City Council Regular Meeting Transcript –2/1/2024 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 2/1/2024 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 2/1/2024 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. [9:59:45 AM] This is a-t-x-n the City of Austin S Government Access Channel well good morning everybody. I'm going to call to order the regular meeting of the Austin city council. It is February 1st, 2024, and it's 10:00 in the morning. We are meeting in the Austin city council chambers, which are located at city hall, 301 west second street in Austin, Texas, and, and, we have [10:00:45 AM] Austin, Texas, and, and, we have a, quorum of the Austin city council that is present. Members of the way this day will go or the order that we'll we'll try to follow. Will be that we will hear the consent agenda. And speakers both virtually and in person. We will then go to a consent vote with brief comments from members. Related to the consent agenda. We will hear the non consent speakers, and those will also be both virtually and in person. We will then take up a non consent items which are public hearing items 35 and 36. Although we will take it probably take up before those items. Any pulled items by council members we will close the public hearings once we hold those public hearings and take immediate action following those. Let me clarify as I try to do at each council meeting, that anyone registered to speak on a public hearing item will be heard during that item and not [10:01:47 AM] heard during that item and not with the consent speakers unless , yes, it is just more convenient for you to speak during the consent speakers and not stay for the public hearing items. If you're going to do that, please let the city clerk's office knows. Know that as time allows, we have set on our agenda a time certain of 1030 for the Austin housing finance corporation board of directors meeting. I will try to call that meeting to order after recessing the Austin city council meeting. We will try to call that meeting to order as near to 1030 as we can in and probably before we take up other items, such as the public hearings, or pulled item, a pulled item if that's necessary, we will have our noon public comment period and live music. We will also then at 2:00 have our zoning items at this time I'm going to read changes and corrections into the agenda, [10:02:48 AM] corrections into the agenda, into the record item number 25 will be postponed to February 15th, 2024. Item number 26 is withdrawn and replaced by item number 54. Item number 29 is withdrawn under board. Board and commission action. Item number four should read January 22nd, 2024. Not recommended by the electric utility commission on a 5 to 1 vote with vice chair white voting against commissioners Alvarez Blackburn and Chapman absent and two vacancies. Item number six should read Janet 322, 2024 recommended by the electric utility commission on a six zero vote with commissioner Alvarez, Blackburn and Chapman absent and two vacancies. This item, number 24, should read January 22nd, 2024 the parks and recreation [10:03:53 AM] 2024 the parks and recreation board recommended on an 8 to 0 vote with two board members abstaining and one board member absent. Item number 54 is pulled from the consent agenda, and I'll recognize council member at the time, I don't believe any other item has been is pulled right now, but when we get to the consent agenda, I'll ask if any other item, anybody member wishes to pull another item? Before we begin, with our consent, speakers council member, let me recognize you. >> Thank you very much, mayor. I just wanted to, acknowledge that, doctor Karen korematsu, who, is in the audience. Doctor. There she is. I, she is the daughter of Fred korematsu of, the korematsu V us case from World War two, where he was in goal to be interned was [10:04:53 AM] goal to be interned was ultimately, interned. But he was the one that with aclu as his, attorneys took the case to the us supreme court, where the us supreme court said that that it was allowed that was an infamous case that really haunted the supreme court for years and years until recently, it was overturned in the in the in 2018, the us supreme court, abandon and the reasoning in that case, I just wanted to acknowledge her presence and also say that today we proclaimed it Fred korematsu day in Austin, Texas. And I just want to thank her for all her work, thank for her father, for his tremendous work advancing civil liberties and civil rights. And we appreciate him. We appreciate you. And we want to make sure that his work and his memory is acknowledged and continues. So thank you very much. >> Thank you. Council member. Council member. Kelly, I'll [10:05:54 AM] Council member. Kelly, I'll recognize you. >> Thank you very much. Mayor. This morning I had the privilege of declaring an emergency preparedness week in the city of Austin. And I want to thank one of the members of the community emergency response team course that I recently taught, who learned skills from ems commander Michael Cain, who also got a distinguished service award. This individual in our community took time out of her own day to learn these skills. Over the course of 24 total hours, and she was able to save a life while doing a volunteer run on meals on wheels. As a result of that. So emergency preparedness and education is important. And I just want to thank the members of the community who have taken those classes because they can ultimately save lives. So thank you all. Thank you. Councilman >> Council member harper-madison thank you, mayor. >> I appreciate the recognition. I just have a question about process. When is the appropriate time for me to speak to an item that that we pulled today for a later date? I would still like to speak to it briefly. >> Item that was on the consent agenda. That's been pulled. [10:06:55 AM] agenda. That's been pulled. >> I'm sorry I said pulled postponed, but it's on the it's on the consent agenda as a postponed item. >> Correct. After we pass the consent agenda, we'll I'll recognize council members to make brief comments on the consent agenda. >> Thank you very much. I look forward to it. >> And, I'm going to pause just a second and ask, councilmember Fuentes, I'll recognize you before I do that. >> Thank you. Mayor stepped off the dais. Really quickly. Just wanted to make sure that item 23 has been pulled. >> Oh, I'm sorry, I thought item 23 was going to stay on the consent agenda, and we're going to discuss it at that point in time. But I will pull item number 23. Thank you. And just for the record, unless somebody tells me something different, for those that were working on the sound system, I will tell you, I think it is much better. So nice. Nice work on that. Thank you. We have we have our first win of the day, so thank you very much. With that, we will go to our consent speakers. As I mentioned already. We'll do that for today's meeting. And, [10:07:56 AM] that for today's meeting. And, we'll hear from the speakers as, both virtual and in person. So, I'll turn to the city clerk to help us with this process. >> Thank you. Mayor, we'll go ahead and go to remote speakers. First. We have Sandra Mueller signed up for item two. >> Hi. Good morning. Council members and mayor. This is Sandra Mueller. And I'm here in favor of item two revisions to the code. And I urge all of you to support response able adoptions in the name of public safety and in accordance with the auditor's recommendations, the Dunbar scale would be a more accurate way of assessing injury, and it's used nationwide , and the city needs to be more careful about adopting out or transferring dogs with bite records, even if it's a very small percentage. Honestly, I'm surprised the city hasn't been sued already. So during my time as a dog volunteer at Austin animal center, I personally had [10:08:57 AM] animal center, I personally had two near misses with dogs with bite histories. Shortly after the original right to rescue ordinance was put into place. I was three feet away from a dog that bit and held on to another volunteer's forearm. Cause over 20 puncture wounds. So per the ordinance, it was pledged to rescues and Etta did decline. This dog. Then when it was being returned to its owner, it severely attacked an animal control officer twice. Another time I slipped leashed of a dog that was running loose in the building, and I returned it to its kennel. But once I was in the kennel with the dog, I thought, oh my goodness, what color is this dog? And I got out and found out it was a red dot dog, meaning that it had to be handled by specially trained volunteers or staff. So this dog was eventually adopted and shortly thereafter bit a victim and more recently in this I was not involved in in Austin there was a stray dog that had bit a [10:09:58 AM] was a stray dog that had bit a victim and it was taken into ark. And then it went to Apa for evaluation where a bit two staff members, then it bit its foster, then it bit two good samaritan and it was running loose in Austin for at least two days before biting staff at the rescue. That it was transferred to. So of these three dogs, we have returned to owner and adoption and the transfer to rescue in all, three eventually had to be euthanized. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Speaker. Your time is up next speaker we have is Leslie Padilla speaking on item two. Thank you, mayor and council members. >> My name is Leslie Padilla. Back in 2019, when this ordinance, the right to rescue was first pushed through, it didn't get nearly as much consideration as it should have. I was one of only a smattering of people who learned about the ordinance changes and advocated for changes to make it more [10:10:58 AM] for changes to make it more humane and less likely to result in bad outcomes. As the proposed changes to the code are an important step in making animal sheltering an off in Austin more safe for staff, volunteers and adopters while ensuring the live outcome rate remains high. I hope it goes without saying that public policy should prioritize safety. Me, as a former volunteer and foster at Apa and ark, I do know firsthand how difficult it is when a shelter dog that you know and love is not a safe adoption candidate. I also know that it can be inhumane to keep that animal alive when there are no good prospects for a safe adoption. This is especially so when our shelters are crowded and outdated. Domestic animals like dogs, shouldn't have to live their lives in enclosures that are small. Other than what we would provide for animals in zoos or in. The case of Apa shelters that were built in the 1950s. [10:11:59 AM] 1950s. >> I. >> I saw the changes to the ordinance that were issued last night and I unfortunately, I do still still think there's an issue. I think in 3.1 25 you need the language about the Dunbar bite scale in subsection G. I think there may still be some drafting errors. Unfortunately we, at the work session on Tuesday, I wanted to, I wanted to commend council member pool for suggesting that ark rescue partners be required to inform adopters about bite histories. And lastly, I'm very encouraged to hear the discussion about building a second shelter in Austin. This is much needed as Austin is the only large city in the united States with only a single shelter. >> Thank you. Speaker your time is up. >> City, county knell first speaker is pat Valdez. >> Trejo. Pat Valdez. Please proceed. We'll move on next. [10:13:01 AM] proceed. We'll move on next. Speaker is Heather Myers speaking on item two. >> Good morning. My name is Heather Myers and I am a resident of Austin, an attorney, and a current volunteer at the Austin animal center. I've asked to speak today to urge you all to vote no on agenda item two. This item proposes an amendment to city code which will impose a dog bite classification system that to date, has never been used or implemented by arc, and further will permit arc to perform authorizations without the notifications otherwise required under city code three 126. I am not here to dispute that there may be a public safety issue that should be resolved, but I am here to advise that the changes proposed by agenda item two are not certain to resolve this issue. If city council is truly concerned that arc releasing dogs with bite histories pose a threat to public safety and [10:14:01 AM] threat to public safety and amendment to the city code is not the solution. Rather, city council must take a closer look at the documented failures of arc to properly classify bites under the city code's current definition, an arc is inconsistent. Reporting of bite data to its rescue partners or members of the public. I shared some examples with you all in advance of your working session, but there are others which should be considered as part of this decision, including misclassification of bites, incorrect information shared with rescue partners, bite histories excluded from records shared with adopters in bite histories retroactively modified in some cases, more than 400 days after the bite occurred. I also think it's worth noting that a vote of yes by this body today will be a rollback of the city's no kill plan, which also currently requires notifications prior to euthanization any act to roll back the no kill plan should not be made lightly, as it will mark a sharp departure from a policy that has guided this city and the nation for more than ten years. There for before making a change that has the potential to be misused [10:15:02 AM] the potential to be misused improperly applied, will roll back the no kill plan and will result in less oversight and less accountability for a city run service that has been failing this community for years. I respectfully request the city council vote no on agenda item two. Please take the time necessary to dig in and fully understand the scope of arc. >> Thank you. Speaker. Your time is up. Next speaker speaking on item two, Daniel Mccarthy. >> Hey council. Yeah, I was just going to say I agree with, miss Padilla, who spoke earlier. It's the no kill thing. Is actually, if you look at it, more inhumane than, than than putting down some of these dogs that are, that are a public safety risk. It's a win win for the city. If you do adopt, item two, because. Yeah, like I said, it's not humane, to keep these dogs for years on end and tiny cages, it would be a lot more humane just [10:16:04 AM] would be a lot more humane just to put them down. Plus, the public safety benefits. That's all I have for you. Thanks. >> Thank you. Next speaker is William bunch, speaking on item four, ten and 24. >> Good morning, mayor and council. Thank you all for your service to our community. It's bill bunch with save our springs alliance. I'm. Just going to confine my comments today to item ten. And, in support speak in support of that. This is an acquisition by the city in partnership with hays county to buy a conservation easement of about 490 acres along onion creek and just upstream of the recharge zone of Barton springs. This is a very important, acquisition. I commend your [10:17:05 AM] acquisition. I commend your staff and partners. And pulling this together here and, encourage you to encourage your staff to do more of this. We need to be protecting as much of the remaining undeveloped portion of the Barton springs watershed as we possibly can, before it's too late. And it comes under the developer's grasp. So thanks so much for doing this. And, let's do more. >> Thank you. Speaker and the next speaker is pat Valdez Reyes speaking on item two. Looks like we've lost pat. We'll move on. Edgar Handel speaking on item 33 and signed up for 54, which was pulled. >> Hi, my name is Edgar Handel. [10:18:10 AM] >> Hi, my name is Edgar Handel. I'm a resident of the valley neighborhood in district three. I'm speaking today in support of items 33 and 54 on vmu two and equitable transit oriented development. Improving public transportation is one of the most important efforts in Austin , but in order to have truly successful transit, we need transit supportive land use. That means dense mixed income housing all along our transit line so that more people of various income levels have the ability to walk, bike or roll to nearby transit station. Not only is this important to increasing access to transit and the long tum success of our transit investments, but it will be key in getting the federal grants that we really need to get our transit built. So. I think we really need this transit for I mean, the housing for affordability. We need it for climate, the environment, Swint and so many more reasons. This just seems like something that [10:19:11 AM] just seems like something that really, just really needs to be done. A no brainer. So I'm thankful that, everyone who has done their work on this and council, so yeah, let's do it. Thank you, thank you. >> Speaker. All the other remote speakers are signed up on an item that was pulled. We'll move over to in person for consent. Went in person. Haseeb Abdullah speaking on item two. If. Your names. >> But when your name is called, she'll call about three names at a time. When your name has been called, go ahead and get up and come down and sit on the front row. If there's an open microphone, go ahead, but identify yourself for the record. And that way we'll move more efficiently. For those that are behind you. Thank you very much for being here, sir. >> Thank you. Mayor, mayor, council members. My name is haseeb Abdullah. Resident of district seven. I'm here to speak about item number two and 23, which I guess has been pulled. Unfortunately, I see this is an item two is on the consent agenda, but I would [10:20:12 AM] consent agenda, but I would speak against it specifically. Leslie. The level four of the Dunbar dog bite being the standard being used for section 3.1 26c3. I think, according to the Dunbar level, any dog bites 99% or over 99% of dog bites are two and under. And so you're dealing with a very small group of, dogs when you go through level three and higher. And I think we need to prioritize. You know, the, the human beings in Austin, especially the children, as opposed to potentially dangerous dogs. Again, I know it's in the consent agenda, but I think a middle ground may be I still believe level three should have been the standard, but multiple level three bites maybe like a you know, hybrid level 3.5 Dunbar scale would have been a little bit more, happy medium. But I think level four is way, way too high. It's dangerous. Level. Excuse me. Moving on to item 23, I would just state that , we need to have a more robust, [10:21:12 AM] , we need to have a more robust, long terme. I for it for item number 23. But I'm saying that I think there's been a long terme, agreement with the, the peace officers here in Austin who protect us. You know, we don't need to stereotype any profession, race, religion. And for political gain of any, any sort. And so I would just hope for this council to prioritize a mutual beneficial city peace officer agreement for the long terme. It helps retain the best and recruit the brightest. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your service. >> Thank you. >> Next three speakers is Ryan Clinton, Laurie, Michelle, Madison cooper speaking on item two. If your name has been called, please make your way to the podium and state your name. Good morning. >> My name is Ryan Clinton. I'm the chair. Excuse me, of the Austin animal advisory commission. Although I speak in my personal capacity, of course. [10:22:13 AM] my personal capacity, of course. Today, I want to make two comments. Well, first of all, I registered as against. I probably would have registered as on had the changes that were made last night had been made previously or had been in the original draft. I think the changes that were made last night do resolve a number of the issues that I had with the original draft. I want to talk about process. One of the things that the auditor determined was that the city shelter was and the city staff was not engaging with stakeholders and the city and the animal advisory commission in a meaningful way. And that that process and that, that those relationships should be improved. So the very first time, the city now has a chance to show that it cares about those things and that it is going to involve stakes holders nd is going to involve the commission. It didn't do so. So the commission had no notice that this would be on the agenda, had no notice that this would be proposed, was not consulted in any way, nor was I consulted prior to it being proposed. I will say, and I want to readily admit that Mr. Desai [10:23:15 AM] to readily admit that Mr. Desai did call me after it was placed on the agenda. We had a very, very constructive conversation. We both were able to determine that a number of the things that were in the ordinance were not intentional. A number of the changes were not intentional policy decisions. We were able to remove those unintentional policy decisions from the ordinance. And now it's reduced, excuse me, reduced to what was intentional. And I think it's a much better proposal because of that. Second, with regard to substance, I am not one of the people who has ever gone to the city shelter to protest at, on a dog that is deemed dangerous. I have three little kids. I'm an appellate lawyer by nature, with the mayor will understand means that my job is to eliminate risk, to make sure bad stuff doesn't happen. And so I have no objection from a policy perspective of, of trying to find mechanisms to reduce risks of severe, dog bites and Katy. Thank you. >> Thank you. And thanks for your service. >> Next, three speakers speaking [10:24:16 AM] >> Next, three speakers speaking on item two, Craig Naser, Christopher Summers, Beverly Luna, please make your way to the podium and state your name. >> Mayor, council members. My name is Laurie Michelle. I'm a local attorney here in Austin and a longtime animal welfare advocate. I initially signed up against item number two on the consent agenda. I am currently registering on several changes. As Mr. Clinton indicated, were made, to the positive. I echo Mr. Clinton's concern about process ever since the current management that has taken over the shelter over the last several years was was in place. Stakeholders have been excluded from the processes that affect the Austin animal center. My concern here today for you, mayor, for city manager Garza and council members, is that we [10:25:18 AM] and council members, is that we have a much bigger problem at the city of Austin animal center. We are step taking steps backwards. We should not be focusing on items that and taking making gestures and proposing policies that that roll back the advances that we've made. We used to be one of the safest places in the united States for homeless pets and the city of Austin. No longer is. For example, this item initially had on it removing the hold period for a bite dog. Why in the world and how in the world did that get into this ordinance or this this agenda item? And only after for forcing its removal? It get taken out? That is an example of the steps backwards that we are taking under current city management. The bigger issue is addressed Singh the repeated management failures is not in stepping back standards, lowering standards. [10:26:20 AM] standards, lowering standards. The result to a failed audit by the city of Austin's, animal shelter department is not to lower standards and step things back, and Mr. Thank you. >> If your name has been called, please make your way to the podium and state your name. >> Hello. My name is Craig Naser. I was on the animal advisory commission for eight years, the last two as chair. These ordinance changes are improving, but I still have some concerns. No, kill is not just a number. Some rules may appear to support no kill when they actually make it easier to kill dogs for other reasons, including lack of space. Dogs being held in foster during the stray hold period is a good idea, but only of a picture of the dog is so held, as posted on the website for the entire period. In foster, and certainly for the length of the stray hold period. The most important single thing a no kill shelter [10:27:21 AM] single thing a no kill shelter can do is to get lost dogs back to their family, as this creates a kind of strong and enduring support. No kill shelter must have to be successful. Using the Dunbar scale is also a good change. Unfortunately removing the requirement to determine if a bite is provoked or unprovoked is a step backward, as it makes it more convenient to kill dogs and not that are not actually dangerous. This won't make us more safe if Austin wants to get serious about dog bites, you would find a way to enforce our leash laws. That was by far, far the most common complaint I received from constituents while I was on the commission. Ann. I believe it is the most common source of unprovoked bites in the city. If the point is to take the pressure of lack of space off the shelter, the solution is to be found in outcomes returned to owner must be increased. Stronger relationships with fosters and partner organizations must be established and expanded. Building satellite shelters is a great idea. In fact, it is [10:28:22 AM] great idea. In fact, it is something the commission recommended back in October of 2020, removing wildlife euthanasia from the no kill data will change nothing because it has never been included in that data. Despite the requirement that it be included. I'll leave you with this knowledge and data will successfully solve more problems than old assumptions and politics. Thank you. >> Hi, I'm Beverly Luna, I'm with Austin. Lost and found pets. We have 80,000 members. Our goal is to reunite lost pets with their owners. I appreciate some of the changes made in to draft two yesterday evening. Singh and I agree with Mr. Nasr that the big problem is the Austin animal center and animal services refusal to pick up stray dogs. Just go to 311. Austin, Texas dot gov and look at since dawn bland has been [10:29:23 AM] at since dawn bland has been here. Stray dogs are left to roam on the streets. They roam in packs. People are getting bitten. It's not these few, you know, severely dangerous dogs that are really the issue. It's the stray dogs. It's arc's refusal to take in dogs. We have accepted the burden or taken on the burden of picking up these strays ourselves. And finding fosters and finding adopters. It's outrageous that we are required to do this because, as don bland is not doing his job, I would also echo that that it, the bite should should be have to be provoked. I don't want someone coming on my property, my dog biting someone and then my dog gets killed for protecting my property. I appreciate the changes. Regarding the three day stray hold to fosters. I would ask that maybe give a little bit longer. For instance five days. [10:30:25 AM] longer. For instance five days. And that you require that the pictures actually be posted in the lobby. The pictures of the dogs that are in that are with the finders, because when people go to the shelter and look for their dogs, they won't see them. And most people don't know to look on the website. Anyway, thank you so much. >> Good morning council and mayor. My name is Christopher Summers and I am here to speak on no. For this proposal. While on the surface, this piece of work from Austin animal center appears to support no kill, you have to read between the lines to find the hidden agenda, which I can assure you. The animal welfare community has become very adept at in the last four years. What it actually does is promote the hidden agenda which current management has tried to implement for the last four years, namely the killing of innocent animals. The very first memo issued advocated killing animals for space should have been your second clue that this kind of attitude was not suited [10:31:25 AM] kind of attitude was not suited for an organization charged with animal welfare. The arc process is broken during the last four years. After one failure after another, including failing not just one, not two, but every single conceivable metric by the city and auditor before that flat out failing your own hrd manpower survey coming in dead last among all 30 plus city departments, having the lowest morale and the highest turnover of staff and volunteers. As I mentioned, we've gotten very good at reading between the lines and hearing what's not being said originally. The way I read it that this proposal, all it does is license the killing of animals for any reason with zero accountability, merely by changing the classification of an animal. It can be killed and not counted or reported. So the illusion of 90% no kill would be maintained. And it's this typical sleight of hand we've come to expect, which led the Austin animal commission to issue a vote of no confidence two years ago after a one year investigation in the Austin [10:32:26 AM] investigation in the Austin animal center. The animal welfare community has had it. We've put up with this for four years, and we're tired of it. I urge you in the strongest possible terms, to reevaluate. Austin animal center and reject this proposal. And better yet, take a page from the NFL's playbook when a team has failed. So consistently and so spectacularly replaced the coach . >> Next speaker. Is pat Valdez trellis in person T Mikel bowls and David Edwards, please make your way to the front. >> Thank you. Mayor, council members, mayor pro tem, my name is pat Bastress and I live in district three. I am here in support of item six. I appreciate the discussion that all of you had on Tuesday at your work session regarding this item. And I also want to thank you, council member alter, for your very good question about [10:33:28 AM] your very good question about spay neuter. I appreciate that very much. I also want to express my appreciation to city manager Garza, assistant city manager hayden-howard and director bland for putting this issue on the agenda. Not only as an issue to address certain items of the audit, but also during your discussion on Tuesday today saying that more discussion would follow and that's the part that I want to be here to address. I do agree with, chair Clinton, although he was speaking on behalf of himself, not as the chair of the animal advisory commission, but he is the chair, and I do appreciate that he said that we need more and better stakeholder process. I would like to be part of that process. I've been part of an animal services community since 1992, and I think that we are on the verge of making lots and lots of improvements to the animal advisory commission and [10:34:31 AM] animal advisory commission and to community input. And I want to thank, assistant city manager hayden-howard for, talking with me about that several times. And I hope to continue to discuss this with her. I do think that we need to move forward, improving the animal advisory commission. This is the year to do it. This is the year to have, better discussions and I look forward to working with all of you, with chair Clinton, with acm hayden-howard and director bland and everyone who is trying to improve animal services in Austin. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. And for the record, I believe you were testifying on item number two instead of item number six. >> Just why did I say, oh, sorry about that. >> That's all right. I just want to make sure our record is clear . >> Good morning. I'm Michael Bowles testifying for item. Number two. >> I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and former public servant of Travis county. I am a survivor of a dog mauling and a [10:35:33 AM] survivor of a dog mauling and a partial scalping that required a level that qualified as a level five on the Ian Dunbar scale. My surgery included over 100 sutures and 13 staples to reattach each four separate sections of my scalp. The dog was originally adopted from Austin animal center with a history of attack on at least one child. He was then surrendered to the Killeen shelter for because he caused another attack on a child and then was pulled by a local rescue here in central Austin and placed in a boarding kennel in the hays county jurisdiction. I have spent close to a decade volunteering with shelters, rescues and other animal welfare organizations. I have dedicated thousands of hours transporting, fostering, nursing and training dogs, as well as assisting volunteers and staff. I have been and remain passionate about doing anything I can do to help the countless dogs that are abandoned, abused or who need have medical needs beyond the resource of their original owners. While I would truly love [10:36:34 AM] owners. While I would truly love nothing more for every dog who comes to the attention of shelters and rescues to get to the point of health and stability and become the perfect addition to a loving family, the reality is that is not always a possibility due to overbreeding and subsequent genetic issues. Neurological, neuro logical conditions and or cruel treatment that cannot be reversed. Some dogs are tragically beyond the help that can be provided. Additionally, the specialized training time, money, tools needed to rehabilitate dogs with these severe issues, our resources beyond the scope of the majority of rescues and shelters. I am here today to respectfully request that mayor Watson and that each council member take the time to thoughtfully review the email and pictures I have previously provided. On January 27th and have provided hard copies today. I do not take this matter. >> Thank you. Speaker your time is very much the next three speakers speaking on item two are Sasha Edwards, Joanne Norton [10:37:34 AM] are Sasha Edwards, Joanne Norton and Robert Corbin. Please make your way to the front. Hi there. >> My name is Madison. I am just testifying on behalf of myself and as a constituent of district three. And an opportunity to wear the sweater. You know, I personally think that the expansion of this form of euthanasia could, could open, open a can of worms. I think we see it at the local, state and federal level when things aren't specifically put in statute. You might have leadership of local shelters or interested stakeholders finding loopholes in that. And so I think while this is rooted in safety, it might transition to something out of convenience. And so as you take this into consideration, I would just be very cautious of the specific language that will be put into effect. And thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Moving on, the next three speakers registered for item two are Ellen Jeffers, Ann, Chelsea Reisman and chas Jacquier. Please make your way to the [10:38:37 AM] Please make your way to the front. >> If there's an open microphone , please just go ahead. Just identify yourself. For the record, please. Thank you. >> Good morning. I'm Joanne Norton. First I want to give a quick thank you to everyone for bringing so many tree trimming crews to Austin. My area of district three has decades old growth. Remove weed, and I'm more confident that the electric lines are going to stay up during ice or wind. I'm here to ask you. Oh, I'm also a retiree from the city of Austin law department and from the city of Austin employees retirement system. I'm here to ask you to pass item two. As a former animal advisory commissioner representing district three, I saw the problems with the current ordinance formed a working group, consulted with fellow commissioner, and it recommended changes to protect the public from dogs who should not have been released. It protected staff and volunteers like me from risking encounters with this very small population of dogs. Sadly, it did not pass [10:39:37 AM] of dogs. Sadly, it did not pass the commission and both commissioners Clinton and Naser, who spoke today, were on that commission. Ann, using the Dunbar scale as a fair and nationally recognized method to evaluate bites. The rating applied to the bite based on the physical characteristics of the bite, will be determined by an animal protection. The same group that looks at bites now. So there is application consistency. Currently determining the outcome for the dog is based on the bite plus lengthy definitions of provoked and unprovoked. This had led to dogs being released to rescue groups when the bite based on Dunbar would have kept the public safe. Passing item two does not put no kill in jeopardy . It does not mean the animal center will not meet a 95% live outcome. It does not mean the Austin animal center will hide statistics because they are available even today on the public dashboard. It does not mean dogs will be killed on demand. It is not about current leadership Erp. It is about a process. Yes, that affects any leader. Passing item two simply [10:40:39 AM] leader. Passing item two simply makes the public safer and makes the Austin animal center safer for staff and volunteers. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Hello, my name is Chaz jakeway. I'm with jack. Jack, jack, jack's park street dog rescue. Over the last two years, our organization working with the two employee have gone and taken over 400 dogs off the streets of Austin and surrounding areas and found them homes. In doing that, we've come to learn and see that there are many things that are issues with the current reporting and the documentation that goes into putting down how these dogs are actually being involved with bites. One of these things I can say, because it involves myself, I was out on a rescue and there was a case where a I had to make a decision, and I this is where provoked versus unprovoked [10:41:39 AM] provoked versus unprovoked becomes very important. I made a decision to reach out and grab a dog to stop it from going into traffic. And a bite was involved. Now this dog at no point ever entered into the shelter system. I did sustain injuries and had to go and get care at the urgent care. Heard nothing from the shelter. The dog never went into the shelter system. Ten months later I received a notice from the Austin animal center stating that the animal had concluded a quarantine at the shelter and that it had been evaluated by medical personnel at the shelter and that it was given an a number and that I was, cleared to go. Now how can they evaluate Ann been done regarding a bite when the dog was never there, they never had any way to identify who the dog was. So if the tracking system is stating that there are dogs out there that are doing bites and they're giving them a numbers at a shelter when the dog doesn't [10:42:39 AM] shelter when the dog doesn't even exist and has never been at the shelter. How can we say there's any accountability across the board? They have no way to determine or actually keep track of which dogs are coming. When a bite is involved and it becomes very, very dangerous when we don't document whether a bite is provoked or unprovoked, we have. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> If your name has been called, please make your way to the podium. >> Any one of you. Hi. I'm doctor Ellen Jefferson, and I'm the president of Apa and a veterinarian. >> First, I want to thank the mayor for inserting the six month review process into the dog bite section. We are very supportive of the of the rule with that, but we ask that it come back for review before going into law. In addition, I want to help. Please, please to you for help. Overall when the no kill resolution passed in 2011, it was passed because the system back then was only [10:43:41 AM] system back then was only capable of producing 10,000 live outcomes a year. So if intake went up, euthanasia went up. The programs put in place with the no kill resolution worked not perfectly, but they worked for many years. Now, 13 years later, after all that work that your positions did to create a better processing system, the shelter is processing 8500 live outcomes, not including the ones coming to us. The problem is that the processing is the key word. It requires equal focus on the intake, the prepping for the prepping for a live outcome, and the live outcome itself. One program called for behavior department to create programs to assist animals with behavior issues and to acclimate strays to the shelter environment. That program is now dismantled. If you have a dog and put them in a cage for weeks without walks, what kind of monster do you think you're creating? I see our city trying to band- aid a broken processing system by closing intake and creating more dead outcomes, or pushing more animals to us without ever focusing on the prep that is [10:44:42 AM] focusing on the prep that is required to get a live outcome? Apa is your largest partner on this issue. We contribute over. We contribute millions a year just to arc and employ over 250 austinites to respond to your city shelters needs with out our work, Austin would only be at an 84% no kill rate. We have all the same problems as we have a larger shelter. We take in more animals, yet no one has asked us how we resolve the same problems that the city has not in the last five years, and including not the auditors. But it is not just important to us. Apa it's important to everybody here. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> My name is Robert Corbin, and to start with, I want to call y'all's attention to all these no kill shelters. There are food warehouses are full of dead murdered or tortured animals. So there are nothing no kill about them. So thank you for making changes to no kill. Change urges that go not far enough. No kill [10:45:43 AM] that go not far enough. No kill policies should end completely. No kill has been a disaster for this city. For people. Civility, finances, parks and waterways. Every aspect of Austin has been in some way degraded by no kill. Austin's greenbelts, parks and nature preserves are are under constant assault by dogs. Austin barely has parks for people only parks for dogs, illegal off leash in every public park, and ripping them apart. Many neighborhood parks have off leash parks. Visit one and you'll often see more dogs off leash outside the fenced area than inside it. Poor Austin, where everyone, including city employees, declares leash laws cannot be enforced due to all sorts of silly, obfuscating reasons, and will state that certainly the police can act as they got more important matters. Which brings me to the most obnoxious instituted craziness of no kill Austin, where illegal off leash dogs cause massive numbers of injuries to our citizens and make parents afraid [10:46:44 AM] citizens and make parents afraid to bring their children to the park. APD has a special unit staffed by two officers, was three and one civilian who's full time jobs right now are. Guess what to look into animal mistreatment or abandonment issues. They got that even though according to the storyline, APD is underfunded and has shortages of personnel. Three full time personnel to protect dogs, but not one single officer going park to park to quickly and aggressively write citations to all law breakers which would clean up the lawlessness of our parks. I hope you see the drivel, the rot you need to completely kill the evil hypocrisy that is no kill. Thank you. >> Next, three speakers speaking on item two, Jada Barton, Sasha Aguila, Jeannie Ramirez if your name has been called, please make your way to the podium and state your name. >> Hi there. Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this today. My name is Chelsea Reisman and I'm the director of [10:47:44 AM] Reisman and I'm the director of the dog behavior program. Austin pets alive and I came here today to express my very deep concern over the resolution and tell you more about our program and where it stands right now. Our behavior program at Apa is comprised of 21 skilled individuals whose roles are to provide behavioral evaluations, enrichment, socialization, individual treatment plans for the dogs in our program, and matchmaking counseling and ongoing behavioral support to the community members who take them into their care. The overwhelming majority of the dogs who receive these services under our program are transferred to us from Austin animal center. This program was built and funded to work in partnership with the Austin animal center behavior program. Who's creation was called for in the 2011 no kill resolution. We are best able to uphold the highest level of both rescue and safety at the time when this program was in place, because dogs were getting their needs met, behavioral support was provided to them. Behavioral evaluations were carried out by knowledgeable assessors and more accurate, consistent, and timely notes were relayed to us, which helped both arc and us to best assess which dogs may pose a real threat to safety and which just needed some more support or [10:48:45 AM] just needed some more support or had slipped through the cracks. Having a behavior program is not just about saving dogs, it's about ensuring the safety of our community. We need to safely evaluate the dogs, communicate their behaviors to rescue partners in the community, and provide resources to support those facing challenges. However contrary to the commitment to public safety that this resolution stands on arc behavior program was dismantled years ago without notice or consultation with Apa, resulting in almost all of those additional dog cases falling on our shoulders. Beyond this, without lack of dedicated support, these dogs are being sheltered longer, without their needs being met or behavioral support to accommodate this lacking assessments are not being carried out by behaviorally trained team members to ensure correct assessment of safe or unsafe behaviors and minimal inconsistent notes are being shared when they're being pled to us, oftentimes with very concerning discrepancies that could hold large implications for these dogs. Therefore it's been particularly distressing to hear the misinformed Ann circling to bolster this resolution. Specifically inflammatory statements suggesting the release of dangerous dogs to rescues, who then release them to the community in reality, our team is diligently, diligently taking [10:49:45 AM] is diligently, diligently taking on the majority of these cases, safely working your times expired. >> Thank you very much. Good morning. Good. Morning. >> My name is Sasha Vila de gilly and I'm the executive director of Jax back street dog rescue. I am against the current proposal and I want to share why I think implementing a change in the euthanization policy regarding bites is a poor idea, and why I think so many will suffer from this proposal. Arc lacks empathy and transparency. Currently sitting persons who pay tax dollars are turned down every day. They show up with stray, lost and dumped dogs, even the even if the shelter has space, they are turned away. The employees are cold to them and make them feel like criminals. For asking for help, which in return has caused a rise in street dogs. If we can't trust Austin animal center to take in dogs who are found on a street corner about to be hit by cars or freezing to death on a porch, how can we trust they won't [10:50:46 AM] how can we trust they won't euthanize dogs who deserve to live? Who will be raiding these bites? Who will decide whether the bite was unprovoked or provoked? The Dunbar bite scale doesn't take into account whether a bite is unprovoked or not. This is imperative. An animal behavior, for example acos use shelter. Acos and shelter employees use catchpole's to secure strays and move them from kennels. This is a metal pole with a loop that goes around the fearful dog's neck. Many dogs in this case will have a negative reaction even in the nicest domesticated dogs will bite. A level four bite isn't hard to get to with sharp teeth. There are many situations where a dog will be provoked to bite, and that shouldn't mean automatic death. Death is so final, and to decide on whether you end a life without sharing the situation with rescues and killing a dog is wrong. Love of dogs and lost dogs who have families will lose their lives over this. I ask [10:51:48 AM] their lives over this. I ask that you vote against this. I ask that you vote no. To. >> Hi there. I'm Jenny Ramirez. I want to say, first of all, there are so many rude people in here, I can't even hear because everyone's talking in the back. I don't care if you're with the press. Quit talking and listen. Anyway, I'm neutral on this because I get people have been attacked and mauled and killed, and that does, you know, it affects me. But at the same time , y'all are qualified. There's no to me. You would have to have an aggressive dog assessor that has extensive qualified background data reported, which everyone has now said. There's no data being reported really correctly. The transparency lack of there. The last council failed to expand the shelter and you got problems with the shelter there? Okay. If a dog is scared and there's lack of [10:52:49 AM] scared and there's lack of people there to help and feed and all of that, it's going to get scared. It could bite and they're going to who's going to do this assessment is what I want to know. I want transparency on that. When they're given these flaws and on, I want to know how many dogs are being killed. Second of all, Tim crumb, in case nobody knows about this, did a did an audit. And you know what he found everyone. He found algae in the water bowls green, green water. Nobody wants to drink. Extended stays. Mental and physical issues. Multiple dogs get this in a cat carrier. This okay. No ventilation. There that is so dangerous for the dogs and the staff. That is actually abusive working conditions and to me, Tim bland, who's the shelter director, why does he still have his job when this horrible, horrific report from Tim crump came out in September, why wasn't he fired? You know, Ryan, you're in my district. I want [10:53:51 AM] you're in my district. I want you to get on this. Please. Please speak out. You know, I think y'all should do walkthroughs. Unexpec over there. I really do. Keith. Salas did the audit. What's his job to do the money? >>. >> Thank you. Speaker expired. >> Ma'am. Ma'am, your time is expired. Ma'am I'm. You can't do this unless you take care of the next speaker. Started by talking about being rude. Thank you for your time. You don't want to let people talk. >> All you know. >> Next speaker speaking on item two is Jane Taylor. Catherine Mcardle. Sign up for item two and 23, which was pulled. Aidan Nash, speaking on item three. If your name has been called, please make your way to the podium. >> Please come forward if there's an empty podium, just identify yourself. Please hi everyone. >> My name is Catherine Mcardle. [10:54:53 AM] >> My name is Catherine Mcardle. Should I hold my item? 23 comments until later. >> Speak now. >> Okay. Thank you. Yeah. I'll wait. Hi everyone. My name is Catherine Mcardle. I'm a resident of district nine, and so right now I'm speaking against item two. While I'm glad to see the updates to item two, as of last night, I still oppose it for several reasons, the biggest of which is that it didn't go through the animal advisory commission. This is especially more important after that audit came out. After the vote of no confidence in the head of the animal services, as, as evidenced by many other speakers today, there's already a huge lack of trust between the public and animal services leaderships, and attempts like this to circumvent the commission, especially on something as sensitive as euthanasia decisions. That only makes that lack of trust worse. And second, it's well known among animal behavior experts that the Dunbar scale, which this item wants to use, it's deeply flawed, and there are better options available. So why [10:55:54 AM] better options available. So why aren't we using those? If this had gone through the proper channel, through the animal advisory commission, they would have known that and pivoted to a better option like the Cara Shannon scale. This type of thing is just why the item should have gone through the advisory commission. I think it's also kind of absurd to remove trans agency requirements and reporting live outcome rates for all animals. So please vote against item two and let the commission work with these kinds of proposals instead. Thank you. >> Thank you. Hello >> I'll be honest, I was not taught in school how to sign up to speak at city council, so I don't want to speak on number three. Or item number three. But due to my first amendment right and the Acosta versus Meza case, I'm allowed to talk here as long as I'm not disruptive or anything, I will say on it doesn't disrupt or disorder. >> I'm sorry, sir, if you to the [10:56:56 AM] >> I'm sorry, sir, if you to the Acosta versus Meza case. Well, if under our rules, you're required to speak on a specific item. >> So if you're here to speak on an item. Go ahead. But you need to keep your comments to four and 23. >> Cool. >> I'll speak on item four. I agree with the people here that, there's not enough awareness and proper procedures in place. So vote against. And then also for item 23, the allocation of resources seems to be wrong. With the allocation of resources there, I will say that they should be allocated in different ways, such as maybe calling for a cease fire and, using those funds to then provide for nonprofit organizations to educate and inform the people in your society as city council members, we have opposed we have appointed you to do such. What has been done now by council members other than two, three and nine? Clicking on an item posted on the agenda I have, [10:57:56 AM] posted on the agenda I have, it's the allocation of funds that were going, you're not going to item 23. And the police I'm saying they should be allocated elsewhere. Am I not allowed to speak to where they should be allocated? >> You are not speaking on a on an item that's on our agenda in an appropriate way. >> How am I not? I'm not going to get into a debate with you. >> I'm going to rule with regard to I'm stating that I'm allowed to speak here, and you're stating that I'm not allowed to without really providing a reason beyond I'm saying that the allocation of resources being put here, and I'd like it to be put elsewhere. >> It's also cutting into my time. You disagreeing with me? I plan to have a speech that was non-disruptive and not substantially interruptive of the proceedings. This is substantially interruptive of the proceedings. By your interruption, please complete your testimony. >> I'm allowing you to testify even though you're violating the rules. But go ahead and finish. >> Thank you very much. So, as I was saying, besides city council members two, three and nine, it seems as though, everyone else is kind of partying to what their parties and voters know right now. Your parties and [10:58:57 AM] right now. Your parties and voters are misinformed and too far away for their cries to be heard here at the city capitol. These protests are not heard by your voters. And the information that would be given to them so that they could become informed is not provided to them. They are too far from the city for that to be done. What I am saying is that if that is not done, if the ceasefire is not called for, and the allocation of resources that is allocated to the police department is not allocated in forms that are to the Ngo, we will speak for them. >> Thank you. >> Speaker. >> Your time is up next speaker is Zenobia Joseph signed up for item seven 825, which was pulled 26, which was withdrawn Ann 3253 and 54, which was pulled. Thank you. >> Mayor council. I'm Zenobia Joseph. My comments are specifically related to seven and eight, which is the Americans with disabilities act. $37.5 million. I actually [10:59:59 AM] $37.5 million. I actually support that. However, I am in opposition to the $900,000 that is actually being allocated for airport boulevard, specifically, I want you to recognize that on fm 969, there is no continuous sidewalk and so I would ask you on item number 25, which I believe is being postponed to actually put my position as an opposition as opposed to neutral. Specifically as it relates to item 54, which is the equitable transit oriented development. I want you to recognize, mayor, that history matters. On December 17, 2018, you testified before capital metro as related to the long range plan for project connect. As you are aware, the roots actually started south of us. 183 the equitable transit oriented development plan, however, includes north Lamar transit center, which would therefore violate title six of the civil rights act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin. I want you to recognize that you are using the minorities that are at north Lamar to also get the federal funds. I want you to recognize [11:01:00 AM] funds. I want you to recognize as well, that as it relates to the smart policy, which is 53, I want you to understand specifically that it's the M stands for mixed income, and you have not actually put the developer outs for low income individuals on the west side. So to council member for, on the southwest side, I just want to say to Paige Ellis, it's 2.9 boardings an hour on convict hill. So please stop with the more frequent, more reliable and better connect transportation you have continuously talked about the bus rapid transit. I want you to understand, however, that 74% of the minorities live in the Samsung area. Samsung down diesel all the way to Cameron Austin community college, metro rapid. And I just want you to recognize as well. Thank you. If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them at this time. >> Thank you ma'am, thank you. >> Speaker. The next speaker is Jason Haskins, registered to speak on item 11 one 1214 5116 [11:02:03 AM] speak on item 11 one 1214 5116 1718, 119, 21, 26, which was withdrawn. 2733 and 53. >> Hi, I'm Jason, john-paul Haskins. I am an architect of numerous light tech projects, and I've gone through this process as a developer, as well. I'm the current chair of the aia housing advocacy committee, and I serve on the city's lgbtq quality of life commissions, housing working group, among many other housing activities. So I have a unique position perspective on all of these, resolution support that you're considering today. I'm asking you to support all of these light tech developments. It has it happens this year. All of my 9% projects are outside the city of Austin, so I don't have a dog in the race. This year. That's why I signed up for all of these. I would love to speak to each of them. Each of these fit a particular need in our city. We have complex ux issues with [11:03:04 AM] We have complex ux issues with housing and all of these fit into a very important piece of that. Of that equation. Full disclosure all of the competitive 99% applications before you include at least one of my current or past clients. So I'm intimately familiar with how all of these organizations work. The light tech is one of the most effective tools we have at our disposal for affordable housing. This is federal tax credits distributed through a formula created by the state. This is all funding that would not come into Austin, but for these projects. And it's an opportunity for the city to put a smaller amount of its money into these projects and leverage that investment. Sometimes up to five times for outside money. That has a huge impact, to our to our housing needs. The program is not perfect, of course, but I'm consistently surprised at how effective and balanced it is, in spite of all of the bureaucracy involved. So many entities have roles to play, and that tends to feed into the accountability that I'm again shocked that this program actually has. I love to see it. Your role today is to approve all the projects that meet the [11:04:05 AM] all the projects that meet the city's stated goals, which the staff memo confirms. That is the case for all these projects. Your local perspective in this state and federal process is incredibly important, and it's primarily a safeguard against bad actors that you might know about that the state doesn't or local conditions that are of concern. So I ask you to support all of the light tech, the itod, and strengthen smart housing. Thank you, thank you. >> Next three speakers are signed up on item seven. Teen Megan lash, Abby tatkal, Sarah Anderson. Please make your way to the podium and state your name. >> Good morning, Megan lash, Austin industries I just wanted to thank council for all that you guys do to continue to support affordable housing and further support. >> Support affordable housing throughout the entire city. You have a lot of great projects here in front of you today. I think you all should be very excited and proud about what the development team, all of the development teams have brought [11:05:06 AM] development teams have brought to you as options for affordable housing in this great city. So thank you for all you do. We will continue to work hard and provide great affordable housing in the city. Thank you. >> Good morning, mayor and council. My name is Abby Tutko. I'm here with Austin industries and also on behalf of the Austin housing coalition. I want to reiterate Megan's statement that we are super grateful that the council has prioritized affordable housing this year and in the past. And I also wanted to reiterate that item 17 and all of the light tech requests for resolutions of support that are on your agenda today, pursue Singh are pursuing limited funding and our representative of our dire need for more resources to address this housing crisis, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to provide needed units in our community. Thank you. >> Speaking on item 18 is Stephanie Thomas speak on item 18 and 19. [11:06:07 AM] 18 and 19. >> Martha cotera 18 and 19. Lupe Garcia, please make your way to the front and state your name . >> Good morning, council members. My name is Lupe Garcia. I'm a senior in resident at and president of Santa Rita courts. I'm here to thank you for your support today for the affordable housing development in our city. I especially want to thank you, mayor Watson and council member Velasquez, for the continued commitment to helping us at Santa Rita courts. Santa Rita is one of the oldest public housing in the country, and the redevelopment is vital to our community. In the winter, our outdated heating systems forces us to choose between a warm room or a hot shower in the summer, [11:07:09 AM] or a hot shower in the summer, we hit the high heat inside our homes, leading to sky high rocket electricity bills that we struggle to keep cool. The senate blocked walls of our homes, both hot and to touch in the summer and cold in the winter. The poor, isolated windows illustrate border and bigger issues. >> The living conditions at Santa Rita are more than just inconvenience. They are directly affect our health and our well-being. If we do not receive 9, the 9% tax credit this year, we know we can count on our heroes on this city council to help us get our project funded and create a better quality life for our residents at Santa Rita courts. Now is the time for Santa Rita, and I want to thank [11:08:11 AM] Santa Rita, and I want to thank you all for listening to me today. Muchas gracias. Parte de Santa Rita. >> We appreciate you being here. Thank you. >> Next, three speakers speaking on items 18 and 19. Ruby Roig Tiffany Middleton, Michael Gerber. Please make your way to the front. >> Good morning. Council members . My name is ruby Roa. I'm angry at this council for not voting for families. This year. Families at Santa Rita this year for the 9% tax credit you know, I have an obligation. We all have this obligation for poor families in this beautiful city [11:09:11 AM] families in this beautiful city of Austin, of ours. We need. To hear and see this. We need to hear the stories of the families that live at Santa Rita, and to come and see the living conditions that they live in. As miss Garcia said, the housing complex is over 85 years old and imagine if you and your children lived in a home with no heat or air conditioning during our extreme winter and summer, time. >> According to hud, there are 30,450 extreme low income households that pay more than half of their rent. That pay more than half of their income on rent in Austin. And I got [11:10:11 AM] on rent in Austin. And I got this information from the hud. To me, it's obvious that you, as public servants are not in the community building relations with your neighbors. With your neighbors that are most in need. If you allow a private developer to do projects that fill up with 60% of the median family income, it deprives scores in the 30% family income drains that are desperate for decent housing. The people at Santa Rita make 30% of the median family income. >> Thank you ma'am, thank you. >> Next, three speakers on item 18 and 19, Ashley Sandoval, Sabino Renteria, Mary apostolou. Please make your way to the front. >> Good morning, mayor and council members. My name is Mike Gerber, and I serve as the CEO of the housing authority of the [11:11:13 AM] of the housing authority of the city of Austin. Thank you for your support over the last seven years where we've worked together to revitalize Austin's historic public housing. We fully redeveloped Goodrich place. We're wrapping up construction on Chalmers courts. Rosewood courts is actively under construction, and now is the time for Santa Rita, the last of Austin's historic east side public housing. When Lyndon Johnson worked to get Chalmers and rosewood and Santa Rita built more than 85 years ago, he likely had no idea how hard it would be to get those properties rebuilt after its buildings and systems became so obsolete, he likely had no idea about low income housing tax credits or home funds, or G.O. Bond dollars or building capital stacks, he just knew that the lowest income people in Austin needed housing, and he worked to get it, built it is unlikely that we'll receive tax credits in this cycle. We're just simply too far down on the list. But Santa Rita is the only project that's on that list today. Of the ones that you'll approve, where real people, real families are living today, these neighbors are hurting, as you've heard and we [11:12:13 AM] hurting, as you've heard and we have a responsibility to help them. Mayor Watson and council member Velasquez, we are particularly grateful for your leadership and your care that you've taken to helping us to work to figure out an alternative solution to financing this important community priority. And we're grateful to all of you on the council for taking time over the last several months to hear from these neighbors. We've done we've also had some great conversations with Mandy Dimeo and the team at the housing department, who have been wonderful to work with. We will get Santa Rita rebuilt and revitalized, and we'll do it together. And we thank you for your help. >> Good morning. >> My name is Mary apostolou and I'm resident commissioner for the housing authority, city of Austin. >> I was a resident at Chalmers courts before it was redeveloped. >> I lived in the same kind of conditions that Lupe Garcia just described to you, and I can attest to the vast improvement in quality of life that a redevelopment can bring. I want [11:13:14 AM] redevelopment can bring. I want to thank council for your support on previous developments like Chalmers, Chalmers, rosewood and Goodrich, and I urge you to continue to prioritize the projects that are vital to preserving affordable housing, preventing displacement and bolstering enrollment in our public schools. Projects like this are becoming harder to fund, and each passing year, it is crucial that we all work together to ensure funding is available for these vital projects on behalf of Hawkins board of commissioners, thank you for your continued support. Now now is the time for Santa Rita. Thank you. Speaking on items 18 and 19, Paul Saldana, Ofelia zapata, please make your way to the front. >> Moving on. Consent item number 28, Ethan Smith. >> Good morning. So this item is [11:14:28 AM] >> Good morning. So this item is about the appointment of somebody to oversee me, a group of reserve police officers. And I just kind of wanted to take the opportunity thinking about somebody who can kind of affect the mentality of a large group of police officers to think about just, the culture in culture, meaning, views that are commonly shared by a group of people. And I think, you know, we've had so many conversations about how the police relates to the public, how the police relates to city council, to other groups, interest groups, that, you know, at some point to get these groups to meet it, whether it be in a negotiation, I think that some of what I read about that is perhaps it doesn't go far enough to say, well, we can give extra money and in [11:15:29 AM] can give extra money and in return get extra accountability through these different mechanisms that at some point something a little more amorphous in the culture of, of the police, specifically, I was having a conversation about how there's an us versus them mentality, among the rank and file and who is them. And you can imagine living in Austin, not living under a rock where this mentality would have come from, but that part of the solution of getting from point a to B is going to have to be drawing down on that mentality. And I think that there is space in the, in the public rhetoric of how we talk about this issue, to talk about culture where it can be a win win and less of an us versus them, and that that would be a hard and long process, but worth going through. And I would also encourage the gentleman who will have this position above officers to just use that position to kind of, you know, [11:16:29 AM] position to kind of, you know, day by day, to the extent possible, draw down on this mentality. Thank you. >> Thank you sir. >> The following four speakers were signed up for item 26, which was withdrawn and replaced with 54. Bill Mcnamee, Daniel Castleman, Roger Colvin, Michael Rhodes. Please make your way to the front . >> Mr. Mayor, members of the council, thank you very much for taking this up today. My name is bill mccamley. I'm the executive director of transit forward. We are an Austin nonprofit that does education and engagement work regarding project connect with an emphasis on transit [11:17:30 AM] with an emphasis on transit issues overall in Austin. And we have a statement we'd like to read about this, which I heard got moved to item 54, transit forward understands the critical importance of reforming housing policy along transit corridors, and is thankful to city council and staff for taking this issue on with item 54 today. Now we support the process outlined in this document and combine with compatibility reform. Believe that if these items can be completed in the spring, it will offer the Austin transit partnership a strong argument to make for the federal government when evaluating evaluation begins in June. For the $2.5 billion grant needed to complete the light rail portion of project connect, we respectfully but strongly request that discussion on these items continue with the passage of this resolution. A hard time limit be added based on the June due date for the federal transit administration, and emphasize the critical nature of assuring the half mile zoning overlay for the light rail light rail corridor stay intact, and that direct discussions with downtown interests continue to reach agreement on a broadly acceptable position on parking. It's my understanding that the [11:18:31 AM] It's my understanding that the Dia has been working with council member quadri's office on this. We appreciate that very much. And Mr. Mayor, just a couple of personal thanks for those of you that showed up to dove springs on on Friday to do the rollout of the pickup service. That is a project connect funded service that will provide critical transit fit services for a neighborhood that really needs it. And we'd also like to very much thank Annie Buday and the rest of the project connect staff who have done absolutely amazing work to get this done. Thank you all very much for your work on this. Have a wonderful rest of your morning. >> Thank you. Good morning mayor and council. >> My name is Daniel Castleman. I'm the policy manager at shoal creek conservancy. I'm a member of the urban transportation commission. But I'm here today to speak on behalf of myself and the work I've done with the Austin parking reform coalition. I'm here today in support of 26, which, 54, specifically the portions having to do with the [11:19:35 AM] portions having to do with the parking regulations downtown. These policies, which were developed along with stakeholders and also during the urban land institute's tap, they will help create a downtown in a built environment that will help reflect our city's mobility, housing and the goals, even esthetics downtown that we're aiming for. By including aboveground parking and fa calculations while ensuring a baseline increase in by Wright F.A.R. Developers will now be incentivized to dedicate more of their projects to active uses, including office, commercial, retail and housing instead of many floors of an unsightly and underutilized car storage. And by decoupling parking from housing units, residents can now make a more informed decision to forego a parking space or even a vehicle altogether. Whether these policies are both best practices that no longer hide or bundle the costs of parking in with much better and [11:20:36 AM] with much better and economically, vital uses is,. On another note, I just wanted to say that I support item 35, which will rework the bicycle parking regulations. I and other members of the urban transportation commission are really excited that you guys took this up, and we hope that there's more opportunity for collaboration in the future. Thank you again for all the work you do and we really appreciate it. Today. And then of course, moving forward as engagement continues, as these become ordinances. Thank you. >> The following speakers have signed up for item 26, which was withdrawn and replaced with item 54. >> Philip Maxwell, J. Crossley, OAS. Azar, Philip Wylie, please make your way to the front. >> Good morning, mayor Watson. Mayor pro tem pool members of the council. Felicity Maxwell, [11:21:36 AM] the council. Felicity Maxwell, oral board member d5 resident here to speak in in support of item 26 and now 54. As many of you may know, Orff was founded ten years ago, focused on urban rail. Since that time, we've worked at the nexus of transportation and housing. Understanding that Austin needed additional housing density to broaden our transit options with the initiation of the item today, we can celebrate a huge milestone in our advocacy. Not only did project connect pass overwhelmingly in 2020, we are now on the cusp of creating significant and meaningful housing policy to support our generational transfer transit, transportation investments. In addition to being good urban policy, the tod overlay is also excellent fiscal policy. The project connect plan is part in part funded by taxpayers, and we have heard repeated requests from the council for the council capmetro and of course, atp to be good stewards of that funding. The tod overlay ensures that we're allowing the best and highest use for land parcels near our transit investments, while keeping equity at the [11:22:37 AM] while keeping equity at the forefront. This means it will be upgrading our tax base, enhance our built environment and making it possible for more austinites to live and work near transportation. As we heard from a panel of experts last night at the lbj school federal funding match for this project, like project connect under the new starts program, are extremely competitive and require cities to make concerted efforts to comply with federal guidelines. We know that this itot overlay, as well as the related items with this initiation, strengthen our fta application and ensure the highest possible fiscal match. Finally, I would like to recognize the work of our city staff to resolve the issues related to vmu two, which was recently struck down needlessly sweeping ruling related to process, not the content of the program. One of our most successful affordable housing programs. While not ideal, the effort by staff and council does ensure that thousands of vmu two units, many affordable, will not languish in the aftermath of the Acuna two ruling. Sadly this will not likely be the last time we are forced to rework our housing programs. Thank you. Thank you. [11:23:39 AM] Thank you. >> Hello. My name is Jay blaze at Crosley. I'm executive director of a nonprofit called farm and city, and I live in d4 and thank you, mayor Watson and council members for your attention to allowing more people to live healthy, low carbon lifestyles and afford to live near our transit system. I think this is extremely important. And my main point, is that I hope you all, will work however you can to let as many people benefit from this opportunity as possible. All, to expand the benefits of this transit investment. And I guess the, two points I want to make is we presented to the housing and planning committee some analysis that was done with the federal stops model. Just showing how much greater ridership, how many more people would get to use the light rail system if we let development happen near light rail. And it's exponential related. It's not not sort of for every one more person allowed to live there, [11:24:40 AM] person allowed to live there, you get one more transit rider. It's the more density you have. The higher and higher ridership goes. And then the point I want to make at this moment is that you guys and the previous council and mayor and the voters have invested in equitable, transit oriented development in a remarkable way, in a way that isn't being done anywhere else in the country. Sherry. And we're doing really wonderful things. Capmetro atp and city staff have developed a comprehensive suite of equitable programs to help people who live there today stay there to help all of us enjoy these benefits. And we need to recognize how much good we're doing. And then allow a lot more people to be part of that. And so with that, I think there is a role for very concrete, explicit direction from council saying we want more capacity for people to get to enjoy this light rail system. And so staff can figure out how to do that in ways that work for [11:25:40 AM] to do that in ways that work for our neighborhoods. But it's enough people being allowed. So thank you very much. Hi city council members, I'm Roger Colvin. >> I'm in the downtown neighborhood and a frequent transit rider since, 2002. And. I have been actively involved in and advocated for project connect. I did want to say that, first of all, I love Jay Crossley, and I echo everything that he just said. But I do have a specific concern that I wanted to address today, and that is related to the parking policy that is proposed, specifically the, proposal for soft or hard either one parking caps targeted specifically to downtown. I believe that's a fundamentally [11:26:42 AM] believe that's a fundamentally misguided policy. While I do agree with the goal of decreasing the amount of parking downtown, this has unintended. This policy would have unintended consequences as those consequences would be that they would encourage sprawl development. They encourage sprawl development because they place the restriction only on downtown Ann and make fees or caps apply only downtown developers who are choosing where to build are. Therefore, some of those developers are going to choose to build outside of downtown. So what does that mean? Less residential density. Less commercial density, because they're going to choose to build outside of downtown. Those two items are the top items for fta funding, right? Racial and employment density. So that this [11:27:43 AM] employment density. So that this parking policy would actually jeopardize those two fta funding criteria for. And I would also point out that the parking I'm sorry, is a second free factor for the fta. There's other two factors. I'm sorry your time is up. >> Mayor, council members, my name is avsar. I serve as chair of the project connect community advisory committee, but I'm here to speak on my own personal capacity. Today. I'm speaking in favor of items 26 and 50 for the work being done on the equitable transit oriented development vertical mixed use programs in downtown parking really helps us move all of this work forward, and it helps us achieve the federal match that we need to maintain our commitment to our community to expand project connect at the earliest and expand it in a way that is equitable. We're excited to see more housing opportunities, commercial opportunities, and other mix of uses around these [11:28:44 AM] other mix of uses around these station areas that can really expand the use of the system and also ensure that more people in our community can benefit from this new infrastructure. I really want to thank our staff from the project connect office and our planning team for bringing this forward and for really working on this over months and we're really at the cusp of achieving the vision that this council and our community laid out in the policy toolkit last year. And it's really exciting to see that move forward that we're doing this work with commitment and ensuring that we're supporting project connect and supporting the vision of our community. So thank you all for your leadership on this, and thank you to our staff and city manager. >> Thank you. >> The following three speakers have signed up for item 33 and 54, which was pulled. Felix de Porto, Zachary Faddis, Luis osta, lugo. Please make your way to the front. >> Good morning council, thank [11:29:48 AM] >> Good morning council, thank you for your time today. My name is Felix de Porto. I'm a resident of district four, and I'm here today. Here today to voice my support for items 33 and 54. In our effort to build a more inclusive and sustainable city, we're facing significant challenges. Our transit system is not sufficiently accessible to all, especially the economically disadvantaged who depend on it the most. And meeting our climate goals hinges on our ability to significantly enhance the reliability and access to these services. A transit system without density around its stations is a gigantic missed opportunity, and a waste of city resources. Prior rising, mixed use, high density development, and deeply affordable housing near transit stops will bring us closer to an Austin in which everyone, regardless of income, can live close to jobs, to amenities, and to reliable, efficient transit. It will reduce our carbon footprint by lowering our dependency on cars, and it will reduce our demand for destructive suburban sprawl. It will stimulate local economies, [11:30:48 AM] will stimulate local economies, creating job opportunities and fostering community growth. A successful transit system, coupled with efficient land use is the backbone of urban development. It is crucial to achieve a critical mass of people for transit to be effective and financially viable, which will ultimately fuel further transit expansion into areas of greater need. By prioritizing equitable transit oriented development, we don't just meet our immediate needs, we invest in a sustainable, expansive future for our transit system. We have to act now. Equitable transit oriented development is a is crucial to achieving a financially and environmentally sustainable city . I look forward to seeing our city become a model for sustainable future and to your continued leadership in this endeavor. Thank you. >> Howdy council members, my name is Zach Faddis. I'm a proud resident of Austin, living in [11:31:48 AM] resident of Austin, living in district nine and president of aura. Most my remarks are regarding the resolution, but I am also supportive of vmu two and the bike parking items. About a year ago, I moved to the triangle and mixed use development on Guadalupe. About a mile north of where the train is supposed to end. Though I'm still holding out hope that may change. I was moving there partially because of the freedom of mobility provided me. I was walking distance of a grocery store, pharmacy, a bike shop, and right next to the to nato. One stop. When I moved, I told myself if I sold my car, I could buy a fancy e-bike. And now I love to brag that I've got three bikes, zero cars, and life is good. I want to give that freedom to more austinites. I want more people to be able to meet their daily needs without having to bear the cost of owning, maintaining, storing, and operating heavy equipment. In my mind, the most likely way for project connect to fail is if we do everything technically right. But there's not enough people around the stations to ride the thing. Unfortunately, that is currently the case along much of the proposed route. Not because people don't want to live there, but because we decided it should be illegal [11:32:49 AM] decided it should be illegal between federal government and the city. We're about to spend something like $10 billion to build a light rail line. This is an absolutely needed investment. But to maximize the effect of that investment, we must drastically increase the number of people we allow to use it. I support the Todd resolution and ask that you give as many austinites as possible this opportunity. Thank you all for your work and have a lovely day. Good morning, mayor Watson. >> Mayor pro tem pool and, council, I am a or a board member and district eight resident. And I'll spare you all the full spiel. And I wanted to thank you all specifically for your leadership on housing and transportation to take the reforms that this city needs to be as as inclusive and as sustainable as we all dream it to be. Despite all the attempts by a small minority to take undemocratic means to undermine the will of the people here in Austin, I continue to appreciate how you guys fight here every single day for austinites. [11:33:50 AM] single day for austinites. >> Mayor pro tem, the following four speakers have signed up for item 54, which was pulled out if they do wish to speak now, I will call their names. Otherwise they can do so when the item is discussed. Ty havank Chloe Wilkinson, Carmen Yanez and Zenobia Joseph . >> Good evening council members. >> First let me just say thank you so much for your support for public transportation and housing throughout 2023. And I'm looking forward to another great year of housing reform and public transportation advocacy. One thing that I really want to say here is that to really get [11:34:51 AM] say here is that to really get the best public transportation Ann to really get the best project connect, we need more housing. We need a diversity of housing, and we need equitable housing. Singh this is just the fact a bus, train or any form of public transportation is better than a car. It is proven time and time again that the carbon emissions of cars are the number one source of cities polluting CO2 into our environment. And the truth is, is that a bus just doesn't even compare on the same level. And truthfully, we, the people who need Ed public transportation most are those who can't afford cars in the first place. There are estimates that it costs over $1 million in one's lifetime. Time to repair [11:35:53 AM] one's lifetime. Time to repair and own a car. This is not sustainable and this is not the future of a city that is economically diverse or that is as welcoming to all. So once again, thank you. Council members. I'm. I'm just. Thank you. Yeah >> Thank you. >> Hi. I'm tehovec, a homeowner in district five, and I'm speaking in support of equitable transit oriented development and vertical mixed use two. I'd like to start by thanking council for all of your housing reform efforts. All this new construction that has happened in the last few years has led to one of the largest rent decreases in the nation, especially for such a large city. And I hope that city council continues down that path. It really shows that, simply put, more housing helps stabilize prices. Under the main topics I'm strongly in support of itod as it is critical to the [11:36:54 AM] of itod as it is critical to the success of project connect. Having dense, mixed income, mixed use housing Singh near the transit stations is crucial for increasing ridership and ultimately maximizing the return on this massive investment. I am also in favor of vmu two. It is ridiculous that it was overturned at the first place, but I look forward to seeing council bring it back. Better for the ability for our future, for future residents in those areas to live near where they shop, eat and play equates to less car trips being made, thereby aiding the achievement of our city's climate goals. And my hope is that ultimately, more people will be able to have of either car free or car lite lifestyles. It also leads to those most used corridors being wonderful places that are worthy and desirable of being in, as opposed to just being ugly strodes that are bordered by strip malls and parking lots and yeah. Lastly, both efforts will lead to more multifamily construction, which will lead to further rent decreases or [11:37:56 AM] further rent decreases or stabilization at the very least. And every unit of affordable housing that is created as a result of vmu two is a huge win in my book. Thank you. >> Mayor, that concludes all the speakers for the consent item agenda. >> We do have speakers signed up for the items that were pulled. >> Thank you very much. Members, the way we'll proceed is because of the number of speakers. What? I'll do that we've had what I'll do is we'll go with the consent agenda. And depending upon where we are with regard to our 12:00 time, certain, we'll I'll juggle that to we'll try to, have it done before that. And then if we need a little additional time between now and that 12 top clock time certain depending again, on how the consent agenda operates, we will go to ask for those that are trying to keep up with us on this. Members you have heard the consent agenda and all of the people that have [11:38:56 AM] and all of the people that have registered on the consent agenda. For clarity purposes, items 23 and item 54 are not on the consent agenda. I just want to make sure that we're clear in that regard. I have people who have signed up that wish to speak on the consent agenda after it passes. If and I'll call those out when we get to that point. Do I have a motion to adopt the consent agenda as read council member Vella, seconded by council member Ryan alter. With that being said, is there anyone wishing to pull an item off the consent agenda that I have not said anyone wishing to be shown abstaining on an item on the consent agenda? Anyone wishing to be shown recusing themselves from their vote on the consent agenda. Anyone wishing to be shown voting no on the consent agenda. That being the case, without objection, the consent agenda as read is adopted, with councilmember qadri being off the dais. Councilmember Kelly, I'll recognize you, followed by councilmember Ryan alter and [11:39:56 AM] councilmember Ryan alter and then councilmember Allison alter. Councilmember harper-madison and councilmember Velasquez to speak on the consent agenda. >> Thank you. Mayor. My remarks were prepared for items that have been pulled. However I would like to recognize a boy scout who is with us today for a badge that he's trying to get. His name is porter best and he's here with his mom, Shannon best. Thank you for your civic engagement. And with that, I'll yield back. Mayor. >> Not sure how that works, but you sit through all this, you get two badges. Council member Ryan alter, and then followed by council member Allison alter. >> Thank you very much, mayor. I'd just like to highlight a couple items. First, the item number 29, related to the sobering center. We approved this interlocal agreement with the county for the sobering center, which fulfills such an important role in our community as a safe haven in cases where individuals might otherwise end up incarcerated or in the hospital. This interlocal agreement also represents collaboration between the city [11:40:57 AM] collaboration between the city and county, which is something we should always be striving to achieve. I'd also like to just point out a couple items. That really made it investments in our climate resilience as a city. First, item number four, related to vegetation management so that we can have greater trimming along our, our, our power lines. A, a conservation easement and item ten that protects onion creek and the Edwards aquifer. And while we haven't done this one yet, investments in home weatherization in the hfc. Item five that I am very confident will pass here. So as a council, we need to imagine what results could be achieved from system wide funding to achieve our city's environmental goals. And I'm really excited that we started that work here today. Thank you very much. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Council member councilmember Allison alter, [11:41:57 AM] councilmember Allison alter, followed by council member harper-madison Kyle. >> Leagues. Like many of you, I'm really excited that we're able to support each of the resolutions of support for the staff. >> Recommended lie tech, low income housing tax, credit applications, particularly excited that we were able to adopt item 17, which is the resolution supporting the rosedale development in district ten. To my knowledge, this is the first ever live tech application in district ten that has come to us during my time in office for what has been in my district ten at the time. This application, if approved, would utilize our affordability, unlocked density bonus program to facilitate the creation of 70 or more units of deeply affordable housing in a high opportunity area near a park. Transit medical clinics and grocery stores, all while also providing on site pre-k. This is a really good project. I want to thank Megan lash and her team for their work with neighbors and city staff to help bring this project forward, and I look forward to seeing it completed [11:42:58 AM] forward to seeing it completed and working with them to work with the neighbors as we move forward. If they're successful in their bid for these tax credits. >> Thank you, thank you. >> Council member. Council member harper-madison followed by council member Velasquez. >> Thank you very much, mayor, for the recognition. I'd like to first start my commentary by saying, happy black history month. Everybody today is the. Today is the first day of us having the opportunity to talk about, black history. And that's important to me to say because, as we all should recognize, this isn't, just a month where we recognize the accomplishments of people who look like me. And, folks in the room who look like me because as African American history, black history month is American history. And it's an opportunity for us to all celebrate all American history. And that's something I want us to never forget as we move forward as a collective [11:43:59 AM] forward as a collective community. So in doing so, our office is planning to spotlight some inspirational members of the black community. Most especially locally, but both past, present and throughout the month in our communications. So just keep an eye on our social media. One of the ones that I'm really proud of is the folks who work here at the city of Austin who identify as black or African American. I think it's really important to highlight the work that they do for our community and for the city of Austin. So I'm going to take the opportunity to embarrass them a few times over the course of the month. So stay tuned. Right now, I want to specifically take a moment to recognize, all of the influential black figures in front of us today at the city and beyond. I think it's thrilling to see the amount of our black colleagues who find their way into positions of influence and leadership. And I look forward to more of them joining us. And I'd also like to leave you with this. I want for one day when my successors, [11:45:00 AM] one day when my successors, successors, successor, says happy black history month that we don't have to celebrate the prevalence of black executives at the city of Austin because it won't be extraordinary anymore. It will just be a matter of course. Moving on, I would like to, to, say that I'm looking forward to all the beautiful events taking place at the carver museum. Shout out to the carver museum and park staff who organize really amazing programs at the carver and across the city of Austin throughout the month of February. We hope to see folks really engage in the events and take some time to walk around our African American cultural heritage district. On my far east side. I also wanted to spotlight some some items from our consent agenda today. Sidewalk improvements. I'd like to thank the city of Austin, city transportation and public works staff for all that you do to work on our and your contributions to sidewalk construction improvements throughout the city. Walkability is absolutely a privilege that we hope to provide and invest in for our growing communities, to [11:46:03 AM] for our growing communities, to give residents more active transportation options and lessen congestion on our roads. Eden garden on east 12th street. This is one of those housing development tax credit products that you projects, rather that you guys have been hearing about this morning regarding the Eden gardens development on east 12th street, though this development is specifically catering to the need of affordable housing for our elder adults. This tax credit application provides a greater financial cushion to rehabilitate these existing units and to create a sustainable, safe and comfortable environment for its residents. The northeast planning district. It is going to be postponed until the 15th. So I would like to say lastly, I'd like to take this moment to briefly address the northeast planning district item that we postponed. Thank you to staff for pulling up the map related to this item for folks who aren't familiar, I can see it down below. Maybe not up high, so I'm not sure if folks [11:47:03 AM] so I'm not sure if folks watching from home can see that. There we go. So in particular, I would like to express my gratitude to the honorable commissioner Jeff Travillion. His staff, and maybe most importantly, the real MVP, Christy Moffat and her economic development team over at Travis county, for their strategic initiatives team as well. At the county on this historic partnership between Travis county and the city of Austin. Thank you as well to all of the city staff, in the room and not in the room right now who have invested their energy into this transformative development here at the city of Austin, including city manager Garza. Acm Briseno director Middleton Pratt and her team of planners. Your work does not go unnoticed, and your patience is very much appreciated. And for my colleagues, I would just like to update you that we have postponed this item in the hopes that the many conversations occurring between the community, the county and the city can take the next step forward with an [11:48:04 AM] the next step forward with an interlocal agreement within the month. At the end of the day, our time spent on initiatives like this is one Ann. Like this one, rather is an investment of taxpayer dollars and a reflection of our values and an asset that we should use wisely. I hope you can still see the map and understand the relevance of what it is that we're working on. That's a big chunk of north east Austin that to date hasn't had the opportunity to have the kinds of investment intentional invest in communities and people and all parts of Austin. So that's just me highlighting the real relevance of this item, and I look forward to seeing it come back on the 15th. Thank you colleagues, thank you mayor. >> Thank you. Council member. Council member Velasquez followed by council member Fuentes and council member vela. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Colleagues, I wanted to take a minute to express my excitement around the pathways at Santa Rita courts. >> As many of you know, I grew up two blocks from there. They were first constructed in 1937, and I've had many childhood [11:49:06 AM] and I've had many childhood friends that live there or friends that live there now. And throughout the year, you can frequently find me and a group of friends from the neighborhood there helping my dear friend miss Lupe Garcia, who is the president of the neighborhoods council with various community events. Some of y'all may not know her, but miss Lupe is the heart and soul of that community, and the energy behind the majority of amazing things that come to fruition. There thank you for your advocacy and for your energy. I like to tell people that I've known her since about 2017, and she likes to tell people that she's known my mom since the 80s. >> This redevelopment will not only be replacing the 97 currently, deeply affordable units with modern living spaces, but they will be adding even more affordable housing to an area that is ground zero for displacement in our city. >> These current units have no these current units have no central ac and are severely outdated, unsafe and inaccessible. Some of the new amenities that will come with [11:50:06 AM] amenities that will come with this redevelopment are central ac and energy efficient appliances and washer and dryer hookups. The homes will meet current safety and accessible regulations, ensuring a comfortable, accessible and secure living environment for our neighbors. >> These amenities aren't luxurious, they are basic necessities and the residents know it's been a long time coming with that said, I will not allow hurdles to get in the way of people who need housing and I will continue to make Santa Rita a priority. >> I want to thank Mandy Demayo and her team for all their work and help on this issue. Miss Lupe Garcia, Mr. Mark Gerber. Yes. Excuse me. Mike sorry. Yesterday I promised you that I will be with you all every step of the way until this project is complete. Here in front of my colleagues, I promise that I will continue fighting for you until this project is complete. [11:51:07 AM] until this project is complete. And my neighbors at Santa Rita have the housing they desperately deserve. Thank you. Thank you. >> Council member. Council member Fuentes, then council member. Vela >> Thank you, thank you, councilmember Velasquez. And I want to join you in that solidarity between our district, district two and three, and also expressing my support to for ensuring that we do all that we can for our Santa Rita residents . So I wanted to invite our housing director, Manny Demayo, if she could come up real quick. Her and I had a really good conversation yesterday, and I had the opportunity to meet with some of the residents from Santa Rita. And so I wanted to ensure that while we with this. But we just approved on consent, is that their application moves forward for the low income tax credit and we support them in that application. But should they not receive that award? I want to make sure that we as a city ensure that they have the resources they need to the best extent possible, so that the living conditions that were shared with us, including the lack of access to ac, is addressed. So can you please [11:52:07 AM] addressed. So can you please share with us? You know, resources we have available? >> Sure. >> Mandy Demayo interim director of the housing department. Yes. >> I've had extensive conversations with Mike Gerber and the haka team. We are like you all very committed to seeing the redevelopment of Santa Rita courts. What you all are approving on the consent agenda will allow all of the applicants to go forward with a statewide process, a competitive process for the 9% latech should Santa Rita, in fact, not receive or not score sufficiently to receive the 9% latech awards? We've already started brainstorming different options to ensure that there is a successful path forward for, Santa Rita redevelopment. We are committed to it. I want to assure you all that we have worked hand in hand with hakka on other projects, including rosewood courts, that is currently under construction. >> Dale, thank you and thank you so much, councilmember Velasquez, for your leadership on this and just wanted to [11:53:08 AM] on this and just wanted to express my support to ensuring that, that we as a city are united and ensuring that we are able to help with the redevelopment. >> Thank you. Council member, councilmember vela. >> Thank you. Mayor. I wanted to echo councilmember Ryan alter's comments about item four and the investments that we're continuing to make in vegetation management. I know things move very fast and we tend to forget, but I have not forgotten about, that winter storm and the electrical problems. And I'm glad to see items continuing to show up on the agenda and showing our commitment to harden our electrical system and make sure those kinds of events never happen again. And I also wanted to echo the, council member harper-madison comments about the northeast planning district. That doesn't quite touch my, district eight, but it is a very important van eenoo we see all of the folks moving out that way , because that's where the affordable housing is. And, you know, we have this beautiful [11:54:09 AM] know, we have this beautiful grid here in downtown. You think about the, the, you know, waller and the original kind of layout and the thoughtfulness that they put into the grid pattern with, you know, trees one way, being named after rivers and trees the other way, being named after the different trees. You know, we don't see that level of thoughtfulness and planning and investment in infrastructure in other parts of the community. And I'm excited to see the northeast, planning district get together. And it's not all in the city. There's large parts that are in the county. So we're going to have to work with our partners in the county and that's just an exciting I'm in that part of the city a lot. It's growing and I'm happy to see the city, really trying to get a handle on that and plan for the future. Thank you. >> Council member. Council member. Harper-madison did you? >> I did, I was inspired by, by councilwoman Fuentes's commentary, to just point out I really appreciate that you brought up, Mandy Demayo to sort of speak to the 9, like, you know what exactly the [11:55:09 AM] know what exactly the implications are here, but I just wanted to also echo I mean, I've said this to several of our , of my colleagues and to members of our housing staff, the district one office is working pretty diligently to figure out who all we need to get in the room to put together a program. You know, we're sort of loosely calling it something, I will tell you the name yet, but basically, the program is an opportunity for us to have more comprehensive, more robust and more productive conversation with members of our community about housing. Because I can bet you money that at least one person in this room during the course of the conversation, you don't know what we're talking about when we say 9% lihtc. Because it's not common community terminology. So we're talking about, you know, producing a glossary of terms. So you know, what we're talking about when we talk about it, so that when you engage in the process, you're able to do so in a way that you really do get to advocate for yourself and your neighbors in a way that's thoughtful and informed. And so I really look forward to us, [11:56:10 AM] I really look forward to us, being able to have more events in the community where we, you know, talk about what does it mean? What how did the 9% lihtc consider come about the point and grading system? You know, if not everybody is on the same page with the information that we have when we have the discussions, I just really don't feel like it's the same kind of comprehensive community conversations we could have. And then lastly, council member Vila, you said something that inspired me as well. And when you're talking about real thoughtful, comprehensive, community focused city planning, which is another reason those community level conversations around land use and urban planning, we're not all going to overnight become, you know, 15 year professionals and relatively obscure subject matter. But we can all get on the same page and sort of level set what it is that we're talking about when we talk about comprehensive community planning. So thank you both for your commentary, because it just excites me more to continue to involve the community in these conversations. Thank you mayor. [11:57:11 AM] conversations. Thank you mayor. >> Thank you. Council member, members council member qadri was temporarily off the dais when we voted on the consent agenda. He has requested that he be shown voting in favor of the consent agenda as it was adopted. His vote will not change the outcome of the vote on the consent agenda. I would move that council member qadri be shown voting in favor of the consent agenda. It's seconded by the mayor pro tem. Is there any objection? And without objection, council member qadri will be shown voting in favor of the consent agenda as it was read. Members. That brings us to 11:57 A.M. And as efficient as the ahrq staff is, I'm not sure, but I'm looking at him. Oh, there. Doubting me. Come on, show your stuff off. Members I, without objection, we recessed the meeting of the Austin city council, and I call to order the board of directors meeting of the Austin housing finance corporation. [12:02:12 PM] Without objection, we will adjourn the meeting of the Austin housing finance corporation board of directors at 12:02 P.M, and I will call back to order the city council meeting of the Austin city council at the regular schedule meeting at 12:03 P.M. And offer my apologies to the staff of hfc for ever doubting them. Members, we will now take up our 12:00 time certain, which is, excuse [12:03:19 PM] time certain, which is, excuse me, the public comment period before we go into the public comment period, let me just indicate for the members that during the public comment period , we everyone should please be aware that behavior that violates the rules of the council meeting will not be permitted. And, you may not speak out of turn. You may not criticize. You may criticize a public official, but you may not use personally derogatory or disparaging remarks. You may not defame another person or use obscene language, or use abusive language that is likely to incite a breach of the peace. You may not make threats of violence against any other person or otherwise disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting, such as screaming comments. Also note that comments from a member of the public on a number that related to another item, in order to assure that we have the ability for everyone to participate and have safe and efficient access to witness the council's deliberations. You may not sit or stand in the aisles or otherwise obstruct the exits or emergency exits. If you wish [12:04:19 PM] or emergency exits. If you wish to display a sign or a flag or other or other object, you may do that. You just need to do it in the designated area in the back of the council chambers, and that's to avoid obstructing the view of other members of the public who are seated in the seating area. And there may not be demonstrations at the podium. The speaker cannot be accompanied by others, with that being said, I'll turn to the city clerk to begin our public comment process. And thank you. >> Thank you, mayor. The first speaker is Ronnie Gelman. Hello mayor Watson and council members . >> My name is Ronnie Gelman, and my pronouns are they them. I'm a member of jewish voice for peace and democratic socialists of America. I'm an Jew born in Austin and raised in congregation Kol halev. I became bat mitzvah in 2006 with the guidance of rabbi Carrie baker. May his memory be a blessing. [12:05:19 PM] May his memory be a blessing. And rabbi, Cantor, rabbi Sherwin I studied near eastern and judaic studies at Brandeis university, which was founded alongside the state of Israel in 1948. Most of my professors were pro-Israel and yet it was during my time there that I became an anti-zionist. I witnessed conservative zionist students, the same ones who went to aipac conventions, routinely display hostility toward Palestinian queer and non-jewish students with impunity. They disrupted events like take back the night, designed to support survivors of sexual assault, which was rampant in majority jewish fraternities. This kind of behavior is endemic and a supremacist culture that enables one group to subjugate other people for their own benefit. I began learning from Palestinian and Arab students about the 75 years of al-nakba and Israel's apartheid, and how they are inextricable with western imperial ism and white supremacist oppression. This past November, I began leading protests on shabbat outside of congregation Beth Israel, Austin's oldest synagogue. We [12:06:20 PM] Austin's oldest synagogue. We gather as Jews and allies to practice ritual as resistance. We pray and sing songs about peace and justice. Despite Beth Israel's professed commitment to human rights, like most synagogues, they are actively complicit in the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people and continue to raise money for zionist institutions without any public acknowledgment of the thousands who have been martyred. I protest to directly challenge zionism and the mainstream belief that Jews get a free pass to oppress an entire people in order to protect their own sense of safety. This is white supremacist violence. It's wrong, and it's not my judaism. I grew up going to the Austin jcc, and I went to camp shalom and I know firsthand that the community it serves is largely white, wealthy, and extremely privileged. Murray Watson attended the I stand with Israel event in October alongside local zionist leaders, but has made no statement of solidarity with our Palestinian community. I am 100% certain that if the tens of thousands of martyred [12:07:22 PM] thousands of martyred Palestinians were white, this council would have unanimously voted for a cease fire many weeks ago. I implore the council to recognize the role that racism and white jewish supremacy play in this issue. This council can and should follow in the footsteps of 47 other Progressive cities like Chicago, as of yesterday, to say, cease fire now the voters of this community are here to ask you to do the right thing, and we will continue to show up and make our voices heard until the cease fire resolution passes . Let's show this nation and the world that Austin stands in solidarity with people of color against all racism, supremacy, and imperialism. This is the moral. Thank you. Do it now. Thank you. >> Next, next speaker is crystal silva Mccormick. >> Thank you, mayor and council. My name is crystal Latina from El Paso, Texas, from the border. And I understand injustice in policy very well. [12:08:23 PM] policy very well. >> I thank you for this opportunity to speak to each of you and for the brave jewish voices that are here and the resilient Palestinian voices that have been here consistently asking you to see their humanity . I come before you as a Christian minister who's been working with human rights and interfaith dialog for a long time, I stand here with my Palestinian siblings like I did with my jewish siblings in 2021, on the steps of the capitol, when congregation Beth Israel was attacked by an arsonist, I stood there against anti semitism and I stand here today against anti-arab sentiment, anti-islamophobia and anti Palestinian sentiment. Palestinians have been so dehumanized in public discourse that calling for a cease fire is seen as controversial. All this is basic human rights. As a Christian minister, I implore you to call for a cease fire. We must coalesce around the truth and have moral clarity about what is right and just. In this world, for every single human being, this is a local issue. I cannot believe I've heard people [12:09:25 PM] cannot believe I've heard people say this is not a local issue. Palestine are your constituents and they are asking you for a cease fire. That is a local issue. Why else is it a local issue? Because governor Abbott issued an executive decree in October to put a boycott against goods coming from gaza and the gaza strip. Yet he doesn't call for a boycott against caterpillar that demolishes Palestinian homes, does he? That's why the Israeli committee against the demolition of homes was created in 1997, long before October 7th. So today I ask you to have moral clarity. I invite you to join me in having moral clarity in this society, in all people here. I ask you, do you can you raise your hand and say you condemn the killing of over 26,000 gazans, including almost half of them children have moral clarity. Please raise your hand if you condemn the killing of over 26,000 civilians in gaza. [12:10:25 PM] over 26,000 civilians in gaza. This is my testimony. I raise my hand. Thank you. Because I condemn the killing of over 26,000 civilians and I implore you, as political leaders, to help shape the public discourse and call for a ceasefire, call for a ceasefire, have the moral and political imagination to teach all of society that we have political solutions, not violence? I want my tax dollars back. Next. >> Next. Speaker is louie Abu imara, followed by Gabriel fine. >> Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and council members. My name is louie Abu Amara. I am an American citizen. I have been living in Austin for 23 years, and I have been living in district six for nine years. I [12:11:26 PM] district six for nine years. I am of Palestinian origin and as such, I come before you today to implore you to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire in gaza. The bulk of my public comment today is about the condition of the children in the occupied territories, and it relies heavily on research done by Sarah al- yafi that was published a week ago in a video that went viral on November 29th, an eight year old Adam al-ghoul was shot dead in jenin in the west bank. His brother baha dragged him in his limp body to safety behind a car. Their friend Bassel Abu al-wafa, who was 15 years old, was shot dead on the same day. Hamdan Hamdan, who was 13 years old, was shot in the back of the head while he was with his dad in a car. Rukaiya Ahmed, who was four years old, was shot as she was in a shared taxi van with her mom, Yousef zardad, who was 11 years old, was shot by an apache helicopter. Actually, 99 children have have been killed in the west bank in the last four months alone. This is a policy and it is called shoot to kill. In a 2017 human rights [12:12:26 PM] kill. In a 2017 human rights watch report, it was uncovered that these were not doings of rogue soldiers, but an institutional policy that goes all the way to the top. The British medical journal article Israeli army shoot to kill policy in 2005, quote soldiers that were given orders to shoot an unarmed Ed civilians, including children. Amnesty international also uncovered different policy called shoot to maim in 2018, it ran an article titled deliberate attempts by military to call to kill and maim Garza protesters continues the Israeli newspaper haaretz ran an article in 2020 titled for 42 nis. In one day, and ran a story about a book titled called the right to maim and if children were not killed or maimed, they were kidnaped, imprisoned and assaulted in the week long truce that was implemented in gaza, 107 children were released. They were put in a jail with no charges in what is called administrative detention. In reports by save the children and [12:13:27 PM] reports by save the children and the un report, children in Israeli military detention, you will see that 86% of the children were beaten 59% were arrested and terrorizing middle of the night raids, and 23% were put in solitary confinement. And that is in the west bank, with no hamas ruling. Meanwhile, in gaza, 11,500 children were killed, 2000 children are believed to still be under the rubble, 1000 children are with missing limbs. All the while 66,000 tons of bombs being dropped on them while starving them. This is happening because Israel is doing this free of charge financially, legally, morally, reputationally and politically. Please put a stop to this culture of impunity. Put a price tag on Israel's behavior and call for an immediate cease fire. Thank you. >> Gabriel Finn followed by Joshua Sklar. Please make your way to the podium and state your [12:14:28 PM] way to the podium and state your name. Hi, council members, my name is Gabriel fine. >> I'm speaking today to urge you to support a resolution calling for a ceasefire in gaza. As of my writing, estimates of the death toll have climbed to at least 26,000, with half the buildings in the region reportedly destroyed before I continue, I ask you to visualize this. I am a citizen of district ten in rosedale, where about 5000 people live. If you add to this the populations of old west Austin, bryker woods and Clarksville, you approach this toll and still do not reach it. Councilwoman alter, I implore you to imagine if these neighborhoods sheltering over a quarter of your constituents were wiped from the map. Now picture in addition, every building west of I 35 all the way to the city limits homes, businesses, hospitals, libraries, schools reduced to rubble. Such comparisons ought not be necessary, but this is just a barest estimation of the scale of damage that has been wrought on gaza since October seventh. I am a proud Jew. Two concepts I've been taught to adhere to my entire life include pikuach nefesh to save a life [12:15:28 PM] pikuach nefesh to save a life and never again, never again means never again for anyone. I believe the retaliation following October 7th, after decades of illegal occupation amounts to genocide, utter bloodlust and as a Jew, I simply cannot stand by and watch as tens of thousands of innocents innocent lives are annihilated in my name. To those of you who have supported a resolution thus far, I commend you to those of you who haven't. You may wonder whether this is a local issue yet. The diversity of your constituents is a testament to this question, made up as it is of countless Jews, muslims, Arab Americans, as you've seen here today, and other concerned allies who are looking to our elected officials to take a stand. If this isn't enough for you, consider that in November, Texas announced a $45 million purchase in Israeli bonds in order to, quote, provide liquidity to Israel, unquote, as it lays siege to gaza. Our tax money is therefore directly funding this genocide. And likewise, there is a precedent for precedent for Austin city council passing resolutions on international affairs. In 2003, you passed one condemning the [12:16:29 PM] you passed one condemning the unilateral invasion of Iraq. I truly believe that history will look back upon the carnage in gaza as a mistake of an even greater degree than we now view that war a moment of profound moral blindness and militarized fervor. I implore you to ask yourself whether you want to be remembered. Like congresswoman Barbara Lee, the sole representative who opposed the Iraq war at the time, or as one of those whose silence led to the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians in what is now widely accepted as a failed and preventable war. I also encourage you to look to the beacon of other cities and municipalities around the country who have passed comparable resolutions 47 and counting, of which Chicago is the latest. As our elected officials, you have a voice. Your constituents don't. This is a local issue. And I beg you, please use your voice to help us stop this violence. Pikuach nefesh use it to save a life. Thank you for your time . [12:17:36 PM] . I'm Joshua Sklar. I'm here with jewish voice for peace. Like others have said, there is a precedent for Austin passing resolutions about international affairs. So I don't really understand, you know, that argument, but you know, moreover, many of the people here believe that this is a local issue. We're locals. >> I think we get to decide what's a local issue. The division in our community being fomented by Israel's genocide, that's a local issue, you know, that's only going to start to subside when the killing stops. >> Like the fact that your constituents feel abandoned and betrayed by the council. >> That's a local issue. >> And we're going to remember it. The fact that people in this city have lost friends and family members, that's a local issue, and you are obligated to do whatever you can to put a stop to that. >> Second, there's a notion that calling for a cease fire would make jewish constituents feel unsupported. I think I and many other Jews have said many times that Israel, the Israeli state, [12:18:37 PM] that Israel, the Israeli state, does not represent us as Jews and that we do not condone its crimes. But at this point, it's not just anti-zionists calling for a ceasefire. J street, that's a liberal zionist organization. They called for a cease fire. Americans for peace. Now, a few weeks back, they called for a ceasefire. Also a zionist organization explicitly obviously, there are more hawkish organizations, but these ones are not outsiders. They're rabbinic. And cantorial board consists of over 1000 members, including many who work with large congregations. >> Furthermore, while it is true that many synagogues have not yet called for a ceasefire, this isn't because everybody who goes to them is in agreement. I've spoken to rabbis about this, many congregations are split. >> Furthermore, nearly half of American Jews don't even belong to synagogues, which is in large part because of their public stances on Israel. So even that metric doesn't tell the whole story at this point. Saying that you are doing this to support Jews in general is clearly an erasure of a significant swath of people within the faith. Do I [12:19:38 PM] of people within the faith. Do I speak for all Jews? No no, but neither does any individual Jew or group of Jews. That's kind of how it works. So please, I beg you, try not to worry about who will accuse you of being hateful. One way or the other, and think about what will actually help people. I can't think of anyone who was helped by this atrocity, except for maybe Benjamin Netanyahu and his merry band of psychopaths who, god willing, will soon be locked in a prison cell. Please do not just stand by while thousands of thousands of innocent lives are snuffed out. And while the community that elected you howls in pain, we will remember this like I don't understand. Like you. You know that. Like, if you ever appear in, you know, a history book like, and you don't do this, you're just going to be a footnote out of shame. You're just going to be like somebody where the only thing anybody will know about you is that you were in support of this. That's the whole thing. This is the most historically significant moment of any of your careers. Mayor [12:20:43 PM] Mayor >> We have one remote speaker which will go to now, aviv Rao. >> Thank you. Hi my name is aviv and I'm a UT student who lives in district nine here in Austin. >> I'm a proud jewish person, the child of a rabbi, father, and a mother born to holocaust refugees. To me, this issue is deeply personal. I have family and loved ones and occupied palestine. I grew up speaking hebrew as a first language and I spent my childhood attending jewish day schools and synagogues. I'm here to urge you to join 47 other cities in the us, including Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco and Seattle to pass a cease fire resolution immediately standing with me and my community means standing against white supremacist, genocidal violence. It means standing with our Palestinian, Arab and Muslim neighbors against islamophobia. It means, at bare minimum, calling for an immediate cease fire in an end to Israel's brutal siege on gaza. It means understanding [12:21:44 PM] gaza. It means understanding that judaism is not zionism and that Jews have survived and thrived in diaspora for centuries. It is Christian fascism and white supremacy that enacted the holocaust, a genocide that claimed many of my ancestors. Yet you let espousing exact that ideology fly anti-semitic banners freely across I-35 and mopac in 2021. It was a white supremacist who set fire to the oldest synagogue in our city. If you want to talk about jewish safety in our community, you must first recognize that Jews are safer when Palestinians are safer, when muslims are safer, when Arabs are safer, when communities of color in our city are safer. This isn't a religious conflict. And you're not doing anything to protect your jewish constituents here in Austin by refusing to denounce a settler state half a world away, city council had no problem passing a resolution earlier this month urging the federal government to take action on Hyundai and Kia recalls yet [12:22:44 PM] Hyundai and Kia recalls yet entire bloodlines of Palestinian families are being slaughtered by Israel daily with our tax dollars as American, as Texans and as austinites, and you refuse to take action. Your silence on this issue has everything to do with western financial interests and I'm tired of you hiding behind my community as a justification. As a proud Jew, I stand before you to say, not in my name. Never again means never again. For anyone. One. And lastly, I want to remind you that the jewish and Muslim communities in this city are connected. We are organized and we will remember how you stood on this issue. When it comes time for election season. Courageous public servants like my city council representative zo qadri, will go down in history as a decent moral, upstanding beings. Those of you who looked away as we all witnessed a genocide on our phones will be remembered as cowards with blood on your hands . Thank you. >> Moving back to in person, then we have Sophia Schlesinger, [12:23:46 PM] then we have Sophia Schlesinger, followed by seja Nasser and pabitra Dayal. Hi my name is Sophia Schlesinger and I am a jewish resident of Austin. >> I want to open today with a question what happens when we fail to learn from history? As a Jew? It has been impossible for me not to hear the echoes of rhetoric and the language of Israeli officials who speak about making Garza a quote unquote, slaughterhouse. This is because zionism did not truly find a solution to and its anti-semitic antecedents in Europe. It merely adopted their strategies for subjugation of a different population. From its inception, zionism has been a continuation of those very same principles of violence and colonial subjugation. It has repurposed tactics that the German empire used on Jews and on the herero and nama people of Namibia. Before that, it is the same ideology operating under a different name. This has not merely been the case since October 7th, but since the nakba [12:24:47 PM] October 7th, but since the nakba in 1948. So I ask again, what does it mean when we fail to learn from history for Jews? Another version of this question is what does it mean when we fail to honor the memory of our ancestors? My great grandfather was the only person in his immediate family to survive the pogroms. Though he died before I was born, my siblings knew him as a quiet man who spoke with a voice heavily inflected by the Russian that he no longer spoke, that he refused to speak what actually happened to him, and his family is still largely mysterious to us, because he would not talk about it. I think about my great grandfather's silences as related to something the poet Paul clean described in the years after the holocaust that when a society has passed through the thousand darknesses of murderous speech, our language changes, our language remains stained by this violence . Confronted with this, my great grandfather stopped speaking in city council when I complain of [12:25:48 PM] city council when I complain of feeling tired, I think of Garza. When I ask my partner what we should eat for dinner. I think of Garza city council. Every day I think about what is happening to the language of we who are witnessing and paying for such unspeakable violence in gaza and occupied palestine, violence that eclipses language, city council. What will we be after this city council? Will we recognize ourselves before we adjourn? Today? You will hear the people in this room attempting to describe unimaginable, unthinkable violence with every form of language they have available to them, with testimony, with the latest news from the ground, with stories about their own families, their own pain. Let us not be silent. Let us learn from the memories of our ancestors. Luz ceasefire now and free palestine. >> My name is sérgio Nasser. [12:26:52 PM] >> My name is sérgio Nasser. Members of city council since president Truman, presidents have said the United States stands with Israel. We have used 45 out of 84 of our vetoes for Israel from 1946 to March 2023. We have spent a total of 260 billion taxpayer dollars on Israel. That is more than 3.3 billion each year for 77 years. Let us take a look at what our vetoes and our money are supporting and enabling. We support Israelis treating Palestinians as inferiors. We support 216 checkpoints, 304 roadblocks and 125 other forms of restriction of movement. We support threatening Palestinians with imprisonment if they do not demolish their own home at their own expense. We support forcing Palestinians to surrender their home to give to Israeli immigrants. Killing and imprisonments are also viable options. We support splitting up families and orphaning children. [12:27:55 PM] families and orphaning children. We support limiting the water supply to 20 gallons per day for Palestinians, six gallons less than their required amount, while Israelis get 80 gallons per day. We support contaminating the water and making it unfit for human consumption. We support using brutal means of torture such as, but not limited to, deprivation of food, water, sleep, Erp, sunlight and relief of bladder rape, amputation, urinating on, stripping them naked in the cold, hanging them naked, beating them. We support military court for children and the innocent imprisonment with no trial. We support intensive segregation and intrusive surveillance. We support raids and invasions of Palestinian homes. We support shoot to kill. We support the Israeli settlers burning homes. Sometimes burning Palestinian families alive. We support celebrations of systematic genocide, and we support heavily taxing Palestinians to then force them to live in subhuman conditions. We support burning and cutting [12:28:56 PM] We support burning and cutting down of Palestinian farms. We support heavily militarizing Israel, while demilitarizing palestine, the United States stands with Israel, so they have become above the international law, above human rights. Why are we continuing to support this genocide on gaza and supply it and fund it? Keep in mind that Americans have fought for liberation and equality for all. To you, I ask as individuals, is this what you stand for? Is this what America stands for? Why is our government making us complicit in these crimes? Why. No answer. >> Please complete your testimony. >> Well, I'm waiting for my answer. >> That's my testimony. >> This offers an opportunity for you to communicate with the council. And so we're listening to what you have to say. This is an opportunity for you to communicate. And we appreciate [12:29:56 PM] communicate. And we appreciate your being here today. Thank you . Good afternoon, mayor and council. >> My name is pavitra deal and I live in district nine. >> I am a senior at UT and a Jew of color and I'm here today to ask you all to call for a permanent ceasefire in gaza. >> I am 1 degrees of separation from multiple hostages taken on October 7th through one of my best friends, the collective trauma took a toll on us all, and I was distraught. For weeks. >> I frantically checked the news when the exchanges were being made. Even with all of that being true, my friend and I are staunchly against the bombardment of gaza and have been openly spoken, speaking out against it for months. We will not let our community and the hostages be weaponized. >> If my friend can see that the state violence is unwarranted and genocidal, then so can you. >> The ceasefire would reduce anti-semitism here in our local community, the jewish community that you claim to care about. >> Mayor Watson came to UT hillel after October 7th to show [12:30:57 PM] hillel after October 7th to show solidarity. Hillel had been graffiti just a few days before. I remember thinking, in the wake of the beginning of the bombardment, that something was bound to happen, that something was going to go down, and it did . The conflation of zionism and judaism is having its effect on our community. There had already been anti-semitic events in west campus over the high holidays earlier in the semester. My mom has been telling me not to go to hillel after October seventh because she is honestly scared for me, that's the Israeli occupation fault. If you really care about us, you will pass a ceasefire resolution calling for a ceasefire is the way to protect the Austin jewish community right now. As I said at the start, I am not just standing here as a Jew, but as a Jew of color, as a Jew of color. I faced white supremacy both in and out of the jewish community. The American jewish community today is built on white supremacy, in part because it has been so deeply linked with Zion ism, a white supremacist project itself. The Israeli occupation oppresses not just Palestinians, but black and brown Jews as well. A person of [12:31:57 PM] brown Jews as well. A person of as a person of color in a country and community that treats me as lesser. I know to stand in solidarity with the people of palestine. And you should too. My city council member is zo qadri, and I am proud to say that he has already made a statement in support of a permanent ceasefire in tandem with two other council members, council member Velasquez and council member Fuentes. They made that statement in mid-december. It's now the 1st of February, and the rest of you have still not followed. We are in the triple digit days of bombardment. Over 30,000 people killed, and this is not the first city council meeting where several speakers and more people with them have convened to tell you what we want that we need a permanent ceasefire. What is it going to take to get you to pass this resolution? I can tell you that we are not going to stop coming here. We are going to be at these meetings and protesting outside city hall until you do the right thing, the just thing, you know what to do. Call for a permanent ceasefire. Now. >> Members. That concludes our [12:32:58 PM] >> Members. That concludes our 12:00 time. Certain of public comment. The next item on our agenda will be for our live music. And then we have a 2:00 time certain. But what I what I will recommend that we do is that we recess until 1:00 pm for the live music. At that point when we come back, we will take up pulled items, items 23 and item 54. And we'll proceed into the 2:00 time certain. We also remember have two two items that are public hearings, items 35 and 36. I'll check with the clerk during the break. We might take those up first and get and have those taken care of before we go to 2023, but that's the order that I would see us going in. Without objection, the Austin city council is recessed until 1:00 pm. It is 12:33 P.M. Thanks, everybody. >> Austin council, you can't hide your supporting or don't. Thank you. Good [12:45:21 PM] or don't. Thank you. Good afternoon everybody. My name is Natasha harper-madison and I get the proud honor to represent district one on this Austin city council. We're in chambers today . On the first day of February. And as a gentle reminder, today is the first day of black history month. And black history is American history. So my hope is that we are all celebrating in equal measure today. May I get the opportunity? Oh. You busted me. Okay, well, I was going to present this in your absence, but we can do it together. Go for it. So today, I get the privilege of introducing blackillac to Austin city hall, voted Austin music awards best hip hop rap. In 2020, the southern duo known as blackillac, continues to push the boundaries of Austin hip hop independent rappers zeal and please help me pronounce P hra franchise franchise. Thank you. I didn't want to botch it. Join [12:46:22 PM] I didn't want to botch it. Join forces in late 2018 under the lead production of grammy award winner Gary Clark Jr. The journey began in Willie Nelson's historic Ireland studios. Writing and recording with Gary to establish the roots of blackillac. From here, blackillac began widening their footprint through collaborations and tours with artists like Gary Koda, the friend quin and nfn black pistol fire missio and more. Blackillac has appeared at national festivals like acl music fest, summerfest, capitol hill, block party, fortress festival and embarked on five national tours as well as direct support for Gary Clark Jr. In mid 2023, black collect signed their first distribution deal with black 17 and began collaborating with rapper duo Obie. The nomad to create and release music monthly. They have since racked up over 600,000 streams on new releases, and continued to drop a new song [12:47:23 PM] continued to drop a new song monthly in their pursuit. So I get the opportunity now to ask the mayor whether or not you'd like to read the proclamation in so blackillac day in the city of Austin, be it known that whereas the city of Austin, Texas is blessed with many creative musicians whose talents extend to virtually every musical genre, and whereas our music scene thrives because Austin audiences support good music produced by legends, our local favorites and newcomers alike, and whereas we are pleased to showcase and support our local artists now, therefore, I, Natasha harper-madison along with our mayor Kirk Watson and the rest of the Austin city council, and folks who represent the live music capital do hereby proclaim February first, 2024 as blackillac day in Austin, Texas. When it's all said and done, [12:48:26 PM] When it's all said and done, I'll present you with this fancy proclamation. But in the meantime, somebody told me that y'all were going to perform for us today. So we're certainly looking forward to that, and I'll get out of the way. >> All right. Thank you so much. >> Check, check. Happy black history month. We are blackillac from south Austin, Texas. >> Yes, we make guess we hit a lick rip on. >> Guess we hit a lick. Yeah. Guess we hit a lick. Guess we hit a lick, yeah. Guess we hit a lick. >> Hey boy, I used to flip the light. >> And then I switch. They tellin me it's rigged. That's some itch that you can't fix. We ain't them. They ain't us. This ain't that, that ain't this. Knell all in my them. And they look like Scarlett. Which, which, which. Yeah huh. I'm popping, I'm popping. I ain't tripping. Determine I'm feeling great I see the full moon on the frozen lake. But it's covered in [12:49:27 PM] frozen lake. But it's covered in fire beyond the Gates. They wanna do yoga. I probably come over and stretch and we'll click on that. I'ma say I need me to flip. Says like right away. The stitches gon tell it and hide away. Yeah. Who said we ain't lit. Put the pipe away. Yeah you ain't mad though bro. That is not the way I hit a long distance. The sniper way I'm scouting the place. The Cairo Republicans hate me like climate change. Humbling. Is it all in the microwave? Yeah off the break. Yo guess we hit a lick. I been in my zone once again 3 A.M, never sweating, never did. And I'm only writing hits. Had to take the leap, make a switch. Not a better coming in. Like I said it would guess we hit a lick. Guess we hit a lick. >> Get it from the rear. >> Yeah, guess we hit a lick. Guess we hit a lick. Guess we hit a lick. Get it from the rear. Yeah. Guess we hit a lick I just hit a lick, bro. Then I tell the kinfolk. Then people being broke. I'm now Jim Jones. But. But balling I'ma get turned up just like fire. Might get a butler. Whatever y'all call them [12:50:27 PM] butler. Whatever y'all call them fish. They got me feeling like my girl be slurping I feel like hating. We like your top up like ride me. We be going deep man to encounter I just hit the lick lick. Now we on ipswich looking like big fish. Gold on dishes heavy on bridges. Little deuces. Stay with your chick, chick that's on god, that's on buddha. That's on beat. You sell pictures of your feet. They belong to the streets, to the streets. They say I look like blueface. That's off the top. No, goofy. Your girlfriend is shaped like a souffle. She be on more than just Tuesday. That's what you get. And then, Yo, they give me lessons. They told me I'm lit. I told them hit the lick, get the lick. Yeah. You know how we get it, Yo, colder than ice on my van eenoo it I've been in my zone once again in. Never sweated, never did I'm only writing hits. Had to make a leap. Yeah yeah. Paper coming in. Like I said it would guess we hit a lick. Guess we hit a lick. Lit it from the red. Ooh, guess we hit a lick. Guess we hit a lick. Guess we hit a lick. Did it from the rip. Guess we hit a lick. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Guess we hit a lick on. Guess we [12:51:28 PM] Guess we hit a lick on. Guess we hit a lick, yeah. Guess we hit a lick. What's up? Austin, Texas. We are blackillac happy black history month. Here for black blacks. >> What a great way for us to kick off February. >> Tell us, tell us where we can find you on social media and where we can hear you. >> Most important place for us is on Spotify. It's under blackillac black eye black. And you can find us on socials at blackillac. Music. >> Excellent. Where will you be playing next? >> Next is going to be the beautiful south by southwest. Oh, yeah. >> Yes, sir. >> Black, black. Yeah, yeah calling back the city council to [1:02:05 PM] calling back the city council to order. So if I could get your attention, it's 1:01 P.M. We are still meeting on February first, 2024 at the city council chambers. Members is the, the first items that I want to, bring up will be the non consent items, public hearings, items 35 and 36. Without objection, we will open the public hearings on items 35 and 36. And I'll turn to the city clerk to, let us know about anyone signed up on those two items. >> Thank you. Mayor I have for item 35 Spencer Schumacher and item 36, bill bunch. >> Mr. Schumacher. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council. Thanks for letting me speak here. I'm speaking on behalf of item 35. I'm a d9 resident. My name is Spencer Schumacher. I'm also on the utc and the bicycle advisory [1:03:05 PM] and the bicycle advisory council. But I'm speaking here as an individual. First I want to start by thanking, council member qadri and council member Ellis for all their work on this and for being so willing to work with the utc at the mobility committee as chair and vice chair. But I really want to make the case that this is the best way for us to complement the work. You guys have already done by eliminating off street motor vehicle parking, even though it's a little different approach to first, bicycle parking is not an onerous requirement. The staff report for minimum, off street parking showed that an average motor vehicle space costs between 10 and $60,000. The average, you know, you rack costs about $50. And that's two spaces. And it also takes up about one eighth of the space. So nobody's not going to be able to build an affordable complex because of increasing bike parking. And it's not going to take up any more additional space than we really need. Second, our current bike parking requirements are extremely confusing to figure out how much bike parking you need on a site, you need to go to six different parts of code. Oftentimes, I find out restaurants or cafes didn't put in bike parking just [1:04:05 PM] didn't put in bike parking just because they didn't know how to read the city code. So this greatly simplifies it and puts it in perspective of our asmp goals. And finally, we need to plan for future growth. If we do achieve our 2039 mode splits with 5% of people biking, which I believe we will, we have to plan for that infrastructure. We need places for those people to be able to park, and if we're actually going to quadruple the amount of people bicycling, it follows that we need to upgrade our infrastructure to get there. So thank you guys, and I'll let you guys get to it. >> Thank you very much. That's the only person who signed up on 35 members. Yes, ma'am. With without objection, we will close the public hearing on item number 35. Is there a motion to approve item number 35, motion made by council member harper-madison. It is seconded by council member Vella. You wish to be recognized to speak? >> Yes. This is the appropriate time. Yes. >> It is fantastic. >> Thank you. Mayor. This action is an important step toward progress in our strategic mobility plans mode. Shift goals by ensuring that new developments provide more bicycle parking. Austin is [1:05:06 PM] bicycle parking. Austin is experiencing a bicycle boom spurred by the massive sales of e-bikes, thanks to the Austin energy rebate increases and. The buildout of our all ages and abilities, bike network by our transportation and public works department. With today's action, we take an important step toward ensuring folks have a secure place to leave their bicycles wherever they live, work, and play. I appreciate the urban transportation commission for their work and recommendation on this issue. I will note this ordinance implements the first of three components from my resolution from November. I look forward to staff implementing the remaining components, including updating the transportation criteria, manual bike parking standards, and exploring options for an incentive program to help existing businesses and developments bring their bicycle parking up to current standards. Thank you mayor. Thank you council member. >> And for those that don't know, council member Ellis is the chair of our mobility committee and we appreciate the work and appreciate the comments on item number 35. Any other discussion on item number 35? Without objection, item number [1:06:06 PM] Without objection, item number 35 is adopted with council member Allison alter, being temporarily off the dais. Item number 36. We have a speaker. No mayor. Okay. Then without objection, we will close the public hearing on item number 36, and I'll entertain a motion with regard to item number 36. Council member qadri moves adoption of item number 36. It is seconded by council member Vella. Is there any objection? Without objection. Item number 3636 is adopted with councilmember Allison alter being temporarily off the dais. That will take us back to item number 23. Council. That was item number 23. We have people I'm sure, that have signed up to speak. And so what I'm going to do first is ask that we hear from our speakers that did not speak as part of the consent agenda. >> Thank you. Mayor. I'm going to go ahead and move over to our remote speakers. Lauren Ortell, [1:07:07 PM] remote speakers. Lauren Ortell, speaking on item 23. >> Hello, this is Lauren and I live in district one. I am opposed to item 23. My first concern with this proposal is that it provides no benefit for the city or the community. Second, this would give police all the benefits of a contract without requiring anything in return. This hurts the police accountability and transparency that Austin voters have called for multiple times over the past few years. The city should never pay police to negotiate these millions of dollars need to be spent on how on health, housing and other critical needs for our city. Austin deserves better than this bribe. Please join me in opposing item 23. Oh, and thank you to council member Herbert Madison for recognizing black history month starting today. It's a great day to listen to what black austinites are asking for with this item. Thank you for your time. >> Next remote speaker is crystal Mayer speaking on item [1:08:09 PM] crystal Mayer speaking on item 23. Hi >> My name is crystal Mayer. I'm a district three resident, and I'm also a restaurant worker in Austin. For the past 15 years. I'm calling to oppose item 23 strong early. Hearing that the Austin police department. Is bullying city council to spend $4 million of our money at the least, because they are refusing to come to the table in their contract negotiations in retaliation to losing a police oversight act last year is disgraceful that you all are even thinking about it. That's money that can be spent on affordable housing for people within my industry. At the very least, right now, with the economy the way it is, people aren't spending money going out. My coworkers can't. Afford to live in the city, and they're also appalled to hear you're about to spend this much money on police who are holding you hostage in negotiations, as [1:09:10 PM] hostage in negotiations, as opposed to housing or helping businesses give us higher wages. Currently, we make 213 an hour in front of house employees. Please oppose this bill or this amendment. Sorry, because you know the city doesn't want to spend this money and teach the police that they can just hold us hostage every time a negotiation comes up or they lose, a democratically put through process like the police oversight act. Thank you so much for your time, Andrea. >> Black. >> Hello. My name is Andrea. I live in district one. Please vote no on item 23 unless substantially amended. Please only renew staff salaries and regular stipends if funded with current APD funds. There's $24 million of currently available in personnel savings. Please don't increase the APD budget. I 100% oppose spending taxpayer money to get the APD to the contract bargaining table. This is part of their job and does not need to be incentivized. [1:10:11 PM] not need to be incentivized. Even the Apa president has questioned this payment. We need to fund critical community needs. For example, emergency rental assistance. El Buen has reported that 7000 people signed up for emergency rental assistance in just a few days in December. Currently, they're onlyable to assist 60 families per week by. I think it's per week. I think by lottery, people are facing eviction every day as we delay promises were made to address these community needs during the mid- year budget review. But there will not be any funding left if you you go ahead with all the items on 23 as it currently reads, please resist this giveaway to the police and address this and other critical needs. Thank you. It's good to see you in particular, miss harper-madison. Thank you for your service. >> Next speaker is Dewey Smith. >> Yes. Good afternoon, mayor and council. Thank you for your service. For transparency, I'm a member of the African American resource advisory commission, specifically the safety work group. But today, I'm simply [1:11:12 PM] group. But today, I'm simply speaking, as a district seven resident, I am speaking against item 23 because it's focused on output. That is more pay over outcome, which would be more safety. Unlike other major city of Austin financial undertakings , this funding has not involved rounds of data gathering to ensure maximum public benefit. In contrast, it is known that funding social efforts such as housing aid, employment and health services reduces crime and police involvement and can keep the public and police safer . Additionally, there is an existing backlog of unpaid investigated appo complaints. This was shared in a fall quarterly update session. Some of this $4 million in funding could be used to increase Pio staffing to investigate these outstanding complaints and confirm how the public is currently being served. Before simply increasing pay. Happy black history month and again, thank you for your time. >> Next speaker is Beverly Lazar [1:12:14 PM] >> Next speaker is Beverly Lazar . >> Yes, yes. >> Hi, my name is Beverly Lazar and I live in district eight. I am on this line today to urge you to vote no on item 23. I emailed all council members on Tuesday with my rationale for opposing this item. This is an addendum to the, to that email. As as a criminal justice volunteer, I attended almost all the meet and confer meetings to figure out a new four year contract between Apa and the city of Austin. I attended from approximately June until February. It was a time consuming, frustrating, and soul sucking sucking experience. Around the end of February, Kerri, a senior activist, asked [1:13:14 PM] Kerri, a senior activist, asked me if I could attend the next meeting, which was announced that was that. It was announced that very day and would take place the very next day. Neither of us showed up, I believe. I know I didn't, and within 12 hours I saw on the TV news and the internet, the announcement that both sides shook hands and had achieved a four year contract, asked for police. I firmly believe Apa saw an opportunity Katy with no activists in attendance to publicly make a false announcement. And you want to reward these folks by rewarding. Police with bonuses and major money to return to the negotiation table? I think this is outrage gorgeous. And as a as a retired fourth grade teacher in aid, I really miss celebrating, black history month and so I'm glad so many people [1:14:16 PM] and so I'm glad so many people have brought it up today. Thank you. Next speaker is cassie Sodergren. >> Good afternoon. >> My name is Kathy Sodergren. I'm a district nine resident. I'm calling today in opposition of item 23, the belief that more money for the police equates to more safety is flawed. Safe communities ensure things like higher wages to secure ems recruitment, emergency rental assistance to prevent evictions of those seeing untenable rent increases. Right now, inflation wage increases for city workers work force development opportunities, affordable child care, the list goes on. And, I know this makes people bristle and, but I think it needs to be discussed that the police do not keep us safe. They are called in the aftermath where crisis response or ems or community is what's needed at best, the [1:15:18 PM] what's needed at best, the police are ineffective. At worst they cause more harm. I too want a safer community, but we need another approach. Please vote no zo and invest in the laundry list of priorities set forth in the community investment budget. Thank you. >> Next speaker is Yasmin Smith. >> Hi all. This is Yasmin Smith, vice president of justice and advocacy for the Austin area urban league. Standing in coalition with equity action. And we are here to oppose continuing. I'm sorry, oppose. Item 23. Let me be clear. We do not oppose continuing current pay and benefits for police officers. What we do oppose is budget shenanigans designated to inflate the police budget with the general revenue dollars that APD cannot spend unless any conceivable scenario dollars that could be spent on literally anything else. If there is 4 million sitting in the general [1:16:18 PM] million sitting in the general fund, it should be spent on the city's most urgent need. The $4 million should be applied directly to the reconciliation items that were promised last summer, but not funded. I was specifically disappointed that our inclement weather response, could, additional, money to be allocated was not heard by this dais and was not taken seriously . So if we can come up with $4 million to put into an already inflated APD budget, I think we can also put that money into again, those reconciliation items that were promised, like more emts, more money for wraparound services to support housing and unhoused rental assistance to prevent families from losing their homes in extra money available in the budget reconciliation process over the amounts promised last summer should be applied directly to rental assistance rather than spend money on, things that are already within the APD budget. We should be spending those money on our urgent needs. Thank you. [1:17:19 PM] you. >> Mayor. That concludes the remote speakers signed up for item 23. We're going to move to in- person. Cheryl Scully, Rudy Garza, Kristen Wiley, Sammy baker, please make your way to the podium and state your name. >> Good afternoon. Mayor, council members, manager Garza. Thank you for your service. I'm Cheryl Scully, a downtown district nine resident and a volunteer member of the downtown Austin alliance board of directors. I also chair the downtown safety task force, and I am here today to speak in favor of item 23 and to encourage the Austin police union to negotiate a new contract for the downtown Austin alliance represents nearly 1000 property owners, including many residents who have growing concerns about the lack of police resources and safety. We are in a crisis in staffing levels, chief Henderson and the [1:18:19 PM] levels, chief Henderson and the APD downtown command are excellent partners with the downtown Austin alliance and APD. Overtime shift was added September 30th and has had a positive impact, but it is temporary. Many more officers are needed downtown and across the city with the approval of item number 23. We hope to extension of wages and benefits will slow the officer attrition rate and that the police union will agree to negotiate a new contract at the downtown alliance is often asked why don't we do more? For nearly half of the downtown alliance, budget is dedicated to providing supplemental, clean and safe services, including funding for two overtime. APD officers, ten hours a day, seven days a week to bolster decreasing police resources. And today we are launching a six month pilot with urban alchemy to test a new approach to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness [1:19:19 PM] people experiencing homelessness and reduce the number of non-emergency calls to APD. Urban alchemy practitioner owners will engage and assist people to emergency shelters and the health and housing focused services that they need. The downtown alliance will closely monitor data from the pilot and the intent. >> Thank you. Speaker. Your time is expired. >> Thank you, miss Scully. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council. I'm Rudy Garza, the chair of the greater Austin chamber of commerce and also a small business owner in town. I'm here in favor of item number 23 and also representing our board of directors. That unanimously passed a resolution in full support of item 23. We genuinely and really appreciate everything the officers do every day. And we are full support of the pay and benefits included in the ordinance. We also encourage the Apa and the city to go back [1:20:20 PM] the Apa and the city to go back to the negotiating table and reach a long terme agreement. Thank you. >> Alicia Castillo Stacy Schmidt , tray Salina Luz Denise Iseman. If your name has been called, please make your way to the podium. >> Good afternoon. My name is Alicia Castillo. I work for the Texas civil rights project and I am a resident of district three. And, I, I am really hopeful that there will be some amendments to item 23 or some discussion around item 23. We came here a couple of weeks ago to talk about the resolution, leading to item 23 and express some of our our concern at that time. But I think I just want to use this opportunity to, to just remind folks why we get so upset when this conversation keeps coming up. This morning I was at the capitol for, the Texas commission on jail standards meeting. Just one of their quarterly meetings. And there were, does dozens of family [1:21:21 PM] were, does dozens of family members there of people who have lost their lives in county jails obviously not limited to Travis county, though we have had deaths in the Travis county jail and the thing that was the common thread, aside from the grief with all the families that shared today, was that that the people who they lost just needed some services. They just needed mental health care. They just needed true crisis response. A couple of the people who came up said that the, their children who were killed had called the police because they were having mental health crisis and not only were they roughed up in that encounter, but then they were placed in the jail where they later died. Right? So using law enforcement for all, all of the social issues that we have in our city is just a failed tactic. And offering more and more money that pulls away from the things that we know work is, is it hasn't worked, it hasn't worked, and we've tried it. And so I'm, I'm really desperate for us to try something else. And you've heard some of the items [1:22:21 PM] you've heard some of the items that weren't funded or were under funded in the last budget cycle. Community led crisis response, street outreach services, case managers, peer support specialists, reentry housing support, harm reduction services and infrastructure for improving employment for people who do have criminal histories. All of these things and so, so many more are the things that lead to true, lasting public safety and communities. And so that is what we want you to prioritize. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Your name has been called and there's nobody standing at the podium. You're welcome to speak. Please state your name for the record. Good afternoon. >> Mayor and council. My name is trey Salinas. And I am here as vice chair for local advocacy for the greater Austin chamber of commerce. As you heard from our board chair, Rudy Garza, the chamber board passed a resolution last week asking the city council to vote in support of item 23. The police pay item. One of the reasons we are here today, as a chamber is we want the community to know that the [1:23:23 PM] the community to know that the business community supports our officers. We are also here asking the city council to support item 23 and show the women and men of the Austin police department that our city supports them in their service to the community. The item also includes important provisions to incentivize the police union and the city to return to the table to negotiate in good faith as quickly as possible. It is also our understanding that both the city and the police union have made meaningful steps to get us back to a long terme contract, which I think we all agree is in the best interest of our citizens. Luz. Finally again, please vote to support item 23 as it will help us get back to police contract as soon as possible. On behalf of the chamber of commerce, thank you for your service. >> Phyllis Everett Scott Crossett, Maribel Reyes, Alan Ramirez, please make your way to the front and state your name. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council members. My name is Denise eisemann, and I'm speaking today first as an [1:24:24 PM] speaking today first as an austinite. At one point or another, I called. I've probably been in your district, one of your districts, being here since 1986, calling Austin home. Public safety is the core of my family. My great grandfather was was was enrolled as a Texas ranger. My cousin died in the line of duty with the sheriff's department in Harris county. My cousin also serves for. Our another cousin of mine serves, in sugarland for the sugarland police department as a sergeant. My husband serves in law enforcement for the federal bureau of prisons. His last two week pay period, he worked 132 hours of overtime alone. I now speak to you in my role as president of the Austin hotel and lodging association safety for our staff, for our guests and for our city is number one. And most important in our [1:25:26 PM] And most important in our business. Tourism means burns of people come to Austin to visit every day. We want them to come back. We want them to feel safe. We want Austin to be a premier destination city. We want if they're not going to feel safe. The Austin hotel industry qadri is a large financial contributor to the city fund, to city funding through the hotel occupancy occupancy tax. We want that to increase as the city grows so will that tax. So much so that the Austin hotel industry is willing to assess putting an assessment on themselves to help fund more initiatives, as discussed or asked for by many of the speakers today and your initiatives that you have as well. So on behalf of hla, we ask for your support in voting yes on item 23. Thank you. >> Hello, mayor, city council, [1:26:33 PM] >> Hello, mayor, city council, thank you for the opportunity to speak in front of you on this matter this morning. This afternoon. My name is Phyllis Everett and I am the CEO and founder of saffron trust women's foundation, an organization that services families here in the Austin area. We also serve as advocates for the needs of those in our community. So today, I'm coming before you, to ask that you go and get back to the table for the term contract with the Austin police association. It's important to engage in a robust and comprehensive negotiation in the community. We need balance and stability. We also need to show the chief of police and the officers that they are valued. We need for the community to know that they are valued. And when we support the chief of police, we support the officers who are also black and blue, and we support their families along with our communities. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is [1:27:38 PM] >> Good afternoon. My name is Alan Ramirez, and thank you for the opportunity to let me speak this afternoon. I am a pastor. I'm the former president of Alma. The Latin pastors of Austin, and we serve over 60 pastors in the community, which they serve. Thousands of people in our community. We all work here. We came from different countries, from the world, especially from Mexico and Central America. And I'll stay, first, generations of Christian people, we were transformed and I remember when I came to Austin in 1992, there was a lot of police patrols in the city, and I remember it was really like a phone call and police showed up. So I'm here to, to, to ask you that, extend the contract for the police department. We really need the police in our city. And also, I'm a businessman. And in the past, I remember we had [1:28:39 PM] the past, I remember we had issues, people breaking, breaking into our our businesses and a phone call and police showed up within the next five minutes. Now now we have the same issues. And they just don't show up because there is not enough police officers. So thank you very much. I see the way that for example, when, there is a cat present, the rats and the and the roaches, they, they make parties and it's the same thing that is happening in the city of Austin. There is no police, appearance. And the people do whatever they want. And the crime is just increasing every day. So thank you very much. And god bless you all. Thank you. >> Joe bland, Ricky Perez, Al Mayes, Scott flack, mark Grenier , if your name has been called, please make your way to the podium. >> Good afternoon. My name is Al [1:29:44 PM] >> Good afternoon. My name is Al Mayes. Alfred Mayes from Austin, Texas, born and raised, been here 71 years. Went to my schooling and my churches and everything here. I have relatives that are in the police department. Some are deceased now and had law enforcement and everything from the county commissioner. All the way up through here. I just want to say thank you for what you're trying to do. Thank you. What needs to be done? We are down. How many? 300 plus police officers in my job at the circuit of Americas. We have police out there. We thank you all for coming out there. And abiding with us, with the counties, the city and all. All in all, we need to continue to please work together with. No, we're not different. We're all one work together and work this thing out because we're all suffering. Every last one of us again, I'm an austinite from the community. I've seen Austin grow from high 35 being two lanes to now where it is now. So let's not fight. Let's talk, let's work it out as soon as possible [1:30:46 PM] work it out as soon as possible because things only get worse. I thank y'all and god bless y'all and I thank you for what you do and your efforts because it's I know it's hard a hard job. Have a nice day. Thank you. >> You. Too. >> Sterling lands the second Perry Horton Jen Ramos. If your name has been called, please make your way to the podium and state your name. Knell Paulina Ramirez. Adam Neil, Sam Whiteside, Savannah. Lee. Michelle Mejia, Daniela. Silva kanika Martinez. >> Welcome. Please. Please go ahead. >> Hi. Good afternoon. >> My name is Savannah Lee. I'm [1:31:48 PM] >> My name is Savannah Lee. I'm a social worker and a resident of district one. And I'm here to oppose item 23, item 23 provides the police with the benefits of a year long police contract without providing any value or further transparency to the community. The item is simply a way to circumvent negotiations that would include the police oversight act, which is meant to provide further accountable and transparency for APD spending $4 million. As a workaround to this isn't just immoral, it's nonsensical, and it doesn't improve public safety. We know what improves public safety rental assistance program. Some of which some of which were cut last year, leaving thousands of Austin families to face eviction. When I hear city leadership talk about the importance of public safety and in the same breath, leave these families out in the cold and incredibly dangerous situations that lead to lifelong public health issues, I can't help but wonder if I'm being lied to, or if city leadership only cares about a select group of austinites services that help folks stay housed and or deeply [1:32:49 PM] folks stay housed and or deeply necessary during a transitional period that is difficult for many to navigate. The $4 million being used in this bribe could be used to ensure that Austin continues to make progress on reducing homelessness, and therefore improve the safety of all of us. $4 million could provide 40,000 doses of naloxone , with $2 million left over to build in more robust harm reduction and reentry programs. Travis county has the highest rate of fentanyl overdoses in Texas. The bribe will not help to ensure that we don't lose more of our community members to overdose in 2024. I hope that as a community, as we work towards public safety together, we take the time to really consider what the definition of safety means and why it's always conflated with law enforcement. These two things are very different, and they are not necessary to lump together safety for our communities is not just more cops, it's a city in which our risk of unsafe behaviors is deeply lessened because we have the resources, the programs. >> Thank you, thank you. [1:33:50 PM] >> Thank you, thank you. Speaker. Your time is expired. Thank you. Next speaker is Susan Spataro with donated time from Sharon Blythe. Sharon Blythe is in the audience for total of four minutes. My name is Susan Spataro and I live in district eight and I, I, I live in district eight. >> I am here to support the resolution with some questions and that is I think that legal needs to go over it and make sure that everything in there is legal and not contrary to state law, because I believe some of that is contrary to state law. But you have lawyers. I thank you, mayor, for bringing this forward. The most important thing that cities do is, is public safety. And police and the truth of the matter is they put their lives on the line for us, other employees don't do that. And we have the sad, sad example this year is of one of our our our officers being [1:34:53 PM] our our our officers being killed, 38 years old, left his family alone. They stand up for us. We need to stand up for them. The police are not the enemy. Criminals are the enemy. And we need to quit acting like the police are the bad guys. I really am upset. Every time I hear people think acting like, oh, the police are just so spoiled they won't come to the bargaining table. They did. They came for one year and they they negotiated in good faith. Both the city and they came to an agreement and the council decided for various reasons, not to accept that. So this is not the problem of APD. This is a serious problem for businesses. I know people who don't go downtown to eat anymore because it's not safe when I sit here today and listen to density, how much more density you want, density is going to demand more police officers, and you need to figure out how to get them. [1:35:53 PM] figure out how to get them. First of all, you can't make police officers come here. You can't and you can't make them stay. So it was bad enough that 150 positions were canceled. But now 300 officers have left here. This is a very serious problem, and I think it needs to be taken very seriously. The other thing is we saw advantage when dps came here. But let me point out that I think one of the reasons they came here is that people coming to our capitol to testify were becoming victims of crime here, and really there were many, many people at the state that did not like that. And I think we need to look at that. And incidentally, it might be just a coincidence, but when the special last special session was over, dps left and went down to the border could be just a coincidence. But I think if we are not careful in the next session, you might see it raise again. The issue of does the state have to take over the [1:36:55 PM] state have to take over the police duties of the city of Austin? Because city of Austin is not making their own people safe, and they're not making the people who are coming to testify in our capitol safe, I think is a serious problem. And I think that you need to work with the police. People talked about it. You know, they somehow are bullying or threatening the police should not be required to sign a contract that has any, any issues in there that are against state law. We shouldn't be doing that. The a few city, a few citizens of Austin don't get to override state law. We just don't do that. And I don't think we should. A lady before talked about drugs putting money toward drugs. And I'm looking at this report when dps was here, they seized. $3.9 million lethal doses of fentanyl. That's that. They seized that. If they were not here, a police officer was not here that could kill 3.9 [1:37:55 PM] not here that could kill 3.9 million people. That's four tiths E size of the city of Austin. So I think we have a really serious problem here. I don't think you should violate the law. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next speaker is Michael bullock with donated time from Jessica garner. For a total of four minutes. >> Afternoon. I am Michael bullock and I am the association president for the Austin police association. For those that I haven't had the chance to meet with, I apologize. That has not happened yet, but I do appreciate the opportunity to come and talk to you all because on behalf of the Austin police association, I do want to say that I appreciate what you are doing. The fact that we are renewing these benefits is important and it is critical to us being able to maintain at least what we have. So by providing the support, we are [1:38:56 PM] providing the support, we are providing some sense of stability to our to our officers . There are, of course, certain things in this, in this ordinance that I, I don't agree with. And things that I think could have been added in, but I recognize the effort that's being made and we cannot go backwards. So I am grateful as well to see the support that we are starting to see from council. It has been a long, long five years at a minimum that we have been down a very difficult road, so we cannot continue to maintain status quo though, and we can't expect that maintaining status quo will result in us getting out of the public safety crisis that we find ourselves in. Officers are quite literally giving of their lives, their blood, their sweat and their tears to keep this city safe. And they have very little to show for it. Their work has been dismantled and their resource needs have been unmet, and they've been wrongly villainized. And at every turn, it seems new ways to make their job more difficult. And the hard truth is that your officers are suffering and they are [1:39:56 PM] suffering and they are struggling to serve our community right now, and we just need your help. So I do appreciate the steps that are being taken today, and we do see it as progress, and I hope that that will continue. But we must dig deeper to continue to find ways of improving this department and public safety in our city. And we need to begin truly building this department back to what it used to be. Every time that you do vote for public safety, you are helping your officers regain the respect that they deserve and that they have earned these actions are encouraging and they show officers that they are not alone , that their work does indeed matter, and that this can provide some encouragement of what may lie ahead. But we cannot do it alone. This is indeed a joint effort. And for those of you that know that I have just recently taken over as our association president, and you have my word that we are here to work towards better solutions no matter what ideology or background that you [1:40:57 PM] ideology or background that you come from. We all deserve to feel and to live in a safe, committed community. We all want to know that our families and loved ones are safe, but the sad reality is being 500 officers short makes it almost impossible to guarantee and provide that safety. Some of what's been said today, I also think is worth addressing because there are many areas we are where we may agree that you don't realize. I agree some that said it earlier that there are better ways that we can respond to mental health and we as officers have proposed some of those solutions as we are finding ways to try to improve our community that don't involve the police, because there are many things that we go to as officers that we shouldn't be. And we are here to be part of these solutions. We are not here to just stand alone, but at the same time, we have to move forward in a way that respects the sacrifice that officers have made and continue to make. With all that being said, I do support the ordinance and I do appreciate the work of city management of council, mayor [1:41:57 PM] management of council, mayor Watson, of all the conversations that we have that we have had, because it cannot set us back. So I hope that we can continue to work together and we can do so. So that way it actually betters our entire city as well as your officers who are doing everything they can amidst this crisis. >> Thank you. >> Cathy Mitchell, Monica Guzman , skip Davis and Chris Harris. If your name has been called, please make your way to the podium. >> Hi, I'm Cathy Mitchell and I'm going to speak narrowly to one issue. >> I think despite everything you've heard today, there is largely agreement that you all already decided to extend the pay and benefits of officers. You did so during the budget cycle and you paid for most of it. There is one piece that you have not yet paid for and that is the incentive for officers to [1:42:58 PM] is the incentive for officers to come to the table, which, as I understand it, the Apa has not said they need or have asked for Shaw. Nonetheless the question on the table this morning is where does that money come from? The money can be spent straight out of the Apa budget, and we ask that you do so. Any other choice in this moment means that there is less general revenue available for the reconciliation process to come up. I know you have been told many various things in the past few hours about this, but the fundamental truth is that state law actually created a legal distinction between the police budget and everything else. Once money is directed to police officers. It becomes part of the police budget, which then legally can never be reduced. If this money, which is only a one time payment , is paid for from the existing [1:43:58 PM] , is paid for from the existing APD budget, it will be not necessary Kerri to raise the APD budget by $4 million next time to cover this amount, do not raise the APD budget when there is money available within it to pay for this. That is all we ask. It's very simple. Ensure that there is adequate funds for the reconciliation to come that many of you are waiting on Ann to get the items funded that are most important to you and your constituents. You all know what those things are. Thank you. Thank you. >> Good afternoon mayor and council. I am Monica Guzman, policy director at Garza lugo Austin vamos, Austin Garza is opposed to item 23. We urge council to vote no on 4 million in general revenue funds when there are funds currently available in the APD fiscal 24 [1:44:59 PM] available in the APD fiscal 24 budget for pay and benefits for officers. We thank council member Fuentes for her amendment as originally submitted. Instead, approved 4 million in available general revenue funds to address the greatest threats to our communities. Public. Excuse me? Community safety, public health, healthy foods, parks, services and programs, tenant relocation assistance, home based early childhood education and development. These and more are detailed in the city of Austin budget recommendations fiscal 2024 and the community investment budget. We are concerned about item 27 while establish a joint public hearing process makes it easier for council and city staff, it is not always so for the community, especially when hearings are during work hours. We're concerned about item 54 due to lack of authentic community engagement, centering impacted residents as a district for resident, with no reflection on Garza, I urge you to support a humanitarian ceasefire. It's not about taking sides, it's about protecting innocent [1:46:01 PM] about protecting innocent people, putting an end to the loss of lives. Despite what council may think, it's very much a local issue. It became a local issue when Austin residents business owners and a council member became personally impacted. If council can approve a 2003 resolution opposing a preemptive military strike against Iraq, you can certainly support a humanitarian ceasefire in gaza. Thank you. >> Chris Harris. With donated time from Catherine Mcardle for a total of four minutes. Afternoon mayor. >> Council. My name is Chris Harris from district nine. I'm here today representing the Austin justice coalition. Thank you for the opportunity to speak . I think, firstly, to, you know , all of those that are in support of this item, I think firstly, we share the strong desire to live and be in a safe [1:47:03 PM] desire to live and be in a safe community. We very much share, the desire to, to have our calls for service met in a timely manner, to feel as though when we need help, when we're in an emergency, that we will receive that help in a timely manner. We obviously have differences of opinion about who should be that response and in which circumstances and how we will be best served and how we will avoid causing more harm. But but we all want that safety. What we haven't heard is how this item, particularly the portion that attempts to incentivize police to return to the bargaining table, spending $4 million out of the general fund improves public safety. Now we understand that having pay stability for officers is likely to retain more officers. We understand that having a contract and 4 or 5 year pay stability is likely to retain, and maybe even recruit more officers. But we [1:48:03 PM] recruit more officers. But we also understand is that. This this was tried last year and did not work. Bribing the police to come to the bargaining table, but we also understand is that there is money in the police budget to pay for this. If you must go forward with it, and if we spend it or even offer it now it's tied up through the mid-year budget process, meaning that those items that were kicked from August to March will now, have less money available to help pay for them. And what we also stand is that the city has more and different leverage that you could use to help incentivize and get to a contract, a contract, by the way, that that you all want and that we want Wright we want a contract because we know right now people getting promoted through this department are just passing a written test and that's scary. Why is it scary? Because there are officers in our department who are racist. And if they get promoted up the [1:49:07 PM] And if they get promoted up the chain, it's bad for everybody, including other officers who are now going to work under them. We support a contract because we know there are things in the in the Austin police oversight act that can't be done without one, particularly the 180 day rule. We know of many concrete examples where officers have avoided discipline, even when it's been proven that they committed misconduct because the clock ran out, because six months passed, not because there wasn't evidence, not because it wasn't true. We want this contract too, but we don't want it. By sacrificing rental assistance, by sacrificing coming up and helping clear the complaint backlog at the appo, we don't want to by sacrificing permanent supportive housing, wraparound services, naloxone, whatever it might be. The other things that we know produce safety and we don't know that this $4 million tied up is even going to lead to a contract, or that there isn't a better way to get there. You're giving the police all of these pay this [1:50:08 PM] police all of these pay this bonuses, these stipends, maintaining their raises out of the goodness of your heart. You don't have to do that. They don't have a contract because they haven't returned to the table in the last year. You could say right now you will get all those things. You will get your pay, stability. You will get your officer retention. When you come to the table, you have that leverage. This item gives that up and doesn't actually get us closer to the contract, doesn't ensure us anything more than last year's bribe ensured us, which was nothing because they didn't come back. We support an amendment to this to ensure this money doesn't come from the police budget or defers this decision. >> Mayor, that concludes all of the speakers for item 23. >> Thank you very much, members. As you heard that, that's all the speakers on item number 23. What I would like to do is get a motion on item number 23, so that we have a motion on the table, and then I'll, recognize council members starting with council member Fuentes. Council [1:51:09 PM] council member Fuentes. Council member Kelly moves adoption of item number 23. Is there a second to the motion? Second by councilmember vela. With that being said, I'm now going to open it up for discussion and I'll recognize council member Fuentes. First, thank you. >> Colleagues, we know just how hard our officers are working during already challenging conditions and what we what I believe, has been shared in the commentary today is that having a contract that is fair and long terme is in the best interest of our police department. And so, in the spirit of trying to ensure that, in the meantime, that we provide that stability, that we preserve pay for our officers and that we also provide incentives for the police association to come back to the table. I would like to offer this motion, which is before you. And this is a direction that I've had conversations with city staff on. And city manager, if I don't mind. >> If you don't mind, let me. You want to give direction and [1:52:10 PM] You want to give direction and typically that's not by way of a motion. It is the indication of the direction. So I want to be clear on what it is you're not moving to amend it. You're moving. You're indicating direction. You're calling it a motion. That's right. This is a move for direction, a motion for direction. >> Thank you. >> The city manager is directed to identify and allocate funding from the Austin police department. Fy 2024 based budget or current general fund appropriations for public safety without impacting other department budgets for all costs related to this ordinance, including the increase field trainings officer pay as described in part two B and incentives described in part four B. This again is already clarifying at what city staff has assured us that they intend to do and how they plan to fund this incentive package. City manager, would you like to speak to pay? >> I understand the direction and that was our intent. Thank you. >> The only the only problem I'm [1:53:10 PM] >> The only the only problem I'm having is that that we have a motion on the floor. And this isn't to amend the motion. It is simply to give the manager direction. That's right. So since there's not yet a second, I'm trying to figure out the best way for you to. >> Well, hang on, hang on, folks . >> I haven't recognized the second, in part because I don't want to have two motions and one is not a motion to amend on the floor. So I'm that's why I'm trying to do it this way. I want the council member to be able to give her direction. It's just typically that we don't we do that in the form of, it would be a motion either direct the specific direction. And so I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that. And I think what we'll do with permission and no objection of the council is that the manager is responded to that. Mayor. >> Yes, I think what I [1:54:12 PM] >> Yes, I think what I understand, council member Fuentes, sentiment is, is very similar to what we've had in the past, where council simply expresses that they'd like us to approach it a certain way without the emotion. >> We understand that, and we'll provide you information at the at the appropriate time to ensure that we comply with what it is you're requesting us to do without there needing to be a motion for this. >> Well, I want to make sure everybody's clear on what it is that that the direction will be so that that that everybody feels comfortable that they're getting that, that management is getting that direction. Ann. And I think with what I'm going to do is, is I'm going to recognize it as an amendment. I hear, I hear the manager, but I'm going to recognize it as an amendment, to be a to be added to, the item at the end of the item so that [1:55:13 PM] at the end of the item so that this direction is, is a part of the main motion. And in that way, we know that the direction is going forward, the way the council member has wanted it. It will allow for a vote that doesn't have a conflict where you have two motions at the same time. I'll, I'll recognize it as an amendment. To be added by legal at the end of the main motion is there a second, second by council member Velazquez now, discussion and the discussion will be on the motion to amend, which is the directive that council member Fuentes has put forward. >> Is there discussion? >> Council member pool. >> Thanks. I just want to indicate my support for this. And as a member of this, of the sub quorum that was developing the language on here and the work and worked with the mayor, this was always as someone who's been on the on the council for a number of years, it was always [1:56:15 PM] number of years, it was always in my mind that this is in fact where the funds would originate. I appreciate the explication of it because. It's obvious that it wasn't clear or possibly publicly so I think it's a little bit of a belt and suspenders to indicate the intention. And we get to the same end point, which I think we are all driving toward. Thank you, mayor, councilmember qadri then council member Alison alter. >> Great. I just wanted to thank councilmember Fuentes as well to bring forward the, I guess it's a motion direction amendment. Whatever we want to call it. We have now called it a motion to amend. >> Yeah. There you go. Let us be clear. >> I appreciate councilmember Fuentes for bringing this forward for the sake of clarity, councilmember Allison alter, thank you. >> I want to lend my voice for the importance of clarifying, where we are anticipating this funding coming from. I appreciate councilmember Fuentes for bringing forward this direction, which I think what we're asking for is this to be in the record and clear for the manager, which it appears to be. [1:57:16 PM] manager, which it appears to be. It's not, though, being added to the ordinance, but is being the direction that we are providing to the city manager. And I think that, we all expect that that is going to be what happens. And if there is a budget amendment, I mean, to make a budget amendment, otherwise they would have to come back to us. In order to do it, given the size of the amount of money. So I just wanted to clarify that and thank council member Fuentes for bringing that forward. >> Thank you, councilmember. Councilmember Harper Madison. >> Thank you. Mayor. I'll echo what my colleagues have said. I support councilmember Fuentes motion to amend. I think I most appreciate the emphasis on recognizing the impacts, of other what I find, frankly, very equally relevant and critical city department budgets. I also would like to know that we can achieve stability in other departments and their budgets, and also get our law enforcement professionals what it is that they need. By way of, of our [1:58:17 PM] they need. By way of, of our commitments. So thank you. Thank you. I appreciate there being no other, discussion on the motion to amend. >> I'll now call for a vote. And this is a vote. Yeah. I was worried I was going to see somebody from legal. >> I'm sorry. Chris Coppola from the law department. I just want to be clear with the council on the on the intent here. Is it to add this direction to the, to the ordinance or is it. >> No, it is it is it is it is clearly direction. But I recognize that as a motion Ann to amend item number 23 so that it direction is given on item number 23. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Sure. Thank you. Without objection. By the way, the vote we are now taking is a vote on the motion to amend as as I just described it. And councilmember Fuentes, you're okay with that description, right? As I just described it in question to the from the legal department, the vote is on the motion to amend. Is there objection to the motion [1:59:17 PM] Is there objection to the motion to amend? Without objection, the motion to amend is adopted that will take us back to the main motion, which is item number 23, with the direction as amended, with this direction. Councilmember Kelly, you're recognized. >> Thank you, mayor, with item 23, the police pay ordinance, it's evident to me that this item has significant support from both constituents and a considerable segment within the police department. Consistent interactions I've had with police officers regarding this item reinforce that support. However, this pay ordinance needs to extend beyond just mere acknowledgment. It's hopefully its passage will also call for active participation with the city and the police union and discussions and collaborative efforts throughout the contract process. The objective here should be to establish a foundation for a secure and promising future for our dedicated officers. I'd like to thank the mayor for his leadership on this item. I know it was not an easy lift. I'd also like to thank city staff and the rest of council for this ordinance coming forward today. [2:00:19 PM] ordinance coming forward today. And thank you, Michael bullock, for the conversations that we've had and the feedback you've given us. And to the officers bravely working day in and day out to keep our community safe. It's my hope that this passage today of the item, if it does go that direction, will be viewed as a starting point rather than a conclusion. The task before us now is to actively engage and wholeheartedly move towards the negotiation of a four year contract. This action will give current and future officers the stability they need with regard to their pay and benefits. I'd like to say one final thing. When anybody in our community calls 911, it's likely the worst day of their life. There's a stark reality that's associated with that phone call. The police department lacks the contingency plan with the police department's current attrition rate as high as it is, there is no secondary option. There is no recourse. The gravity of the critical decisions we make as council members regarding the police department necessitate an immediate and unwavering response. It's my hope that if we do pass this item today, it's [2:01:19 PM] we do pass this item today, it's the first step along thelong road to a contract and that the problems related to retention and hiring at APD are resolved. That's why I'm supporting this item today. Thank you mayor. >> Thank you. Council member members, any further discussion on this item? Council member harper-madison you're recognized. >> Thank you. >> Mayor. Would you like for me to make my commentary before after the vote? I just wanted to get clarity. >> We're going to vote. So if there's any discussion, I'm going to take it now. >> Okay. >> Thank you. I would like to say that I appreciate our interim city manager and staff for recognizing that our public safety professionals is,. Excuse me, deserve to have the best quality of life possible, like all of our residents, frankly, a part of that is ensuring that they are paid fairly, competing poorly, and have benefits that are aligned with universal best practices. As for all of our workforce, and I think a lot of that, I think is being delineated today by way of the function that they serve. But I want to make sure to be clear that my thought is all of our [2:02:21 PM] that my thought is all of our city employees, regardless of the department that they represent, should have the best possible quality of life. I also would like very much to commend and offer my appreciation for my colleague who represents district six for her concern, renewed and very hyper visible support of our public safety professionals. Alongside some of her other commitments, community resilience and emergency management. I just want to make sure to take the opportunity to say that we all, as a body, a diverse body with diversity and thought and policy area focus, acknowledge one another's individual and shared commitment to this particular issue. We have a parks lady. We have the parking guy. We have the housing and community revitalization lady. You know, I could say something about all of us for our hyper visible commitments to the community. You get the picture. There's no shortage of support for our APD [2:03:22 PM] support for our APD professionals on this diverse body. Excuse me? I hope that we all recognize that this support can, can and should come with with support for robust oversight and engaging Swint. I think we can support a high quality of life for all of our city employees and city of Austin employees, and simultaneously support the enactment of our police oversight act with that said, I support this. I support the amendment. The motion to amend and the emphasis on recognizing those impacts on other departments. Ultimately, however , I will not respectfully be able to support this item as a whole. So I will be abstaining today. So thank you for the recognition, mayor and colleagues. Thank you. >> Councilmember. Councilmember qadri, followed by councilmember Ryan alter. Great >> Thank you. Mayor. I just want to echo a lot of the stuff that councilmember harper-madison said. I really want to thank staff for and Murray leading on [2:04:23 PM] staff for and Murray leading on this item. I'm supportive of the amendment. I guess that's what we're calling it now. That, for item number 23, and I am supportive of the pay measures and the ordinance. But much like , councilmember harper-madison, do you have some concerns about about funding? You know, many community members have reached out to my office and we have heard many folks here today testify. So for that reason, I'll be I'll also be abstaining from this vote today. >> Councilmember Ryan alter, thank you very much, mayor. >> I just want to take a moment to, thank you. Michael and I have had a couple of options, opportunities to talk. And I really appreciate your words today. Not only around, you know, the importance of this as it relates to pay, but we can value and improve the quality of life for our officers based on on what we're asking them to do [2:05:24 PM] on what we're asking them to do and what what supports they have in their daily job. I've had the opportunity to go out on, on multiple ride outs with officers and in every instance we have had, situations where we have gone to address someone who is having a mental health issue and having the right resources available so that in some instances, a different trained professional might be able to handle that. Is something that I'm really encouraged to, to hear that that is an area we can work towards. So I not only want to make sure that we're making these investments in terms of pay and benefits, because that is certainly part of a value Singh our officers, but also making sure that we are asking them to do the types of job, that that they expect to do. And are supported in that. So I just really appreciate the first step in this, but I think it is a [2:06:24 PM] in this, but I think it is a first step towards a larger discussion. Ann. >> Thank you, councilmember. There being no further discussion, the vote is on the main motion, which is to approve , as it was amended with the direction, that and that amendment has already been adopted to that direction has already been adopted. So the vote is on the main motion. I have two abstentions. Councilmember harper- madison and councilmember qadri. Is there any objection to the main motion with those two abstentions, there being no objection on the main motion on item number 23 is adopted with councilmember harper-madison and councilmember qadri being shown abstaining. Thank you. Members and thank you to the public for weighing in on this. I appreciate the council and I look forward to the opportunity that this creates for us to come back to the table and get to a long tum contract with our Austin police association. Thank you all, members. What I think we will do in order to try to be efficient with, people's time, is go to our zoning items. If miss harden is in the room or if it will [2:07:26 PM] is in the room or if it will make her run, I'll take it. I'll take it either way, if she's running, then we got it. She's not right. >> Sorry. >> What we'll do. Members I think this ought to be fairly quick. And if we take up, we'll do that. And then we will go from there. I see what you're saying. Yeah, we'll take up, our zoning items, and then we'll go back to item number 54. If you're in the chambers and you're talking, ask yourself why . If your name, if your name, if you're let me do it this way. If you're in the chambers and your name is not joy harden and you're talking, ask yourself why you're talking. And then move outside side with that, I will call, our, what was our 2:00 time? Certain and, that our zoning items and members, I'll recognize, staff. Miss harden. [2:08:28 PM] recognize, staff. Miss harden. >> Yes, mayor. Council joy harden with the planning department. Your zoning agenda begins with item 39, npa 2023 0010.01. And this item is offer for consent on all three readings. The related rezoning is item number 40 c1 for 2023 0111. Again this item is offered for consent on all three readings with the following motion sheet that I will read into the record. It's a little lengthy. Amend the caption of the draft ordinance in part one to include a conditional overlay . Co add a new part two and part three as follows and renumbered the remaining sections accordingly. Part two. The property within the boundaries of the conditional overlay combining district established by this ordinance is subject to the following conditions a the following uses are prohibited. Uses of the property. Adult oriented businesses. Convenient storage kennels. Campground exterminating services. Pawnshop services be the following uses are conditional uses of the [2:09:28 PM] are conditional uses of the property. Be automotive washing of any type. Commercial off street parking. Part three except as specific restricted under this ordinance, the property may be developed and used in accordance with regulations established for the general commercial services. CSS based district. The mixed use combining district and other applicable requirements of the city code, and with this motion sheet again item 39 and item 440 are offer for consent on all three readings. Item 41 is c1. For 2023 0048. This item is offered for consent. First reading with the following motion sheet. Again so this is a motion for item 41 and it reads amend part two of the draft ordinance and add the following prohibited uses, which is outdoor entertainment, outdoor sports and recreation, and theater. And with that again this item is offered for first reading with the following motion. And this item will be placed on your February 29th council agenda for second and [2:10:28 PM] council agenda for second and third reading consideration. Item 42 is c1 477. R3 138 rct. This item is offered for consent . Item 43 a c1 4002195 rca, formerly known as c1 4002195 rct. This item is offered as an applicant postponement request to your February 15th council meeting. Item 44 is npa 2023 0020003. This item was offered for consent first reading only. The related rezoning is item 45. This item is offered for consent. First reading with the following motion. Reading the following motion sheet which reads amend part four B of the draft ordinance to remove conditional off street parking as a prohibited use. And again, with that item, 45 is offered for consent. First reading and item 46 is c1. For 2023 0046. This item is offered for consent. First reading as staff [2:11:29 PM] consent. First reading as staff will bring back these items which are again 44, 45 and 46. Staff will bring back these items on your February 29th council agenda for second and third reading consideration. Burns. Item 47 is npa. For 2023 0020.01. This item is offered for consent. First reading the related rezoning is item 48 c1 for 2023 0043. Again this item is offered for consent. First reading and again these items will appear on your February 29th council agenda for second and third reading consideration. Item 49 is npa 2023 0029.01. This item is being offered for consent. Third reading the related rezoning is item 50 c1 for 2023 0063. This item is being offered for consent. Third reading item 51 is npa 2023 0015.01. This. Item is being offered for consent. Second and [2:12:30 PM] offered for consent. Second and third readings. The related rezoning is 52 c1 for 2023 0087. Again, this item is being offered for consent. Second and third readings. And that concludes the reading of the zoning agenda. And of course, this is at your discretion. Thank you. >> Council members. It's my understanding that council member Velasquez has one question with regard to item number 40. And so I'm going to recognize council member Velasquez and then I think we can take this up as a consent agenda. But I know he has a question. Mr. Subtle, would you make your way to the front? Oh okay. >> How are you, sir? Counselor Richards here on behalf of the applicant. There was a issue with a 30 foot easement along the south edge of the property to make room for a trail. I wanted to see if and when you would be, addressing that issue for the community. >> We propose addressing that at the time of site plan so that we can get the exact location and design done correctly, rather than trying to guess at it at a zoning case. >> And you'll be working with the parks department to get that done. Yes. Thank you sir. Thank [2:13:31 PM] done. Yes. Thank you sir. Thank you, thank you. >> Council member Velasquez. Are there any questions of staff, any questions of staff? All right. Members what I want to do is I'm going to run through this as a consent agenda. And I will read the consent agenda and then ask if we have any speakers signed up for the consent agenda. Item number 39 is consent on all three readings. Item number 40 is consent on all three readings, and that those are related items with the motion sheet as read by miss harden. Item number 41 is consent on first reading only, with the motion it was was read by miss harden. It will be back for second and third reading on the 29th. Item number 42 is consent with involving a restrictive covenant with one reading only. Item number 43 postponed to February 15th. Item number 45 consent on first reading 40. I'm sorry 44. Consent on first reading 45. Consent on first reading with the motion sheet is read and 46 with consent on first reading. All three of those items will be [2:14:31 PM] All three of those items will be back on February 29th. Item number 47. Consent on first reading. It's related to item number 48, which is consent on first reading. And both of those items would be back on the 29th. Item 49 third reading item number 50, which is the related item on third reading. Item number 51, consent on second and third reading. The related item is 52. Consent on second and third reading. I'll entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda as read. Motion is made by council member harper- madison , seconded by council member Velasquez is city clerk. Is there anyone signed up to speak on the consent agenda? >> Yes, mayor. Thank you. On item 41, we have Joseph Reynolds on items 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48. Mario Cantu and on items 49, 50, 51 and 52. Zenobia Joseph, if your name has been called, please make your way to the podium and state your name. >> Please come forward. If your name has been called. Thank you sir. [2:15:32 PM] sir. >> Yeah, mayor and council, I'm Joe Reynolds, I live in baja, allendale, and I'm a member of the allendale zoning committee. Today I will support item 41, the rezoning of 7500 burnet road. Our committee has worked with Alice Glasco, the applicant , and Anthony Clark, the owner and have reached a common objective support for affordable housing for families and students in rosedale school and housing for disabled students. We are grateful that they shared our vision to get the win for the owner, address the concerns about compatibility, noise and traffic of current neighbors and look to the affordable housing needs of future neighbors. Rosedale school is aid ISD's only campus for medically fragile students. It partners with the on site Dell clinic and is only a block and a half west down rich creek from 7500 burnet road. We are grateful that Mr. Clarke and miss Glasco are sensitive to the fact that allendale is the home to important school and of the staff, students, families and neighbors that are part of the [2:16:33 PM] neighbors that are part of the rosedale school community because they were protect rosedale school. We support the staff recommendations to rezone 7500 burnetrillionoad to ksmu vco with the current restricted uses specified by miss Estrada's staff recommendation and three additional restrictions. The applicant owner have graciously agreed to outdoor entertainment, outdoor sports and recreation and performance venue, and a zoning commission looks forward to continue collaboration with Mr. Clark and Castillo when the vmu two zoning is redefined together to create a triple win for the owner, neighbors and future neighbors. The rezoning of S per staff recommendations and three issues is the first step in thank you. >> Mayor pro tem, that concludes all of the speakers. Oh, I'm sorry, Mario. >> How much time do I have? Two [2:17:35 PM] >> How much time do I have? Two minutes. Okay good evening council. My name is Mario Katy. Contact team today, 406 hundred industria. As will be this project is proposed is 125ft. This will be just buildings in south Austin. The one that you're looking at right now to the left is approximately 90 to 100ft. And if you look at some of the hotels that exist on the periphery of Ben white are at 60ft. Next slide please. Another concern is the Bergstrom spur. You know, we did have a covenant on picture number two. Picture where we were basically going to have a brewery there. And they did donate a piece of land that was going to be right next spur for people that wanted to use the trail. So we're going to lose that. So. The amenities part, when it comes to that is [2:18:39 PM] part, when it comes to that is that we want to have things in writing. We want to have commitments, and we want to make sure that we receive those we just don't want to go back to what we're seeing right now. So, and in affordability component that, it's not required on this particular, property, but as a contact team and how the city is involved, we always ask for a good affordability. We're a little uncomfortable at this time with affordability when we're looking at about 1300 units going into these properties, and we're only getting about 90, 90, 96 units initially, we're going to get about in 70. That number changed, but percentages, the can change at any time. So if there's less units, I mean, the projected projection is at 1300, but if it goes back to 11 or 800 units, then that affordable fee goes down. So we're a little uncomfortable with that. And to go back and talk with the [2:19:40 PM] go back and talk with the applicant to get more information, we can make these percentages. I had one more I'm sorry, I had one more presentation with another property. >> I'm sorry sir, your time is up. Joseph. Yeah your time is expired. >> Sign up for two separate cases. We're doing this as a consent agenda. And usually that just allows for you to speak one time agenda time fired. What? What? Adam, just tell us what. What your position is on the other item. I 4748. >> We are against. It. Thank you . Thank you. [2:20:48 PM] Thank you. >> Mayor, council. I'm Zenobia Joseph. My comments are specifically related to 4950, 5152. >> I gave you a map because as it relates to the fm 969 item, I want you to recognize that 6400 fm 969 I went and did a recon there yesterday right at regency. There's actually a memorial because a pedestrian was killed there. There's is no continuous sidewalk. I mentioned that earlier and I want you to recognize that there's a dollar general if you're in a wheelchair, you have to write in the street with the cars in 2019, I actually took a picture of a gentleman that was actually in his motor, saw a wheelchair, no sidewalk. There was a gentleman that was killed across from the dollar general. I want you to recognize that you're using American rescue plan act funds, and you have title six assurance. So you have to comply with title six of the civil rights act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, [2:21:48 PM] discrimination based on race, color or national origin. I want you to recognize, as it relates to the maps that I gave you, I'll just remind you that in 2021, I was able to get the Republican senators to kill the downtown tunnel bill using that same map. This particular project relies on routes 237 and 339, which run once an hour. It was short line, three hours were reduced, and you are using that to justify this development. But it is discriminatory. Mayor, I'm going to ask you to pull this item down or jeopardize your federal funding as it relates to the item that's on the 290 and I-35 five. It's 1000 units. There using the red line highland as the justification. And once again, it's only 10% of the units that will be approximately 60% area median income. Once again, you're not validating those individuals that were in the orphanage in that area. And so I don't know why this council has such an aversion to black people. But if you have any questions, thank [2:22:50 PM] you have any questions, thank you to answer them at this time. >> Thank you. >> That concludes all the speakers on the zoning consent agenda. Thank you very much. >> Members, we have a motion and a second to approve the consent agenda. Those are the people that have signed up to speak. Is there anyone wishing to be shown abstaining from the consent agenda as read? Anyone wishing to be shown recusing themselves from the consent agenda? Anyone that wishes to be shown voting no on any item on the consent agenda. Without objection, the consent agenda, as it was read in, is adopted members that will take us back to item number 54. Again what I think is the best course for us to take is to get a motion on on item number 54, a motion and a second on 54. We will then ask for any speakers. And at that point we will take up the item and discussion. And I and we all know we have a [2:23:50 PM] I and we all know we have a number of proposed amendments to item number 54. Is there a motion to approve? Motion is made by council member villa, seconded by council member Velasquez that we approve. Item number 54. I'll look to the city clerk to help us with, the speakers. >> Thank you. Mayor, we have three speakers on item 54. Chloe Wilkinson, Carmen Yanez, and Zenobia Joseph. If your name has been called, please make your way to the front. >> Your name has been called. Please come forward. Miss Joseph, I think you may be the only one still here. So if you'd please come forward, we'll hear from you. >> Mr. Mayor. She makes her way up. I'd like to ask for a moment of personal privilege. At some point. When do you suppose I should do that? >> Let's finish 54 and then we'll be done. Thank you, miss Joseph. >> Thank you. Mayor. I actually had a little slide for you, but I'll just tell you what it said. So December 17th, 2018 is when [2:24:52 PM] So December 17th, 2018 is when you actually talk to capital metro's board and support of project connect, the long range plan. So my opposition, as it relates to the equitable transit oriented development, is that north Lamar transit center was never included. March 9th, 2020. It was 24 to 30 years for the area north of us 183, but on June 6th, 2023, when Austin transit partnership, capital metro and the city approved the light rail plan, as you have it today, it actually excludes that area. If you look at the most recent present version from the 24th of January, you will see that that it only goes up to crestview station. So to council member chito villa, I just want you to recognize your constituents are not going to benefit on September 27th, 2023 on kci, I asked you to check the area for the individuals that were the sidewalk was non Ada compliant at crestview station, not crestview. Excuse me. 5857. [2:25:53 PM] not crestview. Excuse me. 5857. That's the mid-block stop at chinatown and so the northbound side, it's not Ada compliant on the on the southbound side it's mid-block. And as you know that 70% of the individuals who are killed by cars are crossing the street mid block. And so I just want you to recognize, mayor, that it's chito villa who has an amendment. It was number three in the backup for restrooms. And I just want you to recognize that the 70% of white choice riders who are riding the rail are not the only ones that need to go to the restroom. The system is inequitable. And I just want you to recognize that north of us. 183 in 2014, you had a project connect north corridor, locally preferred alternative study that told you that 58% of the jobs would be in the north corridor by 2035, that Samsung to apple. And I would just ask you to look at that report. If you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them at this time. >> Thank you, miss Joseph. >> You're welcome. [2:26:54 PM] >> You're welcome. >> Mayor. That concludes all the speakers on item 54. >> Thank you very much. So, members, we're on item number 54. We have a motion on the table to approve item number 54, the order I'm going to go in is I'm going to go to council member vela's amendments. Then council member Kadri's amendments. Council member Alison alter has a motion to amend council member Kadri's amendment number two. And that's the order that will go in before we come back to the main motion on item number 54, members, the item that I will now call up is item 54. It's labeled council member vela. Amendment one, version one one include non-single family zoning in tod overlay. Council member vela. I'll recognize you on that proposed amendment. Thank you. >> Mayor, I touched on this at the work session. I'm striking the commercially zoned and comma , potentially multifamily zoned, and instead replacing that [2:27:54 PM] and instead replacing that language with just non single family zoned. >> Again, so that we encompass all of not just commercial, not just multifamily, but also civic and the other kind of random, designations, other types of zoning that we have in there that may be captured within the, itod area as well as adoption of Vila amendment number one to item number 54. >> Is there a second? It's seconded by council member qadri. Discussion in council member Alison alter. >> Thank you. I just wanted to clarify the original language. Allowed a certain amount of discretion to our staff to figure out what's appropriate from planning principles. I'm interpreting your amendment to still allow that. Based on the planning principles to figure out which conflicting regulations, etc. And how they should be adjusted across the different categories. You just [2:28:54 PM] different categories. You just want to make sure some categories that were not included. Ed. For this to be applied to should be considered for all of those discussions, because it could be that something you shouldn't do it. I'm no my amendment would make the overlay within that area and would include all non single family. >> Again, we're not touching any of the single family designations, but the rest of the properties within that area could then potentially take advantage of the itot overlay. >> And I guess I'm wondering if there's any variation that you're anticipating that staff might be able to pursue, or if they thought it was necessary based on their expert knowledge when they're going through the process? Not. I'm not I'm not saying that yes, they would be brought into the itod, but it may be that, you know, you included everything, so it's hard to know exactly which [2:29:54 PM] hard to know exactly which properties. But there may be, say, an industrial property that for some reason really shouldn't have, some particular regulation relaxed it. And so I just want to make sure that our staff have the professional ability, if they don't think it should be applied in a perfect some subset , that you're not precluding that from how you're writing this, my understanding standing of the process. >> And again, I know that we're in the middle of a lawsuit with regard to the same issue, though , but is that there will still be additional knell. Process, I guess procedure steps that will come after as people opt into the overlay on a on this basis or that basis. But that said, I don't want to pick and choose properties within the overlay other than again, saying single [2:30:57 PM] other than again, saying single family. We're not going to touch single family houses with the overlay, but I don't want to really put ourselves in a situation where we're saying, this apartment complex, yes, this apartment complex, no. Or this, you know, the property? Yes. For relatively, you know, arbitrary reasons. And I can't think what would be the concern with, for example, an industrial property that's close to a rail station, then converting into, for example, a multi-use apartment complex? >> Again, I'm, I'm just I just want to make sure that we're preserving the professional ability of our staff. I don't have a specific example. You just extended it very far. And I just want to make sure that we are empowering our staff, that if they're seeing something when they go to do this, that we want them to make sure that they tell us that because it's a it's a potentially very far reaching thing. >> But I will say this is consistent with the federal requirements and the standard kind of federal processes that they want. They really focus on that half mile area around the [2:31:58 PM] that half mile area around the stations. So again, I feel like we're adopting, policies very similar to just about every other city that has a high capacity transit line. I'm not sure that my question is, is as clear to you, and we won't be able to resolve that here. >> I'll just say that it's my expectation that if staff are seeing things from their professional opinion, where we have to take a particular step that they're going to come forward with those recommendations and not, be strictly bound. If there's a problem, a safety problem or something like that that needs to be addressed. >> Council member, we will definitely bring those forward. >> Thank you. >> There's nothing in here that precludes staff making a recommendation that this won't work. >> Agreed? Agreed. Mayor. Okay. >> Other discussion with regard to the amendment, it's Vila amendment number one to item [2:32:59 PM] amendment number one to item number 54. Any further discussion? Without objection. The amendment is adopted. >> I'd like to object. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> It's my first one of the day. I had to make it count. >> Well, and you seem aggressive about it, so that works out really good. Thanks. Stand up. Yeah there you go. So it will be, Vila, amendment number one is adopted with council member Kelly objecting and being shown voting no. That will take us to Vila. Amendment number two to item number 54. Council member Vila, you're recognized. >> Thank you. Mayor. This one is again exploring a feasible. Include incentives and additional entitlements for providing affordable ground floor commercial and or community spaces. Again this goes back to when we have a mixed use development. Typically that first floor is going to be for commercial purposes. Some of the feedback that I've gotten is that, it can be difficult to, lease a lot of this. Again, this being on the transit line, I'm [2:34:00 PM] being on the transit line, I'm not necessarily anticipating that as a problem. But we again, I just direction to staff to consider how we could incorporate community spaces maybe into that first floor commercial as part of a bonus program. I understand that that there's a short timeline on this and, it's going to take some time to flesh it out, but I think we do need to start the discussion with regard to what are we going to do with a lot of that first floor? Commercial space? And how can we use it in ways not just strictly commercial, but potentially that has broader community benefits? >> Councilmember Vila moves the adoption of Vila amendment number two to number 54. It is seconded by the mayor pro tem discussion on the item. Anyone wishing to be shown voting no. Council member Kelly will be shown voting no without objection other than councilmember Kelly's no vote. Vila, amendment number two to item number 54 is adopted. And that'll take us to Vila. Amendment number three to item number 54. Council member Vila, [2:35:01 PM] number 54. Council member Vila, you're recognized this is another amendment. >> Thank you. Mayor providing, again, some guidance to staff. Pretty simple and straightforward. Consider including additional incentives for adding transit supportive features and infrastructure. As miss Joseph mentioned, restrooms for bus drivers or passengers, maybe bus charging stations, maybe, some other, for asset. That would would improve the transit experience along our, soon to be light rail line. >> Councilmember Vila moves adoption of Vila amendment number three to item number 54. It's seconded by councilmember Velasquez. Discussion on the item on the motion to amend anyone wishing to object that objection item the amendment number three, by Vila to item number 54 is adopt. And that will take us to Vila. Amendment number. That what I say? I just say Vila amendment number three four, four. Yes. I meant to say so let me do this again to make sure we're clear the objection and there were and unanimously Vila, amendment number three to [2:36:02 PM] Vila, amendment number three to item number 54 is adopted, and we will now go to Vila. Proposed amendment number four to item number 54. It is my understand, and I'm sure you'll speak to this as you lay this out, that there was some additional language put in here, pursuant to council member Ryan alter. I'll recognize you. Council member Vila, on item number, amendment number four, proposed to item number 54. >> Yes. Oh, let me just make sure I have the most current version here. Yes. We, in discussions with council member Ryan alter, he offered some clarifying language, which I have included. We've also kind of softened, the language, to, again, we're at the very early stages of the, the itod kind of development. And the language would be to include regulations. That encourage to the extent feasible, new development that creates more affordable units at the same or greater level of affordability than the existing [2:37:03 PM] affordability than the existing income restricted and market rate, affordable housing within those boundaries. Again, just trying to encourage is not a mandate word. What what the goal here again would be is to, create, create as much or more, if possible, affordable housing than would be potentially threaten or, you know, torn down or whatever the case may be. And again, the goal would be, we want to create more affordable housing within these really good, station, watershed that that we're creating members. >> The item that he's looking at is labeled Ken Vila. Amendment four, dash version two. Council member Vila moves approval. It's seconded by the mayor. Pro tem, council member Ryan alter. Would you like to speak to any change in that that you spoke you dealt with? Not at all. >> He he laid it out great. [2:38:03 PM] >> He he laid it out great. >> Very good. All right. Council member Allison alter. >> Thank you. I'm going to be abstaining on this amendment. I like the second version much more than the first. So I appreciate the edits that you made, but I remain concerned that the language we are striking related to striving to reduce development pressure on existing affordable housing sends the wrong message to the public, who we've asked to support and invest in significant public dollars for anti-displacement efforts along these same transit lines. I think we can achieve both new units and preserve existing units, and hope what we eventually adopt as ordinance, language will be able to balance those goals. >> Councilmember Kelly, I too will be abstaining on this amendment. Any other discussion with regard to the proposed amendment? Number four, version two to item number 54, mayor pro tem. >> Yeah, I just want to say that I think I like the new language because it puts it in the positive, kind of a feel rather than the negative. And I think in the end, we are actually [2:39:04 PM] in the end, we are actually doing the same thing. And I appreciate the optimistic take on this as opposed to a pessimistic one. So thank you for these amendments. I appreciate that. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Any further discussion without objection. Council member Vila amendment number four, version two to item number 54 is adopted with council members Allison alter and council member Kelly being shown abstain. That will take us to council member qadri. Proposed amendments to item number 54. Members. The first, there are two. The first one is labeled amendment number one. Appropriately I might add. Which relates to amending lines seven six through 90. Council member qadri I'll recognize you on a proposed amendment. Qadri proposed amendment number one. Great. >> Thank you. Mayor and I want to take a moment to lay this one out. It's really important. I told my staff that I'll, that [2:40:06 PM] told my staff that I'll, that I'll speak, slowly and not mumble my words, which I guess I apparently do sometimes. And I'm looking at them right now, as I say that. So my amendment, carefully adds key components of the uli technical assistant panel's recommendations on modifying parking regulations downtown. The uli tap was a really intensive, multi-day endeavor where we had local and national experts looking into our parking policies, plans and programs to inform us on what's working and what we can do to reduce the prevalence of above ground parking downtown and put that space to more productive uses. It brought together key city staff and community stakeholders, and had a particular focus on equity. What would come culminated? Culminated was a set of holistic recommendations our city can use to address parking downtown. My amendment was carefully crafted with key stakeholders, including downtown Austin alliance and parking reform advocates, as [2:41:06 PM] parking reform advocates, as well as our professional staff and law and the project connect team. We arrived at the amendment you have before you today, which provides our stakeholder the assurance they need that the full package of recommendations surrounding parking and development entitlements will occur. And I'll add that our office staff and our community stakeholders are all on the same page that this list cannot and should not be and should not get done by may. But it's important that they are initiated together as a package stakeholder. Buy in is an essential and critical component to this process and ensures that we have the strongest application possible to address our biggest weakness, which is parking and I understand our amendment has project connect team's full support. So with that, I motion adoption of qadri amendment one. And despite speaking as slowly as I could, I still messed up. >> So great. >> I think. Yeah, it went just fine. >> Great. >> Motion to amend by council [2:42:08 PM] >> Motion to amend by council member qadri is seconded by council member Vella. This is proposed amendment number one. Discussion councilmember Allison alter. >> Thank you. Council member qadri, can you explain the new line under part one? Ann I understand the first part about Mok defying it. So the portion of the above ground structured parking is included as part of the development so far. Understand how that that, counters against or provides an incentive not to do parking structures, but then when you add more the latter part, I'm a little bit confused on and would like some further clarification of what you're thinking. Yeah I did not have it open in front of me, but can I have someone sheet ? >> Yeah. Could I get, staff from project connect if anyone's here, if she could answer this [2:43:10 PM] here, if she could answer this question. Oh, great. >> Project connect, office city of Austin. >> Just just to answer, councilmember Allison alters question. Oh, sure. >> The. Sorry the addition language. So the package. I'm pulling up my phone. I'm not texting while I'm up here. Just just so, you know, the additional language. Oh. Thank you. Lauren okay, so the uli tap as council member qadri pointed out, the recommendations are meant to be seen as a holistic package, meaning that, parking ING all of those recommendations working Singh, with each other are the best will be the best outcome that the stakeholders who are part of the tap felt felt would produce the best outcome. So if we were only to modify for the to include portions of above, above ground [2:44:12 PM] portions of above, above ground structure without also looking at the downtown density bonus, and looking at increasing base F.A.R. So adding more height or more entitlements at the same time. As well as, as they had different recommendations about if you go over a certain amount of parking, that's included that you can pay a fee or do something. So it's not just an administrative approval of going over a cap. Does that make sense? So I understand the idea that this is all a package. >> I'm just trying to understand like if I'm if I'm getting like I'm trying to make it so you don't build parking, but then I'm giving you more far. Like then I'm just you can still make the same amount of parking. You just count it cancels it, cancels it seems like it cancels it out. And I'm sure there was [2:45:13 PM] it out. And I'm sure there was more behind this, but I wasn't in the room, so I was just trying to understand what the nuance was to, add additional people, whether it be a fee or some additional type of mitigation to help mitigate the choice to do that. >> And it not it not just negate each other. Does that does that make sense? So the developer would think more about do I really want to do do I really want to park more than what the what the cap on parking is? Do I really want to build and or build a structure. So there's I mean, it's almost like you're saying there's also like I mean, the example you gave of a like a fee you could pay is kind of like a safety valve where if you really need to have more parking, there's a mechanism to do that, but that money is going to go into something that we want it to go into, and that's the only way you can exceed the cap like that. >> Makes sense. I just this says it's going to be I just didn't understand the increasing of far that seemed to run a counter to [2:46:14 PM] that seemed to run a counter to it. >> But right. >> And you know the scope of how this would work is still has a lot of discussion and review that needs to be done. As councilmember qadri is said, this is initiating, implementation of the package, but there's a lot more discussion amongst staff and with the stakeholders as to understand how we act on these because they're they're broad in nature, but they have very specific, consequences as far as how we implement them. >> Okay. So if this is an amendment that is essentially the goal behind it is to initiate whatever has to happen for a parking package to be realized. But we don't fully know what all those pieces are. But we're saying these are some things we want you to consider. Then I'm comfortable with it. I will just say again, I have reservations about saying your reduced your counting it and then adding more. It seems to cancel itself out and I don't [2:47:15 PM] cancel itself out and I don't totally, understand that, but I'm assuming that will be worked out in the package. >> That's right. And the language is could include. So it's mentioning all of the recommendations and then it's going to be up to staff should this be approved to figure out how to phase the policy implementation in a way that, that makes sense with the intent of the of the recommendation and the report? Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Further discussion. Oh, and just qadri. >> Yeah. >> Thank you, mayor. And just to add the, all this is in the uli tap parking Rex and there's a paper coming up in the fall right, with, yes. Okay. >> The recommendations, I believe, have been made and are online, but the actual report is still being pulled together by uli, and that should be available in the fall. >> Yes. Great. Yeah, yeah. Great. Yeah. I mean, I think the goal of this is to make sure we're kind of balancing parking and affordability. Right. Okay. Great thank you. >> Thank you. Any further discussion on qadri proposed amendment number one to item number 54. Is there anyone wish [2:48:17 PM] number 54. Is there anyone wish to be shown voting no? Yes please. >> Okay. >> How'd you say that? >> Yes. Please. Yes. >> Please. No okay, I think I got that, anyone wishing to be shown abstaining. All right, without objection. Item qadri. Proposed amendment number one to item number 54 is adopted with councilmember Kelly being shown voting no. Members that will take us to qadri proposed amendment number two to item number 54. And as I indicated before, let me note that council member Alison alter has a proposed amendment to the amendment that that I believe council member qadri will second that amendment to the amendment. So just be prepared for that as we go down the road. Councilmember qadri, I'll recognize you on proposed amendment number two. >> Great. And before I get into this, I just want to clarify, I think the report is actually coming out in about two weeks. >> Is that right? I guess we'll get an answer before I go into this. >> You ought to race miss harden [2:49:17 PM] >> You ought to race miss harden . Exactly. >> My name is Curtis bay transportation and public works. >> You you ally has delivered the draft to city staff. We are reviewing it right now. It is their goal to have it published by the end of this month or in February. Great, great. Yeah >> Thank you. Councilmember qadri, you're recognized on proposed amendment number two to item number 54. >> Great. This amendment is pretty simple. All we're asking is to consider an added bonus height, exceeding 120ft. Where where it makes sense, such as adjacent to certain transit stations or in a non single family areas in downtown where the downtown density bonus, does not apply as we heard from some speakers today, it's really important to maximize opportunity for people to live near transit for the benefit for the benefits of climate affordability, tax base and more. If it can't be considered during the analysis over the next month, I still think the direction is valuable to consider in the fully tied overlay. In the future, I move adoption for qadri amendment number two. And as said, I do appreciate councilmember Allison [2:50:18 PM] appreciate councilmember Allison alter's friendly amendment, which is which is upcoming. >> Seconded the motion to amend item number 54. Qadri motion to amend number two is seconded by councilmember Ellis. Discussion. We have discussion on the motion to amend councilmember Harris very brief. >> I just wanted to say I really appreciate you offering that clarity just now about where appropriate, what that means to you. And so that that was helpful for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. >> Any further discussion on on proposed qadri motion to amend number two? Without objection? No. I'm sorry. I'll recognize councilmember Allison alter on. I don't know whether that was me or you, but it was probably me because I happened when I pushed the button. >> So, we have we have a motion to amend by councilmember qadri and seconded by councilmember Ellis. >> I'll recognize councilmember Allison alter on a proposed amendment to the amendment. >> Thank you. >> I would simply like to add the phrase, where appropriate. So it would read consider a [2:51:20 PM] So it would read consider a bonus option above 120ft in total height, comma, where appropriate, comma and I understand that councilmember qadri is supportive of this change to his amendment. I appreciate his consideration for a specific area of his district where this may be appropriate, and I recognize that there are likely other areas where it may be appropriate for this, added height. However, I'd like for our staff to have the option of considering this option using their planning principles, and make a determination as to where additional height beyond 120ft would be appropriate. Or where it may be widely appropriate. But there are some areas where it may not be appropriate. So I've added that caveat and look forward to their work. >> Councilmember Allison alter moves adoption of an amendment to amend qadri amendment number two. Councilmember qadri seconds the motion to amend the amendment is there any objection to the amendment to Allison alter amendment to qadri amendment number two, hearing none. Without objection, on the motion to amend qadri motion, is [2:52:21 PM] motion to amend qadri motion, is adopted. That will take us back to what is now the main motion, and that is qadri proposed amendment number two to item 54, as amended by the Allison alter amendment, is there any objection to that? That amendment, as amended? Without objection, qadri motion qadri proposed amendment number two to item 54, as amended, is adopted members. Those are all of the proposed amendment. As I said, all, as though it was just a few, to item number 54, that will take us back to the main motion. The main motion is to adopt item number 54, as amended. Councilmember Ellis, I'll recognize you. >> Thank you for the recognition. Mayor I want to follow up on the conversation that I briefly touched on in work session. Really appreciate planning staff coming and talking to us between work session and now to discuss the [2:53:22 PM] session and now to discuss the concerns I had brought up about highway 290 and the oak hill area redeveloping in a manner that will not be supportive of transit accessibility and walkability, preventing the metro rapid line from being built with federal match, this line fails to meet the minimum standards for federal transit funding for the oak hill metro rapid line of project connect, and I would be supportive of initiating further code amendments as quickly as possible to protect the viability of that metro rapid line by prohibiting auto oriented uses on lots facing our project connect corridor uses that will be determined in the development of this ordinance. For item number 54, we obviously have an urgent need for action to better align land uses along all of our project connect lines, including the metro rapid lines, as was identified in the original itod resolution written by council member harper-madison many years ago. That I was proud to co-sponsor in that moment. So I appreciate staff working diligently with us to try to address these concerns and make sure that all of these lines and all the forms of transit that are incorporated into the [2:54:23 PM] are incorporated into the project connect plan, have an equal chance for high ridership and success in the community. >> Thank you. Council member council member. Harper-madison. You're recognized. >> Yes, sir. I just wanted to offer some comments to item number 54, but I didn't know if you wanted those now or after. We go ahead and take the vote. Go. >> Let's go ahead. As part of the discussion on this item. Thank you. >> So thank you to our planning staff. Capital metro staff and to our atp Austin transit partners partnership staff for your work to create a short time implementation strategy that really does promise to have profound long terme impacts on our community. I when staff originally presented this package of amendments to our housing and planning committee last week, it was clear that our competitiveness for federal funding is in fact reliant on prioritizing these regulatory changes, along with, the first phase in our light rail investment alignment. Additionally, the follow through on these amendments is in fact, how we as a city can continue working towards a future where [2:55:25 PM] working towards a future where all residents have access to affordable, climate conscious and safe transit options. So I'm proud to see the hard work, that has been done by all of us. Staff and council alike. And that went into developing our planning tool is finally being used. Thank you mayor. >> Thank you. Any further discussion on item number 54, councilmember Allison alter? >> Thank you. I'm going to vote in favor of item 54 today. And I do want to speak briefly to my vote. I'm comfortable moving forward with this item, recognizing that it presents great opportunity for us to increase our housing supply where we most want to see that growth. However, I do anticipate that some permutations of these changes may cause significant concerns in the community, and I hope that we will all be ready to respond to those concerns and be open to creative problem solving. I look forward to what comes back and we'll be paying close attention to how we calibrate this tool. The calibration will impact my final [2:56:25 PM] calibration will impact my final support on the actual ordinance language. Thank you. >> Thank you, councilmember. Councilmember Kelly, you're recognized. >> Thank you mayor. >> I will not be supporting this item at this time. There are a lot of unknowns and concerns that have been described to me by the community, and as such, I just can't support it. Thank you. >> Any further discussion. Councilmember Velasquez. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I endorse the amendment, the amendments brought by my colleagues and thank them for all their hard work and city staff, for all their hard work as a city and a body. We need to continue to think big and start pursuing more ambitious affordability and sustainability goals. Deeply affordable multifamily housing with access to reliable public transit is the only way we can work to minimize the rampant displacement of lower and middle income austinite. We're seeing this across the city, but particularly along the eastern crescent here, we have an opportunity to be specific about what is needed, and that is an affordable, walkable, connected city for the people of, for the people and families that need [2:57:27 PM] people and families that need it. Most I support these measures towards achieving that goal and making Austin a realistic, long time home for the people who keep this city running. And I thank my colleagues for all their hard work. >> Councilmember. >> All right. Item number. We're voting on item number 54 as amendment amended, without objection. Item number 54 is as amended, is adopted with council member Kelly being shown voting no. Members. I'll recognize council member harper-madison. We're about to adjourn, but I'll recognize council member Harper Madison. >> Thank you very much. I appreciate it. And this, commentary is essentially for us sitting up here on the dais and the folks in the audience, city staffers who have the opportunity on these days, where we're in council meetings to go into that special room in the back where miss Kay has all our snacks and candies and where my Snickers problem came back after a long time of not eating Snickers. You probably noticed that there's a familiar face. [2:58:28 PM] that there's a familiar face. Not in that room today. And whereas Mr. Joe normally only lets me get a couple candies, I had full access today, which is problematic. That was because Mr. Joe is in the hospital and he's not feeling great, and I just wanted to say as a group of people, we all have our own ways of sending our well wishes to folks personally, I'm a prayerful person, so I'm going to send my prayers. I just encourage us all to send whatever your thoughts and prayers and good juju looks like to Mr. Joe, Gordo and miss Kay and their family. And I've asked our interim city manager and the mayor for us to collectively do something fantastic. So I'm not volunteering their staff. In fact, I'm going to run after for this. So, I'm assuming that we should direct folks to your staff for the interim city manager staff to contribute, to what it is that we decide that we'd like to do for that family that takes such good care of us, week after week. So so thank [2:59:31 PM] week after week. So so thank you. >> No one better any further. Item members. That concludes the agenda for this regular scheduled meeting of the Austin city council for February 1st, 2024. Without objection, we will be adjourned. It is 2:59 P.M. Thank you. All productive meeting