City Council Budget Adoption Meeting Transcript – 8/14/2024 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 8/14/2024 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 8/14/2024 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. [9:59:01 AM] We are a-t-x-n the City of Austin's Government Access Channel good morning everybody. It's August 14th, 2024 and it's 10:00 in the morning. And I will call to order this meeting of the Austin city council related to, we have a number of items but [10:00:03 AM] we have a number of items but primarily related to the passage of our budget. We are meeting in the city council chambers, which are located at city hall at 301 west second street in Austin, Texas. The order of the day, members and public, is that we will take up items 12 and 13 first, depending upon how quickly they go and what time of the morning it is when we finish those. But I do anticipate that what we will then do is recess the city council meeting, and we will go to the board of directors meeting of the Austin housing finance corporation and Miller, we will then adjourn. We will adjourn those meetings appropriately and come back to the city council meeting, at which point we will open public hearings on items one through six, and we will proceed through the various items. I also anticipate that around noon and when I say around noon, I mean 3 to 5 minutes to noon or 3 to 5 minutes after noon, we will go [10:01:04 AM] minutes after noon, we will go into an executive session for 30 to 45 minutes. And I just want to let everybody know that that will probably happen as well. So with that, we will take up item number 12. Members. Item number 12 is an ordinance that would order a general municipal election. You have a copy of that ordinance, and I'll turn to the city clerk to ask if we have people signed up for public comment. Yes, mayor. >> We don't have any remote speakers just in person. Luis Gonzalez and then bill bunch. >> Great. If your name's been called just please come forward, and if there's no one at the microphone, it's all yours. So welcome, sir. Start off our day. Right. >> Thank you sir. Good morning mayor. Good morning, city council members. My name is Luis Gonzalez. I'm a 15 year resident [10:02:05 AM] Gonzalez. I'm a 15 year resident of the city of Austin, a resident of district ten and the current chair of the independent citizens redistricting commission. Since 2021, it has been my utmost honor to serve on and lead this extraordinary group of Austin residents and volunteers to highlight how independent citizen led redistricting efforts are the antidote to gerrymandering practices we see too often play across the country, where political districts are drawn for the purpose of reelection and political advantages, rather than to ensure fair representation and increased democratic participation as established by the city charter, the icrc has the sole legal standing to create and adopt maps for our city council districts, while maintaining strict Independence from influence by city council. Proposition C, the proposed amendment to the city charter that directly impacts the work of the icrc will help the next group of commissioners that come in 2031 accomplish their goal of producing a new map that prioritizes equal representation, resident input, and takes into [10:03:07 AM] resident input, and takes into consideration the rapid growth and change our city has experienced since I arrived to Austin in 2009. The proposed new charter language will define independent as free from city council influence, though still free to utilize necessary city resources like meeting spaces and staff expertise. The language will specify an effective date for future maps in case another special election occurs. The new language will increase the number of qualified applicants eligible to serve on the commission, and clarify the method and timing for filling vacancies of the icrc. These changes might appear minor, but speaking from direct experience will provide efficiency and clarity to future commissioners as they focus on the work of redistricting and prioritizing public testimony rather than worrying about administrative red tape. However, an item not included in the proposed new language that I hope can eventually be included providing a stipend to commissioners to participate in this effort that we as a city should be extremely [10:04:07 AM] we as a city should be extremely proud of. I was able to serve on the icrc as a 29 year old without parental obligations, with a full time job that provided a livable salary, remote work flexibility and understood the importance of redistricting given the condensed timeline in 2021, though, the icrc did feel like a second full time job. Now think of the single mother or father working two jobs with children to make ends meet. A small stipend would be a commitment from the city that they do value, the expertise and knowledge that all can bring to this commission. A small stipend would make the commission a truly equitable opportunity for all austinites, who meet the minimum requirements to submit their name for consideration and possible placement. The volunteer citizens of this commission are so proud to have created Austin city council districts, jointly with the people of Austin. We thank the citizens of Austin for the opportunity to serve as the second ever independent citizens redistricting commission, and we hope that proposition C makes it onto the November ballot and gets the support of the voters [10:05:07 AM] gets the support of the voters of Austin. Thank you very much for your time today. >> Thank you. Mr. Bunch, are you here? Bill bunch. Mr. Bunch. >> Those are all the speakers for 12. Mayor. >> Thank you very much. Members. Those are all the speakers that have signed up to give us public comment on item number 12, I will entertain a motion. And a second motion is made by the mayor pro tem, seconded by council member qadri. Discussion on item number 12, council member Alison alter. >> Thank you, I just want to register that, during the previous discussion on the charter, I had abstained or voted no on various propositions, I don't yet have that up here to tell you exactly which ones that was, but I want to stand with the same, you [10:06:07 AM] to stand with the same, you know, things that I would have abstained, but today we're we're voted no on those propositions. But today we're just calling the election. So I'm voting on calling the election, but I'm not changing my stance on those particular propositions. >> Thank you for that clarification. Mayor pro tem and then council member Kelly mayor, I have a motion to amend part two of the ordinance to make a change to the ballot language of proposition zero. >> Would you like me to read that? Yeah. >> Please make sure that was that. And that's in the backup. >> It sure is. And it was on the message board as well yesterday. >> Very good. Please, please make make that public so the people will hear hear it out loud. >> Happy to. So I moved to amend part two of the ordinance to make a change to the ballot language of proposition zero two and to make a corresponding change to part 13 of the ordinance regarding the language of the charter. That will be amended. In part two, we will add the phrase and to impose [10:07:08 AM] add the phrase and to impose contribution limits on such officeholders at the end of the current ballot language, so that the ballot language, embraces the fact that, officeholders would be confined by the same contribution levels, that candidates are confined by, which at this time is a maximum contribution of $450. So the phrase and to impose contribution limits on such officeholders would occur at the end of the current ballot language. And would you like me to read that ballot language, mayor? Yes. Shall the city charter be amended to remove the restriction that officeholders must wait until after leaving office in order to solicit and accept political contributions to pay unpaid campaign expenses, or to reimburse campaign expenditures made from personal funds, and to impose contribution limits on such [10:08:08 AM] contribution limits on such officeholders and then a similar phrase is added in part 15, the phrase subject to the limitations on candidates in this section. Again, that emphasizes that all financial contribution limitations would continue to follow officeholders as long as they are in office, and the language is that way inserted. Thank you. >> Mayor members, you've heard the motion. Is there a second to the motion? Second, by council member qadri. We haven't gotten to that part yet. All right. The discussion will be on the motion to amend. Council member Kelly, you're chomping at the bit. No. >> Thank you for laying out your motion, mayor pro tem. >> Okay, anyone else that wishes to be heard on the motion to amend. Without objection, the motion to amend is adopted, and for the record, council member harper-madison has joined us [10:09:10 AM] harper-madison has joined us virtually. And, I will call out if there's if there's some difference in her vote, because people may not be watching her the same way they're watching the dais. And of course, if I if I don't call out, council member harper-madison for a no vote or something of that nature council member, please make sure I do it the right way, all right, members, you have heard the motion. It has been adopted. Now we will go back to the main motion, which was, which is the ordinance calling the election as the main motion has been amended by the mayor pro tem's amendment. Is there discussion on the main motion, as amended? All right. In that case, without objection, the motion as amended, is adopted. Councilmember harper-madison, you're voting I is that correct? Thank you. All right. Then it passes unanimously. Members that [10:10:11 AM] passes unanimously. Members that will now take us to item number 13, item number 13 is related to an ordinance ordering a citizen initiated special municipal election to be held on, to be held on the same date, which is November 5th, 2024, it's related to etj. I'll entertain a motion, on that item. If motion is made by the mayor pro tem, seconded by council member qadri, I'll turn to the city clerk to see if there's anyone signed up to speak on item number 13. Yes mayor. >> We have one person in person. Susan Harris. >> Miss Harris. Susan Harris, Susan Harris. Are you present? All right, members, those are all the people that have signed up to speak on item number 13, the motion has been made and seconded. Is there discussion [10:11:12 AM] seconded. Is there discussion without objection? Item number 13 is adopted. Members, let me, take a moment to read changes and corrections that have just been delivered to us, read them into the record, for today, item number 22. Should add council member Jose chito vela as a sponsor. Item number 24 should add council member Alison alter as a sponsor. Item number 26 should add council member Jose chito vela as a sponsor. Item 29 add council member Jose chito vela as a sponsor. An item number 30 add council member Jose chito vela as a sponsor. Those are all the changes and corrections to be read into the record for the day, members. It's 1012, what I would suggest we do is we turn to the clerk's office for public comment on, [10:12:12 AM] office for public comment on, the all of the items that are left on the council other than hfc and the Miller development, and begin that process. But at 1030, we will recess so that we will be in a position to take up hfc and Miller at the at a point at the appointed time. >> Thank you. Mayor. First speaker is remote. Felicia Cabrera. >> Yeah. Hello. Can you hear me? >> Yes, yes, we can. >> Hello. >> Please begin. We can hear you. >> Oh, yes. Okay. Hi there. Yes. Good morning, so my name is Felicia Cabrera, I am a rapid rehousing provider, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. As a rapid rehousing provider, I've housed several [10:13:14 AM] provider, I've housed several people in their new homes. They continue to be successful due to rapid intervention. We continue to house people who are low income, no income, and have other barriers while serving this population. We work and strive to place people in homes. They will be able to manage on their own. This includes utilizing the services that are provided in the community, such as affordable properties. This means wait lists that can last a very, very long time. A long time that can surpass the rapid timeline, but with much due diligence and hard work. A case manager can be very successful in finding a forever home. The program is not perfect, and yes, it comes with its ups and downs. However, the proof is in the pudding. We have made an impact to the community and to families that desperately needed it. I have been witness to seeing people being taken off the streets and into their own homes, provided resources to [10:14:14 AM] homes, provided resources to help them maintain permanent housing. Echo shared that an additional 1700 rapid rehousing units over the next ten years are needed. I strongly support council member Fuentes amendment for $3 million for rapid rehousing, the city needs continuous funding for rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing and shelters, please support councilmember Fuentes amendments for rapid rehousing, along with funding for safe and shelters. Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify today. >> Thank you, members, for the record, her testimony and public comment will be considered as part of the public hearings, but we need to open the public hearings on items one through six. So without objection, we will open the public hearings on items one through six. But as I indicated, we will hear all speakers who have signed up on items one through six and budget items seven through 11. So, I [10:15:14 AM] items seven through 11. So, I want to make sure that the record is clear that we have opened the public hearings on one through six. >> The next speaker on one and seven, Darren Thornhill, six minutes. >> Darren Rosenthal, one second. >> Sorry, guys. I was trying to do one, two things at once, hi. My name is Darren Thornhill. I'm the incarceration outreach specialist at the Texas harm reduction alliance. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I want to start by thanking council member, >> I called Darren Velasquez for proposing an amendment to add funding for harm reduction in Austin at three. >> In the last six months, we worked hard to distribute over 7000 units of narcan to the community. We continue to distribute other lifesaving public health tools, hygiene kits, bus passes and much more, and we continue to build deep relationships with people [10:16:15 AM] relationships with people without the stigma or judgment that so many face while navigating life outside of the three services. This work is hard. It's really hard and we can't reach everyone despite how hard we try. But we need the city support to continue doing it and to expand our work to reach more people. Also, I also want to thank council member Fuentes, mayor Watson and the others on the council that supported amendments to fund supportive housing, shelter and rapid rehousing. Almost all of our participants at tier three are unhoused, despite our staff's incredible work, it's nearly impossible to keep people healthy and alive. Connect people to services they need. When people have no access to permanent housing. I want to be clear about this point. If we have housing for people, more people will know if we have more housing, if we have no housing for people, more people will die and suffer on our streets. That's what we see every single day at hra, with the work that we do. I have shared some of this before city council hearings. I want to remind you that my job at Texas harm reduction alliance, I work with [10:17:16 AM] reduction alliance, I work with our participants to complete their coordinated assessments and psa packets if they qualify for it, then they go on to wait on their housing placements. Many people I work with qualify for psa and rapid rehousing, and they have to decide what they take because there isn't enough psa. People people end up taking rapid rehousing sometimes I have clients that come back to me with no options when their rapid rehousing is ending, and that's a problem. These situations shouldn't be happening. We should have enough funding for the different housing needs our community has. If someone needs cash, there should be a clear path for them. If someone needs less services and temporary rental assistance, then we should be able to offer rapid rehousing to them. We need to fund the whole continuum, not just pieces of it. Thank you and have a great day and I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to speak. >> Thank you. For clarity purposes, I think I've said this, but I want to say it again because apparently I've there's confusion. We have opened the public hearings on items one through six. We are taking [10:18:16 AM] through six. We are taking public comment on all the remaining items on the agenda, and that includes items 14 through 30. All of the remaining items other than and that's on the city council agenda. We will recess at some point to take up the board of directors of the Austin housing finance corporation and the Miller development, but we are now hearing public comment on all budget related items, including budget ifcs. Thank you. >> Karen Fernandez one and two six minutes. >> Hello council members, my name is Karen Fernandez and I'm the current president of the Matthews lane neighborhood association. I want to call to support Mackenzie Kelly's call to not raise our taxes. We are a community that has been long not served, and we have been paying taxes. And they have gone up to [10:19:17 AM] taxes. And they have gone up to a rate that is just unsustainable. If you really care about keeping people in their homes and having affordable housing, do not raise our property taxes. Thank you again to council member Mckenzie Kelly. She has stood behind neighborhoods, and the only thing I regret is that she's not serving my neighborhood in district five. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Bruce Greiner. Item. One two six minutes. >> Thank you very much for this opportunity to address the city council regarding the city budget and the city tax rate. I really do appreciate the opportunity. I'm a resident long time resident of Austin and reside in district six, and I'm here to as the person just before me spoke, I'm here to speak in support of Mackenzie Kelly's proposals to reduce the tax rate and to reduce the size [10:20:21 AM] tax rate and to reduce the size of the city budget so that it is affordable for all residents of the city of Austin. As a long time resident, I am requesting all council members to take a look and understand what their key responsibility is, and that is to represent the wishes and needs of the community. And one of those is clearly affordability and the city. Just a few short years ago enacted a 24% increase in taxes. And this budget for 2425 proposes an additional almost 6% increase. We all know that we're dealing with a period of inflation, and as a family and someone who's on a fixed income, we have to make decisions and choices every day about where we spend the scarce [10:21:22 AM] about where we spend the scarce dollars that we have. And it seems that the city council doesn't look at it as, our money. The city council seems to think that it's your money and it's not. Council members should be held accountable for how they spend taxpayer dollars, and it's irresponsible during a time when people are already dealing with affordability to raise taxes. It's also inconceivable to me that the city of Austin, with the growth that it has and the increase in the tax base, why any increase in the tax rate would be necessary. It's time for the city council to start focusing and prioritizing on what's most important. It's not the role of city government to solve national issues and make [10:22:22 AM] solve national issues and make up for reductions in federal funding, especially that provided during covid. The last two years, city spending increased over 18%. While our population has only grown somewhere between 2 and 4%. The city. It's time for the city to get control of its spending and prioritize on what's most important public safety, water and sewer infrastructure, public waste, safe streets and parks, library services and fund other services only to the extent that it doesn't require an increase in taxes. As taxpayers, we expect each one of you to spend wisely. A 6% increase in spending and a commensurate increase in the tax rate is not a wise decision. So I would again ask that you roll up your [10:23:24 AM] again ask that you roll up your sleeves critically. Look at the budget. Don't fund something simply because we've always funded it. It should be a zero based approach that says this is a true unmet need. We need to fund it and other things that we used to aren't as critical given the budget constraints that we should put in place. I just want to say again, thank you for this opportunity to address each of the members of the council. I certainly don't think it's an easy job. I know it's a tough job. I know all of you spend untold hours working on the council and attending committee meetings, as well as getting informed on issues, but I pray that you would listen to comments such as mine and the speaker before me and truly keep affordability in mind and prioritizing where budget [10:24:24 AM] prioritizing where budget dollars really need to be spent versus those that are nice to have. I would just want to make one example of a nice to have that shouldn't be funded. It was just, I think two meetings ago where the city council approved funding for artwork for three new fire stations. Each one issued a contract of $250,000 or more for artwork, $750,000 for artwork is hardly a priority in my view. If we needed to spend 750,000 in support of the fire department, it should have been done either to address pension issues or address equipment issues, or address staffing issues, not artwork. That's just one example where I think the city really needs to learn how to tighten its belt as we taxpayers have been doing for the last two years. Again, thank you for the opportunity to [10:25:26 AM] you for the opportunity to address the mayor and the members of the council. I do appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Sasha rose, item six and seven. Six minutes. >> Hello, my name is Sasha rose. I'm the executive director and lead organizer of Austin mutual aid. We are a community led organization and we really get to see what's going on in the community. Through our work out and outreach as well as our community page where we where 311 actually sends people as resources are incredibly low in Austin, I want to address specifically the housing crisis that's in Austin. As you may know, we've seen a 30 to 40% increase in housing prices recently. And in July alone, there were 675. Oh, I'm sorry, 965 evictions filed. Okay. So [10:26:26 AM] 965 evictions filed. Okay. So that's just households, right? We know that there are many families with children currently experiencing housing, housing crisis and housing instability. We keep talking about solving homelessness, but we fail to address the real issue, which is our housing crisis. And real, true affordable housing in Austin, I don't believe that we want Austin to become like San Francisco, like a lot of these places where really, you know, in San Francisco, it's all co-housing, right? Only only the wealthy actually can afford to either rent or own their own homes. And I believe that we're just a few steps behind San Francisco, la as we've become the next tech city. Right? And in some ways that is positive. But in many ways, the way that it is, is impacting our current community. Is really harmful. And especially when we're trending and losing so much of our artists, our bipoc community [10:27:27 AM] our artists, our bipoc community in specific, we do not want Austin to just become a wealthy playground for a playground for the wealthy, right? And the elite. We don't want that to happen. How can we do that? We need to invest in housing. Rent relief has been out for a long time, right? Last year we did it and we had a 24 hour. Within 24 hours, rent relief funds were exhausted this year. We dragged it out a little bit longer by having it go through el Buen, and it was a lottery system, a lottery system is not an equitable system, we really need to start addressing equity here in our in our city. We know that our bipoc community is more deeply impacted by housing instability. We can look at where that goes all the way back to when they divided. I 35 right. We need to be investing in our community, in our community programs, and we need to be working to solve homelessness by ensuring that those people who are currently [10:28:27 AM] those people who are currently housed remain housed. And that is going to come through rent relief, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing. All of these programs are currently in danger of being cut, and a lot of it is because it's going to APD. Why are we looking at giving APD and other ways right now? We know that that money can never, can never be taken back, right? Due to recent state laws. So why are we looking at increasing APD's budget when they're currently at a deficit for employment? And it's not because of us, right. They're cadets and training. People are going in. They don't last. This is a program issue with APD that needs to be addressed by APD. This isn't something that the city of Austin and taxpayers need to be paying for. If they can't keep their cadets, if they can't, you know, provide the information. I recently read an article and heard about a very important high profile case where APD did not provide is basically refusing to provide [10:29:28 AM] basically refusing to provide the cameras, the body cams for this case, very high profile case. Right why are we giving raises to an organization that is currently struggling internally and not following law? Right. They're not above the law. So I really want to encourage our city council to consider the community investment budget to consider, not increasing the city, the APD budget that is not going to we already know that criminalizing homelessness is not the way to solve it, and we're already spending too much money, in my opinion, on criminalizing homelessness, on cleaning it up, on sweeps, on camp cleanups that harm our community, that harm organizations like Austin mutual aid, that is community driven, donation driven. We still remain unfunded by the city of Austin, by the way, for the work that we do. So you know, if you need ome place to put money where it will actually support our [10:30:30 AM] will actually support our community, support the community investment budget, support the programs that are currently already working in our community, do not increase the budget to APD. This is not going to help us. And we're in a housing crisis. Y'all. We need to be focusing on that. We need to be ensuring that we are doing what we can. I'm seeing so many. We are seeing so many families with children living in cars, struggling to survive. If y'all haven't gone over to our community page to see exactly what people are struggling with it all starts with housing. We already know that more than 50% of renters in Austin are living above their means by paying more than 50% of their income to housing, when it's supposed to be a third. We already know this. The studies are there. We are seeing an increase in in in in evictions every month. It's just continual. And we're just going to keep digging ourselves into a hole with this housing crisis. If we do not start investing in the programs that are working, the programs that [10:31:30 AM] are working, the programs that are trying to address this now, we need an incredible rent relief, and we need to truly invest in true affordable housing because we help our our participants apply and we'll get info back from them that you've been accepted for this affordable housing unit. It's kaiba white, item six and seven six. >> Before we do that, before we go to miss white, members, it's 1032 so that we can take care of a couple of other items and allow staff to leave, let me ask if there's any objection, and without objection, we will recess the meeting of the Austin city council at 10:32 A.M. Without objection, we are in recess. I will now call to order the board of directors meeting of the Austin housing finance corporation. August 14th, 2024 at at 10:32 A.M. We are meeting at Austin city hall in the city council chambers, 301 west [10:32:30 AM] council chambers, 301 west second. And we have all of the members of the board present members. There are two items on the agenda and I'll turn to miss Demayo to talk to us. >> Thank you. Good morning. Mandy Demayo, treasurer, Austin housing finance corporation. We have two items on today's consent agenda. The first is adopting the afc capital budget for next fiscal year. It's an amount of $80,066,944. The second item is adopting the afc operating budget. And the housing assistance fund, the operating budget for next fiscal year is 37,000,191 $951, and the housing assistance fund budget is 3.2 million. Happy to take any questions? Offer those on members you've had. >> You've had this previously. Is there any are there any questions of miss Demayo? All right then the chair will entertain a motion to adopt items. One and two as part of a [10:33:31 AM] items. One and two as part of a consent agenda. Board member vela makes the motion. It is seconded by board member qadri. Is there discussion on the consent agenda? I should have checked, but my memory was there was nobody signed up. >> There are no speakers. >> Okay, and I should note there's late backup on item two. Exhibit a has been revised. >> Okay. >> Members are there. Is there any discussion? Without objection, the consent agenda items one and two are adopted. Thank you, members. There being no further business to come before the Austin housing finance corporation board of directors. Without objection, we will adjourn that board meeting at 10:34 A.M. I will now call to order the board of directors of the Miller local government corporation. It is August 14th, 2024, and we are meeting at 10:34 A.M. We are meeting in the Austin city council chambers, located in Austin city hall at 301 west second, and we have all of the members of the board [10:34:32 AM] of the members of the board present. We have two items on a potential consent agenda, and I will turn to staff to make a presentation. >> Good morning. Sylnovia holt-rabb, secretary of the board. I have two items to offer up for consent today. The first item is to approve the Miller local government corporation's meeting minutes of August 16th, 2023. Item two to approve a resolution adopting the fiscal year 2425 local government corporation operating budget in the amount of $5,114,565. >> Members. You've heard staff does anybody have any questions of staff on these two items? In that case, I will entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. Council board member Fuentes moves approval of the consent agenda. Items one and two. It is seconded by board member Velasquez. Is there any discussion? Seeing none. Without objection. Council member [10:35:32 AM] objection. Council member harper-madison or board member harper-madison. There you are. Without objection, the consent agenda items one and two are adopted by all the members of the board. Thank you. Ma'am, members. There being no further business to come before the board of directors of the Miller local government corporation. Without objection, we will adjourn the meeting of the board of directors at 10:36 A.M. Members, I will now call back to order the Austin city council, and we will resume public comment on all items related to the budget. And miss white had been called. So I'll let you call her again. But that's where we'll go. >> Kaiba. >> White item six seven six minutes. >> Hello, my name is taber white. I am speaking on behalf of public citizens Texas office. Thank you for the opportunity. I did want to also voice support for funding more of the priorities laid out in the community investment budget. [10:36:33 AM] community investment budget. Public citizen was part of that. And you will see that there are items in there that are related to implementing the Austin climate equity plan and just wanted to in general, voice support for putting more funding towards all of the departments that are needed to in all of the programs that are needed to actually make the climate equity plan a reality. Thank you. Had some conversation about this topic over the past few months, but there just still remains a gap between the reality of what's needed and the funding that is in the budget for the various departments, and that, you know, I see that there is an amendment put forward by a council member, author and several other co- sponsors related to expanding the weatherization program eligibility at Austin energy. I do urge you to support that as well as the amendment put forward for land acquisition [10:37:34 AM] forward for land acquisition funding. Both of those are very needed, but there are other priorities that still remain unfunded things that are laid out in policy, but nevertheless are left to kind of wither or just not be funded at the level that they're needed. Austin resource recovery is one department that I would call your attention to. They have a massive, I think, goal goals that are underfunded and frankly, that they're behind on in terms of achieving zero waste. And we now know that the products that we use and the waste we produce is a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions. And yet the funding is almost nonexistent for those programs. They have good people. They have good, kind of structure in place to, to do some of that work. But they don't have the money. They don't have it at the level that is needed. And that's just one [10:38:35 AM] needed. And that's just one example. But it is an important one, because seeing that that continues to fall by the wayside, so kind of big picture, I would encourage you to give more attention to the items in the Austin community budget and specifically items that will advance the implementation of the climate equity plan. We are in a climate crisis, and we really need you all to take that seriously. And put the money that is needed to meet those goals. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Next speaker. >> The next two speakers have requested Spanish interpretation, so I'll make sure the interpreter is ready. Aurelio Rodas, item seven for six minutes. >> Adelante. Senora Rodas. Si me escucha si la escuchamos Bien. Hello >> Asi. Okay buenos dias. MI nombre es Rodas. >> Si. Continue >> Okay. Estoy aqui para apoyar [10:39:35 AM] >> Okay. Estoy aqui para apoyar la recommendation de Garza de subsidio de estabilizacion familiar para nuevas families. >> Good morning. My name is Aurelio Rodas. I'm speaking on item seven, and I'm here to support the budget recommendation from the organization. Go, Austin. Vamos. Austin also known as Garza to increase the grant for the family stabilization program. And this way it benefits new families. >> Una de las families quedaba identifico como beneficiaries of. >> Because I am one of the families identified by Garza as the grand beneficiary. >> Para MI ha sido Una especial en estos tiempos dificiles. >> To me, this has been a real blessing for my family in these difficult times. >> Donde la economia Esta por los siglos? Sabemos el cost de [10:40:35 AM] los siglos? Sabemos el cost de los alimentos Han aumentado Al cien por ciento. >> The economy is bad and we all know the price of food has increased 100%. >> So madre de cuatro hijos hermosos Y Una persona muy trabajadora. >> I'm the mother of four beautiful children, and I'm a very real hard worker. >> Médico limpiar casa, Pero el sueldo no me alcanza Ni siquiera cuando trabajo en dos empleos por esto. Quiero continuar con el futuro de estabilizacion Familia por un Ano, mas. >> I clean houses for a living, but my salary is not enough. Not even working two jobs. That's why I call to support the approval and continuation of the family stabilization grant for another year. >> Otros families como la Mia pueden beneficiarse, so other families like mine can benefit. Mano Y de Corazon consideran [10:41:37 AM] Mano Y de Corazon consideran este beneficio para la comunidad trabajadora. >> I thank you in advance and with all my heart for considering this benefit. For all the hard working community in our city. >> Thank you very much. >> Muchas gracias, muchas gracias. >> Thank you very much. Gracias, senora Harris. >> Thank you. Maria Creola six minutes. >> Item seven. >> Adelante. Senora Ochoa. >> Buenos dias, alcalde Gonzalez. MI nombre es Maria Lucia este Dia. Quiero agradecer estamos aqui presentes Su apoyo a las families de esas families. Es la Mia es la grande ayuda de verdad no tiene el cost de Vida llevado bastante. Tengo siete Anos viviendo en Austin Y visto como la ciudad Y sus costs a la vez haam Familia Esta en [10:42:38 AM] vez haam Familia Esta en realidad nos ayudado mucho Y espero Q puedan Y otras families el proximo Ano. >> Hello. Good morning, Mr. Mayor and council members. My name is Maria Ochoa. I'm speaking on item seven today. I want to thank you for all for being present and for your support to the families through the family stabilization program. Like my own family is a beneficiary. The truth is that the cost of living in Austin has increased a lot, and I have been living in Austin for 17 years. I have seen how the city has grown and the cost of living. This grant has really helped my family, so I hope you can continue helping other families like mine next year. >> Me siento muy afortunado en MI Caso como se dice. Colloquially es como Al dado tuvimos en junio, Una emergencia con MI esposa tenido dejar de trabajar alrededor de dos meses Y Esta ayuda muy Bien, Yo trabajo, Pero no es suficiente Y [10:43:39 AM] trabajo, Pero no es suficiente Y Esta complemento nuestro emergencia. Espero nuestro situation cambio pronto. Pero de antemano pues muchas gracias a ustedes por Esta rica. Las families porque no apoyando no soy tan grande ayuda. Es I consider myself very lucky because as people say this grant was like a true blessing. >> In June, my husband had a medical emergency. He had a heart attack and he couldn't continue working for two months. And the help of this grant helped us tremendously because what I earn from my work is very little. And this was a compliment for me in this emergency, we hope our situation changes soon, but I thank you in advance to all of you for these grants for the families. And please continue supporting us because you cannot imagine how big this help is for us. >> El hijo de pensar en Una sociedad economic. Creo es Una preocupacion menos para el sustento de nuestros hogares. [10:44:40 AM] sustento de nuestros hogares. Vivir un poco menos estrellado cuando me llamo de gava para decir estaba en la Lista para apoyo de Esta dicha gente muy bonito pensando en Una ciudad economic de un Anos tanta preocupacion de como para Renteria Valdez Y por qué no porque no salir con nuestros hijos. Gracias. También porque me tomaron en cuenta Yo de alguna otra Manera trata de involucrum en sus diferentes proyectos también Lucia Y hacen mucho por NUESTRA comunidad. Bueno por ultimo, quiero hacer la repeticion de ayudando el proximo Ano a otras families estan gratificante saber. Qué de alguna otra en Forma mas apoyan también Al igual Ken nosotros a ustedes en Su memento, muchas gracias. >> Thinking about financial stability is now less than a [10:45:41 AM] stability is now less than a worry is not like so stressful because we can continue supporting our households when they call me from the organization. Go, Austin. Vamos Austin or Garza to let me know that I was on the waiting list. I had this amazing feeling of having finally financial stability, being able to pay my rent and bills for a year, and why not even thinking about taking my children out to have some fun? Thank you for considering my comments. I try to get involved in one way or another and in all your different projects, because I know you are working for the community and you do a lot for us. Lastly, I want to ask you to continue supporting the families in the stabilization program because it is very gratifying to know that you are supporting us in the same way that we have supported you in the past. Thank you very much. Gracias, senora Ochoa. >> Vivian delvina, item seven. >> Hi. Yes >> Good morning. Council. My [10:46:44 AM] >> Good morning. Council. My name is Vivian Dovalina and I am a student and resident of district nine here in Austin. I'm here today to urge you all to vote in favor of council member Fuentes. Logistical support for austinites seeking abortion budget amendment, which will allocate $500,000 to fund airfare, gas reimbursements, hotel stays rideshares childcare stipends, companion travel and food for austinites traveling to access abortion care. Austin is in desperate need of a practical abortion fund because of Texas's total abortion ban. Austinites and Texans are having to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to where abortions are legal. >> Maggie Luna, item seven. >> Hello. Thank you. My name is Maggie Luna. I am the executive director at Texas harm reduction alliance. I want to first start by saying I greatly appreciate council member Vasquez for submitting the original budget [10:47:45 AM] submitting the original budget amendment for the substance use continuum of care for 316,000, and we're very grateful for all of those who support this very important work. And we're asking that all city council members and our mayor understand that cutting this budget amendment will also impact the number of lives that are being saved during this overdose crisis that we are experiencing. The team at Texas harm reduction alliance lead with compassion, humanity and love. They are all extremely dedicated to providing life saving services in the midst of this overdose crisis that's impacting our city. The need is growing every single day and the number of dedicated staff members has not increased, which causes our staff to be overwhelmed. Staff experienced firsthand trauma and emotional trauma because they do care so much, and the people that we serve are very dear to us. Every overdose is preventable. And 2022 417 Travis county residents died from drug related overdoses. It marked the first time that overdoses were the [10:48:47 AM] time that overdoses were the leading cause of accidental death in the county. Since 2011. Three runs, one of the only drop in centers that is open to anyone. No matter where they are on the spectrum of drug use. Two days ago, one of our community members was waiting to access our drop in services and experienced an overdose. Our staff went into immediate action. Community of participants were able to notify us because of the culture that we have built. At this drop in center, there was no chaos. Everyone moved in and saved this life. Our participants know what to look for and have trust in us to help. Because of this amazing team and the community, this person was able to regain consciousness and come into the drop in center to receive cold water, a shower and our staff was able to lovingly monitor them until they walked out on their own. This is only one of the many situations that happens on site every single day, and we ask that you please support this work and we need the 316,000 to make sure that our staff are able to reach more and give more [10:49:49 AM] able to reach more and give more access to the city. Thank you. >> Emily Witt, item seven. >> Good morning. Can everyone hear me? >> Yes, I'm just going to. >> Great. Good morning. My name is Emily Witt and I'm here to speak on item seven and express the support for logistical abortion fund and the community investment budget. Texas has one of the most extreme bans. Abortion bans in the nation. And our access to abortion was stolen long before the fall of roe. Without the right to abortion, we do not have freedom over our own bodies. The freedom to build our own futures, or the freedom to make the best health care decisions for ourselves and our families. Everyone, no matter the zip code, they live in the color of their skin or immigration status deserves access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care, including abortion. Austinites who need abortion care now have to travel thousands of miles to access it, stay multiple days in another state and pay for these [10:50:50 AM] another state and pay for these costs out of pocket. These barriers are nearly insurmountable if you already have children at home or living paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford time off of work. While extremist lawmakers have sold our freedoms for votes, the city council has the opportunity to find innovative and equitable ways to ease the burden our community faces in seeking abortion care. In 2019, Austin made history as the first city in the south to appropriate city funds to support those accessing abortion care. As a voter in district four, I urge the city council to recommit to those values and reestablish the support for austinites navigating Texas's abortion ban. The majority of Texans support access to abortion by allocating funds for travel, childcare and other logistical components. You can help us access freedom over our lives and futures. Thank you. >> Quincy Dunlap, item seven. Quincy, please unmute. Good morning. [10:51:51 AM] morning. >> Yes. Good morning, acknowledging mayor curt Watson and our 16 city council members, to lead with council member Natasha harper-madison, whose district we're in, I wanted to speak specifically to some budget amendment items, the urban league is not in favor of expanding APD police funding, but we understand that there is a gap in the hiring. But there has been previous, expansions to the budget that the community cannot holistically acknowledge, nor define the impact of that increased funding over the past year or two. So we would prefer that, we acknowledge and lean more heavily towards focusing that $18 million on the community investment budget, [10:52:51 AM] community investment budget, which would improve the quality of life for brothers and sisters across the city, particularly with investments into, the housing response system that is end to end solutioning to include rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, emergency shelter, inclement weather shelter and the shelter response system in general. The $18 million could go towards supporting, multiple community based organizations to function as a community. Homelessness system response mechanism. Because there are a lot of smaller organizations doing great work, and we would love to coalesce, collaborate, and actually fund some of that great response and work that is happening with organizations of all sizes. And that serve different ethnicities and races across the city. Our value proposition is to develop an effective and efficient homeless response system that deals with, [10:53:54 AM] response system that deals with, affordability, emergency housing and shelter. So again, the urban league supports the crb. And we would also want to focus on expanding Austin public health's budget to focus more on food insecurity, offset. I think Austin public health has the chops to do it, so I think that would be a great city investment to expand ATF's budget. I know they didn't ask for a budget expansion, but I'm telling you, they have the capacity and the know how. And Austin public health and the leadership to serve the city well where it concerns its most vulnerable populations. They've been doing a great job. And I think an expansion of resources into that department would yield strategic results, we are also in support of, notice, recognizing in the community in Gwen Marotta item [10:54:54 AM] community in Gwen Marotta item seven. >> Hi. Good morning, mayor and city council members. My name is Gwen Marotta. I live in district nine and I'm currently a student at the university of Texas school of law, I'm calling in today to urge you to vote in favor of council member Fuentes's logistical support for austinites seeking abortion budget amendment and the community investment budget in general, this amendment will allocate $500,000 to fund travel and other logistical costs associated with austinites seeking abortion care out of state. In 2023, more than 35,000 Texas or more than 35,000 Texans, traveled out of state to seek abortion care as a result of the complete abortion ban. In our state, I have family out of state and know that if I needed to, I could leave Texas to seek abortion care. However, I also know that it's not the case for many austinites who either don't have family or friends out of state or can't afford to leave [10:55:56 AM] state or can't afford to leave and travel the increasing distances required to seek care, these costs are compounded for patients that already have children, which a majority of people seeking abortion care do. As they need to also pay for child care if they have to travel. The state's abortion ban, has had devastating effects on Texans, and it's for this reason that we're looking to you, our local government, to protect and ensure that austinites have access to a full range of reproductive health options, including access to abortion care out of state, where it's legal. I urge you to prioritize the immediate needs of austinites by voting in favor of the logistical support for austinites seeking abortion, budget amendment I would also like to urge council members not to increase APD's budget and to instead support the community investment budget. Thank you for your time. >> Dorothy McLane, item seven. Dorothy, please unmute. >> Hi, Dottie Mcclain. [10:56:58 AM] >> Hi, Dottie Mcclain. >> Are you calling Dottie Mcclain? >> Yes. >> This is Dottie Mcclain. Good. Thank you, council, and thank you very much, mayor, for this opportunity to be able to come and to speak to you today. I have been a long time resident in Austin, specifically 49 years, and I've seen tremendous growth in our area. I'm calling in support of the budget for the police. I'm asking that, you would think about the protection that we all need, whether we live in the southern part of the city, the east, the west, the central, northwest, southeast. Et cetera. There's been a tremendous amount of crime that [10:58:01 AM] tremendous amount of crime that we've seen increase over the past few years. And not only the residents, but also the businesses are in need of additional protection to. Each and every citizen here deserves to have an opportunity to feel like that. They can walk around in their residence or residential areas and be safe and also in the shopping centers and malls. Et cetera. And it seems as though the budget for the police department is the one that people seem to want to cut, but those are the people that protect us and help us when we are in trouble. So I'm asking that you would please take a really good look at this and not reduce or cut the money that's been allocated for the police department. I would also like [10:59:03 AM] department. I would also like to, have you think about what the consequences would be if we didn't have our police department to protect all of our neighborhoods and our businesses. And I want to thank you for the opportunity to give, to give me the opportunity to be able to come and speak and also appreciate the fact that you're there for us. And again, I thank you for listening. I thank you for considering this. Request to allow the budget to continue for the police department and have a great day. Appreciate you. >> Thank you. >> Lauren wartell item seven. >> Hello. I live in district one and I want to thank council member harper-madison for the budget amendment calling for more housing focused services [11:00:04 AM] more housing focused services and wraparound support for people through the downtown Austin community mobile court program. >> This and the other proposed amendments connected to the community investment budget are what we need to see more of. Thank you all for those who have been submitting those. We do still need a few things though. The severe weather and community crisis response funding resilience hubs and workforce development funding. I also want to encourage you to support the work of Texas harm reduction alliance. They are saving lives in our city. Most importantly, I urge all of you to reverse the increase in the Austin police budget. We need the money for things that support austinites, not more money for police. There was a comment earlier about not funding things just because we always have. Before the police budget is a perfect example of that. There are better options than this, than law enforcement and especially APD, and I believe you can make the right decision for this. Thank you for [11:01:06 AM] decision for this. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Mangki. >> Item seven. >> Hello, >> Can you all hear me? >> Yes. >> Hello. Yes, we can hear you. >> Hello, my name is meng. Great. Hello. My name is monkey and I am a partnership manager at up together. I'm here to request that you support the community investment budget and continue funding the family stabilization grant fund. At 1.3 million, as you have done for the last two years. I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the council members who have already supported this important initiative together as a nonprofit organization that, for over two decades has partnered with governments, philanthropy and community organizations to distribute cash directly to families while learning how they work together in community to achieve their goals and achieve financial security. Since 2018, up together has invested over $19 million in more than 8000 households in Austin. In June of [11:02:08 AM] households in Austin. In June of this year, we selected 168 households for the family stabilization grant fund, from which 96 of them are being funded by the city. Some of the baseline data that we have collected show that members of the family stabilization grant program are diverse in race, ethnicity, gender, and household structure. The grants are primarily serving families living below 60% of the Travis county area median family income. Struggling with housing hardship. About 75% of those enrolled in the program make less than 30,000 a year. We are learning how the grants are helping support families in getting new jobs, starting new businesses and pursuing education. Continuing the funding would allow us to support a new cohort of 96 households who are dealing with similar housing and economic hardship. We know that many more families can improve their lives if you make the right investments. Here are some highlights on what we have learned from the different investments we have made in the city. All participants are using the money for basic needs such as food, housing, medical bills and others. Participants are [11:03:08 AM] and others. Participants are increasing their housing stability. We are seeing improvements in participants health, well-being and food security. Income increases, debt decreases and in some instances home ownership increases as well, and participants are working toward longer term goals such as going back to school, moving to better paying jobs, and increasing savings. For this 2024 to 25 budget cycle, I urge you to, once again allocate $1.3 million to continue the family stabilization grant and ensure the city's commitment to the prosperity of our families. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Christopher Bradford. Item seven. >> Hi. Good morning, council mayor. My name is Chris Bradford. I am a 25 year resident of district five and have worked in downtown Austin for many years. I am speaking to register my support for the public safety budget. I am a big supporter of this council's embrace of infill development [11:04:09 AM] embrace of infill development and density. You have made deep and far reaching changes and I think they are wonderful, but it is critically important to maintain high standards of public safety and order in order to promote and sustain that development. Nothing will erode a city's urban core like violent crime and even other lesser but visible, petty and property crimes. Cities that have given the short shrift have come to regret it. Downtown San Francisco is half vacant, in large part due to an increase in crime. The New York Times had an article yesterday on how the new York City subway ridership has plummeted due to crime. People in the long run just won't stand for it. Both are now having to respond by increasing policing, but it's real hard to put that genie back in the bottle. So in conclusion, please support the public safety budget. Thank you. >> Catherine Chamblee, item [11:05:11 AM] >> Catherine Chamblee, item seven. >> Hello, my name is Catherine Chamblee. I'm a member or a resident or a citizen of district seven here in Austin. I'm also a animal shelter volunteer and I'm here today to ask you all to support additional funding for the Austin animal shelter. I'm asking specifically for you all to support additional staff in the form of foster care coordinators, in the form of adoption counselors, in the form of marketing staff to prop to properly, provide the resources for our one and only animal shelter, the Austin animal center. We do not need to be funding boarding. We need to be equipping our shelter with the [11:06:11 AM] equipping our shelter with the resources to do what animal shelters traditionally do to get our animals into permanent homes. Please stop the boarding, stop the hoarding. Fully fund our Austin animal center, our only animal shelter for the city of Austin. Thank you so much for your time and for allowing me to speak today. Thank you, Bridget Tobin, item seven. >> Hello, my name is Bridget Tobin. I'm an Austin native and I'm a social worker and a graduate of the UT school of social work. I wish I could be there in person, but I'm at home with my child as the primary child care provider. In 2022, I was an intern with United Way. I helped our team with projects related to preparing children for kindergarten, increasing pay for child care workers, funding high quality child care, and solving intergenerational poverty head on. The proposed budget this year would provide $18 million in new funds to the APD. This number is far too high given the glaring needs across so many of our other city [11:07:12 AM] so many of our other city departments, and given the lack of evidence from APD that the department will effectively promote public safety with another massive increase in funds, we had largely the same conversation almost three years ago in 2021, and the population voted by 68% no on proposition a, now we are being asked to approve a proposed budget that is 35% for the police and 4.4% for social services. And contracts. Why aren't we talking about putting more community workers and social workers in high visibility neighborhood centers, especially case managers, for self-sufficiency programs? Why aren't we talking about putting social workers in our libraries? Why are we expecting who are we expecting to solve our mental health crisis? Our substance abuse and overdose crisis, our housing crisis? The police, I ask you, the leaders of our community, to listen. I wish, I wish just funding the police and calling the police could solve all the problems that my beloved community faces, but it could solve 35% of those problems even. But it will not. Poverty [11:08:13 AM] even. But it will not. Poverty is the highest predictor of crime. How do you expect the police to solve poverty? How do you expect them to solve it better than a social worker or better than our numerous social service agencies across the city? It doesn't even have to be a question of good intention. The police are not in a position to solve these problems. I need to address these problems urgently, urgently, urgently with solutions that really work. I heard members of this body just yesterday saying in a press conference that we know when kids have access to after school programs, they stay out of trouble and they have improved educational outcomes. We cannot just push this as a tax burden for taxpayers across Travis county to pay for childcare. Childcare is in crisis. We have funding in the city. We can put that funding to this crisis. We have a total abortion ban, meaning more children are getting born across the state than in years past than ever before. We must continue to stand up for our young families when we know the state will not. We must provide support for [11:09:15 AM] We must provide support for young mothers and promote the best possible health outcomes for them, their baby and their families. As it occurred to anyone that the vacancies within APD are not simply a result of employees wanting higher pay, but that they themselves are dissatisfied with the job. Perhaps during the academy and upon starting the job, employees are feeling overwhelmed by their inability to meet the massive problems they are being called out to solve. Thank you fire and ems. >> Thank you. Your time has expired. >> Thank you, Doug Greco. >> Item one. >> Mayor and council members I'm Doug Greco, candidate for mayor in this fall's election. Over three weeks ago, I proposed the city spend 40 million new dollars on education and workforce initiatives and followed up by proposing we pay for this and other social service priorities like those in the community investment budget through the existing budget reserves, eliminating sweetheart utility rates for large [11:10:17 AM] utility rates for large industrial customers and, if necessary, at least discuss a tree. I also pointed out that by slow walking, our 1.8 billion in unspent bond money, we have denied ourselves an economic stimulus that could have helped pay for these priorities. Today the conversation will essentially be about how to allocate just 11 million around badly needed programs, which warrant five times as much funding. And let me be clear, these items are important priorities and should be funded. And I commend the council members who brought them forward. But even the availability of that 11 million has been called into question in the past few days by a lack of clarity in the proposed budget. Mayor, this is the result of short term thinking and playing small ball with our city's future. Specifically, three things. Number one, we failed to prioritize investments in human development like education and workforce initiatives that provide us with the best return on our investment in the long run. Number two, we failed to prioritize spending down the [11:11:19 AM] prioritize spending down the nearly 2 billion in voter approved bond funding in affordable housing, parks, libraries and other priorities that could be improving the quality of life in our city now and could have been providing an economic stimulus to our tax revenue. And number three, while Travis county and aid got out early and proposed bold initiatives to increase funding in education, workforce and childcare, we were reactive and early on shut down discussions on things like a climate bond this year or a tree. I encourage you to fund as many of the priorities today in council members amendments. But let's make no mistake this is an austerity budget asking taxpayers and ratepayers to pay more in utilities and fees while their voter approved priorities like bonds and police oversight continue to be slow walked. Mayor, we need to be bolder. Invest in our future, and follow the will of the voters. And at the very least, I call on everyone in office and running for office this fall to endorse the proposed measures by aid and Travis county to fund [11:12:20 AM] and Travis county to fund education and childcare. Thank you. >> Thank you, mayor. >> That concludes all the remote speakers we have right now. So I'll transition to in person. First up, Betsy Greenberg, item one and two, Sharon Blythe, Eli Cortez, Barry Jones, if your name's been called, please come down and sit towards the front. And if the podium is open, please go ahead and state your name. Is that Betsy? Betsy? Sign up for one and two a total of six minutes. >> Thank you. >> My name is Betsy Greenberg and I live in district nine. I'm speaking today in favor of council member Kelly's budget plan. That does not increase taxes. By not raising taxes, you can show that you care about affordability for the people of Austin. Unless you have unlimited resources. We all have to deal with budgets. Members of the public have to take care of housing, food and other essentials like childcare, tax and insurance before we can spend money on a wish list. It [11:13:22 AM] spend money on a wish list. It is the same for the city. You have to prioritize essential services, public safety, infrastructure and protecting the environment. The many amendments proposed by the council members are wonderful wish list of things we'd like, but unless cuts are made in the budget, as council member Kelly proposes, you simply can't have everything you want to show that you're serious about affordability. For the people of Austin, nobody on the dais should take a raise. The mayor and council members received a 40% raise two years ago. You should be embarrassed to vote for another raise this year. The manager only started in may, so I hope you won't raise his salary so soon. Council member Kelly has made many reasonable proposals for cuts that should be seriously considered. I am a member of the zoning and planning commission and we have year after year, proposed in our budget recommendation that software could be better used to [11:14:22 AM] software could be better used to check applications for planning and development departments to improve efficiency, accuracy, processing speed, and require fewer employees. Please look at where cuts, bond spending and improved efficiencies are possible before passing the budget. Thank you. >> Sharon Blythe, speaking on one, two, seven, 24 and 29 for a total of 15 minutes. >> Good morning. My name is Sharon Blythe. >> I'm a resident of district six. I'm also a long term cemetery advocate. Before you today, you're going to vote on a cemetery amendment that will save the city literally millions of dollars in future years for a little bit of investment in 25. It's important because this will benefit the whole city, all the [11:15:24 AM] benefit the whole city, all the cemeteries, all the citizens of Austin and all the families that need those services. I would hate to think that there would be a delight in those services, because certain religions require immediate burial of their dead, and if you don't fund these positions, that may not happen, and there will be a big public outcry for not funding them. So I ask the city manager, mayor Watson, the city council, please vote for this amendment because it is so important for this city to save it millions of dollars. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. If your name has been called in, the podium is empty, please feel free to begin speaking. Just identify yourself. >> Good morning, mayor and city council. My name is Eli Cortez and I'm an organizer with vocal Texas. I'm a resident of district one. I would like to [11:16:25 AM] district one. I would like to thank the council and staff for the work that they put in, we've been here for several sessions now, coming back and really uplifting the urgency behind rapid rehousing and the need for continued investment for that, I'd like to thank council member Fuentes specifically for her hard work on ensuring that the needs of our community are really uplifted and heard and upheld in this city budget this year. I really just want to emphasize today that the these dollars are going to make a very big difference in, in the people who are trying to seek housing and support and services in our city. I continue to have conversations with folks that are running towards the end of our, of our of their rapid rehousing enrollment, and really don't know what's going to come up next for them. What will where to go, who to call even. And so we're really excited to see the proposed amendment and the change to the baseline budget, I would also like to uplift council member Ryan [11:17:28 AM] uplift council member Ryan alter's amendment to include additional funds for harm reduction in the upcoming in the budget, I previously worked at Texas harm reduction alliance at a local. We work very closely with Texas harm reduction lines and continue to, and I really can't speak because to the value and the work that Texas harm reduction alliance does because it's truly one of a kind, right now in the city, we're seeing an overdose crisis, we're seeing it across the country, actually in an unprecedented numbers and figures. And we know that we have the tools and the things to address the crisis, the things that will save lives. We know narcan, reduces the number of overdoses and helps saves lives. We know that there's many people in our community that have need for it, that don't have the training or even understand how to use it, the drop in center creates a safe environment for people to come and access [11:18:28 AM] people to come and access resources, resources, even get linkage to care, and so there's really no one else in this city that's doing transformative work like that around substance use, and it's discouraging to see that APD is continuing with their $18 million increase in allotment. I think with a police force that has about with this increased allotment, almost $500 million in its force, 10 million of which is tied up in vacancies there. It's unfathomable, unfathomable for me to understand that that isn't enough money already to support their needs. There has to be an unused funds, irresponsibly used funds that need to be looked at closely, they already have 35% of our general fund, and I have to believe that that is enough money when we are calling for different investments, community services, social services, community based interventions [11:19:29 AM] community based interventions that we know work and that make a difference in the crises that our community are facing, including many of the recommendations in the community investment budget. So I really implore that y'all reconsider those additional and increased funds, and look for better ways to spend that money. Even the harm reduction ask is, is $1 million fully funded, so I just really implore you all to reconsider that. So thank you so much for your time, and yeah, thank you. >> After Barry Barry Jones, we have Anna Duncan, Alfredo Reyes, junior, Laura Ann Martinez. >> If your name's been called, please come forward, >> My name is Barry Jones. I'm a leader with vocal Texas, I wanted to thank everyone today for their work on, our funding, our amendment, our resolution on rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. I wanted to [11:20:30 AM] supportive housing. I wanted to go over those points just a bit today, as far as rapid rehousing, I think this is a really important, still a really important program. This program shouldn't be abandoned or underfunded, we currently have about 300 folks at the at the marshaling yard. That program is due to run out in March, is from what I know, there's no definite plan in place of what to do with most of those folks. Many of them would be appropriate for the rapid rehousing program, putting them into other shelters, as we found out, shelters are kind of a half a loaf of solution to the problem, the real solution is getting them into rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing. And, we need to keep funding the rapid rehousing program. And in addition, the fund, the, supportive services for permanent supportive housing, I'm going through the process of [11:21:30 AM] I'm going through the process of getting into permanent supportive housing. Now, I can tell you it's tough. It's tough when you've been living outside for a long time. You need help. And that's what this is about. That's what the services for dsh are about. That's also important program. Lastly, I wanted to mention, the funding for the harm reduction programs. I understand that the current budget allocates 140,000 for that. That's a really important program. The proposed amount is really not even a drop in the bucket, I've lived outside enough. I've been around people that use drugs. I know how much living outside maximizes people's drug use and how how that changes when they get into permanent housing. Harm reduction keeps people alive long enough for them to get into rapid rehousing or permanent [11:22:31 AM] rapid rehousing or permanent supportive housing. Keep that in mind. I'm sure you're aware that Andy brown commended three, on during the recent spike of overdoses on helping to prepare Austin for that crisis. And I think that that, an increase at least doubling of the funds to harm reduction is your best use of public safety dollars. Thank you. >> Thank you. If your name's been called, please come forward. And if the microphone is open to do what we're seeing here and come forward, identify yourself. Please. And please give us your comments. >> Good morning. Mayor, council members, my name is Anna Duncan. I've been here before. I am a leader of Texas vocal. Excuse me. >> No problem, >> Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I am here to [11:23:33 AM] to testify today. I am here to urge you for the supports of harm reduction, rapid rehousing, supportive housing and shelters. Do not put all of these things against each other. We all need them. The last time I was here, I shared that I was in recovery for 11 years. I was exposed to drugs from a very young age, a child should not be using drugs in the first place. As I told you about the time that I overdosed, I remember it was one of the scariest days of my life. I tried fentanyl and I was alone and now I'm lucky to find that my property manager at that time saved my life. When I look back on the day, I think about how harm reduction would have helped [11:24:33 AM] harm reduction would have helped me if I knew about it and could go there, I did not have the education on what fentanyl was or how to use it safely. I didn't have the community nor the support to, so I won't overdose alone. I don't even know what a narcan was or how to use it safely. We need to continue to fund these places that supports people who are using drugs, because people shouldn't have to die. Also, I'm here to share that I am from Ohio. Okay, I had rapid rehousing for six months while I was in Ohio. I was able to take over the rent for a year and a half because I had a job, and at the time the rent was a horrible, but I ended up losing my place, due to covid and everything else. The main reason why I came to [11:25:36 AM] The main reason why I came to Austin is to really start my life over. When I. Since I've been here, I've been sleeping outside. Now I'm at the marshaling yard. I am afraid that I won't be able to find housing by the time it's closed, but I am committed to keep trying to get housed. I am a security guard part time, and I have been interviewing for another job. I want my own apartment, so I'll be able to watch movies and bake. And one of these days I will be owning a bakery here. There's a lot of people that have dreams here in Austin, but they can't do it without housing or support this city really needs to invest other tools to help us. We need harm reductions, rapid rehousing, shelters, and supportive housing. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good morning, mayor Watson. [11:26:44 AM] >> Good morning, mayor Watson. Mayor pro tem pool, is there a button that you can push there? Sorry. >> That's good. >> Thank you. Good morning, mayor Watson. Mayor pro tem pool, esteemed council members and Austin residents. My name is Laura Ann Martinez, and I'm a member of and leadership and vocal Texas. I have been coming here for weeks speaking to you about the rapid rehousing program expansion, which you passed in may. I first want to thank council member Fuentes for working so hard to support our funding for this program. We'd also like to thank mayor Watson and the other council members who are working for funding of the other interventions that are needed alongside rapid rehousing. I won't reshare all of the same details that I have shared in the past, but I want to remind you that five out of the past six years, I was either barely housed or unhoused. I was in a program that was not stable, living in a shed with no running water or electricity, living in shelters, and even living on the streets sleeping under my wheelchair. Eventually [11:27:45 AM] under my wheelchair. Eventually I got rapid rehousing and an apartment which I, lost because I was kicked out of the program because I did not save over half of my social security income as I was instructed to do. So, I lost my housing, put my stuff in storage, and eventually ended up on the streets again under my wheelchair. This happened in February when the ground was very cold. No matter how many blankets you put underneath. Obviously I'm in a wheelchair and I am disabled. I shouldn't have been in rapid rehousing. I should have been in permanent supportive housing or in hakka like I am now. I don't have all the coordinated services which I wish I had, but at least I have a roof over my head and I'm feeling and I feel like the four years that I spent on the waitlist is way too long as it requires one to be homeless for four years. All of us are in need of different support. We need this council to stand up [11:28:45 AM] need this council to stand up for the diverse needs of our community. I needed supportive housing, but someone else might need rapid rehousing. We need to get this thing right and help the people get access to the tools that will really help them. And above all, the reason why I came back to speak today is because we are so diverse in our needs. We need funding for all of it. We need a plan of action. We need a plan for all of it. Right now, we don't have one. As I told the commissioners court yesterday, we need to fund programs to help people, not get them arrested. It costs less to help the people than to cycle people through the police, sheriffs, courts and jail. We need to keep the doors open for rapid rehousing, temporary shelter, supportive housing and we also need to fund those services that complement these services in all areas of their lives. We need to fund housing services and work to improve them so that people's needs are truly met. Please fund the budget needs that vocal Texas [11:29:47 AM] budget needs that vocal Texas has been supporting. Thank you for your time today. >> Thank you. >> Alfredo Reyes, junior Susie Beason, Paulette Soltani, Carlos pinon. >> If your name's been called, please feel free to come down and then you'll be called upon to speak. Welcome and please tell us who you are. >> Alfredo and Susie are not here. Good morning. My name is Paulette Soltani. I'm the co-director of vocal Texas. We're a grassroots organization here in Austin. I wanted to start by thanking council member Fuentes. Altar Velasquez. Qadri Murray Watson, and all of you who have been supporting the. Asks that vocal Texas has been making over the last few weeks and months, we see your efforts and we understand that the budget has been very brutal, very tight. This year, but [11:30:48 AM] very tight. This year, but something that it's really exposed for us at vocal Texas is just how big of gaps we have in the needs across the homeless. Response system. It's also unearthed a lot of questions that are going unanswered, questions about data that we requested months ago, that council member Fuentes requested that we still don't have full answers to questions like, where are people going to end up after the marshaling yard closes? How will the bridge shelters work without a plan for rapid rehousing? What is our plan to replace replace arpa funds or arpa funded programs? What is the city's plan to end homelessness? What is our blueprint? How will we reduce the number of people that are living on our streets and in our shelters? We have a real convo that we need to have in the next in the next year. We're proud to see and we're glad to see some of the funding that's in the budget. Some of this funding is ongoing for permanent supportive housing and shelters. Some of it is one time funds for rapid [11:31:49 AM] is one time funds for rapid rehousing, and we really want to see that ongoing. We need to talk about the homeless, the homeless strategy, office budget being 0.2%, and have a real conversation about what it's going to take to increase our our city's agencies to be able to really undertake what's needed in in this city. And we need to talk about how our affordable housing developers are going to be partners in trying to house people in our city. That is so unaffordable. Lastly, I want to highlight the gaps in the community investment budget. I formerly worked at the Texas harm reduction alliance. Vocal Texas grew out of the Texas harm reduction alliance. We had asked for, and council member Velazquez had put in an amendment for $316 or 16,000. Today we see that that amendment has been cut in half to 140. And, Maggie spoke to the fact that they have not been able to [11:32:50 AM] that they have not been able to hire more staff. They are the ones they are the front line staff that are on the ground every day trying to save lives. And meanwhile we have 18 million going to APD and they can't even fill their positions. How is it possible that we're going to put in crumbs into harm reduction when we're being we see that their staff is coming here asking for help to actually hire and grow their team, someone before me talked about how judge brown had talked, had had thanked three in this, the spike in overdoses that happened. I just want to remind everybody that few months ago, there were 90 overdoses that happened in our community. And nine people died. I think we all remember that moment. And I think that that alone and all of the other deaths that have happened across Austin are reason enough for us to fight for more funding for harm reduction. So the last thing I'll say is that I want to ask all of you to increase the money that's currently allocated in the budget for harm reduction. We need that money to [11:33:51 AM] reduction. We need that money to be up to 360 like it was originally proposed. Thank you all. >> Thank you. >> Carlos pinion, Jonathan tan, Susan Spataro, Jeff Dickerson. If your name's been called, please come on down. Susan has signed up for one 726 for a total of nine minutes. >> Thank you. >> I'm Susan Spataro from district eight, and I'm not going to repeat things that others have said, but one of the things item one, of course, is the tax rate. And the truth is a lot of people who are getting money want more, but there are people that are paying and they are struggling to get along. Austin is becoming more and more [11:34:51 AM] Austin is becoming more and more unaffordable, and the truth of the matter is these people are becoming homeless because they can't stay in their home anymore, or people who can afford it, but simply don't think they're getting the kind of services move elsewhere. So it's an important issue. And when we look at the tax rate and I think people need to know this, and it is somewhat complex, but, you know, the law requires you to disclose what happens to the average homeowner. And you do that and you're saying it's only going up X percent, but the average homeowner is right in the middle. There's a whole lot under that. And over that. And then there are the renters first. There's the residential renters. And I, I hear all the time renters think they don't pay property taxes. They do because their landlord normally passes that on. And so for renters to say, you know, just vote for anything because we don't have to pay for it is in fact a misnomer. I went to a watch party at an election a couple of years ago, and I [11:35:52 AM] couple of years ago, and I always remember this. A lady came in and the city had a big bond issue that passed and she said, I'm so happy because we need to pass these things because we poor people get all the benefit and we don't have to pay anything. The rich people pay it off. That is so uninformed. Everyone pays it off because wherever you live, it's property tax and that is spread out. The other thing that's really not analyzed, it's tough to do because they're so diverse, but that is the commercial and that is that, you know, these businesses who either own their building, pay taxes if they rent it out, they pass those taxes on to their tenants. Many businesses have triple net leases, which means it automatically goes to them. So what happens when commercial goes up? People think, well, I mean, it doesn't really matter, but yes, it does, because if many of our small businesses here have left because they can't stay in Austin and they can't pay the tax, and you're not the only taxing entity, but you can't. And so when a tax [11:36:53 AM] you can't. And so when a tax increase, let's say, goes to a restaurant, the first thing the restaurant owner has to do is he either has to cut taxes someplace a cut, cost someplace else, or he has to raise fees, or he has to lay people off and he can't do that. Then his business closes down. So it matters to commercial and downtown. You know, we've kind of been in a happy season here in Austin for a while. But, you know, 20% of the commercial buildings are vacant. That's not an insignificant the other thing is, people talk about who pays taxes. I have a lady friend that lives in a condo downtown, and we were having coffee one day. It's not really funny. And she said her property taxes that year were $100,000. 25,000 of that was from the city of Austin. You know, they deserve some services for that. She said. She's afraid to go out after dark in downtown Austin. They're afraid to go to the [11:37:54 AM] They're afraid to go to the paramount or to the music over here. That's not right. They need services and they deserve a clean, safe town. And that's not happening. The other thing I want to point out with regard to item one is that, you know, there's the second part of the tax rate. We keep talking no, but there's the debt service part. And when we talk about borrowing money, it has to be paid back. It's like your mortgage, and of course there's interest on that. So there's more it's more expensive, but it is spread out and kind of a staggering number. Of course, I'm a numbers person is the outstanding general obligation debt. That means that it's been authorized and issued and now we're paying it back as $1.5 billion. City of Austin. Then there's the bonds that are authorized but not issued, which means they've been approved on a ballot. And we haven't issued them yet. So you're not paying those back. Okay. That's 1.6 billion total. $3.2 billion of [11:38:55 AM] billion total. $3.2 billion of debt is sitting out there. That's going to go through that debt service rate. And it's got to be paid back. That is significant. Some of the amendments or at least one here, want to move things off. The general fund onto the debt service rate. That is not free. That is not a savings. And that's going to pile up on top of this. And you know, for 24 years, I was the auditor and I went to the bond rating agencies every year. And they look at overlapping debt because they want to make sure that the, you know, the community as a whole can pay that back debt. There's a whole lot with project connect sitting out there, I ISD I think it was three years ago, had a bond election for $2.2 billion. All of that is looked at by the bond rating agency. So it's important to look at that. I would hope that you would try to hold the tax rate. I think it is important. It's too high and it's a circular inflation of everything. Taxes go up, fees go [11:39:56 AM] everything. Taxes go up, fees go up, and all of a sudden people can't live here, I also let me see. I took some notes here, a lot of the conversation has been for spending on the homeless and I understand that. And the police. The police budget, if you divide that by population, is basically $516 per person. If you look at the homeless allocations in different funds for the number of homeless, and I'm taking the 6000 figure here, it's about $15,000 a year. So are we spending enough? Yeah, we are, because people are paying for public service that they are not getting. And one of the things I think that's important, and I hope you look at it, is people talk about whether you need police. I believe you do. When someone calls 911, they're they're asking their government for help. That's what they're [11:40:57 AM] for help. That's what they're doing. They're just not doing that for fun. And they expect that the police will come out and they will come out quickly. And that is not being done. When people are complaining about the police budget, because we are grossly understaffed and it is not the fault of the police department, grossly understaffed. They're having to work overtime and it isn't efficient paying time and a half isn't as efficient as paying straight time. But until you get that staffed up, you know, we're not we're going to have to spend on overtime. A couple of some of the police probably don't mind getting a little overtime money, but many of them are exhausted and they don't want to have to do that. The other thing that kind of strikes me when I hear these conversations and the budget, is that we talk about equity in this community a whole lot. I don't see a lot of equity for the police, I really don't. We expect them to put their life on the line just like George pasteur did. He died protecting citizens. And I ask you, what [11:41:59 AM] citizens. And I ask you, what would it take for you to put your life on the line for people you don't even know? And, you know, I went to his funeral and it was a very sad event. But one of the detectives said, Susan, people are putting their our people are putting their life on the line every day. Fortunately, they're not always killed. So that wasn't the only incident. There's something to be said for that. Then the next thing is, of course, a whole lot of employees can work from home, telecommute, and it saves money. The police can't do that. They don't have that luxury. They have to come to work when covid was out there and people could stay home and not be infected, the police had to come out to work. Is that equitable? The other thing is what they're talking about. When people say, you know, why should their budget increase? Well there's a you know, part of your budget is a 4% increase across the board for all city employees. So are we the kind of people that say, except for the police, we don't give them [11:43:00 AM] police, we don't give them anything. And if someone works for them, we don't want to give them anything, part of what has to be increased in the police budget. And you did that is the contribution to the pension fund. They were. That's part of their compensation, just like everyone else that works at the city. And the contribution was not enough. How do we know that when the city went to the bond rating agencies, they pointed that out and they said, you know what you need to put more money in there to find to fund that pension plan. And you did. Thank you very much. >> Bob nix, Irby foster, Jonathan tan, Jeff Dickerson. >> Honorable mayor, councilors, councilor. Velazquez. Mr. Broadnax Irby. Foster. District three on Instagram at Texas highway advocate I'd like to speak on budget item several [11:44:01 AM] speak on budget item several budget. I think it was multiple budget items and follow up my previous comments. I continue to ask for council action to improve freeway lighting and ask for better oversight of Austin energy, and ask you to change how Austin energy handles the 311 complaints. Specifically, we need to identify more money for freeway street lighting, repairs, hire and embed a new streetlight manager at transportation public works and not at Austin energy council needs to hold Austin energy more accountable for their poor track record in handling freeway street lighting outages. And finally, ask you to change how Austin energy handles the 311 service requests of Austin about outages. Excuse me, it's not an exaggeration to say there are hundreds of freeway street lights, underpass lights, and safety lights out in the city. There are hundreds more old freeway fixtures that need to be upgraded to led. Poor lighting is affecting our quality of life and our safety. Many freeways have dark main lanes and dark cross street underpasses. Subsequently, freeway accident rates are up 15% in Travis county and 35% in Williamson [11:45:02 AM] county and 35% in Williamson county. Fatality fatalities are now three a week, according to txdot, with dark cross streets, underpasses have also become magnets for homeless encampments. Of the nine major freeways in the city, most of the street lights are maintained by Austin energy through agreements with txdot. Tpw does coordinate some repairs directly with txdot, however. It's evidence that Austin energy does not have a good track record at prioritizing the progress of freeway street lighting outages itself, and the department is not budgeted enough for freeway repairs or conversions to led lights. I can see this because last night there were still hundreds of street lights out on the main lanes of our freeways. Thousands more fixtures need to be upgraded to led. I admit, Austin energy has acted on the hundreds of streetlight outages, but only after I complained to several city councilors and the city manager. Clearly, Austin energy is reactive and not proactive. Councilor Allison alter and Velazquez thank you both. I asked you to help to [11:46:03 AM] both. I asked you to help to continue to voice the need to make these departments accountable and demand thorough repairs. The current streetlight manager sits at Austin energy, where they lack alignment with council manager priorities. Further, Austin energy continues to close my 311 requests for repairs. Why? It's how do I feel that I feel that they're mishandling that portion? And why do I feel this way? Because the 311 requests are routinely closed after submittal with the response, we will schedule repairs later. As you can see in the screen, I've demonstrated this several weeks ago as well. When I reported 20 majormain lane freeway outages on July 26th and on on July 27th, Austin energy closed them all. Some comments were customer just wants more street lights. You see this in one of them? That's false. The customer and the citizens of Austin want is Austin energy and their contractors to ensure complete and thorough street lighting repairs. That's not happening. [11:47:03 AM] repairs. That's not happening. The problem with closing these 311 requests right away is as as citizen, I don't have any further 311 visibility or feedback into subsequent repairs. No further emails, transparency or updates from 311. The complaint is closed. This so therefore can be said for transportation public works as well. If Austin energy is closing the 311 complaint, then transportation and public works has no visibility into the quality of Austin energy's repairs for freeway lighting. However, closing the 311 report immediately does benefit Austin energy. It creates a solution to transportation, public works, and city staff that street lights are being repaired immediately. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Repairs are taking multiple months, if not years. I ask council to use the budget process to halt the inappropriate closing of 311 requests. 311 requests should not be closed prior to the work being completed without a change [11:48:04 AM] being completed without a change in the process. There will continue to be no visibility or transparency into the quality of repairs by Austin energy. I mentioned safety and quality of life. Fatalities are up, accidents are up. Txdot figures tell us between 2020 and 23, Travis county fatalities increased 15%, and in 2023, the average is 3.7 fatalities a week. Txdot tells us that 50% of the fatalities in our freeways are at night. And as I mentioned, we have many underpasses that are dark and have become and have begun to attract more homeless encampments. I don't think that's the best place for our homeless. Current levels of spending and freeway lighting repairs are not enough in this budget. I ask Austin energy. I ask us to require Austin energy to designate a streetlight manager to sit at transportation and public works where they have better oversight for Austin energy and tpw further, council could codify a minimum quality standard with Austin energy's funding. What about a resolution that says we want 95% of the street lights to work every day? They'd have a better budget [11:49:04 AM] They'd have a better budget proposal for you then I ask council to add funds for freeway lighting repairs to this budget and look at bond money. Maybe tapping that for more of a quicker response at a streetlight manager, fix the 311 reporting system and hold Austin energy more accountable for their poor track record on maintenance. All these initiatives will improve roadway safety by saving lives. As I mentioned, txdot says is about 3.7 people a week are dying on our freeways, safer, well lighted freeways, and underpasses will improve roadway safety and save our lives and reduce crime in our city. Mr. Mayor, thank you. And I give you a couple of minutes back. >> We appreciate that. Thank you very much for being here. Mr. Nix, if you'd like to come forward. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. My name is Bob Nixon. I'm president of the Austin firefighter association. Thank you, Mary, for your service. Mayor and council, for your service to the community. And thank you for your time today. I'm here to speak in favor of a couple of amendments and budget riders. [11:50:05 AM] amendments and budget riders. One is Ryan alter's amendment for the third cadet class and I understand has pretty good support. We appreciate that, there's been a lot of good press or press about firefighter mental health recently, a lot of interest. And we just really started this conversation with the community. But I've been working on this for a while, a workweek reduction that will actually lower the workload of firefighters. And I want to acknowledge Ruth mills, who helped me quite a bit on on that when we were working on that during the bargaining session. And I understand you're leaving soon, Bruce, is that correct? Well, thank you. Bruce is really a paragon of integrity and honesty, and I always appreciated working with you over the years, and I hope you succeed in retirement this time. But he did stretch to get this in. It's a big ask. It's a real restructuring of our department, but it's sorely needed. And I really appreciate all his work on that. And all the support we have from council, like I talked about a couple of weeks ago in front of council during the [11:51:06 AM] front of council during the general fund meeting, a workweek reduction really is two components. There's a schedule change, but if all you do is change the schedule, you have the same number of people doing the same amount of work making more money in order to really get the benefit of a workweek reduction. You also have a workload reduction. And that's what this third cadet class is about reducing workload in a real way, where firefighters can get some relief. And this is just the beginning of a bigger plan that we need to work on. But it's an important beginning, and I really appreciate the support. It's very important to get the workload reduction that this amendment comes with. 30 additional ftes. Otherwise we're just giving firefighters more money. We're not really getting the workload. We need workload reduction. We're looking for. So that's very important. The increased ftes provide the fire department with permission to hire the additional staff necessary to reduce workload, and the increased ftes ensure the workload will be reduced, not just create an environment where firefighters are getting [11:52:08 AM] where firefighters are getting more overtime. That's not the goal. That's not what we want. And especially we're trying to reduce, eliminate mandatory overtime where firefighters actually ordered to come to work. They're already probably volunteering other shifts, and there's to fill all the seats, which were supportive of because we need to fill all of our seats in every fire truck, every shift, every station. But we need more firefighters so we can get a break. So I really appreciate everybody's support on that. I also support Allison alter's amendment, to fund firefighter maternity leave for fy 25 and her budget rider, well, there you are for it to see if we can fund that going forward, the many, many council members know the community may not know, but AFD hiring process is very favorable towards female candidates. In fact, they're the most successful group. No matter how you break it down, females do better than any other group. On getting in the fire department, which we're very proud of, but we only have 8% females. And, you know, national studies would show this type of [11:53:08 AM] studies would show this type of job. You could have as many as 16 to 20%. So it really becomes a recruiting imperative. And one thing our female firefighters like to say is you're, well supported in the fire department. I think management does a great job of doing that, but these sort of policies will make it where we can really ensure them that during those childbearing years, when you're young, that you're going to get support. We actually have female firefighters had to leave, get leave without pay to finish recovering from from childbirth. So very much appreciate that Allison and all the support we have on the dais. I also support budget rider. I believe Allison alter put in to study whether we can convert, overtime dollars to ftes. So this would be outside the workweek reduction even without the workweek change, we are mandatory for firefighters to work. And so we simply need more firefighters even outside the workweek reduction. This has the promise of possibly having a way to offset much of the funding, if not all the funding, and it needs to be studied [11:54:09 AM] and it needs to be studied carefully because we don't want to put the fire department in a position where we're taking budget away from them and they can't meet their needs. So I think, I think the idea of studying this is very important. I think there's pretty good support on that item too. And I appreciate your your work on that. Allison alter, that's it. I appreciate your time and thanks for everything. You all do. >> Thank you sir. Appreciate you. Please come forward. If your name has been called. >> Thank you. So much. My name is Jonathan tan from burmese refugee community in Austin. I arrived in Austin in 2016 as a refugee status from Malaysia refugee camp. I have four children living with my family in south Austin. Apartment, the burmese refugee. The first arrived in Austin in 2006. Currently, there are about under a thousand families in the Austin area. Refugee mainly living in south Austin, east Riverside apartment, Dell valley affordable home. As you know, the Myanmar country is ruled by [11:55:10 AM] the Myanmar country is ruled by under military dictator over 70 years, most of burmese refugee rohingya community is from un development area and educated, we don't speak English. Very difficult to get a job because of language barriers during the pandemic. Many of the community family, they lost a job very hard to find a job because of, not afford to buy a car, lack of transportation, refugee. Care, very low income pay, low wage, only one person working in a household. Most of the men are are taking care of the mom or raising up and taking care of the children. They don't know how to drive, no car. They use public transportation, city bus to go near apartment. Sometimes we feel like Austin is not a place for refugee to live because Austin is too expensive. [11:56:10 AM] because Austin is too expensive. Prices are increased. Make money, income, expenses are two different things, income and inspection is like very different. So, even we work two jobs. Still not enough. The family income to expenses. Looking for affordable housing, apartment, but not safety environments for community too. So they they worry about how we continue to live in future in increase more the price, the community a lot of experience and the family cannot pay a rent community facing they were evicted from the leasing office. They cannot pay the rent with two families live together sharing a room in one small apartment. So lastly, one on behalf of burmese refugee community in Austin, how can the city can support refugee in local area, provide service to a roof to stay shelter, crisis of [11:57:12 AM] roof to stay shelter, crisis of financial hardship, recuse and provide assistance program. Need help for those who cannot afford to pay rent and afford to buy new affordable homes? More safety area facing financial hardship. We belong to a better life in Austin. I'm very thankful for American people. Local Austin, your commitment to welcoming refugee from refugee fleeing persecution and conflict under military dictator. Now we have a better life, peace and happiness. Life because of all of you. I'm not alone. You are here with refugee community. Refugee is not no more. My name. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Members it's 1158 and as I indicated, we probably would do very near noon is we would go into an executive [11:58:14 AM] would go into an executive session to take up some items. I apologize, but we need to do this. We will. Our goal is to be back out by 1245. So we'll do our best to be back about 1245. So the city council will now go into a closed session to take up two items pursuant to section 551071 of the government code. The city council will discuss legal issues related to item six, which is conduct a public hearing and approve an ordinance authorizing fees, fines, and other charges to be set or charged by the city for fiscal year 2024 to 2025, beginning on October 1st, 2024, and ending on September 30th, 2025, and waiving fees and other charges and item number seven approving an ordinance, adopting if I could get everybody to hang on, we're not we're still meeting chief. Where's the fire man? Where's the fire? Yeah. All [11:59:18 AM] Where's the fire? Yeah. All right. Thank you. Let me finish this. And then y'all can scream and yell and do whatever it is you firefighters do. All right, item number seven is approving an ordinance adopting the city of Austin budget for fiscal year 2024, 2025, beginning on October 1st, 2024 and ending on September 30th, 2025. Is there any objection to the city council going into executive session on the items announced hearing? None. The council will now go into executive session and as I indicated, we will do our best to be out by 1245. We were out of closed session [12:51:39 PM] We were out of closed session and closed session. We discussed legal issues related to items six and seven, and I will call back to order the Austin city council meeting. It is 12:52 P.M. Madam clerk, if you will begin with public comments. >> Thank you. Mayor bill bunch, Bobby Levinsky, mark wheeler, Kathy Mitchell. If your name has been called, please come on down and then just state your name for the record. >> Bobby Levinsky, just to clarify, I had donated on site seven to Kathy Mitchell, so three minutes should be deducted from that time. >> Correct. I have I have you for six minutes for item four and six. >> Thank you, mayor and council. My name is Bobby Levinsky. I'm with the save our springs alliance. I'm mainly. Well, [12:52:40 PM] alliance. I'm mainly. Well, first, I want to thank you for, rolling back the pool fees. That's greatly appreciated. And your offices were very responsive to that, we appreciate that amendment and hope that you do pass it. With regard to the, the rates for the water utility, earlier this week, you received a letter from Lynetta cooper and I. We both served on the advisory committee for the cost of service study, that letter details a lot of our recommendations, that we would ask that you consider as part of this cost of service study. And there's some additional, policy direction that we think would be helpful and moving forward, one of the main takeaways from that cost of service study is that there is a lot of flexibility in the city, in the water utilities. Financial policies that is not being take advantage of, of, particularly with regard to large capital debt, as you will see with walnut creek, that facility, they've reduced the cash reserve requirement. From [12:53:40 PM] cash reserve requirement. From 50% to 25% or 20%. We were we're asking that for other major capital improvement projects that have a lifespan of larger than ten years, that you do the same if you reduce that to, 25%, I believe is what the recommendation is based off of Leonard cooper's, recommendations that could potentially save a lot of money from the city in terms of its requirements that they need to hold for those large capital projects deferring some of the future costs, onto future years. With regard to walnut creek, one key component of that is that while it has hit the 75% rule under the t-c-e-q requirements, it has not hit the 90% rule. So the 75% rule is when you have to start with your planning. For an expansion, 90% is when it's required for construction. So we are not in a situation where we're hitting that 90% [12:54:41 PM] we're hitting that 90% threshold. We haven't hit that. And the data doesn't show that we're actually on a trajectory to hit it either. So there could be flexibility in delaying that construction of that major project, which is really one of the catalysts for the major increases in the water rates this year, if you delay that to a future year, you could potentially save some some time and some ability to build up your reserve funds and reduce some of those additional costs. With regard to the, sorry, the, the capital reserve requirement, also, I believe that the utilities recommending 175% as its, its current threshold. We're recommending that you reduce that to 150%, which is still well above the required 125%. That's a $16 million savings in revenue that can be shifted to reducing your rates as well. So that's another opportunity that if you look into that a little bit more, you might be able to save some [12:55:42 PM] might be able to save some dollars there, and, and some of the, some of the increases, particularly on your lower income residential customers. I just want to highlight that Linda cooper has had a lot of experience in this, she's been an instrumental figure in a lot of the previous, Austin energy rate cases. She's one of the reasons why the cap program, the customer assistance program is so strong. So I would really give a lot of weight to the recommendations that she's, she's been making. And I would encourage you to meet with her. She, she and I were present at each one of the meetings for the cost of service study. So we went really into the to the weeds on it, and I think that she's probably the best expert for you to talk to, I want to also raise some additional policy direction that we're asking for with regard to strengthening the city's water conservation program. One of the big things that we were not able to address in the cost of service study, but there was a willingness by utility staff to consider it. And they actually even offered some ideas we just weren't able to get to. A final solution was, regard to [12:56:43 PM] solution was, regard to commercial irrigation rates. There's some legal complications there, but I think with some policy direction and some flexibility for staff to come up with some alternatives, there could be a lot of, possibilities with discouraging large customer, commercial users from over watering. Grass at their facilities while still taking into account the impact that it has on its tenants. The tricky part is that a lot of the tenants are not in control of how much water is being used at those commercial facilities, so we need a policy solution that can address that. So please, as part of the adoption of the rates for the water utility rates, give some additional direction to staff to look at ideas such as a commercial irrigation rate or water benchmarking equivalents that could, could address the same issues, I think that's going to be mostly covering it. I am supportive of the cip, so I'm donating my time to Cathy Mitchell and I'll let her speak on that. Thank you. >> Hello. Mayor Watson and [12:57:49 PM] >> Hello. Mayor Watson and members of city council, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Orlowski and I'm a social worker at integral care and I'm here to express my strong support, strong support for all items included in the community investment budget, including rapid rehousing and harm reduction supplies and the importance of funding these items over giving more money to Austin police, who already benefit from lots of city resources and are not in need of any more funding. I would like to thank Ryan alter for proposing the amendment for the integral care crisis teams and Vanessa Fuentes for her support. So today I wanted to speak specifically about the proposal to make the integral care crisis teams emcor and c3 operational 24 over seven and the necessary wage increases to make that possible and effective. We're asking for $15,000 yearly raises for direct service staff, which would add a million to the original 2.4 million amendment for it to be funded all year, which would total 3.4 million to make these crisis teams 24 over [12:58:51 PM] make these crisis teams 24 over seven. These teams play a critical role in our community and could serve our community, even better. The expanded mobile crisis outreach team provides immediate mental health crisis intervention, often working alongside other other first responders to offer on site assessment, crisis counseling and connections to ongoing support. Similarly, the integral care 911 call center team c3 can provide specialized mental health support during emergency calls and dispatch Escott through the 911 call system. The goal of these teams is to ensure individuals in crisis receive appropriate care. However, these teams are not always able to respond even with when their services are the most appropriate. Some of this is due to the hours of operation not being 24 over seven, but much of it is due to understaffing. Over half the positions on the c3 team remain unfilled, and M Kut has only been able to provide a clinician to the ems community health paramedics. One shift out of the contracted two shifts per [12:59:52 PM] of the contracted two shifts per day, so half of the time, the primary reason for this understaffing is the low wages offered to these crucial team members. So due to this, many mental health calls are still being responded to by law enforcement, which can be unhelpful and extremely unsafe. The presence of law enforcement for many individuals can escalate situations without even any words being exchanged. Due to the extensive trauma people have with police. Police officers are also not well traned in de- escalation, and can often make situations more stressful for individuals who are experiencing mental health crises, which can then become very dangerous. Such is the case for the person who lived at community first village here in Austin, who had been experiencing problems with mental health. Someone who knew this person and knew they were struggling called 911 out of concern to request a welfare check. A police officer responded to the welfare check and due to what the officer deemed erratic behavior, the police officer shot and killed him. This person to be helped [1:00:52 PM] him. This person to be helped deserve to be helped with compassion, empathy and resources. Instead, they lost their life. I feel that the outcome could have been much different if an M court peer or social worker had responded to the situation. These providers are trained in. De-escalation can recognize erratic behavior as part of a mental health crisis, and have experience with mental health and how to treat symptoms. Also very important is their lack of access or propensity to use a weapon that could seriously hurt or kill somebody. If we want M court and c3 to function effectively and meet the needs of our community, we must address this issue head on. The city wants to increase the hours of functionality for these teams, with the ultimate goal of providing 24 over seven mental health crisis response, which is a great step in the right direction. But wage increases need to be included in this expansion. Otherwise we're expecting an already understaffed, overextended teams to extend themselves even more. The majority direct service staff on these teams are peer support specialists and bachelor level and master level qualified mental health professionals. [1:01:54 PM] mental health professionals. Bachelor's and master's level clinicians are making between 45,000 and 50,000 $55,000 a year and peer support specialists who play a vital role in integral care as a whole. And on these crisis teams make $40,000 a year with how low the wages are. We're not even asking for a competitive wage to fill these positions, but merely a living wage. The cost of living in this city continues to rise, and these people who are passionate about caring for their community cannot afford to get their own basic needs met and continue doing their job. These low wages lead to chronic understaffing, and the team members left are overburdened and more likely to burn out. These vital first responders deserve to be able to take care of themselves and our community deserves access to these responders. I urge you to prioritize the proposed wage increases with the expansion of M and c3 teams to 24 over seven. This investment is not just about fair compensation. It is about ensuring that our community has the support and needs to thrive. Thank you. >> Bill bunch, mark wheeler, [1:02:59 PM] >> Bill bunch, mark wheeler, Kathy Mitchell, Cole weaver, Chris Harris, Michelle eights, Patrick white. Zenobia Joseph. Scott Cobb, Kayla. Reese trey. Salinas >> Come forward. If your name's been called, please come forward. So that gives us some indication that you're here. And then if there's an empty microphone, feel free to take take charge, good afternoon, mayor. Afternoon, mayor and council, thank you for your time. >> My name is trey Salinas, and I am here on behalf of the Austin chamber of commerce as the vice chair for local advocacy. We're here today to let you know that the Austin business community is encouraging you to support the [1:03:59 PM] encouraging you to support the full funding to the public safety departments in the city manager's proposed 2024 2025 budget. We appreciate the work the city manager's office has done to support our public safety departments, and we encourage you to do the same by supporting the recommendations. Our police, fire and ems employees need to be supported and adequately funded to serve Austin and our community. We especially especially encourage you to support the Austin police department's budget to ensure our police officers are supported and have the resources they need to keep Austin safe. Our new police chief needs the resources to succeed in her new role. Thank you for your engagement and your support for our public safety departments. >> Thank you, Mr. Salinas. Miss Mitchell Cathy Mitchell does have time donated by Bobby Levinsky. >> Are you still here? >> Yes. >> Oh. Total nine minutes. >> Thank you all for your [1:05:03 PM] >> Thank you all for your patience. And thank you especially for your efforts in the last few days to fund more in this budget than was funded in the original draft. And I recognize all of our members who have taken a part in identifying and getting back into this budget. The things that are now in here from the cib, and I will say I've been scrambling a little bit with the draft from last night and then the draft from this morning to understand what those things are. But I do see that you guys are hard at work trying to cover the priorities that the community has brought you. So I want to start by saying that. Then I want to pivot a little to the fairly significant list of unfunded cib priorities. And I say fairly it's a significant list. Items that need to be funded at a higher level are funded at a lower level, and a lot of items are unfunded. So, for example, many of our members [1:06:04 PM] for example, many of our members were interested in seeing not just continuation of emergency weather funding, but ways to address the holes in what happens when we have a weather emergency. In this town. And a lot of the work that is done is done by community based organizations that don't get funding at all. People are buying things out of their own pocket. So you've had some proposals to add to add money for those items, and you've had proposals to increase what is now on the table. So I'm going to go where I know you all predictably expect me to because I think, there is a lot of frankly, I think misunderstanding about the APD budget where it is and what it is that the city manager has put in it. So, for example, we have come to you and said a lot of [1:07:06 PM] come to you and said a lot of these things can be paid for with asset forfeiture dollars. Now, I understand the city manager is saying that we don't know how to read spreadsheets, but there is an expenditure spreadsheet that tells us how much money has been spent this year from the asset forfeiture dollars. There are four separate asset forfeiture funds, and I do understand that there are some legal restrictions. They cannot be spent on staff. That's fine. There are many items on this list that are unrelated to staff and can be legally paid for from asset forfeiture, dollars, that's an example. A number of many millions in here are transfer dollars that are being given and then will be transferred out again to pay staff in other departments. And yes, are they supporting APD two? Sure they are. But currently and predicting forward that line is under spent at APD. So we have a particular accounting problem with the APD [1:08:08 PM] accounting problem with the APD budget. It is the only budget that cannot be reassessed at any future point if we are not actually spending all the money that's in a particular line, we can't get that money back now. They could rearrange it within the APD budget. That's reasonable. And actually that's the other thing that we've been asking you to do. APD already moved roughly 20 staff people from one strategy to a different strategy. They did that as staff before we even came here. Today. There are new staff positions that could be funded using the existing vacancies on the civilian or the sworn side as appropriate, in order to fill those things that are now kind of newly urgent. And I will go directly to the one that I know the most about, the funding for [1:09:09 PM] the most about, the funding for cronk positions. We don't have any accountability for that. We have been five years waiting for the police department to reform its curriculum. We have been really putting resources into that. And there doesn't seem to be a requirement by the city for new money for the police department, that it be accountable to the change that this city has been trying to make. There and I want to point out, ironically, as we are standing here, as I am standing before you, right now, there is a hearing at the courthouse over the question, has APD been withholding evidence in criminal cases from the da and defense attorneys since 2020? I am getting minute to minute updates [1:10:13 PM] getting minute to minute updates from that hearing because this is huge. Now, maybe it's not as huge as it sounded from the headlines. I don't know. We have a lot still to learn, but what it shows us is that a lack of transparency, a lack of accountability, and a shroud of secrecy around the documents that APD collects has not gotten us any better. We don't appear to be better. We are giving them more and going back to kind of where all this started. This was not about cutting and is not now about cutting sworn positions. Even back in the day when you all very bravely decided to put a halt to a cadet class, you did that because after two years of trying and directives and being very specific and trying to get [1:11:14 PM] very specific and trying to get APD to change its curriculum, they simply hadn't. The chief then had dug his heels in. There had been nothing done. And so you said, okay, well, the only thing you care about is this cadet class. So we're going to see if this will get it done. And by god, before you even voted, a process was put in place to start changing the curriculum. And then out of sight, out of mind. It didn't really get changed. So we have a department that has some intractable culture problems. It has such deep culture problems that we aren't going to be able to solve the staffing problem. Two days ago, I received detailed staffing information from APD. Every separation and every vacancy. I didn't have time to do the full analysis that I will do and bring to you. I promise. But top line, it is very clear that the biggest [1:12:17 PM] very clear that the biggest problem we have is attrition from the police academy and followed by attrition from those first years. If you include the attrition from officers who graduate successfully from our police academy and don't make it through their first year before they quit, the attrition is insupportable. That was why we needed to fix the police academy back then. It was always about the attrition. So all these folks who are here to support the police, that's fine, but they're not going to get one more boot on the ground and things are going to continue to slide if we don't actually hold them accountable for that curriculum reform and frankly, for fixing other aspects of the APD cultural problem like hiding [1:13:17 PM] APD cultural problem like hiding evidence in criminal trials where a person's life is at stake. We have deep problems in this department. I looked at the civilian staffing. We have 150 separations in the past two, two years from the civilian side and of those, an incredible 60 were from people who took a job at APD and left almost immediately. Two months service, four months service, five months service. This is people who are getting to APD. They're hitting a wall as to the culture and they're leaving again. >> Thank you, miss Mitchell. >> Please use the money where it will be more effective. >> If your name's been called, please come to the microphone. [1:14:18 PM] please come to the microphone. Come ahead. If your name's been called, I'm inviting you up. >> And please just state your name. >> State your name for the record, please. >> My name is Cole weaver. I'm a non resident, but I'm also an employee at integral care and I'm speaking in support of the community investment budget, I want to piggyback on what my coworker Orlowski was saying about, our crisis services and expanding that the wages for those services, I also want to piggyback on everything that local Texas has said about housing and social services, I'm in support of all of that. What I want to speak for myself is, from my perspective, I'm a I'm a peer support specialist, and I [1:15:19 PM] peer support specialist, and I want to speak as also as an autistic person who has experience with being in crisis and having police respond and I'd say. There honestly, I've been spared a lot by at least where I live in cedar park, where some of the police were at least I guess, kind enough to not like, use lethal force. When I was in what I guess what the autistic community refers to as meltdowns, which is also a form of erratic behavior, but there I've also experienced institutionalized institutionalization because of the way that policing was, was the police sheriff at least handled the, the crisis episode that I had back in the day. And [1:16:21 PM] that I had back in the day. And I know that for people in Austin and elsewhere in the united States and for people for autistic people that are have much higher needs than I do, that they're not always met with that mercy or even the fortune to get help or to get help from a crisis team. Like with social workers or even a peer, a lot of them, like there's many stories where they're either actually killed or they're charged with, legal offenses and they are they have to be put in jail or on extensive probation because they were simply misunderstood. And or maybe there were situations where they were responded because, you know, most people don't understand autism or autistic people and how certain things can set them off sensory wise or emotional wise. And that's why I'm in support of specifically, again, with the expanding of Escott Escott and [1:17:24 PM] expanding of Escott Escott and making sure that there is that alternative first response instead of being met with APD. And I would hope that long term wise, that there are more alternative responses, especially peer run, and not just in Austin, but, you know, throughout the state. And then eventually, hopefully, the rest of the United States will adopt alternative first response, thank you. Thank you. >> Hello. My name is Scott Cobb, and, Barton springs lifeguards have a group chat. >> And last week we were very riled up because we saw the entry fees were going to be raised because every day we see people from all walks of life come to the pool. Some of those people would have seen their costs doubled. Family with two kids would have gone 14 to 28. [1:18:25 PM] kids would have gone 14 to 28. So I posted last week on Twitter that, you know, you could take some money from the golf fund and use it to eliminate these fees. So I'm glad that's hopefully going to pass today, I was the only one who agreed to speak from the lifeguards because when we talked about it, they said, I'm not going to speak because I see what happened when people lifeguards speak to city council, they get retaliated against. I know about eight of them who have spoken here, and about five of them have been fired over the last couple of years. So there are two things I want to suggest. Number one, create a system where temporary employees have access to an appeals process so that they cannot be fired at will. You may or may not agree with the state of Texas policy allowing people to be fired at will. City of Austin does not agree with that. That's why they have a municipal civil service commission. But we are not allowed access to that. So we [1:19:25 PM] allowed access to that. So we get fired, called into the office. This is your last day. Bye bye. No appeal. Now there are two ways. There's one way you could do this. Two years ago, I spoke about the need for dental insurance at the last day of the budget hearing, and by the end of that meeting, there was a some two of you all had written a rider that said directed the city manager to implement a plan for dental insurance. You could do that very same thing tonight. You can write a rider that says directing the city manager to find a way to implement a plan for temporary employees to have access to a system where they have an appeals process. The other thing you can do is pass a rider that says the city manager should look into what would be the cost of adopting a policy and providing training each year that protects lifeguards from sexual exploitation by managers and supervisors, including [1:20:28 PM] and supervisors, including adopting a policy that defines consent. You should say the city of Austin should change its policy and include the concept of consent in the personnel manual. It should also specifically include a policy that includes and defines sexual exploitation, particularly as it relates to managers and supervisors and teenage lifeguards. You can do that tonight. You can draft a rider directing the city manager. He can implement that within months. Next summer, you see those 1516 year Olds there come to be a lifeguard. You need to protect them. Thank you very much. >> Chris Harris has time donated by Kate Mcardle. Are you here? Kate Mcardle Kate Mcardle. Okay, then. Six minutes. >> Sorry. >> Good afternoon. Mayor. City [1:21:29 PM] >> Good afternoon. Mayor. City manager. Council, my name is Chris Harris. I'm here today on behalf of equity action, I'm a resident of district nine, firstly, I want to start off by thanking, members of council, particularly, council members. Fuentes Velasquez, qadri, vela and alter for your work in, pushing forward as many community investment budget priorities as you have, and we see how many of these have been added to the budget, particularly since the initial baseline, and we very, very much, appreciate that. And, in all of your efforts to save them, as city staff, budget staff has picked, combed through, your amendments and told you which ones you can do, I want to say next that we [1:22:30 PM] I want to say next that we reject that, and you should, too, city budget staff have no constituency. We have. They have an agenda, but we have no idea who they answer to. And for what reason. And the amendments they've picked and chosen for you to be your final baseline. We reject. And I know it's the easy path to work from that, to use that as the as the starting point for today's conversations and for the conversations that may or may not occur over the next two days. But but if you allow them to pick and choose, then ultimately, while, you know, we see their agenda, we see what they pick and choose and we understand what that translates to, ultimately, it comes back to you for having allowed them to do it, for having allowed them to create the starting point for you and, ultimately, you're the ones who face election. You're the ones with constituencies and the [1:23:31 PM] with constituencies and the people who are coming forward and calling are the people that you have to answer to, not to the budget staff. And we really, really want to reiterate that because they do not represent community, they do not represent any constituency in this community. Next thing I want to say is, we again, while we are very appreciative of the community investment budgets that have been made, we see the vast progress, and I particularly want to, relay our gratitude as it relates to expansion to of the mental health first response system. Thank you, councilmember alter, for, for that work, as well as other councilmember alter for all of your efforts over the years in promoting that alternative option, we also see that this is a half a year worth of one time funds. Now, because of some of the choices that city staff has made and that you all are choosing to, to use as your starting point for today, this [1:24:33 PM] starting point for today, this is insufficient. How do people how does an organization hire people in numbers to provide a service? 24 over seven, when you're only giving them funds for a single year and to be to be Franck integral care has had issue fulfilling the duties that they already have underneath your existing arrangement with them. Asking them to use one time funds to hire a lot more people, which they'll need to do to provide this service 24 over seven so that the city of Austin fulfills its promise to provide a mental health option at 911, which it is currently not doing for a multitude of hours every single day. Is going to be very difficult. I lastly want to say, obviously, that we are we see that all of these initiatives, all of the additional amendments, things that have been cut, things that have been converted from from ongoing funds to one time could easily be funded out of the increase to the police budget. We're not asking for you to not fund any of the things requested in this [1:25:34 PM] of the things requested in this increase. We're asking you to find the money in the budget that already exists, a budget that we know is bloated, which we know they are not even spending all of as of the budget documents they're they've put out online, we know that you all have committed to, to payments for things like reaching an agreement in July. That agreement was not reached. Where are those dollars, there are obviously the civil asset forfeiture fund. There are 371 empty chairs, chairs which continue to carry over and over, and so it's, extremely disappointing to not see work really being made outside of the four airport positions, to, to fund community initiatives, and not just because we don't want to see the police budget funded. Again, we're not opposing any of the particular things that are in this increase or opposing is the idea that this 18.2 or whatever it is, minus those four airport positions, that money can never be spent on anything else until or unless that building down the street changes very significantly ever again. [1:26:34 PM] very significantly ever again. And what we see is, is not only the loss, the opportunity cost of that, but also this city, this council falling into the trap that state leaders set for you. 3.5% caps on revenue and a police budget that can never come down. And yet you continue to ratchet up and so you find yourself falling into this trap and what is the trap for? Its so that this city and the other cities in this, in this state cannot provide the services that your constituents expect, and so that they lose faith in you and the values that you represent because they see a city not meeting the needs of its people, only answering everything with more and more police. And obviously, we're very concerned about what this means for the much bigger fight that that is coming right to this, to this, to this chamber. Here very soon. >> Thank you, Mr. Harris. >> Thank you, mayor. Alyssa. >> Hello, mayor. And council, [1:27:38 PM] >> Hello, mayor. And council, I'm Kayla Reese. I'm the advocacy manager with Austin parks foundation, and I am just here to urge you to support a couple of budget amendments to improve the parks and recreation funding, crucial funding that's needed. I want to thank council member Ellis and Allison alter and Ryan alter for all that you all have done for the budget amendments to support the parks department's budget, I would ask that you support, Allison alter and Ellis, one budget amendment for the 16 park positions. This is not this is to get us where we are. This is not an improvement in service. This is to keep the service that's expected and to prevent seeing decreasing quality in our parks, if we don't get a handle on the historic underfunding of the parks departments, maintenance will be in the worst position in the future. So now's the time to really start this. Additionally, we ask that you suport Ryan altars number four for homeless encampment response team and Ryan altars amendment number two for parks and natural areas land acquisition. The demand for park maintenance has increased due to the growing population and the [1:28:39 PM] the growing population and the increase in the use of park facilities, necessitating additional resources across the city to ensure those spaces are safe, clean, and accessible for all residents. Please support these crucial amendments to the parks department's budget. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Bill Bryce, Rudy Garza, Pamela Madera. >> If your name is been called, feel free to come to the microphone. Just state your name for the record. >> Hello, mayor Watson and distinguished council members. My name is Michelle Ates. I am a resident of district one as well as an ems professional here in the city of Austin. I came today to talk to you very briefly about a program that I started, twa cares the T.W. And the a is very indigenous to Austin. Those are the initials of my father, Thomas Webster. Ates he was [1:29:40 PM] Thomas Webster. Ates he was hand-selected by old Anderson to successfully integrate Austin high that he did. But in doing so it was in response to a social problem, that social problem that had been identified was that would it work? And what resources were needed to make sure that he, as well as the others, hand-selected, were successful during his time there? He wasn't an athlete. He was a brainiac, and he was a darn good debater. And they supported him to no end. This city supported him to no end such that our schools now are integrated. Our young people are able to have some success. Our young men are able to have success regardless of color. [1:30:41 PM] success regardless of color. However, today we do have a new social problem here in Austin. That social problem exists surrounding those students that fall between the ages of 17 to 22, with those young students, men and young women. We have found in the statistics are out there that since 2017, there has been a downward trend in their success past the first year of college, specifically, young people of color and our young persons that have been touted to no end for the past 13 years of their schooling, for their involvement in sports here in the city of Austin and our schools. Those students that weren't selected to play, some of those students that didn't [1:31:42 PM] of those students that didn't have sport and are now experiencing homelessness with their families, twa cares, supports, we don't have grant funding. It's myself and my salary and a couple of others. We fund them out of our pockets. We've done so for the past two years. I have one student doesn't play a dime of sports and probably has two left feet, and that's quite all right. But he is the most loving person I know. Looked up. He was at one of our four year institutions. His mom was homeless. He was in a dorm. He didn't have the wraparound resources that a young man whose families experiencing homelessness needs. He was told he was an adult. All of us know from when we were in that age group, all of us know [1:32:43 PM] that age group, all of us know that have children in that age group, those young people are still kids. They're youth. They're just old enough to go to an adult jail when they mess up. And too young to get a whole lot of other things. But they can vote. They need our support. Twa cares aims to support them. We supported that young man to where he is now housed. We got him and his family reconnected with their family such that he's now housed and he's made it now past his second year of college and has his associate degree and is hoping to go for his bachelor's. I've got folks that play sports. I've got one young man, and the only way you could get him to go to school, he wanted his degree, but he didn't have much family at home. So the only way he would go to school [1:33:43 PM] only way he would go to school is because he could play sports. So you know what we did? We stupid. We formed a sports team around him. I got news for you. They played a whole year last year of college football. The twa battlecats. I paid for every down to travel, every uniform, every helmet, every shoulder pad. We've supported over 200 young people. We put up a flash mob at ACC eastview last year and just showed up with 40 people in the lobby. Can you register them for school? They want to go to school. I have students that go to Houston tillerson. I've got a young man that goes to concordia and one that goes to university of Texas, but they want to be successful past their first year, and they understand that [1:34:44 PM] year, and they understand that there are certain supports they need, such as tutoring. Some of them need food, some can't afford to stay in the dorm because mom makes too much, but still a little bit too little. And that's where we come in, because we believe in the village. That's what I grew up with. The village. I'm asking the village to support twa cares in the amount of $30,000 to be added to the budget. Thank you, mayor Watson. Thank you for your time. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council. I'm bill Bryce, senior vice president with downtown Austin alliance. I'm here. Request your support to fund critical systems needed to more effectively address homelessness and public safety. An effective homeless system must include a [1:35:44 PM] homeless system must include a continuum of outreach, intervention services, and housing. But with an estimated 5000 people living unsheltered in Austin, there's only $500,000 in the city budget for citywide outreach. A July count of unsheltered homelessness in the downtown public improvement district are roughly 1.1mi S. Within the larger central business district, showed an estimated 400 people living unsheltered. This report was sent to council offices earlier this week and showed that number has increased 18% from January. We support the qadri amendment to expand the successful heart outreach pilot from an eight hour a day, five day a week program covering a small downtown geographic area to a 12 hour a day, seven days a week program for the entire central business district. This area has the highest concentration of shelter and services, and people living unsheltered. Effective outreach gets people on a faster track to resolving their homelessness, preventing many from becoming chronically homeless, a point at which permanent supportive housing are most costly. Intervention is [1:36:44 PM] most costly. Intervention is needed. We support the mayor's amendment to increase shelter funding. This is a critical need. With the closing of the marshaling yard next March and to enable early and safe access to housing and resources, and we support the mayor's amendment to fund social services to serve the most vulnerable people in our community and move people through the system. Improving. Improving public safety requires an effective system that includes more than police services. In addition to supporting the proposed budget increase for APD, we support councilmember vela's amendment to sustain the city's commitment to fund the sobering center operations. The sobering center has proven to be a better place than jail for people to sober up, and significantly reduces the amount of time police would spend booking intoxicants into jail or taking them to the emergency room. We support the mayor's mobile ems amendment to have resources at the ready in our busy entertainment district. This will enable emts to quickly address medical emergencies in the crowded nightlife district that currently result in 911 calls and police, fire and ems [1:37:46 PM] calls and police, fire and ems response when emergency responders are busiest and finally, we ask that you sustain the city's commitment to support mental health pilot. This will provide alternative resources to address the needs of people with behavioral health issues, options we don't have today to reduce repeat offending behavior and improve client outcomes. We appreciate the time and thought that all of you have put into this budget process, and we ask that you support these important amendments to improve our homelessness and public safety systems. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council. I'm Rudy Garza, the chair for the greater Austin chamber of commerce. And I'm here speaking on their behalf. The chamber of commerce represents a little over 1800 members, made up of approximately 3500 to 4000 employees that live in this community. We sent you earlier this year, our priorities and our key interests for this budget. We also provided you our public safety resolution. One of [1:38:47 PM] public safety resolution. One of the key issues for us was a responsible budget. And we appreciate the city manager's approach to this budget. We know it's difficult and limited resources. We do believe the city manager's proposed budget meets those needs, and we fully support it. And we ask you to also support the city manager's budget related to public safety. As we said in our policy statement that we issued to you, we do like to see we would like to see more, funding for public safety. We recognize that in the police budget, there is no new no new positions, no new programs, no expanded programs, but we understand where we're at. So we do support the police budget, and we ask you to also support what has been proposed by the city manager. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Afternoon, mayor and council. Pam Madeira. I've lived all over Austin over the last 50 years, it is the duty of a city to provide public safety to its residents. And I appreciate the [1:39:48 PM] residents. And I appreciate the well-rounded public safety budget item that has been brought forward for the community. I think it's really important to note that it includes it is so broad. It includes different types of items, such as $3.8 million for an increase in sworn and civilian employees and health insurance, $1.7 million for a 4% pay raise for civilian employees, and $350,000 for additional fees related to the training academy. I request that this council consider leaving the budget as is and not reduce that budget. Thank you for your time today. Thank you. >> Corby jastro Robert Clark, Mandy zapata and Mel leblanc. >> Afternoon, mayor and council. My name is corby jastro, a lifelong resident of Austin and a resident of district ten. I want to start by thanking each [1:40:50 PM] want to start by thanking each of you for your continued service to our great city. I'm here today to encourage you to support the full funding of our public safety departments and the city manager's 2024 2025 proposed budget. Our public safety employees need to be supported and adequately funded to serve our Austin residents. There are still too many vacancies in our public safety departments for our growing city to sustain the needed levels of service, I encourage you to support the public safety budget to ensure our first responders are adequately funded and have the resources they need to keep Austin safe and continue to do the job that they do. Our men and women in public safety suit up and show up each and every day for our community, and we all need to support them with this budget increase. City manager I appreciate all that you have done to support our essential departments in this tough budget year. We thank you for this and we thank you for the increase in the public [1:41:52 PM] the increase in the public safety budget. A much needed item for our city. Again, thank you all for your engagement and your support for our public safety departments. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor. >> Mayor pro tem, deputy city manager and city council. My name is Robert Clark. I stand before you this afternoon as one who is not native to the city of Austin, as I just recently relocated here to serve as the executive director of the central Texas public safety commission. Furthermore while I am new to Austin, I am not new to the societal challenges that continue to plague public safety and our neighborhoods. You see, I grew up in the inner city of Youngstown, Ohio, was a public housing resident as well as a foster child for eight years. And tragically, I am the son of a murdered father. At the age of [1:42:54 PM] a murdered father. At the age of 13. From those beginnings, I have worked hard toserve for nearly 39 years in public safety. Both on a local level, federal level and internationally, and I understand what it means to have a full public safety engagement. I have seen the impact of crime and violence around the globe, and I fully understand the importance of public safety to be adequately staffed, resourced. Collaborative and impactful on not just crime and violence, but also on the improvement of health and public safety and quality of life issues to accomplish these goals and meet the objectives and challenges that are set forth before us and enhance societal order and public safety in Austin, I strongly support and encourage you to approve the public safety budget enhancements for the city of Austin. With the pending arrival of the new chief and for the current public safety leadership in Austin, those [1:43:55 PM] leadership in Austin, those enhanced resources support collaboration will have positive impact on public safety and will be paramount to the overall safety of our city. I thank you for your courage and for your work to partner with us to make Austin safer for all of us. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. Hi, my name is Mandy zapata. I'm a peer policy fellow with the Texas civil rights project, and we urge the city council to support the community investment budget and to reject the $18 million proposed permanent increase in the police budget, especially as the police continue to bargain for even more money in current contract negotiations. Thank you to all of the council members who have put forth amendments to fulfill portions of the community investment budget. We are grateful for all of them [1:44:57 PM] are grateful for all of them for, but want to specifically name the expanded funding and expanded office of violence prevention funding. Thank you, council member Ryan alter, for those investing in our community through mental health, supportive housing and other measures that will help heal our community instead of just continuing to criminalize austinites, cpr, ctcp values public safety. It's what guides our participation in the community investment budget, budget, budget. Sorry correlation, but public safety is not police and we fear there will be nothing left for true public safety investment if we continue pouring the lion's share of our resources towards police. Public safety is ensuring everyone in our community has what they need to lead healthy, stable, fulfilled lives. Additionally, we understand that the police academy continues to struggle to retain cadets due to the long standing toxic culture. The [1:45:59 PM] standing toxic culture. The community shouldn't have to suffer while their failed agency continues to be rewarded. Instead, please support the cib items like forensic nursing at the Austin health department, reentry navigators for jobs, housing, formerly incarcerated austinites, immigration. Legal services for low income families, community crisis response, street outreach services, case managers and peer support specialists, tenant education and stabilization support. Displacement prevention prevention navigators, and all of the remaining unfunded items from the community investment budget. Thank you. >> Good morning council. My name is Melo blank and I'm a constituent of district one and I will be representing myself as well as Texas rising today, I came here to speak in favor of the entire community investment [1:46:59 PM] the entire community investment budget and to speak specifically on the logistical support fund for austinites seeking abortion amendment that would allow austinites a more accessible opportunity to receive abortion care in a state where it is legal, when I was 19, I had an abortion. At the time, abortion was legal in the state of Texas, and I was able to access a safe a safe and legal procedure. I'm grateful every day that I had access to that care. And since then, I have gone on to graduate college, buy a house in which I pay a lot of taxes to the city, and I, I've been able to get married, and now I'm planning to have a family on my own terms, and everyone should be able to have that opportunity if I did not have that choice, I guarantee you all that I wouldn't be here today testifying and advocating for others. I would not be a community organizer of six years, and I would not be fulfilled with my life the same way that I am today in 2018, it cost me about $400 to receive my abortion today, with travel, lodging, lost wages and other factors, it would cost bout $2,000. If I was struggling to pay $400, then you can only [1:48:01 PM] pay $400, then you can only imagine how much abortion seekers are suffering now, forcing someone to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term is not only cruel, but it leads to many physical and mental detriments as we are currently seeing with the all out abortion bans in Texas. And while we don't have the option anymore to provide, safe abortions in Texas, we do have an opportunity to ensure that people are still able to access this vital care through providing financial support to overcome some of those barriers, a common question. I've heard this budget cycle and have like, have heard in some meetings with you all is where is this money coming from? And to that I say we need to restructure what safety looks like from not increasing the reserve funds, to allow room for more social programs to the unavoidable proposed addition of $18 million for APD, regardless of their departments, tens of millions of and unused funds allocated to open positions that they can never seem to fill, for most of us here today, safety looks like funding, permanent [1:49:01 PM] looks like funding, permanent housing, mental health services, social programs and practical abortion support not another $18 million to a failing and broken system that is repeatedly draining resources from the budget. To reiterate, I wholeheartedly support the logistical abortion fund for austinites being adopted into the city budget. I also wanted to give a special thank you to council members Fuentes Velasquez, vela, zo and alter for sponsoring this. And thank you all for listening to me today. We love abortions and we want to make them accessible. Thank you. >> Maggie Susana Lauren Hartnett, Shelley Lieberman, Janice Bookout, Andrew Hairston. >> Good afternoon, Janice Bookout, community resilience [1:50:03 PM] Bookout, community resilience trust and Earth day. Austin, first of all, thank you, council, for taking community wisdom seriously. That's genuine. Thank you, who are these advocates who comes to speak in my years of speaking before council, there are two groups that I repeatedly see here, people who have a financial interest in the policies at issue and community based organizations and advocates who do it because we love people and we represent and care about the people that we're here speaking on behalf of. We are not a monolith. We often disagree with each other. What we are, however, is connected to vast networks of people different and sometimes overlapping groups representing a collective tens to hundreds of thousands of people whose incomes are well below the median income of the city. People historically impacted by systemic inequities. We are these people and we listen to these people, and we set aside time to come here. But we don't speak in isolation. Listening to [1:51:03 PM] speak in isolation. Listening to community advocates works, did you know that our our covid deaths for a city of our size were seventh lowest in the country and lowest in the state of Texas, in a state that ranked fifth highest for covid deaths, any significant and significantly lower than average across all demographic groups. Both health authorities said that those covid outcomes had everything to do with community involvement. And for our partnership during that time, so two specific aspects of the budget fund, the resilience office resilience is unique from heesom. It's unique from sustainability in other cities. Resilience is the role that helps communities survive and recover when city resources are not enough. And our office did that when it was active, resilience is also the role that supports building community strength over time. It is vital, a vital resource, and we are behind police budget increase. So looking at the line item use of the last years, you can see [1:52:06 PM] of the last years, you can see an awful lot of shuffling line items towards other priorities than what was planned. If you analyze the use of funds at least 8.5 million and in many categories with $0 budget line items, I echo, any increase in budget cannot be revoked. I'm aware of financial challenges this city has faced, this city faces now and in the future. We have a brand new chief and a brand new city manager. Let's let the dust settle and evaluate actual spending before we lock ourselves into something we cannot undo, please keep doing the hard work. Y'all keep listening and please take it further. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, mayor and council. Lauren Hartnett and I believe I need to disclose that I was a member of council member harper-madison staff through March 20th, 23. Manuals a little unclear, but I think I need to do that, as we all know, this is one of the most challenging [1:53:08 PM] one of the most challenging budget budget cycles we faced in recent memory, and I thoroughly appreciate the difficult decisions that you all have had to make. And I am of the opinion that in times of tight budgets, it's critical that we ensure that our limited funds are utilized in a way that benefits the most people and maximizes the positive impact that we can achieve with those limited funds. In addition to the funding included for rapid rehousing and psh, I'm here today to express my strong support for including funding for the operations and maintenance of our emergency shelter partners in the fy 25 budget. These organizations are on the front lines, providing essential services to individuals experiencing homelessness. Through my role in council member Harper Madison's office and in my current role with plug in house, I've had the privilege of witnessing transformative work that the other one's foundation has done firsthand in just three years, Toof has transformed what was once essentially the thunderdome on a vacant lot into a vibrant, beautiful community. This community now includes 100 housing units, community spaces, [1:54:10 PM] housing units, community spaces, offices, and by the end of the year, a skill center that will provide training and certification and trades like welding and hvac. And tuf has done all of this at roughly a cost of $15,000 per client per year. That is significantly more cost effective than some of our other programs that we rely on to provide housing to those in need who need comprehensive wraparound services. And on top of that, they have a proven track record. Last year alone, 288 of their clients were moved into stable housing. And I'm not advocating for one method or another. I'm just saying that we should fund our cost effective and effective, services emergency shelter services like the other ones. Foundation. Again, I fully recognize how tight this year's budget is. So my ask today is for council to at least include budget direction that directs the city manager to continue exploring and identifying potential funding options such as [1:55:10 PM] funding options such as remaining uncommitted. Arpa dollars, that were identified in budget q&a, to support the operations and maintenance of our emergency shelter operators. This could also include identifying grants and providing grant writing support. So thank you for your time and can commit a commitment to our community. Thank you. Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council members. My name is Shelley Lieberman. I live in district four. Thank you for allowing me to speak today. During your first budget work session, I asked you to increase funding for the Austin animal center, our city shelter, to provide enough staff to fulfill its mission humanely. I volunteered at aac since 2019, and I see firsthand how a shortage in staff adversely affects not only the animals, but current staff, volunteers, and the public. I want to thank mayor Watson for his amendment to add two and a half fte coordinators to our foster team, and while I was hoping for even more services animal care, I [1:56:10 PM] more services animal care, I think the mayor's amendment is a small step in the right direction, and I hope city council and the rest of you guys will support the city shelter by supporting his amendment. I also hope that we will continue in the right direction with the strategic plan. The animal services office currently is in the works. I suspect many elements of this strategic plan will require additional staff and unless this council is willing to fund the animal services office and Austin animal center appropriately, my fear is the strategic plan will be a wasted exercise. But my hope is the opposite that we will come up with a plan that will have the funding it needs to make the animal services office and Austin animal center successful and allow it to fulfill its mission humanely. This is my first time to be involved in the budget process. I learned that the budget town hall for councils for districts one and four last month that the budget process starts much earlier and I'm a little bit late to the game. So expect to see me more earlier in next year as you start the budget process again. We'll be asking for more staff for Austin animal center, our city shelter we've known since at least 2015. Audit of [1:57:10 PM] since at least 2015. Audit of Austin animal center. It has been woefully understaffed and it's time to change that. Thank you for supporting our city shelter and Austin's pets. >> Thank you. >> Good afternoon, mayor and city council. My name is Andrew Hairston. I'm a district one resident. I'm a civil rights attorney and a proud member of the Austin democratic socialists of America. I'm here to speak on item seven and in favor of the community investment budget. I thank all of you for your work so far, especially over the past week in the various amendments to move forward, the pieces of the community investment budget and make sure that vital social services are preserved. However, many pieces of the community investment budget remain unfunded, such as workforce development initiatives that are designed to support other black folks. In my community of central east Austin. Above all, I urge you to reject the proposed $18 million increase to the budget of the Austin police [1:58:11 PM] the budget of the Austin police department. I'm currently engaged in similar advocacy in my day job to push Austin ISD to reconsider its police budget, especially after the pandemic and all of its harmful effects on young people. As young people return to school this week across the region, across central Texas, they remember Sonia massai and countless other black people who have lost their lives extrajudicially at the hands of the state through the police, regardless of if police are in their schools or communities. Young people know intrinsically that the police are there to reinforce social inequality. I urge you to stop increasing the police budget from year to year, especially since it can't be diminished once it is, and fully invest in young people so that they can flourish in the future. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hello council, my name is Maggie Desouza and I am a UT student, a resident of district [1:59:12 PM] student, a resident of district nine and the central Texas advocacy and field organizer for Texas rising action. And I'm here today to express my unwavering support for the entire community investment budget and more specifically, to speak on, council member Fuentes's logistical support fund for austinites seeking abortion and in complete support of it. This budget amendment, if approved, will expand the current reproductive health grant by $500,000 to cover airfare, gas reimbursements, rideshares, hotel stays, childcare stipends, and companion travel for austinites. Crossing state lines to access abortion care. In 2019, Austin made history as the second city in the U.S. To use city funds to support people accessing abortion care. And this was such a huge and vital step in ensuring that all austinites are safe and supported in their reproductive health care decisions, and after two budget cycles of successfully implementing these funds in 2022, the city limited them to include education and outreach for contraception, access and [2:00:13 PM] for contraception, access and early pregnancy, navigation and while I am in full support of all of these services and have personally reaped the benefits of them, austinites deserve access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care, including abortion. It's well supported that folks who are denied abortions are more likely to experience complications at the end of their pregnancies, stay tethered to abusive partners, experience poor physical health, and live below the federal poverty level and after the implementation of senate bill eight and the overturning of roe V wade, Texas has become one of the most hostile states in the nation for both abortion seekers and abortion providers, meaning that austinites are having to travel hundreds of miles just to get an abortion. And because of abortion coverage bans at the state and federal level, Texans already have to pay out of pocket for the procedure itself. For low income Texans, this sometimes means choosing between health care and other necessities like rent or food, for as long as pregnancy exists, abortion will exist, and it's up [2:01:13 PM] abortion will exist, and it's up to us to support all abortion seekers unconditionally. Funding practical support is a commitment to economic, racial, and gender justice by removing the barriers that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Instead of wasting valuable city resources, funding an already ballooning police budget. It's high time we invest in the people of Austin and prioritize services that actually keep us safe. When extremist lawmakers at the state and federal level turn their backs on us, it's the duty of local governments to find creative solutions to fit the needs of our communities, not cower and shy away from what we know is right. I urge you to be brave and prioritize the immediate needs of austinites by voting in favor of the logistical support fund and the entire community investment budget. An investment in your constituents is an investment in your city. Thank you. >> Nick machado, Michelle Mejia, yaneth flores, Gracie Pinkel, Chris baker if your name has [2:02:15 PM] Chris baker if your name has been called, please come down towards the front. >> Sorry. Good afternoon council. >> My name is Nick machado. I use they them pronouns and I'm a second year social work and pre-law student at Sade Edward's university, currently residing in district nine. I spend the entire budget for you to all vote in favor of council member Fuentes's logistical support for austinites seeking abortion. Budget amendment, which will allocate $500,000 to support airfare, gas reimbursements, hotel stays, rideshares childcare stipends, companion travel and food for austinites traveling to access abortion care. Post-roe research indicates that abortion does not lead to long term or short term negative mental health outcomes, [2:03:17 PM] negative mental health outcomes, but being denied abortion care is. Abortion is complex and everyone will experience it differently. Yet abortion should be accessible, affordable and available without shame or pressure to deprive our community of accessible and affordable abortion care is to contribute to a lack of choice and bodily autonomy for all current and future pregnant people of the city of Austin. In 2019, the Austin police department and the Travis county sheriff's office reported a combined total of over 9000 family violence cases and intimate partner violence is a leading cause for pregnant people to seek an abortion. As someone who has witnessed loved ones become victims of ipv, a pregnancy makes escaping from a violent situation just that much more difficult. The financial, emotional and psychological strain of carrying an unwanted pregnancy weighs heavily on the [2:04:17 PM] pregnancy weighs heavily on the mental health of people who are unable to access abortions. I urge you all to prioritize the immediate needs of austinites by voting in favor of councilman Fuentes's logistical support for austinites seeking abortion, budget amendment and entirety, and the entire community investment budget. An investment in your constituents is an investment in your city. Thank you for your time. >> Hello, I'm Chris baker. I'm the, executive director of the other woman's foundation, and I think that you guys probably all know why I'm here, but I will try to go easy on you. I'm here representing the many hundreds of people that the other one's foundation serves. And I don't really know what I'm doing. So, like, whatever Lauren Hartnett [2:05:18 PM] like, whatever Lauren Hartnett just said, like, do that, the homeless response system is a big and complicated machine. It needs tending to across the entire continuum. And while the city, y'all have a big role in supporting the providers, us, the providers owe it to the people we serve, the people of Austin. And y'all, to make sure that the machine is not just running smoothly, but is also running efficiently. I don't think I'm telling you anything that you don't already know. Over the last few weeks I've tried and I feel I have failed to convince many of you of the critical importance of emergency housing in our system. But you guys already know that the Esperanza community is a non-congregate emergency housing complex, where we support people through their journey out of homelessness and into a fulfilled, housed and most importantly, independent life. That thing went from being this god awful, mess of an encampment to a vibrant, functioning facility where people find dignity, a supportive community and warm beds to stay off the street. That's 100 beds now, 200 [2:06:18 PM] street. That's 100 beds now, 200 200 beds by year's end. We're also bringing workforce solutions and ACC on site to help folks get the skills they need to economically thrive in our community. But you all already know that. You know that because most of you guys have been there, you've been there to support and cheerlead the work that we do. You've supported building it. You have supported growing it, expanding it, but now it is time to run it. And it is conspicuously missing from this budget. But it is missing. And I get it. The city is broke, but is it? Or is it just that homeless response has to fight for the scraps? I think it could just be that I work in this space, but it certainly feels like we spend like 80% of our time talking about homelessness. But it represents less than one half of 1% of the general fund budget. And I could lob criticisms at you guys for doing [2:07:20 PM] criticisms at you guys for doing that, but it would be disingenuous to do it without also acknowledging that we have work to do to make the system more coordinated and more efficient. So even though it's looking like, I don't know, unless you did all that stuff that Lauren said that you're not going to be able to give Esperanza any money. This year. I do ask you to give us the time and effort it's going to take to work, to permanently fix our community's massive funding gaps. Ending homelessness is a tall order. How are you supposed to end something that's like a state of being, trying to end homelessness in that way is like trying to end sadness. It's a condition that people are going to fall into, and we need emergency housing there to support their basic needs when it happens, when it happens. And lastly, I just want to say it's kind of cringey how people are here talking about public safety as separate from homeless services. Yellow homeless services are public safety. [2:08:21 PM] services are public safety. Thank you. >> Good. Sorry. Good afternoon everybody. My name is Michelle Mehan. I'm the early childhood organizer with go Austin. Vamos, Austin, first of all, I would like to thank you all for your service and for all the time invested to support children and families in our cities. I would also like to thank council members Allison alter, Vanessa Fuentes for being childcare champions, superheroes for our children and families. As we have seen over the years, your support for our early childhood communities consistently, especially around the family stabilization grant and spearheading the early childhood conversation. Today, I'm here to support the community investment budget and to uplift the early childhood city budget recommendation from Garza, which include one point only 1.575 million investment in our kids [2:09:23 PM] million investment in our kids future. We'd especially like to see your investment in our friend, family and neighbor providers, caregivers. Ffm care is the most common type of caregiving for children 0 to 3. Most of the time they take care of children in our communities for poverty wages and sometimes without pay. They take care of sick children so parents can go to work. And without clear access to professional development opportunities, family, friend and neighbor care that is, child care provided by relatives, friends and community members is the most common form of child care in the us. According to the migration policy institute. We are currently collaborating with ec rapid out of Stanford university to collect local data on the realities of our local friend family, neighbor community. I will send this information to you once we have it. Today is a special day as we are launching our children's coloring book, which you all should have gotten a copy of, and it's called Carlo the superhero spy. You should have gotten a copy. Oh, I [2:10:23 PM] have gotten a copy. Oh, I already said that. Sorry and we hope you read it and color it with a special kiddo in your life. The message is clear. Let's care for our caregivers. They need affordability, too. They deserve to stay in our cities. And they are foundation, which allows our working class communities and all communities to continue to work. All of them, especially those whom are often left out of the conversation. So we urge you to take action as this is key to affordability in the city. Thank you. >> Good afternoon. My name is Janet flores and I'm speaking on behalf of Anna shabani, director of a fund, Texas choice, a statewide practical support abortion fund based in Austin, Texas. Fund Texas choice was funded in 2013. In response to house bill two, which closed 75% of Texas clinics and forced Texans to travel extensively for abortion care. We provide essential support, travel, lodging, food, child care and [2:11:25 PM] lodging, food, child care and other necessary expenses to help Texans, especially austinites, overcome barriers to accessing care. Our state has wonderful and resilient people who keep fighting for abortion access, and we are so grateful for the city council for putting austinites and Texans first by not only creating the practical support fund it did in 2019, but willing and able to push forward again in the face of these bans and hoping to increase these funds, the need for leadership and continued support for reproductive health care, including abortion, remains critical. Today. We are advocating for the proposed funding for practical abortion support in Austin and Travis county, including council member Fuentes. His proposal for funding towards practical support, and council member Ellis and Paul's suggestion to have further investment in the reproductive health care grant that provides other sexual and reproductive health care initiatives to austinites. This past few years have been devastating for abortion access [2:12:26 PM] devastating for abortion access in Texas. From the six week abortion ban that is sb eight to the U.S. Supreme court overturning of roe V wade, the revival of pre-civil war abortion bans, and the current criminalization of Texans leaving our state Wright. We have to discuss the way in which various municipalities and counties are threatening our constitutional right to travel at a state and attempting to implement abortion travel bans. As a former subgrantee of Austin's practical support funding, ftc has witnessed the profound impact of these funds. The costs associated with abortion extend far beyond the procedure itself, becoming a mountable for many beyond the high cost of abortion. We also see the impact of the Hyde amendment and Texas laws providing prohibiting insurance coverage. This journey incurs significant expenses, including transportation, child care, lost wages, and lodging. Texans must [2:13:26 PM] wages, and lodging. Texans must travel over 1500 miles round trip to access care, and we spent an average of $1,200 on clients for this type of care. Sometimes it is much more depending on that particular client and their needs. These practical support services are vital for communities marginalized by systemic oppression and hindered by the barriers imposed by state leaders over the past decade. We thank you for your support of abortion access and your recognition that this is both a racial and gender justice issue. Our clients often go unseen in municipal equity, and we appreciate you considering them. >> Thank you very much. >> Monica Guzman and she has time donated by Roy Whaley. Roy Whaley, are you here? >> Yeah, I am here. >> Six minutes for Monica, followed by Yasmin, Yasmin Smith, Robert, lily, Liz Collins, Shantel Pridgen. Broadnax. [2:14:27 PM] Shantel Pridgen. Broadnax. >> Good afternoon, mayor and council. I'm Monica Guzman, policy director at Garza. Lugo Austin. Austin, we want to start by thanking all 11 offices, mayor and council and your staff for taking the time to meet with staff and resident leaders about our budget recommendations. We want to add additional points to consider while you deliberate on what to fund early childhood education and development. We heard and watched ec educators Garza resident leaders speak at the Travis county commissioners court and are pleased the ballot language for affordable child care now was approved, in our meetings with your staff, we heard confidence voters will [2:15:29 PM] heard confidence voters will approve it and millions of dollars will come through for ec providers. However, home based fn family friend network providers will not benefit Murray Watson. Your office reached out to us last year for input about your child care priority, specifically home based child care providers. We urge you and other council members to fund the workforce. You get the picture. Yes, the workforce behind the workforce, the superheroes. Hence the capes. Without them, many will not be able to be at work or take advantage of professional development opportunities such as another one of your priorities. The infrastructure academy us shoot my thing jumped. I'm losing time. Austin community owned food retail initiative. We understand the fiscal 25 budget is lean, with manager Broadnax practice of projecting expenditures for two years. We recommend a $500,000 allocation for fiscal 26. [2:16:31 PM] allocation for fiscal 26. Remaining arpa funds will cover remaining planning costs and a seed fund for capital investment, but the pilot launch of the grocery store will require additional public and private dollars to ensure that previous investments are carried to fruition, and that this pilot achieves the outcomes in which this council has already invested. For every dollar the city invests, the cooperative steering committee is leveraging volunteer hours, philanthropic dollars and nonprofit time, quadrupling quadrupling the city's investment to better serve Austin's eastern crescent. Thank you, council member Fuentes and co-sponsoring council members for supporting expansion of the family stabilization grant for another year. We urge more of you to support this effort and some of the meetings with your offices. And earlier today, you heard resident leaders share about the incredible quality of life improvements it has made for them. Heat mitigation Austin experienced recent heat advisories, though not enough to activate the cooling shelters. I [2:17:32 PM] activate the cooling shelters. I know folks who were out this past Sunday evening for outdoor activities, but unable to stay out even one hour due to a heat index of 107 degrees. We urge council to increase funding to parks and rec staffing needs associated with pools and splash pads, and the increasing maintenance of the facilities and Austin public library staffing needs associated with increasing use as cooling shelters and other heat mitigation measures. Measures in our disproportionately impacted communities, especially in the Ramberg community in the saint Johns neighborhood resilience hubs, we urge discretionary funding that can be moved through a fiscal agent to community groups for each of the original six resilience hubs in Austin's eastern crescent to address unmet needs of residents seeking shelter during a climate stressor. Discretionary funding can cover the cost of basic needs, including food and water, as well as prescription medications and other critical needs. Tenant relocation assistance according to the breakdown, there is $1 million in funding available in the housing trust fund to support [2:18:33 PM] housing trust fund to support this program. We look forward to seeing this approved and used for tenant relocation assistance for residents who are uprooted from their homes, their communities due to rapid redevelopment lacking protective measures. I'm also reading a resident statement in support of expansion of the family stabilization grant. My name is Florence tc. I'm from the burmese refugee community. I arrived in Austin in 2013 with refugee status. I have three children and live with my family in south Austin. I have been sick with a chronic illness. I am suffering sickness and it is very difficult to survive a struggling life. I feel like I can't work anymore. I'm very worried about the future of my family. Currently I am getting treatment, a kidney dialysis at a clinic three times a week. I don't have health insurance, no food benefits, the family is facing many financial hardships. There are many people in the burmese community who suffer [2:19:33 PM] burmese community who suffer from chronic diseases. Like me. I would like to see a special needs help and request that if we can get a budget to help those who are suffering from chronic diseases, it will save many lives of the weak and ill people and make a happy life for their family. And in closing, as a district four resident with no reflection on Garza or any other group I work with or represent now and in the past. Project connect is not what the voters approved. It is not set to get folks to the airport be built as far north as crestview. And it's irresponsible, dismissive and disrespectful to plan and combined maintenance facility in the low income, working class montopolis community in addition, it will displace many currently living in naturally affordable housing. Plus, a lawsuit has been filed against the city about this. Clearly the needs and potential and actual negative impact on vulnerable communities of color has not been taken into consideration. The proposed millions in funding can be better invested in long existing needs, including [2:20:33 PM] existing needs, including district four neighborhood circulators for vulnerable communities in Austin's eastern crescent and Austin. As a whole, the Austin police department budget needs to remain flat. They continue to have the lion's share of a very inequitable budget. Recruitment and retention is not a funding issue, it's an hr issue. We need an equitable budget, funding critically needed services and programs. Basic needs. Thank you. 911 alternatives for mental health and more. Thank you. >> Yasmin Smith, Robert. Lily, Liz Collins, Shantel Pridgen, Brandon Boone. >> If your name has been called, please come forward. >> Good afternoon mayor. Good afternoon, council members. Good afternoon. Public my name is Robert lily. I am a non resident [2:21:34 PM] Robert lily. I am a non resident of Austin, but I work in the 7578752 zip code with grassroots leadership. I'm a criminal justice participatory defense organizer and I'm just as impacted as well as a person with lived experience with mental health and substance use. Today, I'm here to speak in favor of the community investment budget, and I am in opposition to the increase in police funding. And I'll tell you why. I'm going to be very succinct in my comments, because at the at the end of the day, I don't purport to understand all of the nuances of this particular debate. Right. All of the intricacies that you have to tackle and wrestle with. All I have is my story and my lived experience. I came to Austin, Texas in 2018. I was discharged from a program in San Angelo, Texas, where I had been residing for eight months on my way to court for another felony infraction. I had been wrestling with substance use since I was [2:22:37 PM] with substance use since I was 14 years of age, and I was trying to gain stability in my recovery. Unfortunately, the program that I was entered into was a faith based program that didn't afford me counseling services. And after requesting counseling services and being denied based on their program's strictures, I relapsed. I had a friend who was a resident of Austin, Texas, and she encouraged me to come to Austin because there are resources in Austin other than her. I had no contact with Austin other than an excursion from time to time to come to listen to a speaker or a music festival of some sort. When I got here to Austin, my spirits were downcast. I didn't know if I could find the wherewithal to pick myself up. After stabilizing for eight months and then returning to my poor decision making. But I found the courage to pick up the telephone and I called 211. After I called, I asked him for [2:23:37 PM] After I called, I asked him for any outpatient supports that they could provide me. I was given access to the Phoenix house. I went to the Phoenix house and I was able to reestablish my commitment to sobriety and begin a journey anew. But I was terrified because I was still facing a felony conviction. I had 25 years to life that I was being scrutinized and potentially subject to. It took everything in my power to stabilize leading up to my court date again. I would find myself relapsing because the nerves the social pressure was, was extremely profound. Anytime the court was mentioned any time dealing with the responsibilities of accountability for my past and the instability of my present, it just it. Is that my time? >> I'm sorry that's your time. Thank you for being here, though. Thank you very much. I appreciate your testimony. >> Mayor, all speakers have been [2:24:39 PM] >> Mayor, all speakers have been called. >> Thank you. Members. All speakers have been called. I need a I have a question of staff. With regard. All speakers have been called so without objection, we will close the public hearing on items one through six. There being no objection, the public hearings on items one through six are now closed. I have a question with regard to item number six, which is the item members, you'll recall is an ordinance authorizing fees, fines and other charges to be set or charged by the city for the fiscal year. That's upcoming. Because of the. Change in parkland dedication fees, it was my understanding, and maybe I got bad information or I just didn't understand. Appropriately, that we would have a new sheet that would show the appropriate fees. Is that [2:25:39 PM] the appropriate fees. Is that correct? >> That is correct. >> When will that be? Here we are finalizing that now. >> It should be any minute now that we'll have that uploaded. All right. And to the dais. >> In that case members, I'm going to take up a couple of these items unless staff objects and tells me that I'm taking something out of order that I can't. But I think I'm fine in doing this. But we will take up item number eight, item number eight is an or is the motion that the that I'll entertain is the approval of an ordinance establishing classifications positions in the classified service of the Austin police department and creating certain positions and repealing ordinance. Number 20230816010 relating to police department classifications and positions. [2:26:41 PM] classifications and positions. The mayor pro tem moves approval. Is there a second? Seconded by council member Ellis, discussion on item number eight. Any discussion without objection. Item number eight is adopted and councilmember harper-madison, I do register you as being one of the votes in favor. That will take us to item number nine. Mayor. Yes councilman. >> Item number nine and ten, I think I know for ems, I still have some questions about whether we have we need to have ftes assigned, for instance, for the downtown command, for your amendment, that I haven't gotten answered yet. Okay, and there may be a similar issue. I'm not sure with respect to a cadet class, for AFD, if there needs to be ftes attached, and that would change the classification. >> Hopefully people are. Yeah, I hear you. Hopefully people are [2:27:42 PM] hear you. Hopefully people are moving rapidly to see if we can get answers for you on that, so I appreciate you calling that to my attention. >> But I. >> Members. I believe, yes, councilmember, I was just going to say I have a question about item number two, the rr rate increases. >> If I could ask staff when we have time or it's appropriate. >> Item number two doesn't have a vote. >> Okay. I still have a question about it. >> Okay. Well then. Staff, the council member has a question on item number two. >> On number two, the rr rate increases. I was just curious to know if you had found out if Anderson limited district had been contacted regarding those [2:28:44 PM] been contacted regarding those rate increases or not yet, and what the outcome of that was. Your microphone's not on, >> Richard Mchale, director for Austin resource recovery, we had a meeting planned with the limited district there, and that meeting was canceled. And we had not had any follow up from that. >> So does the fee increase still exist in this proposal for Anderson? Yes, it does. Okay. Is there any way that we might be able to put a pause on that until we're able to make contact with the Anderson unlimited district to understand whether or not they're going to be double charged, since they already get trash service with large brush pickup, >> I don't know that I know the answer to that. I would have to follow up on the process and how that works. Okay. >> Thank you. All right. >> I want to make sure staff has heard that council member [2:29:44 PM] heard that council member Allison alter has questions with regard to items ten and 11. I'm sorry, nine and ten. So I'm hoping somebody is going to be prepared to give her answers. Do we have answers for those now? Can we answer her questions now or not? >> Right now I believe we'll be prepared for the answers. Can can you restate your questions? Council member? >> Sure. So I am concerned that at this point, for all of the proposed amendments that are included in the proposal, that staff compiled for us, that the ones for ems do not include any ftes. So everything is being done with respect to overtime, and it seems like maybe the downtown command and some of those might require some ftes if not, you know, ftes for the whole thing. But there are currently zero ftes assigned, so I'm sure the chief is coming in, [2:30:47 PM] I'm sure the chief is coming in, >> But in his initial request for those positions, he indicated that those shifts are because they're weekend shifts, primarily that they will be better served with overtime versus full versus full positions. And similarly with the cast member positions as well as the pilot positions, I thought I saw the chief coming. Come on down, chief. >> Come talk to us. Chief. >> Yes, in the in the detached. There's a few different programs that we've talked about over the course of this. And the dtac program. Those evening shifts, the overtime piece is what would be most effective for us to be able to manage the staff for those recurring think, the original unmet need that we submitted did look at having [2:31:49 PM] submitted did look at having three ftes associated with dtac. But as we move forward with the vacant positions that we have now, it's something that we could explore moving forward. But I'll defer to budget on that. >> Okay. So the unmet need has a request for three positions, but they're not in the proposal. >> That's correct. But the dollar amount is the same. And so I think that moving forward we could partner with budget office to find the right time to be able to make those adjustments. Okay. >> And so at this point there are vacancies. So you don't. Yes they are. >> That's correct. >> Okay. And then, if we there's another amendment that is part of the second draft of amendments from council member Velasquez that would have the communicators. And I believe that one requires reclassifications. To make work. And that is that something that the chief can just do on his own, or is that something that we need to be taking care of [2:32:50 PM] we need to be taking care of when we adopt these items? >> I'm sorry, council member. Say that one more time. So? >> So I may be misreading council member Velasquez's amendment, but there was one version for the communicators where there was a request for six new communicators and a request for six, reclassifications and the six reclassifications is about the same amount of money that is in Mr. Velasquez's amendment. If we were to adopt the second item, which we don't know whether we're going to adopt at this point, would that require us to put those reclassifications in the budget, or is that a process that the chief can take care of at a later date? >> I think the reclassifications would require additional funding at this moment, it is ongoing funding to reclassify those positions, and that would be something that we would that would be needed as an ongoing. I think the amendment is looking at it as a one time amendment with the potential of looking in [2:33:50 PM] with the potential of looking in future years to make it an ongoing, cost. Is that correct? >> Okay. >> The reclassifications would need to be reflected in the Ramberg or the classification ordinance. >> Okay. But that's also something that can be done at a later date. If necessary. Or I'm just trying to understand if we do adopt, I think it's best to get the titles. >> The chief would reclassify them to and actually update the classification ordinance, if you take action on the budget to adopt that item, when we get to the classification ordinance, we would. >> But the mayor has called up the classification ordinance, which is why I was asking Wright whether, we need to do it one of two ways you can adopt it as is. >> And then if that item passes in the budget, come back and amend what you previously adopted, or we or you can make the amended amendment now anticipating that it will pass in the budget, >> Maybe we just take it up [2:34:50 PM] >> Maybe we just take it up after we vote on the budget. >> I'm sorry. Say that again. >> It might make sense to wait until we do the budget vote to do the reclassification so we have the right positions for that because I they had not gotten and still hadn't, I was trying to work in some sort of order. >> So, let's go to item number seven. And I was going to try to go through do six first, but let's go to item number seven, which is the budget itself. The mayor pro tem moves adoption of an ordinance adopting the city of Austin budget for fiscal year 2024 2025, beginning on October first, 2024 and ending on September 30th, 2025. And the motion is to adopt the manager's base budget. I'm going to come back for amendments in just a second, but I want to get the motion out there with a second second by council member qadri [2:35:51 PM] second by council member qadri now members, there are two, as I understand it, potential amendments on item number seven. One is a proposed staff amendment that came to us as a proposed staff amendment. And then late last night, it, after 1030, there was a post by council member Ryan alter of what he has labeled a substitute motion, we can do it that way, which is we can take the staff recommendation of a proposed amendment, get that amendment out as a as a proposed amendment, and then allow for the offering of a substitute motion. But if there's not objection or if there's desire to just go to the substitute motion, then there's no need to go through that process. I'm [2:36:51 PM] go through that process. I'm happy to do it either way. I just want to feel, yeah. Councilmember Ryan alter, just so I have clarity here, the, the staff amendment, wherever it comes in the order, let's say, let's say we do the substitute motion and then the staff amendment, that staff amendment is only supplementary to and not taking us back to the original base motion. >> Is that correct or can city attorney tell me that say that again. So the staff amendment, I just want to be sure that it is only an additive amendment. And if what I'm more concerned about is if we do the base motion, have a substitute motion, and then adopt the staff amendment, that nullifies what was done in the substitute motion. >> Let me tell you what I was suggesting. Yes. And yeah, and but staff counsel make sure that that I'm not saying something [2:37:54 PM] that I'm not saying something that causes anybody heartburn. We have a motion to adopt the budget without amendment. There, as I understand it, there are two potential amendments. What I'll call amendment one, just for purposes of this discussion, is the staff recommendation that includes a number of items that, in working with individual council members, and perhaps a sub quorum, has concluded, these are things that could be funded, right. If we take up that amendment and pass that amendment, then none, then it would amend the main motion. And as I understood, what you were attempting to do is you were attempting to offer a substitute motion as an amendment, and it [2:38:55 PM] motion as an amendment, and it would be a substitute to what staff had recommended. That's correct. And what yours ostensibly would do would be to include all the staff's amendment had, plus a couple of other things, including changing the reserve amount and adding a number of items to be funded out of that additional funding. If we do that, if we follow that process, the way I would do that is I would accept a motion to amend and take the staff's amendment as the motion to amend, get a second on that, ask for any amendments to that to perfect that as an amendment. Then I would recognize you for a substitute motion, and the substitute motion would be a substitute motion to amend that would change it was a substitute [2:39:56 PM] would change it was a substitute motion, under the rules of order or is essentially a motion to amend. Right. And so it's essentially a motion to amend the amendment. I would then ask for a second on that. And I would ask for any amendments to the substitute motion and perfect that as an amendment. I would then ask for a vote on just a straight up six votes. Does it vote on whether we should make the substitute motion? The main motion, which would be the main amendment? What I was suggesting when I started all this was do we need to do all that, or is this something that we could just go to the substitute motion that you were going to offer and that be the only motion to amend? We don't treat it as a substitute motion. We just treat it as a motion to amend. And I was [2:40:56 PM] motion to amend. And I was trying to get a sense of the council without calling for a vote and running through that whole rigmarole. But I think maybe I just ran through the whole rigamarole. >> Micah I thought there was a an additional staff amendment on top of what they had, and that's why I got confused there. So I think, you know, we would like to, have what has been offered at eventually be the ultimate base motion that will be voted on. We can do it, however. Six one half. >> Let me ask, is there any objection to going from and council members let me know and we'll follow the whole you got something? >> Hi, this is Ian. How city of Austin attorney. Sorry, assistant city of Austin. >> I don't know, I don't know for how long, but sorry, but I were you a little time. >> I work here, so I think germane to this discussion is, there's been several versions. So the question is, if the [2:41:58 PM] So the question is, if the council member which version of his motion he intends to offer, because then that will change the process in in which how you would go about it. >> So I can what is in front of you. This is language we just got from Ed like ten minutes ago as he magically sat down, you have in front of you, this is our alter substitute motion one, version three, which states I move to amend the budget to maintain the city's reserves at the current level of 16.7%, to free up 4.3 million of one time funds, and to allocate those funds to the following initiatives with the list there included and then the packet that was given as the supplemental, which is the same form as the staff motion, but has moved those items listed in the motion from other proposed amendments to council amendments for consideration, so that once we vote, it will be in included in the group of amendments for [2:43:00 PM] in the group of amendments for consideration. And that was the chart that you had sent me. However recently. >> Okay, so I have for motion three, I have I have one sheet. Is there a chart that's supposed to be attached to it right here? >> Yes, we and we printed it and handed it out. It's the chart that everyone has. >> Yeah okay okay. >> Thank you. Well no, I think you're asking a good question. And we ought to make sure we've got it. And, in the Wright version, and I apologize for all the confusion. >> We literally got these in the last 20 to 30 minutes. >> Okay. >> Endlessly printing them, >> Then in that case, you could do it in either way. You could do it as a substitute motion. I just want to make I. >> I'm pleased you came up. And it's been good working with you. Apparently I want, but I want to also make sure we have clarity from, because I'm not Mr. Benigno, miss Lang, you agree [2:44:04 PM] Benigno, miss Lang, you agree that our alter. What's labeled our alter substitute motion one, version two. The chart that is there includes all of those amendments you were going to offer. As the amendment to the budget, >> We have not. I I think it does, but we haven't verified all of that. And I think that's why we offered the motion. We way the way we did to make sure that the spreadsheet that's posted to back up for item seven that says, these are all the staff amendments, these are all the kind of the curated list of council amendments. And then we're reviewing it as these items that the council member just added would be added to what staff had proposed in the [2:45:04 PM] what staff had proposed in the attachment to item seven on the agenda system. So it was clearer than coming up with a new whole new spreadsheet. >> I'm trust me, I I'm more frustrated than I'm letting on, >> Join the club. >> This is not the best way to do this. Members without objection. The city council will be in recess until 315. There's no objection. The city council is in recess until 315. It is 246. That's not a. Good. [3:14:34 PM] That's not a. Good. Day. >> All right, everybody, I'll call us back to order at 3:15 P.M. After a brief recess. Let me try to recap where we are. And, Mr. Benigno, you have permission. If I say something wrong to stand up and run from the room, members we have on the floor a motion to adopt item number seven, which is the city of Austin budget for fiscal year [3:15:34 PM] of Austin budget for fiscal year 2024 2025. Beginning on October first, 2024, and ending on September 30th, 2025. What we have discovered during the recess is that the better version of a spreadsheet or flowchart for us to operate under is the one that was provided to us by our staff as part of what was initially contemplated as going to be a motion to amend the budget. There is one number during this brief break, we did find that there was one number that needs to be fixed and before I accept anything on that and we vote on anything, we'll say that out [3:16:35 PM] anything, we'll say that out loud and make that as as a change to that flow chart that you have or spreadsheet that you have. The one page item that you saw from council member Ryan alter, that indicated two things in it. One was a change in the reserve that was in the main motion, dropping it from 17% to 16.7% and adding I think it was seven items that was that that is probably better utilized as a standalone motion to amend the amendment, as opposed to a substitute. I had asked the question about whether we substitute. We how we wanted to do this, and I think we have greater clarity as a result of that as well. So here's what [3:17:35 PM] that as well. So here's what we're going to do. We have the main motion, which is to adopt the budget. I'm going to call upon Mr. Van van eenoo to tell us what number needs to be changed in the spreadsheet, and then I'm going to accept a motion to amend the main motion and the motion to amend is to the motion to amend is accepting the staff recommendation. The staff proposed amendment at that point in time. I will seek anyone that wants to have an amendment to that amendment, and we will talk about that amendment. We will not have a substitute motion, and I'll recognize council member Ryan alter on that, and we'll go back to, get back into the flow of things. So with that, Mr. Benigno, would you tell us what the change? First of all, I didn't see you run from the room. No, sir. Did I get close? [3:18:37 PM] No, sir. Did I get close? >> You nailed it. >> Good. >> So to make sure very, very sure that everybody is clear on what we're working from, ask this gentleman to put it on the screen. This is the sheet we're talking about. Right. That is the backup item for item number seven. It's available on the city's agenda system under item number seven, labeled agenda late backup attachment a. So that's what's on the record for item number seven is attachment a. That item includes at the top all of the amendments from staff that were changes and corrections from the time we proposed the budget. To you below that are all of the various council members that were offered and that are on the table as part of the motion to approve this to be added to the budget as well. >> But the motion to amend doesn't include below that line. Correct. The motion to amend is the staff recommendation. Okay, [3:19:37 PM] the staff recommendation. Okay, >> The one number on the staff recommendations that we would offer to change is the line for support services fund. Mayor and council staff amendment. I know it's hard to see on the screen, but it's the number that says 934,500 that was inadvertently divided by two. It needs to read 1,869,000. It was a formulaic error. It does not alter in any way the amount the available funding the reserve levels or any of that. It is simply an error on this spreadsheet. >> So, with that suggested change from nine, three, four, 500 to 1 869 $1,869,000, that is the one change I will accept a motion to amend the main motion by adopting the staff [3:20:38 PM] by adopting the staff recommendation of an amendment to the main motion. The mayor pro tem makes that motion. It is seconded by council member Ellis. Now we are discussing the main. The motion to amend and I'll recognize council member Ryan alter on the motion to amend. >> Thank you very much, mayor. I bring a motion to amend the current motion before us. That would set the reserve level at keep it at the current 16.7% and use those additional dollars to fund seven programs listed, those are these are all items that have been discussed, put out to the public. It is councilmember Fuentes five early childhood social service contract adjustments. Councilmember Ryan alter, seven [3:21:38 PM] Councilmember Ryan alter, seven to increase the homeless prevention from 1 million to 2,000,012. Councilmember Ryan alter eight. Service for families experiencing homelessness. Councilmember Velazquez two. Substance use continuum of care. Councilmember Ryan alter five. The expanded mobile crisis outreach team Micah to 24 seven. Councilmember Velazquez three ems communications position and councilmember Ryan alter ten. The additional fire department cadet class. And I move councilmember Ryan alter moves for the purposes of our record and us keeping up. >> We have amendment number one, which is the staff recommendation. I'm going to refer to that as amendment number one to the budget. Ryan alter moves. You've heard his motion. You have a copy of it. Moves to amend amendment number one. It is seconded by council member Velazquez. Is that. Yeah. [3:22:40 PM] member Velazquez. Is that. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay. I just want to make sure I got it right, council member Velazquez. Mayor pro tem. >> Thanks, mayor. I move to amend the amendment to have the city's reserves set at the level of 17% to track our fiscal policies. >> Mayor, I would, raise a point of order that a third degree amendment is not acceptable under Robert's rules of order. >> I'm not sure I agree with you, but. But I want to make sure I want to give you the proper opportunity because it's a motion to amend your amendment and typically a motion to amend the belongs to the amendment. Once it has a second, belongs to the entire council and the council will be in a position to [3:23:42 PM] council will be in a position to amend that. >> So we have the motion to amend which is staff amendment is labeled amendment number one. >> I brought an amendment to amend that amendment. That's a second degree amendment that has been seconded. And now we are offering a third degree amendment offered by mayor pro tem pool, which is out of order under Robert's rules of order. >> I'm going to rule it that I'll take up your point of order as being a favorable statement. And rule, that we will not take a motion to amend the alter amendment, all right. That takes us to the alter amendment. Councilmember Allison alter, I move to divide the question so that we can vote on the reserve level first, and then, depending on how that vote goes, we can take up the second part a motion, a division, a motion to divide is a recognized motion under these circumstances, because those are two separate issues. And if is there a second on the motion, the mayor pro tem [3:24:42 PM] on the motion, the mayor pro tem moves to seconded members. What we're going to do now is have discussion and a vote on the amendment in two separate ways. Although depending upon what happens on the first, it will it will determine the second. Well. >> And if I may, mayor a motion to divide cannot contingently set the second portion. Otherwise that's an amendment. >> But but the problem is we're not going to have the money is what I'm what I'm trying to point out as part of the discussion. So while technically you might be correct, it it practically creates that issue. So the division, the first vote will be on the portion of council member Ryan alter's motion to amend amendment number one that says that we would leave the reserve level at 16.7%, which is what it currently is set at. As opposed to the 17% that is in the [3:25:45 PM] to the 17% that is in the proposed budget. So discussion. Yes >> Councilmember Fuentes, do we need a vote on whether or not we have support to divide the motion? >> Yeah, we should. Of course we do. That's a good that is a heck of a point of order. Yes, so the motion is to divide the question. It's been seconded. So you're absolutely right. We need to have a vote on that. And I apologize. I move straight to the explanation, with that being said, all those in favor of the motion to divide indicate by raising your hand. >> And is Natasha. >> Councilmember harper-madison, are you available to vote? >> Mayor, can we speak to the motion to divide before mayor? >> A motion to divide is not, it's not a debatable motion. >> You're absolutely correct. It's not a debatable motion. Hang on one second. Okay. Council member harper-madison is [3:26:50 PM] Council member harper-madison is off the dais and not present, all those opposed to the motion to divide. Please raise your hand. There being four votes in favor, six opposed. The motion to divide fails. And council member harper-madison is off the dais. For the record, those who voted in in favor were the mayor, mayor, pro tem, council member Ellis, and councilmember Allison alter. That now takes us back to council member Ryan alter's motion to amend amendment number one. I'll call for discussion on the motion to amend amendment number one. Councilmember Allison alter, followed by council member Ellis. >> So I want to just be really clear that we don't have a current level of 16.7% for our reserves. Our policy says it's 17%. So when you set it at 16.7 for today, you are you are setting that we should be [3:27:50 PM] setting that we should be violating our policy, and, you know, I, I have no problem with the things that folks want to invest in here, these are all worthy programs, I am concerned that we have a lot of things ahead of us, some of which will happen after I'm gone, but we have an arpa cliff, so we have all sorts of things that we have funded that are valuable programs that are going to no longer have funding. And every one of those programs is going to come to us and ask us for money. I'm also concerned we have a new city manager who may have some things that he wants to invest in that would be aligned with council priorities, and that will be more challenging. And particularly of important to me is that we have, sales taxes that are continuing to be much, much lower than anticipated. And so, you know, it appears that the way that this has been structured, we're [3:28:53 PM] this has been structured, we're not allowed to vote on whether we want to, you know, keep that level and then have a debate over how we how we address the funding processes. Again, I want to be clear, these are all worthy. Worthy, elements, but it is a slippery slope here. And we do have to be be mindful of that. >> Thank you. Council member, council member Ellis, I agree with council member Alison alter on this. >> I know I've spoken about it publicly before, but I think it bears repeating. You know, these reserves are dollars that we have to tap into. They're almost like a rainy day fund, we have wildfire risk. We have flooding risk. We a number of us have worked on these issues together. We have issues of natural disaster that are happening more and more frequently. And we don't know that FEMA is going to reimburse us for all of all of the activities and all of the extra assistance that we need when these moments hit the ice storm of 2023, when we had to recruit workers from outside of the city of Austin, people from [3:29:53 PM] the city of Austin, people from all over Texas coming to help make sure we could repair our lines. Those bills have to get paid. They deserve to get paid in a timely fashion. But we foot the bill and we know that FEMA, as much as they're supposed to be there to help us and want to be there to help us, they are going to go through and they're going to reject things. If they can, and we're going to be footing the bill for that. So I agree that these these programs are good, but we have to find a way to work within the systems that we set up to make sure that our general fund and our sales tax dollars and enterprise funds are funding the programs that we that we desperately need. And I'm worried that if we keep using this as our way of trying to get more and more done, that we're going to find ourselves in a situation where something can't be achieved or something gets out of balance, and we're not with our fiscal policies, and that affects our ability to go bond and to issue debt. These are major, major concerns. And so I also want to be able to fund everything. We just have to be mindful about how we put parameters around how many dollars are available. >> Mayor pro tem thank you mayor. [3:30:53 PM] mayor. >> I, I too am very concerned about where we're heading with our our fiscal house and keeping it in order, especially after this year, that 3.5% revenue cap will be even more difficult for us to operate within if we continue growing our programs at the pace we are. I'm I'm fascinated by calls to cut our budget and then but it's okay to reduce our reserves. I don't understand that. And, maybe that will become clear to me in the future. We do have programs that are important to folks in our community, and they want to see them expanded and more monies invested in them. There will be a time when this diocese will have to have a really hard reckoning. And like my colleague off to my right here, council [3:31:56 PM] off to my right here, council member Alison alter, I won't be on the dais, but I did want to try to hold the line with some fiscal and financial responsibility here. With this budget as difficult as this one has been, this year, and I've seen this is my 10th budget on this dais, I've seen some tough budgets, but this one is the hardest that I've seen. And I'm disappointed that we are plowing forward with amendments that tell the community that they are going to see certain things, but we may. In fact, in the end, a year from now find that we haven't been able to provide them because they have overestimated our ability financially to meet to meet them. And so, mayor, I pray that we get back to respecting our fiscal policies. And in this instance, it's $4 million. [3:32:58 PM] instance, it's $4 million. That's being used for additional programs. And I, I, I will have to vote against them. And I really would rather not be in that position. But I don't know that we actually have the money for it, and I also think that we should respect the fiscal policies that we have crafted over the years and hold fast to them. At some point we will we will need these monies as a rainy day fund, and this is not the year for that. Thank you. Thank you. >> Mayor pro tem, councilmember Fuentes. >> Thank you, colleagues. I do want to remind everyone here that it was just over a little over a year ago where we had a 14% reserve policy. So in over a year, we've done good progress in increasing our reserves by 2.7%. This council has exercised our fiduciary responsibility in increasing our reserves to the highest that this city has ever [3:33:58 PM] highest that this city has ever seen. And what we're talking about right now is $4 million out of a $5.9 billion budget that we oversee with our enterprise funds and with our general funds. So I just want to be super clear that these 4 million that we're talking about investing in is a cost of living increase for predominantly women and women of color who are working in the early childhood sector. We're talking about increasing our investments in homelessness prevention. We're talking about funding families experiencing homelessness. We're talking about funding harm reduction. And we're also investing in our fire department and our ems department. These are all worthwhile investments that we have talked about as a council throughout numerous work sessions. They merit our vote in our consideration and our advancement of it moving forward. This is not changing our 17% fiscal policy. This is just adopting a budget that includes these investments as we [3:35:00 PM] includes these investments as we continue to raise revenue. Of course, we will hit that 17% just as we did throughout the year. At one point this last fiscal year, we were above our 17% reserve policy. With that, I will be supporting this amendment and I ask for this council's consideration of also supporting these worthwhile investments. >> Thank you. Council member, council member, Alison alder, then council member qadri. >> Thank you, council member Fuentes, I think that was very eloquently put. I do want to just again reiterate some other concerns, though, that I do have, that I think we just need to be mindful of as we move forward, you know, it's pretty clear that this amendment will likely pass. But but I do think that that we should be mindful that these are all one time funds. So this is $4 million worth of funding that next year, every one of these groups is going to be coming to us and asking us to continue that funding. None of these is truly a one time, you know, expense. There's something that you would want to keep going. I've seen [3:36:00 PM] want to keep going. I've seen this in budget after budget, where that creates challenges, it creates disappointment. It means that we are not able to meet the needs, and so there's some process things here, you know, you're going to ask Micah to staff up, as somebody said, you know, to be 24 over seven, but they have one time money. You have, you know, ems communications, you're giving them, you know, one time money, the cadet class, we don't have ftes put away for the next year. And so they're just they're you're building some challenges in for your next budget. And I think we just need to be open eyed. About what that what that is. These are all, as councilmember Fuentes said, worthwhile investments. But how this is structured does not does not set them up for success, in my view. >> Councilmember qadri thank you. >> Mayor. You know, representing district nine, living in [3:37:01 PM] district nine, living in downtown at a point, the one thing that I always noticed as I would walk to work was our unhoused, unhoused population, you know, every day, you know, working in downtown, you can't. But help see the unhoused community working with, you know, providers in the area, you know, hearing from constituents who are suffering from homelessness. It's an everyday occurrence, it's the first thing I noticed when I moved to Austin 15 years ago, and I think hearing from folks during this whole budget process, hearing from folks today about the importance of addressing homelessness in the city, making sure that we're not only preventing, you know, homeless, you know, homelessness, but are also making sure that we're helping folks that are experiencing it, I think that's what this motion does, and that's why I'm supportive of it. And I really do appreciate my colleagues who are bringing forward all the different, I guess, amendments within the motion, and I do appreciate the concerns that my colleagues on the other side [3:38:02 PM] colleagues on the other side have on this motion, but I'll be supporting it. >> Any further discussion? Yes. >> Councilmember Velazquez, thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just want to reiterate what councilmember Fuentes said said that this is 4 million out of a $5.9 billion budget and as somebody that has grown up in Austin, Texas, and knows that a lot of these services are absolutely essential, that it may be a it may just be a year's worth of funding. We're saving lives with some of these things, and we're helping people along with some of these things. And while it may rain further down the road, it's raining right now on the have nots of this city. And so I am proud to stand with our sub quorum and the folks that are bringing these items forward. Thank you. >> Thank you, mayor pro tem. >> So I have a just a process question, mayor, earlier it you ruled that we could not amend, council member Ryan alter's amendment. Does that mean that [3:39:03 PM] amendment. Does that mean that it stands in its entirety? There is nothing else that can be done with his motion. >> He has a motion to amend. I'm not accepting a motion to amend his amendment. >> Okay, so everything that's in here then is what we are voting on. >> Well, in his motion. Okay. Right. If his motion yes. Everything that's in his and I don't have it in front of me right now, but the one page that has the seven items, the change there was not a there was not a motion to divide that passed. So the change from the main motion or the main amendment, amendment number one. From 17%, which was in amendment number 1 to 16.7% for the reserves, and then the seven items that are specifically listed would be added as potential amendments or potential items, and that would [3:40:03 PM] potential items, and that would amend amendment number one. >> Does that include the chart that was attached? >> He is not attaching a chart. The chart that we're voting on. But Mr. Benigno, you know, I keep thinking I've got this clear, but the chart that we're voting on is the chart that is the basis of your motion or the your proposed amendment. >> That is correct. And just I'll take the opportunity to clarify that on that chart. There's several categories. The categories that need to be part of this, of this overall amendment is a category called staff amendments. And the category called council amendments for consideration. All of those need to be into the motion to achieve what, we have discussed. >> And then and I thought that's what we had done. I thought that's what we had done. I'm just being clear with that one [3:41:05 PM] just being clear with that one amendment of the number. And then now what we have is an a motion to amend the amendment that would add seven items and would change the recommendation of staff and amendment number one from 17 to 16.7%. That is correct. Okay. Is everybody clear on that? Yes. >> Council member I am clear. I just want to make sure the confusion is coming from I believe there's a version two that is a packet and a version three that is a list of council member Ryan alter's amendment. So they achieved the same goal. They're just formatted differently. But we don't need to look at the packet. >> You don't need to look at the packet. In fact that's why I took up the staff recommendation because we determined that the better spreadsheet to utilize was the staff recommendation. With that one correction, but it includes it includes the staff recommendations and the items to be considered from council. And we have that amendment is a [3:42:06 PM] we have that amendment is a proposed the amendment the Ryan alter amendment to amendment number one would change the reserve of the recommendation. That's in the amendment number one, and would add seven additional items. And councilmember Ryan alter, you agree with that? Councilmember Allison alter so I just wanted to add council mayor pro tem pool, if you once this Ryan's amendment is passed and amendment one doesn't or amendment one and Ryan's are together as as the motion that we have to then vote on at that point, you could amend that combined motion. >> I'm not sure what to call it, if there was something else you wanted to do to it, further discussion on the Ryan alter motion to amend amendment number one. [3:43:07 PM] one. >> All those in favor say aye. Raise your hand. All those opposed, raise your hand. I didn't I don't I haven't counted enough people. Yeah, I got her. You voted I is that correct? Council member harper- madison. Oh, I got it. I just did bad math. We're only working on the budget. So there being seven eyes and four nays, the alter motion to amend amendment number one is adopted. The four for the record, the four nos. Or the mayor. The mayor pro tem, council member Ellis and council member Allison alter. Members another motion to I'm sorry. Councilmember harper-madison. >> Thank you miss the [3:44:08 PM] >> Thank you miss the recognition. Just to be clear, this is not my favorite item that I'm voting for, but I trust council member alter and I think that he has good intentions here. And it might do something positive for the community. But to be clear, it's one of the ones that I don't love. But I'm okay with that. So yes, I'm an eye. >> All right. Very good. Thank you. Thank you. Members you have in front of you. Watson motion to amend amendment number one. It is to add three ftes to the downtown area command program. This would not have a fiscal impact. It would simply make sure that in the budget we are adding the three ftes. And I move approval. Seconded by council member Alison alter. Is there discussion on this item? Without objection, Watson motioned to amend amendment [3:45:10 PM] motioned to amend amendment number one. Is adopted members that will take us back to the main motion, which is amendment number one, as amended by two amendments. Any further discussion on the item? I'm going to call it without objection, but without objection. Amendment number one, as amended, is adopted. >> Yes, council, I just want to clarify. So item seven, which is on the overall budget, you're calling it amendment one. And you said it was approved without objection. >> You voted for two amendments to it. Correct. >> And I'm voting against it. Okay. I'm sorry. You know, I just wanted to make sure that that was the correct order. >> I voted for two amendments to it, and then you're voting against the main amendment. >> Yes, I am. Okay, thank you very much, sir. >> I'll make sure that's clear, okay. So there being one. No. And that's council member Kelly. [3:46:11 PM] And that's council member Kelly. All right. It passes on a vote of 10 to 1 members. That takes us back to the main motion, which is to approve an ordinance adopting the city of Austin budget for fiscal year 2024, 2025, beginning on October 1st, 2024, and ending on September 30th, 2025. As amended as amended. Further discussion. All those in favor say I. Oh, we have to do a roll call. I'm sorry. >> Mayor Watson, I, mayor pro tem pool. >> Yes. >> Council member harper-madison an affirmative. >> I council member. >> Fuentes. Yes. Council member. Velasquez. Yes. Council member. Vela. Yes council member. Ryan. Alter. Yes. Council member. Kelly no. Council member. Ellis. Yes council member. Qadri. Yes. [3:47:12 PM] Yes council member. Qadri. Yes. Council member. Alison alter. >> Yes. >> There being ten ayes and one. No. Registered by council member Kelly, item number seven, as amended, is adopted. That will now take us. I'm going to go back to item number six. Everybody. That's. Member members. The reason we had skipped over item number six was because we were waiting on, information regarding the fees and other charges. And so the chair you now have that in front of you, it's listed as version two. Item number six, version two, and this, the motion that the chair will accept is to approve an ordinance authorizing fees, fines and other charges to be set or charged by the city [3:48:13 PM] be set or charged by the city for fiscal year 2024 2025, beginning on October 1st, 2024, and ending on September 30th, 2025, and waiving fees and other charges before, let me get a motion and a second. Is there a motion to adopt item number six made by the mayor? Pro tem? Is there a second second by council member vela? Council member alter do you know whether your proposed amendment is a part of this? >> It is not. >> Okay. Then you're recognized on a proposed amendment to item number six, version two. >> Thank you very much. So members, this is the motion that was sent out and also passed out. You remember we had the discussion about the special events fees. This was an an issue that councilmember harper-madison brought up last year as it related to blues on the green, making sure that these free public events are able to continue to operate in the face of rising costs. There [3:49:14 PM] the face of rising costs. There is, in the fee schedule a significant increase as it relates to these special events. And so we've worked with Mr. Benigno and what the staff is going to do. This amendment takes those special event fees, keeps them at the current amount that is in the current budget, and they are going to return with some recommendations to make sure that these events that the public so enjoys are not going to face such a dramatic fee increase. And so they're going to recommend to us how we might do that, coming on September 26, 2024, members, councilmember Ryan alter moves an amendment to, item number six. >> You've heard the description. Is it? Seconded. Seconded by council member Allison alter. Discussion on the item. There being no discussion, we're voting on the motion to amend. Without objection, the Ryan, you want to say something? [3:50:14 PM] want to say something? >> I thought you were attempting to say that I wanted to speak to the main motion. >> Okay, the vote is on the motion to amend. Without objection, the motion to amend by council member alter for item number six is adopted. That takes us back to the main motion, as amended. It's item number six, as amended. Council member Alison alter. >> Thank you, I just wanted to thank staff for very quickly addressing the pool fee, in such a way that we can keep those fees steady this year. Earlier this year, this council adopted a resolution I put forward to help us to improve access to our pools in light of the heat, and I know several of us, council member Bella, council member Ellis and probably others were concerned when we saw, you know, what a family would have to pay to be able to go to the pool. Together to one of our larger pools. And so I appreciate staff recognizing that. And I appreciate that the underlying [3:51:14 PM] appreciate that the underlying budget continues. Our efforts to reduce the number of pools where you do have to pay that access is ever more important, right now, given the heat that we're facing. So thank you. >> Thank you. Council member. Any further discussion? The vote will be on item number six, as amended. Without objection. Item number six, as amended. >> I'm objecting. >> I'll get you. Thanks I'm assuming. Well you really don't have to call it out every time, council member Kelly is shown voting no is adopted with a vote of 10 to 1. Oh, I'm sorry. We need a roll call vote. So you'll get to say it again. >> Mayor Watson. Hi mayor pro tem pool. Yes. Council member harper-madison present. >> I. >> Council member. Fuentes. Yes. Council member. Velasquez. Yes. Council member. Vela yes. Council member. Ryan. Alter. Yes [3:52:16 PM] Council member. Ryan. Alter. Yes council member. Kelly. Nay. Council member. Ellis yes. Council member. Qadri. Yes. Council member. Allison. Alter. >> Yes. >> There being ten ayes and one nay. Council member Kelly voting no. The item is approved. Members. We will now go to item number nine. The chair will accept a motion to approve an ordinance establishing classifications and positions in the classified service of the Austin fire department, creating certain positions and repealing ordinance number 20230816. Dash 009 relating to fire department classifications and positions. I'll entertain a motion. Mayor pro tem moves. Approval is seconded by council member qadri. Discussion on this item. Council member Alison alter I was just wondering what happens with the cadet class and this. >> Are they not included on this sheet? And then that's just [3:53:16 PM] sheet? And then that's just something you're dealing with next year. >> The cadet class is not included on the sheet okay. >> So it's not part of the classification process. And so for any in any for any purpose then for this coming year, they wouldn't need to be in these classifications because they would still be cadets. >> The cadets are still Wright. That's not sworn. So it wouldn't be included on the classification ordinance. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, council members, any further discussion or questions? The motion has been made and seconded to approve item number nine. Council member Kelly I. >> Affirmative. >> Okay. So without objection, item number nine is adopted, we'll go to item number ten, which is to the motion I will accept is to approve an ordinance establishing classifications and positions in the classified service of the emergency medical services [3:54:17 PM] emergency medical services department, creating certain positions and repealing ordinance number. 20240718-069 relating to the emergency medical services department. Classifications and positions. >> Council member. Mayor. Mayor >> Yes. >> Can we go to the next one? Because with the amendment that you made earlier, we need to get that ordinance updated. >> Sure. And I we didn't get a second. So we'll just call it we'll move on. Item number 11. Members. This is to ratify the property tax increase reflected in the budget for fiscal year 2024 2025. The chair will recognize the mayor pro tem moves approval. Is there a second second by council member Ryan alter? Is there discussion with regard to this item? Here to read it like this. The motion. Let me make sure we're [3:55:17 PM] motion. Let me make sure we're clear. Mayor pro tem, the motion is to ratify the property tax increase reflected in the fiscal year 2024 2025 budget. That was adopted by the council today. Correct. That is your motion. And council member Ryan alter, that is your second. Is that correct? >> That's correct. >> Very good. Is there any discussion? The council member Kelly will be shown voted no. Is there any anyone else wishing to be shown voting no? >> Is this one we have to do a voice vote or no? No. >> Okay. All those. So without objection. Item number. The item [3:56:19 PM] objection. Item number. The item number 11 is adopted with council member Kelly being shown voting no. That'll take us to item number 12. >> Okay. 12. >> This morning. I'm sorry. Yeah, we did. Number. Members. Item number one needed to be taken up after we had voted on some other items. So [3:57:19 PM] voted on some other items. So let's go back to item number one. And we'll we'll take up item number one to approve an ordinance adopting and levying a property ad valorem tax rate for the city of Austin for fiscal year 2024 2025. We already conducted the public hearing for this item earlier today, state law requires that this be a roll call vote and requires the motion to be made as follows. So I will accept the following motion. I move that the motion is that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of 47.7 $0.06 per $100 valuation, which is effectively [3:58:19 PM] valuation, which is effectively a 5.9% increase in the tax rate. Mayor pro tem moves approval. As I have stated, the motion I would accept it is seconded by council member vela. Is there discussion on this item? Other than council member Kelly, is there anyone? Well, we have to take a roll call. Vote. Let's take a roll call. Vote >> Mayor Watson I mayor pro tem pool. Yes. Council member harper-madison. Yes. Council member. Fuentes. Yes. Council member. Velasquez. Yes. Council member. Vela. Yes council member. Ryan. Alter. Yes. Council member. Kelly no. Council member. Ellis. Yes. Council member. Qadri. Yes. Council member Alison. Alter >> Yes. >> There being ten yeses and one no. Council member Kelly voting no. Item number one passes. Yes. >> Council member Fuentes and appropriate time. I realize that with all of the discussion on councilmember Ryan alter's amendment, we didn't have the opportunity to speak on the [3:59:21 PM] opportunity to speak on the overall budget that we passed. So whenever it's appropriate, I would like to give some overall comments. >> Well, do we know when we're going to have the handing them out right now? It'll be just a second. >> I'm sorry mayor. What was that? >> Well, she they people are pointing at you. I'll tell you what. Until we have it, why don't we go ahead and begin, folks? We've got one more item to vote on, and that is related to ems. She got it. >> We could do comments after the writers, too. >> Yeah. Why don't we wait till we're all done? Fair enough. >> Thank you. Members you have in front of you [4:00:29 PM] Members you have in front of you the latest version that includes the budget amendment that was made by me to add the three ftes so that this is a complete ordinance, item number ten is to approve an ordinance establishing classifications and positions in the classified service of the emergency medical services department, creating certain positions and repealing ordinance number 20240718069 relating to the emergency medical services department classifications positions. Council member Ryan alter was willing to move adoption of that earlier. I wonder if he still is. Yep, is there a second? Seconded by council member Fuentes, is there discussion with regard to this item? Being no discussion without objection, item number ten is adopted and approved. Members, we will now go. To items 14. Through 30. Those are items from council [4:01:31 PM] Those are items from council related to the budget. And I'll point out that I think this process has worked pretty well. This is two two years in a row of doing it the way we did with amendments and items from council members. We can take up these items from council as a consent agenda. However, I want to make sure everyone is aware. We did have. One version two, and for some reason I can't put my hands on it and it was a version. Yeah, great. It was a version from is a version that combined. Yes. Thank you. Item number 29 members. Item number [4:02:31 PM] number 29 members. Item number 29. It is a version that started as a Ryan alter item from council. And then and council member Ellis had an amendment to that council member Ryan alter has incorporated the amendment into his proposed ifc and that is the version two that you've been given on item 29, because we have that as a version two, it can still be considered part of the consent agenda and doesn't need to be pulled up and taken up separately. What I want to do is I'm going to get a motion on. First, let me ask, is there anybody that wishes to pull one of these ifcs off of the consent agenda of ifcs? All right. That being the case, I'm then going to get a motion on the consent agenda and a second and then we'll go to discussion [4:03:32 PM] and then we'll go to discussion and people can comment, on their ifcs as well, the same way we do typically on a consent agenda, unless you want to say something special. >> Sorry. There's two things I want to say. So I hope I'm getting them in the right order. I did want to pull 30 from consent agenda. I know there's been some discussion about the downtown Austin community court and some of the proposals that have come through over the past few weeks. >> Okay, 30 will be pulled from the consent agenda. >> And then I also have a comment on 29 at the appropriate. >> Okay, let me get a motion on the consent agenda and I'll recognize you first on the consent agenda. You talk about 29. Motion is made by the mayor pro tem. It is seconded by council member Velasquez to approve the consent agenda. And members, the consent agenda are items 14 through 29, but does not include item number 30. With that being said, I now turn to council member Ellis to as part of the discussion to speak on the consent agenda. >> Thank you for the recognition, mayor. I just wanted to bring to folks [4:04:33 PM] wanted to bring to folks attention. I appreciate the original author, Ryan alter, bringing my language into his version two and increasing some uses for this fund. I did want to call attention to. In this section it says Guerrero park, zilker park. There's a sentence at the end of the zilker park section that talks about civilian conservation corps, and in my original amendment, it was language that was not just specific to one park. So I think it was clear that was supposed to apply to the two suggestions I had for parks, and it might apply to others if other people have added to that. So I just wanted to call attention to a slight formatting thing that didn't get lost in the shuffle. Great. >> Thank you. Council member. Further discussion on the ifcs on the consent agenda, council member Ryan alter I just want to thank councilmember Ellis for her work on this. >> I think it's going to be really impactful. So thank you. >> Further discussion. >> Councilmember Allison alter, this is where we're speaking to the items. Yes. Okay. I just wanted to check. So I have five [4:05:34 PM] wanted to check. So I have five writers. So bear with me for a moment, and I think many of these speak to things that I've been working on for many years. The first one, deals with cybersecurity and charts a path for us to make the investments that we need to make to ensure that we have our security, we have our information protected, we have data privacy, and that we are protecting ourselves just generally from being compromised by a cyber attack, what this item does is it calls for a process to look and examine the various technology contracts we have, particularly the ones that deal with security, and to look to consolidate and eliminate duplication and to reinvest the savings into the investments that we've outlined for our information roadmap. I think this is really, really critical as we move forward as a city in this day and age. The second item is it relates to the ems department and their billing process and revenue process, something I've been working on [4:06:34 PM] something I've been working on for many years, as well as, as making improvements that allow us to address low acuity calls. So what I do in this rider is I call for various steps that we can take to improve our billing and revenue systems, including some things that we can do at the legislature, but other things as well that will allow us to collect the fees that we should be able to collect for the kinds and the high quality of service that our ems department is delivering. And then those funds would either be redirected into the paramedic practitioners program, once that's funded into additional emergency communications staffing, last year we did this with respect to the c4 program, the collaborative care center. And that one was funded by central health. So we were able to make that 24 over seven. And something similar is also one of the pathways that I have in here. The and I and I do have, co-sponsors for, for all of these. The first one I forgot to [4:07:37 PM] these. The first one I forgot to mention were for cyber security. We're fellow members of the audit and finance committee, council members Ryan alter, Vanessa Fuentes and council member Kelly for ems, council member Ryan alter, council member Fuentes, Kelly and vela are co-sponsors. The third item addresses a need to retain our aviation and water utility employees. They had been given a retention stipend. There had been a market study to try to adjust that. What this rider does, it seeks to reinstate the retention bonuses for aviation and Austin water utility employees who did not achieve a 10% base wage increase in the recent market studies and are having their 10% retention bonuses taken away as of the proposed budget, I've worked this out with your staff, Mr. Broadnax, and they were very helpful in, in addressing this and supportive of making sure that we keep everyone whole. For that one, I have, council members, Ryan Alyssa Fuentes and mayor pro tem pool as co-sponsors. The fourth one is item 19, which is approving a [4:08:39 PM] item 19, which is approving a resolution related to maternity leave benefits for sworn firefighters. This builds off the rider that we just the amendment that we just approved for a pilot for maternity leave for female firefighters who give birth, this is basically a path forward that says that this should be part of our policy moving forward and gives the city manager direction to figure out the appropriate path for that. And then finally, item 20, is a resolution related to the fire department's overtime costs. We have high overtime costs in the fire department. Some of that may be due to some challenges. We're experiencing with worker's compensation, but some of it may be due that we need more firefighters in launching the cadet class, when we adopted the budget, we're getting partway through. But I think there's a lot of planning and other steps that still need to take place, just generally to address the overtime period. And that, is as appropriate and still applies. I think moving forward, that one is [4:09:41 PM] forward, that one is co-sponsored by council member Ryan Alyssa, council member Kelly, council member qadri and council member Velasquez. And the maternity leave is council member Ellis, Fuentes, harper-madison and Kelly. Thank you all for your support of these items. I think they're they're really going to be important moving forward. And I think they will help our future budgets in various ways by finding some revenue. >> Thank you. Council member. Further discussion. Council member. Ellis. >> Thank you. I'm still getting used to using the buttons up here, I wanted to call out some of the ifc's that I think are really great that are coming here that I was either lead sponsor or co-sponsor to. I appreciate the work that councilmember Allison alter has done on the maternity leave for firefighters. I think it's really important that we're stepping up and we're solving that issue for folks who serve our community. I'm really excited about the creation of a veterans affairs action plan. I know this is something that the state does a little bit of work in, but sometimes we just need that extra oomph to get it across the finish line here locally, and to make sure that [4:10:41 PM] locally, and to make sure that we're serving our local veterans, this is a really exciting opportunity to start putting more structure around how how we serve folks that have served the community, we now have a veteran affairs officer, which is really, really exciting, but I want to make sure that we have a growth plan for making sure that we are, allowing for better education and more engagement for folks that need different job skills training, housing coordination, or other different social services. So I'm excited about this one to be moving forward and appreciate the work from our commission on veteran affairs. They've been working on this for a very long time, and I also want to give a quick shout out to, thank you, Natasha harper-madison, for letting me co-sponsor your items. The city is stepping up its support of juneteenth, and to be able to do more work to support the African American cultural heritage district is something I'm really glad that we got to work on together. So thank you. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Any further discussion with regard to the consent agenda on the ifc's items 14 through 29? Is there any, council member, mayor [4:11:43 PM] there any, council member, mayor pro tem pool wishes to be shown abstaining on item number 24. Is there anyone wishing to be shown abstaining on any of the consent items? Anyone wishing to be shown as recusing themselves on any of the items? Anyone wishing to be shown voting no on any of the ifc's items 14 through 29 on the consent agenda, councilmember pool will be shown voting abstaining on item number 24. With that one, caveat. Without objection, the consent agenda of ifc's items 14 through 29 are adopted. That will take us to item number 30. Item number 30 is a resolution. Related to the downtown Austin community court facilities. I recognize council member Ryan alter as the main sponsor of the item. >> Thank you very much, mayor, you know, we've had some discussion about this and what this item does. Is it it starts [4:12:43 PM] this item does. Is it it starts the process. This is not the last time we are going to be discussing this, but what it will do is allow for us to make good on what we did this past year in expanding the jurisdiction of the downtown Austin community court to be citywide, and one of the great things that the dac does is provide not only those services for those who are criminally involved to clear that record or resolve that record, but they also provide other support services that are so crucial to this community and help individuals go from the streets into housing, and they have incredible success. And so this is these types of services are just not we don't have enough of them. Those providers and those locations throughout the city. District five has the only non dac walkup navigation center in [4:13:46 PM] dac walkup navigation center in the entire city. And it is really, put frankly, quite burdensome on that neighborhood. It's across the street from elementary school and the park, and there are a lot of challenges with that particular site. And so what we're doing here today is saying, let's recognize the good work that all these organizations are, are doing. And bring the services north, bring an additional facility south so that we can have no longer have that burden on that neighborhood and meet people not only where they are, but bring the services they need. And I am so pleased that we earlier passed council member harper-madison expansion of the mobile court program, because that piece is crucial as well. And these fit, like I said, the other day, hand and glove, because what you can do is have these sites, whether they are the launching point, the offices for the mobile court programs, [4:14:47 PM] for the mobile court programs, they can be regionally divided and be able to get out into the community better, but they can also have the ability to pair with service providers and provide that type of mobile% court. Connection to what's happening at the downtown location. So there are the homeless strategy office has identified navigation related services as a huge gap that we have in our system. And this helps address that gap. And really brings some brings those services to the city. So I am happy to either answer any questions or I know other council members would like to speak. >> I guess I need to move. >> Move. Approval of item number 30. Is there a second? Seconded by council member Velasquez. Is there discussion on this item any further discussion? Yes. Council member Ellis. >> Thank you. I had pulled this item, the I know there's been [4:15:47 PM] item, the I know there's been conversation in the community just about, you know, what is the future needs of the downtown Austin community court. I am also excited that we were able to pass, expanding the mobile court options for people because I think that one's been very successful, and is very cost effective at providing the services that people need, I'm less familiar with, you know, trying to create more satellite locations and how that success is going to play out over, over the years, so I may just abstain on this one because I need to understand a little more of those details, but appreciate that my colleagues, lots of my colleagues, are trying to solve this issue from various different angles. I'm just not familiar if that's if I can get behind that. That is exactly the right way for us to move forward, but I may be the only one that feels that way, and I'm totally respectful of that, >> Mayor pro tem. >> Thanks. >> Yeah. I am supportive of the mobile court funding, and I [4:16:47 PM] mobile court funding, and I think. I think council member harper-madison for bringing that concept back to back to us to expand that program. I would rather see we focus on those efforts that move around the community with where the need is greatest, so that it can flex and move with the need, as opposed to trying to convince a neighborhood to add another facility in a neighborhood or adjacent to a neighborhood, which could replicate the concerns that we have right now, in district five. So, I would like to see the funds expanded for the mobile court program, including maybe some of the monies that are contemplated for the brick and mortar. So, mayor, I'll either vote no on this one or abstain. I'm thinking about it. >> Yeah, let me know. >> We'll do, >> Council member Kelly, followed by councilmember Alison alter. [4:17:48 PM] alter. >> Yeah. I just want to thank council member Ryan alter for bringing this forward. I think it's really important that the services that we provide to the population that is serviced by the downtown Austin community court are able to meet where the services are needed. And so expanding that, to ensure that there are other locations is really important to me. I've always said that it it is difficult for somebody with multiple complexities to be able to navigate, to get to one location. And I see this expansion as a way to potentially meet additional individuals that that need those services. So thank you for bringing that forward. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember Allison alter, >> Thank you. I was just wondering if the dac staff want us speak to this. I'm I'm kind of where council member Ellis is in that I'm not really sure that brick and mortar is the direction that is called for. If we've gotten to that point, after simply having one year of a pilot of the mobile dac, please come forward. [4:18:48 PM] please come forward. >> So good afternoon, Robert Kingham, court administrator for the downtown Austin community court. So to answer your question specifically, we have spent almost the last year collecting a lot of meaningful data that supports the mobile court operations and what we've been able to do there, we look forward to working and engaging with the homeless strategy office and other stakeholders to determine and look at potential expansion opportunities and what that may look like. But currently, right now, we don't have the specific data like we do for mobile court. Regarding that, what I can say is, before covid, we were seeing about 20 individuals a day for our walk in navigation services. And currently right now we're seeing upwards of 75 individuals a day. So the demand and services has increased over threefold in the [4:19:51 PM] increased over threefold in the last three and a half, four years. So from that standpoint, our data does align with what we hear and what we see in the community for need for navigation services. >> Yeah. I don't I mean, I don't think any of us who, who are, who are trying to understand this item are questioning whether we need the navigation services. I think this is an investment in brick and mortar, for, for a population that moves around and it's not totally obvious to me that brick and mortar is the answer. I'm not hearing. I mean, I'm hearing you think we need more services and the mobile is working right now and you'll explore this. But I'm not hearing you say this is like, absolutely the way we should be moving forward. >> Sure. It's I just do not have data that that can speak specifically to that, because that's not anything that we've been engaged with until recently when this item was, was being pulled up as far as brick and [4:20:53 PM] pulled up as far as brick and mortar site expansion. >> So thank you, city manager, I would, you know, I'm assuming that if there's this kind of direction, if you're going and exploring this and it doesn't make sense that you're going to come back and tell us that it that it doesn't make sense and council member alter, is that also. >> Absolutely. Like I said, this starts the process, right? They're going to go and have, not only the I try to identify where this is best fit. As mayor pro tem mentioned. Right. Citing this location is going to be an open question, and we're going to have to find an area as council member. Kelly, I know, has a similar service in her district that, you know, if there are areas that you can put it that are don't have the impact on a neighborhood, but this is just starting that process. Once we have that, that will still come before us and we will still have to vote on that. And the manager can tell us along the way if this is not, you know, if there are things that need to be adjusted, but [4:21:55 PM] that need to be adjusted, but this just kick starts that process. So that it will eventually come back to us for future consideration, where we can discuss many of these concerns. It's just a matter of starting starting this, because when we tried to do this before, the question from the real estate office was, well, either where's the money? Or where's the instruction to do so? And so without this is this is that gap in making this process move forward? >> Okay, with the budget, I haven't had the time to review this in the way that I would feel most comfortable. So I'm going to abstain, you know, the language is a little bit more prescriptive than what we just discussed, but I'm going to assume that's the way that we discussed, but but for now, I'm going to abstain. I appreciate the need and, and the, the impetus for this. >> Any further discussion? All right, then we're going to the motion has been made. And seconded that. Yeah. I didn't [4:22:59 PM] seconded that. Yeah. I didn't write it down, I usually do. So. >> Yes. That was seconded by council member Velasquez. >> Vasquez. Yeah yeah, sorry. I usually write that down, so the motion made by councilman Ryan alter, seconded by council member Velasquez to approve item number 30. I'm going to show council member Alison alter, council member Ellis and the mayor pro tem abstaining on item number 30 with those with those caveats. Without objection. Item number 30 is adopted. Members that concludes voting on all items, but I'm confident that people want to say a few words, as has been indicated earlier by council member Fuentes. So, council member, I want to recognize you first. >> Thank you. Thank you to our city staff. Miss Kerri Lang Ed Benigno, Eric Nelson, and everyone who helped put together this budget. Thank you. Manager [4:23:59 PM] this budget. Thank you. Manager Broadnax for your leadership, what we approved today has some really incredible investments in our community. I'm especially proud of the allocation to help us look at how we might help families with affording their flood insurance. Also, I'm really proud of the investments that we've made around homelessness. Several of us brought forward items related to homelessness, in particular the investment in rapid rehousing, also, I'm thrilled to see that we have the support to continue the family stabilization grant and with the reproductive health fund, all of those are items that we heard from our community who came to our town halls, who came to our public hearings. And so just want to thank everyone involved and especially want to thank my team in in the district two office for all of their hard work. Thank you, thank you. >> Council member, council member Velasquez followed by councilmember qadri. >> Yeah, I just wanted to echo a lot of the a lot of the sentiment that councilmember Fuentes had, also thanking [4:25:00 PM] Fuentes had, also thanking Carrie and Eric and Ed and especially Carrie for putting up with my horrible jokes at whenever she would call and let me know that we didn't have any money at all to be spending. I want to thank all of the community members that pressed us to find more money, to try and find more money to continue to work, and that this budget reflects our, our, our ideals and how we see ourselves as a city, I want to thank the city manager. I want to thank our amazing sub quorum that has worked tirelessly, tirelessly for the last few months and all of our staffs. I don't think they get enough credit for all the work that they do, and that they put in to make sure that we are up here and able to perform and get some stuff done for our city. Thank you, thank you. >> Council member. Council member qadri. >> Thank you. Mayor, got a going third after all the thanks, I'm going to be repeating a lot of the thank yous, but I wanted to thank city staff. I wanted to thank my colleagues. I wanted to thank councilmember Fuentes and her and her staff on keeping all the sub core meetings going nicely, and thank all the offices for bringing food and [4:26:02 PM] offices for bringing food and breakfast tacos and all that. I also want to thank my office for all their hard work and a lot of these, you know, budget amendments, you know, to craft a budget that lives up to our values, I'm also thankful to everyone who testified today, and that was active and involved throughout the entire process, whether by attending a budget open house meeting with our office or writing in the priorities that they brought up helped guide us as we made determinations around this budget, I want to thank Carrie from the budget office for my lame jokes as well, god knows, I had my fair share, and I want to thank, councilmember Ryan alter for bringing a little bit of spice to the budget, this this this afternoon, I'm strongly committed to working towards a more sustainable, equitable and equitable and affordable Austin. And I believe this budget keeps us moving in that direction. Our budget is not just a spreadsheet with line items. It's a moral document working to shape the budget to better reflect our [4:27:02 PM] budget to better reflect our ideals, speaks highly of values that we hold dear here in Austin, that we must represent here on the dais. And while there were many items that are worthy of highlighting from the base budget, I just I really wanted to focus and call it on the support that we saw around the mental health diversion pilot program, raising Austin's living wage, and providing 4% across the board raise to city employees permanent funding for the I belong in Austin tenant stabilization and rental assistance program, and funding the collective sex crimes response model. And I'm also very appreciative of my colleagues for supporting, my other three budget amendments outside of the diversion pilot around Castillo Ed around the homelessness engagement assistance response program and on the community health navigator program. I appreciate the support of everyone who made today possible. You know, the focus very much was on homelessness, public health, safety, a lot of issues that we all care about. And I'm happy [4:28:03 PM] all care about. And I'm happy that that it's coming to an end. >> Councilmember. Thank you. Council member, council member Ellis, followed by councilmember vela and then council member Ryan alter. >> Thank you. Mayor, I'm really excited about the work that we were able to do together on this budget. I'm excited that we got the parks maintenance crew beefed up. We've got 16 more full time employees coming into our park system. And thank you to Allison alter for working so closely with us on that. We co-led on that effort. Transportation is getting more full time employees to help improve our roads and signals and lane striping. District eight is going to get a dog park pilot, so I think that's very exciting, gun locks and safe storage education campaign. And a firearms examiner to help with ballistics testing. That's something that's going to be really important in the community to help protect safety, a veteran affairs action plan and more shade trees for our parks, but sometimes there's things that get baked in or just get handled that are already in the budget, and we don't necessarily need to discuss them up here today. So I know there's a lot of focus on the bits and [4:29:04 PM] a lot of focus on the bits and pieces that came into this final adoption, but there's a lot of work that goes in on the back end with us and with city staff to make sure that these are addressed. So some of the things we know that were already included were clean air work that we do with our regional partners, our gun surrender program, additional reproductive health and service navigation, we have more bicycle ticketing for people parking in bike lanes to make sure that our cyclists that are operating don't need to swerve into lanes of traffic, which is extremely dangerous for everybody. And the living streets program is getting the enhancements that it needs. So you're going to see some more developments along the way that help identify where a healthy street is and how to make sure that people are operating safely in our neighborhood streets, nd making sure that the neighbors can use it effectively, and that kids can learn how to ride bikes in a safe manner. So there's a lot of good work in here today, and I'm just really proud to get to the end of budget. I think we all like being able to be done with this chapter, and to move forward into the next year to [4:30:05 PM] forward into the next year to best utilize these dollars. >> Thank you. Council member, council member vela, followed by council member Ryan alter and then council member Alison alter. >> Thank you mayor, I just wanted to highlight one item that we really haven't talked about because the city manager included in the base budget and that's the $3.6 million in tenant assistance. >> I know that has been a big topic of discussion since I've been on the dais, even before, that was a critical element of the pandemic relief. And because of the commitment of advocates and of the commitment of this council, we have put that into the city budget on a permanent basis, on an ongoing basis. And this just signals our commitment to equity, to affordability, to helping people out. We've got a contract with el Buen samaritano that's running it, and they are doing an excellent job leveraging those funds. When folks go and ask for rental assistance, they've got a food [4:31:07 PM] assistance, they've got a food pantry. They've tried to connect them with other resources. And I think we've got a very good model working. And I'm excited that instead of debating it year after year, we have put that into the base budget and just look forward to seeing that continue as part of the base budget. And then again, I've got to congratulate honestly, the folks that I got to congratulate are the Gus Garcia senior center program people, because they're the ones that said, you need to get over here and see what we're doing at Gus Garcia rec center. They're the ones that highlighted the need for more space, and I'm proud to deliver some more capacity. There for them. Congratulations to the seniors and many of them that testified and that that volunteer and that help. Honestly, they they inspire me. And I just have to take my hat off to them. >> Very good. Thank you. Council member. Council member Ryan, followed by council member [4:32:08 PM] followed by council member Alison alter and then council member Kelly. >> Thank you very much, mayor. I too would be remiss if I didn't first mention those three people sitting right in front of us Ed, Kerri and Eric, I know the many hours that not only went into putting this budget together for us to consider, but from that moment answering, who knows how many hundreds of questions and dealing with all our back and forth. And so I just first and foremost, sincerely thank you all for all the hard work. And it goes it doesn't go unnoticed, but it's very appreciated, I also just want to take a real brief moment to echo the comments of my colleagues. This budget really does invest in people. It makes our community safer. Whether that is the downtown command center or the even the pilot that we're going [4:33:09 PM] even the pilot that we're going to have up at the domain, which is going to be a great addition to that community. It makes our city more resilient. We are investing in our land, in our trees, which is that green infrastructure that is so critical. But most importantly, it makes real, meaningful investments in addressing the unhoused here in Austin. You know, there are investments in here all throughout the system, whether that's preventing people from becoming homeless, making sure that once if someone does fall into homelessness, they have a shelter bed and then getting them into whether that's rapid rehousing or permanent supportive housing, but putting the interventions in place so that we can meet the need that is in the community. And so I am incredibly proud of the work that we have done on that front. [4:34:10 PM] that we have done on that front. And certainly want to thank everyone here for the work that you have shown and the dedication to that. It truly is going to be very impactful for a lot of people in our community. So thank you very much. And now I look forward to implementation. >> Thank you. Councilmember. Councilmember Allison alter, followed by councilmember Kelly. >> Thank you. I'm going to join in the chorus of thank yous to our budget and finance folks. You had a particularly challenging year with a new city manager coming in. So thank you, Eric and Carrie and Ed and all of your other staff who had to answer the many questions that we asked, thank you to the city manager and deputy city manager and all of all of the staff, you know that I like to ask questions and you've all been very, very patient with me. I appreciate it. It's the last time you have to do that for budget. So, I did want to before [4:35:10 PM] budget. So, I did want to before I move on to thank some other people, want to acknowledge that this is Bruce mill's last meeting, and he's one of the people that I have worked really closely with on a number of the public safety initiatives. So thank you, Bruce, for your service and for stepping in. To help us out in the transition. We appreciate it and wish you well in your, in would be hopefully more successful retirement than your last retirement. I mean, I want to extend my thanks to all of my district ten constituents who spoke up and shared with me their ideas and priorities. I want to thank my amazing staff, my budget director, Ashley Richardson, Melissa markman, Ashley fisher, Mina Shekarchi, Carrie Smith, and Sophia murto. For all of your passion and your commitment to bettering our community and making sure that that everything was moving smoothly and ahead of schedule. [4:36:12 PM] smoothly and ahead of schedule. So thank you very much for your work, lastly, I do want to take a moment to express my appreciation for my colleagues on the dais. This is my last budget and that I will vote for as an Austin city council member. And over the years together, we've worked on many, many issues. And in the budget. We've invested in some critical things and part of what I have loved about this budget is several of you stepping up to further some of those pieces, so we've worked to support survivors of sexual and domestic violence. We work to mitigate our wildfire risk, expand access to affordable child care, improve our access to health care by addressing care low acuity situations more creatively. We've worked to improve our response to hate. We created the office of violence prevention. We prepared for and responded to disease outbreaks. We've done work to beautify our parks. We've developed the Austin civilian conservation corps, and that's just to name a [4:37:13 PM] corps, and that's just to name a few of the things this budget, too, is, is a really good budget. And as council member Ellis mentioned, we spent a lot of our time today talking about the last $20 million of the 5.9 billion. And I do want to underscore for anyone who's whose, budget, we didn't talk about today, that's not necessarily a bad thing, that we didn't talk about it, we do appreciate it. And, you know, it's a testament to how well the budget is put together that we, we are, working, you know, to meet some last priorities. And I think we were very successful this year in addressing many. But I do want to just speak to some of the things that were baked into the proposed budget, because sometimes they get lost in this sort of amendment flurry at the end, first of all, I think we did a really good job this year of taking care of our employees, you know, we've extended the paternity leave to 12 weeks for our non-sworn employees. We have a raise of 4%, we're taking care of some important investments for our pensions. We have made [4:38:13 PM] pensions. We have made investments over the past year, plus to move people into better spaces by, you know, really moving into our owned spaces, we are going to be opening a new fire station in district ten in January, we have, funded the collaborative care center. One of these days. I'm going to get it right, the c4 call center out of ems, to 24 over seven, and we got central health to partner with us, and we're talking with other emergency departments. Et cetera on that, we funded the Austin civilian conservation corps for several more years, and we have, you know, made the big investment in the collective sex crimes response model and begun a process of leading forward in to do a similar process for domestic violence. So there's a lot of lot of things here. We can be proud of and for, for my office, we set out this year to say we want to land the planes, that we've sort of launched up into the air and catch those balls. And I think [4:39:15 PM] catch those balls. And I think we really we really have done that with this budget. And I appreciate my colleagues helping and assisting me to do that. Thank you. >> Thank you. Council member, council member Kelly, thank you, mayor. >> And I just want to say that, you know, this this budget, I've been through many a couple of years now and you run the best budget meetings. So thank you very much for that. You run a tight ship and I it's less painful than it's been in years past. And I very much appreciate that. I know that staff does as well. I want to also thank our budget staff, thank you so much for everything that you did to get us to where we are today, that work is incredible. Bruce mills, it is your last meeting, and I just want to say I object to your retirement, I thought you might giggle. Yeah. Thank you for everything that you've done for public safety. And to the parks department, thank you for your advocacy over the cemeteries. I'm very glad that that was included in the budget. And, last week, many of you know, I experienced a medical emergency. I want to thank my colleagues for your understanding during that time, [4:40:15 PM] understanding during that time, but I also want to thank the first responders who came here to city hall to take care of me, and everyone who was involved in that. It meant a lot. And I'm much better now. So thank you very much. >> Thank you. Council member, I'm going to pass it here in just a second to the city manager, because I want him to have the opportunity to say a few things, but I want to say thank you to all of the staff, and I don't say thank you to my staff enough for helping me through all these processes and all the work they do. And I want to say thank you to them also. Mills, I've got to recognize you. You know, I didn't expect when I came back as mayor that I'd get to work with mills. In fact, they told me I wouldn't have to, yeah. Yeah, no, but, you know, it's interesting because one of my. If you asked me about some of my favorite times as mayor of Austin, Texas, one of the top times was back when I was mayor the first time. And old mills was acting. Yeah yeah, you got it right, he was [4:41:19 PM] yeah, you got it right, he was the acting chief, and we did national night out, and I got to run around with chief mills, and one of the places we got to go was up in allendale, which is where he grew up. And it was one of the happiest nights I've ever participated in in public service. Because he is such a happy person. He brings joy pretty much wherever he goes, there can be a shootout, and he's got people laughing, and, and the people were so proud of him. So, chief, thank you for all you've meant to. All of us. And the role you've played, we're we're. No. You're done, if you want to say what words, then I'm going to turn it to the man. We've got a great memory. >> I forgot about that. I think the I think representative Doggett was with us when you were young. Look, it has been an honor to work with each of you. [4:42:20 PM] honor to work with each of you. I think about that. I'm sitting here working with you, and most of you and your staff, who I don't see here today, but they've been really, really so open to me to let us sit in every one of your offices, debate, offer different perspectives, and come to agreement. That's every one of you in my cell phone, and I hope I'm in yours. And we stay friends. >> I blocked you today and I've got. >> And I have to say, I knew the mayor loved me because I had to call him Monday. I think it was. And when I called, the mayor answered the phone, I love you. And he said, then he was talking to talking to my son who was leaving the house. But anyway, yeah, I thought he was talking to me and I felt love anyway. Yeah. So thank you all very much. >> I near couldn't get him off the phone. Thank you very much. I'm going to. Yeah I'm going to I'm going to turn it to our [4:43:21 PM] I'm going to turn it to our relatively new city manager. And as I do it, I mean, he's already heard it. Everybody's heard from a number of members. But, we're real glad you're here. And it's been proved to us again. I was I had a comment. I was talking at a deal the other day where somebody asked me about how this budget process has gone, and your first budget with this council and how we were doing, how you were doing. And I just want to say thank you as I give you pretty much the last word, on, on this budget process. So thank you, manager Broadnax. >> Thank you, mayor, and thank the city council for one, receiving our budget the way you did in early July, as well as all the interaction and the ideas and thoughts and suggestions that you made that ultimately got us to today. >> I want to also thank the [4:44:22 PM] >> I want to also thank the community I think as this is my first budget, I learned a lot just listening to the community, talking about the needs and in some cases, the pent up needs and frustration. No different, I think, than our council and staff conversations around the types of things you would like to have seen augmented in the budget and that you fulfill today, similarly, as council has expressed as well as the mayor. Thank you to my team. Ed Carrie and Eric and the folk who I think worked tirelessly behind them, as well as the assistant city managers and all the department directors and the staff that worked beside each and every one of the city employees to really put forth and talk through and recommend many things that should be in this budget. I'm excited about this year's budget. There are a lot of things, as you mentioned, [4:45:24 PM] lot of things, as you mentioned, in the budget for the community as well as for our staff and teams that do the work. I'm looking forward to next year's budget, I know, but I think there are too soon, too soon, too soon, but working again throughout this year to begin to craft that and understanding that we do have some challenges ahead of us. But again, as I've seen, whether through my staff or with working with this council, there is always a way through difficult times. And I think the civility and the approach that I've seen across this dais, working with our staff, as well as listening to the public and then working with each other, I think is only more exciting for me to be willing and desirous to roll up my sleeves and get after this next year. So again, thank you. Thank you to my team. Thank you to the community. I look forward to many more years of developing budgets and working to try to meet the needs of this community. And again, thank you to my team and to Bruce. I'm going to miss you. I appreciate [4:46:24 PM] going to miss you. I appreciate you and everything you've done. And you can just come in my office and sit if you want, because I've enjoyed your company. So thank you, mayor, and I appreciate today. >> Thank you. Manager, well, as we, as we close this budget, a couple of things I want to say. One is for those watching, for those that are watching, we are posted for meetings for tomorrow and Friday. Those meetings were posted in case they were needed. So nobody needs to show up tomorrow or Friday because we have completed the work of this budget cycle, and as I say that I want to say thank you to all of the members and each of the members of the Austin city council for all of your hard work, we do a good job as a team, and that is a meaningful thing. I think a lot of the success that we have had in the past, I guess 19 months now, has been because of courtesy and the [4:47:27 PM] been because of courtesy and the way we approach each other individually. So congratulations to each and all of the members of the Austin city council as we pass this budget. With that, members and without objection, the city council of Austin, Texas. Go ahead. Chief, can you come down here? We got a dog problem. Without objection, the Austin city council, I think, is adjourned. It's 4:48 P.M. Thanks, everybody.