Austin Housing Finance Corporation Meeting Transcript – 03/04/2021 Title: City of Austin Channel: 6 - COAUS Recorded On: 3/4/2021 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 3/4/2021 Transcript Generated by SnapStream ================================== Please note that the following transcript is for reference purposes and does not constitute the official record of actions taken during the meeting. For the official record of actions of the meeting, please refer to the Approved Minutes. At 10:35, we're going to recess the city council meeting and convene the Austin Austin housing finance corporation meeting. It is March 4, 2021, the time is 10:35. We have a quorum of the board of directors. I think we have three items on the agenda. The first two are conduct a public hearing and receive public comment on two items, we have done that. Clerk, have we called all of the folks that wanted to speak on this item earlier? >> Yes, those that called in, some have not called in, but yes. >> Mayor Adler: So everyone that wanted a chance to speak on this agenda has had that [10:36:23 AM] opportunity. >> Correct. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Councilmember Fuentes. >> Fuentes: I share the traffic concerns. The traffic plan is part of the site plan process and is not associated with the financing. Today's item as we have previously shared with the public hearing and I'm glad my community was able to participate to voice these concerns. But just emphasize today is a hearing and the meeting on the 25th is when we will vote on the issuance of bonds from the state. It's my understanding that vote is to accept bond dollars from the state on an already previously approved project by this council at the end of last year. We'll continue working on this. We have a -- my team has a meeting with city staff and our community next Friday to discuss the traffic safety concerns, and just to reiterate the plan is part [10:37:24 AM] of the site plan process and also I want to say thank you to my collect councilmember kitchen for raising that we also have in the 2020 mobility bond has dedicated to help with mobility and sidewalk improvement for that area. So again, I share the concerns of my community and will continue to work with city staff to make sure that they get addressed. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you, councilmember. Councilmember kitchen. >> Kitchen: Yes, thank you, councilmember Fuentes. Just as a reminder to everyone, when we passed the active traffic safety board resolution, there's specific language in it about Nuckols crossing, recognition Nuckols cross ING is a substandard road and there's still more work to be done to make sure it makes its way to improvements on [10:38:24 AM] Nuckols crossing and I just want to let you all know I support her and there is an identified stream of funding to be used for that. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Councilmember tovo, did you want to speak. >> Tovo: Mayor, we just received a communication from Ms. Joseph who I believe wanted to speak on this item before we get to afc. >> Mayor Adler: Clerk, I think we have one more speaker who wants to speak. >> I have emailed her with the instructions, but we're we're still not showing her in the queue to speak. >> Mayor Adler: Much she shows up, please interrupt it. Councilmember tovo, did you want us to wait? Muted. >> Tovo: She is indicating [10:39:25 AM] she's on the line. Maybe we could give her another 30 seconds and see if she can be located. >> She is not in the yeah, we just double checked. I've asked her to hang up and call back. >> Mayor Adler: While we're giving her 30 seconds to do that, Mandy, Rosie anything else we need to hear before we entertain a vote on number 3? >> Yes, this is Mandy, Austin housing finance corporation. I did want to offer some clarification. You have three items on the agenda today. The first two are the public hearings. Tore number number 1 [inaudible] As councilmember Fuentes mentioned the next council meeting which is March 25th we'll actually take actionment the recommendation is move forward with authorization [10:40:26 AM] up to $22 million. Today, however, is not action. It is just a public hearing for those two items. Item 3 is a completely different project. It is [inaudible] Aahfc at 900 Gardner. You may recall that last September you all authorized us to move forward with negotiations with the mayor mecino group on the currently vacant parcel. This is actually [indiscernible] Which is authorizing them to move forward to get the private activity bond [inaudible]. So three on your agenda today at various stages of development. [10:41:28 AM] >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Thank you. Signed up in the queue? >> Yes, we do. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you, she has one minute. >> Zenobia Joseph. >> Thank you, mayor, councilmembers. I'm Zenobia Joseph. Mayor, I just have one quick question. Is this to comment on all the agenda items in this one minute or just Austin housing finance corporation? >> Mayor Adler: I think you get called on everything you want to speak on. >> Okay. Thank you. I appreciate you clarifying that. My opposition to 2, there is no transportation to that site and so I have sent a disparate complaint to the department of house and community affairs. When was item was originally [10:42:30 AM] on the agenda it referred to 142 which is a route that only operates twice in the morning and twice from downtown to north Austin. My opposition to item number 67 is that we do not need more talks, titles and task force related to African-American inequities. If you want to do something for black, I would ask you to find $4.7 million and to put the metro rapid line on Parmer lane between Samsung and apple. I will proceed to follow up with the living cities as it relates to $75,000 for the equity Ben heck and ask them to defund the city of Austin. We do not need more funding -- [buzzer sounding] -- As a smoke screen and my comments are related to title 6 of the civil rights act which discriminates -- there are many items I signed up for, but in a nutshell, I would -- >> Speaker, your time has [10:43:32 AM] expired. >> It would help if the hearing from separate from the general items. Thank you very much. >> Mayor Adler: Colleagues, that gets us back to the agenda. The record should reflect -- clerk, is there anyone else signed up to speak? >> Not for ahfc. >> Mayor Adler: The record will reflect we've taken public hearings on items 1 and 2. We're going to take action on item number 3. Is there a motion to approve the resolution? Councilmember Renteria makes the motion. Is there a second in councilmember Casar seconds. Any discussion? Let's take a vote. Those in favor of resolution item number 3 please raise your hand. Those opposed? I see it as being unanimous by the board of directors. It passes. That's all the business we have. Council? >> Councilmember harper-madison, were you trying to come on? [10:44:33 AM] >> Mayor Adler: Yes, councilmember harper-madison appearing and showing aye. Councilmember Casar. >> Casar: I just want to recognize that between the units at Rutland and district 4 and the units at the Gardner tract in district 3 and care takes and mecino's work, we're trying to bring on line hundreds of units for folks that are currently living on the street. So again, I just think it's important for the community to know and for us to thank the staff and the non-profits doing that work for us to bring units online to achieve our goal of reducing homelessness in the city. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Mayor, if I could, I also did reach out directly to Ms. Joseph to address her comments regarding [inaudible] At Rutland and proximity to transportation, [10:45:34 AM] but we have confirmed that esparo is four minutes from cap metro loop 325 which has a 15-minute head way during morning, afternoon and evening and 325 north to shops and amenities [inaudible] Tech ridge. In addition we have a red line stop at the new Austin soccer stadium, which is [inaudible]. We are very committed to aligning our affordable housing with transportation so I do want to make that clear. Selected as a site for its proximity to transportation. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. All right, colleagues, we took care of all the items on the agenda. With that I'm adjourning the Austin housing finance corporation meeting here at 10:46.