[00:00:02]
COUNCIL MEMBERS NATASHA HARPER MADISON, VANESSA FUENTES, JOSE VELAZQUEZ, RYAN ALTER, CRYSTAL LANE, MIKE SIEGEL, PAIGE ELLIS, ZOE CADRE, MARK UCHIN, CITY ATTORNEY DEBORAH THOMAS, CITY CLERK ERICA BRADY AND CITY MANAGER TC BROAD KN WELL, GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.
[Call to Order]
10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.UM, WE ARE MEETING IN THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE OCTOBER 8TH, 2026 MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
WE'RE MEETING IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AS I INDICATED.
UH, THEY'RE LOCATED IN CITY HALL AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, AND WE HAVE A, UM, QUORUM OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PRESENT.
UH, THE ORDER THAT WILL GO IN TODAY IS, IS TYPICAL OF WHAT WE TYPICALLY DO IN A MOMENT.
I'M GONNA READ CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS INTO THE RECORD.
UH, WE WILL ALSO, UH, THEN GO TO CONSENT ITEMS. WE HAVE ONE ITEM THAT HAS BEEN PULLED, ONLY ONE ITEM'S BEEN PULLED, AND THAT'S ITEM NUMBER 17.
UM, AND WE WILL HEAR FROM SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA MEMBERS.
THEN WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE WILL GO TO THE NON, WE WILL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 17, WHICH SHOULDN'T TAKE THAT LONG.
UM, IT'S, IT'S CHANGING A DATE ON OUR PROPOSED CALENDAR.
THEN WE WILL GO TO THE NON-CONSENT ITEMS OF IMMINENT DOMAIN.
I WILL TAKE UP THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
WE WILL RECESS THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO CALL TO ORDER THE BOARD OF MANAGERS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
WE WILL TAKE THOSE ITEMS UP BEFORE WE TAKE UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THEN WE WILL COME BACK TO ITEM NUMBER 27.
UH, BUT IT, IT, IT, IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN UP AFTER WE FINISH WITH A HFC ITEMS. UM, MY IN, I'M ANTICIPATING THAT WE WILL BE FINISHED BEFORE OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, UH, WE WILL THEN COME BACK FOR OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN AND, AND AUSTIN MUSIC.
WHAT I ANTICIPATE IS THAT WE WILL DO IS PROBABLY BETWEEN THE TIME THAT WE'VE, UH, WE HAVE FINISHED THE AGENDA ITEMS THAT AREN'T TIME CERTAINS, WE WILL THEN GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, AND WE WILL TAKE UP THE EXECUTIVE SESSION BEFORE WE DO THE 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN RELATED TO ZONING AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING.
UH, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BY THE COUNCIL, WE WILL, UM, UH, I'LL NOW READ CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS INTO THE RECORD.
ITEM NUMBER 27, AS I'VE INDICATED, THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE TAKEN UP AFTER THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, ON ITEM NUMBER 21, COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL IS REMOVING HIS NOMINEE TO THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION FROM THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, UH, WHEN WE TAKE, WHEN I CALL FOR THE MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, IT WILL NOT INCLUDE COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL'S NOMINEE TO THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
THAT WILL BE, HE IS REMOVING THAT ITEM.
THOSE ARE THE TWO CHANGES OR CORRECTIONS TO THE RECORD.
AND AGAIN, UNLESS THERE'S QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BY COUNSEL, WE WILL NOW GO TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
REMEMBER, MEMBERS ONLY ITEM NUMBER 17 HAS BEEN PULLED UNLESS SOMEBODY ELSE HAS SOMETHING THEY WANT TO DO RIGHT NOW AND DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT.
SO I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK AND ASK
[Consent Agenda]
YOU TO CALL ON FOLKS TO SPEAK WITH REGARD TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.BEGINNING WITH IN-PERSON SPEAKERS ON ITEM TWO, ENOVIA JOSEPH.
MS. JOSEPH, ARE YOU HERE, MS. JOSEPH? MOVING TO ITEM THREE, SOIA JOSEPH.
MS. JOSEPH, HAVE YOU MADE IT SINCE ITEM TWO, MOVING TO ITEM SIX, PHILLIP FITZGERALD.
MR. FITZGERALD, I DON'T SEE AL.
ALSO ON ITEM SIX, ENOVIA JOSEPH.
MOVING TO ITEM SEVEN, PHILLIP FITZGERALD, ALSO ON ITEM 10.
MR. FITZGERALD MOVING TO ITEM 19.
[00:05:01]
NO NEED TO RUN.DON'T NEED TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK.
SO CARLOS LEON, FIRST AND FOREMOST, GNA FOR LETTING ME SPEAK AGAINST ITEM 19 BECAUSE A PL CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
AUGUST 6TH, MAYOR WATSON AND CITY ATTORNEY THOMAS APPROVED PROPOSITION B FOR 35 MILLION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DESIGNING, ACQUIRING, CONSTRUCTING, EXPANDING, RENOVATING, REHABILITATING, REPLACING, IMPROVING, UPGRADING, ENHANCING, AND EQUIPPING LIBRARY FACILITIES WITH PRIORITY GIVEN TO THE EXISTING HAMPTON AT OAK HILL BRANCH, AND A NEW COLONY PARK LIBRARY BRANCH.
YET, IN APLS SEPTEMBER REPORT, HANNAH TERRELL WROTE, QUOTE, AUSTIN VOTERS WILL CONSIDER A 2026 BOND MEASURE THAT WOULD FUND A 20 MILLION EXPANSION, $20 MILLION EXPANSION OF OAK HILL BRANCH LIBRARY AND INVEST 15 MILLION IN PHASE ONE FOR A FUTURE COLONY PARK LIBRARY.
BECAUSE PHASE ONE IS PRE-CONSTRUCTION ONLY, A PL WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY ALSO PUSH A 2028 BOND TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES YET AGAIN FOR MORE MONEY TO BUILD AND OPEN THAT COLONY PARK LIBRARY OVER AND ABOVE THEIR $80 MILLION BUDGET, WHICH THEY'RE NOT TELLING VOTERS NOW YET, IN LUKE 14 VERSES 28 THROUGH 30, JESUS WARNS US NOT TO START A PROJECT LIKE THIS WITHOUT SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO FINISH IT.
IN FACT, OLD QUARRY'S LIBRARY RENOVATION PHASE TWO AND THREE PROBLEMS ARE WHY IT'S STILL CLOSED MORE THAN TWO YEARS AND THREE MONTHS LATER, AND VOTERS ARE ONLY BEING ASKED TO APPROVE 35 MILLION FOR LIBRARY FACILITIES END QUOTE, WHICH COULD BE ANYTHING ANYWHERE, A BULL CRAP BAIT AND SWITCH, THUS YES TO A COLONY PARK LIBRARY, BUT KNOW TO PROP B THE WRONG WAY IN TIME TO DO THIS, I'LL EXPLAIN HOW TO DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY AND THE RIGHT TIME DURING ITEM 21.
ON ITEM NUMBER 19 X NOIA JOSEPH.
MR. LEON AND ZIA JOSEPH, WELL, I'LL, I'LL CALL YOU IN ORDER.
WE START AT 10 O'CLOCK MM-HMM
SO CARLOS LEON, FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TO ITEM 21 AT LAST MONTH'S LIBRARY COMMISSION MEETING, FUTURE ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF A FRAMEWORK FOR COMMISSION ENGAGEMENT IN THE NEXT YEAR WAS A DISCUSSED AGENDA ITEM.
THEREFORE, CITY COUNCIL, DEPLOY THEM TO COLONY PARK TO CONDUCT OPEN MEETINGS THERE WITH THEIR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HEAR WHAT THEY WANT IN A LIBRARY, WHAT THEY WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE, WHERE THEY WANT IT TO BE, AND WHAT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THEY WANT OFFERED THERE TO COLLABORATIVELY DESIGN WITH A PL STAFF, A PROTOTYPE INSIDE AND OUT, UNIQUE TO AND WELCOME BY COLONY PARK RESIDENCE.
THOSE BACK AND FORTH 2027 CONVERSATIONS SHOULD GROUND A DETAILED A PL PROPOSAL, JUSTIFYING A 2028 BOND MEASURE TO FULLY FUND PHASES ONE, TWO, AND THREE TO PLAN, BUILD AND OPEN A COLONY PARK LIBRARY BRANCH WITH PHASE ONE PRE-CONSTRUCTION, DISCUSSING PROJECT INITIATION AND CONCEPTUAL CO CONCEPTUALIZATION PLANS, PLUS FEASIBILITY STUDIES, BUDGETING AND COST ESTIMATION, SITE SELECTION AND ACQUISITION WITH ZONING, ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS, DESIGN AND PLANNING, INCLUDING DRAWINGS, PERMITTING AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE, RISK ASSESSMENT, MITIGATION, AND CONTRACTOR SELECTION.
PHASE TWO CONSTRUCTION SHOULD EXPLAIN SITE PREPARATION TO ENSURE THAT LOCATION WILL BE READY FOR FOUNDATION AND FRAMING, FOLLOWED BY STRUCTURAL WORK, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING SYSTEMS, INTERIOR FINISHES, AS WELL AS DOING QUALITY CONTROL AND INSPECTIONS, AND ENSURING SAFETY MEASURES FROM START TO FINISH.
PHASE THREE, POST-CONSTRUCTION SYNOPSIS, SYNOPSIS SHOULD INCLUDE FINAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTING, PUNCH LIST AND CORRECTIONS AND POST OCCUPANCY
[00:10:01]
EVALUATIONS.THAT'S HOW YOU BUILD TRUST WITH VOTERS.
MOVING TO ITEM 22, DANIELLA SILVA AND ENOVIA JOSEPH.
ITEM 23, ENOVIA, JOSEPH, OH, SORRY.
GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M THE AUSTIN POLICY COORDINATOR AT WORKERS' DEFENSE.
UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 22.
UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE, UH, THERE'S, UM, EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF FOLKS, UM, WHO ARE IN DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, UM, APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. UM, IF Y'ALL AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE BETTER BUILDER PROGRAM, WHICH CAME OUT OF WORKERS' DEFENSE, UM, OUR STANDARDS ACTUALLY ADVOCATE FOR 30% OF A LABOR FORCE ON ANY PROJECT BEING DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, UM, APPRENTICES.
SO WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO SEE, UM, THAT THE CITY IS MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF GETTING EVEN CLOSER TO THAT 30%, AND I HOPE TO SEE THAT PERCENTAGE INCREASE EVEN MORE OVER TIME.
ITEM 32, MADELINE BERGER IS MONICA GUZMAN HERE? SHE'LL HAVE TIME DONATED.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MADELINE BRUGER AND I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK TODAY ON ITEM 32 AND THE UPCOMING BOND ELECTION.
DESPITE OVER FOUR YEARS OF ADVOCACY FROM RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER, 2022 WITH COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR PRO TEM VELA SPEAKING AT THE BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE AND PARK BOARD MEETINGS, IT'S DISAPPOINTING THAT BOTH PARKS AND REC AND COUNCIL DID NOT ADD THE GUS GARCIA SPLASH PAD TO THE PARD BOND PRIORITIES LIST.
I'M HERE TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTS OF EXTREME HEAT AND THE NEED FOR INVESTMENTS IN ADDITIONING COOLING INFRASTRUCTURES IN DISTRICT FOUR, BUILDING ON YEARS OF ADVOCACY AROUND EXTREME HEAT AND RUNDBERG AND SUMMER 2025.
THE THERMAL WITNESSING PROJECTS STARTED AS A COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH GO AUSTIN VAMOS AUSTIN, THE UT DIGITAL WRITING AND RESEARCH LAB, AND THE UT CITY CLIMATE COLAB.
THE MISSION OF THERMAL WITNESSING IS TO BEAR WITNESS TO EXTREME HEAT THROUGH SENSITIZING INSTRUMENTS SUCH AS THERMAL CAMERAS.
IN THIS PROJECT, RESIDENT LEADERS RESIDING IN AUSTIN'S EASTERN CRESCENT COLLECTED FIELD NOTES AND THERMAL IMAGES OF THEIR LIVED DAILY ENVIRONMENTS USING THERMAL SENSORS.
COLLECTIVELY, 15 RESIDENT LEADERS CAPTURED OVER A THOUSAND THERMAL IMAGES, 105 FIELD NOTES, AND TOLD OVER 30 HOURS OF STORIES ABOUT HEAT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS PAST WEEKEND, WE PUT ON AN EXHIBITION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS IN AUSTIN'S FIRST EXHIBITION ON EXTREME HEAT.
SINCE NONE OF COUNCIL, THOUGH EVERYONE WAS INVITED, WAS ABLE, UH, WAS INVITED TO THE EXHIBITION, BUT NONE OF Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT.
I THOUGHT THAT WE COULD MAYBE BRING THE EXHIBITION TO YOU TODAY.
THIS PHOTO IS OF THE BUS STOP NEAR DOBY MIDDLE SCHOOL OFF RUNDBERG LANE.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE THERMAL PHOTO, THE BUS STOP COVER MEASURES 117 DEGREES SURFACE TEMPERATURE.
AS ONE OF THE RESIDENTS SAID, QUOTE, I FELT REALLY, REALLY BAD AND SAD THAT WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL, ELEGANT BENCH, BUT CAN'T USE IT.
IT'S MADE OF METAL, IT GETS SO, SO HOT THAT IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS BURNS.
IF IT WERE TO RAIN, THERE WOULD BE NO WAY TO TAKE SHELTER.
SO THESE NEW BEAUTIFUL BUS STOP BENCHES WITH SHADE AREN'T REALLY SUITABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY OR THE CITY.
THEIR DESIGN ISN'T WELL SUITED FOR TAKING A RELAXING BREAK WHEN IT'S VERY HOT CLICK.
THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR RUNDBERG LANE, AS THE RESIDENT WHO CAPTURED THIS IMAGE SAID, QUOTE, I TOOK THIS PHOTO WHILE WALKING DOWN A STREET LINED WITH TREES ON BOTH SIDES, AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERATURE.
AS FOR EVERYTHING ELSE IN THIS PHOTO, WE WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT TREES ARE ESSENTIAL.
THIS LAST PHOTO TITLED ANGER FURY AND VIOLENCE ON RUNDBERG LANE WAS TAKEN AT THE NORTHGATE SHOPPING CENTER ON THE CORNER OF RUNDBERG AND LAMAR.
THE ASPHALT IN THIS IMAGE MEASURES 140 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AT 5:54 PM THESE PHOTOS ARE ONLY THE SURFACE OF HOW EXTREME HEAT IMPACTS RESIDENTS LIVING IN DISTRICT FOUR.
GIVEN THIS INFORMATION AND THE LACK OF INCLUSION OF THE GUS GARCIA SPLASH PAD, I ASKED FOR A
[00:15:01]
MEETING WITH THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR TO ACCOUNT FOR WHY A SPLASH PAD AND GUS GARCIA WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PARD BOND.I HOPE THAT YOU ALL LEARNED A LOT FROM LOOKING AT THESE IMAGES.
I'M HAPPY TO SHARE MORE IMAGES IN RESIDENT FIELD NOTES WITH YOU, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
MOVING TO ITEM 34, ENOVIA JOSEPH, ITEM 36, PHILLIP FITZGERALD AND ENOVIA JOSEPH, PHIL FITZGERALD, DISTRICT SIX.
SO I'M, UH, AGAINST THIS SIX YEAR BOND CYCLE.
UH, THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, UH, AND ACROSS OUR STATE IN GENERAL, ARE ASKING FOR, UH, FASTER CHANGES IN, IN OUR CITIES.
WE WANT IMPROVEMENTS A LOT QUICKER.
AND MOVING TO THIS SIX YEAR BOND CADENCE WILL, UH, RESTRICT OUR CITY'S ABILITY TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY.
AND THAT INCLUDES OUR PARKS AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, THESE, THESE BIG PROJECTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE COME TO KNOW.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE REASONING FOR WHY WE WANNA MOVE TO A SIX YEAR CADENCE.
IT'S BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON A, ON A, A MORE OF A TWO YEAR CADENCE AND, AND WE CONSTANTLY HAVE TO PASS THESE BONDS TO GET PROJECTS DONE.
AND WE SAY, WELL, WE HAVE ALL THIS UNSPENT MONEY, AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO MOVE TO A SIX YEAR CADENCE.
UM, BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS, IS WE'RE NOT, UH, UH, UH, EXECUTING PROJECTS QUICK ENOUGH.
AND THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT BUILDING CAPACITY AT THE CITY LEVEL.
SO WE HAVE A BOTTLENECK IN PLANNING AND DESIGNING AND EXECUTING THESE PROJECTS.
UM, IF WE WERE TO INSTEAD BUILD CAPACITY AT THE CITY LEVEL, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO OUTSOURCE ALL OF THIS WORK TO PRIVATE COMPANIES PAYING AN EXORBITANT PRICE TO GET THESE PROJECTS DONE.
UM, SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY, THIS IS FISCALLY SMART, RIGHT? WE WE'RE MOVING, WE'RE MOVING, UH, UH, TO A SIX YEAR CADENCE WHERE WE CAN ASK FOR LESS MONEY FROM PEOPLE.
BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS IF WE GO FROM TWO YEARS TO FOUR YEARS, THEN THOSE BOND REQUESTS ARE GONNA GET A LOT BIGGER, AND THOSE ARE GONNA GET VOTED DOWN.
AND MAYBE THAT'S THE INTENTION OF MOVING TO A SIX YEAR CADENCE.
SO INSTEAD OF ASKING, UH, VOTERS FOR 200 OR $300 MILLION IN TAXES, WE'RE INSTEAD GONNA COME AND ASK THEM FOR A BILLION DOLLARS.
I THINK WE KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA TURN OUT.
UM, YEAH, UH, UH, I, I HAVE CONCERNS THAT IF WE'RE RESTRICTING OUR CITY'S ABILITY TO, TO PULL TOGETHER MONEY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A CONTINUED DECAY IN OUR PARKS AND OUR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, ESPECIALLY OUR LIBRARIES.
AND, AND YOU HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO, TO RENOVATE THESE PARKS, THESE LIBRARIES, YOU'RE GONNA START SEEING ASSETS GET SOLD OFF.
SO PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO GO TO THEIR LOCAL PARK OR THE LOCAL LIBRARY, OR NOW WE'RE GONNA SELL IT TO A PRIVATE OWNER AND THEY'RE GONNA BE CHARGING PEOPLE TO USE THOSE THINGS.
SO BE HONEST WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THIS.
MAYOR, ALL SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN CALLED FOR CONSENT.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN CALLED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, UM, MEMBERS.
SO, UH, LET ME ASK, IS THERE ANY ITEM THAT ANY MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA NOW THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE SPEAKERS? ALL RIGHT.
IN THAT CASE, UH, MEMBERS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN MOVES APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA IS READ, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
UM, NOW IT'D BE TIME FOR COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ANYONE WISHING TO BE HEARD ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? MAYOR PRO TIM.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, ITEM, UH, SIX, UH, WHICH IS A RUTLAND ROUNDABOUT, THE CON, UH, CONTRACT GOING OUT FOR THE ROUNDABOUT AT THE CORNER OF, UH, RUTLAND AND PARKFIELD.
UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT IMPROVEMENT, THAT'S A DANGEROUS INTERSECTION.
I KNOW STAFF HAS PUT A LOT OF, UH, TIME AND EFFORT INTO LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN, UH, IMPROVE, UH, BOTH BICYCLE AND, AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
JUST, UH, GREAT TO SEE THAT CONTRACT ON, ON THE AGENDA.
TIM, ANY FURTHER COMMENT ON ANY OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL.
UM, JUST WANTED TO, UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING, UH, ITEM 22 AND WANNA BE ASKED TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR.
UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL BE SHOWN AS A CO-SPONSOR OF ITEM NUMBER 22.
AND, UH, I JUST REALLY WANNA APPRECIATE THE WORK OF OUR MAYOR AND SUB QUORUM TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIPS AND OTHER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO GROW AND BE SUPPORTED.
AND, UH, AS WE HEARD FROM A SPEAKER, THESE UPDATES TO THE CONSTRUCTION TRAINING PROGRAM, WE'RE GONNA KEEP US ON TRACK TO RECRUIT AND EQUIP THE WORKFORCE WE DEPEND ON TO BUILD UP OUR CITY.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO THANK, UM, UH, A PD CHIEF DAVIS FOR ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UM, WHICH IS, UH, AN IMPORTANT CONTRACT TO CONTINUE TO KIND OF IMPROVE OUR RESPONSE TO SEX CRIMES AS A CITY.
AND THIS JUST REALLY SHOWS A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL LEARNING AND PROGRESS.
AND, UM, JUST WANNA CELEBRATE THE WORK OF A PD ON THIS ONE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MEMBERS, I'M GONNA SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 22, AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL BRINGING IT UP.
AND, AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS WE ALL KNOW THAT AUSTIN IS BUILDING IT AT A HISTORIC LEVEL RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE'RE EXPANDING THE AIRPORT, WE'RE REDOING THE CONVENTION CENTER.
WE'RE PREPARING FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
[00:20:01]
MODERNIZING WATER WASTEWATER AND ENERGY SYSTEMS, AND WE HAVE OVER $25 BILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD.WE'RE CREATING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF A SUCCESSFUL MAJOR AMERICAN CITY, AND IT'S A TREMENDOUS INVESTMENT.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE'RE CREATING IS OPPORTUNITY.
AS PART OF ALL OF THIS, THE COUNCIL CREATED THE CONSTRUCTION TRAINING PROGRAM, OR WHAT'S SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS CTP IN 2018 TO HELP DEVELOP A QUALIFIED CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE AND EXPAND E ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY THROUGH TRAINING.
BECAUSE THE RESEARCH INDICATES THAT WHEN CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS EMPLOY TRAINED WORKERS, PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED MORE SAFELY, EFFICIENTLY, AND WITH BETTER QUALITY.
ITEM 22 BUILDS ON THAT WORK WITH A REASONABLE PHASED APPROACH TO STRENGTHENING THE PROGRAM AND ENSURING AUSTIN'S HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE IS ALSO AN INVESTMENT IN THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES WHO WILL HELP BUILD OUR CITY'S FUTURE.
UH, SINCE TAKING OFFICE, I'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND LABOR TO STRENGTHEN OUR LABOR, LABOR TALENT, AND LOCAL TALENT PIPELINE.
AND WE'RE MAKING ENORMOUS PROGRESS.
OUR REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS ARE GROWING AT A PACE WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE WITH PLANS TO CONTINUE THAT TRAJECTORY TO MEET THE TREMENDOUS WORKFORCE DEMAND THAT WE HAVE AHEAD.
THE CREATION OF THIS COUNCIL'S WORK OF CREATING THE AUSTIN INFRASTRUCTURE ACADEMY ADDS ANOTHER CRITICAL PIECE BY BUILDING OUR HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT MEANS CAREER PATHWAYS FROM TRAINING TO APPRENTICESHIPS TO JOBS, AND IT INCLUDES CHILDCARE, TRANSPORTATION, ACCESS, PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS, UNIONS, AND EMPLOYERS.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AS WE WORK TO EXPAND ACCESS TO THESE CAREERS FOR WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND OTHERS WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE SKILLED TRADES.
I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY IT MANY TIMES, BUT IT'S CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE THINK INTENTIONALLY ABOUT WHO GETS TO PARTICIPATE IN AUSTIN'S SUCCESS.
NOT JUST HOW MANY JOBS OR W TWOS WE CREATE, BUT HOW MANY AUSTINITES WE MOVE INTO STABLE, MEANINGFUL FAMILY SUPPORTING CAREERS AND GET THOSE W TWOS.
SO, UH, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE IN THIS, PARTICULARLY FROM OUR SKILLED TRADE UNIONS, UM, AND HELPING US PUT THIS TOGETHER AND, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO COUNCIL VOTING ON THIS.
UM, NUMBER 22 WAS FIRST ON MY LIST, AND I'LL JUST LIMIT THOSE COMMENTS TO THANKING YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT.
AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT AND VOICE, MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR ALL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS THAT I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR.
AND I STILL HAVE A FEW MORE, UH, PLACES TO GET TO.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALSO FOR OUR, TO OUR SPEAKERS ON THAT TOPIC.
AS IT RELATES TO ITEM 36, WHICH IS RELATED TO THE BOND, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT MY COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN ITEM 36, WHICH I'M CO-SPONSORING.
I THINK THAT, I KNOW THAT I LEARNED A LOT THIS BOND CYCLE, AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF US DID, AND I'M GLAD WE'RE CONTINUING TO ITERATE ON OUR EXPECTATIONS AND POLICIES AS COUNCIL SO THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS WHILE DELIVERING FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND I THINK THAT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HEAR ALL THE VOICES THAT ARE AT PLAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE WORKING THROUGH PROCESSES TO IMPROVE THEM.
AND SO THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SPOKEN ON THIS TOPIC AS WELL.
UH, I WANNA SPEAK TO ITEM 36 AND FIRST THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM, ESPECIALLY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
THIS ITEM IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
AND TO BE CLEAR, MUCH OF THIS IS BASED ON THE MAYOR'S PRIOR WORK AND THE AUTO AND THE AUTO AND FINANCE COMMITTEE'S PRIOR WORK, DEVELOPING THE BOND FRAMEWORKS.
AND THIS ITEM MAKES THE BOND PLANNING EXPLICIT FOR 2028 AND 2034.
AND ESSENTIALLY, WE'RE BRINGING OUR BOND PLANNING POLICY IN LINE WITH THOSE EXISTING FRAMEWORKS, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THE BEST PRACTICES THAT WE SEE IN MOST CITIES AND COUNTIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
ONE OF THE REASONS FOR MY RELUCTANCE TO SUPPORT THE BONDS THIS NOVEMBER WAS MY SENSE THAT WE'VE ASKED A LOT OF VOTERS OVER THE LAST 18 YEARS AND OUR OWN PROJECT DELIVERY HAS FALLEN SHORT.
I KNOW WE CAN DEMONSTRATE MORE FISCAL DISCIPLINE AND THAT COMBINED WITH THE WORK THAT CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES ARE ALREADY DOING TO DELIVER PROJECTS AND IMPROVE THE WAY THAT WE SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING THE NEW DASHBOARD AND TOOLS THEY RELEASED IN THE LAST FEW DAYS.
I THINK WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD TRUST HERE IN 2028.
WE'RE GONNA COME TO BODO WITH A LARGE BOND PACKAGE THAT INCORPORATES MANY OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO ADDRESS THIS YEAR.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TIME TO ADDRESS, ASSESS THE CITY'S NEEDS AND A BOND PACKAGE IN 2034.
I THINK RETURNING TO THIS CADENCE IS GONNA HELP ENSURE THAT OUR DEBT DOES NOT GROW TOO QUICKLY.
WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP THE CITY AFFORDABLE AND THAT WE HAVE TIME TO PROPERLY PRIORITIZE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
THAT CONCLUDES THE DISCUSSION WITH, FORGIVE ME.
I MEAN, JUST 'CAUSE WE HAD A BREAK.
[00:25:01]
THEY STILL WORK.COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, JUST REALLY BRIEFLY, ITEM ONE THAT PROBABLY OVERLOOKED BY EVERYBODY.
ITEM NUMBER SIX, IT'S A CONCRETE CONTRACT.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON HOW WE CAN PROCURE LOW CARBON CONCRETE JUST TO HAVE LESS OF A ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT AND IMPACT, UH, THAT WORK IS GOING TO THE, THE WORK NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT LOW CARBON CONCRETE IS GONNA BE FINISHED IN EARLY 2027.
SO HOPEFULLY CONTRACTS LIKE THESE CAN, UH, RESULT IN JUST A LOWER CLIMATE IMPACT AS WE ARE ACQUIRING, UH, CONCRETE FOR A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE BUILDING FOR THE NEXT MANY YEARS.
ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES THE DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
LET ME ASK, IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO ABSTAIN FROM A VOTE ON ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, I'M ABSTAINING ON 13.
ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN, UH, ABSTAINING OTHER THAN COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, I WISH TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ITEM TWO.
ANYBODY ELSE WITHOUT OBJECTION? THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ IS ADOPTED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN BEING SHOWN VOTING NO ON ITEM NUMBER TWO AND ABSTAINING ON ITEM NUMBER 13 MEMBERS.
[17. Approve an ordinance setting the Council meeting schedule for calendar year 2027 and setting the budget and tax rate meetings and hearings for Fiscal Year 2027-2028. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.]
TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER 17.THAT IS AN ITEM THAT WAS PULLED BY THE MAYOR PRO TIM, AND I'LL RECOGNIZE THE MAYOR PRO TIM.
THIS IS A, A SCHEDULE OUR, UH, MEETING SCHEDULE, CITY COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, A VERY LONGSTANDING SISTER CITY, UH, RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, SALTILLO, UH, GUILA MEXICO.
UH, AND THEIR ANNIVERSARY, WHICH IS THE DAY THAT WE TRADITIONALLY, UH, AN AUSTIN DELEGATION TRADITIONALLY GOES DOWN TO VISIT IS, UH, JULY 25TH.
UH, THE, THAT, UH, MAKES IT, THE, THE FACT THAT THE BUDGET IS NOW KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY HAS MADE THE, THE TRIPS VERY DIFFICULT, UH, FOR, ESPECIALLY FOR COUNCIL AND FOR A LOT OF OUR, UH, SENIOR CITY STAFF, UH, TO, UH, GO DOWN THERE THIS NEXT YEAR.
IN PARTICULAR, THIS IS GONNA BE THE 450TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE, OF THE CITY OF SALTILLO, AND I AM HOPING THAT I WILL, I'M PLANNING TO GO AND HOPING TO GET SOME OTHER, UH, COUNCIL FOLKS AND, AND ALSO, UH, CITY STAFF THERE.
WE ARE, WE'RE DOING GREAT WITH THE SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP.
WE STARTED THIS SISTER WINERIES, UH, AGAIN, CREDIT TO THE AUSTIN T SISTER CITY ASSOCIATION, YOU KNOW, RIO GARCIA THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE SISTER WINERIES PROGRAM.
A LOT OF GOOD THINGS GOING ON.
I JUST WANTED TO MOVE THAT JULY 27TH DATE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO RUN DOWN THERE, COME BACK, AND THEN CONTINUE WITH THE BUDGET.
UH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE JULY 28TH WOULD WORK.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A HEADS UP THAT WE WOULD THEN HAVE BACK TO BACK, UH, BUDGET MEETINGS ON THE 28TH AND THE 29TH.
UH, BUT, UH, YEAH, THE, THE, UH, AND I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES IN JUST A SECOND.
THE, THE, THAT'S A GOOD CATCH BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN THAT ASPECT OF THE SISTER CITY PROGRAM BECAUSE OF BUDGET ITEMS. SO THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD CATCH.
THE MOTION I'M THINKING THAT I WOULD TAKE MEMBERS SO THAT Y'ALL WILL KNOW, WOULD BE THAT WE, WE CHANGED THE JULY 27TH IN, IN THIS ITEM NUMBER 17 TO WEDNESDAY, JULY 28TH AT 9:00 AM INSTEAD OF JULY 27TH AT 9:00 AM THAT'S, IT'S CURRENTLY NOW ON JULY 27TH AT 9:00 AM MOVE THEN.
AND THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION WITH SENIOR STAFF IN THE MANAGER'S OFFICE ABOUT MOVING IT TO JULY 28TH.
AND THAT WOULD WORK SUBJECT TO ALL OF US UNDERSTANDING THAT ON THE NEXT DAY, SENIOR STAFF'S NOT GONNA HAVE ANSWERS TO ALL THE QUESTIONS WE ASK ON JULY 28TH AND, AND BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT GONNA BE ENOUGH TIME, BUT IT WOULD BE BACK TO BACK AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE THEN TO HAVE THOSE MEETINGS NOT GIVE UP A BUDGET MEETING, THAT WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THOSE MEETINGS ARE AND HOW, HOW, AND THEY, THEY SEEM TO BECOMING MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT, I THINK.
UM, SO THAT'S THE MOTION THAT I'M, I'M, I'M PLAYING WITH IF EVERYBODY JUST GET THAT IN YOUR HEAD AND THEN WHAT WE'LL DO IS, WE'LL, I'LL CALL FOR A MOTION IN A SECOND.
COUNCIL MEMBER PUENTES, I APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING YOUR TIME.
PRETEND FOR FLAGGING THE, YOU KNOW, THE CONFLICT THERE WITH PARTICIPATING IN THE SAT CELEBRATION IN THE BUDGET WORK SESSION.
I WANTED TO TAKE A STEP BACK FOR A SECOND AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, UM, FROM THE MANAGER AS, AS TO, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE EXPECT, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR, UM, COLLEAGUES, IF Y'ALL WANNA PULL IT UP ON YOUR SCREENS.
UH, JULY 15TH IS THE FIRST BUDGET WORK SESSION, UH, DATE FLAGGED FOR NEXT YEAR.
IS THAT, AND I JUST WANNA REFRESH OUR MEMORIES ON THIS, IS THAT WHEN WE SHOULD ANTICIPATE THAT YOU WILL BE UNVEILING THE BASE PROPOSED BUDGET
[00:30:01]
AT THAT TIME JULY 15TH? YES, MA'AM.AND SO COLLEAGUES, WHAT I WANNA OFFER FOR DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION, JUST KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WE SHOULD CONSIDER MOVING THE DATES IN WHICH WE ADOPT THE BUDGET BACK ONE WEEK TO GIVE US AN ADDITIONAL WEEK FOR US TO CONSIDER THE MANAGER'S BASE BUDGET.
UH, AND THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE US HAVING THOSE BACK TO BACK WORK SESSIONS ON THE 28TH, 29TH IF WE MOVED BACK, UM, BUDGET ADOPTION WEEK TO AUGUST 18TH INSTEAD.
UM, NOW THAT WOULD PUT, YOU KNOW, A BUDGET ADOPTION WEEK AHEAD OF, UH, RIGHT BEFORE A COUNCIL MEETING WEEK INSTEAD OF GIVING US THAT WEEK IN BETWEEN.
BUT IT ALSO COULD GIVE US AN ADDITIONAL WEEK TO CONSIDER THE BUDGET AND TO WORK THROUGH, UM, THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE AND DOESN'T COMPRESS THE WORK SESSIONS AND THAT AND THE LAST WEEK OF JULY.
AND JUST GIVES US MORE TIME TO DE TO DELIBERATE.
AND SO I JUST ALSO WANTED TO OFFER THAT AS WELL.
THAT'S A'S, SO HOW ABOUT THIS SO THAT WE CAN GET A CALENDAR PASS FOR THE YEAR.
UM, MAYBE GO AHEAD AND MAKE THIS CHANGE SO WE ALSO KNOW WHAT WE'D BE DOING WITH SALTILLO, BUT HAVE A, A, A MORE THOROUGH DISCUSSION ABOUT EVERYBODY LOOK AT THIS AS, AS YOU'VE RAISED THE QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, EVERYBODY LOOK AND LET'S WORK WITH STAFF TO SEE WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PLAY OUT WITH THAT.
SO STILL MOVE FORWARD WITH ADOPTING IT.
I'M NOT SAYING, BUT, BUT FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR WE WOULD KNOW WHAT IT IS AND WE WOULD KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH REGARD TO THIS SPECIFIC ITEM ON, UH, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE SALTILLO ASPECT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO YOU? SURE.
COUNCIL MEMBER LA TOTALLY FINE WITH WHATEVER PROCESS YOU'RE, YOU, YOU WANT OF COURSE.
UM, MAYOR, UM, BUT I DID WANNA FIRST THANK COUNCIL MEMBER VALA FOR RAISING THE ISSUE.
I'LL NOTE THAT I AM ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, SO YOU GOT A FACE TO GO WITH IT.
AND I, I REALLY LIKE THE SUGGESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
UM, I THINK WE, I KNOW THAT I SEE THE VALUE THAT COULD HAVE COME FROM A LITTLE BIT, EVEN JUST A COUPLE MORE DAYS IN THE PROCESS.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD SOLUTION.
AND THE ONLY REASON I I SAY LET'S NOT MAKE THAT DECISION RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE INPUT FROM STAFF ABOUT OTHER DATES THAT MIGHT PLAY OUT, FOR EXAMPLE, AND, AND PLEASE, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THERE WILL BE A TRE.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT IS A DATE THAT HAS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT ON CALENDARS.
IF WE WERE TO DECIDE THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WANTED TO DO WHEN WE VOTE ON THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONSIDER AS PART OF THE BUDGET ANALYSIS.
THAT I DON'T WANT US JUST RIGHT NOW SAYING HERE WE'RE GONNA MAKE THOSE AND THEN WE FIND OUT WE WE'RE CONFLICTING WITH SOMETHING.
SO THAT'S WHY IF WE CAN, IF PASS THE CALENDAR WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE WILL WORK WITH STAFF ON, ON THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BEING ASKED AND THE ISSUES THAT ARE BEING RAISED.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
WELL, ACTUALLY I THINK YOU JUST OFFERED THE RESOLUTION TO MY, UM, THE THING THAT I WANTED TO NOT, IT'S NOT A QUESTION NECESSARILY, IT WAS JUST, UM, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT YOU KNOW, MYSELF AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER SITTING ON THE DAYS TODAY WON'T BE HERE WHEN THIS IS IN EFFECT AND WHEN IT AFFECTS PEOPLE.
UM, SO I JUST, I FEEL FUNNY ABOUT VOTING FOR SOMETHING THAT I WON'T BE HERE FOR.
UM, AND SO I APPRECIATE TO COUNCIL MEMBER ESIS POINT ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A SENSE OF WHERE THE FOLKS WHO WILL ACTUALLY BE HERE WHEN THIS AFFECTS YOUR SCHEDULE ARE AND DEFER TO THEM.
ALRIGHT, MAYOR PRO TIM, AND FOR TO CLOSE, AND THEN I'M GONNA ACCEPT, HAVE YOUR COMMENTS, THEY WILL SUFFICE AS A MOTION.
AND, AND I, TO YOUR POINT, AND WITH REGARD, I, I BELIEVE, AGAIN, THIS WAS BEFORE MY TIME ON COUNCIL, BUT THE BUDGET WAS A USED TO BE A LITTLE BIT LATER BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE TO THE TRE, UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF CALLING A TRE, WE STARTED THE BUDGET PROCESS SOONER, UH, TO PRESERVE THAT POSSIBILITY.
UH, I WOULD, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, STAFF IS MAKING SURE THAT TO LEAVE ALL OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO COUNCIL.
I WILL SAY JUST REALISTICALLY, I DON'T THINK WE'RE CALLING A, YOU KNOW, I, AND IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN IF THE COUNCIL, IF THE KIND OF, THE GENERAL SENSE OF THE COUNCIL IS THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE AND WE COULD KIND OF PUSH THAT BACK, UH, TO LATER IN AUGUST PER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES SUGGESTION TO GIVE EVERYBODY A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION, AND THAT'S WHY WE SHOULD HAVE THE A A WE HAVE THE MESSAGE BOARD, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS AND WE CAN DO THAT AND, AND, UM, I'M GLAD, I'M GLAD IT'S BROUGHT UP.
OBVIOUSLY IT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP, BUT SO THE MOTION THAT'S BEFORE US, THE MOTION THAT, THAT I, I, THE CHAIR ACCEPTS IS THAT THE CALENDAR BE ADOPTED WITH THE EXCEPTION
[00:35:01]
THAT INSTEAD OF THE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR 9:00 AM ON JULY 27TH, THAT BE CHANGED TO 9:00 AM JULY 28TH, I BELIEVE 10:00 AM I'M GETTING A SIGNAL FROM YEAH, WE'RE GETTING SIGNALS FROM, OKAY.CARRIE SAYING NO, SHE, SHE'S GOT NINE FINGERS HELD UP IN THE AIR.
SO, UM, I COUNTED THOSE RIGHT.
UM, OKAY, SO, UM, THE MOTION IS TO ADOPT THE CALENDAR WITH THE AMENDMENT OF, INSTEAD OF JULY 27TH AT 9:00 AM WHICH IS A TUESDAY, IT WILL BE JULY 28TH, WEDNESDAY AT 9:00 AM THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
THE CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER 17 IS ADOPTED MEMBERS, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL RECESS THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT 10 30.
MAY, EXCUSE ME, WE HAD A SPEAKER ON ITEM 17.
THANK YOU FOR THAT MS. GUZMAN.
UM, HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU AFTER WE VOTED, BUT, UH, YEAH.
I I MISSED IT AND I APOLOGIZE TO YOU.
[10:30 AM - Austin Housing Finance Corporation Meeting]
AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IS IN RECESS AT 10:35 AM AND I WILL NOW CALL TO ORDER THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.WE HAVE A QUORUM OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF, UH, OF MANAGERS, UH, PRESENT AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESENT.
AND WE ARE MEETING IN AUSTIN CITY HALL LOCATED, UH, AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS AND I'LL RECOGNIZE STAFF.
I'M THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR THE AUSTIN HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
WE HAVE THREE ITEMS ON CONSENT AND A PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, ITEM NUMBER ONE IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS FOR JULY 23RD AND AUGUST 20, OR AUGUST 12TH, 2026.
ITEM TWO IS ALSO RELATED TO OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, ITEM TWO IS TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE ISSUANCE OF A HFC.
MULTIFAMILY HOUSING REVENUE BONDS IN AN AMOUNT UP TO $33 MILLION TO ELBRIDGE PRESERVATION LP FOR THE ACQUISITION AND REHABILITATION OF ELM RIDGE APARTMENTS LOCATED AT 1190 AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
THIS IS AN EXISTING APARTMENT COMPLEX OF 130 UNITS LOCATED IN DISTRICT ONE.
UM, ALL 130 UNITS WILL BE INCOME RESTRICTED AT 30% MFI.
THESE FUNDS WILL HELP WITH THE RENOVATION OF THOSE UNITS.
ITEM NUMBER THREE IS THE AUTHORIZATION OF AMENDMENT TO AN EXISTING CONTRACT WITH THE AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAGUE, AUSTIN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, EASTERSEALS, CENTRAL TEXAS.
INTERFAITH ACTION OF CENTRAL TEXAS MEALS ON WHEELS AND MORE, AND REBUILDING TOGETHER TO FUND AND ADMINISTER THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FUNDED HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, WHICH IS CALLED GO REPAIR.
UM, THIS ITEM WILL EXTEND THE CONTRACT TERM TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2028 AND INCREASE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE CONTRACTS TO UP BY $10 MILLION TO A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $32 MILLION FOR ALL CONTRACTS.
THIS FUNDING IS COMING FROM 2022 GO BONDS.
AND THEN ITEM FOUR IS OUR PUBLIC HEARING, UM, FOR THE ISSUANCE OF THE A HFC MULTIFAMILY HOUSING REVENUE BONDS UP TO 33 30 $3 MILLION TO ELMER PRESERVATION LP FOR THE ACQUISITION AND REHABILITATION OF ELM RIDGE APARTMENTS AT 1190 AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE NEED TO TAKE UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THAT'S I I HAD IT FOR BEFORE THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF BEFORE WE GO? MEMBERS OF WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE PUBLIC HEARING ON AL AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS NOW OPEN AND THEN WE WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN I WILL SEEK A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
WE WILL HAVE SPEAKERS IF THERE ARE SPEAKERS ON ITEMS ONE, TWO, AND THREE ONCE WE HAVE A MOTION WITH REGARD TO CONSENT AGENDA.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR, AND I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK.
MS. JOSEPH, ARE YOU HERE, MS. JOSEPH? THAT CONCLUDES ALL SPEAKERS FOR ITEM FOUR MEMBERS.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT ITEM, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
I'LL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEMS A HFC ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
[00:40:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER, BOARD MEMBER SIEGEL MOVES APPROVAL OF THOSE ITEMS. IT IS SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER HARPER MADISON, I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK FOR SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.SPEAKING ON, ON ITEMS HFC ONE, HFC TWO, AND HF C3 ENOVIA JOSEPH, MS. JOSEPH, I DO NOT SEE HER.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL SPEAKERS MEMBERS WE HAVE HEARD.
UH, WE, THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS ON THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, A BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING.
LET ME ASK, IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK WITH REGARD TO THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ? IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO ABSTAIN FROM A VOTE ON ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT'S BEEN READ? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ANY ITEM ON THE A HFC CONSENT AGENDA? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
THE A HFC CONSENT AGENDA, ITEMS ONE, TWO, AND THREE ARE ALL ADOPTED.
UH, MEMBERS, THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION AT THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE A HFC BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 10:39 AM MEMBERS THAT WILL NOW TAKE
[27. Conduct a public hearing and consider a resolution approving the development by Elm Ridge Preservation, LP, or an affiliated entity, to be known as Elm Ridge Apartments, located at or near 1190 Airport Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78702, for the acquisition and rehabilitation of a multifamily residential development to be partly financed through private activity bonds issued by Austin Housing Finance Corporation. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.]
US TO ITEM NUMBER 27.AS I INDICATED, WE WOULD TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 27 FOLLOWING THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK FOR SPEAKERS SPEAKING ON ITEM 27, PHILIP FITZGERALD AND ENOVIA JOSEPH, MR. FITZGERALD, WAS YOU WANNA SPEAK FIFTH? YES, SIR.
THIS IS, UM, RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELM RIDGE PRESERVATION LP OR AN AFFILIATED ENTITY.
UM, HE, MR. FITZGERALD IS PASSING MS. JOSEPH, MS. JOSEPH, THAT CONCLUDES ALL SPEAKERS, MAYOR MEMBERS THAT IT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS.
UH, WE, BY THE WAY, WE, UH, I SHOULD HAVE OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 27.
UH, UH, LET ME OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING WITHOUT OBJECTION.
UH, MR. FITZGERALD, YOU STILL DON'T WANT TO WISH TO SPEAK, RIGHT? ALL RIGHT.
AND MS. JOSEPH ISN'T HERE, SO THERE ARE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER 27.
SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM NUMBER 27.
AND NOW I'LL ENTERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL MOVES APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 27? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
[Items 24 & 25]
WILL TAKE US TO ITEMS NUMBER 24 AND ITEM NUMBER 25.I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK TO CALL FOR SPEAKERS ON ITEMS 24 AND 25.
THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 24, UM, MEMBERS.
UH, HOW ABOUT NUMBER 25? NO SPEAKERS FOR ITEM 25 MEMBERS.
THERE BEING NO SPEAKERS ON ITEMS NUMBER 24 AND NUMBER 25 WITH RESPECT TO THOSE TWO ITEMS, 24 AND 25, THEY ARE BOTH NON-CONSENT CONDEMNATION ITEMS AND THE MOTION THAT I'LL ACCEPT IS TO THE EFFECT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF AUTHOR AUSTIN AUTHORIZES THE USE OF THE POWER OF IMMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY SET FORTH AND DESCRIBED IN THE AGENDA FOR THIS CURRENT MEETING FOR THE PUBLIC USES THAT ARE DESCRIBED THEREIN IS, ARE THERE, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT ITEMS 24 AND 25? SUBJECT TO WHAT I'VE READ INTO THE RECORD, IT'S MAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
IS THERE DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO ITEMS 24 AND 25? HEARING NONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
ITEMS 24 AND 25 ARE ADOPTED MEMBERS.
UM, THAT LEAVES US WITH OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN AS THE NEXT ITEM THAT WE CAN TAKE UP.
WHAT I'M GOING TO, YES, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE.
UM, I I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE STUDENTS VISITING TODAY FROM OH, GOOD.
UH, UT AND THE JOURNALISM AND MEDIA PRO TRACK PROGRAM, WHICH SOUNDS VERY COOL.
UH, THEIR GRAD STUDENTS ARE SITTING IN ON THE COUNCIL MEETING AND, AND WRITING ABOUT SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE, UM, DELIBERATING ON TODAY.
THANK YOU, UM, MEMBERS, BECAUSE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS SET FOR A 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, MY RECOMMENDATION,
[Executive Session]
UNLESS THERE'S OBJECTION, IS THAT WE TAKE UP AN ITEM THAT, UH, WE NEED TO TAKE UP IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.UM, AND THAT BEING THE CASE, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW GO INTO A CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP ONE ITEM PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0 71 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE.
THE CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO ITEM NUMBER 37, DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO LEVINS ED AL VERSUS CITY OF AUSTIN, AL D DASH ONE DASH GN DASH 26 DASH 0 9 27 IN THE 53RD DISTRICT COURT IN TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS, CONCERNING A LEGAL CHALLENGE TO DOG'S HEAD TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 21 MEMBERS.
THIS IS A PRIVATE CONSULTATION WITH OUR LEGAL COUNSEL.
AGAIN, AS I'VE INDICATED PURSUANT TO SECTION
[00:45:01]
5 5 1 0 7, 1 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO GOING INTO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEM ANNOUNCED? HEARING NONE COUNSEL WILL NOW GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS I, I ANTICIPATE WE WILL FINISH THE EXECUTIVE SESSION BEFORE THE 12 O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN, I WILL COME BACK AND I ANNOUNCE WHEN WE ARE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC WILL KNOW WE ARE WAITING ON COUNCIL TO BE HERE.
I THINK SO IT MAY BE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DON'T START THE EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES.
I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WE'RE, WE MAY, IT MAY BE A SHORTER EXECUTIVE SESSION THAN WHAT IT APPEARS, BUT I'LL COME BACK OUT AND LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHEN WE'RE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AS I INDICATED WE ARE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION IS 10:44 AM THANKS EVERYBODY.
[12:00 PM - Public Communication: General]
EVERYBODY.IT'S NOON AT 12 O'CLOCK AND I WILL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD AT THE CLOSE OF THE, UH, AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
WE, UH, ADJOURN THAT MEETING AND WE OBVIOUSLY CALLED BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND PASSED ITEM NUMBER 27.
UH, WE ARE ALSO, FOR THE RECORD, I ANNOUNCED IN PUBLIC THAT WE HAD COMPLETED THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, UH, AND WE'RE IN RECESS UNTIL NOON.
SO I'LL CALL US BACK TO ORDER.
AND THAT IS FOR OUR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TIME CERTAIN, AND I'LL TURN TO THE CITY CLERK.
LEMME SAY TO THOSE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'VE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UH, SHE'S GONNA CALL NAMES AND, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR OF YOU AT A TIME, GO AHEAD AND MAKE YOUR WAY UP AND THAT WAY YOU'LL, UH, BE READY TO GO AND, AND, UM, UH, IN THE ORDER THAT SHE CALLS YOU, ALL WE ASK IS THAT YOU STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL UH, TURN IT AND I SAID SHE, BUT, UH, I, I MESSED THAT UP.
THAT'S ONLY, THAT'S ONLY THE FIRST MISTAKE I'VE MADE TODAY.
SO, UM, FIRST WE WILL HAVE SERENE ANDAL IN PERSON.
HI, DO YOU NEED ME TO STATE MY NAME, PLEASE? OKAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HERE WOULD WANT A FIVE STORY BUILDING BUILT DIRECTLY BEHIND THEIR HOME WITH 800 NEW NEIGHBORS.
I AM A DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENT AND A HOMEOWNER LIVING IN INDEPENDENCE PARK.
LESS THAN 300 FEET FROM THE 6,200 MINKA SITE.
I'M ALSO A LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENT.
FOR ME, THAT QUESTION ISN'T A HYPOTHETICAL.
IT'S WHAT MY NEIGHBORS AND I ARE FACING RIGHT NOW.
I STRONGLY OPPOSE THE DENSITY AND SCALE OF THE CITY'S PROPOSED REZONING OF MENCHACA 6,200 MENCHACA TO MF FOUR NP.
THE PROPOSED REZONING WOULD ALLOW UP TO 275 UNITS ON 4.9 ACRES.
THAT'S ROUGHLY 10 TIMES THE DENSITY OF A SINGLE FAMILY BLOCK LIKE MINE.
WITH AN ESTIMATED 800 NEW RESIDENTS OR MORE, ONLY A QUARTER OF THE SITE FACES MENCHACA THE OTHER THREE QUARTERS BORDER STREETS OF ONE AND TWO STORY HOMES.
I INVITE EACH OF YOU TO COME TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WALK OUR STREETS.
YOU WILL HAVE NO DOUBT HOW INAPPROPRIATE A DEV A DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SIZE IS.
AND WHILE YOU'RE HERE, TRY TURNING LEFT ONTO MINKA AT 5:00 PM THERE IS NO TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT THE SITE AND NO CENTER TURN.
LANE DRIVERS WHO CAN'T MAKE THAT LEFT TURN WILL TURN RIGHT AND CUT THROUGH A QUIET RESIDENTIAL STREET.
AND YET THE CITY IS NOT REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A TRAFFIC STUDY BEFORE SEEKING A REZONING OF THIS MAGNITUDE.
BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE AS A REAL ESTATE AGENT, A FIVE STORY DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SCALE COULD SIGNIFICANTLY AND NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE VALUE OF IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING HOMES.
WHEN A NEIGHBOR ASKED THE LEAD AUSTIN HOUSING REPRESENTATIVE AT THE SEPTEMBER 23RD OPEN HOUSE WHETHER THEIR HOME'S VALUE COULD BE AFFECTED, THE RESPONSE WAS SIMPLY NO.
WHICH I BELIEVE SIMPLY ISN'T THE CASE.
THAT SAME LACK OF UNDERSTANDING APPLIES TO MANY OF OUR OTHER CONCERNS.
IT'S EASY TO LOOK AT A SITE ON A COMPUTER SCREEN AND PURSUE MAXIMUM DENSITY, BUT TOO MANY KEY FACTS, CONCERNS AND IMPACTS HAVE BEEN INADEQUATELY EVALUATED AND UNDER RESEARCHED BY THE CITY.
A DECISION THIS PERMANENT DESERVES A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF ITS IMPACT ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND RESIDENTS, WHICH SHOULD HAVE COME BEFORE THE CITY APPLIED FOR AND ACTIVELY PURSUED THIS REZONING.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN IS IN PLACE PRECISELY TO PROTECT ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS FROM INCOMPATIBLE DEVELOPMENTS OF THIS SCALE.
[00:50:01]
CITY COUNCIL TO OPPOSE THIS RADICAL REZONING AND I ASK THE CITY TO PAUSE ITS CURRENT REZONING APPLICATION.GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WATSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS JEREMY GAGAN AND I LIVE IN INDEPENDENCE PARK IN SOUTH AUSTIN, DISTRICT FIVE.
MY PARTNER TIFFANY AND I BOUGHT OUR HOME THERE IN 2017.
WHILE WE WERE STILL LIVING IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, WE WERE VISITING AUSTIN AND HAPPENED TO LOOK AT A HOUSE IN INDEPENDENCE PARK.
FROM THE MOMENT WE ENTERED THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT FELT DIFFERENT.
WE KNEW WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BUY THAT HOUSE, AND WE DID.
AT THE TIME I WORKED FOR AN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM AS AN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER.
MUCH OF MY MORE THAN 20 YEAR CAREER HAS INVOLVED LARGE MULTI-FAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
I BELIEVE IT CAN GIVE PEOPLE DIGNITY, STABILITY, AUTONOMY, AND OPPORTUNITY.
BUT THE SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS I WORKED ON ALSO RESPECTED THE COMMUNITY AROUND THEM.
WE TOOK GREAT CARE TO DESIGN BUILDINGS THAT RESPONDED TO THE SCALE AND CHARACTER OF THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S WHY I WAS SO CONCERNED WHEN I LEARNED WHAT IS BEING CONSIDERED AT 6,200 MENCHACA DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO INDEPENDENCE PARK.
A FIVE STORY APARTMENT BUILDING CAN BE ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE IN AN URBAN OR HIGHER DENSITY CONTEXT, BUT INDEPENDENCE PARK CONSISTS OF ONE AND TWO STORY HOMES, AS DO THE OTHER RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES SURROUNDING THIS SITE.
A ROUGHLY 60 FOOT BUILDING IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THOSE HOMES WOULD CREATE AN ABRUPT TRANSITION IN SCALE WITH UPPER FLOORS OVERLOOKING BACKYARDS AND HOMES THAT WERE NEVER DESIGNED FOR THAT RELATIONSHIP.
I WORRIED THAT THIS APPROACH WILL UNNECESSARILY CREATE CONFLICT BETWEEN EXISTING NEIGHBORS AND THE FUTURE RESIDENTS OF THE SUPPORTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT IF AUSTIN DID SOMETHING BETTER HERE? WHAT IF THE CITY REDUCED THE SCALE AND CREATED A COMMUNITY OF TOWN HOMES AND LOWER RISE HOUSING THAT INTEGRATED AFFORDABLE HOUSING INTO THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD? IMAGINE A PROJECT WHERE NEW RESIDENTS FELT THAT THEY WERE PART OF THE COMMUNITY RATHER THAN PLACED IN A DEVELOPMENT PHYSICALLY SEPARATED FROM IT.
THAT COULD BECOME A MODEL FOR HOW AUSTIN INTEGRATES AFFORDABLE HOUSING INTO ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND MY SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISN'T THEORETICAL.
I VOTED FOR AUSTIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BONDS BECAUSE I BELIEVE DEEPLY IN THEIR PURPOSE.
NOW I'M ASKING THE CITY TO DO ITS PART BY BUILDING THAT HOUSING THOUGHTFULLY.
I RESPECTFULLY ASKED COUNCIL NOT TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE UNTIL A SOLUTION IS DEVELOPED THAT PROVIDES MEANINGFUL LIMITS ON HEIGHT AND DENSITY AND CREATES AN APPROPRIATE TRANSITION TO THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE CAN BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT 6,200 MENCHACA.
WE CAN ALSO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
THOSE GOALS DO NOT HAVE TO BE IN CONFLICT.
MOVING BACK TO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS, ROBERT GONZALEZ, TARA CARR, JERRY FLOR, BRIAN POWERS, GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR AND AUDIBLE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR AFFORDING THE 6,200 MENCHACA NEIGHBORS, AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY.
TO QUOTE A FAMOUS LINE FROM STAR TREK.
THE NEEDS OF THE MANY OUTWEIGH THE NEEDS OF THE FEW OR THE ONE.
THIS QUOTE SEEMS APPROPRIATE TODAY AS WE DISCUSS THE CITY'S PLANS FOR A HIGH DENSITY, AFFORDABLE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
SEVEN, MY GROUP WILL SHARE HOW OUT OF SCALE A FIVE STORY BUILDING NEXT DOOR TO SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IS AND HOW THIS ZONING REQUEST VIOLATES THE VERY PREMISE OF THE SOUTH AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN TO PRESERVE UNIQUE NEIGHBORHOOD CULTURES.
OTHERS IN OUR GROUP WILL QUESTION WHETHER A CITY TRAFFIC PLANNER IS MADE AN AN INVERT NARROW ON THE LAST TRAFFIC STUDY AND WILL REQUEST A NEW TRAFFIC STUDY.
BUT I WANNA SPEAK TO SOMETHING ELSE.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF THE MANY CHECK FACEBOOK AND NEXTDOOR POSTS.
AND YOU WILL SEE A PLETHORA OF POSTS WITH THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY STAYING.
WE ARE NOT AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WE SUPPORT A LOWER NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WILL NOT ADD TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND INVADE THE PRIVACY OF ADJACENT HOMEOWNERS.
WE HAVE AN UNOFFICIAL ONLINE PETITION OF MORE THAN 500 SIGNATURES.
THESE ARE THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT A PROPOSED 275 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT IS SQUEEZED ONTO LESS THAN FIVE ACRES.
[00:55:02]
IMAGINE A FAMILY BARBECUE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD FROM JUST 25 FEET AWAY FROM YOUR BACK FENCE IS A 60 FOOT TALL APARTMENT BUILDING WITH PRYING EYES.LET'S NOT TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE BALANCE ACT YOU WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH BEFORE RETIRING TO AUSTIN 12 YEARS AGO, I SERVED ON A SMALL HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR ADVOCACY AND DESIRE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOWEVER, MY PURPOSE TODAY IS TO MAKE A VERY REASONABLE REQUEST.
WILL YOU HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON ON THE PROJECT AND LET OUR GROUP SIT DOWN WITH CITY OFFICIALS? WE WOULD WELCOME A MEETING WITH MR. ALTER AND CITY PLANNERS TO FIND MIDDLE GROUND.
WE'VE ALREADY HEARD THE PLATITUDES AND PLACATION AT OPEN HOUSES AND FOCUS GROUPS.
LET'S CHECK THOSE APPEASEMENT AT THE DOOR AND BEGIN SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS THAT START WITH FOUR WORDS.
WE HEAR YOUR CONCERNS AFTER SPEAKING TO SCORES OF PEOPLE, MY COLLEAGUES AND I HEARD OVER AND OVER FROM THE PUBLIC.
THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS CONTROL THE CITY COUNCIL.
I ASK YOU TO GIVE THOSE DOUBTERS A REASON TO BELIEVE IN YOU.
AGAIN, PLEASE PAUSE THE REZONING APPLICATION UNTIL AFTER THE NEW COUNCIL IS SEATED IN JANUARY, 2027.
WHAT'S A HURRY? INTEREST RATES ARE AT 7.25%.
GIVES US THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO CO-AUTHOR OR COMPROMISE.
THERE'S A WIN-WIN FOR THE CITY AND SOUTH AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS.
TOGETHER WE CAN FIND A FAIR SOLUTION THAT WILL SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE MANY, THE FEW AND THE ONE AT THE SAME TIME.
MAY YOU LIVE LONG AND PROSPER.
WELL DONE, SIR, CAN YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME REAL QUICK FOR THE RECORD? MY NAME IS ROBERT GONZALEZ.
MR. SMITH, WHO IS IT NEXT? UH, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO, WHO, WHOEVER WANTS TO GO.
JUST SAY, SAY YOUR NAME SO WE DON'T I DON'T I DON'T THINK YOU'RE MR. SMITH AND I THINK YOU'RE
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I LIVE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM 6,200 MINCHA ROAD IN THE GARRISON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M HERE TODAY TO OPPOSE THE PROPOSED REZONING OF THE PROPERTY FROM SF TWO NP TO MF FOUR.
LET ME BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT I'M ASKING.
I DO NOT OPPOSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THIS SITE.
WHAT DO I OPPOSE? IS THE DENSITY BEING PROPOSED UP TO 275 UNITS AND ESPECIALLY THE 330 UNITS? THE CITY'S OWN APPRAISAL SAYS THE ZONING WOULD ALLOW.
I LIVE THIS IMPACT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC TO WILLIAM CANNON ALREADY BACKS UP OUR STREET SO BADLY THAT IT CAN TAKE ME 15 MINUTES JUST TO GET OUT OF MY OWN DRIVEWAY.
ADDING DENSITY AT THIS SCALE MEANS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE CARS CONGESTION.
AND HONESTLY, IT SCARES ME TO THINK ABOUT HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE OR HOW SAFELY I WOULD BE ABLE TO BACK OUT OF MY OWN DRIVEWAY IF THIS IS A, IF THIS IS APPROVED.
STREET PARKING ISN'T A PROBLEM TODAY, BUT I DEEPLY, I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT MF FOUR DENSITY WILL PUSH PARKING OVERFLOW UP THROUGH PARKSIDE LANE AND AFFECT THE ENTIRE GARRISON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS ISN'T JUST A TRAFFIC CONCERN.
IT IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S OWN PLANNING DOCUMENTS.
THE IMAGINE AUSTIN, AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATES THE AREA AS NEIGHBORHOOD CORE AND NEIGHBORHOOD NODE.
THERE'S NOTHING NEARBY BUILT ANYWHERE NEAR THE SCALE BEING PROPOSED.
AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY APPROVED TO UPDATE THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN 2027 APPROVING A ZONING CHANGE OF THIS MAGNITUDE AHEAD OF THAT UPDATE SEEMS PREMATURE AND AT A STEP WITH YOUR OWN PROCESS.
THE SOUTH AUSTIN COM COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN IS EVEN MORE SPECIFIC.
ON PAGE 48, IT STATES THAT DEVELOPMENT OF RESIDENTIAL CORE SHOULD MAINTAIN, AND THIS IS A QUOTE, MAINTAIN THE RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER OF THE DISTRICT AND BE COMPATIBLE WITH EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD.
ON PAGE 52, IT ACTUALLY RECOMMENDS THE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING WHERE POSSIBLE MF FOUR IS NOT MISSING.
MIDDLE STATING PLAINLY THAT THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT SHOULD NOT BE ZONED LARGER THAN MF ONE, AND THAT THE MASS HEIGHT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESIDENTIAL CORE COULD BE PHYSICALLY AND PHYSICALLY COMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD.
MF FOUR IS NOT THAT 275 UNITS IS NOT THAT.
AND 330 UNITS IS CERTAINLY NOT THAT.
I'M ASKING YOU TO HONOR YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, RESPECT THE TIMELINE OF YOUR PLANNING PROCESS AND BRING THIS PROPOSAL BACK IN LINE WITH THE MISSING MIDDLE AND FX SF SIX DENSITY WOULD ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE ON THIS SITE.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD COMPATIBILITY ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE AND I'M ASKING YOU TO REQUIRE BOTH.
[01:00:05]
HOW'S IT GOING? BRIAN POWERS? UH, GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.I LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE AND MY PROPERTY DIRECTLY BACKS UP TO 6,200 MANCHACA.
WHEN I OPEN MY BACK DOOR EVERY MORNING TO LET MY DOG OUT, I SEE TREES, OWLS, FOXES, HAWKS, CARDINALS AND EVEN THE OCCASIONAL ARMADILLO FOR ALMOST SEVEN YEARS, THAT BACKYARD HAS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS THAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT LIVING IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
AND I DO WANNA MAKE THIS CLEAR LIKE MANY OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE, WE'RE NOT AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOUSING, JUST NOT AGAINST AT THE SCOPE OF WHERE IT'S AT.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO WORK WITH US ON THE SCALE OF THIS PROJECT BEFORE MAKING A DECISION THAT CAN'T BE EASILY UNDONE.
RIGHT NOW, THE PROPOSAL ALLOWS UP TO 275 UNITS, AND THE BUILDINGS ARE FOUR TO FIVE STORIES TALL.
THERE ISN'T EVEN A SELECTED DEVELOPMENT PARTNER YET.
WHY ARE WE RUSHING TO REZONE FIRST? ESPECIALLY WHEN RECENT REPORTS FOUND THAT AUSTIN HAS UP TO 4,500 UNIFIED UNITS CLASSIFIED AS AFFORDABLE WITH A 16% VACANCY RATE.
SO THERE'S 720 AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE, AVAILABLE UNITS RIGHT? NOW.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT AUSTIN DOESN'T NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT ABSOLUTELY DOES, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT WE HAVE TIME TO GET THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT RIGHT.
MY NEIGHBORS AND I HAVE ATTENDED MEETINGS, WE'VE WRITTEN EMAILS, WE'VE ASKED QUESTIONS, AND MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED OR CHANGED.ORG PETITION, AND YET WE STILL DON'T FEEL HEARD.
I'VE ASKED SOME VERY BASIC QUESTIONS, HOW CLOSE COULD THIS DEVELOPMENT BE TO MY FENCE? AND I'VE HEARD ANSWERS FROM DIFFERENT STEP BACKS, BUFFERS, BUILDINGS, PARKINGS, AND DRAINAGE, AND EVENTUALLY THE ANSWER COMES BACK AS WE DON'T KNOW YET.
IF WE DON'T KNOW YET, THEN WHY ARE WE REZONING IT? NOW? WE'VE WATCHED SIMILAR BATTLES HAPPEN IN ROSEDALE CIRCLE C AND OTHER AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS.
RESIDENTS SHOW UP, THEY ORGANIZE, THEY ASK FOR CHANGE, AND THE REZONING STILL MOVES FORWARD.
ROSEDALE WAS REZONED JUST WEEKS AGO, DESPITE A VALID PETITION OPPOSING THE REZONING THAT LEAVES PEOPLE WONDERING WHETHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTUALLY CHANGES ANYTHING.
YOU RECENTLY QUOTED SAYING OUTREACH MATTERS, BUT ELECTED OFFICIALS DON'T.
ELECTED OFFICIALS CANNOT SIMPLY FOLLOW PUBLIC OPINION.
YOU CAN'T ALWAYS CATER TO THE LOUDEST VOICE.
YOU CAN'T EVEN DO THE THING THAT IS MOST POPULAR.
IF WE ONLY DID THINGS THAT EVERYONE AGREED UPON, WE WOULD NEVER TAKE THAT BIG STEP FORWARD.
WHEN I FIRST READ THAT, I THOUGHT OUR FIGHT WAS DONE AND WE HAD NO CHANCE.
Y'ALL ALREADY MADE UP YOUR MIND AND THIS WAS GOING TO BE ANOTHER REESTER REZONING.
THEN I STARTED THINKING 6,200 COULD BE YOUR BIG STEP.
6,200 MANCHA CAN GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, TO SHOW THE PUBLIC THAT YOU CAN WORK WITH THE PEOPLE AND TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT'S GREAT FOR ALL OF BOSTON.
SO I ASK YOU THIS, GIVE US A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH THE ACTUAL DEVELOPER, FIND A SOLUTION THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE PROUD OF.
WE'RE HERE, WE'RE WILLING TO WORK.
PLEASE SHOW US THAT WE CAN BE HEARD AND ACTUALLY CHANGE THE OUTCOME.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
TODAY I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING MY SON AND SOME OF HIS CLASSMATES FROM UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HERE WITH ME.
THEY ARE EXPERIENCING, UH, COUNCIL ELECTIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT CIVIC DUTY AND ONE OF ITS MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS SHOWING UP.
SO THAT IS WHAT I'M DOING TODAY.
I'VE SPENT TIME THIS YEAR PARTICIPATING IN THE LAKE AUSTIN STAKEHOLDER GROUP, AND IN 2025 ATTENDED NUMEROUS MEETINGS, TOWN HALLS, AND SPOKE PUBLICLY ABOUT THE RETURN OF HYDRA TO LAKE AUSTIN.
DESPITE THIS TIME SPENT, THE PROBLEM IS FAR FROM RESOLVED.
IN FACT, IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT CITY STAFF DO NOT CONSIDER A LAKE DRAWDOWN AN EFFECTIVE HYDRILLA MANAGEMENT TOOL.
WATERSHED PROTECTION SAID AS MUCH IN THEIR JULY 20, 25 MEMO AND IDENTIFIED GRASS CARP STALKING AS THE CITY'S PREFERRED MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.
WHAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS HOW WE WENT FROM 74 ACRES OF HYDRA IN JUNE OF 2025 TO CURRENT CONDITIONS.
LAKE AUSTIN IS NOW COVERED IN ALMOST 600 ACRES OF HYDRA, A NON-NATIVE, HIGHLY INVASIVE, FEDERALLY LISTED NOXIOUS WEED.
ALL OF THIS LED UP TO A DRAWDOWN ANNOUNCED WITH 53 DAYS NOTICE CAUSING RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND LAKE USERS TO SPEND WEEKS SCRAMBLING FOR A MAJOR DISRUPTION ONLY FOR IT TO BE CANCELED.
THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES, BUT TOGETHER THEY ILLUSTRATE THE SAME PROBLEM.
LAKE AUSTIN NEEDS A CLEAR, COORDINATED, PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.
AND WHILE I HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS, I FIRMLY BELIEVE EFFECTIVE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE PART OF THAT STRATEGY.
I AM ASKING THE ENTIRE COUNCIL TO CARE ABOUT THIS.
NOT ONLY DISTRICT 10 AND NOT ONLY THE MEMBERS OF THE CLIMATE, WATER ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE.
I GREW UP IN WHAT IS NOW DISTRICT EIGHT, ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T IN THE CITY LIMITS THEN.
[01:05:01]
I'VE LIVED AND WORKED IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT.LIKE MOST AUSTINITES, I DO NOT EXIST IN A SINGLE DISTRICT.
AND LAKE AUSTIN DOESN'T ONLY BELONG TO THE DISTRICT WHERE IT IS LOCATED.
IT IS A DRINKING WATER SOURCE, A RECREATIONAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE.
AND PART OF WHAT MAKES AUSTIN, AUSTIN, YOUR CONSTITUENTS USE IT.
SOME RELY ON IT, AND THEY ALL DESERVE TO KNOW THERE IS A PLAN TO PROTECT IT.
SO I'M ASKING ALL OF YOU TO BE THE SQUEAKY WHEEL.
ASK CITY STAFF, WHAT ARE OUR HYDRO MANAGEMENT TARGETS? WHAT TRIGGERS ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION? HOW ARE WE COORDINATING WITH T-P-W-D-L-C-R-A AND OTHER AGENCIES? WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THIS YEAR'S PLANNED AND CANCELED DRAWDOWN? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? AND WHEN PLEASE ASK THOSE QUESTIONS BEFORE TOO LATE MEANS A PREVENTABLE HYDRA RELATED EMERGENCY OR WORSE A TRAGEDY.
I DON'T EVER WANT TO SHOW UP HERE AND SAY, I TOLD YOU SO AFTER NEARLY TWO YEARS OF SHOWING UP, I'M STILL ASKING ONE VERY SIMPLE QUESTION, WHAT IS THE PLAN? AND I WILL KEEP SHOWING UP BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I HOPE THESE KIDS LEARN SOMETHING HERE TODAY THAT SHOWING UP MATTERS.
BUT THE OTHER HALF OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IS THAT EVENTUALLY SOMEONE HAS TO LISTEN AND ACT.
TRISTAN HYDE, RYAN GUTHRIE, TRISTAN HYDE, RYAN GUTHRIE.
ALRIGHT, MAYOR, WE'LL MOVE TO A REMOTE SPEAKER.
UM, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE IDEA OF DECENTRALIZATION AND KIND OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY.
UM, COULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME FOR RECORD? I THINK IT'S INTERESTING TO YES, SIR.
UM, TALK, TALKING ABOUT LAKE AUSTIN AND, YOU KNOW, OUR, THE WAY WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN AUSTIN WHERE THERE ARE THESE DISTRICTS WITH, UM, KINDA LIKE A MINI MAYOR OF EACH DISTRICT IN A WAY.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A CERTAIN KIND OF A PROBLEM, YOU GO TO YOUR YOUR COUNCIL PERSON.
UM, IT MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING IDEA IF WE HAD A COUNCIL THAT WAS MIXED, THAT WAS SOME PEOPLE THAT REPRESENTED DISTRICTS AND SOME PEOPLE THAT WERE AT LARGE.
AND, UM, JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
HOW WOULD IT BE DIFFERENT? UM, BECAUSE YEAH, LIKE, LIKE OFTEN THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE, THEY DON'T REALLY BELONG TO ONE DISTRICT, BUT THEY'RE PRETTY IMPORTANT TO EVERYBODY.
UM, AND I ALSO THINK IT CREATES, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY PROBLEMS, BUT IF PEOPLE WANNA RUN FOR GOVERNMENT, UM, BUT LIKE MAYBE THEY LIKE THEIR COUNCIL PERSON, THEY DON'T WANNA RUN AGAINST THEM, IT WOULD KIND OF GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, NOT HAVE TO RUN AGAINST AN INCUMBENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT YEAH, I THINK, UM, DECENTRALIZATION GOOD IN SOME THINGS.
NOT GOOD IN SOME THINGS, BUT LIKE, UM, I ALWAYS APPRECIATE, UM, THE INSTITUTION OF, OF PUBLIC INPUT THAT'S REALLY DECENTRALIZED, THAT THING WE'RE GONNA TAKE PUBLIC INPUT AND HOW THAT HAPPENS AND HOW MUCH OF THAT FOR VARIOUS ISSUES BECAUSE IF THAT ENERGY IS THERE, IT HAS A WAY OF COMING OUT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER THAT IF, IF THERE'S A PROCESS AND ALL THE PUBLIC INPUT DOESN'T REALLY HAPPEN, YOU MIGHT WIND UP WITH A COURT CHALLENGE ON SOMETHING AND THE TIMELINE CAN GET STRETCHED OUT AND IT KIND OF JUST FEELS NICER TO HAVE PUBLIC INPUT.
BUT ALSO IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S AN INSTITUTION.
WE THINK OF OUR INSTITUTIONS AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE A BUSINESS OR A PUBLIC THING, BUT IT'S ALSO THESE PROCESSES WHERE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE.
ALL SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION HAVE BEEN CALLED.
MEMBERS, AS YOU JUST HEARD, ALL OF THE SPEAKERS ON OUR 12 O'CLOCK TIME, CERTAIN PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS HAVE BEEN CALLED, UH, THERE BEING NO BUSINESS UNTIL OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME.
CERTAIN, UH, WE'RE GOING TO RECESS.
ALTHOUGH I WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO STAY BECAUSE WHEN WE RECESS, WE'RE GONNA SET UP FOR OUR LIVE MUSIC, WHICH WE TYPICALLY HAVE AFTER OUR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, UH, THAT, THAT WILL OCCUR MOMENTARILY.
BUT WE WILL BE IN RECESS AND, AND UNLESS THERE'S AN OBJECTION, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IS IN RECESS UNTIL 2:00 PM IT IS 1223.
[Live Music - Donna]
EVERYONE.UH, MY NAME IS COUNCILMAN RIZZO.
KARI PROUDLY REPRESENTING DISTRICT NINE ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
UH, I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THIS, UH, MUSICAL PERFORMANCE, UH, BOTH AS AN AUSTINITE, AS A DISTRICT
[01:10:01]
NINE RESIDENT, AS A RESIDENT OF MILLER, AND AS SOMEONE WHO IS NEIGHBOR ISH, UH, YOU KNOW, WI WITH THE FOLKS THAT, UH, FROM, FROM THIS BAND, UH, GOT TO HEAR BRETT GO SOLO, UM, AT A, AT A MILLER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING.I'M LIKE, YOU GOTTA COME AND AND PERFORM AT CITY HALL.
SO, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, UH, I PRESENT TO Y'ALL, UH, DONNA, THE BAND, HAPPY DONNA DAY, AND ALSO WITH YOU
THIS IS LOGAN GARZA AND THIS IS BRETT LAND.
SEE MORE BAR FREQUENT EVERY NIGHT.
SECOND THURSDAY, THERE'S AN OPEN MIC AND SOME NEW GIRL WALKS IN THE PLACE.
I REALIZED IT WAS THE BAPTIST PREACHER'S DAUGHTER WHEN SHE STOLE MY C AND THERE I KNEW I NEVER FALLEN HARDER, BROTHER.
I WAS IN DEEP S**T WHEN I I LOW WITH THE ROCK AND BEFORE I EVER HEARD SONG, THE STAGE, WE, FOR A WHILE, SHE GAINED SOME REGIONAL TENSION, SAID I MY HEAD, WALKED INSIDE LOVE AND STRANGE BECAME BEST LYRICA WHEN SHE WAS SO INTO THE IT'S NOW.
AND I HARDLY EVER SEE, BUT I HEAR, I JUST WANT SONGS.
[01:15:10]
WITH MY ROCK.WE, WELL, YOU SAID WE COULD DO THREE MORE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA DO ONE CALLED, UH, SHUT UP.
AND LISTEN, WE WROTE THIS SONG ALMOST CLOSE TO A DECADE AGO.
UM, BACK WHEN THE WORLD WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS POLITICAL UNREST AND RIOTS IN THE STREETS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A, IT WAS A DARK TIME AND THINGS HAVE THANKFULLY GOTTEN MUCH BETTER.
SO THIS IS SHUT UP AND LISTEN.
CAN WE GET YOU ANYTHING? OKAY, COOL.
QUESTIONS?
ARE YOU ON SAY WE DON'T EVEN CRY, JUST BROTHER.
WE WHO SIDE ARE YOU ON? IT'S US.
[01:20:25]
FOR A THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.THANK YOU FOR HAVING US MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
UM, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DONE SOME OF THIS BEFOREHAND, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A QUICK Q AND A.
UM, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT, ABOUT HOW YOU GUYS GOT STARTED AND, AND WHO YOU GUYS ARE.
UH, SO I'M FROM AUSTIN ORIGINALLY.
UM, BRETT'S BEEN HERE FOR 13 YEARS.
AND, UH, WE WERE IN THE SAME KIND OF ARTIST COMMUNITY A WHILE BACK WHEN BRETT MOVED HERE AND I THOUGHT I WAS COMING ONTO HIS TURF.
I ALWAYS HAD THIS FEELING FROM HIM, LIKE, OH DUDE, I'M ON, I'M THE NEW GUY, I'M ON YOUR TURF.
AND THEN TURNS OUT HE WAS DEFINITELY ON MY TURF.
SO
AND THAT'S WHERE IT ALL BEGAN.
AND THEN WHERE CAN FOLKS FIND Y'ALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA? OH, WHAT'S YOUR HANDLE? WHAT'S YOUR AT DON OF THE BAND ON INSTAGRAM? UH, AT DONNA, THE BAND ON, HOW DO YOU SAY FACE FACEBOOK.COM/DONNA, THE BAND.
UH, WHEN'S Y'ALL'S NEXT LIVE PERFORMANCE? HEY, WE'RE PLAYING TONIGHT FOR DONNA DAY.
HI, BALL AT HIGH BALL AT 8:00 PM TO 10:00 PM AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA PLAY SOME HONKY TONK TUNES.
SO, UH, COME READY TO DANCE AND YOU CAN COME AT SEVEN AND THERE'S A DANCE LESSON.
WELL, SIR, ISN'T DONNA JUST THE MUSE FOR ALL OF US?
AND SO BASICALLY DONNA, WE FELT LIKE HAD THE FEELING OF THAT TIME AND IT'S KIND OF NICE TO HAVE TWO DUDES WITH ONE NAMED DONNA WOMAN'S NAMED DONNA.
I DON'T KNOW, IT'S JUST KIND OF CONFUSING.
AND THEN WHAT IS A DONNA DAY RULE? OH, MAN.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE EXACT WORDING? YEAH, I THINK IT'S GIVE LOVE UNTO OTHERS AS DONNA HA LOVED YOU.
BECAUSE DONNA LOVES EVERYBODY.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA READ THE PROCLAMATION.
I'LL HAVE YOU GUYS HOLD IT IF YOU GUYS WANNA JOIN, HOLD IT.
UM, HOLD IT, BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS IS BLESSED WITH MANY CREATIVE MUSICIANS WHOSE TALENT EXTENDS TO VIRTUALLY EVERY MUSICAL GENRE.
AND WHEREAS OUR MUSIC SCENE THRIVES BECAUSE AUSTIN AUDIENCES SUPPORT GOOD MUSIC PRODUCED BY LEGENDS, OUR LOCAL FAVORITES AND NEWCOMERS ALIKE.
AND WHEREAS WE ARE PLEASED TO SHOWCASE AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ARTIST.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, COUNCIL MEMBER ZORIE ON BEHALF OF KIRK WATSON, THE MAYOR OF THE, UH, OF THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL, THE REST OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 5TH, UH, SORRY, OCTOBER 8TH,
WE'VE BEEN OFFERED THE MIC AT HALL FOR SALES
UM, I JUST WANNA PUBLICLY SAY THANK YOU TO CARMEN GRAY, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR WHO WROTE AN ARTICLE IN THE MUELLER MAGAZINE ABOUT US, WHICH LED TO ME PLAYING AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, WHICH LED TO ME MEETING ZOE, WHICH
[01:25:01]
LED TO DONNA DAY OFFICIALLY UNREAL.SO THANK YOU, CARMEN, TO MY HOMETOWN THAT I LOVE SO MUCH.
WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO ME TO BE UP HERE, TO HAVE THIS DAY.
AND ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE OCTOBER 8TH, 2026, YOU BETTER BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA BE CELEBRATING THIS ANNUALLY.
SO FROM HENCEFORTH, THIS IS DONNA DAY IN OUR HEARTS AND YOURS, SO THANK YOU AND THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S ALL OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
[2:00 PM - Zoning and Neighborhood Plan Amendments (Public Hearings and Possible Action)]
TWO O'CLOCK ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2026, AND I'LL CALL BACK TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, UH, TO THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.THE ITEM THAT WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA IS OUR TWO O'CLOCK TIME CERTAIN ZONING ITEMS AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING.
AND, UM, SO MS. HARDEN, IT'S TWO O'CLOCK, IT'S YOUR TIME.
WHO IS IN FRONT OF ME? MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
I'M JOY HARDEN AND INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN.
PLANNING YOUR ZONING AGENDA BEGINS WITH ITEM 28 C ONE 40 H 20 26 0 0 3 9.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
THIS IS WHO'S EVER GOT THEIR PHONE ON? PLEASE TURN IT OFF.
TH THIS IS A HISTORIC REZONING ITEM BUILT IN 1912.
THE JAMES HARVEY IN PEARL CALDWELL HOUSE IS AN EXCEPTIONAL INTACT EXAMPLE OF A NEOCLASSICAL BUNGALOW.
THE COUPLE HOSTED REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE AUSTIN ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND BEAR, WHERE MEMBERS ORGANIZE SUPPORT FOR LEGISLATION AFFECTING BLIND TEXANS.
WITH THAT, AGAIN, THIS HISTORIC REZONING ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS, AND WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE HERE IN SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM.
ITEM ITEM NUMBER 29 IS U 14 20 25 8 9.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
THERE IS A VALID PETITION FILE FOR THIS ITEM, SO A MIN MINIMUM A NINE VOTES ARE REQUIRED FOR PAC PASSAGE.
JUST FOR COUNSEL INFORMATION, THE MAJORITY OF THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM ARE RESIDENTS OF LOST CREEK, WHICH IS DIS ANNEX FROM OUR CITY.
I ALSO HAVE A MOTION TO READ INTO THE RECORD AND THAT MOTION READS AMEND PART TO THE DRAFT ORDINANCE TO READ AS FOLLOWS, THE PROPERTY WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY COMBINING DISTRICT ESTABLISHED BY THIS ORDINANCE IS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, THE FOLLOWING USES OF PROHIBITED USES OF THE PROPERTY, OFFSITE ACCESSORY, PARKING, SERVICE STATION, PETTY STORAGE, AND DISPATCH.
AGAIN, UM, THIS ITEM'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS, AND WE HAVE OPPOSITIONAL SPEAKERS HERE FOR THIS ITEM.
LET ME, LET ME INTERRUPT YOU THERE.
MEMBERS ALSO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS HAS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT ON ITEM NUMBER 29.
UM, THE WAY I'LL DO THIS IS, UH, DEPENDING UPON HOW THINGS GO WITH THE DISCUSSION AND THAT SORT OF THING AT THE TIME, UM, I SEEK ANY SORT OF MOTION.
IF THIS IS STILL ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND REMAINS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, I WILL ASK COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS TO READ HER PROPOSED AMENDMENT AND THE MOTION THAT WE WILL HAVE ON CONSENT, AGAIN, IF IT REMAINS ON CONSENT, WILL INCLUDE HER MOTION TO AMEND.
AS PART OF THAT, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL VOTE ON THE MOTION TO AMEND AND TAKE IT TO THE, THE FULL CONSENT ITEM AT THAT TIME.
SO IT IS, UM, JUST DIRECTION TO STAFF.
SO WE WORKED ON IT VERY CAREFULLY,
OKAY? THEN WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE'LL TAKE IT UP SEPARATELY.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
SO WE'LL TAKE IT UP THAT WAY A AS PART OF DIRECTION A AFTER WE, UH, ADDRESS THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
I'M SORRY TO HAVE INTERRUPTED YOU.
UM, ITEM 30 IS C ONE FOUR H 20 26 0 0 4 5.
THIS IS ANOTHER HISTORIC REZONING ITEM OFFERED FOR CONSENT AT ALL THREE READINGS.
THE DORIS MILLER AUDITORIUM HAS SERVED EAST AUSTIN SINCE ITS CONSTRUCTION DURING WORLD WAR II AS A USO CENTER FOR BLACK SERVICE MEMBERS.
THE AUDITORIUM IS NAMED FOR DORIS MILLER, THE WACO NATIVE, WHO WAS THE FIRST BLACK SERVICE MEMBER TO RECEIVE THE NAVY CROSS.
THE BUILDING HAS HOSTED BB KING JAMES BROWN AND BIG MAMA THORNTON, ALONG WITH COUNTLESS COMMUNITY EVENTS GIVING EAST AUSTIN RESIDENTS A GATHERING PLACE.
THEY WERE OFTEN DENIED ELSEWHERE IN THIS CITY DURING SEGREGATION.
WITH THAT, AGAIN, THIS IS A HISTORIC REZONING ITEM OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS.
[01:30:01]
ITEM 31 IS C 14 20 26 0 0 0 8.THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT ON ALL THREE READINGS, AND THIS CONCLUDES THE READING OF THE ZONING AGENDA.
AND AS ALWAYS, THIS IS AT YOUR DISCRETION.
THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE, UH, ITEMS 28, 29, 30, AND 31 ON ALL THREE READINGS.
UM, ITEM NUMBER 29 HAS A VALID PETITION AND RECALL THAT MS. HARDEN HAS, UM, READ, UH, A MOTION INTO THE RECORD AS PART OF ITEM NUMBER 29.
UM, WITH THAT I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND WE WILL GO TO THE SPEAKERS.
MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL, UH, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND NOW WE WILL GO TO THE SPEAKERS ON ITEMS ON THE PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH JEAN MARIE HURD SPEAKING REMOTELY ON ITEM 29.
MY NAME IS JEAN MARIE HURD, AND I LIVE AT 62 0 9 AUGUSTA NATIONAL DRIVE IN LOST CREEK.
I'M HERE TO CASE C 14 20 25 0 0 8 9.
I'M NOT OPPOSED TO REDEVELOPMENT, BUT THIS REZONING IS MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT A COMPLETED TRAFFIC STUDY, WITHOUT
THE CURRENT PROPERTY IS NEARLY EMPTY TODAY, YET THE PAPERWORK TREATS IT AS FULLY OCCUPIED TO AVOID THE VARIOUS STUDY WE NEED.
IT'S NOT WALKABLE, IT IS FAR FROM PUBLIC TRANSIT AND IT FEEDS DIRECTLY ONTO ONE OF AUSTIN'S MOST DANGEROUS HIGHWAYS.
THE TRAFFIC AND SAFETY STUDIES THAT SHOULD COME FIRST HAVE NOT BEEN DONE, SO PLEASE DENY THIS RESULTING.
WE'LL NOW MOVE TO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS, ANIL MAHINDRA, KATIE TAYLOR, MARVIN HECKER, WALT RICHARDSON.
IF YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED, PLEASE COME FORWARD, FIND A PLACE TO SIT AND, UM, JUST IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND THEN BEGIN SPEAKING FOR ANIL MAHINDRA.
IS JIM CHAPIN HERE? HE IS AN NEIL.
UH, I LIVE IN THE WOODS OF WESTLAKE, WHICH, UH, DOES HAPPEN TO BE PART OF CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY, UH, TO TALK MAINLY ON THE SAFETY ISSUES THAT WE EXPERIENCE AT THE WOODS OF WESTLAKE.
SO I'M SPEAKING AS A FATHER, AS A NEIGHBOR, AND AS A CITIZEN OF, OF THAT COMMUNITY.
UH, CURRENTLY WE ALREADY HAVE A MAJOR ISSUE WITH, WITH SAFETY IN OUR, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, WE HAVE OVERWHELMED INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT WAS STATED, UH, EARLIER BY THE, BY THE PRIOR LADY THAT TXDOT, UH, BACK IN 2020, UH, ALREADY DID A STUDY SAYING THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS BEYOND CAPACITY.
UM, WE HAVE ISSUES WITH OBSTRUCTED, UH, EMERGENCY ACCESS DURING COVID WHEN WE HAD, UM, UH, UH, A INFLUX OF VISITORS COMING TO THE HILL OF LIFE, WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS FREE ACCESS THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WOULD HAVE CARS PARKED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE, OF THE STREET AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES.
THERE WAS NUMEROUS INCIDENTS WHERE A FIRE, UH, TRUCK COULDN'T EVEN GET THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE OF THAT, THOSE OBSTRUCTIONS.
AND I THINK THE MOST CONCERNING IS THE PE PEDESTRIAN VULNERABILITY FOR OUR CHILDREN.
UH, ELDERLY NEIGHBORS AND BASIC PEOPLE THAT WALK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
JUST ME AS A EVERYDAY AMERICAN, I, I DON'T EVEN FEEL COMFORTABLE HAVING MY KIDS WALK TO WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE DANGER CROSSING ACROSS, UH, SCOTTISH WOODS.
THIS IS JUST A REPRESENTATION OF WHERE THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS GONNA BE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT SITS KIND OF, UH, RIGHT ON THE CORNER HERE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL AS THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND, AND WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.
SO, UH, I MEAN, WE ARE KIND OF ADDING FUEL TO FIRE WITH, WITH THIS, UH, POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, INFLUX OF 500 PLUS RESIDENTS AND ALL THE, THE VEHICLE OR TRAFFIC THAT, THAT WILL BE, UH, INITIATED FROM THAT.
UM, THIS JUST SHOWS YOU TODAY, UH, WHAT, WHAT THE PRIOR LADY SAID THAT THIS IS WHAT CITYVIEW LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
[01:35:01]
2:00 PM IT'S MAINLY EMPTY, BUT IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDES, UM, I'M SORRY, IF YOU COULD GO ONE, ONE STREET OVER THIS, THIS IS WHAT WE SEE ON A, ON A DAILY BASIS, UH, IN, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.UH, THIS HAPPENS TO BE IN THE MORNING, BUT THIS IS ALSO, UH, VERY EVIDENT IN THE AFTERNOON.
YOU CAN JUST SEE THE, THE, THE PILING UP O OF CARS.
AND WHAT HAPPENS SPECIFICALLY HERE IS PEOPLE GET FRUSTRATED WITH THIS TRAFFIC.
THEY START MAKING U-TURNS THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ILLEGAL TURNS WHERE OUR KIDS ARE TRYING TO WALK THROUGH SCHOOL.
SO IT'S HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND WE'VE, I HAVE PERSONALLY WITH MY KIDS BEEN IN THE CAR, THEY'VE SEEN TWO TRAFFIC DEBTS.
WE'VE DRIVEN UP ON TWO TRAFFIC DEBTS, SO PRETTY, PRETTY ALARMING.
AND IF THIS DEVELOPMENT GOES THROUGH, I AM ALMOST GUARANTEE THAT WE WILL SEE MORE OF THAT.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL, I WILL REST MY TIME, BUT I, I HOPE YOU, YOU CONSIDER VOTING AGAINST THIS.
FOR KATIE TAYLOR, IS CHUCK SWALLOW HERE? HE IS.
I MOVED TO THE WOODS OF WESTLAKE APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS AGO.
UM, ONE THING THAT ATTRACTED US TO THE AREA WAS THAT IT WAS VERY LANDLOCKED.
UM, WHAT I WANNA FOCUS ON IS THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT DOES NEED TO HAPPEN IN AUSTIN, BUT NOT AT THIS LOCATION.
UM, MY DAUGHTER ALSO GOES TO FOREST TRAIL ELEMENTARY.
IT'S VERY, VERY HARD, UM, TO GET OUT OF THERE OR, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN SAFELY TRANSPORTING BACK AND FORTH.
WE ALSO HAVE A LOT MORE TRANSFERS WITH A ISD CLOSING SOME CAMPUSES THAT ARE NOW GOING OVER TO THESE SCHOOLS.
SO THAT'S CREATING MORE TRAFFIC AS WELL.
UM, THE BIG IMPACT LEVEL, IT IS WILDFLOWER WILDFIRE, I'M SORRY, EVACUATION ROUTES, EXCUSE MY VOICE IS AN ALLERGY.
WHATEVER'S GOING IN THE
SO AS HE ALREADY SPOKE ABOUT THE VEHICLE CRASH SAFETY, WE ALWAYS HAVE ISSUES RIGHT AT THE LIGHT LEAVING WOODS OF WESTLAKE.
UM, WHETHER GOING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL, TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT, THERE IS A LOT OF RISK THERE.
UM, AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT FOR THE AMOUNT OF UNITS THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT IS LOOKING TO DO, THAT IS ENOUGH BENEFIT TO THE CITY'S CITIZENS AND THE CITY AS WELL.
FOR MARVIN HECKER IS GAYLEN HECKER HERE? GAYLEN HECKER, I'M HERE.
THAT'S WHY WE WERE ASKING TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE HERE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO VERIFY MARVIN WA FOUR MINUTES PLEASE.
I'M ASKING YOU TO NOT DENY THIS ZONING REQUEST.
UH, FULL DISCLOSURE, I'VE LIVED IN LAS CREEK FOR 30 YEARS.
MY HOUSE BACKS UP TO THIS DEVELOPMENT 1319 WILSON HEIGHTS DRIVE.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE HARD FEELINGS ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DIS ANNEXING FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND WE DO UNDERSTAND WHY.
AND I'M IN FAVOR PUT, BUT THIS DECISION YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO MAKE TODAY IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE IMPACT ON MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT DIRECTLY IMPACTS NEARBY AUSTIN DIRECT DISTRICT EIGHT NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL AS CITY OF AUSTIN SERVICES.
I'M IN FAVOR OF PUTTING MORE HOUSING DENSITY AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AUSTIN, INCLUDING DISTRICT EIGHT, BUT IS NOW CLEAR THAT THIS PARTICULAR PLOT OF LAND IS ABSOLUTELY THE WRONG PLACE TO DO THAT.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WITHIN TWO MILES OF THE SITE AND NO PLANS TO PROVIDE IT.
THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS OR BIKE PATHS AT THIS SITE TO ACCESS AMENITY SCHOOLS, ET CETERA, AND THERE IS NO PLAN TO PROVIDE THEM.
TXDOT DOES NOT HAVE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CURRENT 10 YEAR PLAN, HAS NO FUNDING FOR THEM.
ANYONE LIVING IN THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL HAVE TO HAVE A CAR SO MUCH FOR AFFORDABILITY.
BUT AGAIN, THE MAJOR FACTOR IS SAFETY.
TXDOT HAS DESIGNATED LOOP 360 BETWEEN B CAVES ROAD AND WEST BANK DRIVE ABOVE AVERAGE IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC DANGERS, FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS INDICATED THAT ADDING 475 APARTMENTS WOULD GREATLY INCREASE DANGER OF INGRESS AND EGRESS AND NEGATIVELY IMPACT RESPONSE TIMES.
THE INCREASED TRAFFIC CONGESTION WILL GREATLY IMPACT ESS ISD SCHOOL BUS SAFETY AND TIME SCHEDULES.
BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS THAT 91.3% OF LOSS CREEK RESIDENTS VOTED TO DIS ANNEX FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS THE INABILITY OF A PD TO PROVIDE POLICE PATROLS AND RESPONSE.
WHEN WE ARE ANNEXED BY THE CITY, AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO LOSS CREEK ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME ISSUES.
A PD CAN ONLY RESPOND TO THE MOST SERIOUS CRIMES.
THERE ARE NO POLICE PATROLS AT ALL, AND THE CITY SPORADICALLY ENFORCES THE PARKING RESTRICTIONS FOR THE HILL OF LIFE IN WOODS OF WESTLAKE AND TYPICALLY NOT ON WEEKENDS WHEN THE CROWDS ARE AT THEIR PEAK.
[01:40:01]
AN ISLAND WHEN IT COMES TO POLICE PRESENCE AND CRIME PRO PREVENTION.ADDING 475 APARTMENTS PLUS RETAIL AND OFFICE IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION WILL GREATLY EXACERBATE THE SITUATION.
LAS CREEK BOULEVARD IS ALREADY DESIGNATED AS A DANGEROUS ROADWAY IN CASE OF EMERGENCY SUCH AS WILDFIRE.
IT IS ALREADY BEYOND THE PLAN CAPACITY.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER CONCERNS ABOUT THIS SITE, INCLUDING NO PLAN TO DEAL WITH SEWAGE THAT'S CURRENTLY DESIGNATED TO FLOW INTO THE LOST CREEK SYSTEM, WHICH DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY.
IT'S IN THE SCENIC ROADWAY CORRIDOR ADJACENT TO A DARK SKIES COMMUNITY AND IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WATERSHED AND AQUIFER AREA.
AS WE HEAR REPEATEDLY FROM CITY HALL, WHAT MAKES MO THE MOST, WHAT MATTERS MOST TO ALL OF US IS THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS COUNTY.
COMMISSIONER ANN HOWARD, A MEMBER OF THE CAMPO BOARD, HAS WRITTEN THIS COUNCIL AND MAYOR TWICE TO INDICATE THAT THE REZONING REQUEST SHOULD NOT BE GRANTED UNTIL THE PROPER ANALYSIS CAN BE COMPLETED TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE CITIES.
IF THESE STUDIES HAVE BEEN DONE INITIALLY, IT WOULD'VE SHOWN CLEARLY THIS IS THE WRONG PLACE IN DISTRICT EIGHT FOR APARTMENTS AND RETAIL.
BOTTOM LINE, IF THIS REQUEST IS APPROVED, CITY OF AUSTIN WILL BE ASSISTING A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY TO OFFLOAD THEIR LOW VACANCY PROPERTY WHILE RISKING THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS.
ONCE AGAIN, I ASK YOU TO DENY THIS ZONING REQUEST AND DO WHAT'S IN THE BEST ENTRANCE OF THE CITIZENS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
MAYOR WATSON AND MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
I'VE BEEN A LOST CREEK RESIDENT FOR 33 YEARS.
I'D LIKE TO READ AN EMAIL SENT YESTERDAY BY TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER ANN HOWARD TO YOU REGARDING THE CITY VIEW, UH, REZONING IN IT.
COMMISSIONER HOWARD REITERATES HER CONCERNS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON LOSS CREEK AND WOODS OF WESTLAKE.
PLEASE GIVE HER CONCERNS THE CONSIDERATION THEY DESERVE AS YOU CONSIDER THIS REZONING REQUEST.
SHE WROTE, THANK YOU FOR DELAYING YOUR DECISION ON THE ZONING CASE IN THE WEEKS PAST.
IT IS ON YOUR AGENDA AGAIN THIS WEEK.
I WROTE TO YOU PREVIOUSLY TO DELAY THE REZONING TO DENSE MULTIFAMILY IN THE CITY UNTIL THE IMPACT ON THE SAFETY OF RESULTING RESIDENTIAL TRAFFIC ON 360 AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF LOST CREEK COUNTY ROAD AND NEIGHBORHOOD AND SCOTTISH WOODS TRAIL CITY ROAD AND NEIGHBORHOOD CAN BE ANALYZED AND MITIGATED.
TO MY KNOWLEDGE, YOU HAVE NO INFORMATION ON THIS TO REVIEW AT THIS TIME.
I SPOKE WITH TEXDOT LEADERSHIP WHO SAID THEY WOULD NEED TO SEE IMPACT STUDIES IN ORDER TO ADVISE AND PARTICIPATE ON MITIGATION.
I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS KNOWN THAT THIS STRETCH OF 360 HAS MORE CRASHES THAN OTHERS AND IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS SECTIONS OF 360.
AS A CAMPO BOARD MEMBER, I HAVE ALREADY BEGAN TO RAISE THESE ISSUES AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT YOUR USUAL PROCESS, BUT PERHAPS TRAFFIC ANALYSIS COULD BE COMPLETED AND SHARED WITH TEXDOT AND THEN AND THE NEIGHBORS TO LEARN THE MITIGATION STRATEGIES BEFORE THE UPZONING IS REALIZED.
SINCERELY, AND HOWARD TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
NEXT WE WILL HAVE DEVLIN DUVAL.
DUVALL IS MIKE DUVALL HERE? YES.
DEVLIN WILL HAVE FOUR MINUTES.
MY NAME IS DEVLIN DUVAL AND I LIVE ON WILSON HEIGHTS DRIVE THE FIRST ROAD IN LAS CREEK.
I'D LIKE TO BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THREE REZONING CONCERNS.
NUMBER ONE AND TWO ARE THE ENVIRONMENT.
IN YOUR PACKETS IS A LETTER FROM SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE, URGING DENIAL OF THIS REZONING.
TO SUMMARIZE THE LETTER SOS ARGUES THAT THE PROPOSED DB 90 ZONING RUNS AGAINST THE CITY'S OWN IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND ITS GROWTH CONCEPT MAP.
IT FOSTERS CAR DEPENDENT SPRAWL RATHER THAN COMPACT CONNECTED GROWTH.
AND BECAUSE THIS PROJECT WILL BE LOCATED ALONG A VERY WIDE HIGH SPEED HIGHWAY WITH INADEQUATE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND UNSAFE INFRASTRUCTURE, IT WILL ATTRACT HUNDREDS OF NEW CARS TO AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREA.
THE EES CREEK WATERSHED, A WATERSHED THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN INTENTIONALLY
[01:45:01]
DIRECTS GROWTH AWAY FROM SOS STATES THAT THESE NEGATIVE IMPACTS AND PLANNING CONTRADICTION CONTRADICTIONS ARE AVOIDABLE BY REJECTING THIS PROPOSAL AND SUPPORTING GROWTH IN AREAS WITH EXISTING SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE.SOS ALSO ATTACHED A LIST OF AT LEAST SIX AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN POLICIES.
THIS REZONING CONTRADICTS I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE READ THEM AS THEY ARE NOT TRIVIAL.
THE THIRD CONCERN IS THE DANGER.
ALONG THIS SECTION OF 360, I PERSONALLY HAVE DRIVEN UPON TWO FATAL ACCIDENTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOST CREEK AND 360.
THE FIRST INCIDENT WILL HAUNT ME FOREVER.
I WITNESSED A CAR WRAPPED AROUND THE CENTER LIGHT POST ENGULFED IN FLAMES, AND LATER LEARNED THAT THE PERSON COULD NOT BE PULLED OUT IN TIME.
THE SECOND ACCIDENT I SAW EMS WORKING WITH THE VICTIMS AND UPON GETTING HOME, I WATCHED FROM MY BACK WINDOWS FOR HOURS AS THE SOUTHBOUND 360 TRAFFIC WAS DIVERTED THROUGH CITY VIEW'S PARKING LOT WHILE THE POLICE CLOSED THE FATAL SCENE.
WE ALL HAVE DANGERS, STORIES OF THE DANGERS.
EIGHT WEEKS AGO, I CAME VERY CLOSE TO HAVING MY OWN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE U-TURN SITUATION.
IT'S ROUTINE TO SEE DRIVERS DO DANGEROUS ILLEGAL THINGS TO SAVE TIME TURNING AT WEST BANK DRIVE, THEY USE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S EMERGENCY TURNAROUND OR MAKE ILLEGAL U-TURNS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCOTTISH WOODS ENTRANCE BETWEEN BK ROAD AND WEST BANK DRIVE, WE HAVE TWO GHOST BIKE MEMORIALS.
A WHILE BACK I PURPOSEFULLY PULLED ONTO 360 FROM THE CITY VIEW LOT TO SIMULATE ENTERING THE HIGHWAY FROM WHAT WOULD BECOME THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT'S MAIN ENTRANCE.
AND I WAS SHOCKED BY HOW UNSAFE I FELT.
THERE IS NOT A LIGHT TO OFFER PROTECTION AT THIS POINT, AND THERE IS NO LIGHT PLANNED BECAUSE EVERY LIGHT CYCLE AT LOSS CREEK HAS SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC.
THESE RESIDENTS WILL BE ENTERING A HIGHWAY UNPROTECTED, WAITING ON A GAP IN TRAFFIC.
IT IS, THIS ISN'T A QUESTION OF IF ANOTHER FATALITY OF SOME SORT HAPPENS AGAIN, IT IS A QUESTION OF WHEN.
I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THAT THIS REZONING DECISION AFFECTS MUCH MORE THAN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT ALSO AFFECTS ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS NEARBY OFFICES, AND IT WILL MOST DEFINITELY AFFECT EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO WOULD VISIT AND LIVE AT THIS REDEVELOPMENT.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THE CONCERNS OUTLINED BY SOS, THE FACT THAT THE REZONING GOES AGAINST THE CITY'S OWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND MOSTLY THE IMPACT THAT YOU WILL HAVE ON PEOPLE'S SAFETY.
PLEASE DENY THE REZONING OF THIS PROPERTY.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
IS KERRY BALDWIN, UH, HERE? OKAY.
UH, CARRIE, WE'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES AND I HAVE A SLIDE DECK.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR WATSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS CARRIE BALDWIN AND I LIVE IN LOST CREEK.
AS OUR COMMUNITY HAS RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROJECT, PARTICULARLY AROUND TRAFFIC SAFETY, DRAINAGE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT, WE KEEP HEARING ESSENTIALLY THE SAME RESPONSE THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED AT SITE PLAN, TRAFFIC, AT SITE PLAN SAFETY, AT SITE PLAN, DRAINAGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AT SITE PLAN.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC HEARING AND THE NEIGHBORS ARE NOT INVITED.
SO YOU ARE NOW BEING ASKED TO APPROVE THE INCREASED DENSITY AND HEIGHT.
WHILE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED, THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT COULD DETERMINE WHETHER OUR HOMES FLOOD AND WHETHER OUR CHILDREN ARE SAFE.
UH, WE HAVE ALREADY LIVED THROUGH WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN DRAINAGE CONCERNS ARE DEFERRED.
THIS SPRING HOMES AND LOST CREEK FLOODED, I WANT YOU TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM ONE OF OUR HOMEOWNERS WHO EXPERIENCED IT.
THIS IS OUR NEIGHBOR, ALAN S WE COULD START THAT.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ALAN SAI AND I'M A RESIDENT IN LAS CREEK.
UM, I'M SORRY I COULDN'T BE THERE TODAY, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE AN EXPERIENCE WITH YOU ALL THAT I HAD RECENTLY WITH, UH, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMUNITY.
I LIVE ON QUAKER RIDGE DRIVE, WHICH BACKS UP TO A MILESTONE DEVELOPMENT, UM, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN IT RAINED, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT FLOODED MY BACKYARD.
I BELIEVE THERE'S SOME VIDEO THAT SEEMS, UH, UH, IS SHARING WITH YOU.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN DURING THE SITE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PHASES, WE SHARED OUR CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL FLOODING ISSUES.
THEY PROMISED THAT THEY, THEY ADDRESSED IT, AND BY CLEARLY IT DIDN'T, DIDN'T HELP.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW THE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY AT THE, UH, SITE IN QUESTION, BUT, UM, I WANTED TO SHARE THIS MESSAGE TO ILLUSTRATE THE POTENTIAL, UH, ISSUE OF MAKING, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT DECISIONS BASED PURELY AT THE SITE PLANNING STAGE ALONE, BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT VERY WELL FOR ME.
[01:50:01]
NEXT SLIDE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF MORE PICTURES THAT YOU CAN SEE OF HIS BACKYARD.THIS HAS ALREADY HAPPENED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, TEXAS LAW PROHIBITS REDIRECTING STORMWATER IN A WAY THAT CAUSES A NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY TO FLOOD.
BUT ONCE SOMEBODY'S HOME IS FLOODED, THE DAMAGE IS ALREADY DONE.
THE TIME TO PREVENT THAT DAMAGE IS NOW BEFORE THE VOTE.
MY GREATEST CONCERN IS SAFETY.
COMMISSIONER LONNIE STERN ASKED FOR AN ACTUAL SAFETY STUDY.
HE ASKED TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO LOOK AT ACTUAL CURRENT TRAFFIC DRIVEWAY, SITE DISTANCE, WILDFIRE EVACUATION, AND THE TRAFFIC QUEUES AT LOOP 360 AND LAS CREEK BOULEVARD.
UH, THE COMMISSION WAS ASKED TO REQUIRE THAT STUDY BEFORE APPROVING THE REZONING.
ON THE SCREEN IS A QUOTE FROM COMMISSIONER STERN TO SUM IT UP.
HE WARMS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A CHILD BEING KILLED AS A RESULT OF ALLOWING THIS DEVELOPMENT, SAYING THE BLOOD WILL BE ON OUR HANDS.
THAT WARNING CAME FROM A COMMISSIONER WHO VOTED TO DENY THIS REZONING.
AND I WANNA BE CLEAR, WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU TO STOP HOUSING.
THE SITE ALREADY ALLOWS HOUSING AND RETAIL.
WE ARE ASKING YOU NOT TO APPROVE ADDITIONAL DENSITY AND HEIGHT BEFORE YOU KNOW WHETHER THIS CORNER CAN SAFELY SUPPORT IT.
SIX PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN KILLED ON THE STRETCH OF 360 BETWEEN BK ROAD AND WALSH CHARLTON SINCE 2021.
SEVEN MORE HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AND DOZEN MORE HAVE BEEN HURT WITH FLOODING.
THE POTENTIAL COST IS PEOPLE'S HOMES AND PROPERTY WITH TRAFFIC AND EVACUATION.
THE POTENTIAL COST IS PEOPLE'S LIVES.
PLEASE DON'T DEFER THESE QUESTIONS TO A PROCESS WHETHER THE, WHERE THE PUBLIC NO LONGER HAS A VOICE, DENY THIS REZONING, OR AT THE VERY LEAST, POSTPONE UNTIL THE SAFETY AND DRAINAGE QUESTIONS HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ANSWERED.
HELLO, MAYOR WATSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M A LOSS CREEK, UH, RESIDENT, BUT I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE LOSS CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BOARD.
ON BEHALF OF OUR HUNDREDS OF MEMBERS THAT I ASK YOU TO DENY THE CITY VIEW REZONING REQUEST.
AT AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM, WE ASK THAT YOU REQUIRE A FULL TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS BEFORE APPROVING IT.
TODAY'S VOTE CONCERNS THE SAFETY OF EXISTING RESIDENTS, BUT JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, UH, IT WOULD EVENTUALLY AFFECT THE LIVES OF THE NEARLY 500, THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE NEARLY 500 APARTMENTS AS CURRENTLY PLANNED.
FROM OUR FIRST CONVERSATIONS WITH CITY STAFF, WITH THE RENER GROUP, WITH ZAP COMMISSIONERS, UH, WITH COUNCIL OFFICES, AND, AND MANY OF YOU MET WITH US, WE'VE REPEATEDLY RAISED THE EXACT SAME CONCERN.
THE TRAFFICKED ANALYSIS WAIVER RESTS ON A BASELINE THAT DOES NOT REFLECT CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND.
THE CITY'S WORKSHEET CREDITS THE EXISTING OFFICE COMPLEX WITH 3013 DAILY VEHICLE TRIPS.
BASED ON THE TRAFFIC THOSE BUILDINGS WOULD GENERATE AT FULL OCCUPANCY, IT THEN SUBTRACT THOSE THEORETICAL TRIPS FROM THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS, TRAFFIC AND REPORTS ONLY AN INCREASE OF A THOUSAND OR SO TRIPS.
THOSE OFFICES ARE NOWHERE NEAR FULL.
ANYBODY CAN DRIVE BY AND SEE THAT TODAY SUBSTANTIAL SPACE HAS BEEN AVAILABLE FOR AT LEAST FOR LITERALLY YEARS, MAYBE AS FAR BACK AS COVID.
OUR JULY SUBMISSION DOCUMENTED APPROXIMATELY 200,000 PLUS SQUARE FEET CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET TODAY.
SO DOCUMENTABLE, IT'S NOT FULL.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S PARKING SURVEY FOUND ONLY 113 VEHICLES, UH, WITHIN A 1,059 SPACES.
NOW I KNOW A PARKING SNAPSHOT IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL TRAFFIC STUDY.
THAT'S WHY WE THINK THIS IS COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT COUNCIL NEEDS ONE TRAFFIC THAT COULD EXIST IN A FULLY OCCUPIED OFFICE.
COMPLEX IS NOT THE TRAFFIC OUR FAMILIES ENCOUNTER TODAY.
SUBTRACTING THEORETICAL TRAFFIC MAKES THE PROPOSED INCREASE APPEAR SMALLER WITHOUT ESTABLISHING THE ACTUAL IMPACT.
AND DAILY TRIP TOTALS ALONE CANNOT ANSWER THE SAFETY QUESTIONS.
HERE WE NEED TO REALLY UNDERSTAND PEAK HOUR CONGESTION TURNING MOVEMENTS U-TURNS.
I CANNOT STRESS THE U-TURNS ENOUGH.
IF YOU DROVE BY THERE, YOU'D SEE THERE IS NO EASY LEFT AND RIGHT ACCESS ANYWHERE IN THIS SITE.
UH, AND EMERGENCY RESPONSES HAS BEEN SO WELL PUT OUT EARLIER.
NEARLY 500 APARTMENTS AT THIS LOCATION WITH LIMITED TRANSIT AND FEW PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVES TO DRIVING WILL PUT SUBSTANTIAL DEMANDS ON AN ALREADY DANGEROUS INTERSECTION AT LOOP 360 IN LAS CREEK BOULEVARD.
AS MY NEIGHBORS HAVE RIGHTFULLY SAID, THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS INTERSECTION.
UH, IT'S BETWEEN 2021 AND 2026.
THE WELL-DOCUMENTED SIX FATALITIES.
I MEAN, YOU CAN JUST DRIVE BY TODAY AND SEE THE NUMBER OF WHITE BIKES UP AND DOWN THIS ROAD.
IT'S, IT'S PRETTY SCARY STUFF.
LOSS CREEK BOULEVARD IS, AS HAS BEEN SAID, IS OUR PRIMARY NEIGHBORHOOD GATEWAY.
APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOMES DEPEND ON JUST THREE EXIT ROUTES DURING A WILDFIRE OR A GAS LEAK, WHICH WE HAD RECENTLY.
UH, OR A SERIOUS COLLISION CONGESTION BECOMES, UH, PRETTY SERIOUS.
IT'S AN EMERGENCY ACCESS PROBLEM AND THAT'S AGAIN IMPACTING THE POTENTIAL FAMILIES THAT WOULD BE IN
[01:55:01]
THE 500 HOMES.THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT EMERGENCY ACCESS CAN GET THEIR TO THEIR PROPERTY AS WELL.
UH, AND AGAIN, WITH TWO POINTS OF, OF ENTRY AND EXIT, THAT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT.
WE'VE REPEATEDLY BEEN TOLD THAT THE TRAFFIC WILL BE ADDRESSED WHEN THE SITE PLAN IS SUBMITTED, BUT OUR CONVERSATIONS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS WILL NOT HAVE THE SAME PUBLIC HEARING VISIBILITY OR MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE AT THAT STAGE.
WE WILL STUDY THIS LATER, IS NOT AN ADEQUATE ANSWER.
WHEN YOU'RE ASKED, UH, TO AUTHORIZE THE DEVELOPMENTS INTENSITY TODAY, EVEN THE CITY'S OWN WORKSHEET INDICATES THAT A NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ANALYSIS IS NEEDED.
COUNCIL SHOULD INSIST ON SEEING THAT ANALYSIS ALONGSIDE A FULL TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS GROUNDED IN CURRENT CONDITIONS BEFORE VOTING TO APPROVE.
UH, DOUGLAS BECKER'S SEPTEMBER 8TH LETTER, WHICH HAS BEEN IN YOUR PACKET AS A BRIEF, ALSO IDENTIFIES SOME UNRESOLVED CONCERNS ABOUT PROTEST RIGHTS.
A COMMISSIONER'S PARTICIPATION DESPITE HIS EMPLOYER'S TENANCY AT CITY VIEW AND NOTICE OF THE AMENDED APPLICATION.
THOSE CONCERNS DESERVE INDEPENDENT REVIEW.
A SUPER MAJORITY VOTE DOES NOT ANSWER THOSE.
THANK YOU FOR CHRISTIE SCHULTZ.
IS PAT CHAPIN HERE? YES, KRIS CHRISTIE WILL HAVE FOUR MINUTES.
MAYOR WATSON, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
I GREW UP IN ALLENDALE AND I HAVE LIVED IN THE WOODS OF WESTLAKE IN DISTRICT EIGHT, WHICH IS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN SINCE 2011.
I'M RAISING FOUR CHILDREN AS A SINGLE MOM IN WESTLAKE.
I CAME HERE PREPARED TO READ OFF SLIDES, UM, BUT I CAN SUMMARIZE THEM IN ONE SENTENCE BECAUSE I'M THE DEVELOPER.
BECAUSE THE DEVELOPER REPRESENTED HOW MANY TRIPS THIS SITE MISREPRESENTED.
HOW MANY TRIPS THIS SITE CURRENTLY GENERATES.
NO TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS WAS EVER TRIGGERED.
I'LL ASK YOU TO ADVANCE MY SLIDES AS MY SCRIPT DOESN'T MIRROR IT ANY LONGER.
THIS, UM, TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT WAS SKIPPED, UM, ALONG THE STRETCH OF LOOP 360 THAT, UM, AGAINST TEX DOT'S OWN DATA THAT RANKS IT AMONG THE MOST DANGEROUS CORRIDORS THAT IT OVERSEES ANYWHERE IN TEXAS.
I TRUST YOU HAVE REVIEWED THE SLIDES AND ALREADY KNOW THIS.
THE SLIDES MATTER AND THEY'RE IN YOUR PACKET.
BUT THERE IS A HIGHER CALLING TODAY THAN SLIDES.
UNDER TEXAS LAW, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION TWO 11.004 REQUIRES THAT ZONING BE DESIGNATED TO LESSEN CONGESTION IN THE STREETS, SECURE SAFETY FROM FIRE, PANIC, AND OTHER DANGERS, PROMOTE HEALTH AND GENERAL WELFARE AND FACILITATE THE ADEQUATE PROVISION OF TRANSPORTATION, WATER, SEWERS IN SCHOOLS.
NOT WHETHER A DEVELOPER WANTS IT, NOT WHETHER IT ADDS UNITS ON THIS SITE.
THE REZONING FAILS EVERY ONE OF THOSE TESTS.
COULD YOU ADVANCE MY SLIDE PLEASE? THIS AREA HAS NOT RECEIVED INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN OVER 40 YEARS AND IT IS WOEFULLY UNDERSERVED IN CATCHING UP TO THE EXTRAORDINARY DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE.
DEVELOPMENT FOR THE SAKE OF DEVELOPMENT IS NOT AN IMPROVEMENT AND IT IS NOT WHAT SECTION TWO 11 ASKS OF YOU.
I TRUST THAT COUNSEL HAS READ OUR SUBMISSIONS SO I DON'T, SO IT DOESN'T SERVE ANYONE FOR ME TO READ THEM.
AGAIN, THESE FACTS ARE ALREADY KNOWN TO YOU.
WHAT'S LEFT TODAY IS A GUT CHECK WHETHER THIS COUNCIL DOES WHAT ITS CITIZENS WANT OR WHAT THE DEVELOPER WANTS.
COULD YOU ADVANCE MY SLIDE? THE THIS DEVELOPER HAS VISITED CITY HALL HUNDREDS OF TIMES THIS YEAR.
WE WORK AND VOLUNTEER IN OUR SCHOOLS FOR OUR KIDS AND WE TRY TO BE GOOD CITIZENS, TRUSTING THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVES WILL DO WHAT IS IN OUR BEST INTEREST AND NOT GIVE OUTSIZED CONSIDERATION TO PRIVATE ENTITIES THAT DON'T KNOW US AT ALL OR THE AREA.
JUST BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET UP HERE AS OFTEN AS THE DEVELOPER'S LOBBYIST DOESN'T MEAN WE AREN'T, WE AREN'T INTERESTED.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE ARE AMBIVALENT.
SHORT TERM SATISFACTION FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE HAD AN OUTSIZED VOICE IN THESE HALLS OVER THE PA LAST YEAR DOESN'T TRANSLATE TO CARE.
THIS DISTRICT IS FIRMLY AGAINST REZONING.
I SAY THAT AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE WOODS OF WESTLAKE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOR VERY SOLID REASONS, NOT FRIVOLOUS, NOT VANITY.
DEEP CONCERNS OVER OUR SAFETY.
IF YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS, YOU ARE OUT OF TOUCH WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND ANY PERCEIVED GAIN IN AFFORDABILITY IS SIMPLY UNINFORMED.
AFFORDABILITY IS A MISNOMER IN THIS AREA I KNOW AS A SINGLE BOMB, AND IT DOES NOT BECOME REALITY BY WRITING IT INTO A ZONING CASE.
ULTIMATELY, EVERY DECISION COMES TO TWO CORE ORIGINS, FACTS AND FEELINGS ON BOTH FRONTS.
WE HOPE WE'VE PRESENTED THE FACTS ALONG WITH THE, THE FACTS STILL UNKNOWN TO US THAT ARE ESSENTIAL IN MAKING THIS DECISION.
[02:00:01]
UM, THE NEW DAY WILL BE TOMORROW AND AT THE END OF THAT DAY, YOU EITHER VOTE WITH, UM, THE RIGHT DECISION FOR THESE CITIZENS OR YOU DON'T.AND WE WON'T, UM, BE QUIET IF THIS IS THE WRONG DECISION.
I SAW HIM EARLIER, BUT HE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE HERE NOW.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL SPEAKERS ON ZONING.
AS YOU'VE HEARD, THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE SPEAKERS ON THE ZONING ITEMS. SO THAT WILL TAKE US BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA IS READ.
I'LL CALL FOR ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALRIGHT, UM, IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING FROM ANY VOTE ON ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? MAYOR, DID YOU WANT ME TO READ MY DIRECTION? WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO IS HAVE, TAKE THAT UP AS DIRECTION AFTER WE, SO WE VOTE ON IT AS A SEPARATE ITEM.
IS THAT OKAY? THAT WORKS FOR ME.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN? I WANNA MAKE SURE ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING FROM ANY VOTE ON ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A VOTE ON ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ANYONE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ANY ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN.
I WISH TO BE VOTING, UH, SHOWN VOTING NO ON 29.
AND I WISH TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ITEM NUMBER 31.
ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO BE SHOWN VOTING NO ON ANY ITEM? OKAY, IN THAT CASE, UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED.
UM, AND THERE ARE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IS VOTING, UH, VIRTUALLY OR MAYOR PRO TIM VELA IS VOTING VIRTUALLY.
UM, AND THAT'S ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID ABOUT THAT.
NOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED FOR A PROPOSED MOTION WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 29.
AND THAT IS DIRECTION TO STAFF.
I'LL, I'LL READ THE MOTION AND THEN I'LL HAVE SOME COMMENTS IF THERE'S A SECOND TO IT.
UM, ON ITEM NUMBER 29, I MOVE APPROVAL WITH THE FOLLOWING DIRECTION.
INCLUDED, THE CITY MANAGER IS DIRECTED TO COORDINATE WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE LOSS CREEK LIMITED DISTRICT, TRAVIS COUNTY, THE CITY OF WESTLAKE AND S INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TO EXPLORE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ALONG HIGHWAY 360 FROM LAS CREEK BOULEVARD TO SCOTTISH WOODS TRAIL AND WEST BANK DRIVE WITH A FOCUS ON SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING SIGNAL TIMING, ADDRESSING THE ILLEGAL U-TURNS ON LAS CREEK BOULEVARD AND SCOTTISH WOODS TRAIL CROSSWALK SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AND BUILDING A SIDEWALK ALONG WEST BANK DRIVE TO WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH THAT LAST PIECE, UM, HAS BEEN IN CONVERSATION FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS NOW WITH STAFF.
AND IF THERE'S A SECOND I WILL HAVE CLOSING COMMENTS.
WELL, UH, SECOND IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON AND COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE WISHES TO SPEAK, I THEN I'LL TURN TO COUNCIL MEMBER RES FOR CLOSING.
COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE NEIGHBORS COMING OUT FOR THIS.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT LAS CREEK'S PARTICIPATION SINCE THERE ARE HOMES THAT ARE NOT IN THE CITY LIMITS THAT DO BACK UP TO THIS PROPERTY.
MY FIRST AND FOREMOST CONCERN IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRAFFIC SAFETY ISSUES ARE HANDLED.
I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT ON 360, SO I UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES WITH SIGNAL TIMING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I'VE BEEN IN MY ZIP CODE FOR 15 YEARS.
UM, SO I'M NO STRANGER TO THIS PART OF SOUTHWEST AUSTIN.
UM, BUT I DO THINK I, I DO THINK THE SPEAKERS HAVE A POINT IN THAT THERE IS CONFUSION AROUND HOW AND WHEN THESE SAFETIES ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED.
UM, I KNOW THAT IT IS, IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU WANNA HEAR WHEN YOU SAY, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS AT SITE PLAN.
AND THEN THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHAT IS ACTUALLY GONNA HAPPEN IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WITHOUT HAVING A SITE PLAN, IT'S HARD TO ADDRESS THE EXACT ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO COME UP BECAUSE THERE'S NOT REALLY A FORMED PLAN AT, AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
AND SO I, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FRUSTRATION.
I EVEN WORKED REALLY HARD WITH CITY STAFF FOR THEM TO LET ME REQUIRE A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS OR A NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSPORTATION PLAN TO BE CONDUCTED AS PART OF THIS.
BUT LEGALLY, I CAN'T PUT IT INTO THE ORDINANCE 'CAUSE IT'S NOT WHERE THAT DIRECTION GOES.
BUT I DID SIT DOWN WITH STAFF, UM, A COUPLE OF TIMES AND ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON, TO LOCK IN THIS LANGUAGE AND GET THEIR FIRM COMMITMENT THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL THESE ENTITIES WILL HAPPEN.
THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT NEIGHBORHOOD ENTRANCE.
IT IS ON A HIGHWAY, IT IS ON TXDOT RIGHT OF WAY.
THERE IS A STRIP THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN OWNS BECAUSE IT HAS LAND ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS INTERSECTION.
THE LIMITED DISTRICT HAS THE MEDIAN, THE COUNTY IS MAINTAINING THE ROAD.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED HERE AND MY MAIN COMMITMENT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN ARE SAFE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS OR NOT.
[02:05:01]
NEED TO HAVE OUR, OUR PIECE OF MAKING SURE THAT HOUSING IS BEING BUILT AND SMALLER FOOTPRINTS ARE BEING BUILT FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF HOUSING IN IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN.COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MEMBERS MEMBER ELLIS HAS CLOSED ON HER MOTION FOR DIRECTION TO, UH, CITY STAFF.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS'S MOTION IS ADOPTED MEMBERS, UM, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER WITH THE MAYOR PROAM VOTING VIRTUALLY.
I WANNA POINT OUT ONE OTHER THING BEFORE WE, UH, ADJOURN THE MEETING.
UH, SHE DIDN'T SIGN UP TO SPEAK, BUT SHE'S HERE BECAUSE OF ITEM NUMBER 30.
UH, WE ARE, UH, HAPPY TO HAVE HER JOIN US.
UM, WHY DON'T YOU STAND UP AND LET US SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU MEAN TO OUR COMMUNITY.
YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY HONORED THAT YOU GAVE US TIME TODAY.
AND, AND FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, UM, UH, THE DOLORES DUFFY REC CENTER AT, AT ROSEWOOD PARK IS A MAJOR PART OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND YOU'RE A MAJOR PART OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE ALL RECOGNIZED YOU.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8TH.
UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IS ADJOURNED AT 2:40 PM THANK YOU EVERYBODY.