* 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.
          [00:00:01]
          I'M NICOLE GOLDEN 
          [District 9 Virtual Budget Town Hall]
FROM THE DISTRICT NINE OFFICE. 
          AND I WANT TO WELCOME YOU. 
          UM, WE'VE GOT COUNCIL MEMBER, TOBO HERE AT  WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU. 
          UM, I KNOW I SAID THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT IF YOU JUST HOPPED ON, MAKE SURE YOU GET A CHANCE TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS. 
          UM, YOU CAN USE THE FUNCTION ON THE QA PANEL HERE. 
          IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SCREEN, IF YOU'RE ON THE PHONE, I EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO BUDGET QA AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV. 
          AND THAT PAGE WILL ALSO PROVIDE YOU A LOT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          IT LETS YOU PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE RECEIVING NEWS FROM OUR OFFICE AND THE BEST AND EASIEST WAY THAT YOU COULD SIGN UP IS GO TO AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV/DISTRICT NINE AND CLICK THE SIGN UP BUTTON THAT'S THERE ON THAT PAGE. 
          ALSO LOOK FOR US ON FACEBOOK AT FACEBOOK.COM/KETO FOR NEWS FROM COUNCIL NUMBER TOBER. 
          THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. 
          WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
           OKAY. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          I'M COUNCIL MEMBER, KATHY TOBO AND I REPRESENT CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE. 
          JUST LOOKING AT THE PARTICIPANTS. 
          I SEE. 
          MANY OF YOU ARE CONSTITUENTS, SO WELCOME. 
          UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR EVENING TO PARTICIPATE. 
          I KNOW WE USUALLY HAVE THIS BUDGET TOWN HALL DOWN AT CITY HALL AND THE ATRIUM, AND IT'S ALWAYS A VERY INFORMATIVE AND INTERESTING PRESENTATION, ESPECIALLY FOCUSED ON HEARING FROM, UM, AT BEN. 
          YOU KNOW, WHO'S GOING TO SPEAK HERE IN A MINUTE. 
          UM, THIS HAS BEEN A PARTICULARLY INTERESTING BUDGET YEAR BECAUSE SO MANY OF YOU ARE NEW TO THE CONVERSATION AND WE WELCOME YOU. 
          UM, WHETHER YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO PARTICIPATES EACH AND EVERY YEAR IN OUR BUDGET TOWN HALL, OR WHETHER YOU'RE COMING TO THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS EVENING, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT. 
          YOU KNOW, WE MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED. 
          AND SO I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BEST IDEAS THAT I'VE BROUGHT FORWARD INTO POLICY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER HAVE COME FROM THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR BEING ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS, AND I HOPE YOU'LL STAY ENGAGED IN THE MONTHS AHEAD. 
          UM, YOU HAVE ALREADY MET NICOLE GOLDEN ON MY STAFF. 
          NICOLE IS HANDLES COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH AS WELL AS PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          I'M ALSO ON THIS MEETING AND THIS CALL TONIGHT ARE MY OTHER STAFF MEMBERS. 
          AND MANY OF YOU WILL HAVE INTERACTED WITH THEM IN ONE, IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER, UH, SHANNON, HOLLY, ASHLEY RICHARDSON, AND NIKKI HOUGH AND TOGETHER, UH, MY TEAM HANDLES ISSUES THAT RANGE FROM TRANSPORTATION TO STONING, TO PUBLIC HEALTH, TO THE MANY, MANY ISSUES THAT THAT CAN OCCUR IN THE EVERYDAY LIVES OF, OF CONSTITUENTS IN DISTRICT NINE OR ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO MY TEAM. 
          I HAVE AN, UH, A TREMENDOUS TEAM, UM, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THESE LAST MONTHS AS SO MANY IN DISTRICT NINE AND SO MANY ACROSS THE CITY ARE REALLY, ARE REALLY FEELING THE IMPACT OF THE VIRUS EITHER ECONOMICALLY OR OTHERWISE. 
          UM, JUST THANK YOU, DISTRICT NINE FOR STEPPING UP AND WORKING SO TREMENDOUSLY HARD, ALL OF US ARE WORKING AT HOME. 
          ALL OF US ARE BALANCING, YOU KNOW, VERY SIGNIFICANT, UM, FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES IN ADDITION, AND YOUR DISTRICT TEAM, YOUR DISTRICT 19, RIGHT. 
          I'M WORKING HARDER THAN EVER. 
          SO GREAT. 
          THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN. 
          UM, TONIGHT, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HEAR FROM DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AT BEN, YOU KNOW, UH, HE IS GOING TO PROVIDE, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          AND VERY IMPORTANTLY OF THE COVID-19 SPENDING FRAMEWORK. 
          THIS IS A YEAR UNLIKE ANY OTHER, UM, OF COURSE, BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UM, DISTRICT NINE HAS BEEN HIT ESPECIALLY HARD IN TERMS OF ITS BUSINESSES, WHICH THEN OF COURSE IMPACTS THOSE RESIDENTS WHO RELY ON, ON THOSE BUSINESSES FOR JOBS. 
          UM, I ALSO WANT TO SPEND, UH, SEND A SPECIAL THING, THANKS TO OUR CTM STAFF FOR WORKING LATE TONIGHT TO MAKE THIS, TO BRING THIS TOWN HALL TO YOUR, INTO YOUR LIVING ROOMS OR WHEREVER YOU ARE WATCHING THIS WATCHING AND PARTICIPATING IN THIS MEETING FROM M AND A SPECIAL HAPPY BIRTHDAY MESSAGE TO GARY FROM CTM WHO IS SPENDING HIS BIRTHDAY EVENING, UH, MAKING THIS POSSIBLE FOR US. 
          THE SLIDE UP HERE IS TO REMIND ALL OF YOU TO PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR CENSUS 20, 24, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY. 
          UM, LATEST DATA SHOWS THAT AUSTIN IS ONLY AT 60.8% RETURN RATE AND FOLKS, THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT HELPS US BRING DOWN FEDERAL FUNDING TO OUR CITY. 
          AND, AND THESE ARE, THIS IS MONEY THAT WE ESPECIALLY NEED, WE NEED ALL THE TIME, BUT WE ESPECIALLY NEED IT THAT IN THIS TIME. 
          SO PLEASE MAKE SURE TO COMMUNICATE TO YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR COWORKERS, THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLLING OUT THEIR CENSUS, UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THE INFORMATION ONLINE ABOUT HOW TO DO SO. 
          SO AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ATTENDING, UM, BEFORE MR. VAN STARTS HIS PRESENTATION. 
          I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE HEARD FROM CONSTITUENTS THIS YEAR AND 
          [00:05:01]
A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MY BUDGET PRIORITIES. 
          UM, IF YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING CITY COUNCIL FOR A WHILE, YOU'LL KNOW THAT MY OFFICE FOCUSES VERY INTENTLY ON ISSUES RELATED TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. 
          AND WE HAVE, UM, REALLY FOCUSED EACH AND EVERY BUDGET CYCLE ON INCREASING OUR RESOURCES, OUR SOCIAL SERVICE RESOURCES AND OUR HOUSING RESOURCES ON OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. 
          AND I'LL SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE ELEMENTS THAT I AM A COSPONSOR ON THIS YEAR THAT ARE, ARE MOVING THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT, UH, DUE TO THE STATE AND POST REVENUE CAPS PASSED BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR, THE CITY FACES REAL CHALLENGE THIS YEAR AND IN THE YEARS AHEAD TO REALLY FUND THE NEEDS OF OUR GROWING OF OUR GROWING COMMUNITY. 
          UM, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS AHEAD OF US, NOT JUST THIS YEAR, BUT IN THE YEARS AHEAD. 
          UM, AND PLEASE KNOW THAT I'M GOING TO APPROACH THAT PROCESS AS I DO EACH AND EVERY YEAR WITH, BY LOOKING AT IT THOUGHTFULLY AND STRATEGICALLY AND LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES, NOT JUST TO INCREASE OUR REVENUE, BUT TO REALLY MOST EFFECTIVELY USE THOSE DOLLARS TO MEET OUR MOST PRESSING NEEDS. 
          AND ESPECIALLY THOSE NEEDS OF OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE, UM, ARE MOST IN NEED THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THIS YEAR. 
          OUR COUNCIL HAS PUT EXTRAORDINARY ENERGY INTO REALLY RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. 
          UM, MY STAFF HAS WORKED HARD ON THIS ISSUE. 
          I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE DID TO BRING UTILITY RELIEF OR OUR, UM, ELECTRIC AND OUR WATER CUSTOMERS. 
          UM, ESPECIALLY THOSE LOW INCOME CUSTOMERS. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO BRING FORWARD A RESOLUTION IMMEDIATELY THAT MADE AN IMPACT ON LOWERING THEIR BILLS. 
          I'M ALSO VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE DID TO LEAD, UM, THE COUNCIL IN ALLOCATING FUNDING FOR CAREGIVER MEALS AT AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          SO WHEN KIDS GO TO GET THEIR MEALS, UM, FROM OUR, OUR SCHOOLS WITHIN AISD AND DEL VALLEY, AND PERHAPS SOON, SOME OF THE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL, THEIR PARENTS OR THEIR CAREGIVERS CAN ALSO GET A MEAL. 
          AND THAT IS HELPING ME THE CRITICAL FOOD, FOOD SCARCITY ISSUES THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE UNFORTUNATELY GROWING IN THIS TIME OF PANDEMIC. 
          UM, MR. VAN NINO'S PRESENTATION IS GOING TO TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON COVID-19, AS I MENTIONED, AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SPENDING PRIORITIES THAT OUR, OUR COUNCIL HAS SET FOR THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING. 
          UM, THIS YEAR IN OUR BUDGET PROCESS, I WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD AMENDMENTS RELATED TO THE ISSUES I'VE WORKED A LOT ON. 
          AS I MENTIONED, HOMELESSNESS HAS BEEN A PRIMARY FOCUS OF MY OFFICE. 
          I WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD A RESOLUTION TO A BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT I HOPE MY COLLEAGUES WILL SUPPORT TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE QUALIFIED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ON EVERY, ON, ON OUR HOST TEAM. 
          UM, SOME OF YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE HOST TEAM. 
          THIS IS THE HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH STREET TEAM, UM, THAT MY OFFICE HELPED SUPPORT INTO CREATION. 
          THIS HAS BEEN A VERY EFFECTIVE PROGRAM, UM, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF ABOUT FOUR INDIVIDUALS, UM, FROM EMS, FROM APD, FROM INTEGRAL CARE, UH, AND THEY, THEY WORK AS A TEAM IN REACHING OUT AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. 
          IT'S BEEN A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY OF MEETING THOSE, MAKING SURE THAT THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE IN THE QUEUE FOR HOUSING, THAT THEY'VE COMPLETED THE PROCESS AND ARE BEING EVALUATED FOR HOUSING. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, THAT LIST IS QUITE LONG. 
          AND SO, UH, THE HOST TEAM ALSO HAS BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE AT MAKING SURE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH WHOM THEY'RE INTERACTING ARE ABLE TO GET THEIR IMMEDIATE NEEDS MET. 
          AND SO THERE ARE SOME REALLY TREMENDOUS STORIES OF, OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE GOTTEN MET, BEEN ABLE TO GET MEDICAL CARE QUICKLY SO THAT IT DIDN'T BECOME, UM, UM, A TERRIBLE HEALTH CRISIS OR, UH, THE HOST TEAM HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP THEM GET THE KIND OF IDENTIFICATION THEY NEED TO SECURE A JOB OR SECURE HOUSING. 
          SO THE HOST TEAM HAS BEEN JUST A VERY IMPORTANT TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX OF WORKING TO END HOMELESSNESS HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, STATE FUNDING HAS CUT SOME OF INTEGRAL CARE'S FUNDING. 
          AND SO THE RESOLUTION I BRING FORWARD NEXT WEEK WILL HELP RESTORE RESTORE FUNDING TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN ASSURE THAT WE WILL HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ON THE HOST TEAM. 
          I'LL ALSO BE BRINGING FORWARD A RESOLUTION RELATED TO CREATING AN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM COORDINATOR POSITION WITHIN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH THAT WILL, WILL REALLY HELP, UM, PROVIDE, PROVIDE, UH, AND SECURE FUNDING FOR OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO, TO BRING, UM, EQUITABLE HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE TO FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. 
          MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD AMENDMENTS AS WELL THIS YEAR. 
          AND I'M JUST GONNA HIGHLIGHT A FEW THAT I'M CO-SPONSORING I HAVE SIGNED ON AS A CO-SPONSOR TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERS BUDGET AMENDMENT TO CREATE AN OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, AND TO EXPAND THAT COMMUNITY ACCESS TO PHYSICIAN SERVICES, TO SUPPORT THE LONGTERM HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF BOSTON RESIDENTS. 
          THIS ISN'T A VERY IMPORTANT NEW STRATEGY, 
          [00:10:01]
AND I'M GRATEFUL TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR FOR HER LEADERSHIP. 
          SHE HAS ALSO BROUGHT FORWARD AN AMENDMENT THAT I AM A CO-SPONSOR ON TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR EMS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE ADDITIONAL EMS STAFF AND AMBULANCES TO SUPPORT OUR MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDERS. 
          MANY OF WHOM ARE DRAWN INTO AREAS SUCH AS THE DISTRICT I REPRESENT IN, IN DISTRICT NINE. 
          AND SO THAT LEAVES SOME OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY WITHOUT THE SAME COVERAGE THEY NEED. 
          AND THIS ADDITIONAL STAFFING AND AMBULANCES WOULD HELP, WOULD HELP EVEN THAT OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY, EVERY ONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT BOSTON HAS THE RESOURCES THEY NEED, THEY WILL ALSO BE CO-SPONSORING COUNCIL MEMBER POOLS, AMENDMENT TO CREATE A WORKFORCE, OR EXCUSE ME, TO EXPAND OUR WORKFORCE FIRST PROGRAM, WHICH IS AN EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS CAN BE EMPLOYED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND HELP MEET SOME OF THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND DO SO WITH, UM, I EARNING A SALARY THAT WILL HELP THEM GET ON THE PATH TO PERMANENT HOUSING. 
          UM, THOSE WERE A COUPLE OF, OF THE THINGS THAT I'M, CO-SPONSORING ALSO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN IS BRINGING FORWARD AN AMENDMENT TO ADD AND TO COMMIT TO $22 MILLION OF INCREASED INVESTMENTS FOR HOMELESSNESS, UH, AND, UM, VERY SUPPORTIVE WORK A LOT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN ON HOMELESSNESS EFFORTS AND, AND HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO PASS THAT NEXT WEEK AS WELL. 
          BEFORE I HAND OVER THE MIC TO ED, I JUST WANT TO SPEAK TO THE THOUSANDS OF EMAILS WE'VE RECEIVED ABOUT THE DIRECTION PUBLIC SAFETY HERE IN AUSTIN. 
          UM, AS I'VE SAID PUBLICLY, I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE CALLING FOR CHANGES WITH REGARD TO POLICING. 
          AND I REALLY APPRECIATE MY CITY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD SOME INNOVATIVE PROPOSALS TO RESPOND TO THAT NEED AND TO REALLY TRANSFORM OUR PUBLIC SAFETY MODEL. 
          I SUPPORT MANY OF THE ITEMS, UM, IN THESE AMENDMENTS, INCLUDING FOR EXAMPLE, SHIFTING THE FORENSICS DEPARTMENT OUT OF APD, SHIFTING INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND SHIFTING NINE 11 COMMUNICATIONS. 
          AND SO AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, UM, IN THIS PROCESS, WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER, SOME OF THE OTHER AMENDMENTS. 
          I'M ALSO A REALLY PROUD SPONSOR OF COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERS AMENDMENT TO CREATE, TO EXPLORE THE CREATION OF AN OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION. 
          I THINK THIS WOULD BE A REALLY IMPORTANT STRATEGY FOR OUR CITY TO TAKE IN TERMS OF REDUCING, UM, REALLY, UH, LOOKING AT THE PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THIS IS GOING TO HELP US IF, IF PASSED AND IMPLEMENTED WILL HELP US REALLY ADDRESS THE ROOTS OF VIOLENCE AND TO CURB THE STEADY DRUMBEAT OF GUN VIOLENCE THAT CLAIMS 100 LIVES EVERY DAY AND DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTS COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. 
          SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE EXCITING THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DELIBERATE ON IN THE WEEK AHEAD. 
          UM, WE'LL ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPECT AND THE RESPONSES TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT ARE ABOUT THE CITY COMMUNITY RE-IMAGINING TASKFORCE AND THEIR WORK, WHICH I THINK IS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT DIRECTION FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AS WE'VE UNDERTAKEN THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE NICOLE GOLDEN AND ASHLEY AND SHANNON ON MY STAFF ARE REALLY WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OFFICES LIKE THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND VICTIM SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING THEIR CRITICAL INPUT AS WE MAKE THESE DECISIONS. 
          SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE BEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, OUR DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, THANK YOU, ED. 
          UM, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS PUBLICLY, BUT MANY, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT HAVE HEARD US TALK ABOUT, UM, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR CITY IS IN MUCH BETTER SHAPE FACING THIS PANDEMIC THAN MANY OTHER LARGE CITIES THROUGHOUT TEXAS, AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. 
          AND PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SUCH STRONG FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP EMBODIED IN  AND HIS STAFF. 
          AND SO AS WE UNDERTOOK THIS BUDGET, UM, WE ARE ONE OF THE VERY FEW CITIES THAT HAS NOT PROPOSED A BUDGET THAT LAYS OFF STAFF. 
          AND THAT IS AGAIN, LARGELY IN PART BECAUSE OF ADVANTAGE. 
          HE NEWS STEADY LEADERSHIP IN THE AREA OF OUR BUDGET. 
          SO THANK YOU, ED, AND I WILL QUIET DOWN AND LET YOU PROVIDE YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANKS FOR BEING HERE. 
          YOU ARE WELCOME. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE KIND WORDS, COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          UM, BEFORE I GET GOING ON MY PRESENTATION, CAN I ASK GARY, AM I COMING THROUGH CLEARLY TODAY? I KNOW THERE WAS SOME PROBLEMS WITH MY, UM, WITH MY MICROPHONE LAST TOWN HALL. 
          NOW YOU SOUND MUCH BETTER TODAY. 
          I THINK IT'S THE HEADSET SEEMS TO BE HELPING WELL, SO, SO GREAT. 
          I AM GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN AND WE CAN GET INTO THE PRESENTATION. 
          YOU NEED TO GIVE ME THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. 
          GARY, SWITCH THAT TO FOR YOU. 
          SO WHILE WE'RE GETTING THIS SCREEN UP, YEAH, LET ME JUST AGAIN SAY, UM, UH, MY NAME IS ED VAN ENO, THE DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY NOW FOR 11 YEARS, 
          [00:15:01]
UH, PRIOR TO COMING TO AUSTIN, I LIVED IN, UM, CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA DOWN SOUTH OF SAN DIEGO. 
          AND I DID THE BUDGET DOWN THERE FOR 10 YEARS. 
          SO THIS WILL BE THE 21ST, UM, BUDGET THAT I HAVE WORKED ON OR A MUNICIPAL CITY. 
          AND I CAN TRULY SAY LIKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOMA WAS TALKING ABOUT, THIS IS AN UNPRECEDENTED BUDGET. 
          WE JUST HAVEN'T SEEN A YEAR LIKE THIS ON THREE DIFFERENT FRONTS, REALLY ANY ONE OF THESE MIGHT'VE MADE IT THE, UH, AN UNPRECEDENTED BUDGET, BUT FIRST A WHOLE NEW TAX REGIME IMPOSED ON US BY THE STATE LIMITING AND THE GROWTH IN OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUES TO A THREE AND A HALF PERCENT. 
          UM, THAT WAS THAT, THAT, THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE SPENDING ALL OUR TIME ON EARLY ON WAS HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT? UM, AND THEN COVID-19 HIT AND HAD A MASSIVE IMPACT ON OUR SALES TAX REVENUES. 
          AND SO THEN WE REALLY SHIFTED GEAR IS NOT ONLY TO HOW ARE WE GOING TO KEEP OUR BUDGET STABLE THROUGHOUT COVID-19, BUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THE TREMENDOUS NEED IN THE COMMUNITY AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO PRUDENTLY MANAGE THE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WERE FLOWING INTO OUR AREA? UM, AND THEN, WELL, THAT ONE'S STILL GOING ON. 
          UM, WE, WE HAD ALL OF THE PUBLIC OUTCRY AND PUBLIC TESTIMONY, UM, FOR CHANGE IN OUR APPROACH TO POLICING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO TALKED ABOUT. 
          AND ON JUNE 11TH, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED TWO RESOLUTIONS. 
          UM, THAT REALLY WILL FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM HOW WE DEFINE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND HOW WE ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO I AM GOING TO TOUCH ON ALL OF THOSE THINGS AS I GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION. 
          I WANT TO START OFF FIRST WITH A FEW SLIDES TO TALK ABOUT COVID-19 AND THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO COVID-19. 
          UM, I'LL THEN TRANSITION INTO A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 21. 
          AND THEN I'M GOING TO ROUND IT OUT, TALKING ABOUT, UM, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN REGARDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, AND HOW THE CITY MANAGER IS PROPOSING TO, UM, BEGIN THE PATH TOWARDS, UM, RE-IMAGINING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET IN FISCAL YEAR 21. 
          UH, LET ME JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, BEFORE PEOPLE START GETTING WORRIED WITH ALL THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, THREE AND A HALF PERCENT REVENUE CAPS AND COVID, UM, WE ARE IN GOOD FINANCIAL SHAPE, AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO WEATHER THIS STORM AND TO GET THROUGH THIS, UM, AND TO COME OUT OF IT AND STRONG, UH, IN A STRONG POSITION. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY JUST A COUPLE OF SLIDES TO TALK ABOUT A BIG PART OF WHY THAT IS. 
          UM, AND IT'S BECAUSE, UM, WE DO HAVE VERY STRONG AND CONSERVATIVE FINANCIAL POLICIES AND KUDOS TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ADHERING TO NOT ONLY FOR, UM, ESTABLISHING AND APPROVING THESE POLICIES, UM, BUT THEN HAVING THE POLITICAL 42 TO ADHERE TO THOSE POLICIES. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, FIRST WITH OUR, UH, WITH OUR RESERVES, UM, WE HAVE A 12% RESERVE POLICY, WHICH FOR OUR GENERAL FUND ON A $1 BILLION GENERAL FUND BUDGET, THAT'S MORE THAN $120 MILLION THAT WE KEEP IN RESERVES. 
          UM, AND IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY AND WE ARE ACTUALLY MORE THAN $25 MILLION AHEAD OF THAT POLICY LEVEL AS WE ENTERED INTO THE COVID-19 CRISIS. 
          AND THAT GIVES US A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY FOR, UM, HOW WE GOING TO MANAGE OUR BUDGET THROUGH THESE TROUBLED TIMES AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT, A VARIETY OF FEDERAL FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP AIDS HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF STRINGS ATTACHED AND, UH, RESTRICTIONS ON HOW WE USE THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS. 
          OUR LOCAL GENERAL FUNDS ARE THE MOST FLEXIBLE SOURCE OF FUNDING WE HAVE. 
          UM, SO IT'S REALLY A GOOD NEW STORY THAT WE, WE HAVE THAT MONEY TO RELY ON, BUT THAT'S JUST IN OUR GENERAL FUND. 
          WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT FUNDS WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BUT, UM, AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AND, UM, THE AIRPORT, THOSE ARE CITY RUN OPERATIONS, THOSE SIGNIFICANTLY BEING IMPACTED BY, UH, COVID-19 AND THE RESTRICTIONS AND THE, AND THE, AND THE DRASTIC REDUCTIONS AND TRAVEL AND TOURISM AND HOTEL STAYS. 
          UM, BUT THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN STRONG RESERVE POLICIES, ACTUALLY EVEN HIGHER RESERVE POLICIES, UM, THAN THE GENERAL FUND, BECAUSE THEIR REVENUES ARE SO SUSCEPTIBLE TO ECONOMIC FLUCTUATIONS, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD, WE'RE ACTUALLY IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES, UM, PRESENTED BY COVID-19 AND HOW IT'S IMPACTING OUR VARIOUS OPERATIONS. 
          UM, ADDING TO THAT HEALTHY RESERVES IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE VERY CONSERVATIVE BUDGET PRACTICES, UM, OUR SALES TAX COLLECTIONS WE'RE WELL AHEAD OF PACE, ESSENTIALLY, WHAT THAT MEANS IS WHEN WE PLAN OUR BUDGETS, WE ALWAYS TRY TO BE CONSERVATIVE ON SALES TAXES. 
          I WOULD MUCH RATHER COME FORWARD TO COUNSELING WITH A GOOD NEWS STORY THAT OUR SALES TAXES EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS THAN HAVING TO TELL THEM, HEY, WE BUILT A BUDGET BASED UPON A HIGH LEVEL OF SALES TAX GROWTH, AND WE DIDN'T REALIZE IT. 
          SO WE WERE WELL AHEAD OF PACE ON OUR SALES TAX COLLECTIONS. 
          UM, 
          [00:20:01]
AND, UM, WE ALSO STRUCTURE OUR BUDGET IN A WAY WHERE WE'RE REALLY REFLECTING THE FULL COST OF OUR EXPENDITURES IN THE BUDGET YEAR THAT WE APPROVED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS YOU CAN DO IN A BUDGET TO, TO FIT MORE THINGS INTO THAT BUDGET BY DEFERRING SOME OF THE COST INCREASES UNTIL LATER IN THE YEAR. 
          AND THEN WHAT THAT DOES IS IT CREATES A BALLOON PAYMENT WHEN YOU GO FROM ONE FISCAL YEAR TO THE NEXT. 
          SO WE DON'T DO THAT. 
          AND IT'S LUCKY THAT WE DON'T BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UH, IF WE HADN'T DONE THAT, WE'D BE SAYING BIGGER, UH, BUDGETARY INCREASES AHEAD OF US IN FISCAL YEAR 21, UM, THEN THAN WE ARE. 
          UM, WE ALSO HAVE A VERY DIVERSE MIX OF REVENUES. 
          UM, ONLY 23% OF OUR REVENUES COME FROM SALES TAXES. 
          THE OTHER 70% OF REVENUES COME FROM, UH, DIFFERENT SOURCES ARE NOT BEING IMPACTED BY COVID-19. 
          SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR US. 
          UM, WE HAVE GREAT LIQUIDITY, WHICH ESSENTIALLY MEANS WE HAVE SOLID CASH FLOW. 
          YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN A GREAT POSITION TO BE ABLE TO MEET OUR FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS TO VENDORS AND TO OUR EMPLOYEES, TO PAYCHECKS. 
          UM, UM, DESPITE THE FACT THAT OUR REVENUES HAVE DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY, UM, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS LEAD TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN BEING THE ONLY, CURRENTLY THE ONLY LARGE TEXAS CITY, UH, WITH A TRIPLE A CREDIT RATING FROM ALL THREE RATING AGENCIES, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, THAT TRIPLE A CREDIT RATING, UM, GETS US THE LOWEST POSSIBLE INTEREST RATES WHILE WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO THE BOND MARKET TO ISSUE BONDS, TO BUILD ROADS AND LIBRARIES AND FIRE STATIONS, UM, AND THAT LOW INTEREST RATES, UM, RESULTS IN SAVINGS TO THE TAX PAYERS, UM, THROUGH A LOWER TAX RATE. 
          SO I MENTIONED IN THOSE OPENING COMMENTS THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF FEDERAL DOLLARS FLOWING INTO, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OTHER CITIES AND STATES ACROSS THE NATION IN AUSTIN. 
          UM, OUR CITY COUNCIL WORKED ON AND ULTIMATELY APPROVED A BROAD SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR COVID-19 TOTALLING MORE THAN $330 MILLION. 
          UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT GOLD PIECE OVER TO THE LEFT OF THE SCREEN, THE GENERAL FUND RESERVES. 
          REMEMBER I MENTIONED, WE WERE ABOUT $25 MILLION AHEAD OF OUR RESERVE POLICY. 
          AND SO THIS ALLOWS US TO PULL DOWN SOME OF THOSE RESERVES AND STILL BE AT OUR RESERVE POLICY. 
          SO WE STILL ARE IN A GOOD POSITION IF, IF WE NEED TO PULL ADDITIONAL MONEY FROM THOSE RESERVES IN THE FUTURE TO ADDRESS, UM, THE CHANGING AND EVOLVING SITUATION. 
          UM, THE REST OF THE SLICES ON THIS BIG PIE CHART ARE FEDERAL SOURCES OF FUNDING. 
          UM, MOST OF THEM COMING THROUGH THE CARES ACT, THE CARES ACT WAS THE ROUGHLY $2 TRILLION BILL THAT CONGRESS PASSED, UM, THAT HAD A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS TO IT. 
          THE BIGGEST PIECE FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, UM, WAS $170.8 MILLION FROM THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND. 
          UM, THOSE ARE DOLLARS PROVIDED TO THE CITY TO HELP ADDRESS THE, UH, THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND, UM, UM, MEDICAL EMERGENCY, AS WELL AS THE ECONOMIC OUTFALL, UM, HAPPENING FROM THE CORONA VIRUS, UH, $58.7 MILLION WAS SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO OUR AIRPORT TO HELP SUPPORT THE AIRPORT THROUGH THESE DIFFICULT, DIFFICULT TIMES, UM, $7 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM HUD, UM, THROUGH A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AND EMERGENCY SOLUTION GRANT, UM, TO HELP SERVE THE HOMELESS POPULATION. 
          AND, UM, UM, AND THEN $55 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION IS AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH WE BELIEVE WE'LL GET REIMBURSED, UM, THROUGH FEMA. 
          UM, BUT THAT NUMBER COULD CHANGE AS THE SITUATION CONTINUES, CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AND DEPENDING HOW LONG THE DISASTER DECLARATION IS, UM, MAINTAIN. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF THE SOURCES OF FUNDING WE HAD AVAILABLE TO US TO ADDRESS THE CRISIS, THE FRAMEWORK THAT COUNCIL APPROVED OR COVID-19 COULD LARGELY BE, UM, SUMMARIZE THROUGH THESE FOUR CHUNKS, $58.7 MILLION. 
          THAT SAME 58.7 MILLION CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THE AIRPORT. 
          IT WAS SPECIFICALLY ALLOCATED TO THE AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AND IT CAN BE USED TO SUPPORT THE AIRPORT'S OPERATIONS, UM, CAPITAL AND DEBT SERVICE EXPENSES. 
          UM, THE REMAINING FUNDS ABOUT 237 MILLION WERE ALLOCATED 105 MILLION TO EMERGENCY RESPONSE FOR OUR EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER, AS WELL AS PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT EXPENSES, $103 MILLION TO ECONOMIC SUPPORT. 
          THIS IS SUPPORT BOTH TO INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES, UM, BUT ALSO, UM, CREATIVE SECTORS AND NOT FOR PROFIT SECTORS RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UM, LOTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUPPORT IN THIS BUCKET OF ECONOMIC SUPPORT. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, UH, JUST SHORT OF $63 MILLION TO MEET THE MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS RELATED TO PROTECTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, UM, PROVIDING SHELTERS AND QUARANTINE FACILITIES, UM, AND ALSO TESTING AND CONTACT 
          [00:25:01]
TRACING ARE PART OF THE, UH, THE PUBLIC HEALTH BUCKET OF FUNDING. 
          SO THAT'S OUR COVID RESPONSE AGAIN, THAT WAS WHAT WE REALLY WERE WRESTLING WITH EARLY ON IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE. 
          COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THIS FRAMEWORK. 
          UM, AND SO THIS IS LESS OF A FISCAL YEAR 21 ISSUE, UM, AS IT WAS A FISCAL YEAR 20 ISSUE, UM, BECAUSE THESE FUNDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED AND STAFF IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING THESE PROGRAMS, UM, TO, TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AS WE GET THROUGH THIS CRISIS. 
          I'M NOW GOING TO TRANSITION TO THOUGH OUR FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET AND START OFF WITH THE 50,000 FOOT VIEW OF OUR BUDGET, A TOTAL BUDGET OF $4.2 BILLION WITH ABOUT 69% OF THAT AMOUNT BEING DIVIDED AMONGST OUR THREE LARGEST FUNDS THAT'S AUSTIN ENERGY, THE GENERAL FUND AND AUSTIN WATER. 
          UM, THE OTHER 31% OF OUR BUDGET GOES TO SUPPORT A VARIETY OF ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE OUT LISTED OUT, UH, MANY OF THEM, BUT THE AIRPORT AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, OUR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY ARE THE FOLKS THAT PICK UP YOUR TRASH AND RECYCLED WEEKLY, ALL THESE OPERATIONS, UM, AS WELL AS AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER ARE CONSIDERED ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS, BUT THAT SIMPLY MEANS IS THE ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS SUPPORT THEMSELVES THROUGH REVENUES. 
          THEY COLLECT FROM THE FEES THAT THEY CHARGE CUSTOMERS THAT USE THEIR SERVICES IT'S DIFFERENT THAN IN THE GENERAL FUND WHERE THE GENERAL FUND IS PREDOMINANTLY SUPPORTED THROUGH TAX DOLLARS, PROPERTY TAXES AND SALES TAXES, UM, THAT GO TO PAY FOR, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, POLICE SERVICES AND FIRE SERVICES, PARKS, AND LIBRARIES, THOSE SERVICES THAT, UM, WOULD BE DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO CHARGE A COST RECOVERY FEE FOR. 
          UM, I'M GOING TO GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND TALK MORE ABOUT THIS 25% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET CALLED THE GENERAL FUND. 
          UM, THIS GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION, UM, PARTLY BECAUSE, UM, IT'S FUNDED THROUGH TAXES AND THAT GIVES COUNSEL THE MOST DISCRETION AND TURNS HAVE OF HOW THEY ALLOCATE THOSE DOLLARS. 
          SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SAY AUSTIN ENERGY AND THE FEES THAT YOU PAY TO AUSTIN ENERGY TO GET ELECTRICAL SERVICES, UM, WITH ONE EXCEPTION, THOSE FEES ALL NEED TO BE USED TO PROVIDE, UH, ELECTRICAL SERVICES TO THE CUSTOMERS. 
          WE CAN'T USE THOSE. 
          UH, WE CAN'T USE THOSE FEE REVENUES TO PAY FOR, UM, UM, POLICE SERVICES OR LIBRARY SERVICES. 
          I'LL TALK ABOUT IT, THAT ONE EXCEPTION IN A SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          IT HAS TO DO WITH THIS REVENUE GRAPH OVER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE HERE. 
          THIS IS WHERE THE GENERAL FUND RECEIVES ITS FUNDING FROM ABOUT 50% FROM PROPERTY TAXES, UH, ALMOST 23% FROM SALES TAXES. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IN TOTAL 73% OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET COMES THROUGH TAX REVENUES. 
          NOW 15% COMES FROM THE UTILITY TRANSFERS. 
          SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF OWNING AND OPERATING THE, UH, MUNICIPAL UTILITY IS THAT THE RETURNS ON INVESTMENT, THE PROFITS, SO TO SPEAK THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO TO A PRIVATE SHAREHOLDER, UM, IN A MUNICIPALLY RUN UTILITY THAT RETURN ON INVEST ON, ON INVESTMENT, COMES BACK TO THE CITY, STAYS WITH THE CITY AND ALLOWS US TO USE THE DOLLARS TO PROVIDE, UM, UH, GENERAL REVENUE SERVICES, UM, IN THE CASE OF LOST. 
          AND THAT'S ABOUT 15% OF OUR TOTAL REVENUE IS THE TRANSFER WE GET FROM AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER. 
          AND THEN THE REMAINING 12% OF OUR GENERAL FUND COMES FROM FEES THAT WE CHARGE FOR THE VARIOUS SERVICES THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS DELIVER. 
          THAT $1.1 BILLION GENERAL FUND BUDGET THEN IS ALLOCATED AS IT'S SHOWN OVER TO THE LEFT IN THAT PIE CHART, UM, WITH, UM, ALMOST 39% OF THE BUDGET GOING TO POLICE ABOUT 19% OF FIRE, UM, JUST SHORT OF 9% TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IN TOTAL ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE BUDGET GOING TO THOSE THREE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS. 
          AND, UM, UM, THE OTHER THIRD GOES TO SUPPORT PARKS AND RECREATION, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, UM, AND THE TRENT AND THE OTHER CATEGORY. 
          WE HAVE OUR PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING DEPARTMENT, AND THE ANIMAL SHELTER ARE ALSO SERVICES FUNDED THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. 
          UM, HOW DO WE PAY FOR ALL THIS? I MEAN, IS THIS PART OF IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S A YOU THE TAXPAYER AND THE, UM, CUSTOMERS OF OUR ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS THAT PAY FOR THESE PROGRAMS. AND WE LIKE TO KEEP TRACK OF AND SHOW EVERY YEAR WHAT OUR TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL RATE PAYER LOOKS LIKE. 
          I'M. 
          SO OVER ON THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE HOW WE DEFINE A TYPICAL RATE PAYER, AUSTIN ENERGY. 
          IT'S A RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER USING 860 KILOWATTS OF ELECTRICITY. 
          THAT IS WHAT THE UTILITY TELLS US. 
          THEIR MEDIAN RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER USES ON AVERAGE PER MONTH. 
          FROM THERE, WE DRIVE OUT WHAT THE, UM, WHAT THE BILL IS 
          [00:30:01]
FOR THAT CUSTOMER AND FISCAL YEAR 20. 
          IT WAS 1050 $6 IN FISCAL YEAR 21. 
          WE'RE ACTUALLY PROJECTING A REDUCTION OF $41 DOWN TO 1015. 
          THESE ARE ANNUAL AMOUNTS. 
          UM, THE REASON FOR THAT REDUCTION HAS TO DO WITH, UM, A, A, UM, LOWER REGULATORY CHARGES, EITHER THINGS THAT, THAT, UM, ELECT LIKE YOUR UTILITY DOESN'T HAVE CONTROL OVER, BUT THEY HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION IN THE REGULATORY CHARGES, THE PAST THREE CHARGES THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY, AND THEY PASS ON TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. 
          AND SINCE THOSE CHARGES HAVE GONE DOWN, UM, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO LOWER THOSE FEES RESULTING IN A SAVINGS TO THE TYPICAL RATE PAYER. 
          UM, A COUPLE OTHER AREAS I WOULD HIGHLIGHT ON THIS SLIDE IS IN AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, WE'RE PROJECTING A $31 INCREASE FOR THE OWNER OF A 64 GALLON CART. 
          THAT AMOUNT OF VARY, DEPENDING UPON THE SIZE OF THE CART YOU HAVE. 
          UM, BUT THAT, UH, INCREASE IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE NEW CURBSIDE ORGANICS COLLECTION PROGRAM. 
          UH, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THAT PROGRAM SEVERAL YEARS AGO. 
          IT, UH, IT WAS INTENDED TO BE A PHASED ROLLOUT. 
          IT WAS, IT TOOK SEVERAL YEARS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FULLY ROLL THAT PROGRAM OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY. 
          AND WHILE THEY ARE ROLLING IT OUT, THEY WERE HOLDING BACK ON THE FEE INCREASE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO START CHARGING A FEE FOR THAT SERVICE UNTIL EVERYBODY HAD THE BENEFIT OF THE SERVICE. 
          UM, SO THIS IS THE A FEE INCREASE THAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THAT PROGRAM. 
          THAT CURBSIDE COLLECTION PROGRAM IS $31 A YEAR FOR THAT 64 GALLON CART, $2 AND 60 CENTS FOR A MONTH. 
          UM, AND THEN FINALLY, IN REGARDS TO THE PROPERTY TAX BILL, WE CALCULATE THAT PROPERTY TAX BILL OFF OF THE, UH, UH, NON SENIOR HOMESTEAD, UH, MEDIAN VALUE, WHICH ACCORDING TO T CAT IS $362,000 FOR FISCAL YEAR 21, UM, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE 10% HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, PROVIDES TO A RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEADS. 
          YOU GET TO THESE, UH, PROPERTY TAX, BILL ESTIMATES. 
          UM, WE'RE PROPOSING ARE ESTIMATING A $19 AND 73 CENTS INCREASE FOR THAT MEDIAN VALUED HOMEOWNER IN FISCAL YEAR 2021. 
          SO IN TOTAL, UM, A PRETTY LOW INCREASE FOR FISCAL YEAR 20, 21, $12 A YEAR, A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY A DOLLAR PER MONTH INCREASE IS WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING FOR OUR, UM, UH, MEDIAN, TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL RATE PAYER. 
          UM, I DO WANT TO JUST BRING UP ONE SLIDE ON THE PROPERTY TAX BILL. 
          A LOT OF TIMES, IF I CAN SEE YOUR FACES, THIS IS USUALLY WHERE PEOPLE RAISE THEIR EYEBROWS AT ME OVER THIS $1,428 TAX BILL ON A $362,000 HOME. 
          UM, THE REASON THAT NUMBER IS AS LOW AS IT IS, THAT'S JUST THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S PIECE OF THE TAX BILL. 
          AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I SHOW YOU WHAT THAT OVERLAPPING TAX BILL LOOKS LIKE. 
          THERE ARE TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, YOUR TAX BILL WILL LOOK DIFFERENT DEPENDING UPON WHERE YOU LIVE IN THE CITY, BUT THERE'S TYPICALLY FIVE PRIMARY TAXING ENTITIES. 
          YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DIRECTOR DISTRICT SERVES ABOUT 35, 75% OF OUR RESIDENTS. 
          SO WE GENERALLY USE THEM AS, AS PART OF THIS OVERLAPPING TAX BILL, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, OR IF YOU LIVE UP NORTH, YOU MIGHT BE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND CENTRAL HEALTH. 
          BUT WHAT YOU CAN SEE ON THIS GRAPHIC IS THAT IN TOTAL, THE OVERLAPPING TAX BILL IS CURRENTLY JUST SHORT OF $6,800 WITH ABOUT 54% OF THAT GOING TO THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, 20% TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THEN THE REMAINDER TO THE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES. 
          AGAIN, THIS PIE CHART WILL LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT NOT DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT IF THIS WAS FOR EXAMPLE, DEL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT, OR IF THE COUNTY WAS LAMSON COUNTY, THE PIE CHART WOULD CHANGE A LITTLE BIT, BUT THIS IS GENERALLY THE PICTURE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE, UM, IS, IS, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE NORTH OF 50% OF YOUR TAX BILL GOING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SOMEWHERE AROUND 20% EACH GOING TO THE CITY AND COUNTY SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO I WANT TO NOW MOVE ON TO, TO THE DISCUSSION OF RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH, UH, UM, REALLY STARTED IN EARNEST WITH, UM, UM, UM, PROTEST HAPPENED THROUGHOUT AUSTIN AND ACROSS THE NATION. 
          I'M LEADING TWO HOURS OF TESTIMONY FROM THE COMMUNITY TO THE CITY. 
          UM, COUNCIL CALLING FOR CHANGE ON JUNE 11TH, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED TWO TRANSFORMATIONAL RESOLUTIONS DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY STAFF TO MAKE CHANGES TO, UM, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET, UM, IN SPECIFIC, UH, SPECIFIC TO THE BUDGET, UH, THE, AS ELLUCIAN'S CALLED FOR DELAYING OUR JULY, 2020 CADET CLASS. 
          SO ABOUT EVERY FOUR MONTHS, WE RUN A CADET CLASS FOR POLICE OFFICERS. 
          WE WERE SLATED TO HAVE ONE IN JULY AND, UH, THE RESOLUTION BACK IN JUNE TOLD US TO, UH, TO DELAY THAT CADET CLASS. 
          UM, THE RESOLUTION ALSO TOLD US TO ELIMINATE ANY VACANT POSITIONS THAT COULD 
          [00:35:01]
NOT REASONABLY BE FILLED DURING FISCAL YEAR 21. 
          UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, UM, WE HAD ADDED 30 POSITIONS TO THE FYI 21 BUDGET PER THE, UH, POLICE STAFFING PLAN, UM, THAT WAS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL LAST YEAR. 
          UH, THE RESOLUTION SPECIFICALLY SAID TO DELAY THAT STAFFING PLAN AND TO REMOVE THOSE 30 POSITIONS, AND THEN BASED UPON ANALYSIS OF HOW MANY VACANCIES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY HAD, UH, THE TIMING OF FUTURE CADET CLASSES, ATTRITION RATES, UM, WE ESTIMATED THAT THERE ARE 70 VACANT POSITIONS CURRENTLY IN THE DEPARTMENT, UM, THAT COULD NOT BE FILLED IN FYI 2021. 
          UM, AND SO OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, ELIMINATES THOSE 70 PLUS THE, UH, THE 30 POSITIONS FROM THE STAFFING PLAN. 
          UM, WE ALSO ARE INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, A DELAY IN THE SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT OF THE OFFICER'S DUTY WEAPONS. 
          UM, AND WE ARE PROPOSING TO TRANSFER OUR AUSTIN CENTER FOR EVENTS STAFF TO THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CENTER IN TOTAL, THIS REDUCE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BUDGET BY $11.3 MILLION. 
          UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT THE RESOLUTIONS, THE DIRECTION COUNCIL PROVIDED TO STAFF, UM, UM, THIS IS HOW WE WERE PROPOSING TO REALLY ALLOCATE THAT $11.3 MILLION OF FUNDING, UM, $3 MILLION TO INCREASE STAFFING AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THE OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT AND THE EQUITY OFFICE. 
          ALSO SETTING ASIDE SOME MONEY TO DO A REWRITE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S GENERAL ORDERS, UM, AND ALSO TO CONDUCT AND IMPLEMENT THE FINDINGS OF VARIOUS AUDITS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR A MENTAL HEALTH FIRST RESPONSE REPORT. 
          UM, THIS PROVIDES ADDITIONAL MONEY TO THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR SEVEN NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS, UM, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY INTEGRAL CARE FOR THEIR EDM COP PROGRAM, WHICH IS A CLINICIAN BASED MENTAL HEALTH FIRST RESPONSE PROGRAM. 
          UM, WE'RE PROPOSING $2.3 MILLION TO REPLACE A VERY OLD AND ANTIQUATED POLICE DEPARTMENT RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH SOMETHING THAT WILL BE CLOUD BASED AND MORE MODERN, SOMETHING THAT WILL INTEGRATE WITH OTHER DATA SYSTEMS AND PROVIDE BETTER ACCESSIBILITY AND TRANSPARENCY, UH, POLICE RECORDS, UM, A $1.1 MILLION INCREASE TO THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO ENHANCE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND IMMIGRANT LEGAL SERVICES, AS WELL AS FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, PROPOSING TO INCREASE THE TRANSFER TO THE HOUSING TRUST FUND BY A MILLION DOLLARS. 
          UM, THERE ARE COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS THAT, UM, DIRECT STAFF ON HOW TO, UM, HOW MUCH MONEY TO TRANSFER TO THE HOUSING TRUST FUND ANNUALLY. 
          UM, AND WITH THIS ADDITIONAL MILLION DOLLARS, WE WERE ABLE TO ALLOCATE TO THE FUND THIS YEAR. 
          UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY TRANSFERRING MORE MONEY TO THE HOUSING TRUST ON, UH, THAT IS CALLED FOR IN THOSE RESOLUTIONS. 
          UM, THE RESOLUTIONS TALKED ABOUT $900,000, UM, OR TALKED ABOUT PROVIDING, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR TRAINING IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SPECIFICALLY TRAINING RELATED TO TRAUMA INFORMED RESPONSE, RACIAL AND CULTURAL SENSITIVITY, UM, AS WELL AS THE USE OF NALOXONE FOR DRUG OVERDOSES. 
          AND THEN WE PUT $900,000 IN THE BUDGET TO ACCOMPLISH THAT TRAINING. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, $300,000, WHICH WILL BE A PIECE OF A MUCH LARGER BUDGET FOR A NEWLY FORMED CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE. 
          UM, IN TOTAL, THIS BUDGET WILL BE CLOSE TO $2 MILLION, UM, WITH 14 OR 15 STAFF TO FORM THE NEW OFFICE, THIS $300,000, UM, SUPPORTS THE CREATION OF A NEW CIVIL RIGHTS, UM, OFFICER, WHICH WILL BE THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL POSITION, UM, THAT OVERSEES THE, UH, THE NEW PROGRAM, UH, BUDGET SOMETIMES CAN BE COMPLICATED. 
          SO I PUT TOGETHER THIS GRAPHIC TO HELP PEOPLE KEEP TRACK OF THE UPS AND DOWNS, AND THIS $11.3 MILLION. 
          WE WERE GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THIS. 
          SO I PUT THIS GRAPHIC TOGETHER, BUT STARTING OVER ON THE LEFT IN FISCAL YEAR 20, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET WAS $434.5 MILLION. 
          FROM THAT STARTING POINT, WE THEN CREATE WHAT WE CALL OUR BASE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 21. 
          AND IN THAT BASE BUDGET, WE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE THE 30 NEW OFFICERS PER THE STAFFING PLAN. 
          UH, UM, UH, THE 2% WAGE INCREASE THAT'S GUARANTEED TO OUR OFFICERS PER THEIR CONTRACT. 
          THE CITY MANAGER IS ALSO PROPOSING A 2% INCREASE FOR CIVILIAN STAFF. 
          SO THOSE CREATE AN UPWARD PRESSURE ON THE BUDGET. 
          UM, AND THEN WE GOT TO JUNE AND THE CITY COUNCIL SAID, WE WANT YOU TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THAT BUDGET. 
          WE WANT YOU TO TAKE AWAY THE 30 NEW OFFICERS CUT THOSE POSITIONS THAT YOU CAN'T FILL DELAY THE CADET CLASS, ALL THAT RESULTED IN $11.3 MILLION OF SAVINGS. 
          BUT AS I JUST TALKED ABOUT ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE 3.2 MILLION OF THAT SAVINGS, WE'RE PROPOSING TO PUT IT BACK IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THAT RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND FOR ENHANCED TRAINING. 
          AND THEN HE'D KIND OF DO THE NET OF ALL THAT. 
          AND WE GET TO AN FYI 21 PROPOSED BUDGET 
          [00:40:01]
OF 434.3 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT $200,000 LESS THAN WHAT IT IS CURRENTLY. 
          UM, BUT WE HAVE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW DOES THIS 11.3 MILLION OF REDUCTIONS RELATE TO THAT $200,000. 
          SO THAT KIND OF TICKS AND TIES THE MATH BEHIND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET THIS YEAR, UH, THIS TREND AND THE DIRECTION WE'VE RECEIVED FROM COUNCIL TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET AND TO REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY BEEN IN PLACE. 
          I THINK EVER SINCE WE'VE CHANGED THIS INTO A TEN ONE CITY COUNCIL, UH, THE TEN ONE COUNCIL CAME INTO PLACE IN 2015. 
          THE FIRST BUDGET THEY APPROVED WAS IN, UM, UM, WAS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016 AND SEPTEMBER OF 2015, THEY WOULD HAVE APPROVED THE FISCAL YEAR 2016 BUDGET. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE UP UNTIL THAT POINT, UH, THE CITY HAD BEEN ADDING ABOUT 45 POLICE OFFICERS PER YEAR. 
          WE USED TO FOLLOW A, A TWO OFFICERS PER THOUSAND FORMULA. 
          UM, SO THAT SIMPLY MEANT THAT IF WE ADDED 25,000 PEOPLE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN POPULATION FOR OUR DEMO DEMOGRAPHER, WE WOULD ADD 50 POLICE OFFICERS. 
          AND THAT WAS OUR FORMULA FOR ADDING POLICE OFFICERS BACK IN THOSE YEARS WITH TEN ONE COMING ON BOARD, UH, THEY WANTED TO TAKE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE TO POLICING AND WANTED IT TO BE MORE EVIDENCED BASED. 
          AND DATA-DRIVEN NOT JUST FORMULAIC DRIVEN. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE WAS A DRAMATIC SHIFT IN THE NUMBER OF OFFICES THAT WE HAD BEEN ADDING AND ACTUALLY IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, IT SOUNDS TO LA CRUZ. 
          THE REDUCTION OF THE POSITION STAFF IS PROPOSING. 
          WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE AT A LOWER NUMBER OF SWORN PERSONNEL IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN FISCAL YEAR 2021. 
          UM, THEN WE WERE BACK IN 2016 AND THAT FIRST BUDGET THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED, UH, YOU CAN ALSO SEE THIS JUST IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTS. 
          UM, BACK IN 2014, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS ABOUT 44% OF OUR TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET. 
          AND TODAY THEY'RE AT 39%, UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE POLICE IS NOT BIGGER TODAY THAN IT WAS IN 2014. 
          IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEIR BUDGET'S NOT BIGGER. 
          THEY ARE A LARGER DEPARTMENT WITH MORE PERSONNEL AND, UM, A LARGER BUDGET. 
          IT'S JUST THAT THERE'S BEEN MORE EMPHASIS PLACED ON INCREASING OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CITY'S BUDGET, SUCH AS HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES AND HOUSING AND PARKS AND RECS AND LIBRARIES. 
          AND SO, AS YOU'VE SEEN A PORTION OF THE BUDGET ALLOCATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY, TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY GOING DOWN, YOU'VE SEEN INCREASES IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY'S BUDGET. 
          AND AGAIN, THAT'S BEEN A, UH, A LONGTERM TREND FIVE OR SIX YEAR TREND SINCE WE'VE MADE THE TRANSITION FROM THE SEVEN MEMBER AT LARGE COUNCIL TO THE TEN ONE DISTRICT-BASED ELECTION MODEL, THE, UH, THE RESOLUTIONS FROM COUNCIL BACK ON JUNE 11TH, UM, CALL FOR A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS. 
          UM, ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE RESOLUTIONS COUNCIL PASSED ON JUNE 11TH, UM, THAT OUR BUDGET WAS SET TO GO TO COUNCIL. 
          AND IT DID GO TO COUNCIL ON JULY 13TH AND BEFORE WE CAN DELIVER THE BUDGET TO COUNCIL, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE THE NUMBERS SIT STILL. 
          SO WE CAN PUT TOGETHER, UH, ROUGHLY A 1000 PAGE DOCUMENT, UM, OF OUR, OF OUR BUDGET PROPOSAL. 
          SO WE HAD ABOUT 10 DAYS TO WORK WITH THE RESOLUTION FROM THE TIME COUNCIL PASSED IT, UH, THE THINGS I JUST GOT DONE WALKING THROUGH IS WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THOSE 10 DAYS. 
          UM, BUT THE, THE RESOLUTIONS WERE MUCH MORE EXPANSIVE THAN JUST THAT. 
          THEY ALSO TALKED ABOUT EXPLORING OPTIONS FOR REALLOCATING STAFF AND ROLES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING PERFORMED BY THE AUSTIN PUBLIC POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UM, OR TO NEW CITY UNITS, SUCH AS POSSIBLY AN OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, OR MAYBE IN THE CASE OF FORENSICS. 
          UM, IT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE TO SHIFT THAT UNIT AWAY FROM THE CITY COMPLETELY AND TO CONTRACT WITH A THIRD PARTY VENDOR TO DO THAT SERVICE. 
          UM, AND SO WE'RE DOING ALL THAT WORK. 
          IT'S JUST GONNA TAKE MORE TIME THAN WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, UM, UM, FOR OUR FYI 21 BUDGET PROPOSAL, UM, THE RESOLUTION I'LL TALK ALSO TALK ABOUT NOT MAKING ANY REDUCTIONS TO THE VICTIM SERVICES AND SEX CRIMES UNITS. 
          UM, THOSE UNITS HAVE BEEN LEFT ON TOUCHED, UM, PROPOSING WAYS TO STRUCTURE THE RESTRUCTURE. 
           A BUDGET USING AN OUTCOMES BASED ZERO BASED BUDGETING FRAMEWORK. 
          AGAIN, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE COULD HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN 10 DAYS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING ON IN THE FUTURE. 
          UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE RESOLUTIONS ALSO TALKED ABOUT. 
          THE CITY MANAGER AND THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER HAVE PUT TOGETHER A PLAN FOR ADDRESSING THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THOSE COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS. 
          UM, THEY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON CREATING A TASK FORCE. 
          I THINK THE TASK FORCE HAS ACTUALLY ALREADY BEEN CREATED. 
          AND THEY'RE NOW STARTING TO MEET WITH THE TASK FORCE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS 
          [00:45:01]
ABOUT FURTHER RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY AND BUILDING ON THE WORK THAT STAFF IS PROPOSING. 
          AND THIS FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET, THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO, UM, UM, CLOSELY EVALUATING ALL THE SERVICES LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE AND MAKING A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THE RIGHT AREA FOR THESE SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED OUT OF. 
          UM, AS THAT WORKED FOR DRESSES, STAFF WOULD COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL WITH, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO OFFER AMENDMENTS TO THE BUDGET THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 
          SO WHEN COUNCIL APPROVES A BUDGET, UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE BUDGET CAN NEVER CHANGE WHEN COUNCIL APPROVES THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 21, UM, ON ANY THURSDAY, UM, THE COUNCIL COULD ELECT TO AMEND THAT BUDGET. 
          AND SO THAT'S THE PROCESS. 
          UM, WE ARE PROPOSING A STAFF, UM, TO, TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH IN  TO NOT WAIT UNTIL  TO DO MORE, BUT TO ACTUALLY COME BACK DURING THE FISCAL YEAR AND TO MAKE FURTHER CHANGES, UM, TO FURTHER IMPLEMENT, UH, WHAT A RE-IMAGINED PUBLIC SAFETY MIGHT LOOK LIKE. 
          SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. 
          THIS IS JUST A SMALL PIECE OF THE JOURNEY WE'VE BEEN ON SINCE THE CITY MANAGER PRESENTED THE BUDGET TO COUNCIL ON JULY 13TH. 
          UM, WE HAD TWO PUBLIC INPUT MEETINGS WHERE WE RECEIVED, UM, UM, PROBABLY AROUND 24, 25 HOURS OF TOTAL PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON THE CITY'S BUDGET. 
          MOST OF IT FOCUSED ON, UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET. 
          UM, WE'VE HAD TO WORK SESSIONS WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL ON JULY 28TH AND AUGUST 4TH. 
          IT'S NOT ON THIS SCHEDULE, BUT WE ACTUALLY HAD ANOTHER LENGTHY WORK SESSION TODAY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A COMMITTEE OF FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          BUT THAT MEETING WAS ATTENDED, I BELIEVE BY 10 OF OUR 11 COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          UM, AND THEN NEXT WEEK, STARTING ON AUGUST 12TH WILL BE OUR BUDGET ADOPTION PROCEEDINGS STARTING OFF ON AUGUST 12TH WITH A, ANOTHER, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CITY'S BUDGET AND THE CITY TAX RATES. 
          SO IF YOU WANT TO, UM, PROVIDE FURTHER TESTIMONY TO THE FULL COUNCIL ABOUT THE BUDGET AND YOUR FEELINGS ON THE BUDGET, YOU CAN DO THAT ON AUGUST 12TH, BUT THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. 
          UH, MAYBE AS A QUESTION TO START TO COME IN, I'LL JUST LEAVE THIS SLIDE UP FOR A MINUTE OR TWO. 
          UM, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO GET THIS PRESENTATION, IF YOU WANT TO SEE, UM, UM, OTHER WAYS THAT YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE CITY'S BUDGET, GET A COPY OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          YOU CAN GO TO OUR, SPEAK UP AUSTIN WEBSITE, UM, AND, AND GET ALL THAT INFORMATION. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, ALL THE OTHER PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS GOING ON, UM, IN OTHER AREAS OF ITS OPERATIONS. 
          SO THAT CONCLUDES ALL MY COMMENTS, AND I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO ED, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, ONE, ONE THING THAT, AND I APPRECIATE YOU LAYING OUT THE BUDGET IN THAT DETAIL, BUT ALSO MAKING IT VERY CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC THAT, THAT THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, BECOMES OF THE NATURE OF THE TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGES THAT WE ASKED OUR STAFF AND OUR MANAGER TO UNDERTAKE. 
          UM, WE ARE COMMITTING ALL OF US TO A MIDYEAR BUDGET PROCESS. 
          UM, I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE TO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN A COUPLE OF REALLY KEY MIDYEAR BUDGET PROCESSES. 
          ONE YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A, AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND, UM, THAT FAILED AND WE NEEDED AS A COMMUNITY TO COME BACK AS A COUNCIL TO COME BACK MID YEAR AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MORRISON, AND FOR IT TO ALLOCATE ABOUT $10 MILLION OF FUNDING TO SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO I, I KNOW THAT, UM, AS WE CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION, IT MAY BE CHALLENGING, UM, THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THAT OTHERS WANT TO SEE IN ONE BUDGET PROCESS, BUT KNOW THAT, THAT I, AND MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND OUR MANAGER, UM, OUR AND OUR STAFF ARE EXTREMELY COMMITTED TO THAT MIDYEAR PROCESS AS WELL. 
          UM, NICOLE, I THINK YOU'RE LINED UP TO HELP ME WITH QUESTIONS. 
          UM, WE DO HAVE SOME COMING IN AND LET ME DO HAVE A HARD STOP AT SEVEN. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO TRY TO ANSWER AS MANY OF THESE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ABOUT EIGHT TO 10 MINUTES FOR THESE QUESTIONS. 
          AND ONE PERSON WANTED TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ON HERE FROM DISTRICT NINE. 
          YOU KNOW, I'M NOT ABLE TO SEE HOW MANY ARE FROM PARTICULAR DISTRICTS, BUT I SEE ABOUT 35 ATTENDEES LISTED. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHERS THAT AREN'T LISTED. 
          SO THAT ANSWERS THAT QUESTION. 
          UM, LET'S SEE. 
          UM, WE WERE ALSO ASKED, UM, IN REGARDS TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTRUIST, UH, PROPOSAL TO FUND EMS AND THAT NUMBER THAT SHE'S PROPOSED BEING UNDER THE NUMBER THAT EMS HAD INITIALLY ASKED FOR AND ASKING FOR SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. 
          SURE. 
          THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. 
          UM, WE DID RECEIVE, WE ALL RECEIVE COMMUNICATIONS FROM OUR, OUR EMS ASSOCIATION ABOUT WHAT THEY SAW AS THE NEEDS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM FOR ARTICULATING 
          [00:50:01]
WHAT THOSE ARE. 
          UM, I REFERENCED THESE IN OUR INTRO COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE ENORMOUS NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY WITH REGARD TO EMS EMS AND OUR OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY BRANCHES HAVE BEEN WORKING, YOU KNOW, REALLY WORKING, UM, LONG HOURS DURING THE LAST FEW MONTHS AT THE PANDEMIC. 
          AND EMS IN PARTICULAR IS OFTEN CALLED INTO, INTO AREAS, UM, LEAVING OTHER AREAS SOMETIMES, UM, LESS THAN, THAN IDEALLY SERVED. 
          AND SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR HAS BROUGHT FORWARD A PROPOSAL THAT DOES NOT, DOES NOT MATCH EXACTLY THE, THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL THAT CAME FORWARD FROM THE MS ASSOCIATION. 
          I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, IN LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE COSTS, THERE WERE SOME, THERE WERE SOME COSTS THAT ENDED UP BEING A LITTLE LOWER THAN THAT ORIGINAL PROPOSAL SUGGESTED. 
          UM, THE AMENDMENT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR IS PROPOSING THAT I'M A CO-SPONSOR ON DOES FUND DOES FUND, UM, DOES FUND A LOT OF THE REQUESTS, NOT ALL OF THE INITIAL REQUESTS, BUT SHE HAS WORKED VERY CLOSELY. 
          HER OFFICE HAS WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH EMS ASSOCIATION AND WITH OUR EMS DEPARTMENT TO REALLY LOOK AT WHAT THEIR HIGHEST PRIORITY ITEMS ARE, UM, AND TO WORK, TO FUND THOSE. 
          AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE WELL SATISFIED WITH THE REQUEST. 
          I WILL ALSO SAY THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN HAS BROUGHT FORWARD A SEPARATE AMENDMENT FOR SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS THAT AREN'T INCLUDED WITHIN COUNCIL MEMBER ALTARS. 
          AND I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. 
          I THINK COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS, AND THIS MIGHT RELATE TO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET TO HERE IN A MINUTE. 
          COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS ARE, ARE REALLY A CRITICAL, CAN PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN OUR SYSTEM. 
          AND I'M, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF INCREASING, UM, OUR INVESTMENTS IN THEM. 
          UM, ALONG THE SAME LINES, SOMEBODY, UM, SOMEBODY DID ASK WHY ARMED OFFICERS ARE RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH INSTEAD OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. 
          AND THAT SEEMS TO TIE IN WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOBER JUST SHARED. 
          SHE MIGHT HAVE SOME MORE ON THAT TOO. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE RE-IMAGINING OF PUBLIC SAFETY IS, IS ABSOLUTELY GOING TO LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT THIS ISSUE. 
          AND I'M GOING TO SAY WHILE WE HAVE AS A COUNCIL GIVEN, UM, NEW CONFIRMATION OF OUR INTENT AND, AND WORKING TOWARD THAT, THIS IS REALLY A PROCESS THAT I'VE SEEN DEVELOP OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF BUDGET CYCLES. 
          UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN, AND OTHERS HAVE OFFERED LEADERSHIP ON THIS AND THE LAST COUPLE OF BUDGET CYCLES BY SAYING WE REALLY NEED TO INVEST IN MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS, UM, LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES AND SUGGESTING OTHER CITIES AS MODELS FOR, FOR COMMUNITIES WHERE, UH, THE FIRST PERSON ON A SCENE MIGHT BE A SOCIAL WORKER, OR MIGHT BE A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. 
          AND SO IN THE LAST COUPLE OF BUDGET CYCLES, WE HAVE, WE HAVE HAD THAT CONVERSATION AND HAVE INVESTED MONEY IN THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION AND SOME OTHER RESOURCES TO HELP US MOVE TOWARD THAT WITH REALLY THE GOAL OF, OF MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL WOULD BE TO, UM, TO HAVE TO HAVE A MEDICAL HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ON SCENE, UM, WITH EVERY MENTAL HEALTH CALL THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE, UM, DOES NOT POSE A RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY, HAVE, HAVE THE, UM, MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS BE THE ONES ON THE SEA AND THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS ON THE SCENE RATHER THAN AN ARMED OFFICER. 
          AND SO I'M ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO THAT. 
          AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE US WORKING CLOSER TO THAT GOAL OF REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE TRAINED MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ON THOSE CALLS AS THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. 
          YOU'LL SEE US GETTING CLOSER TO THAT GOAL IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET CYCLE, BUT IT IS A PROCESS THAT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS. 
          AND I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S GOING TO TAKE, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION REALLY ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE CALLS WHERE A SOCIAL WORKER COULD RESPOND? WHAT ARE THOSE CALLS THAT REALLY DO REQUIRE THE PRESENCE OF, UH, ONE OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS? OKAY. 
          THANKS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER HAVE A FEW MORE TO ASK YOU ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, UM, IS THE NEW PLANNING AND HOUSING DEPARTMENT GOING TO HAVE PLANNERS? IS THAT IN THE BUDGET AND WILL THEY STILL BE IN TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS PUTTING IN HOUSING? SO THIS, UM, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. 
          UH, WE ARE MOVING, MOVING OUR PLANNING, MOVING SOME OF OUR STAFF TO A NEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES BUILDING OUT BY HIGHLAND MALL. 
          THIS HAS BEEN A, A LONG UNDERTAKING. 
          UM, IT WILL END, WE ARE, THE MANAGER JUST ANNOUNCED THE MERGER OF OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT. 
          AND SO OUR HOUSING, OUR CURRENT HOUSING DIRECTOR WILL BE DIRECTING THAT DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, ROSIE TRUE LOVE WILL BE DIRECTING THAT. 
          IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING BASED ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WAS ASKED THAT I, I REFERRED TO THE CITY MANAGER THAT THEY HAVEN'T QUITE YET DECIDED WHO WILL BE HOUSED IN THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES BUILDING OUT AT HIGHLAND MALL, WHETHER OUR PLANNERS WILL BE OUT THERE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT STAFF OR WHETHER OUR PLANNERS WILL GO WITH THE HOUSING STAFF AND IT MAY BE A MIX OF BOTH. 
          UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I KNOW ON THAT PROCESS AT THE MOMENT. 
          UM, I THINK PART OF THE QUESTION NICOLE 
          [00:55:01]
HELPED ME WAS ABOUT WHETHER OUR PLANNING AND HOUSING WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE PLANNERS, WILL THEY WILL, WILL, WILL PLANNERS BE INCLUDED? YES, IT'S MY UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT WILL, WILL BE CONTAINED WITHIN THAT NEW MERGED DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          ANOTHER QUESTION HERE, UM, SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS THERE IS 800,000 FOR CODE. 
          NEXT IS THIS FOR LAWYERS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO BATTLE RESIDENTS? WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MONEY FOR, UM, AND IS THE $200,000 CONTRACT WITH PETER PART ALSO FOR THIS OR INCLUDED IN IT? SEE PETER PARKS CONTRACT THAT WE, I MIGHT NEED CLARIFY VACATION INCREMENT, BEN, YOU KNOW, IF HE HAS IT, OR WE MIGHT NEED TO CIRCLE BACK, UM, WITH, WHOEVER'S ASKED THIS QUESTION AND GET THEM THE INFORMATION ON OUR LAST AGENDA. 
          THERE WAS A CONTRACT FOR PETER PARKS WHO HAS BEEN A CONSULTANT ON THE NEXT PROJECT. 
          UM, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WITH THE APPROVAL OF THAT CONTRACT, UM, THE MONEY WOULD, WOULD LIKELY COME OUT OF FISCAL YEAR 21 BUDGET. 
          SO, YES, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKELY DOES INCLUDE THAT. 
          WHAT, WHAT THE REMAINDER OF THAT FUNDING IS GOING TO, UM, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON, BUT I'LL ASK MY STAFF TO LOOK INTO, INTO THE REMAINDER OF THAT. 
          UM, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, SEVERAL, SEVERAL PEOPLE I'M GOING TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE, CAUSE WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR COMMITMENT TO TRANSFORMING PUBLIC SAFETY AND WHAT PROPOSALS YOU ARE CONSIDERING SUPPORTING AS WE LOOK TOWARD THE BUDGET ADOPTION. 
          SURE. 
          UM, AND I SEE ONE, ONE ASKING, SUGGESTING I DON'T SUPPORT ANY REDUCTION IN APGS BUDGET. 
          THAT'S SIMPLY NOT ACCURATE. 
          AND AGAIN, I WOULD REFER YOU TO MY PUBLIC STATEMENTS, BUT ALSO, UM, THE STATEMENTS I MADE IN THE BEGINNING, UM, I HAVE EXPRESSED PUBLICLY MY SUPPORT OF, OF SEVERAL TRANSFERS, UM, INCLUDING NINE ONE, ONE COMMUNICATION SERVICES. 
          UM, THE FORENSIC WE'LL HAVE THESE INTERNAL AFFAIRS. 
          I THINK THOSE ARE OUR PROGRAMS WITHIN APD. 
          THAT ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, I CAN SUPPORT MOVING OUT OF APD, I THINK AS YOU, IF YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE CONVERSATIONS THAT TODAY'S PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND IN OUR WORK SESSIONS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST, UM, ARTICULATE THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELOCATING SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS. AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM WITH THE HELP OF ADMIN, YOU KNOW, HOW, WHAT OF THOSE CHANGES ACTUALLY RESULT IN REDUCTIONS IN THE BUDGET. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ASK YOU TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET Q AND A TO UNDERSTAND, UM, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOME OF THOSE WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT PARKS POLICE, AND WHETHER THE FUNCTION OF PARKS POLICE SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED OUT OF APD. 
          AND I THINK IT'S A VERY, A VERY, TO HAVE WITHIN OUR PARK SYSTEM, UM, STAFF MEMBERS OF THE CITY WHO ARE NOT PARKS POLICE, AND THEY WOULD SERVE A DIFFERENT FUNCTION. 
          THEY WOULD PROVIDE SECURITY WITHIN THE PARK, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY TAKE ON, ON NEW ROLES WITHIN OUR PARKS TO SERVE INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND SO THAT WOULD BE A FUNCTION THAT NO LONGER RESIDES WITHIN THE, THE, WITHIN APD. 
          WE DON'T KNOW YET WHETHER THAT IS AN ACTUAL COST SAVINGS. 
          AND SO SOME OF THESE CHANGES ARE IMPORTANT TO DO FROM, FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE WE ARE REALLOCATING FUNCTIONS THAT HAVE OVER TIME BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND PERHAPS ARE BETTER HANDLED BY OTHER DEPARTMENTS. 
          AND THEN SOME OF THEM WILL BE TRUE REDUCTIONS. 
          UM, AND I KNOW THAT YOU SPOKE TO THIS AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TODAY AND MAY HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT IT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, ONE TRUE REDUCTION IN APDS BUDGET FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD BE NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH THE NOVEMBER CADET CLASS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHAT I KNOW OF OUR CURRICULUM AND OUR CADET TRAINING, THAT IS LIKELY A CHANGE I'M GOING TO SUPPORT. 
          WE HAVE INITIATED A PROCESS TO UNDER, TO TRANSFORM THE CADET TRAINING. 
          I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY APPROPRIATE TO DO SO. 
          I SUPPORTED THE RESOLUTION THAT MY COLLEAGUE COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON BROUGHT BACK MAYBE LAST DECEMBER TO INITIATE THOSE CHANGES IN OUR CADET CURRICULUM. 
          BASED ON THE LAST REPORT WE HAD REPORT, WE HAD, I DON'T BELIEVE THOSE CHANGES ARE GOING TO BE COMPLETE IN TIME FOR A NOVEMBER CADET CLASS. 
          AND SO I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CADET CLASS IN NOVEMBER. 
          THAT IS AN ACTUAL SAVINGS THAT COULD BE REALLOCATED TO NEW NEEDS, UM, SUCH AS HOMELESSNESS, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER KINDS OF IMPORTANT COMMUNITY NEEDS, EMS, OTHER KINDS OF IMPORTANT COMMUNITY NEEDS. 
          AND AS A COUNCIL, WE'RE CONTINUING TO EVALUATE SOME OF THOSE OTHER PROPOSALS. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITH ED'S HELP AND SOME OF THE ANSWERS COMING BACK TO US THROUGH THE QUESTION AND ANSWER, I THINK WE'LL HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ARE THOSE, OUR TRUE COST SAVINGS, UM, AND WHICH ARE SIMPLY THE REALLOCATION OF FUNCTIONS. 
          AND I WILL SAY WE BOTH 
          [01:00:01]
ED AND I REFER TO THE COMMUNITY RE-IMAGINING TASK FORCE THAT OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER IS SPEARHEADING. 
          YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THEY'RE LIKELY BASED ON THE CONVERSATION I HEARD TODAY AT COUNCIL, UM, AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER, MADISON, AS MANY OF, YOU KNOW, HAS PROPOSED SOMETHING THAT I THINK SHE'S PLANNING TO POST TOMORROW, BUT, UM, THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET AND IDENTIFY SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE WOULD COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT. 
          MIDYEAR KIND OF PROPOSE A BUDGET AND ADOPT A BUDGET FOR SIX MONTHS. 
          AND THEN AT THE SIX MONTH MARK COME BACK AND SEE THE WORK OF THE COMMUNITY REIMAGINING TASK FORCE, UM, AND LOOK, LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE OTHER ISSUES. 
          AND TO ME THAT SEEMS, THAT SEEMS ALSO A VERY GOOD APPROACH TO TAKE WHAT ACTIONS WE CAN NOW. 
          UM, AND I'VE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL THAT I AM PLANNING TO SUPPORT AND THERE WILL BE OTHERS. 
          UM, AND THEN TO TAKE A LOOK AFTER THAT COMMUNITY REIMAGINING TASKFORCE CONCLUDES ITS WORK AND SEE WHAT ADDITIONAL MEASURES WE WANT TO TAKE. 
          THANKS COUNCIL MEMBER, IF YOU WANT TO JUST TAKE A LAST QUESTION. 
          UM, A COUPLE OF PEOPLE ASKED ABOUT WEST CAMPUS SAFETY PRIORITIES AND WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE IN THE COMING YEARS. 
          UM, SURE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, MY DISTRICT INCLUDES DOWNTOWN AS WELL AS WEST CAMPUS AND, YOU KNOW, I AM, I TAKE MY, MY REPRESENTATION AT THOSE CONSTITUENTS VERY SERIOUS SERIOUSLY. 
          AND I'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH, WITH UT AND WITH THE STUDENTS IN THAT AREA, AS WELL AS WITH SOME OF THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. 
          UM, SOME OF YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT UT HAS COME FORWARD WITH SOME NEW MEMBERS THAT IT INTENDS TO IMPLEMENT IN THE WEST CAMPUS AREA. 
          IT WILL HAVE. 
          IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THESE PLANS HAVE CHANGED BASED ON THE PANDEMIC, BUT THE LAST I HEARD, UM, THE UT BOARD OF REGENTS, UH, HAD APPROVED SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING ABOUT $8 MILLION TO ENHANCE SAFETY IN THE WEST CAMPUS AREA. 
          AND THAT IS GOING TO BE SPREAD OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. 
          AND SO THAT WILL RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL UT PD OFFICERS, NOT APD OFFICERS, BUT UTPB OFFICERS IN THE WEST CAMPUS AREA, SOME ADDITIONAL SECURITY LIGHTING. 
          UM, OUR CITY HAS OUR CITY UTILITY IS WORKING HARD TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE LIGHTING ISSUES THAT STUDENTS HAD IDENTIFIED. 
          UM, ASHLEY RICHARDSON ON MY STAFF WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH, WITH SOME STUDENTS. 
          I ACTUALLY SERVED AS KIND OF A FACULTY ADVISOR TO A COUPLE OF CLASSES WORTH OF STUDENTS. 
          AND ONE OF THEIR PROJECTS WAS TO TALK TO OTHER STUDENTS ABOUT, ABOUT, UM, SAFETY IN THE AREA. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, THE MAYOR PROPOSED A SAFE, UH, SECURITY STUDY, HAVING LOOKING AT THE LIGHTING IN THE AREA, AND THAT DID RESULT IN SOME, SOME FEEDBACK ABOUT SOME AREAS THAT NEEDED BETTER LIGHTING. 
          AND SO AUSTIN ENERGY HAS BEEN WORKING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE LIGHTING ISSUES, TO THE EXTENT IT CAN IN PUBLIC AREAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WEST CAMPUS HAS ADEQUATE LIGHTING. 
          AND AGAIN, THE BOARD OF REGENTS AND UT IS WORKING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE OTHER SECURITY ISSUES. 
          AND WE DO HAVE SOME GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. 
          IF YOU ARE IN TOUCH WITH MY OFFICE, I'D BE GLAD TO SEND THAT ON IN TERMS OF UTS PLANS. 
          I WILL. 
          AND LASTLY, BEFORE I FORGET, I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH STREET TEAM. 
          THAT IS A TEAM THAT IS ACTIVE IN DOWNTOWN IT'S GEOGRAPHICALLY LIMITED TO DOWNTOWN, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES WEST CAMPUS. 
          AND SO THAT IS, THAT IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT MEASURE IN, IN, IN OUR CITY TO REALLY WORK, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REACHING OUT TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UM, THROUGHOUT AND MAKING SURE THOSE RESOURCES GET TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          WELL, I THINK WE WERE A FEW MINUTES PAST SEVEN. 
          UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS THAT THOSE OF YOU SENT IN. 
          DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO ADD COUNCIL MEMBER? TOVA SURE. 
          JUST IN GLANCING AT THE QUESTIONS, I THINK WE'VE, UM, HIT, UH, NOT ALL, BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF THEM ARE COVERING SIMILAR SIMILAR TOPICS. 
          I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO BE IN TOUCH WITH MY OFFICE. 
          UM, UH, TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT. 
          UM, I WILL MENTION THAT TOMORROW. 
          THERE'S A VERY IMPORTANT JOINT MEETING OF CAP METRO AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT. 
          IT'S ONE OF OUR LAST MEETINGS. 
          WE WILL BE TAKING A COUPLE OF VOTES TOMORROW THAT ARE IMPORTANT ON RELATED TO PROJECT CONNECT. 
          WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TONIGHT TO REALLY TALK ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT. 
          UM, BUT THAT IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT WILL BE BEFORE THE VOTERS LIKELY, UM, THIS NOVEMBER. 
          AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT, AT THAT ISSUE. 
          IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY MOVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IMPROVED MOBILITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT IN THIS PROCESS. 
          [01:05:01]
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU, UM, AND TO POTENTIALLY HAVING THIS IN PERSON NEXT YEAR. 
          SO THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
* 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.