Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) Transcript – 01/27/2022 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 6 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 1/27/2022 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 1/27/2022 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. [11:46:33 AM] I'm going to recess the Austin city council meeting here at 11:46. I'm going to convene the meeting of the Austin housing finance corporation here on Thursday, January 27th, 2022. The time is 11:46. We have the directors all present. We're convening slowly for the purpose of -- solely for the purpose of take public comment and I think we have one speaker that's signed up. Is -- >> Zenobia Joseph? >> Thank you, mayor, council, I'm Zenobia Joseph. My comments are specifically related to item 9. My opposition to esparo Rutland has been consistent. Specifically he is sparrow the 1934 Rutland. As you recall you have not been honest with the public for this property, specifically looking at the [11:47:33 AM] may 3rd, 2021 item that was actually on KXAN and it showed 51 permanent supportive housing units and now it's 171. And there aren't that many housing units when you go south of U.S. 183. I want you to recognize as well that there was a conflation of the description for the supportive housing property in the Texas department of housing and community affairs board packet. It said specifically that this was developed two apartment communities that would be deeply affordable and intensely supported and then it mentions that it's high opportunity, high quality, supportive living and high opportunity transit connected. The truth of the matter, and I've said it before to Mandy de mayo, is that it's 240 Rutland was unilaterally eliminated June 3rd, 2018 from cap remap and she mentioned that there's a walk to the 803. [11:48:35 AM] I just want to remind you, mayor, that on July 9th, 2021 -- or when you actually did the budget over at community first village, council and the staff did not want to walk 200 yards and you had the fleet actually drop you off because it was raining that day. And so please recognize that transit dependent riders don't want to walk, just like you don't want to walk. And so I would just ask you to recognize that this is a concentrated poverty and it does not align with the executive order by president Biden 13985 which is has equity executive order and it also doesn't align with the fair housing act of 1968. [Buzzer]. And I would just lastly call to your attention that there was some registrant that actually talked about moving low income residents to high opportunity areas. >> Thank you, speaker, your time has expired. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you [11:49:35 AM] very much. Do we have any other speakers signed up to speak at the Austin housing finance corporation. >> There's no one left in the queue, mayor. >> Mayor Adler: We'll go ahead and recess the Austin housing finance corporation here at 11:49. We'll reconvene the council city council meeting and continue to be here on Thursday, January 27th, 2022. It's 11:49. We're going to go ahead and consider item 44. As we indicated that we would. Is there a motion to approve the settlement in the Smith versus Austin case? Mayor pro tem, do you want to make that motion? >> Alter: Mayor, I think we might need to hear the settlement before I make my motion. >> Mayor and council, I'm assistant city attorney Sara Schaefer. I'm here to recommend that the city council approve the settlement in the two audits [11:50:37 AM] mentioned in item 44, the Smith lawsuit and the Sanko lawsuit. This settlement is comprised of a payment of $825,000 to be shared among the 15 plaintiffs this those two lawsuits. There will also be an additional $50,000 paid to the plaintiffs' attorneys. The settlement also includes budget allocations for operational and policy changes with a fiscal cost of $3.5 million in budget allocations and expenditures that have been made sense fiscal year 2019. An additional 862,000 which has been earmarked for future budget allocations and improvements in fiscal year 2022 and beyond. And the operational and policy changes that have been made or will be made as part of the city's commitment to address the issues raised in these lawsuits and through this settlement include increased staffing in the sex crimes unit, including adding more [11:51:38 AM] detectives and victim services counselors to the unit, the creation of a cold case unit to investigate historic sexual assault cases, soft interview rooms for survivor interviews, the creation of an updated survivor innovation protocol to keep survivors updated on the progress of their cases. Additional training to the cadets, officers on responses and responding to sexual assault. The creation of a staff position to tracking collated data with investigations on sexual assault. A public information campaign on topics related to sexual assault. Creation of a voluntary survey for survivors at case closure. APD has rejoined start in 2021, the sexual assault resource and response time. This settlement also includes multiple look-back audits to ensure compliance with the settlement and a formal apology from the city [11:52:39 AM] as well as chief Chicon will host a sit-down meeting with any plaintiffs that would like to attend. >> Thank you. Mayor pro tem, do you want to make the motion. >> Alter: Thank you. I'm going to move approval of item 44 to settle these lawsuits with direction. And I will speak to my direction after I have a second. The direction was posted on the message board last night and there was a slight revised version which simply changed the item number at the very end back to 44. >> Is there a second to this motion? Councilmember Casar is going to second the motion. Mayor pro tem? >> Alter: No one should experience sexual assault. Let's start right there. No one should experience sexual assault and then have to spend years and years [11:53:41 AM] advocating to be believed, to be heard. We must fix the system that we have. I want to thank the 15 plaintiffs and yours lawyers and those who supported you. Thank you for persisting. Thank you for speaking loudly and bravely. We heard you. It took awhile, but we heard you. Thank you for focusing on systemic change and focusing to ensure that others do not have to experience the trauma that you have already been through. I asked the lawyers to read the full settlement when they were presenting because I think it's important to understand so much of what you were asking for was so that no other women or man has to go through the same [11:54:42 AM] experience. We as a council are charting a path forward today. We've been doing this for awhile with you right there pushing us along. As we as a council, as we as a city take the step today to settle these cases. We need to be mindful that you and the city and the world, frankly, are watching. You are very brave and it is our responsibility to not just settle the case but to affirm our commitment to improve our sexual assault response system and the direction that I have provided, provides further affirmation above and beyond the settlement because we still have work to do and we all know from the experience of this. I've been involved for over [11:55:43 AM] three years, it takes time, it takes persistence, not just on your end, but on our end. So what this direction does is it has a first part that simply states again that the city council further affirms its commitment to improve Austin's sexual assault system by providing the following direction to the city manager. It then goes on in part 1 to provide direction related to implementing the comprehensive sexual assault evaluation recommendations. That is the evaluation that I worked with, several of the advocates back in January 2019 was passed unanimously by this council. It asked the city manager to come back with a report on the preliminary recommendations from that report and their status. And then in recognition that the final report will be coming out in may directs the city manager to [11:56:44 AM] prioritize the implementation of the policy and the budgetary recommendations of that report and sets deadlines for when they have to come back to us about implementing the recommendations and the plan. Secondly, it calls for improved training related to sex crimes. We are prioritizing the support that is needed to develop and maintain training programs that have important characteristics. You know, our sex crimes unit has not had the support that they have needed to do their job at the level that we expect, and so this lays out various types of training, the kind of training that we want, and suggests some mechanisms that the city manager can pursue to do those, and directs the city manager to provide is with a sex crimes [11:57:44 AM] unit training plan that addresses the goals above. And all of those goals are designed around to improve our sex crimes -- our sex crimes unit's ability to respond effectively and soundly in a way that helps to bring justice and healing. So thank you for being brave. Thank you for forcing change. I know that you will continue and I invite you to continue to keep us accountable, to keep us pushing in the right direction. It is my fervent hope and wish that Austin will be considered a leader in sexual assault response and that we will as we've gone through this torture rouse process. And thank you for [11:58:45 AM] identifying the need and >> Mayor Adler: Council member -- council member Casar and then you >> Casar: Thank you for sharing your stories and coming here today. If a son, wife, daughter, or any family member of yours I have to believe you would make in a priority. These are the words of Monica Garrett asking us to stand up for her daughter, one of the [11:59:48 AM] victims in the case. If any family member of yours was a victim in this case, you would make it a priority. They were before us because their families were not made a priority. Just a few weeks earlier top brass told me that survivors were -- and this is his quote -- "Making mountains of mole hills." In the months later this lab was shut down. There was even mold on evidence. Since then there has been a continue push and pull because of those who believe the mountains out of mole hills theory and those who believed the survivors. I know powerful people who disparaged you during this. [12:00:49 PM] That made this very difficult for you. But because of your persistence and bravery and advocacy at council, because of your lawsuit, it's undeniable that important things have changed. We cleared the backlog. The city has had to create a cold case unit. We were pushed to hire counselors serving people today. They will be allowed to be with survivors in case interviews with the police. There will be required training at the police academy on how to better handle the cases. We're legally committed to hear ING from survivors before closing cases. We're issuing a formal apology from the city. We have a new district attorney with new practices on sexual assault cases. Thanks to the work of survivoring along lead sponsor [12:01:52 PM] alter there's a review going on. Thanks to the mayor pro tem's direction today we'll tell the city manager to prioritize those recommendations. The settlement today will be further enforced by outside groups and by the independent city auditor. This is all significant and only possible because of your bravery, period. But even still, with the settlement, many of the plaintiffs have spoken and feel unsettled. The matter is not over. I have to be honest that as a policy maker my first reaction on how to move forward was asking the plaintiffs what other council resolution I could bring forward today. When it became clear we were getting close to settlement I asked council what else I could author. When I floated the idea of another resolution, many [12:02:53 PM] survivors responded with exhaustion -- thanks but no thanks. It's no guarantee Austin would do better. The settlement in and of itself is not a guarantee that Austin will do better, but instead today's vote is proof of something else. To me, it is proof that a future does exist where sexual assault is less common and justice more within reach, but that future only exists when survivors lead the way and are heard. Instead of another resolution today, my contribution is to leave this message on the record. We can change when we listen. I've been asking myself since listening that day in 2016 what it would take to shift from a city that is defensive or neglectful or dismissive to become a place that responds to the call for justice. And the answer was always there [12:03:56 PM] in Ms. Garrett's words and by her example. If we want to create a city where survivors don't have to tell their story painfully time and time again, we don't have to get film makers and lawyers before us asking us to do the right thing -- if we want to be that city, we must recognize it is our daughters and family members who are in pain. That is how we address sexual assault. In fact, I think that is how we address homelessness, end gun violence, that's how we get healthcare for all people. This is how we become who we say we want to be -- by reckoning with the fact that this is our suffering family and it cannot be dismdismissed. So I am for one permanently unsettled. I believe anyone who reads through your lawsuit or hears your story would be. To respect your sacrifice and [12:04:57 PM] work we will remain unsettled until we create a better city. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Council member Renteria? >> Renteria: Thank you. I have a father and grandfather. I would never tolerate anything like that to happen to my family. So I'm -- even though I only have one year on council, I'm going to be here in Austin, and I'm committed to make sure that this never happens. You know, when we step back and when this happened and we found out that APD wasn't taking care and -- how to take care of the kids and the refrigerator being out and no one cared about addressing those issues, we had [12:05:59 PM] to take action. With the action we did, we got such push-back from the Republican party and defund the police, and we were trying to tell the citizens of the state of Texas and Austin that we're not defunding the police. We're taking a step back to make sure these actions never happen again, and we made a commitment that it wasn't going to happen again -- not on our watch and not on the future watch. And we did pay a political price for it, and I hope the people that were fighting us realize now that what we were doing -- we were hurting people. And there was no remedy for them. And it's just so frustrating that when we try to be out there doing the right thing, that there's people who take that and turn it into a [12:07:00 PM] political -- turn it into political drama that it's not what's happening. I hope the citizens of Austin don't sit here and watch these testimony -- that they'll take it to heart, that what we're trying to do is help our community to grow and our children and our prosperities to make them strong and to be able to be not afraid, not hurt -- to lead a happy and productive life. And I just want to say I'm committed to that. Thank you, colleagues. And thank y'all -- the victims. I just pray for y'all that y'all have full recovery. I know it's going to be hard. And justice, you know, in your heart -- when there's [12:08:00 PM] injustice, you know, your heart takes a long time to heal. But I just hope the best for y'all. >> Mayor Adler: Council member kitchen? >> Kitchen: I just want to -- I want you to know that I have heard what you have said, and I want to add my voice to the support that you're hearing from the council and the commitment to continue the work that you have begun. I want to say thank you for all the work that you all have done. It has not be easy. I could never pretend to know how difficult it has been for you. And I sincerely hope that as you continue with your lives and your work that you will find peace. I know that this is a very difficult, difficult thing to have dealt with. I want to thank you for sharing your voice. I want to say thank you to [12:09:04 PM] council member Casar and mayor pro tem alter. They've both been champions in working with you. And I support their efforts and will always support these efforts. I also think it's important to note that the settlement provides a mechanism to continue this into the future. It is always important in making these kinds of reforms to have a mechanism in place to ensure that they stay in place next year, next five years, next ten years -- forever. So I think that -- I'm pleased to see there's mechanisms in place with the city auditor and other mechanisms to be sure that the city remains accountable for these thing changes and -- for these changes and that we don't slip back into complacency, into ignoring what's right. And so I just want you all to [12:10:05 PM] know that I'm here to support you also. Thank you. >> Calderon: Council member Fuentes? >> Fuentes: Council member. I want to echo my colleagues and sentiments and thank the survivors for being here today and sharing their stories. I know this has been a long time coming. As we look at the closure of the lawsuit I think it's important that as part of it the city will issue a public apology, acknowledging how our system has failed. That is a very important piece and we have to do more in holding the systems accountable. This is just the path forward. There's much more that needs to be done. And thank you for the leadership of our mayor pro tem and council member Casar. We have outlined additional direction to make sure this never happens again and that we do all we can to prevent [12:11:07 PM] violence against women. I want to share my commitment in seeing through the work and reforms that have been put in progress and to holding the system accountable. Thank you so much for being here today, for all you have done for your relentless advocacy. It has spurred cultural change and I want to extend my heart-felt thanks >> Mayor Adler: Council member Kelly >> Kelly: I know you have been suffering for years. It's clear that an injustice was done and I'm appreciative that you have lent your voices not only to yourselves and each other but to anyone who may follow in your footsteps. We all want to make sure that doesn't happen but knowing situations occur -- we are [12:12:07 PM] committed to changing the policies from top down, making sure victim services has the support it needs from us to make sure you are taken care of and anyone else who has to go through this is also taken care of. Thank you >> Mayor Adler: Council member Kelly? >> Kelly: I want to say your stories really touched my heart and I'm so proud to be up here on a council that can truly recognize what you went through and create change so that other individuals who go through similar experiences don't experience what you did. Thank you for being brave and coming here and being relentless. Without your advocacy we might not be where we are now. Thank you >> Mayor Adler: Council member tovo? >> Tovo: I, too, want to add my voice to the survivors who have been advocating for change for so long - - those of you [12:13:08 PM] here today, those in the past. Thank you for sharing extraordinarily painful testimony and thank you for your endless advocacy and holding us accountable. Your advocacy has resulted in changes.you have my commitment to make sure as long as I'm on this dais I will join my colleagues in holding the manager responsible how we respond to victims in our society. You've led the dais in this work of increasing resources and others. Thank you for that. Part to have the settlement includes a formal apology from the city. [12:14:08 PM] As a member of the dais I would like to offer my own apology for the failures of the city in helping achieve the justice that you so rightly deserved >> Mayor Adler: Council member pool? >> Pool: I want to thank all of you for persisting through some unspeakable circumstances. I want to offer you my commitment as well, as my colleagues have offered to you, to ensure that your situation never happens again. And for those survivors who may not be in the room with us today, who may have suffered as well, our empathy and support to them for their healing. And I offer an apology to you all as well on behalf of the city for what you were forced to endure and I pray for healing -- emotional and [12:15:10 PM] physical and spiritual for each and every one of you. Thanks. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. I think I'll conclude by saying that in my seven years sitting on this dais I'm not sure there was a moment that was more impactful and transformative than that evening as we were beginning budget consideration, and you and others told your stories and your truths. Obviously this city should have been acting earlier, but that evening I think evidenced and created a point of inflection. There was just such a sense that night that so many systems had failed you. We initiated a process collectively and in this community that continues to [12:16:12 PM] take too long. I want to say thank you as well to a special group of survivors who stood strong and helped bring about significant improvements in how our city supports survivors of violence and sexual assault and how we do our part to try to bring justice for harm's endured. Our system will invest money into the systems and this work will and must continue. The additional $875,000 settlement that we're approving today is both to give some small measure of compensation for what the survivors went through, noting that while your injuries cannot be made whole, [12:17:12 PM] we can recognize the very real injury. Importantly, I think the -- what we're trying to say with that component of the settlement is to recognize the importance of your advocacy in changing this city. We should all be sorry, as I am, that you had to endure the post trauma traumas and that our system did not fix these challenges on its own and that the burden fell to you in large part to correct what was going on. Please know that you made this a better city. There's still a long way to go, but you have set us on a better path. Thank you. There's a motion on the floor. Any debate on the motion [12:18:15 PM] itself? Then let's go ahead and vote. Those in favor, please raise your hand. Those opposed -- it's unanimous on the dais. The motion passes. Thank you. Colleagues, it is 12:18. I would propose that we take public communication and break for lunch and then come back to handle the consent items that have been pulled and public hearing items. I'm not sure they'll take very long -- those items. I want to give people the chance if they want to speak on the consent agenda item, but we'll take the break and come back and do the consent agenda. That's where we'll start. And if that's okay, if it's appropriate to make the comment [12:19:15 PM] then after the break? We'll do public communication, stop, come back, do consent, public agenda. There's no executive session. Public commission is three minutes each. I would ask the clerk to note that in our agenda rather than listing this component as citizen communication, we should change it to be public communication. We certainly invite others than citizens to speak during this time. Let's call the speakers. Is Leslie -- is anyone with us today from this group? >> Dan Hess is who I have signed up. >> Mayor Adler: Is Mr. Hess here? Dan Hess? Anyone else here to speak on [12:20:17 PM] public communications? Let's call the ones that are here virtually. >> The first speaker is Leslie Padilla. >> Thank you. I've spoken to you previously about Austin pets alive and the terrible conditions at the animal center. I volunteered there five years and for the city shelter at two. I left Austin two years ago and moved to New Mexico but Apa and the problematic animal wefare policies are following me. I met a dog in New Mexico sent from the Austin animal center. I learned they took in 17 dogs. I doubt this needs explaining but New Mexico is poorer than [12:21:19 PM] Texas and the area is less prosperous than Austin. The shelters in the New Mexico county where the dogs were sent have a live release rate of only 86 per cent. How is it possible dogs from Austin are being sent to new Mexico? I don't lay this at the hands at Austin animal center. I think it was a bad se situation. The root cause is not a ac. It's Austin pets alive and the perverse policies they've persuaded the council to endorse and the actions they have taken to bring in more animals. Just a few months ago this council supported ACA to tie the hands of city managers trying to ensure Apa was a good partner to the city. Apa succeeded in getting special treatment. Apa will be free and clear to [12:22:21 PM] continue importing animals from across Texas. This puts pressure on the city shelter which has suffered from overcrowding for years and now led to dogs being routinely transported out of the state. This game -- dogs being sent out of Austin while others are brought to Austin is irrational and absurd. They have stifled rational policy making. Many have conflicts of interests and have coopted council members to get what they want. Austin is the only large city in the United States with only a single selt Eric -- shelter location. You've let them off the hook. I don't know what the answer is in Austin but it almost [12:23:21 PM] certainly doesn't include Apa being allowed to use a run down facility. Thank you for your attention. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Next speaker. >> Ethan Smith? >> I have some light-hearted things to talk about. I think that bars in the town should be open until 4:00 A.M. In New Orleans the world keeps on turning. People want to get out there and party. It's been kind of a tough couple of years, and people want to be people. We kind of sell a lot of our [12:24:22 PM] economy, ability to attract top talent in the night life in Austin on O the events and I think it's worth considering. I think parking downtown is too expensive. I was at the domain and parking doesn't cost anything. It's a nice place to shop and it's nicely done. A lot of people seem to enjoy it and I think people would enjoy downtown more if parking wasn't so expensive. I know a lot of people work downtown in kitchen that might only make $17 an hour and parking is a real issue. And I've been that person. I also wanted to say something else that seems obvious to me. Going to take you to west campus. The project connect stop in west campus I feel strongly should be at 24th and Rio. [12:25:23 PM] We should maintain auto traffic and the ability of considers and vehicles to -- cars and vehicles to get into campus. At 29th street they're half a block of from each other. You can get to Rio grand from there. I this -- if people are at 24th and Rio and walking to shops three blocks -- you have first floor commercial -- I think it makes sense to create foot traffic. It's good for safety. If you're downtown and, you know, you're walking home you're probably a lot closer to where you live than if you're getting dropped off at the drag. It's a safety issue. I think developers would give this a real look. [12:26:25 PM] Rio grande goes to 12th. It's a wide street. 12th is a boulevard. You can get back up and get to the route -- where the map says it goes. 12th and Rio is an ACC campus. You have a skate park down there. So I would say, hey, consider stops at 24th and Rio and 12th and Rio. If we're talking about redoing I-35. If you get rid of traffic on Guadalupe -- as much as we'd like it to disappear, it's not >> Mayor Adler: Thank you very much. Thanks for being with us today. >> Final speaker is Francis Acuna. >> Can you hear me? >> Yes, we can. >> Okay. My name is Francis Acuna. [12:27:31 PM] I do want to thank all the departments, city departments, school staff, and county commissioners that have been meeting, working to develop a plan that can work for all. I wanted to ask all residents, community leaders, faith organizations, civic organizations and city departments to work together since everyone plays an important role in disaster preparedness. We need to stop waiting for someone else to take the initiative to prepare. We expect the city to respond within 24 hours. The federal government within 72 hours and the residents to respond immediately. We all need to take disaster preparedness training for the people we care about and the people we represent. It's not my job. It's not your job. It's everybody's job and responsen't. [12:28:31 PM] I'm asking all council members -- the mayor and the city manager to prioritize standing orders for resilience hubs in the eastern crescent with caseworkers, case managers, legal advise to review contract documents and risk management strategies. We need to set aside funding for copays needed for prescriptions that can be -- that can help emergency medical response teams to do their job easier with residents that don't have medical access in those events. There is a spread sheet I believe most of you have. And I appreciate all the departments and everybody that has been working on this. [12:29:36 PM] We're working well and I want to thank everybody. And thank you for your time and dedication. Thank you. Bye bye. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Colleagues, that's the public communication. It's been suggested we try to take a vote on the consent agenda so we can let a lot of staff go so they don't have to come back after lunch, which makes sense. Then we can give people an opportunity to comment. Council member Kelly? >> Kelly: I noted some of our colleagues are missing. Should we give them a chance to come back? >> Mayor Adler: Certainly they can. Yeah. Council member tovo? >> Tovo: I think that's a good suggestion. I was going to say I have those two quick items.I can ask those questions of staff. And we can make comments. Maybe by then our colleagues will be back >> Mayor Adler: Why don't you go ahead and ask those questions >> Tovo: Thank you. Council member -- >> Mayor Adler: Council member kitchen? >> Kitchen: I wanted to make [12:30:37 PM] clear -- identify the number R I wanted to pull. It's number 19. I couldn't tell -- >> Mayor Adler: It's been pulled already >> Kitchen: It's already been pulled. Great. >> Mayor Adler: Let's let our colleagues know so they can come back so they can vote. In the meantime council member tovo has questions. >> I have a comment on the consent agenda >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Council member tovo >> Tovo: First question is item 36. This is the lease for the ems station. I want to ask staff -- apologies that I didn't have the questions articulated before. What kind of research did you do to identify a location -- you know, where -- again and again from this dais we talk about the need to move from [12:31:38 PM] leased spaces into buildings that we own just for from a perspective of best financial case. It surprised me to see something that will end up being something like a $9 million lease for this facility. I support having this facility. I think this is a location where we need the resources but it concerns me that we're entering into a lease rather than a sale. If we don't have the -- I guess we do. I was going to say that is something they can come back and answer after break if that's what we need to do >> Mayor Adler: Want to go ahead and answer? >> Yes. Good afternoon, mayor, mayor pro tem, council members. I'm from the financial services department. We have been searching for the site since September 2018. [12:32:40 PM] We couldn't find any locations for purchase. We went back and revisit the search in 2020. We have done extensive research. We have talked to broker ins the area and could not find any property for sale which would serve this purpose. When we start discussions with the property owner, the property owner wasn't willing to sell the property but they were open to the lease, long-term lease. >> Tovo: Thank you for that information. I appreciate that you went back from -- after 2018, you went back to 2020 -- in 2020. Do you believe that it would be useful to go back again and do another quick search of the area to make sure there are no properties to identify? If so, I don't want to hold up the action but I wonder if we could pass it with the direction that asks you to take [12:33:42 PM] one more look before entering into a lease agreement. Is that? >> Definitely we can look again. We have the right -- I believe the construction started in December. The completion of the fire station is scheduled for may 2023. So -- >> Tovo: I see. If we've started building on it, then it certainly would be disruptive to start all over again elsewhere and probably costly as well. >> Yes. The actual lease -- the commencement date starts 24 months from the time we received the site approval, site permit or the certificate of occupancy >> Tovo: Are we not paying lease during the construction phase? >> We are not. The year one would start in 24 [12:34:42 PM] months from one of those two, whichever occurs first >> Tovo: Is there a reason why the construction began before this council approved the lease? >> I can get back to you with the answer to that question. >> We made need to get public works involved in the conversation. The way I read the rca is what's in process is site plan -- I'm not sure if there has been construction that's started >> Tovo: Okay. >> It may be worthy that we table the item and allow public works to answer that question. >> Mayor Adler: Rather than tabling, one, I think council member tovo is saying let's approve this but take another look. And you have authority to move forward but take another look, and if you see something [12:35:43 PM] better, bring it back to us. I think that could go independent. But I think there is a potential problem to the extent that the city has been on the property now, has been moving rocks. I think there has been initiation of the opportunity. The question of how that could happen before council said to start is still an open question that deserves a response. I think we could approve it with ask -- you're authorized to move forward but take another look. From what I see this looks like a good deal because we're able to lease a smaller area than we'd have to buy. That said, I think it makes -- that -- what council member tovo said makes sense. Separate from that, too, the additional thing -- some kind of response as to how or why we would be on the property and how do we avoid that in the future so that we're not in the [12:36:43 PM] position where someone says you can't ask for that because we're not -- >> Tovo: I'll be glad to move approval today and I'll provide some more direction in a minute if I get a second >> Mayor Adler: Council member Ellis? >> Ellis: I'm happy to second that and have a couple of comments when time is appropriate >> Tovo: I would like to get response from the manager on how work was able to start on a site we had not authorized the lease of. And two, the additional direction that we would like staff to do another scan of the area and make sure there are not other acceptable properties for sale. I talked about the philosophy we've talked about from here of moving to owned spaces rather than leased spaces, so that is what is driving my concern today -- not a concern about whether or not we need a location for ems and fire [12:37:45 PM] because I believe we do and have supported that. I'm reminded of the Hyde park post office. It recently closed and the reason is because it was on leased space and the property owner decided they were ready to do something different with the space. That post office is closed and the -- the city probably shouldn't construct a critical resource on a piece of property it doesn't own and put the tax dollars in there. I appreciate this may the only solution and it sounds like you did your due diligence to see what other options are there. I'm appreciative that you went back and looked again in 2020 and just before we're too far along on the project to turn back I would ask that you take another look and make sure there aren't other available properties. >> Mayor Adler: That will be added to the item and it will remain on the consent agenda. [12:38:46 PM] Council member Ellis, did you have anything else? >> Ellis: I did. I'm supportive of this type of movement forward. I just wanted to note since this is where mayor pro tem alter's district is and shortly close to where my district is, district 8, it was our understanding that these had been -- there were efforts to make sure we could have the land, that we could buy it and it would forever be in the city's possession, but it's my understanding that wasn't an option, so this is another option that's mutually agreeable to parties. I do agree that we should own the spaces if at all possible but mayor pro tem alter is back. I didn't know if she had thoughts about it -- 36, the fire ems station >> Mayor Adler: While mayor pro tem is orienting herself on that, I would point out I don't think we've been given notice [12:39:46 PM] of this property. There hasn't been a prior memo or anything associated with that, which is why getting this thing to us as a council would be helpful. Okay? So mayor pro tem, this item is staying right now on the consent agenda with two admonitions. The first one is for staff to take a look at the area post 2020 to make sure there's not an available for-purchase option that we could consider and second to address with council what happened -- because it looks like apparently we may have already been on the property. We've gone on the property. Just to see if that's true and make sure our processes are set so this kind of thing gets to council first. >> Alter: I was outside. I thought we were -- >> Mayor Adler: We had a [12:40:47 PM] request to let staff go. >> Alter: I'm going to disagree with the first direction. We have been exhausting looking for purchasing. The reason this is a lease is because there was no other property. They spent about two years looking for property. This property is owned by St. Stephens and there are reasons that we are leasing -- a, because St. Stephens won't sell it to us and, B, because of the impefsh R -- impervious cover -- we would have to -- they have trails nearby that are allowing that to happen. This project is already underway. It's fully designed. It has been in the memos that we've had for quite some time -- what was going on with this particular place, the amount of the lease was not -- [12:41:48 PM] the rest of the process in the budget was through that process. So certainly you can have them go look, but it's not going to yield anything. So I just want to be clear about that just because of -- there's a lot of properties that need to happen, have to be present in order to put a fire station in terms of the turning rate. They already have the utility relocation underway. They've gone through the process with the neighbors, and so I'm perfectly fine if we want to have future procedures in place that look different so that everyone knows where to look for this information, but I don't think much is going to come from looking for additional places. [12:42:48 PM] And there are a lot of -- >> Mayor Adler: I looked at the memos with the fire stations to see if we had been given notice to this location, and we had not. So the level of disclosure to the council on a property that apparently we've moved forward on and have designed for and maybe have actually physically been on is problematic to me. Council member tovo's request -- not that we don't approve this but that we do go ahead and authorize it today but asking them since they stopped their look in 2020 and now we're in 2022 to take another look. My sense is you're probably right, that given the work done earlier and the like that they're not going to be able to find another location. But I appreciate and will support -- council member tovo's request that they take another look. If they don't find anything they can proceed. But I would like us to look at [12:43:49 PM] our procedures with respect to this kind of decision moving forward without council having that level of notice. Council member tovo? >> Tovo: Yeah. And we had an opportunity to talk about this a little bit more from the dais when you were out of the room, but it is my understanding from what I -- I didn't ask this question specifically but let me make clear the intent is not to slow progress on the site but is, as the mayor said, to revisit the area and make sure there's not something applicable for sale. I understand you have more information, given that it's in your district, but I -- and the procedural questions that the mayor highlighted that I raised earlier are important. But it's my understanding and my intention -- it's not slowing work on the project but getting answers to the questions -- to ask the real estate staff to take another look and to get an answer from the manager, how it was they [12:44:50 PM] were able to work on the site and expenditure of the funds without having us approve the lease >> Mayor Adler: If we want to discuss this more, let's pull this off of consent. We can do that or we can leave it on consent with the two changes. Or if we want to discuss the changes, we can pull it off. Do you have a preference, mayor pro tem? >> Alter: I don't understand if it's under construction, they're moving the utilities, how you don't slow it down with that process. >> Mayor Adler: I don't think anybody is suggesting they stop the activities but to take a look -- >> Alter: If you want them to look again, that's fine, but it will cost money and create havoc to -- I mean, to do that. >> Mayor Adler: Well, we had asked the real estate person -- and you weren't here. I apologize for that. We called that -- real estate said they were comfortable doing the review [12:45:52 PM] >> Alter: Okay. If real estate is comfortable and don't have issues and public works is comfortable, I'm fine with it. >> Mayor Adler: I don't think there's suggestion that any of the activity now stop but to take another look. If there's a good opportunity there that would mitigate all the issues, they should bring it forward. Obviously one of the issues we have is we're asked to approve this and they're on the property. I'm uncomfortable with not taking a look because they're on the property when it didn't come to us that they would be on the property. But I think we continue to proceed in a way that doesn't disrupt the activity. >> Although real estate has weighed in, we haven't heard from public works as to what has transpired. So that was going to be one of the follow-up items. To your question, mayor pro tem, I can't tell you whether or not public works is [12:46:54 PM] comfortable with this because -- >> Tovo: There was not direction that would impact public works at all. The direction -- number one direction is to real estate department, who is not involved, I assume, in the site work happening on the property. It is to the real estate -- the real estate staff to take a look and make sure. I appreciate you raising that because I think it's a really important clarification for you, mayor pro tem -- nobody is asking that the site work -- I take your point and acknowledged it. If we are in a position where we found another site it certainly would be. Interestingly, it is on. Can you not hear me? >> Kelly: The mayor said something >> Tovo: I see. In any case, I understand there are two separate processes. One is the work going on on the site. None of the direction impacts that. Would it be disruptive if we [12:47:56 PM] found another site? Yes. And I think that would be another conversation. >> Mayor Adler: I'm going to ask the question. There's been suggestion to add those two directions. Any objection to those being added? Any objections? >> I would ask that we pass it on consent and if Mr. Gonzales finds there's an objection that we reconsider later in that way. I hear what you're saying. I don't understand the logic, but if public works is fine with it, then we can move forward and we'll just reconsider it later today >> Mayor Adler: We can certainly do that. The direction on its face, though, says don't do anything that interferes with public work's ability to move forward on the property. That was the direction that was given. I would be surprised if they have a challenge. If they do let's hear about it and we can reconsider >> Alter: Thank you. [12:48:56 PM] At an appropriate time I have comments -- >> Mayor Adler: I think multiple -- >> Alter: Oh, sorry >> Mayor Adler: That's okay. That is item number 36, and that now stays on the consent agenda. The items have -- 1 through 56, 88 and 89. The pulled items are 9, 10, and 15, 19, 33, and 44 and 53. 44 has been decided already. That's not on the consent agenda. That was independently voted on. Also pulled, 53. 9, 10, 15, 19, 33, 53, and 44 [12:49:57 PM] because it's already been voted on. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? Council member pool makes the motion. Is there a second? Council member Fuentes seconds it. Any discussion on the consent agenda before we take a vote? Council member Kelly? >> Kelly: Thank you. Item 51 is an item that arose from discussions I had. Concerns raised to me in the meetings were regarding covid-19 and how it taxed the community. Recommendations were brought to light as to what council's next steps should be from central health. On August 9, 2021 the committee sent a member to council. The memo is available on the city's website. As a council member who has held a role in emergency management at the county level, I recognize the great value [12:50:57 PM] this committee's recommendations will provide to the whole community and I'm proud to have sponsored the item on the agenda. My hope is despite our shared difficulties the community will be able to heal P and overcome some new difficudifficulties. I want to thank those who provided input. I want to thank the cosponsors, council member Fuentes, council member pool and council member kitchen for your addition to the recommendation. I'm looking forward to the passage of this item today. I also look forward to my colleagues supporting this important item. Also, on the consent agenda, let the record reflect I'm voting no on item 30 -- 40. 4-0. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Got it. Thank you. Any other comments on the consent agenda? Council member tovo? [12:51:58 PM] >> Tovo: I have several comments. I need to clarify 19 -- is 19 on or -- >> Mayor Adler: Pulled >> Tovo: Thank you. Just a couple of quick comments that I wanted to make. First of all, thank you, council member Kelly and co-sponsors. I think that's important work and I appreciate you bringing that forward. I also am appreciative of the central health equity council for that. I want to emphasize the importance of renaming. This is a fit test -- tribute to an individual who played such an important role in civil rights here in Austin as well as across the state. I'm so grateful to his family members and the other advocates who shared with us this idea and to the neighborhood association who rallied around it as well. It is something -- having that renaming and having a place in the city, a prominent place in the city where individuals can [12:52:58 PM] go and will be reminded of the legacy will be important to recognizing both the history in Austin but also to inspiring us to work toward a more just community. I'm very excited to see that move forward. I'm also excited to see move forward transportation for -- on item 46. I want to acknowledge -- you know, sometimes things take so long that we forget who helped prompt the change. I want to acknowledge two community members who long ago came to my office and to other offices to advocate for the con aggregate meals program. She talks about how important it was to have a program that was culturally appropriate and believed it would have success and it has proved to be one of [12:53:59 PM] the most successful programs -- very utilized at the Asian American resource center. At the same time we were considering whether we could fund such a program and start such a program I asked our parks director are there other programs in the city, other requests from communities to have a meals program where there would be a high need and utilization. They identified dub springs that has long asked for a con GE gait meals program. It has been some of the same community members who have said if we had transportation it would be even better for individuals in the community who want to use the meals program. This is a great thing to see on our agenda. I have some other things that I [12:55:00 PM] think I'll wrap up there. >> Mayor Adler: Council, do we have the settlement numbers on items 42 and 43? ? >> Good afternoon. I'm with the law department. On item 42 we recommend a settlement payment of $135,000 to resolve the car wreck case involving Ms. Andrews and Mr. Perkins and the city of Austin. It was a 2019 accident. And we recommend settlement of 135,000. On item number 43, the law department is recommending a settlement in the Williams V cancha case for one hundred thousand dollars. The lawsuit against the individual officer would be dismissed >> Mayor Adler: Those items will be filled with those numbers. Any further discussion on the [12:56:03 PM] consent agenda? Council member Fuentes? >> Fuentes: Thank you. Just wanted to thank council member Kelly for inviting me to cosponsor. Also thank the health equity committee for issuing a report with recommendations that will assure changes are made to the emergency operation center and that we have the community voice participating in part of any disaster response. I'm happy and pleased to be part of the effort, and thank you for your leadership on it. >> Mayor Adler: Great. Thank you. I want to recognize as you did, council member tovo, the congregate meal and also recognize the chief who has worked on that and many others as well. I appreciate council member Kelly's leadership on the [12:57:03 PM] equity resolution and the cosponsors. I think that's important and recognizing Mr. Overton is real significant in our community. The other thing that I think needs to be highlighted is 39, the housing trust fund. I think that's one of the most significant things we did as a council, early in the process of focusing work done by earlier councils. By us that was one of the earlier things. Council member Casar, thank you for your leereder leader -- for your leadership on that issue. Making that more automatic in its application, I think, is also a step forward in the city. Any other comments? Council member alter? Mayor pro tem. Sorry. >> Alter: Thank you. For item 48, this is the interlocal agreement with the [12:58:05 PM] county for governing the work of Austin public health posted on a message board direction. The direction reads the city manager is directed to continue negotiating an agreement with Travis county regarding the cost sharing of covid related expenses. Until the negotiations are completed city manager is directed to provide monthly update on the negotiationings. This direction is necessary because this does not cover covid which is a good chunk of what we're working on right now. We haven't been paid by the county since December -- an agreement of December 2020 -- or something like that. I believe that the county should be the county should contribute. They have funding from the federal government. We have put several million aside from our arpa funds and from our care funds, and I believe that the county has a [12:59:07 PM] responsibility to be shouldering that burden and we need clarity on that. I understand there are elements that are complicated because of FEMA reimbursements and you don't need to pay for things that we're getting FEMA reimbursements for, but if we had greater certainty about the contributions they were making, we would be in a position to help fund other things that are of great concern to the city and the county. But that would be under the city's auspices. So I add that direction. I also wanted to highlight -- >> Mayor Adler: Is there any objection to that direction being added to item 48? Hearing none, that direction is added. It remains on the consent agenda. Go ahead, mayor pro tem. >> Alter: Thank you. I wanted to highlight item 20, a contract for weatherization services. This really helps lots of families in need stay in place. I believe there may be an opportunity for collaboration with Austin civilian conservation corps and/or the city's green jobs initiative, so staff may wish to identify [1:00:08 PM] opportunities that exist and if it's okay with my colleagues, I would provide direction that city staff explore whether there are opportunities. I don't know if that has to be done through the contract process or after, but if staff could take that step to initiate those conversations. I don't know if we need to see if there are objections to that. >> Mayor Adler: I'm sorry. >> Alter: I was providing direction for them to explore whether there were any opportunities for collaboration to this direction. I'm just pausing -- >> Mayor Adler: Any objection to that direction being included? Hearing none, that direction is included. >> Alter: Thank you. And then I wanted to comment on two arts-related items that are on the agenda, item 7 ratifies the contract amendment with the better business bureau to provide additional grants to arts and culture nonprofits who applied for the program. This action enabled the city to provide grants to every organization that applied. And we've been able to help a lot of folks in our arts [1:01:10 PM] community. Item 8 is the $500,000 grant administered by the national endowment for the arts to help the local arts and culture sector recover from the pandemic. These funds were awarded through a very competitive application process to only 66 local arts agencies across the country, only four of which were in Texas. Of the four Texas cities that received the award, Austin received the largest award amount. The funds will be used to serve the needs of arts learning in Austin through the sub-granting to teaching artists and arts learning organizations, to support new generations of artists, creative workers, arts audiences and residence who find rich meaning through the arts in their community. I look forward to seeing the impact of these funds and I thank the cultural arts division for pursuing opportunities to benefit our arts community. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Any other comments before we take a vote? Councilmember harper- madison? >> Harper-madison: Mayor, I'm raising my hand for a while. But I remembered forgetting a [1:02:11 PM] few people when I was sitting on the dais. It's hard to see behind. I wanted to offer comments on item number 52 regarding Overton shores. I don't need to tell you I'm super excited about this item. Being a member of the black community in Austin, you know, since I was little, the Overton name was sort of a household name for us. And I know that it extends beyond black families, but it's special to me to be a part of the council that puts this forward. When we talk about the lions of the civil rights movement, Overton, Sr. Was the king of the pride in Austin, a veteran, a husband, a dad, a deacon, a tireless advocate for equity and equality. He led the local naacp during one of the most pivotal times in our history. I get the great opportunity to have have mentors and guides like commissioner Travillion talking me through just what it looked like during those times. And I really appreciate the strength and valor that people who came before me -- we have his strength, the will of his [1:03:12 PM] leadership to thank for getting our schools desegregated, starting the first credit union in east Austin, developing monitoring programs for kids, the laundry list of things he did for our city would take hours and probably days to read off. We owe him so much. And his incredible family as well. Renaming this park after him is a step in that direction. It's a step that helps to bridge east and west Austin, which to the caller from earlier, to their point about bridging east and west Austin and recognizing the significance of that. It's well beyond symbolism. I'm incredibly thankful for the Overton family and the community members who brought this idea to us. I'm also grateful to councilmember tovo for coming up with a solution to fast-track what everybody is so eager to [1:04:16 PM] see happen. I look forward to the day when we can gather in the park, cut ribbons. Anybody who's been to a ribbon-cutting with me, you know how I feel about giant scissors. I'm proud to be able to offer these words today. >> Mayor Adler: Great. Thank you. Let's go ahead and take a vote on the consent agenda. Those in favor of the consent agenda, please raise your hand. Those opposed? Unanimously with the comments that people made. Colleagues, it's 1:04. We're going to take a break. We're going to come back at 2:00. I would propose at 2:00 we begin with the speakers on zoning, since they'll be cued up and ready to go. After that the consent agenda zoning agenda, so we can let a lot of the members and the public and the zoning staff -- part of that staff go. Then we'll take the pulled and nonconsent items from this morning. Again, the consent -- the pulled items were 9, 10, and 15. Also, numbers 19 and 33. [1:05:17 PM] And 53. And then we'll do the nonconsent items which were items 58-63. We don't have to call 57 because that's being pulled and postponed indefinitely. Councilmember tovo? >> Tovo: I think I found a solution for 33 that will allow me to ask my questions outside of this forum. I'll go ahead and pass it so our staff don't have to come back after. I'm going to move approval of this item. This is a fleet services item. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Then 33 will stay on the consent agenda. >> Tovo: I think we just voted on consent, so I'm moving approval. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Councilmember tovo moves passage of 33. Councilmember pool seconds that. >> Tovo: My discussion, if I could. I had a very useful conversation last week with a member of our Austin police department who talked about the fact that they were able to navigate in the days after the winter storm because they had all-wheel drive. And we talked about -- he and I talked about the importance of [1:06:17 PM] looking at that citywide and determining how many -- maybe there's a certain percentage of cars and vehicles in each department that should have all-wheel drive to navigate in the conditions we space. I am interested in exploring that. I don't see anything in the backup that indicates whether any of the purchases would be that. And that may be something we need to set policy direction. So I will explore that with fleet services outside of this. But just know that I regard that as part of our resilience work and the work with we need to do going forward, thinking about how we might face those kinds of emergency conditions differently and be thoughtful about it in terms of the kinds of investments that we're making for equipment as well as in other areas. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Before we take a vote on three 33 an 57, mayor pro tem? >> Alter: I need to offer direction on 57, that the clerk [1:07:18 PM] asked me to give. >> Mayor Adler: Just one second. Let's take a vote on 33. It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor, please raise your hand. It's unanimous with councilmember Renteria off the dais. Is there a motion to postpone indefinitely item number 57? Mayor pro tem makes that motion. Seconded by councilmember Ellis. Any discussion on this item? Mayor pro tem. >> Alter: Yes, thank you. So, as I mentioned, Mr. Gonzalez circulated a memo that the land use commissions that were requesting to stay in city hall would stay in city hall a few weeks ago. And that makes the bylaw item moot. So we're going to postpone indefinitely that item that came through audit and finance. The real reason that we sent it forward was to deal with the issue of the commission's location challenge. The clerk has informed by staff that the data that was requested at the audit and finance committee is completed. [1:08:18 PM] They are available to present that or they can distribute it via memo, as suggested in the work session. I suggest they do it via memo. Now that the cmo has determined that the board of adjustments and pcz.a.p. Will remain at city hall, the transition to hybrid meetings, the clerk's office is in need of direction which boards and commissions will conduct their meetings at city hall, the pdc, and Austin energy building. So, we need to have the cmo provide that direction. You can use the data that was collected. The clerk's office indicated it will take three weeks to schedule the 70 boards and commissions by March 1st. So they will need that direction fairly quickly. And if it's something that you need input from council on, perhaps you can let us know next week and we can have that discussion. From the conversation we had at audit and finance, it was [1:09:19 PM] broadly history of where you were and how many people were showing up for your meetings were the things that we were most focused on as most important for choosing the locations. And that was one of the reasons we were leaning towards keeping the land use commissions here, was the large number of people that are trying to get here to access those meetings and the history of being within city hall. >> We can get with the city clerk's office. We'll go back to the audit and finance committee meeting from December 15th and look at that council discussion as well. >> Alter: Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Motion to indefinitely postpone that item 57, discussion, been moved and seconded. Unanimous on the dais with councilmember Renteria off. All right, guys. We're going to take a recess here. It is 1:10. Let's be back here at 2:00 and we will start with speakers. [1:10:20 PM] See you guys then. [2:08:53 PM] >> Mayor Adler: We're going to begin with the speaker -- with asking staff to make a presentation on the postponement item. Going to lay that out and then we're going to -- just that one item, there's a discussion postponement. When staff has finished laying that out, there will be one speaker on each side. Council will vote on -- if someone wants to make a motion to postpone at that point we would consider and vote on it. Then we'll go to the list of folks who have signed top speak. >> Mayor and pro tem and council. I'm with housing and planning. Your postponement case is number 76. The related rezoning, which is 77 C 1420210039. [2:09:59 PM] We have Torie Hoffa here and Jay la Mera remotely. We have e-mail correspondence from the neighborhood that asked the applicant for postponement at the October 21st meeting. That postponement request was granted by the council. >> Mayor Adler: The neighborhood previously requested and was granted a postponement. >> Yes. >> Council member Casar is not on the dais. I don't know if he communicated that -- >> Mayor Adler: That's fine. Can we find out where he is? Council member Kelly? >> Kelly: I have a quick question about this postponement request. Will we as a city need to [2:11:02 PM] renotify if we were to regrant the postponement request? >> If the postponement request is postponed to a date certain, then no notification will be required. >> Kelly: Okay. Thank you. >> Uh-huh. >> Good afternoon -- >> Mayor Adler: Hang on one second. We're trying to see if we can get council member Casar present. Is this in his district? >> Yes. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. [2:12:41 PM] >> Mayor, are there any quick consent items that we might be able to knock out while we wait on the zoning? >> Mayor Adler: Is Austin finance corporation here? Virtual? If they were close, I was going to.... All right. I'm going to go ahead and recess the Austin city council meeting here on January 27, 2022 at 2:13. I'm reconvene the meeting of the Austin finance corporation. It is 2:13. [2:13:44 PM] We have some late-filed back-up in Austin housing financing corporation item 7, 11, and item 10 is withdrawn. There's a withdrawn memo in the back-up. Want to take us through the consent agenda? >> Absolutely. I'm with Austin housing finance corporation. Number 1 is approving meeting minutes from December 2nd and 9th of 2021. Number 2 is first of several contracts, in the case four nonprofits to administer our owner and renter architectural [2:14:46 PM] burial removal program. The other is the go-repair program in the amount of $7 million. Number 4 is a contract with three contractors to administer our home rehabilitation loan program in the amount of $2 million. Number 5 is a contract with seven nonprofit organizations to administer a plumbing program. That's $250,000. Number 6 is an another 20-month contract with seven nonprofit organizations to aministrate the lateral program. Number 7 has late back-up and this is authorizing staff with the creation of a nonprofit subsidiary, and that will [2:15:47 PM] create a separate nonprofit to rehabilitate, develop, manage, and operate in conjunction with -- number 8 is a payment of 3.6 million for milestone community buildings for 44 affordable rental units, of which those are affordable to 60 per cent or below family median income. Number 9 is authorizing staff to move forward with the execution of an affordable housing program agreement through the federal fund loan bank for $750,000. This is for the project at 1934 [2:16:52 PM] wetland. This is in partnership with foundation communities and will help rehabilitate, manage and operate development for those experiencing homelessness >> Mayor Adler: Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? Any discussion on the consent agenda? Council member tovo? >> Tovo: I know some of us probably received e-mail correspondence and whether the funds could be used for mobile homes and/or manufactured homes. We had some correspondence with Mandy about that. I'm supportive with the exploration that may already be [2:17:54 PM] in progress of how we might be able to use the funds to transfer those funds from mobile to manufactured homes for this kind of funding. Thanks for the work you've done on that and support you continuing that and potentially bringing us policy changes to make that happen >> Mayor Adler: Let's take a vote. Those opposed? Unanimous by the directors. Thank you very much for the work you do. Thank you. We're going to adjourn the meeting then of the Austin housing finance corporation at 2:18.