City Council Regular Meeting Transcript – 5/5/2022 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 6 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 5/5/2022 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 5/5/2022 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. [10:18:05 AM] >> Mayor Adler: It has Thursday, may 5th, 2022. Austin city council meeting. Time is 10:18. We are in the city council chambers. The meeting is also being held virtually. Councilmembers tovo and harper- madison are on the screen. Councilmember pool is on a trip that is a rescheduled covid trip. Councilmember Kelly is off the dais today. So, seven present, two remote. That means we have nine and then two gone. Councilmembers, changes and corrections for today, item number 5 is recommended by the water and wastewater commission on a 7-1-1 vote. Commissioner Moriarty no. Commissioner fisher absent. [10:19:05 AM] One vacancy. Item number 6 on our April 13, 2022, recommended 9-10 vote, commissioner fisher absent. Item 9, April 13th, 2022, recommended by the water wastewater commission, 9-0 vote, commissioner fisher absent. Item number 42, approve a resolution of Gupta and Humphries, his last name was missing. Item 65, councilmembers Ellis and Renteria have been added as cosponsors. Item number 22, pulled items. Item number 22 is going to be taken up after executive [10:20:10 AM] session. Council, item number 35 is pulled by councilmember Kelly. I don't think we're going to see her today, but I'm going to leave this pulled in case for whatever reason we hear from her, shows up, we can vote on that right after the consent agenda is acted on. Late backup on items 2021-32, 33, 35, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 58, and 60. Consent agenda is items 1-41 and items 63 and 66. Item 67 is the item that is just the discussion on land development code, changes we can do to encourage housing supply, especially affordable housing supply around corridors. [10:21:11 AM] We put it on the agenda for discussion only, listed it today in case there were any councilmembers that wanted to comment on something in advance of two weeks from now. Obviously you can daylight stuff on the message board and otherwise. Does anybody have anything they wanted to daylight at this point on that? Councilmember kitchen? >> Kitchen: No, I don't, I just wanted to remind folks that we had talked about really having a discussion on the 17th or the 19th, if I got those dates right, and that we had postponed the item to June 9th for action. So, I'm looking forward to the 17th and the 19th. And also, I think councilmember vela had -- recommended we set a deadline for ourselves for posting proposals and so I figured we could talk about that on the 17th, if I've got the dates right, that's the work session. >> Mayor Adler: I think that's right, and I think the suggestion from councilmember [10:22:11 AM] vela was even prior to the 17th for that discussion on the 17th. I think posting things ahead of that would make that work session discussion that much better. And you're right, the vmu2 item was postponed to June 9th. We also had this item that was set for broad discussion. And that discussion was set for this week and it's been on the agendas. It's set for the week of the 17th and 19th as well. I just wanted to call that up today to see if anybody had anything. If not, I'll cross that off the agenda for today and we will have covered that here today. That gets us -- go ahead. >> Can I ask a question to make sure the record is clear? When we come back on those dates in June, we're going to post both things, the vmu2 plus this language. >> Mayor Adler: Correct. >> Kitchen: And I think we have an executive session today. >> Mayor Adler: Yes, on open [10:23:13 AM] government. >> Kitchen: Gotcha. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: All right. Yes, councilmember Fuentes. >> Fuentes: I'd like to be listed as a cosponsor for item 65, councilmember kitchen's item regarding binding arbitration and respecting the will of Austin's voters. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. We have some speakers -- I'm sorry. Before we go -- mayor pro tem, I apologize for not recognizing you earlier. >> Alter: No problem. Good morning. I wanted to welcome Isabella who served as a member of the German parliament. She represents the city of Manheim in the parliament. She's a member of the Manheim city council, imagine doing both jobs. She's hosted by the think tank foundation for the German social democratic party, who have an [10:24:15 AM] ongoing collaboration in Austin, particularly with U.T. For transatlantic relations. She's joined by Michael and kanut, so, welcome to Austin. They're going to be watching some of our council meeting this morning, and they'll be going to the capitol this afternoon, and met with representative Doggett and the German American society yesterday. So, welcome to Austin. [ Applause ] >> Mayor Adler: I'm sure you'll find Austin city council meetings to be much more riveting and exciting than city council meetings back home. Welcome. We have speakers that have signed up to speak, a little over 50. So, the speakers speaking this morning will speak for one minute each. I think there are 15 speakers signed up to speak this afternoon on zoning, so we'll do [10:25:16 AM] three minutes a speaker this afternoon. We're going to begin the speakers today with four remote Spanish speakers, since we have an interpreter handy. Then we're going to ask the clerk to call the speakers that are here present physically, and then we'll return to the remainder of the remote speakers if there are any, okay? All right. >> The first speaker is Myrna Rodriguez. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Good morning, my name is Myrna Rodriguez. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> I am from district 2. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> I am giving my vote to [10:26:24 AM] item 21. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Because this kind of program helped us a lot during the pandemic. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Multiple voices ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Thank you for the contract that was approved during the pandemic. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And thank you for this program, up together, that helped many families here in the [10:27:28 AM] city of Austin. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> The city council of Austin has to guarantee that no families are left behind. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> In the slow recovery path after the pandemic and after the storm. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And the crisis of affordable living here in Austin has impacted many families. >> Mayor Adler: Please ask her to conclude. >> I cannot hear. To continue? >> Mayor Adler: To conclude. [10:28:36 AM] [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And yes, I am supporting item number 21 for up together. >> Mayor Adler: Gracias. Thank you. Next speaker. >> The next speaker is Manuel Joya. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Yes, good morning. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> My name is Manuel Joya. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And I'm in favor of item number 21. I'm very thankful about that. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> I was in that program during the pandemic, and it helped me very much during covid times. [10:29:38 AM] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Because many of us lost our jobs. And like myself and my kids, we suffered with covid. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And I was having problems paying rent. And thanks to that help, I was able to get off my feet. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And I wish this could come back again so we can help many other families as well. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And yes, I am very thankful [10:30:39 AM] for that program, and I'm very happy to have that program. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And I wish this could come back to help many needed families. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And I am in agreement for all that to be approved to help all our kids. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And I am in agreement with all the help of article 21. >> Mayor Adler: Gracias. Thank you. Next speaker. >> The next speaker is on item 21 as well, Irene [10:31:40 AM] Hernandez. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Good morning. My name is Irene Hernandez. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And I am in favor of item 21. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> That would help a lot of families of low income, that have low income. Thanks to that money, many people were able to pay rent, that otherwise could not have. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] [10:32:46 AM] >> And thanks to this article 21, it would help many families that are having difficulty paying rent, and also would help those people that have lost jobs. So, indeed, it would help many families. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Well, that's all. I am in favor. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you very much. Next speaker. >> Item 21, Elena Rodriguez. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Can you hear me? [ Speaking Spanish ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Good morning, my name is Elena Rodriguez. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] [10:33:51 AM] >> Dove springs? The interpreter couldn't understand -- >> She said I am a resident of dove springs. >> I am a resident of dove springs. Prosiga. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> I am in favor of article 21. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> She is in favor of agenda item 21, because in pandemic times -- >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> It helped her a lot, because she's a single mother. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And she saw a lot of benefiting from this -- these funds. And she's in favor of article 21. [10:34:52 AM] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And she hopes that these funds continue for years to come, because she saw a lot of families profit from this. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Thank you, and I hope you keep doing it, please. >> Mayor Adler: Gracias, thank you. >> That concludes remote Spanish speaking. On to in- person. >> Mayor Adler: Please. >> On item 7, aviv Raul. >> Mayor Adler: Next speaker. >> The next 20 speakers will be on item 21, starting with Ana Gonzalez with Deven Carl on [10:35:54 AM] deck. >> Good morning, Ana Gonzalez, I live in district 1, I am an immigrant, I am a Latina. I was a single mother at 17 and was struggling to be well when I arrived in Austin. It was thanks to investments made in my future that I was able to complete graduate school. I work for the city of Austin. I completed a ph.d. I am serving my community back. It is the investments that make a difference. This is not giveaways. This is just believing that people will lift up and give back what they are able to do when you believe in them. So, please support item 21 in the agenda. I can trust that you're going to make a good decision, a good fiscal decision. Thank you. >> Deven Carl with Sam Kirsh on [10:36:59 AM] deck. >> It's Carlie, ma'am. But you got my first name right. Usually people get it wrong. I'm in support of item 21. And the reason for that, back during the ice storm, my place got really bad. Man, things -- pipes froze, water went everywhere. Then after that I found out I had HIV and that made my life a lot harder. And I'm going through all this stuff and I didn't know what to do, didn't know where to turn, was going to FEMA asking for help. They kept denying my application, kept kicking it back telling me that I didn't have enough information and just couldn't get it in time, still never got it. And then out of nowhere, up together showed up. And man, they saved me. They saved me. They took a lot of stress off [10:38:00 AM] me. And the fact that all the stuff that I was going through already. I'm a single father. I forgot to mention that. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> I have custody of my 11-year-old daughter. And it was just really hard. And if wasn't for up together, I wouldn't be here able to tell you this. My daughter would probably be in CPS, you know. She probably -- god knows what, but, you know, they stepped in and they did what the government didn't. So I'm asking, keep item 21. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Mr. Carle, no one knows this, it's the government working with up together. I just want to make sure you do, that your community and the taxpayers were helping. >> I get that. But FEMA -- I got detail -- what what [10:39:02 AM] happened and the situation. I've got files. And they just kept kicking it back over technicalities and filing wouldn't take it and then up together came in. >> Mayor Adler: Gotcha. >> So, I mean, I get up together is a government program. I'm talking about the main government program, FEMA. >> Mayor Adler: Gotcha. That's a federal program. >> Right. I get it. >> Mayor Adler: I know. Frustrating. But I'm happy. Thanks for coming by. >> Sam Kirsh. >> Hello. My name is Sam Kirsh, an organizer with district 5 for black lives. We urge the council to support item 21. Item 21 will provide crucial emergency funds to 85 austinites. We know that a disproportionate amount of Austin's block and -- black and brown communities live in poverty and housing [10:40:02 AM] insecurity. Item 21 is intended to provide funds to austinites at risk of eviction. It's more cost effective to keep people housed than it is to try to house them when they are already living on the streets. Providing this direct cash assistance will be people's lifeline for food, rent, and other necessary costs to live. Item 21 is an important step in committing to racial and economic justice. Please vote yes on item 21. Thank you very much for your time. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Next is Kathleen Mitchell with Richard Smith on deck. Richard Smith, with Andrea black on deck. >> Good morning, Richard Smith, [10:41:05 AM] district 8. I oppose agenda item 21 because of its use of taxpayer dollars. The city of Austin is not a test tube for conducting social experiments with taxpayer dollars based on personal ideologies. Austin taxpayers provide hundreds of millions of dollars to those in need through federal and state programs and private organizations. Indeed, many of the prior gbi pilots were supported by nonprofits such as the Hopewell fund, springboard to opportunity, and start small. I'm personally familiar with the St. Vincent Paul organization that responds to people on the brink of homelessness. That's out there today. The tax dollars of Austin residence should not be used for [10:42:05 AM] this matter. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> I want to mention I'm sure most of you know a program like this is not sustainable. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Andrea black. >> My name is Andrea black, speaking on behalf of undoing white supremacy Austin. I was a member of the reimagining public safety task force, reinvestment working group that recommended the $12 million guaranteed basic income program. I ask do not delay this $1 million pilot. The city council must take bold, visionary action to help Austin's most vulnerable residents stay and make it an equitable city where everybody can thrive. Similar programs have been tested with remarkable success. Frankly, many of the questions and critiques are rooted in white supremacy. They blame poor people for their poverty when we know it is the result of multigenerational, systemic oppression. They question the leadership of [10:43:06 AM] up together, a people of color-led organization, despite its track record of success here in Austin and elsewhere. You all unanimously approved this program a year ago and appropriated funds. Please don't listen to the naysayers. The lame sowing doubt, asking for more research, nitpicking details, are tried and true tactics of white supremacy to uphold the status quo. Please keep the faith and vote for this pilot program that will take a critical step towards addressing these challenges. Thank you. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Paula, with Ashley Hamilton on deck. >> Good morning, everybody. My name is Paula, from 2019-2022 I was the director of family at United Way for Austin. The pillar that focuses on financial stability. In partnership with Austin community college, I created the [10:44:08 AM] first guaranteed income project in Austin, which realized $6,000 a year assistance with childcare connection to basic needs, advising, tutoring, and opportunities to earn and learn via an internship and apprenticeships. This type of program is not new since 1982, Alaska has given each citizen an annual check. Effectively, wiping out extreme poverty. The money, from $2,000 per person to $1,000, comes from the Alaska permanent fund, a state-owned investment with financial oil revenues. Economists investigated where the payment was leading people to work less and found that the dividend had no effect on employment overall. Another long-running program -- [ buzzer sounding ] >> Here, springboard opportunity in Jackson, Mississippi, has provided a thousand a month to hundreds of black families since 2018. The result, 66% increase in [10:45:08 AM] paying bills on time without support, 48% more likely to have money saved for emergencies, 25%, I can list this forever. Here in Austin, our project with ACC, we have seen since the beginning of the pilot that 96% of participants enrolling in the next semester versus 68% of other students. 20% higher GPA -- >> Speaker, your time has expired. >> Oh. Please, the partnership with fii is really important because they have a low barrier. I urge you to vote yes on item 21, guaranteed income offers the best hope to provide people the resources to make important life choices that everybody -- to make. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you very much. Thank you. >> Ashley Hamilton, with Chris Harris on deck. >> Good morning. My name is Ashley Hamilton, a district 1 resident and community organizer with [10:46:08 AM] communities of color united for racial justice. Displaced several times due to gentrification, a black single mother of two here in support of item 21, guaranteed income pilot program. Although 1 million is the start, we need to honor the original ask of 12 million. It's time to get rid of the narrative arguing that people experiencing poverty need to make better choices. I am a recipient of the up together fund. The city has a long history of policies and laws that perpetuate poverty. Unfortunately, it is what our nation is built on. Centuries of racism and white supremacy contribute to America's high poverty rate, specifically black and brown families who face discrimination in employment, housing, and access to government benefits have been unable to build wealth. It is said black and brown folks do not know how to manage finances. In reality, it is systemic racism that rolled out the red carpet for whites. We are taught to spend no more than 30% of income on rent. It is unrealistic but impossible [10:47:09 AM] when there's no rent control and no increase in wages. Guaranteed income programs help address the income disparities. This program will allow black and brown families the ability to live and breathe in order to one day build wealth, start businesses, or just enjoy their children. To hear they just want a handout -- let's be real. Some of us work two and three jobs to make ends meet and then we are penalized for not being with our kids. CPS is involved. I ask that you do the right thing. Approve this and give 12 million towards the guaranteed income pilot program. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Chris Harris, Cynthia Vazquez on deck. >> Good morning. My name is Chris Harris, director of policy at the Austin justice coalition. Thank you for the opportunity to address you this morning. I'm here in support of item 21. I will firstly echo the calls [10:48:13 AM] for an expanded program. Particularly that was contained within the reimagine public safety task force. We echo those calls again within the context of community reinvestment budget signed on by a growing group of more than 30 organizations, encompassing a wide swath of the civil sector here in the city of Austin. And ultimately we're in a situation where yes, the consternation that you feel about this program that some have expressed about how it works, these are what come along with a means-tested program. The ubi is universal. How it is structured, shouldn't this be the federal government? It should, but we have a crisis in our city that must be addressed and we're here now and we have an opportunity to do it. So please do it. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Our families can't wait. The people in the city can't [10:49:13 AM] wait. Please act now. Approve item 21. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Cynthia Vazquez, with sue Gabriel on deck. >> Hey, I'm a native east Austin chicana displaced to 44. During the pandemic, I worked as an organizer for gave, go austin/vamos Austin, and I was able to give cash codes for direct cash assistance to over 20 families in our school district. That was a privilege, and it felt like an honor to call Willie and tell him I've got $500 to help him out with rent. It felt good to call Jannette, who lives in 44 and was displaced to north Austin about 15 miles away from her home school. It felt good to be able to call her and tell her I had $2,000 to help her out with rent. I was able to assist families in 44, 45, 52, 58, 56. [10:50:14 AM] This money helped our families make it through the pandemic and I can't imagine what it could do for our families to get them out of poverty over the next year. This $1 million is a piece of what was initially asked. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> I'd like to remind you questioning that, I question your morals, not the morals of people in poverty. Pass item number 21. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Sue Gabriel with Evelyn Johnson Nichols on deck. >> I'm sue Gabriel with communities of color united. I'm for item number 21. The reimagining public safety report states that the city will oversee the implementation and distribution of a guaranteed income pilot program in the form of direct recurring cash payments to total $12 million [10:51:15 AM] annually. This money must be used at the resident's discretion. City councilmembers and no one else has the right to question whether poor people can be "Responsible" with the funds. It is past time for the mayor and city councilmembers to examine your own records of adding to the over-bloated APD budget year after year, giving taxpayers' money to corporations and developers, eradicating neighborhoods, giving taxpayers' money to unnecessary independent contractors. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Please vote for item number 21. >> Evelyn Johnson Nichols, with Jeremy Garza on deck. [10:52:15 AM] Jeremy Garza. >> Howdy, Jeremy Garza, I live in district number 3. I'm here in support of item 21 and I urge you to pass and fund this pilot project and eventually the full $12 million. Specifically I wanted to speak to the opinion articulated by some of the councilmembers that argue that it is the responsibility of the federal government and not the local city government to fund and implement a guaranteed income pilot. I felt that comment was a gaslighting slap in the face to the reality of our federal politic. I spent almost my entire life in Austin. I have never been represented at the federal level other than conservative Republicans that have never reflected my values. When this council moved to the current ten-district model I felt for the first time in my life my values could be finally reflected in at least one of my elected officials. I implore you to put your actions where your purported [10:53:17 AM] values are. If it's not you, it will not come from anywhere else. This program is the least we can do to uplift the most vulnerable people. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> I want you to think critically about the way that poor people are being talked about in the press and those who are against it. Please pass this measure. >> Ana with Paul Robbins on deck. >> Good morning, councilmembers, my name is Ana, I live in district 3. I'm here before you in support of item 21 for the same reasons that I was here supporting the de- criminalization of homelessness. And that's because I know and have seen that survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, the people that I've been advocating on behalf of [10:54:17 AM] before this body for years now, benefit deeply when they have access to having their immediate needs met. I expect opposition from the state legislature. I expect much more from this body. This is a place where we can set new standards. And this pilot is a way to model the leadership that is so badly missing from the capitol right now. There are 33 other cities that have done this. This is not risky. I ask that if you're concerned with finding savings, you look for them elsewhere and not on the backs of the most vulnerable people in our community. This is an exciting day, a real opportunity to -- [ buzzer sounding ] >> Implement what was included in the budget some time ago. Thanks for the chance to speak with you. >> Paul Robbins, with Monica Guzman next. [10:55:24 AM] Monica Guzman. >> Good morning, can you hear me through my mask? Okay, good. I'm Monica Guzman, policy director of gave. I didn't expect to get choked up this early. [ Chuckling ] I was a member of the reimagine public safety task force and a district 4 resident. Everything I have to say from this point forward is my thoughts and mine alone, so it does not reflect in any way on my employer or other organizations. This program is very important to me. I was born and raised in the city. There was a time in my life when my parents split. My mother had six children. She worked a full-time job for the state, went to school at night. Fortunate her parents were around to help take care of us. It took her 20 years to get through college, but she did it. She wouldn't have been able to do it if it weren't for programs and family many place. [10:56:24 AM] There was no guaranteed income program back then. I was a single parent and a domestic violence victim. Not a survivor, a victim struggling to find my financial footing. I was with my mother and three families under the same roof. That's not peaceful. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Help is needed. Even as I struggled to find my financial footing, I was helping pay my mother's past due utility bills. There are plenty of your constituents who are struggling. To infantilize and expect to know what they spend them on means you don't trust adults who know what they need. Ditto everything that was said at the press conference, what everybody who has supported this before me, and will come up after me to say. I urge you, I expect you, I demand you pass item 21. Thank you. [ Applause ] >> Taylor lane with Annie flam [10:57:27 AM] on deck. >> Thank you for saving me some exercise. My name is Taylor Lang, a social scientist. I first encountered the guaranteed income as a concept as an undergrad. I thought it was disgusting because I was raised to believe handouts begat laziness and all this other stuff. I did the reading for y'all for your concerns. Won't this cause people not to work? Not according to Stanford university, or the university of Illinois, or 100 other institutions that I could talk about ad nauseam. I did the reading. I reflected. I was wrong. My morals didn't have any importance, didn't have any place in science. This helps real people. This empowers the economic opportunities of the whole city. [10:58:27 AM] The money stays in Austin. People are able to find more meaningful work. People didn't stop working. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> They just didn't. They drank less, they smoked less because those are symptoms, not causes. People are happier. They're able to work. It just works. The science is there. Thank you. >> Annie floam, with Wallace Lundgren on deck. >> Good morning, mayor Adler and councilmembers, thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Annie, I'm a resident of district and the communication major for a nonprofit organization focused on grassroots organizing for basic income policy. In my work I'm a constant witness to the transformative effects of guaranteed income pilots. Programs in cities from Stockton, California, to Jackson, Mississippi, have shown cash is one of the most [10:59:27 AM] efficient ways to lift people out of poverty while prioritizing the recipient's dignity and agency to decide how best to meet their own needs. The data consistently show that guaranteed income dramatically improves food security, financial stability and the overall well-being and health of recipients. And this isn't just a band-aid solution. We live in a time of crises from pandemics to wars to climate change, which require cash to weather the economic one mayor has a great way of putting it. Cash is currency of urgency. I urge you to recognize the urgency so many austinites are feeling and support this program. Thank you. >> Wallace Lundgren. >> Good morning. [11:00:29 AM] I'm here to tell y'all that I think it's time to put this off until the election. There's going to be an election pretty soon. People out there that are going to work everyday and paying taxes will have an opportunity to decide. I have the luxury of coming down here and talking. They don't. I have a statement here. This is not a universal basic income. According to mayor Adler. On March 4 '21, Austin city council committed to acknowledging and correcting the city's systemically racist practices and eradicating the effect of the city's systemically racist practices in resolution 202, etcetera, and guaranteed income programs also serves as a form of repair for the historic and structural economic inequities that black, indigenous and other communities of color have faced for years nationally. Secondly, the [indiscernible] Permanent fund is quoted as a great [11:01:31 AM] place to found this. Alaska faces -- [buzzer] -- huge short-term and long-term budget problems and the permanent fund is a center of both. Thank you. >> For item 33, joao Connolly. >> Good morning, everybody. I am not here to talk about the basic income program, although I do have to quickly just add my voice in support if we can get that done. I hope we can get it done today only by starting with this pilot program can we learn and improve and figure out how to get it right. If we keep talking about it we'll never figure out how to do it right so let's do it today. I'm here to talk about something completely different. The atx mobility coalition sent you an email about our concerns about the Austin [11:02:31 AM] transit partnership and discussions about changing the board structure for atp. And I'm not sure how many of you were able to read that email, but I just wanted to restate a few of the evacuee concerns that we have. -- Key concerns that we have. Changing the board structure is a serious deal. It has major potential equity implications in terms of who is represented on that board, how much Independence that board has and how much of a community voice on that board. [Buzzer]. We can't talk about changing it without a proper and thorough process and that process should be in line with the kinds of recommendations that were made by the Enos center report for the atp. Thank you for your time. >> Item 35, Nicole Netherton. >> Good morning. My name is Nicole and I'm the executive director of Travis audubon. I'm here today to talk about [11:03:32 AM] the importance of world migratory bird day which takes place on may 14th. Each spring we have some honored guests passing through our city that many of us don't know enough about. Between March and June of every year one out of every three birds that migrate through the United States will pass through Texas skies at night that's nearly two billion birds, many journeying thousands of miles. It's wonderful to imagine all those birds in flight, but I know the council has many other important issues to consider today. So why is migration important? These are just little birds, after all. This is a trick question because as you know there are no little things in nature. Birds may be small, but they are connected to everything else. They are the umbrella species for all the lower organisms in the city and they need the same things that humans do, clean air and water, enough food to get through the day and safe, quiet places to make shelter and protect their young. Threat to birds are a warning for what become threats to humans. [11:04:32 AM] [Buzzer]. Bio diversity deserves protection. Thank you for amplifying the importance of migrator birds with this resolution and for working with Travis audubon and our partners to protect bio diversity in the city. >> Item 63, Alexander stringer. >> Good morning, council. I'm speaking in support of item 63 and the need to declare an emergency. Because right now the greatest emergency we are facing is covid and that is why I am wearing a mask and that is why we need to reinstate the mask mandates. Cases are rising and a new variant is going to come out right before the election. So we need to get a head start on this thing. I'm wearing this mask to let you know that I take covid seriously because I believe in science. And because I want to protect your grandmother. And I refuse to allow [11:05:33 AM] another person to die on account of these covid denying anti-vaccination supporting right wing experience. Joe Biden, the greatest president in the history of our country is creating a disinformation board and we have an amazing opportunity to lead on this issue. And that is why we need to put these Maga hat wearing signs deniers in the reeducation camps immediately. If you don't want to wear a mask and get vaccinated then you are a white supremist and you need to be removed from society at once. [Buzzer]. Furthermore the fact that you have to be a U.S. Citizen to vote is rooted in racism and white supremacy as well. Listen, guys, I will leave you with this. Contrary to popular bailiff, covid was not cured so wear a god damn mask, thank you. >> On item 67, Daniel cableman. [11:06:38 AM] That concludes in-person speakers. >> Mayor Adler: Did anybody else show up in person that we went through and they were not here to stand up? Yes? Come on down to the clerk. Ms. Mitchell. >> I'm Kathie Mitchell and I am usually here on kind of other topics. I'm here today on behalf of equity action. We have been working on a community budget that includes this item among many others as priorities that we hope you will be considering for the next budget cycle. And I'm sorry that we're having to spend so much time on something that's already been approved from the last budget cycle. But here we are. And I guess I just want to add something personal. There's a lot of ideology that seems to be sparked by this issue, but I think it [11:07:40 AM] comes down to something really fundamental. People who have adequate income and wealth, when a thing happens to themselves or their children, including their adult children, they pay for it. If your car breaks down and it costs $700, you pay for it. If you are not making -- [buzzer]. If you are not making enough money and you have no wealth -- and I want to remind you of those charts that we've seen recently floating around describing the increased gap between the body 50% and the top .01%. If you are in that bottom 50% you don't have enough money for that 700-dollar car repair for that unexpected medical bill. And at that point your life is in crisis. And to me that's what we're talking about. Families that don't after 40 [11:08:42 AM] years of massive redistribution of the wealth from the bottom to the top. We have half of our American families who can't deal with one bad thing that happens. And so for me personally to you personally, I want us to remember that we're trying to walk down a path and we're trying to stay the course and be who we are as a city. And this is the moment when we can show that and then we can take another step in the next moment. So I hope we do that. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Anyone else here that we did not get a chance to recognize? Would you please call the remote speakers? >> On item 21, [indiscernible] Pa sell. -- Patel. >> Thank you. I'm a physician in Austin. I strongly support agenda item number 21, funding a [11:09:43 AM] guaranteed income pilot. In addition to the one million dollars in item number 21, we need at minimum the $12 million allocated to this pilot as was outlined in the reimagining public safety task force recommendations. I believe a guaranteed income pilot that directs income to those communities that are made most vulnerable and historically underserved provides the necessary income stream that helps recipients provide for their needs at their own discretion. As has been mentioned in Austin we have a very significant wealth gap and there's significant inequality and this directly impacts the social determinants of health that affects health. This is cost savings in health care expenditures. We saw this with the rise funds that enable families to rise the health and academic impacts of the pandemic, decreasing the [11:10:43 AM] homelessness, [buzzer]. Ultimately saving money for the city. Though well funded guaranteed pilot program enables housing stabilization and improves individual and public health and is a -- >> Speaker, your time has expired. >> Thank you. >> Item 21, Rachel Shannon. >> Good morning, council members and mayor Adler. My name is Rachel Shannon as a resident of district 1 and a member of undoing white supremacy Austin. Mayor Adler and council vote yes on item 21. I'm asking that you act consistent by with your 2022 budget rider that specifically [indiscernible] For this pilot. A guaranteed income pilot helps the city of Austin address multiple factors for its resident community [11:11:45 AM] instability, including housing inscalability, food in60, public health, because of system racism, black and brown communities are hit hardest by these challenges. It's beyond time to follow up with the commitments for racial equity. You heard the wisdom of folks directed today. We cannot wait for this to be implemented at the federal level. Austin is garnering worldwide attention for a housing crisis and we desperately need local leadership in interpret of all our residents. The city has a successful practice of working with us today through the rise of the bridge direct funding program. The goal of this pilot is to learn through specific implementation here in Austin so we can ensure that -- [buzzer]. >> Speaker, your time has expired. >> Katie draket. [11:12:47 AM] Also item 21. >> Hi. My name is Katie. I am a first generation college student in district 9. As a single college student I personally am very much financially struggling so I can't begin to fathom what it will like to feed an entire family when I am struggling to pay my own rent. If you have ever had to access a federal program you would know how difficult it is and how much red tape is involved. The city of Austin has a chance to really show that we practice what we preach, that Austin claims to be this Progressive forward thinking city, yet here we are spending so much time debating an item proven with data that it works. There's science to back it. So I please ask that you vote yes on item 21 and help diplomacy gap that is painfully obvious. I don't even know why I need to call it today. Thank you. [11:13:52 AM] >> Arnold Arnold. >> Yes, ma'am. My name is Mika Arnold. Mika Arnold. I'm a black single mother in Austin, Texas. I live in district 1. I was a part of the working group for reimagining public safety and I am a recipient of the funds. If I did not receive those funds in the time of need, myself would have never been able to move four% of the unhoused population by myself. No help from any other city workers or from the city. If anything, I helped the city that day. So imagine how that would have been. It's black and brown blood that makes this city grow, period. Y'all need to do what you need to do for us. I don't know how many times I have to call and express [11:14:57 AM] myself. I'm tired of making. This is not a test. It's other bureaucracy programs that would give our social security that's limited to a household -- [buzzer]. And we still don't get approved for funding. Look at the data, look at the people. We are not test dummies. >> Thank you. Speaker, your time has expired. >> [Indiscernible]. >> Hi, this is Amy. I'm a resident in district 1 in central east Austin for now. I might move off this district because my rent is increasing more than 20% so I probably won't we newly lease. And I want to speak to the folks who brought up [11:15:59 AM] ideology and the fiscal concerns with item 21 as a potential handout. And I think it's important to avoid that framing and think of it as an investment in that community. It's the community collective failure when we have enough marginalized people on the brink of eviction and other concerning emergency issues. I'm a child of refugees so I know better than a lot of people that like people living in poverty are extremely resourceful, are extremely resilient and it's too long now that we've been expecting that level of experience just for mere survival. I think this investment will lead to really great things. To folks who are less moved by human dignity and having folks' families log able to breathe -- [buzzer]. I guess I think the financial ramifications of this will be positive in terms of -- [buzzer]. >> Speaker, your time has expired. [11:17:02 AM] >> Thank you for allowing me to speak today. >> Thank you. >> Jimmy [indiscernible]. >> Hello. My name is Tammy. I'm calling from Leslie pool's district to urge you to vote yes on agenda item 21. All of us here are entirely too aware of the good that a guaranteed income program can do for our community, especially as it becomes more and more expensive just to live here. Council unanimously approved a budget rider specifically naming [indiscernible] To do the guaranteed pilot program and now it's up to follow through on administering the funds of the project. Honestly it's wild to me that there could be any push back on this. Up together has documented a record of successful national population and on top of that we all know that the pennies that will come from this program will go straight to food and rent. Even if it is a handout, it's a handout that doesn't even last. [11:18:03 AM] It goes straight to feeding people so they don't starve. And straight to rent so that they're on the street. Why do we need to police that? Why do we need to question that? If there's anything that should be debated it's the fact that the bill is too low. I was on the task force like so many people today. And 12 million is what we asked for. This is 15 anies in comparison and yet we still have to beg for pennies. Please approve the funds for this program. Anything less than 12 million is a spit in the face to the people who make this city, but it's least you could do. Thank you. >> Beverly Lazar. >> My name is Beverly Lazar and I represent data, the Austin justice coalition and undoing white supremacy Austin and I am supporting the guaranteed income [11:19:09 AM] program. Similar programs across the U.S. Have shown that after 12 months of extra income families an individuals have been age to achieve a level of stability and savings that allow them to move off of assistance programs like these. Over the 18 year history of guaranteed income programs they have distributed over $135 million to 200,000 households. These households report a 200 to 300% increase in monthly savings and retirement savings. 88% of families report an improvement in children's growth which I'm really interested in as a retired teacher. And a 36% decrease in the use of subsidies like snap. Much of the impact information I just reference come directly from up together, which Austin already has direct experience with. >> Speaker, your time has expired. [11:20:13 AM] >> Is that time. >> Chair: Yes, but thank you. >> Frances Acuna on items 21 and 39. >> Hi, my name is Francis Acuna and I'm a resident of dove springs and a community lead organizer with go Austin, vamos Austin. I would like the opportunity to speak on this very important issue. I also thank you for allowing our residents that need translation first because they take their time from their work or the things that they are doing so they could be able to support this issue. I'm asking that you vote yes for item 21. Guaranteed income pilot program in the city of Austin. I thank you for the approved funds during the pandemic with up together where residents received direct financial assistance from the rise fund and which [11:21:14 AM] helped many Austin families remain in their homes. God knows many of-- many families benefited from them. I must say I had the privilege of helping residents through my job with this fund. [Buzzer]. I ask that you continue to ensure that no family is left behind on a slow road to recovery from all of these climate disasters. And the Austin housing crisis that has disproportionately I will packeted Austin's eastern crescent communities. Thank you. >> Lisa Blackwell item 21. >> My name is Lisa and I live in district 2 and I'm calling in favor of item 21, the guaranteed income pilot program. I believe it would benefit our most vulnerable community members while boosting quality of life for [11:22:15 AM] Austin as a whole. I feel this protect premium most marginallized by our straws and guaranteed income has been shown in other communities to reduce income volatility and improve health and well-being and reduce anxiety. As well as creating opportunities for goal setting, choice, risk taking such as education and starting businesses and self-determination. I believe in light of Austin's affordability crisis and impacts on our most marginallized communities, it's timely that we consider measures such as this to protect the families and keep this as the great city that it is for everyone else. Thank you very much. >> Alea Dan net. >> Hello. Hi and thank you for your time today. My name is Alea. I work with the aunt justice coalition and I want to start saying that everything I have to say is of my own [11:23:16 AM] opinion. I'm speaking today in support of item 21 and the push for increased funding for the program. It's statistically proven that black and brown people have been impact the the worst during the covid-19 pandemic from the loss of jobs that weren't providing a living wage to begin with to experiencing medical racism while seeking treatment or lack thereof to skyrocketing housing. It's important to take care of our most marginallized community members, especially those who make up so much of the labor force in this city outside of the highly white sector that is the tech [indiscernible] Taking over. The cost of food and groceries is on par with eating at restaurants and folks are struggling to survive. The only way that we can effectively take care of people is by making sure that they have the means to keep their lights on and to keep their water on. [11:24:16 AM] [Buzzer]. What would it look like? How would Austin change the landscape of this entire country by reflecting a growing city with so much money and so much wealth to prioritize the well-being of those who have been intentionally left to the way side by historic legislation in this city. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> I'm speaking in support of proposition 21 and believe that -- >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Nicholas Roth on item 31. >> Hi. I'm Nicholas. I just have a quick comment on the lighting situation. I also features like safety lighting is terrifying pedestrian crosswalk at fourth street and I-35 without signage or a signal. I've seen people run across and get lucky especially [11:25:16 AM] when it's a crowd of commuters who have been waiting for several minutes but it really seems like the cars on the 35 feeder aren't seeing the crosswalk or the people because they're going fast and it's no signage. I've had to resort to holding large heavy object in front of me. Cars tend to stop but it doesn't feel safe. What can we do to make this intersection safer for pedestrians and drivers and commit to prioritizing this in addition to the lighting improvements that we're talking about here. That's all I have. >> We have one speaker remaining and instead of speaking remote they will speak in person on item 21, Zenobia Joseph. [11:26:19 AM] >> Thank you, mayor and council. My name is Zenobia Joseph and I'm speaking on item 33 as well. I wanted to say to councilmember kitchen to remember that 2.9 boardings an hour on convict hill does not make for an equitable system therefore I oppose increasing the Austin transit partnership membership from five to nine. You can remove the slide. As it relates to item 21, mayor, I appreciate the concept of guaranteed income but as you know I oppose the process and would remind you that family Independence initiative actually was supposed to be through the general fund and you actually charged the rise fund through the federal government and the immigrants did not qualify for the cares act. So this is a matter really for the treasury inspector general to review. As it relates to 25 -- 26 and 27, those are the Austin public health contracts. I would just ask that you recognize the need for some measurable outcomes. [11:27:22 AM] One of the contracts is for African-American mental health. And I certainly recognize the need for the youth to have a mental health services, but this is a two-year contract and it doesn't show any of the measurable outcomes. If you have any questions I'll gladly answer them at this time. Thank you, mayor. >> That concludes public speakers. >> Mayor Adler: Any other speakers that we've not gotten to? Colleagues, that brings us back to the dais again. The consent agenda is 1 through 41 and 63 and 66. I have as pulled items, 22, so we could consider it first in executive session. We're going to pull 35 as we said we would as requested by Kelly and we'll vote on it right after we vote on the consent agenda. [11:28:30 AM] Item number 23 is there a presentation that needs to be made on that so it can stay on consent? >> Good morning, mayor and council. Meghan Riley on behalf of the law department. I'm here to recommend that you approve a payment of 82,500, which is item number 23 on your agenda. It's related to a car accident involving Austin energy. The name of the case is Sherri Davis versus the city of Austin. >> Mayor Adler: Great. Thank you very much. The record will reflect the number on that item. Further discussion? Yes? >> I'm sorry, mayor, not on this item. I was going to ask to pull 33. >> Mayor Adler: That's fine. Item number 33 we'll pull. Anything else? Council member Fuentes. >> Fuentes: Thank you, mayor, I would like to pull 13 for a few questions from staff. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. [11:29:42 AM] Councilmember tovo. >> Tovo: I had pulled a few items but it sounds like they hadn't made it to you. I would like to pull 4, I have a quick question about 18. , And I have a couple of slight amendments to 21 that I think will be friendly. >> Mayor Adler: Why don't you read those into the record. >> Tovo: Shall I do that now? >> Mayor Adler: Yes. Four you were pulling and 18? >> Tovo: Yes, I just have a few quick questions. >> Mayor Adler: And what was the amendment on 4? -- On 21. >> Tovo: I'm just about to get there. >> This would be an amendment to your motion sheet, mayor. At the second bullet where you talk about the selection criteria to be made by the city of Austin, etcetera, etcetera, in collaboration with the homeless strategy office I'd like to suggest adding the homeless strategy [11:30:43 AM] office, the displacement provision and the innovation office. >> You're having additional entities D anybody have any objecion to that being added? Hearing none that's on the base motion on consent. >> Tovo: And the innovation office may sound like a strange addition B as you know they've done lots of analysis of factors leading to homelessness and the memo from Brian oaks on may 2nd cites them and their work. My second edit amendment would be the last full let on page 1, asking the manager to come back to council upon completion of the 12 month period. I'd like to ask that he check in with us at the flee and six-month mark and provide us with a very short memo or communication letting us know the [11:31:45 AM] progress. >> Mayor Adler: I also don't have an issue on that. Anyone have questions about that? Manager, is that okay? >> It's fine. >> Mayor Adler: Any objection, colleagues, to including that? Hearing none it's also included into the base item on consent? >> Tovo: I think that's it. The language originally in budget rider was addressing housing and community and homelessness and it seems to me that this -- that most of the funds are really going toward prevention. And I wanted to see if that's kind of how you see it as well, that most of -- a lot of the impetus for this program is to help the families who are on the verge of displacement and/or the verge of homelessness to stay housed. >> Mayor Adler: I agree. I think that was the intention of the action we took last summer and again as we were setting up the budget by way of diverting people from homelessness I [11:32:45 AM] think this is why the equity office was focusing on people about to face eviction and that kind of thing. But yes. >> Tovo: I appreciate that clarification. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Those two changes. Colleagues, anything else on the consent agenda? Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? Council member Fuentes makes the motion, councilmember Renteria seconds it. Any discussion? Items being pulled on consent, items 4, 13, 18, 22, 33 and 35. Councilmember kitchen. >> Kitchen: Yes. I just want to thank you for item 21 and for your direction on the message board. I think that -- I consider this to be a very important [11:33:46 AM] item to -- directed at prevention as you have mentioned and councilmember tovo mentioned. We really need to search for all ways we can in our city to prevent people from losing their homes and being able to maintain living in our community. So I appreciate the direction you brought forward. I think that answers the concerns that I had and my reason for wanting to postpone, which we did last time. >> >> Mayor Adler: Council member Fuentes. >> Fuentes: First, colleagues, I want to thank you for your support on my item. Item number 34 regarding taking the next step and doubling our paid parental leave policy for city of Austin employees. I am super excited about the effort and it is a long time coming and we are seeing movement across the state of Texas. City of Austin has gone to a [11:34:48 AM] full paid 12 weeks parental leave for their employees. Travis county just a few days ago actually surpassed city of Austin's policy by adopting an eight week paid tarrant Al leave and made eligibility at the six-month mark versus the one year mark which is where our city of Austin stands. This policy that we have that we're moving forward today will take that next step and doing a cost study. Let me be honest, I've received lots of feedback these last few days of why do we need another study? Can't we just do it already? I'm very much of the mindset that we should go ahead and extend our paid parental leave policy to a full 12 weeks. I know that there is a will on this council to do that. So having this information will [indiscernible] What we already know. It came out of the family friendly assessment and report that was conducted back in 2019 and released in [11:35:49 AM] 2020. I'm excited to take that next step forward. Thank you to my co-sponsors for your support. On item 21, I want to give a big thank you to the advocate who showed up today to testify and show support for initiating our guaranteed income pilot program it is much needed especially during this housing crisis that we're in and many of y'all gave moving testimonials about the impact that this type of program would have in our Austin community so I just want to extend my gratitude for showing up today. I am excited to see this policy move forward. I know it's going to make a great difference for this supplemental income for families in need and we know this is an effective model that works. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember Kelly is no longer asking for 35 to be postponed so we're going to put that back on the [11:37:00 AM] consent. >> Ellis: There are many strategies we use to make sure that homelessness in Austin is rare, brief and non-recurring. As a city we invest millions of dollars into the biggest crisis that we face as a community, including affordability. During the budget process last summer we approved millions of dollars in social services, affordable housing, preventing homelessness, crisis response, housing stabilization. The guaranteed income pilot was one line item in that funding package. We've invested millions into non-profit organizations who are experts in helping low income individuals and families who are facing poverty. Some of those organizations are mobile loaves and fishes, community first village. The other ones foundation, family elder letter, caritas, Salvation Army, echo and integral care. It is our responsibility to use the tools we have as a city to help our residents who are at risk of not being able to keep a roof over their head and have nowhere else to go. I am open to researching and exploring all of the tools we possibly can to help [11:38:03 AM] facilitate economic stability for families and this item today does not commit future funding depending on the analysis of success that we are going to get back after this pilot. I believe it a worthy investment not just because it will help families directly, but because of the valuable results we will gain from this effort. For those reasons I am going to support this item today. I also appreciate the paid leave item. Thank you, Vanessa, for including me on this resolution. I think we as the city of Austin are a great employer and there's more that we can do. I want to make sure that we are a leader in family help policies. I want to make sure that people can expand their families as they see necessary on the timeline that is appropriate for them. So I'm going to be supporting that item as well today. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember Renteria. >> Renteria: I'm also going to be supporting item [11:39:08 AM] 21. When I grew up we didn't have gas in the house. We had an out house restroom that we had to walk out there. In the struggle we went through there was no such thing as food stamps back then. It was commodities. You had to survive on a year of commodity. My dad was a laborer. My mom had to stay home to take care of the kids. If it wasn't programs like caritas that was able to help us supplement to pay our rent, we would have been homeless. And there was a time when we did get evicted out. And if it wasn't for Guadalupe neighborhood corporation that helped us find a rental house, a low income rental house, with a restroom inside and that's how I grew up. And after graduating from high school. I worked for an agency called education service center and they saw the [11:40:09 AM] potential in me and were able to provide and pay for my continuous education. And where I am now. And I was so thankful for that added help that I received to make me a successful citizen here in Austin and a taxpayer. And so this is the kind of programs that help people. And you will get it back. It's not a give away. When you get people out of property and out there being productive citizens, now that you have saved a lot and not only now, but this is a working person providing tax money back for your income tax and your sales tax. So this is what this program is designed. We're spending hundreds and hundreds of millions dollars trying to get housing for homeless and it's so sad [11:41:11 AM] because I bought my house 43 years ago for 21,000 and now the market rate is 947,000. I can't imagine how anyone is going to survive in east Austin with those kind of prices. You know, it sat ens me. I think there's only -- saddens me. I think there's only four neighbors that are still there since I moved in. And you always wonder why did they go? They're not in Austin. Luckily early on they went to dove springs, but now they're having to leave the city and providing -- they're losing out on all the support that the city does provide. You're out in the you're out in the county further away. You don't have public transportation out there. You have to drive to your clinics. There's no food, grocery stores nearby. You can't walk to them. You need a vehicle and you're still low income, you're making minimum wages [11:42:13 AM] and you're expected to survive. It breaks your heart when the state restrictive covenants you from being able to annex property out there and you can't provide the service anymore. This is what we're facing. But that's what I want to see here in Austin, these kind of program that actually in the long run is going to save us money. >> Mayor, I just wanted to clarify that for the paid parental leave policy -- >> Mayor Adler: Hang on one second. Councilmember harper-madison has had her hand up so I want to give people a chance who have yet a chance to speak. Councilmember harper-madison. You're muted. >> Harper-madison: I appreciate that. I said I appreciate being recognized and I wanted to say I appreciate you bringing this item forward and I appreciate the intention behind this [11:43:14 AM] temporary pilot and the direction that's being provided. Lord knows that there's a lot of need across our country and in our communities. Speaking from personal experience, people who didn't grow up around a lot of money, generational wealth, we're going to need a lot more than just money. Things that we all take for granted. Some of us rather take for granted like knowing how to set up a bank account or balance a checkbook. These are basic things that can be completely foreign to a lot of people at the bottom of our economic ladder. I think those kinds of financial literacy programs also cost money. So if we really want to institute a successful program based on this pilot on a citywide scale I think we need to be prepared to make some difficult budgetary decisions. This upcoming budget cycle is already going to be [11:44:16 AM] difficult enough thanks to state laws that limit our ability to raise enough revenue. To just maintain the services and salaries we already provide. I absolutely recognize the need in our communities. I think we have billionaires and millionaires looking down from their shiny towers at 140,000 plus residents live beneath the poverty line. There's a tremendous amount of inequality economically in our city and across our city, frankly. I hope that one day that our state and federal government will recognize that this kind of action, even though it's a great start in the city of Austin, they have to take action to invest in our country's residents and austinites in need because this in my opinion is frankly a problem too big for us as one municipality to solve alone. So I'm looking forward to [11:45:17 AM] getting some help and us working collaboratively with the various branches of our government to help people in need. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Council member Fuentes. >> Fuentes: Thank you, mayor. Colleagues, I wanted to clarify on item 34 the paid parental leave study that we have version 2 loaded in the backup and what version 2 does that is different is we initially set out to take a look at eligibility for employees at six months, but we also wanted to ensure that we take a look at if we left it at one year, what would the cost be associated with that. It would just expand the assessment that comes back to us. Also we had written some direction around including our sworn personnel as part of that cost study. As you know. I know this dais is committed to ensuring we get costs back for our sworn Pell and expanding to 12 weeks. It is outside of the caption that was posted with the [11:46:17 AM] policy so city manager if you could speak to that, that would be great. It's also part of what I wanted to highlight and what I've all sent to our director, director hays, is that there is the department of library has a microsimulation model on worker's leave and it's an open source tool that is for policymakers and public administrators and it's a great tool for us to take a look at costs associated with workers leave so I'll be sure to send you that link so that you're able to work with our department of labor on that assessment. And wanted to thank my colleagues, councilmember Ellis tovo and kitchen for sponsoring this study and I want to thank my team who has been so instrumental in helping bring this forward. I also wanted to give her a shout-out. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. I really like your item 34 [11:47:18 AM] and would ask to be listed as a co-sponsor on that. I think this is exactly the kind of thing we should be taking a look at. I look forward to that study coming back. This is the kind of thing we should be doing. I want to go ahead, colleagues, and just say that that I'm going to be coming with an additional element of that study on an ifc at the next meeting that I ask us also to take a look at family building benefits, fertility and adoption support. So we can also get an assessment of that. I think that families have started to come to us in so many different ways and we should be a city that is family supportive altogether. So thank you for that. Thank you for your leadership on this issue and I'm going follow that leadership augmented a little bit, which we're not allowed to do now because of the posting language or we would. So we'll just pick that up [11:48:20 AM] on the next ifc. I want to say that I'm proud to be part of the city council that's moving forward on the item 21, the guaranteed income piece. This will be the third time I think that we voted to move it along. It's not something that's happened without thought. One of the most serious things we have in our city is people out on the streets in tents and one of the things we're doing it trying to get people out of tents and back in homes. I appreciate the people who showed up to speak today. Thank you. And the people that spoke remotely here today. And quite frankly we've been working on this issue now for years. We all know it's really expensive once someone ends up in a tent on your streets to be able to help them get [11:49:24 AM] back into a safe place, get back into a home, get back into housing, to get back into a life and a situation, hopefully where folks are able to take care of themselves without support. Wouldn't it be great if we were able to stop a lot of those people before they end up in tents. That element of diversion something we need to focus on as well. It's a lot less expensive if we can find plans or tools or systems that can make that happen and that's what this guaranteed income pilot is intended to see. At some point in the future it could be funded by lots of different people. I don't know, but sometimes it takes cities as incubators of information to step forward and to help us as a community and as a city and the world to advance these issuesment we did that as a city on things as far [11:50:24 AM] ranging as renewable energy as one of the first investors in solar and wind power as a city, as a cost of that technology. Through participation like that was able to come down. Sometimes I think that is also the role of the city. I am discouraged by hearing the rhetoric about this being a giveaway. And I feel that way whenever I hear people talk about government programs as giveaways. People refer to the school lunch program as a giveaway. They refer to helping children get a free education at the community college as a give arrange the child tax credit that just brought tens of millions of children and they're out of poverty referred to as a giveaway. I think it's so misleading and so wrong and [11:51:26 AM] demonstrates just a lack of the understanding and realization that when communities do that they're investing in themselves, they're investing in people. We're trying to get collectively into a place where more and more of the people in our community have the access and the opportunity and the resources to be able to take care of themselves and their families. That's virtually all of their goal. Their goal is not to get support, but sometimes you need support. We heard from a speaker this morning talking about how this hand-up was something that was so hopeful to her family as part of the rise program that we have already done as a city. There are over 50 cities in the country doing a program like this and why we would pick this program out to say that this is a giveaway. [11:52:26 AM] The concept being tested is what if you actually trust people to get a dollar and then to be able to spend it in a way that is going to be most meaningful for your family. The truth is we could say that you only get the dollar if you spend it on this or spend it on that. One it's a a lot more expensive program to administer because now you have to administer the regulations that you've just adopted. So right off the bat the dollars aren't going to people that could go to people because now you have to enforce the rules associated with the program that you set up. I'ding willing to wager if you go out to the community who end up just before they end up on the street in tents and say here's money but you have to spend for food. For some people it will be rent and some people medicine and some people it will be something else that they need in order to be able to stay out of a tent or off her street. You can design a program [11:53:28 AM] that gets food to the people who need food and rent to the people who need rent and probably the best way to do this is say here's a dollar, spend it where it is most needed to help keep you and your family off the street. That's what this program is. And we ought to see if it works. We ought to test it. Along with the other 50 plus cities in the country and that are working through this. We're learning from each other Austin in a city with housing prices off the charts, homelessness challenge we're trying to resolve, Austin should be part of that cohort of cities that are doing this good work. The council has asked me to point out that councilmember Kelly is not with us. She's not participating remotely. She can't do things remotely so she did not pull the item this morning. I was pulling the item. I was acting to do that if she had concerns she would have the opportunity to [11:54:28 AM] communicate them. But that's me taking that action. And to that end and because I'm encouraged by having a council that is joining together to try to make everything we do as good as possible, councilmember Kelly has asked if we would consider -- if I would consider offering an amendment to this item number 21 that would provide two additional direction and if there is no objection from council then I would do that. If the results of the pilot program suggest a more long-term program be implemented after the conclusion of the pilot program an official city of Austin rfp process would be issued for all vendor selection related to the proposed future program. I think that would happen as a matter of course. It doesn't affect the implementation of the pilot program so I'm okay as [11:55:29 AM] included it as a direction here. And second action, the city manager is directed to bring back recommendations for future programs' staleability, identify future funding sources and federal partnership contingencies. I don't have an issue with that. That seems to be something that we would want the pilot to be looking at. Without objection I would be offering those changes to item number 21. Are there any objections? Hearing none those are added to the base item number 21. Just proud to be part of the item. Mayor pro tem. >> Alter: Thank you. First I want to speak to items 34, 35 and 21. First I want to thank council member Fuentes for bringing forward the parental leave study. I'm proud to co- sponsor this whether I had my children I was not able to take advantage of paid parental leave and I think it is [11:56:29 AM] really important for city workers to be able to access that benefit at a level that really meets the needs of what they're experiencing as a new parent. Secondly I wanted to just confirm that 35 is back on for passage. Correct. I wanted to speak to item 18, which is world migratory bird day in Austin. This resolution also supports our pursuit of certification with the bird city Texas program. Austin is the only major city in the central fly way that is not an official bird city. Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, plus galveston and bastrop, were recently certified. We have a strong history of conservation and birds and ecosystems that these other cities don't have and so this is an important step along that way. Each year more than two billion birds travel through Texas on the way to their summer or winter nesting [11:57:30 AM] grounds. Migratory bird habitats are declining around the U.S. But we need the bird populations in Texas to help with pest control, ecosystem stability and recreational tourism. Here in Austin we have Hornsby bend which is run by the city of Austin. Raising our conservation profile with the bird city certification will bring more birding tourists to our city. My hope is Austin will become a leader in urban nature and wildlife conservation. Finally I want to recognize my colleague, councilmember pool, and her staff for their work with the Travis audubon to help bring this concept forward. She's away today, but I want to make sure that her support of this resolution is also acknowledged. And with that I'd like to turn to item 21. As I look at the various issues and challenges before me, I see we can't open our summer policies because we can't hire enough lifeguards, in part because we can't offer them a sufficiently competitive wage or benefit a package. [11:58:31 AM] We've alarming staffing shortages with our 911 dispatch staff in part because we can't afford to offer them a sufficiently competitive wage or benefits package. We have our victim services counselors who don't have vehicles for their units which impacts their ability to provide services. Just yesterday my staff was speaking with representatives from volunteer groups trying to find housing for Afghan families who are asking for financial assistance from the city to help those families stay in their housing. We are extremely challenged to meet the requests from our first responders and other workers on wages and benefits from our ems workers to our afscme members and the pay for $22 an hour. Taking all of that together and looking at these real funding challenges that we have today I cannot vote in favor of item 21 and I would like to be shown voting no on this item. It's not a decision I'm taking lightly. I believe that we do need to invest in people and their basic needs but I'm not sure that this is the right way today given where we are at [11:59:33 AM] this point in time with this in voting no, this is not to disparage any of my colleagues and isn't to disparage that facts will benefit -- not benefit from the program. Families will benefit and currently in the market families cannot afford to meet their needs but I look at the levers to help them meet the needs -- I have been unable to conclude this investment is the best way for me to respond to meet those needs. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: We have two speakers. >> I strongly support and ask council member Fuentes to list me as a co-sponsor. As a father of three, this is [12:00:34 PM] critical. I did, when my children were born, have leave from my employer that I wiped out in order to stay home after the birth of a child. As you know, there's illnesses and programs that come along and it's stressful and difficult. Our salaries are under where they should be in the city, and this is I think an important incentive to retain and recruit. I 100 per cent support the 12 weeks. Hopefully we'll get there -- of parental leave. Thank you, mayor. >> Council member tovo >> Tovo: Thank you. I appreciate the conversation we've had until today and thank you to those who have testified today and shared their stories. [12:01:36 PM] I think it's really important to have -- to be able to tell the public about the cry tear Ya that are going to be -- criteria that will be used and the detail surrounding that so I appreciate the intention in terms of how the funds would be administered. Sorry. I'm a little -- I think sometimes how we talk creates confusion. As I looked at e-mails raising questions about this, some of them I think might have been talking about it as a guaranteed income -- I think it's not as clear as talking about it as you did. It's an investment in families. If we had called it family support grant or investment grant I think people would [12:02:37 PM] understand how we're investing those dollars, in supporting our families who really need it. As you and council member renterria shared, there are all kinds of reasons for doing that -- including everyone in our community can thrive. It's an important economic investment because we know what the costs are when we don't support families or when they fall into homelessness or when students have to move from one house to another and lose attendance. We know the impact it has on kids and their academic performance, so I intend to support that today. I wanted to thank council member Fuentes on paid parental leave. I think this is important for all the reasons you have talked about coming up into this vote. It's clear we need to support working families and we know [12:03:39 PM] paid leave is a meaningful practice. It is a huge benefit for employers and of course as some of you who built -- I appreciate the continued focus is on how we support families of all types and I look forward, mayor, to your resolution coming forward as well. Thank you, council member Fuentes, to your staff and others for their work. I want to acknowledge Ashley Richardson on my staff who contributed work and thank you for accepting that and incorporating that in there. We had some great work at the county as several of you have mentioned. I know Ashley and others have participated in advocating for that at the county and I want to commend our commissioners for make that step as well. It's important for us all to be in sync in working to support [12:04:39 PM] our families in this way. >> Council member kitchen? >> Kitchen: I'm also pleased to support the bill -- the resolution we've been talking about for families and thank council member Fuentes for bringing that. I had the opportunity to bring a resolution that focused on the public safety on it. I'm pleased we're looking at employees as a whole. Thank you and I'm proud to support this. Let's take a vote. >> Mayor? I know we're approaching public communications time and I don't want our staff to wait through your executive session, which might be lengthy today, can I raise my comments and questions and we can move on from that? [12:05:39 PM] Let me start with 18. This is a graffiti removal contract. We get lots of constituent comments, calls about graffiti and I agree and understand why they're concerned about it. It's happening in our neighborhoods. It's especially a problem in the central area I represent and it does contribute to a felt perception of lack of safety and lack of care, so I do think it's important that we make this investment for our public facilities. I think someone we're always answering for our private -- what happens on private property. As I understand what can happen on private property is limited by state law. We as the city cannot ask private property owners to clean up their graffiti unless we first offer to do it for [12:06:41 PM] them. I find that whacky. Graffiti is growing faster in the city than the city can provide services. I would welcome our community members advocacy on this issue. To me, this is an issue where we need some legislative changes at the state level because there's an unfunded mandate for the cities to have to clean up graffiti on private property. I would ask city legal to ask at what point does that kind of graffiti -- at what point does that become a demolition by neglect or a public nuisance or some of the other legal categories where we have an ability to say, hey, fix your property. I can't follow the description of this through the four [12:07:43 PM] commanders providing shift oversight -- one having been allocated -- the response in the Q and a I can't follow. I was struck by the response by council member alter that one of the positions was assigned to the mayor's office. I would ask in this room that you maybe not here today -- but I think we need to have a conversation about the process if there are offices that need additional help, that needs to be a process and program afforded to everybody. I understand we only have four fte's. That can create a challenge if you have money -- sometimes you don't have money to hire staff [12:08:43 PM] because -- I'm not sure what the situation was here but there needs to be ektekt wi -- equity across the council as to how we're staffing and what other resources go into that. >> Mayor Adler: My understanding -- I asked the question is well -- there was a grant in the city's past for a community services officer. That was granted. I don't know if it was Bloomberg grant or something like that. The city funded community service officer -- the ems that wasn't being used and they asked the mayor then if that [12:09:44 PM] person could sit in his office, and that was something that -- I came in -- I think I inherited that situation with the community services officer there. We could certainly supply you the list of activities or things that the community service officer did when that person left the city of Austin. My understanding is the city did not renew that position. So that that's not mayor. I remember the creation of that position. It was a grant available only to a position that would sit within the mayor's office. I forgot -- I think it might have been Bloomberg. I remember the history but again -- >> Mayor Adler: That's what it was -- [12:10:44 PM] >> Tovo: A bunch of? >> It wasn't an accommodation >> Tovo: I understand. I think you're right. >> That's where the person had to get the funding and I think the requirement -- all right. Is there a motion to approve 1 through 41 and 63 through 66 with the pulled items being 13, 22, and 33? Yes, council member harper-madison? You're muted. Are you making the motion? >> Harper-madison: I didn't have a question. I was making a motion. >> Council member Harper Madison. Council member renterria seconds. [12:11:46 PM] It's unanimous of those participating with council members Kelly and pool off the dais with the comments that people added with respect to individual votes. Congratulations on that work. Thank you all for being here with us today. We're going to go then to the community speakers. Austin finance is making -- did I lose council member alter? Did she walk out? Do you want to take care of those? Sorry. >> Alter: Sure. Let me make sure I have -- what [12:12:46 PM] was the number? >> Mayor Adler: It was 42. And I think it's all of record, so you can just move passage of item number 42. >> Alter: Okay. So I move passage of item 42, which appoints kavita gumpton, recommends designating a chair of the civil service. >> Mayor Adler: Mayor pro tem makes a motion. Is there a second to the motion? Council member Ellis seconds the motion. Discussion? Those in favor, please raise your hand. Those opposed? Unanimous with council members pool and Kelly off the dais. All right, colleagues. That's going to give us pulled item 13, 22, and 33. Everything else we have taken care of other than executive session and zoning, so I would [12:13:47 PM] suggest that we take the public speakers now. At the end of that we'll do music back in the chambers. And then convene for executive session. At 2:00 o'clock we have about 15 speakers, three minutes each, identified that need to come in. Depending on how quickly we can move here, I'm anticipating executive session in the 1:30 time frame. That would be remote. And then we would come back after that down here. Council member kitchen? >> Kitchen: I'm sorry. You probably said this, but the pulled items, do you have a thought on when we'll take those? >> Mayor Adler: By -- I would anticipate taking them probably right after we do the consent agenda in zoning. >> Kitchen: Okay. [12:14:48 PM] >> Mayor Adler: In a perfect world we do executive session at 1:30, over at 2:00. Then we make a decision whether we should come back out at 2:00 or not. Probably should at 2:00 to do the speakers. If we do we can handle the consent zoning agenda. Then we'll make a choice about whether to handle the zoning items or to go back into executive session. >> Kitchen: Okay. >> Mayor Adler: Council member tovo? >> Tovo: Did you say we would start executive session around 1:30? >> Mayor Adler: That would be my estimate >> Tovo: Okay. Great. Thanks. >> Mayor Adler: So subject to -- let's call the public speakers now. And then we'll break out. >> In person we have Richard [12:15:49 PM] victoren. >> Mayor, council, manager, formula one. Public funds, tax collections, siphoned to the circuit of americases. Over 200 million since 2012. 207.5 million to the Texas billionaire red mccomes and hedge fund for sports and entertainment facility, a stadium deal for sport which did not exist in Texas. Major events reimbursement program -- operated from accounts called funds outside the treasury, funds with no budgetary control at the award level, funds without budgetary control at the fund level. In February the circuit signed a five year agreement with f-1. We began our work and communicated what we found to city manager, who was not here [12:16:55 PM] when some council members were not here to deny the controller's inflated -- inflated -- I repeat that four times because there were four classes of errors in the controller's estimate, which was two-thirds wrong. Inflated 200 per cent. Think of a Macey's Thanksgiving day balloon. Today that would be partnership profits and capital distributions to a hedge fund and Texas bill nar. When we reengaged our work in February, we informed the manager about payment close to $20 million for the 2021 race held without local endorsement. The support contract had expired two months earlier. We've not heard from the manager which was the pattern we expected from mark Ott. [12:17:55 PM] Last week we went to open record's window to ask what happened to our work. This repeats the pattern from 2011, '12 when the manager played catch me when you can as we monitored the award and its calculation. The circuit events organizing committee went twice. C-lock is the conduit. Neither meeting was reported to the city clerk and one was a complete open meetings violation because it was not posted to Travis county. The organizing committee held a meeting without notice, without public participation to process a request for $20 million to receive public tax collections it was not entitled. What a mess. We seek your support for more transparency and disclosure from the city manager. Thank you. [12:19:02 PM] [Buzzer]. >> Zion jeffamoff. >> Good afternoon. I'm here to talk about the homelessness in Austin. I've been out here for a while. I've seen the disconnect that austinites have for the unhoused. This is a really smart city. It's -- I call it Tesla city. I love Austin, but when it comes to innovative ideas or compassion for others, it seems like Austin pets alive -- that dog pound is more organized than the way we organize the homeless. They have three service places or resource centers on the same city block, downtown Austin, and they all bid for the highest grant from the government. And they're basically a band [12:20:03 PM] aid on the homeless situation to get people off of the streets or out of sight, and they sit in a nine month to year program without any opportunities, and the housing market is so expensive here -- $1,400 for an average apartment in Austin. They give people vouchers and the vouchers don't even compete with the housing market, so a person is generalized or they're subject to low-income housing and low-income housing are high drug areas. I don't even know why we use the word "Low-income housing" anymore. The world isn't segregated with color. It's segregated with the amount of money you have and the class you're in. Low-income housing is a 7 year old way of segregating a community. If you're going to give someone a voucher to get off of the streets, there needs to be new [12:21:03 PM] things in Austin that make a person an equal. Opportunities -- if they had opportunities they could transition a little easier into an apartment. I see that you guys purchased motels and the motels were a way to get rid of the camp sites but there's 4,000 people on the streets, and case management is underfunded. They'll have three case managers that -- they're supposed to case manage a hundred people. That's very underfunded. Case management is what's needed before you transition anyone back into housing. I'm asking the city of Austin to open their eyes and please listen to a chance for opportunities. I believe I have a solution to end homelessness for good in Austin, and I'm very confident with it because of my experience of being on the streets here. If people were equals, then they wouldn't have a reason to circulate back to the streets. [12:22:05 PM] Thank you very much. I didn't really need the three minutes, but I would really like an opportunity to talk to the council about the solutions, not the problem. Thanks. >> Thank you. [Buzzer] . >> Deroin Roy with Paul Robbins on deck. Paul Robbins. >> No prompt here. There's no prompt for the powerpoint presentation, mayor. >> I think you can just ask him to forward it. >> Very well. Council, there is a saying that when you are up to your neck in [12:23:06 PM] alligators you forget your original intention was to drain the swamp. Can I have the slide? City staff is withholding information about the customer assistance program that has formerly been made public for many years that would reveal exorbitant property wealth of some of the program's participant, such as this one -- the estate with about 7500 square feet and the tennis court and the swimming pool. While I maintain that there are ways that this information can be made public, I have a larger goal than wanting to regale you with photos of mansions getting poor people's money for the next decade. My goal is to repair the program by income-qualifying customers so this failure ceases. When a new program is created, it's standard procedure for research to be conducted as to [12:24:08 PM] what similar programs exist in order to learn how things might be done more efficiently. Curious I sent an open records request to Austin energy asking to see if the utility had conducted such research when it sent up the fraud automatic enrollment process. I was told there was no responsive information to underscore a program spending about $16 million a year, another 1.4 million for the process, plus several hundred thousand dollars in staff a year -- they've never done formative research. You would expect -- you expect people running the program to be your experts, but your experts have not done their due diligence, so I have done it for them. Slide. [12:25:11 PM] Sacramento municipal utility district has a robust utility program that enrolls about 50,000 more customers than Austin. San Antonio enrolls about 22,000 more than Austin. These are estimates of course. Next slide. In terms of percentage of Aus -- Sacramento utility district is twice as high as Austin and San Antonio is almost as high. In San Antonio -- it's compared to Austin's 200 per cent of property. If San Antonio changed its qualification it would likely - exceed Austin. Let's use the rate case as the spring board to fix this broken program. Thank you. [12:26:12 PM] >> Gray campos with Stacey Williams on deck. Stacey Williams? Klaus shwaab. >> Hello, city of Austin. My father is Santa senior. He runs economic form. Have you heard of this? Very good speaking are happening which will take place may 22nd to 26th of 2022 for you in Switzerland. Very good speakers. [12:27:14 PM] The topic is love is not real. Everything is a commodity. Lots of interesting informations for you. There's disinformation about this. What will happen very soon is the fourth industrial revolution where the bankers will own everything and the peasants will own nothing. So it's great for us. We will own -- for example, the car in your driveway. We will own the wedding ring on your finger! We will own the weaner -- the breakfast you consume. I will own that! I will own the fetus incubating in the stomach of your wife. I will put a chip in your baby's brain to calculate its birth of my ownership. I will -- do you understand [12:28:15 PM] what is happening? By the way, (indiscernible). I need validations for this. Thank you for this. Thank you. Everyone's favorite oligarch. Thank you. >> Thank you. That concludes in person. We have Patty Sesma remotely. >> Hi. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, mayor Adler and council members. I am the vice president of marketing and communications for the Austin urban technology movement organization, which most likely you recognize as autumn hq. I'm representing the [12:29:17 PM] communities out there that urgently need your help. Our CEO was here a few weeks ago to discuss workforce development issues, technological opportunities, and economic development for the communities we serve. He provided information and even shared reports about the problem that we are working to eliminate. Mayor Adler, the hq team is working to solve a problem that should have been addressed a long time ago. The city of Austin has evolved into a tech hub, and it should now be easier to assist underserved communities in finding better job opportunities. So during the remaining time or minutes that I have to share, I would like to take that valuable time and give it back to you to answer this one question: What does hq need to do to receive the 675 -- excuse [12:30:20 PM] me -- we have requested so we can run our model to become the exclusive source to provide jobs to the communities -- to the members of the communities we serve? And this is an actual question. >> Mayor Adler: And we understand that. You've signed up three minutes to speak to the council, and that's the opportunity that you get. >> Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Next speaker. >> That concludes all public communication. >> Mayor Adler: Is anyone here to speak that we did not get [12:31:22 PM] to? Okay. All right, colleagues. We're going to now have the opportunity to listen to some live music. So I'm going to say the city council will go into closed session, subject to live music. We'll take up four items pursuant to government code. We're going to discuss matters related to item 46 and legal issues related to item 43, 44, and 68. Lawsuits involving APD and protests, the loss of [indiscernible] And government matters. Without objection, we'll take a break here now with music. We'll convene at 1:30 remotely for this executive session. See you then. [12:37:54 PM] >> You're not playing here? This is like Carnegie hall? Are you recording this? Let's step up. This is exciting for us because we recognize how important music is to our city and our culture and who we are. I came here as a student in the late '70s, and like so many other people who passed through the town ended up staying and for me one of the reasons was the music. It was grabbing a beer, going to a club and listening to the bands play. You know, we always try to celebrate the eclectic music that exists, just phenomenal musicians in lots of different [12:38:57 PM] areas. So it's a real important part of what we do and exciting today to see that we would be recognizing you as a musician. Ulovei -- forged one of the strongest brands in Austin entertainment and nice live seen with mentions in vice, Austin chronicle, culture map, Austin 360 for his personal sense of style. Reputation for party rocking. As a marine veteran, thank you for your service. His dj parties are known as some of the hottest tickets in Austin, with residency in [12:40:01 PM] prestigious downtown nightclubs. Always dancing in signature black and wide wing-tipped Stacey Adams. Sure hard to miss in Austin, Texas. So if folks want to hear you and hear you set the sound, where would they go. >> I would say those places mentioned. South congress hotel. >> Mayor Adler: Where you next. >> Tonight south congress hotel for the Cinco Demayo. >> Mayor Adler: The city of Austin is blessed talented musicians and whereas our music [12:41:04 PM] scene thrives because Austin audiences support good music produced by legends, our local favorites, and newcomers alike, and whereas we are pleased to show case and support our local governments, now I mayor of the live music capital, together with colleagues on council, proclaim may 5th, 2022 as ulovei day in Austin, Texas. [12:48:52 PM] Z [2:46:37 PM] Z [2:52:39 PM] logix. >> Mayor Adler: Are you guys ready? All right. All right. We are out of closed session. While we were in closed session, we discussed real estate matters related to item 46. We did not get to items 43, 44, and 68. So we're going to have to go back in and do those. But we are now back. City council meeting continues, may 5th, 2022. Time is 2:53. I think we have some speakers that are set to speak with us today on the zoning cases. Before we hear from the zoning callers, are there any postponements that they should know about or otherwise so that they know that today might not [2:53:42 PM] be their merits proposal -- arguments. >> Yes, sir. We have item number 47. It's slated for indefinite postponement request by the applicant. In addition, let's see -- items number 61 and 62 have a postponement request by the neighborhood and applicant to may 19th. Sorry to go backwards. Item 48 has postponement by applicant to may 19th. Those four -- 47, 48, 61, and 62 all have postponement requests. >>>Instructor: . >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Is there an agreement to move forward on the opera house tract. >> Yes. I have a statement I'll be reading in record for items 57 [2:54:42 PM] and 58. It's looking like a discussion case will be 51 -- >> Mayor Adler: Only one looks like it will be 51. But people on the phone Oregon wise wanting to speak, it -- or otherwise wanting to speak, it doesn't look like anything will be decided with respect to the academy case. If speakers want to make sure they're here next time in the event things don't work out. But I think a lot of people signed up to speak on that. Does not seem to be an immediate pressing issue. Postponement of 61, 62. Looks like only discussion will be on 51. I want the speakers to all know that as we recognize speakers. Okay? Thank you, Jerry. Let's call the speakers, first in person and then? [2:55:43 PM] >> Mayor, how many speakers do we have? >> Mayor Adler: How many speakers do we have? About 15. Sorry. >> On the phone? >> Mayor Adler: What. >> Three minutes each? >> Mayor Adler: Three minutes. Let's begin with the nine in person. >> Speaking on merits of 47, Sharon skogland. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Next speaker. >> On items 57 and 58, Laura toops. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council. I'm a resident of fair view park. I'm a member of srcc and chair of the subcommittee for the neighborhood plan contact team that's worked on the case at 200 academy. I come to you today also with the perspective of being a [2:56:46 PM] civil engineer and planner and having worked for 35-plus years in the city on a number of mixed-use projects. Our neighborhood has not opposed the mixed-use nature of this proposal. We support the housing. We'd like to see some affordable housing in the project. We support the offices, the restaurant, recording studio, and other sort of support businesses, but what we don't support is a 1200 person venue that is accessed off of a neighborhood street -- academy. This is not compatible planning. It's not good planning, and it also creates safety issues -- not only for the neighborhood but the adjacent businesses. This is putting something the size of the paramount theater, which is downtown, on a neighborhood street. So please support a much [2:57:47 PM] smaller venue when we come back to this -- the vote on this, and that's what we would like to support. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Next speaker. >> Items 57 and 58 -- Steve >> Mayor, councilmembers, I am the owner of the continental club, and sea boys. And I do appreciate some folks using my clubs as fine examples of what they think should land on that property, but I also feel very strongly that I have these bases totally covered with my venues. I think what needs to happen here is a larger capacity venue where bands I have nurtured and [2:58:48 PM] groomed over the past 40 years have a much larger space to perform. Back in the day, when the opera house was open, and I was at the continental -- I've been there since '87 -- you know, I attended many great shows there. And there was always a positive windfall from the patrons that were at those shows, and many of the bands who played there having a legendary small club to head to and support some of the smaller local bands that we feature night in and night out. And I see that continuing at our spaces, enhancing what we've worked so hard to create. If the larger capacity venue can come back on board, the synergy between a large venue and small clubs like the continental in close proximity is essential to help each other out and keep the music and special nights going. And I support and approve the [2:59:51 PM] removal of the nccd at 200 academy and hopefully provide for a larger capacity venue. Thanks. >> On items 57 and 58, Lisa Fletcher. With Fred Fletcher on deck. >> Good afternoon, y'all. I'm Lisa Fletcher with Arlen studios. We have been at 200 academy since 1984. Chris Wallen is the first property owner who doesn't want to mow down this building and create more high-rises and retail. He's the first to realize that the history of this property is important enough to save. Please help us do this. One neighbor who has choked our area with construction on a once-historical home for longer than all of the south congress construction combined should not speak for long-term Austin. He didn't even live here. The alternative to our plan will be far worse for our beloved [3:00:53 PM] neighborhood. We really believe that. Please give us the time and opportunity to work with our neighborhood to figure out a way to preserve our history. Retail and high-rises create constant traffic during peak times. Music does not. Retail and high-rises do not support our local artists. We do. Retail and high-rises do not attract the most respected names in our business. Music does, we do. Paul Simon did not come to shop, he came for the music. Please help us bring it back. >> Fred Fletcher with Brian beatty on deck. >> Hello. Thank you for the opportunity. I'm Freddy Fletcher, founder of [3:01:53 PM] Arlen studios. My late mother, Bobbie Nelson, played piano in the '60s. That was the terrace convention center. That later became the Austin opera house. Music lane is a street that borders the opera house. Music lane recording studios are the reason for the name. The archangels were born there. It was a place for musicians to work. Sadly, today there is no music. Liberty lunch, saloon, the opera house, to name a few, are all gone. The broken spoke has been strangled. Arlen's lease will soon be up. If it wasn't for Gary Keller, the Saxon pub would be gone. The continental club could be the last man standing. [3:02:54 PM] People come here because they love music. Music that has been the soul of this city. And without the soul, it's just another city. What we are simply trying to do is preserve what gave this city its identity. Thank you. >> Item 57, Brian beatty. >> Hello, mayor and council. Just briefly to address -- I've worked with all these people before, and we're all people who do stuff with Austin music. Steve's contention that this small club would compete with his is only -- they book the same style of music and I don't see any reason why that would necessarily happen. So, anyway. I'm Brian, a longtime Austin musician, record producer. My house is on a single-family lot steps away from the exit to [3:03:55 PM] the opera house. Half of the properties adjacent to us are very small, one-family lots, but we are also next-door to a small apartment complex. We are the transition zone between our historic neighborhood, fairview park, and the encoaching city. The 200 academy property has been part of this transition zone since 1964. The building's 58 years of existence, it has never operated in a way that caused legal and safety problems, except during those broken apart 12-15 years it was used as a large concert hall. I saw a number of great artists play there. I played there. Many other legendary Austin clubs that no longer exist. I lived nearby for years. I'm real familiar with the area. The recent developments on the west side of south congress around academy brought the new urban Austin to our doorsteps. The new line of buildings across from the Texas school for the deaf confuse old drivers looking for the entrance to our neighborhood, but they are handsome. Unfortunately, they have completely blocked any [3:04:55 PM] possibility of 200 academy having direct access to south congress. Any plan to develop that property must take that into consideration, and the large event hall is the only part of the proposed development we are objecting to. We love Arlen. We would embrace small clubs with staggering start and finish times. A large club would be a greater risk than it ever was. So please don't force that mistake on us again. >> On item 58, Eric van height with natanya Jameson on deck. For items 59 and 60, natanya Jameson. [3:05:56 PM] >> Good afternoon. Honorable mayor Steve Adler and members of city council, stable housing and supportive services are provided to single mothers and their children. We have agreed to serve as an affordability partner to montopolis and support the zoning request. For two -- 20 years, we have provided pathways out of homelessness to women and children who often aren't counted. Hidden from the point in time counts, child welfare agencies, moving from unstable living situation to another, problems and delays in our schools, years and instability in childhood create a pipeline for homelessness. We empower mothers and children to develop economic security from generations to come. 90% increased self-sufficiency and maintained stability after [3:06:58 PM] graduating from our multiyear program. The city of Austin has supported us as we have grown. We have presided over 200 families and 470 children a springboard to economic mobility. We have a wait list currently of 60-80 families. Therefore, we must grow. Collaboration with the montopolis acres lp represents a pathway to expansion, allowing us to provide partnership to more mothers and children. It will leverage diversity and resources to strengthen each community. Proximity to the new city recreation center, the park, the church, and schools provide the extremely low-income diverse St. Louise house families access to these resources. Experience has shown our families become active community members who advocate for the health and safety of all. Thank you for considering our support for the rezoning [3:07:59 PM] request. >> Rachel Mcclure speaking on the merits of the postponement of 61 and 62. >> Thank you very much. I'm a little bit confused. I'm not sure that I need to say something right now. I'm here because we were not in complete agreement -- the petitioners and the applicant -- this morning. I understand that we are now in agreement and we all agree to postpone. [ Laughing ] We're not ready, the case basically is not ready yet. We haven't seen the restrictive covenant. We haven't received approval. >> Mayor Adler: 62 is being postponed. >> Yes. We support the postponement. If that's all I need to say, I'll sit down now. >> Mayor Adler: Perfect. >> Thank you. >> That concludes our in-person speakers. [3:08:59 PM] We'll move on to remote. >> Mayor Adler: To speak? Yes? [ Off mic ] >> Mayor Adler: Come on down. >> Okay. >> Esteemed mayor and councilmembers, I'm Jose, and I'm here representing a local business owner who owns the two properties immediately north of these two parcels. We are opposed to the zoning being proposed. We feel our properties are already being infringed upon and will be more so if this gets granted. We notified staff during the planning meetings that it is not a public roadway, never accepted by the county 30 years ago. We have an engineering company looking at all the title work, etc. But this proposed use would use our road, which is a privately maintained road, and we pay property taxes on it. [3:10:01 PM] So we're opposed to that. Also, there's an easement in the back we allow them to use. This property would use their internal drive to get there. And it didn't support what they're doing to do right now -- it doesn't support it. And so, you know, submitted our objections to the planning commission. A few days later we got a call from the agent for this property threatening us for coming forward. So, we just don't want an acrimonious relationship, but we should be able to talk to our interests and not feel threatened. Thank you for your time. We ask that you not pass the proposed zoning change, just as it failed with the zoning commission. Thank you very much. >> One question right quick. >> Mayor Adler: Yes, councilmember vela. >> Vela: What item number is this? [3:11:01 PM] >> 51. >> Vela: Thank you very much. >> Mayor Adler: And that will be our discussion item for today. Okay. Anyone else? Come on down. >> Speaking on the merits of the postponement for item 47, Zenobia Joseph. >> Thank you, mayor, council, I'm Zenobia Joseph. As it relates to item 47, 1000 east yager lane, I wanted to play a video clip so that you could see the context and the justification for why I actually support the indefinite postponement. [3:12:10 PM] >> A woman reached out saying it was her son who was hit and killed here near I-35. He was hit and killed Saturday night on this bridge right behind me. Police initially reported he was eight years old, but the woman who reached out says her son was 15, had autism, and was nonverbal. She says the driver who hit him stayed on-scene to help. We're working to confirm all of this with police, but the road where this person was hit did not have a sidewalk. The sidewalk ends where I am right now. And there are some street lamps nearby as well, but there are none on that bridge. >> There is people, children, and adults that walk up and down this road every day. >> They live near east yager and say this area is unsafe. >> Extremely dangerous. It's hilly, corners, hard to see. >> When he heard about the tragic news Saturday -- >> It's heartbreaking, but it's not surprising. [3:13:10 PM] >> It's an area where pedestrians should not be at any time of day. It has no crossing area. >> People walk along this stretch of road every day, so something has to change. >> A sidewalk this whole stretch. >> Luis, KVUE news. >> Keep that in mind. >> Sorry about that. As these cases come before you, and specifically on yager and maybe the city manager can answer this, they're putting sidewalk in the area near tech ridge boulevard, but I'm not sure about the area that has the ravine, how to make that Ada accessible. So if you could just work with the construction crew to see if they could actually do the entirety and not just the apartment area. And just lastly, so that you have the date, that was September 28th, 2019. And then two years later another [3:14:12 PM] 15-year-old was actually hit on yager lane and had two brain surgeries. So the area is unsafe and I would ask you to recognize that just because there is a bus stop there, that doesn't mean it's safe for pedestrians. For context, mayor, a point of reference, it was January 26th, 2017 when I stood before you with 574 petition signatures to save route 392, the route you saw that bus pass on yager lane. I asked you to help us then. I appreciate the postponement today. And those are the gist of my comments, but I just wanted to remind you, it's unsafe. And please ask them to keep some of the trees when they start with the development. That's a dense area, but today it's becoming a concrete jungle. And so I thank you for allowing me to make my comments. And thank you, city manager. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Mayor Adler: All right. That gets us to remote speakers. [3:15:14 PM] >> Do you mind if I weigh in? >> Mayor Adler: Go ahead. I'm sorry, councilmember harper-madison. >> Thank you, I appreciate it. I wanted to daylight something. It's tentative to be this month, new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure will be constructed along one mile [ indiscernible ]. [Audio stopped] >> Mayor Adler: I think we froze up on councilmember harper-madison. If she gets back on, we'll try to get what she was trying to say. Why don't you go ahead and call the remote speakers. >> On item 52, Francis Acuna. >> Harper-madison: By the proposed -- before the proposed project at this site. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember harper-madison, we lost you pretty early in that. I'm sorry. [3:16:14 PM] >> Harper-madison: Here's what I'll do. I'll turn off my video. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. >> Harper-madison: I'll repeat. Let me know whether or not you can hear me more clearly. >> Mayor Adler: Yes, go ahead. >> Harper-madison: So I was wanting to daylight that tentatively, beginning this month, new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure will be constructed along a one-mile stretch of east yager lane between nature's bend and Jordan's crossing boulevard. The specific improvements include an eight to ten-foot shared use path on the south side of east yager lane, a new physically protected bike plan lane on the north side of east yager lane, crossing improvements and the filling of sidewalk gaps at rockshire, Tomkins drive, harperfield drive and copperfield park and the ideal public schools driveway. The anticipated duration of the construction is 12-18 months and will be completed before the proposed project at the site would break ground. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Thank you. [3:17:16 PM] >> Harper-madison: You're welcome. >> Mayor Adler: Helpful. Let's go ahead and call remote speakers. >> Francis Acuna on item 52. >> Can you hear me? >> Yes, proceed. >> Yes. My name is Francis Acuna, I'm a resident of dove springs, and I'm for slash neutral for item 32 and 52. I am deeply concerned with the development happening around us without taking in consideration the adverse impact that it causes downstream. In my personal view, localized flooding is getting worse and happening everywhere in Austin. And in my neighborhood, it's being greatly affected constantly. I ask that when you vote for this item, that you please [3:18:16 PM] remember that we already have a big senior development that is happening on William cannon in the Williamson creek green belt that will cause water flow in the creek, and that would cause more erosion. The more development along the creeks, the more contribution to erosion and flooding downstream. We also have a supermarket that is being developed not far from the same senior development and will contribute to more water -- runoff water to the creek and more localized flooding. The flood wall we have on creek bend won't have the capacity to hold the water coming from Williamson creek. And the city's plan to update is far from a few years. The biggest infrastructure would take about five years more, more [3:19:19 PM] or less. Meanwhile, I'm not sure where the phase one of the project will bring, if phase one of the project will bring any relief to the flooding we are already having. So, please take consideration of the impact that we are facing when development is proposed and approved. Thank you. >> On item 53, Marianne willet. >> Good afternoon, city council. My name is Marianne willet and I'll here to oppose item number 53, the Mariella two development. It would run along my fence line, up to it. I already have a church behind there and they're planning to [3:20:19 PM] build a daycare. I have a strip mall that continues into my yard. If this goes in, I will have no privacy, sanctuary, peace of mind, safety. Strangers have access to my yard. I'm infringed upon. This has caused me a great deal of anxiety and stress. I'm 65 years old. Interest rates are up, prices are up, I have nowhere to go. My property values aren't going to be in line with everybody else's in the neighborhood. Cramming people on top of each other doesn't make for a healthy lifestyle. You're cramming them in and you're squeezing them out. Austin is for the wealthy. Noise, air, and traffic pollution is going to skyrocket. And they're also planning, I believe last I heard, to put an apartment complex in down that [3:21:22 PM] street. We don't have drainage here on my street or on villa park. Where is all that water going to go? In northwest woods, we still have deed restrictions. We can't even build two-story homes. And they're putting in two- and three-story condos there. The neighbor that's selling that property to them sued my other neighbor because they tried to put in a prefab little house. They sued them and won. The deed restrictions still apply. You wouldn't have this in issue your backyard, nor would you want it. Thank you very much for your time. >> That concludes all remote speakers. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. [3:22:23 PM] Thank you. Jerry, do you want to take us through the consent? Or joy, whichever? They pointed out to me that I call you and then joy stands up, so -- call her when you stood up. >> Keep you on your toes. Jerry rusthoven, the consent agenda today, first one will be item 47, c1420210091, an indefinite postponement request by the applicant. Item number 48, c1420210155, a postponement request by the applicant to may 19th. Item number 49, case c1420200080, consent approval on all three readings. Item number 50, c1420200079, consent approve on all three readings. Number 51 will be a discussion [3:23:23 PM] case. Item number 52, c142020200012, consent approval on all three readings. Item 53, c1420210103, consent approval on all three readings. Item number 54, case c1420210159, consent approval on all three readings. Item 55, npa 20210016.01. Sh, consent approval on all three readings, related item is 56, C 1420210020. Sh, consent approval on all three readings. Item number 57, npa20190022.01, the neighborhood plan amendment to go with the 200 academy case. I can offer this case for consent approval on second reading only. And the related zoning case is item number 58, c1420200147, [3:24:25 PM] I've been asked to read into the record a statement by the -- both the applicant and the neighbors, which is an agreement that will allow the space to move forward on second reading. The parties agree to move forward on second reading with what the council approved on first reading, which is that which they feel does need some work with regard to what's written in the ordinance. Specifically they have two points. One, the parties acknowledge further discussion and investigation will occur before third reading in connection with the provision which restricts the building height within a certain distance of property. On first reading, the council approved 75 feet. The applicant would like 65. The parties involved would like some more time to discuss this point. Item 2, they are working on the Venn's most prospect capacity, a conditional overlay. They will return on June 9th for third reading. With that read into the record, I can offer both items number 57 and 58 for second reading only. Item number 59, case [3:25:31 PM] npa20200005.01, I can offer this case for consent approval on all three readings. Related zoning case is item c1420200029, consent approval on third reading with notation that it would be for the planning commission recommendation of mf4 and fee. There is a valid petition on this case. It would need nine votes. But the applicant submitted a request for mf6. Staff recommended mf3. The planning commission recommended mf4. Both the applicant and the staff are okay with that change as well, so that would be for mf4np, the planning commission recommendation on item number 60. Item number 61, case npa20200021.02, a postponement request by the neighborhood and the applicant to may 19th. The related case, item number 62, case c1420200081 is also a postponement request by both the applicant and the neighborhood to may 19th. [3:26:38 PM] 59 is consent approval on all three readings. >> Mayor Adler: Got it. >> Jerry, for 68, was mf4, how many readings? >> Yes, that's what the planning commission recommended and the applicant has amended the request to match the planning commission recommendation. The staff is agreeable to that as well. >> And how many readings were you suggesting? >> It's red for all three readings. >> I just wanted to make sure I heard you. >> Sure. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember Renteria? >> Renteria: Yes, on item 60 and 61 -- I mean, 59 and 60 I would like to ask the applicant a question. There's two questions. One, are y'all committed to provide 20% affordability -- housing at affordability rate? Can you tell me what kind of [3:27:39 PM] affordability you're offering? >> Yes. Victoria Hasse on behalf of the land owner. So, the project is offering 20% total of the rentable, leasable square footage in the product to income restricted units or space for St. Louise house. It's based off of square footage, not number of units. It's 20% of the entire square footage of the project. As far as affordability levels, 10% will be reserved for families at 80% mfi or less and then 5% available for families at 60% mfi, and another 5% for families at 30% mfi or less. >> Renteria: Can y'all promise also that if the deal falls through from St. Louise that you will keep this 20% level at what you just mentioned? [3:28:40 PM] >> Absolutely. So the agreement that has been crafted and reviewed by legal counsel, by both the land owner and St. Louise house has provisions that would protect in that type of instance. >> Renteria: Mayor, I'd like to keep it. My colleague has another question. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember alter -- mayor pro tem, sorry. >> Alter: Thank you, councilmember Renteria, for clarifying that. My staff had spoken with you before. I just want to clarify that those numbers are added in, if you can't accomplish the other 5% numbers for the extreme low-income and the low-income just by having -- and the 10%. It is additive, there will be 20%. >> Correct, yes. And understanding what the concern is, we will modify that language and bring it by the council office so that you can see it before we execute the final. >> Alter: Thank you. I appreciate that. And there is a way to read it. [3:29:42 PM] It's not fully clear that it is additive. Theres a way that the language reads as additive and a way that it could be confused, so I appreciate any clarity that can be offered there. I appreciate you thinking outside of the box to think about how we can deliver higher levels of affordability and partnering with a great partner. >> Absolutely. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Great. Thank you. Councilmember kitchen? >> Kitchen: Yes, I just want to say thank you to those of you who have worked on this, and councilmember Renteria. I'm familiar with Louise house. They have a location on manchaca in district 5. And I think that it's a fabulous program, and I'm really excited about the potential for them to partner on this property. So, thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Is there a motion to approve the [3:30:44 PM] consent zoning, items 47-62, with the exception of 51 as stated in red in the record? Councilmember Renteria makes the motion. The mayor pro tem seconds. Any discussion? Let's take a vote. Those in favor -- I'm sorry. >> Mayor, I have discussion. I'm re-cueing myself on 61 and 2. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: The record will so note. Any further discussion? Those in favor of the consent agenda, please raise your hand. Those opposed? I see it as unanimous on the dais with councilmembers Kelly and pool off. All right. Colleagues, we have item 51 that was just pulled. We have the pulled items from this morning agenda. And we have the three executive [3:31:45 PM] session items. I would suggest that, you know, we have -- we could probably work through the zoning case since we're here, do that one first, then we'll do the three pulled items, and then we'll go back into executive session. All right. Do you want to lay out the zoning case? >> Jerry, c1420210187, manchaca road, 11530 manchaca road, interim residential zoning. The property was annexed in 2016 into the city and has an interim designation. The applicant has applied to -- for cs1 on tract one to allow for a cocktail lounge and cs on track two to allow for commercial uses. The staff recommendation is to grant cs1 on track number one, and track two to grant cs with adult-oriented businesses, automotive repair, bail bond, [3:32:47 PM] campground, recycling collection, kennels, outdoor entertainment, outdoor sports and rec, and service station. The zoning and planning commission heard the case. The number one issue at the commission was the cs1 portion of the request for the cocktail lounge or bar. The zoning and platting commission was unable to make a recommendation on this case, so they forwarded without a recommendation. The staff is recommending it. And I'm available for any questions. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember -- >> Renteria: I just have one comment. Jerry, you said manchaca. >> Manchaca. >> Renteria: Okay. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember kitchen. >> Kitchen: Just a few quick questions, Jerry. So, the staff recommendation is what's in front of us, I think. And that's the one that includes the co related to the track, or the concern is about the cocktail lounge, is that right? [3:33:47 PM] >> Yes, the cocktail lounge tract would be cs1. Tract two, further off of manchaca would be cs. We would have the conditional overlay on both prohibiting those uses that I read in. But on tract one it would allow for a cocktail lounge. That cocktail lounge would have to go through the conditional use permit process prior to being approved. >> Kitchen: Okay. And then is the applicant here? >> Yes, the applicant is here. >> Kitchen: I have a question for the applicant. >> I think he would line of like to do presentation. >> Kitchen: Oh, does he? >> Mayor Adler: Should we do that? >> Kitchen: Sure. I don't need that, but if he wants to present that. >> Mayor Adler: On a contested case like this, we'll give him five minutes to be able to make their presentation. Go ahead. >> Thank you. Mayor, councilmembers, my name is Jim. I'm here on behalf of Antonio [3:34:49 PM] Calvo, the owner of this property. Before I begin a brief presentation, I would just like to emphatically deny the statement from Mr. Arellano that I threatened him. Many of you have known me a long time. I do not threaten people. I had one phone conversation with him. And in fact, I even suggested. He said you guys don't pay for maintenance. I said let's set up an agreement. But he says that this is their private property. It is their property, but we do have -- I brought a copy with me of the legal access easement that is associated with our property. It's a fire lane that goes back there. That's what it is. It's a fire lane. And so this is an eight-acre property. It was built prior to being annexed into the city in 2016. It's been zoned interim rr all this time. It really needs to be correctly [3:35:52 PM] zoned. So, we chose cs zoning. We can't do wlo because some of the buildings are two stories and wlo limits you to one story. So, cs was what was decided. I worked closely with Wendy Rhodes, the case manager. At Wendy's suggestion we cut the size of the cocktail lounge down to only the footprint of the building to make sure that a. It can't be expanded and B. There can't be any outdoor entertainment there. It was my suggestion to add the no outdoor music. I did meet with the nearest neighborhood, the Canterbury trails, I met with them in person. A number of people were on the phone. Every person there in person was either strongly in favor or neutral. There was one person on the phone that had some questions and said eh, how do we know all these promises are going to come true? And then there was a lady that [3:36:54 PM] testified at the planning commission. She testified by telephone. She was rather upset. I actually wrote her a letter. That letter is in your backup material. And so we're not going to have any outdoor entertainment. This is compared to all the other places up and down the street. This is not on several acres, not an outside music venue. There will be no noise and traffic. Concerns about parking, we have 91 spaces on-site already. So we're adequate. We need a special use permit in order to be able to operate the cocktail lounge. But it's being designed, it's a smaller structure. It's being designed as a neighborhood-friendly bar, and there are no bars within 6/10 of a mile. And I am not aware of any strong opposition. I wish I could have gotten one more vote at the planning [3:37:54 PM] commission, we would have been on consent today, perhaps. But didn't happen. So, I'm here to answer your questions and I know councilmember kitchen, you had a question. So, I'll turn it to you. Thank you. >> Kitchen: Well, I think this is ready for first reading, right? I'm prepared to move forward on first reading. We have not had the opportunity to talk, my office and yours. So we might have some questions for you that we'll follow up. We did get a few questions from neighbors, but I'm prepared to move forward and then if we could just have some conversation, if we have any remaining questions that we need to ask. >> I'll be happy to schedule a meeting with your office. Thank you. >> Kitchen: Okay. So, I'm prepared -- I'm ready to move passage on first reading of the staff's recommendation. >> Mayor Adler: There's been a motion to move forward on first reading only. Councilmember Ellis seconds it. Any further discussion? [3:38:54 PM] I'm not seeing anybody's hands. Let's take a vote. Those in favor, please raise your hand. Those opposed? Councilmember tovo, councilmember harper-madison, I can't see you on the screen. I don't know if you intend to vote on this one or not. There are enough votes for it otherwise to pass on first reading. Councilmember harper-madison, are you voting aye with the rest of the council? Yes? So, it is those present plus councilmember harper-madison. Not voting, councilmember tovo, councilmember Kelly, and councilmember pool. So that passes. Thank you. That concludes, then, the zoning component. Let's hit, then, pulled items in the regular agenda. I think we begin with item number 13. [ Buzzer sounding ] [3:39:54 PM] >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember Fuentes, I think you were the one that pulled that. >> Fuentes: Thank you. Colleagues, I pulled item 13 because I had a question on the dynamic speed display devices. It seems like many of us have questions in the q&a report, so I thought it would be helpful to pull this item for a conversation. Thank you, director spillar, for joining us. Thank you for your service. I don't know how much longer we have you with the city of Austin, but also thank you for your service. Can you share, how many speed devices do we currently have? It's my understanding that this contract would double the amount of dynamic speed displays that we would have. >> Yes, thank you, councilmember, Robert spillar, [3:40:54 PM] director of transportation. We currently have approximately 91 of these out throughout the city. Those are on our streets now. The current contract allows us to purchase about 125 over five years, I believe. And our purchasing director is here as well, James Scarborough, and can answer specifics about the purchase if you have them. >> Fuentes: Thank you. Yes. So, you know, I know many of us have had -- have seen or have experienced increased speeding incidents within our communities. I know in my district last week we had a car that was speeding that went over the curb and into a neighbor's garage. And so I know how important having these dynamic speeding display devices within our communities would be, as an effective tool to reduce speeding and to create safer streets. So my question is, how -- two questions. How many streets have we [3:41:57 PM] identified that are in the queue for a display device, and what is the wait time for that? >> Right. Councilmember, I couldn't tell you exactly how many total number of streets are in the queue. I know a number of councilmembers asked how many streets in their particular districts were on the list, and we've tried to provide that. And I can provide a longer list. It takes six months to get one in, because once the request comes in and we validate that it's the right tool, it takes six months. We can do -- install more than one at a time. We can do things in parallel. But it takes a little time to get them in. >> Fuentes: Six months is quite a long time. >> Mhmm. >> Fuentes: And with this contract we would only be increasing our allotment by 25 per year. So is it possible for us to [3:42:59 PM] purchase 50 devices this year so that we're able to get our neighborhood streets with a device sooner rather than having to wait six months? >> Right. Councilmember, and James is here I believe and he can answer the purchasing side of that. We can probably increase the number we purchase each year. I don't know what that upper limit might be. A couple of things I'd like to point out is we need to make sure it's the right tool to help the speed situation in each instance where we're applying these. Some of these will be portable and so in a sense we'll be moving them around for six weeks at a time. We find that that strategy works sometimes. And sometimes we put them in permanent. And so that works as well. I think one thing that we want to do is to make sure that we only purchase the number that we can actually physically get in in a timeframe within that year, because we'll put these in our warehouse, the extra ones. The warranties on them start the [3:44:00 PM] day we receive them. And so the warranties only last a year and it would be not a good use of public funds if it was on its warranty while it sat in the warehouse as we were trying to get them out. So I don't know what that upper limit is, somewhere between -- we know we can do 25 a year. It may be more. But that would be certainly something we'd want to look at. >> Fuentes: Okay -- >> Before we purchase a whole bunch. >> Fuentes: Is it a matter of staff capacity? I know that for a street in my district it would be six months before we were able to get -- >> Right. >> Fuentes: So are there display devices sitting in a garage right now? >> There are not. We don't have any right now. Also, the delivery times, right. The more we purchase, the more competition we have with other cities going to the same manufacture. So, we would certainly take that direction from council and go and try to dial up as fast a delivery process as possible. [3:45:02 PM] Obviously if it takes sense to buy 30 or 40, then we would do that. >> Fuentes: I would be interested to see if it is possible within that contract to purchase more. >> Absolutely. >> Fuentes: Mr. Scarborough, are you willing to speak to it? >> Councilmember, mayor, councilmembers, James Scarborough, services department. This is an indefinite quantity contract, so staff has the ability to order units in addition to the amounts that were estimated. It would all depend on olracial operational issues and so forth. We have flexibility there. >> Fuentes: Great. I'd like to provide that direction for us to increase the amount of devices that we purchase for this calendar year if at all possible so that we're able to ensure that we have safer streets in a more timely manner. And, of course, if you could just keep us updated, if it's a matter of staff capacity and getting them delivered to the appropriate spots. >> We will certainly do that, council. Thank you. [3:46:05 PM] >> Mayor Adler: Direction? Hear none, item 13. Mayor pro tem? >> Alter: Thank you. Thank you, councilmember Fuentes for raising that issue. I think what you're hearing Mr. Spill particular, you can maybe pass this on to your successor, is that I think as councilmembers we hear a lot about concerns about speed. We hear that in a normal year with the post-pandemic period, or the pandemic period where we're seeing even more speeding issues. We've made changes to some other programs so there are fewer tools available. And we would like to be able to direct our constituents to access opportunities to reduce speed in a timely manner. And I think this is one mechanism to do that that's very welcome and that people respond [3:47:05 PM] to, whether or not it is the appropriate tool is up to your staff. So I appreciate the direction to add to it and would just underscore the need for us to continue to find ways for us to be able to direct our constituents to find safer street options. >> Yes, councilmember. >> Mayor Adler: Yes, councilmember Ellis. >> Ellis: Thank you, mayor. I think this direction is fantastic. I think it's a really important tool that we have to be able to just make sure people are aware of the speeds that they're driving. Oftentimes there are folks that get lost in thought and just don't realize they're going way too high above the speed limit. And I know there was a spot in my district where a car also jumped the curb and ended up in a tree. So these things are happening, and some people say even just being aware of their speed may not be enough, they need other improvements made to the streets, and I fully agree with that, too. But sometimes people really just [3:48:06 PM] lose track of how fast they're going. And I think anything we can do to make sure we're mitigating for high speeds and safety in our streets, especially outside the urban core, are really important. And I know your team's committed to that, Mr. Spillar. >> Thank you, councilmember. And I will put a plug in for everyone to look at their gps to see if they have a feature that also tells you when you're five or ten miles over the speed limit. You can set that speed nanny on your gps to remind you. >> Ellis: I appreciate that. I don't think I knew that was an option. Some of the mapping apps will have the speed limit right there on the screen, which is really helpful in situations where you don't have the vizzablety of a speed limit sign happening in certain increments. So you can look down at your map and say, I should be going this speed. >> Yes. >> Ellis: Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Any other comments? Is there a motion to approve [3:49:08 PM] this item number 13? Councilmember Fuentes makes the motion. Mayor pro tem seconds the motion. Any discussion? Let's take a vote. Those in favor please raise your hand. Those opposed? It's nams with councilmembers tovo, pool, and Kelly off the dais. >> Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: This may be the first time we've seen you in session since your memo went out. I know you'll be coming back for an appropriate good-bye. Please make sure that that happens. But you've presided over what I really believe to be kind of the golden age of mobility in this city. And we're just really proud to have seen the level of innovation and advancement that you helped bring forward. So, thank you. >> Well, thank you, mayor. And I could not have done it without all of you all and management, of course. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. [3:50:08 PM] All right, colleagues. Item number 33, I think we had pulled. Councilmember vela? >> Vela: Yes, mayor. My only concern with the item is the timing right now with the CEO position at Austin transit partnership being currently vacant is probably not the wrong word. There's an interim CEO that has been appointed since the capital metro CEO Randy Clark stepped down. And I would really like to have the new atp CEO in place, give that person a little bit of time to kind of get oriented, you know, get familiar with the organization, put some thought into next steps and then get that person's opinion also in [3:51:08 PM] terms of, you know, what we want to do with the board. That was my only concern right now. I'd like to not make changes until we have the new CEO on and get their perspective on that. I don't have any substantive issues with looking at potential expansion of the board, but the timing of it concerns me with the CEO position being in an interim. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Councilmember kitchen. >> Kitchen: Yes. And I appreciate that. The language of the direction does not have a deadline in it or any timeframe in it. It emphasizes consensus, meaning that the council and cap metro would not vote on any expansion or changes to the board unless and until there was consensus that it was brought back to us. [3:52:09 PM] I think a component of that is the right timing. So, I've heard the concern that you've raised. I know others have, too. And so I'm confident that our -- that everyone involved will take that into consideration as they work on some kind of consensus. And I am not expecting this to come back to us until and unless there's consensus. So, I think that, you know, this is direction to the city manager, which I expect, you know, would be something that Gina fiandaca, the city manager's representative on the atp board, would be spearheading. And I'm quite certain that concerns about timing or something that she shares and is well aware of. So, thank you for bringing that up. I don't have any disagreement with that. >> Vela: And that's fine. I just wanted to have that [3:53:12 PM] little comment and provide direction that we should look at the issues that councilmember kitchen identified in the direction, but I would just ask that the city manager -- let's get the CEO in place. Let's get him or her some time to adjust to the role and get to know the environment and then we can -- with that person's input, then make future decisions regarding the board. >> Kitchen: What I hear that as is something -- as part of this direction, not as a must be done, but as a suggestion and part of consideration, there's a lot of considerations that the acm fiandaca or the city manager will have to take into account. And I definitely think that's one that should be taken into [3:54:12 PM] account. >> Renteria: Mayor. >> Mayor Adler: Yes, councilmember Renteria. >> Renteria: My colleague, kitchen, is correct. Our big concern and why we are addressing this issue, it was brought up by our partnership on the Austin transit partnership director, was that there's a possibility that one of our voting members that sits here, which is the mayor, could be out for a long period of time and not be able to have access to voting. And that means that we won't have a voice on that board. So that's a big concern that they also, you know, brought to our attention, you know, that there's a possibility. And then at the end of the year with our mayor off, and then the next person coming in, the next mayor, might not know and it might take a while before he can get on board. So we would like to have -- the [3:55:13 PM] recommendation, what they were saying is we'd like to increase the membership, because we'll have a staggered term-type situation on the board, just like we have here at the council where we have, you know, six up for reelection and then five up for reelection. And that's the only reason why it was brought to our attention. >> Mayor Adler: When you say I could miss a lot of votes, you don't know anything I don't know, you're just saying that's a possibility. [ Laughing ] >> Mayor Adler: Just checking. Councilmember Fuentes. >> Fuentes: Thank you. Thank you, councilmember Renteria, for that context. For me, I had a couple questions about this potential -- or this item. If I could get some context around waiving the residency requirements and how that's come into play, I think it's important, especially for the individuals who serve on atp [3:56:14 PM] that they are also part of the service network of project connect. I want to better understand the rationale behind offering the option to waive a residency requirement. And then also wanting to ask if the community advisory committee had been engaged on this issue. Have they weighed in on the board expansion and any other changes that might come with the board structure? >> Mayor Adler: I think that I was the one that drafted the initial item that came forward. We were trying to deal with some immediate issues that were arising. And there were two that rose to the surface. One of them was to accommodate the transfer or the change in the executive director, when we made the decision to -- the organization was evolving to the point that it needed its own independent director. That left no voice for cap metro on the board, so we wanted to [3:57:15 PM] make that change. There was a request from cap metro to make a jurisdiction change for some of -- one of their board members that might step into the atp board. They wanted to be able to choose from among their members, and not all their members are in the area. So that would give them that immediate flexibility. They wanted that ability to be able to make it themselves because that's their choice and their representative. As we go through this period of time, we know we have a resignation from president pierce-burnet, who conceivably could be both here and in Ohio as she leaves huston- tillotson. And in the event that she finishes out the year in Ohio, not here, she's going to be spending a lot of time here continuing to teach at U.T. But to be able to help with the transition at this moment when we're making some of the 12 [3:58:18 PM] hardest collective decisions on design and the like, it would enable us to be able to waive that requirement for her, if that would be something that was necessary. There's a restriction in state law as to the number of people that can be on the atp board, not in the jurisdiction. So there's a cap that's set by state law. It's two. So we can't exceed that number. But I think that, you know, to the broader point, my sense is, is that as we operate on this there are, kind of, a punch list of potential changes to this. To answer your other question, yes, those two changes were brought to the representatives and leaders of the cac and discussed with them. And they understood that and they were in support of making those two changes. Beyond that, I think that we need a different process, and [3:59:21 PM] I'll go to you in one second. But in addition to the issues that have been discussed, they'd like a punch list that somebody's been developing on changes to be made. I hope they come back to us at the same time so we're not amending this document every fours when and in a process that the stakeholders feel comfortable with the changes that are made. That is the background on the two I felt we needed to do right away. Council member kitchen? >> Kitchen: Yes. The other part of your question which may relate to the direction, yes, the direction was developed in consultation with the cac -- with the leadership. They didn't have time to meetleadership. This language is what they have seen and helped craft. I think the testimony we heard [4:00:23 PM] earlier was important and aligns with this direction. He had pointed out the importance of any changes to a board would have equity implications which is why this names the cac as one of the entities to be consulted with. He had pointed out that what -- you know -- what they thought was important and this aligns with was that there would be a proper and thorough conversation. I think he mentioned the Eno report and I think the overarching think is we want -- if there is a consensus for them, that they really are designed to consider -- as I wrote -- as we wrote in here consider the board struck Tur to best achieve a -- structure [4:01:26 PM] to best achieve the purpose in collaboration with the city, cap metro, cac, and the community. Yes, I wanted to just share that. >> Mayor Adler: Is there a motion to approve this item 31 with the direction stated -- 33, rather. Council member kitchen? Council member Renteria makes a motion, seconded by council member kitchen. This includes the base motion, which by the way is the same motion cap metro passed. With this it would be effective and then the scribners can figure out how to make it official and formal. And then manager, I forgot to ask you as we're moving toward the vote to be cognizant there are other things people want to bring and if there are other things people want to bring, there's no limitation to you being able to bring those back. [4:02:27 PM] It's been moved and seconded. Is there a discussion. >> Sorry -- >> Mayor Adler: Go ahead. >> I appreciate the resolution and I -- as Mr. Connolly mentioned earlier, I appreciate the board -- the community oriented board -- as opposed -- I'm getting familiar with the boards and commissions. The cap metro is a more political board. It has a different kind of voice in place. I really appreciate and respect the fact that atp has that strong community voice. I think that that as we move forward with project connect, $10 billion investment -- it's important we don't lose the connection to the community, that people feel their needs and concerned are reflected in the atp board. That would be another concern moving forward, is that we maintain that kind of majority community represented type board on atp. [4:03:30 PM] But that said, I will support and vote for the motion. >> Mayor Adler: Yes. >> I appreciate the conversation and appreciate us being able to day light this here. I'm feeling a little out of the loop of the conversation. I don't know if there's a friendly way to divide it. I believe in making sure the immediate adjustments can be made but I also want to be mindful that as we have three different entities working on similar language that they happen at the same time. If I can abstain on the direction, I think it's a good conversation to have but I'm feeling out of the loop on what that might trigger and how it creates relationships with the other boards. I'm just feeling a little out of the loop on this particular conversation at this point in time. >> Mayor Adler: There's not a problem with dividing that question. And we could do that. Those in favor of the direction itself, please raise your hand. [4:04:31 PM] Those abstaining? Okay. So you'll be shown in the record as abstaining to the direction component. Those in favor -- sorry? Council member harper-madison? Is that a vote in favor? Yes. And then let's take a vote on the resolution itself. Please raise your hand. That's all of us again, so the record will reflect unanimous vote exception of tovo, pool, and Kelly on the resolution itself. And all that group with exception of council member Ellis, who abstains with respect to the direction. All right. The only thing that is left for us to take up out here is item number 22 which we cannot do until we go back into executive session. So let's keep plugging here, folks, and we can get people [4:05:33 PM] home maybe before this storm starts. So at this point, council is not going to go into closed session to take up -- is now going to go into closed session pursuant to government code. City council will discuss legal issues related to items 43, 44, and 68. Does that cover us with the conversation that you wanted to have on 22? Okay. So 43, 44 -- just calling it again. 43, 44, and 68. Without objection here at 4:06, let's all go immediately into executive session. We will have to come back out here to take a vote on 22. So I'll see you guys in executive session. [6:09:19 PM] >> Vela: I'm chico vela and sponsor of the resolution. Let me get you going so we can get you out and beat the storm home. It is my tremendous honor to present today's proclamation for y'all means all day. This is a celebration for the lgbtq community and those that have fought for inclusion, yet it is a serious day -- a day against solidarity against bigotry and hate. I've been thrilled to see the return of live music. Last council meeting I shared a photo with the perform, [6:10:24 PM] Austin's Caleb decasper and I would overwhelmed the flood of hateful responsible. The climate is too often stoked by elected officials. This has targeted most in need of support -- transgender people and our lgbtq youth. My heart breaks for kids trying to find themselves in this climate. These attacks on the lgbtq community threat an fundamental right, the right to privacy. The U.S. Supreme court seems posed to overturn roe V wade. This not just affect abortion rights. It will affect lgbtq rights. It establishes privacy from the right to conception to the [6:11:25 PM] right to protect to marry who we want. It keeps the government out of our bedroom and out of our sex lives. If roe fails the lgbtq community will suffer. We must fight for the right to privacy. Today is a day of celebration. Today we reaffirm that Aus season a community of love, kindness and acceptance. Look around us. This chamber is filled with those dedicating to nurturing, dedicating and supporting the lgbtq community. I want to recognize those here today and highlight the many lgbtq resources we have in Austin with so many advocates that we can't name them all. Today we have our film festival -- Austin queer agents, pride foundation, lgbtq [6:12:30 PM] chamber of commerce, tgq social and Austin's men's course, and others. And I've got to thank Erika nix. She unfortunately couldn't be with us but I appreciate her efforts and advocacy. Thanks to the members of APD's lesbian and gay peace officer's association -- building trust with the safety of the community cannot happen without inclusion and representation. Someone who understands on the personal level the experiences of one's community. I want to recognize groups in the lgbtq space -- statewide [6:13:35 PM] organization for color in the lgbtq pride, Austin pride, black trans leadership, and others. There are so many more. If you're seeking support for yourself or others, these organizations want to help or point you in the right direction. My office and I are here to support you. Without further adieu let me read the proclamation. Whereas the city of Austin has a distinct and unique culture because of our inclusive values and welcoming environment and whereas the Austin lgbtq-plus community is an integral part of the community from drag performances to film to live music to public events and more and whereas there has been a disturbing increase in attacks on the community -- sadly often encouraged by public officials [6:14:36 PM] and in particular transgender and nongender conforming youth, and whereas we are committed to lifting them up and opposes any effort to bully, silence, or erase their voices or roll back the progress that the community has fought for and sack rye -- sacrificed, I mayor, proclaim may 5th, 2022 as y'all means all day. Thank you so much. Again, I know -- it's a tough political environment. I know that all around us sometimes things can, you know, look bad and tough. [6:15:37 PM] But here in Austin it's a place where we affirm each other, support each other, help each other, stand with each other. It has been that way for decades and will continue to be that way. This city council will fight for that and this community will continue to make Austin a welcome and beautiful community. Thank you so, so much, and let's take a photo. Please -- anybody. All of you come up. Anybody who wants to come up for the photo, please. [6:20:25 PM] >> All right. Your next proclamation. Is this on. >> Yes, sir, it's on. >> All right. Can you hear me? Our next proclamation is with the public service recognition week. All the representatives from the different departments, can you come and join me up on stage? [Applause] . [6:21:37 PM] Well, what a.... Well, what a beautiful crowd. Thank you for joining us this evening. This is public service week which is a special time to take a moment and give thanks to all our city of Austin employees. Let's give them a round of applause. Now, certainly while we can't have all of our employees here in chambers, we have a representative from each of the departments standing here behind me. As you know, the last couple of years have been incredibly challenging and that made our entire city of Austin family come together in so many unique ways. These challenges impacted us in our work and personal lives without a doubt and over and over I am so proud to say as your city manager, I stand with you and want to say thank you. [6:22:37 PM] Thank you for everything that you have done for us, for our community, and for each other. Your hard work and dedication have never gone unnoticed. Thank you for going above and beyond to deliver the best customer service our community needed. Thank you for continuing to develop and implement innovative ideas to keep our services going. You did this because you wanted to have a positive impact on the lives of our community which exemplifieses the heart of a public servant. I'm going to turn it over to mayor Adler to say a few words and read a proclamation on behalf of the council. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. The city council wants to join in and add to the thank yous. What an incredible two years you guys have been through. We all went through the two years, but you were in a place [6:23:40 PM] unlike anybody else in this two-year period of time because it was you that were -- you helped maintain life during that -- this period of time. You helped maintain order during this period of time. You maintained continuity during this period of time, and you did it all as servants of the public and the grandest, most wonderful sense of the term. You do it all the time too. But these last two years in this role, in this place for all of us, thank you as well. On behalf of a thankful council and a thankful city, be it known whereas public service recognition week is a time to recognize and honor all the hard-working city of Austin employees who provide central services and make crucial contributions to our community every day, ensuring government works for all in the areas of [6:24:43 PM] safety and health and environment and culture and life-long learning, mobility, economic opportunity, affordability, and whereas for the many dedicated, loyal, committed employees they are acknowledged by their peers who work in the public sector to promote the diverse services demanded by the American people at the local, state, and federal levels, making the city of Austin a place all want to live in and to work. And where it is important to proudly recognize and express our appreciation to the city of Austin employees who often go unrecognized for their service and unwaivering contributions by making a difference in our daily quality of life in this great service, now, therefore, I Steve adadler, mayor of Austin, Texas, an behalf of the council [6:25:44 PM] and community at large proclaim may 5th, 2022 as public service recognition day in Austin. Thank you. [applause/cheers] . >> We need a special camera. We'll take a few pictures and please if you have a few moments we'll have a reception on the third floor. If you can join us if you have time. Please one more round of applause for this incredible group of individuals. [applause/cheers] [6:27:30 PM] . >> Mayor Adler: Do we still have six council members in the room. >> Yeah. >> Mayor Adler: If six council members can come up to the dais real fast, we're going to vote on something. It will take us two seconds to do it, but then some council members need to live. We'll literally do this in ten seconds. If you're a council member please come forward for a second. There's Ann and Kathy. >> We see you, Ann and Kathy -- and Natasha. We see you. >> I'll go after you. I'm going to stay down here and vote from here. Yeah. If you want to go first, that's fine. I only have two people here? >> I just have to read in -- [6:28:31 PM] for the vote. >> We'll stand here together. >> Yeah. >> I'll just be two seconds. >> Hi there. Hi, everyone. We have a couple more special recognitions to give. Okay. We're going to do a quick voting item first. >> Mayor Adler: Is the camera running? Literally this is going to take a minute, guys. Are we set. >> Mayor, looks like [indiscernible] Is ready. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: We are out of closed session. We discussed legal items related to 43, 44, and 68 and we were able to handle the conversations. That gets us back out here to the city council meeting and at 6:28 we're going to reconvene. [6:29:33 PM] We have one item left to vote on. It's item 22. You want to lay it out for us. >> I'm here to request your payment of $850,000 to resolve the lawsuit drake V city of Austin related to the may 2020 protest. >> Mayor Adler: Is there a motion to approve item 22? Council member harper-madison makes the motion. Is there a second to the motion? Council member vela seconds. Any discussion? Those in favor of the item, please raise your hand. Those opposed? It is unanimous on the dais for council members Kelly and -- with council members Kelly and pool off. That's the last piece we have on the agenda. At 6:30 this meeting is adjourned.