[Austin D1 Candidate Panel on October 15, 2026.]
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THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AT THIS YEAR'S AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM FOR DISTRICT ONE.
I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FOR THE AUSTIN AREA, AND I'LL BE YOUR MODERATOR TONIGHT.
THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IS A NON-PROFIT, NON-PARTISAN ORGANIZATION.
WE DON'T SUPPORT OR OPPOSE POLITICAL PARTIES OR CANDIDATES.
WE HELP PEOPLE REGISTER TO VOTE, UNDERSTAND THE VOTING PROCESS, AND FIND RELIABLE INFORMATION ABOUT CANDIDATES AND BALLOT ISSUES.
OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDE VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES OUR FIRST VOTE PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE PRINTED AND ONLINE VOTER GUIDES, WHICH ARE OUT IN THE STORES NOW.
OUR PURPOSE TODAY IS TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR OWN INFORMED CHOICE, AND THANK YOU CANDIDATES FOR PARTICIPATING, AND TO EVERYONE IN OUR AUDIENCE FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LEARN ABOUT THE PEOPLE SEEKING TO REPRESENT YOU.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO REVIEW THE RULES, THE FORMAT, AND THE TIMING.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, CANDIDATES ARE EXPECTED TO BE RESPECTFUL.
THERE WILL BE NO PERSONAL ATTACKS ON OPPONENTS.
UH, EACH CANDIDATE WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT, AND THEN I WILL ASK A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ON TOPICS LIKE HOUSING AND GROWTH, PUBLIC SAFETY, TRANSPORTATION, AND OTHER CONCERNS THAT AFFECT THOSE IN DISTRICT ONE.
AND, AND EVERYONE IN THE CITY.
EACH CANDIDATE WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE TO RESPOND TO EACH OF THE QUESTIONS.
WE'LL ROTATE THE ORDER OF RESPONSES SO THAT EACH CANDIDATE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO FIRST AND DURING EACH ONE MINUTE RESPONSE, OUR TIMER WILL SIGNAL AT THE 15 SECOND MARK WITH A YELLOW CARD AND THEN A RED STOP CARD WHEN TIME IS UP.
CANDIDATES, PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON THE TIMER AND STOP WHEN YOUR TIME ENDS.
YOU MAY FINISH YOUR THOUGHT, BUT, BUT, UH, BUT COME TO A STOP, UM, FOLLOWING THE QUESTION PERIOD.
EACH CANDIDATE WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE FOR A CLOSING STATEMENT, AND THAT WILL BE THE FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WHY YOU BELIEVE VOTERS SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU TO SERVE ON CITY COUNCIL.
LET'S BEGIN WITH OUR CANDIDATE INTRODUCTIONS.
WE'LL START WITH MR. BOWEN BROWN.
YES, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
I'M RUNNING FOR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE.
I'M A PROUD FOURTH GENERATION AUSTINITE, RAISED MY TWO SONS HERE.
UM, I'M RUNNING FOR DISTRICT ONE BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT I COME FROM.
UM, WE, I, I HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF STANDING UP AND SPEAKING OUT, CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO.
I PUSHED BACK AGAINST THE HOME INITIATIVE, UH, PROPERTY PROP Q WHEN THEY TRIED TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES BY 20% ON CITIZENS.
UM, AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT MY CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO STAY IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT I COME FROM.
AND SO, UM, I AM RUNNING, I'M HOPING TO, UM, GET YOUR SUPPORT AND ENDORSEMENT.
UH, I BELIEVE IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, IT IS NOT IN, IN TWO YEARS.
IT WILL BE THE HUNDREDTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1928 PLAN THAT MARGINALIZED PEOPLE OF COLOR AND DIRTY INDUSTRY EAST.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M SITTING ON COUNCIL SO THAT THOSE, THOSE HORRIBLE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODES AND UPZONING DOESN'T TAKE PLACE.
YOU CAN FIND ME AT BROWN FOR AUSTIN D ONE.COM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. ANDERSON.
I WAS LIKE BUTTON, BUTTON, BUTTON.
MY NAME IS ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON.
I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF CALLING THIS PLACE HOME SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, COMMUNITY LEADER.
I CURRENTLY SERVE AS CHAIR OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, THE MARTIN LUTHER KING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND CO-CHAIR OF MY CONTACT TEAM.
I TELL PEOPLE, AS A CHAIR OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, YOU ARE DEALING WITH EVERYTHING FROM LAND USE TO UPDATES ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, TO GETTING CALLS ABOUT YOUR PROPERTY TAXES FROM YOUR NEIGHBORS, AND HELPING THEM OUT.
UM, I CURRENTLY SERVE AS CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY FOR ME, DISTRICT ONE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BEAUTIFUL GYM, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY IN A PIVOTAL PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO THE TYPE OF LEADERSHIP THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO SEE.
I AM UNAPOLOGETICALLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT OUR FUTURE.
I HAVE A VISION, I HAVE A PLAN.
I'M LOOKING TO PUSH DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INVEST IN OUR CLIMATE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY FOCUS WITH INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION.
I'M RUNNING FOR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IN DISTRICT ONE, AND I HEAR FROM PEOPLE ALL ACROSS DISTRICT ONE AS FAR AS WHISPER VALLEY, WILDHORSE RANCH, AND ALL THE WAY TO CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN ABOUT HOW WHATEVER ZIP CODE YOU'RE LIVING IN ACTUALLY RIGHT NOW DEPENDS ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU LIVE OR DIE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
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PUSHED TO THE BRINK.I HEAR IT EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND I'M RUNNING BECAUSE I WANNA HELP AND CHANGE MY COMMUNITY.
AND I FUNDAMENTALLY BELIEVE AND KNOW FROM TALKING TO PEOPLE, LONG-TERM RESIDENTS IN AUSTIN, AND PEOPLE WHO JUST GOT HERE, THAT WE CAN DO THAT AND ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE.
UM, I'M RUNNING BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS AND SO MANY DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES FOR EAST AUSTIN, BUT WE NEED MORE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON, NO MATTER WHEN YOU GOT HERE IN DISTRICT ONE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, AND I KNOW THAT CITY COUNCIL DOESN'T REGULATE THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY, BUT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND THEN PUBLIC SAFETY IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE WORKED ON AND HAVE HEARD FROM PEOPLE ACROSS THE DISTRICT, SO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S A PRIORITY AS WELL.
I'VE FOCUSED ON FINANCIAL ISSUES IN AUSTIN.
I'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY IN LIFE AND WORKED TO LOWER THE RENTS FOR OTHERS.
SO SINCE 2018, I, MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES ELECTED ME TO THE BOARD OF AURA.
WE'VE WORKED TO PUSH FOR CHANGES TO THE ZONING, WHICH ALLOWED MORE HOUSING AND ALLOWED RENTS TO GO DOWN.
THE RENTS HAVE DROPPED $150 ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION SINCE 2018.
THAT'S THE BEST IN THE NATION FOR LARGE CITIES.
I WAS, UH, APPOINTED TO THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION, AND MY COLLEAGUES ELECTED ME CHAIR.
I DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR REELECTION FOR CHAIR TO DO A DEEP DIVE INTO THE CITY'S PENSIONS.
AND I HAVE SOME BAD NEWS FOR YOU.
THE CITY HAS BORROWED $3.1 BILLION FROM THE PENSIONS.
THE INTEREST ON THAT DEBT IS ABOUT $450 FOR EVERY FAMILY IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S DISGUSTING.
SO LIKE WITH MY BACKGROUND IN ECONOMICS AND FINANCE, I DECIDED TO RUN IN ORDER TO HELP FIX THAT.
UM, THE OTHER FINANCIAL ISSUE YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IS I'VE RAISED ALL OF MY MONEY IN DISTRICT ONE.
I AM THE ONLY PERSON AT THIS TABLE THAT HAS RAISED A MAJORITY OF THEIR MONEY INSIDE DISTRICT ONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
I'M PORTIA RIGGINS, RUNNING FOR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE.
OF COURSE, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN DISTRICT ONE AND NEVER LEFT MY ENTIRE LIFE.
SO I GOT TO SEE A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE OCCURRING WITH MY NEIGHBORS, AS WELL AS MY OWN LIVELIHOOD AND THE SCARCE RESOURCES THAT ARE HAPPENING DAY TO DAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
THIS WOULDN'T BE MY FIRST TIME REPRESENTING AUSTIN.
I'VE REPRESENTED AUSTIN AT THE MISS TEXAS USA PAGEANT AS MISS CAPITAL OF TEXAS.
AND I'VE ALSO WORKED AT TEXAS REALTORS IN THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT WHERE MY FOCUS WILL BE SPECIFICALLY THE BUDGET AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE PROPERLY GETTING THE ALLOCATIONS OF THE RESOURCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, WHETHER IT'S IN OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, WHETHER IT'S IN AUSTIN AT LARGE, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN DISTRICT ONE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING ANYONE BEHIND, NOT LEAVING OUR ELDERS, OUR SENIORS WHO'S ROOTED IN THIS CITY, AS WELL AS OUR LOW INCOME FAMILIES, OUR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
AND THIS HAS BEEN MY CONVERSATION, THE WHOLE ENTIRE CAMPAIGN.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
MY NAME IS MISA A RAMOS, AND I'M RUNNING FOR DISTRICT ONE CITY COUNCIL HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS, AND I'M IN THIS RACE BECAUSE WE NEED A CHAMPION THAT'S GOING TO DEMAND MORE BECAUSE WE DESERVE BETTER IN THIS, IN THIS RACE.
I BRING OVER A DECADE'S EXPERIENCE WORKING ON AND DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WORKING ON PUBLIC TRANSIT, AND ALSO ADVOCATING AND PRESERVING COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT EAST AUSTIN.
AND I WANT TO TAKE THAT TO THE NEXT LEVEL AS YOUR NEXT CITY COUNCIL REP.
I'M ALSO A LEADER THAT ISN'T AFRAID TO SPEAK UP AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST ICE DEMAND MORE FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE RIGHT WING TECH BILLIONAIRES THAT ARE BUYING OFF OUR POLITICS AND OUR POLITICIANS.
IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU DESERVE BETTER, THEN JOIN US.
COME DOWN TO MISAEL FOR AUSTIN.COM, THAT'S M-I-S-A-E-L-F-O-R AUSTIN.COM AND GET INVOLVED.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GET RIGHT INTO IT.
AUSTIN RECENTLY ADOPTED A BUDGET THAT INCLUDED DIFFICULT TRADE-OFFS AND DEFERRED SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS AND TO A BOND PROPOSAL THAT VOTERS WILL CONSIDER THIS FALL.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHERE THE COUNCIL LANDED? AND IF YOU ARE ELECTED, WHAT SPENDING WILL YOU PRIORITIZE IN THE NEXT BUDGET? AND WHERE WILL YOU LOOK FOR SAVINGS? WHAT TRADE-OFFS WILL YOU BE PREPARED TO MAKE? AND ALEX, UH, MS. ANDERSON, YOU'RE FIRST, REPEAT IT.
COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION AGAIN? SORRY.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA BE ROTATING.
AUSTIN RECENTLY ADOPTED A BUDGET THAT INCLUDED DIFFICULT TRADE-OFFS AND DEFERRED SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS TO A BOND PROPOSAL THAT VOTERS WILL CONSIDER THIS FALL.
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DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHERE THE CA COUNCIL LANDED? AND IF YOU'RE ELECTED, WHAT SPENDING WILL YOU PRIORITIZE IN THE NEXT BUDGET? AND WHERE WILL YOU LOOK FOR SAVINGS? WHAT, WHAT TRADE OFFS WILL YOU BE PREPARED TO MAKE? UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.SO HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT HOW COUNCIL DID RECENTLY? UM, I APPRECIATE THAT THEY PUT THE BONDS ON THE BALLOT.
I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO HAVE A SAY IN WHERE THEIR FUNDING AND THEIR MONEY IS GOING HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE BEST GUIDING FORCE.
UM, FOR THAT I DID NOT LIKE OR AGREED WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH OUR, UM, SOCIAL SERVICES.
WITH OUR SOCIAL SERVICES AND THE, THE DEFUNDING OF A LOT OF THEIR BUDGET.
UM, AS CHAIR OF MY, UH, CONTACT TEAM CHAIR OF THE, UH, COMMISSIONS, I ADVOCATED TO BRING A LOT OF THAT FUNDING BACK TO CERTAIN, UH, SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS.
ONE BEING LIKE MAMA SINAI, VIBRANT WOMEN, UM, LOOKING TO HAVE THOSE FUNDING BEING BROUGHT FOR ME, MY PRIORITIES WOULD BE HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. GOODWIN.
YEAH, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF BOTH THE PROPOSITIONS AND ONE OF THE REASONS I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROPOSITIONS IS IT ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITIES IN DISTRICT ONE, INCLUDING COLONY PARK, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A LIBRARY THERE, SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T JUST COME UP THIS YEAR, BUT ALSO NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, SOME OF THE TRADE-OFFS THAT I WOULD CONSIDER IS THERE'S TOO MUCH MONEY AND RESOURCES GOING INTO CONSULTANTS, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND I WOULD TAKE AN ALL OF GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE FINDING WHERE WE COULD CUT THOSE CONSULTANT CONTRACTS, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
I THINK WE CAN DO REALLY SMART THINGS LIKE THINKING ABOUT RENEGOTIATING OUR DEBT.
I DON'T THINK WE ACTUALLY JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO CUT, CUT AND CUT ON THE SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACT.
I'M ACTUALLY IN A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND DONALD TRUMP RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY CUT SOCIAL SERVICES CON CONTRACTS THAT HIT, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND HIT COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN THRIVING IN DISTRICT ONE ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UH, SOCIAL SERVICES AND OTHER VICTIM SERVICES.
AND SO I'D FIGHT TO CONTINUE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN GET WHAT THEY NEED, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE LIVING AT THE BARGE MARGINS OF DISTRICT ONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. NAJA.
UM, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THE BUDGET'S ABOUT ONE AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS, BUT MOST OF IT IS TIED DOWN ALREADY.
WE HAVE CONTRACTS WITH THE POLICE, WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS.
THOSE COVER ABOUT HALF OF THE BUDGET ALREADY.
SO THIS IS THE, THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
THERE'S, THERE'S SEPARATE BUDGETS FOR THE UTILITIES.
UM, A LOT OF IT'S ALREADY LOCKED DOWN.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY CHOICES IN THERE.
MY, MY EMPHASIS WILL BE ON TRYING TO EXPAND THAT BUDGET.
UM, ONE OF WHICH IS LIKE IN TERMS OF SPENDING, MAKE SURE WE'RE INVESTING IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OFTEN OVERLOOKED.
WE DON'T HAVE A TRANSPORTATION BOND THIS TIME, SO OUR ROADS ARE GETTING WORSE.
WE'RE NOT LIKE DOING THE MAINTENANCE WE NEED FOR THOSE ROADS, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE POTHOLES AND NOT, AND IT'S GOING TO COST US MORE BECAUSE THE POT POTHOLES ACTUALLY DAMAGE THE, THE BASE OF THE ROAD, AND YOU'LL END UP SPENDING MORE TO REPLACE THE ROAD LONG TERM.
UH, THE OTHER THING TO FIND MONEY IS TO PRIORITIZE DEVELOPMENT WHERE THE REVENUE IS LARGER THAN THE COSTS.
THE, WE HAVE MANY DIFFERENT PROPERTIES IN AUSTIN, AND SOME OF 'EM, THE PROPERTY TAX ACTUALLY BRINGS IN MORE REVENUE THAN THE COST.
SO WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS GOING TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION AND HELP FIX THE BUDGET.
MS. RIGGINS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING RECREATION AND PARKS AND LIBRARIES ON OUR BALLOTS.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN IMPORTANT FOR AUSTIN AS FAR AS SEEING IT BEING INFLUENTIAL INTO OUR COMMUNITIES.
THE MAIN CONCERN THAT I HAVE ABOUT THAT IS JUST SEEING HOW IT'S NOT BEING MAINTAINED AND HOW IT'S COSTING THE TAXPAYERS.
SO THAT WOULD BE A FOCUS OF MINE, AS WELL AS MAKING SURE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CITY BUDGET, THAT THERE ARE MEASURABLE RESULTS.
I'VE BEEN GOING TO MEETINGS WHERE THE CITY MANAGER WAS ATTENDING AND ACTUALLY SEEING WHERE THESE ALLOCATIONS ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL AS TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY.
WHERE ARE THESE BEING PLACED? SO MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY THAT PROPERLY AND BE TRANSPARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BACK TO THE PEOPLE IN REAL TIME.
I THINK THAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WORK THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY DO AS SERVERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
YEAH, I SUPPORT THE, THE PROPOSITIONS AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY THAT'S GONNA BE BUILT IN COLONY PARK.
I DO LOOK AT, UH, OUR BUDGET AND SEE WHERE WE NEED SAVINGS.
UH, WE SPENT ABOUT $280 MILLION ON, UH, CONTRACTS TO CONSULTANTS, BUT WE ACTUALLY HAVEN'T SEEN WHAT TYPE OF SOLUTIONS THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED.
AND SO WE NEED TO DEMAND MORE WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THAT MONEY AND THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDING.
UH, OUR SOCIAL SERVICES WERE ALSO CUT SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW MUCH OF THAT MONEY THAT WE GIVE TO CONSULTANTS COULD ACTUALLY GO, NOT ONLY TO FUNDING, UH, OUR SOCIAL SERVICES, BUT ALSO TO POTENTIALLY CREATING ROLES AT THE CITY TO INCREASE OUR WORKFORCE.
UH, WORKING ON THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT BUDGET WITH EQUITY ACTION AND OTHER GROUPS AND COALITION, I'VE
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DEMANDED, UH, MORE FOR, UH, SPENDING HERE IN DISTRICT ONE, AND I'LL CONTINUE TO DEMAND MORE AS WELL.UH, WE ALSO HAVE A POLICE BUDGET, UH, POLICE CONTRACT THAT'S COMING UP TOO.
AND SO WE NEED, NEED TO BE AWARE AND NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE GETTING THE BEST DEAL OUT OF THAT AS WELL.
YES, I SUPPORT THE LIBRARY BOND, BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PARK BOND.
I MEAN, THE REALITY OF IT IS WE HAVE ABOUT, UM, 60% OF VOTER APPROVED BOND MONEY SPENT, AND WE REALLY SHOULD BE HONORING OUR, OUR ORDINANCE AND TRYING TO GET UP TO 90%, UH, BOND MONEY SPENT BEFORE ASKING TAXPAYERS FOR MORE MONEY.
LISTEN, I'VE, I'VE COME FROM THIS ENVIRONMENT AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE TO LEAVE DUE TO DISPLACEMENT AND GENTRIFICATION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DROVE GENTRIFICATION WAS RISING PROPERTY VALUES AND OVER TAXATION.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE'RE NOT PUSHING PEOPLE INTO THE SAME SYSTEMS THAT THEY MIGHT AT ONE POINT NEED HELP WITH.
SO, UH, I SUPPORT, UM, THE LIBRARY BOND, BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW MUCH TAX TAXATION IS TAKING PLACE.
I DO AGREE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE CONSULT FEES AND CONTRACTS ARE, UH, BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON FAMILIES AND PUTTING, UH, DOLLARS BACK INTO THEIR POCKETS SO THAT THEY CAN MAINTAIN AND BE CLOSE TO THE, THE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS TAKING PLACE.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION IS FOR, UH, STARTING WITH MS. GOODWIN.
DISTRICT ONE IS ATTRACTING NEW DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS INVESTMENT, BUT ECONOMIC GROWTH DOES NOT ALWAYS TRANSLATE INTO GOOD JOBS FOR NEARBY RESIDENTS.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO CONNECT DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS WITH WELL PAYING JOBS, WORKFORCE TRAINING, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT THEY CAN REAP THE BENEFITS OF THIS ECONOMIC INVESTMENT? SORRY, JOBS.
CAN YOU JUST DO THE LAST PAGE REAL QUICK? UM, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO CONNECT DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS WITH WELL-PAYING JOBS, WORKFORCE TRAINING, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY REAP THE BENEFITS OF THIS ECONOMIC INVESTMENT? THANK YOU.
UM, WHEN I STARTED RUNNING FOR OFFICE, I TALKED TO MANY MEMBERS AROUND THE COMMUNITY BEFORE I DECIDED TO RUN, AND WE CAME UP TOGETHER WITH A COMMUNITY PLAN THAT'S CALLED AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY PLAN THAT WOULD SPAN THE ENTIRE DISTRICT ONE, AND IT WOULD TAKE RESOURCES THAT NEEDED TO BE EQUITABLE FOR DISTRICT ONE AND ACTUALLY PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE.
AND PART OF WHAT WE WOULD DO IS LOOK AT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO WHO'S ALREADY DOING THAT.
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE JAIL TO JOBS ALREADY HAVE SITES ALL OVER DISTRICT ONE, BUT THEY, THEIR FUNDING HAS BEEN CUT.
THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN ENOUGH RESOURCES.
SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN LIVING IN AUSTIN, WOMEN, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS OWNERS, DON'T HAVE INCENTIVES TO ACTUALLY STAY AND LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE AND ACTUALLY HAVE JOBS THAT ARE THERE.
AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF REALLY INCREDIBLE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEN ALSO LABOR UNIONS, UH, THAT ARE LOT, NOT A LOT TON THAT ARE BASED IN DISTRICT ONE, BUT IN DISTRICT THREE AND OTHER PARTS OF THE DISTRICT, I'VE BEEN ENDORSED BY MANY, IF NOT ALL OF THE DISTRICT, THE, THE LABOR UNIONS THAT ACTUALLY WORK ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO I'D WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS WERE EQUITABLE, NOT JUST FOR BUSINESS LEADERS, BUT ALSO LABOR LEADERS AS WELL.
UM, SO THE TWO PARTS THERE ARE FUNDING AND MAKING SURE THE, THE FUNDING IS GOING TO THE RIGHT PLACES, THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE RIGHT EDUCATION.
SO I, I'M ON THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION AND WE GET PEOPLE COMING IN TALKING ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLANS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE GOOD NUMBERS.
THEY DON'T HAVE STUDIES ON LIKE HOW LONG IT TAKES SOMEBODY TO, THEY, THEY KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR SOMEBODY TO GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW THE, THE PROBABILITIES.
THEY'LL GET A JOB AT THE END AND WHAT THE INCOME WILL BE AFTERWARDS.
UM, SO ONE, WE NEED TO DO BETTER DATA ANALYSIS THERE, COLLECT THE DATA ON WHICH PROGRAMS ARE GOOD, AND THEN GET AS MANY PEOPLE IN INTO THOSE PROGRAMS. AND I THINK THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS LOANS BECAUSE IT HAS THE LEAST EFFECT ON THE BUDGET.
UM, AND IT MEANS WE CAN SERVE A LOT OF PEOPLE QUICKLY, SO THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO GO THROUGH AND GET THOSE CLASSES THAT WILL INCREASE THEIR INCOME GOING FORWARD.
MS. RIGGINS, DO YOU MIND ASKING THE QUESTION AGAIN? NO.
ESPECIALLY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT JUST WALKED IN.
DISTRICT ONE IS ATTRACTING NEW DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS INVESTMENT, BUT ECONOMIC GROWTH DOES NOT ALWAYS TRANSLATE INTO GOOD JOBS FOR NEARBY RESIDENTS.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO CONNECT DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS WITH WELL-PAYING JOBS, WORKFORCE TRAINING, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT THEY CAN REAP THE BENEFITS OF THE ECONOMIC INVESTMENT? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, WITH THAT INFORMATION OF THAT QUESTION YOU LAID OUT A LOT, YOU ALLOWED IT TO BE KNOWN THAT IN DISTRICT ONE, THAT WE ARE LACKING WORKFORCE, WE ARE LACKING RESOURCES.
THAT IS THE PRIME FOUNDATION OF UNDERSTANDING.
SO BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IS OUR STARTING POINT, BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD IS BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
WHERE IS OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? WHERE ARE WE SPEAKING TO THEM IN REAL TIME? HOW ARE WE BEING EFFECTIVE? BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE CLOSING.
A LOT OF OUR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LONG-TERM RESIDENTS, THEY'RE BEING DISPLACED OUT AS WELL AS OUR NEW NEIGHBORS.
SO WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT, UNDERSTAND THAT, AND BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DATA AND FIND MEASURABLE RESULTS AND TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY TO GET THEM TO THESE LOCATIONS,
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AS WELL AS TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THE LAY OF THE LAND.I AM A TRUE AUSTINITE, I KNOW WHERE THESE PEOPLE EXACTLY ARE, SO BEING ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE TO THEM IS IDEAL AND VITAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CITY AT LARGE.
WHEN IT COMES TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, I LOOK AT THE INSTITUTIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, LIKE A, C, C AND HT, UM, AND CONNECTING WITH THEM SO THAT WE ARE BROADENING THE SCOPE OF THE JOBS THAT COME ONLINE AND ENSURING THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE READY FOR THE JOBS OF TOMORROW.
UM, I DO ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR LOCAL UNIONS SO THAT FOLKS, UH, ARE ABLE TO EITHER GO TO SCHOOL AND GO TO COLLEGE OR JOIN A, POTENTIALLY GET INVOLVED IN A UNION AND DO THE TRADES.
UH, WE HAVE A TON OF BUILDING THAT'S, THAT'S COMING DOWN.
AND THE NEXT RECRUITMENT TEAM THAT'S ACTUALLY, OR APPRENTICESHIP TEAMS THAT ARE COMING, UH, THAT ARE GRADUATING THROUGH THE UNION, UH, TRADES ARE ACTUALLY TOO SHORT.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FOLKS WHO ARE, WHO ARE ABLE TO TAKE ON THOSE JOBS.
AND SO WE NEED TO START CREATING A, A HIGHWAY THAT GETS PEOPLE CONNECTED TO THOSE JOBS.
WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD TO LIVE HERE, UH, WHEN THEY'RE STARTING THEIR SMALL BUSINESSES TOO.
AND SO IN 2012, I INITIATED A COMPLAINT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND IT WENT TO THE DO DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
AND, UM, IT WAS TO, UH, STRAIGHTEN OUT THE HIRING PROCESSES WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME IT WAS 1100 FIREFIGHTERS AND ONLY 40 OF 'EM WERE BLACK.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S EQUITY ONE IN THE WAY THE CITY OF AUSTIN HIRES AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, EVERYONE HAS A SHOT AT THOSE JOBS.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR INSTITUTIONS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, UH, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE, HAVE ACCESS AND EXPOSURE TO PROGRAMS SOONER THAN LATER SO THAT THEY'RE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, STRUGGLING ON THE BACK END.
AND WE NEED TO JUST CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PARENTS WHO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE STRUGGLING AS WELL.
AND WE, WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND THAT MEANS MAKING SURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO PURCHASING HOMES.
UM, AND, AND THE TRADES REALLY, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE BUDDIES WHO'S AN ELECTRICIAN SAYS IT'S HARD TO GET THOSE, UM, SMALL BUSINESS LOANS FROM, UM, SMALL BUSINESS LOANS, BUT ALSO GET THOSE, UM, CONTRACTS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, WHEN THINKING ABOUT THIS, I WROTE DOWN UNION TRAINING APPRENTICESHIP.
YOU CURRENTLY TOO AT A CC HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED CAPITAL IDEA THAT GIVES OPPORTUNITIES TO PARENTS WHO ARE LOOKING TO TAKE CLASSES IN THE EVENING TIME.
THEY HAVE, UH, CHILDCARE TO BE ABLE TO PUT THEM IN PLACES AND CONNECT THEM TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, GETTING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I THINK ALSO TOO, STARTING AT A YOUNGER AGE, FOR ME, UM, EXPOSURE IS KEY.
AND WE'RE STARTING AT HIGH SCHOOL, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO START A LITTLE BIT, UH, YOUNGER, STARTING AT MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH THOSE APPRENTICE APPRENTICESHIPS, BEING ABLE TO BRING IN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
UM, OUR CITY IS GROWING WITH TECH.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE EXPOSURE TO OUR CHILDREN WHEN IT COMES TO THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE COMPANIES THAT ARE COMING HERE.
SO I THINK WE CAN, AS A CITY, LEVERAGE THOSE, UM, COMPANIES AND THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMING HERE BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY THEY'RE GETTING INCENTIVES TO BE ABLE TO BRING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING UP AND BEING MORE CERTAIN ABOUT THAT FOLLOW THROUGH FOR THOSE COMPANIES.
SO I THINK THAT'S ONE WAY TO DO IT AS WELL.
THE NEXT QUESTION WILL, WE'LL START WITH MR. NHAS.
UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE, THE CULTURAL HERITAGE AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY OF DISTRICT ONE.
UM, THERE'S A RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE SHAPED BY GENERATIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT ONE.
UM, AND REDEVELOPMENT CAN MEAN THE LOSS OF OLDER BUILDINGS WITH HISTORICAL AND COMMUNITY SIGNIFICANCE TO THOSE PEOPLE SUCH AS THOSE ALONG EAST 11TH AND 12TH.
WHAT SHOULD THE CITY REQUIRE BEFORE ALLOWING THESE BUILDINGS TO BE DEMOLISHED? AND HOW SHOULD IT BALANCE HISTORIC PRESERVATION, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND NEW DEVELOPMENT? SO IN TERMS OF PRESERVING HISTORIC BUILDINGS, UH, LIKE WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE THOSE BUILDINGS ARE, WHICH IS HAVING A, UH, A LIST BASICALLY IN CITY HALL OF LIKE, WHICH BUILDINGS ARE LIKELY, LIKE, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED HISTORIC AND THE CITY SHOULD CONSIDER ACQUIRING.
THE, THE OTHER THING IS PROPER FUNDING TO MAKE SURE LIKE THOSE BUILDINGS GET ACQUIRED AND THE OWNERS DON'T FEEL SCREWED BY, UH, THE CITY COMING IN AND TAKING THAT BUILDING.
UM, IN TERMS OF PRESERVING THE, THE CITY, UM, AND THE CULTURE THERE, LIKE, THERE'S ONE IS MAKING IT AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE THERE.
UM, LIKE AT THE MOMENT, UH, THE, THE PRICES OF LOTS ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, AND IT'S,
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IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE FOR MOST PEOPLE IN THE BLACK AND LATINO COMMUNITIES TO STAY IN SOME OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.THE, I'VE WORKED IN HOUSING AS AN ECONOMIST FOR A LONG TIME NOW, AND I HAVE NOT SEEN A SOLUTION TO DISPLACEMENT, LIKE PEOPLE WHO OWN THEIR HOMES ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE DISPLACED THAN RENTERS.
UM, AND THE, THAT IS THE BEST SOLUTION.
AND SO I'D WORK ON HOME OWNERSHIP IN THAT AREA WITH SMALLER LOTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
IT'S TRULY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PRESERVE OUR FOUNDATION IN EAST AUSTIN.
WE ARE CONSTANTLY SEEING ACROSS AUSTIN AT LARGE, A LOT OF OUR BUILDINGS STARTING TO BE BOARDED UP AS WELL AS CLOSED DOWN.
AND IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE WHEN YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT WHO WE TRULY ARE AND WHO THE ESSENCE OF WHO WE ARE AS AUSTINITE.
SO BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING AND HAVE THESE TYPE OF PANELS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT DIALOGUE AND CONTEXT IS TRULY VITAL TO THE WORK THAT IS NEEDED TO BE DONE AT CITY HALL.
SO UNDERSTANDING IT, IT, IT COMES DOWN A LOT OF TIMES TO UNDERSTANDING AND THEN BEING ABLE TO PUT IN A PLAN OF ACTION WITH PRESERVATION AND BEING ABLE TO WORK ALONG WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS, THERE SHOULD BE A PROTOCOL.
THERE SHOULD BE NO GOING TO A FAVORITE CANDIDATE.
THERE SHOULD BE NO GOING TO YOUR FAVORITE COUNCIL MEMBER.
IT SHOULD BE A PROTOCOL OF GOING THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN EFFECTIVELY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT DISPLACING OUT OUR PEOPLE.
CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION ONE MORE TIME FOR ME? UM, YES.
REDEVELOPMENT CAN MEAN THE LOSS OF OLDER BUILDINGS WITH HISTORICAL AND COMMUNITY SIGNIFICANCE SUCH AS THOSE ALONG EAST 11TH AND 12TH STREETS.
WHAT SHOULD THE CITY REQUIRE BEFORE ALLOWING THESE BUILDINGS TO BE DEMOLISHED? AND HOW SHOULD IT BALANCE HISTORIC PRESERVATION, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND NEW DEVELOPMENT? YEAH.
SO CURRENTLY THE CITY REQUIRES, UH, IT HAS VARIOUS REQUIREMENTS, UM, THREE PARTICULAR CRITERIA FOR, UH, NEW OR OLD BUILDINGS TO GO THROUGH THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
UM, WE NEED TO RE RETHINK THAT AND ACTUALLY STRENGTHEN THAT WITH OUR HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSIONERS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROTECTING THOSE BUILDINGS.
UM, BEING THE CHAIR OF THE ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WE WERE THE FIRST HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, WITHIN AUSTIN, EAST AUSTIN ON THE EAST SIDE, AND THAT TOOK FIVE YEARS.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING THAT PROCESS EASIER, UH, AND QUICKER FOR, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, CONTINUE TO GET PRESERVATION.
ON TOP OF THAT, UH, I'VE WORKED ON THE EQUITY PRESERVATION PLAN WITH, UH, PRESERVATION AUSTIN AND ONE OF THE LINE ITEMS THAT WE HAD, AND IT WAS LOOKING AT CREATIVE REUSE AND GIVING, UH, EQUITY BONUSES FOR FOLKS WHO COME IN AND ACTUALLY TRY TO REUSE, UH, THE BUILDINGS, BUT ALSO KEEP THOSE LEGACIES INTACT.
AND WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT OUR FUTURE TO, OR AT OUR PAST TO CONTINUE TO BUILD FOR OUR FUTURE TOO.
WELL, WE, WE SHOULDN'T ALLOW FOR DEVELOPERS TO SIT ON PROPERTIES AND, UM, LET 'EM JUST DECAY SO THAT THEY CAN, UH, AT SOME POINT ARGUE THAT THEY NEED TO TEAR IT DOWN.
WE, WE NEED TO BE HONORING NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY ARE HEARD LOUDEST AT CITY HALL.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT GIVING OUT ENTITLEMENTS.
UH, AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, CODE ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE GOING BY THOSE DEVELOPMENTS AND ENFORCING, UH, WHATEVER THE CODES ARE THAT THEY FIND.
OFTENTIMES WE FIND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND NEIGHBORS BEING, UH, PLANNED BY TWO SETS OF RULES WHERE, YOU KNOW, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, YOU KNOW, WHEN GENTRIFICATION WAS COMING, WE HAD CODE ENFORCEMENT REALLY PUSHING ON COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND APPLYING EXTRA PRESSURE, UH, WHICH OUT, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY HAD THEM CONSIDERING SELLING SOONER THAN LATER.
BUT HERE WE ARE, WE DON'T HAVE DEVELOPERS, UH, YOU KNOW, BEING PRESSED BY OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT.
SO BEFORE, UH, THEY DEMOLISH ANYTHING, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THEY HAVE BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, APPLIED CODE ENFORCEMENT AND, UH, AND THAT THEY, THEY REALLY AREN'T ENTITLED TO THE ENTITLEMENTS UNTIL THEY WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY.
COULD YOU REPEAT THAT QUESTION? SURE.
UM, REDEVELOPMENT CAN MEAN THE LOSS OF OLDER BUILDINGS WITH HISTORICAL AND COMMUNITY SIGNIFICANCE SUCH AS THOSE ALONG EAST 11TH AND 12TH STREETS.
WHAT SHOULD THE CITY REQUIRE BEFORE ALLOWING THESE BUILDINGS TO BE DEMOLISHED? AND HOW SHOULD IT BALANCE HISTORIC PRESERVATION, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND NEW DEVELOPMENT? WELL, CURRENTLY WE ALREADY HAVE AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S LOOKING TO DO THEIR WORK.
PART OF THEIR FUNDING, THOUGH, WAS GETTING, HAS NOT, HAS GOTTEN CUT.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO ACTUALLY HAVE MORE FUNDING TO DO MORE OUTREACH THAT IS PRESERVATION AUSTIN.
SO I THINK IT'S, AS A CITY AND AS A DISTRICT LOOKING TO PARTNER MORE WITH THEM, I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF, UH, RESEARCH AROUND THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES
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AND WHAT BUILDINGS AND REACHING OUT TO THE NEIGHBORS.SO I THINK COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS ANOTHER WAY TOO, AS WELL.
AS FAR AS DOING, UM, PRESERVATION, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A DISPLACEMENT, UM, WE HAVE SEEN THE LARGEST DISPLACEMENT OF BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES IN LOW INCOME FAMILIES BETWEEN I 35 AND AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
SO I THINK FOR ME, WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT, IS LOOKING TO SPECIFICALLY SEE ONE, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE AREA NEEDS, TWO, CAN THE IN CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE OF THIS AREA SUPPORT WHAT IS LOOKING TO BE BUILT? AND THEN LOOKING AT THE INCENTIVES THAT WE'RE GIVING INDIVIDUALS AND SEE IF THEY'RE EVEN CAPABLE OR GONNA REACH, REACH THE MARK.
'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IT'S AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING ALSO TO SEE, I KNOW, SIX SQUARE, WHICH IS, UM, PART OF OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT IS DOING, LOOKING TO EXPAND THEIR HISTORICAL DISTRICT PRESERVATION PLAN.
SO I THINK IT'S ALSO TO PARTNER WITH THAT ORGANIZATION TO SEE THE WORK, UM, THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO AS WELL.
I'M GONNA, PLUS ONE TO WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID, BUT WITH PRESERVATION AUSTIN, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING MORE FUNDING SIX SQUARE RESOURCES LIKE THAT JUST ADDITIONALLY ON TOP OF THAT, ON TOP OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE CITY ALREADY HAS.
UH, I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT AS BEF WAY BEFORE WE GET TO, UH, DEMOLISHING BUILDINGS, ESPECIALLY ON EAST 11TH AND 12TH, WE'RE ALSO THINKING ABOUT RENOVATIONS AND GETTING RESOURCES TO PEOPLE, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE DISTRICTS.
IF THEY WANNA RENOVATE THEIR BUILDING, IT'S NOT THE FIRST THING THAT SOMETHING IS GONNA GET DEMOLISHED.
I ALSO THINK WE NEED A PUBLIC DASHBOARD.
WE HAVE SOME OF THIS THAT'S PUBLIC RIGHT NOW OF WHERE RESOURCES ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO PRESERVE AND WHERE HISTORIC BUILDINGS ARE, WHERE PEOPLE ARE DOING THESE RENOVATIONS.
BUT WE NEED MORE OF THAT SO PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY MORE, MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT IF WE'RE ASKING FOR MORE RESOURCES FROM TAXPAYERS, THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHERE THE RENOVATIONS ARE HAPPENING, BUT ALSO THAT THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY HAS BENEFITS FROM WHAT'S HAPPENING WHENEVER THERE ARE RESOURCES THAT ARE PUT INTO ANYTHING BEING DEMOLISHED.
SO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY HAVING THAT TRANSPARENCY.
WE HAVE THE DASHBOARDS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT ARE ACTUALLY FROM THE COMMUNITY FOR DISTRICT ONE AS WELL.
UH, THIS, UH, NEXT QUESTION WILL FIRST GO TO MS. RIGGINS EAST AUSTIN HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF MANY CITY PLANS AND PROMISES OVER THE YEARS.
NAME ONE COMMITMENT YOU BELIEVE REMAINS UNFULFILLED, AND TELL US WHAT YOU WOULD DO IN YOUR FIRST YEAR ON COUNCIL TO DELIVER ON IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, I WANNA GO AHEAD AND START WITH BEING ABLE TO SAY, COMMUNITY TRUST MEANS EVERYTHING TO AUSTIN.
AND HAVING A LACK THEREOF OF NOT HAVING COMMUNITY TRUST CAN REALLY DEMOLISH OUR INSTITUTION AND OUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.
SO HAVING THAT UNDERSTANDING IS FOCUS AND PRIORITY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO REALLY DO THE WORK AND ACTUALLY GET COMPLETION RATES AND MEASURABLE RESULTS.
I THINK MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE IN THEIR HOMES, HAVING A SAFETY NET, HAVING SAFE SPACES.
I THINK THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHAT WE HAVE COMMITTED AND SAID THAT WE ARE DOING IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT TECHNICALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT HAS DONE AFTER POST COVID AND SEEING HOW THE TRANSITION OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND THEN SEEING HOW THE TECH BROS CAME IN AND EFFECTIVELY CHANGED OUR MFI, WE SEEN HOW DRASTICALLY IT HAS AFFECTED OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE ARE NOT COMMITTING TO THE PROMISES OF AFFORDABILITY TO OUR PEOPLE AND KEEPING THEM IN THEIR HOMES SO THAT THEY WON'T BE DISPLACED.
YEAH, I THINK THE BIGGEST COMMITMENT THAT WE'VE LACKED IS, UH, AFFORDABILITY WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY WHEN IT COMES TO ACCESS AND RESOURCES AND THE MATERIAL GOOD.
THAT ACTUALLY ALLOWS OUR WORKING FAMILIES TO LIVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE.
THAT INCLUDES FOOD ACCESS, THAT INCLUDES CHILDCARE, THAT INCLUDES HEALTHCARE.
UM, AS SERVING ON THE BOARD OF THE BLACK LAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, I HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF DEVELOPING, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TRULY, DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT ALSO AT ADVOCATING AND GETTING THOSE PROGRAMS FOR, UH, LOW INCOME TENANTS.
AND SO I WANT TO SEE THAT EXPAND ACROSS, UH, DISTRICT ONE, WHETHER IT LOOKS LIKE CO-OPS AND FREE, UH, FREE GROCERY STORES, OR IF IT LOOKS LIKE UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE THAT WE COULD ESSENTIALLY HELP OUR WORKING FAMILIES OUT WITH.
UM, ALSO THE PRESERVATION PART, YOU KNOW, SERVING ON THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT, A STEERING COMMITTEE.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO PUT MORE OF AN EFFORT INTO PRESERVING THE CULTURE, BUT THEN ALSO CULTIVATING THE CULTURE AND REALLY TELLING THOSE STORIES.
IN 2019, THE CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN EAST AUSTIN.
AND, UM, THE NAACP CAME UP WITH A, UH, WITH A PLAN.
IT WAS THE PEOPLE'S PLAN, AND IN THERE THEY IDENTIFIED 107 THINGS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, SHOULD BE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY WAS STABLE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WAS AN ANTI DISPLACEMENT TASK FORCE.
SO WHEN IN OFFICE, THE FIRST THING I'LL BE DOING IS MAKING SURE WE HAVE AN ANTI DISPLACEMENT TASK FORCE, AND THAT IT'S EMPOWERED TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT WE
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CAN GET THINGS DONE BASED OFF OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS SAID THAT THEY ALREADY WANT TO SEE.WE NEED TO BE HONORING NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, ONE ON COUNCIL, MAKING SURE THAT THE, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT COME TO CITY HALL, UM, TO ENFORCE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT AND DENSITY THAT THEY'VE ALREADY PLANNED FOR, UH, ON COUNCIL.
I'LL MAKE SURE I'LL, I'LL BE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO HONOR THOSE PLANS, BUT, BUT THOSE DIS UH, ANTI DISPLACEMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS, THE WORK IS ALREADY THERE.
THE COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY SAID SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO SEE.
WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH, UH, NEW IDEAS.
WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH PEOPLE IMPLEMENTING THE IDEAS THAT OUR ELDERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY SAID THEY WANTED.
UM, I THINK OF A PLAN OF OUR 2016 MOBILITY BOND THAT WAS PASSED.
WE HAD, DID WORK ALONG MLK 9 69 FROM LAMAR ALL THE WAY TO 180 3.
AND SO EVEN IN YOUR EARLIER QUESTION, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION, OUR DISTRICT IS GROWING MORE SO EAST, IT'S GONNA GROW EAST MORE EAST, AND IT'S GONNA GROW NORTHEAST.
SO FOR ME, WE'RE LOOKING AT, THAT'S A MAJOR THROUGH FARE FOR OUR CITY.
AND SO I WOULD LOOK TO SEE ONE WHERE WE EARNED THAT PROCESS BECAUSE THE, THE BOND AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND EVERYTHING WAS DONE, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO WORK ALONG THAT AREA.
AND ALSO TOO, THAT IS ONE OF THE CENTRAL AREAS WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF E TIDES AND DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING ALONG AIRPORT BOULEVARD AND MLK.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, AND I TELL PEOPLE INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT THE SEXIEST THING, BUT IT'S OUR FOUNDATION.
SO HOW ARE WE MOVING PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO GO FROM DOWNTOWN TO EAST AUSTIN IF A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE HAVING MORE HOUSING, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE FUNDING, WHERE WE ARE, WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE? BECAUSE SO MUCH DEVELOPMENT HAS HAPPENED ALONG THAT AREA, BUT I THINK IT'S LOOKING AT THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE PUT THROUGH FOR THE 2016 MOBILITY BOND WOULD BE THAT.
UH, COMMUNITY LED INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, BUT I WANNA BE VERY SPECIFIC IN SAYING THAT A SPECIFIC THING THAT HAS BEEN PROMISED IS, UH, THE MILLENNIALS MILLENNIUM CENTER IS SOMETHING THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, RENOVATIONS RESOURCES.
I'VE WORKED ON GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS.
AND THE REASON WHY IT WAS STARTED WAS BECAUSE IN ACT GUN VIOLENCE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE NEEDED MORE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR KIDS AND FOR OUR FAMILIES TO ACTUALLY HAVE IN THE CENTER OF DISTRICT ONE WATER IS INFRASTRUCTURE, VIOLENCE PREVENTION IS INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING, AFFORDABILITY, ALL THESE THINGS ARE PARTS OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
DISTRICT ONE NEEDS SOMEBODY WHO CAN GET ON CITY COUNCIL AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS LEADING WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE WILL ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE AND CAN RESPOND, BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
AND SO I WOULD SAY VERY SPECIFICALLY, THE MILLENNIUM CENTER IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN PROMISED, BUT MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY UP TO DATE AND REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY'S PLANS, UH, BUT THEN ALSO AN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN THAT IS LED BY THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. NAJA.
UM, THIS IS A DIFFICULT QUESTION.
I MEAN, THERE ARE, THERE ARE MANY ISSUES, UM, LIKE FROM, LIKE AS AN ECONOMIST, I LOOK AT LIKE THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
PEOPLE GROWING UP ON THE EAST SIDE HAVE LESS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FROM THE WEST SIDE, UM, AND A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH SCHOOLS.
BUT ANOTHER THING IS POLICE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, THERE'S, AT EVERY, UH, PERSON'S HOUSEHOLD INCOME LEVEL, THE, THE PROBABILITY THAT A BLACK MAN IS IN JAIL OR PRISON ON HIS 30TH BIRTHDAY IS THREE TO FIVE TIMES HIGHER THAN A WHITE PERSON.
UM, AND ONCE YOU'RE IN JAIL, THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS ON YOUR LIFE ARE TRAUMATIC.
UH, IT'S DIFFICULT GETTING JOBS, IT'S DIFFICULT GETTING HOUSING.
SO I WOULD FOCUS ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE THERE.
UM, I DID A STUDY OF WHERE THE, THE BLACK COMMUNITY CURRENTLY LIVES IN AUSTIN.
I LOOKED AT THE CENSUS TRACKS, UM, AND I EXPECTED THE, THE TOP CENSUS TRACKS TO BE IN THE HISTORICALLY BLACK PART OF AUSTIN.
THEY'RE NO LONGER THERE, BUT THE NUMBER FIVE IN AUSTIN FOR BLACK POPULATION IS THE CENSUS TRACK THAT CONTAINS THE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, THE COUNTY JAIL.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO FOCUS ON AND FOCUS ON FAIR APPLICATION OF POLICING, AND THAT INVOLVES COLLECTING DATA AND TRACKING ISSUES.
THE NEXT QUESTION, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THIS.
UM, MR. RAMOS, WHAT DOES A SAFE AND HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD LOOK LIKE TO YOU? AND WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS COULD YOU TAKE AS A CITY COUNSELOR COUNCIL PERSON, UM, TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR YOUR CITIZENS? YEAH.
TO ME, A SAFE AND HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS LIKE, UH, ACCESS TO RESOURCES LIKE FOOD ACCESS, CHILDCARE, UM, ALSO ACCESS FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
SO FOLKS HAVE TRAINING AND JOBS.
UH, I DO ALSO LOOK AT, UM, IN MY MIND, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY AS IT IS.
UM, WE CURRENTLY SPEND ABOUT 36% OF OUR BUDGET ON, ON POLICING.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY SPENDING AND FUNDING THINGS THAT ARE ACTUALLY GET AT THE ROOT CAUSE.
[00:40:01]
AND A LOT OF THOSE ROOT CAUSES ARE ISSUES WITH AFFORDABILITY, UH, FOOD ACCESS, UH, CHILDCARE AND HEALTHCARE, UM, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR TRAINING, UH, FOR FOLKS TO ACTUALLY GET WORK.AND SO TO ME, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT I TRULY BELIEVE, UH, A TRUE SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS LIKE.
ANOTHER ONE IS HAVING, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND BLOCK, UH, BLOCK GROUPS ESSENTIALLY ALLOWING, UH, COMMUNITIES TO HAVE COMMUNICATION WITHIN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS TO ALSO SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
YEAH, FOR ME, UH, COMMUNITIES, UM, ARE SAFEST WHEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ENGAGED AND THEY'RE INFORMED.
UM, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AGREED UPON SETS OF NORMS. AND WHEN COMMUNITIES HAVE AGREED UPON SETS OF NORMS, UH, WE UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY'RE VIOLATED, THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
I WANT GOOD COMMUNITY MEMBERS, JUST LIKE I WANT GOOD POLICING, I WANT GOOD LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND I WANT GOOD, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO FEEL CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO COMMUNICATE WITH A POLICE OFFICER WHEN THEY'RE IN THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN GET CRIME SOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UM, I HAVE BEEN BORN AND RAISED HERE.
I, I'VE, I'VE LIVED THROUGH OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP ON 12TH STREET AND 12TH AND CHACON.
I'VE SEEN WHAT OVER POLICING LOOK LIKE WHEN I'VE ALSO SEEN WHAT VICTIM OF VICTIMIZATION LOOKS LIKE.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRIDGING GAPS AND THAT PEOPLE ARE FEELING SAFE.
UH, BUT WE ALSO, HAVING ACCESS TO JOBS AND RESOURCES, THOSE THINGS, UH, GO HAND IN HAND, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND WHEN CRIME IS DONE IN THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S FOR POLICING AS WELL.
UM, YOU'RE LOOKING AT SAFER STREETS AND NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT RESPONSIVE, UM, UH, EMERGENCY SERVICES.
YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING AT TOO, UM, MEASURING IF WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY IS SET UP IS ACTUALLY EVEN WORKING.
WHEN I THINK OF SAFER STREETS, THAT'S SIDEWALKS, STREETLIGHTS, IT'S THE SIMPLE THINGS.
IT'S AS, UM, MR. BROWN HAD MENTIONED.
UM, YOU HAVE STREETS, UH, AND PROPERTIES ALONG 12TH STREET THAT ARE VACANT, THAT HAVE GRAFFITI ALL OVER 'EM.
THERE WAS ONE WHERE IT WAS A FIRE, AND THAT BUILDING IS BASICALLY NOT TORN DOWN, BUT IT LOOKS HORRIBLE.
IT'S LIKE ADDRESSING THOSE AREAS WHERE WE KNOW ALSO TOO, WHERE THERE ARE PROBLEM AREAS, WHERE THERE ARE PROBLEM AREAS, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY AND WORKING WITH NEIGHBORS TO WORK ON THAT.
I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION, YOU'RE LOOKING AT WORKING WITH WRAPAROUND SERVICES, MENTAL BE MITCHELL, MENTAL HEALTH BEHAVIORAL SPECIALISTS.
YOU ARE LOOKING AT YOUTH MENTORS.
I THINK IT'S NOT JUST ALSO TO OUR EMS AND OUR FIRE, BUT IT'S BEING VERY CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
AND I THINK LASTLY, IT'S OUR BUDGET.
LIKE WE'VE SHARED UP HERE, POLICE IS A BUDGET THAT YOU CANNOT DECREASE.
SO THAT IS ONE THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH, BE GONE THROUGH WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB.
AND ALSO TOO, HOW ARE, UH, THE POLICE WORKING AND PARTNERING WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND, UH, NON-PROFITS AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING WORK IN THE COMMUNITY.
YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO PUT THE PUBLIC BACK IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
PEOPLE THINK OF PUBLIC SAFETY AS ONLY POLICE, FIRE AND EMS, BUT THERE'S AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM OF PEOPLE BOTH IN THE COMMUNITY BUT ALSO INSIDE SYSTEMS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AT THE COUNTY AS WELL.
I WAS A PROSECUTOR FOR FIVE YEARS AS A SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT PROSECUTOR.
SO I WORK WITH VICTIMS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UH, BUT I ALSO WORK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS THE CHAIR OF THE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION TASK FORCE, WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GET FUNDING THAT STILL EXISTS SIX YEARS LATER TO COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND SYSTEM PARTNERS ACROSS THIS ECOSYSTEM.
SO I THINK SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE STEPS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE IS, I, I'VE COME UP WITH A PLAN WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO PUT TOGETHER A PUBLIC SAFETY DASHBOARD.
IF YOU LOOK AT HARRIS COUNTY, IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, UH, BALTIMORE, IF YOU LOOK AT COOK COUNTY, THEY HAVE DASHBOARDS WHERE PEOPLE SEE WHERE PUBLIC SAFETY IS ACTUALLY, INFRASTRUCTURE IS WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY, WHERE 3 0 1 1 IS WHERE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS, BUT IT ALSO IS ACCOUNTABILITY FACTOR FOR HOW PEOPLE ARE SPENDING THEIR MONEY, BUT ALSO WHERE CRIME IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING AND WHERE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SAFE AND WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE INFO INPUT.
SO I'D WANNA HAVE MORE TRANSPARENCY, BUT ALSO A TOOL THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN USE AS WELL.
SO WHEN I CONSIDERED RUNNING, I DID A SURVEY, I KNOCKED ON A HUNDRED DOORS, TALKED TO 18 PEOPLE, AND LIKE MY SENSE OF A SAFE, HAPPY NEIGHBORHOOD COMES FROM THAT, FROM TALKING TO WOMEN WHO LIKE DIDN'T FEEL SAFE RUNNING OUT BY THE LAKE AT, YOU KNOW, SIX IN THE MORNING JUST AFTER SUNRISE.
AND MOTHERS WHO DIDN'T FEEL SAFE TAKING THEIR KIDS TO THE POOL BECAUSE THERE WERE SKETCHY HOMELESS PEOPLE THERE.
SO I THINK HAVING PEOPLE SAFE TO GO OUT AND DO THE THINGS THEY WANNA LIVE IN AUSTIN IS MY IDEA OF A SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO, UM, IS LIGHTS.
LIKE, THERE'S JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE THINGS LIKE PREVENTS CRIME, AS DOES OCCUPYING MEN FROM AGES 15 TO 35.
SO EVENTS LIKE MIDNIGHT BASKETBALL, WHICH GIVES THEM SOMETHING TO DO, SOMETHING TO ASPIRE TO AND PREVENTS THEM FROM FALLING INTO, UM, LESS DESIRABLE
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ACTIVITIES.UM, THE OTHER THING IS HIRING MORE COPS.
WE'RE ABOUT 18% BELOW, UH, STAFFING ON THE POLICE, WHICH MEANS WE'RE PAYING MORE FOR OVERTIME, WHICH MAKES IT MORE EXPENSIVE, AND LESS COVERAGE.
SO GETTING MORE POLICE, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO GET, UH, HIRE MORE DETECTIVES, WHICH SOLVES CRIME AND LOWERS CRIME, AND ALSO HAVING MORE PEOPLE IN FAST RESPONSE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT HITTING OUR, UH, TARGETS FOR URGENT RESPONSE IN AUSTIN FOR 9 1 1 CALLS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
I'M GONNA MAKE IT QUICK BECAUSE I ONLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT, UM, DEFINITELY BEING IN EAST AUSTIN AND BEING THERE MY ENTIRE LIFE IN THE DISTRICT, UNDERSTANDING THAT RESOURCES AND HAVING A LACK OF RESOURCES CAN COM CREATE A CONCERN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND UNDERSTANDING THAT MY FOCUS IN THIS WHOLE CAMPAIGN IS THE CITY BUDGET AND MAKING SURE THAT MEASURABLE RESULTS ARE HAPPENING FOR US.
SO WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ALSO ACCOUNT FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THESE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENTS AFFECTS ACTUAL NATIVES WHO HAVE BEEN IN THIS COMMUNITY AS INNOCENT INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR LIVES ARE BEING THREATENED DAY TO DAY.
AND THAT INCLUDES ETHICAL AND ACCOUNTABLE PUBLIC SAFETY, MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS INTERVENTION, SAFER STREETS, SIDEWALKS, INFRASTRUCTURES, UM, HEALTHY HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND RECREATION, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES.
ALSO, COMMUNITY TRUST, THAT TRANSPARENCY, THAT ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC SAFETY THAT WE SEE THAT IS MEASURABLE RESULTS WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT BUDGET AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THOSE STOPS.
I CAN GO ON AND ON, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, THE NEXT ONE GOES TO MR. BROWN.
UM, RESIDENTS OFTEN CLAIM THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MAKES MAJOR DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS AND OTHER DECISIONS WITHOUT PUBLIC INPUT OR ASKS FOR INPUT TOO LATE IN THE PROCESS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I'M GONNA COMBINE TWO QUESTIONS HERE,
WHAT SPECIFIC STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOUR OFFICE AND DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS WHEN IT COMES TO THESE MAJOR DECISIONS? YEAH, I, AND I AGREE WITH A LOT OF THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACTUALLY HELP BREAK A STORY CALLED MOCK, WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE GOING DOWN CITY HALL AND, UH, THEY WERE VOICING THEIR CONCERNS.
AND INSTEAD OF STAFF COMING OUT AND ENGAGING 'EM, THEY'RE PLAYING CONSTITUENT BINGO.
UM, AND SO ONE, WE NEED TO BE MAKING SURE THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS FEEL HEARD SOONER THAN LATER.
SO THAT MEANS HAVING QUARTERLY TOWN HALLS, POSTING YOUR SCHEDULE, MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE ACCESSIBLE, HAVING SATELLITE OFFICES OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SOMETIMES IT'S A VERY BIG BURDEN TO CROSS I 35 JUST TO COME DOWN TO CITY HALL TO HAVE YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.
UM, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS GET AMPLE AMOUNT OF NOTICE BEFORE A DEVELOPMENT OR ANYTHING, UH, THAT COMES THEIR WAY.
UM, SO MAKING SURE, AGAIN, WE'RE HONORING NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS AND THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE VOICES ARE HEARD SOONER THAN LATER, IS MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
ANSWERING EMAILS, REPLYING TO PHONE CALLS, SIMPLE THINGS LIKE THAT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN FEEL LIKE THEIR VOICE IS HEARD.
FOLKS WANNA GO HOME AND, AND SPEND TIME AND ENJOY WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS OFFICE SHOULD BE MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING.
I THINK FOR ME, PRIOR, EVEN TO GETTING THIS, I'VE BEEN BLOCK WALKING IN WHILE BLOCK WALKING.
I'VE BEEN ASKING NEIGHBORS WHAT THEY WANNA SEE.
OUR DISTRICT HISTORICALLY HAS ALWAYS HAD TO BEEN REACTIVE INSTEAD OF PROACTIVE.
SO IF YOU'RE ASKING NEIGHBORS PRIOR TO, WHAT DO YOU WANNA SEE THAT CAN BE DONE THROUGH TOWN HALLS OR COMMUNITY MEETINGS OR GOING TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, IT'S LIKE, WHAT DO YOU WANNA SEE? I HAVE A PLAN OF SPLITTING OUR DISTRICT INTO FOUR REGIONS THAT ALLOWS ME TO BE ABLE TO SET UP A CAC, SO A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
SO THEN I'M MEETING WITH THEM EITHER, UM, QUARTERLY OR TWICE A YEAR WHERE YOU'RE GETTING UPDATES ON WHAT SPECIFICALLY IS HAPPENING AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT'S NEEDED.
UM, I THINK ALSO TOO, WHEN IT COMES TO, LIKE YOU HAD MENTIONED, I'M CHAIR OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND CO-CHAIR OF MY CONTACT TEAM.
WE GET IN THE MAIL MAYBE TWO WEEKS BEFORE A DEVELOPMENT IS COMING TO OUR AREA, NOTIFICATION ABOUT IT.
AND SO I'M HAVING TO GO AND EITHER ROUND UP MY NEIGHBORS, EDUCATE THEM ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, BRINGING THE DEVELOPERS AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO THE MEETING TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND TELL THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEIR PLAN IS, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO, OR THE POSSIBILITY OF THEM COMING.
SO FOR ME IT'S BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION PRIOR TO, BUT ALSO MEETING WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
AND IF I GET THAT INFORMATION, I'M SENDING IT AUTOMATICALLY OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE COUNCIL ACTUALLY GETS THIS INFORMATION MONTHS IN ADVANCE BEFORE THE COMMUNITY DOES ACTUALLY.
YEAH, I THINK WE, IN DISTRICT ONE IN PARTICULAR, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REBUILDING TRUST WITH THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
I'D WANNA MAKE SURE THAT TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY THAT EVERY PART OF THE DISTRICT, IF IT'S COPPERFIELD, IF IT'S WHISPER VALLEY, THE ENTIRE DISTRICT KNOWS THAT I WOULD WANT TO REPRESENT ALL
[00:50:01]
OF THEM, MAKING SURE THAT LONG-TERM RESIDENTS WERE RESPECTED AND HEARD AND LISTENED TO, BUT ALSO NEW PEOPLE WHO CAME INTO, INTO TOWN AND INTO AUSTIN.WHETHER YOU'RE IN MAYNARD OR PFLUGERVILLE, YOU SEND YOUR KIDS TO DELL VALLEY, UM, HIGH SCHOOL THAT YOU ARE REPRESENTED.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE THINGS THAT WERE SET FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, INCLUDING NOT SIGNING NDAS WITH CORPORATIONS AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE LIKE THAT WAS NOT A PART OF THE PRACTICE AND THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY KNEW THAT FROM DISTRICT ONE.
UM, AND I'D ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, A PART OF THE PLAN THAT I HAVE AT AMBER, AMBER FOR AUSTIN.COM, UM, THAT HAS BEEN BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY, IS BUILT ON FEEDBACK.
UM, I PUT IT OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CAMPAIGN BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY THAT I WAS WORKING WITH.
AND I'VE ASKED PEOPLE ALL, EVERY SINGLE DAY, WHETHER I'M KNOCKING ON DOORS AT DIFFERENT FORMS, WHAT'S SOME FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE? AND I HEAR IT AND I GO BACK AND RESTRUCTURE THE PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ACTUALLY IS RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY CAN ACTUALLY SEE THAT IN REAL TIME.
AND SO I'D WANNA CONTINUE THAT BOTH ONLINE AND OFFLINE, MAKING SURE THAT WE REPRESENTED THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. NEHA.
SO, AS I SAID BEFORE, THE FIRST THING I DID WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT RUNNING WAS DO A SURVEY.
SO TALKING TO PEOPLE, GETTING OUT WHERE THEY ARE IS A BIG THING.
CITY OF AUSTIN DOES A SURVEY EVERY TWO YEARS.
WE NEED FASTER SURVEYS MORE OFTEN.
SO THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS A REAL VIEW OF, OF EVERYBODY.
UM, IN ADDITION TO MY MASTER'S IN ECONOMICS, I HAVE A MASTER'S IN COMPUTER SCIENCE.
SO PART OF THIS HAS TO BE TECHNOLOGY.
UH, ONE WE GET EMAIL BLA I'M ON EMAIL BLAST FROM THE DISTRICT ONE OFFICE, BUT IT CONTAINS A LOT OF INFORMATION, NOT REALLY AIMED AT ME 'CAUSE IT'S AT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DISTRICT.
THE DISTRICT IS ABSOLUTELY HUGE.
SO ONE IS HAVING THE ABILITY TO SEND EMAILS TO PEOPLE BASED ON THEIR ADDRESS SO THAT YOU GET THE INFORMATION THAT'S RELEVANT TO YOU AND NOT A HUGE LIST OF 5,000 THINGS HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS KEEPING UP MORE INFORMATION.
SO HAVING A WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE ISSUES THE COUNCIL OFFICE IS WORKING ON AND USING TOOLS LIKE POLIS, WHICH CAN DO LARGE SCALE POLLING TO FIND OUT WHERE PEOPLE HAVE, UH, AGREEMENT ON ISSUES AND COLLECT INFORMATION QUICKLY FROM A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
CAN YOU SAY THE QUESTION AGAIN? I DIDN'T GET THE SECOND PART OF.
RESIDENTS OFTEN CLAIM THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MAKES MAJOR DECISIONS WITHOUT PUBLIC INPUT OR ASK FOR INPUT TOO LATE IN THE PROCESS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WHAT SPECIFIC STEPS WILL YOU TAKE TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOUR OFFICE AND DISTRICT ONE RESIDENTS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
SO COMMUNITY TRUST, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME.
SO I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I AM EFFECTIVE IN MAKING SURE THAT COMMUNICATION REACHES OUR AUDIENCE.
AND WHEN I SAY REAL TIME, I HAVE EFFECTIVELY SPOKEN TO REAL TIME MEASURABLE RESULTS.
AND DURING THIS WHOLE ENTIRE CAMPAIGN UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY, BUT BESIDES UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY, WHICH I AM SAVVY IN, IS UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ALSO HAVE LOW INCOME FAMILIES, A COMMUNITY THAT I CAME FROM PUBLIC HOUSING AS WELL AS SENIORS AND ELDERS THAT ARE NOT AS EQUIPPED WITH TECHNOLOGY, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN REACH THESE INDIVIDUALS AND NOT LEAVE THEM BEHIND.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN MY ARGUMENT, THIS WHOLE ENTIRE CAMPAIGN, AND IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT LEAVE OUR PEOPLE BEHIND NO MATTER THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC, NO MATTER THEIR BACKGROUND, NO MATTER THEIR HERITAGE OR CULTURE.
WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICT, AND THAT IS DISTRICT ONE.
AND I EFFECTIVELY LOOK TO SERVE ALL OF YOU.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I I WILL YOU GET MY COMMITMENT THAT I WON'T SIGN NO NDAS AND WORK WITH CORPORATE INTERESTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S FIRST AND FOREMOST.
UM, AND THAT'S GOING BACK TO DOG'S HEAD AND OTHER, UH, DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED UH, PREVIOUSLY, UM, WITH COUNCIL.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN, UH, THE, THE INSTITUTIONS THAT WE DO HAVE, LIKE THE COMMUNITY, UH, DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
UM, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS ACTUALLY LOOKING TO PUT FORTH A POLICY THAT ALLOWS, UH, THEM TO GRADE DEVELOPMENTS, UM, WHEN THEY POP UP.
SO THAT COULD HELP TO INFORM NOT ONLY THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO HELP TO INFORM PLANNING COMMISSION, AND ALSO HELP TO INFORM THE CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES.
UH, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE GETTING OUR INSTITUTION STRENGTHENED SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
SECOND, YOU'RE GOING TO GET MORE ACCESSIBILITY FOR ME, UM, AS A, AS A D ONE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE SATELLITE OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
UM, AND TO SERVE THAT DISTRICT, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MAKING OURSELVES AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO THE PLAN IS TO WORK WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS TO HAVE SATELLITE OFFICES SO PEOPLE FEEL CONNECTED TO, UH, THE DAIS, EVEN IF THEY CAN'T COME DOWN TO CITY HALL.
THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION BEFORE YOUR CLOSING STATEMENT.
AND I, THIS IS GONNA BE VERY QUICK.
YOU CLEARLY ARE ALL VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, UM, THE ISSUES AND YOU CARE ABOUT THE CITY.
WHAT I WANNA KNOW IS WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH, YOUR HARD SKILL,
[00:55:01]
OR YOUR SOFT SKILL THAT YOU WILL BRING TO BEAR ON THIS OFFICE TO ACTUALLY GET THE JOB DONE? UM, AND WE'LL START WITH, UH, MS. ANDERSON.UH, I THINK MY GREATEST STRENGTH IS THAT I'VE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY OVER A DECADE.
AS I SHARE EARLIER, I TELL PEOPLE, BEING A CHAIR OF A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, YOU DEAL WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT COME BEFORE YOU.
YOU'RE DEALING WITH HOUSING, YOU'RE DEALING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, YOU'RE DEALING WITH ENCAMPMENTS, YOU'RE DEALING WITH EVERYTHING.
SO FOR ME, I THINK MY GREATEST STRENGTH IS BEING ABLE AND HAVING NAVIGATED THAT AND EDUCATING MYSELF ALONG THE WAY ON THE ISSUES, HAVING TO DEAL WITH, UM, THE DIFFERENT LAND USE DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE CHANGED OVER THIS DECADE.
I'M A STUDENT OF THIS, SO I THINK THAT IS THE STRENGTH OF MINE.
I ALSO THINK TOO, IT'S BEING ABLE TO LISTEN AND HAVING EMPATHY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO GET BACK TO BEING IN COMMUNITY.
IT'S HAVING OUR BLOCK PARTIES.
IT'S LOOKING OUT FOR OUR NEIGHBORS.
I TELL SOMEONE WHEN I WAS AT THE FIRE, UM, ALLIANCE, UM, SYMPOSIUM THAT THEY HELD, I WAS LIKE, COULD YOU TELL ME WHO, JUST, JUST AROUND YOU, WHO'S ACROSS FROM YOU, WHO'S NEXT DOOR TO YOU, WHO'S NEXT DOOR TO YOU, YOUR NEIGHBORS? HOW MANY CHILDREN DO THEY HAVE? IF THEY HAVE A PET? IF SOMETHING WAS TO HAPPEN, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO TELL AN OFFICER THAT? THANK YOU.
UM, MY ABILITY TO NAVIGATE AND UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET ON ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
UH, THE, THE GOAL AND THE ROLE OF A CITY COUNCIL PERSON IS TO BE ABLE TO BALANCE THAT BUDGET, TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO FORECAST AND ALSO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT WHEN I WAS CHAIR OF THE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION TASK FORCE.
WE STILL HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT I BUILT AND HELPED WITH THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S, IT'S LASTED THROUGH DIFFERENT MAYORS.
IT'S LASTED THROUGH DIFFERENT CITY COUNCILS.
AND BECAUSE WE BUILT THE INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND LEADING THAT, THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND AGAIN, I'VE WORKED ON ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, AND RIGHT NOW WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR STATE GOVERNMENT, I'VE STILL BEEN EFFECTIVE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING RESOURCES DIRECTLY TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR OUR NEIGHBORS AND DISTRICT ONE.
AND SO I THINK MY GREATEST STRENGTH IS THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, LED BY THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE, UH, LONG TERM AS WELL.
UM, I'VE GOT A LOT OF SKILLS AND DATA ANALYSIS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ECONOMICS, BUT THE, THE BEST THING IS JUST BEING ABLE TO SPOT BS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COME TO CITY COUNCIL WITH THEIR LOBBYISTS.
THEY'VE GOT A PRESENTATION WITH LOTS OF DATA, AND I CAN SEE THROUGH IT.
I, I KNOW ENOUGH NUMBERS ABOUT THE BACKGROUND OF A LOT OF ISSUES.
I CAN TAKE APART THEIR DATA AND FIND OUT LIKE WHERE THEY'RE GOING WRONG AND LIKE WHERE THEY'RE COMING AND TRYING TO SELL HOOEY.
YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THE SHINOLA AND NOT THE OTHER STUFF.
AND LIKE THE, LIKE, THAT IS THE BEST SKILL IS LIKE BEING ABLE TO DO DATA ANALYSIS TO FIND THE BS AND TOSS THAT OUT AND KEEP THE GOOD STUFF THAT WILL ACTUALLY HELP AUSTIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
I THINK THAT MY GREATEST SKILL WOULD BE JUST BEING A CHAMELEON.
UM, BEING A TRUE AUSTINITE, KNOWING THE LAY OF THE LAND, THESE ZIP CODES THAT EVERYONE SPEAK OF.
I ACTUALLY KNOW THESE ZIP CODES FIRSTHAND, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF A GPS, BUT BECAUSE THESE ARE THE AREAS AND THE CORNERS AND THE STREETS AND THE CHURCHES AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT I WAS RAISED IN.
ALSO, I HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF ACCOUNTING.
SO BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DATA AND HAVE THAT DATA ANALYTICAL APPROACH, AND SEEING THE MEASURABLE RESULTS AS WELL AS KNOWING TECHNOLOGY, SEEING THAT WE SHOULD NOT LEAVE OUR PEOPLE BEHIND IN THIS DAY AND AGE WHERE WE'RE BECOMING ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING TECH HOPES IN AMERICA.
SO BEING A TRUE AUSTINITE, I FEEL IS MY GREATEST STRENGTH.
YEAH, MY GREATEST STRENGTH IS, WOULD PROBABLY BE MY EXPERIENCE, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, BUT ALSO JUST TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU, JUST GETTING THINGS DONE.
UM, WORKING WITH THE BLACK LAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, I'VE ACTUALLY TAKEN ON THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS HEAD ON AND HAD SUCCESS.
UH, WE BUILT TRULY, DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR FAMILIES, UH, ACROSS, ACROSS BLACKLAND NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE'RE LOOKING TO ALSO EXPAND THAT WITH OTHER, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
ALSO, PRESERVING OUR COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS ALLOWED MY COMMUNITY TO STAY ROOTED AND ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES TO ALLOW THEM TO AFFORD REHABILITATION AND RENOVATIONS, UM, ON THEIR, ON THEIR HOUSING AS WELL.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS YOU'RE GONNA GET AN ADVOCATE.
YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT AFRAID TO STEP UP AND STEP OUT AND REALLY SPEAK UP.
UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, UH, OVER A DECADE, EVEN CODEX ONE AND TWO, HOME ONE AND TWO, I WASN'T AFRAID TO SHOW UP AND SPEAK OUT, AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES AGAINST ICE, UM,
[01:00:01]
AND ALL THE THINGS THAT TRUMP AND ABBOTT WANT TO TRY TO PUSH ON US.MR. BROWN, YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH? YEAH, MY GREATEST STRENGTH IS THAT, UH, I'M A PARENT AND I'VE RAISED MY TWO SONS IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND SO I'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF PATIENCE AND MAKING THINGS, UH, MAKING ENDS MEET, BEING ACCOUNTABLE, AND WATCHING MY OWN HOUSEHOLD BUDGET.
I'VE ALSO BEEN A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, SO TAKING CARE OF MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AREN'T, IT'S NOTHING, UM, THAT I'M NOT USED TO.
SO BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PRACTICE THAT DO NO HARM IS KIND OF THE CODE AND MORE VALUES.
UM, ALSO JUST THE RESILIENCE OF MY COMMUNITY, UH, BEING BORN AND RAISED HERE, THAT COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN ELDERS.
THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED FROM MY ELDERS, LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE VALUES, TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER, LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER.
UH, BIGGER STRENGTH IS JUST BEING A COMMUNITY MEMBER.
YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THE TITLES, WITHOUT ANY OF THOSE THINGS IS, IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU SHOW UP IN COMMUNITY WITHOUT, UH, ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, I COACH LITTLE LEAGUE FOOTBALL, I'M A DEACON IN MY CHURCH.
YOU KNOW, I, I LOVE SITTING IN, IN COMMUNITY.
AND SO, AGAIN, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, UH, BUT ALSO VERY STRONG WITH STANDING UP AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT, UH, DISTRICT ONE GETS WHAT WE DESERVE.
THE LAST THING THIS EVENING IS ONE MINUTE FOR YOUR FINAL, UH, YOUR FINAL APPEAL TO VOTERS.
AND WE'LL START WITH MS. GOODWIN.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
LOOK, I GOT TO, TO AUSTIN 19 YEARS AGO, ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO, TO WORK ON THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN.
AND THE CARES AND THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE THAT I HEARD EVERY SINGLE DAY WHEN I WAS KNOCKING ON DOORS BACK THEN ARE THE SAME CARES AND CONCERNS THAT I HEAR EVERY SINGLE DAY.
NOW, UH, I WORKED ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT HERE IN EAST AUSTIN AS WELL, AND I KNOW THAT AFFORDABILITY IS NOT JUST ONE PIECE IN ONE DEPARTMENT THAT SOMEBODY WOULD COME TO CITY COUNCIL.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY TAKING AN ALL OF GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS ACTUALLY FULFILLED AND THAT ACT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD TO NOT ONLY STAY IN THEIR HOMES, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR KIDS ARE SAFE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW, AND YOU WOULD GET FROM ME, THAT I'M FIGHTING FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON ACROSS THE DISTRICT, NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, FROM THE HOOVER, ALEXANDERS, UH, TO THE PEOPLE LIKE MY NEIGHBOR JACKIE, WHO MOVED INTO THE APARTMENT NEXT TO ME.
THOSE PEOPLE, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE RESPECTED, BUT ALSO EVERYONE NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A PART IN DISTRICT ONE, AND THAT'S THE FIGHTER THAT YOU WOULD GET WITH ME.
MY WEBSITE IS AMBER FOR AUSTIN.COM, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT.
NAH, NAH, SORRY, I SKIPPED YOU.
UM, YEAH, MY SOFT SKILLS ARE NOT THE WARMEST, I'M NOT THE, THE MOST EXTROVERTED AND NOT THE MOST, LIKE, CHARISMATIC.
DON'T HAVE THE RIZ AS THE KIDS SAY, BUT LIKE, YEAH, I CAN SPOT BS.
I'VE LIKE TRIED TO WORK ON BIG PROBLEMS THAT MATTER TO PEOPLE.
UH, I WORKED ON LOWERING THE RENTS AND GOT REAL THINGS DONE.
IT'S $150, WHICH IS ABOUT $2,000 PER FAMILY, AND THERE'S A QUARTER MILLION FAMILIES THAT RENT IN AUSTIN.
THOSE ARE BIG NUMBERS AND A HUGE EFFECT ON PEOPLE'S LIVES.
UH, I'VE WORKED ON GETTING INTO THE DETAILS OF THE PENSIONS, WHICH TOOK A HUNDRED HOURS.
IT TOOK A LOT OF DIGGING TO FIND WHERE THAT WAS, AND THEN HAD TO LISTEN TO SOME BS FROM CITY STAFF SAYING LIKE, OH, NO, THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY A PROBLEM.
LIKE, NO, IT'S A REAL PROBLEM.
WE'RE BORROWING MORE FROM THE PENSIONS, $32 MILLION MORE THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU GET WITH ME, SOMEBODY WHO'S DOGGED, WHO TRIES TO WORK ON THE BIG IMPORTANT THINGS AND SOLVE THEM.
UH, MY NAME AGAIN IS MIKE NHAS.
MY WEBSITE IS MIKE FROST AUSTIN.ORG.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I AM PORSCHE RIGGINS, RUNNING FOR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE, AND I HOPE TO BE YOUR NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER IN OFFICE.
I'VE SEEN, JUST LIKE YOU GUYS, I HAVE THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF THE DAY-TO-DAY ISSUES THAT YOU GUYS HAVE IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE.
SO I HAVE THAT UNDERSTANDING, I HAVE THAT COMMITMENT, AND I HAVE THAT TRUE, HONEST WORD AS A AUSTINITE FOR ME.
I KNOW THAT I LOOK TO HAVE MEASURABLE RESULTS AND EFFECTIVENESS IN REAL TIME FOR YOU.
SO UNDERSTANDING THAT PORSCHE RIGGINS IS THE CANDIDATE FOR YOU, AND I DO WANNA LEAVE YOU GUYS WITH SOMETHING.
YOU WOULDN'T TAKE A PAPER ROADMAP ON A ROAD TRIP IN 2026 WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO A SECURE, RELIABLE GPS THAT UNDERSTANDS WHERE YOU ARE AND HELPS YOU NAVIGATE WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
THINK OF ME THAT WAY AS A REAL AUSTINITE, A TRUE LONG LIVED AUSTINITE WHO'S NEVER LEFT THE CITY.
AND I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, AND ALL THE LACK OF RESOURCES.
FIND ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PORSCHE RIGGINS.
I WILL DEFINITELY SERVE YOU WITH FULL COMMITMENT.
UM, MR. RAMOS, LOOK, Y'ALL, THE STATUS QUO AIN'T WORKING.
IT'S NOT WORKING FOR A LOT OF THE WORKING PEOPLE HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TECH BILLIONAIRES, SPECIAL INTERESTS AND CORPORATE INTERESTS THAT ARE WRITING CHECKS TO BASICALLY GAIN
[01:05:01]
CONSENSUS ON THE DAAS.AND WE NEED TO TURN THE TABLES ON THAT CURRENT ARRANGEMENT AND PUT WORKING PEOPLE FIRST.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M IN THIS RACE.
I'M IN THIS RACE BECAUSE I AM DEMANDING MORE, BECAUSE WE DESERVE BETTER.
WE NEED TO DEMAND MORE PROTECTIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, THAT INCLUDES OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, AND WE NEED TO DEMAND MORE ABOUT PUSHING OUT ICE.
WE ALSO NEED TO DEMAND MORE FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE ALSO NEED TO DEMAND MORE FOR AFFORDABILITY AND TO HAVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE FOR EVERYBODY AT THE END OF THE DAY.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN COME UP HERE AND TELL AND SAY THINGS, UH, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER MIGHT BE GLOSSY, BUT WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE PERSON THAT WE ELECT IS ACTUALLY FROM THE COMMUNITY WITH THAT EXPERIENCE AND IS GOING TO BRING IT.
MY NAME IS MISAL RAMOS, M-I-S-A-E-L FOR AUSTIN, FOR AUSTIN.COM.
AGAIN, NATIVE, UH, NATIVE SON TO AUSTIN.
I'M RUNNING BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE AND EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT THE FUTURE.
UH, I I STARTED RUNNING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M A PROTECTOR AND A PROVIDER FOR MY CHILDREN, AND I'M CONCERNED, AND I STILL WANNA PROTECT AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR FUTURE.
AND, AND, UH, FOR, FOR YOUNGER, UH, GENERATIONS TO COME.
I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO LOSE INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH AND TO SEE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY GET DISPLACED, AND I DON'T WANNA LIVE THROUGH THAT AGAIN.
THE POLICIES, THE UPZONING, THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON ARE, ARE VERY CRUCIAL.
AND WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE, LONG-TERM RESIDENTS HERE THAT ARE DEALING WITH THAT.
AND I'M TRYING TO WARN NEWCOMERS THAT THESE THINGS, UH, CAN HAPPEN TO THEM AS WELL.
AND I'VE BEEN ENDORSED BY TONYA NIXON.
I'VE BEEN ENDORSED BY ORA HOUSTON, UH, LINDA GUERRERO, UM, MS. MARGARET GOMEZ, YOU KNOW, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ELDERS WHO BELIEVE IN, IN WHAT I'M, WHAT I STAND FOR AND MY CONVICTIONS.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN COME UP HERE AGAIN AND SAY THE RIGHT THINGS, BUT I ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO LOOK AT PEOPLE'S TRACK RECORDS AND SEE WHO HAS DONE THE RIGHT THINGS.
LOOK BACK AT MY FACEBOOK FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS AND SEE WHERE I'VE BEEN COACHING LITTLE LEAGUE FOOTBALL AND BEEN IN MY COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S WHAT I PLAN TO DO ON COUNCIL BROWN FOR AUSTIN D ONE.COM.
UM, THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING.
I TRULY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR EVENING TO BE HERE.
UM, PRIOR TO ME ANNOUNCING MY CANDIDACY FOR OFFICE, UM, I HAD TWO QUESTIONS.
I WAS LIKE, UM, HOW ARE WE BILLING REALLY BEING TRUE AGENTS OF CHANGE, AND HOW ARE WE GONNA BRING THAT CHANGE FORTH? UM, DISTRICT ONE IS AT A PIVOTAL MOMENT RIGHT NOW WHERE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE AUSTIN'S ECONOMIC, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUR GROWTH.
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT IN STEPPING IN, THAT THAT PERSON THAT'S GONNA BE TAKING THIS OFF OFFICE IS GONNA BE MAKING CONSEQUENTIAL DECISIONS THAT ARE GONNA AFFECT US FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
THAT PERSON SHOULD HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
THAT PERSON SHOULD HAVE REPRESENTATION, UM, OF BEING ON, UH, DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS.
THAT PERSON SHOULD HAVE, UM, UM, HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN CURRENTLY IN STAFF.
THAT PERSON NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR AREA.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR OVER A DECADE.
I'VE AROUND THIS ENTIRE DISTRICT, I'M READY TO GO.
I'M, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY, BUT THAT I'M COMMUNITY CENTERED LIKE YOU, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, A LISTENER.
SO, DISTRICT ONE, THINK ABOUT WHAT WE, WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE FOR THE NEXT FOUR TO EIGHT YEARS IN THIS DISTRICT, AND WHO YOU WANT TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
UM, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR VERY THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES TO OUR QUESTIONS.
IF LONG-WINDED
AND, UM, I AM, UM, EXCITED THAT THIS ELECTION IS ALMOST HERE TOTALLY.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
I WANNA REMIND PEOPLE THAT THE RECORDINGS WILL BE POSTED ON, UH, ATX N'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL, AND YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THE RACES ON YOUR BALLOT AND MEASURES AT VOTE FOUR ONE ONE.ORG, WHICH IS THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, UH, NATIONAL WEBSITE.
YOU PUT IN YOUR ADDRESS, IT BRINGS UP YOUR BALLOT.
YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CHOICES AHEAD OF THE ELECTION.
YOU CAN PRINT IT OUT AND BRING IT IN BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU CANNOT USE YOUR PHONE IN THE POLLING LOCATION.
YES, AS A REMINDER, THE LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR A BALLOT BY MAIL IS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23RD.
UM, EARLY VOTING STARTS NEXT WEEK, AND IT RUNS IT, IT STARTS, UH, OCTOBER 19TH, RUNS TILL OCTOBER 30TH.
AND OF COURSE, ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD.
PLEASE MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE IF YOU VOTE EARLY.
UH, ALL THOSE, YOU WON'T GET ALL THOSE PESKY PHONE CALLS FROM, UM, PEOPLE FROM ALL OF US AND TEXTS
SO VOTE EARLY, GET, GET YOUR VOTE IN, UH, ON THAT.
ON BEHALF OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF AUSTIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING AN ENGAGED VOTER AND MAKING YOUR
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VOICE HEARD THIS ELECTION.