPACITY.
NOW ENFORCEMENT HASN'T NECESSARILY INCREASED IN THE SCALE THAT ALL OVER TOWN THAT YOU WOULD, UM, WELL LET ME TAKE THAT BACK.
LET ME TAKE IT BACK TO WHAT WE USED TO HAVE.
WE HAD THREE DAYS A WEEK WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A PD AND AN A RR CREW GO OUT AND TAKE CARE OF AN ENCAMPMENT THAT HAS ALREADY RECEIVED OUTREACH, HAD RECEIVED ANY CONNECTION SERVICES AND, AND SHELTER OFFERS.
AND THEN ONCE THAT WAS DONE, THEY HAD, IT WAS AN EXTRA, ANOTHER WEEK BEFORE WE CAME BACK TO THAT PART OF TOWN.
SO LIKE ONE WEEK WOULD BE CENTRAL, ONE WOULD BE SOUTH AUSTIN, AND ONE COULD BE ONE, I'M SORRY, ONE DAY CENTRAL SOUTH AND THEN NORTH.
AND SO THAT WASN'T, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO KEEP UP.
SO WE WERE SEEING RE RE ENCAMPMENTS, UH, WE WERE SEEING THE REOCCURRENCE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
WE WERE SEEING WHAT HAPPENS AT TERRAZA IN OTHER PLACES AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, WE DECIDED TO, UM, CREATE A, A DIFFERENT WAY.
AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY LEADERSHIP, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, CREATE FIVE DIFFERENT TEAMS WITH, UM, THREE OF 'EM WHO ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY BASED WITH A RR AND A PD ON, ON BOARD.
TWO OF THEM, UH, WILL BE DOING, ONE WILL BE THE WATERWAYS, WHICH IS THE WATERSHED AREAS, AND THEN THE ROADWAYS, WHICH IS TPW, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS.
AND SO, UM, WE ALSO DO HAVE A SIX TEAM FOR ANY LITTER ABATEMENT.
UM, BUT THAT TEAM DOES NOT HAVE A PD WITH THEM.
AND SO STARTING THIS TWO DAYS AGO, WE WORKED ABOUT SIX IN THE LAST EIGHT WEEKS, WE WORKED ABOUT 66 SITES WHERE WE, UH, INTRODUCED OURSELVES, MADE SURE THE FOLKS KNEW THAT THIS WAS, UH, A PLACE THAT WAS GOING TO GET, UM, WAS GONNA RECEIVE, UM, RECEIVE ABATEMENT.
AND WHAT THAT MEANT WAS THAT THEY COULD NO LONGER BE THERE ANYMORE.
AND WE DIDN'T JUST STOP THERE.
WE FIRST MADE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND OUTREACH IS STILL CONTINUING IN A LOT OF THESE SITES BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO OUTREACH, IT DOES TAKE A LITTLE WHILE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO RESOLVE THIS? AND THE IDEAL WAY IS THAT OUTREACH GETS OUT THERE, RESOLVES THE ENCAMPMENT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ACTION FROM MY TEAM.
NOW WE MAY STILL NEED TO GO IN THERE TO GET CLEANING DONE AND THAT SORT OF STUFF TO GET EVERYTHING RESTORED BACK TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE AS A PUBLIC SPACE.
BUT, UM, SO THAT'S THAT FIRST STEP THAT OUTREACH GOES OUT, WORKS WITH THOSE FOLKS.
SO WE ARE, IT'S BEEN A BIT BIT OF A SELF LAUNCH.
WE'VE BEEN TO ABOUT THREE SITES, UH, PER DAY AND, UM, ONE OF THE SITES QUITE A BIT OF, UH, QUITE A BIT OF STUFF.
SO WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT SITE, BUT ALL THOSE SITES HAVE RECEIVED OUTREACH AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO KIND OF HAVE THIS CADENCE.
AND SO EVERY DAY THERE'S GONNA BE A
[01:35:01]
TEAM IN NORTH AUSTIN, A TEAM IN CENTRAL AUSTIN, TEAM IN SOUTH AUSTIN AS WELL, ALONG AS OUR ROADWAYS AND OUR WATERWAYS WORKING WITH THE FOLKS THERE TO ABATE THE LOCATION AND BRING IT BACK TO PUBLIC SPACE, AS WELL AS MAINTAIN THE SAFETIES, PARTICULARLY IN THE WATERWAYS AND THE ROADWAYS SINCE THOSE ARE PRETTY, PRETTY EASY WAYS YOU CAN GET KILLED IS BEING IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME.THOSE, IN THOSE TWO PARTICULAR AREAS.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE, THIS IS A A THIS IS AN ONGOING, IT'S NOT A A SHORT TERM THING.
IT'S NOT A A A A JUST A MINOR PROJECT.
IT'S GONNA BE THE ONGOING OF HOW WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING OPERATIONS AND OVER TIME WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE A LOT MORE, UM, QUIETING OF THE LARGER ENCAMPMENTS AND FOLKS GETTING THOSE RESOURCES, FOLKS COMING INTO SHELTER AS WELL AS THINGS NOT, UH, BEING AS MESSY
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR THAT UP UPDATE.
I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE 60 OVER 60 STOCKS THAT WERE, UM, SO, UM, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THESE EFFORTS TO, UM, DO SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SUCH A, A, A LARGE PROBLEM, UM, AND A COMPLEX PROBLEM AND SOMETHING THAT WE RECOGNIZE IS NOT, YOU DON'T JUST GO OUT THERE AND SAY, TIME'S UP, YOU KNOW, AND WAVE A MAGIC WAND.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
I'M LOOKING, LOOKING EZ THANK YOU.
UH, I, I'M SORRY, I'M NOT GONNA SAY YOUR LAST NAMES 'CAUSE I I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET 'EM ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU PATRICIA, FOR BEING HERE.
UH, THANKS FOR BEING ON THE FRONT LINES OF THIS CRITICAL ISSUE, UM, DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN, WORKING ON THOSE KPIS, THOSE MEASURABLE KPIS, AND TRYING TO MAKE US IN A BETTER PLACE.
WE, WE ARE ALL, UH, IN AGREEMENT THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S, THIS ISN'T, THERE ISN'T A ONE SIZE FITS ALL, BUT SINCE YOU'RE ON THE FRONT LINES, I'D LIKE TO ASK THIS QUESTION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, BUSINESSES, UH, OR EVEN PATRONS YOU'RE TRYING TO GO TO SOME OF THESE THINGS OR EVENTS, UM, WHERE THERE ARE UNHOUSED PERSONS AND MAYBE IT'S CAUSING ALARM, THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING DANGEROUS.
I'M JUST SAYING IF IT'S DANGEROUS, YES, CALL 9 1 1 IF THEY NEED FIRE OR MEDICAL POLICE.
BUT ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OTHER THAN CALLING 9 1 1 IN A NON-EMERGENCY SITUATION, UM, THAT, THAT THEY CAN DO TO MAYBE IMPROVE THE SITUATION.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW THERE'S EVERY SITUATION'S UNIQUE, JUST WONDERING, YOU THOUGHT YOUR THOUGHTS ON YOUR, ON YOUR ON THAT.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS.
I THINK IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO LEAD WITH COMPASSION AND DIGNITY IF A SITUATION IS UNSAFE.
FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE IS BEHAVING IN A THREATENING, UNSAFE, INTIMIDATING MANNER, GETTING TO SAFETY AND CALLING 9 1 1 IS ALWAYS THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THERE ARE UNHOUSED RESIDENTS WHO NEED OUTREACH OR THEY NEED A HIGHER LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT AT COUNCIL DIRECTION, WE'RE WORKING ON IMPLEMENTING A NEW 3 1 1 SERVICE REQUEST PROCESS.
THAT PROCESS WILL BE DEDICATED FOR HOMELESSNESS MATTERS.
IT WILL ALLOW BRANCHING SELECTION FOR INDIVIDUALS TO REPORT ENCAMPMENTS FOR INTERVENTION AND ABATEMENT.
IT WILL ALSO ALLOW RESIDENTS WHO DO NOT WISH TO REPORT AN ENCAMPMENT TO REQUEST OUTREACH.
SO THAT WILL FLAG THAT LOCATION SO THAT WE CAN DISPATCH NON-EMERGENCY SOCIAL SERVICE OUTREACH PROFESSIONALS TO THAT LOCATION TO ATTEMPT CONTACT.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE SOME OTHER EFFORTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY, UH, WITHIN THE CITY.
AND, AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY NOT THE BEST FORUM TO GO INTO DETAIL, BUT WE HAVE, UH, THE OFTEN FIRST INITIATIVE, WHICH IS A COLLABORATIVE OF, OF A PD AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO ASSIST WITH HIGH UTILIZERS, UH, I BELIEVE PRIMARILY IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE NO WRONG DOOR INITIATIVE, WHICH IS WORKING ON KIND OF A SEPARATE SET OF HIGH UTILIZERS OF PUBLIC SYSTEMS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THOSE PROGRAMS ARE, UM, ARE IN DEVELOPMENT AND BEING STAFFED CURRENTLY.
UM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER,
IT REQUIRES A DIVERSITY OF APPROACHES, UH, AND INTERVENTION TYPES.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS AN EVOLVING AND EMERGING ECOSYSTEM TO ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF SUBPOPULATIONS WITHIN THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY.
UH, SO TO REINFORCE IF IT'S A DANGEROUS SITUATION, GET TO SAFETY CALL FOR HELP.
IF, UM, IF IF IT'S NOT A DANGEROUS SITUATION, DEFINITELY, UM, USE THAT NEW 3 1 1 SERVICE REQUEST PROCESS WHEN IT LAUNCHES THIS AUTUMN.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE THAT MAY BE ACCESSIBLE THROUGH 3 1 1, SAY FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A MENTAL HEALTH OR MEDICAL EMERGENCY, UM, 9 1 1
[01:40:01]
IS A RESOURCE, UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.SO THE KEY DECISION POINTS, JUST TO KIND OF WRAP IT ALL UP, EMERGENCY 9 1 1 NON-EMERGENCY 3 1 1.
UH, IN THE INTEREST OF KEEPING THIS MEETING MOVING, WE HAVE 15 MINUTES LEFT.
SO I'M GOING TO THANK OUR GUESTS FOR A, A REALLY ROBUST CONVERSATION.
WE, WE UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS SITUATION.
WE'RE ALL RESIDENTS, WE ALL LIVE HERE, AND WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT IT THROUGH ADDITIONAL LENSES AS OUR ROLE HERE AT THE TOURISM COMMISSION.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE EVENTS THAT HAPPEN ARE, ARE REALLY SOMETHING WE KEEP AN EYE ON.
SO, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP THIS AN OPEN DIALOGUE AND WISHING YOU WELL AND WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR MORE NEWS COMING OUTTA YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR CERTAIN.
AND, UH, I, I WAS ENCOURAGED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CITY COU THE PRESENTATION Y'ALL MADE TO CITY COUNCIL LAST WEEK.
I'M GONNA SHARE THAT TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS HERE.
THERE'S, THERE'S MORE INFORMATION THERE AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU FIND YOURSELF ENGAGED WITH THIS, AS MANY OF US ARE, UM, I RECOMMEND YOU GO BACK AND WATCH THAT, UM, SESSION.
AND WE, UH, WILL PREPARE US PROBABLY FOR OUR NEXT CONVERSATION.
AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.
UM, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMMISSIONER CHANIN JUMPED IN AND DURING THIS, UH, PRESENTATION AND HE'S ON UP THERE.
I'M SORRY, UH, COMMISSIONER, IF YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP AND I MISSED YOU, UH, APOLOGIES FOR THAT.
BUT WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE WITH US AND, UH, YOU'RE, UH, GETTING SOME OF THIS INFORMATION.
UM, AND I WANNA, I THINK I WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY BEFORE WE TIME OUT TO, TO ADDRESS OUR, OUR NEWEST COMMISSIONER FROM DISTRICT NINE THAT CATHERINE WHITE HAD JOINED US TODAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY OUR ROLE WHEN WE DO THIS, WE TRY TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOU.
AND IF YOU HAVE A COUPLE MINUTES, I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR BACKGROUND AND I'M GONNA SAVE THE, WHAT THE OTHER HALF.
SOMETIMES WE GO UP AND DOWN THE AISLE AND SAY WHAT WE ALL DO.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SAVE THAT FOR THE POST-MEETING GATHERING AND THE PHOTOGRAPH.
BUT I, I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU FORMALLY IN THE, IN THIS SESSION AND BE HAPPY TO, AND THEN WE WILL, UH, DEAL WITH DISCUSSION ITEM FIVE.
[5. Approve the creation of a working group to Hotel Occupancy Tax (H.O.T.) Grant Programs Working Group. ]
SURE THING.I, UM, HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR 16 YEARS.
I'M REPRESENTING DISTRICT NINE ON THIS COMMISSION.
I'VE BEEN IN THE MUSEUM AND CULTURAL HERITAGE SECTOR FOR A LITTLE OVER 10 YEARS NOW.
MY CURRENT ROLE IS AT THE BULLOCK, TEXAS STATE HISTORY MUSEUM.
UH, WELCOMING A LOT OF FIELD TRIPS TODAY.
UM, AND I'VE WORKED IN SEVERAL MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS ACROSS THE CITY.
ART HISTORY, UM, LOCAL HISTORY, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, I ALSO SERVE ON THE, I SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP, UM, WHICH DOES A LOT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ACROSS THE CITY, UM, AND ALSO IN TAB BASTROP WILLIAMSON COUNTY, A LOT OF THE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS OUT THERE.
SO, UM, I WAS NOMINATED BY DANIEL RONAN, WHO ALSO HAS SOME EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA, AND I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO BRING THOSE CONCERNS AND EXPERTISE, UM, TO THIS COMMISSION.
UM, I THINK A COUPLE OF Y'ALL WERE ON THE COMMISSION WHEN I, UH, DID A PRESENTATION ON US MUSEUM DAY A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND I'M JUST, UH, REALLY HONORED TO BE HERE TO CONTINUE TO SPEAK TO THAT.
AND I, AND I DO APPRECIATE YOUR DRAWING THE, UH, DOTS FROM COMMISSIONER RONAN'S EXPERTISE, AND I'M GLAD WE HAVE THAT VOICE ON THIS COMMISSION.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN STRIVING FOR.
I'M NOT SURPRISED ACTUALLY, THAT HE WAS WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO HELP FIND HIS ACT, YOU KNOW, THE APPROPRIATE REPLACEMENT WHO CARRIED SOME OF HIS PASSIONS AND, AND ISSUES FORWARD.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE HERE.
WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR ONGOING PARTICIPATION AND, UH, THANK YOU.
SO WITH THAT, I WANNA, SO I WANNA SET UP THE DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
UM, WHEN FOLLOWING OUR PRESENTATION IN MARCH FROM THE, UM, ACME OFFICE, WE, UH, WE ALL AGREED THAT WE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BENEFIT IF WE ORGANIZED AND THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE PUT TOGETHER A-A-A-A-A GROUP THAT WOULD KIND OF DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE HOW HOT TAX GRANTS AND PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN GIVEN OUT ACROSS THE HERITAGE AND, AND IN THE ARTS AND CULTURAL MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT SPACE.
AND SO WE STARTED THAT DISCUSSION IN THE LAST APRIL MEETING, BUT IT WAS AN AGENDA ITEM, SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, TAKE A VOTE, UH, UH, TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP AROUND THIS ISSUE.
AND SO WE HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
WE CAN TAKE A FORMAL VOTE TO CREATE IT.
NOW, I WANNA ASK FELICIA, AS A POINT OF ORDER ON THIS, THANK YOU.
C CAN WE MAKE, SHOULD, CAN WE MAKE THE MOTION TO CREATE THE GROUP PRIOR TO
[01:45:01]
AND THEN SECONDARILY FIND OUT WHO'S GOING TO COMPRISE THAT GROUP? OR DO WE NEED TO DO IT ALL IN ONE MOTION? OR? I, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WOULD BE SEPARATE, BUT I, I NEED CLARITY PLEASE.SO THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, WE, UM, ESTABLISHED THE GROUP, KIND OF HAD A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND WHAT THE MAIN PURPOSE WAS GONNA BE.
UM, AND THEN WE HAD A SEMI, UM, THE NAMES THAT WERE GOING TO BE ON IT, BUT IT WAS KIND OF, UM, UP AND, UM, BACK AND FORTH ON WHO IS ACTUALLY GOING TO SERVE.
SO IF WE'RE, WE NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT ON THAT.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE THE, THE CORRECT WORKING GROUP NAME.
AND THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD AND ESTABLISH, IT'S GONNA BE ON NETWORKING GROUP AND, UM, IF IT'S GOING TO CHANGE, UM, AS FAR AS WHAT THE PURPOSE IS GONNA BE.
SO THAT WILL NEED TO TAKE PLACE IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE ANY CHANGES FROM WHAT WE DID THE LAST TIME.
WELL, I'M NOT RECOMMENDING THAT WE MAKE CHANGES PER SE.
I, I BEL I, I THINK THAT WE WORKED PRETTY HARD TO COME UP WITH THE DEFINITION, WHICH I BE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THIS FROM, THESE WERE THE MEETING NOTES? CORRECT.
SO IN OUR MEETING NOTES THAT WE APPROVE TODAY, IF WE LOOK AT NUMBER SIX ON THE DISCUSSION ITEMS, IT REALLY DESCRIBES WHAT WE THINK THIS WORKING GROUP IS GOING TO DO.
THAT STATEMENT THAT'S IN BOLD THAT WE APPROVED TODAY IS THE NOTES THAT, THAT IS THE MISSION OF THE PURPOSE.
SO, SO, UM, YES, THE MINUTES IS WHAT WAS DONE THAT DAY.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S GONNA BE ANY CHANGE CHANGES, THEN THIS WILL BE THE TIME TO BRING IT UP.
UM, I, I KNOW THAT ANOTHER COMMISSIONER WANTED TO SPEAK ON THAT, ON THAT BEHALF TO SPEAK ABOUT THE, THE DEFINITION OF THIS.
WELL, AND WE HAD THREE PEOPLE MISSING IN THE LAST MEETING AND WE DIDN'T CLOSE OFF.
SO I GUESS THIS, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE.
WE, WE NEED TO ACCURATELY AGREE ON THE PURPOSE AND THEN WE NEED ONE MORE ROLL CALL.
WE HAVE FOUR PEOPLE THAT CAN BE ON FIVE.
WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT COMMISSIONER CHAN, WHO WASN'T HERE TO, YOU KNOW, IF HE HAS AN INTEREST IN RAISING HIS HAND TO PARTICIPATE THAT HE CAN.
UM, WE DID, WE IDENTIFY THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE IN THE LAST, I FELT LIKE WE HAD THREE OR FOUR.
CAN I REMOVE MYSELF FROM THIS WORKING GROUP? YOU CAN.
WE HAD, WE HAD KNOWLEDGE COMING IN TO, YOU'D ASK IF WE DID DISCUSS IT.
WELL, I THINK THAT MY SKILLSET COULD BE HELPFUL, BUT I, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE READY FOR ME.
I JUST, I DON'T WANT TO CREATE CONFLICT AND I DON'T WANT TO PUSH CITY DEPARTMENTS FASTER THAN THEY'RE READY TO GO.
AND I REALLY FEEL THAT FROM THEM THAT MY RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, MIGHT NOT BE HELPFUL ON THIS MATTER.
I THINK FROM AN EVALUATION STANDPOINT AND LOOKING AT THE PROGRAMS HOLISTICALLY AND HOW THAT TAPS IN, I THINK THAT THAT IT'D BE GREAT TO, TO WORK ON THAT.
I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED STILL IN TERMS OF WHAT THE OUTPUT FROM THIS WOULD BE IF WE'RE PUSHING RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD, UM, ON THE, THE GRANT PROGRAMS OVERALL.
UM, I REALLY THINK THAT THE WORKING GROUP SHOULD ACTUALLY TAKE A, A BACK STEP APPROACH AND FOCUS MORE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TENTS.
I KNOW WE HAD THAT OCCUPANCY TAX, I KNOW WE HAD THE ONE MEETING ABOUT IT WHERE WE WENT THROUGH IT, BUT LET'S READ THOSE DOCUMENTS.
LET'S LOOK AT THAT, LET'S KIND OF LEARN THAT A BIT MORE.
AND THEN I WOULD TAKE THAT IN TANDEM AND GROUP IT WITH THE, THE GRANT FUNDING BECAUSE I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE MANAGED MORE THAN SET UP AN ESTABLISHED IN TERMS OF THAT, HOW I'M LOOKING AT IT MM-HMM
UM, AND HOW THOSE TWO THINGS WORK TOGETHER.
AND IT'S NOT TO LIKE, IT'S NOT TO POINT OUT AND BE LIKE, OH, WE'RE DOING ANYTHING WRONG.
I THINK WE'RE DOING ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT THINGS.
IT'S HOW DO WE PIVOT FROM WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, RIGHT.
AND LOOKING WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND, AND WHAT CHANGES WE NEED TO MAKE TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE IN THESE PROGRAMS. AND SO I THINK I WOULD START AT MORE OF A BASE LAYER UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYTHING AND HAPPY TO BE ON THAT GROUP.
ON THAT GROUP, BUT ALSO HAPPY TO LET OTHER PEOPLE ENJOY.
I, I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION AND ALL YOU DID WAS DEMONSTRATE TO ME WHY I THINK YOU WOULD BE A GOOD CANDIDATE TO BE ON IT.
I I WOULD, I WOULD ALSO RELIEVE YOU POTENTIALLY OF NOT BEING THE CHAIR BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN CHAIR.
I MEAN, YOU'VE, YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE AND YOU'VE DONE OTHER LEADERSHIP IN, IN THIS BODY AND I DON'T WANT TO STACK YOU WITH THAT.
BUT YOUR INSIGHTS ARE STRONG, BUT NO, FOR SURE.
AND I DON'T WANT GROUPS TO NOT COME TALK TO US.
SO THE MOTION THAT Y'ALL MADE LAST MEETING YES.
AND APPROVED WAS TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP.
[01:50:01]
GRA GRANT FUNDING WITH FOUR COMMISSIONERS IN THAT WORKING GROUP.WORKING GROUPS DO NOT HAVE CHAIRS.
THEY'RE SIMPLY A WORKING GROUP.
OH, THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE, THIS IS THE TIME, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ONE MORE PERSON, YOU CAN DO SO.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE ANY COMMISSIONERS, YOU CAN DO SO.
THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE POSTED TO DO RIGHT NOW.
REALLY APPRECIATE THAT INSIGHT AND CLARIFICATION.
AND KEEPING US ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW.
I SEE THAT COMMISSIONER SHANNON HAD HIS HAND UP, SO I WANNA HEAR WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, SIR.
SO NO, I'M, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SERVE ON THAT WORKING GROUP IF THERE'S AN OPENING.
'CAUSE I WAS GOING TO
UM, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT MAYBE TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE HOTEL WORLD BE ON THIS.
SO I, I WOULD SAY I'M HAPPY TO NOT, NOT BE ON THE, UH, IN THE COMMITTEE AND HAVE, UM, COMMISSIONER MATHIS JOIN TO MAKE THE FIVE WITH, UH, CHANIN COMMISSIONER CHANIN.
AND I THINK, UM, OUR FAITHFUL COMMISSIONER CHAPEL SHOULD REMAIN ON THE, ON THE COMMITTEE.
THOSE ARE, THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION.
UM, UM, VICE CHAIR MASTERS IS MENTIONING SHE'S HEARING THAT, UH, OUR NEWEST COMMISSIONER MIGHT HAVE AN INTEREST, WHICH WE CERTAINLY HAVE AN INTEREST OF YOU JOINING THAT.
THAT'S PURPOSE, THAT WE DIDN'T CLOSE THE, YOU KNOW, AND LEFT THIS OPEN FOR DISCUSSION NOW.
SO I KNOW THAT COMM COMMISSIONER NOCI IS WILLING TO STEP DOWN.
COMMISSIONER CHAPEL IS OFFERED TO STEP DOWN.
I, WE JUST WANNA FIND OUT WHO WE, BUT IMMEDIATELY, COMMISSIONER PRUITT, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ WERE REALLY ACTIVELY WANTING TO BE INVOLVED.
SO I DON'T, I APPRECIATE THE, UM, FLEXIBILITY THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE HAVE THE GROUP FORM THAT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANNA BE THERE.
SO, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, DO YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN BEING ON THE, ON THIS WORKING? I DO.
I MEAN, I KNOW I'M THE NEW GIRL AND I ALSO, IF MY, I HAVE, I HAVE EXPERIENCE BEING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CITY GRANT PROCESS, ESPECIALLY THIS MOST RECENT CYCLE.
IF THAT'S EXPERTISE THAT'S NOT NEEDED HERE.
I'M SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
SO I THINK WE'VE GOT, GROUPS ARE LIMITED TO A NON QUORUM OF THE BOARD.
SO THAT MEANS YOU ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO HAVE A MAXIMUM OF FIVE COMMISSIONERS IN A WORKING GROUP.
SO I HAVE MYSELF, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, POTEN, UH, COMMISSIONER SHANNON, POTENTIALLY COMMISSIONER MATHIS, THAT MAKES FOUR.
JUST IF COMMISSIONER CHAPEL IS NOT JOINING THE COMMITTEE, THE WORKING GROUP.
THEN WE'D HAVE SPACE FOR COMMISSIONER WHITEHEAD.
SO YEAH, I, IT'S, IT'S FOR, IT'S, IT'S FOR LOOKING AT THE GRANT, THE APPLICATION OF UTILIZING THE HOT TAX FOR GRANTS.
I MEAN, BY AND LARGE, THAT'S THE SIMPLICITY, SIMPLEST WAY TO SAY IT.
THE PURPOSE IS TO LOOK AT THE GRANTS THAT ARE GIVEN TO ACME AND HOW ACME IS NOT, NOT JUST ACME, I, I BROADENED IT.
THE DISCUSSION WAS SPARKED BECAUSE OF ACME'S PRESENTATION.
BUT WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT, I THINK WE'RE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL OF THEM IN AN EQUAL MEASURE, JUST UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS, BETTER, UNDERSTANDING WHAT GOES INTO IT, AND FORMULATING A BETTER WAY FOR US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS, GRANTS, OR WHO ELSE DO YOU, WELL, I GUESS YOU'RE CORRECT.
IT'S HER, IT'S ALL UNDER ONE DEPARTMENT.
I'M, I'M FORGETTING THAT IT IS ALL UNDER, IT'S ALL ON THERE.
I, I, I THOUGHT ABOUT, I'D LIKE TO, I READING THIS OUT LOUD SO IT'S RIGHT.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO READ THAT AGAIN SO THAT WE CAN FORM A VOTE.
BUT I WANT, I MEAN, SINCE WE'RE IN THIS, LET'S FIGURE OUT WHO, WHO IS GONNA JOIN IT.
AND I GUESS IT'S BETWEEN COMMISSIONER CHAPEL AND PCI.
AND AT THIS STAGE WE GOT 1, 2, 3, 4, OR NO? OH, WELL, I THOUGHT, OH, YOU ARE, COMMISSIONER OSI AND I WERE BOTH OUT COMMIT BECAUSE IT WAS GONNA BE FOCUSED ON
[01:55:01]
GOT IT.THE GRANT PROGRAM ITSELF AND NOT THE HIGHER END.
HOW DOES HOT WORK, HOW DOES THAT FLOW INTO, DISTRIBUTE INTO THE FUNDING MECHANISM? AND THEN SEPARATELY, HOW DOES THE GRANTS GET DISTRIBUTED AND MANAGED ON THAT PLATFORM.
SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE ADDRESSING THE SECOND HALF OF THAT GROUP.
SO, SO JUST REALLY QUICKLY, I GONNA INTERJECT AGAIN.
WE'RE HAPPY TO COME AND GIVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT LIKE HOW HOT WORKS
LIKE WE CAN DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT THAT, IF THAT'S YOUR QUESTION.
WE, WE'VE HAD THAT, WE'VE HAD THE PRESENTATIONS ON HOW HOT WORKS.
IT WAS, IT WAS JUST A LOT OF THIS IS BAKED IN, THIS IS BAKED IN, THIS CAN'T BE CHANGED, THIS IS WHAT IT IS.
THE BACKUP FUNDS ARE ALREADY SPENT.
AND SO FOR ME, LOOKING AT IT AND TRYING TO CREATE A STRATEGY OR PROGRAMS AROUND, IF EVERYTHING'S SO KEPT, THEN WHAT CAN WE DO AND WHAT LEVERAGE OR OPPORTUNITIES DO WE HAVE? AND SO, AND I'M SORRY.
AND I'VE MISSED SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
NO, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO, WHAT'S THE QUESTION? LIKE WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR WITH THE WORKING GROUP? WELL, LIKE AGAIN, DO YOU WANNA UNDERSTAND A CITY PROCESS OR DO YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL ACME HOW TO DO THEIR WORK? 'CAUSE THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
I, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S, WE WANT UNDERSTAND BETTER.
AND WE WANT GR WE NEED A WORKING GROUP TO, WE CAN'T SPEND EVERY GOT IT.
WE, WE, WE, WE, AS MANY TIMES AS WE EAT 10 TIMES WHATEVER, WE CAN'T.
THERE, THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS AND INTEREST IN REALLY FIGURING OUT QUALIFYING AND WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT.
HOW DID THAT WORK? THERE WERE LOTS OF INTERESTING AND I SAID, LET'S GET A WORKING GROUP TO GET INTO IT AND TO REALLY DIG IN THERE AND BRING INFORMATION BACK TO THE FULL BODY.
UH, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S, THERE'S HALF THE HALF THE GROUP IS THAT INTERESTED, BUT WE'RE GONNA WORK WITHIN THE FIVE MM-HMM
BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S, AND I, AND I ALSO TRIED TO LEAVE ROOM AND SPACE WITHIN THE PURPOSE FOR THE GROUP TO REFINE THEIR FOCUS AND SO THAT WE'RE NOT WRITING THIS THING WITH VERY LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM FOR THEM TO DO, TO COME BACK.
I WANT THEM TO ORGANIZE AS A GROUP AND COME BACK AND SAY, THESE ARE TOP THREE PRIORITIES FOR THIS WORKING GROUP.
SO THEY HAVEN'T HA WE HAVEN'T OFFICIATED YET AND THEY HAVEN'T MET YET, SO THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DIALOGUE YET.
AND SO THE WORKING GROUP CAN COME BACK TO THE FULL COMMISSION AND GIVE A PRESENTATION.
GIVE A REPORT, GIVE A REPORT, AND TELL US WHETHER MOVING FORWARD.
NO, I APPRECIATE, ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT, IT'S COMPLICATE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT IN MIND, I'LL JUST SAY THAT WHAT I HEARD IS THAT COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ, COMMISSIONER WHITE DID COMMISSIONER PRUITT, COMMISSIONER MATHIS AND COMMISSIONER CHAN.
FIRST HERE'S THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS THAT WE NEED.
IF SOMEONE IS COMING OFF THE WORKING GROUP, I NEED THAT PERSON TO, WE NEVER CREATED THE WORKING GROUP.
COMMISSIONER POSI HAS STEPPED DOWN.
I NEED THAT PERSON TO SAY THAT THEY ARE RESIGNING FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
IF WE HAVEN'T CREATED IT YET, IT WAS CREATED LAST MONTH.
OH, BECAUSE OF THE, BECAUSE BECAUSE I SEE.
NOW IF YOU WANNA EDIT THE MINUTE.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO RESIGN, UM, OFF THE COMMITTEE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO RESIGN OFF THE COMMITTEE? COMMISSIONER CHAPEL WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RESIGN FROM THE COMMITTEE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE BARGAIN.
I I'M AVAILABLE FOR ADVISEMENT OFFLINE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO RESIGN FROM THE WORKING GROUP? OKAY.
NOW ARE THERE ANY NOMINATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO BE ADDED TO THE WORKING GROUP? I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER SHANNON HAS I A NOMINATION.
I NOMINATE, UH, COMMISSIONER CHA.
ALL IN FAVOR? WHO WAS THE SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? I SECOND.
AND, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING ALL THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE SPEAKING.
SO IF YOU ARE SPEAKING WITHOUT BEING ACKNOWLEDGED, PLEASE SAY YOUR NAME.
SO THE NEW, UM, STAFF WOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHO'S WHO.
SO THE SECOND WAS COMMISSIONER GOMEZ.
SO WE ACTUALLY, WE DID NOT IN THE LAST MEETING, WE DID NOT TAKE A VOTE FOR EACH PERSON.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT.
SO WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THE ROUND FOR EVERYBODY.
ALL FOUR PEOPLE OR ALL FIVE PEOPLE.
AND WE DO A VOTE FOR THAT? NO, JUST, OKAY.
SO PER THE MINUTES FROM LAST MEETING, PRUITT AND GONZALEZ ARE ALREADY ON THERE.
RIGHT? WE JUST MADE A MOTION TO ADD,
[02:00:01]
ADD SHANNON.SO WE HAVE THREE, AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE A MOTION, I BELIEVE A NOMINATION TO, TO NO MM-HMM.
DO WE HAVE A, CAN I MAKE THAT MOTION TO NOMINATE? MM-HMM
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I HAVE SECOND.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, OF ADDING CATHERINE WHITEHEAD TO THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, YOU CAN VOTE FOR YOURSELF, I THINK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GUIDANCE ON THIS.
UM, WE HAVE A NOMINATION FOR COMMISSIONER MATHIS TO JOIN THE WORKING GROUP FROM COMMISSIONER PENOC.
COMMISSIONER CHAP SECOND THE MOTION.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, COMMISSIONER MATHIS JOINING THE WORKING GROUP.
SHOULD I READ THEM ALL AGAIN IN ORDER NOW AS A MATTER OF COURSE? OR DOES THAT, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SHOULD I, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL FOR THE RECORD.
SO THE MATTER OF RECORD FOR THE WORKING GROUP, UH, FOR THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX GRANT PROGRAMS, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER CHANIN, COMMISSIONER MATHIS, COMMISSIONER PRUITT, COMMISSIONER WHITEHEAD, AND COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ.
SO NOW I'M JUST, EVERYBODY LISTEN.
I'M GONNA READ THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS IN OUR NOTES.
THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE FORMATION OF HOTEL PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN IS TO EVALUATE HOW GRANT PROGRAMS SUPPORT AUSTIN'S TOURISM ECONOMY AND IDENTIFY WAYS THAT THE TOURISM COMMISSION CAN STRENGTHEN PROGRAM IMPACT THROUGH RECOMMENDATIONS TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
THIS GROUP WILL ACCESS LONG-TERM OUTCOMES TO ENSURE HOT FUNDED PROGRAMS REMAIN EFFECTIVE, EQUITABLE, AND ALIGNED WITH AUSTIN'S CULTURAL AND TOURISM AND TOURISM PRIORITIES.
SO I NEED ONE MORE MOTION NOTE.
WE WE'RE DONE BECAUSE WE PROVED WE'RE GOOD.
AND WE ARE AT 4 37, WHICH PUTS US AT OVER
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
TIME.I NEED, DO WE, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GO OVER THE CALENDAR, DO WE? I JUST HAVE, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? UM, OKAY, WELL, WELL CERTAINLY FOR DISCUSSION, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE CALENDAR, COMMISSIONER YES.
LET'S, WE CERTAINLY, LET'S DISCUSS IT.
I, I WAS JUST MAKING A NOTE THAT WE, UM, HAVE DECIDED TO CANCEL AUGUST SO THAT THE, UM, TOPICS FOR AUGUST WOULD MOVE TO SEPTEMBER.
AND IF WE WANTED TO ROLL THAT IN THE SAME ORDER DOWN THE CALENDAR, UH, COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR MASTERS HAS, HAS A COMMENT.
I, WE HAD MADE THE ROADMAP BEFORE WE MADE THE CALENDAR AND VOTED TO CANCEL OUR AUGUST MEETING.
AND WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON JUNE'S AGENDA ALREADY AND WE'RE FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN, UH, CONSOLIDATE SOME OF THE MONTHS.
WE'RE AWARE THAT WE ARE NOW ONE MEETING TOPIC OVER AND WE'RE FIGURING OUT HOW TO CONSOLIDATE THAT IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE AND STILL GIVES US THE FLOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
YOU ARE CORRECT AND WE ARE WORKING ON IT IN THE BACKGROUND.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MESS, VICE CHAIR MASTERS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PENOC FOR ASKING THE QUESTION.
I, I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY, JUST SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CALENDAR, WE DID, AS WAS NOTED, WE DID SWITCH MAY AND JUNE IN TERMS OF, WE DID THAT IN THE LAST MEETING.
THAT'S WHY THAT, THAT'S WHY THE WHOLE ROADMAP SHIFTED.
FELICIA UPDATED IT BECAUSE WE SWAPPED MAY AND JUNE.
SO, UM, IT'S REFLECTED IN THIS NEW CALENDAR AND IT IS ACCURATE THAT AUGUST WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CANCELING THAT AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED ANECDOTALLY IN THE MEETING WHILE CLARIFYING THAT WE WERE CANCELING IS THAT WE MIGHT TAKE RALLYING IN AUSTIN AND EITHER COMBINE IT WITH THE RE WITH THE SEPTEMBER, OR WE COULD FUSE THAT INTO THE JULY.
SO, 'CAUSE THEY'RE, WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT WHETHER, WHETHER WE CAN EITHER ONE OF THE SEPTEMBER OR JULY COULD INCORPORATE SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE IN AUGUST.
SO WE'RE GONNA WORK THAT OUT ON A GO FORWARD AND, AND, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN FUTURE MEETINGS.
UH, WE ARE 4 39, WHICH PUTS US ALMOST 10 MINUTES OVER OUR TIME.
[02:05:01]
COMMISSIONER PENOC.AND THEN WE HAVE A MOTION COMMISSIONER.
ALL IN FAVOR? WE ARE ADJOURNED.