City Council Budget Work Session Transcript – 7/24/2024 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 7/24/2024 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 7/24/2024 Transcript Generated by SnapStream ================================== Please note that the following transcript is for reference purposes and does not constitute the official record of actions taken during the meeting. For the official record of actions of the meeting, please refer to the Approved Minutes. [9:59:38 AM] This is a-t-x-n the City of Austin S Government Access Channel going to call to order the Austin city council budget work session on July 24th, 2024 at 10:00 am, we are meeting in the city council chambers that are located in city hall at 301 west second street in Austin, Texas. We have a quorum of the Austin city council present. Members [10:00:39 AM] city council present. Members and public. We have two members that are joining us virtually. Council member vela and council member Kelly and I asked both of them to make sure I know if I'm looking down. It doesn't offend me at all for y'all to cry out and make sure that I recognize you members in public. We have an agenda, the agenda has two parts to it. The first is a briefing, and that will be a presentation and discussion of the city of Austin fiscal year 2425 proposed budget with a focus on the general fund. And as we had indicated, we would do, we submitted questions or submitted topics to the budget office or on the message board and that way to the budget office. So that they would know what we were going to talk about, miss Lang has, done her typical good job. What she's done is she's taken those questions and put them together in different, slides. And so she [10:01:39 AM] in different, slides. And so she will, be able to make a presentation to us about what we've asked about. And then we'll talk as a group about those things. Then we'll go to the next item, and that will help us provide some organization. The second agenda item is a 3:00 time certain community input session. I don't anticipate these briefings. Will this briefing will go until 3:00. So at some point we will recess the work session and reconvene the work session promptly at 3:00. We've had people sign up to be a part of that community input session. And as I indicated on the message board, if I don't anticipate that we will finish the input, the community input by five or, after five, if someone, wants to if someone has signed up to speak, but they couldn't get here before 5 or 6:00 because of work or some other reason, the purpose of [10:02:40 AM] other reason, the purpose of this, starting at 3:00 in the afternoon, is so that people that have those kinds of situations can also be heard on the budget. And all I ask is that if you come in at whatever time after 5:00, you were signed up, your name was already called. Please just tell the clerk that you're here and we will recall that name. So and I'll announce that again later today. So make sure everybody, what's going on in that regard so we can accommodate, good community input. With that, we will now go to the briefing and that's, members you have been provided a general fund overview with slides. They're going to put the slides up on the, monitors. And I'm going to look to, miss Lang. >> Good morning, mayor and council. Kerri Lang, budget officer. Happy to be here this morning to talk about the general fund overview, several of you all gave, some topics of [10:03:41 AM] of you all gave, some topics of discussion for today, and we'll go over those areas, to kind of go into those, program areas or topics to have discussion on, the budget around those areas are the objectives around those areas, and so I'll go ahead and get started first by, talking about the budget timeline. Again, we just start with discussing what the next several days will look like and then diving right into those discussions, of course, today, as the mayor mentioned, we'll have the community input at 3 P.M. This work session. We have follow up work sessions on the sixth and eighth. And then, excuse me, August 1st with an additional public hearing. And community input, the sixth and eighth and then readings on August 16th, 14th through 16th, so the first discussion that we'll start off with is the animal services office, and the, question was really focused on [10:04:42 AM] question was really focused on addressing shelter capacity. And looking at addressing animal intake, the animal shelter, as you all know, the animal services officer has discussed the, emergency limits that the shelter has been in over the last several months. They've been over capacity, in several areas. So, for example, as early as this past Monday, they've they were at 123% for kittens and, cats, small dogs and puppies are at 129%. And medium and large dogs are at 122%. The way that the shelter has addressed this is through adoption and foster. So they've waived fees, they've done incentives for rescue programs. They have a service agreement, to, through their service agreement, they, currently have the partner takes 12% of previous years intake. And, with [10:05:43 AM] previous years intake. And, with the previous agreement with arpa, they used to take about 3000, but we changed that agreement in 2021. And so now they take 1200, about 1200 animals per year. And then we just recently started using a boarding services. But that boarding services cost between 25 and $35 per animal per day, which runs about 5000 to 6000 dollars a week to, cover the cost of about 24 animals. So this is something that the animal services office is trying to do to address, the, the, the increased numbers that they're seeing at the shelter, and so we wanted to just kind of tee this up and open it up for discussion for the council to start to start talking about what some next steps can be. >> Members, I have questions about this, but I want to see if anybody else has questions first. Yes. Council member harper-madison. [10:06:46 AM] harper-madison. >> Mr. Mayor, because we I think you and I have had a similar conversations. I'll wait until I hear your line of questioning to make sure we don't do great. >> Well, then, let me thank you for that. I'll go ahead and start. I guess I just heard your presentation. A question I didn't have, but I now have is why was the agreement with Apa changed so that we decreased the number of animals that Apa was taking at, or about the same time that we were running into problems, with intake and, and the number of animals that we had. We don't we need them to be taking that number or more. >> I'm going to defer to I thought you might the animal services officer. >> I see him right over there. Thank you, Mr. Bland. >> Good morning, don bland, chief animal service officer, to answer your question, that was an initiative that, animal [10:07:47 AM] an initiative that, animal services nor the legal staff, supported, but it was something that Apa had presented and council, moved that forward. >> So you're saying that Apa asked that there would be a decrease in the number of animals they would take and a decrease in the contract? Yes, sir. Because it I may have this wrong, but it seems to me that what they're doing is saying we will step up and take more animals if the city wants us to take more animals. Is that your understanding of the current circumstance, >> For a fee? Yes, sir. >> Well, yeah, for a fee, sure, yeah. Yes. Mayor pro tem. >> And if I remember some of the concern at the time was there was criticism of Apa and its contract because they were not taking as many animals and that was related to. Can you remind me why Apa was not taking as [10:08:47 AM] me why Apa was not taking as many animals? I think the referrals to Apa had fallen off by the city. Do I have that maybe incomplete or is that accurate? >> No. We they they were still they were pulling as many animals as they had previously prior to the adoption of this resolution. They were not taking as many behavior animals as they had taken in the past because of their capacity as well, but they felt that they needed to help there were other cities that were in more need than we were at that point, and they wanted to branch out. And that was also when they moved from taking the five county area to anywhere. >> And I think they are backing off on the taking from the other counties. But I think, mayor, at this point, in order to get to the nubbins of that disagreement, conversations with Apa would certainly be helpful. >> Yeah, I just want to make sure I understand why we're doing what we're doing, because what we're doing is putting us in a situation where we need to [10:09:48 AM] in a situation where we need to be having this discussion. Right. So I probably I shouldn't have started with that question, but it interested me knowing what it seems to be, the current feeling and mood or understanding about what we might could do with Apa. So let's forget why anything happened in the past. Let's just look to the future for a second and looking to the future, it would be beneficial to us if we want to be able to not close intake the way we're having to do and not do some of the address. Some of these issues where it's not as successful as we might like them to be. If in fact, we had Apa taking more animals, is that right? >> That's correct sir, we this this past year, we have offered rescue organizations, dollars to take animals up to $500 at one point for any large dog and 250 for any small dog and cat. And we had four animals leave under that. That was it, so, one of the things that we did have [10:10:51 AM] the things that we did have transports that we were using, prior to all of the recently, when before all the other parts of the country fell apart and they were pulling animals from us, and we had a good stream going up north, and they quit pulling from us because we maintained our live exit rate of, you know, where others have not. So, like, just, just, you know, if you look at last month, our live exit rate was 96.65. And we they have when they do have a rare opening, they are pulling from one of the other cities in Texas that has lost their no-kill status. If you look at last month, El Paso is at 75, Houston at 74, San Antonio 82 and Dallas at 79. So you know, that's us being where we're at. Has has affected them helping us as well. >> So what would we need to do and what and have you done any analysis of costs since we're talking about budget, what would the agreement need to look like. And from your perspective with Apa and what would the cost be? [10:11:54 AM] Apa and what would the cost be? If we wanted to try to fit our current demand? >> Well, I think that, we, we have secured shelter planners of America, and they actually were here all day yesterday with us working on what we need to do from a, you know, facility standpoint and staffing standpoint. And they're crunching those numbers. And in about eight weeks we'll get the results. But that's going to really help us a lot in planning for moving forward. But I think that if you look at we have to vote on a budget, I understand that, we have, you know, used these boarding facilities and we had a pilot boarding agreement with Apa previously, and that's what initiated this. We asked them again, would you be willing to board for us, at the same agreement that we had before? And that's when they came back and said that they would pull the animals at at the cost. And that's what they presented. And we just saw that yesterday as well. >> And how much was that, >> No more than 2 million. >> Okay. >> Let's talk about adoption and [10:12:55 AM] >> Let's talk about adoption and foster programs. Do we need more? Coordinators for adoption in foster? >> Yes, sir, when you look at the other organizations and the amount that they have to handle with. Right now, we have 514 animals this morning in foster and with our one and a half people. That's a lot to take care of. >> How many do we what would your recommendation be in terms of additional adoption of foster? >> We had asked for, I think it was 2.2 and a half additional. Yes sir. Two and a half additional for the foster rescue coordinators. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you, councilmember harper- madison, do you want to follow up, >> No, sir. Mr. Mayor, I would like to say that I really appreciate that line of questioning, I just for a little bit of background, I'm an animal lover, you know, and my first campaign, I was so proud that I got four paws from the animal folks. And so, a part of my [10:13:56 AM] folks. And so, a part of my concern here is thinking about, to your point, Mr. Mayor, let's not be concerned about what happened in the past. What are things going to look like moving forward, and so as we acquire more humans in this town, it appears as though we're acquiring more animals, too. And I'm just really deeply concerned about the situation being untenable. If it already is. It only gets worse from here. And so I'm just I'm deeply concerned about what the solutions look like. And I just really want to be a part of that, process and make sure that we move forward in a way that's, pragmatic. You know, I, I, I think the pragmatism part sometimes gets lost in this conversation. And we exclusively zero in on the compassion component. But I can't help but admit that when I hear that we're giving $500 for one dog to an organization, I think about how many school clothes a kid could get with 500 or go to summer camp for 500, or you know, the dollars really matter. And I I've hesitated to engage in this conversation, [10:14:58 AM] engage in this conversation, most especially because I think, Mr. Bland, you've drawn a lot of criticism. I personally think you've done a great job with the leadership at the shelter. I think you inherited something that was a tricky situation and you've done your best. Given the circumstances. But we can't just keep punting our responsibility when we get challenges to a singular individual to wear the thorns, you know, I think it's time for us to all wear the thorns and really just have some difficult conversations. As a community about the best application of our resources moving forward and whether or not we're doing a disservice. I can't help but notice when I go to the shelter with my kids and I overhear volunteers talk about a dog that's been in a cratefor 23 hours. It breaks my heart, and I just when you guys have conversations about dogs devolving into not being adoptable because of behavioral problems, I really do think akin to how it is when you lock people up, you lock animals, people and animals acquire behavioral coping mechanisms that are not good and I I'm [10:16:00 AM] that are not good and I I'm concerned, deeply concerned. And one of the things that I'd love to be able to say on my way out is this challenge was one that we were able to start to implement some solutions with. So thank you for your effort. I really appreciate the albatross we handed you, and my hope is that we, as a body, our state delegation, we all really figure out this very important challenge that we collectively have as a community. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Council member, other council other members. All right. Thank you very much, Mr. Blaine. I appreciate what you do and appreciate you being here. Oh I'm sorry, you're not. All right. There you go. Council member vela. >> Thank you. Mayor. I just want to echo, council member, harper-madison, comments. And I also wanted to emphasize that the shelter being closed to new, animals really affects my district and her district, because a lot of our neighborhoods are the ones that have the, you know, stray dogs [10:17:01 AM] have the, you know, stray dogs in particular, the large dogs in particular, so that is a real, real concern to me, I think there's a public safety, very serious public safety concern with having the animal shelter closed. And we really have to grapple with that. And we need to do that sooner or later. Sooner than later. My question, though, was about the, spay and neuter, I know last year I had a budget amendment to boost the amount of funding that went to, our contractor that handles the spay and neuter. And I just wanted to see how's that going? Because I continue to hear, about, like, a three month wait time or so for a spay or neuter appointment. And ultimately, you know, I don't think we're going to build enough kennels to, to get out of this. I don't think that's the direction long term, we've got to have a very aggressive spay and neuter program, and we've got to have the microchips, animals with microchip so we can get them [10:18:02 AM] microchip so we can get them back to their owners. I mean, long term, I think that's the way out of this situation. And I just wanted to get an update on how those two aspects of our animal shelter are going, the spay and neuter, how the wait times and then, anything new or any new information on the, microchip? >> Yes, sir. The additional funds that were provided for our spay and neuter budget are being utilized, and our our partners are doing the best they can. They still are having to cancel clinics because they don't have enough surgeons on certain days, but we have seen the billing coming through is definitely higher than it has been in the past, we have, signed a contract in an agreement, and y'all approved last week for us to move forward with the good fix part of the good greater good charities. And, they are going to do their first large scale clinic here. The third week in November this year. So then they'll do another one in [10:19:03 AM] they'll do another one in December, excuse me, in September, and then they'll do another one in December, January and moving forward they planned on about six clinics, this coming fiscal year as well. >> And those clinics are the, just kind of big spay and neuter events, right, where folks can basically bring their animals to a certain location and have that animal, spayed or neutered. >> Yes, sir. They'll get, spayed neutered, vaccinated, microchipped. All of that will take place at the same time. It'll be a first come, first serve basis. They'll do about 1200. The first clinic, about 250 a day, so about 1212 hundred, 1250, and then, they'll ramp up to 500 a day in the next clinic. >> That's a good to hear. Again, that's a complaint that I hear from a lot of, my constituents is just the wait times for the, the spay and neuter, has been excessive. And my understanding [10:20:05 AM] excessive. And my understanding is that other places don't have, the wait times that that we do, so and, all right. Well, that's that's the, I just wanted to ask about that. Thank you, very much, director bland. >> Thank you. Council member. All right. Thank you, Mr. Bland. Miss Lang, I'll go back to you. >> Mayor, if I could interject really quickly. Yes. We had a, late update to slide 14 in your packets. The clerk's going to pass around a version two. We've also posted this to the website so the public has access to it. >> Okay. Thank you. Page 14. You said yes. >> Slide 14. The human resources slide. Yes. Great. >> I just want to I just was trying to emphasize that. Thank you, miss Lang. It's back to you. >> Thank you. Next. >> Oh, Mr. Mayor, I'm so sorry. Miss Lang. I'm sorry to interrupt. I just realized I had one other question for Mr. Bland. Did he already leave? No. He's still. I could just. You [10:21:06 AM] He's still. I could just. You can say, put the other question I had was the last time I was at the shelter, I couldn't help but notice how many animals were in care for respiratory ringworm. And then the other little section for care. I do have some questions about our care cost, and so if maybe sometime we could get a breakdown of what it looks like for the care cost because they can't adopt them out until they're healthy. >> Could you? >> And that's not something I need right this second. >> But eventually let's get that on the Q and a thank you. Thank you. Council member. All right, miss Lang, I really mean at this time, it's back to you. >> Perfect. So the next, point of discussion will be Austin public health, the violence prevention programs, and so we are discussing, the at peace program, it is $1.3 million is reallocated in fiscal year 25 to support this program. It is a community violence intervention program. And then there's additionally 2.4 million in [10:22:07 AM] additionally 2.4 million in federal and city funding for the harvest trauma recovery center through fiscal year 26, the department is working on an mou, to do funding for, additional trauma recovery programs. And, Austin public health has secured other has other social service contracts for violence prevention. Some are most are maintaining fiscal year 24 funding. Some have reduced funding. That was reallocated to at peace. There's also those that are maintaining funding include mexic-arte museum council at council on at youth risk lock arms for life and life renews youth a new program council member Velasquez. >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, how does the 1.3 compare to last year? >> Let me pull that up. And as [10:23:07 AM] >> Let me pull that up. And as I'm pulling that up, I'm going to see if public health wants to come down. >> Good morning. Laura Lafuente with Austin public health. That is a $200, $200,000 reduction from last fiscal year. From this fiscal year. >> Okay. And what, what was funded last year is not going to be funded this year. >> So what is not going to be funded this year will be, some of the smaller community rooted grants that were originally funded with one time funding. So that would be a council on at risk youth program, a ywca program, a sunrise community outreach zo again, smaller contracts and one contract with ywca for mental health support services. >> Okay. And I have one more. [10:24:09 AM] >> Okay. And I have one more. And it's a three part what is the total budget for ovp and what was one time and what is ongoing? >> The total. And we also need to consider that some of the funding for the office of violence prevention has been federal earmarks and also one time funding, so in fiscal year 24, there was this is accounting for the budget stabilization reserve funding and also the federal earmarks. 4.239. So in general fund and I would just want to acknowledge that some of the funding that federal earmark will be used in the future year is 1.6. >> Thank you, councilmember Fuentes. >> Thank you. Colleagues, just want to highlight that. I'm so pleased to see continued funding for the trauma recovery center. This council and our Travis county partners at the county commissioners court. We were the first city community in the [10:25:09 AM] first city community in the state to bring a trauma recovery center. I was really pleased to be part of that effort. And councilmember salter was also part of it, but, standing up the first trauma recovery center in the in the state, as a resource for victims of violent crime was not only important, but what was crucial as part of those conversations is how are we going to sustain funding for it? And what I knew then was that once we got it started, once we got it launched, that we would be able to draw down federal dollars. And so I want to thank congressman Doggett, who has secured more than $1 million of funding for us to continue operations for the trauma recovery center. The TRC was recently utilized when we had the gun shooting in Round Rock. It served as a resource for our Round Rock community, so just know it is. It's a regional benefit for us, so I'm pleased to see that it's continued funding and just wanted to highlight the success so far. >> Thank you. And I do need to correct myself. >> It is in terms of contracted out funding, it is $2.6 million. What we are anticipating for fiscal year 25, acknowledging [10:26:09 AM] fiscal year 25, acknowledging the federal earmarks and acknowledging some of that brc funding, it will be 2.82. >> Great. Thank you. Mayor pro tem and then council member Alison alter. >> I wanted to follow up on what council member Velasquez was asking about the small contracts that were not included. Could you also give us information on, the reasons why they're not like, are they being funded through a different stream? You had mentioned federal grants, when you pull all that together, and then I also would be interested in knowing what the participation rate on the contracts was. So we can see how, how they were used. >> Absolutely. We'll probably have to get back to you with more specific details on that. So the original community rooted grants were funded through one time funding, right? The city, the department was able to continue those contract with the American rescue plan funds and smaller funds that we were able to identify. So that is the [10:27:11 AM] to identify. So that is the reason why those are those smaller contracts are ending. Okay. They were always in. >> So they're ending with us, but they are continuing to provide the services. >> We'll have to double check that. >> That's what I think we would be very interested in knowing. And then I know that whenever a grant is funded, one time the Dyess always and staff always thinks in terms of what is going to happen with this program after the funding is ended. And we don't wait till the last minute, but we do have efforts to try to, find funds to continue if the program is viable or to direct to other potential revenue sources that may be outside of the city in order to continue a good program, and so that information may be helpful to us as well. Sure. Thank you. >> Thank you. Mayor pro tem councilmember Allison alter. >> Thank you, so I'm really, you know, pleased to see, you know, where we've landed with the [10:28:11 AM] where we've landed with the office of violence prevention. When created this in the fiscal year 21 budget, and it launched in the 21, you know, we knew it was going to take some time to get things up. And I want to, you know, flag the work that councilmember Fuentes did on the trauma recovery center. You know, if you talk to them about their intakes and the number of people that they're able to serve on an extensive basis, you know, they're well ahead of their contracts, as she mentioned, they were able to really step in together with at peace when our region had the shooting for juneteenth in a way that really reflected the approach that we're trying to take to violence, which is a public health approach. And, you know, that requires that people who are victims or in the vicinity experiencing the trauma that they're able to seek help so that they don't turn around and resort to gun violence themselves. I've had an opportunity as we looked at gun violence awareness month in June to meet with at peace, with, with the partners who are in there, you know, and the work [10:29:13 AM] there, you know, and the work that they are doing, to reduce gun violence is very, very important. And they're sort of just getting started. But we can already see reductions in shootings that are not happening and changes in those particular communities where they're operating. So I'm pleased that we're able to continue that investment. But I am I am still concerned, with like greater clarity than what you just provided on the budget compared to fiscal year 25 to fiscal year 24. And what is being spent on what, you mentioned, Carrie mentioned that, ironically, Carrie mentioned that the council on, high risk youth, was being funded, and then you said it wasn't being funded, so can we clarify? And I met with them and they thought they were not being funded. And so I would like to get some clarity. >> Sure. There were two contracts with the council on at risk youth. There was one for $400,000 at various campuses, [10:30:13 AM] $400,000 at various campuses, and then there was a smaller contract for one campus, and that was at $65,000. So the $65,000 contract is the one that is not continuing. But the $400,000 contract is continuing. >> Okay. Can someone please contact Carrie? Yes, because I met with them the other day and they are concerned that they're losing the 500 or 500,000, 400,000. So, if we could make sure of that. And then for ymca, how much is going away there? >> That was $300,000. >> Okay. And that would have funded what, >> That was funding mental health therapeutic services to at risk youth. >> Okay. And for sunrise. >> Sunrise was 65,000. >> Okay, >> And then for the funding that we have, in the bucket, as I understood it, it's a $2.6 million budget for ovp is that where. >> Yes, that does not include staff, but 2.6 in terms of the funding that gets contracted out. Okay. >> If we could get, I believe I've already asked for this in [10:31:15 AM] I've already asked for this in the budget, but if I didn't specifically ask for this in the Q and a, can we get a clearer budget, you know, with the staffing and the other pieces and what is ongoing and what is one time money? Because at various points in time, we've had to do one time money, and I don't want the council to be surprised if that 1.3 million for a piece, for instance, is only one time money this year, and then we're struggling to find it next year. I don't know if that's the case, but I want us to be really clear on that, because that's a program that I think is working really well, and that over the course of the next year, we're going to really see them come into their own, as they have their personnel on the ground and they're really able to, deepen the relationships in the community. >> And councilmember Alyssa, that is ongoing funding at 1.3. Okay, but we are we do we do have the information that you're requesting and should be submitting that through the budget process, but then the trauma recovery center is one time money for or over two years. [10:32:16 AM] years. >> There's money over two years. >> Yes. >> It's money over two years. >> Okay. >> Were there any additions made to övp's budget this year, or was it. I think there was the one time $500,000 from council member Velasquez for atcs piece. >> That is ongoing. >> Okay. >> And then were there reductions in the budget? >> There were no reductions in the budget. Okay. >> But we just reallocated that the smaller grants, etc. To the CVI. >> Correct. Great. >> Thank you very much. >> Council member Velasquez I'm sorry, Mr. Belafonte, did you say that that that that is ongoing? >> The one, the 1.3 for CVI is ongoing funding. Okay. Thank you. >> Yes, councilmember. >> Thank you. Mayor. And you had mentioned the lock arms for life program as one of the ones that was going to be continued. Is it being funded at the same dollar amount that it has been in the past? >> It will have a $30,000 [10:33:16 AM] >> It will have a $30,000 reduction. So previously it was 180. Now it will be 150 moving forward. Okay. >> And has that been communicated? I know that's a contract that we put out. And so has that been communicated to the folks who currently have that contract lock arms for life? >> I believe it has. But if not, we'll make sure that that is communicated as soon as possible. >> Okay, that'd be great. I would love to see that not reduced, but I think we're all probably going to see something here that we would love to see not reduced. And we'll have to figure out the priorities. But thank you for the information. You're welcome. >> Thank you. Council member anybody else want to talk? Yeah. >> Oh, council member Ballard, you have your hand up. >> Go for it. I did, mayor, thank you, >> Just, following up, I wanted to echo my colleague's comments on the CVI plans. We're really limited in. For example, gun control measures, what we can do to get guns off the street, keep guns off the street. The CVI programs, I think, are really interesting and innovative approach. It's new, though. And so my question was, do we have any data or analysis, any kind [10:34:17 AM] any data or analysis, any kind of deliverables, feedback from the programs on what they're seeing, you know, how they're doing? And, and I ask this just because they are new and I just want to really learn what the impact is and kind of understand, what they're actually doing on the ground. >> We do have some information, there's a very detailed response, they have served over 285 high risk youth. They have successfully prevented or de-escalated 52 potential shootings, they've provided over 80 hours of counseling sessions. Over 1700 hours of relational interactions to build trust and foster positive relationships within the community, they've helped 26 participants receive housing assistance, and I can go further on that list if you'd like me to give you that level of detail, I can. >> We make that a budget question, and just so. So I'll make sure and see it and follow up and against of any report or any, documentation. Would be [10:35:19 AM] any, documentation. Would be also greatly appreciated. So, so, yeah, please put that on the message, not the message board, but on the Q and a. >> That'd be great. Anything more? Council member Vila. >> Thank you mayor. >> Thank you, anything else with regard to public health, Austin public health. All right. Thank you. Council thank you, miss Lang, it's all yours. >> Thank you, the next discussion is, police collective sex crimes response model. This slide here shows the recommended funding from the commissions from women. They recommended that the city allocate investments in the 24, 25 budget based. And you see this here, this also shows the, what is included in the budget, in the police budget and what was included in the police's unmet needs for fiscal year 25, and this is based on the recommendations from the per report, for the response models. [10:36:19 AM] report, for the response models. >> All right. Council member Alison alter and council member Velazquez, can staff come up who are working on this staff? >> So, first of all, can you just give us a very, very quick recap of what the collective sex crimes response model is, where those recommendations came from, and how many people for how long have been working on this project? >> Certainly. Thank you, first of all, my name is Hannah Senko. I know I've had the opportunity to stand in front of many of you in the past, some for the first time here today, I am a sexual assault survivor, of which I reported my second assault, here to the Austin police department, in which my case was ultimately closed via exceptional clearance with prosecution. Declined, I also come to this discussion in a unique position as one of the [10:37:21 AM] a unique position as one of the lead plaintiffs that brought lawsuit against the city of Austin and Travis county, with the hope and intention to bring reform and change to the system that was failing survivors in the past, upon settlement of the lawsuit, as well as the report from the police executive research forum and their numerous recommendations, there was a launch of the collective sex crimes response model project, it includes over 120 items of reform and change, that we're in the process of implementing. This project was stood up just about 18 months ago, I'm also in the unique position of serving as the project manager, on this project, I come with a deep background in corporate governance, compliance, project management, there are currently roughly 40 members that have been participating in this work over the last 18 months. Half of those members roughly, are APD personnel and the other half are advocates. Other partner agencies that have contributed [10:38:21 AM] agencies that have contributed their time to this work, the dedication to ensure that survivors of the past or the survivors of the future do not experience the system that the survivors of the past have. So these are some additional funding requests that, we are bringing forward at this point in time to continue the work. >> And can you provide some? You are the lieutenant, lieu, if you could help us understand what's not been met in the budget beyond sort of just the bucket, but to help us better understand why it's important. Sure. Keeping the commitment that we made to the sexual assault survivors. >> Sure. So for the funding requests that are presented, I would say 95% of that is oriented around four specific items. The very first is the training curriculum development, delivery. And with those funds, it would be, engaging third party experts in the space to come in and assist with, redeveloping curriculum and training associated with sex crimes for the Austin police [10:39:22 AM] crimes for the Austin police department at all levels. That would be at the cadet level. The sex crimes unit detective bootcamp level, it would also create curriculum for annual recurring training for individuals involved in this work at APD on a on a recurring go forward basis, I will allow the lieutenant to speak about the detective staffing and retired detectives. >> And if I may, I think, we focus on reforming and improving policy, the way we supervise our data and metrics and then also training and I think training is a critical component. At times we can, being law enforcement and peace officers, know about the subject matter, this one, I think there's an awareness, a deep awareness that in order to, to identify and adopt best practice, we need to be getting it be advised and informed, by experts in this field that are not not police officers. And so, to get to get the best is that's [10:40:23 AM] to get to get the best is that's what makes up this request and this ask, that's a critical part. And the training sets the stage we often find with our police officers, they want to do right by survivors. They don't want to, increase harm. And then it's all about training them and setting them up for success. Teaching them the right material so that from that very first contact, a survivor who's had the bravery, the courage to come and report that they're being treated appropriately and we're not doing additional harm, so this is a you know, critical ask. And like miss Cinco said, we've we've done so much of this work, we've come so far. That, you know, this is a situation where the city spent something like 70 and 80% of, of the cost. And for us to come this far, you know, I think it's critical to just continue and, it's one of these endeavors that isn't ongoing forever. There is an end point. And I think that the outcomes and what we achieve [10:41:23 AM] outcomes and what we achieve through that are going to be, amazing. And the nation is watching what we do and hoping that it is successful and hoping to replicate it, speaking to the detective staffing, we're all aware of the staffing, the critical staffing issues that APD faces, and that are similar nationwide. We, you know, recruiting is an issue. We can't just make more detectives, but we do have detectives that are retiring and that are interested in continuing this work. They're committed to it. And so we believe that a pragmatic, sustainable model to addressing this staffing issue, that's going to be probably something we have to deal with for years to come. Is the hiring of retired detectives, and, and at the hourly rate that we're giving them, it is an absolute bargain, they come to this work with literally an entire career worth of experience. We do in the sex crimes unit, they are introduced to the trauma informed, victim led training and have been practitioners of [10:42:25 AM] and have been practitioners of it. And so we are careful and selective about who we pick. But this money that we're talking about allows us to, hire these retired detectives to do work. That frees up our, our piece of our current detectives for like, felony work. And so they can be tasked with, compliance work and misdemeanor investigations, also on following up, we've caught up with our our sexual assault forensic exams, but it's there's a monumental task. And in going through these and finding out did it result in evidence that we can act upon and finding these survivors that, you know, to try to get to them to reengage in the process so that these could result in arrests of perpetrators and prosecution, these detectives, you know, we fill this gap with overtime. I'm grateful that we have detectives that are overworked, that are willing to work for the overtime rate. But this rate that we're asking for to be able to hire 2 to 3 retirees, they're working [10:43:27 AM] to 3 retirees, they're working at a rate that's about a third of what we pay when our detectives can and do work overtime. So I think it's money well spent, that's that's the related to the detective staffing line item, >> The third bullet is associated with project management, just as folks wouldn't put me in a police officer uniform and send me out on the streets and ask to do that job, it's not appropriate for us to ask police personnel to come in and become a project manager overnight. >> Can I ask you to move that? >> Just a little? >> Certainly. >> Yeah, I hear you, but it'll make it easier. >> Okay. Thank you. And so the project management skill set is one that is certainly unique, and requires somebody that is skilled in that space, this is a highly complex project, with a lot of different dynamics. Emotions, and a lot at risk if we don't get it right. And so the third bullet really is to continue to support project management for this project because of its size and complexity, the fourth item is the survivor survey. This was [10:44:29 AM] the survivor survey. This was explicitly called out both in the per recommendation report as well as a requirement in the survivor settlement, lawsuit. And so, that's the fourth item, volunteer compensation, as mentioned previously, we have a number of individuals coming to this work simply on a volunteer basis. And so trying to find a way to provide some sort of compensation or stipend that is, at least recognizing their work, even if it's not, say, at a fair wage per se, that's what that ask is associated with. And then the, the lower item there around educational outreach materials, it's really items to be able to purchase resources, books for the department, there's also elements of a challenge coin to be able to award members within the unit, for doing great work, so those are the specific budget call outs for fy 25. >> Thank you, very much. And I do want to acknowledge, chief [10:45:32 AM] do want to acknowledge, chief Henderson's, commitment to this project and her really leaning into both the project, you know, we had the apology, back in January, which was part of the requirements of the lawsuit settlement, and chief Henderson has been, you know, showing up to events where the movie that about the survivors has been shown and has just you know, I've heard many, many of the survivors saying, I never thought I'd be sitting next to the chief of police, you know, as we're having these conversations. So, so I really want to acknowledge it. And, and, you know, while we're choosing a chief of police, acknowledge that it's really, really important that this work, continues, and I hope that, the dais will join me in, in completing this commitment that we've made to the survivors in our community and helping us, go from being called out in national media as a failure in this regard to being the leaders. So this is a very [10:46:33 AM] leaders. So this is a very small, investment. It's, you know, about 200,001 time and about 200,000 in recurring, to really complete something and set it up, I do have one final question. I'm not sure who can answer this or if this has to be sent by attorney client, but, it's my belief that we are required by the lawsuit settlement to fund this, so I was surprised to not see it funded in the basic budget, but I but I would like to know, what those requirements are from the settlement, with this regard, you know, certainly the training, and the survey, and the detective staffing, should at minimum be covered in required by the settlement that we all agree to on this dais or those of us who are there. >> And I can't speak to it not being funded. And then it putting the city and us at risk for not fulfilling the [10:47:34 AM] for not fulfilling the settlement agreement. Again, speak to our attorneys. But I, I do feel confident in saying that with the with the continuing support that we're asking for, that with with what we achieved through this project, that I think it will satisfy what we committed to in the settlement, we've got over 44 members from inter-agency interdisciplinary that are all collectively agreeing upon each item that we work through to approve it. And so it really is a true consensus approach to it. So I do think that we will be able to say at the end of this that we've we've done what we promised to do. >> Thank you. And I and a couple of colleagues had an opportunity to have lunch with, the working group or the working group leadership and, and I have to say, I was very impressed by how well they're working together. And I have never seen a situation where you had folks from APD and folks from the community, really complementing each other and really feeling [10:48:35 AM] each other and really feeling like they were moving constructively to address challenges that everyone faced, and with a feeling that if we actually leaned into this, that we would move the needle significantly. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember Velasquez, anyone else that would like to address this issue? Okay thank you both. Thank you for taking the time to be here. This morning. Miss Lang. >> So the next topic will be police, overtime. And, what we're seeing in this, in this slide and the chart is the, overtime that police has used over the last several years, high vacancy rates in particular, has resulted resulting from attrition and how that attrition has outpaced recruitment is the primary factor that we're seeing in the increased overtime spending for the police department. As you'll see in the table, the vacancy rates for the police department [10:49:36 AM] rates for the police department has increased since 2020. Their overtime has increased as well. If you look at 2020, it was at 22 million. The estimate for this fiscal year is at, 47.8 million. Now it is noted that, you know, the vacancy savings does offset some of that overtime expense. So the increased vacancies that we're seeing, we're covering some of that, that overtime cost with the vacancy savings that they're having, the police department is, looking at some long term solutions. We think that once we get into an agreement with the association that will help offset some of those, some of those costs as recruiting becomes, a better option, concurrent cadet classes is something that the, the department has been implementing over the last couple of years, over the last couple of cycles, creating a career path from 911 call taker into a cadet, as well as the recruiting bonuses that [10:50:37 AM] as the recruiting bonuses that they've offered to cadets. So those are some of the solutions that the department has put in place to address recruiting and retention, and, and working with the department. The budget office has worked very closely with the department over the last several years to help them manage their budget, even as they've seen this increase in in overtime costs. >> Questions. Members councilmember Ryan alter. >> Thank you. Carrie I'm curious, just looking at the estimated budget for this budget, it has our estimate for what we are budgeting is 25.7 million, but then we think it's going to actually be 47.8. So where does that extra $22 million come from? >> We're managing it with their vacancies. >> So their vacancy savings, is offset and we work very closely with, Michelle and the team to look at how their vacancies have come in versus, you know, the [10:51:37 AM] come in versus, you know, the vacancy savings that they're seeing. And their overtime that they're that they are actually, the overtime expense that they're seeing, and the department has been doing very well with managing that overtime cost with the vacancy savings that, that they've generated. >> And is that just looking historically, that doesn't seem to be 1 to 1 unless I'm just reading this. Not properly. It seems like what we think we're going to realize in vacancy savings versus what the overtime cost is, those aren't marrying up that overtime is more. But maybe when you when you say sworn overtime budget, is that a separate we have a separate bucket for overtime. And then we're supplementing that with vacancy savings. Or what do we mean when we say sworn overtime budget. Yeah >> Yeah. So we do have a separate specific line item for sworn overtime in the budget [10:52:37 AM] sworn overtime in the budget versus overtime for civilians. And versus other line items that budget for fiscal year. Well, the estimated I don't know why it says estimate, but 15.8 million is the sworn overtime budget for 2024. But departments aren't constrained to the budget by line item. They're constrained by their budget at the bottom line. So the total amount of the police department's budget, they should not exceed that. But if they're having vacancies higher than what they projected, so they have more vacancy savings than what we budgeted, they're at it's at their discretion to spend that vacancy savings, on overtime or, temporary services. Not for police, obviously, but in other departments. You'll see when they have high vacancies, they might bring in a lot of temporary employees or increase the hours of their existing temporary employees to cover the service gaps. >> And is that budget fund, as it were, within each program or [10:53:38 AM] it were, within each program or where where would that number show up? When I'm looking at the police budget, where would their overtime bucket be? >> So we do budget it by program. You can look in open budget atx and drill down and see sworn overtime, at the department level and at the program level. >> And so and you I think you said this, but I just want to say it back to you to make sure I'm understanding clearly. We've got a various programs here, but we've got the personnel cost that we think for our sworn officers are going to cost X millions of dollars. Separately, we have an overtime fund that we know we're going to have to draw on just based on overtime costs. But then we're saying we know that one's not going to be enough. And so we're going to pull from the personnel because we have vacancies. And we assume that those two together are going to meet our need. Is that a fair assessment? Looking [10:54:39 AM] a fair assessment? Looking historically, has that been right in line, or have we had more need than those two funds provide? Or the opposite? Have we been slightly when you add up the vacancy savings plus the overtime, have we had, a slight excess? What does it looked like historically? >> I think that would be a good budget question. We get to get you get you the answer through that process. >> Well, I will ask it. Okay. Okay. What how do these numbers factor in or the assessment of this cost. Are we assuming that we're going to hire the 117 cadets and that will lower our overtime? Need or is this based on current staffing levels? >> You know, so is this this is [10:55:44 AM] >> You know, so is this this is in budget. >> This is hi. >> Good morning, mayor and council, yes. And so that's based on our current staffing staffing levels. We do have projected out what we anticipate our vacancy rate is going to be. Then we also factor in our current cadets that are in cadet class when they are then going to graduate. And become sworn peace officers, and it's from those different areas in which we're able to allocate or understand what our vacancy savings is going to be, and then how we're able to offset our overtime with that vacancy savings. Got it. >> And we have 117 as our cadet numbers. That a fair guess of what we think. Do you think we're going to be right around there. >> That that is correct. So right now we have a class that's in session that I believe is, has 58 cadets. And then we have another class that just started a week and a half ago that has 64, four cadets. So we're kind of right at that one. 120 mark. >> And what is the relationship [10:56:46 AM] >> And what is the relationship between, the cost of a new officer or just any officer versus if we were to pay overtime for that position that they are filling? I know overtime is one and a half, but then you've got your other city costs, whether that's health insurance or the pension. How does that one and a half line up to an actual officer cost. >> And I can I can help, if you don't mind, chief, on that. They're very similar. So the city's contribution, you take into account the city's contribution to the retirement system that's off of base wages, not overtime. So we don't pay that on overtime, of course the health insurance costs you only pay that once whether somebody's working overtime or not, so when you take that those things into account, the, the total cost of an officer and firefighter and paramedic for that matter, comes out to be about 1.5 times their base salary. And so if you pay [10:57:46 AM] base salary. And so if you pay overtime instead of having that person, it's about it's about equal. And that's why you often see the overtime expenses, eating up the savings from the officers. Because we need those slots filled, and sometimes I think we might even have to mandate overtime to, to folks when the vacancies get really high. But we need those slots filled and so that the overtime dollars tend to eat up the vacancy savings in those public safety departments. Okay >> My last question is on the transfers, debt service and other requirements. There's a about a $7 million jump there. What what's that additional cost driver in the police budget. >> Correct. >> So, in if you think about the police budget and transfers and other, the police air and Pio is sitting outside of their budget that's in that's in support [10:58:49 AM] that's in that's in support services, but they are still directly charged for those services. And so those increases to air and Pio, again, is directly charged back to the police department. So they're paying directly for that. But that also includes all the increases for c-tech ctm. Wireless. You think about their fuel and fleet costs, the increases to those, and I have a full list, ktec ctm all the support services costs that that are in the support services fund that's allocated to them. While this fuel fleet and worker's comp. >> Okay. >> All right. I'll probably submit a question just to understand that 7.5 million that you have in your chart of what the new transfers are, you get a pretty good breakdown. But just to better understand why, you know, we're looking at a almost 10% increase and I know cost [10:59:52 AM] 10% increase and I know cost drivers are up. Inflation is up. So I just want to understand that, thank you very much, chief. Thank you very much, Carrie and Ed. >> Thank you. >> Councilmember, councilmember Allison alter, then councilmember qadri, thank you, >> I wanted to just clarify. So, are there other buckets that are being used to cover that overtime expense beyond the overtime bucket and beyond the vacancy savings? So have any other parts of the police department had to be reduced in order to fund this level of overtime. Good morning. I'm Michelle Schmidt. I'm the assistant director for the Austin police department and council member. >> No, it's primarily the personnel savings, the vacancy savings from the vacant positions. >> Thank you, and then I do have another question. I wanted to get clarity on. With respect to an unmet need for APD. So maybe when folks have finished asking about APD overtime before we move on from APD, why don't you go ahead and do that? Okay. So [11:00:53 AM] go ahead and do that? Okay. So there's an unmet need for about 160,000 that says something about, a voca grant and victim services and emdr program. Can someone explain what that is and where we're at with that, please? >> And before you start speaking, I know you're going to need to speak up. >> Is this better? >> Much. Thank you very much. >> So I may have to answer this through a council budget question to get this correct. But if I recall, it's a required match on that grant that the city would have to pick up in the fy 25 budget if we're awarded the grant. And I would need to see where we are in that process, we typically, do not receive final confirmation on the awards until right around the budget adoption time. >> So if you I'm not exactly sure what the question is there. So if you could please submit one on my behalf, that will get [11:01:55 AM] one on my behalf, that will get me the answer for that. I would appreciate it. And if you could keep my office apprized, we've had to do this in the past for the voca one way or another, but I'm assuming if we get a larger grant from voca that you will find that amount of money so that we can match it. But but I would like to know if we if we know during during the process. Yes, and then another question I had here, was we're going to talk in a minute about AFD and workers compensation being an issue. Are there challenges with worker's compensation payment like processing of people through that process or giving them, the benefits that they should be getting that are impacting police staffing as well? >> Yes, ma'am. That that is correct. And so just from the nature of our jobs, we have quite a few officers that sustain injuries. And when the process maybe isn't as fluid as it could be, then it extends the time that the officer is either on no duty or on limited duty. Because of that recovery process [11:02:57 AM] Because of that recovery process that they need to need to go through. And so right now we have about 62 officers that are either in a in a limited duty or no duty status due to a pending worker's comp processing. >> Okay. So I assume that we're going to talk about that in more detail, since that was given as one of the long term solutions for fire. I'm assuming that that process change impacts all sworn or or broader, so we can take that up in the next conversation. >> Thank you. >> So thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember qadri, councilmember Allison alter asked my question. >> I was just trying to figure out where the $22 million comes from, and it was answered that it came from vacancy savings. >> That's correct. Yeah. >> Councilmember Ryan alter, apologies, I forgot I had one other question for the call takers. >> I know we have vacancies. As you know, we're still not fully staffed. We're doing a lot better. And I appreciate the work you all are doing. I it's a really encouraging trend. I'm just curious if we were to even [11:03:58 AM] just curious if we were to even approve additional ftes in 911, since we already have vacancies, would that just would those just be more vacancies or why why would that result in more call takers? I'm trying to understand since we're not there yet. Why? Why we ask for more? >> Yes, sir. Thank you for the question. So we are just about there as far as being full with our 911 call takers right now, we're currently training a group and should everyone pass that training cycle, we will only have three vacancies in our 911 call takers and so we definitely need it just from the growth of the city in and of it in and of itself. But when it comes to all the attention that we have invested into our 911 and our call takers, we are we are just about at the full, full mark. So it's a it's thank you. Very proud of it. Absolutely. >> Yeah. I didn't realize a lot of work that far. That's great. That's awesome. Thank you. >> And I'm glad you remembered one last question. So yeah we get that out there. Thank you [11:04:59 AM] get that out there. Thank you very much, chief. Yes, ma'am. Council member vela, you have your hand up. >> Thank you. Mayor, a couple of, of questions. So higher staffing levels, I guess. It's an. I've heard this discussed. If we got our staffing levels up, we could potentially get our overall personnel expenses down on the sworn side, I guess that's. And I'm sorry I'm making that a statement, but let me. That's a question. Could we do that in other words is there a level of, vacancy if we can get down to 5%, 6% vacancy, how would that balance out? Are we saving money at a certain level of, of vacancy? >> The short answer is no, because the vacancy savings that we are seeing is offsetting the overtime cost. And so it is a [11:05:59 AM] overtime cost. And so it is a balancing of those two things, and so when, when the vacancies go down, then we'll be paying for the actual officers that are staffed. >> Got it. So it's pretty much offset. There's not substantial savings to be seen at let's say like a 93%, 95%, because of the, you know, obviously the one and a half times that you have to pay, correct. Pension funding costs, I can't remember the details. Last year, what are our pension funding costs, which is pursuant to, I believe, a bill that that went through the legislature to shore up the pension fund, last year, this year and next year, what are our obligations for funding the police? Pension fund? >> I can help with that. Council member Ed Benigno, chief [11:07:01 AM] member Ed Benigno, chief financial officer. So legislation was passed in the 87th legislature to reform the police system. It did include a substantially lower benefit for new hires, newly hired officers, and it also included a substantial increase in city contributions to get the system to a level of sustainability required by the Texas pension review board. City contributions were phased in over three years. And so we have been seeing a significant incremental increase the last three years, but now that the phase in is over, we should see that, leveling out again. Overall, the city's contributions there are now two parts to it. There's the what we call the payments to pay off the unfunded liability. We call it the legacy liability. But we have a dollar amount payment that goes to funding paying off that, that unfunded liability. And then we have a separate percentage based contribution that goes to paying, what's called the normal cost of the [11:08:02 AM] called the normal cost of the benefit. You know, put it all together. It's about 32, 33% of pay. So for every dollar that's paid out, about 33, $0.33 is contributed to the pension system. And if you're interested in what the total dollar amount of that is, we can get that for you. >> But did we have again pursuant to the legislation we had, again, we have our normal and regular, pension payments that we make pursuant to, again, formulas. But we did we have supplemental, again, for the unfunded is specifically to shore up the unfunded liabilities and make sure that those were covered over the last few years, because that was my understanding from some of the council budget questions from last year. >> Yeah, I mean, I think you can you can look at it as a supplemental, but it's a long term supplemental. We've put that unfunded liability on a 30 year payoff. So we have a payment schedule just like you might have a payment schedule on your house a 30 year mortgage. You've got a payment schedule, [11:09:03 AM] You've got a payment schedule, we're on the same type of schedule to pay off that unfunded liability over 30 years. >> So there was no kind of one time payment or, you know, short term, like three year schedule of payments when the, the everything that we were talking about in terms of the pension fund liabilities were long term, agreements, they were all long term. >> The only thing that was short term was that phase in that we agreed with the pension system that the city's increase in contributions would be phased in over three years to avoid the budget shock of doing it all at once. >> Okay, that I guess would be the amount, because that would be the short term increase that we're seeing, not, excluding the long term kind of string of payments that we're going to make, right? >> Yes. >> And where are we in that three year? This is the this is the final year of the phase in this current budget year is the final year of the phase. >> >> Okay, and if, let's put that as a, as a budget question to, [11:10:04 AM] as a, as a budget question to, we're going to submit one on a similar vein, but, just in terms of what were the amounts over those three years, that temporary, phase in and then again, so, but presumably in this coming budget year that we're not going to be making the payment, the same payment that we made this budget year. >> No, it'll be the same. It'll actually be a little bit higher. The phase in was, you know, hypothetically, we had a 12 million. I'm just making up numbers. Right. But we had a $12 million increase in city's contributions. The first year we paid 4 million more. The second year we paid 8 million more. The third year we paid 12 million more. And then once we hit the 12 million, that's where we level out, so the, the, the phase in was just to avoid having to try to cover that huge increase all in one year. We spread it out over three years. But this is the final year. We're now at the level that we need to be at for the next 27 years to pay off that unfunded liability. >> Okay. >> Got it. I'm sorry. I was misunderstanding that. I thought that was a temporary kind of [11:11:05 AM] that was a temporary kind of stream of payments that we were making just to kind of shore it up. But no, this is just the opening kind of stages of a long term, commitment that we're making to the pension fund. Okay. Got it. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Council member. Anything else on this item? Thank you all. Thank you chief. Appreciate you being here. Thank you, miss Lang. >> Next. >> Next, we'll discuss fire overtime, and when we look at fire overtime, mandatory four person staffing continues to be one of the primary drivers in their overtime spending, they are continuing to see some increased overtime expenditures because of the increasing trend of on the job injuries that they've been seeing in the recent years, some of the things that they are looking at at long term solutions is a pilot program with a third party vendor to assist in reducing the lead time associated with [11:12:07 AM] lead time associated with worker's compensation claims. And that's something that is going to be starting. I think we're going to hold the human resources department is working with the fire department to begin, to begin that pilot program. And as council member alter mentioned, is something that can be used across, our public safety departments, as a pilot program. So we'll begin looking at implementing that, but when you look at the fire department in particular, their vacancy rates have gone down. But with the increase in on the job injuries, we're seeing an increase in their, sworn overtime costs. And so that offset that we have historically been able to see in other departments potentially in vacancy savings, offsetting some of that overtime expenditures. We're not seeing it as, a particular offset for the fire department as a 1 to 1 offset. >> Councilmember Allison alter [11:13:08 AM] >> Councilmember Allison alter and then the mayor pro tem, thank you. >> Chief. >> Was there something you wanted to say before we begin? Are you coming? Answer. Oh I thought you I was I'm just ready to go. I'm glad. I'm glad you're I'm glad you're out there. >> He's just running toward the fire. >> You are welcome. I just, I wanted to give you a chance. If there was something you wanted, you wanted to say. >> So in the case of the overtime expenditures for fire, where they're up close to 21 million versus the 15 eight, how is that balance covered in their budget so far for fiscal year 24? Because they don't have the vacancy savings at the same level. >> Good morning, Mr. City manager. Mr. Mayor, members of council. I'm sorry, I apologize. I didn't even hear the question. I was ready to go and I sat down. I lost my train of thought. Sorry >> I wanted to know, how you paid for the balance. The [11:14:09 AM] paid for the balance. The difference between your overtime expense and your budgeted overtime. If you didn't have a lot of vacancy savings. Or was it all from vacancy savings? >> I believe the majority was from vacancy savings. I'm not sure exactly. Are have we paid for the overtime side? Making some savings? >> Crank it down a bit. Rey knell Paulson, assistant director at the fire department. Council member are you referring to this current year or previous years? >> This year? >> This year we're doing a combination of reductions sweeping as much as we can out of commodities and contracts, to cover some of that difference. And at this point, we are still working on trying to cover that difference. >> Okay. So colleagues, you know, with the police department, we have the vacancy savings in fire. We don't, you know, I've been, as I mentioned, at a prior work session, trying [11:15:11 AM] at a prior work session, trying to get them to put aside $50,000 to make sure that you can have maternity leave to 12 weeks for, the women who give birth in the department. And, and we had all the policy changes going, and then they came back and said, we have too much overtime, so we can't afford that. So something's broken here, and you know, I like to have a more of a discussion of why we're seeing this overtime so that we can have a structural fix here, so can you speak to more? Why? You think there's a lot of the overtime? It's not necessarily coming from vacancies in the way that it is from police. We have increasing on on injuries on the job. >> And because due to the increase in injuries, that caused our overtime to go up as well. >> And why are we having the injuries increase? >> Because we work in a dangerous environment and firefighters are getting hurt, along with the pay increase that the member received through the contract, that caused an [11:16:12 AM] contract, that caused an increase in our overtime usage as well. >> So the increase in the contract wasn't budgeted for the overtime costs. >> To my knowledge, it was not budgeted. >> Okay. So for that particular reason why I was asking so many questions at our last meeting about ems and whether whether it was covered so we wouldn't repeat that. You know, it's always been true that the firefighters do a dangerous job. Why are we seeing a change in the number of firefighters that are injured? >> I don't know exactly why we're seeing a change, but, you know, going on fire calls going on medical living patient. Things of that nature, firefighters, just amid this, we just have an increase in injuries. The more and more we hire the people, just get hurt, the fire service is a dangerous career, and so the more and more firefighters put themselves in [11:17:12 AM] firefighters put themselves in harm's way to try to save lives and property, the increasing call volume increase of emergency that these firefighters go on, it causes injuries. >> So, I mean, okay, I want to just call my colleagues attention to in 2017, when I came on the dais, we had higher overtime. We had high vacancies at that time. And fire actually had to come to city council and ask for 3 or $4 million increase in their budget to cover their overtime, and at that time, we found there were a lot of management things that could be done. I don't know what those are. If that's the case in this, in this time period. But what city manager? I think we, you know, I don't know that we have a full understanding here of why we have this overtime and what we can do. I see that there's a process here for the worker's comp, and I want to try and understand that a little better. For that, so what would this third party vendor be assisting [11:18:15 AM] third party vendor be assisting with? >> Well, before we get there, I'd like to also add not only the firefighter injuries up, but we have a mandatory for and for staffing and not the staff to support the foreign foreign staff. >> So with a mandatory for and for staffing for on the truck and foreign on the engine that also, and backfilling because of the foreign staffing that has an impact on our overtime. Now the question about what the third party vendor would do is our goal is our belief that if we use the third party vendor ready to rebound, they can assist us in helping our members either be seen by the doctor, get treated. More expedited than what they're being treated now, especially for their knee injury, back injuries, things of that nature. Extremity injuries, was taken so long for members to return back to full duty services. So as I've been told through the vendors, they have a list of doctors or a doctor network where they are able to send these firefighters to be seen, much quicker so they can get turned to duty. [11:19:17 AM] turned to duty. >> So can you give examples of worker's comp being used in a way that offer whoever believes firefighters could have returned to work sooner than they have been? That has led to this proposal, >> As far as turning towards sooner, it's my understanding that when a firefighter gets injured, let's say, for example, a firefighter baker, pulled his back, on the injury, and if I need surgery before I get surgery, I need to see a physical therapist. Other stuff I need to go to, to make sure that I do need that surgery. And some of that is delaying the process. And then it's incumbent on me as a firefighter that's injured to make sure that I follow this step whenever I change health care providers, it starts my understanding to start the system over again, back to the beginning. And so we're hoping with this vendor, with the list of the doctors that they say they can provide, it will reduce some of those repeat, steps along the line. >> And council member, Susan, [11:20:19 AM] >> And council member, Susan, our hr director, is here who has been working with, the fire department can probably speak a little bit more to the, pilot program. >> I look like I need ready rebound with my boot on. Excuse me, ready? Rebound is a vendor that we've identified. They're a sole source vendor, and they're one that works primarily with public safety to do this very thing is to get our public safety servants back online quicker, and help them navigate through the process. What is transpired is exactly building on what chief baker said. There can be delays. There can be delays based on denials that, certain service providers weren't there to approve in the statutory timeframe, certain care. So the care gets denied and therefore the process if to [11:21:19 AM] and therefore the process if to reapply. And the process just adds time and time and time. So what we're hoping to do is a couple things we're hoping to introduce ready rebound to concierge that care to make sure the providers are there that that take Texas worker's comp that can navigate people through the system. Help them get to their next step with regards to their recovery, and navigate through more quickly and expediently and definitely be in a pre-injury condition or at maximum medical improvement is what we call it in worker's comp to get them through that process in much less time. We think that there's room to do that. Additionally, we're going to work to restructure our rfp. Currently, we use Sedgwick as a third party administrator. For us being self-insured, and what we hope to do is be able to approach it in a different way. [11:22:19 AM] approach it in a different way. Currently, we use any willing provider which is a choice, but we can structure it in a panel, a panel setting under Texas worker's comp law that will allow us to, to direct care much more efficiently. And we're looking forward to restructuring that rfp to do that very thing. Ready rebound is a very important component, though, to help us in that concierge service, to navigate through, to get people back and to, reduce any extended, type of time frames that we're experiencing. >> So thank you, so it sounds like there's both a problem of we have a lot who are injured, but then they're staying injured longer so that number is higher and they're staying higher because they don't have access to the care. And they can't get the surgeries, etc, because they haven't gotten approved within a time frame. Is that correct? >> That is where those cases [11:23:19 AM] >> That is where those cases that are longer. Exactly. >> Okay. So, you know, my understanding is this is an issue across all three sworn, and I appreciate the work that you're doing and that the city manager is leading in this regard, to the extent that we also need some legislative fixes to the state system, I hope that we can consider, whether that needs to be part of our legislative, agenda, I did also want to ask, though, since overtime has been high, that's probably not for the okay since overtime has been high, you know, for several years, not just this year. Whether we have the right staffing level, it seems to me that having more ftes, might be a more cost efficient and better, for the mental health and well-being of our firefighters. And I wanted to understand if we had had done, the math to figure out whether we would be better off adding, say, another ten, 15 firefighters or 20 firefighters, then paying in extra 4 million [11:24:19 AM] then paying in extra 4 million in overtime in terms of how we're budgeting moving forward, if that would create enough, slack in the system to reduce the overall costs as well as reduce the workload burden on our firefighters, >> Yes, ma'am, I believe that increasing the fte will support in reducing the overtime and fatigue of the firefighter, but we all need to keep in mind, however, increasing the staffing level, is still would take time to train those firefighters. It takes approximately, 12 to 16 weeks to train depending on what year we started the training, to get those members into the field. And we're going to can hold about 40 to 45 members per class, so we need approximately about 100 plus or minus firefighters. But also it's important to keep in mind that even, right now, without those additional firefighters, we do work in overtime. You know, what we did yesterday, what we're [11:25:22 AM] we did yesterday, what we're doing today. And what we're doing tomorrow, the fire department is still functioning. We will not close down in the fire station. The firefighter firefighters, although they are committed and some are tied, some are exhausted. But they are just committed yesterday, today and tomorrow. And making sure that we're able to meet the needs of the city. >> Thank you. Is there someone in the budget office could help us think that through? Because presumably I could take $1 million out of the overtime budget and say, I want to have nine firefighters and so we do look at that, and we do work with the, fire, finance folks, budget folks trying to find that optimal point, because I hear what you're saying, like there's some point where having overfilled firefighters so that we don't have to run overtime when we have a vacant slot, could be cheaper. >> And so we need to try to hit that sweet spot. I think we had a pretty good handle on it, but we've seen a different dynamic this year where we're seeing much higher injury rates, as the chief mentioned, than we've seen in the past. I don't think we'd [11:26:22 AM] in the past. I don't think we'd be seeing this overtime issue. I think we would have got it dialed in pretty well if the injury rate was was more traditionally what we had, we had been seeing. And so, we need to look into that and, you know, evaluate, evaluate if we think the current level of injuries is going to be more the, the future, or if we think this is just a blip and that has to go into the math about, well, what what is the right level. We don't currently staff minimum staffing. So in other words, minimum staffing for a fire engine is four person staffing times three shifts. That's that's 12 people. Is the minimum staffing, I believe we staffed at 16. Is it 16, chief? That's correct. Yeah. So we are already over staffed so that when people get sick or they're on vacation, we do have some people that can fill those slots without running overtime. And typically what we see is when the vacancy rate gets really high, there's not enough. That's not enough. And so we end up running a lot of overtime, last year at the end of last year, the vacancy rate was only 1.2%. So given our [11:27:23 AM] was only 1.2%. So given our previous kind of calculations and experience, we thought the amount we budgeted for overtime was the right level. But then we've been surprised with how many out, you know, people out on sick leave we've seen this year compared to previous years. So we're gonna have to reevaluate that, >> Moving forward, is it possible that they're doing too much overtime? >> And so they're more the workload is higher. And so you're getting more injuries. And so like there would be an added benefit of adding the ftes because you would be reducing some of, of the workload that we've been hearing about. You also could be preparing for the workweek reduction, even if we don't implement it this year, by having some of those extra people beginning to be in the system. >> I think the short answer is yes. That's all possible. I think that's what we need to consider as we look into this further. >> So if you could identify who the right person would be to talk this through with me, I would appreciate it. I don't want to suggest something that makes no sense. So if we could talk through it, that'd be [11:28:25 AM] talk through it, that'd be great. Thank you. >> Mayor pro tem. >> Chief, could you talk to us a little bit about the number of hours worked and how, how many was in a normal week? And then I think we had a little bit of a reduction over the past couple of years. And where we are now and what you're looking potentially for in the future. >> Yes, firefighters today here in Austin fire department work 24 hours on, 48 hours off, which equates to approximately 53 hours per week, through the contract negotiation, we're looking at work rate reduction to, I think it's 50 hours or 51 hours per week. 52 hours per week, which equals to two additional Katy days per firefighter per year. So each firefighter receive an additional two Katy days release days, to take off and work. And the challenge with that, once those firefighter receives those two candidates take off work. [11:29:26 AM] two candidates take off work. Now, I have to find a firefighter to hire to replace the firefighter who took off and worked. And according to the contract, those firefighters who was on Saturday, they get first shot at working overtime. So I'm letting you off from work on Saturday and now I'm gonna call you and hire you back on overtime because you're off on Saturday to backfill. >> I figured that there would be some interplay between a reduced workweek, even if it's only one hour, and the step up needed in overtime because you still have the work that needs to be done. I'm wondering if there is a way with the additional staffing and a reduction in overtime, and potentially a reduction of one hour down to. We're at 52, go down to 51 within the next year or so. If we could get to a point of stasis that may help with the, the various, the various difficulties that [11:30:29 AM] various difficulties that firefighters confront with a really dangerous job is this a sense of the thinking that you have as well? Chief? >> My thinking is once we reduce, the staffing, you know, keep in mind, even when we move forward to reduce or increase the two days for the firefighter to take off, it's going to take us an approximately 25 additional firefighters. Just to make it's going to take us approximately 25 additional firefighters. Once we implement the two candidates, just to keep at status flow. Let's see. No change in our overtime. To have 225 additional firefighters just to meet that need. And without that, with that's about $2.5 million. I think it is. My number may be off a little bit, without those 25 additional firefighters to support those firefighters taking two [11:31:31 AM] firefighters taking two additional days off. It's about 2.6 million in overtime to make that happen, but but the goal of reducing the workweek for the firefighter is to help those firefighters deal with the stress of the job, whether it be PTSD related post-traumatic syndrome related, or just overall fatigue of the firefighter. Just being overall fatigued and trying to get that work done and the mental health of the firefighter, the fire service, not just in Austin, but all across America, has seen an increase in mental illness and mental health. Related, issues going on with firefighter today, along with post-traumatic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder. It's just a change in the paradigm, something I've never seen before. >> And we are very sympathetic to that situation across the board for all of our public safety. Sworn and unsworn folks last budget, I think we did [11:32:33 AM] last budget, I think we did increase mental health, options and program accessibility for, for fire, and I'm glad we did that. And we should continue to find ways to continue to do that and expand it. It seems to me that the reduction of an hour, which would be an additional two days a year, as you point out, that the firefighters would not have to be at the station, with increased attention to mental health programing and making sure that all of our folks are healthy, both physically and mentally, could lead to I, I think the place we all want to be, which is a reduction in physical injury and off the job for worker's comp reasons and hospitalization, and I imagine these injuries are pretty complex. I know whenever the back is involved, it can be really painful and really long time to heal, nothing simple about it, and then if we are [11:33:33 AM] about it, and then if we are able to step up our hiring and we need additional, folks hired across the board in our public safety, including our 911 system. So that whole system, that whole ecosystem is all interconnected and interrelated. And I and I, I'm very interested in in the movement forward and progress that we are making. It's it is happening. It's kind of slow sometimes. But I do see improvements and Murray. I hope we can continue to make those strides forward, I would like to continue to have the conversation about reducing by one hour, the firefighter's schedule. I understand that, you know, there are there are limitations potentially, to what we can do this year. But I think that the conversation around, physical safety, number of hours worked and the level of staffing will get us to that place where we need to be, because the [11:34:35 AM] we need to be, because the bottom line is the city continues to grow and our needs continue to grow. And we really need to stay a pace of them. >> So what the city has committed and I support the city commitment and reducing that one hour reduction. September 2025. So we are heading in that direction. >> Yes, I think that's true. And I thank you for that, chief. Thank you mayor. >> Thank you mayor pro tem, there are virtual members. Yes councilmember vela. >> Thank you. Mayor. Chief, assuming that we do have some potential savings from the workers compensation, for example, reforms that that, are being put into place, what would you put any, any savings toward, in the in the fire department budget, >> Thank you for that question. Assuming we have some savings to give to the fire department, I have three immediate unmet need that I would put that savings towards. One would be for our accreditation program so we can be the best in class as we are [11:35:36 AM] be the best in class as we are claiming to be here in the city of Austin and across America. So I will put some money towards the accreditation program along with our, three shift commander aid. We need aid for the shift commander. I'm still amazed how a city of this size do not have, battalion aid or shift commander aid to support us in our mission of going to these emergency calls. And the third would be to support the two area trucks that I've been asking for since 2018, so if we did have some money for unmet need, those would be my top three priorities that I submitted to the city manager and the budget office. >> And the aerial trucks would those be replacement aerial trucks or would those be additional, aerial trucks? >> Actually, it would be the staffing, the staffing, staffing, photos, area trucks, my understanding, the city has already purchased those two area truck. We requested. I just need to get the staffing for it. >> And would it again, assuming savings. Would it be possible to potentially, prepare for those, [11:36:40 AM] potentially, prepare for those, Kelly, our, Kelly days, that, we were just talking about potentially accelerate, the, the beginning of the of the Kelly days, >> I'm not sure that would be possible or not possible. I would need to look into that, but I know, come September 2025, we will implement those two categories. So again, let me just make it clear, if you're telling me, council member, that you're going to give me some money today, thank you for that. But let me tell you what. I put that money. I put that money towards accreditation. I put that money towards the area truck personnel and I would put that money towards the, shift commander eight. >> Thank you very much, chief. >> Appreciate it. Yeah. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember harper-madison thank you, Mr. Mayor. >> Member Kelly, and thank you, chief, for your responses. I actually have just a couple questions. One, I'm really, I'm really looking forward to picking back up the conversation about mental health for first responders. Obviously there's been some heartbreaking activity [11:37:42 AM] been some heartbreaking activity with the department and losing a member of the department very recently, and I think I'm hearing some murmurings in the police department, too. So I think it's time to revisit that conversation about mental health for first responders, but to your point about increased injury, I'd like to sort of pull on that thread that I think council member alter, posed like, why are people getting injured more? I personally, I'm very clumsy and I'm prone to injury. So, to the young lady who came up in her boot, like, I have a I have a steady supply of medical equipment, that said, though, these people are fit, they work out all the time. They eat well. I am also curious why they're getting injured, but I had some questions about I was gardening the other day and nearly murdered myself with the heat. I was thinking to myself, what would it be like if I was wearing full turnouts right now? I wonder if the summer months add to additional health need because they're out, you know, responding to calls in full [11:38:43 AM] responding to calls in full turnouts and 100 plus degree weather. >> I'm quite sure there are some. I cannot say there are increasing injuries due to heat related, but we do have firefighters who are doing training cadets. Why are they doing training and why we are on emergency scene that repairs heat exhaustion or heat related injuries? Our goal is to ensure that our members are healthy as possible and during this heat. Related. Condition we have experienced here in Texas, we made sure as much as possible that our members stay hydrated. We rotate our members out on these emergency scene. We swap out crews as much as possible when necessary to make sure that our members are hydrated properly, but to answer your question about the increase of injuries, I don't know. It's a generational differences. I don't know the younger members getting hurt more. The older members getting hurt more. I'm just trying to say we built different. >> Y'all genetically superior. >> I'm old, but I'm old, man. Fine. So, it's just the there's [11:39:45 AM] Fine. So, it's just the there's so much going on with these injuries, it's hard for me to stand here and say, this is the reason. That is the reason. >> Is it happening across the board in terms of national statistics, are more firefighters just generally getting injured? Are we the city of Austin as the 10th metro have a problem? >> I believe it's all across the country, injuries are up for firefighters, what? It's due to heat related in the summertime. What? It's due to, just the call volumes continue to go up back injuries. Members living, even members using proper tech, lifting techniques. Firefighting is a very dangerous, very familiar. >> You know, I was adjacent to it for two decades, so the other question that I have sort of, as a segue from what you just mentioned about injuries, so I received and I guess we probably all did this invitation from hinge health, it's a part of our benefit packet, and you can do part, which you know, I'm in [11:40:45 AM] part, which you know, I'm in there doing my part, I need it, my knees are bad. And so then I'm thinking about prevention, physical therapy, massage, chiropractic, all the things that you do to manage and get back, you know, rapid recovery kind of a thing. Do we have a comprehensive approach like a case management situation where, okay, you have this slip disc thing, the ortho sees you then and boom, boom, boom, then your light duty for this. Is there a like a specific protocol for the evolution of injury recovery, to my knowledge, we could collect some data from that. >> If so, to my knowledge, it is. However also we have a very robust peer fitness program. We have trained personnel who know how to do physical fitness, who go out and train our members, starting with our recruit class, to help us stay fit. >> And then the last question I have about that is, again, adjacent to our health care stuff, the city offers some [11:41:45 AM] stuff, the city offers some incentives about, like smoking cessation. If you have sleep apnea, going to do a sleep study or these kinds of things like preventative health care stuff and just like incentives on weight loss. And you know, health and wellness, is that a thing that y'all do, like challenges or some sort of financial incentive or some sort of incentive to encourage people to maintain peak health? >> I don't know, we have a challenge. We do our members, but our members, to my knowledge, are aware or aware of, well aware of the smoking cessation of the program that the city offers through our, wellness center. >> Thank you. Those are my questions. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. >> Council member. Council member. Kelly. >> Yeah. >> I'm sorry. >> Thank you so much for this important discussion. >> Thank you, chief baker. I know that, injuries are happening more and more in the fire service, but I just want to acknowledge that we've come a long way since the start of the fire service, where we didn't [11:42:45 AM] fire service, where we didn't have the technology available to us today to prevent injuries. >> So I hate to think where we would be had we not, you know, come up with some of those innovative solutions to the challenges that our firefighters face. But I guess I'm a little confused over here at my field office because I thought we got you staffing for the aerial last year. And so I'm hoping for a little more clarity on that. I'm pretty sure my colleagues are probably maybe a little confused about that as well. Ever. >> Yes, we received, give me give me one second. Let me double check with my. But we did not get stuff. We got two area around. Okay. We did not get the staffing for the area truck, but we got the area trucks. That's correct. Yes. >> So last year, I distinctly remember I brought forward a resolution to get you all staffing for that aerial fire truck. And the city manager's office confirmed that we didn't need a resolution because they were going to give you the staffing anyway. So I would like to know specifically, perhaps from our interim assistant city manager over public safety if [11:43:46 AM] manager over public safety if he's available, or from the city manager's office. What happened? Because that was something that was near and dear to me. It was near and dear. My colleague who co- sponsored that, and I want to know where the disconnect was related to the staffing required for that aerial. >> Well, I thought the resolution was for to investigate funding for staffing, not to necessarily to get the staff, but I would I would double check and get back with your office on that. >> Thank you. Yeah. I mean, I'll pull the transcript back from when I did last time. But I was pretty sure we were assured that we didn't need a resolution for that because the staffing was there. Maybe one of my colleagues has a better memory than I do, but that was what I recalled. >> Council member, this is Kerri Lang, and my recollection is that the, direction was to order the trucks, but it would take about two years for the trucks to be delivered. And so upon the time that the trucks will be delivered. The response from the interim city manager is that we [11:44:48 AM] interim city manager is that we would work to prepare to have staffing at the time, that the trucks will be available to be online, which I think would the plan was for potentially fiscal year 26. For that to happen. >> Okay. That makes sense then, I mean, I'm going to go back and review everything related to that as well, just to make sure that I am up and up on where we were on that. So I guess my next question is if it's not in this year's budget, but it is still a need. Is this for the same aerial fire truck or is this for a new aerial fire truck? >> It's for this. It's my, if I'm not mistaken, for the same area of fire truck. Like miss Lang said, it takes a problem. 18 months to two years. And in some cases longer than two years for the truck to be built. It's a fire truck shortage all across the country. And there is fire department all across the country are competing with these manufacturers to get these trucks built. So, you know, the old saying goes, if you build it, they shall come. So once the truck is here, it's my belief that the funding would be there [11:45:48 AM] that the funding would be there to Stafford. >> Okay. So, chief, you and I have been to the conferences together. We've talked to the same builders of fire trucks. We're on the same page there. I completely understand that. I guess I just want to make sure that in the fiscal year 26 budget, we will have an earmark for staffing for that aerial, because the way that it came across earlier made me seem like it was needed now. And I just want to make sure that we intend on having it in 2026 when we have the arrival of the aerial fire truck. Okay so, council member, I think what we have to do is work with the fire department to confirm when the area will be ready and available, and we will plan accordingly to when it will be ready and available. >> Okay. >> That's great. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Council member. All right. Thank you, chief. >> Thank you so much. >> Fine job. Keep it up. >> Yeah. >> Mr. Mayor, that question that I forgot. I'm sorry. [11:46:51 AM] I forgot. I'm sorry. >> Council member harper-madison. Thank you. >> I was just curious about our accreditation. You have to forgive me. I'm not entirely familiar with that process, but it sort of surprises me that the 10th major metro is an accredited as a department. Can you talk to me about what that means? >> The city of Austin fire department, lost its accreditation, I think 2016 or 2017, the accreditation is a process where the fire department can demonstrate not only its worth in the fire service, but it demonstrates to the elected official and to our stakeholder community that we are doing what we say we're doing. We are meeting our response time. We have enough or the adequate amount of apparatus in the fire station to meet the goals of the city. So by being an accredited department, it's also helped us, with the council member, when we do come for our budget to show you that we are good stewards of our budget, and we are meeting the needs of the city, or in some cases, accepting the needs of the city that we are a best in class or the best in class, not only in [11:47:52 AM] the best in class, not only in the state, but across the country, we are a class one iso insurance service office, city, and there's not many departments across the country that have both accreditation and iso rating. So once we do become an accredited agency, along with our iso rating, we will demonstrate to this body the council and to our community that we are indeed the best in class fire service. >> I appreciate that explanation. I'm curious how a fire service goes about losing accreditation though. Like was it a punitive thing or you, since there's a financial asset attached to it, was it a lapse by way of money or a lapse by way of performance? >> There are many ways the fire department can lose their accreditation or be deferred. I'm not sure how Austin fire department lost its accreditation. I don't recall the conversation that I may have had when I first arrived here, a lot has happened. >> I'll have my staff throw it in the q&a. Thank you chief. Appreciate it. >> Yes. Council member Ellis, very short follow up. >> I appreciate the mayor [11:48:52 AM] >> I appreciate the mayor letting me jump in here at the end. But on that line of questioning, that seems to line up with the city's plan to build five new fire stations. Does it seem like slower response time was why this? You know, the fire department and the city council at that time, which predates me to, said, let's go ahead and build more stations so that we can reach our residents faster. Does that seem to add up for you? >> I don't know if that had anything to do with accreditation tonight. I just cannot speak on what happened in 2016, 2017. >> Okay. >> Sounds great. I just don't know. That's possible, but I honestly don't know the answer to that. >> Okay, I'm getting a whisper that it was. So I'll. I'll look into it too. And maybe we can come up with that answer over the next few days. Thanks. >> Thank you. Council member Kelly, do you have another question? >> I did, and I'm not in the room, so I'm just curious if, chief nix from the association is available to come up for a couple of questions. >> He's he's here, but that's. He's standing right back there, I think. I think that reflection off his head. Yeah. That's [11:49:53 AM] off his head. Yeah. That's >> Are you asking the chief to come down? >> Yes. I think she just did. Yeah. >> Good morning. Council. >> Good morning. Thank you, chief nix, for being here today. I'm just curious if you could give us a perspective on what might help your membership in regards to some of the unmet needs in the budget. >> Well, thank you. Yeah. I mean, my everything the chief is asking for and the unmet needs is sorely needed, and I was advocating for those in past years, I'd like to talk about the aerial separately, but I'm advocating now for, something that will help mental health and firefighters. You know, I think a lot of us know that we had a suicide about two weeks ago. That was a mental health related suicide. We've had three others in the last several years, and we also know that there's been some talk about a workweek [11:50:54 AM] some talk about a workweek reduction. But to get a workweek reduction, it really is two components. One component is reducing workload to reduce workload, you need to increase ftes to your point, council member alter. The other part is the schedule change. You have to have both to really have the full effect of the workweek reduction to provide benefit to the firefighters, we know that we're going to start the workweek reduction on September 1st. However, if the ftes are not in the pipeline by then, we don't get the full effect to the firefighters. So what I would recommend is that we use some of the discretionary funding to and it's about $1.75 million to start that cadet class. Now before the workweek reduction comes in effective September 1st. And then by the time September first rolls around, we will have the full effect. The workweek reduction in terms of reducing workload and changing the schedule to do one without the other doesn't give you the full effect in terms, okay, go [11:51:55 AM] full effect in terms, okay, go ahead. >> Oh, I was just going to say thank you for that. When you get done. I'd like to hear about the aerial and then I'll be finished with my questions. I didn't mean to interrupt you. >> No, I was moving to the aerial. Actually, on the aerial, my remembrance is different, the aerial was actually in the budget several years ago as a partial year funding. And the staffing was. So we already had the aerial, and we already do have one of the aerials now, we've had it for years. And so all we need is a staffing to put it front line. It was actually the staffing was in the budget five years ago, and then it was taken out as moved to partial year funding, then taken out the next budget year. I think, councilmember pool tried to put it back in and there was a lot of, competition for those dollars that didn't occur. So my remembrance, I think if you review the transcript, it's very clear that the aerial, the one aerial is, is available now, and we're not waiting for it to come in from being purchased. So if we were to provide the staffing dollars today and the chief could confirm that after consulting with his staff, we [11:52:57 AM] consulting with his staff, we could we could put that front line, in apparatus into service relatively quickly. We're just waiting on the staffing for the, the funding for the staffing. >> Okay. Thank you so much for your time. And thank you, colleagues, for, for humoring me with allowing him to come up. I appreciate that. >> And I would just like to say in saying that I don't mean any criticism of anybody. It's very complicated over time to remember these sort of things, but I think about it quite a bit. So happy to provide that clarity. Thank you. >> Thank you, thank you. Chief. Miss Lang. >> Next we will discuss parks and recreation, their grounds maintenance program, in fy 25, the proposed budget for parks maintains their current staffing at 110 positions, or ftes for grounds maintenance, we, park staff and the financial services [11:54:00 AM] staff and the financial services department did a recent analysis comparing the parks grounds maintenance portfolio and service levels from fiscal year 20, 2014 to and fiscal year 2023. A net five new positions, or ftes, were added, but this did not keep pace with the service demands. Associated with the new acreage that was brought under management, 645 new acres were increased in park land, and the improvements that were made to existing parks, parks did, submit an unmet need for 1.5 million ongoing and 16 new grounds maintenance ftes to restore service frequencies to what they had at the fiscal year 14 levels, these next couple of slides kind of shows that, those changes year over year when we compare 2014 to 2023, the [11:55:00 AM] compare 2014 to 2023, the service levels that were provided at 2014 for mowing, you can see level two and 2014 and level three, at 32% and 63% compared to we're doing primarily level three and 2023. And then when you look again in the next slide at restroom services are litter, trash and recycling services. We are primarily doing level two services. For, restroom litter and recycling services in 2023. So happy to bring the parks teams, the park teams up, to answer any questions. >> Okay, I know there's going to be a bunch of questions here, so who wants to start off okay? Council member Ellis and then council member Ryan alter, I think I think there's going to be a few questions. >> So I'll ask the first couple that I have, and I may need to raise my hand again toward the end, so obviously seeing an [11:56:01 AM] end, so obviously seeing an unmet need listed at $1.5 million is, you know, something I think a number of us are interested in, in taking a look at, I know there's work that audit and finance has done under Alison alter's leadership to talk about level of maintenance and service over the years. So I appreciate having the information of the survey that had been done between 2014 and 2023, I did notice in the way that the budget is listed, it appears that one of the positions for homeless response unit is moving over to the homeless strategy office. So I know that over the past couple of years, even though camping has never been allowed in parkland, it was never the case. Even as the rules changed back and forth. That parks still found a need to make sure that that level of service was being addressed and there was someone knowledgeable about the parks program to be able to help with any sort of encampment issues, with that position being moved out, it seems to me that this could be a yes. And conversation to make sure that we do have [11:57:03 AM] to make sure that we do have someone in zo assisting without necessarily penalizing the parks department who really had to switch gears in real time and assign a division manager to that location. Can you speak a little bit about the needs? And if you're losing, a position that could be helpful in other ways for natural resources and land management? >> Yes. Good afternoon. >> Angela means, interim director of the parks and recreation department. Yes. >> We have transferred a position over to our homeless strategy office, but our department currently has four temporary employees that are assigned to homelessness. >> Encampment cleanup. And they're familiar with our park system. And so they're able to get into the specific areas where we have identified the need. We work very closely with our homeless strategy office along with the Austin public or Austin police department. And so at this time, we are because of the collaboration we have not [11:58:04 AM] the collaboration we have not seen a loss, because of the position that it was transferred to, so they're very tight partners with us. We meet with them or speak with them, if not daily, weekly. And so we will continue to do so. >> Okay. That's good to hear. I know the homeless strategy office has been doing great work and I just want to make sure that we're not losing any, hours and ability for people to be able to, to still work in natural resources with the parks department. As these two departments collaborate together, a similar note, it appears the there's two positions from the civilian conservation corps that are moving to economic development. Can you speak a bit about why they're going to economic development? >> I cannot speak to that, but I will say, throughout the year there has been several areas where we have transferred, positions out of the department, as well as into just for better alignment. And this may be one of them, but I don't have the [11:59:04 AM] of them, but I don't have the specifics to that. >> Okay. Sounds good. I will continue to take a look at that. And then as far as your land management plan, I know there's a lot of conversation around facilities and grounds maintenance personnel that we definitely need to be ramping up, as far as land maintenance, there's a high concern of mine as a lot of folks should feel if they're representing areas on the edges of town, whether they're east, west, north, south, to make sure that the land that we're acquiring is not going under maintained. Wildfire risk is huge in our community. And just trying to make sure as we balance the needs of buying more land and being able to maintain it, what are the conversations around land management in that regard for your budget? This year? >> It's something that we're, you know, making sure that we take a look at. We also partner with the fire department on this, this issue. We do prescribed burns in the on the edge of the community just to make sure that we are being [12:00:05 PM] make sure that we are being responsible in protecting all of our, our land. And so it's something that is a priority for us, but we do like in other areas, we do partner with the, our partner departments. >> Okay. Thank you for that information. Do I see Kerri? Lang has her hand on the button? Yes, >> Council member. So the Austin civilian conservation corps was moved to economic development as part of the workforce development. So we moved all of workforce development into Ed. And that was that's why that transition happened. >> Okay. And are those positions leadership positions, you know, educational positions, if they're workforce development or are they start you know, beginning positions for folks interested, those positions will continue the work of tc. >> And they manage that program. So they'll make sure that the contracts that, support that particular program will continue. So I believe that program really, functions on [12:01:05 PM] program really, functions on contracting out with other partners, in the community and those those particular positions will continue that contracted work. >> Okay. That sounds good. I'll just flag for my colleagues the unmet need of the 16 full time employees is something I'm really interested in us finding a way to do. So I hope that we'll we'll think about that as we balance our priorities moving forward. Thanks. >> Thank you. Council member, council member Ryan alter, thank you very much. >> I want to echo my colleague, council member Ellis. You know, the key word in in Carrie's presentation is this will help get us there right? When an audit and finance, we learn that we are 96 ftes short and from a maintenance perspective. So this is only a sixth of the need to get us just back to 2014 levels. So I wanted to ask you specifically if we were to approve these ftes, you know, looking at the materials, Carrie provided it seems like primarily [12:02:06 PM] provided it seems like primarily they'll be doing a lot of the litter trash. Just keeping our parks clean is that a that would be correct. >> So if we were to receive the 16 ftes that would take us back to the 2014 levels, and that also includes the service levels. And so based on the presentation that you see, for example, restroom servicing in 2014 was primarily completed at a level one. And at this time we are at a level two. So the 16 additional ftes would take us back primarily back to a level one. In regards to restroom servicing and throughout the different areas. >> Okay. >>. I also want to highlight the four temporary positions that were primarily staffed or, yeah, staff to help clean up our abandoned campsites within our parks, it's an issue that, you know, we see a lot in district [12:03:08 PM] know, we see a lot in district five. And so that's a very high priority for myself, my constituents to ensure that these areas that are our public spaces remain clean and accessible and so it's my hope we can figure out a way to continue those temporary positions, make them permanent. I do want to switch gears on you a little bit here and talk about parkland acquisition, and we're going to be submitting a budget question that will look historically at our pld dollars and what when house bill 1526 came into effect, what what type of effects that had? Because one of the key elements there is that instead of getting the dollars at the site plan stage, we're having to wait until the certificate of occupancy. And so we're going to have this gap in parkland dedication funds, as well as just the magnitude of what those funds are. But I was hoping you could help talk about [12:04:09 PM] hoping you could help talk about where parkland dedication funds fit into our land acquisition, both strategy and just how we have done it, where it has fit. Yes. >> In the past, we have received around 20 million, anywhere between 19 to $25 million annually in parkland dedication funds, we use those funds to supplement our land acquisition. So our land acquisition acquisition is primarily funded with bond funds. And in the 2018 bonds, we received, nearly $50 million for land acquisition. And so what we do is we take both the bond funds along with the pld, and that's how we move forward with securing land. >> And would you say that they they kind of go hand in hand like you the bond dollars are a good start. But the parkland dedication money kind of plugs in the holes and vice versa. Parkland dedication can't be done without that debt, I would say. [12:05:12 PM] say. >> So. The bulk of the funding that we receive for that, we need for purchasing land comes from bonds. And so our pld is definitely used to close that gap. >> And can you talk a little bit about pards identified land needs or where we have those, areas of the city that are not within that are parkland deficient? >> Yes. So our goal is to have a parks available for all citizens within a walking distance. And so in the urban core, we would like to see individuals be able to walk to their park within a five minute, period of time and outside of the urban core, within ten minutes. We are currently, as a city at 70%. We've achieved that rate at a 70% rate. But there are parts of the city that have been identified as as deficit. And so as we plan on our land acquisitions, we take a look at where our deficits are. And that's what drives us to the [12:06:12 PM] that's what drives us to the areas of the city of Austin and would you say there's one area of the city over another that is more parkland efficient than others, or is it uniformly spread out? I would say it's uniformly spread out. There are areas in the city I would say, I want to say the north northeastern area, that we've identified, but I would just in general, it's all over the city. >> Got it, >> Well, I really appreciate your insights on that. And, look forward to helping address this critical need over the next few years. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Questions, council member Alison alter. >> Thank you, I wanted to get a greater clarity on the temp position, so it's my understanding there's a group of temp positions that we had from one time money in the fiscal year 24 budget, and that's not continuing. But then we've also heard discussion of the homeless positions being temporary. Are [12:07:13 PM] positions being temporary. Are those two separate before of people or are they the same or and have they both been continued? >> So the one that's being transferred to zo, that's a permanent position. That's one source. The for temporary employees that we reference, that is the four that we have in the parks department that handles our encampment cleanups that are non-active. >> Okay. >> But are they being refunded on a temporary basis in this budget or are they not funded currently for the current budget? >> We have funding for it for fy 25. We're they're in we're in discussion. And so, it is a priority for the department. It's a priority for the community. And, you know, we want to make sure that we continue that service because it is a need okay. >> So I've seen a lot of numbers for parks. So I'm a little confused here. We had a I thought we had some temporary employees that were for the general maintenance, for the [12:08:14 PM] general maintenance, for the restrooms and litter that were also not being for continued. Is there also for homelessness or is it just the four? No there's this is the four for the homeless, for maintenance, grounds maintenance. >> That's the 110 fte. And we also have temporary employees that we utilize in our grounds maintenance areas. Okay >> So if we talk about wanting, 16 ftes to get back to the service level, then we also need the four, temporary, at least at a temporary basis. If not on an ongoing basis. >> That's correct. >> Okay. Thank you. And so, when we when we then look at the, you know, I, we had meetings in, in audit and finance and a chair of audit andfinance that worked with miss Lang and the parks department to come up with an and several other people to come up with a way to try to understand what the service levels are, and, you know, just in case people you know, you were not in our discussions or not in finance, you know, really [12:09:14 PM] not in finance, you know, really where we're at right now is we're not delivering services at the level that we were delivering them in 2014. Just looking at a couple measures. There's other service things that we need to do that are not captured here. So this is simply looking at mowing and looking at restroom and litter abatement. And we're not even at level one where we were or level two where we were in 2014, and the calculations are that we need 16 for that. The homeless encampment issue would be in addition to that, I have, you know, asked what our service level would be this year with the given budget and to know that, and I'm trying to understand whether the service level that is being, proposed for this year, it's obviously minus the four homeless encampment, assigned maintenance workers, but on these charts, we have 20, 23. And really, what we'd asked in the audit and [12:10:15 PM] we'd asked in the audit and finance is when you present the budget, we wanted you to tell us, well, what level of service are we getting for the money that we're devoting to this? And I'm not sure you I'm not sure we're at the same level as last year. I'm just trying to understand that. >> Yeah, I understand, I would say we are primarily at what what's reflected on the slide for the estimated 2023 today. Currently >> Okay. >> So, okay, you know, we hear a lot of complaints about what the restrooms are like. We've all walked by the park and seen the grass, you know, up above, well above our ankles and people trying to play on it, and I think that, we really do need to find a way, at minimum, to get back to 2014. And we need a plan, moving forward on city manager. You know, we talked and you said you were ready and you were going to tell us how we were going to do this. So I [12:11:16 PM] were going to do this. So I would like to know what the plan is moving forward. >> Thank you. Councilwoman and, I don't remember that direct statement or conversation, but I will clearly answer, probably not just for parks and rec, because I hear an undertone in a broader conversation around, maintenance, budget, ongoing funding versus one time funding, oddly, funding quite a few things that are typically ongoing with one time funding leads to the questions that I'm hearing, in my first iteration of conversations with council around budget, even the discussion around the fire, staffing, whether for person, staffing and the overtime conversations with police as well as fire. I think demonstrates, at least to me, that there probably needs to be a greater conversation around, basic and ordinary levels of service across all operations [12:12:19 PM] service across all operations and how we fund those in some cases, as opposed to funding new items. And starting to focus on the unmet needs areas. And so in this regard, you know, having a conversation around, temporary staffing, particularly around homeless encampments and cleanup, which I know is a big issue outside of parks, but oddly, in trails and other areas where in some cases you can't see and find, places to enjoy the outside, I think we probably need to figure out how we fund that now, trying to get from 2014 levels, or back to 2014 levels in 2024 is an odd statement and comment in and of itself to have in 2024, as if that is an unfound and unrecognized need and experience. And so the issue of going to 16, positions all at once is probably roughly two and a half to $3 million. If you add [12:13:20 PM] a half to $3 million. If you add the equipment necessary for the people, and, and in this budget cycle, I think that's going to be challenging. In my opinion. And so the plan will not specified. We can put it in the budget comments and come back and address. Here's what it would look like. But it would definitely not be, unless council wanted and or directed and or we found resources to do, 16 positions specifically. To address this issue all in one fell swoop, we'd have to come back and revisit that based on available funding. But same conversation around animal care, and what we could or should be doing there. I think there's a broader, conversation that I need to make sure I'm hearing. Good direction from council on where you want to lean into, to, to deal with historically underfunded areas, because those things shouldn't skip a budget year if in fact, they're that important and they're priorities of the council. And so I would say I've heard this conversation. I think I've seen [12:14:20 PM] conversation. I think I've seen the work that staff has prepared, and I see the need that still is outstanding. And if council's guidance and direction is to try to figure that out during this year, then we'll go back and figure that out and bring you the options and lay out not just with this, but any other thing that we believe is doable, but I'd love to hear that. And I'm hearing it around this area, but I want to put on our realistic goggles and make sure that people understand those choices and priorities come at some deficit to some other area. And if those are things that you'd like us to go back and explore, we will do that. >> Thank you. >> Council member harper-madison and council member Kelly, >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I actually just had one question, and it's about grounds maintenance, but specifically about sports fields maintenance. I get a lot, a lot, a lot of complaints. And at least half of them have the subject line ankle breaker, we have real concerns that kids are getting injured on our fields and or just don't play on them because of their condition. And then having our [12:15:21 PM] condition. And then having our kids do like away games and go to west Austin and have pristine, well- kept fields and they can't get out of the east side without snapping something. So I'm just, I guess while I recognize that we are moving into this sort of scarcity protection of our limited resources, everything is finite, I get it, but I'd like to know how do I respond to those questions and concerns? Because I get them often, I appreciate that. >> I will say that this is part of the same conversation we're having, and so our grounds maintenance staff, the leadership, looks at the entire city when they're when they if they have to reduce the service level in a park or on an athletic field to ensure that they're coordinating with the teams that are at the facility, if there are special events, or if there are specific games that are going to occur, so it's an area where we try to stretch the dollars, but unfortunately, what ends up happening is you have [12:16:22 PM] ends up happening is you have those instances that you're hearing the complaints about, >> To your point about stretching the dollars. Just out of curiosity, do y'all follow some sort of master cat? Like, how do you keep up with that information? >> Yes, they have a schedule for mowing as well as the servicing of all of our parks. >> Oh, no, no, I meant I'm sorry, how do you keep up with all the various activities, games, preparation for like how do y'all keep up with all of that? >> The management at the specific site keeps track of all of that understood, >> And then my other question about that is what mechanism do we have? So something that happened recently where I was having a conversation with a friend and their park wasn't maintained for whatever the reason is, but they hired a private service to come in and clean it up before the activity took place. Not everybody can do that, obviously. I'm curious, though, about, you know, well-meaning do gooders in the community who are looking at our pocket parks and alleys and things that need some attention. But the city hadn't hadn't made its way out yet. How do private [12:17:23 PM] its way out yet. How do private dollars help to extend our limited resources in that way? Do we have a thing like, I know we have like a keep Boston beautiful, but I mean something that directly goes to the city of Boston in support of our efforts to keep our parks and green spaces maintained well, yes, we have several programs with our volunteers. >> And it could be through adopt a park or just on some of the occasions where we have volunteers come in to clean up on a Saturday or assist with that, we are always looking for opportunities to partner with volunteers, as well as some of our community groups. And so we have partnerships. Some of those include maintenance support, others do not. >> I think, while I can appreciate the opportunity to volunteer, I also about how do we get people's money like I think what we're asking for is more financial support, more treasure that goes towards part. That's, you know, if we collectively appreciate having [12:18:24 PM] collectively appreciate having access to these green spaces, we also have to recognize that the city can't do everything for all people, all the time, in which case, I'm just trying to figure out, do we have a mechanism for private citizens to pay into a fund of sorts that helps the city overall, outside of conservatories, outside of organizations? Is there a way for people to say, I can directly outside of this 500 and 1c3 contribute to the maintenance of our city's parks. And, you know, give the dollars directly. Is that a thing we have? >> I do not I'm not aware that we have one, but it's something that we're discussing. Awesome. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Council member Kelly, then council member Ellis, thank you so much, >> So I have two questions. The first is about the play for all park in spring woods park in my district. I wanted to know if we had an update on that, or if we'd been able to partner with a not for profit so that they could raise the additional funding necessary to start that park. So I'll start with that question. >> I do not have that answer for you, but I will follow up with [12:19:26 PM] you, but I will follow up with you. >> Okay. >> That's great. And then my other question is related to the park budget, and cemeteries. So this was a conversation I had with our prior parks director related to burial services. I'm wondering if it included hiring ftes for those positions in lieu of using contractors. >> That's actually one of our unmet needs. We are we have eight positions that we are. We were interested in specifically for cemetery. Four of those were for the burial services in lieu of the contract. >> So could you talk to me so that my colleagues and I could better understand, what cost savings that would provide in lieu of utilizing contracts? Because I'm understanding it's significant cost savings. If we were to just hire these employees outright. >> If you give me a minute, please. >> Oh, absolutely. >> Mayor. Council members. [12:20:30 PM] >> Mayor. Council members. Lucas. Massey, assistant director of the parks, so we do have a determinant agreement that is scheduled to end at the end of next fiscal year. And moving to an internal, fte provided service, at this point would save us, roughly about half $1 million. The total agreement is for a million. And exiting that agreement, and adding for four ftes for, interment services is about that much. >> So you said half a million. I'm sorry you cut out. That's that's correct. So it's half $1 million in savings. Okay. Thank you. And of those 16 ftes that are in your unmet needs, how many of those include the ones related to cemetery and burial services? >> The 16 do not include, the cemetery staff, if that's all grounds for clarifying that. >> And colleagues, I mainly bring this up because a lot of individuals who I talk to in the community community don't realize that this is a service [12:21:30 PM] realize that this is a service that the city provides. It is something that is needed and we should continue it. So I want to just signal to you all that I plan on bringing something forward related to the needs of the cemetery and the burials. Thank you very much for the recognition. Mayor >> Thank you. Council member Ellis. >> Thank you. I just wanted to also flag, I've been talking to my office about security in parks, and so I just wanted to make sure staff was on the lookout for some questions. With that, we may submit into the portal, specifically around security cameras, any any issues with people kind of messing with facilities at night, break ins, vandalization things like that that we know set the department back when they have to address them. I know we've seen an email recently about vehicular break ins near Barton springs pool, zilker park, unfortunately, is an area where some people tend to go at night. And for some reason, it seems like we haven't been able to get to a place where we can ensure safety of anything that's in that area, [12:22:32 PM] anything that's in that area, especially because right now we have construction crews in the area, and we know that construction job sites tend to be a focus. And we want to make sure every, every, you know, everything we're doing for the city is safe and we're not setting ourselves back on those conversations, I'm also really glad to see the deployment of some of the security measures that we had done last year. We were able to purchase through the budget a number of the large rock Boulders to keep people from, in this case, mudding on the fields. People were going into circle C metro park when it would rain and they would pull donuts and tear up the grass. And we actually have a city, program where the soccer fields are leased through another group. And so there were kids that couldn't play soccer. We had to figure out who was responsible for maintenance, so those are options that are more affordable and more cost effective in and where they're appropriate. I realize it's not going to be one size fits all for every park about what the needs are. I know there's other parks I've seen where there's not enough parking for the people who want to enjoy it. I want to be mindful that that fix [12:23:33 PM] want to be mindful that that fix is not going to work in every single park space, but I hope to bring forth some measures and get some more understanding through the Q and a portal about security and just what the general needs are, and if those are being met through this budget as well. So thank you. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember Allison alter. >> Thank you, director means what unmet needs of the parks department were met in this budget? >> We had three unmet needs and none of them were met at this time. >> Thank you, there was also, a grant in the that was applied for, for land management. Was that received. Do you know, I don't have that information? Okay. We'll check with. No, we do not. >> No, it was not received. >> Okay. >> I'll if someone can follow up with me on that. Thank you. >> Anything else? Thank you very much. Thank thank you, mayor. Yes. >> I'm sorry. Mayor, are we, leaving parks, are. I didn't know if that was just for maintenance, but I did have a [12:24:35 PM] maintenance, but I did have a question on the Gus Garcia recreation center. >> Okay, well, then, fire away. >> Thank you. I just wanted to see, there are a number of programs that are going on at the Gus Garcia recreation center. Youth programs, a senior programs. And there is a need for additional space. It's been in planned for some time now, and I just wanted to see if we had, an estimate on the cost of adding a portable, to that space so that the, the seniors in the recreation program could use it, I know I've asked this, and I just wanted to see if there were any updates on the cost of, of putting a portable out there at Gus Garcia rec center pending a parks bond that would potentially expand. The rec center? >> Yes. Council member villa, we are finalizing that response to your budget question at this time. It's estimated that it's roughly $671,000 to put the [12:25:40 PM] roughly $671,000 to put the portable. But we've had we have a breakdown on why it's that amount that does include staffing. It does include one time, funding. So just the portable itself, is closer to around 300 to $350,000. >> Okay. Great. And the portable itself would be, potential debt finance, I believe. So I just wanted to see in other words, that would, could go on debt financing would not count toward our, our tax rate, our general tax rate. Again I'm still understanding that, but I don't know if finance, if anybody could speak to that in particular in terms of the source of the funds that we could use for the actual physical investment in the portable, I, we would have to look into that. >> I don't think that would be eligible for debt financing. So we would have to look into that and get back with you. Council member, >> Okay. Got it, thank you very much for the update on the price. Appreciated. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember Fuentes, thank [12:26:40 PM] Councilmember Fuentes, thank you. >> And just on that note for staff, wanted to flag, if we can have that information regarding debt finance, financing tools available during the work session where we discuss the financing, policy, which I forget, I think it's Tuesday of next week, maybe, or Thursday. But I just want to flag because I also have several questions on what we can use, certificate of obligation for, so I just wanted to flag that for staff. >> Thank you. All right. We're going to move on from parks. Okay. Thank you very much. Thanks all to all of you. Miss Lang. >> Next, we have a conversation about the homeless strategy office, the budget for zo for their general fund budget is $30.3 million in fiscal year 25. When this slide here shows a breakdown of their budget based on their program area of focus, and so you see, again, this is their general fund budget. [12:27:41 PM] their general fund budget. Homeless shelters is at 13.8 million. And I won't go through every single line item, their operating budget that funds their, staff and the operating costs for their staff is at 3.3, but rapid rehousing is at 4.5 and then permanent supportive housing is at 6.3 million. >> Okay, why don't I start Mr. Gray? >> I want to start with the closing of the marshaling yard, which is set to close in the spring of 25. And want to start with your what? What are the plans and where will I find the money, in the budget for us to maintain needed emergency shelter beds and include in that. I think I understand that you have some remaining arpa funding that would help in terms of [12:28:44 PM] that would help in terms of capital, but but I'm not I don't think it applies to providing services. So. Or operation operational activity. Would you address that. Sure. >> Yes, sir. >> And good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and city council and Mr. City manager, I'm David gray, the homeless strategy officer for the city of Austin, with respect to the marshaling yard, we are still on track per council direction to close the marshaling yard by March of 2025. In terms of how we get there, we're currently proceeding with our current operations, but beginning in September, we will begin limiting intake to the marshaling yard, focusing exclusively on welcoming clients that have a permanent housing resource, whether that's a voucher for a housing unit or they are waiting to reunite with family or get an apartment, in December, we will cease all new intake to the marshaling yard with the goal of ensuring that all of our clients who are in shelter at that time get housed [12:29:45 PM] shelter at that time get housed either in permanent housing or relocated to one of our other shelters. We are simultaneously still looking for other permanent shelter opportunities to replace the beds that we're going to lose at marshaling yard. >> You may recall by permanent shelter, you mean a permanent place that you're not going to need to close for emergency shelter beds. Correct. >> So this would be a shelter that we would keep open in perpetuity, unlike marshaling yard, which is a temporary shelter, as you might recall, a few months ago, council allowed us to enter into a contract with the other one's foundation to add 100 non-congregate shelter beds at camp Esperanza. And so we're in that process now of working with the other one's foundation to finalize that contract and get those shelter, homes installed. And we do anticipate those units being online before we get to March 20th, 25. So the work now has been to identify at least 200 [12:30:46 PM] been to identify at least 200 additional permanent shelter bed opportunities, Mr. Mayor, with respect to funding that that's currently available for shelter within arpa, we still have about a little bit more than $400,000 that was allocated to emergency shelter, that's a balance to commit, part of that is due to when we when we came to council seeking the extension for marshaling yard. We had asked for $1 million. Council authorized us for 500,000. So we still have a little bit of a balance to commit. Additionally, we have about $8 million in home arp funds that can be used to acquire and develop non- congregate shelter. And it has to be non-congregate shelter. It cannot be congregate like the marshaling yard. So our shelter team has been meeting with providers, scouring land, looking for opportunities for us to responsibly invest those dollars to bring new beds online. >> And how long do you have to invest that money? >> The home arp dollars have to be spent by 2030. The arpa [12:31:47 PM] be spent by 2030. The arpa dollars have to be encumbered by the end of this calendar year and spent by the end of 2026. >> Okay, what about service needs on where we are on permanent supportive housing, on permanent supportive housing, we're currently projecting a $2.1 million unmet need for permanent supportive housing units that will come online. >> Later this year and in 2025, and those units are approximately 100. It's about 105 units spread out across different properties. So those are those are permanent supportive housing beds that have hakka vouchers tied to them. They're in the construction phase, but there are no supportive service dollars tied to them. And that's where the homeless strategy office would usually step in, is enter into contracts for the supportive services for clients who are housed in those units. >> Okay, let's go back on on [12:32:47 PM] >> Okay, let's go back on on emergency shelter beds and trying to replace the marshaling yard. Walk me through what happens if we don't replace those beds and how that a what happens just with regard to emergency shelter beds. But B what happens with regard to rapid rehousing and the heal initiative? >> Yes, sir. So if we are not able to relocate our marshaling yard clients into a permanent housing destination or reunite them with family, we will move those clients to another one of our shelters, more likely than not, what that's going to mean is taking one of our two bridge shelters, either north bridge or south bridge, and reserving beds in those shelters for clients that are remaining at marshaling yard. We use the bridge shelters to facilitate our heal initiative, which is our compassionate encampment closure program. I think just a couple of weeks ago, we announced that we moved over 60 people from [12:33:48 PM] we moved over 60 people from four separate encampments into those shelters, so if we had to take those beds offline, that would have the consequence of slowing our compassionate encampment closures through heal. >> Okay. >> Councilmember Fuentes, thank you. Followed by councilmember harper-madison. >> Director gray, can you talk us through? >> And I appreciate you mentioning and colleagues. I just want to underscore 2.1 million unmet needs for permanent supportive housing supports and services. So that is significant, director gray, can you can you talk us through rapid rehousing and the financial cliff that we have, with that effort, particularly with the arpa dollars and. Well, let's start there. >> Yes, ma'am. So, as you saw in the slide that miss Lang presented a moment ago, we currently have about $4.5 million in general fund supported rapid rehousing. But through arpa, we had over $42 million supported in rapid rehousing. So 85% of the city's [12:34:51 PM] rehousing. So 85% of the city's investments in rapid rehousing is through that one time American rescue plan act funds. So when that money runs out, we will return baseline of rapid rehousing funding. Where our office is at now is we are working with our vendors per council direction to ensure that everybody who's currently in a rapid rehousing program, but truly needs permanent supportive housing, is stabilized within their rapid rehousing program. And so we're able to figure out that pathway to get them into permanent supportive housing next month, we will be coming to council seeking authorization to attach some additional dollars to our arpa funded rapid rehousing contracts. We believe that those additional dollars will allow those contracts to be fully funded for fy 25. However, those vendors will not be able to accept any new clients. So those dollars that were added to the contracts are just to support the clients who are already in the program. There's no more room in those programs to welcome any new clients. So [12:35:52 PM] to welcome any new clients. So if council wanted us to try to bring new people into our rapid rehousing initiatives, that would necessitate an additional appropriation from council. >> Thank you. And how much would you recommend? Would we need it? What is the unmet need when it comes to rapid rehousing? >> We would probably have to get back to you on that. I mean, I think part of the challenge here is the initial theory around infusing rapid rehousing with arpa dollars was to address a surge or our backlog that was amplified during covid, with the number of people who were losing their jobs and losing their stability and just dealing with compounded issues, so now that arpa is going away, we would get back to that baseline, we're having some discussions with our community partners and with echo around just rapid rehousing and how that strategy fits within our local homeless response [12:36:52 PM] our local homeless response system. Who are the best candidates that would truly be supported through rapid rehousing? Because there's a sense that the individuals who were supporting now really need permanent supportive housing. Rapid rehousing is not the right program for them, once we have that system modeling work done, which should be done within the next few weeks, I think our office will be better prepared to answer that question. >> Any, any possibility the system modeling can be done by August. When are voting on this budget? August 8th. >> Yes, ma'am. Our our policy unit lead just returned from vacation, and I was in his ear yesterday about this. So yes, we recognize as well as our colleagues at echo, recognize that we want to make sure we get this information to council in time for you all to make your budget decisions. >> Thank you. And colleagues, just again, want to emphasize that, you know, addressing homelessness is and has been a priority of the city council for a number of years. And we've been very fortunate to have taken a very bold and decisive step in allocating over 100 million of our American rescue [12:37:55 PM] million of our American rescue act plan dollars, and which has been incredible, and why we can now say we'll have over a thousand new permanent supportive housing units come online by the end of next year, but that does present some significant gaps in how we address homelessness. And we can't have gotten to this place where we have all of these different levers in motion and all these investments and progress to not continue to build upon that, especially at this critical time. So I continue to have homelessness as one of my top budget priorities and look forward for the system modeling that comes back for staff. And, again, just want to make a plug that to me, this is a time that we should maintain our reserve funding levels at what we ended last year, in order for us to have additional dollars available to increase our supports for addressing homelessness. >> Thank you. Thank you, councilmember Fuentes. I've got a follow on question, and then I'll call on council member, qadri here. What do you think? The chances are or is there a [12:38:57 PM] The chances are or is there a possibility that the feds will come back with a new, surge of funding for the states and cities for homelessness? This is a national issue and frankly, a global issue. And the city of Austin is doing what we're able to, but it is definitely swimming upstream against a really strong current going in the other direction. And the fact of the matter is, we can't as we know, we can't do it alone. And it was a huge benefit and relief to get the relief through arpa and so forth. So what do you is there a movement in, in congress to continue this? What what might you know about the future funding at the federal level? >> Yes, ma'am. So a couple of things on that point, mayor pro tem, one is last year through the work of echo, our local continuum of care was actually able to receive a larger [12:39:58 PM] able to receive a larger appropriation for homeless service funding specifically for services through the federal notice of funding opportunity. That's the first time in a while that our continuum of care was able to get additional funding. And so I do want to give our colleagues over at echo and our other service providers their props for working together to bring in more money. And as a member on the leadership council, that's always our goal is to find ways to strengthen our collective application, to try to get more federal dollars into Austin. I know our city manager is familiar with this process because he had some experience drawing down more federal dollars during his time in Dallas, and so we're trying to replicate that process in Austin. But we've also seen the federal government do is increase support for municipalities and states through the American rescue plan act, I'm sorry, through the affordable care act. And so states that have adopted, that that expansion program, unfortunately, we're not one of those states. And so our city doesn't fully benefit from those [12:40:59 PM] doesn't fully benefit from those additional dollars. That being said, we have been in close conversations with our peer cities who are in a similar position to Austin. We talk a lot with Dallas and San Antonio and Houston and other cities across the nation. We've also been in close conversations with the United States interagency council on homelessness, which is the federal agency that brings together hud and all the other federal agencies that do funding in this space to have these conversations around how do we make sure that we don't have a huge cliff or as severe of a cliff when arpa runs out, I, I really wish I could predict exactly what congress is going to do, and unfortunately, I can't, but I do pledge that our office will remain proactively engaged in these discussions to try to mitigate any fiscal cliff from the end of the arpa funds. >> What does it look like for the fundraising support from, private sector and nonprofits? Initially, a few years ago, we had talked about having the [12:42:01 PM] had talked about having the three legged stool, and one of those legs was, private sector, and I think the other was nonprofits. Where are we with that? >> Yes, ma'am. So that that was actually one of the core pillars for creating a homeless strategy office here in Austin, also was to try to bring in more private support, whether it's kind of low level support or mega donations. We want to make sure that our business community, our local foundations, are engaged in the work that we're doing, I've had some conversations with the city manager around this, around wanting to reconvene somewhat of a funders table with the city, the county, other public agencies, as well as our local foundations and our business community to talk more, strategically about the areas of the system that we're going to invest in and support. And how do we make sure that the organizations and the folks who are doing the work can rest assured that the funding for their programs and their services and their staff is going to continue. And so we're in the beginning stages of [12:43:01 PM] in the beginning stages of convening those tables, in addition to that, we have also started making real progress, we've had some great conversations with companies like, indeed, for example, who as an act of good faith, have already made really solid investments in our homeless response system. And so as we're putting together the structure, we're also making inroads in the work and we're very excited and grateful for all of our local funders who are collaborating with the city to make sure that we have the resources we need to get people off the streets stably housed and then address the underlying issues that have caused them to become homeless. >> Absolutely. And these are some of the folks who who have asked us most fervently in order to for us to do that on their behalf, the last piece I wanted to, check in on was essentially the division of labor and funding between the city of Austin and our mission, which is, pretty expansive, like [12:44:01 PM] is, pretty expansive, like facilities and these kinds of programs for housing, but doesn't necessarily go to treatment and medical concerns the way central health and our, hospital district and so forth, can provide. So where are we with that division of labor and that round table that the interim city manager had, organized and kicked off, which I thought was a really wise, effort because the city of Austin can't again be all things to all people. >> Yes, ma'am. You know, I think ever since the Mckinsey fiasco, if you want to call it that, everybody took a little bit of time to heal, reflect on that experience and figure out ways to reengage. I also want to note that some of our core partners at central health and even us here at the city, we have some new leadership that have been willing to sit down and talk about ways that we can go far [12:45:02 PM] about ways that we can go far together instead of going short, separate, and so we've we've started that work now of rebuilding those tables. One of my deliverables to our city manager is that plan for how do we get as part of that funders table, get central health and integral care in Travis county and others back together to talk about how we jointly invest in supporting, individuals experiencing homelessness and their pathways out of homelessness. >> And I and I know that both integral care and central health are interested in the partnership and the leadership had said as much in meetings that I've had with them, it is unfortunate that our forward progress was delayed, I do really hope that we can reengage in a really robust way so that because the issues and the concerns didn't go away, even if our forward progress stalled out. So we do have some ground to make up, it is real important for us to have the engagement [12:46:04 PM] for us to have the engagement across the board. And it works both ways. Those groups should should be reaching out to us and wanting to work with us as well, for us to make any appreciable and sustainable progress. Again, we can't. The city can't do it all. Yes, ma'am. >> And if I could just maybe clarify, while we haven't had a direct conversation around funding, our partnership is extremely strong. We're in calls every week with Travis county staff on topics like the Travis county supportive housing investments and those thousand units that were planning to come online. We've been in close conversations and partnerships with central health and integral care around everything from making sure we have narcan in our homeless shelters, to making sure that clients who are seen on the street have a direct connection into mental health services and physical health care that they need integral care. As part of our homeless outreach, street team, we engage with their staff directly. In fact, just last week, one of their staff members and I jointly responded to a call for service. And so although we [12:47:04 PM] service. And so although we haven't reconvened the specific funders table, we do work in close partnership and in close proximity each and every day. No doubt. >> And the professionals on all sides are really engaged. And it's work of the heart. And lest anybody feel like this is just a pessimistic conversation, we have made great strides. Yes, there is a lot riding on these strides, and a lot of people are looking to the consortium of governmental, non-governmental and private sector to make additional progress. And I know I think I speak for the dais that we all are, are hoping that that will in fact continue, council member qadri was next with a question. Yeah, I had one question, but I did notice council member harper-madison had her hand up before I did. >> So she can go and then I'll go right after all. >> Right. Council member harper-madison. >> Thank you. Member. Qadri, so I have a question and it's specifically about the two [12:48:04 PM] specifically about the two partnership. The other ones foundation partnership, a part of our success there, I can't help but wonder if we are able to duplicate it under different circumstances. So given that relationship that they have with the state, some of the considerations that they otherwise would have had, they didn't. So us being able to bring in, they partnered with plug in house to do those prefab insulated. It was wild to watch. They took this structure and in four hours with two Allen wrenches and three people had a house and them being able to do that for less than $15,000, get them in mass, quantity and fast timing. You know, because of the direct connection with the manufacturer in China and all that, I'm just wondering what are our opportunities for more? I mean, that was a pilot that grew into this thing where we housed all these additional people by way of just an innovative technology that we had access to. So I just wonder how much more room there will be given our limited resources to [12:49:06 PM] given our limited resources to really just tap into something we hadn't done before, call it a pilot or whatever. The thing is, but how many more opportunities are before us like the plug in house to collaboration? >> Yes, ma'am, you know that those kind of projects are always fun. And actually, the 100 units that were co-funding will be plug in house, like, so if you want to come to the build day and be a part of that with us, we'll make sure you get the invitation to join us. You know, we have this conversation all the time internally amongst our staff and then with all of our partners. It's that balance of how do we make sure that we're able to build fast and make sure it's affordable and make sure that the structures themselves are durable and resilient? I think with with the two pilot with plug in house has demonstrated is that we can hit all three of those chords. I will say our shelter team probably gets 2 or 3 emails a week from another housing vendor that has a very similar idea, and so we're always in the process of trying to weigh and [12:50:06 PM] process of trying to weigh and learn and talk to other cities about everything from the big sprung shelters to the plug in house opportunities. So that's always forefront on our mind. I think our kind of first, next step is figuring out another plot of land or site where we could stand something like that up, and that's been the real work of our shelter team to date, has been identifying a solid location where we could stand up more homes like the ones you're describing. >> I really appreciate your perspective there, and I couldn't agree more about your rapid rehousing versus permanent supportive. I really appreciate that assessment because I agree entirely and also about the land acquisition component. During the course of the conversations, we're having specifically about my district, the northeast planning district, some of our 78702a thing that we do find ourselves with the benefit of is land, but not necessarily a solid plan for moving forward with a project that would cover the infrastructure requirements. And so that's a part of my northeast planning district issue, is that so much of it is undeveloped. Nobody wants to be the first developer to take on [12:51:07 PM] the first developer to take on the responsibility for the infrastructure. And then it still sits languishing. And so I just wonder if, moving forward, how many partnership opportunities, your office and my office have to figure out how we could help figure out bridge that gap somehow. Maybe it's a county contribution. Maybe we talk to the folks at our state level delegation about really helping us get the infrastructure out there so that we can take another opportunity to duplicate a tooth like effort. Because I really do see us making a lot of progress getting the structures, making them affordable. To your point, I wrote it down, fast, safe, durable. We need fast, safe, durable houses that we can afford to deploy. Sustainably. And so I really look forward to just continuing that level of the conversation, because I really do think it takes out some of the other stuff is complex, right? Like you know, people who've had chronic homelessness who have behavioral health issues, all the other those things are complex. Putting a structure together that's not hard. How many of the not hard things can we get done, you know, as we navigate the [12:52:08 PM] you know, as we navigate the complex components? >> Yes, ma'am. If I if I could add just one more quick layer to that, another piece of the work that we've recently embarked on as a homeless strategy office is the landlord engagement piece. You know, the fact of the matter is, here in Austin, we have now somewhat of an oversupply and vacant apartment units and new apartment developments that are being built that are too far in the development process to stop. And those apartment owners are having difficulty leasing up those units. And so our our policy unit has also taken on somewhat of the responsibility of playing landlord engager. And we've been having some great conversations with landlords about taking units that are market rate units, bringing prices down and being able to house rapid rehousing clients in those units, and so those units are already built. So we solve that problem. The infrastructure is already there. We solve that problem too. It's just been a matter of making sure that as we bring our clients into these apartment communities, we wrap them with the right levels of case support so as to not cause any other, you know, undue consequences for other residents [12:53:09 PM] consequences for other residents in those properties, but really want to give a shout out to all the landlords and the apartment owners association for being willing to collaborate with us in that innovative way. >> That's magnificent. I really appreciate you adding that additional update. That's good to know because it's one of the things that I do think about. It's certainly not for you, but as a, you know, we have a lot of commercial structures that are three quarters of the way done. You can't stop. But what are we going to do with it now that the money's gone? So I really appreciate that additional layer of consideration. Thank you, Mr. Gray. >> Thank you. Thank you. Council member. Council member. Qadri. >> Great. I will make my question as quick as possible and I appreciate all the work you do. David and your departments, when it when it comes to the $2.1 million in unmet needs around supportive services, does that include the $1 million, one time funding that came forward during the budget cycle, last budget? >> No, sir. So those dollars we're looking to attach to the at home initiative. And just to kind of refresh some folks on what that initiative is, that's a collaborative effort between the city. Speaking of collaborations, mayor pro tem at [12:54:10 PM] collaborations, mayor pro tem at home is a collaborative effort between the city, the county, central health, integral care, echo, hakka and caritas. The whole purpose here being not only providing the funding but also bringing the mobile health clinics on site and really, you know, wrapping people around with a somewhat of a higher degree of, of care. So since those dollars were one time dollars and not ongoing dollars that we would typically want to grant out for ongoing needs, we felt like it was most appropriate to attach that to the at home initiative, which already had some funding in it. >> So, so, so it doesn't go towards the supportive services at all. Then it just goes towards the at home initiative, which are, which are which are social. >> So the at home initiative is still supportive services, for psh it's just a little bit different in that by attaching the $1 million that you were able to allocate for us last cycle by attaching that to at home, it allows us to leverage those dollars in a way that stretches the timeline much more than just granting that out as [12:55:12 PM] than just granting that out as one time funds. That would only benefit somebody for one year, and then they would have an immediate fiscal cliff the next fiscal year. >> Got it. Okay thank you. Thank you, sir. >> Councilmember qadri councilmember Ryan alter, thank you very much. >> I just first want to start by echoing, echoing, councilmember Fuentes, you know, this is a really high priority. I obviously for myself, but given the attention it's gotten today, you know, of our entire council, I wanted to ask what you're seeing as it relates to family based homelessness out in the community, family based homelessness is an urgent and rapidly growing need in our community. >> In fact, in our conversations with our street outreach team and sunrise navigation center, which manages a kind of a homeless hotline of sorts, what we're constantly hearing is that families are experiencing homelessness. There are no shelter beds in the city for families. And in fact, over at Salvation Army, I think their [12:56:13 PM] Salvation Army, I think their waitlist right now is around 200 households waiting for those limited shelter units, families are not showing up at navigation centers. They're not necessarily calling the city out of fear of potentially losing their kids. And so it's a lot of couch surfing, it's a lot of sleeping in cars or staying at hotels or the benevolence of, another community partner or family member. So that continues to be a very real and urgent and pressing need for us. And as we think about new shelters and shelter expansion, we have been thinking through, how do we make sure that we include family beds as as part of that conversation, giving the rapidly growing unmet need? There >> Okay. And you touched on it a little bit. The navigation center issue or or where that fits into our our service delivery, you know, I appreciate you and the manager and deputy city manager came out and got to see, what was going on at [12:57:14 PM] see, what was going on at sunrise. And the services they're providing there and, and the level of need that our community has for these services. And how many people are traveling from across the city to this singular location, because it's the only location available to do this. And so, I guess my question to you is what what do we need as it relates to navigation centers or what is the you know, if you had the magic wand, how would you look forward into expanding that operation? >> Our our goal has always been to have, two additional navigation centers in Austin. So this would be in addition to the sunrise navigation center down south that you're referring to, ideally we would have one in north Austin, one somewhere central slash downtown, and then continue to have a presence down south, not necessarily at that location at sunrise, but still have a location down south. And part of the reason for that, [12:58:16 PM] part of the reason for that, frankly, is as you mentioned, a lot of people every day are migrating to south Austin. Ben white, manchaca to get access to their health care, collect their mail, get their candidate, can get their mental health treatment, get some food, and then they're returning back to their encampment, we feel like it's in our client's best interest to, not force them to have to travel every day from wherever they're at in the city, down south. You know, if we're able to provide the same level of care and closer proximity to where people are camping, we think that we could have some really solid outcomes for our clients. We also think that it has a better benefit for just the general public. It reduces the amount of people who you see kind of visibly hanging out in your neighborhood or trying to camp out in close proximity to the navigation center, so it's a little bit of a population distribution, we have made some inroads and some progress in this, we've been speaking with sunrise leadership and leadership at some of the other spaces where we think we might be able to pilot this concept, [12:59:17 PM] be able to pilot this concept, to see if our hypothesis is true, some, some, some good old a B testing, and the sunrise leadership is willing to engage with us and folks at some of these sites that we're looking at are also willing to engage with us, I'm not privy at this time to talk about it in much more detail, but this has always been a priority for our office. And I'm really excited to see if things can come together over the next few weeks for us to be able to announce a new navigation site soon. >> Great, as we talk about shelter and, council member harper-madison talked about, you know, the, the plug in shelter, tiny homes. I'm curious, do we have within our policies or as we look forward to the other ones foundation. If someone is in that setting and let's say they become eligible for rapid rehousing or, some other intervention, what is there a requirement that they take that [1:00:22 PM] requirement that they take that intervention or, and I know it sounds kind of odd on its face. You know, why why would someone not? But I have seen not only here but other places where the challenge they have with that particular intervention of the plug in homes is that someone, sees it more as housing than shelter and does not move on to that next intervention. And then you have the waitlist that grows. I think you and I talked about the other ones foundation having that problem right now. And so I'm curious how we account for that as we think of it, as a shelter and not as a permanent solution. >> Yeah, we've talked to camp Esperanza staff about this very phenomenon where people will come into their tiny home shelter very quickly, begin to think of it as like this is this is my space. And then when it comes time for them to move on to a housing opportunity, it takes a little bit of extra work to get them comfortable with [1:01:22 PM] to get them comfortable with transition. I will say that same phenomenon sometimes exists on the front end too. I had spoken about this gentleman who we helped get off the street corner and into the arch on Friday, and it just took a little bit F work sometimes to get people comfortable with leaving, whatever the environment is that they're in and willing to walk with us into to something new in the trust us that we're going to take care of them into that. That's something new, you know, with the two staff have, reminded me is that a lot of it is around just setting very clear expectations. I don't know that truth requires anybody to move on. I would have to check in with their leadership around their policy for that location. But I do know that they work with the clients and make sure that when the move happens, it's something that the client feels prepared for. They're supported in that transition because we don't want somebody to move and then feel so uncomfortable in the new space that they then regress, and now they're back out on the street, so there is a little bit of handholding that that comes with getting people out of the tiny homes, but I [1:02:23 PM] out of the tiny homes, but I haven't heard of a case where somebody has completely rejected every other opportunity and has made camp Esperanza or similar tiny home structures their permanent residents. >> Got it. Very good. Thank you very much. >> Thank you sir. >> Members, we're going to move on to the next topic. Thank you sir. Great. Thanks for all your work. Appreciate you, miss Lang. That's right. >> Okay. >> Next we'll talk about human resources and our employee benefits, the new employee benefits for 2025, and so, childcare eligibility requirements will be expanded in the new fiscal year. A new fertility benefit will be introduced in 2025. A simplified plan design for active employees. So the new benefit [1:03:24 PM] employees. So the new benefit will will no longer have the tiered plan for primary care providers. And then the medicare advantage program for post age 65 retirees, retirees savings will include a $0 deductible and co-pays, the retirees will have access to free programs and then a network of medicare medical providers for retirees will remain the same as the current network. And I'd like to ask, Susan, the hr director, to come up and speak more about the benefits that are coming forward with the 2025 plan. >> Afternoon, mayor, city council and deputy city manager. I'm Susan Sims. I'm the new human resources director here at the city of largo and really pleased to be with you all, yes, we've got some new benefits and we're really excited about it, our child care eligibility requirements have expanded. We had that pilot program, about a year ago. We had 160 employees [1:04:26 PM] year ago. We had 160 employees taking advantage of it. And currently we have 320 employees taking advantage of that $5,000, stipend to assist in their child care services. So we're very excited how employees are embracing that. And I know they feel it is a very important benefit here at the city, we also have the fertility benefit that's going to be new. It's up to $20,000, for those qualifying medically. And we're very happy to offer that. Expand into that benefit for those individuals that are seeking to start a family, have a family, and all the joy that goes along with that. So, next we, I know my slides down there was, what was this simplified plan design for active employees? >> Pcp. [1:05:26 PM] >> Pcp. >> Oh, excellent. Thank you, thank you. Our plan design we're making. We're simplifying it. There were tears and it was just confusing and frustrating to people. So we are collapsing that into that $15 copay. And it I know that people are really going to appreciate that because it's just easier to use the benefit. The big thing here I know is medicare advantage. And we're very excited about that. Our retirees, 65 and over have an outstanding opportunity with medicare advantage, it's something where we partner with the city of Austin benefits to give the medicare advantage plan. So our retirees continue to be associated with the city of Austin. That's something that in coming, from outside city of Austin, that's something my previous, the, medicare eligible retirees would be looking [1:06:27 PM] retirees would be looking forward to is that opportunity to qualify at 65 and over on the retiree plan. So it is doing a mandatory, medicare advantage for those individuals that are 65 and over. We have 4500 that are, eligible for that 1500 currently. Take advantage of it. 3000 would be going on it. And the gift of that is that there is an enhanced plan design. They have no co-pay, no deductible. And the provider network is just identical to the provider network. They have now. And they have significant premium savings for individuals for a single, retiree going from their current selection on a ppo to the medicare plan, they would be saving $672 a year in premium dollars. Again, with the with a [1:07:29 PM] dollars. Again, with the with a better plan design and with identical provider network and those going from the current dual ppo to the medicare advantage, ppo would be saving $3,952 a year in premium savings. So it's a it's a wonderful benefit that we're very excited to offer and have to really make mandatory for those retirees, because they'll be advantaged in so many ways. So I'm here to answer any questions you might have. >> Let me begin if you don't mind. Sure. I want to start with the retiree plan. And I want to start with the concept that the city, originally had a volunteer program you could voluntarily become a part of this medicare advantage program. And that change to a mandatory program? Yes. Can you explain why the decision was made to require people to do this, as opposed to make it voluntary? [1:08:30 PM] make it voluntary? >> Yes. It it additionally to what I had mentioned, it saves about $18 million a year, for the plan. And that's important for the plan, for the plan reserves. As we all know, medical costs are so expensive. The city of Austin has done an exemplary job holding the premiums for employees stable. And this is a way that we can do that and offer an enhanced benefit to our retirees, 65 and over. >> So let me say this back to you and see if I get this right. The first step was to see if people would volunteer to do this. And the hope was that they would volunteer to do this because there wasn't going to be a change in the doctors. And some of us feel like we remember people saying, you're not going to you're not going to lose your doctor and then claim that we did lose doctors, but it was not going to lose doctors. There was actually an increase in premium, [1:09:31 PM] actually an increase in premium, you weren't going to have a deductible or co-pay, but people didn't sign up for it for whatever reason. And as a result of that, the city was not going to get a savings of $18 million that could be used for what what could that money be used for? The $18 million is really there to pay for the plan, >> We need to have a reserve. We're self-insured, so it's very important that we have at least three months of reserves and a month of payments is about $20 million. So, we look to have our reserves at least have 60 million and maybe a little a little bit more is always good, you know, just to make sure that we're, being responsible fiscally and, to how we need to support the plan. So, I think I'd like to expand on what you just said, please. Yes, we did have a voluntary, pilot of this program, and we did a 1500 out of the 4500 that joined us. We [1:10:32 PM] of the 4500 that joined us. We default to your benefits. So, if people are happy with their benefits, they don't necessarily have pause to look at what the new benefits are. So I think sometimes we fall into unless there is some type of reason why people need to look at the benefits. If they see benefits are voluntary in nature, they tend to keep what they've had just because they keep what they've had. And we've noticed that over, that I've been in human resources over 25 years and that's, that's a phenomenon. People, you know, if they're happy, they stay. Sure. >> So, so but let's let's talk about the mandatory movement now that they have we're talking about a mandatory movement. I want to ask and I just want clarity. I'm not sure I just want clarity. And I want clarity for those people who are now being told you, I know you're happy, but we're getting ready to make you change, right? Number one is will there be any additional cost to a retiree? >> No. [1:11:35 PM] >> No. >> Will there be any decrease in benefits to a retiree? No. Do they get to keep the doctor that they're using or the doctors that they've been using? Does it change in any way who would be out of network for them once we make this this change for them, there is no change. All right. So on on the premium savings that's for, tell me how that will work. >> Okay. So individuals that currently are not on medicare advantage, I was quoting, we have a tiered process for retirees. So if you have 20 years of tenure with the city, that's that's those are the numbers that was need to have a base for my, premium savings. So an individual that is, going from single that is not on medicare advantage to single on medicare advantage with 20 years and over with the city will save $672 a year in premium. That's [1:12:39 PM] $672 a year in premium. That's for a single person. >> And do be right at $4,000, right? >> Right around $4,000. Correct? >> All right. Thank you very much, councilmember Fuentes, thank you. >> And welcome. >> Thank you. Yeah, I should have said that to welcome. >> No problem. Thank you, >> I'm thrilled to have this dedicated presentation on employee benefits. I think we've made some significant progress this year. And thank you, city manager and staff for this presentation, colleagues, I do want to highlight the added fertility benefit is a continued work that, mayor Adler brought forward with, Michael Mcgill running lead on his team and one that I sponsored earlier this year. And several of you all co- sponsored, us being able to share with city workers that they'll have a new fertility benefit is incredible news, they get really helps us become more of a family friendly workplace and a preferred workplace for many austinites, 20,000 is a good first step. As a benefit, I [1:13:40 PM] good first step. As a benefit, I certainly would like to see that increase over time. You know, expanding family, especially going through fertility, is a very costly, procedure and treatment. And so I think 20,000 is a good first step, but certainly would want to see that increase moving forward, and I'm glad to hear about the childcare efforts and knowing that more employees are now working with the city and their childcare arrangements. So thank you. >> Thank you, thank you, councilmember. >> Anything else on this before we move to the next item, council member Kelly, councilmember vela okay, thank you very much and welcome. Okay. All right. Miss Lang, take us to the next thing. >> So next we'll have our emergency medical services, ems department talking about the downtown area command, ems did submit an unmet need for a new downtown command district to respond to elevated call volumes in the area on Thursday, Friday [1:14:40 PM] in the area on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights this geofenced, service will be for three sworn positions and overtime costs at $992,000. And one time costs for vehicles and equipment and I'll ask the chief and chief of staff to come down to talk about this program. >> It's, of course, so I guess I can just start by giving just go for it. Description here. So thank you again, mayor. Council, like we all need a tourniquet. Come on. For letting me, talk to you a little bit about this, so when we look, we think about howpit is that we approach ems overall in the city. The council has been very supportive of us over the past few years to think about things differently than utilizing ambulances as the primary resource, because they truly are our most expensive and most valuable asset that we can deploy. When we took a deep look at the entertainment district downtown, we see a significant spike in volume as expected on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights to the tune of several [1:15:42 PM] nights to the tune of several thousand calls over the course of the year, which, when broken down, averages to about one call per hour on a Thursday and a Friday and a Saturday night. When you think about that and you compare it to the average ambulance utilization of between 1 to 2 hours per call, we are basically dedicating two of those ambulances downtown just to responding to the entertainment district, and that's taking those ambulances out of services for other areas of the community that might need them. I've spoken to some of you about some of the ways that we look at our response times and that we do, in fact, take some ambulances from the periphery of this community and bring them into the downtown area. When we see call spikes. And so the goal of this program is to take a different resources and use them to focus on the needs of that downtown entertainment district, the way the program would be designed is that we would basically geofence the entertainment district, much like we do during the south by southwest festival, and we would [1:16:43 PM] southwest festival, and we would take some of the assets that were provided to us by council. Several years ago to create a place where we can treat patients in place. Away from the crowds and whatnot. And utilize small polaris type vehicles that can carry a patient that would go to these entertainment venues and whatnot, assess the patients, and then potentially either transport them to that area where we can get a better sense of, can we use a physician assistant? Can we find a different resource for them that they might need? Can we take them to the sobering center? So, for example, 10% of our patients that we transport to the hospital, or 10% of those calls are going to the sobering center? We don't need to use an ambulance for those calls. We can utilize other resources and free up those those, those ambulances for other resources. So in our current plan, it would staff that, trailer that we acquired several years ago through a council initiative for safer sixth street, with several individuals that could treat in [1:17:43 PM] individuals that could treat in place. And we would staff three utvs or, they're basically mini ambulances, if you will, that we would be able to deploy out on sixth street and Rainey street and elsewhere. >> Was that trailer currently used for right now, the trailer is primarily used for south by southwest, so it just sits most of the time. >> Much of the time we've only received it a few months ago. We received it just before south by southwest this year, and so the logistics of trying to get it deployed, it was within a week of south by southwest and trying to understand the placement and what the best location was, making sure it's adequate footprint. We kind of had it in reserve. But as we anticipate what south by southwest looks like for the coming year, that trailer will be put into significant use. It can house four patients and environment four bays, if you will. Inside the trailer, which is normally adequate for us. When we see that volume spikes during some of these more high profile entertainment type things. That's what we do in a tent [1:18:44 PM] That's what we do in a tent right now. But the tent is over, it's, you know, there's no floor to it. So when it rains, the water comes in and whatnot. And so it really is a way for us to be able to better address, the adverse weather and whatnot. But but to your question, no, currently it is primarily used for that. We anticipate we'll probably deploy it for other larger events that come through the city. But because it's so new, we haven't really anticipated. >> But it could be, but it could be used to open up this process and open up the use less ambulances in downtown. >> Yes, that was the intent when we kind of originally developed this, this program was this potentially could be used if we did an assessment for those, for this type of a program. That's really what it was designed for. Yes. >> Mayor pro tem, thanks and good to see you, chief, >> Could you talk a little bit about this program expanding up to the domain area so, you know, it's interesting for us to try to navigate that the, the [1:19:45 PM] to navigate that the, the domain. >> I think I've had this conversation with several of you is really a, it's becoming a second downtown and it really is having an impact on public safety in a number of ways, in terms of how it is that we can, continue to make sure that we have adequate resources in, in those areas. And that we're not taking them from surrounding, areas of the community to respond again to potentially individuals that don't need an ambulance. And so we could potentially part of this program if, if it's successful, take a similar asset like a utility vehicle or a mini ambulance, if you will, that would do the same functions. And I'll add as well that our intent with this program is to take those individuals that are going to be in this program and train them as mental health paramedics and so they would also be able to serve in that role to be able to go and try to find again, we don't want to take mental health patients to the hospital unnecessarily. So if there's other resources that we could utilize and having these types of resources that can assess what the actual problem is, and [1:20:46 PM] what the actual problem is, and again, as you if you mentioned, the domain is another place where there's a large volume of calls, particularly in the late night evenings where the reality is they probably don't need a trip to an emergency room. We could probably come up with a better solution if we had the resources to deploy there. >> And my colleague, council member qadri, will speak more specifically to the area that's in his district downtown. But he and I are in conversations about the need, both downtown and at the domain. The, the benefits that this expansion would bring. Can you kind of give us a sense of the dollar figure impact that we're looking at? I think, is it two captains that we need or that may be in a different category, but the expansion that would be needed for this additional service level. >> So the current proposal that the unmet need really focused on the downtown area to speak to the domain, I would want to come back to you and consult with our [1:21:46 PM] back to you and consult with our finance team. But as I believe it was on the slide was three ftes, and a total of about a million dollars in, in costs for a total of ten staff members. Now evaluating that and what, you know, that that would be what it would take for us to make sure that we could adequately cover Rainey and sixth and have the staffing in place for that alternative, treatment center patient collection point, and then we would utilize ambulances in those cases that they need to be taken to the hospital. >> And I agree that the downtown area is the first priority, what I don't want to see is us to leave behind the fact that the domain area is rapidly catching up. It's not as bad, but, it would be helpful to get it in in front of that if we were to make these services available and expand in these areas. What cost reduction do you think we might have if we were not, for example, taking people to the [1:22:47 PM] example, taking people to the hospital and the in transit time and the redeployment of the medics from somewhere else to get to, let's say, the domain? >> Yeah, I think that we could, look at what our deployment process is, the real benefit here is looking at reducing the current workload and, utilization of the ambulances. The reality is that both downtown and also to a degree in the domain that those ambulances, which I think in theory were designed for residents and caring for folks, are really being utilized for those entertainment type functions. And what we want to do is make sure that an ambulance is not on sixth street, dealing with something that might not need a trip to the hospital. And then there is a life threatening emergency that comes in somewhere else downtown for a resident. And that ambulance has to come from another part of the city, we really do strip our availability [1:23:47 PM] really do strip our availability of ambulances during those hours, and I think that the domain has very similar issues of pulling resources to that area, that retail slash you know, entertainment district and what our priority is to try to increase the availability for those folks that live in the periphery of the domain that live in the periphery or in downtown. That might need resources that aren't participating in those entertainment and retail type functions. And I'll assure you that the conversations we are having as a public safety leadership team, not just in ems, is that we have to identify how it is that we can better handle the growth at the domain, because the infrastructure that was planned at the time really did not foresee, from a public safety standpoint, the volume of calls that we are seeing. And it's not just ems, it's law enforcement. Do we need to look at replicating some of the programs that we use downtown in some sort of a way, in that part [1:24:49 PM] some sort of a way, in that part of the city? >> And so just to put a cap on my comments, really, it sounds like what you're talking about is ensuring that we don't degrade the level of services to the people who live in that area just because there is an uptake uptick, uptick in action necessary in the entertainment area. So we're we need to have new resources in those areas so that we don't have a negative impact on the level of services that our residents have come to expect and appreciate. >> That is exactly. I could not have said it better. Okay. That is exactly what I'm saying. >> Council member qadri. >> Yeah, no questions, just more comments. I'm really excited about this new command center. I've done quite a few, ride alongs with ems and I always felt like there was a void, and I know all the great work they all do, especially on weekends. And I was reading the community impact article that was talking about a budget amendment that our office is bringing forward, you know, something like 50 folks were saved by ems on [1:25:49 PM] folks were saved by ems on Rainey street. We know that's been an issue in the past. We've had someone reach out to our office, saying how ems saved their life. One night, so I just want to say thank you. And I'm really excited about this. >> Thank you. Council member. Anything? Councilmember Allison alter, I just want to underscore that this is not a question just for the domain or the downtown that, you know, when we have tried to dive into response times in my district, the domain, pulling ambulances from my district is often the culprit, >> And so we need to make sure that when someone has a heart attack in district ten, they have access to an ambulance and it's not being called to the domain because we don't have enough services in in the domain. And it's a very serious challenge, particularly for parts of town that have a lot of geography that they're covering, for the few ambulances that we have. >> And to underscore that you gave a really great answer, but you talked in terms of if you're using an ambulance in downtown, [1:26:51 PM] using an ambulance in downtown, there may be a residence in downtown that may have a need for that ambulance. But now you've you've used up the ambulance. But what councilmember alter is saying is right. Yes, I think and that is actually you may be drawn an ambulance from some other part of the city. Yes. And that's why having a tactical approach, may make sense. Absolutely. Yes, sir. Other other thoughts on this item before we, move on. Yes >> Councilmember harper-madison Ed thoughts, but not necessarily a question. It's another one of those things where I just really thinking about long term capacity, you know, somebody in my circle who lives further north, he's like, man, our skyline is growing and stretching, isn't it? And so just thinking ahead, I just want to make certain that we're prepared. And so I really appreciate that we're bringing this up now. And preempting, you know, instead of in some ways, we're retrofitting our city. But in this way, I appreciate us getting out in front of it. >> Good. Thank you. Council member. Thank you, chief. Thank [1:27:51 PM] member. Thank you, chief. Thank you very much. Great to have you here. Appreciate all your hard work. Thank you. Miss Lang. >> Okay. >> Yes. Councilmember alter, before we wrap up on the general fund, I just wanted to call my colleague's attention. >> I just noticed yesterday, so I'm not going to talk about it in depth today, but I just noticed that there's a very, very large number of unmet needs for the economic development department, especially in the areas where we move childcare and workforce. Together. So if you haven't taken a look at, those unmet needs and you care about workforce and childcare, or what the economic development department is trying to do on a number of scores, there's like 18 different unmet needs. I would encourage you to take a look at those. Thank you. >> Thank you, miss Lang. >> So those were the topics that were brought to our attention. Just talking next steps. As you all know, we have, a few, work sessions coming forth next week, we plan on discussing our enterprise departments and the [1:28:53 PM] enterprise departments and the capital budget, and, then we'll move forward with the August. Actually, we have I'm missing a date. We have July 30th. I need to add that to the timeline. We have July 30th, where we'll talk about capital and enterprise departments. And then August 1st, and then work sessions on the sixth and eighth and, and members that this worked out well. >> I think that we sent questions and areas of interest, to miss Lang in advance. And we had set last time we laid out the timeline and the timeline. I put on the message board has the date, and I'm not remembering off the top of my head, but has the date that we have have as a target about ideas that we things that we want to talk about with regard to the enterprise funds. I'll remind everybody of that. But I just want to remind everybody of it right now to. Yes, miss Lang, the date that was set was [1:29:54 PM] the date that was set was Friday. >> Good. If you all could get it to us tomorrow or Friday, that would help staff prepare, we are happy to get it. Friday but it was really tight to get you all the presentation today, so anything that could. We want to get you all the best information possible. So thank you. >> Yeah. >> Thank you in advance. Okay. Members we are. We have a second item on our agenda, and that is the 3:00 time certain for the community input session, where we will conduct a community input session and receive public comment on this, 2425 proposed budget. So without objection, the Austin city council will be in recess until 3:00 pm. It is 130. Thanks, everybody. Everybody. I will [3:00:02 PM] Everybody. I will call back to order this work session of the Austin city council. It is 3:00 pm on July 24th, 2024, we are continuing to meet, in the Austin city council chambers at Austin city hall. 301 west second street. This is item number two on our agenda, which is a community input session, we will conduct a community input session to receive public comment on the city of Austin fiscal year 2024 2025 proposed budget. I want to indicate for, the public that there will be two other opportunities for the public to provide community input. One will be on August 1st at 10:00 in the morning, and one will be at August 14th at 10:00 in the morning with that, members will go straight to community input and I will turn to the city clerk's office and ask the city clerk to help us through this process. >> Thank you. Mayor. We don't have any remote speakers just yet, so I'll go ahead and start with in person, Zenobia Joseph [3:01:04 PM] with in person, Zenobia Joseph jj Ramirez, Alfredo Reyes Jr, Barry Jones. If your name's been called, please come down to the podium. Let me say those again and then I'll call a few more. Zenobia Joseph jj Ramirez, Alfredo Reyes, Barry Jones, Derek Cortez, Joel Cole, Anna Duncan. Avery Ryder, Leslie, Alexander. Okay, I'm going to go. I think we have some remote speakers. I'm going to switch over there real quick. Candace costed. >> Hi. Good afternoon. My name is Candace. I was born and raised in Austin, and I'm a proud mental health care provider and social work [3:02:04 PM] provider and social work graduate student. I spent two and a half years working in housing and homeless services, and I'm now a crisis counselor working in a psychiatric emergency setting. I am taking this opportunity to weigh in on the proposed city budget, because I'm tired of feeling embarrassed about the scarcity of resources we have to offer those in our community who need them most, and is becoming increasingly difficult for me to afford to live in my native city with the population I serve. It should not be controversial to expect that our tax dollars would be spent on priorities such as cost of living, wage adjustments, community health, affordable basic needs, accessible housing, environmental sustainability and safety for all. However, these priorities are not reflected by this proposed budget. Respectfully, 4.4% of a $1.4 billion budget being dedicated to social services contracts is tragic, but one tenth of a percent for housing and homeless services, while 35.1% is being dedicated to APD, is a public affront to our community. As a former housing case manager, I have seen firsthand how criminalizing homeless [3:03:05 PM] criminalizing homeless individuals worsens their mental health symptoms and sabotages efforts to secure their residential placement. Vital documents, which can be very challenging for clients and their case managers to obtain and hold on to, are often needlessly disposed of during encampment sweeps, which exacerbates these issues. I have worked closely with mental health officers that perform their job duties acceptably according to the way they were trained. However, the recent killings of Melissa Perez and Sonia massai highlight the grave dangers to our current protocol of our current protocol of having officers frequently intervene in mental health crises, countless civilian fatalities, every year serve as a reminder that half of people killed by police have a disability and a disproportionate number of police brutality victims are racial minorities. In April, a Travis county sheriff's deputy responding to a routine welfare check killed a man at community first village, a housing complex for the formerly homeless, for, quote, acting erratically. I say all of this not because I come to you with hate in my heart for first responders trying to do their jobs, but because we can't continue to ignore this problem [3:04:05 PM] continue to ignore this problem and there are so many valuable mental health professionals in this city that are more qualified, more appropriate, less likely to retraumatize, less likely to physically harm, and less likely to escalate those in need of crisis assistance. Council members, I urge you to read the community investment budget I shared and to listen to those advocating for alternative first response efforts. Do not be swayed by empty promises of public safety that drain resources from social supports that are already disgustingly underfunded, given the overwhelming needs of our city's most vulnerable residents. Thank you for your time and consideration. >> Yasmin Smith. >> Hello council members, this is Yasmin Smith, vice president of justice and advocacy for the Austin area urban league. And you should know by the sound of my voice and the affiliation which I have, what I am here to speak to you about the community [3:05:07 PM] speak to you about the community investment budget, the community investment budget, including items that have been funded as, quote unquote, one time, amounts year over year totals only 79.5 million, or roughly 5.7% of our general fund. We understand that the new city manager has just arrived. And this budget is largely Jesus. Garza is doing. But we cannot wait a year for Austin to get back on track, and excess fleet funding cannot be undone after, under state law, the items of the cib, if funded, will continue Austin's track record as a safe city, one of the safest in Texas. Many of these items will relieve police of tasks they do not need to do, and should not have to do, like responding to mental health crises and addressing the needs of our unhoused community. Many of these items will prevent the kinds of family crisis that generate 911 calls, like violence prevention programing and family stabilization [3:06:08 PM] and family stabilization funding. Many of these items will create order and peace in our communities by fully funding the government services that make our city beautiful, interesting and a pleasure to live in. These items include equity office, a very holistic east Austin performing arts funding tenant relocation assistance, emergency rental assistance, emergency supplemental assistance, street outreach, permanent supportive housing, and the like. We come to you as a holistic coalition that includes the likes of the urban league, equity action, grassroots leadership, zilker neighborhood association, sustainable food center, and your very own public safety commission. We stand together in coalition with our partners and with this community, asking you to equitably allocate taxpayer money. We are open and are encouraged by the meetings we already have scheduled. And for all those others, please be awaiting our communications. [3:07:09 PM] awaiting our communications. Thank you and have a wonderful day. >> Kayla Reese. >> Yes. Hi, my name is Kayla Reese and I'm the advocacy manager with Austin parks foundation, and I am calling to speak about the needed maintenance positions for the parks and recreation department, there are six team positions that are needed for regular maintenance and four positions that are needed for encampment response, within the parks and recreation department that are desperately needed. We heard earlier today from the interim director of the parks and rec that the city is working towards parks and walking distance for all citizens, and the city should not only want parks for people to walk to, but parks that people want to walk to and enjoy. That means well maintained parks and without investment in maintenance, people will not want to go to the park. So the city has fought so hard for the demand for park maintenance has increased significantly as there have been more parks and with new pools [3:08:09 PM] more parks and with new pools and new centers opening in the next year, we will only see the current staff more strained. This request for 16 ftes for regular maintenance and four ftes for the homeless response team are not new. They will not increase the level of service. Those are just what is needed to maintain what we currently have at the level of service. This is desperately needed and it shows a historic underinvestment in parks and recreation. The request for new maintenance positions is not a new request, it just happens that right now we need as many as 16 regular maintenance and four ftes to keep the level of maintenance we have. I appreciate all your time and efforts on the budget. Thank you. >> Heidi schmalbach. >> Hi council members, my name is Heidi schmalbach. I'm a d4 resident and an arts commissioner for district seven, and I am currently the vice chair of the arts commission. [3:09:11 PM] chair of the arts commission. I'm calling in to ask for your consideration of the arts commission's budget requests. Chair Selena zissman and I have met with many of you or your designated staff member over the past few months to share the state of the arts and cultural ecosystem and to advance policies and funding to support this critical sector. That is not only an important economic driver for the city, but one of the building blocks of our identity. For those of you who don't know, the hotel occupancy tax is the sole source of municipal funding for artists and arts organizations in Austin. We're grateful that we have this small percentage of hot, but this is not even close to enough for a city of our size and cultural significance, and it must be used for programing that attracts tourists. So some organizations, like our artists service nonprofits and arts education groups are left out of that pot altogether. As commissioners, many of us are artists or arts administrators, and we hear about the precarious position many of our artists and organizations are currently in. As you know and have heard from [3:10:11 PM] As you know and have heard from earlier speakers today, the cost of living and making work in Austin has risen exponentially, and many groups are still recovering financially from covid closures. At our July commission meeting, one of the more than 20 members who spoke during public comment said plainly and accurately, the city of Austin is failing its artists and creative community. Our budget requests were modest and include requests for expanding the creative space assistance program and added funds for artists, service organizations, particularly for better language translation and interpretation services. Perhaps most importantly, we are requesting about 550,000 that currently comes out of the hot pot to pay for cad staffing. That's the cultural arts division. We would like covered by the city's general fund for staff, rather than hot, so that that 550,000 can be reinvested into our arts, artists and arts organizations. This could mean 100 additional nexus grants, 11 [3:11:12 PM] 100 additional nexus grants, 11 $50,000 elevate grants, or five additional thrive grants, which have proven to be transformative for the organizations that have received them. As always, we're here to work with you towards long term, equitable solutions and strategies that can support our arts ecosystem. I really thank you for your time, and I also cosign all of the speakers who are who are asking for consideration of the community investment budget. Thank you. >> Doug Greco. >> I'm Doug Greco, a former aid teacher and community organizer and a candidate for mayor in Austin. Travis county's measure for child care and the proposed aid measure for education would would put over 100 million new dollars into schools, workforce and families on the ballot in November. The city of Austin needs to be just as bold and invest an additional 40 million in education and workforce [3:12:12 PM] in education and workforce strategies in this year's budget. This should include adult workforce development, parent support specialists, esl programs, scholarship programs, summer youth employment programs. We also need an aggressive public education strategy to expand our partnerships beyond aid to all school districts partially contained within the city of Austin, such as Dell valley, Round Rock, Leander manor, eanes, pflugerville, and our living wage should be at least set to $22 an hour. In 1999, as a teacher on the east side at what was Johnston high, a parent support specialist named T.A. Vasquez came into my classroom and said, Doug, I want to hold a house meeting with your students. At the time, I didn't know what a house meeting was, but it changed my professional life. After two years of organizing house meetings and parent engagement at Johnston, we brought the school off the low performing list for the first time in several years. We [3:13:13 PM] first time in several years. We need to get serious about rebuilding the middle class in Austin. We are the fastest growing city for millionaires. Our income inequality continues to increase, and our percentage of black and Latino families continues to decrease. Mayor Watson over the 27 years since you were first elected, working families have been pushed out of Austin and out of the middle class. Aisd and Travis county are proposing bold investments in education and workforce, and we should do the same. >> Delia Pasco's. >> Hi. I'd like to begin by thanking the mayor, city manager and city council for providing this opportunity for me to speak today. My name is doctor Delia Pasco, and I'm a professor of psychology at saint Edward's university. I serve as a subject matter expert and co-chair of the outreach and partnership subcommittee of the collective sex crimes response model, known as the csm project. I'm [3:14:15 PM] as the csm project. I'm disappointed that funding for the csm project was not included in the initial budget proposal. After years of systematic failure and unrest surrounding this issue, two class action lawsuits and numerous local and national media stories covering Austin and how it handles sex crimes and their victims. Further the city has a legal obligation to uphold the settlement terms of the lawsuit that were brought against them. This project is only a year and a half into the three year project scope, and which over 120 elements of reform are being implemented to improve the handling of sex crimes in our community, as well as improve the experience for the survivors that choose to report the police executive research forum, known as per, produced a 182 page report with over 100 recommendations for change. After a deep dive at the Austin police department sex crimes unit and the csm project has made significant progress and [3:15:16 PM] made significant progress and specifically the outreach and partners partnership subcommittee of the crm, see crm project will launch a public service announcement campaign to introduce a new website with resources for survivors starting August 1st, 2024 and running for one year this campaign focuses on empowering survivors of sexual assault by highlighting the resources available to them, whether or not they choose to report to law enforcement. The psa will be broadcast through radio, displayed through digital and print ads, and placed on city busses. Not only is this project positively impacting the Austin Travis county community, but it's also creating the national best practice and we have an opportunity to be leaders in this space, but only if funding continues. City council approved the two prioritize the funding of the cs, crm project in April of this year, with six out of the ten council members signing on as co-sponsors to the item. This was item number 50 of the consent agenda. Further, the [3:16:18 PM] consent agenda. Further, the commission for women additionally put forth a formal recommendation to support the cs, crm project funding request. In may of this year, we must finish the work that we've started. Survivors deserve better and the city of Austin needs to lead the way by prioritizing the funding of the csm project. Fiscal year 2025 funding requests are expected to cover the development of new cadet and sex crime unit detective training, the hiring of retired detectives to assist with the workload of the sex crimes unit funding to create and deploy a survivor survey upon case closure and the hiring of an outside. Your time has expired over taniqua Brewster. >> Hello, my name is Nicole Brewster, and I'm just calling in support of. I reside in district one, and I'm just calling in support of the family [3:17:19 PM] calling in support of the family stabilization grant. I'm hoping that it's included in the budget expanded as best as possible, it really does help families in Austin, with affordability, we know that there's so many people facing homelessness being evicted from their homes. So we just want to ensure that they're taken care of, I want to thank the mayor, thank the city council for all the work that you do. Thank, Vanessa Fuentes for spearheading and always being in support of the family stabilization grant. I just think it's important that we take care of that. >> Carmen Yanez. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council. >> Thank you for your service today. And I want to speak in support of what many other speakers have said. Carmen Yanez, I'm the executive director of go Austin. Vamos. Austin but also speaking to you as a district nine resident and would like to emphasize, Garza's recommendations for this fiscal [3:18:23 PM] recommendations for this fiscal year. We have sent a copy to all of you and many of these priorities are also listed in the community investment budget, which we are also supporting. I want to encourage you all that, even though resources are extremely limited in this cycle, many of the items on this list are very small in comparison to the money and trouble they can save us in the long term. They are addressing homelessness at the point of prevention. They are addressing services with changes that make them more efficient. Our investments in early child care are the investments in affordability and workforce that you all often talk about, but that we haven't seen actually funded or implemented in policy. And so it's incredibly important that this budget translate into action around those priorities that have been so importantly stated. Please take a look and identify where we can actually leverage what you have on the [3:19:25 PM] leverage what you have on the ground to lower your costs in solving these problems down the line. Each year, because it is going to get more expensive the less prevention that we do. And as an individual, I want to speak in support of the arts commission's recommendation to make the investments they stated particularly that half million dollars for city staff, if your city staff in the cultural arts division go away, there will still be artists in Austin. But if those artists can't stay in Austin, your cultural arts division will be cleared away because it doesn't have a purpose anymore. You cannot do this without the people and there is no culture in Austin. Without the creatives. There is no creativity without affordability. So we must make these investments. We need the hotel occupancy tax tax to pay for art, not city staff. That's y'all's job, so I know you can do it. You have tough choices ahead of you. I only ever faced it as a quality of life commissioner and made many recommendations to this council, and I know you have it in you. [3:20:26 PM] and I know you have it in you. Please reflect the priorities that will get us into cost savings and better quality of life in the future. Thank you. >> Mayor, that is all the remote speakers I have at the moment. So I'm going to go back to in person. And we understand that some of the names weren't heard. So I'm just going to repeat the names that were previously called. If your names been called, please come down to the podium. Thanks. >> And what she says said is if your name's been called, go ahead and come to the podium, take a seat here on the front row or or nearby. And if there's no one at the podium, even though your name may have been the second, third, fourth name called, if there's no one at the podium, go ahead and make your way to the podium and just identify yourself. >> Thanks, mayor Zenobia Joseph jj Ramirez, Alfredo Reyes Jr, Barry Jones. Derek Cortez, great. >> Please come forward. >> And if you could state your name as well, please, >> Afternoon, council. My name [3:21:28 PM] >> Afternoon, council. My name is jj Ramirez. I'm an organizer at vocal Texas, and we're organizing people directly impacted by homelessness, mass incarceration, HIV, and AIDS in the drug war. And we're here today to say that the current budget is, an exemplary, exemplary example of how homelessness is not at the forefront when you have 35% of the entire budget going to police and 0.2 going to the homeless strategy office, it's ridiculous, we council, we voted to get a homeless, rapid rehousing ordinance put through a couple months ago with no funding attached to it yet. We have to really, really put our money there. We have to there can't be a continually expanding police budget like, when's the cut off 40%? 50, 60%? It can never go down. We know this. We have to really allocate our money accordingly at the upstream part of the problem, not not with the hammer at the end. Unfortunately, some of our members couldn't make it today. But I know people who are getting evicted right now who [3:22:28 PM] getting evicted right now who have disability, who are in power chairs, who have have X amount of money, and getting evicted from their rapid rehousing, voucher program, who qualify for permanent housing but are placed into this temporary rent assistance because that is what's available right now. And the bridge, the bridge to permanent supportive housing is attached to that resolution. We have to fund that. We have to fund that before we start arresting people, before we criminalize people for homelessness, before we criminalize people for drug use like we have put people into homes. We have to have a kind, compassionate heart about the people who are living in this street. Like, I've been there. I'm from Austin. I was homeless in Austin. Like I it's that we'll be hearing from people who are currently experiencing homelessness. We have to prioritize these programs rather than criminalizing them. The police budget will always need more money, like there always need more money. The overtime that was talked about earlier, they're always going to be a reason why they'll need more money, and it can never go down. Like I said, when's the cutoff at 40% of the entire budget, one point, whatever billion dollars [3:23:29 PM] point, whatever billion dollars they have to fund these programs. Wright. Additionally, the units that are coming online, the permanent supportive units that have been built, a thousand, some that were talked about earlier that services drastically important like there's money that needs to be spent there rather than putting it into police, an ever expanding budget. We have to we have to prioritize the most need in this in this city, like you'll be hearing from people like we these programs need to be funded. We've already put a resolution saying that we'll expand the rapid rehousing to two years with a bridge attached to permanent housing. That lip service alone ain't going to do it. We have to fund it. 2% of the entire budget to the homeless strategy office. Point two. Excuse me. Point 2% is ridiculous. We have to fund these programs. We have to find a way and that ever ballooning police budget is a good way to start there. They already got their expansion last budget session. What some $32,000,000,000 million? There's [3:24:29 PM] $32,000,000,000 million? There's enough now. >> If your name has been called, please make your way to the microphone. >> Hello, council members, my name is Derek Cortez, also known as dj. I'm a drop in support specialist at Texas harm reduction alliance, I believe in harm reduction because harm reduction helped me out when I was homeless and struggling in my drug addiction, I was so being, out on the streets and actually getting housed is something that I struggled with for a long time, now that I work in the drop in at harm reduction alliance, I see a lot of, stigma that the homeless has here in Austin. And I feel that it's not right. So as I was working in the drop in support, drop the drop in. Sorry, I'm getting [3:25:29 PM] drop in. Sorry, I'm getting nervous. You're right. So how harm reduction helps out is we better trust we build self. Self-esteem, better connection with services, we are asking for 14. I mean, $400,000 increase of our budget, also working in the drop in last week, we saw 218 people out of that. We have three people there at the staff. So we want to see if we can build more in our staff to help serve more of the community. So asking for more funds, we're trying to, help overdose prevention, meaningful connections, better outcomes for people. We work with, increased access to the community as served by adding outreach capacity and more presence to the community. And that's all I have. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hello, mayor and council [3:26:39 PM] >> Hello, mayor and council members, how are you doing today? Good. Thank you. My name is Alfredo Reyes and junior, and I'm a local Texas leader, vocal Texas leader of the united States veteran. Many local members and leaders have rapid rehousing, including myself. For months, we've been talking about challenges people face with rapid rehousing. I myself got rehoused and moved into the apartment in February of 2024. My partner and I applied separately for housing, but if we put, we got put together for convenience sake. We were also told, it was a lot less paperwork. Right now, our rapid rehousing is for $1,495 per month, which I can only pay, and it covers 100% of the rent through October and then 75 of the grant in November, and then 50% of the rent after that for the remainder of the one year of the program. After I'm supposed to take over 100% of the rent to move in, we will charge the first month rent a deposit and a second deposit for the service dogs, and no one can ever pay. I can't pay this on my own. When we moved, when we moved in there [3:27:40 PM] we moved, when we moved in there was no washer, no dryer, a refrigerator. We were told that not to complain about it because the conditions because we might lose our place. We're just now settling in. It's been five months and I'm still looking for a job. Unfortunately, the unofficial consequences of me having a felony in my background is preventing me from finding a job that also that one that will cover the rent. We're having issues with our utilities being paid, and we're almost halfway through the, financial assistance. A year isn't long enough right now. One of us is working and the other one is applying for work. We don't want to stay in our current apartment because the conditions and if our plan falls through, we don't know what we'll do. We might end up back in the streets, back underneath the bridge. People I talked to in the streets have the same problems I'm having. I'm living in the air, knowing not knowing what's going to happen afterwards. I'm feeling like I'm was tricked into the program. If I would have waited, maybe I would have have had a real chance to get permanent supportive housing as I was promised, because that's what I was promised originally, and that's what I qualify for. A rental assistance, ends in [3:28:41 PM] rental assistance, ends in February, and we were told it would be, for a year. We're in July, and we have to start paying rent. November. We can't afford it. A year is not long enough, and we need, access to permanent housing. And we're going to be putting in this program. And the city needs to fund two year rapid rehousing solution extension that was just passed. And to make sure the program lasts long enough for all of us to get connected to permanent supportive housing that we qualify for. And believe it or not, when I was actually seeing that we're only getting point 2% of the of the budget for homelessness, it was it was it was very alarming to me because reality, it bothers me that my people that I, that helped me out when I was in the street are not being helped. And I'm being helped somewhat, but we all need more funding reality. We need to help because this is a crisis. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Council members, good [3:29:43 PM] >> Council members, good afternoon, my name is Barry Jones. I'm a leader with vocal Texas, I was I just ended a period of ten years on the streets of Austin, I just got housing about a month ago, and I'm extremely grateful for that, so a couple months ago, vocal Texas came to the city council, and we were asking for changes to the rapid rehousing program. We wanted to enhance the program by increasing the voucher period up to 24 months, and also linking the program to permanent supportive housing, that resolution passed the council unanimously. So we're all in agreement here as to what the changes that are needed now we're back at council, and we need the council members to step up and make those changes real by fully funding these changes. [3:30:44 PM] by fully funding these changes. Turning people out of the rapid rehousing program back out onto the street, it's a waste of money. And we don't need more homeless people on the street at this time. The people in houses are upset about it. Not to mention the fact that, what it does to us, myself personally, over ten years, I lived outside when it was 110 degrees. I lived outside when it was eight degrees, I've known several people that have been hit by cars crossing the streets. Two of them fatally. I've known people that were beaten up, including myself, I've known people that were held up at gunpoint. I've known people that were assaulted by machetes and knives. I've known people that were raped. And I've known a few people that were killed in their [3:31:44 PM] people that were killed in their sleep. So we can't kid ourselves about what it means to put somebody out of the rapid rehousing program back on the street. This is a matter of life and death. We're not going to be able to police our way out of this problem. The only way that we can solve this problem is by putting people giving people a chance to gain permanent housing, stable housing, where they're not a bother to other people. And that's why we need this, this funding for the rapid rehousing program. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Mayor. Council. I'm Zenobia Joseph. My comments, as they always are in the [3:32:44 PM] as they always are in the context of title six of the civil rights act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin. Yesterday I actually picked up the daily Texan, and there's a story about project connect. I want you to recognize that the $300 million that the staff continues to refer to is fraud. Fraud is when you are actually misrepresenting the facts. I want you to understand that on March 9th, 2020, page 29 of the joint project connect packet, it specified that that funding was only going to be there if it was contingent on what the federal government did. So there's no blank check for $300 million. What I want you to recognize is that section five of the city charter actually specifies a mass transit element. And it goes on to say that you are going to fund every element of the city charter, all of the elements. And so what I want you to recognize is that on page 145 of the budget, you specify $550,000 for movability [3:33:45 PM] specify $550,000 for movability to take elusive cars off the road. So you have prioritized white choice riders once again. And there is nothing in the budget for the transit dependent minorities. I want you to remember you've heard about homelessness, that African Americans are over six times more likely to be homeless than our white counterparts. And that's the echo 2022 report. So what I want you to recognize, mayor, respectfully, is that you are warehousing the negroes in southeast Austin. One of the things that you must reckon with is that you made a deal with the governor for $65 million. The marshaling yard houses 300 people. You have 200 over at camp Esperanza. Plus, you want to put 700 more. That's over a thousand people. That is not affirmatively furthering fair housing. I want you to recognize the need to do more for black people. I want you to recognize that the $1.1 million that's specified on page 101 of the budget for the northeast Austin district plan is a farce. I want you to understand that you are misrepresenting the facts. [3:34:47 PM] misrepresenting the facts. There's a February 6th, 2024 Austin transit partnership slide to the urban transportation board that actually specifies the green line future with a dotted line. If you look in your budget, you will see specifically that it is a solid line for the green line. The green line is unfunded in 2017 and 2018, capital metro told commissioners court that it would have to be funded, but the taxpayer dollars locally because it does not meet the ridership as it relates to other items on the agenda. I want you to recognize specifically at the library, more security is not the answer. People who are unhoused need to be able to charge their devices. Just like the white choice riders on the metro rail platform. And so I would ask that that you actually open up the ports, that you provide more phones. There's one booth in the central library. And to do more, if you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them at this time. Thank you. >> Miss Joseph. [3:35:48 PM] >> Miss Joseph. >> You're welcome. >> I have one I have a remote caller back on the line, so I'm going to call Jordan Middlebrook. >> You may need to repeat that. >> Jordan Middlebrooks hello? >> Hello, can you hear me? >> Yes, we can. >> All right. Hello thank you so much, I'm calling to support my. I'm calling to show my support for the demands within the community investment budget. I know that you heard from many folks from vocal Texas asking for increased funding for rapid rehousing, as well as other housing solutions. I'm asking that you take action to implement what's lined out in the community investment budget. That means providing more services and support in terms of funding through things like decriminalization, housing, care facilities, mental health care, specifically so that we can actually keep our community [3:36:49 PM] actually keep our community safe. The proposed 18 million increase in the police budget is not what's going to keep our community safe. We're continuing to police and harm bipoc communities where I live in district four, and I'm expecting that we are using the funds from our budget to actually care for our communities instead of create more harm through incarceration, so if you could please not increase the police budget, I don't think that that is going to actually get our communities to a place where we are able to be cared for and instead use that 18 million allocation towards services like mental health care, housing, services that support our unhoused neighbors and provide permanent housing solutions, as well as increased funding for rapid rehousing. So folks stop slipping through the cracks. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I will go back to in person. Joel Cole, Anna Duncan, Avery [3:37:49 PM] Joel Cole, Anna Duncan, Avery Ryder, Leslie Alexander, Victoria Marshall, Paulette Sultani. >> If your name's been called, please come forward. Please come forward. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is Joel Cole. I'm a leader with local Texas, I'm here today to ask for $8 million for funding for rapid rehousing, rental assistance, for the 24 months of rental assistance and for the creation of a, bridge to public support. Permanent supportive housing. I was homeless for ten years in this city, and, I was finally able to get assistance. I got permanent supportive [3:38:50 PM] I got permanent supportive housing, when I got my permanent supportive housing, I was able to focus on myself, get sober, you know, work on my mind, body and soul, and for me, you know, I see a lot of people. I know a lot of people. I see them every day, with my job and what I do with vocal, there's a lot of people that are way worse off than me that have rapid reentry housing. Okay? These people are in wheelchairs. They're mentally disabled. It's just so sad because I know from experience what permanent supportive I know the difference. I know what the difference can do. And I see that there's no there's no way for these people that deserve and need permanent supportive housing to go from rapid reentry to permanent supportive housing. There needs to be some kind of [3:39:51 PM] There needs to be some kind of assessment every six months or so during the rapid, rapid reentry housing during the, the year that it is to assess their needs, to assess what they need. There needs to be better case management. There needs to be some kind of road into permanent supportive housing for those people, because when you throw these people back out on the street, here's what happens, okay? Even if they're going back to the same area, they don't know what has changed in that area. There could be completely new dangerous people in that area that they know nothing about. They're going to lose all the stuff that they were able to accumulate. Okay. That will mentally destroy a lot of people, okay? They have to start from ground zero with nothing in the elements. And it's just sad. I mean, you know, this this police budget. I mean, are you kidding me? They already got everything they need. I mean, really, you guys know that I mean, but yeah, that's all I got. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> My name is Anna Duncan. I am [3:41:01 PM] >> My name is Anna Duncan. I am a vocal Texas leader, and I've been in Texas, Austin, Texas for a little over a year now. I'm currently staying at the Marshall yard at this present moment. To me, rapid rehousing extension. I'll give you that. The police budget not so much. When I came to Austin, I thought I would be prepared for living a better life, but I guess not. I guess I was wrong, but hey, what can I say? I'm just moving forward. Moving? Living a better life as I can. At this present moment, I feel like with the police budget, it's about the same where I come from. They trying to increase the police budget, and whatnot. I am. I used to be a drug addict. Now [3:42:04 PM] used to be a drug addict. Now I'm 11 years clean, I used to be an alcohol addict. 11 years clean as well, and being out here is a mentally and emotionally draining, it's a lot happening all at once, but at the end of the day, we just got to care for ourselves. And hopefully one day, y'all can see that rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing is what we need. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is Paulette Soltani. I'm the co-director of local Texas. Thank you all for having us, local Texas is a part of the community investment budget. We're proud to be a part of that [3:43:04 PM] We're proud to be a part of that coalition fighting for health, safety, housing, sustainability across Austin. Today, I wanted to start by telling you a story about a press conference that we did yesterday outside of the eighth street shelter. We called a press conference there because we wanted to highlight the story of a resident that is living there, she recently became homeless. She's 63 years old. Her name is Leslie, 63 years old, in a power wheelchair, had been living in an apartment for a year with rapid rehousing and had qualified for permanent supportive housing, but had been placed in rapid rehousing. So she went from the streets into rapid rehousing. And then, no matter what anybody did, to try to stop her from being evicted and losing her housing, she became homeless and ended up back at the eighth street shelter. So yesterday we called a press conference to highlight her story and to highlight how imbalanced it is that we continue to see the Austin police department budget grow. While the homeless strategy office is getting 0.2% of the [3:44:05 PM] office is getting 0.2% of the general fund, we think this is totally unacceptable, totally irresponsible. We know what our city needs and we know what vulnerable people need across our city. Are we truly caring and compassionate? Are we truly a caring and compassionate city? If people can be on the streets for ten years, we heard two speakers today talk about how they had been homeless for ten years in Austin. How can we possibly be okay with that? We're asking you today to take these recommendations, these suggestions seriously that are in the community investment budget. We need. We've been calling for $8 million to go towards rapid rehousing, towards this resolution that was passed in may, $8 million to go towards expanding that rental assistance program for 24 months and ensuring that there's a bridge for people who qualified for psh to actually be put into psh. We're also asking for $4 million to go towards services for the permanent supportive housing units that are coming online. If we don't get the funding for those services, how will anybody [3:45:06 PM] those services, how will anybody be able to get the support they need in those units? I also wanted to call attention to the $1 million ask that. We're asking for harm reduction. So we're we partner with the Texas harm reduction alliance. We support their work and we need that funding to be in the baseline budget. This year. They can't keep coming back here asking for money over and over again. They need that to be a part of the city planning every year so that we can actually prevent overdoses and save lives in our community. And then lastly, I wanted to call attention to the $827,000 that are allocated in the city manager's budget around the council for first appearance. Vocal Texas just signed on to a lawsuit with the aclu of Texas, suing Travis county around the council. At first around not providing counsel. First appearance. So we really support that ask and need that to move forward. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Maria zapata, monkey Katherine Chamblee. [3:46:10 PM] Katherine Chamblee. >> If your name's been called, just please come forward and go ahead and go to the microphone. Welcome. >> Hello. My name is monkey and I'm a partnership manager at up together, a bipoc led nonprofit organization that has partnered with philanthropy, government and other nonprofit organizations to invest directly in people in communities. I am also a resident of district seven. I want to thank the city council for your tremendous support of the family stabilization grants and working to ensure all families can thrive in Austin. >> I am here today to advocate for the continuation and expansion of this initiative, as well as to express my support of the community investment budget overall. Specifically, I urge you to permanently include family stabilization grants in the city of Austin budget and allocate $3 million to invest in more families experiencing financial hardship. Up together began investing in individuals [3:47:12 PM] began investing in individuals and families in central Texas in 2018, and since then, in partnership with local philanthropy and the city of Austin, we have invested over $19 million in more than 8000 households in Austin. From these investments, we continue to see positive impacts. Participants report reduced stress, improved mental health, increased housing stability and an increase in income and employment. They also reported increased food security and some also developed closer connections to their community. The majority of participants said that the cash investments helped them meet their short and long term goals. The family stabilization grants are a vital tool to address poverty and make sure Austin residents can stay in their homes, reach their goals and thrive. This may, we launched the family stabilization grants to distribute $1,000 per month for 12 months to 168 new families. Up together has been proud to partner with the city of Austin, as well as community organizations and philanthropy on this initiative. Payments started in June and will continue until next may. However with the cost of living [3:48:15 PM] with the cost of living increasing sharply in our city, more families experiencing financial hardship urgently need access to direct assistance. Now for this 2024 to 25 budget cycle, I urge you to permanently allocate $3 million to continue the family stabilization grants and ensure the city's commitment to the prosperity of our families. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Good afternoon mayor. >> Council members, thank you for allowing me to speak today on something that I'm passionate about. My name is Katherine Chamblee. I'm a resident of district seven. I'm also an Austin animal center volunteer. I currently have one of our former behavior dogs at my home, the results of the city budget survey indicated animal services as the number one priority for austinites. That should be reflected in Austin's budgeting priorities. Austin animal center currently has only one physical location. That physical location [3:49:15 PM] location. That physical location has fewer kennels today than the. The location that it moved from in 2011. 13 years later, it is woefully undersized. The city of Austin added approximately 579,000 additional people between the years 2010 and 2020. That's 33% growth with those people came pets. Yet our shelter facility has remained static as the most recent audit suggested, the city of Austin enjoys the stature of a calling itself the largest no kill city in the nation. But we need action behind those words. The shelter at any given time is underserved with foster staff, with marketing personnel, and with animal care workers, to name just a few. There is simply not enough employees to accomplish all the tasks at hand. I have written you all on a number of occasions regarding the Austin animal center, most notably begging in 2021 not to [3:50:17 PM] notably begging in 2021 not to approve the newest and most current contract with Austin pets alive. That is Apa. It was guaranteed to lead us exactly where we are today. A city saturated in rescue pets, many of which did not originate, originate in Austin. That agreement with Apa placed a tremendous toll on our shelter, both in terms of how many fewer animals Apa pulls as well as how many animals from outside the city come here to compete with our pets in Austin. A huge double whammy for our shelter. That agreement is a done deal now, but given that the contract is in place for 25 years, I ask you what the city is going to do to support Austin's pets in those 25 years. The shelter staff, its volunteers, the Austin public, and most importantly, Austin's pets deserve to have a functioning shelter. It cannot happen without the city's support, and that support starts with your proper funding of the shelter. [3:51:20 PM] proper funding of the shelter. Thank you guys so much. >> Thank you. >> If your name's been called, please come forward. >> Shelley leibham Mary goran, Monica Guzman, Emily leblanc, Shauna fox. >> Good afternoon, mayor and city council. >> When I spoke here five years ago, I didn't need my reading glasses. So this is going to be a challenge. My name is Shelley leibham and I live in district four. I have been a volunteer at Austin animal center since 2019. Over the last several years, this council has voted to increase the burden of no kill on Austin animal center without providing them with the necessary staff to carry out this mission humanely. It happened in 2018, when the live release rate went from 90 to 95%, and again in February of this year, when council authorized a fighter to foster program. But perhaps the most important time when council did [3:52:21 PM] important time when council did not give aac more resources and staff happened in late 2021, when council directed city staff to allow Apa to decrease the number of animals it is required to pull from aac by about half for those of you who don't know, Apa is required to pull animals from aac in exchange for the free use of the property. Aac needs more staff to carry out its no kill mission. Our vet services team hasn't been given any additional staff in the last ten years. We need more vet techs. Our foster team has two and a half ftes, hardly enough to meet the demand, and our animal care staff is already understaffed. If they were only charged with cleaning kennels. But they do so much more like customer interactions with the animals, moving animals around the shelter, restocking supplies, laundry, dishes, you name it. I heard the mayor say this morning, let's not talk about the past. Let's move forward. And in general, I agree with that sentiment, but we need to be careful to avoid the mistakes that we made in the past and that November 2021 resolution where council instructed staff to allow Apa significant decrease of support of aac, one [3:53:21 PM] decrease of support of aac, one of the justifications in that resolution, and I quote, to increase the supply and variety of adoptable pets for austinites, council gave Apa permission to bring in animals from all over the state and beyond and look at where we are now. So please consider the long term effects of the decisions on the animals already made in Austin, already here in Austin. In addition to a very robust spay and neuter program, I believe the answer to the constant overcrowding crisis is to provide our city shelter with the resources and staff it needs to carry out its no kill mission humanely. We need this council to support our shelter, our city shelter in Austin's pets. Please increase the staffing budget for aac and I want to thank commissioner, council member harper-madison for coming to the shelter a few weeks ago. She didn't adopt a cat, but I appreciate her coming. And council member Velazquez came when we had a microchip clinic last summer out in the heat. And I met you then, so I really appreciate the support. Thank you. Scuse me. >> Good afternoon, mayor and [3:54:26 PM] >> Good afternoon, mayor and council. I'm Monica Guzman, policy director at Garza. Lugo Austin Austin gave and gave residents began meeting with council members yesterday. We look forward to our meetings tomorrow afternoon. And for those we haven't scheduled yet, we look forward to hearing from you soon. Gave support to all speakers advocating for community investments today, specifically the community investment budget. We urge you to build a robust budget and equitable budget, a climate resilient budget, invest in stability and relocation assistance for our vulnerable communities to ensure stability or relocation assistance. Invest in early childhood education and development. The workforce behind the workforce so that frontline hospitality workers are able to be at work. As of today, the capital area workforce solutions child care subsidy has more than 5000 on the wait list, more than 5000 for those on the wait list. It's an estimated 24 months before workforce solutions reaches out [3:55:27 PM] workforce solutions reaches out to them for enrollment. We've been lucky this week with cooler than usual temperatures. We all know that won't last. Invest in the health and safety of austinites, ensuring activated cooling shelters. The branch libraries and rec centers are well promoted using multilingual communication and open until at least 10 P.M. Back in June, I was at a community meeting at Garcia just before 9:00, and the temperature was 96 degrees. Expand the family stabilization grant, providing an opportunity for an improved quality of life for more than 200 households in closing, as a d4 resident with no reflection on Garza or any other group I work with represent now or in the past, I will read a statement from district seven resident Sharon bliss. I was at city hall today at noon to register to speak. I was told that it closed at 9 A.M. And I'm not able to speak. There is miscommunication by city staff last night at the northwest recreation center at [3:56:27 PM] northwest recreation center at the district seven budget town hall, mayor pro tem pool and Kerri Lang said the meeting today starts at 3 P.M, and speaker registration would close at 2:15 P.M. Like Sharon, many heard the same or similar messages, including me, and when attempting in person to do in person registration. After 915 this morning, they heard a different message. We need clarity from the city, not vague communication. When we read or hear the meeting starts at three. It is reasonable to expect registration to stay open until 45 minutes prior. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council. >> Thank you for your time today. My name is Emily Rudnick leblanc and I'm the co-chair of the austin- travis county sexual assault response and resource team. That's our community coordinated response made up of law enforcement, prosecutors, community advocates, and survivors. I'm also a survivor [3:57:29 PM] survivors. I'm also a survivor of sexual assault. I've been working on issues related to sexual assault and interpersonal violence in Austin for two decades. I've become before this body several times to alert you all to what is going wrong. I'm here today to tell you what's going Wright in two decades of pushing for justice for victims and survivors, I've rarely been able to say that the right people were at the table, especially at the Austin police department. While detective sergeant, sometimes even a commander, may be trying to do the right thing. Often the other folks in the chain of command made it impossible to make the institutional changes necessary to ensure that survivors were believed and offenders were held accountable. But you have the right people at the table now. This csm project is a true collaboration with experts, survivors, community agencies and APD all working together toward the same goals. And we've had support for the first time ever from every level of leadership at APD. I'll remind you that the project is a result [3:58:29 PM] you that the project is a result of the legal obligations that the city has to uphold. The settlement terms of the lawsuits brought against the city for the abhorrent handling of sexual assault cases by the city in the past, in addition, the per report, which was ordered by this body, produced a 182 page report at the request of this council with over 100 recommendations for change. After a deep dive of the APD sex crimes unit. And this project is poised to implement those changes, the aim of the project is to catapult Austin's response to sex crimes from a national embarrassment to a national best practice, and we have the right people at the table to do just that. I'm therefore extremely disappointed to learn that the funding for the csm priorities is not included in the proposed budget. I hope that each of you will remember that the promises you made to survivors as the lawsuits were settled, were made and accepted in good faith. In April, this council approved prioritizing the funding of the [3:59:30 PM] prioritizing the funding of the csm, crm project, with six of you signing on as co-sponsors, you've got a dream team ready to make good on those promises. All you have to do is fund it. Thank you. Thank you. >> Heather sin Scott Cobb, Susan Spataro. >> Your name? I'm going to. >> I can speak now. Yes. Just can everyone hear me? Because we can't hear all the speakers in the back. Good afternoon, my name is Mary gavron, and I'm here to express my support for more funding and better solutions for individuals with mental health needs in Austin, my husband and I have lived here for about 50 years. My son was born here. It is estimated that 1 in 5 people experience a mental health issue within a given year. There are people in this room who know this is true [4:00:30 PM] this room who know this is true on a personal level. As the parents and my husband sitting behind me as the parents of a son who lives with mental health issues, my husband and I experienced this daily. Sonja burns, a mental health advocate some of you may know her name, has stated, and I agree. Bullet one we cannot continue to wait for a standard of imminent danger to self or others for a person to receive a quote, higher level of care, quote, end quote. Next, for those who cannot live safely and successfully in the greater community because they are, quote, too acute to engage meaningfully in voluntary services, but not acute enough for inpatient care. End quote. We must provide residential opportunities to meet their true level of need. For some, this means, quote, secure and end [4:01:31 PM] means, quote, secure and end quote and secure should not mean jail. We've been there. That's where our son went when we called on an incident at the house, which was directly related to his mental health condition, we must be person centered and provide services appropriate to a person's true level of need. This is a public safety issue because far too often we wait for an arrestable offense and far too frequently. That also means there's a victim for those who's, quote, baseline, end quote is they cannot meet the requirements of living in the greater community lest they be arrested. We must have options for them to live with dignity and purpose. As a valued member of the community. Please listen to the people who are here speaking on behalf of those people like my son, like our son, [4:02:32 PM] people like my son, like our son, I don't know where he is today. 36 years old and only god can help. And some of these individuals who are in an organization that is trying their best to do the job that I want the city to help them with. Thank you. >> If your name's been called, please make your way to the microphone just to identify yourself, please. Hi, >> Good afternoon, council and mayor. My name is Shayna fox, and I have the privilege of serving as the executive director for Kerri. The council on at risk youth. We've been around for 25 years. We've partnered with the city for about 20 of those, most recently through the office of violence prevention. So I'm actually here today to say thank you, and to really kind of highlight some of the impact that we've been able to make over the last few years with ovp and what we intend on [4:03:34 PM] with ovp and what we intend on doing this next year with our partnership with you all. So this last year alone, we were able to work with over 2000 high risk students, all around Austin within aid. And these are specifically kids that are highest that show the highest likelihood of entering into juvenile and criminal justice. And we serve as a prevention for that. So as you've heard from multiple people today, prevention is key, the roi on this is really wonderful in that it costs us about $1,000 per student, that same student that goes on to offend. It's about $180,000 a year. So I just want to say that, on behalf of Kerri, our staff, our board and our 2000 high risk students that we will be working with this year, we really appreciate your ongoing investment. And we look forward to really proving ourselves and showing our impact. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor and [4:04:38 PM] >> Good afternoon, mayor and council, my name is Susan Spataro. As you heard, there was some confusion in terms of signing in, and Sharon Blythe did not get to sign in. And so I would like to tell you what her her testimony would be at the beginning of mine. The park department currently runs the cemeteries in Austin. They contract burial services currently at a million dollars a year. The park department requested to budget eight employees, one to take over or replace the outside contractor, but there was apparently an error in that submission because it really only takes five employees, one supervisor and four staff. So if in fact this could be resubmitted to the budget and looked at it, this saves a clear $500,000. In other words, we can staff it for 500,000 instead of contracting out for a million. So this seems like something that would be easily looked at. There was an error in filing so that that [4:05:39 PM] error in filing so that that would be what Sharon would like to tell you. Okay, now we're going to go to my testimony, typically what what you see today and every one of these hearings is those that receive money want more and those that are paying it want to pay less. And that's, of course, the bind that you have to look at. But the people who are paying the bills are working, and they can't come here today. So there's a huge number of people that are stressed to the limit. Just providing for their families because costs are going up. You are certainly not responsible for all of that, but you are responsible for the taxes and the fees and as much conversation goes to affordability, this budget is not an affordability budget. It's too expensive. And I ask you to look at that and see if you can in fact, bring it down. The other thing that I would like two more points I'd like to make and, and that is I asked at one of the budget hearings, if [4:06:40 PM] one of the budget hearings, if in fact, there was anything in this budget or the 26 to take care of the infrastructure needs for home one and two, either a plan or money, and was told by your staff that there was not. And I find that really troublesome. So I would hope that at least you would start a planning process and find out what the cost of that is before those programs go forward, I, you know, one of the things that that I think of is, you know, you look at all these tall buildings in the upzoning and you were talking about ladder trucks today. Do we have enough ladder trucks or fire department to take care of that kind of growth? That's in homes. So I would like it if you would look at that. The third thing I really want to talk about is the police budget, because it's been mentioned so many times today, the fact of the matter is, one of the major functions of municipal government is public safety. And the police are right on top of that. Do people care about police? You bet. When they call 911. [4:07:41 PM] call 911. >> Thank you, miss Pedro. >> Appreciate your being here. >> Thank you. >> Mayor, I think we have some people who are called who are who are down in front already as well. >> If your names been called, has your name been called sir? Yes. Okay then. Then go ahead and feel free to use the microphone. Have y'all's name been called? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. Very good. If your names been called and the microphone is empty, feel free to make your way to the microphone. Thank you sir. Sorry to interrupt. Hello, my name is Scott Cobb. I work as a lifeguard for the city of Austin. On July 12th, I spoke in front of you all, trying to get you to support bilingual pay for our city of Austin lifeguards. Because in the city of Austin, about 31% of the people speak a language. Other than English. At home, around 20% are immigrants who were born in another country, and about 11.4% are people who describe their English language ability as less [4:08:43 PM] English language ability as less than very well. That is, from the city of Austin's own website. In the past, lifeguards have not had bilingual pay because we're temporary employees. I spoke about this issue at the June meeting of the parks board. Angela means was in the room and heard my description. And on Monday, Angela means announced that there will be bilingual pay for lifeguards in the future. So we will be able to have people at the pools getting paid bilingual pay. The first time in the history of Austin helping to make the pools a more equitable work environment for the people who use the pools. So I want to thank the Angela means about that. And what that also speaks to is the quality of leadership in the parks. Director Angela got that, and she has only been here for a month or so. So I urge you, and when you hire the [4:09:44 PM] urge you, and when you hire the next parks director, have someone who is concerned about equity and concerned about labor issues. Moving on to another issue, we still would like to have more full time lifeguards. We added 13 two years ago. Last year there was an amendment that was withdrawn at the last minute that would have added seven more and cost 350,000. So each additional full time lifeguard is $50,000. So I urge you to add one, two, three, maybe up to seven because we need those people at the pools to make sure that there is a fully staffed, experienced lifeguards working full time, getting benefits, getting health care. Eventually we want to have 25 and to 50. That's the goal set by pard and the master plan. We're at 13 now, so if you can add more of that. Also, lifeguards on all temporary employees do not get [4:10:44 PM] temporary employees do not get holiday pay. We cannot accrue paid time off when you don't have paid time off accrued you you take two weeks off in the vacation in the summer and you're not working at all. Whereas she if you have accrued time over the last several years, you take it off and it doesn't reduce the number of hours that you work over the course of the year. If your hours are reduced by not working, you may not qualify for the highest level of health insurance. Thank you. So it really impacts people. Thank you very much. Okay >> Hello. Goodbye, mayor, hello, council members, I know some of you. Some of you know me, it was really hard for me to be here. It always is. And ma'am, could you tell us your name? I'm about to thank you. Sorry. I'm. I'll explain that to you. My name is Heather sin. I'm one of the [4:11:46 PM] Heather sin. I'm one of the plaintiffs from the class action lawsuit. I'm one of only two disabled plaintiffs, my disabilities are not the cane you see me with. They're invisible. So, here, I have some difficulty, here and in here. So thanks for some leniency. If I struggle, I'm here to speak as quickly as possible, because there's a timer about the proposed budget, specifically the police spending. I'm here to ask you all to please remain steadfast in upholding the legal agreement that was partially drafted by your own lawyers and approved by this council. Prioritizing this commitment will actually save the city money in the long run, because the biggest deterrent to crime is enforcing the law, and the best medicine for victims is preventing the injury. This will actually have a bigger impact on city branding, which has a large chunk in there. Then any ad campaign for the live music capital. I have a tendency to, [4:12:48 PM] capital. I have a tendency to, speak my mind, and it's offensive to say, but do you want to go to a show knowing you might get raped afterwards and then destroyed by the police, that's why I haven't been able to do that in ten years. A commitment was made to the public and to us. It was only one room over. The city representatives got in front of TV crews. I was sitting right next to them and said, what a travesty this was. Touted all the work the city has done and what they are going to do. It was in this very room with this council, some of these members, I was sitting right back there, balled up in a fetal position, sobbing while former mayor Adler and council members said with big eyes how terrible our experience was, how you want to make sure it will never happen again. But signing off on that agreement wasn't the end. This takes a lot of little steps. Please stay with us. I want to say thank you publicly. It's [4:13:49 PM] say thank you publicly. It's important. This is important to me. To interim chief robin Henderson. If you've seen a picture circulating, some, city websites, I think of her hugging someone. That was me. That is the first time in a pretty tragic life. The first time in 50 years I have requested and happily had physical contact with a law enforcement officer. That amazing woman planted a tiny seed of maybe that. Maybe that maybe I have worth that maybe I can call the police without them hurting me. She's forever positively impacted this city, and I wish we would recognize her. >> Thank you so much. >> May I finish thanking you really quickly, please? >> Well, go right ahead. >> Thank you. I do want to thank you because, all of you. Because people with mental illness aren't given a voice. We're only placated. So thank you for [4:14:50 PM] placated. So thank you for listening and for giving me even a couple minutes to be heard. Please stay with us and prioritize this. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Next speaker, please, mayor pro tem Heather. >> Heather, I just wanted to, thank councilmember Allison alter. Thank you. I wanted to just, thank you and all the survivors, and we may have another one, speaking as well. But I know it's not easy to come up and talk about this, and you guys have just been in there for years now, and you have my commitment and hopefully the rest of this body that we will we will get this done. And I will be bringing the amendment, to fulfill the funding obligations. Thank you. >> Alyssa Dallman Catherine Chamblee, Maria zapata Victoria Marshall. >> Hello. My name is Alyssa [4:15:56 PM] >> Hello. My name is Alyssa dolman, and I am a citizen of district two. And speaking as a private individual who also works at the university of Texas, I've been working within the framework of the UT city climate colab, which is a collaborative effort between the city and UT to build climate, to build a climate data and information infrastructure framework. This framework supports city staff, researchers and students by building and sustaining collaborative relationships with the focus on climate data. The most important thing from the UT city climate colab is the improvement of city services and long term risk reduction. This is because we can make better decisions, plan and prepare for the weather and climate extremes that will come to will come our way in the future. This framework provides the city city departments accessibility to the best climate research and data to solve their problems, and also answer questions that arise from city to city the city's major departments. However, this effort will not happen on its own. It takes time. It takes focus. It takes resources to discover the questions and the issues, and then create and [4:16:57 PM] issues, and then create and design specific solutions for city departments. Please do not consider the UT city climate colab as just a collaboration, but also as an investment. An investment that is also a bargain as it will cost millions to pay consultants to develop the type of products that the colab will actually create. With the power and sustainability of this framework will be able to provide climate data information to city departments to improve their processes and make more informed decisions. There is a need, a necessity, to improve our resilience as a city to weather and climate extremes. Austin is going to continue to face these events, and we must ensure a city is resilient to what is to come. Strong collaboration between city staff and climate researchers is essential, and the UT city climate colab nurtures this dynamic. In addition, we have presented to the joint sustainability council and received a unanimous and unanimous positive support from them. This is why I'm here today to ask for your support to sustain this powerful collaboration, to support accessibility to climate information, to support resilience and sustainability, to support greener infrastructure, and to support [4:17:57 PM] infrastructure, and to support the future of Austin. I appreciate and thank you all for your time and consideration. >> Avery Ryder, Leslie Alexander, Julia Vaughn, Alexander, oriana Lopez, sasanka talukdar. >> Good afternoon, council members. I'm Liliana Lopez, a district three residents with unique insights into our city's climate resilience efforts, my experience in the city of Austin's office of resilience and my current role at the university of Texas, where I'm establishing an extreme weather adaptation lab as part of the UT city climate colab, has given me a comprehensive view of our climate challenges and opportunities as a city. I work closely with the UT city climate colab team, bringing academic [4:18:58 PM] colab team, bringing academic research with practical city planning. During my time with the city, I observed staff constantly juggling competing priorities with limited bandwidth to take on new research. They're eager to incorporate sustainability and resilience into their projects, but often lack access to the latest tools and best practices. This is where the UT city climate colab becomes invaluable. The colab brings together local experts developing tools for Austin specific shocks and stressors, with city staff crafting mitigation and adaptation strategies. This collaboration creates a seamless cycle where staff discuss the project needs and researchers provide tailored solutions and informed policy decisions. Follow moreover, this partnership breaks down departmental silos, fostering city wide collaboration. Crucially, this approach can reduce city spending on external consultants for research, planning and also help with opportunities for grant writing. For implementation. The colab provides these services more efficiently with a deep understanding of Austin's unique context and already established [4:19:59 PM] context and already established community relations. To continue this work and secure a resilient future for Austin, the UT city climate colab needs sustained funding in the annual city budget by funding the colab, you're investing in tailored tools and solutions. Efficient use of resources, and a more resilient Austin, I also want to say, personally, without representing any of the organizations that I, worked with or work for, that I also support the community investment budget. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Hello and good afternoon. My name is asanga talukdar. I am a resident of district ten and a student researcher at UT Austin. I also work with different community groups and do research on severe weather in cities. I am speaking today to share my experience working within the framework of utc climate colab. As a unique resource that our city has developed for climate studies and applications. As you heard, UT city climate colab is [4:21:00 PM] heard, UT city climate colab is a collaborative effort between the city and the and UT to build a data and information infrastructure framework for sharing and making climate data accessible. When I started my research, I was intending to focus my research on Houston and Phoenix as they have more data. However, since last year, I got to know about the climate colab as a resource and have the ability to interact with different city operations operators. Finding the resource I have changed my research focus to Austin and am developing and testing new tools and models that can help with severe weather predictions for Austin, my research is an example that colab supports. Research, supports students, and builds collaborative relationships. My work, and those of other students who can focus more on Austin climate issues will help long term risk, risk reduction, [4:22:00 PM] long term risk, risk reduction, and improve city services because we will make better decisions and plan better as we will use the best climate research and data to solve problems, problems and answer questions from cities major departments. And I want to emphasize that I use colab as an infrastructure and have research funding obtained from federal sources, and wanted to share that colab as a sustained infrastructure resource within the city will allow for more such research that Austin's that is Austin centered, which otherwise would be for Houston or other bigger cities. What Austin has is unique, and I, I want to urge I and I urge the respected council to find a way to sustain it. Thank you all for your consideration. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Dewey Smith, Bobby Levinsky, Leslie Varghese, Nikita Ed. [4:23:04 PM] Leslie Varghese, Nikita Ed. >> Good afternoon and thank you, mayor and city council. My name is Dewey Smith, I've engaged with council before, but it was in my role as a commissioner with the African American resource advisory commission. That is not my job today. Today I'm coming before you as a member of the board of the safe alliance. And I am here to speak in favor and to appeal to you for continued funding for the collective sex crimes response model project. Many have spoken before me on the minutia of it, the legality, the best practices, and those reasons we should do it. I am speaking to you as a survivor, and I am here to share that I need to personalize this and humanize this for you. I was assaulted by gunpoint in 1993 and survived [4:24:09 PM] gunpoint in 1993 and survived and thrived beyond that. It took a decade for them to take the evidence from my case and find a DNA match for the person who made the choice to assault me to be brought to justice. I want you to understand that in continuing funding for this project, you have the power and you have the responsibility to create more of me. People who are surviving and thriving. And that is a powerful position for you because the continuation of this project is one of few things that will come past you that is agnostic of race, mental condition, housing status, age, gender, orientation, socioeconomic status or district. Any austinite could be a victim and with your help, any austinite can be a survivor. Thank you. >> Thank you. [4:25:10 PM] >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon everyone, thank you, mayor Watson and city council members for the opportunity to speak. My name is Nikita Ed. I'm vice president of community services with the safe alliance. Many of you are familiar with safe. If anyone is not. Our name is our mission to stop abuse for everyone. We provide support to victims of child abuse, human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault, and we do that through operating over 20 direct service programs. All of our services are offered confidentially and at no cost to survivors. Safe alliance is a long standing member of the Austin Travis county sexual assault resource and response team, the start, and an active participant in the kzxm project since its inception. In these spaces, safe contributes to community wide conversations and serves as subject matter experts in the area of providing direct services to victims of sexual assault. Say, I'm here on behalf of safe to strongly advocate for [4:26:11 PM] of safe to strongly advocate for the city to invest in the cs crm project. The scope of this project is large and far reaching, but also attainable, and it evaluates how the police executive research forums report of 100 plus recommendations for change may be implemented on a local level and throughout the cs, crm project. The group members, which includes safe alliance, evaluates how to improve response to sexual assault victims. The cs crm projects works on identifying best practices for APD's contact with victims, how patrol can respond to outcries of sexual violence, what training will be most relevant for our local law enforcement, how we conduct outreach policy evaluation, and how to keep track of all of this work through a data and metrics workgroup through the cs crm project, we hope that these best practices are implemented into a county wide response and then maintained locally through the Austin and Travis county start team. The cs crm project goals allow the continuation of a multidisciplinary approach to prevent sexual violence and responding in a trauma informed way. If someone says that they [4:27:12 PM] way. If someone says that they are hurt, safe, fully supports this funding of the KFSM project. And thank you to the city members and the mayor Watson for the opportunity to speak on how the city of Austin can continue to support survivors of sexual assault. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. Council I'm Leslie Varghese, I'm the president and chief legal officer for the safe alliance. We are asking for budget amendments to be filed to address the unmet needs identified for the sexual assault reform projects that start at page 120 of the staff. Report on unmet needs. That's the crm project. My colleagues and my board member have spoken about these projects. These projects are a product of the settlement of a class action suit brought by survivors of sexual assault. While the settlement couldn't anticipate the line item details, miss [4:28:14 PM] the line item details, miss Senko presented earlier today, it's pretty clear that failing to fund critical components of the project will mean that the city is. It's best. It's really frustrating. The purpose of the settlement, or at worst may be in breach. I will leave it to miss Thomas to advise you on that. But something I do know, particularly for those of you who are part of the last council that approved that settlement, it was never really just about the lawsuit, the facts of which were appalling and horrifying to everyone who read them from day one. It was about doing the right thing. The decent thing and the safe thing, and it was about the survivors. I think that having visited with many of you to share the difficult budget and program cuts staff has had to make earlier this year, I don't envy the of you, and I have a lot of empathy for the hard choices you have to make. But the issue of sexual assault sits at the nexus of our city's most basic priorities public health, public safety, and due process, gender equity. And [4:29:14 PM] process, gender equity. And while our movement hasn't always addressed it and our tables haven't always reflected it, racial equity as well, given the disproportionate impact to black women, I want to thank my board member, Dewey Smith, for sharing her personal story today, which is not something she's done in a public platform like this, and I want to thank her for her bravery, please make every effort to prioritize this accordingly. I appreciate your time today, and also thank you for your service to the city. Thank you. >> Samantha. >> Samantha Mccoy. Kelly Mack Mcwilliams. >> Thank you. Mayor and city council members for your time. [4:30:15 PM] council members for your time. This up, my name is Kelly Mcwilliams, and I'm one of the plaintiffs of the city of Austin lawsuit. I was 15 years old when I was assaulted. APD asked me what I was wearing, and if I remember saying the words no. Sadly, this continues to be the norm. I waited 19 years for justice. I work full time and I have a five year old son taking time out of my day to come remind you of your obligations is not only time consuming, but an inconvenience and a constant reminder of the failures. The city of Austin has imposed upon its sexual assault survivors. I would like to remind you that you already tried to bring back art Acevedo, and if it hadn't been for us making noise, we would be back to where we started. I am here to plead that you adhere to the original settlement terms made and allocate the funds as originally promised. Thank you. Thank. [4:31:15 PM] promised. Thank you. Thank. >> Good afternoon and thank you for your time. My name is Samantha Mccoy and I am here today to speak as a survivor of rape and an advocate for the kskr-fm project. As a survivor, I experienced firsthand a system that was not there for me and a justice system that I would never find justice in. Throughout the reporting and investigative process, I was struck by how poorly the system was working and how deeply the system was failing. Survivors. I walked away from the reporting and investigative process, truly defeated and feeling more alone than when I did, began the journey of reporting. Unfortunately, I'm not the only survivor who has suffered at the hands of our system. Countless survivors who have bravely come forward to share the most painful moments were met with significant gaps within our reporting and investigative processes. Years after my own assault, I'm finally seeing [4:32:16 PM] assault, I'm finally seeing concrete progress, specifically within the Austin community. I have had the honor of joining the start as an independent survivor, and I have further been welcomed to actively participate in the kskr-fm project, lending my voice as a survivor to help improve the very systems I once doubted so deeply. I see passionate individuals in the kskr-fm who are willing to have tough conversations, and I have witnessed true change in how we are talking about the investigative process in a more survivor centered way. I truly believe that the work that the crc is doing will change lives. It is concerning that the system project funding did not make the initial proposal. After years of systemic failure and an unknown number of survivors whose lives were severely altered, with over 120 elements of reform being implemented to improve the handling of sex crimes, and only a year and a half into this three year project, it is crucial funding is provided. For example, the fiscal year 2025 budget funding requests are expected to cover things such as the development of a new cadet and sex crimes unit, detective [4:33:17 PM] and sex crimes unit, detective training, funding for this project will ensure we are supporting the dedicated advocates working on this project, who are tirelessly fighting to fix a system that has harmed survivors for decades. And most importantly, funding will ensure that all reforms will be properly implemented. Survivors deserve so much more than the ways in which we've been treated, and we owe it to our community to finally treat them the way they deserve. Thank you for this, your time and consideration. Thank you for being here. >> Mayor, all the registered speakers have been called. >> I'm sorry. Say that again. >> All registered speakers have been called. >> All right. I would like for you to call the names of speakers that you previously called. And they didn't appear to make sure that somebody hadn't arrived since we started. >> Yes, mayor. Avery, writer Leslie Alexander Victoria Marshall, Maria Cepeda, Julia Vaughn, Alexander. Mayor. [4:34:20 PM] Vaughn, Alexander. Mayor. Everyone. Mayor. >> All right, then, can I. >> I wanted to catch it before they left. Okay. >> Go ahead, >> I just wanted to invite my colleagues. If you are interested in joining as a co- sponsor of my amendment, to fund the balance of the kzxm, to please, let me know. Ashley fisher in my office will be working on it, and there may be some voca pieces that we have to address as well, because there were two pages in the unmet needs. Please let me know. >> Thank you. Yes. >> Thank you. Mayor, I'll be reaching out. I want to make sure we work on that together. Great >> Members. Because council member alter had wanted us to make sure that people that might not be able to be here until 5:00 or after, they have that opportunity. What I want to do [4:35:20 PM] opportunity. What I want to do is, without objection, recess. This work session of the city council until 5:00, when we'll come back to see if anybody has made it down to be able to provide their public comment. So, without objection, we are in recess until 5:00 pm. It is 435. Five. Five. [4:37:54 PM] Five. Five. 30. >> You better. To stay [5:00:10 PM] To stay on time, I'm going to call back to order the Austin city council budget work session. It's 5:00 on July 24th, 2024. But what I'm going to do is that we're going to. I'm going to ask that the clerk's office call names. But let's wait just a minute or two before we adjourn, please. >> Yes, mayor Avery Ryder Leslie Alexander Victoria Marshall Maria zapata, Katherine Chamblee, Katherine Chamblee, >> She spoke, I believe, Julia Vaughn. >> Alexander. >> I don't believe any of those people are here, but we're going to wait before we adjourn. We're going to wait a couple of minutes. >> Mr. Mayor. [5:01:34 PM] >> Mr. Mayor. >> Yes. >> What? We have a second, do you mind if I take a moment of personal privilege. >> Go ahead. >> Thank you, I appreciate it. We have a caller earlier. Her name is taniqua Brewster, and she was calling, to talk about the budget, and I just. I didn't get the opportunity at the time to give her a big shout out, but we talked so frequently about the community getting involved in this process. And a couple years ago, you know, when the ice storm took out the natural gas at mount Carmel, taniqua Brewster and her neighbors got together and formed the mount Carmel neighborhood association alongside Boston and some other advocates and supporters. And I just was so pleased to see years later, still going strong, fighting hard, advocating for her community. And as a person who had never had any interaction with municipal government, being one of our regular, contributors, it it just really made my heart sing. That's what it's all about, getting the fight and [5:02:35 PM] about, getting the fight and stay there. And I just I wanted to give her a thank you for staying in the fight and encourage other people to do the same. >> Great. Thank you. Council member. Yes. Council member. Kelly thank you, mayor, for the recognition. >> While we're waiting here, I just want to give a shout out to my daughter who's turning 15 on Friday, this will be her fourth budget that her mom has gone through. And I just want to thank her for her patience and understanding as it happens, around her birthday every year, every year. My colleagues have been great about wishing her a happy birthday, and I just wanted to take a moment and do that again today. So thank you for, allowing me to do that good deal. >> And happy birthday to her. That's great. Why don't you call the names again? >> Yes. Mayor Avery Ryder Leslie Alexander. Victoria Marshall. Maria Cepeda, Julia Vaughn, Alexander. >> Everybody good? [5:03:48 PM] >> Everybody good? >> I think they may not be coming. Mayor. >> Yeah, I'm just going to. I'm going to make sure everybody feels comfortable. All right. That being all the people that have signed up to be part of the public communication, unless there's an objection and without objection, the Austin city council budget work session is adjourned on July 24th, 2024 at 5:04 P.M. I just want to say once again, before we actually walk off the dais and turn off the TV on August 1st at 10:00, we will have another public comment period and August 14th at 10:00 we will have a public comment period. Thanks to everybody that came to let their views be known. Thanks to the council, as I indicated, we are adjourned at 5:04 P.M. Thanks everybody.