City Council Special Called Meeting Transcript – 1/06/2017 Title: ATXN 24/7 Recording Channel: 6 - ATXN Recorded On: 1/6/2017 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 1/6/2017 Transcript Generated by SnapStream ================================== [6:00:41 PM] [Applause]. >> Mayor Adler: So before we start I just want to welcome everybody here. I want to acknowledge the presence with us tonight of the county judge. Is she here? County judge, thanks for joining us. [Applause]. We have with us I think our brand new district attorney, Margaret. Thank you. [Applause]. We have our brand new sheriff with us. [Applause]. I think we have county commissioner Bridget Shea in the room. [Applause]. And we have constable George morales with us. [Applause]. If everyone will please stand for the posting of the colors, the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem. Color guard, please post the colors. [Drum cadence]. [6:03:33 PM] >> Mayor Adler: If you would now please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I ledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Mayor Adler: I'd like to now introduce will Dupuy who will sing for us the national anthem. >> ♪ Oh say can you see... By the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming. And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave... Oer the land of the free and the home of the brave ♪♪. [Applause]. [Retiring of colors]. [6:06:01 PM] >> Mayor Adler: If everyone would please remain standing while senior chaplain Rick Randall of the Austin police department delivers the invocation. Sir. >> I know that there are a number of clergy present here tonight, and if you will join me just by extending your hands forward towards this council as we pray. Almighty god our father, thank you for this day and if for the the great gift of life you've given to each one of us. As sacred scripture tells you in you we move and our being and what we see and can't see exists through you. Thank you for the privilege we all have of living in this great city. You've surrounded us with incredible beauty and blessed us with the gifts of education, the arts, technology, government, diversity and innovation. Truly, you god, have made our city unique. The bible says that we are to pray for those who are in authority over us. It says that you, got, raise up leaders for the people who are your servants for justice and right and good. So we stand before you in this city to pray for those you have raised up to govern and to lead us. We unite our prayers with the prayers of thousands of believers all over Austin who regularly hold up to you this mayor, this council and all who serve with them. Bless and protect these leaders, lord. Bless their families and loved ones. As they do their work help them to remember the promises they have made and the charge they have been given. Help them to see one another as valued colleagues and may this council chamber become famous as a place of respect and honor under their leadership. As they face the difficult decisions ahead, give them the clarity in their aims, responsibility in their actions, and civility in their attitudes even when [6:08:02 PM] they differ. Help them to share, to serve and to seek the common good for all of us. We're so grateful, god, for their sacrifice, for their willingness to serve this city and their people. Give them the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to have integrity and the compassion of generosity. Let this be the generation that sees our historic values of freedom and justice for all move from noble phrases to living expressions, for one day we will all stand accountable before you for what we have done with these great gifts you have given. Bless this assembly and this inauguration with your presence, we pray in your majestic and holy name. Amen. >> Mayor Adler: Please be seated. I now invite the mayor pro tem and the councilmembers, the interim city manager Elaine hart and the city manager Ann Morgan to please take your seats on the dais. And those elected should stay where you are. I want to introduce the honorable Sheri statman, the presiding judge of the municipal court, who will administer the oath of offices. And I would ask the council member-elect to please join when your name is called. The first council member-elect to be sworn in will be Delia Garza. [6:10:03 PM] >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. [Applause]. Please raise your hand and repeat after me. I, Delia Garza, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of Austin city council district number 2 of the state of Texas, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend, the constitution and laws of the United States and this state. So help me god. Congratulations. [Applause]. >> Mayor Adler: Now calling up council member-elect Gregorio Casar. >> Please raise your hand. [Cheers and applause] I, Greg Casar, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of Austin city council district number 4 of the state of Texas, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution and laws of the United States and this state, so help me god. Congratulations. [Applause]. [6:12:03 PM] [Cheers and applause] >> Mayor Adler: Council member-elect Jimmy Flannigan. [Cheers and applause] >> Mr. Flannigan, repeat after me, I, Jimmy Flannigan, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of Austin city council district number 6 of the state of Texas and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution and laws of the United States and this state, so help me god. Congratulations. [Cheers and applause] >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember Leslie pool. [Cheers and applause] >> Raise your right hand. I, Leslie pool, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of Austin city council district number 7 of the state of Texas, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution and laws of the United States and this state, so help me god. [6:14:05 PM] Congratulations. [Cheers and applause] >> Mayor Adler: Council member-elect Alison alter. [Cheers and applause] >> Hi, Alison alter, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of Austin city council district number 10 of the state of Texas, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution and laws of the United States and this state, so help me god. Congratulations. [Cheers and applause] >> Mayor Adler: I'm now going to call to order this special called meeting of the Austin city council. Today is Friday, January 6th of the year 2017. We are in the city council chambers here at city hall. [6:16:08 PM] To everyone who is joining us tonight for this special occasion, I want to welcome you to be here. You know, in the last two years everything we did when we did something as a council was a new experience. We were the new 10-1 council. Well, this is the first time that we have had an election as a sitting 10-1 council. This is the first time we have elected new mayors -- new city councilmembers [laughter]. Some day. [Laughter]. We brought in new city councilmembers to join us to the dais. And this is the only time that the brand new 10-1 council will transition to a new city council, and I think that's pretty special and I think that that is a new milestone for the 10-1 council. Some things have changed and some things have not changed. With councilmember alter's election, it's worth pointing out that women still own seven of the 11 seats on the council dais. [Cheering] I think it's great that when girls in Austin look at the city council they see themselves reflected in the faces of a majority on this dais. Austin is a leader in having women in leadership as evidenced by our acting city manager. And I think it is great how regular and not a big deal that having women leadership positions is to us here in the city of Austin. [6:18:11 PM] Parenthetically I will also note that I had some time for reflection over the holidays and in anticipation of this meeting, and I realized that with councilmember Flannigan's election to this council, I was going to be the only guy on the dais without any facial hair. [Laughter]. This minority needs to support one another. [Laughter]. So I stand tonight in brotherhood -- [laughter] -- with my colleagues on the council. On behalf of your new colleagues, I would like to welcome Alison alter and Jimmy Flannigan to this dais. [Applause]. We are all looking forward to working with you and to the contributions that you will surely make. Alison, you said that you wanted to work on managing growth and expanding parks and increasing transparency and accountability here at city hall, and I want you to know that your colleagues and I want to help you achieve those things. Jimmy, you said that you want to work collaboratively to address transportation, cost of living issues in district 6 and across Austin, and your colleagues and I want to help you with that as well. You guys have both hit the ground running. We can see it in your eyes that you are raring to go, and so are we. Before we begin, though, let me point out a feature of this room that I think makes this council different. In most government buildings of this type when you look at courtrooms and council [6:20:11 PM] chambers, the elected officials are elevated over the public. These rooms, because of the way they are designed, put politicians in a position of power looking down on the people in these buildings. Our council chambers flipped that around, which explains a lot of how things are done around here. Because when you take a second to look at how this room is set up, and first there's the obvious. We are surrounded by windows that look out to the streets. They expose us to the world outside. We are literally on display. Second, if you look up you see the -- that this room is a TV studio. We have huge screens here that show us what the public is seeing. We have TV lights aimed at us. You will never feel more transparent or accountable than when you are sitting on this dais. And last and most important, if you look at the back end of this chamber, the floor of that area opposite the dais is higher than we are. This means all of Austin, literally anyone in town, can come here and stand in judgment of what we do. In these -- in this chamber, in this chamber, it is clear that the members of the public are clearly in the position of power. And that's why this job looks so easy from the outside. I was the same way. When I ran for mayor I said there was no reason for a meeting ever to run past midnight. [Laughter]. And then you get here and you realize that you are accountable to every person who comes here to have their say. Yes, the meetings sometimes run too long. [6:22:13 PM] We all want to work on that. But it's like life, because the days are long and the years are short. You won't believe that when we are here discussing a zoning case at 2:00 in the morning, but the next two years are going to fly by. In fact, that's one reason why it is hard to call it a day even when it is already night and the morning is approaching. We have only so much time. The first 10-1 council accomplished a lot and I was proud to be a part of that. We bent the cost curve on taxes and fees. We invested in clean energy and public safety, and in health care and in new parks. We brought new ethics reform, we created newco lesions to deal with homelessness. We significantly reduced the Austin energy budget, affordable housing, personalitying, institutional, racism, the arts, we made huge strides to mobility. And we did this by setting intentions. We did not accomplish these things by accident. There will always be an emergency of the day, something that you never intended to work on, that desperately requires your urgent attention. And we're going to work on it in good faith, late into the evening, although I hope this new council figures out a better way than we have in the past. What we came here to accomplish will not get done accidentally. It is up to us to use this timewisely, effectively, productively because councilmembers and mayors come and go. In this brief time we have on this dais we are but temporary trustees of the hopes and dreams of [6:24:14 PM] austinites. We bear a great responsibility and a community trust. If I can leave you with an encouraging thought, it's this one: Working at its best this new 10-1 council is all for one and one for all, and you have nine colleagues who are here to help. So let's get to work. Tonight's meeting -- thank you. [Applause]. The first item for business on tonight's agenda is the election of the mayor pro tem of the Austin city council. The mayor pro tem plays an important role at city council meetings, at ceremonial functions in this city in my absence. Is there a motion nominating a councilmember to serve as mayor pro tem? Councilmember Houston? >> Houston: Thank you, mayor. Mayor and members of council, I nominate councilmember Katherine tovo to the position of mayor pro tem. [Cheering] >> Mayor Adler: There's been a motion. Is there a second to that motion? Councilmember Renteria seconds that motion. Is there any discussion or debate? >> Houston: I just have a few things to say. [Laughter]. >> Mayor Adler: Absolutely. >> Houston: Mayor pro tem, I have found over the past two years to be a steady rock for a very Newby like me in this role as councilmember. She shares her experience on past councils. She's used to dealing with change. She helps us navigate the legal waters when we -- even when Ann Morgan is not aren't. She says you know, you might [6:26:15 PM] rethink how we do that. She listens to all opinions, she's very patient and thoughtful in the way she handles even disagreements, and she shows compassion to all the people in various districts and the issues of various districts. I also appreciate her very dry sense of humor. [Laughter]. She has an ethic and integrity that is inshakable. So for that reason it is my pleasure to nominate her. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. [Applause]. Councilmember Flannigan? >> Flannigan. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. It is my understanding that it is usual for councilmember district 6 to interrupt the proceedings? [Laughter]. So I would like to take the opportunity to give the mayor pro tem my whole hearted support. [Applause]. [Laughter] >> Mayor Adler: That wasn't on my interrupt anywhere. I'm looking -- on my script anywhere. I'm looking for it here. Any further discussion? Then let's go ahead and take a vote. Those in favor of the motion electing councilmember mayor pro tem tovo to be the mayor pro tem, please raise your hand? Those opposed? It is unanimous on the dais. Congratulations. [Applause]. Mayor pro tem? >> Tovo: I just want to really thank you. [6:28:15 PM] Councilmember Houston, thank you so very much for those words. I just want to say it's been really my privilege to serve in this capacity the last two years, and we have accomplished great things and I have no doubt that as a council the next two years are going to be just very much of the same. So thank you again for the confidence that you've exhibited in electing me to serve for the next two years. [Applause]. >> Mayor Adler: Next item of business is to choose seats on the dais. As you know, every six months we change the order on the dais so that you get to meet new people and -- [laughter]. So we'll be drawing now. And how are the numbers working? 1 is where councilmember Houston is currently sitting right now, and then it will be eight where -- 10 where councilmember Garza is sitting now. What number did you draw? >> Houston: 10. [Laughter]. >> Six. >> Eight. >> One. >> Nine. >> Four. >> This is awesome. I got seven. [Applause]. >> And I got five. [Applause]. >> And I got two. [Laughter] >> I got three so I'll trade you, Pio. [Laughter]. [6:30:16 PM] >> Mayor Adler: So that's good. That puts councilmember troxclair all the way to my right. [Laughter]. >> Troxclair: I was going to say I've been getting a lot of questions recently about how I'm possibly going to manage as the only one. So there's my number one and I think we'll all be just fine. >> Mayor Adler: I think that constitutes all of the business for this special called meeting of the Austin city council, and for that reason -- and I'll make a couple of quick announcements after this, but I'm going to adjourn this special called -- oh. Let me give both of you the chance to say something if you would like. >> [Inaudible]. >> Mayor Adler: Let's do that. We're going to give the newly sworn in folks a chance to say something if they would like to do that. Councilmember Garza. >> Garza: Good evening and thank you all for being here tonight. There's not one of us up here who got here alone and I want to begin with those who have been by my side every step of the way beginning with my campaign staff. Marissa Williams led my campaign the first time and this time around and also I have someone who managed my reelection campaign. I'm proud that both my campaigns have been run by smart and proud Latinas. I'm grateful to Susan Harry for her efforts and guidance during both of my campaigns. I have a huge thank to our field staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly and allowed us to run a true grassroots campaign. So my district 2 staff, Katherine, Brian, former mayor pro tem Jackie Goodman and former staffers Laura Williamson and Alexander, thank you for everything you [6:32:17 PM] did on for our constituents and for our city everyday. I know that we could not have accomplished all that we did in the very short two years, from leading a historic increase to our health and human services budget to digging into affordable housing policy and looking for new solutions to addressing food access issues to name a few. I was lucky to be raised in a wealthy family, but not wealthy in terms of money. We had wealth in terms of love, support and a deep family bond. I was afraid this was going to happen. [Laughter]. My parents, Jose and Celia, and my sisters Lisa and Joann, and their families have provided the richest family environment anyone could ever ask for. Their love has been the key to any success I have ever achieved. Both of my parents come from very humble beginnings and they spent their lives dedicated to taking care of those around them and they serve as my inspiration to work hard and to support working families and our most vulnerable populations. So my in-laws, [speaking foreign language]. Thank you for always being there to help with our daughter. She is so lucky to have all of you as an integral part of her life. And she's the one making all the noise up here. [Laughter]. And most importantly, my husband and our daughter. I firmly believe public service is a calling and it's also a family member, so to speak. I could not do this work without you, Ramiro, and I'm grateful everyday for the support you provide me and our family. Our daughter may not understand all of this now and I know you don't even want to think about it, but you have set the bar so high for any man who ever enters her life. I know that any member of our family embodies the greatest things about the Latino culture, strong work ethic, sacrifice for loved [6:34:19 PM] ones and for issues we believe in. It's a privilege to be able to represent Austin's most hispanic district, and I continue to foster all of the best parts of our culture and our values. Being Austin's first Latina councilmember is an honor I do not take lightly and I'm so thankful to the residents of district 2 for trusting me with four more years to represent our community. I made the decision to run for city council because I believe that south and southeast Austin deserved a strong and passionate voice, sometimes a shaky one, that worked closely with the district to ensure that they were being heard. That approach has driven me everyday. I'm so proud of what we've accomplished together as the first council under 10-1 and I feel that we've proven that we can all be strong advocates for our district while still working towards policy that benefits the city as a whole. I look forward to the coming years working together with my new colleagues and I welcome our new members to this council family. And given the recent election on the federal level, it's more important than ever that we remain a strong support system for the Austin community. I know that I along with a majority of voters in this last presidential election are concerned about changes that this administration might bring, changes that could separate families and changes that could take away basic human rights like access to affordable health care. Regardless of events at the federal level our Progressive values have not changed. We will continue to fight against our affordability crisis, to ensure that the people that make up the fabric of Austin can continue to live in our great city and we will fight to ensure that Austin remains welcoming, it remains Progressive and it remains a city that aspires to protect its most vulnerable. And that we will never, ever accept or normalize hateful rhetoric. [Applause]. While we have some uncertain [6:36:20 PM] times ahead of us, we also have an opportunity to bring our community closer together to fight for what we believe in. Two years ago at our first swearing in I asked that austinites give us guidance and hold us accountable. I asked that you continue to do that, serving as an Austin firefighter for this community and then as an assistant attorney general were deeply humbling and rewarding experiences and I am beyond thankful and honored to continue to serve my community as your district 2 voice. Thank you. [Cheers and applause] >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember Casar. >> Casar: Good evening. It's nice to get to do this one again. It's a little bit of a doover for me. For those of you who weren't here last time you might remember my shirt was all wrinkled up and I didn't have a tie on because I was sprinting over here from a recount and I have been told not to talk to any strange men who might serve me lawsuit papers in any other election. So it's nice to get to do it with my shirt pressed. [Laughter]. [Applause]. It's also a great evening because I get to spend it with all of you. I can't name all the folks that have come out here to support me tonight. That would take up most of my remarks, but for those of you in district 4 and beyond that have helped me and stood by our side in the work in the city and throughout the campaign, it means the world to me and I will never forget it. I do want to recognize individually, though, the members of my family who are here, my little sister Catrina, my partner in crime and better half, Asha Danielle, my mom and dad. [6:38:21 PM] [Applause]. And if you'll humor me for a second I will tell a very brief story about my mom and me and I will tell that story because I think a lot of you know me from my work here at the city, but may not know me personally as well and maybe the story will help explain some things. [Laughter]. When I was four years old we went to visit my family in Mexico for Christmas as we often times do, and we stayed in my aunt's house. And early one morning my mom was looking around the house for me and couldn't find me. She wanted to get breakfast ready and she didn't find me until she went behind the house. And behind my aunt's house there's this little patio area with old tiles and all three feet tall of me was standing there with a bike pump pumping the bike pump up and down. And I wasn't filling up a ball or fixing a tire. I had stuck the end of the bike pump into the ground in a crack between the tiles and the ground. And my mom, when she asked me what are you doing? I told her, mom, the Earth is [speaking foreign language], the Earth has a flat. And my mom was so sweet. She didn't say, that's silly, let's go get breakfast, or that's fruitless or actually, son, the Earth is round, not flat. She pulled up a chair and sat next to me and kept me company and said looks like you have a lot of work to do. [Laughter]. [Applause]. And all levity aside, thank you, mom, for standing by me and for supporting me and for eventually teaching me that there are more effective and strategic ways of helping our Earth than that strategy when I was four. And since then I've gotten a chance to work with so many of you with work on this dais and off this dais, to win workers' rights that they've never had before in this state, to work along with members of this dais for renters and tenants, [6:40:24 PM] rights they've never had in this city or state. We passed the first fair chance hiring ordinance in the south and we know there's still so much work to be done. [Applause]. We know we have to acknowledge that people in our country, our state and our city face grave challenges from growing in equality to the devastation of climate change, our increasing segregation and the apparent erosion of our %-@social compact. The problems that we face sometimes feel overwhelming, like the Earth has a flat. But I'm confident that we will rise to our challenges and that our city will shine as a beacon and example to other cities across our state and across our country, and I want to tell you why. And it's because of our people. Is because of you. Because our community is full of persistent and principled and creative and kind folks like Julio, a youngster I met in my district recently, a middle schooler, who told me he wants to help the homeless and that maybe one day when he's older he wants to be the district 4 councilmember. Because of a mother who drives through traffic and fights traffic every morning to get to work and fights traffic every evening not to get home, but to come to this council chamber and fight for the sidewalks her district needs and the social services that her neighborhood and her fellow people deserve. Because of our dedicated city staff and those who work in the realm of public safety for us every single day. Because of great local leadership and our new leadership, our brave new sheriff, Sally Hernandez -- [applause]. She deserves a hand. The principle of my new friend Margaret Moore, the district attorney, and the get stuff done energy of county judge Sarah Eckhardt and so many others. And you all here on the dais. It's been great to get to know every one of you, and I [6:42:25 PM] know that your good hearts and sharp minds are going to lead us to do great things in the next two years. I know that y'all will do anything for our city and I'm honored to be a part of this team. And we need you. We need the rest of you, because as y'all know, I was a community organizer and I believe that the work that we can get done is not done individually, but as a community. And I believe that together we must organize to bring together the millions -- not millions, not tens of millions, but hundreds of millions of dollars necessary to address the housing crisis our families face. And together we must organize to use all the tools at our disposal to get us off a list of most segregated cities in America. Together we must organize to create jobs with living wages for the folks who need them the most and give people a chance of rising up in the workplace and democratic reputation through our unions so that families can get ahead. Together we must organize to heed the calls of centuries of American history, that black lives matter, and together we must organize to battle bigotry and trumpism, Islam phobia and immigrant bashing at every term so we can be the inclusive kind of community that our nation's founding documents promised. [Cheers and applause] Together we must organize to combat climate change and to protect our air and our water without apologies. [Applause]. And in short -- in short we can and must and will organize together to be the Austin that we want to be. That Austin is within us and we can be that Austin, but we have to fight for it. Dr. King once said, progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step towards the goal of justice requires [6:44:27 PM] sacrifice and struggle. The nay sayers will declare our work as futile as pumping air into dead ground. It may seem like that sometimes, but when despair and cynicism seem like the most natural reaction, that's when more than ever we must keep hope in our hearts. Remember the incredible work we've managed to do here over the last just couple of years. We've dedicated historic funding streams to affordable housing, we've brought solar energy to Texas like has never been seen before, and brought geographic representation to this city and raised the voices of many who have been silenced in the past. Solutions to our most pressing problems are just not going to come from the legislature or the federal government. They're going to come from our cities, they're going to come from our communities. And our dedication to one another is neither naive nor futile. Indeed, it is the only path towards our common good, or at least that's what my mom taught owe me. Thank you very much. I'm very proud to be part of the family. [Cheers and applause] >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember Flannigan. >> Flannigan: Well, I've got to ask you does it look as good to have me up here as it feels to be up here? [Laughter]. [Applause]. [Laughter] It is a new day in district 6 for sure. To borrow a phrase, it's a new way forward in district 6. I want to start just by introducing some of the folks who have joined me here today. My family has come down from Dallas, my brother Ken, Michelle, the kids. Wave from the front row up there. There you go. Give them a round of applause. The kids need to hear it. [Applause]. My partner Zach, sack Rodriguez sitting next to them, who has been a rock for me the last two years. [6:46:27 PM] I've got an amazing team put together on the council staff, Marty buyers, chief of staff, Taylor Smith, Kate Messer in communications, CC the name already, Lizzie Carroll. Thank you. I hear it from the gallery. We just hired her yesterday. So we've got a full team put together for the district 6 office and the district 6 field office, which we will be maintaining out on Anderson mill road. We also -- I'm also going to maintain a political team. It's an interesting era to be in politics. It's certainly an interesting time to join politics. And I've got a political director, Dale Webb, a volunteer manager, Melissa, an outreach manager, Ruben, all district 6 residents, who are going to do the organizing, who are already doing the organizing right here in district 6, so that we can make sure that not just our voices are heard, but that the work can get done. I've got some amazing volunteers who have joined me here and of course Alison, my campaign manager over two campaigns. Give her a round of applause. [Applause]. Some amazing volunteers, Fred and Kathie Morgan, Fred and Karen gramp, jack who lives in district 6. So many wonderful people who have become a surrogate family here in Austin. My family still doesn't understand why I do this. They know, they laugh. It's really amazing because I've lived in far northwest Austin for 16 years. I lived there before it was the city of Austin. And I've watched it grow and I've grown myself, certainly over the last four years of campaigning. And I think one of the unexpected things that happened to me was how emotionally attached I've [6:48:31 PM] become -- emotionally attached I've become to my constituents. It's been an emotional ride in district 6. It's been a hard battle. And to be up here, to be called to serve, to serve with honor and respect, to serve in a way that we can work together here on the dais and actually get some stuff done is the greatest honor of my life. And to the extent that this is also a unique moment in politics I think Austin still has one more list to be the number one and it can be the list of political organizing and resistance. We can be the city that sets the tone and sets an example for the nation. [Applause]. And I promise you here tonight that district 6 will lead in that effort as I have promised district 6 can lead on every effort, because it is Austin and I'm a 20 year austinite. Many of the residents of district 6 are 20 plus year austinites. It's an amazing community, and mayor, I also appreciate the majority female council that we have, but I would be remiss if I didn't also acknowledge some firsts that I represent on this dais. I am the first openly gay man to serve on Austin city council. [Cheers and applause] I'm also the first Williamson county resident to serve on Austin city council. Where are my wilco people? Give my wilco people a round of applause. Nobody drove farther to be here than my Williamson [6:50:31 PM] county people! [Applause]. I am truly honored to be up here and I promise you no less than 110% of all my efforts moving forward, whether or not I'm sitting on this dais or not. We are going to fix some problems in Austin and Austin will be a signal and a symbol to the rest of the nation on how we can do government right and how government can do right by its people. Thank you. [Applause]. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember pool. >> Pool: Good evening, everyone. It's an honor to win. It's been such an honor to win reelection to this esteemed body, and hearing these speeches tonight just fills my mind up and my heart up with all the energy and the dedication and commitment that clearly is resonant on this panel. It's been a privilege to serve as the first councilmember for district 7 and an even greater privilege to continue for the next four years. So my thanks first go to the voters, the dedicated and motivated residents throughout Austin and in district 7 who supported my reelection. I couldn't have done it without you. So thank you. I was fortunate in my reelection campaign to reprize my team from 2014 with some notable additions. So if you will bear with me I would like to give some shout-outs to some people who worked extra hard. I want to thank my stellar political consultants, Matt and Jeff whose contributions are consistently valuable and strategic. I wouldn't be here today without their support and belief in me. Campaigns are tough. Ultimately clarifying endeavors. Matt had the roadmap figured out and that made all the difference. And of course, Jeff's knowledge of voting patterns and terrific sense of humor kept us all grounded. [6:52:31 PM] I want to thank Avery and Alex Hersh who at ages five and eight right now represent youth on my campaign. It was wonderful to see them volunteering with their father and being engaged in civic activities. With children like them and so many others, you know that our future is in really good hands. [Applause]. Heidi returned too bringing her effective organization skills to all things volunteer and event planning. Thank you, Heidi. There she is. I was missing you. Dean and Cynthia. They were in charge of media and did a great job. As always, their messaging and products were creative and effective and they are tremendous talents. Thank you, sin tee I can't and Dean -- Cynthia and Dean. [Applause]. New to my team was Michael and wise strategies. Michael oversaw my field program. Thank you, Michael, for your contributions and terrific operations. Thank you. [Applause]. My most constant, my most constant and present supporter of course is my partner, will grover. [Applause]. So those of y'all who are a partner too or married to someone who has run a campaign, you know it's not easy living in the middle of a campaign or a reelection campaign, but will maintained an even keel throughout, no matter what my endless schedule demanded, and always with good humor. Thanks, will. [Applause]. I deeply appreciate my incredible office team, Amy Smith, Louisa, Michael, you all rock. [6:54:32 PM] My office team ensured that I was prepared for meetings and they kept the office running without interruption and that helped me to be effective on the campaign trail. Thank you all. So I'm also excited to work with two new colleagues, Alison alter and Jimmy Flannigan. They are both intelligent, caring and hard working and they will add so much to our discussions and work on this dais. I think there are also -- I think the mayor noted this earlier, there are a number of elected officials in the house tonight and not only on this dais. So a shout-out on my friend and mentor and my county commissioner, Bridget Shea. [Applause]. And to all the other current and former elects joining us tonight. Thank you for all you do in this community and for joining us and working with us together in common cause. The city has big challenges ahead. We plan to continue to pursue solutions to Austin's homelessness. It critical that we help our society's most vulnerable and I look forward to our combined energies and insights on this issue. Other issues that I care deeply about and look forward to working on with my colleagues are improving funding for our parks, increasing public awareness and education around historic preservation mission. And I'm looking forward to the new library opening. [Laughter]. Y'all with me on that one too? [Applause]. Right? So there's lots to do. There's always lots to do. I appreciate having some time to celebrate our successes and some time to prepare in this new year. We're here together right now to do that very thing. So I thank you all. And I'm excited to continue my work with my colleagues here on the dais. Mayor, council colleagues, I appreciate each one of you for your vision and energy and commitment, and I promise to be a strong [6:56:32 PM] partner to you and with you on the many challenges that this next term will bring. This job is a real teacher of humility. Thank you for this privilege and I promise to continue to work hard for you and for this city that I love so much. Thank you. [Applause]. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember alter. >> Alter: Good evening. It's a privilege and honor to stand before you tonight for the first time as councilmember representing district 10. [Applause]. I do so with gratitude and excitement. To the voters of district 10, my volunteers and supporters, thank you for the confidence you have placed in me. I'm not going to try and thank each and every one of you and each member of my staff because somehow throughout this journey over the course of six months you just magically appeared when I needed you. Sometimes I've known you for years and sometimes you just said I saw what you stand for and I believe it too. I want to put community first. How can I help? I also don't want to name everyone because I would be really, really late and I would like that to be one of the things that this new council changes. [Applause]. [Laughter] To my staff, campaign field advisers, media advisers and Emmy campaign manager, Michael Tomlinson, thank you for your tireless efforts to help me share my vision and your ability to help me communicate both successfully and to bear with me when I really wanted do it on my terms. Thank you. [6:58:39 PM] To my family, my husband, Jeremy and my children, Natalie and Zachary, thank you for believing in me and joining me in this journey every step of the way. You are my inspirations and I hope to make you proud. [Applause]. For the residents of district 10 and the city at large, in the coming years I pledge to work tirelessly to fulfill my campaign promises, to represent you at city hall, to manage growth responsibly, to protect our open and green spaces, to invest in our children, to get Austin moving and to make city hall work for all of us. I expect and trust you will hold me accountable. This is district 10 after all. However, as I transition to my new role representing district 10, I invite you to stand with me to put community first. I need you. The city needs you to continue to engage and to help build a collaborative network that leverages our talent and our resources, our skills for the benefit of district 10 and for the city as a whole. It was really remarkable especially in the runoff how everyone came out of the woodwork and said we care about our community, we believe in this vision. The election was just the first step. Now we need to move forward together. I ran for office, as those of you who heard me on the campaign trail heard, because I believe our city government should solve problems and create an environment in which everyone can 35. We have important choices to make about the kind of city we aspire to be, how and where we want to grow and who benefits from our prosperity. We can choose to be the victims of growth or we can steer our destiny as a city. I look forward to working with and learning from my [7:00:39 PM] councils -- my colleagues on the council and city staff and indeed all community members who share my desire for Austin to be the best city it can be for all austinites. We stand here tonight together as the mayor mentioned, to not only mark the start of a new council, but also to acknowledge a milestone in the 10-1 process. For the success of 10-1 it was really important that some of these council seats turn over. Councilmember Flannigan and myself represent that success of 10-1. [Applause]. There's still work to be done, however, on 10-1, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to fulfill the promise of 10-1 and to build on the successes of the first two years. And while I am proud that Austin finally took the leap to geographic representation, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge tonight that we live in interesting times. I thus would like to conclude by affirming that I will stand with my colleagues to defend on our values of inclusion, diversity and tolerance and will work to bring the city together to make all in our community feel welcome. Thank you all for coming tonight. Thank you for all of your support. I am honored and privileged to represent you and I look forward to working with and for you, especially over the next four years. Thank you. [Applause]. >> Mayor Adler: Yes, councilmember troxclair. >> Troxclair: I wanted to take a minute and introduce one other new member of our council, the youngest member, I think, Juliet Elizabeth troxclair, my new daughter. She's here in the back right there. [7:02:43 PM] [Laughter] [Applause]. I was lucky to not have to run a campaign in the late months of my pregnancy this summer, but I also wanted to just thank my staff for keeping the office running and I know that Juliet will bring a new perspective to my discussions and to our discussions here on the council. So thank you for the opportunity to let me say hi to her. >> Mayor Adler: Absolutely. Does anyone else want to say anything? All right. I think that takes care of all the business that we have. So I adjourn the meeting. And at this time I would like to ask will Dupuy to come back to sing America the beautiful. ♪♪ Oh beautiful, for sacred skies, for amber waves of grain. For purple mountains majesties above the fruited plain. America... America... God shed his grace on thee. And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea ♪♪. [Applause]. >> Mayor Adler: Now it's my pleasure to ask chaplain Randall to perform the benediction. >> I know that you guys have refreshments coming so we're going to make this a very short blessing. [Laughter]. But if you will all join me, I'm going to turn and actually speak this blessing [7:04:44 PM] over you. [Speaking foreign language]. May the lord bless you and keep you. May the lord cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the lord turn his face towards you and give you peace. And to that we say amen. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. [Applause]. >> Mayor Adler: So with that I want to thank everyone for coming and for watching, those of you that are. I want to especially thank Thomas grouser, who provided the music before the ceremony. [Applause]. Will Dupuy and chaplain Rick Randall and judge statman who helped make this ceremony very special and beautiful this evening. I want to tell you on a practical level that if you have not gotten your parking ticket validated, there is staff here tonight that will do that for everyone. And at this point, I want to ask everybody to join us in the atrium where we have some refreshments and a little bit more music, since this is Austin, Texas. Congratulations. Good evening. >>