City Council Regular Meeting Transcript – 5/30/2024 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 5/30/2024 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 5/30/2024 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. [10:00:23 AM] 10:00. >> Good morning, everybody. It's 10:00 in the morning on may 30th, 2024. And I will now call to order the meeting of the Austin city council for this regular scheduled meeting, we are meeting in the city council chambers, which are located in city hall at 301 west second street in Austin, Texas, before I go through the order of the day, we're going to take up one other matter, every six months, the council, rotates its seats on the dais, and it's been six months since the last time we did that. And the one difference that we've made in the past two years is that the mayor pro tem will maintain a permanent seat in the seat just on the other side of me from the, the city attorney. So with that, we will ask the clerk to come forward, and each member will draw a number, and the number will designate their seat, when we [10:01:25 AM] designate their seat, when we come back in July. Seat number one is where council member qadri used to sit over and over again. If he draws a number one, everyone go buy a lottery ticket , because we're all winners today. >> If I get number one again, this whole thing is rigged. Mister mayor. I have six, mister mayor. >> Yes. This corner over here is a package deal. So wherever we shift together, there we go. Council member seat number five. >> Number five. Two. >> Would tell us. Tell us what. Council member Kelly, council member Kelly has drawn an eight. Council member Kelly, you drew number eight. And, city manager, if you'll tell us what councilmember Allison alter drew for number four. Alright. She just moves one seat over. Yes, for harper-madison council member harper-madison pulled one nine. Councilmember Ryan alters [10:02:25 AM] nine. Councilmember Ryan alters nine, I got three. >> So do you want us all to go over there? Yeah. >> Councilmember Velasquez has the number three. Councilmember vela ten. I'm not going anywhere . Oh, there you go. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're our new qadri. Yeah. So. Alright, there we go, we've taken care of that bit of business. Thank you all, folks. What I'm going to do is read now through, the order of the business for today, the first thing I'll do is, I'll read changes and corrections into the record, we will then go to our 10:00, consent agenda and, and we will hear from speakers on the consent agenda, we will then have an aafc meeting at an appropriate time. It's set for 1030, but we will try to. And we'll try to do that as near to 1030 as we can, then we will have an ahp fc meat board meeting again, at a near that time, certain we will go to pulled items right now. Item 171 and 106 are the two pulled [10:03:25 AM] and 106 are the two pulled items, but 106 we will take up at 1:00 pm at a time certain at noon we will have our time, certain of public communication and live music. We will, typically what we do and what we will do today is we will have the public communication that usually will last till, 1230, 1235 or so. We will recess for live music, but we will reconvene at 1:00 pm, then we will go to the non consent items, and that will be item 127 and items from council committees. So 128 129 180 and 182. We will also take up public hearings. Let me read that a couple of things that were on the agenda for public hearings that have been postponed. And item 132 has been postponed to July 18th. Item one 4140, which is related to item 132, is postponed to August 29th. Item 133 has been postponed to July [10:04:26 AM] 133 has been postponed to July 18th. Item 138 has been postponed to July 18th. I'm going to read those again. And the reason I am is if you are signed up to speak at those public hearings, you may not need to because they've been postponed. And if you are wanting to still speak on those public hearings, you will be allowed to speak only on the merits of the postponement. So again, 132 postponed to July 18th 140. Postponed to August 29th 133. Postponed to July 18th and 138. Postponed to July 18th. We will then at some point get to our 2:00 time, certain which are zoning and zoning matters, and we will take those up at that time with that, I will read, changes and corrections into the record and bear with me when you have an agenda this long. There are a number of changes and corrections. Item number one should read approve the minutes of the Austin city council work session on April 30th, 2024, and regular meeting [10:05:27 AM] 30th, 2024, and regular meeting of may 2nd, 2024 and delete and regular meeting of may 16th, 2024. Item number three authorized negotiation and execution of a cost participation agreement with delete a cp or gp dekker, LLC and replace it with bcp. Dekker lp for the city to reimburse, and so forth. Item number four. The same change is in item number three. Item number ten postponed to July 18th, 2024. Item number 20 approve a resolution declaring the city of Austin's official intent to reimburse itself from proceeds of tax exempt obligations. Delete issued by the Austin public facilities corporation so that it reads. Tax exempt obligations in the total amount of $8,500,000. Item number 18 authorized negotiation and execution of delete the words a ground lease so that it reads negotiation and execution of an [10:06:28 AM] negotiation and execution of an interlocal agreement. Item number 99. And by the way, on 18 it goes on to the end of the sentence. I'm just not reading the whole thing. Item number 99 withdrawn and replaced by addendum item 184. Item 102 withdrawn and replaced by addendum item 168. Item number 105. Add mayor pro tem Leslie pool as a sponsor. Item number 107 add council member Jose Velasquez as a sponsor. Item number 115 add council member Ryan alter as a sponsor. Item number 124 withdrawn and replaced by addendum. Item number 176. Item number 132 is withdrawn. Item number 133 postponed to July 18th, 2024. Item 138 postponed to July 18th, 2024. Item 140 postponed to August 29th, 2024. Item 156 delete. District ten and replace it with district two on boards [10:07:31 AM] it with district two on boards and commission actions. Item two should read may 21st, 2024 not recommended by the resource management commission on a214 vote, with chair stone voting against commissioners Johnson, Robbins, sardius and Silverstein abstaining. Commissioner farmer off the dais, commissioner Gary absent, and two vacancies. Those are all the changes and corrections to be read into the record. Now we will, go to our consent items. But let me be let me tell you how we're going to do this, we will have we will have speakers that have signed up to speak, be able to speak on the consent agenda. They will be allowed to speak on each item on the consent agenda that they have signed up on. And the clerk will indicate the amount of time , if you wish to speak on a non [10:08:32 AM] , if you wish to speak on a non consent item or at a public hearing, those items will be taken up and you will be called upon to speak. At the time we take up the non consent items or the public hearings, unless it is just more convenient for you and you want to speak. We will hear from you during the during the consent agenda. People may will be allowed to donate time up to two people may donate time to a speaker, but I would ask that you please go to the clerk and let them know that now, so that we might work that out on the front end, the other thing I want to say is that, during any public comment period, including items that are on the consent agenda, there is behavior that will violate the rules of the council meeting. And will not be permitted. You may not speak out of turn, you may, if you wish, criticize a public official, but you may not use personally derogatory or disparaging remarks. You may not defame [10:09:33 AM] remarks. You may not defame another person. Use obscene language. Use abusive language that is likely to incite a breach of the peace. Make threats of violence against any other person, or otherwise disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting, such as standing up and yelling out comments, that that sort of thing. Note that, if you're speaking on a numbered agenda item, you must be speaking relevant to that item. And while I don't enjoy doing it , I will call that out as a violation of the rules in order to assure that all members of the public have safe and efficient access to witness the council's deliberation. You may not sit or stand in the aisles or otherwise obstruct the exits or emergency exits. If you wish to display a large sign or a flag or other object, you need to do that in the designated area, which is in the back of the chambers. You may not obstruct the view of other [10:10:34 AM] obstruct the view of other members of the public who are seated in the sitting area. So we ask that you don't hold up signs or flags or those kinds of things. If you're seated in those chairs, there may not be demonstrations at the podium, meaning that if you're called upon to speak, the speaker should be there, and not a group of people or any other people. So, and the other thing I'll mention is, as the clerk calls names, because we have so many people that are signed up to speak as the clerk calls names, they will typically call in 3 to 5 names at a time. That's not just so that you'll know wherever you're seated. It is so that we can be efficient and show respect for the people that are signed up to speak after you, who may end up being here a long time because of the length of the agenda and the number of people speaking. So if she calls your name, please show respect for the other speakers by going ahead and coming down front and taking one of the seats that's [10:11:35 AM] taking one of the seats that's up front so that you'll be ready to speak when your time comes up. And if you if your name is called and you come forward and there's nobody at the microphone , go ahead and feel free to take the microphone. It's yours at that point in time. And just state your name for the record, with that, I think we're ready to go to the consent agenda, but I'm going to first recognize our city attorney on item number 93. >> Thank you. Mayor. Item 93 is a settlement of a lawsuit. We recommend that you approve payment of an additional $100,941 over the special commissioner's award, for a total amount of $442,500. To resolve the lawsuit, styled city of Austin versus csa ten 601 north Lamar. As discussed in a recent memo to council, this is a 2022 condemnation lawsuit to acquire property interest necessary for circuit 811 transmission electric line upgrade project. In exchange for this payment, the city will [10:12:37 AM] this payment, the city will obtain a final judgment in its favor and title to the needed property interest, thus concluding the lawsuit. >> Members. >> Do you have any questions of the city attorney on item number 93, which is on the consent agenda? All right. Councilmember Allison alter, did I see your hand up? >> You did. >> Good morning, mayor. Thank you. I just wanted to ask to be added as a co-sponsor for, 106 for, naming Chris Riley bend also wanted to be added for 173. Council member Ellis item related to postal mail theft and item 112 from council member harper-madison for the mobile court program, please. >> Thank you, with that objection, councilmember Allison alter be shown as a co sponsor of 106 173 and 112, and we have we have three members that are joining us virtually. And I say to all three of you, I'll do my best to keep looking up. But if you don't, don't worry. If I don't call on you, please feel free to call out and make sure I know that you want to talk. All [10:13:38 AM] know that you want to talk. All right. Thank so. Thank you. And thanks for joining us that way. With that, I will now turn it over to, the clerk and ask that you help us navigate through our non our consent speakers. >> Thank you. Mayor. The first speaker we have is remote and needing Spanish interpreter Asian Maria morales for item 113 and 115 for a total of 12 minutes. >> Morales adelante intervention. >> Puede leer la intervention de ambos puntos. >> Senora morales. >> La morales. Nos escucha. Si buenos dias. >> Buenos dias. >> Adelante con Su intervention Y Yo la puede las dos interventions. Hola. MI nombre es Maria morales Y soy de la [10:14:39 AM] es Maria morales Y soy de la comunidad del otro de cuatro. Y quiero pedir por favor, por el articulo 30. Y siento, por favor para un plan O programa financiero para la seguridad de inundation para ayudar a NUESTRA comunidad. En Caso de Una inundation, Y también quiero pedir ayuda a la ciudad con recursos para poder recuperados. Cuando estamos afectado por un disaster natural también para poner policies para los programas Antes, casamiento Y educacion financiera. Necesitamos peticiones protections para propietarios para prevenir el casamiento de families de abajo recursos gracias. >> My name is Maria morales and I live in the zip code 78744. I [10:15:39 AM] I live in the zip code 78744. I want to ask you to vote yes for items 113 and 115. For 113, we need a plan of flood insurance financial aid program to help our community in case of a flood . I also want to ask you to help the city resources to help us recover when we are affected by natural disasters. Also, in item 115, I'm in favor and we need to establish policies and increase anti displacement programs and financial education. We need protections for homeowners to prevent the displacement of low income families. Everyone needs to vote yes for item 115 and 113. Thank you. >> Jordan Middlebrook, item 115, three minutes. >> Hi there, are you all able to hear me? >> Okay. Yes >> Okay, great, I'm testifying today in support of vocal Texas. [10:16:42 AM] today in support of vocal Texas. Demands around the rapid rehousing program, particularly extending the timeline so that folks have adequate time to actually start acquiring what's needed to support the market rate rents that they're being asked to participate in, and also more connections to support. So just want to testify to indicate my support for their demands for that program, and asking you all to take the necessary action so that the rapid rehousing program, prevents more people from slipping through the cracks. Thank you. And I will waive the rest of my time. >> Thank you. >> Srikar nalluri. Item 115 and 116 for a total of six minutes. Hey, good morning, council. My name is Shryock and I live in district nine, I would like to speak in favor of these items, especially 115, which I believe [10:17:43 AM] especially 115, which I believe is, the financing options to help, you know, unlock home two type stuff for, for people that might not be able to get, a normal financing from a bank, yeah. I think this is a this is a great step. I spoke in favor of home two at the previous meeting, and I think, that that was just one step like that we needed. But it's not, you know, not not no one step is ever going to be enough. So I think we need, this as well. Thank you. >> Christian Fogarty, item 116, three minutes. >> Hello, my name is Christian Fogarty. I'm a resident of d9. I'm speaking today in support of item 116, last week I drove into Austin after driving through rural west Texas for about seven hours. And it really puts things into perspective about how many Texans rely on private companies to provide septic tanks, water [10:18:44 AM] to provide septic tanks, water supplies and other water infrastructure. Here in Austin, we're lucky to have public utilities that provide these these public goods at a relatively low cost and high quality. And this resolution is a no brainer to start exploring how to do that for the Barton creek interceptor in a way that could satisfy multiple viewpoints across the political coalition. I hope this study proceeds in a way that incorporates diverse perspectives on water infrastructure, does not prioritize one side over the other, and, you know, we seems like here we have the opportunity to explore how to extend these water services to new people moving to Austin, enhancing existing quality of life and also adhering to existing environmental regulations, so, you know, wastewater is one of those kind of invisible public goods that people forget about, but this is just a great chance to make it visible and bring people together over a pretty positive vision on a very environmentally sensitive but, you know, promising and unique geographical part of Austin. So [10:19:45 AM] geographical part of Austin. So I just want to express support for it. Thank you. >> Mayor. That's all the remote speakers at this time, so I'll move to in-person. Thank you. First up is Lauren Ross, item one and 15 for a total of six minutes. Then Ben sudabeh, William bunch, Gerard Kenny, Roy Whaley. If your name has been called, please make your way down and I can announce the items in time. >> Please come forward. If your name has been called Lauren Ross, Ben sudabeh, William bunch, Gerard Kenny. >> Roy I Roy. Are you Ben? Ben is speaking on item eight nine and 114 for a total of nine minutes. >> I will not take nine minutes. Hello. Good morning. My name is Ben suddaby. I'm mayor council city manager, I'm. I just want to let everyone know I'm here. [10:20:47 AM] to let everyone know I'm here. Speaking on personal capacity, but I am proud to be an austinite. I'm proud to be an active member of the labor community as a rank and file member of afsme 1624. Member of Austin dsa, big soccer fan, you know, all the things, I share something with everyone on this council, everyone on the dais is that, I love this city and the people in it. And I see that in the actions, many of the actions of the items that you're taking up today, so I wanted to thank you, for paying attention to items like, eight and nine, as a taxpayer, I, I realize that some of the most expensive housing, health care, mental health care, food, all the things that happen in our community happen at the Travis county jail, it is, so much better and so much, such a wiser use of our public funds, our tight public dollars to do diversion programs to keep people out of the criminal justice system, it's better for [10:21:48 AM] justice system, it's better for them, but it's also good for the priorities in our community because we realize how tight the budgets are. The state has, in its infinite wisdom, put caps on our ability and limits on our ability to do the things we need to do to take care of each other here. And you all know that better than I do, and I see this as one of the many different opportunities that we have to, more wisely spend the dollars that we do have and that helps the community priorities that we have, a proud resident of d4. And I really like, you know, our communities using the sidewalks, thank you so much for the work that you have done on on providing those goods, items like this that keep people out of, out of the criminal justice system, free up dollars to help us with things that we actually need, the other item that I really wanted to speak to is 114. Like I mentioned, I'm active in the labor movement here in our city. I think it's really good when large employers like the city of Austin set a [10:22:48 AM] like the city of Austin set a good standard on the way that it treats the workers and the people who are working, building out literally buildings that are going to serve us, the public. So, those worker protections are excellent. It sets a standard. It lets our community know that we are not in a race to the bottom, but we're going to hold a higher standard, we don't have to hold ourselves to the bare minimum that's required by federal law. We can pay living wages, I know that there are many instances where the state limits your ability to do good things. It says you can't. You can't have a higher minimum wage for the city across the city. But but what you can do, and I love when the city looks for opportunities to, you know, ignore the things you can't do and focus on things you can do. Things like this where you can set a higher standard for your construction sites and say, you know, people that we're partnering with, contracting with part of that contract is you're going to have a higher standard, you're going to take care of these people, they're [10:23:49 AM] care of these people, they're going to have osha, they're going to have water breaks, especially in in a climate like Texas. So again, thank you so much for taking this action, to all the sponsors, co-sponsors. This is really good. This is taking care of our community. It is something tangible that when you're out and about, when I'm riding the bus, when I'm talking to my neighbors, I can point to and say, this is what the city council is doing to take care of us, because there are people who feel disengaged or feel ignored and having tangible good things like this, we can point to them and say, this is how they're addressing the needs of the working class. So thank you again. You know, big shout out to all the people who make this city run and build out, the, the construction that we're seeing, the people who work here for the city, the public servants who make behind the scenes, who make this place run, thank you for always keeping them in your mind. >> Thank you, Mr. Whaley. >> Roy Whaley signed up for item 16, 2785 and 115 for a total of [10:24:49 AM] 16, 2785 and 115 for a total of 12 minutes. >> Say that again, please. What items please? One 1585 and 171. Is that correct? >> My apologies. 16 2785 115 I have you donating for 116. Okay. >> I believe I've given my time on 116 to Mr. Bunch, but but, I want to start out with item 115 because my friend. Mok Guzman, who is a frequent ally of Sierra club and with go Austin vamos, Austin, she couldn't be here today for she signed up to speak on that item. Yes, I am okay. >> Is that one of the items he was signed to speak on 115? >> Yeah. Okay. Yes. >> Good. Yeah. I want to make sure you didn't know. And I didn't know. >> I knew you wanted to hear it anyway. So anyway, if you'd state your name for the record, Roy Whaley, I'm the conservation chair for the regional Austin regional group of the Sierra [10:25:50 AM] regional group of the Sierra club, and for Monica and, on, on, she wants to make sure that we need to prioritize low and moderate income housing, homeowners and programs. And when assisting low and moderate income folks in exchange for financial assistance, the additional unit must be reasonably priced for 15 years, reasonably priced units or those units rented or sold to families who own, who earn no more than 50% of the median family income, who would spend, no more than 30% of their family income on housing. And when we get on this 50% mfi, etc. Etc, what I would ask is that we start putting real numbers to that. It will be an estimate, but there are so many of us that don't understand what 50% mfi is, 30% mfi. If we're going to have a good [10:26:50 AM] we're going to have a good community conversation, even though I know that number will not be a static number, and forever, let's start talking about real numbers so that we have a better idea of what we're really talking about. So I wanted to take care of my friend Monica first, and then I, you know, on 182. Well, it sounds good. I hope it's going to be good, and I know that there'll be good people working to make it be something good, also an 85. Thank you very much. To the nature conservancy and the 188 plus acres, and though I didn't sign up to speak. Thank you. Chris Riley. Yeah the bicycle hero for Austin, now, let's get to the time limit thing. I mean, we've been through this in court a couple of times. >> That's a pulled item. >> Okay? I am not able to speak on the pulled item. [10:27:50 AM] on the pulled item. >> You can, but you won't be able to speak on it when it's when we bring it up. >> And when will that be, sir? >> Well, whenever we get to it. >> Okay, well, I enjoy your company so much, but I may have to leave early, so I will go ahead and say. How many of y'all are up for reelection? And I don't think it's a good campaign message to say, block walk for me, get your friends to block walk, contribute to my campaign, sign up, line up, vote for me. And if you do, I'll give you two minutes to speak to me at city hall. I don't think that's a winning campaign message. I would hope that you would see that most of us try to be respectful with our time, because I respect your time and, Mr. Mayor, I know that we had a speaker on the phone that spoke for 30 minutes, and I'm not really sure what was ever said [10:28:51 AM] really sure what was ever said in that 30 minutes. You Wu as the person running this meeting, you have the discretion to be able to say, you've already said those things, ma'am, as a courtesy to the other many people in the auditorium that have taken time off from work or their lives or whatever to come down and engage in their democracy. And that's what this is, one at a time when the democracy is under attack across our nation to come and speak is three minutes. It's a pain in the neck. No one promised you it was going to be easy when you applied for this job. It is your job to listen to the citizens. That's the basic part of it. And I will again say, thank goodness that in the long ago and far away, we still had that in place. And the citizens, almost a thousand of a thousand of us showed up and spoke for three minutes and saved Barton springs when the vote was locked in to go against us. So please do do the basics of the job. Listen to [10:29:55 AM] the basics of the job. Listen to the citizens. We don't have time to come and make appointments with you and your office. Like so many of the developers and their mouthpieces, no, no insult intended. Michael. So we have this three minutes and we hope that this will be something that can sway your votes. Come to it with an open mind, please. It's a hard thing to do. It's the hardest thing to do is to have an open mind. And I know it's hard because I struggle with it. So don't come in here with your minds already made up. Please listen to the citizens and I think I have more time, but I'm not sure that I have more that I really need to say. And so as I said, to respect your time, I'm going to go sit down and let some of my fellow citizens speak to you. I thank you all again. I hope you all have a wonderful [10:30:55 AM] hope you all have a wonderful day. Thank you sir. >> Mr. Bunch, your name was previously called if you'd make your way down and would Mr. Bunch signed up for item 11, 61, 63, 64, 65, 74, 80, 85, 91, 115, one, 16 and has time donated for 116 from Roy Roy, you're here for a total of 36 minutes. >> Thank you, mayor, Mr. Mayor, council members bill bunch with save our springs alliance, I will certainly not be speaking for 36 minutes. Consistent with what Mr. Whaley just said, being respectful of your time and only taking, what I view as necessary, but I share in his concerns. I'll address 171, though, later, since that was pulled, starting with. I'll just go in order, starting with item 11. This is extending the Mueller master development agreement with catellus, and your notice does say increasing [10:31:57 AM] your notice does say increasing the administrative fee paid to the parties, but it doesn't say how much. And every other item you have that has an amount of money, it says how much money, there's been enormous amounts of developer welfare for pumped into the Mueller redevelopment, but, it's time to cut that off, as posted, this is violates the open meetings act, it also violates, the city ordinances that require the city manager to provide a fiscal note on every item that's going to cost you something. There's no fiscal note posted, the backup also is grossly deficient and violates your direct guidance to the city staff and manager to provide you with the information that you need, that the public needs to assess an item that's on the agenda, here you're talking [10:32:57 AM] agenda, here you're talking about and specifically moving to amend a long standing agreement with the Mueller developers. But what's posted is just we're going to amend this section this way, and we're going to amend this section this way. But the actual agreement that's being amended is not included in the backup. And you have no red line. So there's no basis there's no baseline to have any way that you or the public can understand what these amendments actually mean, Mueller, as you know, is also tied up in a tax increment reinvestment zone. I assume some of that money's involved in this, that's not mentioned at all in your notice either. So please postpone this and bring it back with a legally compliant notice and a fiscal note and a red line, agreed amount. So you actually know [10:33:59 AM] amount. So you actually know what you're voting on. Okay, jumping. To item 61, which, also , relates to item 64 and 65, this total is over $1 billion. These items over $1 billion of spending to expand our walnut creek wastewater treatment plant. A capacity for treating sewage, now, of course, we got to treat our sewage. But the idea that you're going to spend over $1 billion on consent with, again, minimal backup, that explains what this billion dollars is actually going to buy us, and also building off of, years going back to 2019 or so [10:34:59 AM] years going back to 2019 or so of, sort of momentum, sleepwalking, perhaps, to expand our treatment plants, today, y'all claim you're looking for money. You don't have money to protect the environment, implement our climate equity plan, you claim that you're paying attention to the drought and what climate change means for our future water supply. But here you have $1 billion of sleepwalking, spending with the assumption that we're going to keep expanding. Singh. How much water increasing, how much water we pump out of our dwindling water supplies, with roughly half of that converted into sewage that is going to keep increasing in capacity, you need to stop right here and not spend this billion dollars and instead [10:36:03 AM] this billion dollars and instead commit our city to doing what we've done for decades until just the last few years, where our water savings was matching and offsetting our population growth, we're at a critical juncture now where we know the reliability of our water supply is not there. It's a fraction of what we thought it was just a few years ago. And yet here you are just like again, sleepwalking, as if we're going to keep pumping more and more water, keep generating more and more sewage. And so we have to keep expanding these giant facilities at enormous cost to ratepayers. And then you're going to turn around and say, we have no money to implement our climate equity plan. We have no money to protect our environment . Y'all gotta wake up. Erp. This [10:37:05 AM] . Y'all gotta wake up. Erp. This is insane. You need to put this on postponed and you need to tell the staff, come back and let's figure out how much farther we can push this out until we really need an expanded wastewater treatment plant. And in the interim, we're going to do do everything we possibly can and spend this money reducing our wastewater consumption. I mean, our water consumption, and in turn, reducing how much sewage is generated and has to be treated. This is on consent. Seriously, with this skeletal information, some of y'all are new. You know, I understand. Oh, this got started earlier and I'm just here to roll everything and keep rolling it along. That's not your job. That's not what you're elected for. And my guess is if you take that approach, [10:38:06 AM] is if you take that approach, you might not be reelected. Okay, I'm going to move on. And this is a common theme on another matter later that I'll get to, so that just jumped over several of my items. Item 80. Okay. This is the one that you were actually enjoined by the district court from implementing based on our open meetings act and charter violation lawsuit, you have it properly posted here. You're giving people time. And so it's a entirely appropriate that this is back on the agenda that you're handling it the way, the court ruling requires, but this is spending 3 billion. Excuse me [10:39:07 AM] is spending 3 billion. Excuse me , $3 million to study expanding the delivery of, the treatment and management of water. And I believe sewage as well. It's a southwest pressure zone. So that's probably water. Again, the backup is very sketchy, but this is in the Barton springs watershed. The recharge zone. This pressure zone covers the recharge zone for Barton springs and the immediate, westerly, contributing zone that also. And again, it has baked into this assumption that we're going to build another small city out over the aquifer that's in direct violation of the imagine Austin comprehensive plan. And and so that's as a whole, water quality and saving the life source of this city, Barton [10:40:07 AM] source of this city, Barton springs. But it's of the same piece as the previous items. Where yours again, your sleepwalking through this idea that we have to keep expanding and delivering water and sewer service when we don't have that increased water to deliver in the future, and especially in the Barton springs zone, the mandate to staff needs to be okay. Yes, we're going to redevelop. There's going to be more intensive development like at Brodie oaks that y'all approved, but that new development has to figure out. And we as a community have to figure out how to serve it without spending hundreds of millions of dollars, because this is just a study, but it's in contemplation of hundreds of millions of dollars of big building, bigger pipes, bigger pump stations, bigger treatment plants to serve development in the exact place that we our [10:41:12 AM] the exact place that we our comprehensive plan says we don't want it. Please vote no on that and at least pull it off the consent item and postpone it. And get better information. Item 85. We support that. Buying some preserve land in the Barton creek watershed Ed before it's developed, thank you for having this on the agenda. Thank you for moving forward with it, it is a lot of money. So maybe y'all have questions about it. I would hope that you would, on balance, it's a fantastic and important move. Almost never do you regret preserving critical watershed lands, especially not on Barton creek. I'm especially on Barton creek. Item 116. This again is in that same mode. It's a resolution and the posting is, you know, directing the city manager to study options related to removing wastewater [10:42:13 AM] to removing wastewater infrastructure from within Barton creek, restore pipe capacity and to return with an update and recommendation. That posting is misleading. If you actually read the resolution, it's not, restoring the pipes. It's again, it's the push is to expand the capacity, be in the sewer line that runs up the greenbelt in the Barton creek floodplain. If this were amended, we'd be excited about it. If it was amended to say, let's make sure this pipe is not leaking because there's this pretense in there that this is about cleaning up the creek. That's not what it's about. This is about putting in a bigger pipe to serve more development. Some of it outside our city. It's very clear to increase development. And rollingwood and [10:43:14 AM] development. And rollingwood and Westlake, where we have no authority to impose an sos ordinance. So this is about polluting Barton creek, about polluting Barton springs, and about spending this first 3 million in contemplation of spending hundreds of millions more to deliver water. We don't have to treat sewage that we don't have the water to create, the sewage to treat and again, enormous sums of money that has to be redirected towards water efficiency and reuse, that resolution needs amending or it needs to be voted down. I think that is all of my items on the consent agenda. Let me see here. I just want to double check. 171 was pulled off consent, [10:44:25 AM] 171 was pulled off consent, right? Yes, I got that right. Okay yes. Thank you for your consideration. >> Zenobia Joseph chase, Wright. Carlos Leon, Andy Brower. If your name has been called, please come down and then I'll announce your items. >> Please come forward if your name has been called. >> Council. >> Are you chase, right? Yes, I am, item 32, three minutes, three minutes. >> Can someone after this show me how to get long time? Like 36 minutes like them. But anyway, thank you. Council, my name is chase Wright. I'm the executive director of the hungry hill foundation. We are African American led nonprofit whose mission is to help unhoused individuals reenter into society. And I'm sorry, I'm a little short winded today, so just bear with me. So I had a few little points here, hungry hill is really excited to announce that we will be expanding with our workforce to help the unhoused, we went from [10:45:26 AM] help the unhoused, we went from 120 individuals living in our local parks down all the way to five individuals. So that's a highlight of our moment. All of these individuals have received housing since then, navigating city barriers, I must just got three minutes here. So navigating series city barriers up to this point has been very difficult, I've been an executive director for the last two and a half years. And I must say, this is the best I've seen it done, our ecosystem is really showing its power points, and it all starts with our city officials. So I'm not going to be the one here yelling at you guys today. You can relax, but I want to thank you personally, then you don't know how it works . >> Well, I want to thank you guys personally and moving forward, to our city manager, we are 8% African Americans here in the city, moving forward, we see what you did in Dallas, and we appreciate that work, and we hope it translates down here to Austin as well, we would like to see our city thrive. We would like to see our unhoused members get the resources that they need. But furthermore, any individual that's considered under- resourced, like most people were in east Austin when I grew up, at that rate, we know [10:46:27 AM] I grew up, at that rate, we know it's not a one person job. So don't don't let nobody come up here. And yell at you specifically because you just got here. And seeds have already been planted. We want to work alongside you. We want to be alignment with you. And I can speak for me and other African American nonprofits that are out here, you're one of the first brothers I've seen up there, period. Since I've been here. And I've been here my whole life, so at that rate, we want to say thank you, until to our partners, our collaborative partners. We want to thank the, parks department for giving our opportunity to our unhoused workers so that they can transition back into, through society, through work opportunities. We want to thank our partners out at tooth. We want to thank our partners with, any any of our collaboratives that have been, boots on the ground with us here while we've been fighting this crisis here in our city, of unhoused individuals, we want to say thank you, with that, I would like to also dip into the fact that we are facing an opiate crisis right now in our unhoused community. We want to make sure that our resource officers continue to have the resources that they need so we can be on top of this, violence in our city, gun, gun violence in our [10:47:29 AM] city, gun, gun violence in our city. It's on a spark right now. I want to ask that our partners step in and we all put our heads together to try to figure out how we can keep this down and decrease how we can have boots on the ground effort and bring those individuals opportunity and resources so that they're not out there seeking negative opportunities, if any individual would like to collaborate with the hungry hill, y'all can find us. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your work. >> Zenobia Joseph Carlos Leon, are you Andy Brower? No, I'm Denise. I'm sorry, what's your name, I haven't called your name yet, but I came here with my kids, like. >> Well, ma'am, we'll get somebody to visit with you about that. No, ma'am, but that's not the way. Because you haven't signed up to speak or your name. Your name hasn't been called, and we go in and order. Well, that's that's fine, but your name hadn't been called, and we're going to follow the rules. You don't can't just come up 36 minutes. >> Can I say a minute or two? >> No, ma'am. That's not the way the. Well, I'll explain it to [10:48:29 AM] the. Well, I'll explain it to you some other time. >> I can't speak because your name hasn't been called and we follow rules. >> Well, then we'll get somebody to try to help you with that right now. Well I'm sorry, ma'am, but that we're going to follow. We're I hear you, and we'll get somebody to talk to you right now. Ma'am, you need you need to leave. >> Carlos. Leon. Item 77. Next up, Andy Brower, Darcy Frazier and Jacob Emerson. >> So, Carlos Leon, first and foremost, gracias a dios for letting me speak against item 77. Deny Austin public library this special furniture funding because APL cannot be trusted to lawfully use it as designed, evidenced by director Roosevelt [10:49:29 AM] evidenced by director Roosevelt weeks in his library and security staff blatantly violating their library use rules and your rules for public use of city properties in multiple branches to abuse their official capacities to unconstitutionally ban me permanently from all APL property, to unlawfully punish me for lawfully truth telling about the stolen 2020 rigged election. President trump truly won. Counting each and every legal, legitimate vote one time only, with equal weighting. Only though I just handed you details. Know now, APD officer Odin told me ap staff had housing at tarrytown, admitted I did nothing wrong. May 13th morning what they called APL securing me and APD to come out without warning to issue me a criminal trespass notification. Permon banning me from all APL properties. Odin said APL staff claimed to feel unsafe around me, and APL security said the [10:50:32 AM] me, and APL security said the CTN was issued because of the may 9th inside at quarry by far west. Then in their head, librarian miss brown took issue with me loudly and proudly. Truth telling 2020 massive election fraud outside of the closed library, 40ft away from the entrance off property. When I subsequently tried to silently enter the library when it opened, she denied me library use for the day without just cause. I promised to hold her accountable. My civil right and civic duty. She took it as a threat, though I was not doing or threatening any physical violence against her or anyone else or the property, and I was not preventing impairing or interrupting library use. So she told security guy Hans Deaton she felt threatened, who then told his boss, I had threatened her. An egregious escalation lie to justify the CTN to deny me [10:51:32 AM] to justify the CTN to deny me positive first amendment right to access information and ideas at the public library in person. Also, because security refused to hand me the written CTN, I cannot request a city hearing to overturn it. Violating public use rules for libraries and city properties affecting us all. Apple's first amendment free speech and fifth amendment due process violations are brazen attacks against, on our principle pillars supporting our constitutional republic, pillage my liberties now. Plunder yours. Next, revoke the CTN and vote no on item 77. >> Amen. >> Thank you. >> Item 88 Jacob Emerson Jesus Gonzalez, followed by Jason Haskins. Items 115 and 126. If your name has been called, [10:52:33 AM] your name has been called, please start making your way down. >> Please come forward. If your name has been called, will Cardwell, Marianne de Leon, are you well? >> Yes. Okay. Will Cardwell item 103 minutes. >> Good morning. Council members . My name is will Cardwell. I represent da capital, I've come just to answer any questions that you all might have regarding consent. Item 100. It's a little atypical, what we have in this case is a resolution that was passed in 1972 whereby by the city council was to convey a portion of vacated hodges street to the original owner, which was the neighbor, for whatever reason, that conveyance never occurred, now, with the property having changed hands a couple of times, if we were to proceed with that resolution as written, the vacated portion of the street [10:53:34 AM] vacated portion of the street would end up with a party who no longer has any interest in the area. So after speaking with staff, the solution that we propose is a simple amendment to the original ordinance that rather than conveying it to the named original property owner, the Mary Lee foundation, we simply add and or successors and assigns meaning that the successors of the Mary Lee foundation could receive the conveyance. And, that was probably the simplest way to achieve the legal reality that the city council in the 1970s was hoping to achieve. So to the extent you'll have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. >> Thank you, Mr. Cardwell. Does anybody have any questions? We appreciate you being here. Thank you. Please come forward. Just state your name for the record, please. >> My name is Marianne de Leon. I'm the CEO of the Texas book festival. I'm here to speak in support of item number 105, I'm here on behalf of our [10:54:35 AM] here on behalf of our stakeholder, board chair onorable Gigi Edwards Bryant and other stakeholders, Tara Lowry, Eckhardt and Susanna abbey, who are here with me, I want to thank you so much for the opportunity to speak about why Texas book festival should benefit from the city's generous waiver program for the 2023 festival, which took place last November. And more importantly, why Texas book festival should become a city of Austin, co-sponsored event, I wanted to start by thanking council members, Fuentes qadri, Ryan and Allison alter, council member vela, and mayor pro tem Leslie pool for sponsoring the resolution and to some of the other office offices for communicating your support of the support of the measure to us directly, my colleague Darlene Azeem and I have had a really great time getting to know you all and your offices and have been, really, welcomed by city hall, the Texas book festival, [10:55:35 AM] hall, the Texas book festival, much like our parent city, is a celebration of diversity, culture and community. Since its inception, the festival has been dedicated to uplifting the voices of all communities, with a focus on communities of color. This commitment aligns perfectly with the city of Austin's values of equity and inclusion. The festival creates a unique space where authors and readers from diverse backgrounds can come together and share their stories and art and ideas, this free gathering of nearly 50,000 people in and around the Texas state capitol not only celebrates the joy of reading, but also fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of our rich, multicultural tapestry by highlighting authors of color and their work, the festival ensures that voices that have been historically marginalized are celebrated. Moreover, the book festival actively works to create an equitable environment for all participants, initiating such programs as reading rock stars to bring authors into aid. Title one schools. On the Friday [10:56:38 AM] Title one schools. On the Friday before the Texas book festival, we're providing children from underserved communities with access to books and inspiring, and an inspiring experience, by allowing them to meet the authors in person. This program, among others, demonstrates the festival's commitment to literacy and education for all. Reflecting the city's own goals of community enrichment and development. By becoming a co-sponsored event, the Texas book festival will gain the recognition and support needed to expand its reach and impact even further, allowing, the organization to save philanthropic dollars along the way, this partnership will not only enhance the festival's ability to serve the community, but also solidify Austin's reputation as a city that champions literature, culture, and diverse voices, thank you all so much. >> Appreciate you being here. All you do. Thank you. >> We have several speakers for item 106, but that has been [10:57:38 AM] item 106, but that has been moved to a time certain of 1 P.M, so I'm moving on to the next item for 115 and 116. Felicity Maxwell, followed by nook turner. Felicity has signed up for 115 and 116 for a total of six minutes. >> I'm actually signed up in a few other items as well. Yes, they've been pulled. Oh, may I speak to all of them now? >> We will call. Oh, you want to speak to all of them now? >> May I, mayor? >> That's okay. Right? >> Yes. We try to do it when we pool two minutes. >> You can tell me we don't get to do that. >> So, go ahead and do that. But what what items do you wish to be heard on. That's fine. I'll just do 116 and 115. That's fine. Thank you, good morning, felicity Maxwell, district five resident or board member? I'm here to speak in support of item 115, we are delighted to see these follow up items, particularly the efforts to ensure home one and home two to low and middle income homeowners. Thank you to council [10:58:39 AM] homeowners. Thank you to council member Velasquez for bringing this item forward and working closely with other council offices city staff to ensure the best version of this resolution. We're eager to see these educational finance programs be initiated and look forward to working supporting this work in the community, regarding item 116, we are in full support of the item and eager to hear the findings of staff regarding the best way to improve our water quality and allow much needed redevelopment of our outdated 1980s lots in west Austin. Thank you, thank you. >> Nick turner, Francis Acuna, Anita and edina Sanchez. Pedro Sanchez. >> All right. Good morning, council. I'm always excited to have, Nick turner one 103 minutes. >> Okay, once again, I was like, I was about to say, I'm always excited when I have the opportunity to speak to you [10:59:40 AM] opportunity to speak to you guys, this is brief today, we put on jump on a week, jump on it is an ongoing community program that we've been doing since 1997, and so we have jump on it week coming up. And one of our events are at it's at Walter E long park, and we were approved by the park, last year to extend the curfew to 11, but we found out about a month ago, a little bit over a month, that it now goes to the music office, and we had to get the sound, extended for that. So I hope that everyone, votes in favor of us getting the extension for what we're doing for our community programing on that. And also, we have some programing during jump on the week, that's going to take place on Monday. It's going to take place on Monday, where we'll be discussing, the black embassy and for those that are not familiar with the black embassy, it was part of a resolution that passed through council, in 2021. We're still working and moving [11:00:41 AM] We're still working and moving forward on that. So I'm glad I get a chance to finally see you. Mayor. I've been calling and texting you. I finally got a call back last week, but definitely I would love to have you there, so we could update the community on what we're doing and moving forward with the black embassy. And to our new city manager. Thank you for accepting the invite for being there on Monday at Houston tillerson. We'll be having community panels. We'll be talking about, what we see as a community and what we want to do is rebuilding the community. And most importantly, speaking on the update of the black embassy and making sure that we follow the directives that was in the resolution that passed unanimously, in 2021. So thank you all for the time. And if anyone wanted to check out jump on it is jump on adweek.com, we run June second through June 9th. We do have some sponsorship from the city of Austin by way of the thrive grant and other city departments. We do programing for youth, adults, community and, it's black culture 360 and we're working on building a situation to where we have a destination location in [11:01:43 AM] have a destination location in Austin that bring blacks back to the city. And we still have some culture here and let people know that we're not just gone and we're a relic and we're of the past. We're fighting to rebuild that in the city. So if anyone want any information on that, it's jump on a week.com and you also can find out, information about the resolution and about what we're doing with the black embassy at black Austin coalition. Com but we're available to speak and hopefully I'll see you there, on Monday. Mayor. If not, we can correspond and move forward on what we're doing with that initiative. But thank you all for your time. Y'all have a great day. Thank you. >> My name is Enedina Sanchez. Y les quiero por el articulo siento para un plan O programa financiero para asegurarse de inundation para ayudar a NUESTRA comunidad. En Caso de Una inundacion también podria ayudar [11:02:44 AM] inundacion también podria ayudar para recursos de la ciudad Y poder Y poder recuperados. Cuando estamos afectados por un desastre natural, Yo vivo en el area de la sprint es Una zona de inundation me esposo Y Yo somos jubilados el dinero no nos alcanza por los precios tan altos, la comida aumentado las cuentas de la Lucas Y los taxes es muy dificil cubrir todas las necesidades. Tenemos por favor a favor de la casulo tirz. Gracias >> My name is Nina Enedina Sanchez, and I want to ask you to vote in favor of item 113. We need a plan of financial assistance to obtain full flood insurance to help our community in case of a flood. Also to help us with city resources when they're available to recover. When we face any natural disaster because we need to recover. Also, I live in the area of dos springs and this is a flowering zone. My husband and [11:03:46 AM] a flowering zone. My husband and I are retired. Our income is very limited. It's not enough all prices have increased, food has increased, utilities, taxes, electricity. It is very difficult for us this situation. Our expenses are not enough. Please vote in favor of item 113. Now she's going to speak of item 115. >> También estoy en el articulo numero para poner policies Y poder los programas Antes casamiento Y educacion financiera. Necesitamos protections para propietarios para prevenir el desplazamiento de las families de bajo recursos Yo vivo en el area de la sprint por desde hace cuatro Anos para me Al ser Sara muy dificil. Pues Al no Tener cerca los servicios mas necesarios como clinicas tiendas de comida Y otras cosas, mas nos afecta en el futuro. [11:04:48 AM] mas nos afecta en el futuro. Necesitamos Una proteccion para construir nuestros hogares por Esta razones, les quiero Paige les quiero pedir por favor, boton por el articulo sin muchas gracias. >> I'm also in favor of item 115. We need to establish policies to increase the anti-displacement programs and financial education. We need protection for homeowners to prevent the displacement of low income families. I live in the area of those springs. For 34 years ago, for me, being displaced will be a very difficult situation. Now, not having the basic services such as clinics, food stores, convenience stores and any services that I'm used to live well for my well-being. That's why I'm asking you that this will affect us in the future, and we need protection to keep our homes. Please vote for item in favor 115. Thank you very much. >> Francis Acuna for 113 and 115 [11:05:52 AM] >> Francis Acuna for 113 and 115 and has time donated by Pedro Sanchez. Are you here? Pedro. Pedro, can you raise your. Thank you, for a total of nine minutes. Good morning, my name is Francis Acuna, and I want to thank the council, council member Fuentes and, all the council members that are in support of item 113 and also at 115. These two items mean a lot to me. I've been working on flooding for many years, and I have always heard pushback and pointing fingers from city to state, from state to city, and everybody pointing at each other because nobody wants to take a responsibility. I, I'm also grateful because because I have been advocating for and residents have been, training [11:06:53 AM] residents have been, training and how to anticipate, prepare and respond to disasters and also on how to train the neighborhoods which they live in , yes. This is a great policy, a great resolution, but there is a, you know, we're going in the right the right direction, the towards the safety of your constituents in the areas that are more impacted by flooding. Now that you will pass this resolution, because I know you're going to pass it. The next step is to advocate for funding for a bigger preparedness that where the city is connected to communities through the black captains, program, so that we are able to so that they are able to, be stipend for the work that they're doing in their communities. And by the way, the black captain is, where [11:07:55 AM] black captain is, where residents are being trained so they could be able to pass information on during a disaster. And, the city is able to connect with the residents and the residents with the city. So there could be a better, faster response in case of a disaster. And we are training those residents to do just that. So I'm asking that, for the budget, remember that, partnering with with it's also necessary to partner with other organizations and to Austin public health, in order. For. In order to address the trauma and the mental health issues caused by the, climate disasters, all of that is very necessary because, as you know, we have been through so many, floods and winter storms and all of this, climate related, traumas that [11:08:57 AM] climate related, traumas that are not being addressed. And, I mean, nobody has telling me, but I know for a fact that after the, storm, you know, a rain or a severe, thunder lightning, residents have been with strokes, with heart attacks, with, panic attacks and all of that is very real because that is what we go through. I know for a fact that I myself stand in front of a pond so I could be able to make sure that residents that the water doesn't overflow the pond and the water doesn't go into neighborhoods, into the residents homes, that is very dear to me because, you know, I have been the degraded, I have been neglected by the capital, by congress, by senate. I have [11:09:58 AM] by congress, by senate. I have been, I have I don't know, I've been feeling like I'm nothing. Whenever I go and try to speak and behalf of residents. So this item, 113 is, is to me is, is, you know, it touches my heart. When I was reading it, I was crying because I have been fighting for our residents to be able to afford their flood insurance for residents to be able to recover from a disaster, I'm also in favor of 115 and since you already passed home initiative one and two. I ask that you put something in place so residents could be protected from displacement, but, I know, I was reading in Google, about development agreements where you [11:10:58 AM] development agreements where you can put something in place to protect yourselves as a city residents, for displacement. And also the, the, the developers or, you know, from doing the wrong things and the injustice things. So read about it and pay attention to the impact that is the residents are going through. I know myself because I was displaced. I know the trauma that it takes from leaving my home, my forever home, and going into an area that I have no idea what it, I have no idea what that took me. So, like Enedina was saying, you know, finding a place for a doctor. I still don't know if there's a doctor in my neighborhood. I still don't know. I mean, I do 36, 37 minutes to the nearest emergency room, I called there 311 and [11:11:59 AM] room, I called there 311 and they said, Google, if there's a, for the clinic closest to you. So Google has been my friend. So in order for residents to be displaced, you could say with a little bit of pride, I, I ask that you put things in place that at least residents know where they're going, and know the process of displacement, because it is traumatizing when, the realtors are taking advantage of you. It is very hard when you don't know where you're going. And how you're going to get there. So, please read on on developments agreements and please do the right thing. You have the chance to be champions of, you know, protecting the residents that [11:12:59 AM] protecting the residents that are still here. I panicked when the first home came. So I started looking for a home because I didn't know what I was going to go through with your decisions. I myself, being an advocate. But I took time of thinking, what if I don't have a place to go close to Austin so I could keep a job? I'm a single mother, so as a single mother, I believe I, you know, I, I didn't know where to go in order for, for me to get some kind of, advice on what to do. So, it's hard when you as an advocate, are getting your residents is telling me, why did I give up? Why did I stop fighting to stay at my house? You know how that [11:13:59 AM] at my house? You know how that feels. That feels awful. Because I felt like I let them down as a leader. And I can't imagine how you guys feel. If you feel it. Because I know I felt it when my residents told me that I was letting them down. Why did I stop fighting for my home? Because I lived ten minutes from here and now I live 30 40 minutes from here. One hour. Whenever I come in the morning, it's one hour traffic. So am I grateful that I moved? I'm grateful because I don't have to deal with this, but I do have to deal with it because I have residents that I have to make sure that I support and that I love, and I still love Austin, and I just don't like the policies that are put in place without protection. Burns I [11:14:59 AM] without protection. Burns I believe you can do a lot better just by listening a little bit to what we go through. You can do a lot better than what you're doing. Thank you. Myrna Rodriguez, item 113 and 115, followed by Cindy read, alexia Leclerc, Chris Paige. >> If your name has been called, please come forward. Mr. Kinney, I see you sitting out there and your name was called in the first batch of people. You might want to make your way forward. If your name has been called, please come forward. >> Let me repeat those again really quick. Mayor Myrna Rodriguez, Cindy read, alexia Leclerc, Chris Paige. Okay Julian Reyes for item 113 115 [11:16:07 AM] Julian Reyes for item 113 115 116 for a total of nine minutes. Okay Daniela silva. David Chen. Valerie Menard. Mary kale. David correggese. Alice woods. Soul. Praxis sir, please come on down. If your name has been called. And just state your name into the mic. >> Thank you, mayor and council, this is. I'm Gerard Kenny, architect. Long lifelong austinite, and I'm speaking to item 11 and item 170. And what I have to say actually relates to both, as many of you may know, I chair the I've been involved in [11:17:11 AM] chair the I've been involved in the Miller development since it was thought of in in my neighborhood in the early 80s and chaired the city task force that established the vision for Miller that was adopted by council, I'm in favor of the idea of extending catellus, contract to finish the job. I think there are a lot of reasons that they couldn't come up with specific epic amounts of money involved, and so it may need to be postponed to do that, but it certainly needs to be extended. And but the one of the concerns I have is that recently it was decided to cancel the contract for the repurposing of the observation tower. The public has been assured and several times publicly, that the tower would be repurposed so it could [11:18:12 AM] would be repurposed so it could become functional. And the plans are basically done for doing that. But but that's been canceled. I'm hoping the extra time will give the city the opportunity to go ahead and find a permanent user, and to fund the repurposing of the observation tower. The other reason, the other thing I'm speaking to is item 170, which has to do with the seemingly unrelated, Hancock cherrywood area plan. The relation the reason that it's related to Miller is that I know the mayor has continually has several times talked about replicating Miller. The important thing is that replicate it's not a matter of replicating a plan. It's replicating a process. And the process of Miller was that the community and the neighborhoods [11:19:14 AM] community and the neighborhoods around Miller are the ones that actually made it happen. That's what needs to happen with respect to the Hancock cherrywood area plan. Many of you may know that that plan, Hancock center and fiesta and that whole that whole area, it will become connected by the north cap of I 35. So the north cap of I 35 can be the catalyst for bringing these two sides together and developing, developing a plan that will actually be a win win win. That is the developers will can win, but the community can win as well. The additional density and housing that can result from an area plan can be better for all the users. So I urge you to support item 170 as well. Any questions you have I'll be glad to address. [11:20:15 AM] to address. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Kenny. >> Okay. >> Good morning, mayor and council. My name is Alice woods and I serve as the vice chair of the Austin housing coalition. And on behalf of that coalition, I'm speaking in favor of item 115. Today, we are a coalition of nonprofit organizations whose income restricted affordable housing developers, housing and policy experts, and other businesses and individuals that support the development of safe, affordable housing for Austin residents. The Austin housing coalition defines affordable Katy as ensuring that residents do not pay more than 30% of their income on housing and programmatically, that housing be affordable for the spectrum of individuals and families, both renters and homeowners who cannot afford market rate housing in Austin. We enthusiastically support the resolution under consideration in any programs or opportunities to make the diversity of housing options that will soon be available through the home initiative easily and [11:21:15 AM] initiative easily and proactively available to low and moderate income homeowners, helping them take advantage of the program and helping to address and prevent displacement. We also want to stress the need for investment and budget allocation toward these programs. In addition to these policy changes, thank you all very much for your continued work on this important issue. Thank you. >> Good morning. >> Good morning sir. >> What Alice said. >> Oh, good testimony. >> Yes, sir. That's the day I think, my name is David courageous. I'm here to talk about item 115 and support the home initiative. I am with university federal credit union, where I serve as the corporate counsel and director of compliance and legal, but don't hold that against me, please. We have heard the call, and we want to help, and I'm speaking for not only ufcu, but financial [11:22:17 AM] not only ufcu, but financial institutions, credit unions in general. For those of y'all that don't know, credit unions are not for profit institutions. We provide credit to those who cannot otherwise obtain it. This item specifically is why we are here, not just here today, but in existence. Why we were created in 1936. We want to empower our neighbors to achieve financial success and brighter futures that is what we do every day. Every credit union in Austin and throughout the country. We are committed to helping austinites create generational wealth through home ownership and more importantly, ownership retention. Some of you may know, but I'm a fifth generation austinite. I currently live in district eight, but my entire family is from district three. I have no relatives that live there any longer, my grandparents being the last because they can no longer afford to live in east Austin. That needs to change. We have the opportunity to do that [11:23:18 AM] have the opportunity to do that and we want to help, and we want to keep austinites in their homes and help them take advantage of the opportunities created with the home initiative, not only for them today, but their families in the future. We want to leverage our roots in higher education to help create financial education resources. We have great partnerships with the universities all across central Texas, and we can provide those and leverage those partnerships to help the city of Austin as a university should already be doing. But we're going to make sure that we do everything we can to help. We also want to provide affordable and responsible financing, because it is absolutely key to protecting our neighbors from rising costs and being able to enjoy the better economy that we are currently enjoying. Really. I'm here today to thank you, thank you for being biased toward action. Thank you for [11:24:20 AM] toward action. Thank you for taking proactive steps to solve the affordability problem today and into the future. Have a great day. >> Thank you very much. >> Good morning, mayor and council. My name is Daniela silva. I am with workers defense and I'm here to speak in support of item 114. I would like to thank all of you for bringing this item forth and want to take this opportunity just to give a little bit of education for folks in the room who aren't familiar with, the labor movement. But Texas remains the deadliest construction industry in the country where a worker dies every three days. 60% of Texas construction workers report not having safety training. 1 in 5 workers get seriously injured on the job, requiring medical attention. Yet only 40% of workers report that they have worker's compensation. Texas workers frequently labor in deadly heat without access to rest breaks and drinking water, [11:25:21 AM] rest breaks and drinking water, putting them at a greater risk for accidents. 41% of workers report they don't receive rest breaks. Everything about our great city today is thanks to laborers, our iconic skyline, the strong economy, the roads, bridges, sidewalks and public transit lines that connect us all. They are only made possible by the hard working people in building trades. These folks deserve safe, dignified jobs that pay them enough not only to live but thrive in the city that they are building better builder protections encompass safety training, a living wage, rest breaks, compliance monitoring, among other things to make sure that we are not sacrificing Singh the lives and livelihoods of hard working Texans for the luxuries that we benefit from all throughout Austin. Without these protections, workers are forced to work in extreme temperatures with no breaks. Their wages are often stolen. They experience workplace injuries at much higher rates, and are often left without little to no ways to hold their [11:26:22 AM] little to no ways to hold their employer accountable after the harm has been caused, following better builder standards also encourages projects to hire local apprentices, folks from local apprenticeship programs and at the pace that our city is growing, it's imperative that large construction projects play a role in encouraging and developing a highly skilled local workforce. So again, I thank you all for putting this on the agenda today. Thanks. Thank you. >> Hello, my name is Mary Cale and I serve on the board of preservation Austin, and I chair its advocacy committee. Pa exists to empower austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient and meaningful community culture through preservation. We're here today in support of council member Velasquez's resolution to ensure the home initiative is accessible to low and moderate income homeowners. As the only citywide nonprofit dedicated to [11:27:23 AM] citywide nonprofit dedicated to preservation, we are fundamentally committed to preserving communities, and we've heard much today about people who have not been able to stay in their communities. We also recognize that council must include clearly defined resources, timelines and accountability measures for these measures to succeed. As displacement continues to impact historic communities of color, particularly in east Austin, council must act urgently to stem these historic and ongoing harms. We ask council to adopt the following recommendations to ensure the resolution success. Direct the city manager and welcome to our city to develop a detailed implementation plan, including specific actions, responsible parties and expected outcomes. Allocate a specific budget to implement all aspects of the expand home program. Implement clear progress indicators for all initiatives under the resolution, the city manager must report the initial findings and ongoing process to [11:28:23 AM] findings and ongoing process to the city council. Build public consultation sessions into this process to gather feedback on the resolutions, implementation and refine the approach based on community input. We strongly recommend that council also look at strengthening programs focused on older and historic housing, such as existing home repair programs and community land trusts. In 2023, pasa co- sponsored a uli tap report with the city's anti displacement office that outlines recommended policies, tools, and programs for preserving, preserving historic age, housing, maintaining affordability, and stemming displacement. We hope that council and city staff will look to this report as a resource for additional solutions to mitigate the displacement of Austin's historic community. Thank you so much for your time and service. >> Thank you. >> Julian Reyes. Items 113, 115 and 116 for a total of nine [11:29:26 AM] and 116 for a total of nine minutes. >> All right, so, I, I'm neutral on item 113, and I'm for 115 and I'm, against 116. And so let me give you my outline. I did have a video that I wanted to present, but we couldn't get it up in time, so I'm going to be speaking instead. I don't have anything prepared, as far as, the environment and development, that's why we have the flooding we have. We know that the city of Austin had a secret agreement with lake Austin, wealthy residents to keep them from flooding, and that's what flooded onion creek and the rest of Austin, which the city at the time, which was under a different city council. But you guys are still responsible, did eminent domain on multiple people's homes because they were flooded to protect the rich? What we have is a problem, with flooding and development and stopping development will is the answer to that rather than [11:30:26 AM] answer to that rather than looking at flooding, save mystery creek and free palestine. On item 115, we have a video. No, no video is available for me today, but I'll bring it in the afternoon. Another, non consent agendas, when we talk about, land development and making a housing available for middle income and affordable, those are the wrong people. We actually have people on the street. I see multiple people, I see a pow flag. I see army, air force Marines that aerospace, everything on the wall. And we'd say that we support veterans for memorial day. But memorial in memoriam. You all have destroyed people's lives and murdered people on the streets that are veterans, using your police and the illicit sweeps of people's emergency items, including before this last storm, my friends have personally died. I just talked to one of my friends that lives downtown. He's been on downtown for years and he has no legs. I would ask city council his his [11:31:26 AM] would ask city council his his legs just got removed from the last freeze. His legs froze off. They cut his legs off at. I forget which hospital it was. He said it was a nice hospital and there was maggots in his legs. And they said, that's the only thing that saved his life, because those maggots were actually performing medicine on dead, dead tissues. This is what you guys are, how you're supporting the veterans. You have flags, but no actual caring. And I've been talking to the city council about this for years. The illicit sweeps of people's stuff. It's a violation of the fourth amendment, 14th amendment, the eighth amendment, and it's in several current and past case laws, federal case laws. You guys need to get with the program. Stop displacing my family. Leave them alone. The other thing is, when we talk about rapid rehousing and things like that, it's a lie. There are people that's a shelter. What you guys are doing is like, you guys don't have any lived experience. You don't, you don't. You talk to people who have sold out to you. You've got agents working within our communities messing up my groups and other groups. What happens is people are knocked out there [11:32:26 AM] is people are knocked out there was a guy, that man that was knocked out by the security staff at south bridge. They knocked him out because he has schizophrenia and they triggered him out over his mask in the lobby. They dragged him the security dragged him out by their feet, by his feet, and APD arrested him with no medical. This is what y'all are doing. Tell me this is helping people. You guys. Austin's supposed to have a big heart, but I'm not seeing it. I haven't been seeing it, the kinds of things you guys ignore are felonies. They're felonious. And you guys basically have become the enemy of the people because you refuse to listen to people like me. Instead you put people like me in jail repeatedly for speaking the truth. If the truth is so controversial up here, and if we only get two minutes to speak, how can you justify taking that paycheck in good faith and call yourself a good person? How can you smile without being a sociopath or a psychopath? I worry about you guys. I really do worry about chito know, I really worry about you guys. You guys are sold out. It's obvious at least. Natasha harper-madison was honest enough to tell us [11:33:27 AM] was honest enough to tell us that the developers basically paid y'all, and that y'all are doing what the developers want, so I know you're going to vote on however you want. You're not really listening to us, like Natasha said, and I'm cool with that too, Mckenzie Kelly, the blood is on your hands too. You push this agenda in prop prop B, you prop a whatever the heck it is. Y'all have so many propositions against the poor and in the name of housing, people would say save Austin, knell said. They're doing. They're actually calling. They're suing the city for not killing enough of us on the street. You're literally killing us. There's another apartment complex on north Lamar, so there's an abandoned property called they call a band. And so it's been abandoned for years. People were living in there, the city. I talked to city people. They said, good. I hope they all go to jail. I've got it on live stream. Your city employees are out there a veteran saying, I hope the veterans go to jail, too, I'm stuff that they're not responsible for. They're being blamed for every bad thing that happens. And if something if someone goes and does something, should we blame y'all? Like, that's not fair. If there's an [11:34:28 AM] that's not fair. If there's an individual breaking a law, that's one thing. But don't criminalize and demonize all of us as a boogeyman, because the poor are not keeping poor PEOP and rich white people down in the city, the rich and you are keeping white people down in this city. It's the it's not the poor. So you've kind of it's that code switching and that, that blaming the victim type thing that y'all are doing. And that hate speech has led to hate crimes. When y'all when y'all sit there and let people like at that last meeting at the at the woodlawn Baptist church where people were saying, let people die of overdose, don't give them narcan. They were just calling for death. It was a bunch of white, middle class people that y'all want to help with. Different initiatives while the lower class, you're underestimating the underdog and it's just rabid. The rabid hate that y'all that y'all have allowed and the media has allowed. Frankly KXAN and others, Fox News and others that they and even the chronicle is and hit pieces against the homeless and put out hate speech. No wonder they're burning our tents down. No wonder they're doing drive by shootings. No wonder your residents are falling in line [11:35:28 AM] residents are falling in line with what y'all say. So y'all are supposed to be leading us and not being silent. You've been silent too long on this issue. I suggest that y'all avoid any more harm to veterans, women, people of color, marginalized community, trans gay community that are on the streets, I suggest, and people that have medical needs. An addiction is a medical need, a mental health is a mental mental health need. It's not an illness. You don't have to demonize this. You don't have to talk about how we have voices in our heads or whatever. Not everybody's like that. There's some people, but not everybody. And though some people like, for instance, there's an elder black woman that sits there very quietly. She's very sweet. She won't take money. She doesn't do drugs, she doesn't do alcohol. She does nothing but sit across the street from the arch and there's no place for her. She's been sitting there for years in the in the snow, in the heat, all the time. She's whatever her mental issues are or her boundaries. She doesn't. She she won't even take a bottle of water from me. I just talk and [11:36:31 AM] water from me. I just talk and say hi. And as I pass her by. But the city is responsible for her. And there's so many people like her that the city is demonized and said she's on drugs, she's doing crimes. She's she's an alcoholic. She has voices in her head. You know what I want to know? When the last time all y'all had a drug test and a medical check. Because y'all are mental. Anyways, I'll see you this afternoon. Y'all know how to get ahold of me. Good morning, mayor and council. My name is David Kincannon, and I serve as the policy director for workers defense. We are a member led organization that organizes along alongside immigrant workers to build power, demand, respect and justice and dignity for our communities. I'm here to speak on behalf of our members on in support of item 114, and I want to thank the co-sponsors for working with us to bring this item forward, in particular, [11:37:32 AM] item forward, in particular, council member Fuentes's office and her staff, who we worked with, to build this resolution and this resolution is simply meant to reaffirm a and strengthen a commitment that the city council and the city of Austin have already made, including through a council resolution, that is referenced in this text from 2019. And that commitment is to ensure that there are real worker protections in the form of the better builder program on any and all third party development agreements that the city enters into. So the program includes a set of common sense and life saving worker protections, that have been embraced by our community as the baseline baseline standards needed for construction workers in our area . And it's been included in the joint powers agreement of project connect, in major investments at occ, at aid in Travis county and at the city of Austin. It's been included in planned unit developments and [11:38:34 AM] planned unit developments and expedited review projects, and even the q-2. Stadium where Austin fc plays was built under the better builder program, so we were here at the last meeting, at a previous meeting, discussing the infrastructure academy and we were really grateful that y'all were bringing that forward. We had a chance to meet with several of you, including, folks from mayor Watson's office and with, council member Jose Velasquez. And we had some really great conversations, very encouraging. You committed to working with us, on ensuring that when folks participate and complete training from that infrastructure academy, that they're actually good jobs to move into, this is an opportunity for the city to lead by example, to help create good jobs and to support those workers that are building our homes, our offices, our city, our critical infrastructure in a very real way. So thank you all for bringing this item forward. I hope, you know, you all support it, and we look forward to continuing to work with you, [11:39:36 AM] to continuing to work with you, especially on ensuring that this policy is implemented in a timely and an appropriate way and that that it includes that key component of better builder, which is the independent third party monitoring to make sure that the commitments that are actually made, are truly met and that workers have the protections that they deserve. Thank you very much. >> Hola. >> My name is Su nombre Myrna Rodriguez. Yes okay. Hola. MI nombre es Myrna Rodriguez. Y soy activista de la ciudad de Austin. Hoy quiero Ralls Q voting a favor del articulo tirz para un plan de programa [11:40:37 AM] para un plan de programa financiero para seguranca de inundation para ayudar a NUESTRA comunidad. En Caso de Una inundacion también podria ayudar para los recursos de la ciudad Y poder recuperar. Cuando estamos afectados por un desastre natural. >> Good morning. My name is Myrna Rodriguez. I'm an activist in the city of Austin. I want to ask you to vote in favor for item a, 113 for a plan on the financial program to assist with flood insurance, to help our community in case of a flood. Also, I need to ask that you help us with resources from the city so we can recover when we are affected by a natural disaster. >> Quiero hablar de la el por qué es porque visto muchas Gentes de me comunidad inundata me Toca en un Creekmur muchas personas de la tercera edad Y creo Conway esto ayuda a mucho. >> And also because I have seen [11:41:38 AM] >> And also because I have seen many people in my community affected by floods, especially in onion creek, senior citizens affected by this. And I have seen this in real in, in person. >> También quiero estoy a favor de la articulo Singh para poner polizas para poder ampliar los programas anti-displacement educacion financiera. Necesitamos protections para el proprietario para para prevenir el desplazamiento de las families de los recursos. >> And I'm also in favor of item 115 because we need programs and policies in place to increase the programs of anti-displacement for families with low income, and also protection for homeowners and financial education. >> Quiero decir un poco de la historia. Yo vivo viviendo spring soy madre de Cinco hijos Y para me fue muy duro estuve en [11:42:40 AM] Y para me fue muy duro estuve en situaciones muy dificil Y me fue muy dificil dejar Austin no podia comprar Una propiedad. Estoy ahora viviendo en Buda. Tengo Una Nena con necesidades especiales. Es muy dificil agarrar Ella las ayudas. De hecho me Hija no tiene ninguna ayuda depend totalmente de me tiene 26 Anos. Y es algo muy dificil para poder Tener los servicios de integral. Quiere me mucho. Me tuvieron me dieron el warranty warranty de de la casa era carney Y todavia no tiene recursos no tiene medicaid, mija. Ya sea Su ciudadana Y es muy triste. Qué estoy en bouramiya no tiene recurso Y tengo qué recurrir me tiene dementia paralisis cerebral problemas cronico de rinones Y es muy dificil. Tengo a Austin Y estuve un Ano con mis Ninos en Austin. Porque es muy dificil fue desplazados Y Aun siento Mucha tristeza mucho dolor. Y tengo probar el guaranteed para recibir un recurso para me Hija. [11:43:40 AM] recibir un recurso para me Hija. Es muy dificil para me porque tengo quedara todos los dias levantar la tiene 26 Anos. Pesa siento veinticinco libras no tienen ninguna ayuda. No medicaid, no tengo a Austin Vida es muy dificil hoy entiendo de me Caso. Pero también de las families de qué es tan Castillo. Donde se estan viendo a lugares mas Escondidos los Ninos con el madres como Yo con necesidades especiales. Personas de la tercera Y todas esas personas estan siendo desplazados me part. El Corazon decirle. Pero Yo si a veces tengo Batalla en todas las circunstancias con necesidades especiales Y a me en ningun moment, el sistema me ayudado con me Hija. Yo encargado con esa kaka Y aunque el ciudadana porque tengo mostrar el garuntee de propiedad para poder recibir por lo menos consejeria, I want to tell you part of my story. >> I used to live in dove springs and now I'm displaced. I live in Buda right now. I am the mother of five children. It's been a very difficult for me. I [11:44:41 AM] been a very difficult for me. I have to leave Austin and I have one of my children has special needs. She's 26 years old and because I live in Buda, I cannot have medicaid. I don't have assistance. Everything that she needs, it depends from me. So I cannot have anything. The services that she requires of medicaid because I don't live in Travis county and every time I need services, they ask me for a warranty from my house. And I don't have a way to show that because I live in Buda. In Buda, the accessing services is very difficult and I need to always ask access services in Austin. I have seen also people that get displaced to bastrop and other other places that are very far away, and it breaks my heart. That's a very painful situation, not just for me, for many families. And the system hasn't worked for me, and I really need that. This is fixed because I have my daughter and she's always a she only weighs 125 pounds. She's 26 years old. She has cerebral palsy, and she has like a kidney problem. So I need [11:45:42 AM] like a kidney problem. So I need like the resources for her. And I need to come back to Austin. >> I think in my mind, I already in my mind is really hard for me and broke my heart very thin. I come, I know because I acted from Austin and I come. I know many resources, but when I asked for integral care and I need assistance for my daughter, she asked me for guaranteed and everything. Every time I needed something, I need to run to Austin and what the other family, the people especially have the special need. The people, all people in the other family not have anything and I brought my highest is from my heart and I say. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> So praxis item 115 Julie woods. Selene Rendon, Carlos pinion, Bethany Carson, Fran. Tattoo fried M 115 and 116. [11:46:47 AM] Tattoo fried M 115 and 116. >> Your name has been called. If your name has been called, please let us know you're here and make your way to the front. >> Luis Austin lugo lugo Felix Felix de Puerto and Edgar Handel . >> Hey guys, I'll be quick. >> Luis. Hasta lugo district eight. I'm here in support of 115. I think it's really important to give capital access, but I think it's even more important that we don't just try to like, you know, pay lip service to providing capital access, but still make the process of subdividing a home and trying to build it up and coming on top of it, a two year process that is like a sisyphean task that absolutely no one will want to go through and will still instead just continue selling to a developer and not have control over their own lives. So let's just not not just give them money, but make it make it so easy that they can take control of that process by themselves, that we also speak into other other items. Me or [11:47:49 AM] into other other items. Me or just 115? >> It depends. >> What 115 and 116 okay, other thing is, I think we talk a lot about displacement, and we talk a lot about equity. But fundamentally, the only no matter how much money we pour into displacement, if we continue only pouring literally all the house construction pressure onto the east side, we're still going to come up with the same outcomes we've had for the last 40, 60 years of policy, things like the wastewater piping and the way that it's basically, you know, pumped through the greenbelt. It was a bill basically cut back in the, you know, the last century is that that decided that it was worth it was a worthy sacrifice to pump poop water into the greenbelt and all cause all the environmental degradation that it has. If we got the block housing in the rich neighborhoods, and I think there's like a better path forward, we can not pump poop water into the greenbelt and build housing in the rich neighborhoods. I think it's a win win there for us. And I really hope you guys pass this. And the city manager implements it in the kind of aggressive [11:48:50 AM] it in the kind of aggressive fashion that we need to so we can build housing and a lot of the high amenity neighborhoods in neighborhoods that we already have in southwest Austin, that's it. Have a nice day. >> Thank you. >> You too. >> Hi, I'm Edgar Handel. Live in district three, vice president of aura, I'm in favor of item 115, I was very much, very much resonated with me when I saw the Austin justice coalition and the Austin area urban league and labor unions, come out with a yes and response to the home initiative, which says which said that, yes, we need more housing and we need more ability to build smaller homes. But we also it's also very important to provide, things like capital assistance, education. And, as I understand it, there's proposed case management here for people who need, help using these programs so that it's not just [11:49:53 AM] programs so that it's not just accessible to the wealthy, the subdivision process, yes, as I hear, is difficult and expensive. And that's not really the way it needs to be. If we want home to be accessible to low income and middle income people, I, I grew up in a working class neighborhood to, hispanic Palestinian immigrants. And, there are people there that I know from my home community that are, low income, but they have land and they have equity, and they can't really use it that well. And I wish they don't live in Austin because I'm not from Austin, though I've lived here for a very long time at this point. But I wish that they were doing these things in my hometown, because I think it could really help people stay in their homes or people who are aging in, 5060 year old homes that are falling apart and things like that. So so, I think it's this is really important, and I hope that we follow through on this and make sure that it's a program that works for everybody, on item 116, I [11:50:55 AM] for everybody, on item 116, I also see this kind of as part of the same coin where if we do want to make things more equitable and fair across the city, then development can't just happen in certain neighborhoods. I think that moving and improving our wastewater infrastructure and keeping it out of the creeks and the greenbelts is, definitely a win for the environment, but it's also a win for the environment and for equity. If we can build more housing in places that have traditionally excluded people. And in the end, I think that's probably one of the best things that we can do to relieve the pressure on the eastern crescent and in gentrifying neighborhoods from development and people seeking to move to Austin, which is happening. And it's something that we need to address. So, instead only 115 and 116, right? Correct. I was signed up for more. Okay, well, that's all I had to say on those two items, thank you. And let's, you know, pursue these holistic housing solutions. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> 115 Craig Naser amber or Sean [11:51:59 AM] >> 115 Craig Naser amber or Sean Atkins, Stephen shay, Rebecca Leonard, Abby Gilfillan if I've said your name, please move down towards the front and then just state your name at the podium. >> Please come take the microphone and give us your name. >> Is it 115 and 171? >> It's 115. 171 has been pulled, has been pulled. You have three minutes, Mr. Naser. >> Thank you, my name is Craig Naser. I am the president of the Austin environmental Democrats. And our organization was very suspicious that home to would, really work equitably and affordably. And we're still suspicious because, because that's sort of the nature of human civilization on this Earth [11:53:02 AM] human civilization on this Earth , when you look through history, many times there's been a, a group on top exploiting the people underneath. So the group on top had a lot more resources. A lot more free time, a lot more wealth. And, you know, I'm a musician. And when you study music, it's really pretty interesting. Some of the greatest musicians in the world, when musicians had time to compose and work all the stuff out, it was in the late 1800s when European culture was essentially in control of the world, and drawing the resources all over the world back into to, to Europe. So they could do that . Now, that's very interesting because I think America is kind of coming through that time again, where we're getting a bigger separation between the wealthy and the poor, and what I think that it's causing another time like that. If you're lucky enough to be in that top place, you may have the time to study [11:54:03 AM] you may have the time to study music. You may have the time to be a professional dancer. You may have the time to make Austin weird. That's leaving Austin, and I'm very concerned about that. And that has to do with equity. It has to do not just it has to do with the people with a different idea of what it's like to live on Earth. It's not all about making money. It's about having a family. It's about, you know, some people love to garden and some people, they become landscapers. We have had some great landscape people in this town, but they don't make a lot of money. It's a hot job and it's getting worse because of climate change. So think about all this. Please think about all this and find a way you've passed home to find a way to make it equitable. Find a way to make it so it doesn't drive more people out of Austin. Thank you very much, members. I'm going to have the clerk. [11:55:05 AM] have the clerk. >> How many names have you called that we have that are here? >> I think there's four people waiting. >> Okay, call those names so we can get a show of hands if the names been called and if they're waiting to speak, if you've already. If you've already called their name. >> Sean Atkins. Amber or. Abby Gilfillan. Rebecca. Leonard there's Rebecca there. Okay. These might be speakers. >> What's your name, sir? >> And what's your name? >> My name is Steve Shea. >> Okay. And in your name has been called. Yes. All right. So what we're going to do members is the two people that are down front whose name has been called. Those will be the two speakers we will hear from before we pause the public comment on the consent agenda. And we go to our 12:00 time. Certain public comment, as a reminder, we will go to the [11:56:07 AM] reminder, we will go to the 12:00 time certain, when that is complete and we will recess, until 1:00, at which point we have another time certain. And that 1:00, that 1:00 time certain is on item 106. We will take that up, at that point in time, and then, we will come back to the people that have signed up to as part of the public comment on the consent agenda. So with that, I apologize for interrupting. I just want to do a little time management. So thank you. Outstanding. >> And good morning, mayor and council. As I said, my name is Steven shay and I'm here with Simon property group. And I flew in from Indianapolis to speak in favor of item 116, we've been trying to redevelop Barton creek mall for approximately ten years with improved environmental standards and have been told on numerous occasions that the wastewater pipe will not support additional capacity. And for this reason, the redevelopment has been stalled. The mall campus is 120 acres, which [11:57:08 AM] campus is 120 acres, which includes parcels owned by others, and as you know, the site is located five minutes from downtown Austin and has active bus service. Clearly, the site's potential is unrealized and stuck in amber due to constraints beyond our control. We envisioned a vibrant redevelopment that would provide much needed housing and improved environmental standards that have come into effect since the mall was built in 1981. I've heard that nonprofit organizations have considered portions of the existing parking lot for affordable housing. However, any affordable housing project faces the same roadblocks as ours. Specifically, a lack of wastewater capacity. Importantly, any future redevelopment would comply with city code for water quality provisions. We're excited that this resolution not only seeking to move the wastewater pipe out of the environmentally sensitive creek, but also building a new pipe that would provide capacity to allow our project and others [11:58:08 AM] to allow our project and others to redevelop in a more environmentally conscious way. Please approve this resolution and in November, return with a plan that helps encourage landowners like Simon to redevelop under current city code and further the city of Austin's goal of more housing closer to the city center. Thank you. >> He's so tall, good. Good afternoon. I'm Rebecca Leonard with lionheart, we are land planners, urban designers, and landscape architects. I'm also a resident and a small business owner, in Austin, recently, worked with many of you on the, the redevelopment of Brodie oaks and the pud that went along with that. And so I came here today in support of item number 116, the council resolution that will remove wastewater from Barton creek for two main reasons. I suggest that you all support [11:59:10 AM] suggest that you all support this is, by reducing the risk of contamination and leaks in the creek. Of course, we improve the quality of the of the water in Barton creek, which was a very important element of the Brodie oaks redevelopment. It also includes it also improves the health of humans and wildlife for that area. But in addition, I wanted to point out that the built environment in this part of the city, most of which was done 40, 50 years ago, is not really in alignment with today's regulations. Burns environmental ethos and we discovered this, during the Brodie oaks project, when an opportunity it is to take some of these sites that were developed under previous codes and update them to current codes, the to do redevelopment is not a cheap and easy thing to do, though, it requires density and requires, capacity, within the infrastructure that is available for that development. So I'm hopeful that, the green [12:00:10 PM] So I'm hopeful that, the green dots that are in imagine Austin, can be implemented by increasing the capacity in this water line as well. Thank you. >> Thank you, members, we're going to pause the, calling of names on the consent agenda, until after we finish the time certain and the brief recess, and then the 1:00 time certain, before we go forward, I just want to reiterate, the rules of the public comment period that I read earlier today. Some of you may have not been here, but there I'll if I need to, I'll remind folks of those as we go forward. Your names are, you know, the order in which your names will be called. I see some people that appears to me that some people are prepared to come forward already and speak. If you know, you have signed up for this public comment period, if you would be prepared to make your way forward, when your name is called or even before your [12:01:12 PM] is called or even before your name is called, we would appreciate that. Madam clerk, if you'll start on our 12:00 time certain for public comment. >> Yes, mayor. Thinker. Thank you. Greg stoker, followed by Hannah Yoshimoto and then Hannah Barakat. >> Great. Make your way forward and state your name. For the record, please. >> Greg stoker. Hello, my name is Greg stoker, and I'm a former United States army ranger. I have a background in special operations and military intelligence, and I conducted four combat deployments to Afghanistan during the global war on terror. I now do geopolitical analysis and commentary, and I've risen to a modest prominence in that arena by the simple virtue of being accurate. I also do a bit of human rights activism. But don't worry, I won't bore you with that. I'm not interested in wasting my time or your time by trying to get you to care about the 15,000 children that Israel has quite obviously and intentionally targeted with kinetic strikes. They're actually more children slaughtered with our tax dollars than that based off crude death rates from comparable conflicts. [12:02:14 PM] rates from comparable conflicts. >> Sir, if I can just pause his time, folks, we need everybody to have order in the chambers. So I'm going. This is only our first speaker, and we're already doing this. Let us be. Let us be quiet. Let I'm sorry, sir. Hang on one second, folks. If you're talking and you're not standing at the podium, it's not what you ought to be doing. My goodness. Why are you. Folks. >> Scientists are trying to save seeds. >> They are allowed to save. >> Every week it feels like we have to come up with a new rule. So, okay, be. Be cool. Folks. The people that are here in the [12:03:16 PM] The people that are here in the middle that are continuing to talk, even as I ask you to quit talking. I'm asking you to quit talking. Someone is speaking whether you agree with him or not. He has the floor, and I'm going to ask that we maintain order so that we can have a public communication process that is meaningful. Sir, I apologize that I had to interrupt you, but we need to get control of this, your time. You it didn't cost you any time, so please continue. >> There are actually more children slaughtered with our tax dollars than that. Based off crude death rates from comparable conflicts. But that doesn't bother you yet? Probably never will. So I'm just here to state that you're backing a losing horse that is now the greatest strategic liability to the United States global interests. The idf has been operationally defeated in both gaza and the northern front and southern Lebanon. I don't have enough time to get into that obvious military reality. Just be satisfied that former deputy director of the mossad, Rahm Ben Barak, said on may 18th, and I quote, the war in gaza is [12:04:18 PM] quote, the war in gaza is aimless. We are clearly losing it. We are forced to return to fighting in the same areas, losing more soldiers, losing on the international stage, damaging relations with the United States and causing the economy to collapse. Show me one thing we have succeeded in, unquote. They have succeeded in nothing beyond showing the world their cruelty and thereby making the Palestinian liberation cause the most pressing issue on the international stage. Israel will continue to be isolated and will become a pariah state. The question is, when will you do what you can to pressure the Biden administration to stop this madness for our own selfish interests? Because of this catastrophe, an absolute failure in leadership from politicians on both sides of the aisle, the world is turning against us. Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, our traditional ally in the region, is for the first time in 20 years, traveling to Iran to begin repairing relations with that regime. Non-western countries are now looking to China with its massive belt and road initiative, and Russia recently vindicated by its inevitable victory in Ukraine for alliances and leadership. While our hypocrisy about western values, human rights and the rule of law is plain for all to see, there will be [12:05:20 PM] to see, there will be irreparable consequences for American interests. Because of this, the international criminal court, which was both founded and funded by the U.S. And Britain and is meant to project western hegemony across the globe, has now turned on an ally. It was designed to protect in order to maintain its own judicial legitimacy and we are now trying to discredit the icc. When the icc was vital for declaring Putin a war criminal and thereby giving casus Belli for us, expanding the war in Ukraine. Our global institutions are crumbling, and because of it, we're going to lose out to China, we're going to lose out to Russia and brics. And for what? If you care about that? Not the children, not the civilians. You should probably do something about it. Israel has already been strategically defeated. Why are we going down with it? I'll be back after summer recess to say I told you so. Stop the killing and the madness. Cease fire now! It's the only way forward for us. Thank you. >> Please begin. >> My name is Hannah Yoshimoto. [12:06:25 PM] >> My name is Hannah Yoshimoto. I am a queer okinawan and jewish. And my pronouns are they them. Maybe more importantly to you, I am a district one resident of Austin, Texas and a so-called outside agitator. To my fellow comrades fighting for a free palestine. Assalamu alaikum. Or peace be unto you. To our mayor and city council who have refused to listen to your constituents beg and plead for a cease fire resolution. Shame on every single one of you. I am here today in solidarity with the people of palestine and specifically of gaza. I am here to honor the over 40,000 martyrs who have been unjustly murdered by the Israeli apartheid regime. I am here to stand for the 138 plus UT students and Austin residents, including myself, who have been unjustly arrested over the last five weeks. It is not lost on me that I was violently arrested during passover, a jewish holiday that commemorates when we as a people were liberated from slavery. As a college student from Pitzer recently said to be jewish in a time of genocide means that you have a duty and a responsibility to speak up. There have been many claims that these protests have been fueled by anti [12:07:27 PM] have been fueled by anti semitism. This is simply a false narrative pushed to discredit the movement centered around Palestinian liberation. The only threat to my safety on the day of my arrest was the disproportionate police presence ordered by UT administrators, not any anti-semitism. Many jewish community members have been loudly supporting local Palestinian organizers. And we will not stop my jewish faith calls on me to stand. Stand against oppression wherever it may occur, and to organize for the freedom of all people. It is because of my jewish identity, and not in spite of it, that I have been compelled to join this interfaith, multiracial movement for Palestinian liberation. I simply refuse to sit by and be silent, as a genocide is being committed in my name. And while my arrest and my time in jail were traumatizing, it is nothing compared to the heartbreaking reality that the people of gaza have been facing. Several days ago, 45 Palestinians were killed when Israel bombed tents in a safe zone in rafah. We now know that some of those very bombs were manufactured right here in [12:08:27 PM] were manufactured right here in the United States. These are two quotes from survivors. We were sitting down in peace when we suddenly heard an explosion. It was so sudden. The bombs came down without a warning. Warning? The flames were huge. We saw tents on fire and had to immediately recover dismembered limbs and dead children. Second quote. They said these were safe Zones. The occupation is despicable and criminal, despicable and criminal. Just like every single one of you sitting up there and pretending to listen to us. I hope that you have the day that you deserve. Cease fire now. Free palestine. >> Please come forward. Yes. If you. >> Can you pause the video, please? >> That's all right. Okay. You can start. Thank you. On April 5th, two UT students, one of which was dressed in traditional Muslim attire, were attacked by three assailants who mocked and [12:09:28 PM] three assailants who mocked and taunted the victims, yelling islamophobic hate speech before attacking and injuring them. I've been in contact with one of the students since that day. Last month, I called on you all to speak out against this hate crime to support the victims and show us all that you actually give a crap about Arabs, muslims, black and brown people. And I know you know this mayor, the APD, hate crime review board unanimously voted to classify this as a hate crime on may 9th, before last city council meeting. And you've been dead silent. You have failed these victims. You have shown them that they do not matter, and proven to them that they are not safe in this city because they are Muslim, brown, or both. If you were trying to hide your racism from public view, you failed. UT president Jay Hartzell failed these victims by staying silent too. He then failed the rest of his student body, showing the world just how much money he speaks for him. He would rather have UTPD, APD and dps attack his own innocent students than to allow them for [12:10:28 PM] students than to allow them for the first amendment right to protest a genocide. Apparently enough, wealthy donors support Israel. Can't lose that money, right? This is why it's a local issue on April 24th at UT, as I witness mounted dps on clydesdales, ram and chase down students, I saw police in riot gear shove the crowds of students, knocking dozens of people down like dominoes, causing bleeding and injury, tackling people at random, dragging them out to arrest them. It was obviously no one from UT or this city government was going to protect these students from the physical violence they were enduring and would continue to endure. On April 29th, once again, I watched police in riot gear with assault rifles, circle unarmed students who were calling for peace, using their voices the way we're supposed to. I saw people, I saw police attack and drag people away to be arrested. I was arrested, mistreated and neglected in jail. But so many people were treated so much worse. It's clear something was never there or has broken within you all since you became [12:11:29 PM] you all since you became politicians. Where's your humanity? Haven't you seen enough dead Palestinian children decapitated babies like you saw in my video that are well documented? Burned bodies, scraps of human flesh where a person once stood blown off limbs, people taking their last breath, agonizing screams of loss. Haven't you had enough? We've had enough to last many lifetimes. We've also had enough of speaking to your foreheads. We're finished waiting for you to catch up and do the right thing and oppose an act of genocide. We declare a people's resolution. Your voices will be. Our voices will be heard. Without you. Enjoy your vacations. You haven't seen the last of us in this room. Until then, go yourselves. Free free palestine. Retreat outside. >> Please state your name for the record. Hello. Hola, folks. Folks, please, sir. >> Hola. My name is Bryce Benjamin, and I'm a [12:12:29 PM] Benjamin, and I'm a cybersecurity engineer in district three of Austin. On occupied land. For eight months, we witnessed a genocide that unfolded upon the palestine people in gaza by the state of Israel, with at least 36,000 Palestinians. Civilian deaths and counting days after the icj ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in rafah safe zone that was designated by the idf. Initially, Israel then proceeded to bomb rafah and within four days has murdered, burned alive or decapitated 66 Palestinian men, women and children, and infants living in tents. Murray Watson. On February 7th, 2024, you made a linkedin post that said a proposed resolution of Austin city council will not realistically end the violence on the other side of the globe. That is not in our power yet. In 2003, the Austin city council, led by mayor Gus Garcia, passed a resolution to urge president bush to not take unilateral preemptive military action against Iraq. Mayor Garcia stated that all politics are local, and the resolution itself states that military action against Iraq will cause billions of dollars at a time when the American economy is struggling. [12:13:30 PM] American economy is struggling. Those council members understood that the Iraq war just like the Israeli genocide in gaza, is a local issue that would affect the Austin community. They understood the necessity to listen to their demands and not allow tax dollars to be used for foreign wars or genocides. Now, what I've seen from this council is the exact opposite. Instead of insightfulness, I see ignorance instead of empathy, I see apathy instead of courage. I see cowardice by not passing a ceasefire resolution to avoid dividing Austin. This inactivity has made Austin more divided than ever. We have had Palestinian, Arab and Muslim citizens suffer islamophobic hate crimes that include the stabbing of zakaria Doha, a 23 year old Palestinian American father. We have seen violent repression of freedom of speech by the APD against student protesters at UT, resulting in more than 100 arrests of students and Austin community members by refusing to pass this resolution and fear of inciting more hate in this community, your idleness has only encouraged more animosity, more violence, and more distrust. Just like the Vietnam war, the Algerian liberation movement, the black panther party movement [12:14:30 PM] the black panther party movement and the Warsaw ghetto uprisings, history will absolve those who fought against intimidation, hate, racism and censorship for standing with liberation of oppressed people. Conversely, history will not absolve this city council for refusing to listen to their citizens. When the settler colonial state of Israel is defeated and palestine is free from the river to the sea within our lifetime, then it will be the people of Austin that will be absolved by history. Voila, free palestine! Mikel century Mikel. >> Folks, Michael sunkari Michael sunkari, are you here? >> Michael is remote. >> Michael. >> Okay. Thank you sir. Please go ahead. Yes. >> About 20 years ago, an inconvenient truth movie about climate change was released. Thank you to the Austin city council for heeding its warnings and implementing climate friendly policies. Today, I'm warning you about another inconvenient truth. One that is [12:15:31 PM] inconvenient truth. One that is uglier and moving faster. I'm talking about terrorism. In the past month or two, we have seen a wave of pro terror activists take over college campuses across the country. It has become clear that these are well-funded, well-organized national movements. They wear the same masks. They were the same yasser arafat scarves. They dressed like hamas terrorists and yell out, we are hamas to anyone within earshot. On campuses throughout the U.S, authorities found identical pamphlets that instructed protesters on how to esalate the protests are backed by Qatar, Iran and hamas. It's estimated that Qatar has invested $1 trillion in this anti-western soft war. Why do these supposed activists not protest against Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine or North Korea starving its people? Or when hamas murders their own citizens in order to steal, aid and resell it to gazans at massively inflated prices? It's because the goal is not social justice. It's the demonized Jews, the west, and encourage attacks here on American soil. They want nothing to do with peace. Their method of activism is to deny reality as it is happening. This pro-hamas crowd has become so good at [12:16:32 PM] has become so good at gaslighting, they could make it a profession. They turn the word ceasefire into a dog whistle, justifying anything from vandalism of jewish owned businesses to rape and murder. As a result of this, the jewish community is not safe. The pro-hamas crowd is quick to tokenize the few Jews who agree with them. I ask you to remember that there are women who oppose the rights of women to vote in the U.S. Over 100 years ago. Thankfully those anti suffragettes were proven wrong. The pro terror crowd will decry the tragic civilian deaths in gaza, and not even point a finger at hamas who bragged about deliberately putting civilians in harms way. An example from here in the U.S. Is janitors were being kept hostage in Hamilton hall at Columbia university. The terrorists sympathizers claim that their protests were peaceful. They denied that they support terror, while at the same time screaming globalize the intifada! Make no mistake, Austin is included in this globalization as someone much smarter than me said, when someone shows you who they are, believe them. These protesters have clearly shown us who they are. They call for a million more. October 7th, a day when hamas murdered 1200 people muslims, Christians, Jews, [12:17:32 PM] muslims, Christians, Jews, Americans, filipinos, Thais, Canadians, men, women, children and even dogs. It did not matter. This is what hamas supporters in this country, in this city, some of them this very room, who will speak today, want to do right here in Austin. We have been warned. Their activities have been violent. They call for more violence. There are signs in this room right now that incite violence. Listen to them believe that they will follow through on what they say they will do. Enough of entertaining lies in city hall. Poll after poll shows that the American people don't believe them. Thank you to the city council for recognizing this gaslighting for what it is and ignoring calls to participate in this farce. Enough is enough is enough. Shut down this bigoted charade. Do this to prevent a terror attack in Austin, Wu. You and. >> Mayor, I haven't called, folks. >> We have a speaker. Mayor, we have a speaker. >> I haven't called the next names yet. >> Well, are you on a confit? [12:18:33 PM] >> Well, are you on a confit? >> I'm Rosanna Yousef, but I from what I saw on the list, I was next. She was next on the list. >> So I haven't called the names yet. So please wait for us to call you on a confit. Morgan Davis. Naomi Zamarripa. >> Yeah. >> On a confit. Are you here? Okay. Ana, please come down. >> I come from a lineage of orthodox Russian Jews. My great grandmother was scared to interact with non-jews because of the 17 men in her family who had been murdered in pinsk, [12:19:34 PM] had been murdered in pinsk, Poland, in the early 1900s. They were murdered for being jewish. Her fear was a fear, as Jews justifiably hold deep in their psyche to be persecuted for who you are in your blood and in your bones. As Eric Andre said, you do not need to cut off people's water supply in the name of jewish safety. You do not need to bomb universities, bomb ambulances in the name of jewish safety. You do not need to bomb children in the name of jewish safety. I understand either your finances or your egos do not permit you the morning to acknowledge the mourning and rage due to the genocide and apartheid happening to Palestinians. As I hear your silence regarding the hate crimes in Austin, Texas, misuse of local tax dollars, using capmetro busses as cooling stations for APD during pro- palestinian protests, and lack of acknowledgment for the complete disrespect of religious freedom of women whose hijabs were forcibly removed in the Travis county jail on 429. However, you are beholden to the safety and needs of the citizens [12:20:35 PM] safety and needs of the citizens of your city. Austin public library hosts storytimes for children for countries such as Japan, Ukraine and Germany. I thought I would host a palestine storytime for toddlers, with kites just before the kite zilker kite festival. Librarians understood their policy to protect the public after they received calls and threats from a small but loud group of anti Palestinians who were threatening, who were threatened by the idea of people celebrating Palestinian children , their threats created enough tension to concern library staff to call for heightened security. Two police cars and upper management presence at a toddler storytime, a toddler storytime. Librarians understand Palestinians have the right to exist safely in all spaces. The question is, do you? A cease fire resolution, which includes hostage releases, sends the same message. The adl cites that in [12:21:36 PM] message. The adl cites that in the last 22 years, there have been zero hate crimes committed against Jews by islamists or left wing parties, perpetrators of anti-semitic hate crimes in the usa since 2002 have been 100% right wing. That's the adl. Your silence perpetuates the same kind of fear that Jews know too well. There is not a better answer to this issue because at the end of it, Palestinian and jewish safety is all intertwined. Thank you. Morgan Davis. >> Morgan Davis. >> Morgan. Davis. Okay. Rosanna. Yousef Naomi. Zamarripa go ahead . [12:22:37 PM] . >> Good afternoon. My name is Rosanna, and I'm going to give you a screenshot of Israel's terrorism since the 1940s. It's a screenshot because we could spend a lifetime and not get over with their terror attacks. Let's start in 1946 with the king David hotel bombing. It was done by irgun and haganah and lehi terrorist organizations. They were zionist military forces known as terrorist organizations around the world. They killed 91 people. Ben-gurion and menachem begin, who later became prime ministers of Israel, were part of these terrorist organizations, giving us that the us will deal with some terrorists and not 1948, the nakba. Over 700,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed. Over 500 towns and villages were wiped off the map. 15,000 Palestinians were killed in horrible massacres like Deir yassin, where victims were maimed, raped and killed. You want to talk about systematic rape? Palestinians have been being raped since 1948. Men were put in trucks to be paraded before being killed. 110 Palestinians were killed. Pregnant women's stomachs were open, and that's where a child was actually burned alive and [12:23:38 PM] was actually burned alive and thrown in an oven. And the waimea massacre in Hebron, children were killed by breaking their heads with sticks. Tantura massacre 200 Palestinians were killed. Men were lined against a cemetery wall and shot. There are mass graves under what is a beach resort today. Khan yunis massacre. In the 1956, 200 400 Palestinians killed in the Israeli illegally occupied Golan heights, thousands of Syrians were killed, injured and displaced in the 1980 1982 invasion of Lebanon, where tens of thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese civilians were killed in Salisbury and shatila is really backed. Militias killed between 2000 and 3500 Palestinian and Lebanese in two days. Horrific acts of slaughter, mutilation and rape were committed. The ibrahimi massacre in 1994 by Baruch Goldstein, an american-israeli extremist associated with the movements who today bin refer who works in the Israeli government, follows that movement. So it is actually a terrorist government in Israel. During that attack in 1994, [12:24:39 PM] During that attack in 1994, Baruch Goldstein shot 29 Palestinians as they prayed in a mosque in 1996, the Kanda massacre in south southern Lebanon, the Israeli occupation forces, or the Israeli terrorist forces shelled a united nations compound where over 800 civilians had sought refuge because Israel told them to evacuate as they did today. It is not new for them to bomb un compounds and hospitals and schools. They've been doing this for decades. The killings in gaza since 2008 were thousands of Palestinians have been killed. The massacres on a daily basis, the current genocide where we are entering almost eight months of massacres committed daily that we can't even keep up. After the international court of justice ruling a few days ago, asking the Israeli terrorist forces to stop bombing rafah, they bombed tents and actually beheaded babies. Not some debunked theory. They actually beheaded babies. There was testament. I lift my children playing in the tents. I hug them as I flip. I lift to cook. I came back panicking as I heard airstrikes. [12:25:40 PM] panicking as I heard airstrikes. I found my six children that couldn't fit in the tents. They burnt and became ash. >> Thank you ma'am, thank you. Your time. Your time is expired. I'm sorry, but your time is expired. Your time has expired. Your time? >> Morgan Davis. >> You're out of order. Qadri, please call the next name. Morgan Davis. >> Naomi Zamarripa. Shira mayor. That concludes all the names. >> All right. Please come forward. State your name for the record. If you don't mind. I had some slides. Stop investing. Shea, in Israel. >> Do you have the slides? There [12:26:40 PM] >> Do you have the slides? There you go. You. Kurt have a nice day, could you play the little audio clip? Oh, okay. Okay okay. >> Please. Please begin. >> All right, so for the record, the previous speaker who was scheduled, did not feel safe enough to appear here and speak. That's quite telling, I can't get out of my mind. A child came in alive. Literally burnt to the bone. If their hands were contracting, their face was just charcoal. They were alive and talking. We had no morphine. This is a doctor from gaza. People have explosive injuries, and we're giving them tylenol. We're giving them ibuprofen for an arm that's been blown off or burns to 30% of their body. Another doctor, I saw a boy. He ran into a burning tent to help [12:27:41 PM] ran into a burning tent to help his mother, who couldn't walk because of the fire. We couldn't reach them. He was courageous. He just ran into the tent. Today when the fire extinguished, we went back to look for them. We found them hugging dead and charred. A journalist in gaza. Good afternoon. Council it is day 236. We have spent the last few months pleading with you to have the most basic and minimal morality to pass a ceasefire resolution in honor of the most vulnerable who are facing the most unimaginable harm and destruction that we have seen in the 21st century. Because every day there is not a ceasefire. The streets of gaza are littered with corpses. Next slide, can you play the video to the right or no. Okay. Anyway the inhumanity and supremacy of the people in this room is shocking. Not even for a cease fire that placates everyone. This isn't a football match. This is a basic. Like. I don't even have words for this. I'm honestly shocked. It's deeply frightening to watch as a brown Muslim person, to [12:28:42 PM] as a brown Muslim person, to watch others justify an egg on slaughter, offended by everything but ashamed by nothing. This weekend, Palestinian children, mothers, fathers burned alive for all of us to see, faces eroded, children beheaded, melted and charred bodies. There are no burn units. There is no anesthesia. There is an Israeli blockade of life saving aid. Hospitals and workers are constantly under attack, rendered dysfunctional by the idf. There is insurmountable and overwhelming evidence for this. Imagine your families having to sleep in these tents as refugees burned alive under the sound of constant drones, sleeping in unimaginable suffering and fear just to die. Anyway, these bombs are known to kill families as they eat, play, stand in lives, stand in lines for food and water, evacuate, stay in maternity wards and especially when they sleep. Next slide by not condemning the deaths of these children, but being more than able to condemn others, we see your deep seated, inhumane Katy. It's nice to see people starting to finally pay attention about this. We've been talking about it for months, but [12:29:43 PM] talking about it for months, but you are silent in your silence. You're showing that you're more than okay with this being normal. By not condemning the slaughter of children, mothers, fathers and resulting hate violence in Austin. Due to this impunity shows that this is morally acceptable to you. Why because you view these people as less equal. What's the exchange rate for you? How many Palestinian deaths do an Israeli before you call it out as wrong? When you attempt to make an equivalency between those who want endless slaughter to stop versus those who wanted to continue? You're saying some lives simply don't matter? >> Thank you members. Those are all the people that have signed up to speak at the public comment, time certain of Noone. Without objection, we are in recess until 1:00. It is 12:30 P.M. The city council is in recess until 1:00. I think he's going to do a quick [12:41:31 PM] I think he's going to do a quick little haam just want to make sure you know it's coming. >> All right. >> Good. Well, we're in for a treat today. As you can already tell by just the warm up, we [12:42:31 PM] tell by just the warm up, we have casino atx with us, casino atx is a rapper, writer, and producer who specializes in in writing and performing. He's won several awards over the years for performing solo and with groups, and is known for making club party tracks, as well as music that is laced with clever nerd and pop culture references. He's most proud of, having won a growing the tradition award for contributions to Austin's hip hop and being showcased in the Texas music history museum. Like Austin's slogan of keep it weird, he is a rapper who can embrace his nerdy side while maintaining a sharp edge. Casino atx partnered up with several longtime music friends and opened a production company called raw wit Dada that specializes in producing songs, making the beats, and writing the songs. Currently, they're working with several Austin based rappers and r&b singers, doing everything from making their music to helping them throw release parties and shooting music videos. Their studio, known as the stash spot, [12:43:32 PM] studio, known as the stash spot, is based in north Austin off north Lamar, and I've got a deal here that I want to make sure. Is this your rule? The rule is everybody party together like there's no tomorrow. That's his. That's that's the rule. So let's party. Casino atx, ladies and gentlemen. >> Well, first things first. We don't need these mic stands. Let's get those out of the way. Now, what a lot of disarray and upsetness going on right now. We like to try to bring good energy, so let's try to do that today. I pretty much grew up right here in Austin on the north side. And, my grandma used to always tell me, if you're looking good, you probably feeling good. So if you're looking good tonight, let's make some noise real quick. >> Let's go. Yeah. Feeling good? [12:44:32 PM] >> Let's go. Yeah. Feeling good? >> We try to keep it easy, but at the same time we like to get get it going a little bit. So let's turn it up. Smack. You ready. I make it look easy. Today. Catch on deck. Okay, I make it look easy. Let's. Hey hey hey hey hey. Let's make it look easy. Hey all right. >> Hey. Now feel free to get up and dance a little bit. >> If you want to shoot. Game fresh dressed to death. Cash on deck. I make it look easy. Mix I wreck, I'm on neck. Girls get, we make, I make it look easy. Game fresh, fresh. Dressed to death. Cash on deck. Let's go I make it look easy. Micah I wreck ice on neck, neck. Girls get [12:45:34 PM] ice on neck, neck. Girls get way. Let's go I make it look easy C a S I you know I'm fly girl. Say hi guys tell you bye bye. See you. Really super fruity. Like a Mai Tai. Me I keep it. Girl in the hood. Just like a saint. Eyes I am a pedigree. You are just a mud. All my girls are yours are filthy. And I always keep a prayer. Acting like this like a saint. Eyes take a little off. Let it catch up. Much five stars. Your girl is sitting I grind for my cheese. And I always keep it. Player you act it like the longest player. Oh, I am the mayor. You were just a garbage man. You can't tell what's in the hood. I smell like a carcass. Can. You were just up with some love rapping just to get some buzz. Keep giving me rappers wonder. Give me am the harder man. You are just a limp [12:46:36 PM] harder man. You are just a limp noodle. My music is saying go. Yours is kindergarten. Doodles me I keep it like pros versus joes I keep em up like exo's. Cause my shoe came fresh, fresh, fresh to death. Cash on deck I make it look easy I break ice on my neck. Let's go girls, get. Let's go I make it look easy. Shoot game fresh. Okay. Dress to death. Cash on. Let's go. I make it look easy. I rey. Let's go. Ice on neck. Let's go girls, get , let's go I make it look easy. Playing like an eight away. You still in the fo fo. Waiting on the paycheck I go and make my own dough. My flow is extraordinary. Yours is in the mortuary. Dead and buried while I'm earning cash. Quick. I'm Ben and Jerry. You are okay, my friends. Oh I'm killing them on and off the field like I was oj. [12:47:36 PM] and off the field like I was oj. You're just like Obama Democrats. You can't catch a break. I'm just like a black Republican. I come to take the cake. I am a hustler. You are just a customer. >> You're just another one night jumping her. >> You are a simp. I keep it pimp. I walk with the lip, lip? You walk with some sense. You are just a chip. Chip. And I am a great plate. Every day I'm pumping purple. Hit your block and make you shake. >> Boom. I'm just like hammer I can make them dance. >> You're like hammer. When he fell off. Super broke with stupid pants. Cause my shoe game . Fresh, fresh, fresh to death. Cash or debt I make it look easy I break ice all day. These girls get. Let's go I make it look easy. Hey hey hey hey. Now I make it look easy. Hey hey hey hey, Mac. >> All right, let's do it. Hey I [12:48:36 PM] >> All right, let's do it. Hey I make this in the city. >> City of Austin. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much . Porterfield. Mayor, casino sex, baby. >> Bell. Let me see if I can make this look easy. Come on. Come on up here. Come on up here . Hold on to this. I'm gonna make a proclamation here today. Be it known that whereas the city of Austin, Texas, is blessed with many creative musicians whose talent extends to virtually every musical genre, and whereas our music scene thrives because Austin audiences support good music produced by legends, our local favorites and newcomers alike, and whereas we are pleased to showcase and support our local artists now, therefore, I, Kirk Watson, mayor of the live music capital of the world, do hereby proclaim may 30th, 2024 as casino atx day in Austin, Texas. [12:49:39 PM] casino atx day in Austin, Texas. Where? How can we follow you on social and where can we hear you? >> Extremely easy to find. >> Literally. You could Google casino atx. It's going to ask you, do you mean casino tax? Just say yes. I mean casino atx. It'll take you to all of my social media sites, all of my I'm on every single streaming platform. I'm easy to find. >> Good, good. And we're here you next, let's see tonight. All right. >> But, let's hope we're out of here. >> But, definitely I'll be performing at. Jump on it week so you can catch me out on. Yeah. You can catch me on June 5th and you can catch me again on June 8th, June 5th is going to be at the millennium youth center. Yeah. So I'll be performing there. Nik turner was here today and mentioned it. >> Yes, sir. Yeah. Good. Good ladies and gentlemen, casino atx . Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. [12:50:40 PM] you, thank you. >> Yeah no. I'm good, thank you. I [12:59:30 PM] no. I'm good, thank you. I appreciate you. Thanks for taking care of us. You do good, good. Do our best. You got it. All right, folks, we're getting ready to start it. If I can get you all to come to attention, we're getting ready to start. Well, good afternoon, everybody. It's 1:00 pm and I will call back to order the Austin city council. I but I haven't been able to get anybody's attention all day long, so let me see if I can start now. Could I get everybody to. Hey, folks, you. So that you'll know you may may not know this. You're at a city [1:00:31 PM] not know this. You're at a city council meeting, we are going to have a very enjoyable and joyous moment here in our 1:00 time. Certain but I'll ask everybody to please find your seat. If you could, so that I can call us back to order. As I indicated, it's 1:00 pm on may 30th, 2024, and I'm calling back to order the Austin city council for this regularly scheduled meeting of the city council and we're meeting in the city council chambers at three zero at city hall, 301 west second street in Austin, Texas. As I indicated, we have a 1:00 time certain, and that will be for item number 106. And I'm going to recognize council member Ryan alter on item 106. Council member, you're recognized. >> Thank you very much, mayor. You know, today I'm really excited to have everybody here to talk about former council member Chris Riley. You know, dedicating a park or public facility is not something that [1:01:31 PM] facility is not something that we do every day. It is a high honor reserved for people who have made an extraordinary contribution to Austin. And today is a special day, because item 106 recognizes a lifetime of extraordinary service to Austin by renaming part of the shoal creek trail as the Chris Riley bend in honor of former council member Chris Riley. It's the first I want to recognize, as we all saw, former council member Riley is here today, and it's great to see you and I want to thank all the friends and supporters for joining us, we my office has received so much support, for Chris and this recognition as clearly your work touched so many and there is a lot of love [1:02:33 PM] many and there is a lot of love and appreciation for all you've done for Austin. Chris Riley served on the Austin city council from 2009 to 2015 as one of the preeminent forces for improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure, reducing car dependance, enhancing urban spaces and expanding our urban trail network, including, but certainly not limited to, the shoal creek trail. At a time when few austinites lived downtown and even fewer could imagine life without a car, Chris successfully advocated for replacing parking spaces with patios established Austin's viva streets. I always mispronounce this word ciclovia and distributed copies of Donald shoup's book the high cost of free parking to anyone who would read it. Chris was instrumental in Austin passing the safe. The safe passing ordinance, the bicycle master plan, and laying the groundwork for the all ages and abilities network we continue to build upon today. While many more of us now see reduced car usage and better [1:03:34 PM] reduced car usage and better bike ped infrastructure as objectively good and common sense, that was certainly not the case when Chris was on the council. He was truly ahead of his time and his work did not start or end with his time on the city council before being elected, Chris co-founded the downtown Austin neighborhood association and served as president for five years, serving served on the Austin parks foundation board for five years and served on the planning commission for six years, including two years as the chair. Since leaving council, Chris has continued his community activism, including service to bike Austin, safe streets, Austin downtown Austin, neighborhood association, old Austin neighborhood association, congress for the new urbanism, new urbanism, central Texas chapter, and Austin giant chess. This section of trail that we are naming has special meaning to Chris, and we owe its current state to his work before, during and after his time on city council. After being washed out in the 1981 memorial day flood, it stood derelict for years. Chris's tireless advocacy ultimately led to reconnecting [1:04:34 PM] ultimately led to reconnecting downtown with the rest of the historic shoal creek greenbelt. In the future, this bend will connect future generations of austinites to the life and work of Chris Riley. We on the city council stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and if we can advance certain urban mobility and housing policy, it is only because we are building upon the foundation built by the likes of Chris Riley. Indeed, everyone who rides, rolls or walks around Austin has benefited from Chris's work, so I'd like to thank all who reached out to support all of you who are here today to show your support. My colleagues, councilmember vela Ellis qadri for co-sponsoring. And Chris, on behalf of a grateful city of Austin, thank you for your service. Yes, yes. >> I'm sorry, Mr. Mayor, if I [1:05:48 PM] >> I'm sorry, Mr. Mayor, if I may, can I add my name to that co-sponsorship? >> Without objection, without objection, councilmember harper-madison will be shown as being a sponsor of item number 106, thank you. >> Mayor. Mayor, this is council member Kelly. I'd like to be added as well. >> All right. >> Is there anybody I'd like to also be added? >> Let me ask let let let Chris. We're really gonna find out something here. Is there anybody who doesn't want to be a sponsor ? Let the record reflect that. Without objection, the entire city council signs on as sponsors of the Austin. And by the looks of it, we would have a couple of previous city councils all sign on it, it's wonderful to see so many former council members, in the chambers with us. We have to, turn to the city clerk here because we have some people that are signed up to speak on this, what appears to be unanimous item. So we haven't had this happen yet while I've [1:06:50 PM] had this happen yet while I've been mayor this time, but we'll just find out whether they talk us out of it. Chris. So, let's call on some folks and I'll turn to the city clerk. >> Thank you, mayor Adam Greenfield. Excuse me, Leah boho, Timothy bray, please come on down and state your name into the podium. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council, Adam Greenfield, this is this is a great day, Chris, is impact on the city has been profound. His impact on so many of those who advocate for change in this city has also been profound. And many of us, it's really a life honor, myself included, to call Chris, a friend, I just want to say today we honor Chris with with this dedication tomorrow and on from there. Let us honor Chris with good decisions, good policies, because I think that's that really makes Chris very, very happy. Chris. Chris. Chris was right about the direction Austin [1:07:54 PM] right about the direction Austin needs to go long before it was popular to be. Right. And so I think it is extremely gratifying to see so many of the seeds that Chris planted, come to fruition during this council's term. And I think we are going to continue to see that way into the future. So thank you, Chris. Thank you mayor. Thank you council. >> Thank you. >> Hello mayor and council. I'm Leah Boggio, and I want to share with you that I've had the incredible privilege, as many of you know, to work for Chris Riley when he was on the city council. And I've also had the privilege of remaining having him remain as a dear friend of mine. When I started working for him, I got a front row seat to policy making. I was in school at the time, learning about city planning and learning about policy making, and then I was also in an office working on it, dealing with it on the ground. I learned so much about dedication to public service, both to the job and to the city of Austin. I learned about focus on good policy and doing what's right, [1:08:55 PM] policy and doing what's right, both for constituents and for the city at large. I learned about the importance and consistency of consistency with current goals, and with a vision for the future, and I learned that tenaciousness and continuing to work toward a goal that may seem impossible or impossibly far away is incredibly important, now, all these years later, I get to see a lot of the results of that work, and I see how clearly it was important, that Chris had those attributes when he was working for the city, so many of the things he worked on then, as we've heard, have come to fruition and so many are being worked on right now. He worked on parking reform, personal favorite of mine. We all know bike pad infrastructure was a constant and consistent message. Whether people really wanted to hear it or not, climate policy was was, was was part of our our everyday conversation, and I, I want to point out that we often say that Chris was ahead of his time, but I actually think his timing was just right, because if he hadn't been saying these things and laying the groundwork at that time, we wouldn't be where we are today, so the [1:09:56 PM] where we are today, so the successes that Austin has seen and the naming of this trail is such an appropriate way to honor Chris. I want to thank you all for that work and for all the great policy changes you're continuing to make and continuing to work on. So, if Chris hadn't done the work he'd done, I wouldn't be the same person and Austin wouldn't be the same city. So thank you all. >> I, a few of the policy aides, we all wanted to sign up, you know, we couldn't not sign up even though we're not. >> Could you please state your name for the record? >> I'm sorry, my name is Timothy bray. I'm just talking to a couple of us, on the policy side, you know, policy advisors for council mentioned one sign up because we all have been touched by Chris and been with him over the years. And so I'm just saying we're not all going to speak. We just want all wanted to. Could it not sign up. >> So fantastic. Thank you. >> Veronica Castro Deborah Ramey KO Lewis left. >> Come on down. If your name [1:10:58 PM] >> Come on down. If your name has been called, if there's an empty mic, it's yours. >> Good afternoon council. My name is Rainey KO, I am somewhat breaking a unwritten rule about current council staffers testifying in front of the council on items, but I felt like this was one occasion where it would be appropriate to do so. Like my colleague Timothy Brian, Devin Loeffler and other folks who are still in this are working in this building right now. I am a Chris Riley alum, I worked on his first campaign and had the privilege of being his, questionnaire writer, so I had a front seat to all of the brilliant, incredibly in-depth and complex policy knowledge that Chris brought to the table, I remember driving downtown to go to his condo at night so that we could go over everything I had written during the day each evening. And I remember thinking , who lives downtown, you know, at the time and being very sort of surprised, there's condos [1:11:59 PM] of surprised, there's condos here. There's somebody who lives here and, of course, things are, you know, dramatically different today. And I've gotten to see that over the last 20 years. I've been here in the city, and I can see just how much Chris has been a part of that. The work that I am privileged to do today. I'm constantly surprised by how often, you know, I'll be talking with Tim or some other folks and say, wow, this is building off something Chris did right, or this is building. This is extending what he had worked on previously. So it's my tremendous pleasure and honor to be here, to be able to speak in support of this incredible item. I think it is absolutely the most appropriate way to honor Chris, and I'm glad to be able to be here to see it. Thank you. >> That's great. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council. I'm Lewis Leff. I'm here on my personal time and capacity. Speaking as a former city hall staffer for council member Riley. You know, Chris really changed the course of my life, and he really changed his contributions over time, has changed the lives of a lot of people in Austin. He gave me an opportunity to learn and grow as a chief of staff working at city [1:13:00 PM] a chief of staff working at city hall, sharing his knowledge and challenging me in subtle and maybe not so subtle ways, to find unique solutions to long standing and new challenges that we continue to face from the policy arena. As I looked back at emails, his first email to me about the shoal creek trail gap was two weeks after he was first sworn in as a council member in 2009, and the last one was five years later as we finally got a construction contract onto a city council agenda. So this was always a priority for him. This particular trail, and there were so many meetings and discussions with city staff and stakeholders about how do we get this done, how do we get this done in an appropriate way? And that's getting that trail gap over the finish line. But this project successful outcome is just one of many that's representative of who Chris is. He's an effective advocate for safe ways to move around Austin. He's a persistent and lifelong public servant who has given much of his time and energy to the causes he believes in, and he wants to see and create a builder and build a stronger community. Many of his ideas and policy positions were [1:14:00 PM] ideas and policy positions were seen as the edge of what's possible back then, as was mentioned. But today it's been amazing to see so many of those become the mainstream, become core elements of the city's adopted policies and plans of what we're working towards now. As I've continued my career after working with Chris, I realized more than anything else I took away the curiosity to challenge existing thinking around different policy topics. His attention to detail, very specific attention to detail of all things, understanding how specific words you choose to use can really influence and change the outcome of the conversation. That'll stick with me as I achieve the high try to achieve that high standard that he set for himself and others. You know , as was mentioned, it's said today that we stand on the shoulders of giants. These are building upon the ideas of those who came before us. Chris has made a giant and tangible impact on the community, and his many years of public service pushed us forward in so many ways across so many policy areas. I'm appreciative of the council members today that sponsored the [1:15:00 PM] members today that sponsored the item supporting it and bringing it forward so Chris can get this recognition today and see what kind of impact he's had. As we continue to stand on his shoulders, contributing to a safer, healthier, more sustainable place that we all desire and the Austin community deserves. So thank you for all that you've done for me and for Austin. Chris Mike kennerty, Julie Montgomery, Luisa brinsmade, felicity Maxwell. >> What was the first name you called? >> Mike kennerty. >> Okay, I just want to make sure people hear their name. I'm here today, I can't really read my notes to recognize Chris as a local boy. Done. Good, I'm on behalf of his classmates from kcc and o'henry and Austin high school. That's great. We have watched Chris be an amazing [1:16:03 PM] watched Chris be an amazing community leader, civic leader on on all kinds of great ideas. Bikes, parks, urban planning. At the beginning, these all seem like newfangled ideas, but I'm so delighted that a lot of these ideas have come to fruit with this council, and I just wanted to try to acknowledge my shirt. Today was selected. It's got a little armadillo riding a bicycle, and I thought that reflected Chris's role. He's a native austinite. He's a bike. He's so much more. But we are so proud and honored to have Chris as a local boy who'd done good. Thank you very much, Chris. That's great. >> Hi everyone. My name is Julie Montgomery. I'm also here breaking the rule about the unofficial rule about council aides not speaking, but I just I just had to because I will never forget, my I went to a bike Austin meeting in maybe 2012, 2013 and that time frame. And I was not super involved in city advocacy at that point, just kind of dipping my toes in it, but sitting council member Chris [1:17:04 PM] but sitting council member Chris Riley was there in person at the meeting, and I just remember being so excited to see an elected official taking an interest in the things that I cared about so much. And it really inspired me to think about what power and what a difference that city council can make in everybody's lives, and in making our city a safer and happier place, and so just thank you for over a decade of inspiration, Chris, and thank you for everything you've done for our city. I. >> Hi. Felicity Maxwell with aura, I of course, in thinking of how we could honor Chris, I wanted to go back to the Austin chronicle because that's where all of our knowledge lives in this city. So I found what he wrote in December of 2018 or 2008, when he originally was planning to run for council. And the direct quote is, I'm running for city council to offer proven leadership in the difficult times ahead, and to deliver the [1:18:04 PM] times ahead, and to deliver the kind of creative solutions that austinites demand and deserve, adding, now I'm ready to take my service to the next level, and I'm asking for the support of a broad range of austinites to help me do more to improve our community's quality of life. How aptly this describes Chris's intentions and his legacy all these years later, we have been blessed with his service to the city and how much we have benefited from his leadership. So thank you, Chris. On behalf of all of the members of the parking reform network, all of the advocacy you've done over the years, we are so appreciative of you and your service. Thank you. >> Mayor, I've called all the speakers for 106. >> I'm sorry. >> I have called all the speakers for. >> Thank you very much, members. You've heard that that's all the speakers that have signed up, I didn't hear anybody against this, so I think we're in pretty good shape, let me ask if I'll recognize council member Ryan alter for a motion on item number 106. Yes I move passage of item 106. Council member Ryan [1:19:05 PM] of item 106. Council member Ryan alter moves passage of item 106, seconded by council member Velazquez. Discussion. Council member qadri. Yeah I just want to take a moment to highlight, some of the many contributions to the city and our community from Chris Riley and why we are honoring him today, and I guess the most up to date contribution is having all of us on the same page on a on an item, Chris was born and raised here in Austin, Texas, graduating from Austin high school, before temporarily leaving town to attend a small university up north called Harvard university, though he came back to us as soon as he could to go to school at UT law, he would go on to, to found Dana, the downtown Austin neighborhood association, in 1997, and serve as its president for five years. He also served as our planning commissioner. A planning commissioner for six years, including two as chair. And he further served on the downtown commission, the water conservation task force, and the and the street smarts task [1:20:07 PM] and the street smarts task force. He has been involved in a number of nonprofits, including the Austin parks foundation, alliance for public trust, and the Austin history center association. And of course, he was one of our predecessors serving in Austin city council, where he advocated for better transit, safer conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, and more affordable housing. Many of the projects and issues he worked on, we continue to stand on his shoulders and build on his and build on his successes to this day, so for these reasons and many more, I'm so happy to dedicate the Chris Riley bend on the shoal creek greenbelt trail today. >> Thank you, thank you. Council member, council member, Ellis, to share a quick story. >> A couple of years back when the safe streets campaign really launched, my chief of staff, Julie, who spoke earlier, and I went over to the Tudor house in Pease park and we were there for that launch and we got really excited. We said, we're going to ride our bikes down there. It's going to be great. Well, after the event ended, we headed our way back to city hall to make [1:21:08 PM] way back to city hall to make sure that we could get here, and we got lost. So we had to turn around and we bumped into Chris Riley and we said, hey, can you help us get back to city hall? And he did, and he guided us at most of the way and then pointed us in the right direction. Said, if you keep following this direction, you'll get there. And so we just really appreciate how much you've been in the community for even just the smallest moment in anybody's day to really be there and to be a great community advocate. >> Thank you, councilmember, mayor pro tem, thanks. >> Well, I want to add my appreciation also and gratitude for Chris Riley's work, his many decades of public service, and especially for the legacy that he leaves on our urban trail system along with his commitment to safer streets for bikes and pedestrians throughout our community. Chris brought his vision of Austin as an active urban oasis to life, and we now share in that legacy along shoal creek trail and throughout downtown. Thank you. Chris. [1:22:09 PM] downtown. Thank you. Chris. >> Yes, any further discussion? >> Members. Them. Yes. Councilmember vela, just wanted to add my voice and I want to say, as someone who was interested in public policy and following politics in the 2000, he was one of the voices that I heard, he was the kind of the original urbanist. >> I don't even think that the term was coined at the time, but his advocacy for pedestrians and bicyclists and good urban design really resonated with me, and is one of the reasons that I'm on the dais today, greatly, greatly appreciate. And I just want to say this may be in a city hall myth, but I understand that his council parking space was converted to a bicycle parking space. >> Yeah. >> So earlier when raimi was talking about how they would go over his, his, questionnaires and his answers on questionnaires as they were headed back, I thought, how did they do that on the bicycle? [1:23:10 PM] they do that on the bicycle? >> Yeah. >> But again, just thank you, Chris, appreciate you so much, it's so great to see a piece of the of the bike trail that you fought so hard for. Named in your honor. >> Yeah. >> Did I see a member that's virtually with their hand up? No. Okay, then, members, that concludes the discussion on this item. This is a special item, as and we all feel the joy of it. So council member Riley, typically, what we do is, without objection, something passes. But on this, something like this, where everybody wants to express their appreciation for you the way that we all do, members, you've heard the motion . It's to adopt item 106, and there's a second. I would ask that all those in favor of this motion, please rise. It's unanimous. Council member. Council member. [1:24:20 PM] Council member. Council member. Riley council member. Riley, would you like to say something? >> I just want to thank you all so much for all the support and all those speakers and everybody here. I I moved and touched, and I really appreciate all the support, I it I didn't have all that support. I wish I'd had some of that support way back when I. Enter. It's great to have it now I young you know we all talked about standing on the shoulders on the shoulders of others and I feel like I owe everything we did to so many other people who were so integral to everything we were doing, I, you know, I and many of whom are here in the room today and I and, I can't thank each of you enough for everything you've done, to make my life so special, and to be [1:25:20 PM] my life so special, and to be here today to reflect back on and, it means a lot to me. And I just want to thank you all so much. I really appreciate you mean a lot to us. >> And we appreciate you. Well, thank you. Well thanks, everybody, now to maybe not as joyous with work, we appreciate everybody being here. And it's very nice to see so many former council members that are also here, we appreciate you all taking the time to be here. And of course, so many different members of our community. So, council member Riley, good luck to you and thank you very much for all you mean to us. Thank you. Members. What we will do now is we will go back to the consent agenda. Public comment. And, I would ask that the clerk, call out the first few names and so we get people coming down. Folks, if I [1:26:22 PM] people coming down. Folks, if I could ask, if I could ask you, please take your comments outside. Please go ahead for item 116, Amanda sawyer, Richard suttle, Richard suttle, Daniel Cappleman, Melvin ren, if your name has been called, please come forward to the microphone. Folks. Can I get everybody to come to order? We have a speaker, so I'd appreciate everybody coming to order. Thank you. >> It's exciting. It's fun to see everybody, be excited about something. This room. Good morning. Mayor or. Jeez, Louise. Good afternoon, mayor and council. My name is Daniel Cappleman, I work for a shoal creek conservancy as their projects and policy manager, I'm here to talk about item 116, [1:27:22 PM] here to talk about item 116, which initiates a process to remove a waste, move a wastewater pipe out of Barton creek and add the needed capacity to allow residents and business owners in west Austin, rollingwood and Westlake hills to redevelop. This item is critical as it recognizes the need for additional infrastructure as the region grows. The region will grow and pretend otherwise is not great. And, as it's growing, we have the opportunity to improve the water quality of Barton creek. The current environmental standards regarding impervious cover and so's water quality do not change. And we're going to see an increase in water quality in this watershed. And as the redevelopment occurs that this allows, we get to update some of those press, part Ralls and older properties will now come into compliance with more recent and stringent environmental regulations. More broadly, sewer pipes do not belong in creeks. There's a lot of work to do to improve the water quality of our [1:28:23 PM] improve the water quality of our creek citywide. I hope this can spark a larger conversation about how we treat our creeks in the city of Austin, including not only Barton creek, which tends to get the most attention out of all the watersheds in the city of Austin. But also our more urban developed and heavily impaired urban creeks such as shoal creek. We cannot hope to restore our creeks to a contact recreation safe standard while wastewater pipes run through them, which inevitably leak an increase. E.coli in the water. We are excited about the opportunity this item presents to allow us to rectify years of mistakes in the way we treat our creeks and environment in Austin. Thank you so much and thank you! Of course, especially to other for and, council member Ellis for working so hard on this. Thank you. Thank you. >> Mayor, members of council, my name is Richard suttle. I'm here on behalf of the terrace, which is a project at the corner of loop 360 and mopac. And we're here today in support of and offering assistance as a [1:29:25 PM] offering assistance as a resource in the study proposed in number 116 and as far back as 1995, we studied this very issue as this project was coming forward and in 1995, the council passed another resolution instructing the city manager to enter into an agreement to, do some water quality stuff and to increase capacity. And, and the council authorized the city manager to negotiate and execute the agreement for the construction and financing of certain improvements in in this line, which then did the construction did occur in 1997 and Eid, as part of that agreement, the when the owner agreed to make the improvements, the city agreed that it would not make any new water or wastewater or wastewater commitments, reservations, or other types of allocations or increase the upstream lift station pumping rates so as to cause the Barton springs lift station to exceed certain capacities. And that was a safeguard both for my client to make sure that they were doing [1:30:27 PM] make sure that they were doing some work for the city that we weren't going to over, over surcharge these lines. As part of that study, we studied the line and the laterals, which you will find when you when this study gets going. It's not just the line in the creek but the laterals getting to it. That leak. We had field trips where we would find stuff coming out into the creeks. But anyway, all that being said, my client stands ready to be a resource in this study and, be happy to share any information on those agreements. Back in 95 and 97. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Amanda swore Melvin ren, Sarah Jackson, Barbara Scott, Helen Miller, Daniel Ronan, Charles Peveto. >> If your name has been called, please come forward. >> I've called all the names for consent. Mayor great. >> Thank you very much. It if your name has been called, [1:31:30 PM] your name has been called, please come to the microphone. Has your name been called? >> It certainly has. Well not first. >> Well, I said come. Please come forward. If it's an empty microphone, it's yours. >> Thank you so much, Mr. Mayor, and hello, mayor pro tem, city manager and city council members. My name is Daniel Ronan. I am the interim executive director at the Austin history center association. It's been a love fest for Chris Riley. I just want to let you all know he used to be our chair at 2006, 2008. We're happy to have him, I am a viking interim executive director here at the association, so I'm happy to live out his legacy. I'm here today to speak in favor of, agenda item number 172, authorizing negotiation, execution of an agreement with the Austin history center association to set forth terms and obligations related to fundraising and development of an advisory vision plan for the [1:32:30 PM] an advisory vision plan for the Austin history center campus. And I really just want to take a moment to thank, earlier today, we had two members of library staff in, our present in our presence to, to be in support of this agenda item. That's Hannah Terrell, assistant director for public services as well as Cody Scott, facilities process manager for the library. And of course, to offer my thanks to director of libraries Roosevelt weeks. Also in the audience today is our president of the board, Charles Peveto, who is also, of course, a large supporter of our organization, we of course, the association was founded in 1979, on December 27th to protect the demolition of Austin's original public library, which was going to be demolished for an underground parking lot to build a 1978 building. What ensued was, is the ability for austinites to come around their history and step up to protect, not only our [1:33:31 PM] step up to protect, not only our history, but our preservation legacy here in, in Austin. And, this agreement that you, will be approving for, authorization, authorization, authorization, rather, and negotiated Ann will allow us to really serve the city of Austin and the Austin public library to fundraise fully for the broader vision of an expanded Austin history center campus that is merging the original 1933 building and the 1978 building as one Austin history center. So, really, thank you so much for your ongoing support of the Austin public library, the Austin history center, and we stand with you, as well as with the Austin, library foundation to support our libraries and our cultural institutions at this critical time in our democracy. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Yes, sir. Dion, Melvin read, mayor, assistant manager members [1:34:37 PM] mayor, assistant manager members of council, Barbara Scott and Helena Miller and margarita de Sara on. >> My wife had to leave along with Sarah Jackson, but I want to bring out. And one is I'm supporting. This is the items with colony park, it's been a long time coming, weighed probably too long, but I would say to you that I want to highlight the fact that Barbara Scott has been the anchor to what was going on back in 2012. February 12th, 2012, the city came to our community and announced that they had a $3 million grant, which was the first time that the community actually became aware of a grant . And we formed a core team, an original core team was Barbara Scott, Helen Miller, margarita de chito, and myself, along with a gentleman by the name of Brandon, who stepped down after a period of time. But the key was that core team met with, [1:35:39 PM] was that core team met with, neighborhood housing and stakeholders every week from from the 2000, from the announcement until 2000, December 2014, every week, the core team pulled together, the elected to designer design team, and they created a public engagement community outreach plan that the city should look at and use because as it was the most effective outreach and just like today or the last, the last holiday, we served 300 Turkeys. We passed out to the different families. And you have different activities when we started, it's raw land, 208 acres. We also have next to it 80 plus acres dealing with, parkland. And in November you'll be invited out to have the dedication of a swimming pool that was not on the site of anyone at the time. Sometime probably next year, you'll be invited out for the health center that was not on [1:36:40 PM] health center that was not on the site at any period of time. As a result of the diligence of Barbara Scott, Helen Miller, they've stayed with this all the way through and we're still involved trying to move forward, one of the things that informing the core team we're dealing with, census tract 2201 2202 2208 2211 2212 those were the census tracts. It's a majority minority, majority, area. It has a supersaturation of tax income, lower low income housing tax credit properties has a supersaturation. I mentioned that because I know when we put the development together, it may allow for more homes using the tax increment, process, so I want to mention that to you because it took a certain amount of time when one could look at it and say, if it's going to be a project in east Austin, we have to go by the history of east Austin and say the 1920s [1:37:40 PM] east Austin and say the 1920s didn't change what took place over the last years. Thank you very much. >> Thank you and thanks for your work. And thank everybody that had to leave, too. Thank you. >> All speakers were called mayor. >> Thank you very much. Members those are all the speakers that have been called, with regard to the consent agenda. What I'm going to do is ask for a motion to approve the consent agenda. And when I have a second, then we will open it up for discussion. The motion on the consent agenda. I just want to point out members will not include item 90. Item 90 has to be brought up and taken up after we have had the ahppc meeting. So just keep that in mind that the consent agenda will not include that council member qadri moves adoption of the consent agenda. Second by council member Velasquez. With that, I will recognize council member, the order that I'm going to go in on remarks, before we then take the vote will be council member Alison alter, the mayor pro tem, then council [1:38:42 PM] mayor pro tem, then council member Ryan alter, council member Ellis. And then I'll keep moving through, so council member, Allison alter your record. >> Mr. Mayor, you said if we're off camera and you can't see us, I've been. >> I've got you. You just are in line. >> So I was trying to second. Well we already have it. >> We already. >> We already have us. >> I don't want to speak. Okay want to say respectfully that there are a lot of comments I want to make today. And I think there are some really good friends on the dais who are going to speak on my behalf today. Good. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> For that. I appreciate that. We have a motion. We have a second. So I'll now go to councilmember Allison alter, the mayor pro tem, and then council member Ryan alter. >> Thank you. Colleagues, I wanted to identify item 51, which initiates a quality of life survey for Austin's families with young children. This has been a long time priority of our early childhood council, and I know that the results will be illuminating for [1:39:42 PM] results will be illuminating for us as policy makers. We know with certainty that additional transformational investment is needed to solve our child care crisis for families with young children and two weeks ago, Travis county took a pivotal step, and they are poised to place an item on the November ballot to do just that. I anticipate that this study will affirm the need for this investment, and I look forward to the other insights and recommendations that emerge so we can best serve our local families and caregivers. I also want to highlight item 83, with respect to tree folks, this is a great example of using city land to help advance our mission towards environmental sustainability. I'm really pleased to see this expansion occur and wish tree folks the best of luck in their work. I also want to note that there are several important park investments, including renovations and acquisitions, as well as a very important and large water quality land acquisition for the mockford property. In item 85, this is kind of a double agenda, so there are many, many other items that I could highlight. But I did want to raise those few. Thank you for the recognition. >> Thank you. Councilmember alter, it if you are watching video in the chambers, please [1:40:45 PM] video in the chambers, please turn off the sound. Okay. Sorry, I just it sounded like it was in here, I apologize. Alright can't do anything about that. Then, then I'll recognize the mayor, pro tem, council member Ryan alter, and then council member, Ellis. >> Thanks, mayor. I have a couple items I want to just to touch on, really quickly. Item 116, this is removing the wastewater pipe from Barton creek. I'm really pleased to see that we will finally remove this wastewater pipe from the creek. Wastewater pipes don't belong in creeks. They are prone to leaking. They also imperil local ecosystems and cause harm to people and fish and wildlife. Removing this pipe from the creek bed offers a number of environmental improvements. Because the pipes capacity was constrained, it has prevented several older projects from being redeveloped. A redevelopment of these older projects would provide higher [1:41:47 PM] projects would provide higher water quality standards, lower impervious cover, and valuable community assets like parkland and trails that change begins today. I look forward to seeing Austin waters proposal in November and want to thank council member Ellis for bringing this item forward. >> Thank you, mayor pro tem councilmember I'm sorry. Almost done. Keep going. >> Not quite done. Sorry. Item 115 I want to thank council member Velasquez. This is the, access to resources item. I want to thank council member Velasquez for his leadership on this initiative and for the amazing partnership with all the co- sponsors with whom we approved policies that are recommended in the uprooted report. And by the anti-displacement task force, specifically, smaller minimum lot sizes, more units by Wright, and the ability to subdivide last year when we started working on home one and two, we [1:42:49 PM] working on home one and two, we knew that a critical component would be making sure that as many people as possible could take advantage of these policies. Now, with this access to capital and affordability initiative, we can empower families who are struggling to adapt and prosper in our evolving city. Most importantly, we can help families stay in the neighborhoods they have long called home with the support of aarp Texas preservation Austin, local lenders, technical experts , and a range of community organizations, we crafted this initiative to keep Austin accessible and affordable. We are empowering homeowners to preserve their wealth and property for future generations, and give low and middle income home buyers a fighting chance in Austin. I'd like to give a special shout out to Sam jervois on my staff, who worked so [1:43:49 PM] on my staff, who worked so closely with council member Velasquez office. My thanks and appreciation go to the co-sponsors, city staff, and the array of community members who helped craft and bring this this initiative forward. And then my last item, mayor, is item 106. And this is the Sheffield northwest district park, item I want to add my appreciation and gratitude. I'm sorry, not 106. I read the wrong number item 58. This is the northwest park item. I'm so excited that we're moving this contract forward to complete the renovation of the Beverly Sheffield northwest district park pool for all who are fond of this pool, the parks department has been keeping the facilities together with stopgap measures for too many years. It's been in the works since about the time I was first elected in 2014. I truly [1:44:50 PM] elected in 2014. I truly appreciate our staff's determination to do what they could. While the larger project was scoped and funded, now we're ready for the big push and we're putting our bond dollars to work for the benefit of district seven and the entire city. I'm grateful to our staff for delivering on this promise and to the community for their patience. And I can't wait to see our beloved northwest district park. When all the work is done. Thank you mayor. >> Thank you, mayor pro tem, councilmember Ryan alter, followed by councilmember Ellis and then councilmember qadri. >> Thank you very much, mayor, first, I just wanted to highlight item 174, which I want to thank you for, for your leadership and expediency. And raising the homestead exemption for our seniors, you know, making sure that this element of housing affordability is also not forgotten in our conversation. And for including the amendment that I had put forward so that we do this every year. So seniors know that we [1:45:51 PM] year. So seniors know that we are committed to helping them be able to afford to age in place. I really want to thank you for your work on that. I also just want to quickly note item 85, which councilmember Allison alter talked about, purchasing that tract of land to help with our water conservation and water quality needs, this is a really exciting purchase that we have. And with this purchase, we will have, less than $10 million left in that fund to go forward. And so as we continue our conversations, like we had on Tuesday, if we want to continue to do these things, we are going to have to find additional investments to do it. So I appreciate our work and we'll pass it along. >> Thank you. Council member, council member Ellis, followed by councilmember qadri. And then councilmember Fuentes. >> Thank you. Mayor. I'm really glad to be able to bring forward item number 116 about the wastewater line in district eight that is currently in Barton creek, I appreciate the mayor pro tem comments on that. I know our offices have worked very closely on this issue, but it is something that's necessary. We need to have this [1:46:51 PM] necessary. We need to have this conversation with Austin water staff and to make sure that we are better right sizing our ability to move toward the future. There's a number of different issues, whether they're water and wastewater lines, whether they're land development uses that have happened over the years in district eight, a lot of which are not in compliance with our current environmental standards. So that has created some difficulty in how to make sure that we're managing growth moving forward, but also an opportunity to make sure that we can have a new and fresh conversation about what we want to see in our community and what is good for the environmental health of everybody in Austin, especially when it involves Barton creek, so there's multiple projects that have been discussed that have an affordable housing component that right now can't proceed forward. I want to make sure that district eight is able to do its part, to leverage affordable housing to make sure that we are doing better to mitigate traffic and different land uses. Like one of the speakers said today, the Barton creek mall right now has a bus route. It goes all the way from Barton creek to bull creek, it's [1:47:53 PM] Barton creek to bull creek, it's something that we're working on expanding. Hopefully in the future to make sure that it can serve more people. But the conversation about where we have been in southwest Austin and where we're going in southwest Austin is very fresh, and there's a lot of people who want to get creative about how to solve these problems, I also want to make sure to thank Julie Montgomery in my office and ather Phillips in mayor pro tem Poole's office. They put in a ton of work to work on this resolution and make sure that it's being handled in, in a sensitive and appropriate manner. And so I appreciate their work on that issue. Number 173 is an item that we're bringing forward about mail theft. This is an issue that communities all over Austin are dealing with. We've worked with congressman Lloyd Doggett and his office. So you'll see in backup two letters that he authored, as well as a response letter from someone who works with the U.S. Postal inspection system, which is the, the safety and criminal activity, monitoring arm of usps. So they care very much about making sure that their infrastructure works, [1:48:55 PM] that their infrastructure works, and that it is, is not getting broken into and people aren't falling victim to some of the situations that can occur when mail theft happens. So this item directs the city manager to reach out to community stakeholders to discuss the impact of mail theft on our communities, and to discuss innovative approaches to tackle the problem. It creates an education and prevention based public relations campaign leading into the holiday season, which is when we see these crimes spike. This has far reaching implications for identity theft, check fraud, and has resulted in the assault of mail carriers. One neighborhood in district eight has spent $175,000 of its own money to repair and replace postal delivery boxes, but assailants using stolen arrow keys have continued over the Thanksgiving weekend, a thousand community delivery boxes in a single neighborhood were cleaned out. The blue collection boxes in that same neighborhood have been hit each of the past four weekends. Many of my constituents also report [1:49:55 PM] constituents also report receiving graduation and birthday cards, which are torn open and checks removed. Another constituent issued a personal check to pay a bill. The check was stolen, washed by suspects and cashed for three times the original amount that was on the check. And these are just a few examples of what is happening, not only in my district, but this is occurring all over town. This item sends a message to the United States postal service. It has a responsibility to better manage its facilities, control, access to universal arrow keys, and to ramp up efforts to provide a secure alternative. Last year, the usps launched project safe delivery, designed to secure mail delivery boxes and provide arrow key alternatives. But that program has no dedicated funding, no benchmarks, and the usps has failed to provide an update on when these systems will be deployed in the Austin area. So today we say this is simply not acceptable and before I close my remarks, I would love to be added to a co-sponsor on item 115 and 105. 105 is the fee [1:50:56 PM] 115 and 105. 105 is the fee waiver for the Texas book festival, and I would love to add an additional $500 to that fee waiver to help offset those costs. Many, many years ago, I was fortunate to get to volunteer with the Texas book festival, so it's something that I have always wanted to visit. But, when it takes place in the fall, it's a really, really great event that brings families together and has wonderful programing. So I appreciate the work that they've been doing over the years. >> Without objection, council member Ellis will be shown as a sponsor of those two items. Thank you. Council member, council member qadri followed by council member Fuentes, then council member Velasquez. >> Great. Thank you. Mayor, and I'm going to switch it up. I'm going to ask to be added to a, as a co-sponsor from item 115 from, from council member Velasquez. >> Without objection, council member qadri will be shown as a sponsor of that item. >> Great. And now I'll get into my, consent remarks, and I'm going to be speaking on four different items. So we're going to be here for a little bit, so the first item I want to talk about is item number eight, today marks an exciting milestone of collaboration [1:51:56 PM] milestone of collaboration between the city, county, central health and integral care to address the growing crisis of mental health needs in Travis county by the creation of a mental health diversion pilot, I brought forward a resolution last year to kick start the process of exploring an interlocal agreement and financing options for the pilot, and brought forward the accompanying budget amendment to fund the first year of the three year pilot. I think judge brown said it best. That is unacceptable that the largest mental health facility in our county is the jail. The pilot will expand service hours at integral care psychiatric emergency services to 24 over seven operations, including access to a prescriber on site and 23 hour observation services, and repurpose integral cares 15th street crisis residential program for a therapeutic diversion program that provides access for up to 90 days of care, including behavioral health services, peer support, and working toward connection to stable exit options through housing focused [1:52:57 PM] options through housing focused case case management services. This will allow law enforcement and other emergency service entities to have a consistent, consistent place to take individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis, for services instead of jail or a hospital. And I would like to thank my county colleagues, county judge brown, commissioner, and Howard, for their advocacy and vision on this pilot. And I would like to thank my colleagues here on the dais that co-sponsored my initial resolution. Council. Councilwoman Fuentes, council member. Vela, council member Ryan alter, and mayor pro tem pool, as well as Robert Kingham and his team at the downtown Austin community court, item 169. I'll make these ones really brief, we've been working diligently on finding ways to support the red river cultural district and all other cultural heritage districts, and I'm glad that we found an option. After working with staff and my colleagues, it's important that we don't stop here, though. We need to we need to continue to support our cultural and [1:53:57 PM] support our cultural and heritage districts across the city, and I look forward to further collaboration with staff and community stakeholders as, item 170. You know, some things are about vision and preparation for action, the cherrywood and Hancock neighborhoods have a vision for the area surrounding txdot proposed cherrywood cap, one that's integrated with its surrounding physically and surroundings physically, economically, equitably, and environmentally. There's a lot of opportunity in this area with many future partnerships, not only with our investments in he future. I-35 caps and stitches, but also to build more housing near a future red line station. I'm proud to bring forward this resolution in support of efforts to plan the area surrounding the cap through technical and design assistance, identified in collaboration with the community . And an effort like this not only requires community buy in, but also city buy in and property or owner buy in and I'm proud we're all on our way with that. So I want to thank city staff for their support on this effort. I want to thank property owners. I want to thank tireless [1:54:58 PM] owners. I want to thank tireless community volunteers. On this. And I'd also like to thank my co- sponsors on the item, mayor Watson, as well as council members vela harper-madison and Ryan alter. And the last item I'll speak on on this consent agenda is item 172. I just want to thank the Austin public library and the Austin history center association for their work and collaboration on this. And I just want to say, I look forward to the partnership in play, as our plans for the Austin history center campus move forward. >> Thank you. Thank you. Council member, council member Fuentes, followed by council member Velasquez. And then council member vela. >> Thank you. Colleagues, I wanted to draw your attention to one of the items that we have on our consent agenda. And thank you for your support. It's my third item that I brought forward as a council member related to flood resilience and preparation. And as you all know, this is a huge issue for our community and one that is top of mind for us austinites. As we know, we are in flash flood alley, and so as we know, disasters are increasing. It's important that we strengthen and become a more resilient community. And this item looks [1:55:59 PM] community. And this item looks at offsetting costs for flood insurance, as well as a number of other outreach efforts and initiatives to help us mitigate the risk and help our community better prepare. I want to give a special thank you to Francis Acuna for her advocacy efforts on Ann on flood resilience, and I also want to share with you that our city manager, this is breaking news. We just got this notification, just yesterday, that because of our flood management efforts and activities of the city the last few years, we have been upgraded on our on our rating scale, which will result in a 25% discount for most of the premiums for policy holders in our city, which is just incredible news and just want to thank the city and city staff for all of their efforts around flood management and flood preparation, because those efforts are making a difference and we can already show significant progress for our community. And I think coupled with today's item, we will continue to build on our resilience efforts. So I just [1:56:59 PM] resilience efforts. So I just want to share my appreciation. >> Good. Thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember Velasquez followed by council member vela. >> Thank you, mayor, colleagues, regarding item 115, I don't need to reiterate the very necessary community feedback we received, throughout home deliberations. I believe that home moves us closer to increasing, increasing and diversifying our housing supply. And I also acknowledge and understand our community's concerns. The reality is that there are significant costs and hurdles associated with building an additional unit, which is why we're being proactive in trying to make this opportunity accessible to homeowners at all income levels and try to mitigate displacement of longtime austinites from their communities. We all know that there is no one size fits all measure when it comes to making Austin an affordable place for everyone, but by thinking through these issues holistically and putting multiple tools, supports and safeguards in place, we'll be able to offer low and moderate income residents more options. I [1:58:00 PM] income residents more options. I started to address this issue with my first home related resolution back in December, which asked staff to look into ways to provide down payment assistance for low and middle income folks wanting to build an Adu. And today's resolution builds on that by looking into public and private partnerships to allow homeowners access to capital, seeking out ways to streamline and refine city processes, and by making sure that our community is fully informed about how they can access entitlements through home and protect and grow generational wealth. Thank you to the district policy advisor, Samantha. Excuse me, Victoria hall and Sam, and Sam from council member Poole's office for all their hard work on this item. Thank you to the Austin justice coalition, Austin area urban league, and various community members that help us craft this item. I'm truly excited about this item and I want to thank my co-sponsors, mayor pro tem pool, council member Fuentes vela, harper-madison and Ryan alter, and the numerous folks that were [1:59:00 PM] and the numerous folks that were added just recently, and the numerous community members that helped out. I will continue to fight so our city can be proud, Singh and anti-displacement and truly Austin for all. Thank you. >> Thank you. Council member, council member vela followed by council member, Kelly. >> Thank you. Mayor, I'm going to make a few comments on behalf of my colleague, council member harper-madison, with regard to, item 32, funding for career training and opportunities for our unhoused residents, hungry hill and Mr. Chase Wright, make a huge impact not only for district one, but across the city. And very pleased to continue the significant partnership between the city of Austin and hungry hill. Item 112 the implementation of the downtown Austin community courts mobile program court program. After a very successful pilot, this is a vital program that continues to remove barriers to services and provide equitable and meaningful services for the community and shows that the downtown Austin community court is really a pillar of our [2:00:00 PM] is really a pillar of our homelessness response system, and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with them on potential, even expanding that mission. They've done great on their, diversion programs with with regard to a lot of misdemeanors, item 115, again, council member Velasquez item an excellent item. As we initiate and build upon support programs for our low and middle income homeowners, homeowners, in response to our recent land development code changes, this item is a significant step towards ensuring that all of Austin benefits from more attainable housing options. Our hope is that there are affordable home options for all different backgrounds and lifestyles available in every part of the city, his resolution goes a long way to making sure that's possible, item 165 related to the city processes. And regulations for, small food businesses and restaurants. The goal of the initiative is to help lessen barriers to starting a small food business in Austin and encourage growth and [2:01:02 PM] and encourage growth and participation in our small business community, there are also items in there to make it easier for charitable organizations to distribute food. Right now, there's a, it's difficult. There are a lot of regulatory barriers to being able to distribute food for charitable organizations as well. And then finally, with item 166 regarding succession planning and education, for our council successors is an item that council member harper-madison has been working on for a long time. I've talked to her many times about it. Every person sworn into these offices should be set up for success so they can show up and be the best representative for their constituents. She is implementing, some processes and procedures to help train us, to help prepare us to make sure that when we come on the dais, we're ready to go and ready to work for our constituents. And then finally, with June approaching, council member harper-madison and the entire council really welcome everybody [2:02:03 PM] council really welcome everybody to join the district one team in celebrating juneteenth. There will be events almost every weekend leading up to June 19th, and they will be promoted on social media and via other means, please join and share all the wonderful events that are going to be happening to celebrate juneteenth and its significance in Austin. And again, it's still a point of pride that it has become what was a Texas celebration is now a national federal holiday and a national celebration of freedom. And thank you very much, mayor. >> Thank you, councilmember, councilmember Kelly and by the way, your, you have multiple halos today. >> Oh, yeah. >> Sorry about that. I'm coming at you all from Fort Worth at the Texas emergency management conference. And so I'm in the exhibit hall having the council meeting and I appreciate your patience with all these halos. I'm not sure I earned them, I wanted to vocalize my consent. No votes, those are 12, 14, 15, 29, 45, 85, 114 and 115. And I [2:03:06 PM] 29, 45, 85, 114 and 115. And I wanted to take just a moment to thank council member Natasha harper- madison for her thoughtful item about council transitions. I firmly recall how we hit the ground running when I got elected, and I was given very little guidance or materials and able to, have a good continuity of operations plan to transition into office. And so I would not wish that on my worst enemy. And I'm hopeful that your item will help us be representatives for our constituents. Thank you very much for your time to speak today or the time to speak today. And with that, I yield. Thank you very much, members, that concludes the discussion on the consent agenda. The motion has been made and seconded that we adopt the consent agenda. Is there anyone wishing to be shown abstaining from a vote on the consent agenda? Anyone wishing to be shown recusing themselves from a vote on any item on the [2:04:07 PM] from a vote on any item on the consent agenda? Councilmember Kelly, I have you voting no on 12, 14, 15, 29, 45, 85, 114 and 115 is there did I miss anything that is correct, sir. >> I tried to speak slow enough so you could get it all in. Okay. >> Thank you. Good deal. All right. Anybody else wishing to be shown voting no on any other item on the consent agenda? With that, the consent agenda. Without objection, the consent agenda is adopted with council member Kelly being shown voting on the no. On the items that I previously read. Thank you. Council members. Council. What I would suggest we do at this point is recess, the Austin city council meeting and go into the ahc board of directors meeting. And without objection, we will recess the meeting of the Austin city council at at 2:04 P.M. [2:13:15 PM] I will now call back to order the meeting of the regular meeting of the Austin city council. It is 2:14 P.M, we will take up first item number 90, which you just heard is directly [2:14:17 PM] which you just heard is directly related to the vote we took on PFC item number two. And I'll entertain a motion to approve item number 90. Councilmember vela moves to approve it. It is seconded by councilmember qadri is there discussion? Is there anyone signed up to speak on this item? >> Yes, mayor, I do have some speakers. >> Okay, let's hear them. >> Sophia Checa, Jason Haskins, Haskins. Sorry. >> Good afternoon. Mayor. >> City council, my name is Jason Haskins. I am the director of architecture. With who? Architects. And this is a project that we're working on in our office. And I just wanted to, speak in support of it, we've had a lot of discussions in the last couple months about what is and is isn't affordable housing and what we want affordable housing to look like. And what actually it takes to get it done, I mean, nddc has their track record speaks for themselves. They I mean, this is a this is a neighborhood [2:15:18 PM] a this is a neighborhood development corporation, trying to do things that are, hard, this is hard work that they're doing. And it's been very it's been a lot. They are, very creative in how they figure out how to put things together. And it's been a very rough, spell to get through projects recently because of interest rates. This is a because it's a 4, it's it is more subject to interest rates than most. You know, 9% tax credit projects, for example. So, I mean, just watching them work, and figure stuff out and put deals together, this is really what it takes. So I think as we, as we have these other discussions about what affordable, what affordable housing needs to look like and how we get it done, I would highly recommend looking at this. This project for what density means, what height means in affordable housing. This is a date daycare mixed use. That's exactly what people are asking for. This is what it takes to get it done. And they need the support. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> That's all the speakers for 90. >> Thank you very much, members, those are all the speakers on item number 90, I will enter I [2:16:20 PM] item number 90, I will enter I have a motion and a second. Is that correct? Yes, I have a motion. And second, is there any further discussion on by by, council members? Any objection? Without objection. Item number 90 is approved. Members, what I would suggest we do for time management purposes is we go to item 171 one, and then we go to our 2:00 time certain. And then we go to the other the remaining matters, so I'll, I'll call up right now. Item number 171 members, I'm what I would like to do is get a motion on item number 171, and get get it out on the table. And then we will call on speakers. You have, you have in your packet, version number two, version number two, was, what it what it does is it makes a clarify Singh change. [2:17:23 PM] makes a clarify Singh change. The clarifying change relates to items that will not be on consent agenda that come from city council committees, what what it version one did. Was it said items that are considered by city council committees would be off of the consent agenda. There's that's a little vague, because it could mean that the committee had a briefing on it, and therefore there was consideration of something of that nature. So what, what this does, is it says that if the committee votes to recommend it to the council, then it would not be on the consent agenda. So that's version two. There are a couple of proposed amendments. Yes, and what I'll, what I'll do is I'll get the main motion first and then we'll go to speakers, mayor pro tem moves adoption of item 171 is seconded by council member Ryan alter. With that, I will turn to the, clerk's office to call on our speakers. >> Thank you, mayor William bunch, Julian Reyes, Craig Garza [2:18:24 PM] bunch, Julian Reyes, Craig Garza . >> Felicity Maxwell again, if you're here, make your way to the front and if there's an open microphone, feel free to take it and begin talking. >> Hello, my name is Craig Naser, and, my one objection to this is the two minute speaking limit. I've been doing speaking for a long time in front of the city council, and I've had three minutes at times and two minutes at times, and one minute at times. One minute is ridiculous. Is two minutes is difficult. Depending on the subject. Now, the reason I live in Austin is because I grew up on the shores of lake Erie. It turned into a cesspool. As a little kid. I watched it and I moved a couple [2:19:24 PM] watched it and I moved a couple places in the country, came down here, lived in a home for my graduate degree with no air conditioning, and my car had no air conditioning, and Barton springs was very important to me. And so then in the 1990 all night city council meeting that, you know, about, I was alarmed. I went down there, over 900 people signed up to speak, and everyone got three minutes. And the meeting ended at seven in the morning. You know the story. That's why I live here, because no one showed up to speak in my little town of ashtabula. Now, down here in Austin, look what happens when we have meetings. Lots of people show up to speak. And if you give them three minutes, what you find out is a whole lot of them. Don't use that three minutes. But if you give them less and less and less, they get more and more angry. Now one other aspect about this is email. There was no email back in 1990, and now [2:20:25 PM] no email back in 1990, and now we're here where you can send us an email. I sent you guys all an email about something coming up. I have no clue if you read it or if you ever read, although thank you. Ryan alter sent me back a message, so thank you. But that that's kind of like a fake thing, you know, it's like, well, send us an email and then we'll ignore it. We'll read it, we won't read it. We have no idea. It's not on the record. It's on a record here. If you stand up and speak, you say, I said that a couple of years ago. You didn't listen to me, or I said that a couple years ago, and you did. And look how that worked out. That's important. So I think three minutes really that should be your job to sit here and listen. Three minutes. Now, I've also been a president on a chair, on a commission. And one thing you can do to shorten meeting times is shorten the amount of time that the people on the commission speak. I've had that happen too. So anyway, there's a lot of things. Time is [2:21:25 PM] there's a lot of things. Time is tricky, but I think that's the important thing on here. The other rules look pretty good to me. Thank you very much. I didn't take my three minutes. >> Scuse me. >> Good afternoon, bill bunch with save our springs alliance, certainly appropriate that you take this step to make your procedures, comport with the Texas open meetings act, as well as the city charter, appreciate you moving in that direction, want to speak first to the proposed chito amendment, which which, violates the Texas open meetings act, by not sticking to the requirement that time limits be on a given item basis, the statute is clear on that. The judge two different judges now have confirmed that, and that amendment would take you away from that. You have other tools to address people who try to [2:22:28 PM] to address people who try to sign up on too many items, violate decorum. Don't speak on the subject to manage, that sort of rare occasion when people abuse the opportunity to speak, you're your ordinance as proposed. I think the two minutes is might be marginally bare. Minimum legal. I would argue that it's on many occasions it's not if it's an important item, like $1 billion spending or a complex item that's not reasonable, you really need to go back to what has been the standard for this city, this community, for decades. And three minutes, and then maybe, you know, if there's a whole long people, you know, the first 20 or so, like in previous iterations, would get less, but you need to start with a baseline of three minutes, not the, the paltry two minutes, and [2:23:28 PM] the, the paltry two minutes, and again, you could pay attention to your charter and meet more frequently, have shorter meetings that way, rather than cutting out public participation , the proposed ordinance also, I believe, is not legal in that it doesn't address the situation of work sessions where you actually deliberate on an item, the statute says you have to let people speak at the same meeting where an item is considered, now, a lot of things that y'all do like the, the, the work session this week, you're simply getting information from staff. You're asking questions, you're not deliberating. But when you start deliberating deliberation by dictionary definition is consideration. Ann and consideration is the key term in the statute. And once you cross [2:24:29 PM] the statute. And once you cross that line, you have to let people speak at the work session before or during the consideration of the time of the item, and so it's, that's the plain language. The intent of the statute also must be met. Thank for everyone. Okay. So I'm against, item 171 as it stands, and for the reasons that, bill bunch mentioned, as well as the fact that, the primary goal of government is to serve the people and its role is to, support where the mayor go support free speech, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to access our government taxation without representation is tyranny. I'll probably know that from, American history. We [2:25:29 PM] that from, American history. We today, we weren't people that wanted to speak, weren't allowed in the building, including myself. We weren't allowed in the room, that's a first amendment right that was violated today. All created more litigation possibilities and liabilities for the city, and more increase in insurance for the city to operate as more and more litigation is pending. You can't if you guys cannot get everybody in the room to participate in city council member meetings and city council meetings, then you need to rent out the Austin convention center and make space. That's not the people's problem. That's y'all's problem. Y'all should allow us to speak, as far as time, you know, that one minute's not going to do anything. People spend that time just thanking you guys, thinking so and so and so and that. And that's no good. You need to uphold your your sworn oath to defend the people in the constitution. You all swore an oath. All of you, including Ann Morgan. You need to allow free speech and freedom [2:26:30 PM] to allow free speech and freedom of assembly and access to the government. Oh, welcome back, mayor. We're talking about the law and the constitution. So you guys need to uphold your sworn oaths. What else, so the security, bullying people, APD bullying people here is also part of that equation. We need access to the to the government bullying people because y'all don't want to hear unpopular speech or you don't want to hear diverse opinions. That's not your role. Your role, is to service all of us, not not your certain constituents that you love and the low melanin, high, high bank account. People with high credit ratings driving Teslas. You need to listen to the little people. Because the little people that you all have underestimated are the ones that are going to be your downfall, so yeah, I'm against, I'm against 171 as it reads. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Felicity Maxwell, Brad Massingill, Cindy reed, alexia Leclerc. Hi, y'all. >> Hello. [2:27:39 PM] >> Hello. >> How's it going? Good I'm Brad Massengill. I'm with the, south Austin creek alliance. I'm the head of, the bird streets neighborhood association, and, rightly a frequent participant in city council stuff. And I think it's super important that we retain as much citizen communication as possible. This is a the only opportunity we have to talk. It's really y'all are super busy. There's so much business going on trying to get a face to face or even a facetime meeting with one of y'all is pretty hard. So this is the only time we really have to talk to you, and I would encourage you all to, to keep the rules as they are. I appreciate that. >> Thank you. >> Cindy reed, alexia Leclerc, Chris Paige, Zenobia Joseph. Mayor, I've called all the names [2:28:45 PM] Mayor, I've called all the names for 171. Thank you, members, we have a motion and a second. One of the things I want to point out is that, what is referenced in terms of the only time, that's where there's a reference. There are two times where there's a reference toward time, in the proposed ordinance, one is on, general citizen communication, which remains the same as what we've been doing. And it expressly states three minutes. The only other place is it makes a reference and it makes a reference that the floor would be two minutes, in the past, as I understand it, in the fairly recent past, that that there were times when, there would be a limit of one minute placed on what speakers would be allowed to speak. So what this does is it recognizes, under the law, councils right under the open meetings act to adopt reasonable rules regarding, time and says, but but it makes clear [2:29:47 PM] and says, but but it makes clear to the public that at no time will we establish less than two minutes for people to speak, so when people say it's, it's establishes that it's two minutes. That's not correct. It's just it's just the floor, with that, we have, as I understand it, councilmember villamor recognized you because as I understand it, we have two proposed amendments. There was a reference to your proposed amendment, but I'd like to recognize you on your proposed amendment. And what you're going to do with that, thank you, mayor. And I just, I'm going to withdraw my amendment. I just want to make a note that the amendment that I was, proposing essentially codifies, attorney general opinion. Kp 300, a 2020 opinion where the blanco county attorney wrote to ask the attorney general's office, essentially whether there could be a and I'm going to, quote, [2:30:49 PM] be a and I'm going to, quote, permit the county to limit the total amount of time it gives a speaker to address all desired agenda items. So this question was specifically asked of the attorney general. And the conclusion of the attorney general was that that the code does authorize a governmental body to adopt reasonable rules regarding the public's right to address a body, including time limitations, that the body may adopt a rule capping the total amount of time a member of the public has to address all items on the agenda. If the rule is reasonable. I just don't want to get into a situation where there's essentially a filibuster. You know, someone can take, you know, two minutes on the 30, individual items. Consent would be an individual item and essentially get 60 minutes, we have amateur comedians that come and there's just many different ways that I think that could be manipulated, and essentially served to disrupt an and really quiet the voice of other people who are [2:31:51 PM] voice of other people who are trying to speak. And I recognize that it's very hard to come down here and speak even it's hard to speak on the phone. You know, you've got to call in. You've got to wait, and I, I have a real problem with one person or one group of people dominating that time, essentially to the exclusion of others, I'm going to pull the amendment because I think that inherently within the statute, the presiding officer, the mayor or the mayor pro tem, given the situation, has the legal right to limit the total amount of time a speaker gets. Thank you, mayor. >> Thank you, councilmember vela. We have two other amendments. One is by me and one is by councilmember Allison alter. I'll with with permission, I will go to my amendment first, and members, you have the sheet, the yellow sheet on that the what that is it's a cleanup so that addendums can be filed the way we currently do. Addendum is, in anticipation of the upcoming [2:32:52 PM] anticipation of the upcoming meeting and takes out, what is a vestige of an old practice of it being published, six days prior to the meeting. So that's what that amendment does, is and I would move adoption of Watson motion to amend number one to item 171. It's seconded by councilmember vela. Is there discussion, yes. Councilmember Allison alter I'm sorry, mayor, I don't have a copy of that. >> Could you just read it? >> Sure. Be happy to, I apologize because I. That's true. You wouldn't have one, motion. What it says is motion sheet number one. I move to amend version two of the ordinance starting on line 72 to read as follows. Sub part capital D, the city manager shall publish the agenda 13 days prior to the meeting. And there is then, it deletes the rest of that phrase. >> Further, that would allow us to still do the addendum. >> Yes. The way we currently do it day or Monday before the [2:33:53 PM] it day or Monday before the meeting. That's right. >> Okay. Thank you, thank you. >> Is there any further discussion with regard to the motion to amend without objection, the motion to amend is adopted. That will take us to Allison alter motion to amend, number one for item 171 as item 171 is amended and I'll recognize councilmember Allison alter. >> Thank you. Mayor, so I would move to amend the ordinance to add the following language to the end of part six. B in order to allow members of the public to pull an item from the consent agenda, this would read on number B, part five, in which six or more members of the public have signed up to speak, the prior practice was two or more members of the public signing up could pull an item off of consent, and I have raised that. And I believe this amendment strikes the right balance between empowering engagement and efficiency of our meetings. An item pulled from consent focuses attention and [2:34:56 PM] consent focuses attention and creates a slight pause that, over the years, in my experience, can prove very useful, in the past, as I mentioned, it was two people that may be too low, that's why I put it at six, I think this motion also means that our staff and the other public that are here for items where you have fewer than sixpeople signed up, they can come to council, be heard, and move on, one of the opportunities, with the consent agenda is to allow our staff to move on with their day, and when we have items on there that have , you know, more than six speakers, that starts to add up and take up a lot of staff time that is valuable. Keep our staff away from doing their important work, and so I think that there's a balance here that we ought to strike. So I would move, approval of, my amendment members. >> Councilmember Allison alter has moved amendment alter amendment number one, proposed amendment number one to item number 171. Is there discussion on the item? What I would say, [2:35:56 PM] on the item? What I would say, is that I'm not sure it's necessary for two reasons. One is, as I understand the practice , the prior practice was that. And after right after the pandemic, there was a change where, people were allowed to speak once on the consent agenda , and that was the practice that then was brought forward, starting in January of 23. Since we are expressly saying in this ordinance that someone can speak on any item on the consent agenda, it precludes the need to pull something off, so that a somebody will also have an opportunity to speak on that item as well. In addition to that, any council member, at any time can pull an item off the consent agenda and therefore it's off the consent agenda. And if it's determined by a council [2:36:57 PM] if it's determined by a council member that that, you know, more than six people have signed up, and that's a good reason to do it then or even more than two. You can do that, the way this also is worded is that you can have six people that are in favor of it. You can have, you know, more than six people that are in favor of it, but that pulls the item from the consent agenda, and it's I believe the item is unnecessary, but I'll leave it to the will. Yes. Councilmember Ryan alter, I'm sorry, I was just waiting for a second to discuss that. >> I, I, I actually initially had the same notion of, you know, what might be the right number. And the more I thought about it, you know, looking at a meeting like today where we have individuals who come and actually want to speak on something, whether they're for it or against it, and then get on their day and it seems like if we have a certain number of items that get pushed to behind behind the consent agenda, we're forcing people to wait here longer to speak when, you know, [2:37:58 PM] longer to speak when, you know, we saw people here today say, oh, you know, I would like to have spoken on this, but it was pulled. And so I just think for the flow, you know, we are still in a little bit of a new dynamic and we're going to have to get the balance and maybe revisit this issue going forward. But I think just as we have seen even here, that not not setting that arbitrary cap or pull from the consent agenda will allow for us to kind of flow a little better. So my $0.02, >> Thank you. Is there a second to the motion to amend by councilmember Allison alter? Councilmember Fuentes seconds the motion to amend. Is there any further discussion on the motion to amend? Yes. Councilmember Allison alter, I'll let you close. >> Thank you. So there's part of what you said, that that I, that I didn't follow and just, you know, again, having experienced it where we were calling folks, pulling items off consent, I think it really did flow, even if you have people, 30 people [2:39:01 PM] if you have people, 30 people who are coming and speaking in favor of an item, you know, they very often want to see us vote, you know, and raise our hand on an item and know that it passes, and, and I just, you know, one of the things that makes our, our city great is our public participation. It's our social capital. And one of the places that we see that is at council and, you know, it is our, our, our role to listen, and I think that this particular approach, is more conducive to moving forward. With the meetings effectively and know, let's people know that, that if they do bring in a certain number of folks that, that their item will be pulled, forward. And that can work in lots of different directions, I think it is something that I have heard from many constituents, that they would very much value, and, you know, in my experience, it has made our has been a positive for our meetings and that we do need [2:40:03 PM] our meetings and that we do need to get a good balance between engagement and efficiency. And I think this does that. >> All right. Thank you. Members, the motion is to adopt Allison. Alter motion. I'm sorry. Motion to amend. Number one to item number 171, it's been seconded. Those in favor of the motion, raise your hand. Those opposed to the motion, raise your hand. The motion to amend fails, with councilmember Allison alter being shown voting in favor, that will now take us back to the main motion, which is to adopt item number 171, as amended by Watson motion to amend number one. Is there any further discussion? Yes. Council member Allison alter, thank you, mayor and I appreciate the grace of my colleagues. >> I've been sick all week and, was not able to be there at work [2:41:03 PM] was not able to be there at work session, or I would have asked some of these clarifying questions during work session, in part for, I think it's number , F, mayor, it says not more than two briefings may be placed on a council meeting agenda. I just wanted to confirm that that is for an agenda of a council meeting, not of a work session. >> Yes. That's why it's placed under Thursday council meeting. >> Okay. I just wanted to clarify that, colleagues, I have looked spoken with legal about whether we could move our committee reports to consent, and was advised that that is not a, a, a positive way forward. So I didn't bring that amendment. You clarified this earlier, mayor, on that. But, the intention for part seven with, with the two minutes was that that was a floor, so I appreciate you, clarifying not for the community that you [2:42:04 PM] for the community that you intended it as a floor. I think that three minutes is, the right amount, and very certainly would , recommend that for our budget process in July that we make clear that we're going to give people three minutes. So there's not ambiguity about how much time, people are going to have, in that process moving forward, and then finally, I wanted to, ask about I know this doesn't need to be in the procedures, but I will once again, suggest that there is value in moving our work sessions and some of our committee meetings into the board and commission rooms, the layout of the room is much more conducive for, for collaboration, and working together, and it's, you know, just just a different setting than when you're in the council meeting, and I would just recommend that we consider, trying that out and seeing how we like that. Thank you. [2:43:06 PM] we like that. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any further discussion? Members the motion on item number 171 is to approve item 171, as amended, without objection, mayor, I would like to abstain. >> Please. >> Okay. Without objection, item 171 is approved with councilmember Allison alter being shown as abstaining. All right. Thank you. Members. What? We'll now do is go to. The zoning matters. As soon as I can find it. And, guess who I'm recognizing, mayor and council. I'm Julie harden with the planning department. Your zoning agenda begins with item number 141 c1 for 2022 0090. And this item is offered for consent on all three readings. Item 142 is npa 2023 [2:44:08 PM] readings. Item 142 is npa 2023 0015.04. This item is offered as an applicant. Indefinite postponement. The related rezoning is item 143 c1 for 2023 0117. Again, this item is offered as an applicant. Indefinite postponement item 144 c1 for 2024 0030. This item is offered for consent on all three readings. Item 145 is c1 for 2022 0162. This item is offered for consent first reading only. Item 146 is c1 for 2024 0026. This item is offered for consent on all three readings. Item 147 is c1 for 2024 0029. This item is offered for consent on all three readings. Item 148 is c1 for 2024 0031. This item is offered for consent on all three readings. Item 149 is npa 2023 0020.02. This item is related to [2:45:08 PM] 0020.02. This item is related to item 157 and this will be a discussion item. Item 150 is npa 2023 0015.06. This item will be offered for consent on all three readings. The related rezoning is item 151 c1 for 2023 0156. Again, this item will be offered for consent on all three readings. Item 152 is c1 for 2023 0095. This item is offered for consent on all three readings with the following motion, and that reads them in part two of the draft ordinance to include the following additional conditions B a ten foot wide vegetative buffer shall be provided and maintained along the property lines. Improvements permitted within the buffer are limited to drainage, underground utility improvements, bio filtration, ponds and components, and those improvements that may otherwise be required by the city of Austin and sea, reads a 50 foot building. Setbacks shall be established and maintained along property lines adjacent to the property. Zoned urban family [2:46:09 PM] property. Zoned urban family residence sf five or more restrictive and again on item 152 with that motion, this is being offered for consent on all three readings. Item 153 ac1 for 2024 002 for this item is being offered for consent on all three readings. Item 154 is npa 2023 0015.05. S-h. There's a neighborhood postponement request to your July 18th council meeting. The related rezoning is item 155 c1 for 2023 0141.8. Again, this item is being offered as a neighborhood postponement request to your July 18th council meeting. Item 156 two c1 4960127 rct. This item is offered for consent. And just to note this is in district two, not district ten, and that was noted on changes in corrections. I don't 157 two c1 four 2023 003 for this item is related to item number 149. This will be a discussion item, this [2:47:10 PM] will be a discussion item, this does have a valid petition. So it will require nine votes to pass on all three readings. Item 158 is c1 for 2023 0109. This item will be offered for consent first reading only. Item 159 is c1. Four eight 2023 0137. This item will be offered as a staff postponement request to your July 18th council meeting and the addendum item is number 183 c1 four 2023 0106, this item does have a motion from council member Vella. So we could offer it for consent with his motion or. Okay, I see your head council mayor, so we will pull this for discussion. Board. Council member Vila to, make his, motion. And with that, this concludes the reading of the agenda. And as always, this is at your discretion. Thank you. [2:48:11 PM] at your discretion. Thank you. Okay let me ask a couple quick questions. >> Make sure I got things right. 145. Is that for all three readings or on first reading, first reading, first reading. >> Okay. >> 150 and 151. >> 150 and one. >> I'm sorry, those are consent on all three readings. >> Consent on all three readings. >> 154 155 is what I want to talk about. Those are not being offered on consent on all three readings. Those are both offered to be postponed to July 18th, by the neighborhood. >> Yes. >> And then on 156, tell me again what you said, so this is offered for consent. >> It's a restricted covenant. And so it's just one reading, so it's consent. And I was just noting that the agenda had it as district ten, but it's in district two. And we had noted that all changes and corrections . But that was just a gender reading. But it's consent. >> And then number 158 is first reading only. >> 158 is first reading only. >> Okay members, what I'm going to do is read a proposed read [2:49:14 PM] to do is read a proposed read into the record, a proposed, consent agenda, and accept a motion on that, and miss harden, as you can tell, I had difficulty on a couple of these, so make sure I get it right. All right. Yes, sir. Item number 141 consent on all three readings 142 and 143 indefinite postponement. 144. All three readings. 145. First reading only. 146. All three readings 147. All three readings 148. All three readings 150. And the related item 151. All three readings 152. All three readings with the motion that was read into the record by miss harden. 153 all three readings 154 and 155. Related. 155 postponed to July 18th 156 consent and we only need one reading on that, for passage. 158 consent on first reading only. 159 a [2:50:17 PM] first reading only. 159 a postponement to July 18th. Members. You've heard the proposed consent agenda. I'll accept a motion, council member Ellis. It makes the motion. It is seconded by council member qadri to approve the consent agenda as read. Is there anyone signed up to speak on the consent agenda? >> Yes, mayor. First speaker, is remote. Malcolm Yeats, item 141. >> This is Malcolm Yeats. I'm the chair of the east Riverside old talk combined neighborhood planning area. Contact team. The contact team voted to oppose this zoning change because members of the east Riverside, oltorf combined contact team devoted years to creating the Iraq neighborhood plan and the east Riverside corridor plan by approving zoning case c14 2020 200 90, the planning commission [2:51:17 PM] 200 90, the planning commission and city council have ignored the intent of the citizens of Austin to create a plan for future growth in the east Riverside area. Austin citizens will be justifiably skeptical of any future projects by the city council to plan for growth. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> That was the only remote speaker for consent, so I'll move to in person on item 141. Pat gregorymhm followed by Felix Ramirez and then Mario Cantu. >> Hi, I'm pat brighidin and I'm speaking on item 141. I'm speaking on behalf of a group of Riverside farms road property owners whose homes are adjacent to or very near the Cromwell property. We can't support this zoning change because of the extremely negative impact it could have on our close knit, semi-rural neighborhood, but I'm [2:52:18 PM] semi-rural neighborhood, but I'm here to say we will not oppose it. We've been working on a restrictive covenant with the owners of the property through their representative, Leah Boggio of the Drenner group, for over a year. During that time, both sides have made concessions, but ultimately what they offered didn't address enough of our concerns and we as private homeowners simply can't afford to spend any more time, energy and upfront money. So we've reached an impasse. We do recognize that they want and need to make profitable use of their land, and after over a year of negotiations, they should know what's important to us. Definitely height and setbacks are important, especially since our adjacent properties are 20ft lower in elevation than theirs. But other things are also important, like noise, lights, reflectivity, privacy, security, trash and protecting the country. Club creek tributary that runs between their property and ours. This is their business, but this [2:53:19 PM] This is their business, but this is our home. I've lived on Riverside farms road for many years, and during that time our neighborhood has worked collaboratively and well with our other corporate neighbors, including Trammell crow, the ironworkers union, the Casey family foundation, veritas family partners, svag and Tokyo electron. We want to have that same kind of relationship with the current and any future Cromwell property owners. We've told the applicants, through Leah Boggio, that we would like to make an informal agreement with them to work together, collaborate actively and as good neighbors during site planning, building and beyond on their behalf. She has agreed. We will go on record today saying we will honor such an agreement and we hope that here today they will make a commitment to do the same, knowing that nothing binds either of us but goodwill, honor and integrity. Thank you. Thank you. >> Felix Ramirez, Mario Cantu [2:54:20 PM] >> Felix Ramirez, Mario Cantu and then if your name has been called, please come forward. >> Yes, my name is Felix Ramirez . I'm here to oppose the zoning change from the case. 146 in Peyton road. This is a church and we are at that church since one year ago. And. But the church was built in 1970. They have been there 45. I mean, 54 years ago, until now. And we try to keep that church. I understand that the owners want to build some apartment, but we have some demographics for this song. I mean, this zip code, there are 3044 six. I mean, 446 [2:55:20 PM] there are 3044 six. I mean, 446 apartments in that zip code in Austin built, built 23,043 four apartments in 2033 and was the third place in the whole country for building apartments. So we try to do a community service. We make a lot of improvements. Indeed. Building and the and the area and now we are allowed the, neighbors to use the food, soccer field and basketball court every weekend. So we try to keep that building. I mean, that church because it's from our community service and I know the, the apartments are important, but I think churches [2:56:21 PM] important, but I think churches are important, too. There are no more than ten churches in that zip code. The Latino churches. So so there are almost ten or speaking speak English. People so I think we try to keep that church working for the community . So we asked the authorities to, keep in mind that every, everything in, in the city could be in balance. So that's why we are here to put this, opposition to that change in that area. God, you know, maybe the scriptures, but, god house is a gate of heaven. You just be a part of this or you just be part of the blessing. Thank you. >> Thank you. [2:57:22 PM] >> Thank you. >> Good evening, council members. My name is Mario Cantu. I'm with chair of the south congress contact team. I just want to briefly touch up on the conversations that we've probably had a thousand times, probably in the last week or month. And it's regarding affordability for our city, it's really important that we understand and that we get support for affordability. And I'm not just talking just affordability, but real affordability for our areas, our city, and for the individuals that are living outside of homes , that are living in the greenbelt, that are living on south congress, that are living on Ben white, they're living all different places of Austin, and there's animals, there's dogs, there's children, there's mothers and there's fathers and there's families and we need to take care of those individuals. And so I ask that we maximize affordability when the when the [2:58:24 PM] affordability when the when the chance comes up to each one of you in your district that we maximize the affordability in order for us to achieve that goal, that if we're going to have something set up to where we can't move these individuals unless we have this set up over here, what's over here needs to be set up so it's affordable so that we can have all these individuals that are living in a creek or living in a watershed are able to move over to this area. I ask each and every one of you, especially individuals that are on the council that have been here before and are here now, that have the experience that our veterans and know a lot about this, to handle this and take care of this, you know, in a fairly quick time and manner and also respect that we do have citizens that are working hard to have affordable Katy for this city and that we reach out to each and one of you to get that support. Thank you. [2:59:24 PM] to get that support. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> And then speaking on the merits of the postponement for 159, Brad Massingill and Mary kale. >> This item, the proposal is to postpone to July 18th. So if you speak on the merits of the postponement, great, I appreciate that this has been postponed. I'm on the board of preservation Austin and I chair their advocacy committee. >> I need you to state your name. I probably sorry, I probably screwed that up by saying something. That's all right. >> Mary Cale. >> And, this item is about the sinnickson house in east Austin, we on at preservation in Austin are, we're supporting the postponement. We're happy to do that. We hope that you will vote for historic landmark designation for this property. It's eligible for landmark designation and listing on the national register, as well as local landmark designation. The staff report for the case identified its folk Victorian architectural style, which is becoming increasingly rare in our city, and its historic [3:00:26 PM] our city, and its historic association with carpenter and builder Charles sinnickson. Excuse me. And we I want to remind people, too, that properties like the sinnickson house have housed east Austin's working class African American and Mexican American residents for decades, and with each older and historic home, we Luz, the displacement of these communities is cemented. So when this comes up for vote on July 18th, I would encourage you to support, historic landmark designation for it. Thank you so much. >> I just want to claim a brain fart, I've got a dislike for. And I accidentally signed up for this item. I signed up for 140, 59 and 47, and I kind of mixed the two up, so. >> Okay. >> Thank you very much. Appreciate you letting us know. And really appreciate you not just taking a position. Thank you. Sir. [3:01:26 PM] you. Sir. >> Mayor, I've called all the consent speakers great. >> Thank you very much. Members you've heard all the speakers that have signed up on the consent agenda as was read and there's a motion and a second to adopt the consent agenda. Let me ask if there's any discussion with regard to the consent agenda. Is there anyone wishing to be shown abstaining on any item on the consent agenda? Anyone wishing to be shown recusing themselves from an item that's on the consent agenda? Anyone wishing to be shown voting no on any item on the consent agenda? Council member Kelly, I'll recognize you. >> Thank you very much for recognizing me, sir. I'd like to be shown voting no on 149 and 157. Thank you. >> 149 is not on the consent agenda, nor is one, nor is, nor is 157. So. Thank you. After hearing all that testimony, you're still a no no. I'm teasing, are you. No. On any item on the consent agenda? >> If 157 and 149 are not on the [3:02:30 PM] >> If 157 and 149 are not on the consent agenda, they're not. >> Okay. Good. Very good. All right, then, without objection. And I mean, really without objection, the consent agenda is adopted, that will now take us to the 149, miss Hardin, I'll recognize you. >> Okay, I we typically do these together, but I'll separate them. >> Well, no, no. Tell me how you want to proceed, it might might be. >> Just lay out. 149. This is the neighborhood. >> Well, why would you typically do it? And now you're not? >> I will defer to the council. >> Well, what what is it? Why is it you would want to do that and tell? Because we may that three minutes each item. >> I would typically just lay it out at all at once. Is that how. >> Feel free to lay them out. But we're going to have to let people speak on each. >> I would like to do it the [3:03:31 PM] >> I would like to do it the same way then, if that's okay with y'all, you go for it. >> All right. Thank you. We'll follow your lead. Okay so I don't 149 it's related to 157 is npa 2023 002000210601 18 redbird lane. The property is located at 106 and 118 redbird lane. The npa case consists of one lot requesting a future land use map . Flum change from single family to mixed use. The remaining properties proposed to be rezoned and the related item 157 already identified as mixed use on the future land use map. So again, this is only a Flum change for one lot. While the lot does not have frontage on south congress avenue, it is part of a larger proposed unified development for mixed use project which which does front south congress, south congress avenue is identified as an activity corridor in the imagine Austin comprehensive plan. The property is highlighted on page 128 of the comprehensive plan as a redevelopment parcel. The site is indicated as part of the [3:04:32 PM] is indicated as part of the compact activity center along south congress between oltorf and Stacy lane, where mixed use development is supported and could accommodate nearly 15,000 more residents than the existing suburban development pattern that is typical to the area. So again, staff supports the applicant's request of mixed use to the land use map. Moving on to the related item of 157, that case number c-1 for 2023 003 for 5402 south congress avenue. The property is located at 106 116 and 118 redbird lane in 5402, 50, 50, 408 and 5412 south congress avenue and 111 west mockingbird lane. It is currently zoned sf2 ksmu, Erp, ksmu, comp and the applicant is requesting ksmu wvko db £0.19. The subject rezoning area is [3:05:34 PM] The subject rezoning area is approximately approximately 2.72 acres and is located on south congress avenue between redbird lane and west mockingbird lane. The center portion of the site along redbird lane, is developed with the single family residence and a previous automotive sales use, while the northern portion is undeveloped. The applicant is proposing a development that would consist of approximately 250 multifamily units and 9600ft S of ground floor, pedestrian oriented uses and intends to participate in the db 90 combining district density bonus program, which requires the provision of affordable housing. Staff is recommending cs mu fico db 90 mp based on the following considerations. Land uses along south congress avenue are in transition from undeveloped tracts to those that include mixed use and multi-family residences. There is existing cs zoning located directly across south congress [3:06:36 PM] directly across south congress avenue, as well as south of the property. South congress avenue is a core transit corridor, and the site is located within one quarter of a mile of three public transit bus stops. It is, and it is currently served by two capital metro bus routes, including a metro rapid bus route, and south congress avenue is also designated as a project connect corridor for the future extension of the proposed Orange line. And with that, I'm available for questions. Thank you. >> Council members, do you have any questions of staff in that case? Without objection, we will open the public hearing on item number 149 and I open the public hearing on item 157. What I'm going to do is ask people, the way we're going to do this is, is those that are in favor of the item. I'm going to ask to make a five minute proposal, a five minute presentation on [3:07:37 PM] five minute presentation on those opposed to the item, to make a five minute presentation, and then we will go to three minute presentations by first those in favor, then those opposed, and will allow for a wrap up and rebel because both of these items are related, what I'm going to do is ask we're going to have well, I'll let you speak on both of them, but if you can just speak to the merits of both items in the one time, if that if that's a possibility. So we will start with a presentation by the applicant. You will have five minutes, and then whoever is in opposition, if you will please pick your presenter for a five minute presentation to in opposition. It's all yours if you're for it. >> Awesome, good afternoon, mayor and council. Thank you for letting me be here today. My [3:08:38 PM] letting me be here today. My name is Amanda suo. On behalf of the owners of the property, I will be brief. Just wanted to show a couple of pictures to what staff was mentioning. So this is the property with, mockingbird on the north south, congress on the east and redbird on the south, putting into a picture what miss Hardin was mentioning. The one piece that is changing from, from single family future land use map to mixed use. You see it in the yellow. It is the kind of the whole in the larger piece that will allow for a unified development of this property, this is a list of conditional overlays, this case was on your agenda back in December, this project was originally submitted in March for a vmu two project. There is a site plan in review, we did have to postpone this to allow, DV 90 to be passed. And so that is where we are moving forward. This was unanimously recommended it at planning commission, this really lays out everything that miss Hardin said this this is a if not here where type of a site we are located on a core transit corridor on an imagined Austin corridor within [3:09:39 PM] imagined Austin corridor within an, east west and north south rapid transit, not just, seldom service lines. This this project was, as staff mentioned originally, 250 units. We do have a site plan in as we've gone through that, it's approximately 275 units. We did work with the neighborhood plan contact team. They asked us to utilize the 50% mfi, so we will be doing 10% of the units at 50% mfi. So this project will provide 28 affordable housing units at 50% mfi in a location of the city that has amazing transit, with that, I respectfully request your support and I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Members, do you have any questions? Great. Thank you. Opposition. Please come forward. >> Hey, y'all, I have a presentation on Massengill. The 147. I mean, 149 one. Sorry. There I go with my dyslexia [3:10:40 PM] There I go with my dyslexia again. Hi, y'all. I'm Brad Massengill. I'm with, the bird streets, a pleasant hill neighborhood group, and, saved mystery creek as well as a board member of, south Austin creek alliance. And we're here to in opposition to this, we have a valid petition. So we want y'all to take that up today, we besides the valid petition, our our, neighborhood of 70 homes, we ended up with over 45 people signing on to a petition. So it's pretty much unanimous the way the neighborhood feels about this. I'm going to start with the anatomy of the death of a creek. Back in the 1930s, the bird streets was a little four square block neighborhood in south of town, way out in the boonies. The neighborhood was the northern end of a huge [3:11:42 PM] the northern end of a huge meadow that is surrounded by present day little turtle creek to the north and west, and old San Antonio highway on the east. The creek on the left is our mystery creek. It flowed from south of present day William cannon, north to the bird streets neighborhood and on to little turtle creek, a tributary of Williamson creek. All the development in the subdivision south of stassney have been built on top of the old stream bed. In the two companion creeks are long since vanished. All the remains of a once miles long creek is a three block long section traveling from south side of redbird lane to little turtle creek. There's a small artesian spring at the 300 block of redbird lane. It's about 120ft from the 106 redbird lane property. Mystery creek traverses on its way to Williamson creek. The critical environment environmental [3:12:44 PM] environment environmental feature is well within the 150 foot perimeter prescribed by the city's environmental department. The close proximity of this spring to mystery creek means it as well is a critical environmental feature, since the only path for this spring's outflow is via mystery creek through the 106 redbird lane property on its way to Williamson creek, it is the only way to Williamson creek. The creek at the. Wait one more. Sorry the creek edge at 106 redbird is home to one of the largest cottonwoods in south Austin. Cottonwood trees are great indicators of nearby springs. This massive cottonwood tells us mystery creek is spring fed as a spring fed, ephemeral spring. By state law, any efforts to block, divert or channel it are forbidden by some of the oldest laws on the books. Our neighborhood has been [3:13:45 PM] Our neighborhood has been successful at defending mystery creek from proposed developments in past decades. Little Ford apartments, pictured here, had to shrink its proposed footprint when it was pointed out that it was too close to the creek. A national self-storage company dropped their plans for the property when the creek was brought to their attention. We've also called inherited ridge and pecan trees on the 5400 south congress site that were being illegally chopped down. We have video, same same developer, and the historic bungalows on this property were illegally destroyed and the rubble was piled directly on top of mystery creek. Looking for the right picture here. There it is along with the mountain of sawdust, the chopped trees created this massive debris. Debris pile started the inevitable sedimentation of mystery creek. Add the fallen limbs from the last two major freezes and you have a veritable dam backing up flood water into [3:14:45 PM] dam backing up flood water into the neighborhood. In addition, mystery creek is catching all the sediment flowing down from Redburn lane. It is dying a slow death by stagnation. That brings me to my original statement the anatomy of the death of a creek. There's an ephemeral creek. A there's an ephemeral creek flowing under massive trees, trees that soak up lots of water and potential flood water and create shade canopy that cools the immediate area by several degrees. Chop down the huge, be chopped down the huge water storing trees and pile debris in the path of the creek. See add rain and spring water. Now you have water backing up just like a beaver dam. It stagnates and goes wide and flat, at which point sediment starts filling in the creek. Creek bed. This is the current situation on red bird lane. Water backing up. I didn't know I could do video. I would have done more of that. [3:15:45 PM] would have done more of that. Anyway, the creek flattens out entirely, sending sheets of floodwater into the neighborhood properties. >> I'm sorry, sir, but your initial time has expired. Okay great. >> Thank you, members, I may have been unclear on what I was saying. We opened both public hearings because they're related, because we're trying to operate where people get to speak on both items, what I was trying to say was that they will have the opportunity to speak on both items, which means they basically get six minutes. But I was pleading with them that if they don't need the full six minutes, they, use whatever time they might otherwise need. So if you'll do it that way, I'd appreciate it. Now we're going to hear from people that are in favor of this item. >> Mayor, there is no one signed up in favor fair enough. >> That's the easiest six minutes we've had so far. Those in opposition. >> For item 149, Tonya Payne and [3:16:50 PM] >> For item 149, Tonya Payne and then Thomas Robinson. >> If they've only signed up on one item, it's three minutes. If they've signed up on both, it's six minutes okay. >> Moving on to those who signed up for both items, Lindsay steeples, Thomas Hendricks, Andrea Mccartney. >> If your name has been called, please come to the front. If it's an empty microphone, you own it, so go for it. >> Okay. >> Hello, my name is Tanya Payne and I live on in district five and I will be very fast today for you, I encourage you to vote no on this. Develop Swint proposal. I know that you're interested in flooding by your actions today. I know you're concerned about water quality and air quality biodiversity, especially in your upcoming bond proposal for the environment. Swint. This is an opportunity to get it changed. You can just [3:17:50 PM] get it changed. You can just vote no and maintain this spring and protect the lands around it. Encourage them to just have something slightly smaller. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, I'm Andrea Mccartney. >> I'm giving my time to Brad masco. >> Brad. >> Well, hang, hang on, hang on that that's not how it operates, well, I did it over there, but that. >> But apparently we weren't aware of it. >> If I took the five minutes, she's not able to tell the time. >> That's right, but. Well, I'm. I'm sorry that you feel that way . Would you like to speak, ma'am ? What items? What items has she signed up on? [3:18:53 PM] signed up on? >> Both 149 and 157. >> So you'll have. You'll have up to six minutes. >> Where do I start? Start. >> Okay. >> I'm continuing with this mystery creek, my name is Andrea Mccartney. I live on red bird lane. >> Thank you. >> Mystery creek is a dilapidated in a dilapidated state. It's in deplorable condition. It wasn't before the current property owner's actions impacted it so negatively for the applicant. Applicant to claim this is not a creek and worthy of our protection is a fabricated scenario of their own making. Rewarding such behavior with bonus programs and the like seems patently unfair to the neighborhood and an affront to our natural heritage and the trees we love so much. At a time when the city is preparing to embark on a climate equity plan, with estimates of over $1 billion to be spent on the acquisition of green space, to let this property leave the [3:19:54 PM] let this property leave the protection of our neighborhood. Plan for the tod would be an act of sheer hypocrisy, mystery creek is a major asset to our neighborhood and the city, as are all the unnamed creeks and ephemeral streams around town, allowing this to go forward knowing the importance these capillaries have on our greater water watershed. Circulatory system is to ignore the fact that we already have some of the things we need to overcome the looming climate catastrophe destroying parts of nature we already have to pursue a technological or real estate fueled fix to these problems is not a healthy way to proceed, please deny this request to amend the future land use map and our neighborhood plan, thank you. >> Betsy Greenberg, Lauren Ross, [3:20:56 PM] >> Betsy Greenberg, Lauren Ross, M Kinch, sol praxis. After sol is bill Oliver. Julie woods, Julian Reyes. Sol signed up for both items. So six minutes. Thank you. >> Hello, sol. Praxis, district three. I'm reading these on behalf of Brad Massengill. I woke up the night before last to find ten fire trucks surrounding the property at 5400 block of south congress. There were 20 firefighters out there. If it hadn't been a rainy day, the fire in that structure could have easily spread throughout our neighborhood. And I might be homeless right now. The house on the 106 Redburn lane property has been squatted in, on and off for the last six years. When the applicant bought that house, it was a perfectly good house. I [3:21:58 PM] was a perfectly good house. I knew the owner and he maintained it well. It is now a hulk. The applicant is claiming it is an abandoned house. It is not abandoned. It is not being maintained by the applicant. They have been letting it fall into disrepair so that they can claim it is in. It is an abandoned house. When it comes time to demolish it. Since it's over 50 years old, it's a historic structure and will need a special permit to take down. The same is true of the structure that caught fire this week. We've had a spate of mail thievery going on in our neighborhood. Turns out the mail stealers have been holing up in one of the properties on red bird lane. We've also been hearing tales of other properties. The applicant owns. One such property apparently had at least 30 people squatting there with no electricity or water in the neighborhood, and the owners seem to be ignoring the problem. They apparently have unrented units all over town with no sort of systematic security. Something else to consider before considering giving a density bonus to a project that will yield only a handful of slightly affordable units. The 106 red bird lane property, thanks to the newly passed homes initiative, this [3:22:58 PM] passed homes initiative, this lot could sustain over 40 truly affordable units. If the goal is to get more affordability close to the core, this option would allow this property to stay in our neighborhood. Micro cabins and affordable housing seems like a much better fit. The applicant may claim undue hardship due to the amount of effort and energy they put into designing and sitting on this project, but the fact of the matter is, this is the third site plan for this particular parcel. Several years ago, the initial project manager actually came over to my house to talk to me about the property. They the project they were proposing and I was asking for and was asking for my input. We walked the property and we talked about making sure the creek was included in their plans. They were definitely acknowledging the creek's existence at that point. He got back to me, telling me that they had decided to put in a green space that included the creek and would be a great amenity to the proposed project, a project that would have been much smaller. It would have been an appropriate sized project, with our neighborhood being taken into consideration. I think subsequent siting attempts that lure the lure of the density bonus housing [3:24:00 PM] the density bonus housing offered with affordability unlocked made them change their mind and decide to upzone the property instead. It's at this point they put all their eggs in one basket. Their original plan was something that could actually have been accomplished and most likely completed by now , but the temptation of these extra stories was too much for them to resist, and that's on them. They decided to take a gamble and shoot for a larger return on investment on this property without doing their homework. If they had done their homework, they would have realized the neighborhood has successfully defended mystery creek on several occasions, not to mention the fact that the previous project manager acknowledged the creek in earlier discussions. They know it was there, yet they went ahead with their plan anyway. They should have known better in the past. I worked as an administrative assistant to a venture capitalist, and one of the things I learned in that job was to do your due diligence, and there's no such thing as a guaranteed return on investment. Unfortunately for this outfit, they forgot those simple lessons and went full speed ahead without actually having a clear path to accomplish what they were trying to do. They should have quit when they were ahead and made something that would [3:25:01 PM] and made something that would have been appropriate. The neighborhood has nothing to do with any of their decision making. We will gain nothing from this and have everything to lose. The irony is, no matter what happens in my personal situation, I will be surrounded by new construction at some point in the near future. No matter what. I've got no problems with that. There are vacant lots on three sides of me. It's going to happen. I'm going to be surrounded at some point. I'm definitely not doing this for myself. This project might not even be finished by the time I'm 75 years old. I just turned 65, so I'm not worried about my taxes going up. So you might ask yourself, why am I going to all this effort just to be obstinate or stubborn? The truth of the matter is, I care deeply about the environment and ignoring these issues will be leaving an even bigger mess for future generations when they find themselves in an unlivable city with no water, no trees susceptible to flash flooding and fires with an inability to ensure their homes are as insurance companies pull out of the market due to potential climate catastro fee payouts, payouts they can no longer afford. You can't transfer title one in Texas without insurance. We need to consider future [3:26:04 PM] We need to consider future generations. We need to take the time and spend the effort to locate all these minuscule pieces of our environment and enshrine them in some way to make them inviolable, inviolable into the future. Future generations are counting on us to do the right thing. Past generations failed to notice or act on issues that are affecting us today. Let's not be the unsolvable problem of future generations. Our native American friends teach us to look out for the future up to seven generations burns we need to take that lesson to heart. People like to say keep Austin weird. I think some of us would like to see keep Austin flowing. Save mystery creek. Thank you Brad. And I just want to add, on behalf of community party tx that we also oppose, this change. I know that we hear council talk about, oh, we're going to help with flood insurance after we already passed the home initiative or other things that worsen flooding, we're going to do things for climate resilience after we destroy trees that actually provide shade and climate resilience and, and [3:27:05 PM] climate resilience and, and allow our, our neighborhoods to stay, you know, somewhat insulated from the extreme heat, the extreme weather events that we're seeing. I think we're all very tired of just hearing talk about how council is going to, try to mitigate a problem that they've created. And so I hope you won't create another problem and destroy mystery creek. >> Hello again. City council, save mystery creek, and free palestine. So I'm against any development at this point, that tears down trees. I'm sorry, but you need to identify yourself. Julian Reyes. I'm a member of the press, so I'm against any development at this point when, when we haven't had an audit to see how much of the campaign contributions for all the city council members and the mayor, were provided by developers. We've had problems with Pio [3:28:06 PM] We've had problems with Pio Renteria in the past of past city council member that got over $100,000 in donations from the developers that destroyed Riverside, there's a condo right there on south congress off redbird, and it's pretty new. It's in the last few years and it it has degraded the environment there. It at the same time there was low income housing basically a chanty Ville that was destroyed that Brad Massengill, that mentioned when they're cutting the videos of them cutting down trees and all that, when we're having environmental problems in Austin, it keeps getting hotter and hotter. You cannot cut down trees for developers. That's not helping anything. We have a heat signature where all the storms go around us or burn up because we're just like a big processor heat conductor, and inside of a computer with all these skyscrapers and glass and concrete downtown, we're affecting the weather. Our local weather affecting my gardens were affecting the environment. The ability for the aquifer to [3:29:07 PM] The ability for the aquifer to recharge, we really don't seem to have an environmental. We have environmental talk, but we don't have environmental action, what the developers are doing is they're buying and they're they're not even austinites. Let's just admit that most of the developers, unlike the Guadalupe group that we talked to earlier, that spoke earlier, most of these developers are from out of town, like dominion and stuff. And I know you know who I'm talking about because you probably all got checks from them. They are not austinites. They are. They are. They're developing our city and hyper developing our inflation to where we can't afford to live here. And it's directly impacted by the zoning and development changes that you all make. And they continue to make without proper citizen input. We were supposed to have 5 or 6 minutes. It gets reduced. I'm a former environmental scientist from Baylor university. I've tested water through Texas watch, and through as an environmental scientist all over the state of Texas, groundwater, pollution, hazardous hazardous waste. And, I, I just all I see is the city [3:30:08 PM] I, I just all I see is the city going after people of color and of poverty, cutting down massive amounts of trees in fields to get to people, destroying parks, destroying literally old parks that they don't want, and giving them to developers to create more apartments. We don't need more apartments. We don't have a housing shelter. Y'all can stop that lie. There are plenty of houses in southwest Austin that were just built thousands of houses. There's plenty of empty condos and buildings. The city literally has hundreds and hundreds of acres and buildings that y'all don't even use, there's lots of opportunities to house people, especially the low income. I'm really tired of hearing about the affordable, affordable housing. That doesn't mean anything. Those actually, that's not actually a metric. The metric is low income housing. As part of the housing and urban development, the hud, it's part of the tax code. It's the law. So low income has a has a ceiling where you're exempt from taxes. You don't make [3:31:08 PM] from taxes. You don't make enough money. And affordable housing again is the yuppies that we want to bring in that you keep inviting over and giving, giving tax incentives to people like the domain and to the Riverside. We've seen how the development works, where thousands of people are displaced of low income and people that are minorities. Every minority on this, on this chito all of you guys, qadri all of you guys, y'all need to defend minorities because you're whitening the city. You're part of the whitening of the city where it's for rich white people. Only the other thing I want to mention is the with the creeks and the streams in Austin and what Adler was telling us with the boil water notices. So literally what we had was contamination of the water, not not sediment. You cannot boil out, sediment and sand out of your water. That didn't make any sense. That was a lie. What we have is contaminated waterways because the sewers are placed in the creek. And I heard someone speak about that earlier. And that was an economic thing. It's [3:32:09 PM] that was an economic thing. It's easier to use gravity fed sewers and put them in in our in our greenbelts and down in our, our creek beds, but that needs to be undone. Now. We got to spend billions of dollars to undo that, because you're polluting our environment and the water is not safe for an animal to be in. Not safe for a dog to drink without dying. Not safe for a human being to be in without getting a freshwater amoeba and give them a brain aneurysm. We've we've created a dirty, nasty city, and we haven't done enough on education. And to tell people stop polluting. We haven't done a lot of educational reach out to not mess with Texas. And you guys are messing with Texas, you're messing with Austin and I'm against all of that stuff. So save mystery creek and free palestine. >> Carlos penon. Fran. Tattoo Cindy reed, alexia Leclerc, Chris Paige. Are you bill Oliver? Yeah. Come on down. Six [3:33:15 PM] Oliver? Yeah. Come on down. Six minutes, six minutes. >> Hotel California. I'm. I'm bill Oliver, and I've been in district three for over 50 years. >> Wright mayor knows. Yep. Welcome to Austin, Mr. Broadnax. I hope I'm not the obligatory, comedian for the day. Ken. Eid that I am here in support of mystery creek and the bird street neighborhood, from my earliest memories. Three years old, getting a spanking from my mother for wading in the creek in Webster groves. Saint Louis, Missouri. The creek near our house. It wasn't so much the wading party. It was the winter. And I came in late, but I was about three years old when I was bonding with that very close to that creek nearby, a very small [3:34:16 PM] that creek nearby, a very small creek about the size of mystery creek. And oh, fast forward 5 or 6 years later, we're in Houston, southwest Houston, briargrove neighborhood, and the brier grove ditch called, and we went down to the brier grove ditch. And you catch sea turtles and frogs down there, but never your parents. It was a great place to take huckleberry Finn and guitar and chuck berry. That creek went all the way to the Buffalo bayou, which was pretty spooky, but most of the time we were at the local creek. It was a ditch to most of the people, but to us short people, those places are as profound as the tall buildings are to the rich people that are building out over this, wiping out those little creeks. Now the sun comes up and the birds are singing free. To celebrate the rain and the magic of mystery creek, it's the battle for bird streets on [3:35:20 PM] battle for bird streets on pleasant hill. There's a south Austin neighbor hood that's living still. >> Battle for bird streets on mockingbird. Bird streets. >> Red bird and blue. Battled for bird streets and mystery creek. Battle for bird streets. Little turtle creek to bird streets. Bird streets. But the sun's going down. And the condos are going up. Some people barely get by. Some people can't get enough. It's the battle of bird streets on pleasant hill. Till the Oracle of Austin build [3:36:21 PM] the Oracle of Austin build someplace else. Battle for bird streets a mockingbird. The bird streets. Red bird and blue. Battle for bird. Streets. For mystery creek. >> Battle for bird streets. >> Little turtle creek two. Battle for bird streets. Bird streets. Thank you. Save mystery creek. >> Mr. Mayor, with all due respect, I'd like to acknowledge that last speaker. That was a really pretty song. Thank you for that. And then also, I think I might have missed the boat because I had to step away to take care of a personal health issue if I missed a vote. Can we reconsider, please? >> Well, we will at an appropriate time. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> No apologies to the drifters [3:37:24 PM] >> No apologies to the drifters on that. Mr. Oliver. >> Item 157. Georgiana Thompson. Check remote really quickly, miss Thompson. Okay, mayor, I've called all the speakers for 149 and 157. >> In that case, what we will do is ask Mr. Massingill to come forward and close on behalf of those opposed to the item, and then we'll have the summation Ann in favor. You have three minutes. >> Back. >> The bird streets neighborhood and our friends here with us today were not anti-development people, but it's people that are concerned about how we as a city handle our existing environmental assets, specifically our springs and ephemeral creeks. We're also concerned about the size of this [3:38:25 PM] concerned about the size of this project and others like it throughout town. They're being placed in older neighborhoods without infrastructure to handle such large undertakings, especially when the applicant in this case does not seem to care or want to understand the dynamics of our neighborhood and the potential impacts of 275 multifamily unit project on our tiny 70 home neighborhood. We have ten new kids in our neighborhood, new burns toddlers school aged kids. We want our streets to stay relatively safe. 270 units is an awful lot of drivers on our streets. With the new dividing median on south congress, anyone leaving the site will be forced to use our streets to go north. Since turning left onto congress is no longer an option. North is where all the work is. When I'm walking my dogs, I routinely meet new people walking on our neighborhood from adjacent neighborhoods. They all have the same comment. They love walking around the corner into our neighborhood because it feels [3:39:26 PM] neighborhood because it feels like all of a sudden they're out of in the country. When I mentioned our neighborhood to people that have been here, they all have the same comment we love that neighborhood, and if you haven't been, then maybe you don't know it. But the bird streets neighborhood is a little slice of Austin from the 40s. It's so green and full of birds and wildlife. To ignore these facts is basically to ignore the fact that any neighborhood in Austin has a distinct character, flavor, or vibe. Why is that phrase so prominent in city code if it doesn't have any meaning? The distinct character of the bird streets neighborhood would be irreversibly changed by allowing a project of this size to proceed. A smaller project located toward the front of the south congress, with adequate allowance for a mystery creek and its easement, would be more appropriate. Installing limestone barricades on red bird and mockingbird lanes could protect the bird streets and our neighborhood from these encroachments, we also don't want any more large trees destroyed. The fact that the applicant still hasn't paid up [3:40:27 PM] applicant still hasn't paid up for the earlier in fractions regarding the heritage trees chopped down on this side six years ago doesn't make us rest any easier. Their lack of judgment has been the hallmark of their tenure as our neighbor. To emphasize this theme, there's the matter of the structures on the property which we went into earlier, this property has been totally neglected for the past six years. This is their third site plan. The first one was fairly reasonable. The second one, I think it was probably reasonable as well, but as soon as the density bonus of affordability came along, they dropped that plan and went for this. And now we're stuck defending mystery creek. So please save mystery creek and. >> You'll have three minutes to close on behalf of those in favor. >> Thank you, although most of these items are site plan items, not zoning items. What we've been talking about is land use [3:41:27 PM] been talking about is land use and the appropriate place for that. We do have a site plan in, at this point in time, we know that there is not enough drainage area that goes to this to actually make it a creek. It is far less than 64 acres, which constitutes a creek at seven. As, environmental staff said at planning commission, they have sent somebody out to the site. Their, their determination was that there are no cliffs on the property. We are designing this to save trees and really bring more neighbors to this neighborhood and provide housing in this area of town. That is exactly where it is appropriate. I'm happy to answer any questions and thank you very much for your time. >> Thank you members. Those are all the people that have signed up to speak, and we've had a closing, by those in opposition and by those in favor. Without objection, we will close the public hearings on item 149 and 157. The public hearings are closed, what the chair intends to do is take up a motion on those items separately, but before we take up any motion, let me recognize councilmember [3:42:27 PM] let me recognize councilmember Velasquez, followed by the mayor pro tem. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Is there anybody from watershed here? Mind coming up for a second? >> Good afternoon, councilmember morales, director of the watershed department. >> I was just curious if you could help illuminate some of the some of the concerns, or or the city's position on some of the concerns that the community's had and also some of the statements that were made towards the end of her testimony. >> Yes. Generally, I'm going to just high level and then I'll pass it on to our staff member. They get more technical, but a lot of the concerns that you heard are items. Normally we will see during site plan process. This is a zoning case. We don't actually get into the specifics of that, so I'm going to pass it on to, Leslie lily to speak on that. >> Thank you. >> Hello, Leslie. Lily, acting [3:43:28 PM] >> Hello, Leslie. Lily, acting environmental officer for watershed, related to this property. Based on staff field visits and an analysis of the conditions of the site, there is not any classified waterway on the site. There's no floodplain on the property, and there is no identifiable critical environmental features on the site or within 150ft, which is the buffered area that we use to base our environmental protection regulations on. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, councilmember Velasquez. Mayor pro tem. So I know I cut it out so the water is potentially runoff. >> It sounds like the grading of the geography there. Could you maybe speak to that and I know it's been raining a lot. >> So Wright Leslie lily watershed protection. The water that runs through the channel on site, it's not at this point determined maybe where that water is from. We wouldn't make any kind of assessment like that [3:44:29 PM] any kind of assessment like that at a zoning case stage. We would potentially assume that it is runoff from adjacent properties, or just conveying through the site from off site drainage. >> Thank you. And I think I had one other question for miss harden. Miss harden, when you were reading this case into the record, there were a whole lot of initials. And if you could reiterate those. >> Oh yes. Give me one second. >> The zoning that exists on this site currently is what I'd like to have us reminded about. And then I'll ask you what that means. >> Okay. Yes, there's a lot, so they have a sf2 single family residence, zoning code, smu. >> So they want to keep that same base zoning district moving forward. But at the db 90 to allow for the density bonus. So [3:45:31 PM] allow for the density bonus. So they have a kzmu and then they have a portion that is kzmu comp and that that has a conditional overlay, some of their conditional overlay uses are moving forward on this site as well. >> And so basically can this site be redeveloped with this zoning? >> Yes. >> And so with the well, I guess with both zoning, but yes, with the db 90. Is that so the site can already be developed. >> And what we're being asked to do is to add some height. And also you mentioned db 90, which is the affordability piece. >> Correct. So yes, now I understand better. So they want to do a unified development. And so instead of having three separate zoning classifications and two of those zoning classifications on the site already have a base zoning district of chs. So it's just that one parcel that they need the future land use map change. And, a jump to the chs, and so yes, so two of the three already [3:46:32 PM] yes, so two of the three already had the base zoning, but they are asking to have a base zoning of chs on all of them. Move. And the db 90. And if you develop to the db 90, as all of you know, you would have to develop to the density bonus with affordable housing provisions. >> And so that's the piece that's a real plus for the city, right. Is the affordable housing component correct. >> In order that they're asking for that in order to build to any additional height, then they would have to develop to the affordable housing piece. Absolutely. >> And I think you pointed out that this property is just off of south congress avenue. Is that correct? >> Correct. I think some of it fronts south congress, is that correct? Some of it fronts. South congress, the only piece that's just right off south congress is the piece that they have, the sf2. But as they do the unified development, they access and all of that will be on the core transit roadway. Okay. Great. >> And that that was what I wanted to focus on, the appropriateness of this development on this site with their transit, etc. Right. And [3:47:33 PM] their transit, etc. Right. And the affordability component is a big piece for this dais. Thank you mayor. >> Thank you. Mayor pro tem, any other questions of staff? Councilmember Velasquez okay, well then what I will do is we'll go back to item number 149. And, the chair will entertain a motion to approve the staff and planning commission recommendation to grant the applicant's request for mixed use land use. Is there. A motion is made by councilmember Velasquez, seconded by council member Vella. Is there discussion on that item? Is there any objection with. Without objection, the item is adopted with council member Kelly being shown voting no on the item. Members that will take a and count. Council member Kelly being shown voting no. And councilmember Allison alter, being off the dais and not participating virtually. >> And all due respect, Mr. Mayor, I'm also virtual. But I [3:48:33 PM] Mayor, I'm also virtual. But I was not. And now I understand that I counted you as a yes. >> Thank you. Council member alter is not present on the dais or virtually right now is what I was trying to say.so this would require the I just wanted to say for the record, because I know there were some questions. >> This required a supermajority of nine votes and it did receive the nine votes just one 149 did not, but 157 will, yeah. Okay, so now we're going to move to 157, which will require a supermajority for it to pass. So let's go to 150. Excuse me. Item number 157 is the zoning item. And so we will now take that up. Is there a motion to approve move the staff and planning commission recommendation. Motion is made by council member Vella, seconded by council member qadri. Is there [3:49:33 PM] member qadri. Is there discussion with regard to item 157? Without objection, item number 157 is approved with council member Mckenzie Kelly being shown voting no on 157 and councilmember Allison alter, being absent. All right. Now, members council member harper-madison was not present for voting purposes when we passed the zoning consent agenda for, she has asked to be shown voting in favor of the zoning consent agenda. I'll move that. She be shown voting in favor of the consent agenda. It is seconded by council member Velasquez is there any discussion? Without objection, council member harper-madison will be shown voting in favor of the consent agenda as it was adopted. Her vote does not change the outcome of the vote. Thank you, councilmember, for calling that to my attention. Members that will now take us to item number 183 and miss harden, I'll ask you to come forward [3:50:38 PM] I'll ask you to come forward and, and represent item number 183. >> Thank you again. Joy harden, planning department, this is item 180 3c1 for 2023 0106 el breaker, the request is to, have Lee from Lee to Lee pdr, and I am going to defer to council member vela on. >> Well, I'll tell you what. Let me do that part of it, if you don't mind. That's, totally appropriate. I just want to make sure if anybody has any questions that they can ask the questions with regard to 183 members, what I'd like to do is get a motion. And then council member vela has a proposal. Amendment. The way we'll do this is he has a motion I'll [3:51:43 PM] is he has a motion I'll recognize council member vela for a motion. And as part of that motion for the items that he's provided to you in the yellow sheet, to be a part of that motion. Councilmember vela, you're recognized on item 183. >> Thank you. Mayor and I would move to, approve, item 183. >> He moves to approve item number 183 with the allowance of a maximum height of 120ft and the allowance of a maximum F.A.R of 3 to 1. It's seconded by council member Velasquez is public comment. Do we have anyone signed up on item 183? No, mayor, we do not, members there's no one signed up. Let me do it this way. I'll open the public hearing on item number 183. In the motion has been made, we've also recognized that there's no one signed up to speak. So without objection, we'll open the public hearing. And without objection, we will close the public hearing. Public hearing is open and closed. And now, members, you have in front [3:52:44 PM] now, members, you have in front of you, the council member vela's motion on 183, is there any discussion on 183? Any objection without objection. Item you want to speak? Very. Okay. Sure. Councilmember vela, before we take a vote briefly, mayor, I just want to what we're trying to do in this case is really mimic the domain zoning that is right across the street from this property. >> This is a warehouse industrial area that is adjacent across the street from the domain. And, we're we're essentially kind of trying to, to mimic, I also wanted to just, thank the I've been working with, Mr. Henry Gilmore and the owners of the property. They're going to be dedicating a one acre park, as part of the redevelopment of this property when it redevelops, and there will also, potentially be other public benefits that are that are being considered. I just want to thank them for their work on this and I fully support this project. Thank you. >> Thank you, councilmember vela. Members, you've, that is [3:53:45 PM] vela. Members, you've, that is there any further discussion? You've heard the motion in the second. Without objection. Item number 183 is moved by councilmember vela is adopted, with councilmember Allison alter being absent, for clarity purposes, I want to be clear. On 149 and 157, the vote was council member Mckenzie Kelly being shown voting no. Council member Allison alter being shown absent on both of those items, but everyone else was in favor for purposes of the record. All right, miss harden, do you got any more work for us? I do not, that's a good answer. >> No, you can stop. >> You can stop there. >> No, the last item was second reading only. I think that was. >> Yes. >> I'm sorry, I should have I should have said that. Yes. Council member vela's motion was for second reading only. And that's how it was laid out [3:54:45 PM] that's how it was laid out originally. So, yes. Thank you for thank you for calling that to my attention. All right, folks, that takes care of the zoning items, we will now go back to non consent items. The first item we will take up is item 127. I'll tell you what we've got. I got to figure out how we want to do this. Let me ask is, is there anyone from staff that's prepared? Here's what I'd like to do. Instead of going to 127, let councilmember Fuentes, I'm going to recognize you on 182 and then, I want to make sure because the other items we have, [3:55:46 PM] because the other items we have, it's council member alter, and I want to make sure, everybody is prepared on that. So I'll recognize councilmember Fuentes on item 180. I'm sorry, it's 181. >> Sure. I moved to approve a resolution related to the rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing. And to collaborate with partner agencies as recommended by the housing and planning committee and the public health committee, great. Thank you. And council member harper-madison, I assume you want to make that as, make the second to that motion. So council member Fuentes moves approval of item 181. It is seconded by councilmember harper-madison. Is there any discussion on the item? Without objection, item number 181 will be adopted. With councilmember Allison alter being absent. >> Mayor. Excuse me, I do have one speaker. Oh, you do? >> I apologize. Please. I was on a roll there. >> All right. >> My staff is telling me you have speakers on item 181. >> I. [3:56:46 PM] >> I. >> That's what you're telling me to write. >> I do, I have speaker okay. >> Well, we we've we've confirmed it. Let's go. Because I did announce a vote, council member Fuentes moves that we reconsider the vote. By which item? Number one, 81 was adopted. It is seconded by council member harper-madison. Without objection, the vote is reconsidered, and we will go back to the main motion. And now you're recognized. And I apologize for jumping ahead of you. Please call her name. >> My apologies. We do have several. Mayor. I had to flip the page, I apologize. Okay Julian Reyes. Followed by Paulette Soltani and then Tony Carter. >> Please go ahead if your name [3:57:48 PM] >> Please go ahead if your name has been called. All right. >> Good afternoon. My name is Paulette Soltani, and I'm the co-director of vocal Texas and a resident of district nine. Vocal Texas is a grassroots organization working to end homelessness, the drug war, and mass incarceration, and AIDS. Vocal Texas is here to support item the passage of item 181. Item 115 the equity overlay item item 112 the dac mobile court item. And we're in support of the Austin for palestine coalition's ask for council to take action, as many cities have to stop the genocide in palestine. Today, I'll focus my comments on item 181. Thank you so much to council member Fuentes. Council member harper-madison and council member alter and the members of the public health and housing committees for moving forward. A motion last week to improve rapid rehousing programs in Austin. Rapid Austin's rapid rehousing programs provide short term rental assistance in market rate housing for people exiting homelessness. This program simply isn't working for so many [3:58:49 PM] simply isn't working for so many people who are exiting homelessness in our city. Many austinites who have qualified for permanent supportive housing end up living in rapid rehousing and languish there without any of the supportive services that they need. Many face a revolving door back into homelessness after 6 to 12 months, when the rapid rehousing ends and they have to take over their market rent apartment of1416 hundred $1,700, even. And while this program is an imperfect program, it's a very critical intervention that we rely on in Austin, which is why we've been organizing to fix it and why we're so happy to see this resolution move forward. Today, we launched a campaign back in April, to fix rapid rehousing and house house wind housing for the poor. Vocal leaders are here. You'll you'll you'll hear from several of them today about all of the work that they've done to move to move the needle on this. We've met with your offices. We've testified at city hall, we've hosted town halls. So we're very happy to see this happening today. And we're [3:59:50 PM] happening today. And we're asking that the city council pass item 181. They're great directives. And the motion or in the resolution, but it specifically talks to speaks to two things that our members have been raising. One, that the rapid rehousing rental assistance is far too brief. And we need to ensure that 24 months of assistance is offered to people, and two, that many people housed in rapid rehousing often need supportive services and qualified for permanent supportive services. So we need to be bridging those people into the permanent supportive housing that they qualified for in the first place. We ask that you pass item 181 today, and we hope to see the city council match this resolution with urgent investments in rapid rehousing to ensure 24 months of rental assistance and funding for the services for the permanent supportive housing units that are coming online this year. We really need to see those funds match through the budget session, and we'll be back to talk to you about about that soon. So thank you all so much. >> Thank you. >> Julian Reyes Tony Carter. [4:00:53 PM] >> Julian Reyes Tony Carter. >> Good afternoon. Members, my name is Tony Carter. I'm a team leader and one of the organizers with vocal Texas, I'm glad to be here today, I was homeless for seven years before I got into the rapid rehousing program. I didn't even know anything about it while I was homeless. Me and my fiance, Jennifer, we currently housed in rehousing. I was unhoused, I first became homeless after that, I stayed in other places. I did stay in Salvation Army when I first became homeless, and then it it didn't work out. Before I got rapid, we had been staying out in the woods because all of the Austin and APD and dps come sweeping camps, moving us further and further back. And I [4:01:55 PM] further and further back. And I had done the housing assessment a bunch of times, but I never scored high enough, even though I struggled with drugs, drug use and mental health. Even though last December I even went to a treatment I should be in permanent supportive housing where I can get more service and support. The last assessment I did, I had to did I do it with my with Jennifer, which is my fiance and 2023, I had someone in December come to me and said, you have it. I didn't even know what they was talking about. And it was from a family elder care saying that they got me into the program. So so right now I'm in a apartment that they put me in. I'm paying 1700 a month and it's only for 12 months, so I don't [4:02:56 PM] only for 12 months, so I don't know what I would be doing. I would would be doing after that, because when my two jobs I cannot afford 700 a month plus a family, even though I worked two jobs, my case manager told me to find a different apartment because I can't afford the rent. Luckily I just received housing choice voucher. The hood just gave me a one year voucher for permanent housing yesterday. Wu I think it is. Rapid rehousing is good for the, for some people, but it's not all what it's cut up to be. Rapid rehousing. People jump on it real quick just so they can get a roof over their head, but there are people that works with them, their case managers and stuff is not physically trained in what they do because they are [4:03:58 PM] in what they do because they are told one thing, and then we have to do another. >> But thank you sir. Good luck to you. Thank you. >> After Julian is Kate grauzer and then Laura and Martinez. >> Mayor Watson mayor pro tem pool. And the esteemed council members. My name is Laura Ann Martinez. And I am leadership in a grassroots organization. Vocal Texas, Texas. And I'm here as a member of councilwoman, councilwoman Fuentes's district. We are fighting for the rights of an un or underrepresent population. As an unhoused person worried about when and if you eat again or where you're going to, whether you're going to sleep in a bed again. I don't [4:04:58 PM] to sleep in a bed again. I don't think that, I didn't think I could stand up for my rights as an unhoused person, but as a previously unhoused person, I feel uniquely qualified to address item one. Number 181 on the agenda. After my participation in the rapid rehousing program, I suffered a second time of being unhoused, which was a result of my dismissal from the program. Because of not cooperating with the program rules. The rule that I broke was not to save $600 a month of my less than $100 a month income. Now, during the second part of homeless of homelessness, I was able to obtain my, permanent supportive housing and therefore I, which I've still live in today. And, I just recently celebrated a year of being in that program. I'm very thankful for having permanent supportive housing, and I really think, though, that the programs need to the [4:06:00 PM] the programs need to the services need to be continued all the way through until we receive our permanent supportive housing, because going out and being coming homeless again is very, very, very hard, I, I feel like that this is something that you need to tell this city, these, these this, these communities, these individuals that the city cares about all of its populations, whether popular or not, that you care, please vote yes to item 181 and to, to extend the length of the rapid rehousing program to reach the bridge to permanent supportive housing. Thank you. >> Hello again. >> Counselor, can you hear me? All right, Julian Reyes, I'm a member of the press, so actually, I'm a member of the challenger street newspaper for 12 years, as most of you guys know, you've most of you have [4:07:02 PM] know, you've most of you have been, read the paper. If not, you should, there's lots of stories about, things that we that people that that, the city steps on experience, were evicted through the city, through the county, things like that, through covid evictions and whatnot. The moratorium has been raised, lifted. I mean, so I spent, like, 20 years on and off the streets, homeless, the city saw fit to send police to shoot my dog while I was homeless, in cold blood, I've been through all of this stuff, I've been documenting the city's brutal sweeps of people of color, indigent people for, I don't know, eight years or something. The city and dps and the constable's all involved. The sheriff's department all involved in displacing and debilitating people to death. With the death toll of 3 to 500 or more people per year killed on the streets of Austin due to [4:08:02 PM] on the streets of Austin due to city policies, I'm actually against, 181 because, on one end, anyone? Yes. Okay. Let's make sure so many art items, because it so, so because of the person that's going to be speaking, in the video. But like I met a man that had permanent supportive housing, the system failed him. Now he owns. Now he owes $15,000. He's $15,000 in debt after his eviction. This man you're about to speak, listen to right now, his name is, jack, and he's in a north Austin community. He's been through rapid rehousing, and he's being abandoned. The city's turned or the, Austin urban league has turned off several people, including his, electricity. He has had no air conditioning the entire time he's been there. There's a whole apartment complex of people about to be evicted through this rapid rehousing project, go ahead and play the video and let it play through. >> It'll play through. Through your time all the way here. >> I've got a three day. [4:09:03 PM] >> I've got a three day. >> I got an eviction notice in the mail right now. >> Of course, I get housing through south ridge, which is through the city, which is through aau or whatever, the rapid rehousing Wright rehousing, came in on December the 24th, I believe. And, somebody that was a little bit after 53, and under the pretense that we were going to originally, they told us we would get a free year of rent so we can get on our feet. And then it went to three months. And after three months you have to pay 10. Fourth month could be 10, fifth month would be 15. You know, it goes up 5% every month, which is fine until you're paying the whole thing, which is keeping people on their feet, I got a three day eviction notice yesterday. It says, advance notice to vacate for nonpayment of rent, utilities or other sums, my name, address, three day notice to vacate for nonpayment of rent until these these contract dated. Thank you sir. 119 2024. >> So you're not going to let the lady go play out? No. >> The time limit has passed. >> Okay. See you in court. >> Okay. [4:10:04 PM] >> Okay. >> Eli Cortez, Maria Cepeda, Derek Cortez, Vernon Jarman, Taylor cartwright, Alfredo Reyes, junior sole. Praxis yeah. Come right on down. >> Hello. Council members. My name is Alfredo Reyes. >> I'm a leader of local Texas. >> Many local, local Texas members and leaders have Bradbury housing, including myself. I was homeless for seven and a half years, sleeping underneath a bridge, I originally got my coordinator assessment in jail and was offered, they were promised me the permanent housing, but instead I got the, rapid rehousing because I have bone cancer. And I also, I'm a [4:11:04 PM] cancer. And I also, I'm a veteran, me and my partner separately applied separately for housing, but it feels like we got together for convenience sake. We were even told it was a lot less paperwork. But I will say it was very confusing process. It took over a year to get housed, I'm not the only one who has been struggling with the rapid rehousing. I'm here to tell you about the survey project. Local Texas leaders completed in March. For months, we were, taking our talk, talking about the challenges people were facing in rapid rehousing. So we decided to survey people and gather more data. We were searching for numbers, and we wanted to hear directly from the people about their experience with rapid rehousing and the problems they were facing, like myself. So for three weeks, vocal Texas leaders spoke to dozens of people and service providers the library, the streets and the housing development. And we went to different locations. And it was the same story, different people having the same problem with rapid rehousing. Here are some of the feedback we've heard. The majority of the people were surveyed, received rapid [4:12:05 PM] surveyed, received rapid rehousing for less than a year, and they were expected to take over their full market rate rent, often 1200 to 1500. When people were expected to take over their rent or even portion of their rent. This led to people being kicked out of their program and being evicted. Many people reported being denied housing or struggling to find housing due to eviction histories. Many other people mentioned challenges due to family needs, child care payment, child support, lack of access to transportation, mental and physical health needs, lack of services and case management and discrimination. We publish some of the stories on our survey project and dropped it off at your office today we're asking you to vote yes on item 181 to fix rapid rehousing and invest in bridge to permanent housing. No one should be on house and going through the struggles like I have. I speak for myself and for the unhoused community of Austin and we the people. Thank you. >> Hello, council, my name is [4:13:08 PM] >> Hello, council, my name is Taylor cartwright and I'm a leader with vocal Texas. I've been an austinite for over 25 years, and in the past 11 I was homeless. I was considered a chronically homeless person. Due to losing a family member. And then, just having a broken family after that. One of the most heartbreaking and horrible things is driving through Austin now, and seeing the enormous homeless population, seeing people that have gone through their on tragedies and wondering, how do we fix it? How do we help them? What can we do? Because everybody nobody wants Austin to be in this type of state. So the vouchers that I received through rapid rehousing was only granted a year. But being chronically homeless, I was on the streets for 11 and to transition from being homeless into being a working citizen, I needed special support. I needed somebody that was more trained, more specialized to be able to help me really navigate my way into being productive and do [4:14:10 PM] into being productive and do what I need to do, one year to do that. I also, when I was on the streets, I had committed a felony from untreated PTSD, and it kept me from getting jobs. It kept me from being able to apply to apartments and be approved, and I only had a certain amount of time to be able to find anything, I think I thank god I was able to finally secure a voucher and get approved, buy an apartment today. But it was very, very, very close to me. Going back out to the streets again. And nobody wants to see me back out there. But I'm in support of item 181 and say we do need longer time. We do need more supportive services, and we need to make Austin whole again. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Hello. Good afternoon, sol praxis with community, part eight, district three. Community [4:15:12 PM] eight, district three. Community part eight wholeheartedly supports local Texas leaders in their call to fix the rapid rehousing voucher system, including 24 months with the voucher case management and a bridge to permanent supportive housing. On my drive here, I was speaking with a community party member who's a black elder and longtime east austinite and experienced chronic homelessness for over a decade. Quick reminder to y'all that many members of the disproportionately black unhoused community in Austin were made homeless due to previous gentrification policies passed by your predecessors, like the desired development zone. And someday someone will say the same about the home initiative and other up zonings y'all. Granted, for developers and investors not long ago. Back to the elders experience. After she had the courage to leave a domestic violence relationship Erp she lived in a safe shelter, she got a rapid rehousing voucher and experienced what those of us close with the unhoused community know is a common experience with these vouchers. After living in Riverside for a year, her voucher expired. Her market rate rent was far too high and she returned to chronic homelessness. This is why people don't leave domestic violence relationships through community organizing and mutual aid. After [4:16:14 PM] organizing and mutual aid. After many more years on the street, she was able to get an affordable apartment at 30% mfi just this past year. Her experience with the rapid rehousing voucher happened years ago. I want y'all to understand that the rapid rehousing issue could have been fixed a long time ago. Why wasn't it council? Here's one thing from city employees and executives of contracting agencies. At the top, they hear rosy picture with data on how many people are being served, how things are going, and then the folks at the bottom and on the front lines who actually are trying to access or receive services, know that the reality is entirely different, but these are the voices that are excluded and ignored in the decision making and implementation processes. When y'all tried to give Mckinsey a huge contract with millions of taxpayer dollars and we said, you already have community, telling y'all what to do, this is exactly what we meant. Listen to directly impacted organizers like vocal Texas leaders they see and those of us who organize on the streets see exactly how the homelessness prevention and response systems are failing. This resolution around rapid rehousing vouchers came from the community. This is what bottom [4:17:14 PM] community. This is what bottom up policy could create real solutions for people experiencing homelessness. The implementation also needs to have front line organizers and directly impacted community members involved in the decision making room, making sure the implementation is effective, the same thing goes for what y'all did earlier today. Funding for homeowners displaced by home and for folks to be able to actually use the entitlements granted by home as well as any amendments exploring the potential of an equity and anti-displacement overlay when it comes to the previous investments. Create a pilot program where homeowners who are property tax burdened and at risk of displacement are actively involved in trying to take advantage of these entitlements and have advocates at their side who can provide feedback and address barriers in real time for the equity overlay, we demand a community based process to determine protection, zoning changes, investments and tools in areas at risk of displacement. If all of these different changes that y'all are talking about are not community based in their creation and implementation, if they don't have directly impacted community organizers involved, it will not be effective and it will not work. >> Selene Rendon, Carlos pinon, [4:18:18 PM] >> Selene Rendon, Carlos pinon, Bethany. Carson, Fran tattoo, Cindy reed. Alexia Leclerc. >> Good afternoon. My name is Fran tattoo. I'm a supporter of vocal Texas, and I work as outreach director with Austin mutual aid. I'd like to say I'm in full support, 100% of ceasefire palestine. And let's make your children's children proud. When they look back in history and see that you were the city council that voted for the humane thing to do. I'm in full support of the recommendations made in item 181 regarding needed improvements to our rapid rehousing and permit supportive housing protocols. As we've heard from many who've been navigating these systems, [4:19:19 PM] been navigating these systems, they are broken and not fully serving the people so desperately seeking housing. I'm also here to speak to those unable to join us today, but who I hear from every day. They are beaten down, disheartened, scared and on the run. We have talked in here before about the criminalization of being marginalized and poor. APD and dps have full reign to punish people who are just trying their best to stay out of the elements and to survive. I must at this juncture mentioned the town hall, which my council member, Ryan alter, so bravely hosted in his district and in the district of the most amazing and heroic sunrise navigation center. I pulled an all nighter to finish several grant compliance reports, but felt the need to show up today to counter the most seasoned members who are able to get to the, mic and spew their vitriol. People on the street are not the only ones using drugs. People on the street are not the only ones in our city who are sometimes [4:20:22 PM] our city who are sometimes violent. Further, people on the street are not all taking drugs and are violent. Besides, do we want to be a society that throws stones instead of coming together to form solutions, briefly. 149 150 and, the all nighter. 140 and 159, my brother is an environmental lawyer for the city, and he's been extremely concerned about our water supply for decades and is like many of us, like, I just spoke to my wonderful real estate agent today about affordability. We're seeking other places to move. And my brother is, you know, he he's a leader in his community. He's a tennis pro. He had this great blog until people started getting rude on it about tennis. And his name is Anthony tattoo. And think of the potential with someone like him with two great sons of great family leaving, you've got a lot of people with potential leaving because of the water concerns. So thank you so [4:21:23 PM] water concerns. So thank you so much for considering considering 181. Thank you. >> Chris Paige Ben sudabeh. Mayor, I've called everyone for this item. >> Members. Those are all the people that signed up to speak on item 181, I will now recognize council member Fuentes for a new motion. >> Thank you. I move to approve the resolution related to rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing. And to collaborate with partner agencies as recommended by the housing and planning committee and the Austin public health committee. >> Thank you very much. Council member. Fuentes, council member harper-madison, I assume you want to make the second she makes the council member harper-madison seconds the motion by council member Fuentes is there discussion on council member Fuentes? I just want to thank all of our advocates with vocal Texas for coming out today [4:22:24 PM] vocal Texas for coming out today and raising your voice. >> I appreciate all of your advocacy and your efforts, and stand with you in ensuring that as we as a council, deliberate the budget in the coming months, that we ensure that we're making the necessary increases in investments, in rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing and services. >> Thank you. Councilmember is there any further discussion hearing none. Without objection. Item number 181 is adopted, with councilmember Allison alter being absent. >> Members, that will take us back to item number 127. >> You'll you'll recall that item number 127 is a possible action related to city charter amendments that will be on the ballot in November 2024. The motion that we discussed on the message board, and that was brought up in the work session, was a discussion around the idea that what we would do today is we would give direction to staff to come back to us at the July 18th meeting with, a ballot. I [4:23:27 PM] 18th meeting with, a ballot. I don't know what the right word is, but ballot ready items that we could adopt and move forward, with also recommendations regarding, at the same time, those items that could be could be handled by way of ordinance and or or not and, or, but or resolution. So that would be the motion that I will accept after we listen to people that, are signed up to speak. >> Thank you. Mayor William Bunge has time donated by Roy Whaley. If Roy is still here, I don't see either Mr. Bunch or Mr. Whaley. >> Okay. >> Julian Reyes, Bobby levinski and felicity Maxwell. >> Are any of those people present? Call their names one more time, Mr. Bunch. All right, [4:24:28 PM] more time, Mr. Bunch. All right, well, you're here now, so come on. >> I'll just call the names again really quickly, please. William bunch, Julian Reyes, Bobby levinski and felicity Maxwell. >> Thank you. Mayor, council members bill bunch, save our springs alliance. I want to encourage you to step way back from virtually all of these charter amendments. Almost all of them, with the exception of the, reassignment of your attorney to answer to the council rather than the mayor manager, are designed to reduce accountability of the council, reduce transport agency of city operations, and reduce even further this very narrow range that we have of local direct [4:25:31 PM] that we have of local direct democracy initiative, referendum and recall, the standards that we have for signature gathering, if you think they're easy, you've never done it before. If you look at our history, the last 20 years, there have been relatively few initiatives, the ones that have gotten on the ballot. Lots you know, started but never got there, people approved some of them, and they voted down some of them, but they serve as a critical check on your power when there's gridlock at city hall, when there's undue influence of too much real estate money, as was the case with save our springs initiative, and if there's some extreme example where a council has misbehaved or is completely out of step with their constituents on recall, there's [4:26:32 PM] constituents on recall, there's no recall been happened in decades that I know of. So what are you all afraid of? Why are you going to basically make it impossible to recall one of you? What are what message are you sending to the community? Please don't go forward with that, because all you're doing is making it clear you want all of the power, not just 99% of it, but 100% of it. The stuff coming from staff to for cleanup make it consistent with state law. State law changes all the time. The constitution less often, although we get lots of those. But our charter should say what we want it to be. So saying we're going to amend our charter to match a state statute that could be changed next year or three years or five years from [4:27:33 PM] three years or five years from now. That makes no sense. We need to leave it as is. Amending the charter to say that your rules can be adopted by resolution rather than ordinance . So it's not enforceable law. That's reducing your accountability. Saying you can be lawless in how you run your stuff. Don't do this. >> Thank you, Mr. Bunch. >> Thank you. >> Mayor, I've called all the speakers for this item. >> Thank you members. That concludes, the public testimony with regard to item number 127, the chair will entertain a motion that would direct the staff to return to the city council at the July 18th meeting of the city council with prepared items to allow council to vote, to place items on the ballot or as recommended by staff, to address the specific issue or issues by resolution or ordinance. Is there a motion? Motion made by council member [4:28:35 PM] Motion made by council member Ryan alter, seconded by council member Velasquez? Is there discussion? Yes. >> Council member Ryan alter I just want to preview for everybody. I am working with the law department and will potentially when we come back in July, have options that group some of these recommendations burns even if they potentially could have been an ordinance, if it could be grouped into, a single item, I think that is just worthy of, of our conversation and thought so, just want to put it out there now so there's no surprise later. >> Yeah. >> And you brought that up at the work session, and I consider that to be part and parcel of the motion you just made, which was, would be that they would bring it back to us in a way that we could put it on the ballot. And if there's question or if what I would also ask about that is that if we've got a two subject rule problem or anything like that, that that is [4:29:35 PM] anything like that, that that is close is a close question. And I get why we want to why we might want to bundle in terms of the numbers of items. But if there's a close question, provide us with the option so that this is what it would look like if it's bundled. This is what it would look like if it was not bundled, so that we can have a definitive discussion about that. And be prepared to vote on something and not need to try to amend it, at that point in time. And that's consistent with what you're thinking, right? Good deal. Mayor pro tem. >> And we also, I think it was on Tuesday talked about there are some changes. I think miss Webster said there are some changes that could be handled as housekeeping and to the extent that you can, you were planning to separate those out and talk to us about those in July as well. So we may be able to act on those more quickly. Yeah. >> And the and the. Sure. And the motion makes reference to, recommendations with regard to specific items that that could be handled by, resolution or [4:30:36 PM] be handled by, resolution or ordinance. Other discussion. Yes. Council member Kelly, thank you, mayor, for that recognition. >> And thank you for really laying this out so that the public could understand our votes today, I plan on voting in favor of this item. And then when staff comes back with, what they have for us to take a look at, it might be different. And so I just want the, the community to understand that I am voting yes on this because I want to be able to see what comes back to us. Wright thank you. >> Yeah, this so that people will understand the purpose of this is so that we'll have a more defined set of items to vote on when the time comes. So the public will have a better feel for what it is we're actually voting on. So thanks for emphasizing that. Any other discussion in that case, without objection, item number, 127 is adopted with council member Allison alter, absent. We will [4:31:39 PM] Allison alter, absent. We will now go to item number 128, item 128 is a recommendation from the audit and finance committee. In the absence of the chair of the audit and finance committee, I will turn to the vice chair of the audit and finance committee, which is the mayor pro tem, and I move approval of this item to appoint Anthony segura to a new seat on the ace, governing board . >> And I think we have staff here. If there are any questions , hang on one second. And this item was recommended from the audit and finance committee. I'm filling in for our chair. Yeah. >> No, that's why I recognized you. But I think we've you've made a motion on a different item. Okay item 128 is to approve an ordinance, that would amend a city code. The joint sustainability committee, to add a representative from the Austin [4:32:39 PM] a representative from the Austin Travis county public health commission, as opposed to item 180, which is related to the appointment of Anthony segura. >> Gotcha. So I need to so see, we did not get a second on on your previous motion. So let me withdraw that and then make the appropriate motion which to is to approve the bylaws, amendments of the joint sustainability committee, which is also coming from the audit and finance committee. Item 129. Thank you, mayor. >> Thank you very much. Is there a second to that motion? Seconded by councilmember Ryan alter, we are I'll turn to the city clerk's office to see if we have people signed up on item 128. >> We do not have any speakers. >> No one has signed up on 128. Is there any discussion with regard to item 128? Without objection, item number 128 is adopted with councilmember Allison alter being absent. Item number 129 is also from the audit and finance committee, and I'll recognize the vice chair of that committee, the mayor pro [4:33:40 PM] that committee, the mayor pro tem. >> Thanks, mayor. Item 129 is to approve the bylaws, amendments, for this is 129. >> Yes. >> This is the joint sustainability committee also. Yes. And it is bylaws, amendments. Redline. >> Wright. And is there a second to that motion? Second by councilmember qadri. Is there, anyone signed up to speak on item 129? >> No. >> Mayor there being no one to speak on item number 129. Is there discussion by council hearing none without objection. Item number 129 is also adopted. That will take us to count to item number 180, which the mayor pro tem has practiced her motion. >> I did, and I gave you a glimpse at it. Yeah. This is also I'm scrolling down to it. This is also from the audit and finance committee to fill a new slot that we had created a couple of months ago on this governing board of the ace board. And the person being, recommended by the committee for [4:34:42 PM] recommended by the committee for appointment is Anthony segura to the Austin convention enterprises board. >> Thank you. The motion has been made. Is there a second to that motion? Seconded by councilmember qadri. Is there anyone signed up to speak on item 180? >> There are no speakers. There are no speakers. >> Is there any discussion by council with regard to item 180? In that case, without objection, item number 180 is adopted with councilmember Allison alter being absent, we will now go to public hearings. The first public hearing that is that we will call up. Keep in mind that item 132 140 and 130 have 33. I'm sorry, have been postponed. 132 postponed to July 18th 140 which is related to item 132 postponed to August 29th and 133 postponed to July 18th. First item I will call up is [4:35:51 PM] First item I will call up is item number 134, and without objection, we will open the public hearing on item number 134. I'll turn to the city clerk's office. Do we have people signed up to speak? I have one speaker, Zenobia Joseph . Hi, miss Joseph. >> That's all I have. >> Mayor. Alright. Members those are all the people that have signed up to speak on item number 134. Without objection, we'll close the public hearing on item number 134. That'll take us to item number 135, without objection, we will open the public hearing on item number 135. I'll turn to the city clerk's office. >> Thank you. Mayor, I have one speaker. Zenobia Joseph. [4:36:52 PM] speaker. Zenobia Joseph. >> Miss Joseph. >> That's all I have. Mayor members, no one else has signed up to speak on item number 135. As a result of that, without objection, we will close the public hearing on item number 135. We will now go to item number 136, without objection, I'll open the public hearing on item number 136 and turn to see if there's anyone signed up to speak. Yes mayor. >> I have some speakers. William bunch, Jason Haskins, felicity Maxwell. >> Mr. Bunch, Mr. Haskins or miss Maxwell, are you present? Mr. Bunch, Mr. Haskins, miss Maxwell, in that case, that's all signed up to speak. Yes, mayor. Then without objection, we will close the public hearing on item number 136, and the chair will entertain a motion to adopt the ordinance, recommended by 136, made by council member [4:37:55 PM] by 136, made by council member Vella, seconded by council member qadri. Is there any objection to the passage of item? Is there any discussion? Is there any objection to the passage of item 136 without councilmember Vella? >> Sorry, I have an amendment. >> Maybe you do. As a matter of fact. And that's why I was leaning over, because I thought that's why he wants to talk, councilmember Bailey, you're recognized, before we take a vote, you have a proposed amendment, thank you. >> Mayor, I just want this is there are some relatively minor substantive changes, but it's really kind of a clean up of the different sections of the compatibility buffer, the first ten feet would be the screening zone. And again, we're clarifying what can go in the screening zone. And again, on the amendment is landscaping or gardens, fences, paths, utility infrastructure if it's deemed necessary. In other words, if that's the only place they can put the utilities in, then so be it that that's going to be up to [4:38:58 PM] it that that's going to be up to Austin water, Austin energy, bike racks and then ground floor, private, common and private personal open spaces, which is basically kind of somebody's kind of patio door could potentially open up to there. And there would be, something like that. But the idea being that we're trying to keep very non-intrusive, non, problematic uses there. And then the next section would be the, the, lord, the restrictive zone where, there are required plantings required different. So it's really just a cleanup and a clarification on, planning is looked at it. They are fine with it, and, miss link looked at it and actually we gave it to her and she gave it back to better to us in an improved version. So law is fine with it, planning is fine with it. And I would, move to add the amendment to the item members, council member Vila moves to amend, item number 136 with, the motion sheet that you have in front of you. Is there a [4:39:58 PM] have in front of you. Is there a second? It's seconded by council member Ellis, council member Kelly, do you wish to be heard? >> Yes, sir, you know, as I'm virtual today, it occurs to me that I have not seen this amendment. And so I'm wondering if there's somewhere that is posted publicly, not just for my benefit, but for the benefit of our constituents as well, who are following along at home, it's posted in the backup. Yes >> Perfect. Thank you so much, it's posted in the backup. All right. Further discussion. All right. With that being the case, is there any objection to the motion to amend by council member Vila without objection, the motion to amend is adopted. That takes us back to the main motion on item number 136, which is the approval of item 136, as amended. Without objection. Item number 136, as amended, is adopted with council member Alison alter being absent. We will now go to item number 137, without objection, I will open [4:41:01 PM] without objection, I will open the public hearing on item number 137, and I will, turn to the city clerk to see if there's anyone that's signed up to speak. >> I have one speaker, felicity Maxwell. >> Miss Maxwell. Miss Maxwell, those being all the people who signed up to speak, we will, without objection, I will close the public hearing on item number 137, the public hearing is now closed. I'll entertain a motion to approve item 137, motion made by council member qadri, seconded by council member Ellis, is there any discussion on item number 137? Council member qadri. >> Great. >> Thank you. Mayor. It's been a long day, this is a great? Yeah. Not that long. It's not like last week. >> Council member. >> Council member. Ellis didn't bet it would be as long as as as I did. So she wins the over under. But. >> No, it's a I'm really excited about item 137. It's a great [4:42:03 PM] about item 137. It's a great step in the right direction, I think passing these changes are imperative to our project connect, application, you know, as we know, parking downtown has been one of our biggest weaknesses, for federal, for federal grant competitiveness, so I'm very grateful for city staff from from dpw and the project connect office, working closely with stakeholders and developing a code change that achieves, so much consensus. And I want to remind us there's more to do and further implementation changes to encourage parking reduction in downtown, we still need to require decoupling of parking from residential units, as already required, by the university neighborhood overlay, and I'm also very supportive of the further parking changes recently recently recommended by former council member Chris Riley, who we who we celebrated earlier today, what's your recommendation from the uli tap process, or designated parking structures to be converted to future uses? I look forward to working with staff to continue [4:43:05 PM] working with staff to continue the work that's already underway to implement many of the uli tap parking recommendations in a comprehensive downtown density bonus initiative, while the preliminary project connect application deadline is this summer, I can't stress enough that we can't slow down on our comprehensive density bonus changes in it8 efforts, which include more work on parking downtown, so I just want to emphasize how important our next timelines will be. And I appreciate my colleagues on the dais for their support for transit oriented land use changes in downtown. >> Great. Thank you. Councilmember qadri, any further discussion without councilmember Kelly? >> Yeah, I'm just going to say that I object, and I would like to be shown as voting no. Thank you. >> Okay. You'll be shown voting no without objection. Item 136 is adopted with council member Kelly being shown voting no. And I'm sorry, it was 137. I [4:44:09 PM] I'm sorry, it was 137. I apologize, we've already passed that 136 without objection. Item 137 is adopted, with council member Kelly being shown voting no and with councilmember Allison alter being absent, item 138 will be postponed to July 18th. And for those that are wondering if you're going to get to talk about the postponement when we finish these items, that aren't being postponed, I'm going to come back to them and see if anyone wants to speak on those I don't. 139, without objection, we will open the public hearing on item number 139 and I'll turn to the city clerk's office. >> Thanks, mayor. I have two speakers signed up, Jason Haskins and Zenobia Joseph. >> Jason Haskins, Zenobia, Joseph. Haskins, Joseph. All right. With those being the only two people that have signed up to speak. Without objection, we will close the public hearing on item number 139. I'll entertain [4:45:10 PM] item number 139. I'll entertain a motion with regard to item number 139. Do we have a motion council member qadri moves approval of item 139. It is seconded by the mayor pro tem, is there any discussion? >> Councilmember Kelly, I would like to be shown voting no on this item. Thank you, you'll be shown voting no. Is there any further discussion? Without objection. Item 139 is adopted with council member Kelly being shown voting no and councilmember Allison alter being absent. Members that will take us to item number 182. Without objection, we will open the public hearing on item number 182. And I'll turn to the city clerk's office. >> Thank you. Mayor Adam Greenfield and Louis Deangelis. Edgar Handel. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council Adam Greenfield here with safe streets. Austin, [4:46:11 PM] with safe streets. Austin, speaking on item one 8182 regarding the environmental investment plan, this is a this is an important discussion. And thank you very much for bringing this forward, we need to really rapidly address the climate crisis in, in Austin, and this is how we do it with, with big ideas, I also want to thank you, thank council members. Fuentes Velasquez, Ryan alter Ellis, and Allison alter for supporting the safe streets. Austin city leap proposal for, lane conversion on Austin's arterials, to make space for, busses and protected bike lanes. This is the kind of big thinking that really gets the public excited. And we've heard from a lot of people that this is the kind of action they want. Our city council to take. It's also the kind of action that some of our peers are taking, including, I don't know if you're following what's happening in Paris these days in [4:47:11 PM] happening in Paris these days in France, but they they are really acting upon these big ideas and the public are reelecting, the, the electeds there. Who who are voting for this, I think it's time for the capital of Texas to join the capital of France in taking these these big, bold, leaps forward. So thank you very much. I just also want to add, the financial piece of this. So when the city of Austin did a lane conversion over the longhorn dam from a 4 to 3 lane for shared use paths, it took four months to make back the cost of that project in comprehensive crash cost savings to society, you could argue that we can't afford not to do city leap atx, so thank you very much for your consideration. >> Thank you. >> Kayla Reese Roig Bailey, Craig Naser, Julian Reyes. >> Hello. City council. Craig [4:48:25 PM] >> Hello. City council. Craig Naser, I'm the conservation chair of the state chapter of the Sierra club. President of Austin environmental Democrats, an alternate on the joint sustainability committee and on the working group for natural, natural systems. First of all, I'd like to thank Ryan alter for coming to Austin environmental Democrats and talking to our group about this. This is a very important issue, and it's very nice when that gets out into the public. It's very nice of you to do that. The first thing is, and this is also Austin environmental Democrats and Sierra club, the elephant in the room on climate change is the fayette power plant. Without closing the fayette power plant. It all this other stuff is pretty minor, and I know that's a tough problem, but I just want to say that that that's all the groups I work with. That's what I hear all the time. Okay, [4:49:26 PM] I hear all the time. Okay, second thing is, and there's something on the, joint sustainability commission recommendation that and this is because I'm also on the zero waste advisory commission. Austin resource recovery really needs a transfer station. Trans power station at north Austin. That's the only way we'll get electric trucks to work. And they're free from tc right now. Those $700,000 trucks are free. They will work best if we have the transfer station. I would love to see you consider this as a top choice in what we're doing. One last thing. I think the pard land management plan is not a good choice for this, and I'll tell you why. And I've sent a detailed email about this that I hope you all read. It's referring to scientific papers. I did a deep dive on this. I strongly believe that this is the wrong thing to do, and we oppose this. Back in August or September of last year, it's [4:50:28 PM] September of last year, it's based on a false historical assumption of what the hill country looked like. And our areas to the west, particularly the selective thinning and fuel reduction, does not take into account the succession as plants grow into a full climax forest, even though that's an old juniper woodland that's only like 40ft tall. It's not a rainforest, but it's a forest nonetheless. Fire moves more slowly through forest than through grassland, so you protect yourself from fire. If you have healthy forests, okay, prescribed fire. There is no historic evidence to prescribe that fire moved through the hill country with any frequency, particularly the forest. There. CO2 sequestration ability is damaged for years with with controlled burns. They've proven that I have the scientific paper in my backup, thank you sir. You can read the rest in there. [4:51:30 PM] can read the rest in there. >> Thank you very much. That's a great thing. And all. >> Overall, Bobby Levinsky, Scott Johnson, Robert bowler. >> Afternoon, council. >> And thanks for your patience, my name is Robert bowler. >> I'm a d4 homeowner, a 12 year austinite. >> And as long as I've been waiting today, I'm becoming a bigger fan of the two minute limit. I'm speaking in favor today of item 182, the environmental investment plan, based on the work of the research. >> Org project drawdown. I'd like to share some specific science based recommendations on where to focus resources so they're most effective. Food system and transportation for food systems. There's three key areas. There's high emission proteins, food waste and takeout packaging. >> They're consistently deemed the highest sources of both emissions and plastic garbage. >> So we need to incentivize consumers and businesses to lean [4:52:32 PM] consumers and businesses to lean into plant rich offerings. >> We need to, need major resources behind initiatives that prevent food waste, both at home and at restaurants. And we need to fund a circular economy in which the packaging for food for our takeout is not deemed disposable. >> But there is a system, a convenient way to reuse that. You can check out the company deliver zero for an example of this system, in the transit world, I would also like to recommend the city leap initiative that was just announced by safe streets Austin transportation is Austin's biggest source of greenhouse emissions. It is not energy, it is how we get around, in a short city. >> Leap would dedicate on each of our major roadways, one lane each way to either dedicated transit and emergency vehicles or protected cycling paths, like any transit improvement, there are lots of good effects here on public safety, air quality, greenhouse emissions, equity, accessibility, effective use of road space, a bus that runs faster than the car traffic that it gets stuck in today, and for [4:53:33 PM] it gets stuck in today, and for real life. Preview Barton springs road just had a very successful pilot on this kind of road. Rightsizing. They saw less speeding and fewer crashes. You get more space for the pedicabs and scooters and bikes that Austin is known for. And keep people healthier, more than 70% of people said public, had public support for these changes. And an increased car travel times when you took out a lane a whopping three brie to 30s. So that's basically no sacrifice in car experience. When you give these lanes to public transit and to bikes, achieving sustainability is going to be our generation's World War two, and we need that kind of level of investment in this. And I think we can keep doing this. Let's go. Thanks, y'all. >> Thank you. >> I've called all the speakers for this item. >> Mayor. Great thank you very much, members, that, concludes all the public speakers on item number 182. So without [4:54:34 PM] number 182. So without objection, we will close the public hearing on item 182, and it will be coming back. We had a good discussion about this on Tuesday, and, I'll recognize council member Ryan alter to close this out. >> I just want to say one quick thing. You know, I was fortunate enough this past weekend to spend some time with my family out at lake Travis, and two things were abundantly clear to us. One, it was just unbearably hot, which is something we have seen come earlier and earlier every year. And second, just looking around, even with the rain we've had, the lake was alarmingly low, even for, you know, especially for this time of year at the beginning of the summer and, you know, this is nothing new for anyone who experienced last summer or the summer before that or the summer before that. You know, this is just a new trend. And the warning signs are staring us in the face. Our droughts are becoming deeper and longer and every year it seems to be getting hotter and hotter, and so we can't sit idly by and pretend this is going to solve itself. We caused these [4:55:34 PM] itself. We caused these problems, and we have the power to be the solution. And that's why we launched the environmental investment plan, why we asked the question, what will it take for our environmental goals to be more than just words on paper? That's why my office, councilmember Fuentes Velasquez, councilmember Ellis and Allison alter, are prioritizing the preservation of land and conservation of water, both of which were not making any more of, and which we have a rich history in doing none. So, then 25 years ago by our mayor, and we are so thankful today that we did, it's why we believe that we should invest in more trees, more solar. And reduce vehicle emissions and the devastating impacts of flooding. And I know these are priorities that we all share. And so I want to thank the joint sustainability committee. I want to thank our staff for their diligent work on identifying actionable projects and programs. And now for the public, for those who stuck it out for all day to share their thoughts so that we can make the [4:56:35 PM] thoughts so that we can make the right priorities and the right investments going forward. >> Thank you. Thank you. Council member members, that will now take us. I want to go back to item 132, 133, 138 and 140. Those items are being postponed. 132 to July 18th, 133 to July 18th, 138 to July 18th. Everybody get ready for July 18th, 140 to August 29th, I want to make sure that if we have speakers here, they're allowed to speak, but you will only be allowed to speak on the merits of the postponement, not on the item itself. If you're for the postponement, I guess you can come tell us we're doing good. If you're not for the postponement, come and tell us why. And so on. I don't. I'll call up item 132 and we'll open the public. Without objection, open the public hearing on item 132. >> There are no speakers for 132, there being no speakers. [4:57:35 PM] 132, there being no speakers. >> Without objection, we'll close the public hearing on item 12. It will be postponed to July 18th. Item 133, with that objection, I'll open the public hearing on item 133. Is there anyone signed up to speak on 133? >> Yes, mayor. I have some speakers speaking on the merits of the postponement for 133. Julie woods, William bunch, who does have time donated. If Roy Whaley is here, and then Zenobia Joseph or any of the people whose name was just called are present, call their name, please. >> Again, Julie woods, William bunch, Zenobia, Joseph. In that case, members, there's no one signed up to speak on this on the merits of the postponement. Without objection, we will close the public hearing on item 133, item 138, it's being postponed to July 18th. Without objection, we'll open the public hearing on 138, and I'll turn to the city clerk. >> I have one speaker, Jason Haskins, Jason Haskins, Jason Haskins. [4:58:36 PM] Haskins. >> Without objection, we will close the public hearing on item 138. It will be postponed to July 18th. Item number 140, which is related to item 132, is presently being postponed to August 29th, without objection, I'll open the public hearing on item number 140 and turn to the city clerk. >> There are no speakers for 140. >> There are no speakers signed up to speak to the merits of the postponement on item 140. So without objection, we'll close the public hearing on item number 140 members, unless there's someone points out something else to me, I believe that covers all of the items that we have on the agenda for this regular schedule meeting of the Austin city council. So without objection, we will adjourn at 4:59 P.M. That was the goal, guys. Great meeting.