Austin City Council Regular Meeting Transcript - 6/16/2022 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 6 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 6/16/2022 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 6/16/2022 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. [10:08:20 AM] I'm going to call to order today's meeting, June 16th. We are here at city hall. Councilmember Fuentes is remote, as is the [10:09:52 AM] mayor pro tem. We have six more on the dais. We have a quorum that's present. Colleagues, changes and corrections. We have some additions that go beyond version two. Item number 1 is withdrawn. Item number 3 was heard on June 7th, 2022. The right-of-way vacation process for sky mountain drive was approved by the urban transportation commission on a 7-0 vote. Items 14 and 19, recommended by the commission with a 7-0 vote, three commissioners absent, one [10:10:53 AM] vacancy. Items 17 and 27, June 14th, 2022, approved by the airport advisory commission, 9-0, with chair and commissioner Hendrix absent. Item 18, June 8th, 2022, recommended on a 6-0 vote, with three commissioners absent, one vacancy. Item 86, sponsors, I'm being added as a sponsor to 86. Item number 96 is withdrawn. In addition to version two of the changes and corrections, it should be noted that item 84 is being postponed until July 28th. That relates to item 102, also been postponed to July 28th. And item number 101 is being postponed to July 28th. 84 [10:12:09 AM] is on consent and will remain there. If you all would remind me when we get to 101 we need to take a vote to postpone those items. We have some items that have been pulled, item number 4 has been pulled by councilmember tovo, item number 91 has been pulled by councilmember Kelly. Item 92 has been pulled by myself and also councilmembers Fuentes and vela. Are there any other pulled items? Councilmember vela? >> Vela: I have a possible amendment to item 51, but I would like to touch base with [10:13:09 AM] the sponsor right quick before pulling it. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. So we'll leave that on. >> Mayor, I'd like to be added to that item. >> Mayor Adler: Which item? >> 51. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. If the record of the clerk would please reflect that. Councilmember Kelly? >> Kelly: On item number 360, does legal want to read something into the record? Is legal here to do that? If not, we can do that later. Okay. >> Thank you, mayor, for item 36 it's a settlement in the Joseph Hughes very U.S. Is city of Austin lawsuit for $75,000, involves a car wreck case, Austin energy. The council received a memo before the meeting with the settlement of $75,000 it will be a full and final settlement for the city. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Councilmember harper-madison is pulling item number 95. >> Thank you, mayor. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Colleagues, we have 120 people signed up to speak this morning. With the people that have joined us at the kiosk. Councilmember Fuentes. >> Fuentes: Thank you, mayor. I'd like to be added as a cosponsor on 86 and 91. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. The record will reflect that, councilmember Kelly. >> Kelly: I'd like to remove my cosponsor ishi from item number 95, which was just pulled. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. 95 is withdrawn, and you want to remove your responsership. I think I may have called the wrong number. >> Kitchen: 95 is not withdrawn, it's pulled. >> Mayor Adler: I think I messed up on numbers. Which was the 6th street issue this that's 95. Is that right? Okay. The power of purchase agreement is 96. >> Kitchen: Right. That's been withdrawn. >> Mayor Adler: Item 96 has been withdrawn. Got it. Thank you. I had a wrong number, sorry. [10:14:09 AM] The pulled ieps that I have thus far are item 4, 91, 92, and 95. Councilmember tovo. >> Tovo: Mayor, 51, I wasn't sure what you had decided to do. Councilmember vela said he had some amendments. I have a couple quick things to read in as well. >> Mayor Adler: It doesn't sound like he thought it was going to be long. He was going to touch base with you while we go through the speakers. And then you can let us know. >> Tovo: I have to check and see if I'm at quorum, but I have a couple edits to read in as well. You had indicated you were adding yourself to 95 as a sponsor. >> Mayor Adler: I am. As I told you, there's a conversation I want to have about whether or not these people are being held in abeyance on those properties. >> Tovo: They're not, but our staff can confirm that. >> Mayor Adler: I want to see that. >> Tovo: Are you adding yourself or no? >> Mayor Adler: I'm going to add myself dependent on that conversation. >> Tovo: And I am pulling 48 for amendments, please. They're pretty quick. We may be able -- I'll pull them and distribute that sheet. If the lead sponsor is fine with that, I can pull it back. >> Mayor Adler: We'll pull that. Hopefully we'll put that back on. >> Tovo: 88 I have amendments. [10:15:09 AM] Same situation. >> Mayor Adler: We'll pull 88 and you'll let us know if that can stay back on. Pulled items 4, 48, 88, 91, 92, and 95. Yes, councilmember Ellis. >> Ellis: I just wanted to flag we're going to be circulating a version two of item 52. I don't know that we need to pull it, but maybe between speakers and taking the vote we can see if my colleagues have questions. We are now distributing a version two. >> Mayor Adler: There's a v2 for 52. It's not being pulled. Let's do speakers. As I posted on message board yesterday -- >> Harper-madison: I have my hand up. >> Mayor Adler: I'm sorry. >> Harper-madison: Good morning -- >> Alter: Good morning, everyone. I want to make one comment and add my name as a cosponsor. [10:16:10 AM] I wanted to ask in the future if we can make sure we are getting red-lined copies of changes, especially if they're coming the day before council. We had a ton of changes and it's challenging to follow, especially a word change. It adds a lot of work if we don't have the red lines, so I would appreciate it if we would make that a practition. Practice. I wanted to be added as a cosponsor to 89, which is the intergenerational children's center. My senior's commissioner has been doing this program for quite some time, and I'm excited to see it move forward with a next step. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: I agree with you on the red line version and I would say we should just do that as a matter of course even if it's not day of. So if someone does a later version, they would post a red-line version. If legal could help with that. Are we ready to hear speakers? [10:17:10 AM] Okay. We're going to call the speakers. We're going to call them in person first, then when we're done we're going to do the remote speakers. In July we may reverse that, depending on where we are with respect to covid. We're going to go one minute for the 120 some-odd speakers here this morning. It will take us probably about 2 1/2 hours to get through the speakers at one minute, recognize that if we were at three minutes, we would be another five hours plus. Yes. >> Kitchen: Just a quick question. I haven't had a chance to look. Is there a particular item that we have most speakers on? >> Mayor Adler: There is, and thank you for pointing that out. It's the $22 item. And as we posted on the message board, in each section, we're going to call those speakers first. >> Kitchen: Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Yep. All right. [10:18:11 AM] Clerk, call the in-person speakers beginning with those that have signed up first on the $22 item. >> Okay. Sorry. One second. >> Mayor Adler: That's okay. >> Item number 50, the first speaker is Mohamed ahmadazi. Sorry. And in queue is Manuel alkala. >> Hello. My name is mahammed and I am in downtown Austin. I moved to Austin from my home [10:19:12 AM] country in August 2021. I am grateful for the opportunity to start new life in this city, but it has not easy right now. I am making $15 per hour and struggle to make rent. Buy grocery and send money to support my family in Afghanistan. I was recently denied an application for a home because my income was not enough. One day I would like to own a home and reunite my family and live fulfilling life in Austin, but I cannot do that with the $15 per hour. Support us and raise the minimum wages to $22 per hour. Thank you so much. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. And to the clerk, as you're calling people, after we call this next person who you [10:20:14 AM] announced, my understanding is that you have two speakers, remote speakers that require an interpreter. Let's go do those speakers just for the logistics issue and then we'll continue back with those that are here. So, call the next person here as we called that out a moment ago, and then we'll do the two remote speakers. >> Thank you. The next speaker that was called is Manuel Alcala. >> Mayor Adler: Is Manuel here? The two remote speakers. >> Jacqueline, can you hear us? Jacqueline, are you ready? This is Myrna. >> I'm ready. >> The first speaker is Perla Hernandez. [10:21:14 AM] >> Thank you. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Good morning. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> My name is Perla Hernandez. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Interpreter: I live in 78664 and I am pro-item 51. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Interpreter: I want to make sure that there's a guide for these disasters that happen, like the disaster that happened in 2021. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] [10:22:27 AM] >> Interpreter: What I would like is for this time, if this were to happen again, that we would be prepared and there was a training. So if we could receive some kind of training to be prepared. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Interpreter: And we also would like a better response of what to do, and help, and understand how we can get funds to help with the situation. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> That's why I ask that we have enough funds for the city [10:23:29 AM] prepared if something were to happen like this again. >> Thank you. Gracias. >> Interpreter: Gracias. >> Mayor, the next speaker is Irene Hernandez, but she just disconnected, so we are getting her back in the queue. She's not answering, apparently. >> Mayor Adler: I'm sorry. When she comes back, let us know, and we'll go over to her. >> Will do. Jacqueline, please hold until we call you again. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. The next in-person speaker speaking on item 50. >> Next in-person speaker is Terry achiega Elsie and on deck is joset Ayala. [10:24:58 AM] [ Noise ] ♪♪ >> Hello, I'm a zilker park grounds crew member and a proud member of afscme local 1624. >> I'm Talia, a proud member of afscme local 1624. >> My name is Briden, a city of Austin employee, a proud afscme 1624 member. >> I'm Rebecca, a proud member of afscme local 1624. [10:25:59 AM] >> I support 22 cost of living wage for the year 22 because we deserve it and we need to pay our city laborers and city of Austin employees. >> I'm here supporting the 22 in 2022 campaign because we deserve it. >> I'm here to support 22 in 2022 because our members deserve it. [ Cheering ] >> We will fight for a living wage because we are being pushed out of the city because it costs too much. It's not acceptable. Pay the workers a living wage. We deserve it. Stand with afscme 1624 and join our union. $22 an hour in the year 2022 is fair and equitable. >> Yeah! >> The video will continue for arvando. Yes. [10:27:18 AM] Okay. That concluded the video, so the next speaker is joset Ayala. >> Good morning. I work for the Austin airport. And I support the living wage for $22 an hour because gas went up, let's not talk about gas, and rent and having three kids can hard working a minimum wage, having no employees to work and stuff like that, it's pretty hard. That's all. Thank you. >> Next speaker is Angela baker and on deck is Fabiola bareto. [10:28:34 AM] >> Good morning. Thank you for giving me the space to speak this morning. My name is Angela and I'm here today as a city of Austin employee in my 18th year of service. I ask you to please consider the pay raise increase proposal. Like many of my colleagues, I put myself through undergrad and grad school with the help of federal and private loans. After 18 years of service, I still owe $30,000. Essentially, because I chose public service, I will be paying for my student loans long after I retire. I'm also here in support of my husband Robert. He is in his 11th year of service and he leads an operations crew with resource recovery. Of his staff of eight, seven of them have second and third jobs and only two of them live in Austin. Both renters without the hope of ever being able to purchase in [10:29:34 AM] the city they work so hard for. Please consider the union proposal today. Thank you. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Fabiola bareto. O deck is adana berry. >> Good morning, mayor, mayor pro tem, and councilmembers. My name is Fabiola, Austin policy coordinator at workers defense, a membership-based organization that supports Texas low-wage immigrant construction workers in improving their conditions. We'd like to thank councilmember Fuentes and cosponsors for supporting 22 by 2022. Workers served on the group in 2015 which had a part in increasing the living wage. Although the at time $15 was a sufficient living wage, we're in a different community now. Our members are construction workers, and they are quickly moving away from the city they continue to build because of low wages in Austin. Construction workers on public projects would be direct beneficiaries of a $22 minimum [10:30:37 AM] wage. Increasing the living wage is an equity issue. Construction workers building the city should be able to afford to live here. Thank you all and we urge you to vote yes on item 50. >> Mayor, we have a Spanish speaker online, so we'll call her next. Jacqueline, are you ready? >> Mayor Adler: We're going to increase to two minutes, her time. >> Okay. Irene Hernandez.>> Interpreter: [ Speaking Spanish ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Interpreter: I live in 744 and I am pro-item 51. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] [10:31:45 AM] >> Interpreter: We're trying -- what we want to fight for is to have a plan for disasters if disasters were to happen again. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Interpreter: So we have the funds to be prepared with training if there were a next disaster. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> The freeze of 2021 is a story that we don't want to repeat. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Interpreter: That's why I ask for the funds to be there and to get the funds together so we can be united if this were to [10:32:48 AM] happen again. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Interpreter: I beg and ask for you to listen to our voices so this won't happen again, what happened last year. >> Gracias. >> Interpreter: Thank you. >> The next in-person speaker on item 50 is adana berry. On deck is Bob batlin. >> Bob batlin. On deck is hope Blanding. >> Mayor and council, I am Bob batlin from the Texas antipoverty project. [10:33:48 AM] In 2015, the city knew its workforce could not afford to live here. Our work group learned a $30 wage was needed for an Austin family. We were advised by mit expert Paul that there was no political will to enact a $30 living wage. We took his advice to bow to that reality and recommended incremental actions. Job vacancy statistics tell us the baby steps implemented through 2018 are insufficient now. We still see no political will to enact a $30 living wage, despite rising costs. Your vision for Austin will not be achieved without putting the workforce first. Raise the living wage to $22 now and endorse the plan for 27 by '27. Thank you. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Hope Blanding. On deck is Chris Blanton. [10:35:03 AM] Chris Blanton. On deck is Christopher Carter. >> Good morning, mayor and council. Afscme staff. I'm going to read a testimony from one of our members. Carlos Garcia, working at building services, offers this statement. He has been employed at the city for 21 years and supports item number 50 to increase the living wage to $22 an hour. I see new employees coming in and their struggle to survive check to check is real and scary. Living in Austin is not sustainable anymore unless you are a CEO or manager. Even a supervisor salary is in the bracket of survival mode. I encourage everyone on my team to give the best every day, but it's hard to ask to give so much and get so little in return. And by that I mean with the amount of money they see in their bank every two weeks. I just ask that you help us keep people paying the wages they [10:36:05 AM] deserve so we don't have an open position forever because that puts a super -- strain on the entire group, and thank you so much for your time. >> Christopher Carter. On deck is Scott Cobb. >> Hi. May name is Christopher Carter, an employee for the city of Austin building services department. And I support item 50 for the minimum wage increase to $22.50 for all city employees. The service department custodial division is the lowest pay grade for the city of Austin. We have worked reletlessly throughout the pandemic to ensure safety for the public as well as our coworkers. At times taking on roles sanitizing and disinfecting, and other times being customer service reps, directing the public and coworkers on information we received from the [10:37:06 AM] city council, as well as offering security duties by reporting any actions or individuals that appear to be a threat to themselves or the facilities. The vision statement for the city of Austin is that we want Austin, Texas, to be the most livable community in the country. At this point, I fear I am existing and not living. The debt piled upon me is without measure. As inflation rises, affecting rent, food, and gas -- [ buzzer sounding ] >> Scott Cobb. On deck is Eddie Aguila. >> Mayor Adler: When the buzzer goes off, if you want to finish your thought, finish the sentence, that's okay. Go ahead. >> Hello, Scott Cobb, open water lifeguard, Barton springs pool. And I see this proposal as a jobs creation proposal. We are 18% shortage, vacancies, [10:38:09 AM] job vacancies across the city. We're around 300 cards short at Barton springs. By instituting a $22 living wage you will fill jobs, you will create jobs, you will have people in the jobs serving the people, rendering the services that they were hired to do, that that job was created to do. But it's going empty now because people are taking jobs elsewhere. Raise the living wage to 22, you will create those jobs and those services. You may have seen that as yesterday's statesman that lifeguards are seeking other benefits that we are left out of, like holiday pay and paid time off. We are willing to give up regular benefits, regular employee status with the number 1 priority of $22 of living wage. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> That is what we want, 22 for everyone. It will benefit not just us, but all city employees. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. [10:39:09 AM] >> Forget our other benefit suggestions and just do that. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Eddie Aguila. On deck is Henry Epperson. >> Good morning. My name is Eddie, I'm a paramedic with the city of Austin. I've been with the department about four years. I'm here to endorse the increase in wage for all city employees, but also to talk about ems. I probably don't need to tell you, we're in a historic staffing crisis. But to give you an idea of our daily staffing situation, every day we run out of people to call in because there's not enough people. We don't have enough medics. I'm a system forwarder, the ambulance I'm on gets shut down almost every day. I'm probably going to get shut down tomorrow. This is not sustainable. Using our overworked people to fill holes is just not right. [10:40:12 AM] We're exhausted. I think that the city should really consider increasing our pay so we can hire and retain people. And I think shutting down ambulances is dangerous for the city and for the public and it should really concern council. Thank you. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Mayor, I have a quick question for Mr. Aguila. >> Mayor Adler: Go ahead, councilmember Fuentes. >> Yes. >> Fuentes: Thank you. Yes, thank you so much for your testimony. I wanted to know if you have known others in the department who have left the ems profession as a result of low wages? >> Yes. It's almost every week I hear about somebody new leaving. I have multiple friends in the department that are considering leaving because we're just -- we feel we're not being valued at the city, and we can't afford to live here anymore, so. Almost everybody that I know lives outside of the city and we have to commute. I don't need to tell y'all gas is expensive. When we have other places offering to pay us equal or more [10:41:14 AM] near where we live, then it's almost a no-brainer to move to that other department. >> Fuentes: Thank you for sharing. >> Any more questions? Thank you. >> Henry Epperson. On deck is Oscar Garcia. >> Good morning. My name is Henry Epperson, a native austinite, I've worked in Austin for seven years. I want to speak about the challenges working-class people face in Austin. I'm a full-time college student working two jobs to fund my education and make ends meet. My two roommates and myself recently discovered our rent was being raised beyond our budgets. A higher wage would allow us to afford goods and live decently. We working people need a living wage in Austin. [10:42:15 AM] We need your support now to raise the minimum wage to $22 an hour. Thank you very much. >> Oscar Garcia. On deck is Charlie Gonzalez. >> Good morning. Thank you for letting me speak on item 50. My wife and I moved to Austin in October of 2020 with the hopes of starting new jobs, getting married, and starting a family. What allowed me to move was a job offer at resource recovery. I was grateful to contribute to reducing the waste footprint. I felt fortunate a city job would provide everything we needed and more. I learned to appreciate the labor and organization necessary for trash and recycling [10:43:16 AM] collection. Summer of last year, I was offered a position as an environmental inspector, a job that taught me to appreciate the efforts to protect the forest. With development as it is now, this job grows more important with each project. We are facing a reality that the goal of owning a home is out of our reach. Our rent jumped 30%. That translates to living like a college student. Thousands more are hurting with even worse situations. Eviction numbers are spiking higher than since the covid pandemic began. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Nobody deserves that. Final thought. On behalf of my family and thosewho couldn't leave work to attend today, vote in favor of item 50. Lead in providing a living wage. A city is not sustainable without sustaining its employees. Thank you. >> Charlie Gonzalez. On deck is Carol Guthrie. [10:44:19 AM] >> Hello, Charlie Gonzalez, I work at the airport and I'm with the membership here. This year has been busier than before the pandemic, and I've heard people that come in to the airport saying that they can't afford gas. They can't afford the cost of living in Austin. And I know if you were to support the $22 an hour for the city of Austin, y'all would keep more employees at the airport. And that's all I have to say. Thank you very much. >> Carol Guthrie. On deck is Shelby hindemann. >> Good morning, I'm the business manager for afscme local 1624. I am here today to encourage all of you to support item 50. We hear every day from your employees and how they're [10:45:19 AM] struggling, how they've been struggling. They have been on the ground through covid, through the winter freeze. They're always there for this community. They are working mandatory overtime. They are working out of their classifications to fill in for others because of the staffing shortage. So, even though we're having a staffing shortage, perhaps that could help generate some of the funds needed to provide 22 in '22, because I'm certain the city will have some savings in the budget this year. We ask you please vote yes on item 50 because your employees are worth it. Thank you. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Shelby hindemann. On deck is Todd. [10:46:22 AM] >> Good morning, my name is Shelby, I have been a communications medic for almost five years. Today I wanted to let you know of the struggles that we are facing in communications. We are so grossly understaffed that our on-call days are two, three times a week. We are mostly every week being called in. And it is extremely hard trying to organize that and work that around my normal life. My husband is also a paramedic with the city, and he has on-call days as well. He actually got called in today, that's why he couldn't attend with me. And we have a 1-year-old son, so trying to plan our schedule around these days that we are being called in is extremely hard. We are so understaffed in communications that sometimes in a 12-hour period, I can't even get up from my desk for a water break, to go to the bathroom. [10:47:24 AM] It's so hard. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Mayor Adler: Yes. >> Thank you for your time. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember tovo. >> Tovo: Thanks so much for your testimony. I try to be mindful that we have a broader audience here. I wonder if you would explain what you mean by on-call days, that these are not your regularly scheduled days. If you would explain that, that will help. >> Sorry. So, on-call days, we have our regular schedule. I work either two 12s a week or four 12s a week, so it's a rotating 3-2 schedule. On top of my regular schedule, I have on-call days where if they don't have enough staff, I am being called in on my day off, because they don't have enough people to do our job. And we have anywhere from two to three of those a week, or six to eight of them a month. >> Tovo: Thanks for that additional explanation. I really appreciate it. >> Any other questions? >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. [10:48:26 AM] >> Thank you. >> Todd kiluck. On deck is ginger lock-floyd. >> Hello, mayor, council, my name is Todd, afscme staff. I'm going to read some member testimony. Mike conte, library. I hope that the council recognizes that if public servants can't afford a down payment, aren't eligible for a loan and can't afford daycare, we're going to be forced out to other communities or jobs in the private sector. Employees serving our public library system today are priced out of even 60% mfi units that make up a portion of Austin's affordable stock. I love the work of caring for our public libraries and your constituents, but love doesn't pay the bills and the work will not get done without city employees. Austin energy, Stacy. 50% of our customer service [10:49:26 AM] representative positions are vacant, 60 of 120. Vacant customers have to wait over an hour to talk to customer service. I encourage you as councilmembers whose interest is to provide tax-paying citizens electric, water, trash, and infrastructure to do anything in your power to increase our wages so the employees of the city of Austin can provide roofs over their heads. Thank you. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Jordan -- I'm sorry, cassie liden and on deck is Jordan Malone. >> Hello, my name is cassie liden, paramedic in Austin for 16 years. I live in district 8. I am one of the rare paramedics [10:50:26 AM] who says I live in the city. And I'm really proud to say I'm a paramedic for Austin, but it's a job that's really hard. It's unlike any other job. Every day is different. Every call is different. Almost every minute is different. You never know what you're going to see. It's a job I love. The connections I get to make, the people I get to meet, the differences I get to make in their lives. But I also see people on the hardest day of their lives, when they are broken and horrible things have happened. That's emotionally and physically scarring for us. It's also physically dangerous, not just the pandemic, but we get punched, spit on, all sorts of things, assaulted on a regular basis. And I want to make sure that we are able to get good employees here. We're down almost a quarter of our staff. That's huge. Like Shelby was saying, I get called in on my days off all the time. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> And -- sorry. [ Laughing ] It really hurt to only be [10:51:27 AM] offered so little as a living wage and not have people be able to afford to live here as coworkers. It breaks my heart to not be able to do that. So, thank you very much. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Jordan Malone. On deck is dawn Massey. >> Good morning. My name is Jordan Malone. I am a field medic for ems. I was born in Austin. I lived here my whole life. I started working for ems two years ago at the age of 20. Unfortunately, my decision to serve the city I was born in is the direct reason I can no longer afford to live here in Austin. Austin medics are overworked, underpaid, put in constant danger, and given no defensive weapons. On my last shift I called my commander at 3:00 A.M. To put my ambulance out of service because I had not had a chance to finish lunch from the day before. This is not uncommon. The retirement plan is a huge [10:52:30 AM] retention-killer for younger medics. I will have to work 40 more years before I see a single retirement check. For comparison, AFD and APD personnel receive retirements at only 20. I could switch departments and not only would I be compensatedmore, I would cut the retirement time in half. I love the work I do and urge you to increase wages to make retirement attainable so we do not continue to hemorrhage the medics that save the lives of austinites -- [ buzzer sounding ] >> Every single day. Thank you for your time. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Dawn Massey. On deck is Maria Mccarthy. >> Maria Mccarthy. [10:53:31 AM] On deck is Janice Mcgraw. >> Good morning, mayor and Austin city council. I want to thank you so much for allowing me to have this opportunity to talk to you about the living wage. First of all, I want you to know that I absolutely love my job with the city of Austin. I really enjoy it and I love working with my clients. I actually want to retire here and I'm not sure that will be feasible. I come before you today because I don't think I'm going to be able to do that. I'm going to be priced out soon. And every day I'm in fear and I have a lot of sadness. While I appreciate this effort to increase the living wage to $22, it really is a day late and a dollar short. It should have happened before the pandemic. When determining how to calculate the appropriate and correct living wage, please [10:54:31 AM] consider using the pt ratio. Right now Austin has an 8:1. It's eight median salaries to one median cost of a house. I have the statistics for it. [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Last year, 78k was median income and 98k for the family and this year a house is 660. The math does not work. So, I want to thank you. Please raise it at least to 22. I want to live here and I want to retire here. Thank you. >> Janice Mcgraw. [ Clapping ] >> On deck is Rachel malendez. Rachel malendez. On deck is Robert Middleton. >> Good morning, council. [10:55:33 AM] Rachel malendez with unite here, hospitality workers union, a member of the living wage working group. We want to thank councilmember Fuentes and the rest of the cosponsors for bringing forward this resolution. Like many of you know, we represent concessions workers at the airport. And as employees of a company with a city contract, this would really help the people, really benefit folks. As you've heard from some of our members and you will hear from more of our members, it is very difficult to live in this city. And the airport is also seriously understaffed. If you've been at the airport you will have seen many of the restaurants, many of the shops are closed. Folks are leaving to go work somewhere else that's less demanding, even if they're not making that much more. So, this would be a huge benefit not just to the workers, but to the services at the airport, which have been regularly in the news as I'm sure you know. [10:56:34 AM] [ Buzzer sounding ] >> Thank you for your support. >> Robert Middleton. On deck is Daniel manena. >> How are you doing, Robert Middleton, with street and bridge. There has been a mass exodus of employment within my department. And the work has not been mitigated. We still have to work 10 to 12 hours a day and a lot of the guys that I do work with have had to have part-time jobs. After working 10-12 hours a day that's not feasible. Feeding your family and providing gas should not be a choice anyone has to make. That's not living. So $22 an hour may sound like a lot to some people, but for the work that we do it's not. We actually prepare the roads you guys drive. We work on the sidewalks that [10:57:35 AM] you guys walk every day. That job is dangerous. That job is hot. Not many will do it and we're losing experience by the day. And we're not replacing that experience, decades of experience. So, if that helps retain the employees that we have, I recommend that we do that. And it's sad to say that -- [ buzzer sounding ] >> Even ems can't even afford to work in the city. It really is sad. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Daniel manena. On deck is Lynne monte. >> Good afternoon. My name is Daniel, I'm a bsd security city employee. I used to work in this building alongside you until I had a request to transfer up north, closer to Round Rock because that's where I live becauseky not afford to live in the city. For a single declaring person [10:58:36 AM] with benefits and a retirement plan working as a guard stationed to protect you and this building, it $12.30 after tax. Now, who among you can have a roof over your head or food on the table for $12? Who can afford to pay rent of $2,245 when your take-home is 1,969? These numbers are correct because they're this city is like no other in the world. But it's getting to the point where I can say that I can't afford to work for the city of Austin. Hell, I can't even afford a haircut right now. A no vote on this says to all employees you're not worth it. We're not asking for just a raise, we're asking for help. We're asking to put clothes on our kids' backs and put food on our table. So, please, just help us. [Buzzer] >> Thank you. >> Lynn monte and on deck is [10:59:36 AM] Chrissy o'brien. >> Hi, everyone. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak on item 50 which I support. I'm an admin specialist and I have been with the city for over 20 years. I love what I do at APD and that involves supporting downtown patrol. I have seen a lot of changes in my workload to include payroll and now mandatory 311 qualities, which can be very challenging. Our citizens have to wait a week, sometimes two weeks, to get a call back from our staff. Due to staffing issues. Some of these calls are general questions, but most of the time I find myself writing a police report. I have seen good employees come and go. It seems like we're doing more with less. Our economy is on the rise and it puts a strain on my budget, which also puts a strain on the family. I believe in item 50, to raise [11:00:38 AM] the living wage to $22, which should allow us to fill our vacancies, reduce poverty, and encourage people to come back to work for Austin. This community deserves the best service we can provide. [Buzzer] >> Thank you. >> Chrissy o'brien. On deck is Christine alatise. >> Morning, mayor and couple. I'm going to be reading a statement from a city employ at Austin public health. I'm an employee of aph as an analyst and I worked during the pandemic. I believe in my job and the work of the city and Austin public health. I feel that my true calling is public health and I look forward to waking up every day to serve my community, but as of now I feel disillusioned. I make about $27 an hour and would think that it would be enough but I'm barely making it with the cost of living inkrooes in Austin. One of my checks goes completely to rent and it's still not enough to cover it. I have to use the portion of my [11:01:39 AM] second paycheck to cover it and other bills. I barely take vacation days and always outstanding on my evaluations. But I cannot making $15 an hour less, especially with a family. So many people give so much of themselves to the city of Austin to make this budget and the vibrancy of this city possible if we cannot afford to live here, unfortunately, that pay cause for us to have to move, which in turn leads us to work for other cities. I love this city and Austin public health and hopefully a change will move us in a positive direction and uplift the quality of life of many. Thank you. Noid thank you. >> Christina autise and on deck is Luis. >> Good morning, Christina Ortiz and I have asked my staff and reading a member testimony and she wanted to be here. She's Christine andré, a scheduling analyst for ems. Based on my salary I cannot live [11:02:40 AM] in Austin nor Travis county and now with the price of gas I can't afford to commute. In my small department, we are required to operate 16 hours a day, 365 days a year. We receive no night or Sunday differentials. We are mandated to work all major holidays and the office is only closed from 10:00 P.M. To 6:00 A.M. Daily. We cannot just take the day off or call in sick without it impacting another staff member. Forcing someone into overtime. I can work at a major retail store or restaurant and get $15 to $18 an hour, live closer to home, and be off on major holidays. But I have been a public servant for almost 40 years and I enjoy what I do, but after 40 years of that I should be appreciated and compensated to receive my worth based on the skills, knowledge and experience that I bring to the city and to live my best life without a daily struggle. Thank you. [Buzzer] >> Thank you. >> On deck is Sofia. [11:03:56 AM] >> [Speaking Spanish] >> Good morning, my name is Louise, and I'm here to support the 222, because everything has gone up, the gas, the rent, and we can't afford to pay that without what we are getting right now. And she works at the airport. [11:04:58 AM] [Speaking Spanish] >> We would like to have $22 an hour for what we have. >> Gracias. >> Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Sofia benot, and on deck is Christopher Pitts. >> Good morning, councilmembers. Mayor, city manager. It's a pleasure to see all of you. I could talk to you about the economy and how gas has increased and how basic groceries have increased but I'm here to talk to you, like, as family members and parents and aunts and uncles and maybe grandparents. Our job is to provide a safe space for kids and families at the city pools. Barton springs for many tourists, thousands daily and our job is to protect them and to protect their lives. As families, just this Monday, my co-worker, he had a save where he saved a child and his dad who were both drowning because the dad was trying to help his kid and they almost ended up drowning and my [11:05:58 AM] co-worker saved them. So we want to be able to provide the full staffing, the full customer support for the people who need it, band-aids, first aid, everything. We want to be able to open up all city-wide pools in all of Austin, especially in summer with this 100 degree weather, who doesn't on a really hot day to be able to go and swim. So, please, if not for us, but for the whole Austin community and the thousands of tourists who visit us. Thank you for your time. >> Christopher Pitts. On deck is Amanda Posson. Amanda Posson. On deck is Michael Siegel. >> Good morning, mayor, councilmembers. I'm Amanda Posson, you should [11:07:01 AM] have received a fax sheet with data supporting $22 as a very modest living wage in Austin. If not, I have extra copies. In order for family of four to be able to cover their basic household costs in Austin, according to the economic policy institute, again, this is very modest, a family needs to earn $87,105 per year, which is for a combined wage of $42 per hour. For an individual in Austin they would need to earn $3,563 per month and this equates to roughly $22 per hour. Again, this is a very modest calculation that epi uses. Austin's unprecedented growth is costing all of us, including our city employees. The average one-bedroom apartment rents at $1,500 a month. We have to accept this reality. The minimum wage federally kept up with productivity and we'd already have a $22 minimum wage locally. And every Texan is in favor of the living wage working group [11:08:02 AM] resolution. If the workers' voices isn't enough, please look at the data. Our city budget is a moral document and our workers and community members should be prioritized to include vital services. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Michael Siegel. And on deck is mirniva keith. >> Good morning, mayor and council. Michael Siegel, with ground game Texas, supporting in favor of $22 for 22. And I think that this is both good policy and good politics. I mean, we need to have a workforce that is strong and healthy and that can afford to live in this region. And also we need to set an example in this context of our state of Texas defunding local government, federal government, that hasn't passed a living wage. We need to set a model here in Austin that would be inspiration for the rest of the state that we take care of our workers and that we believe one job is enough. So, thank you all for your [11:09:03 AM] support and I hope that you get this done. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Mirnirva. >> I am MI rirniva. We have heard the council ask how was $22 an hour impact the budget. What will we give up? This is a language of scarcity, Austin is one of the richest cities -- one of the richest states and one of the richest countries and it's not about either or and it's about both and and paying employees less than $22 not an option if we want to ensure that departments that run our city have the right employees to implement the programs to serve our community. City employees used to afford to buy a home in our neighborhoods. Get involved in their children's schools. And to be leaders in our congregation. They even had enough money to send their kids to college and to retire. No longer. They cannot even afford to live in this city. Long commutes is a waste of time [11:10:04 AM] and money. The question is not what do we give up if we pay our employees $22 an hour. The question is, what kind of a city do we want to build? [Buzzer] Central Texas interfaith calls you on to do the right thing and act now. 22 in 22. [Buzzer] >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. [Applause] >> Estelle suspect sclar and on deck is Briden Summers. >> Hello, my name is Estelle. Our units are busier than ever and we have to shut down ambulances while exhausting mandatory overtime. This has further decreased morale and causing people to quit faster. I work on the busiest stand-alone ambulance in the county and I run 24 hours often without sleep. [11:11:04 AM] And we see tragedy and horrific things that most people will never see in their lives and we do it on a daily basis. It took me only five months of working in this field to get physically attacked by a patient. I can't afford to live in the city that I work for. I turned down an opportunity to work as a paramedic because I wouldn't be able to work the overtime while training. The fact that I have to work overtime to live here affects my physical and mental health. You are creating a spiral by not paying ems appropriately and it's digging us into a hole because the department chooses to make us work more overtime or shutting down ambulances that increases the call volume per track that is causing more people to quick. Physically and emotionally, this is a difficult job. You have the control and the opportunity to lessen that financial burden that the paramedics face before it's too late. [Buzzer] >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> I just wanted to ask a question right quick. >> Mayor Adler: Go ahead. >> Given the overtime and the [11:12:04 AM] wages and all of that, are you going to be staying in the ems profession, how do you feel about that? >> About working at ems? I love my job and I'm not looking to leave ems and I always wanted to work for the community and help to serve the people. At this point, but financially it's about looking at other departments and nearby areas. Most people are looking at counties nearby because the wages start off higher. >> Have you had -- how long have you been working for ems? >> I have been there 17 months. >> In that 17 months have you had colleagues who have left during that time? >> In my class there were 25 of us originally and we're down to about 20 of us now. >> Oh, okay. >> In a 17-month period. >> Well, thank you very much, I appreciate that. >> Yeah, of course, thank you, guys. >> Briden Summers. And on deck is devotus Swenson. >> Hi council, I'm the city of Austin employees and a member of 1624, the mean green. I want to emphasize that the [11:13:06 AM] stance that you take on item 50 shows us if you value the work that the city employees do. I have worked for a few different departments and when I think about the core clerk assistance and the municipal court that work with the people that come in to deal with their cases face-to-face and that those people deserve a living wage and to live in Austin. When I think of the administrative staff at the pdc building that work with the homeowner coming in to get permits, those people deserve a living wage. I also want to emphasize that you guys need to put the biggest cost of living wage that you can in the budget this year for existing city staff that inflation is at a 40-year high. We are trying to solve the problems that you guys are worried about as well -- affordability, mobility, health for the city. And so I just want to emphasize that though I know that there's conflicting budget -- you know, there's conflicting things in the budget that you need to worry about that you need to show that you value the city employees this year. Thank you very much. [11:14:07 AM] [Buzzer] >> Devotus Swenson and on deck is Skylar will. Skylar well. On deck is Noah alias. >> Good morning, I am Skylar well and I'm a medic for the city of Austin and I have worked for the city of Austin for about two years now. It took me a couple months before I was first assaulted. I have been assaulted five times to date and causing bodily harm and sending me to the hospital. And the last time I had someone stomp on my chest about 20 times and it hurts to breathe still. These are things that we get on a daily basis. And that's just what happens in ems now. We don't have the luxury that the APD gets with defense and tasers and anything like that. When these violent situations happen, we have to just kind of deal with it and wait for backup. [11:15:07 AM] It would take me about 20 years working as a medic for Austin to make what an APD officer makes in two years. I live in the city but I'm looking to move out because I am being rented out. And rent is going up and gas is going out and I'm moving out soon and I'm also looking at other departments. It's hard to work here and our pay does not match what we go through on a day-to-day basis and the hazards that we have to deal with constantly. [Buzzer] It gets hard to wake up and to want to go to work knowing that I could be assaulted and feeling a complete lack of support from city council. Thank you. >> Skylar -- mayor, if I may -- as I'm assuming, as an ems you're frequently on scene with APD and Austin fire department. >> Um-hmm. >> And you mentioned that it would take you about 20 years -- >> 20 years -- yes, 20 years working as a medic and the calls that we go on -- I mean, we sometimes respond with APD and fire, but, I mean, a lot of the times it's just us in these [11:16:09 AM] situations and they get out of hand like that. And, yeah, 20 years as a medic to make what a two-year APD officer makes. >> So how much does a police officer make versus a paramedic? >> At two years it's $70,000 and for us at 20 years -- it's $70,000. And I make -- last year I made $46,000. >> So an ems sic maaing in the 40s and a police officer is making in the 70s. So it's about -- >> Correct. >> About two years or so. >> Yeah, correct. >> Thank you very much, appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Noah alias. On deck is drocia. Christopher Carter. [11:17:11 AM] Speaking on 50, item 2, 3, 4 and 5 is Rodney Sutton. I believe who is on his way. So we'll come back to him. Speaking on items 50 and 51 is Angela Garza, on deck is Clinton Rary. Clinton Rary. >> Speaking on item agenda 91 on the banning of ar-style weapons. And the San Francisco circuit court of appeals have found this unconstitutional. So there's nothing here to be done. It's unconstitutional. On agenda number 50, I approve [11:18:15 AM] of it -- of raising the minimum wage to $22 an hour, but I don't approve of increasing the budget. You guys need to decrease property taxes and cut funding and redundancies, we're spending way too much money. You're spending $100,000 on a mural and now you want to spend more monolowering the speed limit when police officers were doing about a hundred traffic citations a day and now they're doing 10, because we have staff shortages and we see car accidents due to that because people do not obey the law. Reducing the speed will not get people who are speeding to lower the speeding. On agenda number 53 -- [buzzer] -- >> Casey Callahan, speaking on 50 and 94. On deck is Rebecca pidler, speaking on 50 and 94. [11:19:22 AM] >> Good morning, my name is Casey Callahan and I'm a communication supervisor at Austin 911. I'm going to only speak on 94 right now with the time. With the current staffing shortage that we have at Austin 911, we're only 62% staffed right now. We do not have the luxury to give our employees any kind of additional training. Usually when we have a decent staffing number, we will develop additional continued education training for our employees. And for right now the training that we need to put in place is active shooter training. We need to train our dispatchers and call takers on how to handle that. There's currently only one employee at the city of Austin 911 center that is trained to work those kinds of incidents and that's me. So if we get hit with one of those incidents, I have faith in our call center to be able to handle it, but I want them to have the additional training, I have already developed it. I don't have the time or the [11:20:23 AM] staffing to train our employees how to do it. [Buzzer] Thank you. >> Mayor -- mayor -- >> Kitchen: Ma'am, I'd like to talk with you further about that. I'm councilmember kitchen, if you could reach out. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Kitchen: Reach out to Jason lópez in my office, I'd appreciate it. >> Okay, thank you. >> Rebecca hidler speaking on 50 and 94. And on deck is Jenny knight, speaking on 50 and 94. >> Councilmembers I'll get right to the point. A study conducted in 2014 addressed the issues that we're going to talk to you about today. We are hemorrhaging people. We cannot keep staff, we are working 50 hours minimum. As a mom, it's incredibly difficult to feel the guilt of not being able to be there for my child. As a co-worker it's difficult to be not be able to be there for [11:21:23 AM] my people and just day after day, we are burnt out. We are asking for your help to fix this. We need staffing. I don't know what it would take to get people to come and work with us. I recently took a pay cut and a demotion within the city to be able to have time with my daughter. I love my job, I just can't afford to do it. >> Jenny knight on 50 and 94. >> Hello, my name is Jenny knight. I also am a citizen that lives in district 5. I do want to say that being a citizen, I have a sense of ownership with the job that we do. Now, as a supervisor working for emergency communications, I have to weigh out the costs with our staff. You know, trying to provide support, lifting up hope and holding people accountable is not easy when you see calls holding. As a supervisor I have to look at what we can do, the [11:22:24 AM] additional training that they need, and also consider the impact that we have when they are ready to pull an employee from the floor that has just taken a bad call that maybe heard somebody lose their family member and debrief them, and then also try to help, you know, account for their mental health and their well being. Now we have been successful with the calls each month, only due to the initiative and the heart of -- the hard work that our floor staff has given. We had to take the initiative with myself, one of our police dispatch leads -- [buzzer] -- long story short we're working hard for you guys and we believe what we are doing and we need the help. >> Kitchen: Thank you. >> Erica Roberts. Speaking on 50 and 94. And Mia toro on deck. >> Good morning. [11:23:24 AM] My name is Erica Roberts and I'm a professional telecommunicator 911, Austin. I would like to read to you a combined mission and vision statement from our emergency communications. It's very brief. The mission and vision is to provide the city of Austin the first answering point for all emergency services, including police, fire, and ems. It is to do our part to improve response times for all of those entities within the city of Austin. At our current compensation rates, the odds of us doing that successfully and as we envisioned, are next to nil. As my colleagues said, we are hemorrhaging employees. I have never in 20 plus years associated with this city seeing this level of short staff. They are taking calls back-to-back without a break. [11:24:25 AM] That is taxing -- [buzzer] -- and they can't take it much longer. Please, do something. Thank you. >> Mia toro on item 50 and 94. >> Mayor Adler: Colleagues it looks like we have approximately 20 more speakers here in person and about 23 speakers remotely. As we posted yesterday, the cutoff time for signing up to speak was 9:15 this morning. And we're going to hold to that time. Continue on. >> Good morning, my name is Mara toro and I have been with emergency communications for the last three years and I'm an assistant manager at Austin police department. You don't think about 911 until you need it and right now we're unable to maintain operations as it exists. We're down 44 call takers and 22 dispatchers and that's a 40% vacancy rate. Citizens on average are holding [11:25:25 AM] over a minute and I know of one specifically who held for 45 minutes. The city of Austin is so unique in so many ways. I have met with many delegations from across the world and agencies that are wanting to see what we're doing because we're the flagship of mental health. We have to remain competitive and compensation to retain and recruit the agencies around us that are doing less of a workload and getting more of an increase in pay. Let's do the right thing. So I ask you when you are calling -- correction -- I ask you when you're calling in your skills and in every city in the United States and you choose the city of Austin and you find yourself in a city that only values you at 50% of the marketed industry that is already low -- [buzzer] -- Why would you stay working for the city of Austin? Please, re- evaluate compensations for emergency communications. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> We are now moving to item number 63 for in-person. [11:26:26 AM] Jeff pierce. On deck is Amanda Swor. >> Mr. Mayor and council, thanks for the opportunity. My name is Jeff pierce and I'm the CEO of lone star airport holdings and we operate the south terminal at the airport. I am here to address item 63 which pertains to the eminent domain filing proceedings against -- or proposed anyway against the south terminal. At a time when the airport can barely handle the passenger volumes, and continue deterioration and customer service levels are at an all-time low, airport leadership believes that it's the best course of action to demolish the south terminal. We disagree. The proposed taking of lone star business interests through eminent domain is risky and time-consuming and expensive for the city. Councilmembers it's crucial for you to know that there are several practical alternatives [11:27:26 AM] outside of eminent domain that could be considered here. Unfortunately, airport leadership refuses to engage. I encourage you to reject item 63 and request leadership, airport leadership specifically, to come up with a path forward that avoids costly and disruptive litigation, will not delay the airport -- [buzzer] -- development program, preserves airline competition and honors the contractual obligations that the city has with lone star. Thank you very much. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Dottie Mclean on item 2. On deck is Susan Spataro on item 52. Susan Spataro. On deck is Erin Ferguson. >> Hello, mayor and council. [11:28:28 AM] Susan Spataro, a resident of district 8. You know, as I sit here and listen to everything, the city of Austin is in a real mess and a lot of it is created by this council. The reason that I'm talking about 52 is could anyone think that you would eliminate speeding and the enforcement of traffic? And that it would not result in the kind of deaths that it has. Total traffic fatalities in Austin are on pace with 2021 totals by may 2022. State had 12,000 crashes. They interviewed young licensed drivers and said there's a it common belief that there's a lack of traffic enforcement in Austin and, therefore, drivers believe that there's few consequences. You deliberately de-funded police and law enforcement and public safety, but then because of the state law you said that you reinforced that. But then where are those services? Where did that money go? [11:29:31 AM] [Buzzer] Thank you. >> Erin Ferguson speaking on 53. On deck is Kate Graziani. >> Hi, I am Aaron Ferguson and I work for a national provider of opioid treatment and working with the community health paramedics here in Austin and consistently had a wait list for methadone treatment. The evidence is overwhelming for the efficacy of meth dope in reducing death rates. In comparison, seatbelts reduce deaths by about 45% and methadone cuts the death rate by half. So we have the tools to address this problem, but we had a consistent wait list at our clinics because there's not enough funding for methadone treatment. I'm a person who owes my life to these treatments and I wouldn't be standing in front of and you spouting these statistics if I didn't have access to them. So this is my way of giving back and I work for an organization that opened up the first 24-hour methadone clinic in the country and wee had 7,000 since its opening in 2017. We'd like to do the same thing here in Travis county, this is [11:30:32 AM] going to save many lives and it can reduce the burden of cost on the community for people that continue to struggle with opioids. So I'd like to thank you for your time today and I'm available for follow-up for anyone that would like to learn more. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Icate Graziani on 53. Frankie ray on deck. >> Hi, good morning, I am Kate grazianai, with the Texas harm reduction alliance. I want to thank the council for acknowledging the moment that we're in when it comes to overdose crisis. It is a public health emergency and it has been for some time. The Texas harm reduction alliance at our drop-in center and our outreach team, we are working with folks of very high risk of overdose. And we are facing a fire hose of needs right now. Lack of housing, so few services and supports available, the heat -- we are inundated and [11:31:33 AM] overwhelmed just trying to keep people alive right now. So we appreciate y'all's leadership on this and we also encourage you to look holistically at the overdose crisis. Looking at the overdose death data and expanding access to narcan is important but it's just one piece of the solutions that we need right now. We also have to look at criminalization and the contaminated drug supply -- [buzzer] -- So we look forward to working with y'all over the coming months to make meaningful changes. And we hope that this resolution is reflected in your budget priorities as well. Thank you, councilmember Fuentes and councilmember kitchen for your leadership on this. >> Frankie ray speaking on 53. On deck is Bradley hodges. >> Hi, good morning, my name is Frankie ray and I'm an outreach worker at Texas harm reduction alliance. I want to thank the council for their leadership on this issue. [11:32:35 AM] Councilmember Fuentes for her leadership. At this point the phrase the opioid epidemic, is that word that you say so many times that it just kind of becomes sounds and opioid epidemic, it doesn't even have a meaning anymore, right. I think that it's cold and clinical but to us it's not -- to the people that are experiencing it, it's not. Last year 305 people died of O.D., I feel that I knew 300 of those people. So, in harm reduction works, science shows that harm reduction works. Communicative measures work. Incarceration doesn't work. And the only way that we're going to get anything done is for everyone to listen to the -- to listen to drug users and to listen to people who are personally experiencing this. And that's what we do at thra, and -- [buzzer] -- And -- yeah, [11:33:36 AM] thank you guys for listening. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you for that work. >> Bradley hodges speaking on item 86. On deck is Amanda Martinez. And 91. >> Okay, we had a drive-by shooting and APD did a fine job and they counted 15 holes and three hours later another drive-by shooting three blocks away. And having provider resources and an environment with more street gang violence. That is not public safety, that is public endangerment. Manage decline and generating more problems that you have created here. Council promoting chicago-style policies and just decline. Make sure that bad guys come out on top every time. We need more patrol officers and we do not need more gun control. [11:34:37 AM] Thanks for what you do. And thank you for the APD response. It was great. >> Amanda Martinez. Speaking on 86. And on deck is Taylor treviño. Taylor treviño. On deck is Alexander stranger. Alexander stranger speaking on item 81. >> Good afternoon, council. I am speaking in support of item 91 -- >> [Indiscernible]. >> Good afternoon, council. I am speaking in support of item 91 and the need to raise the age limit for gun purchases. [11:35:38 AM] I like where we're headed but honestly we're not doing enough, all right. I will say the quiet part out loud, guys. The majority are trump supporters and white supremacists and the only ones that should be allowed to own guns are our police and the military and the Mexican drug cartels and members of the Taliban. I said this to judge brown and I will say it again, our police agents need to go door-to-door and cop fiscate the guns from every law-abiding citizen in this country and if we do not that we need to replace them and they need to be controlled by the world economic forum, okay. And gun control works, guys. You know, just look at Australia and Canada, you think that Australia would have handled covid the way they did if all of those gun-toting rednecks had their firearm? And Canada, okay, they banned the purchase of handguns because gun ownership is racism. And look at Justin Trudeau, he painted his face in solidarity with the black community. And there's this thing called the institution but I know that [11:36:38 AM] you don't believe in it, guys. You know, and we need these red flag laws and if you are not taking your vaccine and you think that 5-year-olds should take puberty blockers -- and I'm really glad that you guys share the values that I espoused in the speech. >> Chris Harris, speaking on item 92. Amy Anderson is on deck. >> All right, Chris Harris, district 9. And the director of policy of the Austin justice coalition. I want to quickly also just indicate my support for the city employees that have come here asking for increased wages, both those affiliated with ascme and those in the 911 call center. Our -- as it relates to item 92, I want to, you know, to thank the co-sponsors of that item for being open to changes that might [11:37:39 AM] address some of the concerns that we have with automated license plate readers, however, we also believe that ultimately the decision whether to use these devices and not just how to use them should be subject to a broader community conversation. And, therefore, strenuously support the delay of this item and not necessarily an amendment today so that we can have a fuller conversation. We understand that automated license plate readers enable -- if used -- particularly if used improperly, a vast amount of surveillance and they enable increased criminalization, depending on how hot lists and other things are set up. [Buzzer] We understand that they can be a tool that has some benefits but also has extreme risks and, therefore, again,, thedition about whether to use them and not just how should be based on a broader community conversation and I encourage you to support the delay on that item today. Thank you so much. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Amy Anderson speaking -- >> Mayor Adler: And congratulations for the wedding. >> Thank you. >> Amy Anderson speaking on item [11:38:39 AM] 94. On deck is Mary Castillo. >> Good morning, everyone. Thank you for having us. My name is Amy Anderson and I'm a 911 call taker with APD emergency communications department. I have been here for two years. I love my job. I love serving the citizens. I have lived here since 1999. Councilmember Fuentes, you sat with me one day and that was a pretty easy day. But I remember your eyes were pretty wide at a lot of the calls. I would invite all of you to come sit with us sometime when we are holding calls. Sometimes we are holding 20 calls. Sometimes we are holding 60 calls. And it is my fear that one of my loved ones is calling and they are having an emergency and I cannot take that call. And I want to have the compassion to be on the phone with the person that I'm on the phone with and not rush through that call for fear that someone I love is trying to call. So, please, help with us our staffing shortage. It's very, very much needed. [11:39:40 AM] Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Mary Castillo speaking on item 94. On deck is Laura nicely. >> Good morning, and thank you for your time. My name is Mary Castillo and I have been with APD for almost 19 years and I'm a 911 call taker and a police dispatcher. I'm four years from retirement and being priced out of Austin. I started in 2003 and until 2021, Austin was the gold standard nationwide for 911 dispatch centers. Consistently maintaining a 99% answer rate in the first 10 seconds. In early 2021, we fell below 99%. And in late 2021, we fell below 90%, which is the industry standard and expectation. It was a rare thing for calls to hold during my first 18 years here and now it's a rare thing if they don't. Can you imagine needing [11:40:42 AM] lifesaving assistance, managing to get to a phone, and call 911, only to be placed on hold? That's not an acceptable service level, it's a dangerous and detrimental one and it's your new normal. [Buzzer] >> Mayor Adler: Thank you very much. >> Laura nicely speaking on 94. Jason hawk on deck. >> My name is Michael plain and I'm an assistant manager with Austin police department, and Laura nicely is my employee and more importantly my co-worker. She did have to leave early to go to a different engagement. If you like I can tell her story for her or we can go to the next speaker but I'll leave that up to y'all. >> Kitchen: Mayor, if it's okay I like to hear her story. >> Mayor Adler: You have her minutes. >> Laura nicely wanted to convey that not too many days ago she received a call from an alarm [11:41:43 AM] company wanting to report a burglary at rer his dense. She saw that officers were already on-site because they had located a suspect inside the house. The alarm company said that is not surprising for me, I have been on hold for 22 minutes waiting to get through to you. So though we did see a call from the neighbor who saw the burglary happening, an alarm company that a citizen pays for to report these things to the police department was not able to get through for 22 minutes. As an assistant manager I do a lot of the staff work for the center and if it would interest y'all to know that since January 1, 2022, the citizens of Austin have had to wait 6.1 years on hold with 911. [Buzzer] Thank you and have a good day. >> Mayor, I missed the time period of that stat. >> Since January 1, 2022, cumulatively it's been 6.1 years that citizens have waited on [11:42:44 AM] hold. >> Goodness. Thank you. >> Blake Thompson. Speaking on item 95. And Rodney Sutton is on deck. >> Good morning, council. My name is Blake and I'm a property owner here on 6th street and as an architect, a property investor, and a dad, I'm really excited about this moment of looking about how to improve our safety and re-make 6th street into a street that we all know and love and would want to see for our children. I'm here today to urge you to vote against item 95, it's a really misguided resolution that feels really unnecessary. We already have a national historic district in place that protects these Austin buildings that are on 6th street, creating a local historic district is not going to accomplish anything. I'm looking at the language in this and it says that it gives the strongest protection and greatest benefit for older neighborhoods. And we have a crisis on our [11:43:44 AM] hands on 6th street and why are we trying to give priority benefit to neighborhoods and buildings? There are buildings to save, yes, but we have a humanitarian crisis right now. The second part of that resolution says, the designation requires support of majority of property owners. I'm not in support of it and 75% of people are not in support of it. [Buzzer] And I encourage you to sit down and to listen to the good folks at strain, you have a woman here who is a local Austin resident who is operating a local business and it's a dream situation for you guys to sit down and listen to what they have to say. And stream has done amazing projects in town and I'm excited as a property owner to hear a true resolution that you guys would come forth with that seeks to put forth a code limit to establishing height limits and honoring the historic neighborhood and promotes something that would be a better place for our families to go to. Thank you for listening. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Angela Garza. Speaking on item 50 and 51. [11:44:46 AM] >> Mayor -- >> Mayor Adler: Yes? >> While our next speaker comes up I will tell the previous speaker, shortly I'm going to have posted a revised resolution that I think that will address some of the concerns and some of the questions that have been raised. I think that we don't do local historic districts often enough and I think that the process is not well understood so my hope is that when you see some of the additional information, the resolution, you will understand how this works in concert with the code amendment that was passed last week and not -- and is not in opposition to it. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Go ahead. >> Yes, thank you, mayor and city leaders. First of all, I am going to only speak on item 5 12kwr0u6rbg9s say I don't work for the city of Austin but I appreciate the services that we do get in the city of Austin and I want to thank city council Vanessa for leading this effort that is a tremendous -- you're on point. We do so much advocating for [11:45:48 AM] anti-displacement and one of the biggest reasons we have to do that is because people are not getting paid enough. That is the biggest reason. We appreciate when the other person is on 911 on the other call, we appreciate all of the services that we need to have them here but we need them to be happy about going to work and knowing they have a home to go to because they can afford to do so. And so I'm here to advocate on that behalf. I know that our combined team, and they fight so much for anti- displacement solutions, days, nights, weekends, holidays -- we do this. And this would be such a great thing to do, just for city workers to know how much we appreciate them as the city as well. Thank you so much. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. [Buzzer] >> Mayor that concludes in-person speakers. So I will move over to call-in speakers. The first speaker is Claudia [11:46:51 AM] gardana speaking on item 50. >> Hi, give me a second. I am going outside to do something. I work with Austin Travis county ems and I have been doing it for about seven years now. I started in 2015, my take-home paycheck then was $1,206 and my current take-home paycheck is $1,310. That's $104 more in seven years. I have to currently take care of four children and I moved to San Antonio because I cannot afford to live in Austin. I worked during covid while everyone stayed home and through the horrible snowstorm where my kids were a hundred miles away from me. This is not working anymore, this is surviving. The people that take care of your city are in [indiscernible] Not the way that you want a person in a high stress place to function. We are tired of not be heard. [11:47:51 AM] I am personally tired of feeling undervalued. I'm finishing my bachelors to get away from here and to get a better job that will give me more money that will make me feel what I'm doing is worth it. Thank you for your time. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Next speaker is Jenna Whiteside on item 50. Jenna, please unmute. Aaron Dewees on item 50. [11:48:52 AM] Aaron, please unmute. >> Hello, you can hear me? >> Yes. >> I'm sorry. I am Erin Dewees, I'm a medic with austin-travis county and I have been a medic for eight years with the department. I have two small children, both of which are not in elementary school so they need childcare. And I had to move to Waco recently to facilitate that childcare need. Also, I think that the council had asked whether or not we knew a medic that left the department due to wages? Yes, my husband. He was working for the department for 10 years and he recently left because of wages. And I'm afraid that I might be leaving in that direction as well, and if a change doesn't happen. Thank you for letting me speak. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Katie mcness on item 50. [11:49:54 AM] Katie, please unmute. [Buzzer] Jenna Whiteside, item 50. >> Can you guys hear me now? >> Yes. >> Okay. Wonderful. My name is Jenna Whiteside and I work as a paramedic for Austin ems and I have been with Austin for four years now. I have two very young kids at home and to support them and me and my husband I have to work a lot of overtime. Not only overtime both voluntary and non-voluntarily, but I also have a part-time job as well. I am away from my family so much because of how much I have to work and just to be able to make ends meet. My son is 2 and starting to realize how much I am gone. Yesterday I was leaving for work and my son was dragging me back [11:50:54 AM] inside and yelling, mama, no work. And I feel that my son's heartbreak is going to be common. The need to work so much overtime to survive and being away from my family is such a heavy burden. The high stress of the job makes it difficult to go home to my family and to have energy to be the mom that my kids den serve. And I have been in ems for nine years and I have never seen people leave jobs as quickly as they have here. [Buzzer] But we feel that we sell our souls for the city, and we need to have wages that truly compensate us for what we do and the very high cost of living. The city of Austin and citizens need a system they can rely on and to do this the city need to compensate us appropriately, because if not, the staffing issues will continue and we'll see the a high rate of turnover and people not wanting to work here anymore. >> Thank you. [11:51:56 AM] Item 50 -- >> Hello, I have worked for austin-travis county ems for 15 years and as of next month. And I have been here to speak about item 50. I have been here since back in 2006, my wife and I moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Austin, believe it or not, for cheaper housing. And since we moved here, well, since 2012, we have gotten a divorce, I had to move out and find other places to live. My ex-wife currently had to move because she could no longer -- or left here and went to Houston so now I'm staying in Austin with both of my children in my custody. But working for the city that I lived in, I can't afford to do so. My landlord because has had to raise our rent, and I just got a cost of living raise last month but that does not cover how much our landlord has been forced to [11:52:56 AM] raise our rent due to property taxes. So I'm not quite sure how we're going to make ends meet. And when I come into work, we're just getting brutalized every day with the call volume that we're doing in the 12-hour shift that I work in communications and the volume that we used to do a few years ago all day over the course of 24 hours. And we lost another five-year employee who had to quit. And two days ago we had a 911 caller wait for over 110 seconds and that was just -- that was just one of the many that day. [Buzzer] And a lot of verbal abuse on the phones and trying to answer calls for help just goes up and up and up as people get more and more frustrated and the mental -- it's exhausting. That's what we're dealing with and not to mention what our field providers are dealing with and we need help and we need to be able to afford to live in the [11:53:58 AM] city that we work for and sacrifice for. >> Next speaker is Katie mcnet. Katie, please unmute. Arial jewel on item 50. >> Hello, can you hear me? >> Yes. >> Hang on, I'm sorry. Can you hear? Hello? >> Yes, please go ahead. >> Hello? Okay. My name is arial jewel and I started my 16th year with [11:55:00 AM] austin-travis county ems as a paramedic. I'm speaking on behalf of myself and my colleagues. The past few years have been particularly challenging for you and we're exhausted. We give 110% to our patients and in return we get physically and verbally assaulted. Because we don't have the staff, we go non-stop without adequate breaks for 24 hours at a time. If things don't turn around -- [indiscernible] With wage increase, many of us continue to be facing hardship with the cost of living for housing, food, gas, etc. And examples of this in our department amongst my colleagues and myself, my husband and I recently refinanced our home just to pay our bills. However, I can't complain because I am far better off than some of my colleagues. Many of us work a time of overtime or have second jobs just to make ends meet which takes away time from our family. Many of my colleagues will lose their section 8 housing, and other had to use food stamps to feed their family. Some can't even give their [11:56:00 AM] children birthday parties or had to consider pawning their wedding rings to pay their bills. And there's nothing okay about not a living wage for your employees. You will never hire or retain employees if they don't earn enough to put gas in their car to come to work, let alone feed their family. It's time to put us, your employees' needs first. Thank you for your time, I appreciate it. >> Next speaker is Yvonne cortez-flores on item 50. >> To survive in Austin a $15 starting wage is long gone. The city of Austin employees are the foundation of our local necessities. They are public servants. But at what cost? The cost of living is wages below the survival means. All of your union brothers and sisters -- we need you today to pass the 22 livable wage. Prove their worth by voting yes for your workers. A 6% health insurance increase, [11:57:04 AM] 8.6% inflation, our workers are basically taking a pay cut. This is your moment and every city employee deserves dignity and respect. Show them that their labor, time and energy is worthy, the same as yours. When that happens, the workers, communities and the council collectively win for a better Austin. Power to the workers and power to ascme 1624, thank you. >> Erica venton-molina speaking on item 50. >> Hi. Can you hear me? >> Yes, please proceed. >> Yes, I am a resident in district 3. I am here in support of item 50 to raise the city's minimum wage to $22 an hour. I have worked for the city of Austin and Austin public health for over six years and a proud member of our local 1624. [11:58:05 AM] And it is sad that according to U.S. News and world report in 2015, that Austin which supposedly is the best place to live -- when many city of Austin workers and many folks who grew up here can't afford to live here and are being displaced at alarming rates. The front line workers who are the hardest working people and are the most underpaid folks. The folks still getting paid minimum wages are disproportionately black and brown and indigenous folks, poor working-class people. So how do we plan to lead with equity when we're not paying city employees to live in a city where the cost of living requires even more than $22 to live, right. To maintain any kind of quality of life. As a black Puerto rican woman, and a mother of one, I am severely impacted. I almost make $27 an hour, and after taxes healthcare and retirement, I live paycheck to [11:59:05 AM] paycheck. And I also will not be able to afford to stay in Austin much longer. The city's direction and self- sufficiency wage as $24 an hour to support our families and this wage is still under the cost of poverty. Meaning [12:03:38 PM] I ask that you all will consider raising the cost of living here at $22 an hour. Thank you for the time. >> Christy Rosen macer, item 50. >> Can you guys hear me? >> Yes, please proceed. >> Good morning. By name is Christy and I'm the clinical specialist paramedic with atc ems. I've been employed with Austin ems for just shy of eight years. I've been physically assaulted more times than I can count. In December of 2020 one hour into my shift a patient assaulted me leaving me with a broken cheek bone and con suggestion. I later went through two sessions of [indiscernible] And was diagnosed with PTC. I still have not regained full feeling on the side of my face. I've been off work for five weeks and I got kicked in the back of the head by another patient. In July of last year I injured my back on shift. [12:04:41 PM] I was put back on the truck in January, reinjured myself, and been off since. I'm now waiting on surgery. It keeps being delayed due to workman's comp issues. Losing an average of $150 per week being off the truck. [Buzzer]. Combine that with a rent increase in October of last year equaling 16%, we no longer live in the city, I'm extremely proud to say that I am an austin-travis county ems medic. We are the best medics in the country. I'm simply asking you to help us continue to bring in and retain talented, passionate medics with competitive wages. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Thank you for your time and serious consideration to help us. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. [12:05:41 PM] >> Katie MCN eff on item 50. Rebecca Setliff on item 50. >> Good morning. I work for the city of Austin. I moved here from California last summer. I lived in Round Rock for a year and paid more rent in Round Rock than what I was paying for rent in napa, California. I took a pay cut of $1,200 a month to move here, but assumed that the rent would be less in Texas. With the rent increase and lower wages I found myself struggling to rent and provide for my family. So I have to take out an early retirement from my previous employer. A "New York Times" article published November 2021 said [12:06:43 PM] that Texan years ago -- 10 years ago Austin was among the most affordable place to live. Now according to zillow, we are the least affordable outside of California. It has already surpassed market in Boston, beam, new York City. The national low income benefits out of reach study in 2021 found Austin, round Rock area to be the highest in Texas. [Buzzer]. And that people living in austin-round rock area would need to earn $27 to live in a fair market two-bedroom apartment without paying more than 30% of their income on housing. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Thank you speaker, your time has expired. >> Toll Ferguson speaking on item -- Tom Ferguson speaking on item 50. [12:07:45 PM] >> Good morning. My name is Tom and I'm an employee of the city of Austin and also as a paramedic. I've been with the city for about eight years. I'm in support of raising the minimum wage. In fact, I would like to see it raised even higher than what we have it set. As we're well aware, the cost of living in Austin has skyrocketed and while wages are falling way behind. This is especially problematic for ems. Despite recruitment efforts to get more in our hiring efforts, we need higher pay in the city. Ems needs more resources but currently we can't even staff the trucks we have. The city growth has drastically increased the call volume as well as the dangers. We face many hazards on a daily basis, physical and verbal assault, working on the side of roadways, [12:08:48 PM] climbing into burning cars. [Buzzer]. Being attacked by dogs. In fact, I'm recovering from a dog bite right now. Was bit by a pit bull on my lower leg, had 24 issues and the process has been long and very unpleasant. We are not compensated [indiscernible] For the hazards and the type of workload that we take on. We're tired, we need more people and we just can't get in the people if we can't pay them a living wage to live in this city. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Thank you speaker, your time has expired. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you very much. >> Wazari gabura on item 2. >> Good afternoon. My name is wazari and I'm a 10 year resident of Austin. I was calling to say I am for the [indiscernible]. [Indiscernible]. [12:09:52 PM] >> We support the community desires and therefore I just have to say that I am for the vacation. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Frances Acuna, item 51. >> My name is Frances. I'm a climate [indiscernible] Organizer with gave. Item 60 should be 22 for all to mitigate someplace S displacement. I support item 51 for a city of Austin disaster preparedness guide for disaster. There needs to be funding for residents to start their emergency kit. In gave we are partnered with city departments and UT. We have trained over 180 residents in disaster preparedness. In the dove springs neighborhood preparedness guide came out of the training. We're also working on [12:10:55 PM] neighborhood preparedness, resilience hubs, block captain, climate navigating portal and heat mitigating projects. The guide is needed for everyone to be prepared and to help block captains send information -- send specific information to other community leaders. [Buzzer]. And friends in the event of an emergency. Thank you. >> Nicole golden on items 86 and 91. >> Hi. Thank you for having me. I want to say thank you to the council members who are leading these efforts. [12:11:56 PM] [Indiscernible]. The team members at every level of government and everywhere across the state and country need to do everything we can and I see these two efforts as part of that. It's all hands on deck. This is all on the table and thank you so much for being a part of that. >> Hello. Can everyone hear me? >> Yes, please proceed. >> Hello? All right. Hi. My name is aecom Mclennan, president of St. Johns neighborhood association. As many of you may know, the property in item 88 has been vacant for 14 years. I'm calling in favor of this resolution to sell the land. During this time it's become [12:12:57 PM] a symbol of blight and neglect in our community. A couple of months ago there was a shooting there across the street. There's tremendous opportunity for us to improve the situation. [No audio]. >> Michael Cargill, item number 91. [Buzzer]. Michael Cargill, please unmute. >> Michael Cargill, I'm the owner of central Texas gun works and also a handgun instructor. And I want to make sure that the city understands and I think this has been done, but I want to make sure the city understands that on a city level you really don't have the authority to [12:13:59 PM] regulate firearms because we have a preemptive law. But there are some things in Texas on the city level that you can do. There are some things such as because of covid, a lot of the restaurants have actually -- a lot of the bars downtown have actually changed their liquor license from bars to restaurants. And because they changed their liquor license from bars to restaurants, guns are actually legal in it because of it the way our laws are actually structured. There are some things' the city level that you can do to help the violence and curb the violence downtown in Austin which I think is what you're really trying to target. And I think that would be the area that you want to focus on and not the area to ban in ours because you don't have the authority to do that. [Buzzer]. I think the money you're going to spend on trying to ban ars you should use your resources and that money to actually give raises to the city employees. I think that would be a [12:15:00 PM] better area that you could spend that money on doing that rather than trying to ban ar's which you don't have the authority. If you would like me to come down I would be actually glad to talk to you about some of the gun laws and what they actually are and actually break some of this down for you. I would love to educate this council on the gun laws we actually have in Texas. Thank you very much. You guys have a wonderful day. >> Tovo: Mayor? I would like to pick up on -- Mr. Cargill, thank you for your testimony. I disagree with you about the point regarding ar-15s, but I do appreciate you raising the other issues. So had we had an opportunity last week to talk about the items on consent I was going to highlight one element of the resolution I brought forward that dealt with not only halo cameras, but also looking at into the business owners on sixth street were interested in using those. [12:16:00 PM] I think Mr. Cargill said something that is important as we continue to think about sixth street, is that some of the bars did convert to being restaurants under the pandemic and that means that individuals under Texas law have the opportunity unfortunately to bring handguns into those locations. And the more encouragement we can do among that body of business owners to convert back to bars, the more ability they would have to enforce against having handguns in areas where there's a lot of drinking going on. >> Shana levy on item 91. >> Can you hear me. >> Mayor Adler: Yes. >> Yes. >> Hi, my name is Shana. I'm a student leader with March for life Austin. I just wanted to thank the mayor pro tem alter and the co-sponsors for this initiative to prevent access [12:17:02 PM] to semi-automatic weapons in Austin. We at March for life believe this is very crucial to pass gun violence prevention measures to prevent tragedies and gun violence in Austin. And we hope that this is education the first step in reducing gun violence in our community and we hope to see more initiatives like this. Thank you. >> Mary his come speaking on -- Chisholm speaking on 92. >> Alter: I wanted to thank Shana and what she and the fellow students are doing in March for lives. This is about what happens in our schools as much as it is about sixth street. So thank you for speaking up. We need your voices to make this change, thank you. >> Mary Chisholm on item 92. >> Yes. [12:18:02 PM] My name is Mary and I live in district 4 and I support a delay on item 92 until the budget process is decided because the license plate readers are a last minute item addendum and it needs to be discussed more because information is pooled into expansive databases and that information is growing rapidly. The information is often retained for years or even indefinitely with few or no restrictions to protect privacy rights. On its last report in 2020 the Austin regional agency shared its detection data with 31 outside agencies and collected data from 236 agencies from across the [12:19:03 PM] country, including ice, with public agencies -- [buzzer] -- License plate reader data for uses such as deportation and stopping of immigrants, the information may be in the case of intentionally sharing data with ice or government agencies. >> Thank you. [Please speak up] Speak -- thank you speaker, your time has expired. Amelia casa speaking on item 92. >> My name is Amelia in district 6 and also the policy analyst for the Texas fair defense project. Here in opposition to item 92 and in support of a delay. We fight to end the criminalization of poverty in Texas and we believe that the use of alpr's further criminalizes poverty with the use of databases for [12:20:03 PM] warrants or failure to pay fines, fees and tickets. We think if the city council decides to reinstate that our clients in the greater community that we work with are at great risk of being targeted, tracked and followed and as a member organization of the reimagining public safety task force we want to remind you that one of the key recommendations was to reduce and decommission surveillance structures and taxes. And by reauthorizing them through a rushed city council meeting without much notice the city is really backtracking on the success of former task force recommendation adoption and diluting community voice as well. So I just strongly urge you to support a delay on item 92 for a fuller conversation and for community engagement. [Buzzer]. Thank you so much. >> >> Phillip Lauderback on item 95. >> Hi, hello. This is Phillip Lauderback. Can y'all hear me? >> Yes, please proceed. [12:21:06 PM] >> Okay, thanks. So I'm calling to talk on item number 95 regarding the historic district on sixth street. More than anything -- I work for an investment firm that has ownership in several buildings and properties. More than anything I was taken back by this resolution and the lack of notice provided. It seems like something where the property owners would have been given some notification and just in general some more information. So more than anything I feel incredibly uninformed and that I didn't have the time to get informed. Sixth street is a different conversation, but I worked at the Littlefield building, come here everyday -- [buzzer] -- Five days a [12:22:07 PM] week, and sixth street is it's already street right now as everybody knows. I personally do not think more restrictive zoning would do it any favors, but more than that I can't believe how quickly and uninformed I am as a property owner on sixth street. I appreciate everyone's time and that's what I would like to say. >> Sean on item 95. >> Yes, hello, my name is Sean and I'm a property owner on sixth street as well as the chairman of the pecan street owners' association. We sent a letter to all of y'all yesterday. As an organization and a property owner, we're not necessarily for or against the agenda item 95, but without any notification to any code changes, to any [12:23:07 PM] districts or through any impact on what it means for our property ownership group, we are asking for a pause so there can be an adequate time for sharing all of the information with our ownership as well as information to share with property owners to everybody can have an opportunity to evaluate and communicate either their support for or against the measure. But with the lack of information there hasn't been adequate time for any dialogue to take place so we're asking for that dialogue to take place. Thank you so much. >> Katie Mcneff on item 50. >> My name is Katie and I've been a field medic for Austin Travis county ems in Austin for almost three years. I started my career in ems to serve the people. I'm currently in paramedic school and applying for a community health paramedic position in order to further my goal of serving the people. I speak to you today with one thought on my mind, how [12:24:07 PM] disheartened I am. Going to school is taking my time and plunging my family into debt. I can't afford rising costs without overtime. I can't afford my husband's medical bills without working overtime. I can't afford groceries without working overtime. I am a grown woman working in a field I am passionate about and I have to ask for handouts. I'm fearful and disheartened. I don't want to leave ems, I don't want to stop serving the people but I can't bring myself to tell my nine-year-old that I'm having trouble affording a present for him. I do not say these things lightly or with pride. Thank you for your time. >> Mayor, that concludes all call-in speakers but we do have an in-person, Rodney Sutton. Speaking on item 52, 33, four and five. [12:25:16 PM] >> Good morning. My name is Rodney sudden ton and I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you guys at this particular moment. I am a worker who picks up trash for the whole city of Austin. The elements we have to deal with in picking up the trash calls for us to have a raise. Half of our trucks don't have ac and it's 120 or 130 degrees this those trucks sometime. It's very hard. I'm a single dad. I take care of my son. I live in Austin, Texas. But Texas workforce commission day care won't pay for me because I bought a home in Austin, but on the outside, outskirts, so I don't fit in the jurisdiction. I struggle as a dad. I have to take care of my dad. So it becomes more difficult [12:26:17 PM] for me -- I have to work extra days which causes know have to pay more in day care. So I'm losing on both ends because the more I work the more money they take out of my check. So I'm not benefiting from this at all. I love my job. Austin gave me a chance to make it and I'm making it, but now that prices start to elevate our paychecks remain the same. We're losing. I work in Austin resource recover rained I probably can speak for half the guys on there. This is not fair. We are essential workers and we deserve to be treated like essential workers. That's all I have at this particular moment. Thank you once again for your time. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Anybody else signed up to speak that we didn't call. Before we move off speakers given the number of city employees who spoke and the trauma that was shared with us, before we do on I just want to take a quick moment to say and recognize that we heard today the stories of [12:27:18 PM] the community, stories of people's lives. And as we listen to our neighbors we all saw the sadness in their eyes and heard the desperation in their voices. I think collectively on this dais we know that we can do better and we need to do better and will do better as we go through the budget process. But I just wanted us to acknowledge the authenticity and the transparency that the neighbors have granted to us today. To say that we hear you, we trust you and that we will do our part to carry this torch for those who work tirelessly and compassionately to serve this community. We'll speak about this issue later when we get into speaking on items. Colleagues, it is almost 12:30. We have seven people who are signed up to speak in public [12:28:22 PM] communication so it would be my intent to call them now so they can speak: With their three minutes it will probably be 25 minutes so shortly before 1:00 before we do that. I will propose we take half an hour break at that point and come back at 1:30 here to take care of the consent, and we have music, that's right. But I'll do the music. That we come back here and see if we can take care of the consent agenda, let staff go before we take the speakers who have signed up at 2:00 on the 2:00 call. Councilmember kitchen? >> Kitchen: Mayor, that sounds great. I would suggest unless you're thinking it will take too long, I was thinking that maybe we could do consent before we break for lunch, but again your call, of course, on how much time [12:29:22 PM] you think that might take. >> Mayor Adler: Let's wait. It never moves quite that fast and that will have us here at 1:30 potentially without having had lunch and I want to avoid doing that. Councilmember tovo. >> Tovo: Mayor, I think I passed you a note about this earlier. I wanted to make sure that the staff who might be following this item know that my intent in pulling 4 was to postpone it and it is my understanding that the staff don't have concerns about that. I don't intend to talk about 4 today. >> Mayor Adler: Any objection to number 4 being postponed? Without objection then 4 will be postponed on the consent and staff can leave. >> Tovo: And mayor? One more thing. You really expressed well I think what was in my heart as well, but I did want to specifically ask our manager to follow up on the last speaker's point about the garbage trucks. I'm super concerned to hear that a lot of them don't have ac. If you could kind of look into that and get back to us. Obviously it's critical in [12:30:22 PM] this heat for that kind of work. >> Mayor Adler: Mr. Gonzalez, if they will look into that. Yes, councilmember Kelly. >> Kelly: Thank you for the recognition. If it's okay now I would like to say what I'm voting no on on the consent agenda? Is that okay? >> Mayor Adler: No, because we haven't called the consent agenda, but we will do that at 1:30. >> Kelly: Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: And see if we can take care of the consent and let people have a chance to speak before we call the speakers at 2:00 or as close to that as we can get. I'm going to call the public communication speakers beginning with Susana Almanza. You have three minutes. >> Good afternoon, mayor and city councilmembers. I'm Susana Almanza with poder and also a member of the project connect community advisory committee. On March the 28th seven different neighborhood associations presented a letter to project connect, community advisory committee asking and talking about [12:31:23 PM] lowering the affordability levels for the project connect anti-displacement community acquisition program because as it is now, they were initially looking at 60% mfi for a family of four, which is $66,180. So when we're talking about anti-displacement, we should not be using gentrification numbers. For instance, the median family income from montopolis is different from the mfi for Travis county. According to 2019 American community survey data, the per capita income for montopolis is $20,859 and the median household income is 42,344. Overall the poverty rate is 26.4%. Our childhood poverty rate is at 30%. And the poverty rate for seniors 65 and over is 32%. The construction of rental [12:32:23 PM] housing at 60% mfi and ownership housing at 80% mfi would just exacerbate the displacement and gentrification. This is a very, very serious issue because when residents and people from city pass a bond for anti-displacement, we did not say further gentrify our communities. School district%, even 50 -- 60%, even 50% would further gentrify our communities. So we're looking at the one mile radius within the project connect, the rail system, yet we're using numbers from hud when this is not even federal money. Why are we using status quo figures for federal funding when it comes to housing, which I think we need to change to begin with from 60 and 80, when this is not federal money and we can reach a lower level are housing available whether we call it low income housing [12:33:25 PM] or fair housing. Because one of the things we always hear is about teachers and firemen and so forth, which is good, but we don't hear about the everyday custodians, we don't hear about the caretakers, we don't hear about the fast food service. All of these -- maid service. We don't hear about childcare and they also need housing. But here is this money that's supposed to be for anti-displacement and we're using levels that will displace so many people. And I just gave an example of what would happen in montopolis. At the CDC in April they also passed a resolution to lower the levels of affordability so I'm really hoping -- [buzzer] -- That will you will move that forward. Thank you so much. >> Kitchen: Mayor? Ms. Almanza? If you would share that with my office, I'm very concerned to hear that. As you know the [12:34:26 PM] anti-displacement dollars were identified specifically for geographic areas at risk of displacement so our strategies need to be geared specifically to those areas. Thank you for that information. >> Mayor Adler: The next speaker is Adrian Macina. You have three minutes, sir. On deck is Yvette Castro. >> I am Adrian Macias. I am with Poe dare's fair fare movement. Can you please pay the video. >> Join poder's fair fare's equity -- [12:35:26 PM] join poder's fair fare's equity campaign. It works to ensure questionable access to project connect's light rail transit system. Equity and rail and bus fares ensures accessible and affordable transportation for everyone in the community. Equity means the same fares and the same benefits for all austinites. Today a day pass for bus service is $2.50 while a rail day pass is seven yards. A month's bus pass is $27 while a monthly is $99. Proposed rail fares will cost five times more than bus fares making it economically inequitable for bus service. This price perpetuates race and class based discrimination against those who rely on public transportation. Austinites deserve a fair transportation -- fair distribution of transportation resources. Let's make sure that low income and people of color have access to the light [12:36:27 PM] rail transit system. Join fair fares equity campaign today. >> Poder's young scholars for justice are working for transportation equity. Poder's young scholars for justice are working for transportation equity. They're riding the bus, talking to bus riders and the public about two new rail lines and the cost to ride the rail. Capmetro is spending over seven billion dollars to create a rail that would bridge over various areas of [12:37:28 PM] Austin, including east Austin, an area with remaining working class communities of color. However, the cost for the daily pass would be seven dollars. This is extremely unaffordable. Especially in comparison to the $2.50 for a daily bus pass. The extremely expensed fare price per set 2008 race and class based discrimination on who rely on public transport in their day-to-day lies. The visit poder's website at poderaustin.org and sign the petition for equity. The ysj would also like to thank council member Fuentes for speaking to our class. Thank you. [Applause]. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Next speaker is Yvette Castro. [12:38:28 PM] And on deck is Klaus Schwab. >> Hello, my name is why vet and I'm wools with poder and today I will be talking about solar equity complain. Next, please. As we all may know, solar energy is energy harnessed from the sun and the most common technology used to collect this energy is photo volume at aic cells and solar panels. There are many advantages to using solar energy. One is that there is limited to no CO2 emissions compared to fossil fuels. Homes will see a decrease in their electric bills and also have the opportunity to receive rebates, incentives and tax credits. Another advantage is that having solar panels would promote energy Independence. [12:39:28 PM] Also once they are installed they require very low maintenance and less stress on the electric grid. Next, please. Most of Austin lacks access to solar due to the steep up front cost and the financial requirements needed to install the solar panels. Renters are also excluded from having access to solar energy. Those who would benefit the most are left out of Austin's solar program. In connection, please. Poder's campaign for solar equity will ensure that low income and people of color residences and businesses have access to solar energy. It will also help to push for more opportunities in a solar workforce for women and people of color. Austin has a solar rebate program that provides a 2500 rebate after installing the solar panels and the completion of a free short online course that is available in both English and Spanish, but there are few issues such as still having to pay a steep up front cost and getting the rebate afterwards. And many austinites who could benefit do not even know about it. [12:40:30 PM] In 2019 poder's young scholars for justice students completed solar equity surveys. One of the questions was did you know that the city of Austin has a solar rebate program? 67.7% said no and 32.3% said yes. Next, please. Another question was did you know that as a solar panel customer you can earn solar credits that reduces and/or eliminates your electric bill? 58.3% said yes and 41.7 said no. Next, please. The solar workforce is primarily filled with white individuals and males. There is also a heavy reliance on word of mouth recruitment in order to receive a job in this field. Most training programs are expensive and many low income and people of color do not know that solar is a viable career option. Next, please. So what do we need to do? We must give communities the information about available opportunities and programs for affordable solar. We must also advocate for the city of Austin and Austin energy to lower up [12:41:30 PM] front costs of solar panels and remove other financial barriers. Educational institutions that also have affordable and accessible training programs for a career in solar so low income and people of color can have an opportunity. We can also create a pilot project for solar panels in the montopolis community. Thank you. [Buzzer]. [Applause]. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. After Mr. Schwab speaks, then it's Ron Comeau. >> Hello, city of Austin. It is your favorite [indiscernible] Klaus swab junior. I make banking for a living. I want to know of council members who here has a mortgage? Who here has the mortgage? This is great for us, great for us to charge interest in the Ponzi scheme. Very good for us. Here at [indiscernible] We [12:42:31 PM] have noticed that it is naughty in America to own the peasants so we start multi-generational plan to make this and at first we start with agriculture. It used to be that the farmer would making a greatgations of nature. Aggregations of what god has created. This is culture. We say for years what if we make the tomato genetically modified with the patent? And the judge says no, you cannot make this, god makes the tomato. So then we bribe the judges and kill the judges for years of generations and then we change the tomato and we say oh, but people are starving. We need to make this. And they say okay, you can make the tomato genetically modified. And as soon as we got that rushed through we made the mrna trap to change the DNA [12:43:33 PM] of the peasants so that legally we can own them by changing them for the patents. So thank you. This is happening at [indiscernible], www.weforum.org. I just got back from [indiscernible] And a lot of meetings and parties. I would say that Christine list list is crazy. She parties a little too much. Thank you very much. Everyone's favorite aligarch. >> Next speaker Ron Comeau. And then after Ron is Paul Robbins. On deck. >> Thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak to you. I flew in from El Paso today. I want to tell you about the problem you have in your backyard. These are shelter reports from El Paso animal services. We had the Austin pets alive [12:44:35 PM] house program for two years that is a complete disaster. We are now sitting at our shelter, end of month counts, in 2019 when we were almost no kill on a plan that had nothing to do with Austin pets alive, at the end of the month of January 2019 we had 1054 count. January 22 we are now at 2542. These things happen because you leave unaltered, unvaccinated strays on the street to reproduce. So we end up with more strays and more disease, which is what we are fighting in. >> Ellis: Right now. February of '19, 976. February of 2022, again 2542. We had a difference of 1566. March we had a difference of [12:45:35 PM] 1294 more pets at the end of the month in our arts. April, 995 more in our shelter designed for 350 to 450. We're running 2894 in April. Come may we jumped to 3387 in a shelter designed for 350 to 450. These additional strays were caused by Austin pets alive program leaving unaltered strays and unvaccinated strays on our streets. The other thing that happened because of the house program, the people of El Paso have spoken loud but the city's not lining. We had 3622 less dogs go out the front door in the first five months of '22 than we did in 2019. 2019 we had a real no kill [12:46:36 PM] plan. We were borderline going to be no kill. If we continued we should have been no kill by 2020 but the way we were moving forward. We are now in a situation where we are now back to where we were in 2016 because of Austin pets alive house program. Community sheltering doesn't work. Managed sheltering does not work. It's the same thing with a different name. They're leaving unaltered, unvaccinated strays. We are now dealing, I personally have been dealing with dogs that have tested positive, parvo and distemporarier at the same time. [Buzzer]. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you for coming. >> Would somebody like the reports so I can verify everything I told you was true? I personally make sure I have proof before I open my mouth. >> If you like to you can leave with the clerk. [12:47:43 PM] >> Mayor Adler: Mr. Robbins and then Debbie Romero will be the last speaker. We will do music and take a recess after the last speaker. >> Council, good afternoon. Anyone following my speeches over the last few months knows that I protested the city's information about the broken customer assistance program run by Austin energy. In summary, even as I proved repeatedly over the last eight years that the program is giving some of the money to the wrong people, including people who live in mansions. And even though this work has saved millions of dollars. The bureaucracy is intent on hiding information that was formerly public. I guess showing photos of [12:48:47 PM] mansions to council after eight years of wealthy people using money meant for the poor is somewhat embarrassing. I have two new points I want to bring to the meeting today. First after several months of not getting an answer from the city, I received one just this morning. Basically they blame you, council. Can you flip the slide? This is the reapply that I got -- reply that I the got. There is no language in the legislative agenda providing direction to intergovernmental relations office staff to oppose efforts to redact information relating to the customer assistance program. Now, I guess if they had actually pointed out to council what the passage of this bill would do, it might really be your fault but I [12:49:51 PM] don't know of any public discussion that did this. And if I am in error, please inform me. The second point that I want to bring up is I'm asking the city to hire me. If you pay me the grand sum of one dollar a year, I would be a city employee and allowed to see customer assistance program data that is being hidden. I can continue to do my analysis that would save money that was meant for the poor. And I would be able to collect evidence to some degree in the Austin energy rate case in which I am an intervenor. In closing there are any number of pressing issues I would propose to subpoena speak on about Austin energy rather than this. They include the radical restructuring of the residential rates to make [12:50:51 PM] service inaccessible to large numbers of people. The utility's growing -- [buzzer] -- Hostility to inefficiency and reluctance to engage liquified natural gas opposition. Instead I'm continuing to have to speak on this issue. I do appreciate your attention. A dollar a year! >> Mayor Adler: Is Debbie Romero here? No? I think that's all of the speakers that we have. So here at 12:51 we're going to take a recess. We're going to do music. I suggest you grab something for lunch. Let's see if we can get back here at 1:30 and see if we can knock out the consent before we do speakers at 2:00. [12:51:53 PM] We're going to be in recess until 1:30. [1:01:40 PM] >> Mayor Adler: Part of the city council that in Austin breaks every meeting to bring live music into this place. The music was why back in the '70s when I passed through this town with no intention of staying I ended up getting caught. And my story is not singular. There are a lot of people that are here in part because of that music. And it represents the soul and the culture of this city. As we heard in the testimony this morning, it's getting harder and harder for everybody to live here. That includes the workers we heard from. That includes the artists that play. I think it is important that we celebrate music and bring that sound into this space. This is as close as we have to being able to invite people to the stage at Carnegie hall. It kind of looks a little like [1:02:41 PM] Carnegie hall but not, a little bit. [ Laughing ] >> Mayor Adler: And today we have just a real treat for people that are watching this and seeing this. And it's being recorded, people will see it later. Ms. Mack and the daddies out of Austin, Texas, are a class act, bringing soul back with incredible musicians backing up one of the singularly greatest powerhouse voices in the music industry today. It's no wonder that as a fledgling group still working on producing their first debut album they were personally asked to open up for the iconic, legendary genre- defying grammy award-winning music group cool and the gang here in Austin in the spring of 2020. You know. And then you guys ran into covid [1:03:42 PM] just when you should have been launching, but we're moving past that now. There is no doubt that these guys are going to be releasing one fantastic compilation, mind-boggling talent, as they breathe new and energized life into a community scene, a genre, at least one, and an industry ready and waiting for that ultimate combination, a uniquely powerful new voice encapsulated by a talented female leader with masterful stage presence, a clearly-defined vision, supported and copasetic in congruence by an incomparably exceptional musicianship. A real treat for us. We'll talk again in a second, but the stage is yours. >> Thank you so much. This next song, or this only [1:04:43 PM] song you get today is daddy issues, a new single we just released today. So excited to share that with you. As mayor Adler mentioned, I am Ms. Mack. These are the daddies. Should we do this thing? [1:08:27 PM] [ cheering and applause ] >> Thank you, guys. >> Ms. Mack and the daddies. Wow. That was brilliant. Tell me what Austin city limits has on Austin city council, I mean, really, you know. So, that's a new release. >> Yes, sir, just today. >> Mayor Adler: If people want to have access to that, how do they get that? >> They would go to our website, www.mackdaddymusic.com. There you find the socials and I believe we've got a pop-up so you're not going to miss that single. >> Mayor Adler: Cool. If people want to come see you play live? >> I think they should probably come next week for the anniversary. We're going to be opening up for Leo. >> Mayor Adler: Very cool. [1:09:29 PM] What is the rule for Ms. Mack and the daddies? >> You've got to be on today and every day, hopefully, but especially today. >> Mayor Adler: Let's make the day really special here. We have a proclamation. Be it known that whereas the city of Austin, Texas, is blessed with many creative musicians whose talent extends to virtually every musical genre, and whereas our music scene thrives because Austin audiences support good music produced by legends, our local favorites, and new comers alike, and whereas we are pleased to showcase and support our local artists, now, therefore, I, Steve Adler, mayor of the live music capital, together with my colleagues, councilmember Natasha harper-madison, and chito vela and the entire city council do hereby proclaim [1:10:30 PM] June 16th of the year 2022 as Ms. Mack and the daddies day in Austin, Texas. Congratulations. [ Cheering and applause ] >> Thank you. [ Laughing ] >> Mayor Adler: I don't know. >> We don't usually do this, but when the mayor asks you if you'd like to say anything, you say something. And so we just want to say thank you to those of you here in the community in Austin that continue to support live music, whether you're playing music or maybe you're just supporting other artists. We really appreciate that you do that. We'll continue to try to be as creative as we can be to help one another through some really tough times that have been happening lately. So, long live live music. Yeah. Thank you, guys. [ Applause ] [1:53:02 PM] >> Mayor Adler: Today is still June 16th, 2020. The consent agenda, colleagues, is items 1-61 and 82-97. The items that have been pulled, best as I can tell, are 4, 48, 88, 91, 92, and 95. Should be noted that 42 -- 52, rather -- has a version v2 that's on the consent agenda. 4 is put back on consent because we're postponing that until the 28th. >> Mayor. >> Mayor Adler: Yes. >> Vela: I'd like to pull 51. >> Mayor Adler: 51, disaster preparedness guide, we'll pull that one. [1:54:09 PM] 51. Okay. All right. Is there a motion to approve the consent? >> I don't want to pull the item, but I want to offer additional direction for item number 90. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. >> Harper-madison: So, I'd like to add staff direction to item number 90. That's the one I brought forward that would lead to a new interlocal agreement with aid to allow the district to provide free wifi around its campuses. I'd like for staff to bring the draft Ila to our community technology and telecommunications commission before it comes back to council for final approval. >> Mayor Adler: Does anybody have objection to that direction being included? Hearing none, that direction is included. Councilmember Kelly. >> Kelly: Yes, thank you for the recognition. I'd like the record to reflect a "No" vote on items 34, 39, and 86. [1:55:10 PM] I have concerns about the programs with regards to 34 and 39 that weren't resolved. In the interest of not pulling these items, I'll just vote no. As for my resolution, the one related to license plate readers, 92, an important tool for officers to utilize, I offer to postpone the item until July 28th in order to allow for more discussions to be had in the community related to the item. My commitment will forever be to those that risk their lives to keep our city safe. I want the community to be able to fully understand how this tool is going to be utilized. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. And to consider this as part of the budget discussions? Okay. Because I think that will be thrown off on the 28th, because I think we'll have the budget. We may not be deciding. So it may be postponed for an additional week or two as part of the budget conversations, but we're going to pick it up in that process. >> Kelly: Okay. That's fine. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Any objection to that? That will stay that way on the [1:56:13 PM] agenda. On consent. 92 stays on. Thank you for that. [ Off mic ] >> Mayor Adler: It's being postponed. We'll put it back on the agenda on the 28th so we can see where we are in the budget process, but we'll handle that as part of the budget process. Let's put it on the agenda on the 28th so it comes back to us. >> Thank you to all of my cosponsors who worked really hard on this item. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. All right. So the consent agenda at this point are items 48, 51, 88, 91, and 95. Those are the pulled items. >> Tovo: I'm sorry, mayor, I'm going to need to verify. Would you mind saying that again? You said consent. >> Mayor Adler: I'm sorry. The consent agenda is 1-61 and [1:57:13 PM] 82-97. The following items have been pulled, 48, 51, 88, 91, and 95. >> What about -- >> Mayor Adler: I'm sorry? [ Off mic ] >> Mayor Adler: I don't have anybody pulling item 86. Now, I also have an amendment on 48. We've done that. I have 88's been pulled. And 95. That's all I'm showing. Item 51 has been pulled. Those are all the ones with amendments. So, is there a motion to approve the consent? Councilmember kitchen makes a motion, councilmember harper-madison seconds. I'll do it one last time. >> Is item 50. [1:58:15 PM] >> Mayor Adler: Item 50 is not pulled. >> Okay. >> Mayor Adler: The version in front of us is version 2 that was posted yesterday. >> Very good. >> And then we will be able to make some comments after we take the vote. >> Mayor Adler: After we take the vote. Councilmember 0 toe. >> We have a motion and second. >> Mayor I would like the record to reflect my recusal on items 5 and 57 and a no vote on 83. That's the item to .. -- I assume that is still on consent, the item to. >> Mayor Adler: Yes. >> Allow a fee in lieu waiver and I think that we agree it ought to be demand dark affordable housing on -- I will vote no. >> Mayor Adler: So noted on the record. Are we ready to take a vote? Let's take a vote. Those in favor of the con consent agenda please raise your hand. Those opposed? It passes unanimously with the issues that were noted. [1:59:18 PM] We have a moment or two here before we get to speakers at 2:00 o'clock. So if the clerk would, if the clerk is ready, to pull seating assignments we are going to readjust seats when we come back after a break. Our colleagues, what we do is, we started something with the council where every year we readjust where people sit on the dais so that you -- everybody has the experience of potentially being with multiple colleagues. Are you ready for that process? >> Yes. And we -- I already had everyone pull names and for those that are not present in the dais we had another member pull a number for you, so this is the order. >> Mayor Adler: Beginning where? >> Beginning where councilmember kitchen is currently sitting. [2:00:19 PM] That is seat 1. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. >> So seat 1 will be councilmember harper-madison. Seat 2 will be councilmember pool. Seat 3 will be councilmember Renteria. Seat 4 will be councilmember Fuentes. Seat 5 will be councilmember Ellis. Seat 6 will be councilmember tovo. Seat 7 will be councilmember Kelly. Seat 8 will be councilmember kitchen. Seat 9 will be councilmember vela. Seat 10 will be mayor pro tem alter. .. >> Okay. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Great. >> And the change will be effective for the July 28th meeting. >> Mayor Adler: Great. You will make the corresponding change in the executive session [2:01:20 PM] room? I mean in the board and commission room? >> It will be the same. I have assigned seating numbers to the numbers there so whatever. >> Mayor Adler: Sounds good. Sounds good. All right. So with that, that gets us then to speakers that have signed up to speak on the -- so we will take those speakers. Each has three minutes to speak. It is going to take us about an hour to do those speakers. When we are done with those speakers, we are going to come back and let people speak to the consent agenda that we just passed and then we can make a decision about going into executive session or we will do the consent, actually question will do the consent -- with okay. [2:02:21 PM] So we are going to, the after we have speakers we will hear comments people want to make on the consent agenda. We are going to go back to executive session for logistic reasons and then we will come out and handle the consent agenda on zoning. Okay? Because we have to clear the executive session room. All right. So you -- >> Executive session -- I am sorry, are we doing executive session virtually or in person? >> Mayor Adler: Virtually. So do we have a room you can -- it is a person constraint, not a room constraint. Are there any postponements in zoning that we should let speakers know about? >> Yes, mayor. Thank you, Joey Hardin with housing and planning department .. We have item number 79, men cha can a ca south, a neighborhood postponement to July 28th. Items 80 and 81, the related cases, 305 south congress, that is the .. That is a postponement [2:03:21 PM] request by councilmember tovo to July 28 council meeting and item 114 is Evelyn, that's a staff postponement request for July 28th meeting and those are the postponements for zoning. >> What was the number of the middle one? >> Yes. So 79 Menchaca south, which is the neighborhood postponement, 80 and 81 is the statesman pud and 114 is ever link. >> Mayor Adler: And they are all postponed to July 28? >> Yes. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: All right. So let's go ahead and call the speakers that are in person first. Do you have anybody signed up on 78, 79, 80, please let them know that matter has been postponed. >> The first speaker is Jose aviano, speaking on item 71, on deck is Jim Whitt Mith. [2:04:21 PM] >> >> Mayor and councilmembers, my name is -- aviano, thank you for your time. I am representing my boss J Garcia in regard to agenda item 71 at 11:35 Menchaca road. I am here to express our opposition to this zoning change, especially the track one request regarding the S, C s-1 commercial lounge district, we were here last month opposing this change due to the fact the plans for this property directly impact our properties which are immediately adjacent to the north and they are using our private road, and plan a significantly increase the traffic on our private property. We commission the survey after the last meeting and I have submitted a documentation to you. Along with other pictures showing the average impact of change would have on our property and our property [2:05:22 PM] rights. We were worried about parking as well. And the land agent representing this project, Jim commit live told you at the last council meeting the tract has 91 spaces available. I Neil is very misleading and I have provided you with an aerial view of the property so that you can see this. Tract 1 as they propose it has a, have at most 20 spaces available and already in constant use with existing tenants which are -- dance studio and a gaming/gambling center. I submitted a video to you as well, that shows how their existing traffic backs up on casa Garcia road and blocks traffic for us, this happens once or twice a week. The spaces he mention ready 500 feet or more away from their proposed tract 2, this triggers new concerns as the city requires 82 out of those 91 spaces for their cocktail lounge. >> Where are the other tenants going to park if not spilling on to our private road? [2:06:26 PM] The those not on tract 1 have no access to the public road, Menchaca road. By granting this zoning change and allowing this, you are creating a liability for us as people will be drinking liquor, alcohol since it is a cocktail bar and must leave their property and drive on our private property in order to leave. We are not okay with that increased liability. I will close with this. We wish you not rubber stamp this change. There was opposition in the area, I counted 19 in the packet provided. Was not sent with an approval and failed there by one vote as well. We being the most impacted as the use depends on our property for ingress and egress, also adamantly oppose this and we hope that you help us protect our property rights. Please do not grant this zoning request. Thank you very much. >> Mayor Adler:. >> Thank you. Mayor -- >> Mayor Adler: Yes. >> Mr. Arrelano, what item number is this? >> Number 71. [2:07:27 PM] >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. >> Jim Whitt Liff on item 71, on deck is Jay Garcia. >> Jay Garcia. .. Wittliff .. >> Richard subtle. >> Item 73 and 95. >> Hello, council. I want to oppose article 71 it increases liability to my property and what they are trying to zone in also includes apartment property, which -- said he submitted that survey. [2:08:27 PM] Thank you. >> Richard subtle on item 73 and 95. On deck is Maria Bowen. >> Mayor and members of the council I am not sure thousand works. I am here on a resolution on one side of a zoning case, on the other. I will tell you on the zoning case, I believe Jerry has some language that we have agreed to. I am a valid petitioner on the case with the wording added and it can be lifted. On 95ly make it very clear the facts are -- real estate is not in favor of councilmember tovo's proposal as is many property owners, most property owners along east sixth street. We -- there are a lot of things I would like to say about that but if there is going to be a discussion, sit possible for me to be available for questions then or the -- I don't know how your process works on this. >> Mayor Adler: My sense on this there are going to be questions and I would like to [2:09:27 PM] have you here with Jerry -- >> I will be available for questions but I just want it clear, because there was some discrepancy. We are extremely not in favor of this nor are most of the property owners on east sixth. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. >> And beyond that there are a lot of things we can talk about, the substance of the proposal to zone an entire area historic over the opposition of the property owners. >> What I will do --. Mayor, I will need to ask Mr. -- a question here. >> You can. When we get there, I want to give Jerry a chance to come can in and kind of lay out the process for this, as kind of the threshold place but if you want to ask a, answer a question. >> There are several things Mr. Substitute said is there was a discrepancy as what real property said, I want to be clear Mr. Suttle you texted me stream realty's response when I forwarded the resolution to you Friday morning and when I talked about it -- >> Once you read that text, why don't you read that text. >> Mr. Subtle, I am still talking. >> Okay. >> I have the floor. >> On Tuesday, in the work [2:10:30 PM] session, I summarized that text and you and I had spoken Tuesday morning and you had given me permission to do so, in fact, you said you would provide me with additional language when we talked Monday evening, additional language. But I did not mischaracterize stream's response and I will be glad to read it, it says something like and I will read the exact language. But the -- well let me just read the exact language because I don't know if you were talking about an assertion somebody else made or about the one I made. >> Not about what you made. I was told that other people's -- I was told other people said we didn't have a problem with it. >> That's all -- that's all it is. >> It is the telephone game, and -- >> I am sorry, you were told who? I am not following you. >> I had somebody come up to me and say I hear you are okay with this proposal and I wanted to make sure the record was clear that my client is not okay with the proposal. That's off, that's all this is about. >> Upon further reflection if [2:11:30 PM] you want me to clarify, upon further reflection of your proposal we are not in favor of it. That's all it is. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Thank you. >> Yes. And just to be clear, since we are talking about it, the text you sent me on Friday morning said, initial reaction, this is initial reaction from stream,, if it can go fast and design standards make sense it may be okay. >> Uh-huh. >> Which is one reason why we initiated it very quickly so that it can go fast. And I thought that you had asserted to including to my staff that you thought it could be a win-win and also spoke to me about it could be a win-win. I think we will have an opportunity to talk about it when the item comes up but I thought it was really important [2:12:30 PM] to respond to -- in case there was any suggestion that I did not carefully represent your client, your client's position on this. >> Mayor Adler: We will get there. During our discussion. Okay. >> Maria Bowen, speaking on item 74. On deck is Courtney Knox. >> >> Rogers lane cannot currently support dense housing safely due to the substandard condition of the roads and the lack of infrastructure. To be clear I do not oppose a zone code change but rather I oppose this project moving forward without a commitment from the city to bring in the infrastructure needed to safely support denser housing on Rogers lane. Rogers lane needs a complete overhaul to keep motorists and [2:13:31 PM] pedestrians safe. I would like to present my powerpoint presentation. Slide he -- slide 3. You can see the pedestrians walking directly on the road. We have -- we have no sidewalks, no curbs or gutters, which the neighborhood traffic analysis report stated that we did, which is inaccurate. It also stated that the road is 17 feet wide which it is not as you see on the right the school bus going up Rogers loop. It is not wide enough for two vehicles to traverse in opposite directions. Next. And we do not have enough streetlights, these are not anomalies. These are actual photographs of Rogers lane at night. Next. >> Again, no anomalies here. These are actual Travis of Rogers loop and Rogers lane. We do not have enough streetlights. We need streetlights. Next. Again, more photographs of just how dark it is at night which I believe with the increased [2:14:33 PM] motorists would be a danger and liability to the city. Next. Next. This is a clear picture of just how wide the road actually really is, and just the extreme degradation as well of the road. There is going to be some patching up but as I said before, it needs a complete overhaul to make it safe can for 100 plus more homes to be brought into this neighborhood. There is also another tract of land 0 of 15 acres next to the proposed project that could eventually be developed in the future and that my concern is that would bring even more motorists under the current state of the road. Next. Again, you can see where we have no side street parking so vehicles actually park directly on the road, on the far right you see the cars parked and that's my van going up the hill. I have had to back up the hill in reverse because vehicles [2:15:33 PM] coming from 969 obviously cannot reverse back on to 969 which is a high speed roadway and I would never ask any of my neighbors to do that so I have had to actually back up in reverse to let them go through before I can come back down the hill. Next. >> This is another area of Rogers hill in extreme degradation and also you can see just the narrowness of the road as well. Next. Here is an examples of the extreme degradation. Thank you. Also there is a cave and there are also springs, natural springs on that hill that I think would need to be under consideration environmentally. Thank you. >> Courtney Knox, speaking on item 74. On deck is Christopher Corsi. [2:16:35 PM] >> Hello, council. My name is Courtney Knox and I am a 21 year resident of Austin and a seven year resident of the agave neighborhood. As a single woman in, and artist by trade I have been chased all over town by developers in these 21 years. First in west campus and golden creek, Hyde park and east Austin, I saved up for ten years to be able to afford the down payment on my home and the day I signed the contract for that house the, at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac I breathe add sty of sigh of relief and finally be able to enjoy a life of peace and quiet with my neighbors. When I spent months of my life shopping for my home I intentionally chose to live on a cul-de-sac for safety and privacy aspects it would provide, if our beloved cul-de-sac the proposed second entrance to this agave annex, if that is turned into the main entrance of a 100 unit neighborhood addition our entire quality of life on this street will be reduced to shambles. All I ask is that in town build the roads and infrastructure [2:17:36 PM] required to support this new development. The traffic survey estimates our traffic flow will increase by 800 percent on our already busy street and that -- they actually split 50-50 the estimate between a net cove and Rogers lane and you saw the condition of Rogers lane. There is no way 50 percent of the traffic will choose that especially heavy construction trucks that, trucks that will struggle to get up that hill an back town. Therefore forcing the majority of the traffic down my cul-de-sac. We cannot .. Accommodate this traffic increase. We have children. We have pets. Not to mention the fact that that will be a major liability. I have lived through many rounds of construction in, town homes is not a good neighbor and they are regularly cited for messy construction sites, there is going to be a tremendous amount of, you know, trash and erosion, I speak from experience when I say that they are not good neighbors because they are [2:18:38 PM] currently building on the lots next to me. They went ahead and excavated the land and then left it unsupported for months. Therefore, the entire west side of my property line has completely eroded, my fence was dangling off. This is, you know, a terraced backyard. And I have not been able to use my backyard. It has still eight months later not been returned to its previous integrity by then, them. My dog almost fell through hole in the side of my property and, you know, my partner's children cannot play out there because of fear of, you know, falling through the eroded property line. I believe in conscious development, I believe that the city needs more housing. We are clearly in a housing crisis already, but I do believe that the people who are building these houses should be held accountable and not place the burden of their, you know, quote unquote development on the backs of the neighbors who have chose [2:19:38 PM] to, chosen to live on these streets and in these areas for these specific reasons of safety. Thank you. >> Christopher Corsi, speaking on item 75. The on deck is Ruben Perez. >> >> The Ruben Perez. Speaking on item 79. , A postponement. Rachel Menendez, registered on item 80, to speak on merits and the postponement. >> Hello again, council. I just wanted to say we are in support of postponing this item today. We appreciate the work that many [2:20:39 PM] of you have been doing to support more affordable housing in this development and also before you know before we knew it was going to be postponed we planned on having several dozen of our members here today to talk about the need for more affordable housing. So we will continue to reach out and talk about our members' needs. So thank you so much. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Angela Garcia, speaking on items 108, 109, 110, 111, and 112. On deck is Andrew Crawford. >> Hello. Where is lea? I think she is here. We wanted to bring her up because we wanted to show you we have been working together is what we want to show. With all that is going on in our city. This project is an incredible project. It has taken over a year. [2:21:39 PM] A year worth by incredible women across the board. So many leaders, including Vanessa Fuentes's team, Natasha's team has come in to assist us because we are not lawyers in any way. But doing the best we can for our community. So -- instead of working together we decided to put our difference it is aside because we see what is going against the city and working against each other hurt people more than working together is what we have seen. So what we came up with is something incredible. With the help of everyone, including lea coming up with letters at the last minute, some incredible where we have a promise that is offering 10,000 square feet, of commercial access at 60 percent mfi, we know about the 45 percent axis, but keep in mind this is not a project that has gained any funding in anyway from federal means in any way. This is a private project. Also we have about 70 doors [2:22:42 PM] affordable product as well out of 60 percent mfi, lea wrote a really nice letter at the last minute, to allow us access to 10,000 square feet of community space with enough space, not only for our nonprofit but for additional nonprofits as well as -- we will talk about that -- and we all agree that we all need day-care in the area. We also agreed on better builders -- from everyone. Alexandra, I can't think of the names right now, I am sorry, I am so nervous, Alexandra, Nadia, cochairs, .. Builders, I have the name in front of me, but Nadia, Melanie, Alexandra, Diana, everybody we all knew that day-care is a big thing, started back in 2018 with Delia Garza. We are hoping Vanessa Fuentes takes over. There are some kinks in there that still need to be worked out and quite a few people on our [2:23:42 PM] team that want to be a part of that committee to help figure that out to know how to work with the developers going in the future, to be able to place these day-cares once the kinks are worked out in the 48 page document as well. And lea can speak more about the 10,000 square feet, please, Leah. >> Sure. I will just quickly say we are very proud of our commitment to set aside 10,000 square feet for a creative affordable creative users. This is something we have talk about as a city for a long time, trying not just to make housing affordable but also commercial creative space affordable and I hope what we have done in this facility can be served as a model going forward. >> We do want to state we have a lot of work to do for the community but we believe this is, a good start working together versus against each other. Thank you. >> >> And I am changing my -- to 4. I apologize. >> Jim Wittliff, speaking on [2:24:42 PM] item 71, on deck is Andrew Crawford. .. Hey, mayor and council, I am Jim Wittliff, sorry I wasn't here the first time the name was called, I had a dog I had to picked up from surgery, the dog is fine. So -- I am here to only address you on item 71, which is up for second and third readings, first reading was I believe it was 8-0. So it was recommended. I am aware that the adjacent property evener is vehemently opposed to the C s-1 zoning and I have read his letter which is in your backup which talks about excessive use of their roadway easement and I just want to point out that that easement was [2:25:43 PM] -- it is a nonexclusive easement for ingress and egress as set forth in the plat of the Foley addition and it was for my client's lot and their lot, now they own the rot, but we have as much of a right to use that access as they do, so I hope that is not -- it is not an impediment to you guys taking action on second and third reading. Thank you very much. >> Mayor -- >> Mayor Adler: Yes, councilmember kitchen. >> When we get to that item, because it is a discussion item, I think, I will have some more questions. Should I ask those now or should I wait until then? >> >> Mayor Adler: Pull him back up later. >> Pool: I may have some questions for you. >> Sure. >> Mayor Adler: So we will pull you back up when -- >> Thank you. [2:26:43 PM] >> Andrew Crawford, speaking on item 113. On deck is Andrew Mckenna. >> Good afternoon. I am mere for item 113. This is about a gate, the city wants you to remove the gate. I am here to ask you to keep it. I was surprised to hear that this case is about privatizing roads as if preventing one right turn for one mode of transit is preventing Austin from accessing a road. I access this road as a pedestrian and as a bicyclist and as a transit user because this is a big transit otheriented development and you are being asked to remove by safe and comfortable access tonight. The city reps you do that, I have a letter that appears in your backing material that explains the issues with that recommendation. You directed Austin transportation to study the safety impacts of making this change. They didn't. They studied cars and I don't know why it is when we have an issue that primarily affects vulnerable road users we study cars and we study cars only. [2:27:44 PM] They did study car speeds and at the speeds they measured I am 50 percent likely to sustain a severe injury if I am struck by a vehicle. They championed mitigation the effects three percent of pedestrian incidents in Austin, would not negate 55 percent of the causes of pedestrian accidents in Austin in their 2016 safety study. There is much more in my letter. Please take a look at that but please prioritize transit users and transit oriented development, please vote for 113, thank you so much. >> Andrew Mckenna speaking on item 117. On deck is Christopher corsbi. >> >> A lot of Andrews today, council. I guess I am Andrew must be four. I live at the old homestead apartments, Clayton lane, you probably heard about the case thanks to councilmember vela for meeting with us, good to see you, sir, other folks we met [2:28:45 PM] with. I have been living in Austin 25 years. I love it here. It is not Dallas and looks likely have to move again next year. I am friend was the landlord there. Anything I say today should be construed as me being against the deal with the deal on, with the homestead renters association and the prospective buyers I am signed up as neutral. I want to talk about the larger issues in rezoning because they are personally hurting people. I know my blood pressure is up over the last month. I have always been able to live in affordable housing because I had roommates, but I am getting a little bit older I guess we all are, and when I moved last year the owner invited me to live at the homestead, that allowed me to find what I thought was a secure stable place, unfortunately he needs to sell and I support that. So it is just a sad situation, I allows a beautiful old place with a lot of trees, we have a fox, we have a community there, [2:29:46 PM] veterans, older folks. It is going to be tough. So I want to thank the folks who are helping us transition a little easier than a month or two ago. But I feel like the city, this is where I would like the city to step up and not put the onus on tenants to fend for themselves, it has been very stressful as I mention and we were forced to negotiating with the developer, we are not zoning experts, just people trying to make it, and it has been hard on not just us but other people supporting us. So I want to say that the tenant relocation fund, it was disappointing to learn that city council has this fund but there is no money in it. That's kind of shocking to me. I hope that can be addressed and looked into. That might have helped in this case. I am not sure but I think it could have. You know, we need to start having a little more respect and concern and compassion toward people who are being displaced. I am saying that. I Pelle kind of, you know, if you were in my shoes, you know [2:30:49 PM] -- the housing crisis will never be solved if you keep creating homeless people in the process and we are losing this affordable housing to build more density on it. That's fine, but it hurts to have to try and fend for myself. I am not a high income person. I have got to make like $60,000 just to be able to stay in Austin and I am not sure I will be able to. So to me that is very painful and it is not just my reality it is reality for a lot of rentedders and I know there are a lot of market forces and other things going on that we can't control but what the city can do is step up and ensure zoning neighborhood plan amendments are made according to each household situation and property owners, folks who have their utility bills included with their represent get a notice, I didn't get a notice. I urge council to fix the -- broken tenants assistant program. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> Yes, councilmember Fuentes. >> >> Fuentes: I just had a comment for staff. >> Okay. >> In the last meeting I asked [2:31:50 PM] staff for more information about the tenant relocation fund, and I can't remember where we left that. I don't think I received additional information, but what I am looking -- and I know we don't have fund in the eninformant relocation fund, but what I am hoping to get is just a baseline overview of the program, how it was started and how it has been set up. I would like to learn more about the tenant relocation program. Thank you. >> And, mayor. >> Mayor Adler: Yes. >> I just wanted to off of that, I spoke with councilmember tovo the other day and she mentioned the nexus study that was requested before my time on council with regard to how it would potentially be funded and there may or may not be legal concerns or practical concerns but I think we should if there are, or not we should probably know so we can then kind of, you know, react and adjust to whatever the situation is. >> Mayor -- >> Mayor Adler: Go ahead. [2:32:50 PM] >> Mayor -- >> Mayor Adler: Is that an executive session topic? Councilmember tovo. >> >> Tovo:. Yes, I guess it could be but I guess the question that is prompted by, for me by the nexus study is, if the manager I think to add too the councilmember Fuentes's questions, if the manager could please report back to us on why the nexus study wasn't -- didn't happen and what happened to the funding that was a part of -- that was put aside for it, but I say it, I see it as an imperative to move forward with the nexus study. We can certainly have an executive session but I think it is entirely within our legal ability to move tarred with it and we need it to do some of the other policy work that I think a lot of us have an interest in. >> Mayor Adler: So that is a recurring question. Hold on a second. It is a recurring question, Mr. Spencer if there is an, possible to have an update for that fund and appropriate for us to meet in executive session associated with that, please, let us know. Councilmember kitchen. [2:33:50 PM] >> Kitchen: Yes, I just wanted to support what everyone is saying and also just to add some context that relocation fund was never funded, because the cs that were supposed to be fees that were supposed to be set for developers were not established because there was no nexus study to make it clear to everyone. So I think there is a lot of interest on the dais among all of us and thank you, councilmember Fuentes for raising that as well as councilmember vela and councilmember tovo and others. I ran into this when I was working on a case on Toomey road where the tenants there had the same kind of issue they had to do a lot of the negotiation and we helped them out with that, but I think a good discussion, thorough discussion of tenant relocation is needed, so, mayor, I don't know if that is -- it may be a combination of executive session and a work session. I don't know what the best way to do it is but I do think we need to tee up that very soon after the break. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. [2:34:50 PM] And we have Spencer's nod on camera they would report back to us the status of that fund. >> Okay 32 and if it is necessary to is a complete conversation have any of it in executive session we would set that on the agenda. >> Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Next speaker. >> Christopher corsbi speaking on item 75. Hi mayor Adler, councilmembers, my name is Chris corby, I am honored to work with at least several of you in the political and legal arena. On the precinct chair for democratic party precinct 33 -- 334 which includes the 0 oak subtelevision which is, I think immediately adjacent to the commercial property, in fact it is actually one lot commercial and one lot may be zoned residential and I lived there with my young daughter for six years until March of 2021, hard [2:35:54 PM] lethal drug abuse and dealing, both violent and property crime and basic human needs conveyanced me to sell when it would have been to my family's advantage to stay there for a number of years, since the development in that area is going to be quite intense in recent years of other major intersections in south Austin are in I clue. However, I am addressing you all and the public in opposition to item 75 on the agenda. The message is to provide gater detail for the comments delivering here I have some notes being distributed to you guys. I value the council's time and wish to outline our concerns to people lies our, memorial lies our great concerns .. This is owned by the Deleon family and attracted dangerous crime through the cloud 9 cafe, and other operations. The cloud 9 cafe is an Tuttle entertainment business that [2:36:55 PM] attracted prostitution, hard narcotics dealing and violent people carrying machetes and knives who do business in the parking lot as the place is open 24 hours a day. And some of these people have made threats to people interfering with their drug trade-in fentanyl and methamphetamine that comes from the railroad tracks which go across the continent. I myself have received death threats to be stabbed. I had people break into my house four times which is statistically very anomalous where I lived with my maldaughter including kicking in an outside door, knocking holes in my daughter's shower stall and stealing tools from a working man who was doing work for me. The last time Ming to got up on the couch and barked at the window after apg advised me to buy a shotgun which I did, and practiced. And I was three steps behind [2:37:55 PM] Ming to to confront the home innovation -- innovation threat I, invasion threat I faced prepared. I don't want to be too dramatic but this is the reality my constituents and myself have been facing through irresponsible actions of this commercial landlord who leased to this operation. >> My neighbors and constituents in the neighborhood include Mr. Terry Lee hill, a 73-year-old it have familiar veteran, Mr. Jesse -- there is a list of them. It is extremely important that the council address this. I had to go to congressman Lloyd Doggett because the Austin police department and the Travis county sheriff's department were ineffective and ignored video evidence of narcotics dealing in the neighbor's lawn. Now I want to see appropriate development at 2103 west slaughter lane that will benefit the community and hope that the city will facilitate those changes that, at the earliest possible opportunity. Thank you, Steve. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. [2:38:56 PM] >> That chews in-person speakers and move on to call in, the first speaker is Brandon farm ha hani .. >> Thank you, mayor and council. I am a resident in the -- neighborhood here to support the Rogers lane zoning case and -- first and foremost, housing is a human right. We need more of it and a soaping change from sf-2 so sf-4 a is still single-family zoning so we are not talking about density here. We are just talking about a more sustain aable lay doubt which is more efficient use of people of and. The rezone allows user lots for more stable community. A lot have been hit hard as well with tax appraisals, rising tax appraisals which is due to the lack of available housing, driving up, selling prices of [2:39:56 PM] homes, which then in turn drives up our appraisals. So we are actually financially motivated to add to the housing stock in order to mitigate the rising competition of housing and reduced economic displacement, that is especially true where this case is in the eastern crescent with our historical person of color population. More than that, though, the housing crisis is a real pain and causing people on an immense amount of suffering which you heard all day today which is why I support this item. I do ask city staff and I do believe that the district 1 office has already passed a directive to city manager cronk for development plan but that would be allowed at what easements can be asked for from the extremely large land donors in the area when they develop, and they are planning to. So we can get to more of a grid like level of connectivity from the southern walnut creek trail [2:40:56 PM] to Johnny Morris, all the way to decker. Obviously having just one east-west corridor in a 1.5-mile span between fm 969 and Loyola is not ideal but there are clear opportunities to mitigate this as the area grows. A more evenly distribute traffic among different roads to leasable retail space which is finally on the area too the area. We need some amount of infrastructure planning and kind of forcing developers to work with each other, if that is possible, but if we can just design this in a way for the future, we can hope any mitigate the increased traffic to both Rogers and that cove. Thank you. >> Alley -- speaking on 75. [2:41:59 PM] Little low, hello, good afternoon, commissioners, my name is alley Deleon and representing property in west slaughter lane due too the covid, me and my father both have covid and not able to attend. I would like to inform the commissioners that the indoor entertainment and cloud 9 cafe has been shut down and completely moved and moved out of the property and as of June 14th no longer at the property and you have the -- 24 how security guard to make sure none of those people return back so that business cloud 9 and entertainment, that has completely shut down and moved out. I appreciate you remove the classification from that listed and also requesting to please remove the offside access parking too base we at 2103 west slaughter. Thank you for your consideration and attention to these matters. >> >> Eugene Sutton speaking on the [2:43:00 PM] merits of the post bone. To item 79. Of. Good afternoon, good afternoon, my name is Eugene Susman, I am a member of the Matthew lanes neighborhood association and working with -- because it is right next to our properties, and the place at this live and directly across from, not been involved with, we have been discussing some rezoning that is going to occur on kill bar, 1902 kill bar on agenda item 79, and we have been discussing this along with several neighbors and, request we postpone this to July 28, which by then I think we can come up with a resolution. Thank you. >> Loretta tub .. Speaking on item 117. >> Good afternoon. My name is Loretta Tubbs. [2:44:00 PM] I am cospokesperson for the homeowners association on Clayton lane. While new development is necessary to provide more housing I would like to continue to acknowledge the financial difficulty on those displaced from a beloved community such as the old homestead. Since there are no funds in the relocation fund as has been stated it has been challenging for renters to advocate for their concerns concerning our displacement. I want to thank the city council individually and collectively for helping our renters association get our needs addressed and spotlight the rights for those displaced by new development. I also want to thank the developer jci for their frank and open discussion with the renters, so to come to an agreement that if I was relocation concessions to new renters, I know developers have their own concerns that need to be met and jci has also listened to our concerns and is assisting us in our displacement. The Austin rental market is difficult to afford and [2:45:02 PM] difficult to navigate as far as qualifications for affordable apartment. Jci has set an example for developers, that recognizes the toll this kind of displacement place os ten renters a and have a small affordable community that cannot afford the new affordable housing that displaces them. Thank you all for your continuing attention to this complicated issue of new development, affordable housing and relocation. Thank you for your attention. >> Trisha buck, speaking on item 117. >> Hi, councilmembers. I am Trisha buck and been in the Austin system for 46 years. I don't oppose the zoning for 117 but there is an immediate need to make housing more affordable for thousand of Austin current residents as well as for our small community at the old homestead. I know you all created in 2016 [2:46:04 PM] the ordinance for the Austin tenant relocation fund and as we find out that it isn't funded, after six years, there is -- there is need to be refunded, as a self-employed widow, if I have to move out of Austin I lose my word of mouth clients and the ability to afford going back to ACC to become something better than just a secretary, but as a lifelong community, I will have to start over again, and I really wish that we could -- the housing crisis just can't come at the expense of creating more homelessness. I appreciate you all listening to our needs and I appreciate the fact that you are open to changing hopefully the Austin tenant relocation program and helping the citizens, and after the pandemic being unemployed [2:47:04 PM] and for a full year and my -- acted out finding a place in the Austin area is becoming more difficult just to say in, just to stay in the city area and I don't want to move out of Austin. But if need be I will have to do that, but I just again wanted to thank you all for all of the help you have done in moving forward to create a better aspect for residents in Austin. >> That concludes all of the speakers. >> Mayor Adler: Great. Thank you. Colleagues, it went a little false search than I thought it would do. Let's see if we can do the consent agenda. >> Yes, mayor. Mayor pro tem, council, joy Hardin again with the housing an planning department, your zoning agenda begins with item 70 and this item is being replaced with [2:48:06 PM] number 103 on this agenda. 71, 20210187, and I believe councilmember kitchen would like to postponed this item to your July 28th council meeting, we spoke to the applicant Jim Wittliff and he is item 72, C 14-193, this is being offered for consent on first reading only. Item 73 C 14-nine 9-0 069.01 and offer this item for consent second and third readings with the following language. And that language reads as follows. Nonemergency vehicle access from the property to barn springs road through adjoining property at 220 south congress is prohibited. If nonemergency streak or access to the public right-of-way is required as a result of [2:49:06 PM] redevelopment or if the current access to the public right-of-way is removed, the landowner shall work with the city manager, Thomas, and the site plan to obtain appropriate access to a public right-of-way and with that I can offer this item for consent, second and third reading. Items 74 is C 14-2021-014 was and this can be offered on consent on all three readings. >> C 14-2022-0020 should be a quick discussion item, item 76, C 14-2022-0038, I can offer this for consent, first reading with the staff recommendation. Item 7 npa 2020-021.02 is being offered for consent, second and third reading, the related rezoning is item 78, C [2:50:07 PM] 14-2020-0081. This item is offered for consent, second and third reading, C 14 -- item 79, C 14 -- 0150 is a request to postpone. >> 80 is npa-with 2019-0022.02, a request by councilmember tovo to postpone this to July 28 council meeting. The related case, item 81, C 81 power-89-0003.02, again a postponement request by councilmember tovo to July 28 council meeting. Item number 102 is npa 2022-0017.02, this item is being offered for consent on all three readings and item 104 is C 14-2021-1079 and offered for consent, send and third reading with the addition of adult oriented business as a [2:51:07 PM] prohibited use. And number 105 is npa 20210025.02, this item is being offered for consent on all three readings. Item number 106 is C 142021 this item is being offered for consent, on all three readings, 107 is C 14-845228.23, rca, this offer is being offered for consent. This item is being offered for consent on all three readings. 109 is -- >> Ms. Hardin. >> Really quick, when you read 107, you said it was C 1485228 and I think you meant to say 288. >> I am sorry, 288, thank you. Yes. 107 C 1485288.23. Rca, this item is being offered for consent, 108 is C 1420200150, this height is being offered for consent on all three readings. [2:52:08 PM] Ten thin smpa 2021-001 if .03, this item is being offered for consent on all three readings. 110 C 14-2021 -- is being offered for consent on all need read deposition. 111 is npa 2021, 0015.04, this item is being offered for consent on all three readings. 112 is, C 1420210157, this item is being offered for consent on all three readings. 113 is, C 14, 221-0031, this item is being offered for consent, second and third reading. Item number 114, 194, this item is being offered for a staff postponement to July 28 council meeting. C your honor-2022 -- 0013, this item is being offered for consent, second and third. Item number 116, C 14 -- [2:53:10 PM] 20210188, this item is being offered gone consent, second and third. And 107 tee, C 142022-0003. This offer, this is being offered for consent on all three readings. >> And that chews concludes the -- >> .. Zoo the only pulled item is item 75. >> That is correct, mayor. >> Mayor Adler: Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> Councilmember vela makes the move and seconded by councilmember Ellis. Any discussion? Councilmember alter. Mayor pro ten. >> I .. Would like to be voting no on 104, please. >> Mayor Adler: The record will reflect that. Anything else? .. >> Councilmember tovo. >> Tovo: Mayor, I would like to have the record reflect my recusal on items 70 -- 77 and 78. Let me double-check this. >> Yes, 77 and 78. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Councilmember vela. >> >> Vela: Just a brief comment [2:54:10 PM] on 117. Thank you to the tenants and to jci, Glasgow, Kumar for coming and working out their agreemented we had a number of displacement cases and I really appreciate the developer up front who, you know, wanting to help the tenants that are going to be displaced and I know it is very hard, very stressful and very emotional for the tenants that are kind of negotiating these individual kind of, you know, case by case agreements. And we really -- if our expectation as a council is that a developer the displacing an older apt complex provide, you know, certain benefits, I really think that we should set out at we expect, you know, so it is hot just, kind of like individual negotiations that can get very emotional and can get very difficult, but again, more than anything I am glad they were able to reach an agreement can, my best wishes to the tenants of the old homestead, [2:55:14 PM] and nice older apartment complex but with a park and city of Austin really needs the units, going to to be two hinn five units, underground parking and many of those will be affordable for the next 40 years or so, as president, just very excited to see the project move forward. With everybody, you know, going away relatively happy. >> Mayor Adler: Sounds good. Those voting in favor of the con can sent agenda please raise your hand. Those opposed it is unanimous with the notations made. We have a minute or two left here. Mayor pro tem, do you want to lay out 62 on the committee? Continuing the existence of the economic prosperity commission. >> Mayor. >> Mayor Adler: Yes. >> I just wanted to offer whenever you are ready for it, item 75, zoning for discussion should be a pretty quick one. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. We will get there. Of. >> 62? >> You are muted. >> Thank you. [2:56:15 PM] Item 62 is -- audit and finance committee, we are required to -- withhold if a commission has not been able to meet quorum more than a certain number of times. This had with the economic prosperity commission, and a we voted to continue the economic prosperity commission and our going to initiate a process for looking at our committee system as we spoke to in work session. So I would like to move passage of item 62. >> Mayor Adler: Is there a second? Those in favor please raise your hand. Those opposed. That item passes. We have an imminent domain item, 63. Unless someone objectsly read this script here with respect to item 63 being a nonconsent condemnation item. Is there a motion to the city of [2:57:15 PM] council authorizes the use -- set forth and describe in the agenda and for the current meeting for the public use as described therein. For, I need someone to make that motion. Councilmember harper- madison makes the motion, seconded by councilmember Ellis, any discussion? Those in favor please raise your hand. Those opposed? It is unanimous on the dais that item passes. Also have finance finance and housing corporation real fast. I will recess the Austin city council meeting here as 2:57 on June 16, 2022, we are going to convene the housing and finance corporation meeting here on June 16, 2022, the time is 256, 2:57 and the board of directors are all here. You want to take us to the consent agenda. >> Absolutely, good afternoon, Andy, Austin housing finance corporation, with have eight items on today's agenda. And three of those items are related to the preservation of [2:58:17 PM] affordable housing. We are very excited to announce. The first item is approving the minutes from the may 19th board meeting, items 2 and 3 are related to an ahfc subsidiary acquiring a 70 unit senior housing complex within a half mile of the high capacity purple line, and that is located in district 3. It is called city view apartments. Items 4, 5 and 6 are related to creating ahfc subsidiary to acquire naturally occurring affordable housing on St. John's avenue within a quarter mile of the crestview station. That is again 40 units of naturally occurring affordable housing and called midtown flatts. That's item, 4, 5 and 6. And item 7 and 8 is related to buying out the equity interests of a 240 unit apartment complex [2:59:18 PM] within proximity, half mile of the Orange line near stassney line, the retreat at north bluff. And I offer all of these items on consent. I'm happy to take any questions. >> Mayor Adler: Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? Councilmember harper-madison makes the motion, councilmember Ellis seconds. Any discussion? Director harper-madison and director Ellis. Director kitchen? >> Kitchen: Just a quick question. So, are these items -- is the anti-displacement dollars being used to purchase these items? >> Thank you for asking that question. So, two of the properties are actually utilizing for the first time, ahfc is utilizing project connect anti-displacement dollars. That's for the acquisition of midtown flats, $7.68 million, and that's in district 4. And the other is $2.6 million and that's city view apartments in district 3. So in total, it's nearly a little over $10 million of the [3:00:21 PM] project connect anti-displacement dollars. I'm sorry? >> Mayor Adler: Which numbers are those? >> Number -- city view apartments is 2 and 3. That's city view apartments. And that's $2.6 million in project connect dollars. And 4, 5, and 6 are the midtown flats. And that's $7.68 million. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. >> The retreat, general obligation, the 2018 general obligation bonds for that. >> Kitchen: The related question, I'm not certain of when this -- part occurs, but I would like to understand better how we're setting the affordability levels for these properties, given some concerns that were expressed earlier. I don't know if those concerns will be applicable to these particular properties, but my first question would be, at what point in time does the level of affordability get established? [3:01:22 PM] >> So it depends on the actual property. For city view apartments, which is currently a low-income housing tax credit property, it's in its compliance period. So 100% units are affordable. With our interest in the property, we will push for deeper affordability. That's one of the advantages of ahfc, or an ahfc subsidiary coming into the partnership. That's city view. Naturally occurring affordable housing is midtown flats in district 4. That property we've looked at the rent roll. The rents are sitting -- we haven't income-certified the residents, but around 60% fmi -- mfi and the goal will be to drive the rents down. We're putting some additional -- an ask for $400,000 for minor rehabilitation and improvements. And then we will be stabilizing the rents and ensuring the long-term affordability. All of the ahfc-related [3:02:23 PM] properties, our goal is always -- for rental, 50% and below median family income. >> Kitchen: Thank you very much. >> And I should also mention, for retreat at north bluff, that is in partnership with affordable central Texas, a nonprofit equity fund. And we will be bringing them into -- we're actually decreasing the market rate units there to 80% median family income and driving down the affordability at all the different levels. That's always our goal. It may not happen immediately, but always our goal. >> Kitchen: So it's a process that you're in. What we're approving today is the purchase, right? >> Approving the purchase and the creation of the nonprofit subsidiaries so we can effectuate that purchase. >> Kitchen: Okay. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Is this the first project with the housing conservancy? >> Yes. >> Mayor Adler: Congratulations on that. >> Hopefully not the last, but it is the first. >> Mayor Adler: You'll remember the council talking about this as the strike fund eight years ago. We talked about trying to put [3:03:25 PM] together something that would be market-driven and maybe meet some workforce housing. And it's been developed and picked up and they're out raising millions of dollars for it right now to that end. So, thanks for participating in that. Consent agenda is in front of us. Councilmember kitchen. >> Kitchen: One last question. It's probably for a longer conversation. I would like to have a conversation about the relationship between our use of the anti-displacement dollars and the areas that have been identified at risk of gentrification, but that's a longer conversation than right now. >> It's actually pretty quick, hopefully, in that we -- our investments need to align with our anti- displacement maps. So we have online where we are driving all of our investment for the 300 million, and these particular properties fall into that, the proximity to the project connect line, as well as falling into either the vulnerable to displacement or continued loss. [3:04:26 PM] The three areas that we want to prioritize our investment. >> Kitchen: Fabulous. That's what I wanted to confirm, they were in the geographic areas that were at risk -- >> Absolutely. >> Kitchen: For displacement. >> At risk or experiencing. >> Kitchen: Yes. Okay. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: All right. We have 60 seconds before we have to stop. Let's take a vote on the consent agenda. Those in favor please raise your hand. Those opposed? With that, our meeting is adjourned here. >> Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: At 3:04. We have consent item 65. Is there a motion to close the public hearing and approve the ordinance associated with item number 65? [ Off mic ] >> Mayor Adler: No, we're out of the ahfc, we reconvened the Austin city council meeting here at 3:04. We are now on 65, which was a public hearing and my question [3:05:27 PM] was, is there a motion to close the public hearing and approve it? Councilmember vela makes the motion. Councilmember pool seconds. Any discussion? >> Tovo: I think -- I appreciate the information that the developer has provided us with about the additional community benefits and the additional affordability that they're including within this. It does highlight the need for us to really look carefully at the density bonus for those projects that are exceeding the F.A.R. That's codified for that density bonus program. >> Mayor Adler: It's been moved and seconded. Those in favor of this item, please raise your hand. Those opposed? That passes unanimously. Councilmember Renteria, did you want to say something? >> Renteria: Yeah, I just want to know when I can make a comment on one of the items that went on consent. >> Mayor Adler: We're going to do that as soon as we come back from executive session. We're going to open up for discussion of the consent [3:06:28 PM] agenda. >> Renteria: Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: The last two items, postponing items 101 and 102 to July 28th. Councilmember Ellis makes the motion. Second? Councilmember harper-madison. Any discussion? Those in favor of the postponement, please raise your hand. Those opposed? I see it as being unanimous. I think that takes care of most of our items except for the ones that were pulled. And we're going to go into executive session. We're going to do this virtually. City council will now go into closed session to take up three items pursuant to section 551071 of the government code. Council will discuss legal issues related to items 66 and 68, power plant and the lawsuits concerning APD and pursuant to 551113 of the government code we're going to discuss certain power public utility competitive matters related to item 67, Austin energy generation resources. Without objection, in five [3:07:30 PM] minutes we will be all together in executive session. When we come back from executive session, I'm showing as the items we're going to need to deal with being the pulled items 48, 51, 88, 91, and 95. And also the pulled zoning item, which was item 75. [ Off mic ] >> Mayor Adler: I don't know, but they're telling me I'm already four minutes overdue for executive session. So I'll see you in executive session here in five minutes. [3:58:23 PM] [Music] >> [4:52:12 PM] >> Mayor Adler: We on? All right. We are now back in the Austin city council meeting. Out of closed session. In closed session we discussed competitive matters on item 67 and legal issues related to items 66 and 68. We're now back up and we're going to give everybody a chance to comment on the consent agenda. This week and last week's. So we're going to start there. Would anyone like to speak to the agendas? Councilmember pool. >> Pool: Great. I just had a couple of things about today's agenda and then one item from last week's agenda. So I'll start with item 50. I wanted to join my colleagues in thanking everyone who took time to come to chambers earlier today and to phone in to speak today on item 50. I'm a long-standing, long time afscme member myself and I'm grateful for all afscme does on behalf of [4:53:13 PM] city employees. I'm pleased to support the living wage resolution because I'm committed to working to increase the city's living wage for our incredible employees. But getting to this point of consensus took a whole lot of hard work and you won't have seen that here today on the dais. I want to thank the sponsor and co-sponsors of this resolution for bringing it, and I want to recognize and thank my colleagues, specifically mayor pro tem alter and mayor Adler, and in particular our staff members, for digging in so resolutely with our able afscme leaders to get us to the consensus that we approved here today. I'm especially grateful that we were able to incorporate two important measures that I wanted included. One was raising the floor on the starting wage with each cola, which had not been done previously. And a focus on retention of [4:54:14 PM] our experienced employees. These are difficult, difficult choices ahead of us in our budget work next month and the month after, and we will need the same level of diligence in the coming weeks to stretch our budget dollars as far as ever we can. So that's what I had on item 50. Really quick, I wanted to mention the north burnet gateway regulating plan. I brought the initiation of those updates today. Those updates are sorely needed for this fast growing area. It is home to the domain, the new uptown atx project, Q2 stadium. And pretty soon two new rail stations. I wanted to thank my co-sponsors for joining me in this effort. My north burnet gateway neighbors who are mayor pro tem alter and council members Kelly and vela, and the mayor. With this effort we'll be positioned to capture more community benefits and we'll [4:55:16 PM] continue to promote this area in other words of town as a destination and our second downtown. Thank you for your support and I look forward to hearing back from our staff following the stakeholder engagement and crafting of the updates. And my last piece was to thank my co-sponsors from an item that I brought last week, which related to ensuring that the Faulk library would expand with the collaborative effort with Travis county for our archives and the effora from Travis county. There are some important documents housed there, including a document from 1839, which memorialized the creation of this town, which was then called Waterloo. And I've seen that document myself when I was down in the basement, which is where it was being housed. It was pretty clear that we need to treat our really important archive materials [4:56:18 PM] and eforma better. So my co-sponsors from last week were mayor Adler, mayor pro tem alter and council member Kathie Kathie. They joined me last week on item 68 which asked the city manager to explore a shared archive facility in the Faulk building with Travis county. And the Travis county commissioners' court also approved a similar resolution to I'm looking forward to the affordable for a collaborative approach with our partners that will serve both bodies. And a special thanks to our advocates in the community, Bob ward at the Travis county historical commission, Sean, who so ably guides Travis county archives, among many other things, the Austin society history members, many of whom were here on June 9th. Cents, Candace, she came to thank the dais for this item, and of course Charles, who many of you know. And of course my long-standing appreciation for the work of our Austin [4:57:19 PM] public library staff, commissioner Ann Howard and her staff. She was the sponsor of the item at Travis county, along with commissioner Shea and Travis county judge Andy brown and senator Sara Eckhardt. Thank you, mayor. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Councilmember Renteria. >> Kenny: Yes, mayor. I just have a message to the developer community that what happened there on fourth and waller about building those office buildings there on a transit zone, I'm not going to tolerate any future where development comes into that area and becoming with a fee-in-lieu. That's unacceptable in a transit area, especially for office buildings. We need as much affordable housing and I just want to [4:58:20 PM] make sure that we know that in the future do not bring these kind of items in my district to the dais because I'm know in the future, do not bring these items, because I'm going to be voting against it. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Councilmember kitchen? >> Kitchen: Okay. Thank you, mayor. I just have a few comments. I wanted to comment on item number 53. I wanted to thank councilmember Fuentes for her leadership on bringing this forward and I wanted to thank the leaders of the Texas harm reduction alliance for working with us on bringing this forward. It's so important that we create -- that we recognize the public health crisis that's in front of us with opioid and other addictions. And so this is a very important resolution that recognizes the importance of investing in harm [4:59:23 PM] reduction, establishes a public health crisis. It asks our public health commission to develop a local plan of action, creates a data dashboard, looks at public education, and also recognizes the importance of our legislative program. I can't overemphasize the importance of recognizing that substance use is a public health crisis, and it's harm reduction that we need to be focused on. So I wanted to highlight that. I also wanted to ask to be added as a cosponsor to item number 86 on gun violence. I think that's councilmember Ellis'. Thank you for bringing that. And finally I wanted to recognize the importance of both item number 50 and item number 94. They work hand in hand. And thank you to councilmember Fuentes for her leadership in bringing forward item 50, which [5:00:24 PM] relates to the living wage. Item 94, which I brought forward, is a similar measure relating specifically to call-takers. And I just want to say, I just want to repeat my commitment to reaching a living wage. As many of our speakers said today, they deserve it. And it's important for us to do everything we can to get to a livable wage this year. And so I wanted to reiterate my commitment towards that and thank everyone that came and spoke and recognize the challenges that they're experiencing in their workforce and in their lives, and wanting to say we heard you and we are working to address that. So, thank you, mayor. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Councilmember Fuentes. >> Fuentes: Thank you, mayor. [5:01:27 PM] And first, I don't know, I can't see if members of afscme and our employees are in the audience, but I wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who came this morning and provided testimony. We heard from workers from various departments -- Austin public health, Austin public library, Austin resource recovery, public works, ems, our call-takers -- like, there's -- so many folks shared what they're experiencing and how hard it is to get by in Austin and how difficult it's been with the rising cost of living. And so -- and hearing your real-life story, the reality that you're living has certainly made an impact on me and I imagine the rest of the dais. So I just really want to appreciate you all for taking time to share with us today your experience. And I'm proud to be part of a council that is committed to raising the living wage. This is not unprecedented. This council before previously [5:02:28 PM] back in 2014-2015 led in the nation in raising the wage to 15. I'm glad to see that legacy continue, especially recognizing the staffing vacancies that we have right now and the impact that that's had to services provided to our community. We know that this is the right thing to do. We know that it's necessary to do. And I'm glad that today we were able to show and demonstrate to the city of Austin employees that we are committed this upcoming budget cycle to raise the wage and ensure we are doing all we can to address the cost of living in Austin. This is one small way we can do that, by reinvesting in our workforce. Also, I want to thank afscme, the ems union and the fire union for supporting this measure. And also wanted to note that this measure came out of a recommendation from a working group, the living wage working group, who just presented to council last week, recommended a livable wage of $22 per hour. [5:03:30 PM] To highlight to those groups we have central Texas interfaith, workers defense, ibw, Austin chapter of general contractors, plumbers local 286, equal justice center, unite here, airport union, local progress, Texas antipoverty project and every Texan. Thank you all for uplifting your voices in this movement. For staff, I did ask a series of questions in the backup to item number 50. That information is going to be key when council considers the budget. I know the responses that we got back in that q&a referenced a memo that was sent yesterday by acm nettle, but I would like to see a lot more information going into the budget cycle. I'll resubmit those questions during the budget process. Just to highlight a few, we know that we -- the human resource [5:04:30 PM] department has already put into play the alternative pay program, and in ten of our departments, already in progress or work is under way to get into progress. And so I want to learn more about those alternative pay programs, seeing how effective they are becoming or are within our departments. Also looking at how much the fiscal cost to get to raise the wage at each interval, that information's going to be key during budget cycle. And there's a lot more questions I could highlight, but wanted to emphasize that as policy-makers, this is the most important decision we make is the budget. And that information is absolutely vital. So, I wanted to punctuate that, and will be reaching out to staff to have those continued conversations and wanted to follow up on some of the market studies that we have in progress that have been delayed. I know they were due back in [5:05:30 PM] March and it was shared that the consultants had covid. Looking at the timelines listed, we're still a few months out before having those market studies. I want to see if there's anything we can do to have the information before the budget cycle. Just wanted to give those remarks and last but not least, on the livable wage resolution, I do want to thank my cosponsors for joining me in this effort. Thank you to councilmember kitchen, councilmember tovo, councilmember vela, and councilmember Renteria for all of your support and for all of your help. Also wanted to mention for item number 53, which is the overdose crisis resolution, that was also centered into what we're seeing and experiencing in the community with the rise of overdoses that we're experiencing in Austin. And this -- councilmember kitchen and I actually attended a town hall together. We heard from the Texas harm reduction alliance and we got to [5:06:31 PM] hear from people with lived experience about what it's like with overdoses and how important it is to expand access to harm reduction strategies and treatment, and what we can be doing with our opioid settlement dollars. So that resolution really is focused on ensuring that those dollars go back to the communities -- community partners who know our community best and who have effective models so that they can continue to do the good work that they're already doing, but also ensuring that we're building out a robust system here in the community. And we join Travis county in declaring a public health crisis when it comes to overdoses. And lastly, this is my last lastly. I know I've said that twice. I want to give a personal point of privilege and want to give a big thank you to councilmember kitchen for really being a leader on both of these issues and just when I think about what these last few weeks have been, certainly councilmember pool you mentioned how challenging it was with item number 50, the live living [5:07:35 PM] wage. I'm proud and honored to know I have the privilege to serve with a colleague like councilmember kitchen who is so attentive and helpful in helping me with the policy-making process and really understands these issues in a way that I have been just very pleased to see and to work with. So, thank you councilmember kitchen for all that you're doing and I greatly appreciate your leadership and the help of your team as well. Jason Lopez was instrumental in this as well. And a shoutout to Sophia, who helped with the living wage resolution, and Sarah barge on the overdose resolution. Thank you all so much for your hard work. I'm glad that we were able to get unanimous support on both of these items. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember harper-madison, then councilmember Ellis. >> Harper-madison: Thank you, mayor. So, I'm going to go back -- by the way, at the end of the night when we were here so late, and [5:08:35 PM] you said we should take our consent agenda remarks and tweet them -- [ laughing ] That was hilarious, but I do appreciate the opportunity to go back and read some of those. I want to start by saying you guys may or may not have heard the news, there was a small engine plane that crashed right into lady bird lake while we were here this afternoon and I wanted to give a special recognition to the folks that helped that pilot get out of that plane. Some paddleboarders helped the pilot. My prayers go out to the folks who were injured and just some big ups to the folks that -- regular people that took the opportunity to be heroes today. We appreciate you. So, a few highlights from our consent agenda from our meeting on June 9th. Item number 27, the little community radio station that could on the eastside celebrating its 40th birthday later this summer, 88.7 KEZI, a [5:09:39 PM] listener-supported station that focuses on content for black austinites. It airs our council meetings live over the air. I'm more than happy to support a contract extension that will help keep their important operations going for years to come. Happy birthday, KEZI. Item number 43, the crown act. Item number 43 establishes the Austin crown act, which is a part of a nationwide effort to ban housing and workforce discrimination based on hairstyles and textures. If that's a surprise, yes, that still happens. So, really happy and proud to be able to put this item forward and have everybody feel just fine and accepted just like we come, authentically us, like our musician said earlier. Item number 51, metrorapid street improvements, is an opportunity to once again remind our constituents that project connect is already under way and [5:10:41 PM] the expo and pleasant valley metrorapid lines are coming closer to reality. That's thanks to a great partnership between the city and cap metro. And I look forward to the transit-supported improvements that we just approved. I'm number 53, mlk speed reductions -- we have a raft of speed limit reductions, including along mlk east of 183. That's the part of the street that will undergo big safety upgrades thanks to the 2016 mobility bond. I'm glad that we're already taking steps to make it safer for all users. Item number 63, rosewood courts, roe vacation. It was news to them, somebody was overhearing us have a conversation about this item the other day. It was news to them to find out that our very on rosewood courts in the 02 zip code on the east side of Austin is the country's, not the state's, not central Texas, not Austin, the country's first federally funded [5:11:42 PM] affordable housing community for African Americans. I'm happy that we brought forward item number 63, which moves our renovation of the historic rosewood courts closer to reality. This is a huge step and really proud to be a part of that effort. Lastly, item number 72, Maggie may street. I am grateful to councilmember tovo for bringing forward item number 72 which renames confederate street in Clarksville to Maggie mays street, replacing a tribute to white supremacy with a tribute to a very important woman in our city's history. Mrs. Mays could be considered one of the mothers of black education in our city, thanks to her efforts to establish the first school in what was then a community of recently freed slaves. Coming so close to juneteenth, the timing couldn't be better and I'm thankful for all the residents along Maggie mays street who enthusiastically [5:12:42 PM] supported the change. I'm going to swap over real quick to consent remarks for today's meeting. Item number 15, country club creek restoration. Councilmember Renteria can tell you how long overdue this item is. Item 15 -- heavy storms overwhelmed country club creek seven years ago and took out a pedestrian bridge in the park. This work will move us closer to restoring the creek and replacing the bridge. It will provide safer connectivity to ACC's Riverside campus and give people in the montopolis access to the southern section of the hike and bike trail. I know a lot of people are really looking forward to that generally speaking. I think we're all really appreciative when we can make our city more connected. Item number 33, I mentioned this in the last one, but I'll bring it forward again. The imminent renovation of the rosewood courts community, we've [5:13:43 PM] been gradually moving forward to this day for years and a real big shoutout to the haca folks who have been working on this item for so long. It has taken tireless dedication and true commitment. I'm glad to finally get it passed in this critical stage. A big congratulations to the residents, who put in the time and the effort to improve their community and bring more affordable housing to district 1. Item number 54, our menstrual equity item. Thank you to mayor pro tem alter for bringing forward item number 54, which is another step in the right direction for menstrual equity. This has been a cause of mine since I took office. I'm so proud to be a cosponsor. Item 90, aid wifi. Very proud -- the people really cast a very harsh light, frankly, on a light of the inequities that we experience as a municipality. We have let it fester for too long. For a lot of folks it feels [5:14:45 PM] impossible to reconcile. When our school campuses shut down and families had to figure out how to do virtual learning, a lot of our constituents, especially in the eastern crescent, were left on the wrong side of the digital divide. I think some of us on the dais heard stories about families sharing a singular cell phone, having their kids take turns to go to school, parents and kids taking turns between remote work and school. The access to broadband should be a public good and so the fact that we are getting one step closer, it's something I'm really proud of. We are definitely making progress. You might remember that aid tried to work around the hotspot problem by providing spots via school buses. In my mind's eye, that's not sustainable. So the district has come up with a plan they call project lighthouse. And I think it's a true win-win for everyone. What they want to do is partner with a company that would build cell towers on top of school [5:15:46 PM] buildings. Those towers will have aid routers that will be free broadband down to classrooms and to aid families within a one-mile radius of our community schools. The company will also rent space on the towers to telecom providers who will bring 5g service to areas that don't have it. The district stands to get revenue that won't be subject to recapture. So, I think it's just an absolute win-win. The only thing standing in the way is the city's rules regulating the height of towers, so I hope our staff can draft a new interlocal agreement with the district that lets us get out of their way and bring our kids wifi, because as far as I'm concerned, this is something that will only bring benefits to our scholars who need them. And councilmember Fuentes, this really is my last but not least, item 50, $22 an hour. I'm not breaking news when I say [5:16:47 PM] it's gotten really extensive to live in -- expensive to live in Austin, Texas. We vocalize our appreciation for city staff pretty frequently here from the dais, but that doesn't mean that we don't appreciate the thousands of other city employees just as much. From our first responders to our public works people, to our park rangers, libraries, lifeguards, clerk's office workers, tech support crews, linemen and women, and so many more, they are the people who keep our city running. I appreciate the gentleman who spoke about his experience working for Austin resource recovery. He's right, that is an essential function of our city. So those people that keep our city running, they do deserve wages that match the critical work that they do in and out. And everybody should have the opportunity to livable wages. Everybody should have a chance to be able to take care of themselves and their families. It's kind of crazy to think that a living wage in this city is [5:17:48 PM] $22 per hour, but that's just the age that we live in. Inflation, housing costs, childcare, rising gas prices -- it all is making it harder for our workers and families to live in the city of Austin. I am fully committed to make sure that the people who provide vital services to our community can actually afford to live in our community. That especially goes for the machine and women -- men and women who put in the hard hours to keep our community safe. As I said on Tuesday, we have other considerations we as a council need to address. So, to say it's complex is probably an understatement. Our city workers aren't the only one struggling to make it in Austin. There are plenty of other non-city employees who are staring down the very real and very hard choice of moving out to more affordable places. We can raise the city wages until our budget bursts, but if we don't do something about our rules, our regulations, and the red tape that make it so [5:18:49 PM] difficult to build more housing for more people in more parts of town, we are just going to more -- we're going to run more and more families out of our city and into the suburbs, or to other cities entirely. Lastly, we are in a real housing crisis. Nobody can deny that. I don't care what your ideology, we are in a real housing crisis. Everybody in our country is, internationally there's a housing crisis. We are not unique in that way. One of the consequences of our inability to comprehensively address it is that we have to take our finite dollars from important programs and services to pay our workers a living wage. And that's only going to get higher and higher and the cost of housing will not stop. So to say that I'm proud and happy that we've made some steps forward is true, but it gets to also be true that I am saddened and disappointed that this is as [5:19:50 PM] far as the capital city of Texas, the 11th largest city in the nation, can go today. My hope is collectively we work triple time to make it better for everybody. Thank you. Thank you, mayor. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Councilmember Ellis, then the mayor pro tem. >> Ellis: Thank you. I wanted to speak very quickly to a couple of items. Item number 52 is the traffic enforcement resolution. It is about working toward creative collaboration with other entities qualified to performance vision zero traffic enforcement efforts focused on speeding, reckless driving, and drunk driving. We have to get really creative here. We collaborate on the dais a lot. We have to collaborate with our county commissioners, our county constables and our sheriffs understanding who has what availability, where can we overlap our dollars and how can we ensure that our transportation, our highways, are safer in the community. So I appreciate the input from my cosponsors mayor pro tem [5:20:51 PM] alter, councilmembers harper-madison, Fuentes, and the district 8 team. I know everyone on my team had their hands on this. Their fingerprints are on this resolution. And the Austin justice coalition provided input. I wanted to make sure we provided that input and look forward to see what can come from this resolution. Item number 86 is the item comprehensive gun violence prevention. Cosponsors were mayor pro tem alter, councilmember tovo, vela, kitchen, mayor Adler. Following the horrifying loss of live in uvalde, Buffalo, and other cities, and daily violence in other communities, I felt excelled to bring forth this item to offer a comprehensive approach to ending gun violence. While there was optimism regarding an agreement on modest reforms in the U.S. Senate, it is important we not lose focus on opportunities at the local level. This item strengthens and reinforces our state and legislative agendas by calling for a renewal of the assault [5:21:52 PM] weapons ban, raising the age of purchase to 21 and supporting a national red flag law, among other initiatives. We also draw attention to our many local actions by supporting and strengthening our office of violence prevention as it prepares to launch a series of major community-based violence interruption programs over the coming years. We also support renewing our successful safe storage and education campaign, and distributing free gun locks, which are critical to preventing theft and protecting young children and those who might be in crisis. This measure calls for promoting more collaboration between prosecutors, law enforcement, the office of violence prevention, and members of the community as the effort to stop violence begins at home. As a community we can only reduce gun violence and help heal those impacted by it by fostering collaboration, understanding, and action. Item numbering 50 on the living wage, we must commit to ensuring that our city employees can afford to live in Austin and to provide for their families. [5:22:54 PM] One sign of a healthy economy is it not only allows for innovation within the market to create high- paying jobs, but it looks out for people making minimum wage. Otherwise people won't want to do these jobs no matter how much they take pride in their work. The numbers don't pencil out. Those folks pick up or composting, lifeguard our pools, answer 911 calls and maintain parks. I appreciate the leadership of councilmember Fuentes and the other cosponsors and all the speakers from afscme who came out to speak to us today. Comments for the last meeting that we had last week, I was really, really proud that we took some proactive steps on increasing the rebates for e-bikes, continuing to be an innovative mode of transportation for a lot of people. Usually one of the reasons people say they won't switch from driving alone in their car to biking is because of the heat. It's over 100° right now. I think this is a really important step for our community to be able to provide electric [5:23:55 PM] bikes and to make sure that people have increased incentives to the rebates that can be provided so more people can own bikes. And we passed some speed limit updates at the last meeting. And I wanted to speak very quickly, we lowered the speed limit on a boulevard in front of bear creek elementary school and there was an ongoing conversation about trying to create a school zone there. I wanted my constituents to know it's very much on our radar. We're in communication with the transportation department. There's been some back and forth about the effectiveness of the roundabouts and trying to lower that speed limit there. Just because we passed that item, I was happy to support lower that speed limit, but I wanted my constituents that send their kids to that school to know we continue to work on making sure that school zone is safe for people. >> Alter: Thank you. For those of you who just joined us for proclamations, hopefully [5:24:56 PM] we'll get to proclamations soon, but we as a council have been really hard at work pretty much every week, but last week and this week, we had agendas with 125 items, and we're taking a pause to reflect on what we've accomplished together and collaboratively. And there were so many things that I didn't fully repair -- prepare remarks, so I just want to say thank you to all of my colleagues who I have collaborated on various items, because I don't think that I could actually enumerate them. You've done so much the last two weeks. I want to highlight a few things. I want to start with the living wage item that we passed today, item 50. I'm really proud that we were able to achieve a unanimous vote. Our employees at all levels of experience, all levels of wages are the heart of our city. [5:25:56 PM] They are the beat that makes us move forward. And we absolutely must prioritize adjusting the needs of our workers in this upcoming budget. And that applies to our sworn as well as our non-sworn personnel. And I think that gets a little bit lost sometimes in the conversation that we've been having. That relates to item 94, which is councilmember kitchen's item on the emergency communications department, which is something I've been working on for almost a year now with a budget rider, which is the study that is referenced in that. And so I am pleased that we're going to be able to move forward and thank councilmember kitchen for pushing forward this next step. Item 6 today, we funded additional full-day pre-k classrooms at several title I [5:26:56 PM] schools. Councilmember harper-madison mentioned my item to advance the menstrual equity and to alleviate diaper poverty at the state level by advocating for not having sales tax on those items. I want to give a shoutout to representative Howard and the other legislators who have been working to address this issue through state legislation. Item 55 initiates ordinance changes that will allow us to take the last steps that we need to for the wildland urban interface code to protect our community that lives in the wildland urban interface and to protect us from wildfires. On the menstrual and diaper tax item, my cosponsors are councilmember Ellis, Fuentes, harper-madison and tovo. And on the wildfire, mayor Adler, councilmembers Ellis, harper-madison, and councilmember pool. So, thank you for that. I want to also highlight councilmember Ellis' resolution [5:27:58 PM] number 86 related to gun violence. I've talked about this a lot the last several weeks and have been working on this for years. And I think it's really important that we lean into our violence prevention efforts. We held a summit last week. We have the path to have a real robust plan and an ability to really cut down on gun violence in our community. This resolution does make efforts to advocate at the state and federal level, which we absolutely have to do, but it also recognizes that there are many, many things that we can and need to be doing at our level with the violence intervention, the gun locks, all of that being super important. So I'm glad to see that priority as well going into budget. Also appreciate the traffic safety. Finally, as we come out of these couple weeks with so many agenda items, I want to thank the city [5:29:00 PM] staff that supports us. I want to thank my council staff for their amazing work, but also all the staff that interact with us on council. It's been a rough couple years. There's no way around that. And I think we've accomplished a lot through these difficult times and I hope that everyone gets a little bit of a break before we get into budget. So, thank you for your work. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember Kelly. >> Kelly: Thank you. Today we passed item number 35, which is the pecan gardens contract with family elder care, carefully reviewed by myself and my office and I'm thankful to city staff for having incorporated all of the direction from item 85 on may 19th related to this contract. I believe the safety concerns the community had expressed to me are addressed in the contract. Last month, my staff as well as Williamson county commissioner Cooke and her staff had a dance to tour lion's gardens with family elder care who manages [5:30:03 PM] that community. Pecan garden's vision is similar. I want the community to know that since the purchase of this hotel, it has been my duty to ensure the property and the forward movement on the use of the property remain good partners. I have renewed hope today that as we move forward with this property's use, that family elder care will be a great partner in this endeavor. And I look forward to the progress made on the property. Thank you, councilmember kitchen, for your 911 call-taker item. I was glad to work with your office and cosponsor it. That's all. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Colleagues, anybody else want to make any comments? Councilmember tovo. >> Tovo: I know we're right up against proclamations and we have a full chamber, so I'll make it super short. I want to extend my thanks for the great work of my colleagues on this dais with regard to wages and gun violence and so many other critical issues. I want to highlight a couple both from last week and this week that I brought forward. One is the long-awaited Rainey historic district fund, which [5:31:04 PM] I'm excited to see moving forward. We're going to approve it during the budget and hopefully see those projects work through the process with stakeholders very quickly and begin to be implemented next fall. I think that's super long overdue and I'm really excited about it. On today's agenda is a followup to the resiliency resolution that I brought a while back. This is something that will extend the reach of that resilience work to communities throughout our city. We immediately after passing the resilience hub resolution started to hear from congregations and other community groups that were interested in being a community resilience hub or hosting one at their facility. And this toolkit will allow communities that aren't necessarily part of that first six pilot group to prepare to do the kind of community engagement that allows them to be prepared and identify a facility, a trusted place in their community that could serve as a resilience hub during times of emergency and be community assets. In the words of our new [5:32:05 PM] resilience officer, during blue sky days as well. I look forward to the partnership. Earlier this week, mayor pro tem alter can the councilmember Fuentes and I were at a meeting, and trustee Boswell suggested we find a way to work with the school district on that and get youth involved in that engagement as well. So you'll see an amendment on today's version that makes that possible, too. And I think I'll just leave it there so we can move on to our procs. >> Mayor Adler: Anything else, colleagues? All right. I'm going to close us down with one comment. This has been, you know, a difficult couple years. And even the agendas that we have with 22 items from council put on this week's agenda, a great number the week before -- as I looked at the agenda and the items that were coming up, each of them had a significant number of items that could have really held us up and split us [5:33:07 PM] up, and gotten us into a dais conversation that would have represented the vast array of ideas and philosophies in the community. But I think what people expect of us is to work really hard and try to move past those, and try to find the common ground. And I think if you looked at the work we've done today, the work we did last week, we did that and we did that really well. You know, when we were talking about trying to do something on the land development code, we couldn't even say the word compatibility standards a year ago without evoking anxiety about trying to decide those issues, but yet we had a unanimous vote on a resolution last week that will come back to us in September. And to me, that epitomizes the work and effort, because it doesn't come easily. But when it happens, as it is happening with the 60? All right. We'll come back at 6:30. [5:34:09 PM] Just to remind everybody as we come in, the items we have to resolve are 48, 51, 88, 91, and 95 and 75. My belief is that probably, I think, I could be wrong, that a lot of these are going to work really quickly. If you could assess that, let's take the ones that we think will be the quickest ones first and then we'll deal with the one or two that might take us a little bit longer. So, with that, at 5:35, we're going to take a recess in the city council meeting so we can move to proclamations in the order listed in the agenda. Great. Thank you. And welcome to city hall. [5:35:47 PM] [5:39:32 PM] >> Mayor Adler: Are we ready to get started with some proclamations? We could have everybody's attention. So, this first proclamation goes to el Buen samaritano, an organization that for years has been doing just incredible work, but an organization over the last two years, while the pandemic has hit our city hard. This organization has been our window and our lifeline to people in the community that would be really hard to reach. And I don't know how we reach those people, how we help protect those people, how we put our shoulder to the work that you do. It's real good to have Dr. [5:40:35 PM] Rosamaria Murillo with us, who is the CEO of el Buen, who was last in this chamber I understand about five years ago as deputy director of Austin public health, but now in these last five years and continuing on after that, most recently when we were able to turn up some baby food, you -- someone reached out to me and found some baby food that apparently had fallen off the back of a truck. But it was made available to us. And you were able to get it out to the community. That was invaluable. So we have a proclamation now to recognize this work. Be it known that whereas el Buen samaritano has worked consistently for over three decades to meet the healthcare [5:41:37 PM] needs of central Texas with recent efforts focused on covid-19 vaccine distribution and including a partnership with the mayor's office, and whereas in spring 2021 during a period of high demand for the covid vaccine, el Buen samaritano worked directly with 1300 people to make vaccine appointments, many of whom had language or technological barriers; and whereas since August of 2021, elbuen samaritano has hosted a series of vaccination events in collaboration with Austin public health, the mayor's office, who convened volunteer medics and nurses and provided vaccines and other supplies. A shoutout to my chief of staff, Leslie, whose husband really led that effort to gather the doctors and the nurses. And whereas through this [5:42:38 PM] collaboration and the work of self-less volunteer medical providers, a total of 1,001 vaccines were distributed to 769 central Texans across six counties with plans for future clinics under way, and whereas beyond their vaccine clinics, el Buen samaritano has made vast contributions to vaccine distribution in Austin and central Texas by facilitating workshops and conversations, equity assessments and other methods of education on the covid vaccine. Now, therefore, I, Steve Adler, mayor of city of Austin, Texas, together with my colleague, Ann kitchen and all my colleagues on the Austin city council, do hereby proclaim June 16th of the year 2022 as el Buen samaritano day in Austin. Congratulations. Thank you so much for your work. [ Applause ] >> Thank you. [5:43:45 PM] >> Thank you, mayor. I want to say a few numbers. People don't remember numbers, but I'm still going to say them. 40,000, 20,000, 8 million, 100%. We have had 40,000 visits to our food pantry over the pandemic. Serving 20,000 families and continue to serve large numbers of families through our pantry services. $8 million of cash distribution and rental assistance. 100% access to technology and internet for the people that we serve. And we're now up to 3,000 vaccines. It's grown since we talked about this. And none of that could have been [5:44:46 PM] done without the support of the city. None of that could have been done without the support of the city. And you, not forgetting that we are out there, that when uri hit and we needed water, the city was there with water for us. The formula crisis right now that we're seeing, the city was there. The vaccine challenge, the city was there for us. Cash assistance, rent assistance, I can go on. We did not do this alone. We did it because of the partnership with you and we are so grateful that you don't forget about us, that you know we're there. We stand with you to serve this amazing city. Thank you so much. [ Applause ] >> Can we get a picture? [5:45:47 PM] >> Yes. >> Alter: I want to invite the folks who are here for the koblenz 30th anniversary to come on down, please. [5:46:56 PM] >> Alter: Hey, there. >> Alter: Good evening. My name is Alison alter and it's my honor to represent district 10, central northwest Austin on the city council and to serve as mayor pro tem. Tonight we join to celebrate a milestone for one of our 14 Austin sister cities. Tonight we are joining to celebrate the 30th anniversary of our relationship with koblenz in Germany. And before I talk a little bit about that program, I just want to note that our Austin sister cities program is one of my favorite programs that come out of -- I come out of an international background, been [5:47:58 PM] an exchange student myself, and really believe in the importance of citizen diplomacy. And the way that I've had the opportunity to see that our Austin sister cities promote that for Austin is really amazing. So, tomorrow marks 30 years of one of our most successful and impactful sister city relationships. It was launched after some conversations, I understand, that included Margie Tiedt, who will speak with us as well and has for 30 years been centered largely on educational exchanges and hundreds of students have had the opportunity to travel to koblenz and others have had the opportunity to come to Austin. Next week we will be sending a delegation that I will be leading to koblenz that will consist of 25 citizens plus we [5:48:58 PM] will have students from summit elementary and Anderson high school who are already there. So part of the delegation is here and part of the delegation is already overseas. This is a real opportunity for us. I'll be joined by mayor Adler and we will be celebrating with the lord mayor of koblenz, David Wagner. And I want to congratulate this group on 30 years. And with that, I'm going to offer the following proclamation. Be it known that whereas on June 17th, 1992, Austin and koblenz became sister cities at the signing of the sister cities agreement in koblenz, committing both communities to a shared vision of engaging in sister city diplomacy while offering educational, cultural, and economic benefits to all, one individual, one community at a time; and whereas the sister [5:50:00 PM] cities relationship between Austin and koblenz has thrived for 30 years, offering outstanding programs for Austin and koblenz residents that facilitate connections in business, arts, and culture, and education; and whereas the official Austin delegation to koblenz, June 20th to 25th, 2022, at the invitation of lord mayor David Langner will culminate a 30th anniversary celebration signifying a recommitment to the original mission. Now, therefore, I, mayor pro tem Alison alter on behalf of Steve Adler, mayor of the city of Austin and my colleagues on the city council, do hereby proclaim June 17th, 2022 as austin- koblenz sister cities day in Austin. And before I hand this over to Margie, I want to just mention that one of the things that comes out of these sister cities relationships are friendships -- friendships here in Austin and friendships that cross the [5:51:02 PM] ocean. And I'm really looking forward to building those relationships with my fellow austinites who will be joining me on the trip, as well as with our friends over in koblenz. Margie? [ Applause ] >> Thank you. Koblenz is one of 14 sister cities of Austin. We're lucky that we have at least one in every inhabited continent in the world. So, someday maybe we can all go to all of them and we'll have a little window to the world in each one. I do want to say that after 30 years, that's a generation. We've done this a generation. And I am extremely happy that I'm going to be able to hand [5:52:03 PM] this off to the next generation, most of whom are now already in koblenz. Our chairman is there. Our vice chairman is there. Our treasurer is there. And so we're going to join them and we're going to have a wonderful time and make many friends, many more friends. Thank you. [ Applause ] [ Laughing ] [5:53:14 PM] [ Applause ] >> Pool: All right. Any scotties in the house? [ Cheering and applause ] >> Pool: Come on down. Let's get the scotties down here. [5:54:17 PM] >> Hello, how are you? >> Pool: I'm Leslie pool, councilmember for district 7. I'm really, really excited to have here a big quiverful of scotties who have made some amazing marks with the archery team. We have a proclamation declaring today the Lamar middle school scotties archery day and the coach is here. With no further ado, I'll read this proclamation, which is quite beautiful. Be it known that whereas the students, faculty, and neighborhood of Lamar middle school are celebrating their [5:55:18 PM] first state championship in the national archery in schools program this past season by the Lamar scotties archery team, and whereas Lamar started participating in the national archery in the schools program in 2016, and whereas the national archery in the schools program is an in-school program aimed at improving educational performance among 4th to 12th graders and through it students are learning focus, self-control, discipline, patience, and the life lessons required to be successful in the classroom, and whereas this celebration commemorates the 2021-2022 Lamar scotties archery team who competed with 46 Texas middle schools fielding a total of 1,021 archers, the Lamar scotties archery team collectively shot a total score [5:56:19 PM] of 3251, including 102 tens, earning them the title of Texas state champions. [ Cheering and applause ] >> Pool: Now, therefore, I, Leslie pool, councilmember for district 7, on behalf of mayor Steve Adler and the entire Austin city council, do hereby proclaim June 16, 2022, as Lamar middle school scotties archery day. Congratulations. Coach? You bet. >> So, thank you very much. I would like to mention we finished second in nationals at Salt Lake City, Utah. [ Applause ] >> Huge accomplishment. So, you're not only looking at students who are pretty good with bows and arrows, but really you're looking at very incredible kids whose perseverance, whose commitment, whose teamwork, whose resilience [5:57:20 PM] goes far and beyond the archery range. What they lend back to their communities, what they've done in their schools and their schoolwork, we're really looking at a group of people that have had a very difficult two years. And for them to rise above that, this is a testament of everything that's right with children today. [ Applause ] >> And I get goosebumps. We talk that coaches don't cry, we sweat out our eyeballs. That being said, too, we are a true testament of what can happen when a community comes together on behalf of kids. So, parents and coaches, would you just raise your hand, too? Because without you, this doesn't happen. This is really a community resolution. [ Applause yeah, and I'm going to make y'all say I love you, mom and dad. You know how it works, right? And lastly, our fearless leader, the principal of Lamar, and without her leadership and her guidance and her trust, none of us would be here today. So we want to really thank you for everything that you have done to really make this [5:58:21 PM] possible. Thank you very much. [Applause] >> Yeah, first of all, I want to say how proud I am of my students. Like coach Lyon said, the last two years we know how hard it has been on students and seeing them come together and every day practicing so hard and then taking the lessons they've learned through coach delyon's leadership has really helped us to remember that like he said this is what it's about. So I really appreciate the opportunity tonight and an honor from the city to recognize the great things that students are doing right now. So I want to say congratulations to my team. Congratulations to the coaches and the parents. And thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you. [Applause] >> [Indiscernible]. >> Coach, why don't we get you [5:59:21 PM] in the middle with your students and the councilmembers. [6:00:22 PM] [Applause] >> You are -- [indiscernible]. >> Congratulations. Thank you. [6:01:51 PM] >> Tovo: Good evening, I'm councilmember Kathie tovo and I have the honor to present this next proclamation in honor rainforest day. It's good to see so many young people here tonight because we have special guests that will talk after the proclamation, one who works with rainforest partnerships. So I'd like to say a few words and then read the proclamation. So rainforests -- world rainforest day started here in Austin and it's one of Austin's -- one of the -- the many ways that Austin has contributed wonderful things to the world. And I'm told and we'll hear a little bit more about it in a minute that world rainforest day is now recognized in countries across the world, including on every populated continent. It is a day that has inspired strong commitments toward environmental sustainability, more education about the importance of our rainforests and many other good things. [6:02:52 PM] So it is really exciting to celebrate something that has started here in Austin. Whereas, rainforest partnership launched world rainforest day on June 22, 2017, as an opportunity to increase awareness of and the advocacy for tropical rainforests as a powerful tool against the crises of climate change and biodiversity loss and to foster global collaboration for their protection now and for generations to come. Whereas, rainforest partnership is an international non-profit, again, founded here in Austin, Texas, that conserves and restores tropical rainforests bike working with local communities to have sustainable livelihoods that empower and respect both people and nature. Whereas, founded and headquartered in Austin, Texas, a city recognized as a leader in climate action and sustainability, rainforest partnership is proud to convene organizations around the world in the collaborative effort to raise awareness and ignite global action to conserve one of [6:03:52 PM] Earth's most precious resources, our rainforests. Whereas, to commemorate the sixth annual rainforest day on June 22nd, 2022, rainforest partnership is convening a one-day global summit to inspire real action and long-lasting results for the protection and restoration of the world's rainforests. Now, therefore, I Kathie tovo, on behalf of my colleagues, many of whom are here and mayor Adler who is also here with us, do hereby proclaim June 22nd, 2022, as world rainforest day in Austin, Texas. [Applause] Congratulations, and I'd like to invite founder and CEO neonta Spelman up to say a few words. >> Thank you so much, councilmember tovo, mayor Adler, and how wonderful to have three more councilmembers here, including one before she was a councilmember who actually gave me a book on rainforests back in [6:04:55 PM] 2007 asking why rainforests. So, thank you, councilmember. I was -- see, it's very hard for me to call her a councilmember. So I just wanted to thank you all and really tell you how important this is for Austin, Texas, to be the birthplace of world rainforest day. At the beginning, many people asked -- why are you based here? Do we have rainforests here? You know, why don't you move your headquarters to Dallas, new York, London? And we talked about how tropical rainforests needed to be protected no matter where you lived. They make up less than 3% of the surface area of our planet, but are so disproportionately important to the health and well-being of our planet. They hold more than 50% of our [6:05:55 PM] biodiversity and they regulate our water cycle, our climate, and hold, you know -- provide alternative medicines. And the 3% of our planet that covers cities, where 55% of us live, we need those forests, right. And so, of course, it had to be Austin. So in the words of UT, you know, what starts in Austin changes the world. And that's what we've been at rainforest partnership and when we launched world rainforest day in 2017, it was an aspiration and now it's become a global movement. And so I am deeply honored that you all are declaring world rainforest day as a day here in Austin, and we will have a global summit which is virtual and we're going to have participants organizations around the world and actions around the world. Here's one more reason why it's so important -- at the climate [6:06:56 PM] conference in October in Glasgow where, mayor, you were there -- we have been with delegates and over 140 countries came together to declare a global leaders' declaration on forests and land use, saying we're going to stop deforestation by 2030. This has been our big goal for 10 years. And so we are honored to be headquartered here and to have the support of the city, to be very community -- to be grounded in community. And for very quick words, I want to invite Hannah hosseiny who represents gen-z for the trees. It's our next generation that's going to make the difference. When we have trouble saying 2030, no deforestation by 2030, our Zs have no trouble upfront [6:07:57 PM] and center, and then they went to Glasgow with leaders declaring that and they said we've already been doing this. And so I would like to invite Hannah hosseiny, these guys are not just petitioning and protesting, but they're actually doing real work, holding companies and countries accountable. And so, Hannah? [Applause] >> Thank you. I'm the outreach coordinator of gen-z for the trees and gen-z for the trees and rainforest partnership, and it's the youth branch of rainforest partnership focused on ending deforestation by 2030. I think the youth of today should be involved in climate action and they should be leaders in this movement. Empowered to make the world more just. It's very important to be the change that you want to see in the world and gen-z has provided me with the perfect play the form to do that. On June 22, it would be [6:08:59 PM] wonderful if all of the people of Austin could take a moment and give back to the Earth and make a long- term commitment to be advocates for the forests. Thank you. [Applause] [6:10:36 PM] >> Harper-madison: Come on down. I have been bragging about y'all. Hi, welcome, welcome. Thanks for being here. Hi there. All right. Good evening, everybody. My name is Natasha harper-madison and I'm the proud councilmember representing disict 1 here on the Austin city council. And before I dive into my script, folks who watch council proceedings you have heard me on a couple occasions brag about the crossing guards in my neighborhood, launching themselves out into traffic to protect our scholars. And so I really, really am very [6:11:36 PM] proud to be able to present this to you today and I appreciate these folks behind us so very much. I'm super excited to present the proclamation on behalf of our colleagues to crossing guards that are a critical component of public safety, right here in Austin. Walking or bicycling to school should be a right of childhood that every kid gets to enjoy. It used to be something that our parents did. Uphill in the snow against the wind both ways. Aside from building character, it's just healthier, it's more fun, and you get to ditch your parents. My kids have reached the age where I'm not allowed to walk them past a certain point but it is a more fun way to get to class. But with bigger and bigger cars, and trucks zipping through our neighborhoods, it's not as safe as it used to be. And, folks, if you know junior high school and you have seen [6:12:37 PM] some of these teeny tiny sixth graders these cars literally cannot see some of our scholars. That's where our crossing guards come in. These folks behind me. In my own neighborhood, I have seen them throw their whole bodies in front of pickups to protect the kids in the crosswalk literally. They put their lives on the line and they do it with a smile. And good cheer that strengthens the fabric of our community. So it's time to give them the recognition they deserve. So I'm very happy to be able to present this proclamation today on behalf of my colleagues. Be it known that whereas, the city of Austin's public works department is home to our safe routes to school crossing guard program, and, this program employs more than 200 crossing guard professionals across nearly 100 elementary and middle schools here in Austin. [6:13:38 PM] And, whereas, these crossing guards model safe behavior for young children, remind drivers of their responsibility to use caution and watch for pedestrians in school Zones and help parents and guardians to feel more comfortable about their children walking or biking to school. And, whereas, recent events have reminded us that there is no more important task than ensuring the safety of our children. And the public works department is always looking for friendly neighborhood crossing guards for schools across Austin. Now, therefore, I Natasha harper-madison, on behalf of the mayor of the city of Austin and my colleagues on the city council here in Austin, Texas, do hereby proclaim June 16th, 2022, as crossing guard appreciation day. And with that -- [applause] Yes, absolutely, a round of applause. And with that I'd like to call [6:14:40 PM] up latisia Richardson. Thank you. >> I'm just going to pull this down a little bit. I'm a little bit short. I'd like to thank you, that natashaharper-madison and we appreciate the proclamation and I'm so grateful that you are recognizing our crossing guards. A lot of citizens don't realize that our crossing guards are actually city employees, so they are part of the city, safe routes to school. And I am proud to say that we have our overall crossing guard of the year here, her name is Margaret Ramirez. So she came here. [Applause] And I'd like to introduce our supervisors, we have five out of our seven supervisors because we do have close to 200 crossing guards so we have seven districts and we have Yvonne Williams right here. We have Patricia walker. Monu Selis, and shre martin and Beatrice Bailey, and then Rosie, [6:15:41 PM] she's representing our crossing guards but she's actually part of our education team. And I would just like to say that we couldn't do this without our crossing guards and it's all about keeping our children around the city of Austin safe. So, thank you very much again. [Applause] ( end of proclamations ) [6:42:11 PM] IT IS 6:42 AND I WILL RECONVENE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING.ITEM NUMBER 48 IS COUNCILMEMBER HARPER MADISON AND SHE'S NOT WITH US QUITE YET BUT I HAVE NUMBER 51, IS THE DISASTER TOOLKIT AND I COUNCILMEMBERS HAVE AMENDMENTS. HOW ABOUT WE TAKE THAT UP, DOES THAT WORK? WE'LL START THERE. KELLY, YOU WANT TO LAY OUT 51 REAL FAST. >> Kelly: I KIND OF LAID IT OUT IN MY COMMENTS BEFORE, AND I FORGOT THAT WE HADN'T PASSED IT ON. SO THIS IS THIS IS REALLY ANSWERING THE CALL OF HOW WE EXTEND THE RESILIENCE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO ALL AREAS OF THE CITY AND REALLY WORK AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY COMMUNITY IS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF A SAFE PLACE DURING AN EMERGENCY. AND REALLY THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT IS THROUGH THE KIND OF WAY THAT BARCELONA HAS DONE IT AND, I MEAN, VERY QUICKLY IT SAYS IN THE RESOLUTION, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT TIME PERIOD BUT WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO THEY WERE ABLE TO CREATE RESILIENCE HUBS THEY CALL THEM SOMETHING DIFFERENT BUT TO HAVE RESILIENCE HUBS WITHIN [6:43:15 PM] EVERY RESIDENT OF THEIR CITY. AND WE CAN DO THE SAME IF WE LEVERAGE THE EXISTING BUILDINGS BUT ALSO LEVERAGE THE STRONG COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WILL BE OUR HANDS AND FEET ON THE GROUND DOING THAT WORK. AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, BUT I REALLY JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE, THIS ISN'T JUST WORK THAT HAPPENS IN PREPARATION FOR A DISASTER, IT'S ABOUT BUILDING THOSE PLACES OF COMMUNITY RESILIENCE SO THEY CAN SERVE AS COMMUNITY ASSETS DURING TIMES OF NON DISASTER AS WELL, THE BLUE SKY DAYS. SO, IN LOOKING THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS THAT FOLKS HAVE MADE >> Mayor Adler: HOLD ON ONE SECOND, COUNCILMEMBER TOVO MOVES PASSAGE OF ITEM 51. AND WE HAVE TWO AMENDMENTS, ONE FROM KELLY >> Kelly: I HAVE AND I HAVE A COUPLE SMALL EDITS TO ADD IN MYSELF THAT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU IN JUST A MINUTE WHEN I FIND IT. COUNCILMEMBER KELLY, I AM FINE WITH YOUR AMENDMENT AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO MAKE THAT AND I'LL ACCEPT IT AS FRIENDLY. [6:44:11 PM] >> Kelly: THANK YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO THAT SNOW IN. >> Mayor Adler: YEAH, GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. >> Kelly: TO READ HOSTING A RESILIENCE HUB, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS RESOURCES FROM THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND READY.GOV AND POSSIBLE COMMUNITY TRAININGS. >> Mayor Adler: HEARING NONE, THAT AMENDMENT IS INCLUDED. >> Kitchen: THEN MAYOR >> IF I COULD DO MY AMENDMENTS QUICKLY AND I CAN ACCEPT MOST OF COUNCILMEMBER WITH ONE TWEAK ON THAT BUT HE GO AHEAD IF I MAY.ON LINE 2 I'M SORRY, ON LINE 44 OF THE POSTED VERSION, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IN THE EQUITY OFFICE AS ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS BEING DIRECTED TO WORK WITH TO DEVELOP THIS >> Mayor Adler: ANY OBJECTIONS OF THE INCLUDING OF THE DEPARTMENT. THAT'S INCLUDED. >> AND ADDING IN CITY BEFORE MANAGER WHICH I HAD DROPPED. >> Mayor Adler: ANY OBJECTION? [6:45:15 PM] HEARING NONE THAT IS INCLUDED.>> AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER VELA'S, I AM I AM COMFORTABLE WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT HE ADDS BUT I DO WANT TO SAY I DO WANT TO SAY GABA IN HERE AND I WILL SAY WHY IN A MINUTE. I'M COMFORTABLE WITH USING HIS LANGUAGE AND NON PROFITS WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF INGAUGING DIVERSE COMMUNITIES BUT [6:46:11 PM] >> Mayor Adler: HANG ON. ANYBODY WITH AN OBJECTION TO INCLUDING THOSE WORDS OTHER THAN THE COPY CHANGE? THE WORDS AND IT'S ATTACHED IN THE BACKUP. IS LISTING THE NUMBER OF ENTITIES THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS TO WORK WITH AND HE IS ADDING NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF ENGAGING DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. WITHOUT OBJECTION, THAT AMENDMENT IS INCLUDED. NOW IN FRONT OF US IS THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT TO CALL OUT GAVA SPECIFICALLY WHICH IS IN THE RESOLUTION. COUNCILMEMBER TOVO.>> Tovo: I WOULD DO IT THIS WAY.>> Mayor Adler: BACK UP FIRST, IT WAS HIS FIRST AMENDMENT SO HE GETS TO SPEAK FIRST IF HE WANTS TO. >> Vela: MAYOR, MY CONCERN IS NAMING RECIPIENTS OF POTENTIAL CITY AWARDS IN THE BE IT RESOLVED SECTIONS OF THIS. I THINK THAT THE BEST PRACTICE IS TO HAVE AN OBJECTIVE, LIKE RFP AND [6:47:15 PM] I don't think that an rfp is necessary in this situation, but let staff to use their expertise and let the staff decide who are the best partners to work with. And I'm uncomfortable with us on the dais naming, you know, that I want to work -- want to direct staff to work with this organization or I want staff to work with this other organization. That's -- that's a concern from me whether it's a non-profit organization or whether it's a private company. I think that there should be some objectivity as part of our selection of partners, not something that we should be doing from the dais. >> Tovo: Mayor, I need to respond to that. So the fact of the matter is that this work is already going on and that gave is a partner in the resilience work -- in the resilience hub development. So several of us I think were invited and attended some of the meetings that gave organized and they're doing it in partnership with our city staff and conducting trains and they've shared some of their toolkit [6:48:11 PM] work. And so, you know, there's nothing in this language, frankly, that says we're awarding them -- we're awarding them a financial -- we're financially remunierating them, there's financial remuneration as part of that, though I think that it's a good practice if we're working with groups to do that. But that is a different -- I mean, the last be it further resolved says to consider whether to partner with and compensate organizations that have developed similar positions. And this one simply says to work with these departments and I propose that the language say gava and other non-profits, with a proven track record. Because to me we are really modeling a lot of work after gava's work and it's simply -- I almost feel dishonest not calling them out here because we are working in partnership with them and we are modeling our work and their -- their -- the kind of training after what they are doing. So in this case I would suggest [6:49:13 PM] that is how we handle it, and say gava and other non-profits. >> Vela: And my only response to that is that my language does not exclude anybody. It just says that the city -- and, again, I -- the juxtaposition with the emergency management and Travis county and private entity, that raised concerns with me just and, again, I don't want to be picking winners and losers from the dais. I want to use an objective process and I want to rely on staff's expertise and I don't want to pick winners and losers from the dais. >> Mayor Adler: Mayor pro tem? >> Alter: Thank you. So we had an opportunity to talk about the resilience hubs in our joint subcommittee with Travis county and aid. And it's my understanding that gava has already, you know, developed a tool-kit of sorts which is the basis for this work. And so I don't really see how you move forward and not [6:50:17 PM] acknowledge that work in this direction and I'm not sure that there is -- whether there's any sort of rfp involved and I don't think that anything in here says they have to have an rfp, but if there were one, I'm really uncomfortable with the notion that we would not build on their work. I think that it's great to include other non-profits and I say that as someone who doesn't generally like to name a particular non- profit for a particular contract, but I don't think that is what we're doing here. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember kitchen, councilmember pool. >> Kitchen: Yes, I would really be uncomfortable deleting gave. I would agree with you, councilmember vela, you know, if we were picking winners and losers, but we're not in this case. We're just naming entities to work with. If there are others that people feel that have been involved and we need to name, I'd be happy to do that too. But gave is -- gave is very [6:51:21 PM] important to south Austin and very important to my district, and others, and I have -- I -- I think that they should be named and I don't see any problem with naming them because we're not talking about giving out money here. >> Pool: Yeah, that's exactly right. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember -- >> Pool: I was next. We frequently acknowledge, especially our non-profit community partners in these sorts of circumstances and in this case gava is preeminent and as councilmember tovo said, not including or mentioning them is like overlooking a really important piece of the work that has been and will continue to be done. And I think we should probably just vote on this particular one, but I think -- the sense of the dais is to include gave. [6:52:27 PM] >> Pool: Councilmember Ellis. >> Ellis: It does say non-profit organizations and it's clear that gave would be one of those but there might be other though. And so they are included in this whether they're specifically qualified or under the broader language. And so how can we make sure that we fold more people into this and utilizing the non-profits that have had success in this without excluding others. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember harper-madison and then councilmember Fuentes. >> Harper-madison: I agree with councilmember Ellis' sentiment there. For no other reason that it leads me to think about the various organizations that I have worked with over the last almost four years. And I can think of several that they had the opportunity probably have a similar tool-kit or a similar host of sweep of options that we could apply that they produced that is their intellectual property. In which case I also -- I echo [6:53:29 PM] the sentiment of councilmember vela, I think that we shouldn't start naming, because if we do then we'd also have to say, you know what, what was the name of the group that helped us out during the winter storm. >> Community resilience. >> Harper-madison: Community resilience trust and then the Austin area urban league has a program that they're working on around resilience and there's three others working specifically around -- yeah, so there's just so many that are doing the work. I appreciate wanting to acknowledge them and offer them some acknowledgement that to some degree we are -- we are working on a process that is similar to the tool-kit they produced, but I -- I also just -- I feel like excluding some of these other names and some of these other organizations by way of naming a singular organization is problematic. I would agree with councilmember vela's language and to councilmember Ellis' point, it's not excluding anybody but it's [6:54:30 PM] not explicitly naming anybody. >> Mayor Adler: Councilmember Fuentes. >> Fuentes: Thank you, and in looking at the resolution, gave is referenced and listed within the resolutions and there's two whereas where gavas and it's included, including the disaster preparedness kit that they created for dove springs which I actually have a copy of in my office and I certainly appreciate all of the work that gave has done for our communities in the eastern crescent. My concern here is that, you know, the opioid overdose resolution that we passed earlier, we took care to not specifically name groups. For example, Texas harm reduction alliance, who is a very well-known community partner, has done extensive work within this space, because we didn't want to exclude anyone out, right. So we kept it very neutral. We did acknowledge their work in the whereases, and I think that there was at least one, and so -- my question to [6:55:31 PM] councilmember tovo is, I just want to clarify -- does this resolution initiate an rfp or any type of funding associated with it? >> Tovo: So, in the last whereas, which is not the one that we're talking about, it asks the manager to prepare finish are item for inclusion to support this work in the budget. At a minimum, the funding should be sufficient for signs that community climate centers and online and printed disaster preparedness guide and to consider whether to partner with and to compensate the community organizations that have developed similar materials to expedite this process. That's the only one that talks about what are -- what are the products that we expect to come from this. And how they should -- and what they should do next. So, yes, if we pass it during the budget, if we had passed the budget measure during the [6:56:31 PM] budgetprocess, that would be the next step that the staff would move forward in doing whatever they need to do to produce those documents. Most of which I would assume would come from in house. So, you know, just seeing the way that this conversation is going, let's either vote or take it out or whatnot. I mean, let's leave it at non-profit organizations, that's fine. I think that it is important that they are acknowledged, again, I think that the way that this is proceeding is that we are modeling this work in large part on gava's work because they have been leading in this area since 2018. So -- or 2017, frankly. So, I mean, the actual outcome is not going to be any different and they're working hand-in-hand with gave. >> Mayor Adler: So you're okay to leave them out as a specific mention? >> Tovo: Hearing the concerns, I don't want to continue to have an argument about it because I think we all need to go home. >> Mayor Adler: I appreciate that. My concern is that if it doesn't come out and people will wonder whether they got it because they [6:57:31 PM] were mentioned and I don't want that to bear that cross. So without objection, gava will come out as specifically mentioned. I'm sorry? >> [Indiscernible]. >> Mayor Adler: That was already approved. We did that first. And we're going to strike gava. Any other amendments to this document? >> I have a question? >> Mayor Adler: Yes? >> I just wanted to ask the sponsor and co-sponsors, it was brought to my attention that ACC is not listed in here and I just wondered as another entity that has, you know, space that might be available for the public or other sorts of resources if it would be acceptable to add them in. >> Tovo: Sure, I think is a great idea. >> Mayor Adler: Any objection to adding ACC? Hearing none, ACC is add. We have a motion and seconded with the amendments. Those in favor of the motion,a, please raise your hand. And opposed? Appears to be unanimous. [6:58:32 PM] Thank you. All right. Let's take up -- >> Tovo: Mayor -- >> Mayor Adler: Yes? >> Tovo: I thought we were unable to take this up with staff so I move for postponement to July. >> Any objection to postponing to July? Hearing no objection, that item will be postponed >> Tovo: I would like to say a few words, if I may. >> Go ahead >> Tovo: Probably all of us have gotten e-mails. [6:59:32 PM] I would ask that you take a look at the revised resolution, which I attempted to address as many as possible. Probably today is not the day to have a conversation about it but I think it's important that work pro-vichied as quickly as possible because it is the mechanism for doing what your resolution called for last week, council member harper-madison, which was to develop the guidelines and work on the balanceover the historic integrity of the area. Mayor, you also had -- there was nothing in the resolution that initiated that work beyond the overlay. In my opinion, and I would hope the staff would have been here to kind of talk about that -- but that's a conversation for another day but I think this is the mechanism for developing the guidelines. The process is something that happens in sync with and in [7:00:36 PM] collaboration of the property owners in the district. It happens much later if there's enough community buy-in to come back to council. No matter how long you have been on council you have seen several historic districts start. My hope is it would continue here. I think as the conversations suggested -- as I understand the intent of last week's measure I would think that this would be very much in alignment with that. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you . I'm not sure -- I just have lots of questions about it. It may just add further description to the process that [7:01:37 PM] was initiated and given furtherer definition. But I just don't know whether there are unintended consequences of that and to me, I think that's where my questions go. Did you want to say something. >> Mayor, real quickly -- council member tovo, I wanted to offer an apology for interrupting you and letting my frustration and exasperation inappropriately vent and I want to say I'm sorry. >> Mayor Adler: Council member tovo >> Tovo: Thank you. I appreciate that. I hope that we can continue to talk about this issue. I think we had some good conversations earlier in the week. I think there is an at of alignment from what I understand of the project that you've described. Mayor, I want to say -- again, you and I have had a little opportunity to talk about this offline -- the design -- you [7:02:38 PM] know, we talked about this last week a little bit. The language about -- in last week's resolution that talks about in consideration of the appropriate use of land -- nothing in last week's resolution initiated any of that. What was initiated are the changes to allow the development to waive the height requirements in the pecan street overlay. If we want that more holistic planning we need action to direct it. The historic district -- that is the planning tool. >> Mayor Adler: My comment is I'm not sure I see any harm in what you were bringing unless it's an unforeseen -- I know in the resolution -- in the body of the resolution it listened height and design standards. So it seems as if enumerated [7:03:44 PM] number two sends -- go off and initiate -- go off and discuss design standards. I don't know how they do that without going to the historic commission, which is one of the questions I had for Jerry anyhow. I appreciate you postponing this. I just have a lot of questions because I'm not familiar with the processes. But certainly in the meantime, if you guys could work it all out and resolve it all, that would be my preference. I don't need to learn it at this point if I can avoid it. All right let's go on to the next one. We're going to postpone that. Item 48 -- council member harper-madison has that item for redevelopment and council member tovo pulled that. Council member harper-madison, do you want to make your motion. >> Harper-madison: I'd like to move we pass item 48 as is. [7:04:45 PM] >> Mayor Adler: Council member Ellis seconds that. Discussion or amendments? Council member tovo >> Tovo: My hope is that these would be regarded as friendly. Most with the exception of the line on 41 came from a community leader who had reached out to ask that these be included. I think they're reasonable -- inclusions. P one adds community take hold Eric -- stakeholders and members. Line 47 adds outdoor sports and recreation as one suggested community benefit. And because of the history of this site, there is a -- I think it makes sense to make sure that we understand fully what the environmental remediation would be on that property and then, you know, - the one I think we may need to talk about is line 41a. Council member harper-madison, were you open to accepting any of these as friendly? >> Harper-madison: I am so on the amendment making reference [7:05:45 PM] to include stakeholders, I appreciate the intentionality behind explicitly including the community members and stakeholders, including six square. I accept that as friendly. >> Mayor Adler: Any objection? Hearing none, that's included. Go ahead. >> Harper-madison: On the amendment that strikes market rate -- I don't think that striking market rate from housing would be beneficial. This site is San witched between two large income restricted communities -- very large income restricted xhunlts -- booker T. Washington and mount caramel provide deeply affordable housing. Adding another income restricted development would continue habits of concentrating poverty on the east side. I'm talking about the large ones -- mount caramel which is almost 12 acres and booker T. [7:06:46 PM] But truth be told, within that .7 mile radius we have rosewood, elm ridge, the vetted Eric -- veterans housing -- we have so much specifically explicitly affordable housing existing in the margins that I want to be careful about excluding market rate for all the reasons that it has some benefits -- including being able to subsidize some of that affordable housing. I think we -- I say it all the time. Housing at all income levels. Affordable -- the more conversations I'm having with constituents -- affordable is relative. It's luxury, if you can afford luxury. It's middle income, missing middle housing if that's where you land. Affordable is deeply [7:07:47 PM] affordable, income restricted. But I don't we should exclude market rate from consideration. I'd rather not remove that. I think -- you know, the science really shows that residence at all levels benefit from living in mixed-income communities. And I think the market rate housing really should stay on the table, on top of the fact that market-rate units could be leveraged to subsidize more restricted units. One of the thing I was thinking about -- during the korgs of conversation I was at a neighborhood association meeting the other night and they had concerns about schools. One of the things we find ourselves struggling with is attendance. I think encouraging mixed communities offers folks the opportunity to not feel like they have to take their folks to private school or take them out of the district and get [7:08:48 PM] transfers. For all the reasons I would rather not exclude market rate >> Tovo: I need to explain that it wasn't excluding market rate housing. You said primarily. Maybe we have -- maybe there is another way to handle it. Here's what I'm trying to prevent -- that this comes back to us and has primarily market rate housing with not enough affordable housing. I understand what you're saying about the proximity of other affordable housing. The market is producing market rate housing and we have an opportunity to make sure we have substantial amounts of affordable housing on them. Could we agree on language that at least says -- well, and maybe it's -- maybe I'm misunderstanding how you intended that sentence. >> Mayor Adler: It looks like -- >> Tovo: When you're saying primarily affordable rate housing, market rate housing and mixed development, we may [7:09:49 PM] be talking about the same thing. Is it your vision that whatever comes back would have substantial amounts of affordable housing within mixed -- >> Harper-madison: Correct. >> Mayor Adler: That modifies -- >> Tovo: Okay. I think we're in alignment. >> Mayor Adler: Line 47. >> Harper-madison: The addition is "Add outdoor sports and recreation." I don't know if that's necessary and I'll tell my rational and you can tell me if you would like to find a way to add it. So right next door to -- the juxtaposition is here's 12th street, here's Hargrave. Fleet services is right there. You can throw a nickel and hit downsfield. You can throw another nickel [7:10:50 PM] and hit the yellow jacket stadium. Rosewood park is behind us. In terms of proximity to parks, outdoor spaces, sports spaces -- those exist. I didn't see why it was necessary, is the question that I had there. I think given any redevelopment would trigger parkland dedication I think we'll have open spaces and recreational uses covered already and I don't see the point in adding outdoor spaces and sports spaces for consideration. I don't see why it's necessary. I'm not opposed to the necessary but I don't see why it's necessary >> Tovo: I think the intent of the person who suggested it is to make sure there would be space on the property for families who live there to have outdoor spaces within there. >> Harper- madison: Okay. And I can appreciate that. [7:11:51 PM] I guess I can't imagine how that would happen, especially in such a large area but that to say, I've been surprised before. So I'm opposed to be explicit and saying outdoor spaces. I wanted to make sure we understand we're surrounded, encapsulated without outdoor spaces -- specifically sports spaces. I'm fine with adding outdoor and sports recreation. >> Mayor Adler: Any objection to that amendment going in? How about the last one? >> Harper-madison: Environmental reimmediate yaths I think is captured in item 39, which calls for preliminary environmental review and site assessment. I don't know that that's necessary either. I certainly want -- it's fleet services, so you can imagine there's busted cop cars and ambulances and fire trucks. [7:12:52 PM] There's diesel and every other kind of fuel. In terms of purposes it's a giant autoshop on steroids. It's almost eight acres of autoshops. I realize the remediation is necessary but I thought we encapsulated that >> Tovo: You did. This is to make sure we have an estimate and funding sources. >> Harper- madison: I understand. >> Mayor Adler: Any objection? >> Harper-madison: No. >> Mayor Adler: So included 1, 3, and 4 as we go down to lines 37, line 47, and line 49 and 50. The motion has been moved and seconded. Discussion? Those in favor, please raise your hand. Those opposed? It's unanimous on the dais. Thank you. That gets us then, I think, to item number 88. Council member vela, you want to make a motion on item 88. [7:13:58 PM] >> Vela: I do, your honor. I have a motion that council member tovo and I worked on. She offered a couple of changes which I accepted and we worked on language on items 90 and 95 and have come to an agreement. The only thing is I would like to call up the gray star -- the -- our exclusive negotiating partner to ask him a question right quick. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Council member vela moves item 88 for passage. Is there a second to that? Council member harper-madison? >> Where can we see that language. >> Vela: It's on the message board. I have copies and I can distribute them too >> Tovo: Can I ask a question? So just to capture -- I handed out a yellow sheet early this morning. As I understand you are accepting my first -- I think [7:15:00 PM] the general impact is that you're accepting all of my amendments you and I talked about dropping out the last line, which is fine, because we're going to have the conversation in a minute and I think you suggested a slightly different wording for 90 to 95. Is that the upshot of your last amendment? >> Vela: That is and I have in the most recent version that the mayor pro tem was handing out, with the city council direct city manager to pursue sell to a public facility corporation, with city obtain ING [reading rapidly]. I've thrown that language in. The lease term is going to be 99 years. At the end the city will have the option to repurchase the property for $1. I want to confirm that. [7:16:01 PM] I think that a protects the city from ever losing the land. >> Good evening. Thank you. I've conferred with our great partners at the city of Austin. Sorry. Good evening. My name is David Walsh. I have spoken with the partners at the city of Austin. We're in agreement and fine with that language. Yes, council member? >> Tovo: The nominal -- we have an agreement that the nominal fee that would be offered would be one dollar. >> We are in agreement that the nominal fee will be $1 >> Tovo: Super. Thank you. That's terrific. >> Mayor Adler: Council member vela has made this motion, seconded by council member [7:17:06 PM] harper-madison. Any objections? Hearing none, that change is made. You also had two other changes. Replace line 4 and 38 and add 5 -- every number accordingly. >> Vela: Both of those are acceptable. >> Mayor Adler: Council member tovo had those. Any objection to adding those two? Hearing none, those two are added. It's your base motion as in the agenda, adding these three -- making these three changes. >> Vela: That's correct, mayor. >> Mayor Adler: Any further discussion on this item? Those in favor, please raise your hand. Those opposed? Added, unanimously approved with those changes. >> We wanted to thank you for moving this forward. Thank you very much. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. That gets us to item number 91. [7:18:08 PM] This was a motion from the mayor pro tem. Do you want to make your motion? >> Alter: I move approval of item 91. >> Mayor Adler: Is there a second to the motion? Council member Ellis seconds it. Any discussion or amendments. Council member Kelly? >> Kelly: I have some questions about the item and I was hoping maybe city legal could answer them for us before we take a vote. >> Good evening. I'm Lee Crawford with the city law department. How can we help you. >> Kelly: What law regulates or prohibits the sale of fire arms. >> There is no city ordinance or law that regulates the transfer or sale of fire arms in any respect. There's a state statute part of the Texas local government code that specifically, expressly prohibits local governments like the city from regulating [7:19:09 PM] the sale, transfer, ownership, or registration of fire arms. So under that state law, the city really doesn't have the legal authority to act in that area. Currently there is no regulation of sale or transfer. There is a part of the city code, chapter 9, that does regulate the discharge of fire arms within the city and we are permitted under state law to regulate that discharge of fire arms and we do. The prohibition is you cannot discharge a firearm within the city limits except at a shooting range and in a couple of other special exceptions. There's no regulation on sale or transfer. >> Kelly: If the city manager's findings include limiting the sale. What legal grounds would business owners have to sue the city. >> It's a little speculative because we don't know what those restrictions might be under a proposed ordinance but [7:20:14 PM] I think there are two avenues or channels that a business owner could have if there was a local regulation on that. First would be in defense of violation of the city rule. If the city passed an ordinance that said we were restricting the sale of these weapons to people under 21 and a business owner -- the vehicle for that is we would make it a violation of city code and the penalty would be a class C misdemeanor citation. A business owner who was cited for violating that would defend the citation by saying under the state law I described the city would not be able to pursue the ordinance because part of the state statute says any city ordinance that is in violation of that general pro prohib BIGS on -- prohibition is void. Someone could assert in defense [7:21:16 PM] of a prosecution preemption by state law and the second way would be through what's called a declaratory judgment action. This would be a business owner affirmatively going to court and saying there's a local regulation the city has passed that's burdening my business and I need a declaration from court that higher state law would pre-empt or supersede. It would be defense of prosecution or declaatory action. The state law does authorize the Texas attorney general to file suit against the city seeking an injunction against the local regulation. >> Kelly: Thank you for explaining that. Texas local government code 229.001 says a municipality may not adopt regulations related to transfer, possession, wearing, carrying, ownership, transportation, licensing or registration of firearmings. Air guns, knives or firearm or air gun or supplies or [7:22:18 PM] accessories. I I believe any attempt to restrict, regulate or hamper fire arms violates that. That risks a lawsuit from the attorney general, which I think is a needless waste of taxpayer resources. I'll wrap it up real quick here. We have a finite amount of resources in the form of city staff and their time. Nothing in this item keeps residents from traveling to other places to purchase a weapon. As elected leaders I believe we have a duty to protect the safety and residents of Austin, but because of what was just explained to us, it's not something I can support today. I want to make it clear if anyone feels passionately for or against this item, use every opportunity to advocate at the state or federal level in regards to it. Thank you. >> Mayor Adler: Motion in front of us that's been seconded. Further discussion? Mayor pro tem. [7:23:19 PM] >> Alter: Yes. This, in my view, is a life or death issue. And I wish that our state government, our federal government for that matter, would do the right thing and restrict the age that people could obtain these lethal weapons. We do a lot of things in the city where we push the boundaries. We do this to protect our citizens, and in light of the information that we have about the abilities of those who are under 21 to handle the responsibility of such weapons, in light of the evidence of uvalde, of Buffalo where we have young people going into stores and purchasing these weapons, we have a responsibility to do something, and I believe that it is worth [7:24:20 PM] pursuing and exploring. I'm well aware of the law that you highlighted, but we find ways all the time to push the envelope, and I would say that we have to push the envelope here. We have a responsibility. I have a 17 year old son. Council member Kelly, if you're going to raise this, I would like you to at least pretend to listen to what I'm saying. >> Kelly: I have a 12 year old daughter and I understand -- >> Alter: You're on the dais, you raised this, pulled this, and waited until the end of the day. >> Kelly: I did not set the schedule. >> Alter: Listen to what I have to say, please. I have a 17 year old son. Number of other people on this council have children in school. People who are staff members, have children in their schools. Nobody should have to worry about a 18 year old walking into a school with an ar 15 and [7:25:21 PM] shooting up the school. And that is not a far-fetched scenario. They might go to your church, to your supermarket. If I say one person -- I make one 18 year old have to take an extra -- even if it's 20 minutes before they buy their gun to calm down and we say some mother from having that experience we'll be doing our job. And I think that I don't see asking our law department to explore every avenue and there are lots of different ways where you can restrict that access. We have to be creative and in the absence of state and federal legislation, that is what we're going to do. I noticed, council member Kelly, you voted against item 86, which is another measure we took to prevent gun violence in our community. I do not understand how anyone on Earth can justify why an 18 [7:26:24 PM] year old needs access to an ar-15 in the city of Austin. >> Mayor Adler: We have a motion in front that's moved and seconded. Further discussion? Council member Kelly. >> Kelly: I appreciate how passionate you are about the subject and I like that you have been moved to take action. I am not arguing whether or not a 21 year old should have access to a firearm. I do not believe that's the role of us as council members given the per view we have to work inside the law. Which is why I suggested individuals go and advocate for this at the state and federal level. >> Alter: I want to add that one of the ways we advocate is by setting an example and putting out -- a Fox News survey said 75 per cent of Americans believe we should restrict the age for accessing [7:27:25 PM] the purchase of an ar-15. That would be much higher in Austin. That's Fox News -- 75 per cent. In the absence of federal and state action we have to demonstrate that we should take these responsible gun safety steps. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. And for the media, I would point out this is a resolution to ask the city manager to explore options. Any further discussion of this before we move on? Council member Ellis? >> Ellis: I'll be very brief as we walk away from the meeting tonight we feel a sense of accomplishment and not the stress of how difficult this decision is for people. As the mayor pro tem wrote in the resolution, to buy a handgun you have to be 21. But to buy an ar-15 you can be 18. That's unconscionable to me. I can't stand for that. One thing that's infuriating to me is we are elected to lead. There are people in office [7:28:27 PM] right now that are not leading. That's not how we do things in the city of Austin. >> Mayor Adler: Thank you. Ready to take a vote? Those in favor, please raise your hand. Those opposed? Council member Kelly votes no. The others voting aye. Passes 10 to 1. We have one item left, item 95 in zoning. Thank you for being here at 7:30. >> I'd like to make a motion. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. >> I would like to move on first reading only that -- passage of the staff and zap's recommendation to grant lrmuco combining district zoning and to change two of the conditions of zoning. In other words, to remove from the co consumer repair services and to remove guidance services civic use. [7:29:28 PM] I'll explain after I get a second. >> Mayor Adler: So that I understand the motion, the motion -- staff's recommendation -- your motion changes the staff recommendation by pulling out? >> One item. >> Mayor Adler: And the change that you make to the staff's recommendation is what. >> Can I make my motion and then explain it. >> Mayor Adler: I thought you made the motion. >> I didn't get a second. >> Mayor Adler: I want to understand? >> I'll explain it. The staff recommended -- the request from the applicant is to remove -- if I'm understanding correctly -- to remove three of the C.O. Items put on in the rezoning case in 2014. So I am moving on first reading to go ahead and remove two of those. The third one relating to pet [7:30:29 PM] services -- I can't support removing at this time. >> Mayor Adler: My question is really simple -- just a high level -- yours is the staff recommendation but you're removing two allowed uses in the C.O.. >> That's their recommendation -- the staff recommended removing three. I'm recommended two. >> Mayor Adler: You're putting back in pet services. >> For now. >> Mayor Adler: Just wanted to make sure I understand. I understand now the motion. Is there a second? Council member Ellis seconds the motion. Council member kitchen, would you like to address it. >> Kitchen: Yes. The reason -- it may be appropriate to remove pet services but I don't think we have the answer yet. I don't want to -- I'm happy to answer questions, but basically what's happening on the property currently is the -- the applicant is operating a number of uses that are not permitted. And there have been -- there [7:31:31 PM] have been significant code violations and complaints, and so part of what we're doing here is removing the prohibitions in order to resolve the code violations. That may or may not be appropriate for the pet services. I'm concerned that the code inspectors were not allowed to enter and inspect the area that's being used for pet services, which causes me concern. So what I'm hoping is that between now and second reading issues related to pet services can be resolved and we can determine whether it's appropriate to remove that prohibition. >> Mayor Adler: Okay. Thank you. Do you have anything you want to add. >> No. I'll clarify what council member kitchen stated. A recommendation and the zoning and planning commission recommendation -- we lifted three uses that were prohibited [7:32:33 PM] and that was consumer repair services, guidance services, and pet services. What I hear is that we do not want to remove that and we between now and second and third readings, we need to let code go out there and do more research. >> Kitchen: Yeah. If code will go and look at pet operations and think it's appropriate, I'm fine. >> Mayor Adler: I think I understand the motion. It's been moved and seconded. Any discussion? Those in favor of council member kitchen's motion, please raise your hand. Those opposed? It's unanimous on the dais. Colleagues, I think that's all the things on our agenda. Everybody travel safely if you're traveling over the next few weeks here, and we'll be back last week in July on the dais. As we said earlier, good, hard work. This meeting is adjourned and, [7:33:33 PM] city manager, special good luck to you and your family in this interim period of time. All right. Meeting is adjourned. It is 7:33.