City Council Special Called Meeting Transcript – 8/6/2024 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 8/6/2024 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. [12:59:41 PM] One minute. Yeah. All right, it's 1:00. >> Well, good afternoon, everybody. It's 1:00 on August 6th, 2024, and I will call to order this special called meeting of the Austin city council. We are meeting in the city council chambers located in Austin city hall at 301 west second street in Austin, Texas. We are here with one agenda item, and that's related to the confirmation of the city manager's appointment of Lisa Davis as chief of the Austin police department. In accordance with section 143.013 of the Texas local government code. I'm going to turn to the city clerk and asr the city clerk to help us navigate through anyone that has signed up as part of a public comment on this agenda item. >> Mayor, we have one in- person [1:00:41 PM] >> Mayor, we have one in-person speaker and one remote. Okay. The first in per speaker is Zenobia Joseph. >> Miss Joseph, are you present? Miss Joseph. Miss Joseph. All right. Will you go to the remote speaker? >> And it does not look like the remote speaker has joined yet either. >> Okay, well, then, in that case, what I will do is I will now recognize our city manager, tc Broadnax. >> Thank you, mayor and members of the city council. It is truly an honor today to present Lisa Davis, assistant chief with the Cincinnati, Ohio police department, for confirmation. As the city of Austin's new police chief. The feedback that I received from all of you on the dias from the city leadership as well as community stakeholder [1:01:42 PM] well as community stakeholder interview panels and from our community meet and greet event last month, was resoundingly positive and certainly did a great deal to inform my decision to move chief Davis forward in this process. With your confirmation, chief Davis will be only the second woman Austin's in Austin's history to hold the permanent chief role. As all of you are aware, chief Davis has served in multiple roles throughout her career and has specialized in building community relationships and using problem solving and evidence based policing to address crime and disorder. In Cincinnati, she created a citywide problem solving unit trained to address crime and disorder in chronically violent locations, reducing overall crime and increasing the quality of life in areas for residents. There is no doubt that chief Davis has a stellar record in her extensive career in law enforcement, and I am confident that she will earn the trust and [1:02:43 PM] that she will earn the trust and confidence of our Austin police officers of all of you, as well as the community. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the incredible work that our interim chief, Robyn Henderson, has done during her tenure leading the department over the past few months. She will ultimately be leaving behind a department that has made great strides in fulfilling critical 911 positions and finding a way to right that ship in that regard, as well as other staff vacancies and recruitment. As we move forward and Lisa takes over. My sincere hope is that today we will welcome the new chief of police for the city of Austin's police department. And with that mayor, I'll turn it over to you. >> Thank you very much, manager, while the manager was speaking, one person that was supposed to be, on a remote at 1:00 called in. So why don't we hear from [1:03:45 PM] in. So why don't we hear from that person? And then we will. I'll call for a motion. A second, and then I will call for discussion and comments by the council related to the resolution. >> Thank you. Mayor Monica Guzman. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council manager Broadnax. I am Monica Guzman, district four resident, speaking only in that capacity as a district four resident, I did not have the opportunity to meet Lisa Edwards or the other finalist at the community meet and greet, but I did hear positive information from others who did have an opportunity to interact with her. I was pleased to hear she arrived early, did her homework, read the report and I look forward to her looking at other reports such as the one provided by the rgining public safety task force, on which I represented a community based organization. I also look forward to working with her [1:04:45 PM] forward to working with her through my employer, Garza, as well as just as a community leader. So and thank you for the work council and manager Broadnax that you have done to bring us to this point. Thank you. >> Thank you. Members those are all the people that have signed up to comment, I as I indicated, what we will do now is I will call for a motion with regard to the resolution a second, and then we will have discussion and comments by members of the council, the mayor pro tem moves adoption of the resolution. It is seconded by council member Alison alter. I'll now ask for comments or discussion related to the motion. Anyone wishing to be recognized. I don't know what that means for you. May maybe this morning was exactly the way to do this, in that case, members, we have a motion and a [1:05:45 PM] members, we have a motion and a second. All those in favor of the motion to approve the resolution appointing Lisa Davis, confirming the city manager's appointment of Lisa Davis as the chief of Austin police department, in accordance with section one, four, 3.013 of the Texas local government code, indicate by saying I, I. There being no votes in opposition to the motion and council member Kelly being absent, the motion passes unanimously, with councilmember Kelly being absent, congratulations. Councilmember harper-madison, are you wishing to be recognized at this point? >> Yes, sir. I just wanted to make certain that you recognized that council member Kelly was off the dais. But you didn't recognize that I am virtual. I didn't know procedurally, we [1:06:47 PM] didn't know procedurally, we should do that. >> Well, your votes, your vote is counted. Thank you. For the attention. Before I call chief Davis up to the podium, assuming she wants to come up to the podium, to say a few words, I also, on behalf of the city council, want to say, to chief Henderson, we thank you. You have served as interim chief since last August, you've been with this department for over 26 years. And on behalf myself and T council and the citizens of the city of Austin, we want to say a special thanks to you and manager on behalf of the council. I also want to say that we really appreciate you making, picking a chief of police for Austin, a priority of your short tenure. So thank you very much for that. And chief Davis, that sounds pretty good with that. Why don't you step up to the podium as our new chief of [1:07:48 PM] podium as our new chief of police? >> Thank you. I'm nervous. I like this big, big deal. Thank you. All right. Thank you. City manager Broadnax, mayor Watson and members of council for the trust you have put in me to lead the Austin police department. I am truly humbled by this incredible opportunity because I think about, you know, an inner city girl from Cincinnati having the opportunity to lead a major city police department, I am extremely excited, Austin is now my home, and I feel very lucky to be here, I've talked about how I value trust and collaboration and public safety, and I look forward to building strong relationships with all members of the APD, the city leaders, community members, and business community to ensure a safe and welcoming Austin for everyone, I was asked during the interview process what I envisioned for my first 100 days. And of course, there are many issues I want to address and challenges within the department, but I want the city of Austin to know that anything I implemenny strategy that is implement, will be done through the lens that it has to [1:08:49 PM] through the lens that it has to be effective. It has to be equitable, and it has to be ethical. And it all starts with building and gaining that trust we talked about, but is also important to listen. I want to understand some of the key challenges for the department. We know morale, staffing, recruitment and retention, as well as how we engage with the community and the business community in Austin and morale is something that I've talked about. But, and it's so important because morale is improved. When it is improved, it shows employees that they're valued and they're supported and listening to their concerns and getting their opinions. And how we address these challenges, and then working toward the solutions that's imperative to building morale. But I want to make a commitment to the men and women of the APD today. I will listen to you. I will meet you where you are, and I will be visible. And I'm confident once we do that, we improve that morale. You're going to see recruitment and retention will improve and there's going to be no better recruiter for the Austin police department than those that are invested here. And then from a community engagement standpoint, know that I plan to be a chief who is in [1:09:51 PM] I plan to be a chief who is in the community. You will see me at your community meetings. You will see me at your events. I will be there. And I also want to echo what the mayor and chief, city manager Broadnax said reference chief Henderson, she is a chief that officers trust and they value her. And under her leadership, crime is down here. There is no question that work, great work has been done here in the Austin police department, and I look forward to continuing that legacy. But I also am excited to come into the role with fresh eyes and being open to understanding and learning more about where the department is today and where we need to go in the future as an organization. So again, thank you and I'm ready and excited to get started. >> Thank you very much, chief. And I'll just say no pressure, but the entire city is counting on you for those new that new T of eyes and new leadership. And we have great confidence in you. So thank you very, very much, members, that concludes all of the business for the Austin city council at this special called meeting. And [1:10:52 PM] special called meeting. And without objection, we are adjourned at 1:11 P.M. Thank you all