[District 8 Budget Virtual Town Hall on July 16, 2020.]
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I REALLY APPRECIATE PEOPLE JUMPING IN.
THIS IS A BUDGET TOWN HALL FOR DISTRICT DATE.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU STILL WANTING TO HAVE INPUT IN THIS PROCESS.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR INPUT ON THE BUDGET, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE CHALLENGING TIMES THAT WE'RE IN JOINING US THIS EVENING IS DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ED.
NOW, YOU MAY REMEMBER HIM FROM LAST YEAR AT OUR TOWN HALL, WHO IS SPEARHEADING THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON.
HE WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF HOW THE BUDGET PROCESS WORKS AND HOW YOU CAN ENGAGE WITH IT.
WE'LL ALSO REVIEW THE IMPACTS THAT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS HAD ON CITY FINANCES AND OUR RESPONSE.
PLEASE KNOW ALL OF THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED BUDGET AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV/BUDGET.
I HAVE TWO OF MY STAFF TEAM MEMBERS ONLINE WITH US, MY CHIEF OF STAFF, DINA, ESTRADA, WHO WILL COMPILE YOUR QUESTIONS AND MY COMMUNICATIONS AND POLICY AID, CHRISTINA MASTERS, WHO IS FACILITATING THIS EVENT AFTER ED'S PRESENTATION, WE WILL HAVE TIME FOR A Q AND A WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS THROUGH THE CHAT FUNCTION ON WEBEX WHILE WE WON'T.
WELL, WHILE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO ANSWER EVERY SINGLE QUESTION WE ARE COLLECTING AND RECORDING YOUR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK, AND BOTH THE BUDGET OFFICE AND MY DISTRICT DATE OFFICE, WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
NOW, I'D LIKE TO PUT IN A PLUG FOR OUR NEWSLETTER.
WE ARE ON A SEMI REGULAR SCHEDULE USUALLY EVERY OTHER WEEK, AND WE PROMISE NOT TO SPAM YOUR INBOX AND NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE CITY.
AND OF COURSE, COUNCIL INITIATIVES.
I ALSO HAVE AN OFFICIAL DISTRICT DAY TWITTER PAGE, AND THE HANDLE IS AT PAGE FOUR AUSTIN.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE UPDATES FROM US AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THERE, WE LOOKED AT THEIR INFORMATION AS WELL.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO REMIND EVERYONE TO PLEASE FILL OUT THE 2020 CENSUS AND TO ASK EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, TO DO SO AS WELL.
GETTING AN ACCURATE CENSUS COUNT IS ESSENTIAL FOR ENSURING THAT WE HAVE PROPER REPRESENTATION IN GOVERNMENT AND PROPORTIONAL FUNDING FOR A MULTIPLE TUBE OF A MULTITUDE OF SERVICES, INCLUDING SCHOOLS, HEALTHCARE, AND TRANSPORTATION CITYWIDE.
WE ARE AT A 60% RESPONSE RATE.
THE DATA FOR DISTRICT DATES SPECIFICALLY IS PRETTY GOOD.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER.
THE AREAS WITH THE LOWEST RESPONSE RATES RIGHT NOW ARE SPYGLASS WEST OAK HILL AND EAST OAK HILL.
SO IF YOU ARE FROM THOSE AREAS, PLEASE POST IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND CURSE THEM TO FILL OUT THEIR CENSUS.
WE WANT TO GET AS CLOSE TO 100% AS WE CAN IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE DATA THAT THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT RECEIVED FROM THE CENSUS DRIVE, SPENDING SOCIAL SERVICES AND ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE DECISIONS THAT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, WE MUST DO OUR BEST TO GET AN ACCURATE INFORMATION, REFLECTING THE CURRENT STATE OF OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO SERVE OUR CITIZENS.
YOU CAN ACCESS THE CENSUS@TWENTYTWENTYCENSUS.GOV TAKES ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO DO.
IF YOU NEED ANY ASSISTANCE OR HAVE QUESTIONS ON FILLING IT OUT, YOU CAN CALL TWO, ONE, ONE, OR YOU CAN ALSO VISIT ATX CENSUS 20 TWENTY.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION, IF YOU'VE LOST THE CODE THAT THEY MAILED YOU, DON'T WORRY.
YOU JUST NEED TO PROVIDE YOUR ADDRESS WHEN YOU FILL OUT THAT FORM.
AND NOW I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR.
UM, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND, UM, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR JOINING US TODAY FOR THIS BUDGET CONVERSATION.
UM, UH, THE THING I REMEMBER MOST FROM LAST YEAR, ACTUALLY TWO THINGS I REMEMBER MOST FROM DISTRICT EIGHT TOWN HALL MEETING LAST YEAR ON THE BUDGET WAS WE HAD A TREMENDOUS TURNOUT, PROBABLY AROUND 60 OR 70 PEOPLE WITH, FOR A BUDGET DISCUSSION IS A BIG TURNOUT.
UM, AND I THINK THE ICE CREAM MIGHT'VE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO BE MISSING THE ICE CREAM TODAY.
ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO CONFESS THAT I'VE GOT SOME IN MY FREEZER THAT I'M GOING TO BE HAVING, AS SOON AS WE'RE DONE TODAY, UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBER TALKED ABOUT, I'M GOING TO JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME HIGH LEVEL, UM, OVERVIEW OF THE CITY'S BUDGET.
I AM GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COVID-19 AND SOME OF THE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT ARE COMING TO THE CITY TO HELP US IN OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19.
UH, FROM THERE, I'LL JUMP INTO A REAL HIGH, YOU KNOW, 30,000 FOOT LOOK AT OUR CITY'S BUDGET, UM, HOW IT'S IMPACTING YOU FROM A TAX AND FEE STANDPOINT.
UM, AND THEN I WANT TO TURN MY ATTENTION TO, UM, SOME OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY RESOLUTIONS THAT COUNCIL PASSED IN JUNE AND, UM, WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO AND THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THOSE PUBLIC, UH, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THOSE RESOLUTIONS.
SO A LOT OF ATTENTION IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE, ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET.
AND SO I'LL SPEND SOME TIME, UM, TALKING
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THROUGH THAT.UM, AND AT THE VERY END, I'LL HAVE A WEBSITE UP ON THE, ON THE PAGE WHERE YOU CAN GET, UM, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, A LOT MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE CITY BUDGET.
SO BY THAT, BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION, LET ME GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN WITH YOU SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT I'M GOING TO BE SPEAKING TO.
UM, SO I DO WANT TO START OFF, AS I SAID, TALKING ABOUT COVID-19, UM, IT'S BEEN A HUGE PART OF OUR BUDGET CYCLE THIS YEAR.
I MEAN, WE WERE WELL INTO OUR FORECASTING OF THE BUDGET AND PREPARATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET.
AND THEN, UM, MARCH IN COVID REALLY HIT AND THEN THE STAY HOME STAY SAFE ORDER AND BUSINESSES WERE SHUT DOWN AND IT REALLY THREW A WRENCH NOT ONLY INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S BUDGET PLANNING, BUT ALSO, UM, UM, THE BUDGET PLANNING OF CITIES ACROSS TEXAS AND ACROSS THE NATION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS, IS THAT THE SITUATION HERE IN AUSTIN IS, UH, IT COULD, IT COULD BE MUCH WORSE AND WE'RE REALLY FAIRING MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN A LOT OF OTHER CITIES.
AND I JUST, BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, JUST PUT OUT SOME INFORMATION FROM SOME OF THE OTHER LARGE TEXAS CITIES, BUT UP IN DALLAS, THEY'VE ALREADY HAD TO FURLOUGH 500 OF THEIR EMPLOYEES FROM PARK AT A TECH TENDONS TO THE SALES CLERKS THAT THEIR ZOO AND LIBRARY STAFF, UM, AND EL PASO, THEY'VE FURLOUGHED 400 EMPLOYEES AND ALSO ARE CUTTING EMPLOYEE PAY.
UM, FORT WORTH HAS FURLOUGHS AS WELL AND SAN ANTONIO AND FORT WORTH AND SAN ANTONIO, THOSE FURLOUGHS ARE REALLY TARGETED MORE SO AT THEIR CONVENTION CENTER, BUSINESSES AND CITY OPERATIONS THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH HOTEL TAXES.
OBVIOUSLY HOTEL TAXES ARE DOWN, UM, SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT NOW FROM, UM, FROM WHAT EXPECTATIONS WERE.
AND SO THOSE PROGRAMS ARE BEING IMPACTED, BUT YOU KNOW, HERE IN AUSTIN FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS THAT I'LL TOUCH ON, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID FOR, AND WE'VE NOT HAD TO, UM, IMPACT OUR EMPLOYEES IN THAT WAY.
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE, UM, HAD A VERY STRINGENT HIRING FREEZE IN PLACE SINCE, UM, EARLY ON IN MARCH WHEN THIS REALLY, UM, STARTED TO BECOME OUR REALITY.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO, UM, BEEN WORKING WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS TO CURTAIL EXPENDITURES WHEREVER POSSIBLE, BUT YOU JUST WANT TO START OFF WITH THAT WHILE THIS BUDGET, UM, UM, REALLY HAD SOME RESTRICTIONS ON IT AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FUND SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT, UM, WE MIGHT'VE WANTED TO, UM, GOOD NEWS STORY IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD TO LAY ANYBODY OFF OR FURLOUGH EMPLOYEES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WHAT'S ALLOWED US TO DO THAT REALLY A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH JUST YEARS OF PRUDENT FINANCIAL PLANNING AND SUPPORT FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO BUDGETING.
SO, AND IF YOU GO BACK TO MARCH AND THINK ABOUT WHEN WE ENTERED INTO THE COVID-19 CRISIS, WE STARTED, UM, WITH RESERVE LEVELS IN OUR GENERAL FUND SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE OUR RESERVE POLICY.
SO OUR POLICY IS THAT WE SHOULD ENDEAVOR TO MAINTAIN A 12%, UM, RESERVE 12% OF OUR TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WHICH IS AROUND $130 MILLION.
AND WE WERE ACTUALLY ALMOST $26 MILLION, UM, UM, BEYOND THAT RESERVE LEVEL.
AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT CAUSE THAT $26 MILLION OF RESERVES THAT WE HAD THAT WE HAD STORED AWAY IN OUR RAINY DAY FUND, UM, GIVES US A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY IN REGARDS TO HOW WE'RE GONNA MANAGE CITY FINANCES AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, UM, PRICES AS WE COME OUT OF THIS PRICES.
UM, AND ALSO IT GIVES US MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY WHO'S IN NEED.
UM, THAT'S JUST THE GENERAL FUND AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT WHAT THE GENERAL FUND EVEN IS, BUT, UM, THAT'S JUST OUR GENERAL FUND.
OUR OTHER ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS LIKE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AND AUSTIN ENERGY AND WATER THE AIRPORT, UM, THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN RESERVE POLICIES.
UM, AND, AND, AND THEY'RE VERY ROBUST POLICIES THAT'S GOING TO THAT THAT WILL ALLOW ALL THOSE ENTERPRISES TO GET THROUGH.
UH, THIS LEVEL WILL BE A TEMPORARY REDUCTION IN THEIR REVENUES.
NOW THAT REDUCTION IN AIRPORT AND, UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER HAS BEEN A PRETTY SEVERE REDUCTION.
THOSE ARE ENTITIES THAT ARE IMPACTED HEAVILY BY THIS BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT ON THAT TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRIES.
UM, BUT AGAIN, VERY STRONG RESERVES THERE AND THEY HAVE A STRONG FINANCIAL PLAN TO GET THROUGH THIS PRICES.
UM, WE ALSO TAKE A VERY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO OUR BUDGETING.
SO CONSERVATIVE MEANS THAT WHEN WE ESTIMATE OUR TAX REVENUES, UM, UM, WE'RE CONSERVATIVE ON THAT.
WE DON'T WANT TO END THE YEAR AND SAY, HEY, SHOOT, WE DIDN'T END UP WITH AS MUCH MONEY AS WE THOUGHT.
SO, UM, WHEN WE CAME INTO THIS CRISIS, WE WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 10, $10 MILLION AHEAD OF OUR BUDGETED PROJECTIONS.
UM, EVEN THOUGH OUR, OUR, UH, HISTORICAL SALES TAX COLLECTION GENERALLY
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HAD BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF FIVE, FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT ANNUAL GROWTH FROM YEAR OVER YEAR, CAUSE OUR, OUR CITY'S GROWING AND OUR ECONOMY IS DOING WELL.UM, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 TO THEIR CREDIT, BUT ONLY INCLUDED, UM, A 1.2% GROWTH PROJECTION FOR SALES TAXES.
SO WE'RE WELL AHEAD OF OUR PACE, UH, WHEN WE, WE WERE HIT BY COBIT AND ACTUALLY EVEN NOW, EVEN IN MAY, UM, WE ARE, UM, UM, JUST STILL SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF OUR BUDGET AND AMOUNT.
SO ON THOSE CONSERVATIVE BUDGETING PRACTICES ARE SERVING US WELL TODAY.
UM, COUPLE OTHER THINGS, OUR, OUR REVENUE MIX IS VERY DIVERSE.
AND SO THAT SEPARATES US FROM SOME OTHER CITIES WHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 70% OF THE, OUR REVENUES THAT COME INTO THE GENERAL FUND ARE NOT GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY COVID-19 SALES TAXES ARE GOING TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY EFFECTED.
THEY HAVE BEEN SALES TAXES ARE DOWN, BUT AS I MENTIONED, WE STILL ARE JUST TO WRITE ABOUT ON PACE, WHERE WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO BE THROUGH MAY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE ENTERED THE CRISIS AHEAD OF PACE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO END THE YEAR.
THAT WAY WE KNOW THAT WE'RE PROJECTING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY BY THE TIME THIS FISCAL YEAR CLOSES ON SALES TAXES, BUT THAT IS ONLY 23% OF OUR GENERAL FUND RESERVES.
UM, AND ALL OF THIS, UH, KIND OF FITS INTO WHY THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS THE ONLY LARGE CITY IN TEXAS, AS AAA RATED BY ALL THREE CREDIT AGENCIES.
IT'S A REFLECTION OF ALL THOSE THINGS I JUST SAID.
UM, THAT ALLOWS YOU THE TAX PAYERS, WHEN THE CITY GOES OUT TO THE MARKET TO ISSUE BONDS FOR THINGS LIKE A NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY, AND FOR THINGS LIKE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS, IT ALLOWS US TO GET THE LOWEST POSSIBLE INTEREST RATES ON THE BOND MARKET, WHICH RESULTS IN THE LOWEST POSSIBLE COST TO THE TAXPAYERS OF SERVICING THAT DEBT.
SO GREAT FINANCIAL STRENGTH FOR THE CITY.
WE ENTERED THE COVID CRISIS IN A REAL STRONG POSITION.
UM, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, UM, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, OR WE HAVE BEEN AND WILL BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THIS WITH AS LITTLE DISRUPTION AS POSSIBLE.
UM, A BIG PART OF THAT THOUGH, HAS TO DO WITH FUNDS THAT HAVE COME TO US FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE CARE ZACK IN TOTAL.
UM, WE HAVE A COVID-19 RESPONSE SPENDING FRAMEWORK THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, AND THAT ADDS UP TO 330 POINT $3 MILLION.
THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THAT WAS THE KRONOS VIRUS RELIEF FUND.
THAT IS A PORTION OF THE BROADER CARES ACT.
UM, THAT'S 170 POINT $8 MILLION OF RELIEF TO CITIES, UM, THAT WE CAN UTILIZE TO RESPOND TO THE EMERGENCY, TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY COVID-19.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY ITSELF, THE MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EMERGENCY.
UM, I MENTIONED THE AIRPORT AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THEY'RE HAVING THERE WITH AIR TRAFFIC BEING DOWN SO SUBSTANTIALLY, UM, A LOT OF THE FUNDS IN THE, IN THE CARES ACT, UM, WE'RE IN SUPPORT OF THE AIRPORT INDUSTRY, 58.7 MILLION FLOWING INTO OUR AIRPORT.
UM, FEMA IS THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.
WE ARE ESTIMATING BY THE TIME WE GET THROUGH THIS CRISIS, UM, WE WILL HAVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $55 MILLION OR, UM, OF EMERGENCY AID COMING TO US THROUGH FEMA.
UM, WE'RE FORTUNATE IN AUSTIN TO HAVE THAT RESERVE IS AS PART OF OUR EQUATION FOR HOW WE'RE RESPONDING TO COVID.
UM, AT $25 MILLION, THOSE ARE LOCAL DOLLARS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY IN HOW WE USE THOSE.
UM, HUD IS THE, UM, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY.
THEY PROVIDE US ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UM, TO PROVIDE SHELTER AND, UM, SERVICES TO OUR HOMELESS POPULATION.
UM, AND THEN ALSO A MIX OF OTHER FUNDS, PUBLIC SAFETY GRANTS AND THINGS TOTALING 13.89.
AND SO THAT'S THE WHOLE BIG POT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE LARGELY COMING THROUGH.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS A GOLD PIECE.
THE GENERAL FUND RESERVES BEING THE ONLY LOCAL DOLLARS, UM, THAT ARE PART OF THIS EQUATION ON THE AREAS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED ALLOCATING IT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE AIRPORT MONEY ALL NEEDS TO GO TO THE AIRPORT.
THAT'S WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED FOR.
AND THERE ARE STRICT, UH, FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS IN REGARDS TO WHAT WE CAN USE THOSE AIRPORT DOLLARS FOR.
SO ALL THE AIRPORT FUNDS WE'LL BE USING TO, UM, HELP, UH, THE AIRPORT NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS CRISIS.
UM, AND THEN IN REGARDS TO THE OTHER FUNDS, WE CATEGORIZE IT AROUND THREE LARGE BUCKETS OF SERVICES.
UM, ONE BEING EMERGENCY RESPONSE AT JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER A HUNDRED, $5 MILLION.
UM, THAT'S PAYING FOR, UM, THE CITY'S EXPENSES RELATED TO RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS.
A LOT OF THIS IS PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL, PUBLIC HEALTH PERSONNEL.
UM, UM, OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM, UM, ARE ALL COMING THROUGH THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PORTION OF THE FUNDING.
UM, UH, ECONOMIC SUPPORT IS THE NEXT LARGEST AREA AT 103 POINT $2 MILLION.
AND THAT'S ALL ABOUT PROVIDING SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES WHO ARE IN NEED A SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT.
UM, THERE'S PORTIONS OF THAT FUNDING THAT'S FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
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AND, UM, UM, THERE'S BASIC NEEDS ASSISTANCE, THINGS LIKE DIAPERS AND FOOD AND, UM, HELPING PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT OF WORK BECAUSE OF COVID-19.UM, AND THEN FINALLY MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS AT 62 POINT $9 MILLION.
UM, A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH TESTING AND CONTACT TRACING AND ALL OF THE ASPECTS RELATED TO RESPONDING TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SIDE OF THE EMERGENCY.
SO, YOU KNOW, COVID IS A BIG STORY IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT IT'S LARGELY, UM, AN
AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING THESE PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW TO PROVIDE AID TO THOSE IN NEEDS, UM, DURING THIS TIME OF CRISIS.
BUT AS WE LOOKED AT
UM, AGAIN, BECAUSE THE FUNDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT LET ME MOVE AHEAD NOW AND TALK SOME MORE ABOUT OUR FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET THAT WAS PROPOSED BY THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY MANAGER MADE THE PRESENTATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON, UM, MONDAY, JULY 13TH.
AND I'M IN TOTAL IS A FOUR POINT $2 BILLION BUDGET.
UM, ROUGHLY 69% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET, UM, IS, IS COMPRISED OF THE THREE LARGEST CITY FUNDS.
UM, AUSTIN ENERGY AND OFTEN WATER ARE VERY LARGE OPERATIONS.
UM, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A SERVICE TERRITORY THAT'S BROADER THAN JUST THE CITY OF AUSTIN BOUNDARIES, UM, AND, AND NOT EVERY CITY, UM, OWNS AND OPERATES THEIR OWN WATER UTILITY AND THEIR OWN ENERGY UTILITY.
SO, UM, A LOT OF TIMES THESE UTILITIES MIGHT DISTORT THE SIZE AND COMPOSITION OF THE CITY'S BUDGET IN COMPARISON TO SOME OTHER, UH, CITIES THAT YOU MIGHT LOOK AT.
THE GENERAL FUND IS OUR GENERAL REVENUE FUND.
THAT'S ESSENTIALLY, UM, LARGELY PAID FOR THROUGH PROPERTY TAXES AND SALES TAXES.
I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND NEXT YEAR, BUT THAT'S THE FUND THAT PAYS FOR KIND OF A LOT OF THOSE MUNICIPAL SERVICES THAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT CITY GOVERNMENT, RIGHT? PARKS AND LIBRARIES AND POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS, ALL THOSE FOLKS ARE PAID FOR OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN WE HAVE A MULTITUDE OF OTHER MAJOR ENTERPRISE FUNDS COLLECTIVELY.
IT'S 31% OF OUR BUDGET, BUT I MENTIONED EARLIER IN THIS THAT WE OWN AND OPERATE AND RUN THE AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, THE DOWNTOWN CONVENTION CENTER, UM, WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION FUND AND A PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UM, UM, THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH RATES THAT ARE CHARGED OR ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, OR THEIR FLOATS THAT PICK UP YOUR TRASH AND RECYCLE, UM, EVERY WEEK, UM, SUPPORT, SERVICE FUNCTIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, FLEET SERVICES.
THESE ARE ALL INTERNAL SERVICE DEPARTMENTS THAT PROVIDE A CENTRALIZED SERVICES TO ALL THE OTHER ENTERPRISES.
THEY'RE GOING TO THINGS LIKE HUMAN RESOURCES AND OUR IT DEPARTMENT, UM, ARE FUNDED THROUGH THOSE AREAS.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE TOTAL CITY BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS.
UM, OUR ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET IS 4.2 BILLION, AND AGAIN, LARGELY, UM, FOCUSED ON THE THREE LARGEST FUNDS IN THE CITY, BUT THEN THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS ON THAT WE RUN.
I DO WANT TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE WHILE IT'S ONLY 25% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET, UM, IT TENDS TO BE, SEEMS LIKE IT'S, UH, TYPICALLY 80, 90% OF THE DISCUSSION AND CONVERSATION THAT OCCURS AROUND THE BUDGET IS, IS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND A LOT OF THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCRETION ON HOW THESE DOLLARS CAN BE UTILIZED.
AND WE'RE HEARING SOME OF THAT CONVERSATION IN THE COMMUNITY THIS YEAR ABOUT WHAT IS THE RIGHT MIX AND RIGHT ALLOCATION OF THESE RESOURCES, BUT OUR GENERAL FUNDS ONE POINT $1 BILLION, I'LL START OVER ON THE RIGHT.
AND YOU CAN SEE ABOUT HALF OF THAT MONEY COMES FROM PROPERTY TAXES.
AND ANOTHER 22% COMES FROM SALES TAXES.
I TALKED ABOUT THOSE TWO UTILITIES, AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER.
ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT BEING A CITY THAT OWNS AND OPERATES ITS OWN UTILITIES IS THAT THE, UH, KIND OF THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT WOULD NORMALLY GO TO SHAREHOLDERS, UM, OR THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE PAID, BUT THEN IN THE WAY OF TAXES TO, UH, TO, UH, TO A CITY, UM, THOSE, THOSE FEES AND THOSE, UM, RETURNS ON INVESTMENT, COME BACK TO YOU, THE AUSTIN TAXPAYERS, THEY, THOSE, THOSE DOLLARS FLOW BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND ALLOW US TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO YOU AND ALLOW US TO HELP KEEP THE, UH, THE TAX RATES DOWN FROM WHERE THEY OTHERWISE WOULD BE.
OTHER REVENUE IS JUST LIKE, IT SOUNDS IT'S EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE MIGHT CHARGE A FEE FOR SERVICE FOR.
UM, A LOT OF THAT WOULD BE AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WHERE THERE'S, UH, FEES ASSESSED PRIMARILY DUE TO INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR THOSE SERVICES, YOU KNOW, BUT ALSO PARKS AND RECREATION AND LIBRARY.
WHEN YOU PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF THOSE, THOSE PROGRAMS, UM, THERE'S FEES THAT ARE ASSESSED.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE GENERAL FUND MONEY FROM.
UM, OVER ON THE LEFT SIDE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT'S ALLOCATED.
THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW
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THE GENERAL FUND IS STRUCTURED.UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HERE ROUGHLY 66, 67% OF THE GENERAL FUND IS ALLOCATED TO THE THREE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, POLICE, FIRE, AND, UM, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
UH, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT PERCENT AND THEY THINK IT'S HIGH.
YOU LOOK AT OTHER CITIES, YOU'RE TYPICALLY GOING TO SEE THE BULK OF THE GENERAL REVENUE BUDGET GOING TO PAY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES.
THESE ARE 24 SEVEN OPERATIONS, UM, VERY STAFF INTENSIVE OPERATIONS, UM, UM, WITH LOTS OF PERSONNEL, LOTS OF EQUIPMENT, UM, AND LOTS OF FACILITIES, CERTAINLY IN REGARDS TO FIRE AND EMS. SO THOSE ARE TYPICALLY THE MAJORITY OF A GENERAL FUND BUDGET, AND THEY CERTAINLY ARE HERE AND AUSTIN AS WELL IN REGARDS TO HOW WE PAY FOR ALL THAT, THAT FOUR POINT $2 BILLION OPERATING BUDGET OF WHICH A PORTION OF IT'S THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, THE DIFFERENT FEES THAT A TYPICAL RESIDENT OF AUSTIN WOULD PAY.
AND WE LIKE TO TRACK THIS TYPICAL, UH, RESIDENTIAL RATE PAYER.
AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO START THIS OFF BY SAYING, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A TYPICAL RATE PAYER, YOU CAN LOOK AT THESE DEFINITIONS AND YOU CAN SAY, WELL, THAT'S NOT ME.
THAT'S NOT ME, BUT WE, WE WORK WITH OUR ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS TO HAVE THEM TELL US, HEY, UH, AMONGST ALL YOUR CUSTOMERS, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE MONTHLY KILOWATT USAGE, AUSTIN ENERGY? AND THEY TELL US IT'S 860 KILOWATTS IS THE, IS THE MEDIAN ACTUALLY IS THE, IS THE METRIC WE USE.
UM, AND THEN THEY DRIVE OUT THE ANNUAL RATES FOR WHAT THAT MEDIAN, UM, UM, ENERGY CUSTOMER WILL PAY.
WE DO THE SAME THING FOR AUSTIN WATER, YOU KNOW, IN AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, FOR EXAMPLE, OR A TYPICAL RATE PAYER IS THE RATE PAYER THAT HAS THE, UH, THE KIND OF THE MEDIUM SIZED 64 GALLON CARD, NOT THE REAL BIG ONE, NOT THE REAL SMALL ONE, BUT THAT MEDIUM SIZE THAT'S ABOUT 60% OF ARR IS CUSTOMERS.
SO WE USE THAT FOR THE, FOR THE TYPICAL RATE PAYER, UM, DOWN FOR PROPERTY TAXES.
A TYPICAL RATE PAYER IS THE, UM, NON SENIOR OWNER, UM, HOMESTEAD OWNER OF, OF THE MEDIAN VALUED HELP, AND THAT MEDIUM VALUED HOME, UM, FOR FISCAL YEAR 21 IS ESTIMATED AT $362,000 AND, AND CHANGE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE MAY DIFFER FROM THIS, BUT THIS GIVES AN INDICATION OF KIND OF WHAT A TYPICAL AUSTIN NIGHT IS PAYING.
AND THEN IMPORTANTLY, NOW THAT'S CHANGING FROM ONE FISCAL YEAR TO THE NEXT.
SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S SOME MODEST INCREASES IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE BUDGET THAT ARE BEING OFFSET BY A PROJECTED DECREASE IN, UM, IN AUSTIN ENERGY BILLS THAT DECREASE BEING DRIVEN BY A, UH, A NEW RATE STRUCTURE THAT THEY PUT IN PLACE TO HELP KEEP ENERGY RATES DOWN FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THAT ARE SPENDING A LOT MORE TIME AT HOME BECAUSE THEY'RE PROBING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE, UM, UM, AT HOME WORKING FROM HOME USING MORE ENERGY THAT MIGHT PUSH THEM UP INTO A HIGHER TIER AUSTIN ENERGY HAS RESTRUCTURED THEIR RATES TO MITIGATE THAT IMPACT, UM, RESULTING IN A PROJECTED DECLINE FOR THE TYPICAL RATE PAYER, BUT ALL IN, UH, WE'RE PROJECTING AN INCREASE, A TAX AND RATE INCREASE OF $12 AND 53 CENTS PER YEAR.
SO A LITTLE BIT OVER A DOLLAR PER MONTH IS THE PROJECTED IMPACT IN THE FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET.
OF COURSE AUSTIN'S NOT THE ONLY TAXPAYER.
SO I ALWAYS LIKE TO PUT IN WHAT THE OVERLAPPING TAX BILL, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS AND THEY, THEY JUST SCRATCH THEIR HEAD AND SAY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WAIT A MINUTE, WE PAY WAY MORE THAN $1,400 ON OUR TAX BILL.
AND, AND THAT'S TRUE BECAUSE THIS ONLY REFLECTS THE CITY OF AUSTIN PORTION OF THE TAX BILL.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES LIKE AUSTIN, INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TRAVIS COUNTY, THE COLLEGE AND CENTRAL HEALTH, ALL IN THE TAX BILL IN THAT MEDIAN VALUED HOME IS, UM, $6,799.
UM, WITH THE LARGE MAJORITY OF IT, 54% COMING FROM AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT ABOUT 20% GOES TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND, UH, AT 15% CENTRAL HEALTH AND ACC COLLECTIVELY AT 10%, ONE IMPORTANT PIECE, WE DON'T HAVE IT SHOW IN HERE, BUT OF THIS 54% OF YOUR TAX BILL THAT GOES TO AUSTIN, INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, A LARGE CHUNK OF THAT CONTINUES TO BE A PAID INTO THE STATE RECAPTURE SYSTEM.
IT'S DOLLARS THAT THE STATE COMES IN, TAKES OUT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS FUNDS, AND THEN THEY REALLOCATE TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS BASED UPON THEIR, THEIR RECAPTURE MODEL.
THAT SITUATION IS PROJECTED TO IMPROVE SUBSTANTIALLY IN FISCAL YEAR 21, BECAUSE CHANGES TO STATE LAW ABOUT, UM, SCHOOL FINANCES.
UM, BUT THESE ARE ALL SHOWING FISCAL YEAR 20 NUMBERS BECAUSE, UM, UM, NOBODY'S, WE DON'T HAVE A TAX ROLL YET FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS, AND NOBODY'S BEEN ABLE TO SET THEIR TAX RATES FOR FISCAL YEAR 21, UM, AT THIS TIME.
SO FROM THERE, I'M GOING TO DIVE IN MAYBE JUST A FIVE OR SIX SLIDES, I THINK, TO TALK ABOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET.
[00:25:01]
I THINK EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF THE PROTEST AND THE, UH, COMMUNITY PRIZE FOR CHANGE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION WITH CITY COUNCIL, UM, MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY HOURS OF PUBLIC TESTIMONY RELATED TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET, UH, LEADING TO, UH, UM, TWO RESOLUTIONS THAT WERE PASSED BY COUNCIL ON JUNE 11TH, UM, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF TO REWORK THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET AND TO REALLY REIMAGINE WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY LOOKS LIKE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO BEFORE I JUMP INTO SOME OF THOSE DETAILS, THOUGH, I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AND, UM, KIND OF COMPARE THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET, UM, FOR THE THREE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS AND FOR NON PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS COMPARED TO HOW IT WAS BACK IN 2014, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TRACKING FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, IT DOES GET COMPLICATED ATTRACT BECAUSE THE GENERAL FUND CHANGES OVER TIME.
UM, THE STRUCTURE OF THE GENERAL FUND CHANGES OVER TIME WHERE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING USED TO NOT BE PART OF THE GENERAL FUND.
AND NOW IT IS, AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, USED TO BE IN THE GENERAL FUND AND NOW IT'S NOT.
AND SO WHEN YOU CHANGE THE STRUCTURE, IT MESSES WITH ALL THESE PERCENTAGES.
SO, UM, WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WORK TO TRY TO KEEP THIS AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE.
AND IF YOU LOOK BACK BETWEEN TODAY AND FISCAL YEAR 2014, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, USED TO BE A MUCH LARGER PORTION OF THE BUDGET.
BACK IN 2014, POLICE REPRESENTED 44% OF OUR TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
AND IN THE FISCAL YEAR 21, IT'S AT 39%, YOU CAN SEE A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN FIRE.
EMS HAS STAYED ABOUT THE SAME.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEN THE REST OF THE GENERAL FUND OF COURSE MAKES UP THE REST.
IT IS GROWING AS SOME OF THE INVESTMENTS IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS AS HAS CALMED DOWN.
SO, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY BACK IN 2014 WAS ACTUALLY 73% OF THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
AND OF COURSE, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO MAKE A LOT OF ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT TO MAKE THAT AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON TO WHAT THE BUDGET LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
UM, BUT TODAY THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS 67%, UM, TO, TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT AND IT'S BEEN A SHIFT BY DESIGN.
UM, AS WE STRANDS ADDITION TO A TEN ONE COUNCIL ON JANUARY OF 2015, THAT COUNCIL CAME IN FROM THE GATE AND SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO PUT A GREATER EMPHASIS ON, UM, UM, HEALTH SERVICES, HOUSING SERVICES, COMMUNITY SERVICES, UM, THAT, THAT, UM, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO ACTUALLY MAKE REDUCTIONS TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND THEY HAVEN'T MADE REDUCTIONS TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE HAVE SEEN THESE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS GROW.
WE HAVE ADDED STAFF, WE HAVE BROUGHT ON, UM, NEW FIRE STATIONS AND NEW PARAMEDIC UNITS.
UM, BUT THE, THE, THE, THE GROWTH IN THAT PART OF THE BUDGET HAS BEEN SLOWER THAN THE GROWTH AND OTHER PARTS OF THE BUDGET.
AND IT'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT, YOU KNOW, 6% SWING MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE MUCH, BUT A 6% DIFFERENCE ON A ONE POINT $1 BILLION BUDGET IS $66 MILLION.
SO THERE REALLY HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, UM, SHIFT IN THE STRUCTURING OF THE BUDGET OVER THE LAST SIX OR SEVEN YEARS.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT IN SOME OF THE STAFFING NUMBERS.
UM, THIS IS NOW LOOKING AT JUST POLICE OFFICERS, STAFFING LEVELS, WHERE, UM, IN 2012, THROUGH 2015, WE HAD FOLLOWED A, WHAT WAS CALLED A TWO OFFICERS PER THOUSAND, A STAFFING RATIO.
AND SO AS THE CITY'S POPULATION GROW, SO DID A POLICE STAFFING LEVELS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE, IF THE CITY'S POPULATION WERE TO GROW FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT BY 25,000 PEOPLE, WE WOULD ADD 50 POLICE OFFICERS, TWO OFFICERS PER THOUSAND.
AND, AND YOU CAN SEE DURING THOSE YEARS FROM 2012 TO 2016, WE HAD BEEN ADDING, UM, ROUGHLY 45 OFFICERS PER YEAR.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO ADD OFFICERS FROM 2016 TO 2020, UM, ALBEIT AT A MUCH SLOWER PACE.
UM, AND THEN AS YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES, UM, IN 2021, AS A RESULT OF THE RESOLUTIONS PASSED BY COUNCIL, UH, WE ARE ACTUALLY, UM, UM, PROJECTING A DECREASE IN OFFICERS THIS YEAR AND SWORN PERSONNEL, UM, AND LOOKING AT THAT COMPARED TO 2016, WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, WE'LL HAVE FEWER OFFICERS IN THE BUDGET IN 2021 THAN WE DID IN 2016.
SO THERE HAS BEEN A, UM, A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT, UM, UNDER THE TEN ONE COUNCIL, UH, TO SPEND LESS ON TRADITIONAL, UH, AREAS OF PUBLIC SAFETY SO THAT THERE WAS MORE TO SPEND ON, UM, OTHER AREAS, OTHER, OTHER MECHANISMS FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, SUCH AS HOMELESSNESS SERVICES AND HEALTH SERVICES AND, AND THINGS IN THAT AREA, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AS WELL.
SO HERE'S THE RESOLUTIONS ARE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO YOU ABOUT, UH, ESSENTIALLY THE RESOLUTIONS DIRECT TO THE CITY MANAGER TO RE REDUCE FUNDING AND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT BY, UH, NOT ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL POSITIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 21.
SO, UM, UM, THERE WAS A FIVE YEAR STAFFING PLAN IN PLACE.
[00:30:01]
POLICE OFFICERS PURSUANT TO THE, UM, TO THE STAFFING PLAN.THERE WERE ANOTHER 30 OFFICERS THAT WERE SLATED TO BE ADDED AT THIS WAY, YEAR 2021, BUT THIS DIRECTOR FROM COUNCIL SAID TO NOT ADD THOSE POSITIONS.
UM, IT ALSO ASKED US TO DO AN ANALYSIS OF HER CURRENT VACANCIES AND PROJECTED, UH, VACANCY LEVELS AND TO REMOVE FROM THE BUDGET, ANY VACANT POSITIONS THAT COULD NOT REASONABLY BE FILLED NEXT, UH, NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT HAS LITTLE OVER 1900, I BELIEVE AROUND 1,950 AUTHORIZED SWORN PERSONNEL.
UM, THEY CURRENTLY HAVE 170 VACANCIES.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY GO THROUGH A CADET CLASS, A CADET CLASS LASTS ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
THEY TYPICALLY GRADUATE ABOUT 65 CADETS FROM THAT CLASS.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME THE CLASS IS GOING ON.
UM, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE RETIRING OR PERHAPS MOVING ON TO ANOTHER CAREER.
WE TYPICALLY USE ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT OFFICERS PER YEAR.
SO WE PUT ALL THAT INTO A MODEL AND CALCULATED IT OUT.
AND WE ESTIMATE THAT, UM, GIVEN THE TIMING OF UPCOMING CADET CLASSES AND THE ANTICIPATED SIZE AND GRADUATES, RATION RATES OF THOSE CADET CLASSES AND THE CURRENT NUMBER OF VACANCIES, WE HAVE, UM, THAT BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2021, UM, THERE WOULD BE 70 POSITIONS THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FILL.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE, UM, I'M ON THE NEXT ONE, I'M A LITTLE AHEAD OF MYSELF ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO CUT THOSE 70 POSITIONS.
UM, THE RESOLUTION ALSO DIRECTED US TO NOT ADD FUNDING FOR ANY MILITARIZED EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING TEAR GAS OR BULLETS BEAN BAG ROUNDS.
UM, AND THEN BROADLY THE RESOLUTION SAID, HEY, TAKE THE SAVINGS FROM THAT.
AND REDIRECTED TOWARDS PROGRAMS THAT CAN REDUCE OR ELIMINATE ARRESTS FOR LOW LEVEL PERSONNEL OR, OR LOW LEVEL OFFENSES, UH, MORE FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE, INCLUDING, UH, THE MEADOWS INSTITUTE REPORT, UM, WHICH WAS A REPORT ABOUT, UM, UH, PROVIDING A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, UM, INCREASING FUNDING FOR THE CITY'S OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND EQUITY OFFICE IN GENERAL, LOOKING TOWARDS ALTERNATIVE PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIES.
SO THIS IS WHERE I GOT A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF MYSELF, ON MY COMMENTS ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, BUT, UM, THE 30 POSITIONS THAT WERE CALLED FOR, UH, WE, WE PULLED THOSE OUT OF THE BUDGET, THE 70 VACANT POSITIONS THAT CAN'T REASONABLY BE FILLED.
AND
UM, WE HAD PLANNED ON STARTING A REPLACEMENT OF THE POLICE OFFICER'S DUTY WEAPONS.
WE'RE DELAYING THAT, UM, UM, FOR THE TIME BEING.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO TRANSFERRED OUR, UM, AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS OUT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND INTO OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS LARGELY A PERMITTING FUNCTION THAT ACTUALLY MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FOR IT TO BE OVER IN OUR, IN OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
UH, IN TOTAL, THE REDUCTIONS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE TO THE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET FROM THE TIME THE RESOLUTIONS PASSED ON JUNE 11TH TO THE TIME WE HAD TO GET OUR BUDGET ALL PUT IN PLACE WERE 11 POINT $3 MILLION.
UM, AND THEN WE DID REALLOCATE IT THEN JUST ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT THE COUNCIL DIRECTION WAS, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR POLICE OVERSIGHT, THE EQUITY OFFICE, UH, FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE REWRITING OF AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, GENERAL ORDERS, UM, TO CONDUCT AND TO IMPLEMENT A VARIETY OF AUDITS, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THAT MEADOWS REPORT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TO IMPROVE OUR MENTAL HEALTH FIRST RESPONSE OF TWO POINT $3 MILLION.
WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, TO REPLACE THEIR ANTIQUATED RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS AND MORE TIMELY RESPONSES TO RECORD MANAGEMENT REQUESTS, UM, ADDING OVER A MILLION DOLLARS TO AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS AND IMMIGRANT LEGAL SERVICES AND FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, UM, A MILLION DOLLAR TRANSFER TO OUR HOUSING TRUST FUND, UM, ADDITIONAL POLICE, UH, POLICE TRAINING, POLICE OFFICER TRAINING RELATED TO TRAUMA INFORMED RESPONSE AND, UM, CULTURAL AND RACIAL SENSITIVITY TRAINING.
I'M ALSO TRAINING ON THE USE OF A, OF A, OF A CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE CALLED NALOXONE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT CAN SAVE LIVES FOR INDIVIDUALS HAVING A DRUG OVERDOSE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, $300,000 REALLOCATED TO THE CREATION OF A NEW CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE.
UM, THERE'S GOING TO BE STAFF, UM, COMING FROM OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY BUDGET TO FORM A CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE.
AND THAT STAFF WILL BE, UM, ADDED TO BUY, BUY THIS $300,000, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO HIRE A NEW CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICER TO HEAD UP THAT NEW UNIT.
UM, THAT WAS REALLY OUR FIRST STAGE.
AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF FOCUS ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET ON A POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
WE HAVE HEARD A LOT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS THE RESOLUTION CALLED US TO DO THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET DONE.
[00:35:01]
UH, YOU KNOW, MID JULY AND THE RESOLUTION WAS PASSED MID JUNE.SO, UM, WE WERE, WE, WE WORKED ON THIS AGGRESSIVELY, WE WORKED ON COUNCIL'S DIRECTION AGGRESSIVELY TO IMPLEMENT WHAT WE COULD, UM, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF WORK STILL TO BE DONE.
THE CITY MANAGER HAS PUT TOGETHER A PLAN FOR MORE BROADLY THINKING ABOUT, AND RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY IN AUSTIN, A PLAN THAT'LL INVOLVE PUBLIC INPUT, UM, UM, UM, COMING BACK MID YEAR WITH COUNCIL, WITH BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO IMPLEMENT FURTHER ASPECTS OF, UH, OF THE CHANGES THAT THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED.
AND THIS LIST AT THE BOTTOM, THE BOTTOM OF THIS SLIDE LOOKS, UM, JUST, JUST DETAIL SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE ANTICIPATE BEING REVIEWED AS PART OF THIS PROCESS TO DETERMINE, UM, IF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO INCLUDE SOME OF THESE SERVICES.
AND IF YOU'RE REALLY, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FUNCTIONS OVER THE LAST, UH, YEARS AND DECADES, THE SCOPE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SEEMS LIKE IT KEEPS EXPANDING AND THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO BE EXPERTS IN AREAS THAT THEY WERE NEVER INTENDED TO BE EXPERTS IN, WHETHER THAT BE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS OR OTHER TYPES OF TRAUMA CALLS.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT AREAS WHERE THERE MIGHT BE A BETTER APPROACH TO RESPONDING TO, TO THOSE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING IN REGARDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY THAT HAS BEEN I'M SURE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A FOCAL POINT OF THE CONVERSATION.
AND WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THIS IS WHAT THE REMAINDER OF THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
UH, WE HAVE BUDGET INPUT MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 23RD AND JULY 30TH, THE FOLLOWING EACH OF THOSE, UM, INPUT MEETINGS.
THE CITY COUNCIL HAS TIME TO HAVE WORK SESSIONS THEMSELVES.
SO FOLLOWING THE SEVEN 23, UM, BUDGET INPUT MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL WE'LL HAVE A WORK SESSION.
AND THEN FOLLOWING THE JULY 30TH, UM, PUBLIC INPUT MEETING COUNCIL WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER WORK SESSION THAT'LL LEAD UP TO AUGUST 12TH, UM, OR WE'LL HAVE A FINAL PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND ON THE TAX RATE.
AND THEN COUNCIL, UM, WE'LL BEGIN DELIBERATIONS ON ADOPTING THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021.
I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT, IT'S A BIG BUDGET.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS BEYOND THAT, THAT I COULD, THAT I COULD TALK ABOUT, BUT DEFINITELY WANT TO, UM, STOP HERE AND TURN IT BACK TO THE, UM, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SEE WHAT QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
I'LL JUST END WITH THIS SLIDE UP HERE WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN FIND A LOT MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO, UH, THE CITY'S BUDGET DOCUMENT HERE.
UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SHORTER HANDOUTS THAT YOU CAN, UM, THAT YOU CAN USE JUST TO GET SOME QUICK ACCESS TO THE BUDGET INFORMATION.
UM, AND, AND, UM, LOTS OF INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU CAN PROVIDE INPUT.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU CAN GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND, AND PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOUR QUESTIONS TO US AND WE'LL GET YOU ANSWERS.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO STOP SHARING MY SCREEN AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME.
AND I APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE COMING IN FOR BOTH OF US.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY SOME OF MY PRIORITIES BECAUSE I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT? WHAT DO YOU FORESEE TO BE CHANGES THAT YOU MIGHT SUPPORT? AND SO I WANTED TO TALK VERY BRIEFLY ABOUT THAT BEFORE WE START WITH QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT IT MAY COME TO EMS PARKS AND THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE, WHICH COVERS LOOKS LIKE WE MIGHT'VE LOST COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
SO IT'S JUST GIVE US A MOMENT.
WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN GET HER BACK ON
UM, SO I'LL TRY TO KEEP THOSE REMARKS BRIEF IF MY INTERNET IS SPOTTY, UM, BUT EMS NEEDS A BIT MORE POWER.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE COVERED WITHIN THE POLICE
[00:40:01]
DEPARTMENT THAT MAY NOT BE INAPPROPRIATE CALL FOR, FOR SOMEONE AS HIGHLY TRAINED AS OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE.AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY OR A MENTAL HEALTH CALLS CALLED SNUS WHERE MAYBE EMS RESPONDER.
OUR SYSTEM IS OFTEN UNDERFUNDED AND OUR PARKS RANGE OR
CAN YOU HEAR ME? I THINK WE'VE GOT YOUR BACK.
MAYBE IT WOULD HELP TO JUST TURN OFF THE VIDEO AND JUST DO AUDIO AND THAT MIGHT HELP YOUR BANDWIDTH.
CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING AN ALERT THAT YOUR BAND THAT SLOW PAY.
UM, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE, WHERE I CUT OUT.
DID YOU, THE END OF THE STATEMENT YOU WERE JUST AT THE BEGINNING.
UM, SO ONE OF MY HIGHEST PRIORITIES IS GOING TO BE ASSIST EMS, UM, WITH MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES AND ENOUGH MEDICS TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK THEY NEED TO DO.
I THINK THERE'S, UM, THIS WILL PARTNER NICELY WITH TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT POLICE OFFICERS ARE NOT RESPONDING TO CALLS WHERE AN EMS MEDIC IS A MORE APPROPRIATE PERSON TO BE RESPONDING.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO LOOK AT PARKS AND RECREATION BECAUSE OUR PARKS ARE VERY UNDERFUNDED AND SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY LOVE THEIR PARKS AND WANT TO SEE MORE FOR THEIR PARKS.
AND, UM, OUR PARK RANGERS ARE HARDWORKING.
EVERYONE IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS FANTASTIC.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING THEM WITH THE RESOURCES WE HAVE AS A COMMUNITY TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION FOR OUR GREENS.
AND THEN WE WANT TO LOOK AT RESOURCE RECOVERIES USE OF THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE.
THIS WAS AN INITIATIVE THAT I LED ON BACK IN JANUARY.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE CLEAN CREEKS INITIATIVE, WHICH WAS TALKING ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, WHICH DOES OUR TRASH SERVICE, OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, WHICH HANDLES ALL OF THE PARKS AND THEN, UM, WATERSHED PROTECTION, WHICH HANDLES THE CREEKS.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THOSE DEPARTMENTS WERE COLLABORATING BETTER.
AND SO WE LET ON THAT, THAT RESOLUTION AND COUNCIL ADOPTED IT.
AND SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING FOR THE APPROPRIATE USE OF THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR PARKS ARE NOT FULL OF LITTER, EITHER THROUGH PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT, OR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A BAG GOT OPEN ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET AND THAT IT'S JUST SITTING THERE FOR MONTHS AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND SO THESE ARE ALL VERY HARDWORKING DEPARTMENTS THAT WE LOVE, AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GIVING THEM THE RESOURCES.
THEY NEED TO REALLY CREATE A COMMUNITY THAT IS BEAUTIFUL AND THAT WE CAN ALL TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR Q AND A GREAT, WE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR THAT TIME.
SO OUR FIRST QUESTION COMES FROM SOMEONE WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT CALLS TO DEFUND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND REDUCE THE SIZE OF ITS FORCE.
HE FIRST ASKS IF THIS IS WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS WAS HEARING FROM CONSTITUENTS, AND HE ALSO WONDERS HOW WE CAN KEEP THE CITY SAFE IF WE REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE POLICE FORCE.
UM, IT IS ACTUALLY SURPRISING THAT MEMBERS OF DISTRICT DATE ARE CALLING TO DEFUND THE POLICE AND SAYING INCREASE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE DO HAVE CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS DISCUSSION.
I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT HERE IS THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT ONE EXACT DOLLAR AMOUNT.
IT'S ABOUT WHAT THOSE DOLLARS DO AND WHAT OUR DEPARTMENT IS EXPECTED TO DO.
WHAT POLICIES ARE THEY FOLLOWING? HOW ARE ALL OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS CALLED ELABORATING? HOW IS OUR CALL CENTER WORKING? HOW DO WE HANDLE MENTAL HEALTH CRISES? AND SO THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE BECOME A LOT MORE VISIBLE IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL HAS SET AS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY.
WE NOW HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE THAT HAS FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ON IT THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, INCLUDING MYSELF HAVE BEEN SHOWING UP TO.
[00:45:01]
THEY'VE BEEN LEADING PANELS WHERE I'VE BEEN TAKING DILIGENT NOTES, WHERE THERE ARE COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS.THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
THERE ARE POLICE OFFICERS, THE CURRENT SWORN OFFICERS THAT ARE GIVING US THEIR INSIGHT.
AND I THINK THIS IS THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS REALLY WANTED TO SEE THIS BUDGET COME OUT WITH THEIR, THEIR MAGIC NUMBER, WHETHER IT'S CUTTING BY 25%.
YOU'VE SEEN THOSE EMAILS CUTTING BY 50%.
WE'VE SEEN EMAILS THAT SAY, GIVE THEM A LOT MORE MONEY, BUT THE CONVERSATION NEEDS TO BE ABOUT THE POLICIES AND PROCESSES.
AND A LOT OF THAT DOES FALL ON COUNCIL.
SO WE APPRECIATE OUR BUDGET DEPARTMENT DOING SO MUCH DILIGENT WORK UP UNTIL NOW, BUT IT REALLY WILL BE UP TO US OVER THE NEXT WEEKS AND POTENTIALLY MONTHS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE APPROPRIATE DECISIONS AND TO SEE WHERE OUR AGREEMENT IS AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WE HAD ANOTHER QUESTION COME IN WHILE YOU'RE ANSWERING THAT.
AND SOMEBODY WAS WONDERING IF YOU'RE SEEING ANY TRENDS ABOUT WHO TENDS TO BE FOR OR AGAINST, UM, DEFUNDING THE POLICE.
I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO ANSWER THAT.
I, I WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TRENDS TO BE LOOKING FOR.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AVAILABLE? NOT THAT I KNOW OF.
I KNOW WE KEEP TRACK OF EVERY COMMUNICATION THAT COMES TO US, BUT THEY DON'T OFTENTIMES HAVE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
THEY MAY HAVE AN ADDRESS OR A ZIP CODE WHERE WE KNOW THEY ARE COMING FROM DISTRICT DATE.
WE ALSO GET EMAILS FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT.
SO WE TRY TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO WHICH ONES ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS AND WHICH ONES WE MAY NEED TO RELAY THAT INFORMATION TO ANOTHER COUNCIL OFFICE.
UM, BUT WE DON'T ASK FOR ANY OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE A WAY TO KNOW THAT UNLESS THERE'S SOME OTHER FORMAT WITH THE CITY THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF.
OKAY, THE NEXT QUESTION IS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND THEY SAY THAT THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION HAS ASKED COUNCIL TO REALLOCATE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS AWAY FROM ATG, BUT THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME CONFLICTING INFORMATION.
AND THIS PERSON BELIEVES THAT THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET IS ONLY REALLOCATING $150,000, AND THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT TO MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL, SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK THAT ALL RELIES ON WHERE THE POLICY IS.
UM, IT'S VERY HARD TO LOOK AT A LUMP SUM LINE ITEM AND TO REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT'S BEING SPENT ON.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IS EQUIPMENT, WHAT IS VICTIM COUNSELING? WHAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, A MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE? UM, THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS TO LOOK AT.
I, I DO REMEMBER IN ANOTHER BUDGET TOWN HALL, MR. VAN NINO HAD, UM, HAD TALKED ABOUT THE ONLINE BUDGET PORTAL WHERE YOU CAN REALLY DRILL DOWN INTO EVERY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF EVERY ASPECT AND EVERY BUCKET THAT SOME OF THAT MONEY IS IN.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY HE'LL SPEAK TO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A VERY VALUABLE RESOURCE, BUT IT'S VERY HARD TO PINPOINT A CERTAIN NUMBER AT THIS MOMENT, KNOWING THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON.
SO I, I WOULD RECOMMEND TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE, WHERE WE ARE AND THE WORK WE'RE DOING AND WHAT POLICIES WE'RE LOOKING AT TO WATCH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE MONDAY AFTERNOON.
SO IT BEEN GOING ON ALL SUMMER AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY ENLIGHTENING TO HEAR VOICES FROM BOTH SIDES OF THIS DISCUSSION AND TO SEE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIND THE BEST POLICY FOR AUSTIN.
AND I THINK THERE'S A GREAT KIND OF FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS TO THIS CONVERSATION, WHICH IS THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET REFLECTS, UM, JUST A SMALL INITIAL STEP TOWARD RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THIS PERSON WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR CITIZENS TO STAY UPDATED ON THAT ONGOING CONVERSATION.
AND WHAT IS THE MOST CONSTRUCTIVE WAY FOR THEM TO ENGAGE OR PROVIDE INSIGHT? WELL, DEFINITELY PAY ATTENTION TO THE COUNCIL AGENDAS, UM, SPECIFICALLY LOOK FOR THE ITEMS FROM COUNCIL PORTION.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE WORK THAT I AND OTHER FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, BUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS NEWLY DEVELOPED SINCE JUNE CAME FROM THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE THAT HAD SUBSTANTIAL WORK AND FELT THEY WERE ABLE TO, UM, CHANGE THE SCOPE OF WHAT THEIR COMMITTEE WAS WORKING ON.
BUT THESE PANEL CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN REALLY ENLIGHTENING.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET REAL TIME INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING WITH THAT COMMITTEE AND THAT STAKEHOLDERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS CONVERSATION ARE, ARE ASKING OR, AND THAT'S REALLY WHY I WOULD SAY IS THE BEST PLACE TO STAY UP TO DATE.
[00:50:02]
THIS IS ED.IF I COULD JUST ADD TO THAT, UM, UM, NEXT MONDAY AT 2:00 PM WILL BE THE NEXT MEETING OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND THEY WILL BE DIVING INTO AND TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS OF THE VARIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION IS IF THE $330 MILLION IN COVERED RELIEF FUNDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SPENT, IF NOT, HOW LONG DO THEY CURIOUS FOR, AND ARE THERE ONGOING COVID RELATED NEEDS WE'LL HAVE TO FIND FUNDING FOR.
UM, AND A CLARIFYING QUESTION WAS ALSO ASKED IS IF THAT MONEY IS A GRANT OR A LOAN, UM, THAT, THAT MONEY, IT'S NOT QUITE EITHER, BUT IT'S NOT ALONE.
WE DON'T, THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY IT BACK.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT TECHNICALLY A GRANT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO JUSTIFY ALL OF OUR EXPENDITURES.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST GIVEN TO US, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW ALL THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR HOW WE USE THOSE DIFFERENT BUCKETS OF FUNDS OF DOLLARS.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION THAT GOES INTO IT IN TERMS OF HOW LONG WILL IT LAST, THERE ARE DIFFERENT RULES FOR ALL THESE DIFFERENT SOURCES, BUT YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS YOU MAY RECALL WAS THAT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND, UM, BY THE GUIDELINES OF THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, THOSE FUNDS MUST BE EXPENDED BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR, BY DECEMBER 30TH OF 2020, THOSE FUNDS HAVE TO BE EXPENDED.
SO IN DEVELOPING THAT SPENDING FRAMEWORK, WE'RE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL THOSE DIFFERENT, UM, TIMELINES AND, UM, STRUCTURING THE FUNDS SO THAT, UM, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS, NOT ONLY NOW, BUT INTO THE FUTURE.
SO ALL THE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN PLANNED FOR COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK, BUT THEY HAVE NOT ALL BEEN EXPENDED YET.
UM, THE BULK OF THOSE FUNDS STILL, UM, ARE IN THE CITY'S COFFERS AND WILL FUND PROGRAMS INTO THE FUTURE.
I BELIEVE THAT IS IT FOR THE QUESTIONS.
SO WE'VE HAD EXACTLY AN HOUR HERE, SO I NEED THAT.
ARE WE ABLE TO GET UP THE CLOSING SLIDES AGAIN? IS THAT FOR ME OR FOR A COUNCIL MEMBER? I BELIEVE IT.
I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME SET SLIDES.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, ME, APPRECIATE EVERYONE.
WE KNOW EVERYBODY'S GETTING, UM, ZOOM FATIGUED, UM, AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT COME TO MIND FOLLOWING THIS PRESENTATION, THAT YOU CAN EMAIL BUDGET KEYWAY AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A LITTLE TYPO IN THERE, BUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR DISTRICT EIGHT, THESE EMAIL DISTRICT EIGHT AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV, AND THAT WILL COME STRAIGHT TO COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS'S OFFICE, AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
AND IF YOU ARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PLEASE FOLLOW HER TWITTER PAGE AT PAGE FOR AUSTIN.
AND THESE ALSO CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING TO HER NEWSLETTER.
WE HAVE LOTS OF INFORMATION ABOUT THINGS THAT IMPACT THE DISTRICT, UM, COMMUNITY NEWS, AS WELL AS, UM, ACTIVITIES BY COUNCIL.
SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A GREAT EVENING.