City Council Regular Meeting Transcript – 5/4/2023 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 5/4/2023 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 5/4/2023 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. [10:00:16 AM] 23 and it's 10:00 in the morning. We have, of all members of the council here present with us and we are meeting in the city council chambers at city hall. Members the following will be the order of the meeting for today. Shea we will hear the consent agenda speakers, both virtual and in person. We will then go to a consent vote with a brief comments from members. We will then take up some non consent items and items that have been pulled and I'll announce those at the time. But the public hearing items are 30, 31 and 57. We will close the public hearings on those items and take immediate action and I want to make sure that everybody understands that anyone registered to speak on a public hearing item will be heard during the consent speakers and so that because we're going to just go straight into those at that point in time, if time allows, we will recess the regular meeting and call to order the R.F.C. And the wpfc [10:01:17 AM] meetings. We'll call those to order. We'll hear the speakers, if any act and adjourn each call Ann meeting individually. At noon, we'll hear the noon public comment and have live music. And then at 2:00 time certain we will take up zoning items. Members at this time I want to read into the record changes and corrections for Thursday, may 4th, 2023, on the action items. The item number one post postponed to may 18, 2023. See item two postponed to may 18, 2023. Item number 21. Add to the list of sponsors council member Leslie pool. Item number 22. Add to the list of sponsors council member Jose Velasquez and council member Jose chito Vila. Items pulled off the consent agenda are item number 23. Item [10:02:19 AM] number 56 and item number 22. Those are the changes and corrections before we take up speakers for today's meeting, I want to first recognize the city manager with regard to an item and then I will recognize we will recognize the law department on a couple of items. Okay. Thank you, mayor. There is an item on the agenda today. Item number nine. Prior to my appointment, I was a board member of spogli pass. I'm no longer a member, but because of want to just full disclosure in terms of the possible conflict of interest, I'm going to be stepping off the dais when the council discusses all the consent items this morning. In addition, council, mayor and council. I'd also like to just just give you a just for your information, there's a lot of code. There's some code amendment items on this agenda. And what we would in the process of doing is trying to develop a [10:03:19 AM] framework for the council on how you consider code amendments into the future. We will work with the housing and planning committee. I've talked to the chair of that committee, councilmember Harper Madison, and we'll be bringing to them that framework so that we can have future discussions in terms of how that how they should take place and to make sure that we are careful to understand any unintended consequences of these amendments. And with that, I'll step off the dice. Thank you, Mr. Manager. I'll now recognize the city attorney on two items on our consent agenda. Members. These are the two items that we're going to hear from the law department on are on the consent agenda, and they will remain on the consent agenda. But because they involve settlements of litigation, we're going to have a brief presentation from the law department. Good morning, mayor and council Megan Riley with the law department. As the mayor just mentioned, I'm here to recommend settlement payments for items number 13 and number 14 on your agenda. The first item, number 13, we recommend a payment of $77,000 to settle the [10:04:20 AM] Rangel versus city of Austin lawsuit. This is a car wreck lawsuit involving miss Gloria and Anita Rangel, who sought payments for injuries from a 2020 or 2018 car accident. In exchange for this payment, the plaintiffs have agreed to dismiss the lawsuit, and we would obtain a full and final release that resolves the case on item number 14, we recommend that you approve a payment of $100,000 to settle the Sabino. Alex fender versus city of Austin lawsuit. This is a lawsuit that arises from the may 2020 protests that involve APD. Miss Alexander seeks payments for her injuries stemming from her attendance at these protests and again in exchange for this payment, she will release all claims against the city and any city official that she could have brought as a result of this incident. And she will also dismiss with prejudice her lawsuit that's filed in the western district, United States federal court. Thank you, members. Does anybody have any questions of the law department [10:05:21 AM] on these two items? Very good. Thank you very much. With that, by the way, I want to correct something when I said that item 22 had been pulled from the consent agenda, the items that have been pulled from the consent agenda are items 23 and 56, not. 22 the first the first group of speakers that we're going to hear from will be given the opportunity to testify on the consent and the non consent agenda items and the speakers that are signed up for zoning agenda items will be called upon at 2:00. Each speaker will have two minutes. So unless there's objection, we'll go to the speakers and I'll call on the clerk's office to start with the remote speakers and then we'll go to those that are here in person first. Speaker on item 12 is Diane Dean. Hello. Please [10:06:21 AM] proceed. Can you hear me? Yes. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Hello and thank you all for all of your service. My name is Diana Dean and I am calling about get us some input on the east. Mlk combined neighborhood plan that was devised in 2002, and it's directly associated with public space safety. Myself and other community members would like to partner with APD and the Texas trooper to address security by reducing dangerous activities. We also would like to partner with the Austin police department and the Texas state troopers. Troopers we want to partner with you guys to address speeding traffic. You are definitely live in east Austin, so you're definitely been focused on craig-wood Darlington Tillery persian. Ian Franklin, J.J. Seabrook, Adrian Luna and [10:07:23 AM] Springdale road. This is what's in the plan, but we would like to partner with you and just get some conversations about Burt quarterly drugs sweeps. We want to make sure that our district rep, especially in district one, Ann how is her involvement with APD and Texas state troopers in this area? Will you also want to find out about our district attorney and how his involvement with the, you know, the new surveillance with central east Austin? Another thing that I would like to bring up, we have two minutes is that we would like the community would like improve, communicate Ann between APD and dps and the neighborhood to foster collaborative efforts to reduce crime. Here in the east Austin. We would like for APD Texas state troopers to designate and reopen the commanders forum meeting that [10:08:23 AM] can be held quarterly or monthly so that neighborhood groups can develop a core group of neighbors and residents that do focus on these issues and that do live here in the eastern crescent and Eid. This commanders for them would also be a vehicle, like I said, thank you, speaker. Your time has expired opportunities. Thank you very much. Mr. Mayor and or mayor pro tem, if I may take a moment of personal privilege, I'd like to encourage the caller to reach out to the district one office Natasha dot Madison at Austin, Texas dot gov and or distric dot one. That's the number one at Austin, Texas dot gov. I would love to continue the conversation. Next speaker is Alice woods on item 22. Hi mayor and council members. My name is Alice woods and I'm an affordable housing advocate and consultant. I'm speaking in support of item 22 specifically [10:09:24 AM] as it relates to housing affordability in our city. I really appreciate the work of council members and staff on this item, and I know that others will speak on the importance of eliminating parking minimums from a transit environmental sustainability and safety perspective. But I just want to highlight the way that it can also help us meet our affordability goals. Eliminating off street parking minimums will lower construction costs for developers, allowing them to charge less for each unit and or build additional units. It will also free up developable space that would otherwise be used for surface or structured parking, allowing us to build more efficiently. And again allowing us to build more housing units. And finally, households without cars will no longer be forced to subsidize the cost of free parking for their neighbors, allowing them more flexibility and affordability in their housing choices. Eliminating parking minimums in Austin will have cascading positive outcomes , and this would be a huge step toward making Austin a more affordable place to live and combating our housing crisis. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak on this item and I really hope that you [10:10:25 AM] will support it. Next speaker is Fernando Garcia on item 56. Hello, mayor and council members. I'm a neighbor of north Lamar. We I'm here to advocate for avenue 56. I. Last two weeks. Two weeks ago we had a flooding happen Ann in our neighborhood. It was very unexpected. It was put a lot of people in distress and our area of the city, especially the north creek drive, we had 4 or 5 neighbors that had flooding and a couple of those are an elderly blind couple. You know, we were helping them out. And this this after. And luckily enough, they had insurance. But I this was definitely unexpected and I want to advocate for this item so that we make sure that this kind [10:11:26 AM] of thing doesn't happen, that we're taking care of the creek that goes by our neighborhood and that we're more prepared for future events like this, that we're able to clean these creeks and have a better a little bit of better infrastructure so that this doesn't happen again. Thank you all for your time. We will now move to in-person Ann speakers. We have an interpreter for our Susana Almanza speaking on item 12 on deck is Valerie Menard. Please make your way to the front. If your name has been called to our interpreter, can you go ahead and unmute on your end. Okay hola. My name is Susana Almanza. I represent la asociacion de vecinos de Monterrey. E polgar. One moment [10:12:26 AM] please. Let's make sure the interpreter is on. Sorry Jacqueline. Oh, okay. Yes, I'm here. Can you hear me? We can hear you now. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Susana pueden pasar, por favor. Una a la vez para Yo pueda interpretar todo lo Esta diciendo para el consejo. Gracias. Gracias. Hola, MI nombre es Susana Almanza represent la Saison de vecinos de montopolis E poder hablo sobre el cuerpo into local con sobrevivir de antecedentes para resaltar la falta de un acuerdo . If you're going to please break so that the interpreter can interpret it as opposed to going through the whole statement. Gracias. Thank you, [10:13:28 AM] Mr. Mayor. I'm here from the association of the home owners association for montopolis el senora de Ann. She can't hear me good. Okay, I'll start over. Hola, MI nombre es. Susana Almanza represent a las assassin de vecinos de montopolis E poder. Yes. My name is Susana and I. And I represent the association of neighbors of power at montopolis hablo sobre la cuerda interlocal con sobre verificacion de assistance para la falta de un acuerdo. Yes, I'm here to talk about the things that are missing from and the verification of their agreement. El acuerdo interlocal querria la disastrous assassin con Felicita la excuse masiva de la operacion [10:14:31 AM] de Parada de trafico. And this is a budget agreement of the stop of traffic. In trees. Vecindarios duramente african Americano. Latinos E various pobres that is affecting the African Americans and Latin, the Latinos and various poor neighborhoods. Barrios someter estas comunidades a un vigilancia Constante E el tumor de paradas de transito Antes registrar nos arrestos multas tarifas suspicious de licencias O incluso zo. Wright let me see if I got that. Miss Almanza so it's just rey Resto de la Isla la Parada por licencia correcto [10:15:32 AM] senora Susanna if it's okay. Mayor I just translated after this. I'm doing Spanish because the community had asked me to. But subjecting these communities to constant surveillance and the fear of humiliating traffic stops and searches, arrests, fines, fees, license suspension or even violence and deportation Ann that can result from them is an injustice. Incluso violencia de deportation pueden résultat Diaz es Una injusticias mas personas incluidas la Familia independientes de los afectado ahora sufren in la opresion de estas brotulas str estas brotulas nos beneficio de las supuesta reducciones in la violencia Y los tiempos de la llamada. More people, including the families and dependents of those impacted. Now suffer under the oppression of these patrols. These patrols bring no benefit from the alleged reductions in violence and call times. Str [10:16:34 AM] sasakyan. They simply memento Singh la partecipazione de la comunidad or del consejo is anti- democratic Esta association se Esta cantando sin ningun acuerdo mucho E Singh Wright tantas comprobar ese necesitamos de Tener a la discrimination racial por favor termina estas assassin inmediatamente. This partnership was implemented without community or council involvement and is an anti democratic. This partnership is being executed without any mutual agreement and upon no variable guarantees. Stop racial profiling. Please end this partnership immediately. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Next speaker is Valerie Menard. On deck is Danielle Yanez. [10:17:36 AM] Good morning. Council members. Thank you for addressing this issue. I'm asking you to stop and desist. Eid you know, there's always unintended consequences. The idea was for dps to help APD. But what has happened is a terrorization of people of color in in Austin and particularly in the eastern crescent Eid council member Natasha harper-madison hit the nail on the head the other day when she said it's the letter of the law. Shaw the letter of the law is no good without the spirit of the law. The dps colonel I believe it was meant. And when one of you all council members said my neighbors, when they see 1 or 2 cops on the street, I think it was, you. When they say 1 or 2 cops on the street, that's one thing. But when they see 6 or 7, we get scared. Eid and so for me, having lived in Austin over 40 years, I've never, ever, never seen anywhere in Austin the kind [10:18:38 AM] of presence that dps it's like a fascist state, y'all. If you got to stop, this is no good. Thank you for your time and thank you for your service and thank you for you. Council members who have stood up against this. We've got to stop this. It's illegal. It's illegal for dps to racial profile. Why aren't we arresting them. Next speaker is alexia Leclerc. On deck is Carlos pinion. If you hear your name, please make your way to the podium and state your name. Please hi, my name is alexia and I'm also with polgar. And I'm here to echo the sentiments of the previous speaker to reiterate the need to stop racial profiling in east Austin. I mean, in the one month partnership, dps has made over 12,000 traffic arrests and half of those have been Latino residents and only 6% of those have resulted in an actual arrest. And of the misdemeanors that they have of the troopers [10:19:40 AM] have passed out, 65% were for Latinos and 23% for black people. Hot spot policing is actually racism disguised as patrol are supposed to are supposed to be operating in areas that is considered high crime. Although research has shown that white people and people of color commit crimes at similar rates and that there is not higher crime in east Austin happening, black and brown communities have just been consistently overpoliced. To give some context in history, policing was born out of slave patrols and then they actively enforced Jim crow laws and then played a key role in the mass incarceration of black people. And the police have always served white people and perpetuated anti-blackness, and they have always over policed black and brown communities to then also underfund when it comes to social services in black and brown communities as well. Police has also been shown not to actually solve any issues as other things like living wages, affordable housing, access to food and community [10:20:42 AM] programs have actually shown to address the root crime of root causes of crime. And so we are asking you to stop the rampant racial profiling by and end this partnership that has harmed black and brown residents in east Austin. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker is Carlos pinion. On deck? Is Marianne. Marianne Sanchez, Pedro Hernandez. Before the next speaker comes up for the public that's watching or listening or will watch this in the future, item 1212, which is what we're hearing is which is on the consent agenda. Item 12 is not a public safety item. This item number 12 is about human resources and background checks. So that there will be an interlocal agreement. So that when the city of Austin can needs to conduct for employees, top candidates, contractors and volunteer tirz who are in [10:21:42 AM] positions that directly work with or are frequent contact with vulnerable populations and for positions that have financial responsibilities, the city is required Eid to verify criminal history for certain individuals on a routine basis. In addition to those that it might be hiring and the interlocal agreement that is the basis of item 12 and not item 12 is not related to the partnership between APD and dps. The agreement on that is. For $77,000 a year for two years. Luz the total amount of services provided is based upon the demand, but the total amount of the agreement won't exceed $144,000. For a 24 month term. I just don't want there to be any confusion about what it is that the council is voting on and maybe even for some of the speakers that have signed up to provide Eid input on item number [10:22:42 AM] 12. And there may have been some confusion for some reason. Item number 12 is not a public safety item. It is a human resources item related to background checks. Thank you, madam clerk. Our next speaker is Chris Harris. Following is David king . Mayor council. Yes this wire down. I got it short. All right, mayor. Council. My name is Chris Harris. I'm the director of policy at the Austin justice coalition here from district one. I'm here speaking on item 12 today about the interlocal agreement with dps, about background checks to highlight the lack of any agreement. Governor Garcia's partnership. And for those that are coming up, it it from this perspective [10:23:45 AM] , it's interesting to watch because everybody feels the need to grab the microphone Ann and so you don't need to grab the microphone unless you're my height and you need to grab it to pull it down. But but, Mr. Harris, come on. No, please don't. It's obviously very sensitive. I'll go. Wright okay. Yeah. All right. So I'm speaking about this item and the interlocal agreement governing it because there is no agreement that governs this partnership with dps and really, to reiterate what Susana said, I our belief is that subjecting these communities to constant surveillance, the fear of humiliating traffic stops, searches, arrests, fines, fees, license suspensions, even violence and deportation that can result from them is an injustice. Butts and that this partnership was implemented without community or council [10:24:47 AM] involvement is anti democratic, and that this partnership is being executed without any mutually agreed upon verifiable guarantees, guardrails, goals or metrics, or a way to for it to end is foolish and so if we're going to have an interlocal agreement about that, we should have an interlocal agreement about this. But we heard from the dps director on Tuesday their patrols. This is what they do. They enforce every traffic law, all the time where they patrol. I hear people asking for something else from them, but unfortunately, if we have the patrol units, this is what they do. So we don't really see a way for this to work in our community and not violate the values of this community. Bringing in predominantly poor people, people of color on vehicle violations, burns mostly not even traffic or moving violations, bringing people in on very low level offenses is fighting the war on drugs that in a way that we don't see fit to fight it here. So again, our [10:25:50 AM] position is that we should end this partnership. We should end these patrols. Thank you very much. Yeah okay. I'm going to take a remote speaker, Suzanne ramshaw. Hello good morning, council members, and thank you for your time and attention to agenda item 56. Today, what I'd like to share is the severity and suddenness of our flooding events in north Austin along burns meadow boulevard two weeks ago was completely abnormal, wildly dangerous, and absolutely could have been prevented. Ironically my family and I were enjoying watching the storm the evening of April 20th at 8:12 P.M, my four year old son took a photo of the lightning outside of our bedroom window. Five minutes later, at 8:17 P.M, my husband took a video of the heavy rain in our backyard. Everything still looks normal at 8:38 P.M, 20 minutes later, we have video footage from our doorbell camera of us frantically evacuating our house in two feet of rushing water. In that short period of time, water began entering our house. The moment I looked outside and saw a river rushing down our street, my survival instinct said, get [10:26:50 AM] out. Save your family. In a few minutes that it took us to activate and collect our vital things. Two inches of water were standing underneath my 15 month old son's crib. That's the stuff that nightmares are made of. We left the house in our family SUV in search of higher ground, prioritizing, prioritizing the safety of our family rather than mitigating damage to our property. We having never experienced an unprecedented event in our neighborhood like this, we had no idea how high the water would rise, and we didn't want to wait to find out the point. I'd like to drive home is that little walnut creek did not fail to do its job. The city did the culvert at quail valley boulevard with debris. So high it rose above street level , sent a river of rushing water down our street. As you can imagine, my life, my family's has been uprooted and will be for the next 6 to 8 weeks. While we reconstruct our house. Our house is unsafe to live in. I feel privileged that we have our safety and temporary shelter, and I'm grateful for our insurance coverage. But my heart breaks for our neighbors who are without those luxuries. I just got a bill for $22,000 from our remediation company and an additional estimate of $20,000 to reconstruct our home. I'm not [10:27:51 AM] sure if someone who lives on a fixed income without insurance in our neighborhood could afford these. The city failure to proactively clear a watershed has put our lives in danger, has put our health and safety on the line and has damaged our property contents and investments. We ask that you, as our elected officials, please serve the community better. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Back to in person Zenobia Joseph speaking on 15, 16, 17, 1931, 31, and 57 on deck is Monica Guzman. Thank you, mayor. Can the clerk pass off my hand offs? I think they're doing that. [10:29:15 AM] Thanks. Thank you. And respectfully, mayor, can you tell me how many minutes we have? I didn't hear your opening remarks. Thank you, mayor. Council I'm Zenobia Joseph. My comments are specifically related to a number of items. I'll just speak topically today since we don't have time to speak on each agenda item specifically as it relates to the appointments that you have on item 19. I just want to oppose the chair from, Nadia Borrero Ramirez there's a was that's mentioned as well. And then there's the gentleman from Travis county, Austin, the Travis county housing authority . And I just want you to recognize that these individuals are biased, specifically capital metro stated on November 3rd, [10:30:18 AM] 2017. Ann that there was some disparities and specifically north and northeast Austin. The chair actually stated as well on January 28th, 2019 that there were disparities and again on June 10th, 2020. Chair cooper stated again on cut about the disparities in east Austin. And so I have handed out to you my comments that are specifically related to house bill 32899. As you're aware, it passed 144 to 0 this week and specifically I went ahead and wrote to the internal revenue service a complaint against you, mayor, respectfully and this morning at 9:45 A.M, I also wrote to the speaker of the house, Mr. Phelan, because you violated section 17 of the house rules, which is specifically, you can't lobby and you have been adamantly opposed to the local government corporation item. I want you to recognize that this is actually three interlined and it's connected with the public [10:31:20 AM] facility corporation and those workforce development deals are 60% area median income, 80% area median income, which means you have to earn $61,000. The 2020 minority chambers study here at the city stated that African-Americans earn $42,000, which means you are codifying the 1928 plan. I would ask you to do right by African Americans if you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them at this time . If you have any questions. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker is Monica Guzman speaking on items 16 to 20, 22, 23, 24, and 56. If Glenn Tory can make his way up to the podium, that would be great. Hopefully, because I'm so short . Okay, well done. I'll do a demo video later. Yeah please. Good morning, mayor and council. I am Monica Guzman, district four resident and naka north Austin civic association [10:32:20 AM] neighborhood planning contact team officer Shaw. I represent the contact team with the Austin neighborhood council. I attended the proclamation celebrating Joe Ann Bartz, founder of ANC and ANC 50th anniversary. It was a beautiful proclamation and what got my attention was how she saw Austin as a great place for civic engagement. But sadly, civic engagement is no longer what it used to be, at least not here in city hall. On that note, I am switching hats. I am also policy director. Garza go, Austin. Vamos! Austin speaking as such, we are opposed to the land development code related items. 2022 and 23. On those items. There is no public hearing. You've admitted citizen participation making decisions without hearing from the community, especially those experiencing displacement. Item 22 eliminating required parking spaces doesn't guarantee students will stop using or needing cars, and it doesn't guarantee family friendly, affordable developments or developments with family [10:33:20 AM] friendly units. We ask you to share, provide. Austin, Texas examples of developers who reduced parking in order to provide family friendly, affordable developments financially accessible to individuals and families at or below the 50. Mfi thank you. Thank you, Glenn. Tory, on item 19 on deck is Jen Ramos speaking on item 21. Rohit Prasad on item 21 on deck is neema. Ram. Okay good morning. My name is rohit Prasad. I'm a UT alum and I'm a medical student here in Austin and I'm here to speak in support of item 21, urging the federal government to adopt federal medicare for all legislation living in Austin and learning the practice of medicine in central Texas has laid bare the [10:34:21 AM] faults of our existing health care system. I've seen patients whose biggest barriers to becoming healthy are not scientific unknowns, but rather issues of access and affordability. Our city and our county work hard to fill in the gaps left by the state and federal government. However there's only so much we as a city can do to try to remedy the faults of an inherently broken system. We need a uniform, comprehensive, national solution , and the only way we're going to get it is if cities like Austin add their voices to a growing number across the country and demand a working solution for their communities. We're already spending upwards of $4 trillion on health care per year, and we don't have the health outcomes to show for it. The question isn't if we can afford medicare for all, it's how much longer we can afford to go without it. This city and its people deserve to be healthy and so many folks work hard every day to improve the health of our community. It's important that as part of that work, we pass this resolution in service of creating a more efficient, effective and caring system to deliver better health for all. Austinites thank you for your [10:35:23 AM] time. Thank you. Nima rahman. And on deck is Christian Shope on item 22. Following is Curtis Rogers on item 22. If you hear your name, please make your way to the podium. Thank you for thank you for having me here today. My name is nima rahman and I am a medical student here in Travis county. I'm also here in support of item 21, in support of the medicare for all resolution Ann so often local government butts must directly deal with all the consequences of our unaffordable health insurance system. Municipal budgets are increasingly strapped and local businesses do often struggle to make ends meet due to rising health care costs and health care insurance premiums and local governments provide frontline response when community members face medical debt related bankruptcies or become gravely ill or die needlessly because they lacked [10:36:23 AM] the adequate health insurance that they so deserve. Thus, local governments can play a huge and important role in highlighting the desperate need in this country for an expanded and improved medicare for all by passing resolutions local governments can truly help to shape the national public narrative and build political will needed to ultimately win guaranteed health care for everyone. As a matter of right and not a matter of employment. It's time to build a national movement demanding medicare for all, starting here in our local communities. And I hope that Austin can become a part of that. Thank you so much. Thank you, Christian Shope speaking on item 22 Qureshi. Miss Rogers is on deck. Christian Shea district ten. I'm very grateful for council members qadri and thanks for signing on council members Velasquez and vela. This morning [10:37:24 AM] for item 22. I want to speak in favor of removing parking mandates. I own a home in district ten and under current rules, if I were to build an Adu in my backyard, I I'd have to build in an extra parking spot. Since I'm not in a tod zone even though I live a one minute walk from the bus. 30 that I took here today. That is not sound policy. Let us change that. There are 1.5 parking spaces for new housing developments for every one unit and each of those extra parking spaces can cost 25,000 to $50,000. That's absurd. Not only will that cost be passed down to renters, but less housing will be built because of it. I applaud city council for considering parking mandate reform. It's very much needed for our growing Austin past item number 22 today. Thank you. Thank you. Curtis Rogers on [10:38:28 AM] deck is Daniel Cappleman. Good morning and thank you for this time. My name is Curtis Rogers. I'm a resident of district three. I'm a member of the urban transportation commission and the bicycle advisory council. But here, speaking in personal capacity and a member of the Austin parking reform coalition . Ann this has been a personal project for a while, and I appreciate everyone talking about it today. I want to also highlight a thanks to council member Fuentes and Velasquez for bringing this up and the importance of daycares and bars and councilmember qadri for bringing up this on a citywide basis. I believe this will be a great benefit to small businesses immediately and eventually. Housing land is expensive in Austin and the more we are forced to dedicate it to cars means the less we can dedicate to housing and other great interests. I think this is the first step in a lot of things that we can do to go towards our goals. A 50% commuters going by means other than non cars. And I just appreciate this time I have a list. In the past I've read off a list of all the cities that have already done this to be quite frank, this list is [10:39:29 AM] growing very long and the names are getting harder to pronounce. I have it. If anyone would like it, but I really hope this passes and I would love for Austin to be on this list as well. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. If I may, I'd actually really love to have that list. I wonder if that's something you can distribute to us and my office can make copies for everybody else. Thank you. Next speaker. Our is bill Mccann. I'm sorry, Daniel Cappleman on deck is bill mccamley. Good morning, mayor and council. My name is Daniel Cappleman. I work for the nonprofit farm and city. I'm a resident of district three and a member of the Austin parking reform coalition. Thank you so much to the co-sponsors of this piece. This item, and thank you so much for again Fuentes and Velasquez for sort of starting this conversation earlier in the year. As Curtis said, we're growing. We're joining a growing list of cities and it's not cutting edge policy. This is [10:40:31 AM] just the norm. And we are so happy that Austin is soon to be the second largest city in the country to have taken this step. The market based approach simply removes barriers and allows for context based context, appropriate development and cities that have done this, they have seen lower rents and still enough parking, especially as you get further out from the core of the city. It stayed about the same further in. You got to see less parking around transit and lower rents. Overall, we are grateful that we are taking this common sense step forward as we align our land development code with the housing, mobility and climate goals of the city. And we are very happy in the Austin parking reform coalition to have a very broad range of support from affordable housing builders, environmental groups, the aarp, small businesses and a lot of different transportation safety and other local activist groups and we have had a very positive experience with the council members and their staff moving this forward. Thank you so much. [10:41:33 AM] I'm looking forward to continued engagement on this item. Thank you, sir. Next speaker is bill mccamley. On deck is Luke metz. Polgar. Mister mayor, members of the council, thank you very much for the time today and thank you very much. I will never let Mr. Cappleman live that down. I represent transit forward. We are an Austin 500 and 1c3 with a mission to educate and engage our fellow austinites on the real importance of transit and Eid. We're here today to support item number 22. Back in January , organization did a lot of research on the best practices around the country for equitable transit oriented development. The plan, which of which you all passed a couple of months ago, threw out that research. One of the things we found over and over and over again was that that parking minimums were something that cities that have had success in putting in equitable transit oriented development, that was the one thing that came up over and over that getting rid of that was the most common sense approach to really increasing the effective of effectiveness of transit oriented development. This is [10:42:34 AM] one of the most concrete ways to create affordability in our town. If we can get more people living in more housing, near transit stops, it will give more people options to maybe get rid of their car, save $10,000 a year and do better for their budgets. So we are here supporting this item. We really, really appreciate you all bringing this up. Thank you very much for your time and keep up the great work. Thank you. Next is Luke Metzger on deck is Ryan knell. Good morning, mayor and members. Council members. My name is Luke Metzger. I'm the executive director of environment Texas. We're a nonprofit advocate for clean air and water parks and wildlife and a livable climate and strong support of item 22. The it's estimated that there's some 700 million to 2 billion parking spaces in the United States. That's enough parking spaces to two and a half car parking spaces to seven parking spaces for every car in the united States. So far, more parking than we need. And that comes at a tremendous environmental cost. You know, we know with all that impervious cover contributes to [10:43:34 AM] our significant water pollution problems, flooding, urban heat island. One study estimated the environmental costs of parking is between four and $20 billion Natasha nationally every year. So we're really excited about this measure and excited that the council is taking it. Thank you so much. Thank you. Next speaker is Ryan knell speaking on 22 and 23 on deck is James Rogers. Hello, my name is Ryan knell. I represent the Austin cooperative business association. I'm just going to be focusing on 22, the parking item. And so previously I'd done a study on housing cooperatives and parking. And what I found is that the cooperatives very close to downtown had about 40 to 50% car ownership rates. When we got out to kind of what are what were the streetcar suburbs, suburbs, they were more like 50 to 60% car ownership rates. And [10:44:34 AM] the furthest co-op in my study was by Anderson lane and 183, and they had a 70% car ownership rate. So that means that every single co-op housing co-op in Austin had far more parking than the residents actually needed. So the one close to Anderson lane, I remember seeing like maybe about a third of our parking spaces were probably cars that never moved. And essentially it became car storage. And so I think that this would greatly benefit the cooperative movement and allow them to put more housing on the properties that we already know are over parked by reducing the parking requirements. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Mayor, do you mind if I ask a question that the one Anderson and 183, is that is it real? Which one is that one? That one's a la réunion cooperative apartments. La reunion. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker is James Rogers speaking on item 56 on [10:45:36 AM] deck. Are cy grant. Ryan Albright, Glen moorman, Tiffany moorman. Naomi Vlahos and Dustin grant. All speaking on item 56, please state your name when you begin your comments. I I don't believe James is here so thank you. Cy grant. Hi. My name is cy and I'm one of the citizens that was affected by the flooding of burns meadow. And thank you for recognizing this event and thank you for allowing us the time to address this issue. On the night of April 20th, 1.87in of rainfall fell over the course of two hours. 30 homes and 100 plus citizens were affected by the flooding. How ever we've had floods like this, we've had rainfalls like this before. This is not an unusual event. Over [10:46:38 AM] the last ten years, 37 times we've had similar rainfall over similar duration. Of those, 37 times, our home flooded zero. However we did flood this time. So you may be wondering what's different. Me along with some of my neighbors, will be addressing that. And what you will hear with clarity is that this was something that was preventable on February of 2021, there was an ice storm affecting 100,000 people and Eid in in may 1st there was 4.5in of rain over the course of less than two hours. No flooding. However, this year , January 30th, there was a similar ice storm affecting again over 100,000 homes and there was rain of two inches over the course of two hours, affecting 30 homes with flooding. So what's the difference? The difference is in 2021, the debris from little walnut creek was picked up in 41 days this year. It was not picked up within schedule, resulting in the creeks and canals not being able to [10:47:40 AM] function as intended and effectively turning into dams and so to conclude, I'd like to emphasize the fact that this was a preventative, preventable community disaster. And what my neighbors that will speak following me will address what happened, what was like, how it affected us and how we can do better next time. So this doesn't happen again. So I'd like to advocate for item 56. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker is Ryan Albright on deck is Glen moorman. Hello council. My name is Ryan Albright and I too affected was was affected by this event. I've come before you today to make one fact about this flooding event exceptional and clear. This was not a terrible natural disaster. This was not due to a flood plain. This was entirely preventable and a manmade disaster caused by the inaction of the city, which resulted in a diverted waterway and the subsequent flooding of over 30 homes in the little walnut creek bed runs along the [10:48:40 AM] back of our neighborhoods homes. And yet not a single home flooded from the back and said every single home flooded from the flooded from the front, from the street, which was made into a literal river. As you have and will hear, there was no exceptional amount of rainfall that caused the creek to overfill its banks. This was not a 5000 or 500 year flood. What there was, however, was a dam and debris that had been left in the creek for months amid our neighborhoods, cries for help from you which redirect did the natural flow of water out of the creek onto burns meadow boulevard and into our homes. Watershed had the opportunity to prevent this disaster just ten days prior to when they came out to our neighborhood and removed branches directly in front of the culvert. But instead of proactively identifying and removing potentially hazardous debris and branches, as our neighborhood has been requesting for years, they instead only took what was directly touching the culvert. This emotional financial and physical distress was entirely avoidable and should have never been caused by the amount of rain that fell [10:49:42 AM] that night. We ask you now for your assistance and your compassion and rectifying this disaster and healing our neighborhood. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker is Glen moorman on deck is Tiffany moorman. Hi. Thank you for meeting with us and my name is Glen moorman. One of the things we met with city officials last week about the flood and one of the things they told us is it's our responsibility to report debris when we see it. And I'm here to say I reported debris. There's a creek that runs directly behind our property right up against the bridge under burns meadow. We reported that debris three times. The first report was on February 2nd. And there is no there exists no report of that call and no action was taken the second time we called Austin 311 was February 22nd. There is a report from that. And as of [10:50:42 AM] April 28th, that work order is still listed as new on March 31st, we reported the tree limbs again because the tree limbs blocking the culvert were still there. Shaw that we also reported that our compost had not been picked up that week. The 311 ticket only lists that the compost had not been picked up. That's only 33% of the calls we made to Austin, 300 and Elton that were reported correctly. There are 13 work orders between February first and April 20th, the day of the flood Eid reporting debris in the creek. Mok based on my. 33% reporting successfully, I think there were probably more like 30 to 40, 30 to 40 calls that residents of the neighborhood made that weren't happening. I think there's a problem. Our our way of reporting this is Austin 301. And there's a problem with Austin 301. Ann. We did our civic duty to report this, but [10:51:43 AM] the calls are not reporting Eid or they're reported incorrectly . Also, the city, the watershed didn't prioritize emergency items. The city picked up all the debris sitting on the curbs , which was not going to cause any flooding or property damage. Yes it was an eyesore, but they did not pick up the stuff in the culverts that caused 30 houses to flood. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next speaker is Tiffany moorman. On deck is Naomi Vlahos. Hi. Thank you so much for having us. My name is Tiffany moorman. I live at 1346. Means drive. We have lived at that address for almost 15 years and I would like to point out that in that time we have seen much, much heavier rainfall knell with minor, if any, flooding in the neighborhood in 2015 on memorial weekend, when much of the city saw heavy rainfall and flooding, the reporting shows a widespread Eid of 6 to 8in of rain falling. The creek rose. It crested the [10:52:45 AM] bridge on burns meadow. However, because there was no debris blocking the culvert, the water flowed as expected and never got dammed up or ceased flowing. Because of this, fewer homes were affected by flooding. There were some, but nothing compared to this year because on April 20th of this year, 1.8in 1.8in of water flooded. At least 30 homes. That should not be enough to trigger a 100 year flood plain in there are used to be regular cleanup of the creek beds. The neighborhood, as we mentioned, is very good about calling and reporting the creek is directly behind our house. I know we call anytime we see debris or overgrowth in the area . And in the past, those historically had been addressed by the city within a week or two. This year, Ann and in the last probably two years, those concerns have gone unanswered or at best, minimally answered and [10:53:46 AM] only minor debris has been picked up. And the result created massive property damage that could have been avoided. Thank you for your time, Naomi Vlahos. And on deck is Dustin grant. Hello. My name is Naomi Vlahos and my husband Ryan and I live on Mearns meadow boulevard. Our house was flooded during the storm of the 20th on the 20th of April this year. I want to use my time to show a video from an elderly neighbor portraying the experience and trauma our neighborhood went through. Bartz flooding. Now oh lord, look at this. Oh my god. Oh we. It's pouring rain. [10:54:58 AM] Lucas rey. Harris. Knell mopac . Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next speaker is Dustin grant. Hi I'm Dustin grant. I guess aren't we all glad she didn't open that glass door there? Wright I want to thank you, mayor, for the time and the council and especially those who sponsored us to get in here relatively quickly. As you can see from the testimonies preceding me for item 56, these 30 homes and 100 residents have been negatively impacted by the debris and brush left unmanaged Eid in the city's watershed. To reiterate, this disaster was not caused by unusual weather [10:55:59 AM] events. This was not an unknown risk. This was not an event absent of advance notices for warnings and service requests to 301. And the city's portals. This was not an event that inflicted minor or negligible damage to our community, and this was not an event. The neighborhood residents could have done more Shaw to flag bring attention to or mitigate what this was as others had said, it was preventable. It was preventable. Had the city prioritized preemptive measures for debris cleanup in known vulnerable, vulnerable areas appropriately and upheld the promises to unclog the watershed and drainage systems thoroughly . We I encourage us all to work together to remedy this situation and fund the build back of the community to whole and normal. I'm sorry, not at the normal that was pre April 20th, 23, but a new normal in which the city is proactive and attentive to maintaining [10:56:59 AM] critical infrastructure and proactively keeping it safe and resilient, free from potential and preventable disaster. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker is Leah bajo on item 57. Hello, mayor and council. I'm here representing the applicant so I can just make myself available for questions. Thank you. The that concludes all the consent speakers. Mayor. We do have a speaker for the hpfc. Okay when. Let's do the consent agenda and then we'll go to that. I'll try to take that up. [10:57:59 AM] So the speaker is the speaker here or online? They are here. Okay well, then be patient with us and I'll get to that just as quickly as I can. And mayor, if I may, I just wanted to say thank you to the neighbors who showed up. I appreciate your testimony and we'll be taking up the item after the consent agenda to discuss it in more detail. Again thank you so much for the words, the videos, all the information. Yes. What we're going to do for those that are here to be seen and heard on on any items, we're going to take up the consent agenda. And the two items that have been pulled from the consent agenda are items 23 and 56. But I'll ask if council members have any other items they would like to pull from the consent agenda. Yes. Councilmember harper-madison. Mr. Mayor, I don't want to pull an item, but I'd like to add myself as a co sponsor on item number 22, please. That was the next thing. Let me stick with pool for a second. Okay. Any other items to be pulled? Any other items that someone wants to be shown as a co sponsor that [10:59:01 AM] they weren't previously listed? And I'm sorry, say it again. Councilmember item number 22, the parking item. Very good. Thank you. Mayor harper-madison will also be shown as a sponsor of item number 22. Councilmember Kelly. I know we're bringing up 56 later, but I'd like to be added as a co sponsor to that. All right. Well, we'll bring it up. We'll do that in a second. Any other items that need to be pulled or someone would like to be seen as show shown as a sponsor on the consent agenda? All right. Is there anyone who wishes to be shown as abstaining on any matter related to the consent agenda? Anyone wishing to be shown recusing themselves from an item on the consent agenda? Anyone wishing to be shown as voting no zo on the consent agenda. Councilmember Kelly. Please let the record reflect me voting or as voting no on item 21. Thank you. Councilmember Allison alter. I'd like to be shown voting no on item 22. I'm open broadly to relaxing our parking [11:00:03 AM] requirements and even eliminating them in some contexts. However, this item initiates the essentially the universal elimination of parking requirements, and I'm not ready to endorse that at this point in time for some of the other land development code amendments that have been initiated. I've been abstaining. I think that we really need to think hard as a council to how we're moving forward with this process. We do not have the staff at this point in time within our planning department to do all of these amendments in a timely manner. And we do need to prioritize what is going to get us the most bang for our buck in terms of code amendments. We also have a very quickly shifting landscape with respect to what the legislature may be putting forward. And I think we need to be a little bit more focused and strategic about what we are doing. So I am going to be voting no on 22. I also with [11:01:04 AM] respect to some of the other items, I think there are scenarios where I could support those when they come back and I don't think I can support the full elimination, although I could make a lot of changes and have already supported several changes in that regard. Thank you. Councilmember. Anyone else wishing to be shown voting no on any other items? All right. At this time, I'll recognize members who wish to speak on items on the consent agenda agenda. And I will first recognize council member Fuentes on item number 21. Thank you. Thank you, mayor. Thank you, everyone, for testifying today. Item 21 is the medicare for all support legislation that we have before us. Texas continues to have one of the highest rates of uninsured and underinsured insured rates in this country. The United States ranks last in access to care, administrative efficiency, Fauci equity and health care outcomes. And as one of the wealthiest countries in this world, this is simply not okay. As a nation, we spend trillions of dollars every year [11:02:05 AM] to uphold a broken health care system, a broken system that prevents our community kareithi communities without employee benefits and financial security from taking care of themselves and their loved ones. Right now, the sad reality is that one is one emergency medical doctor visit away from bankruptcy. That is a real problem that we have. I've brought forward this resolution because I believe fundamentally that health care is a basic human right and that every austinite is entitled to life saving, essential health services. I want to thank Joshua Singh with the students for national health program, for your leadership and advocacy and working with my office on this item, I want to thank Amelia Casas with my team for her work on this item and thank all of our advocates who are here in support today. I know that some some had a were not able to register to testify by, but we see you and we appreciate you for being here. Thank you. Thank [11:03:08 AM] you. I recognize councilmember qadri on item number 22. Thank you, mayor. Well, today is an exciting day and I am so excited to add Austin to the list of names that Curtis had provided. Member harper- madison on. And I just want to thank all the speakers as both remote and in person that have come out and have had their voice heard. We as a council have set an ambitious and Progressive goals for the city and one of our biggest roadblocks to achieving those goals, in my opinion, has been our land development code. And while we're trying to get more people out of their cars, while we're trying to reduce deaths and our carbon footprint and while we're trying to get more housing supply and affordable units, these are all elements S of our code that stand in our way. And one of the big, big ones are parking mandates that dictate that people provide an arbitrary amount of car storage on their properties. And I think our priority should be allowing [11:04:10 AM] space for people rather than mandating space for cars and we're not the first city to do this as it's been mentioned earlier today. But I believe we are one of the largest. And studies show that cities that have reformed their parking rules have gathered the rewards of new housing that couldn't have been built otherwise. And to anyone who worries that eliminating parking mandates will lead to no more parking, the science doesn't show that. We have empirical evidence here in Austin that the market will still deliver parking without the city mandating it. For a decade now, developers have been free to choose how much parking they want in any downtown development, and during that time, the vast majority of new towers and buildings have included a generous amount of parking. And we can fully expect developers and finances to continue to provide parking at their new projects, especially if these projects are nowhere near good. Transit or other alternatives to driving. But this will give them more flexibility to avoid over parking any project and it will [11:05:11 AM] allow for smaller property owners to build things like backyard granny flats and at the end of the day, this is simply market based fix that enables us to better achieve our mobility, affordability, safety, sustained ability and equity goals. So I want to thank my co sponsors, councilmember Fuentes, Ryan alter, pool mayor pro tem Ellis Velazquez, vela and harper-madison. I want to thank city staff. I want to thank my staff, especially Kayla Pritchard, who is somewhere over on the second floor, probably with a big grin on his face right there. Oh, he's right here. Okay, well, never mind. He wasn't going to miss this. Yeah and I want to thank all the community stakeholders. It's your voices that have been making this noise for many years that have made this moment possible. So thank you all. Thank you, councilmember. I'll recognize councilmember vela. I just wanted to briefly thank this is related to items two, three and nine. The city had [11:06:12 AM] funded some renovations burns for fire stations and ems stations that badly needed it. The money was a little short, so there were about three stations that we did not have money for. We knew this problem was coming probably about, you know, 18 months ago or so. I was preparing an item from council and really trying hard to push it. Thank you to the city manager, thank you to the assistant city manager. I mentioned it to them and they were right away with it. We don't need an ifc. We're going to get this done. And I don't think it's been 60 days later and here it is on our agenda with $17 million to complete the renovate Ann of those last three stations. That's good city management. I just wanted to highlight that, to thank them and let them know that their hard work is greatly appreciated . Thank you. Councilmember councilmember Allison alter on item 18. Thank you. I want to highlight item 18, which authorizes grant fund positions , grant funded positions to expand parks, vaccinations, community engagement case and [11:07:13 AM] cluster investigation and other parks related activities in the last few years. I think we've seen more and more how our public health investments are invested butts in our community safety and well being. Our public health staff positively changed lives and save lives across the city. I also want to acknowledge the hard work of our community partners, including people's community clinic, lone star circle of care, and the kind clinic these partners stepped up and worked tirelessly to keep parks from having a devastating impact on our community, often without any additional funding. I hope we can continue to make wise choices in our investments that make our communities safer and more resilient to the wide range of challenges. Our constituents face. Thank you. Thank you, councilmember councilmember chair recognizes councilmember pool. Thanks, mayor. I just wanted to make some quick remarks on item 20, which is the north burnet gateway regulating plan. And it's a comprehensive update to that regulating plan [11:08:14 AM] that I'm really excited to move forward. This is a booming regional center as you all know, often dubbed Austin's second downtown Ann or Austin is uptown and this regional center is growing into an attractive central Texas destination that draws tourists and shoppers, soccer fans. And it provides rides, great jobs and housing for our community. I want to thank my co sponsors council members Allison alter, Kelly qadri and particularly council member vela, who represents part of the north Austin gateway plan area. My thanks to all of you for your support on this item. Thank you, mayor. Thank you. Councilmember I'll recognize councilmember harper-madison. Thank you, mayor. I appreciate the recognition. Ann I'd like to just first of all say I'm really happy that we are here today. I think there's some good things that are happening. I think there's some also very challenging things that are happening within our community. [11:09:15 AM] So I love when I see chambers this full that means we're operating collectively. Wright if we if we all win, then we all win. If we all lose, then we all lose. But if we fight together, then we're fighting together. I appreciate watching us fight together. So thank you all for being here this morning. I just want to make sure to extend my appreciation. Y'all for traffic. Got up early, had to come to the copper building so thank god for being here this morning. I really appreciate it. I want to say thank you to council member qadri for bringing forward this item, item number 22 and all the other co sponsors. The work on this item. This initiative is critical. It was so important and I know that it has been a long time coming. Many of the advocates in the room. I see your smiling. You're proud of yourselves. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back. Do it. Don't be scared. I think y'all should be proud of yourselves today. This policy will do so much for so many people over the coming years in the city of Austin mandating parking [11:10:16 AM] minimums has resulted in our city pride rising parking lots over people for far too long. With this change, it is my sincere hope that we kick off a broader conversation Ann about how we not only change our code, but also change our culture to around parking. I won't go too far into it, but I think we need to change our culture around cars is how we move people around is critical and not everybody can afford to go climb in a car and drive around. We have 360 plus thousand people who work in the hospitality industry in this city. They can't afford to live anywhere near the hotels they serve. I want you all to think about that . We have to prioritize people and how they get around, how they get access to the things they need, including where they work, when they're working for you, when they clean your hotel [11:11:18 AM] room, your airbnb work at that restaurant. Butts that table. If they live in Harker heights and they make $79 an hour Shaw please tell me how owning a car that costs them $10,000 plus a year makes sense. Registration insurance, your $0.02 or your. It doesn't make sense. The numbers don't add up. Y'all I want us to just as a community, as we sit here collectively, I want us to be thinking about these culture shifts that we have to make together. Y'all remember rotary dial phones? Sturrup we don't do that no more. There's a lot of stuff we shouldn't do anymore. We don't smoke in airplanes no more. Y'all feel me? I know y'all hear what I'm saying? I think ultimately, we this larger conversation will require the kind of collaboration Ann that we all have to do together. It's an ecosystem of development and construction. Ann in Austin, and [11:12:18 AM] I am excited, frankly, to share that our office has been partnering with the urban land institute transportation department, and Jen weaver, which, by the way, Boop, Boop. Jen weaver of the city's design commission to host a technical advisory panel with the institute to bring perspectives , expertise and data to ensure that these code changes will actually bring forward as a council in the future, a built environment that we are aiming for intentionally. Again Ann. Thank you to my council colleagues and all who have worked on this. I really appreciate your effort. I recognize it's no small task. Thank you to the community advocates and all our partners who've been leading in this conversation Ann and who will continue to lead in this conversation moving forward. Y'all did it. Congratulate burns . Council member Kelly thank you, mayor. Thank you, mayor. It's a little hard to follow council member harper-madison after that. She's on fire today. [11:13:20 AM] I love it. I'd like to thank everyone today for the support of item number nine, which will supply district six and other areas of Austin and their residents with ems station ten and fire station 25 at 5228. Duvall road. I've heard from many people in the community that have had questions about the renovation as and when they'd be realized and if you've driven by there, you'll see that the building is just a shell of itself. So it's nice to see that item on our agenda, especially with us closely approaching summer and an increase of wildfire risk happening, that station will help keep the community safe and protected. I'd like to thank my colleagues for such a robust and thoughtful discussion with the questions on Tuesday regarding the APD and collaboration Ann. I'm looking forward to learning more about them during my ride out with dps , which is scheduled for the end of the month. And before I finish my remarks today, I want to thank building services and atx Ann for giving my office and staff support this morning when I gave a proclamation out front in honor of may 4th. I appreciate staff's continued [11:14:20 AM] support of the council when we need assistance and may the 4th be with you all today. Thank you. I was wondering whether that was coming. Ann councilman councilmember Ryan alter. I just want to make a quick comment. Item number 19, our nomination burns boards and commissions. I want to thank councilmember Allison alter for making an appointment to the charter review commission. Unfortunately, that only brings our appointments up to two. So if your last name isn't alter, we need an appointment from you . Councilmember pool. Thanks, mayor, for letting me go a second time. There were two things I just wanted to mention on item 22, because I'm really pleased to be part of initiating the conversation on parking and in our city, and I appreciate the opportunity to assure our communities we're not eliminating a single parking space with this action. But we are looking at what parking may [11:15:22 AM] be necessary in the future. And I specifically want to add that I'm grateful for the role that adapt has played here as they have done in cities like ours across the nation. Ann revisiting that are revisiting their parking rules to guarantee access to parking for people who may have physical disabilities. That is absolutely included in this overview and the revisiting of our rules. And we will not forget folks who do need access to parking because of Ada regulations. And I thank the sponsor for making this a focus of the initiative. Thank you. Councilmember qadri. Thank you. Councilmember pool. Any other comments on the consent agenda? Members? The chair will intends to take up the consent agenda showing the no votes on the consent agenda by unanimous consent is there any objection to the adoption of the consent agenda as read and hearing none the consent agenda is adopted with councilmember Kelly being [11:16:22 AM] shown voting no on item 21 and council member Allison alter being shown voting no on item number 22 members. I will now go to item number 56, which was an item pulled by council member Vella and I'll recognize council member Vella. Thank you, Mary mayor, very much. Thank you to all the burns chito neighbors that testified. And I also heard another gentleman from the Lamar Ann Ramberg area where there were he was a caller, but also identified there were four houses that flooded in that area. And my understanding from my conversations with watershed is that there are probably a total of about 60 or so homes that flooded during the recent heavy rains. I met with the burns meadow neighbors, I believe it was last week, and I appreciate their the conversations with them, them inviting me into their houses, in their backyards and to see [11:17:22 AM] exactly what the situation was and what had happened. And I wanted to make sure and get this on the agenda as soon as possible. And at this point, really, I would like to hear from watershed red just to kind of hear where they are. I know they've already been working on the item without it passing in terms of identifying resources and looking at what we can do. And I just wanted to hear from from the director. Thank you. Council member. My name is George morales. I'm the director of the watershed protection department. And first of all, I want to acknowledge the suffering pain that you guys are dealing with. And I appreciate the meeting we had last week. And for the information you've provided today to the to the council as well. So our mission in watershed is to protect lives and property in the environment from impacts of flooding, erosion and water pollution. And so like I told the community last week, we could do better. We will do better. As it relates to 311, you shared some information on our staff has been responding to 311 calls since the winter storm and the [11:18:24 AM] debris did have an impact here that the culverts were blocked and that exacerbated the flooding. Is there flood risk there? Yes, there is. But the flooding did get exacerbated by the by the debris. Our crews had been out there as the community has already stated. We have prioritized citywide, not just this community, but this community is in an area that we know that there's risks. So we have a vegetation control program and we go out there 3 to 4 times a week. I mean, a year, not a week. And the last time, according to our data, we were out there in December before the winter storm, we were set to be out there again with our contractor in may. This rain happened before then. So yes, there's more we could do and we'll continue to do that. Since the storm. We did have our crews out there the next morning, we realized that extent of the damage was beyond what we could do by ourselves. So we partnered with the transport Ann public works. They were out there assisting us. We did clear all the culverts again before the additional rains that came. We had series of rain events following April 20th. So our goal is going to be to continue to keep the debris clear as much [11:19:25 AM] as we can. But I want to acknowledge this is a citywide problem. And with the additional rains we're seeing this year and we expect the wetter than normal fall because of el Nino phenomena, we're going to continue to prioritize where we can and do better. We have a lot of information we've already been gathering and just yesterday in a conversation with council member Vella, the earlier speaker today that talked about their flooding, we weren't I wasn't aware of it. My staff had already been out there. So as we continue to hear from the community, we'll continue to identify how we can provide resources as a lot of the work that watershed does is in Ann in advance of the storms, during the storms and then going out there. But it takes the whole community to get there. It is a complete community partnership and so I do want to thank homeland security emergency management immediately coordinated with red cross to be out there. I understood from meeting with the community that the level of service they received maybe wasn't what they were expecting or wanted. So they partnered with the Austin disaster relief network, who's been out there. And we appreciate them going out there. And we're exploring other ideas right now, working with Texas [11:20:26 AM] department of emergency management at the state. And so the office is going to be promoting more information on on other programs that are out there. So like councilmember vela, you said we already working on items that you have in your resolution. And as I put together the information on this particular event, I'll summarize it in a memo to mayor and council and send it to you all for further discussion. And thank you, director morales. And could you also just update us on the cip, the capital improvement project that is pending for the that area, for the burns meadow area, and that that portion of the little walnut creek? Yes. Councilmember. So as stated, there is a cip project where we're diverting the flows from the little walnut creek into Merced meadow and anybody that's been out there, you'll see the box culverts are out there, they're living by 13 box covers. So we're diverting a significant amount of flow that will reduce the flooding risk for all these homes. We have about 80 homes that are in a floodplain currently. And so that project was delayed because we had some challenges with the contract contract there. And so we are in the process of hiring another [11:21:27 AM] contractor and we expect in the next three months to get back out there with a new contract out there. And so we were in the process of doing that when this storm occurred, unfortunately. And so the utilities have been relocated. The main component of the big box culvert is what's left to be built. And so we will have a new contract in place soon. Thank you, director. And is that were there about 60 homes total flooded citywide or as far as you're aware, how many homes were damaged in that? So recent rain event? The watersheds that received the most rain that that evening on April 20th included little walnut creek. It also included Harris branch, bull creek and walnut creek. We also heard of five homes that flooded in another area of walnut creek. That's the whispering valley area. We know there's at least some homes there. So we do ask the community if you had experienced flooding to please use 301. To notify us so we can have better data as we're collecting this. But we know that those two areas are the [11:22:27 AM] ones that that experienced flooding, little walnut and walnut creek. And of course, there was also a vehicle inundation in in a lot of roadways. And so overall, I think we had about 12 roads that were closed at Eid. I believe 183 in Duvall is where we saw significant, significant flooding there. I think it may be associated with a project that's underway. There was text on thank you and mayor and council that the 301. Tool is a great tool. It really allows people to communicate their needs to the city. It's a great data collection tool. So I think we can see what's going on and where people are calling from throughout the city. I will say that not just in this situation but in other situations as it does also create the expectation . Ann though, that something is going since it's been reported, something will be handled. And that I think is where we're not quite there in terms of our ability to respond and to 311 calls when they come in or in an extremely timely manner. And I also just want to point out that [11:23:29 AM] there's some confusion, too, because some someone will report a 311 item and then it'll be closed. And that doesn't mean it's been completed. That means I think it's already been I'm not honestly sure what it means, but but there's just kind of, I think, a miscommunication Ann that that creates some anxiety and confusion in some of the folks that are, as the neighbors said, doing their civic duty and reporting problems to the city. But then kind of the they're confused and sometimes upset by the reaction. So that's beyond the scope of this item. But I did want to just kind of point that out and put it on on council's radar. Councilmember, if I will. Just to clarify a little bit, we did thank you for pointing that out. That is a challenge that we know we've been having and our partners at 311, I believe, had been working on the process improvements. And I think some of it just rolled out in April. But we hear you loud and clear to the community and we're going to continue to improve on 311. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Councilmember harp. Okay. Wow all right. Here she started she [11:24:31 AM] was okay. Well, no, no, you you started way back when you said you wanted to be a sponsor of this. So I want to recognize councilmember harper-madison should be listed as a sponsor on this item from council. What I want to do is get a motion out, and I'll call on everybody for discussion purposes. I'll second whichever motion motion motion. Councilmember Vella, seconded by councilmember harper- madison to approve item number 56. Now the item will bring it up for discussion and I'll recognize councilmember vela to see if he has anything he wants to add. And then I'll start that way and come this way. I will just add that, that I know that the director also mentioned there's some potentially like zero interest sba loans. Again, we'll get that information over to the burns meadow homeowners as soon as possible. But they're we're looking at at any and all possible sources for assistance and recovery. And as soon as we [11:25:33 AM] have that information, we will get that over to the homeowners along with anything that the city can do internally to, you know, help them out. I know one of the immediate asks was, is they just have a lot of debris from the carpet and the drywall and all that stuff that had to come out of the homes. So, again , I just want to reiterate that anything that we can do in terms of providing resources for the neighbors, we want to do that as a city. Thank you, councilmember mayor pro tem. Yes. I would also like to be added as a co sponsor. I appreciate my colleagues quick work on trying to make things right with this community. I hope the director didn't go too far. So sorry. I wanted to just highlight something that had been a discussion, I think all the way back to 2019. We had some conversations around the clean community fee and creating the clean creeks crew, so I was happy that we did that. I know over the pandemic it was a bit [11:26:35 AM] hard to get everything staffed up, but can you talk a little bit about the crews work? Ann and the clean community fee versus the drainage utility fee? And just what's the difference in department collaboration? Thank you for that. And yes, that was a very important item and it is an item that created the clean creek crew using the keep the Austin clean community fee, which is not under the purview of watershed. So our partners at Austin resource recovery, they hired that crew. And I don't know if we have resource recovery here. We have them here. So we coordinated with resource recovery to create the scope of what that crew does. And going out to clean the creeks and their focus is keeping the creeks clean. Wright but it's I believe when crew so if you want more specifics on how it's functioning, I would invite my partner from rr to come up here and give you more details on that. But it is it's my understanding is moving forward and our department is collaborating with resource recovery on that. That's that's really helpful because I know it took a little while for us to be able to get the programing and assignments to be fully in sync. And so I'm hoping that we're in [11:27:36 AM] a place right now where we can alleviate these situations that are happening for the neighbors. I also wrote down Williamson creek, it looks like from the video, I really appreciate getting to see that video. But it reminds me of the homes that are along Williamson creek in my district. I know it's on your radar because there's some drainage improvements that are currently underway. Shea but I just wanted to make sure that was on y'all's list of homes that might need a little more help with trying to figure out how to figure out how to mitigate flooding, because they're all very much aware that when the rains come, they know exactly how detrimental it can be to their homes. Is 311 the only way to report it or is there another, you know, similar to our outage maps that the utilities run is 311. The only way to report these issues? No after each rain event, that's a significant rain event. We go out and reconnaissance the area. Our staff. And so community usually comes out and we talk that way. We collect data that way as well. But 311 is a [11:28:36 AM] database and so it is our preferred tool. Even I have it on my app. And when I'm out there, I'm using 311 because it's logging it in. And yes, I heard some comments about some data, you know, maybe not being captured properly. So we'll look into that. But 301. Is the best way for us to track it and follow through with the workflow of is it something that our crews can go out there and repair, remediate, or is it something that needs to be used as data for larger cip project to the Williamson creek area you're talking about? We are evaluating options. Some of these we have over almost 10,000 homes in the city of Austin that are at risk of flooding. About three quarters of that is related to creek flooding. Others are related to localized flooding, which is creek away from the creek. So those aren't even in a floodplain map. Just just to be very clear, it's areas that are low inundation and maybe we don't have the infrastructure. And so when the water gets to a certain level, those homes will flood as well. So there's a lot of properties at risk throughout the city. So 311 helps us make sure that we're not missing any information, any data as we're [11:29:37 AM] prioritizing these properties. I really appreciate that. I know in the past few years, the atlas 14 flood maps were updated, which was a nationwide initiative because the 25, 50, 100 year flood plains are changing cycles in how often they do that. And I also will remind people to not only look at those maps, but to understand that just because you're not in a floodplain doesn't mean that the terrain around your home might have situations where flooding occurs. And so if you've recently moved, maybe talk to your neighbors and get a good sense of what happens, because my last apartment was on the top of a hill, but still had terrain issues where water almost came in the front door. So I really appreciate the people affected by this coming and speaking to us today and sharing Singh their situation and hope we can find quick remedies to make it better. Thank you, councilmember councilmember Kelly. Thank you. I'd like to thank councilmember vela for bringing forward item 56, which directs the city manager to identify resources and strategies to assist the victims of recent storms. Parts of district six were also affected by the recent rainfall [11:30:39 AM] . Knell and I've met with watershed protection and we spoke at length about their department and response to that recent storm. Director morales, you were out in my district real quick after that happened. And so for that, our community is very thankful, making the community safer during major weather events is something that's near and dear to my heart. And that's why I asked to be a co sponsor of this item. I appreciate your timely notice, councilmember vela, and bringing this forward for all. Thank you. Councilmember harper-madison. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'll echo the sentiments of my colleagues, councilmember vela, thank you for bringing this item forward. Thank you for your time and presentation this morning. I really appreciate your candor. You did say something that causes me concern, and I wonder if this is an item that, you know, sometimes I think we as a body, we bring forward items for consideration that don't necessarily cause any immediate change, long term change. Right I often tell my constituents I'm making policy for people who are babies right now, the people who [11:31:40 AM] are supposed to be making policy for you. They were here 20 years ago. So that said, my question for you is why three months? You said something about it taking three months for it to go through the procurement process . That seems bizarre to me. I could get on taskrabbit right now and get somebody to clear debris out of my yard right now, we're the 11th largest city in the nation, so I don't understand why three months for a procurement issue that will help to alleviate real harm to property owners. I'm just I'm curious. And I'm certainly not casting any dispersions, but I am very curious why so long? What what's the holdup and how can we help you? So the comment was related to the cip project that stalled Eid in little walnut creek. I'm familiar and getting a new contractor so we are actually using a mechanism that's more of an emergency type procurement where we meet with other contractors and get low bid and move it forward. So the procurement process itself, others can probably speak to it more eloquently than I could. But when we put out a cip project, we have to follow state [11:32:40 AM] statute and put it out for bids, get get qualified bids and all that and go through that process. So it requires the design Ann it requires the bid documents, it requires contractors to bid on it. It requires an assessment and evaluation, bringing them back to council. And so those processes generally are 3 to 6 months on a regular cip. This one is actually going through more of an expedited process because of the contract situation. We had with with this particular project. And so I do believe that item will be coming to you soon because we were already in the works to get a new contractor to go back and finish that project. I appreciate the sensitivity of your position and I know you're doing your best, but you can imagine as a homeowner, you saw that video with that water rushing through somebody's house. Three months does not feel expedited. It feels like a long time. And so I just that was one of my concerns then. Councilmember vela also brought up something when you responded to him about the areas that flooded. And two of the three areas you mentioned are in my [11:33:41 AM] district. I haven't heard a single word Eid. I just want to know, moving forward, I want to make certain that we all have a process for communication. I didn't know until you just said it right there from the podium that two of my creeks and my district where people adjacent to experienced flooding, they didn't call me. I think oftentimes they're so disillusioned by the city that they don't even bother, you know, like that 311 process where people aren't getting responses or whatever. I think they just don't bother sometimes. That said, I haven't heard from any of my constituents. I'm just now hearing you from the podium that two of my three creeks flood and I didn't even know. I want to make certain that we have something in the way of protocol where we communicate with one another, where these are the kinds of things that we communicate. So if watershed, here's that Harris branch or walnut creek or one of my creeks flooded and my adjacent homeowners are affected, I'd like to know zo and there's no [11:34:43 AM] way for me to know. And so they make assumptions about leadership and representation, like I'm not being responsive. The truth of the matter is, I didn't know how am I supposed to know? And so I think we should just maybe moving forward, let's have some meetings, have some coffees, chit chat about like, how are we going to make sure that we build into protocol that level of communication as soon as that first 311 comes and it's one or d6 or d8 or that that representative needs to know. Otherwise our constituents feel like we're not being response live. And that's certainly never the case. We just sometimes don't know. I think they don't recognize the city as this juggernaut with lots of moving pieces and they say the city sometimes people say the city. I'm like, bro, I don't even know what you're talking about. Like, it's so far removed from me. It's not even what I do. But they don't know that. And so that was one of the things and the last thing I would say is councilmember vela also brought up the function Ann of 301. And that's certainly a separate [11:35:44 AM] conversation. But I want to know from your office and certainly not in this forum, but moving forward, I want your office to communicate with our offices. How can we help make that tool work better for you? Because it sounds to me like there's at least something clunky and not alive Singh, in which case we need to know as a body, how do we make it work better for you? Thank you. Council member. And to your first point, I just want to acknowledge that and clarify that what I was saying, those watersheds that I listed is where we had the significant rain. We did check some of your areas. I'm not aware of any flooding in your district. Once we did know there was flooding in the districts, we notified those council members. But to your point, we'll improve on the communications as it relates to 311, the concern is that community has shared is that the system closes out their ticket, but they haven't actually resolved the issue. And so I believe that's an item that's already being addressed through the 311 process. But we'll continue to evaluate what else we can do. And I will be setting [11:36:45 AM] up meetings with your district so that we can have a deeper conversation. I appreciate you, director. Thank you. Councilmember Fuentes. Thank you, colleagues. I just want to remind you all that I, too, share your frustration on 311. It's why I brought forward a resolution last year that was adopted, adopted unanimously by this council, bringing up some of the very issues that we've talked about today where a case is submitted and a notification is then given to our constituents that says the case is closed when in fact it has just been transferred to the appropriate department. I was told by staff that that issue has been addressed and that it's been changed. But if you are hearing from your community, that is not the case. I encourage everyone to reach out to Jerry Galvan with Austin energy as he is overseeing that project. Thank you, councilmember councilmember qadri. I'll make this super quick. I just want to thank councilmember vela for his work. I'd also like to be added as a co sponsor, and I just want to express my sympathy for the folks who had a time to come in [11:37:46 AM] and speak about their hardships and everything that they went through. Thank you, councilmember councilmember Allison alter. Thank you. I'm wondering if you need more resources to address remaining debris from storm Mario that is out there. Councilmember that's a very good question. We are experiencing a citywide, so we partner with other departments. So in general, could we use more resources? The answer is yes. So I would just like to ask the city manager's office to be taking a look at that at we just had the partial declaration from FEMA with respect to disaster and exploring whether there is an opportunity here to address any remaining debris through that process and leverage some of some of those funds. But also, I would ask that during the budget process, as we're evaluating watershed's budget and the various fees, etcetera, that we take into consideration , Ann that there are long term [11:38:48 AM] consequences of what might be a short term benefit of not raising a fee and making sure that we have the infrastructure and the services that we need in this area is really important. We have several families who are here. Obviously today, you know, and we don't want that to be a repeated occurrence. Thank you. Thank you, councilmember. I'll recognize councilmember vela to close briefly. We can thanks to the council for your support. The goal of the resolution is to marshal any additional resources, not just to help the homeowners, but also to get the creeks clear. We are at high risk for flash floods in Austin in both spring and fall. We can have really major thunderstorms. I mean, we see it, we see it happening on the roadways and the importance of keeping those creeks clear so that our our properties are protected so that our people are protected. Is absolutely essential. Again I just want to say thank you to [11:39:49 AM] the homeowners who came and testified and showed us videos and photos and again, my sincere apologies and sympathies to everything that everyone is going through. We will continue to communicate with you and to follow up with any and all information that that the city gets to us and with that, I would just move passage. Members councilmember vela has moved approval of item number 56 a second by councilmember Harper Madison is there any objection to the motion to approve hearing? None motion to approve is adopted on item number 56. Thank you. Councilmember Whalen . Council members. Members because I've been told that we have a speaker on the Austin housing and finance corporation . Ann what I'll do is without objection, we will recess the meeting of the regular meeting of the Austin city council and I'll now call to order the board of directors of the Austin housing finance corporation, Ann and I will ask staff to make a [11:40:50 AM] brief presentation on items one and two. Mr. Mayor, may I? I just want to acknowledge we have a special guest in the room. Mr. Nelson Linder is here, the president of our local chapter of the naacp is in the room, not sure what he's here to testify about, but I certainly wanted to acknowledge him. Civic responsibility. Thank you. Thank you very much. Good to see you. [11:47:56 AM] I will now call back to order. And apparently there's been a question about the order we're going to go in. We were going to go back to item number 23 and [11:48:57 AM] then we will take up the non consent items 30, 31 and 57. It's 1149. So what we will probably end up doing is taking up item number 23 and maybe opening the public hearing on 30 and 31 before the 12:00 time. Certain for community communications. Item number 23, I'll call up item number 23 and I'll recommend tend council member Ryan alter. Thank you, mayor. Colleagues when we look at the cost of housing, it's directly related to two things cost to build and the cost of the land. And while we don't have the power to change the cost of construction materials, labor or interest rates, we can impact the cost of land. If you take a lot, you divide it into multiple pieces that divides that cost to 2 or 3 homes and that has a real meaningful impact. But currently, if you [11:49:57 AM] want to subdivide a lot, you must go through a lengthy and expensive process that can add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of the land. But if you want to just join two lots together, it's quick and cheap and I just believe it shouldn't be easier to create large lots for large, expensive homes instead of smaller lots for more affordable homes. And this item corrects that imbalance in so doing, we're creating an easier and cheaper subdivision process to lower housing costs and we give those wishing to stay in their homes an additional option to stay rather than be displaced by potentially subdividing their lot and being able to generate more income on their existing land. So I also think it's really important to note a couple of things that this item doesn't do, doesn't change the zoning. It doesn't change any notification requirements. It doesn't change lot sizes, setbacks, impervious cover [11:50:59 AM] requirements. It it just focuses on making sure that we have increased density where appropriate for infill development. So I want to thank council member pool council member harper-madison and councilmember Vella and Velasquez for co-sponsoring this . I want to thank my chief of staff, Ben Leffler, who has worked tirelessly with brant Lloyd, who is also very worthy of thanks getting us here really to just help address our affordability and housing crisis and with that, I move and actually I should also note we're going to have an amendment here. And it's a great amendment we need to consider wildfire risk in all that we do. And that's very important. I think councilmember Allison alter for leading on that issue. But with that, I move adoption members. Councilmember Ryan alter moves the adoption. It is seconded by are you seconding seconded by councilmember harper-madison is there any further discussion. Well I'll recognize councilmember Allison alter for a proposed amendment. Members, [11:51:59 AM] you have in front of you a sheet to amend item number 33. And I'll recognize councilmember. What did I say? I'd like to amend line 33 of item 23. Yes I'm sorry. I think that's what I was doing was looking at the lines. Item number 23 for clarity. And she begins the amendment at line 33. And I'll recognize councilmember Allison alter. Thank you. So this amendment adds wildfire risk to the other health and safety considerations already addressed, such as flooding. Yesterday I sped out the day with our fire department, our many, many other departments and our county at our wildfire symposium Ann. And I feel very strongly that wildfire risk should be part of our direction of something that we consider as we move forward with this proposal. I'll I do want to be transparent that I'm going to be abstaining on this item because I would like to first review what staff comes back with. I [11:52:59 AM] appreciate your clarifying actions that addressed one of my concerns, but there's a lot of different directions this can go and I want to wait to see what comes back with respect to that . One of the things that I will be closely looking at when it comes back is whether it is consistent with our wildland urban interface code and the best practices with respect to wildfire evacuation routes and safety. I appreciate council member Ryan alter saying that this is fine with him. We have some real serious issues potentially with respect to insurance and the homes that we build in the wildland urban interface and the wildfire risk that we need to be building into our code and making sure we're not exacerbate abating. So I think this is important that this item takes into consideration wildfire. Thank you, members. You've heard the motion to adopt amendment number one to item number 23. It's seconded by council member Ryan alter. Is there any discussion Ann on the amendment? Is there any objection to the adoption of [11:54:00 AM] the amendment to item number 23? Hearing none. The item is item number 23 is amended. That will take us back to the main motion. Mayor, I just want to sorry, are you abstaining from your motion? No I'm voting on my motion. I was getting ahead of you. Is there any discussion Ann on the main motion which is to adopt item number 23 as amended here, seeing none without objection. Item number 23 as amended is adopted with council member Allison alter being shown abstaining. Thank you, members. We'll now go to item number 30. Item number 30 is to conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance. We will now open the public hearing on item number 30 . Is there. Is there any staff [11:55:01 AM] that wants to make a presentation on this item? And I'm not begging for one. I'm just. No presentation. Mayor, mayor and council joy Hartman with the planning department. This was the item I know there is a item initiated by the council and it will create a fee in lieu for properties required to comply with great streets but are located on texdot right of way because texdot right of way will not allow great street standards in their right of way. So this will just allow programs to participate in, be able to participate in programs like the density bonus to allow more housing. Thank you for the explanation. Is there any is there a motion on item number 30? Motion is made by council member harper-madison. Is there a second? Second Eid by the mayor pro tem? But actually what I need to do is we need to conduct a quick public hearing, hold those motions. Without objection, we'll open the public hearing on item number 30. Is there anyone wishing to be heard? Madam clerk? No there's no one to be heard. Without [11:56:02 AM] objection, we will close the public hearing on item number 30. Members you've heard the motion by council member harper-madison. It was seconded by the mayor pro tem. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Is there any objection to the adoption of item number 30? Hearing none. Item number 30 is adopted. We'll now go to item number 31, which is conduct a public hearing and also consider an ordinance. Do you wish to say anything about this, Ms. Ardern . Just real quickly, this is again another item initiated by the council and it will allow properties in the capital dominance overlay district to exceed the allowable height in order to participate in the downtown density bonus program. Thank you very much. Without objection, we'll open the public hearing on item number 31. Madam clerk, is there anyone to be heard? No speakers without speakers. Is there any objection to the closing of the public hearing on item number 31 Ann hearing none. The public hearing is closed. Is there a motion to adopt item number 31? Motion is [11:57:04 AM] made by the mayor pro tem, seconded by council member harper-madison. Is there any discussion on item 31? Hearing none. Is there any objection to the motion to adopt item number 31? Hearing none. Item 31 is adopted. Members we'll go to item number 57, which is to also conduct a public hearing and consider an ordinance. Miss harden, why don't you give us 30s on that? 30s it is this. This is related to item item located at 62 east avenue and it has a case number site SP 2022 0852. This will allow for the downtown density bonus request which the programs administrative allowance allows for 5015 to 1. This will allow the development to go to 29, 9 to 1 fa and the development will have on site affordable housing and they will be paying a fee over 800,000 and Eid staff does [11:58:04 AM] support this item. Thank you very much. If you want to take a little bit more time, you're welcome to. Okay with that objection, we will open the public hearing on item number 57 Ann. Madam clerk, is there anyone signed up to speak? There are no speakers for item 57 members there being no speakers on item number 57. Is there any objection to closing the public hearing on item number 57? Hearing none. Ann. The public hearing is closed. Is there a motion to adopt item number 57 councilmember qadri moves adoption seconded by the mayor pro tem. Is there any discussion ? Ann on item number 57? Yes councilmember qadri as it's indeed nine. I just want to make a few comments about it. You know, as an office, we're actively working with transportation staff to look into the mobility study as well as the big red dog study done years ago to see what mobility improvements can be initiated, more needs to be done to look at this area and other areas [11:59:05 AM] developing downtown to ensure the downtown area is developing in a way of a complete community and help reduce dependency on car ownership. Imagine Austin calls for complete communities, yet there appears to be no real plan to create that for Rainey. The downtown Austin plan was adopted over ten years ago and our city looks very different Burt than it did ten years ago. So we'll be looking at how we can update that and bring a more comprehensive vision to downtown neighborhoods and regulatory tools to make it happen. So thank you very much, councilmember qadri, is there any further discussion on item number 57? Hearing none. Is there any objection to the motion to adopt item number 57? Hearing none. Item number 57 is adopted members sit very quietly for about 45 seconds or talk amongst yourselves for about 45 seconds. We will have our 12:00 noon time. Certain Ann communication. Public communication at Wright. At [12:00:07 PM] 12:00. It looks like it's 12:00. Item we will now take up our public communication Ann and I'll recognize as the city clerk to begin on that process. Okay. The first speaker is Ann ciccolella. Thank you so much. I'm the artistic director for Austin Shakespeare. We've been involved in the creative community for a decades. We've had 37 years of doing free Shakespeare and zilker park and now our Austin funding has become zero. So with no funding this year, we're not doing a month of free Shakespeare in the park. We're doing a weekend. We're not hiring 15 actors. We're hiring five. This can be multiplied by hundreds of other arts groups and hundreds of other performances and exhibits. You need to know that the [12:01:10 PM] economic development department is simply devastating. The Austin arts community, all in the name of DI did you know that hot tax funding now can be applied for folks outside of the city of Austin that we are now accepting applications from a five county radius? Did you know that for profit groups bars, restaurants that might have some exhibit space can also apply for hot phones. Artists in Austin and arts groups actively work daily to create a diverse community, diverse performers, actors, artists, dancers, musicians, technicians and craftspeople, and to serve a diverse audience. I've met with dozens of artists and arts groups and we agree that we now need an office of arts and culture to not in the future, but at the end of this fiscal year, without your intervention, there'll be a significant number [12:02:11 PM] of unemployed, nonprofit professionals and artists in our community and significt cantly less art in Austin. We urge you to freeze the cultural funding process and audit that department immediately and we thank you for caring. Keep Austin weird. Eid thank you. Thank you. Next speaker is Craig Bryant out on deck? Is Ethan Smith. 135. Eid Ethan Smith. On deck is Jeannie Ramirez. Good afternoon . So I wanted to talk about kind [12:03:11 PM] of rfps. I've kind of got a backlog of things I want to talk about. I wanted to address something that councilmember alter said a little earlier regarding 23. You said that qadri cost of housing is related to the cost to build and the cost of land Wright am I getting that right? But I would disagree with that. I would say the cost of a house is related to demand . And so if I can build a house for 200,000 and the land cost 200,000, that's 400,000. And if somebody is willing to pay 700,000, I'm going to make 300,000. If the cost of the land is 100,000 and the cost of build is 100,000 and people are willing to pay 700,000, the cost will be 700,000. So I think it's important to keep that in mind. I want to talk about the rfp processes as I spoke about this at last council, but we put so much energy and effort into assigning a value for affordable quote unquote, it's income restricted housing, mfi based, but there is a much simpler metric that is much more [12:04:11 PM] effective and that is, is how many bedrooms are per unit and that this is simple math. So if you looked at healthsouth. So I reached out to the housing department and I asked them, how are you giving assigning a value to this? And I did not I wouldn't say I got a straight answer, but we should there should be public transparency. If you want to say, you know, we believe this land is worth 50 million and we're giving it to these developers for 10 million because we believe they're providing 40 million of public benefit, that you should be able to show your work on that. And that's an important place to have transparency. And I think that probably only applies to more than just one rfp process. Yes, I wanted to just kind of get on the record and say I think that the rfp process for the urban renewal board tracks 16 and 18 should be separate, that we should be looking at tract 18 being a green space and whatever public funding that, concentrating it in track 16, I think that's a better idea. What [12:05:12 PM] else is there to say? Oh yeah I'm, I'm interested in the idea of saving the co ops, the residential co ops of west campus. I believe they're institutional providers of affordable housing, which I spoke about last time in reference to Houston Tillotson and that we need a definition and that these institutions have been extremely adversely impacted by the uno, the seven different uno resolution options of the last 20 years. And they were encouraged to expand in a way that wasn't within the kind of institutions they were, you know, the kind of housing they were operating. And that they were given these kind of carrots to expand and that they both both of them wound up in really bad debt because of that. And then you had a situation where then they couldn't expand and they they kind of added up deferred maintenance issues. And we want our affordable housing not to be substandard. And yet since they've been in such financial straits, that's kind [12:06:13 PM] of what's happened. And I'd like to look at getting them some money for their deferred maintenance. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker is genie Ramirez. Hi everyone. Genie Ramirez. I'm a multidisciplinary artist. I want to say hi to everybody. The new council and the new mayor. I. I want to talk about the greediest music festival in the world south by southwest. I want to know, has there been any delegation I know Mr. Quad core qadri is not here. He's he's a music backer. I mean, he supports musicians. I saw him on TV, and I'm hoping that he stands by that. But if there's not been any meetings yet, delegation burns music commission can't do anything. Singh they cannot meet with Jay penske, the billionaire. You know what? One of y'all need to start a delegation Ann and have meetings south by southwest has already started. They're planning for next year, and I'm [12:07:13 PM] not going to let this go. This is under Roland Swenson's fault . This is his legacy. Decades of not paying musicians burns. But he's retired, sold it to Jay penske, the billionaire. And now what? You know, it's always on the back of musicians. I've been doing music for 37 years. I am singing Singh lady banana bread if you want to look me up. Ann and I sing rock N roll. This is 37 years I've been in the music industry. I graduated in 1982 from Crockett high school right here in Austin. I studied my art. I've been doing it. There's so much repression with women. You know, already in the industry. Sorry, I'm getting compassion. Instead of going by what you know, delegation. Thank you, Joey de Francisco, for bringing up what is going on at south by. But it took a third party from New Jersey to do that . Why? Because everyone's in bed . Everyone's in bed. You know, incestuously why didn't why didn't the Austin chronicle [12:08:14 PM] bring this up years ago? Because they're besties with south by Roland Swenson. I am sick of this. This needs to stop now. And if y'all can't do something and really stand behind people and musicians, oh, y'all call it the capital music of the world on the backs of us. We're I'm a lower profile artist, but we actually are the backbone, the higher profile are touring. We, you know, the lower profile. We want sponsors. We want to have pr, all of that out. But we are the backbone and yet nothing is. We're not getting paid. This is ridiculous. S you know, there needs to be some bylaws for the Austin music commission. I want you all to know there's a lot of new ones there, but there's a lot of self-serving going on at the Austin music commission. I have spoken out twice, 1 in 2018, 19, 2020, when we had the shutdown. You might look it up and see all the people I called out who got acl gigs. I'm talking music commissioners got acl gigs south by southwest, you know how coveted those gigs are [12:09:16 PM] . Why is it that y'all can't take any kind of gifts, money, etcetera? But the Austin music commissioners can take big, you know, slots like acl, they're coveted. They had one Latina, and Amy Corbin is not supporting local Latinas. I need to say that she has she's hired one Mexican has expired. Thank you. I'm so sorry. But, you know, I just acl. Amy Corbin self-serving opportunity hoarding people on boards and y'all are in charge of them. Thank you, mayor. Ma'am. Ma'am I just wanted to share with you that councilmember qadri and I have met with south bay regarding. I didn't know you had. Thank you so much. And you know what? Thank you for answering my calls. Your assistants are amazing. My Ryan is in my Ryan Alyssa. You're in my. I live off manchac many times I've called, ma'am. No answers from any of your assistants. Thank you. So I will connect with you offline to let you know how the meeting went with south bay so we can talk. Also, when you get. Ma'am? Ma'am [12:10:17 PM] Cagle. I would like to be part of that delegation, ma'am. Thank you. I'm so sorry. Thank you. Next speaker is Craig Bryant. Eid. Hi. Hey I was scheduled to show a video, but it's on an apple and it doesn't talk to Adele, so I really never had anything to say except because the video was two minutes and 49 seconds. So zo, I'm not ready to speak, but I'm going to take my three minutes because is what and tell you what the video is. Okay. Ann. And January 2nd, 2007, I started doing a time lapse of the city growth of the city of Austin from the vantage point of zilker clubhouse, and I [12:11:18 PM] would go once a week and take 30 frames and I did that for 16 years and so I've captured the growth from that time until today. I'm still doing it by the way, but I've made the video so that that has the concept that this all happened in one day and so I started with a sunrise and then I just captured the growth of the city. And then I did a sunset and we ended by drone photography. Kathie down lady bird lake and caught the fireworks on January first, 2023, as an ending. And so as you watch the video, it's just all going up and it has sound [12:12:18 PM] sound effects for traffic and noise. You catch the seasons of course, the building and the growth of the city. So that's what I was going to show you. Unfortunately, I had to tell you. But what since I have a second left, I'm interested in talking to someone in the arts council about this and I don't know who who would you recommend that I see. I'll tell you what, if you will talk with my chief of staff right there, we will get somebody Sade for you to contact. And my guess is everybody up here, I think I can speak for everybody up here would like to see your video. So if you will, let's figure out how we get that, get that so that we can send it to everybody . It's short and sweet and actually and it sounds sweet. So we'd all like to see it and I love Austin. I've lived here since the 70s and it just kind [12:13:19 PM] of gives you that. Thank you very much. If you'll visit with miss Payton next speaker is Raul Alvarez. Mosque Louis, like you are. We appreciate your being here. Good morning, mayor and council and city manager Raul Alvarez here. We're wear many hats, but I'm just wearing the hat of Raul Alvarez, who used to sit right over there, I think. Yeah, right. We're council member harper-madison Wright about and really I know it's kind of a new council and I haven't actually present it to council many times since I left in 2006. This is actually only my third time, you know, because and partly it's, you know, again, we know the difficulties in decision making and the deliberation. Right? That's required in making these hard decisions. And so we want to respect the ability of you to [12:14:20 PM] weigh the issues that a lot of times we don't have. We're not privy to Wright all of the issues and, you know, and I'm going to try to channel Gus Garcia for not not others, you know, because he he only came to talk to me a couple of times about issues and he would always tell me, Raul, that I'm for this thing. Here's why I'm for it. But I know you have a lot of issues to consider. So it's kind of in that spirit that I share these kind of recommendations and, you know, I also had a former mayor who came and spoke to me and he had never come to speak before. And I can't remember the issue because at the end of the meeting, I won't say his name, but and it wasn't this mayor Wright, but don't look at me. But but at the end of the of the meeting, he hands me like this metaphysical treatise on the nature of reality or something like that. And so I kind of forgot whatever we had talked about before, you know? And so I'm not going to end my presentation like that, but I have written my own metaphysical treatise, but I'm [12:15:20 PM] not going to end it that way because Luz I know what happens, but but again, I think my, my suggestions, you know, are again, how do we restore kind of these community values is it's almost like, what do you want to be known for as a council, right? Or as a council member? Wright is a encourage and facilitating public participation, honoring community voice, restore, Singh and maintaining balance on development issues. Kind of how do we do that and keeping your promises. And I kind of lay out, you know, just from an east Austin perspective, sort of how some of these things have gone since I left the council. To give you a perspective on why the community kind of views the council and kind of has some ire sometimes times, you know, for the kind of decisions that are made. But but mainly I want to say is that don't throw out you know, your adopted plans that outline your community vision, like the neighborhood plans and imagine Austin so I'll end just by looking at kind of how do we look at this housing issue in a balanced way. And so I have just an excerpt from one page of the imagine Austin, page 136 and I'll just highlight three [12:16:22 PM] bullets from there. Right? So when you're thinking key challenges for the future, yes, we have to look at, you know, you know, address Singh, mixed use, mixed income needs of the community, but also maintaining the unique and diverse character of Austin, balancing new development and redevelopment for low income neighborhoods while maintaining essential character. You know, just ask that you kind of think about how do we approach this housing, not in a housing at all costs. Let's throw everything else out. The window, but balance all of the values and all the needs that we have. So thank you for your time. Happy to talk about any and all of these. You know, they're meant to be home run balls, but you may not see it that way. Well appreciate it. Have a great day. Appreciate your what you do in the community as well. So the next two speakers are Spanish speakers and we have an interpreter on the line. Vic. Can you hear us. Vic, are you [12:17:23 PM] there to our translator, you can unmute on your side. Okay, there you are. Vic I'm going to call in the speaker now. Myrna Rodriguez is. Buenas my name is Myrna Rodriguez. By accident. Myrna un momentito, por favor. Okay. Lucia Lucia. Me. Hello. Vic, you are cutting off Myrna se puede. Hacer sus momentos. He da Una pausa para poder interpretar Pero via despacio porque Yo no hablo muy Bien el espanol. Okay siga quiero a la [12:18:25 PM] comunidad si tratando de Sade. And I want to any my name is Myrna Rodriguez. Siga. Soy membro de la comunidad spring estoy abogado. I'm calling from the neighborhood of dove springs , mass, planting in area del norte de Ramberg spring arboles okay un momentito mas espacio por favor mas espacio Myrna sorry. Council mayor and council. I don't know what to say. She's going too fast. Let's try the interpreter again. Hello [12:19:26 PM] un momentito Myrna. Can you try unmuting again? Ann. Darin I don't want to say in the line for 30. It's only three minutes and I want to know what's going to about my wife filling my heart about, you know, what I see in the city and so I really nervous. I for my time, Myrna todavia LE vamos a Dar Su tiempo for favor de esperar un momentito. Okay. I'm going to move to in-person speakers so that we can reconnect with the interpreter. Piper Lemoine. [12:20:32 PM] Good afternoon, everyone. May the fourth be with you. I want to thank council member Velasquez for coming out to the rancho la junta festival this weekend. Against all odds, the events was the event was a success and it came off without a hitch. I come to you today asking for action on pausing the upcoming elevate grant program, echoing the concerns of my colleagues in the arts community. They've already told you the issues and I have already written you letters with my concerns as well. But I want to talk about something popular but controversial and how will likely how we likely fell through the cracks with thrive. This is applicable here because the same philosophy for thrive will be used for elevate. I understand. I'm about to touch a third rail here, but if anyone has a right to speak on this, it's me because it affects my life's work and it affects the community that adopted me as one of their own. The racial equity lens that the cultural arts department is using to right past wrongs is commendable but incomplete and shortsighted. Simply put, in its current form , it seems to penalize bipoc organizations and projects if white allies are involved because we didn't get written feedback just scores. For the past three months, I've been [12:21:33 PM] puzzling over why Austin's only conjunto music festival didn't get a full panel review. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. It's probably me. It's probably the fact that I said in one application question that was reviewed that we had two core constituencies, the traditional audience composed of Mexican Americans who have been pretty much gentrified out to the suburbs, and the other audience, which is comprised of music lovers of all backgrounds. We encourage and welcome everyone to our festival so they can learn about an underappreciated cultural music form. It's probably the fact that we had a diverse board. That has to be it. It imagine how I felt. It was the gut punch to end all gut punches and you've got to understand that I co-founded this organization with this gentleman back there. Together, we have traveled thousands of miles all over Texas, recording oral histories with musicians in an attempt to help fill the blanks and document the criminally under-documented genre. I've spent tens of thousand dollars of my own money on this project . Over the past 15 years, I have devoted tens of thousands of hours of my life to this, and in the past two months alone, I did everything in my power to save this event from dying and keep Austin conjunto friendly. This [12:22:34 PM] past weekend, we presented over a dozen different bands from all over the state, over 50 individual musicians were paid. The sound crew was paid, 99% of them were Mexican or Mexican. American the crowd was 90% Latino. With with a significant number coming from out of town. We never tell the musicians to change for the more diverse Austin crowd, that shows up for our festival, we don't ask them to sing in English. We don't ask them to do anything other than what they normally do. This is relevant to the upcoming elevate grant because the rubric asks who holds power in your organization? How do they represent your community? See, I am not the executive director of our organization. Baldomero is. But what? What happens if something happens to him? I'm the logical successor since I'm the co-founder and I manage the business I hold significant power in the organization. I make it run. But the racial equity angle of these programs will automatically diminish our value because I don't represent the musicians or the traditional audience for it to be implied that my involvement with this music or the involvement of the other non bipoc allies on our board makes our organization less fundable and less valuable in terms of city investment is [12:23:36 PM] quite honestly offensive to all of us who work so hard for this music, not to mention the vast majority of our crew identifies as female, which is unheard of in conjunto music. Ma'am. Yes, I apologize, but your time is up. Please focus on our community's that we serve and not in ours. We support who we are. Thank you. We're going back to Myrna Rodriguez, Vicki Mok. Are you available? Vicki. If you could hear us at city hall, can you please unmute Jackie interpreter can you hear me? I can hear you. Yes. Yes yes. Okay vic, go ahead . Yo, soy vic zo interpreter escucha. Si Bueno. Interpreter todo lo Yo VOY a todo lo nada mas por favor para Yo pueda interpreter inglés Esta Bien. [12:24:38 PM] Okay perfect. We're ready to go . Please proceed. To Rodriguez. Myrna Rodriguez, resident of spring. I'm a springs resident. Quiero hablar acerca de todo del cambio climatico lugo Esta pasando acerca de pool pueden ser mas arboles por el Lado de Ramberg I want to talk about all the climactic climate change that's going on, and I would like to talk about all the trees that need to be planted on the side of the Ramberg queremos mas arboles también quiero hablar porque mas Arias Valdez para la Familia para los Ninos extremadamente este aguanta mas cuando son el tiempo de los [12:25:40 PM] Ninos de vacaciones no no hay muchos arboles por favor tengas . I want to talk to you about all the trees that need to be planted. It is good for the families. It is good for the children. The heat has had some extreme. There is no room for the children to play when they get so hot. Continuing por favor también también se pueden poner mas Mario ritos de agua mas. Cerrito de agua para el Verano porque no donde no I toritos de agua para refresco estoy hablando por porque hay muchas mamas Jesus Ninos a esos parkways Y el color de Mercado extremadamente Pio. Okay, okay. I would also like to request that there be more water spouts put around the public areas and parks because my mother take their children to play at the parks and there is no water or [12:26:42 PM] anything for the children to cool off también me gustaria mas casitas mas casitas del metro Y también mas porque a gente de la tercera también gente discapacidad de mama solteros con Nino in brasso in eso in Puerta del Corazon Ken muchas veces tenido tengo Una Nina con paralysis. Cerebral quebrado el Alma Ver como nos estan en el sol Y para todos tienen Una discapacidad. Okay. I would also like to request to see more benches and more covers for the bus stops for the metro bus stops. It breaks my heart to see elderly people, senior citizens , people on wheelchairs and children having to resist the extreme heat. I often have to cry because I also have a child that has cerebral palsy and we have to be standing there at the bus stop with all the heat and no cover to figure. La comunidad [12:27:43 PM] str cuando no tenemos arboles, no tenemos Esta quitando casi todo el tiempo inundacion burns I Trejo nieve queremos algo queremos Ken displacing no, no minimizing and Ken nos vamos numero Una para hacer todo esto es todo esto estoy diciendo no papel quiero Ralls por MI como unidad. Okay I would like for us to not be displaced anymore. Even the weather is displacing us. There's heat, there's flood, there's extreme heat. And so I want us to be able to count. It is everything that I want to do for me and for our community. We want to count. Cuantos de ustedes, un PADRES de madres cuantos ustedes es vivo Singh saber mucho dinero. Invirtiendo en la ciudad menos por las comunidades para mas park area [12:28:45 PM] Verde mas agua mas casitas queremos Ver se Esta siendo algo por NUESTRA comunidad Latina la Morena de color no nos estamos tenemos str cuando es un derecho de la ciudad de mantener aqui de how many of you are mothers, fathers and you have to fight for what's best for your children? We want to be able to see that in our communities. I'm a resident of dove springs and I just don't see it. We feel like we're being displaced. I want to make sure that we want that we can see covered areas. We want to see the water spouts. We want to see things that are valued in our community. We see a lot of money being invested all around the city, but not in our communities, not in the communities of latinx people or black people, people of color. We want to be able to see the things that are being done for our community. Queremos queremos un cambio Pero un cambio real. [12:29:45 PM] No un cambio solamente cuando cuando estar junta queremos Ver el trabajo vamos a hacer Yo quiero Ver por MI comunidad tengo Cinco hijos sido desplazados Yo desplazados muchas veces con discapacidad Yo destacada por eso habla con MI Corazon roto a Toda la gente queremos un cambio. We want a the real change that we talk about here eating. We have been displaced. Our kids have been displaced. I am a mother of five children and I've had to move and I've been displaced. I have a daughter that is that is has a disabled and we want to be able to see a true change where money is invested in the community. Es es todo Yo quiero decir str minutos quiero snipes todo para [12:30:47 PM] Kay Hagan arboles de agua para casita Cagle si la gente de la estoy hablando. For me. For me, for me. For me. Nueva generacion por me por las personas de las mujeres solteras las victims los los ancianos los capacitado estoy hablando por Toda la gente visto en la autobusses en este extreme se compadecida. Okay. And I really want to see that change. And this is the change for the elderly, for the those that are disabled, for children. And I want to be able to please, I want to be able to water, I want to be able to be cover at the bus stops and stares for people that need it. It has been long and we are not seeing any changes that you say happen. Thank you, speaker. Your time has expired. Singh I'm all Singh I'm all Singh quiero. The next and I went to the next speaker is Irene Hernandez. She will also utilize interpretation [12:31:48 PM] service. Eid. Buenas tardes. Me escucha. Buenas tardes. MI nombre es Hernandez elemento Rainey por favor habla con oraciones cortita para qué puede interpretar Al inglés. Okay Lucia Bueno. Ahora si puede. Comenzar buenas tardes, MI nombre es. Aaron Hernandez vivo en el ojo, cuatro, cuatro Yo estoy abogado por si. Good afternoon. My name is Aaron Hernandez, and I live in zipcode . Seven, eight, seven, four, four. And I come here to talk to you in defense of favor sobre los secretos de agua de plantation mas de arboles por el tiempo de de las acciones de los [12:32:48 PM] Ninos mamas Ken no pueden el parque porque con este color el cambio de clima estamos teniendo es muy Fuerte Y necesitamos mas arboles Y mas toritos de agua de los Ninos pueden rey Frescas. Okay, I want to talk also about water spouts and also trees. Now that with all this climate change and that the summer is coming, a lot of us parents take our children to the park, but we're not able to because there's no place where the children can cool off. So we want to ask for more trees and more water spouts. También Vanessa también de las paradas de Ken necesitamos también este sombra como casitas porque Yo soy Al butts de la verdad veces uno para el sol Leslie. Mature Ninos de esperando Y la mama's por Ninos embarazadas hacer un color. No en el sol también es [12:33:50 PM] Bueno preparan para mas de voces también okay. I also want to talk about the cover and the benches at the bus stops. It is way too hot and we always see people waiting there and often the bus takes a long time to get there. I have used the bus a long time for a long time. And I have seen elderly. I've seen people on wheelchairs, I've seen children. And it is Andy unbearable heat. So I want to see more cover for the bus stops , chairs, chito pidiendo la la ciudad también cuenta Toda las opinions estamos hablando porque nosotros merecemos el escuchado también mas varteressian de arboles Y como les repito los toritos de agua también son muy importantes para la ciudad en la comunidad en vivo Y también para las de la Ramberg el norte también hay muchos lugares a muchos arboles para los Ninos [12:34:51 PM] mosque nada. Okay. And I really want to emphasize that we want to be heard. I want to make sure that we are heard. And that's why we are here. We need we need the help from the city. The city needs to listen to us. And we really would like to support trees in our community and the water sports for our children. I live in the dove springs area, but I also want to speak on behalf of the Ramberg area where there is very little that has been done. We want to also see the cover for the bus stops on the benches. Come on. Leslie quiero Stedman en cuenta nuestras opinions. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Se si un en Serio Ann por la comunidad la Mesa la comunidad de los Ninos Vanessa especial de las personas mejores mosque nada de las mamas tan embarazadas veces como les digo la Parada de Conway como Eckhardt del sol Yo pienso necesario. Okay, so I really [12:35:52 PM] want to make sure that we are taking into consider Ann that we are listened to, that we are part of the community. We want to see all these changes because there are people in the community suffering the elderly , pregnant, pregnant moms that are often standing at the bus stops. We really want to be able to see those changes and for the city to really listen to us as a community that we are. Jesus todo muchas gracias. That is all. Thank you very much. Gracias. Thank you. The next speaker is Jesus Marez. On deck is Dewey brooks. Dewey brooks. Hello. Good afternoon. Knell hang on one second. Check one, [12:36:53 PM] two. There you go. Three, two, one. The action is showtime. Hello. Good afternoon, mayor. Council members and city manager . My name is Dewey brooks. A long time volunteer back from some of y'all might remember Austin aqua fest, Austin children's museum when it started on fifth street. Co-founder of pro arts collective, up through and now volunteering with the rodeo Austin. But I'm here today shay as the chair of the board of Austin creative alliance to deliver a letter on behalf of our 500 plus members asking for change as to how the Austin city of Austin works with the cultural arts sector, we respectfully ask for the creation of Austin department of cultural affairs staffed by knowledgeable and experienced art professionals. This is best practice of major cities and long overdue. In Austin, as it was first recommended by the [12:37:53 PM] kareithi Burt Austin cultural master plan back in 2009. I then reiterate it in the imagine Austin comprehensive plan in 2012. In addition, we respectfully request a performance audit of the economic development department's arts and cultural activities, including the cultural funding review process and overall management of the cultural arts funds. Our hope is that such a audit can begin the process of designing a new department of cultural affairs and collaborate with the professional arts community. Austin creative alliance has studied how cities around the country support their cultural workers and organizations. And we have much expertise to share Shaw we look forward to engaging on next steps, and I want to thank you for the opportunity Katy to address this issue with you today. Thank you. Thank you. [12:38:55 PM] That concludes all the noon public speakers. Thank you, members. The next item on our agenda of course, is our live music. And then after that is a time certain of 2:00, which which is the time we will take up our zoning matters. So. And by the way, everybody ought to pay attention to our music every Thursday Shea that we do this. But today is a special day because today, as I understand it, and I met her just about back, we have a harpist. So that the heavenly sounds that have been coming out of here all morning long now will have an exclamation mark. But if there is no objection, Ann, we will be in recess until 2:00 pm without objection, we're in recess. Thank you all. [12:46:08 PM] The treat. As I indicated before , we recessed to go to our live music. We're going to hear from Sarah hall today. And she's a freelance harpist based right here in our hometown of Austin, Texas. She's been classically trained since the age of six, and she now performs as an acoustic and electric harpist throughout central Texas. She also performs nationally and internationally, Leslie. She's a member of heart strings based out of la, as well as Ellen strings and the Dallas string quartet. Not only does Sarah have a very busy performing career, but she also works as a session musician and is the advocacy and education manager for Austin, Texas. Musicians a musician focused nonprofit located here in Austin, Texas. And so I, as mayor of the of Austin, have this 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 [12:47:12 PM] . And. Whereas, our music scene thrives because Austin audiences support good music that's produced by legends, our local favorites and newcomers alike. And. Whereas, we are pleased to showcase and support our local artists. Now, therefore, I. Kirk Watson mayor of the live music capital of the world Eid do hereby proclaim may 4th, 2023, as Sarah hall day in Austin. Ladies and gentlemen, Sarah hall . [12:51:29 PM] Ladies and gentlemen, Sarah hall . You're going to play another one for us? No. Okay I just want to make sure I'm not cutting her off. Tell us where you where we can hear you. Where we can see you. I post a lot of things on my Instagram at harpist street. Say that again. Harpist street harpist. And my next public gig is at sour duck on east mlk this Wednesday, may 10th, 530. Great. Hey, council members, why don't you all come up and let's take a picture? Picture great. [2:00:04 PM] I'll call back to order the Austin city council for this regular meeting. It's 2:00 pm. Members as you know, that means we have a time certain for the zoning and neighborhood plan amendments. Butts. I will recognize staff. Thank you, mayor. Mayor council. Joey harden with the planning department. Your zoning agenda begins with item number 33 npa 2022 0021.02. There's a staff memo request to your June eighth council meeting. Item 34th npa. 2022 0015.06. This item is being offered for consent on all three readings. The related rezoning is item number 35 c1 for 2022 0115. This item is being offered for consent on all three readings. Item 36 is npa. 2022 00150.03. There's a staff postponement request to your may 18th council meeting. The [2:01:04 PM] related rezoning is item number 37 c1 for 2022 0105. Again staff postponement request to your may 18th council meeting item. 38 is npa 2022 0015.04. There's a neighborhood postponement request to your may 18th council meeting item Wright. Yes the related rezoning is item number 39 c1 for 2022 0106 neighborhood postponement request to your may 18th council meeting. Item 40 is npa 2022 0016.02. There's a neighborhood postponement request to your June 1st council meeting. The related rezoning is item number 41 c1 for 2022 0121. Neighborhood postponement request to your June 1st council meeting. Item 42 c1 for 2022 0119. This item is being offered for consent on all three readings. Item 43 is c1 for 2020 [2:02:08 PM] 2023 0009. There's a neighborhood postponement request to your may 18th council meeting, item 44 c1 for 2022 0030. This item is being offered for consent on first reading only. Item 45. I might interrupt members note that that it was being offered originally or the original notes that some of us received indicated it was being offered on all three readings and but instead she just said it's going to be offered on first reading only and that will be the case with 45, 46 and 47 as well. But I just want to call that to everybody's attention. Thank you. I'm sorry to interrupt you. No problem. Thank you, mayor, for that clarification item 45 c1 for 2022 0029. Again this item is being offered for consent. First reading only. Item 46 c1 for 2022 0028. This item is being offered for consent. First reading only and item 47 c1 for 2022 0027. This item is being [2:03:09 PM] offered for consent. First reading only. Item 48 is c1 for 2023 0010. This will be a discussion postpone item. Item 49 is c1 for 2022 0143. This item is being offered for postponement to your may 18th council meeting by council member alter Allison alter and item 50 is c1 for 2022 0177. This item is being offered for consent on all three readings. Item 51 is c1 for 2022 0110. This will be a discussion item. Item 52 is c1 for 2022 0143 applicant postponement request to your June 8th council meeting . Item 53 is c1 for 2022 0049 applicant postponement request to your June 8th council meeting and item 54 is c1 for 2023 0006. [2:04:09 PM] This item is being offered for consent on all three readings, but there are speakers to this item. Okay. Thank you. Anybody have any questions of staff? Thank you. Members we will take up the items that she read Eid other so on your agenda, item 48 and item 51 will be pulled from the consent agenda. Otherwise the items in the on the agenda under the zoning and neighborhood plan amendments will all be taken up at once as part of the consent agenda before we do that, if there's no objection, we will open the public hearing on all of those items on the consent agenda as read and I'll ask the city clerk to call those who wish to speak on the consent agenda. By the way, you can speak on the consent agenda or on items for [2:05:13 PM] let's just do it on consent agenda and then we'll take up 48 and 51. Okay, mayor. The first speaker is Gina Grandy speaking on item 40. Hi there. I think this is up for postponement. It is, but I am the co chair of the. Okay so should I continue to speak or should I wait, ma'am? Yes ma'am. You're welcome to speak. But under our rules, if an item is up for postponement, you can only speak as to the merits of the postponement itself. Okay, then I believe postponement has great merit in that we need more thoughtful review of this project and the adverse impacts it will have on the community and the environment. Thank you for your testimony. Speaking on the merits of the postponement for item 41, Francis Acuna. [2:06:23 PM] Francis, are you there. I'm sorry. Hello. We can barely hear you. Hello? Yes please go ahead . Yes my name is Francis Acuna. I'm calling in in opposition to item 41. And thank you for postponing it. In regards to the board board, male plant project in this area, this area is too close to the Colorado river and where the items where the I'm sorry, I was working on something else. Ma'am. Ma'am, where the wildlife sector. Ma'am excuse me, if I might interrupt . If you're for the post, because it's being offered as a postponed item, you can speak to the merits of the postponement, but at a later date, we'll have testimony regarding the merits of the item itself. So if you're [2:07:25 PM] for or against the postponement , please let us know that I'm against. Of the items. I mean of the of the of this project. Thank you very much. Speaking on item 51, Daniel Mario. Hello, everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to address you all today. My name is Dan Burrill and I live in Matthews park, which is a nine home pocket development built on roughly two and a half acres at the corner of Matthews and Albert. I'm going to jump right in. As I know my time is limited and I have a few points that I feel are material and hope you will take under consideration. Ann some of my neighbors have alluded at previous meetings the section of Albert where focused on is a quarter one and a half [2:08:27 PM] lane poorly maintained strip of road with no curbs, no sidewalk orderly rey quarter, no drainage or water abatement, and most importantly, no speed abatement . That last point is the one that I want to stress because adding 400% density, which includes all the lots seeking this type of zoning, must take into consideration the resulting influx of vehicles as well, especially given that people walk their dogs and children up and down this insular road. All day long. The next point that that is what I believe might be contributing to some of the confusion and that is the cherry picking and misrepresentation of data. Sandstone has been used to cite precedent for sf6, but it is omitted or ignored. That the zoning was only passed with that , with the strict overlay that entrance to this development would only be accessible via ditmar because of all the infrastructure challenges I outlined earlier. Additionally housing inventory levels [2:09:28 PM] specifically of a certain size and type are cited based on the mls without noting, without noting the 230 plus homes in south zone, the 100 plus being built up on cooper and the seven homes on one acre recently approved just one lot away from this one, which gives the false impression of scarcity. The lack of inventory is in homes and lots like the ones that I mentioned in Matthews park here, which then is nine homes on two and a half acres. Thank you, sir . Which, sir? And none in development. Thank you very much for testifying. Your time is expired. We appreciate your testimony. Mayor that's all the remote I have right now. So I'm going to switch to in person. Thank you. The first in-person speaker for items 33, 45, 46, 47. 52 is Zenobia Joseph and on deck will be Roy Whaley. [2:10:41 PM] Thank you mayor council. I'm Zenobia Joseph. My comments are specifically related to one, 2121 north. I 35 and that item specifically would increase the density at 0.7 miles to the nearest bus stop, which is about 392. I would just remind you that on June 3rd, 2018, when capital metro changed the 52 bus routes for cap remap, they interlined route to 43 with 392, which is the wells branch bus. In other words, the peak bus was taken off the bus runs maybe every 30 minute headway. I will tell you this morning I actually wrote that bus and it was late. So I got to tech ridge park and ride at 8:00 and I was able to look at the density in the area there. And I just want you to recognize that there are at least three different apartments in the area and one being built on Yeager and right there at tech ridge boulevard. And this would add more, more density. But there is no sidewalk even to get to the 392. I want you to [2:11:42 PM] recognize as well as it relates to items 44 to 47, which is the red leaf projects. That's the highland mall area. I want you to remember the history. It was actually a orphanage and there were approximate 300 acres that were owned by African Americans. I want you to recognize that all day long I have been talking about the 80% area median income . If you look at page ten of 25in sherry, sir. Wyatt's staff report, you will see 80% area median income for 10% of the units. I want to call to your attention that on December 17th, 2020 as well, when this item which was a different one, the highland village item, went before the housing authority of the city of Austin. It was Mike Gerber who said the interest in the area did not want to serve lower income. So, respectfully, mayor, when I tell you that it's re codifying the 1928 plan, it is. And I would ask representative chito Velasquez, since we've talked about transit before he was even elected, to recognize that if he wants to do something for African Americans , this would be a good time to [2:12:42 PM] pause this project and actually do something so that we can live where the streets are named for us. If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them at this time. Anybody have any questions ? Thank you very much. Thank you . Roy Roy Whaley for items 39 and then speaking to the postponed for 40 and 41 on deck is Daniel Yanez. Daniel Yanez speaking on the postponement for item 40. And then on deck is Christopher brown. Christopher brown, Monica Guzman. Amanda Swint Burt. Speaking on items 54 and 51. Jeff Dickerson. [2:13:50 PM] Presentation. Good afternoon. Council members . Mayor responsible and sensible strategies for development next slide please. As one of our speakers previously spoke about , this is the location Ann around that curve where the proposed 37 units, 29 units are to be built. You notice that below that development is the south stone development that it stopped the development and has raised all this area of natural vegetation. Next slide please. That's not the right. One it's [2:14:52 PM] 7605 anyway, while he's looking for it, I'm just going to talk about it. There are no affordable housing component that's listed for this project. None whatsoever. This does not incorporate any imagined Austin guidelines for the neighborhood character and environmental preservation where are the protections that occur in the environment by the city council ? Once this landscape is gone, it's gone forever. There is no more green area. This project also disenfranchizes current residents and proposed unstoppable gentrification. Just like what occurred in east Austin. The council owns this zoning trajectory. Where are the protections afforded to the current residents for affordable living in this area? When there are no affordable components to this project? Finally there are no funds and in 2023 budget for the next two years for this area listed none for sherry, none for [2:15:54 PM] water, none for infrastructure, for the city council has no bond funding until 2026. There is no money available for any improvements. The city is operating over an extended budget. Thank you for your time. Thank you for being here. Missile Ramos. Karen Fernandez, speaker item 54 and also signed up for 51. Good afternoon. I'm sorry, I thought I would get two minutes for each, so this will probably mostly be addressing the Albert lane since I'm pretty neutral but wanted to make some comments on the other one. 7605 Albert road. Like all the lots in our neighborhood, is on a narrow road with no sidewalks, curbs or storm drains. We have flooding issues throughout the neighborhood which is remediated by our barge ditches, which we have to maintain ourselves as well as the greater level of [2:16:55 PM] pervious cover that our lots provide. Commissioner kielbasa, who was actually visited our neighborhood to see firsthand the lack of infrastructure recommended in sf6 with the CEO of six units per acre. Zap further recommended. We meet with our design to come up with an appropriate number. Unfortunately, thrower design has told us they are not interested in doing a negotiation on a co with limits on units. All the other lots in the neighborhood where we have worked with people who have actually built something with the intent or at least the intention to build, have given us a co with 4 to 6 units per acre. Matthews park, which is at the corner of Albert and Matthews, is nine units on two and a half acres. 1103 Matthews is four units on 2.5 acres. 1105 Matthews is four units on one acre and the property south, as Jeff referenced, is a co with six units and only because it is going on ditmar and not sherbert. And Albert, the staff report apparently based their recommendation in part on the fact that this lot could be accessed via Sherwood and Albert. Yet the applicant removed Sherwood to avoid the [2:17:55 PM] need for an nta on Sherwood, which would have revealed it is only 18ft, not the 20ft stated in the application. Ann distance to health, transportation and services are also incorrect on the application. We have asked city about this and unless the new residents plan to have a hovercraft or go through somebody else's backyard, those distances are not correct. We have yet to hear back on some of these though. Zo the rush to upzone without considering all these issues is not fair to our neighborhood. That is why we're asking for the conditional unit of 4 to 6 units per acre until the necessary and very long overdue improvements have been made. If the city would consider the 300 homes currently approved , then they would see that we have done quite a bit in contributing to the greatly needed infill in the city. Thank you. Without flooding the existing homes and residents, thank you. Mayor. That's all the speakers we have for consent zoning. Thank you. Without objection, we will close the [2:18:57 PM] public hearing public hearings on the consent items. Let me ask if there is anyone that wants to pull something from the consent agenda as it's been read. Is there anyone that wishes to be shown abstaining? Singh, I got you. I got you abstaining on the consent agenda as read council member Ryan alter will be shown recusing himself on items 36, 37, 38 and 39 pool 51 is pool that the two the two items that are pulled are 48 and 51. Is there anybody else that wishes to be shown recusing themselves on any items on the consent agenda. Is there anyone wishing to be shown voting no on any of the items on the consent agenda ? In that case, the chair [2:19:58 PM] intends to take up the consent agenda on unanimous consent. Is there any objection to adopting the consent agenda as read hearing none. The consent agenda is adopted. That will take us then to item number. What I'm going to do, members is go to item 48 and item 51. In that order for item number 48. Thank you, mayor. Number 48 is. One for 2023 0010. We have a applicant postponement request to your may 18th council meeting and the applicant is here and available to speak to his request. Let me first ask what I'd like to do. And you're going to talk. Just please come up, but I'm going to try to explain what I'd like to do, what I'd like to do is get a motion on the table and so that we have a motion that that we're we're all discussing. The chair recognizes council member Kelly thank you, mayor. Thank you, colleagues. I'd like to make a motion to [2:20:58 PM] deny the postpone Swint and if I get a second, I can speak to that. Is there a second? Second by council member pool chair recognizes council member Kelly on her motion. Thank you. I've had quite a bit of time to talk with the community members. My field office is not far from where your property is located, sir, and according to the community concerns that have been brought to my attention, as well as the staff recommendation , that varies from what you would like to do with that particular property by putting a used car lot there. I don't feel pool that a postponement would affect this case any different or the staff recommendation. If miss harden could come up and I could just ask her a couple of questions real quick, that would be very helpful. Well, you're coming up. Is there any objection to opening the public hearing on item number 48? Hearing none. The public hearing is open. Miss harden, if you'd come forward and sir, if you'll let miss harden have the microphone, just hang tight. I apologize. If you want to, you can sit there in that seat right [2:21:58 PM] there. So, miss harden, it's my understanding that the staff recommendation Ann is ae and that does not currently allow for a used car lot to be at that location. Ann is that correct? That is correct. Lr a does not permit auto uses. Okay. And the closest auto use would be service station, but that's permitted in the conditional overlay. Okay. And what a postponement at all. Change the staff recommendations related to this? No, it would not. Okay so postponing would really have no effect on the outcome of the vote that we take regarding this today. It would have no outcome on staff's recommendation. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir. If you'd like to come up, please identify yourself for the record. My name is ramin zaveri and I'm the applicant. I'm asking for a postponement because we had certain comments from the community that was posted on the case late yesterday, and it didn't give us enough time to come up with proper rebuttals as [2:22:58 PM] far as. So I just need the postponement. So I can come up with proper rebuttals and research it and be able to come up with the right answers because of the fact that half a day when I'm working is not enough time for me to come up with proper answers for everything. The other thing that I would like to add to the council member, Kelly, is that some of the comments, a lot of the comments that the staff, the community has made are based on wrong information. Ann from the sound of it, because the way my business operates does not operate like the way the community thinks. It's like, for example, I would like to use an example of their claiming that I'm going to create extra traffic or have an 18 wheeler come in to drop off cars. That's not how my business operates. And I did tell the staff members, Kelly, all of this detail already that I get cars that come and go to my mechanic shop for first before anything, even the most perfect car that [2:23:59 PM] we get has to be at minimum detailed in suspected driven because of that, all of our cars go to our mechanic shop first and then we drive them to the new location. So there's not going to be any 18 wheelers or any additional also, there's not even any additional parking and additional traffic created because of the fact that the traffic count on Anderson mill is over 22,000. We will never on our best day get that many that we get maybe at most on a really good weekend. 5 to 10 customers a day. So we're not going to create any more additional traffic like the most of the people are claiming. Sir if I might ask, are it is a car dealership, though, that you want to put there. You just disagree with some of the statements about about the impact of that car dealership. My plan for that when I bought that property, I bought it with the intention Ann of using it [2:25:01 PM] for a retail store establishment. I own a used car dealership, so therefore right now it's going to be used for used car dealership. But I don't know how long that's going to be. I might rent it, I might sell it. I'm asking for it. I changed my rezoning request from chs because even when we bought the property, the zoning would Eid allow certain businesses that are not even wanted by me to be there. And we even made an agreement with the previous owners not to have those businesses, but they were supposed to put it on the title of the property and they never did even right now I'm okay with I've been trying to get ahold of the staff to try to come up with agreement on stuff, the items that would not be allowed in that place. It's okay. And nobody calls me back. Nobody contacts me back to get those things done. Thank you. You understand that the zoning category and the recommendation from staff doesn't allow for a car dealership and Wright. Yes, yes, yes. It does not. That's why we're requesting a zoning to [2:26:02 PM] be allowed that. And also from a zoning. The other reason we're doing that is because the chs zoning will allow certain businesses like liquor store and stuff that I even know it doesn't fit a church. We even put those items as the purchase for the property when we bought it. Thank. Thank you very much. Yeah. Mayor, if I could just I was going to I want to real quickly, is there is there discussion that anybody else would like to have? Because I'm going to ask council member Kelly to close on her motion. Ann if there's not other discussion. Ann councilmember Kelly, you're recognized to close on the thank you. And I just want to thank you as an applicant out for meeting with my staff for over an hour and a half. I think it was last week. It was less than an hour actually. But yeah, I apologize. And thank you. But I also want to note for the council members, there is a sign on that property currently that says it will be a used car lot. And so I just want to make sure that whatever action we take today that we do our best to follow staff [2:27:03 PM] recommendations. That is not the best location for that use in my district. I drive that road every day and I would I would hate for the community to be impact Eid in a way with zoning that's not appropriate for it. So I would like to make the motion to deny postponement so members council member Kelly has moved to deny postponement. It was seconded by council member pool there being no further discussion. All those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye opposed say no. Motion carries unanimously members. We will now open a public hearing on the merits of item number 48, and I'll ask miss harden to come back up if she would. So I'll light this out briefly since we talked about it some the properties located at 98, 15 and 9817 Anderson mill road it is currently zoned ae and the [2:28:05 PM] conditional overlay prohibits service station and drive through services and the applicant's amended request is for gr the property in question is currently developed with the single family unoccupied structure structure and it's surrounded by several large trees. There are religious assembly uses with surface parking areas zoned ae to the north. Bethany united methodist church and south unity church of the hills to the east. There is a convenience store to use. Anderson mill self storage and office structures that are zoned sf one and low to the west. There's a driveway for the unity church of the hills. A single family residence and a detention area and an office building. Balcony screens the staff's recommends maintaining the ae neighborhood commercial conditional overlay combining district zoning for this property because the existing zoning will permit the applicant to do to provide a variety of low intense city commercial office and civic uses that will [2:29:08 PM] serve the surrounding residential areas. The proposed ae zoning is consistent with development in the area because the site is located adjacent to ae zoning to the north, south and west and sf one zoning to the east. And just additionally the zoning and planning commission also supported the staff's recommendation of keeping the ae zoning district. Thank you. Thank you. Any questions for miss harden council member alter Allison alter so zo, if I'm understanding then the motion, I don't know if we have a motion, but we do not have a motion yet. The recommendation is to keep the zoning ae okay, so if we're keeping the voting, the zoning the same, the staff's recommendation is to keep the zoning the same. Absolutely correct. The applicant's request was like he stated, and he amended it to gr. But the staff and commission's recommendation to keep it the same. Yes. Council member okay. So I don't know that we've seen a case [2:30:08 PM] where it's come in and it's recommended to keep the same and I guess I just want to understand what options, if we wanted and I don't know if I want to yet, but what options do we have to keep the zoning the same, without precluding his right to come back for a zoning case in. I guess they're going through the process from the beginning, but there would be be none. I think the code I will have to check with law is a year or 18 months. If it is denied. If so, if staff's recommendation is granted by the council, the applicant cannot return back either. A year or 18 months. I need confirmation Ann for the same or a lesser or a lesser intent zoning so he could not come back for grcs for a year or either 18 months. Okay. And we have no. Is there a motion Ann that would effectively do the same that would allow him to return or. Yeah I may not have [2:31:10 PM] like he'd have to go through the whole process again if there was something different that he wanted. Eid yes. Is there a motion that would do that? I'm not aware of one, no. Okay. Thank you for the clarification. Councilmember. Councilmember pool, I'd like to ask the council member for district six what she would like to see happen, possibly make an a motion. Hang on. Just before we get to that, is there anybody signed up to speak on this item at the public hearing? No, I'm sorry. No, mayor, there's not there being no one signed up to speak on this item without objection, we will close the public hearing on item number 48, and I'll recognize councilmember Kelly for a motion. Thank you. I have. I would like to make a motion to keep the zoning ae and deny the applicant's request for a change . Paige. To [2:32:12 PM] okay. Okay second motion. Thank you. Councilmember pool seconds. The motion, sir. You have an opportunity to address the council with regard to the merits of that motion. What I don't understand Eid is why, when we have multiple tirz 12 grs on Anderson mill, even if we put out some restriction, you said you're against my car sales place. No problem. I understand that some people are against it. That's not a problem. Why can't we have a grt with certain restrictions on businesses that you guys are against? But I still get the grt because I don't understand why a restaurant shouldn't be allowed there where there's restaurant two doors down, four doors down. There's a restaurant in your shop center where the council members Kelly's on offices. There's a bar in the council member's car complex right next to a school pool I'm not asking [2:33:14 PM] for a blank grt. I was not asking for a blatant chs. I would like to get a zoning, but with certain restrictions. I'm okay with that because I understand every zoning that's on Anderson mill is not a blank zoning. They all have conditional overlay. They all have restrictions on them. What's wrong with having a grt on a street that there's a gas station right across the street, another gas station, 0.3 miles down. There's a food restaurant's three doors down Ann and everything else. What is wrong with having a grt on Anderson mill, which is a major arterial roadway with certain restrictions? You say no used car sales. Okay fine. What about other businesses that are allowed under grt? What's wrong with the rest? Isn't being there when there's other restaurants right by there? I don't understand that part of it. I understand a pawn shop and stuff not being allowed. I get those which we already was planning [2:34:15 PM] on, which I told the council member staff already we don't want those things and we're happy to put those as, as restriction. But what about other businesses that are allowed under grt? Thank you, sir. Are there any questions? Thank you for your testimony. Yes, I know. Councilmember Kelly. Thank you. I'd like to just close this out with district six. Is a very unique part of the city of Austin, just like everyone else's district. District six has had some areas that have been annexed and there are some hodgepodge Singh, it seems, of different types of businesses and areas that might not have been allowed under our land development code. And I'd like to remain consistent with the staff's recommendation that we have in front of us today. And the community is supportive of that. Thank you very much, mayor. Thank you. Councilmember is there any further discussion by members of the council? Thank can I add one thing then? One thing. Can I just withdraw my application then? Because the staff has already clearly as made up their mind, all all [2:35:17 PM] based on wrong facts and wrong details, but is there any way because there's no point for me to go through all of this when Ann can I just withdraw my application? Ann then because there's no point of redoing the same zoning that we already have. We already have it. So sir, just hold on a second. Yeah. Let the mayor confer with city attorney. Actually, I also have a question. Thank you. I. Kymberley. Thank you. Yeah I was curious if that was an option for the applicant to withdraw if he would be able to come back at a later time for a different zoning approval and not have that window that councilmember Allison alter asked about. That's what we're looking at. Thank you very much. Thank you. [2:36:18 PM] Wouldn't be denied again if you withdraw it would just be withdrawn. I know that's fine. If it is withdrawn. 18 months, how long is it? Would you have to stay down for 18 months? Either 12 or 18, which will Wright. For the council? Yes so it would be 18 months. It was not recommended by the zoning commission as requested by applicant and is withdrawn by the applicant before the council votes on the application. So sir , if you withdraw at this point in time before the council takes a vote, you are allowed to withdraw and you'll be recognized as withdrawn, but you will not be able to refile your application for 18 months because of the recommendation of the commission and the fact that you're withdrawing it at this point in the process. So zo, I want you to be clear on that. Well, I just my question is, if [2:37:19 PM] I the council members have clearly made up their mind, it's I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that I'm I'm asking for other options from the council members, but they're not under the way. The code operates and the rules work. Mok and I understand that sometimes it may not feel fair. Shaw it's not that it's not fair, sir. It's I've asked this from the staff from the beginning, hey, if you disagree with my zoning, let's do something else. And I got zero response. Here are your options. Okay there's a motion on the floor and it's been seconded and we are prepared. The council is prepared to vote or Shaw as you ask, you can withdraw your application. I want it to be clear, sir. I'm telling you what the options are. No, no, no, no. Can I ask one question, though, about it? Because whether whether I withdraw or keep going, I won't [2:38:22 PM] be able to request again for 18 months. Right. That's correct. Okay. Well, then let's just go through the I mean, if it's going to be the same results, it doesn't matter. So let's just go through with it and we'll be done. Can I can I just state real quickly the applicant did have other conditional overlays and the staff recommendation he would be getting something out of this right. Zoning, because the current rezoning has more prohibited uses and we lifted some of those prohibited uses. So his zoning does not exactly stay the same as what it is today. I just want to knell hang on, hang on, guys. Mayor pro tem then council member Ryan alter and then we'll come back to councilmember Kelly. So I want to make sure I'm understanding the applicant's options at this point. If he withdraws, he has the same zoning that exists with the existing conditional overlays still can't come back [2:39:24 PM] for 18 months. If we change it to the stack staff recommendation is the conditional overlays have changed Eid. But he's still not able to do the car dealership like was originally intended. Still can't come back for 18 months. Correct and if and if he withdraws, he can't come back for 18 months. So both ways can't come back for 18 months. I'll just say I feel bad for someone who has invested in a property that is clearly trying to make a business out of it one way or another. It seems like he could be flexible on some of the uses and some of the allowances in that. I trust that the council member and her team have done their due diligence. I might have to abstain if we can't untangle this just because I feel bad someone's trying to do something with property. They own. But I completely understand there might be community concerns about the intended use initially, but I've never seen something quite like this before. Councilmember Ryan alter I don't know if this is a question for joy or Trish, but do we have the option to send this back to planning commission [2:40:26 PM] ? Is that something we have the authority to do. You well, council, the planning, the zoning and planning commission has sorry, the planning commission has issued made their recommendation if council sends it back to the commission Ann, they could make a different recommendation. Wright they could. Eid I think if we if we send it back to them, that might send a message that maybe they revisit it, rethink it, work with the applicant. I I just want to know if that's even an option. It's an option Ann. Yeah, I mean it would be an option, but I'm not sure what the commission would do with it and staff would notice everything for the commission meeting itself. So it would basically be a asking the commission to reconsider their decision. Councilmember Kelly thank you. And I want to thank [2:41:27 PM] council member tovo who was tuned in and watching this because she let me know and I confirmed with the city attorney that a council member can initiate a rezoning that waives the window. So if we do move forward today with following the staff recommendation and you would like to come back or if you withdraw your application, I would be able to initiate that rezone. So thank you. Councilmember tovo. Hang on. Yeah, go ahead. It's time for the council to deliberate on this. Obviously, as you can see, the council is trying to come to a conclusion. Is there any further discussion Ann on this item? We would have to vote down the motion on the table to then have a new motion, a substitute motion, and we can vote on the substitute motion. Or she could withdraw her motion and now she can't withdraw her motion. It belongs to the council. So we either vote, we either vote for or against her motion, or if a substitute motion is made and [2:42:27 PM] then if you're not talking about reconsideration. But. Well I would I would like to make a substitute motion to send it back. I don't know if it came from zapper planning commission to give the applicant a to zap to give the applicant a chance to rework this out. If it comes back and we need to say no, then we have that option. But at least preserves his ability to try to come up with a solution. I like council member Ellis feel badly that he seems to be flexible and I would like to give him that opportunity. I know this is councilmember Kelly's district and I feel badly since your team has met with him and we haven't. But just what has been presented to us at this point, I feel that's the most fair thing to do is there a second? Is there a second to the substitute motion by councilmember qadri seconds? The motion councilmember pool thanks, mayor. And what I would say is it sounds like we [2:43:27 PM] actually have a possible solution here without taking the time to send it back to the zoning and planning commission. And it goes there because it's not part of a neighborhood plan , part of the of the city. And that was what it sounded like. Council member Kelly was in fact offering, which was the ability to waive that 18 month time frame that would prohibit him from coming back. So if he goes back to zap, he would still be looking at the 18 month. If we did not if we voted excuse me not to agree to it, but he can have further conversation. He can come back with a different approach. If councilmember Kelly's amended motion, which includes waiving the 18 month time limitation, which sounded like to me what she wanted to do, well, it may be what she wanted to do. We don't have an amended motion on the floor. What the motion we have in front [2:44:27 PM] of us right now is a substitute motion made and seconded to refer this item back to zap, to try to come up with a different solution. And hang on. That is the motion that we would if somebody wants to amend that motion, that's what we'll take amendments on at first. But ultimately, Fauci that motion needs to be voted on and that would take us back to the main motion. Can I ask a question of joy? Is that in order at this moment? Actually, one second. Councilmember Kelly, I mean, I've driven out to this area and I've seen it and I've been out there a very long time. And I mean, I even live on Anderson mill road. I would agree with the staff recommendation and I would hope that my colleagues who may or may not have been to this location, would would lean on me for that. That knowledge in making this decision on Roig question, please. Ms. Harden and one thing is, if a waiver of the 18 months was going to be brought up, it would have to [2:45:29 PM] come up in a different action. May 18th. But the motion could be made at that meeting. It could be an item on the 18th where that could be brought up and allow for a different action . Yes. Ms. Harden he has a question, as we were all getting help from people not on the dais here. Someone has brought to my attention that since you are changing something, you're changing the co to some degree. Correct? That the applicant would have the ability that that that would be us taking action and not a denial and so he could come and tomorrow apply for a new rezoning that is now a different because we didn't deny this zoning that would just be a new rezoning. I think that's correct actually stump the planner. For I'm going to I think that was really my point. But I want to because I didn't [2:46:29 PM] say that before. There were like eight prohibited uses, Luz and now there are two prohibited uses. So we didn't just deny it. We did something right. But I meant to run back to law to confirm that. But luckily we have a lawyer on the. So there is a change in zoning. Yes. So under the code because the applicant's application would be denied and the land use commission did not recommend the applicant's application. Ann that is what's triggering the 18 months. So those two actions together. Got it. And so if we did send it back functionally, I'm trying to figure out the difference of if we sent it back to zap versus he got the waiver and has to start from scratch. Paige what's it look like differently for him of going back to zap and asking for something different or getting a waiver and starting the process afresh? Well, the, the thing that I would say Shea, I'm [2:47:31 PM] assuming zamesnik recommendation staff's recommendation is not is doubtful that it would change. We understand the issues and we looked at it carefully and we removed six eight conditional overlays, the restaurant use that we think is appropriate is allowed in la restaurant limited . So the uses that are allowed and we took off cos like we looked at it carefully we could revisit it. I don't think our recommendation is going to change. I cannot speak for the zoning and planning commission. Ann so the one thing I think would be the difference from councilmember Kelly's perspective is they could work together to. And so if she wanted to initiate a rezoning, they could work together on what they would feel is appropriate. And with the community, this is what staff felt was appropriate from a zoning perspective, I stand by that. The city, it's not my recommendation is the city's recommendation Ann. But I think the value would be for [2:48:32 PM] council member Kelly could work really hand in hand with the applicant. And so if there's gr and with the applicant stated staff does not feel that other uses were there he feels like there's certain gr uses that he would find appropriate outside of the auto uses that was not our position but maybe council member Kelly and the applicant can find some resolution. Okay. Well I trust council member Kelly. I'm going to withdraw my motion. You can't do that or okay, then I recommend everyone you're recommending everybody vote no. Wright vote no. Okay let's see if he can win this. I'm there being no further discussion. Ann all those in favor of the substitute motion refer this back to zap. Say I all those opposed say no, no, no. Well, you won. Congratulations killing it. That that takes us back to the main motion Ann, which is to keep the [2:49:35 PM] zoning code combining district which was the recommendation of the city staff and the recommendation of zohaib and I'm going to pause just to see if anybody has anything they want to add to that. Councilmember pool I wanted to ask the maker of the motion if she wanted to waive the 18 month prohibition. She can't do that now. I'm not able to make that motion here because it's a separate action. But I do intend on meeting with the applicant and discussing what plans he could use for that property. And we'll bring it back to council. I may need sponsors. I'll work with legal on trying to figure out how to navigate that. She'd have to bring that back on the first time to do that with may 18th. And it'd be a separate, a separate action. That sounds great. And I would support that action. Thank you. Any other Driskill motion hearing? None. All those in favor of the main motion indicate by saying aye. Aye. Opposed the motion carries unanimously. And mayor, if I [2:50:36 PM] could just add, please contact my office again. I know you initially contacted us through Facebook messenger. I'd be happy to meet with you personally so we can discuss it. I'll be at my field office tomorrow from 9 to 4. If you want to drop in. And I look forward to working with you. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, sir. Chair lays out item number 51 members. This item was pulled and the chair will recognize council member Ryan alter on item 51. Thank you. Thank you very much. As we heard from individuals, there are some concerns about item 51. We have gone out there. We have reviewed the area and I understand Eid the concerns about the lack of infrastructure and just, you know, we have to weigh everything Singh the need for housing and what is needed throughout the community. And so we have been working with staff [2:51:39 PM] to add no parking signs on Matthew lane, Matthew's lane, add signage and striping near the intersection of Albert and Sherwood to help manage the speed, which is a concern to clearly direct traffic alert vehicles. There also is improving the Albert Sherwood intersection is something that's needed and we're working on and adding sidewalks for Albert road and bike markings. These are all things that we are committed to doing. We are working with staff to do so and so I know a separate concern was related to short term rentals of this property. I would like I will be bringing a motion to prohibit type three strs in this development, but I would like to make a motion to adopt the rezoning request without the unit cap at this time. I'm going [2:52:43 PM] to go ahead and one second. Okay . What I'm going to do is I'll come back to you for a motion, okay? Because I want to make sure we open and close the public hearing. But mayor, I think we yeah, without objection , we're open to the public hearing on item 50. I think we may have speakers. So I just want to make sure you're open to the public hearing that. Do you have anything you want to add? No council member alter is moving staff's recommendation, so I know he has an amendment for staff. Oh, and I will just add that it is a valid petition on this item, so it will require nine votes. That's right. All right. I'll call on the city clerk to tell us if we have speakers for the public hearing. And by the way, members, there were 2 or 3 people that testified that came and gave testimony during the consent item on zoning. Yes. Mayor the [2:53:46 PM] first speaker for item 51 is Eugene Sutton on deck is Ruth Lauer. Good afternoon. My name is Eugene Sutton, a member of the Matthews lane neighborhood association. I've opted for pictures this time because I think everybody's tired of listening to me speak. The first picture that you see is south stone, where they're planning to build 231 units. Unfortunately they knocked down all the trees. So there's one live oak tree that's over to the left. But the northern portion of this development, which is 10.1 or 10.11 acres, has only one tree left. Next picture, this is the trees that are at 7605. That's also standing there by south stone and looking to your right. The trees formerly that were on south stone formed a nice canopy [2:54:47 PM] over Sherwood. You'll notice that that's no longer there. Next picture, this is a look back to 7500 win, which is item number 54. On your agenda today . And I just throw that in there . But you'll also see the trees to the left. They extend all the way down on Sherwood. Next item again, another picture. There's some heritage trees in there. There's a mixture of cedar, red oak, live oak. There was live oak wilt. But there are some live oaks that survive. And I believe there are substantial number of heritage trees. Next picture, this is the intersection of Albert Sherwood and Damon. There's a new subdivision or not a subdivision. There's an sf three there at the corner. That's an Adu. Unfortunately, there's already three cars parked there and it is a concern as far as traffic and the neighborhood. Next picture, this is looking down. Albert and Damon is there to your right. You again see the mixture of trees that are pre glyphic along both sides of the highway. Okay. Next item. This [2:55:49 PM] is looking down. Damon. Unfortunately, we're increasing our numbers of cars and there is another rezoning plan to put nine units and 1512 Damon at the end of the street and they're looking at nine homes on three quarters of an acre. Next item. So sorry, your time is expired. Okay thank you very much for being here. Ruth Loyer, followed by Carmen Weimer. Hi. Ruth Lauer's secretary, Matthews lane neighborhood association in beautiful south Austin. I'm opposed to the development at 7605 Matthews lane. I'd appreciate if you could bring up his slides again, the pictures, the last one of Albert road. We're not against housing in our area. We understand the need for affordable housing in Austin. We're not mad at thrower design Ann. They are doing their job, which is to ask for the maximum [2:56:51 PM] allowable in the area. However Albert road is facing over 150 units that have application right now, right there are 24 units on this road. That's a huge increase in traffic, not just people, but their Amazon vans and other things. It's a safety problem when someone gets killed, it's down to you and the current zap you approve this? Excuse me? The application was in last year. It appeared to have been delayed until the new council. We have a physics problem on Albert road. You can't get that many cars. Excuse me? Cars down there. There's no curbs. I almost get hit walking my dog all the time. 12 units an acre is far exceeds any development in our in our area. Six units an acre is on south stone, which is what they base [2:57:54 PM] the model on. We understand sf6 offers flexibility and that might be Wright, but we would like to see a very low, much lower unit count that the city uses alternate facts. Sorry, I'm recovering from pneumonia. You're doing fine and my breathing is hard from this podium to that door is 29ft as the crow flies to walk. There is 72ft. I'm sorry that your time is expired. Okay. Thank you. I'm just saying that the report that the staff gives is not factual. Thank you, Carmen Weimer. Weimer I'm sorry if I'm saying that correctly. Help us with your last name. Wehmeyer. It's okay. I'm going to fault you for putting too many units on this property, but not mispronounce my last name. Good afternoon. [2:58:55 PM] May it please the council. Knell like my neighbor Ruth said, we support sf six zoning. We want to give people the flexibility to build houses, but we do not support uncapped density, nor do we support the recommendation of nine units per acre. They looked to the south stone development, which is nearby, which has six units per acre. That's nothing like this road because south stone has sidewalks and streets and storm drainage and the only way to access it is through ditmar. So they don't have any of the infrastructure concern Luz that we have south stone is nothing but sidewalks and streets. Ironically, there are no houses there. They're supposed to be 240. If there's a housing crisis. I don't know why those aren't getting built or purchased. We'd love to see people move into those homes. We'd also love to have more neighbors. Like I said, we just need infrastructure investments first. It's not comforting to me who has to walk my dog at night after I'm done working many hours or walk my daughter on the weekends clutching her sweaty little two year old hand and [2:59:56 PM] pulling her into a bar ditch full of poison ivy. Every time a car drives by. We need the infrastructure here, or at least some sort of actual real commitment from the city to build that infrastructure before it's at all appropriate to build this number of units in the housing. It's irresponsible and reckless and dangerous to put hundreds of units on a street with this little infrastructure without a confirming and approving the infrastructure first. Thank you. Thank you. Mayor. That concludes all the speakers we have now. Without objection, we'll close the public hearing on item number 51, councilmember alter Ryan alter, you're now recognized for a motion. I would like to do. I guess I first need to move adoption, then amend. So first I'd like to adopt the staff recommended rezoning. All right. Is there a second to the motion seconded by councilmember harper-madison Ann councilmember Ryan alter, you're now recognize [3:00:57 PM] Eid on amendment number one proposed amendment number one to item number 51. I would like to adopt amendment number one, which will prevent prevent type three. Short term rentals. Councilmember Ryan alter moves adoption of amendment number one to item number 51. Is there a second second by councilmember Velasquez? Is there any discussion on the motion to amend? Hearing none. Without objection, the motion to amend is adopted. That will take us back to the main motion, which is to adopt the staff recommendation as amended by amendment number one. Is there any discussion on this item? Hearing none. Is there any objection to the motion there being okay, I'd like to be seen abstaining. This is a valid petition and I really don't think I'm uncomfortable with moving forward. Valid petitions on three readings without giving [3:01:57 PM] sufficient time to hear the cases. Thank you. Is there any objection to the motion as amended? Hearing none. The motion is adopted. Eid with councilmember Allison alter being shown, abstain Singh members. Before we adjourn, I'd like to recognize the city managers office, mayor and council. I just want to take a point of personal privilege to acknowledge and introduce our new planning director to the dais, Lauren Middleton. Pratt is with us in the audience and as rounding out her first week as our newest director to the executive team. Welcome, Lauren . It's been the best week of your life, haven't you? Yes four days Luz. Thank you, mayor and council. It is an honor to be here in Austin. I moved here about 4 or 5 months ago and enjoying every bit. I was born and raised on the east side of San Antonio, Texas. So I am a Texan. Started my urban planning career in Boston, Massachusetts. [3:02:57 PM] Did some work on the public and private side a little bit with the us air force, and I was last the assistant city manager for the city of Buda, not Kyle. For those who made that issue and so happy to talk about your family just south of you still love that community. But I am so very grateful and excited to be here in Austin. So thank you. We're very happy to have you here. Thank you. Thank you. Members it's also municipal clerk's week and I think it would be appropriate for us to recognize our city clerk and the hard working staff and the city clerk's office. We don't say it enough, but we deeply appreciate the work that you do. Members there being no further business to come before the Austin city council at this regular called meeting without objection, we're adjourned. It's 3:03 P.M. Thank you. All so late.