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[CALL TO ORDER]
IT IS NINE 30 IN THE MORNING ON JULY 20TH, 2026.AND I WILL CALL THE TO ORDER, UH, THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UH, IT'S A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
AND WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE MEMBERS OF THAT BODY PRESENT.
AND WE ARE MEETING AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, WHICH IS THE CITY HALL.
AND WE'RE MEETING IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UM, AT CITY HALL.
WE HAVE A VERY FULL AGENDA TODAY.
[Public Communication: General]
GONNA DO IS IMMEDIATELY GO TO OUR, UH, PUBLIC GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.WE HAVE FIVE, UH, SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THAT.
EACH WILL BE, UH, GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
AND I'LL ASK YOU IF YOU PLEASE CALL THE THEIR NAMES.
FIRST WE HAVE THOMAS OR JOEL THOMAS, DR. ROSA, MARIA.
WELL, THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE AND, UH, WE'LL START RIGHT HERE.
MY NAME IS JOEL THOMAS, AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF ONE VOICE CENTRAL TEXAS.
UM, I WANNA, IN PARTICULAR HIGHLIGHT, UM, THE SECOND DOCUMENT IN THE BACKUP FOR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, THE 2025 AUDIT, AND IN SPECIFICALLY TO REFER YOU TO PAGE 10 AND THE TABLE THAT IS FOUND THERE.
I WILL NOW YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME TO THE CHAIR.
I SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE ONE VOICE, CENTRAL TEXAS.
I AM ALSO THE CEO FOR EL WEA MARANO.
BUT BEFORE COMING TO ELANO, I SERVE IN STATE AND LOCAL, UM, GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO I, I BRING THAT TO MY TESTIMONY, UM, WITH YOU TODAY, HAVING THE, UH, PRIVILEGE TO SIT ON BOTH SIDES.
I WANNA START BY SAYING THAT I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THE AUDIT.
IF AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW FAILS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT, IT HAS NOT DONE ITS JOB.
INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT STRENGTHENS GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC TRUST.
MY CONCERN IS WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE AUDIT.
GOOD GOVERNMENT DEPENDS NOT ONLY ON ACCURATE FINDINGS, BUT ON ACCURATE INTERPRETATION OF THOSE FINDINGS.
OVER THE PAST WEEK, MANY AUSTINITE HAVE UNDERSTANDABLY COME AWAY WITH THE INTERPRETATION THAT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS BROADLY FAILED TO DELIVER SERVICES AND FAILED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE.
THAT IS A POWERFUL PUBLIC INTERPRETATION, BUT IT'S NOT THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS REVIEW WAS DESIGNED TO REACH.
DURING OUR MEETING WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFF AUDITOR'S OFFICE, WE WERE ADVISED THAT THIS REVIEW WAS NOT DESIGNED TO EVALUATE AUSTIN'S NONPROFIT SECTOR AS A WHOLE, AND WAS NOT INTENDED TO DETERMINE WHETHER SOCIAL SERVICES FUNDING SHOULD BE INCREASED OR DECREASED.
LAST WEEK, THE CITY MANAGER REMINDED THE COUNCIL THAT WE SHOULD NOT MANAGE BY NEWSPAPER HEADLINES.
HEADLINES SIMPLIFY, AND SPECIFICALLY THE HEADLINES THAT WERE INTENDED TO DAMAGE THE VERY PARTNER THAT THE CITY DEPENDS ON TO SERVE TENS AND THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
THERE IS ONE ADDITIONAL POINT THAT I WANT THAT I BELIEVE IS IMPORTANT.
TODAY, THERE ARE FOUR SEPARATE GOVERNMENT PROCESSES OCCURRING AT THE SAME TIME, THE AUDIT IS ASKING WHETHER THE CITY'S CONTRACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CAN BE IMPROVED.
SECOND, THE CONTRACTOR EVALUATION RUBRIC ASSESSES CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE.
THIRD, THE CITY'S BUDGET PROCESS DETERMINES HOW LIMITED PUBLIC, HANG ON ONE SECOND.
DID YOU SIGN UP TO SPEAK INDEPENDENTLY? UH, SO WE HAVE A SYSTEM FOR DONATING TIME.
UM, BUT YOU'LL BE GIVEN YOUR THREE MINUTES NOW STARTING.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, YOU, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DONATE YOUR TIME IN A DIFFERENT WAY, AND, UM, WE'LL AUDIT THAT LATER.
THIRD, THE CITY'S BUDGET PROCESS DETERMINES HOW LIMITED PUBLIC RESOURCES ARE ALLOCATED.
AND FOURTH, THE COUNCIL THE POLICY DECISION TO ESTABLISH COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.
THESE ARE FOUR PROCESSES THAT ARE RELATED, BUT NOT INTERCHANGEABLE.
THEY ANSWER DIFFERENT QUESTIONS, THEY RELY ON DIFFERENT INFORMATION.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SPENT CAREER,
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A CAREER ADMINISTERING PUBLIC CONTRACTS, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THREE GOVERNMENTS QUESTIONS, IF ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF CONTRACTS WERE REVIEWED, WHAT BASIS EXISTS FOR APPLYING THOSE FINDINGS BEYOND THE CONTRACTS EXAMINED? DID THIS REVIEW DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A MATERIAL FAILURE TO PERFORM A CONTRACT VARIANCE RESULTING FROM APPROVED MODIFICATIONS OR OPERATIONAL REALITIES? AND THIRD, IF THE AUDITED, IF THE AUDITOR HAS STATED THIS REVIEW WAS NOT INTENDED TO CHARACTERIZE THE NONPROFIT SECTOR AS A WHOLE, WHAT SAFEGUARDS WILL ENSURE THESE FINDINGS ARE NOT INTERPRETED BEYOND THEIR INTENDED SCOPE? THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM OF THE AUDIT.THESE ARE GOVERNMENT QUESTIONS.
ULTIMATELY, THIS IS NOT ABOUT NONPROFITS.
IT IS ABOUT THE TENS AND THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT NONPROFITS SERVES IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
THEY REPRESENT CHILDREN, THEY REPRESENT SENIORS, SURVIVORS, FAMILIES.
THESE ARE NOT SIMPLY NONPROFIT CONTRACTS.
MY REQUEST TODAY IS SIMPLE, IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT STRENGTHEN THE CITY'S CONTRACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, BUT ALSO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THIS REVIEW BY ENSURING ITS FINDINGS ARE INTERPRETED WITHIN THE SCOPE FOR WHICH THEY WERE INTENDED.
BECAUSE ACCOUNTABILITY SHOULD ALWAYS FOLLOW EVIDENCE.
APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND WHAT YOU DO.
I SERVE AS THE CEO OF LIFEWORKS, AND ALSO AS A MEMBER OF ONE VOICE, CENTRAL TEXAS.
I WANNA BEGIN BY THANKING THE CITY AUDITOR FOR THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS REPORT, AND ALSO THANKING THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER FOR SPONSORING THIS AUDIT.
BECAUSE ACCOUNTABILITY MATTERS WHEN PUBLIC DOLLARS ARE INVESTED IN SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE SHOULD BE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS, STRONG OVERSIGHT, AND MEANINGFUL MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE.
NONPROFITS THAT CAN CONSISTENTLY UNDERPERFORM OR FAIL TO DELIVER ON THEIR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TO BE AWARDED CITY CONTRACTS.
AT THE SAME TIME, I URGE THE COMMITTEE TO INTERPRET THIS REPORT WITH REAL CARE.
THE AUDIT REVIEWED A SMALL SAMPLE OF CONTRACTS AND EXPLICITLY NOTES THAT THE RESULTS CANNOT BE GENERALIZED TO THE BROADER PORTFOLIO OF NONPROFIT CONTRACTS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE REPORT IDENTIFIES CONCERNS RELATED TO REPORTING, DELAYS, COMMUNICATION PRACTICES, AND INCONSISTENT CONTRACT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES THAT ARE MORE A REFLECTION OF THE CITY'S OWN CONTRACTING SYSTEM THAN THE PERFORMANCE OF ANY SINGLE NONPROFIT PROVIDER.
THESE DETAILS MATTER, ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUDGET PROCESS WHERE MILLIONS IN SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS ARE ALREADY UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR ELIMINATION.
WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE CON, UH, WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE CONTEXT, THE PUBLIC NARRATIVE CAN BECOME OVERLY SIMPLISTIC THAT NONPROFITS FAIL TO DELIVER THIS RISKS CAUSING UNINTENDED REPUTATIONAL HARM TO HIGH PERFORMING NONPROFITS AT EXACTLY THE TIME WHEN ORGANIZATIONS ARE BEING ASKED TO INCREASE PRIVATE FUNDRAISING AND DIVERSIFY REVENUE SOURCES.
ULTIMATELY, ACCOUNTABILITY ONLY WORKS WHEN IT IS COMPLETE.
WHEN PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT MET, WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHY WERE MODIFICATIONS APPROVED.
WERE THERE EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT AFFECTED PARTICIPATION OR SERVICE DELIVERY? WERE RESIDENTS ULTIMATELY SERVED IN THE WAY THE CONTRACT INTENDED? SUCH QUESTIONS HELPED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A REPORTING VARIANCE, A CONTRACT MANAGEMENT ISSUE, AND A TRUE, UH, FAILURE TO PERFORM.
AS COUNCIL CONSIDERS THIS REPORT AND BROADER BUDGET DECISIONS, I WOULD ENCOURAGE A CAREFUL EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH.
WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY STRENGTHEN ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS. WE SHOULD ALSO ENSURE THAT CONCLUSIONS ARE PROPORTIONAL TO THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AND THAT ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY SERVICES ARE EVALUATED ON A CONTRACT BY CONTRACT AND AGENCY BY AGENCY BASIS, OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS DESERVE NOTHING LESS.
MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
JEFFREY BOWEN, DISTRICT EIGHT.
UH, MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW I'VE, I'VE BEEN A LONG TIME CONTRACT MANAGER, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, UM, BOTH PROFIT AND FOR NONPROFITS.
SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN A NONPROFIT FOR THE AIR FORCE.
SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK BEING DONE, UH, THROUGH THIS AUDIT.
AND AS SOMEBODY THAT HAS READ MANY OF THE, THE PAST, UH, PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS OR OF THE AUDITS, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, IT CONSTANTLY BRINGS UP TO ME THE THOUGHT OF WHERE ARE THE, WHERE THE ISSUES THAT ARE LACKING.
IT CONSTANTLY SEEMS TO BE THAT THERE'S A, MAYBE IT'S A TRAINING ISSUE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT COMPLETING
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OUT FINAL EVALUATIONS.WE'RE NOT COMPLETING, UH, SOME OF THE PAPERWORK AS, AS WE SEE.
AND SO IT'S THESE PAST REPORTS THAT WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY LEARNING FROM THIS PROCESS? UH, I SEE THE CONTINUATION OF THE SAME THINGS.
THESE LADIES MADE SOME VERY GREAT POINTS IN THAT HOW IS THIS AFFECTING NOT JUST THE NONPROFITS, BUT THE REST OF US THAT DON'T SEE WHAT ARE ACTUALLY BEING, UM, MAINTAINED OR WHAT'S BEING ACTUALLY PROVIDED OR THE, THE EVALUATIONS OF HOW WELL THESE PROGRAMS WORK.
SO THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING, UH, SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND AND THAT THE REST OF US NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON AND IDENTIFYING THE POINTS AND THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING AND ACTUALLY FAILING.
HOW DO WE FIX THOSE FAILURES? HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE, UM, MAKE THOSE THAT ARE WORKING WORK IN OTHER PROGRAMS? ALSO, THIS SHOULD BE A CONTINUOUS PROCESS.
UM, AS SOMEBODY THAT TAUGHT TOTAL QUALITY, QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR A WHILE, IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT CONTINUOUS PROCESS.
IT MAY BE CALLED SOMETHING DIFFERENT NOW BECAUSE MANAGEMENT HAS A TENDENCY TO CHANGE THE NAMES OF WHAT THE LATEST, GREATEST THING IS.
SO, BUT THIS NEEDS TO BE A CONTINUOUS PROCESS.
IT NEEDS TO BE CONTINUOUSLY REVIEWED, EVEN BY, BY YOURSELF, MR. MAYOR, YOU'VE NOTED THAT MANY, MANY TIMES.
BUT IT DOES HAVE EFFECTS ON WHETHER A PROGRAM FAILS OR SUCCEEDS BECAUSE THE EFFECTS OF HOW IT, UH, ON SERVICES ON OUR BUDGETS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
AND WE NEED TO COM CONSTANTLY BE LOOKING AT THESE ISSUES.
'CAUSE IT AFFECTS ALL OF US AND IT AFFECTS THE WAY THE CITY OPERATES AND THE IMPACTS ON NOT ONLY THE PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO ON THE TAXPAYERS.
UM, ACTUALLY, I APPRECIATE THE EXTRA TIME.
I'M NOW TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HELL TO DO WITH EXTRA 15 SECONDS, BUT YEAH, YOU KNOW, I CAN FIGURE THAT OUT.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN ALWAYS NOT TALK WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE AUDIT, UH, COMMITTEE HAS OR THE AUDIT TEAM HAS DONE, AND THEY NEED TO BE.
I WORK IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND FAMILY ELDER CARE.
FAMILY ELDER CARE IS A LOCAL NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO HELPING LOW INCOME OLDER ADULTS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES REMAIN SAFELY HOUSED AND LIVE WITH DIGNITY.
WE PROVIDE HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS FACING HOUSING INSTABILITY, FOOD INSECURITY, PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.
UNFORTUNATELY, OLDER ADULTS ARE FACING INCREASING HARDSHIPS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
MORE OLDER ADULTS ARE LIVING IN POVERTY, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND BECOMING VICTIMS OF FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION.
AT THE SAME TIME, MANY ELIGIBLE SENIORS ARE NOT RECEIVING CRITICAL PUBLIC BENEFITS AND ARE LOSING ACCESS TO MEDICAID.
I SEE THESE CHALLENGES EVERY DAY AT WORK.
OUR MISSION IS TO HELP OLDER ADULTS REMAIN INDEPENDENT, FINANCIALLY STABLE AND HEALTHY.
AND THAT BEGINS WITH THE SAFE PLACE TO CALL HOME.
HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, OLDER ADULTS ARE FAST, FASTEST GROWING POPULATION EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS BETWEEN 2023 AND 2025.
HOMELESSNESS AMONG SENIORS INCREASED BY 70%.
WHY DOES THAT MATTER? BECAUSE PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS AND KEEPING PEOPLE HOUSED COSTS FAR LESS THAN ALLOWING SOMEONE TO FALL INTO HOMELESSNESS AND THEN TRYING TO HELP THEM RECOVER.
WE PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PAIRED WITH WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT WORK ME.
WE HELP OLDER ADULTS ENROLL IN MEDICARE, MEDICAID, SOCIAL SECURITY, VETERANS BENEFITS, DISABILITY PROGRAMS. WE OFFER FINANCIAL STABILITY SERVICES, PROTECTION FROM EXPLOITATION AND SCAMS AND SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL ISOLATION AND DEPRESSION SERVICES THAT HELP PEOPLE REMAIN HOUSED AND REDUCE, REDUCE THE NEED FOR MORE COSTLY EMERGENCY INTERVENTIONS.
WE RECOGNIZE THE DIFFICULT BUDGET DECISIONS BEFORE THE CITY AND SUPPORT THOUGHTFUL STEWARDSHIP OF PUBLIC RESOURCES.
WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL THE MANY VARIABLES THAT CAN AFFECT A PROGRAM'S IMPACT, AND RECOGNIZE THOSE THAT ARE COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
PLEASE PROTECT THE SOCIAL SERVICES THAT DEMONSTRATE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES, STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND ULTIMATELY SAVE THE CITY MONEY.
THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE.
MEMBERS, WHAT I THINK, UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE INTEREST IN THIS ITEM, GO TO THIS ITEM NEXT AND THEN WE'LL GO
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BACK UP TO THE TOP OF THE AGENDA UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION.SO, UH, I'M ALSO LOOKING AT THE AUDITOR TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE READY, UH, SINCE I'M GONNA TAKE THAT OUT OF ORDER.
THAT WAY PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THIS, THAT ARE HERE, CAN, CAN BE HERE FOR THAT.
[1. Approve the minutes for the May 20, 2026, meeting of the Audit and Finance Committee.]
THAT, UH, LET'S GO TO ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR THE MAY 20TH, 2026 MEETING.UM, LET ME ASK YOU, I WAS GRANTED TO MOVE WELL BEFORE YOU.
UH, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO, UM, THERE'S ONE SUGGESTED EDIT.
I WAS GONNA ASK IF ANYBODY HAS ANY EDITS.
THE SUGGESTED EDIT IS ON ITEM NUMBER 11, WHERE IT SAYS, IDENTIFY ITEMS TO DISCUSS AT FUTURE MEETINGS.
UH, IT'S UNCLEAR TO ME THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN.
SO FOR CLARITY PURPOSES, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE EDIT IT TO SAY, MAYOR WATSON, ASK IF THERE WERE SUGGESTED ITEMS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS, WHICH I THINK IS, IS MORE CLEAR.
SO WITH THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER MOVES ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES, IT'S SECONDED BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM, WITH THAT CHANGE THAT I'VE JUST READ INTO THE RECORD, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION WITHOUT OBJECTION? UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE IS ADOPTED.
[7. Briefing on nonprofit contract performance management audit. [Kathie Harrison, Assistant City Auditor; Henry Katumwa, Supervising Senior Auditor - Austin City Auditor’s Office]]
LET'S, LET'S GO TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS A BRIEFING ON NONPROFIT CONTRACT PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AUDIT.AND, UH, AS WE CALL THE AUDITOR AND HIS FOLKS UP TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
UM, LET, LET ME SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT THIS AUDIT, IN PART BECAUSE, UM, I, I'VE BEEN BEHIND IT FROM THE BEGINNING AND THIS, THIS IS ACTUALLY A FOLLOW UP TO A REQUEST I MADE LAST SPRING WITH REGARD TO NONPROFIT AND, AND, UH, MONEY.
I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR, UH, ABOUT WHAT THIS AUDIT IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T.
THIS REPORT, AS I'VE INDICATED, IS THE SECOND PHASE OF A SPECIAL REQUEST THAT I AND THE, THE AUDIT FINANCE COMMITTEE MADE IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR, TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTOOD OUR INVESTMENT TO SERVE VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
AND WHETHER THE PUBLIC DOLLARS WE'RE SPENDING IS HAVING THE POSITIVE IMPACT WE INTENDED.
IT IS NOT AN ATTACK ON NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OR ANY SPECIFIC NONPROFIT, AS HAS BEEN POINTED OUT JUST THIS MORNING, AUSTIN RELIES ON MANY DEDICATED NONPROFITS AND THEIR DEDICATED EMPLOYEES WHO DO DIFFICULT, COMPASSIONATE WORK FOR PEOPLE FACING SOME OF THE HARDEST MOMENTS OF THEIR LIVES.
THIS IS AN AUDIT OF THE CITY'S SYSTEM FOR PURCHASING, MONITORING, AND ASSURING THE DELIVERY OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
AND LET'S BE CANDID, THE FINDINGS ARE TROUBLING.
IT APPEARS WE'RE NOT EFFECTIVELY MEETING THE GOALS THAT WE SET.
YOU'LL HEAR, AND WE'RE TOLD THAT 19 OF THE 25 SAMPLED CONTRACTS MISSED AT LEAST ONE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATION.
ALMOST HALF OF THE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS REVIEWED WEREN'T MET.
IN MANY INSTANCES, PERFORMANCE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW WHAT THE CONTRACTS REQUIRED.
THOSE NUMBERS DON'T JUST REPRESENT BOXES THAT WERE LEFT UNCHECKED ON A REPORT THEY MAY REPRESENT.
THEY LIKELY REPRESENT VULNERABLE AUSTINITES WHO DIDN'T RECEIVE SERVICES.
THE CITY AGREED TO PURCHASE FOR THEM.
AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY SOME EXPECTATION MAY EXPECTATIONS MAY HAVE BEEN BADLY WRITTEN.
SOME CONTRACTS MAY HAVE BEEN INADEQUATELY FUNDED.
PROVIDERS MAY HAVE FACED STAFFING PROBLEMS, INCREASED DEMAND, REDUCED DONATIONS, OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES OUTSIDE THEIR CONTROL.
IF THE CITY CREATED UNREALISTIC REQUIREMENTS OR FAILED TO MANAGE THOSE AGREEMENTS PROPERLY, THE CITY MUST BE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND CORRECT THOSE FAILURES.
BUT NONE OF THOSE POSSIBILITIES SUPPORTS A SYSTEM IN WHICH EXPECTATIONS CAN BE MISSED REPEATEDLY WITHOUT CONSISTENT REVIEW, WITHOUT CORRECTIVE ACTION, OR WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES.
GOOD FISCAL STEWARDSHIP AND STRONG SOCIAL SERVICES ARE NOT COMPETING GOALS.
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY ISN'T IN CONFLICT WITH PERSONAL COMPASSION.
IN FACT, CARING FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE REQUIRES US TO CARE ABOUT THESE SERVICES AND TO CARE ABOUT WHETHER THEY'RE DELIVERED.
THE FOCUS SHOULD NOT BE ON PROTECTING CITY HALL OR PROTECTING ANY PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION.
IT SHOULD BE ON PROTECTING THE PEOPLE THESE DOLLARS WERE MEANT TO SERVE.
WE SHOULD HAVE CLEAR AND REALISTIC PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS.
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AND EQUITABLE SELECTION PROCESSES.WE SHOULD GIVE PROVIDERS A FAIR OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN PROBLEMS AND CORRECT THEM.
AND WHEN PERFORMANCE DOESN'T IMPROVE, WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO REDIRECT PUBLIC MONEY SO THAT THE PROMISE SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY PROVIDED.
PROGRESSIVE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT.
WE CAN'T AND SHOULDN'T MEASURE COMPASSION BY HOW MUCH MONEY WE APPROPRIATE AND SPEND.
WE SHOULD MEASURE IT BY WHETHER WE'RE DOING WHAT'S NECESSARY TO ASSURE PEOPLE RECEIVE THE HELP THE MONEY WAS INTENDED TO PROVIDE.
SO, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S CONCERN, THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY, BUT I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING.
WE WANT TO SERVE VULNERABLE AUSTINITES, AND THE BEST WAY FOR US TO DO THAT IS BY WAY OF AN AUDIT THAT GETS US TO RESULTS, AND THEN WE AS A CITY FOLLOW UP APPROPRIATELY.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN TO OUR CITY AUDITOR COUNCIL.
BE SURE YOU TURN ON THAT BUTTON.
GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS HENRIK TUMA FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR.
THANKS FOR GIVING US A CHANCE THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT THIS VERY CRITICAL SERVICE.
THE OBJECTIVE OF THE AUDIT WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE CITY IS EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY WRITING AND MANAGING NON-PROFIT CONTRACTS FOR FAMILY AND SOCIAL SERVICES.
FOR THIS AUDIT, WE SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON THE CITY'S POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND PROCEDURES FOR MANAGING THESE CONTRACTS.
FAMILY AND SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS CAN BE BROKEN UP IN TWO, TWO CATEGORIES, GENERAL NON-PROFIT CONTRACTS AND GRANTS.
FOR THIS PRESENTATION, WE ARE USING THE TERM CONTRACTS TO REFER TO BOTH THESE CATEGORIES.
FAMILY AND SOCIAL SERVICES ARE VERY CRITICAL TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN BECAUSE THEY SUPPORT VULNERABLE, UH, RESIDENTS WHO ARE FACING VARIOUS CHALLENGES.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY ALSO HELP US AS A COMMUNITY TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY STRONG, SAFE, AND RESILIENT.
THESE SERVICES COVER A WIDE RANGE OF SUPPORT, SUCH AS HOMELESSNESS, SERVICES, HEALTHY AND BEHAVIORAL CARE, JOB TRAINING SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES, AND SO ON.
DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE CITY SPENT ABOUT $100 MILLION ON THESE, UH, SERVICES.
CITY DEPARTMENTS MANAGED THESE CONTRACTS, INCLUDING AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS, HOUSING, MUNICIPAL COURT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND A FEW OTHERS.
THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE REQUIRED, AMONG OTHER THINGS TO ENSURE THAT NONPROFITS MEET ALL PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS.
THE CITY HAS STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO MANAGE THIS CONTRACT.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONTRACTS REVIEWED IN THE CONTRACTS REVIEWED, THE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS WERE SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, AND TIME BOUND, AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SECONDLY, DEPARTMENTS HAVE PROCESSES TO MANAGE CONTRACT INFORMATION, INCLUDING PERFORMANCE INFORMATION THAT WE GET FROM THE NONPROFITS.
ALSO, CITY STAFF CONDUCT COMPLIANCE SITE VISITS TO LOOK AT HOW NONPROFITS ARE USING THE FUNDING, HOW THEY ARE, HOW THEY ARE PERFORMING, AND HOW THEY'RE COMPLYING WITH CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS.
SLIDE WE HAVE ONE FINDING FOR THIS AUDIT.
WE FOUND THAT VULNERABLE RESIDENTS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET EXPECTED SERVICES.
WHILE THE CON, WHILE THE CITY HAS A PROCESS FOR MANAGING THE CONTRACTS, IT DOES NOT ENSURE THAT THE NON-PROFITS CONSISTENTLY PROVIDE AGREED UPON SERVICES.
TO SUPPORT OUR CONCLUSIONS, WE REVIEWED PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS LAID OUT IN A SAMPLE OF 25 CONTRACTS.
MOST CONTRACTS INCLUDED COMMON SET OF PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, STARTING WITH UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS SERVED, THIS IS THE PRIMARY INDICATOR OF HOW MANY UNIQUE, UH, PEOPLE THE PROGRAM SERVED.
THE NEXT, UH, THREE EXPECTATIONS PROVIDE
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A DIRECT MEASURE PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS.THESE HELP THE CITY DETERMINE WHETHER NONPROFITS ARE DELIVERING SERVICES, ARE DELIVERING MEANINGFUL SERVICES.
WE FOUND THAT FOR ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THE 25 CONTRACTS, THE NONPROFITS DID NOT MEET ONE OR MORE OF THE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS.
IT IS IMPORTANT, UH, TO CLARIFY HERE THAT THE SAMPLE WE REVIEWED SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECTED TO THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE FAMILY OF, UH, UH, SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS.
THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO THE, UH, SAMPLE SIZE OF THE CONTRACTS WE REVIEWED.
WE THEN LOOKED, UH, DEEPER AT THE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS.
WITHIN THOSE CONTRACTS, WE IDENTIFIED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF INSTANCES WHERE NONPROFITS DID NOT MEET AGREED UPON PERFORMANCE TARGETS.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, THE NONPROFITS MADE 56 56 OF THE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS.
HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT MEET 44 OF THEM.
BEARING IN MIND THAT THESE SERVICES SUPPORT VULNERABLE PEOPLE, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF UNAID EXPECTATIONS.
WE ALSO FOUND THAT THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE OR CONSEQUENCES THAT WOULD MOTIVATE NONPROFITS TO MEET THEIR PERFORMANCE GOALS.
FOR THE CONTRACTS WE LOOKED AT, THE CITY USES A COST REIMBURSEMENT MODEL.
IN THIS MODEL, NONPROFITS ARE REIMBURSED FOR THE EXPENSES WITH THE MAY THEY MEET THE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS OR NOT.
WE FURTHER EVALUATED THE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS WHERE THE NON-PRO NONPROFITS DID NOT MEET THE EXPECTED TARGETS TO UNDERSTAND THE GAPS DEVIATIONS BETWEEN WHAT WAS EXPECTED AND WHAT THE NONPROFITS PROVIDED.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT ALMOST HALF OF THE ANIME EXPECTATIONS WHAT WAS PROVIDED WAS MORE THAN 40% BELOW THE EXPECTED AMOUNT.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF A NON-PROFIT WAS, WAS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR HUNDRED UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS, BUT ONLY PROVIDED SERVICES FOR 60 UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS, THIS WOULD MEAN THERE WAS A GAP OR DEVIATION OF 40%.
WE ALSO VISITED THE NON-PROFITS DURING THIS AUDIT TO LOOK AT SUPPORTING DOC SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION FOR THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THEY REPORTED TO THE CITY.
DURING THE SITE VISITS, NONPROFITS SHARED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE CITY'S CONTRACTING PROCESS, SOME OF WHICH ARE SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE HERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THEY REPORTED CHALLENGES WITH UNREALISTIC PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS, STRUGGLES TO FIND UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS AND INCONSISTENT COMMUNICATION ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS.
WE FOUND THAT WE AS A CITY DO NOT CONSISTENTLY EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR NONPROFITS.
ONCE A CONTRACT ENDS, THE DEPARTMENTS DO COMPLETE A CONTRACT CLOSEOUT CHECKLIST.
THIS MAINLY PROVIDES A BEST STATUS OF, UH, CONTRACT COMPLETION.
IT PROVIDES INFORMATION SUCH AS
THE SERVICES ARE, ARE THERE ANY PENDING ISSUES OR UNRESOLVED PAYMENTS? A MORE ROBUST REVIEW WOULD, FOR EXAMPLE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, ASSIST THE QUALITY OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED, DETERMINE WHETHER THE SERVICES OFFERED GOOD VALUE TO THE CITY, VERIFY COMPLIANCE WITH ALL, UH, CONTRACT TERMS, AND ASSIST HOW EFFECTIVELY NONPROFITS ADDRESSED INSTANCES OF NONCOMPLIANCE.
STAFF IN ONE DEPARTMENT TOLD US THAT THEY EVALUATED THE PERFORMANCE OF NONPROFITS AT THE END OF EACH ENGAGEMENT.
THE CHART ON THE RIGHT OF THIS SLIDE SHOWS A PERFORMANCE CLOSEOUT REVIEW FOR ONE OF THEIR CONTRACTS.
THE TABLE ON THE RIGHT IS THE PERFORMANCE REPORT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT REVIEW REPORT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PERFORMANCE, UH, CLOSEOUT REPORT FUNCTIONS MORE LIKE A CHECKLIST THAN A MEANINGFUL EVALUATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS NO ASSESSMENT WHETHER THE, THE SERVICES PROVIDED, UH, GOOD VALUE TO THE CITY.
ALSO, THE PERFORMANCE CLAUSE REVIEW REPORT STATES THE NONPROFIT MADE SUCH SATISFACTORY PROGRESS OR MADE GOALS.
WHEN WE COMPARE THE TWO REPORTS ON THIS SLIDE WITHOUT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
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IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THIS IS A MEANINGFUL ASSESSMENT OF THE WORK OF THIS NONPROFIT.TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES WE NOTED IN THIS AUDIT, WE ISSUED IT TO RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, WHICH ARE SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE.
MANAGEMENT AGREED WITH HIS RECOMMENDATIONS, FULL IMPLEMENTATION.
TIMELINE FOR TWO, FOR THE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE SOMETIME NEXT YEAR.
ONCE AGAIN, THANKS WILL FOR GIVING US THIS TIME, THIS MORNING TO DISCUSS THIS AUDIT.
THIS ENDS MY PRESENTATION, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, I GUESS I'LL START WITH, LET ME ASK A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, AND, AND BY THE WAY, IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW.
UM, I WANT TO START WITH THE FINDINGS AND, AND ASK A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
OF THE 25 SAMPLED CONTRACTS, WERE 19 DIFFERENT PROVIDERS INVOLVED, OR DID SOME PROVIDERS HOLD MULTIPLE CONTRACTS? JASON, AVI, CITY AUDITOR, UH, ACROSS THE 25 CONTRACTS, THERE WERE 20 NONPROFIT AGENCIES.
SO A COUPLE OF THEM HAD MORE THAN ONE CONTRACT.
SO SOME DID HAVE MULTIPLE CONTRACTS.
UM, AND, AND YOU SAID IT, BUT I WANT TO, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF ALL IN, IN INDEPENDENT INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE MEASURE EXPECTATIONS WERE MISSED? SO IT WAS 67 OUT OF 151 EXPECTATIONS WERE BELOW THE EXPECTED AMOUNT, 44%.
UM, WERE THE MISSED MEASURES PRIMARILY OUTPUTS, SUCH AS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED, OR THE OUTCOMES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE PROVIDER'S FULL CONTROL? UH, IT WAS A MIXTURE.
SO OF THE 67 EXPECTATIONS THAT WERE NOT MET, 30, I'M SORRY.
UM, 52 WERE OUTPUT EXPECTATIONS AND 15 WERE OUTCOME EXPECTATIONS.
SAY THAT, UH, I WAS I TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH YOU AND I FELL BEHIND? SAY THAT AGAIN.
THERE WAS 67 EXPECTATIONS THAT WERE NOT MET.
AND, AND IN LOOKING AT THOSE WERE, DID YOU FIND THAT THE SERVICES, UH, DID YOU FIND EVIDENCE THAT THE SERVICES, UH, MAY HAVE OCCURRED BUT THEY WERE POORLY DOCUMENTED, OR THAT THE SERVICES JUST WEREN'T DELIVERED? WELL, WE PRIMARILY EVALUATED WHAT THE NONPROFITS REPORTED TO THE CITY DEPARTMENT THAT HELD THE CONTRACT.
WE DID CONDUCT FIVE SITE VISITS WITH NONPROFIT ENTITIES TO COMPARE WHAT WAS REPORTED TO THEIR SOURCE RECORDS.
AND IN ALL FIVE OF THOSE CASES, WE FOUND THAT WHAT WAS REPORTED MIRRORED THEIR THEIR SOURCE RECORDS.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS THERE.
UM, BUT THE FINDINGS WERE PRIMARILY BASED ON WHAT THE NONPROFITS REPORTED TO THE CITY.
UM, WE, THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTION ABOUT THE FAIRNESS TO THE PROVIDERS IN THIS, AND WE HEARD SOME OF THAT, UH, THIS MORNING ALREADY.
WERE THE PROVIDERS GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN VARIANCES AND RESPOND TO THE FINDINGS? I'M GONNA BREAK THIS QUESTION UP IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT SURE.
UM, SO FIRST, WHEN, WHEN AGENCIES ARE REPORTING THEIR, THEIR DATA TO THE DEPARTMENTS, DEPENDING ON WHICH DEPARTMENT THEY'RE WORKING WITH, THEY'RE REPORTING THROUGH DIFFERENT SYSTEMS, THROUGH DIFFERENT MECHANISMS. UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAD THE LARGEST GROUP OF CONTRACTS IN OUR SAMPLE, AND THEY HOLD THE MAJORITY OF THE CONTRACTS IN THIS POPULATION IN THEIR SYSTEM.
WHEN, WHEN THERE'S A VARIANCE BELOW 10%, THEY'RE NOT ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION.
BUT IF THE VARIANCE IS ABOVE 10%, THE SYSTEM ALLOWS THEM TO PROVIDE JUSTIFICATION FOR WHY THEY MISSED THE, THE EXPECTATION.
AND THERE WAS, I WOULD SAY, INCONSISTENT USAGE OF THAT.
THERE WERE TIMES WHERE, WHERE REASONING WAS GIVEN, AND THERE WERE TIMES WHERE, WHERE WE DIDN'T SEE THAT INFORMATION IN TERMS OF RESPONDING TO, TO THE AUDIT CITY MANAGEMENT WAS OUR AUDITEE.
SO THAT'S WHO WE ASKED FOR A, A, A MANAGEMENT RESPONSE PER OUR AUDIT PROCESS.
WE DID COLLECT INFORMATION WHEN WE MET WITH THE NONPROFITS ON THOSE SITE VISITS, AND WE INCORPORATED SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK INTO THE REPORT, BUT NOT IN THE FORM OF A RESPONSE, JUST IN THE, IN THE NARRATIVE OF THE REPORT.
AND I'M GONNA ASK CITY, UH, MANAGEMENT TO RESPOND HERE IN A SECOND BECAUSE I'M GONNA HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR THEM AS WELL.
SO, UM, HOW MANY TIMES WERE YOU ALL TOLD, UH, BY
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PROVIDERS? OR, OR, OR DID, WAS THERE SOME EVIDENCE THAT THE CITY HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE TARGET IN THE AGREEMENT WAS UNACHIEVABLE? I COULDN'T SAY A SPECIFIC NUMBER.UM, THERE WERE QUESTIONS BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE GOALS, AND I WOULD SAY IT WAS A MIXTURE OF WHEN WE WERE OUT AT SITE VISITS AND MORE PROMINENTLY IN THE EXPLANATION OF VARIANCES, UH, REPORTED TO THE CITY.
BUT I'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO OKAY.
IS THERE A PROCESS SET UP OR WERE THERE OPPORTUNITY TO AMEND CONTRACTS IF SOMETHING CAME UP THAT YOU COULDN'T, THAT YOU JUST COULDN'T ACHIEVE THE GOALS? WE DIDN'T SEE THAT SPECIFICALLY IN OUR SAMPLE.
THERE'S DEFINITELY THE ABILITY TO AMEND CONTRACTS, AND WE, WE'VE SEEN CONTRACTS AMENDED IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT AUDITS INVESTIGATIONS OVER THE YEARS.
BUT, UM, I, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE RECORDS TO SEE IF ANY OF THESE GOALS WERE AMENDED.
I, I MIGHT, I, I'D LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
AND, AND, AND THAT LEADS TO ANOTHER QUESTION THAT MAY BE THE SAME ANSWER, BUT, UM, WERE THERE SOME, WAS THERE SOME EFFORT TO DETERMINE WHETHER CONTRACTS WERE ADEQUATELY FUNDED TO ACHIEVE THE STATED EXPECTATIONS? IN OTHER WORDS, THE, THE, THE CITY CREATE AN EXPECTATION AND THEN THE, SOMEHOW IT WASN'T FUNDED APPROPRIATELY? I WOULD SAY THAT WAS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF OUR, OUR AUDIT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, GIVEN THE CONTRACTS AND THE AMOUNTS, WHETHER THEY WERE AMENDED OR NOT, THAT WERE ACTIVE DURING 2025, WE LOOKED AT HOW, HOW THOSE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS WERE MET OR NOT MET, AND WHAT THE CITY DID IN RESPONSE TO THAT.
DID, DID THIS AUDIT GO INTO ANY EXTERNAL CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT BE MEANINGFUL CAUSES FOR UNDERPERFORMANCE? I'D GO BACK TO THE, TO THE ANSWER I PROVIDED ABOUT THE VARIANCES.
SO IN THE SYSTEM, THERE WERE CERTAINLY, SOMETIMES THERE WERE INTERNAL CHALLENGES CITED.
SOMETIMES THERE WERE EXTERNAL CHALLENGES CITED, AND THE SAME, UH, DURING OUR SITE VISITS.
SO, UM, CHANGING, UH, CHANGING ENVIRONMENT, UH, IN THE CITY, IN THE COUNTRY, UM, THE E ECONOMIC IMPACT, WHETHER OR NOT CLIENTS WERE COMFORTABLE SEEKING OUT SERVICES CAME UP.
THE, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF FACTORS.
SOME OF THEM WERE INTERNAL, SOME OF THEM WERE EXTERNAL.
MS. ROGERS, ARE YOU GONNA PROVIDE THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSE? GOOD MORNING, SIR.
KERRY ROGERS, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? WELL, I DON'T HAVE ONE YET.
YOU, ARE YOU THE QUESTIONS, ARE YOU GONNA GIVE THE RESPONSE? SO, UH OH.
WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T YOU DO THAT AND THEN I MAY HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY.
AND I ALSO HAVE WITH ME JAMES SCARBOROUGH, OUR, UH, DIRECTOR OF, UH, AUSTIN FINANCIAL SERVICES, UH, PROCUREMENT DIVISION, UM, THE ON BEHALF OF CITY MANAGER, BROAD ACTS.
I FIRST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE.
AND I THINK WE WOULD ECHO WHAT YOU HAVE SAID EARLIER, MAYOR WATSON.
AND WHAT I THINK MR. AVI HAS, UM, CONVEYED IN HIS COMMENTS IS THAT THE AUDIT IS ABOUT THE PROCESS ITSELF, AND IT IS NOT ABOUT THE NONPROFIT'S PERFORMANCE IN THIS PARTICULAR AUDIT.
UM, MANAGEMENT AGREES WITH THE, UM, FINDINGS OF THE AUDIT, AND I THINK HAS IDENTIFIED SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT IN BOTH THE PROCESS, STARTING WITH THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS AND GRANTS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE OUTLINED IN HIS RESPONSE THAT I BELIEVE IS ON PAGE 11 OF, UM, THE POSTED MATERIALS.
UM, A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I THINK WE'VE HAD AND IDENTIFIED IN THIS AUDIT AND IN PRIOR AUDITS IS RELATED TO, UM, THE INTERPRETATION AND THE DISTINCTION OF SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS AND GRANTS, AND THE GUIDELINES THAT GOVERN THOSE, UM, PROCESSES.
UM, THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDS, UM, CENTRALIZING MANAGEMENT OF CONTRACTS WITHIN AUSTIN FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE PROCUREMENT DIVISION UNDER MR. SCARBOROUGH AND RECOMMENDS CENTRALIZING CITY GRANTS.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE CITY IS AN AUDITOR.
I MEAN, THE CITY IS THE GRANTOR, UM, UNDER AUSTIN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS.
AND SO THAT CONSISTENT PROCESSES CAN BE PUT IN PLACE, AND THIS IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY, THE TAXPAYER, BUT IT ALSO IS A BENEFIT TO THE VENDORS WHO MAY OFTEN HAVE CONTRACTS WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS DOING THE EXACT SAME WORK, BUT WOULD HAVE DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS.
AND SO THIS IS MEANT TO BE, UM, A BENEFIT TO THEM AS WELL.
WITH THAT, I'M, I'M PLEASED TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, AND OF COURSE, I, UM,
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OPEN UP FOR CORRECTION FOR MR. SCARBOROUGH OR MR. AVI.AND I THINK YOU MAY HAVE ANSWERED THIS, BUT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT IT BECAUSE I THINK IT, IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT JUMPS OUT AND THAT IS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN A CITY GRANT AND A PURCHASE SERVICE CONTRACT.
SO A CONTRACT IS FEE FOR SERVICES? CORRECT.
UM, THE CITY MAKES THE DISTINCTION OF SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS, UM, WHICH SENDS IT DOWN A DIFFERENT PATH HERE AT THE ORGANIZATION THAT IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER, UM, UM, MUNICIPALITY, ESPECIALLY LARGE MUNICIPALITY HERE IN TEXAS OR ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
BUT A CONTRACT IS FEE FOR SERVICES WHERE THE CITY IS CONTRACTING ITS SERVICES AND GETS A BENEFIT BACK TO THE CITY.
UM, A GRANT IS OFTEN STRUCTURED REIMBURSEMENT BASED, AS IS MANY OF THESE SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS.
UM, SO THEY, THE VENDOR SENDS IN AN INVOICE AND THE CITY REIMBURSES THAT INVOICE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF MRS. SCARBOROUGH WANTS TO ADD ANYTHING REGARDING CONTRACTING, BUT I THINK HERE AT THE CITY, WHEN THOSE SERVICES ARE LABELED AS SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS, THE PATH THAT IT GOES DOWN EXEMPTS THOSE CONTRACTS FROM OUR ANTI LOBBYING ORDINANCE, AND IT ALSO EXEMPTS THOSE CONTRACTS FROM COMPETITIVE BIDDING.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES COME IN AS OUTLINED IN BOTH THE AUDIT AND IN THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSE.
UM, IN, IN THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSE, IT'S INDICATED THAT, UM, THERE'S A PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE THAT GOES ALL THE WAY UNTIL OCTOBER OF 2027.
UM, I MEAN, THESE ARE PRETTY SERIOUS FINDINGS.
I, I, I REALLY CAN'T IMAGINE WE WANT US TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER OF 2027.
IS IS THERE A WAY TO ACCELERATE THAT MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS JAMES GARBO FINANCIAL SERVICES? ABSOLUTELY.
THE MESSAGES ABSOLUTELY RECEIVED TO THE EXTENT THAT THESE ARE DEFINED AS CONTRACTS AND THEY'RE UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF, UH, CITY MANAGER AND, UM, AND PROCUREMENT STAFF, UM, THEY WILL BE EXECUTED WITH A FULL COMPLIMENT OF, OF, UH, REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO ALL CITY CONTRACTS.
UM, THE DIFFERENTIATION HAS BEEN AS, UH, AS KERRY POINTED OUT, UM, THESE, THIS SPECIFIC CATEGORY OF CONTRACTS HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE THEY FUNCTION, UH, FOR THE MOST PART, LIKE GRANTS, AND THEY'RE WRITTEN DIFFERENTLY.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UH, COMPETED DIFFERENTLY, THEY'RE ADMINISTERED DIFFERENTLY.
AND MOST OF THAT, IF, IF NOT, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT IS DONE OUTSIDE OF CITY PROCUREMENT.
UM, BUT GOING FORWARD, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A MUCH MORE CLEAR DEFINITION OF CITY CONTRACTS VERSUS CITY GRANTS AND WILL BE APPLYING, UH, A, A HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT CONTROL OVER BOTH CATEGORIES OF AGREEMENTS GOING FORWARD.
I THINK I WOULD ADD TO THAT, UM, THE REASON FOR THE DEADLINE, AND OF COURSE WE WILL DO AS MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL SUGGEST, IS BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL ADJACENT OR OVERLAPPING EFFORTS THAT ARE GOING ON, UM, REGARDING PROCUREMENT AND THESE CONTRACTS.
AND SO IT WAS ALLOWING TIME FOR THAT.
UM, THE CHANGE IN GRANTS SHOULD BE FAIRLY SIMPLE BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR CITIES, UH, FOR GRANTS THAT THE CITY ACQUIRES.
AND SO IT'S A MATTER OF ADDING GRANTS THAT THE CITY WOULD AWARD.
UM, THE INITIATIVE THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD IN THE COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED TO IMPROVE THE CONTRACTS AND GRANT MANAGEMENT ASKED FOR IT TO HAVE UPDATED RULES AND PROCEDURES, ENHANCE COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT RULES, STANDARDIZED DOCUMENTS FOR ALL SOLICITATIONS AND CONTRACT TYPES.
AND OF COURSE, THIS AUDIT SEEMS TO BE CALLING FOR THAT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ANSWERING WHEN YOU SAY YOU GIVE, GAVE THE ANSWER YOU JUST GAVE, THAT THOSE ARE GONNA HAPPEN? YES, SIR.
THE, THE TIMELINE, UH, CONTEMPLATED IN THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSE IS, UM, KIND OF A SAFEGUARD ASSOCIATED WITH THE IMPLEMENT FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW SYSTEM.
HOWEVER, UM, THE AIRPLANE IS ALWAYS IN THE AIR.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE REGULARLY PUTTING, UM, THESE CONTRACTS TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF OUR, UH, CUSTOMER DEPARTMENTS TO THE EXTENT THAT THESE, UM, UH, IMPROVEMENTS IN, IN MONITORING AND, AND, AND ADMINISTERING THESE AGREEMENTS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED NOW, WILL BE IMPLEMENTING THEM AS WE CREATE THESE CONTRACT GOING FORWARD.
UM, IT, IT, IT ALSO, THE REC THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT.
AND, AND MS. ROGERS, YOU, YOU SORT OF MENTIONED IT, IS THAT THE RECOMMENDATION TO MANAGEMENT IS THAT THERE BE A SINGLE DEPARTMENT, SO YOU DON'T HAVE THIS DIFFUSE, BUT I'M HEARING TWO THINGS, AND THAT GOES BACK TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRANTS AND CONTRACTS, RIGHT? YOU'RE SAYING THAT FOR GRANTS IT WOULD BE IGR AND I TAKE IT THAT YOU'RE SAYING FOR CONTRACTS, IT WOULD BE THROUGH OUR MORE NORMAL, UH, PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
AND MANAGEMENT OF THE DOLLARS OF THE SCOPE
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OF WORK WOULD REMAIN WITH THE DEPARTMENTS.IT IS THAT FINANCIAL SERVICES WOULD BE ON THE FRONT END OF DEVELOPING THE SOLICITATION FOR THE CONTRACT AND WOULD DO COMPLIANCE ON THE BACKEND SO THAT YOU HAVE THAT SEPARATION OF DUTIES.
AND THEN SIMILARLY, FOR CITY GRANTS, A GR WOULD BE ON THE FRONT END WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP THE NOFA FOR THAT GRANT.
THE DEPARTMENT WOULD MANAGE THE SCOPE, AND THEN A GR WOULD BE ON THE BACKEND ENSURING COMPLIANCE.
UM, LEMME JUST ALSO SAY, I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE THE MAYORAL, TIM, BUT, BUT I, I WANNA SAY FOR THOSE THAT ARE, THAT ARE WATCHING AND PAY ATTENTION TO THIS, THIS IS WHAT THE AUDIT PROCESS IS SUPPOSED TO, TO DO.
AUSTIN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS A VERY COMPLEX ORGANIZATION, AND WE FOLLOW A PROCESS.
THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF AUDITS DONE.
THIS IS A MULTIPLE TIERED PROCESS TO, TO GET US TO, TO THIS TODAY.
BUT I, I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF, WE DO THIS ON A ROUTINE BASIS IN DIFFERENT AREAS, AND IT IS, UH, IT, IT GETS GOOD HEADLINES SOMETIMES.
AND THOSE HEADLINES SOMETIMES ACT LIKE SOMEBODY HAS DISCOVERED SOMETHING.
WELL, IT'S THE CITY THAT DISCOVERED THAT THE CITY, THROUGH ITS AUDIT PROCESS, UH, HAS, HAS DISCOVERED SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
AND NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FIXING THAT.
MAYOR, TIM, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
AND I REALLY WANNA START OUT BY REITERATING THAT, THAT, AGAIN, MAYBE THERE WOULD BE POLITICAL ADVANTAGE TO NOT DOING AUDITS AND IGNORING PROBLEMS, BUT THAT'S NOT GOOD GOVERNANCE.
I MEAN, WE, WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUOUSLY IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE THERE ARE ISSUES.
AGAIN, NOT EVEN WHERE THERE ARE ISSUES, BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE REVIEWING FOR GOOD PRACTICES, FOR BEST PRACTICES, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BEING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.
AND, AND I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS JUST A NATURAL PART OF IT.
UH, SO AGAIN, TO ME, WHEN THE AUDITS COME OUT, UH, THAT'S, THAT IS GOOD GOVERNMENT, THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE WITH THESE DOLLARS.
SOMETHING, AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS GONNA COME OUT.
WELL, THERE'S GONNA COME OUT AND THERE, THERE'S GONNA BE FINDINGS, THERE'S GONNA BE CONCERNS, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S A GOOD THING THAT WE'RE DOING THIS NOT, NOT A, NOT A BAD THING.
I MEAN, YOU WERE WITH THE STATE, THE STATE DOES SOMETHING VERY, VERY SIMILAR, AND THEY HAVE SOME PRETTY DAMNING AUDITS OF, UH, OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
AND THAT LEADS TO CHANGES AND THAT LEADS TO IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS IS A NATURAL PART OF THE PROCESS OF, UH, GOOD GOVERNMENT.
UM, THOUGH ONE AREA THAT I WANTED TO FOCUS ON WAS THE E ESPECIALLY WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND I'VE, I'VE BEEN VERY ENGAGED AND INVOLVED WITH MULTIPLE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.
SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO PICK NUMBERS FOR THE PERFORMANCE, UH, METRICS.
AND, AND I'LL THINK ABOUT, UH, THERE'S TWO THAT, THAT I CURRENTLY, UH, AM VERY INVOLVED WITH.
ONE, ONE WOULD BE THE, THE SOBERING CENTER.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ESTABLISHED THE SOBERING CENTER, THAT WAS A VERY, UM, PIONEERING TYPE OF EFFORT WHERE THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF GOOD DATA OUT THERE ABOUT HOW MUCH IT WAS GONNA COST.
WE HAD REALLY NO IDEA HOW MANY CLIENTS WERE GONNA COME IN THE DOOR, YOU KNOW, THAT, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU, YOU KIND OF, YOU SET THOSE INITIAL EXPECTATIONS, UH, AND THEN YOU GO OUT THERE AND DO THE WORK, AND THEN YOU GO BACK AND YOU SEE KIND OF HOW, HOW REALISTIC WERE THOSE INITIAL SET OF EXPECTATIONS? AND AGAIN, I THINK ABOUT ALSO, UH, UH, CAP METRO, UH, UH, RECENTLY THEY LAUNCHED THIS, UH, PICKUP SERVICE.
UH, AND THEY, UH, INITIALLY WANTED, THE METRIC WAS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GETTING PICKED UP WITHIN 15 MINUTES? UH, AND, AND WE WERE NOT REALLY HITTING THAT 15 MINUTE, UH, METRIC VERY WELL YET, CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT THE CUSTOMERS WERE REPORTING VERY HIGH LEVELS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND SO IN THE KIND OF BACK AND FORTH, IT WAS LIKE THAT 15 ME MINUTE METRIC, WE KIND OF ARBITRARILY PICKED THAT AS A NUMBER AND THEN REALIZED THAT THAT PROBABLY WASN'T A GOOD METRIC FOR KIND OF TRYING TO GRADE OUR OWN SYSTEM.
SO I, I GUESS MY, THE QUESTION AROUND THAT WOULD BE HOW ACCURATE, YOU KNOW, HOW ESTABLISHED, HOW WELL KNOWN ARE THE METRICS? UH, AND, AND I'M SORRY, JUST TO EXPAND ON A LITTLE BIT MORE, AN ORGANIZATION LIKE ON MEALS ON WHEELS, UM, SOMEONE THAT HAS BEEN DOING THEIR WORK FOR YEARS AND YEARS, THEY HAVE GOOD METRICS.
THEY KNOW MORE OR LESS HOW MANY FOLKS ARE GONNA SERVE THIS YEAR.
THEY KNOW MORE OR LESS HOW MANY FOLKS.
THAT'S A MUCH EASIER TO KIND OF IDENTIFY A SOLID METRIC WHERE WE CAN KIND OF GET A GOOD SENSE OF HOW THEY'RE DOING, UH, OTHER OUTREACH, WORKING WITH YOUTH, THOSE KINDS OF A, A LITTLE FUZZIER, UH, HARDER TO IDENTIFY WHERE ARE WE ON IN TERMS OF THE, THE ACCURACY AND, AND THE, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GOOD DESIGN OF, OF THE METRICS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE WITH THE, WITH THIS, UH, AUDIT AND, AND WITH THE, THE FINDINGS THAT THEY, UH, REPORT BACK.
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FROM AN AUDIT PERSPECTIVE, AND MANAGEMENT MAY, MAY LOOK AT IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.UM, IT, IT'S TIED TO THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR A LEAD DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IT VARIES BY DEPARTMENT.
AND SO DEPENDING ON WHICH DEPARTMENT IS INVOLVED, IT'S, OR HOLDING THE CONTRACT, THE WAY THOSE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS ARE BUILT INTO THE CONTRACT, THE WAY THE CONTRACT IS BUILT AND HOW THOSE, UH, EXPECTATIONS ARE, ARE SET VARIES.
AND I KNOW THAT AT LEAST IN SOME OF THESE, THE, THE NONPROFIT AGENCY HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH MANAGEMENT ABOUT WHERE THEY WERE, WHAT EXPECTATIONS THEY WERE GOING TO SET, AND WHAT PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS SHOULD BE BUILT INTO THE CONTRACT, HOW MUCH BACK AND FORTH W WOULD, UH, BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND THE NONPROFIT AGENCY, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH, EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY.
SO THERE IS A DISCUSSION, BUT, UM, HOW ACCURATE WE ARE, WELL, THAT YET TO BE DETERMINED.
MAYOR PRO TIMM, I WOULD ADD THIS IS, UM, PART OF MANAGEMENT'S RESPONSES TO PROVIDE THOSE CONSISTENT GUIDELINES.
WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM OUR PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY IS THEY MAY HAVE CONTRACTS WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, AND ONE DEPARTMENT WANTS THEM TO TRACK HOW MANY PHONE CALLS THEY RECEIVE, AND ANOTHER DEPARTMENT MAY WANT THEM TO TRACK HOW MANY PEOPLE WALKED IN THE DOOR.
AND SO IT'S REALLY A CHALLENGE FOR THE NONPROFIT TO BE ABLE TO, UM, DETERMINE WHAT IS THE, THE METRICS, THE METRICS, THE OUTCOME THAT THE CITY IS REALLY AFTER MM-HMM
UM, AND SO, WHICH I WOULD SEE AS THE BENEFIT OF HAVING THOSE CONSISTENT GUIDELINES FOR BOTH CONTRACTS AND GRANTS THAT THE CITY AWARDS.
AND, AND, AND JUST TO, TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, DO WE HAVE A SENSE, ESPECIALLY OF THE AUDITED CONTRACTS AND THE, THE GENERALLY SPEAKING, MY SENSE WOULD BE THAT THE OLDER A CONTRACT IS, THE MORE ESTABLISHED THAT IT IS, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS AND THE METRICS AND THAT, AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE NEWER THE SERVICES ARE, THAT, THAT, THAT THERE YOU'RE STILL INTO, UH, THERE'S A MORE GRAY AREA.
THERE'S MORE KIND OF UNKNOWNS WITHIN THAT.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, SENSE OF, OF, OF THAT FROM THE, THE AUDIT? UH, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THE PERSPECTIVE, BUT I WOULD POINT OUT THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FROM A FEDERAL LEGISLATION PERSPECTIVE, FROM A STATE LEGISLATION PERSPECTIVE, FROM A ECONOMIC CLIMATE PERSPECTIVE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT ARE CHANGING OVER TIME, BUT I, AND I THINK THOSE VARIABLES HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON WHETHER THOSE EXPECTATIONS CAN BE MET OR NOT.
SO WE MIGHT HAVE SET REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS WHEN THE CONTRACT WAS WRITTEN BASED ON THE HISTORY, BUT THEN BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ARE CHANGING THE NONPROFITS ABILITY TO REACH THOSE, THOSE CLIENTS REACH THOSE VULNERABLE RESIDENTS, IT, THEY MAY NOT, THEY, THOSE, THEY EXPECTATIONS MAY NOT BE AS REACHABLE.
AND IS THERE ANY SENSE OF THE SCOPE TOO? ARE WE THE, IN TERMS OF THE AUDITED CONTRACTS? MY, MY ASSUMPTION NOT AN INFORMED ASSUMPTION IS THAT WE'RE MOSTLY TALKING ABOUT, UH, HUMAN SERVICES TYPE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TYPE CONTRACTS.
IS THAT, IS THAT ACCURATE OR IS THAT, IS THAT THE BULK OF THE, OF THE CONTRACTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? WITHIN OUR SAMPLE? UH, IT WAS, LET'S, YEAH, FOR, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SAMPLE.
'CAUSE I, WE KNOW THAT UNIVERSE, RIGHT? YEAH.
I WANT TO GO BACK AND, UH, AND REVIEW ALL 25 OF THEM, UH, TO BE SURE.
BUT I WOULD, I WOULD SAY YOU'RE NOT FAR OFF THAT THEY ARE, UH, INDIVIDUAL FOCUSED.
I'VE GOT, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY I APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS OF THIS WORK AND I ALSO APPRECIATE THE SENSITIVITY AROUND IT.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS REGARDING SOME OF THE CONCLUSIONS, UH, OR THE FINDINGS.
I KNOW ONE ISSUE THAT YOU IDENTIFIED IN HERE THAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE DEALING WITH, OR THINGS LIKE STAFFING CHALLENGES AND CLIENT CONCERNS ABOUT DISCLOSING INFORMATION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ISSUES THAT CAME UP IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SAMPLE GROUP THAT, UM, THAT WE OUGHT TO BE MORE AWARE OF IN TERMS OF THE DIFFICULTIES THAT THE ORGANIZATIONS THEMSELVES ARE, ARE ADDRESSING? I KNOW EARLIER CAME UP THAT, UM, THERE MAY BE COMMUNICATION ISSUES WITH THE CITY OR OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHAT ELSE CAME UP THAT YOU GUYS CAN SHARE WITH US? UM, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE, UM, THERE WERE FUNDING ISSUES FROM, FROM OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
SO LOSS OF FUNDING FROM FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL THAT PLAYED A ROLE.
UM, MENTIONED THE STAFFING CHALLENGES.
I THINK THE, UH, THE LEGISLATIVE, UM, ENVIRONMENT HAS CREATED, DEPENDING ON WHICH CONTRACT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, ENVIRONMENT, WHERE THE, THE TARGET RESIDENTS, THE CLIENTS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING TO SERVE MAY NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE SEEKING OUT THOSE SERVICES.
AND SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS A CHALLENGE ALSO.
BUT IT, IT VARIED FROM CONTRACT TO
[00:55:01]
CONTRACT BECAUSE THE TYPE OF SERVICES THAT WERE PROVIDED VARIED SIGNIFICANTLY.I'M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT THE CONCLUSION.
UM, THE STAFF RESPONSE, WHICH TALKED ABOUT, UH, LEMME PULL IT UP HERE.
IT TALKED ABOUT SIGHTLINE, I THINK WAS THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT IT USED, THAT BRINGING IT WITHIN FINANCIAL SERVICES WOULD GIVE, UH, THE CITY MORE, AGAIN, SIGHTLINE FOR, UH, THIS, CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT CONCLUSION, WHAT THAT MEANS? YES, SIR.
COUNCIL MEMBER AND I, I WELCOME MR. SCARBOROUGH TO JUMP IN AND CORRECT ME.
UM, CURRENTLY MOST OF THESE CONTRACTS ARE, UM, SOLICITED, PROCURED, EXECUTED, MANAGED, AND, UH, COMPLIANCE DONE ENTIRELY WITHIN A DEPARTMENT.
AND BY, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY THESE RECOMMENDATIONS COMING TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE INSTEAD OF ONE SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BY PUTTING THEM IN ONE OF OUR SERVICE DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS, UH, UH, THE PROCUREMENT DIVISION, IT WILL GIVE THEM GREATER KNOWLEDGE AND SIGHTLINE ACROSS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION OF WHAT THE NEEDS ARE.
SPECIFICALLY, I GIVE THE EXAMPLE OF, UM, EVICTION ASSISTANCE THAT WE MAY HAVE ONE DEPARTMENT WHO'S WANTING TO GO OUT AND SOLICIT EVICTIONS ASSISTANCE SERVICES, BUT PROCUREMENT MIGHT KNOW ANOTHER DEPARTMENT WANTS TO DO THE SAME THING.
AND SO THEN THEY CAN, UM, WORK ON THAT SOLICITATION AND PROCUREMENT TOGETHER.
AND ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD MR. BOROUGH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'S, THAT'S ACCURATE.
UM, WE HAVE VISIBILITY OVER THOUSANDS OF CITY CONTRACTS.
AND AT ANY GIVEN TIME, WE CAN SEE ALL THE ONES THAT ARE ACTIVELY SOURCING, UH, THE ONES THAT ARE IN ADMINISTRATION AND THE ONES THAT HAVE, UM, UM, ACTIONS THAT ARE COMING UP SOON WHERE WE, WHERE THIS, WE HAVE TO, UH, EITHER EXTEND OR WE HAVE TO TERMINATE OR WE HAVE TO TAKE SOME SORT OF ACTION ON THE CONTRACT.
UM, THAT KIND OF VISIBILITY DOES NOT OCCUR WHEN THE CONTRACT IS SOURCED AND IT'S ADMINISTERED OUTSIDE OF, OF OUR SYSTEM AND OUR PEER PURVIEW.
WE, WE DO HAVE, UM, INDIRECT ACCESS TO THEM, BUT IT'S NOT IN A SYSTEM PERSPECTIVE.
SO IT'S NOT A POSSIBLE FOR US TO REPORT ON IT.
AND WHEN YOU CAN REPORT ON DATA, YOU CAN, UM, DEVELOP STRATEGY AROUND IT AND, AND, UH, START TO IMPLEMENT PLANS TO ADDRESS CITY OBJECTIVES WITH THAT STRATEGY.
I'M ALSO CURIOUS IF, IN TERMS OF ARRIVING AT THAT PARTICULAR SOLUTION, DID WE LOOK AT HOW OTHER CITIES THAT ARE PERHAPS WELL KNOWN FOR MANAGING CONTRACTS, UM, AND DEALING WITH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT MR. AVE JUST MENTIONED IN TERMS OF REPORTING OR FUNDING OR OTHER, OTHER ISSUES THAT, THAT THE, UH, THE VENDORS THEMSELVES ARE STRUGGLING WITH? DID WE LOOK AT ANYBODY THAT, THAT WE KNOW OF THAT DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB? IS THAT THE WAY THEY SOLVED IT WAS BY SORT OF CENTRALIZING IT IN FINANCIAL SERVICES? OR IS THIS KIND OF OUR CONCLUSION BASED ON HOW WE'VE BEEN APPROACHING THE PROBLEM OURSELVES? UH, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT WE, WE DIDN'T LOOK AT THAT SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THIS PROJECT, BUT, UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF AUDITS AS, UH, CITY MANAGEMENT CAN ATTEST TO.
AND SO, UH, IN LINE WITH, UM, WITH HOW WE'VE IDENTIFIED OTHER FINDINGS IN OTHER WAYS, IT'S THE CENTRALIZED APPROACH, GIVEN HOW MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WERE, WERE INVOLVED IN THESE CONTRACTS, WE HAD 25 CONTRACTS IN OUR SAMPLE THAT WAS EIGHT DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, AND WE SAW SUCH VARIATION.
WE, WE SAW THE NEED FOR SOME KIND OF STANDARDIZATION, AND THAT'S WHY WE ARRIVED AT A LEAD DEPARTMENT FOCUS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, UH, MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES IN, IN CENTRAL PROCUREMENT.
WE REGULARLY, UH, CORRESPOND WITH OUR COLLEAGUES, UH, IN THE OTHER TEXAS, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS STATE AND, AND OTHER LEADING ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY LOOKING FOR BEST PRACTICES, UM, UH, STANDARDS AND, UH, NEW, NEW TECHNIQUES TO, UH, TO, UH, DEVELOP BETTER SOURCING AND, AND, UH, AND CONTRACT, UM, OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, WE SEE THAT THESE TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS ARE ESTABLISHED DIFFERENTLY FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
SOME OF THEM ARE OPERATIONAL, SOME OF THEM ARE JUST BASED ON THE, THE, THE, UH, POLITICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PREFERENCES OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THOSE, THOSE GOVERNMENTS.
SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T SEE A LOT, UH, SPECIFIC, UM, UH, TREND, UH, IN, IN, UM, THE TYPE OF ORGANIZATION AND HOW THOSE, THE, THEIR, THEIR, UH, PROCUREMENT ACT ACTIVITIES, UH, ARE, ARE CONDUCTED.
WE FEEL THAT, UM, AS THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT, UM, OPERATIONS HAVE EVOLVED THAT WE ARE IN THE, THE, UH, IDEAL, UM, ORGANIZATIONAL
[01:00:01]
STRUCTURE CURRENTLY.AND WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN FOR EVOLVING IT, UM, BASED ON THE, THE DESIRE FOR MORE MANAGEMENT CONTROL IN THIS AREA.
AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT MR. ROGERS HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE STAYING ABREAST OF KIND OF WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND CITIES ARE DOING COUNTIES IN THIS SPACE.
LAST QUESTION I'VE GOT, IS THIS GOAL OF SORT OF CENTRALIZING AND HAVING THIS SIGHTLINE WITHIN FINANCIAL SERVICES, IS THAT IN PART, TO HELP PROTECT US FROM WHAT COULD BE KIND OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FROM HAVING THE SORT OF REVIEW THEN SEEING CONTRACTS OR ORGANIZATIONS WORK ON, LIKE RECALIBRATING THEIR GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS BASED ON THE FINDINGS SO THAT THEY'RE SORT OF SET SETTING THEMSELVES UP FOR SUCCESS? RELATIVE TO, UM, THE FINDINGS FROM TODAY? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, IT WOULD BE THE INTENTION OF AUSTIN FINANCIAL SERVICES AND ESSENTIAL PROCUREMENT TO, UH, STILL ENDEAVOR TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMER DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR, THEIR SERVICE POPULATION.
UM, IT WOULD NOT BE OUR INTENTION TO, UM, UH, FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE AGREEMENTS, BUT JUST TO SOURCE THEM MORE TRANSPARENTLY AND TO MAKE THE, UH, CONTRACT WORK BETTER, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT THESE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, GRANT AGREEMENTS TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ESTABLISHED, UM, IN A COMPETITIVE MANNER AND THAT THEY FUNCTION AS WELL AS GRANTS SHOULD FUNCTION.
BUT, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT, THAT THEY ARE SUBMITTED TO US AS CONTRACTS, UH, THEY WILL BE HELD TO THE STANDARD THAT WE APPLY TO, TO ALL CONTRACTS AND, AND TO MAKE THEM FUNCTION AS WELL AS POSSIBLE, BUT WHILE RESPECTING THE, THE NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMER DEPARTMENT AND ENSURING THAT THEY'RE AS EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE WITH THEIR TARGET, UH, COMMUNITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
UM, A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A STEP BACK FOR A MOMENT AND KIND OF UNDERSTAND THE LANDSCAPE OF WHY WE EVEN HAVE THESE CONTRACTS.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE QUESTION FOR YOU, MS. ROGERS OR A CM HAYDEN HOWARD, BUT WHY, WHY DO WE PARTNER WITH NONPROFITS? WHY DOESN'T THE CITY JUST DO THIS WORK ITSELF? GOOD MORNING, STEPHANIE HAYDEN, HOWARD, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD QUESTION.
AND MY THOUGHT IS IS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE BACK IN THE EIGHTIES, THOUGHT ABOUT HOW CAN WE REACH POPULATIONS WHERE WE MAY NOT HAVE AS MANY BARRIERS, WHERE PEOPLE WILL TRUST THE SERVICE PROVIDER AND BE ABLE TO DO THINGS QUICKLY AND MORE NIMBLY THAN THE CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND SO THE THOUGHT WAS IS THAT THEY STARTED WITH A FEW NONPROFITS AND ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS.
ESPECI, WHEN I THINK ABOUT INTEGRAL CARE HAS HAD A CONTRACT WITH US FOR PROBABLY OVER 30 YEARS, BUT BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR SPECIALTY, AND THAT IS NOT THE CITY OF AUSTIN SPECIALTY.
SO WHEN YOU START TO THINK ABOUT THE SPECIFIC SERVICE DELIVERY, AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT EXPERTISE ON STAFF, WE TYPICALLY LOOK FOR A PARTNER THAT IS ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
I THINK THE OTHER THING TO ALSO THINK ABOUT IS, IS THAT OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN A CONTRACTED RELATIONSHIP, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT CONTRACTS ARE AN EXTENSION OF THE SERVICES THAT THE CITY WERE TO PROVIDE BECAUSE THEY ARE CONTRACTED SERVICES.
AND SO WE SEE THIS AS A PARTNERSHIP ARRANGEMENT AS WELL.
LASTLY, WE HAVE LOOKED INTO SOME SERVICES, YOU KNOW, THAT WE COULD PROVIDE AND BRING THEM IN-HOUSE.
AND TO BE TRANSPARENT, IT WOULD COST THE CITY MORE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES IF WE BROUGHT THOSE IN-HOUSE.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS OVER THE YEARS THAT I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT OF WHY THE CITY WORKS WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO TO, TO DISTILL ALL THAT DOWN, BASICALLY, IT'S GENERALLY
[01:05:01]
SPEAKING MORE, MORE EFFECTIVE IN REACHING THE AUDIENCES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REACH AND MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO DO SO.AND, AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THESE CONTRACTS ARE DOING, LIKE ACTUAL SERVICE PROVISION, UM, A LOT OF THESE CONTRACTS SAVE US DOLLARS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS HERE AROUND HOMELESSNESS CONTRACTS, BUT PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE'RE EVEN DOING SOME OF THIS WORK? WHAT'S THE BENEFIT TO THE AVERAGE CITIZEN WHO MAY NOT NEED SOME OF THESE SERVICES? WE ALWAYS THINK ABOUT COST AVOIDANCE, AND WE ALSO THINK ABOUT RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
AND SO WHEN WE ARE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A PERSON THAT IS STABLY HOUSED, THEY'RE NOT CONTACTING POLICE, THEY'RE NOT CONTACTING THE EMERGENCY, UM, E UH, THE, UM, EMERGENCY SERVICES.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE STABLY HOUSED, AND SO THE ODDS OF THEM LIVING A LONGER, HEALTHIER LIFE ARE GONNA BE GREATER.
SO WE DO THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS, BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT RETURN ON INVESTMENT, WE THINK ABOUT IF WE SPEND A DOLLAR IN AN AREA OF PREVENTION, ESPECIALLY EARLY CHILDHOOD OUTCOMES, BEING ABLE TO EDUCATE A CHILD EARLY IN LIFE, AND THEN YOU PUT 'EM ON A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TRAJECTORY.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY THINK ABOUT.
SO WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT THE OUTCOME MEASURES THAT THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE, THEY'VE LOOKED AT THOSE OUTCOME MEASURES AND HAVE LOOKED FOR SPECIFIC OUTCOMES THAT WOULD EITHER PROGRESS THEM TO THE NEXT GRADE, REMAIN MENTALLY STABLE, UM, STAY HOUSED, UM, IN THEIR POEMS. AND SO ALL OF THAT MAKES US A HEALTHIER, UM, SOCIETY.
WELL, THE REASON I WANTED TO, TO KIND OF JUST TAKE THAT STEP BACK IS BECAUSE AS YOU NOTED, LIKE WE ARE RELYING ON A NUMBER OF PARTNERS.
I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 25 CONTRACTS HERE, THE NUMBERS UPWARDS.
I THINK OF 200 OF THESE IN THE, YOU KNOW, LATEST LIST I'VE SEEN, AND MANY OF THEM ARE DOING INCREDIBLE WORK.
I MEAN, WE GOT COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FOOD BANK TALKING ABOUT HOW MANY MEALS THEY'RE PROVIDING TO RESIDENTS, WHETHER THEY'RE STUDENTS OR SENIOR CITIZENS OR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS WHO, WITHOUT THAT ASSISTANCE, WE WOULD SEE THOSE COSTS SHOW UP ELSEWHERE.
AND IT'S JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO IN A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS.
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE PEOPLE GOING HUNGRY EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, AND SO I, I WANT TO ECHO KIND OF WHERE THE MAYOR STARTED.
THIS IS FIRST AND FOREMOST ABOUT THE PEOPLE WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT IS A, A REALLY AN INDICTMENT OF OUR ABILITY TO MANAGE THAT SERVICE, NOT TO PAINT A BROAD BRUSH AND SAY THAT EVERY ONE OF OUR PARTNERS IS DOING A BAD JOB.
UM, I SPOKE LAST WEEK AND I BELIEVE IT FIRMLY, WE DO HAVE SOME CONTRACTS THAT ARE UNDERPERFORMING.
CLEARLY WE SEE SOME OF THEM DOCUMENTED HERE.
AND WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO DECIDE WHO IS WORTHY OF FUNDING AND WHO IS NOT, I THINK WE NEED TO START THAT CONVERSATION WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS.
BUT WE ALSO, AS HAS BEEN HIGHLIGHTED, THERE ARE OTHER, THERE ARE REASONS WHY SOMETIMES WE SET THE EXPECTATIONS TO AN UNREALISTIC NUMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYOR POT 10 WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, WE WOULD HATE FOR THIS PROCESS TO RESULT IN SANDBAGGING ANY FUTURE CONTRACT SO THAT EVERYONE ALWAYS MEETS ALL THEIR RESULTS AND WE'RE NOT SHOOTING FOR, UH, A HIGHER LEVEL OF SUCCESS.
SO, UH, I'M GONNA BE INTERESTED TO SEE HOW WE COME UP WITH THAT BALANCE, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PUT THAT PERVERSE INCENTIVE INTO THIS STRUCTURE.
UM, BUT I DO THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HONE IN ON WHICH, WHICH OF THESE CONTRACTS, AND IT MAY BE A SINGLE CONTRACT, NOT THE PARTICULAR VENDOR.
WE MIGHT HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S HAS FIVE CONTRACTS AND FOUR OF THEM ARE GOING STELLAR, AND ONE OF THEM ISN'T.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT ENTITY IS DOING A BAD JOB.
IT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO REALLY FOCUS IN ON THAT ONE, UM,
[01:10:02]
CONTRACT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM.AND WE ARE, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO SERVE PEOPLE.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR THE AUDITOR JUST TO KIND OF TECHNICAL QUESTIONS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, BUT I THANK YOU A CM HAYDEN HOWARD FOR THAT CONTEXT.
UM, WHEN YOU CHOSE THE SAMPLE NUMBER, THE, THE 25 CONTRACTS, HOW WAS THAT DETERMINED JUST IN TERMS OF, IS THAT, IS THAT A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE? IS THAT JUST WHAT YOU HAD TIME TO LOOK AT? LIKE WHERE, HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHERE 25 FITS INTO THE BROADER REGIME.
SO, UM, WE KNEW THAT THE, THE SAMPLE SIZE THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO EXTRAPOLATE TO THE POPULATION WAS MUCH LARGER.
SO WE NEVER REALLY STRIVE TO THAT AS WE NEEDED A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE TO LOOK AT, UM, THE CITY'S PROCESS.
SO IT WASN'T JUST THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTS, IT WAS ALSO, UH, REFLECTIVE OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT HAD THE CONTRACTS.
AND SO WE FACTORED THAT IN AS WELL.
SO WE, WE NEEDED TO PICK A, A LARGE ENOUGH SAMPLE SIZE TO GET A CONSISTENT APPROACH OF WHAT THE CITY WAS DOING TO MANAGE THESE CONTRACTS.
AND SAY THAT BACK TO YOU, JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU SAID LARGE ENOUGH SO THAT WE CAN, UH, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING FROM OUR SIDE OF THE EQUATION, BUT NOT LARGE ENOUGH THAT WE COULD DRAW A CONCLUSION ABOUT ALL OF THESE TYPES OF CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE.
I'M REGRETTING A DECISION I MADE ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WHEN I CONVINCED THE PRIOR CITY AUDITOR TO MOVE OUR METHODOLOGY TO THE BACK OF THE REPORT.
THEY SAID NOBODY EVER PAYS ATTENTION TO THE METHODOLOGY.
AND IF SOMEONE GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE REPORT, THEY'LL SEE OUR METHODOLOGY AND WE TALK ABOUT THE SAMPLE THAT WE SELECTED.
AND WE
SO, UH, THIS IS THE ONE AND ONLY TIME THAT SOMEONE SHOULD READ THE METHODOLOGY FOR ONE OF OUR REPORTS.
WERE YOU LOOKING AT CONTRACTS THAT WERE ACTIVE FOR THAT CONTRACT YEAR OR WERE YOU LOOKING AT CONTRACTS THAT HAD CLOSED OUT FOR FISCAL YEAR 25? HENRY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE CONTRACT HAD TO BE ACTIVE DURING SOME POINT IN FISCAL YEAR 2025.
WE LOOKED AT THE FOUR QUARTERS ACTUALLY, BECAUSE THE, USUALLY THERE ARE FOUR QUARTERS BEFORE THEY SIGN ANOTHER ONE.
SO WE LOOKED AT THE FOUR QUARTERS, BUT AT LEAST IT MUST HAVE BEEN ACTIVE DURING 2025.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ACCOUNTED FOR WHAT YOU MENTIONED IN THE AUDIT THAT SOMETIMES YOU SEE THIS BACK LOADING.
AND SO IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT A CONTRACT, LET'S SAY IN Q2, THAT MIGHT END UP SHOWING MORE OF THEIR PERFORMANCE IN Q4, THAT THAT WASN'T HELD AGAINST THEM JUST BECAUSE OF WHEN THAT WAS LOOKED AT.
I'M SURE WE'LL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
UM, I WANNA THANK THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS FOR THE VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD AND YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT, MY COLLEAGUES, FOR THE THOROUGH AND VERY HELPFUL QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED.
AND, UM, AS ALWAYS, OUR AUDITOR AND MS. ROGERS FOR THEIR EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE AND, UH, NECESSARY WORK.
AND I AM NOT GONNA ADD ANY MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I DID AT LEAST WANT TO SAY THAT.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR ELEVATING THE INFORMATION I WAS LOOKING FOR.
I I DO WANT TO KIND OF TRY TO SUMMARIZE WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE THIS HAS RECEIVED SO MUCH ATTENTION.
AND, UM, AGAIN, I WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT CERTAINLY MY POSITION IS, AND I THINK I'M PICKING UP FROM, UH, THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
THEIR POSITION IS AS WELL, IS THAT NO ONE'S TRYING TO PUNISH NONPROFITS WHEN THEY MISS A NUMBER.
UH, THE POSITION IS THAT THE CITY HAS A DUTY TO DESIGN FAIR CONTRACTS, FUND THEM RESPONSIBLY, MONITOR THEM INTELLIGENTLY, AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT VULNERABLE RESIDENTS RECEIVE THE SERVICES THAT THE TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR.
UH, AND THAT RESPONSIBILITY FALLS ON THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
THE CITY AND THE PROVIDERS AND ALL OF US NEED TO REMAIN FIRM ABOUT THE RESULTS THAT WE OBTAIN.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, I I TALK ABOUT IT FREQUENTLY, AND THE COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED A NUMBER OF PROVISIONS, UH, DURING THIS YEAR RELATED TO WHAT I'VE BEEN REFERRING TO AS AN EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS, AND INNOVATION AGENDA.
AND IN THAT CONTEXT, EFFICIENCY, OR THE QUESTION WE OUGHT TO ASK IS, ARE, ARE PUBLIC DOLLARS PURCHASING THE AGREED SERVICES? PRETTY SIMPLE EFFECTIVENESS, ARE VULNERABLE
[01:15:01]
RESIDENTS ACTUALLY RECEIVING MEANINGFUL HELP? AND THEN INNOVATION IS, CAN THE CITY IMPROVE? ITS CONTRACTING, ITS MONITORING PROVIDER SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS. I'LL SAY IT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN I SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS.PROGRESSIVE GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T MERELY SPEND MONEY FOR COMPASSIONATE PURPOSES.
IT SHOULD MAKE SURE COMPASSION PRODUCES RESULTS.
AND IN FACT, AS I SAID EARLIER, CARING DEEPLY ABOUT THESE SERVICES REQUIRES US TO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT WHETHER THEY'RE DELIVERED, DELIVERED TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE SAY WE WANT SERVED.
SO WE LOVE THE INSTITUTIONS, UH, WE LOVE OUR NONPROFITS IN THIS CITY, UH, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO, AS A GOVERNMENT, FOCUSING OUR LOVE ON THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY PROVIDED.
SO I WANNA ALSO ECHO THE THANKS TO EVERYBODY ON THIS.
I DO, I AGREE THAT, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER THAT THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE, AND WE'LL BE BACK ON THIS.
[2. Discussion and possible action regarding bylaw amendments for the African American Resource Advisory Commission, Downtown Commission, Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board, Parks and Recreation Board, and Urban Transportation Commission.]
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST WE NOW DO IS GO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO IS DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING BYLAW AMENDMENTS FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT ADVISORY BOARD, PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, AND URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE ONE PERSON THAT IS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO I'M GONNA CALL ON THAT SPEAKER, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE, PLEASE.
UH, GOOD MORNING, UM, ELECTED PEOPLE.
MY NAME IS CHRIS FLORES FROM DISTRICT 10.
I'M A PARKS ADVOCATE AND USER.
I COME TO YOU TODAY ASKING YOU TO PLEASE PULL THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, DRAFT BYLAWS, AMENDMENT FROM YOUR FURTHER CONSIDERATION UNTIL IT CAN BE REWRITTEN.
MY REWRITE ASK, PLEASE ADD AN EDIT TO THE PARAGRAPH C, WHICH DEFINES HOW THE PARKS BOARD IS TO WORK IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE PUBLIC TODAY.
UH, THE, THE PARAGRAPH C LIMITS THE BOARD PUBLIC COOPERATION TO ONE TOPIC, RECREATION ACTIVITIES.
PLEASE, UM, ADD ANOTHER TWO TOPICS, ONE, CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS, AND THE OTHER ENVIRONMENT AND LAND STEWARDSHIP.
UM, MY OTHER ASK IS VERY SMALL, BUT IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, PLEASE ALSO REQUIRE IN THE BYLAWS IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH, SEE THAT THE PUBLIC COMMENT SHOULD FOLLOW THE AGENDA PRESENTATIONS GOING FORWARD.
TODAY, THE PUBLIC MUST SPEAK BEFORE AN ITEM IS PRESENTED AT THE PARKS BOARD.
AND IF BACKUP DOCUMENTS OFFER NO STAFF EXPLANATIONS, WE CITIZENS ARE TOLD WE ARE CONFUSED, WE AREN'T, UH, MIND READERS, AND WE DON'T RELISH SPEAKING PUBLICLY FOR THREE MINUTES IN A CONFUSED STATE, UM, THE DRAFT STRIKING THE PARKS BYLAWS PARAGRAPH INITIALLY CAME BEFORE THE PARKS BOARD, WITHOUT EXPLANATION, CITIZENS OBJECTED.
WE WERE WORRIED THAT WITHOUT PROPER CITIZEN, YOU, THE, UH, PARKS DEPARTMENT EXECUTIVES WILL CONTINUE TO OUTSOURCE PARK SERVICES, SEEK TO COMMERCIALIZE AND SELF DEAL IN THEIR CONTRACTS, IN THEIR CONTRACTS INVOLVING OUR PARK LANDS.
UM, BY THE WAY, UH, OUR PARK, UH, PARKS DEPARTMENT COULD USE A SIMILAR AUDIT AS THE HUMAN SERVICES, UH, THAT WE'VE PRESENTED EARLIER.
UM, I UNDERSTAND STRIKING LANGUAGE, UH, ABOUT A COMMITTEE IS A NORMAL HOUSEKEEPING ACTIVITY WITH CITY BYLAWS.
IN THIS CASE, THE PARKS BOARD'S COOPERATIVE DUTIES WITH THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE UPDATED WITH A SIMILAR HOUSEKEEPING CHANGE.
UM, GIVEN THE CURRENT FISCAL AND CLIMATE ISSUES, I CLOSE WITH THIS.
UM, I ENJOY TOURING THE PARK STAFF, UH, NARRATIVES AND PHOTOS IN THE LOBBY AT CITY HALL TODAY.
PARK STAFF, LIKE PARK SERVICES AND THE WORK DONE IN OUR PARK SPACES ARE REVERED BY US CITIZENS.
THAT MEANS THE CONTRACT REVENUE AND SPENDING RELATED TO PARKS MUST BE EQUALLY APPRECIATED BY PUBLIC AND OUR PARKS BOARD.
TOGETHER, WE ALL WANT THE SAME RESULTS.
WE WANT GOOD GOVERNMENTS, AS MR. VILLA SAID TODAY.
GOOD MORNING, STEPHANIE HALL, DEPUTY CITY CLERK.
I HAVE SEVERAL PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENTS TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
I WILL QUICKLY GO THROUGH THEM.
[01:20:01]
ARE IN THE BACKUP, THE REDLINE VERSIONS, AS WELL AS A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ALL OF THEM TOGETHER.THE FIRST IS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO EDIT THEIR BYLAWS, ARTICLE TWO TO ADD AND INSERT PUBLIC SAFETY.
THEIR JUSTIFICATION FOR IS THIS IS TO ADD PUBLIC SAFETY TO THE COMMISSIONER'S PURPOSE.
EMPOWERS IT TO ADVOCATE FOR EQUITABLE, TRUSTED, AND COMMUNITY CENTER SAFETY POLICIES THAT REDUCES DISPARITIES, ENSURE AFRICAN AMERICAN NEEDS AND PERSPECTIVES.
AUSTIN'S APPROACH TO SAFETY AND JUSTICE STAFF HAS NO CONCERNS WITH THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
HOWEVER, IF IT DOES MOVE FORWARD, IT WOULD REQUIRE AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CODE, THE RELATED CITY CODE FOR THAT.
NEXT IS THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT ADVISORY BOARD.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO AMEND A COUPLE OF SECTIONS IN THEIR BYLAWS TO UPDATE THEIR ACTUAL NAME.
THIS IS IN, IN RESPONSE TO THE CHANGE OF THE DEPARTMENTAL NAME, WHICH IS AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.
SO THEY WILL BE REMOVING DOWNTOWN REFERENCES FROM THEIR BYLAWS AT THEIR PROPOSAL.
THIS UPDATE WOULD ALSO REQUIRE AN AMENDMENT TO AN ORDINANCE.
MY APOLOGIES, AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CODE SHOULD THAT MOVE FORWARD.
THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD PROPOSED A BYLAW AMENDMENT TO THEIR ARTICLE EIGHT, THE COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUP SECTION.
THIS IS TO REMOVE THEIR CURRENT CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE.
THEIR REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THE BOARD BELIEVES THE DISCUSSIONS ON PARK CONCESSION AGREEMENTS SHOULD OCCUR BEFORE THE FULL BOARD, AND THIS CHANGE WILL INCREASE TRANSPARENCY AROUND THE AGREEMENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS COMMITTEE HAS NOT MET IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS.
STAFF HAS NO ISSUES WITH THESE CHANGES.
NEXT, WE HAVE THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
THEY HAVE MULTIPLE AMENDMENTS TO THEIR BYLAWS.
MOSTLY THAT THEY ARE ADDING A NEW SECTION IN ARTICLE EIGHT REGARDING THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL.
THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO CLEARLY DEFINE URBAN TRANSPORTATION'S COMMUNICATION INTERACTION WITH THE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCILS.
STAFF HAS NO CONCERN WITH THIS AMENDMENT.
AND FINALLY, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO EDIT ARTICLE TWO, THEIR PURPOSES AND DUTIES TO UPDATE, TO REFER TO THE CENTRAL CITY PLAN.
THEIR JUSTIFICATION IS, AS THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN, AND THE CITY HAS RECOMMENDED UPDATE, EXPANDS THAT PLAN INTO A BROADER CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN.
THE COMMISSION BOUNDARIES SHOULD LIKEWISE EXPAND.
IN THIS INSTANCE, WE WOULD DEFER TO THE DEPARTMENT AS THIS DOES HAVE SOME SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO THEIR PURPOSE AND PROPOSED THERE IS A STAFF RESPONSE IN THE BACKUP.
IN ESSENCE, SINCE THE CENTRAL CITY PLAN HAS NOT YET BEEN FINALLY ADOPTED, THE RECOMMENDED IS TO HOLD OFF ON THIS FOR NOW UNTIL THE PLAN CAN BE FINALIZED AND ADOPTED BEFORE MOVING FORWARD.
IF THIS DOES MOVE FORWARD, IT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE AN ORDINANCE TO AMENDS CITY CODE.
SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION OR ANY FOLLOW UP FOR THAT? THANK YOU.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MY, I HAVE ONE QUESTION, PLEASE.
IF WE APPROVE THESE, DOES IT GO TO THE COUNCIL OR ARE WE DOING THIS? IT, IT, IT WOULD BE RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDATIONS TO GO TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
AND, UM, WHAT I, YOU ANTICIPATED ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I, I HAD, WHICH IS WE WOULD TRY TO BRING IT TO THE COUNCIL AT THE SAME TIME THAT ANY CODE CHANGES OR ORDINANCE CHANGES NEEDED TO BE MADE COULD BE MADE AT THE, AT, AT THE SAME TIME SO THAT WE, WE TAKE CARE OF IT ALL AT ONE TIME.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS THAT WHEN, WHEN I ACCEPT A MOTION THAT THE MOTION EXCLUDE FOR NOW THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, UNTIL THAT IS ACTUALLY FINALLY APPROVED AND COMES TO US, UH, IN FINAL FORM, COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN.
I HAD AN ADMINISTRATOR QUESTION, WHICH IS, DO THESE ALL GET APPROVED AS A SINGLE ITEM THAT THEN GOES TO COUNCIL? THEY'LL, WE APPROVE ONE VOTE FOR EVERY SINGLE.
WELL, WHAT WE'D PROBABLY DO IS DO 'EM INDIVIDUALLY AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL SO THAT, BUT THEY, BUT HOPEFULLY THEY WOULD GO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THEY'D BE APPROVED IN THAT WAY.
SO, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION FOR, UM, FOR STAFF, FOR MS. HALL.
YOU HEARD THE SPEAKER ASK ABOUT, UH, ADDING CONTRACTS ON LANE STEWARDSHIP TO THE PARKS, AND YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT THE, UM, THE, THEY WANNA CHANGE IT BECAUSE THEY WANNA MOVE CONTRACTS OVER TO SOMETHING THAT THE ENTIRE, UM, BODY DISCUSSES INSTEAD OF A SUBCOMMITTEE.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT IS WHAT THEY SENT US OVER.
SO WOULD THERE BE A HARM OF JUST SORT OF BEING VERY EXPLICIT AND ENUMERATING THAT AS THAT CHANGE IN THE WAY THAT THE SPEAKER DESCRIBED TO INCLUDE CONTRACTS AS PART OF THE, THEIR, THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES? I DON'T SEE ONE AT THIS TIME.
I WOULD THINK AT SOME POINT WE'D WANT THE, THE PARK BOARD TO REVIEW THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR, THEIR WHOLE FEELINGS ON THAT, BUT I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE.
I MEAN, MY, MY ASSUMPTION IS THEIR WHOLE FEELINGS WOULD BE THEY'D BE FINE WITH IT IF THEY'RE TRYING TO MOVE IT FROM A SUBCOMMITTEE TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
SO I'M GONNA ASK IF THERE'S A WAY TO MAYBE AMEND THAT TO, I I THINK THERE'S TWO, THERE'S, THERE'S THE CONTRACTS, THREE POSSIBILITIES HERE.
[01:25:01]
MAYBE JUST TWO.ONE IS THAT, UH, THE MOTION INCLUDE THAT, UH, IT HAVE, THAT, THAT IN IT.
THE SECOND POSSIBILITY IS THAT WE GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION AS IT CAME FORWARD AND PRIOR TO THE COUNCIL MEETING, WHEN IT COMES FORWARD, ACTUALLY DRAFT THAT UP IN A WAY THAT IS IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY AS OPPOSED TO JUST, UH, HEARING IT, UM, WITH THE IDEA THAT THAT IS, WE'RE MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION SUBJECT TO CONSIDERATION OF THE COUNCIL ON THAT ITEM AS WELL.
UH, THE THIRD WOULD BE TO PULL IT, I SUPPOSE, AND WAIT TILL ANOTHER TIME.
BUT I, I, I'M NOT SURE THAT'S AS GOOD AN IDEA AS PROBABLY THE SECOND IDEA, WHICH IS, UM, THE MOTION WOULD INCLUDE THAT IT'S SUBJECT TO, UH, CONSIDERATION OF THE COUNCIL OF A, A PROPOSED ITEM.
THAT, THAT, AND I, I, I'LL LOOK AT YOU AS SOMEONE TO BRING THAT FORWARD, UH, TO MAKE SURE IT'S DRAFTED IN A WAY THAT, UH, MEETS THAT NEED.
I THINK I JUST VOLUNTOLD MYSELF TO DO IT.
UH, THE LAST THING IS YOU MENTIONED THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION SUGGESTS NOT MOVING FORWARD ON THAT ITEM BECAUSE THE WAY THAT THAT'S NOW CLASSIFIED DOESN'T EXIST.
THE, UM, WHAT DO THEY CALL IT? THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN.
SO, IS IT POSSIBLE TO REMOVE THAT ONE? THAT'S WHAT I, I OH, OKAY.
I SAID THAT WHAT WE WOULD DO IS PROBABLY TAKE THE, THE, THE, THE MOTION THAT I WOULD ACCEPT WOULD BE THAT WE DEFER, WE DID NOT TAKE THAT ONE UP AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
I THOUGHT YOU HEARD, I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY, NO PROBLEM.
WE'VE HAD, IT'S GONNA BE A FULL WEEK BUDGET.
UH, LOTS OF, UH, BIG ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY URGENCY ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS? 'CAUSE MY, MY SENSE WOULD BE TO, TO HONESTLY, TO SIT WITH THIS JUST A BIT.
UH, AND, AND THIS WON'T BE ON THE 23RD.
UH, BUT IN TERMS OF ON FINANCE THOUGH, THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT, THAT, UH, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF, UH, UH, IS THERE ANY URGENCY IN THESE, I MEAN, SOME OF THEM ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT, THEY'RE JUST BASIC KIND OF CLEANUP.
UH, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THEM IMPACT THAT MOVING FORWARD.
I, I, AGAIN, I, I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL, UH, HERE, WILL OF THE COMMITTEE.
UH, MY SENSE WOULD BE, PERSONALLY, I, I WOULDN'T MIND SITTING WITH THIS A LITTLE BIT, UH, MORE, UH, BEFORE WE, UH, SEND IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
BUT IT, I GUESS WE COULD DO IT ALSO AT THE FULL COUNCIL, ANY KIND OF AMENDMENTS OR CHANGES THAT COULD BE MADE.
SO JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
UM, WELL, I, I, I'M DEFERENTIAL AS WELL, UM, THE, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE COMMITTEE.
BUT, UH, WE CAN TAKE THOSE UP AT A LATER TIME AND, AND GO AHEAD AND KEEP THIS PROCESS MOVING.
IT WOULD NOT COME UP ON THE 23RD MEETING, 'CAUSE I'M NOT, I THINK, I THINK THE CITY HALL MAY CRASH INTO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH IF WE PUT ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT AGENDA.
UM, SO, WELL, SO HERE, HERE WOULD BE THE MOTION.
THE MOTION WOULD BE TO RECOMMEND TO THE FULL COUNCIL THE PROPOSED BYLAW AMENDMENTS FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT ADVISORY BOARD, AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.
WITH THE GUIDANCE THAT, WITH REGARD TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, COUNSEL MAY BE ASKED TO CONSIDER AN ADDITION, UH, THAT WILL COME FORWARD FROM COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN OFFICE.
UH, AND AT THE TIME IT COMES BEFORE THE COUNCIL, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS COME BEFORE THE FULL COUNCIL THAT ANY CHANGES TO CODE OR BY WAY OF ORDINANCE, BE PREPARED BY STAFF SO THAT THEY WILL BE READY AT THAT SAME TIME.
IS THERE A MOTION, MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUCHEN? IT IS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
MAYOR, ONE THING, I THINK YOU SAID THE DOWNTOWN.
IT'S THE DOWNTOWN WE WANTED TO HOLD OFF ON.
I, I, WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE'RE NOT TAKING UP URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
THAT ONE IS OKAY TO MOVE FORWARD.
IT'S THE DOWNTOWN WE SHOULD, I, I MISUNDERSTOOD YOU THEN.
COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN MADE A POOR MOTION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN MOTION SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, WAS THAT WE GO FORWARD WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AND RECOMMEND TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, WITH THE CAVEAT OF SOMETHING COMING FORWARD IN THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER,
[01:30:01]
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.THAT WILL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH
[3. Discussion and possible action regarding potential proposed amendments to the City Charter for a November 2026 special election.]
IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING POTENTIAL PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY CHARTER FOR NOVEMBER 20, 26, SPECIAL ELECTION MEMBERS.UM, HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT MY, UH, I WANNA LAY OUT KIND OF A PROPOSAL FOR A TIMEFRAME AND, UM, A AND A PROCESS.
AND I WILL ALSO INDICATE THAT I'LL PUT THIS UP ON THE MESSAGE BOARD TODAY SO THAT, UH, ANYBODY THAT'S, UH, WANTING TO LOOK AT IT WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
IT'S A SCHEDULE AND SUGGESTED PROCESS, UM, JULY 20TH, WHICH IS TODAY.
UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE ABLE TO SPEAK AND NO, BUT NOBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS.
IS THAT RIGHT? UM, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO PROPOSE ANY NEW AMENDMENTS FROM THIS COMMITTEE TODAY, THEY CAN DO THAT.
UM, YOU HAVE HAD IN YOUR PACKET, UH, A GROUP OF, OF, OF PROPOSALS, AND THOSE ARE PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY, UH, PASSED BY THE COUNCIL, BUT DIDN'T GO ON TO AN ELECTION.
UH, THEY, THEY WERE NOT, THEY WERE NOT PUT ON THE BALLOT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE ONE PETITION DRIVEN, UH, AMENDMENT.
AND THEN THERE IS ONE, UH, AMENDMENT THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
AND, AND FOR THE RECORD, THE CHARTER REVIEW, THE, THE STAFF AND CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION PROPOSED AMENDMENTS THAT, THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS WERE APPROVED BY COUNCIL IN 2024.
UM, WE CAN TAKE ACTION TODAY TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL, UM, OR JUST SEND THESE TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
THE SECOND STEP IN THE PROCESS WOULD BE ON JULY 28TH, AT THAT COUNCIL MEETING AT 10 O'CLOCK, COUNCIL WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENTS FOR THE NOVEMBER 20, 26 BALLOT.
NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN BY COUNSEL ON THAT DATE.
THAT WOULD BE A PUBLIC HEARING ONLY.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING IS FOR A GENERAL PEOPLE TO SAY WHAT THEY OUGHT TO THINK, THEY THINK OUGHT TO BE ON THE AGENDA, ON THE BALLOT, OR WHAT THEY THINK SHOULDN'T BE ON THE BALLOT.
AND, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT THE GOING INTO THE SPECIFICITY OF EACH ONE OF THE POTENTIAL BALLOT ITEMS. IT'S JUST, HERE'S WHAT I THINK ABOUT WHAT OUGHT TO GO ON THE BALLOT.
AND HERE'S WHAT I THINK SHOULDN'T GO ON THE BALLOT.
UH, WE'LL HAVE OUR STANDARD RULES WITH REGARD TO THAT.
THE BACKUP FOR THE MEETING WILL INCLUDE, UH, THE, ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THIS COMMITTEE MAKES, UH, FOR AMENDMENTS FROM STAFF AND, AND, AND, AND THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, THE PETITION AMENDMENT, OR ANY NEW AMENDMENTS THAT COME FORWARD.
JULY 30TH WILL BE A COUNCIL MEETING, AND AT 10 O'CLOCK ON THAT DATE, COUNCIL WILL TAKE UP ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MAKE GOING FORWARD.
WE, WE, WE PROVIDE THE PETITIONED AMENDMENT AND ANY NEW AMENDMENTS REGISTER REGISTERED SPEAKERS WILL BE ABLE TO TESTIFY ON EACH INDIVIDUAL AMENDMENT.
THE, UH, IT'LL BE OUR STANDARD WAY OF DOING THAT, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE SET UP BY THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT EVERY ONE OF THE POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS THAT'S GOING ON.
THAT WILL BE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT EVERY ONE OF THOSE.
THEN ON AUGUST 6TH, THE AGENDA WILL HAVE THREE ITEMS RELATED TO THE NOVEMBER 20, 26 ELECTION.
ONE WILL BE APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE ORDERING THE GENERAL ELECTION.
ONE WILL BE APPROVING AN ORDINANCE, ORDERING A SPECIAL CHARTER AMENDMENT ELECTION, AND ONE APPROVING AN ORDINANCE ORDERING A SPECIAL BOND ELECTION.
IF NECESSARY, THE CHARTER AMENDMENT ORDINANCE WILL BE PREPARED BASED ON THE VOTE AT THE JULY 30TH COUNCIL MEETING.
AGAIN, A MEETING WHERE, UH, EVERYBODY, PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY AS TO EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM.
AND AGAIN, UH, SPEAKERS WILL, WILL FOLLOW OUR STANDARD RULES IN THAT REGARD.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, AND AGAIN, I'M GONNA POST THIS ON THE, ON THE MESSAGE BOARD TODAY SO THAT EVERYBODY WILL HAVE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION.
I WANT TO TURN TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE AND ASK IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO GO FORWARD WITH MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THIS MOVE FORWARD, WHERE WHAT WE'D BE MOVING FORWARD WOULD BE STAFF AND CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, THOSE THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL BACK IN 2024.
THE CERTIFIED PETITION, THAT IS, THAT CALLS FOR
[01:35:01]
A CHARTER AMENDMENT AND, UH, A, AN AMENDMENT, A PROPOSED AMENDMENT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER HAS BROUGHT FORWARD.UM, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF JUST ABOUT THE FIRST PORTION OF THAT, THE ONES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED.
UM, CAN YOU JUST OUTLINE FOR US, AND THEN THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT FORMS OF THIS IN THE BACKUP, BUT ANY PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT, AND YOU CAN JUST DO IT BY THE NUMBER AND KINDA GIVE US A HIGHLIGHT THAT WAS NOT FROM THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
SO ARE THERE ANY IN HERE THAT DON'T COME FROM THAT? GOOD MORNING.
JI THE ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY.
SO YES, THE ONLY OF, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE DOCUMENT THAT'S TITLED STAFF AND COUNCIL PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, SO NOT THE RED LINE DOCUMENT.
THE ONLY CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS A STAFF PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS APPROVED.
WELL, ALL BUT ONE, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
UH, THERE IS ONE THAT WAS PROPOSED BY COUNSEL, UH, AND THAT IS NUMBER, UH, ONE SECOND.
SO WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 4, 5, 6, AND 12, EVERYTHING ELSE IS STAFF.
DOES THAT HELP? THAT DOES, SO FOUR IS THE, CAN YOU JUST SURE.
SUPER QUICK OF EACH OF THOSE THAT ARE THE CHARTER REVIEW.
SO THE START, THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE APPROVED BY COUNSEL IN 2024 HAD HAVE TO DO WITH, UH, AND GIVE ME A SECOND.
SO THE ONE STATING, SHALL THE CITY CHARTER BE AMENDED TO PROVIDE THAT INITIATIVE, ELECTIONS AND PETITIONED CHARTER AMENDMENT ELECTIONS BE HELD ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE NOVEMBER ELECTION DATE THAT OCCURS IN AN EVEN NUMBERED YEAR.
AND THAT ALLOWS SUFFICIENT TIME TO COMPLY WITH OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW.
THE NEXT ONE IS, SHALL THE CITY CHARTER BE AMENDED TO PROVIDE THAT A PETITION FOR AN ELECTION TO RECALL A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, OTHER THAN THE MAYOR MUST CONTAIN VALID SIGNATURES OF AT LEAST 15% OF THE QUALIFIED VOTERS INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT 10%.
AND THEN, I, I APOLOGIZE, I MISSPOKE.
IT'S ACTUALLY 5, 5, 6, AND SEVEN.
AND THE SEVENTH ONE COMING FROM THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, UM, THAT'S SHALL THE CITY CHARTER BE AMENDED TO PROVIDE THAT? THE CITY COUNCIL APPOINTS AND REMOVES THE CITY ATTORNEY.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT AS IT RELATES TO THE MOTION, I'M NOT GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH MY OKAY.
UM, THERE'S, THERE ARE A LOT OF UNKNOWNS IN THE DIRECTION THAT COULD GO, AND I'D LIKE TO FAIR ENOUGH.
HAVE THAT CONVERSATION MORE GOOD.
AND, AND, AND FOR THE, FOR THE PUBLIC, LEMME BE CLEAR, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS IF WE MOVE FORWARD, WHAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WOULD BE THOSE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY MOVED FORWARD BY THE COUNCIL, BUT DIDN'T GO ONTO THE BALLOT IN 2024.
AND A PROPOSED, A PROPOSED CHARTER PROVI AMENDMENT THAT WOULD GO ON BY WAY OF A CERTIFIED PETITION THAT WILL REQUIRE EVERYTHING I JUST WALKED THROUGH IN TERMS OF HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AS TO EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM AS WELL.
BUT THE, THE MOTION WILL NOW NOT INCLUDE THE PROPOSAL, UH, THE, THE DIFFERENT PROPOSAL BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, UH, MEMBER TIM.
UH, IN OUR, OUR RECENT, UH, REVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE DIRECTLY SUPERVISE, UH, AND IN, UH, ALSO, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, UH, VELAZQUEZ HAS A, UH, AN ITEM THAT, THAT HE'S CONSIDERING POTENTIALLY, UH, UH, ADDING TO THAT A LIST.
UH, THE, I KNOW THAT THE MUNICIPAL CLERK IS ONE OF THE OFFICES THAT IS, UH, IN THE CHARTER, AND THAT'S SUBJECT TO DIRECT COUNSEL, UH, OVERSIGHT APPOINTMENT REVIEW, UH, UH, WHATNOT.
UM, UH, I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP THE, THE, THE IDEA OF HAVING THAT BE A CITY MANAGER SUPERVISED POSITION, AND JUST REALLY WANTED TO ASK, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT IS STANDARD PRACTICE ACROSS CITIES THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH HAVING THE, THE, THE MUNICIPAL COURT
[01:40:01]
CLERK DIRECTLY UNDER THE, THE CITY COUNCILS.AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK, UH, UH, IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF BACKGROUND OR HISTORY OR PURPOSE OR WHATNOT THAT, UH, AS TO WHY THAT POSITION IN PARTICULAR IS UNDER COUNCIL KIND OF PURVIEW? I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY, UH, CONTEXT AROUND WHY THAT IS.
I'M HAPPY TO, UH, REFER TO OTHERS RESEARCH.
SO THE, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE JULY 28TH COUNCIL MEETING, UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THAT PURPOSE OF THAT PUBLIC HEARING IS TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT PROPO, THAT, THAT PROPOSALS FOR NEW IDEAS, THAT SORT OF THING, COUNCIL BETWEEN NOW AND THEN CAN ALSO BRING FORWARD NEW IDEAS.
UM, AND THAT WOULD GIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR STAFF TO GET AN ANSWER.
I JUST WANTED TO AIR THAT PUBLICLY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THAT I'VE, I'VE DISCUSSED A BIT.
UH, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO BE, FOR EXAMPLE, ADDING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO THE DIRECT HIRE.
I JUST WANNA BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE WORKLOAD AND THE NUMBER OF KIND OF DIRECT REVIEW OF FOLKS THAT, THAT WE HAVE, UH, FOR COUNCIL.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE, THE CITY CLERK WE WORK WITH EVERY DAY ALL THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE WORK IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION.
UNDERSTAND THE MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK, NOT SO MUCH.
UH, AND, AND, AND MY, MY SENSE WOULD BE, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A, A CRITICISM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IT'S THAT I THINK THE CITY MANAGER AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WOULD PROBABLY BE IN BETTER POSITION TO PROVIDE REAL KIND OF OVERSIGHT AND FEEDBACK AND MANAGEMENT THAN COUNCIL WHO DOES NOT REALLY INTERACT WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK ON A DAILY BASIS.
I INTERACTED WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK MORE WHEN I WAS A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY THAN, UH, AS A, AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, AIR THAT OUT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING IF, IF Y'ALL COULD A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, HISTORY AND PURPOSE ON, ON WHY THAT MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK IS A CITY COUNCIL APPOINTED AND SUPERVISED POSITION.
BUT YOU, YOU, YOU RAISED ANOTHER POINT THAT I, I WANNA, I WANNA REALLY CLARIFY.
AUGUST 6TH IS WHEN THE COUNCIL WILL NEED TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ORDERING THE GENERAL ELECTION.
AND THAT'S WHAT THAT WILL BE, IS AT, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE WILL HAVE, WE WILL HAVE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK OUGHT TO GO ON OR WHAT THEY, UH, THINK OUGHT TO BE OFF.
WE WILL HAVE HEARD AT THE JULY 30TH MEETING, INDIVIDUAL COMMENT ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL PROPOSED ITEM.
SO THAT MEANS THAT IF A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OR A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THROUGH A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO PUT SOMETHING ON THAT POTENTIAL BALLOT, IT'S TIME TO GET ON YOUR HORSE.
BECAUSE JULY 28TH WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT.
AND THEN WITH QUICK TURNAROUND, WE WILL OFFER UP THOSE POSSIBILITIES AT JULY ON THE JULY 30TH AGENDA SO THAT PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
SO, UH, AND THEN AUGUST 6TH, WE WILL VOTE ON WHAT THE BALLOT LOOKS LIKE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER MOVES THAT WE RECOMMEND TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL.
AND THIS IS FOR PURPOSE OF CREATING WHAT WE WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STAFF AND CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSIONS, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL IN 2024, AND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER THAT IS HERE BY VIRTUE OF A CERTIFIED PETITION.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM DISCUSSION COUNCIL,
AND BY THE WAY, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN.
I WILL BE POSTING ON THE MESSAGE BOARD OF THE, THE OUTLINE OF HOW WE'LL WE'LL CONDUCT ALL THESE MEETINGS GOING FORWARD UNTIL WE HAVE CALLED AN ELECTION.
[4. Discussion of potential 2026 bond election under the adopted bond decision framework.]
NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS DISCUSSION OF POTENTIAL 2026 BOND ELECTION UNDER THE ADOPTED BOND DECISION FRAMEWORK.MR. PANINO, ARE YOU GONNA DO ANYTHING OR, MORNING MAYOR.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS REMAINING A CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, UM, SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A MEMORANDUM YES STAFF ON FRIDAY.
PROVIDES RESPONSIVE INFORMATION TO COUNCIL RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO DO SOME ANALYSIS AND WORK RELATED TO A PROSPECTIVE 2026 BOND ELECTION.
UM, SO WE POSTED THAT INFORMATION FOR YOUR REVIEW.
THIS IS LISTED AS A DISCUSSION ITEM.
UH, STAFF FROM BOTH THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT ARE HERE TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN THE CONVERSATION AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
[01:45:01]
FAIR ENOUGH.UM, MEMBERS, THIS IS POSTED ONLY AS A DISCUSSION ITEM.
UM, IF YOU RECALL, AND MR. VINO, PLEASE STOP ME IF I SAY SOMETHING WRONG.
I'M SURE A COUNCIL MEMBER WILL, IF I SAY IT WRONG, BUT, UM, THE, THE MEMO, UH, LAID OUT THAT THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF CONTINUES TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT WE NOT HAVE A BOND ELECTION IN 2026, BUT THAT IT BE HELD IN 2028.
AND EVEN WITH THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE IN THE BOND DECISION FRAMEWORK OR DECISION TREE, UH, WE WOULD NOT BE FULLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT DECISION TREE IF WE WERE TO GO FORWARD IN 2026.
UH, THAT IS CORRECT FOR THE TOTALITY OF THE $390 MILLION SCENARIO STAFF WAS ASKED TO LOOK.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY FOR THE RECORD, I CONTINUE TO TAKE THE POSITION I'VE TAKEN AND, AND FORMALLY INDICATED IN THE PAST THAT, UH, WE SHOULD WAIT AND HAVE A BOND ELECTION IN 2028.
I FEEL, UH, EVEN MORE STRONGLY ABOUT THAT NOW, UH, THAT WE HAVE HAD A DRAFT BUDGET PUT OUT BY THE CITY MANAGER AND, AND THE IMPACT THAT THAT WOULD HAVE ON THE TYPICAL TAXPAYER.
ANY, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
I APPRECIATE THE MEMO THAT WAS SHARED ON FRIDAY.
IT TALKS ABOUT, AT THE END OF THAT MEMO, THE INTERIM FUNDING THAT STAFF IS EXPLORING, THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S SETTING A CAP, ABOUT $150 MILLION IN THAT PROPOSAL.
UM, THAT WOULD BE DIVIDED BETWEEN, I BELIEVE, PARKS, WATERSHED, AND, UH, TPW.
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT SORT OF A MORE FINAL PROPOSAL OR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT INTERIM OPTION WOULD LOOK LIKE, WHAT THE BREAKDOWN IS BETWEEN THOSE THREE GROUPS? UM, UM, WE COULD CERTAINLY PROVIDE THAT, UH, UH, PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBER, ARIANA CASTANE, DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
UM, THE THREE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE CONSIDERING IS TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS, UM, WATERSHED PROTECTION, PARKS AND RECREATION.
PARKS AND RECREATION IS APPROXIMATELY $75 MILLION.
TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS IS ABOUT 32 30 $4 MILLION, AND WATERSHED PROTECTION IS BETWEEN 41 AND $43 MILLION.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO PUT THAT LIST TOGETHER, SO HOPEFULLY, UM, BY TOMORROW, TOMORROW DURING THE WORK SESSION, WE CAN SHARE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THOSE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT YOU CAN SHARE TOMORROW.
COUNCILOR ALTER, CAN MR. RINO, CAN YOU, UH, SHARE WITH US AGAIN JUST THE, UM, THE TAX IMPLICATION? I KNOW YOU, YOU GROUPED IT TOGETHER, BUT THE, FOR THE, THE BOND PACKAGE, THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER ONCE FULLY IMPLEMENTED, WHAT WOULD BE THE, THE COST TO THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER? UM, SURE.
SO THE, FOR THE $390 MILLION PACKAGE THAT WE LOOKED AT, THERE'S TWO COMPONENTS TO IT, IS ONCE THE FULL $390 MILLION OF BONDS ARE ISSUED, AND WE'RE PAYING DEBT SERVICE ON THAT, WE ESTIMATE THAT AMOUNT, UM, TO BE $56 AND 73 CENTS.
AND THEN WHEN THOSE PROJECTS ARE IMPLEMENTED, THERE'S ALSO AN OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COST AND ONGOING COST ASSOCIATED WITH, UM, SEARCHING OF THOSE PROJECTS.
WE ESTIMATE THAT IMPACT AT ROUGHLY $24 AND 40 CENTS FOR THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER.
SO IN TOTAL, THE 81 13 THAT'S MENTIONED IN THE MEMORANDUM.
WELL, AS, AS WE MOVE TOWARDS OUR DISCUSSION ON THURSDAY, YOU KNOW, I, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S ANY SECRET TO HOW I WANT TO SEE THESE INVESTMENTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR PARKS.
UM, I DO THINK SEEING THE, THE IMPACTS THAT WE ARE SEEING IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET AS RELATES TO COST, I WANNA WEIGH THAT AGAINST THE, THE BENEFITS AND REALLY DECIDE IF NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO BE ASKING THIS OF PEOPLE IF PEOPLE CAN AFFORD IT.
UH, AND SO I THINK THAT IS, UH, WHAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT AS WE DECIDE IF THIS IS THE RIGHT MOVE.
UM, I HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, AS I'M LOOKING AT THE BOND DECISION FRAMEWORK, UM, AND I THINK ABOUT OUR COMPLIANCE WITH IT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, HOW, AND WHY THE $50 MILLION PARKLAND ACQUISITION IS IN, IN THE $390 MILLION PROPOSAL.
WHICH, WHICH, CAN YOU SAY AGAIN, WHICH PIECE I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR YOU.
[01:50:01]
PROPOSAL, UH, IN THE CITYWIDE INVESTMENT SECTION, THERE IS $50 MILLION FOR PARKLAND ACQUISITION.AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS THERE.
UM, I DIDN'T SEE MENTION OF IT IN THE MEMO, THE REASONING FOR THAT, AND I'M ASKING AS I AM THINKING ABOUT COMPLIANCE WITH THIS BOND DECISION FRAMEWORK.
MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION, I'M REVIEWING THE MEMO.
WE HAVE STAFF HERE, UH, FROM CDS TO HELP WITH THOSE AS WELL.
BUT I SEE THE PARKLAND ACQUISITION IS LISTED AS PART OF THE, OF THE $390 MILLION STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED ABOUT 300 MILLION OF THAT AND BEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FINANCIAL POLICIES, INCLUDING PARKLAND ACQUISITION.
THAT'S ON PAGE, UH, FOUR, UH, NEAR THE TOP OF THE MEMO.
MARCUS HAMMER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
SO AS PART OF THE $390 MILLION PACKAGE, WHEN WE ORIGINALLY LOOKED AT THAT, WE DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, THE 90%, UH, NEW POLICY CHANGE.
SO AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH AND LOOKING AT THAT, THOSE WOULD NOT KIND OF BE BROKEN OUT UNDER THE, FROM A PROPOSITION TO CATEGORY LIKE THAT.
SO FROM A PARKS PERSPECTIVE, THIS WAS JUST SORT OF THEIR, THEIR, THEIR RECOMMENDATION IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A COMPREHENSIVE SIX YEAR PROGRAM OF HOW THAT COULD BE KIND OF PUT OUT THERE AND WHAT WOULD KEEP THEM, UH, MOVING FORWARD AND ADVANCING PARK ACQUISITION, UM, FOR WHAT THEIR FUTURE BUILD OUT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND FROM READING THE MEMO, AND I WAS ABOUT TO CLARIFY THAT IT, THAT THAT WAS THE ONLY HINT I GOT WAS THAT PARKLAND ACQUISITION FUNDING HAS ALREADY BEEN DEPLETED PAST 90%.
UM, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE HASN'T BEEN CONSIDERATION OF THE STRATEGIC NEED FOR THIS AC THIS ACQUISITION TO HAPPEN RIGHT NOW VERSUS IN 2028.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER FACTORS THAT ARE AT PLAY IN THE INCLUSION OF THAT? AND I CAN ALSO EXPLAIN WHY I'M PUTTING IT THAT WAY, BUT SO THEY DO HAVE A STRATEGY BUILT OUT ON HOW THEY WANT TO LOOK AT PROCURING LAND AND, AND KIND OF MOVING FORWARD WITH WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH THAT.
UM, THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT, THAT COUNCIL APPROVED.
UM, I BELIEVE A COUPLE YEARS AGO IT WAS ROUGHLY $50 MILLION OF CFOS THAT WERE PUT OUT THERE.
UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S A STRATEGY IN HOW THEY'RE LOOKING AT EACH ONE OF THOSE SCENARIOS AND KIND OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT TO, TO PURCHASE.
OKAY, SO THIS, UM, SO WE'RE FOLLOWING THE STRATEGIC PLAN WHERE WE ARE RE-UPPING THE ACCOUNT THAT WILL BE USED FOR THIS TYPE OF ACQUISITION BECAUSE IT'S BEEN DEPLETED.
UM, AND THIS ACTUALLY RELATES TO ONE OF MY BROADER CONCERNS ABOUT EVEN THE $390 MILLION PROPOSAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE VARIOUS, WITHIN THE BOND DECISION FRAMEWORK, THERE ARE VARIOUS ELEMENTS TO LOOK AT WHEN CONSIDERING WHETHER THIS IS AN URGENT ENOUGH NEED TO BYPASS SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE THERE ISN'T COMPLIANCE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M LOOKING AT EVERYTHING IN HERE, UM, ON THAT BASIS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY, AND I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS THIS MORE OFFLINE, IF FOLLOW UP IS HELPFUL, DON'T NEED TO, IF IT'S NOT.
UM, IN LOOKING AT THE CURRENT FINANCIAL CONDITIONS AND THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, UM, I BELIEVE THAT ANY LAND THAT HAS A HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF PARKLAND IS CURRENTLY IN A DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY AS FAR AS VALUE GOES.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH THAT ACCOUNT IS 90% DEPLETED, IT WOULD BE A FINANCIAL MISTAKE.
I MEAN, IF I'M RIGHT ABOUT THAT, IT WOULD BE A FINANCIAL, BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD AGREE WITH ME.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE IF I'M RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE A FINANCIAL MISTAKE TO FOLLOW THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, ALMOST BLINDLY BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE WANT TO ADVANCE THESE THINGS, WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF WE POSTPONED UNTIL 20, 28, $50 MILLION OF PARKLAND ACQUISITION, AS LONG AS THERE'S A MECHANISM FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH DO ARISE WITH REAL ESTATE AND PROPERTY AND ALL FOR INDIVIDUAL UNIQUE INSTANCES WHERE IT IS APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY TO BUY PARKLAND SOONER.
BUT I THINK WE COULD, I, I THINK WE COULD HANDLE THAT TYPE OF SITUATION WITH COS IF I AM CORRECT ABOUT THAT, THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
SO, UM, FUNDAMENTALLY, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS $390 MILLION BOND PROPOSAL, I SEE A LOT OF VERY LARGE ITEMS THAT APPEAR TO BE IN THE, IN THE ESTIMATE BASED ON MOVING STRATEGIC PLANS FORWARD, THAT, UH, AND, AND BOND SEQUENCING FORWARD IN WAYS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATED STRATEGICALLY, UM, SINCE COVID, UH, SINCE REDISTRICTING, SINCE THE SUBSTANTIAL POPULATION GROUP, THAT GROWTH THAT HAS OCCURRED IN MY DISTRICT AND IN THE WILLIAMSON
[01:55:01]
COUNTY PART OF AUSTIN, AND CERTAINLY OTHER PARTS OF AUSTIN AS WELL.AND SO, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE, UM, WELL, WE'VE PLACED A STRONG, I I SUPPORT THE CONCEPT AND WE'VE PLACED A STRONG PRIORITY ON ONLY INCLUDING IN THIS ESTIMATE PROJECTS THAT CAN BE CONSTRUCTED WITHIN SIX YEARS.
UM, ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT TO, TO GET ON TRACK WITH THAT BOND CYCLE.
UM, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, AS I LOOK FOR EXAMPLE, AT NEEDS IN MY DISTRICT THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ADDRESSED SINCE ANNEXATION DECADES AND DECADES AGO, INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS DEFINITELY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, NEEDS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING, UM, THAT NONE OF, ALMOST NONE OF THAT HAS MADE IT INTO THE DISTRICT SIX RECOMMENDATION, UM, DESPITE THE LONGSTANDING NEED.
AND SO FOR ME, THAT RAISES, UM, CONCERN.
THERE ARE ALREADY SOME RED XS WHERE WE DON'T MEET THE BOND DECISION FRAMEWORK, BUT FOR ME, THAT ALSO RAISES CONCERN.
AND UNDER PROJECT DELIVERY, THE THIRD BULLET ITEM, PROPOSED PROJECTS ARE EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE CITY, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION DISPARATE NEEDS AND HISTORICAL INVESTMENTS.
SO AS, AS YOU ALL HAVE MY COLLEAGUES ON THE DAAS, AND MANY OF YOU STAFF IN THE AUDIENCE HAVE HEARD FOR OVER A YEAR AND A HALF NOW, I AM CONCERNED THAT THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLANS HAVE NEGLECTED VERY REAL NEEDS IN MY DISTRICT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
I AM CONCERNED THAT THE CHALLENGE THAT WE SEEM TO HAVE IN, IN MOVING THOSE LONGSTANDING NEEDS INTO CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PLANNING FOR THE CITY, AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE PROPOSAL, UM, THAT I, THAT IS BEFORE ME, DISTRICT SIX, DISTRICT SIX, JUST THE TOTAL ALLOCATION FOR DISTRICT SIX IS LESS THAN $7 MILLION.
IF YOU GO THROUGH EVERYTHING ALL IN PARKS, LIBRARIES, POOLS, UM, THE LIST GOES ON, RIGHT? UM, DESPITE MANY, MANY DEFERRED INVESTMENTS OR, UM, AND IF YOU GO THROUGH THIS PROPOSAL, THERE ARE MANY, MANY INDIVIDUAL LINE ITEMS THAT ARE GREATER THAN THAT.
TWO TIMES THAT, THREE TIMES THAT.
AND MY CONCERN IS IF WE HAVEN'T TAKEN SUFFICIENT LOOK AT THE GAPS, THE GAPS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLANS, THE CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE LAST FIVE TO 10 YEARS AS FAR AS GROWTH PATTERNS, DEMOGRAPHICS, VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, UM, THE RECENT, UH, MAPPING, GIS, UM, APPLICATION, I GUESS THAT CAME OUT REGARDING LEVERS OF ECONOMIC MOBILITY, EVEN IDENTIFIES PRODUCED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IDENTIFIES MY DISTRICT AS AN AREA WITH WORSENING CONDITIONS AS IT RELATES TO THAT MUCH ALONG, ALONG THE LINES THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UM, SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE.
SO, UM, I, MY QUESTION IS, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO DID THE CHECKS AND XS, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHY WE'VE GOT A CHECK INSTEAD OF AN X FOR THAT ITEM ON THIS BOND DECISION FRAMEWORK.
IF POSSIBLE, I CAN TAKE IT AS FOLLOW UP.
IF IT'S NOT READILY AVAILABLE INFORMATION, I THINK WE STAFF WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
THAT SOUNDS GOOD ON THAT, THAT SOUNDS GOOD ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS IN THE FRAMEWORK, AND SO TRYING TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE IS ALL.
SURE, I'M HAPPY TO HANDLE THAT IN FOLLOW UP.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND AS I'VE LISTED OFF NEEDS THAT ARE UNMET, THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT, THAT ARE LONGSTANDING, UM, I ALSO THINK ABOUT A BROADER NEED FOR OUR CITY.
UM, IT IS IMPORTANT, AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I RAN FOR AUSTIN FOR OFFICE IS THAT, AND I KNOW I'VE HEARD Y'ALL SPEAK TO THIS, EV EV EVERYONE UP HERE, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AUSTIN IS A SHINING BEACON OF HOPE IN THE STATE AND IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND I WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT.
AND THAT RELATES TO FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS.
IT RELATES TO PRIORITIZATION OF LIFE AND SAFETY AND FEELINGS OF SAFETY WITHIN OUR CITY, AND MANY, MANY OTHER THINGS.
THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY OUR SOCIAL CONTRACT OR OUR NONPROFIT, UM, SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTORS.
UH, BUT IT ALSO RELATES TO THE WAY THAT WE INVEST IN THIS CITY, IN OUR PEOPLE, IN OUR GEOGRAPHY THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE REACHED PREVIOUSLY.
AND AS IS NO SECRET, MY DISTRICT IS VERY LIKELY TO VOTE AGAINST THIS BOND BY OVER, ESPECIALLY THE WAY THAT IT IS CURRENTLY COMPOSED BY OVERWHELMING MARGINS.
AND I, AS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, WOULD AGREE WITH THAT VOTE AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW.
[02:00:01]
THAT MY DISTRICT HAS NEVER REELECTED A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, THE REASON THAT IT'S SO EASY TO GET MY DISTRICT AGAINST A BOND IS BECAUSE WE, IN THAT GEOGRAPHY, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAVE LARGELY LOST HOPE THAT THE CITY SEES THE VERY REAL NEEDS ON THE GROUND, THE MANY LOW INCOME FAMILIES THAT HAVE MOVED FROM CENTRAL AUSTIN INTO MY DISTRICT NEAR LAKELAND STATION, UM, AND OTHER PLACES.WE, WE'VE LOST HOPE THAT THE CITY WILL ACTUALLY INVEST IN US.
AND DESPITE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, I HAVE SEEN MY LOUD AND PERSISTENT VOICE ON THIS MATTER,
AND IF IT PASSES TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS, LIBRARIES, AQUATICS, ALL THIS, WE ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO SEE ANYTHING NEW FOR A DECADE.
SO IT IS THAT MUCH MORE DRAMATIC, UM, THAN MISSES AS IT RELATES TO MY DISTRICT.
NOW, THE FINAL FINAL POINT ON THIS THAT IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT, AND IT GOES BACK TO WE NEED TO BE, AS A CITY, A SHINING BEACON OF HOPE.
EVERYONE IN OUR CITY, IF OURS, IF THE, IF THE CENTRAL AUSTIN IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF OUR CITY, IT NEEDS TO, THE BLOOD NEEDS TO FLOW OUT AND IT NEEDS TO FLOW BACK OR PARTS OF OUR CITY DIE.
THAT IS THE REALITY OF MY DISTRICT FOR TOO LONG, IN MY OPINION.
UM, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO PROVIDE A VISION.
AND SO I, WHEN I LOOK AT LONGSTANDING NEEDS, THERE IS GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW PARTNERSHIPS TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS THAT WILL LEAD TO SUBSTANTIAL OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING IN MANY OF THESE LONGSTANDING NEEDS OF, IF TAKEN IN TOTALITY, CAN BECOME A VISION THAT MY DISTRICT AND THE CITY CAN GRASP.
AND SO I, UM, RESPECTFULLY RAISED THE POSSIBILITY THAT AS CURRENTLY LAID OUT, THE $390 MILLION PROPOSAL DOES NOT ADEQUATELY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT EQUITABLE DIS EQUITABLE DISTRI DISTRIBUTION ACROSS THE CITY, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION DISPARATE NEEDS AND HISTORICAL INVESTMENTS.
UM, AND I AM CURRENTLY CONSIDERING, UM, SOME EXAMPLES OF THIS, UH, IN I WILL DAYLIGHT IN PUBLIC THAT AT OUR AUGUST COUNCIL MEETING, I AND FULLY INTEND TO BRING FORWARD IN, SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN A DRAFT, UM, AND IFC RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA OF LAKELINE STATION.
I REMEMBER THE RED LINE PERIOD.
IT WAS SO EXCITING TO SEE RAIL STATIONS, TRANS ORIAN DEVELOPMENT, WALKABLE BIKEABLE COME TO OUR CITY AS THOSE YEARS HAVE GONE BY LAKELAND STATION, THE RED LINE HAS BEEN OPEN FOR 15 YEARS AS THE YEARS HAVE GONE BY, IT'S, THE CUTS HAVE COME IN MY DISTRICT TO THE POINT THAT LAKELINE STATION IS NOW THE ONLY PROJECT CON ELEMENT OF PROJECT CONNECT IN MY DISTRICT, UM, THE ONLY TRANSIT HUB THAT HAS ANY CONNECTIVITY WITH THE REST OF THE CITY, THERE'S ONLY ONE LOCAL BUS LINE THAT GOES TO MY DISTRICT.
AND WHAT LITTLE BUS SERVICE AREAS COMES OUT OF LAKELINE STATION.
AND YET THE ACTIVATION OF THAT STATION HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY NEGLECTED BY THE CITY.
IT HAPPENS TO BE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, 60% OF MY DISTRICT THAT FREQUENTLY GETS NEGLECTED IN DATA ANALYSIS THAT PROGRAMMING ALL OF THAT.
AND, AND IN FACT, IN THE $390 MILLION BOND PROPOSAL, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY DOLLARS ARE ALLOCATED TO THE 60% OF MY DISTRICT THAT'S IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, THAT INCLUDES LAKELINE STATION, WHICH HAS A DECENT LITTLE CHUNK OF, UH, INCOMPLETE PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS THE ACTUAL FUNCTIONING OF THAT STATION AS A TRANSITORY DEVELOPMENT.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY DOLLARS OF THE 390 MILLION, UM, WILL BE SPENT IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY? UH, NO MA'AM.
NOT AT THE MOMENT, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN GET THAT BREAKOUT.
I, I MEAN, AND CERTAINLY CORRECT ME IF I TURN OUT TO BE WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IT'S $0.
AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND BEING MORE EFFECTIVE, WILLIAMSON COUNTY IS INVESTING A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE AREAS THAT ARE, THAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN MY DISTRICT, THEY PASSED A BOND.
THEY'RE DOING ROAD WORK, THEY'RE ADDING ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION LANES.
THEY'RE DOING THINGS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, LIKES TO BE A LEADER IN.
THEY'RE, UM, UH, IN DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, I'M ON CAMPO AND I HAVE OTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH
[02:05:01]
PEOPLE, STAKEHOLDERS FROM WILLIAMSON COUNTY WHO CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY IN THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY PART OF AUSTIN.AND ONE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN THE LAST MONTH REALLY HIT A NERVE FOR ME, AND I HOPE IT DOES FOR YOU ALL.
THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES SOME AMAZING WORK ON URBAN TRAILS, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.
WHEN I GO INTO AUSTIN, I SEE IT.
ALL WE WANT IS FOR SOME OF THAT TO COME TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND WE'LL WORK WITH YOU ON IT.
AND SO I KNOW THAT, UM, I AM NOT ALONE ON THIS DIOCESE IN TERMS OF HAVING RESERVATIONS ABOUT PASSING A BOND.
UM, HOWEVER, I THINK THAT MANY OF MY CONCERNS ARE SHARED WITH OTHER COLLEAGUES, BUT THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, I DON'T BELIEVE HAS BEEN ELEVATED.
AND SO I WOULD INVITE CONSIDERATION AS WE CONSIDER A BOND NOW, OR AT 28, OF ENSURING THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY INVESTING IN PARTS OF OUR CITY WHERE WE ARE LIKELY TO FIND FUNDING PARTNERS WHO HAVE NOT COME TO THE TABLE WITH US YET, AND PRIORITIZING THAT.
AND IN PARTICULAR, REALIZING THE VISIONS OF THE PAST THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FULFILLED.
LAKELINE STATION, TRANS NORIAN DEVELOPMENT, OLD SPICEWOOD SPRINGS ROAD BETWEEN 360 AND OLD LAMP PASSES TRAIL.
WE HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLING AS A CITY LAND AND EASEMENTS TO HAVE A CONNECTED TRAIL THAT IS SAFE FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS ON FOOT OR BIKE SINCE 1971.
WE HAVE NOT PUT ENOUGH OF THIS BOND MONEY INTO THAT, THAT COULD BE A CROWN JEWEL OF OUR DISTRICT.
UM, I'M SURE THAT IT'S EVIDENT THAT I AM CURRENTLY A NOTE ON THIS PROPOSAL, UM, AND FOR REASONS THAT GO BEYOND WHAT I'VE JUST SAID, THANK YOU.
UH, I'M A, A YES AND VERY SUPPORTIVE IN PARTICULAR OF A, THE PARKS BOND RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN, IF WE HAVE AN ELECTION IN NOVEMBER, UH, FOR PARKS, UH, IT WILL HAVE BEEN EIGHT YEARS SINCE OUR LAST, UH, PARKS BOND.
IF WE WAIT TILL 28, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS 10 YEARS.
UH, SINCE OUR OUR LAST PARKS BOND, UH, I, I JUST, WE CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG BETWEEN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND INJECTIONS INTO OUR PARK SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE LIMITATIONS THAT THE LEGISLATURE PUT ON THE PARKLAND DEDICATION FEES.
AND WE'VE LOST, UH, SOURCES OF REVENUE FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS IN PARKS.
UH, WE REALLY NEED TO, TO GO BACK, I WANNA BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF WHAT WE BUILD, UM, IN THE PARTS POND.
AND I WANNA BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF MAINTENANCE COSTS, UH, WITH, UH, PRIORITIZATION GIVEN TO THINGS THAT WILL NOT, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE, UH, MAINTENANCE AND, AND OPERATING COSTS.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S, UH, ABSOLUTELY, UH, CRITICAL THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH A PARKS BOND, UH, IN, UH, NOVEMBER OF, UH, 2026.
AND TO, TO, UH, YOUR COMMENTS, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BLA SPECIFICALLY ON THE, ON THE, UH, THE PARKLAND ACQUISITION, UH, I THINK THAT THAT IS PROBABLY A PLACE WHERE WE COULD TRIM.
I, I, I, I, I AM MORE INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN CAPITAL IN EXISTING PARKS THAN ACQUIRING LAND THAT WE DON'T HAVE CAPITAL TO DEVELOP THAT LAND ANYWAY.
UH, WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF LAND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO BE A PARK, WE'LL SOMEDAY BE A PARK, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UNDEVELOPED LAND THAT, THAT HAD, HAS SOME BENEFITS.
BUT I, I'D, I'D REALLY RATHER PUT ACTUAL PHYSICAL CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE INTO OUR EXISTING PARKS.
UM, AND JUST ON THE, KIND OF THE, THE POLITICS, AGAIN, I KNOW EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT 2028, IT'S THE PRESIDENTIAL YEAR AND YOU KNOW, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY OUT THERE.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY FOR NOVEMBER, 2026.
UH, THAT SAID, THERE'S MORE CERTAINTY.
I THINK WE KNOW MORE OR LESS WHAT THE DYNAMICS, THE ECONOMY, THE KIND OF GLOBAL SITUATION WILL BE IN THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.
THEN WE KNOW WHAT IT WILL BE IN NOVO NOVEMBER OF 2028.
UH, I, I, I THINK PUTTING ALL OUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET AND SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT A HUGE BOND, 'CAUSE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE HUGE AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO IT IN 2028, THEN WE'LL HAVE BEEN REALLY, I MEAN, EIGHT YEARS, 10 YEARS, 12 YEARS FOR SOME DEPARTMENTS, UH, WITHOUT, UH, AN ANY KIND OF CAPITAL NEEDS, THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A VERY LARGE BOND.
AND I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
UH, MY SENSE WOULD BE THAT IF WE COULD GET A,
[02:10:01]
UH, A PARK BOND KIND OF OUT OF THE WAY, UH, I THINK THAT HELPS PAVE THE WAY FOR SOME OF THE TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED FOR SOME OF THE WATERSHED DOLLARS THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED IN, IN 2028.UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THOSE COMMENTS AGAIN.
I CONTINUE TO BE A STRONG SUPPORTER OF A BOND IN, OF A PARKS BOND, IN PARTICULAR IN NOVEMBER OF 26.
UM, UNLESS THERE'S FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM, WE'LL GO ON TO ITEM
[5. Briefing on public safety mental health audit [Kathie Harrison, Assistant City Auditor; Mariel Dempster, Senior Auditor - Austin City Auditor’s Office].]
NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS A BRIEFING ON PUBLIC SAFETY, MENTAL HEALTH AU THE PUBLIC SAFETY MENTAL HEALTH AUDIT.I WAS THE LEAD AUDITOR ON THIS PROJECT.
I WANNA FIRST START BY THANKING MY TEAM AS WELL AS STAFF FROM ACROSS THE CITY WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS WORK.
WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT INFORMATION FROM HUNDREDS OF PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES, AND I WANNA THANK THEM FOR GENEROUSLY SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH US.
THE OBJECTIVE OF THE AUDIT WAS TO DETERMINE IF THE CITY IS SUPPORTING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SWORN PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES.
FOR SOME BACKGROUND, THE CITY EMPLOYEES OVER 3000 SWORN, UH, STAFF MEMBERS.
THESE PEOPLE FEEL CRITICAL AND CHALLENGING ROLES ESSENTIAL TO KEEPING AUSTIN SAFE.
THEY REGULARLY RESPOND TO TRAUMATIC INCIDENTS AND WORK CHALLENGING SCHEDULES.
RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS ARE AT GREATER RISK FOR SERIOUS MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES.
AND POOR MENTAL HEALTH CAN HAVE LIFELONG EFFECTS.
SUFFICIENT MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IS IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY FOR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES, BUT ALSO FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
WHEN PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS ARE HEALTHY, THEY CAN BETTER, UH, PROTECT AUSTIN RESIDENTS.
I WANNA MAKE A QUICK NOTE ON THE SCOPE OF THIS AUDIT.
WE LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT THE SWORN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
HOWEVER, WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PROFESSIONAL STAFF IN THESE DEPARTMENTS, UH, ARE ALSO CRITICAL TO THE SAFETY OF AUSTIN, AND THEY MAY EXPERIENCE SOME OF THE SAME STRESSORS AND IMPACTS THAT SWORN EMPLOYEES DO.
THE RESOURCES WE'LL BE DISCUSSING TODAY ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO THESE EMPLOYEES.
OUR AUDIT RESULTED IN TWO FINDINGS, ONE ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION, AND FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS.
OUR FIRST FINDING WAS THAT THE CITY PROVIDES MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES.
HOWEVER, SOME EMPLOYEES MAY BE HESITANT TO USE THEM OR FEEL THEY DO NOT ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF STRESS.
THE CITY SUPPORTS PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES THROUGH SEVERAL AVENUES, INCLUDING A, UH, WELLNESS CENTER, PEER SUPPORT TEAMS, LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS, AMONG OTHER RESOURCES.
HOWEVER, WE FOUND THAT EMPLOYEES DID NOT ALWAYS FEEL SUPPORTED BY THEIR DEPARTMENTS, BUT WE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF SWORN EMPLOYEES AND RECEIVED OVER 750 RESPONSES ACROSS THE THREE DEPARTMENTS.
ROUGHLY HALF OF ALL RESPONDENTS HAD USED AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND BETWEEN 40 AND 45%, UH, WERE SATISFIED WITH THE SUPPORT THEY RECEIVED FROM THEIR DEPARTMENTS.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE ASKED IF RESPONDENTS FELT THAT THEIR DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP CARED FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING, WE SAW THAT ONLY BETWEEN 20 AND 25% FELT THAT WAY.
THIS IS COMPARED TO WHEN WE ASKED THE SAME THING ABOUT THEIR PEERS, AND THEY FELT BETWEEN 78 AND 95% FELT THEY CARED FROM OUR SURVEY.
WE ALSO SAW THAT A PORTION OF EMPLOYEES ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY.
THEY MAY FEAR RETALIATION, AND OFTEN DON'T WANT THE CITY TO KNOW WHAT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES ARE, SOME REPORTED DISTRUST OF SERVICES BECAUSE THEY FELT IT MAY UNFAIRLY IMPACT THEIR JOB.
THIS OVERALL LACK OF TRUST IN DEPARTMENT RESOURCES AND A FEELING OF BEING UNSUPPORTED BY LEADERSHIP MAY PREVENT EMPLOYEES FROM SEEKING HELP EVEN WHEN IT'S NEEDED AND AVAILABLE.
PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES ALSO TOLD US THAT WELLNESS RESOURCES MAY NOT ADDRESS THE MAJOR SOURCES OF THEIR STRESS.
WE HEARD ABOUT THINGS LIKE, UH, HEAVY WORKLOADS, INSUFFICIENT STAFFING, THE EFFECTS OF STRESS OVER TIME AND EXPOSURE TO TRAUMATIC EVENTS.
SLEEP WAS A MA MAJOR FACTOR FOR MOST RESPONDENTS ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS.
UH, AND MANY SAID SCHEDULE IMPROVED SCHEDULES WOULD SUPPORT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
SOME EMPLOYEES FELT THAT THESE ISSUES MUST BE ADDRESSED BEFORE WELLNESS SUPPORTS COULD BE, UH, FULLY EFFECTIVE.
FOR A SECOND FINDING, WE FOUND THAT PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES MAY NOT RECEIVE CONSISTENT OR PROACTIVE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS.
THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER IS SHARED ACROSS THE THREE DEPARTMENTS, BUT EACH DEPARTMENT ALSO MAINTAINS THEIR OWN SEPARATE WELLNESS RESOURCES, INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH, UH, PROVIDERS AND PEER SUPPORT TEAMS. TWO PSYCHOLOGISTS ARE LOCATED AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER, UH, AND THEY PRIMARILY SERVE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES AND SOME EMS EMPLOYEES.
A PD HAS TWO LICENSED PSYCHOLOGISTS AS WELL,
[02:15:01]
AND EMS EMPLOYEES HAVE, UH, ACCESS TO A CONTRACTED LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER.WHILE THESE SIMILAR RESOURCES MAY BE AVAILABLE IN ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS, THEIR IMPLEMENTATION VARIES.
WE OBSERVE THIS MOST STRONGLY WITH PEER SUPPORT.
PEER SUPPORT SERVICES ARE CRITICAL.
THEY'RE WIDELY USED AND VALUED AND SHOULD BE WELL-TRAINED AND EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT WHEN NEEDED.
BUT WE SAW THAT THE LEVEL OF RESOURCES, TRAINING, AND USAGE VARIES BY DEPARTMENT.
SOME OF THE PROACTIVE INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT EMPLOYEES COULD ALSO BE STRENGTHENED.
PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES, AS YOU KNOW, MAY EXPERIENCE TRAUMATIC EVENTS REGULARLY, BUT FOLLOW UP AFTER THESE, UH, INCIDENTS CAN BE INCONSISTENT.
DEPARTMENTS DO HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE FOR FOLLOWING UP, BUT THEY MAY VARY OR BE UNCLEAR.
MORE THAN HALF OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS SAID THEY RARELY OR NEVER RECEIVED A CHECK-IN AFTER A MAJOR EVENT.
WE ALSO SAW THAT ONLY FIREFIGHTERS MAY RECEIVE ANY KIND OF PROACTIVE MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING, AND WHILE CADETS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS GET MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING DURING THEIR ACADEMIES, ONGOING EDUCATION AFTER GRADUATION CAN BE IRREGULAR AND MAYBE NOT WELL ATTENDED.
OVERALL, WE SAW THAT SOME PREVENTATIVE SUPPORTS ARE IN PLACE, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE APPLIED CONSISTENTLY OR COMPREHENSIVELY.
AS PART OF THIS WORK, WE'RE ISSUING ONE ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION.
WE LOOKED AT PLANS FOR THE NEW PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS CENTER, WHICH WILL BE HOUSED AT THE NEW PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTERS OFF OF MOPAC.
UH, WE VISITED THE CURRENT WELLNESS CENTER AND SAW THAT IT WAS OUTDATED AND MAYBE DIFFICULT TO ACCESS FOR SOME EMPLOYEES.
WE ALSO NOTED SOME PRIVACY CONCERNS WITH THE SPACE.
THE NEW CENTER WILL BRING ALL WELLNESS RESOURCES INTO ONE SPACE, WHICH MAY ENHANCE COORDINATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND WILL LIKELY PROVIDE A MORE COMFORTABLE FUNCTIONAL SPACE FOR WELLNESS.
WE ISSUED FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS AUDIT.
THE FIRST IS TO ENHANCE ASSURANCE OF PRIVACY AND CONFIDE CONFIDENTIALITY OF SERVICES.
THE SECOND IS TO IMPROVE PROCESSES FOR FOLLOWING UP AFTER MAJOR INCIDENTS.
THE THIRD IS TO ENSURE PEER SUPPORT TEAMS FOR A FD AND EMS RECEIVE REGULAR TRAINING.
THE FOURTH IS TO CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING PERIODIC MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS, NOT, UH, NOT ONLY FOR FIVES, BUT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.
AND THE FIFTH IS TO ENSURE EMPLOYEES RECEIVE EDUCATION ON MENTAL HEALTH, NOT ONLY EARLY ON, BUT THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS.
WITH THAT, I'LL CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY THAT HAS QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, OR I'M GONNA ASK IF THERE'S ANY RESPONSE FROM ANY, UH, ANYBODY THAT'S HERE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WANTS TO MAKE ANY COMMENT ABOUT IT FIRST? NO.
UH, APPRECIATE THE, THE REPORT.
I THINK MENTAL HEALTH AND OUR, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY IS, IS, UH, CRITICAL.
I JUST DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONE THING THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL TOGETHER WITH THE, UH, THE, UH, THE FIREFIGHTERS DID, WHICH IS THE, THE AUSTIN SCHEDULE, WHERE THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE, ARE GOING DOWN, UH, FROM, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE DETAIL, 53 HOURS TO 51 HOUR.
THE, THE, THE, BUT THE IDEA WAS TO, UH, AGAIN, REST TIME THAT PEOPLE NEEDED THAT THAT VERY SMALL CHANGE WILL ALLOW FOR A BETTER DAY, UH, BREAKOUT BETWEEN WHEN THEY HAVE TO BE BACK AND THAT WAS IDENTIFIED, AND THAT'S BEEN I THINK, A CONSISTENT THEME FROM, UH, FROM EMS AS WELL, THAT, UH, YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TIME TO WIND DOWN AFTER SOME INTENSE SHIFTS.
SO I, I KNOW WE'VE TAKEN SOME IMPORTANT STEPS, UH, IN THAT DIRECTION.
UH, AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, ONE OF THE, THE STEPS THAT THAT COUNCIL, UH, TOGETHER WITH THE, UH, THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE, HAVE, HAVE DONE.
ANYBODY ELSE? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, YOU GUYS, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT, YOU MEASURED THE EXTENT THAT RESPONDENTS AS YOU, AS YOU INTERVIEWED THE SWORN OFFICERS, UM, WHO FELT THAT THE UPPER LEVEL OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS, UM, DIDN'T NECESSARILY CARE ABOUT THE WELLBEING AND MENTAL HEALTH OR, OR THE PERCE.
THAT WAS THE PERCEPTION AS YOU TALKED ABOUT.
UH, I'M CURIOUS IF ANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU LAID OUT HELP ADDRESS WHAT SEEMS TO BE KIND OF A GAP IN EITHER REAL OR PERCEIVED SUPPORT FROM MANAGEMENT TO SORT OF, UH, IN THE FIELD OFFICERS? YEAH.
WE, WE HEARD, UM, FROM EMPLOYEES THAT THERE WAS A FEELING OF MAYBE NOT BEING HEARD OR BEING SOMEWHAT DISMISSED WHEN CONCERNS WERE BROUGHT TO THEM.
I THINK THAT TIES INTO THIS SORT OF DISTRUST OF SERVICES.
SO THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS REALLY AIMED AT THAT, BUT I THINK, UM, IT SORT OF BUILDING THOSE, THOSE CONNECTIONS AND SHOWING THAT, THAT THESE ARE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND, UM, SEPARATE FROM ANY KIND OF LEADERSHIP DECISIONS, UM, IS, IS GONNA BE CRITICAL.
AND PART OF THAT RECOMMENDATION, LEMME JUST ASK A RELATED QUESTION, WHICH
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IS HOW MUCH OF THIS IS CONNECTED TO A, A GENERAL FEELING THAT THERE MAY BE SOME DISTRUST BETWEEN, AGAIN, SORT OF THE, UM, DAY-TO-DAY IN THE FIELD SWORN OFFICERS AND MANAGEMENT, AND THIS IS JUST A BYPRODUCT OF THAT, THAT WAS A MAJOR CONCERN THAT THAT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.UM, WHEN, WHEN WE WERE ASKED OR WHEN WE WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PROVIDE DIRECT FEEDBACK, OPEN-ENDED FEEDBACK, THAT WAS THE MAIN CONCERN THAT WAS RAISED.
AND A FEEL THAT FEELING OF, UM, YES, THE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE, I KNOW HOW TO GET THEM WHEN I NEED THEM, BUT, UH, THERE'S ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON ADDRESSED THAT I FEEL LIKE I'M NOT BEING HEARD OR CARED FOR IN SOME WAY.
WELL, THIS IS A TOPIC WE CAN TAKE UP WITH, UM, A SAM BATISTA AND, AND THE CHIEFS AND SEE IF THERE'S, UH, INSIGHT THEY CAN GIVE DOWN THE LINE ON THIS.
THANKS, COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, COUNCIL MEMBER LANE.
UM, I, ON THE RECOMMENDATION PAGE ON 17, I MEAN, IT ALL MAKES SENSE.
UM, IN PARTICULAR THE NUMBER FOUR, CONSIDER PERIODIC MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.
UM, THIS REALLY SOUNDS LIKE AN IMPORTANT STEP, UM, BECAUSE, WELL, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, I THINK, UM, HOW DO WE MOVE FROM THIS RECOMMENDATION TO, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO IMPLEMENT IT, JUST COST AND MILESTONES, YOU KNOW, BIG PICTURE.
I THINK THAT THAT, UH, I'LL LEAVE THE SPECIFICS OF THAT UP TO THE DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT, OF COURSE, BUT, UM, WHAT WE HEARD IS THAT IT'S, IT'S SORT OF A, THE REASON THAT RECOMMENDATION IS FRAMED IN A CONSIDER LANGUAGE IS BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO THIS TO SEE WHETHER IT'S EFFECTIVE, WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN ACTUALLY REACH EVERYONE IN TIME.
I KNOW THAT, UM, LIKE I SAID, THE ONLY, UH, FIREFIGHTERS ARE RECEIVING THESE SCREENINGS.
THAT'S PART OF A-N-F-P-A GUIDELINE THAT THEY HAVE, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW, WHICH IS WHY THAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S A CERTAIN CHALLENGE FOR THE IN-HOUSE PSYCHOLOGIST TO, TO MEET ALL THE, THAT REQUIREMENT SOMETIMES.
SO I THINK, YEAH, IT'S A MATTER OF RESOURCES AND, UM, TIMING AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S AVAILABLE.
WELL, I'LL BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS FURTHER WITH ACM PATISTA IN THE FUTURE.
ANYTHING ELSE? THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
[6. Briefing on semi-annual report of the City Auditor’s Integrity Unit’s investigations. [Brian Molloy, Chief of Investigations - Austin City Auditor’s Office]]
US TO ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS A BRIEFING ON THE SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CITY AUDITOR'S INTEGRITY UNIT INVESTIGATIONS.GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M THE CHIEF OF INVESTIGATIONS AT THE AUSTIN CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE INTEGRITY UNITS ACTIVITIES SO FAR THROUGH FISCAL FISCAL YEAR 2026.
SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE PRESENTATION, I'LL TALK ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS THAT WE'VE SEEN COME IN SO FAR THIS YEAR, THE INVESTIGATIONS MY TEAM'S COMPLETED, AND THEN WHAT OTHER ONGOING ACTIVITIES WE'RE COMPLETING FOR THE REST OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO, UH, THIS IS GRAPH OF THE ALLEGATIONS THAT HAVE COME IN SO FAR.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, AS OF JULY 1ST, WE HAD THREE, 303 ALLEGATIONS COME IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
IF YOU PROJECT OUT THAT PACE, THAT'LL GET US ACTUALLY RIGHT BACK TO 404 MATCHING FISCAL YEAR 2025 AS FAR AS ALLEGATIONS COMING IN FROM MY TEAM TO REVIEW AND INVESTIGATE.
AND THAT'S CONTINUING THE TREND THAT WE'RE ABOVE THE, UH, RUNNING AVERAGE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE THREE PRIOR FISCAL YEARS, THAT AVERAGE IS ABOUT 360 7, BUT, UM, USING THE PROJECTION LOOKS LIKE MAYBE THERE COULD BE A, A PLATEAU OF ALLEGATIONS IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT AND A YEAR OVER YEAR COMPARISON.
MOVING ON TO WHAT TYPE OF ALLEGATIONS ARE COMING IN, WHAT ARE THE TOPICS THAT PEOPLE ARE ALLEGING WHEN THEY SHARE THEIR CONCERNS WITH MY OFFICE, UM, WE BREAK THINGS DOWN INTO, WITHIN MY TEAM'S JURISDICTION AND OUTSIDE MY TEAM'S JURISDICTION.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE, UH, PIE CHART THERE, ABOUT 58% OF THE ALLEGATIONS THAT CAME IN SO FAR THIS YEAR ARE OUTSIDE MY TEAM'S JURISDICTION.
AND THOSE ARE PRIMARILY GONNA BE HUMAN RELIEF.
UH, HUMAN RESOURCES RELATED ISSUES INCLUDING HARASSMENT, DISCRIMINATION, RETALIATION, THEN OPERATIONAL ISSUES THAT LEAVES THE OTHER 42% ARE WITHIN MY TEAM'S JURISDICTION, AND THE MOST COMMON OF THOSE HAVE BEEN MISUSE, FRAUD, AND WASTE USE AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
THIS IS A, UM, A SLIGHT UPTICK FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
USUALLY IT'S A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO ONE THIRD WITHIN MY TEAM'S JURISDICTION, TWO THIRDS OUTSIDE OF MY TEAM'S JURISDICTION.
SO THIS IS A, A TREND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND SEE IF IT HOLDS UP FOR THE WHOLE FISCAL YEAR AND CONTINUES TO, UM, HIT THOSE AVERAGES TO COME.
OH, DID I DO SOMETHING? THANK YOU.
MOVING ON TO REPORTING METHODS.
UH, ONE WAY TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE HAVING A A REALLY ROBUST WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE PROGRAM IS TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS
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POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS, UH, WITH THE PEOPLE WHO CAN LOOK INTO IT ON MY TEAM.AND ONE WAY WE DO THAT IS TO GIVE PEOPLE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO REPORT TO MY TEAM.
UH, THE MOST COMMON BY FAR, AND THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS IN A ROW, IS OUR ONLINE REPORTING FORM.
UH, 64% OF OUR INFORMANTS USE THAT THIS, UH, SO FAR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
NEXT MOST COMMON IS THAT 12% WAS DIRECT INVESTIGATOR, UH, CONTACT.
THAT'S EITHER CALLING OR EMAILING ONE OF THE INVESTIGATORS ON MY TEAM AND SHARING CONCERNS DIRECTLY WITH THEM.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE HAVE A DEDICATED EMAIL ADDRESS THAT WAS 8%, THE ACTUAL PHONE LINE, ANOTHER 8%.
UH, WE ALSO LET PEOPLE, UM, MAIL THINGS TO OUR OFFICE, AND WE HAVE A PHYSICAL DROPBOX HERE AT CITY HALL, AND, UH, WE COLLECT THINGS THROUGH THE AUDIT SIDE OF OUR OFFICES.
OH, UH, AND, UH, BACK ONE SLIDE JUST WHILE WE'RE ON THIS.
UH, AKITA HAVING A REALLY HEALTHY, UM, WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE IS TO LET PEOPLE REPORT ANONYMOUSLY.
UH, WE'RE THE MAIN PLACE IN THE CITY MAY, MAYBE THE ONLY PLACE IN THE CITY WHERE EVERYONE CAN SHARE THEIR CONCERNS ANONYMOUS ANONYMOUSLY, AND 60% OF THE PEOPLE WHO INTERACT WITH OUR WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE CHOOSE TO DO SO ANONYMOUSLY.
UM, SO JUST A, AN ESSENTIAL FEATURE.
I'M GLAD WE OFFER IT, AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE GET ALL THE CONCERNS WE DO GET.
PEOPLE FEEL THEY CAN REPORT WITHOUT, UM, THE FEAR OF RETALIATION OR MINIMIZING THE FEAR OF RETALIATION.
UH, LOOKING AT WHAT DEPARTMENTS ARE GETTING, UH, THESE ALLEGATIONS, UM, RATHER THAN DOING JUST A PERCENT OF OF ALLEGATIONS THAT, UH, COMING ACROSS THE CITY, UH, WE TRY TO GET A MORE APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON.
SO WE, UH, CREATE THIS NUMBER, WHICH IS ALLEGATIONS PER 1000 EMPLOYEES, BASICALLY SAYING, IF ALL DEPARTMENTS HAD 1000 EMPLOYEES, ABOUT HOW MANY ALLEGATIONS WOULD THEY GET? OUR CITYWIDE AVERAGE IS 15 ALLEGATIONS PER 1000 EMPLOYEES.
AND THEN, UH, THIS IS A LIST OF DEPARTMENTS ABOVE 150 FTE THAT, UH, UM, WERE ABOVE THE CITYWIDE AVERAGE.
UM, UP TOP WE HAVE, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, JUST ARTS, CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT AT THE LARGEST ALLEGATIONS PER 1000.
AND THEN HERE'S THE REST OF THE LIST OF OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
MOVING ON TO THE INVESTIGATIONS WE'VE COMPLETED SO FAR THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'VE COMPLETED NINE INVESTIGATIONS.
FIVE OF THEM RESULTED IN A SUBSTANTIATED MATERIAL.
VIOLATION OF CITY CODE PRODUCED A PUBLIC REPORT, WHICH YOU CAN FIND ON OUR WEBSITE.
TWO OF 'EM PRODUCED A SUBSTANTIATED DE MINIMIS FINDING, MEANING THERE WAS CONDUCT THAT MAY HAVE VIOLATED CITY CODE, BUT THE SCOPE AND SCALE OF THAT CONDUCT WAS SO SMALL, IT DIDN'T RESULT, IT WOULDN'T REQUIRE A PUBLIC REPORT.
THEN TWO OF THE INVESTIGATIONS ACTUALLY RESULTED IN AN UNSUBSTANTIATED FINDING, MOVING, UH, FOCUSING IN ON THOSE FIVE THAT TURNED INTO A PUBLIC REPORT.
THEY WERE IN AUSTIN WATER, AUSTIN ENERGY, AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
IT'S NOTABLE HERE IS, BESIDES THE VIOLATION, BUT THE ACCOUNTABILITY ACTION TAKEN FOR THE FIRST THREE REPORTS, WE HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY ACTION TAKEN BY THE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS EMPLOYEE SEPARATION FOR THE FINAL TWO REPORTS.
THOSE WERE BOTH RELEASED, UH, ONE LAST WEEK AND THE OTHER JUST A COUPLE WEEKS BEFORE.
SO AUSTIN ENERGY IS STILL WORKING WITH OUR INTERNAL TEAMS AND AUSTIN HUMAN RESOURCES TO DETERMINE THEIR FINAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACTION.
WHEN I REPORT TO ALL OF YOU, UH, FOR THE FULL FISCAL YEAR, I'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION UPDATED.
MOVING ON TO ACTIVITIES MY TEAM IS STILL COMPLETING THROUGH THE REST OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 11 OPEN INVESTIGATIONS ACROSS EIGHT CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UH, A FEW OF THOSE INVESTIGATIONS ARE IN THE VERY FINAL STAGES.
TWO OF THE REPORTS ARE ACTUALLY WITH THE SUBJECTS.
UH, A COUPLE OF THE REPORTS ARE IN THE DRAFTING PROCESS, SO I'M HOPING AT LEAST A COUPLE MORE OF THOSE WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, THE MOST COMMON ISSUES IN THOSE INVESTIGATIONS THAT ARE ONGOING ARE ACCEPTANCE OF COMPENSATION LIKELY TO IMPAIR PERFORMANCE USE, MISUSE, TIME, SHEET THEFT, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO SCOPING OUT DETECTION PROJECTS.
SO NOT ALL OF OUR WORK HAS TO COME FROM THE HOTLINE, THOUGH THAT KEEPS US VERY, VERY BUSY.
UM, SO WE ARE PLANNING OUT OUR, OUR FISCAL YEAR 27 DETECTION PROJECTS SO THAT WE CAN GO OUT AND PROACTIVELY FIND BROAD MISUSE AND OTHER VIOLATIONS CITY CODE WITHOUT RELYING ON SOMEONE FIRST TIPPING US OFF TO IT, HAVING TAKEN ANY QUESTIONS.
AND THEN ALSO, IF ANYBODY'S IN THE ROOM AND HAS A CONCERN ABOUT CITY OPERATIONS, THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE AND REPORT IT.
UM, AND I'LL JUST, UH, HIGHLIGHT AND UNDERSCORE, OR WHATEVER'S APPROPRIATE TERM THAT, AGAIN, IN THIS VERY COMPLEX ORGANIZATION, THOSE THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT FRAUD, WASTE, AND MISUSE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WE HAVE AN ONGOING OPERATION AT THE CITY.
UH, SOME, UH, CRY OUT OR CALL OUT FOR US TO HAVE JUST SUCH A THING AND, AND THEY MAY NOT KNOW THAT WE HAVE JUST SUCH A THING.
AND, UM, IT'S PRETTY EFFECTIVE AND, UH, DONE IN A WAY TO ASSURE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO DO IT WHERE IT'S CONFIDENTIAL, AS YOU POINTED OUT THE, THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF IT ALL.
AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT WE DO AS AN ONGOING OPERATION TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, UH, THOSE ARE, THOSE MISSED DEEDS ARE UNCOVERED ION.
I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION THAT WAS BASED ON A COUPLE OF THE,
[02:30:01]
UH, REPORTS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US OVER THE LAST YEAR WHERE IT DOES SEEM LIKE THERE IS, THIS IS PURELY MY CHARACTERIZATION, BUT THERE THERE IS A, UH, UH, EITHER A MISUNDERSTANDING OR A, UM, OR IN SOME CASES PERHAPS THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF A MANAGER THAT IS RELATED TO EITHER NOT REPORTING OR NOT TAKING THE APPROPRIATE STEPS IN SEVERAL CASES.SO I'M CURIOUS IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS HAVE DISCUSSED AS PART OF A PROACTIVE DETECTION PROCESS OR A TRAINING PERHAPS IF YOU, IF YOU AGREE THAT THERE'S SOME KIND OF, UH, PATTERN THAT'S HAPPENING THERE WHERE IT DOES SEEM LIKE MANAGERS ARE EITHER NOT REPORTING ISSUES IN A TIMELY FASHION, OR THEY'RE MAKING EXCUSES ABOUT CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT DON'T TEND TO, UM, ANYWAY, I'LL, I'LL JUST ASK THAT QUESTION.
IS, IS THERE ANY, IS THERE ANY PLAN ON YOUR END FOR EXPLORING THAT ASPECT OF SOME OF THE CASES THAT HAVE HAPPENED LATELY? THERE'S NO ONGOING PLAN SPECIFICALLY TO FOCUS ON MANAGERS.
THERE ARE RECURRING ANNUAL PLANS TO TAKE ALL THE ALLEGATIONS THAT HAVE COME IN, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT RESULT IN MATERIAL VIOLATIONS AND WORK WITH, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO PUT TOGETHER, UM, THE CITY'S ANNUAL ETHICS TRAINING SO THAT THEY MAKE SURE THEY'RE UPDATING ON THE THINGS THAT MY TEAM IS SEEING.
UM, SO WE'RE ADDRESSING AND, AND TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF ANY TRENDS THAT MIGHT BE DEVELOPING.
LOOKING BACK OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, THERE, THERE'S ALWAYS CASES EVERY YEAR WHERE, UM, AN INDIVIDUAL VIOLATED CITY CODE THROUGH THEIR OWN POOR DECISIONS, AND THERE WAS A MANAGER WHO EITHER SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT OR MAYBE WAS MISINFORMED ABOUT THE RULES AND ALLOWED IT.
THE WAY WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT IS, IS WE HOLD THE MANAGER JUST AS ACCOUNTABLE AS FAR AS THE FACT FINDING OF OUR REPORT.
SO WE INVESTIGATE THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT IF WE FIND OUT WHAT THE MANAGER WAS AWARE OF AND SHOULD HAVE DONE OR ALLOWED TO HAPPEN, THEY GET NAMED IN THE REPORT AS WELL.
AND WE ATTACH THAT TO ITS OWN SEPARATE CITY CODE VIOLATION.
UM, SO I MEAN, WE'RE CREATING THE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE MANAGER LEVEL AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, THAT SAID, I APPRECIATE YOU READING ALL THE REPORTS, AND THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE THIS YEAR, AND MAYBE THAT'S, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO MORE THAN AVERAGE, BUT IT HAS BEEN A, A SUBSET OF CASES EVERY YEAR OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS WHERE THERE WAS A MANAGER WHO, UM, DIDN'T LIVE UP TO THE EXPECTATION OF THEIR POSITION AND, AND POTENTIALLY ALSO VIOLATED CITY CODE.
I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I'LL JUST ASK IF THAT TREND CONTINUES PERHAPS TO INCREASE OR HOLD TRUE THAT YOU GUYS, UM, TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS YOU'RE DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS OR PROACTIVE STRATEGIES IN CA IN CASE OF, AGAIN, ADDITIONAL TRAINING OR EXPLANATIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN RESPONSIBILITY AND CULPABILITY IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES MIGHT MAKE SOME DIFFERENCE IN THE FUTURE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, ANYTHING ELSE? MEMBERS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR REPORT, MR. MC MOY.
THAT'LL TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS TO IDENTIFY ITEMS TO DISCUSS AT FUTURE MEETINGS.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFIC ANYBODY WANTS TO CALL OUT AT THIS TIME? OKAY.
THAT BEING SAID, UH, THAT CONCLUDES THE AGENDA FOR THIS SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BEING HERE.
UH, SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL ADJOURN THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT 12:03 PM THANKS EVERYBODY.