* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [CALL TO ORDER 3:00-3:05 pm] [00:00:08] CARRIE ROBERTS, ARE YOU ON? WE'RE STILL CONNECTING THE LINE ONE MOMENT, PLEASE. THANK YOU. WHILE THEY [1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 3:20-3:25 pm] SORTED THAT OUT. Y'ALL I SAY WE JUST GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT THE MINUTE. SO WE HAVE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST, OUR JUNE MEETING BECAUSE WE DID NOT MEET IN JULY. WAS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR CORRECTIONS ON THE MINUTES? I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A COUPLE MINUTES. I'LL COME BACK AT THREE OH SEVEN. OKAY. UH, CITIZENS HAVE BEEN CONNECTED WITH THAT GUN. WELL, THEY SORT THAT OUT Y'ALL ARE LAST. ALL RIGHT. DOES ANYONE NEED MORE TIME WITH THE MINUTES? JUST WAIT. WAIVER. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION CORRECTIONS? OKAY. SO THOSE GET DEEMED, UM, APPROVED IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION. SO NOW LET'S [Public Comment 3:05-3:20 pm (from speakers who signed up to speak on an agenda item)] TURN BACK TO PUBLIC COMMENT. CARRIE ROBERT IT'S ARE YOU ON? YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? WELL, SHARON, GO AHEAD, SIR. OH, GREAT. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS IS CARRIE ROBERTS, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GREATER AUSTIN CRIME COMMISSION. YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY'S CONSIDERING CRUCIAL QUESTIONS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE ROLE OF POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND THESE ARE IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS THAT DESERVE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, BUT AS OUR CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS THE BUDGET NEXT WEEK CALLS TO PACK A HUNDRED COPS OR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ARE ARBITRARY AND RISKY BECAUSE NEITHER RESEARCH OR REALITY JUSTIFIES THESE DEMANDS. IN CASE YOU MISSED THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE THIS MORNING, AUSTIN LEADS THE 15 LARGEST US CITIES THIS YEAR IN PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN HOMICIDES AND THIRD IN ROBBERIES AND DISPATCH TO STAY HOME ORDERS. IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR, MURDER INCREASED THAT 64% OUT OF THAT 30% BUILDING THAT 24% IN ROBBERIES, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS ARE SOME BURGLARIES ALSO INCREASED. SO IF AUSTIN A HUNDRED POLICE POSITIONS WILL AND GO DOWN, WILL RESPONSE TIMES IMPROVE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A RAPIDLY GROWING CITY NEED PURE COPS. AND IT HAD FIVE YEARS AGO SERVED BY SURVEY THAT WE RELEASED LAST WEEK FOUND THAT A MAJORITY OF BLACKLEY AUSTIN VOTERS, 53% DID NOT SUPPORT REDUCING OFFICERS. AND THIS WASN'T AN INTERNET POLL WITH SAMPLING AND SELF SELECTION BIAS, YOU KNOW, CLAIMS THAT THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTS CUTTING COPS ARE WRONG. THERE IS STRONG SUPPORT FOR REFORM, BUT NOT CUTTING COPS WHEN CRIME IS UP AND RESPONSE TIMES ARE SLOWER. AND WE, WE CERTAINLY EXPECT THAT ALTERNATIVE RESPONSES WILL RESULT IN BETTER OUTCOMES, PARTICULARLY FOR MENTAL HEALTH CALLS AND MAY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIMES OFFICERS STAND ON CERTAIN TASKS AND THAT CALLS FOR SERVICE AND PATROL WORKLOADS AREN'T STATIC. SO EVEN IF YOU DIVERT SOME MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, ARE WE FACTORING IN GROWTH? AND THE CHOICE IS REALLY AREN'T BINARY. IT'S NOT POLICE STAFFING OR BED, BETTER MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE. AND NOW IT SEEMS IT'S CONVENIENT TO CREDIT STAFFING STUDIES BECAUSE THEY EVALUATED THE POLICE MODEL THAT SOME GROUPS, UH, THINK IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE. AND WE'RE JUST NOT SURE THAT'S TRUE BECAUSE THE MATRIX REPORT, THE MOST RECENT WAS AN ANALYSIS BASED ON COMMUNITY POLICING CONCEPT. AND YET THE ONE STUDY OF CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT THE SOCIAL JUSTICE GROUPS POINT TO IS OF LIMITED VALUE, REALLY BECAUSE OF METHODS, METHODS, METHODOLOGY, AND INTERPRETATION, AREA ERRORS. AND SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO SIT BACK AND LET BAD RESEARCH UNDERMINE THE CITY'S MOST IMPORTANT PUBLIC POLICY DECISIONS. THE GREATER AUSTIN CRIME COMMISSION SUPPORTS THE CITY MANAGER'S PROCESS TO LAUGH FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE INPUT IN THESE DECISIONS. AND NO ONE'S AFRAID OF GOOD IDEAS, BUT USING THE POLICE BUDGET AND THE PROXY WARS, DANGEROUS SYMBOLIC ACTS TO CUT POLICE OFFICERS DO NOT SOLVE INEQUITY, POVERTY AND RACISM AND MAKING THE COMMUNITY LESS SITE TAKES FAILURES AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING EDUCATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH. SO WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE MANAGER'S PROCESS, TO EVALUATE PUBLIC SAFETY AND NOT MAKE BUDGET DECISIONS THAT MAY RESULT IN THE END. PERCEIVED CONSEQUENCES. POLICING CAN BE BETTER WITHOUT PUTTING OUR NEIGHBORS AT RISK. AND, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A METROPOLITAN AREA AND IT'S TIME WE START ACTING LIKE IT. THANK YOU, [00:05:03] REBECCA. YOU'RE SHOWING ON ME. WELL, WE HAVE A COLLEAGUE OF YOURS. IT'S ON. I BELIEVE MR. COONAN'S A YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. WILL YOU PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF? I DON'T THINK I GOT YOUR FIRST NAME. UH, COLE CUNO PLEASE GO AHEAD. ALL RIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS COLE KUNO AND I'M A POLICY ANALYST FOR THE GREATER AUSTIN CRIME COMMISSION DECISIONS ABOUT THE POLICE BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR ARE VERY IMPORTANT AS IT REALLY CONSIDERS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES. AND WE SUPPORT AN INTENTIONAL PROCESS. LIKE CARRIE SAID, LIKE THE CITY MANAGERS LAID OUT TO REVIEW ALTERNATIVE RESPONSES, INCLUDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH CALLS. WHAT CONCERNS US HOWEVER, AND CARRIE HINTED AT THIS IS THE LACK OF RELIABLE RESEARCH TO JUSTIFY POLICE STAFFING REDUCTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ANALYSIS OF CALLS FOR CERTIFIED ACE ANALYTICS COMMISSIONED BY THE AUSTIN. GUS COALITION HAS LIMITED VALUE BECAUSE OF THE METHODOLOGY METHODOLOGICAL AND INTERPRETATIONAL AREAS THAT IT MAKES, UH, SOME ADVOCATES FOR THE FUNDING. THE POLICE ARE USING ACE ANALYTICS CLAIMS ABOUT HOW LITTLE OFFICER TIME IS SPENT RESPONDING TO CRIMINAL INCIDENTS AS EVIDENCE AS TO WHY WE CAN CUT COPS. BUT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, AGE ANALYTICS PLUGS, NONDESCRIPT, COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH, CAD DATA INTO SPECIFIC UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING OR UCR CATEGORIES. DOESN'T MEANT THAT THIS METHODOLOGY IS PROBLEMATIC. CAUSE CAUSE IT STARTED AS A DISTURBANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN DEVOLVE INTO INFANTS LIKE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT OR HOMICIDE. ALSO MOST UCR CATEGORIES LIKE HOMICIDE DON'T HAVE CORRESPONDING CAD TITLES. SO IT'S VERY UNCLEAR HOW AGE ANALYTICS DETERMINE HOW MANY OF THESE INCIDENTS INCIDENTS OCCURRED AND HOW LONG THEY LASTED. THE REPORT ALSO ASSUMES ONLY ONE OFFICER RESPOND TO EACH CALL FOR SERVICE. RARELY IS THIS THE CASE. AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR HIGHER PRIORITY CALLS, WHICH TEND TO BE A CRIMINAL IN NATURE. AND THE TIME SPENT MY MULTIPLE OFFICERS RESPONDING TO THE SAME CALL IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS, WHICH UNDERWEIGHT THE AMOUNT OF TIME OFFICER'S SPENDING SPUN INTO CRIMINAL INCIDENTS IN THE ANALYSIS. ALSO ONLY UCR PART ONE CRIMES ARE INCLUDED IN VIOLENT CRIME AND PROPERTY CRIME CATEGORY, WHICH MISLEADINGLY PUTS CALLS LIKE KIDNAPPING AND ASSAULT AND NON-USER CATEGORIES. AND FINALLY, UH, THE REPORT INCLUDES 200, COUPLE THOUSAND CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT WERE CANCELED BEFORE AN OPPORTUNITY EVEN ARRIVED. AND, BUT DESPITE ALL THESE SHORTCOMINGS, THE ANALYSIS IS BEING USED TO MAKE INACCURATE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT PATROL WORKLOAD. AND SO I ASKED YOU ALL WHEN MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, PLEASE CONSIDER RELEVANT AND SCIENTIFICALLY RIGOROUS DATA IN MAKING THESE DECISIONS. AND I THINK IF YOU CAN TIME, COOL. WILL YOU REPEAT THE NAME OF THIS STUDY THAT YOU WERE CRITICIZING? JUST THERE? DANG. I LOST HIM. CAN ANYONE WAVE AT ME? AND IF THEY KNOW WHAT STUDY HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, I MISSED IT AT THE BEGINNING. I WENT OKAY. UM, I SEE REBECCA BERNHARDT TALKING, BUT SHE'S ON MUTE. OKAY. WELL, LET'S MOVE ON. WE HAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FLAG IN HERE, WHICH IS AWESOME. THANKS FOR COMING. UM, SO OUR [2. Introduction of the Public Safety Committee’s mission/goals and working with the Public Safety Commission (sponsors: Commissioner Harris and Webber) 3:25pm-3:35pm Speaker: Jimmy Flannigan, Councilmember, District 6] SECOND AGENDA ITEM IS CALLED INTRODUCTION OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEES, MISSIONS, MISSION, AND GOALS, AND WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION. AND IF I COULD A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL JUST KIND OF SUMMARIZE FOR Y'ALL. SO CHRIS HARRIS AND I SENT A LETTER TO COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN AND THE VICE CHAIR OF THE NEW COUNCIL COMMITTEE, GREG BIZARRE BASICALLY KIND OF TONGUE IN CHEEK, BUT KIND OF SERIOUS SAYING THAT THIS COMMISSION SHOULD BE DISBANDED AND THAT THESE ISSUES ARE TOO IMPORTANT AND HAVE BEEN TOO IMPORTANT TO BE ADVOCATED TO A VOLUNTEER COMMISSION THAT MEETS TWO HOURS ONCE A MONTH AND MAYBE HAVE SOME WORKING GROUPS. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S SO AMAZING THAT NOW THEIR COUNCIL IS FOCUSED ON THIS. AND, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, CHRIS AND I WERE MORE OR LESS SAYING, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE REALLY CONFUSING FOR THE MEDIA AND FOR REGULAR FOLKS WHO AREN'T LIKE AS LONG. HE AND DORKY IS ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAND THAT FOR INSTANCE, A NEW STORY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION DOES IS NOT, UM, IN ANY WAY INDICATIVE OF THE POLICY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN OR WHAT CITY COUNCIL IS GOING TO DO. AND I THINK IN, UM, TIME THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSING STORIES. SO FOR INSTANCE, A COUNCIL MEMBER POSTS SOMETHING TO THE MESSAGE BOARD AS A, YOU KNOW, A PROPOSAL TO THEIR COLLEAGUES. AND THEN NOW IT'S BEING REPORTED AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS, YOU KNOW, HIDING THIS OR DOING THAT. AND SO CHRIS AND I, YOU KNOW, WENT TO THE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE, LIKE HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU IF YOU STILL WANT US, BUT ALSO HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS LIKE A [00:10:01] LITTLE CLEARER WHERE LIKE HOW WE CAN STAY IN OUR LANE AND MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE COMMUNITY, HOW WE WORK IN CONCERT. SO WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT OFF TO COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN. WELL, THANK YOU CHAIR, UH, FOR INVITING ME TO COME AND SPEAK TO THE COMMISSION TODAY. IT IS SO GOOD TO SEE ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE YOUR CAMERAS ON. UH, I, I, WE'RE ALL KIND OF LIVING THROUGH OUR CAMERAS RIGHT NOW. AND SO IT'S A LITTLE BIZARRE, BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER TO SEE, SEE FACES. AND SOME OF YOU WHO I REMEMBER HANGING OUT WITH, UH, BACK IN THE DAYS BEFORE WE WERE DOING EVERYTHING THROUGH CAMERAS, SO NICE TO BE WITH YOU. UM, AND TO YOUR QUESTION EARLIER, CHAIR, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER IS THAT THIS IS MY FULL TIME GIG AND I'VE GOT FOUR FULL TIME STAFF THAT WORK FOR ME IN MY COUNCIL OFFICE. SO, UM, THE STUDIES THAT THAT COLE WAS REFERRING TO ONE WAS THE ANALYTIC STUDY THAT WAS PROVIDED THROUGH A CONSULTANT OF AJCS TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT A NINE 11 CALL ANALYSIS. AND THEN OF COURSE, AGC HAS THEIR OWN POLL THAT CAME OUT, I THINK A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. UM, WE'RE HAVING THE STAFF CITY STAFF DO ANOTHER NINE 11 ANALYSIS WITH ACCESS TO DATA THAT THEIR CONSULTANT WASN'T, WASN'T ABLE TO GET TO. SO THAT WORK IS UNDERWAY. BUT TO THE QUESTION AT HAND, UM, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL REACHING OUT TO ME AND TO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMMISSION AND THE COMMITTEE. AND I COMPLETELY AGREE THAT THIS DIFFERENCES ARE OFTEN HARD TO COMMUNICATE THROUGH THE MEDIA CAUSE JUST THE WORDS LOOK THE SAME ON THE PAGE AND THAT ALONE CAN CAUSE CONFUSION. SO, UM, I, ON TOP OF THAT, I HAVE HAD A LONG STANDING CONCERN ABOUT WHAT COUNCIL ASKS OF VOLUNTEERS THROUGH THIS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ECOSYSTEM THAT WE'VE CREATED. THERE'S A LOT OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GREAT ENGAGED, INTELLIGENT, SMART FOLKS TRYING TO DO GOOD WORK THAT THEN GOES INTO THE ETHER AND NEVER TO BE HEARD OF AGAIN. UM, AND I CERTAINLY GET A TON OF COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS IN MY INBOX THAT I JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO DIG INTO. AND IT'S NOT CLEAR WHO'S GOING TO DIG INTO IT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTION I'VE HAD AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO BACK ON THE COUNCIL MESSAGE BOARD BACK TO RIGHT WHEN I WAS ELECTED IN 2017, WHERE I PROPOSE ALTERNATIVE MODELS OF HOW THE COUNCIL COULD BETTER INTEGRATE THE WORK OF COMMISSIONS. OF COURSE, BACK IN 2017, THERE WASN'T A LOT OF APPETITE TO HAVE ANOTHER WHOLESALE CHANGE. LIKE THERE WAS AFTER THE FIRST TEN ONE COUNCIL CAME IN. SO I THINK THIS IS AN INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MODEL BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, WHAT THAT RELATIONSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP MIGHT LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD. AND I DON'T HAVE A LONG PROPOSAL WITH BULLET POINTS OR ANYTHING BECAUSE I THINK ANYTHING WE DO SHOULD BE CO-CREATED BETWEEN OUR TWO KIND OF BODIES. AND SO MY THOUGHT REALLY AT, AT A HIGH LEVEL, A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS, AND THEN I WANT TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL AND BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS WITHIN THE LIMITED TIME YOU'VE GIVEN ME, I THINK IT'S ON THE, ON THE COMMITTEE SIDE FOR THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE, WE SERVE A FUNCTION THAT IS BEST WHEN WE ARE OVERSEEING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COUNCIL ADOPTED POLICY. I DON'T THINK COMMISSIONS DO GOOD COMMITTEES. SEE EVEN I DO IT RIGHT. EVEN I DO IT. I DON'T THINK COMMITTEES ARE, ARE DOING GOOD WORK. IF THEY TRY TO DO IT IN ADVANCE OF THE FULL COUNCIL DELIBERATION, THEN I THINK THE COUNCIL JUST ENDS UP REDOING THE WHOLE THING ALL OVER AGAIN, WHICH MAKES SENSE. RIGHT? I'VE CERTAINLY SEEN OTHER COMMITTEES DO WORK AND LIKE, WELL, I WANNA, I WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT. UM, I THINK THE SAME THING APPLIES TO PUBLIC INPUT AS A COMMITTEE. WE GENERALLY FUNCTION AS A COUNCIL WORK SESSION WHERE THERE'S NOT LIKE GENERAL OPEN TESTIMONY BECAUSE THE PUBLIC IN MY EXPERIENCE REALLY WANTS TO TALK TO THE WHOLE COUNCIL. THEY'RE NOT SUPER SATISFIED BY STOCK TALKING TO A SUBSET OF THE COUNCIL. SO THE COMMITTEE WORK AGAIN, FOLLOWS A, WHAT IS, WHAT I THINK IS GENERALLY COUNSEL, THE FULL COUNCIL, CONDUCTING A HEARING AND ADOPTING A POLICY, EITHER RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE OR BUDGET OR WHATEVER. AND THEN THE COMMITTEE DOES THE ONGOING WORK DOTTING THE I'S AND CROSSING THE T'S AND ENSURING THAT STAFF'S IMPLEMENTATION COMPLIES WITH COUNSEL'S INTENT FOR THE COMMISSION. I THINK, I THINK YOU CAN DO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT COMMITTEES DON'T DO BECAUSE YOU'RE A GREAT VENUE FOR PUBLIC INPUT AND THE COMMISSION DOES REPRESENT THE WHOLE CITY KIND OF THAT'S THE POINT, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THERE'S SOME GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO LEAN IN ON THE COMMISSION AS A PLACE FOR ADDITIONAL PUBLIC INPUT. UH, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN KIND OF AN EARLIER ROUND THAN THE FULL COUNCIL TO STILL LEAN IN TO YOUR GENERALLY ACCEPTED POSITION AS ADVISING COUNCIL, WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THAT AWAY. THAT'S PART OF THE DEAL, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE MOST EFFECTIVE IF WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE COMMITTEE AND THE COMMISSION [00:15:03] KIND OF SCHEDULING OUT AND SEQUENCING ADVICE. SO ONCE SOMETHING HITS THE FULL DYESS, IT KIND OF LIVES THERE UNTIL IT'S DONE. BUT THERE'S OTHER STUFF I WANT TO GET TO THAT I KNOW I CAN'T GET TO IN THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS. AND IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE WERE COLLABORATING AND I COULD SAY TO REBECCA OR WHOEVER THE CHAIR IS GOING TO BE, I COULD SAY, HEY, WOULD YOU ALL START WORKING IN THIS AREA? I WANT TO GET TO IT. I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE, BUT THE COUNCIL'S INTERESTED IN DIGGING INTO THIS. AND, AND IN THAT WAY, MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT THE COMMISSION'S WORK WOULD ALREADY HAVE A LANDING SPOT ON THE DIETS BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE KIND OF IN PARTNERSHIP, INITIATED SOME LEVEL OF THE WORK, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. AND THOSE ARE JUST MY IDEAS AND I'M SUPER WANT TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY. AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS? YEAH. IF I COULD JUST REACT. THANKS COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, I MEAN, THAT MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE THAN KIND OF THE WAY WE DO IT NOW, WHICH IS ANYONE WHO WANTS AN AGENDA ITEM WHO SEES SOMETHING IN THE NEWS TO THIEF AND BEING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT CONCERNS THEM. THEY ASK THE CHAIR TO PUT IT ON AND IT WAS JUST A HODGEPODGE AND THE TIMING OF THINGS ISN'T NECESSARILY, UM, RELATED TO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT, LIKE OFTEN IT WILL JUST BE A NEWS STORY. AND THEN SOMEONE WILL SAY, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT? SO I LOVE THE IDEA OF TRYING TO HAVE MORE OF A PLAN, UM, WHO ELSE WANTS TO RESPOND OR DR. KELLY YET. SORRY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FINE AGAIN. UH, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. SEE IF, UM, SO I'M, I'M THINKING OF THIS IN TERMS OF A CONTINUUM OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION, WE'RE DRAWING THE LINE BETWEEN THE COMMISSION AND THE COMMITTEE IN TERMS OF, AT ONE EXTREME RESEARCHING DEVELOPING POLICY AT THE OTHER EXTREME IMPLEMENTING, OVERSEEING, IMPLEMENTATION, ONGOING EVALUATION. IS THAT, AM I GETTING IT RIGHT IN TERMS OF HOW YOU'RE ENVISIONING THE FUNCTION OF THE COMMISSION VERSUS THE COMMITTEE? SO LIKE, YEAH, I THINK AT A HIGH LEVEL, THE CONTINUUM WOULD, YOU COULD START AT THE COMMISSION, BUT I THINK IT WORKS BEST IF THERE'S AT LEAST A COUNCIL MEMBER OR TWO WHO'S WITH YOU ON IT, LIKE THERE'S GOTTA BE A COUNCIL OFFICE WHO'S GOING TO THEN CHAMPION THE THING YOU DO. AND I THINK EVERY COMMISSION HAS EXPERIENCED THAT FRUSTRATION WHERE A COMMISSION DOES A BUNCH OF WORK, BUT THERE WASN'T REALLY ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS PARTICIPATING. AND THEN IT JUST GOES NOWHERE AFTER THE COMMISSIONS WORK AND, AND YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GOT THE OBJECT PROBLEM. COUNCIL IS NOT IMMUNE FROM THAT. BUT SO I THINK AT A HIGH LEVEL COMMISSION, FULL COUNCIL COMMITTEE, I THINK IT, IT GOES FROM IDEATION AND RESEARCH TO POLICY ADOPTION TO IMPLEMENTATION OVER OVERSIGHT. I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD TAKE AWAY THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AS REBECCA PUT IT HODGEPODGE BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S STILL A VALID ROLE OF THE COMMISSION IS TO SAY, WELL, HOLD UP, MAYBE THERE'S SOME STUFF COUNCIL MEMBERS AREN'T THINKING ABOUT AND WE NEED THE COMMISSION TO DAYLIGHT IT. ABSOLUTELY. BUT IF WE APPROACH IT AS A PARTNERSHIP, THEN THAT I CAN, I, YOU KNOW, IN MY ROLE AS CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE OR FRANKLY, ANY COUNCIL MEMBER COULD, AND ALL OF YOU BEING APPOINTED BY A COUNCIL MEMBER MEANS YOU HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO SHOULD BE ANSWERING YOUR PHONE CALLS, THEN AT LEAST YOU COULD PREFACE WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER, HEY, BE READY FOR THIS TO COME TO THE DIOCESE. IS THERE ANYTHING COUNCIL'S UP TO THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THAT IT COULD FIT INTO OR IS COMPATIBLE WITH, OR DOES IT TURN OUT? THERE'S A COUNCIL MEMBER ALREADY WORKING ON IT AND THEY DIDN'T INVOLVE THE COMMISSION AT ALL BECAUSE WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT HAPPEN. SO DO YOU ENVISION SOMEBODY FROM THE COUNTY SERVING AS LIAISON TO THE COMMISSION? OKAY. YOU KNOW, I THINK IN THE BEGINNING IT CAN BE MORE INFORMAL, RIGHT? IT COULD BE THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION DOING A REGULAR PHONE CALL WITH THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ANY MORE FORMAL THAN THAT IN THE BEGINNING. YEAH. THANK YOU. WHO ELSE? WELL, ALSO THE I'LL FILL THE VACUUM. SO I JUST, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK THEY ARE PARTICULARLY ILL SUITED FOR OVERSIGHT AND TO THE EXTENT THAT, UM, COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL ORDERS, THE CITY MANAGER TO DO BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, AND THEN REPORT BACK TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION. THAT TO ME IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO DO IT. AND I HOPE THAT THAT COMMITTEE WILL BE, UH, TAKING OVER THAT ROLE. UM, I MEAN, IT'S NICE TO REPORT TO US TOO, SO WE'RE INFORMED AND EDUCATED, BUT THE OVERSIGHT PART OF IT, I HAVE BEEN VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH, UM, I DON'T WANT TO [00:20:01] CALL OUT ANY PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT, BUT LIKE THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I WAS CHAIR OF THIS COMMISSION, WHEN I KNEW COUNCIL HAD DIRECTED A DEPARTMENT TO DO SOMETHING AND THEY WEREN'T DOING IT. AND THEN IT, IT FELL ON ME TO BE LIKE, HEY GUYS, WE NEED AN AGENDA ITEM ON THIS. IT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT THE RULE FOR A VOLUNTEER. WELL, I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE. I THINK THE ONE THAT'S MORE KIND OF FUTURE THINKING. SO NOBODY FEELS LIKE THERE'S AN EXAMPLE. SOMEONE'S THINKING ABOUT, WE GET INTO THIS ON THE COUNCIL ALL THE TIME WHERE WE'LL ARGUE ABOUT A THING. AND TWO PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT EXAMPLE AND YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOT TALKING TO EACH OTHER. SO THE, THE SCENARIO THAT I OFTEN THINK ABOUT IS COUNCIL ADOPTS. THE POLICY STAFF STARTS TO GO OFF AND WORK ON IT. STAFF ENCOUNTERS, A THE POLICY DIDN'T ANTICIPATE, WHERE DOES THAT GET CURED IT TO YOUR POINT, REBECCA, IT'S TOUGH FOR THE COMMISSION, TOOK CARE OF THAT BECAUSE REALLY THE PROBLEM IS IN THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION. AND IF THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION NEEDS SOME NUANCE THAT THAT HAS TO HAPPEN WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND SO THAT'S WHERE OVERSIGHT IS MORE POWERFUL WITH THE COMMITTEE, BUT THAT DOESN'T ELIMINATE THE COMMISSION'S ROLE FROM OVERSIGHT EITHER. BUT I THINK IT WORKS. IT WILL HAVE MORE OF A LANDING PLACE IF, IF THERE'S A PROBLEM THAT THE COMMISSION IDENTIFIES, YOU NOTICE THE COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE COULD PUT IT ON OUR OWN AGENDA, OR WE COULD GO TO STAFF AND SAY, THE COUNCIL WANTS AN ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. WILL YOU GO GET THAT ANSWER FROM THE COMMISSION? AND AGAIN, IT'S MORE INFORMAL, BUT IT'S A LEVEL OF INFORMALITY WHERE I THINK STAFF WOULD BETTER, BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE WORK THAT COMMISSION'S DOING AND THE WORK THAT COUNCIL REQUESTED. IT'S A LOT, IT'S A LOT OF NUANCE AND INFORMALITY, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A KIND OF CONNECTING OF DOTS THAT WE DON'T DO NOW. DANIELLA HI COUNCIL MEMBER. I, UM, CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, OUR PROCESS WHEN WE, UM, THIS COMMISSION PASSES A RESOLUTION, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE SOME KIND OF LINK WHERE, YOU KNOW, THAT RESOLUTION GETS FORWARDED TO COUNCIL AND IT'S USED TO, YOU KNOW, INFORM COUNCIL'S DECISION. I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, GET MORE DETAILS ON LIKE ANY GAPS BETWEEN THAT PROCESS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE AN APD LIAISON, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, JANET DOES A GREAT JOB, BUT WE ALSO JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SYSTEM IS SET UP TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL IS GETTING EVERYTHING YOU NEED FROM OUR CONVENTION. AND IN TERMS OF LIKE WHAT OUR RESOLUTIONS AND OUR POLICY HAVE BEEN. SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THIS IS THE KIND OF A PRAGMATIC PROBLEM THAT WE HAVEN'T SOLVED. SO YOUR COMMISSION AND LITERALLY ANY COMMISSION, BUT FOR LIKE PLANNING AND BUILDING STANDARD ONES WHERE THERE'S SOVEREIGN. BUT ALTHOUGH THE ADVISORY COMMISSIONS YOU'LL ADOPT A THING AND IT SHOWS UP IN MY INBOX AS AN EMAIL, I GOT 10,000 EMAILS THIS WEEK. I MIGHT'VE MISSED IT. THIS IS WHAT I'M SAYING. WHAT I RELY ON IS MY COMMISSIONER CALLING ME UP AND SAYING, HEY, THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSION ACTION. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR DISTRICT SIX. YOU SHOULD LEAD ON IT. AND SOMETIMES I HAVE COMMISSIONERS THAT DO THAT, BUT I OFTEN FIND THAT EVERYONE THINKS SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN. SO WHERE I THINK IT BECOMES MORE VALUABLE IS IF THERE'S A REGULAR CALL, IT'S JUST, IT COULD JUST BE THIS SIMPLE, RIGHT? IF THERE'S A REGULAR CALL BETWEEN THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIRS OF THE COMMISSION OF THE COMMITTEE WHERE WE'RE REVIEWING EACH OTHER'S WORK BY DEFINITION, IT'S GOING TO ELEVATE IT MORE THAN, THAN ONE OUT OF 10,000 EMAILS. ALRIGHT, THANKS FOR THAT ANSWER. UM, WHAT ELSE BEFORE? NOPE. OKAY. WELL THANKS SO MUCH COUNCIL MEMBER LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. THANKS EVERYBODY. CHEERS LATER TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT. WHOEVER THE NEW CHAIR IS, HAS TO WORK WITH ME. SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND. ALL RIGHT. Y'ALL I WANTED TO RESPECT JIMMY'S TIME, BUT NOW I JUST WANT TO CIRCLE BACK TO OUR NEW PEOPLE. ROCKY. IT'S SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU WELCOME AND NELLY. HI, IT'S GREAT TO MEET YOU VIA THIS VIDEO. UM, ROCKY, UM, WOULD YOU JUST, UH, UNMUTE AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. HEY, OH, MY NAME IS ROCKY LANE. MY PRONOUNS ARE HE HIM? HIS AND I'M A LOCAL GRASSROOTS LEADER THAT TURNED INTO THE LEADER OF THE LARGEST TRENDS, RED TRANS FOCUS STACK, TEXAS BASED ORGANIZATION, KNOWN AS TRANSGENDER EDUCATION NETWORK OF TEXAS. IT RAISED MY PLATFORM [00:25:01] JUST ENOUGH TO GET IN CONTACT WITH SOME OF OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND AFTER HEARING ABOUT MY STORY OF WORKING AS A PARAMEDIC AND ALSO IN MANY OF THE HOSPITALS AND PROVIDING DIRECT GRASSROOTS SUPPORT TO COMMUNITIES ON THE MARGINS, MULTI MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES LIKE BLACK TRANS PEOPLE AND LGBTQ PEOPLE, I THINK THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BRING THOSE SERIES OF EXPERTISE INTO OUR CONVERSATIONS. SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO MEET YOU ALL. I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, OBVIOUSLY. I'M SURE EVERYONE DID THEIR FIRST, UH, THEIR FIRST COUPLE OF MEETINGS, BUT I DO HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE WORKING AND NEGOTIATING WITH THE CITY. I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. WELCOME ROCKY NELLIE, WILL YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT, ABOUT YOURSELF AND Y'ALL NELLY, ISN'T A VOTING MEMBER YET. SHE'S JUST I'M OBSERVING TODAY. YES. I'M JUST OFFICIALLY OBSERVING, UM, I'M NELLY. UM, AND I COME BY WAY OF DISTRICT FIVE AND THEN KITCHEN'S OFFICE. UM, UM, MY BACKGROUND IS MOSTLY JUST, UM, HOW I LANDED HERE WAS JUST THROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCACY AND BEING INVOLVED WITH HER OFFICE AND HER KITCHEN CABINET AND JUST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL AND THAT SORT OF ROUTE. UM, MY BACKGROUND IS MORE OPERATIONS, LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT, UM, IN TERMS OF PROFESSIONALLY AND I'VE LANDED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT, UM, UH, AS I EMAILED TO REBECCA, MY HEART'S REALLY WITH NONPROFIT ARTS, WHICH IS WHERE I STARTED. UM, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ME. I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE, EXCITED AND EXCITED TO SEE WHAT COMES NEXT. ALL RIGHT. SO, UM, WITH THAT, WE CAN GO TO OUR [3. Domestic violence reports during the pandemic (sponsors: Commissioner Nunez and Webber) (3:35pm-4:00pm) Speaker: -Juliana Gonzales, Senior Director of Sexual Assault and Health Services, Safe Austin] THIRD AGENDA ITEM. OH, I'M DOING GREAT ON TIME. SO THIS ONE IS CALLED THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTS DURING THE PANDEMIC. AND, UM, MR. NUNEZ BROUGHT THIS TO US. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF NEWS ABOUT INCREASED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BECAUSE OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON. UM, I'LL LET DANIELA INTRO IT. AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, THE LIANA GONZALES HERE. I HOPE HE'S ON THE LINE. DANIEL DAILY. WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS? SURE. YEAH. AND I, I'M GLAD THAT THIS IS ON THE AGENDA. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN BETTER ADDRESS RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE, FAMILY VIOLENCE IN THE CITY. UM, I THINK IT DEFINITELY MAKES UP, YOU KNOW, A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF CRIME, A VIOLENT CRIME, UM, IN OUR CITY AND, YOU KNOW, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN WAYS THAT, UM, PEOPLE OF COLOR, UM, ARE IMPACTED BY THIS AND ALSO LOOKING AT WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ADDRESS THIS THROUGH NON POLICING. UM, JUST BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UM, CRIMES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE HOME AND THEY'RE MULTIFACETED, UM, THEY'RE SENSITIVE KINDS OF ISSUES. SO I WANT, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK AT BETTER WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THIS. UM, AND I KNOW THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, WAYS OF TAKING, YOU KNOW, SOME FUNDS, UM, TO OPEN UP, UM, FAMILY SHELTERS TO HELP PEOPLE. UM, AND I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING TOO, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMISSION HAS, UM, SUPPORTED PROGRAMS LIKE THE BRIDGE TO SAFETY, UM, TO PROVIDE FUNDS, TO HELP, UM, PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THIS, YOU KNOW, GET TO A SAFE PLACE AND ALSO VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. SO ULTIMATELY I JUST WANT TO HEAR WHERE WE'RE AT, UM, WHERE WE GO FORWARD AND, YEAH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO JULIA, ARE YOU ON I'M HERE? YAY. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. TAKE IT AWAY. THANK YOU. UM, HI, Y'ALL GOOD AFTERNOON. COMMISSIONERS AND GUESTS AND, UM, OBSERVING AND SUBSTITUTE COMMISSIONER. UH, I'M JULIANA GONZALEZ. I WORK AT THE SAFE ALLIANCE, WHICH IS YOUR, UM, LOCAL NONPROFIT THAT OTHER SURVIVORS OF, UH, FAMILY VIOLENCE, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, UM, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CHILD ABUSE. UM, I'M GOING TO TRY AND SPEAK REALLY SLOWLY AND CLEARLY BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING THAT IF I'M HAVING DIFFICULTY HEARING Y'ALL THAT YOU ARE ALSO PROBABLY HAVING DIFFICULTY HEARING ME. UM, SO PLEASE SOMEONE INTERRUPT YOUR FLAGGING ME DOWN, OR LIKE THE ACTING CHAIR DOWN. SHE CAN INTERRUPT ME. LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN'T HEAR ME. UM, HOPEFULLY I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT I'M JOINED BY OUR SHELTER DIRECTOR AS WELL ON THE CALL. UM, I COULDN'T EAT CHEF. UM, SAUDI HAS NICE BOOKS, UH, WHAT TO DO AT SPACE AND THEN I'LL GET US STARTED. SO MY NAME IS KENISHA SIMON. I'M THE FAMILY SHELTER DIRECTOR. UM, SO I WORK IN THE [00:30:01] SHELTER AND MANAGE THE DAY TO DAY FOR ALL OF THE SURVIVORS COMING INTO OUR PROGRAM. AWESOME. THANKS. CORNESHA UM, I ASK WHEN YOU SORT OF JOIN ME TODAY SO THAT SHE COULD, UM, OFFER SOME MORE SPECIFIC INSIGHT ABOUT, UH, THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 IN THE SHELTER SETTING. SO, UM, I'M GONNA ASK HER TO DO THAT IN A MOMENT AFTER I MAKE SOME GENERAL REMARKS. UM, AND SHE'S ALSO MUCH MORE EQUIPPED TO ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAN I AM ABOUT SURVIVOR EXPERIENCE ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. UM, SO I'M GOING TO TRY AND KEEP IT BRIEF, UH, SORT OF START WITH, UM, AND COMMISSIONER NUNEZ. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP RIGHT NOW THAT, UM, UH, I THOUGHT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU SENT ALONG IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING WERE REALLY INSIGHTFUL. UM, AND SO IF, IF I MAY, IF THE ACTING CHAIR WILL ALLOW, I WOULD LOVE TO THROW TO YOU AT THE END, UM, ABOUT SORT OF SAYING A FEW THINGS AND YOU CAN, UM, PICK AND CHOOSE, WHICH OF THOSE QUESTIONS YOU THINK MIGHT BE THE MOST RELEVANT, UM, GIVEN, GIVEN THE NEWS OF THE DAY. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN NEWS STORIES, BUT FAMILY VIOLENCE, UM, IT SORT OF JUST FUNCTIONING AS ANOTHER PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMIC RIGHT NOW IT'S RIGHT, RIGHT INSIDE OF, OR ALONGSIDE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC. UM, AND IN FACT, I'VE EVEN HEARD FAMILY VIOLENCE REFERRED TO AS AN OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTION. THERE HAS BEEN THE PANDEMIC, UM, BY WHICH I THINK PEOPLE MEAN TO SAY THAT IT IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S CREATED BY ANOTHER DISEASE, BUT, UM, VERY MUCH CAUSING A PANDEMIC OF ITS OWN, UM, AT THE SAFE ALLIANCE WHERE WE'RE HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY FEARFUL, THEY'RE FEARFUL BECAUSE THEY ARE FACING VIOLENCE AT HOME. UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FEARFUL OF THE VIOLENCE ITSELF OR THE ABUSE, UH, BUT THEY'RE ALSO FEARFUL OF SEEKING HELP, RIGHT? OF GOING TO A HOSPITAL OR A SHELTER LIKE OURS OR ANY PUBLIC SETTING WHERE THEY MIGHT BE EXPOSED TO THE VIOLENCE. UM, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF STRESS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE FACING ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS, UM, OR WHO ARE DEALING WITH INCREASED ISOLATION OR LOSS OF RESOURCES, LOTS OF COMMUNITIES. UM, AND WE'RE JUST SEEING A LOT OF SADNESS AMONG THE SURVIVORS WHO WERE, WHO WERE SERVING AND WHO ARE LIVING WITH US, UM, WHO WERE UNABLE TO LEAVE OUR SHELTER, UH, BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF DEPENDENCY IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEY ARE, UM, VERY UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE FUTURE AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP THEMSELVES IN THEIR FAMILY SAY, UM, REAL BRIEFLY, I THINK WE'RE SEEING, UM, MORE CALLS. SO OUR HOTLINE, OUR SAFELINE THOUGHT 25% MORE CALLS, UH, APRIL TO GENE THAN WE DID LAST YEAR DURING THE SAME TIMEFRAME. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IN PART THOSE FOLKS CALLING FOR RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES OR FOR ECONOMIC FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, THAT TYPE OF THING. UM, BUT IN PART THEY'RE CALLING BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE EXPERIENCING VIRUS VIOLENCE AND THEY NEED TO LEAVE, THEY NEED TO MAKE A SAFETY PLAN. UM, WE ARE DEFINITELY SEEING ESCALATED ABUSE AND MORE LETHAL OR MORE DANGEROUS, UM, SITUATIONS. SO, UM, CALLERS ON OUR HOTLINE ARE EXPRESSING A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF DANGER THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, AND THEY'RE TELLING US STORIES ABOUT BEING STUCK AT HOME WITH FOLKS WHO WERE ALREADY ABUSIVE, MAYBE. UM, BUT THE SITUATION GETTING MUCH, MUCH WORSE BECAUSE OF THE STRESS OF LOST INCOME OR BEING IN A CONSTRAINED SPACE. UM, AND THE SITUATIONS ARE JUST, IF THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY COMBUSTIBLE, PEOPLE ARE STUCK AT HOME WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE USING VIOLENCE AND THEY ARE VERY SCARED, UM, AS WE ALL SHOULD BE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE GET CALLS FROM FOLKS WHO ARE IN, UM, WE GOT A CALL FROM A, UM, HER COLOR WHO, UM, WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT A PERTINENT WHO HAD BEEN ABUSIVE FOR A LONG TIME, BUT THEY LIVE TOGETHER. AND SO SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC, UM, THE SURVIVORS FELT THAT THEY HAD THE PERSON THEY LIVE WITH HAS BECOME MORE ABUSIVE. THEY'VE USED MORE VIOLENCE MORE OFTEN, UM, SINCE SHELTER IN PLACE. AND SO, UM, THEY WERE, THEY WERE FINALLY LOOKING FOR, UM, A WAY OR A SAFETY PLAN TO LEAVE YOU ALONE. UM, THAT'S A REAL TYPICAL STORY FOR US TO HEAR WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT PEOPLE WHO, WHO HIS PARTNER WAS, UH, LAID OFF BECAUSE OF KOBE 19. AND SO, UM, AS A RESULT OF THE STRAIN ON THAT PERSON, UH, FIVE LYNCH'S ESCALATING, UM, WE WERE HEARING ABOUT, UM, FOLKS WITH MEDICAL CONCERNS WITH COMPLEX MEDICAL SITUATION WHO ARE NOT BEING ALLOWED TO ACCESS MEDICAL CARE, UM, BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF THE CONTROL AND ABUSE [00:35:01] AND VIOLENCE IN THEIR HOME. UM, AND SO OVERALL, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING MORE CALLS AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING MORE DANGER. UM, WHAT'S THE THING, PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY HAVING A HARD TIME SAFELY ACCESSING SERVICES, UM, ONCE THE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER WENT INTO A FACTOR THAT THE STAY HOME WORK SAFE QUARTER WENT INTO EFFECT. UM, FOLKS JUST IMMEDIATELY SEEMED TO HAVE LESS ABILITY TO KEEP REACHING OUT TO US, UM, BECAUSE THEY WERE AT HOME WITH THE PERSON WHO WAS USING VIOLENCE, UM, AND THEY, THEY WERE NO LONGER GOING TO WORK. AND SO THEY COULDN'T CALL WORK OR OTHER MORE KINDS OF PLACES. UM, WE'RE ALSO SEEING, UM, WE'RE VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT CHILD ABUSE RIGHT NOW, UM, WITH CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL AND, AND OUTSIDE OF SYSTEMS WHERE, UM, OTHER CAREGIVERS MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP AND SUPPORT. UM, WE'VE GOTTEN CALLS FROM FOLKS TO TALK ABOUT, UH, HOW THEIR NEIGHBORS USED TO BE ABLE TO INTERVENE WHEN THEY WERE, UM, WHEN THEY WERE HEARING THINGS THAT MADE THEM AFRAID THAT THE SURVIVOR WAS BEING HURT. AND NOW THEY'RE AFRAID TO LEAVE THEIR HOME TO INTERVENE. UM, WE'RE HEARING ABOUT, UH, SURVIVORS WHO WHEN THEY DID GET IN TOUCH WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, FEEL DISCOURAGED ABOUT GOING TO AN ER TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM AT A HOSPITAL, UM, FOR TREATMENT OF THE INJURIES BECAUSE, UM, THEIR CONCERNS THAT SHE WOULDN'T BE SERVED AT THE ER, OR SHE MIGHT BE EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS, UM, AND SO ACCESS TO SERVICES. THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE REAL WORRIED ABOUT. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, I THINK WE'RE JUST KIND OF OVERALL OBSERVING THAT. UM, I MEAN, I MEAN, THIS WILL COME AS NO SURPRISE TO ANY OF YOU, BUT, UH, PEOPLE'S MENTAL WELLNESS AND THEIR, UM, IN PARTICULAR FOR SURVIVORS, THEIR RECOVERY IS, UM, EXHIBIT RIGHT NOW. UM, I WILL SAY THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED IN THE PAST TO ISOLATE AS PART OF A, UM, CONTROLLING OR ABUSIVE ENVIRONMENT ARE DEFINITELY BEING TRIGGERED BY BEING TOLD TO, TO ISOLATE AT HOME. UM, AND WE WERE JUST HEARING COUNTLESS COUNTLESS STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING TROUBLE OR SUFFERING OTHER, OTHER MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES BECAUSE OF, UM, THE FACTOR OF BOTH THEIR, HER ANSWER PAST, UM, ENVIRONMENT OF ABUSE AND THEN THE PANDEMIC AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE WORLD. UM, I THINK THAT'S SORT OF A GENERAL SENSE OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING CORNESHA. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD OR THAT, THAT YOU REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT FROM THE SHELTER PERSPECTIVE? UM, I THINK ON OUR END, WE'RE JUST SEEING A LOT OF, UM, ADMISSIONS HAVING TO BE RESCHEDULED BECAUSE, UM, OUR SURVIVORS ARE TRYING TO FIND EXIT PLANS. AND SO THE PERSON THAT, YOU KNOW, WHO IS USING VIOLENCE IN THE HOME IS AT HOME WITH THEM. AND SO THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND THEM. SO WE HAVE SEEN, UM, LOTS OF ADMISSIONS BEING RESCHEDULED, UM, TO FIND A SAFE TIME FOR THEM TO GET OUT. I THINK YOU DROPPED YOUR SOMETHING HAPPENED. CAN YOU JUST REPEAT THAT LAST SENTENCE? HE COULDN'T HEAR IT. YEAH. IT'S HAVING TO FIND, UM, I THINK THAT MADE ME SOMEONE ELSE'S FACE, BUT, UM, HAVING TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET OUT SAFELY, UM, AND THEY'RE STILL IN THE HOME WITH THE PERSON THAT'S USING VIOLENCE. AND SO THEY'RE HAVING TO RESCHEDULE THE ADMISSION, UM, SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL THEY FIND THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE SAFELY CARNEISHA IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT I'VE MISSED OR YOU WANT TO ADD AT ANY POINT, LET ME KNOW. AND I IMAGINE THESE FOLKS MIGHT HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU SPECIFICALLY HAVE INSIGHT INTO AS WELL. UM, AND THEN IF I CAN SELFISHLY TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT, UM, SEXUAL ASSAULT. UM, SO DO YOU EVER THINK YOU WOULD HEAR SOMEBODY SAY THAT IT'S THEIR SELFISH DESIRE TO TALK ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT? THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TO DO. SO TO HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAM, UM, THE NUMBER OF EXAMS THAT WE'RE PERFORMING PER MONTH FOR SURVIVORS AT ELOISE HOUSE IS, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN USUAL AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. UM, JUST VERY GENERALLY SPEAKING, I THINK, UH, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS DURING, DURING THE APRIL, UH, SHELTER AT HOME PERIOD, I THINK WE SAW SOMETHING LIKE 20 SURVIVORS IN A MONTH ORDINARILY WE WOULD SEE SOMETHING LIKE 40 OR 50, UM, AND WE'RE DOING, UM, UH, ABOUT HALF OR THREE QUARTERS OF THOSE VISITS, UM, USING TELEHEALTH. AND, UH, THEN THE LAST PHYSICAL ELEMENT OF THE EXAM WE'RE DOING IN PERSON, UM, THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS DO YOU THINK TO BE GOING BACK UP, UM, PEOPLE DO SEEM TO BE RETURNING TO SEEK, UM, [00:40:01] SERVICES AND, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS RETURNING TO THE PUBLIC WHERE, WHERE I FELT THERE HAPPENING. I'M NOT SURE. UM, ONE OBSERVATION FROM LOE PASSES THAT WE ARE JUST SERVING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ECONOMICALLY VULNERABLE FOLKS. SO THE FOLKS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY SERVING ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE OF THE VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE TELEPHONES OR LAPTOPS OR INTERNET ACCESS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO A TELEHEALTH VISIT. UM, THEY ARE STRUGGLING WITH HOUSING STABILITY. UM, THEY ARE MEDICALLY FRAGILE ALREADY. UM, AND SO, UM, THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE TREND FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAM. UM, THE REASONS FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE TRENDS, IT MAY BE THAT, UH, FOLKS ARE AFRAID TO REPORT TO A PUBLIC SETTING, ESPECIALLY A HEALTHCARE CLINIC. UM, THAT'S CERTAINLY POSSIBLE. UM, IT COULD BE THAT PEOPLE ARE OUT AND ABOUT LEFT. UM, BARS ARE CLOSED, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS, PERHAPS THERE'S JUST LESS SORT OF ACTIVITY IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE APD WAS STRETCHED MUCH THINNER THAN USUAL, AND SO THEY MAY HAVE BEEN LESS AVAILABLE OR THE ORDINARY STAFF WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS AVAILABLE TO TAKE REPORTS. UM, BUT SORT OF ON THE FLIP SIDE, UM, I SUPPOSE THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IT DOES SEEM THAT SURVIVORS STARTING TO RETURN TO SEEK SERVICES FROM US. UM, SO THAT'S SORT OF WHERE WE'RE AT AT ELOISE HOUSE. UM, AT THIS POINT, UM, RATHER THAN KEEP TALKING, I'LL ASK THE ACTING CHAIR IF SHE WANTS TO DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS. AND I WOULD, UM, CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THAT WE START WITH COMMISSIONER NINA AND SHE DID SUCH A GREAT JOB OF PREPPING ME. YEAH. COMMISSIONER NUNEZ. DO YOU WANT TO READ YOUR QUESTION? SURE. YEAH. I, UM, I SENT SOME QUESTIONS OVER WHEN I WAS PREPPING AND TAKE A SECOND TO OPEN. UM, SO, UM, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BRIDGE TO SAFETY PROGRAM, HOW BAD IS WORKING. UM, I CAN JUST STOP AFTER EACH ONE OR READ THROUGH ALL OF THEM. HOWEVER YOU PREFER. LET'S STOP AFTER BRIDGE TO 50. CAUSE I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A BIG ONE. UM, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOW UPS, I CAN TAKE THOSE TWO, BUT JUST TO GIVE EVERYBODY SORT OF A RECAP, UM, BRIDGE TO SAFETY IS A, IS A CITY OF AUSTIN FUNDED PROGRAM AT SAFE ALLIANCE. WE HAVE IT HOUSED WITHIN OUR HOTLINE PROGRAM, UM, WHICH IS CALLED SAFE LINE. UM, AND THE INTENT IS TO DIVERT RECENT SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AND CHILD ABUSE, UM, AWAY FROM OUR SHELTER, WAIT LIST, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, OUR SHELTER HAS VERY, UM, VERY LIMITED CAPACITY IN TERMS OF BEDS. UM, IF EVERYTHING WORKS OUT PERFECTLY, WE CAN PUT A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE INTO OUR SHELTER IN NON COVID TIME. UM, AND OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT SOME CAPACITY REDUCTIONS AS WE TRY AND LET PEOPLE SPREAD OUT AND LIVE WITHOUT ROOMMATES AND THAT KIND OF THING. UM, SO BRIDGE TO SAFETY IS BASICALLY DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ONE TIME TYPE ASSISTANCE, UM, AND, AND PROBLEM SOLVE SO THAT THEY CAN BYPASS THE NEED FOR SHELTER. UM, GENERALLY ONE TIME IT SUBSTANCE, I WILL SAY SOMETIMES WE DO, WE DO TO, UH, AND THERE'S NO LONGTERM CASE MANAGEMENT. UM, AND I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING NOTE THAT MOST OF OUR BRIDGE TO SAFETY CLIENTS ARE NOT REQUESTING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, ALTHOUGH IT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THAT PROGRAM. UM, SO THE, THE FUNDING SEEMS TO BE WORKING ON TWO LEVELS. ONE IS JUST DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO QUALIFY. UM, BUT THE OTHER IS, UM, DUCKS NEED HELP. THEY NEED STAFF SUPPORT WITH LIKE FORMS, ADDRESS, CONFIDENTIALITY PAPERWORK, UM, THIRD PARTY DOCUMENTATION FOR THESE TERMINATIONS, THAT KIND OF THING. UM, SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE ON BOTH COUNTS. UM, AS OF JUNE ONE, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE AVAILABLE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK DAYTIME. UM, AND YOU KNOW, THEY BASICALLY DO A QUICK SCREENING TO FIGURE OUT IF THE SURVIVOR IS A RECENT SURVIVOR WITHIN THE PAST SIX MONTHS, UM, TO SORT THROUGH THE PLAN THAT THE SURVIVOR WANTS TO MAKE. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN DIVERT YOU FROM SHELTER, WHERE WILL YOU GO, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO GET THERE? THAT KIND OF THING. UM, AND THEN WE TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PLAN THAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE IS SAFE, UM, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY NEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. [00:45:01] UM, IT LOOKS, SOMETIMES IT LOOKS LIKE A BUS TICKET. SOMETIMES IT LOOKS LIKE A GAS CARD. SOMETIMES IT LOOKS LIKE A CHECK TO A LANDLORD FOR A DEPOSIT OR RENT. UM, AND IN, IN ANY CASE, NO MATTER WHAT THE ASSISTANCE LOOKS LIKE, IT, UM, IT COMES ALONG WITH IN-DEPTH SAFETY PLANNING. UM, SO THAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT? I THINK THERE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OUTCOMES THAT ARE REALLY INTERESTING. IT'S BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM. UM, HE THINKS THAT THE FUNDING COMES THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. UM, THAT'S HOW THAT'S THE CONDUIT FROM THE CITY TO US. UM, BUT ONE, ONE OUTCOME THAT I THINK IS INCREDIBLY INTERESTING IS THAT WE WERE ASKED TO TRACK A METRIC ON, UM, THE SURVIVORS AND, UM, WHETHER THE SERVICES THAT WE WERE PROVIDING THROUGH BRIDGE TO SAFETY WAS ASSISTING IN DIVERTING THE NEED FOR POLICE ASSISTANCE WITH, WITH THE VIOLENCE THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING. IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE CAN MAKE A SAFETY PLAN, UM, TO GET YOU OUT OF THAT DANGEROUS SITUATION, WOULD WE, OR DID WE REDUCE THE NEED FOR POLICE INTERVENTION, UM, FROM A SOCIAL SERVICES STANDPOINT OR A SAFETY STANDPOINT? UM, AND SO FAR A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE RECIPIENTS OF ASSISTANCE HAVE SAID YES, THAT THAT POLICE INTERVENTION WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED AND WAS NOT REQUIRED BECAUSE OF THE ASSISTANCE THEY RECEIVED. UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE PART THAT I THINK MIGHT BE RELEVANT TO CURRENT DISCUSSIONS. UM, BUT YEAH. DID YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT VERY SPECIFIC TO THAT'S SORT OF A GENERAL OVERVIEW? UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, IT KIND OF TRANSITIONS TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT CITY MANAGERS BUDGET, YOU KNOW, AND THE VARIOUS BUDGET AMENDMENTS, YOU KNOW, DO TO ADDRESS LOOKING AT SUPPORTING, UM, UH, FAMILIES GOING THROUGH THESE CRISES AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING ALL WE CAN AS A CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FUNDING THESE PRIORITIES. UM, AND I JUST WANT TO HEAR YOUR TAKE ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT SITS. ARE YOU GETTING, UM, THE RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED, LIKE IN, IN THESE BUDGET PROPOSALS? THANKS FOR ASKING THAT, UM, I WILL ADMIT THAT I DON'T HAVE A STRONG FAMILIARITY WITH THE, WITH THE DRAFT BUDGET. UM, BUT I CAN TELL YOU A FEW THINGS THAT COME TO MIND AS BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR US, UM, THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY WELL, WELL TAKEN CARE OF. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, UM, EMERGENCY SHELTER IS PART OF A CONTINUUM OF WHAT SURVIVORS NEED WHEN THEY'RE, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE FLEEING FAMILY VIOLENCE. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE ENVISION IT AS SORT OF, THERE'S A CRISIS RESPONSE. THERE'S AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY NEED. LIKE THAT'S THE NIGHT WE NEED YOU ANYWHERE, BUT YOUR HOUSE, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT'S A ONETIME NEED GENERALLY, BUT THEN DIRECTLY AFTER THAT, THERE'S AN ONGOING NEED. THERE'S A NEED FOR CASE MANAGEMENT. UM, THERE'S A NEED FOR EXTENDED EMERGENCY SHELTER. UH, THAT'S DEDICATED TO SURVIVORS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE OR SEXUAL VIOLENCE. UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THAT, OUR, OUR, OUR PERSPECTIVE AT THE SAFE ALLIANCE IS THAT THE ULTIMATE, UH, SORT OF ENDS OF THAT CONTINUUM WOULD BE LONGTERM HOUSING STABILITY IN A SAFE AND STABLE HOUSING SITUATION. UM, AND SO I THINK THAT BRINGS TO MIND TWO THINGS. ONE IS, UM, WE ARE VERY SHORT ON EMERGENCY SHELTER CAPACITY, THE SORT OF THAT, THAT, UH, FIRST AND SECOND STEP IN THE CONTINUUM, I TALKED ABOUT THE EMERGENCY CRISIS RESPONSE TONIGHT AND THE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE 90 DAYS AFTER THAT, UM, WE HAVE, UH, FIGURED OUT SOME WAYS TO EXTEND OUR CAPACITY, UM, BUT IT IS LIMITED AND, UM, THAT'S IN NEED. UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE SECOND THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT THAT IS JUST TRYING TO ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT ONE TIME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS POWERFULLY IMPORTANT. UM, OR ONE NIGHT IN A HOTEL IS POWERFULLY IMPORTANT PROGRAMS THAT MEET THAT NEED ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO FUND. UM, BUT MAKING SURE THAT IMBALANCE THAT, THAT WE ARE ALSO FUNDING SORT OF A LONGER TERM PERSPECTIVE, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET THESE FOLKS A COUPLE OF MONTHS OF EMERGENCY SHELTER AFTER THAT FIRST NIGHT IN THE HOTEL, OR EVEN INTO LONGTERM HELPING PLANNING, KICK MANAGEMENT TYPE STUFF? UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT WE JUST COMPLETED, OR WE'RE ABOUT TO COMPLETE A PILOT PROGRAM, UM, BUT TAKE IT'S CALLED SHELTER AWAY. UM, AND IT WAS DESIGNED, UM, I THINK WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO GET FUNDED AND, UM, IT HASN'T BEEN [00:50:01] PICKED UP FOR FUNDING YET, BUT, UM, THE IDEA WAS THAT IF WE CAN REDIRECT SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING IN OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER, UM, INTO SAFE LOCATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, FOR EXAMPLE, MAYBE A, MAYBE A HOTEL THAT WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH WHERE THEY CAN TAKE A COUPLE OF HOUSEHOLDS, UM, AS, AS THEIR SHELTER SETTINGS, UH, THEN WE HAVE MORE ROOM IN THE EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED FOR SAFETY REASONS TO BE BEHIND OUR GATES ON CAMPUS. RIGHT? SO IT SORT OF A, A TRIAGE OR A PLANNING KIND OF NOTION WHERE WE'D, WE'D START SORTING OUT THE FOLKS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF NEEDS AND DIFFERENT REASONS FOR NEEDING TO BE IN SHELTER. AND THOSE TWO, 10 FAKELY LIVE OFF CAMPUS AND CONTINUE THEIR EMERGENCY SHELTER OUTSIDE OF OUR WALLS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, OBVIOUSLY THE BENEFITS OF THAT WOULD BE THEN WE OPEN UP THAT JARGON LIKE SHELTER. UM, IT'S BEEN A REALLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM. I THINK THE PILOT ENDS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, ROUGHLY, UM, WITH SOME CONTINUING CARE FOR THE FOLKS WHO ARE ALREADY IN SERVICES. UM, AND SO THAT'S A MODEL THAT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE FOR MORE IF THERE WERE FUNDING FOR THAT TYPE OF THING. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, AGAIN, SORT OF PUTTING ON MY OTHER HAT, MY SEXUAL ASSAULTS HAT, IF WE HAVE SUCH A THING, UM, I WOULD JUST RAISE TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT, UM, THE CLINICS LIKE, UH, THE CIRCLE AND TAZ ARE ONLY REIMBURSED FOR, UM, SERVICES. SO GENERALLY WE'RE REIMBURSED FOR EXAMS THROUGH THE CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND. UM, IT DOESN'T COVER THE WHOLE COST OF THE SERVICES, SO THAT'S WHY WE DO FUNDRAISING AND FIND OUT WE SUPPORT. UM, BUT THE CRIME VICTIMS COMPENSATION FUND REIMBURSEMENT ONLY, ONLY REIMBURSES FOR EXAMS THAT ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, INVESTIGATING AND PROSECUTING A CRIME THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED. UM, AND SO IN GREAT PART, THE SERVICES THAT WE BELIEVE THAT SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS NEED AFTER A SEXUAL ASSAULT, LIKE, UM, PREVENTION OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS, PREGNANCY PREVENTION, UM, CARE FOR INJURIES, UH, JUST GENERAL ADVOCACY AND RESPONSE CARE AFTER A SEXUAL ASSAULT. UM, THOSE ARE ALL ACTIVITIES THAT WE SELF FUND AS THE SAFE ALLIANCE. UM, THEY'RE UNFUNDED BY THE REIMBURSEMENT THAT WE GET FROM THE CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND. THE REASON FOR THAT IS, UM, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE OFTEN NOT TIED TO THE FORENSIC EXAM PORTION, UM, FOR THEIR, FOR SURVIVORS WHO ARE CHOOSING NOT TO ENGAGE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, BUT STILL NEED SERVICES AFTER THEIR SEXUAL ASSAULT. UM, SO I WOULD CALL THAT AS ANOTHER SORT OF HOLE IN OUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENT. UM, SO IT WAS SORT OF UNREPORTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OR NOT RELATED TO A SEXUAL, UH, TO A FORENSIC EXAM TYPE OF SERVICES, UM, ARE UNFUNDED AT THE MOMENT, UM, REALLY FOR US TO GET REIMBURSEMENT, SOME TRACK CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND AND ANY REAL LEVEL WE NEED TO, UM, THE CA UH, THE SURVIVOR ENGAGE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLETE A FORENSIC EXAM, WHICH IS OF COURSE NOT AN APPROPRIATE THING TO REQUIRE OF EVERY SURVIVOR. IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S JUST NOT SUITABLE FOR EVERYBODY. I THINK THAT'S WHAT COMES SIMMERING FOR BUDGET, BUT LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE FOLLOWUPS ON ANY OF THEM. YEAH, THIS IS SUPER HELPFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS VERY, UM, SERIOUS, I THINK LIKE THIS IS THE TYPE OF ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE EITHER WE NEED TO DO MORE WORK TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOT JUST APD IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY LOOKING AT SOCIAL SERVICES, LOOKING AT PREVENTION, LOOKING AT, UM, CARING FOR SURVIVORS. UM, SO THERE'S A LOT MORE TO IT THAN JUST APD. UM, SO YEAH, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. THIS COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, CONTINUES TO SHED LIGHT ON THESE ISSUES AND JUST HOW MUCH GOES INTO THE WORK, UH, TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. SO, UM, DEFINITELY WANT OTHERS TO ASK QUESTIONS AS WELL, IF THEY HAVE ANY, DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ASK TO JULIANA OR CLICHE? YEAH. ROCKY JUMP IN. I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT, THERE'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT CHOOSE TO GET TREATMENT, BUT NOT TO SPEAK WITH POLICE. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW, HOW MUCH, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO THAT? WHO WE DO HAVE AN IDEA? ALTHOUGH I WOULD SAY THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT CONTEXT MAKES ALL OUR STATISTICS OR ALL OUR ORDINARY STATISTICS KIND OF IRRELEVANT. RIGHT. UM, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, UM, AND I'M SPEAKING ONLY ABOUT SURVIVORS THAT CHOOSE TO COME TO CARE AT ELOISE HOUSE. THAT'S A SAFE ALLIANCE. [00:55:01] UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, SOMETHING LIKE THREE QUARTERS OF THOSE FOLKS ARE AFFILIATED WITH A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND COMING TO US BECAUSE A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER HAS HELPED THEM TO GET TO ABOUT 75% OF THE FOLKS OF PUTTING A POLICE REPORT OR WANT ASSISTANCE DOING THAT AND ARE PROBABLY INTERESTED IN PURSUING A FORENSIC EXAM. HOWEVER, UM, EVEN OF THE PEOPLE WHO, AND OF COURSE THAT'S ARTIFICIALLY HIGH AS SOME THIRD TO SURVIVORS IN GENERAL, RIGHT. THEY KNOW ONLY ABOUT 9% OF SURVIVORS IN GENERAL REPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO THERE'S, THERE'S SOMETHING TO THE FACT THAT WE SERVE THIS POPULATION AND THAT WE HAVE A VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND RELY ON LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HELP US MEET THOSE SURVIVORS WHERE THEY'RE AT. UM, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT, UM, EVEN AS THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE, UM, PARTICIPATING IN SOME KIND OF PROPER CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS, LIKE A LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORT, UM, EVEN THOSE FOLKS NEED AND DESERVE SERVICES THAT ARE NOT BEING FUNDED BY THE VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND, RIGHT? SO EVERY SINGLE SURVIVOR THAT COMES THROUGH OUR DOORS DESERVES AN ADVOCATE ADVOCACY AND, UM, RESOURCES BEYOND JUST COLLECTING EVIDENCE AND DOING A FORENSIC INTERVIEW. UM, AND MANY, MANY TIMES TIMES PEOPLE NEED HEALTHCARE, RIGHT? THEY NEED HEALTHCARE BECAUSE THEY WERE INJURED IN THE ASSAULT. THEY NEED HEALTHCARE BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET AN INFECTION OR THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET PREGNANT. UM, PEOPLE NEED THINGS THAT ARE NOT PART OF THAT FORENSIC EXAM MODEL. UM, AND SO BOTH THE FOLKS WHO ARE NOT REPORTING AND THE FOLKS WHO ARE REPORTING, BUT NEED OTHER THINGS BESIDES FORENSIC SERVICES ARE SORT OF, UM, THOSE SERVICES ARE CURRENTLY NOT FUNDED, UM, AND TO PROVIDE THEM AT THE MOMENT. UM, BUT IT IS BECOMING A STRENGTH I WILL ADMIT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. AND MY FINAL QUESTION JUST HAS TO DO WITH ANYTHING ELSE YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD TO WHAT MIGHT BE USEFUL AS FAR AS TRAINING GOES. UM, BECAUSE I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CALLS ABOUT THIS WITH PEOPLE FROM SAFE. AND I, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AS MAYBE SOME TRAINING GAPS, IF ANY, THAT COULD BE MORE USEFUL TO PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING WITH Y'ALL, UM, OR ANY ADDITIONAL THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD. I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THAT CHANCE. ROCKY, WILL YOU CLARIFY, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT TRAINING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC SERVANTS ARE THE ADVOCATES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT UNDER BRIDGE TO SAFETY OR ANYONE THAT'S IN THAT PARTICULAR ROLE WITH SAFE, MAYBE THOSE PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY WOULD BE HELPFUL. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN THEIR ROLES THAT CLARIFY? SURE. YEAH. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE QUESTION. I DON'T THINK I WAS PREPARED FOR THAT. UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THAT IS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF EMPLOYEES THAT SAY ARE NOT FUNDED FOR ANY CONTINUING EDUCATION AT ALL. RIGHT. UM, SO UNLESS THEY ARE FUNDED BY SOME KIND OF GOVERNMENTAL GRANTS THAT ALLOWS FOR AND FUNDS CONTINUING EDUCATION, THEY JUST DON'T GET IT. UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ACCESS, UM, ASIDE FROM THREE FREE TRAINING, WHICH WE ARE EXCELLENT AT ACCESSING. SO, UM, I WOULD HAVE TO THINK MORE ABOUT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE THERE, AND THAT IS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE BY DEPARTMENT. RIGHT. UM, THE FOLKS THAT I WORK WITH IN SEXUAL ASSAULT, UH, PROBABLY HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS THAN WHAT THOSE CLINICIANS WORKS WITH IN, IN THE SHELTER. UM, BUT WE COULD DEFINITELY PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER WITHOUT TOO MUCH TROUBLE. THANKS FOR ASKING THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I KNOW THAT WAS OUT OF NOWHERE. I JUST KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE HEARD FROM OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO GIVE US THAT LITTLE EXTRA BIT AND I'D APPRECIATE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ON THAT. DEFINITELY. THANK YOU. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE LET GIULIANA? YES, THE LINEN IS OKAY. UH, YES. I HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO A BUDGET TEAM AND, UH, YEAH, I MEAN, FUNDING. DO YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE TO TURN AWAY, UH, PEOPLE BECAUSE OF LACK OF FUNDING OR LACK OF RESOURCES, UM, OR MAYBE EVEN JUST PUT THEM ON A WAITING LIST BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE RESOURCES, IF OUR QUESTION CLINICIAN GONNA TELL ON YOU AND LET YOU ANSWER THAT. UM, I THINK FOR, IN TERMS OF THE BRIDGE, THAT SAFETY, OR IN TERMS OF SHELTER, OR BOTH, [01:00:05] BOTH, IF I THINK HE WAS GLAD I COULD TELL HIM ABOUT SHELTER, BUT SHELTER. OKAY. UM, AND SHELTER. I THINK THE, UM, WHAT WE'RE THINKING NOW IS BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO BRING PEOPLE INTO, UM, SHELTER MORE QUICKLY THAT ARE IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. UM, OUR SHELTERS SAVE AREN'T AS EXTENDED EXTENDABLE AS THEY HAVE BEEN IN PREVIOUS TIMES. AND THAT ONCE PEOPLE SAFETY LEVELS ARE, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO LOW THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CONNECT WITH THE AUSTIN SHELTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN OR OTHER SHELTERS THAT THEY CAN IMMEDIATELY GO TO JUST SO THAT WE CAN MOVE, UM, SURVIVORS AND THAT ARE NEEDING TO BE BEHIND THE GATE. AND SO SOMETIMES IT'S HARD BECAUSE WE HAVE FAMILIES THAT ARE UNEMPLOYED. UM, AND SO THEY DON'T HAVE A JOB. THEY DON'T HAVE, UM, FAMILY CONNECTIONS OR ANY OTHER RESOURCES TO GET THEM TO THE NEXT STEP. BUT SIMILAR TO OUR PROGRAM, THE HOMELESS SHELTERS ARE ALSO, UM, FULL. AND SO IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE IN TERMS OF LIKE, WE, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND YOUR SITUATION AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE TO BALANCE THE WAITLIST WITH THOSE THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN SHELTER AND GETTING THEM TO THEIR NEXT STEP IN THEIR JOURNEY. UM, SO IT HAS BEEN REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR US TO HAVE THAT SHELTER AWAY PROGRAM BECAUSE FOR THOSE, UM, UM, SURVIVORS THAT MAYBE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO FAMILY OR OTHER RESOURCES AND MAYBE FACING HOMELESSNESS OR LIVING IN A PLACE THAT'S NOT MEANT FOR HABITATION. UM, WE TRIED TO GET THEM OVER TO THE SHELTER TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE MORE TIME TO, UM, BE EMPOWERED, TO COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR THEIR FAMILY SO THAT WE CAN STILL BRING IN, UM, SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, SURVIVORS THAT NEED TO BE BEHIND THE GATE IN THE SHELTER BECAUSE OF SAFETY REASONS. HOW OFTEN DO WE HAVE A WAITLIST CLEANING CHEF ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, IF I MAY SHARE A QUICK STORY ABOUT THE BRIDGE THAT THEY SEE PROGRAMS. SO ON, UM, FRIDAY WHEN I LEFT MY HOME, UM, I HAD SEEN A CAR THAT HAD BEEN OUTSIDE THE PREVIOUS DAY IN THE SAME SPOT, UM, AND HAD SOME CHILDREN AND A MOTHER IN IT. UM, AND SO SOMETHING JUST TOLD ME TO STOP. UM, BUT I KIND OF STOPPED AND JUST CHECK IN TO ASK IF THEY NEEDED ANYTHING. UM, JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TEAM THE OUTSIDE USING THE RESTROOM. UM, AND THAT'S WHEN SHE KIND OF BROKE DOWN AND WAS LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO. WE JUST LEFT FROM, UM, AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP. AND SO MY PLAN IS TO LIKE SWEEP HERE AT THE PARK UNTIL, UM, THE APARTMENT WAS READY, WHICH I BELIEVE IT WAS ON THE SEVENTH. AND SO I WAS ABLE TO CALL THE BRIDGE TO SAFETY PROGRAM BECAUSE I MEAN, SHELTER WAS DEFINITELY MAXED OUT, BUT ALSO AN OPTION FOR THAT FAMILY AS WELL. AND IN TERMS OF ASSESSING THEM BASED OFF THE OTHER LEVEL OF NEEDS THAT ARE ON SHELTER AND BRIDGE, THAT SAFETY WAS, UM, FANTASTIC WITHIN I THINK, THREE HOURS, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THAT FAMILY INTO A HOTEL, UM, AND BE ABLE TO, AND PAY FOR THEM TO STAY IN THE HOTEL UNTIL THE SEVENTH, WHEN THEIR HOUSING PLAN COMES THROUGH. AND SO ANOTHER CLIENT HAD MESSAGED ME AND TOLD ME, LIKE, IT FEELS GOOD TO BE LIKE SO COMFORTABLE AND BACK INTO A SPACE. AND, YOU KNOW, SHE DIDN'T THINK OUT TO REACH OUT TO ANY RESOURCES BECAUSE SOMETIMES OUR SURVIVORS LOOK AT THEIRS SITUATIONS AND THEY DON'T THINK IT IS, UM, AS SEVERE AS SOMEONE ELSE OR ANOTHER SITUATION. AND SO THEY'RE LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT RESOURCE AWAY FROM SOMEONE THAT ACTIVELY IN A HOME, LIKE I CAN JUST SLEEP IN MY CAR. AND SO I EXPLAINED LIKE, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOUR SITUATION IS, LIKE ALWAYS REACH OUT TO US BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO BE INNOVATIVE AND FIND, UM, PROGRAMS AND SHELTER MADE ME FULL. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THE GRUPO, I MEAN THE GROUP ROOM AND ABLE TO LET PEOPLE STAY THE NIGHT TO FIGURE OUT AN ALTERNATE PLAN. AND SO BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT EDUCATION, AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS MY OFF DAY, IT WAS JUST REALLY GOOD TO REMIND US, LIKE WHY WE HAVE THE BRIDGE THAT THEY DO PROGRAM, WHY WE HAVE SHELTER AWAY PROGRAM, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE SELFISH, SELFISHLY NOT CONSIDERING THEIR SITUATION AS LIKE AN EMERGENCY, EVEN THOUGH IT IS BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW, ARE IN WORSE SITUATIONS. SO DEFINITELY THANK YOU GUYS FOR FUNDING THAT PROGRAM. THAT'S INCREDIBLE CLINICIAN, UM, AND HEARTBREAKING. UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT COMMISSIONER NUNEZ SAID, WHICH IS, I THINK ABOUT RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS IS WHAT I'M IMAGINING, YOU KNOW, HAVING ENOUGH BEDS. SO THE KIDS AREN'T HAVING TO LIKE USE THE BATHROOM OUTDOORS, UM, THAT'S WHERE I WANT MY TAX DOLLARS GOING, NOT, YOU KNOW, 13, A CAR FOR DRUGS AFTER A TRAFFIC STOP. UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALLS WORK. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY CLOSING REMARKS ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? THIS IS JUST A REALLY BASIC QUESTION, BUT I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO IF SOMEONE IS GOING THROUGH THIS AND THEY NEED HELP, UM, WOULD YOU RECOMMEND, [01:05:01] YOU KNOW, DO DO FOLKS CALL THREE, ONE, ONE TO GET CONNECTED THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE BRIDGE TO SAFETY, OR SHOULD THEY CONTACT SAFE DIRECTLY? IS THERE LIKE A, AN EASY, EFFICIENT WAY FOR FOLKS TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU FOR HELP YOUR ORGANIZATION? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. UM, I THINK THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND FOLKS REACH OUT TO US DIRECTLY AT THE STAPLE AUNTIES IN OUR 24 SEVEN SAFELINE, UM, WHICH HAS FIVE ONE TWO, TWO SIX SEVEN F E. UM, AND THE TAKE LINE SERVICES, OUR FRONT DOOR TO ALL OUR SERVICES AT THE BRIDGE TO SAFETY STAFF SITS RIGHT THERE, INSIDE THE SAFE LINE. SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE EASY FOR THEM TO ACCESS AND PROBABLY EASIER THAN GOING TO THREE, ONE, ONE, ALTHOUGH THEY MIGHT GET THERE. I JUST HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION FOR A CLINICIAN. IS THAT THE PERSON THAT WE'RE TALKING TO? YES. UM, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW OFTEN, IF EVER DO YOU COME OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET TO SUPPORT SOMEONE LIKE WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED AND ARE YOU HANDLING THAT PERSONALLY, AS FAR AS MENTAL HEALTH GOES? UM, I THINK FOR ME, UM, WE ARE DOING SOME MINDFULNESS, UM, EACH WEEK AS A TEAM TO KIND OF JUST SHARE AND TALK ABOUT HOW LIKE COVANCE IMPACTING OUR WORK. IT'S REALLY GREAT BECAUSE WE'RE ALL AT DIFFERENT LEVELS WITHIN THE SHELTER, BUT BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT LIKE SITUATIONS THAT MAY BE TRIGGERING, UM, FEELING LIKE WE NEED TO DO ENOUGH. I MEAN, ME PERSONALLY, UM, I'M ALWAYS HELPING PEOPLE, UM, WHETHER I'M IN THE STORE AND THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THAT. I MEAN, JUST BY STOPPING, I MEAN, I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WOULDN'T STOP AND AREN'T AS OBSERVANT. UM, AND HAD WE NOT HAVE BRIDGED TO SAFETY, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PUT THEM INTO, IN A HOTEL WITH MY OWN, UM, MONEY JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO COME OUT OF YOUR HOME AND REALIZING HOW CLOSE THAT IS TO YOUR HOME IN TERMS OF, CAUSE I LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO A PARK. SO, UM, THAT WAS LIKE THE FIRST THING WHEN I PULLED OUT WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS USE THE RESTROOM AND LIKE INSTANTLY, LIKE I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON. UM, BUT I MEAN, WE DEFINITELY, UM, TURN IT OFF WHEN WE'RE OFF. WE TRY TO, UM, FOCUS ON THE THINGS I'M A CRAFTER. UM, I THINK WE PUSH EVERYONE TO KIND OF HAVE THAT OUTLET OF WHAT WORKS FOR THEM WHEN THEY'RE OFF AND HOW TO TURN WORK OFF. AND, UH, WHEN WE'RE IN THE BUILDING, WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER. UM, THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR MEETINGS, WE'RE ALWAYS DOING CHECK-INS TO ASK HOW WE'RE DOING. IF PEOPLE ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ON, UM, YELLOW AND THEY'RE NOT FEELING LIKE A HUNDRED PERCENT TO BE AGREEING, LIKE WE'RE ALL LIKE, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU GET TO GREEN? BECAUSE WE DO REALIZE IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TO CHECK IN WITH EACH OTHER, UM, TO OFFER SUPPORT. UM, COVID DEFINITELY IMPACTING OUR TEAMS AND THEIR ABILITY TO BALANCE THIS KIND OF WORK AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR KIDDOS THAT ARE OUT OF SCHOOL, UM, AND RESOURCES. SO IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN DOING SOCIAL WORK WITHIN OUR OWN FAMILY, UM, IN THE SHELTER, UM, AS A TEAM AND THEN ALSO BALANCING, STILL CONTINUING FOR, UM, THE FAMILY RESERVE. AND SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO HAVE TIME OFF. WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT SEND US PIZZA, UM, AND OTHER LITTLE TIME SURPRISES AND DRINKS AND SELF CARE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, UM, TO KEEP THE TEAM MOTIVATED AND THE MORALE HIGH, BECAUSE FOR MANY OF US, LIKE WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC SINCE DAY ONE AND WE HAVEN'T STOPPED. WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY TAKEN VACATION OTHER THAN BEING ON FOR LIKE THE WEEKEND, JUST BECAUSE WE REALIZE, UM, HOW MUCH SUPPORT WE'RE NEEDING TO PROVIDE THE MEMBERS IN OUR BUILDING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT ANSWER. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND AND BEING EXACTLY WHAT I'M SO PROUD OF ABOUT OUR CITY. UM, AND I WANT TO JUST SIGNAL BOOST AGAIN. YOU CAN SEND PIZZA TO THESE TEAMS THEY ACCEPTED. OKAY. COOL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. YES, CO-SIGN I THANK YOU SO MUCH, JULIANA AND BENICIA. I HOPE WE'LL HAVE YOU BACK. UM, I HOPE THAT WE WILL HEAR THAT YOU ARE BETTER FUNDED. ALL RIGHT. SO, YEAH, THANKS. SO, UM, [4. City of Austin Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Proposed Budget (sponsors: Commissioner Gonzales and Webber) 4:00pm-4:50pm Speakers: Austin Fire Department Austin/ Travis County Emergency Medical Services Austin Police Department Cate Graziani, Criminal Justice Campaigns Coordinator at Grassroots Leadership Selena Xie, President of Austin Emergency Medical Services Association] THE NEXT ITEM THAT WE HAVE IN OUR AGENDA IS JUST, JUST A GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE BUDGET. AND, UM, I HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY ABOUT EMS AND THE POLICE BUDGET. UM, CAN YOU RE, CAN YOU WAVE AT ME IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS FIGHTING THE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WHEN MR. LANG, I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING TO THE FOLKS AT THE TOP OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS. OH YES. I [01:10:01] HAVE DEEP CONCERNS AS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE, UM, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. AND ALSO AS JUST SOMEONE WHO CARES A LOT ABOUT THIS CITY, UM, THAT WE HAVE SOMEHOW MADE ALL OF THIS HAPPEN ON, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. SORRY, HOLD UP, HOLD UP, ROCKY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDER, I KNOW HOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE WANT TO, YOU WILL HAVE YOUR OPPORTUNITY. UM, DOES ANYONE ELSE, UH, WHY DON'T WE JUST START WITH EMS SINCE COMMISSIONER LANE AND I BOTH CARE ABOUT THAT DEEPLY. UM, SO I WANT TO ALLOW CHIEF BROWN TO JUST LET US KNOW WHAT, WITHIN THE MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET, WHAT THEY STILL NEED, WHAT THEY GOT THAT WAS EXTRA. I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE ASKED FOR TWO ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO GET THAT. UM, AND I'LL LET HIM TALK ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERS A BUDGET AMENDMENT ON THAT. I'LL LET YOU BROWN TALK ABOUT THAT. UM, I MEAN, JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION AND MAY, YOU KNOW, REJECTED A REQUEST FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL HELICOPTER, WHAT HAVE YOU FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND CAME OUT VERY STRONGLY IN JUNE FOR EMS. AND I THINK WE ALL, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE SAID, LIKE WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. LIKE IT IS IT'S, UM, THAT'S LOW HANGING FRUIT TO INVEST IN PUBLIC HEALTH RIGHT NOW. SO, UM, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. OH, ONE MORE THING Y'ALL WE DID IN, UM, JUNE ASK FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES, BUT WE ALSO ASKED FOR SOME ADMIN STAFF, UM, THAT THE EMS NEEDS IN ORDER TO EFFECTUATE THESE ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THEY HAVE ALL THE I'S DOTTED AND THE T'S CROSSED AS FAR AS GETTING THOSE PEOPLE UP. AND SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT TO Y'ALL THAT THEY GOT THE AMBULANCES AND THE, AND THE EXTRA MEDICS, BUT THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY GET OUR, AND NO ONE HAS YET PUT IN A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THEM TO GET THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF TO SUPPORT THOSE EXTRA ROLES. AND SO I HOPE THAT WILL BE CORRECTED WITH THAT CHIEF BROWN. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. UM, CHAIR WEBBER. SO, UM, DID WE SEND OUT THE PRESENTATION TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION? UM, IT WAS A KIND OF A REPEAT OF WHAT WE PRESENTED BACK IN MARCH ABOUT WHERE OUR BUDGET CURRENTLY STANDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 21. UM, AND THEN WHAT THE MANAGER ADDED INTO THE BUDGET WHEN HE ANNOUNCED HIS PROPOSED BUDGET UNDER THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, HE ADDED THE ADDITIONAL 24 HOUR AMBULANCE THAT WAS TRAVIS COUNTRY. AND, AND THEN OF COURSE THE FUNDING FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR FOR DEL VALLEY. AND THEN HE ADDED SEVEN, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH, UH, PARAMEDICS TO THE PROGRAM. AND THAT WAS THE, UH, WHAT WAS PROPOSED IN THE BASE BUDGET FOR ADDITIONS TO OUR DEPARTMENT. UM, AS COMMISSIONER WEBBER TALKED ABOUT, THERE WAS, UH, TWO ADDITIONAL UNITS THAT THE COMMISSION, UH, PROPOSED, UM, SOME, UH, COMMUNICATIONS, MEDICS, UH, CLINICAL SPECIALISTS THAT WERE GOING TO BE DESIGNATED TO HELP TRIAGE THE, THE COBIT CALLS. AND THEN IN THE FUTURE, ANY OTHER, UM, INFLUENZA CALLS OR SPECIALTY CALLS THAT WE CAN HELP TRIAGE OUT OF THE NINE 11 SYSTEM AND NOT HAVE TO SEND RESOURCES. DO YOU GUYS RECOMMENDED, UM, UH, FUNDING THOSE POSITIONS AND YOU RECOMMENDED FUNDING SOME COMMUNICATIONS POSITIONS AND YOU DID RECOMMEND DOING THE ADMIN POSITIONS. SO THOSE THINGS YOU RECOMMENDED WORK WERE ADDED IN THE BUDGET. UM, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME INDICATIONS FROM OUR COUNCIL AND THEIR, ON THEIR BOARD, THEIR MESSAGING BOARD, UM, AT LEAST FROM A COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERING THERE'S SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UM, UM, JUMPED ON BOARD AS CO-SPONSORS TO THE AMENDMENT THAT THERE'S A DISCUSSION ABOUT ADDING, UH, ON TOP OF WHAT'S ALREADY IN THE BASE BUDGET, UH, TWO ADDITIONAL 24 HOUR AMBULANCES, UH, SOME COMMANDERS FOR SOME OVERSIGHT. UM, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS, IS IN FIVE YEARS, WE'VE ADDED 106 PEOPLE TO THE D MEDICS TO THE DEPARTMENT AND WITH NO OVERSIGHT OR SUPERVISION. AND THAT GETS TO THE POINT OF WHAT A COMMISSIONER, WHERE I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER ON OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. WE'VE ALSO THOSE SAME HUNDRED SIX PEOPLE ARE OPERATING WITH THE SAME NUMBER OF ADMIN PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TODAY. SO WHEN WE HAVE FEMLA OJI OR ANY CONCERNS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKING CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES ON THE BACK END, UH, WE GET WE'RE STRETCHED VERY THIN. AND OF COURSE, UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE ADMIN POSITIONS, [01:15:01] UM, THAT ARE OUT THERE. AND THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THAT, UM, COUNSEL MAY ADD THOSE IN AND ANOTHER AMENDMENT WE'RE STILL HOPEFUL. UM, SO THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THE BACKEND TO HELP SUPPORT OUR FRONT END STAFF. UM, YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS FAR AS ON THE COUNCIL BOARDS. THERE'S SOME DISCUSSION TOMORROW, AND I BELIEVE AGAIN, IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ON THURSDAY. SO, UM, WE'LL BE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL ON THOSE TWO DAYS. ALL RIGHT. HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT OTHER AMENDMENT THAT YOU MAY NEED. UM, DO YOU LOVE SELENA SHIA? WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION, EMS UNION, UM, AND, UH, SELENA, ARE YOU ON THE LINE? NO. UM, SHE MESSAGED ME THAT SHE'S WAITING, UM, AB FOLKS, WILL YOU COME ON AND LET ME KNOW IF I'M NOT DOING SOMETHING RIGHT ABOUT HAVING THIS SPEAKER PRESENT RIGHT NOW. UM, HOLD UP, Y'ALL JUST TAKE A, TAKE A MOMENT AMONGST YOURSELVES ONE MINUTE WHILE I TRY AND FIGURE THIS OUT. I THINK WE'RE MISSING THESE SPECIFIC STAFF MEMBER RIGHT NOW. SHE'S NOT IN THE CALL. I'M TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF HER RIGHT NOW. OKAY. UM, WELL, GREAT. THANK YOU. HE'S ON, SHE JUST HEARS HOLDING MUSIC. WELL, I'LL, I'LL JUST GIVE A LITTLE ANECDOTE, UM, TO FILL THE TIME. SO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF RELATED TO WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER PLAN AGAIN WAS TELLING US ABOUT HOW OFTENTIMES OUR, UM, WORK GETS LOST IN THE SHUFFLE. UM, THEY'RE EXTREMELY BUSY COUNCIL OFFICES. I DID WAIT AND SPEAK ON BEHALF OF US. UH, UM, ONE OF THE, UM, FIRST BUDGET HEARING, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IF ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE DONE IT SINCE THE PANDEMIC, I MEAN, UM, THEY HAVE MADE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER THIS LAST TIME AND THAT THEY GIVE YOU LIKE A TWO HOUR SLOT. SO YOU KNOW, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE, LITERALLY WAIT ON THE PHONE FROM LIKE 10:00 AM TO 3:00 PM. UM, BUT IN ANY EVENT, THAT WAS THE, I MEAN, THAT WAS THE BEST WAY THAT I KNEW HOW TO PROMOTE WHAT WE DONE WAS LITERALLY JUST WAIT, LIKE EVERY OTHER PERSON, YOU KNOW, IN THE CALL QUEUE AND TELL CITY COUNCIL, HEY, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION AND WE PASS THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU BUY MORE AMBULANCES. SO PLEASE DO. UM, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT LIKE OUR, YOU KNOW, AS WHOEVER WE ELECT HIS CHAIRS, I'M GOING TO HAVE TIME TO DO THAT EVERY TIME. SO I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN IS WILLING TO SIT DOWN WITH US AND COLLABORATE. CAUSE I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT'S A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY TO TELL CITY COUNCIL ABOUT WHAT THIS COMMISSION HAS RECOMMENDED. UM, HEY DAVE, YOU FOLKS, DO WE HAVE, UH, SELENA ON? UM, NO, SHE HAS NOT RESPONDED YET. WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH HER. OKAY. THANKS WHILE YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT. I KNOW THAT, UH, MR. LANE HAS SOME COMMENTS, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT ROCKY. YEAH. JUST REALLY HAD QUESTIONS. THAT'S IT? I HAVE, I HAVE CONCERNS OBVIOUSLY ABOUT THE PERCENTAGES BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. AND I KNOW THAT MEDICS SPECIFICALLY ALONG WITH AMD HAVE BEEN COVERING A LOT OF THESE CALLS. SO I ACTUALLY JUST WANTED TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF SOME OF THE ITEMS IN HERE. UM, AND, UH, SO THAT WHEN I, UM, CONTINUE MY RECOMMENDATIONS, I'LL HAVE SOME THOUGHT AROUND THIS. IS THERE EVER A CASE I'M ASKING YOU JASPER, I'M SORRY. UM, IS THERE EVER A CASE WHERE ALL THREE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT TO WORK TOGETHER IN RESPONSE TO SOMETHING, UH, I'M SORRY, IN RESPONSE TO SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF NORMAL CALLS OUTSIDE OF THAT? UM, YES. THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS. WE WORK TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF 911 CALLS. UM, WE DO, UM, SOME SPECIAL EVENTS, UM, AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, WE WORK PARTNER WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT ON A LOT OF OTHER THINGS, WHETHER IT BE COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND OF COURSE THE HOST TEAM REALLY PARTNERS MORE WITH THE APD AND EMS AND THEN INTEGRAL CARE. UM, SO A FEW THINGS OUTSIDE OF NINE [01:20:01] 11 THERE'S FALL THREE. AND THEN WE DEFINITELY PARTNER WITH EITHER OR AGENCY APD AND EMS PARTNER TOGETHER ON SOME THINGS. AND THEN APD AND AFP PARTNERED TOGETHER ON A LOT. AND THE ONLY CLARIFYING PIECES, WHICH ONES ARE ALL THREE, A PART OF A SPECIAL EVENTS. UM, THAT'S ALL THREE COMMUNITY EDUCATION. SOMETIMES THAT'S ALL THREE. IS THERE ANY OTHER ONES THAT I SHOULD, THAT I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? I THINK THERE'S ONE THAT READS RELATED TO FLOOD RESPONSE OR SOMETHING. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT'S CALLED, BUT IN FLOOD RESPONSE, WE WORK TOGETHER WITH AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE BOTH HAVE BOAT TEAMS AND, UM, BUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S ALSO THERE TO EITHER DO ROADBLOCKING AND OTHER SITUATIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD EVACUATION ROUTES. AND SO WHEN WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY RESPONSE LIKE THAT, UM, THERE'LL BE ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN THE RESCUE ARENA, AFD AND EMS. UM, SO THEY'RE ALL THREE DO WORK IN TANDEM TOGETHER THOUGH. AND HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHO IS AT THE LEAD OF THAT, UM, IN THOSE, IN THOSE OPERATIONS, IS IT JUST BASED ON WHAT THAT THING IS SO THAT WHATEVER THE CASE, UH, CORRECT UNDER THE, UH, UM, UM, INCIDENT MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE. I MEAN, IF IT'S, IF IT'S A FIRE EVENT THAT WOULD BE A FIRE'S IN THE LEAD, IF IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY EVENT, AS FAR AS, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME STAR THREAT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FI UH, APDS IN CHARGE, IF IT'S MEDICAL, THEN WE WOULD BE TAKING THE LEAD ON IT. UM, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RESCUES, WE, LIKE I SAID, WE BOTH HAVE BOAT TEAMS IN RECENT YEARS. UM, WE'VE TRIED TO JUST SEPARATE OUR TEAMS AND PUT THEM IN STAGE THEM IN THE BEST AREAS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY THAT ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED. AND, AND WE, THE CLOSEST UNIT BOAT TEAM TAKES THE CLOSEST CALL. UM, WE DON'T REALLY TRY TO GO, THIS IS YOUR ASSISTANCE, MIKE, IT'S JUST, WHOEVER'S CLOSER TO THE CALL CAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S NEEDED BY THE CITIZEN. UM, SO WE, ALL OUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE, UH, UM, TAKE AN ICS MANAGEMENT COURSES AND REALLY ARE INTEGRATING INTO THE ICS STRUCTURE. AND ANYTIME WE HAVE A LARGE SCALE EVENT. AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE'RE USING ICS NOW FOR THE COVID SPOTS OR HAS THAT NOT BEEN A PART OF THE ORGANIZATION ORGANIZED RESPONSE? IS IT JUST IN THE NINE 11 MATRIX? NO, IT'S, IT'S PART OF THE OVERALL RESPONSE. UH, WE'RE RUNNING, YOU KNOW, THE EOC IS UP AND ACTIVE. I'M DONE OPEN AND THERE'S, UM, LOGISTICAL BRANCH. THERE'S A MEDICAL BRANCH OUT OF THE, UH, EOC. THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, A MEDIC DIFFERENT BRANCHES OUT OF IT WORKING, UH, COORDINATE, COORDINATING ALL OUR LOGISTICS OUT OF THERE. UM, ANY SPECIALIZED RESPONSES ARE BEING CREATED AND COORDINATED, UH, AMONGST THE DEPARTMENTS, PPE IS BEING COORDINATED FROM THE EOC FOR THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, EVEN THOUGH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS MAY HAVE, UH, SOME, UH, OWN PURCHASES. THEY MAKE A PPE, IF THERE'S A SPECIAL NEED, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE EOC. SO, UM, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL IN THE ICS STRUCTURE RIGHT NOW. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT WAS KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE. I JUST DIDN'T HAVE THOSE ANSWERS. AND WHEN SOMEBODY ASKS ME LIKE SOMETHING LIKE, WHO, HOW DO, HOW DO WE GET MORE BULLETPROOF VESTS FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT? I HAVE NO IDEA. AND I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT MIGHT WORK WITH ALL THE SYSTEMS WORKING TOGETHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CLARIFYING THAT MICHELLE WEBER. HI, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? WE ARE, WELL, I'M FRANTICALLY WORKING TO TRY TO GET AHOLD OF SALINA. SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO MOVE TO ANOTHER PIECE OF THE BUDGET ITEM WHILE I KEEP TRYING TO CONTACT HER AND SHE IS DOING THAT. OKAY. THANKS. CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY. YEAH, THIS IS SELENA. SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING ME A FEW MINUTES. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN CENSOR CROHN'S BUDGET CAME OUT, WE WERE SEVERELY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE BUDGET HAD NOT ADDED ANY NEW AMBULANCES. UM, WE ARE GETTING ONE NEXT JULY TO TAKE CARE OF THE FAR SOUTHWEST PORTION OF AUSTIN. UM, BUT WE WERE REALLY NEEDING AMBULANCES IN THE CENTRAL CORE, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO SHOW CITY COUNCIL THAT THAT'S TRUE. WE'VE BEEN SHARING STORIES FROM OUR FRONTLINE STAFF, JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW COVID-19 HAS REALLY COMPLETELY CHANGED THE WAY WE RUN EMS AND EVERY SINGLE CALL NOW HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED. UM, AND THAT'S BEEN REALLY TOUGH FOR OUR FOLKS AND IT ALSO HAS INCREASED, UM, THE TIME THAT WE SPEND DECLINING AMBULANCE, IT'S [01:25:01] INCREASED THE TIME THAT WE SPEND, UM, DONNING AND DOFFING, UH, ALL THE PPE. IT'S ALSO INCREASED TIME BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE EXTENDED TRIAGE, UM, UH, ON THE FRONT END TO REALLY HELP US MAKE THE BEST PPE DECISIONS. AND SO IT HAS BEEN REALLY EXHAUSTING. UM, AND TO BE HONEST, MORALE IS QUITE LOW RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF ALL THE RECENT STATION MOVES THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING. UM, AND ALSO BECAUSE WE SAW THAT, UH, CITY MANAGER KWAN DID NOT PUT IN ANY NEW AMBULANCES AND THE ONLY REASON WHY OUR MEDICS WANT THOSE RESOURCES IS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING THE BEST SERVICE TO THE CITY. UM, AND SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR WHO HAS PUT INTO AMBULANCES TO SERVE THE CENTRAL CORE AND OTHER, UM, STAFF WE'VE BEEN HEARING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH COMMUNICATION MEDICS. AND NOW WE HAVE ASKED THEM TO TAKE ON MORE RESPONSIBILITIES THAN EVER BECAUSE THEY ARE ALSO LISTENING TO ALL OF THE EXTENDED TRIAGING, UM, AND ON THE, ON THE OTHER ALSO HOPING TO ADD THESE, UH, CLINICAL CONSULT LINE BECAUSE THEY CAN HELP REDUCE OUR CALL VOLUME BY TRIAGING OUT CALLS THAT DON'T REQUIRE AN AMBULANCE. THERE ARE A LOT OF OUR FOLKS WHO DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER WAY TO GET MEDICATION REFILLS UNLESS THEY GO TO THE ER, UM, AND WE HAVE COMMUNITY, OR WE HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS THAT CAN HELP THEM DO THAT, BUT THEY CAN ONLY DO THAT IF THEY'RE CAUGHT AT THE TRIAGE POINT. UM, AND SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR, UM, COMP NUMBER ULTRA FOR ADDING THE THINGS WE ARE STILL LOOKING TO ADD IN A LITTLE BIT MORE NEEDS. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS OUR ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT, AND YET IF THERE IS MONEY THAT WE CAN FIND THAT THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL NEEDS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPING THAT OTHER CITY MAYOR OR OTHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL LOOK AT THOSE AS WELL, IF THERE IS MORE MONEY. UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE FROM THE FIELD PERSPECTIVE. AND IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER IT. ALL RIGHT. THANKS MISHA. IT LOOKS LIKE MS. NUNEZ HAS A QUESTION. HI, THANK YOU. UM, SO YEAH, LAST BUDGET CYCLE A YEAR AGO, LIKE I WAS A BIG ADVOCATE FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS, UM, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO CALL THE POLICE ON SOMEONE WHO WAS EXPERIENCING, YOU KNOW, A DRUG, UM, EPISODE OR, YOU KNOW, MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE DID END UP GETTING, YOU KNOW, FUNDED FOR, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS. UM, AND I JUST WANT TO BE SUPER CLEAR THAT, UM, THIS COMMUNITY CONSOLE, THIS PARAMEDIC CONSULT LINE WOULD MAKE THAT PROGRAM MORE SUCCESSFUL IS THAT, CAUSE I JUST, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE ELSE TO CALL, YOU KNOW, IN THESE SITUATIONS BEFORE YOU CAN GO, YEAH, THEY, THE CONSULT LINE WOULD HELP WITH THOSE TYPE OF CALLS. UM, AGAIN, THEY, UH, WE DID ADD CHPS AND LAST YEAR'S BUDGET AND THERE ARE, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS, UM, SCHEDULED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET THROUGH THE MANAGER, BUT THE CONSOLE LINE WOULD HELP COORDINATE THOSE ACTIVITIES SO THAT THE, UM, UM, CHP OR MEDIC ON THE, ON, BY THAT PATIENT WOULD BE ABLE TO COORDINATE EITHER DOCTOR'S VISITS, THOSE MEDICATIONS THAT MICHELLE WAS TALKING ABOUT FOR ANY OTHER NEEDS THAT THEY MIGHT NEED. UM, ALSO IT'S A ONE RESOURCE TYPE OF LINE THAT WHEN WE CAN'T GET A CHP TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND A, ANY OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL COULD CALL OUR CONSULT LINE TO GET, UH, UH, UH, A PATHWAY DIRECTION FOR THOSE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY, IF THEY NEEDED A VISIT FROM A CHP LATER, WE COULD SCHEDULE ONE OR ANY OF THOSE OTHER RESOURCES RIGHT NOW, ONCE THE CHP LEAVES, THERE'S REALLY NO ONE ELSE TO CALL WHEN, AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN NINE 11, AGAIN. SO IN THAT, UH, BEING ABLE TO TRIAGE, UM, THE COLD CALLS, INFLUENZA CALLS IN THE FUTURE, OR ANY OF THE LOW PRIORITY CALLS ON A COORDINATION POINT FOR THE, UM, COMMUNITY IN RESPONSE TO CALL IN FOR THE CHP. AND IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK FOR THOSE FOLKS, BUT, UM, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DEDICATED FOR. AND HOPEFULLY WE GET THEM BY, UH, UH, APPROVED THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS IN THE BUDGET. UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY WOULD BE IN A COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERS PROPOSAL TO ADD THOSE POSITIONS IN. THANK YOU. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF BROWN OR A SELENA SHIA ABOUT, UM, WHAT'S IN THE DRAFT BUDGET? WHAT HAS BEEN PROMOTED, PROPOSES AMENDMENTS OR ANYTHING? ALL RIGHT. WELL, [01:30:02] IT'S A NEW AMBULANCES. HOPE YOU GET THE SUPPORT STAFF YOU NEED. YAY, EVERYONE. GOOD WORK. UM, NOW WE CAN TAKE UP FIRE. WE CAN TAKE UP POLICE. UM, LET'S JUST GO AHEAD WITH POLICE, I GUESS. SO I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ON THIS. WHO ELSE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY? YEAH. OKAY. UM, SO I JUST WANT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN PLAN U D CENTRALIZED CONTROL OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, AS Y'ALL ALL KNOW, THE CURRENT STRUCTURE, CENTRALIZES CONTROL OVER POLICING AND NON POLICING ASPECTS THAT ARE UNDER THE DEPARTMENT UNDER A SINGLE DIRECTOR, WHICH IS OUR SWARM KEEP RIGHT NATALIE. AND, YOU KNOW, THE RESEARCH SUPPORTS A GOAL OF DE-CENTRALIZING POLICING, BOTH FOR INCREASED SPECIALIZATION. AND THEN ALSO JUST TO REDUCE, UM, PROBLEMS, CORRUPTION, UM, YOU KNOW, SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS. UM, SO GIMME FLANAGAN HAS PROPOSED THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BE BROKEN UP INTO MORE SPECIALIZED, UH, DEPARTMENTS AND THAT, UM, THAT ARE MORE INDEPENDENT OF ONE, UH, VERY POWERFUL CHIEF. UM, I HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE CURRENT CENTRAL, UM, STRUCTURE. I BELIEVE THAT IT HAS LED TO THE SELECTION OF PEOPLE ON THE FIFTH FLOOR, UH, BASED ON THEIR LOYALTY AS OPPOSED TO THEIR MERITS OR THEIR QUALIFICATIONS. IT'S SO WEIRD TO ME ALL AFTER SITTING HERE WATCHING PROBLEMS, UNFURL FROM MY POSITION HERE AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, AND I'M TALKING THE DNA LAB SHUT DOWN, I'M TALKING ABOUT COOKING THE STATS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT CLEARANCES. I'M TALKING ABOUT RACISM AND HOMOPHOBIA BEING A HAHAHA, INSTEAD OF A, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? AND WE'RE GOING TO STOP THIS RIGHT NOW, UM, THAT WE FOUND OUT ABOUT IN THE TATUM REPORT AND ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN THAT HORRIBLE, UM, GANDEL JUST DROPPED, UH, WITH THE INWARD TEXTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, SO I BELIEVE THAT THE, THE, THE PROBLEM OF HAVING A CENTRAL CONTROL HAS LED, YOU KNOW, HAS, HAS NOT ALLOWED US TO FIX THESE THINGS. UM, I THINK THAT IF A COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN'S PLAN IS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE CITY MANAGER, AND LIKE, WE ALL KNOW, LIKE, THERE'S, THERE'S A BIG SPACE IN BETWEEN COUNCIL ADOPTING SOME THINGS AND THE CITY MANAGER DOING THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL STOP HAVING SUCH A HOMOGENEOUS VIEWPOINT AND PERSPECTIVE ON THE FIFTH FLOOR. AND WE MAY HAVE SOME PEOPLE IN THERE WHO ARE WILLING TO LISTEN TO REIMAGINE WHAT POLICING IS AND TO ADOPT SOME OF THESE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE BEEN DEMANDING IN THIS COMMUNITY. UM, I ALSO JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT REALLOCATIONS OF COMMUNICATIONS, DATA RESEARCH, AND PLANNING TECHNOLOGY, UM, THAT LIKE RE RE PUTTING ALL OF THAT INTO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT THAT IS NOT ALSO THE DEPARTMENT THAT IS OVER PATROL AND INVESTIGATIONS WILL ALLOW FOR INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT AND, UM, ALLOW FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY, UM, HOPEFULLY ALLOW FOR LESS BIAS. UM, SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT COME INTO THE 21ST CENTURY AND OUT OF THE 1990S, AND I AM EXCITED ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER FLANAGAN'S PROPOSAL. AND I JUST WANT TO, UM, SAY, I HOPE IT HAPPENS. UM, COMMISSIONER LANE, DO YOU WANT TO SAY YOUR PIECE? THE ONLY THING I WANT TO GIVE IS MY ABSOLUTE VALIDATION TO WHAT SELENA JUST SHARED WITH YOU. UM, AND TO ALSO EXPRESS THAT IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SAID THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RE-IMAGINING POLICE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HELPING THEM AS WELL. I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF ALL OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS. I THINK THEY ARE EXTREMELY OVERWHELMED WITH THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT IS COMING AND IS PENDING. I HEAR FROM THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY, BECAUSE THEY ARE PERSONAL FRIENDS OF MINE. AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH THIS HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THIS CITY, I IMPLORE US TO RECONSIDER SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT JIMMY IS SUGGESTING. I HAVE SUGGESTED A REALLOCATION OF SOME, OF, TO GO ACROSS ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS. I BELIEVE THAT ALL [01:35:01] THREE DEPARTMENTS SUPPORT A REALLY BEAUTIFUL RESPONSE TO OUR COMMUNITY NEED. AND WE ALSO ALL RELY ON EACH OTHER TO DECREASE OUR OVERALL WORKLOAD. AND SO SOMETHING LIKE, UH, HAVING ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS DETERMINE WHAT THE NEW SOLUTION IS ALONG WITH CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT WOULD POSSIBLY BE THE MODEL THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO HAVE NEW OPTIONS. I HAVE ALSO SUGGESTED AND WILL SUGGEST TO THIS TEAM THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER GIVING THE COMMUNITY THE OPTION ON WHETHER OR NOT POLICE SHOW UP AT THEIR DOOR. THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO. WE DO NOT HAVE TO FIGHT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE COMING AFTER APD. I SPEAK TO BLACK PEOPLE WHO WORK AT APD AND AFD. I WAS PERCEIVED AS A BLACK FEMALE FOR VERY, VERY LONG TIME. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS SOME DIFFERENCES AND HOW SOME OF US EXPERIENCED THIS WORK. WE HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY SUPPORT THESE TEAMS HOLISTICALLY. IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE BUDGET, AND THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT WE SEE THEM AND WE HEAR THEM. IF YOU EXPECT THEM TO RESTART PEOPLE'S HEARTS ON THE STREETS, YOU NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND THAT INCLUDES OVERPAYING IN SOME AREAS AND UNDERPAYING AND OTHERS. AND I DON'T CARE WHERE WE GET THE MONEY FROM, BUT I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT THEY SENT ME UP HERE TO TELL YOU THAT WE CAN'T HOLD THIS CITY TOGETHER ANY LONGER. AND I AM ALWAYS WILLING TO TALK TO ANY MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY OR THIS, THIS COMMISSION ABOUT WHAT I HAVE SEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE AND HOW THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY MAY BE DECEIVED AND HOW, WHO IS ACTUALLY DOING A LOT OF THE SAVING WORK RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE TO GET PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL. WE HAVE TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S OVERALL SCENE SAFETY. YES, BUT IT IS NOT BY GUNS ALONE. AND WE KNOW THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO START TALKING ABOUT THAT. AND I'D LIKE TO START TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE THE THIRD LARGEST LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THE WORLD AND OUR POPULATION DATA AND METRICS ALWAYS EXCLUDES THIS GROUP. AUSTIN IS A LIFE RAFT, AND IT REQUIRES US TO START BEHAVING INTERSECTIONALLY. WE HAVE LATE WAIT, WAITED TOO LONG TO GET TO THIS PLACE. I'M GLAD TO BE HERE TO GIVE YOU ALL SOME PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT I KNOW IS BREAKING DOWN AND WHERE I KNOW WE NEED THE WORK AND ALSO BE HERE AS PART OF Y'ALLS TEAM TO HELP US DISCOVER WHAT IS NEW. AND I'M REALLY SORRY. IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO GET HERE. AND I WANTED TO SAY TO THE PD AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT I SEE Y'ALL TOO, AND I'VE BEEN TALKING TO Y'ALL TOO. AND MY MOTHER WAS A POLICE OFFICER, AND SHE WAS HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY A DEPARTMENT THAT THOUGHT THAT SHE OVERSTEPPED HER BOUNDS. SO THE WAY THAT THE STATE COMES DOWN ON BLACK PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THESE POSITIONS IS ALSO WRONG AND WE NEED TO DISCUSS IT. AND THE WAY THAT WE DON'T ALLOW LEADERSHIP IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN FEMININE COMMUNITIES NEEDS TO STOP. SO I WANTED TO JUST GIVE YOU ALL SOME OF MY GENERAL NOTES, BUT LET YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE PROPOSALS LINED UP OUT THE DOOR FOR COMMUNITY THAT IS FILLING THE GAP THAT WE FAILED TO DO. AND I WOULD LIKE US TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PIECE THIS TOGETHER WITH BANDAIDS, UH, UNTIL WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT ON OUR END. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME SHARE FOR SURE. THANK YOU. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN A WHILE. IT'S BEEN NEVER, SINCE THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION HAS HAD A PARAMEDIC, SO IT JUST, I THINK WE NEEDED YOUR PERSPECTIVE. UM, AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT THE OPTICS OF THE MANAGER NOT GIVING COVID HAZARD PAY TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PUBLIC SERVICE. WAS IT JUST, EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE REASONS BOARD AND THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF MADE SENSE ONCE YOU READ THE EXCUSES, IT JUST SENT THE WRONG FREAKING MESSAGE. AND WE NEED TO BE SHOWING THAT WE SUPPORT OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THIS HEAT, PUTTING ON PPE AND DEALING WITH OUR MOST VULNERABLE. SO I WAS JUST INCREDIBLY OFFENDED BY THAT. UM, I THINK I SAW DR. KELLY WAVING, UH, GO AHEAD, SIR. THANK YOU, ROCKY. WELCOME. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR PASSION AND INTEREST IN ALL THIS. UM, THERE'S A HUGE PICTURE HERE THAT I DON'T THINK ANY OF US FULLY GRASP, BUT LET ME BE THE FIRST TO SAY THAT I THINK WE HAVE PLENTY OF PROBLEMS WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AND AUSTIN AND THOSE PROBLEMS NEED SIGNIFICANT REMEDY. UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT EMOTION GETS INVOLVED IN THIS IS IT SHOULD, BUT I THINK MY, MY POINT IS REALLY JUST A VERY SIMPLE ONE. AND I THINK YOU ALL HAVE PROBABLY HEARD THIS FROM ME BEFORE, AND THAT IS, YES, WE NEED TO GO DOWN A PATH OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE. THAT PATH NEEDS TO BE [01:40:01] ILLUMINATED BY EVIDENCE AND NOT JUST EMOTION. AND I FEAR, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S PLENTY OF RESEARCH OUT THERE THAT INDICATES FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE WE NEED TO GO WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY. AND I WOULD IMPLORE US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND NOT, UM, AND BE CAREFUL ABOUT GOING TOO FAR IN THE DIRECTION OF RE-IMAGINING THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOUND GOOD, BUT MAY NOT BE, MAY NOT HAVE AN EVIDENCE BASE. THAT'S MY REAL FEAR. I AM NOT ANTI CHANGE. I MEAN, MY WHOLE CAREER IS FUNDAMENTALLY OVERTURNING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, GO TO AMAZON AND LOOK AT MY FIVE BOOKS. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I TALK ABOUT. THAT'S WHAT I WRITE ABOUT THIS IS MY PASSION IS CHANGING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM BECAUSE IT'S FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED EVERYTHING FROM POLICE TO PRISONS AND BEYOND. UM, BUT EVERYTHING THAT I, THAT I TALK ABOUT IS BASED UPON SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT INDICATES, YEAH, THIS CAN WORK IF IT'S DONE THIS WAY, OR THIS HAS BEEN PROVEN NOT TO WORK. SO, YOU KNOW, I, I, MY POINT IS REALLY, LET'S PROCEED WITH OUR EYES OPEN, LET'S THINK BROADLY, BUT LET'S NOT LOSE TOUCH OF WHAT SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE HAS TO TELL US THIS AIN'T THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. WE CAN LOOK AT SCIENCE. THANK YOU. SO I SEE, UM, NELLY, UH, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO SPEAK, UM, BUT LOOK, WE'LL WE'LL HAVE YOU BEEN AROUND AS LIKE A FIDDLE AND COMMUNICATOR, AND THEN I SEE KATHLEEN TOO. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, ROCKY, I APPRECIATE YOUR ANGER AND I THINK IT'S RIGHTEOUS AND I THINK YOU SHOULD CONTINUE TO BRING IT HERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL AND WE NEED TO HEAR IT. SO WITH THAT, I WILL CALL ON COMMISSIONER HOUSING. UH, THANK YOU. UH, I DON'T HAVE A HUGE LONG COMMENT ON THIS. I WAS JUST IN RESPONSE TO DR. KELLY. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD SHARE SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT YOU REFERENCED ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU SAY ARE SCIENTIFICALLY MAYBE FOUND TO BE HELPFUL IN THE WAYS THAT WE SHOULD BE GOING. UM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, ALL I HEAR FROM EVERYBODY IN THE MEDIA AND FROM THE COMMISSION IS THINGS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST RAN BIG KIND OF RANDOM PLANS. AND SO IF YOU HAVE SOME SPECIFIC RESEARCH THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH US EASILY, YOU KNOW, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT SO I CAN LEARN MORE. I'D BE HAPPY TO, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M YEAH, YOU CAN LOOK, YOU CAN GO AND YOU CAN LOOK AT OUR, UM, AGENDAS FOR YEARS PAST AND SEE ALL THE REPORTS THAT DR. KELLY IS TALKING ABOUT. IT'S IT IS ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION WITH, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING THE DEBATE. WELL, IT WAS IN YOUR MEMO TO US. UM, THE DEBATE THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT HERE IS WHETHER OR NOT WE VALUE THOSE STUDIES, UH, OR WHETHER OR NOT WE VALUE OTHER STUDIES THAT SHOW US THAT ALTERNATIVES TO POLICING DO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. UM, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL ON NELLIE AND THEN COMMISSIONER MUNIEZ YOU JUST GO RIGHT AFTER HER, PLEASE. UH, HI. THANK YOU. ACTUALLY, I JUST HAD ONE, ONE COMMENT AND IT WAS KIND OF A FOLLOW UP TO WHAT ROCKY SAID, WHICH IS THAT IT COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL JUST IN TERMS OF MENTALITY AND SORT OF, UM, APPROACH TO REALLY START TAKING A STEP BACK AND THINKING IN TERMS OF WORKLOAD, UM, AND SHIFTING OF WORKLOAD. I JUST WANTED TO ECHO THAT AND SAY THAT OUT LOUD, BECAUSE, UM, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING SPOKEN ABOUT IN TERMS OF BEING, YOU KNOW, T T IT'S, IT'S REALLY ABOUT TAKING SOME THINGS OFF OF APDS PLATE, UM, SO THAT IT CAN, AND THAT WOULD ALSO REMOVE WORKLOAD. AND SO, UM, I FEEL LIKE IF WE REALLY KIND OF GO AT IT FROM THAT FRAME OF MIND, WE CAN MAYBE HAVE A MORE OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT WHERE THINGS NEED TO BE. UM, AND, AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, GIVE A PD SOME OF THE RELIEF, UM, THAT THEY NEED, UM, TO FREE THEMSELVES UP FROM THINGS THAT SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT PROPERLY TRAINED FOR. SO, UM, SO I THINK, AND THAT'S ALL I REALLY WANTED TO SAY IS JUST LIKE TAKING A STEP BACK AND THINKING ABOUT THINGS WITH A WORKLOAD PERSPECTIVE, UM, AND SHIFT MIGHT BE REALLY HELPFUL. [01:45:01] HI. YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMISSION LOOKS AT ALL SOURCES OF DATA. YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT REPORTS THAT THE DEPARTMENTS SEND US IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, CRIME DATA, UM, CALL VOLUME. WE LOOK AT REPORTS FROM NONPROFITS. WE HEAR FROM PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD. SOME OF THEM HAVE PHDS. UM, PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, I I'M AN ADVOCATE IN MY COMMUNITY. UM, I WAS APPOINTED BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, MY BACKGROUND IN THE NONPROFIT SPACE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE I SPEAK UP FOR, UM, SAFETY ISSUES AND, UM, MANY OF OUR, YOU KNOW, FOLKS IN MY COMMUNITY, THEY, WE HAVE BEEN ON TOP OF ALL THIS, THE DATA THAT COMES OUT FROM EVERY NEW STUDY, WE'RE ALWAYS GETTING CONTACTED BY VARIOUS, UM, CITY DEPARTMENTS LOOKING TO GET OUR PERSPECTIVE. SO MOST OF THE TIME, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE ONES WHO ARE GIVING ALL OF THESE, UM, PROFESSIONALS INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE POLICY DECISIONS. SO I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO HEAR FROM, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PEOPLE THAT CARE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE VARYING LEVELS OF EXPERTISE, UM, DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS. SO AGAIN, I DON'T, IT'S KIND OF OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THIS IS WHAT GOES INTO PUBLIC POLICY. UM, SO YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT CAUSE I THAT'S THIS, THIS COMMISSION, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND EXPERTS AND, UM, PEOPLE ON THE FRONT LINES OF PUBLIC SAFETY. OKAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. THANKS REBECCA. UM, IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY ABOUT BUDGET, UM, AND I, NO ONE REALLY WANTED TO HEAR FROM FIRE, UH, WAVE AT ME IF YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM FIRE. OKAY. OKAY. GOOD. ALL RIGHT. SO, UH, CHIEF BUYERS, IF YOU WOULD, UM, JUST GIVE US A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU GOT, WHAT YOU GOT THAT WAS EXTRA OR WHAT YOU EXPECT TO GET THIS EXTRA FROM COUNCIL AND WHAT YOU STILL NEED. ALRIGHT. SO, UH, I'VE GOT DR. PAUL'S HENCE THE PPE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BEING RESPONSIBLE. SO, UH, WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE THAT, UH, THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, THROUGH A LOT OF MEETINGS AND CONVERSATIONS THAT BACK IN APRIL, WE GOT APPROVAL OF THE, THE LOUIE CODE ADOPTION. ALONG WITH THAT, WE'VE GOT, UH, STAFFING TO SUPPORT IT WHILE I'M SORRY, WHILE VANDERBILT INTERPHASE, FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THAT, THAT WE'VE GOT STAFFING TO SUPPORT THAT WITH INSPECTORS AND, UH, WITH, UH, ENGINEERS AND ADMIN STAFF TO SUPPORT IT IN FULL, UH, ALONG WITH A FEE SCHEDULE. AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL MAKE IT COST NEUTRAL. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT BENEFITS THE ENTIRE CITY. THERE'S NOT A PART OF OUR CITY OTHER THAN THE DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC CORE THAT ISN'T AFFECTED BY WILD LAND, URBAN INTERFACE ISSUES. SO THAT'S A TREMENDOUS VALUE TO US. UM, WE ALSO DID A LOT OF WORK WITH THE CITY'S BUDGET OFFICE TO HELP US WITH SOME UNFUNDED PROGRAMS LIKE OUR CADET, UH, ACADEMIES AND THE STAFF THAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THOSE HAPPEN AND TO HELP US, UH, WITH FORMULAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING ON TRACK WITH OUR BUDGET AND I'LL LEAVE IT THERE UNLESS YOU GOT ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. OKAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. UM, SO THANK YOU CHIEF BUYERS. I MEAN, WE HAVE ALL THOSE OF US WHO'VE BEEN ON HERE A WHILE HAVE WORKED ON THAT WILLY CODE FOR A LONG TIME. SO THAT IS JUST A, THAT'S A HUGE WIN. AND IT WAS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE LIKE CHIEF BYERS SAYS, UM, EAST AND WEST AUSTIN ARE BOTH VULNERABLE AND IT'S IMPORTANT. WE ALL NEED TO CARE A LOT ABOUT, UM, SO WE'RE RUNNING ON TIME AND I KNOW MS. JACKSON IS GETTING NERVOUS. UM, VERY QUICKLY. [5. Election of Public Safety Commission Chair 4:50pm-4:55pm] Y'ALL LET ME MOVE ON TO OUR LAST AGENDA ITEM. IT IS ELECTING A NEW CHAIR AND OUR FORMER CHAIR, DR. HOLLIS. IT'S JUST SUCH A LAUGH FOR US, I THINK, AND THE CITY THAT SHE WAS WILLING TO WORK FOR FREE, UM, TO CHAIR THIS COMMISSION, SHE GAVE ME A STATEMENT AND I'M GOING TO READ IT. UM, AND THEN I'LL, I WILL EMAIL IT TO YOU TOO. SO SHE SAYS, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. I HOPE YOU'RE ALL DOING WELL AND THINK SAFE AND HEALTHY. I'M SORRY THAT I CANNOT BE WITH YOU TODAY. I HAVE RESIGNED FROM THE PSC TO ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST REGARDING MY NEW POSITION, WORKING FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE. THIS WAS AN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT STEP FOR ME TO TAKE, AS I REMAIN COMMITTED, TO DOING THE HARD WORK, TO MAKE MY COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL OF US, [01:50:01] I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARD THAT GOAL. NO MATTER WHAT POSITION I OCCUPY OR DO NOT OCCUPY, IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST HONORS OF MY LIFE TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY AS A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER. AND I WAS SO HONORED TO SERVE AS CURATIVE BODY. I CONTINUE TO APPRECIATE THE CONFIDENCE THAT MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAD IN ME TO ELEVATE ME TO THAT POSITION IN SUCH A SHORT TIME, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING SOME EXCELLENT PEOPLE THROUGH THIS WORK. AND I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM ALL OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, THE EXECUTIVE LIAISONS AND THE CITY STAFF STAFF THAT I'VE HAD THE YEAH, OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH. I WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE TO ANY OF YOU. IF YOU NEED ME FOR MY EXPERTISE, I REMAIN A PHONE CALL OR EMAIL AWAY AND HAPPY TO HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN IN PARTYING. I WANT TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS WITH YOU. THIS COMMISSION HAS STARTED SOME IMPORTANT WORK TOWARD IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY FOR ALL IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. IT IS MY HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO FORGE A PATH FORWARD THAT PROVIDES PRO PUBLIC SAFETY FOR ALL CITIZENS, WHETHER THEY ARE BLACK, WHITE, HISPANIC, LATINO, ASIAN, INDIGENOUS MALE, FEMALE, NON-BINARY LGBTQ, RICH, POOR, AND SO ON. WE CANNOT LOSE SIGHT OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO HAVE DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS IN OUR CITY GOVERNMENT THAT ARE WORKING TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY AND EQUAL ACCESS TO THE PROTECTIONS OF THE LAW. FOR ALL. ONE THING THAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM ALL OF YOU IS THE VALUE OF OPEN DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSIONS AS WE MOVE TOWARD THESE NOBLE GOALS AS A COMMUNITY, I HOPE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND DEBATES WILL CONTINUE. I CERTAINLY DIDN'T ALL. WE CERTAINLY DIDN'T ALWAYS AGREE AS A GROUP, BUT CIVILITY REMAINED THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND OUR INTERACTIONS AND DELIBERATIONS. I HOPE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE AS CITY AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENGAGE IN A DIALOGUE ABOUT THE BEST PATH FORWARD FOR OUR CITY. I ALSO HOPE THAT HE WILL TAKE EVIDENCE-BASED AND DATA TO HELP INFORM DECISION MAKING, MAKING DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON POLITICS, EMOTIONS OR COMMON SENSE DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK OUT FOR THE BEST FOR ALL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. INSTEAD, WE NEED TO LOOK TO THE EVIDENCE BASED THE DATA AND MAKE EDUCATED RECOMMENDATIONS. I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THE PFC MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION OVER THE YEAR THAT I SERVE. I HOPE THAT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES WILL MAKE A COMMITMENT TO DOING THE SAME, RATHER THAN CONTINUING TO PAY LIP SERVICE TO EVIDENCE-BASED WORK AND DATA DRIVEN WORK WHILE CONTINUING TO DO THE THINGS THE SAME WAY AND LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF THE ECHO CHAMBERS. THEY HAVE SURROUNDED THEMSELVES WITH THOSE CONTINUED MISTAKES OR WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE AS A CITY. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DO THIS ANY LONGER. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS BODY TO DIG INTO THIS AND HOLD THESE AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE. WE NEED TO BE ASKING THE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS AND KEEP IN MIND THAT WE'RE THERE, JUST THAT WE NEED TO SEE ACTIONS THAT BACKUP THOSE WORDS. WE SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD TO ACCEPT PLATITUDES IN PLACE OF ACTION ANY LONGER WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU, WELCOMING ME INTO THE GROUP AND FOR ALL OF THE GOOD WORK THAT I KNOW YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO. IF I CAN BE A RESOURCE TO ANY OF YOU, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO ME. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST BLACK LIVES MATTER, EXCLAMATION POINT, MEG HOLLIS. AND SO, UM, I WISH YOU WERE ON, AND I WOULD TELL HER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HER LEADERSHIP. UM, IT REALLY WAS A REALLY DIFFERENT COMMISSION WITH HER OVER IT THAN ME OVER IT, OR DR. KIM ROSSMO OVER IT OR DR. LAUDERDALE OVER IT. AND, UH, SHE REALLY LEFT HER MARK, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SUPER SHORT. UM, SO NOW WE HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ELECT A NEW CHAIR AND, UM, I WANT TO NOMINATE REBECCA GONZALEZ BECAUSE SHE'S WILLING AND SHE'S AMAZING. AND, UM, SHE'S BEEN ON THE COMMISSION LONG ENOUGH THAT SHE, SHE KNOWS THE ISSUES. AND, UM, I HOPE SHE WILL ACCEPT THAT, OR I HOPE SOMEONE WILL. SECOND FACT, I SECOND, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HEAR HIS SECOND. OH, OKAY. OKAY. SURE. THAT SHE'S OF SOUND MIND AND VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS THING. SOUND MIND WAS A PREREQUISITE DR. KELLY. SO I'M NOW IT WOULD BE THE TIME FOR ANYONE ELSE TO MOVE FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT. UM, I, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA JUST STEAM ROLL OVER THIS. SO IF ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO NOMINATE THEMSELVES OR A FELLOW COMMISSIONER, PLEASE DO SO NOW, OR AS ROBERT RULE SAYS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION NOT HEARING ANY, LET'S TAKE A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF, UM, APPROVING THE MOTION THAT REBECCA GONZALEZ SERVE AS OUR CHAIR. HI. UM, ALL OPPOSED ANY ABSTENTIONS? SO REBECCA BERNAI HERE. WE NEED A ROLL CALL, PLEASE. LET ME GO THROUGH, UH, COMMISSIONER NUNEZ. YES. MR. HOUSING FLIP. YES. COMMISSIONER LANE. YES. COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT. YES. KELLY. [01:55:01] YES. AND COMMITTEE COMMISSIONER ALVARENGA. YES. AND, UH, REBECCA WEBER VOTES. I TOO. SO IT IS UNANIMOUS. AND, UM, WITH THAT, WE WILL ADJOURN OUR MEETING. Y'ALL WE DIDN'T [6. Future Agenda Items 4:55pm-5:00pm] HAVE TIME TO TALK ABOUT A FUTURE AGENDA IS A FORM ON OUR WEBSITE AND YOU CAN SEND THOSE TO OUR NEW CHAIR, REBECCA GONZALEZ. THANKS EVERYONE FOR A GREAT MEETING. THANK YOU. AROUND. SHE STARTS TO CRUMBLE AND YOU WONDER HOW HE'S GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY OF THE SUN LEGS. GIVE WAY YOUR TIME THOUGH. EVERY STEP YOU TAKE, YOU LOSE YOUR WAY. . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.